Chapter 56
The entrance to the Sea of Rotten Bones is not a door in the traditional sense, but a twisted space crack that emits an ominous green light, like a hideous wound torn in the real world.
The rift was surrounded by a strong smell of corruption and heart-pounding energy fluctuations.
The elite exploration team sent by City A has already gathered here, well-equipped and with solemn expressions.
However, when they saw that the leader was actually Jhin, a suppressed commotion and discontent instantly spread among the team members. Whispers spread through the crowd like venomous snakes.
"What does the city lord think? He's leading the team again?"
"Wasn't the lesson from the last time in the 'Lava Cave' enough? He almost buried the entire team."
"My legs... they still hurt even when it rains, and it's all thanks to him."
"A walking source of disaster... Entering an A-rank dungeon with him? That's simply courting death!"
"Shh...keep your voice down, he's looking over here..."
These discussions reached Jin's ears clearly. His red eyes beneath his silver hair flashed with a hint of gloom and subtle tension. He subconsciously clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white.
Those accusations were like sharp ice spikes, piercing the little confidence he had just built up with Lin Yao's help.
He seemed to see those terrified, resentful eyes again, and feel the restless power within him about to spiral out of control. This time... would it be the same mistake again?
At this moment, a calm voice sounded beside him. The volume was not loud, but it had a strange penetrating power, instantly drowning out all the whispers.
"Don't worry."
Lin Yao stood beside Jin. He had changed into a dark grey combat uniform that was easy to move in. His silver hair was tied up, revealing his smooth forehead and a pair of blue eyes like cold stars.
He glanced at the doubtful team members, finally landing on Jhin's tense profile. His voice was as firm as a law, "As long as I'm here, you can use your abilities as you please."
He paused slightly, and his azure eyes swept across the entire audience like a substance, with an unquestionable majesty.
"I promise that no one will die during this exploration."
Very powerful!
The team members fell silent instantly, looking at this mysterious man with an unfamiliar face but unfathomable aura in shock and suspicion.
His words were extremely arrogant, yet they carried an inexplicable convincing power.
Jin suddenly turned to look at Lin Yao, his red eyes instantly gleaming with disbelief. It wasn't just trust; it was a near-blind dependence and admiration.
Lin Yao's words were like a shot of adrenaline, instantly dispelling the haze in his heart and making him almost tremble.
As long as he is here... As long as he is here!
Lu Cheng, who was standing on the other side of Lin Yao, took in Jin's eyes, which were so fiery that they were almost pious.
His face was gloomy, his lips tightly pursed, and a barely audible snort escaped his nose. His fists clenched quietly at his sides. A strong sense of bitterness and dissatisfaction coiled around his heart like poison ivy.
The rift opened and everyone stepped in.
The "Forest of Rotten Bones" is worthy of its name. The towering trees have long since died, leaving only twisted, blackened bones, with branches stretching towards the gray-green sky like jagged ghost claws.
The air was filled with a toxic mist of spores and the sweet, cloying smell of decay. The ground was covered in a thick layer of humus that squirmed like a living thing, making a sticky, tooth-grinding sound when stepped on.
The faint blue fluorescent moss flickered among the dry bones. It was the only light source, but it made the scene even more eerie.
The ubiquitous low-level polluting beasts make rustling sounds, and danger lurks in every dark corner.
Not long after going deeper, a deafening roar tore through the silence.
A huge, high-level polluting beast that looked like a combination of a giant lizard and a spider - the "Corrupted Earth Dragon Spider" suddenly jumped out from behind a pile of bones.
Its body was covered in highly toxic mucus, its eight compound eyes flashed a ferocious red light, and its mouthparts full of sharp teeth spewed out corrosive poisonous mist, aiming directly at the team's flank.
"Be careful!" a team member exclaimed.
Almost instinctively, Jhin instantly mobilized his supernatural powers. Violent destructive energy gathered in his palm, his red eyes locked onto his target.
However, just as the energy was about to burst out, he caught sight of the two team members who were closest to the Earth Dragon Spider and were slowing down their movements due to fright.
“Oh no!”
The shadow of the past instantly gripped him, the familiar fear of accidental injury drowning his resolve like an icy tide. The condensed energy suddenly stagnated, a fatal shift in direction. He tried to forcefully restrain it, but it only triggered a violent backlash of energy within him, causing his face to turn pale.
At this critical moment, a gentle yet incomparably resilient force instantly enveloped his destructive energy, almost uncontrollable. Like a skilled helmsman, it forcibly stabilized the capsized ship.
It is Lin Yao’s spiritual thread.
They cut in with precision, channeling Jhin's violent power like building a solid dam and precise spillway for the wild torrent.
boom!
A beam of destructive energy, condensed to the utmost, like a crimson laser beam, shot out with pinpoint precision from Jhin's palm. Not a single drop of energy escaped, and no one else was affected. Like the gaze of death, it instantly pierced the Corrupted Earth Dragon Spider's hardened skull.
The gigantic polluting beast couldn't even utter a wail as its massive body collapsed to the ground. The corrosive substance was instantly evaporated by the energy precisely controlled by Jin, and not even a trace of poisonous mist could spread.
Dead silence!
Absolute dead silence!
All the team members froze in place, staring in amazement at the terrifying giant beast on the ground that was killed instantly. They then looked in disbelief at Jhin, whose face was still a little pale but the energy in his palms had been steadily gathered. Finally, their eyes were focused on the mysterious man with a calm face.
“Just now…just now…”
"Was it Captain Jin...Jin who did it?"
"He...he got it under control? He didn't hurt us at all?"
"Oh my god...it's so accurate!"
After a brief moment of shock, there was ecstasy and incredible admiration for surviving the disaster!
"Captain Jin! That's awesome!" A team member who was almost affected shouted excitedly.
"Thank you! Thank you for saving Xiaowu and the others!" Another team member stepped forward and said solemnly to Jin, his eyes full of gratitude and fear.
Jhin was completely stunned.
He stared blankly at the team members who thanked him. There was no longer fear and resentment in his eyes, but genuine gratitude... An unprecedented, scorching heat suddenly rushed to his eye sockets and nose.
He had never…never received any thanks for using his powers. Only scolding, resentment, and fear.
He subconsciously lowered his head and looked at his hands, the hands that had once brought him endless pain and self-blame.
Then, he slowly and awkwardly raised his head and smiled at those sincere eyes.
That smile was even a little silly, with a bit of incredible shyness and pure, heartfelt joy.
This formed a huge, heartbreaking contrast with his identity as an SS-level destroyer and the evil star of City A.
He subconsciously looked at Lin Yao, like a child seeking confirmation.
Lin Yao met his gaze, and there was no ripple in his deep blue eyes. He just nodded very slightly, almost imperceptibly.
This tiny movement instantly made the smile on Jin's face grow wider, like an ice field completely illuminated by the sun, his red eyes were astonishingly bright.
Pure happiness almost overflowing!
Lu Cheng watched coldly from the side, looking at Jin's undisguised eyes of dependence and admiration, and Lin Yao's barely perceptible "admiration", and felt the nameless anger in his chest growing stronger and stronger.
He kicked a fluorescent bone at his feet with a crisp "crack" sound, which attracted the attention of the team members next to him.
The following exploration brought dangers one after another: clouds of poisonous spores, swarms of corrosive flying ants, and elusive bone thorn vines...
And Jhin became the team's strongest shield and sharpest spear.
Whenever a crisis struck, he no longer hesitated. His red eyes locked onto his target, unleashing destructive energy with pinpoint accuracy.
Under the silent guidance of Lin Yao's spiritual thread like a protective umbrella, he accurately resolved crises time and time again, controlled the power of destruction within the most needed range, and perfectly protected every team member.
He even began to experiment with more sophisticated energy manipulation, such as using destructive energy to instantly evaporate a cloud of poisonous spores, or precisely burning through the roots of bone thorn vines without harming nearby teammates.
The way the team members looked at Jhin completely changed. From initial fear and rejection, to shock and gratitude, and now to dependence, trust, and even... admiration!
They began to actively approach Jhin and ask for his advice. When he released his supernatural powers, they no longer panicked and hid, but instead stood their ground with confidence.
"Captain Jin! Front left!"
"Leave it to Captain Jin!"
"I feel much more at ease with Captain Jin here!"
These words were like sweet spring water, nourishing Jin's long-withered self-confidence. He straightened his back, and his red eyes flashed with an unprecedented determination.
Every time he attacked, he became more decisive and fearless! The shadow of fear that had once troubled him and caused him to lose control of his strength was now being dispelled bit by bit by this trust and experience of success within the "safe zone" created by Lin Yao.
Lin Yao saw it all. Initially, his spiritual thread was like a precise navigation instrument, constantly paying attention and guiding every energy output of Jin.
Gradually, as Jhin became more stable and confident, the frequency of his guidance decreased and the extent of his intervention diminished.
Finally, when they were suddenly attacked by several Shadow Rot Wolves, Lin Yao completely withdrew his spiritual thread. He stood quietly at the back of the team like a true bystander.
Jhin didn't hesitate a moment, his red eyes sharp as an eagle's. He clenched his fists, and instantly unleashed two streams of concentrated destructive energy like precision-guided missiles! One rot wolf was pierced through the heart, while another, attempting to pounce on the team members, was pinned to death by the energy beam on a nearby bone.
The energy control is perfect, without any unnecessary dissipation.
Perfect!
Jin didn't even look back to confirm whether Lin Yao was still assisting. His movements were smooth and natural, full of confidence that he was in control of everything.
The corners of Lin Yao's lips slowly curled up into a curve of true satisfaction.
The transaction is completed.
He paid the price, and Jhin gave him the reward.
So what's next...
Lin Yao's gaze passed over the team members who were cheering as they cleaned up the spoils and expressing their admiration for Jin, and went to the deeper part of the "Rotten Bone Forest", an area shrouded in a denser, dark green poisonous miasma that was wriggling like a living thing.
There, is his real goal - the key clues about the core secrets of "Ark Project", "Purifier" and "Dome Energy".
It's time to act alone.
He calmly adjusted his breathing, and his spiritual thread, like the most sensitive detector, spread silently into the depths of the unknown poisonous miasma, and began to plan a route to leave the team and go deeper alone.
All of this was keenly captured by Lu Cheng, who seemed to be on guard but actually had his eyes fixed on him.
Lu Cheng's heart sank suddenly.
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