INHA Chapter 112

Xu Dongyou could only hear his mother suddenly fall silent, and a sense of guilt rose within him. He knew he shouldn’t have hidden the fact that he was going on this mission. In fact, he should have told his parents clearly from the beginning.

Knowing that Xu Dongyou was about to embark on his mission, his mother had countless worries and things she wanted to say, but in the end, all of it was distilled into one sentence: “Dongyou, your father and I will be waiting for you to come home.”

“I will,” Xu Dongyou responded softly. “I promise.”

His mother uttered a quiet “okay” and hung up the phone. She and Father Xu sat in silence for a while before Father Xu finally said, “When he’s close to coming home, I’ll cook him something good.”

Mother Xu nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes. Just then, there was a knock at the door again. She stood up to open it and found their neighbor standing there, looking anxious and guilty. The neighbor immediately apologized to Xu’s parents, but Mother Xu shook her head and forced a smile. “We should thank you. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have known about this at all.”

Hearing this made the neighbor feel even more guilty. But Mother Xu truly meant what she said. When she thought of the worst possible outcome—if Xu Dongyou didn’t make it back—she realized that the phone call they had just shared might have been their last conversation.

However, deep in her heart, she refused to believe that possibility.

Xu Dongyou had promised her that he would come back and she believed he would keep that promise.

After this incident, the relationship between the neighbor’s family and Xu’s parents improved. Both families had a family on a dangerous mission, and they all prayed for their safe return. Occasionally, the Anomaly Handling Bureau would send gifts to the families as a form of gratitude.

But Mother Xu would have gladly given up all those gifts in exchange for Xu Dongyou’s safe return.

Meanwhile, a large crowd had already gathered near the array, and even the general director of the Central Bureau had personally come to the scene to offer encouragement to those about to enter. He also gave Xu Dongyou and the others plenty of valuable supplies, like healing serums to restore their bodies and sprays designed to repel monsters. These sprays had just been developed and weren’t available on the market yet, even for those with points to spend.

All these precious items were handed to Xu Dongyou and his team. The general director had also prepared plenty of useful supplies for them, but most importantly, everyone was equipped with a special item from the research department—a tool specifically created to deal with the mysterious tree. The main material used to make these items was dragon scales from Zhulong.

That’s right.

Although Xu Dongyou’s power had increased significantly, he wasn’t confident that he could destroy the mysterious tree on his own. As he pondered how to handle the situation, he suddenly recalled that at the very top of the sealing array, there seemed to be a dragon scale embedded.

In fact, the Anomaly Handling Bureau had also considered this matter, but they were still contemplating how to bring it up with Xu Dongyou. Unexpectedly, Xu Dongyou brought it up first. After a discussion, the bureau decided to pay a certain price to exchange the dragon scale from Zhulong through Xu Dongyou. The most important thing was that destroying the mysterious tree would help Zhulong’s wounds heal and improve its mental state.

Xu Dongyou then relayed this information to Zhulong, who agreed immediately. With a calm expression, Zhulong said to Xu Dongyou, “As for the terms of the exchange, let’s wait until I’m free to discuss them.”

Zhulong never took anything from humans without compensation, fully aware that human technology had advanced dramatically and that many things were no longer the same as they had been thousands of years ago.

Xu Dongyou nodded and, somewhat embarrassed, asked Zhulong for help in retrieving the dragon scale and loading it onto a truck for transport. Of course, Xu Dongyou also stayed behind to chat with Zhulong.

In the past few days, Zhulong had become able to speak normally and seemed even more unfathomable. Xu Dongyou often felt a sense of awe in Zhulong’s presence, but every time he looked into Zhulong’s eyes, that feeling would disappear.

In Zhulong’s eyes, Xu Dongyou saw only restraint and gentleness, a stark contrast to Zhulong’s majestic and mysterious exterior. Xu Dongyou even recalled the moment when Zhulong forcefully formed a pact with him out of concern, a memory that still filled him with an indescribable emotion and subtle warmth.

After Xu Dongyou left, Zhulong returned to a state of calm. This time, instead of looking at the touchscreen, Zhulong quietly pondered something.

Xu Dongyou and his team finished their preparations, carrying weapons and sealing devices made from the dragon scale, along with other tools. With large backpacks, they each entered the array one by one.

Everyone wore protective suits, and as soon as they entered the portal’s world, they immediately braced for any sudden attack from the black mud. Although the Anomaly Handling Bureau’s tests had indicated that the mud was unlikely to attack humans, they still had to be ready for anything. They couldn’t afford to fail at the very first step.

About a minute passed, and the mud remained still, behaving like ordinary mud. The lead handler made a hand gesture indicating that it was temporarily safe. Everyone let out a slight sigh of relief but remained vigilant as they moved cautiously forward, each holding their breath and staying fully focused.

They worried that the air quality inside might be poor or that there might be something harmful to humans, so everyone was equipped with oxygen tanks. Xu Dongyou, with his heightened sense of danger, carefully assessed the oxygen in the air for any threats.

At the same time, one of the researchers used a device to test the air quality. The results showed that the air was poor but free of any harmful substances.

However, they still didn’t remove their masks, knowing that the oxygen tanks would only last for about four hours, and they would be there for at least three days. The oxygen tanks needed to be saved for emergencies.

Xu Dongyou activated his sensory ability but didn’t detect any danger or warnings. He even tried turning off his oxygen tank and removing his mask. Immediately, the damp and somewhat foul-smelling air filled his surroundings. He couldn’t help but frown. Although the smell was unpleasant, it was still tolerable.

Even though this black mud was the culprit behind creating the monsters, and the odor came from the soil, it wasn’t as revolting as the blood and flesh of those monsters, which had been nauseating enough to disgust even the soul.

The others gradually removed their masks as well. A researcher crouched down, cautiously collecting a soil sample and conducting a quick test. He then showed a surprised expression and said to the group, “This is strange. The soil here doesn’t have that soul-repelling feeling it had when we encountered it outside.”

No one knew the reason behind this.

Everyone was astonished, but they didn’t risk touching the black mud directly. Instead, they prepared to move forward. Along the way, they saw no living plants or animals—only a landscape covered in black mud and some withered trees and grass.

The trees and grass appeared normal, but perhaps because they had grown in this environment, their roots and veins were faintly black and filthy, likely a result of absorbing the sludge.

After walking for several hours, they finally reached the vicinity of the mysterious tree. The researchers set down their backpacks and began assembling instruments to remotely monitor and test the tree. After half an hour, one of the researchers said, “There’s a strange energy surrounding this tree, and we’ve also detected signs of life. Look here, we’ve picked up what seems to be a heartbeat.”

“What?!”

Everyone’s faces turned pale with shock as they rushed over to look at the screen. Although many of the numbers were incomprehensible to them, they could all clearly see the very distinct and rhythmic heart monitor graph.

“How can a tree have a heartbeat? Doesn’t that mean this tree has a heart, like a human? Could it be the heartbeat of the evil presence inside it?” one handler, struggling to accept the reality, speculated.

Others nodded in agreement, finding the idea plausible.

Throughout this, the branch director remained silent, observing the tree intently. With Xu Dongyou’s heightened senses, he could indeed feel the tree’s overwhelming life force, so powerful it made his heart race.

The researcher, although displeased by the doubts cast on him, knew now was not the time for arguments. He offered his theory, “If it were just the evil presence’s heartbeat, my equipment wouldn’t be able to detect it so clearly from this distance. It can only be the tree itself. Its size is enormous, and its heart must be just as large for my instrument to pick it up.”

His reasoning was logical and convincing. Everyone fell silent, unable to refute his argument, though they were still shocked by the idea of a tree having a heartbeat.

“Do you think it can hear us talking?” a handler suddenly asked.

After all, if the tree had a heart, it might mean it was no longer just a plant, but possibly capable of thought and awareness.

Despite the fact that the tree had shown no reaction so far, the group felt a rising tension. Instead of relaxing, they grew more anxious, even feeling a bit creeped out by the handler’s comment.

Xu Dongyou expanded his sensory abilities, trying to detect any threats. While he didn’t perceive any immediate danger, the aura surrounding the tree felt very familiar—an unmistakable presence of evil. However, the gray mist around the tree was denser and more intense than typical evil forces.

Beyond that, with his enhanced senses, Xu Dongyou could hear a deep, heavy heartbeat. The sound seemed to come from all directions, even from beneath his feet.

His expression shifted slightly as a terrifying thought crossed his mind.

Could the heart be…

He crouched down, pressing his ear closer to the ground to listen more carefully.

“Thump… thump…”

“Thump…”

It wasn’t his imagination. The heartbeat from the ground was clearer now, and it sent chills up Xu Dongyou’s spine. The branch director noticed his reaction and approached, asking, “What did you find?”

Xu Dongyou hesitated, then whispered in a voice too low for others to hear, “I can hear a heartbeat coming from underground. It seems… massive.”

The branch director’s face darkened slightly. After a moment of consideration, he nodded. “Let’s keep this between us for now.”

After all, the idea of a giant heart beating beneath the earth was enough to unsettle anyone.

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