Anomalies need energy just like humans need food. However, unlike the human digestive system, what anomalies eat is refined into a stream of energy to sustain their normal activities.
This is why using the same type of energy, specially made stun grenades can temporarily control anomalies, using a specific range of energy frequencies to interfere with them.
Especially against spirit-type anomalies, these stun grenades are like a miracle cure. As long as you hit them, basically one blast kills them.
“Wait for me, you old hag…”
Somewhat weak, Gu Lian plopped down on the ground with a thud, her arm trembling as she pulled a pack of combat rations from her bag. After a moment’s hesitation, she didn’t tear open the packaging, but instead brought it to her mouth and began to gnaw on it.
Biting off a quarter of the combat ration, her originally heavy body felt like parched earth finally receiving rain. Bit by bit, strength gradually emerged from within, and the heavy shackles on her limbs were slowly loosened layer by layer.
“Sister Lian, this iron box is ringing.”
Yi Yi patted the suitcase, from which a faint ringing sound emerged.
“…”
Gu Lian propped herself up with one hand, grabbed the suitcase, lifted her leg, and stomped down on it, breaking the latches open.
Taking out her smartphone, Gu Lian’s numb body gradually recovered. She leaned against Yi Yi, slowly sat down, and answered the incoming call.
“Hello? Hello? Crackle (static). Oh, oh, finally got through!”
A female voice came from the other end. It was Dao Ba Nu’s call. She had heard this voice not long ago.
“Lian, are you there? Wait, Bei Zai, why is there no sound on this call?”
The questioning voice on the other end was a bit low, obviously not hearing Gu Lian’s reply, and had already put the phone down. Then a slightly weaker male voice said, “Maybe the person on the other end isn’t speaking?”
“…”
Gu Lian closed her eyes. She hadn’t felt this exhausted in a long time. At the moment, she didn’t even want to say a single word.
“Nonsense! If she were there, she would have said something. It must be that you didn’t connect properly.”
“Maybe… you try?”
“Hey, Lian, are you there? If you are, say something?”
“Squeak~”
“I told you, she must… Wait, you were actually there all along.”
“…”
That Dao Ba Nu clearly had some brain issues.
Her reaction time was so slow, how did she manage to work at Eclipse?
“The thing you asked about, I’ve already investigated. The ‘Uncle Xiong’ you mentioned, his real name is Xiong Zhijie, at…”
“Get to the point, don’t recite his ID card.”
“Ahem, ahem. I just went to check on Old Xiong while he was sleeping. I thought it was either the parasitic type or the split type, but they were sensitive to alcohol and…”
Hearing Dao Ba Nu getting more and more excited on the other end, Gu Lian opened her eyes and said sternly, “Get to the point!”
“Ahem, ahem, in short, the other party is a normal human, no doubt. I feel that things aren’t… beep… beep…”
‘Hanging up on that chatterbox, Gu Lian looked blankly at the night sky obscured by the treetops. Had she been wrong?’
‘Was Uncle Xiong really helping them without any purpose?’
‘In this gray world, was there really love without reason?’
‘Was she really too suspicious?’
In the sky, the wind blew through the gaps in the dark clouds, gradually receding and then disappearing. Moonlight filtered through the branches and leaves, casting dotted patches of light on Gu Lian’s face.
Yi Yi, who had been listening to the call, looked at Gu Lian, her eyes full of joy. “Sister Lian, can we go back now?”
“Not yet for now.”
After resting for a while, her limbs no longer felt so heavy. Gu Lian stood up from the ground, tapped on the map on her phone, and found a spot near the Nanxi Highway signpost. “I’ll take you to see Yao Yao first. It’s not convenient to have you with me for the next part. I need to go get Uncle Xiong out.”
“Oh…”
Yi Yi understood what Gu Lian meant. The next action might be dangerous, and she couldn’t bring a non-combatant along.
In fact, Gu Lian didn’t know that Yi Yi had no combat ability from birth. When she was born, she didn’t have Yao Yao’s imposing body, nor fangs or deadly poison.
Even now, her true form was only 2 meters long. Compared to Yao Yao’s tens of meters long body, she was truly no different from a baby.
From birth until now, it had always been Yao Yao, the older sister, protecting Yi Yi.
No matter how weak Yi Yi was, no matter how useless, after all, blood was thicker than water. They were almost born at the same time.
But for some unknown reason, Yao Yao broke out of her shell first. It wasn’t until thirty years later that Yi Yi barely squeezed out of her own shell.
“Alright, don’t look so glum. Don’t you still want to be an idol? If you keep frowning, you’ll get ugly. How can you be an idol then?”
Of course, there was also the prerequisite that we couldn’t be discovered by the Hunters. But theoretically, that was completely impossible.
Gu Lian didn’t say the second half of the sentence. Near the Hunters, they couldn’t use any Cryptic Energy abilities. Any energy fluctuation might expose them.
Or rather, using Cryptic Energy would inevitably produce energy fluctuations, meaning there was a risk of exposure.
If they wanted to avoid detection, aside from finding a place to live peacefully, the risk of exposure was immense.
Without thinking further, Gu Lian followed the route on the map, gradually walking out of the deep forest. The fallen leaves underfoot were sparse, the gaps between vegetation became larger, trees began to be mainly evergreens, the tightly connected canopy gradually parted, and moonlight shone on the earth.
The closer they got to the destination, the more uniform the plant species became. After about half an hour of walking, just as they were about to reach the destination, a dark shadow flashed past ahead.
Gu Lian smiled for the first time in a while. She reached behind her, pulled a pack of combat rations from her backpack, and tossed it into the air.
The dark figure changed shape in mid-air, then with a light step, caught the combat rations in the air. The arriving person was Yao Yao. With her sense of smell, she had already sensed their approach two minutes earlier.
“Yao Yao, how are your preparations going?”
Gu Lian looked at Yao Yao, who was covered in dirt, and grinned, showing a bright smile. Compared to the mischievous Yi Yi, she liked Yao Yao a bit more. Which older sibling wouldn’t love having a well-behaved younger sister?
“Not yet. If only gathering energy were as easy as you said. From the current progress, it should take another half a month.”
Yao Yao said, then poked the combat rations wrapped in a plastic bag in her hand. “By the way, what is this?”
Hearing Yao Yao’s words, Gu Lian pulled another pack of combat rations from her backpack.
“This is…”
Crunch~
Before Gu Lian could finish, Yao Yao bit into the combat rations, swallowing both the plastic packaging and the food inside. Gu Lian’s expression froze. Yi Yi took two steps to the left and, with lightning speed, snatched the war-ready food from her hand.
After getting the war-ready food, Yi Yi also imitated her and bit into it, knowing full well there was packaging but refusing to tear it open. She just wanted a taste.
Crunch, crunch~
After three bites, Yao Yao chewed a few times, swallowed the food, and then smacked her lips, still not satisfied. “Sister Lian, is there more? The taste is pretty good.”
“Ah, well…”
Gu Lian wanted to say that this wasn’t how you ate it, but she swallowed her words and changed them. “Yao Yao, since you’re here, come with me now. The situation has changed.”