Ling Cage: Twelve Talismans? I have everything I need.

Chapter 174 What the boss said is what the boss said; it has nothing to do with anyone else.
Seeing the horrified looks on Rock's and the other hunters' faces, Yang Chen simply clapped his hands casually.

"Let's go, I'll take you inside and show you around." He turned around and walked towards the magnificent metal gate of the ecological base.

Hongkou took a deep breath, nodded to her former teammates, and gestured for them to follow.

The hunters looked at each other, but ultimately chose to trust their former commander and, with trepidation and curiosity, followed in Yang Chen's footsteps.

The heavy metal door slid open silently, revealing a brightly lit passageway inside.

"Come on, everyone." Yang Chen stepped in first.

Hong nodded to her former comrades behind her, who were looking hesitant: "Come in, it's safe here."

Dawn was also calling out to the still somewhat bewildered hunters.

"Is this... really on the ground?" a young hunter couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice.

ASH's voice rang out in the passageway at just the right moment: "Welcome to the ecological base. Environmental monitoring shows that everyone's vital signs are stable and you are not carrying mana spores. Please follow the instructions."

The sudden sound made the hunters tense again, and they looked around to find the source of the sound.

This is exactly the same sound I heard on the communication channel just now.

“This is the base’s artificial intelligence, ASH,” Red Coco explained.

"Human... artificial intelligence?" Rock finally couldn't help but look up, somewhat confused about what artificial intelligence was.

“Hmm.” Hongkou didn’t explain further, but instead asked, “Rock, I remember you were transferred from the city defense force to the hunters, right?”

"Yes, it is."

Rock nodded hesitantly, wondering why Red Hair was asking this question.

"I'll introduce you to someone later," Hongkou said casually. "She used to be in the city defense force too."

Rock was completely bewildered. The city guards had never been down to the ground, but seeing that Red Hair didn't seem to want to explain anything, he kept quiet.

Led by Yang Chen, the team moved forward, where they would be able to see an even more astonishing sight inside.
As they ventured deeper into the ecological base, the passageway was lined with various laboratories and observation windows of unknown function. Through the reinforced glass, they could see many instruments and equipment that they had never seen before.

As they passed through an exceptionally spacious hall marked as an ecological sample observation area, all the hunters involuntarily stopped in their tracks, their faces instantly draining of color.

Through the huge observation window, they could clearly see that it was divided into several enclosed areas.

In several of these areas, the jars were filled with Devouring Beasts.

There are common species like the snake-dog and the earth-roaring, pan-evolving devourers.

There was even a huge mutated creature, but its body had been broken up and was soaking in separate jars.

"Devouring... Devouring Beast!" A young hunter's voice trembled as he instinctively reached for the gun at his waist, only to find nothing.

"How...how did they get here? Are they dead?" another team member exclaimed in horror, his body tense, fearing that the monsters would burst out of the window at any moment.

Several awakened practitioners who had been waiting there, such as Qianli and the young man who had been joking earlier, leaned against the wall with their arms crossed and a mocking smile on their faces.

"What's the panic?" Qianli picked at his ear and said nonchalantly.

"They're all locked up, they can't get out. These are all samples captured for research, otherwise how do you think we'd figure out their weaknesses and capabilities?"

Studying the Devouring Beasts? The hunters felt a wave of dizziness.

In the Lighthouse, the Devouring Beasts are creatures of death, enemies that must be avoided at all costs or fought to the death.

Here, they have become the samples being studied?
The meaning behind this gave them an indescribable sense of awe.

The people on the ground have not only survived, but are even actively learning about and fighting against the Mana ecosystem!?
"Tsk tsk, why didn't you just obediently put down your weapons earlier? Why did you have to make our boss show off?" Qianli shook his head, his tone teasing. "Look how scared our Commander Rock was, his face turned pale."

The young enlightened practitioner chimed in, "Exactly, exactly, they're still 'remaining vigilant' and 'taking tough measures' over there."

Rock and the other hunters who persisted to the end turned pale and then flushed, but they couldn't refute it.

Bai Yuekui ignored these verbal disputes and focused her gaze on Hongkou.

She took a few steps closer and asked in a low voice, "How are you feeling?"

Hongkou raised her hand, frowning slightly: "I don't feel any discomfort. Maybe the test wasn't long enough?"

"Hmm." Bai Yuekui nodded. "This ability to directly intervene in emotions is very special. Let's have you tested again in a while to see if it will have a long-term impact on your nervous system."

"I understand, Boss Bai," Hongkou replied earnestly.

Yang Chen didn't linger. He merely glanced at the Devouring Beasts in the observation area before continuing on his way.

"There's nothing to see here, come with me."

Seeing the respectful attitude of Bai Yuekui and Hong Kou towards him, the young hunter couldn't help but lower his voice and ask Hong Kou curiously, "Captain, who...who is she?"

Hongkou looked at the young team member who had asked the question, and then glanced at Bai Yuekui, who was walking in front of Yang Chen.

She withdrew her gaze and whispered to the questioner, and also to all the hunters who had pricked up their ears:

"That's Boss Bai. Like Boss Yang, he's the founder and leader of the village."

"Boss...?" The young hunter blinked, feeling somewhat unfamiliar with the title.

But the solemnity in Hongkou's tone made him realize that these two "bosses" held very high positions.

Led by Yang Chen, the group walked through the ecological base and exited from the other end.

Upon arriving at Longgu Village, everything there silently challenged their preconceived notions about survival on the ground.

This is not a rudimentary outpost struggling to survive, but a civilization with a well-established order.

Yang Chen led everyone to a relatively spacious rest area, where there were some simple chairs and even a small drink station.

"Sit wherever you like." Yang Chen pointed to the seats, then walked to the drinks counter, filled two glasses with water, handed one to Bai Yuekui, and kept the other in his hand.

"Help yourself to drink; there's water and some beverages over there."

The hunters stood there nervously, none of them daring to actually touch those things.

Everything before them was far beyond their comprehension, leaving them as frightened as birds startled by the mere twang of a bow.

Hongkou looked at them, sighed, and walked to the drinks counter to get a few glasses of water, handing them to the young hunters who looked the most nervous.

"Drink some water."

The young people accepted the water with a sense of surprise and took small sips of the clear water, their eyes still filled with confusion.

Yang Chen took a sip of water, his gaze sweeping over the group of uneasy "guests," finally settling on Rock, whose expression was constantly shifting.

“Now, we can have a proper talk,” Yang Chen said. “Just like Hong Kou said, we don’t intend to do anything to you. We brought you in simply so you can see for yourselves what the ground, which your Lighthouse leadership has always kept so secret, is really like.”

Rock's throat bobbed, and he asked in a hoarse voice, "Who...who are you people? Instructor Elon and the others...they're here with you, right?"

"Who are we?" Yang Chen smiled.

"As you can see, the survivors on the ground. As for Elon you mentioned..."

He paused and glanced at Hongkou beside him.

Hongkou turned her head slightly, her eyes dimming for a moment.

Instead of directly answering the question about Elon, Yang Chen changed the subject: "What do you think of this place compared to the Lighthouse?"

This question silenced the hunters.

How to compare?

The lighthouse represents cold metal, a depressing atmosphere, scarce resources, and the eternal fear of facing the Devouring Beasts.

And here... is vitality, is order, is unimaginable technology, is a possibility of "life" that they have never experienced before.

A middle-aged hunter couldn't help but ask, "You... can you really survive on the surface forever? What about those Devouring Beasts...?"

"The shielding tower and the return to origin state, Hongkou mentioned them to you on the way here." Bai Yuekui's cool voice rang out. She put down her water glass and looked calmly at the questioner.

"The base has a well-developed defense and shielding system. As long as you don't provoke it or reveal strong emotions after leaving the shielding range, the Devouring Beasts will not pose a threat."

“But…food…water…these…” another hunter murmured.

"Self-sufficient," Yang Chen said succinctly, "and with a surplus."

The food reserves at Eco-Base No. 2 are enough to supply the two villages and the neighboring settlement, but now, if we include the lighthouse, they are not quite enough.

However, now that we can resupply from Hisakawa, there's no need to worry.

Surplus...

This word resonates in the hearts of every hunter.

At the lighthouse, every bite of food and every drop of water is strictly rationed, requiring hunters to risk their lives to search for it on the ground.

The dust people could only eat insect cakes and were often in a state of hunger and malnutrition.

And here, the word "surplus" is actually used?

One of the hunters became breathless and looked at Yang Chen: "You...you're telling the truth?"

Yang Chen nodded: "I can take you to see other places later. I have no reason to lie to you." As Rock listened to these conversations and saw the wavering and longing gradually appearing on the faces of his team members, alarm bells rang in his mind.

He said sternly, "Don't be fooled by them! No matter how nice this place is, it doesn't change the fact that they've detained Instructor Elon! Who knows what's hidden behind all this glamour!"

“Rock!” Hongkou couldn’t help but speak up, “Even now, are you still using the Lighthouse’s way of thinking to speculate about everything? If Boss Yang and Boss Bai wanted to harm the Lighthouse, they wouldn’t need to go through all this trouble!”

She pointed outside: "Look here! We have technology and resources you can't even imagine! All we want is to find more survivors!"

"What about Instructor Elon?!" Rock retorted, his neck stiff. "What did you do to him?!"

The atmosphere in the rest area instantly froze.

All the hunters' eyes were focused on Hongkou and Yang Chen.

Hongkou pursed her lips tightly. She opened her mouth, but didn't know how to start speaking.

Just then, Yang Chen's calm voice broke the silence.

“Instructor Elon, and his squad, have paid the price for what they did during their time at the Lighthouse.”

He didn't explicitly state what the "price" was, but the implication beneath his calm tone sent a chill down the spines of all the hunters.

Rock's pupils constricted sharply: "What? What do you mean? You... killed them?!"

“It’s a reckoning.” Hongkou finally raised her head and looked at Rock and the horrified hunters.

"That's... an old grudge. It has nothing to do with most of you."

“I don’t want to go into the specifics. But all you need to know is that the one who carried out the ruling was also from the Lighthouse… an old friend.”

An old friend from the lighthouse? To carry out a judgment?

The hunters looked at each other in bewilderment.

Looking at the dejected Hong Kou, Yang Chen turned to the crowd and said, "Now, the choice is before you."

"Those who wish to stay are welcome in Dragon Bone Village. You will have a new identity and a new life. You will need to abide by the village rules and contribute to the village's development."

"We will not stop anyone who wants to return to the lighthouse."

He glanced at all the hunters: "You decide for yourselves. You have half an hour to think it over."

After saying that, Yang Chen ignored them and pulled Bai Yuekui to the other side of the rest area to talk in hushed tones.

Po Xiao walked to Hong Kou's side, gently squeezed her hand, and whispered, "Are you alright?"

Hongkou shook her head, leaned against Po Xiao, and looked at the hunters who were caught in a fierce internal struggle with a complicated expression.

The rest area was completely silent.

Staying means betraying the beacon and throwing oneself into the embrace of the completely unknown.

But everything here exudes such an alluring atmosphere.

Leave? Return to that resource-scarce, hierarchical, and uncertain beacon, and continue living a life where you don't know what tomorrow will bring?

Time passed by minute by minute.

Finally, the young hunter who had been the first to lay down his weapon stood up.

He walked up to Hongkou and said firmly, "Captain Hongkou, I...I want to stay! I believe in you!"

With the first, there is the second.

Gradually, most of the young hunters chose to stay.

They gathered around Hongkou and Poxiao, their faces filled with trepidation, but even more so with anticipation for their new life.

Seeing that most of his teammates had made their choices, Rock and his three remaining confidants looked even more grim.

They looked at each other and saw struggle and panic in each other's eyes.

Yang Chen didn't seem to care about their final entanglement. He looked at Hong Kou and instructed, "Hong Kou, take them for a tour inside the No. 2 ecological base."

He paused for a moment: "Seeing it with your own eyes is more useful than any amount of talk."

“Understood, boss.” Hongkou understood Yang Chen’s intention.

"Come on, let me show you our true assets."

Dawn patted a young hunter on the shoulder beside him: "Don't worry, it will only be better than you imagine."

Watching Hongkou and Poxiao lead the hunters to the village entrance, Yang Chen instructed several Awakened Walkers to follow, to ensure there would be no accidents.

When they arrived at the location of the vehicle, Hongkou paused for a moment.

Po Xiao saw through Hong Kou's thoughts and sighed, saying, "I'll take them to Sister Hong Lu's place."

Hongkou nodded.

"Who...who did you just say?"

Rock's body visibly stiffened upon hearing the name.

Red Heron? Of course he remembered that name, the former commander-in-chief of the city's defense forces at the lighthouse.

He vaguely sensed that Instructor Elon's purge was probably far more complex and terrifying than he had imagined.

He exchanged glances with the other veterans who were called out, but under the calm gaze of Dawn and the watchful eyes of the Awakened Ones behind him, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and follow.

Hongkou took a deep breath, composed herself, and gave a bright smile to the remaining young hunters who mostly chose to stay.

"Alright, everyone else, follow me! I'll show you around our ecological base."

She deliberately raised her voice, and her energetic tone infected the newlyweds who were initially a little uneasy.

They all perked up and curiously followed in Hongkou's footsteps.

At the same time, Dawn, along with Rock and the others, silently walked toward the vehicle parked at the village entrance.

Rock couldn't help but speak, his voice hoarse: "Dawn... what was that Red Heron you just mentioned?"

Without turning around, Po Xiao simply said, "You'll know when we get there. Some old scores always need to be settled."

He didn't say much, but the meaning behind his words made Rock and the others feel utterly dejected.

The vehicle started and drove towards Village No. 2.

The vehicle traveled along the slightly bumpy road, and the atmosphere inside the carriage was so oppressive it was almost frozen.

On the road, Rock and several veterans, who seemed eager to know everything, kept their heads down and looked pale.

The name "Red Heron" weighed heavily on their hearts. They had all participated in the purge within the city's defense forces and carried out some less-than-honorable tasks.

Rock was drenched in sweat; he had even volunteered to participate in the cleanup in order to gain recognition.

Just then, one of the awakened travelers who got on the bus was the same young man who had been joking around on the phone earlier.

He seemed unable to bear the dull atmosphere, and came over with a grin, casually draping an arm over Rock's shoulder.

Rock froze, instinctively wanting to dodge, but he held back.

"Hey, bro, don't be so tense." The young Awakener spoke casually, as if chatting about everyday things.

"We've heard a bit about the mess your Lighthouse used to have. Things like cleansing, gene division, long-distance expeditions, and so on..."

He felt Rock's body tense up instantly, patted him on the shoulder, and continued.

"To be honest, who hasn't lost someone in their family? In this world, it's not easy to even survive. Back then at the lighthouse, you probably had no choice but to do what you were supposed to, right?"

These words startled Rock and the other veterans, who looked at the young Awakener with some surprise.

They didn't expect the other party to say something that was almost "understanding".

“But that’s the main thing.” The young Awakener shrugged.

“Honglu and the others survived, and they’re doing quite well. They’ve become the managers of our Second Village. So this grudge can’t be easily forgotten. After all, many people died, and some of their life essence dissipated on its own and they couldn’t be resurrected. If they had all perished back then, this whole mess probably wouldn’t exist.”

“Look, the people you killed back then, didn’t they also have friends and relatives? Even if you were just following orders or something, what’s done is done, and there has to be a price to pay.”

Listening to the Awakened One talking to himself, Rock was somewhat confused, but he understood one thing: he would probably have to send it later.

After observing the changing expressions on Rock's and the others' faces, the Awakened One concluded.

So let's try to understand each other.

"Once we get there, we'll acknowledge what we have to acknowledge and shoulder what we have to shoulder. It's better than being fed to the Devouring Beast, right?"

Rock said tremblingly, "Your boss just said he wouldn't do anything to us."

The enlightened one nodded with a smile.

"Yes, that's right, that's what our boss said."

(End of this chapter)