192: The Lost Territory, Qinghai
As they descended and the clouds dispersed, they were met with a vast expanse of white world. The temperature gauge indicated a current ground temperature of minus 37 degrees Celsius, and snow was still falling. Equipped in down jackets and carrying their personal belongings, the group prepared for landing.
The plane was destined for an airport in Lanzhou, the nearest one to Qinghai. A few months ago, personnel had been dispatched from Beijing to set up camp here for the purpose of scouting the conditions in Qinghai. The runway had been restored for use. The transport plane could only take them this far; beyond this point, no one and no machinery dared to venture into this mysterious domain. The journey ahead would be their own.
After the plane landed, Abu, who had been cramped up the entire journey, quickly dashed out. It vigorously shook its body, stretching its limbs with delight. Given its thick fur coat, Abu was clearly enjoying the current temperature.
Among the 48 members of the team, there were quite a few who disliked the cold, such as the brain domain evolvers and Deng Xiao. Fortunately, they were all dressed in mutation-made insulated clothing. From head to toe, they were equipped with top-notch cold-weather gear. At least during the initial encounter with the low temperature, no one felt overwhelmed.
Several mutant individuals began to undress. After stripping down, they immediately transformed into large beasts. Although many of the accompanying people were capable of flight, considering the low temperatures and the need to carry weight, for the majority of the journey, they still relied on these beasts for carrying both people and cargo.
With a glance, Cong Xia could see a wide variety of animals. Abu was the only cat, and also the largest. The others included cheetahs, lions, tigers, wolves, black bears, Tibetan mastiffs, and, of course, Chen Shao’s transformation into a Caucasian Shepherd dog. Chen Shao seemed even bigger than he was over a year ago, with a length approaching five meters. He looked incredibly fierce.
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On the journey, they felt the danger of this area. Towering trees, wild grasses that thrived in the severe cold, and large mutant creatures wandering through ruined cities were all visible signs. These alone demonstrated that the degree of mutation here was much more severe than in other areas. If it weren’t for the size of their group, they would have likely encountered several waves of attacks already. Since they disembarked from the plane, they hadn’t encountered a single human besides the airport maintenance staff, not even when passing through Lanzhou city.
Tang Tingzhi gazed upon the ruins along the way, “We’re too close to Qinghai here. I’ve heard that almost no one is left. Those capable have departed, and those without means have perished.”
Cheng Tianbi stared ahead at the endless road, “After all this time, we haven’t encountered a single person who came out of Qinghai…”
Zhuang Yao said, “Qinghai is like being trapped in a barrier. Anything can enter, but nothing can leave. The unknown is its most terrifying aspect.” He glanced down at the device in his hand and said solemnly, “We’re entering Qinghai now.”
The expressions of the group became serious, and their spirits were uplifted.
Deng Xiao exclaimed, “What? We’re already inside?” He suddenly jumped down from Abū’s back, turned around, and ran more than twenty meters back while shouting, “Zhuang Yao, have I come out? Nothing is stopping me.”
Zhuang Yao rolled his eyes, “Idiot.”
The others couldn’t help but look back. There was nothing different from the path they had walked for hours, although they knew that Zhuang Yao’s mention of a barrier was just a metaphor. Subconsciously, they felt that something was “blocking off” Qinghai. Yet, the surroundings seemed so calm that it felt like they could leave whenever they wished. However, that probably wouldn’t count as truly “entering” Qinghai, as they hadn’t yet experienced the terror of Qinghai.
Deng Xiao quickly ran back and laughed, “There’s nothing frightening here.”
Cheng Tianbi said, “We’re still far from Golmud. That’s our final destination.”
Tang Tingzhi cleared his throat, “Exactly. I believe everyone has a fairly clear idea of the itinerary. We’ll reach Xining tomorrow, then proceed to Qinghai Lake, and finally arrive at Golmud. According to our puppet jade detection devices, most of the puppet jades are concentrated at Qinghai Lake and Golmud, with at least four in number.”
“Golmud is quite far from us.”
“About a thousand kilometers. If the road is clear, we can reach it within a week. If… there are obstacles, it’s hard to predict.”
After traveling for most of the day, by evening, they had ventured more than eighty kilometers into Qinghai. By this time tomorrow, they would certainly reach Xining. They chose a high ground to set up camp. Tang Tingzhi sent a tiger and two wolves to hunt, while the others worked on setting up campfires. With a large group, the atmosphere was lively. They chatted and ate, taking turns to keep watch or sleep at night. Though they could hear the roars of beasts and the calls of birds in their sleep, most creatures retreated upon seeing their massive group and several fierce animals. Thus, the night passed without incident.
In the middle of the night, fog enveloped the forest, turning the world into a vast expanse of mist. Cheng Tianbi and Tang Yanqiu, on night watch, scanned their surroundings. The ground was stark white with snow, and overhead, a grayish-white mist hung. It was as though they were enclosed in a container filled with white fog—an oppressive environment that made them involuntarily stand up and heighten their vigilance.
They remained on edge for the last two hours of the night, and as dawn broke, nothing had happened. However, the fog remained, and visibility was slightly better than the night before, but the fog was still shrouding the area in mist.
After having breakfast, they set off.
Due to low visibility and thick snow, their progress was slow. Many mutants in the group had been in Beijing since the advent of the apocalypse and had never traveled to other cities or experienced such outdoor journeys. They were not used to it. They all hoped to reach Xining before nightfall and find a small inn to take a shower and warm up.
However, after two more hours of walking, Tang Tingzhi called for the group to stop. He was currently sitting on Abū alongside Zhuang Yao, studying the compass and navigation device.
Cong Xia asked, “What’s going on? Is there something ahead?”
Zhuang Yao’s voice was deep, “The navigation device malfunctioned.”
“What? Malfunctioned? Don’t we still have 7 satellites up there? It was working in other places before.”
“Yes, but now we can’t receive any signals. It was working when we first entered, but the signal has been getting weaker since a while ago, and now it’s completely dead. It’s probably related to this fog.”
Zhuang Yao looked up at the dense fog. “I mentioned this to you before. During the early days of the apocalypse, we received signals from Qinghai. The survivors mentioned something called the ‘Mist Forest.’ They said this kind of fog floats unpredictably, appearing out of nowhere in certain places, for some time, at certain locations, under certain weather conditions. It could last from a few hours to… who knows when it will dissipate. Once inside the mist, it’s easy to get lost, and there might be… things in the fog. It seems we’ve encountered it.”
Shen Changze frowned, “How far are we from Xining?”
“Less than a hundred kilometers.”
“Can we still use the compass?”
“We can. Right now, we have to rely on the compass. But the terrain is too complex, and with the thick snow, although 80 kilometers isn’t far, if we deviate a little, we won’t know where we’re headed.”
Wu Yu said, “Then we can only keep moving forward. Xining is a big city; we’re unlikely to miss it. As long as there are survivors in Xining, we’ll find a way to get to Qinghai Lake.”
Tang Tingzhi shouted, “Everyone, stay close to the person in front of you. Keep an eye on your surroundings at all times, and don’t fall behind. If you find yourself alone, shout loudly. Keep moving forward!”
Zhuang Yao put the navigation device in his bag, lay back on Abū’s back, and stared at the thick fog above, deep in thought. Through the dense fog, they could see patches of tree shadows, but other than that, there was nothing. In this seemingly empty world, the calls of birds and animals came and went, making it difficult to discern direction and distance. Everyone’s nerves were taut, alert to the possibility of encountering something extraordinary in the forest.
They continued cautiously, calibrating their direction while moving forward with unease. After a few hours, hunger struck, and they stopped to rest and eat. About half an hour later, they resumed their journey.
Unexpectedly, the lead mutant wolf carrying luggage suddenly halted in its tracks, emitting an angry roar from its throat. Due to the thick fog, they couldn’t see what the wolf had encountered, only witnessing it stand its ground and howl continuously—a clear sign that it had come across something threatening.
Wu Yu shouted, “What’s happening!” The wolf belonged to him. He turned to Chen Shao, who was below him, and said, “Go check it out.”
Chen Shao cautiously ran over.
Zhuang Yao called out, “Don’t move for now, be careful.”
Shen Changze said, “I’ll go take a look.” He jumped down from the black bear and a pistol slid from his sleeve. Step by step, he approached the wolf. When he reached the wolf’s side, he softly exclaimed, “Huh,” and then his voice changed, “What is this?”
Dan Ming shouted, “What’s going on? What do you see?”
“I don’t know, something is sticking to me. A transparent string. The wolf is stuck too. It’s very adhesive.” Shen Changze conjured a ball of fire in his hand, ready to burn it.
Tang Tingzhi shouted, “Don’t act recklessly.” He also slid down from Abū. At the same time, several mutants cautiously walked towards Shen Changze.
“There’s something in the fog!” Xiao Zhou, who was at the back of the group, suddenly yelled loudly.
Everyone turned their heads abruptly, looking in the direction of Xiao Zhou. Indeed, a massive shadow disappeared into the dense fog. The thing appeared circular, with a diameter of at least five meters. Moreover, around the shadow, several long and thin legs moved vaguely…
Cong Xia shouted, “It’s… it’s a spider! Everyone, be careful!” Due to the multitude of mutated creatures in the forest, they were constantly sensing various levels of energy fluctuations. As a result, they had become somewhat desensitized to the energy patterns of many species. Unless an extraordinarily powerful creature emerged, they rarely paid special attention. These spiders were clearly not strong enough to warrant their immediate attention.
However… Cong Xia enhanced his vision, surveying his surroundings. More and more shadows emerged from behind the fog, some already quite distinct, while others were hidden within the thick mist. Some hung in mid-air, and others dangled between trees. He attempted to sense energy patterns similar to that of the spider around him and expanded his search radius. The result was that within a radius of 300 meters, he sensed over a hundred… they were surrounded by spiders!
Just after he finished shouting, the wolf that had been stuck let out a hoarse roar. They all saw a massive spider slowly crawling toward the wolf. Due to the thick fog and the transparent nature of the web, the colossal creature seemed suspended in mid-air, elevating the sense of terror to a climax.
Tang Yanqiu withdrew an exploding arrow from his quiver and shot it towards the colossal shadow. With a soft “puchi,” the arrow pierced into the spider’s body. Due to the thick fog, Tang Yanqiu couldn’t aim precisely, and he had no idea whether the arrow had hit a vital spot. Nonetheless, the spider was at least wounded. The large spider swiftly retreated, moving so agilely that it seemed barely injured.
As the wolf growled uneasily, several mutated creatures also began to restlessly stir, guided by their instincts rather than the calmness of the humanoids. Even Abu growled anxiously, seeming to want to escape the area. Deng Xiao held Abu’s head down, urging, “Abu, stay still, don’t move!”
A Lin Diao screamed uncontrollably, indicating that a spider was approaching. It flapped its wings and took flight.
The Lin Diao evolver bellowed, “Xiao Liu, come back!”
But it was too late. The Lin Diao had ascended only a dozen meters when it was forcefully ensnared. Frantically flapping its wings, it increased the surface area of contact with the spider web. Eventually, with wings outstretched, it became stuck on the web, immobilized. Desperation filled its cries.
Shen Changze roared, “Stay put, don’t struggle. This web is incredibly adhesive. The more you fight, the tighter it gets. Knives and bullets won’t work; we have to burn it.” He grabbed a strand of the web, as thick as an adult’s wrist, and ignited it. With one strand burned, his arm was freed. He quickly moved to rescue the trapped wolf.
Liu Fengyu slid down from Abu and joined Shen Changze. “Let me try.” He dripped a digestive fluid onto the web, which indeed had an effect. However, the upper body and front legs of the wolf were completely stuck. Melting or severing the web was no easy task. They expended considerable effort to finally free the wolf.
After rescuing the wolf, Shen Changze soared upward to rescue the Lin Diao. Just as he reached above, two enormous spiders scuttled quickly overhead. Tang Yanqiu drew his bow again, but with a shortage of exploding arrows, he couldn’t effectively target. He opted for lighter arrows, which carried less force. These arrows seemed ineffective against the spiders, which continued to advance toward the Lin Diao at a rapid pace.
Wu Yu shouted, “Take me up there!” The Lin Diao humanoid carried Wu Yu aloft. Wu Yu spread his hands, palms exuding white frost that adhered to the web. Suddenly, the transparent web revealed its marks, exposing the intricate network above them. It resembled a chaotic defensive line entwined around them. These spiders had spent who knew how much time weaving this intricate trap, waiting for unfortunate prey to stumble in.
After the web was encased in ice, Wu Yu shattered it. The Lin Diao plummeted from the sky, shedding many feathers. It lay on the ground motionless for a while. The three spiders retreated into the fog, disappearing from sight.
The spiders seemed to recognize the challenge their prey posed. They withdrew, hidden in the fog. Although the enemies were invisible, the group knew the deadly creatures were lurking nearby. Being observed by the enemy without being able to see them was more unsettling than engaging them directly.
Yao Qianjiang suggested, “Let’s retreat the way we came in, just as we entered.”
“They won’t leave us a way out. These spiders are so large that they could weave a cage around us in no time. We’ve been resting here for over half an hour, and who knows how big a trap they’ve woven for us.”
Shen Changze wiped his sweat off and said, “We have to give it a try. Wu Yu, Liu Fengyu, and I will explore nearby to find a way out. Stay where you are and don’t move.”
Zhuang Yao added, “This fog is extremely unsafe; who knows what other eerie things are lurking. Listen carefully, you three will head in three different directions. I’ll call out every ten seconds, and you must respond. The sound will be faint, but you must answer. Whether you find anything or not, return after each call. Do not proceed further.”
“Understood.”
The three chose their respective directions, shouldered their weapons, and set out. With visibility less than 10 meters in the thick fog, their figures vanished quickly. Zhuang Yao looked at his watch and shouted every ten seconds, receiving responses each time.
About three minutes later, Liu Fengyu shouted, “I’ve encountered a spider web in my direction, around 120 meters away.”
Wu Yu also shouted, “Same here, about 150 meters away.”
Shen Changze’s voice followed suit.
Zhuang Yao raised his voice, “Now, Shen Changze, circle around the spider web to check for an exit. Look both on the ground and above. The other two, don’t move.”
Shen Changze began from his position, carefully circling the spider web. Though the web was transparent, it was visible upon closer inspection. He spent twenty minutes cautiously moving up and down, getting caught in the web twice during the process. He finally completed his inspection.
The three returned together. Shen Changze said, “You’re right. We’re trapped. We’re enclosed within a cage formed by a spider web with a diameter of about 300 meters.”
Cong Xia added with a wry smile, “And there are at least a hundred spiders outside, maybe more. If they keep weaving, won’t we end up in a giant yarn ball?”
Zhuang Yao replied, “They won’t keep weaving endlessly; they’re not doing it for fun. They’re larger than us and also need space to move and feed. This group of spiders seems quite adept at dealing with small-sized humans. The web they’ve woven is just right to make it very difficult for anyone to crawl through.”
Cong Xia sighed, “If Officer Li were here, we could just dig through the ground and escape.”
Cheng Tianbi chimed in, “With this fog not dissipating, all our plans are hard to execute. We don’t even know how many layers the web has or how many spiders there are. We’re truly in a passive situation.”
“Exactly. The web is both sticky and tough. Our destruction speed definitely can’t match the speed of hundreds of spiders weaving. If we don’t come up with a good plan, we’ll be trapped here.” Zhuang Yao smirked sarcastically, “We’ve only been in Qinghai for a day, and we’ve covered only 150 kilometers. How fascinating this place is.”
Wu Yu spoke up, “Creating a hole large enough for all of us to pass through from any position isn’t an issue. But, as you mentioned, our rate of destruction can’t keep up with their weaving.”
Zhuang Yao nodded, “There is one method, but it’s risky for us to implement.”
Yao Qianjiang asked, “Are you suggesting that Wu Yu and I work together?”
Zhuang Yao nodded again, “That would certainly allow us to break through, but this place is too confined. If you lose control even a little, we could all end up frozen solid. Moreover, that power of yours, which should be our ultimate weapon for critical moments, is now being considered to fight a bunch of spiders after just a day in Qinghai. I don’t think we need to go any further. The path ahead will likely be even more perilous than now, and our strength is limited.”
Although Zhuang Yao’s words were harsh, they were the truth. If their first challenge in Qinghai required them to unleash their most formidable power, what would they do next? Could they handle stronger, unknown enemies with the same prowess?
Wu Yu clenched his fist, “Dealing with a group of spiders doesn’t require such excessive force. Let’s gather our strength and charge through. As long as Cong Xia replenishes my energy, I can freeze all the spider webs into ice shards.”
Zhuang Yao looked up at the invisible spider webs and murmured, “I’m afraid it won’t be that simple.”
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