nucmednet Chapter 33 Infiltrating the Enemy's Lair, a Formidable Rival Appears
Chapter 33 Infiltrating the Enemy's Lair, a Formidable Rival Appears
[Network notification: The bottleneck of the skill [Shrinking Earth Movement Technique] has been broken, and the learning progress limit has been unlocked.]
[...The bottleneck of the [Flick of the Finger Invisibility Technique] has been broken...]
[…[Jade Belt Entangling Mountain Technique] bottleneck has been broken…[Star Ball Throwing] bottleneck has been broken…[Seven Wonders Heart Bell] bottleneck has been broken…]
When Lin Zhuo walked out of that death valley, six hours had passed.
His skills had already broken through all the bottlenecks and reached perfection before this. He didn't even think about how to break through. He just followed the inspiration that came in the midst of the crisis to explore the most comfortable path of qi circulation and the tricks of qi manipulation.
If you fail, you die; and if you die a lot, you'll eventually succeed.
Lin Zhuo has now become accustomed to the negative mindset of a weakened soul and has tamed his body's fear of death, but he still cannot completely ignore the pain; some of the physiological reactions caused by pain remain. In cases of severe injury, he may temporarily lose his composure and judgment.
These weaknesses still need to be overcome little by little in the future. As a natural defect of animals, they can only be suppressed by utilizing the brain's self-hallucination ability without changing the body structure.
Of course, Lin Zhuo can now use sonic techniques to clear his mind of distractions.
【Seven Wonders Heart Bell (Low Grade, Gray)】
Progression: 100% (Perfect)
Current effect: During the casting of this technique, the power of [Mysterious Secrets] True Qi is adjusted to (100% + 3.5 × [Cultivation Level 100%]); upon starting this technique, the opponent immediately gains 1 stack of "Bewitching" status, which accumulates as the melody progresses. If the opponent has 7 stacks of "Bewitching" status, they will suffer a mental injury equivalent to (700% + 7 × [Cultivation Level 100%]) the power of [Mysterious Secrets] True Qi.
The mesmerizing state caused by the Seven Wonders Bell will last for quite some time.
During this period, the emotions and beliefs implanted by Lin Zhuo will continue to subtly influence the opponent's mind and body.
He set his goal on himself, which is a kind of reverse energy cultivation technique, and it can bring him a period of refreshment and invigoration.
Stepping out of the virtual training arena, Lin Zhuo's tattered clothes had been restored to their original state, and the food and water he had brought in had naturally been completely consumed.
After a short rest and checking the time, it was 3:27 PM. Lin Zhuo began preparing his clothing and tools for the operation, including outfits suitable for action, equipment for recording audio and video, and most importantly, talismans for concealing his whereabouts.
He took out paper and ink, placed a draft on the iron paper, drew the coordinate system and auxiliary lines, and pressed out a talisman-shaped groove with a knife. The draft paper would be automatically destroyed. He repeated this three times to combine the three runes into a spell.
Lin Zhuo then used a knife to slightly trace and reinforce the engravings on the iron paper, and then dripped in the spiritual ink.
Thus, a simple concealment talisman was successfully completed. The talisman paper became transparent, and its presence began to decrease slightly. Lin Zhuo carefully rolled it up, and the talisman's effect dissipated, revealing itself again.
When needed, simply unfold the talisman and stick it to the surface of the object. Lin Zhuo drew five talismans in a row and stuck them all on his body. When he looked in the mirror, his figure had become a blurry black shadow, and his face was no longer recognizable.
The feeling was like being enveloped by an invisible film of water, making even footsteps and sounds become faint.
Basic stealth talismans can only achieve this much; they can completely conceal small objects, but the human body is still too large.
Lin Zhuo was already quite satisfied with the results.
He traveled light, carrying only a bag, and went out to the basement.
"Hongshui West Station." At 4:30 pm, Lin Zhuo had arrived near his destination. This place was a station of the intercity tunnel, and the meeting place of Qiao Mingyang's gang was in an abandoned tunnel.
This place is not easy to find. The normal entrance has long been completely blocked off, and the only way to get there is through a mine tunnel next to the station. This is the information revealed by Qiao Mingyang.
Lin Zhu changed into light and comfortable clothes, attached talismans, and transformed into a blurry black shadow to begin his infiltration.
Continuing onward, we passed through a hidden gap and arrived inside an abandoned tunnel, where temporary tents, tables and chairs were scattered about, and several lights emitted a faint white glow, illuminating the remaining sleepers and rubble on the tracks.
The gang members set up the place as a harmless gathering place, but the real meeting place was the shelter behind the No. 3 emergency exit.
Lin Zhuo stood outside the emergency exit door and listened patiently for a moment. He heard faint noises and knew that someone was already stationed there. To avoid alerting the enemy, he did not knock on the door.
Infiltrating such a confined space is extremely difficult. Lin Zhuo had no other choice but to search the vicinity carefully and found an old map sign in an inconspicuous place, which detailed the spatial structure inside the tunnel's emergency exit.
After carefully reading and studying the text, Lin Zhuo finally understood the general internal situation. As for whether the architectural structure had changed over the years, he couldn't say for sure and could only adapt to the situation.
For the rest of the time, he hid in the shadows, put away the talismans, and patiently waited for nightfall.
As eleven o'clock approached, one after another, furtive figures arrived at the emergency exit. They exchanged a secret signal and entered one by one.
Lin Zhuo observed from the shadows that the figures were generally tall, but there were also a few who were short and small. Judging from their movements, they were actually young children.
These children were the "pledge of allegiance" for the secret gang.
Lin Zhuo was annoyed. He glanced at the time and realized it was almost time to meet up with Qiao Mingyang. So he reattached the talisman and transformed into a silent black shadow, quickly disappearing away.
A moment later, at Hongshui West Station, Lin Zhuo met the anxious Qiao Mingyang.
"Oh, you've finally arrived! Come on, come with me," the curator called out in a low voice.
The two proceeded cautiously, avoiding human presence and surveillance. After entering the mine shaft, they went into an abandoned tunnel, where a deceptive barbecue party was being set up.
These people knew each other and greeted each other, asking who the new person next to Qiao Mingyang was.
Lin Zhuo remained silent, following Qiao Mingyang to the emergency exit door. After exchanging the password, they entered. He saw that the surveillance camera facing the door in the corridor was still working, and knew that he was right not to sneak in rashly earlier.
At this moment, a man and a woman armed with guns came up to search them. They had received military training and had large areas of tattoos on their bodies, so they were obviously not locals of Cuirang Star.
Lin Zhuo stuck one talisman on the surface of the action camera and another on the voice recorder. Holding these two completely transparent items in his hand, the body searcher couldn't find anything amiss.
"It's all clean now, go in."
After passing through the corridor, you enter the shelter.
The space inside was fairly spacious, with rows of seats. At the head of the room was a surveillance camera and a speaker. Usually, the gang leader, Team Leader Fang, would observe the meeting room through the camera and communicate with other members through the speaker, but he never actually showed his face.
Most of the adults in the room are in their thirties or forties, and some are even older. They are all comfortably lounging in their chairs chatting, while the young children they brought are acting like little servants, serving tea and massaging the adults' legs and shoulders.
Two pretty twin girls were dancing in the middle of the field. Their clothes were not neat or decent. They were dressed in bright red tight dresses and had stiff smiles on their faces.
Lin Zhuo overheard a couple pointing at the twins, boasting to others about their parenting methods, how obedient the girls were.
These gang members enjoyed the kind of service they couldn't get on a normal day, and some even got their hands on rare tobacco products, lying in chairs puffing away.
A few individuals with domineering personalities would order the children around them around, and if they were even slightly displeased, they would pinch the children's armpits, the inside of their upper arms, and the bottom of their thighs—areas where injuries are not easily visible—causing the children to cry loudly in pain.
The people started laughing, and the child's parents scolded them for crying.
A timid child carrying a tray approached Lin Zhuo, his eyes like those of a wild deer that had been chased for a hundred miles, his face still trying to force a smile, obediently calling out, "Master, please have some tea."
How many years has it been since the term "master" was used within the human community?
Lin Zhuo remained expressionless, simply raising his hand to gently pat the child's head.
Qiao Mingyang chuckled and explained, "How about it, Xiao Lin? This is what it means to live a normal life. Don't feel bad about it. Once we get out here and see the real world, what's this? It's just that we can't find a legitimate maid here, so we have to use a child as a temporary substitute."
Before Lin Zhuo could speak, a hooded man lying in a chair not far away suddenly stood up and said, "Mr. Qiao is right."
The man removed his hood, revealing a head of short, graying hair and an aged face. His short beard was meticulously groomed, giving him an air of elegance and refinement.
Qiao Mingyang and his accomplices looked surprised.
"May I ask who you are?"
"Hehe, it's really inconvenient to communicate with you all through a screen using a voice changer." This person stood up and clapped his hands, attracting the attention of everyone in the gathering. "Fellow colleagues, I am the team leader you all usually talk about."
There was an uproar in the room. All the members rushed over as if they had seen a savior, standing on tiptoe and craning their necks, hoping to shake hands with the all-powerful Team Leader Fang.
Lin Zhuo turned the camera around, capturing the faces of everyone around him.
Team Leader Fang continued the conversation, saying, "I've always told my colleagues in private that you people from the human community all live a hard life. You don't even have servants to take care of you, and you don't enjoy the treatment that social elites should have."
"You also have to take responsibility, because you are all too cowardly! We asked you to do something as a pledge of loyalty, and all you dared to do was bring your kids over, slap them a couple of times, or stick needles into the soles of their feet, and record a video. Is that considered a serious stain?"
"Haha, I understand your thoughts. After all, a missing child is a major case involving murder, and it's hard to let go of such a case easily."
"Tonight, an important guest will bring the gravitational characteristics of the planet Emerald Soil. After that, this planet will be noticed by the Giant Enterprise Alliance, and everyone will be able to escape their misery and travel to a truly civilized planet. There's a sum of money waiting for you in the private accounts I've prepared for you."
The crowd cheered.
At this point, a member of the conspiracy group raised a question: "Team Leader Fang, has this guest arrived yet? How long will it take before you send the spaceship after you get the gravity parameters?"
"Tonight!" The elderly team leader Fang held up one finger. "Of course, I have to show all my colleagues our company's sincerity. I guarantee we can get the ship onto the surface tonight. Then, we'll all put on our protective suits, walk along this tunnel, and it'll be just a few kilometers to the landing site."
He glanced around at the crowd, a smug smile on his face, and pulled a walkie-talkie from his pocket. "You think I have no proof? Here, I'll show you the evidence. Captain Wang, please come forward. Everyone, please witness this!"
The heavy door deep inside the shelter was suddenly struck by a tremendous force, making a loud bang. The door twisted and deformed and then burst open. Many children cried out in fright, and the adults were speechless with shock.
Lin Zhuo aimed at the camera, and a dark shadow more than two meters long appeared behind the door. It bent slightly, passed through the door frame, and stepped into the light.
The cold, metallic sheen flowed across the iron-gray armor, the X-shaped visors on the helmet glowed with a bluish-green light, and the fibrous ridges on the back of the head grew like sharp horns. The entire body was completely encased in the smooth armor, and a long tail extended from the base of the spine on the back, swaying from side to side in the air.
It appears to be steel on the outside, yet it possesses a biological vitality. Beneath the steel lies biological tissue and a living human pilot.
This is a set of Dragoon armor, an armored warrior that does not belong to the human community, the strongest individual soldier unit of our time capable of interstellar travel in space by utilizing the gravitational characteristics of planets.
Once he obtains the parameters of Emerald Earth, everything will be beyond repair.
At this point, it can be determined that all those present who actively participated in the action committed the most serious crime of treason.
Lin Zhuo silently turned off the camera and took out the Meteorite Chain Hammer without a sound.
The time has come; it's time to play the music.