Chapter 26

A corpse was thrown high and far, landing in the swamp ahead, splashing countless mud spots.

It was embedded in the dark, soft surface, sinking inch by inch.

Beside it were two similar scenes, but they were buried deeper in the mud.

Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong gazed for a few seconds, then turned their eyes away and walked toward the jeep.

Jiang Baimian didn’t ask who would ride the heavy motorcycle first; she simply put on the helmet, straddled the bike, and said with a smile:

“I’ve wanted one for a long time, but I never had the chance.”

Before she finished speaking, she twisted the throttle, making the heavy motorcycle roar with a deep and fierce sound.

Jiang Baimian leaned forward, and although it was her first time riding, she looked quite professional.

The roar grew louder, and the heavy motorcycle shot forward like an arrow, racing along the edge of the swamp toward the distance.

“Romance of steel and fuel…” Long Yuehong murmured enviously, “And freedom and the wind.”

Amid the roar, the heavy motorcycle turned back and stopped not far away.

Jiang Baimian propped herself up with her foot, pulled up the helmet visor, and chuckled:

“Well, this, that, Bai Chen, which way should we go?”

Bai Chen looked down at her scarf and replied loudly:

“Follow the jeep.”

“Huh? What did you say?” Jiang Baimian raised her hand to her ear, but it was already covered by the helmet.

She kept smiling, pulled down the visor again, and rode the motorcycle back to the jeep as if it were her own decision.

Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong got into the car, and Bai Chen returned to the driver's seat, starting the jeep.

Thus, they moved forward at a relatively low speed in the black swamp wilderness, occasionally changing direction and zigzagging.

During this process, Jiang Baimian repeatedly rode the motorcycle away from the group, citing reconnaissance as the reason, and sped off in different directions.

After nearly two hours, Bai Chen stopped the jeep, which seemed to be struggling under the load.

She pushed open the door and said to Jiang Baimian, who had just returned from a distant reconnaissance:

“Leader, we’re close to the settlement.”

Jiang Baimian propped herself up with one foot, pulled up the visor, and asked:

“What do you think?”

Bai Chen touched her rough skin and said:

“I’m worried that our approach will cause an overreaction from the settlement’s wild wanderers. They are always very vigilant in this regard.

“Why don’t you wait here, and I’ll ride the motorcycle to make contact. Then I’ll come back to guide you in. If they don’t let us in, I’ll try to trade outside.”

Jiang Baimian nodded slightly:

“Our firepower is indeed intimidating.”

The black swamp iron snake skin tied to the top of the jeep was even more daunting.

She immediately got off the motorcycle, parked it, took off the helmet, and handed it to Bai Chen.

Watching Bai Chen’s figure disappear into the sparse forest ahead, Jiang Baimian opened the jeep door and sat in the driver’s seat.

“Want a smoke?” she asked, picking up a crude cigarette from the armrest box.

This was a previous war trophy.

The charred, dark yellow tobacco leaves emitted an indescribable aroma.

“No thanks,” Long Yuehong and Shang Jianyao said, shaking their heads.

“You two, this is a luxury!” Jiang Baimian put down the crude cigarette, “Many who have been to the battlefield are madly obsessed with it. It helps them relax and not be overwhelmed, just like how alcohol can make people forget many unpleasant things they don’t want to recall. Ah, many people only become happy after getting drunk.”

“That’s not true happiness,” Shang Jianyao suddenly sang a line. (Note 1)

“Hey, you’re singing now,” Jiang Baimian’s mouth opened slightly, and she laughed.

Shang Jianyao nodded seriously:

“I like music.”

“But the lyrics don’t seem quite right…” Jiang Baimian rubbed the metal device in her ear.

Shang Jianyao said as if discussing an academic issue:

“The lyrics can be modified to fit the current situation, which helps better express the message.”

“…” Jiang Baimian waved her hand, “That’s not the point. You almost made me forget what I was going to say!”

She sighed in a slightly annoyed manner:

“I mentioned the cigarettes to bring up the topic of war trauma.

“Although the battle you just experienced didn’t reach that level, it’s still necessary to pay attention. Whether it’s cigarettes, alcohol, or even controlled drugs, they are not good coping mechanisms and can lead to serious dependence and harm your health.

“If you feel too tense, stressed, anxious, irritable, or have difficulty concentrating, you can talk to me. I’ve taken some psychology courses.”

“Yes, Leader!” Long Yuehong responded loudly, “Actually, Bai Chen talked to us about this during the journey, and I feel much better now.”

“Good,” Jiang Baimian praised, “The best decision I made since the old adjustment team was approved is to accept Bai Chen’s application. Tsk, my judgment is pretty good, right?”

Without waiting for Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong to respond, she leaned back in the driver’s seat and said:

“I don’t know when Bai Chen will be back. Since we’re idle, I’ll tell you some things I haven’t mentioned before.”

Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong immediately sat up straight, as if they were still in school.

Jiang Baimian chuckled:

“Don’t be so focused! Keep an eye on the outside! Are you not afraid of a rocket coming from somewhere and wiping us out?

“Okay, back to the topic. Didn’t I say before that, in the Ashlands, apart from a few rare creatures, the most dangerous enemy of humans is always other humans.

“So, which humans can be considered dangerous?

“Long Yuehong, what do you think?”

Long Yuehong recalled and said:

“People wearing exoskeletons.”

In the previous battle, the military exoskeletons left a deep impression on him.

He even suspected they would become one of his nightmares.

“Right, and we can also add people wearing bionic smart armor. These two types of people can handle a whole team or even wipe out a small settlement of wild wanderers,” Jiang Baimian turned her gaze to Shang Jianyao, “What do you think?”

“Teams equipped with heavy weapons, teams with outstanding firepower, and people with specific types of bio-limbs or mechanical and electronic modifications,” Shang Jianyao listed three.

Jiang Baimian nodded slightly:

“Indeed.”

She stroked her left arm with her right hand:

“It has greatly improved me, but the original is still the best. You should cherish it!”

She added immediately:

“Also, there are the monks of the Monastic Order and the genetically modified. You might not know, but in many factions, people like you are called ‘Chosen Ones.’”

“Why?” Long Yuehong asked, surprised.

Jiang Baimian laughed:

“You’re too familiar with it and are part of it, so you don’t appreciate its value.

“Currently, only our company and the ‘White Knights’ can stably perform genetic modifications and produce the corresponding serum.

“Think about it, a person who is tall, strong, fast, quick to react, coordinated, balanced, immune, self-healing, energetic, with excellent vision and a talent for firearms—aren’t they like the chosen of the heavens to ordinary people? Aren’t they the embodiment of danger?

“But don’t get too proud. Some factions strongly oppose genetic technology, considering it a desecration of nature, the heavens, and the divine, and the main reason for the destruction of the old world.”

Jiang Baimian paused and continued:

“And even more powerful than the genetically modified are those who have undergone genetic engineering. They often possess abilities that humans don’t have. In this regard, the sub-humans, who have been mutated by pollution, also show similar traits. I’ve even seen a sub-human who could perform photosynthesis and go without food for three months.

“But genetic engineering technology is still very immature, with high failure and death rates. Don’t try it lightly.”

Sub-humans are originally normal humans, but they were mutated by pollution during the great disaster that destroyed the old world.

Although many of them died shortly after being polluted, some survived and passed their mutations to their offspring.

These people are discriminated against by normal humans, expelled from settlements, and derogatorily called “sub-humans.”

Due to their physical changes and similar experiences, sub-humans inevitably hate normal humans, harboring deep resentment. This has led to a bitter enmity between the two groups.

In this context, the term “sub-human” has become widely used in the Ashlands, becoming a scientific name.

In the new era, years after the destruction of the old world, strong pollution still exists in some areas, and mutations continue to create new sub-humans.

Of course, most sub-humans today are the result of natural reproduction.

“There are such sub-humans…” Long Yuehong knew what sub-humans were but had never heard of the type Jiang Baimian described.

Jiang Baimian nodded, looked at Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong, and said casually:

“Besides those mentioned, there is another type of person who can be considered dangerous, even very dangerous.”

“What kind?” Long Yuehong was very curious, and Shang Jianyao felt the same.

The two had learned about these things in textbooks and training, but no one had combined them from the perspective of “dangerous humans.”

Jiang Baimian smiled and said:

“Awakened ones.”

“Awakened ones…” Long Yuehong and Shang Jianyao repeated softly.

Jiang Baimian lifted her head and looked at the two:

“Awakened ones are humans who have undergone strange mutations for some reason, and they all possess eerie and terrifying abilities.

“Some people once thought that some of the abilities of awakened ones were comical, but later, it was proven that even the most comical abilities can become very terrifying in the right context.

“So far, no faction has figured out the pattern of how awakened ones are created. All attempts to artificially create them have failed, so the number of awakened ones is very rare, and it’s not easy to encounter them. That’s why I didn’t tell you earlier.

“Ah, by the way, this is confidential knowledge.”

Long Yuehong asked with concern:

“Leader, you make the awakened ones sound so powerful. What should we do if we encounter one?”

Shang Jianyao remained silent, not speaking.

Jiang Baimian smiled and said:

“Except for a few very powerful awakened ones, most have limited range for their abilities, and this range is not large.

“Based on this, if you encounter them, try to keep your distance and solve the problem with long-range weapons.”

“Got it…” Long Yuehong began to imagine the scenario.

Shang Jianyao nodded slightly, as if thinking about something.

Jiang Baimian added:

“Also, don’t just focus on these dangerous humans. Our bodies are very fragile. If we’re careless, even an 8-year-old child could take us down.”

……

Bai Chen rode the heavy motorcycle, circling for a while, and then followed a seemingly soft and muddy road into the swamp.

After about ten minutes, a small red dot appeared on the road ahead.

A gently flickering red light.

This was a warning.

Note 1: Quoted from Mayday’s “You Are Not Truly Happy.” This book is fully fictional to avoid harmony, but sometimes, to evoke resonance, I will quote or adapt some real-world poems or lyrics so that readers can recall the corresponding melodies and scenes. This is necessary for some scenes later.

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