Chapter 241: Selection and Divergence
After the news spread through the compartment, the previously oppressive and silent shelter pod was like a stone dropped into a pond, rippling with layers of chaotic unrest.
Lin Yan's proposal was clear: the scouting squad would consist of five people at most, traveling light to infiltrate the abandoned flood discharge tunnel. Their objective was the old mining supply cellar, to search for reserve supplies and backup communication terminals. The elderly, children, women, and severely wounded would all stay behind, with Scholar Su coordinating the defense. They would rely on the gate and the pile of scaled beast corpses to buy more time. Once the squad successfully contacted the barrier city reinforcements, they would immediately transmit a signal to escort everyone out. But if they suffered casualties midway, those left behind would have to fend for themselves.
A glimmer of hope ignited in the eyes of some of the younger, able-bodied survivors. Trapped in a sealed cabin, staring day after day at the dwindling water and rations, waiting for the monsters in the dark to break down the door—this torment of passively awaiting death was far harder to endure than stepping into the unknown tunnel. Several men who had previously taken shifts guarding with the military police stepped forward, volunteering to join the squad.
"I used to work in a mine. I'm familiar with collapsed rock layers. I can help move stones and clear paths," a rough-skinned miner said, clenching his fists, his tone earnest. "Staying here just consumes another share of water and dry rations. I'd rather go out and take a chance with you."
Another woman, who had previously served as a support soldier on the front lines, also stepped forward: "My Sea of Consciousness has undergone basic resistance training. I can withstand spore erosion and won't easily fall into illusions for short periods. I also have a short dagger on me."
But voices of opposition quickly followed.
"There are worms, cave-ins, and invisible alien traps in that tunnel!" a middle-aged woman said, her voice trembling as she clutched her daughter tightly to her chest. "Why bet our hope on a dead-end path that might not even be passable? What if you leave, and the beast tide breaks through the gate right then? Those of us left behind won't have a single fighter to defend us!"
As soon as these words were spoken, many others chimed in. Fear was already rooted deep in everyone's hearts. Under the siege, suspicion was easily magnified. Some secretly glanced at the able-bodied volunteers, a hint of resentment in their eyes, as if they were planning to abandon the weak and flee alone.
"We are not abandoning anyone," Scholar Su said, bracing the wound on his chest as he slowly stood up. The excruciating pain beneath his bandages made every word a tremendous effort. "The tunnel is narrow; it cannot accommodate a large group. More people will only expose our target and attract the worms and scaled beasts. The scouting squad is going to find reinforcements, not to flee. Staying behind to guard the shelter pod is equally a matter of life and death."
His status and past prestige on the front lines temporarily suppressed the unrest, but the cracks in people's hearts were not healed by this. The siege laid by the ancient beings was never just a physical blockade; it was a spiritual alienation. They didn't need to lift a finger. They only needed to stretch out the waiting time, and fear and selfishness would naturally breed from within the crowd.
Leaning against the soft mat, Lin Yan quietly watched the dispute before him, in no rush to speak. His body was still weak, and every time he raised his hand, he had to endure the pulling pain of his wounds. The spores deep within his Sea of Consciousness were still slowly swirling, occasionally flashing with fragmented illusions. He knew clearly in his heart that volunteering did not equal being suitable for the tunnel. First and foremost, one had to withstand the psychic infection of high-concentration spores. Secondly, one needed to be agile, knowing how to maneuver in narrow crevices of rubble. Finally, one had to remain calm and not panic or lose control when facing cave-ins or worm swarms.
He nodded slightly at Scholar Su. The two reached a tacit understanding and began to screen the candidates one by one.
The first to be selected were the two military police officers who had previously scouted the tunnel entrance. They had seen the collapsed sections with their own eyes, were familiar with the environment near the entrance, had stable minds, and had undergone Sea of Consciousness defense training. They were the foundation of the squad. The woman who had been a support soldier was the second to be selected; her Sea of Consciousness resistance report was among the top tier of the survivors, her short-blade combat skills were solid, and her meticulous nature made her suitable for guarding the rear.
The miner was also selected. He understood the rock layer structure and could judge whether the rubble would collapse a second time. He was an irreplaceable asset in the collapsed sections.
There was still one spot left.
Among the remaining volunteers, some had unsteady breathing; merely approaching the tunnel once had made them dizzy and nauseous, clearly unable to withstand the higher spore concentration deeper inside. Others had strong fighting spirit but were impatient and impulsive. In a confined tunnel, a single moment of impulsiveness could kill the entire team. Lin Yan observed each of them carefully, then slowly shook his head.
"The fifth position will remain empty for now," he said. His voice wasn't loud, but it silenced everyone. "I will fill it myself."
Scholar Su's face changed. "No! Your injuries are too severe, and your internal bleeding hasn't completely stabilized. The constant jolting in the tunnel, the friction of rubble, and the spore impacts could easily tear your wounds open. If you collapse on the way, the entire squad will instantly lose its core."
"This squad must have someone who can judge the psychic traps of the aliens," Lin Yan said, looking at him calmly. "Among everyone here, only I have faced the psychic signals of the ancient beings multiple times. I can detect illusion nodes and spore traps in advance. If someone else goes, they'll be trapped by illusions halfway through and won't even know how they died. If I don't go, the survival rate of this squad will drop by at least half."
He paused, his gaze sweeping across the faces in the compartment. "I will control the pace and won't force my strength. If I really can't hold on, I will signal the entire team to retreat immediately."
Scholar Su stared at his pale face, watching the faint red bloodstains continuously seeping through the outer layer of bandages. After a long while, he let out a heavy sigh. He knew Lin Yan was telling the truth. This was a trade-off. A gamble.
The roster was finalized: Lin Yan, two military police officers, the female support soldier, and the miner. Five people in total.
With the roster set, the unrest in the crowd gradually subsided, replaced by silence. Some lowered their heads to wipe their short blades, while others silently organized the supplies allocated to the squad. Everyone's pack was compressed to the absolute limit: two canteens of purified water, three packs of compressed rations, glow stones, short blades, a roll of thin steel cable, and a small, simple rock hammer. Nothing more. Heavy armor was all left behind; in the tunnel, cumbersome armor would only be a burden.
The military doctor came over, changed Lin Yan's bandages, thickened the hemostatic layer, and stuffed the last two doses of painkillers into his hand.
"Use these sparingly. Don't take them unless the wound tears open and the pain becomes unbearable. Painkillers numb your senses, making it easier for spore illusions to take advantage of the weakness," the doctor whispered. "I can only help you this far. Whether you can make it to the supply cellar alive, and whether you can return, is entirely up to you."
Lin Yan took the medicine, carefully tucked it into his inner pocket, and nodded.
The little boy who had given him the biscuit ran over again. This time, he didn't bring rations. Instead, he shoved a small bone shard, sharpened against a rock, into Lin Yan's hand. It was a tiny scaled beast spine picked up while cleaning the corpses earlier, its edges ground razor-sharp.
"You can stab the monsters with it," the boy whispered.
Holding the cold, rough bone shard, Lin Yan felt a warmth in his heart. He tucked it into the cloth pouch at his waist. "Thank you."
"You must come back," the boy said, looking up with red-rimmed eyes. "I'll wait for you right here at the gate every day."
"I'll try my best," Lin Yan could only repeat. Promises were too heavy. In this subterranean rift, no one had the certainty to fulfill them.
Deep within the cavern, the Spiderweb Ancient Being continuously received the sensory signals transmitted by the spore nodes. The squad's roster, equipment, and departure time all fell into its sensory network. The Beast Commander sent another request, wanting to deploy a swarm of worms and two secondary scaled beasts behind the collapsed gap to ambush the squad.
The Spiderweb Ancient Being still did not agree.
"The gap is only the first test," its psychic fluctuations slowly flowed through the cavern. "Worms can only eliminate those with weak minds. I want to let them pass through the collapsed area and continue deeper into the tunnel. Before the supply cellar, I have prepared a psychic resonance node. The spore concentration there is enough to tear apart an ordinary person's Sea of Consciousness."
It paused, its consciousness shifting toward the supreme ruler hovering high above. "I want to see if Lin Yan, bearing severe physical wounds and old spore injuries in his Sea of Consciousness, can withstand that resonance. If he breaks there, the squad will collapse on its own. If he endures, then we will release the scaled beasts to harvest them."
The consciousness of the supreme ruler trembled slightly in acknowledgment. The layers of the hunt must be peeled back one by one; it could not end too early.
Receiving the order, the Beast Commander suppressed its urge to attack. It secretly directed the worm colonies to move deeper behind the collapsed gap and positioned the two secondary scaled beasts in the shadows of rock caves near the resonance node. They lay in silent ambush, shutting off their own psychic fluctuations to avoid being detected prematurely.
Inside the shelter pod, the time reached the agreed-upon departure window.
In the surveillance feed from the gate, the pacing scaled beasts were getting closer and closer to the corpse pile. Some bolder individuals had already begun nudging the stacked bodies with their snouts. The deterrent effect of the remains was nearing its end.
Scholar Su handed Lin Yan a backup signal flint. Once ignited, the flint would release a pale purple flame with extremely high visibility in the subterranean rock layers. If the squad found the cellar and successfully contacted reinforcements, they were to ignite it. If they encountered an absolute dead end, they could also ignite it as a final farewell signal.
"We will hold this position," Scholar Su said, reaching out and gently bumping fists with Lin Yan. "No matter how long it takes, as long as someone is still alive, we will wait for the signal."
"Take care," Lin Yan replied in a low voice.
The five of them walked to the maintenance hatch one by one. Outside the small opening was the dark tunnel leading to the abandoned flood discharge passage. A damp, frigid wind blew out from within, carrying a spore scent several times thicker than inside the cabin, along with a faint, sickly-sweet stench of decay.
The first military police officer crawled out first, lighting the glow stone. The faint, cold white light carved out a small patch of brightness in the darkness. The miner followed closely, then the female support soldier. The second military police officer brought up the rear, with Lin Yan walking in the middle of the formation. This position allowed for mutual support front and back, and prevented him from falling to the very end and getting cut off due to his injuries.
The moment he squeezed out of the hatch, Lin Yan's Sea of Consciousness immediately erupted with a wave of dizziness. The high-concentration spores hit him head-on, and countless faint whispers rang at the edges of his mind, tempting him to stop and rest right there. He bit down hard on his tongue. The familiar pain firmly anchored his mind as he steadily kept pace with the squad.
The maintenance hatch slowly closed behind them. Scholar Su led the remaining people in reinforcing the cover plate, using rubble to conceal their tracks.
In the dark tunnel, the faint glow of the glow stone inched forward bit by bit.
The collapsed gap, the worm swarms, the hidden psychic resonance node, and the secondary scaled beasts lurking in the shadows—layer upon layer of trials were waiting quietly ahead.
End of Chapter.
Lin Yan's proposal was clear: the scouting squad would consist of five people at most, traveling light to infiltrate the abandoned flood discharge tunnel. Their objective was the old mining supply cellar, to search for reserve supplies and backup communication terminals. The elderly, children, women, and severely wounded would all stay behind, with Scholar Su coordinating the defense. They would rely on the gate and the pile of scaled beast corpses to buy more time. Once the squad successfully contacted the barrier city reinforcements, they would immediately transmit a signal to escort everyone out. But if they suffered casualties midway, those left behind would have to fend for themselves.
A glimmer of hope ignited in the eyes of some of the younger, able-bodied survivors. Trapped in a sealed cabin, staring day after day at the dwindling water and rations, waiting for the monsters in the dark to break down the door—this torment of passively awaiting death was far harder to endure than stepping into the unknown tunnel. Several men who had previously taken shifts guarding with the military police stepped forward, volunteering to join the squad.
"I used to work in a mine. I'm familiar with collapsed rock layers. I can help move stones and clear paths," a rough-skinned miner said, clenching his fists, his tone earnest. "Staying here just consumes another share of water and dry rations. I'd rather go out and take a chance with you."
Another woman, who had previously served as a support soldier on the front lines, also stepped forward: "My Sea of Consciousness has undergone basic resistance training. I can withstand spore erosion and won't easily fall into illusions for short periods. I also have a short dagger on me."
But voices of opposition quickly followed.
"There are worms, cave-ins, and invisible alien traps in that tunnel!" a middle-aged woman said, her voice trembling as she clutched her daughter tightly to her chest. "Why bet our hope on a dead-end path that might not even be passable? What if you leave, and the beast tide breaks through the gate right then? Those of us left behind won't have a single fighter to defend us!"
As soon as these words were spoken, many others chimed in. Fear was already rooted deep in everyone's hearts. Under the siege, suspicion was easily magnified. Some secretly glanced at the able-bodied volunteers, a hint of resentment in their eyes, as if they were planning to abandon the weak and flee alone.
"We are not abandoning anyone," Scholar Su said, bracing the wound on his chest as he slowly stood up. The excruciating pain beneath his bandages made every word a tremendous effort. "The tunnel is narrow; it cannot accommodate a large group. More people will only expose our target and attract the worms and scaled beasts. The scouting squad is going to find reinforcements, not to flee. Staying behind to guard the shelter pod is equally a matter of life and death."
His status and past prestige on the front lines temporarily suppressed the unrest, but the cracks in people's hearts were not healed by this. The siege laid by the ancient beings was never just a physical blockade; it was a spiritual alienation. They didn't need to lift a finger. They only needed to stretch out the waiting time, and fear and selfishness would naturally breed from within the crowd.
Leaning against the soft mat, Lin Yan quietly watched the dispute before him, in no rush to speak. His body was still weak, and every time he raised his hand, he had to endure the pulling pain of his wounds. The spores deep within his Sea of Consciousness were still slowly swirling, occasionally flashing with fragmented illusions. He knew clearly in his heart that volunteering did not equal being suitable for the tunnel. First and foremost, one had to withstand the psychic infection of high-concentration spores. Secondly, one needed to be agile, knowing how to maneuver in narrow crevices of rubble. Finally, one had to remain calm and not panic or lose control when facing cave-ins or worm swarms.
He nodded slightly at Scholar Su. The two reached a tacit understanding and began to screen the candidates one by one.
The first to be selected were the two military police officers who had previously scouted the tunnel entrance. They had seen the collapsed sections with their own eyes, were familiar with the environment near the entrance, had stable minds, and had undergone Sea of Consciousness defense training. They were the foundation of the squad. The woman who had been a support soldier was the second to be selected; her Sea of Consciousness resistance report was among the top tier of the survivors, her short-blade combat skills were solid, and her meticulous nature made her suitable for guarding the rear.
The miner was also selected. He understood the rock layer structure and could judge whether the rubble would collapse a second time. He was an irreplaceable asset in the collapsed sections.
There was still one spot left.
Among the remaining volunteers, some had unsteady breathing; merely approaching the tunnel once had made them dizzy and nauseous, clearly unable to withstand the higher spore concentration deeper inside. Others had strong fighting spirit but were impatient and impulsive. In a confined tunnel, a single moment of impulsiveness could kill the entire team. Lin Yan observed each of them carefully, then slowly shook his head.
"The fifth position will remain empty for now," he said. His voice wasn't loud, but it silenced everyone. "I will fill it myself."
Scholar Su's face changed. "No! Your injuries are too severe, and your internal bleeding hasn't completely stabilized. The constant jolting in the tunnel, the friction of rubble, and the spore impacts could easily tear your wounds open. If you collapse on the way, the entire squad will instantly lose its core."
"This squad must have someone who can judge the psychic traps of the aliens," Lin Yan said, looking at him calmly. "Among everyone here, only I have faced the psychic signals of the ancient beings multiple times. I can detect illusion nodes and spore traps in advance. If someone else goes, they'll be trapped by illusions halfway through and won't even know how they died. If I don't go, the survival rate of this squad will drop by at least half."
He paused, his gaze sweeping across the faces in the compartment. "I will control the pace and won't force my strength. If I really can't hold on, I will signal the entire team to retreat immediately."
Scholar Su stared at his pale face, watching the faint red bloodstains continuously seeping through the outer layer of bandages. After a long while, he let out a heavy sigh. He knew Lin Yan was telling the truth. This was a trade-off. A gamble.
The roster was finalized: Lin Yan, two military police officers, the female support soldier, and the miner. Five people in total.
With the roster set, the unrest in the crowd gradually subsided, replaced by silence. Some lowered their heads to wipe their short blades, while others silently organized the supplies allocated to the squad. Everyone's pack was compressed to the absolute limit: two canteens of purified water, three packs of compressed rations, glow stones, short blades, a roll of thin steel cable, and a small, simple rock hammer. Nothing more. Heavy armor was all left behind; in the tunnel, cumbersome armor would only be a burden.
The military doctor came over, changed Lin Yan's bandages, thickened the hemostatic layer, and stuffed the last two doses of painkillers into his hand.
"Use these sparingly. Don't take them unless the wound tears open and the pain becomes unbearable. Painkillers numb your senses, making it easier for spore illusions to take advantage of the weakness," the doctor whispered. "I can only help you this far. Whether you can make it to the supply cellar alive, and whether you can return, is entirely up to you."
Lin Yan took the medicine, carefully tucked it into his inner pocket, and nodded.
The little boy who had given him the biscuit ran over again. This time, he didn't bring rations. Instead, he shoved a small bone shard, sharpened against a rock, into Lin Yan's hand. It was a tiny scaled beast spine picked up while cleaning the corpses earlier, its edges ground razor-sharp.
"You can stab the monsters with it," the boy whispered.
Holding the cold, rough bone shard, Lin Yan felt a warmth in his heart. He tucked it into the cloth pouch at his waist. "Thank you."
"You must come back," the boy said, looking up with red-rimmed eyes. "I'll wait for you right here at the gate every day."
"I'll try my best," Lin Yan could only repeat. Promises were too heavy. In this subterranean rift, no one had the certainty to fulfill them.
Deep within the cavern, the Spiderweb Ancient Being continuously received the sensory signals transmitted by the spore nodes. The squad's roster, equipment, and departure time all fell into its sensory network. The Beast Commander sent another request, wanting to deploy a swarm of worms and two secondary scaled beasts behind the collapsed gap to ambush the squad.
The Spiderweb Ancient Being still did not agree.
"The gap is only the first test," its psychic fluctuations slowly flowed through the cavern. "Worms can only eliminate those with weak minds. I want to let them pass through the collapsed area and continue deeper into the tunnel. Before the supply cellar, I have prepared a psychic resonance node. The spore concentration there is enough to tear apart an ordinary person's Sea of Consciousness."
It paused, its consciousness shifting toward the supreme ruler hovering high above. "I want to see if Lin Yan, bearing severe physical wounds and old spore injuries in his Sea of Consciousness, can withstand that resonance. If he breaks there, the squad will collapse on its own. If he endures, then we will release the scaled beasts to harvest them."
The consciousness of the supreme ruler trembled slightly in acknowledgment. The layers of the hunt must be peeled back one by one; it could not end too early.
Receiving the order, the Beast Commander suppressed its urge to attack. It secretly directed the worm colonies to move deeper behind the collapsed gap and positioned the two secondary scaled beasts in the shadows of rock caves near the resonance node. They lay in silent ambush, shutting off their own psychic fluctuations to avoid being detected prematurely.
Inside the shelter pod, the time reached the agreed-upon departure window.
In the surveillance feed from the gate, the pacing scaled beasts were getting closer and closer to the corpse pile. Some bolder individuals had already begun nudging the stacked bodies with their snouts. The deterrent effect of the remains was nearing its end.
Scholar Su handed Lin Yan a backup signal flint. Once ignited, the flint would release a pale purple flame with extremely high visibility in the subterranean rock layers. If the squad found the cellar and successfully contacted reinforcements, they were to ignite it. If they encountered an absolute dead end, they could also ignite it as a final farewell signal.
"We will hold this position," Scholar Su said, reaching out and gently bumping fists with Lin Yan. "No matter how long it takes, as long as someone is still alive, we will wait for the signal."
"Take care," Lin Yan replied in a low voice.
The five of them walked to the maintenance hatch one by one. Outside the small opening was the dark tunnel leading to the abandoned flood discharge passage. A damp, frigid wind blew out from within, carrying a spore scent several times thicker than inside the cabin, along with a faint, sickly-sweet stench of decay.
The first military police officer crawled out first, lighting the glow stone. The faint, cold white light carved out a small patch of brightness in the darkness. The miner followed closely, then the female support soldier. The second military police officer brought up the rear, with Lin Yan walking in the middle of the formation. This position allowed for mutual support front and back, and prevented him from falling to the very end and getting cut off due to his injuries.
The moment he squeezed out of the hatch, Lin Yan's Sea of Consciousness immediately erupted with a wave of dizziness. The high-concentration spores hit him head-on, and countless faint whispers rang at the edges of his mind, tempting him to stop and rest right there. He bit down hard on his tongue. The familiar pain firmly anchored his mind as he steadily kept pace with the squad.
The maintenance hatch slowly closed behind them. Scholar Su led the remaining people in reinforcing the cover plate, using rubble to conceal their tracks.
In the dark tunnel, the faint glow of the glow stone inched forward bit by bit.
The collapsed gap, the worm swarms, the hidden psychic resonance node, and the secondary scaled beasts lurking in the shadows—layer upon layer of trials were waiting quietly ahead.
End of Chapter.