I can see experience bars after being transported to another world.

early morning.

It was still dark.

Lu Yuan went downstairs and laid out the items in his toolbox one by one at the table on the first floor of the Alchemy Workshop.

Enchant the revolver with "Flame".

One box of copper-cased incendiary bombs.

A bronze sword, potions, and the necessary oil lamp.

He casually stuffed the slate into the inner pocket of his coat.

With the bronze pillar below, it's a good opportunity to see if the stone slab reacts.

My finger touched the sealed glass bottle on the corner of the table.

Crystallization of consciousness.

Inside the sampling bottle, the fragment broken off from the mycelial core sat quietly.

Lacking luster and pulsation, its surface, a mix of gray-green and dark gold, was as dull as an ordinary stone.

"bring."

We can't stay here.

Especially after learning that the Knowledge Worm could gnaw on this thing, Lu Yuan wished he could carry it with him all the time. It was just a pity that the Knowledge Worm seemed to have no desire to eat again for a short period of time after it last fed.

I'm worried about not having anyone watching over me when I'm not around.

The consciousness crystal was placed in a newly replaced bottle, tucked into the innermost layer of the toolbox, and wrapped twice with cloth.

The equipment is packed up.

Lu Yuan stood up and glanced at the first floor.

The worktable was pushed against the wall, covered with a thin layer of dust.

When Laurene left, she took the alchemy equipment box with her, and no one touched the rest of the items.

There were also several boxes of ammunition in the corner.

The cots were stacked.

The map is still nailed to the wall, and the red circles have faded.

Traces of Glock using this place as a temporary command post last time are still visible.

Lu Yuan didn't look at it for long.

Turn off the lights, lock the door, and set off.

5:20.

The storage room is next to the underground entrance of the branch.

The door was ajar.

When Lu Yuan pushed open the door, Klaus was already inside.

The lights were off.

The storage room was small, with a narrow table, two chairs, and a few old uniforms hanging on the wall.

There was a rusty smell in the air.

Klaus leaned against the wall, twirling the bone-colored ring in his hand.

"Come in. Close the door."

Lu Yuan closed the door.

"I've been thinking about Wolf all night."

Klaus spoke in a calm and unhurried tone, just as he did during meetings.

"Cultivators who follow the Furnace Fire Path are more sensitive to their own aura than ordinary extraordinary individuals. It's impossible for them to be completely unaware of such low-level contamination as mycelial invasion."

Lu Yuan did not respond.

"Do you think he knows?"

Lu Yuan thought for a moment.

After yesterday's meeting, he quickened his pace and walked alongside Wolf.

I asked, "How have you been feeling lately?"

"I tested him. He most likely knows."

Klaus's eyes narrowed slightly.

"The process of using a furnace requires purity."

He put the ring back on his finger.

"Either he plans to do something himself, or someone is planning something."

"No matter which one it is, I need someone to be there to keep an eye on things."

Klaus looked at Lu Yuan.

"Among the men Glock pulled, there was one named Rick. Third Squad."

Lu Yuan thought for a moment.

I remember this name.

Glock was one of the two men transferred from the Third Squad; his file listed him as a Second-Order Night Watchman.

It has little presence.

"Rek is not a second-tier hero."

Klaus's voice was flat.

"He is one of my men. Fourth rank. Mysterious and extraordinary."

Lu Yuan's expression remained unchanged.

Fourth-order bizarre and extraordinary.

He blended into the ranks, pretending to be a second-tier Night's Watchman.

"He'll be keeping an eye on Wolf. If Wolf's problem is his own, and he can control it... that's fine. But if Wolf has someone backing him..."

Klaus didn't finish speaking.

"You don't need to worry about Rake. You don't need to let anyone know who he is. In your team, he's just an ordinary Night's Watchman."

Lu Yuan nodded. There was no reason to refuse, and this was a rare bodyguard. Next time he encountered something like green vines, he wouldn't have to risk his life.

Klaus turned around and took something out of an iron box in the corner of the storage room.

A copper disc about the size of a palm.

The surface is covered with fine runes, and three dark red miniature crystals are inlaid along the edge.

The luster of the crystal is dull and does not reflect light.

"Sealing plate".

Klaus placed it on the table.

"I borrowed the things from headquarters this time using my personal connections. You did very well last time, and your mission report also shows that you are a very adventurous guy at heart."

"Here you go. You have time synchronization; with this, you'll be able to handle most dangers."

Klaus then explained how to use it.

Three uses allowed.

Each crystal corresponds to one use.

Press your thumb against the crystal to rouse your rationality.

Once activated, it suppresses all supernatural activities within a ten-meter radius centered on the disc.

Thirty seconds.

Indiscriminately, regardless of friend or foe.

The disc gets hot after each use and needs to cool down for about ten minutes.

"Three times. Once it's used up, it's just a piece of scrap copper."

Klaus's gaze fell on Lu Yuan.

"One is for Wolff, the remaining two are for emergencies."

"I suspect you might encounter some resistance in this operation. Lake is also one of my backup plans. I hope it ends as soon as possible."

Clauston paused.

"Remember not to waste it."

Lu Yuan nodded and picked up the disc.

The copper feels cool to the touch and is heavier than it looks.

[Detection Target: Sealed Disc (Mysterious Alchemical Product)]

[A counterfeit product made to mimic a specific item, which has a strong effect on controlling the way it's sold. Perhaps you could consider dismantling it and learning how to make it.]

Lu Yuan ignored the grayed-out notification.

Put it in the inner bag and keep it close to your body.

"There's one more thing."

Klaus tapped his fingers twice on the table.

"Glock doesn't know anything about Lake either."

Lu Yuan frowned.

"Only he and Klaus knew? How did Klaus manage to hide this powerful unit?"

But in the end, he nodded.

"clear."

5:50.

Entrance to the underground passage.

The light from the marching lights shone up from below, casting long, thin shadows on the stone steps.

Everyone has now arrived.

Bohr is already here.

Before setting off, Lu Yuan specifically asked Glock for him.

At that moment, Bor was leaning against the wall, waiting.

He nodded when he saw Lu Yuan approaching.

Glock stood beside the entrance, holding a checklist and ticking off items on it.

The three men from the Iron Guard Battalion stood together.

Wolf stood in the middle, wearing a dark red uniform and gloves, his face expressionless.

Lu Yuan had seen the two Iron Guard members next to Wolf during the last pipeline operation.

Heinrich and two armored knights stood on the other side.

The Holy Armor Army's equipment is more streamlined than what I saw last time.

He wasn't wearing a full suit of armor, only a breastplate and arm guards, with leather buckles replacing metal rivets at the joints.

Clearly, this was Heinrich's arrangement.

The nuns stood in the far corner.

A greyish-white robe with tightly fitted cuffs.

A small holy water jug ​​hung from his waist.

Beren walked over, leaning on his cane.

Two people from the third squad.

Lu Yuan had never seen anything like it before; it was just ordinary Night Watchman equipment, nothing special.

another.

Rick.

Standing in the corner. Dark gray uniform, medium build, short brown hair.

His expression was indifferent. He looked like the kind of person who wouldn't stand out in a group.

Lu Yuan walked past him.

At the edge of my field of vision, the grayish-white text jumped up.

[Target for detection: Leike (Mysterious and Extraordinary)]

Lu Yuan didn't stop. He walked straight over.

Rex lowered his head slightly, as if checking the ammunition belt.

Glock cleared his throat.

"Time's up, let's give a brief overview."

He unfolded a pipeline map that had been folded several times.

"The original plan was to return to Tongzhu along the Beifang route and continue downwards. However, Mr. Boren has conducted further analysis in the past two days, and we have adjusted the plan."

Glock pointed to the location of the North Spinning Copper Pillar on the map.

"Before we go down below the bronze pillar, let's clarify a few things."

He looked around.

"The pipeline network in the Beifang area has been basically cleaned up, the mycelium has been removed, and the channels have been restored. However, two problems have not yet been resolved."

Glock held up one finger.

"First, is the mycelium only appearing in Beifang? Is it also present in the pipe networks of other areas? If it's only in Beifang, it might be an isolated incident, but if it's also present in other areas..."

He didn't finish speaking, nor did he need to.

Then extend the second finger.

"Second, the bronze pillar."

Glock glanced at Buren.

Buren stepped forward and tapped his cane on the ground.

"The distribution of conduction pathways is not random."

Buren's voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear.

"The location and vein pattern of the bronze pillar at Beifang are highly consistent. My team and I have made preliminary calculations."

He walked to the map with his cane, pointed to the location of the bronze pillar in the north, and then drew a circle in each of the other three locations according to a certain symmetry.

"If the copper pillars are part of an array structure, there should be more in roughly these three locations, following the direction and symmetry of the conduction network."

He paused.

"If the other three nodes also have copper pillars, then it's not just one pillar sealing one thing. It's a complete sealing system."

There was silence for a few seconds.

Glock picked up the conversation.

"Today's task is to enter the pipeline network from the underground entrance of the branch, take the branch line in the northwest direction, and investigate the first estimated location."

His finger traced a route marked with a red arrow on the map.

"The first phase involves advancing along the main pipeline to the first estimated coordinate, which is expected to take one and a half to two hours. The second phase involves confirming the existence of the copper pillar, with Mr. Buren conducting on-site inscription analysis. The third phase involves checking for any traces of mycelium along the way, while simultaneously cleaning out any ghouls inside as much as possible."

He put the map away.

"I will stay with you and remain at the relay point, which is the end of the advance a few days ago. After that, communications and evacuation coordination will be my responsibility, and we will contact each other once an hour."

Glock glanced at Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan nodded.

"Set off."

Six o'clock sharp.

The group entered one by one.

The iron gates at the pipeline entrance have been opened and secured on both sides.

The stone steps extend downwards, with a marching lamp every ten steps, providing a steady beam of light.

Lu Yuan walked in the middle of the group.

Bol is on the right.

Wolf walked steadily in the front of the group.

Heinrich and two knights walked in front of Wolf, forming the forward line.

Buren and the nun were in the middle and back of the group.

The old man's cane tapped softly on the bronze surface.

Rex was at the very back and had a very low profile.

The first half follows the main pipeline.

It has a different direction from Beifang.

The passageway here is wider, the copper plates are well preserved, and the reflection of the marching lights on them is dazzling.

No mycelium.

It has no sour or rotten smell.

The copper conductive veins on the wall are in significantly better condition than those at Beifang.

Some areas even have a faint sheen.

The last time I traveled the Beifang route, the road was littered with signs of battle and remnants of mycelium.

It's all clean and tidy here.

"Much cleaner than last time," Bohr muttered.

Lu Yuan hummed in agreement.

But he noticed something else.

Quiet.

It's too quiet.

There were no sounds of water seepage or rats running around, which are common in pipe networks.

It took about forty minutes to walk.

The relay point has been reached.

A small platform at the intersection of the main pipeline.

The ground was covered with copper plates, and several fixed marching lights were embedded in the walls.

Several boxes of supplies were piled up in the corner.

Temporary stations set up in advance.

Glock stayed here.

"The environment has been purified. This communication crystal is sufficient for short-range communication. The crystal is entrusted to Rex for safekeeping, and he is responsible for communication and reporting once an hour."

Glock patted Lu Yuan on the shoulder as he spoke, and then said nothing more.

Continue from the relay point.

The team has been reduced from thirteen to twelve people.