At the end of the corridor stood a heavy door made of some kind of silvery white metal, embedded with a complex hexagonal verification system.
Reynolds pressed his badge against the verification system, simultaneously entering a magic password.
The door slowly opened, and a strange atmosphere seeped out from within, as if countless eyes in the dark were watching every intruder.
It has to be said, the abyssal breath is indeed as recorded, silently infiltrating one’s spiritual world, inducing various negative emotions and twisted thoughts.
Without enough spiritual power and willpower, prolonged exposure to such an environment easily leads to madness or downfall.
Behind the door was a spacious circular hall, surrounded by numerous small laboratories and storage rooms, with a massive multi-level observation platform at the center.
The entire space was filled with complex instruments and energy monitoring devices, with over a dozen researchers in uniform busily engaged at their stations.
"Welcome to the Abyssal Observation Station."
Reynolds made an exaggerated gesture, his eyes shining with undisguised pride:
"This place gathers the Ring Abyss Continent Group’s most top-notch abyssal research resources and talents, it’s the best place to understand the mysteries of the abyss."
Ron’s gaze swiftly scanned the entire hall, noting that the floors, walls, and ceiling were covered with miniature detection and protective runes, forming a complete safety network.
In case of an energy anomaly or abyssal contamination leak, this network would immediately activate, completely isolating the abnormal area from the outside world.
"The precision of the equipment is truly astonishing, no less than a fully invested project by Cassandra Tower Master."
Ron sincerely remarked.
They took a special magic elevator, slowly descending to the underground levels.
"The first underground level is the main research laboratory."
Reynolds introduced:
"The second underground level is the specimen storage area and preliminary analysis zone.
The third underground level... that’s the top secret area, requiring special permission to enter, my clearance isn’t enough."
The elevator stopped at the second underground level, and when the door opened, a breathtaking scene was revealed.
It was a gigantic circular space, with hundreds of sealed containment devices of varied sizes lined up on the surrounding walls.
Each emitted a faint blue light, containing various bizarre abyssal materials within.
"Specimen Storage Area." Reynolds’ explanation became more professional:
"This is where we store material samples collected from various levels of the abyss, ranging from the most basic abyssal dust to the most dangerous mutant tissues, everything is here. For us researchers, this is an inexhaustible treasure trove."
Ron drew closer to several larger containment devices, activating extraordinary recognition to carefully observe the samples within.
The first device held a piece of what appeared to be ordinary gray rock, but in Ron’s perception, an energy flow that defied natural laws was occurring inside the rock.
It consumed its own material to maintain an abnormal state of existence, like an endless self-devouring cycle.
"The ’Memory Stone’ from the 7th Floor of the Abyss." Reynolds explained:
"It can record and replay memory fragments of creatures passing nearby. When activated under safe conditions, it can show the final moments of those extinct creatures in the abyss."
The second device contained a mass of constantly morphing black liquid, its shape changing every few seconds.
From a sphere to a cube, then a hexagonal pyramid, followed by some bizarre form beyond geometry.
"The ’Form-Flowing Liquid’ from the ’Twisted Jungle’ of the fourth level, also one of the results from my last exploration."
Reynolds’ voice held a tinge of uncontainable pride:
"I personally extracted it from a moving tree trunk. This liquid can temporarily alter the basic structure of materials, making metal flow like water or water as hard as stone."
Ron nodded, quietly recording this information in his mind.
The characteristics of these abyssal materials matched closely with the descriptions he had read in the ’Abyssal Creatures Atlas’, yet seeing them firsthand was a vastly different experience from reading about them.
They continued onward, reaching the deeper part of the storage area.
The containment measures there were obviously more stringent, each device encased within multiple energy barriers, with additional monitoring instruments set around.
Ron’s attention was drawn to a special containment device at the deepest part.
It was a nearly two-meter-high hexagonal crystal pillar, within which a twisted dark purple object floated.
It looked like a limb of some kind of creature, covered with innumerable small tendrils and eyeball-like structures on the surface.
Despite being locked in multiple seals, Ron could still sense the unsettling energy fluctuation emanating from it.
The fluctuation contained a nearly primal malevolence, as if it was some chaotic power from the birth of the universe.
"That is..." he couldn’t help but inquire in a low voice.
Reynolds’ expression turned exceptionally serious:
"That is a limb fragment cut from an apostle.
Twelve years ago, a Dark Sun Wizard briefly engaged with an apostle during an abyssal exploration, luckily chopping off a small part of it.
He then managed a narrow escape with remote assistance from Professor Yutel, successfully bringing back this sample."
Ron closely observed the mutated limb.
Though it was bound by layers of seals, its abilities were suppressed to a very low degree.