Now is hardly the time for speculation; the most pressing matter was clearing out the centipedes swarming around them.

Ma Xiong and Lu Zong exchanged a look for a few seconds, then nodded with a smile. Ma Xiong shouted "One, two, three!" and the two of them swiftly stepped over the mass of centipedes and fled, the sound of crunching coming from under their feet—the noise of crushed insects. Despite their incredible speed, many centipedes still managed to crawl onto them. They reached an area clear of the pests and collapsed onto the ground, rolling back and forth, trying to crush the creatures clinging to their bodies.

In the instant they were rolling, the centipede horde detonated with a muffled roar. Instantly, insect corpses flew everywhere, and the dark cavern was momentarily illuminated. The light seared their eyes, forcing them to keep them shut for a long time.

It turned out Lu Zong had discreetly placed a bundle of dynamite on the ground just before they ran—no wonder they had moved so fast.

By now, most of the centipedes on their bodies had been dealt with, leaving only a sticky, milky-white slime clinging to their skin, looking utterly disgusting. Lu Zong ripped off his jacket, tossed it onto the ground, spat on it, and growled, "Damn it, even petty centipedes dare to bully me."

Yet, he was deeply perplexed. "Why are there so many bugs here?"

He had intended to consult Ma Xiong, but seeing his partner's tightly furrowed brow, he figured Ma Xiong likely knew the answer too. So, he wisely kept silent, pondering the mystery to himself.

It struck him as bizarre, though: the very first sting from these things had triggered a painfully familiar sensation. Only after thinking carefully did he recall a similar stinging prick on the sole of his foot right after entering the cave. Now he realized: he must have been bitten by a centipede upon entry. At the time, however, he had quickly descended into confusion. If his guess was correct, the two of them would soon fall unconscious and lose control of themselves.

He hurriedly conveyed his thoughts to Ma Xiong, who vaguely nodded. Lu Zong noticed Ma Xiong’s head was heavy and sluggish, as if he wasn't hearing a word he was saying.

"Bad news, Ma Xiong must have been anesthetized," he thought, pushing his partner, but Ma Xiong seemed unresponsive to the shove.

Lu Zong grew anxious. He too began to feel a cloudiness descend upon his own mind, starting to grow muddled. But he understood their predicament perfectly: if he passed out too, their fate would be entirely in the hands of the enemy, left to be manipulated at will. The thought spurred him on, making him feel slightly clearer, and he continued shaking Ma Xiong.

But Ma Xiong remained unmoving, still heavy with sleep.

Lu Zong’s anxiety spiked. He dreaded the thought of Ma Xiong being controlled by the shaman later, which would leave him unable to subdue a perverted Ma Xiong. The immediate priority was jolting Ma Xiong awake. He fumbled through Ma Xiong’s utility box and pulled out a Swiss Army knife. With a quick shlick, he sliced a gash into Ma Xiong’s leg. The cut wasn't deep, but a significant amount of blood welled up. Ma Xiong reacted to the pain, his body convulsing slightly, and then, at Lu Zong’s insistence, he woke up.

The first thing he did upon waking was touch his leg, discovering the unkind gash Lu Zong had inflicted. He looked at Lu Zong with an expression of reproach.

Lu Zong met his gaze with an apologetic look and quickly explained, "Don't misunderstand. I was afraid you'd lose consciousness and fall under the shaman’s control; the situation would have become disastrous. For the greater good, and to protect your life, I had no choice but to do this."

Ma Xiong took the Swiss Army knife from Lu Zong, wiped it, and lamented, "What a waste. I planned to use this for slicing meat during a barbecue in the wild, but instead, it became a weapon. Still, it will have to do for now. At least the other three still don't know about this."

After a three-minute silence, the strange atmosphere crept back in.

Ma Xiong explained, "Lu Zong, while I was fading just now, I had a very vivid feeling. I sensed many Japanese soldiers walking around, all wearing World War II-era uniforms, carrying boxes of—I don't know what. I suspect they were filled with weapons. Curious, I stopped one to ask a question. That person immediately lunged at me with a knife, and that’s when I got this cut on my leg—the one you just gave me."

Lu Zong shook his head. "It was a hallucination, Ma Xiong. I saw no one walking around. Look at me, my mind is perfectly clear; I feel no dizziness. What I experienced was the reality."

Hearing Lu Zong, Ma Xiong fell silent, looking down at the floor as if deep in thought.

Lu Zong broke the silence first, musing, "If the hallucination you saw was real, what does that imply?"

Ma Xiong answered bluntly, "It implies this is a Japanese military weapons depot from the WWII era; that’s where they were storing their arms."

Lu Zong nodded. "I came to the same conclusion. The massive gathering of highly venomous centipedes suggests buried biochemical weapons here. And the initial interference with the walkie-talkie? That must be the effect of nuclear radiation." He looked for confirmation. "Am I right?"

Ma Xiong pondered for a moment, hesitantly explaining, "But what I saw might not be true. Maybe it’s just the cumulative effect of seeing too many wartime scenes in my past experiences that caused the hallucination?"

Lu Zong shook his head. "Impossible. You never participated in the Sino-Japanese War, and you certainly wouldn't have encountered a Japanese weapons depot. I suspect the shaman might be using sorcery to control your mind, creating all those illusory images?"

Ma Xiong managed a wry smile. "What are you talking about? Watch your words, Lu Zong. You’re a scientist; how can you believe in such superstitions?"

Lu Zong countered, "Not necessarily. Not all religions are superstition. Religion is just a form of gathering established around a certain belief system. Their power is immense, and miracles exist in this world. When the two meet, perhaps they generate some massive energy, leading to consequences caused by unnatural forces. Perhaps the shaman truly possesses this kind of supernatural power?"

Ma Xiong listened, his face showing a mixture of belief and doubt. He smiled helplessly and said, "Whatever it is, as long as our people are safe, that’s what matters. What do we do now?"

Lu Zong thought for a moment. "I think we were a bit too impulsive initially."

Ma Xiong was speechless.

Lu Zong continued, "We can only keep moving forward. Look behind you."

Ma Xiong hurriedly looked back and saw that their path of retreat was blocked by debris from the explosion. He let out a sad sigh.

Lu Zong went on, "We’ll take things one step at a time. If we try to guess our way through, we might genuinely get lost. Trust our instincts; that’s humanity’s most effective tool for solving intractable problems."

Ma Xiong felt he had no other option and had to follow Lu Zong’s arrangement. The three of them continued walking.

Lu Zong estimated the area was at least the size of a football field. Countless tiny holes riddled the cavern; who knew what dwelled inside. They were currently in a perfectly straight corridor. The cavern walls were remarkably smooth, showing clear signs of artificial carving. Their earlier suspicions seemed to be largely correct. Innumerable chambers branched off, their destinations unknown.

They walked cautiously down the wide corridor, looking left and right with intense curiosity, desperate to uncover whatever secrets lay hidden within. However, based on Ma Xiong's years of experience, such a vital weapons depot would surely have explosives rigged at the entrance of every chamber to deter thieves. Thus, neither dared to enter any side room.

The vast underground space was eerily quiet, the only sound being their footsteps echoing down the long corridor—a terrifying sound. They sucked in a breath and dared not even breathe deeply, afraid of disturbing the restless spirits of the place.

Suddenly, Ma Xiong’s head snapped down, as if dodging something. But unexpectedly, his body leaned back sharply. At a thirty-degree backward tilt, according to the laws of physics, he should have fallen. Instead, he remained perfectly upright, leaving Lu Zong staring, dumbfounded.

Lu Zong looked at the frozen Ma Xiong and asked excitedly, "Ma Xiong, how did you do that?"

Ma Xiong clutched his head in confusion, and after a long moment, finally looked up, speaking with fear. "I saw a Japanese officer slashing straight toward me with a saber. I had to duck. But because I leaned back so far, I was about to fall. Then, I felt someone behind me brace me up. When I turned my head, I saw a dark shadow—I swear to you, Lu Zong, it was a human silhouette—and it zipped into the tunnel ahead, that one... Ah!"

Lu Zong followed the direction of Ma Xiong’s finger and was equally shocked, his mouth hanging open as he stared motionlessly at the small opening ahead.

They both saw a figure standing right at the entrance of that tunnel. Their hearts immediately hammered against their ribs. They couldn't tell who it was—dead or alive—as visibility was poor even with night vision goggles in this gloom. However, they could confirm the person was wearing a full Japanese military uniform, standing rigidly at the doorway. If it were alive, it would be unsettling enough; but if it were dead, a corpse standing guard would surely push human fear to its absolute limit.

They exchanged a look, ultimately deciding to approach together to ascertain the identity of this individual.

They pulled a bottle of liquor from their bags, took a few hasty swigs, felt a rush of heat throughout their bodies, and their courage bolstered. They staggered toward the figure.

What stood before them was, in fact, a remarkably lifelike corpse.