Chapter 782: Journey to the Sleeping Mountains

For the journey to the Sleeping Mountains, Lu Xin had originally planned to drive there.

Or maybe take a flight.

But he never expected that, despite having access to the most advanced technology from the world’s leading Research Institute, the chosen mode of transport would be so unadorned.

A horse carriage!

Two carriages, boasting spacious compartments, a sleek, glossy finish, and impressively tall, narrow, high-quality tires.

Hanging at the front of each were a candlelit horse lamp and a shiny, butter-yellow bell.

There were even reins and a whip at the front.

But it wasn’t pulled by horses, donkeys, or mules—it was drawn by a long, slender, scaled reptilian monster.

What set it apart from ordinary monsters was the pair of symmetrically lined rows of eyes on its back.

Moreover, all four of its claws, each with five toes, were stout and powerful, gripping the ground with an almost mutated human-like strength.

Undercover Units milled around the carriage, incessantly scuffing their feet on the ground.

Some even leaped onto the creature’s back, adopting the air of seasoned drivers.

“Let’s go!”

Doctor An and Lu Xin sat in the front carriage, while the other five cramped into the rear.

With languid nonchalance, she fiddled with the walkie-talkie on her collar, issued a command, and then stretched out her long legs, draping them casually over the seat.

Lu Xin had no choice but to awkwardly press his body against the side of the carriage, struggling to maintain his dignity.

Glancing out the window, he saw that after Doctor An’s command, an undercover unit mounted the creature’s back and snapped his fingers with a sharp “click.” Immediately, the two eye-bedecked monsters lunged forward.

In an instant, a vague mental vortex enveloped the space around both carriages.

Then, with a thunderous rumble, the carriage surged ahead, entering a dark crimson abyss in the blink of an eye.

The Undercover Units around began scattering in a mad dash.

Under the pull of those two mental monsters, the double carriage careened through the abyss’s realm with staggering speed.

All the scenery around became a blurred, ever-shifting haze.

Yet the black carriage persisted, moving forward with an oddly tangible sense of reality emerging from the illusion.

The scene was marked by an indescribable contrast—a strong clash that somehow resolved into an unusual harmony.

……

……

“Our destination this time is to bypass the Forbidden Line by going straight through the abyss, and then, relying on our own two long, strong, and undeniably attractive legs, we’ll trek over mountains, ford rivers, and roam through dark jungles to reach the Old Research Institute Site.”

“Sigh, the carriage isn’t even running properly—after all, there’s not even a decent road there; it’s all dry and cracked.”

“……”

Lu Xin nodded, thinking he understood, until he caught sight of Doctor An’s mischievous grin aimed at him.

Suddenly, he realized he might not have grasped everything.

Noticing Lu Xin’s embarrassed look, Doctor An couldn’t help but smirk with satisfaction and said:

“But save the flirting for later; let’s focus on business first.”

“For this investigation to the Research Institute ruins, I have my own mission. I’m sure you have your objectives too. But don’t forget—you were hired as our team’s consultant, so you’ll follow our advice, right?”

“Flirting…”

Lu Xin shifted uneasily, only to be further hemmed in by Doctor An’s legs.

Still, when it came to business, he simply nodded.

His professional integrity had never been in question—otherwise, he wouldn’t be stuck here enduring her encroachment on his space.

If he could tolerate her legs, then taking her suggestions wasn’t such a big deal.

“To put it simply, I want to set three ground rules with you.”

Doctor An looked at Lu Xin, her expression turning slightly serious as she said, “Back in the days of the Red Moon Research Institute, too many secrets lurked inside. No matter what level of power we possessed, in such an eerie place, it was hard not to be affected. Sometimes, our very strength could be exploited by some odd force there, causing even greater damage.”

“For instance…”

She paused briefly before continuing, “You faced an opponent and managed to deal with it, only to realize in the blink of an eye—”

“…that the one you took down was actually one of our own companions.”

“……”

Lu Xin pondered seriously, a mild shiver of apprehension tingling in his heart at the possibility.

He had never been completely immune to contamination.

At best, he could only stay slightly more alert than others at critical moments.

But if, at a pivotal moment, even half a second of influence or contamination occurred, it could lead to grave mistakes.

His power had indeed increased; whereas before he might need several seconds to eliminate a mental entity or even a person, now he was capable of wiping out every mental creature in his line of sight in less than half a second.

And that included people.

Doctor An’s reminder was well-timed.

With growing power inevitably came swollen confidence and a tendency to overlook peripheral details.

And that was a tremendous risk.

……

……

“Honestly, working with someone of your character is truly a pleasure,”

Doctor An observed Lu Xin’s thoughtful expression, knowing he had understood her words and taken them to heart.

Even his usually unserious face now bore traces of genuine appreciation.

Lu Xin noticed this look and felt a twinge of embarrassment, yet it also brought him a sense of sincere happiness.

Compared to her usual, shamelessly leering look, he preferred the heartfelt recognition and praise—something every conscientious, diligent professional would cherish.

“So what exactly are these three rules?”

Suppressing his smile, he asked Doctor An in a tone that mixed earnest responsibility with inquiry.

“First,”

Doctor An smiled at him and said, “Unless absolutely necessary, you are not to use your power at will.”

“Using your power randomly in that eerie, mystical place could lead to unnecessary risks.”

“Also, it would effectively reveal our hand, offering our opponents more opportunities against us… Perhaps you aren’t aware that many powers in this world were specifically designed to counter high-level Ability Users. They’re extremely dangerous.”

“As a madman once said in the Pre-Civilization Era, given a lever, he could move the Earth.”

“In the realm of Mental Alteration, even a low-tier ability can, with a single chance, cause a high-level power user to make a catastrophic mistake.”

“……”

Lu Xin nodded and couldn’t help but ask, “So what if danger arises?”

“Sissi is on duty.”

Doctor An puckered her lips toward the back of the carriage and said, “She’s our bodyguard. She usually handles any problem that comes up.”

“That little girl…”

Lu Xin was mildly surprised; he still found it hard to associate her with the title of ‘bodyguard.’

“Second,”

Doctor An continued, “Don’t meddle in matters without my consent.”

“Huh?”

Lu Xin asked, a note of astonishment in his voice.

It wasn’t that the rule was particularly tricky, but rather, why would such a matter be codified as a rule?

“Because you possess humanity.”

A glimmer of insight shone in Doctor An’s narrow, keen eyes as she softly laughed and said,

“I may not know all the details about you, but I can guess a few things.”

“You maintain a balance akin to that of a normal person, retaining a curious humanity.”

“But don’t mistake that for a virtue; in fact, humanity has always been the Achilles’ heel of Ability Users…”

“There are far too many powers in this world that cloak dangerous elements behind a beautiful facade.”

“Your humanity will prevent you from ignoring such red flags.”

“But the perilous bait is waiting for you inside…”

“……”

At this point, she paused and said, “So I’m setting this one rule with you.”

“Perhaps there are things you can’t just sit by and ignore, but you must remember: communicate with me first before deciding.”

“……”

“……”

Lu Xin thought intently and had to admit that Doctor An was speaking the truth.

He couldn’t refuse this rule, so he nodded and then looked back at Doctor An with a questioning gaze.

“Third,”

Doctor An flashed a satisfied smile before continuing, “No matter what we face, our findings must be our guiding principle.”

“Mm.”

He casually nodded at this seemingly trivial condition.

Noticing his lack of focus, Doctor An added, “If you violate it, there will be a penalty.”

“Mm?”

Lu Xin couldn’t help but look at her more intently.

“When I say no matter what we face, I truly mean absolutely anything…”

Doctor An chuckled and said, “For example, if you’re confronted with a difficult choice—one option might net you valuable information, while another could mean a life-or-death situation for someone in our team, including me. In such a critical moment, I want you to opt for the valuable information and successfully relay it to the Research Institute.”

“This…”

Lu Xin felt that this condition clashed with his personal principles.

A troubled look crossed his face, yet he still nodded and said, “I understand. I’ll do my best.”

Though his response wasn’t an unconditional assent, Doctor An seemed somewhat pleased.

She nodded lightly and said, “With these three rules, there’s nothing more to discuss. Concerning such an unfathomable place, we can’t expect to cover every possibility—we can only hope to maximize our abilities…”

“Everything else depends on our luck…”

“……”

“Luck, huh?”

Lu Xin recalled the word from among the Researchers and it struck him as odd.

It was strange that those who prized data and rational thought could pin their hopes on luck…

He wanted to say something to break the awkward silence but couldn’t find the right words.

Only managing to glance at the long, elegant legs that Doctor An had stretched out beside him, he finally said,

“Can you pull your legs back in?”

“……”

Doctor An gave him a languid glance and replied, “Not a fan of the view?”

“Considering we might not make it back alive this time, shouldn’t we take in a little more of a woman’s legs while we can?”

“……”

“No, that’s not it…”

Hearing her words, Lu Xin awkwardly explained, “You’re crowding me…”

“My humanity isn’t perfectly stable right now. What if I can’t help myself…”

“……”

Suddenly, Doctor An’s eyes lit up with a hint of anticipation.

Then, Lu Xin obediently added, “If I break your legs, then I won’t be able to move properly…”

“……”

Doctor An gave him a long, piercing look before silently retracting her legs.