Chapter 145: "Hell's Fang" from the New World |
After the Crowned Eagle landed, Qin Ziwen first took the phone from near its neck and handed it to his younger brother.
Then he crouched down to check the Crowned Eagle's body.
Confirming it wasn't injured, he gave its head a good ruffle.
The Crowned Eagle tilted its head, looking in the direction where the group of pterosaurs had flown away.
Qin Ziwu said, "Bro, this seems a bit bad. The video doesn't show any signs of water for now, though several areas are blocked from view."
"Let me see."
(Image: Gobi Desert)
Taking the phone from his brother's hand, the video showed a desolate Gobi landscape littered with gravel, with occasional patches of greenish-yellow dotting the ground.
Their residential complex was very conspicuous, located right at the edge of a small plain.
To the east of the complex was a winding Gobi mountain ridge running north-south. It wasn't particularly high, but it spread wide to both sides. The ridge was dotted with scattered gaps, cutting what should have been a continuous ridge into fragmented sections, with several narrow canyons among them.
Inside the ridge, many areas were shrouded in shadow, and combined with the distance, they were hard to see clearly.
To the west of this small plain were several steep isolated mountains, interspersed with a few tall rock pillars. Many pterosaurs perched on platforms atop the peaks, looking from afar like insects crawling on the cliff tops.
To the south, the vegetation was relatively more abundant, making it the direction with the most greenery in the video.
Further south, there was a large canyon whose overall major orientation ran roughly east-west.
The reason for saying "roughly" was that many parts of the Gobi weren't straight but rather S-shaped, as if once scoured by flowing water.
To the north, the terrain became increasingly flat. But looking from the rooftop into the far northern distance, there were also cliffs and mountain ranges. However, they were too far away for the phone's aerial view to capture them.
Qin Ziwen pondered, "There are canyons to the east and south. The Gobi is so hot, even if there's water, it's almost impossible for it to be on the surface. These canyons might have water, though. If underground or surface water sources aren't too far from us, that would be good news."
"Bro, if it's just for a month, our water should be enough."
Qin Ziwen said, "Finding water isn't just for drinking. Where there's water, it attracts animals. Where there are animals, it attracts predators. That's how we can complete hunts."
Qin Ziwu stroked his chin, a flash of inspiration striking him. "If water attracts animals, then if we put out a lot of water on the ground, could we directly lure prey into a trap?"
Deng Guang said, "But the Gobi terrain absorbs water easily."
Qin Ziwu raised a finger. "We can lay waterproof material at the bottom!"
"You're a real genius."
Qin Ziwen paused the video and selected slow motion.
He noticed that at the edge of the large southern canyon, a group of animals was gathering. They were too far away to see clearly, only that they were light yellow animals, similar in color to the surrounding arid Gobi.
Zooming in made it blurry; their specific appearance was unclear.
He turned his head to look south. The large canyon was about two or three kilometers away from them.
Lowering his head, he continued checking the video, wanting to see if he could spot the altar in it.
Just then, hurried footsteps came from the safety stairs behind the rooftop.
"Captain." Wang Yun was panting heavily.
"What's wrong with you? You've seemed distracted ever since coming up." Qin Ziwen had noticed Wang Yun being absent-minded all morning. He had also rushed back home briefly earlier.
"Captain, this is the card I obtained. I ranked 13th this time." Wang Yun pulled out a light pink card.
Taking it from Wang Yun's hand: 【Healing Card】 External Injury Healing Card (Minor)
Wang Yun said, "You can see its usage effect in the Home. This card can heal the most severe external injury on the current body, but the side effect is that physical fitness is reduced by half for twenty-four hours, and it's limited to personal use."
"There are actually cards that can heal injuries." Qin Ziwen was somewhat surprised, though the side effects were quite severe.
Just the twenty-four-hour halving of physical fitness alone meant it couldn't be used during combat, only for emergency treatment after a fight ended.
Wang Yun lowered his head, saying bitterly, "But it's useless to me. Xiao Yi is critically ill now. I thought since there are cards for external injuries, there should be ones that heal internal injuries too. I want to trade this card for one that can heal."
"Didn't Doctor Qian go see her last time? She was getting a little better." Qin Ziwen said quietly.
Wang Yun shook his head. "She was better at the time, but these past two days, she suddenly relapsed and got worse."
"I'll help you ask around." Qin Ziwen pondered.
He then went to the Alliance to find Zou Jianghe. Upon learning his purpose, Zou Jianghe readily agreed. But after asking around, no one had a similar card. Zou Jianghe proposed the idea of buying the Healing Card at a high price, but Wang Yun politely refused.
Then Qin Ziwen took Wang Yun to the teaching building area.
Fortunately, someone here had obtained a 【Healing Card】 Internal Injury Healing Card (Minor). Qin Ziwen offered to make up the price difference, but Luo Gang refused.
He believed the two cards were of equivalent value. While the Internal Injury Healing Card had broader effects, capable of treating illnesses caused by viruses, bacteria, and toxins, the External Injury Healing Card's value wasn't low either. The scope of external injuries was very broad; things like organ damage, fractures, and severed limbs all fell under the category of external injuries.
After the transaction was completed, Wang Yun left hurriedly with the card.
Qin Ziwen was about to head back when Luo Gang called out to him, "Since you're already here, won't you stay a while longer?"
Hesitating for a moment, Qin Ziwen stayed. He happened to want to chat with them as well.
......
Teaching building, nightfall, stars twinkling.
Listening to his roommate's snoring, teeth grinding, and sleep-talking.
Cao Biansheng rolled over. Today was his first clear experience of transmigration, which left him somewhat excited. Combined with the demonic sounds from his roommate's side, it became increasingly difficult to fall asleep.
He crawled out of the warm bedding, tiptoed, avoiding the heads of others.
Carefully made his way out.
This was a lecture hall converted into a rest area.
The doors and windows were tightly shut, the windows covered with thick wooden strips, leaving only small gaps for ventilation.
The room was full of boys, sleeping on floor mats, about forty or fifty people lying there, their bedding pressed against each other.
The smell was strong, but you got used to it after a while.
Reaching the corridor, a cool breeze greeted him.
Cao Biansheng breathed in the fresh air, turned his head, and spotted Old Luo standing not far away, hands in his pockets, gazing at the sky.
Tch, at his age, still likes to act cool.
There were only the two of them here. Who was he trying to impress?
Walking up behind Luo Gang, he tapped his shoulder from behind. "Hey!"
Old Luo tilted his head, glanced at Cao Biansheng. "Insomnia at such a young age?"
Cao Biansheng sighed. "Can't sleep. Maybe it's being in a new place. Feels unsettled. What about you?"
"Keeping watch for a bit." Luo Gang said softly, but Cao Biansheng detected insincerity in his words.
Cao Biansheng gently nudged him with his elbow. "Thinking about your wife, aren't you?"
"You should address her as 'teacher's wife'." Luo Gang was silent for a long moment, then smiled. "You could say that."
"It either is or it isn't. There's no 'you could say that'. I can understand, though. I often heard the fat guy on the next bunk crying secretly under his blanket at night."
Luo Gang retorted, "What about you? Don't you miss anyone?"
"My parents divorced long ago. They both have their own new families. If I were gone, they might even breathe a sigh of relief." Cao Biansheng said carelessly. "Ah, let's not talk about this. Old Luo, what did you and that Qin Ziwen chat about this afternoon?"
Luo Gang chuckled lightly. "Nothing much, just exchanged information about what happened after we each transmigrated."
Hearing this, Cao Biansheng immediately lost interest. "Hey, Old Luo, you have broad knowledge. Tell me, can we overwhelm and kill something like a Tarbosaurus?"
"Of course we can. As long as it's a carbon-based life form, there's nothing that can't be killed. The blue whale is huge, right? The largest creature ever discovered on Earth. It was still almost hunted to extinction."
"Oh? Then tell me about those animals on the Hunting Ladder. Knowing yourself and your enemy leads to victory in every battle, right?"
"It's 'leads to victory in a hundred battles'!" Luo Gang corrected. "Actually, even the Level 1 challenge targets on the Hunting Ladder aren't as simple as you think."
"Let me give you an example. The Giant Hyaenodon, ranked first among the Level 1 tasks, was active in the Neogene period. In its era, it was also a top predator of its time. Its size was no less than a tiger's, nicknamed 'Hell's Tooth'. Its carnassial teeth are like scissors. If you have to deal with it, be very careful of its teeth. There are pictures of it on the Ladder leaderboard; you should be able to see them.
Of course, I'm talking about the size estimated from Giant Hyaenodon fossils. Actually, over here, many animals are a bit larger than their original versions, so..."
"Old Luo, I think I see a live Giant Hyaenodon." Cao Biansheng interrupted him, staring fixedly at the area below the building.
Under the night sky, a group of light yellow Giant Hyaenodons were crouched low, crawling closer from outside the sandy area. They had somehow arrived in the vicinity. Under the moonlight, their crimson eyes gleamed with cunning and cruelty.
......
Comments 1