Chapter 1504 - 490: On the Necessity of Attacking Mountain Shrines and Broken Temples_2

Chapter 1504: Chapter 490: On the Necessity of Attacking Mountain Shrines and Broken Temples_2

Ruzuo looked toward the front door, where security personnel were granted access only through facial recognition, with guards stationed nearby.

"Hurry up and find a way out, unless you’re planning to start hacking people up, the front door is definitely out of the question."

"I’m trying to access the network, meow."

Jackal had stealthily slipped over to a device and pulled out a wireless access point to begin the infiltration.

Li De pointed to the high wall on the left side of the helipad.

"Keep it discreet and try to turn off the infrared sensors on that wall for a few seconds. We’ll jump out from there. Kles, use your micro drone to check what’s outside the wall."

Cybercles tapped a few times on his right arm’s armor, which automatically extended to both sides and released a biomimetic bee drone the size of a thumb. It buzzed over the wall; he had at least dozens of such drones within his armor.

"Outside is a forest, nothing else."

"Access to the sensors has been gained, meow. A three-second shutdown and reboot shouldn’t raise any alarms, so let’s move quickly."

They were elites among elites, naturally quick in action.

Li De leaped two to three meters high in a single bounds, followed by a wall-assisted jump, easily clearing the wall.

A four to five meter high wall was hardly a challenge, not even needing the Mantis Blade for assistance. Even Jackal, who wasn’t good at close combat, could move with feline agility, crossing it with ease, let alone the others.

Ruzuo was the most direct; with a standing leap on the spot, he soared at least six meters.

However, the security guard at the post roughly ten meters away from them hardly paid any attention despite seeing the woods below sway, simply assuming it was just the wind.

Li De opened the map, getting hold of a map from decades ago of Jekyll Island, subsequently creating a virtual map based on the sea level rise situation. It wasn’t guaranteed to be correct, but better than nothing.

"We’re now at the northern Horton Manor. Given the terrain, if there’s a black market transaction happening, the most likely place would be the southern Hilton Hotel. But before heading over, we need to acquire a set of identities. Jackal and I will find the map and server room locations; you guys check around for any clues."

Soon, the five split into two teams, each performing their respective tasks.

Brother Ni, Ruzuo, and Kles didn’t really know what kind of clue to expect nearby, so they took one step at a time, as if opening a new map.

The surroundings were dense forests and fog, with very limited visibility. Fortunately, the three found a small stone pathway, able to walk along while observing.

Soon, Ruzuo noticed a sign standing at a fork in the road, the design very peculiar—like a standing owl, with its eyes sharp, seeming to be eyeing its prey thanks to the sculptor’s remarkable skill.

He softly read the words written on it.

"Bohemia Jungle... Is this place called Bohemia?"

Kles shook his head.

"Bohemia... I only know Bohemian Rhapsody. Wasn’t that in Central Europe? How did it end up in the United States?"

"What’s so strange about it? Georgia even has Oxford."

Brother Ni felt the other was overreacting.

"Let’s go further and see."

Heading along the path, the surrounding trees became increasingly lush, enormous trees on either side blocking the sun, nearly obscuring the sky, creating a suffocating sense of oppression.

Moreover, owl statues were often seen among the bushes and on tree trunks. These were either wooden or stone, but they all shared one commonality: their eyes invariably fixated on the road’s pedestrians, imparting an unnerving feeling of being hunted.

At the end of the path was a crescent-shaped lake, with a small island in the center bearing a colossal statue eight to nine meters tall—another owl, like a divine presence descending to the world, overlooking a stone disc at its feet.

"What is this?"

Brother Ni dared not approach; he felt the surroundings were chilling, that the place was somewhat sinister.

The other two shared the sentiment, with Ruzuo even starting to recite Confucian Analects to protect his sanity value, resulting from the sculptor’s exaggerated skill, which made the statue seem alive.

"Consult the experts; I reckon this thing is probably linked to some occult stuff."

Kles had been in Atlanta for almost a week and knew what a ghostly state this place was.

It’s likely those filthy things outside were merely the overflow from this island, a tiny bit of pollution creation, with the true darkness yet unseen.

At this moment, they had already reached the bottom layer of this abyss.

New Dynasty Elegance’s voice echoed through the channel, bringing a touch of life that dispelled the chill.

"Hmm? You’ve already entered?"

"Yeah, take a look at this; do you recognize what it is?"

Kles synchronized the image to his prosthetic eye vision, resembling a live broadcast.

Still engaging in religious conflicts in Atlanta, New Dynasty Elegance immediately recognized the owl demon god statue.

"You saw this thing on the island?"

"Yes, do you know it?"

"I do."

New Dynasty Elegance said,

"This owl is called Minerva, symbolizing wisdom, able to see what normal humans can’t. In the West, it holds strong esoteric significance with far-reaching impact."

"You can find it on the US Dollar, and even the aerial shape of the US Capitol resembles an owl."

"I’ve heard some rumors, not confirmed, that in certain circles, it’s believed that offering sacrifices to Minerva can exchange for wisdom and power. Some refuse to call it Minerva, directly naming it the demon god Baal, the first among Solomon’s seventy-two pillars, with Minerva merely a cover."