The deepest mine tunnel of the Frost Mine had been exhausted decades ago. The "blood" that this city-state relied on for survival was probably just the result of some kind of distortion. Deep at the bottom of the Boiling Gold Mine was a door left by the first generation of the City Hall. The current City Hall and the Archon might also be participants and maintainers of this secret.

Even the well-trained and disciplined guards who often deal with all kinds of dangerous and strange things could not help but fall into silence and astonishment when they heard the news.

While they were astonished, they also understood why this operation was classified as confidential and the gatekeeper would not announce the specific situation until everyone had gone down the well.

Such news, even without considering the threat posed by the extraordinary phenomena behind it, the truth of "mineral vein depletion" itself is enough to set off a storm in the city-state!

"We are still unsure whether all the mines have dried up decades ago, and we are even less sure what was transported out of this mine when the ore veins were exhausted. The only thing we can be sure of is that if all this is really the product of some kind of 'pollution', and the abnormal phenomena in the city-state today are also related to this pollution, then we are now at the origin and deepest point of the pollution."

Agatha's eyes swept over the subordinates around her, and her tone was as calm and steady as usual.

"I believe everyone knows the current situation on the surface. I also know that you have had doubts, wondering why the most elite squadron was sent here at such a critical moment to investigate the mine. Like you, I am worried about our compatriots who are fighting monsters in the fog and the battles in the surrounding seas.

"However, we are also on the battlefield right now. To investigate the situation in this mine is to help our comrades in other places to the greatest extent possible. We can find the source of the crisis from the root, which is better than endlessly consuming those monsters in the thick fog.

"That's it, does anyone have any questions?"

She looked around and saw that her subordinates had the same calm and determined expressions as always, so she nodded slightly.

"Okay, let's get started. Our target is the deepest mining layer. Pay attention to the dark environment along the way and check the status of ventilation and lighting devices at any time. Everyone received a set of mine self-rescuer when they came down. Now put on the mask and open the external circulation valve - do you remember how to use it? If you encounter a situation, turn the valve clockwise to the internal circulation and pull out the self-rescuer pin, and quickly retreat to the main tunnel, giving priority to saving yourself."

The guards, priests, and nuns immediately followed the order, put on breathing masks on their mouths and noses, confirmed the condition of the connecting pipes and circulation valves, and fixed the special underground lanterns to the buckles on their chests to avoid affecting their movements.

Agatha did not wear a mask - as the gatekeeper of the god of death, her physique was already different from that of ordinary humans, especially in terms of "breathing". Ordinary toxic gases and suffocating environments would not affect her movements.

Just as the subordinates were preparing to set off, a slight hissing sound suddenly reached Agatha's ears.

At first, she thought it was the sound of the recirculating valves as her men breathed through their masks, but she soon realized that the hissing sound came from farther away—outside the crowd, in the shadows where the lights could not reach.

"Attention!" Agatha reacted instantly and gave a warning. The next second, several other guards also noticed the sound of the valve deflating in the darkness, and several rays of light shone in that direction at the same time.

In the haze of light and fog, Agatha saw a figure emerging from the dark corner - a figure wearing a thick black coat, a gas mask, and seemingly carrying a gun.

The figure was lying among a pile of debris, breathing with difficulty, and a hissing sound came from his gas mask.

Why did a person suddenly appear here? The guards had checked the entire traffic point before, and there was no way they would miss such an obvious figure!

Agatha had doubts in her mind for a moment, but she moved without hesitation and took a few steps to the side of the dying figure, with the guards following closely behind her.

"...They are soldiers from the city-state," a guard instantly recognized the equipment of the fallen man, "the Archon's direct guard."

Agatha quickly took a look at the soldier and saw that he was wearing a metal breastplate over his thick black coat. The power pipe connecting the breastplate and the arm guard had been broken. The military breathing mask covered almost all of his face. Only from his body shape could she tell that he was a male soldier - and his fatal wound was near his chest, which seemed to have severely damaged his internal organs.

One of his arms was broken off, but the other hand was still tightly grasping the rifle.

It seemed that the sudden appearance of light around him produced some stimulation. After Agatha approached, the soldier wearing the breathing mask suddenly moved, as if trying to raise his head.

The guards around were startled for a moment and subconsciously picked up their weapons, but Agatha waved her hand, took a step forward, and bent down slightly.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Praetorian Guard...Martin...Braid...Sergeant..."

"Sergeant Brad, why are you here?"

"Archon... Winston..." The guard who called himself Sergeant Brad spoke hoarsely, his voice becoming increasingly difficult under the breathing mask. He mentioned the Archon's name and struggled to raise his arm, as if trying to point somewhere, "Mr. Winston... entered a secret room... We need... support..."

Before he could finish his words, his arm suddenly lost its strength and a final, rapidly fading hissing sound came from under the breathing mask.

He died, and the next second after he lost his life, Agatha saw dirty black mud slowly seeping out from his wounds and under his mask - the body quickly disintegrated as if melting, making a chilling sticky crawling sound.

“Fake!”

The surrounding guards reacted immediately and retreated quickly. The accompanying priest took a step forward and sprinkled a handful of prepared mixed powder on the disintegrating corpse and threw a pale fireball at the corpse.

With a loud bang, pale flames rose into the sky, and the fake corpse was devoured by the flames in the blink of an eye. After a rapid and short burning, only a pile of dried, non-moving black mud and lingering heat in the air remained.

Agatha watched the scene with a calm expression. When the figure just appeared, she realized that the other party might also be a clone emerging from the thick fog. Now, she turned her head thoughtfully and looked at the place where "Sergeant Brad" had pointed before his death.

"In this direction..." she muttered softly.

"Sir Gatekeeper, that was just a fake deception," the priest nearby heard the muttering and couldn't help but stepped forward to remind him, "It could be a trap set by the enemy."

"But it doesn't seem to know that it's a fake," Agatha shook her head gently, "Do you remember the intelligence we got before? These 'fakes' seem to be of three types. One is confused and attacks all living people. One seems to be under control and will destroy the city in an organized manner. The other seems to retain the memory and emotions of the original, and doesn't even realize that it is a fake..."

The pastor was stunned for a moment, and said hesitantly: "You mean..."

Agatha's expression seemed complicated for a moment, but no one noticed her hesitation. After a brief pause, she said calmly, "This 'fake' was copied not long ago. He may have retained the memory of several hours ago or even shorter. On the other hand, when we went down the well, the confidential secretary had been delivering the news from the City Hall. It seems that Governor Winston is missing."

The priest reacted quickly and understood what Agatha meant.

"The 'fake' is a fake, but its memory is real," he said quickly, "General Winston may have really come here with a group of soldiers not long ago, and one of them, a sergeant named Martin Blade, died in the mine tunnel - this thick fog has replicated the sergeant who just died and his memory!"

"Maybe this is the truth."

Agatha nodded slightly and turned towards the mine tunnel illuminated by dim lights.

No one knows the situation deep in the mining layer, but Governor Winston obviously holds some truths that others don't know - now at the critical moment when the whole city is caught in the strange phenomenon, he has led a team of soldiers into the depths of the mine. There is no doubt that the biggest clue may be in this direction.

"Thanks for the directions."

Agatha turned her head and nodded solemnly towards the pile of dried mud where no human outline could be seen. Then she waved to her subordinates around her and said, "Follow us - let's go find the Archon's whereabouts!"

※※※

At the same time, in the boundless ocean shrouded by the chaotic and dark sky, twin ghost ships were passing through the waves like the wind, passing through countless real and imaginary ship shadows.

Lawrence stood on the bow of the White Oak, looking down at the heaving sea below.

Between the rolling waves, he could already see the reflection of the city-state in the distance.