The bloody shoreline of the second layer of the Abyss emits a disturbingly sweet metallic scent.
It is a special atmosphere created by the fusion of an unknown creature’s body fluids and Abyssal Energy.
Ron crouched at the edge of a translucent spatial bubble.
Holding a collector, he carefully scraped the pearlescent microbial membrane from the bubble’s wall.
These substances, known as "alien microbial membranes," trembled slightly like living silk with his movements, as if sensing every touch from the outside world.
Through the multifunctional display screen of his protective mask, Ron could clearly observe the microbial membrane’s real-time reaction.
The color gradually shifted from the initial pale purple to deep blue, and the texture became more viscous.
"Such an exquisite adaptive mechanism..."
He silently recorded these details in his mind while activating the "Extraordinary Recognition" for deeper analysis.
In his special vision, these seemingly simple microbes actually possessed a complex energy network.
Each cell was like a miniature energy converter, capable of adjusting its biological traits according to external stimuli.
At this moment, an almost imperceptible abnormal fluctuation quietly entered his perception range.
The feeling was hard to describe, like someone plucking a distant harp string.
The slight vibration it produced passed through the air, crossed several barriers, and finally touched his keen mental antennae.
But this "string" was made of space itself, and the "plucking" force came from some fearsome entity attempting to forcibly breach the dimensional barrier.
Ron’s movement paused instantly.
The dual perception of "Hermit’s Knowledge" and "Extraordinary Recognition" acted like a precise radar net, capturing every detail of this twisted fluctuation.
Frequency, intensity, propagation direction, energy characteristics... all data pointed to one chilling conclusion.
Chaotic Spirit Monster.
This infamous horror creature in the Abyss was silently approaching through some kind of space manipulation technique.
Ron slowly straightened up while quickly calculating the exact time of the threat’s arrival in his mind.
The acceleration of space distortion, the critical point of energy accumulation, the time required to breach the dimensional barrier... every variable was considered in his calculation.
"Fifteen seconds."
He reached a precise conclusion and immediately turned to the other team members without hesitation:
"Everyone, stop collecting immediately and prepare for a defensive posture!"
Ron’s voice was transmitted to every team member through the communication device.
The tone, exceptionally steady, prompted his colleagues, who were initially focused on their work, to raise their heads.
"The Chaotic Spirit Monster is approaching, and a space rift will appear in the northeast direction in about fifteen seconds!"
This sudden warning was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly shattering the tranquil atmosphere of the collection work.
Wayne, the supervisor responsible for this operation, was the first to react. His petrified side appeared particularly eerie under the bloody glow.
Years of work in the Abyss had cultivated a unique habit in him.
Whenever a sudden situation arose, he would subconsciously tap his temple with his finger, and the sound of bone striking stone always helped him maintain calm.
At this moment, that familiar "tap-tap" sound rang again.
"Ralph... what are you talking about?"
There was a clear confusion in Wayne’s tone, along with an imperceptible touch of admiration.
He quickly checked the multifunctional monitor on his wrist, a palm-sized device showing all environmental parameters in real time.
"All detection equipment shows normal... Space stability at 94.7%, energy fluctuation intensity at 0.3 standard units, threat level..."
His voice gradually diminished because the green "safe" indicator was steadily flashing on the screen, as if mocking Ron’s earlier "delusion."
The leader of the exploration team, Miller, reacted more directly.
The mechanical left arm of this Silver Ring Level explorer emitted a slight buzzing sound, the self-check of the built-in weapon system.
But the expression on his face was one of near-contemptuous cold disdain.
"Rookie..."
Miller spoke slowly, with the impatience that a veteran often shows towards a novice:
"I understand you might be nervous encountering the real Abyss environment for the first time, it’s quite normal.
I’ve seen too many scholar-type Wizards like you, who learn a huge amount of theory from books but become overly cautious when actually descending into the Abyss."
He gave a light pat on the two-meter-tall automatic guard Golem "Watcher-7" beside him, producing a crisp metallic clink:
"But the safety systems here are far more reliable than you think.
This big guy is equipped with the observatory’s most advanced threat perception array, including space distortion monitors, energy fluctuation analyzers, and biological characteristic identifiers... a total of seventeen different types of sensors."
Miller’s tone became more mocking:
"If a threat of the level of a Chaotic Spirit Monster were really present, it would have gone into a frenzy of alarms, rather than be as peaceful as it is now..."
He pointed to the row of normally flashing green indicator lights on the Golem’s head:
"Utter tranquility."
Falko, who was responsible for portable analysis equipment, cast a more complex glance.
This young researcher, appearing aged due to long-term exposure to Abyssal Materials, also had his habitual gesture.
Whenever feeling puzzled or worried, he would instinctively stroke his silver-white hair, as if confirming he was still alive.
"Ralph... maybe..."
Falko stroked his hair, his voice trembling slightly, mixed with sympathy and fear: