In the second layer of the ntal link network, Li Ang clearly conveyed a sense of confusion.
Liu Wu Dai explained: [I was previously invited to participate in a mid-level confidential experintal project by the Special Affairs Bureau, analyzing various offensive skills and their effects on so extraordinary creatures. My personal contribution to the experint was rather standard, but in the abridged compendium of experintal data, there was a docunt whose title bore a flowing cloud pattern.]
Liu Wu Dai paused and continued: [I didn't go through that docunt, but judging from the impressions of the two patterns, the similarity is over 90%. I don't know if this is simply convergent evolution or a coincidence caused by so accident.]
Li Ang pondered for a mont and responded: [If the Heterodox Academy is related to this script world, then things get interesting...]
As the leader of the ntal link, he could actually detect the inner fluctuations of the linkers to so extent, Liu Wu Dai had no need, nor any reason, to lie—the Special Affairs Bureau is an extrely large and internally complex system; the various agencies, bound by confidentiality orders, do not necessarily circulate information,
which might be why Ding Zhensi's earlier calmness in the ntal link showed no strong emotional fluctuations—he might not have participated in that experint.
Speaking of Ding Zhensi...
Li Ang raised his head and shouted forward: "Hey Xiao Ding, why has the marching speed slowed down?"
"Huff, huff."
From the Kui Ox cha, Ding Zhensi's slightly stifled panting could be heard, "The effect of Spiritual Energy depletion is even clearer upfront..."
In the dashboard of his cockpit, it showed the ambient free energy density clearly shifting from the [Low] column towards the [Extrely Low] red zone.
Ding Zhensi wasn't a player with the spellcasting profession, but so operational components of the Kui Ox cha required Spiritual Energy to drive.
Normally, such consumption levels were manageable with the internal circulation of the Kui Ox cha itself,
but now, the external free energy had dropped sharply, turning the energy source to Ding Zhensi himself—he could feel, at every mont, the Spiritual Power flowing from his body like drawing blood, to all parts of the Kui Ox cha,
not deadly, but as uncomfortable as severe altitude sickness.
"That's not acceptable, you know."
Sitting upright on the sled, Li Ang frowned and criticized: "How can you find excuses for your work mistakes?
Your generation of young people is truly getting worse, increasingly pampered, with no spirit of hard struggle.
In my younger days, I could carry a 200-kilogram weight and walk 50 li of mountain roads at night in one go, hamring to death provoking tigers, leopards, jackals, and fierce Tibetan mastiffs and wild dogs along the way, and continue the next day's work full of passion.
Alas, each generation is less impressive than the last,
now you are shirking at work, lazy whenever possible; will you drop everything tomorrow? Will you be corrupt and take bribes?
If you don't strive hard, how can you live up to the expectations of your superiors?
Don't you think, Xiao Ding?"
For a mont, dragging the sled, Ding Zhensi felt an overwhelming suffocation reminiscent of working with those other departnts in the past, encountering those who clearly were outsiders yet insisted on throwing their weight around.
Thanks, my low blood pressure just went up again.
"Ahem, ahem."
At the very least, Hoenhem maintained the detective spell and coughed lightly, floating off the sled, looking ahead, "The front should be the dungeon."
The rest of them also got off the sled, standing on a slope, overlooking below.
Three hundred ters ahead lay a vast plain. The ground was torn wide open, with three five-hundred-ter-long deep chasms crisscrossing the scorched earth,
at the intersection's center, the soil caved in, exposing a dim, lightless, demon-like gaping dark cavern.
With the light, one could vaguely see a long stone staircase descending at the cave's entrance.
They walked down the slope; the closer they got to the cavern, the noisier the Kui Ox cha's sensor alarms beca, an overlap of dozens of high-energy reaction detection alarms forcing him to lower the volu and turn off the speakers.
"Just standing here gives
a bad premonition."
Li Ang stood in front of the cave, hands in pockets of his white coat, calmly saying: "If this were an RPG ga, there'd be a save point or sothing before entering such a large maze.
Things like lanterns, torches, campfires, candlesticks..."
"All related to light,"
Amber tilted her head, casually saying: "Is it because light and warmth give a sense of security?"
"From the perspective of ga level design, that's right. But so gas put save points in bathrooms,"
Li Ang said plainly: "Maybe the sll of ammonia is reassuring too."
???
What kind of new-age person treats the scent of ammonia as delightful? Avatar Aliens?
Li Ang ignored his companions' strange expressions, stepping forward, squatting down; he made a fist with his hand, shaping it like a cone, then slowly extended it into the cavern below the horizon,
After several seconds, he retracted his hand swiftly, rubbed the beard on his Dragon Head Mask, and mused solemnly.
"Hmm...."
Hoenhem asked, "What's wrong?"
"The air below is flowing."
Li Ang pondered, "The wind speed is quite mild, but it is indeed moving. This indicates that the cavern has at least one, if not more, exits connecting to the surface."
He turned around, placing the hand that had just been inside the underground cavern against David's nose, "Sll this."
"Uh?"
David was taken aback, "Sll what?"
"The scent on my hand,"
Li Ang said matter-of-factly, "People light candles, ghosts blow them out, when the rooster crows, don't touch the gold that extinguishes the light.
Originally, I intended to release a chicken to check if the air in the cavern was toxic,
but this script task bans summoning skills, so I shaped my hand like a chicken's head, scooped so air for you to sll to see if it's toxic.
After all, your physique is the best among us; with great power cos great responsibility."
??? If this sll is toxic, I'll be the first to be poisoned?
Besides, isn't "with great power cos great responsibility" supposed to be an admonition to the strong themselves?
And why not use Ding Zhensi's Kui Ox cha sensors to detect the scent?
Even if the air isn't toxic, I really don't want to risk a chance of inhaling a stench!
David's expression stiffened slightly, suppressing the urge to retort.
He tugged on his slightly tight suit collar, stepped forward, and extended the Judgent Spear into the underground cavern, monts later lifted the spear,
he examined the color changes on the spearhead carefully, then nodded to the others, "The air below is a little dull, but it should be fine."
"Since that's the case, let's go down first."
Hoenhem sighed, and under the illumination of the Kui Ox cha's searchlight,
David led the way, descending the stairs into the depths of the cavern.
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