Chapter 211
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Chapter 211: Tracing Back to the Source
After Zheng Gaoya’s explanation, the other teammates’ faces lit up with understanding.
They realized that this was a relic of a senior who deserved to be remembered, and they also understood the source of that faint sense of familiarity.
It seemed to stem from some unintentional rumors they had heard about the superpowered individual who had fled at a critical moment.
But there was no time to dwell on it, as Zheng Gaoya turned and handed the slightly corroded iron piece to the teammate named "Source," signaling her to use her special ability.
Source took the metal plaque and gripped it tightly in her hand.
To help her focus better, Zheng Gaoya withdrew the third-person perspective he had shared with her and stood guard with the other teammates, ready to fend off any potential attacks from extraordinary beasts.
Source closed her eyes, and an imperceptible energy enveloped the metal plaque. Then, everything from its past began to rapidly rewind in her mind.
In just an instant, dozens of days flashed through Source’s consciousness.
This was why her ability couldn’t be used in solving cases; she still couldn’t control the speed of her memory playback, and a moment of distraction could cause crucial information to vanish into the river of time.
The sky flickered like a faulty fluorescent light, flashing at a high frequency.
Meanwhile, closer to the ground, the forest seemed largely unchanged.
During the day, the thick fog and tree shadows dimmed the forest’s brightness, while at night, starry glimmers resembling fireflies would reappear, maintaining a steady level of light.
Source had a basic understanding of the last Exploration Plan, knowing it took place in the year 32 of the New Era, twenty years ago.
As hundreds of days rushed through her mind, Source watched the tarnished metal plaque gradually return to its original state, realizing that the moment she sought was about to appear.
Finally, in an instant, she saw a layer of dark red blood covering the plaque, and around it, one or more shadows seemed to collapse.
Her focus sharpened, and she strained to slow her ability, desperate to see everything clearly.
Soon, the dark red stain vanished, and the plaque flew up from between the tree roots, returning to the chest of a middle-aged man.
The middle-aged man wore an old-fashioned combat suit and carried a box filled with samples. Around him were several others in the same uniform, ranging from young to old, their faces etched with uncontainable fear.
Behind them, towering trees emerged from the fog, and insect-like extraordinary beasts, their patterns and colors blending seamlessly with the bark, rubbed their middle legs against their abdomens, emitting a series of piercing sounds.
As time continued to rewind, the expressions of the superpowered team members from twenty years ago gradually relaxed, and as they retreated, more individuals joined the group.
The few people she had just seen weren’t the entire team; for some reason, they had split up some time before.
Due to the rapid playback and immense mental strain, Source couldn’t glean the information she wanted by reading lips.
She could only watch as the figures retreated, the fog dissipating around them. Everything seemed to be improving, as if they had escaped the terrifying abyss.
But Source knew this was just an illusion; the improving situation in her mind was merely the result of the rewind. Those team members had already perished at the claws of extraordinary beasts twenty years ago, and now, even their remains were likely gone.
Finally, as the superpowered team—no, the superpowered squad—exited the forest from twenty years ago, Source could no longer sustain her ability.
The rewind began to accelerate once more.
This was another limitation of Source’s ability: she could activate it, but controlling it was nearly impossible.
The historical images would continue to rewind until the object wrapped in her ability reappeared in the world.
Fortunately, this uncontrollable rewind didn’t last long, as the plaque belonging to the superpowered individual, Mr. Zhang Tong, wasn’t an old artifact but a newly made item just days before he left the city.
When the history of the metal plaque rewound to a stamping production line, Source’s ability ended passively, and she opened her eyes once more.
Hearing her sigh of relief, Zheng Gaoya knew Source’s ability had concluded.
He remained on guard and asked,
"Did you find anything?"
Source crossed her arms over her chest, steadying her heartbeat:
"Not much valuable information. This is where Mr. Zhang Tong met his end. Most of him and his companions died in this area. If we can find their remains, I might discover more.
"But given the nature of extraordinary beasts, the chances are slim."
After a moment’s thought, Source added,
"We need to be cautious around the trees; there may be insect-like extraordinary beasts with camouflage abilities. Their calls are strange, so we must stay alert."
Ray nodded, his red eyes nearly bursting, holding a small tube of eye drops in each hand, standing out among the teammates.
"One more thing: Zhang Tong was carrying a sample box at the time. Though it was an older model, I remember its design was robust, and extraordinary beasts might not have been able to destroy it. If we can recover it, there might be more to gain."
Zheng Gaoya nodded, taking note of Source’s words,
"The thick fog and branches above have somewhat hindered my abilities. You can search for remains and other items nearby, but don’t go beyond a fifteen-meter radius from me.
"And be cautious of the camouflaged insect-like extraordinary beasts Source mentioned. If you spot anything, retreat immediately and don’t alert them."
The teammates dispersed, while Zheng Gaoya maintained his ability-sharing, standing in the center and adjusting his position to observe the surroundings, ensuring everyone’s safety.
The search continued for over an hour, but unfortunately, they found nothing.
The remains might have been consumed by extraordinary beasts with strong digestive abilities, and the sample box was nowhere to be found.
Those extraordinary beasts might have learned to deliver collected items to higher-level beasts… who knows?
