Tomb raiding live stream: Starting as the mute Zhang

The dark entrance resembled a silent mouth.

The flashlight beam swayed a few times at the edge of the hole, but couldn't penetrate too deep.

The smell coming from there was getting stronger and stronger.

It doesn't smell like decay.

Instead, it was an indescribable, strange smell, a mixture of aged herbs, blood, and a certain sweetness that made one's chest feel tight.

"This taste..."

Fatty Wang pinched his nose, and his voice changed tone.

"It's even stronger than the medicinal wine that I bought in Panjiayuan three years ago, which has been soaking for ten years."

Black Bear stood at the entrance of the cave and shone his flashlight inside.

"Depth unknown, slope quite steep."

"Same as always, I'll go first."

"etc."

Wu Xie suddenly spoke.

He raised the flashlight in his hand, and the beam fell on the rock wall at the edge of the cave entrance.

"Look here."

There were several shallow scratches on the rock face.

The scratches didn't look like they were made by a tool.

It looks like... the result of something sharp repeatedly scraping against it.

The scratches are very new, probably only a few days old.

"Has someone gone down first?"

Pan Zi said in a deep voice.

"uncertain."

Xie Yuchen squatted down and gently touched the scratches with his fingers.

"These marks...something's not right."

He didn't say what was wrong.

But everyone looked toward the dark hole.

The sweet, cloying smell of blood was continuously emanating from the cave.

"Zhang Qiling" and "Zhang Qiling" looked into the depths of the cave almost simultaneously.

Neither of them spoke.

But Jiang Xun Gu, who was standing next to them, suddenly felt a very faint, almost imperceptible chill pass by him.

That wasn't murderous intent.

It's more like some kind of instinctive alertness.

Just like when a wild animal enters unfamiliar territory, its muscles will subconsciously tense up.

Zhang Qiling took half a step forward.

He stood sideways, blocking the entrance from the group.

His movements were so natural that if you didn't look closely, you might even think he was just trying to change his posture.

But Wu Xie could see it.

He almost subconsciously took half a step closer to "Zhang Qiling".

The movement was very slight.

But Zhang Qiling turned his head and glanced at him.

He didn't say anything.

She simply raised her chin slightly, signaling him not to get too close.

"I'll go first."

Black Bear had already tied the ropes.

"Same as always, after we go down..."

"Together."

"Zhang Qiling" interrupted him.

Two words.

The sound was very flat.

Black Bear paused for a moment, then understood what he meant and grinned.

"Okay, let's download together then."

"Tie more ropes; this slope doesn't look very friendly."

In the live stream, the screen flickered with the beam of a flashlight.

As the light swept across the cave walls, the damp rock surfaces gleamed with a dull luster.

It looks like it's been coated with a thin layer of oil.

The cave is very deep.

Moreover, it gets narrower as you go down.

Eventually, only one person could barely pass through.

"This hole...something just doesn't look right."

"I could almost smell it from here on the screen, it's so weird."

"Two guys playing together, that's quite a high standard."

"Was that scratch from a rice dumpling?"

The sound of ropes rubbing against the rock walls echoed in the cave.

"Zhang Qiling" and "Zhang Qiling" are almost falling side by side.

The two maintained a distance of about half an arm's length between them.

This distance allows them to look out for each other at any time without hindering each other in a confined space.

Their movements were very steady.

Even though the rocks underfoot were slippery, there was no wobbling.

The further down you go, the stronger the smell becomes.

It's not just the cloying, bloody smell.

There's another kind... like aged medicinal herbs fermenting in a sealed space, mixed with the fishy smell of some animal gland secretions.

Smelling it for too long can make you feel a little dizzy.

"There is light below."

"Black Bear said in a low voice at the front of the group."

It wasn't a flashlight beam.

Instead, it emitted a very faint, dark green fluorescence.

The light was very faint.

But it stands out conspicuously in absolute darkness.

Be careful.

Xie Yuchen's voice came from above.

"This kind of light is most likely from some kind of mineral or... creature."

Zhang Qiling did not respond.

The rate of descent has slowed down a bit.

His hand was already on the hilt of the knife behind his back.

At that very moment—

【Ding. 】

A voice suddenly rang in Zhang Qiling's mind.

The voice was very calm.

It even carried a touch of... long-lost familiarity, like an old friend greeting each other.

[Host, it's been a long time.]

Zhang Qiling's movements did not stop.

Even the frequency of his breathing remained unchanged.

He is still falling.

His gaze remained fixed on the dark green light below.

But something deep within those eyes stirred very slightly.

It's a system.

The "role-playing system" that hadn't appeared for so long, so long that he had almost forgotten its existence.

[During this period, headquarters underwent a comprehensive upgrade.]

The system's voice continued to sound, its tone even sounding somewhat...relaxed?

I am now much more intelligent than before.

At least, I can chat with you now.

Zhang Qiling remained silent.

He didn't even respond in his mind.

It just continued to decline.

His gaze swept across the cave wall.

Sweep across the slippery, dark green, shimmering rocks.

Okay, I know you're not a talkative person.

The system's voice seemed to carry a hint of amusement.

However, the necessary procedures still need to be followed.

[Host, your performance at the Qinling Sacred Tree, the Ghost City of Jingjue, the Tomb of King Xian, the Zhang Family Ancient Building, and that ruin in the Northwest...]

[Tsk, I've seen it all.]

Zhang Qiling's fingers gently pressed against the rock face for support.

My body dropped another meter.

[The match is very high.]

Although there were a few times... well, slightly deviating from the 'character setting,' overall it was perfect.

[Especially the "broken pillar" maneuver at the Zhang Family Ancient Building.]

[And the judgment made when dealing with those "zongzi" in the Northwest ruins—calm, decisive, kill when necessary, save when necessary.]

The system paused for a moment.

So, here's a bonus for you this time.

[The update was delayed due to an upgrade; it's being made up now.]

[Congratulations, host, your role-playing accuracy has increased by 5%.]

[Current overall compliance rate: 91%]

[Character compatibility has also increased.]

[Current character compatibility: 91%]

[Reward: Zhang Qiling's combat power increased by 10%.]

[Current combat strength restored to: 70%.]

A warm current surged up from deep within Zhang Qiling's chest without warning.

The sensation wasn't intense.

It's even quite mild.

It's like taking a sip of hot tea in the dead of winter.

The warmth spread from my throat all the way to my limbs and bones.

Muscles, bones, meridians, and even every inch of skin trembled slightly in this warm current.

That wasn't a sudden surge of power causing a restless agitation.

Rather, it is a kind of...return.

It was as if something that originally belonged to this body had been awakened after a long period of slumber.

The power that was consumed, suppressed, or even unable to be fully mobilized in past battles due to insufficient "performance" is now gradually filling every gap again.

Zhang Qiling closed his eyes.

I took a very light breath.

When it opened again, its eyes seemed clearer in the darkness than before.

【in addition,】

The system's voice carried a certain "you know what I mean" connotation.

Your "brother"...

[Yes, it's Zhang Qiling. His condition seems to resonate with your recent improvement.]

His fighting ability should now be back to about 70%.

Zhang Qiling's gaze naturally turned to his side.

Zhang Qiling is also looking at him.

The two were less than half a meter apart.

At this distance, you can clearly see the other person's eyes.

Darkness is an absolute obstacle for ordinary people.

But for them... no.

Or rather, that's no longer the case for them in their current situation.

Zhang Qiling suddenly realized something.

In the previous tombs, he rarely made full use of his "night vision" ability.

It's not that it can't be used.

Rather... there's no need.

Most of the time, the light from a flashlight, a torch, or the faint light source that comes with the tomb is enough for him to see his surroundings.

The true ability to see in absolute darkness is more of a trump card, reserved for crucial moments.

but now……

He narrowed his eyes slightly.

The darkness in my field of vision is fading at an extremely slow pace.

It doesn't become brighter.

Instead... those originally blurry, chaotic shadows began to gradually reveal clear outlines.

The texture of the rock face.

Traces of rope friction.

Even the finest dust particles floating in the air.

Everything gradually became clearer in his eyes.

This is the change brought about by 70% of the combat power.

It's not just about strength, speed, and reaction.

The sensitivity of the five senses is also returning in sync.

Zhang Qiling seemed to have sensed something as well.

He glanced at "Zhang Qiling".

Then, he nodded very slightly.

The movement was so small it was almost invisible.

But Zhang Qiling understood.

He nodded.

There was not a single word exchanged between the two.

There was not even any further eye contact.

But a certain unspoken understanding was confirmed in that nod.

—You felt it too?

--Um.

--That's good.

The rope descended a few more meters.

The dark green light was getting closer.

The light was coming from the bottom of the cave.

It's not a whole expanse of light.

Instead, they were... clusters of light, like something glowing in the darkness.

"That's it."

Black Bear's voice came from below, very low.

"Be careful, this ground...something's not right."

"Zhang Qiling" and "Zhang Qiling" landed almost at the same time.

The feeling of my feet on the ground definitely wasn't right.

It is not a hard rock.

It wasn't loose soil either.

Rather, it is a... elastic surface, like a layer formed by the accumulation of some kind of gelatinous substance.

It's a bit sticky.

But it can still support a person's weight.

The flashlight beam swept around.

This is a space that isn't very big, about half the size of a basketball court.

The cave ceiling is very low.

The highest point is no more than three meters.

In some places, you even have to bend over to get through.

On the ground, on the walls, and even on the ceiling of the cave—

They were all those dark green things that emitted a faint fluorescent glow.

It was a thick layer of something that looked like moss or some kind of fungus.

They densely covered every inch of the rock face.

Under the flashlight beam, the fluorescent lights flicker slightly as the light moves.

It looks extremely strange.

"What...is this thing?"

Fatty Wang also came down.

Stepping on that layer made a soft "plop" sound.

"Don't touch it."

Xie Yuchen's voice was cold.

"Most of these fluorescent fungi are poisonous."

"more than."

Huo Xiuxiu squatted down.

But she didn't touch it with her hand.

I just shone a flashlight on the surface of those things.

"Look, there are marks on it."

There are indeed traces.

Beneath that layer of fluorescent fungi, one could vaguely see some... scratch marks.

It wasn't left by the tools.

More like—

"paw."

Jiang Xun Gu said in a deep voice.

"Something with claws was here."

All the flashlight beams were focused on those marks.

The scratches are messy.

Intertwined.

It looks like something has been lingering and rubbing against this place repeatedly.

Moreover, the marks are very fresh.

It will take at most a day or two.

"That taste..."

Wu Xie suddenly spoke.

He frowned and shone his flashlight on a spot on the cave wall where the fluorescent light was particularly dense.

"It seems to be coming from over there."

He was pointing in the direction of the depths of the cave.

There is a naturally formed, narrow passage, about one meter wide.

There were no fluorescent fungi in the passage.

But that sweet, cloying smell of blood was constantly emanating from the depths of the passage.

Zhang Qiling strode over there.

Zhang Qiling followed half a step behind him.

The two walked towards the passage, one after the other.

Their footsteps were very light.

It landed on that sticky layer of fungus with almost no sound.

The passage is not long.

Approximately seven or eight meters.

When you reach the end, a bright and open view suddenly appears before you.

That was a much larger space.

It's about the size of a basketball court.

The cave ceiling is much higher now.

It is at least five or six meters long.

And in the center of the space...

It was a corpse.

A very strange corpse.

The corpse was sitting against the cave wall.

He was wearing tattered clothes that looked like they came from the Republican era.

The body was not decomposed.

It is even quite well preserved.

The skin had a waxy yellow color.

It looks like it's been specially treated by something.

But what's truly chilling is the posture of the corpse.

It held its arms across its chest.

He was holding something tightly in his arms.

It was a... stone jar.

The jar is about thirty centimeters tall.

It is grayish-white all over.

The surface is covered with dense patterns that resemble runes or insect patterns.

The mouth of the jar was sealed with some kind of dark red, dried mud.

Around the jar, there were seven or eight other jar fragments of the same size, but broken.

"This is……"

Wu Xie's voice was a little dry.

"A container for feeding poisonous insects."

Xie Yuchen's voice was cold.

"Like the ones painted on the murals before."

"The 'Gu worms' are fed with human blood and medicinal herbs, and once they mature, they are implanted into a living person..."

He didn't finish speaking.

But everyone understood.

Those broken jars mean that the "Gu worms" here have already been taken away.

The jar in the corpse's arms was the only one that was still intact.

Zhang Qiling walked up to the corpse.

Squat down.

He reached out and touched the jar very lightly.

A cool touch.

But the instant your fingertips touched the jar—

Special item detected: 'Feeding Jar' (unopened)

[Item Description: A vessel for the ancient art of "feeding Gu," containing a "living Gu" fed with human blood and medicinal herbs. Once opened, the Gu worm will seek out the nearest living host and complete its parasitism.]

[WARNING: This item is extremely dangerous. The host is advised to keep it away from it.]

A system notification sounded in my mind.

Zhang Qiling withdrew his hand.

My gaze fell on the clay seal at the mouth of the jar.

The sealant had dried and cracked.

But the crack is very new.

It looks like it was recently opened and then resealed.

And the color of the sealing clay...

He moved closer and took a closer look.

Dark red.

The liquid color was almost exactly the same as the liquid in the "bait" stone troughs I had seen outside before.

"Someone has been here."

He spoke.

The sound was exceptionally clear in the empty cave.

"recent."

"and."

He paused, then turned his gaze to the other side of the cave.

"It wasn't just one person."

The flashlight beam followed his gaze.

At the other end of the cave, near the rock wall, some things were scattered on the ground.

Several empty compressed biscuit packaging bags.

Two bottles of mineral water, half-empty.

There are also... a few used medical gauze pads.

The gauze was stained with dark red, dried blood.

"They're from the Wang family."

Panzi picked up a package and glanced at the production date on it.

It was born three days ago.

"They stayed here."

"Not just stay."

Black Bear squatted in front of the bloodstains.

I dipped my finger in it, brought it to my nose, and smelled it.

"Someone else was injured."

"Judging by the amount of blood... he's seriously injured."

Zhang Qiling stood up.

Heading deeper into the cave.

The cloying, bloody smell reached its peak here.

At the deepest part of the cave, there is a naturally formed depression in the rock wall.

There were some things piled up in the depression.

A few tattered pieces of clothing.

Several empty cans.

And... a corpse.

A very new body.

Wearing modern mountaineering attire.

He lay on his back on the ground.

There was a huge, bloody wound on his chest.

The edges of the wound are irregular.

It looks like it was torn open by something...

And the corpse's face...

When Wu Xie's flashlight beam fell on the corpse's face, he froze.

That was one of the members of the Wang family's team.

He had seen this person before on the Blackwater River beach.

At that time, the man was still alive, albeit in a sorry state, but at least he could still walk.

Now, he is dead.

He died in the deepest part of this cave.

His chest was ripped open.

His expression froze in extreme fear.

His eyes were wide open.

The pupils have dilated.

But the terror he felt before his death was still clearly etched on his face.

"How could he...?"

Fatty Wang's voice was a little dry.

"No human being could have done that."

Jiang Xun Gu squatted down beside the corpse, carefully examining the wounds.

"This wound..."

"It felt like it was torn open from the front by something with claws."

"And look—"

He pointed to the edge of the wound.

There, there was some very fine, dark green mucus.

It's exactly the same as the slime on those fluorescent fungi outside.

"That thing has been here."

Xie Yuchen's voice was cold.

"And, just recently."

All eyes turned to the other end of the cave.

There, there is a narrower passage.

The passageway was pitch black.

But the sweet, cloying smell of blood was continuously emanating from the depths of the passage.

It's even stronger than before.

It was so thick it was almost suffocating.

"Zhang Qiling" and "Zhang Qiling" exchanged a glance.

Then, the two of them took a step almost simultaneously and walked towards the passage.

Their steps remained steady.

But his hand was already on the hilt of the knife.

In the live stream, the scrolling speed of the comments slowed down.

"This place... is getting more and more eerie."

"The jar in the corpse's arms was enough to send chills down my spine."

"If the Wang family members died here, what about the others?"

"These two guys are going to go again... I really admire their courage."

I have a bad feeling.

The passageway is very narrow.

It's so narrow that only one person can pass sideways.

Zhang Qiling walked at the very front.

Zhang Qiling followed half a step behind him.

Both of them moved very quietly.

It made almost no sound.

But the further you go in, the stronger the sweet, pungent smell of blood becomes.

It was so heavy that even breathing was difficult.

We walked about ten meters through the passage.

Suddenly, a bend appeared ahead.

"Zhang Qiling" stopped at the bend.

He didn't turn around immediately.

Instead, he listened intently.

No sound.

But the smell was so strong that it almost solidified.

He slowly poked his head out and looked at the space after the turn.

Then, he froze.

Zhang Qiling also looked over.

Then, he paused.

Behind the two, Wu Xie and the others also gathered around.

Then--

Everyone was stunned.

That was a scene that defies description.

The space after the turn is much larger than the cave outside.

It is at least twice the size of a basketball court.

The cave ceiling is very high.

It is at least seven or eight meters long.

In the center of the cave is a huge, naturally formed stone platform.

The stone platform is about two meters high.

It is grayish-white all over.

The surface was covered with densely packed runes, exactly the same as those on the previous jar.

But what's truly chilling is what's on the stone platform.

That was a...

people.

Or rather, it was once a human being.

He sat cross-legged in the center of the stone platform.

He was wearing a tattered garment that looked like a Taoist robe.

The clothes were dark red.

But it's not a dyed color.

Rather, it is... a dark red color formed after being soaked in blood and drying.

His skin had a waxy yellow hue.

Just like the corpse outside.

But it did not rot.

It was even better preserved than the corpse.

So complete that... you could clearly see the expression on his face.

That was an extreme kind of pain.

His eyebrows were tightly furrowed together.

His eyes were half-open.

The pupils have dilated.

But the struggle and despair before death were still clearly etched on his face.

His mouth was slightly open.

It was like a silent roar.

And his chest—

There is a hole.

A fist-sized hole that went right through his chest.

The edges of the opening are very neat.

It looked like something had precisely dug it open from the front.

The cave was empty.

It has no heart.

It has no internal organs.

There was nothing there.

There was only darkness.

At the edge of the hole, there were some dark green, dried mucus residues.

It was exactly the same as the mucus on the wounds of the corpse outside.

"This is……"

Wu Xie's voice trembled.

"A 'container' for feeding poisonous insects."

Xie Yuchen's voice was cold.

It was so cold that it was almost cold.

"Feeding a living person with Gu worms, and then letting the Gu worms burst out of the body after they mature inside the body."

"This person... was used as a 'pot' to raise poisonous insects."

"What about the Gu worms?"

Fatty Wang swallowed hard.

All eyes turned to the surroundings of the stone platform.

There were seven or eight corpses scattered there.

They are all from the Wang family.

Their deaths were exactly the same as the one on the stone platform.

His chest was ripped open.

The heart is gone.

His face was frozen in extreme fear.

His eyes were wide open.

Pupil dilation.

And among these corpses, there was one...

thing.

That thing was about half a meter tall.

It is dark green all over.

The surface was covered with a sticky, fungal-like or sarcoma-like tissue.

It has no fixed shape.

It looks like a lump of meat that has been haphazardly kneaded together.

But the surface of the meat was covered with countless eyes.

Yes, eyes.

The human eye.

Every eye was open.

His pupils were pitch black.

The whites of his eyes were bloodshot.

Those eyes were constantly moving.

Looking in different directions.

Some were staring at the corpse on the stone platform.

Some were staring at the corpses on the ground.

Some... were staring at the group of people who had just entered the cave.

At the bottom of that lump of flesh, a dozen dark green things, resembling tentacles or roots, extended out.

Those things sank into the ground.

It plunged into the surrounding corpses.

It even pierced into the stone platform itself.

It is breathing.

It was very slight, but she was definitely breathing.

With each breath, the eyes on the surface of the meat would blink simultaneously.

Then, an even stronger, sweet and bloody smell will emanate from it.

"What...is this thing?"

Fatty Wang's voice even changed tone.

No one answered.

Because everyone saw it clearly.

In the center of that lump of flesh, there was something the size of a fist that was slowly pulsating.

That was a heart.

A human heart that is still beating.

It was encased inside the meat.

Each jump causes the entire piece of meat to tremble slightly.

And the tentacles extending from the bottom of the flesh would wriggle slightly.

It seemed to be drawing nourishment from the surrounding corpses and stone platforms.

"it……"

Wu Xie's voice trembled.

"It's eating them..."

"more than."

Xie Yuchen's voice was as cold as ice.

"It is using its bodies to nourish that heart."

"That heart... was alive."

The eyes on the surface of the meat chunks all turned towards the crowd at the same time.

Then, all the pupils contracted simultaneously.

Inside the cave, the sweet, cloying smell of blood suddenly became extremely strong.

Zhang Qiling's hand gripped the hilt of the knife behind his back.

Zhang Qiling's hand also rested on the short sword at his waist.

The two stepped forward almost simultaneously, blocking everyone's path.

And that piece of meat—

Moved.