r18novel Chapter 136 F-6 Area
Chapter 136 F-6 Area
Chapter 136 F-6 Area
The atmosphere at the assembly point in the early morning seemed no different from yesterday. The square was still filled with the smell of sweat and dust, and the crowds were still queuing to receive equipment and route maps. Xu Mo and Zhang Yun walked to the registration desk, and after the staff verified their ID cards, they were handed one.
"Sector F-6," the staff member said without looking up. "The route and observation point map are inside. Note that the area has a wide field of vision, but it's close to a water source, so stay alert."
Xu Mo took the laminated map and unfolded it, and Zhang Yun also came over to take a look.
Area F-6 is located northeast of Jiangcheng, more than 15 kilometers away in a straight line from Area G-2, which was patrolled yesterday. The patrol route marked on the map is almost a straight line across the fields, with the boundary extending one or two kilometers on both sides. Outside the boundary, "river" and "abandoned forest" are marked. Inside the area, only a few circles representing observation points are scattered, much sparser than the markings in Area G-2.
The two exchanged a glance, both reading a hint of understanding and a deeper doubt in each other's eyes.
The defense has been rotated.
We moved from the somewhat complex G-2 area to this almost flat, harvested farmland area.
No explanation was given, but the intention was clear: they were transferred away from the area where yesterday's incident occurred, away from that area where unknown dangers might still lurk. As for who is now in charge of that area and what the situation is like, that's not something they at their level need to know.
"It seems the matter with G-2 isn't over yet," Zhang Yun said in a low voice, his tone calm, but his eyes held the same seriousness as Xu Mo's.
"Take care of the present first." Xu Mo put away the map, his tone equally calm. Being transferred away from the core area was both a form of protection and a signal—the trouble they encountered yesterday might be greater than expected, to the point that it was necessary to physically isolate them, the "on-site personnel," immediately.
The two received walkie-talkies and armbands and set off along the new route. This time, they adjusted their formation in perfect unison.
"I'll walk in front today," Xu Mo said.
Zhang Yun glanced at him, did not object, and nodded: "Okay."
Xu Mo walked ahead, his steps steady. The Iron Bone Realm brought not only strength, but also an extraordinary perception of his body and environment. He did not relax his vigilance just because he had moved to an open area; on the contrary, Xu Mo's gaze constantly swept across the distant horizon ahead and to the left and right.
In such places, danger either doesn't come at all, or it approaches at high speed from an extremely far distance, leaving people with a very short window of time to react.
Zhang Yun followed about ten meters behind Xu Mo, maintaining a high level of alertness, but focusing more on her flanks and rearwards, and on coordinating with Xu Mo. Her hand holding the Type 56 semi-automatic rifle was steady, and her gaze was sharp.
Stepping out of the assembly point area, we embarked on the dirt road leading to Zone F-6. Unlike the desolate and dilapidated Zone G-2 yesterday, the scene here was filled with traces of "production." On both sides of the road were scorched black earth from burning, with some wheat stubble roots still remaining, and a faint smell of burnt earth wafted in the air.
Looking into the distance, the land resembles a vast, flat brown carpet scorched by flames, stretching all the way to the horizon, with only some low ridges in the far distance, perhaps remnants of field ridges or irrigation canals.
The field of vision is indeed extremely wide; any moving object, as long as it is more than half a meter tall, can be clearly spotted from hundreds of meters away. This makes it an ideal terrain for defending against ground threats.
"This place is quite convenient," Zhang Yun said from behind, his tone revealing neither relief nor anything else.
"Not necessarily." Xu Mo didn't turn around, his gaze fixed on the winding, silvery ribbon reflecting the sky in the distance. "See that river? The boundary marked on the map. Waterside is always more troublesome than land."
Zhang Yun looked in the direction he indicated and nodded. In the apocalypse, waterways are a paradise for mutated creatures; who knows what kind of monsters lurks beneath those seemingly calm river waters? Fortunately, their patrol route only skimmed along the riverbank and didn't require them to stay close to the shore.
The two walked along the ridges and the burnt-out clearings, following the map, until they reached the first observation point, a water pump house used for irrigation.
Xu Mo jumped onto the low wall and raised his binoculars. The vast, scorched fields stretched out before him, showing no signs of activity except for a few specks of ash stirred up by the wind. The river in the distance flowed silently, shimmering in the sunlight, revealing nothing unusual. Further away, on the opposite bank of the river, there appeared to be similar scorched fields, along with the outlines of some low-lying vegetation.
"F-6, point A, no abnormalities." Xu Mo reported routinely over the walkie-talkie.
"Received." The command post's response was concise and clear.
After leaving the pump house, we continued along the planned route. The rest of the journey was unusually calm, so calm that it was almost monotonous. The only sounds were the rustling of boots on the scorched earth and gravel, and the empty howling of the wind across the vast plains.
In this environment, one's senses would involuntarily relax. However, Xu Mo maintained a steady, outward-looking state of alertness. The mental concentration brought by the Iron Bone Realm allowed him to maintain this state for a long time without feeling tired.
After walking about two kilometers, Xu Mo and his team approached the midpoint of their patrol route, which was also the closest point to the river. There should have been a bridge across the river here, but it had long since collapsed, leaving only a few broken concrete piles protruding from the water.
Their route here requires turning along the riverbank, running parallel to the river for a while, and then turning back inland.
Just as Xu Mo and his group began to walk along the riverbank, Xu Mo noticed two figures moving about two or three hundred meters away on the opposite bank. Judging from their attire and manner of movement, they were clearly also survivors on patrol.
The other party had obviously spotted them as well. The two sides stopped simultaneously, separated by the wide river, and sized each other up.
Xu Mo raised his hand and waved towards the opposite bank, indicating goodwill.
The two people on the opposite bank quickly waved back, and one of them seemed to shout something, but it was too far away and there was interference from the wind and the sound of the water, so it was hard to hear clearly.
Since they are all "colleagues" carrying out the same mission, meeting in this open wilderness naturally evokes a sense of kinship and camaraderie.
Xu Mo signaled Zhang Yun to remain vigilant, while he himself took a few steps closer to the riverbank, choosing a slightly elevated spot with a clear view for communication.
The two people on the opposite bank did the same. They were separated by a river about ten meters wide, so they could see each other's expressions and hear each other's words if they raised their voices.
On the opposite bank were two men, both appearing to be around thirty years old. One was tall and carried a modified hunting rifle, while the other was shorter but stocky, holding a rifle with a bayonet. Both were dressed in typical mixed-style combat uniforms, and their faces bore the marks of years spent outdoors.
"Hey! Bro! Which part?" The tall guy on the other side spoke first, his voice loud and clear, with a northern accent.
"They were transferred from Sector G, F-6 patrols," Xu Mo replied, raising his voice. "And you guys?"
"We're from Sector E-4, separated by this broken river," the sturdy man replied, his tone quite cheerful. "This godforsaken place is completely deserted, even more boring than being on tenterhooks in ruins."
"That's right," the tall man chimed in. "We've walked for most of the day and only seen a few crows, not even a single zombie. How's it going on your end? Any discoveries?"
"No, everything is normal for now," Xu Mo replied, which was the standard answer.
"Hey, that's good." The tall guy seemed to be a chatterbox. "I heard there was quite a commotion in the G area to the east yesterday? Apparently, tanks drove over there? You guys were in the G area yesterday, did you hear about it?"
Xu Mo's heart stirred slightly, but his face remained calm: "I'm not too sure, we just rotated over today."
"Oh, I see." The tall man seemed a little disappointed, but didn't think much of it. "Probably just another drill or clearing out some remaining zombie nest. If you ask me, they should send more people to help build the wall instead."
"Come on," the sturdy man interrupted him. "We just need to mind our own business. By the way, brother, are there only two of you? This place is spacious, but if something really jumps out of the river, it might be dangerous for just the two of you."
"We're just patrolling according to regulations, and there are two of you," Zhang Yun said from behind, his voice cold. "If you find any problems, just report them promptly."
"Is this a woman?" The tall man then noticed Zhang Yun behind Xu Mo, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, before he grinned and said, "Impressive, a woman doing this kind of work too! I admire you!"
Zhang Yun simply nodded slightly and didn't reply.
The two sides exchanged a few more words, mostly complaints about the hot weather, the monotony of patrolling, and the difficulty in earning contribution points.
The atmosphere was fairly relaxed. In this post-apocalyptic setting, being able to meet a fellow "colleague" on the same mission across a safe river and have a casual, albeit pointless, but heartwarming chat was a rare treat in itself.
While responding to the conversation, Xu Mo habitually glanced at his surroundings out of the corner of his eye, especially at the river that was so close at hand. The river wasn't particularly swift, but it was murky and yellowish, making it impossible to see what was underwater. The mud on the riverbank was damp, with some messy claw marks and drag marks, the origin of which was unclear.
Just as the tall guy started rambling again about how his neighbor, Old Wang, had dug up half a box of expired canned food while digging his cellar, Xu Mo's eye suddenly twitched.
Beneath the surface to his right, several shadows, slightly darker than the surrounding water, were darting rapidly from the center of the river toward the shore. Their movements were silent, but their speed and purposeful energy were unlike that of ordinary fish.
Almost subconsciously, Xu Mo was still saying to the tall man perfunctorily, "Yeah, good luck," when his right hand holding the gun had already raised, cocked, and aimed as if by reflex—a smooth and effortless movement that didn't even interrupt his speech.
"Bang!"
The crisp sound of an AK-47 gun suddenly shattered the peaceful chatter on the field.
The gun was not pointed at the two people on the opposite bank, but at the shallow water area on the right side of Xu Mo's feet. The bullet hit the water with a dull "plop" and stirred up a small clump of murky water.
The tall man and the stocky man on the opposite bank were startled by the sudden gunshot and froze. The words they were about to say were stuck in their throats, and their smiles froze instantly, replaced by astonishment and a sudden surge of vigilance. Almost simultaneously, the two subconsciously raised their weapons, looked at Xu Mo with suspicion, and then looked at the river in the direction of the gun.
"What's wrong?!" the burly man asked sternly, his voice trembling.
He had barely finished speaking—
"Splash! Splash! Splash!"
Several silver-gray figures suddenly burst out of the water less than two meters from where Xu Mo fired his gun!
It was a fish, but definitely not a fish from peacetime.
Each one is about a foot long, with a thick, streamlined body covered in thick scales, the edges of which gleam with an eerie metallic sheen.
Their heads are disproportionately large, accounting for almost a third of their bodies. Their mouths split open to behind their gills, revealing layers of fine, sharp triangular teeth that gleam white in the sunlight.
Most terrifying of all are their small, protruding eyes, which are a cloudy, dark yellow and filled with a pure, frenzied desire to attack.
Three mutated fish leaped out of the water like springs, the splashes barely settling before they used the powerful explosive force of their tails to trace brief arcs in the air, their gaping maws filled with sharp teeth lunging straight at Xu Mo, who was closest to the riverbank. The pungent, fishy smell and chilling killing intent sent shivers down the spines of the two men on the opposite bank, who instinctively took several steps back, their guns flailing wildly, momentarily unsure where to point them.
Facing the onslaught head-on, Xu Mo's eyes instantly became incredibly calm, even indifferent. The echo of the gunshots still lingered in his ears as his right hand, holding the AK, released it, letting the strap swing it to his side. At the same time, his left hand flashed towards his waist like lightning.
"bass!"
A bright flash of light suddenly appeared, and the sound of the machete being drawn from its sheath was short and crisp, even drowning out the hissing sound of the mutated fish cutting through the air.
Xu Mo slightly shifted his body to the side, dodging the first mutated fish's most ferocious frontal attack, and then drew a simple diagonal line with his blade.
"laugh!"
The blade precisely sliced into the back of the first mutated fish's gaping mouth, gliding along the seam connecting its skull and spine. The fish's head separated from its body instantly, spraying out dark red blood and unidentified bodily fluids. The headless fish continued its forward momentum, grazing Xu Mo's combat uniform before crashing onto the scorched earth, still writhing violently.
After finishing the first fish, Xu Mo didn't even turn around. He flipped his left wrist, which was holding the knife, and changed the blade from a diagonal slash to a reverse upward flick. The movement was so small that it was almost invisible.
"Snap!"
The blade cut upwards, slicing through the mutated fish's relatively soft lower jaw, piercing its entire skull, with a small tip protruding from the top of its head. The mutated fish's momentum came to an abrupt halt, pinned to the blade's tip, its body convulsing violently.
The last mutated fish was the largest, arriving almost simultaneously with the second, its target clearly Xu Mo's face. Its gaping maw gave Xu Mo a stench.
Xu Mo took a half step back with his right foot, shifting his center of gravity to avoid the direct attack. At the same time, he had already gripped the end of the knife hilt with his right hand. Holding the knife with both hands, he used his waist to generate power, and the machete, which had been temporarily delayed by the second fish corpse, used the momentum of his body rotation to draw a sharp semi-circle.
"puff!"
The blade sliced cleanly into the center of the third mutated fish's head, the immense force splitting its entire head in two, splattering blood and brain matter everywhere.
The entire killing process, from Xu Mo firing a warning shot to drawing his sword, turning to the side, slashing upwards, chopping, and finally sheathing his sword, was completed in one smooth motion, as fast as lightning, taking only one or two breaths in total.
Only when Xu Mo swiftly sheathed his blood-free machete at his waist with a clang did the corpses of the three mutated fish fall one after another with a dull thud onto the scorched ground, their foul-smelling blood quickly seeping into the dry soil.
The riverbank was deathly silent.
The only sounds were the howling of the wind across the wilderness and the gurgling of the river.
Zhang Yun's gun had barely been aimed at the river, and her finger hadn't even pulled the trigger yet, when the battle was already over. She looked at the three gruesome-looking mutated fish lying on the ground, then at Xu Mo's calmly sheathing his sword, her eyes filled with disbelief, shock, and an indescribable tremor.
She considered herself quick-witted, but in that lightning-fast attack, she barely had time to raise her gun, while Xu Mo had already executed a perfect counterattack. This difference wasn't just about speed, but also about an almost precognitive sense of danger and a honed killing instinct. Just who was this Xu Mo?
The two men on the opposite bank were completely dumbfounded, frozen in place like statues. The tall man's mouth was agape, wide enough to fit an egg, while the burly man's hand holding the gun trembled slightly.
All they saw was Xu Mo suddenly fire his gun, then the mutated fish lunged out, followed by a dazzling flash of blades. By the time they could see clearly, the battle was over, leaving only three fish corpses on the ground and a man who had sheathed his sword and looked as calm as if he had just casually swatted a few mosquitoes.
Is this the speed and precision a human can achieve? Using a cold weapon, instantly taking down three mutated fish that suddenly attacked from the water? They didn't even see exactly how Xu Mo drew his sword before he had already sheathed it.
Several seconds passed before the burly man finally caught his breath, as if he had just been pulled from the water. His face was filled with lingering fear and immense admiration, and his voice was trembling: "Brother, you—your skills—are fucking amazing!"
The tall guy also came to his senses, gasping repeatedly. He gave Xu Mo a big thumbs-up, stammering, "Awesome! Absolutely awesome! Dude! I'm impressed! Seriously impressed!"
For a moment, their minds went blank; only now did they come to their senses.
Xu Mo merely nodded slightly in response to their praise. He walked over to the fish corpse and poked at it with his toe.
Fish scales are indeed hard, but the sharpness of a machete is enough to cut them open, not to mention that he is already at the Iron Bone Realm.
Xu Mo was more concerned about why these fish suddenly attacked. Was it their conversation that attracted them? Or were they inherently highly aggressive and would actively attack creatures that approached the riverbank?
"Something seems off about these fish." Zhang Yun also came over, squatted down, and carefully examined the fish carcasses with his bayonet, his brow furrowed. "The teeth are too close together, and the intestines seem severely shrunken, as if they evolved specifically for killing."
"It's not safe in the water anymore." The honest man on the opposite bank looked at the river with lingering fear, and took two steps back. "From now on, when patrolling, we really can't get too close to the water."
The tall man nodded repeatedly, his gaze towards Xu Mo growing increasingly fervent: "Brother, who taught you your swordsmanship? It's amazing! Could you teach me a few moves?"
"I practiced it myself, practice makes perfect," Xu Mo replied casually, changing the subject, "It's not safe here, let's leave the riverbank first. You guys be careful too."
"Yes, yes, stay away!" The tall man and the sturdy man nodded hurriedly, and said a lot of words of admiration and gratitude to Xu Mo across the river—after all, Xu Mo had just indirectly reminded them of the dangers in the river.
Without exchanging further words, each with their own feelings, they quickly moved away from the riverbank and continued along their respective patrol routes.
For the rest of the journey, Zhang Yun became much quieter. She followed behind Xu Mo, her gaze frequently falling on his tall, straight back and the machete at his waist, her expression complex. There was inquiry, curiosity, and even a hint of barely perceptible admiration, which she herself might not even be aware of.
In the apocalypse, strength is the most fundamental principle and the greatest allure.
What Xu Mo just demonstrated was not just strength, but also a reliable ability to turn the tide in a desperate situation. This was especially impactful for Zhang Yun, who had just lost his entire team and was struggling to survive alone.
Xu Mo could sense the change in gaze behind him, but he paid no attention; his mind was still on the mutated fish. The creatures in the river were also mutating at an accelerated pace, becoming more aggressive and bizarre. The monsters in area G-2, the strange fish in river F-6—it seemed that new dangers were brewing in every corner of this world.
Did the official relocation of them from G-2 truly solve the problem? Or does it mean that the issues there had gone beyond the scope of routine handling and required a more covert approach?
The patrol ended in the afternoon, and the return to the rendezvous point was uneventful. After returning their equipment and registering their mission completion, the officer on duty glanced at them, then at the logbook, but said nothing more, simply recording their contribution points as usual.
As they walked out of the meeting point, Zhang Yun called out to Xu Mo.
"Xu Mo," her voice was softer than usual, "thank you for today. If it weren't for your quick thinking, we might have been in trouble."
"It's what we should do as partners," Xu Mo said calmly.
Zhang Yun looked at him, seemingly wanting to say something, but ultimately just nodded: "Then tomorrow—the same time as before?"
"The old times."
The two parted ways again. Xu Mo could sense that Zhang Yun's gaze was different from yesterday. There was something new in it, something akin to trust and reliance.
Back in the courtyard, Xu Mo closed the door. Instead of immediately starting his cultivation, he sat in the courtyard, reflecting on everything that had happened that day.
The open fields, seemingly safe, harbored the threat of an underwater attack. This reminded him that the threat of the apocalypse was everywhere and constantly evolving.
Major Li of the Secret Service had no further information, and the situation in the G-2 area was unclear, but the transfer itself was a strong signal.
How is Wang Jing now? Has the medical center found anything?
And then there's his new partner, with solid skills and a resilient spirit, who might be a help to some extent. At least, in the upcoming patrols and any potential unexpected events, having a reliable companion is always better than being alone.
As Xu Mo pondered this, he got up and walked into the house to begin his routine weapon maintenance and training.
No matter how turbulent the outside world may be, improving one's own strength is always the top priority in dealing with everything.
The blood and qi of the Iron Bone Realm surged within his body like an ever-flowing river. Xu Mo closed his eyes and concentrated, feeling his power increase bit by bit.
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