Chapter 2323: Beneath the Hidden Immortal Lake
The marked location of the lake wasn't far from Ting City. Xu Huo, having yet to hear from Nie Xuan, decided to go check out the lake first.
He informed Team Leader Wu about this matter. Wu, unaware of the specifics, submitted a report following standard procedures. Eventually, the Special Defense Department approved it, informing Xu Huo that he could go, but only through an entrance designated by the department.
It wasn't that the Special Defense Department was deliberately restricting him. Shortly after, a player delivered a simple encrypted file.
"Hidden Immortal Lake" had been sealed off half a year ago. The reason was a sudden eruption of immense energy from beneath the lake. To detect possible Instance Dungeon entrances, the Special Defense Department had deployed detection instruments in many locations. Generally, places with energy fluctuations—regardless of the type of energy—always produced some peculiar phenomena, such as Random Instances, strange flora and fauna, or ancient artifacts coming to life. In short, energy changes always had a cause. However, compared to the densely populated cities where Fixed Instances might appear in the future, the energy at Hidden Immortal Lake was on an entirely different scale.
For the past six months, dedicated personnel had been investigating Hidden Immortal Lake. Thanks to equipment obtained from the game, diving beneath the lake wasn't difficult. The existence of an ancient civilization ruin beneath the lake had been confirmed. Not only that, but players had also brought back some ancient artifacts, some of which contained special energy. The Special Defense Department still hadn't figured out the function of this energy. However, just as they were attempting to relocate the site in batches, another energy geyser erupted from beneath the lake.
It seemed that some energy vortexes had inexplicably appeared deep within the ruins. At the time, over half of the players working inside were killed or injured, and even their bodies were never found.
When the Special Defense Department gathered manpower again to dive and investigate, the interior of the ancient civilization ruins had changed. The architectural layouts that had been photographed and recorded earlier were now vastly different, as if the entire site had expanded exponentially.
However, measurements taken from the periphery showed no change in the size of the ruins.
The Special Defense Department speculated that a folded space had appeared inside. Such spaces were extremely prone to giving birth to Instance Dungeons. Even if it hadn't fully become an Instance Dungeon yet, it might undergo a qualitative change when it merged with the game in the future. And if they could gain control over such an Instance Dungeon in advance, it would be extremely advantageous for the Special Defense Department, the nation, and even Zone 014.
By dusk, Xu Huo had arrived at the outer perimeter of Hidden Immortal Lake.
The entire perimeter of the lake was covered by a Blockade Barrier, preventing ordinary people and regular players from entering or exiting. Most of the personnel stationed here were military players, with the Special Defense Department taking a secondary role.
The person receiving Xu Huo was Jiang Qiao. As a representative of the Special Defense Department, she could fully express their opinions.
"Players just attacked," she said, pointing to the barrier still being repaired in the distance. "This is the third attack recently. All of them were Outer Zone Players."
Xu Huo glanced at the busy military players and said, "I thought a Primordial Stone might be born here, but it turns out to be an Instance Dungeon."
"It's still uncertain whether it's an Instance Dungeon," Jiang Qiao said, already looking weary. "I've been here for three months with almost no progress. I wonder if we'll have to wait until it merges with the game to gain anything."
"Is the energy difference between the lake and other cities really that significant?" Xu Huo turned to look at the azure lake surface. The lake was calm, without wind, the water as smooth as a mirror, exceptionally beautiful.
"Very significant," Jiang Qiao said. "According to the data we've obtained from the game, places that will give birth to Instance Dungeons in the future, especially densely populated areas, exhibit irregular energy fluctuations long before merging with the game. However, the peaks and troughs don't differ too much. This usually indicates a relatively stable Fixed Instance."
"The greater and more irregular the energy fluctuation, the higher the level and risk of the impending Instance Dungeon. Currently, Hidden Immortal Lake has the largest energy fluctuation in the country, followed by the Black Desert."
Saying this, she relaxed her expression a little. "To be honest, before I came, I thought that even if I couldn't acquire the Instance Dungeon in advance, picking up a few items would be good. Items naturally born in high-level Instance Dungeons are bound to be of high quality. Perhaps..."
She didn't finish the sentence, but Xu Huo understood the implication. The higher the risk, the greater the reward. Hidden Immortal Lake was so unusual; what if a Super Item was born there, like in Zone 017?
Whether it was for obtaining a Super Item or preventing unforeseen developments, neither the military nor the Special Defense Department could afford to ignore it.
Xu Huo's Super Item, "Three Seconds of Life," wasn't born in Zone 014. He had obtained it through a passage in Zone 014, in Decibel Town—another space. It wasn't considered a Super Item born in Zone 014; it was merely acquired by someone from Zone 014.
"According to data from the E27 Wormhole Point, among the more than twenty zones that exist now, only two have given birth to Super Items. This place might not have one."
"That's true, but Zone 014's development trajectory has been too smooth," Jiang Qiao revealed a bit about the overall prediction for Zone 014. "Although I'm not superstitious, looking at Zone 014's evolution process, it seems even the Super Item incident was meant to promote the comprehensive evolution of the entire zone. Coupled with the later universal player status, the number of players and elite powerhouses born in Zone 014 has already surpassed the normal evolutionary progress of many zones."
"Is that abnormal?" Xu Huo raised an eyebrow.
"It is very abnormal," Jiang Qiao said. "The bigger the pie that falls from the sky, the heavier it is. I don't know if we'll get to eat the pie first or be crushed by it first."
"Of course, this also means that Zone 014 has unique potential. Since that's the case, whether it's me or the Special Defense Department, we all hope that Zone 014 will become a standout among the E27 Wormhole Points."
This heartfelt conversation couldn't have been just for emotional expression. She looked at Xu Huo seriously. "Your strength is definitely in the top ten in Zone 014 right now. If anyone can bring something more valuable out from beneath the lake, I can't think of anyone else but you."
"That's laying it on a bit thick," Xu Huo said. "I'm just a little interested. I won't necessarily take the risk."
The last time he encountered a Chaos Space at sea, he retrieved a piece of Primordial Stone suspected to be a "Time Origin." He had yet to take it out or hand it over to anyone for research. That time, he had been lucky, and besides, it was originally just a chaotic space—unstable and not sealed.
Hidden Immortal Lake, however, seemed to have already formed a sealed area, completely different inside and out. Assuming it was about to become a high-level Instance Dungeon, entering before it fully formed might yield some benefits, but the risk would definitely multiply.
Jiang Qiao smiled. "If that were the case, why would you bother making the trip? From my standpoint, whether you bring something out and sell or lend it to the Special Defense Department, or use it yourself, it would be beneficial for Zone 014."
As they spoke, the two had arrived at the command center. "You can first take a look at the detailed materials the military has obtained."