novelraw Chapter 7: Anomalous Objects
Chapter 7: Anomalous Objects
After dropping off the young individuals, the official car drove over a kilometer further and stopped in front of an ordinary streetlight.
Director Qin stepped out of the car, feeling around the surface of the streetlight until he activated a hidden verification device.
Click—
A staircase leading underground opened by the roadside.
At the bottom of the stairs, fifty meters below ground, was a research facility dedicated to managing and coordinating the current practical exercise.
“Good day, Director Qin!”
“How are the preparations coming along? Those young ones should already be on their way up the mountain.”
“All departments have conducted more than three rounds of self-checks, and all equipment is in green status.
Additionally, the health parameters of the four youths participating in the exercise are slightly above average, with one of them nearing an excellent rating.
This exercise is bound to be a success.Oh, by the way, Director Qin, would you like to join our betting game?”
One of the staff held out a transparent box containing a growing pile of folded slips of paper.
Despite his stern demeanor, Director Qin didn’t refuse and placed a pre-written slip of paper into the box, betting 1,000 rubles. The wager was on the specific [objects] the four high school students would choose—a little side bet for entertainment during work.
Even though Director Qin participated, he still sternly reminded the staff, “Entertainment is fine, but ensuring the simulation’s flawless execution is the priority. If there’s any error, I will hold the responsible project lead fully accountable.”
“Understood.”
Just then, a report came in from the monitoring department. “They’re heading up the mountain!”
Any staff not currently occupied quickly gathered around the monitors.
The monitoring area was an open circular space with a vast array of electronic screens arranged horizontally and vertically. Standing before the screens allowed for easy viewing of all activity within the practice zone.
With over 300 surveillance feeds coordinated by AI algorithms, critical footage was automatically shifted to the center. Monitoring of the participants was permanently displayed in the central area, with additional sub-screens for further observation and recording.
Everyone silently prayed.
Some hoped for the exercise’s smooth completion, while others prayed their bet would align with the young participants’ choices.
[Five Minutes Earlier]
By the roadside, at the foot of the mountain.
The class leader was doing a standard set of stretches, his eyes fixed on the 35° incline of the mountain slope. “If the timer starts only when we step onto the slope, we can prepare ourselves in advance here by the road.”
Following his suggestion, everyone retrieved the equipment they might need for climbing.
Given the sweltering summer heat, they were all dressed in short sleeves and shorts, making them prone to scratches from the dense forest.
The class leader’s preparations were impressively thorough, including knee pads, gaiters, gloves, and telescoping trekking poles.
In contrast, Luo Di hadn’t considered such details at all and, naturally, lacked any related gear.
The "fully geared-up" class leader continued, "Should we split up to search for the [objects] or stick together?
According to Director Qin, the practical exercise officially starts only after we locate and activate the related objects. That’s when we might encounter danger, so splitting up isn’t entirely out of the question.
Given we only have thirty minutes to search, I personally suggest we search separately and regroup in the last ten minutes."
The class leader’s suggestion was reasonable. The group gathered briefly to activate the wristband’s [real-time location sharing] feature.
[07:10]
The climb began.
The four of them headed in completely different directions. With limited time, everyone moved at their maximum pace.
Anna, the blonde, was the fastest and moved with remarkable expertise, disappearing from sight first.
As Luo Di marveled at her physical prowess and technical skill, the class leader's voice came from the side.
“Hehe~ Our Anna is pretty amazing. Not only does she excel in sports, but she’s also well-versed in all kinds of wilderness survival skills. Make sure you don’t fall behind her later!”
Luo Di didn’t respond, focusing on his chosen direction and climbing quickly.
Once he was entirely separated from the group, with no one else in sight, Luo Di felt a sense of ease.
His thoughts drifted to a few years ago when he went hiking with his family. A rare smile appeared on his face.
However, the pleasant memory didn’t last long.
A chilling gust of wind suddenly swept through the mountain, brushing past his body.
The exposed skin of his arms felt as though icy fingers were raking across them, raising goosebumps.
Alert, he stopped and scanned his surroundings.
His fingers instinctively tightened around the activation button of the chainsaw.
He saw no sign of any creature, but his gaze fixed on an unusual tree.
It stood apart from the others in the forest—larger, thicker, and more ominous, with a grotesquely twisted trunk commonly known as a “hanging tree.”
The eerie wind seemed to originate from this tree.
Luo Di wasn’t a star student in academics, but he recognized this particular species: a locust tree.
The chilling breeze continued to flow, almost as if the tree was beckoning him.
Convinced that this strange tree must be connected to the [object] in this exercise, Luo Di cautiously approached.
His eyes locked onto a pitch-black hollow in the tree trunk, where the wind seemed to seep out, producing a faint hissing sound reminiscent of an old man’s dying groans.
He retrieved a flashlight from the side of his backpack.
The beam pierced into the hollow, illuminating a redwood and gold inlaid box nestled within.
Wary of potential risks inside the hollow, Luo Di didn’t reach in directly. Instead, he picked up a sturdy branch to maneuver the box.
After considerable effort, he finally retrieved it.
The moment the box was removed from the hollow, the chilling wind stopped abruptly.
It was as if the old tree had exhaled its final breath, finding peace in death at that very moment.
Meanwhile.
Anna, the fastest and most experienced in wilderness survival, stopped to check the shared location display on her wrist. She had already put considerable distance between herself and the others.
“Well, the supposedly impressive guy Wenwen kept talking about doesn’t seem so special after all,” she muttered.
Just as she was about to start searching the forested area,
Clack—
A crisp clicking sound echoed through the trees.
“Who’s there?”
It couldn’t have been one of the others catching up—she had checked their positions just seconds ago.
Instead of feeling the fear typical of a high school girl, Anna raised her tactical axe and heightened her vigilance.
Her thoughts were clear. The exercise followed the rules set by the research facility, and since it hadn’t officially started yet, there shouldn’t be any immediate danger.
The clicking sound was likely tied to one of the [objects].
Anna immediately headed toward the source of the sound. Before long, she came across a clearing in the forest—a true clearing. Not only were there no trees, but even weeds were absent. The bare, parched soil radiated an inexplicable heat, making her feel slightly uncomfortable.
In the slightly raised ground, a prominent crack ran through the dry earth, just wide enough for an arm to reach inside.
Clack—
The clicking sound echoed again.
It was unmistakably coming from the crevice.
Anna, like Luo Di earlier, retrieved her flashlight from the side of her backpack and cautiously approached the crack.
The light from her flashlight tilted as she drew nearer. Find the newest release on novel·fire·net
When the beam finally pointed straight down, Anna leaned over to peer directly into the deepest part of the crevice.
For a brief moment, she glimpsed a charred, blackened tongue writhing inside, startling her into taking a sudden step back.
Shaking her head, she leaned in again to look more closely.
This time, there was no sign of a tongue. Instead, at the bottom of the crevice lay a metal box etched with a six-pointed star and a goat’s head emblem.