Chapter 438 - 209: Umbral Nightmare, a Grand Dream
Chapter 438: Chapter 209: Umbral Nightmare, a Grand Dream
Zhang Daoxuan let out a long breath. His eyes roamed over the map in front of him before he finally spoke.
"According to the data Lin Ye provided, there’s a gravitational anomaly within three kilometers of us, designation G-7. It has the weakest gravitational distortion and the lowest danger rating."
"We can start the experiment there."
"I’ll go!"
A voice immediately rang out as a well-built Xinhuo member, who looked to be around thirty, stepped forward.
Hu Dahai looked at him and nodded.
The man grinned. "I’m the best at climbing and evasion, so I’m the best choice."
Hu Dahai was still a little uneasy and instructed, "Be careful! If anything feels wrong, activate the device and retreat immediately!"
"Don’t worry!"
Soon, guided by the map, the group arrived at the entrance to the passage designated G-7.
From the outside, it looked no different from any other passage in the labyrinth—deep, dark, and reeking of damp decay.
The well-built man, named Li Zhe, took a deep breath, gave a hand signal to the others, and walked in without hesitation.
Lin Ye, Zhang Daoxuan, Hu Dahai, and the others stood guard at the entrance.
"Mr. Li, report what you’re feeling."
Zhang Daoxuan directed calmly over the communicator.
"I... I feel like I’m walking straight downhill. The slope is about thirty degrees. It feels normal."
Li Zhe’s voice echoed from deep within the passage.
Lin Ye closed his eyes, his pure gravitational perception instantly activating.
He saw the point of light representing Li Zhe wasn’t moving downward at all. Instead, it was slowly shifting horizontally toward the left wall.
"Stop."
Lin Ye said calmly, "You’re currently moving sideways to your left. You’re three meters from the rock wall."
There was silence on the communicator for a few seconds, followed by Li Zhe’s incredulous voice. "How is that possible? I can feel the path under my feet going downhill!"
"Ignore what you’re feeling."
Zhang Daoxuan’s voice rang out. "Lin Ye, tell him which direction is truly down."
Lin Ye’s Spiritual Power precisely locked onto Li Zhe’s position and the surrounding Gravity Field.
"The direction ninety degrees to your left is true down."
Li Zhe’s voice was filled with disbelief. "But... there’s a wall there!"
Zhang Daoxuan’s tone left no room for doubt. "Trust Lin Ye’s guidance. Go forward."
"...Alright!"
Li Zhe gritted his teeth, appearing to have made his decision.
The hearts of everyone guarding the entrance were in their throats.
Through the camera on Mr. Li’s helmet, all they could see was a pitch-black rock wall.
The next second, a sight they would never forget for the rest of their lives unfolded.
On the screen, Li Zhe reached out his hand toward the solid rock wall.
His hand passed right through it, as if through water, meeting no resistance!
His entire body followed!
"Holy shit! He actually went through!"
Someone at the entrance cried out in astonishment.
However, before anyone could celebrate...
"AHHH—!"
A pained scream suddenly erupted from the communicator.
It was followed by a series of sharp sizzles and Li Zhe’s muffled, pained grunts.
"What’s happening?!" Hu Dahai’s expression changed drastically.
"It’s a trap! The moment he went through the wall, he fell into a nest swarming with the Rot Eye Race!"
Zhang Daoxuan’s face turned grim.
He had instantly analyzed the situation from the video feed Li Zhe was transmitting.
"Save him!"
Hu Dahai roared and was the first to charge in.
Lin Ye’s eyes narrowed as an invisible gravitational force erupted from him!
Instead of rushing in, he stretched out a hand, aimed deep into the passage, and yanked back hard.
VMMM!
An irresistibly powerful traction force instantly took effect deep within the passage.
Inside the passage, Li Zhe, who was covered in green acid, felt a tremendous force from behind. His entire body was flung backward uncontrollably.
Like a cannonball fired from a barrel, he was instantly and brutally ripped out of the Rot Eye Race nest.
Almost simultaneously, the few Xinhuo members guarding the entrance reacted, all of them releasing their Fire Attribute Gang Sha.
It burned away and evaporated all the corrosive acid on Li Zhe’s body.
Li Zhe slammed heavily onto the ground at the entrance. His combat suit was riddled with corrosive holes, and his exposed skin was a bloody, mangled mess, giving off white smoke.
Several Martial Artists with healing-type Martial Arts Spirituality immediately rushed over, unleashing their abilities to begin treatment.
Watching Li Zhe writhe in agony on the ground, everyone’s hearts sank.
They had failed.
The very first attempt had ended in such a disastrous failure.
The labyrinth’s designer had even anticipated that someone might see through the gravitational trickery and had set deadly traps behind the hidden passages that weren’t true paths.
Zhang Daoxuan looked at Li Zhe, a deep sense of guilt washing over him.
"I’m sorry... This is my fault..."
’If it weren’t for my plan, Mr. Li wouldn’t have been so badly injured.’
"This isn’t your fault!"
Hu Dahai cut off his self-recrimination.
The Xinhuo captain’s gaze swept over all the members, their morale crushed by the failure. He took a deep breath and roared.
"What the fuck are you all moping for!?"
"Without Lin Ye and Daoxuan, we’d still be running around like headless chickens on the first level until we exhausted all our supplies!"
"They’re not gods! They’ve done their best, but no one can tell us which path is safe! That’s something we have to find out for ourselves! We have to test it with our own lives!"
Hu Dahai’s chest heaved, his voice filled with an unyielding fighting spirit.