242: Chapter 242 Variables

Over the past ten days, Ling Ye's injuries had basically healed, and his physical strength had recovered to over eighty percent of his healthy state. His familiarity with the surrounding terrain had reached new heights, and he had even mapped out a detailed "Safety Map" in his mind. His traps had caught two more sand rats and an unfortunate lizard, slightly increasing his food reserves, though he was still living hand-to-mouth. He had mastered the operation of that revolver (theoretically), and his flint fire-starting skills had become increasingly proficient.

The "Neighbor" patrolled every night right on time, like a clockwork mechanism, never making a mistake. Its existence, initially a huge threat, had gradually become a fixed "Danger Point" in the wilderness environment that needed to be avoided, even bringing a strange sense of "regular" security—as long as it appeared and disappeared on time, it meant there were no other major changes in this area.

However, this fragile balance was broken without warning on the evening of the eleventh day.

At that time, Ling Ye had just finished setting a new trap in a leeward hollow about one kilometer northwest of the cave and was planning to collect some newly discovered, presumably edible, succulent plants. The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the hills to the west in a sickly golden-red.

Suddenly—

"Hum————!!!"

A low, long, indescribable humming sound, as if coming from the depths of the earth and filling the entire firmament, rang out without warning! This sound did not travel through the air; it felt more like it was acting directly on one's bones, internal organs, and even Soul! Ling Ye instantly felt a wave of intense nausea and dizziness, and the ground beneath his feet seemed to transmit an extremely subtle, continuous tremor!

The humming lasted for about five seconds and then stopped abruptly. But the lingering sound seemed to still echo in his cochlea and mind.

The world was deathly silent. Even the wind seemed to have stalled.

Ling Ye's face was pale. He leaned against a nearby rock, fighting back the nausea and dizziness, his heart pounding wildly. This sound... this feeling... was somewhat similar to the energy explosion he had previously felt in the direction of the "Dark Nest," but it was grander and deeper, as if the energy field of the entire region had undergone some kind of violent disturbance or resonance!

The source direction... was southeast! The location of the "Dark Nest"!

Something big had happened over at the "Dark Nest"!

Almost simultaneously, the xuanyuan ring in his pocket heated up violently without warning! It was no longer the constant coldness of usual, but like a red-hot iron block, burning his chest skin until it stung! The ring itself erupted with an unprecedented, blinding, ghostly blue light. The light flickered rapidly like breathing, even piercing through his tattered clothes, clearly visible in the dim twilight!

"Crap!" Ling Ye was horrified! This ring was a replica of "the key" and was extremely sensitive to "abyssal eye" pollution and related energy anomalies! Such a violent reaction meant that the energy disturbance in the direction of the "Dark Nest" had reached a terrifying level, and might even... have triggered some kind of resonance or mutation related to "the key"!

He scrambled to pull open his clothes, wanting to wrap the ring with cloth, but the ghostly blue light still stubbornly shone through, impossible to completely cover! Moreover, the ring continued to heat up and flicker, like an out-of-control signal transmitter!

He had to return to the cave immediately! It was too open here; the light and potential energy fluctuations were too conspicuous!

He couldn't care about the traps or plants and turned to run toward the cave at full speed! His heart pounded uncontrollably from the violent running and terror. The ball of ghostly blue light on his chest was like a lighthouse in the night, making him feel exposed and in danger as never before.

He prayed that this mutation was only temporary, prayed that the "Neighbor" had not yet started its activity, and prayed that this wilderness was desolate enough that no other existence would notice this abnormal light.

However, what he feared most came to pass.

Just as he was running within about three hundred meters of the cave and was about to charge up a steep slope—

"Rustle... creak... crackle..."

A familiar, yet more urgent and chaotic sound of friction and rock grinding than ever before came from below the steep slope in front of him, from the direction of the dried-up riverbed! The direction of the sound was exactly where the crevice from which the "Worm Rock" departed every night was located!

The "Worm Rock" had come out early! And, judging by the sound, its state was extremely unstable, and its movement speed seemed much faster than usual!

Ling Ye slammed on the brakes and dove behind a pile of loose rocks nearby, his heart nearly jumping out of his chest. He clutched his chest tightly, but the ghostly blue light still stubbornly shone through his fingers. He tried to use "Star Visualization" to suppress the abnormal movement of the xuanyuan ring, but it was useless; the ring seemed to have been completely triggered and activated by some powerful external force!

"Rustle, rustle, rustle! Creak—!!!"

The movement sound of the "Worm Rock" became more manic, accompanied by more and denser sparks of green light! That ghostly green light also became brighter and more unstable in the dim twilight, flickering and jumping in the direction of the riverbed.

Immediately after, Ling Ye felt a strong, chaotic energy fluctuation filled with violence and "desire" sweeping over from the riverbed like a tide! The core of this fluctuation firmly locked onto the direction where he was—or rather, it firmly locked onto the ball of ghostly blue light on his chest that he could not hide!

The "Worm Rock" had been attracted by the abnormal light and energy fluctuations of the xuanyuan ring! It had come out of the cave early and was charging toward his location, manic and with a clear target!

No, it wasn't coming entirely for him; it was coming for the xuanyuan ring! This thing had an extraordinary, almost instinctive, sense and "desire" for energy related to "the key"!

"Damn it!" Ling Ye cursed inwardly, instantly understanding the severity of the situation. The "Worm Rock" was no longer that well-behaved "Neighbor"; under the dual stimulation of the "Dark Nest" energy disturbance and the abnormality of the xuanyuan ring, it had become an out-of-control, aggressive predator! And he was the most conspicuous prey!

Run! He had to run immediately! He couldn't go back to the cave; that would lead the danger directly to his only shelter! Moreover, with the speed and mania the "Worm Rock" was currently displaying, he might not be able to rush into the cave and seal it before it arrived.

He glanced to the right, toward the deeper, steeper, and more rugged hills, away from the riverbed and the regular path of the "Worm Rock." Without hesitation, he bolted from his hiding spot, no longer trying to cover the light on his chest (he couldn't anyway), and pushed his speed to the limit, charging toward that area of loose rocks!

"Boom—!!!"

A loud noise of rocks being violently smashed and crushed came from behind him! As well as more piercing, more frenzied friction and the sound of green light bursting! The "Worm Rock" had discovered him and, with astonishing speed (relative to its usual pace), began to give chase!

Ling Ye didn't look back, leaping and climbing among the rugged rocks, using the complex terrain to try and open up some distance. But the ghostly blue light on his chest, like a beacon in the night, meant that no matter how he turned or hid, he could not shake off the "Worm Rock's" violent and precise lock-on.

He could feel that chaotic, violent energy fluctuation, as well as the heavy, rapid crushing sound, closing in fast! The distance between them was rapidly shrinking!

The speed of the "Worm Rock" far exceeded his estimates! After being stimulated, it had burst out with terrifying mobility!

If this continued, he would soon be caught! In this open area of loose rocks, once entangled, with the "Worm Rock's" rock-like body and potential corrosiveness, the consequences would be unimaginable!

A desperate situation!

A fierce glint flashed in Ling Ye's eyes. He couldn't just sit and wait for death! Since he couldn't outrun it, then...

He slammed on the brakes, made a sharp turn, and backed against a huge, semi-inclined rock wall. This was a small, relatively open clearing in the rock-strewn area, with stones of various sizes scattered around.

He took a deep breath, no longer trying to suppress the xuanyuan ring, but instead tried to actively communicate with the cold, obscure power within it, attempting to guide its light and fluctuations to become more concentrated and more "provocative," firmly attracting the "Worm Rock's" attention. At the same time, his right hand flashed into his pocket, grasping the object tightly wrapped in oil paper.

"Rustle, rustle, rustle—!! Boom!!"

Accompanied by a deafening sound of friction and impact, a half-human-high, wriggling "rock mass," covered in ghostly green cracks, constantly emitting sparks, and exuding a chaotic and violent aura, smashed through the rocks blocking its path and rushed into this small clearing, stopping abruptly less than ten meters from Ling Ye.

The true form of the "Worm Rock" was exposed to Ling Ye's sight so clearly for the first time. It looked like a large lump of dark, semi-molten rock and some kind of luminous gelatin, forcibly fused together, its surface covered with deep cracks that pulsed with ghostly green light like blood vessels. It had no eyes, no mouthparts, but Ling Ye could clearly feel a pure, greedy, and violent "gaze" toward the energy emitted by the xuanyuan ring, coming from the depths of that wriggling mass.

It seemed somewhat "confused," or perhaps "excited," as it slowly and irregularly wriggled in the clearing, adjusting the direction of its "body." The light from the ghostly green cracks flickered on and off, and more green sparks shot out from the cracks, making a "crackle" sound, landing on the surrounding ground and burning small scorch marks.

It was "observing," "locking on," and could launch a fatal strike at any moment.

Ling Ye backed against the rock wall, slowly and extremely steadily taking the oil-paper package from his pocket, and unhurriedly peeling it open layer by layer.

The ghostly blue light shone from his chest, illuminating his terrifyingly calm face, and also illuminating the heavy, dark revolver in his hand, which was slowly being raised and aimed at the "Worm Rock."