NOVEL WEB Chapter 779: Unearthing the Rift (2)
After confirming that there's no problem temporarily with the powered armor, Wang Tao prepared to take a trip to Hongfeng Base.
It's been half a month since the pangolins started digging, and Wang Tao planned to visit once a week. He went there last week and didn't find anything yet, but the cave had been dug quite deep. Today, he decided to check again for any discoveries.
He still brought along the golden eagle, Lightning, and Taxue, quickly flying to Hongfeng Base.
Wang Tao first looked for Han Youlin, and handed over some powered armor and vaccines to him. This was Han Youlin's first time seeing powered armor, and after trying it, he was reluctant to part with it.
He initially wanted to chat more with Wang Tao to see if he could purchase some powered armor in bulk, but Wang Tao left after saying just a few words, leaving Han Youlin a bit helpless.
"I wonder what Mr. Wang is digging for..."
Shaking his head, Han Youlin didn't think much about it and continued to test the powered armor.
On the other side.
Wang Tao first hunted some mutated insects, before flying to the cave.
What surprised him was that the group of pangolins were outside and not working inside the cave.
Slacking off? It didn't seem like it, because they worked in shifts, with one group digging and the other resting. It was impossible for them to all work or rest at the same time. Seeing their reluctance to enter the cave now, could it be they discovered something?
Whoosh—
Wang Tao landed directly at the cave entrance.
As soon as Little Jia saw Wang Tao's arrival, it ran over quickly, chirping as it communicated with him.
After listening to Little Jia, Wang Tao raised an eyebrow; they really found something!
Little Jia explained that last night they suddenly dug into a pitch-black underground space. It sensed that there were quite a few creatures inside that were not weaker than itself. Although these creatures seemed to be asleep and didn't notice the intruders, Little Jia didn't dare to continue digging because Wang Tao had previously warned that there might be danger below. If anything was found, they could stop digging and wait for Wang Tao's arrival. They were now waiting for Wang Tao to come.
"Well done!"
Wang Tao praised the pangolin by petting its head and then took out the mutated insects he had just hunted to give the pangolins a treat.
"You guys wait outside. I'll go down and take a look."
"Chirp chirp~"
Little Jia nodded repeatedly.
Wang Tao, accompanied by Lightning, Taxue, and the golden eagle, entered the cave together.
The cave dug by the pangolins was zigzag-shaped. Although its end wasn't visible at first glance, it was easy to get in and out. Worried about potential dangers inside, Wang Tao walked cautiously for quite a while until he finally arrived at the underground space described by the pangolin.
However, seeing this underground space gave Wang Tao an overwhelming sense of familiarity.
"A rift..."
Wang Tao examined it carefully. It seemed very similar to the space inside the rift from the previous life! While spaces within each rift were different, the sensation and atmosphere were the same!
Their current position was at the ceiling of this rift space, and the pangolins had forcibly dug through the nearly indestructible ceiling!
But unlike the previous life, there was no dark elemental fog in this rift currently; it merely lacked light. Thus, Wang Tao's night vision ability faced no hindrance, allowing him to clearly see the surroundings inside.
Thinking it through, the rift appeared a year after the apocalypse arrived in the previous life, while now, the apocalypse had only been ongoing for two months. Differences were quite normal...
Wang Tao carefully sensed the surroundings, just as the pangolin had indicated earlier. Numerous lifeforms were present, with all the perceived presences being at Fourth-Level! Nonetheless, those Fourth-Level life forms lacked vitality, seemingly dormant.
"Let's go!"
The golden eagle slightly expanded its size, just enough to carry Wang Tao, Lightning, and Taxue, diving straight into the rift.
With Wang Tao and these mutated beasts possessing night vision abilities, the absence of dark elemental fog and the expansive space allowed the golden eagle unimpeded flight, swiftly locating the first creature.
It was a mutated beast about the size of a calf, unfamiliar to Wang Tao, featuring four sturdy legs, a robust body, a large head, but no tail, likely a carnivore. It was curled up within the rock crevice, showing no reaction to Wang Tao's presence. Seemingly dead, but indeed alive, in a [Dormant] status.
[HP: 500000/500000]
[Mana: 100000/100000]
[Grade: Level 4 - Lord]
[Awakened: Tenacity]
[Tenacity: All basic attributes increase, substantial boost to strength and defense]
[Status: Dormant]
It was Wang Tao's first time encountering a mutant beast without any sign of alertness. Wondering if it was a trap, he observed it, determined it wasn't, and smacked the creature's rear.
Slap—
The slap was thunderously loud, echoing throughout the vast underground space. Despite even losing some HP from Wang Tao's slap, it remained unawakened.
"Sleeping so deeply..."
Wang Tao frowned, then clenched his fist, hammering down on the beast until its HP was halved before the [Dormant] status disappeared, replaced by [Weakness].
"Roar—"
The mutant beast twisted its body before clumsily standing up, finally opening its sleepy red eyes. Its cow-like eyes subtly conveyed a savage emotion.
However, it seemed more confused at the moment, seemingly unaware of the situation until it noticed Wang Tao, at which point bewilderment gradually gave way to ferocity in its gaze.
Wang Tao originally intended to attempt communication, but upon assessing the situation, he realized that was futile. Hence, he ceased holding back. Delivering a few rapid blows, the mutated beast, weakened and already at half HP, succumbed instantly to Wang Tao.
Thud—
The mutant beast dropped a Crystal Core and a nexus of spoils of war.
Wang Tao glanced briefly at the loot resembling what was dropped by mutated beasts outside. However, the inclusion of an evolution potion surprised him.
[Fourth-stage Evolution Potion: 50% chance to advance a Third-stage Mutated Beast to Fourth-stage, 5% chance to awaken an additional power]
This evolution potion was fourth-stage, differing from third-stage and lower-stage evolution potions by lacking the option to gain additional abilities, yet offering a chance to gain an additional awakened power, albeit with only a 5% probability.
While the chance of gaining an extra awakened power was negligible, the primary benefit lay in advancing Third-stage Mutant Beasts to Fourth-stage, with a solid 50% chance, proving beneficial for Lightning and Taxue!
"Could all the mutant beasts below be in this 'dormant' status at the Fourth-Order Lord Level?"
Wang Tao chuckled.
It seemed that the ascension of Taxue and Lightning to the fourth stage was undeniable.
Thus, Wang Tao continued tracing the sensed lifeform presences to locate other mutant beasts. Those encountered subsequently mirrored the previous beast, belonging to the same species and in a dormant state, only awakening upon losing half HP. However, awakening also thrusts them into a 30% weakened state, making them extraordinarily easy to hunt.
In fact, Wang Tao barely allowed them the opportunity to awaken, ending their lives instantly, free of any suffering.
Wang Tao had never experienced such a one-sided battle, and he found it surprisingly disconcerting momentarily.
While effortlessly hunting these mutant beasts, Wang Tao pondered about the matter.
Could it be that these creatures in the rift are in "hibernation" due to the rift's premature emergence? Will they only awaken upon the rift revealing itself?
Moreover, Wang Tao originally intended to explore for destruction-level monsters, but instead of finding them, he uncovered an underground rift...
Has this world's situation altered compared to the last, or are those destruction-level monsters evolved creatures within rifts? Or could the destruction-level monsters be beneath the rift?