Starting Off Survival With A Small Treehouse

Chapter 578 - 395: The Choice of the Strong - Mutation!

"Is there a problem? Other than me maybe being Yan Haoming, is there anyone else?" Xu Xin shrugged and said.

"...You look a bit different from what I imagined."

Qin Fu showed a slightly puzzled expression, and a hint of suspicion flashed in his gaze at Xu Xin.

Xu Xin’s image was quite different from Yan Haoming.

It was hard not to suspect.

"He really is Yan Haoming." Although Zeng Tao disliked Yan Haoming, she still spoke up for him, "He just sent me a private message using his watch."

"I see..." Qin Fu suppressed his doubts.

"I say, why do you all have to doubt my identity first?"

Xu Xin made an impatient expression: "What, am I not supposed to look like this?"

Zeng Tao glanced at him, rolled her eyes, and whispered, "Wasting such a good appearance."

The four sat down, and after discussing, decided to wait a while, have a hearty meal, and then set off to check the snowy hills.

Because Qin Fu had a feeling something was off around.

Leaving now just didn’t feel safe.

And Xu Xin was worried about the statue too.

He kept an eye on the map, hoping to find some changes.

But there was nothing noteworthy around.

In the meantime, Lou Fei’Er simply made something to eat.

Her cooking skills impressed both Zeng Tao and Qin Fu.

"Mm!" Zeng Tao ate quickly and mumbled, "This is... the best meal I’ve had since coming to this world!"

"Did you max out your decor points in the kitchen?" Qin Fu joined the crazy eating mode, and praised, "I truly didn’t expect to satisfy my taste buds in this world."

In this world, amidst deep waters and hot fires, they hardly had time to cook a meal.

Usually, they just cooked simply and ate directly.

It was purely to fill their stomachs.

But Lou Fei’Er’s cooking was of a high level.

Most importantly, she had spices from Qi Xuefei.

With rich seasonings, her cooking skills, and the delicious ingredients unique to this world, even simply prepared food could rival the top tastes on Earth.

These two people, who were no better than barbarians when it came to food, couldn’t resist at all.

Of course, both were still cautious.

They only started eating after Lou Fei’Er and Xu Xin had been eating for a while, seeing that they looked fine and Xu Xin even mocked them a bit.

After all, it was the first day they met, so they couldn’t be that unguarded.

Actually, both had taken out their own food ready to eat.

But Lou Fei’Er’s cooking was just too enticing.

Intending to only taste, they couldn’t stop once they started eating.

"You didn’t just add salt to the dish, did you?" Qin Fu asked while eating, "Are there other seasonings in it? Where did you get them?"

Lou Fei’Er smiled mysteriously: "Haha, this touches upon my skills."

"Your skills?" Qin Fu looked up at her with a meaningful smile, "Could it be the abilities of some bigshot explorer?"

This guy...

"Explorer bigshot?" Lou Fei’Er rolled her eyes, "Your imagination is truly wild."

Wild enough to hit the nail on the head.

She felt that these two might have come because they believed she and Xu Xin shared something.

Zeng Tao swallowed the last bite, patted her bulging belly, and leaned comfortably against the chair back: "If I come seeking refuge, can I eat such delicious meals every day?"

"Just seeking refuge for good food, you’re quite the foodie." Lou Fei’Er teased with a smile.

"Maybe there are other reasons." Zeng Tao patted her belly with a satisfied look and casually said.

She turned to look outside the window.

In that direction, not only was there the purple-black beam, but she could also see the green of Xu Xin’s treehouse at a glance.

And very conspicuous.

"I’ve said it, I have nothing to do with that Xu Xin." Lou Fei’Er felt a bit helpless, feeling her words were powerless.

After all, the distance was too close.

From Xu Xin’s treehouse, her treehouse could be seen at a glance.

Normally, one wouldn’t allow an enemy to live nearby.

There had to be some connections.

But Lou Fei’Er previously only told them she was nearly killed by Xu Xin.

"I say, you don’t really want to seek refuge with the explorers, do you?" Xu Xin frowned, "Be slaves to others? Hand your lives over? Crazy?"

He showed a slightly disdainful look, seeming unwilling to associate with the two.

"You’re the crazy one!" Zeng Tao glared at him, "Do you think you’re so strong? Want me to pin you down so you can’t move?"

"Oh?" Xu Xin gave a disdainful look, reaching down to indicate her height, "You? Jump up to pin my knee?"

"You...!" Zeng Tao immediately started to get up.

"No, no, no! Can the two of you not do this?" Lou Fei’Er quickly got up, trying to hold Zeng Tao down to sit.

But couldn’t move her at all.

It felt like pressing against a piece of steel, without any response.

Under her pressure, Zeng Tao easily stood up as if unstoppably.

However, she didn’t continue impulsively and snorted, sitting back down: "For Lou Fei’Er’s sake, I won’t stoop to your level. Listen up, without planning for the future, beware you’ll die without knowing how!"

"Haha, you’re ranked eighth, teaching me, ranked fourth?" Xu Xin showed an amused expression.

Zeng Tao gritted her teeth and glared at him.

"Hey, you guys are really something." Qin Fu leaned back on his chair, looking lazy, "Is it really necessary to think so much? Why not just go with the flow? With our abilities, if we truly want to pledge allegiance, the explorers shouldn’t reject us, right? We’ll get by as long as we can, and when we can’t, we switch allegiance to District 188. I think it’s not a big problem."

"You’re a guy, of course, you don’t have to consider so much." Zeng Tao said discontentedly, "Pledging allegiance is just a nice way of saying it. Put it bluntly, it’s handing your life over, becoming someone’s slave. I sure want to see what kind of person I’ll pledge allegiance to in the future. At that time, he would definitely do this or that to me. If he’s someone disgusting, I’d rather die!"

"...Do this or that? Are you talking about Xu Xin?" Lou Fei’Er showed a peculiar expression.

"Yeah, who else could it be but him?"

"Uh..." Xu Xin, with a face full of black lines, began to speak, "These are things women like Lou Fei’Er need to consider, but for you..."

He looked Zeng Tao up and down a few more times, "Xu Xin is at least a person of note; I doubt he’d be that perverted."

Although he was mimicking Yan Haoming’s tone, this was also his personal opinion.

What is this little lass thinking?

Her appearance...

Although legally an adult, but...

Does anyone normal really dare to touch her?

Wouldn’t those who dare be playing with fire?

Zeng Tao took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled with trembling, her voice sneaking out through her teeth, "Hey, Lou Fei’Er, can I take action? I’m really about to lose my patience."

"Don’t, don’t, hold it in, hold it in." Lou Fei’Er quickly persuaded her.

Although she found Zeng Tao’s words somewhat laughable.

Xu Xin hasn’t even touched her. How could he go back to touch a girl who looks like an elementary or middle school student?

No interest in her, but interested in such a young girl?

Then he must be a perverted maniac.

"There are females among the explorers, right? As far as I know, there are at least three. Why don’t you pledge allegiance to a female one?" Qin Fu crossed his legs as he spoke.

From his demeanor, he seemed to have some knowledge of the explorers.

"What a joke, if I really have to join District 188, I’d definitely choose the strongest to pledge allegiance to." Zeng Tao immediately disapproved of Qin Fu’s suggestion.

"Moreover, being a slave to women... let’s just forget about it!"

If it’s an elder, it’s bearable, but a woman of similar age...

Thinking of a possibly mean woman and remembering those vicious female characters she read about back on Earth...

She directly rejected the idea.

If faced with such a woman, it’d be better to serve a man!

At least he’d be the world’s number-one man.

The second-best one, named Ji Chaoyang, would also be barely acceptable.

"No matter what, this isn’t something we should be considering right now. Let’s handle the snow mountain’s situation first," Qin Fu lazily leaned against the chair.

As he spoke, he turned to Lou Fei’Er, "By the way, Lou Fei’Er, you mentioned earlier that your body underwent mutations, right? Why do I feel you look just like any ordinary person?"

"Are you talking about this?" Lou Fei’Er lifted her sleeve in response.

On her arm, there were blood markings swirling around.

"Whoa!" Qin Fu’s eyes focused.

Zeng Tao, however, had a composed expression, "She showed me before in the room, her whole body is covered in blood markings."

"Really has mutations like this?" Qin Fu sat up straight, inspecting the blood markings on Lou Fei’Er’s arm, "This mutation—in other words, it’s your ability, right? Can you make others mutate too?"

"What are you trying to say?" Lou Fei’Er didn’t respond but asked back.

"I’m thinking, if we mutate, can we join our enemy’s camp?" Qin Fu continued to gaze at Lou Fei’Er’s arm, "Can’t beat them, why not join them? What attitude do those mutated creatures have towards you? Do they still attack you?"

This Qin Fu, he sure thinks fast.

Immediately pinpointing the crux of the issue.

"I..."

"Boom!"

Lou Fei’Er was just about to answer when suddenly, a clear, explosion-like sound came from outside the window, interrupting her.

Simultaneously, the entire treehouse shook violently!

Among those seated, aside from Zeng Tao who sat steadily, the other three swayed in their seats.

"What happened?" Xu Xin promptly stood up.

In his mind, a map instantly appeared.

He was startled to find that around a hundred meters away from the treehouse, red dots were quickly emerging.

Moreover, it wasn’t just one; there were many!

Others stood up too.

Qin Fu’s previously nonchalant expression was gone.

Replaced by solemnity.

"This is the feeling—the danger I’ve been sensing all along has manifested!"

The four of them immediately ran to the window, looking towards where the sound had come from.

In the forest now, there was only about a dozen centimeters of snow left, which barely affected movement.

And at the place they were looking...

A pit at least three to four meters in diameter appeared!

And standing around the pit, there were several stone statues of mutant creatures!

Meanwhile, there were still mutant creature stone statues crawling out of the pit.

Their faces were all directed towards Lou Fei’Er’s treehouse!

Intermediate mutant creature statues!

As the group was in shock and speechless, a massive head slowly emerged halfway out of the pit.

Those eyes, glinting red and as big as copper bells, eerily gazed toward the window where they poked their heads out.

This is... a pterosaur statue!