Sky-cracking Rider-Chapter 382: Section 378 - The Corpse

When the Mobile Base Vehicle arrived at the mission coordinates, it was just past three in the afternoon local time, but near the Arctic in Siberia, the darkness fell extremely early, especially in winter.

Before long, the sky rapidly darkened.

The heat left behind by the "Falling Star Flame" didn’t last very long. The snow that had been blown apart by the fireballs was once again covered by swirling snowflakes and became thicker and thicker.

If they allowed the snowflakes to continue accumulating like this, the 04 team would do nothing but repeatedly clear the snow and wouldn’t even be able to carry out their investigation properly.

The 04 team would inevitably have to spend the whole night here, until the investigation was completed.

"Lulu’an, please help."

Adrian did not continue to cast fire spells but nodded to the Old Tree Boundary Ape instead.

The Magical Beast Tree Boundary Ape Lulu’an, leaning on its withered vine staff, moved to a nearby open area. The few vibrant green leaves on the staff showed no signs of wilting in the severe cold and were still brimming with vitality.

It fumbled in the large pocket of its crossbody bag for a while, then took out a fluffy seed. Using the end of its staff, it broke through the frozen ground, buried the seed, piled on some dirt and ice, and then stepped back a few steps, starting to chant an incantation.

The Tree Boundary Ape tribe, which had peacefully lived in the vast forests of the Cangqiong Star from generation to generation, belonged to a Magical Beast tribe that "depended on trees and ate trees." They could skillfully distinguish and use various plants, were experts in herbalism, naturally excelled at Wood System Spells, and knew even more spells than human Wood Mages, perhaps even more.

As the lengthy incantation ended, the Tree Boundary Ape pointed its staff towards the spot where the seed was buried. The tip of the staff emitted several large droplets of luminous green liquid that plunged into the frozen ground one after another.

The ground slightly bulged, and then a green shoot broke through the soil. Crackle, crackle, the frozen ground broke apart.

The sprout, defying the severe cold, grew taller and thicker, 1 meter, 3 meters, 5 meters... It eventually became a towering tree over fifty meters tall. Its robust main branches reached high, branching out in all directions. Supple and tough branches hung down, covering not only the airspace above a radius of over thirty meters but also encircled the hut ruins and the Mobile Base Vehicle like a delicate curtain. At a certain distance near the trunk, the branches did not touch the ground, leaving a height of about ten meters.

The branches were covered in fine fuzz, which not only blocked the descending goose feather snowflakes but also blocked the relentless cold wind. The waxy layer on the surface of the branches and fluff displayed strong water repellency, gently shaking to toss off the snow and powder settled on them, preventing any accumulation.

The lights of the Mobile Base Vehicle were all turned on, especially several high-brightness searchlights that directly cast beams onto the countless branches above.

This magically induced peculiar tree as a whole looked dreamy and translucent. The gentle light reflected between the branches and fluff made the area beneath the tree and its surroundings within a hundred-meter radius look as if it were daylight.

In the cabin, not only was the Pure Light Sparrow Xiao Jiu left behind, but also the Wind Series Second Rank Magical Beast, the Blue-Scaled Colt Mini, which was not suited to the tundra environment. The little bird enjoyed flying around, peering out from behind the double-layered vacuum thermal windows, while the Blue-Scaled Colt remained calm, chewing on coarse grain biscuits at an unhurried pace.

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"Hey, it’s not cold anymore!"

Shivering with cold, Twin Blades Sister Mouri Misono immediately noticed the change in temperature. Having once worked in Africa as a deputy in combat operations on the ground, she had adapted to hot environments but was somewhat averse to the cold tundra regions.

The severe cold of tens of degrees below zero made it difficult for her to hold her knife handles steady.

"The Snow Velvet Weeping Willow, a unique plant from the Polar Snow Region Smir Permafrost Forest of the northern part of the Cangqiong Star Continent, has always been a natural den for the permafrost Magical Beasts and is quite suited to this environment," Adrian said.

After finishing casting the spell, the Old Tree Boundary Ape raised its hand, and a branch with a small bulge at the end grew and swelled at a visible rate, bursting open and blooming into a fist-sized pink flower that added a faint scent to the cold air.

Like the bloom of an epiphyllum, the beautiful blossom lasted only a moment. Petal after petal of the clustered pink petals withered and fell, leaving behind a seed with snowy white fluff in the center of the pistil, which naturally fell into the palm of Lulu’an’s extended hand.

A seed of the "Snow Velvet Weeping Willow" was put back into the pocket of the bag.

Plants sprouted by magic were inherently deficient and would stop growing once the supply of magic was cut off. They would wither over time and were difficult to propagate naturally, requiring more magic power to barely produce a very small amount of seeds.

The various plant seeds carried by the Old Tree Boundary Ape had been approved by the Blue Star Global United Defense Committee to prevent unnecessary invasive species of plants from occurring.

There were already plenty of Mutants causing chaos on Blue Star, and unchecked proliferation of plants would be like adding fuel to the fire, icing on the snow.

"An excellent temporary camp. You’ve done well, Lulu’an!" Adrian nodded to the Tree Boundary Ape and then shouted, "Bassan, Mouri Misono, Joshua, the three of you are in charge of searching the scene. Report back immediately with any findings."

"Understood, Neanderthal Chief."

"Aye!" Mouri Misono replied.

"Let’s start digging!"

The Puppet Master was surrounded by more than a dozen Constructed Puppet Warriors clutching pioneer shovels in the center.

Others were responsible for standing by or keeping watch.

…

Following the scent of blood detected by Neanderthal Chief Bassan, A-class Psychic Ability User and Puppet Master Joshua manipulated his Constructed Puppet Warriors to dig fiercely. The snow on the ground no longer thickened, which made it much easier to dig, and soon they unearthed more than a dozen skeletons from the collapsed hut’s exterior wall foundation.

Within the ten-meter-wide pit, skeletons of different species appeared. Holy Knight Walter Sam inspected them and said, "It’s polar bears and mammoths!"

The massive skeletons of the carnivorous animals, with distinct canine teeth, were covered with visible unidentified bite marks, as well as elephant bones and decaying fur, but there was no trace of either elephant tusks or polar bear pelts, most likely taken to be sold for money.

Modern elephant ivory is prohibited from trade and possession, but the ivory of the extinct mammoth is not subject to this regulation. Under the permafrost of Siberia, countless mammoth corpses and a large quantity of ivory are buried, and to this day not all have been excavated; occasionally, bones or tusks protrude from the ground where people discover them.

"The bite marks are canine teeth, from Huskies, no mistake about it, it’s this kind of dog, they eat meat."

Mouri Misono confirmed with certainty the source of the destructive teeth, as her own home harbored both Big Dog and Small Dog, stupid to the core, with both of them getting beaten up by the Shiba Inu every day.

In Siberia, the only dogs capable of outdoor activities are a few sled dog breeds like Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes.

Missing mammoth tusks meant that people had been active here, and sled dogs served as corroborating evidence, for mutants would not be interested in tusks; they would just pounce on and kill every living thing they saw until they tore it to pieces and ate it.

Although the Siberian tundra is near the Arctic Circle, polar bears rely on hunting seals and even walruses and belugas for a living, with their activities largely within the coastal seas or ice floes, rarely ever venturing inland. Their bones mysteriously appearing here was definitely no accident.

Although none were experts, an individual’s insight may fall short, but collective wisdom can yield much. Even three cobblers can equal a Zhuge Liang; the members of Team 04 chimed in one after another, piecing together numerous clues from their own knowledge.

After pondering for a moment, Adrian speculated, "Maybe the work of poachers?"

"Perhaps!"

"A likely event!"

"Criminals who poach mammoth corpses and illegally hunt polar bears."

The group unanimously agreed with this speculation.

This unnamed corner of the tundra would be virtually impossible to randomly stumble upon if not for satellite navigation. It was even more remote than the abandoned farm used as a station by Team 04, making it unsurprising that it served as a secret base for poachers to divide up their catch.

B-class Ice Ability User Susanna Jean Piault stamped her foot and said, "That means there are no mutants!"

She gradually retreated towards the mobile base vehicle, planning to return to the car for a cup of hot ginger tea to warm up.

Otherwise, she might end up sadly as an Ice Ability User frozen to death.

The Snow Velvet Weeping Willows, while sheltering from the harsh weather of wind and snow, caused a noticeable rise in the temperature beneath the trees. However, no matter how much it rose, it still remained below minus thirty degrees, and unless there was another source of heat, it would never rise above freezing temperatures.

"Isn’t this a waste of time?"

The Puppet Master, who expended quite a bit of spiritual power to control the Constructed Puppet Warriors, had a face of utter despondency. He was the only one who wasted his energy for nothing, well, him and Apu, a black and dumb creature that hopped around wagging its butt, digging holes everywhere with its "Hakuna Matata" attitude, never bothering to do any serious work.

As an A-class Metal Ability User, Kiterley felt completely out of place here and said somewhat impatiently, "Adrian, are we heading back now?"

He could only get excited at the sight of mutants; a bunch of poachers just couldn’t peak his interest.

"No, let’s keep looking; we might find new clues."

Having traveled over six hours to get here, Adrian was in no hurry to return. Since they had to report the poaching gang’s activities anyway, he thought it better to investigate further, to ease the work for the police who would take over the case.

The Blue Star Global United Defense Committee had specifically established the "Bear Hunting Special Operations Division," hunting down clues about the "Water Bear" organization with an iron fist, preferring to make an error rather than let anyone slip through, so nobody could guarantee that seemingly trivial things might not contain crucial clues.

Perhaps the clues to the "Water Bear" organization were right beside them, only missing a pair of eyes capable of discerning the truth.

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