Like a ghost merging into the night, he moved forward quickly and silently along this nearly non-existent path.
The night wind seemed to grow colder.
It blew over the craggy rocks of the valley, letting out hollow wails.
The surroundings were deathly silent.
Even the most common nocturnal insect chirps had vanished.
There was only the extremely faint sound of his own footsteps and the friction of his clothes.
This excessive silence often signaled greater danger.
Just as he crept near a pile of scattered rocks and prepared to bypass them, an extremely faint but rhythmic scratching sound and a heavy, wet breathing sound, accompanied by an indescribably twisted aura, drifted from a fork in the road not far ahead.
Lin Mo’s heart tightened.
He instantly held his breath and ducked behind the shadow of a giant boulder at top speed.
Peering out with only one eye, he looked outward with extreme caution.
A squad composed of middle- to high-level Abnormal Beings was silently passing along the gravel road not far away.
This squad had about seven or eight members.
Unlike ordinary Abnormal Beings that wandered aimlessly or let out meaningless roars, they maintained a heart-stopping, nearly military-like spacing and rhythm as they marched.
The three in the lead were massive, covered in dark, heavy keratin shells like moving fortresses, clearly serving as the vanguard and defense.
The two in the middle were relatively slender, but their limbs were long and their joints were reversed.
Their claws gleamed with a faint blue light in the weak moonlight, and they moved almost soundlessly — they were swift assassins.
The two bringing up the rear were even more bizarre.
Their bodies were covered in wriggling, dark red tissue similar to nerve bundles or vines, radiating strong energy fluctuations and a sense of interference.
They were likely some kind of special spellcasting or support units.
However, what made the hair on the back of Lin Mo’s neck stand up — and even gave him a sense of horror — was the Abnormal Being walking in the middle of the squad, who appeared to be the leader.
Compared to its companions, its appearance seemed almost plain.
It had no exaggerated muscles or shells, and its physique was closer to that of a human male.
It was draped in some tattered but clearly organized cloth and metal pieces that looked somewhat like makeshift armor.
Its walking posture was exceptionally steady, its stride length was almost uniform, and its center of gravity shifted smoothly and efficiently.
It lacked the stiffness, wildness, or twisted lack of coordination seen in other Abnormal Beings.
What made Lin Mo’s pupils shrink even more was that when passing a protruding rock, the leading Abnormal Being actually stepped aside slightly with a natural movement to avoid it, rather than simply crashing through or stepping over it like other monsters.
Furthermore, as the squad passed over a low, slippery patch of mossy ground, it seemed to slightly raise its arm, giving an extremely brief but clear signal for the squad behind it to slow down.
Although the gesture was twisted and strange, the intent to convey a command and control the rhythm was terrifyingly clear!
This was definitely not instinct!
This was more like… a habit!
A behavioral pattern formed over a long period in an environment that required cooperation, risk avoidance, and clear instructions!
This thought flashed through Lin Mo’s mind, and a chill crawled up his spine.
Whether it was this leading Abnormal Being’s walking posture, its reaction to the environment, or its simple command over the squad, it gave him an indescribable sense of horror — it was as if it had lived in human society for a very, very long time!
Those small details, that instinctive pursuit of efficiency and avoidance, could not be faked!
What did this represent?
Lin Mo’s thoughts were in total disarray for a moment.
He was certain that the leading Abnormal Being had definitely not reached the Disaster level, let alone the Quasi-King level.
Even if it possessed self-awareness, it should have been impossible for it to be humanized to this extent.
The impact of this discovery shocked Lin Mo even more than seeing an organized army of Abnormal Beings.
He firmly suppressed his surging thoughts and forced himself to remain absolutely still and hidden.
Given his current physical condition — his injuries were unhealed, his physical strength was mostly depleted, his Oracle power was nearly exhausted, and his ammunition supplies were almost gone.
Never mind dealing with this squad of clearly elite Abnormal Beings; even if just two of them stepped out — like those two swift-type ones — it would be enough to pin him down and kill him here in short order without any suspense.
Therefore, Lin Mo could only act like a lifeless stone, restraining his aura to the maximum.
He watched as this squad of Abnormal Beings, radiating an ominous and eerie sense of order, marched with steady, sinister steps until they gradually disappeared from his sight.
Only after that suffocating aura and the sound of footsteps had completely faded, and after waiting for a full five minutes to ensure there were no hidden sentries or follow-up troops, did Lin Mo finally exhale a very faint breath.
As he stood up, he realized that the clothes on his back had long been soaked with cold sweat, clinging to his skin and bringing a wave of chilliness.
The crisis was temporarily averted, but the shadow in Lin Mo’s heart grew even darker.
He adjusted his breathing and forced his attention back to the tracking.
Was the person who left the traces related to this squad of Abnormal Beings?
Was he a friend or an enemy?
Or was he also hiding from them?
Lin Mo moved forward cautiously once again, his movements even more alert than before.
The terrain near the entrance of the mine was more complex, with traces of manual excavation and natural collapses mixed together.
As he walked past a large tree growing in a rock crevice, half of which was dead, Lin Mo’s sharp vision caught a glimpse of an extremely faint, rhythmic green fluorescence peeking through a pile of seemingly naturally scattered dead branches and leaves right at the base of the roots.
He paused and immediately stopped.
Listening to his surroundings, there seemed to be only the sound of the wind.
Lin Mo slowly bent down, his movements light as he brushed away the top layer of dead leaves and a few deliberately placed twigs.
A cleverly concealed small tree hollow came into view.
The space inside the hollow was not large, but inside sat a small black instrument that looked quite familiar — that rhythmic green indicator light was quietly blinking in the darkness.
Lin Mo’s expression froze.
He subconsciously took out an identical black instrument from the tactical storage pouch at his waist — the one he had found in the abandoned warehouse.
He placed the two instruments together for comparison — size, shape, material, the position of the indicator lights, and the blinking frequency… they were almost exactly the same!
“This is…”
Lin Mo’s heartbeat could not help but quicken.
This could absolutely not be a coincidence!
Identical unknown instruments had appeared in two locations that were far apart and relatively hidden.
He became increasingly certain that this must be some kind of signal device with a specific function.
It was very likely a beacon, or perhaps a repeater or a signal receiver-transmitter.
But what exactly was it used for?
Who had placed it?
For whom was it indicating a target or transmitting information?
Or was it some kind of secret equipment belonging to the 103rd Division?
Or perhaps… had another faction intervened?
Was the drastic change in the Abnormal Beings’ behavior related to this?
Questions entangled his mind like vines.
Two instruments alone were not enough to provide an answer.
He needed more information, such as the signal encoding, the transmitted content, or even the operating interface or internal structure.
Lin Mo stared at the instrument in the tree hollow, quickly weighing his options.
Should he take it?
He might gain more clues, but it would also mean ruining the setup here.
Judging by the clever camouflage, the person who placed it was very cautious and likely came to check it regularly.
If the instrument went missing, the person who placed it would immediately know someone had tampered with it, and his own risk of exposure would skyrocket.
In the current situation, where friends and enemies were unclear and the environment was extremely dangerous, this was definitely not a wise move.
He glanced at the sample he already had, which he had obtained by accident.
Having one was probably enough for now.
At least it was physical evidence.
With this thought, Lin Mo decisively placed the instrument back into its original position in the tree hollow, ensuring its orientation and angle were exactly as he had found them.
Then, he extremely carefully restored the twigs and dead leaves to their original state based on his memory, striving for perfection.
He even tried to restore the orientation of a few specific leaves.
After finishing all this, he straightened his back slightly and cast his gaze once more toward the faint traces left by that person earlier.
The valley at night was like a giant, bloody maw, devouring all light.
Inside might hide the person who placed the instrument, more terrifying secrets, or perhaps… the path to a critical answer.
Without much hesitation, Lin Mo stowed away the sample instrument, tightened his gear, and crouched low once more.
Like the most patient hunter, he ghosted silently into the deep darkness.