Star Hunter.

Chapter 281 Will it grow wings?

Chapter 281 Will it grow wings?

Xilin dodged several attacks from the white rat using his size and agility, while the trees around him were sliced ​​off as easily as tofu.

The red spots on the white rats' bodies, initially caused by the bullets, have gradually shrunk and will soon heal and disappear. This was something no one had expected, since the small bullets contained toxins that could quickly kill the bio-soldiers.

"What should we do?" Erti asked Gu Xin while looking for an opportunity to fire.

Gu Xin was unsure how to deal with these bio-engineered beasts. Their muscles were incredibly strong; when highly contracted, they could withstand external physical attacks. A bullet would get stuck in their muscles before it even penetrated deeply. These white rats also had astonishing regenerative abilities; the explosive force of a bullet exploding and becoming entangled in their flesh would create a crater, but it would quickly heal. Gu Xin felt that they still hadn't found the right point of attack.

The noise attracted the attention of some ferocious beasts that were out foraging for food. Xilin and his companions had to deal with the giant white rat while also fighting off the approaching beasts.

Erti blew the head off the charging beast with a single bullet, but he wasn't particularly excited. On the contrary, he was worried. The same explosive bullet could easily kill the beast, but it wouldn't work on the white rat. Putting aside the white rat's ability to dodge, even if it hit, the effect wouldn't be as noticeable as it was on the beast.

Xilin circled around this area, occasionally kicking the white rat to slow it down and create three gaps for the three to shoot. Only during these gaps would the three shoot more accurately; otherwise, it would be difficult to hit the intended target.

The white rat's ear was blown open, but it didn't affect its speed. However, it was clear that the white rat was now much more agitated. The attacks from Xilin and the others aroused its ferocity, and the fur on its body stood up like steel needles, and it even showed a tendency to grow longer.

Gu Xin and Hua Li hit its claws. But it only wavered slightly for a moment after being hit, and then continued to chase Xilin as if nothing had happened.

Xilin really didn't understand why this white rat was staring at him, and why it wouldn't give up even after chasing him for so long without catching up.

However, Xilin noticed something. The large white rat kept its ears tightly pressed down when it ran, and it hadn't raised its ears since Xilin and the others opened fire.

Someone fired another shot into the white rat's paw, causing it to slow its pursuit slightly. Xilin seized this opportunity, firing three shots in quick succession. The bullets veered around a branch and struck the rat's ear with three loud bangs. The rat's left ear was blown off, and strange reddish-brown blood stained almost the entire left side of its face.

"squeak--"

A sharp scream assaulted everyone's eardrums like an ultrasonic wave.

The large white rat's malevolent aura intensified, and its steel-needle-like fur doubled in size. Thick scales began to emerge from its limbs, arming it all the way to its toes; at this rate, even striking its toes would be useless.

Just as the white rat cried out and began to change, Xilin fired three more shots in quick succession, all three bullets penetrating directly into the area that had exploded and was not yet covered by the steel needle-like fur.

Bang!Bang!Bang!

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Reddish-brown blood splattered everywhere, and the white rat's entire head was reduced to a blurry skull and some flesh.

Regardless of whether the white rat was dead or not, after Xilin fired, the other three also fired in the same spot. All four of them fired at the white rat's ears. None of them used poison grenades; they all used explosive grenades.

The thumping sounds gradually subsided, and the entire head of the white rat was gone. Its hindquarters, which had swelled to more than twice their original size, were still standing there, but no longer moving.

died?

Gu Xin and his companions cautiously approached the white rat. Just as they drew near, Xi Lin suddenly shouted, "Watch out!!"

Since most of their attention was focused on the white rat—because the surrounding beasts had hurriedly scattered after it made that cry—the three of them paid less attention to their surroundings. However, after Xilin spoke, Gu Xin and the other two became more alert.

Hua Li didn't have Xi Lin's reaction speed. But she still reflexively lowered the gun barrel, and just as she turned her head, she saw the white whip sweeping towards her. Unsurprisingly, Hua Li was sent flying. If she hadn't blocked the divine spear with the gun barrel, she would probably be paralyzed by now, and a dent appeared on the gun barrel that blocked the blow.

Hua Li could easily smash the stone with this spear, but he didn't expect that the blow would create a dent. The white whip-like shadow was the tail of a white rat. It wasn't the one whose head they had blown off, but another one that had come from elsewhere in the area, drawn by the sound.

Hua Li's hand, which was holding the gun, was now numb and she was no longer able to pick it up. Her back was scratched by the barbs on the white rat's tail. But Hua Li should be thankful that she did not die and was not dismembered like that bio-soldier.

Erti fared worse than Huali. Although his reflexes were stronger than Huali's, just as Erti was about to dodge, he stumbled and couldn't avoid the claw coming down.

"Squeak—" The sharp cry rang out again.

Ertie fell to the ground, a bloody gash running from his chest to his abdomen. If it had been any deeper, Ertie would have been disemboweled.

Looking at the white rat again, a large chunk of flesh had been torn from its back, and a reddish-brown stripe had suddenly appeared on its originally white body. That was the rat's furious scream that had just been made because of this.

Not far from the white mouse, the gray cat still had reddish-brown bloodstains stuck to its mouth. Licking its lips, the gray cat looked at the white mouse in front of it. What a pity, the meat was tougher than expected, and it could only tear off such a small piece.

Just as the white mouse paused because of the gray cat, Xilin and Gu Xin opened fire, one aiming at the white mouse's eyes and the other at its slightly open ears.

After several loud bangs, this white rat also had its head explode, just like the previous one. But this time, two people were injured.

"The rats' claws are poisonous; they need emergency treatment!" Gu Xin said after examining Er Ti and Hua Li's injuries.

Looking around, Gu Xin held off Er Ti, Xi Lin held off Hua Li, and quickly ran towards Neo.

Large snowflakes were still falling from the sky as Xilin ran, keeping an eye on what lay ahead.

Gradually, Xilin was drawn to the snowflakes. Most were accumulated snowflakes, but there were also single snowflakes among them. And in Xilin's vision, one snowflake fell. Its speed seemed to slow down a thousandfold; that perfect hexagonal shape...it felt so familiar...

Neo, hiding in the safe zone, also learned some of the situation through the monitors. He had, unusually, prepared the necessary medication in advance.

Xilin and Guxin brought the two men, who had been scratched by the white rats, back and placed them in a treatment room where medicines were stored. Erti was still relatively conscious; he could feel the burning pain in his wounds, as if they were being scraped with a knife or branded with a hot iron. Huali, on the other hand, was already in a daze.

Although Erti's wound was much larger than Huali's, it was clear from his constitution that Erti had better resistance than Huali, as could be seen from the condition of his wound. Erti's wound was brownish-red, and there was also an inflammatory reaction around it. In contrast, Huali's wound on his back was much more horrific. Although it started small, it festered rapidly, with the reddish-brown color spreading across nearly half of his back.

Since Xilin and the others were all grown men, they specifically called A-Shou over. Originally, Xilin and the others thought that A-Shou would shed some more tears and hiccup a few more times, but to their surprise, A-Shou only had red eyes, and his hands were very steady and skilled in treating the wound.

Xilin privately asked Neo the reason. Neo replied matter-of-factly, "Since you've decided to come here, you should definitely know basic protective techniques. Treating wounds is the most basic common sense. If you don't even know this, you might as well just kill yourself."

That made sense, but it seemed surprising when applied to Ashou. However, the surprise only lasted a moment; Xilin had important matters to attend to.

The reason the gray cat didn't use its claws at first was because Xilin had it collect information on the white rats; the information would help Xilin better understand this bio-engineered beast.

These white rats were indeed formidable. However, to Xilin's relief, they didn't lack vital organs like biological soldiers. Simply put, if a rat's head was blown off, it would die instantly; its body would cease movement.

After calculating the white rat's defenses, it was determined that all the bullets Xilin had were insufficient to penetrate them directly. Even disregarding accuracy, it would take three explosive rounds to completely destroy a white rat's head.

The poison bullets weren't very effective; it would be better if the explosive bullets were faster and had a greater explosive force. However, the materials available were limited, the bullets weren't endless, and the number of white rats was unknown.

Xilin wouldn't be foolish enough to go after the white rats. He could handle them with a longsword, but that was only in one-on-one combat. He wouldn't be foolish enough to engage in melee combat against a large number of white rats. He would have to find a way to get the bullets out, or modify the gun again.

Xilin called Neo over to discuss his ideas. Neo's face scrunched up like a bun. "Based on the existing materials, the explosive power can be increased, but that would mean the bullets would have to be larger and their speed might not be able to keep up. According to the data you provided, the chance of the white rats dodging is 67.73%. In that case, it would be better to use the original explosive bombs."

Xilin thought for a moment, then asked, "Aren't there any other materials to make even more powerful explosive bombs?"

"I don't have any other materials here that would allow you to make other explosive bombs, since his research doesn't require those materials. However, there's a place where that guy might have other raw materials for explosive bombs." With that, Neo went to his laboratory, entered the password to verify, and a cabinet-style instrument turned on. Neo entered a series of characters, and then pressed one of the metal blocks in the bracelet he was wearing on his wrist, which was similar to Ashou's. As the light on the metal block flashed, the characters on the instrument also changed rapidly.

Five minutes later, Neo frowned. "This is absolutely outrageous!"

"What's wrong?"

"That guy actually compromised with the invaders!" Neo said with great disdain.

It seems that the place Neo mentioned has also been occupied by people like Xilin and his group, only the way they occupied it was more intense.

"Can't you get the materials?"

"No, that guy is being watched."

"How far is the place you mentioned from here?" Xilin pulled up a map and asked Neo to point it out.

Neo looked around and pointed to one of the spots, saying, "This is it."

Xilin estimated that it would take him at least half a day to get there.

Just as Xilin and Neo were discussing the explosive bomb materials, Gu Xin came over to call him.

"Xilin, come here for a second, something's up."

Erti and Huali should be thankful that they were with Neo, where many antitoxin drugs were available. After treatment, Erti has begun to recover, and although Huali does not have Erti's strong recovery ability, she has also regained consciousness.

"They seem to be recovering quite well," Xilin said after examining their injuries.

Ertie sat there, leaning back in his chair. A gloomy look appeared on his face.

"I understand you. I know people who get scratched by rats have feelings." Neo expressed his concern and forgave Erti and Huali, who both had stern faces, but he had no idea that his words sounded like sarcasm to others.

Erti narrowed his eyes, suppressing the anger that Neo's words had stirred up, and slowly said, "I've been tricked."

"Hmm?" Neo gestured for him to explain more clearly, but his gaze toward Ertie was clearly filled with suspicion.

Ertic didn't have time to argue with Neo, and the calmer his voice was, the more it revealed how furious he was: "I could have dodged that claw, but someone shot at my leg."

As he spoke, Erti rolled up his trouser leg. There were no obvious signs of being hit, but upon closer inspection, a tiny needle mark could be seen. Neo tested it with his testing equipment and confirmed that Erti's leg had indeed been directly injected with a plant-based anesthetic. Neo had previously researched this plant-based anesthetic but hadn't pursued it further after finding it ineffective. The plant was also from that forest and was relatively common compared to trifoliate beans.

Xilin did sense that there were other people around, but because of Erti and Huali's injuries, he didn't look for them. That person had followed them for quite some time, but Xilin had the gray cat lure some ferocious beasts to stop the person. Gu Xin was unaware of all of this.

"Ah! I've got it!" Neo suddenly exclaimed. The metal plate on his chain flashed, and when he pressed it, a static image appeared on the pop-up screen, showing three people.

"Huh? That's the one who's been following us!" The gray cat raised its paw and pointed at one of the people with four eyes.

"This was sent to me by Black Bean when they weren't looking. If you're going to look for materials, you'll inevitably have to contact these people," Neo said.

"Black Bean's area was taken too?" A-Shou asked with a sympathetic look. It seemed she wasn't the only one who was unlucky.

"Black Bean has the materials for improving your ammunition. If you want to get those, you have to hurry. Blackie said they have similar plans, but based on those three's intelligence, I think there's a 21.93% chance they'll waste the materials. If you go now, you can retrieve 17.7556.33% of the materials," Neo said.

Er Ti rolled her eyes at him: "Why do you always have to be so precise with the data, down to two decimal places?"

"There's no need to explain to someone with your level of intelligence." Neo turned to continue explaining things to Sirin. Besides the chemical substances Sirin was looking for, Neo also had some things he had been eyeing for a long time but Black Bean had been hiding from him and wouldn't let him touch.

"So, you can take all of those back with you." Neo handed the hastily prepared list to Sirin.

Xilin glanced at it briefly, "We'll see. I'll get it over for you when I have time."

"You'll definitely have time!"

"Where are you going? I'll go with you. I'm not injured anyway," Gu Xin said. It would be difficult for Xilin to handle the ammunition and materials alone.

"No need, Huru and I will go. You stay here in case anyone else tries to take advantage of this place," Xilin refused.

Gu Xin, who was about to say something, fell silent when he heard that Gray Cat and Xilin had gone together. At that time, Eti and Huali could not be seen because of the angle, but he saw it with his own eyes. If Gray Cat hadn't grabbed the white mouse and dragged it backward, Eti would have been torn to pieces by the white mouse's claws.

"Wait!" Hua Li called out, "Let Mercury take you there."

"Mercury?" Xilin asked, puzzled.

"Oh, it's that stupid eagle!" Neo explained. "Having that stupid eagle take you there will definitely save a lot of time."

"That's perfect." Xilin was quite curious about the silvery-white eagle. But the name Mercury was really strange.

Hua Li told Xi Lin about the mercury situation and gave him some tips. Then, A Shou helped Xi Lin walk to the tree and put his finger to his lips.

With a whistle, a silver-white figure appeared before them shortly afterward.

Hua Li gave Shui Yin a few instructions, asking Shui Yin to familiarize itself with Xi Lin and the whistle Xi Lin emitted.

Mercury couldn't speak, but it understood what they meant. After calling out twice to indicate that it understood, it bent down and let Xilin jump on it.

Before Xilin could even move, the gray cat darted up and circled around on Mercury's back.

At first, Mercury was a little unaccustomed to it, shaking its head and fluttering its wings, and gradually calmed down.

After Xilin jumped onto the eagle's back, Huali stroked Mercury's drooping head, telling it to be careful on its journey.

Mercury let out a cry and then took flight.

Watching the mercury fly away, Hua Li and Ashou returned to the tree.

It was the first time the gray cat had ridden in a giant eagle, and it was very excited. The fierce cold wind and swirling snowflakes did nothing to dampen its enthusiasm; as usual, the gray cat began to rub its fur against the eagle.

Mercury's fur stood on end from the friction, and it wobbled unsteadily during flight, almost knocking Xilin off. Xilin had to tap the gray cat to calm it down before Mercury regained its balance.

The gray cat was being held down by Xilin, its tail still wagging restlessly. Just by looking at the gray cat like this, Xilin knew that this guy was up to something again.

Xilin flicked the gray cat's ear and asked, "What are you thinking about now?"

He retorted with a grin. "Xilin, do you think I might evolve a pair of wings someday? No, maybe even several pairs!"

"Maybe, but you don't have wings now, and you need Mercury's help, so don't bully it." Xilin pinched one of the gray cat's ears and said.

"Okay!" the gray cat flicked its ears. Though it answered that, the thought of those wings lingered in its mind.

With wings, one can fly; if one can fly, one can catch birds…

It has to be said that foodies' thinking always extends in the direction of "eating".

Without Xilin pointing the way, Mercury was clearly very familiar with the Black Bean area and led Xilin directly to their destination.

The snow was falling even heavier, and looking down from above, everything was white. At first, some predators were out foraging, but now there were very few. Xilin also saw two white mice, which were difficult to spot in the snow. However, Xilin could easily distinguish them from the white background.

The two white rats are still some distance from Neo's safe zone, so there's no need to worry about them for now.

Ten days have passed. Twenty days remain.

Twenty days...

At first, Xilin thought that the Black Viper people wanted to select a group of people from a group of promising talents they were looking for through this survival test, and then absorb them into the Black Viper to replace some of the older members.

But now, after these ten days, Xilin has thought about many more things.

Here were not only people like him who had been brought here for testing, but also native Black Viper people. These people were ordinary, yet extraordinary. They might not have the formidable physiques of Xilin, Guxin, or Erti, but they each had their own strengths and specialties. Although their way of thinking was sometimes difficult to understand, one had to admit that they did indeed possess amazing talents.

Why are people like this put together with those who are arrested for testing?

Guan Feng and Gu Chang'an both said not to look at Black Viper with the same attitude as before. What is the real Black Viper like?

Like snowflakes drifting in the sky, it's all so enigmatic.

After a period of flight, Xilin gradually approached its target location.

Mercury tilted its head to indicate to Xilin that their destination was there, then its wings twirled and landed in a more concealed spot.

"I know the route. Find a place to hide first, and I'll call you when the time comes," Xilin said to Mercury after jumping off the eagle's back.

Mercury nodded, glanced at the gray cat staring at its wings with great interest, and then flew away as if fleeing.

Xilin nudged the gray cat. "Let's go, time to work!"

The black bean is located around a volcano.

It's unclear whether this volcano is extinct or active, but it hasn't erupted in nearly a century, and a lot of vegetation has grown around it.

Evergreen plants make up a large proportion of this planet, and even when covered in snow, you can still see specks of green when viewed from the side.

The gray cat began scanning the terrain and the architecture of the safe zone being built below.

They quickly reached a conclusion and found the entrance.

Of course, Xilin and the gray cat wouldn't enter through the main gate, but rather planned to enter through another small vent.

The three people who occupy this place certainly don't know much about it, since they've only occupied it for a limited time.

Xilin and Gray Cat arrived at a secluded, well-ventilated area, blocked by several layers of mesh-framed windows. Gray Cat disconnected the wiring between the windows and the safe zone. Xilin quickly removed the window with his tools, and the two entered through the narrow, well-ventilated area.

After passing through the initial cramped space, Xilin finally arrived at a room in the safe zone. Before entering, Xilin already knew what this place was from the architectural diagram scanned by Gray Cat.

The spare room is used to store instruments and equipment. Black beans are kept in the adjacent laboratory.

Xilin and Gray Cat split up and went their separate ways.

At this moment, Hei Dou, a dark-skinned, slightly chubby boy with a childlike face, was squatting in the laboratory. Not far from him stood a fierce-looking man, playing with a small knife in his hand.

Not far away, two other people were discussing something.

The burly man suddenly folded up the knife and put it away, walked over and sat down next to Black Bean. He looked at Black Bean, who was cowering in the shadows, and laughed, "Your reinforcements are coming soon, aren't they?"

Black Bean trembled. Not only was Black Bean surprised, but Xilin, who was about to take action, was also surprised. Did this person know that Black Bean had contacted Neo?

The burly man's fierce smile didn't make Black Bean feel at ease; instead, it made him even more uneasy. Some people are more chilling when they're not smiling than when they are.

Sensing Hei Dou's fear, the burly man reached out and ruffled her hair. "Little girl, don't be afraid, I'll keep it a secret for you."

Xilin: "..."

Is Black Bean a girl?

No, that's not the point. The thing is, something's off about this big man. These three aren't working together?

Xilin decided to wait and see, as they hadn't yet started using the materials he was looking for. Moreover, Xilin wanted to see what this big man was really up to.

"Let's make a deal," the big man said in a low voice next to Black Bean, a voice so low that the other two couldn't hear him at all.

Black Bean raised her head, her dark eyes looking at the burly man with a puzzled expression. Initially, the other two had planned to kill her outright, but this woman had persuaded them to spare her life for the time being.

The big man smiled helplessly. Although his smile was quite unpleasant, it still made Hei Dou relax a lot.

"If your classmates come to rescue you, I can help you take down those two, but I hope you can do me a favor."

Black Bean thought for a moment, then looked at the big man, signaling him to explain, and if it was feasible, she would agree.

The burly man seemed relieved and continued, "Here's the thing, I need a place to rest. After we take care of those two, you and your companions can give me a place to rest. I'll freeze to death if I go out."

This seems simple. Black Bean nodded in agreement without much pressure.

Having received permission, the big man grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth, which made Black Bean tremble.

The other two didn't know what the big man said, but Xilin, who was hiding in the shadows, heard it clearly. Xilin told Gray Cat that if it was really as the big man said, then so be it; but if he didn't deal with the other two as he claimed, then Xilin wouldn't mind Gray Cat biting the man to death.

In another room, the four-eyed man who had been secretly following Xilin and his group and had tricked Erti was talking to his companion about Xilin and his group.

Xilin watched the two people talking and then made a move.

Bang!Bang!

One person fell to the ground.

Although the man had sensed the bullet as soon as Xilin fired and stepped back, which was quite remarkable and showed impressive reaction time, he did not expect that the bullet would still pierce his temple.

Although the two shots fired by Xilin were very close together, they still gave the other person time to react and dodge.

Just as Four-Eyes jumped away, a knife stabbed him and pinned him to the wall.