Absolute Gate

Chapter 77 The Terrifying Cave Dive

The Grey Ring has already introduced all the mercenaries to each other.

The fat guy who was always eating was codenamed Onion, and the skinny guy who smoked a cigar was codenamed Ginger.

The blonde squad consists of a brother and sister; the brother's codename is Perrin, and the sister is a pure and lovely woman in a white dress, codenamed Acorus gramineus.

Of the six mercenaries present, all except Yang Chunsha were at the Bronze level.

They were all trying to curry favor with the only silver-level player present. Yang Chunsha, mimicking Xia Heng's cool demeanor, responded calmly, displaying the air of a big shot.

This almost made Wu Zhong lose his composure.

Wu Zhongtai now knew Yang Chunsha's fighting strength. He was willing to bet that among the people present, there must be someone stronger than Yang Chunsha, and there might even be several.

However, Yang Chunsha managed to keep these mercenaries in check simply because of her acquired rank.

"Let's stop talking about irrelevant topics. I just want to finish the mission as soon as possible." Yang Chunsha crossed her legs, put her hands on her stomach, and stared at the gray ring.

"It's just a salvage mission, yet you're hiring six mercenaries. Is there some hidden reason behind this mission?"

Grey Ring, sitting in his wheelchair, shook his head: "There's no hidden story. It's just that one of my golden statues was lost in an underwater cave."

“I asked many deep-sea diving experts, but they couldn’t find it. They speculated that the statue was swept away by the current to the depths of an unexplored cave, the deepest part of which is more than 400 meters deep. They dared not go down, so I had no choice but to ask for help from the mercenary platform.”

"According to my team's preliminary exploration, the underwater cave is extremely large and the terrain is very complex. One or two bronze mercenaries would probably be unable to complete the task, so I have invited six people at once. I hope you will cooperate sincerely to help me find the statue."

These words stunned everyone present.

Wu Zhong frowned, sensing that there was more to the story.

"A golden statue? Is it huge? Is it worth spending a fortune hiring mercenaries for?"

Grey Ring pulled out an old photograph and said, "It weighs 100 kilograms, which is worth 14 million dollars. Moreover, it is a family heirloom. No matter how much money it costs, I will find it."

Wu Zhong looked at the photo; it was a picture of a golden sculpture against the backdrop of a lake.

It depicts a warrior, approximately 70 centimeters tall, wearing a feathered crown and holding a spear.

Wu Zhong's expression was strange: "Oh? A precious artifact? Then why was it lost in that cave? You brought your precious items with you when you went diving? And they were so heavy?"

Grey Ring sighed, “It wasn’t that I lost it, but that my ancestors hid the gold in a lake on my family’s estate.”

"Unexpectedly, over time, the gold collapsed the lakebed, creating a sinkhole that leads directly to a massive underwater cave system, which can no longer be retrieved..."

Wu raised an eyebrow, not expecting it to be like this.

He tried to probe indirectly, but then he saw the skinny man, Ginger, exhale his smoke and ask directly, "Just tell me, what's unusual about this golden statue?"

Seeing that he asked so directly, Wu raised an eyebrow, then relaxed.

Yes, if you have any doubts, just ask directly. Whether they tell the truth or not is their business; they don't need to give them face.

When it comes to one's own safety, there's no need to be tactful.

Gray Ring chuckled lightly: "I knew that if I asked you mercenaries for help with this, you would overthink it."

"But believe it or not, your task is to find this statue and help me retrieve it."

"I don't even need to tell you the reason. If you can't do it, you can quit the mission."

“If the statue hadn’t been so heavy and so deeply buried, I wouldn’t have wanted to get involved with you all so much.”

The group exchanged glances, speechless. They were paid for their work, and that was basic mercenary ethics. If they didn't want to do it, they didn't have to.

However, the skinny ginger still pressed on firmly: "You still haven't given me a direct answer, whether there's something wrong or not."

Gray Ring shook his head: "Probably not."

"Should?" The group frowned.

Yang Chunsha said in a low voice, "Sir, don't you know your own things are your own?"

Gray Ring sighed, "I already said it was a family heirloom. In fact, I've never seen this piece since I was born."

"All I knew was that there was such a piece of gold, and I was trying to retrieve it, but it ended up falling into the cave sinkhole."

“However, I understand your concerns, but there should be no problem with this item, because my father told me that it was made from gold bars that my ancestors had hidden in the bank during the Mexican Revolution.”

Once people hear that it's made from melted gold bars from a bank, there's basically no problem.

Wu Zhongze's expression was strange. This was indeed a gangster family. Their ancestors had even hidden bank gold bars.

The blond man didn't care about that and said directly, "Then let's get started as soon as possible. Where is the lake?"

Grey Ring pointed in a direction: "Right here in this manor, my family has lived here since my great-grandfather."

“If you want to explore ahead of time, my son can take you, but let’s wait until tomorrow for the actual search. You can rest tonight.”

"I will prepare all the tools you need for diving and salvage tomorrow morning."

“If you have any special needs, you can tell my son now.”

He pointed to the middle-aged man behind him who was holding a wheelchair.

The middle-aged man bowed slightly to the crowd and said, "My name is McGonagall. My father is old and in poor health. The doctor said he cannot go out in the wind, so I will be in charge of entertaining you all from now on."

Blonde Perrin asked him, "Megal, are you in the industry?"

McGur smiled and nodded: "Of course, but I haven't registered. I've only eaten some Danmu."

Everyone nodded. Theoretically, any slight anomaly could lead to entry into the Disaster Realm.

This includes some wealthy individuals who were simply introduced into the circle, and who consumed or owned derivative products; that also counts.

"I have prepared a sumptuous dinner for you all tonight. We still have some time, so you may take a look around your rooms first."

Skinny Ginger lit a cigar: "Don't bother with all this formality. I don't need your little bit of socializing. Being polite will only waste my time and energy."

"Take me to the lakeside to take a look. I want to test the underwater environment first."

They all nodded.

“Of course.” McGonagall immediately told the nurse to take Gray Ring back to his room, while he led everyone to the lake in the manor.

The estate is vast, encompassing tens of thousands of acres of forest and tranquil lakes within it.

Surrounded by numerous tall metasequoia trees that have stood for at least six months, the lake is round like a gemstone, its water clear and reflecting the clouds.

There are also two-story wooden houses on the shore, with walls made of logs covered with lush ivy, which look like temporary villas for vacation and leisure.

"The scenery is really nice, why don't we just stay here?" Yang Chunsha exclaimed.

Blonde Perrin immediately chimed in, "Miss Yangchunsha is right. I really want to live in this lakeside cottage, enjoy the beautiful scenery, fish, barbecue, and live a carefree and happy life."

"Anyway, the mission location is right here. We're all staying together, so we can search and salvage nearby, which will save us from having to run around."

Skinny Ginger raised his hand and said, "I agree."

Yang Chunsha and Wu Zhong exchanged a glance and both agreed.

McGur said, "This cabin might be a bit cramped, so I've prepared better rooms for you all."

Skinny Ginger waved his hand: "There's no need. Just bring all your food and drinks."

McGur smiled: "This is nothing, no problem. I'll send someone over soon."

"Send some more clothes," said the skinny ginger, before suddenly diving into the water.

He surfaced a moment later: "It feels good. The water quality is quite good. I just saw that sinkhole. It should be the entrance to the cave."

"Gentlemen, shall we go down and check the situation now?"

Wu Zhong admired the other party's decisiveness, and he had the same idea.

However, McGur frowned and said, "Wait a minute, Mr. Ginger, you don't want any equipment at all?"

"Fifty meters vertically downward from the sinkhole, you enter a cave. It is extremely dark and the terrain is very complex. It is very dangerous without equipment. Even the professional cave divers I sent out, who were well prepared, could not escape accidental death."

Skinny Ginger laughed and said, "Hey, no need for that. It's not like it's a formal search."

"I'll just take a look; I won't go into detail."

Wu Zhong jumped down too: "I'll go with you."

Seeing that both groups had sent men out, Perrin could not stand idly by. He immediately took off his shirt, revealing his strong muscles, and also jumped into the water.

Judging from their entry into the water, both of them are extremely skilled swimmers. In comparison, Wu Zhong just casually crashed in.

"Be careful!" McGonagall warned again.

The three exchanged a glance, took a deep breath, and dived down.

The water was over ten meters deep when he touched the bottom. Skinny Ginger pointed in a direction, then with a quick movement of his foot, he darted out like an arrow.

Wu Zhong did not see him use the power of multiple dimensions, which means that he was physically very strong.

Wu Zhong didn't rush and just swam over normally, as did Pei Lan.

Not far ahead, there was a dark, deep pit, three or four meters in diameter, vertically downwards, its bottom unseen.

The area around the entrance is pitted and uneven, with signs of excavation, and two ropes, one blue and one red, are used to secure it.

The other end of the rope leads straight into the sinkhole, as if disappearing into darkness.

The three of them examined the sinkhole for a while, but there was nothing special about it. The skinny guy then gestured for them to go inside and take a look.

Wu ended up following, while Perrin lagged behind.

The shimmering blue light of the water filtered in from behind, casting eerie outlines on the rugged rock walls, like the folds writhing inside the esophagus of a giant beast.

At first, you could still see the cold lake water slipping through your fingers, but the light had an end.

As they descended deeper into the shaft-like sinkhole, the blue light faded to dark green, gradually turning into a deathly gray, and finally, darkness descended.

Wu looked up and thankfully could still see the faint light at the entrance.

He hurriedly grabbed the rope beside him and continued to feel his way down, but Perrin patted him on the shoulder.

Wu Zhong turned around and saw that Pei Lan pointed to her mouth, indicating that he couldn't hold it in any longer, and then gave a thumbs up.

"Is that all?" Wu Zhong thought to himself, "I've only held it in for three minutes, haven't I?"

Forget about the Longevity Technique; he can hold his breath for half an hour just based on his physical constitution.

Wu waved for him to go up first, while he continued down.

After diving a little further, he noticed that the rope had shifted and was no longer pointing vertically downwards.

This is below that vertical shaft-like sinkhole; it seems he has entered that so-called enormous cave.

Wu Zhong's first reaction was darkness, and a vast, overwhelming darkness was rushing towards him.

Looking up, I could no longer see the light I had come from.

"hiss!"

Wu Zhong felt a chill run down his spine. Even though he had seen many grand occasions, he felt an unbearable primal fear at this moment.

It's so black, it's fucking black.

It wasn't ordinary black, not the black of a night without stars, but a heavy, viscous, oppressive dark entity that squeezed his eyes.

Suddenly, an undercurrent surged past Wu Zhong.

Wu was startled.

He didn't know if it was a natural undercurrent in the underground cave, or if someone had just swum past him, or perhaps a fish.
Unable to tell! Completely unaware of what's going on.

"No, we can't go any deeper. Even with a safety rope, it's too dark, we can't see anything."

Wu Zhong felt that this was even more terrifying than being in space. In space, there was starlight, but here he could see nothing at all, only complete darkness.

It's like being blind, or even darker than being blind, because some blind people can still sense a little light.

"Without lighting equipment, there's no point in coming down." Wu Zhong decisively felt his way back down with the safety rope.

He calmed down when he could see the light again.

Once you fully surface, looking at the vast sky and tall trees, you feel completely relaxed, floating on the water.

"Damn, we've only gone down a few dozen meters and I already feel like I can't hold on."

Wu Zhong recalled that immense and terrifying darkness, his heart filled with awe for nature.

You really need all the necessary equipment. You can't be reckless. This has nothing to do with physical fitness. No matter how good you are at holding your breath, you can't hold it forever. Once you get lost in it, you're really doomed.

He returned to shore and found that Perrin had already changed into dry clothes.

"Where's Brother Ginger?" Fatty Onion asked, squatting on the shore.

Wu Zhong wrung out his clothes and said, "He was at the very front, but it was so dark down there that I couldn't see him anymore."

Onion grunted and then took out a chicken leg from his bag and started eating it.

Seeing this, Wu Zhong said with some concern, "It's pitch black down there, why isn't he back yet? How long can he hold his breath?"

Onion calmly said, "If Brother Ginger uses the multi-dimensional method, he can grow gills directly and breathe underwater."

"..." Wu Zhong chuckled silently.

Well, so you can breathe underwater? That's fine then, do whatever you want.

He stopped paying attention and went into the wooden house. Yang Chunsha peeked out from one of the rooms and greeted him.

When Wu Zhong went inside, he saw that it was the largest room in the wooden villa, which was obviously occupied by Yang Chunsha, and no one was taking it from her.

Yang Chunsha held a cucumber like a pen, twirling it between her fingers: "Is the underwater situation complicated?"

Wu Zhong, peeling an apple, communicated via the communication system: "The actual situation underwater is much more complicated than we imagined. It is indeed as our benefactor said, vast, deep, and dark."

"As for the cave's topography, it's still uncertain because I can't see anything at all... but it should be very complex. I can even sense the undercurrents, indicating that there are many interconnected underground rivers and cave passages below."

Yang Chunsha frowned: "If only tortoise shells could be used to measure objects..."

Wu Zhong curled his lip: "Unfortunately, it won't work. According to Jordan, tortoise shell divination actually predicts 'fate.' Only those with a certain destiny can use it; those without can't."

"So even dead people can be measured, but inanimate objects cannot."

"Moreover, underwater caves have such complex terrain that knowing their location is useless."

Yang Chunsha stroked her chin: "Then wouldn't we have no choice but to search by force?"

Wu Zhong nodded emphatically: "Yes, let's prepare for a long search, or see if other mercenaries have any brilliant ideas."

"In short, searching for and retrieving a statue from a cave at least 400 meters deep is already extremely difficult. From this perspective, it's understandable that the client hired mercenaries; this is not something a normal person could do."

Yang Chunsha curled her lip and said, "Even if they have tricks up their sleeves, they will hide them and will definitely rely on me, a silver-level player."

Wu Zhong laughed and said, "Who told you to show off, Silver Boss?"

"I wasn't pretending. They were the ones who fawned over me. I just couldn't be bothered with them." Yang Chunsha shrugged.

Wu Zhong pondered for a moment and said, "Then you should also hold back. I have no problem with this task; it just takes a little more time."

"You can just stay on the shore and act tough. The fact that others can't figure out your abilities is the best protection for our team."

Yang Chunsha grinned: "Hehe, then I'll just relax and be a freeloader."

Wu Zhong rolled his eyes at her: "You're in charge of keeping an eye on the sugar daddy. I have a feeling this task is a bit strange, so we need to be careful."

Yang Chunsha tilted her head: "Strange? What's strange about it? You just said that asking mercenaries for help is perfectly fine."

Wu Zhong said in a low voice, "It's not strange to hire mercenaries, but hiring six is ​​a bit odd."

"After it's done, everyone will get nine million, that's fifty-four million. That's more than enough to hire a famous silver mercenary. As long as we ask about his abilities beforehand, he might be able to find the statue in one move."

"But the patron chose to use this money to invite six bronze-level players. Isn't he afraid that all six of them will fail? The way the patron issued this task gives the feeling that he is deliberately gathering minor characters."

That makes sense. The client can take the money and find a mercenary group, contact them and explain what they want to do and how much they are willing to pay. Once the deal is reached, the group will naturally send the most suitable person in their team for the mission.

It's rather strange that the investors chose to conduct a broad, inefficient recruitment drive.

However, Yang Chunsha said, "You're talking about the most favorable situation for the mission, without considering whether this family is willing to come into contact with mercenary groups or some powerful figures."

"We only receive people who are as strong as our capabilities. When it comes to hiring outside help, we usually choose those from a class that we can control."

"Just like how I used to avoid dealing with any strangers who were too strong, I endured for seven long years, hiding in the Bronze rank, before finally deciding to take on a Silver rank mission in my own territory, which was to escort Endless Summer out of the country with you... And as you saw, I got stuck on your pirate ship..."

Wu Zhong couldn't help but laugh: "That's true. That's why, for most mediocre disaster survivors, being Silver-ranked is considered a big shot."

“What you said makes sense… Just as the financier himself said, he doesn’t want to get too involved with us mercenaries.”

"However, I suddenly thought of a way to verify whether the sponsor is lying."

Yang Chunsha asked curiously, "Oh? What method?"

Wu Zhong smirked: "Using tortoise shells to divine a person who doesn't exist."

……

(End of this chapter)