But now, the problem was no longer just about whether there were surviving squad members. They had indeed received the call and the location data, yet the report of a first-tier savage beast was completely missing.
So the question was, did the squad simply fail to mention it, or had the base deliberately concealed it?
And if it was deliberately hidden, what was the purpose of keeping such crucial information from them?
Knowing that the base's ability squad had all been sent out on missions, leaving only the non-ability members behind, if this dangerous situation was deliberately concealed, it could only mean they were being led into a trap.
But was this trap aimed at the ability squad, or at this non-ability rescue team?
Thinking about these questions, Brother Zhang's head ached. He asked, "When your teammate made the call, weren't you beside him?"
The girl replied, "I was at first. The three of us got scared when we saw traces of the first-tier savage beast, so we quickly found a place to hide. But I'm tall, and the space was too small, so I stayed on the outer edge. I heard the first half of the call clearly, but by the time they were reporting about the first-tier beast, the flytrap dragged me away. But I really did hear my teammate mention it."
At the time, whether the report was heard clearly on their end or not was unknown to her.
Brother Zhang fell silent, his expression dark and menacing. After thinking for a moment, he made a critical decision and shouted, "Leave this place immediately! Move as fast as you can, right now! Go!"
His voice echoed across the dense forest. No one knew exactly what had happened to make Brother Zhang so tense, but the tension itself was enough to spur almost everyone to instinctively run back the way they came.
Lao Gao and Huang Jinghe, still tearing through the flytraps, looked completely dumbfounded, not understanding the situation. Seeing everyone running, they hurried to follow.
Brother Zhang, the girl, and the heavyset girl fell behind.
Though the girl's leg was injured, her thick clothing had prevented serious harm when the beast trap was removed. Limping, she could still walk without being carried.
But her size made running difficult, even in an emergency. Brother Zhang, as the team leader, could not leave her behind. He turned to Lan Jin. "You run ahead. The team in front has no abilities. If danger comes, you'll need to protect them."
Lan Jin hesitated slightly, but the girl said, "Yes, you go first. I have some ability too. I move slowly, but we can hold them off together for a while."
Hearing this, Lan Jin no longer argued and dashed forward.
They ran as fast as possible, but the plants, already stirred by their earlier movement, became increasingly agitated with each burst of speed.
The more agitated the plants, the more alive they seemed. Dormant plants bloomed or began foraging as they ran past.
During the escape, everyone pushed to their limits. Some were dragged away and rescued again. By the time they reached the stretch of path they had entered from, almost everyone had gathered there, unable to move further.
Other hazards could still be endured, but the itching pollen was unbearable. On top of that, their once-pristine gear had been ruined along the way, leaving exposed skin vulnerable to the irritant.
Lao Gao stepped forward. "This won't work. Do we have no other protection? Didn't the base develop an antidote? We can run back, take the antidote, this short distance should be bearable."
Huang Jinghe countered, "Even if there is an antidote, there can't be enough for all of us. What if there isn't? Do we just scratch ourselves to death?"
Before anyone could debate further, a hissing sound came from above.
Lan Jin, already a step behind and having helped rescue a few people along the way, froze when she looked up at the towering tree. The massive snake head above stopped her in her tracks.
"What the hell…"
The people next to her were confused. When they followed her gaze, a chorus of shocked exclamations erupted.
"This… this…"
Lan Jin did not know exactly what these people were yelling about, but she was certain: no matter their small abilities, they were powerless against such a massive snake.
Lan Jin moved forward cautiously, but before she could speak, the two hissing sounds drew everyone's attention. When they looked up, they nearly screamed in fright.
Lan Jin whispered, "Why are you all huddled here?"
Ling Jiang let out a breath of relief seeing her, but then sighed at the situation. "Forget it. All the flowers on our path are in bloom and releasing the itching pollen. Oddly, the pollen hasn't flown this way, but we can't move forward."
So they were caught between a rock and a hard place.
Step forward, and death awaited, slow and painful. Step back, and death still came, faster, but slightly less painful.
Either way, they would die, and she wanted to survive.
Lao Gao squeezed beside her. "Sister Lan, you're smart. Think of a way!"
This wasn't just about four lives; it was nearly forty. If something went wrong, who could she rely on?
Yet doing nothing meant certain death. Lan Jin looked at Huang Jinghe and Ling Jiang, and finally chose Ling Jiang. "Use your ice ability. Freeze the pollen to the ground and the flowers themselves. That way, they won't release more pollen."
Then she addressed the team. "Once the pollen is frozen, we can step on it to move. But no one can guarantee the snake won't notice when using abilities. Everyone, ready your weapons. If the snake reacts, attack it with everything we've got."
No one objected, and they lifted their guns, ready for action.
Perhaps the snake was especially sensitive to abilities. The moment Ling Jiang activated her ice power, the snake's agitation turned to anger. Raising its head to strike, the group realized the danger and attacked immediately.