Super Gene Hunting Ground

Chapter 11: Chapter 11: The Mutated Moray Eel

Yang Xiao pondered for a moment and said:

”Instead of sitting here waiting to die, why don’t we take a risk and try our luck? The Water Monster is in the water; we are on land. As long as we don’t go into the water and just dig up the taro at the edge, there shouldn’t be any problem. Moreover, I think the water from the pond can still be taken back with us. We don’t need to boil it on the spot; just fill the water bottles and boil it later when we drink. After all, the water in my bag is limited.”

After Yang Xiao put it this way, everyone else also felt that there seemed to be no better solution.

Huang Wen looked at Yang Xiao and said:

”We’re all girls, timid by nature. You’re the boss now, and we’ll all follow your lead.”

With one sentence, Huang Wen put Yang Xiao on the spot.

Yang Xiao was stunned for a few seconds. According to the agreement yesterday, he had no obligation to lead everyone on an adventure, but looking at the pitiful eyes of these thirty girls, he really couldn’t bear it.

Thinking it over, Yang Xiao decided he would have to play the saint and said:

”I’ll take you, but everyone must follow my commands. Otherwise, if anything goes wrong, I’ll walk away immediately without staying a second.”

”Fine, we’ll all listen to you. You are our boss, after all, right?”

Chen Fei and others also joined in the uproar, and Yang Xiao realized that being the boss was not as easy as he had thought.

”Okay, I need to select some people first. Those who feel they can still run and have some strength, stand up; those who are too weak and dizzy from hunger, just sit down and don’t move.”

Huang Wen and the others glanced at one another, and about a dozen girls stood up.

Yang Xiao swept his gaze over them and said:

”Good, you people. I have a few requirements. First, collect a lot of empty mineral water bottles because we’re going to fill them with water. Second, everyone should prepare an iron stick, and it would be best to find a few shovels, which we’ll use to dig up taro. Third, everyone should wear long-sleeved shirts and pants, preferably jeans, and tie the legs of your pants and button up your sleeves. Now, split up and get ready. Meet back here in half an hour.”

Huang Wen, Chen Fei, Chen Lu, and others immediately got moving. The empty mineral water bottles had been prepared the day before, and there were dozens of them, large and small. Iron sticks were already on hand as their current weapons for self-defense. As for long shirts and pants, some girls were wearing capris or skirts, but they could just switch with the girls who weren’t joining the expedition.

After a flurry of activity, within half an hour, everyone was more or less prepared.

Huang Wen and others even managed to borrow three shovels from a nearby team.

Yang Xiao gave an inspection and, seeing that everything was more or less ready, led the people out.

Yang Xiao was not familiar with the routes, so Huang Wen and other veteran members took the lead. After about ten minutes, the group stepped onto the mountain path of Biyun Mountain.

Yang Xiao stopped everyone.

”Boss, what’s the matter?”

Huang Wen asked.

Yang Xiao smiled and took out a packet of soda biscuits from his backpack.

”Eat these biscuits, so you have some energy later, and here’s some water.”

Seeing Yang Xiao’s action, Huang Wen and the others felt a wave of emotion. Since the great disaster, they had become used to seeing various acts of human coldness and ruthlessness, yet they never expected this stranger, Yang Xiao, to be so kind and compassionate.

Huang Wen nodded tearfully, and everyone suddenly realized having a man as the boss was really a great thing. No wonder those girls were all seeking refuge with other teams, even if it meant sacrificing their bodies without care.

”Eat while I talk. The situation on the mountain may have exceeded our expectations. We’re going on an adventure, not to throw our lives away. Be careful when walking; never get separated. If we encounter mutated creatures, knock them dead with the tools in your hands...”

Yang Xiao’s biggest concern now was the threat of insects, rats, and Poison Snakes that had started mutating in large numbers.

These girls were originally very timid, but now with Yang Xiao, their boss, and having eaten a couple of biscuits, they regained some courage. They all expressed a willingness to stick with the boss for a bite to eat. With the girls becoming more active, the atmosphere was very lively.

Yang Xiao thought to himself, surely these are a group of coy women, he should be more careful in the future, and not fall for their tricks.

Everyone was holding iron rods, watching out for each other as they walked towards the pond.

”Look everyone, there’s a spider on that tree, it’s actually the size of a palm, I’ve never seen such a thing before?”

”And those mosquitoes, they are already as thick as thumbs, how terrifying!”

”Even the butterflies have become the size of palm-leaf fans, this world is too horrifying. Old man Gu Bo was right, all the creatures in the world have undergone genetic mutations.”

...

Along the way, everyone kept discovering mutated animals, and began to feel a bit panicked inside. Thankfully, these mutated creatures did not attack them proactively. Coupled with Yang Xiao’s firm leadership, they mustered their courage and moved forward.

After walking for over ten minutes, everyone finally reached the pond and stood at a distance.

Due to the monster attack at the pond yesterday, aside from Yang Xiao’s group, no other people came here. They could still see many discarded basins, water pots, water bottles and the like, some already filled with water.

Chen Lu pointed to the edge of the pond not far away and said:

”Look everyone, those are taro leaves.”

There were lots of taro plants densely growing around the pond edge, stretching for at least twenty meters along the water’s edge, both in the water and on the shore.

”Huang Wen, you take nine people, group by threes, standing a bit farther from the shore. Dig only the taro on the shore; one person digs, while the other two keep an eye on the surroundings, especially for various mutated insects in the bushes, be careful of being bitten.”

Huang Wen nodded. As long as they didn’t enter the water, they weren’t that worried, so she led a few people to dig taro.

Yang Xiao took a large iron bucket and said to the other girls:

”You guys stand on the shore in charge of pouring the water, I’ll handle bringing the water from the edge.”

Everyone agreed it should be safe to stand on the shore.

Yang Xiao first handed the iron bucket to a girl and asked her to follow him. He then walked to the edge of the water with a steel pipe and checked a simple dock.

The pond water was quite clear, and the underwater grass and bottom silt near the shore could be easily seen. He reckoned that even if there was a water monster, it wouldn’t hide near the shore.

Yang Xiao stuck the steel pipe at the edge of the shore.

”Pass me the iron bucket.”

He took the bucket, filled it with water, and quickly brought it up to the sloped grassy area in the distance.

The girls nearby hurriedly scooped water with small basins to fill into water bottles.

When Yang Xiao was bringing up the third bucket of water, suddenly, a monstrous creature thick as an arm and resembling a snake burst out of the water, leaping towards Yang Xiao.

Yang Xiao’s senses have long been extraordinary, and he was already alert the moment the monster showed itself, promptly turning and running back to shore.

The few girls standing not far away screamed at the sight of the monster attacking Yang Xiao.

Huang Wen and the others were digging taro when they heard the scream and ran back in fright.

Luckily, Yang Xiao’s reaction was prompt, and the monster did not bite him, instead landing with a smack on the grass near the shore.

In the midst of the chaos, Yang Xiao pulled out two foot-long watermelon knives from his backpack, turned around to face the creature on the grass, and upon closer inspection, realized that the monster was not a snake but an enlarged version of an eel.

Damn it, even the eels have become so huge!