It was morning, not long after the sun had risen, but the forest was shrouded in a deathly stillness that only existed after nightfall.
Or rather, the long night had passed but there was still a lingering gloom. The crows that wandered among the old trees cawed softly as if they were looking for their lost relatives but they dared not make too loud lest they attracted the attention of evil because the darkness had never left.
The entrance to the cave was not big. The autumn orange did not take away the moss that covered the cave.
A thick layer of moss spread from the wall to the ground and then into the cave, tangling with the weeds and vines.
It appeared like only these lowly plants could continue to bloom in this dangerous place.
The cave was not a famous one. It was hidden in the deep forest and was covered by the branches of some old trees. No one asked about it. Even the people of the old forest who would occasionally come to this area to pick wild mushrooms were not very clear about the situation. They only said that the cave was not deep and there was only one straight path to the end. There was no other place to go.
The foresters also said that bats could be found inside the cave and sometimes wild boars would enter the cave to give birth.
But if that was the case, it was best not to enter the cave because the wild boars would run amok and that was no laughing matter.
The situation inside the cave was not something that any forester could explain. The things that were hidden inside were more dangerous than any wild boar in the world.
Crack, crack, crack …
The sound of the engine turning, the sound of the machine moving on the mountain, the soil splashed and the tracks rolled over the half-rotten leaves.
This tank-like multi-purpose vehicle was equipped with a remote-controlled machine gun, rocket launcher, bomb, ancient seal stone and 360-degree camera. It slowly drove into the cave.
Originally, it was the Zoogs who should have entered first. No matter how advanced the technology of the vehicle was, it did not have that kind of sensitive sensing ability. Furthermore, the vehicle made too much of a commotion. Basically, once it entered the cave, the enemy would know it was there.
The unknown cave was the perfect place for the Zoogs to showcase their talents.
However, none of the Zoogs were willing to accept this mission. If they were to be dissected, they would have to do it on the dissection table. That way, they would have a more comfortable death.
With a great reward, there would be brave warriors, but not the brave Zoogs.
"No, I'm not going …" When Fei Bao heard Gu Jun's question, he was already trembling.
At that time, the night had not yet receded and dawn was about to arrive. They followed the strange stench to a hundred meters away from the cave and saw the black goat cub walk into the cave with their own eyes. It seemed to have returned from hunting in the dark of the night, as each of its mouths were stuffed with carcasses. However, it was different from the previous time. Fei Bao could recognize that there were no deer the previous time.
Thus, the possibility of Wu Shiyu's conjecture had increased by a few notches. The Black Mountain Goat only stopped chasing after Fei Bao because it had eaten its fill.
Did the black goat cub notice them? The Zoogs were unsure but they did not turn to look at them. However, after the goat calf entered the cave, just before the sun rose, they heard a series of wails coming from inside. It sounded like thousands of beasts were being ground into mincemeat. The beasts' heads were not crushed but they saw their bodies had already turned into mincemeat. That was why they screamed.
After that, there were no more sounds coming from the cave.
This mountain forest also fell into a similar silence.
The Zoogs did not dare make a sound. They raised their claws and clamped their mouths shut, hoping that they could be quieter than rocks.
Fei Bao was really afraid that the rustling sound of him stepping on the fallen leaves, or the sound of his fur being blown by the mountain breeze, would attract a disaster.
For them to persevere here and ensure that the young black goats didn't leave, waiting for the main group to arrive, this was already a great contribution, extremely formidable.
Asking them to enter the cave was tantamount to sending them to their deaths. No, definitely not going.
Since the Zoogs refused, Gu Jun did not insist. He communicated with the Action Department and had them board the drone first.
He did not want these Zoogs to die. Furthermore, if a fat Zoog died like this, the morale of the other fat Zoogs would be greatly affected. They would feel like they had been sold. They would complain about how miserable this world was and then slack off. News traveled fast among the Zoogs.
Now, this area was heavily surrounded by the Phecda members, and it was guarded tightly.
The drone hovered in the sky while the underground was monitored by the seismometers. If any abnormal creatures broke through the ground, they would be alerted.
About 100 metres away from the cave, the Eastern State's Action Department, the Ancient Seal Department, and the medical team stood ready for the rescue.
However, the main force was still Tian Xuan's team. Other members like Deng Ximei and Lou Xiaoning from GOA's The One were also there.
The group watched as the drone drove into the cave. The video captured by the drone was displayed on the surveillance screen. The signal was clear and stable.
The best result would be for the drone to find the young goat and realize it was asleep. Then they would drive over and detonate the bomb on the drone. That way, they would kill the young goat without destroying its carcass. That way, they would be able to avoid a battle and possible death.
According to Wu Siyu, there was an even better result. The drone would enter and discover that the baby goat had been dead for a long time. The scream that the Zoogs heard was from the baby goat when it died. This way, not only would they be able to save a bomb, they would also be able to obtain the most intact carcass.
However, Gu Jun was not so optimistic.
Yu Chi was not as optimistic. He was scratching his head anxiously. He looked at the screen and then at the cave.
The technological level of Mysterium and Phecda was about the same. That drone was already the highest level of military technology in both worlds.
After the driverless car entered the cave, it kept moving forward at a slow speed. The darkness of the cave could not block the night vision camera's observation. The rugged cave walls seemed to have been corroded by something, and the moss that extended out of the cave gradually withered and turned into a gray substance.
The camera did not pick up any bats, not even a single one, not even a carcass.
Soon, Gu Jun frowned. The other people around the screen also noticed the abnormality. A chill ran down their spines.
The four walls of the cave were covered in white and blood-colored mucus. The mucus continuously dripped onto the ground and onto the driverless cars that passed by, blurring the camera lens. But for now, they could still see that behind the mucus, there was a kind of soft tissue that looked like both flesh and membrane. It stuck to the walls without any gaps. It pulsed and expanded.
There were tubes on it. They glowed red but it was hard to tell whether they were old vines or some kind of blood vessel.
The cave appeared to have become a womb.
With a slight hum, the drone continued to move towards the end of the cave.
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
