SDIWD - Chapter 117
Chapter 117
The mere idea of integrating the genes of an intelligent species into human genes was already difficult for Hua Mu to imagine, let alone doing it the other way around.
"You mean… this spirit animal belongs to… that species you mentioned? Then how did it get here?" Although Hua Mu only had a superficial understanding of gene integration, she had devoured a great deal of information on the island and had read her fair share of bizarre sci-fi novels in the past. Her imagination was active enough to ask, "Could this place be some kind of research base?"
"If I'm not mistaken, the base should be right below us."
Hua Mu sucked in a cold breath. "Why didn't you say so sooner?"
She never would have imagined that getting stranded would land her in the lair of an evil villain. It was terrifying! What kind of protagonist's fate was this!
Bai Zhen gazed at her with a somber expression, looking as if she wanted to say something but was holding back.
"Don't tell me there are still bad guys in this base?"
"There shouldn't be any people left, but… as an experimental base, its security facilities must be very comprehensive. Rushing in there would be risky."
After being soothed by Luna, the spirit animal's condition seemed to have improved slightly. It rolled onto its back on the ground, making soft gurgling sounds.
Hua Mu "looked" at it, momentarily torn. If it were a person, it would be worth the risk to save them. But if it was that kind of creature… they had no way of knowing if it was a threat.
"So, are you planning to go take a look?"
Since Bai Zhen had already made up her mind, she naturally wouldn't change it. She knew that place was a Pandora's box for her; once opened, many things might become irreversible.
But constantly burying this matter in her heart, pretending not to care, and hiding it from Hua Mu was undoubtedly a form of torture for her.
"Yes, I want to go there to confirm a few things, and while I'm at it, check on this spirit animal's host."
Bai Zhen's answer surprised Hua Mu. After all, Bai Zhen had been stranded on the island with her and had clearly never been here before. What could she possibly need to confirm?
"What do you want to confirm there?"
"Something very important."
Bai Zhen's ink-black pupils looked both affectionate and melancholic. A thought flashed through Hua Mu's mind like lightning—didn't the Sentinel's understanding of the entire project seem a bit beyond the norm?
Hua Mu had originally taken it for granted that it was perfectly normal for Bai Zhen, as a Sentinel, to know these things. But on second thought, the project was from over thirty years ago, and the people in charge had been captured long ago. What reason would Bai Zhen have to know about it?
And once she started thinking along these lines, those vague, hazy feelings from before quickly became clear. Not long ago, she had read that document and learned that the Black-Eyed Clan was one of the races with the lowest awakening rates.
But wasn't there a Sentinel from the Black-Eyed Clan right in front of her?
No, this Sentinel couldn't possibly be a pure-blooded member of the Black-Eyed Clan. Her tall stature and sharp features were a far cry from the typical characteristics of the Black-Eyed Clan.
Hua Mu had never thought deeply about this, not even after seeing that project file. In her heart, Bai Zhen was just Bai Zhen, a steadfast and loyal Sentinel. What did the low awakening rate of the Black-Eyed Clan have to do with her? Because she was special.
But now, she had to face a question: just how special was Bai Zhen?
Hua Mu's hesitation suddenly vanished.
"Then I'm going too," she said, looking at Bai Zhen with determination. "Don't you dare refuse me. Regardless of whether it's dangerous, or if there are truths there you don't want me to see, I'm going with you. I'm not that fragile, and I'm not a burden. I can help too."
The Young Lady's expression was resolute and stubborn. The Sentinel looked at her for a moment and finally said no more, nodding in agreement.
The path ahead was unknown, so it wasn't a trip they could make on a whim. The two of them had explored it briefly once before, walking for half a day without reaching the end. Because their torches were limited, they had to turn back for safety.
This time, of course, they had to be fully prepared. Lighting tools went without saying, but they also needed to bring plenty of water and food. They spent a few days preparing. The spirit animal seemed to have a premonition, as it had been staying outside with Luna for the past two days.
"That should be everything." Hua Mu checked the contents of the wicker basket one more time. After confirming nothing was missing, Bai Zhen hoisted it onto her back.
Before setting off, Bai Zhen confirmed with her one last time.
"Miss, are you sure you want to go?"
Hua Mu was carrying a small bamboo basket on her own back, wearing a small straw hat, and dressed in a shawl and grass skirt woven from pandan leaves. She looked every bit the explorer.
"Of course! How could I miss something so interesting? If I weren't the Grand Duke's daughter, I might have become a famous treasure hunter by now!"
To say she wasn't scared at all would be a lie; Hua Mu was quite afraid of the dark. But in the process of preparing, she gradually began to feel the thrill of adventure.
Bai Zhen finally stopped trying to dissuade her and only said, "Don't stray too far from me. There's something strange about this mountain; my senses can't extend very far."
Hua Mu simply took her hand. "This way, we won't get separated."
Bai Zhen smiled and squeezed her hand back tightly.
"There should be an elevator somewhere in the cave. If we're lucky, it might still work." A research base like this would certainly have more convenient means of transport, but Bai Zhen hadn't considered it before, so she'd never looked for one.
"Anyway, let's just do our best and leave the rest to fate. It would be best to find the entrance, but if we can't, let's not dwell on it."
Just as the two were about to set off, a tiny figure suddenly darted out from a corner and quickly scrambled into Hua Mu's arms.
"Emergency Rations?"
The rusty-spotted cat meowed insistently, seeming to want to go with them.
Recalling its sensitivity to spirit animals, Bai Zhen suggested, "Miss, why don't we take it with us?"
The rusty-spotted cat only weighed a few pounds and wasn't heavy to carry. In the cold, damp cave, it could provide some warmth and relieve boredom. Hua Mu quite agreed.
"Alright, since you're so eager, we'll take you with us."
The two of them brought more than a dozen torches, along with plenty of candles and a jar of palm oil. In a dark environment, light was the most important thing.
With a torch in one hand and Hua Mu's hand in the other, Bai Zhen set off on their journey of exploration, accompanied by Luna, Hati, and the other spirit animal.
The wine cellar was located just a few dozen meters from the cave entrance, in a relatively spacious, spherical chamber. Bai Zhen thought that if there was an elevator, it would most likely be located here. However, she and Hua Mu searched for a long time without finding anything unusual, so they could only choose to press on.
No matter the facility, besides an elevator, there would definitely be an emergency exit. For a facility built entirely underground like this one, the emergency exit was often a converted construction tunnel from when the facility was first built.
There was more than one tunnel inside the mountain. At the time, they had chosen what looked like the largest, main path. If this were some ancient tomb or treasure site, this line of thinking would obviously be unreasonable. But for an emergency exit, the assumption was quite reliable.
The path was not easy to walk. It was clear that not much effort had been put into maintaining it, probably because they knew it would rarely be used.
One could imagine how tedious just walking was, not to mention the immense pressure a dark, cold, and narrow place could exert on a person. After walking for only a short while, Hua Mu had to start talking to distract herself.
"Bai Zhen, is your hand tired? Do you want me to hold the torch?"
"I'm fine."
"How long have we been walking?"
The surroundings were unchanging—nothing but black rock after black rock. The light from the torch seemed to be absorbed by the cave walls.
"About half an hour."
"How has it only been half an hour?"
"Are you tired, Miss?"
She wasn't tired, just very bored, stifled, and oppressed.
"Let's talk."
"Okay…" the Sentinel agreed, then started racking her brain for a topic. "Miss, are you cold?"
But her ability to find topics for conversation was really not very good. Hua Mu sighed helplessly.
"I'm not cold, thirsty, or hungry for now." I'd better find a topic, she thought. If I leave it to Bai Zhen, the conversation will only get more stifling. "Bai Zhen, I remember you said your master is the Leader, right? Why don't you tell me about her? I'm quite curious."
Bai Zhen froze for a moment, then said hesitantly, "Miss, do you really not remember anything? Not even about my master?"
"What about her?"
Hua Mu found this baffling.
The last time Bai Zhen was recalling the elevator incident, she had been interrupted, so she never finished the story about the faceless person coming to save them. Hua Mu, completely immersed in the joy of bonding with her Sentinel, had been carefree enough not to press for details.
In truth, Bai Zhen didn't know what had happened between them either. She only knew that when she became Hua Mu's guard, the two of them were like strangers. She had originally thought it was because Hua Mu had grown up and was starting to observe royal etiquette, but she later realized it wasn't just a lack of intimacy—they were complete strangers.
"As far as I know…" Bai Zhen didn't know if she should say it, afraid it might put her master in a difficult position. But when she remembered how close the two of them had once been, she felt that such forgetfulness was truly heartbreaking—after all, even she could see just how much the Leader cared for the Young Lady.
Seeing her hesitate, Hua Mu grew even more curious.
"What is it? Hurry up and tell me!"
Bai Zhen gritted her teeth. "Miss, that time we were trapped in the elevator when you were six, it was the Leader who saved us in the end. You called her Masky and acted very affectionately toward her. My master… the Leader, she even called you little sweetheart and said your aunt would scold you for calling her that. Anyway… I think you two had a very good relationship back then."
Hua Mu was stunned!
That faceless person who followed her aunt around like a ghost all day, who had no presence at all, whose voice was ice-cold, and who never looked her straight in the eye—had actually called her little sweetheart???
Even more terrifying, she had actually had the nerve to call her Masky?
Masky? That was hilarious! It didn't fit her image at all!
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