Chapter 147: Alien Observation Line

Chapter 147: Chapter 147: Alien Observation LineThe female gamer had nothing to say to Xu Huo, but the burly man beside her stood up to block him, warning Xu Huo with his eyes not to come any closer.

Xu Huo snorted coldly and distanced himself from them.

Soon, a large bus approached from the end of the street, screeched to a halt in front of them, and before it could come to a complete stop, a long-faced man opened the door shouting, "Hurry up, hurry up, time waits for no one."

Xu Huo followed the female gamer onto the bus and paused after boarding: there were too many people on the bus.

This bus was similar to the ones in his world, only more spacious, with a table in front of each pair of seats. A bus could seat thirty people, and with them on board, it was nearly full.

Were this many players participating in a single instance?

It seemed unlikely.

But if all these people were players, it wasn’t good news for them either.

The female gamer at the front instinctively frowned and then headed towards the last row, where three seats were empty.

"Don’t stand there, sit down." The apparent tour guide, the long-faced man, told someone at the front of the bus to "drive," and the driverless bus automatically started, moving smoothly and swiftly forward.

After the bus set off, he stood in the front and said to the full load of passengers, "We have the last group of tourists for today. Don’t worry, the bus won’t make any stops along the way, and we will definitely arrive at the tourist town before dusk."

The other tourists laughed, and one woman said, "I’ve taken this route so many times, how can I not trust you? You’re famously punctual."

"Since we have plenty of time, why don’t you tell us more about the Alien species in the old district!"

The long-faced tour guide smiled and said, "It seems that everyone is very interested in the Aliens."

"Then everyone take out the brochures from under the table."

Xu Huo, following everyone’s lead, took out a thin, colorful brochure from under the table. Aside from the first page with a brief introduction to Brick Fairy Tale Tourist Town, the rest were illustrated guides to the Alien species, totaling sixteen different kinds.

Most of these variably shaped Aliens retained human forms, and the brochure named them based on their distinct appearances, including detailed information about their habits and survival guidelines for encounters.

"You’re all in luck today, as we’ve caught the Corrosive Sea at low tide. Every year at this time, the most valuable of the Fish-Transformed Variants come ashore to migrate," said the long-faced tour guide.

"It’s the Algae Shell Variant!" the woman who had spoken earlier answered promptly.

"Correct, it’s the Algae Shell Variant," the tour guide confirmed with a clap, "After twenty years of evolution, the once-corroded sea has now become a breeding ground for algae shells, and the Aliens that have adapted to live in the sea provide them with the perfect habitat."

"At high tide, these algae shells scatter their seeds onto the skin of the Algae Shell Variant. New algae shells will then grow on the Aliens, drawing nutrients from their bodies, becoming exceptionally plump by the time of low tide."

"So, not only will you have the chance to see the rare Algae Shell Variant later, but you’ll also get to taste the incredibly delicious algae shells."

As he described, there was actually a chorus of swallowing sounds throughout the bus.

Including the long-faced tour guide himself, who jokingly wiped the corner of his mouth, "Just thinking about that taste makes my mouth water."

Xu Huo flipped to the page on the Algae Shell Variant. The photo showed a lean person just climbing out of the purple seawater, their body covered with fish-scale-like lesions with root-bearing seashells growing on them.

Those shells’ roots penetrated the Alien’s skin like plant rhizomes, crowding like veins, seemingly treating the Alien’s flesh as nutrients.

The appearance of being covered in shells was a bit bizarre, but one could still make out that it was human.

"Aliens used to be humans, too, but can we eat the things that grow out of them?" a young man suddenly asked from up front.

Seeing that everyone on the bus turned their eyes toward him, he explained a bit awkwardly, "I’m just asking casually..."

The long-faced tour guide didn’t seem to care and said, "You and the three friends who came aboard later must be first-timers at Brick Fairy Tale Tourist Town. I recognized you the moment I saw you."

"We’ve never eaten that Algae Shell Variant." The female gamer said at this point.

The long-faced tour guide smiled, "Exactly, anyone who has tasted Algae Shell Variant won’t remember where it grows from."

"You wouldn’t understand now, but when we get to the tourist town, I’ll point out a few restaurants that serve Algae Shell Variant. Whether it’s good or not, you’ll only know after you try."

The female gamer nodded calmly.

Xu Huo flipped through the booklet and muttered, "I wonder if it’s expensive."

The vehicle drove onto a suspension bridge, and the long-faced tour guide said again, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is the feeding zone."

"Beneath us are the Omnivorous Variants, known for their large appetites. Although their external degeneration isn’t obvious, their instincts and behaviors are no different from those of ferocious beasts, and they are especially brutal."

"There have been accidents in the past where tourists fell to their deaths. Once you fall down there, you’d be devoured clean by the Alien even before you take your last breath, so please be careful when feeding."

Far from being alarmed, the tour guide’s words only made the veteran tourists on the bus even more excited. They stretched their heads out of the windows with the meat they had prepared, throwing it down and laughing heartily as they pointed at a certain Alien Variant.

The long-faced tour guide now came over carrying a cage, and upon opening it, there were several live animals inside.

"Would you three like to give it a try? The price is clearly marked, fifty White Notes each."

The female gamer’s face darkened slightly, and she turned her head away, "Filthy."

"I’ll take one!" Xu Huo passed a hundred White Notes over instead.

The long-faced tour guide pulled out an animal that looked like a little monkey, gave him change, and said, "Hold on tight now, these Pygmy Monkeys are very agile."

"You think it could get away from me?" Xu Huo patted his chest, but as soon as he took it, the little monkey scratched him twice and, using his face as a springboard, leaped out the window!

Amid the laughter of the tourists on the bus, they all turned to watch the direction in which the Pygmy Monkey was escaping. "This is going to be good!"

The railings of the suspension bridge were made of some material that didn’t provide a stable footing, and when the little monkey jumped on it, it lost its balance and fell straight down. At the same time, three Alien Variants leaped out from different directions, tearing it apart in midair, and the blood and organs that spilled were licked clean by more Aliens that surged forth.

In two or three seconds, all that was left were some bloodstains.

Xu Huo narrowed his eyes, but then he heard the long-faced tour guide say, "Aside from the tourist routes, everywhere else in the breeding area is where the Alien Variants roam. Anything alive that goes in won’t come out in one piece."

After saying that, he handed over a tube of ointment, "Special Scratch-healing Ointment, fifty White Notes."

"Did you do that on purpose?" Xu Huo turned back angrily.

"When you’re out and about, don’t be so stingy, man. That monkey was caught from the contaminated zone. Catching it could have led to festering wounds. Fifty White Notes is a small price to pay for an intact hand," the long-faced tour guide said as he forcefully took the White Notes that Xu Huo hadn’t had time to pocket.