Human civilization, we learned, wasn't the first on this world; preceding us was a race akin to humans, purportedly called the Civilization of the Gods, because the beings who lived within it could communicate with the divine, achieving harmony between humanity and the divine by listening to the will of nature.

It was rumored that no malice existed in that civilization; everyone embodied truth, goodness, and beauty, much like the Pure Land described in Buddhism.

Since the destruction of that civilization left behind only various miracles and incredible legends, few people truly believed in it.

For instance, though traces of nuclear warfare dating back tens of thousands of years were discovered among the ruins of the Two Rivers region, it remained largely disbelieved by the masses.

In reality, the end of the previous era was marked by the destruction of Atlantis, after which human society began to rise.

The records concerning that preceding civilization were sparse, merely mentioning that they could converse with the gods through their wombs and the 'Heavenly Eye,' though Buddhist scriptures seemed to hold far more detailed accounts on this subject.

Number 2 informed me, "Actually, they didn't use the Heavenly Eye for respiration; rather, the people of that civilization had other growths where our long noses are, with only one true nostril located precisely on the center of their foreheads."

Putting aside the credibility of his statement for a moment, I hastily asked, "So, in short, you mean this woman is still alive, right?"

Number 2 shook his head and replied, "No, it’s just that they differed from us in that their nostrils weren't solely for breathing air; they used them to exchange other substances as well."

I inquired, "What substances? Don't stop mid-sentence like that."

Number 2 frowned and said mysteriously, "I don't actually know, but it seems to be for conveying specific information, allowing them to communicate even after death."

A chill ran down my spine as I said, "What would dead people need to communicate about? Catching up on small talk or telling bad jokes?"

Number 2 shot me a look and retorted, "Perhaps for constructing some kind of interactive system or perhaps for defense or other purposes. The point is, a part of their brains never died."

Just as I was about to respond, he continued, "Oh, right, not the brain, but the abdomen. Their bellies housed the majority of their nervous and thought systems, functioning as our brains, while their heads served a lesser function, perhaps merely for decoration."

I pointed at the figure on the ground, which we suspected was a female corpse, and said to Number 2, "Are you suggesting this thing isn't a pregnant woman, but someone whose brain developed in their gut?"

At this, Number 12 interjected, "It seems in their world, 'thinking with your navel' isn't an insult."

I rolled my eyes at him, intending it as a way to lighten the mood with a joke!

Number 2 nodded then, saying, "I never once said it was a woman."

For some inexplicable reason, I felt a strange dread toward the female corpse, but upon hearing this ancient body might be male, I suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, clapped Number 2 on the shoulder, and said, "Ah, I see now. Why don't we take off its mask and have a look?"

"I don't think we need to. Did someone touch its stomach earlier?" Number 2 asked seriously.

Then Number 12 spoke up, "That was me... I heard its brain was in its belly and couldn't resist touching it, so..."

Before he could finish, and before Number 2 could scold him, the ancient corpse beneath our feet suddenly emitted a high-pitched screech, similar to a boiling kettle, and a plume of white vapor puffed out from the vents in its mask.

Number 12 quickly backed away, exclaiming, "What's happening? Is the water boiling?"

Number 2, pulling me along, retreated rapidly, saying, "Be careful; there seems to be some mechanism inside this ancient body."

As we backed away, we noticed the corpse's abdomen was rapidly shriveling, collapsing into a thin layer of skin.

Beneath that skin, something seemed to writhe, appearing utterly grotesque.

Number 12 then commented, "We're screwed, this thing is brainless now."

I slapped the back of his head, "You're the one who's brainless! Why did you go touching it? I told you this could be a defense system."

As we were speaking, we suddenly saw the ancient corpse's face also shrivel. Because the face shrank, the mask slipped off.

In that moment, we held our breath, preparing to see what this ancient body truly looked like.

But before we could get a good look, a tearing sound ripped from the abdomen, like cloth being rent, and something burrowed out from within.

Soon, we saw the head of a strange creature emerging; it resembled a human face, but its skin was black as coal, and its eyes possessed only the whites, devoid of pupils, looking terrifyingly ghastly.

The thing continued to crawl out, and then we saw its body—it was shaped like an insect, possessing six pairs of legs and a set of transparent wings.

"What the hell is this thing?" Number 2 asked me.

I thought, How would I know? Suddenly, a sharp stinging sensation shot through my hand, and I looked down to see the Karmic Fire I held in my palm growing restless.

Number 2 stated, "This thing radiates immense resentment. Squash it!"

I certainly understood his meaning; if I hadn't been trying to figure out what this creature was, I would have acted sooner, because its appearance was utterly repulsive.

If I didn't act now, the Karmic Fire might burn us first.

So, without further hesitation, I condensed a massive palm directly in the air and brought it down upon the creature.

With a loud smack, the thing seemed to flap its wings twice, attempting to fly, but perhaps due to its long slumber, it failed to evade the blow, splattering a cloud of green fluid before being flattened by my hand.

However, I must have used too much force, as many parts of the ancient corpse cracked open.

The face, which I had wanted to see clearly, was also smashed beyond recognition.

A green ichor constantly seeped out from the holes and fissures.

"Does an insect have this much blood?" Number 12 asked with a frown.

I shook my head and said, "That feeling wasn't right; it seems the entire inside of this ancient body was filled with those black insects with human heads. It looks like its body was hollowed out long ago!"

Number 2 added, "It seems these bugs used the ancient corpse as a nest, sleeping inside its belly. They were probably awakened by the scent of human life on Number 12. Judging by the intense level of malice, these bugs are anything but benign; we must be cautious."

As we spoke, Number 12 muttered, "Look, the snow layer seems to be collapsing."

I looked closely and realized it wasn't merely collapsing; the green blood emanating from the crushed bug was highly corrosive, melting the snow layer and emitting wisps of white smoke.

The snow layer before us was sinking at a visible rate, and the three of us were descending with it.

"Fall back, don't fall in!" Number 2 shouted to us.

But it was too late; our bodies involuntarily began to slip downwards.

While trying to regain balance, I noticed that within the snow layer eroded by the acid, more ancient, pot-bellied corpses were appearing, all wearing those strange masks.

The corrosive green fluid triggered a chain reaction upon contact with the ancient bodies; as soon as it touched the green matter, those corpses began to explode, and countless man-headed insects crawled out from within them.

I hadn't anticipated that so many corpses lay beneath the snow layer, resulting in an abyss made of bugs gradually forming before us.

Insects that were entirely poisonous and favored parasitizing human bodies were terrifyingly dangerous.

If we truly fell into that trap, the outcome would be either dissolving into pus or becoming one of those ancient corpses.

Thinking of this, my scalp prickled with fear. With no other choice, I grabbed both their collars and used psychokinesis to propel us upward.

I leaped three or four meters high, and the spot where I had just been standing completely collapsed.

But this jump didn't take us far enough, as the uneven ground prevented me from generating proper leverage.

The moment we landed, we continued to sink; there was no stopping it.

The insects deep underground had slumbered within the ancient bodies for ages. Though not very agile, they became excited the moment they encountered fresh air. As we struggled, a swarm of insects buzzed up around us.

Watching the swarm, whipping up snow, get closer and closer, I felt desperate but powerless.

The other two were even more helpless; in this situation, they couldn't deploy their powers at all.

Though I continued to struggle alone, I knew we couldn't escape our fate.

Just then, I suddenly heard a tremendous thud-thudding sound from behind, like a pile driver working nearby and approaching us; the sheer force of it was immense.

I didn't have time to look back before I felt a gigantic palm approaching from behind us.

At that moment, I had just launched the two of us high into the air again—evasion was impossible.

So, the world went black before my eyes as we were snatched up into that massive palm.

When the surroundings became completely dark, Number 12 said, "It's the giant from before; it's coming to save us."

I knew his guess was mostly correct, but I couldn't immediately figure out why.

At that moment, the dark space we occupied began to sink, causing me to land hard on my backside.

Number 2 said, "This collapse is too severe this time; that giant isn't light, so it might not escape either!"

Just as he spoke, I felt the ground beneath my rear disappear again, and amidst violent tremors, we plummeted downward once more, dragged down into the deep pit along with the giant.

What followed was endless tumbling and collision; we could do nothing but protect our heads and endure the external battering.

After an unknown amount of time, I was nearly sick from the churning, when suddenly a violent shudder ran through our surroundings. I heard a crack, followed by a series of splintering sounds, as if the giant had smashed something outside.