Chapter 478
Chapter 478 - 458: Entering the Relic
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7 min read
"The Moon God?"
Glancing at the bright moon in the sky, Lu Ping’an felt deeply moved.
Before, he had thought that the Moon God was ordinary, and that her protection of the "Cradle of Civilization" was her limit.
But looking back now, if it wasn’t for the protection of the Moon God, the rotting teeth below the ground would have spread everywhere, and even worse, there would be a "mass resurrection of the dead" in the villages and towns.
A real-life biohazard would quickly collapse the entire social order, rendering everything else futile.
Some things are just a step away from collapse, either known or unknown... The Gemini Moon God was striving to maintain the stability of society and the final peace.
Lu Ping’an looked up, and the two moons - the silver moon and the blood moon - in the sky appeared to be very close, as if they were just above his head.
Their moonlight was as bright as before, and like the moon on Earth, they didn’t attract much attention on ordinary days. However, considering their close connection to many aspects of daily life, all Lu Ping’an could do was sigh...
"...How much longer can they hold on? One month? Two months? When will they leave or be buried with everything in this world?"
The world is still standing now, probably thanks to these two unassuming Moon Gods.
Their fall or departure is just a matter of time...without guessing, the subsequent "disaster" already has a clear depiction!
"Perhaps their collapse or escape can be seen as a sign of the disaster entering the next stage"
At this moment, Lu Ping’an suddenly had an inspiration and became interested in the divine power and rules of the twin moons.
However, when he asked the Holy Flame Priests, he didn’t get a reliable answer... Their disgust and resistance were evident, or perhaps the relationship between the two deities wasn’t very good.
Withdrawing his gaze from the mural, Lu Ping’an turned his attention to the ruins below.
It’s a good thing to look far, but it seems unnecessary for him to hold on until the very end. One should do what suits their abilities and deal with the immediate troubles first.
"If there are no accidents, they probably entered two or three days before us, but they haven’t come out yet..."
The scouts had already come to a conclusion - there were traces of people entering, but not leaving.
At least three groups of people had entered: the least were the Shepherd Silver survivors, followed by a group of locals, and finally, some familiar military boot prints.
"There are probably only two or three Shepherd Silver people, many Evil Bone members, and going by the size of the camps we found earlier, there should be at least a few hundred of them. Lastly, the Red Sand Thieves... In total, there shouldn’t be more than twenty of them, and it seems they all came."
These were all expected, but there were also some unforeseen troubles.
"A large number of beasts have also entered, probably for predation. They might be similar to the Wolf King’s tribe."
Comparing the traces on the ground, the giant stripe-like trace seemed to belong to a huge snake. Judging from its size alone, it was even larger than the giant wolves... The passage in the ruins must have been filled with it.
Because of its presence, many other traces were wiped out.
What was puzzling was that there were no stay-at-home staff outside.
"If they were local robbers, it would be understandable not to have people staying behind, but there’s no reason for the soldiers from Huaqi not to leave someone on guard. Were they attacked by the beasts? But there are no sentries either. If people were eaten, would their weapons not be left behind?"
There were no answers to the questions. The wide-open entrance to the ruins seemed like a giant beast with its mouth wide open, waiting for you to get into the pot.
If it were in the past, these would have been considered unnecessary thoughts and hesitations. But now, this place leads to the underground...
Lu Ping’an took a deep breath. No one coming out at this time was definitely not a good thing, which meant there must be extremely dangerous threats inside.
But on his side...
"Be prepared for the worst. Use Plan Zero when necessary."
After some thinking, Lu Ping’an issued the order, leaving behind two Holy Flame Priests and two Knights this time.
They were speeding up the transcription of the murals. After completing their mission, they would decide whether to withdraw directly or stay here based on the situation... This haunted place might not be safer outside than inside the ruins.
The Knights led the way, and the path was wide enough for four or five people to walk side by side, which brought some relief.
However, just after turning a corner, the sight before them made everyone feel helpless.
They saw a pile of corpses, fresh ones. Some were locals, while others were "Red Sand Thieves." It seemed that they had fought fiercely here, attacking each other.
If that was all there was, it would have been within expectations. But...
"Their direction of movement was outward. They tried to escape from here..."
A tall Red Sand Thief had fallen with his head facing the exit, his hand pointing forward, and his blood streaming across the floor.
"He was a Lieutenant Officer, with quite good strength."
This was undoubtedly the worst development. Apart from the known troubles, there were obviously other dangers here, which forced them to abandon everything and flee for their lives.
"Let’s be cautious and leave markers."
Upon hearing this, Lin Feng and Su Zhizhu in the team set to work. Lin Feng left small sculptures in the corners, while Su Zhizhu released paper-rats and paper cranes.
Tamers were masters in the support field. They could remotely sense and even control these items.
"If they’re touched, I can sense it." Lin Feng said. This wasn’t his field of expertise, but it would do.
"Same here, but they’ll run away. If I connect with them, I can know what they’ve encountered. If the distance is close enough, I can share their vision." Su Zhizhu, on the other hand, was much more capable in this area.
Danger may not be ahead. Lu Ping’an also set up some small traps that would at least give the latecomers a pleasant surprise.
After Lu Ping’an decided to proceed cautiously, the group did not rush into the lower level.
With their previous mural experience, they began to explore as they moved forward... Unlike the previous groups who hurriedly rushed to the lower level, Lu Ping’an and his party were already late, so they weren’t in a hurry.
The Spirit Seers peered ahead within a short range to avoid potential threats.
As a professional like Lu Ping’an, he also activated his chaotic senses, but it seemed that the material of the passage here was special, and the limit of spying was quite close.
However, the following developments were somewhat unexpected...traps were filled in, magical beasts were dead, and after walking for more than half an hour, Lu Ping’an’s party didn’t even see a ghostly figure.
Suddenly, a light appeared ahead, signaling the end of the tranquility.
It was a large hall, and here, Lu Ping’an saw the continuation of the mural, the story of the Beast God.
— End of Chapter 478 —