Wen Jing looked at Han An, the only one on this trip with previous containment experience, with a somewhat questioning gaze.
If she hadn't accepted this mission, the other party should have been the captain of this operation, based on their qualifications and capabilities.
However, that was clearly not the case at this moment. Faced with her question, Han An quickly recalled the information he had learned from his senior last time and immediately explained, "The warning zone is the theoretical maximum range. In reality, the area that can actually pull a person into the Out-of-Control Zone is not that large, and it is unstable, sometimes large and sometimes small."
It seems to breathe...
Wen Jing inexplicably had this thought, then nodded to indicate that he understood. "Let's continue to approach."
So the five of them cautiously made their way towards the core area.
During the process, Wen Jing also specifically asked Han An about his experience from the last containment mission.
Normally, Han An would probably be a little smug and use this to show off in front of his teammates, but since he was facing Wen Jing, he dared not pretend at all. Instead, he poured out all the experience he had gained last time.
" The Superpower Core is the Wilderness Body form of the out-of-control individual, but it can move and may appear anywhere within the out- Out-of-Control Zone."
"The most difficult part of containment missions is that while protecting against various environmental hazards, you also have to capture the target and put it into a restraint device. Killing it is ineffective; it will immediately 'revive' elsewhere."
"Also, all the Wilderness Beast appearing in the Out-of-Control Zone are fake; killing them is pointless. The Ancient Wilderness treasures are also fake; they're useless and can't be taken away. Don't waste your time up there."
After listening, Wen Jing, like the others, asked, " Wilderness Beast Wen Jing and rare treasures? Doesn't the textbook say that the environment of the Out-of-Control Zone is actually an externalization of the consciousness of the out-of-control person? Shouldn't everyone's be different?"
The other three also looked at him with puzzled expressions.
Regarding the topic of Genetic Collapse, I actually learned about it systematically in my freshman year course on Introduction to the Ancient Wilderness, but I feel that what the other person said is somewhat different.
Upon hearing this, Han An explained, "Theoretically, the environment of each Out-of-Control Zone is indeed different, but in reality, those Awakened experience Genetic Collapse during containment often have the most profound fear and uncertainty about the Ancient Wilderness."
"Therefore, most of the Out-of-Control Zone are basically Ancient Wilderness environments, usually originating from some of the most dangerous explorations experienced by those who have lost control."
Everyone immediately understood.
Genetic Collapse occurs precisely because of the fear of risk and the reluctance to traverse the Ancient Wilderness. The more one does this, the heavier the shadow in one's mind becomes, which manifests itself when things get out of control.
This is also a similarity in most Out-of-Control Zone.
As they spoke, the group did not slow their pace.
Suddenly, everyone felt a sensation similar to, yet not quite, Ancient Wilderness Traversal through Ancient Wilderness Traversal.
It felt like stepping into thin air, but landing quickly.
Moreover, his body did not transform into Wilderness Body; it remained a human body.
The moment this feeling arose, the rows of neat office buildings in front of the five people vanished.
"..."
The other four were speechless, stunned by the scene that had taken their place; only Wen Jing's voice remained Calmness.
"It seems we've encountered something different."
The described steel jungle has disappeared, but a physical steel jungle has emerged.
Twisted pillars, shaped like natural trees but made of glass and steel, appeared, supporting a closed dome made of one-way glass.
What lies beyond the dome is invisible; only a vague, oppressive shadow can be seen flashing by.
The ground was a bubbling, dark red swamp, with dilapidated workstation partitions floating in the mud. The five of them were standing on these 'floating logs' made of workstations.
"Clap clap clap..."
Hands of varying sizes emerged from the mud, impatiently patting and tapping at their surroundings.
Eyes filled with mockery, prying, and resentment opened from the mire, staring at the five intruders before them.
Chapter 124
The scene before me was incredibly disorienting, like something out of a supernatural tale or a bizarre infinite flow novel.
If the person is from that background, they should now meticulously Analysis the meaning of various things in front of them, like reading a comprehension exercise, to find a way out of the predicament.
but...
Wen Jing raised his hand and pointed, and a beam of white light shone, slicing through the eerie hands and eyes in the swamp.
"Zzz--"
Wherever the Energy Pulse passed, not only the hands and eyes inside, but even the seemingly bottomless dark red swamp left a scorched trail.
This is a difference in world level, or rather, a difference in worldview.
Like vengeful ghosts in horror novels, in the context of a cultivation world, they would be special materials that can be easily captured.
Out-of-Control Zone is a dead end for ordinary people, but it is not so for Awakened who have broken through human limits and mastered extraordinary powers.
Ultimately, the out-of-control individual's energy level is F-level. No matter how bizarre their state, their power intensity cannot exceed their own level.
On the contrary, in a high-dimensional world like the Ancient Wilderness, seemingly ordinary creatures would cause terrifying destruction if they came to the material universe.
For example, the frost spiders underground, if allowed to run rampant, could completely plunge an entire city into a frozen hell.
Wen Jing's actions brought the four people beside him back to their Calmness, allowing them to recover from the visual shock.
By this time, she had already sensed something and pointed in two directions to her teammates. "You guys go search those two sides directly, I'll go to the containment core."
"Good."
"No problem."
After a brief moment of surprise, her teammates all agreed without asking any further questions and immediately set off in pairs in the direction she indicated.
In the Out-of-Control Zone, electronic signals and most technological creations are ineffective, so containment teams usually operate in groups.
The options are either to conduct a search and rescue operation first, or to quickly contain the core and restore the world to normal, thus ensuring the safety of those trapped.
The idea of splitting up the operation, or sending the majority of people to rescue others while only sending one person to contain the core, sounds incredibly presumptuous.
Before participating in the Freshman League, even if Wen Jing had a reputation as a genius at the Red Earth Academy, he wouldn't have been able to get such a unified attitude from all the first-year students.
However, now no one questions it, and everyone is demonstrating maximum execution.
Teammates who could fly flew, while those who couldn't jumped and stomped along their workstations.
Once ignored, those hands and eyes lost their initial intimidating power and became nothing more than a blustering distraction.
This is not just a psychological feeling, but a real change.
Wen Jing, possessing a Calmness demeanor, was completely unaffected by the environment and could clearly distinguish this point.
"Is it a manifestation of 'others' that we become vulnerable because we no longer care?"
Thinking of this, Wen Jing looked up at the glass dome above him.
Behind those one-way windows, some oppressive shadows appear and disappear intermittently.
Wen Jing's mind flashed through the information he had seen on the road about Genetic Collapse individuals.
In some respects, the other person's background is very similar to hers.
Jiang Qin was born in a labor factory. Although he did not have the same academic achievements as Wen Jing, he still managed to escape from the School District Planet and participate in the Unified Awakening Examination, and Luck, he successfully awakened.
Even if the level of the Wilderness Body is F, becoming an Awakened already represents a leap in social class.
After awakening, Jiang Qin signed a contract with Energy Gathering Group. Among his peers, his level was average. After graduating from the academy, he joined Energy Gathering Group's branch on Red Earth Star according to the contract and became the L7-level near-orbit space station supervisor with an annual salary of tens of millions.
The probability of Genetic Collapse varies from person to person; some may not experience it for many years without any problems, while others may experience it within a few months.
Jiang Qin had served for over a decade and his performance evaluation within the group had always been stable. However, for the past six months, he had been dealing with an unexpected antimatter leak, which led to his neglect of the Ancient Wilderness exploration and triggered this Genetic Collapse.
Wen Jing sprang into action, traversing the steel jungle, but his eyes became vacant, and his expression seemed somewhat lost in thought.
After creating some distance between herself and her teammates, she stopped simply observing the area with her eyes and instead entered Mental Vision.
Soon after entering the Out-of-Control Zone, she noticed its unusual nature.
If we were to use a metaphor, the spiritual body of a normal Awakened is like a planet—complete yet closed, its interior unseen, and it experiences a counterforce when attacked.
Inside, the 'planet' is completely Disintegration and shattered, with its internal matter scattered throughout space, where it can be freely harvested.
The ability to perceive this peculiarity was not due to Wen Jing's mastery of mental power, but more importantly, it stemmed from the [?? Devour] characteristic of the initial devouring of the Flame Oracle.
She couldn't explain it in detail at the moment, but she could sense that it was a perspective very close to the essence of things.
The reason why Wen Jing is called the Mental Vision is because it can only be observed with one's own consciousness, which is not the same concept as the application of spiritual power.
Whether it was devouring the bone flute in the Knotted Rope Maze or recently obtaining a high-level Wilderness Weapon from the Secret Treasure Gate, it served the same purpose, and it is still doing so now.
The direction she pointed out to her teammates for the rescue was the location where she observed that a 'complete planet' still existed.
Now that the others have left, the spiritual entities that were interfering with her senses have also moved away, allowing Wen Jing to discern and trace them more precisely.
She quickly determined her direction and headed towards the largest, brightest, and constantly moving 'star core' in the area.
That's most likely where the Superpower Core is located.
But during this process, suddenly, a fragment that was not Superpower Core, but had a special highlight, appeared in Wen Jing's observation.
"Um?"
She stopped in her tracks and turned her gaze to the objects corresponding to the fragments in the Out-of-Control Zone—
It was a hafnium fiber harp that peeked out from a giant steel tree.