Wizards pursue the truth

Chapter 490 [490] Hidden Plot in the Experimental Diary

[Experiment Log 1: The ley line space excavated from Area 33 contains a large amount of precious soil and minerals, which exhibit a blue fluorescent state. This is a mysterious phenomenon. Dr. Connors decided to study the soil and minerals here, trying to find out the reason for the blue fluorescence. The experiment began, and I, as his assistant, helped Dr. Connors extract various substances from the soil and minerals. I extracted thirty-six substances, most of which were substances found on the surface or scientifically discovered. Fortunately, I discovered an unknown substance.]

[Experiment Log 2: The news of discovering something new and unknown made everyone in the lab very happy, including Dr. Connors, who praised me and we began to explore the properties and essence of matter. We were all excited because the emergence of new matter could very well lead to the discovery of new elements or new breakthroughs in materials science. In short, this was a discovery that could very well win us a science prize and make us famous in history.]

[Experiment Log 3: Microscopic observation revealed that this substance is unique, possessing luminescence. Its composition is currently unknown, as is its function and whether it will change the current scientific landscape. Further testing is needed to determine the variables involved. Various methods were attempted to react with this substance, but unfortunately, the temporary experimental base lacked sufficiently advanced equipment to distinguish the finer individual structures. High temperature, low temperature, liquid nitrogen, and acid solutions were all tried. The study found that the blue luminescent substance changed upon exposure to high temperatures, which is a breakthrough.]

[Experiment Log 4: Incredible! It's hard to imagine that this blue luminescent substance is actually some kind of active substance. It seems to be related to the microbial community from the residual decay process in nature, but it's too strange. How could such a microbial community exist deep underground? There's simply no way it could survive. It's speculated that all the soil is extremely cold. Dr. Connors proposed a new concept: the blue luminescent substance has been dormant in the permafrost. The high-temperature reaction caused the tiny microbial community of this substance to come back to life. But even so, after such a long period of time and in such a harsh environment, even viruses are unlikely to survive, let alone a microbial community involved in the ecosystem.]

[Experiment Log 5: A previously undiscovered bacterial colony, suspected to originate from the past, frozen and dormant, what role does it play, and could it contribute to human society? Finally, we awakened this special colony. It is very special; the survival rate reached over 50%. The dead colony individuals were not due to malnutrition, but rather to their inability to withstand the cold environment. The experiment continues. We named this colony "Meta." It can almost devour most organic matter, but it also possesses the opposite property of fearing the cold, and will lose some activity.]

[Experiment Log 6: Metarhizium colonies possess the self-replication properties of viruses, which is incredible. The more organic matter they consume, the more individuals they reproduce. Previous experimental data needs to be revised. Extreme environments will cause them to die, whether it is cold or high temperature. The former can reduce their activity and cannot kill them quickly, but they can still reduce their own consumption and fall into a dormant state. The latter can kill them, but it requires a temperature of 200 degrees Celsius, which is incredible, as this is not a level that colonies can tolerate. If this can be applied to materials, food, human living standards, and technological development, it will lead to continuous updates and iterations.]

[Experiment Log 7: Why is this happening? The Metarhizium colonies are replicating too fast. When did they leak out of the lab? No, that's impossible. Our experimental results are wrong. The Metarhizium colonies possess characteristics that allow them to consume organic matter much faster than observed data suggests. They are even faster and more rapid, becoming increasingly terrifying as they recover. They have infected everyone in the lab and instinctively use us as hosts, replicating to produce more colonies. I think we're all in big trouble.]

[Experiment Log 8: Metarhizium colonies have been renamed Metarhizium spp. Its spread is faster than we imagined, and the individuals existing are below the currently observed microscopic level. It is not just a colony, but also a special kind of virus. Our conditions are too rudimentary to detect its true nature; it is alive, reviving, spreading, using our bodies as nutrients, and continuously multiplying itself. The entire base is infected. There is no specific drug, no possibility of cure. From the moment of infection, the outcome was already predetermined.]

[Experiment Log 9: People started dying. This was the trigger, but we were powerless to stop it. As the number of deaths increased, panic gradually spread. Many people wanted to leave the base, leave this place, and return to the human world. The base's supreme commander had issued a lockdown order from the very beginning, and no one could leave the base. As the number of deaths increased, some patterns were gradually discovered: the frail elderly were the first to die—no, it shouldn't be called death, but disappearance, eaten by Meta. Finally, as the number of deaths continued to rise, the panic could no longer be contained, and a riot broke out in the base. Everyone went mad, storming the security checkpoints, trying to leave.]

Wang Ya put down the manuscript in his hand, his eyes thoughtful. Towards the end, the writing had become somewhat distorted, revealing that the writer was extremely agitated.

This is not an experimental log, but a diary that records the origins of events within the base, and can also serve as evidence to prove the reason for the base's loss of contact.

[Prompt: Reincarnator Wang Ya, you have successfully completed your mission and discovered the reason for the base's loss of contact. Do you wish to leave?]

Wang Ya neatly stacked the manuscripts of his experimental logs and put them into his pocket. He wasn't about to leave yet; he had discovered that the Metarhabditis elegans had some value.

If possible, he would like to study its characteristics and try to control this Metarhizium bacterium.

The main body also started by researching flesh and blood, and initially relied on the Harak phage to fight against enemies and gain an advantage.

The situation in the Main God Space is currently unknown.

There is a path to advancement, but the reincarnators will inevitably have to pay a price, and the situation may not be very balanced or stable. The fact that even the old man Zhang Xiaojie chooses to select new reincarnators in the mission world made Wang Ya vaguely realize something.

[Hint: Reincarnator Wang Ya, you have chosen to remain in the mission world, triggering a new hidden quest, 'Uncover the Truth'.]

[Details: The presence of Meta pathogens is unusual; it originates deep within the permafrost of District 33, but these are not colonies that can appear on the surface. Whether there are hidden pathogens in the permafrost may be determined by examining the Meta pathogen itself.]

[Task Rewards: 2000 Story Points (can be spent within the God Space), 1 Hidden Story (the hidden story can be exchanged for extremely rare rewards in the God Space)]

A smile crept onto Wang Ya's lips. How interesting! Underneath one event, another was hidden.

It seems that none of the base personnel discovered this.

"Hidden storyline, this is great! It's got that golden legend vibe from the game."

(End of this chapter)