260: Chapter 260 The Gravedigger

The three words "Grave Digger" struck the silent cave like three cold, rusted tombstones, stirring up hollow echoes. The air seemed to stagnate and cool because of this eerie title.

Upon hearing these three words, Ling Ye's heart seemed to skip a beat, only to resume beating at a steadier, slower rhythm. He did not ask immediately; his eyes, fixed on the "Neighbor," simply grew deeper, as if trying to pierce through the other's cloudy eyeballs to see everything hidden deep within its Soul.

"The 'abyssal eye's... Grave Digger?" he repeated slowly, his voice hoarse from thirst and exhaustion, yet exceptionally calm. "What does that mean? Do you dig graves for the 'abyssal eye'? Or... are you the 'grave' that the 'abyssal eye' prepared for itself?"

The "Neighbor"—no, perhaps it should be called the "Grave Digger" now—seemed slightly surprised by Ling Ye's quick reaction and precise point of entry. In its cloudy eyes, pain and guilt deepened, mixed with a hint of bitterness that bordered on self-mockery.

"...It is the latter, and... it is the former." Its voice was even drier; every word it spoke seemed to abrade its vocal cords. "I... was once a research assistant in the lower levels of the 'Dark Nest'... studying the... materialized form of 'abyssal eye' pollution... Codename... 'Grave Digger-7'."

Ling Ye's pupils contracted imperceptibly. A researcher from the Dark Nest! Although only from the lower levels, and only an assistant, this was the first living person to have such a close-range, direct connection to the core secrets of the "Dark Nest" in this manner! Moreover, it was one studying the "materialized form of 'abyssal eye' pollution"! This explained its knowledge of those eerie Ore, and also explained why it had come into contact with pollution, and even... been polluted!

"Continue." Ling Ye's voice remained steady, but the pressure contained within it made the air even heavier.

The "Grave Digger" closed its eyes, as if gathering strength, and also as if resisting memories. A moment later, it opened them again, casting its gaze toward the darkness of the cave ceiling, as if staring at some distant and terrifying past.

"The 'abyssal eye'... is not just energy pollution, no... not just mental erosion. It... has a material form. Or rather, its high-concentration pollution energy can induce, catalyze, and distort specific substances, forming... material aberrations that are infectious, active, and even... partially intelligent. We... call them 'Abyssal Remains'."

"Abyssal Remains"... Ling Ye immediately thought of that eerie "Worm Rock," which looked like a mixture of rock and gelatin, and the "rustling," malicious existence deep within the cave. So, that was "Abyssal Remains"! It was the material manifestation of 'abyssal eye' pollution!

"My job... was to assist in collecting, analyzing, and recording... different types of 'Abyssal Remains' samples, studying their generation conditions, activity patterns, pollution characteristics... and..." It paused, its voice carrying a hint of imperceptible trembling, "...finding possible... 'stabilization' or 'neutralization' treatment methods. At least, that was the theory."

"And in reality?" Ling Ye asked coldly.

"In reality..." The "Grave Digger" revealed a trace of an extremely sorrowful, near-collapsing, miserable smile, "...it was screening, testing, and cultivating... 'better,' more 'controllable' varieties of 'Abyssal Remains.' To be used for... weaponization. Or, as a 'crude embryo' for some kind of... energy. The people above wanted to utilize this power. We, the low-level 'Grave Diggers,' were just the miners and... fertilizer who dug for them and selected the seeds."

Fertilizer... Ling Ye's heart sank. The terrifying pollution erosion on its right hand was likely the result of long-term contact, or perhaps even being used as some kind of "test subject"!

"About... half a year ago, a routine deep-layer sample collection mission went terribly wrong." The "Grave Digger"'s voice became ethereal, as if it had fallen back into that nightmare, "Our team... stumbled into an... unmarked, exceptionally active 'Abyssal Remains' enrichment zone. It... was like a nest. We disturbed... something. It wasn't ordinary 'Abyssal Remains,' it was... something older, more powerful, and seemingly possessing some kind of primitive aggregate consciousness... 'The Mother of Abyssal Remains.' Or rather, it was an... incomplete, deformed 'organ' of the 'abyssal eye' in the material world."

Ling Ye held his breath. He remembered that terrifying, disturbed "thing" deep in the cave, that cold, malicious energy fluctuation, that nauseating sense of presence that seemed to come from another dimension.

"We... were almost completely wiped out. Only I, because I was a bit further away and carrying... the latest experimental 'pollution stabilization/isolation device' prototype issued by the higher-ups, luckily... was not immediately devoured. But the device overloaded and was destroyed while resisting the 'Mother's' energy shock. The shock of the explosion, mixed with high-concentration pollution energy, and... a 'fragment' or 'seed' of that 'Mother,' all... embedded into my right arm."

The "Grave Digger" painfully raised that gray-green right hand, looking at the hideous markings on it, its eyes filled with desperate fear and disgust.

"I... have become a living, moving, unstable source of 'Abyssal Remains' pollution and... a 'Dao Beacon' for that 'Mother.' I can feel... a trace of that thing's chaotic consciousness, whispering and roaring inside my body, inside my brain... It is... locating me, calling me, wanting to drag me and the 'Abyssal Remains' matter around me back into its 'embrace,' to become a part of it."

"So, you fled from the 'Dark Nest'." Ling Ye's voice rang out in the dead-silent cave, carrying cold insight.

"Yes... I used the chaos of the explosion and the last bit of functionality remaining in the damaged device to temporarily shield and suppress some of the pollution's activity, faking my death to escape. I didn't dare go to any place with people, fearing the spread of pollution, and also fearing being caught back by the 'Dark Nest' people... to be used as a more precious 'test subject.' I could only... hide in this wasteland. I wanted to... find a place far away from everything, quietly... wait for death, or... before that thing completely controls me, end myself, and bury the pollution and myself together."

"And the Ore in the cave?" Ling Ye asked.

"...Those are... the 'excrement' or 'secretions' of 'Abyssal Remains,' highly concentrated, inert, but still infectious crystals of 'Abyssal Remains' matter. That cave must have been a... small, long-abandoned or dormant 'Abyssal Remains' enrichment point. I discovered it while fleeing, and initially wanted to use the... relatively inert 'Abyssal Remains' matter inside to try and make a... crude 'isolation device,' or... at least, slow down the deterioration of my body. But..."

"But you couldn't help yourself, you went to study, to dig, wanting to find a way to control or utilize that substance, or even... solve the problem in your body. As a result, you ended up disturbing something deeper below, or... making the 'Mother's' location of you even clearer." Ling Ye finished the second half of the sentence for it, his tone devoid of mockery, possessing only a cold, declarative quality.

The "Grave Digger"'s body trembled violently as its hidden thoughts were spoken aloud, the guilt in its eyes almost overflowing: "Yes... I... was too stupid, too greedy, and too... desperate. I wanted to grasp at any straw. As a result... I only accelerated the collapse. I dug up things I shouldn't have, disturbing some secondary 'Abyssal Remains' below... that might have been sleeping, and had a weak connection to that 'Mother.' It also made the pollution inside me more active, almost... completely out of control. I know... I'm not going to make it. That's why I left those... chaotic 'Stone Language' messages, wanting to warn you, wanting you to leave quickly... it... was also... a kind of useless confession."

The truth was revealed in a way that was darker and more desperate than Ling Ye had anticipated.

The dying, pollution-ridden "Neighbor" before him was no mysterious wilderness survival Great Master, but a "Grave Digger" who had escaped from the darkest, most dangerous research project of the "Dark Nest," eroded by pollution, and was itself a source of disaster. Its bow, its survival skills, its "Stone Language," and even the "trade" it attempted to establish, were all twisted products of desperate struggle and the last shred of human conscience.

And what it brought was not just a bow and some dried meat, but a moving, unstable source of pollution tracked by the terrifying "Mother of Abyssal Remains," as well as a lethal entanglement directly related to the core secrets of the "abyssal eye."

Ling Ye having saved it meant that he had taken this huge trouble upon himself. The "thing" in that cave, the "Mother's" tracking, the pollution that could erupt at any moment... now, all had become imminent survival crises he had to face.

Inside the cave, it was deathly silent. There was only the "Grave Digger"'s heavy, painful breathing, and the ceaseless sound of the wind outside the cave.

Ling Ye leaned against the cave wall and slowly closed his eyes. He needed time to digest this shocking, heavy truth, and he also needed to think about what... to do next.

Kill the "Grave Digger," cut off the source of pollution, and then flee immediately? This was the "cleanest" approach, the one most in line with survival instincts. But... had the "Mother's Dao Beacon" inside the "Grave Digger" already locked onto this area? If he killed it, would the pollution erupt instantly? Would the "thing" in the cave be completely disturbed because of it?

Leave the "Grave Digger" to fend for itself? There was little difference between that and killing it, and besides, in its current state, death was almost certain, and the eruption of pollution after death would be equally dangerous.

Then... continue to save it? Use the little bit of strength he had just recovered to confront that terrifying pollution directly related to the "abyssal eye," to confront the tracking of the unknown "Mother of Abyssal Remains"? This was akin to a mantis trying to stop a chariot; it was suicide upon suicide.

All three paths seemed to lead to a dead end.

However, Ling Ye's closed eyes, in the darkness, seemed to see more things.

He saw the "Grave Digger"'s eyes warning him to run when it was on the verge of death. He saw those silently exchanged supplies that represented goodwill and mutual aid. He saw that bow, and the figure of the prey falling when the bowstring rang out. He saw the bottomless pain and guilt in the "Grave Digger" when it recounted its identity and encounter, and... a trace of the unwillingness and struggle belonging to a "human," which had been completely crushed by cruel fate, yet had not been completely extinguished.

The "Grave Digger" was trouble, a danger, a source of pollution.

But it was also a living, unique "source of intelligence" that held core confidential information about the "abyssal eye," "Abyssal Remains," and the "Dark Nest."

Moreover, it seemed... not to be entirely on the side of the "abyssal eye" or the "Dark Nest." It was a victim, a fugitive, a desperate "Grave Digger" attempting self-destruction to end the pollution.

Perhaps... in a desperate situation, danger and opportunity are two sides of the same coin.

Ling Ye slowly opened his eyes. His gaze fell back onto the "Grave Digger"'s gray, painful face.

"How strong is the connection between the 'pollution' inside you and that 'Mother'?" Ling Ye's voice broke the silence, calm and without a ripple. "If I continue to use the previous method to try and suppress, or even... guide and transform the pollution energy inside you, what is the probability that I can temporarily stabilize your condition, or even... shield the 'Mother's' perception?"

The "Grave Digger" suddenly widened its eyes, looking at Ling Ye in disbelief, as if it had heard a fantasy.

"You... are you crazy?!" Its voice became even hoarser from shock. "You just... made slight contact, and you were almost backlashed by the pollution! That method... consumes a huge amount, is extremely dangerous, and the success rate... is negligible! And, even if suppressed temporarily, that 'Dao Beacon' is carved onto my Soul and body; as long as I am alive, it will..."

"I know." Ling Ye interrupted it, his voice still calm, but carrying an unquestionable, cold determination. "Therefore, I need your cooperation. Tell me about the characteristics of the pollution inside you, about the principle of that 'Mother''s perception, about the energy structure of those 'Abyssal Remains' Ore... everything you know. We are not fighting the 'abyssal eye,' at least not right now. We are... trying to survive. Using the knowledge in your brain, this body of mine that I can still barely use, and this little... special 'capital' I have that can barely resist pollution, let's gamble on a chance to live."

He looked at the "Grave Digger" and said word by word: "Either we work together to find a way to temporarily stabilize you, then leave here, find a safer, more hidden place, and plan for the long term. Or, I leave right now, leave you here, waiting for that 'thing' to come knocking, or... the pollution to erupt completely. You choose."

This was not an act of benevolent charity, but a cold invitation to cooperate. It was using the "Grave Digger"'s knowledge and secrets to exchange for Ling Ye's strength and protection, to face the imminent death threat stemming from the "abyssal eye" together.

The "Grave Digger" stared fixedly at Ling Ye; in its cloudy eyes, shock, fear, struggle, hesitation, and... a trace of weak, almost unadmitted hope ignited by this crazy proposal were churning violently.

It knew that what Ling Ye said was the truth. Staying here alone meant only death, and dying without any value, possibly even bringing about a greater disaster. And cooperation... although the hope was slim and extremely dangerous, at least... there was still a glimmer of life, still a little... possibility of changing this desperate fate.

After a long silence, the "Grave Digger"'s cracked lips slowly pulled into a smile that was uglier than crying, yet carried a hint of resolute arc.

"...Okay. I... will tell you. Everything... I know."

The wilderness alliance was re-forged on the edge of the abyss, where blood and pollution, despair and secrets were intertwined, in a more twisted, more dangerous, yet also more intimate way.

This time, what they were confronting was no longer just hunger, cold, and the perils of the wilderness.

But the shadow of the "abyssal eye"—which loomed over the city, lurked deep in the soil, and eroded all living things.