Fantasy Game: Infinite City

Chapter 622 Rats (3)

The little golden-tailed mouse was curled up in the corner of Han Zu's coarse cloth bag, grooming its dusty fur with its paws. Suddenly, it sensed the owner of the bag pause, and Han Zu noticed something amiss. The mouse's nose also caught a strange scent—not the damp, fishy smell of moss, but a much older, heavier aroma, like the scent of wood buried deep underground for millennia. Han Zu's gaze locked onto the bronze torch stand on the wall not far away. He subtly adjusted his footing, leaning slightly forward to take in his surroundings.

The little mouse's sense of smell was ten times more acute than Han Zu's (it thought so, but in reality, Han Zu's sense of smell wasn't much different from the little mouse's at this moment, though it was indeed less acute), and it had already confirmed that the scent originated from the rusty bronze shelf. It secretly poked its head through a gap in the pocket and, by the eerie green of the fluorescent moss, saw several unusually deep scratches on the shelf's surface. The little mouse could clearly smell the defensive energy remaining on the shelf, while Han Zu's fingertips were already glowing with a very faint blackish-red halo, clearly also sensing this subtle energy fluctuation, but probing it discreetly. His fingertips repeatedly rubbed the edges of the scratches, his knuckles slightly curled, memorizing the direction and depth of the scratches.

The pocket swayed gently with Han Zu's movements. As he examined the torch stand, the dark red glow at his fingertips flickered, a test of the energy's properties. The little mouse quickly shrank back, its paws gripping the thread inside the pocket tightly—the last time Han Zu displayed this power, even hard rocks turned to dust; it didn't want to be affected by the scorching energy. A slight vibration came from the pocket when Han Zu touched the torch stand against the wall, caused by his movement. He didn't stop, taking another step, but in that instant, he glanced at the ground around the torch stand, memorizing the location of a few scattered rust particles—a detail that secretly alarmed the little mouse in the pocket.

His steps resumed, the trouser pockets rippling rhythmically against his skin. The little mouse measured the folds of the fabric with its paw, estimating that Han Zu's strides were lighter than before, his feet barely making a sound when they landed—he seemed to have entered a state of alertness. The little mouse could feel the tension in Han Zu's muscles; the force transmitted through the pockets was steady and even, without the slightest hint of panic. Occasionally, a trace of warmth flashed in the outside air—the faint, flickering flames on Han Zu's body, yet always kept to a very small extent, maintaining vigilance without wasting energy. This precise control of his strength revealed his ease and composure, like a leopard that could unleash its claws at any moment while remaining elegant.

The dripping sound of water from the depths of the corridor, mixed with the faint chirping of unknown insects, was particularly jarring in the silence. The little mouse's whiskers twitched uneasily; this environment harbored too many unknown dangers. The pocket suddenly stopped, followed by a turning force—Han Zu had reached a fork in the road. He didn't immediately take a step, but bent down, touched the damp ground with his fingertips, and listened intently to the sounds on both sides. The little mouse, pressed against the pocket wall, could sense through its whiskers protruding from the pocket and its contact with Han Zu's body: the air in the right fork was smooth, and the ground vibrated steadily; the left was filled with chaotic energy fluctuations and a hint of coldness. Han Zu lightly tapped the ground with his fingertips, judging from the echo that the left fork was narrower, but also more likely to hold clues; his body had already leaned slightly to the left.

As expected, Han Zu chose the left fork in the road, leading the little mouse into the narrow passage. Occasionally, the soft sound of stones crumbling overhead could be heard, and droplets of water seeping from the cracks in the walls fell, hitting the little mouse's head with a cold touch that made it shiver. Han Zu's steps, however, were remarkably steady. Before each step, he would lightly test the ground with his toes, ensuring it was stable before taking a firm step, always avoiding slippery mossy areas. His left hand remained pressed against the wall, his fingertips sensing the vibrations, allowing him to anticipate falling rocks and detect any hidden doors or mechanisms. The little mouse could feel his steady breathing; even when he sensed the unstable path, he showed no impatience.

After walking about twenty steps, Han Zu suddenly stopped. The little mouse peered through the crack and saw irregular circular marks on the ground, with fine engravings along the edges—these seemed to be traces of some kind of mechanism. Although the little mouse had never been to this area before, it had seen similar mechanisms before. It remembered and had witnessed the energy surges from these mechanisms when activated, which could easily tear apart small creatures. The little mouse quickly curled up into a ball, its paws gripping the fabric tightly. Han Zu had already crouched down, his fingertips lightly touching the edges of the marks, his fingertips sensing the depth and direction of the engravings. He quickly determined that these were traces of a trigger mechanism. A faint aura of flame emanated from his body, but he controlled it extremely well, forming only a thin energy barrier on his surface, both protecting against the mechanism and preventing energy fluctuations. This reaction speed and control far exceeded the little mouse's expectations.

Han Zu followed the markings with unparalleled precision, each step landing safely within the gaps between the markings. Twenty meters later, a hidden stone door appeared in the wall ahead. He didn't push it open rashly, but instead circled the door, observing the growth of moss on the wall—the moss in the cracks of the door was noticeably sparser, indicating recent opening. He extended his finger, pressing the flame in his palm close to the crack. The dark red flame gently burned, melting the rust in the crack without damaging the door's structure. A moment later, the door opened slowly with a soft "click," and the little mouse quickly closed its eyes to avoid the rising dust. The air in the stone chamber was stuffy. There were no footprints on the dust on the central stone platform. Han Zu's gaze was already fixed on the runes on the platform, his footsteps so light they didn't even disturb the dust.

The runes on the stone platform were rapidly gathering energy, and the little mouse couldn't help but let out soft squeaks, its paws gently scratching the inside of its pocket. Han Zu paused, thinking a small insect had crawled into his pocket. There were indeed many small insects in this place, but unlike those giant insect-like monsters, most were small creatures that avoided light and posed no threat to him. Han Zu naturally didn't bother with them, so his movements were somewhat nonchalant and composed. He didn't immediately enter the stone chamber, but instead used his X-ray vision to observe the interior of the chamber by observing the light reflected from the fluorescent moss. Only after confirming that there were no hidden traps did he step inside. The runes on the stone platform instantly lit up with golden light, forming a semi-transparent light shield that enveloped the stone chamber. However, Han Zu was prepared; the flames around him slightly surged, easily blocking the energy impact of the light shield.

The ground began to tremble, and a mechanical clicking sound came from beneath the stone platform. Peering through the crack, the little mouse saw an exquisite wooden box slowly rising, its surface beautifully carved and emitting a faint fragrance. Han Zu didn't hesitate; he stepped forward and picked up the box, his fingertips first touching the bottom—he had already noticed the subtle wear where the box met the stone platform, deducing that it was frequently removed. When his fingertips touched the clan emblem on the bottom, the little mouse felt Han Zu's muscles tense instantly; it was a familiar reaction, an instinct when finding a crucial clue. His fingertips gently caressed the emblem's patterns, memorizing the details, his movements so gentle as not to damage the carvings on the box's surface.

As Han Zu placed the wooden box in his robes, he deliberately adjusted its position to avoid squeezing it. The little mouse could sense that Han Zu's gaze had shifted to the other side of the stone chamber—the half-open hidden door, from which a damp atmosphere seeped in through the crack. Han Zu had clearly discovered this hidden door long ago; while examining the wooden box, he had been observing the shadows behind it out of the corner of his eye. As he approached the hidden door, his steps were deliberately light, and the power of the flames quietly gathered, ready to respond to any potential danger. The little mouse instinctively resisted the dampness, its paws gripping the inside of its pocket tightly, its body curled up into a ball, while Han Zu pushed open the hidden door. A strong, humid, and decaying smell rushed out, yet the little mouse remained unfazed.

"Splash..."

The place behind the hidden door was not as narrow as Han Zu had imagined; on the contrary, it was very spacious. However, it was very dark and damp. The dampness was caused by a large amount of water inside the passage and moss-like plants that had grown from the water and covered the surrounding walls and ceiling.

As Han Zu continued deeper into the passage, he noticed the water level gradually increased. Initially, the water only reached his ankles, but as he ventured further, it rose above his knees, soaking his trousers completely. The icy water seeped from the bottom of his soaked pockets up to the little mouse's paws. The cold touch made the mouse shiver; the water seeped into the fabric, quickly wetting its fur. Han Zu's steps dragged through the water, yet he maintained a steady rhythm.

"Although this place has a downward slope, the rising water level is clearly abnormal. There may have been a collapse, and groundwater may have been flowing back in... Wait, perhaps it's just due to the special influence of this location?"

The little mouse was unaware of Han Zu's inner thoughts, and naturally couldn't know his true strength. It only knew that Han Zu precisely avoided underwater pebbles and depressions with every step. Even as they went deeper, the passage grew increasingly dark, and even the little mouse itself could no longer see its surroundings clearly, only feeling the current and dampness. Yet, in this darkness, Han Zu's pace didn't slow down at all, and his steps remained perfectly steady. He didn't even use flames for light, but the little mouse could still feel the warmth from the flames. Its claws clung tightly to the edge of the bag, afraid that Han Zu might slip and throw it out. It could swim, and quite fast at that, but staying in water at this temperature for a long time would be extremely dangerous, even fatal, for the little mouse. So, no matter what, the little mouse wouldn't leave Han Zu, at least not now. This little guy was quite intelligent.

After walking fifty meters, the space suddenly opened up, and the vibrations of the water subsided—they had entered a large area. Judging from the furnishings, this place was likely another cell block. Han Zu stopped, his gaze slowly sweeping over the water. There was the same poisonous moss here, and to ensure it wouldn't interfere with their later actions, Han Zu used the power of fire to burn it off. While Han Zu was burning the poisonous moss, the little mouse, using the light from the fire, peeked out through the gap in the pocket.

Dozens of cells were vaguely visible, neatly arranged, most of the cell doors rotten and broken, murky water overflowing the thresholds and pooling in the center of the stone hall. The stench of decay in the air was even stronger; the little rats could distinguish the mixed smells of rotting fabric, rusted metal, and corpses. Han Zu's gaze paused, as if he had spotted a clue, lingering on the iron bars of a cell—there hung a tattered piece of uniform fabric, the color of which matched the uniforms of the recovery team.

The water had reached the middle of the pocket, and the icy flow made the little mouse shiver. Han Zu leaned forward slightly, quickening his pace. The resistance of the water didn't slow him down; instead, it helped him pinpoint his direction—the cell with the uniform fabric hanging there. Suddenly, he stopped, his gaze shifting downwards, spotting a strand of black hair floating in the water. He crouched down, his movements so gentle as not to splash much, and lightly lifted the strand of hair with his fingertips. He compared it to the fabric on the iron bars, then turned towards the inside of the cell. The little mouse pressed itself against the fabric, peeking through the gaps to see a uniformed corpse floating beside the iron bars.

As Han Zu waded into the cell, the current became violent, yet he calmly stopped beside the corpse and crouched down to examine it. The little mouse could see a huge claw mark on the corpse's chest; the edges of the wound were blackened and swollen, clearly not caused by an ordinary wild animal. Han Zu's fingers gently touched the corpse's skin, then examined the eyelids and fingernails, his movements professional and gentle. The little mouse could feel a slight vibration from Han Zu's fingertips; it had clearly noticed something unusual—large areas of the corpse's skin had peeled away, revealing the blackened muscle beneath, a rate of decomposition far exceeding normal. Han Zu's gaze swept over the collar of the corpse's uniform, where there was a faint serial number. He silently read it, memorizing the number, and then checked the equipment pouch at the corpse's waist. He found the contents still intact, proving that when he died, there were no other companions around, or rather, they hadn't had time to retrieve his belongings. Based on this, it was deduced that this deceased member of the retrieval team might have encountered some kind of enemy in this place, or triggered some kind of trap.