58: Teleport! To the scorching, deathly desert!

The white light dissipated.

A heatwave capable of roasting a person instantly enveloped Wang Yi's entire body.

He reflexively squinted; the blinding sunlight made it difficult for him to adjust for a moment.

Beneath his feet was no longer hard, cold marble flooring, but scorching, soft sand.

Looking as far as the eye could see, there was an endless expanse of golden desert.

Under the roasting glare of the blazing sun, the rolling sand dunes shimmered with distorted air, showing no signs of life.

"Hiss... So hot!"

Chen Hu's voice was the first to ring out in the team's voice channel, carrying a hint of grimacing pain.

Although the special operations uniforms they wore were breathable...

...the combat boots on their feet, stepping onto the sun-scorched sand, still felt that searing heat, as if they were walking on red-hot iron plates.

"Is this... the second dungeon?"

The archer girl Zhao Zihan looked at this deathly silent desert somewhat blankly and asked in a low voice.

"Everyone! Immediately check your equipment and physical condition! Sound off!"

Wang Yi's voice, calm and powerful, instantly dispelled the trace of panic in everyone's hearts caused by the sudden change in environment.

As the captain, he had to stabilize morale immediately.

"Number one, Wang Yi. Status good, equipment normal."

"Number two, Li Bingyao. Status good, equipment normal."

"Number three, Zhang Wei. Status good..."

"Number four, Chen Hu. Couldn't be better! It's just a bit hot!"

..."Number twenty, Zhao Zihan. Status good, equipment normal."

The twenty team members reported their status in turn.

Fortunately, nothing unexpected happened during the teleportation process; everyone and their equipment were intact.

"Captain, where are we now? What about that pyramid?"

Locksmith Wu Qiong looked around; there was nothing but sand.

This was the question everyone wanted to ask.

Just then, a steady and familiar voice came through the team's voice channel.

"Comrade Wang Yi, can you hear me? This is Lin Zhan."

It was General Lin Zhan!

Wang Yi's spirits lifted, and he immediately replied, "Reporting to General Lin! All members of the Dragon Team are in good condition and have successfully arrived in the dungeon world! Current location... is a desert, and no sign of the pyramid has been found yet."

"Don't panic. Comrade Su Yuan is determining your coordinates."

Lin Zhan's voice acted like a reassuring pill, allowing all the team members' hearts to settle completely.

They were not fighting alone; their powerful motherland was right behind them!

...Meanwhile, at the Dragon Country National Destiny Operations Center.

The massive main screen was already divided into twenty-one frames.

Twenty of them were the first-person perspectives of Wang Yi and the other members.

And in the very center, the largest screen showed Su Yuan's Administrator God-perspective.

At this moment, that God-perspective presented a vast panoramic view of the desert.

Amidst the endless yellow sand, a colossal Black Pyramid, like a mountain, stood silently in the distance.

Its structure displayed an eerie dark red hue, as if soaked in endless blood, radiating an ominous aura under the blazing sun.

"Found it!" Su Yuan immediately marked the pyramid's location on the map and then said to the operator beside him,

"Inform Wang Yi that the target is to their northeast, at a straight-line distance of about fifteen kilometers."

"Fifteen kilometers..."

Hearing this number, Li Guodong's brow furrowed.

"In a desert with an average temperature exceeding fifty degrees Celsius, trekking fifteen kilometers with heavy loads is no small drain on physical stamina."

Although the members of the Dragon Team had been enhanced by the t-virus, and their physical fitness far exceeded that of ordinary people, this extreme environment was still a massive test.

"It can't be helped; this is the first hurdle that must be faced."

Lin Zhan's expression was calm.

"It's just as well. Let's see exactly where the limits of these little fellows lie after their transformation."

His gaze was fixed intently on the screen, on Wang Yi's face, which was soaked with sweat but remained resolute... Within the dungeon world, in the desert.

After receiving the coordinates from the Command Center, Wang Yi did not hesitate and immediately issued an order.

"Everyone, listen up! Target: fifteen kilometers to the northeast! Maintain formation, move out!"

"Yes!"

The twenty-person team, like a sharp blade, began their arduous march toward the invisible Black Pyramid.

With every step into the sand, they would sink halfway, making it several times more exhausting than walking on level ground.

The sun overhead was like a giant fireball, mercilessly roasting the earth.

In less than ten minutes, everyone's combat uniforms were completely drenched in sweat.

"Damn, this hellhole is more uncomfortable than a sauna."

Chen Hu wiped the sweat from his face; his lips were already somewhat parched and cracked.

"Save your breath," Wang Yi's voice came from the front. "Maintain your breathing rhythm and pay attention to hydration."

Although they had been enhanced, they were still flesh and blood; the loss of water would directly affect their combat effectiveness.

Just then, Li Bingyao, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up in the channel.

"Everyone... do you feel it? Our bodies seem to be undergoing some... wonderful changes."

"Changes? What changes?" Chen Hu asked, puzzled.

"My body... seems to be automatically regulating its temperature. The pores on my skin are actively contracting to reduce the evaporation of water."

Li Bingyao's voice carried a hint of uncertainty and surprise.

"And, I feel... like I can draw a bit of... energy from the sunlight?"

Her words left everyone stunned.

Absorbing energy from sunlight? What kind of sci-fi plot was this?

But soon, other team members also began to notice abnormalities in their own bodies.

"That's right! I feel it too! My body feels warm inside, and I don't seem as tired!"

"My eyes... seem to be able to see much further! I can clearly see every ripple on the sand dunes five hundred meters away!"

"My strength... Heavens, I feel like I could kill a bull with one punch!" Chen Hu shouted in shock, feeling the explosive power within his muscles.

Wang Yi felt it too.

He could clearly feel every cell in his body cheering with joy.

It was as if they were naturally adapted to this harsh environment, continuously drawing strength from it and becoming stronger!

"It's the t-virus serum..."

Wang Yi understood instantly. "It didn't just enhance our basic attributes; it gave us... the ability to evolve! Our bodies are actively adapting to this world!"

This discovery sent all the team members into a state of immense euphoria!

They had thought that the enhancement from the t-virus serum ended once the injection was complete.

They hadn't expected that it was only the beginning!

They were becoming New Humans in the true sense of the word!

"Hahaha! This is awesome!" Chen Hu roared excitedly, the irritability brought on by the heat swept away. "So, doesn't that mean this hellhole is our natural training ground?"

"Don't celebrate too early," Wang Yi reminded him calmly. "Stay alert. This is the national destiny arena; danger could strike at any moment."

No sooner had he spoken...

...than a sudden change occurred!

Woooo—

A strange, violent wind blew in without warning from the edge of the horizon.

The previously relatively calm desert instantly became violent.

Countless grains of yellow sand were swept into the sky, blotting out the sun and turning the entire world dark in an instant.

"A sandstorm! It's a sandstorm!" a team member shouted in terror.

"Everyone! Form a circle back-to-back! Lower your center of gravity!" Wang Yi roared, making a split-second decision.

But the speed at which the wind intensified far exceeded their imagination.

In almost the blink of an eye, the overwhelming yellow sand formed a terrifying wall of sand a hundred meters high, crashing down toward these twenty tiny humans with thunderous force!

Before such cataclysmic natural power, even enhanced New Humans appeared incredibly fragile and insignificant.

"Holy shit! We're in big trouble now!" Chen Hu's face turned pale instantly as he looked at the wall of sand that seemed like the sky was falling.