Chapter 173 Mutated Plants

There was a rustling sound deep in the bamboo forest. Gao Fei didn't pay attention to it at first, thinking it was just the sound of the wind in the forest.

However, Meng Meng beside him stopped eating, turned his head to look at the direction of the sound, his eyes full of vigilance, and then roared.

It was the first time that Gao Fei heard Meng Meng roar with such murderous intent, which was completely different from the "yo yo" cry of the baby voice before. He turned his head and looked over.

In the summer afternoon, the sun shone through the dense bamboo leaves, mottled and colorful, like broken gold all over the ground.

With the dim light in the bamboo forest, several five-foot-tall black shadows could be vaguely seen, slowly moving towards the area where everyone was.

Gao Fei turned back and gestured to remind his companions to be on guard, then pulled out his pistol, walked forward quickly, and blocked the panda Meng Meng behind him.

The bamboo forest fell into silence, and the atmosphere suddenly turned solemn.

As the distance got closer, Gao Fei finally saw clearly that what was approaching was actually a bunch of shrubs with yellow branches and leaves, pulling their roots out of the soil and crawling forward like the legs of a worm.

The movement speed of these strange trees was slightly slower than the walking speed of ordinary people. Judging from their movement method, it was unlikely that they would accelerate to run or jump and pounce. However, just seeing them shaking their branches and leaves and moving slowly forward was more frightening than tigers, leopards, jackals, and wolves, as if they were a group of zombies disguised as shrubs!

The scene in front of him made Gao Fei recall the bamboo forest adventure that Lin Qi talked about last night.

At that time, her team had also encountered such activated plants that were infected by magic and evolved to move and prey.

Gao Fei quickly opened the star map to check, and sure enough, the walking dead trees opposite were the "dead branch monsters" that Lin Qi had mentioned - the weakest of the three "withered monsters".

The dead branch monster is a small activated plant with a challenge level of only 1/8. The dry branches are very afraid of fire. However, even if Gao Fei and others knew this weakness, they could not take advantage of it. They could not openly set fire in the forest park.

Ma Tao waved his hand to signal Director Zhao and his team to retreat and protect the giant panda. He brought his teammates to Gao Fei to stop the dead branch monster from committing crimes.

Qi Tian fired a shot at the nearest dead branch monster, causing the branches and leaves to tremble, but failed to force the strange tree to stop.

"Don't shoot at the tree crown!" Gao Fei reminded his companions, "Unless you happen to break the trunk with one shot, the dead branch monster will not stop!"

"Let me try."

Ma Tao raised his gun and fired a shotgun, smashing the dead branch monster on the opposite side with its branches and trunk on the spot, and whistled with satisfaction.

Seeing this, everyone put away their pistols and replaced them with more effective melee weapons against mutant plants.

Gao Fei also took out the battle axe from the storage space of the star disk, strode forward, and chopped the dead branch monster in half with one axe.

At this moment, Meng Meng suddenly rushed over, waving her bear paw to slap another dead branch monster.

"Meng Meng! Go back! It's too dangerous here!" Gao Fei waved his hand and scolded.

But the bear child didn't listen at all. He pressed the dead branch monster to the ground, slapped and bit it, and in a blink of an eye, it was torn into pieces and turned into a pile of dry firewood.

"Yo~~ Yoyo!"

Meng Meng seemed to have found some new toys and rolled on the ground excitedly.

The other four pandas saw that she was having fun, and they couldn't restrain their naughty nature. They ran over excitedly and joined the ranks of beating the dead branch monster.

Gao Fei and others were a little worried at first, and hurriedly chased after to protect the panda, but when they watched the panda and the dead branch monster fight live, all their worries disappeared.

The dead branch monster is probably the weakest of all the "living plants". It is literally a "useless wood". Its strength attribute is only a pitiful 6 points. The vine used as a weapon is like scratching the thick-skinned panda. Its average health value is only 5 points. If it is slapped by the panda, it will immediately become a withered flower!

Five giant pandas with a challenge level of 2 are fighting against a dozen dead branch monsters with a challenge level of only 1/8. It is a completely one-sided crushing.

To put it another way, even if the pandas are accidentally injured in the battle, Ma Tao, Wang Daqing and Jiang Feng can switch to a secondary profession that is good at healing and provide timely treatment services.

Gao Fei walked around the bamboo forest and confirmed that there were no other more threatening monsters except this small group of dead branch monsters. He was relieved and sat in the shade of the tree to enjoy the coolness leisurely, while cheering Meng Meng who was hugging the dead branch monster and repeatedly throwing it.

After just ten minutes, the withered monsters in the forest were all torn into piles of broken branches and leaves by the pandas.

Meng Meng first had a feast of fresh and juicy bamboo shoots, and then had a good time beating the dead branch monster. After being satisfied, he finally agreed to walk by himself, and Gao Fei was also happy to be free.

The journey down the mountain was relatively smooth, but when they were about to reach the gas station, Qi Tian, ​​who was exploring the way ahead, sent an alarm, which made everyone's heartstrings tense again.

With the precedent that the pandas ignored the dissuasion and had a fierce physical conflict with the dead branch monster, Ma Tao had to be more cautious and specifically told Director Zhao: "There may be danger ahead. You and the staff of the base will stay here and take care of the pandas. Unless you receive news from us, don't move forward."

Old Zhao nodded, and his eyes could not hide his uneasiness.

"Xiao Ma, it's okay to leave this to me, but you young people should also be careful and don't be impulsive when you encounter danger!"

"We know what we are doing."

Ma Tao gestured to his companions, and the five of them hurried forward.

After passing through the bamboo forest, a large and very abrupt open space appeared in front.

To be precise, there used to be tall and dense moso bamboo growing here, but for some unknown reason, the bamboos everywhere were broken by their roots and lying on the ground in a mess, like a freshly harvested wheat field.

In this messy forest clearing, there are seven or eight high mounds of earth scattered around. Qitian and his owlbear are standing in front of a mound at the moment, peering into the center of the mound.

"Xiaotian! What's going on?" Gao Fei shouted.

"Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh but, but..." Qi Tian quickly turned around to signal for silence. He tiptoed to Gao Fei's side and said in his ear, "Brother Fei, I'm afraid there are powerful monsters lurking in this forest."

Gao Fei looked at the bamboo lying on the ground and asked softly: "The bamboo forest was destroyed by that monster, and the dirt pile was also made by it?"

"Nine times out of ten." Qi Tian added cautiously, "To be precise, I don't know whether the monster hiding underground is one or a nest."

"Underground?" Li Jiajia cast a confused look, "That monster you mentioned can still dig holes?"

"You'll know if you get close to the mound and take a look! But don't speak loudly, and walk as gently as possible, so as not to alarm the monster and suddenly come out of the hole to bite people!" Qi Tian warned.