Ch. 104 - The Base

For a moment, Gu Gang's expression was very awkward. His eyes swept the ground, as if searching for something. After a moment of silence, he spoke with a helpless tone, explaining the reason. "If we reported it, the base would definitely close off exploration of Hongni Town. Captain, we just wanted to earn a bit more, so we didn't report it."

Adam's tone immediately turned stern. "By doing this, you have violated the prospector's code! This behavior is enough to make you lose all your rights at Skyfort!"

Gu Gang sighed deeply. "Now it doesn't matter. My people are all dead, and only I remain. After what happened in Hongni Town, I have nothing left. Even if I stay at Skyfort, I no longer have the ability to explore the Inverse Universe."

Adam shook his head vigorously. "You were foolish. Look at us now—because you entered an unauthorized area, we're all trapped here."

Gu Gang glanced at him. "I can only say, I'm very sorry."

Yun Ze raised his hand, patting both men on the shoulder. "Gentlemen, talking about this now is pointless. Let's first understand what happened in Hongni Town."

Everyone's eyes turned back to Gu Gang.

Gu Gang rubbed his bald head and sat on the steps with a look of frustration. "After discovering that underground space, we conducted a preliminary exploration. Using sonar equipment, we found that the space beneath Hongni Town was astonishingly large—it could fit another city inside."

"Later, the prospecting teams exploring the town held a meeting. Everyone agreed to keep the underground space a secret for now. Before the Yunxiang Base discovered it, we planned to return to Skyfort, prepare supplies, and recruit people to explore the underground space."

Having come down from the rooftop and leaning against a column, Tianyang could roughly guess their intentions. These prospectors simply wanted to explore it first. If it were uncharted territory, there should be many valuable items. If everything went smoothly, they could raid the place before reporting it to Yunxiang Base, ensuring the base got fewer treasures.

They had a good plan, but it seemed like they had stepped on a landmine.

A Sun's Spear team member snorted. "Overestimating yourselves. If that underground space is as big as you say, just a few prospectors wouldn't stand a chance. Even if you found something, you'd have no life to enjoy it."

Adam raised his hand, stopping the team's mockery. Gu Gang's group had already paid the price for their actions. There was no need to kick them while they were down.

Gu Gang looked at Adam gratefully, then continued, "Actually, that brother is right. We were overconfident, but at the time, everyone was blinded by the discovery. After some preparation, we gathered in Hongni Town and entered the underground space."

"We used a sonar system for exploration and didn't have a clear idea of the scale until we went in ourselves. Only then did we realize how vast it was. We descended over three hundred meters vertically through a hole in a building, likely revealed by an earthquake. Otherwise, we might never have found that terrifying place."

"We descended more than three hundred meters to the ground. Before us was absolute darkness, unlike the black mist-covered sky of the Inverse Universe—it was completely devoid of light. Naturally, we were prepared and had brought lighting tools. But even with powerful spotlights, we couldn't see the entire space."

"Judging by air flow and echo, we estimated it was an enormous space. This discovery excited everyone because the vertical hole showed it was man-made. Why would something be excavated underground if not to store something important?"

Even now, Gu Gang was somewhat excited as he spoke about the place, gesturing emphatically. "That underground space must contain something important and valuable!"

Yun Ze asked the key question, "Did you find anything?"

Unfortunately, Gu Gang shook his head. "No. After our initial excitement, we began exploring. To avoid getting lost in the vast darkness, we used electronic compasses. After about half a day, we found a base."

Everyone's expressions changed noticeably. Adam was the first to react. "What did you say? A base? What kind of base?"

Gu Gang gestured. "Similar to Yunxiang Base, but larger. There were Inverse Universe scripts at the entrance, so we preliminarily determined it was built by Inverse Universe residents. It might even be a refuge."

Yun Ze shook his head. "It can't be a refuge. We've explored this area for years. The cities and towns like Gemstone Town here all have limited building heights. According to archaeologists, the economic and cultural level of this area was only moderate in the Inverse Universe."

"So, I believe the Inverse Universe residents wouldn't build a refuge in such a place. Of course, I can't say for sure since I haven't been there."

Gu Gang waved his hand. "Whatever it is, that place is a genuine base. We couldn't understand the Inverse Universe scripts, but every so often there were texts and diagrams. Only a base would be this meticulous, right? Besides, we found armed platforms there that don't exist in surface cities, indicating it had a planned security system."

Wang Liangyi, arms crossed, nodded. "Indeed, it seems to be a base."

Adam looked at the bald man, signaling for him to continue. "Go on."

Gu Gang's expression began to turn grave, with a hint of panic creeping into his eyes. "At first, we were excited because we knew what an Inverse Universe base represented. But as we delved deeper, we started noticing things were amiss."

"In that base, we found some bodies. These bodies were covered in fungi, yes, like those glowing things in Gemstone Town. But that's not important. What's crucial is that those bodies seemed to be our people."

Yun Ze looked at him puzzledly. "Are you saying that the fortress once explored that base?"

Gu Gang nodded firmly. "Exactly, because their equipment was of the same type as ours, just different models. Inside, we even found a dismantled dimensional armed platform!"

Adam exclaimed first, "That's impossible. I've been at Yunxiang Base for a long time, and I've never heard of such exploration by the base, nor have I seen any reports about Inverse Universe bases!"

Gu Gang lowered his voice, saying, "We couldn't have been mistaken. But if you say so, Captain, there's only one possibility, the fortress doesn't want others to know about that exploration or the existence of that base."

Tianyang, leaning against the column, felt a slight stir in his heart. Su Lie had hidden a suitcase in Gemstone Town, and there were traces of the fortress exploring the base beneath Hongni Town. Was there a connection between these two?

"But regardless, even if the fortress had explored it, we still hoped to find something valuable inside. In the end, we didn't find wealth; instead, we found a tree." Gu Gang paused there, seemingly lost in his memories, silent.

Yun Ze exclaimed excitedly, "Could it be the Pillar of Star Marrow?"

Gu Gang was momentarily lost in thought until Adam shook his shoulder, prompting him to raise his head. "No, it's something else. Larger, more sinister. It resembled a plant but had human features. Moreover, with limited light at the time, I couldn't see clearly, only vaguely discerning a silhouette resembling a tree. And..."

"And that thing was covered in fungi. Some of the fungi even formed human-like shapes, like countless humanoid worms tangled together. What's even more terrifying is that when we opened the hall, those fungi spread towards us at a visible speed."

"One of my men was covered by the fungi and quickly suffocated because he couldn't escape."

Adam looked shocked. "Are you saying those things parasitize humans?"

Gu Gang nodded grimly, his expression horrified. "Yes, I could even see them desperately growing mycelium into the bodies. Those things were too sinister, like beasts preying. And in the hall, I saw those fungi-covered branches of that strange tree penetrating the dome of the hall. They might have grown down to the ground!"

Adam stepped back two steps. "The earthquake happened about two months ago, and shortly after, the fungi in Gemstone Town suddenly became strange. Could it be related to that base, because a passage to the surface was opened, releasing something?"

Gu Gang looked blankly at the Sun's Spear team leader and asked, "What happened to the fungi in Gemstone Town?"

Wang Liangyi interrupted, "Forget about that for now. You continue. How did you encounter the Shadow Knights afterward?"

Gu Gang smiled bitterly. "We were terrified in that hall. Several people ignored my orders and fired at that strange tree. As a result, the tree emitted a bizarre sound. Soon after, the Shadow Knights and their entourage emerged. They hunted us in the base, and we fled all the way, but I was the only one who managed to escape from Hongni Town."

He shrugged. "You all know what happened next."

Wang Liangyi's eyes sharpened. "So, you don't even know what the Shadow Knights and their entourage were protecting?"

"I wish I knew. That way, my men wouldn't have died in vain," Gu Gang shook his head. "But unfortunately, I really don't know. We only explored about a quarter, or even less, before running into that strange tree. After that, we were chased by the Shadow Knights and their entourage. I don't think those bastards with purple-red skin would tell us what they're protecting!"

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