Spirit Pact Hundred Scenes Record

Chapter 26 Entrance to the Underground Labyrinth

Karen regained consciousness amidst sharp tinnitus and excruciating pain throughout her body.

The first sensation was cold. Not the cold of temperature, but a deep, bone-chilling emptiness, a chilling emptiness that came from the excessive draining of spiritual energy, as if someone had scooped out something vital from his body with a spoon, leaving a hissing, drafty void. Then came the specific pain: the dull ache from his back hitting the rock wall, the burning sensation from the overuse of his spiritual runes, and the strong, metallic taste of blood in his nose and mouth.

He opened his eyes—a simple action that seemed incredibly difficult—his vision was initially a blurry double image, then slowly focused.

Xi Guang's face filled most of his vision. The cub's amber eyes were filled with anxiety as it licked his cheek with its rough tongue, conveying fragmented, worried thoughts: Wake up... Karen... Wake up...

"I...I'm fine..." Karen said hoarsely, his voice cracking like two sheets of sandpaper rubbing together. He tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through his left shoulder; it might be dislocated, or worse. He could only support himself with his right hand on the ground, barely managing to prop himself up.

Look around.

They were still in the cave filled with imprisoned spirits and black crystals, but the scene had changed. In the center of the cave, the enormous, amorphous guardian had vanished—no, not vanished, but "disintegrated."

Leah and Shadow's combined attack had clearly struck the core. Where the Guardian had stood, only a large pool of charred, smoky remains remained, resembling fragments of a giant insect's burnt carapace, mixed with shattered black crystals and viscous black liquid. The remains were still writhing slightly, but had lost their unified shape and aggression, like a decapitated snake's last nervous reflexes.

Leah leaned against a rock a few meters away, panting heavily. The wound on her calf had been hastily bandaged with strips of torn cloth, but blood still seeped through, staining the area red. Her face was pale, and her hair was soaked with sweat and clung to her face, but her green eyes remained sharp, fixed on the pile of wreckage, wary of a possible dying counterattack.

The shadowy figure crouched atop a high cluster of crystals, its dark fur stained with black dirt but appearing unharmed. Its silver eyes scanned the depths of the cave, its ears twitching slightly as if listening intently.

"Is it dead?" Karen asked hoarsely.

"The core is destroyed," Shadow's voice echoed in his mind, tinged with weariness. "But the contamination remains. These remnants... may recombine into smaller, more troublesome things. We cannot linger."

Leah struggled to her feet and limped over. "How are you? Can you walk?"

Karen tried to move his left arm, the sharp pain making him gasp. "My shoulder might be dislocated. But my leg is fine." He looked into the depths of the cave, where the energy converged, and where the ancient tree elder had mentioned the black meteorite. "We must continue. Time is running out."

The shadow leaped down from the crystal cluster and landed beside Karen. "Your left shoulder injury needs treatment. The longer it's dislocated, the more difficult it is to reset, and it could even damage the nerves."

It extended its claws—not paw pads, but sharp, gleaming tips—and gently touched Karen's left shoulder joint. The claws sent a chill through her, followed by a strange, slightly numbing energy. It wasn't treatment, but rather some kind of temporary "anesthesia" and "immobilization."

"The joint has been temporarily stabilized and the pain has been reduced, but this will only last for about an hour." Shadow retracted its claws. "If it hasn't reset by then, the injury will worsen. Now, stand up."

With Xiguang's help, Karen stood up. His left shoulder didn't hurt as much, but it felt stiff, like it was bound by an invisible shackle. He picked up the crossbow that had fallen to the side—there were only three arrows left in the quiver. Xiguang nuzzled his leg. The cub wasn't in good condition either; its golden fur was somewhat dull, and its breathing was a little rapid. The battle and maintaining the light psionic shield had taken a heavy toll.

"Let's go." Leah adjusted the bandage on her leg and gripped the dagger tightly again. "The core is just ahead. I can feel the energy fluctuations there... they're very unstable."

They bypassed the pile of guardian remains and headed deeper into the cave.

The further you go, the more obvious the changes in the environment become.

The growth of the black crystals became more "organic." They were no longer simply mineral proliferations, but rather spread, branched, and intertwined on the cave walls and ceiling like blood vessels, neural networks, or the internal organs of some giant organism. The dark red light flowing on the crystal surface became brighter, and the pulsation frequency increased, as if that deformed heart was beating faster.

The air was thicker and colder. Every breath felt like swallowing ice crystals, and a stinging pain shot through their lungs. The "repulsion" and "malice" in the psionic environment were almost tangible, like countless icy hands pushing and scratching at their skin and consciousness.

And those spirits imprisoned in the crystals... there were even more of them.

Karen saw a swarm of luminous planktonic organisms encased in a massive, coffin-shaped black crystal. Their tiny bodies were mostly crystallized, like insects in amber, yet still emitting a final, desperate glow. She saw a stag whose antlers had turned into black crystals, half its body swallowed by the crystal, its remaining head gazing up at the cave ceiling, black, crystallized tears streaming from its empty eye sockets. She even saw the remains of some humans—not modern people, but explorers dressed in ancient clothing, perhaps hundreds of years ago who had strayed into this place. Their bones had been replaced by black crystals, remaining in the posture of their last moments, as if screaming silently.

This place is not only a breeding ground for pollution, but also a massive, living tomb.

Xiguang clung tightly to Karen's leg, the fear emanating from the cub almost tangible. Its amber eyes were fixed on its imprisoned kin and humans, a suppressed, sorrowful whimper escaping its throat. The winged lion's respect for life and awe of death were ingrained in its blood, and this scene before its young mind was far too impactful.

Karen gently stroked its head, conveying a sense of comfort. But her own heart was heavy. This was the truth of pollution: it devours everything, transforms everything, turning vibrant life into nourishment and decoration for its own expansion.

They reached the end of the cave.

Here lies a massive, downward-splitting gap, as if a mineral vein had been torn apart from the inside by some immense force. The edges of the gap are extremely irregular, covered with sharp, fang-like black crystals. Looking down, there is no bottom; only dense, almost liquefied darkness, and an even stronger, sweet, putrid stench and ozone smell rising from the depths.

On the cave walls surrounding the opening, the growth of black crystals exhibits a peculiar "flow"—all the crystal veins converge and extend towards the depths of the opening like iron filings attracted by a magnet, as if paying homage to a monarch located deep within the earth's core.

"This is it." Shadow crouched at the edge of the breach, its silver eyes fixed on the darkness below. "The deepest part of the ore vein's fissure. The meteorite is down there. But the way down..." It paused, "...won't be easy."

Karen walked to the edge of the opening and cautiously peered down. Her spiritual vision pierced through the dense darkness, barely allowing her to "see" the structure below.

That wasn't a simple shaft or slope. Below lay an extremely complex three-dimensional labyrinth formed by natural caves and the growth of black crystals. Countless crisscrossing passages, suspended crystal platforms, suddenly appearing cliffs, dead ends blocked by crystals... the structure was so chaotic and illogical, like the nightmare creation of some mad architect.

Even more terrifying is that the labyrinth's "walls" and "floors" themselves are slowly writhing, growing, and changing. The black crystals, like living vines, constantly extend, branch out, block old paths, and create new ones. This means that even if they remember the way they came, they may find it completely impassable on their return journey.

Moreover, heavy, rhythmic crawling sounds came from deep within the maze.

It wasn't one leg, nor four legs, but the chilling rustling sound of countless arthropod legs moving in alternating motion. The sound came from multiple directions, echoing and overlapping in the maze, making it difficult to determine its specific source and number.

"There's something down there," Leah whispered, her hand already on the leather pouch containing the stun grenades. "Lots of them. They're moving."

Shadow's ears perked up, and his silver eyes narrowed slightly. "Crystal Devourers. More than one. The meteorite transformed all the scavengers in the vein, turning them into its guardians. We just took down the largest one, but down below... there might be a whole swarm."

ethnic groups.

Karen's heart sank. One animal had already brought them to their deaths; what about a whole group...?

"There's no turning back," he hissed, glancing at Leah and Shadow. "The Order's airships are up there, the forest is being polluted, and the Cloud Whale needs time to repair itself. We must go down, find the meteorite, and destroy it."

Leah took a deep breath, a resolute glint in her green eyes. "Then let's go. But we need a strategy. Forcing our way in is suicide."

The shadowy figure paused for a few seconds, then said, "Although the labyrinth's structure is chaotic, the energy flow is regular. All the black crystalline energy converges on one point—the meteorite's core. Your spirit runes can sense the energy flow, right, Resonator?"

Karen nodded. The spiritual runes on her wrist were now burning hot, clearly marking the "main channels" and "tributaries" of the labyrinthine energy network below. Like a vascular diagram, robust energy flows converged towards the heart.

"Follow the main energy flow," Shadow instructed. "That's the fastest path to the core, but also the most likely to encounter guards. Leah, you're in charge of guarding the rear and flanks, using your wind sense to warn of any potential threats. I'll go first and deal with any sudden traps or minor threats."

It looked at Karen, the light in its silver eyes shimmering slightly.

"As for you, Resonator. Conserve your energy. Unless absolutely necessary, do not use spirit runes for deep connection or resonance again. Your body is nearing its limit. Your task is to lead the way, and... make decisions at crucial moments."

Karen understood what Shadow meant. His runes were the key, the tool to understand the nature of corruption, but overuse would destroy him first. He had to use them at the most crucial moment.

He adjusted the backpack and put Xiguang back inside—the terrain below wasn't suitable for the cub to walk on its own. Xiguang whimpered in dissatisfaction, but obediently curled up inside, leaving only its head sticking out.

"Are you ready?" Leah asked, her short sword already drawn, the glint of light on its blade drawing a pale blue arc in the darkness.

Karen took one last look at the cave behind her, filled with imprisoned spirits, then at the silent screaming remains, before turning back to look at the bottomless labyrinth below.

"Walk."

He stepped first onto a protruding, black-crystal-covered rock platform at the edge of the gap. The platform was slippery and unstable, requiring him to use both hands and feet to maintain his balance. Leah followed closely behind, her movements somewhat stiff due to her leg injury, but still steady. Shadow, like a true shadow, silently leaped down, landing a few meters below on another platform, turning back to wait for them.

They began to climb down.

The maze was far more complex than imagined. Some passages were wide enough for three people to walk side by side, while others were so narrow that one had to squeeze through sideways. Some platforms were as solid as rock, while others groaned as they were about to crumble. Black crystals hung down from above like stalactites, their sharp ends dripping a viscous black liquid that burned instantly upon contact with the skin.

And that heavy crawling sound was always there, like a shadow.

Sometimes it's in the lower left, sometimes in the upper right, and sometimes it seems to be in another passageway just a wall away. The sound is sometimes near, sometimes far, sometimes loud, sometimes soft, like playing a cruel game of hide-and-seek.

After climbing for about ten minutes, the first encounter came.

Not from the front, but from the side.

They were advancing along a narrow, downward-sloping crystal passage when suddenly a large hole exploded in the right wall! Shattered black crystal fragments sprayed out like shrapnel, and then a smaller crystal devourer emerged from the hole!

This one was much smaller than the previous guardian, about the size of an adult crocodile, but incredibly fast. Its body was covered in rough, black crystalline armor, and its head had a rotating mouth full of sharp, crystalline teeth, like a living drill. A dozen pairs of limbs crawled rapidly along the cave walls, making a screeching sound.

Instead of attacking immediately, it blocked the passage, its rotating mandibles aimed at them, emitting a low, grinding sound.

"Back off!" Leah shouted, throwing a stun grenade at the same time.

The metal sphere arced through the air and landed in front of the Crystal Devourer. Three seconds later—

boom!!!

A blinding flash of light and white noise erupted in the narrow passage. Even Karen, whose back was to the explosion, felt a sudden white light before her eyes and a sharp pain in her eardrums. The crystal devourer, clearly more directly impacted, let out a piercing screech, its body convulsing violently, its rotating mandibles pausing for a few seconds.

The shadow seized its opportunity. The black cat darted out from beside Karen's feet, so fast that it was just a blurry black afterimage. It leaped onto the cave wall, using the crystalline protrusions for leverage twice, then pounced on the Crystal Devourer's back, its claws tearing viciously at the seams of the crystal armor!

scoff!

Black liquid splattered. The crystal devourer writhed in agony, trying to shake off the shadow. But the shadow seemed glued to it, its claws digging deep into the cracks in its crystal armor, its silver eyes coldly fixed on the chaotic energy core below.

"Karen!" Shadow's voice echoed in his mind. "Its core is under the third segment of its carapace at the back of its head! Hand crossbow!"

Karen almost instinctively raised her crossbow, nocked an arrow, and aimed. Her spiritual vision instantly locked onto the location indicated by the shadow—there was a walnut-sized, violently pulsating dark red orb of light.

He pulled the trigger.

The crossbow bolt left the bowstring and precisely pierced the gap in the armor, embedding itself in the ball of light.

The crystal devourer froze instantly. A dark red light erupted from the wound, spreading along the cracks in its carapace, shattering and peeling away crystals wherever it passed. A few seconds later, the smaller guard collapsed to the ground, turning into a twitching, lifeless pile of black remains.

The encounter was brief and quickly resolved.

But the price is: a stun grenade and an arrow. And there may be dozens, even hundreds, of such guards below.

Moreover, the sound of the explosion and the dying screams of the crystal devourer carried far through the labyrinth.

In the distance, the heavy crawling sounds suddenly became more urgent and denser.

Like a swarm of bees that has been startled.

Shadow leaped down from the wreckage, shaking off the black liquid from its claws. Its silver eyes gazed into the depths of the maze, its expression grave.

"They've been attracted," it said. "A lot of them. We'd better hurry."

Karen glanced at the spirit rune on her wrist. The silver rune continued to heat up, clearly pointing in the direction where the energy was most intensely concentrated deep within the maze.

The crawling sounds were most concentrated in that direction.

There is no escape route.

He gripped the crossbow tightly and took a deep breath of the cold, polluted air.

"keep going."