Chapter 552: A Faint Clue (1/2)

Chapter 552: A Faint Clue

Translator: EndlessFantasy TranslationEditor: EndlessFantasy Translation

It was a pink coloured colloid object, thick as a brick. Numerous thin blue hair-like protrusions grew from its surface. These blue hair were swaying gently like seaweed underwater.

Ye Chong recalled seeing something like that in the base on Spectre. He did not have time to investigate what it was then, but now was his chance to learn more about it.

The thin hairs on the pink colloid object was some kind of fungus that Ye Chong had never seen before. Having inherited Lunatic Guan's knowledge in alchemy, there were not many fungi species that Ye Chong had never seen before. This blue colored fungus must be extremely rare. Ye Chong knew that Lunatic Guan's chips recorded many species that he had once thought to be rare. The fact this blue fungus was not in the chip told him how scarcely seen it must be.

The universe was vast. It was only inevitable that Lunatic Guan had not seen all the fungi species that ever existed. Ye Chong did not think it odd. The specimen he saw the first time was hidden in a corner, along with many other junk and things, covered in dust. The researchers at the Research Consortium must have not thought much about it. If it was not for the weird shape of the fungus, Ye Chong would have forgotten that he had it in Celest's keystone.

At the moment, he had found another identical specimen in Su City - a pink colored colloid object, on which the fungus grew. If it just the colloid of the fungus alone he was seeing, he would not have been so surprised to see it. This specimen, however, was nearly identical in both parts of the whole. Besides, given how scarce the fungus is, it was most likely that it could only survive under very specific environmental conditions.

How was this new specimen related to the one he found earlier?

Ye Chong studied the bearded man. His hands were covered with thick calluses, the mark of a long history in using guns. Besides, his gaze was steady and confident. Ye Chong put him down as a shooter of at least Level 6.

Ye Chong squeezed his way to the bearded man's stall and picked up the pink colloid. He inspected it closely to make sure that it looked the same as the one he had. It most likely originated from the same place as the specimen he had.

”What is this?” Ye Chong asked.

The bearded man looked up at Ye Chong, and could not glean anything from his form, now covered entirely in a gray cloak. The man shook his head. ”I don't know either.”

”You don't know?” Ye Chong looked at him, surprised. ”Where did you get it from?”

”My father brought it back from Darkniss during one of his trips. He was heavily injured then, and passed away not long after,” the bearded man replied quietly.

”Darkniss?” Ye Chong was shocked. He did not expect that. If this fungus came from Darkniss, then where did the specimen he found in the Research Consortium's base come from? Both specimen were obviously the same thing, and came from the same place. Ye Chong was not sure if the fungus was artificially grown or naturally occurring, but if it was really from Darkniss, the odds were that it was a natural form of life in there.

Ye Chong remembered something else. He had arrived in this strange world from the Consortium's base. Could the base be related to this world in some inexplicable way?

The bearded studied the man under the gray cloak, who was now holding the pink colured colloid in his hand and deep in thought. The bearded man felt invigorated. The thing was something he got from his father when he was young. His father died soon after the trip to Darkniss, and never told him more about the mysterious colloid. Later on, he tried to investigate more about it, but no one had seen it before. After so many years, that strange thing still looked exactly the same as it was the first time he set eyes on it. He no longer felt so intrigued by it anymore.

He was now a Level 7 shooter. He had hoped to get a nifty weapon from this weapons trading market. Ever since he reached Level 7, he had visited Darkniss a few times, but mostly in the outer regions. The Desert and the Mist were not suitable for air travel, so a handy weapon was very important.

In all his years travelling to and from Darkniss, he had amassed some things of value. He brought them all to this weapons trading market in the hopes of exchanging them for a decent laser gun. This man, now, was interested in something he had. However, from the looks of it, he did not know what the pink object was either.

The bearded man's disappointment showed.

”Are you selling this?” Ye Chong asked.

”Only for bartering. I want a laser gun, at least 4 million Lux.”

Ye Chong exchanged one of his own handmade laser guns for the colloid object. The bearded man seemed satisfied by the trade. He knew exactly how much the gun was worth. The power of a laser gun at 4 million Lux varied greatly, depending on whether it came from average manufacturers or a Master level weaponsmith. This was why capable shooters would ask for customized weapons from weaponsmiths.

After the trade, Ye Chong saw nothing else of interest. The day's catch was worthwhile, however.

Ye Chong returned to his manor and compared the specimen he found in the Research Consortium's base and the one he just bought. Except for the size and shape, they were exactly the same thing. Ye Chong made queries from his chip, hoping to find something from the Research Consortium that could tell him where the specimen came from, but to no avail.

First was the red-tailed beasts; then the black circle; now there were two colloid fungi of the same species - one hidden in a corner of the base back in his world, and another from the inner parts of Darkniss. He had also found himself mysteriously transported to this strange and unfamiliar world. All the facts were here. Ye Chong knew that all of them were related in some way, but how? All the signs pointed toward Darkniss.

Perhaps the only way to answer all his questions was to visit Darkniss himself. Ye Chong looked at the holographic scanning, where many young people were training hard on the training ground. He dismissed the idea right away. It was folly to think he could survive a solo trip to Darkniss. These young people he was training were still too far away from being real combatants. Some things cannot be rushed. Nonetheless, what if he only aimed to do a simple exploratory visit?

Ye Chong thought that might just be manageable. Everything he knew about Darkniss came from secondary sources. He cannot make the right decision without having a more objective understanding of the place. Bringing so many people into Darkniss without more information was very risky.

Ye Chong considered the plan. If he were to enter Darkniss himself, that would not do at all. He did not even know how to get there. Sha Ya can act as his guide. She was experienced. However, just the two of them did not seem enough. Perhaps Xuan Ning would be willing to join him? If he offered a good laser gun for the man in exchange for his services, what were the odds of him agreeing to it?

…

For the past few days, Sha Ya spent her time indoors in deep thought. Ever since Ye Chong shared with her the details of his battle with Xuan Ning, she fell into a mood. Ye Chong understood what was happening. He had been through it before. This was not the time to interrupt her.

Having decided on his plan of action, Ye Chong went to the training ground. He inspected the young people there and found himself happy with their progress. Liao San was training the new recruits with passionate. The young recruits all looked sunburnt, with some of them even developing freckles. Nevertheless, they were in high spirits. Even the nobilities looked like they have had a complete personality makeover.