Conquering The Game's World-Chapter 272: Codename-U: Unknown!

"What is this thing, Dr Parkins?" Luis asked while keeping his eyes on the strange substance labelled Codename—U on the monitor beside the container.

Dr Parkins didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she glanced at Ronald, standing nearby.

"Has your father not told you anything on the way here?" she asked.

Ronald shook his head calmly. "I thought it would be better if he saw it first. Then we could explain everything."

Dr Parkins sighed slightly. "Fine, then."

She gestured toward David. "Let David start from the beginning."

David looked at Luis and nodded. "You remember the expedition I went on some time ago, right?"

Luis nodded without hesitation. "Yeah. The new S-rank dungeon."

Of course, he remembered. Because of this so-called expedition, Uncle David had been away for a while, leaving Alicia at his place, giving them the opportunity to get closer and finally start the current live-in life.

David’s expression grew serious as he continued.

"At the beginning, the expedition proceeded normally. We cleared the monsters in the outer areas, defeated the dungeon bosses, collected resources, and mapped the dungeon like usual."

Luis listened quietly. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"However," David continued, "after we defeated the dungeon boss, we realised something strange."

"The dungeon didn’t just end there."

Luis frowned slightly.

While David continued, "From the boss room, a new passage appeared deeper inside the dungeon. We decided to explore it and eventually discovered an ancient ruin hidden underground."

Luis’ attention sharpened. "An ancient ruin?"

David nodded. "At first, we thought it was simply an abandoned structure from some ancient civilisation. But after studying the murals and the structure carefully, we realised something important."

He paused briefly.

"The entire ruin was actually a giant sealing formation."

Luis’s brows furrowed immediately. "If an entire ruin was designed as a sealing art, then whatever was sealed inside must have been extremely dangerous."

"That was exactly what I thought at the time," David said. "The expedition team was already exhausted from clearing the dungeon, and I didn’t want to risk releasing something unknown. So I ordered a retreat."

Luis nodded slightly. That was the safest decision.

David then gestured toward Ronald. "During the third expedition, we prepared properly. Your mother and father joined the team as two S-rank awakeners. Your father also brought a sealing master, and the Suarez Guild participated in the operation."

Luis listened, but his expression showed some doubt.

"Even so," he said after a moment, "facing an unknown enemy without clear information is still risky. It would have been safer to send a few awakeners ahead to gather intel first."

David and Ronald exchanged a glance before smiling faintly.

"I agree that your thinking is cautious," David said, "but in this case, I’m actually glad we didn’t do that."

Luis looked confused. "What do you mean, Uncle David?"

Before David could respond, Dr Parkins spoke.

"Normally, your idea would be correct, brat," she said while adjusting her glasses.

She turned her gaze toward the container.

"However, what was sealed inside that ancient formation wasn’t a powerful monster."

Her eyes rested on the drifting white substance.

"It was this thing. Codename—U. The ’U’ stands for Unknown."

Luis studied the gaseous substance again.

"If it isn’t powerful," he said slowly, "then why is everyone treating it so cautiously?"

Dr Parkins adjusted her glasses with her index finger.

"In its current state, it isn’t powerful," she said. "But if it were released and allowed to grow freely, it could become a global-level disaster."

"What?" Luis blurted out in surprise.

Even though David and Ronald already knew most of the information, hearing it again still made their expressions serious.

"A global-level threat?" Luis repeated.

Dr Parkins picked up a research report from the table and placed it in front of them.

"These are the confirmed results from the experiments I’ve conducted so far."

She began explaining.

"First, this organism is immune to both physical attacks and energy-based attacks."

David and Ronald remained calm, but Luis’ eyes widened slightly.

"Immune to physical and energy attacks?" he muttered. "That means it can’t be killed."

Dr Parkins nodded.

"That’s correct."

Luis looked at the container again. "So that’s why it was sealed inside the ancient ruin... and why it’s sealed here now."

Dr Parkins continued speaking.

"Second, based on my observations, this organism doesn’t appear to have a lifespan."

Ronald frowned slightly. "You mean it doesn’t age?"

"Yes," Dr Parkins said calmly. "In other words, it is effectively immortal."

The room fell quiet for a moment.

Ronald looked at her and asked, "There must be more to it."

"If it were only immortal and indestructible, its containment would still be manageable."

Dr Parkins nodded.

"That’s true. In fact, the same as you captured it using wind manipulation and sealed it inside this reinforced container. I also tried it by simulating different elements inside the container. They all worked. If that were its only characteristic, it wouldn’t qualify as a global-level threat."

Luis slowly exhaled.

"Then what makes it so dangerous?"

Dr Parkins’ expression became serious.

"It has one more ability."

She looked at the drifting white substance.

"Devour."

Luis frowned slightly.

"This organism can devour all forms of energy," Dr Parkins explained. "Mana, elemental attacks, kinetic energy—anything."

"And there doesn’t appear to be any limit to that."

Luis felt uneasy hearing that.

"By devouring energy, it grows stronger," she continued. "And it evolves."

Luis’ pupils shrank slightly. He quickly asked, "Do you mean raw energy in its natural state? Like mana that awakeners absorb using mana-breathing techniques?"

Dr Parkins looked at him and slowly shook her head.

"No."

"It can directly devour both refined and unrefined energy."

Her answer made Luis feel a chill run down his spine.

"That means every elemental attack used against it only feeds it," she continued. "You can’t kill it. At best, you can only contain it."

"And once it grows strong enough, even sealing techniques may stop working."

The atmosphere in the laboratory grew heavy.

Ronald sighed softly. "I just hope there aren’t many of these things out there."