I am the Holy Poisoner, the Empress advised me to calm down

"There is a way, but it's extremely difficult and fraught with danger. Someone needs to go deep into the deepest secret chamber underground." Ares said, pulling out a small, delicate necklace and handing it to Li Wei. "Wearing it can help you resist the effects of certain strange fluctuations, but the supply is limited and I can only give it to one key person first."

Just then, a few deep, rhythmic footsteps sounded from the end of the passage. "Something's coming again!" Xiao Liu became alert again, his gun ready to fire at any moment.

Suddenly, several passersby dressed in strange clothes rushed into the area they were in. "Please run for your lives!" one of the middle-aged men shouted, panting, his face full of fear.

Another younger woman added anxiously, "There are more and more monsters. If we don't leave here soon, we'll all die without a burial place!"

"Monsters? Tell me more clearly, what do they look like?" Lin Chen quickly asked for details.

"They look so weird! Some look like giant spiders magnified several times over, and there are also creatures with many arms... They're so scary!" the woman described, trembling. "And they seem to have very strong attack power!"

After hearing the warnings from passersby, Ares's face darkened. "It seems time is running out. Everyone, please follow my instructions and head to the center as quickly as possible to complete the final mission."

"Okay! Let's set off now!" Lin Chen responded firmly and nodded to his companions to signal them to follow.

The team began to move forward at a faster pace, and indeed encountered several extremely ferocious creatures that attacked them along the way. Fortunately, with Ling'er's map and the route guidance provided by Ares, they were able to avoid most dangers, but occasionally they had to face these terrifying creatures head-on.

After several fierce battles, the group finally arrived at a large door outside the floor of their destination. At this time, the rumbling sound coming from outside the door was stronger than before, as if even the walls were shaking slightly.

"Is this the last door leading to the underground secret room?" Chen Xiang clenched his fists and asked his brothers and sisters who were also ready for a decisive battle.

Just as everyone was about to open the last door, a sinister and shrill laugh suddenly came from behind: "Hahaha, I didn't expect that there are still people who can persist until now. It's really interesting. I wonder if this will further stimulate your desire to uncover the mystery? Hahahaha——"

Everyone turned around and looked back, only to find that the person who came was the self-proclaimed 'researcher' Ares they had met before...

"Ares, you..." Lin Chen's eyes instantly turned cold. He quickly took two steps back, his weapon ready to deal with any emergency. "You said you were a researcher? Now it seems that's not the case at all!"

Hearing Lin Chen's words, the other team members also reacted and warily pointed their weapons at Ares. And the "researcher" who suddenly smiled so sinisterly now had a strange smile on his face, completely different from his previous gentle image.

"Oh? Do you only see that now?" Ares raised his eyebrows slightly and chuckled. "But to be honest, I am indeed a researcher - just a researcher in my organization. This laboratory is actually just an experimental site. In the eyes of my team, it is more like a petri dish."

"What! What exactly is your purpose!" Xiao Liu asked loudly, with uncontrollable anger in his voice.

"Haha, don't be impatient." Ares raised his hand to signal everyone to calm down. "Since it has come to this, I will let you know something. Our real goal is to control that power and use it to accomplish something greater."

At this moment, a horrified voice came from the side: "Oh my God, these people are really crazy! They actually want to control such a terrible thing..." An old man passing by couldn't help but exclaimed at the scene before his eyes, but was quickly pulled away by the people around him: "Old man, please shut up! The less involved in this kind of thing, the better. Let's get out of this dangerous place as soon as possible!"

On the other side, Ling'er tightly grasped the map, her eyes determined as she spoke, "No matter what their purpose is, we must stop this from happening. Otherwise, if that energy gets out of control, not only this place, but the entire world will be threatened!"

"That's right." Shen Shiyan nodded in agreement, then turned to Ares and said coldly: "So, now you either take us to the seal, or get out of the way and let us solve this matter ourselves. In short, no matter what, we can't let you achieve your evil goals!"

Faced with such a tough attitude from everyone, Ares was silent for a few seconds before revealing a meaningful smile: "What admirable determination. Okay, I'll give you one last chance. But remember, even if you really get there, you may not be able to come back alive."

After saying this, Ares waved his hand and made a strange gesture. Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room changed. A faint mist seemed to fill the air, making everyone feel an inexplicable pressure.

Just as the team was about to move forward, chaotic footsteps suddenly echoed from the end of the corridor. Then, several panicked figures appeared before them—this time, a group of people who looked like staff. "Wait! Don't go in! You don't know how dangerous it is in there..." One of them shouted anxiously to Lin Chen and the others.

"Even if it's dangerous, we have to try it." Li Wei answered firmly, holding the necklace tightly in her hand, and took the lead to move towards the secret room.

As the door slowly opened, a beam of intense light shone forth, blinding everyone and causing them to squint. Just as everyone prepared to face the unknown, Ares suddenly heard speaking softly from behind: "One final word for you: 'When the truth is revealed, perhaps you will discover that behind the so-called light lies a deeper darkness...'"

"What do you mean?" Xiao Liu turned around to ask, only to find that Ares, who had been standing there just a moment ago, had vanished without a trace. All that remained was a silent, hushed space and the immense test that lay ahead... As the bright light gradually faded, Lin Chen and the others found themselves in the center of a vast, empty room. This was clearly the core of the laboratory. The walls were lined with various high-tech devices and displays, and in the center, a crystal-clear energy core emanating a soft blue light hovered. At this moment, the entire room was enveloped by an invisible but palpable wave force field.