Chapter 19

In the jeep, Jiang Baimian looked in the rearview mirror and chuckled, saying:

"Did you notice anything just now?"

"That group of wilderness bandits was quite calm, with high quality." Long Yuehong recalled various terms he had learned from books, hoping to find the most appropriate description.

Shang Jianyao retracted the "Berserker" assault rifle that he had placed on the car window:

"Except for the leader and one other, the rest had a strong desire to attack, the kind that would make them shoot at any moment."

"Pretty good!" Jiang Baimian was quite surprised. "Someone who hasn't experienced multiple battles and various dangers can actually敏锐地察觉到敌意、攻击欲望等相对抽象的东西。”

“天赋。”商见曜一脸认真。

蒋白棉轻轻点头道：

“基因改良过程中出现一定程度的突变是正常现象。”

她随即笑道：

“那么，你觉得你观察到的现象能说明什么？”

商见曜侧头看向龙悦红，笑着催促道：

“考你呢！”

“说明，说明他们，他们……”龙悦红隐约有些灵感，但由于这是别人提出的问题，需要他来回答，让他有点压力，相对紧张，所以，怎么都抓不住那一闪而过的念头。

“说明他们有强烈的自杀倾向！”商见曜帮他做出了回答。

“你在搞笑吗？”龙悦红忍不住说了一句。

然后，他据此有了联想，抓住了事情的关键：

“我明白了！

“在我们展示了强大的火力并给出了友好的态度后，他们还有那么强烈的攻击欲望说明他们有不小的信心能解决我们，而这从他们的人数、武器和其他装备上都看不出来。

“他们的车里有秘密武器？他们中某个人具备外表看不出来的可怕实力，比如，接受基因改造实验活了下来？或者，他们周围还潜藏着不少同伙？”

蒋白棉“嗯”了一声：

“下次再遇到他们，不要给他们准备的时间。”

“是，组长！”商见曜和龙悦红同时做出回答。

吉普车继续前行，绕过一片片黑沉泥泞的地方，在畸形生长的稀疏树木和大片杂草间，艰难奔往远处。

坐在后排右侧的商见曜突然直起身体，取下了挂在武装带上的“冰苔”手枪。

这手枪通体呈银白色，握把有防滑的花纹。

它在阳光下闪烁着明显的金属光泽，精致得仿佛艺术品。

商见曜双手拿着这把枪，开始熟练地拆解，检查每一个细节。

有序悦耳的金属碰撞声中，商见曜将最后一枚黄澄澄的子弹压入弹匣，完成了“冰苔”的重组。

上好弹匣，他将冰苔挂回武装带上，抽出了“联合202”手枪。

这把枪的枪身也是银白色的，只是握柄镶嵌有黑色的防滑材质，和“冰苔”相比，它枪管更粗，各个地方的细节更为粗犷。

商见曜重复了一遍刚才的操作后，开始折腾那把黑沉沉的“狂战士”突击步枪。

作为“盘古生物”自产的武器，这把枪同样非常有设计感，充满了未来风、工业风。

做完检查，商见曜将这把纯黑色的、闪烁金属光泽的武器架到了车窗上，伏低身体，瞄准起外面不同的目标。

龙悦红在一旁看得心里毛毛的，等到商见曜终于“安静”下来，忙开口问：

“你在做什么？”

商见曜头也不回地说道：

“准备，以及演习。”

龙悦红顿时松了口气：

“我还以为你发现了什么……

“不要把大家弄得这么紧张嘛。”

“真发现了什么，我会开口提醒你们的。”商见曜收回突击步枪，坐直了身体。

“组长，你看……”龙悦红寻求起正义的裁决。

蒋白棉抬手摸了摸左耳内的金属装置，难掩笑意地回应道：

“你说什么？我没听清楚！”

不等龙悦红重复，她“嗯”了一声：

“之前忘记提醒你们了。

“在荒野上，必须始终保持适当的警惕，不过嘛，也没必要警惕过度，太紧张的状态很快就会带来疲惫。

“好了，吃午餐吧，压缩饼干、能量棒和水，不用刻意停车了。”

龙悦红和商见曜没再说话，各自拿出食物，就着水囊，解决了一顿。

然后，龙悦红换下白晨，让后者进食。

就这样开了一个小时后，坐在后排左侧的白晨，望了窗外许久，突然开口道：

“这片区域有点不对劲。”

……龙悦红吓了一跳，差点踩下刹车。

他左右各看了一眼，发现这里和之前经过的地方没有本质的区别。

唯一的不同就是左侧沼泽化的程度更高了，那些畸形生长的树木仿佛是从黑色的泥潭里支出来的。

“没什么啊……”他疑惑回应道。

蒋白棉则“嗯”了一声：

“太安静了。”

听闻此言，商见曜若有所思地往窗外扫了一圈：

“有一段时间没看到动物了。”

龙悦红这才惊觉：

“对！

“真的有问题。”

黑沼荒野上，几个小时，乃至一两天碰不到人类很正常，可这里是野生生物的乐园，时而就能看到点或正常或不正常的动物，比如，忙碌着搜集过冬食物的松鼠，比如，穿行于稀疏林地间的鸟类，比如，躲在较隐蔽地方，观察着吉普车的孤狼。

白晨收回目光，对蒋白棉道：

“组长，换我来开吧，我怕这片区域有什么事发生了。”

“好，你比我们更了解这个地方，遇到意外能第一时间做出正确的选择。”蒋白棉立刻示意龙悦红停车。

交换位置后，白晨加快了车速，似乎想尽快通过这个有些不对劲的地方。

这片区域，两侧的树木依旧保持着稀疏的状态，黑沉的泥潭在阳光下反射着微弱的水光，一丛丛杂草在较开阔的区域肆意生长。

这一切看起来是如此正常，但却失去了所有的动静，如同一幅大型油画。

感觉外面连风都凝固下来的龙悦红内心打起了鼓，略有些战战兢兢地开口道：

“怎么越来越严重了？

“要不，我们往回开，换条路？”

白晨没有嘲笑龙悦红，认真点头道：

“再开两分钟，如果还没变化，就往回走。”

说话的时候，她看了蒋白棉一眼，征求组长的意见。

“嗯。”蒋白棉表示可以。

说话间，吉普车通过了一片有阴影的地方。

这是因为两侧树木陡然高大，枝叶伸展，纠缠在一起，遮住了“主路”上方大半的天空。

就在这个时候，商见曜、蒋白棉、龙悦红和白晨看见一道粗大的黑影从半空垂下，荡了过来，重重砸向吉普车的挡风玻璃。

那黑影有一个布满漆黑鳞片的狰狞脑袋，两颗眼睛暗黄冰冷，嘴巴大张，露出了白森森的、带着腐烂血肉的几颗尖牙，吐出了鲜红到极点的芯子。

这是一条超越正常人想象的巨大蟒蛇！

白晨表情微动，没有被吓到，冷静地将油门踩到了底。

灰绿色的吉普车顿时箭一样窜了出去，刚好从蟒蛇头部下方擦过。

双方的距离瞬间拉大，商见曜回过神来，端起“狂战士”突击步枪，扭转身体，将它架在了车窗上。

然后，他看清楚了那条巨蟒的模样。

这突如其来的袭击者至少有两个正常的水桶粗，身长明显超过十米，尾部在树上缠了一圈又一圈。

它的体表覆盖着厚厚的漆黑鳞片，在穿过枝叶缝隙的阳光下闪烁出金属般的光泽。

这时，白晨往右边打了下方向盘，让吉普车略微横了一点。

这样一来，坐在后排右侧的商见曜就能瞄准那条巨大的蟒蛇了。

“砰砰砰！”

商见曜扣动扳机，来了个长点射。

那一颗颗子弹打在蟒蛇的体表，溅起了夸张的火星。

但这却没能击穿那厚实的漆黑鳞片，只是让外层出现了龟裂的纹路。

“狂战士”突击步枪竟然没法伤害到这条可怕的蟒蛇！

蟒蛇似乎感觉到了疼痛，发出嘶嘶嘶的声音，张开嘴巴，吐出了一团黄绿色的气体。

这气体急速扩散，让周围仿佛被淡黄带绿的薄雾笼罩了起来。

一丛丛杂草在雾气中急速衰颓枯黄，倒伏至地面。

“关窗！”蒋白棉冷静地下达了命令。

她随即补充了一句：

“是黑沼铁蛇！”

刚从惊恐中恢复的龙悦红听到这句话，额头瞬间就沁出了一层冷汗。

之前的训练课上，他和商见曜听白晨提过黑沼荒野中危险度较高的怪物大致有哪些

这里面就包含“黑沼铁蛇”。

这是一种在旧世界毁灭时遭受污染，产生畸变但能稳定遗传的蟒蛇。

它们最大的特点就是体表覆盖着一层又一层黑铁般的滑腻鳞片，让大部分热武器失去效果。

另外，它们具备毒囊，可以让强侵蚀性的毒液飞溅，也可以制造可怕的、对动植物都有害的毒雾。

这两条结合在一起，就让黑沼铁蛇变成了一种噩梦般的生物，即使达到了一定数量的军队，如果不出动重武器或者特殊武器，也很难对抗它。

而且，黑沼铁蛇似乎拥有对危险的即时感知能力，也就是说，有人藏在远处，用狙击枪瞄准它脆弱的眼睛，试图打爆它的脑袋时，它能提前刹那做出反应，尝试规避。

正因为如此，黑沼铁蛇被称为怪物，而不是野兽。

现在出现在商见曜、龙悦红等人眼前的这条黑沼铁蛇则比白晨描述的还要大不少。

………………

远处，悄悄跟在吉普车后面的那群人听到砰砰砰的枪响从前方传来。

他们彼此对视了一眼，同时露出喜悦的神情。

“开始了。”他们的头目笑着说道。

PS: 求推荐票啊~

---

In the jeep, Jiang Baimian looked in the rearview mirror and chuckled, saying:

"Did you notice anything just now?"

"That group of wilderness bandits was quite calm, with high quality." Long Yuehong recalled various terms he had learned from books, hoping to find the most appropriate description.

Shang Jianyao retracted the "Berserker" assault rifle that he had placed on the car window:

"Except for the leader and one other, the rest had a strong desire to attack, the kind that would make them shoot at any moment."

"Pretty good!" Jiang Baimian was quite surprised. "Someone who hasn't experienced multiple battles and various dangers can actually敏锐地察觉到敌意、攻击欲望等相对抽象的东西。”

“Talent.” Shang Jianyao said seriously.

Jiang Baimian nodded lightly:

"Gene modification often involves some degree of mutation, which is normal."

She then smiled and said:

"So, what do you think your observations indicate?"

Shang Jianyao turned his head to look at Long Yuehong, smiling and urging him:

"Test you!"

"Indicate, indicate they, they..." Long Yuehong had a vague inspiration, but since this was a question posed by someone else that he had to answer, he felt some pressure and was relatively nervous, so he couldn't grasp the fleeting thought.

"Indicate they have a strong suicidal tendency!" Shang Jianyao answered for him.

"Are you joking?" Long Yuehong couldn't help but say.

Then, he had an association and grasped the key point:

"I get it!

"After we displayed our powerful firepower and showed a friendly attitude, they still had such a strong desire to attack, which indicates they have a significant confidence in their ability to deal with us. This confidence can't be seen from their numbers, weapons, or other equipment.

"Do they have a secret weapon in their car? Does one of them have a terrifying strength that can't be seen from the outside, like surviving a gene modification experiment? Or are there many more of their companions hiding around?"

Jiang Baimian hummed:

"Next time you encounter them, don't give them time to prepare."

"Yes, Leader!" Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong answered simultaneously.

The jeep continued to move forward, bypassing areas of black, muddy ground, and struggled through the sparse, deformed trees and large patches of weeds.

Shang Jianyao, sitting on the right side of the back seat, suddenly straightened up and took off the "Ice Moss" pistol from his belt.

The pistol was entirely silver-white, with a grip that had anti-slip patterns.

It gleamed with a metallic luster in the sunlight, looking as if it were a piece of art.

Shang Jianyao held the gun with both hands and began to disassemble it skillfully, checking every detail.

In the pleasant sound of metal clashing, Shang Jianyao loaded the last golden bullet into the magazine, completing the reassembly of the "Ice Moss."

After loading the magazine, he hung the Ice Moss back on his belt and took out the "Union 202" pistol.

The body of this gun was also silver-white, but the grip was inlaid with black anti-slip material. Compared to the "Ice Moss," it had a thicker barrel and more rugged details.

Shang Jianyao repeated the previous operation and then began to disassemble the black "Berserker" assault rifle.

As a weapon produced by "Pangu Bio," this gun was also very well-designed, with a futuristic and industrial style.

After the inspection, Shang Jianyao placed the pure black, metallic-gleaming weapon on the car window, crouched down, and aimed at different targets outside.

Long Yuehong, watching from the side, felt uneasy. When Shang Jianyao finally "calmed down," he hurriedly asked:

"What are you doing?"

Shang Jianyao, without turning his head, said:

"Preparing and practicing."

Long Yuehong immediately relaxed:

"I thought you had noticed something...

"Don't make everyone so nervous."

"If I really noticed something, I would tell you." Shang Jianyao put away the assault rifle and sat up straight.

"Leader, what do you think?" Long Yuehong sought a fair judgment.

Jiang Baimian touched the metal device in her left ear and responded with a smile:

"What did you say? I didn't hear clearly!"

Without waiting for Long Yuehong to repeat, she hummed:

"I forgot to remind you earlier.

"In the wilderness, you must always maintain an appropriate level of vigilance, but you don't need to be overly cautious. Being too tense will quickly lead to fatigue.

"Let's have lunch now. Compressed cookies, energy bars, and water. No need to stop the car."

Long Yuehong and Shang Jianyao didn't say anything more, each taking out their food and eating with water bladders.

Then, Long Yuehong replaced Bai Chen, allowing her to eat.

After driving for about an hour, Bai Chen, sitting on the left side of the back seat, looked out the window for a long time and suddenly said:

"This area seems a bit off."

... Long Yuehong was startled and almost hit the brakes.

He looked to the left and right, finding no essential difference from the areas they had passed through.

The only difference was that the left side was more swampy, with deformed trees growing out of the black mud.

"There's nothing wrong..." he responded doubtfully.

Jiang Baimian hummed:

"It's too quiet."

Hearing this, Shang Jianyao looked around outside thoughtfully:

"We haven't seen any animals for a while."

Long Yuehong then realized:

"Right!

"There really is a problem."

In the Black Swamp Wilderness, it was normal not to encounter humans for hours or even days, but this was a paradise for wild animals, where one could often see normal or abnormal animals, such as busy squirrels gathering winter food, birds crossing through sparse forests, or lone wolves hiding in more secluded places, observing the jeep.

Bai Chen withdrew her gaze and said to Jiang Baimian:

"Leader, let me drive. I'm afraid something has happened in this area."

"Okay, you know this place better than we do. If something unexpected happens, you can make the right decision first." Jiang Baimian immediately signaled Long Yuehong to stop the car.

After switching positions, Bai Chen increased the speed, seemingly trying to pass through this strange area as quickly as possible.

In this area, the trees on both sides remained sparse, and the black mud reflected a weak light in the sunlight. Clumps of weeds grew wildly in the more open areas.

Everything looked normal, but it was completely still, like a large oil painting.

Feeling that even the wind outside had frozen, Long Yuehong's heart raced, and he asked nervously:

"How is it getting worse?

"Should we turn back and take another route?"

Bai Chen didn't mock Long Yuehong and nodded seriously:

"Let's drive for two more minutes. If nothing changes, we'll turn back."

As she spoke, she glanced at Jiang Baimian, seeking the leader's opinion.

"Okay." Jiang Baimian agreed.

As they spoke, the jeep passed through a shaded area.

This was because the trees on both sides suddenly grew tall, with branches extending and intertwining, blocking most of the sky above the "main road."

At that moment, Shang Jianyao, Jiang Baimian, Long Yuehong, and Bai Chen saw a large black shadow hanging from the sky, swinging over, and heavily smashing into the jeep's windshield.

The black shadow had a head covered in black scales, with two cold, yellow eyes. Its mouth was wide open, revealing white, sharp teeth with rotten flesh, and it extended a bright red tongue.

It was a giant python, beyond the imagination of normal people!

Bai Chen's expression changed slightly, but she wasn't scared. She calmly pressed the gas pedal to the floor.

The gray-green jeep shot forward like an arrow, just passing under the python's head.

The distance between them instantly widened, and Shang Jianyao, regaining his composure, picked up the "Berserker" assault rifle, turned his body, and placed it on the car window.

Then, he clearly saw the appearance of the giant python.

This sudden attacker was at least as thick as two normal buckets, clearly over ten meters long, with its tail coiled around the tree several times.

Its body was covered in thick, black scales, gleaming with a metallic luster in the sunlight filtering through the branches.

At this moment, Bai Chen turned the steering wheel to the right, slightly tilting the jeep.

This way, Shang Jianyao, sitting on the right side of the back seat, could aim at the giant python.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

Shang Jianyao pulled the trigger, firing a long burst.

The bullets hit the python's body, splashing sparks.

However, they couldn't penetrate the thick, black scales, only causing the outer layer to crack.

The "Berserker" assault rifle couldn't harm this terrifying python!

The python seemed to feel pain, hissing and opening its mouth, releasing a cloud of yellow-green gas.

The gas spread rapidly, enveloping the surroundings in a pale yellow-green mist.

The weeds in the mist quickly withered and turned yellow, falling to the ground.

"Close the windows!" Jiang Baimian calmly ordered.

She then added:

"It's a Black Swamp Iron Python!"

Long Yuehong, who had just recovered from his shock, broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing this.

In previous training sessions, he and Shang Jianyao had heard Bai Chen describe the more dangerous monsters in the Black Swamp Wilderness, which included the "Black Swamp Iron Python."

This was a python that had been polluted and mutated during the destruction of the old world but could pass on its traits stably.

Its most distinctive feature was its body covered in thick, black, iron-like scales, making most thermal weapons ineffective.

Additionally, it had a venom sac that could release highly corrosive venom and create a terrifying, harmful mist to plants and animals.

These two features combined made the Black Swamp Iron Python a nightmare-like creature. Even a large number of troops would find it difficult to combat without heavy or special weapons.

Moreover, the Black Swamp Iron Python seemed to have an immediate sense of danger, meaning that if someone was hiding far away, aiming a sniper rifle at its vulnerable eyes to try to blow its head off, it could react in an instant and try to avoid it.

For these reasons, the Black Swamp Iron Python was called a monster, not a beast.

The Black Swamp Iron Python that appeared before Shang Jianyao, Long Yuehong, and the others was even larger than Bai Chen had described.

...

In the distance, the group of people quietly following the jeep heard the gunshots from the front.

They looked at each other and simultaneously showed a joyful expression.

"It's started." Their leader said with a smile.

PS: Please give me a recommendation!