At the Sanshui Gang's encampment, Feng Yundan stood at the forefront of the team, his expression stern. The Mutant with three vertical stripes was hidden within this dense forest.
Feng Yundan had previously sent his subordinates to investigate multiple times, but this dense forest was very strange; no one who entered had ever come out alive.
Feng Yundan naturally did not dare to enter casually. This time, Feng Yundan was fully prepared. He planned to use fire to force the Mutant to reveal itself.
He had already arranged for his subordinates to pile up flammable materials around the perimeter of the dense forest, waiting only for a command to ignite them.
Feng Yundan's gaze was sharp as he scanned the surroundings, ensuring nothing was overlooked.
Although fire attack was risky, it was currently the most reliable method to force the Mutant out.
He also wasn't worried that the Mutant would escape in another direction; this entire area had already been monitored by drones. No matter which direction the Mutant broke through, he would be able to quickly detect and intercept it.
At Feng Yundan's command, his subordinates quickly lit the fires. The roaring flames spread rapidly, fire tongues licked at the trees, thick smoke billowed, and crackling sounds were incessant. The flames illuminated Feng Yundan's stern face.
The birds and beasts in the dense forest scattered instantly, their terrified cries piercing the silence as the startled creatures fled in all directions.
The fire grew fiercer, and the heat waves were oppressive.
However, as time passed minute by minute, there was no movement in the dense forest, as if the Mutant didn't exist at all.
Soon, Feng Yundan's face gradually darkened because he discovered an unusual phenomenon: he didn't recognize any of the plants in the central area of the dense forest, and those plants were surprisingly not afraid of fire, remaining vibrant. In fact, when the flames approached these plants, they automatically extinguished, as if protected by a mysterious force.
Feng Yundan's heart tightened. These plants clearly had some mysterious connection with that Mutant, perhaps serving as the Mutant's protective umbrella.
He frowned, realizing that the effectiveness of the fire attack had reached its limit. Feng Yundan decisively ordered to stop the fire attack and instead set up traps and a cordon , closely monitoring the movements within the dense forest.
A large fire burned for five or six hours. As the combustible vegetation in the dense forest gradually turned to ash, the once lush area became sparse, revealing a charred ground.
However, the central area of this charred land, with a diameter of a thousand meters, remained verdant, as if mocking Feng Yundan's incompetence.
Despite this, the effect of the fire attack was still evident. The Mutant's hiding place was gradually exposed. Although it could not be directly forced out, the search range had been narrowed to within a thousand meters of the central area.
Feng Yundan calmly analyzed, speculating that the Mutant might be hiding near those mysterious plants. His gaze gradually fixed on the five giant trees in the very central area; their trunks were thick, their branches and leaves dense, obscuring the sky and sun, emitting a faint, ethereal glow.
Feng Yundan's heart stirred. The five trees were arranged in a circle, like a natural barrier, and were in the most central area. The Mutant's hiding place was very likely among them.
“ninth squad, go take a look!”
Feng Yundan waved his hand, giving the order. This time, there were 10 squads in total, each consisting of 10 Mutants and 20 fully armed soldiers.
The tenth squad moved quickly, cautiously stepping into the charred area, vigilantly observing their surroundings.
Except for a few trusted subordinates, Feng Yundan did not tell the others the true strength of that Mutant. In fact, under his deliberate guidance, the Sanshui Gang's Mutants all believed they were only facing a Mutant with two vertical stripes.
The members of the tenth squad gripped their weapons tightly, their steps light, trying to avoid making noise. However, the charred ground and burnt branches still occasionally made faint crackling sounds, and the air was filled with a pungent smell of burning.
The members of the tenth squad held their breath, slowly approaching the lush green area in the center. Their heartbeats seemed unusually clear in the silence. Each step was taken with extreme caution, fearing they might alert the lurking Mutant.
As the distance shortened, the members of the tenth squad still did not find any trace of the Mutant. They had already approached the green plants, but those plants seemed to have no abnormalities, appearing to be ordinary plants.
“Go in and investigate!”
Feng Yundan ordered in a low voice. Upon hearing this, the members of the tenth squad gritted their teeth and cautiously stepped into the lush green area. Still, they detected no other anomalies. As they continued to advance, their figures quickly disappeared completely into the greenery. Standing outside, Feng Yundan's gaze was like a torch, fixed on the depths of the greenery, a faint unease in his heart.
“Bang! Da, da, da”
Sudden, dense gunfire broke the silence, mixed with terrified roars and cries for help.
Feng Yundan's expression changed. He quickly directed the ninth squad to provide support; the ninth squad, like arrows shot from a bow, rapidly rushed into the lush green area. Gunfire and roars intertwined, and the air was filled with tension.
Feng Yundan clenched his fists. From outside, he couldn't know the exact situation and could only direct through communication equipment.
But there was no response from the tenth squad's communication. Feng Yundan grew increasingly anxious, ordering the remaining squads to stand by, ready for reinforcement at any time.
In the central area, gunshots and roars rose and fell. Feng Yundan could no longer distinguish whether it was the ninth squad or the tenth squad's voices.
“ninth squad, respond if you hear… ninth squad, respond if you hear…” Only chaotic static came from the communicator. Feng Yundan frowned, silently praying. Time seemed to freeze, every second incredibly long.
Suddenly, a figure burst out of the greenery, its upper body covered in blood. It was the captain of the ninth squad. But immediately, he was violently pulled back by an invisible force, disappearing into the greenery instantly, leaving only a roar echoing in the empty air: “Careful, the trees!”
Feng Yundan's heart jolted. He quickly scanned the thousand-meter circular area, his gaze locking onto the seemingly harmless green plants, a strong sense of unease welling up inside him.
He hadn't even found a trace of the Mutant, yet he had already lost two squads. Was this the terror of a three-striped Mutant? Feng Yundan glanced at the remaining eight squads, seeing fear and unease in the eyes of their members.
Feng Yundan knew that the annihilation of two squads had dealt a huge blow to his subordinates' morale, but he had to stabilize the army's resolve.
“Everyone, attention! Rocket launchers ready! Concentrate fire to cover that area!”
Feng Yundan ordered in a deep voice. The rocket launcher operators quickly took their positions, aiming at the lush green area. With a command, the rockets whistled out, instantly disappearing into the greenery. The explosions were deafening, and through the gaps in the branches, one could vaguely see fire sparks flying and thick smoke billowing, but the greenery remained eerily intact, seemingly unharmed.
Feng Yundan's heart grew heavier. He ordered in a deep voice: “Fire again!”
Rocket launchers whistled out once more, and the lush green area was engulfed by the explosive fire. When the thick smoke cleared, the greenery remained.
Feng Yundan's face also showed an incredible expression. What exactly were these plants? They could withstand such fierce firepower.
Feng Yundan took a deep breath, quickly adjusted his tactics, and ordered drones to investigate.
The drones quickly ascended. Drones equipped with cameras hovered over the dense forest, but the cameras only captured dense branches and leaves.
“Control the drones to go inside!”
Feng Yundan commanded. The drones, like sharp arrows, pierced into the greenery, and the screen instantly became blurry.
But in just an instant, before the image could clear, the drone vibrated violently, then the screen went black, clearly destroyed by some force.