Deep in the Living

Chapter 681 Unknown
Technology Development Department, Monitoring and Management Office.

Minister Matthew was sitting in front of the instrument, watching the numbers on it that could fluctuate at any moment.

Since no monitoring equipment of any kind can be installed in the sealed room, the only way to determine what is happening inside is by monitoring changes in the external magnetic field.

In general,

Once the agents successfully retrieve the artifact and return from that distant, palm-shaped building, it will trigger a continuous magnetic field fluctuation.

It can even make a preliminary judgment on the quality of relics by observing the strength of changes in the magnetic field.

Today was different. Roddy had spent more time than the average, but there was no fluctuation at all.

After waiting for a while, the magnetic field remained unchanged, but the sealed room itself sensed something.

Roddy is back!
This puzzled Matthew, who had never encountered such a situation before. He rushed to the secret chamber and saw Roddy, who had already crawled out of the sarcophagus.

Did you get the belongings?

"I got it, but..."

"Just what?"

"But this relic of mine seems to be a bit special. I can't get any information from it, and I don't know how to use it. The hint given in the corner is just a very short sentence, saying that this thing is called an 'unknown relic'."

Are the other agents like this too?

“Unknown relics?” This made Minister Matthew even more puzzled. “Did you travel through the sarcophagus to a huge ancient cave? Where is a huge hand-shaped building located?”

"Yes……"

Roddy immediately described the whole process, the first half of which was normal, and all the agents were the same.

However, Minister Matthew noticed the problem with the "choice" option.

"What? You chose a door without any patterns... How is that possible?"

Mature pituitary glands are placed on the altar and absorbed by the building, forming different patterns on the door according to their characteristics.

Generally speaking, monster pituitary glands only have 1 to 2 characteristics.

Assuming two scenarios, only two doors will display patterns, and only these two doors can be selected. The remaining doors will be completely sealed and cannot be opened.

The monster pituitary gland you brought has four extremely rare attributes, corresponding to four types of relic choices... To be honest, it's impossible for you to open the little finger door.

How exactly did you open the door? And why did you choose that particular door?
I assumed you would choose the stone gate associated with the mist, since that corresponds to the primal fear.

Upon hearing this, Luo Di already had a general idea in his mind.

The fact that he was able to obtain this unknown relic, and that the little finger door, which should have been closed, was opened, is most likely related to his "qualifications".

However, Roddy did not want to disclose the matter of his qualifications.

The only explanation I could offer was through the disguise and ventriloquism skills I learned from the class monitor:
"I don't actually like Jock's abilities, and I even feel a bit repulsed by them. Besides, I already have enough equipment, so I wanted to try out that door without any symbols."

To my surprise, when I walked over and placed my palm on the stone door, it opened.

This relic was placed in the innermost coffin.

"Is that so?" Minister Matthew didn't delve into the matter further, but instead changed the direction of his inquiry: "Could you show me your belongings?"

"OK."

Roddy took the pituitary-like relic directly from his pocket.

Minister Matthew's eyes changed rapidly, and he could see what appeared to be multiple electrons jumping around on the surface; some kind of special deep observation had begun.

"The external structure is a pituitary gland? But my detection abilities can't penetrate it, I can't analyze the internal structure of this thing... You don't know anything about this relic either?"

Roddy nodded, "Yes, but I haven't investigated it in depth yet. I plan to go back to Whirlpool Town and study it more carefully."

Minister Matthew continued to explain: "Generally speaking, when the agents receive the pituitary gland, they will immediately obtain relevant information, and they can quickly master it with diligent practice."

This thing of yours is too strange, it even deviates a bit from the category of relics.

May I take a closer look?

"Please."

Minister Matthew brought his face closer, still unable to see through the object's inner workings. His innate thirst for research made him unconsciously reach out his arm, wanting to touch it.

Just as he was about to make contact,

hum!
The smooth, bright red surface of the pituitary gland began to ripple. First, tiny granules appeared, followed by what seemed to be growing out of it, as if something terrible was about to emerge.

A sense of dread from the unknown overwhelmed Matthew, forcing him to withdraw his fingers and abandon the contact.

"This thing belongs exclusively to you, and any contact from outsiders will be rejected, and the rejection is very strong... However, I still noticed something. This is a rare living relic, and if I'm not mistaken, the hand-shaped metal at the top should be a kind of 'sealing structure'."

Try it, it should open.

"Can you open it?"

Roddy gently pinched the delicate metal structure and was able to twist it, just like twisting a bottle cap.

He applied the force slowly, afraid of making a mistake.

click!
As the metal palm rotates, the finger structures spring open one by one, like a sophisticated mechanical process, or like some kind of seal being gradually opened.

When all five fingers are fully extended, the metal peels off.

An air vent structure appears at the top of the artifact.

Just as Roddy was about to observe carefully, and even try to gently pinch the pituitary gland, Minister Matthew had already analyzed some terrifying speculation.

"Don't move! Quickly reseal this thing, then come with me to a place."

"Ok."

Roddy quickly put the metal hand back on and turned to seal it.

After leaving the secret room with Minister Matthew and bypassing several metal passages, we arrived at the monster research experimental area.

Just as the area's name suggests, some monsters that agents have subdued, captured alive, or purchased are held here.

The monsters here are mostly in the immature stage of plants, so they don't pose much of a threat.

"Psychotic," "Uncorrectable," "Extremely bloodthirsty," "Inferior"

Containers labeled with various red tags were transported to the laboratory where the two worked.

The cargo compartment is opened.

A monster with a rat-like face, black hair covering its face, and its body covered in plague wounds pounced out, its six eyes staring intently at the human in front of it.

Just as Luo Di was about to make his move.

Six mechanical arms made of metal cables suddenly grew from Minister Matthew's back, instantly suppressing the monster and suspending it in the air like a specimen.

“Roddy, open your relic and point the port at this thing.”

"Ok."

however,
Roddy was still just twisting the metal; he hadn't yet aligned the hole at the top.

This nearly insane, inhuman rat monster immediately showed a look of fear, its fur stood on end, and it let out a shrill scream.

What he saw before him seemed to be the most terrifying thing he had ever seen, capable of evoking his most primal fears.

When the "air pump" is aligned with the past.

Sudden changes occur,

The hole at the top suddenly widened.

A wisp of living mist emanated from within, and this mist did not spread randomly, but rather took the shape of hands and directly grasped the rat monster's body.

Skinning and removing bones,

Transform it into the simplest, most primitive biomass.

Then, they were drawn into the interior of the relics by the mist.

The whole process took less than ten seconds, and not a single trace of debris was left at the scene.

The moment the absorption was complete, Roddy quickly put the hand-shaped metal back on.

His eyes widened in disbelief at what had just happened.
Moreover, he could clearly feel the internal activity in the palm of his hand holding the relics, as if some kind of digestion was taking place.

"Minister, this is..."

"There's something wrong with your relic... It might still be in the 'egg' stage. It might only reveal its true form after it absorbs enough monsters."

Even in its egg form, it's terrifying enough to devour monsters of a lower rank than you.

Against monsters of the same level, you should only need to severely injure them to begin absorbing their power immediately.

I need to write this down. Would that take up some of your time?

"Okay... okay."

(End of this chapter)