It seemed that this long tunnel had ended just like that.
She tried to activate the "Lamp's Insight" to explore the situation behind the stone wall, but found that her perception was blocked by some mysterious resistance force. As long as she crossed the stone wall, she would immediately fall into oblivion.
"……interesting."
This situation itself...can explain a big problem!
Out of caution, she did not resort to violence to break it in immediately, but instead moved forward to observe carefully with her naked eyes.
Soon, she noticed something was wrong.
Controlling the lighting ball closer to the wall, Ottilia saw a layer of gray substance attached to the stone wall. The texture was a bit like mud that had been repeatedly dried and soaked.
And under this layer of material...it seems like there is something hidden?
"Please, Holy White Gate, grant us the power of indomitable will..."
Without hesitation, Ottilia waved her hand lightly, and the orange light was like a thin shovel, quickly scraping across the stone wall at the end of the corridor, making a teeth-grinding cracking and friction sound.
"Chuck... cluck..."
The material adhering to the stone wall was scraped off at once, and then a pattern carved in the middle of the wall... was revealed.
A very simple symbol: a neat rectangle in the middle, with thin, straight lines radiating outwards around it.
The moment this pattern came into view, Ottilia's pupils suddenly shrank, and the cold and calm expression on her face... also froze.
This is the symbol of the "Pure White Gate".
Chapter 476 Interlude and Tree
"My Lord, are you trying to say... that it was that gray thing that teleported us to different places on this land?"
Qi Ji held a circular compass made up of complex runes in one hand, and pretended to walk between the thick and twisted gray-white trees, moving in a fixed direction. He heard Hill's question from behind.
"When I came to this world, I also passed through the gray mist in that blood-colored ball of light. So theoretically... it is possible that after it swallowed us, it randomly 'dropped' us to various locations in this world."
She hummed and explained casually:
"You and I just happened to be 'dropped' to the same place. In a sense, we are lucky... As for Otilia and Julian, their situations should be similar to ours, except that they may not be in the same place."
In fact, only half of what she said was true: the gray mist that emerged from the blood moon was indeed the fundamental reason why the four people were thrown into various places in the "Gray Field".
But the part she didn't tell the truth was...the locations where the four people appeared were not truly random.
With Qi Ji's strength, it is entirely possible to intervene in the "delivery" process to a great extent and allow specific people to appear in relatively certain locations.
The fact that she and Hill appeared only a few dozen kilometers away from the sealed space of the "Out of Control Angel" was exactly the result of her special setting.
She sent Julian back to the ruins of the Saint Hydra city on the ground. After all, the Last Kingdom's pioneering and expeditionary activities in the ruined city needed a leader to command and maintain stability, and Julian, who knew the most intelligence, was the best choice.
If this great elder suddenly disappeared, it would cause a serious chaos, so to be on the safe side Qi Ji did not let him leave the Last Kingdom.
As for Ottilia... Qi Ji didn't specifically set up a "drop" location, he just made sure that she wouldn't suddenly appear in an extremely dangerous place.
In other words, where is this senior steward who is almost the strongest person in the Last Kingdom now... Qi Ji is not quite sure.
This can be considered as a "variable" that she deliberately left in order to increase the fun of this "adventure".
After all, if everything is completely under one's control, the development of things will not exceed the initial expectations...
That would be too boring. It would be better to imagine it in your mind. Why go all the way to this land isolated from the ordered world?
"That 'First Creator' probably wants to prevent the natives of this world from running into the Order World by randomly teleporting us, right?"
When mentioning the gray mist gushing out from the blood moon, Qi Ji couldn't help but think of the mysterious evil god.
Although there was no sufficient, direct and conclusive evidence, she felt that the culprit who caused the blood moon of the "third layer" to rupture and the gray fog inside to overflow was the "First Creator"!
If she guessed correctly, after Julian, who was sent back to the ground, woke up, he would immediately arrange for personnel to explore the abyss again and return to the "third layer" to try to study and develop the blood moon.
But when he really goes down, he will find that the entire "third layer" is filled with gray mist. Anyone or object that enters the gray mist will be randomly teleported away and will not be able to touch the blood moon which is a channel to the outside world.
Why did the First Creator do this? Would it be good for Him to stop the natives from leaving this world? Or would He suffer some kind of harm if He allowed the natives to be freed?
Qi Ji didn't know, but she was at least certain that the will of the "First Creator"... was completely contradictory to the wishes of the residents of the Last Kingdom.
As the only one in this world who has the ability to break this deadlock...which side should I stand on?
She's not quite sure yet.
So, she decided to take Hill to the so-called "resting place" first to find out why the Redemption Church kept sending the "Pure White Popes" of all generations, who were the ceiling of the church's combat power, to die.
What is the connection between the sealed space and the out-of-control angel?
Before taking sides, at least investigate the situation clearly.
She turned her head slightly and said to Hill who was following behind her:
"Try to pray to our Lord and see if you can contact Him. If you can, then our next trip will be much easier... Oh, and try using your new honorific name, the 'Original Master'."
"Okay! Sir, please wait a moment..."
Hill, who was dragging his tired body and reluctantly following behind, immediately did as he was told. Qi Ji also stopped and waited for her to finish praying.
"Brighter than diamonds, more infinite than the starry sky..."
Of course Hill remembered the full names of "Moonlight Goddess" and "Original Master", and completed the prayer process with a pious attitude. The next second, the words she recited appeared in Qi Ji's mind.
"...Sure enough, I am now in the 'Distorted Earth'. That strange blocking force is ineffective. People can directly send me requests through the honorable name of the 'Original Master'."
Qi Ji nodded slightly as if he understood something, and at the same time connected with Hill in his mind.
"Great 'True Creator', your loyal followers beg for your protection..."
"Ah? A free gift?"
"Thank you for your generosity! I will definitely do my best to assist your follower, Master 105..."
"..."
Hill stood there talking to himself for a while, and then the "Gate of Sacrifice and Gift" that seemed to be carved from onyx opened in the void, and a glass bottle fell from it.
She raised her hand to take it, and without hesitation, she unscrewed the lid and drank it all in one gulp. Her face, which had originally looked a little tired and listless, instantly became rosy.
"Is this the recovery potion given to you by our Lord? It can not only restore your spiritual and physical state, but it can also automatically replenish your physical strength for at least the next 24 hours. During this time, you basically don't need to eat or drink."
Qi Ji said in a very mysterious tone.
She felt that her face was getting thicker and thicker. At the beginning, her scalp would go numb when she heard a few flatteries, but now she can speak freely and brag about herself without any change in expression. This is indeed a gratifying improvement.
"As expected of you, 'True Creator'. What a miraculous power... eh."
Hill felt his exhausted body quickly recover and admired it from the bottom of his heart. Suddenly he thought of something and looked at Qi Ji with concern:
"Master 105, don't you need to add something?"
She noticed that since 105 appeared until now, she seemed to have never eaten or drunk anything, and she couldn't help but worry about her physical and mental state.
"Uh... don't worry, I have the grace of my Lord by my side, so I am not afraid of hunger or cold."
Qi Ji was slightly startled, then he boasted about himself calmly.
"All right……"
The episode ended here. The two of them, one in front and one behind, led by Qi Ji, moved forward step by step towards the goal.
Nothing unexpected happened in the first ten minutes. The surroundings were quiet. Apart from the deformed trees and weeds, there was no sign of any other living creatures.
But Hill did not relax at all. He tensed his nerves and sensed the movements around him to prevent a few evil spirits from suddenly rushing out from a corner.
This is a gray wilderness where there is no guarantee or mercy. Death, tragedy, pain, disappearance, oblivion and nothingness are the eternal themes!
“Look at this tree.”
After walking for a few minutes on the rugged ground covered with weeds and tree roots, Qi Ji suddenly stopped and pointed at a big tree not far away.
"Ok?"
Hill looked over and saw that it was a tree that was slightly taller and thicker than its surrounding companions, but apart from that, it also had some other characteristics.
The twisted tree trunks and withered branches were not just gray and white in color, but were covered with mottled... reddish-brown marks like rust, as if splashed with ink.
"this!"
Hilton was shocked.
Chapter 477: Reverse Rebirth Tower
Chapter 2 will be updated later.
====================
"See the problem?"
Qi Ji glanced back at Hill and said:
"The direct culprit that caused this land to fall into such a tragic state is the curse you call the 'Rust Plague'.
"The properties of this thing are similar to some invisible toxins, which can invade the body and spirit of life, causing it to mutate, deform, and go crazy. The most serious consequence is that it becomes a bloodthirsty and violent killing machine, the so-called 'filthy ghost'.
"According to your research results, 'Rust Plague' can infect any creature except humans, but the most susceptible are large animals and some insects.
“Although plants can also be infected, they will at most become like these trees and weeds, poisonous, diseased and inedible, and will not mutate into murderous monsters.
"But look, this tree...get it?"
Although she finally asked the riddle, Hill completely understood what she meant.
Those rust-like reddish-brown marks are a sign of imminent transformation into a "devil"!
If these traces spread completely to the entire body of the tree, a plant-shaped demon will be born!
As for the plant-shaped demons, they have never been seen before in the research archives and data of the Last Kingdom.
Because, under normal circumstances, the concentration of "rust plague" in the space is far from reaching the level that can cause plants to mutate into evil spirits!
——Although using the word "normal" to describe the situation on this land is somewhat abnormal in itself...
"This means that the concentration of the 'Rust Plague' curse in this place... is far greater than any area we have known before?"
Hill looked at the tree that stood out from the crowd with a serious expression, and said in a serious voice:
"Maybe it has something to do with 'resting place'?"
Qi Ji did not comment, but narrowed his eyes slightly and asked meaningfully:
"Do you feel anything strange in your body now?"
Hill was a little worried after hearing this. He immediately activated his own perception and carefully scanned his body several times. After confirming that there were no signs of mutation, distortion, or contamination, he breathed a sigh of relief and replied:
"No, Master 105, I am in good condition."
"Have you ever wondered why humans can't be infected with the Rust Plague?"
The other party's answer was just as Qi Ji expected. She put her hands behind her back and walked slowly to the tree, her figure covered by the huge and deformed tree canopy:
"Is there any essential difference between humans and other species? In terms of spirituality, vitality, physical strength, and physiological quality, many non-human creatures have obvious advantages.
“Even when it comes to the wisdom and intelligence that humans are so proud of, some of the more advanced alien species and monsters are not necessarily inferior to humans.
"But why, in this land... only humans, only you, are immune to the scourge of the rust plague curse? This doesn't make sense.
"What is the difference that causes humans to be immune to rust, while other species are not?"
"Hmm..." This question stumped Hill.
The curse of the "rust plague" cannot infect the human body and mind. This is the conclusion reached by generations of scholars and practitioners of the Last Kingdom of Redemption after countless practices and huge sacrifices over the past two hundred years.
As for the principles and mechanisms, she really didn't know. At least with her previous status and position in the Last Kingdom, she didn't have the authority to access detailed research reports and data records.
But after such a long time, there seems to be no counterexample: tens of thousands of people of the Last Kingdom died an unnatural death, but not one of them died from being infected with the "rust plague" and mutated into evil spirits.
From an empirical perspective, this conclusion is beyond doubt.
Seeing that Hill couldn't answer his question, Qi Ji's expression didn't change. He waved at her lightly and said in a relaxed tone:
"Let's keep going. The journey of 40 to 50 kilometers will take about half a day if nothing goes wrong. We should try to reach our destination before dark."
In fact, with her ability, it would only take a moment for her to reach the sealed space of the out-of-control angel.
But I thought that I wouldn't waste a lot of time on this, so I decided to take Hill with me to shoot a road movie. Isn't the boring and repetitive long journey part of the fun of "adventure"?
……
