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墨書 Inktalez
"Alright, how do we get there?" Freyr nodded and continued.
"That's more like it. First, this place is divided into three layers. The outermost layer is what you see as the so-called Plant Legion. Those plants can block almost all creatures from getting in, isolating about eighty percent. The middle section, which we will encounter soon, is the territory of both the Plant and Parasite Beast factions. An Apocalyptic Level Parasite Beast can easily crush a fully armed city. If one of those Parasite Beasts gets loose, the damage it brings is catastrophic. They are native to this area and rely on the mushroom symbiotic system for survival, providing them with a habitat while they fend off invading creatures. This middle stage also eliminates nineteen percent of organisms. The last stretch is called the Underworld Road; there’s no turning back once you enter. It’s shrouded in mist, and if you’re not careful, you could fall into the abyss. To be honest, I don’t even know what lies beneath the mist, but it certainly isn’t a good place. Once you go there, you’re dead for sure, and there’s no coming back."
With Ross's knowledge, no one could truly understand him because it was so rare. It was hard to believe how he came by this information without having experienced it firsthand; it was quite astonishing.
However, that information didn’t seem fake. He wouldn’t be fooling himself into thinking he was telling the truth; that would be truly disastrous.
"Alright then, let’s do this. You lead the way. If we complete the mission safely, I’ll owe you a favor; you can ask me for anything," Freyr said.
"I don’t want you running around naked or sprinting through the city like a madman. A favor is too much; we’re still friends in this team. Just give me a powerful weapon instead. This bow doesn’t allow me to unleash my full potential—it's too outdated. I want that Divine-Grade Sunbreaker," Ross replied.
"Come on now! Using all of our team’s rewards just for you? Isn’t that a bit selfish? What do you take us for?" Xiong Tai shouted angrily.
"Companions! That way I can continue to protect you all. Maybe I have more information to trade as well. In the future, if there are suitable weapons, you can use them too. I must exchange for this exception because I’m worried that once you complete the mission, you'll kick me aside. So I need double insurance," Ross stated calmly.
"No one would do that to you. Don’t worry; with me around, your request is granted. But I hope we won’t let you down and that you won’t let us down either. I hope you stop pretending to be timid and cowardly; I've noticed everything is an act," Freyr replied coldly.
"Wow, truly worthy of being called Commander! Alright, I understand now; I won’t abandon you all as long as you need me. There will be times when I depend on you too. We each have our needs; that's how this team can be built up. Otherwise, this Novice Team might just perish halfway through without my guidance. The Underworld Road only opens at certain times and has only one exit; take one wrong step and you'll slowly waste away in that void," Ross responded.
"You really know a lot! Alright then, it's settled," Freyr nodded in agreement.
"Ugh... I don’t understand any of this; it's unbearable," Xiong Tai muttered beside them, clearly lowering his voice while grumbling. His actions made others want to kick him, but he was the biggest man in the team—one of those straightforward types who would definitely demand payback if punched.
So they ignored him instead; by doing so, things naturally became calmer as they fell silent and walked slowly behind everyone else.
The sound of footsteps became noticeably clearer as everyone’s Oxygen Masks emitted hissing noises more loudly; after all, spreading out could raise suspicions about what was following them from behind.
In fact, they had already noticed this point long ago. Even with their Oxygen Masks on, a hunter should possess keen awareness—something expected from their training—even novice hunters should have some level of alertness. The footsteps were getting closer and had clearly been tracking them for some time; they were cunning enough to synchronize their movements with those of the group to avoid detection.
But things didn’t go as planned; among them were those who had awakened their perception abilities and became acutely aware of their surroundings—those petty tricks were no longer effective.
"We feel like we’re being followed," Xiong Tai panted heavily before suddenly realizing something and responding lightly.
"It’s not a feeling; we are already being tracked," Ross nodded in acknowledgment.
"The number of them is one, two, three, six. Could it be that the Dust you just mentioned is fake? How could they still track us? Are they following footprints or the scent of living beings emanating from us?" Freyr looked at the calm Ross with a skeptical gaze, clearly not believing his words. He had no idea what Ross's true intentions were. Regardless, everything would eventually come to light; he needed to find out the truth and would definitely ask for clarification once this was all over.
"Those are a type of hunter, second only to the Ultimate Quality Parasite Beast. They are not Apocalyptic Level Parasite Beasts, so there's no need to worry about their presence. We can ignore them; they must have been attracted by something else. This area is part of a mushroom symbiotic system, and beyond that lies the distinction between human red and white blood cells. We are the Bacteria, and when the white blood cells activate, they will eliminate us periodically." Ross scoffed coldly and continued, "And those Plant Army act as the white blood cells. We are seen as invading Bacteria, so naturally, we will be attacked by them. However, we have taken on the role of so-called white blood cells, which gives us a certain level of deception. Only the Plant Army can identify our true identities. The Parasite Beasts will flee upon encountering us. Let's keep moving; I just hope we don't run into any more Plant Army, or else this scent will definitely not mask our living presence."
Just as he said that, a large mass of vines suddenly rose up from the jungle behind them, followed by several screams echoing through the air. The sounds came from those in great pain; the Parasite Beasts were immediately ensnared by the vines and smashed against trees until they were crushed.
Ross shook his head in indication and said, "Even so, let's go."
They had not anticipated such an outcome and continued forward, clearly moving deeper into the center.
As they entered the next area, they found leaves covered in horrifying blood and scattered empty skeletons littering the ground.
"Where is this place?" After exiting from one side of a cave, they found themselves at another dead end. "The initial fear has vanished; it seems we are relatively safe here," Mackey remarked with a smile.
"Safe? You think you're safe? There's no way to be safe anywhere here. Don't overthink it; I'll go take a look. You all stay put and rest," Ross frowned and nodded towards Xuanhui, then walked toward another side.
It seemed some things had to be done personally to achieve their goals. Freyr understood this principle as well; it appeared there were still many factors to consider before acting hastily. Meanwhile, Ross had separated from the team and approached a solid wall that blocked their path, gazing around while reaching out to touch it, deep in thought.
Freyr pretended to chat with those nearby but was actually observing Ross's actions closely. Recently, Ross had been acting somewhat unusually; however, this odd behavior did not suggest he intended to harm anyone in the team—rather, he genuinely seemed to want to help his companions.
Yet it was clear that this would take quite some time, and finding a way out from here would undoubtedly be challenging. Their earlier exertions had already drained much of their energy; now was an opportunity to rest as much as possible since there might be even more physically demanding tasks ahead.
However, as others chatted away, silence soon fell over them. This state persisted for quite a while until Freyr unknowingly drifted off to sleep. In a hazy moment, he felt someone lift his arm; just as he became aware of what was happening, he suddenly opened his eyes and found himself gripping Xiong Tai's wrist tightly. His sudden force caused the bones in Xiong Tai's wrist to protrude painfully.
In pain, Xiong Tai collapsed onto the ground with loud cries—likely cursing under his breath—his words filled with expletives that suggested he hadn't received proper moral education from his teachers.
Yet it wasn't entirely fair to blame Xiong Tai. He clearly intended for Freyr to sleep better by adjusting his grip on his wrist but hadn't anticipated how well-coordinated and sensitive Freyr's reflexes remained even after leaving military service. Thankfully he wasn't holding a knife; otherwise, it wouldn't have been surprising if he had accidentally severed his own fingers.
Realizing that he had misunderstood Xiong Tai's intentions, he quickly loosened his grip and replied calmly, "Oh, it's you. You should have said something! You know I can't have anyone near me; my reflexes are quicker than my brain! Luckily you weren't hurt; otherwise..." His voice trailed off abruptly.
"I messed up; I'm really sorry," Xiong Tai retracted his hand with an expression of helplessness.
"I found something! Everyone come over and take a look; it's based on the same principle as that Bronze Door," suddenly came a voice from another side.
The awkward atmosphere within the team dissipated significantly as it seemed that research on that side had progressed for some time. After a brief moment of restfulness, Ross continued his focused research on that side while others rested nearby.
They immediately walked over, and after about ten seconds, Ross began to feel around to one side. He reached into a trench and pulled hard, extracting something that resembled a chain. The chain was covered in deep red rust, indicating it had been there for quite some time.
Moreover, the trench was still seeping with water. Even the best iron would corrode into a thick layer of rust when submerged. As Ross tugged gently, the initial segment broke off right at the link.
"Damn it," he muttered, "it's gotten to this point. Well, there's no helping it. Can you hold my bag for me?" With that, Ross dropped his backpack and slowly pulled out the remaining chain. As he yanked it back against his body, he leaned slightly to one side and faced them. Then, with a forceful push from his shoulder, his bones and muscles cracked loudly as the chain was gradually pulled from deep within.
This section of the chain had been locked tight, yet it came out along with some yellowish iron residue. The sound of the chain echoed as the wall behind him trembled, and then with a thunderous crash, a large amount of stone fell down.
The stone wall on the Bronze Door cracked open; it must have been dust accumulated over time that had solidified into stone. Now that the bronze door had been opened, the stones immediately began to fracture. The Bronze Door remained half open and half closed, with the other half remaining completely still.
The others instinctively moved toward the door, and Ross was the last to enter from the other side. He secured the chain to a nearby structure before slowly stepping inside.
It wasn't long before the Bronze Door closed behind them as expected. Inside, there was not a hint of dry air; beneath their feet lay some disgusting sticky strands that resembled hair. It was unclear what this place had been before.
The others widened their eyes instinctively and turned on their flashlights to scan around. This turned out to be a passageway filled with strange creatures—skeletal remains that seemed to belong to unevolved humans like Burrowers. Most of these people had likely killed each other here, perhaps even resorting to cannibalism for food. Witnessing such occurrences firsthand made it hard to comprehend; could they not wait for death without concern? Just for a bite to eat, they would eliminate each other for a little more time to live.
Understanding eluded them all. Each person carried an indelible mark deep within their hearts—one they were reluctant to let others touch. Even if those memories contained sweet moments shared with close friends, they wouldn’t want their future spouses to know about those past connections.
"It’s truly tragic," Ross remarked quietly as he glanced at the skeletal remains on the ground. He shook his head in confusion but realized there were many things he couldn't fathom. He stared ahead thoughtfully for a while; as he pondered longer, his expression intensified in resonance with his inner thoughts. "It seems these people encountered something that drove them to escape from deep within here. Unfortunately, they died here forever. Through the Bronze Door, they might have found some semblance of peace knowing something had happened inside. What kind of situation could it be? Surely we can’t be as useless as these technologically backward semi-evolved beings."
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