Ling Cage: Enhanced Nanosteel Suit at the Start

Page 85

A moment later, a sound like mechanical operation from deep underground and the rustling of some kind of creature's carapace rubbing together rang out.

Rumble…

The massive, seemingly seamless mountain wall in front of them slowly cracked open from the middle.

The edges of the crack are not neat mechanical cuts, but rather resemble the rib structure of some kind of giant biological skeleton.

The crack gradually widened, eventually forming a deep, sloping underground passage large enough for heavy vehicles to pass through.

The inner walls of the passage were not made of rock or metal, but of enormous biological ribs covered with a tough biological cuticle that shimmered with a faint phosphorescence.

These ribs support the passage like natural arches, bearing the marks of time, their age unknown.

A soft white light emanated from the depths of the passage, carrying a strange aura that blended the scents of earth, plants, a faint smell of sulfur, and some kind of life energy.

"go in."

Bai Yuekui stepped in first, his figure merging into the bioluminescent aura, followed by the others.

Feixue, Mark, and the others exchanged glances, suppressing their immense surprise and shock, and followed closely behind.

The moment they stepped into the passage, Chen Yuan and the others could clearly feel that the ground beneath their feet was not hard, but rather a peculiar texture that was slightly elastic, as if they were stepping on the soft tissue of some kind of giant organism.

The air inside the passage is fresh, completely isolating it from external toxic pollutants.

As we continued walking forward, a bright and open view suddenly appeared before us.

The sight before them left Mark and the others speechless with amazement.

This is no ordinary underground cave or refuge.

Instead, it is a vast village built inside the remains of some unimaginable giant creature.

The main body of the space is formed by the ribs of this enormous creature, which constitute a huge natural dome. The spaces between the ribs are covered with a treated, translucent biomembrane, which ensures structural strength while allowing external light (possibly introduced through special refraction) to gently penetrate.

A greater source of light comes from the glowing, blue moss that coils around the massive skeleton like a neural network, and from a huge, unquenchable bonfire in the center of the village, fueled by geothermal and bioenergy.

The space inside was extremely vast, and Chen Yuan saw many details he had not noticed before. In the distance, he could vaguely see more houses built from the skeletons of smaller creatures or using the original structure, with distinct layers, like a miniature city built inside a giant beast.

The glowing river, perhaps channeling groundwater or some kind of biological fluid circulation system, meanders through the village, nourishing the glowing crops, exotic mushrooms, fluorescent berry vines, and other plants cultivated on its banks using special soil and biotechnology...

The villagers' houses are cleverly built using the huge skeletal structure, and some are even simply covered with sheet metal.

The materials are mostly processed animal hides, tough bio-fiber fabrics, polished bone plates, and recycled Old World metals.

The architectural style is primitive yet exquisite, blending perfectly with the remains of this colossal beast, as if it had grown out of nowhere.

The various areas are connected by rope ladders, bone staircases, and suspended walkways.

The people here are physically fit, with healthy skin and sharp, vibrant eyes.

They were dressed mainly in practical and durable leather and woven materials, equipped with various biological bone weapons, inlaid with metal or energy crystals and modified firearms. At this moment, they were curiously observing Chen Yuan and his group, and some of the children could greet Bai Yuekui.

Children can be seen playing in the glowing mushroom field, some wearing amulets carved from animal bones, craftsmen polishing bone armor or tempering weapons, and famous figures sparring in a huge vertebral training ground, using some kind of energy similar to "life essence". There are many things that Mark and others cannot see through or understand, and everything is mysterious.

The entire village is self-sufficient and wonderfully integrated with the ecology, creating a stark contrast with the cold, technological feel of the lighthouse.

Chen Yuan discovered that the defense system of Dragon Bone Village had extremely well-hidden entrances, and there was more than one.

Bai Yuekui was definitely wary of them. For people outside the village, even if the entrance was exposed, it wouldn't do much harm.

At the high rib lookout point, there is a large biological crossbow, the barrel of which appears to be the fangs of some kind of giant beast and an energy emitter. The energy source is suspected to be the bio-energy remaining from the giant beast or geothermal energy.

The residents themselves seem to be powerful warriors, likely practicing the Guiyuan Gong technique.

"This...is Dragonbone Village..."

Mo Cheng couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice. He felt as if he had stepped into a dream world, or in modern terms... perhaps this was what is known as a paradise on earth.

Ran Bing and Fei Xue were completely shocked; many things here challenged their understanding of the apocalypse.

Mark, on the other hand, was more focused on the structure and defenses of the place, pondering the feasibility of this way of life.

The way of life in Dragonbone Village perfectly illustrates another possibility for humanity in desperate situations.

Instead of relying entirely on outdated technology to survive, they understood, adapted to, and even utilized the Mana ecosystem to develop a unique bio-symbiotic civilization.

Bai Yuekui seemed unsurprised by Chen Yuan and the others' reaction. She stopped and instructed, "Xu Tong, take these friends from the Lighthouse to the Resting Bone Cave to rest, and provide them with clean water and Condensing Source Ointment."

"Yes, boss."

Xu Tong nodded in agreement, then looked at Chen Yuan and the others and made a "please" gesture.

After saying that, she turned around and walked towards the center of the village, her figure quickly disappearing into the scattered bone houses and soft light and shadow.

Watching Bai Yuekui's departing figure, Chen Yuan seemed lost in thought.

Let's rest first. The most important thing right now is to get a good night's sleep. We can deal with the rest later.

After a night's rest, Chen Yuan felt that most of his fatigue had dissipated. He had now removed his nano-steel suit and was wearing simple clothes.

After finishing the breakfast that Xu Tong had brought him, he asked around and then walked alone to the center of the village, stopping in front of a relatively quiet and independent bone house built against a huge spine.

The door, made of some kind of tough animal hide, was ajar.

Chen Yuan remained expressionless as he gently pushed open the door and went inside.

The interior was extremely simply furnished, with a rough bone table, a few finely crafted bone tools and weapons hanging on the wall, and a herb basket emitting a faint fragrance in the corner.

Bai Yuekui was standing with his back to him in front of a smooth bone plate, which was engraved with complex patterns that resembled both constellations and energy circuits.

She seemed to know Chen Yuan had arrived, and without turning around, simply asked, "How was your rest?"

"Not bad, not bad."

Chen Yuan walked to a chair and sat down, looking at the patterns on the bone plates, trying to understand their meaning, but found that they were far beyond his knowledge.

Chapter 117 Existence of Higher Dimensions

Bai Yuekui turned around and sat down with a dignified and elegant demeanor.

The two sat facing each other, and a subtle atmosphere filled the room.

Chen Yuan leaned forward slightly, his expression serious, and asked in an extremely earnest tone, "Boss Bai, can the dragon bones from your village be used to make soup?"

"..."

For the first time ever, a subtle ripple appeared on Bai Yuekui's icy face.

Her cool, clear eyes widened in surprise for a moment, as if she doubted that she had misheard.

Are you serious?

"Alright, enough of this nonsense."

Chen Yuan said lazily, "Ask whatever you want to know. Although I know part of the truth about this world, it is only part of it. I don't fully understand it, and perhaps... I will never fully understand it."

Bai Yuekui gave him a deep look, and continued, "Just who are you?"

"I am a normal person."

Chen Yuan shrugged and said in a relaxed tone.

"Yes, I can see that. It's normal."

Bai Yuekui replied casually, his tone neither agreeing nor sarcastic.

Chen Yuan was taken aback by her words, and smiled helplessly, knowing that trying to dodge the question in front of this woman wouldn't be very effective.

He decided to offer something truly substantial to seize control of the conversation.

So he steered the conversation away from his own origins, lowering his voice slightly:

"How many clones of Mark are there...?"

Chen Yuan raised his head, his gaze fixed intently on Bai Yuekui. "Or rather, how many Marks have you... killed?"

The air in the room froze instantly.

Are you asking me, or am I asking you?

Bai Yuekui's eyes suddenly turned icy cold, and an invisible pressure spread out.

She didn't say anything, but Chen Yuan could sense that Boss Bai wanted to kill him.

After a short while, the icy coldness in Bai Yuekui's eyes faded slightly, replaced by a complex scrutiny and inquiry.

She spoke slowly, her voice revealing little emotion: "You know more than I imagined. It seems that some secrets are not secrets to you."

Chen Yuan did not answer directly, but continued, "I know that Mark is a special case. His genes and his physique are key elements in your plan."

Bai Yuekui's pupils contracted slightly. This guy even knew this. Should he kill him? Right now?

“I know you want to use Mark’s parasitic spine to become a Devourer, so that you can enter the Star Vortex and gradually uncover the truth of this world, but I don’t agree. I know you can’t give up this plan. Whether it’s stubbornness or your obsession with skeletal life, Mark is Mark. He shouldn’t have to go through this pain. I have a better way to enter the Star Vortex, but you have to help me.”

Everyone else knew everything about her and the plan she was going to carry out, which made Bai Yuekui extremely unhappy. She had concerns and a sense of crisis, so she thought she might as well just kill them.

"..."

Do you have other methods?

If there were other methods, Bai Yuekui wouldn't want Mark to become a Devouring Beast.

"We'll talk about that later, let's chat about something else first..."

As the conversation deepened, the two discussed the will of the Mana ecosystem.

Chen Yuan offered his conjecture: "Are those Devouring Beasts truly just following their instincts? Or is there a collective will deep within the Ape Vortex that we cannot comprehend, guiding all of this? The Earth Vines are its neural network, and the Life Essence... is its food and pathway?"

Bai Yuekui did not deny it, but said calmly, "Can you feel its whisper? When you go deep into the densely populated ecological area, when you are surrounded by a large number of Devouring Beasts, when you stare at the malice of the Ape Vortex, which seems to come from the planet itself."

Chen Yuan recalled the faint, almost imperceptible feeling of being watched he occasionally experienced when hunting Devouring Beasts, and he nodded.

Then they talked about the "angel potion".

Chen Yuan pointed out directly: "That thing is not an antidote at all, right? It is just a catalyst, a lure, forcibly stimulating the potential of the human body and overdrawing the life essence. The result is that it attracts the Devouring Beasts more quickly, and even... turns itself into some kind of unstable monster, just like those failed experimental subjects before the old world's apocalypse."

Bai Yuekui's eyes shifted repeatedly; he couldn't see through the man before him. "You even know about the Angel Potion and the first experimental subject. It seems I can't let you leave Dragonbone Village."

Chen Yuan was immediately speechless.

No wonder I felt a strange killing intent earlier.

How many times has Boss Bai harbored murderous intent?

……