Ethan's survey team didn't rush into the jungle's interior. Instead, they spent some time by the sea, living there for a few days to determine the general environmental conditions of this world before beginning their advance into the forest.
As it turned out, this caution was well-founded. They retreated within half a day of entering the jungle.
Everyone present had a grim look on their face. For the past few days, nothing unexpected had happened. The test data for the planet's air, soil, and water were all quite satisfactory. This place seemed like a perfect habitable planet.
"I didn't expect that purple mist to be so troublesome."
It wasn't a monster they encountered, nor was it some primitive tribe or even local intelligent life. What stopped everyone was that dense purple mist.
When viewed from the sky, the mist was ethereal and beautiful. When they were immersed in it, the constant flashes of light on their protective suits and the alarms flashing in the corner of their vision forced them to turn back.
"Something in the mist seems to be constantly attacking us."
They had just entered the purple mist and hadn't gone far when their protective suits began to alert them. The protective layer was under attack, and the defense energy was decreasing.
Seeing this situation, everyone retreated immediately. In their haste, they couldn't think too much. Annette, with quick reflexes, managed to collect a small sample of the mist with her equipment.
"Anyway, it's not anything good."
Logan lowered his head to check the condition of his gear. After finding that he had only lost a bit of energy, he helped check the others' equipment and finally stood before Groot.
"How do you feel, buddy?"
"I am Groot."
Rocket Raccoon translated casually from the side. "He's fine. That mist didn't hurt him."
"I can understand."
A major advantage of becoming a druid is the ability to communicate with many life forms without barriers. However, many life forms, such as most ordinary plants, only have basic instinctual consciousness. Even if you communicate with them, they cannot express their meaning as clearly and accurately as humans.
Groot is different. He possesses quite high intelligence and can perfectly express his thoughts, as long as you can understand their language.
In fact, not only Logan could understand Groot's words, but Ethan had also mastered the language Groot used by casting spells like Comprehend Languages.
Ethan hadn't figured out the principle behind this type of spell. The core seemed to be a single rule: let me learn your language.
It's generally difficult to figure out the principles of such rule-based spells, and learning them is also troublesome. Either you can learn it, or you can't.
It wasn't that Ethan couldn't learn it. It was just that in the past, he couldn't cast this spell as effortlessly as he does now, nor could he avoid harming the target and himself.
The most convenient part about mastering Groot's language was that he could directly communicate with Groot and ask him how he felt in that mist.
"I am Groot!"
Groot's reply wasn't very helpful. As Rocket Raccoon had said before, Groot could survive in most environments. He felt no discomfort at all in that mist. In fact, this dense forest environment made him feel quite good.
"..."
Is this mist harmless to plant-like beings like Groot?
Annette was conducting tests on the open-air workbench. Before figuring out what this stuff was, they wouldn't bring it into their living quarters.
Annette didn't take long to get the results.
"The mist contains various strange microorganisms and many components I've never seen before. Some of them resemble plant seeds."
"Seeds? You mean the seeds in this mist attacked us?"
"Perhaps not an attack, just trying to attach. Because our protective suits are covered in energy, maybe these seeds, out of survival instinct, thought this was a good environment for growth?"
That was a possibility. Also, since the mist was full of plant seeds, wasn't Groot, who wasn't wearing any protective gear, now covered in parasites?
"It seems Groot will need a thorough sterilization before he can enter the room."
"I am Groot."
"Must sterilize."
Groot was dejected, but this couldn't change everyone's decision. Star-Lord and Ethan discussed what to do next.
Their survey work had only gone smoothly in the initial stage. They had just begun a deeper survey when they immediately encountered a big problem.
"If we turn off our protective suits, perhaps the seeds in the mist won't choose to attach to our protective energy, so maybe there won't be a problem?"
"If the energy is off, do we just breathe this planet's air directly? And how do we know that purple mist is harmless to humans?"
"This protective suit also comes with a sealed helmet. We just don't use it usually because of the energy layer."
"We can try that."
Ethan took out the fully sealed helmet. The helmet wasn't very large, and the entire front was transparent glass, ensuring a wide field of vision.
The helmet could turn with the head. It wasn't like a fixed hood attached to the suit. It wasn't heavy either and wouldn't impede the user's movements.
Ethan and Star-Lord put on their helmets. Along with Nebula, Logan, and Annette, they advanced deeper into the jungle again. Groot was left behind this time. Rocket Raccoon was in charge of giving him a thorough sterilization, and they would guard the camp with Gamora.
Entering the forest again, the deeper they went, the thicker the mist became. Ethan and the others had reached an area they hadn't been to before. Their vision was already being affected. Radar screens were activated on everyone's masks, showing teammates' positions, recording every inch of ground they covered, automatically generating a map, and logging their route.
"The seeds in the mist aren't attaching to us anymore."
Annette had been observing her own condition and found that after turning off the energy layer, the seeds in the mist indeed showed no abnormal activity. They were just normally dispersed in the mist.
"The mist in this forest doesn't seem to dissipate?"
When observed from the air, the entire forest was shrouded in dense mist. Perhaps this purple substance wasn't mist but something like miasma.
In that case, they absolutely couldn't take off their helmets casually. Who knew if this gas was poisonous?
Annette had already tested the composition, but there were many components she had no idea what they were. After all, this wasn't Earth.
Even if the mist itself wasn't poisonous, the seeds scattered within the mist couldn't be ignored. Who could guarantee what would grow if these seeds were inhaled?
"Plant version of Aliens?"
The thought alone was chilling. Ethan had already made a judgment. This forest was not suitable for humans to enter and settle unless the mist was cleared. What he needed to determine now was how significant the relationship between this mist and these plants was.
Could clearing a portion of the plants create a safe zone similar to the one by the sea?
While thinking about this, Logan, who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped and specifically used his communicator to warn everyone to be careful.
"What did you find?"
"Something ahead."
Star-Lord had hung his survey equipment on his back and drawn his weapon. "Is it a beast?"
"Not entirely sure. It feels more like a plant, but this thing is giving off a very strong sense of aggression."
"Maybe it's a plant capable of hunting? That's not exactly rare." Nebula scoffed. "Just set it on fire."
Perhaps the other side detected Nebula's thought, because as soon as she spoke, several vines emerged from the mist and shot towards them.
The vines were incredibly fast, reaching everyone in an instant. Even those like Nebula, who had undergone enhancements, were a bit slow to react.
However, with Logan's warning, Ethan had already been guarding against unexpected situations. As a result, none of the vines hit their targets, all blocked by the spatial wall Ethan cast.
To Ethan's surprise, this attack was just a feint, because he detected several vines quietly approaching the group from the side. If Ethan and the others were just ordinary survey personnel, they might have been caught off guard.
But there wasn't a single ordinary person here. Not only did Ethan and Logan detect the plants trying to launch a sneak attack from the side, but even Star-Lord and Nebula reacted and counterattacked.
Star-Lord's shooting skills were formidable. He could accurately hit even small targets. With continuous shooting, he shredded these vines.
Nebula used an energy rifle taken from the Milano. This weapon had strong firepower and a wide spread, somewhat like an energy shotgun. One shot blasted several vines into fragments.
Seeing everyone perform so well, Ethan stopped paying attention to the sides and focused on the enemy ahead.
Perhaps realizing the sneak attack was ineffective, the attacking plants stopped hiding and launched a more ferocious assault. Not only did countless vines shoot out from the mist, but they were also mixed with clumps of purplish-black liquid.
Seeing the effect of this liquid when it hit the ground, almost corroding a pit, no one wanted to be touched by this stuff.
"We have to clear the mist first."
The dense mist severely affected visibility. Many times, by the time they saw an attack, the vines and that liquid were already upon them. They had to change this unfavorable situation.
While maintaining the spatial wall in front, Ethan channeled his magic to cast another spell.
A surge of magic power poured out from Ethan, then transformed into a strong wind that swept through this entire area.
As the gale blew, the purple mist was completely swept away. Everyone finally had a clear view and saw what they were facing, a group of large purple flowers writhing on the ground.
(To be continued.)