Capítulo 22: Escape in the Wilderness
"Yes, I'm sorry, Lord Derris," Johnson's subordinate guard in front of Derris was sweating profusely, pale and weak, trying to defend himself. "It's 416! That bastard 416 is too cunning. He somehow awakened and pretended to be unconscious, then took the doctor hostage during the experiment. We couldn't..."
Tsk.
Before he could finish his sentence, a long and powerful finger flashed out like lightning, piercing through his forehead.
It was just a finger, piercing through the hard skull and deeply into his brain!
The guard's eyes froze, and then he slowly fell to the ground with a thud.
This scene instantly turned the faces of all the guards in the hall pale, trembling, and speechless.
"But you have caused her harm..."
Derris slowly retracted his finger, took out a silk handkerchief from his military uniform pocket, and slowly wiped off the blood and brain matter on his finger. His voice was deep and hoarse. "Do you know that, to me, the lives of all of you in this base combined are not as important as her life? So, I refuse any justification."
The bloody and cruel scene happened right before their eyes, but the guards still didn't dare to lift their heads, keeping their heads buried in their chests. Even though they were terrified to the extreme, they still stood obediently in their original positions, without any movement.
They had chased them all the way through the underground cave and finally arrived at the exit, where they discovered many prisoners on the rock wall. However, it was already too late. At that time, most of the prisoners had already climbed up the rock wall, and after their gunfire, only four prisoners who were still struggling on the rock wall were shot down and fell to their deaths.
As for the other prisoners led by Lin Kun, they immediately fled when they saw the situation was not good. These guards looked at the towering and steep rock wall and could only sigh with regret. What's more, Johnson, who had pursued ahead of them, had disappeared. No matter how they called him on the walkie-talkie, there was no response. With no one leading or giving commands, the guards were like headless flies, and in the end, they didn't catch a single living person.
"416..."
Ignoring the trembling guards in the hall, Derris's handsome face distorted into a slight smile, then he turned and walked towards the operating room in the experimental area.
The guards felt relieved, but their backs were already soaked in cold sweat.
Although Derris didn't show any anger, in the eyes of all the guards, he seemed like a volcano about to erupt, a demon about to crawl out of the abyss, bringing an unparalleled sense of pressure and danger to their hearts.
Alone at the entrance of the operating room, Derris stood indifferently, waiting quietly.
As a research base for studying human potential, their staff naturally included highly skilled surgeons. Until now, Catherine was still in the process of being rescued.
This was also one of the reasons why he stayed at the base instead of immediately going out to pursue the prisoners.
On the other hand, the situation in the wilderness was too dangerous and complex. It had been two or three hours since he returned, and without awakened individuals capable of tracking, it would be extremely difficult to capture the prisoners in the dangerous wilderness.
In fact, they didn't even need to pursue them, as these unarmed and foodless prisoners had already died in the wilderness.
As a powerful transcendent who had unlocked the genetic lock, Derris naturally knew how to control his emotions. He temporarily suppressed his surging violent and destructive desires until Catherine's surgery was over and she was out of danger.
Click.
Half an hour later, as Derris calmly waited, the door to the operating room opened, and Catherine, pale with thick bandages wrapped around her neck, shoulders, and knees, was pushed out on a hospital bed.
"Lord Derris, Dr. Catherine's condition is stable, and she is out of danger!" a bloodstained white doctor couldn't wait to shout to Derris, "Her vitality is truly amazing!"
Looking at Catherine's pale and beautiful face, Derris let out a long sigh of relief, slowly loosening his clenched fists.
He knew very well that Catherine was also an awakened individual whose vitality surpassed that of ordinary people. But until he received the news that she had survived, he couldn't relax:
Watching the hospital bed with Catherine being pushed away, Derris asked, "Can I go see her now?"
"You can. Lord Derris, there is something else I'm afraid I need to inform you about," the doctor hesitated for a moment, then continued, "Although Dr. Catherine is strong enough to survive, her brain has suffered irreversible damage due to prolonged lack of oxygen caused by the severed trachea. We cannot determine when she will regain consciousness. It could be ten days, half a month, three to five years, or even a lifetime. Please be prepared."
Derris paused in his steps, his voice low and terrifying. "I understand..."
Catherine was transported to a quiet room after being pushed out of the operating room, and all the medical staff left.
In front of the hospital bed, there stood only Derris with his tall figure.
He reached out his rough hand and gently touched Catherine's unconscious face.
"I won't let you leave me, my beloved."
Derris spoke softly, his tone gentle but carrying a hint of mad obsession.
"I can feel your pain and helplessness. No one involved in this matter can escape."
"I will do everything in my power to keep you by my side."
"No matter... by any means."
...
In a lush rainforest, with vines entwined and strange plants everywhere, a figure ran like an arrow, running crazily.
"Hoo, hoo, hoo..."
His chest heaved like a bellows, and the icy wind blew against his face. At this moment, Chen Chong, who had no idea what was happening at the base, was boiling with blood, his mind blank, with only one thought:
Run!
"Roar!"
A terrifying roar that made one's hair stand on end came from behind, followed by the sound of breaking trees. A monstrous creature over three meters tall, with a fierce and hideous appearance, sharp fangs, burst out like a demon from hell, crashing down right behind Chen Chong who was fleeing for his life!
This unknown giant creature's muscles coiled like a python, powerful and terrifying. It moved like a werewolf, chasing after him relentlessly. Its razor-sharp claws were half a meter long, easily slicing through most obstacles in its path, leaving no doubt that any flesh and blood body would be torn to pieces with a single swipe!
"What the hell is this thing! An alien?!"
With a demon-like monster chasing after him, Chen Chong's face turned pale. He dodged and sprinted like an agile monkey in the rainforest, using the trees to block the pursuit of the clawed creature. He frantically thought of ways to escape from the creature's claws that were hunting him.
Chen Chong's good luck disappeared shortly after he left the mist. As he traveled down the valley, he encountered various bizarre mutated creatures. There were terrifying spiders larger than adult bodies, snakes with heads on both ends, and wolf-like creatures with disgusting compound eyes. And now, there was the clawed alien chasing after him.
Compared to the previous crises, Chen Chong had relied on his strength and acute senses to either kill, avoid, or escape. But this clawed alien, whose origins were unknown, was undoubtedly the most formidable mutant he had encountered so far. It seemed to be a superior predator in the wilderness, with its powerful body and half-meter-long terrifying claws. Chen Chong didn't dare to confront it head-on.
Seeing the creature easily breaking through trees and vines, Chen Chong had no doubt that not only would he be torn to shreds in the blink of an eye, even if there were ten of him, but they would also meet the same fate.
In terms of size and strength, Chen Chong's only advantage was his smaller size and agility. He was able to temporarily evade the creature in the complex terrain of the rainforest. However, as time passed and Chen Chong's stamina depleted, this advantage was gradually diminished.
"As long as I can safely leave the wilderness, I must master one of the three ultimate techniques: Endless Qi Gong, Indestructible Divine Art, or Aerokinetic Fist!"
While running, Chen Chong couldn't help but roar in his heart. He believed that if he could successfully learn one of these techniques, his current situation would improve significantly. However, the main god had not yet restored the function of empowering him, and there was no time or opportunity for him to practice in the wilderness filled with deadly creatures.
In reality, the foggy area where Chen Chong obtained the main god's fragment was relatively safe. But since the foggy area was too close to the base, he couldn't guarantee that Derris, a powerful transcendent being, could resist the hallucinogenic effects of the fog. He also couldn't be sure how long the mist released by the golden tree after he took the main god's fragment would last. Therefore, he had to leave that place as soon as possible.
Just as Chen Chong was running desperately, cursing and swearing in his heart--
"Roar!"
A deep roar pierced through the rainforest, causing countless branches to rustle. The ground began to tremble.
Then, from the corner of his eye, Chen Chong saw a huge shadow in the direction beside him. It was a gigantic ape-like creature, about five meters tall, crashing through the forest like a king whose territory had been invaded. It pounced fiercely towards the clawed alien chasing after Chen Chong!
This ape-like creature was like a small mountain, with yellow vertical pupils resembling those of a venomous snake. Its mouth was not a mouth but a terrifying set of teeth. The movement of its teeth sent shivers down one's spine, making it indescribably terrifying.
The towering clawed alien behind him was already fierce and daunting at three meters tall, but compared to this ape-like mutant, it was nothing.
"A more formidable opponent has arrived!"
While running, Chen Chong felt both worried and relieved. Clearly, this rainforest was the territory of the ape-like mutant, and the chase between him and the clawed alien undoubtedly caught the attention of the gigantic beast. Compared to Chen Chong, who had small arms and legs, the larger body of the clawed alien was more attractive to the ape-like mutant, which is why it immediately launched an attack.
Although this thought crossed Chen Chong's mind, he continued to grit his teeth and run desperately, never daring to stop.
Roar!
Crack!
Boom!
Terrifying roars, the sound of trees breaking, and the thunderous sounds of battle echoed behind Chen Chong, indicating the fierce fight between the two monstrous creatures on top of the food chain. However, Chen Chong couldn't spare a glance back. It was only after running several hundred meters before he finally slowed down and looked back.
In his obstructed view, the battle seemed to be reaching its end. Deep bloody wounds crisscrossed the robust arms of the ape-like mutant, almost exposing its bones. The clawed alien, which had chased Chen Chong with fierce momentum earlier, had one leg torn off. Letting out a mournful roar, it stood on its remaining leg and wildly swung its half-meter-long claw. Meanwhile, the leg it lost was being viciously chewed by the ape-like mutant's savage mouth.
The ape-like mutant undoubtedly possessed some degree of intelligence, as it had disabled the clawed alien's ability to escape right from the start and proceeded to deal with it slowly. Clearly, the clawed alien was no match for it.
"A great battle between King Kong and an alien."
While gazing at the bloody scene of the two terrifying beasts tearing each other apart, Chen Chong's understanding of the danger and cruelty of this world became clearer:
"Power. I need to acquire power as soon as possible!"
His eyes burned with desire as he turned his head and took another step forward, running away from the faint roars and chewing sounds behind him.
...
Three hours later, the sky darkened as night approached.
Woo... Woo... Woo...
The sound of the wind whistling filled the air around a ruin in a barren area. Crumbling walls, broken pillars, and scattered vegetation created a desolate scene.
Before the more dangerous night arrived, Chen Chong had safely traveled more than forty kilometers and finally left the rainforest. He found a seemingly secure resting place, which was one of the several relatively safe spots marked on the base's map and discovered by Derris and his armed team during their exploration of the wilderness.
Chen Chong wasn't worried that Derris and his team would come looking for him. In fact, there were at least seven or eight similar resting spots marked on the map. It would be foolish to divide their forces and search for people in such a dangerous wilderness.
Taking a deep breath, Chen Chong cautiously entered the ruins. The mud he had smeared on his body and face had dried, and he could feel it peeling off in large chunks.
This was the experience he gained during his escape in the wilderness. By smearing mud all over his body, he could effectively mask his scent and heat, reducing the chance of being discovered by the mutants.
In fact, this method proved to be effective. During the three hours of his wilderness escape, Chen Chong encountered significantly fewer mutants. He reached this ruined site without much incident.
"It seems like this place can be considered safe."
Carefully wandering around the vast expanse of ruins, Chen Chong observed for a while to confirm that there were no radiation creatures lurking around. He felt slightly relieved.
He then selected a corner close to the edge of the ruins, took out his tactical knife from his waist, quickly dug a shallow pit in the ground, and moved several slabs of stone to support the corner, creating a hidden shelter.
Chen Chong squatted down, hiding himself in the shallow pit he had dug. He used the last slab of stone to cover most of the gaps. Inside the shelter, it was pitch dark. Chen Chong let out a breath, tightly gripping his tactical knife. After the intense escape, his exhausted mind gradually calmed down.
He was too tired.
"According to the markings on the map, I should be less than a hundred kilometers away from the nearest survivor gathering point. If everything goes smoothly, I can reach it before tomorrow night."
"I wonder if Lin Kun and the others managed to escape the pursuit of the base guards. Are they alive or dead?"
"But Lin Kun has also seen the map. He should remember those markings. Moreover, they have more experience surviving in the wilderness than I do. If their luck isn't too bad, they still have a chance to make it out."
The effect of the Immortal Bean made it so that Chen Chong hadn't felt hungry for ten days; he didn't need to eat. However, the strenuous long-distance journey had left him mentally and physically exhausted.
His thoughts became slower and gradually faded away.
He didn't know how much time had passed.
Ssh... Ssh... Ssh...
In this corner of the ruins, Chen Chong rested half-awake and half-asleep. It seemed like a faint sound of footsteps rustled by and disappeared.
Someone had come!
In the cramped darkness, Chen Chong suddenly opened his drowsy eyes, held his breath, and tightened his grip on the tactical knife!
Estado de energía semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Piedra de
Poder