NABC Chapter 83 South Side
Chapter 83 South Side
Marcus hooked his fingertips around the edge of his notebook, pulled it from his tactical vest pocket, then pulled out his phone, his thumb tracing the cold metal of the device as he turned on the screen. He aimed the camera at the inscription on the boundary marker, slightly bent over to adjust the angle, avoiding the morning light, and snapped a photo. The pen scratched across the paper as he copied down the inscription, not only noting the location of the discovery, the time, and even the wear and tear on the edge of the inscription, but also pointing to the ground east of the boundary marker.
He stood for a long time by the boundary marker on the east side of the camp, the beam of his flashlight cutting back and forth through the withered grass. When the beam swept to the grass two meters north of the boundary marker, he suddenly stopped. Several blades of grass bent into shallow arcs, lying down in a uniform direction from east to west, as if someone had trodden here and then left along the path on the west side.
There were no footprints.
The ground was covered with a layer of fine sand, which made a rustling sound when you stepped on it. Even the traces of insects crawling were clearly visible, but there wasn't a single complete footprint.
Marcus put away the flashlight, swiped his phone screen to look back at the photos, and his Adam's apple bobbed slightly. He straightened up and walked toward the tent, but stopped abruptly after taking two steps, his brows furrowing and his knuckles unconsciously rubbing the edge of his phone case.
Equipment failure area.
He mentally reviewed the three anomalies of the day: the satellite signal seemed to be wrapped in something and gradually weakened; the abnormal heat source in the thermal imaging suddenly disappeared; and the concentration curve of the odor collector inexplicably surged.
If this area harbors a source of interference, then these three events are not isolated coincidences, but rather the result of the same underlying cause.
Who left the message?
Morris and Ella spent the entire day in their tent organizing data, while Caleb went to the north side for additional reconnaissance, returning only in the fading light of dusk. No one mentioned ever approaching the boundary marker on the east side of the camp.
Marcus lifted the curtain, the canvas rustling softly. He sat down on the folding stool, its legs creaking faintly on the floor. He opened his notebook and wrote on the last line of the day:
The inscription "EQUIPMENT MALFUNCTION ZONE AVOID" was found near the eastern boundary marker; its origin is unknown. Combined with three anomalies observed today (weakened satellite signal, disappearance of the thermal imaging heat source, and elevated odor collector concentration), it is speculated that a persistent external interference source exists in this area; the nature of the interference is yet to be determined. It is recommended that subsequent operations bypass this area and prioritize investigating the source of the interference.
The pen cap clicked crisply as he closed the notebook, then zoomed in on the photos on his phone to check for any missing inscriptions before saving them to the dated work folder. He tucked the notebook into the side pocket of his backpack, reached up and switched off the camping light. The last ray of light swept across the canvas of the tent roof, plunging the tent into a thick darkness.
Marcus lay down in his sleeping bag, his back against the cool fabric, his eyes fixed on the gently undulating outline of the tent roof. His fingertips traced the outline of the inscribed words in the darkness.
EQUIPMENT MALFUNCTION ZONE AVOID.
The wording is too standard, like a prompt circulating within the technical department, definitely not something an outsider would use.
He mentally reviewed the survey team's technical personnel, excluding himself, the rest...
The thought had barely crossed his mind when he forcibly suppressed it. He turned over and closed his eyes.
Regardless of who left it, at least someone knew in advance that there was interference here.
This at least proves that the equipment malfunction was not due to his operational error.
The grassland outside the camp fell completely still. The night wind carried the fragrance of reeds, and the rustling sound spread from the northwest like a soft net, enveloping all the subtle sounds.
The morning breeze, carrying the coolness of dew, brushed against Chen Fei's mane, stirring a slight shiver.
He stood at the edge of the spot, his nose twitching slightly, his nostrils flaring as he tried to catch the scent in the wind.
The taste of a one-legged creature.
It was moving in a southeast direction, heading straight towards him.
The distance was still far, about three kilometers or so, but the aura was persistent, not the short, probing kind of reconnaissance, but a steady, step-by-step advance, as if it had long been determined to come over.
Chen Fei stood there for a moment, his Adam's apple bobbing. He turned to look at Sair, his jawline taut, his chin pointing precisely at the center of the spot where he was about to land.
Sel immediately raised his head, his gaze lingering on Chen Fei's face for a moment, before moving closer to the stingy guy, wrapping his forelegs around him, pressing his belly tightly against the stingy guy's back, and flattening his ears on the top of his head, lying down quietly.
Meimei emerged from the western bushes with light steps and stopped at the western wing of her landing spot. She also sniffed, confirming the scent, and then turned to look at Chen Fei with a questioning look in her eyes.
Chen Fei didn't move. He simply turned around and walked to the north edge of the landing spot, knelt down, and casually laid his tail on the grass, waiting quietly.
Big Head climbed up from beside Sel, took two steps with his short legs, stretched his head out to the northwest, and twitched his nose twice. He turned to look at Chen Fei, his round eyes full of confusion, pursed his little mouth, and let out a soft whimper.
Chen Fei gently brushed him with the tip of his tail, then lowered his head and pointed to the ground.
Big Head sullenly sat back down, resting his chin on his front paws, his tail flicking uncertainly behind him, his gaze still fixed on the northwest direction.
As the one-legged figure entered the northern view of the landing spot, the sun was just rising from the eastern ridgeline. The golden sunlight, like molten iron, spread down the mountain ridge, casting a long and thin shadow of the one-legged figure.
It walked slowly, its right forelimb landing with a slight stumble, the muscles in its shoulder blades tense, each step accompanied by a faint grinding sound from its joints. Its compensatory stride was more pronounced on flat ground than on the soft mud of the riverbank, and after its right shoulder sank, it relied entirely on its left shoulder to regain its balance. But its pace was steady, without the slightest hesitation or pause.
Fifty meters from where it landed, the one-legged creature stopped.
This is the deepest point it has reached after crossing the downstream boundary of the sandbar, and it is 20 meters closer than the closest distance Chen Fei explored upstream in the past three days.
Chen Fei didn't stand up; he remained seated, his gaze fixed steadily on the one-legged man, like a stone submerged in water.
Standing fifty meters away on one leg, its gaze swept over each member on the ground like a searchlight: Sail and the stingy guy were huddled together, Meimei's back was straight as a pine tree, Stray A and Stray B were huddled in a corner, Big Head was still peeking around, and finally, its gaze fell back on Chen Fei.
It is assessing the scale, seeing how many members this foothold has, where the centripetal force is heading, and who the core is.
Chen Fei knew exactly what it was looking at.
And it reached a conclusion faster than Chen Fei had expected.
It took a step forward on its single leg, gently landing on its right forelimb, and sat down fifty meters away. It tilted its head to the side and pointed its chin south.
South side.
Chen Fei's pupils contracted slightly.