Chapter 19 (2/2)
However, the digestive juice of the Gold Swallowing Bug could melt gold fossils, so why would it not have the same kind of patience?
Very quickly, the giant bug's body stabilized.
But he seemed hungry, so he aimed his huge mouth at the other insects.
The sound of eating came unceasingly. Just like that, the giant bug devoured the remaining two of its companions.
After devouring the three bugbeasts in one go, the body of the Golden-Swallowing Worm became incomparably enormous.
It cried out in pain. Its six red eyes flickered nonstop, and layers of flesh formed on the surface of the insect's body.
It felt like it was digesting, yet it also seemed like it was excreting something at the same time.
The giant insect continued to twist its body, and its head began to sink downwards. Its body curled up, forming a huge cocoon the size of a small mountain.
When the cocoon finished and stabilized, it began to vibrate like a human heart.
Zero quietly withdrew. The reconnaissance mission was over.
This strange phenomenon of the Gold-Eating Worm should belong to the evolution process.
By devouring other partners and perfecting one's own genes, it evolves into a higher form of life.
In this era, in order to survive, he had to use every possible means to become stronger.
It was the same with humans and with other creatures.
As for whether the new form of the Gold-Eating Worm would threaten the base, a professional evaluation was needed.
That's not a zero job. We don't care how the base deals with the Gold-Swallowing Worms.
When he returned to the mine, it was already two hours later.
Zero jumped out of the cave and heard the hubbub of voices outside.
He frowned. It was working time, so it didn't seem like it should be so noisy. Things weren't simple at all.
Zero walked into the mine. Nick, the miner he had been in contact with, was arguing with someone.
When it came to zero, Nick ran over.
As he ran, he used his finger to draw the shape of a cross on his chest and forehead.
”Thank God you're back, sir.”
Zero nodded and asked succinctly, ”What's the matter?”
”Lost touch, sir.”
Nick took a breath and pointed in the direction of the base. ”Just half an hour ago, we were taking the first copper mines back to the base.”
But the gates of the base were locked, and we communicated through the radio to the interior of the base, but there was no movement at all.
Everyone was so anxious that they didn't know what was going on inside. ”
”You didn't contact Old Jack?”
”How can I?”
When there was no sound from the radio, we contacted our boss directly over the intercom, but no one answered. ”
Nick hesitated. ”This is incredible. It's almost as if the base's people suddenly disappeared.”
After Zero heard this, he remained silent.
He left Nick in the crowd, climbed into the mineshaft, and headed for the entrance to the operating area.
But no one knew that his hand was resting lightly on the wood of the revolver.
The entrance to the working area was closed, and the arrival of zero sent all the surrounding workers towards him.
Zero jumped out of the car and asked, ”Who's in charge?”
”Me.”
A middle-aged man came out of the crowd and raised his hand, ”Sir, I am the person in charge of mining operations. You can call me Jetto.”
”How's the situation at the gate?”
Zero asked as he headed for the door.
”The electronic system has failed completely, and there is no reaction from inside the base. The electricians are already working on it, but the possibility of recovery is very low.”
Beside the steel door, a thin man was squatting on the floor, checking the electrical circuits of the door.
Zero came up to him and asked, ”Can you open it?”
”No, nothing.”
The thin man replied without turning his head around. He then jumped up and respectfully said, ”Sir, I've done my best.”
Zero asked, ”Can't it be activated manually?”
”Manual system?”
”Dammit, how did I forget about the manual system?” The electrician slapped his own head.
He immediately called for a few miners and ran to the other side of the gate.
Not long after, with a ”ka” sound, the gate between the operation area and the base slowly opened.
The people near the gate all breathed a sigh of relief. However, the skin beneath their clothes gave off a needle-like feeling.
Dangerous!
From the door came the smell of danger.
The door opened a crack and a red, viscous liquid trickled out of it.
They ran across the brown floor, past the shoes of Zero and the others, then stopped ten meters outside the door.
The miners didn't say a word, but an arm slid out of the door in a stream of red liquid.
This was only an arm. It was broken from the root of the shoulder, and a ghastly white arm bone pierced out from within the blurry flesh.
”What's going on?”
The mine manager was dumbfounded as he hit zero.
Zero took a deep breath and said quietly, ”You guys stay here. After I enter, close the door!”
With that, he stepped into the pool of blood. With another step, he had already stepped into the main gate of the base.
After a moment, the door slowly closed.