vncnus Chapter 289 Sailing into the Mudflats
Chapter 289 Sailing into the Mudflats
The next day at dawn
As the first ray of hazy sunlight seeped into the thin mist that permeated the mudflats and carried a salty, fishy smell, the convoy was already fully prepared to depart.
"Commander, morning environmental scan complete. Fog moisture content is 87%, visibility is less than 100 meters, significantly weakening optical and conventional energy detection. Activation of active acoustic and gravity field composite detection is recommended."
The sound of Nirvana was calm and undisturbed.
"Activate." Xu Si thought to himself.
The massive body of the Nirvana trembled slightly.
A low, almost imperceptible hum spread out.
The dark gold patterns on the car's surface then lit up.
Xu Si stood at the front of the "Nirvana" car.
Starry eyes pierced through the mist, gazing at the seemingly endless expanse of grimy brown land divided by mud and puddles.
The other vehicles in the convoy were experiencing the pressure emanating from Xu Si's vehicle for the first time.
Xu Si's car used to be at the end of the line, so she didn't notice.
At this moment, it seemed like a colossal creature, giving people a tremendous sense of oppression.
"Brother Dao's car is so big!" This was the most immediate impression of DouDou and the others.
"Old Xu, are we ready to go?" Fu Xiaojian asked in a long voice, leaning against the car door.
Xu Si raised one hand high and made an OK sign.
Seeing this, everyone returned to their cars.
"Thirteen relatively solid paths were detected, all with a width of more than three meters. The optimal path has been marked. Warning: The average depth of silt on both sides of the path exceeds three meters, and some areas exhibit quicksand characteristics."
"Report the driving route to the fleet channel in real time"
"The instruction has been recorded and is being relayed in real time."
"Old Xu, the general direction is right, now it's up to you."
"Nirvana" was the first to drive down the relatively solid sandy-soil boundary, its wide tracked wheels grinding into the damp mud.
It made a dull thud, sinking deep into the ground, and then steadily propelled the massive vehicle forward.
Two deep ruts were left behind.
The mud and water at the edges of the ruts were quickly backfilled, but the bottom had already been compacted.
The convoy almost entered the mudflats, officially bidding farewell to the desert behind it.
The fog ahead was pushed aside slightly by an invisible force field, making the topographical map on the screen inside Nirvana clearer.
It even outlines different terrain structures such as shallow riverbeds, silt depressions, and hard riverbeds.
It also matches the corresponding driving safety level.
Tashan's bus followed closely behind, and he was on high alert, ready to rescue the vehicle from the collapse at any moment.
Liu carefully drove the bus, keeping the wheels in the center of the tracks left by Nirvana.
The heavy vehicle swayed slightly, but did not sink noticeably.
Next came Fu Xiaojian's valiant warriors and Jiao Jiao's chariots...
The convoy, like a steel chain, slowly crept into the mist-shrouded heart of the mudflats.
The fog was damp and cold, clinging to the car windows and blurring the view of the outside world.
However, Xu Si's massive body provides the most direct reference point.
The two enormous taillights, hanging high in the air, resembled a giant beast crouching in the mist.
It gives people a sense of security.
The convoy did not get stuck even once, until the desert behind them disappeared from sight.
The convoy moved slowly and steadily through the mudflats, like a blunt knife cutting through the solidified silt.
Xu Si sat on the roof of the "Nirvana" vehicle, receiving the baptism from the blood sun, and the sequence was steadily advancing.
He didn't want to stay in the carriage because his thoughts were constantly being pulled by the upgrading [Echoing Throat].
As the blood-red sun rose higher, the fog gradually thinned, but the surrounding scenery was almost identical to what had been seen the day before.
The sparse reeds in the distance are still mottled, and the occasional mud puddle indicates unknown dangers.
The convoy snaked through the mudflats like a snake.
Nirvana's judgment of the terrain was absolutely accurate.
Tashan, who was supposed to be standing at the bus door ready to provide assistance at any time, was never needed during the more than one-hour drive.
This is completely contrary to previous experience.
For example, in swamps or rainy worlds, the convoy is either stuck or on the road where it is stuck.
Now, the mud is even softer, making it feel like walking on flat ground.
It's just a change in formation position, yet the impact is so significant.
"Why isn't there even a fish here?" Jiao Jiao asked, staring longingly out the car window.
If it's a riverbed, there should be fish.
She also misses the days when she used to catch fish in the river.
Although salted fish doesn't taste particularly good, it still has a unique flavor.
"Shouldn't we be thinking about where all the water from such a wide river goes?" Fu Xiaojian was mindful of potential dangers even in times of peace.
It can't be that they changed the route, can it?
And I've never heard of that river being hundreds of kilometers wide.
Yesterday evening, crows flew for a long time but could not be seen beyond the horizon.
"Something is definitely fishy!" Shao Bing drove the car nervously, his mind racing with alarm bells ringing.
The main problem is that these mudflats were not dried by the blood-red sun, which is somewhat unusual.
"Just cheer up, everyone!" Fu Xiaojian said into the walkie-talkie.
Everyone gradually fell silent and focused on driving.
The silence of the mudflats was more unsettling than the silence of the convoy.
Even a little breeze would be nice!
The wheels made a sticky sound as they rolled over the wet mud, and the engine gave a deep, rumbling sound.
The occasional gurgling sound of mud sliding off the edge of the ruts prevented the background noise from becoming too monotonous.
Fu Xiaojian's warrior followed closely behind Tashan's bus, maintaining a high level of focus on sensing danger at all times.
At this moment, the high-risk warning that had been in effect since entering the mudflats had not subsided, but it had not become more severe either.
This was unusual and undoubtedly added tremendous psychological pressure to him, but he had no one to confide in.
He had long been accustomed to feeling this sense of fate hanging by a thread, constantly experiencing it.
"1.2 kilometers ahead, a large area of shallow, hard riverbed has been detected, about 80 meters wide, suitable for a short rest for the convoy."
It was not yet noon, and the driving time was less than three hours.
However, finding a suitable place to rest is extremely rare.
The convoy will not miss anything due to short driving time.
This allows everyone to relax a bit.
After all, the convoy always faces new challenges when entering a new terrain unit.
The convoy, like clumsy steel insects, slowly crawled between the two muddy tracks plowed out by "Nirvana".
It's 1.2 kilometers to Zhancha.
After traversing the last stretch of knee-deep mud, the convoy finally reached the hard riverbed.
"Bang, bang..."
The car doors opened one after another, stirring up the oppressive, stifling air that had been suffocating for so long.
However, what they breathed was not fresh air, but the smell of mud.
However, the sense of solidity brought by being down-to-earth made many people breathe a sigh of relief.
The little ones, including DouDou, were squatting to the side vomiting loudly, though they were actually fine in the car.
As soon as they landed, they felt dizzy and nauseous.
"This godforsaken place..." Wang Hu patted Yao Yao's back with some concern, but his eyes were warily scanning the surroundings.
The 80-meter-wide riverbed stands out like a solitary island in the mudflats, with endless mud and puddles on both sides.
The fog had long since dissipated, which at least made everyone's senses feel much better.