The underground part of the base was in a terrible state — it could even be said to be in ruins.
This ancient base was different from the ruins we had seen in other places. Although its surface was weathered by the elements, it was better preserved than the underground part. At the very least, we could see that most of the buildings were in good condition. Although some of the facilities had collapsed, their original appearance could still be seen. On the other hand, the underground part seemed to have suffered the double destruction of the earth and the expansion of the forest, leaving it in ruins.
The once wide and deep passageway was now severely deformed. Most of the walls and ground showed signs of warping and cracking. The non-corrosive building materials didn't look sturdy enough. We could even see thick plant roots poking through the cracked walls of the corridor.
However, we couldn't blame it for not being sturdy enough. After all, this wasn't the all-purpose extraordinary metal created by the Empire. It was already a miracle that this base was still standing after tens of thousands of years. At the very least, we could still roughly see its appearance.
Ball Shadora floated in midair while emitting a brilliant golden light. Currently, it had completely transformed into a lightbulb. However, Soul Sparks weren't meant to be used solely for illumination, so I dragged Alaya out to help illuminate the area. As a result, a large area around me was as bright as day. Furthermore, Alaya's Holy power had the ability to purify the air and maintain a constant temperature. This made this gloomy and pitch-black underground tunnel seem much more pleasant to the eye. The three of us walked along a slope that was slightly inclined underground. We observed our surroundings while guessing what kind of race the builders of these ruins were. We had been walking for about ten minutes, but the passageway didn't seem to have any end in sight.
"This underground structure is probably as big as the one above ground, maybe even bigger." Sandora's ball did its best to make itself brighter. She muttered, "This looks like a sanctuary, but I don't see any isolation or buffer zones that a sanctuary should have. There's also no large-scale storage … Tsk tsk, why did they dig such a huge underground part?"
"Maybe it's a habit of their race?" I pulled Alaya's wing and shone it on the wall. After inspecting the broken metal, I let go of my angel sister. "Sometimes, ordinary races just have all sorts of strange habits. Even hipsters can survive on Earth. You have to be more lenient to mortals. Speaking of which, the air here doesn't seem to be completely still … there's a slight circulation. "
Alaya flapped his wings, but soon lowered them again. "I didn't do it."
"After tens of thousands of years, the geological changes and plant growth are enough to block most of the vents, and the underground part of the base has completely lost power. Theoretically, there should be no ventilation equipment." Sandora seemed to be able to sense the air flow as she spoke. She released some smaller light particles from her body and let them spread in the opposite direction of the air flow (in other words, in front of us). "The air is relatively fresh. It didn't flow in today when the base opened, so there should be something further away … a vent or other entrance that hasn't been blocked yet."
"Leon must have tried to find another exit after he found out that the main entrance was blocked. He must have realized that the source of the fresh air in the underground passage is strange." I felt the fresh air and the breeze on my face become more and more obvious. I couldn't help but speculate. "So, he is probably heading in this direction. But how did he die on the way here? There's fresh air here, and the explosions and radiation on the surface haven't spread here. There don't seem to be any monsters or recent landslides. How did he die? "
"God knows … Huh?" Sandora uttered a few words before she suddenly let out a doubtful snort. Then, she suddenly released a stronger spiritual detection power. I was instantly curious. "What did you find?"
"I sensed a 'spiritual intelligence' at the edge of the area just now." Sandora was in a good mood as she floated up and down as she spoke. "He had complicated thoughts and was very nervous. There's actually someone living underground … The situation is starting to get interesting. I have already set a spiritual imprint on him so that I can control him at any time. However, he seems to be heading somewhere quickly. Let's continue to look for Leon's whereabouts first. We'll see what kind of person would stay underground. Could it be a caveman? "
I was stunned by Sandora's information. I never expected to meet another living person underground. It was obvious that he wasn't one of the adventurers who set off with Celine. The ancient ruins that were tens of meters underground seemed to be getting more and more interesting.
After moving forward for a few minutes, we finally found the clue we were looking for. There were bloodstains on the ground not far from us.
There was a pool of dark blood that hadn't completely solidified on the cracked concrete floor (the otherworldly version of concrete). A few meters ahead, there was a shocking bloody handprint on the wall. Alaya directed his light to the front, and we found an intermittent bloodstain extending to the end of our sight. We had finally reached the end of the underground tunnel. There was a T-junction about a dozen meters ahead, and the bloodstain continued to the corner in front of us.
I didn't directly follow the bloodstain. Instead, I noticed some traces in the surroundings. There were many 'fresh' deep scratches on the wall and the ground, as though they were made by a heavy sword. There were also some small but deep oval indentations around the bloodstains. There were also obvious signs of melting around these oval indentations, which made me think of some kind of high-temperature shooting weapon.
"There are traces of a battle. It seems that he was attacked by a firearm." Alaya, as a natural simpleton, finally expressed her opinion. However, her opinion was quite reliable. She bent down and gently touched the bloodstains and indentations, using a special method to retrace what had happened here. "Anger and fear mixed together. It was a sudden attack, but the victim recognized the attacker's identity and flew into a rage because of it."
As Alaya spoke, she stood up. The blood stain on her finger was ignited by the holy light. Leon's blood quietly burned into a small golden-red flame. At the same time, the bloodstain on the ground began to emit the same mysterious light. As the holy light shone, an illusory figure appeared in the air. It was a burly man as strong as a bull, waving a greatsword as though he was fighting someone. However, his enemy was shrouded in darkness. As the shadow had left the range of the holy light, it couldn't show its true form. The battle between Leon and the attacker didn't last long. Not only was the enemy strong in close combat, but he also had some kind of powerful long-range weapon. After the two of them pulled apart, Leon was quickly hit by some kind of white light. He fell to the ground in pain, and the attacker left.
The Holy Light was still burning, reflecting the bizarre memories of time and space. Leon's phantom rested on the ground for a while before he got up again and walked forward with difficulty, leaning against the wall. We immediately followed him and turned left at the T-junction in front of us. After making two more turns, we saw the phantom dissipate as the Holy Light went out. Leon's body was lying in a corner not far away, without any signs of life.
As I walked over, I muttered, "Speaking of which, he held on for a really long time. Was he trying to catch up to his enemy? But this made him die even faster. He should have been able to hold on until we arrived. "
Alaya was a little regretful. "The range of the holy light's trace is a little small. I wasn't able to see who the culprit was. However, it should be the person that Her Majesty Sandora sensed just now?"
"Perhaps," I replied noncommittally. After all, Sandora's imprint couldn't be detected or removed by mortals, so I wasn't worried that she would run away. It was better to check on the condition of a certain muscular demon first. I went forward to check on Leon's body. Very quickly, I discovered that the fatal wound he had suffered was a large hole in the junction of his chest and abdomen. Something similar to a scorching ray had already pierced through his body. However, the high temperature had also caused the wound in his internal organs to tighten and produce a temporary analgesic effect. That was why he was able to persevere and chase so far. "We have to send him to the spaceship first. His soul probably hasn't dissipated yet and his brain is still active.
It shouldn't be a problem for him to revive. "The two of them will probably wake up at the same time. This way, we won't have to explain everything to each of them," Sandora said as she opened the teleportation door to the Empire Admiral. "Alaya, send him to the spaceship. Ah Jun and I will go and see what kind of person is hiding in this kind of ten-thousand-year-old ruin. That fellow is still running out and is about to leave the vicinity of the ruin."
The angel sister left with Leon's body. Sandora and I followed the direction of the spiritual imprint and chased after it.
The power of a Soul Snatcher (Actually, most of the experienced Spirit Assault soldiers could do the same) was definitely one of the strangest and scariest of all abilities. It was formless and impossible to resist. To most ordinary creatures, it would be difficult for them to even realize how they died. A Soul Snatcher didn't even need to come into contact with the target. All they needed to do was to know of the target's existence in order to leave a spiritual imprint on them.
The target that Sandora had scanned was located in the underground ruins. Moreover, it was moving in a panic and seemed to be filled with nervousness (which was what Sandora sensed). Therefore, it was highly likely that it was the suspect for Leon's murder. In such a strange place, an adventurer who was viewed as a "hero job" by the mainstream society piqued the interest of Sandora and me. What was even more interesting was that … this underground ruin seemed to have been excavated by someone a long time ago! We had already left the original structure of the ruin and were now walking through a brand-new tunnel.
The wall that we had just passed showed signs of being violently damaged. It was originally an alloy wall at the end of the underground tunnel, but it looked like a high-temperature welding gun had forcefully melted a large hole in it to connect the underground tunnel network of the ruin to the outside world. Currently, we were walking through a tunnel that was supported by a metal and log frame. The walls were made of thick soil and heavy stones. I released my spiritual power to determine our current location. I was surprised to find that we were already deep in the forest, far away from the base where the "Ancient Tower" was located.
"Oh, it looks like a fellow with a keen sixth sense. The target has stopped." Sandora's tone rose. She gently floated forward and pointed at a corner about a hundred meters in front of us.
I immediately picked up Sandora and ran forward. It felt like I was carrying a large miner's lantern (Actually, I also used it this way). Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation A short and fat figure appeared in front of Shadora.
En, it was normal for us to be discovered. After all, Sandora and I didn't hide our movements.
I quickly sized up the short fellow in front of me. The other party was wearing a black robe that completely covered his face. I couldn't tell if he was a man or a woman. However, based on the other party's figure, I hoped that he was a man. If a girl had this kind of figure, it would be a tragedy for both the audience and the person involved. After we met face to face, the other party also observed us calmly … especially focused on Sandora. I guessed that it was because I had never seen such a strange lighting tool on this planet.
The short and fat figure did not reveal whether he was a friend or foe. I raised my hand to see if I could communicate with the other party. "Erm … Hello."
"You followed me," the other party suddenly spoke. His gaze did not linger on the ball of Sandora for long. In the end, he completely focused on me. His voice sounded like an old man with a slight trachea disease. It was hoarse and low. "Who are you?"
He used "you" instead of "all of you". It was a sad story for Sandora. If no one told her, who would have thought that this golden ball of light was a beautiful girl?
"I was going to ask you." Even though I knew that the other party was suspicious, I still pretended to be a passerby who did not know the truth. "I am a passing adventurer. I came with a group. The others are on top."
I purposely mentioned the word 'adventurer' because I wanted to see how the 'criminal suspect' would react after hearing those words. In the end, the other party's reaction was even more decisive than I expected. He waited for the moment when I finished speaking (for the average person, it was easy to let their guard down). He suddenly jumped back and quickly pulled out a strange-looking handgun from under his black robe!
"Puff! Puff! Puff!" Three strange muffled sounds resounded. It didn't sound like the sound of a normal gun firing. Then, I saw three balls of scorching white light shoot out from the gun barrel towards my chest. At the same time, the other party shouted, "Die! What an unenlightened fool! Together with your Vatican … Huh? "
The other party's roar stopped abruptly because he saw with his own eyes that two of the three scorching flames that could melt steel plates disappeared into thin air. The last one was swallowed by the 'strange golden ball of light'.
"It seems that your attack is not very effective." I shrugged at the other party.
The suspicious man in the cloak once again showed his decisiveness. He was stunned for a moment before he realized that he had encountered a strange situation that he could not deal with. So, he threw the weapon in his hand at my face and turned to run!
I did not even look at it and directly stored the strange weapon in my dimensional pocket. Maybe I could give it to the spaceship's mainframe to research it. However, just as I was about to chase after him, I was suddenly stopped by Sandora. "Don't chase after him!"
I glanced confusedly at Shadora's Sphere. Shadora's tone was filled with a "joy" that made one's hair stand on end. "I'm already lurking in his Spiritual World. Now, let's see where he runs off to. This is far more effective than capturing him and torturing him. By the way, do you want to see how the Soul Snatchers hunt? I will share my spiritual vision with you. "
I was stunned and nodded. Then, I felt myself sinking into another 'perspective'. It was … the perspective of a predator.
The Soul Snatcher was a deadly executioner that wandered between reality and illusion. (Although it was not elegant to use this term to describe Sandora, I have to say that it was a good match.) The Soul Snatcher's mind and thoughts were the real battlefield of the Soul Snatcher. Many creatures could have strong bodies and weapons, but most of them could not arm their hearts. To the Soul Snatcher, the so-called "strong will" and "courage" were quite limited. This was because the "will" that one used to arm one's mind would eventually become the Soul Snatcher's weapon. One's bravery was born from one's heart, but it could not withstand the betrayal in one's heart.
In front of the Soul Snatcher, one's heart would automatically put down its defenses and welcome the Soul Snatcher to hell without even realizing it.
The fleeing man in black desperately ran away from the fork in the road in an inexplicable fear. Although the enemy did not seem to be chasing after him, the feeling of being chased and the terrible palpitation of being targeted by a predator lingered in his heart. This inexplicable psychological effect made him run for his life. The further the better, and … the sooner he could meet up with the others, the better.
He was a strong guy who had undergone rigorous training. Years of living in the dangerous crevice had given him outstanding escape skills. Therefore, it did not take long for him to run along the crisscrossing underground tunnels to a considerable place, and it seemed that he had shaken off something.
He looked behind him in fear, but he did not see anything. It seemed that his previous feeling was really just a psychological effect.
The man in black tightened his hood and cursed in a low voice to increase his sense of security. He then turned around and came to the end of the tunnel. There was a shaft that led to the surface. After running for a long time, he was completely far away from the ruins.
He climbed out of the shaft in a rather disheveled manner. It was still a forest area outside, but it was definitely far away from the range of the adventurers' search. "I have to collapse those underground tunnels as soon as possible … No, I've been discovered. It's better to move as soon as possible," the man in black muttered. His footsteps were light and quick as he ran in a certain direction. His agile posture was completely inconsistent with his body size.
He ran for a long time. Ordinary people, even elves who were quite familiar with the forest, would probably get lost in such a place for a long time. However, the man in black was not at all confused by the identical tree walls in front of him. He quickly reached his destination: a rocky platform beside a stream in the forest. The platform was dozens of meters high and was covered with moss. It looked normal.
However, the black-clothed man found a few pebbles embedded in the stone wall on one side of the platform. He twisted these pebbles forcefully, and the 'moss' on the stone wall suddenly flickered and disappeared, revealing a metal door that glowed with silver light.
He walked towards the door.
It carried the seeds of the plague.
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