Chapter 48 A corpse... three thousand kilometers in diameter?

"giant beast skeleton……"

Chen Weiguo looked at the line of text on the screen that exuded an ominous aura, his brows furrowing tightly.

Every unlocking of a new region meant brand new opportunities, and even greater, unknown risks.

"Did the system provide an introduction to the new region?" he asked in a deep voice, his voice echoing in the silent Command Center.

Everyone stopped the cheering for the birth of the "ghost" and their expressions became serious again, their gazes turning in unison toward Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan was currently immersed in the ecstasy of obtaining his new "ride," and upon hearing Chen Weiguo's question, he composed himself and focused his consciousness on the last line of the system panel.

【Salvage Area: No. 003 "giant beast skeleton"】

【Region Type: Ancient Biological Civilization Mother Nest Remains】

【Region Danger Level: High】

【Region Characteristics: This region is a giant biological remain with a diameter exceeding three thousand kilometers. The internal structure of the remains is complex, like a maze, and retains powerful biological energy and spiritual pollution. There is a probability of discovering rare biotechnology and genetic samples.】

【Warning: This region contains special mutants that feed on biological remains, the "Void Devourer," as well as other unknown native predators.】

When Lin Yuan relayed this information word for word, the entire Command Center fell into a deathly silence.

You could hear a pin drop.

Everyone was stunned by the sheer amount of information contained in this description and couldn't speak for a long time.

"Three…… three thousand kilometers?!" a young astronomer said, their voice trembling, "A…… corpse with a diameter of three thousand kilometers? This…… this is even bigger than the Moon!"

The Moon's diameter is over three thousand four hundred kilometers.

In other words, the next target they were going to explore was a corpse of a…… creature that was about the same size as the Moon, unimaginably huge!

"This…… this can no longer be called a 'creature,' right? This is simply a…… planet that can move!"

"Ancient biological civilization…… mother nest remains……" Academician Wang muttered to himself. In his eyes, which had regained their clarity, flickered a complex light mixed with fear, awe, and fanaticism, "If the 'Eternal Flower' civilization walked the path to the extreme of genes and souls, then this biological civilization likely walked the path to the extreme of flesh and evolution!"

"Spiritual pollution……" the Minister of Security keenly seized upon another keyword, his expression turning very ugly, "Comrade Lin Yuan only absorbed an awareness core that had been 'purified' last time and almost became brain-dead. If he enters a region filled with 'spiritual pollution' directly this time, the consequences…… I dare not imagine!"

"Also, 'special mutants Void Devourer,' 'unknown native predators'……" the Minister of Intelligence Analysis added, "This means the danger of this new region is multifaceted. Not only are there the 'Void Devourer' we have already encountered, but also other ghostly things we know nothing about."

"Danger Level: High." Chen Weiguo looked at these words, feeling as if a great mountain was pressing down on his heart.

The previous "Ghost Route" only had a danger level of "medium," yet it had already caused them to narrowly escape death several times, and even cost them a drone.

Then what kind of terrifying den of tigers and dragons would this "high" danger level region be?

In the conference room, the atmosphere became incomparably heavy.

"Are we…… still going?" Li Na asked in a low voice, asking the question that was in everyone's heart.

"I suggest we do not go for now!" the Minister of Security stated first, his attitude very resolute, "The "ghost" has just been built, and our understanding of its performance is still limited to theoretical and preliminary testing stages. Comrade Lin Yuan's 'tutoring class' has only just begun. We should seek stability!"

"I agree." The head of another department also nodded, "I suggest we should first return to Area 002, the 'Ghost Route.' We already have some understanding of that place, and there is an absolutely safe 'haven.' We can utilize the powerful performance of the "ghost" to first safely and efficiently perform resource recovery in the 'Ghost Route.'"

"There are countless medical ships like the 'cradle of life' there, and countless civilian spaceship wrecks! These are all treasures of immense value! We can completely finish farming the resources in these 'newbie villages' first, and wait until we have thoroughly mastered them and raised the country's overall strength to a new level before challenging that 'giant beast skeleton'!"

This proposal received the approval of most of the people present.

You have to eat one bite at a time, and walk one step at a time.

Now they had two trump cards in their hands, and as long as they were given enough time, they had the confidence to make Daxia's technological level lead the world by a hundred years within ten years.

There was no need to take that kind of life-or-death risk again.

However, Academician Wang shook his head.

His young and vibrant face was now filled with a deep worry that did not match his age.

"We still do not have time."

It was this sentence again.

The exact same words as when they decided to enter the 'Ghost Route' last time.

"Old Wang, what do you mean by that?" Chen Weiguo asked, frowning, "Our current situation is much better than last time. We have our own energy, the possibility of extending life, and our strength is growing rapidly. Why do you still say we don't have time?"

"Because our enemy might also be 'growing rapidly.'" Academician Wang's gaze swept across everyone present and finally landed on Lin Yuan.

"Lin Yuan, I ask you, from that 'ashilya' database, did you find any more information about the 'Ultimate Wither,' that is, the 'Void Devourer'?"

Lin Yuan was stunned for a moment, then closed his eyes and began to "search" rapidly in his mind.

After a moment, he opened his eyes, his face turning somewhat pale.

"Yes……" he said with difficulty, "In 'ashilya's' memories, there is the final observation record of the 'Ultimate Wither' by the top cosmologist of their civilization."

"That record says…… 'Ultimate Wither,' it is not a…… constant phenomenon. It is…… 'evolving.'"

"Evolving?!"

These two words made everyone's heart skip a beat.

"Yes, evolving." Lin Yuan's voice carried a tremor he hadn't even noticed himself, "According to their observations, the 'Ultimate Wither,' that is, the 'Void Devourer,' after consuming more matter and energy, especially after consuming the creations of higher civilizations, its 'form' and 'ability' will change."

"They will become…… smarter, more powerful, and even…… produce different 'mutants.' Just like the 'special mutants that feed on biological remains' we saw in the new region introduction this time."

"The most terrifying thing is……" Lin Yuan swallowed, stating a conclusion that made everyone's hair stand on end.

"At the end of that record, there is a most daring and most desperate guess."

"That cosmologist believed that the 'Ultimate Wither' is not a natural disaster."

"It…… might be a…… 'living thing' that we cannot understand, one that feeds on the entire universe."

"And those 'Void Devourers' we have seen might just be its…… small, feeding…… 'cells.'"

The entire Command Center was deathly silent.

Everyone felt a chill shoot from the soles of their feet straight to their scalps.

A…… living thing that feeds on the universe?

This concept had completely exceeded the limits of human imagination.

If this were true, then human civilization would not even count as a speck of dust in front of such an "existence."

"Therefore……" Academician Wang took over the conversation, his voice incomparably heavy, "We can no longer view danger with a static perspective. We thought that if we became stronger, we would be safer. But we don't know that our enemy might be becoming stronger at a speed one hundred times, one thousand times faster than us!"

"We are now like a boat sailing against the current in a constantly rising tide. We can only survive if we row to a 'shore' high enough at the fastest speed. Any pause or hesitation will only lead to one result—being drowned!"

"The value of the 'Ghost Route' is no longer great for us. Civilian technology can make us live better, but it cannot make us survive in the face of a true apocalypse!"

"And that 'giant beast skeleton'……" Academician Wang's eyes reignited with a fanatical fire, "A civilization that can evolve a body the size of the Moon—the 'biotechnology' they mastered is very likely the only straw we can grasp to save our lives!"

"I need more powerful strength! I need technology that can fundamentally change our life form! We need a…… gamble that is even crazier than any before!"

"Therefore, I suggest we enter Area 003, 'giant beast skeleton,' immediately!"

"Target—that corpse of a 'god' that has been dead for who knows how many tens of thousands of years!"