It's time to become an evil god.

"As I said before, I'm just a passerby in the world of anime and manga."

The scene inside the sarcophagus was beyond expectations. The interior space was vast and desolate, filled with complex, dense, stacked, and intertwined pipes of unknown function. Some pipes were suspended in mid-air, branching off into countless smaller flexible pipes, with the other end submerged in the gaps of the concrete walls.

Some of the giant pipes have ruptured, and black sewage is constantly flowing out, pooling on the ground to form a small puddle.

"Could it be that there was something else going on behind the scenes at Chernobyl?"

Bai Ge stared. He couldn't believe the scene before him, not even if he were beaten to death. These pipe structures were all designed to prevent further leakage of nuclear radiation.

Where exactly is this oasis you're talking about?

"do not know."

The vigilant leader of the vanguard squad did not answer immediately, but pointed to the detector in his hand and said, "The oasis itself emits a special kind of radiation particle ray, and our monitor can detect the fluctuations of that special radiation particle."

"Shhh."

Brother Bai interrupted the other person directly, saying with a serious expression, "Something is approaching us."

"Ok?"

Everyone turned around and saw that strangely shaped rats were crawling out of a giant broken pipe above the stone coffin.

These giant rats are no different in shape and size from ordinary pet dogs, except that they have no hair at all, and their wrinkled, pale skin is covered with fine blood vessels. They live in darkness for a long time, and even their eyes have begun to degenerate. They rely entirely on their sense of smell and hearing to move around.

Their limbs have forked, hook-like tips that allow them to firmly grip pipes on walls, and they move silently.

All the group could see were countless giant gray rats crawling towards them like a tide, their speed gradually increasing.

"Oh no, it's the Chernobyl giant rat!"

The giant rats swarmed towards them, pushing and shoving, with any slower ones being swallowed up by the horde. The hungry techies, like prey walking into a trap, charged in frantically. The dilapidated pipes couldn't withstand the weight of the rats and burst open, unleashing an endless torrent of giant rats.

"What are you waiting for? Run!"

At the sound of the warning, the team members, who were stunned by the shock, turned around and ran away frantically. However, the slowest team members, who were closest to the giant rats, were directly swallowed up by the wave of giant rats. All that could be heard was a shrill scream from behind.

No one dared to turn around. The captain, cursing, took a detonator bomb from his canvas satchel, lit the fuse with a lighter, and threw it directly behind him.

Boom!

With a loud bang, the swarm of giant rats was blasted open, and blood mixed with chunks of flesh rained down from the sky, hitting everyone's heads like hail.

"Success."

However, before the leader of the stealth squad could even rejoice, the gap was quickly closed by a swarm of giant rats.

Although Bai Ge could easily wipe out all the giant rats, he was more interested in the secrets of the stone coffin. He wanted to see what secrets this self-contained ecosystem held.

Bai Ge noticed a crack in the wall ahead, big enough for a person to pass through. He quickened his pace and rushed over, pulling the rogue captain beside him inside.

The other team members rushed in after seeing this, but the giant rats ignored the people who had crawled into the crack and continued to surge forward in a mighty procession.

The people hiding in the crevice were panting heavily, and as they listened to the increasingly distant, rustling footsteps, they quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

"But why is there such a crack in the wall here?"

The captain shone the flashlight hanging on his shoulder and looked over, but the scene on the other side of the crack made him gasp in horror.

Chapter 596 A Lie of Despair

On the other side of the crack was a small, secret chamber. The lighting equipment inside was still working after all these years, which even Bai Ge found incredible. Could it be that someone had been living inside the sarcophagus of the abandoned Chernobyl nuclear power plant since the apocalypse? Then Bai Ge dismissed the thought. He figured that the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident was not as simple as it seemed on the surface. Perhaps it was not a nuclear power plant explosion, but something else that was deliberately staged to look like a nuclear power plant accident.

The team members dared not linger inside the giant rat-infested sarcophagus and all entered the sealed small chamber. The contents inside made the leader of the stealth team feel as if he had found a treasure. What was even more strange was that the Geiger counter did not make a warning ticking sound, indicating that there was no radiation in the chamber.

"Quick, search through the documents inside; maybe we can find the secrets about the oasis."

The others immediately sprang into action. The secret room wasn't large; besides a table piled high with various documents, there was only a peculiar, unidentified device, resembling some kind of electromagnetic coil. Bai Ge glanced at it casually. The densely packed experimental data logs on the table were all about a top-secret project called "Ark" within the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, until he noticed something resembling a DVD player placed in the corner, with what appeared to be a fixed tripod inside.

Bai Ge opened the DVD, which contained several videos. In stark contrast to the desolate and decaying Chernobyl nuclear power plant of the present day, the videos showed soldiers in hazmat suits, wielding metal detectors resembling rings, and scientists with kill sticks, searching through piles of discarded metal inside the sarcophagus. The videos were only a few dozen seconds long, yet they revealed a wealth of information.

The second section delves deeper into Chernobyl, approaching the meltdown core. Strangely, the Geiger counters didn't make any clicking sounds, and a large patch of what appeared to be blood-red moss covered the surrounding rusty walls. A group of scientists are carefully collecting this fleshy, moss-like material and placing it in test tubes for later research.

Suddenly, the research team at the front stopped abruptly, shouting loudly. As the camera panned to them, the scene before them caused the entire stealth team watching on screen to widen their eyes involuntarily: at the end of the corridor lay a vibrant oasis!

In the underground space where the furnace core melted through, a vast and vibrant forest world appeared. The expedition team approached this incredible forest, and at the end of the video, a towering tree that kept stretching upwards could be vaguely seen.

The video abruptly ended before the scientists entered the forest. By the time the third video started playing, the scientists had already established a research base within the oasis.

“That’s right. These mutations can indeed clean up the devastating effects of nuclear radiation and rebuild a new ecological cycle system. We don’t yet know exactly how the oasis works, and we need to explore it further.”

The final video clip was filmed in this cramped, enclosed room. The DVD owner looked haggard, his full beard appearing unkempt. He sat in a chair, his hands clasped on his lap, and after a long period of contemplation, he finally spoke, “This was a mistake, a grave mistake. We thought we had found the key to humanity’s survival, but in reality, we opened Pandora’s box. My God, I swear I never want to relive those scenes again.”

“Those monstrous things not only devour nuclear radiation, but they also consume all organic matter. What emerged from that Tree of Life was just a swarm of unrestrained, endlessly devouring insects. No, to say they merely have an insect-like appearance is an understatement; we believe they are some kind of alien space insectoid race.”

Bai Ge noticed several photos behind him. The furnace core was covered with densely packed white insect eggs, constantly absorbing the radiation from within. Then, a crack appeared in the thick cocoon, and a huge, bizarre insect emerged from the pupa, spreading its enormous elytra. Although its head resembled that of a rhinoceros beetle, its back had a structure similar to a biological turret, from which it spewed out deadly, corrosive parasites.

Similar to a sturdy drill bit structure replacing its arms, the beetle, a type of coleopteran, relentlessly drilled holes in the underground rock walls, attempting to widen its burrows and create a breeding ground for its eggs. Soldiers tried to fight back with bullets and flamethrowers, but the sturdy shell was enough to withstand bullets of any caliber; even a 30mm machine gun only created a dent in the monster's body, failing to penetrate its armor.

Human military expeditions suffered repeated defeats, and the European government's plan to use underground nuclear bombs to destroy the entire Pripyat was met with collective opposition from researchers. For these insectoids from outer space, nuclear radiation was the richest source of nutrients and heat, and using nuclear weapons would only have the opposite effect. Even conventional weapons could not be used, as any explosion that generated heat would be a catalyst for the insectoids to reproduce.

Ultimately, the government had no choice but to seal off the entire Chernobyl and use chemical refrigerants to freeze the underground oasis at the furnace core. Although not all the Zerg were killed, the hatching time was greatly extended. For some time after the apocalypse, the troops stationed in Chernobyl continued to inactivate the Zerg eggs with cryogenics until the very last moment.

With the death of the last researcher, they are now powerless to stop the swarm's advance. Even more terrifying is that the nuclear radiation spreading across the ground and the explosions caused by the arrival of the Outer Gods have almost awakened the sleeping Zerg and put them into a period of rapid reproduction.

The final image shows the researcher wearing protective gear, holding a small bomb, and entering the depths of the insect hive from behind.

After seeing everything, the remaining members of the stealth squad refused to accept the fact, as if their souls had been drained, staring motionless at the screen.

"How could this be?"

The captain looked incredulous. Their long and arduous search for Noah's Ark to save humanity had turned out to be nothing more than a lie that would end humanity's fate?

He ripped off his gas mask and gasped for breath in the damp, murky air inside the abandoned nuclear power plant. The other team members watched their captain's crazy act.

However, the leader of the stealth squad made a firm decision, turned to face the others, and said, word by word, "I'm going to the underground furnace core."

Chapter 597 The Mysterious Oasis

Don't think the author is omnipotent; in reality, we only know the plot of the book one day earlier than the readers.

At this point, the leader of the so-called "saving humanity" infiltrator team no longer cared. He only wanted to know what lay deep within the melted core. The leader gently stroked the dusty table and said softly, "My child and I were very lucky to escape the apocalypse and spent the first few difficult years in the underground fortress, but no one expected that he would die of typhoid fever. I didn't want other surviving children to suffer the same fate as my child. That's why I resolutely joined the search for the oasis."

The captain slumped to the ground, utterly dejected. He never imagined that the sacrifice of so many friends and colleagues would only result in the destruction of humanity. All the hope and faith deep within him crumbled and shattered. Meanwhile, the team members, who had come full of hope, looked at each other in dismay. They had abandoned their families and even risked their lives to find hope for humanity's survival.

After their hopes were dashed, the team quickly split into two factions. One group planned to return to the underground fortress and quietly await humanity's demise, while the captain was determined to enter the dangerous underground world to uncover the truth. The others immediately recognized it as a suicide mission. But the captain, with no ties to the team, was completely unconcerned.

At this point, the team disbanded and went their separate ways.

The other team members took the data from the secret room and returned to report; they didn't want to go to their deaths with their mad captain. Bai Ge, curious about the underground world, agreed to the captain's request, and the two of them argued as they headed towards the core furnace area of ​​the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

The deeper they went into the core, the lower the radiation levels became. It seemed the subterranean insectoids had already devoured the nuclear radiation as food. The captain, flashlight in hand, whispered, "Young man, you can call me Tokarev. I'm from St. Petersburg. Before the apocalypse destroyed it, it was a beautiful city. Unfortunately, after those monsters appeared, human society and civilization vanished, and we returned to a primitive existence."

At this point, Captain Tokarev, who was walking on rusty iron plates, stopped, turned around, and hesitated as he looked at the man in front of him. He said, "What exactly are you? I've never seen a living person with tentacles growing inside their body before."

"What I am is not important, Captain Tokarev. What matters is whether everything you've done has been worthwhile."

Bai Ge pointed to the explosives in his arms and asked, "Since nuclear radiation and thermal explosions are just food for the Zerg, then the bomb in your arms is just a snack for them."

Tokarev gripped the bomb tightly in his arms, fearing it would be stolen. He said warily, "I still have my mission to complete."

I don't care what you do.

Bai Ge pointed to the darkness ahead and whispered, "The question is, can you reach the core alive?"

Tokarev fell silent. The two walked down the dark corridor, where huge pipes corroded by rust were everywhere. Some of the metal floorboards were so rusty and fragile that they would break at the slightest pressure, falling into the water below along with the handrails.

With a loud splash, a huge spray of water erupted from the deep pit beneath their feet. Immediately, an undercurrent stirred beneath the surface, as if some enormous dark shadow had swum across, creating ripples. Having passed through the deep water, they finally arrived at the crater created when the high-temperature furnace core melted the ground. Tokarev stood before the molten, re-cooled rock and looked down into the crater.

Below the deep pit, all was pitch black.

Undeterred, he lit a flare, its dark red glow as conspicuous as a spark from a cigarette holder in the darkness. He threw the flare down, and the red light swirled along the rock face. Bai Ge discovered that these people had actually built a spiraling downward passage on the rock face, using steel nails embedded in the rock to form steps. Although it had endured decades, it was still barely passable.

Tokarev threw down his backpack, took off his heavy protective suit, and, holding onto the handrail, walked towards the rickety escalator with a flashlight. Bai Ge followed, curious about what the underground oasis hatched by the Zerg would look like.

Tokarev carefully stepped onto the rusty stairs, gripping the inner railing as he walked. Each step was fraught with anxiety, the soft scraping of metal echoing in his ears.

After walking for half an hour, Tokarev's back was already soaked with sweat. He wiped his wet forehead and turned around to see Bai Ge following behind as if nothing had happened.

"This guy..."

Tokarev, disregarding his own safety, continued forward. But then, his miner's lamp flickered a few times, its light dimming. The faint light pierced through the nearby fog, and he could vaguely make out a person standing ahead, slowly descending.

"Hey!"

Seeing a figure suddenly appear in the pitch black, Tokarev shouted excitedly and quickened his pace to call out to the person. The figure in the depths of the mist seemed to hear his call, and instantly stopped, standing motionless.

Overjoyed, Tokarev rushed forward. As the faint light of his miner's lamp illuminated him, a highly decomposed head appeared before him. From its dark eye sockets emerged comb-like, segmented tentacles that swayed incessantly. A curved, siphon-like proboscis extended from its mouth, and two pairs of wings, composed of various colored scales forming patterns, suddenly unfolded from its back.

It looks like a moth that has parasitized inside a corpse.

Among the tattered pieces of clothing on the corpse, some Russian text could still be discerned, and Tokarev realized that this guy was also a member of the previous infiltrator team!

"Help……"

"Help……"

The throat, which was no longer recognizable as human, was constantly throbbing, as if something was mimicking the sounds of a living person.

Suddenly, its belly foot grabbed its prey, the fine thorns pricking Tokarev painfully. Then he felt his legs dangling in the air, the human-moth carrying him directly down into the abyss below where the furnace core had melted.

The miner's lamp was knocked off and tumbled into the abyss, plunging everything into darkness.

"help me!"

The feeling of weightlessness from the rapid descent spread throughout Tokarev's body. He tried to shout for help, but Bai Ge, who had been walking behind him, had vanished without a trace. He couldn't even draw the dagger strapped to his thigh to fight back.

Just as Tokarev was in despair, he saw twinkling lights, like fireflies, illuminating the dark depths of the cave.

Looking at the vibrant scene before him, Tokarev murmured to himself, "This is... an oasis?"

Chapter 598 The Tyranids

This is a huge cave shaped like an inverted funnel, with various insect eggs clinging to the rock walls. Despite the lack of photosynthesis, a vibrant forest exists within it. Although it appears thriving, it evokes a very strange feeling. These plants are completely different from those on the ground; their broad leaves are covered with all sorts of fine, backward-pointing thorns, some even possessing insect traps, and their brightly colored flowers attract the curiosity of their victims.

The moth that had been parasitizing the man released its legs and tossed Tokarev onto the lawn. Its proboscis lunged at Tokarev's mouth, seemingly trying to pry it open and siphon out all the blood.

“Sukabul”.

Although Tokarev's body was riddled with countless bloody holes from the fine thorns, he still managed to pull a dagger from his arm, which was bound to his leg. Before the moth could react, it pierced the rotting human head.

The human-parasitic moth flapped its wings rapidly, darting and fluttering erratically in agony, its scales scattering everywhere. Tokarev struggled to his feet and stumbled away in the opposite direction, now only able to run around like a headless fly, trying to escape these predators that were even more terrifying than humans.