At this moment, in another part of the sewer network.
Xia Na and her two companions were cautiously advancing along the dim passage. Compared to the areas they had traversed before, this place was noticeably quieter. The silt underfoot gradually turned into a more viscous, gelatinous substance, emitting a faint, peculiar odor. Fortunately, none of them felt anything unusual, though the atmosphere seemed considerably heavier.
Especially when Ling Mo’s Zombie Puppet mentioned that phrase…
“Another figure…” Xia Na repeated, frowning.
She pinched her chin thoughtfully, then mused aloud, “Progenitor? Probably not… Although that creature is indeed different from other Humanoid Monsters… But on the flip side, we know very little about these Humanoid Monsters to begin with, right? Making wild guesses without proper knowledge might lead to unreliable conclusions, affecting our actions. So, let’s start from what we already know.”
“What should we do?” Li Yalin asked curiously.
“Just a different angle of speculation. Firstly, this underground area is definitely interconnected, that’s undeniable, right? Even if it wasn’t before, those Humanoid Monsters must have connected it. Yet, on the other hand, they haven’t gathered together but are scattered in different places. Such a situation usually implies two possibilities. One is that they belong to different Progenitors and are not the same group of Monsters. The second is that their actions are being supervised and directed to some extent; they are a legion controlled by a more Advanced Monster.”
Xia Na didn’t turn her head, but behind her, Nana’s figure suddenly appeared.
This semi-transparent spiritual body crossed its arms, analyzing seriously, “And here, it’s obviously the second case, right? Since the sewers are connected, different Humanoid Monsters meeting would definitely lead to battles over resources. But have we found any corpses of such Monsters along the way? No, not even any broken bones. This not only confirms my above speculation but also reminds us of two other very important situations.”
“Two…” The Zombie Puppet also looked up at Nana.
“Yes. First, since they are a governed legion, there must be one, and only one, Progenitor in this place. Second, the number of these Humanoid Monsters might have reached an astonishing figure…” Nana’s expression suddenly became heavy, as if another identical but differently expressive “self” had split from her side.
“Many?” Li Yalin licked her lips. From her tone, it was clear that this Senior Sister had misunderstood the key point…
However, Nana still answered seriously, “Yes! I don’t know how the Progenitor expands its population, but it’s clear that these Humanoid Monsters aren’t adopting an internal elimination and optimization model… They are purely being bred, and through selective feeding, they can promote the reproduction and evolution of their group.”
“Moreover,” the previously silent Zombie Puppet suddenly spoke up, “judging from the evolution direction of these Monsters, their Progenitor might be quite powerful…”
“Why?” The Senior Sister didn’t understand.
Nana nodded in agreement, “Exactly. It’s actually easy to understand… Senior Sister, why do you think these Monsters evolved this way? Their extraordinary ability to track prey, their relentless pursuit of targets, their hidden weaknesses, yet their bodies aren’t particularly resilient… Most importantly, why don’t they have brains? A discardable head is no different from having none at all…”
“When a Creature follows another Creature with absolute blind obedience, its brain becomes useless. What it needs to do is rely on instinct to obey, not think. So, during evolution, its brain was simply weakened until it became a mere decoration. And when its head disappears, its body becomes a portable food storage… You’ve also noticed it has many organs that seem inexplicable to us. If you link these organs with its blood-sucking apparatus, what comes to mind?”
“That’s right, a lunchbox. They evolved into that long-term dormant state precisely because of this function. So to us, they are a new type of Creature, but to their Progenitor, they are just a bunch of lunchbox carriers rushing to the canteen, offering tribute while starving.” Nana finished with a snap of her fingers. But as a spiritual body, the action was there, yet the sound echoed directly in the mind.
“That last metaphor is quite peculiar…” the Zombie Puppet thought, dumbfounded. However, this description reminded him of Fang Ying from Rosen Company. The parasites she “manufactured” through variation and these Centipede Men underground now seemed to have many similarities… And this certainly wouldn’t be a coincidence. One above ground, one below, evolving into the same type-where would you find such a coincidence?
Thinking back, Fang Ying’s description indeed had many missing parts. It’s a pity she was too dangerous; otherwise, extracting more information from her might have prevented their current passive situation… But then again, since Fang Ying never mentioned anything about the underground, coupled with the previously mentioned “breeding”… Perhaps even Fang Ying herself was unaware of this, or she was simply another tool of this underground Progenitor.
The mere thought of this possibility sent a chill down Ling Mo’s spine. He couldn’t help but wonder if the “Fang Ying” he conversed with was truly Fang Ying or this underground Progenitor. If it were the latter, then Fang Ying’s threat to devour them might have only truly begun the moment they entered the underground…
If that’s the case, it would explain why they all heard that “distress” sound… Not because they trespassed into the Humanoid Monsters’ territory, but because the largest Monster lurking in the shadows had been waiting for them from the start…
Some things are better left unthought!
Li Yalin nodded in realization, “I get it… So, the more of these tools, the better… And the more tools there are, the stronger the Progenitor… So Xia Na, you mean there are many Humanoid Monsters here?”
“Senior Sister’s mental capacity has evolved too… Yes, that’s exactly what I mean. Ordinary Humanoid Monsters prioritize quantity, and then there’s that ‘figure’ that lures people in… We could call it the lunch lady. The lunch lady brings food for the Humanoid Monsters, but without a chef, their only way to find food is through abduction. But speaking of which, there are still some doubts about their behavior… But in the absence of any clues, let’s temporarily set those doubts aside.”
With that, Nana returned to the main body, reverting to her original state. Just when Ling Mo thought she was done speaking, Xia Na suddenly asked in a low voice, “Ling-Ge, why did you think to ask about this? That other figure… did the main body encounter it?”
Her bright eyes focused on Ling Mo, especially the red eye, as if Nana was staring at him.
“Sigh…”
Ling Mo couldn’t help but Control the Zombie Puppet to glance at Li Yalin… Just as Xia Na said, the Senior Sister’s Intelligence was improving. Even if slowly, at least in understanding her kin, perhaps she was deeper than before… ȐáՕ฿Ê𝐬
Seeing him look over, Li Yalin ran with a seductive posture, turning her head to gaze at him, a hint of inquiry in her eyes… On her face, there were no other complex expressions. Her reactions seemed forever simple, her confusion clear as day, her excitement unrestrained… It’s just that her enchanting aura and striking appearance often made others overlook this trait.
But being stared at so directly by her, Ling Mo couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
“Is there a way to lure out that previous figure? While we’re investigating.” Ling Mo thought for a moment, then spoke.
“Lure it out…” Xia Na bit her lip.
Indeed, during their approach to the Humanoid Monster group, this was the best chance to draw out the figure. But doing so would also increase the risks they had to bear…
“I’ll do it.” Ling Mo added.
“Ling-Ge will…” Xia Na vaguely guessed Ling Mo’s intention… With Ling Mo’s character, he certainly wouldn’t let them fall into danger. Or rather, quite the opposite, if Ling Mo could bear the risk, then she and Li Yalin could better explore this place… Maybe…
“Perhaps we can follow the trail and find the Progenitor’s location.” Xia Na’s eyes widened, looking at Ling Mo, “You mean… to capture the leader first?”
Ling Mo nodded, “Yes… Since the Progenitor’s importance is self-evident, shouldn’t we focus our attention on it?”
If Yuwen Xuan was in danger… then the greatest danger would likely be being sent towards the Progenitor’s location…
Just chasing isn’t enough; at times like this, it’s crucial to take the initiative! No matter how the situation unfolds, as long as they can grasp the Progenitor’s movements in time, the advantage in this hunt will gradually fall into their hands…
And the secret behind Tang Hao and the others’ transformation is surely related to that mysterious Progenitor…