They nearly got wiped out. Sang Luoluo, don't move around up there...

Not to mention the other animals and plants.

Only after reading the detailed information did Sang Luoluo realize just how safe the cleared area outside the base was. Not a single one of the mutated animals listed in the information could be seen around the safe zone anymore.

Qi Feng told everyone, "We'll move together. If something unusual happens and we get separated, report your positions immediately. Especially you, Sang Luoluo. You're the weakest, so stick with Lei Qi. He can carry you and run if necessary."

"Yes." Sang Luoluo quickly nodded.

Next, Qi Feng laid out several combat plans. There was no telling how many mutated animals and plants they would encounter; they just needed to carefully record the data with their wristwatches and transmit it back to the base.

Sang Luoluo listened from the side. Her job was simple: take out and store items as instructed. They didn't need her for the actual fighting.

Once Qi Feng finished assigning their tasks, He Fei asked quietly, "Captain, how many points did we get for the Crystal Cores from those mutated ants?"

Qi Feng said, "Three thousand points each. I'll transfer them to you later."

"That much!" He Fei was so delighted he nearly sat up. "I thought getting three to five hundred each for those few fingernail-sized pieces would've been good enough. We actually got this much!"

"Opportunities like that don't come often. Maybe we'll run into another one while opening up new territory this time," Fatty said smugly.

Listening from the side, Sang Luoluo thought that they had cleared out so many mutated ants and only gotten a few little-fingernail-sized Crystal Cores. Dividing the points they earned left each person with three thousand. That wasn't much.

The Crystal Core she had happened to obtain was much bigger. She just didn't know how much energy it contained, but judging by the area unlocked in her space, its energy value certainly wasn't low. Last time, she had exchanged a rice-grain-sized Crystal Core for three thousand points.

"Get out."

They had reached their destination, and the truck would stay here. After parking, He Fei spoke over the radio, then sent everyone the vehicle's location.

Following the captain's instructions, Sang Luoluo took out the exoskeletons and two sets of armor equipment, one each for Fatty and the captain.

This was Sang Luoluo's first time wearing an exoskeleton. It looked like a skeleton but was incredibly flexible. Wearing it felt as fluid as water, yet it could protect the vital parts of her body.

Sang Luoluo had been fortunate enough to witness an exoskeleton's power before. Now that she got to wear one herself, she really wanted to buy a few to keep in reserve. Unfortunately, these belonged to the base and weren't for sale.

She followed behind everyone. After spending so long in the truck, she was a little thirsty, so she reached out, took out a bottle of mineral water, drank a few mouthfuls, and put it back. She ignored the looks from the people beside her. She was a space evolver now, after all. Doing this was perfectly normal.

Nothing could make her happier than using her space openly. Before transmigrating, she hadn't dared reveal its existence. But now, with evolvers around, her ability was merely a little unusual. Having an unusual ability had its advantages, too. As long as you were valuable enough, the base would take the initiative to protect you.

Qi Feng said, "Take out all the probes."

At his words, Sang Luoluo waved her hand, and a stack of cases appeared in front of everyone.

They entered the passwords and opened the cases. Each probe was about the size of a hummingbird. There were four cases in total, containing over a thousand probes.

The seven of them rapidly entered commands on their virtual computers. All the probes flew out of the cases one after another in neat formations, heading toward their intended route to scout the terrain ahead.

"Put the empty cases away," Qi Feng said quietly.

Sang Luoluo immediately did as he said. Captain Qi's voice also came through her helmet's microphone at the same time.

"There's a swarm of mutated butterflies ahead. Everyone, stay alert."

As soon as Qi Feng finished speaking, footage from the probes appeared on everyone's wristwatches.

Each butterfly was as large as a bat, and they came in all sorts of colors. According to the data on their wristwatches, some were poisonous; getting their powder on your body would poison you. Others were exceptionally good at camouflage, and any movement they made could disturb the motionless butterflies.

Everyone put on their helmets. Fortunately, the helmets were breathable and could also protect against toxins. Sang Luoluo copied them, even putting on her gloves. However, the close-fitting clothes rubbed against her existing wounds, making her grimace. She had applied Wound Heal Fast all night, but the effects were only so-so.

Lei Qi walked in front of Sang Luoluo with his gun raised and handed her a laser gun. "There's a scope on top. Fire if you run into danger. There's no time to teach you. Stay behind me and call me right away if anything seems wrong."

Sang Luoluo nodded and accepted the laser gun. It weighed over a dozen jin and felt quite heavy in her hands. Copying the people ahead, she tried aiming at a leaf in the distance. There was a red dot in the scope. She fired at the red dot, shattering the leaf.

Her aim was pretty good.

But Lei Qi turned back and reminded her, "Hitting stationary targets is easy. Try a fast-moving mutated animal when you get the chance."

Sang Luoluo: "..."

They had only taken a few more steps when Sang Luoluo sensed a pull from inside a vine beside Lei Qi's foot.

Chapter 18: They nearly got wiped out. Sang Luoluo, don't move around up there...

Butterflies were already flying out ahead, charging straight at their faces.

"Open fire! Don't leave a single one!"

Their fire was dense, and not a single shot missed. Watching enviously, Sang Luoluo raised her gun to try as well, aiming and firing at the butterflies. Fortunately, the targets were large and plentiful. The ones she aimed at weren't the ones she hit.

That didn't matter. At least she was helping.

The powder the butterflies scattered as they flapped their wings fell onto everyone's clothes like a thin dusting of flour. Sang Luoluo sensed something was wrong. She could clearly tell that the seven people ahead were becoming cautious, too, and were firing faster.

Looking at the butterflies filling the sky, Sang Luoluo murmured, "We can't just keep doing this. How long will it take to shoot them all?"

At that moment, Lei Qi said, "Fall back. Don't get in the way."

Seeing that he meant her, Sang Luoluo could only put away her gun and move aside. Lei Qi shifted his steps and turned elsewhere as the seven of them began spreading out into position. Sang Luoluo couldn't make sense of it. She turned, took a chainsaw from her space, and cut into the roots of the vine she had spotted earlier. Its roaring sounded a little out of place amid the gunfire.

Everyone merely glanced over before focusing on their own tasks.

After cutting through the vine, Sang Luoluo grabbed its roots and immediately stored it in her space, along with the chainsaw.

Then she saw that the seven of them had herded the butterflies together. Captain Qi and Fatty raised the heavy mechanical arms of their thick armor toward the gathering butterflies. Two electromagnetic cannon blasts boomed, and butterfly corpses rained down, along with the white powder.

This was only the beginning. Immediately afterward, butterflies swarmed out of the area ahead. Their intrusion had directly disturbed the mutated butterfly swarm in this area.

They beat their wings rapidly at the intruders. This time, the powder really did fall like flour. How could she describe the scene? Sang Luoluo really wanted to record it and watch it like a movie.

It was truly thrilling.

Sang Luoluo backed away so she wouldn't hold them back. Compared to theirs, her little bit of firepower was practically nothing.

Perhaps because she was hiding in the back without attacking the mutated butterflies, they thought she was an easy target instead. They rushed at her, and airborne powder engulfed her as they all gathered above her head.

"Ah! How did this happen..."

Before Sang Luoluo could finish, several electromagnetic cannon blasts boomed. The mutated butterflies overhead fell in a pattering rain. Fatty, who wasn't far away, reached out with his heavy armor, grabbed the back of her collar, and lifted her out of the danger zone.

"Thanks." Sang Luoluo, who had nearly been hit by the falling bodies, thanked him sincerely.

Fatty scoffed. "You could've dodged. In the time you spent pulling up that vine, you could've run farther away."

Sang Luoluo: "..."

Lei Qi said, "All right, Fatty. She did help draw the butterflies' attention. Without her acting as a target just now, could we have wiped them out so easily?"

Sang Luoluo: "..." The target thanks you.

Sang Luoluo sensed Crystal Cores inside a few of the butterflies in that heap of corpses. They didn't feel large, but at least they existed.

Qi Feng said, "Keep moving."

Sang Luoluo raised her hand. "Can I take these butterfly corpses?"

"What do you want them for? They're just a bunch of fluttering moths," Hu Xing said disdainfully.

Sang Luoluo said, "What if some have low enough radiation to eat? Besides, don't you think their wings are especially beautiful? Can't I take some back to make specimens for display?"

"Be quick. Don't hold us up," Xiao Li said.

"Of course." Sang Luoluo walked over, bent down, and reached into the spots she had sensed a few times, sending everything into her space. The whole process took less than twenty seconds.

Sang Luoluo saw that everyone was covered in powder. They absolutely couldn't take off their headgear now. Inhaling this powder would poison them even if it didn't kill them.

Sang Luoluo asked, "Brother Lei, should we collect some of the powder from these butterflies to keep for later?"

Lei Qi shook his head. "This stuff is dangerous. One careless breath and you'll be the first to die. It's very hard to control."

"Then should we wash the powder off ourselves?" Sang Luoluo asked. This was her first trip out, and she had no experience. Whenever she didn't understand something, she had to ask first.

Captain Qi kindly said, "The probes detected a water source ahead. We can wash there."

They spotted a large rock along the way. Sang Luoluo touched it and put it in her space for later.

Fatty was amused when he saw it. "What are you taking that for?"

Sang Luoluo needed an excuse for searching everywhere for things anyway, so she said naturally, "As a weapon! The laser gun is too heavy and awkward for me to use. I can take rocks and things out anytime to block attacks. Whether they're useful or not, it's better than not having them when I need them."