Half of the hill was the creature's body. The rest was the actual hillside. But because of the continuous snowfall covering everything, they hadn't realized they were standing on the creature.

"It's my first time seeing a mutated giraffe. Did such a gentle creature become carnivorous after mutating?" With its size, one wonders how much it would need to eat daily if it turned carnivorous.

Shao Qi gave Zhuo Hao a glance, prompting the latter to begin filming immediately. A new species! It's a pity they couldn't capture one for study; such a large mutated creature would be impossible for them to transport even if they managed to kill it.

The sight of humans scared the mutated giraffe, making it step back, inadvertently stepping on an armored vehicle. It seemed intrigued, lowering its head to playfully kick the vehicle around as if it were a toy ball.

Xuan Xie looked on despairingly, lamenting, "That's my car."

Shao Qi ordered, "Quickly bring the vehicle back. We need to leave immediately. It seems it won't harm anyone."

Cars were scattered haphazardly everywhere. Thankfully, the armored vehicles were resilient, capable of enduring several rolls. Xuan Yue and his group were redistributed among the other vehicles, which then sped off with roaring engines.

Zhou You observed from behind, noticing the giraffe still toying with a vehicle. One tough armored car had already been wrecked. Such strength was truly astounding. If it had attacked them earlier, escaping would have been quite challenging.

"This mutation is astonishing. Given its size, could giraffes dominate the forests in the future?"

"At the very least, it'll deter many predators."

The events of the day and night had dampened the spirits of many who were previously confident. They felt as though they were constantly fleeing, which was rather humiliating, especially since they were some of the more remarkable individuals in Yang City. It's no wonder ordinary folks wouldn't dare leave their base.

Through his headset, Shao Qi said, "We lost one vehicle and the supplies on it. We'll need to be more conservative from now on. Today, before entering the marshlands, hunt any isolated mutant creatures you encounter to replenish our food supply."

The next half-day's journey allowed everyone to showcase their skills. They didn't encounter any peculiar mutants or significant challenges. Each individual took action, gradually regaining their confidence.

Upon reaching the edge of the marshland, Shao Qi instructed the convoy to stop for cooking and barbecuing. It was essential to eat their fill. Once they entered the marsh, there'd be no chance for hot meals as lighting a fire would be impossible.

Zhou You handed some grilled meat to Shao Qi and asked, "How did this marshland form? Wasn't this area fairly flat before?"

"Do you not remember? There used to be a lake here. After the surrounding cities fell into ruins, and when Yang City was established, the government, fearing that the ruins might house dangerous mutants, bombed the area. Likely, the topography changed, causing the lake's waters to drain. With decaying flora and fauna accumulating in the mud, the area transformed into a marshland."

"Is there no other way around?"

"There is, but it would detour us by two to three days." After finishing his meal and noticing Zhou You eating sparingly, Shao Qi whispered, "Even if it's for show, eat more. Especially on the upcoming journey. Try not to stand out too much; we don't fully know this group's background."

Zhou You nodded, indifferently shoving the somewhat unpleasant-tasting mutant meat into his mouth. He would eat it for cultivation, but if it came to surviving on nutrient solutions, he doubted he could stomach it. After all, whether he ate or not didn't matter to him.

"Once you've eaten, inspect the vehicles. Change the tires and discard any unnecessary weight. We'll resupply at our next stop. Once we're in the marsh, stay with the group, and never remove your masks. If your vehicle gets stuck, call for help immediately. Is that clear?" Shao Qi asked loudly.

"Understood, Captain Shao. Do we really have to take this route? One vehicle represents several lives. If something happens... the loss would be immense." The eldest member of the team, known as Old Chen, voiced his concern.

Without offering an explanation, Shao Qi promptly instructed everyone to quickly change to marsh-specific tires. These tires were designed for traversing marshlands, albeit at a slow pace.

Every warrior on the mission was adept at changing tires — a survival skill. Within minutes, the task was completed, and the convoy resumed its journey into the vast, dark marshland.

As everyone boarded their vehicles, Old Chen discarded a half-smoked cigarette, crushing an empty pack and leaving it behind. Once onboard, he patted his empty pocket and joked to a teammate, "I'm a heavy smoker. Going days without a cigarette will be tough."

"Why not vape, Old Chen? Tell me you brought your e-cigarette?"

"Oh, right! I almost forgot about that."

The discarded cigarette pack emitted a faint red glow. A ** was hidden inside, but unfortunately, nobody noticed.

The peril of the marshland was not just its treacherous ground, where one could easily sink, but also the mutant insects and creatures that inhabited it. The convoy moved slowly, with armed members ready to shoot anything that emerged from the mud. Fortunately, the mutant insects here were not particularly formidable.

Over the headset, Shao Qi warned, "Stay alert. There are small black-scaled crocodiles in the marsh. They usually appear in groups. If you spot any, steer clear. Bullets won't do much to them."

Zhou You recalled reading about these mutant crocodiles. Their hard scales blended seamlessly with the marshland, making them hard to spot. With their camouflage, they never failed in their hunts. They were high-tier mutants, and terrifyingly, they lived in groups.

Many secretly hoped they wouldn't be unlucky enough to encounter a group of crocodiles. Perhaps it's true that what you fear most often comes to pass; from the first vehicle, Shao Qi, looking through his binoculars, spotted a hunting black-scaled crocodile. He immediately directed everyone to shift several meters to the side.