Chapter 568
A World Full of Monsters and Opportunities
Chapter 568 A World Full of Monsters and Opportunities
The noise in the courtyard rose and fell.
Pan Wendi, Pang Hu, Xu Hao, and others were playing drinking games and shouting at the top of their lungs.
The girls at Bailing's table also gathered together, chatting and laughing, forming their own little circle.
Amidst the bustling atmosphere, the main table in the corner remained remarkably quiet.
It felt as if I was immersed in another mysterious and unknown world.
Fang Cheng leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed intently on the professor.
Lin Chuqiao sat beside him, holding a juice glass in both hands, listening with great interest.
Li Dingjian and Xiao Sa both held their breath and strained their ears, afraid of missing a single word.
"The fog inside was significantly thicker than outside, as if something was hidden there."
The professor took a sip of wine to moisten his throat and continued to recount his adventure to the people at the table.
“I felt something was wrong at the time. We mercenaries who have lived on the edge have an instinctive sense of danger.”
"But those guys from the research team, as if they had seen some priceless treasure, their eyes lit up and they went straight up to it."
"The doctor leading the team took out a complex set of instruments from a metal case he was carrying and set it up next to the stone platform."
"Then, several other researchers took out many blood plasma bags and injected the blood all at once into the tubing connected to the instrument."
"Blood?"
Li Dingjian frowned slightly and couldn't help but interject:
"Is this still scientific research? It sounds more like a cult sacrifice!"
"You guessed right."
The professor's expression darkened slightly as he adjusted his glasses.
"That instrument seems to be able to convert blood into some kind of bioelectric energy, which is then injected into the groove below the crystal ball through the catheter."
"As blood continued to be injected, the crystal ball spun faster and faster, and the original faint blue light turned into a dazzling red light."
"Not long after, black mist suddenly appeared in the space in front of the stone platform, gathering more and more, like waves constantly surging."
"The mercenary who was closest to it was unable to dodge in time and was swallowed by the black mist."
"In just a few seconds, his whole body looked as if he had been splashed with strong acid. His skin and flesh quickly turned black and rotted. His screams echoed in the temple, making people's scalps tingle."
"It seems that the miasma in the jungle originates from these black fogs."
Upon hearing this, Lin Chuqiao gripped the cup in her hand tightly, her face turning slightly pale.
She recalled the otherworld she had encountered in Misty Mountain, where similar terrifying scenes had occurred.
“We were terrified and tried to run away with our guns, but the research team members acted as if nothing had happened.”
The professor paused, then continued:
"They quickly opened several heavy suitcases and took out sets of silver-white protective suits, which looked like the fully enclosed style worn by astronauts, but with greater ease of movement."
"These people were clearly well-prepared, dressed very skillfully, and then the leader shouted to us through his mask, saying that if we went in with them, the bounty for this mission would be doubled."
"He also revealed that behind the door is an unexplored new world, filled with treasures that can transform people like us."
"Double the bounty, plus the temptation to become stronger... As the saying goes, people die for wealth and birds die for food. How can we desperados resist this?"
The professor sighed and shook his head self-deprecatingly:
"Back then, I was young and impetuous, and I was determined to go back to Dongdu to take revenge. As long as I could become stronger, I would dare to go even to hell."
"So, I gritted my teeth, put on the spare protective suit, and followed them into that black fog."
At this point, the professor paused for a moment, seemingly recalling the scene carefully.
"The feeling of passing through the black fog was like being stuffed into a washing machine. The whole body was spinning and I almost lost consciousness."
"When we finally got back to solid ground and stood up, the sight before us stunned us all."
"It was also a forest there, the sky was a gray, leaden color, and the air was filled with a faint smell of sulfur."
"You can imagine that without protective suits and breathing filters, the air there alone would have rotted our lungs."
"Moreover, everything there seemed to be magnified dozens of times."
The professor stretched out his arms and gestured as he spoke:
"Ferns grow like towering trees, mushrooms are like giant umbrellas, and even beetles crawling on the ground are as big as millstones."
"That world looks like Earth millions of years ago, full of primitive and savage atmosphere."
"We hadn't gone far when we encountered a large, brightly colored praying mantis, as big as a car."
"Its forelimbs are like two sharp sickles; with a gentle swing, it cuts a brother in half before he could fire."
"In the end, we had to risk our lives and use heavy weapons to blast that monster into dust."
"Two brothers were lost as soon as we entered the team, and the team immediately fell into a dispute. Many people wanted to quit and were clamoring to go back."
The professor raised his glass and took a sip of wine, seemingly becoming more interested as the alcohol took effect.
"At the time, the team leader didn't say anything, but directly dug out a sapphire-like crystal from the mantis's shattered head."
"At that moment, everyone's eyes widened in disbelief."
The professor recalled the scene, a glint of something special still shining in his eyes:
"Although I don't know what that thing is, just by holding it in my hand, I can clearly feel a pure energy flowing in my palm."
"It was at that time that greed overcame fear in the mercenaries' hearts. No one mentioned going back anymore. Everyone just wanted to keep moving forward and make more money."
"Our scientific expedition team collected samples while exploring the area."
"About half a day later, deep in that primeval forest, we unexpectedly discovered the ruins of a city that was enormous and astonishing."
"That environment was clearly a modern city that had experienced a devastating disaster; it was deathly silent, eerie, and desolate."
The professor's eyes flickered, as if he could still see the scene from that time, and he slowly described it:
"As far as the eye can see, there are tall buildings that have been broken in half, leaning together crookedly."
"The remnants of reinforced concrete were covered with vines, like a giant net covering the entire post-apocalyptic city."
"We searched through the ruins and found a lot of gold artifacts, as well as some ancient coins from some unknown country. Although they were badly corroded, they were still quite valuable."
"The mercenaries were stuffing their backpacks like crazy, and even I couldn't resist picking up two gold bars."
"At the time, I thought that even without any so-called opportunities, just this gold would be enough to ensure I would live a comfortable life for the rest of my days."
"In contrast, the expedition team members were frighteningly calm."
"They ignored the gold and focused only on collecting soil samples and plant specimens, making careful records, and even collecting the crystals from the brains of the monsters we killed."
"and after?"
Lin Chuqiao couldn't help but ask, "Did you find any remnants of technological civilization in that city?"
"No."
The professor shook his head, his face revealing his regret:
"It was getting dark, and the deeper we went into the ruins, the stronger the monsters became, and the harsher the environment became."
"We encountered flying lizards that spew poisonous mist, as well as some kind of terrifying humanoid monster. Our team suffered heavy casualties along the way."
"With the ammunition we brought in almost used up and the oxygen in our protective suits running low, we had no choice but to flee in disarray and retreat back the way we came."
"Of that team of nearly twenty people, fewer than ten survived. Even several researchers from the expedition team perished."
The professor sighed, picked up the wine glass that Xiaosai had just poured for him, and drank it all in one gulp.
"However, I can say that I've turned misfortune into blessing."
He put down his wine glass, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes:
"On the way to escape, in order to fend off the monsters, I swallowed the crystal I had previously dug out of an insect's brain in desperation." "At the time, I didn't think much about it, I just wanted to survive and find any power I could use."
"I never expected that after I came out, not only were all my injuries healed, but my mental strength also increased dramatically. I then took this opportunity to successfully break through the bottleneck and advance to S-rank."
After hearing these words, everyone at the table, including Fang Cheng, fell silent.
The evening breeze swept through the courtyard of Yunlin Xiaozhu, and the charcoal fire crackled and popped.
Li Dingjian's heart burned with excitement as he listened, and he couldn't help but ask:
"Professor, where exactly is that ruin located?"
"Since there are so many resources inside, can we organize a group of people to go in and make a quick buck?"
"The Illuminati's current strength should be much greater than that mercenary group from back then, right?"
The professor looked at Li Dingjian, shook his head with a wry smile:
"Crow, you're oversimplifying things."
"Leaving aside the dangers inside, we wouldn't even be able to get past the entrance."
Seeing the puzzled looks on everyone's faces, clearly indicating they were unfamiliar with the details, the professor patiently explained:
“A hundred years ago, when these relics first appeared, people may have regarded them as legendary paradises or utopias.”
"But as development and research have progressed, countries have long realized that it is a resource pool at the national strategic level."
"The Borneo ruins I visited are now under the joint control of the local government and international conglomerates. They are heavily guarded, and not even a fly can get in."
"What's the difference between the 'other world' and what we often call the 'inner world', as well as the secret realms passed down through generations of families?"
Lin Chuqiao couldn't contain her curiosity any longer and asked.
“They are fundamentally different.”
The professor answered without hesitation:
"'The Otherworld' usually refers to the dark side of the real world, a collection of negative energy."
"Most of the secret realms of aristocratic families are small, independent spaces created by powerful figures in ancient times through special methods, and their rules are relatively simple."
"But the other world..."
The professor paused, his tone becoming more serious:
"That was a truly complete world, with its own ecosystem and even the remains of civilizations. Its size and level of danger were tens of thousands of times greater than the former two."
Fang Cheng listened quietly, nodding thoughtfully.
The Masked Man's previous words largely coincided with the Professor's personal experience.
He asked these questions not because he was interested in studying ancient civilizations, but to confirm his conjectures.
That world, full of monsters and opportunities, was the perfect training ground for him.
What others would consider a daunting environment might just be the opportunity for him to break through his physical limits and significantly improve his strength once again.
Unfortunately, the Masked Man was unlucky; he died before he could explain himself.
But the dead cannot speak.
Fang Cheng couldn't help but feel a little regretful.
"President."
The professor seemed to see through his thoughts, looked up at him, and spoke in a deep voice:
"Although the Masked Man is dead, his accomplice, Fire Dragon, is still alive."
"He just had his first surgery and is still in critical condition. If we can save his life, we might be able to get some information out of him."
Fang Cheng nodded slightly; he had the same thought just now.
"and……"
The professor paused, his gaze becoming profound, and continued:
"Based on the Masked Guest's few words, and the intelligence I've gathered over the past six months, I suspect that the entrance to the ruins he mentioned is most likely located in the Western Hills."
"West Mountain?"
Fang Cheng was taken aback upon hearing this.
"Yes."
The professor spoke with certainty, and then proceeded to analyze:
"President, you should remember the wildfire caused by the explosion at the Xishan archaeological site last November, right?"
"The military acted unusually quickly at the time. As soon as the fire was extinguished, they immediately closed the mountain for a month. Later, they even established a military restricted area deep in the western mountains, which has not been lifted to this day."
"They claim it's for epidemic prevention, that there are mutated animals carrying infectious viruses, but that's just a reason to fool ordinary people."
"In our circle of supernatural beings, the most common speculation is that there is a treasure hidden beneath that underground palace, such as the Golden Bamba Bottle that flowed out from there."
"Based on my experience, I believe that the entrance to some newly discovered ancient ruin is definitely hidden there."
After listening, Fang Cheng's eyes flashed with understanding, and all the doubts in his heart were resolved.
The military's massive mobilization and layered blockade indicate that their scheme is far more complex than simply targeting an ordinary ancient tomb.
"Looks like I'll have to have a good talk with that poor guy, Fire Dragon, when he wakes up."
Fang Cheng's lips curled slightly as he made up his mind.
"Alright, we'll talk about these things later."
Seeing that the atmosphere was somewhat heavy, Li Dingjian timely smoothed things over by saying:
"Tonight is the Illuminati's team building day. Let's just drink, eat, and relax."
Fang Cheng smiled and pulled his wandering thoughts back.
Indeed, let's live for today and enjoy the moment.
He turned his head to look at the lively scene before him.
The charcoal fire on the grill in the yard was burning brightly, and the camping lights illuminated the entire yard with warmth.
Not far away, Pan Wendi lost a rock-paper-scissors game to Pang Hu and was being punished by doing push-ups with his butt sticking out.
The two men's grimacing faces drew bursts of laughter from those around them.
Even the girls at Bailing's table would occasionally glance at her, their eyes filled with a hint of amusement, and they would cover their mouths and giggle.
As Fang Cheng gazed at these vivid and lively faces, and listened to the noisy yet friendly laughter and banter around him, he was suddenly touched.
Apart from Chen Xu'an, who is far away in Cuicheng, Tiannan Province, all the founding members of the Illuminati were present tonight.
In this mysterious and perilous world, I am the greatest support for this group of people, and the leader they are willing to follow.
"Come!"
Fang Cheng suddenly stood up and raised his wine glass.
The once noisy courtyard instantly fell silent.
Everyone stopped what they were doing.
Whether it was Pan Wendi, who was joking and laughing, or the professor who was continuing to shell edamame, they all looked at the young man standing in the main seat.
No need for excessive mobilization, nor for pretentious grand pronouncements.
Fang Cheng glanced around at everyone, a smile playing on his lips, raised his glass above his head, and said loudly:
"For all members of our Illuminati, let us walk together from this day forward, hand in hand, through thick and thin!"
"cheers!"
The group exchanged smiles, then simultaneously rose to their feet, raised their glasses, and roared deafeningly:
"cheers!"
The crisp clinking of glasses, accompanied by laughter, echoed through the night sky.
Like the prelude to an oath, it sets the stage for the rise of this emerging organization.
(End of this chapter)