Embers Ad Infinitum

Jiang Baimian, Shang Jianyao, and Long Yuehong all heard Bai Chen mention the abnormal mosquito swarm, and knew how dangerous it was to unprepared humans:

They are always active in large numbers and their flying speed is not slow;

They can tolerate high and low temperatures to a certain extent;

They are relatively small and difficult to be hit by bullets. Even if they encounter sharpshooters or their groups are too densely distributed, they will not be afraid of losses because of their large numbers - the bullets and ordinary bombs that a team can carry cannot compete with these. Breeding mosquito population ratio;

They usually live on plant juices and crave blood. They have strong survival ability and extremely terrifying aggression;

They have no brains and no fear. Even if more than half of their population is lost, they will continue to come for blood;

Their bites contain toxins that can paralyze the body of humans and animals and slow their thinking;

Their mouthparts are longer, harder, and sharper than undistorted mosquitoes. They can penetrate clothing fibers and insert into the target skin...

For many relic hunters and wilderness wanderers, this is a life-devouring hellish tide. Once encountered, even if there are many people, it is difficult to survive.

Of course, as one of the most ferocious creatures on the earth, humans are not unable to fight against such deformed mosquitoes, but all methods have to rely on more special equipment, such as flamethrowers, such as special mosquito repellent spray guns , for example, the "weed-killing bombs" of "Pangu Biology", for example, a set of biochemical clothing that can even prevent toxic gases, for example, enough incendiary bombs, for example, power armor with immature technology, for example, that can explode The core creates a large high-temperature area with a very small number of terrorist bombs from the old world...

It's a pity that the "old tune group" doesn't have any of these things.

However, thankfully, the Jeep they drove was well sealed, and it was impossible for the distorted mosquito swarms to break in. Moreover, this car was an electric vehicle, so it was not afraid of the mosquito swarms clogging the exhaust pipes and other places without fear of death. At the same time, The mouthparts of aberrant mosquitoes are not strong enough to deflate a rubber tire.

This is indeed good news for Jiang Baimian and others, but it also has disadvantages:

The ventilation system must either be turned off proactively or wait to be blocked by a swarm of aberrant mosquitoes.

As a result, the air quality inside the car will rapidly decrease until it becomes unbearable. Shang Jianyao and others must get the Jeep out of the "encirclement" of the distorted mosquito swarm before this happens.

Bai Chen had experience in facing such terrifying creatures. When Qiao Chu gave the order, he had already closed the car windows and stopped the ventilation system.

While she continued to press the accelerator down, she habitually comforted everyone in the car:

"Don't worry, this aberrant mosquito swarm will not stay away from places with a lot of plants. As long as we pass this vine area, they should give up."

"Left..." Qiao Chuyu nodded and directed the direction of travel.

Jiang Baimian whispered thoughtfully:

"Even aberrant creatures have the instinct to continue the population. Therefore, this kind of mosquito swarm will not leave a place with a large number of plants... This is the necessary condition for their survival. The blood of humans and animals is just a kind of It’s just delicious food that’s very attractive…

"Yes, the old world has been destroyed for so many years, and all the aberrant creatures that have not continued the instinct of the population should have died long ago..."

Qiao Chu ignored Jiang Baimian's muttering to himself and focused more intently than before on identifying the road covered by green and black vines.

A few seconds later, the traveling jeep encountered the swarm of mosquitoes.

Bang bang bang!

The finger-sized mosquitoes with dark red heads were like miniature bombers. They used themselves as bombs and hit the windshield one after another.

In Shang Jianyao's eyes, it was like the first heavy rain he had ever seen in Shuiwei Town, with countless water droplets hitting the glass desperately.

But unlike rain, these "water droplets" will not slide down and can stop on the glass.

Bang bang bang!

The rapid sounds were so continuous that they almost merged into one. Both the windshield and the windows on both sides were covered with giant black mosquitoes. Their dark red heads and ferocious mouthparts were so densely packed that it made people's teeth ache. .

Neither Bai Chen nor Qiao Chu could see the road ahead. The Jeep was like a wild horse running loose on the edge of a cliff, with no idea where it was going.

Long Yuehong's face quickly turned pale, and she wanted to work hard to save herself, but she didn't know what she could do or how to help.

Jiang Baimian and Shang Jianyao's bodies tensed up, with expressions that were both worried and a little doubtful - their life-saving instincts and hormone secretion as they raced for life and death seemed to make them aware of the abnormality of their current situation again.

At this time, Qiao Chu stopped looking ahead and looked down at the mechanical watch on his wrist.

The dial is equipped with a compass full of scales.

"Direction 3:12." Qiao Chu seemed to have built a flat map deep in the swamp in his mind, and then relied on instruments for "manual navigation."

Bai Chen was no stranger to the way time scales indicate directions, but she had never encountered such a specific method before. Therefore, after being stunned for a moment, she immediately reacted and started to turn the steering wheel.

However, with the swarms of distorted mosquitoes in front of her, she was unable to follow the "navigation" instructions accurately, so there must be an error.

Qiao Chu didn't pay attention, because he also knew that humans without auxiliary chips and corresponding genetic modifications would not be able to do similar things if the driving speed was not slow. He said it so precisely in order to keep the error within an acceptable range.

At this moment, Shang Jianyao suddenly said:

"You can wear an exoskeleton and drive."

Qiao Chu had seen the military exoskeleton device placed in the trunk before, and nodded after thinking for a moment:

"ASAP."

Normal exoskeleton devices have small-range positioning capabilities, which are often integrated into "comprehensive early warning systems" to provide convenience to the wearer through auxiliary chips.

"I'll do it." Jiang Baimian volunteered.

Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong had no objection. They immediately turned around and dragged the military exoskeleton device over from the trunk.

With their help, Jiang Baimian quickly adjusted the length of the metal skeleton and put on the equipment.

"Okay." She said quickly after the system self-check was completed.

"Stop." Qiao Chudang looked away from his watch.

Bai Chen stepped on the brakes without hesitation.

With the squeaking sound, the Jeep suddenly stopped. Shang Jianyao and others all had the urge to pounce forward. Fortunately, they were protected by the seat belts, and the distorted mosquitoes densely covered the windshield and windows on both sides. The group was thrown out a lot.

As for Jiang Baimian, who had no seat belt to wear, because he was wearing a military exoskeleton device, this level of inertia could easily be offset.

As soon as the vehicle stopped, Bai Chen immediately pressed the seat belt, adjusted the gear, and picked up the handbrake.

Then she climbed from the armrest box to the rear row.

Jiang Baimian stretched out his arms covered with black metal bones, picked her up, and placed her directly next to Long Yuehong.

Then, she followed Bai Chen's "road" and quickly climbed to the driver's seat.

Bang bang bang! The distorted mosquito swarms with dark red heads once again hit the glass window one after another, covering it densely.

Jiang Baimian, who had an energy backpack behind him, could not lean back, so he could only lean forward and restart the jeep.

She operated the steering wheel with one hand and fastened her seat belt.

Qiao Chu lowered his head again, discerned the changes in the compass on the watch, and kept telling the time direction he needed to go.

With the auxiliary chip, Jiang Baimian's precise operation allowed the Jeep to travel dangerously through the swamps and among the vines in the harsh environment where there were swarms of black mosquitoes in front of him.

In a state of high concentration, the passage of time seemed to become blurred. I don't know how much time passed, but when Shang Jianyao and others began to feel panicked and short of breath, giant mosquitoes flew one after another on the front and rear windshields and the windows on both sides.

Soon, these deformed creatures all broke away from the jeep and flew toward the rear as if "reluctantly".

Only then did Shang Jianyao, Long Yuehong and Bai Chen see the pure, boundless black mud ahead. No plants grew on their surface, but bubbles emerged from time to time.

"Two: twenty-four." Qiao Chu raised his head and no longer paid attention to the changes in the compass on the watch.

After Jiang Baimian turned the steering wheel, everyone in the car saw a road going down.

It slanted deep into the swamp, and at the end was a large, dark hole.

"Drive in." Qiao Chu gave the order.

Jiang Baimian, who was wearing an exoskeleton device, did not hesitate and let the Jeep drive onto the road.

The black mud on the road was soft and the wheels were stuck a lot, but deeper under the mud, there seemed to be something harder to support, which stabilized the heavy Jeep.

The vehicle quickly drove into the hole. At the same time, Jiang Baimian turned on the ventilation system and the double front lights.

Shang Jianyao and others immediately took a deep breath and looked at the surrounding scene through the glass window:

It was dark inside the cave, with only the sound of water drops falling to the ground intermittent. Wherever the car lights illuminated, the rock walls and roads were quite flat, with a certain amount of mud on them.

"It doesn't look like it was formed naturally." Jiang Baimian commented while driving.

"The underground tunnel of the old world." Qiao Chu simply responded.

Jiang Baimian nodded gently, thought for a few seconds and said:

"It's a bit weird that there are no bryophytes...

"The environment before it was not suitable for living things?"

Qiao Chu ignored her and said calmly:

"Keep going."

There was no sound in the tunnel, but vehicles would occasionally hit cracks or bulges in the ground. As a result, clanging sounds would be heard intermittently, and would spread deep into the tunnel without ever returning.

In this deep and weird silence, no one spoke, as if Shang Jianyao and the others were heading to the end of the world.

Several minutes passed, and light gradually began to appear in front of him, and an arched exit soon formed.

Jiang Baimian, who wore a helmet with goggles, was not affected by the changes in light and darkness and allowed the vehicle to rush out of the tunnel.

The sun outside was already setting in the west, and the rays of the setting sun shone on the earth, as if it had been plated with gold.

Not far away, buildings tens to hundreds of meters high stood side by side. There was no movement, and there was no end in sight.

Bathed in red sunlight, they resemble dead forests of steel and concrete.

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