In the wilderness

The wilderness burned under the blazing sun, its fierce light almost too bright to gaze upon. Yellow sand swirled with the wind, carrying the faint tang of metal and dust in the dry air. Wang Yanfei followed Jinshui to a sunken area where a black motorcycle was parked. A camouflage net covered it, its surface faintly revealing old scratches etched deep into the metal.

Goldwater retrieved a camouflage-colored cloak from the storage box on the motorcycle's backseat and handed it to Wang Yanfei.

"Put this on. Although the radiation here is low, long-term exposure is not a joke." She said casually.

Wang Yanfei took the cloak and wrapped himself tightly without hesitation, leaving only his eyes to observe the surroundings. He knew that the dangers of the wilderness were far more than just radiation. Various mutant creatures and wanderers could become fatal threats.

"Why not teleport directly to headquarters?" Wang Yanfei asked while inspecting his cybernetic arm.

Goldwater laughed, stretched out his hand to start the motorcycle, and a buzzing sound accompanied by slight vibration came from the body of the motorcycle. She sat in the driver's seat and turned to look at Wang Yanfei, who was wrapped in the wind and sand like a sand man.

"Spirit-net teleportation requires base station support. You can only jump to places where a station or satellite has been pre-installed," she explained. "Teleporting straight to headquarters? That'd need a massive amount of energy to maintain the connection, and it'd also make it easier for someone to track the signal. Right now, the last thing we want is more trouble."

"Energy shortage?" Wang Yanfei ventured.

"It's more than just energy," Goldwater shook her head, her gaze fixed on the desert ahead through her sunglasses. "The farther the teleport, the less stable the Spirit-net becomes. If anything goes wrong, we could be tossed to a random location—or worse, get stuck in the Spirit-net itself. Can you imagine being trapped forever in a place you can't see or touch?"

Wang Yanfei was silent for a while. He didn't know much about the spiritual network, but Jin Shui's explanation made him realize that the limitations of this technology are far more than he imagined.

"204 base station." Goldwater stepped on the accelerator, and the motorcycle accelerated suddenly. The dust raised a hazy smoke screen behind them. "When we get there, we will connect to a farther place through the psychic satellite and directly reach the headquarters."

Wang Yanfei nodded, and he tightened his cloak to try not to expose himself to the scorching sun.

The motorcycle sped through the desert, the wind whistled past, and there was endless yellow sand and sparse rocks all around. Goldwater drove the motorcycle skillfully, while Wang Yanfei sat quietly in the back seat, holding the other's waist tightly with both hands for fear of falling off.

As they raced across the landscape, the sun dipped lower, painting the sky with the hues of sunset. Finally, on the horizon, a small supply station came into view—a cluster of low buildings with peeling walls surrounded by piles of scrap and makeshift equipment.

Goldwater skillfully parked the motorcycle in a shadow, jumped off the motorcycle and patted Wang Yanfei on the shoulder, "Come down, we need to replenish some fuel and water."

Wang Yanfei didn't say much and followed her to the supply station. He looked around and found that it was full of various monitoring equipment, and occasionally he could hear the sound of machinery turning hidden in the dark.

A tall, muscular man stood at the entrance of the supply station, holding an old submachine gun in his hand. He looked at the two people approaching and raised the gun slightly. Goldwater raised one hand and took out a metal nameplate from his arms with the other hand and shook it. The man glanced at it and nodded, and the gun drooped slightly and shook it to indicate that they could go in.

The station's interior was dimly lit, shelves stocked with miscellaneous items. A few outdated robots moved slowly, stacking supplies. Goldwater headed to the counter to negotiate with the proprietor in hushed tones while Wang Yanfei quietly observed.

Suddenly, a faint tremor rippled through the ground. Wang Yanfei's instincts sharpened instantly as he glanced out the window.

"What was that?" he asked quietly.

Goldwater also noticed something unusual, his expression froze, and he quickly walked to the window. In the yellow sand in the distance, a vague black line appeared, and along with the vibration of the ground, the black line was approaching rapidly.

"Migration." Goldwater's voice was low and nervous, "It's a group of mutant beasts."

Wang Yanfei's heart sank when he heard this. Although he had never seen it, he had heard of the mutant beasts in the wilderness. The most terrifying thing about them is not their huge size or strength, no matter how strong they are, they are not as strong as the weapons of modern civilization, but their terrifying vitality and adaptability. These creatures affected by black water can absorb all matter and energy for their own use - brick walls will turn into their armor, bullets embedded in their bodies may turn into sharp wings, and even flames and electricity can become their supplies.

Because of this, wherever the mutant beasts migrate, both humans and buildings will be completely devoured. They not only destroy, but also transform everything around them into part of themselves and continue to strengthen themselves. This extremely corrosive way of survival makes them the most terrifying existence in the wilderness.

The people in the supply station also quickly realized the danger. The boss hurried out and shouted to everyone: "Close the door! Everyone retreat to the basement, quickly!"

The robot immediately stopped the work in his hands and began to move the baffle to seal the window and entrance. Wang Yanfei and Jinshui looked at each other, and the two of them rushed out of the supply station quickly at the same time.

"Staying here is a dead end." Wang Yanfei said.

Goldwater nodded. "The bike isn't fast enough. We need to find a way to skirt their main migration route, or we won't make it through the night."

They hurried back to the motorcycle. Wang Yanfei climbed onto the back, gripping the handlebars tightly, while Goldwater gunned the engine. The bike roared to life and shot off into the desert.

In the distance, the figures of the mutant beasts gradually became clear. They were a group of huge creatures with hideous appearances and rough skin like rocks. Some of them were even covered with jagged bone spurs. The dust raised by their feet formed a huge sand wave.

The sound of the motorcycle engine echoed in the yellow sand. The two could only hope to find a safe way out before the beasts swept the supply station.