Shafley stepped forward and picked up the severed hand.

Upon closer inspection, they could see the blood vessels and flesh through the cut, and the hand was surprisingly soft, which immediately overturned their speculation that it was frozen at low temperatures.

It was as if it had been cut off not long ago and the blood had not yet flowed out.

Besides them, were there any others who entered the moonlight?

It is unlikely. Before this operation, an advance team had explored the entire perimeter of Moonlight, and except for the gate that needed to be triggered by the brothers, no other entrances were found.

It would be better to say that there were already survivors inside the Moonlight who had lived until now, but unfortunately they were killed before they entered.

But if you carefully examine the bloodstains nearby, you will know that this guess is impossible.

It was a severed female hand that appeared alone in the corner of the pipe, with no traces of blood or fighting around it, and the limbs were still very soft.

And the compass needle is attracted to it.

The other three people also looked at the hand, but could not make any inferences for the time being, so they carefully climbed down the pipe and returned to the ground.

The special forces members are divided into more than a dozen teams and are well-trained to explore the surroundings.

According to their preliminary estimates, there are nearly 10,000 primitive creatures that died in this area, of various species, including some deep-sea creatures. They died due to decompression shortly after floating to shallow waters, but still appeared in the skeletons.

"Could this hand be the same as that blue-eyed monster?" Chen Nian asked softly, "It's just that it has evolved to a higher level and looks no different from a normal person."

Shafley nodded. "It's possible."

Chen Ci compared his own hand with it and judging from the size, the owner of the hand should be a young woman about 165cm tall.

She took good care of herself, and there were no traces of hard work on either the base of her palms or the pads of her fingers.

Apart from this, no other information was available for the time being, so Chen Ci just hung his hands around his waist and carried them, which had a very shocking visual effect.

As the search continued, the team moved forward.

In a dark and enclosed space, infrared goggles can also be used to see things clearly, and mental power becomes an aid to make it clearer.

The only exception was Fu Tianhe. He could only see the surroundings clearly with his intact left eye. Fortunately, with the help of other teammates, the impact was not big.

He knew that his perception ability was not as good as others, so he was even more alert.

The moment the team was attacked, Fu Tianhe reacted immediately.

He quickly turned the muzzle of the gun and aimed at the source of the movement. However, the special forces members who possessed mental power and had undergone long-term training reacted even faster. When Fu Tianhe turned around, the gunshots had already exploded.

The network formed by the mental power of more than 120 people almost predicted the attacker's next move.

Bang!

The large-caliber bullet blew its body into pieces, and what flew around was not flesh and limbs, but purple fragments of various sizes!

It turned out to be a creature formed by Ashes crystals!

Strictly speaking, this entity should not be called a living organism, but it does have the characteristics of a beast and is now madly attacking the team!

More similar creatures appeared from all directions, rushing towards the team along walls and pipes, or directly drilling out of the corpses and metal at their feet.

Before they moved, they were just Ashes crystals that looked no different from the surrounding environment. Who could have imagined that they would suddenly attack?

Even though the situation was sudden, the special forces still responded perfectly in the first time. Under the fire suppression, those monsters found it difficult to get close, and the four people who were protected in the middle did not need to do anything.

Chen Nian took this opportunity to observe closely, and soon he chose his target, a monster that was climbing down the wall from a height of fifty meters.

At first glance, it looks like a half-meter-long scorpion, but it is more ferocious than a scorpion. It has crystal thorns like a sword dragon on its back, and it crawls rapidly with more than a dozen legs firmly grasping the wall, and a long tail hook on its tail.

It is not difficult to imagine that if it gets close to you, the sharp hooks will pierce through your protective clothing and you can easily be infected with Ashes.

In addition, there are many creatures with even more bizarre shapes, like a group of irregular crystal balls, crawling through the skeletons like reptiles. If you are not careful, you will easily ignore them and be caught off guard.

In the hail of bullets, it was difficult to get close to them, but there were too many of them, and they kept emerging from invisible corners.

It seemed that all the crystals the team saw along the way could transform into these creatures and attack them.

The ammunition they carried was limited, and if they continued to use it up like this, they would sooner or later be unable to hold on.

Shafley immediately made a decision: "Retreat!"

As they were about to approach the direction they came from, many strange creatures seemed to have sensed their intention and immediately blocked the entrance door.

Now the team was forced to move deeper. In the communication channel, the captain of the special forces was contacting the outside world, reporting the situation and requesting support.

With the current amount of ammunition, it should be no problem to support it for two hours.

They fought and retreated, and amid the continuous and fierce gunfire, Chen Nian felt that his heart was about to jump out of his chest. Shafulai followed closely beside him to prevent any unusual movements from happening and attacking Chen Nian.

Fu Tianhe shouted: "Are they driving us somewhere?"

Indeed, the team was being forced to move towards the four o'clock direction where there were the least crystal creatures.

The compass in Shaflay's arms spun wildly, the needle sometimes pointing to old words, sometimes to old thoughts.

But in the fierce battle, no one noticed this.

At the end of the moving direction, there is a gate leading to another area, which is now open.

Chen Ci's mental power has already detected the specific situation inside. There are still bones everywhere. They have been in the moonlight for almost two hours, but are still exploring the outer area.

During the construction process, the beacon was mixed with materials that could block spiritual power inside the main body of the building to ensure privacy. It was difficult for Chen Ci to continue to penetrate the walls and steel plates to explore the situation in the farther space.

The four were surrounded in the center of the team. As an Alpha who was no less capable than other special forces members, Shafulai's mission was not to prevent the purple crystal creatures from getting close, but to protect Chen Nian, Chen Ci, and Fu Tianhe as much as possible.

More and more crystal creatures gathered, and the encirclement was forced to shrink.

At this moment.

Suddenly, there was an unusual vibration under my feet. It took less than half a second for me to realize that something was wrong and to want to avoid it.

But it is still too late.

Suddenly, there was nothing under my feet.

The fall was so sudden that several people instinctively tried to grab onto something fixed beside them, but all they grasped was air.

Countless skeletons and mechanical parts fell with them. Chen Ci heard Chen Nian's scream, which was so clear even through the protective suit amid the sound of gunfire.

“Your Highness!!!”

The nearest special forces member was about to lend a helping hand, but a large number of alien creatures rushed towards him recklessly, forcing him to deal with them. In the blink of an eye, the four people disappeared in front of the special forces members.

——Plop!

It took only 2.74 seconds to fall from a height of more than ten meters. The buoyancy system of the protective suits was activated, which prevented the four people from being killed at the critical moment.

Bones and metals fell on my head and body with a crackling sound. I had to raise my hands to protect my head and face in pain. Fortunately, the falling stopped after a few seconds.

Shafla immediately looked up and saw that the movable gate had closed quickly, so fast that no one else could get down with it. The metal gate was covered with amethyst and corpses, so they were unaware.

Fu Tianhe was right. The crystal creatures were indeed deliberately driving them here, and opened the gate at the moment when the four of them happened to be standing at the gate.

"Calling His Majesty Shafley, calling His Majesty Shafley, if you hear me, please answer, if you hear me, please answer."

After a brief electric current noise, the anxious voice of the special forces captain came from the earphone.

"This is Shafley, we've landed in the lower area, everything is normal, over."

"I will lead the team to gather with you. Please continue to communicate smoothly. Over."

"Got it." Shafley paused and said, "Everything is based on your own safety. Be careful not to get infected. Over."

"receive."

The headphones fell silent during which Chen Ci had been observing his surroundings silently. The gate was about fifteen or sixteen meters above and was tightly closed, so it was impossible to climb up.

Judging from the size and shape of this space, it should be the side of the ice cave they had seen earlier.

That is the structural part where the moonlight is in the excavation layer.

The hand that was originally tied around Chen Ci's waist fell to the side. Fu Tianhe picked it up, brushed off the dust on it, and hung it on himself.

"It looks like there aren't any monsters here." Chen Nian whispered, "If we really encounter one, there are only four of us, so we should just run away."

"I will try to run slower then to draw your firepower," Shaflay said.

Chen Nian hit him hard: "Don't tell me, maybe we should protect you. You are the only one among the four of us who is in danger of infection."

The four of them put their equipment in order and began their individual actions. They continued to explore the surroundings with their mental power, and soon they saw the remains of a second giant primitive creature besides the whale.

It was also rotten and only a white skeleton was left.

It is difficult to tell what kind of fish it is just from the skeleton, but that is not important.

Shafley took out the compass again, and after a brief fluctuation, the needle pointed to a certain direction, guiding them to go deeper.

Finally, they found half of the calf among a pile of calcium carbide fragments in the shape of a five-pointed star.

The fragment is likely the endoskeleton of a giant starfish. Over time, the body tissue and adhesive material disappeared, leaving only the special, hard, thorn-like bones.

The calf was buried amidst the bone fragments, making it look as if it had been swallowed alive by a starfish, until decay finally revealed it.

The half of the calf was in the same condition as the severed hand, equally soft and delicate, with marks of violent bites all over the broken part.

They should belong to the same person, but judging from the current condition, that person was probably torn into pieces, with body parts scattered everywhere.

The communication channel received a report from the captain of the special forces team. After the four of them fell, the crystal creatures that had launched a crazy attack retreated in unison.

And now, the special forces have found a way to the lower level, and perhaps it won't be long before they can reunite with them.

Chen Nian listened to Shaflay's agreement, but he didn't hold much hope in his heart.

Those crystalline creatures had driven them down on purpose, and now that they had succeeded, they would certainly not let everyone reunite easily.

"Let's go. We don't want to be idle."

Before Shaflay finished speaking, another vibration was felt from under his feet.

They immediately reached out to grab the people around them, but the feeling of weightlessness no longer swept through their bodies. The shaking came from other places.

Half a minute later, the vibration gradually subsided. Fu Tianhe stood up straight. His intuition told him that a major change had just occurred somewhere in the moonlight, otherwise why would the entire building be shaking?

The compass was spinning again in confusion.

The four of them carried the severed hands and calves and explored the core area of ​​the moonlight. Chen Ci could clearly feel the existence of a strange magnetic field there that was interfering with his mental power.

"Where are we now?" Chen Nian asked.

Shafley: "Just a little further up we'll reach the outskirts of the original CPU wing."

The suburban boundary refers to the existence of the Cinnabar Abandoned Suburbs. It takes more than four hours to travel from the Abandoned Suburbs to the CPU side room of the real main body at full speed.

Chen Nian exclaimed: "It's still so far?"

Shafley: "It collapsed over a large area. The ice cave we just saw may not be in the exact location in the game, or there may be many similar holes in the area covered by the moonlight, connected to the sea area below."

Chen Nian: "I don't understand. With so many holes, isn't Moonlight worried about the unstable foundation? It was built on a permafrost layer, so it's easy to loosen."

Chen Ci: “That’s why it chose to lower its center of gravity.”

Chen Nian blinked, then said "oh" in sudden realization and understood.

Shafley: "Take a break first."

It has been more than three hours since they entered. During this time, everyone has been using their mental power to detect the surroundings and has just experienced a thrilling battle.

As they go deeper, perhaps even more serious situations will occur.

While you are temporarily safe, eat something and replenish your energy.

Chen Nian sat down, leaning against a rib stuck in the ground. Actually, he didn't feel that tired. He was surrounded in the middle of the team from beginning to end and only needed to follow everyone's actions.

If I must say, my brother also got into the pipe and opened the valve manually, which was much more difficult.

No matter how powerful the vaccines and inhibitors are, they are unlikely to be effective at high concentrations.

Shaflay must always wear protective clothing and can only replenish energy by taking high-efficiency nutrient solution placed in the protective clothing in advance.

As for the other three, there is no need to worry so much. Chen Si and Chen Nian are naturally immune, and Fu Tianhe himself is an advanced infected person, so he is not afraid of being bitten by lice even if there are too many of them.

They took out compressed food from their backpacks and ate a pack as quickly as possible. After drinking water, the dry dust would expand rapidly in the stomach, filling them with a sense of fullness and providing a lot of energy.

After eating and drinking, Chen Nian clapped his hands and put on the mask of his protective suit again.

In the enclosed space, only the floodlights they carried provided light, shrouding the distant walls in darkness.

Chen Ci asked Fu Tianhe in a low voice: "Are you okay?"

"Well, that's fine for now."

Fu Tianhe took a few seconds to organize his words. "When the group of crystal creatures came over just now, I had an inexplicable strange feeling. How should I put it? I didn't feel nervous or scared at all. It was as if I knew subconsciously that even if they came over, they would not hurt me."

Chen Ci: "Maybe it's because you also have Ashes in you."

Fu Tianhe nodded: "So I am very worried about you and Chen Nian. Your blood can play a suppressive role. In the eyes of those monsters, will you be the same as the natural enemy? That's why they came here in droves, trying to capture you two."

It is possible.

After the four of them fell down, the crystal creatures stopped attacking the special forces. In addition to completing the mission of driving them down, it is also possible that they lost their target.

Shafley: "No matter what, you two must be careful and safe."

"Don't worry." Chen Nian comforted him, "Strictly speaking, this is still my brother and I's home. We have been away for more than ten years and finally came back. Even if we don't give you a big welcome, at least we shouldn't be so cruel, right?"

Everyone knew that Chen Nian was joking, but it did make them feel much better.

After a brief rest, they set out again.

From time to time, the earphones could be heard of the special forces determining their positions. Shaflay kept in touch with them, but there were always occasional vibrations that occurred from different places based on the position, and each time would last for several minutes.

The location of the fourth earthquake is very close to the current location of the special forces.

After a detailed investigation, they told the four that a collapse was indeed occurring, with fallen metal and concrete blocking the forks leading in other directions.

It was as if... as if there was an invisible existence, secretly controlling and guiding them in the direction of progress.

Is it help or a trap?

Chen Nian: "Well, I always feel that there should be living things in the beacon, besides those amethyst creatures."

Fu Tianhe patted his hands and legs hanging on his waist: "For example, the same kind as the owner of this corpse?"

Chen Ci: "Luo Pan reacted to her, which means she is the same kind as the blue monster. Maybe she wants to kill me and Chen Nian just like that monster."

Chen Nian stroked his chin and said, "She is more anthropomorphic than that monster. Her skin and figure are exactly like a very young girl. Well, it's not impossible. Aurora is also a very beautiful woman. Maybe she deliberately uses this appearance to confuse us and lower our vigilance."

Four hours into the moonlight, they encountered their first electromagnetic interference.

There was a constant crackling sound coming from the headset, and the special forces' calls became unclear.

Shafulai's repairs were fruitless, and he couldn't help but feel depressed. It seemed that the use of their electronic equipment would be affected to a certain extent.

Fortunately, I still have my mental power. Although it will be blocked by the raw stones inlaid or dissolved into the metal steel plates, it is still much clearer than seeing with my two eyes alone.

The large machine used to break the ice reappeared, and nearby were still piles of skeletons, but compared to what they had seen further out, the corpses were larger, and there were also more giant primitive creatures.

But without exception, the mechanical cores that were supposed to be inside the body and fell to the ground due to corruption were all missing.

The compass led them to a kidney on the back of a lobster that was more than 20 meters long.

"Well……"

Now even Fu Tianhe, who has the strongest psychological endurance, can't bear it anymore.

With a complicated expression, he put the kidney in a plastic bag and carried it with him: "I just hope that I won't find intestines later. Aren't we here to explore the truth and find a cure? Why did we suddenly end up picking up corpses?"

Shafley: "I'll take the back."

Chen Nian shouted not far away: "Look! I found a hole here!"

The Alphas hurried over. Under the cover of countless white bones, a narrow edge of the dark cave entrance was revealed. If you didn't look carefully, it would be difficult to find.

The compass in Shafley's hand began to spin again, finally pointing to the cave entrance.

"Could there be broken limbs in here?" Chen Nian kicked away the bones covering the hole to reveal more.

The hole was quite narrow, only slightly wider than the previous ventilation duct. With Shafulai and Fu Tianhe's size, they definitely wouldn't be able to pass through it.

Chen Ci reached out his hand and gently touched the wall of the cave. The traces of friction reminded him of a certain kind of worm living in the deep sea that would drill holes in the seabed and bury its stored food at the bottom of the hole.

Because the base of the moonlight is made of frozen soil, which is relatively hard, after it drills through, the surrounding sand will not gather, leaving behind a narrow and long circular channel.

Chen Nian measured at his waist. If it was really a worm-like creature, judging by the proportions, it would probably be about seventy or eighty meters long.

If they really faced this thing, all four of them would probably be swallowed up in one gulp.

The mental force continued to go deeper and deeper along the winding passage, and finally found an object at the innermost part, the outline of which looked very much like a human limb.

Unfortunately, Chen Ci's telekinesis could only be used at a relatively close distance. The cave was too deep, and he couldn't directly take out the remaining limbs.

Chen Ci took off the bags of all sizes on his body and handed them to Fu Tianhe: "I'll go down and take a look."

Chen Nian hurriedly said, "I'll go with you."

"Okay." The hole was quite deep, and Chen Ci was a little worried that if he went down alone, he might not be able to come out. It would be much better if two people took care of each other.

They hung ropes around their waists with the ends fixed to the ground, and were watched over by Shafulai and Fu Tianhe.

"I can definitely get into this cave." Chen Nian moved his body, followed Chen Ci, and climbed down with his upper body tilted.

Great, it didn’t get stuck this time!

Chen Nian adjusted his breathing and followed Chen Ci in the most energy-saving way possible.

The voices belonging to Shafley and Fu Tianhe gradually faded away, and the sound of breathing echoed in the mask. Chen Nian poked the side wall with his fingers. It was very hard, and it was hard to imagine how the worms had dug it open.

More than ten minutes later, they reached a depth of more than 50 meters. Chen Ci stopped in front and took a short rest. He turned around and asked his brother behind him: "Are you okay?"

"Okay." Chen Nian said, "It's easy to get down, but it's going to be hard to get up later."

Chen Ci hummed in agreement. His mental power could clearly detect the stump waiting for them at the bottom. It was a foot, and a slightly wider space had been dug out nearby.

It is not difficult to imagine the long worms coiled inside, guarding the severed limbs while recuperating.

After climbing down for several minutes, he finally got the broken leg. Chen Nian looked at the irregular small space and found frozen excrement in the corner.

Chen Nian didn't dare to get close, because who knows if there might be insect eggs or something like that in the pile.

"Is this bug still alive? The feces looks fresh to me."

"It's possible." Chen Ci sealed his broken left foot and hung it in front of his waist. "For safety reasons, we'd better leave quickly."