1872 Missing Person
Meng Chao dared not imagine what would have happened if he had not woken up in time.
Would he have ended up like those poor seniors in the Ancient Ruins Research Center? They had bored into the deformed and twisted crevices without a care for the injuries they sustained. Eventually, they became monsters with torn flesh and broken bones that fused together and disappeared into the darkness forever.
Wait, he was already awake, so where were the others?
Meng Chao’s heart tightened. He quickly scanned his surroundings and inhaled the cold air.
He realized that everyone in the rescue team, including himself, was no longer where they were.
Earlier, they had been at a depth of about seventy to eighty meters below the rift.
However, in the few seconds or minutes that he had been trapped in the illusion, they had dropped to at least a hundred meters below ground.
The surrounding rock walls became increasingly deformed and shattered.
The darkness above their heads was getting thicker and thicker, as though it had condensed into a solid object that could not even be blown up by a railway gun. It was trying to seal them in there.
More cracks appeared on the rock walls on both sides of the abyss, and almost every crack had a rescue team member clinging to it.
Everyone had the same deep eyes and dull expressions as Meng Chao did earlier. Without realizing, they had squeezed part of their limbs and a part of their torso into the obviously narrow and twisted gaps.
Many of them had gotten their nano battle suits torn by the sharp edges of the rocks, and their flesh was covered in shocking wounds.
Their blood meandered and silently spilled into the abyss.
However, they did not seem to feel any pain. Excitement and devotion were written all over their faces as if they were immersed in the ocean of wisdom and secrets. Using their blood as fuel, they were squirming deeper into the crevices at a faster rate.
Only Lu Siya was faring better than the others because she had lost all her spirit energy. She could not sense too much information from the ancient era, so she simply leaned against the rock wall and focused on one of the crevices.
However, she could barely restrain the urge to dive in and stop herself from staring into the abyss.
“Oh, no!”
Meng Chao knew that all the search and rescue team members, including Long Feijun, Shen Yupeng, and Wu Haibo, had probably encountered the same danger as he just did.
At this moment, their souls were probably immersed in the magnificent and layered infinite library. They were snooping around and gathering the Ancients’ wisdom while basking in the advanced civilization’s infinite glory.
If they were not interrupted in time, they would probably crawl into the crevices like moths to a flame and turn themselves into monsters!
It was too late to wake every single member of the team!
Golden light exploded in Meng Chao’s eyes, and the magnetic body secreted itself out of his arms in the form of golden liquid metal. It wrapped around his arms tightly and extended to the front of his fists. In the end, it condensed into two heavy blades that were as sharp as battle axes.
Swoosh!
There were raging flames on the Skull Crushers’ blades, and they were filled with fighting spirit. Like a burning storm, they illuminated the abyss and tore the darkness apart.
Whoosh!
Meng Chao spread his arms and left behind a shadow that resembled a great roc spreading its wings on the rock wall.
Once he expanded his chest to the limit, he contracted his pectorals abruptly. Then, he crossed his arms and exerted strength. The two axes instantly accelerated from stillness to breaking the sound barrier, and they collided fiercely like two supersonic missiles with dazzling flames.
The sound waves were augmented by spirit energy, and they turned into visible ripples.
At that moment, the layers of ripples chased and competed with each other as they turned into waves that rivaled the black tide. They swept through the brains of every rescue team member.
It looked like the search and rescue team members had been hit by the sound of thunder. They trembled and broke free from the illusion one after another.
Everyone began to exchange looks. When they figured out their situation, they broke out in cold sweat and cast grateful glances at Meng Chao.
“How is this possible? How did the Ancient Ruins’ Summon become so strong?”
Wu Haibo looked at his hands, which were scratched and b.l.o.o.d.y inside the crevice. He was partially confused and partially scared. “There have been cases of explorers losing control and failing to pull themselves away from the Ancient Ruins’ Summon in the past.
“However, in most cases, less than half of the expedition team would be bewitched. The rest would have a chance to stop and rescue them.
“As far as I know, in the thousands of explorations during the Blood Alliance’s rule and after the establishment of our research center, there has never been a case where all the members of an exploration team heard such a strong call!
“Has the power of the ancient ruins grown stronger instead of weaker after being sealed for more than ten years? Is it like a ferocious beast that hasn’t feasted for a long time, hence it’s becoming hungrier and more impatient?”
“The Ancient Ruins’ Summon appears to be clearer than before.”
A Black Horn Warrior licked his lips and asked, “Does this mean that we have a chance to discover more ancient technology and further enhance Dragon City’s strength?”
Meng Chao noticed that he was a seasoned soldier with a weathered face.
His rough skin had the texture of sandpaper and metal. Underneath his torn nano suit were crisscrossed scars that silently told of his cruelty and glory. He had definitely been through hundreds of battles.
It looked like he had worked at the research center for a long time. Before the ruins were sealed, he had partic.i.p.ated in similar exploration and rescue missions. He had even heard the Ancient Ruins’ Summon before. He could have only come to such a conclusion by comparing his personal experiences.
“Put your greed aside. There’s already too much ancient technology. They’re too complex and dangerous. They far exceed the level that we can digest and absorb!” Wu Haibo frowned and reprimanded him in a low voice.
“Being too powerful may not bring you good fortune. On the contrary, it may become the source of chaos and even destruction. Remember that. Otherwise, you’ll be controlled by the Ancient Ruins’ Summon again. You’ll crawl into a crevice nearby and disappear into the darkness forever!”
The Black Horn veteran felt a chill in his heart.
He realized that something had been wrong with him a moment ago.
He quickly took out his laptop and performed a self-examination.
Just then, a secret police officer shouted, “Wait, our numbers don’t add up. We’re missing one person!”
Everyone was taken aback. They quickly scanned the area and found the problem.
There were supposed to be ten secret police officers, ten Black Horn Warriors, ten Battle G.o.d Palace disciples, Meng Chao, Lu Siya, and Wu Haibo. The rescue team originally had thirty-three members.
Now, only thirty-two headlights were bobbing up and down in the darkness.