manynovel Chapter 161 Tracking a Bug
Chapter 161 Tracking a Bug
Chapter 161 Tracking an Insect
"Jellyfish maggots?"
"It's normal that you don't know. It's just a juvenile now. Only when it returns to the ocean and has enough water as nutrients will it grow into its true form quickly," Lingling explained, seeing that everyone was puzzled.
"What is the true face?"
"It's hard to say. What's really scary about these things is that in their larval stage, they're like embryos that can be molded at will. Basically, whatever they parasitize will slowly grow into that," Lingling said.
"So this thing can grow into any kind of creature?" everyone exclaimed in surprise.
"Pretty much, but this is the first time I've seen it alive, so I need to study it carefully!" Lingling's face showed excitement.
"What's this about the Drowning Curse?" Mu Nujiao asked.
"Didn't I tell you? This thing can grow into any kind of creature... including humans," Lingling said.
Everyone was stunned upon hearing this. Lingling's conclusion was simply too chilling!
Bobby, standing nearby, flew into a rage, shouting, "No...impossible! How could my brother and younger brother be transformed from such a thing?!"
"This is just speculation. Let me do some research and investigation first to determine the specifics," Lingling said calmly.
"Isn't that a bit exaggerated? It's impossible that the original form of these people who have been cursed with drowning is this thing. How can such a transparent worm transform into a human and even think and speak like a human?" Mo Fan felt that Lingling's thinking was a bit too far-fetched.
"It's not impossible. After all, the world is full of wonders, and no one dares to say that they know all the strange and wonderful things in the world."
Lu Jie pinched his chin, staring at the jellyfish maggots in the petri dish, and said in a deep voice.
"Mo Fan, look how quick Lu Jie is to learn. In our line of work, we've seen so many outrageous monsters that we could compile an encyclopedia," Lingling said earnestly.
Mo Fan: ...
As if remembering something, Lingling asked, "Was there a giant skeleton found over at the harbor?"
"Yes, that's true."
"I hope it wasn't this thing that did it, otherwise this city is in big trouble." Upon hearing this, Lingling's face immediately darkened.
"You guys go and rest first. Lu Jie and I will train this thing first, and we'll call you when it's time."
Lingling waved her hand, signaling the others to leave first. Then she and Lu Jie used a special medicine to cultivate the jellyfish maggot.
……
Late at night, Lingling called everyone to the beach. She was holding a tablet computer with a red dot on it that overlapped with theirs.
Then, Lingling nodded, and Lu Jie opened the petri dish and put the jellyfish maggots into the sea.
"What are you doing?" Bobby asked, seeing the situation.
Jellyfish maggots are transparent to begin with, so when placed in seawater, they become even more invisible.
"Look, once the jellyfish maggots enter the water, they disappear without a trace," Lingling said.
"Could it be that all the dead had this thing in their bodies?" Mu Nujiao asked.
Lingling simply nodded and then began her explanation.
Jellyfish maggots generally live in seawater and are as small as mayflies. Once they enter the human body through the mouth, nose, or other means, they will firmly adhere to the stomach and frantically absorb nutrients.
Once the host's nutrients have been completely absorbed, this thing will exert mind control, compelling the host to travel to the ocean and begin a new life there.
After Lingling's explanation, everyone felt a chill run down their spines, and goosebumps were about to appear all over their bodies.
"What terrifying creatures! Under normal circumstances, it's impossible to defend against them!" Mu Ningxue couldn't help but exclaim.
"So what do we do now?" Mo Fan asked.
"Just wait patiently," Lingling said, fiddling with her tablet.
At this moment, Lu Jie said, "Lingling and I implanted a tracking mark into that thing, so we can pinpoint its location at any time."
Upon hearing this, Bobby said excitedly, "So, our next step is to track it down, find its lair, and wipe it out in one fell swoop?"
"No, on the contrary, we must ensure that this maggot can grow up healthily!" Lingling shook her head.
How can we ensure its healthy growth?!
Upon hearing this, Mo Fan felt so angry he wanted to bang his head on the ground!
What the hell is this? Is this the kind of work a human could do?
Tracking an insect? Are you kidding me?!
Mu Nujiao and Mu Ningxue stared at those beautiful eyes, wondering if there was something wrong with the task Lingling had given them.
"It killed my brother and younger brother, and instead of killing it, I'm trying my best to protect it? You're not kidding me, are you?!" Bobby's facial muscles twitched, whether from anger or something else, it was hard to tell.
"There's no other way. This is the only living specimen we can track. It's impossible to completely eradicate this creature. There's no other way but to develop a vaccine," Lingling said earnestly.
"Let us digest this first; it's a bit hard to accept," Mo Fan said after a moment's pause.
The others exchanged bewildered glances. They were willing to fight, kill demons, and track monsters, but this time they were tasked with protecting this transparent insect that entered the sea and ensuring its growth. This was far too difficult!
Who knows if this thing will be crushed to death on the rocks if it encounters other marine life, or perhaps it will be swallowed by some marine creature without warning.
"Don't worry, these things grow very quickly. They've already prepared for their growth while they're parasitizing. In less than half a month, they'll grow into their complete form. Once they're fully grown, we can kill them and extract the tissue needed to make the vaccine," Lingling said to everyone earnestly.
Hearing this, everyone finally straightened up.
"In that case, we'll take on this job and do our best to resolve it," Mo Fan said.
"Count me in! I know this area best, and I won't let these demons who killed my brothers continue to run rampant!" Bobby said.
He was actually in a difficult position. He originally wanted to crush the thing to death, but who would have thought that he would become its bodyguard.
But reason told him that only by developing a vaccine could more people like him be saved from this parasitic disease.
"It has already swum a mile out. This is still the Anjie Sea Area, so there shouldn't be any sea monsters here. Once we leave the Anjie Sea Area, we need to be on high alert at all times," Lingling said.
"I'll go get a speedboat ready. You guys wait for me here," Bobby said, then turned and ran to the nearby harbor.
Not long after, the group boarded the speedboat prepared by Bobby and set sail. Lu Jie also asked Ai Jiangtu for leave, saying that they had something to do and would be delayed for more than ten days, so the team should stay in Tinouado for a few days first.
Ai Jiangtu was instinctively reluctant, but when he thought about Lu Jie's first time taking leave, he let him go.
(End of this chapter)