Su Qing formed hand seals with both hands, and several condensed wind ropes appeared out of thin air, coiling around the four Mutants. Although unable to completely trap them, it greatly slowed their speed.
Wang Yuan closed his eyes tightly, his nostrils flaring intensely, and urgently said, "Left one, the energy core is in the right chest! Left two, in the back of the head! Right one and Right two... in the dantian! Very concealed!"
A cold light flashed in Ling Chen's eyes. He instantly picked up the rune-enhanced longbow equipped in the car and nocked an armor-piercing arrow!
Psionic energy infused the arrow shaft, and the arrowhead glowed faintly!
Whoosh!
The arrow shot out like a meteor, not towards the Mutant itself, but towards a seemingly empty spot on their path of advance!
Just as the arrow was about to land, a Mutant (Right one) who was sprinting at an extremely high speed, trying to evade the wind ropes, happened to rush into that position!
He seemed to have run into the arrow himself!
Pfft!
The arrow precisely struck his dantian area!
As expected, a chaotic psionic energy halo burst open there!
That Mutant screamed, his speed plummeted, and his figure stumbled!
"Beautiful!"
Chen Mo, inside the car, couldn't help but exclaim. The prediction and precision of this arrow were simply miraculous!
Ling Chen didn't pause for a moment, nocking another arrow, aiming at another Mutant (Left one) whose energy core Wang Yuan had marked.
Just then, the Mutant who had been shot in the dantian suddenly raised his head, looking venomously in Ling Chen's direction, and roared, "Damn bug! You're courting death!"
He forcibly suppressed his injuries and suddenly hurled an energy mass, like a black skull, emanating a foul and evil aura, towards the vehicle Ling Chen was in!
The energy mass was extremely fast and carried an effect of mental corrosion!
"Gray Shield!"
Ling Chen whispered.
Chen Mo had been prepared for a long time. A thick Energy Shield instantly condensed in front of the car!
Boom!
The black skull hit the shield, bursting into a corrosive black mist. The shield vibrated violently, its light rapidly dimmed, and Chen Mo's face turned pale, clearly indicating a huge consumption of energy.
But in this brief interval, Gao Zhan had seized the opportunity, repelling the Mutant leader with a hammer blow, and with a flash of his figure, appeared as if teleporting in front of the four attacking Mutants!
"Get out of the way!"
He roared in anger, smashing his twin hammers into the ground!
Rumble—!!!
A terrifying shockwave erupted with him at the center!
The ground cracked inch by inch! The four Mutants, as if struck by an invisible giant hammer, all spat blood and flew backward!
Seeing this, the Mutant leader knew it was futile. He let out a sharp retreat whistle and was the first to turn and rush into the rift valley.
The other Mutants also did not hesitate, immediately breaking free from their opponents, following closely behind, and instantly vanishing without a trace.
The battle came and went quickly.
Only a few Mutant corpses and a mess were left on the wasteland.
Everyone in the convoy breathed a sigh of relief, but their expressions were not good.
These Mutants were not only strong, but also... intelligent, understood tactical coordination, had clear objectives, and could even speak human language!
This was completely different from the mutated beasts and low-level ghouls they had encountered before, who only knew how to attack wildly!
Gao Zhan walked to a Mutant corpse, squatted down to examine it carefully, his brows tightly furrowed.
Leimeng also returned to human form, grumbling as he walked over:
"Damn it! These bastards are slippery! They even feint!"
Ling Chen and Su Qing also got out of the car and walked over.
"Officer Gao, these are..." Ling Chen's face showed "lingering fear" and confusion.
"Intelligent Mutants," Gao Zhan stood up, his tone heavy.
"They are usually humans who, during the early stages of spiritual energy resurgence, were eroded and mutated by extremely chaotic spiritual energy, but fortunately evolved to a high level and retained their memories."
"They are often more dangerous than mutated beasts because they possess combat skills from their former lives, and even... organizational abilities."
He glanced in the direction the Mutants had retreated.
"Judging by their coordination and objectives, they are likely a reconnaissance or raiding team sent out by some intelligent Mutant faction."
"They... seem to know you?" Ling Chen asked "cautiously."
Gao Zhan looked at Ling Chen with deep eyes and said lightly:
"The Special Operations Bureau has been dealing with these intelligent Mutant factions for more than a day or two. They see us as enemies, and we see them as... cancerous tumors outside of order."
He didn't say anything more, but the gravity in his tone indicated that things were far from simple.
Ling Chen asked a few more questions, then nodded and left. He already knew these basic memories.
He glanced at the tightly closed carriages of the Academy of Sciences, a cold sneer in his heart.
It seemed that this 'auxiliary escort' mission would definitely not be boring.
The convoy rested briefly, treated the wounded (mainly psionic energy depletion and minor injuries), and set off again.
Only the atmosphere became more oppressive and vigilant.
Everyone understood that the real challenge might have just begun.