Tomb Raider: I Am Hu Bayi's Cousin

Chapter 793 I am the chosen one, I am the only one!

"Huh? That guy's good luck isn't just that. It's more like it's expected, since he's looking for the pagoda to use its power to heal himself."

"If I'm not mistaken, his condition stems from a stupa his ancestors brought from this land. If so, he has most likely already used that stupa to heal himself."

"In that case, no matter what method he used, his body was already tainted with the pagoda's strange power, so it was inevitable that he would survive."

Suddenly, Hu Ming's ears twitched slightly as he caught the subtle sounds coming from the mist, and he exclaimed in surprise.

The blind man immediately understood: "You mean, Okitajima?"

"Hu Ming's ears are very special. Although this space is large, he can capture any subtle sound in this space at any time."

"In other words, this space is under Hu Ming's surveillance at all times. Now that the gunshots and screams outside have stopped, it means that the snake cypress's hunting has ended and everyone who came down has been wiped out."

"Even more so, Hu Ming's brain structure is somewhat different from that of ordinary people. His brain can easily analyze the complex information in these sounds and reconstruct it into image information output."

"In other words, what Hu Ming heard was no different from what he saw with his own eyes, except that he couldn't distinguish the colors."

"What Hu Ming was talking about was most likely Okitajima. That guy was lucky enough to be spared from these evil things because of the pagoda."

Looking at the bewildered Gu Ziqing and the seemingly understanding Gu Huaisheng, the blind man patiently explained.

"What an amazing ability!"

Gu Huaisheng looked astonished. People in the underworld spoke of this mysterious Second Master in great tales, but when they saw him in person, they realized that the rumors were far from even a tenth of the Second Master's extraordinary abilities.

"What a freakish ability!"

As a woman, Gu Ziqing immediately thought of some strange images, subconsciously pulled her collar closer, and took a few steps back.

"Although it's cruel, don't worry, Hu Ming is most likely not interested in you. Forgive me for speaking frankly, but the women around him are far superior to you in terms of looks, figure, personality, and ability."

The blind man's gaze swept over Gu Ziqing like a scanner, accurately judging her body measurements, and he uttered a somber consolation: "Not much harm, but extremely insulting."

Gu Ziqing's face instantly turned ashen; no woman could remain unmoved by such an "insult."

However, at this moment, Gu Ziqing grasped some key points.

"Women? Pshaw, scumbags!"

Gu Ziqing, hiding behind the blind man, said disdainfully.

Hu Ming glanced at Gu Ziqing but didn't bother to say anything more.

Ultimately, these kinds of things are inherently difficult to explain, so Hu Ming doesn't feel guilty. Many people do this, they just do it more discreetly.

Having multiple wives and concubines has been a man's eternal dream throughout history.

Since it's a dream, there are bound to be people who can achieve it through various means. There's nothing surprising about that. Just because you don't know something doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

To be honest, Hu Ming had heard some rumors about the big bosses in the South. How should I put it, when it comes to this kind of thing, even Hu Ming felt inferior to those big bosses. Their tricks were simply amazing; there was nothing they couldn't do.

Ahem... the topic seems to have strayed a bit too far...

After a brief rest, the blind man, Gu Huaisheng, and Gu Ziqing stayed behind, while Hu Ming, carrying a fragment of the pagoda, left alone.

"Is Second Master alright on his own?"

Gu Huaisheng frowned as he watched Hu Ming's figure disappear into the thick fog, and asked with some concern.

Having lived here for over a month, Gu Huaisheng was all too aware of the dangers. The situation outside was extremely complex, and even with the protection of the pagoda fragments, one could easily be in mortal danger if one was not careful.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine. If he can't handle the situation here, then probably no one in the world can."

"Besides, I know Hu Ming too well; he's most likely still thinking about that mutated cypress tree..."

The blind man plopped down on the makeshift bed that Gu Huaisheng had built with weeds and branches, let out a comfortable sigh, and recalled some things that Hu Ming had told him before.

At this point, considering the situation here, the blind man could roughly guess that Hu Ming most likely wanted to conduct an experiment, using this mutated cypress tree as a test subject!
Moreover, it was clear that Hu Ming did not intend to let Gu Huaisheng and his daughter know.

The blind man understood this point. After all, it's always better to keep things that are beyond human comprehension a secret. Nobody wants such things to be known by the whole world.

Although Gu Huaisheng and his daughter were not the type of people who gossiped.

With his eyes closed and relying on the map in his mind, Hu Ming strolled through the foggy cavity, toying with a dusty gray stone in his hand, lost in thought.

Following the information gleaned from the subtle sounds in his ears, Hu Ming traced the trail in a certain direction.

"Damn it!"

Okitajima clutched the scar on his left forearm, which had been stitched up just a few days ago, ignoring the blood and pain that was being squeezed out. He leaned against the stone wall, his expression furious.
Not long after they came down, they noticed something was wrong.

It's so quiet here!!
So quiet that not a sound could be heard, they cautiously made their way through this eerie space under the protection of the mercenaries.

However, not long after they started walking, the situation suddenly changed dramatically.

This white mist actually contains deadly corrosive substances!
By the time they realized this, it was too late; they could already hear the familiar crawling sound of a snake-like creature.

Countless shadowy figures had already silently surrounded them, and in that instant, the corrosiveness of the white mist increased several times over.

In just a few breaths, their exposed skin began to feel a terrible stinging sensation.

They knew that it was this fog that was rapidly and continuously harming them.

However, it was too late to retreat now. Putting aside the terrifying nature of these corrosive mists, the mere sight of those ghostly claws and tentacles so close at hand filled them with despair.

Even more alarming, they vaguely saw three dark, distinctive tentacles…

The scene they had just witnessed flashed through their minds, and everyone was filled with despair.

This bizarre existence is simply beyond the capabilities of the firearms in our hands.

Hu Ming, the only person they knew who could deal with this strange thing, had already disappeared without a trace.

"...Gu Huaisheng is definitely not dead!"

"Qi the Blind and Hu Ming have definitely made contact with Gu Huaisheng. They want to kill us here!"

Okitajima spoke through gritted teeth, almost uttering each word with hatred.

He didn't hate these people for their "betrayal." Judging by his own standards, he never trusted anyone. People's hearts are fickle, especially these damned, cunning, lowly, and despicable Chinese!
What he hated was that Hu Ming and the blind man had tricked him!
In fact, just before that, they had extorted five million from him!
Okitajima considers himself a superior person, a smart man, and it is precisely because he is being fooled by the lowly people he despises that he cannot tolerate it!
"It's too late to say all this now, Mr. Okita. To be honest, I already regret taking your job."

"Our agreement didn't include this kind of bizarre and life-or-death situation. Mercenaries love money, but they love life even more."

Song's heart skipped a beat, and he sighed, "But it's too late to say all this now. The only thing we can do now is fight with our lives on the line. Open fire!"

With the safety off his assault rifle, Song initiated the battle. At this close range, the steel torrent tore the first few ghost claws to shreds.

Beneath the shattered vine shells, a disgusting, foul-smelling liquid, a mixture of scarlet and murky green, splattered across the surrounding land, instantly eroding the ground and creating pits of all sizes.

The ghostly claw tentacles here, even their "flesh and blood" contain terrifying corrosive properties!
Capable of instantly corroding pits into hard ground, it seems almost as potent as aquatic acid. Imagine getting this liquid on your skin…

Song's face turned pale, feeling that her already slim chance of survival was now even more distant.

"Hiss~~~!!!"

A hissing sound, similar to that of a snake, came from the four-lobed mouth of the three black tentacles.

The ghost claws relentlessly advanced, ignoring the terrifying power of the steel torrent. Even as they were shattered into pieces, they still poured their foul-smelling liquid over them.

"Attack those black tentacles! They're leading these demonic claws!"

Okitajima shouted, aiming his pistol at the black tentacle in the center, and in a few breaths, he emptied a whole magazine of bullets.

Okitajima's father was, after all, a professional soldier in the last century, and a mid-level officer. Having been exposed to firearms since childhood, his aim was quite good; he could hit the black tentacles eight or nine times out of ten with a magazine.

However, what horrified everyone was that these black tentacles seemed like illusory projections; bullets hitting them only created ripples that quickly subsided.

"Sigh~~"

As if mocking, the black tentacles writhed, and suddenly, like a venomous snake hunting its prey, the front half of its body lunged forward with lightning speed, and its four hideous mouths swallowed the unfortunate man who was stunned in one gulp!
The densely packed teeth in the four-lobed maw instantly crushed his body, and the screams stopped abruptly. Broken bones, flesh, and blood splattered out, staining the people in front of him red.

"It cannot be harmed by physical means, yet it can harm us at will?"

Song aimed his gun at the black tentacles and fired all the bullets. Watching the ripples spread, Song felt despair. This was something mortals like them couldn't possibly handle!
In that instant, Song Jianren's nerves almost collapsed. He couldn't distinguish between illusion and reality, and thought he was dreaming, a terrible nightmare.

This unequal and overwhelming battle lasted very short.

In just over a minute, the gunfire stopped. The mercenaries were all wiped out, and Song lost half of his body, bitten in half at the waist.

His unfocused pupils watched as his lower body was slowly crushed into a pulp within the four-lobed mouth of another black tentacle.

Song helplessly dropped the assault rifle in his hand and picked up the walkie-talkie hanging on his chest.

He knew he was doomed, cut in half at the waist.
"Seven or eight, it's me, Song. Listen to me, take the rest of the people and leave this place. Leave here right now!"

"This place is too eerie, too dangerous, not a place for ordinary people like us. Perhaps, that mysterious Hu Ming can deal with this kind of ghost."

"What a pity! Run! Seven or eight, survive!"

His pupils gradually turned dull and grayish-white, and Song's hand holding the walkie-talkie fell limply to his sides, his chest rising and falling until it calmed down.

Everything was over, except for the calls of "Seven or Eight" coming from the walkie-talkie.

"A bunch of useless trash!"

Okitajima, who was well protected by the mercenaries, cursed in a low voice.

The surrounding demonic claws and black tentacles were menacing, and Okitajima felt his scalp tingle, as if his skull was about to be ripped open. Even his fur was warning him: Danger!
With his left forearm gripped tightly, Okitajima's face darkened.

Before coming here, the researcher Tu helped him sew something life-saving into his flesh, but…

In his plan, this valuable resource wouldn't be wasted here!
That thing could only save his life for a month at most, but now that he has lost Researcher Tu, and has used up his last life-saving item here, his chances of being rescued in a month are extremely slim.

However, at this point, he had no choice at all.

Click...

Beneath the flesh and blood, a muffled thud was heard, and the fragments of the container buried within the flesh and blood tore through the flesh instantly, causing blood to flow freely.

The eerie green traces flowed through Chongtian Island's veins and spread throughout his body in an instant, almost turning his entire body green.

Then something even stranger happened.

As the green hue spread throughout his body and subsided, the surrounding ghostly claws and black tentacles suddenly...

Suddenly, it howled and wandered aimlessly, as if it had lost its prey!
Faced with Okita Island so close at hand, their senses lost track of their prey. In fact, in the void "before their eyes," they sensed a familiar, disgusting, and even fearful aura.
That's the aura of those damned stupas!!
Obeying the fear brought about by hundreds or even thousands of years, the ghost claws and black tentacles froze in place, slowly twisting their bodies and disappearing into the thick fog.

"call"

Okitajima took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down and focus on his current situation and possible ways to survive.

He knows his own situation very well, and Okitajima knows very well that his current situation is very bad.

Although the medicine embedded in his flesh temporarily saved his life, he knew that while it could sustain him for a considerable period, it couldn't protect him here for long.

Researcher Tu once conducted an experiment on the strange substance in the pagoda, verifying that it contained a radioactive material with an abnormally fast decay rate.

This substance is harmless to humans, but it decays and dissipates completely in a very short time after coming into contact with flesh and blood.

Now, Okitajima vaguely understands that this radiation is most likely the reason why the pagoda can ward off these evil spirits.

And this time... was less than an hour.

Looking at the countdown on his watch, which was nearing its end, Okitajima's face was extremely gloomy.

In this environment, if he loses this radioactive lifeline, the countdown will reach its end, and that will definitely be his death day!
Once his breathing returned to normal and his strength had mostly recovered, Okitajima stood up. He knew he couldn't waste any more time.

Within a limited time, he must find a new stupa to prolong his life.

"This can't be..."

He had only taken a couple of steps when Okitajima's pupils suddenly contracted, and he gasped in surprise.

The fog here was so thick that even with his 2.0 vision, he could only see a few meters away. As he moved forward, Okitajima was shocked to discover that the place he had frantically fled to was actually an ancient ruin!
Even more incredible is that, despite being shrouded in this corrosive fog for hundreds or thousands of years, there has not been the slightest trace of corrosion!
"Hehehehehe!!!"

Okitajima quickly realized what was happening, clutching his forehead and letting out a deranged laugh.

The laughter was filled with the joy of surviving a disaster, and the ecstatic relief of finding a new path after a long and difficult journey.

What else could possibly protect this area from acid fumes for centuries, and what could it contain besides ancient Buddhist-style architecture?
The answer is self-evident.

"I, Okitajima, am the chosen one, I am the only one!"

"My life is not over here. I will surely be able to recover through this mysterious power, and perhaps even become immortal!"

After experiencing such dramatic ups and downs, Okitajima could no longer suppress his emotions and burst into wild laughter.

"Bah bang bang!!"

Just then, a crisp clapping sound rang out from behind Okitajima, and a blurry figure gradually became clearer.

"who?"

Okitajima didn't recognize the voice at first, his expression changed drastically, and he pointed the fire poker, which had run out of bullets, at the newcomer to threaten him.

"You should indeed be happy; in terms of luck alone, you could barely be considered a person of great fortune?"

"Well, I don't know if you, a Japanese person, understand the references in Chinese web novels, but I think you can roughly understand the meaning."

The newcomer ignored the firearm—even when it was fully loaded, the safety off, and chambered, it still couldn't harm him.

Moreover, you can tell from the sound that this is a pistol that has run out of bullets.

"Who else could it be in a place like this?"

The person had already approached Okitajima, leaning casually against the wall of the ruins, a half-smile on their face.

It was Hu Ming who rushed over upon hearing the noise.

"Shh~~"

"A friendly reminder: your time is running out, and the enemy has already lurked beside you, Okitajima. It seems you, Tokiomi, have arrived!"

Hu Ming suddenly opened his golden eyes, looked Okitajima up and down, put his index finger to his lips, and had a strange expression that resembled that of a charlatan pronouncing the judgment of mortals on behalf of the gods.

"ridiculous..…"

If he truly believed in gods and Buddhas, Okitajima wouldn't be here; instead, he would be visiting Japanese temples seeking a way to survive.

However, before he could finish his taunts, misfortune and disaster struck.

At the foot of Okita Island, the bare brown soil quietly vanished, replaced by wisps of white mist and eerie dark green fog!
The combination of these two elements completely violates basic color grading principles, transforming into a vibrant crimson within a few breaths—beautiful yet...dangerous!
The crimson color spread and seeped in through the gap in Okitajima's trouser leg. From Hu Ming's perspective, when the crimson color touched Okitajima's skin, it silently blended in.

On his skin, crimson spiral patterns began to spread at a terrifying speed.

In just a few seconds, Hu Ming saw the crimson spiral pattern spread out from Okitajima's wrist, connecting to the melanoma on his wrist.

It's like the process of a plant growing, flowering, and bearing fruit.

The melanoma on Okitajima's hand began to move like a fetus in a pregnant woman's womb, as if it were nurturing something.

At this point, the last trace of the dark green substance in Okitajima's blood had disappeared.

"The time has come, Okitajima, you are about to die."

Hu Ming's pupils narrowed slightly behind his sunglasses. After a moment of contemplation, he said calmly.

The frequency of fetal movement in melanoma is getting faster and faster, which undoubtedly means that what is being conceived in this unusual "egg" is nearing maturity.

Before he could finish speaking, the "egg" made a new move. The fetal movement suddenly stopped, and under Hu Ming's interested gaze, the melanoma rapidly expanded and merged.

Hu Ming wasn't sure exactly how many melanomas Okitajima had, but all the visible melanomas were fused together and swollen.

While they were talking, the melanoma had already merged into one, transforming into a hideous black "egg" the size of a bowl, covered with ink-black, blood vessel-like biological tissue.