After drawing cards, the evil god became my source of吐槽 (tu cao, a form of humorous commentary/criti

Chapter 145 Black Sea Basin (10)

"Can...can I?" Her voice trembled with excitement.

“I went to the research institute for an interview before, but… I wasn’t selected. They said my potential was only… barely qualified, not up to the institute’s admission standards.” Her voice trailed off, filled with disappointment.

An Jing nodded, confirming 066's statement: "I know. The institute's selection criteria are indeed very high, especially for the special response department."

She changed the subject, her gaze calmly fixed on 066, "But standards are rigid, people are flexible. Potential needs to be tapped, and stability needs to be cultivated. You have something that is more valuable than mere potential."

066 held his breath and looked at her.

"Even in dire straits, you can maintain basic clarity and make relatively rational choices. Your desire for power does not stem from mere ambition or fear, but from a belief in what you want to achieve, even if that belief is currently vague and fragile."

An Jing's voice was not loud, but every word was clear, "Moreover, you know how to recognize reality and adjust your stance when necessary. In dealing with mysterious situations, this is sometimes more important than powerful superpowers."

An Jing's words were like a faint but firm ray of light, piercing through the heavy fog of confusion and fear in 066's heart.

She never expected that in this most desperate and dangerous moment, when she was almost denying all her own value and choices, this strong and calm agent would give her such a possibility.

"Can...can I really do it?" 066 repeated the question, but her tone had changed from an uncertain inquiry to a trembling confirmation and longing.

“You can,” An Jing replied succinctly and forcefully, “but you have to survive first. Then, grow slowly.”

This statement was like a shot in the arm for 066.

The heart, frozen by fear and confusion, finally began to feel a glimmer of warmth, dispelling some of the gloom. Getting out alive was no longer a distant, unattainable dream, but a concrete goal.

A possible path to her original ideal.

She nodded firmly, her eyes regaining some resolve: "I understand, Agent Ann. I will try my best! I will try to survive, and then... and then fight for that opportunity!"

An Jing nodded slightly and said no more. She turned her attention back to the current grim situation.

Giving 066 a glimmer of hope is a necessary measure to stabilize the team's morale, but it cannot solve the immediate crisis.

An Jing's gaze returned to the unfathomable, inky black sea, his eyes sharp as knives.

She desperately wanted to know what the core of that ocean floor was, and where the source of that highly intelligent mental pollution was hidden. Diving directly into the sea to investigate was the most direct, and perhaps only, way to break the deadlock and obtain crucial information.

However, she lacked the appropriate equipment. Conventional diving gear would be tantamount to suicide in such a highly polluted environment fraught with unknown dangers. More importantly, she couldn't leave.

Once she leaves the beach and enters the sea, how long can 066 and the unconscious 034, who have lost the protection and deterrence of her mental barrier, hold out on this perilous beach?

Those skeletal puppets and mutated creatures lurking in the shadows of the reefs, beneath the sand, and in the shallow waters would likely swarm in immediately, tearing them apart or dragging them away. The source of the mental pollution would certainly not let this golden opportunity slip by.

She was almost certain that the moment she left, the two men on the beach would become the targets of peach theft.

However, the mystery seemed to grow even more cautious and secretive, perhaps out of fear of her presence and abilities. The song ceased, the attempt at mental imprinting fell silent after its failure, and even the skinned puppets and mutated creatures retreated into the shadows and the depths of the sea, no longer daring to peek out and provoke.

The situation has reached a stalemate.

This is a test of patience, a war of attrition. It's a contest of who reveals their weakness first, who gives out first.

An Jing was patient, but she also knew that dragging it out would be detrimental to them. The magnetic field was slowly expanding, and their physical and mental strength were being depleted.

034's condition also needs to be addressed as soon as possible; there's a possibility of contamination in the wound on his ankle. 066's condition is currently stable, but no one knows when the next impact will arrive.

She had to find a way to break this deadlock, even if it was just a little bit.

As An Jing pondered, weighing various possibilities, and even considering whether to risk using his remaining mental energy to forcibly stimulate the hidden source of pollution and lure it out, An Jing was deep in thought.

Without warning, the ground beneath my feet trembled slightly.

It was so slight, almost like an illusion.

But An Jing's senses were incredibly sharp; she immediately confirmed that this was not an illusion. The beach was moving, or rather, something beneath the beach was moving.

Then, an even more obvious and surprising change occurred.

The omnipresent, cold, viscous, and mentally oppressive magnetic field energy around us began to... contract?
That's right, it's contraction!

Like the receding tide, the vast energy field that enveloped the beach, the gray fog, and the inky black sea began to slowly recede inwards towards the center of the sea!

An Jing's mental power clearly perceived this. Previously, the boundary of the magnetic field had completely encompassed this beach area, forming a nearly closed domain.

But now, the edge of this field is receding, the energy concentration is significantly decreasing in the edge region, and the haze is thinning accordingly, allowing the outline of the normal sky to be vaguely seen in the distance.

This is unheard of!

What exactly happened? What tricks is that thing on the seabed playing? Is it a trap? Or some kind of accident?

An Jing's alarm bells were ringing, but at the same time he realized that this might be an opportunity!
The contraction of the magnetic field means that they are closer to the edge of the magnetic field, and may even have the opportunity to escape the magnetic field range directly!

An Jing didn't have time to think about the reasons behind this abnormal phenomenon; she had to seize this fleeting opportunity.

"Grab me!" she hissed, quickly grabbing the unconscious 034 with one hand and reaching for 066 with the other.

Although 066 didn't understand why, it had already developed a conditioned reflex to An Jing's command and immediately grabbed An Jing's outstretched hand tightly.

Without further hesitation, An Jing unleashed her full mental power, pushed off with her feet, and charged towards the edge of the beach where the energy concentration was lowest after the magnetic field contracted, seemingly already free from the magnetic field's coverage.
She moved with the speed of a cheetah, carrying two people with lightning speed. Black sand flew up at her feet, and the gray mist was quickly left behind.

A few seconds later, she felt a lightness all over her body!
The ever-present, chilling, sticky, and oppressive feeling vanished abruptly, and the nauseating, putrid stench in the air lessened considerably. The color of the sand beneath our feet seemed to have returned from deep black to its normal grayish-yellow. The sunlight also seemed brighter.

They broke free! They escaped the range of the mysterious magnetic field!
An Jing steadied himself, put down 034, released 066's hand, and immediately turned around to be on guard, while extending his mental energy outward to investigate.

Behind them, the eerie area shrouded in gray mist and inky black seawater was still clearly visible, but it was indeed smaller than before, with its edge about twenty meters away from their current location. The magnetic field remained deathly still, showing no further changes.

Are we safe for now?
An Jinggang breathed a slight sigh of relief, preparing to check on the situation of 034 and think about how to contact the outside world next.

Her movements suddenly stopped.

As far as the eye could see, the beach that should have been empty and normal was now packed with people.