The apocalypse struck, and I became a druid.

Page 257

The high pressure and low temperature of the deep sea seemed to have no effect on him. With a swing of his claws, he created a scorching airflow, directly smashing several half-melted water ghouls that rushed towards him into ashes.

Han Ning was the only one in the team wearing a regular diving suit, so that he could transform at any time.

Zhao Kai roared, his iron-gray muscles bulging, and his huge alloy battle axe swept out with immense force, shattering a shark-shaped water ghoul that was trying to bypass the defense line along with a charred reef.

Xu Ming stood firmly on the left flank like a rock, wielding his black iron battle axe with impenetrable force, blocking all the fish that managed to slip through his net.

Lin Qianqian and the atomic fission technicians did not directly participate in the battle. They hovered slightly behind the formation, their hands pressing down, and soft white light spread out from them, forming a disruptive force field that slowed down the water zombies' movements.

The phantom of the eerie blue flames behind Yu Na suddenly solidified, and a ring of fire erupted from her center. The water ghosts that touched it were instantly covered by invisible eerie blue flames, and then crushed by subsequent attacks.

Ah Long manipulated the water flow, forming invisible whirlpools and ropes that entangled the feet of the extremely fast elite water ghouls, creating opportunities for the others to attack.

Jiang Yuan transformed into a purplish-black vine tree-man, with countless twisting vines like venomous snakes emerging from their holes, burrowing into the joints and eye sockets of the water corpse demon, viciously strangling it.

Despite the intensity of the battle, it lasted only a short time.

Although these water ghouls were elites, they had been severely damaged in the nuclear explosion, and with the coordinated efforts of the human alliance, they were almost completely overwhelmed.

Within two or three minutes, the final wave of attack was thwarted.

The remains of limbs and flesh, mixed with the stench of burning flesh, slowly sank to the deeper seabed.

Silence returned to the area around the group for the time being.

"Take stock of casualties and quickly organize equipment."

Zheng Weiguo didn't make a move.

Fortunately, no one was killed in the recent skirmish; only a few team members suffered minor damage to their armor, which was repaired under the guidance of atomic fission technicians.

"I'll keep the Radiant Silver Fragments for now. We'll discuss how to distribute them once we get back," Zheng Weiguo said, gesturing with his hand.

The glittering silver fragments that drifted with the current floated into his hand, and he spoke to the crowd.

Although Han Ning really wanted the Radiant Silver Fragment, he felt embarrassed to take it directly since killing the monster was the result of everyone's combined efforts.

The team regrouped and continued their slow advance towards the epicenter of the nuclear explosion.

The deeper you go, the more shocking the surrounding scenery becomes.

The seawater was indeed seawater; in fact, the area they were in was previously land.

The current ocean area is where seawater from the source world was affected by the Kuroshio Current and flowed into the land.

At this point, the landscape of the so-called "seabed" had been completely altered.

What should have been a vast expanse of land is now covered with huge impact craters with glass-like edges.

In some places, the seabed rock layers were melted by high temperatures and then rapidly cooled, forming large areas of smooth-edged ground.

Countless marine creatures lay scattered at the bottom of the pit in various contorted postures, many still in the struggling positions of the moment of the nuclear explosion, their bodies covered with a layer of grayish-white radioactive dust.

The seawater was filled with a strong smell of ozone and sulfur, the background radiation readings continued to soar, and the detectors frequently issued piercing alarms.

The light here becomes even more bizarre, but it's not completely dark.

Some of the completely burned monster corpses were emitting a faint green or dark red glow, making this deadly water area look like a ghost realm.

“1100 meters deep… We are approaching the edge of the core area of ​​Source Point No. 3.”

Deputy Director Luo regularly reported the data, his tone tinged with seriousness.

"The energy readings are extremely unstable. There is a strong energy turbulence ahead. Everyone be careful."

Han Ning remained in his humanoid fish-gill form, his feet planted on a slightly warm, glassy rock, his eyes scanning his surroundings.

His natural perception and star vision were greatly disturbed here, but he could still sense a heart-pounding energy fluctuation coming from the area ahead.

That was the residual energy from the Kuroshio Source, which stubbornly persisted even after the nuclear explosion.

"It's astonishing that even at the epicenter of the nuclear explosion, some monsters' bones were still not melted."

Li Feng exclaimed in amazement at the scene around him.

The team carefully navigated around a charred "coral reef" that stretched out in front of them.

Han Ning speculated that these coral reefs were likely the charred remains of the Kuroshio Current monster that was burned by a nuclear bomb.

Instead of real coral.

This sight brought a slight sense of relief to everyone.

The reason we've come here is to eliminate any monsters that may have survived the nuclear explosion.

Now, all these monsters have been blasted to charred remains by the fruits of human technology, turning the land into a land of death.

This means that nuclear weapons are still very threatening to monsters.

"Commander-in-Chief, I...I'm about to die. Cough cough cough!" Suddenly, a Black Iron-level Awakened from the Sword of Judgment said in a weak voice.

At the same time, he made a stop gesture.

"I can't hold on any longer either."

"..."

In an instant, several people made the gesture.

"We can't go any closer. The epicenter of the nuclear explosion is ahead. The radiation is too strong, and some people can't withstand it."

Deputy Director Luo reminded him.

Some of the weaker Black Iron-level Awakeners in the group have already sensed that something is wrong with their bodies.

A large number of radioactive particles are bombarding their bodies.

For a Black Iron-level expert with keen senses, they could feel the energy within their body becoming disordered and their muscles melting.

"Those who can't hold on, retreat. The rest of you, keep moving forward. We're almost at the epicenter of the nuclear explosion."

The sight before them caused everyone to involuntarily stop swimming.

It was a colossal crater beyond description, as if a piece of the entire sea had been forcibly scooped away.

The diameter of the pit was immeasurable, and as far as the eye could see, there was only a pitch-black abyss extending downwards.

Dark red energy veins, like blood vessels, flowed across the surface of the pit walls, flickering intermittently.

Deep within the center of the giant pit, a single, dazzling light, an eerily sinister silver-black radiance, slowly rotated, like a cold eye watching over all intruders.

Chapter 299 Monsters Within the Source

Even from such a distance, everyone could still feel a strong sense of oppression.

Just as everyone was still reeling from the apocalyptic scene, a sudden change occurred.

An invisible, evil wave suddenly erupted from the surface of the Dark Eye deep within the giant pit.

"Beware of mental shock!" Zheng Weiguo shouted sharply, while simultaneously raising a dark red energy shield.

Deputy Director Luo reacted extremely quickly.

With a clap of his hands, a pink triangular cone-shaped field expanded, protecting everyone within it.

puff~

The eerie mental fluctuations struck the domain and vanished without a trace.

After a brief period of sedimentation.

The anticipated more intense attack did not follow.

The silver-black source point continued to rotate slowly, emitting unsettling fluctuations, but otherwise showed no signs of active attack.

"That's...that's it?" Everyone was somewhat surprised.

"They may be at their last gasp, after all, they suffered a nuclear explosion," Zheng Weiguo pondered for a moment before analyzing.

"All units shall remain on alert, assume defensive formation, provide alternating cover, and gradually approach the pit edge. The atomic fission team shall continuously monitor the environmental conditions and report any abnormalities immediately."

The team descended very slowly.

With their formidable strength and diving equipment, the Black Iron-level Awakened constantly contend with ever-increasing water pressure and ubiquitous high-intensity radiation.

They descended along the vitrified crater walls created by the nuclear explosion.

Han Ning remained in his Molten Gold War Tiger form, his scorching body temperature even causing the surrounding seawater to boil slightly, his tiger eyes burning with golden flames as he vigilantly observed his surroundings.

As the distance closed, the view at the bottom of the pit gradually became clearer.

At the core of the nuclear explosion, where the high temperature and pressure were enough to vaporize most substances, there was still a large area of ​​indescribable charred material remaining.

It looks like the remains of a giant beast that was instantly carbonized.

These charred, bloody marks tightly enveloped the source.

"incredible……"

Deputy Director Luo's voice rang out on the communication channel.

"It's astonishing. What exactly is this source point made of? It was attacked head-on by a nuclear bomb, yet it hasn't disappeared."

"Commander Zheng, Chief Han, I need to get closer to the source to conduct sampling and inspection!"

“We can try, but we must be extremely careful. I’ll go down with you. Han Ning, you stay up here and provide support.”

"Deputy Director Luo, we must act quickly; we cannot stay here any longer."

Zheng Weiguo gave the order.

"Squads One and Three of the Sword of Judgment, occupy advantageous positions on the pit wall and establish a defensive line. The Naval Dragon Team, monitor the movement of the surrounding waters. The Azure Cloud forces, disperse for vigilance."

The rest of the people received the order and dispersed, moving to the designated location.

Deputy Director Luo, with the assistance of two atomic fission technicians, approached the source.

He took out a device from his diving gear that Han Ning didn't recognize, and examined the eerie light from head to toe from a distance of less than a body length from the source.

"Extremely high residual energy... structural stability... exceeding expectations... faint life signal feedback? Impossible, it must be interference from the source energy..."

As he took notes, he muttered to himself; clearly, the discovery before him had overturned his previous understanding.

"You two, take samples of this charred material on the ground."

"Yes."