Scouting the settlement, contacting the natives (5K)

Migration?

The city lord's brows furrowed tightly, causing the scars to twist and appear even more ferocious.

"Yes, Lord City Lord."

Batu nodded emphatically. "According to the guard leader, they were hiding in a crevice when they saw a group of strange, mixed-race creatures—the kind that would have fought each other in the past—all rushing madly towards the Pale Forbidden Land as if summoned by some force."

"The Pale Forbidden Land." An elderly man with white hair stroked his beard. "That's the sinking zone. It's said that monster kings, rarely seen outside, are quite common there, and there's even a monster emperor."

The words "Strange Emperor" seemed like some kind of taboo, plunging the entire council hall into silence.

After an awkward silence, the city lord's fingers began tapping on the armrest again, but the rhythm was noticeably faster than before.

"The monsters don't leave their hunting grounds without a reason, much less venture en masse into a death trap that even they fear."

He paused, a sharp glint in his eyes. "There are only two possibilities. Either something deep within the forbidden area has appeared that attracts them, making them willing to take the risk. Or, they are being driven by something else. Either way, it's definitely not good news for cities like ours that are near the forbidden area."

"Indeed." Another general stepped forward and added, "Lord, the greatest danger lies in the uncertainty of the situation. Now that we know those monstrous things have ventured into the forbidden area, we can't just sit here and wait."

"I request to lead an elite force to the edge of the Pale Forbidden Land to investigate. At the very least, we need to know what they're up to. Just in case it's those legendary monster kings deep within the forbidden land driving them, our Red Iron City isn't too far from the forbidden land, so we'll be the first to be affected and must make plans as soon as possible."

His words immediately sparked a discussion.

"Zagon, have you gone mad?"

The speaker was a slightly overweight middle-aged man. "What kind of place is the Pale Forbidden Land? Let alone entering the edge, even getting close could lead to encountering wandering monster kings. What's the difference between that and suicide? We don't even know why they left. What if we rashly venture in and anger something, bringing about an even greater disaster?"

"Just because we're afraid of death, should we cower in the city and wait for unknown disasters to strike?"

Zagon glared angrily at the slightly overweight middle-aged man, "Once those monstrous things rush out of the forbidden area, we won't even have time to prepare. Going to investigate now will at least buy us some early warning time. Only by figuring out the cause can we respond!"

The slightly overweight middle-aged man shook his head repeatedly. "Buy time? If it really is something from the Pale Forbidden Land emerging, what use is a little time? Why throw away our lives for it?"

"You"

"Enough!"

Just as the two were arguing, the city lord's deep voice rang out, instantly silencing all the debate.

He remained seated in the main seat, his sharp gaze sweeping over the two people below before finally settling on empty space, as if weighing the pros and cons.

The council chamber was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; everyone held their breath, awaiting the city lord's decision.

After a long silence, the city lord finally spoke, "Zagon's concerns are not without merit. The unknown is the greatest enemy, and even in the Pale Forbidden Land, we must make some preparations."

He then looked at Zagon: "Your request is granted. But remember, not deep in, but close reconnaissance. The target is the edge of the Pale Forbidden Land. I need to know if there are any signs of a large-scale gathering of monsters there, any unusual energy fluctuations, and any other unusual changes."

"Your mission isn't combat, it's being eyes and ears. Bring the best stealth specialists, and once you spot an insurmountable danger, retreat immediately. I need intelligence, not reckless sacrifice."

"Yes, Lord City Lord!" Zagon knelt on one knee and responded with a resounding roar.

"Furthermore," the city lord added, "Immediately contact nearby cities such as Blackrock City and Ash City to share information on the unusual movements of the monsters. At the same time, activate emergency communication channels to report this anomaly directly to the Royal City."

As orders were issued, the entire Red Iron City began to operate efficiently and intensely, like a massive war machine. Zagon selected ten elite soldiers, most skilled in stealth and reconnaissance, who quietly left Red Iron City through a hidden side gate. Like shadows, they blended into the wilderness and stealthily made their way towards the Pale Forbidden Land.

--

Meanwhile, at the East Peak Mercenary Group's camp.

After annihilating the monsters, Lin Yi issued the order to establish a temporary camp.

"Construct a ring-shaped defensive fortification centered on the exit of the space passage. Chen Yu, you will lead a team to be responsible for the main structure, using local materials and combining them with the quick-setting building materials we brought."

Based on his knowledge, Lin Yi quickly issued the order.

"Understood, Commander."

Chen Yu responded and immediately directed the team members and engineers who were skilled in earth-based rules to get to work.

He pressed his palms to the ground, and a thick, earthy yellow light seeped into the earth. Large swathes of hard rock were shaped and rose up like obedient soil, forming the base of the camp and low walls.

The other team members poured a silvery-gray quick-setting metallic liquid into the rock crevices and key nodes, which solidified rapidly to form an incredibly strong composite structure.

"Andre, take your men and be in charge of perimeter security and trap setting."

"Leave it to me!" Andre, carrying his battle axe, began planning defensive nodes around the camp, directing his men to lay sensor mines, set up automatic sentry guns, and some targeted energy binding traps.

"Elizabeth, reconnaissance teams will be deployed in rotation, searching outwards in a fan shape from the camp. The primary objectives are to confirm the safety of the surrounding environment, search for any valuable information or resource points, and, in any case, detect any signs of native intelligent life."

"Remember the exploration manual. When encountering unknown civilizations, focus on observation and information gathering. Avoid contact unless absolutely necessary and prevent conflict."

"Yes."

Elizabeth spoke succinctly and immediately began to deploy her team, forming several reconnaissance groups that radiated outwards from the basin like tentacles.

Lin Yi himself hovered above the rapidly forming camp, his powerful Soul Power flowing like mercury, meticulously scanning the area surrounding the camp.

His senses penetrated the rocks, penetrated deep underground, and swept over every twisted patch of vegetation.

The outcome was exactly as he had predicted.

"Apart from us, there are almost no other decent signs of life in this basin." Lin Yi understood.

The previously absurdly high monster density had clearly attracted monsters from the surrounding area, and even further afield, to the vicinity of the spatial passage.

They might be attracted by spatial fluctuations, instinctively want to enter the passage, or perhaps driven by some deeper reason.

In short, after that bloody welcoming ceremony, the basin temporarily became a safe zone.

Thanks to the joint efforts of the team members, a fairly large temporary campsite was erected in just over half a day.

The camp is surrounded by a ten-meter-high composite material wall, with firing ports and energy weapon platforms pre-installed in the wall.

Inside, the functional areas are clearly defined. The residential area consists of neatly arranged, rapidly built barracks, while the Command Center is composed of several large modular units assembled together, with various communication and detection antennas mounted on the top. The Medical Area, energy area, and material warehouse are all readily available.

In the center of the camp, a "Hermes" space anchor generator had been deployed, resembling a giant metal spider. Under the operation of Captain Rex and his engineering team, it emitted a deep hum, and a dark blue energy beam shot towards the space passage, beginning the two-way passage stabilization operation.

Just then, several reconnaissance teams that had been dispatched abroad returned one after another.

"Reporting to the Commander, there are signs of low-level plant and animal life in the southeast direction, along with traces of a few low-level monsters. These are believed to be either survivors from previous raids or unsuspecting individuals, posing a low threat level."

"Report: A dried-up riverbed has been discovered to the northwest. Numerous monster lair ruins are found near the riverbed, but all are empty. There are signs of recent activity within the lairs, suggesting the monsters were all wiped out near the camp."

"Report: To the due west, using long-range observation equipment, a suspected cluster of intelligent life has been discovered," Elizabeth reported personally upon her return.

"Oh? Intelligent life?" Lin Yi landed in the air and looked at Elizabeth. "Tell me more."

Elizabeth pulled up the data and images recorded on her wrist-worn terminal. "The target is located about a thousand kilometers outside the basin, a massive city. The city walls are estimated to be over a hundred meters high, made of some kind of dark red metal, with fortifications and decorations resembling the remains of an alien creature on the walls."

"A certain pattern of building layout was observed within the city, along with cooking smoke and energy activity. Energy fluctuation scanning detected multiple Star Core level energy sources, one of which was the most powerful, at the high-level of the Star Core level. No sources exceeding the Star Core level were detected."

"Judging from its architectural style, observed patterns of inhabitant activity, and weaponry, its level of civilization is roughly equivalent to that of the ancient feudal society of the Xia Country, but it incorporates a clear system of supernatural powers and appears to have a deep history of research into or confrontation with monsters."

She paused, then added, "We strictly adhered to the exploration manual and did not make any contact with them, but using a remote acquisition device, we captured some audio clips of conversations between the city guards, as well as the energy spectrum of some of the city wall runes."

"Well done." Lin Yi nodded approvingly.

Elizabeth's report was clear and professional, providing a wealth of crucial information, justifying her inclusion of the Secret Realm Exploration course as one of the group's mandatory programs.

He took the data storage chip from Elizabeth and inserted it into a silver metal sphere he carried with him.

This is a multifunctional Sub-body of Xuanji, possessing powerful computational, analytical, and simulation capabilities.

"Xuanji, analyze the audio data, try to decipher its language structure, and establish a basic language model. Analyze the energy spectrum and try to analyze the characteristics of its power system," Lin Yi commanded.

"Command received, begin analysis."

The Xuanji Sub-Unit emitted a soft electronic sound, its surface shimmering with light, and began processing massive amounts of data at high speed.

While waiting for the analysis results, Lin Yi gathered core members such as Zhou Yuxuan, Chen Yu, and Andre.

Everyone understands the situation.

Lin Yi looked around at everyone. "We are currently safe, but everything else is unknown. We have now discovered a native human civilization. Its level of development seems low, but it possesses its own power system and has clearly survived in this harsh environment for a long time."

He looked at Zhou Yuxuan: "Yuxuan, you are calm, thoughtful, and skilled at communication and coordination. I have decided that you will lead a capable team to the human city we have discovered to make initial contact and gather information."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuxuan's expression turned serious, and he stepped forward, saying, "Yes, Commander, I guarantee the mission will be completed."

He was well aware of the importance of this mission; it was a crucial step in understanding the world, finding potential allies or resources, and assessing potential risks.

"Your mission objectives are several," Lin Yi explained briefly. "First, observe their social structure, lifestyle, and level of technology or energy utilization. Second, attempt initial communication. Xuanji will soon provide a basic language model. Note that we are outsiders; be friendly but vigilant, and do not reveal our origins from outer space, the camp's specific location, or our strength. We can disguise ourselves as wanderers or Explorer from a distant region. Third, gather information. Focus on records of this world's geography, history, and cultivation practices."

These are actually standard exploration tutorials; Lin Yi simply recited them verbatim and emphasized them again.

"Understood." Zhou Yuxuan nodded seriously.

"You will select the team members. They should be alert, adaptable, and carry standard exploration equipment and self-defense weapons. However, they should not display overly advanced technology. Maintain open communication, but be mindful of secrecy. If any danger arises, or if the other side shows strong hostility, evacuate immediately. Safety first."

Lin Yi gave a final, earnest piece of advice.

"Yes, I'll go prepare right away." Zhou Yuxuan bowed and immediately turned to select team members and prepare supplies.

Before Zhou Yuxuan's team set off, Lin Yi was also busy.

He took advantage of the brief window of opportunity during the initial establishment of the camp to conduct a more in-depth exploration of patterns and data analysis of the surrounding area.

First, he had Xuanji accurately measure the energy density of this place.

"Master, based on multi-point sampling and rule resonance feedback, the average energy density of this secret realm is equivalent to level 4 in the standard classification of the Main Universe, belonging to the low to medium Source Energy Unit region. Energy spectrum analysis shows that its power system has a certain affinity with negative rules (darkness, death, chaos)," Xuanji Sub-Unit provided a precise assessment report.

This result was not unexpected.

Many unexplored or uniquely shaped secret realms may not have high energy concentrations, but their characteristics are often more crucial.

As for the characteristics, the anomaly that Lin Yi noticed as soon as he landed was supported by data.

"The spatial structure stability parameters are 15% higher than those of the same energy level region in the Main Universe, and the average hardness and energy inertia (viscosity) of matter are significantly improved, generally 30% to 50% higher than those in the Main Universe, and even higher in some regions."

Xuanji's electronic voice calmly reported, "This means that attacks of equal power and energy level launched here will have their direct destructive range, energy diffusion speed, and actual environmental damage reduced to varying degrees."

Lin Yi understood; this matched what he had just observed in the actual combat.

However, in order to obtain more accurate data, he still conducted some tests, because in mercenary missions, this secret realm data needs to be entered, so it had to be done again anyway.

He concentrated a wisp of source energy and flicked his finger toward a dark red rock not far away.

In the Main Universe, this amount of power would be enough to turn a normal rock of similar size into dust.

But here, with a crisp "snap," only a small hole about an inch deep was left on the rock surface, with very few cracks around it.

"Just as I thought." Lin Yi understood.

This rule-based environment, on the one hand, greatly reduces the effectiveness of large-scale destructive spells, and on the other hand, it also means that the individual's defensive capabilities and survivability are relatively enhanced. Combat may be more inclined towards the subtle application of rules, precise point-killing, and prolonged attrition.

This is somewhat of a boon for them, as they need to establish outposts and carry out precision operations.

Furthermore, the language analysis also yielded results.

"Master, the basic language model has been established. The language has complex syllables, obvious pictographic features, and energy resonance attributes, and is preliminarily identified as a variant of an ancient language family."

Lin Yi nodded and had Xuanji relay the results to Zhou Yuxuan.

Soon, Xuanji quickly entered this crucial data into the database and distributed it to all team members' tactical terminals so that they could adjust their combat habits and energy output patterns.

Meanwhile, Zhou Yuxuan was also making final preparations for his departure.

He selected two team members, one of whom was a linguistics expert proficient in multiple cosmic languages and had in-depth research on cultural adaptation.

The other is a meticulous and highly observant veteran investigator.

The three of them went together to the logistics and supplies area.

Here, several silver-white metal boxes unloaded from the large shuttle cabin have been unfolded; they are multi-functional energy-based printing devices essential for exploring the secret realm.

By simply inputting a design template and providing sufficient energy, you can quickly manufacture a wide variety of items, from everyday necessities to complex instruments.

Zhou Yuxuan transmitted the basic language model data package that Xuanji Sub-Unit had just completed to the printing device.

"Receiving Data Packets" - Mystery Language Basics V1.0, starting parsing.

"Materials library testing. 'Lingxi Crystal' has been selected as the memory carrier medium."

"Energy Injection. Rune Imprinting Begins."

A faint blue light flickered inside the printing chamber. Just a few minutes later, three pale Blue Crystal, each about the size of a thumbnail and with a subtle glow flowing inside, were handed to Zhou Yuxuan and his two companions.

"You can guide the absorption using your Soul Power," the technician explained.

Zhou Yuxuan and the other two did as instructed.

This thing is actually similar to the Spirit Shine Crystal, or rather, the Spirit Shine Crystal used in the assessment was a simplified version of this, so Zhou Yuxuan and the other two used it with ease.

The three of them crushed the crystal, and a Information Flow containing a large number of words, basic grammatical structures, common sentence patterns, and even some tone habits gently flowed into their minds.

A moment later, when they opened their eyes again, although they were still not as good as the local natives, they had no major obstacles in listening, reading and simple communication.