109: Chapter 109 Mutant Encirclement

The sandstorm raged for a full four hours.

Inside the off-road vehicle, Chen Fan sat cross-legged, surrounded by a faint silver-blue halo in a state of semi-meditation. He guided the residual star core energy through his limbs and bones, tempering every inch of his physique, while maintaining his energy vision to take in every movement of the outside world.

In the gaps between the howling wind and sand, eerie sounds drifted in intermittently—sometimes like the whimpering of a wounded beast, shrill and chilling; sometimes the piercing screech of metal grinding, making one's teeth ache. What made his heart tighten most was a highly rhythmic tapping sound, three shorts and one long, repeated three times, like some kind of signal.

As the sun dipped toward the west, the yellow sand filling the sky finally showed signs of receding, and the howling outside gradually weakened. The dust remained as thick as fog, but the frenzied wind had clearly slowed. Another half hour passed, and visibility slowly recovered to about fifty meters. The jagged outlines of the Yardang mounds finally appeared blurred against the dim yellow sky.

“Xiao Zhi, update the environmental data.” Chen Fan opened his eyes, a sharp light flashing within them.

[Wind speed has dropped to fifteen meters per second. Dust concentration is approximately two thousand milligrams per cubic meter. Visibility is eighty meters and continues to improve. The main body of the sandstorm has passed; it is expected to subside completely within an hour.] The cold mechanical voice echoed in his mind.

Chen Fan pushed open the car door, and a heat wave mixed with the smell of earth hit him. Looking out, the entire world was covered in thick sand. The originally rugged ground looked as if it were paved with a delicate golden carpet, all sharp edges smoothed over. His fearless mengshi off-road vehicle was mostly buried in the sand, with only the shiny roof and the dust-covered hood exposed.

Just as he leaned over to grab the entrenching shovel in front of the car to clear the body, his energy vision suddenly captured an anomaly—centered on the off-road vehicle, within a three-hundred-meter radius, seven dark-red energy sources were moving at an extremely slow pace. They were closing in from all directions with terrifyingly precise routes. Clearly, they had a specific target: him!

Chen Fan's gaze instantly became sharp, and he tightened his grip on the entrenching shovel. He didn't act rashly, simply leaning against the car door and waiting quietly.

The sand had not yet fully settled, and the fine grains floating in the air kept visibility limited. But for Chen Fan, who had activated his energy vision, this was non-existent—every move of those seven dark-red energy sources was crystal clear.

The first to approach were three mutant sand rats.

These creatures, normally only the size of a palm, had now swollen to the size of wild boars. Their fur was dark gray, standing on end like steel needles. Their crimson eyes stared fixedly in Chen Fan's direction as they crept from the north, stopping thirty meters from the vehicle. Their claws scraped uneasily at the sandy ground, seemingly observing the prey's strength.

Next, from behind the dunes to the east and west, two larger figures emerged simultaneously—two mutant camels! Their necks were as thick as stone pillars, most of their wool had fallen out to reveal wrinkled gray skin, and their limbs were thick and powerful. Their hooves made muffled thuds as they stepped on the sand.

The final two energy sources crawled out of a sandy gully to the south: two Gobi wolves infected by the virus! Saliva dripped from the corners of their mouths, making a "sizzling" corrosive sound as it hit the sand.

The seven mutated animals silently completed their encirclement, stopping twenty meters from the vehicle. They didn't attack immediately but formed a loose perimeter, all their "gazes" locked onto Chen Fan. The air was thick with the stench of blood and rot.

“Xiao Zhi, prepare for combat.” Chen Fan's voice was as cold as ice. “Leave no survivors.”

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The moment his voice fell, the light blue patterns on the surface of the teardrop-shaped intelligent assistant floating over his shoulder suddenly turned a dangerous deep red, its energy fluctuations instantly climbing to their peak.

Almost the same second Xiao Zhi issued the combat warning, the Aberrations in the encirclement moved!

The two Gobi wolves to the south were the first to strike. They didn't foolishly pounce directly; instead, they arched their bodies and opened their bloody maws. Two globs of viscous green acid, carrying a foul stench, traced two tricky arcs through the air, shooting straight for Chen Fan's face!

“Courting death!”

Chen Fan gave a cold snort, twisted his waist, and sidestepped the acid just in time. With two "chi-chi" sounds, the acid landed where he had been standing, instantly corroding two deep pits emitting white smoke into the sand. The pungent smell was nauseating.

While he was dodging, the mutant camels on the east and west sides charged simultaneously. They raised their thick front hooves; one swung a piece of rebar it had picked up from somewhere, while the other carried half a car bumper, swinging it toward Chen Fan's head with a howling wind!

Chen Fan didn't retreat; he advanced!

Exerting force through his feet, he lunged toward the mutant camel charging from the east like an arrow from a bow. The moment the rebar was about to hit his head, Chen Fan ducked low, performing a slide across the sand to pass between the mutant camel's legs!

The entrenching shovel in his hand slashed upward in the same motion—

“Squelch!”

The sharp blade sliced through the muscles and blood vessels on the inner thigh of the mutant camel as easily as cutting through tofu. Dark green blood gushed out, splattering all over Chen Fan.

The mutant camel let out a shrill wail and knelt heavily on the sand, but it still tried to lunge toward Chen Fan!

Chen Fan had anticipated this. Using the momentum of his slide, he twisted his waist and leaped up like a lithe leopard. The entrenching shovel in his hand was like a steel whip, striking the back of the mutant camel's head with the sound of breaking wind!

“Crack!”

The crisp sound of a skull fracturing rang out.

The mutant camel's massive body swayed before crashing to the ground. After a few twitches, it went completely still.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

Direct headshots. The sand rats didn't even have time to scream before their heads exploded like smashed watermelons.

Xiao Zhi turned its direction and charged straight at the other camel. In an instant, the camel collapsed.

The mutant camel from the west had already reached him. The half-car bumper swept across with a fierce wind, the whistling air making it hard to breathe.

Chen Fan's eyes narrowed as he raised the shovel to parry!

With another "thud," this camel also crashed to the ground.

The two Gobi wolves were trembling now. Before they could even react, they had been taken care of by Xiao Zhi.

From the moment the Aberrations attacked to the death of all seven monsters, only seventeen seconds had passed!

Chen Fan leaned on the entrenching shovel, his gaze cold—these monsters were undoubtedly the products of Long Zaifei!

“Xiao Zhi, you should take the lead in battles like this from now on. Your efficiency is higher,” Chen Fan said.

“It was nothing, Boss.” Xiao Zhi sounded a bit embarrassed by the praise.

Chen Fan immediately began clearing the sand around the vehicle. He knew he couldn't stay long and had to leave as soon as possible.

Ten minutes later, the mengshi off-road vehicle finally broke free from the sand pile.

Chen Fan returned to the car and started the engine, the roar echoing across the empty Gobi Desert.

By now, the sandstorm had completely subsided. The sky revealed a rare, clear azure, and the setting sun dyed the western clouds a brilliant golden-red, a magnificent sight.

But Chen Fan was in no mood to admire this rare beauty.

He took out a satellite phone—this was the encrypted communication device Lei Zhen had left him, which could directly contact the Sharp Sword special forces headquarters.

The call was quickly connected, and Lei Zhen's steady voice came from the other end: “Mr. Chen, have you finished your business?”

“Captain Lei, I'm in the Northwest Gobi.” Chen Fan's speaking rate was very fast, his voice carrying a hint of gravity. “I've discovered a major situation: the Aberrations created by Long Zaifei are becoming more numerous, and their strength is much greater than before!”

There was a brief silence on the other end. After a full five seconds, Lei Zhen's voice became extremely serious, carrying a suppressed weight: “We have already implemented a military blockade around Long Zaifei's experimental base, but it seems the signs of Aberration dispersal are much more serious than we anticipated!”

“I'm heading there now.” Chen Fan's eyes sharpened, his tone firm. “The issue with Long Zaifei must be resolved as soon as possible!”

The call ended.

Chen Fan put down the satellite phone and stepped on the gas. The mengshi off-road vehicle sped toward the experimental base like an arrow.

“Let's go!”

The roar of the engine echoed on the Gobi Desert for a long time.