Chapter 160: This Is Science

Chapter 160: This Is Science

Ji Xing felt that she was on the brink of death.

Countless monsters surged at her in succession, and the massive body of that Level‑2 beast loomed over her like a heavy mountain.

The Huaxia soldiers beside her had long since fallen, and she screamed desperately to rouse them, but received no response.

At some point the gun in her hand ceased to fire in rapid succession, and the deafening gunfire only further assaulted her already sensitive eardrums.

She wanted to discard her weapon, yet fear stripped her of any courage to draw a blade.

Her feet were already ensnared by a fungal carpet; any great strength was meaningless against this viscous, living substance.

Like sinking in a swamp, even the simplest movement drained a tremendous amount of her stamina.

The grenades hanging on her chest clanged together with a crisp sound, and for a fleeting instant a thought flashed through Ji Xing’s mind:

Rather than die at the hands of these monsters, she thought she might as well pull the grenades’ pins and blow herself up.

At least that would be a comparatively dignified way to die.

Her fingers were already almost on the grenade’s pull ring, yet an unseen force seemed to hold her back, preventing her from touching the grenade that lay just within reach.

Perhaps this was not her true intention?

Ji Xing abandoned the thought of self‑detonation, but as the monsters drew ever closer, the despair in her heart swelled to an unbearable intensity.

This time she was truly going to die.

The revolving lantern of memories flickered before her eyes, and in that instant she seemed to return to the days she had spent in the Holy Blood Hall.

A thick, iron‑scented scent of blood hung in the air, so nauseating that it made one want to vomit.

The hall was perpetually dim, and whenever she was led inside, following the other fully trained Holy Blood bearers to pay homage to the Holy Father, a wave of dread rose within her.

Back then she could not comprehend what lay beneath the shadows.

Perhaps even now she still does not understand.

Memories of that place have long since faded.

All she could recall was endless fighting, fighting, and death.

No, her comrades, her brothers and sisters, had never perished in training.

After all, every Holy Blood bearer was a precious resource, and even the Holy Father would never consent to his children making needless sacrifices.

Yet, given that, where did those memories of death originate?

Perhaps it was because she witnessed the birthing process for the first time.

What should have been a hopeful birth of new life turned into a horror akin to hellish torture.

The once‑exalted Holy Blood bearers thrashed and screamed within the sealed “cell”, trying to give birth to the newborn monster swelling beneath their bellies.

No one could aid her; the searing pain radiating from within had already eroded her sanity.

Anyone who barged in recklessly would become the target of her assault.

—

It was clear she did not want to do this.

To end her suffering, she slit open her own abdomen with her bare hands.

Among the tangled organs she fished out the newborn infant.

Blood spattered the walls, and when the infant let out its first wail, she gasped and collapsed into unconsciousness.

An indifferent medic burst into the room, deftly suturing her belly while he stared blankly beside her until someone pulled him away.

“What are you panicking about? The mountain city is just ahead!”

Ji Xing looked up in horror; the city shrouded in thick fog loomed over her with a cold indifference, as if ready to devour her.

She instinctively took a step, but in a daze her heart seemed seized by a giant hand and abruptly ceased beating.

Fear engulfed her completely, and she fled backward heedlessly.

When she turned toward the screams of her companion, she beheld a horrific scene she had never seen before.

Disintegrating flesh, surging shockwaves, clouds of dust and mist, and a bizarre monolith standing amid the fog.

“Boom—”

A deafening blast.

Ji Xing pulled the pin of the grenade before her.

Yet her body seemed to withstand that round of explosion.

Numbness in her face slowed her movements briefly, but when she tried to pull a second grenade, another thunderous blast erupted beside her ears.

“Snap!”

Ji Xing’s eyes snapped open.

And before her stood a familiar face.

She could not place the owner of the face, yet inexplicably felt this was someone she could trust.

“You’re awake.”

The owner of that face turned his head and called out, and then another face appeared before her.

This time, she recalled a name.

Chen Jian.

Ji Xing forced herself to sit up; Chen Jian reached out to help her and said:

“You were poisoned and have been unconscious for six hours.”

“We were lucky; Shen Yue somehow obtained thiosulfate, injected it into all of you, so the problem should be minor now.”

“How about it, can you recognize us?”

“Yes, I can.”

Ji Xing’s voice was hoarse; Chen Jian exhaled in relief, nodded, and said:

“Fortunately, you Holy Blood bearers have a fast metabolism, high respiration rate, so you become poisoned quickly but also purge toxins swiftly.”

“If not, even the gods couldn’t save you.”

“So, how are you feeling now?”

"It cannot be said we were careless, but we were, in the end, ill-prepared."

"We never anticipated the fungi here could produce a hallucinogenic gas—or perhaps not a gas, but a high concentration of fungal spores."

"The damn things managed to bypass our environmental monitoring systems, so we missed it entirely at first."

"Fortunately, it isn't difficult to prevent. Next time we go in, a simple filter mask will suffice."

"...You still dare to go back in?"

Ji Xing looked at Chen Jian in sheer astonishment, but the latter merely nodded and replied:

"We must go back in, without a doubt."

"I just confirmed with Shen Yue that the hallucinogen is likely from a fungus akin to the Panaeolus genus. The effects seem bizarre, but once unmasked, it is nothing extraordinary."

"The toxin in this thing is primarily psilocybin—Shen Yue, you explain it."

Hearing Chen Jian's call, Shen Yue, who was drinking water nearby, turned his head and said:

"I don't really know how to explain it either."

"But in short, it is a complex toxin. The neurotoxic portion primarily functions by forcing calcium channels to remain open continuously, leading to the remodeling of dendritic spine structures. The secondary effect causes an overactivation of the glutamatergic system and the collapse of the mitochondrial membrane potential."

"In plain terms, it roughly results in emotional dysregulation, hallucinations, and a decline in motor capability."

"The joyful become more joyful, the angry grow angrier, and the terrified lapse into greater terror."

"So in reality, if your emotions remain relatively stable, even if you are poisoned, the symptoms—at least regarding the 'hallucinations'—will be quite mild."

"I see."

Ji Xing rubbed her head, which was still throbbing slightly, and then said:

"As long as one's will is firm enough, the illusions can be overcome—this aligns with what I learned in the Hall of Holy Blood."

"Oh, come off it."

Shen Yue shook his head with disdain, then said:

"This is hardly a matter of idealism; this is science."

"Though truth be told, I am quite curious about what you dreamed of while unconscious—you looked absolutely frightened to death."

"I was indeed frightened to death."

Ji Xing made no attempt to conceal it, saying openly:

"I dreamed of certain events from my time in the Hall of Holy Blood—ask Xie Liu, ask Zeng Yi, it is impossible for them not to be afraid either."

As her words fell, Chen Jian turned his gaze toward Zeng Yi.

The latter nodded immediately, offering no denial.

Seeing this, Chen Jian could not help but sigh softly, then added:

"Then you poor souls have truly suffered. I really cannot fathom what you experienced there."

"But it matters not. Some things lose their power once they are spoken aloud. Should you fall victim to it again next time, think of Shen Yue's words, think of scientific reason, and you will likely fare much better."

"Alright, rest a while and have something to eat."

"You must recover as quickly as possible. We still have to organize the second round of reconnaissance."

"Very well."

Ji Xing nodded slowly, pausing to catch her breath for a moment, before suddenly asking:

"What about you all? I mean, is there nothing you fear?"

"If you were to be poisoned one day, would you also dream of what terrifies you most?"

When she finished speaking, Chen Jian asked with a touch of amusement:

"Are you trying to probe our weaknesses, or is this out of pure curiosity?"

"Pure curiosity."

Ji Xing raised her hand and said:

"I swear upon my life, I have no other intentions."

"...There is no need to be so solemn, it was merely a jest."

Chen Jian waved his hand, then replied:

"There are many things we fear. As long as it is our enemy, we will fear it."

"To hold reverence for the enemy is the most fundamental principle of combat."

"...Understood."

Ji Xing asked no further, but stood up, took the warm water handed to her by Zeng Yi, and drank it down in one gulp.

By this time, Chen Jian and the others were already busy once more, sorting through their gear and scraping the fungal mats clinging to the feline-carts, preparing for the second reconnaissance.

Watching their practiced, methodical movements, Ji Xing even felt a momentary sense of trance.

The preceding battle had clearly been a brush with death, had it not?

Yet they were as calm as though they had just concluded a mere casual outing.

Could such people truly harbor fear in their hearts?

Afraid of their enemies...

More likely, you are afraid they will run away.