Armor-Piercing Munition: Face Me, Carbon-Based Monster!
Chapter 179 - 64 The Phoenix

Chapter 179: Chapter 64 The Phoenix

From the mouth of the man called Tang Dao, Chen Jian heard many pieces of intelligence about the forbidden zone.

----To be precise, it shouldn’t be called intelligence, but rather legends.

In his description, the forbidden zone is the so-called place where the furnace fell, radiating scorching heat to the surroundings for quite a long time like a mountain of flames.

And after the furnace fire extinguished, a curse descended as well, turning Tongling City into a barren land where not even grass grows.

No one knows what the furnace really is, but through exploration after exploration, people here have indeed discovered many unusual things.

For example, a glowing lake that emits a faint light, a black forest where all electronic devices gradually malfunction once entered, maddening illusions, and fleeting phantoms...

It’s almost like a world of specters that shouldn’t exist in reality.

But Chen Jian knows, there aren’t as many goblins and monsters in the world.

All anomalies must have a scientifically sound explanation.

So, he became increasingly eager to enter the forbidden zone.

After finishing the large-scale purchase, checking all the equipment, and transporting the idle gear back to Yellow Stone City, Chen Jian’s team entered a long wait.

Tang Dao sent his men forth and back no less than ten times before finally sketching out a map leading deep into the forbidden zone.

And by then, a full 36 hours had passed.

When he met Chen Jian’s group again, his face was filled with unrestrained joy.

"Boss, I figured out what your device is for!"

"You really got me, played me like a fiddle!"

"But it’s okay, business is business. As long as we can get inside and bring out the stuff smoothly, this little matter, we can write it off!"

Hearing his words, Chen Jian nodded slightly, not speaking immediately.

He realized the other party was definitely not a simple character.

It’s not surprising to quickly understand the principle of a Geiger counter, but the ability to maintain calm and continue the transaction after realizing he’s been deceived showed the temperament of someone who’s managed to survive as a mercenary in this world.

After a pause, Chen Jian replied:

"Just like you said, business is business, so we should hold back a bit in our transactions too."

"If you’ve completed the task, then I think we should be heading out, right?"

"Where’s the map? Bring it out, if we confirm there are no issues, we can proceed with our transaction."

Opposite him, Tang Dao’s eyes flickered slightly, then he said:

"No rush, right? Boss?"

"We were supposed to set out together, it doesn’t make a difference who has the map."

"As long as we find what we seek and return smoothly, we’ll definitely hand the map to you."

"We all profit from the wealth, don’t you agree, boss?"

"Agreed."

Chen Jian smiled faintly and said in a calm tone:

"Then shall we set off?"

"Sure!"

Tang Dao nodded with satisfaction, while Chen Jian called his three companions to quickly don the purchased gear, apply lead powder on the isolation suits, and then took a large amount of metal chelates for neutralizing radiation.

Once everything was ready, the four-member team met up with Tang Dao’s team of eight and began advancing towards the forbidden zone.

Although it’s called a "forbidden zone," in reality, Tongling City doesn’t prohibit anyone from entering or leaving.

Or rather, they turn a blind eye.

Thus, after passing through several loosely guarded checkpoints, the team successfully entered the forbidden zone.

Initially, Chen Jian didn’t feel much of a difference.

But as he walked further in, he gradually noticed that the surrounding trees became lower and lower.

Clearly, the radiation spreading from the center severely impacted the growth of plants. The closer to the core of the forbidden zone, the higher the radiation, and the harder it is for life to survive.

This is exactly like the situation in Chernobyl back then, but over three hundred years made such traits even more distinct and extreme.

While observing the surroundings, the team continued forward.

Chen Jian and his group deliberately fell to the back of the formation. Ji Xing quietly approached Chen Jian, lowered his voice to the minimum, and said into his ear:

"These people are not simple."

"Out of the eight, six are Holy Blood, and that Tang Dao is one of them."

"Their weapons are also much stronger than ordinary mercenaries, all equipped with semi-automatic rifles and carrying a lot of grenades."

"I think they’re not here to guide us, we’re the ones leading the way."

"I know."

Chen Jian answered softly.

How could he not know?

From the moment they refused to hand over the map, he had already guessed their intentions.

What they want is the treasure at the core of the forbidden zone, but they don’t know what the treasure is, nor do they know its exact location, so they need Chen Jian and his team to lead the way.

They might even force the four of them into the high radiation area to retrieve high-value items that everyone knows are there but nobody dares to take.

Against such threats, Chen Jian had long made plans.

No overly complex tactics, no reliance on high-tech electronic equipment.

Everything boiled down to the most primitive, most brutal strategy.

What he had to do was exceedingly simple, which was to preemptively take them down before they made a move.

These Hunters wouldn’t act before seeing the treasure, and he didn’t really need to let them take him to the ultimate destination.