The Informal Tomb Raiding Diary: She is the occupant of the tomb!-Chapter 433 - 326: Sudden Change of Plans (Part 2)

"Then let’s wait and see." I shrugged.

Doctor Du pointed me in the direction, then walked back to a stone platform and poured water from her canteen into a stone cup.

The stone cup was filled with an unidentified liquid from the pool. Seeing me watching her actions, Huang Zaijiang explained: "Doctor Du collected some rainwater to test if the rainwater can counteract the black water."

Her experiment on the spot showed that rainwater could indeed counteract the black water. When black water met rainwater, it would quickly ’wither’ and turn into something like a black plastic bag.

Cowboy Hat saw that we were all together and asked again if we wanted to work for him. He said he could guide us safely into the Light Source District.

Chen Qinghan asked him if he knew what the light source was. Cowboy Hat said he didn’t know, but it was harmless to people and even beneficial.

His words piqued the interest of everyone, and Huang Zaijiang asked what the benefits were.

Cowboy Hat pointed to himself and said, "I entered the Ancient City three years ago. You can imagine, this ghostly place has no water or food, under normal circumstances, it would be impossible for anyone to survive here for three years."

He brought it up himself, which slightly surprised me, but I did not interrupt and listened to him continue.

He said that by reaching the center of the light source and bathing in the light, after a period, it was like charging a battery, and the human body could sustain itself.

If we didn’t believe him, he was a living example. He looked no different from the photos, with no signs of malnutrition.

Mike and Doctor Du were surprised, and I also widened my eyes, pretending to look incredulous.

This indeed could explain why he managed to survive in the water- and food-deprived abandoned Ancient City until now, but his explanation was too timely. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Chen Qinghan and I had just looked at his certificate, knowing he was a team member who entered the Ancient City years ago. He then immediately explained why he was still alive, seamlessly, as if he said it for me and Chen Qinghan.

If he didn’t have a special method and hadn’t been following and tracking Chen Qinghan and me, then he wasn’t explaining to us but genuinely trying to prove that the light source in the city center was harmless.

"Even if the light source is harmless, aren’t there other things?" Huang Zaijiang questioned.

"That’s right. We’re worried about the other things in the Light Source District." Doctor Du didn’t mention the words ’Evil Spirit,’ but that’s what she was referring to.

"Do you have a way to deal with them?" Mike asked.

The matter of Little Red, everyone had already accepted my claim, and no one brought up looking for her again.

"Of course, I got to know their activity patterns, but... it came at a great cost, so don’t expect something for nothing, folks."

Cowboy Hat looked annoyingly smug, sitting back in a stone chair with his legs crossed.

"Your so-called job isn’t just about letting her experiment. You’ve already seen the experimental results, so what else do you want?" Mike and Cowboy Hat seemed naturally at odds, and Mike’s tone was consistently unfriendly.

"Help me deal with those pesky bugs, the ones holding knives." Cowboy Hat humorously gestured scissors with his fingers.

He was referring to the big mantises we all knew, the ones immune to knives and bullets, extremely hard to handle.

"Perhaps it won’t be long before we figure out the activity patterns of the Evil Spirits too." Mike said with a nonchalant expression, hands on hips.

"Hey, go ahead and try. I hope you can afford the price." Cowboy Hat implied something deeper.

"Will there be deaths?" Chen Qinghan asked.

"Yes, I wonder who among you will be as lucky as me."

Cowboy Hat’s implication was that only one of us would survive.

"We have more than one option," said Chen Qinghan. "Besides moving forward, we can also choose to retreat."

Mike raised an eyebrow at Chen Qinghan, but Doctor Du and Huang Zaijiang showed no surprise.

"We already know where the person we’re looking for is. We just need to report back to the higher-ups and bring in the main force. There’s no need to take risks." Chen Qinghan spoke in a calm and steady tone, not like he was provoking Cowboy Hat.

Cowboy Hat’s expression changed, then returned to a half-smile.

"Alright, suit yourselves, and have a safe journey."

His smug look suggested he was sure we couldn’t go back. Chen Qinghan called for Doctor Du and Huang Zaijiang, saying plans needed adjustment, and now we should abandon the rescue and head back immediately.

Mike didn’t oppose, and Cowboy Hat didn’t stop us. Our group descended the stone tower and walked a few streets away. Mike looked back to see that the stone tower was blocked by other buildings, ensuring Cowboy Hat couldn’t see us from there.