Chapter 41 Obtaining Information, Red Mist Essence!
Chapter 41 Obtaining Information, Red Mist Essence!
Su Jinjin followed closely behind Cheng Cheng, walking through the dimly lit tunnel, each step landing on slippery moss.
Cheng Cheng's figure flickered in and out of the light, her familiarity with this place clearly far exceeding that of Su Jinjin, an outsider who had just entered the instance.
"I really don't understand, if it weren't for researchers like you, how could the world have become such a mess!" Cheng Cheng's complaints echoed in the narrow passage, filled with barely suppressed anger.
Su Jinjin listened silently, her mind racing, unsure of the problem.
But Cheng Cheng's hostility towards the researchers is so strong, could this apocalyptic "Crazy Insect Disaster" instance not be a natural disaster, but a man-made one?
Was it the disaster caused by that so-called "insect fusion agent" experiment?
Before she could think further, a chilling "click" sound suddenly came from around the corner ahead.
A giant spider, the size of a truck tire, was blocking the way!
Its eight compound eyes gleamed with an eerie green light, and its mouthparts dripped corrosive mucus; it was clearly attracted by the noise of the two running.
Su Jinjin's eyes narrowed, and her fingers instantly reached for the sonic oscillation gun at her waist.
But Cheng Cheng was faster than her!
"Back off!" Cheng Cheng shouted, not only did she not retreat, but she charged towards the spider like an arrow released from a bow!
Her slender body unleashed astonishing power as she leaped high into the air, the emerald green mantis scythe in her hand drawing a deadly arc in the air.
Buzz!
The sickle spun rapidly, emitting a faint whooshing sound.
In the dim light, the blade's trajectory was almost invisible, leaving only a blur.
Pfft!
A soft sound, like a hot knife slicing through solidified grease.
The enormous spider head fell to the ground with a thud, rolling to Su Jinjin's feet, the eerie light in its compound eyes still lingering.
The massive insect body crashed to the ground, its eight barbed limbs still twitching nervously.
The whole process took less than two seconds.
The ferocious giant insect didn't even have time to retaliate.
Su Jinjin's pupils shrank, staring in shock at the dusty little girl in front of her.
Su Jinjin believed she was quite skilled, having accumulated considerable combat experience from the two dungeons, and her speed had been further enhanced by the [Body Modification Pill].
But the speed, precision, and timing that Cheng Cheng displayed in this attack were simply superhuman!
What terrified Su Jinjin even more was the sickle.
I had thought this thing was extraordinary before, and now seeing Cheng Cheng's skills, I'm even more certain.
That wasn't some simple scythe weapon at all; it was the real forelimb of some kind of terrifying mutated mantis! Its sharpness far exceeded her imagination.
Cheng Cheng landed lightly, not even glancing at the insect corpse beneath her feet. She then used her scythe to wipe away the slime from the insect's leg, her movements so practiced they were astonishing.
Clearly, Cheng Cheng had killed quite a few insects.
Chengcheng glanced back and saw the astonishment in Su Jinjin's eyes. She curled her lip, a hint of sarcasm inappropriate for her age: "You're scared already? Weren't you researchers pretty brave when you were creating monsters in the lab? These bugs are all your doing, so why are you scared?"
She said no more, kicked aside the insect's leg blocking her way, and quickly left.
Su Jinjin suppressed the turmoil in her heart and quickly followed.
She glanced down at the collection system, and sure enough, the giant spider's corpse lit up with a collectible indicator light.
This Cheng Cheng, along with the mad researcher and insect whisperer she mentioned, are probably the real key to this instance.
Su Jinjin's gaze lingered on Cheng Cheng for a moment.
This indigenous girl harbors too many secrets.
Insect Whisperer, Sanctuary, Insect Fusion Potion... each word is like a key, potentially unlocking the core puzzle of this apocalyptic scenario.
She needs to know, she absolutely must know.
Watching Cheng Cheng continue walking ahead, Su Jinjin quietly approached.
Cheng Cheng was clearly not completely off guard, but Su Jinjin moved even faster.
"Hmm?" Cheng Cheng seemed to sense something was wrong and turned around abruptly.
But it was too late.
Su Jinjin took a deep breath, her lips slightly parted beneath her mask, and a faint pink mist, barely perceptible to the naked eye and carrying a strangely sweet scent, gently blew toward Cheng Cheng's face.
"What?!" Cheng Cheng subconsciously held her breath, but a fragrance had already entered her nostrils.
The Sweet Fragrance skill has been successfully activated.
Once the aroma is inhaled, it will have a successful effect.
The next second, Cheng Cheng's body swayed almost imperceptibly.
The wariness, anger, and warrior's sharpness that had been on her face vanished instantly, replaced by a submissive look in her eyes, as if veiled by a sweet mist.
She stood quietly in place, like a puppet waiting for instructions, completely unguarded against Su Jinjin who was so close at hand.
Su Jinjin was secretly amazed by the domineering effect of [Sweet Fragrance], and at the same time became even more determined to take this skill out of the dungeon after this dungeon ended.
Without further hesitation, she lowered her voice and fired off a barrage of questions:
"How did the world become like this? How were these terrifying insects born?"
"What exactly is this 'insect whisperer' you're talking about?"
"What roles did the researchers and that insect fusion agent play?"
Completely controlled by the "Sweet Fragrance," Cheng Cheng offered no resistance. Her voice was flat and emotionless, as if she were reciting a long-forgotten nightmare:
"Three years ago... a huge meteorite burning with red light tore through the sky and crashed into the ocean... this was the beginning of the apocalypse."
Cheng Cheng stared blankly into the void, as if gazing at the disaster.
"Governments around the world blocked the news, but the top research institutes were mobilized... They extracted a substance they had never seen before from the meteorite, a... red mist, which they called 'red mist element'."
"Red Mist Essence...it can accelerate the evolution of life, but unfortunately it can only make insects and plants grow quickly." Cheng Cheng's voice trembled slightly.
"The researchers initially only wanted to use it to create super crops and cure terminal diseases... until the 'Creation' Institute came up with that crazy plan—'Project Prometheus': combining the red mist with insect genes in an attempt to create 'weapons' with insect abilities that obey human commands... The insect fusion drug... was their key."
"It's out of control…" For the first time, a look of pain appeared on Cheng Cheng's face, even while she was being controlled.
"Some people in the island nation are crazy. They started to fuse evolved insect genes with humans, but this created the first insect whisperers. This was the beginning of things getting out of control."
"The first batch of test subjects underwent a terrible mutation... They combined the ferocity of insects with some human intelligence, but completely lost their humanity... They were the original 'insect whisperers'."
"What's even more terrifying is that, because of the island nation's experiment, the red mist substance leaked out... It spread like a plague, and the infected insects began to mutate wildly and grow to gigantic sizes. They... began to prey on humans... and the sky... was forever stained blood-red by the red mist."