Chapter 30
The icy, piercing underground water roared, carrying the rubber boat forward through the endless darkness. Chen Mengzhou huddled in the roiling bottom of the boat, the beam of her tactical flashlight swaying wildly on the damp rock face, outlining bizarre shadows. Each jolt of impact on the reef exacerbated her already severely injured body, and the blood foam she coughed up was quickly washed away by the river water.
Her mental strength was completely drained, and her spatial abilities were like a squeezed lemon, struggling to muster even the slightest wave. The wound on her arm, numb from the cold water, was then replaced by a piercing pain. She could only cling to the ropes at the side of the boat, relying on instinct to resist the turbulent current.
Time lost its meaning, only darkness and roar continued forever.
After an unknown amount of time, a faint light appeared ahead, and it quickly grew larger! The sound of water also became increasingly deafening!
exit! ?
Chen Mengzhou forced himself to cheer up and hold on to the rope tightly.
The rubber boat suddenly rushed out of a low tunnel, and the huge drop made her lose weight instantly!
Boom!!!
The rubber boat slammed into the water below, the immense force nearly throwing her out! The icy river water poured into the boat headfirst!
She held on to the rope tightly and choked on water several times before she managed to keep her balance.
The view suddenly opened up, but the scene made her heart sink.
This wasn't the surface, but an even vaster underground cave system. Above, a dome rose tens of meters high, dangling from countless luminous stalactites, illuminating the entire space in an eerie, dark blue. Beneath its feet lay a relatively calm underground lake, its waters bottomless and bottomless. And the surrounding shores weren't rock, but... the pale, fossilized skeleton of some immense creature! Ribs resembled a forest of towering trees, a massive skull half-buried in the water, its eye sockets like pitch-black caverns!
The air was filled with a thick energy, not the violent turbulence of time and space, but an older, quieter, but equally heart-pounding pressure.
What is this place? It's not even marked on the map!
The rubber boat spun on the lake and slowly drifted towards the shore where the fossil bones were.
Chen Mengzhou struggled to climb ashore and collapsed on the cold fossil bones, gasping for breath and almost without the strength to move a finger.
It's safe for now. Those "scavengers" shouldn't be able to catch up here for the time being.
She must regain some strength as soon as possible.
Concentrating all her willpower, she struggled to operate the dried-up supernatural core, squeezing out the remaining spatial energy bit by bit like squeezing a sponge, while trying to guide the strange ancient energy in the surrounding environment.
The process was slow and painful, like digging for water in the desert. But gradually, a faint current of warmth began to regenerate from deep within her supernatural core, flowing slowly through her nearly shattered meridians, repairing her body's wounds. The dormant ancient energy around her seemed to resonate faintly with this foreign, yet similarly spatial, power, slowly merging with it like fine sand.
Although the recovery is extremely slow, at least there is hope.
Just as she was concentrating on healing her wounds, a feeling of being watched crept up her spine like a cold snake.
It wasn't a human gaze. More primitive, more... ancient.
She suddenly opened her eyes and scanned the dark blue cave with her sharp gaze.
Nothing seemed to have changed, except for the ethereal sound of water dripping from the stalactites.
But the feeling of being watched can't be shaken off.
She slowly sat up, tightly gripping the bayonet beside her, and her spatial perception extended cautiously to the surroundings like a wounded tentacle.
The information fed back by her perception was blurry. The energy field in this area was too strange and powerful, interfering with her abilities.
Sudden!
Crash——!
On the lake surface not far to her left, a huge splash of water suddenly exploded! A blurry, huge shadow flashing with faint blue phosphorescence shot out from the deep water like lightning, then suddenly plunged back and disappeared!
The speed was so fast that it was impossible to see the whole picture! All that was left was the violently rippling lake surface and the sudden increase in energy fluctuations in the air!
What is that?! A water monster?! Or some kind of energy creature?!
Chen Mengzhou's muscles instantly tensed, cold sweat trickling down her forehead. She was in a terrible state, completely powerless to fight this unknown creature!
Crash! Crash!
Continuous splashes of water exploded across the lake's surface! Phosphorescent blue shadows appeared and disappeared at incredible speeds! They seemed to be playing, or perhaps... observing her, their uninvited guest?
They did not attack immediately, but this surrounding and spying brought greater psychological pressure.
Chen Mengzhou slowly retreated, leaning his back against a huge fossil rib, his eyes fixed on the lake, not daring to relax even a little.
As time passed, those phosphorescent creatures continued to swim around, sometimes far away, sometimes near.
Just when Shen Mengzhou was extremely nervous——
Buzz...
A low, buzzing sound that seemed to come from ancient times and struck the depths of the soul suddenly echoed in this huge cave without any warning!
The sound is not transmitted through the air, but directly acts on her energy perception and spiritual level!
The phosphorescent creatures playing on the lake surface suddenly became quiet, as if they had received some kind of call, and quickly sank to the bottom of the water and disappeared.
The entire cave fell into a strange, suffocating silence.
Chen Mengzhou felt an indescribable and unimaginable will slowly "awakening" from the deepest part of the lake, like a sleeping giant god opening his eyes.
That will was cold, ancient, indifferent, without any emotion, but contained a sense of power that was enough to crush the stars!
【——Outsider——】
A thought, not a sound, rang directly in the depths of her mind, like a huge bell, shaking her soul!
[——Carrying fragments of "time sequence"... yet stained with the filth of "illusion"... interesting——]
Fragments of time? Does it refer to her powers? Or her identity as an "anchor"? False filth? Does it refer to the "Foundation" or the "Scavenger"?
What is this ancient being?! How could it see through her at a glance?!
Chen Mengzhou suppressed the fear in his heart and tried to respond with his mental strength: "Who are you?"
[——The title… has long been forgotten… You can call me… "Gravekeeper"…] The ancient will's response was filled with endless vicissitudes and indifference. [——Guarding this final resting place for those who have long since passed away…——]
Gravekeeper? For whom? Who owns this fossil?
[——Why are you here... Outsider... Seeking power? ...Or... seeking answers? ——]
Chen Mengzhou's thoughts raced. This ancient being didn't seem to harbor any immediate ill intentions. Perhaps... this was an opportunity?
"I was forced to flee here, just to survive," she responded cautiously. "What do you mean by 'temporal fragments' and 'false filth'?"
"Time"... is the warp and weft of existence... the law that governs the operation of all things... You bear a fragment of it, faint but pure in essence..." The gravekeeper's thoughts flowed like an icy stream. "Vanity"... is the poisonous sore that attempts to tamper with time and weave lies... You carry its stench... from those... self-righteous "weavers"...
The Weavers? Do you mean "The Foundation"? They're trying to tamper with time?
"Do you know 'Foundation'? Do you know 'Kronos'?" Chen Mengzhou asked anxiously.
[——Knowing… or not knowing… is meaningless…] The gravekeeper's thoughts remained calm. [——Their ambitions… their struggles… are but fleeting dust in the scale of eternity—]
[——But you… the holder of the “fragment”… your struggle may be different——]
That huge will seemed to have taken a slight interest in her.
[——You long for power... long to escape being hunted... I can... give you a little... insignificant "gift"...]
Deep within the lake's center, a faint blue light slowly illuminated, like a rising star. Within this light, an irregularly shaped blue crystal, the size of a baby's fist, its surface covered in natural runes, its interior resembling a galaxy of flowing stars, slowly emerged from the water, emitting a pure and vast energy wave!
This energy... is of the same origin as the turbulent energy of space and time that she has absorbed, but it is more ancient, purer, and gentler!
[——Take it... absorb it... it can make up for your losses... and even... allow you to advance further——]
Temptation! Huge temptation!
In her current state, as long as she absorbs this crystal, her strength will definitely be restored instantly or even surpassed before!
But... there is no such thing as a free lunch. Especially not this kind of "gift" from an ancient being.
Shen Mengzhou forced himself to suppress the desire in his heart and responded calmly: "What is the price?"
[——A price?——] The gravekeeper's thoughts seemed to carry a faint hint of... mockery? [——When you pick it up...cause and effect are established...the future...you will know for yourself——]
Riddler!
Chen Mengzhou's eyes shifted. Accept? She might fall into an unknown trap. Reject? In her current state, she would be completely unable to cope with the next crisis and might very well die in the next hunt.
Weighing the pros and cons of two evils...
She took a deep breath and made a decision.
"I accept."
She walked to the lake, reached out her hand, and grasped the floating blue crystal.
It felt cold to the touch, and a huge, gentle energy instantly surged into her body, like a gentle rain moistening parched land! Her depleted mental strength and spatial abilities began to recover and grow at an unprecedented rate! Even the hidden injuries in her body were rapidly repaired!
This feeling... is so wonderful!
But at the same time, she also felt a profoundly hidden, brand-like mark, fused with the energy, deep within her core. It couldn't be dispelled, couldn't be sensed, yet it truly existed.
There is indeed a price.
But now, she can't care about that anymore.
Strength! She desperately needed strength!
[——Very good…——] The gravekeeper seemed satisfied. [——Now…leave…your resting place…should not be disturbed—]
As it finished speaking, a smooth stone door that did not exist originally on the rock wall opposite the lake slid open silently, revealing an upward passage behind it that exuded fresh air.
That's the exit.
Chen Mengzhou held the crystal tightly and took a deep look at the bottom of the lake.
"Thank you." She said, turned around and rushed into the passage without hesitation.
The stone door closed silently behind her, as if it had never appeared.
The passage extended upwards, and soon she saw the long-lost natural light.
Rushing out of the passage, outside was a dense, mutated purple-red forest. Although the air still had the turbidity unique to the end of the world, it was much fresher than underground.
She finally returned to the surface.
Feeling the surging power within her, the energy from the blue crystal continued to be absorbed and transformed. Her spatial ability not only fully recovered, but even became more condensed and pure. Her perception range expanded several times, and her control over space was elevated to a higher level!
A blessing in disguise!
But the stigma of "gravekeeper" was like a sword hanging over her head, preventing her from truly relaxing.
She quickly identified the direction and found that this was an unknown area far away from the mine.
You must first find a place to thoroughly digest and absorb this "gift" and become familiar with the enhanced power.
She walked through the dense forest, found a hidden tree hole, set up simple warnings, and began to devote herself to cultivation.
A few days later.
Chen Mengzhou slowly opened her eyes, a fleeting ripple of silver space in her pupils. She gently clenched her fists, and the air around her emitted a slight, distorted hum.
Power... a feeling of power I've never felt before.
The crystal had been completely absorbed. Her current strength had made a qualitative leap compared to before. If she faced the "Scavenger" team again, she was confident that she could fight them head-on, or even... defeat them!
It's time to take the initiative and do something.
"Foundation", "Scavenger", Fortress Area A... Aren't you looking for me?
The corners of her mouth curled up in a cold and cruel arc.
Then, as you wish.
She stood up, scanned the unfamiliar forest, chose a direction, and started walking.
The figure flashed a few times and disappeared into the depths of the dense forest like a ghost.
Hunter, set out on the journey again.
And this time, she will not run away.
She wants to let those hunters know who the real hunter is.
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