This timing was in line with his previous foray into the ruins of time near the Candlelight Shelter, where Zhong Qingshu had also found the ruins at about the same time.
This time, after everyone had relocated here, it seemed like the black mist ruins near the Underground Shelter had altered its timing as well, beginning to appear at about four o’clock at night.
There were only two short messages.
One that told him that the ruins were beginning to solidify, while the second one spoke of the unusual conditions in the sky.
Unfortunately, messages could not be sent with photos. After Su Mo got out of the bed in a hurry, the drowsiness he felt evaporated after he took two to three deep breaths.
He sat up. He had expended too much mental energy yesterday, coupled with the intense focusing effect of the Mind Ring, which meant that his current mental state had not yet recovered to its optimal state.
However, he drank a glass of psychic energy water to quench his thirst, down to the last drop; at least he was physically recharged.
Hearing the noises of him stirring downstairs, Oreo, who had been sleeping on the second floor, seemed to sense that something was occurring. She began to bark continuously, and Big Spark and Little Spark joined in by clucking along as well.
Ruins were the most mysterious areas in all the wasteland.
Moore, who usually slept like a log, seemed to smell something unusual too. Every strand of his bear hair stood upright as he tumbled and stood up suddenly. He then grabbed some nearby tools, acting as if he was facing some sort of formidable enemy.
Su Mo did not immediately make preparations to leave. He first walked up to the second floor and comforted the four little ones. He then went to the first floor, opened the main gate, and looked outside.
There were no lights at night on the wasteland. Normally, it would be pitch black at five o’clock in the morning, and nocturnal animals would still be roaming about.
However, after the black mist ruins had revealed itself near the Underground Shelter, a mysterious aurora lit up the night sky.
Hues of bluish green, golden red, bluish black, and more, mingled with each other in dynamic patterns, adorning the night sky above the Underground Shelter and creating an unforgettable, awe-inspiring scene.
Under the sky, about two kilometers away from the shipyard, in an open space where no iron blocks had been stacked, the black mist had taken on a different color and was currently accumulating rapidly.
“The color of the black mist turned darker!”
“It was light grey the first time, dark grey the second, and now it is a bluish black color.”
“Is it trying to tell me something?”
Su Mo panicked when he saw Oreo and Moore running out, snarling at the black mist ruins.
When Oreo was younger back then, Su Mo had not realized the danger implied by her behavior.
However, the fact that she was still reacting in this manner, even though she had now fused with a trace of divinity, meant that there was definitely something wrong with the ruins.
“Moore, have you encountered this black mist before?”
Su Mo gently patted Moore, who was trembling, and tried his best to speak in a softer tone to soothe Moore’s tense emotions.
Still, when his hands touched Moore, it frightened the lightning bear warrior.
However, when Moore realized it was Su Mo, he mustered his courage, gripped the shovel tightly in his hands, and said firmly, “The elders of the lighting bear clan told us that if we ever encountered the black mist, we must run away as soon as possible and not be caught inside it.”
“If we failed to do so, we would end up being devoured by it, and would have to live inside the black mist forever, never being able to leave its grasp!”
“So far, the lighting bear warriors that went inside… none of them have come out alive!”
Oreo barked twice after hearing those words, as if she was refuting what Moore had said, but seemingly agreeing to certain parts of his statement.”
“None have come out alive?”
“Moore, are you sure the lighting bear warriors who went in have all died? Or did they just not come back?”
Moore was startled momentarily when he heard Su Mo’ words, clutching his head and pondering for a while, before answering in an uncertain tone of voice.
“Didn’t come back? The lighting bear clan could not find the warriors’ bodies inside!”
“Yes, the elders only mentioned that they could never leave alive, but they’re probably alive somewhere in there!”
So far, of the location of the two ruins that had been discovered, only the ruins that were near the Underground Shelter frightened the two of them.
As for the ruins near the Candlelight Shelter, the two of them would get excited to explore it instead.
It was obvious that, based on the two very different reactions, there might be something else inside the former that frightened the two of them. It could also be that Su Mo had hit the “jackpot”, and there were hidden secrets that were undiscovered in the ruins.
Between these two, there was no doubt that Su Mo would prefer the second one to be true.
“How did the ruins form? And why is the one near the Underground Shelter able to return to Earth on a parallel timeline?”
With all these questions in mind, as the black mist was still forming, Su Mo returned to the third floor of the Underground Shelter and began to suit up.
This would be the third time he would be entering the black mist ruins.
He was certain that this would be his last opportunity for the next six months.
So, this time, he had to clear the ruins right here and now, and discover the hidden secrets within!
All three M-1 rifles were fully-loaded, and he brought with him ten spare magazines, each with a capacity of a thousand rounds.
The three Type-80 machine guns were all fully-loaded as well, and he brought along an additional three thousand rounds of ammunition.
He brought along ten handguns, each with a capacity of 12 rounds, together with an additional two thousand rounds of ammunition…
As well as ten packs of explosives!
Excluding the thermal weapons, Su Mo pondered for a moment before taking out the three-pointed two-edged sword and giving it to Moore as his melee weapon.
For a strong lightning bear warrior, it was only appropriate for him to wield a weapon of similar size and stature. If the Tibetan mastiff dared to attack again, it would surely end up getting beaten up really badly by Moore in no time at all.
After arming himself with weapons, he did not forget about the armor.
He put on his combat uniform, and wore the armor that he had been put aside since his physical strength rating had increased. Su Mo then continued to review the other things that needed to be brought along.
Tactical binoculars, grab!
A large net that he had made not long ago; it would be useful to carry some items back, grab!
A radio communicator with a range of three kilometres, which had not been used since he acquired it, grab!
…
Bits and bobs; Su Mo brought along more than ten miscellaneous items that might come in handy, and then chose to bring along some food and water just in case he was caught in any unforeseen circumstances. When Su Mo returned to the first floor, it was already half past five in the morning.
At this point, there was a faint gleam in the sky, and the sun was beginning to rise over the horizon.
At this moment, the bluish black mist finally stopped expanding, reaching the final stages of its formation.
Su Mo prepared enough food and water for Big Spark and Little Spark, and then he closed the alloy gate on the first floor. Along with Oreo and Moore, Su Mo took large strides forward in the direction of the shipyard.
In front of the shipyard, Hope Village’s militia was already in position.
The fully-armed militia, comprising fifteen people, and the valiant Zhong Qingshu were all standing there waiting for Su Mo.
Things were not how they used to be. Now, most of the wasteland refugees had acquired the ability to properly explore their surroundings.
So, to ensure their safety and harvest, they would have to keep an eye out as there might have been refugees who had hurried here when they saw the phenomena unfold in the night sky.
“How is it? Do you need me to accompany you?”
Zhong Qingshu’s eyes brightened up when she saw the fully-armed Su Mo walk toward her. It was as if she was recalling the first time they met, and how Su Mo had been kicking the enemy’s ass in the kobold castle.
The black and silver armor, matched with the black combat uniform, made Su Mo seem like a terrifying phantom in the dark.
Su Mo’s facial expression could not be seen clearly with his black mask on. They could only judge his current temperament based on the vicious dog beside him, and the towering halberd-wielding lightning bear warrior that accompanied him.
“No need, please guard the perimeter and don’t let anyone in.”
Su Mo shook his head as he rejected Zhong Qingshu’s offer decisively.
While there were many hidden secrets within the black mist ruins, there was also the issue of the difference in time flow between the ruins and reality.
He did not have much time currency remaining, so to do something big this time, he would likely have to spend every penny to counteract the time penalty.
He would have to make sure of that because, after he entered the ruins and accomplished what he needed to do, the difference in the two timelines would be frighteningly large and, without sufficient time currency, it was possible that the ocean would have already swallowed up his surroundings by the time he exited the ruins.
Zhong Qingshu understood Su Mo’s concern, so she nodded her head and walked toward the end of the ruins alone.
Su Mo had strictly controlled the issuance of firearms, so aside from Zhong Qingshu’s two handguns, the others in the militia all carried iron spears.
Su Mo thought for a moment, as he watched the “poorly-armed” militia force that seemed to lack combat strength in his eyes, and opened his storage space again.
“Qi Qin, here is a handgun and two magazines. I hope you can appreciate the trust I’m placing in you.”
In front of the envious eyes of the other members of the militia, Su Mo took out the gun that he had seized from Kento Maeda’s partner.
There were twelve rounds in the gun, and Su Mo took out another twenty four rounds and passed them to him as well.
In the doomsday wasteland, it did not matter how many inspiring speeches you delivered, or how many long-lasting promises you made…
Such things would be no better than a pile of drivel in front of this gun.
As a decommissioned soldier, Qi Qin knew full well what owning a gun meant and what it signified, as well as how much it would help with his status in the doomsday wasteland.
As a soldier from a military family, Qi Qin could not be considered naive, and neither could he be considered particularly intelligent. However, compared to everyone else, Su Mo could absolutely guarantee that only Qi Qin was not wildly ambitious.
The others, excluding Chen Shen and Wu Feiguang, even the ordinary refugees wanted to reach a higher standing and live a better life.
Qi Qin was the only one who truly wanted to work under a “boss”.
He accepted the gun and ammunition with both hands raised. Qi Qin did not say anything, he only nodded his head aggressively. From his eyes…
Su Mo could see a loyal heart!
A level of loyalty that even Chen Shen had never expressed.
“Work hard and patrol the perimeter. Make sure that no one enters the ruins!”
Su Mo patted Qi Qin’s shoulders, and he watched as Qi Qin led the remaining militia in the opposite direction of Zhong Qingshu’s patrol route. Su Mo then abandoned all his stray thoughts and entered a combat-ready state, preparing himself for what was to come.
With a gun slung over his arm, and equipped with the armor, Su Mo stood at the entrance of the black mist ruins that was about to form. He began to slowly practice the movements of the Su Family Spear Technique.
It was as if his one arm could pierce through the black mist…
As if his legs could pin down the sky.
After going through one round of the motions, Su Mo, who was wearing both the combat uniform and the armor, was already sweating.
Moore, who was behind him, performed his own lighting bear clan’s warm-up exercises; he was doing push-ups on the ground for a while, and then started hopping on the spot to stretch himself.
Eventually, Moore wielded the three-pointed two-edged sword, and followed Su Mo in the motions of his “Su Family Spear Technique”.
Oreo was lying on the ground motionless. There seemed to be some divine power flowing within her eyes as she stared at the black mist ruins.
Twice…
Thrice…
When Su Mo’s whole body was covered in beads of sweat, he took out the water container from his storage space, and downed half the bottle.
He handed the remaining half to Moore and stored it away after Moore had finished drinking. In front of him, the black mist ruins had finally taken shape.
A posh-looking door amidst the black mist…
Suddenly appeared!
