During a period of rest.
Only Liu Pi could control flying creatures; most people had to rely on their legs, naturally making their progress much slower.
Things were different now!
With Qin Feng and Zhou Haiyang's return, both possessing flying mounts, could their efficiency be matched?
Over the past ten days.
The area centered around Yan Mountain, encompassing surrounding mountain ranges.
Such as the Taihang Mountains, Hengshan Mountains, Dama Mountains, and Qilaotu Mountains.
Subsequently.
The search area was further expanded.
The Lüliang Mountains, the Greater Khingan Range, the Southern Taihang Mountains.
Even crossing the Yellow River.
Including the North China Plain and the Loess Plateau regions.
Qin Feng also devised methods to improve efficiency.
Previously, aside from Liu Pi, everyone else could only travel on foot.
Caw!
The cry of a sea eagle with a tiger head echoed in the hilly regions of Shandong.
Over twenty people were seated on the bird's back.
In addition to the high-ranking members of the First and Second Teams, there were also leaders from various sub-bases.
Then.
As if a hen laying eggs.
At intervals, two or three people were dropped off.
These individuals dispersed, searching within a certain radius centered around their drop-off points.
Efficiency increased dramatically!
...
Mount Tai.
The foremost of the Five Great Mountains.
A sacred place for ancient emperors' sacrifices, and also one of the most renowned scenic spots.
Following the nuclear explosions and the arrival of various disaster scenarios, large numbers of residents from the surrounding areas poured in, establishing survivor bases.
Shandong was a large province with a significant population.
Fortunately, within Shandong, there were Mount Tai, Mount Lu, and Mount Qimeng.
If there were only plains, it would have been difficult to find shelter, and the death toll would have inevitably soared.
Somewhere.
A team of survivors was cautiously descending the mountain.
On land, the most lethal threats were not the large mutated creatures, but rather the low-level mutated ones.
Low in level.
Small in size.
They either acted in large swarms.
Or were exceptionally skilled at hiding, launching surprise attacks when people weren't paying attention, making them impossible to guard against.
This team had two objectives for descending the mountain.
First, to hunt zombies and obtain crystals for enhancement.
Second, to search for various resources.
In the plot of "2012," a large-scale orogeny erupted globally, with earthquakes, subsidences, and fissures occurring everywhere.
City buildings collapsed extensively.
Resources were buried.
This led to a significant reduction in the amount of resources available in subsequent plotlines.
Previously.
As long as one had the ability to go into cities, countless resources could be found.
Now.
Even if one ventured into cities at great risk, resources were not guaranteed.
Resources were already scarce, and during the previous double plotlines, many survivors had entered cities to search for them.
This resulted in an ever-diminishing supply.
"Brother Jin, is there no end to this... when will it stop?" a subordinate sighed.
Fewer resources.
Monsters growing stronger.
No future in sight, only darkness.
"Careful!"
Xia Jin's expression changed drastically.
Whoosh!
With a wave of his hand, a wind blade split the air and flew out.
The subordinate who had just spoken felt a cold sweat break out on the back of his neck.
Indeed!
A palm-sized hornet, dropping from a nearby tree branch, was severed in half by the wind blade.
Mutated hornets were only level 2.
The weakest among them were level 5, and Xia Jin, as the leader of the base, had even reached level 7.
However, creatures like hornets could still cause their deaths!
Small in size.
Difficult to spot in dense forests.
Attacking at any moment!
Ordinary hornet venom was already potent.
After mutation, the venom was a hundred times more potent.
Unless one possessed an antidote-dispelling ability, even a level 7 esper, if bitten, would die!
"At least, we're still alive."
Xia Jin glanced at his subordinate and said coldly, "If you continue to be careless, you won't have to worry about survival anymore."
If one were dead.
What else would there be to worry about for survival?
He was reprimanding his subordinate.
Better to live a miserable life than to die a swift death.
In this damned apocalypse, who had the time for melancholy?
Survive!
This was the only thought.
"Brother Jin, I'm sorry..." the subordinate lowered his head.
In the plot of "Rampage" + "Deep Freeze."
Their base, which initially had over a thousand people, now had only over seven hundred remaining.
The majority of the deceased.
Were those who, at the beginning of the plot, lacked understanding of mutated creatures and carelessly fell victim to them.
It had been two months.
And he was still so careless!
"I hope every brother can survive,"
Xia Jin said sternly, "But I don't have the ability to save everyone at any moment!"
Everyone's spirits were lifted.
Carefully watching for any movement in their surroundings.
Suddenly!
As the group reached the foot of the mountain and breathed a sigh of relief.
Buzz...
A multitude of buzzing sounds came from behind them.
"Not good!"
Xia Jin's face turned pale. "Mutated hornet swarm—run while attacking, don't break formation!"
Hornets!
Hornets covering the sky!
Xia Jin realized the problem stemmed from the hornet they had killed earlier.
It was likely that after the hornet was severed by the wind blade, its bodily fluids had splashed onto its companions.
The scent attracted other hornets.
A normal hornet nest would have a few hundred individuals.
With a mutation rate of one-tenth, it should have been only a few dozen.
A few dozen level 2 hornets.
Facing dozens of espers, the weakest being level 5.
What a disparity!
However.
The sheer scale of this hornet swarm made the scalps of dozens of people tingle.
There were over a thousand!
They flew towards them, a dense mass.
Run?
Useless!
Unless one was a physique-type esper.
How could other types of espers outrun flying hornets?
Xia Jin's order to run was not for escape.
It was a tactical maneuver to create distance.
Attackers attacked.
Defenders defended.
And to create distance for the release of abilities.
After all.
It would be troublesome once they were within close range!
As expected of espers ranging from the weakest level 5 to the strongest level 7, even with a force of less than fifty, they dealt with over a thousand mutated hornets in an orderly fashion.
Some used their abilities to form defensive circles.
Some were responsible for offense.
And others provided auxiliary support.
In just half a minute, two to three hundred hornets were killed, and their defenses could not be breached.
As long as their defenses couldn't be broken.
They could continuously deplete the hornets through a combination of offense and defense.
Until they were all eliminated!
"Brother Jin, it's fine now!"
A subordinate said proudly, "Over ten of our brothers are skilled in defensive abilities; they can't break through!"
Unable to break through.
They could only be worn down by their side.
Buzz...
Suddenly!
Just as the dozens of people, with their formation stabilized and filled with joy.
Three hornets, the size of piglets, flew in.
"Bee... it's a Queen Bee!"
"How can there be three Queen Bees? Damn it!"
One mountain cannot accommodate two tigers.
Theoretically, a swarm has only one queen bee.
However, after mutation, the Queen Bee was not level 2, but level 5.
Their intelligence had already become quite high.
They knew.
Only by joining forces and significantly increasing the swarm's numbers could they more easily survive.
Therefore.
The three Queen Bees formed an alliance!
Buzz!
The three Queen Bees hid behind the swarm.
Simultaneously vibrating their wings with force.
"What is that?!"
"Not good!"
Visible transparent ripples rolled towards them at astonishing speed.
"Ah... my head hurts so much!"
A dozen level 5 espers clutched their heads and cried out in pain.
Xia Jin was stunned.
Sound-based?
Mental-based?
It was not yet certain.
But one thing was certain: the Queen Bees possessed special endowments, capable of joining forces to unleash special attacks, and conventional abilities could not block them—they struck directly at the brain!
The intensity was insufficient to kill level 5 espers.
But it caused unbearable headaches.
Espers relied on mental power to fight.
Headache.
Disrupted mental power.
They were utterly incapable of unleashing any abilities!