612: Chapter 612: Navigator (Super Long Chapter for Monthly Votes) 612: Chapter 612: Navigator (Super Long Chapter for Monthly Votes) “Is this the Ruins?”
Behind He Ao, a hesitant voice erged.
He Ao turned his head to look behind him.
There stood a young woman, around twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with a ponytail, dressed in a simple orange T-shirt, jeans, and draping an orange thin coat over her shoulders.
He Ao rembered this woman; she was one of the D-levels who had co with the Research Institute this ti and had mainly been responsible for the research on the Ruins at Beidu.
He Ao had also seen several of her papers on the Research Institute’s official website, the kind that were filled with substance.
The first detailed paper discussing the major deviations in the timing of the Ruins’ Advent this ti had co from this Zhang Yusi and her team.
The people from the Research Institute participating in the Ruins this ti, from their arrival to the preparation to enter the Ruins, had less than two hours, which was rather urgent.
He Ao had only briefly glanced at the profiles of the Research Institute’s personnel entering the Ruins this ti and did a quick self-introduction to them, ntioning so basic precautions related to the Ruins.
He had not had a detailed exchange with everyone.
While He Ao was turning around, the woman behind him caught sight of him, and imdiately, a mix of surprise and astonishnt crossed her face, “Minister He?
You’re here too?”
“Zhang Yusi?”
He Ao observed her, his gaze briefly sweeping over the Life dallion in her hand.
The Life dallion was a derivative object produced by a Transcendent item from the Research Institute, with a very simple function.
If a living person wore it on their wrist, it would react and show a creamy white color, while if the wearer was dead or not human, it would display a different color.
It was a simple device to distinguish friends from foes, especially suitable for exploring the Ruins.
Everyone entering the Ruins would be issued one.
“Minister He, you recognize ?” Zhang Yusi was clearly excited, “Aren’t the locations of Ruins manifestations randomly chosen so that encounters are unlikely?
Why were the two of us randomly placed together?
No…”
She turned her gaze to not far beside her, where two other Transcendents with distinctive Tia Empire features had also regained consciousness.
“It’s four people.
Why were the four of us randomly grouped together…”
Obviously, this incident had refreshed her understanding of the Ruins.
At that mont, the two newly awoken Transcendents turned their gaze over as well, but their eyes did not fall on Zhang Yusi.
Instead, they converged on He Ao.
Leaning against the outside, a man with brown hair greeted in broken Central Earth language, “Lord He Ao… hello…”
This ti, only three C-levels had entered, and they were all relatively famous C-levels.
The fact that these Transcendents recognized He Ao did not surprise him; it was very likely that their superiors had sent them information about him.
“Hello,” He Ao responded in fluent Tia Empire language, “Are you from Moonlight?”
“Yes.”
The two seed to not expect He Ao to speak Tia Empire language, replying with a hint of surprise and shakiness.
While speaking, both instinctively moved backwards, away from He Ao, as if they expected He Ao to abruptly turn violent.
Do I really appear that frightening…
He Ao raised his hand to rub his brow, wondering just how Moonlight had introduced him to elicit such a profound misunderstanding.
Did he really seem like a cold-blooded killer?
According to the treaties signed by the major organizations, in theory, Transcendents from different organizations are not supposed to harm each other upon encountering one another in the Ruins.
In principle, all organizations had expressed the intent of mutual assistance among humans.
However, in practice, the situation dictated the response, as deaths within the Ruins were commonplace.
These two D-levels were probably genuinely afraid that He Ao would suddenly lash out.
But the Research Institute did operate on certain principles, generally not allowing its mbers to initiate conflict with mbers of other organizations in the Ruins.
If they did not attack He Ao, He Ao would also not attack them.
Furthermore, out of respect for the cooperation treaty, if they were willing to assist He Ao, he would also be willing to reciprocate the help.
After briefly chatting, He Ao stopped paying attention to the two Moonlight Transcendents and turned back to Zhang Yusi, “You’ve researched this, do you know what situation we’re encountering now?”
“I’m not very sure either,”
Zhang Yusi shook her head blankly, her gaze shifting to survey the surroundings.
They were in a circular hall; one-half of the hall’s wall was a transparent glass wall.
Behind the glass was the silent expanse of deep space, twinkling with the light of many stars.
The other half of the wall was a curved tal barrier.
A narrow corridor stood in the left third of this tal wall, leading into the engulfing darkness.
In the middle of the hall was what seed to be a control platform.
Above the platform hovered a huge sign covered with various symbols that looked like writing.
The sign was damaged, with a few leaking sparks flickering over it.
Zhang Yusi could imagine how splendid the hall must have looked when it was intact, but the sight before her eyes was now filled with dim lighting, dry bloodstained, and decaying tallic walls and floors.
Such a confined and eerie space often carried with it an atmosphere of terror.
“According to the information we had before, after passing through the relic channels and entering the relics, there has never been an instance of two people being allocated to the sa area, let alone a situation like ours with four people.
Moreover, the three areas of relics, the Underground Palace, the Ruined City, and the wilderness, it seems like we’re not in any of them,”
She suppressed the fear in her heart and looked out through the glass wall at the brilliant and silent cosmic starry sky, “Combined with the anomaly of this relic’s opening ti, I think we might have been affected by so special force and have arrived at a…”
“A new area that no one has ever been to before.”
He Ao glanced at the pure starry sky, his conclusion largely the sa as Zhang Yusi’s.
He turned to look at the two moonlight Transcendents who were discussing quietly, “It’s just unknown whether it’s only the four of us who have arrived here or if there are more people.”
“Hmm,”
Zhang Yusi nodded in agreent, then suddenly realized sothing, and looked at He Ao with so surprise, “Minister He, do you know what I do?”
She thought He Ao only knew her na.
“A researcher from the Beidu Relics Research Institute, codena ‘Researcher.’ I have read your profile and the papers you’ve written.”
He Ao nodded, with the bone sword on his back, and walked over to the enormous glass wall, gazing out at the starry sky.
He didn’t know whether the starry sky was real or just an illusion created by so special technology or Transcendent power.
This was He Ao’s first ti viewing the stars from such a perspective.
The silent constellations were so vast, the endless darkness whispered like an abyss that swallowed everything.
“Ah?”
Zhang Yusi was taken aback by He Ao’s words.
She truly didn’t expect that He Ao would read her papers, and then she felt a bit nervous, like a child whose howork was being inspected by an elder, “The stuff I wrote is quite average…”
“They are very well-written,”
He Ao turned and walked towards the control panel in the center of the hall, “Many of your conclusions are quite innovative and have given ideas.”
Then, without waiting for Zhang Yusi to beco more nervous, he continued, “According to your profile, you never entered the relics before and hadn’t participated in the action departnts, always working at the Research Institute.
Yet, this ti, you took part in the selection and worked hard to earn an entrance to the relics.
Why?”
“Oh?”
Zhang Yusi paused for a mont.
Her tension and embarrassnt were interrupted by the question, bringing her back to reason.
She explained slowly, “I had always been reading other people’s exploration reports and research on the relics, trying to find clues for my research, but it was like looking at the flowers in the fog or fishing for the moon in the water, never quite grasping the truth.”
“So this ti, you decided to enter the relics yourself and see them with your own eyes?”
He Ao picked up where she left off.
“Yes.”
Zhang Yusi nodded.
A research fanatic, even willing to risk her own safety, was in a state similar to Jess from the previous Copy World.
Well…
He Ao didn’t know whether to say she was unlucky or to comnd her good luck.
Clearly, they had arrived at a brand-new map that no one had ever been to before.
If Zhang Yusi really discovered sothing, she might make a na for herself in one fell swoop.
The precondition was that she could survive and return to the main world.
At that mont, faint footsteps approached from ahead.
One of the two moonlight Transcendents from earlier cautiously ca over.
This ti, it was another Transcendent with brown hair who addressed He Ao respectfully, “Lord He Ao, we’re going to explore other places first.”
His companion, the Transcendent with tawny hair, stood at a distance at the exit of the hallway.
“Hmm.”
He Ao nodded and reminded them out of a principle of mutual assistance, “The relics are dangerous, be careful.”
“Thank you.”
The brown-haired Transcendent seed not to have expected He Ao’s cautionary advice.
He thanked He Ao and walked toward his partner.
At this mont, his companion had already reached the doorway of the passage, staring at He Ao while backing away, seemingly ready to abandon his teammate and flee as soon as He Ao made a move.
However, as the brown-haired Transcendent turned his head, a smile appeared on his face and he gestured a welco, but he didn’t advance a step.
He Ao took all this in.
Actually, sotis, only the relics of monsters are, in fact, a bit safer.
Zhang Yusi also witnessed this scene; she frowned slightly, but she didn’t say anything.
After all, it was Moonlight; between them, there would always be a barrier.
“Your codena is ‘Researcher’; isn’t your Talent not combat-oriented?”
He Ao had already reached the control console when he casually asked.
He looked up at the text hanging above the console, which was the first thing he saw upon opening his eyes, presumably “Welco to the Navigator” written in different languages.
This hall seed to be so kind of ‘welco’ hall.
The half-tal, half-glass architectural design also appeared to be intended to help newcors adapt to the environnt more quickly.
The place they were in now seed to be called ‘Navigator’; if the stars outside were real, then this ‘Navigator’ was very likely a spacecraft that no one had ever seen or entered before.
“Yes, my Talent is ‘Researcher,’ and my abilities tend to lean towards observation, learning, and researching,” Zhang Yusi explained in a low voice, following He Ao’s gaze to the console.
“My Physical Skills and lee weapon handling are quite good, and I can handle small firearms to a certain extent.
I was selected by the Beidu assessnts.”
This was her way of proving she wasn’t a burden, and also her way of introducing her strengths to He Ao.
A clever girl.
He Ao, however, never doubted Zhang Yusi’s abilities; he trusted the Research Institute’s selection process, as the Institute wouldn’t let soone without the strength to truss a chicken enter the ruins to die.
Up to C-level, the gap between a Transcendent’s abilities and physical attributes isn’t all that great, so a D-class non-combat Transcendent, with proper training and certain Talents, might be able to use techniques to defeat a combat-oriented Transcendent.
While conversing with Zhang Yusi, He Ao also lowered his gaze to the console’s screen.
The console was a hexagonal pillar with a recessed hexagonal screen at its center and so simple physical buttons around it.
At this mont, the glass surface of the screen was shattered, but the screen underneath seed intact.
Next to the console’s buttons, there were text labels, but they were all in the language of the First District, a language that He Ao didn’t fully recognize; he just tried pressing all the buttons that looked like they might be the power switch.
The console did not light up because of this.
A few lights hung from the ceiling above his head.
Although most of them were damaged, there were holes scattered across the surrounding ceiling.
Still, one or two lights were on, casting a dim glow over the area.
The hall had electricity, but the console’s screen remained pitch black.
The console seed to be completely broken.
“You continue to try and start up this console, and see if I can dismantle this surface,” He Ao said slowly before squatting down to closely examine the six sides of the console.
“Alright,” Zhang Yusi replied with a nod, beginning to try the buttons one by one, just as He Ao had done.
At that mont, He Ao also found sothing that seed to be a ‘door.’
It was a small ‘tal door,’ apparently the maintenance hatch of the console.
Squeak—
He Ao reached out and pulled open the tal door.
A line of crimson letters written in blood appeared before him.
“Be careful!”
Just then, a loud shout ca from the entrance of the passage.
A viscous, squirming sound ca from the ceiling.
Zhang Yusi looked up, and a twisted, blood-red creature resembling a spider was crawling out from the ruptured ventilation duct, directly above her head.
The creature looked down at Zhang Yusi and opened its mouth, leaping towards her terrified face with ferocity.
In that instant, a white radiance streaked across Zhang Yusi’s entire field of vision, and fresh red blood splattered on the woman’s cheeks, her clothing, and the dim walls.
He Ao held the bone sword upright and withdrew it, glancing at Zhang Yusi’s movents, “Scared?”
Zhang Yusi’s body had already started to retreat, and just a little further back, she would be out of the reach of the creature’s attack.
From her movents, it was clear she could have avoided it completely.
“Mhm.”
Zhang Yusi trembled as she wiped the blood off her face.
Her body could have reacted, but the horrifying scene had montarily petrified her, causing her to be a step too late.
If not for He Ao, her skull might already have been chewed to pieces by that creature.
“The normal relics are not this terrifying, but since we’re here, you need to adapt quickly.”
He Ao said calmly, taking a glance at the creature he had split in two.
Its limbs were still writhing, as if struggling to crawl back up.
With a backhanded strike, he quartered the creature.
For so reason, watching He Ao’s indifferent action, Zhang Yusi felt like she wasn’t so frightened anymore.
To He Ao, such a terrifying creature seed as unthreatening as ordinary vegetables, and he showed not the slightest change in expression as he dealt with it.
Minister He even seed a bit more ferocious than the creature.
At that mont, He Ao also raised his head, looking towards the direction from which the warning voice of “careful” had co.
Right then, a brown-haired Transcendent from Moonlight stood at the doorway, trembling slightly as he looked at He Ao and slowly walked over, “Lord He Ao.”
“Where is your companion?”
He Ao glanced at the silent corridor behind him and asked calmly.
“He’s dead, we just…”
His voice quivered as he slowly made his way toward He Ao,
“We were just moving forward along the ventilation shaft, we’d only walked a few dozen ters when we began hearing strange noises from above the tunnel, and as we went deeper, the lights in the tunnel dimd more and more.
“After about one or two hundred ters, we ca upon a gate.
There was a window in the gate, and we could see the quiet tal corridor behind it, but the light was too dim, we couldn’t see clearly either in front of or behind the gate.
“We got to the gate, and Yasia said he heard sothing calling us from behind it.
I cautioned him, the relic is too dangerous and not to get near the gate.
“He wouldn’t listen, I couldn’t stop him, he walked up to the gate, found the switch, and pulled it.”
His voice paused for a mont, as if recalling sothing horrific, and his speaking sped up, “A creature like a sea anemone was hiding behind that gate!
It suddenly appeared, its ring of sharp teeth sinking into Yasia’s back,
“Yasia was consud by the creature, blood…
blood was everywhere…”
His body shook uncontrollably as he looked at He Ao, “Then, several other creatures also rushed in through the gate, I had no choice, I could only run, run back, they were all chasing .”
His eyes bulged, filled with bloodshot redness.
Under the dim light, his blood-red footprints lded into the dim tal floor.
He opened his mouth, stepping closer and closer to He Ao, nearly reaching him.
“Be careful!
Don’t let him get close!”
A loud shout suddenly ca from the direction of the tunnel entrance.
Zhang Yusi looked toward the source of the shouting, only to find the brown-haired ‘Yasia’, clothes in tatters, covered in blood, standing at the tunnel entrance, looking at them with panic and concern.
The pure white sword light shone once more.
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