On the way, they kept encountering the same cocoons and the same broken giant trees, as well as strange growth rings and small insects in the giant trees.
The tree cores sampled previously had been thrown away by Tesla.
Because he found that those weird little bugs were not active, or even no longer observed to move at all.
Does this mean that these little bugs died in the light?
And how can such a discovery be compared to the horrific murderous creature Hannah said?
At the same time, it also supports Fan Li's bold guess that this thing may really be the murderer.
If that's really the case, it's really terrifying.
Because if these things die in the presence of light, it means that they can suck people into mummies in a very short period of time.
This also made everyone fearful of this kind of thing.
Along the way, Tesla no longer collected tree cores. Instead, at Chloe's strong request, he burned the exposed parts of the broken trees.
Perhaps these terrible bugs have been sleeping in the giant trees for thousands of years, and they were only able to see the light of day when the trees were broken.
Along the way, Hannah almost reiterated, "The light must have killed them because they don't like the light."
However, Fan Li made a new discovery unintentionally, "Tesla, do you know about bugs?"
He discovered a clear slime that was left on the surface of vegetation near where the bug was found.
Tesla was in a bad mood because he couldn't study them carefully. "They are the basis of the ecosystem, and their number is probably hundreds of millions of times the total population of the earth."
Fan Li looked at the gradually darkening sky, "They have been around for a long time, right?"
Tesla nodded, "Yes, the earliest known one is hundreds of millions of years old, much earlier than the dinosaurs."
Fan Li said seriously, "But the longest fallen giant trees we have seen are only a few thousand years old, and the growth rings represent the history of climate change."
"This means that during the season or year when trees first grow, there are some abnormal phenomena that lead to the formation of those weird growth rings."
Mai Ziwen was very interested, "For example?"
Fan Li motioned for everyone to eat the spare dry food, "Meteorite impacts, volcanic eruptions, strong geological changes..."
There is another thing he did not mention, that is nuclear radiation.
Because in the era when Tesla and others lived, nuclear weapons had not yet appeared.
Ever since she discovered the pupa, Chloe has been looking bad, "It's possible, but what does this have to do with bugs?"
Fan Li chewed the food, "These phenomena may bring a large amount of radioactive materials, and the irradiated organisms will die and are more likely to mutate.
"In fact, there have been cases where single-cell organisms mutated and sucked human brains."
He didn't know what the situation would be like after dark, so it was necessary to eat dry food early to replenish physical energy.
Moreover, it is completely silent here, and there are few animals for them to hunt.
Tesla also took out the food, "That's different. Insects are complex organisms, and their mutations require years of evolution."
Fan Li felt his throat was dry, but he didn't dare to drink the water he got in the morning without boiling it. "Perhaps what we encountered is not a mutant at all."
Tesla swallowed his food and said, "Ahem, you mean that the ones in the growth rings are insect larvae that have been mutated since ancient times?"
Fan Li nodded, "It's possible that they existed in a way we don't know, and then formed their current state due to geological changes and radiation effects."
Mai Ziwen thoughtfully said, “They are like dinosaur fossils, sealed in underground rocks and brought to the surface by the force of geological changes;
"Then, as they absorb soil nutrients through the roots, they are transported into the tree along with the root system."
Fan Li thought of divine civilization and omnic civilization, "ancient insect eggs, or unknown creatures sealed in meteorites from outer space.
"They have existed for millions of years, even countless billions of years, and have been dormant until the time is right and they come alive."
Chloe was in a bad mood as she ate the dry food, "That's a poetic thought, isn't it?"
Hannah ate with gusto, "Maybe our discussion about bugs has become obsessive."
Chloe rarely supported Hannah in a big way, "Yes, what we have to consider now is how to get out of this large forest safely, not the damn bugs."
Fan Li frowned, "But we found nothing except cocoons and bugs. If we don't study bugs, what do you think we should do?"
Chloe raised her hand and threw away the bone in her hand, "I don't want to eat hard things anymore, what else do you want me to say?
"Let's face it, we might die here, and if we're lucky, our mummies will be found hanging on a tree branch by someone who comes after us.
"Or, maybe no one will ever find us."
Fan Li said coldly, "You are right, arguing is a waste of time. None of us will die tonight."
They found a relatively wide area before dark.
Fan Li asked everyone to find a considerable amount of dry firewood and form a large oval circle.
Later, on the outer perimeter, long tree sticks were used to build a wooden fence with a large bottom and a small top.
After doing this, Fan Li asked everyone to enter the ring and lit the firewood in the ring early.
With fire, everyone can boil water and food.
Tesla suddenly realized, "Fan Li, you want everyone to sleep in the middle of the fire, forming a wall of fire around them.
“The wooden fence wall on the side is to block the wind and form a powerful vortex of hot air above our heads.
"Even if bugs are not afraid of fire, the barrier of the flames and the density flow generated by thermal expansion above are enough to form a tight protective wall, making it difficult for bugs to get in."
Hannah wondered, "What is density flow?"
She knew that the expanding flame wall could block the penetration of insects, but she could not fully understand the higher-level scientific knowledge.
After all, her parents left her when she was very young. Even with her father's early teachings and the study of relevant books, she could not reach a sufficient height.
Maizi Wen Science Popularization, "The density flow created by Fan Li is caused by the uneven density of the air above the flame being heated and the convection with the cold air above.
"In addition to temperature, factors that normally cause density differences include solute content, mixture content, etc."
Chloe had no confidence, "Tesla, do you think this can work?"
Tesla firmly believes, "It's absolutely no problem. They can't get through such a wide fire wall at all. The only loophole is the sky above, but...
"Fan Li created such a funnel-shaped density flow 'sky dome' blocker. Even if there are insects rushing in at the risk of death, they are just insect corpses and there is nothing to worry about."
The sky gradually darkened.
After everyone had dinner again, they spread out blankets and lay down on the open space in the middle of the fire.
Since there were flames all around, after the five of them spread blankets, the space inside was no longer spacious, and it was impossible to build a tent.
Looking at the completely dark sky, no one felt sleepy even if they lay down.
Whether it is a fire wall or a density flow, after all, they all look virtual and are not a real airtight solid wall, which always gives people an unsafe feeling.
Especially Chloe, who couldn't sleep well despite tossing and turning, her eyes widened as she stared at the trembling air.
It should be noted that this is a life-or-death moment, but there is a loophole and everyone has to play it out.
sudden.
Chloe's head slowly raised while lying on the blanket, "I, I saw them."
She got up, her face turned pale, "Hey, I told you to come and take a look at this."