Chapter 599
"Malitus?"
Heratia looked at everyone present.
He couldn't help but frown when he heard them say that Malitus had gone alone.
That guy...
"Yes."
No one knew what had happened, but they knew that Heratia wasn't the type to joke around.
Since she said there was a crisis that could potentially overturn the entire Aegir, then that crisis might actually exist!
As the only people on the scene who could possibly stop it, they had to unite!
Does anyone know which way he went?
"Perhaps... we're going deeper? He said he felt something calling to him from underground?"
"Call?"
Heratia keenly sensed the problem in his words, but she simply frowned.
At that moment, Maria slowly ran her fingers across the surrounding rubble.
Upon entering the ruins, Maria discovered that it wasn't originally built underwater.
Judging from the internal mechanisms and the coordination of some devices, this thing should be supported on the sea surface by connecting rods, and can also choose to enter the seabed for short-term survival when necessary.
For some unknown reason, the device shattered, and the entire ruin fell into it, crashing onto the reef.
Over a long period of time, the connection between the reef and the main structure was covered by the remains of those organisms!
"This thing..."
Maria squinted, her gaze thoughtful.
Soon, her fingers slid to the side again.
Her movements paused...
That's fine.
After briefly explaining the current danger to the others, Heratia took a deep breath, her expression grave.
Facing the scholars around her, she immediately gave the order.
"You all need to stick together now, be constantly wary of what's above you and around corners, and return to where we started. We'll deal with the rest later..."
Heratia spoke, her gaze also catching sight of Maria approaching from the side.
She turned her head and noticed another scroll in Maria's hand.
"What's wrong?"
"This thing... should be a map."
Maria blinked and placed the document in front of the woman.
Although the water has receded from the ruins, many of these artifacts, which had been submerged for countless years, still remain.
Maria placed the document in front of everyone; the colors on it had almost completely faded.
However, one can still vaguely discern the purpose of this object through some lines.
Perhaps it's some kind of blueprint?
But...
Shouldn't this kind of thing be kept in a safe place?
The group was somewhat puzzled.
But Maria merely glanced at the tangled mess of pipes at her feet and shook her head slightly.
"Perhaps... we were actually at the very bottom from the beginning."
"..."
"I'm not sure if this document is actually the right one, but if you have nothing else to do when you get back, you can take a look at it and see if there's a way out in the surrounding area."
Maria stuffed the things into the arms of these people, then turned to look at Heratia.
The two exchanged a glance, then ignored everything else and continued on their way.
After only a few moments of exploration, they found the hole leading to the next level.
"There were also footprints..."
Maria looked to the side.
Because it has been submerged in the ocean for many years, the interior of the ruins is inevitably muddy.
When they enter, they naturally step onto the ground.
At this moment, Maria and the others, who had arrived at the cave entrance, also saw the mud lying on the side.
Maria remained calm as always. There was probably a seven or eight-meter distance between her and the lower level, and she easily jumped down.
She also managed to catch the subsequent freefall; otherwise, Heratia would have been in serious trouble.
"That guy, Malitus ..."
Seeing the footsteps on the ground continue forward, Heratia's expression became somewhat irritated.
But Maria saw something else here.
"Blue..."
"Um?"
Heratia paused, turned her head to look at Maria, then at her own specially made gray-white bodysuit.
"Today is black."
Heratia spoke, providing the answer.
But this answer puzzled Maria.
"What's black?"
"Um?"
Heratia blinked. "What kind of blue are you talking about?"
That's what I meant.
Maria pointed to the ground beside her.
Right at their feet, a crystal-clear blue gemstone was growing.
Its shape is bizarre, looking just like a curled-up vine!
"..."
Heratia paused for a moment, then lowered her head and walked ahead silently.
His steps were somewhat hurried.
Maria blinked and quietly followed.
As the two ventured deeper, more and more crystals appeared on the ground, their shapes increasingly resembling the growth of some kind of plant.
Most importantly, these crystals almost always grow on steel and rocks that are theoretically impossible to grow.
This overturned their initial hypothesis that some plants originally grew freely but crystallized after being covered by dead organisms once they sank to the bottom of the sea.
Everything seemed to be heading towards some uncontrollable and bizarre turn.
Fortunately, this period did not last too long.
Soon, the two found Malitus.
He collapsed in the corridor, facing an endless expanse of darkness, with no idea where it led...
"Tsk... this guy."
Heratia looked somewhat annoyed, seemingly frustrated by his actions alone.
But Maria's gaze remained fixed on the end of the road.
She strode over and briefly checked it.
"He's still breathing, he's not dead, he's just unconscious..."
After confirming that the other person was still alive, Heratia sighed with emotion.
Meanwhile, a rustling sound began to accumulate in Maria's ears.
After a few moments of breathing, her gaze suddenly sharpened.
We need to retreat.
Maria whispered, her voice calm.
"What?"
Before Heratia could react, she felt her body suddenly become light.
When she came to her senses again, she was surprised to find that the scenery around her was rushing past at high speed!
There's another one, Malitus, on the side!
She was being dragged away by... Maria?!
What happened?!
Heratia looked behind her with a puzzled expression.
But then she saw something that sent chills down her spine!
In that boundless darkness, countless azure points of light began to rapidly coalesce.
They were densely packed, like countless vesicles protruding from the steel wall. A point of fluorescence, like an eye, flickered a few times and then stared intently in this direction!
"Gurgle!"
For a moment, Heratia didn't dare to say anything more.
She felt numbness and itching all over her body; a strong sense of discomfort surged through her.
Fortunately, these creatures were far slower than Maria... or rather, Maria, considering her and Malitus's physical condition, deliberately kept the speed at a pace that the enemy couldn't catch up with and that wouldn't cause them too much pain.
Within minutes, the two were practically back at camp!
"W-what's wrong?"
Here, the Swarm researchers were still unaware of the seriousness of the situation; they were still lying on the ground, arguing endlessly.
"I told you, think about it. When we first saw it, the entire ruins were sloping to the south! That means the floor here is curved! We should be in area α on the map now!"
"That's just a basic curve. Take your shoes off and feel your center of gravity! You're leaning backward!"
"If I had that kind of physical sensitivity, I would have applied to a dance research institute right away. Who would understand this?!"
"I can't explain it to you!"
One group was making a ruckus, while another group wasn't idle either.
They analyzed the blueprints Maria had given them bit by bit, sometimes frowning, sometimes exchanging ideas and sharing their findings, but every now and then, sounds of struggle could be heard.
Nearby, Heratia felt nauseous and it might take her another ten seconds or so to actually give a command.
But...
Time is running out.
Maria looked around, her voice turning cold.
"Does anyone here know how to close the door?"
"Um?"
Perhaps it was the first time they had felt such a chill up close, everyone was stunned for a moment, then fell silent and looked at Maria.
Most people don't have a strong impression of Maria; they've only heard that she was a music scholar.