Chapter 148 Corpse Smell
After finalizing the plan, everyone began to prepare.
Layton dismantled some relatively intact parts from the wreckage of equipment on the ground, repaired everyone's power armor, and then pieced together a set of light armor for Ivan that was barely capable of running and jumping. As for Asano Akira, who had just woken up, he politely declined Layton's proposal.
"My abilities are rather... well, special, so the power armor would actually limit me." These were Asano Akira's exact words.
Hound, Ke Lan and Zhuo Ligetu replenished their ammunition on the spot. Since they couldn't find the electromagnetic bullets specifically for the Gauss gun, Hound simply changed his weapons to dual-wielded Gatling cannons, and then hung six large boxes of ammunition chains on his back.
"Hehe, when I led the troops to clear the indigenous creatures in the past, I was always worried about insufficient firepower. I'm afraid I can't change this problem in this lifetime." Facing Ke Lan's speechless eyes, Hound smiled awkwardly, but fortunately his armor was strong enough to carry nearly one ton of ammunition.
"In fact, I hope you don't use any of these ammunition... If the gunshots attract the monsters that have already left the base, and we are surrounded in a place like this, we will really be dead."
"I know, I know... I just want some psychological comfort." Hound said so, but in the end he gave up the Gatling cannon and chose a light assault rifle.
"Ke Lan, things are not good." After cleaning up the battlefield, Layton came over and said to Ke Lan, "I counted the number of corpses and equipment, but they don't match. The difference is too big... At least half of the corpses are missing, and the ones left are basically those with serious damage."
"It seems that... those monsters are indeed 'mass-produced' using human corpses. The purpose of these monsters slaughtering humans is to obtain as many corpses as possible to increase their numbers... We have to speed up our actions, otherwise the monsters will become more and more numerous."
…
There were originally three checkpoints set up on the passage between the base and the mine entrance, but now, the condition of these three checkpoints is simply terrible. Even the steel structure tower serving as a communication antenna was broken in half by the acid attack, and the two small sentry boxes built with foam sandwich steel plates were directly razed to the ground.
"There are traces of blood, but no bodies were found. They were probably dragged away by those monsters." Leighton, the vanguard, said after taking a quick look.
"We are no longer able to handle the situation here... Even the Soma Group may not be able to deal with these monsters."
"Nine out of ten times, the military will directly send a fleet here and drop a dozen small tactical nuclear bombs to clear the area directly. By the way, Ke Lan, can the safe house in the base withstand a nuclear explosion?"
"There are strict requirements for the nuclear strike protection capabilities of safe houses of this level, so you can rest assured." Ke Lan said as he activated the jet pack of the power armor and jumped directly to a small hill in front of him. From here, he could barely catch a glimpse of a corner of the Soma Consortium's mining base.
"It's almost as we expected. The base has fallen, the energy shield has disappeared, and many buildings are emitting thick smoke." Ke Lan said, looking back.
"What about the monster? Did you see it?"
"Not yet." Ke Lan shook his head, "Keep moving forward."
…
After they climbed over the last mountain pass and entered the central valley where the base was located, an unbearably strong smell of blood quickly filled their nasal cavities. Ke Lan only felt waves of discomfort rising up in his throat. Fortunately, it had been a long time since his last meal, and his esophagus and stomach were empty, otherwise he would have vomited into his helmet.
"I really can't stand this smell." The hound, who has the sharpest sense of smell in the team, has closed the visor of his helmet. His face has turned extremely pale. "How many people are dead?"
"According to the data provided by the Soma Consortium, including the mercenaries and the miners who have taken turns to rest, the base has between 2,400 and 2,800 permanent personnel... I estimate that most of them are here."
"I'm afraid there are more than that." Ivan frowned and shook his head. "If those monsters have the habit of dragging corpses away, then the smell of blood here shouldn't be so strong... Plus, we didn't see any signs of monsters returning to the mine along the way... I doubt it..."
Hearing Ivan say this, the hound's eyes widened immediately: "Damn, no way?! Doctor, don't scare me..."
"Although I can't be sure for now, I think those monsters may have stored the corpses they obtained here. Old dog, can you please smell it and see if this bloody smell contains the peculiar stench of fermented and decayed corpses?"
"You are simply torturing me..." The Hound sighed helplessly, opened the mask again, brewed for a while, and then took a deep breath -
Suddenly, his face turned paler.
"Cough cough cough... vomit..." After dry heaving for several seconds, the hound said with some difficulty: "There is indeed a strong stench mixed with the smell of blood, and it is the stench of death."
"That's probably the truth," Ivan said with an unpleasant expression. "Generally speaking, even in places where microorganisms are extremely active, corpses that have just died won't emit a foul smell. Only corpses that have been dead for a while will... In other words, the bodies of those who were killed in the mining area were brought here by the monsters."
"These monsters gathered the corpses in the base. Are they planning to carry out 'transformation' here? Ivan, you just dissected the corpse of the 'Anemone Head'. Can you tell what conditions are needed for this transformation process?" Ke Lan looked at Ivan and asked.
"I have absolutely no idea. This method of transformation... is even more incredible than the Seed of Corrosion. The Seed of Corrosion simply uses the container as its own nutrients, while this monster is almost perfectly integrated with the human body... From a certain perspective, those corpses have come back to life after being transformed, and even the apoptosis of the original tissue cells has been reversed... From a biological point of view, this is simply impossible."
"But no matter what, since those monsters chose to gather the captured corpses here, even if their main force has left, they will definitely leave a few to guard..." The hound had already begun to think of retreating. "Even if there are only a few, we can't defeat them. How about... a different plan of action?"