37: Rusty Wasteland and the First Cry of the Predator
The valley's brief tranquility was shattered by the roar of an engine. The gray fin shark transport aircraft, scarred, struggled to break free from gravity and once again surged into the dim, yellow sky. Inside the cabin, the atmosphere was even more somber than when they departed. Lin Mo's announcement of an early departure and his veiled hint about “trouble” weighed like two massive stones on Wu Yong and Xiao Li's hearts. Even Su Xi, in her unconscious slumber, had her brows unconsciously furrowed.
Lin Mo piloted the aircraft, maintaining a low altitude, using the undulating terrain and occasional, denser dust clouds to conceal their whereabouts. His gaze sharply swept over the rapidly passing landscape below. The editor, combined with the environmental perception provided by the seed of source blood, was fully active, like an invisible radar, scanning for energy anomalies, life reactions, and potential remnants of the old era.
Based on the editor's analysis of previously scanned maps and the vague positioning of the pulling sensation from the east provided by the seed of source blood, he set a general direction. However, the specific route needed constant adjustment based on real-time conditions, avoiding high-risk areas marked in deep red by the editor—such as the slowly moving giant Aberration nest, or that strange plain with chaotic gravity.
They flew over an area known as the Rust Bone Wasteland. Below, the ground was covered with countless wrecks of old-era vehicles, rusted, twisted, and piled upon each other, forming an endless metal graveyard. Some mutated creatures, adapted to radiation and the metallic environment, resembling a hybrid of hyenas and crabs, were moving among the wrecks, gnawing on faintly glowing moss parasitic on the metal.
“editor, mark all individuals or objects with energy reactions 50% above the background value,” Lin Mo commanded inwardly.
The jade slip flickered with a faint light, and in the metal graveyard below, dozens of faint yellow light spots were immediately highlighted. Most were the weak bio-energy within those mutated hyenas, but a few spots showed different colors—one displayed a gray color, representing inert energy, located inside the wreckage of a half-buried, seemingly ordinary cargo truck; another flickered with an unstable blue, located atop a small hill made of piled-up buses.
“Gray light spot analysis: Suspected remnants of an old-era high-density energy battery, with trace amounts of residual energy remaining, recoverable.”
“Blue light spot analysis: Chaotic energy signature, suspected to be an unstable minor erosion phenomenon or mutated plant, possesses certain research value, risk level: low.”
Lin Mo's heart stirred. Resources! Whether energy or potential research samples, they were desperately needed. He glanced at the energy reading, which was only 37%. A brief landing required weighing the risks and rewards.
He maneuvered the transport aircraft, circling once over the top of a relatively flat pile of wreckage with an open view, and after confirming no major threats, slowly descended.
“I'll go down to investigate. You two lock the cabin door and stay alert. If there's any anomaly, call me immediately using the onboard communicator,” Lin Mo instructed Wu Yong and Xiao Li, simultaneously handing Wu Yong a pulse pistol with low energy, confiscated from a Shelter guard.
Wu Yong nervously took the gun and nodded vigorously.
Lin Mo opened the cabin door and jumped down. His feet landed on the rusted metal roof of a vehicle, making a dull thud. He immediately felt the stronger, more pervasive radiation and metallic dust in the air; the editor's automatically generated faint energy field isolated these harmful substances.
He first walked towards the cargo truck wreckage where the gray light spot was located. The truck was overturned, and its cargo door was deformed and detached. He squeezed inside, where some decaying wooden crates and mechanical parts of unknown purpose were scattered. The editor precisely guided him to a briefcase-sized metal box, half-hidden by debris. The box had blurred words like “Danger” and “High Energy” on it.
He reached out his hand, and the editor's energy penetrated, easily bypassing the long-defunct mechanical lock. The lid sprang open, revealing six neatly arranged rows of cylindrical energy batteries, each as thick as an arm. Most were already depleted of energy, their casings cracked, but three indicator lights still flickered faintly yellow, indicating less than ten percent residual energy.
“A decent haul.” Lin Mo took out these three usable batteries and placed them in a protective bag he carried. This energy was insufficient for long-distance flight, but it might power the transport aircraft's auxiliary systems or emergency start certain equipment.
Next, he walked towards the small hill flickering with the unstable blue light spot. Climbing onto the twisted skeleton of a bus, he saw the true form of his target—a peculiar plant, about half a person's height. Its main stem resembled twisted blue glass, and its leaves were translucent, constantly wriggling gelatinous tendrils. At its apex bloomed a flower emitting a soft blue light, and at its core, a nebula-like swirling energy core was the source of the unstable fluctuations.
[Identification Command] The editor's energy swept over the plant.
“Analysis: Species not recorded. Energy signature partially matches residual power of the tide of delusion, but shows a stable symbiotic trend. Presumed to be a new species, 'Glow Catcher,' born after The Great Erosion. Its energy core possesses weak psychic soothing and information storage properties, suitable for collection and research. Warning: Its gelatinous tendrils may secrete hallucinogenic toxins.”
Lin Mo carefully avoided the wriggling tendrils, using the editor's energy to envelop the blue flower, gently “cutting” it from the main stem. The moment the flower left the plant, its blue light stabilized considerably, and the nebula-like core slowly rotated, emitting a faint glow that calmed the mind. He carefully put away this peculiar flower as well.
Just as he was about to return to the transport aircraft, the editor suddenly blared an urgent warning!
“Warning! High-speed moving individual detected approaching! Energy signature match 87%: Zhou Weian (Aberrant)! Distance: three kilometers, and rapidly closing!”
Lin Mo's pupils contracted! That fast?! He abruptly turned his head towards the southwest, only to see a blurred black dot on the distant horizon rapidly growing larger in his vision! Its movement was not a straight run, but a trajectory of savage power, sometimes skimming the ground, sometimes bouncing off wreckage, astonishingly fast!
“Everyone! Emergency ascent!” Lin Mo roared into the communicator to the transport aircraft, while his body had already leaped from the bus roof, sprinting with all his might towards the gray fin shark!
Almost simultaneously, the black dot had surged into the edge of the Rust Bone Wasteland! Its form clearly entered Lin Mo's vision—
It was almost unrecognizable as human. Nearly three meters tall, its body was covered in a dull, rough carapace, a fusion of melted and then cooled metal and overgrown bone, with sharp bone spurs protruding from its joints. A long tail, extending from its spine and tipped with a massive bony scythe, lashed behind it. Its head was encased in a thick carapace, revealing only two “eyes” burning with tangible, eerie green flames. Its arms were grotesquely mutated, ending in terrifying structures that combined drills and humanoid claws.
This was indeed Zhou Weian, who had climbed out of the Shelter ruins, or rather, the Predator—driven by contaminated energy and mad obsession, occupying Zhou Weian's lingering consciousness!
It had clearly spotted Lin Mo and the transport aircraft, emitting a shriek that tore through the air, a mix of metal grinding and beastly roar! The shriek was filled with the ecstatic frenzy of finding prey and an endless desire for destruction!
The gray fin shark's engine was already roaring, spewing blue exhaust flames. Wu Yong and Xiao Li were frantically carrying out Lin Mo's orders.
Lin Mo was still nearly a hundred meters from the transport aircraft! And the distance between the Predator and him was shrinking at dozens of meters per second! Its burning green eyes locked onto Lin Mo, and its long tail slammed into the ground, propelling it into the air like a cannonball! The bony scythe tore through the air, with a screech that set teeth on edge, aiming directly for Lin Mo's back!
In the nick of time!
Lin Mo could even feel the chilling killing intent and energy pressure coming from behind him! He spun around abruptly, a fierce glint in his eyes, and brought his hands together in front of his chest!
[Reality editor · Kinetic Deflection Field]
This time, he was no longer making small-scale micro-adjustments, but instantly combining the power of the editor and the seed of source blood, constructing an invisible, rapidly rotating energy vortex in front of him! This was not an indestructible shield, but an ingenious structure designed to deflect and disperse kinetic energy!
“Boom!”
The Predator's scythe tail slammed violently into the force field!
The anticipated head-on collision did not occur. The savage impact felt as if it had struck a slippery quagmire, or hit a rapidly spinning top! The immense force was skillfully guided and deflected, sending the Predator's massive body uncontrollably flinging sideways!
“Bang!” It crashed heavily into a pile of abandoned cars, instantly flattening several vehicles into pancakes and kicking up a sky full of rusty dust!
Lin Mo was also pushed back more than ten meters by the recoil, his chest churning with surging blood, and the light of the jade slip in his sea of consciousness dimmed for an instant. Forcefully deflecting such a violent attack consumed an enormous amount of energy!
But he had bought precious time!
He didn't hesitate, turning and continuing to sprint towards the transport aircraft, which was already several meters off the ground. The cabin door was slowly closing.
The Predator suddenly lifted its head from the scrap metal pile, its eerie green eye-fires burning even more intensely, filled with enraged fury at being toyed with. It dropped to all fours, exerting force like a true beast, and lunged again with an aura that vowed not to stop until Lin Mo was torn to shreds! Its speed was even faster than before!
Lin Mo had already rushed beneath the transport aircraft, leaping up and grabbing the edge of the rapidly closing cabin door!
“Close the door! Maximum thrust! Climb!” he yelled into the communicator.
Wu Yong slammed the door-close button and the throttle lever!
The cabin door swiftly closed, and the powerful thrust violently “slammed” Lin Mo into the cabin. The transport aircraft's engine roared with overload, suddenly pitched up, and shot skyward!
The Predator lunged at empty air, its sharp bone claws raking a series of dazzling sparks across the transport aircraft's bottom armor! It threw its head back and let out a deafening roar, full of unwillingness and savagery, the immense sound wave even causing the newly ascending transport aircraft to subtly shake.
It stared fixedly at the gradually shrinking transport aircraft, its eerie green eye-fires seeming to penetrate the cabin wall, imprinting Lin Mo's aura.
In their first encounter, Lin Mo narrowly escaped through skill and decisiveness. But the Predator's terrifying speed, strength, and relentless desire for pursuit had become the most deadly sword hanging over their heads.
Inside the cabin, the still-shaken Wu Yong and Xiao Li looked at Lin Mo, who was slumped on the ground, pale-faced, and at the clear claw marks on the outside of the cabin wall, a chill rising from their feet to their heads.
They knew that the real nightmare had only just begun.