ryethenovel Chapter 978 Bone Tower Anomalies
Chapter 978 Bone Tower Anomalies
"Everyone's here." Mo Yuan put down the jade slip in his hand, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. His voice was a few decibels lower than usual. "I called you all here today because there's an urgent matter."
He raised his hand and swiped across the black stone table, unfurling a holographic map above it. The map marked a large area surrounding the arena, the most prominent feature being the outline of a continuous mountain range—located deeper within the Bone Ruins, in an area known as the "Azure Bone Mountains." At the location marked deep within the mountains, a distinct red marker was slowly flashing.
"Deep within the Canggu Mountains lies an ancient bone tower." Mo Yuan pointed to the red marker, his voice grave. "The tower's age is unknown, and the Arena's Supervisory Council has records of it throughout its history, but no one has ever truly approached its core. It has always remained dormant, showing no abnormalities except for the occasional faint fluctuations of Origin Qi. But just last night, it suddenly began to emanate a fluorescent blue harmonic wave."
He raised his hand and waved it, and ripples spread outward from the Bone Tower on the map.
"This harmonic wave has a very wide coverage area, and so far it has affected three pack animal breeding farms outside the arena. All the affected pack animals—including iron-spine camels, rock-armored rhinoceroses, and black-scaled horned horses—have shown severe agitation and rampage. The fences of the breeding farms have collapsed, and the pack animals have scattered three transport teams, causing multiple injuries and serious losses of supplies."
The hall fell silent for a few moments.
The bald, burly man spoke first: "Lord Mo Yuan, the rampaging beasts are troublesome, but sending a few high-ranking deacons to suppress them is enough. Is it necessary for us reservists to be mobilized as well?"
"The problem isn't the beasts that carry us," Mo Yuan's gaze sharpened. "The problem is that the harmonics from that bone tower are still spreading. If we let it continue, the next thing to be affected might be the arena itself."
He tapped his fingers lightly twice on the stone table: "Therefore, the Oversight Council has decided to immediately dispatch a small team into the Canggu Mountains to investigate the source of the Bone Tower's anomaly."
When Mo Yuan uttered the words "investigate the source of the Bone Tower's mutation," the air in the hall noticeably tightened.
No one responded immediately.
The bald, burly man crossed his arms, his brows furrowed in a deep frown; the thin, gray-haired man raised his eyelids slightly and then lowered them again, as if he hadn't heard; the short-haired female deacon tapped her fingers lightly on the table twice; and the boy gave a strange smile.
Lin Qiye stood at the entrance, silent, his gaze fixed on the constantly flashing red mark on the holographic map. The Ancient Bone Tower. He had vaguely heard people mention this name when he was working at the bottom of the arena. It was said to be a forbidden object deep within the Canggu Mountains, a place even the most daring scavengers of the Bone Ruins dared not approach.
Seeing everyone's silence, Mo Yuan didn't urge them, but continued, "The mission objective is simple—to penetrate deep into the outer perimeter of the Bone Tower, find the source of the harmonic diffusion, confirm the threat level, and then report back. There's no need to enter the core of the Bone Tower, no need for direct combat; once the investigation is complete, we'll withdraw. The six of you are the most capable among the reserves; the Oversight Council trusts your abilities."
The bald, burly man snorted, his voice rough: "Lord Mo Yuan, since it's an investigation mission, why not send those senior deacons? We newcomers are no match for those veterans in terms of experience and strength. Sending us might cause problems—"
"Because senior deacons all have fixed territories." Mo Yuan interrupted him, his tone calm but carrying an undeniable air of authority. "The arena's defense and event arrangements require manpower, so they can't spare the time. As for you, you currently don't have fixed territories to manage, making you the most mobile. This is a decision made by the Oversight Council after careful consideration."
The bald, burly man opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing more; his expression, however, was rather unpleasant.
The short-haired female butler raised her head and looked directly at Mo Yuan: "Lord Mo Yuan, I have a question to ask."
"explain."
"What if the anomaly in that bone tower isn't just about harmonic diffusion? What if we get there and find the situation is more serious than we thought?"
Mo Yuan was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Then retreat immediately, report back as soon as possible, do not linger in battle, and do not take risks."
He spoke calmly, but Lin Qiye noticed that as he said this, he tapped his fingertips lightly twice on the edge of the table—that was the prelude to him contemplating his true killing move when he was feigning friendship with Lei Sha last time.
His gaze swept over everyone: "If you have any objections, you can raise them now."
No one spoke. Silence meant consent. Those present weren't fools; they knew the task sounded simple, but the fact that six reserve deacons were being dispatched simultaneously indicated that the Overwatch Council's attention to this matter was far more serious than it appeared. But they had no room to refuse. The Overwatch Council's orders were not to be negotiated.
"Very good." Mo Yuan raised his hand and wiped it on the stone table. The holographic map shrank slightly, marking a route from the arena to the depths of the Canggu Mountains. "You will set off immediately and enter the Canggu Mountains along this route. The journey is expected to take three days. Supplies and equipment are ready; collect them at the meeting point at the north gate of the arena. Once you reach the outer perimeter of the Bone Tower, use this harmonic sensing stone as a reference to identify the area with the highest harmonic concentration, record the source energy fluctuation data, and then retreat."
He took out a pale blue crystal, about the size of a fingernail, from his pocket and placed it on the table. A soft halo shimmered on the surface of the crystal, like a miniature star.
"This sensing stone will resonate with the harmonics of the Bone Tower. The closer you are to the Bone Tower, the stronger the light will be. When it turns fluorescent blue, it means you have entered a danger zone. You must stop, record your location and data, and then return."
The short-haired female deacon reached out and took the sensing stone, examined it carefully for a few moments, and then put it into her pocket: "Understood."
"There's one more thing—" Mo Yuan paused, his gaze slowly sweeping across the six faces, "Deep within the Canggu Mountains, it's not just that bone tower that's dangerous. That area has been one of the forbidden zones of the arena since ancient times. The Oversight Council has sent people in to explore it many times, and each time they went in, they encountered something... unusual. What exactly it was, the records of past dynasties are vague, but what is certain is that the secrets hidden in that mountain range are far more numerous than we know."
His words weren't very clear, but the unspoken implication was more unsettling than a straightforward warning.
The bald, burly man's Adam's apple bobbed. He rubbed his bald head vigorously and said in a deep voice, "Understood."
"Go ahead," Mo Yuan waved his hand. "Come back soon."
The six people did not linger any longer and each turned and walked out of the council hall.