Chen Gu glanced at Qing Ruyan, who was sleeping not far from him, and silently reached out his hand, preparing to pinch her face.
This is a great opportunity for revenge!
There’s a situation; I was just trying to wake you up, he thought, formulating his excuse.
But just as his wicked hand was about to reach Qing Ruyan’s face, she suddenly woke up. Chen Gu felt a bit embarrassed and made several gestures to indicate danger.
Qing Ruyan seemed to have seen right through him and revealed a mocking smile.
As soon as she got up, everyone else woke up too.
"Danger is approaching!" someone warned.
"Big Rabbit, go take a look," Qing Ruyan ordered.
Dora felt very embarrassed. That nickname is so humiliating! President, couldn’t you refrain from saying it in front of so many people?
She shrank her neck and, with a WHOOSH, darted out of the cave entrance.
The cave entrance was five meters below ground level, but the passage itself was longer than five meters. It twisted and turned, designed to provide defensive space if they were discovered.
She cautiously approached the second bend when suddenly her long ears twitched and pointed forward.
Big Rabbit immediately halted, kneeling in a shooting stance.
The lights on her shoulders illuminated the area ahead; all was calm.
Yet Dora dared not let her guard down and maintained her shooting posture.
Silently, a dark red root crept slowly into the dark tunnel.
What the hell kind of place is this! Big Rabbit wailed internally, her terror and vulnerability making her feel just like a little white rabbit.
But her hands didn’t hesitate as she adjusted the firearm’s ammunition mode.
Incendiary round mode.
She fired a shot into the tunnel ahead. With a ROAR, a burst of flame erupted, instantly reaching an extreme temperature.
That one root turned to ash in an instant.
Then Big Rabbit heard a cacophony of SCRAPING and SQUEALING sounds from the tunnel, as if many things were densely packed together and retreating, or perhaps something was screaming in pain.
Just imagining it made Big Rabbit’s scalp tingle, her hair stand on end, and chills run down her spine.
I’m really just a timid little rabbit who likes to please others!
Despite her fear, her hands moved skillfully, firing a shot then switching ammo modes, alternating between incendiary and explosive rounds.
With each burst of flame and explosion, the tunnel ahead finally gave way and completely collapsed. The SCRAPING and SQUEALING sounds gradually disappeared.
Dora let out a long sigh of relief, gently patting her ample bosom, which, befitting her ’Big Rabbit’ moniker, bounced with the motion.
She cautiously looked around, ensuring there were no onlookers, then stuck out her little tongue. "You scared this little rabbit half to death!"
The others rushed over from the main cave. "What happened?"
After Dora explained, she added a complaint, "Are all the plants here so weird and terrifying?"
Leder said helplessly, "Let’s dig our way out once it gets light."
After the electromagnetic storm raged through the night, one would normally expect good weather the following day. However, the Yingudusi Devil’s Pit seemed to have a mind of its own. It adamantly refused to clear up. Instead, the sky remained overcast with thunder roaring, and it occasionally unleashed yet another thunderstorm.
The group managed to dig a new passageway, emerging from underground covered in dirt like a bunch of groundhogs. Then, BOOM! A red lightning bolt struck nearby, shattering a human-height boulder into smithereens.
Dora screamed. Thankfully, everyone else was also startled, so no one noticed the cowardice hidden deep within the ’big-toothed cowboy rabbit.’
Leder was also extremely fatigued. He hadn’t expected the mission to turn out , barely on its second day.
"Let’s go. We’ll try to reach Site Two by noon," Leder announced.
"Everyone, be careful."
The previous evening at dusk, they had concealed their vehicles behind a large rock, camouflaging them with dry branches.
But when everyone arrived behind the rock, they were all perplexed. "Where are our vehicles?!"
Behind the large rock was nothing but empty space; their four heavy armored vehicles had mysteriously disappeared.
Chen Gu lightly nudged Qing Ruyan. "Look over there."
Everyone followed his gaze and saw a huge, red-and-green sphere on the outskirts of their campsite. It was a bizarre plant, resembling brambles yet also somewhat like vines.
Its leaves faced the lightning, much like sunflowers turn toward the sun. With each flash of lightning from the thunderstorm, fine streaks of electricity raced over the leaves before being absorbed. Follow current novᴇls on novel·fire.net
This strange plant formed a dense mass, its thick, reddish-brown roots gripping the soil deeply.
Their four heavy armored vehicles were tightly bound in its center. Countless vines had penetrated them, already corroding the vehicles until they were riddled with holes.
It was as if they had been swallowed into a stomach and were being continuously digested and absorbed.
Dora immediately thought of the roots that had scared her in the tunnel and exclaimed angrily, "So, it was this thing!"
With a CLICK, she chambered a round. It’s broad daylight, and my teammates are here! Big Rabbit isn’t afraid of you! Let’s do this!
Leder shook his head. "Even if we get the vehicles out, they’re unusable now. Let’s not provoke this monster anymore. We’re leaving."
The group moved forward on foot, feeling frustrated and stifled.
「After a few kilometers」
Chen Gu spotted a deep pit nearby, its interior marked by concentric circular layers.
He pulled Qing Ruyan back. "That’s from a Biological Nuclear Explosion."
Qing Ruyan’s eyes lit up. Another clue!
Perhaps due to the day’s "terrible" weather, the mechanical species were reluctant to venture out. To their surprise, the group encountered no danger that morning and successfully reached Site Two.
Here, an ancient battleship lay crashed, embedded diagonally into the earth.
Despite centuries of weathering and decay, its surface marred with rust, the wreck still loomed before them like a mountain—towering and immense.
Leder circled the battleship. "This is an old Confederation ’Guan Hai’ class medium Close Range Attack Ship.
"Everyone, be cautious. According to the information on our devices, a special Energy Gathering Mechanical Species known as the Burning Tyrant is active around here.
"However, judging by that Elephant Fish creature from before, the situation within the Yingudusi Devil’s Pit changes rapidly. It’s very possible a new mechanical species has already replaced the Burning Tyrant..."
Before he could finish, Chen Gu suddenly perked up his ears. "Do you hear anything?"
Leder was annoyed at being interrupted, especially by someone he considered a mere ’vase’—the President’s pretty companion. But since this ’vase’ belonged to President Qing Ruyan, he couldn’t show his displeasure.
Dora, however, always eager to please the President, chimed in, her long ears twitching as she listened intently. "It sounds like... snoring?"
When the others listened closely, they indeed heard a faint, intermittent HUFFING sound.
Hu Ling pointed towards the remains of the battleship. "It’s coming from inside there."
The group looked at the battleship wreckage with curiosity. Peering through the dilapidated gaps and holes, they suddenly saw two bright lights illuminate from within.
Then, with a loud CRASH, parts of the battleship wreckage were smashed open! Flames ROARED upwards, and a massive creature charged out, accompanied by the resounding CLANGOR of machinery.