Armor-Piercing Munition: Face Me, Carbon-Based Monster!
Chapter 190 - 70 This is Science

Chapter 190: Chapter 70 This is Science

Ji Xing felt she was about to die.

Countless monsters were pouncing one after another, and the massive body of the second-level monster bore down on her like a heavy mountain.

The Huaxia Army beside her had already fallen. She screamed desperately to try to wake them, but received no response.

The gun in her hand could no longer fire in bursts for some unknown reason, and the deafening gunshots made her sensitive eardrums increasingly uncomfortable.

She wanted to abandon the gun, but fear left her without the courage to draw a knife.

Her feet were already bound by the fungal blanket, and in front of this sticky, living substance, her immense strength was nothing.

As if trapped in a swamp, even the simplest movements exhausted her massive strength.

The grenades hanging on her chest clinked against each other, and for a moment, a thought flashed through Ji Xing’s mind:

Rather than die at the hands of these monsters, it would be better to pull the pin and blow herself up with the grenade.

At least, that would be a more dignified way to die.

Her fingers were already close to the grenade’s pin, but somehow, as if controlled by an invisible force, she couldn’t reach the grenade that was right in front of her.

Perhaps, this wasn’t truly what she wanted?

Ji Xing abandoned the idea of self-destruction, yet as she saw the approaching monsters, the despair in her heart grew overwhelmingly strong.

This time she was really going to die.

Images flashed before her eyes like a life flashing before one’s eyes, and at this moment, it was as if she returned to the days in the Holy Blood Temple.

The strong, iron-like stench of blood lingered around, almost making her retch.

The lighting in the temple was always dim. Whenever she was brought into the temple, following other Holy Blood members who had completed their training to greet the Holy Father, fear always filled her heart.

Back then, she didn’t understand what lay beneath the shadows.

Perhaps even now, she still didn’t understand.

Memories of that place had long become hazy.

All she remembered was continuous fighting, fighting, and death.

No, her comrades, her brothers and sisters never died during the training.

After all, every Holy Blood member was a precious resource, and even the Holy Father wouldn’t want to see his children make senseless sacrifices.

But if that’s the case, where did those memories of death come from?

Perhaps, it was from witnessing childbirth for the first time.

A process that was supposed to bring new life, full of hope, was a terrifying Hell-like ordeal.

The once noble Holy Blood member struggled and screamed in the closed "prison," trying to deliver the monster swelling beneath her belly.

No one could help her, and the intense pain from within had long eroded her sanity.

Anyone who dared intrude would become her target.

---- She clearly didn’t want to do this.

To end her pain, she tore open her own abdomen with her bare hands.

Amidst the jumble of organs, she fished out the newborn baby.

Blood splattered against the wall, and when the newborn let out its first cry, she finally collapsed into unconsciousness, gasping for breath.

Unconcerned, the medics rushed into the room, swiftly stitching up her abdomen while she stood there, staring blankly until someone pulled her away.

"What are you spacing out for? Mountain City is just ahead!"

Ji Xing suddenly lifted her head, and the city shrouded in dense fog loomed over her with an indifferent demeanor, as if ready to swallow her whole.

She instinctively took a step forward, but in a daze, it seemed as if her heart was gripped by a large hand, suddenly stopping its beat.

Fear engulfed her completely, and she fled backward without any regard.

When she heard a comrade’s scream and turned her head, what she saw was an unprecedentedly gruesome scene.

Scattered flesh, surging waves of air, dust and mist everywhere, and a strange and enormous figure standing in the fog...

"Boom----"

A loud explosion.

Ji Xing pulled the pin on the grenade before her.

Yet her body seemed to withstand that round of explosion.

The numbness on her face made her actions a bit delayed, but as she tried to pull the pin on another grenade, another thunderous explosion erupted by her ears.

"Bang!"

Ji Xing snapped her eyes open.

In front of her was a familiar face.

She couldn’t recall the owner of this face, but somehow felt that this was someone she could trust.

"Awake now."

The owner of the face turned and called out, and then another face appeared before her.

This time, she remembered a name.

Chen Jian.

Ji Xing forced herself to sit up, and Chen Jian reached out to give her a hand, then said:

"You were poisoned and were unconscious for six hours."

"We were lucky. Shen Yue somehow found some sodium thiosulfate and injected all of you. You should be alright for now."

"How about it, can you recognize us?"

"...Yes."

Ji Xing spoke with a hoarse voice, and Chen Jian breathed a sigh of relief, nodding as he said:

"Lucky for you Holy Blood members that your metabolism is quick, breathing rate is high, you got poisoned fast, but the toxins clear up quickly too."

"Otherwise, not even a god could save you."

"So, do you feel a bit better now?"

"...A bit better."

Ji Xing slowly regained her memory, feeling as if her brain had been soaked in water for hours, and now the water was finally slowly draining out.

After taking a few deep breaths, she spoke with lingering fear:

"The monsters in the Jinling Ruins are truly not the usual strength, we were careless.... Good thing you guys are alright, or we all might have died in there."

"Honestly, never in my life did I imagine being saved by a few ordinary people..."

"Indeed."

Chen Jian nodded and then said:

"I wouldn’t say we were careless, but we certainly were underprepared."

"We didn’t expect the fungi here to produce hallucinogenic gas—though it might not be gas, it could be highly concentrated fungal spores."

"This stuff can bypass our environmental monitoring systems, so we didn’t detect it initially."

"But fortunately, it’s not hard to prevent. Next time, just use a simple filter mask when going in."

"...You all still dare to go in?"

Ji Xing looked at Chen Jian in astonishment, and the latter nodded, replying:

"Of course, we have to go back in."

"I just confirmed with Shen Yue, the hallucinogenic effect is likely caused by a type of fungus similar to the Pluteus genus. Though it seems odd, it’s essentially just that."

"The toxin mainly is muscimol... Shen Yue, you explain."

Upon hearing Chen Jian’s prompt, Shen Yue, who had been drinking water nearby, turned around and said:

"I don’t really know how to explain it."

"But essentially, it’s a complex toxin. The neurotoxic part mainly causes sustained calcium ion channel opening, leading to dendritic spine remodeling, and secondary effects result in excessive activation of the glutamatergic system and mitochondrial membrane potential collapse."

"In layman’s terms, it causes emotional instability, hallucinations, and reduced ability to act."

"Happy people become happier, angry people become angrier, scared people become more fearful."

"So actually, if you maintain a relatively stable mood, even if poisoned, at least in terms of ’hallucinations,’ the symptoms are relatively mild."

"Got it."

Ji Xing rubbed her still slightly swollen head and then said:

"As long as the will is strong enough, you can overcome illusions—this is just like what I learned from the Holy Blood Temple."

"Cut it out."

Shen Yue shook his head dismissively and then said,

"This isn’t some idealism, it’s science."

"But seriously, I am curious about what you dreamed of while you were unconscious—you really looked scared to death."

"I was indeed terrified."

Ji Xing openly stated,

"I dreamed of some things from the Holy Blood Temple—you can ask Xie Liu, ask Zeng Yi, they couldn’t not be afraid either."

With those words, Chen Jian turned to look at Zeng Yi.

The latter immediately nodded, without denying.

Seeing this, Chen Jian couldn’t help but sigh, and then said,

"You all are quite pitiful... I really don’t know what you’ve been through there."

"But it’s alright, some things once spoken about lose their power. If you get struck again, remember Shen Yue’s words, recall scientific principles, and you’ll probably do much better."

"Alright, rest a bit and have something to eat."

"You need to recover soon, as we have to organize a second reconnaissance."

"Okay."

Ji Xing slowly nodded, pausing to catch her breath and then suddenly asked,

"What about you guys? I mean, don’t you have things you’re afraid of?"

"What if someday... you guys get poisoned too, would you dream of your greatest fears?"

When she finished speaking, Chen Jian asked with some amusement,

"Are you trying to probe our vulnerabilities, or just purely curious?"

"Just curious."

Ji Xing raised her hand and said,

"I swear on my life, I have no other intentions."

"...It doesn’t need to be that solemn, just a joke."

Chen Jian waved his hand aside, then answered,

"There are a lot of things we fear, as long as they are our enemies, we will fear them."

"Having awe for enemies is the most basic combat principle."

"....Got it."

Ji Xing asked no more, instead standing up to take the hot water Zeng Yi handed her and drank it in one gulp.

At this moment, Chen Jian and the others were already busy again, organizing equipment and cleaning the fungal blanket from the tram, preparing for the second reconnaissance.

Watching their skilled and orderly actions, Ji Xing felt a little dazed.

The previous battle was clearly a brush with death, wasn’t it?

Yet they were so composed, it was as if they had just returned from a gentle outing.

Could such people really harbor fear in their hearts?

Fear of their enemies...

Perhaps, they’re afraid the enemies might escape.....