“Hmm?” Without any markers, it was difficult to determine direction, so Lin Ya had to rely on the position of the sun to differentiate between east, south, west, and north, while also following the map in a certain direction.
“…What is that?”
[Uh…] 123 crouched on his shoulder, both of them gazing towards a distant location where sand and dust swirled.
“Mutated plants?” A map of the gathering skill suddenly appeared in his mind, and indeed several red dots emerged, even with names marked.
[Mutated Mango – Flesh is edible (with a slight risk of mild poisoning) · Seeds have mutated and can be planted (non-toxic)]
[Mutated Succulent – Cannot be eaten directly (highly toxic) · Peeling the skin makes it edible (non-toxic)]
[Mutated Bougainvillea – Pollen is highly toxic and can be used for medicine]
“Is there really more than one type…?”
The locations of these three mutated plants were quite scattered. The closest one was the mutated succulent in the distance, partially hidden by sand and dust, making it impossible to discern the exact situation inside.
“Bougainvillea pollen is highly toxic and can be used for medicine? Can it be made into□□?”
[Host, it seems there are people over there—] 123 bounced a couple of times in the direction of the mutated succulent, speaking with a hint of uncertainty.
“…?” Could it be the original owner’s companions?
Lin Ya quickly ran towards that direction, but the sand made it difficult to move swiftly.
After about five minutes, Lin Ya finally arrived at the area.
This place was probably once a flower and bird market; half of the iron shed was buried, and from the outside, it resembled a large dark tunnel.
The mutated plants were near the flower and bird market.
As he approached, hiding behind the wall of ruins, Lin Ya took a closer look at the mutated succulent. Upon the first glance, he hesitated for a moment, slowly asking, “…This, is it really a succulent? It’s neither a cactus nor aloe vera?”
123 also remained silent for a moment: [I suppose… it is…]
The two exchanged glances for a while, and Lin Ya reached to his waist.
“This succulent… likely feeds on pig fodder, right?”
Waving his leafy appendages to block the view of the enormous succulent, it resembled a mountain of meat, about the size of a small house. However, it didn’t look like the succulents from Lin Ya’s memory, instead resembling a blend of aloe and cactus.
At the base were long, thick leaves wrapped around its body, armed with sharp spines, constantly flailing and causing the surrounding sand to swirl like a moving curtain, making it dazzling and difficult to approach.
Above the leaves were numerous tiny spines, branching out like a cactus, and the entire plant was not the usual vibrant green color, but a deep, murky green, as if it absorbed light, making it inconspicuous in the sunlight.
To collect the mutated succulent using the gathering skill, he would need to get within a meter of it to activate the collection function.
However, it was unclear why the plant was continuously flailing its leaves; if that continued, he wouldn’t be able to collect anything.
“That’s a trace of blood; it looks quite fresh…” Lin Ya stealthily crept to within ten meters of the mutated succulent, sharp-eyed and spotting a faint trail of blood heading towards the dark hole of the flower and bird market.
“Indeed, someone is nearby.”
He decided to prepare to go inside and take a look.
After a difficult maneuver to the other side of the hole, he discovered it was blocked by collapsed concrete blocks, forcing him to return to his original position.
If he attempted to pass through this way, he would undoubtedly attract the mutated succulent’s attention.
Gazing at its robust spines, Lin Ya’s eyes involuntarily twitched, and his entire body experienced phantom pain.
If he went closer, he would be stuck like a porcupine—
Absolutely.
——
In the dark corridor, relying on the light filtering through the crevices of the rubble at the other end, a figure leaned against the rough concrete piles, breathing painfully, feeling sharp pains tugging at his legs, awkwardly searching his body for something, but yielding nothing.
“Uh…uhm…” A suppressed sound of pain escaped his lips.
Gu Ming gritted his teeth, fingers trembling as he extracted the last splinter from his thigh.
Blood dripped continuously, soaking into the dark fabric, giving off a strong metallic scent.
He couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh; he had been incredibly unlucky on this outing.
Along with the others in the team, he had taken a mission released by the base, but shortly after leaving the base, barely reaching the task location, they unexpectedly encountered a sandstorm. This led to the entire team being swept away and dispersed, resulting not only in damaged protective suits but also the supplies being lost.
The worst part was that when he fell to the ground, it seemed he had injured his hand, causing a fracture.
When he woke up, he had no idea how much time had passed. Fortunately, although the protective suit was damaged, it was still somewhat usable, but it couldn’t filter the respiratory system, forcing him to crack open a small gap and face the outside’s searing heat and dust.
The only good news was that his positioning system still worked, allowing him to contact the base.
However, it was unfortunate that those who had ventured outside the base in recent days had all encountered sandstorms, and most had lost contact, with the base’s protective system experiencing issues, making it impossible for anyone to come pick him up; he could only rely on himself to return.
Using his clothing, he tore strips to bind his wounds, leaning pale against the rough wall while the symptoms of excessive blood loss caused his body to shiver involuntarily.
With no medicine and no nutritional fluids, he had walked for two days through the desert ruins, gradually approaching the base marked on the map with a green symbol.
Yet, relying solely on his feet without a desert vehicle, he had only covered a few dozen kilometers in two days.
There were still nearly three hundred kilometers left to the base.
A distant hope, seemingly unattainable.
Gu Ming partially closed his eyes, vaguely sensing a flash of light before him; then, a figure appeared. Too weak to open his eyes, he collapsed.
“…He fainted.” Lin Ya quickly supported the collapsing figure with his right hand and wedged the flashlight into a nearby crevice.
When he approached, he caught a strong smell of blood and noticed the blood seeping from the white cloth bandages. Lin Ya frowned, crouching down to retrieve medical supplies and a spray for stopping the bleeding and easing pain to treat his wounds.
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