Deep within the rift valley, the light grew increasingly dim, with only the scattered fluorescent moss on the rock walls and the faint glow emitted by certain fungi underfoot outlining the jagged rocks and the deep passageways.
The air was stagnant, carrying a heavy, somber smell, a mixture of old spores and damp earth.
Here, Lind saw even more fungi.
They are quite different from the wreckage left behind after the fierce battle at the entrance to the rift valley.
These fungus-like creatures come in various shapes and sizes. Some resemble giant, open umbrellas with canopies several meters in diameter; others are like stacked towers, reaching heights of ten meters or more; still others are like curled-up spheres covered with strange patterns.
They stood silently in the darkness, motionless, as if they were truly just enormous mushrooms that had grown in this underground world for countless years.
If Linde hadn't seen with his own eyes the fungus beasts at the entrance that could move, attack, and even aggregate after death, he might have mistaken them for ordinary fungal communities and overlooked them.
This extreme silence, in stark contrast to the previous violence, only made things more perplexing.
He approached a mushroom shaped like a giant tower, extended his finger, and gently touched its stem with his fingertip, which contained a trace of light energy.
It felt hard and cold to the touch, like a rock, without any elasticity or temperature feedback that a living organism should have.
There was no contraction, no attack, not even the slightest ripple of energy. It was like a real stone that had grown into a mushroom shape.
Linde frowned slightly; the "dead silence" was too thorough and seemed unnatural.
With a thought, the [Deconstruction Halo] silently unfolded, like the most precise invisible scanner, enveloping the still mushroom beast.
The halo permeated every minute structure of the fungus—the dense network of hyphae, the compartments that stored nutrients, the bundles of fibers that supported the structure… Information flooded into Lind’s consciousness like a tidal wave.
(Structural integrity: 99.7%... Energy level: close to background noise, extremely inert... Physiological activity: almost zero, metabolic activity is stagnant... Information exchange: no active nerve signals or pheromone exchange detected...)
The scan results seemed to confirm their "inactivity." However, just as Linde was about to move the halo to the next plant, he caught a crucial difference.
(...Comparative analysis with external active fungus samples...missing specific frequency resonance nodes...lacking an interface for the "aggregated consciousness network"...)
"Aggregated Consciousness Network" interface?
Lind's gaze sharpened. He recalled the scene at the entrance where the remains were manipulated by an unseen force and coalesced into human form.
Such manipulation clearly requires a "network" that can connect scattered individuals.
The aggressive fungi on the outside do indeed possess a subtle "interface" within their bodies that allows mental or energy commands to pass through, enabling them to respond to a unified call and even utilize their remains after death.
But these still mushrooms, though their internal structures are equally complex, lack this crucial "interface"! It's like a fully functional machine that has had its remote control signal receiving module removed.
(Are they not immobile, but rather 'set' to be immobile? Or are they independent entities not connected to the 'network'?) Linde speculated in his mind.
To verify this, he activated the [Deconstruction Halo] again, this time not limited to a single mushroom beast, but simultaneously covering dozens of stationary mushroom beasts around it, conducting a group comparison and deep scan.
(...the individual structures are highly similar, with slight differences in energy storage levels, consistent with natural growth fluctuations...no traces of external control signal injection were found...the internal energy flow path is closed and self-circulating...high-density bioenergy crystals were detected at the core, indicating a dormant state...)
(Conclusion: This batch of fungi is in an inactive state or an independent ecotype. Their biological functions are intact, and their energy reserves are sufficient, but they lack the physiological basis to respond to external aggregation commands. Their significance may be: energy storage units, ecological balance maintainers, or... backup biomass resources.)
“Backup biomass resources…” Lin De repeated the speculation in a low voice, a hint of understanding flashing in his cold purple eyes.
If deep within this rift, or even beneath the surface of the planet Taal, there truly lies a semi-dormant "observation point" or "beacon" left behind by an evil god, then these static, energy-rich, yet easily manipulated (once forcibly connected to the network) mushrooms would undoubtedly be the most ideal "batteries" and "building materials."
The active fungus beasts outside are likely the "guardians" or "cleaners" of this system, responsible for eliminating threats (such as intruding Qitar insectoids), while those deep inside are strategic reserves.
Their current stillness may be because the energy level of the "whispering" source is insufficient to activate all units simultaneously, or it is entering an energy-saving state when not necessary.
It is also possible that they are two different types of fungi, each with different functions.
In any case, this confirms that a highly organized and purposeful system does indeed exist deep within the rift, and this system is highly consistent with the style of the "underground whispers" and the extraterrestrial evil gods.
Linde ignored the silent "mushrooms" and his senses, like a precise probe, followed the faint, non-native abnormal fluctuations and locked onto a seemingly seamless rock wall at the deepest part of the rift valley.
There, the fluctuations are most clearly observed.
He stepped forward and placed his palm on the cold, damp rock face. [Deconstruction Aura] focused on one point, instantly revealing behind the rock face—a cleverly disguised entrance leading to a deeper underground cave.
"It's well hidden."
Linde released a slight burst of light and darkness from his palm, and the rock wall in front of him silently crumbled into dust as if weathered away, revealing a deep, downward-sloping passage behind it.
A stronger, more concentrated stream of air, carrying a musty smell and a faint metallic rust odor, emanated from it.
The inner walls of the passage were no longer natural rock, but covered with a smooth, dark material with subtle geometric patterns. It was somewhat similar to the architectural style of the Zedu civilization, but it also exuded a completely different, cold, and inhuman feeling.
Without the slightest hesitation, Linde stepped inside.
The real destination lies at the end of this passage. He wants to see for himself what this so-called "whispers from underground" really is.
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