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墨書 Inktalez
However, regarding Silent Ridge, it had already been passed through before. Although the atmosphere here was extremely similar to Silent Ridge, it was hard to imagine that a beast would suddenly charge out from a corner to attack them.
In fact, after experiencing everything in the Catacomb, those bizarre occurrences could be reasonably explained. While the scent here was similar to that of Silent Ridge, there were still differences; the white mist was absent. That mist should be related to a teleportation device, and it seemed that the technology of those Burrowers could not possibly be stuck in the primitive Stone Age.
Moreover, that mist was likely a mechanism within the Tomb. Among the Burrowers, there were certainly some awakened beings with low intelligence who could manipulate the mechanisms of the Catacomb. Given the vastness of the Catacomb, it was not impossible for their race to control it; they would have no trouble finding various food sources. This was a shortcut that intelligent beings might take.
Those creatures without intelligence, no matter how powerful, would ultimately become food on a plate. Occasionally, among the Burrowers, there would appear a highly skilled individual with great combat strength, capable of leading a team effectively in close combat and adept at using crafted weapons to hunt prey. Their teamwork could stand on its own, so dominating the ecological chain of this Catacomb should not be a problem. Essentially, surface humans and Burrowed Humans were two extreme existences.
One type excessively excavated their intellectual potential and only occasionally used their strength to do what they wanted. The Burrowed Humans were quite the opposite; they revered brute force and also valued leaders with sharper intellects who prioritized strength. These Commanders could at least help them fill their stomachs by knowing where food was located, remembering those rules, and teaching their subordinates how to adapt to changing situations—this was the wisdom of leadership.
It was not surprising for them to appear here. However, everyone’s perception abilities had mostly recovered, allowing them to clearly sense any suspicious movements without missing any details. It seemed there were no illusions or suspicious creatures present, which meant they could act safely.
The path inside appeared to be fine, so they continued forward. For a while, their journey went smoothly until they soon encountered a door.
Another suspicious area emerged; the gap in this Bronze Door was covered in water stains, and water was flowing out through the cracks. This indicated that something strange lay beyond this Bronze Door. With no other options available, they had no choice but to open it. They took out their Oxygen Masks and put them on before finding a relatively concealed spot to crouch down. They heard Ross walk by and pull hard on an indentation; a black iron chain was pulled deeply from it.
A pool of rusted water flowed out next, followed by a foul odor. The mechanical Vocal Cords activated as Ross wrapped the chain around his arm and pulled forcefully forward; the entire bronze structure began to shift.
Water gushed out from behind the door in torrents. Such a situation was not impossible; although it was dark inside, the air was fresh and very humid. This wasn’t an illusion. After getting a clear view of the environment inside, their first impression confirmed that everything seemed fine. Once they entered, the Bronze Door closed behind them; this type of door had a very unique structure with sensitive predictive capabilities.
Peering inside with their searchlights revealed no noise; it was completely dark all around with smooth rounded walls. Upon closer inspection, those stones had been polished smooth by water—there were no sharp edges at all; even if pressed against one’s body, it wouldn’t cause pain.
Looking up revealed a wide ceiling adorned with numerous stone pillars. Upon further examination, those pillars also glistened with Water Droplets and had been smoothed into rounded shapes devoid of any angles—as if each had undergone extensive rubbing and cleansing by countless hands over time.
It was just an ordinary stone, unable to reveal the changes formed by natural light. They couldn't take it with them; although they wanted to study it and uncover the secrets of this Catacomb, they hadn't brought any tools for this trip. Moreover, their storage rings couldn't hold such objects. Of course, they could shatter it and cram the pieces inside, but considering the unique and dangerous situation here, without absolute certainty, it would be difficult for them to return.
So there was no need to force it. They needed to find a way to get through. Using their perception abilities, they detected that the underground spring flowed directly outside. This was great news; as long as there was an underground spring, they could find a way out. If they followed the flow of the underground water, and if they still couldn't escape, they could use explosives to break through the rock layers.
They were quite far from human settlements, so they shouldn't expect to bring back resources for research. After all, their lives were more important. Their experiences along the way had been disappointing, and once again they had been assigned a wrong mission that nearly cost them their lives.
"Let's go down; follow me," Ross said as he splashed into the water first.
Beneath the surface was a chaotic current. They wore Oxygen Masks, which meant their heads wouldn't necessarily be submerged in water while breathing was not an issue. However, they had to remain vigilant; after all, an Oxygen Mask was not a diving respirator. The fundamental differences between these two were significant. If the Conduit ruptured or if the respirator was damaged by the impact of the water flow, and if a large amount of water flooded into their lungs, there would be no saving them.
The others understood this basic knowledge, but it was still challenging to navigate through turbulent waters without being affected. They were still human after all, and managing such uncontrollable influences in high-probability situations was quite difficult.
Under Ross's lead, the others entered the rushing waters and gradually moved toward deeper areas. As soon as they submerged, a wave of impact rippled around them. Fortunately, thanks to special training, some things could be controlled; as long as they managed this point, moving quickly through turbulent waters was not unfeasible.
They descended rapidly and soon discovered an opening where water gushed outward.
At this moment, it seemed to be high tide. They surged against the current; this consumed a lot of energy. Although waiting for low tide would allow them to move with the flow for better efficiency, time was not on their side. In this situation, it was necessary to dive in now.
Of course, everyone else had also been through many battles; navigating upstream wasn't impossible for them either. It would consume stamina regardless; if they didn't do this now and waited for low tide without knowing when that would be—whether in half a month or just occasionally—they might miss the best opportunity.
Moreover, their food supplies were running low. With these external factors alleviated, every action had to encompass everything; everyone needed to survive and get out of here safely.
Ross shouted with lingering fear, "The water flow here is extremely turbulent! We need to push against it! Now is the time to exert ourselves—never let up!" The rushing water was loud and chaotic; he wasn't sure if his voice carried beyond that point—he only knew he had said it.
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