bullyxtreme Chapter 378 Deep in the Rainforest
Chapter 378 Deep in the Rainforest
Tall trees blocked out the sun, and low shrubs piled up in layers, while humid air rose in the dim and cramped space.
This place is located in the most remote part of the outer layer of the Sumeru Rainforest.
Thorns and vines grow rampant, weeds are as tall as a person, rivers crisscross the land at different times, and the surface structure is even more complex than a maze.
In addition, the top canopy of trees blocks the sunlight, so even during the day, the light in the forest is still very dim.
Trying to find your way around here is as difficult as climbing to heaven.
Not to mention that many monsters and poisonous insects lurk there, and the miasma adds even more danger to the place.
Therefore, this remote rainforest has always been sparsely populated.
Even the most experienced adventurers generally wouldn't dare to easily accept any related requests.
It was a desolate and untamed land where death was almost certain, a place that inspired fear in all who spoke of it.
Compared to Mora, life is more important.
However, there is an old saying in Liyue.
The most dangerous place is often the safest place.
In present-day Sumeru, the main city is guarded by discipline officers, and the rainforest is patrolled day and night by forest rangers. Any slight movement will attract the attention of the Order of the Church, not to mention...
They conducted large-scale, illegal underground human experiments.
However, if it were a remote rainforest, probably no one would associate it with these terms.
The rustling sound of footsteps compacting the piled-up grass.
The intersecting branches and drooping vines act as natural sound barriers, and footsteps disappear without a trace after only a few steps.
The woman's lithe figure flashed through the woods, quickly disappearing into the darkness. The intricate paths and bends did not cause her to pause or hesitate in the slightest.
The movements were so practiced and skillful, as if they had been done countless times before.
She wore a dark black robe, and the mask covering her face, typical of the Fools' Thunderfire sorcerers, revealed her identity.
The standard lightning lamps emitted an eerie purple glow, like ghosts carving a path through the darkness.
After an unknown amount of time, the path beneath our feet came to an end.
Lei Ying, the sorcerer, stopped in her tracks. Before her lay a narrow cave passage that sloped downwards.
She stepped inside without hesitation, and along the way, the only sound was the dripping water from the cave ceiling hitting the stalactites.
Suddenly, a faint light appeared ahead.
"Who goes there? Please stop immediately before verifying your identity."
A wary question came from the direction of the light, followed by the sounds of weapons rubbing together and muskets being cocked.
"it's me."
Lei Ying, the sorcerer, stopped in her tracks. Her icy voice echoed through the tunnel, as if the temperature had dropped several degrees.
The voice on the other end hesitated for a moment, but persisted.
"Sir, please show me your identification, you know."
Although the chances of this secret testing ground being known to outsiders are extremely small, it's always better to be cautious.
Please use your job title when working.
Lei Ying, the sorcerer, clicked her tongue lightly, her brows furrowing slightly beneath her mask as she impatiently tossed out an identity card.
The card bounced a few times on the ground. Seeing this, the captain of the Fools guarding the area secretly gave his subordinate a look, then stepped forward and bent down to pick up the card.
This is to prevent the other side from launching a surprise attack.
After repeatedly confirming that everything was correct, the squad leader saluted and led the guards to respectfully retreat to both sides.
Lei Ying, the sorcerer, slowly entered. The mechanical door slammed shut behind her, and her high heels made soft thuds as they stomped on the ground.
The world inside the door is a completely different scene compared to the outside world.
The machinery and metal gleamed with a cold, eerie light under the stark white lamplight, while the liquid in the glass bottle resembled a stagnant pool of water, with a bewitching, multicolored halo swirling and dancing at the bottle's mouth.
Deathly silence, a deathly silence where even the air seems to freeze.
But Lei Ying, the sorcerer, seemed to take it all in stride, walking straight through the corridor and opening another heavy iron door.
In an instant, countless eyes lit up in the darkness.
Fear, hatred, numbness, indescribable emotions.
Rusty railings, rampant moss, and sticky, black liquid dripping down—that was the only sound.
The air was thick with the smell of decay and dampness.
There was no sound at all; they, if they could still be called human, simply watched silently.
Scales, feathers, horns, and all sorts of tissues that don't belong to humans grew out of nowhere, as if stitched together.
Everyone was wrapped in yellowed, blood-soaked bandages.
It wasn't that they didn't want to vent their hatred with roars, but hunger had robbed them of even the strength to utter a word.
Only when they enter the testing grounds to face monsters ten times more ferocious than themselves will they be mercifully allowed to drink a bowl of thin porridge that is either moldy or severely undercooked.
Hundreds of gazes were filled with hatred more intense than any poison in the world.
Bathed in this gaze, the Thunderfire sorcerer walked through the corridor.
She didn't even respond with a glance, seemingly used to it all, ignoring the menacing stares behind her.
The door at the end of the corridor closed, and darkness returned.
The light in their eyes has gone out. Who's next?
……
"Doctor, everything is prepared as you instructed, and we are ready to depart at any time."
The man, draped in a fur coat, shook a test tube in a cup, while in his other hand he held a sharp scalpel.
What lies on the operating table in front of me is perhaps not quite human.
Because it was already so broken that it was unrecognizable.
"Go down."
Dotole slowly used the tip of his knife to pick up a drop of blood and flick it into a test tube, answering with a meager three words.
The sorcerer Lei Ying stood up cleanly and efficiently. She knew that this executive officer did not like to be disturbed when he was immersed in his experiments.
The report is finished; now she should go and finish her work.
There are still many things to take care of before leaving here.
For example, the "waste" left over from the experiment needs to be processed without leaving a trace.
At the corner, a man brushed past her. The woman's hood was lifted, revealing her to be the Winter Ambassador who had visited Mondstadt two years prior.
Lyudmila, how have you been?
"I thought your skills had declined, that you couldn't even escape the hunting party of the Order of the Church."
The man's voice was mocking, his face displaying undisguised malice and sarcasm, and he clicked his tongue.
"Heh, same to you, Krobor. I suggest you be careful these days, in case something like what happened last time..."
"Think about it."
"Will the 'Doctor' use you as a consumable?"
The sorcerer Lei Ying was not to be outdone. She sneered, her eyes filled with contempt, and she retorted mercilessly.
She cut the conversation at the opportune moment, watching as the man known as Kroeber's face gradually turned from red to pale.
"Sharp teeth and sharp mouths."
"Thanks for the compliment."
The two walked past each other.
……
Meanwhile, in Mondstadt, at the Adventurers' Guild.
"What? Little Amy...Fischl is missing?"
……