bookbashuk Chapter 134 Strange Beasts
Chapter 134 Strange Beasts
Chapter 134 Strange Beasts
After washing up in the early morning, Xu Mo put on a set of military green combat uniform.
In terms of weaponry, Xu Mo chose a lightweight yet powerful combination: an AWM sniper rifle slung on his back, an AK-47 slung across his chest, a TT33 pistol in a quick-draw holster on his waist, and a machete and three magazines hanging on his belt.
The backpack contained two days' worth of compressed dry rations, water, spare ammunition, and some miscellaneous items. The total weight of the entire set of equipment was kept to around 25 kilograms, ensuring both sustained firepower and survivability without hindering mobility.
Before leaving, Xu Mo stood in the courtyard one last time to check everything, and only closed the courtyard gate after confirming that everything was in order.
The temporary assembly point outside the East Gate was set up in a cleared square. Originally, this area was a ruin of shops, but now it has been leveled and compacted, and several dark green military tents have been erected there.
When Xu Mo arrived, there were already forty or fifty people gathered in the square, standing in twos and threes, and the air was filled with the mixed smell of tobacco, sweat and leather.
Xu Mo could tell that the crowd was very diverse. There were well-equipped survivors like himself, wearing tactical gear from various sources; and there were also ordinary, strong residents who wore work clothes and carried simple machetes, spears, and even homemade spiked clubs.
There were also some who looked like former military and police personnel; although their uniforms were not uniform, their posture and eyes were clearly different.
The majority of people in these groups are men, but there are also a few women, mostly following their male teammates.
"Xu Mo, over here!" A familiar voice called out.
Xu Mo turned his head and saw Sister Liu standing in front of a tent waving at him. She was wearing a more streamlined set of work clothes today, and was holding a tablet computer and a paper list.
Xu Mo walked over, and Sister Liu quickly checked the list: "Number 802561, Xu Mo, D-level survivor. Okay, your task is daily patrol of the G-2 sector of the buffer zone, in pairs, six-hour shifts." She looked up and pointed to a temporary registration desk next to her, "Go over there to get a walkie-talkie and today's route map. You'll be assigned a fixed partner."
Several people were already lined up at the registration desk. When it was Xu Mo's turn, a staff member wearing glasses verified his access card and handed him a military walkie-talkie, a laminated area map, and an orange armband with a number printed on it.
"The channel is pre-set. Press and hold this to speak, release to listen. You must report to command every half hour. Report format: G-2, X point, no abnormalities" or G-2, X point, Y detected, being handled. In case of emergency, press the red button; that's the emergency channel." The staff member spoke quickly, clearly having repeated it many times. "Wear the armband on your left arm; it's an identification mark. Your partner is—"
He glanced down at the pairing list on his tablet: "Zhang Yun, female, D-level survivor. She's arrived, over there." He pointed to a figure leaning against a half-built concrete pillar at the edge of the plaza.
Xu Mo looked in the direction and saw a woman who looked to be in her early thirties. She was wearing a faded but clean urban camouflage uniform and combat boots similar to Xu Mo's. She was about 1.65 meters tall, with a lean and muscular figure, and her short hair was simply tied up with a black hairband.
What's most eye-catching is the rifle she's carrying—a Type 56 semi-automatic rifle. The rifle body is well-maintained, with several repair marks on the wooden stock.
Her posture was relaxed but not lax, and her eyes calmly scanned the surrounding crowd.
As Xu Mo walked over, she noticed him too. Her gaze lingered on the AWM behind Xu Mo for a moment before turning to his face.
"Zhang Yun?" Xu Mo spoke first.
"It's me." Her voice was a little hoarse, but clear. "Are you Xu Mo?"
"Yes." Xu Mo nodded. "Starting today, we're partners."
The two sized each other up for a few seconds. Zhang Yun's gaze swept over Xu Mo's entire equipment—a professional sniper rifle, a well-maintained AK, standard tactical carrying gear, and that calm look in his eyes that only comes from someone who has truly experienced life-or-death battles.
Although her expression didn't change much, Xu Mo could sense that her attitude had become more serious.
"Nice equipment," she commented simply, then pulled a crumpled pack of cigarettes from her pocket. "Want a smoke?"
Xu Mo shook his head: "I won't smoke."
Zhang Yun lit one for himself, took a deep drag, and slowly exhaled the smoke from his nostrils: "Shall we set off? Have you looked at the route map?"
Xu Mo unfolded the laminated map, on which their patrol area was marked with thick red lines, and three patrol routes were drawn with thin lines within the area, marked with blue, yellow and green respectively.
"The green line is today's route," Zhang Yun said, leaning closer and pointing to the map.
"Start from the meeting point, head east along this abandoned county road for three kilometers, then turn north and circle around the ruins of this old residential area, finally returning to the starting point from the south. The entire route is approximately eight kilometers and must be completed within six hours, including rest and observation time."
Xu Mo carefully examined the markings on the map. There were several pre-set observation points along the green line, each marked with a number.
The route avoids known large ruins that may harbor zombies, instead passing through open farmland and low-rise buildings.
"Understood." Xu Mo put away the map. "Will you go first, or should I go first?"
"I'll go first," Zhang Yun said, stubbing out his cigarette. "I'm a little familiar with this area; I patrolled here last week. You follow behind me, and watch out for your sides and rear."
The formation arrangement was very professional, and Xu Mo nodded in agreement.
The two reported their departure to the registration desk, and then walked out of the assembly point square one after the other, stepping onto the abandoned county road that stretched eastward.
The summer wilderness possesses a peculiar tranquility; the distant roar of construction sites has become a low background noise, and occasionally a breeze rustles through the withered yellow grass by the roadside.
The roadsides were originally farmland, but now they are a mess after being harvested and burned, and in some places you can still see charred crops.
Zhang Yun's steps were steady yet cautious. Every few kilometers, she would stop to observe the area ahead and to the sides with her binoculars. Xu Mo followed behind, maintaining a distance of ten meters, equally vigilant.
The two barely spoke, with only the occasional reports from other patrol groups coming through the walkie-talkie.
"C-3, point A, no abnormalities."
"C-5, point D, five wandering zombies were found and have been cleared."
After walking about a kilometer, Zhang Yun stopped next to a collapsed GG sign and gestured for Xu Mo to come over.
"This is our first official observation point, point A on the map," Zhang Yun said in a low voice, pointing ahead. "From here, we can see the road conditions 500 meters ahead, as well as the abandoned timber processing plant on the left."
Xu Mo raised his binoculars. The road ahead stretched straight ahead, its cracks and potholes clearly visible. To the left, only a few cement pillars and rusted steel frames remained of the former timber processing plant, the area overgrown with weeds taller than a person. He slowly moved the binoculars and spotted several slowly moving figures—zombies, about seven or eight, scattered throughout the plant, wandering aimlessly.
"They're old residents," Zhang Yun said, holding up his binoculars. "They were there when I came last week, and their numbers haven't changed. As long as you don't provoke them, they won't leave that area."
"Why not clean it up?" Xu Mo asked.
"There's no need." Zhang Yun put down his binoculars. "Clearing out zombies in fixed areas requires organizing manpower, consuming ammunition, and there's a risk of injury. As long as they don't actively threaten main roads and construction sites, let's leave them for now."
A very practical consideration. Xu Mo nodded and took out his walkie-talkie: "G-2, point A, a small number of stationary zombies detected, no threat, no abnormalities."
"Command station received."
The two continued on their way.
The rest of the journey was relatively peaceful, with only a few lone zombies wandering by the roadside, all of which Zhang Yun dealt with swiftly and cleanly using melee weapons. Bullets were still precious for survivors, and there was no need to waste them.
After walking about another kilometer, Zhang Yun stopped on a small earthen slope, and Xu Mo followed.
Standing on the small mound, Xu Mo looked around. The view was excellent, offering a glimpse into the distance, making it a suitable spot for both vigilance and rest.
Zhang Yun took off his backpack, took out a water bottle, and handed Xu Mo a compressed biscuit wrapped in oil paper.
"Ten-minute break."
Xu Mo took the biscuits, leaned against a rock, and took out his water bottle. The two ate in silence, their eyes scanning the surrounding wilderness.
"Did you serve in the military before?" Xu Mo suddenly asked.
Zhang Yun paused in her drinking, glanced at him, and asked, "How did you figure that out?"
"His movements, habits, and the level of maintenance he had on that Type 56 8.5," Xu Mo said. "It's hard for an average survivor to maintain a gun that well."
Zhang Yun was silent for a few seconds, then nodded: "I was discharged from the army three years ago. Before the disaster, I worked in a local government department, so I was considered a reserve officer."
"So how do I get involved in this mission?"
Zhang Yun gave a bitter smile, a smile filled with complex emotions: "I used to work with the team, but recently my team—now it no longer exists."
She paused, seemingly deciding whether to continue. Xu Mo didn't urge her, but simply waited quietly.
"Eight people." Zhang Yun finally spoke, his voice even hoarser than before. "The eight of us came to Jiangcheng together, from the north. It took us more than two months to travel there. The captain is a retired reconnaissance soldier, the vice captain used to be a firefighter, and there are two construction workers, a doctor, a high school student, a supermarket security guard, and me."
She tightened the kettle lid and gazed into the distance from the light: "We cooperated well. Although the journey was difficult, we made it through. After arriving in Jiangcheng, we registered as a survivor team and took on some cleanup and reconnaissance missions. We didn't earn many contribution points, but it was enough for the eight of us to rent a small courtyard at the border of the inner and outer cities and live a peaceful life."
"Some time ago, we took on a C-level mission. It was said that there were a lot of supplies there, but there were also a lot of zombies."
Zhang Yun's tone was calm, but Xu Mo could hear the suppressed emotions beneath.
"We were prepared, we brought enough ammunition and explosives. At first it went smoothly, we cleared out dozens of zombies on the perimeter and entered the warehouse area. But in warehouse number three—" She took a deep breath, "we encountered that thing. It was too fast, so fast that we could only see its shadow. The first one to fall was a high school student, he was responsible for guarding the rear, we only heard a short scream, and when we turned around he was already lying on the ground, his neck torn in half."
"It's an agile mutated zombie," Xu Mo said in a deep voice.
"Yes." Zhang Yun nodded. "We later found out it was a Level 1 zombie. At the time, we didn't know that; we just thought it was a particularly fast zombie. The captain ordered a concentrated attack, but we couldn't hit it at all. It darted between the shelves like a ghost. The vice-captain tried to block the way with explosives, but as soon as he took out the detonator, he was tackled from the side—the doctor tried to save him, but he was dragged away too."
Zhang Yun's speech quickened, his fingers unconsciously tracing the gun's shaft: "The remaining five of us stood back to back, firing wildly. We ran out of bullets, but that thing was still there. Old Li grabbed a shovel and rushed forward, trying to buy us some time, but he only lasted less than ten seconds—"
"In the end, only the captain and I were left. We were leaning against a wall, with only our pistols and machetes in our hands. The thing had also been shot a few times and was moving a little slower. The captain gave me a push and told me to jump out of the back window. He said he had stopped Zhang Yun and didn't say anything for a long time."
Xu Mo remained silent. Such stories were not uncommon in the apocalypse; he had heard and seen far too many. But each time he heard one, a heavy sense of powerlessness would still weigh him down.
"I jumped out," Zhang Yun finally continued, his voice very soft. "I ran. I heard the captain's roar and gunshots behind me, and then—the sound of tearing and biting. I didn't look back, I just kept running until I was too exhausted and collapsed by the roadside. Later, I was rescued by another passing squad and taken back to Jiangcheng."
She turned to look at Xu Mo: "Eight people, and I'm the only one left."
"After the mission failed, I have nothing left but the gun and the knife I have. And after the last experience, I don't want to go out for a while. I'm living in a temporary shack now, and I eat by taking on these patrol missions to earn contribution points."
Xu Mo was silent for a moment before asking, "Do you regret it? Why did you take that mission?"
Zhang Yun shook his head, his eyes resolute: "No regrets. In the apocalypse, there's no way out without taking risks, but sometimes the price is too high."
She looked at Xu Mo: "And you? Judging from your gear, you must have had quite a bit of experience."
Xu Mo thought for a moment and then said briefly, "I spent some time in the Red Star Industrial Zone, where I was stationed at a forward outpost and encountered some situations."
"Red Star Industrial Zone?" Zhang Yun's eyes changed. "I've heard of it. It's said to be very dangerous; zombies respawn there?"
"So you all knew about this? You could say that." Xu Mo was surprised, not expecting Zhang Yun to know about this. But then he thought it was even better, as he wouldn't have to explain in detail.
"I stayed in the fortress in the Red Star Industrial Zone until recently and only recently came back. I encountered a level 2 mutated zombie there."
Zhang Yun gasped, "Level two? You encountered one and still survived?"
"We were lucky, and we weren't alone," Xu Mo said vaguely. "The situation over there was indeed unusual, and we still can't explain why."
The two remained silent for a while. A bird's cry came from afar, sharp and mournful, the call of a mutated bird. The two looked up alertly at the same time, but the sound quickly faded away.
"Speaking of the Hongxing Industrial Zone," Zhang Yun slung his backpack back over his shoulder, "do you know why Jiangcheng is in such a hurry to expand?"
"Build such an extravagant city wall?"
Xu Mo shook his head: "The official explanation is that it's to accommodate a larger population and increase the defense level."
"That's part of the reason," Zhang Yun said in a low voice. "At the very beginning of the apocalypse, in the early stages of the cataclysm, I still had access to some internal reports. Although those channels are gone now, I still remember some of the information. As far as I know, the Jiangcheng leadership has always had a strong sense of crisis. They know far more than what has been made public."
Xu Mo became interested: "For example?"
Zhang Yun hesitated for a moment, looked around to make sure no one was around, and then continued, "The catastrophe wasn't simultaneous globally, you know? There was a sequence, and a degree of severity."
"I know a little." Xu Mo raised an eyebrow and made a mental note of the information.
"According to the earliest reports, the disaster started in several hotspots and then spread rapidly. Some of these hotspots were large cities and densely populated areas, which is normal; but some hotspots were in remote areas, or even uninhabited areas. For example, a desert experimental base in the northwest, a deep mountain observation station in the southwest, and an abandoned mine in the north. What these places have in common is that they all had highly classified scientific research or military projects before the disaster."
Xu Mo's heart stirred, and he thought of the secrets that might exist within the Red Star Industrial Zone.
"You mean, the disaster might be related to people?"
"I don't know." Zhang Yun shook his head. "But the higher-ups obviously know something. They are desperately developing the military industry, desperately expanding the city, and desperately restoring technology. The sense of urgency they have is not just about dealing with zombies and mutated creatures, but more like preparing to welcome something even bigger."
What's even bigger? Xu Mo recalled the sense of disharmony he felt in the Red Star Industrial Zone, and the enormous flock of birds he had seen before.
"Have you told anyone this?" Xu Mo asked.
Zhang Yun smiled wryly: "Who would I tell? What would be the point of telling you? Telling you would just be a casual chat."
She stood up, dusted herself off, and said, "It's time to go. There's still half the journey to go."
The two continued onward, their patrol route leading into the ruins of an old residential area. Most of the buildings here were once two- or three-story structures; before the disaster, it must have been a village on the outskirts of the city, now only crumbling walls remained.
The streets were narrow and visibility was limited, so the two men were on high alert.
As they walked through a narrow alley, Zhang Yun suddenly raised her hand to signal them to stop. She crouched down and carefully examined the ground.
Xu Mo followed and saw several fresh drag marks on the dust in the alley, as well as a few drops of dried, blackened blood. The drag marks led to a half-collapsed two-story building deep in the alley.
"No more than 24 hours ago," Zhang Yun said in a low voice, measuring the width of the drag marks with his fingers. "It's not a zombie; zombies don't drag things. It's a living thing, or a living person."
The two exchanged a glance and gripped their weapons tightly. Zhang Yun gestured for her to flank the small building, which was now only half-built, from the left and Xu Mo from the right.
Xu Mo nodded and moved silently to the right side of the small building. There was a broken window there, and he cautiously peeked inside. The first floor was a living room, with furniture overturned and the floor a mess. In the corner, he saw a huddled figure.
It's people!
A man in his forties, dressed in tattered work clothes, sat against the wall. His left leg was wrapped in a bandage made of torn clothing, which was soaked with blood. He was holding an old hunting rifle in his arms, his eyes were half-closed, and his lips were chapped; he was clearly in very poor condition.
Xu Mo gave a safety signal, and Zhang Yun entered from the other side, the two approaching each other from the left and right.
Hearing the noise, the man suddenly opened his eyes and raised his shotgun, but his movements were weak and posed no threat to the two men.
"Don't move! We're a patrol team!" Zhang Yun shouted, pointing his gun at the ground to indicate a non-hostile stance.
The man paused, then slowly lowered the hunting rifle in his hand, a relieved expression on his face: "Finally, it's finally here."
"Who are you? What are you doing here? What happened to your leg?" Zhang Yun asked a series of questions while signaling Xu Mo to be on guard around them.
"My name is Wang Jing—" the man said, panting. "I came from Xiashan Town, but I was stopped by a strange thing on the way."
The man's violent cough interrupted his words; he was breathing heavily, each breath causing blood to seep from his wound.
Xu Mo quickly stepped forward, took a water bottle from his backpack, and handed it to him: "Take your time, don't rush."
Wang Jing took the kettle, trembling as he drank a few small sips, a little color returning to his face. He leaned against the wall, staring blankly at the ceiling, seemingly still recalling that terrible experience.
"Xiashan Town is about 120 kilometers from here, south of Jiangcheng," Wang Jing said hoarsely. "We originally had more than 30 people there, surviving on an abandoned granary. Life was hard, but at least we could survive—"
Zhang Yun crouched down to examine his wound. After the bandage was removed, a gruesome laceration was revealed, with jagged edges as if it had been torn apart by some wild animal. The wound was festering and emitted a foul odor.
"Your wound needs immediate treatment," Zhang Yun said, frowning. "How many days has it been there?"
"Three days or four days? I can't remember." Wang Jing said with a wry smile.
"That night, we were distributing food in the granary when we suddenly heard a noise outside—"
His voice began to tremble: "Old Li on night watch shouted something!" followed by a scream. We grabbed our weapons and rushed out, only to find a monster we'd never seen before.
"What kind of monster?" Xu Mo asked.
"It looks like a wolf, but much bigger. When it stands up, it's probably as tall as a person," Wang Jing gestured with his hands. "Its fur is grayish-black, and its eyes are red, glowing in the night. Its claws are exceptionally long, like sickles."
Zhang Yun and Xu Mo exchanged a glance; they had never heard of this description before.
"We fired, we used shotguns and rifles. But we couldn't penetrate its skin, the bullets hit it with a 'bang, bang' sound, like hitting a drum." Wang Jing closed his eyes, "It charged into the crowd, and with one claw, it tore open the stomachs of two people. We were in complete chaos, some people tried to run, some people tried to fight—in the end, they all died. I was hit in the leg, and I desperately crawled into the drainage ditch next to it to hide, and that's how I survived."
"Just one?" Xu Mo pressed.
"Just one," Wang Jing said definitively, "but that one wiped us all out. It killed people but didn't eat them; it just killed. It was like it was enjoying the slaughter."
Zhang Yun's expression turned serious. A monster single-handedly destroyed a settlement of more than thirty people, and the bullets were ineffective against it. This was something that ordinary mutated creatures could not do.
"And then what? Where did that monster go?" Xu Mo asked.
"I don't know." Wang Jing shook his head. "I hid in the drainage ditch all night and didn't dare to come out until dawn. The ground was littered with corpses—not a single one was alive. I didn't dare to stay, so I just picked a direction and ran. I bandaged my wounds with strips of cloth along the way and ran until I got here, but I couldn't walk anymore."
Xu Mo stood up and walked to the window to observe the situation outside. It was empty outside, with only the sound of the wind blowing through the ruins.
But for some reason, he always felt that something was watching him from the shadows, yet he didn't feel any sense of danger; it was a strange feeling he couldn't quite put his finger on.
"We have to take him back," Zhang Yun said in a low voice. "This wound will be fatal if it's not treated soon, and the information he gave us is very important."
Xu Mo nodded and picked up the walkie-talkie: "G-2 emergency call. Injured survivors have been found in the residential area of District C. They claim to be from the Xiashan Town settlement. The settlement was attacked by an unknown monster, and all survivors were killed. Requesting medical support and evacuation assistance."
After a few seconds of silence on the walkie-talkie, a reply came through: "Received, location confirmed. Medical team dispatched, expected arrival in twenty minutes. Please remain in place to protect the survivor and maintain vigilance."
"receive."
Xu Mo put down the walkie-talkie and returned to Wang Jing's side: "Hang in there, the rescue will be here soon."
Wang Jing nodded weakly, but a hint of fear flashed in his eyes: "You must be careful. That thing might be following me."
"What do you mean?" Zhang Yun asked warily.
"As I ran, I kept feeling like someone was watching me." Wang Jing's voice trailed off. "Several times when I looked back, I saw shadows flashing through the woods. I thought it was just a hallucination from being too nervous, but now that I think about it—"
Before he could finish speaking, a piercing howl suddenly came from outside the window.
The sound was unlike any known animal's cry; it was sharp, piercing, and carried an indescribable malice. Xu Mo and Zhang Yun simultaneously raised their guns, aiming them in the direction the sound came from.
"It's here—" Wang Jing's face turned deathly pale. "It's that voice—"
Xu Mo quickly moved to another window and cautiously peered out, but there was still no one there.
After looking around a few times, Xu Mo spotted a dark figure at the edge of a mound of earth.
The shadow crouched at the edge of the mound, its outline blurred in the daylight. Without careful observation, one could not discern a living creature hidden within it.
Upon seeing that Xu Mo had discovered him, the creature that Wang Jing had described as strange stood up. Xu Mo examined it and found that it was indeed much larger than an ordinary wolf, with unusually broad shoulders and forelimbs that were longer than its hind limbs.
Xu Mo raised the binoculars and adjusted the focus.
His breath hitched slightly when he saw the details of the object.
It did resemble a wolf, but its head was more feline, with a short, wide muzzle and exposed fangs that gleamed coldly in the sunlight. Its entire body was covered in coarse, stiff, short, grayish-black fur, with a distinct keratin layer on its chest and shoulders, like naturally formed armor.
The most bizarre thing was its eyes—deep red pupils with a black vertical slit in the middle, which were now staring intently at the window where Xu Mo was.
Xu Mo, who met its gaze, had only one feeling: there was a kind of wisdom in the other's eyes, not the ferocity of a wild beast, but a conscious scrutiny.
"It's watching us," Xu Mo whispered.
Zhang Yun also moved closer to the window, observing from another angle: "What is it waiting for?"
The words had barely left his mouth when the walkie-talkie crackled to life: "G-2, this is the medical team. We have entered Zone C. Please report your exact location and the surrounding area."
Just as Xu Mo was about to answer, the monster opposite him suddenly moved.
It didn't attack; instead, it turned and leaped away, disappearing from sight. Its movements were incredibly light; its massive size made almost no sound when it landed.
"It's gone?" Zhang Yun asked, puzzled.
"Not necessarily." Xu Mo remained vigilant. "Wang Jing said this thing is very intelligent; it might be testing us."
He picked up the walkie-talkie: "Medical team, this is G-2. We are in a damaged small building. One side of the wall is blue, so you can spot it easily. There may be dangerous creatures around. We recommend bringing armed escort."
"Understood. We have two armed guards who are expected to arrive within five minutes."
Every second of waiting felt incredibly long. Xu Mo and Zhang Yun took turns watching out the window, while Wang Jing leaned against the wall, his consciousness gradually fading.
His wound is severely infected, and he has started to have a fever.
Four minutes later, the sound of a car engine could be heard in the distance. A modified pickup truck appeared at the end of the street, with red crosses painted on its body and a machine gun mounted on its roof.
"The medical team has arrived." Zhang Yun breathed a sigh of relief.
The vehicle stopped at the alley entrance, and three medical personnel in white coats and two armed guards jumped out. The guards were very professional; as soon as they got out of the car, they took up advantageous positions and guarded the surroundings.
"They're inside!" Xu Mo shouted to them.
Medical staff rushed into the building carrying stretchers and medical kits. The lead doctor, a middle-aged man in his fifties, looked at Wang Jing's wound and his expression changed: "The wound is seriously infected and must be treated immediately."
They quickly lifted Wang Jing onto a stretcher, performed basic hemostasis and disinfection, while two guards stood watch at the door on either side.
"Was he like this when you found him?" the doctor asked Xu Mo and Zhang Yun.
"Yes, that's how he was when we found him," Zhang Yun said.
"Come back with us," the doctor said.
Xu Mo nodded and, together with Zhang Yun, escorted the stretcher onto the vehicle. Just as the medical staff were carrying Wang Jing into the vehicle, that howl suddenly came from afar again.
This time the sound was closer, less than two hundred meters away.
The two guards immediately went into combat stance, pointing their guns in the direction of the sound. The doctor and nurses quickened their pace and secured Wang Jing.
"Get in the car quickly!" the guard captain shouted.
Everyone squeezed into the pickup truck. The cargo bed was very cramped, and Xu Mo and Zhang Yun could only sit at the back, leaning against the guardrail. The vehicle started and turned around to leave.
Just as the car started, Xu Mo saw it again.
The monster appeared on the mound of earth that had been hiding at the edge, looking down at them. Now that they were close enough, Xu Mo could finally see its full form.
It is over two meters long and at least 1.2 meters tall at the shoulder, with frighteningly smooth muscle lines. Its forelimbs are exceptionally well-developed, with claws like five curved sickles, each 20 centimeters long, and the keratin on its chest gleams with a metallic sheen in the sunlight.
What was most unsettling was its expression—it was definitely not the expression of a wild beast. The corners of its mouth were slightly upturned, as if it were—smiling.
"Drive!" a guard shouted.
The factory truck suddenly accelerated and rushed onto the main road. Xu Mo looked back; the monster hadn't chased after them, but had simply stood quietly by the house, watching them leave.
"What exactly is that thing?" Zhang Yun murmured.
Xu Mo shook his head: "I don't know, but it's definitely not a product of natural mutation."
The car bumped along towards Jiangcheng, the foundations of the new city wall stretching into the distance like a sleeping giant python. But beyond this seemingly safe wall, new threats were quietly emerging.
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