An Yu sighed, and after a long time he moved his head under the palm of the officer's hand to relieve the stiffness of his cervical spine, and then said: "You said that heavy snowfall is often when the abnormal tide subsides, so in the past two months, the world has become better. A little?"
Qin Zhilu hesitated for a moment.
An Yu immediately asked, "What's wrong?"
"Maybe it's gotten better." Qin Zhilu paused, "A few months ago, we went to three taboo-level missions with Yan and Xide at the same time."
"How are they?" An Yu straightened his back.
"The swamp has calmed down. The source of the chaos there is a super abnormal body mixed with a black goat and a thousand-year-old tree. It has swallowed everything around it through the swamp, and then along the ground, continuously devouring the surrounding Bai City area. , actually like another form of chaotic reaction.”
An Yu thought for a while and then said: "So, it seems that Area 99 is not the final trigger, or at least, there is more than one lead. Fortunately, you did not really leave yourself in Area 99."
Qin Zhilu just nodded, "The chaos over the polar region started in the sky. At first, the clouds froze the birds in the sky, and then the electric and magnetic fields disappeared in that area, and the nearby buildings began to stretch upward and deform, as if they were growing. The sky is the same, almost the same as what we saw in Area 99. But the chaos in the sky started very slowly. Just as soon as there was a sign, heavy snow covered it, and then the situation seemed to be under control, but the chaos derived from the chaos had not yet been completely eliminated. There is an explosive wave of biological abnormalities, and Xi De and the others are still there to clean up the situation. Xi De is unlucky enough that he has been dragged there for two months at the mission site where he hates the cold the most."
"That's good." An Yu breathed a sigh of relief, but he hesitated again, observing Qin Zhilu's eyes, "But you don't seem to be completely relaxed..."
"Um."
Qin Zhilu pondered for a long time, and finally said: "Lumen came back from the swamp alone."
He looked at An Yu, who was stunned for a moment, stood up and sighed, "It has been a month. His mental state is very bad. He refused to report the details of the battle to the Black Tower and the Spire. He tried to escape and was caught again more than once. I Guess he wants to go back to the swamp alone."
"No one knows what happened in the swamp, but -" Qin Zhilu paused, "I think the Spire has lost a respectable and reliable senior executive forever."
Chapter 95 World Line·95
The source of the disaster that befell the swamp was a goat. Before the disaster spread, the swamp was only scattered on the surface. The main landform there was a rain forest shrouded in heavy fog. In the center of the rain forest, there was a huge dark tree. The roots are intertwined and crawl through the underground of the entire rain forest. The goat and the ancient tree were mixed and deformed, and the residents of the nearby Bai City called it the Black Goat of the Forest.
This was the most horrifying thing for Jiang Xiao when he first entered the mission area - everyone in the nearby Bai City knew what the super abnormality was, and even knew what it looked like, because they had all seen it in their dreams. They gathered together to numbly praise its power. When they talked about it, they would not call it "the black goat of the forest", but call it, mother.
Everyone is mind controlled.
The people in Bai City drew the mother in the dream and copied it into a religious picture and posted it everywhere. Some people further processed it into animation and showed it on large and small electronic screens. In front of every painting and every screen, there are people kneeling and praying, hoping that their mother will choose them to be sacrificed as soon as possible.
The Black Goat of the Forest on the screen has no regular shape. Its body is made up of countless huge black cloud-like lumps of meat, covered with red eyes, constantly panting and spreading in the depths of the swamp. With its heavy breathing, a steady stream of black mud flowed out of its body. The black mud and mucus grew into endless tentacles, slowly crawling in the depths of the swamp, devouring life in the forest.
"This guy is a bit like an ancient myth." Jin Xuyan, who was standing in front of the electronic screen, said to Lu Ming: "I don't remember what the thing in the myth is called. It's probably a terrifying ancient god who engages in reproductive worship. Put the information Send the message back to the Black Tower, and if possible, ask them to contact Law and ask if they had seen anything similar in District 95 back then."
Lu Ming frowned and pressed the terminal fiercely, "It can't be done, the signal is lost."
"Oh." Jin Xuyan looked unsurprised and turned back to look at the indescribably disgusting things on the screen.
Lumen asked: "Have you read the legend of the ancient god?"
Jin Xuyan thought for a while, "Being able to devour and reproduce indefinitely, his initial state should be very weak, and he would fatten himself up by devouring everything in the rainforest and bait city. Judging from the mental state of these people, it is obvious that this guy has also upgraded to mental cholera. Ability." He turned to look at Lu Ming's frown, and chuckled, "There are also weaknesses."
"What weakness?" Lumen asked immediately.
"Things with absolute power and reproductive capabilities often have low intelligence." Jin Xuyan said and turned away, only smiling slightly as he glanced at the squirming black cloud meat on the screen, "Let's go and see the depths of the mist."
Lumen noticed the unusual smile.
It has not been long since he joined the Spire, but since he came, Jin Xuyan has taken him with him on every mission. He knew Jin Xuyan during the mission. This man was arrogant to the core. He would always only have a cold glance at the enemy, and would not even bother to take action. The final killing was often left to his subordinates. But this time, this faint smile made him feel that Jin Xuyan was beginning to look at his opponent. He sensed the danger of that thing, and of course, also showed his extreme desire to kill.
As soon as he stepped into the fog, Lumen began to have a headache.
Swamp black mud has covered almost every inch of the surface. Before departure, the rainforest ecology in the mission information was rich and colorful, but at this moment, animals and plants everywhere are covered with black mud. The black mud is still spewing and spreading unbridled, emitting a sticky The flowing sound was the source of his headache.
Jin Xuyan paid attention to his mental strength, and a dark red and black rose petal suddenly turned a few times in the air and stuck to Lu Ming's lips.
Lu Ming was stunned, and Jin Xuyan said in a deep voice: "It seems that it spreads mental infection through sound. Holding it in your mouth can make you awake longer."
Lumen hesitated for a while before slowly taking the petal into his mouth. Surprisingly, the rose petal did not have the sweetness of roses, but bitterness, like a cup of mellow agave. The intense stimulation on his taste buds did make his mind clear a little, but he suddenly fell into a trance again in the clarity. Looking at the tall figure who had walked in front of him at some point, he was reminded of the flower class he took in his childhood for no reason.
The flower language of black rose is desperate love.
So what is in his mouth is also the taste of despair?
"Your injury -" he paused, but before he could finish, he was coldly interrupted by Jin Xuyan, "Focus on it and don't be distracted by things that have nothing to do with the mission."
As soon as he finished speaking, Jin Xuyan turned around and waved his arm to block Lu Ming's face. A sharp rose thorn flew out of his sleeve, like a vicious whip, severely crushing a black shadow that suddenly struck from a distance.
The black shadows scattered on the ground, and in an instant they melted back into the swamp with hot foam.
"It's silt." Lumen said in surprise: "The weapon it attacks is the tentacles woven from the silt."
Jin Xuyan said "Yes" and said, "Be careful of the tentacles that may emerge from the sky and the ground at any time. Don't get hit, and don't touch the swamp."
The mechanical device helped them move forward smoothly above the swamp. The more Lumen looked at it, the more frightened they became. The mud in the rainforest was crawling over every life, and any place contaminated would be assimilated into a swamp. The entire forest was rapidly The ground turned into a swamp, and as we went deeper into the mist, the air became more humid, and his clothes were covered with a layer of gray at some point. Surrounded and underground, countless desperate voices struggled and roared in the depths of the black mud, as if the whole world was finally ending. It will all turn into a quagmire of chaos and despair.
"Whipping, mind control, its capabilities are very similar to mine." Lumen heard Jin Xuyan whispering to himself, "But does it also have my sharp claws?"
For some reason, Lumen always felt a sense of unrest after entering the fog. This feeling did not entirely come from the weird scene in front of him, but more from Jin Xuyan.
"Do you want to apply for reinforcements?" He still asked that sentence.
Jin Xuyan glanced back at him, "Do you think it doesn't have enough children?"
Lu Ming was speechless for a moment, and then heard Jin Xuyan whisper: "Fortunately, the Black Tower was prevented from directly attacking with thermal weapons. If I guessed correctly, this guy could still be eliminated by thermal weapons at the beginning, but now, he will probably only happily absorb those Explosive energy."
The more Lu Ming listened, the more frightened he became. According to Jin Xuyan's guess, he didn't know how they could eliminate the super abnormal body deep in the fog.
As he went deeper, he discovered that Jin Xuyan, in addition to being wary of the stray mud and tentacles, also looked at his hands from time to time - his right hand had begun to express the black tiger gene, and the arrogant muscles burst the fabric of his clothes and turned into five fingers. For the claws, the claw blades are sharper than any technology developed by the spire, and the refracted cold light dyes the mud with sharp silver.
Jin Xuyan's left arm turned into countless strands of rose branches and dragged in the air. The black rose buds were full, and the thorns with claws stretched out under the buds, which was cruel and beautiful.
In fact, Lumen has never denied that Jin Xuyan is a very charming man.
His family background, his violence and cruelty, and the presence of both black tiger and black rose genes in him all make him a presence that is difficult to ignore.
"Do you remember the way out?" Jin Xuyan suddenly turned around and asked him.
Those eagle eyes were heavy and sharp, and most of the lawful people in the spire were afraid to look at him, but Lumen only raised the corners of his lips mockingly, "Of course. If you want to retreat, just let me know."
He paused and his eyes fell on one of the rose branches on Jin Xuyan's left arm - the injuries to his chest and back in the previous mission were all on the left side, and also affected his left arm. After the genetic transformation, there was a rose branch. It looked particularly fragile. There were gaps on those clawing thorns, and juice hung in the gaps. The nearby rose leaves swayed tremblingly in the mist, as if they were in pain.
Before Lumen realized what he was doing, he had already opened his mouth towards the petals.
His lips moved slightly, as if he was telling something. The metal patterns inlaid on his lips transmitted those sound waves to the petals, and the petals seemed to be sentient and actually became quiet.
Jin Xuyan frowned, looking at him with a strange expression.
"How dare you use your abilities on the commander."
"This is to soothe your wounds." Lu Ming looked away sadly, "I only recently discovered that I can also be used as a half-assistant."
Jin Xuyan looked at him for a long time, then chuckled and turned back.
When he turned back, Lumen heard him whisper, "Proud little bird."
Lu Ming frowned. At this moment, he suddenly realized why he had always had mixed emotions of admiration and disgust for this person - Jin Xuyan was so powerful that he would despise the power of others. For example, he is obviously a leopard, but Jin Xuyan only sees him as a bird.
"Please don't forget that in addition to the blood sparrow, I also have half of the leopard's genes." Lumen sneered, "I also have the sharp claws you have."
Jin Xuyan paused, but did not look back.
He only said coldly, "What I think of you is not based on your abilities."
Lu Ming didn't understand what he meant and didn't bother to bother anymore. Two mud whips attacked from the ground and side at the same time. The one under the ground wanted to wrap around his ankles and drag him into the swamp, while the one in the air aimed directly at his neck. Draw it.
He instantly transformed into a leopard claw, smashed the mud whip in the air with one claw, and cut off the black hand on the ground with the sharp blade in his hand.
"It's smart not to shoot." Jin Xuyan commented: "Don't use energy to feed it fatter."
"You've already said it once." Lu Ming said coldly.
He and Jin Xuyan were mocking each other as usual, but their expressions became more and more solemn.
The visibility in the fog is still decreasing, and the sneak attacks of the Mud Whip are becoming increasingly difficult to resist. The whole world was shrouded in ambiguity and filth. They gradually lost their direction as they moved forward, and their physical and mental strength were under constant impact.
When he finally touched the center of the swamp, Lu Ming felt a strong suffocation - as if the swamp had swallowed an entire rainforest alive and soaked in his chest, making his skin numb and numb, and he couldn't say a word for a long time.
*
Lumen took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
The narrow confinement room was surrounded by mechanical walls and floors. Even the beds, tables and chairs were made of cold metal, and the lunch boxes placed on the table had long since solidified.
He whispered: "The people in Baicheng didn't draw the size of that thing. Those wriggling pieces of black mud and meat reached up to the sky. They were like the roots of ancient trees below. Countless tentacles pierced the surface, and the earth trembled. , the earth's crust cracks and closes again and again with its breathing - every time the ground cracks, what is swallowed up in the depths of the swamp is exposed..."
His Adam's apple slid rapidly, and he unconsciously hugged his bent knees and whispered: "Houses, plants, hummingbirds with their heads raised and eyes filled with mud, human corpses, and some people have been swallowed by the mud. It was no longer human, and the remaining pieces of flesh were still struggling upwards under the influence of nerves. But the assimilated pieces of flesh turned into mud, and turned around to devour the remaining parts of themselves..."
After he finished speaking, he didn't say anything for a long time. An Yu sat on the ground next to him and looked at him, watching the closed eyes trembling.
An Yu sighed, "Confused reaction."
Lumen was motionless, as if dead.
I don't know how long it took, but a tear suddenly fell from under my closed eyelids, and then the tears formed a line and streaked across my pale cheeks.
"It wants to swallow me. There are too many tentacles, too many. It's an absolute quantity and power. I can't escape. I'm already halfway trapped, and the underground is cold and stalemate. It's like there are countless steel hands pulling me. Down. He used Black Rose's mental interference to confront the Black Goat. He actually interfered with that thing's will. When the mud under me let go of me, I was still thinking that his mental control was so terrifyingly powerful. , but I soon realized something was wrong—"
He couldn't speak anymore.
An Yu stared at him, his golden eyes as calm as ever. He sighed, "Sir Yan, he is probably just communicating with that thing. They made a deal, right?"
Lu Ming suddenly opened his eyes, his beautiful eyes full of panic, "How did you know?"
An Yu lowered his eyes and said nothing. It was only during this two-month long sleep that he suddenly figured out why he was trapped in the safe house before the time reset in Area 99. There are countless ways for Kaos to kill him without devouring him - to kill the god in a simple way, he has already arranged everything. But in the end, he chose to trap him in a safe house and isolate him from the battlefield. Perhaps, that was a deal that Qin Zhilu knew well about each other.
The higher-ups are the lawful ones at the top of the evolutionary chain, and only the super-abnormal ones at the top can lead chaotic reactions. They can always look at each other and talk to each other.
Lumen didn't wait for a reply. He took a deep breath and whispered: "He fed it with himself. I don't know why he did this. At the end, I only saw the black goat's meat growing upward from the ground." A black rose reached the sky. The thorns of the black rose continued to spread, but the rose was also covered in mud. Under each thorn, there were squirming mud bags. The branches and vines it grew and those mud whips grew more and more. It’s hard to tell, it’s…completely assimilated.”
"How did you get out?" An Yu asked softly.
Lu Ming was silent for a while, then gently opened the zipper of his jacket.
A shocking blood mark spread from the side of his neck to his lower abdomen, as if it had been whipped.
"There were two branches that were not covered by the mud. One of them whipped me away. It was so painful that I almost lost consciousness for a while. When I woke up, there was no shadow of the black goat in my sight, only the other one was left. One of them wrapped around my wrist, and it grew and spread crazily, sending me out of the fog."
The more he spoke, the softer his voice became, as if he had returned to that night of despair and heartbreak.
He recognized the branch that sent him out. It was the one where Jin Xuyan was injured.
It originally couldn't grow that long, so within his field of vision, the proximal end of the branch was constantly turning into mud. A steady stream of branches separated, went deep into the swamp, and competed with the black goats for devoured food, probably relying on those gradually obtained. Energy, it can stretch until it sends him out of the swamp.
He still remembered that when he finally landed, the branch was completely covered in mud almost the moment it let go of him.
But before it plunged back into the swamp, he heard the man's voice.
