madnovel Chapter 151 Quicksand Vortex
Chapter 151 Quicksand Vortex
Chapter 151 Quicksand Vortex
Having dealt with the first energy entity, the team continued forward, becoming even more vigilant.
They subsequently encountered two more similar energy attacks, both of which were quickly identified by Rolin and precisely destroyed by Ella or Gorson.
As they went deeper, signs of shifting sands became increasingly apparent.
The ground occasionally showed slight subsidence and a sense of movement.
Luo Lin had to focus more on his feet, using the changes in the energy density of the strata to predict quicksand.
"stop!"
Luo Lin suddenly raised his hand, signaling the group to stop.
He crouched down, his palm lightly pressing the ground, his brows furrowed.
"In the large area ahead, the underground energy structure is very loose, and—it pulsates regularly, as if it were alive."
"You can't just go straight through."
"A detour?" Duden looked at the map.
"There are strong energy turbulence zones on both sides, and it will take more time to go around them."
Rowling stood up, his gaze sweeping over the unstable area. After a moment's thought, he said, "Perhaps—we could try to calm things down."
He took out the prepared energy stabilizing powder, estimated the dosage, and then looked at the chaotic energy environment around him.
"Captain Ella, I need your cooperation."
"The instant I scatter the powder, use your flames to create a brief zone of high temperature and pressure in front of me, forcing the powder to vaporize and rapidly mix with the chaotic energy there."
Although Ella didn't understand, based on her previous trust, she nodded and said, "Okay, you tell me the timing."
97
Luo Lin walked to the edge of the unstable area and held his breath.
The echo unit begins to reverse-analyze the main fluctuation frequency of the chaotic energy in this area and simulates a stable frequency that is the opposite and can produce a certain neutralizing effect.
"Now!"
Luo Lin raised his hand and scattered a handful of light blue energy-stabilizing powder into the air ahead.
Almost simultaneously, Ella pointed her staff, and a blazing ring of fire roared out and exploded violently beneath the powder!
The intense heat and impact instantly turned the powder into a pale blue mist, which violently collided with the chaotic energy in the area ahead.
mix.
A miracle happened.
Within the area shrouded in pale blue mist, the previously violent and chaotic energy fluctuations subsided at a visible speed. While they didn't become orderly, they at least changed from boiling to a slow flow.
The soft ground below seemed to become more stable, and the rhythmic pulsation diminished.
"Quick! Pass it now! The effect won't last long!" Roland shouted.
The four of them immediately rushed across the area that had been temporarily pacified at top speed.
When they reached the other side, the pale blue mist behind them had dissipated, and the area returned to its original chaos and turmoil.
"Unbelievable—" Duden looked back and murmured.
"Your understanding and control of energy is simply—"
Luo Lin wiped the sweat from his forehead; the operation he had just completed had taken a toll on his mental and computational abilities.
"This is just a temporary measure, it only addresses the symptoms, not the root cause! We need to act quickly."
According to the map and Rolin's perception correction, they were getting closer and closer to the target location.
The energy turbulence in the air became increasingly violent, and even small-scale spontaneous energy lightning began to appear.
Finally, after rounding a huge, charred rock formation that stood like a tombstone, they saw the scene described in the Imperial intelligence.
Ahead was a huge quicksand vortex, more than 100 meters in diameter.
The grayish-brown sand grains swirled and sank downwards like flowing water, their center bottomless.
At the edge of the vortex, turbulent energy flow formed colorful bands of light, like the eyeshadow of a demon.
Below the vortex, about thirty meters deep in the pit wall, a corner of a smooth, dark silver metallic surface, different from the surrounding rocks, is faintly visible, with what appears to be neat engravings on it.
That should be the top of the ruins.
However, to get there, one must pass through this terrifying vortex of quicksand and the dense energy turbulence surrounding it.
"How do we get down here?" Gorson frowned.
Jumping directly into quicksand is tantamount to suicide.
Flight spells are extremely unstable in this energy environment, and the quicksand vortex itself has a powerful suction force.
Duden was also thinking quickly: "Rope rappelling? But quicksand would swallow the rope and anchor point—"
Rowling did not speak immediately.
He walked to the edge of the quicksand vortex, enduring the impact of the violent energy on his senses, and activated the detection capabilities of the Insight Ring to the maximum. At the same time, the Echo Unit was fully engaged in analyzing the energy movement patterns of the quicksand vortex.
Time passed second by second.
Ella and Gorson warily guarded their surroundings, repelling two smaller energy entities that emerged from the turbulent energy flow.
"Have you found anything, Rowling?" Duden asked anxiously; they didn't have much time left.
Luo Lin suddenly raised his head, a flash of understanding in his eyes.
"This quicksand vortex—is not entirely natural."
His voice sounded somewhat ethereal amidst the energy noise.
"Its rotation has a slight periodicity, and the distribution of energy turbulence also hides a certain pattern—like—a kind of activated, incomplete defense or concealment mechanism."
He pointed to several specific points at the edge of the vortex: "Look there, and there—the intensity of the energy turbulence will briefly weaken within a thirty-second cycle, and when it weakens, the suction of the quicksand will also decrease by about fifteen percent."
"Although the time is short, if we can seize that opportunity and use Captain Ella's flames to create a backdraft, we might be able to briefly run across the quicksand surface and reach the vicinity of that metal structure on the pit wall."
"How confident are you?" Ella asked directly.
"If my calculations are correct, I'm theoretically 50% certain."
"But the timing must be perfect, and it requires precise coordination among the four of us," Rolin said, looking at his teammates.
"Researcher Duden needs to activate his simple floating rune plate when I send the signal, to give us a little buffer."
"Gorson will be responsible for securing and protecting us while we are in the landing crater."
"Captain Ella, the strength and timing of the backdraft are crucial."
Duden and Gorson exchanged a glance, both seeing the resolve in each other's eyes.
Ella licked her slightly chapped lips, a fiery fighting spirit burning in her eyes.
"Fifty percent, that's enough! Let's do it!" Ella gripped her staff tightly.
"Begin preparations." Duden also took out the metal plate engraved with levitation runes.
Rowling once again devoted all his attention to observing and calculating the vortex pattern.
The Insight Ring faithfully records every energy peak and trough and the subtle changes in the suction of quicksand.
The echo unit, like the most precise clock, is counting down.
Ten seconds — Five seconds — Three seconds —
"Now! Ella, 60 degrees to the left front, maximum thrust! Duden, activate the hoverboard!"
Ella was already poised to strike, and with a sudden thrust of her staff forward, a torrent of orange-red flames, condensed to the extreme, shot back violently!
A powerful reaction force was instantly applied to the four people.
At the same time, the levitation board in Duden's hand shone brightly, generating an upward lifting force.
The four of them were launched at an angle towards the quicksand vortex as if they had been ejected!
Just as they were about to touch the surface of the quicksand, the weakening period calculated by Rowling arrived!
The quicksand beneath my feet seemed to soften and slow down instantly, its suction greatly reduced.
Using the backlash of flames and the brief lift from the buoyancy board, the four of them actually slid for more than ten meters on the surface of the quicksand, narrowly avoiding the turbulent energy flow, and headed straight for the dark silver metal structure on the pit wall.
"Gorson!"
Just as his momentum was about to wane and he was about to fall into the quicksand below, Gorson roared and plunged his broadsword into a crevice in the pit wall. With his other hand, he threw out a rope with a grappling hook that he had prepared beforehand, which wrapped around the protruding metal structure.
With his powerful arms, he instantly steadied himself and threw the other end of the rope to Ella, who was closest to him.
Ella grabbed the rope, Duden grabbed Ella, and Rowling grabbed Duden.
The four of them, like grasshoppers strung together, hung precariously on the pit wall, with a whirlpool of quicksand slowly rotating and regaining its suction force not far below them.
It worked!
Before they could celebrate, Gorson hissed, "Hold on! I'll pull you up!"
With Gorson's help, the four of them climbed up the protruding, roughly three-meter-square dark silver metal platform.
The platform surface was covered with dust and solidified sand, but its smooth and precise edges were still visible.