Chapter 27 - 26. Where Questions Asked
Finding an 'indoor' space in the wilderness was a rarity, and the two researchers were pretty shaken by the unexpected danger, so they ended up staying in that cave for a few days.
From the research point of view, it was also a good thing to test how long could the device manage to operate non-stop. And rather than kept on walking non-stop as they did on the second day, it was better for the researchers to distract their minds by compiling data and conducting experiments instead. There were lots of transformed vegetation that could fill their schedule for years. Not to mention the remnants of the Earth and Wood Specter that they had never seen before.
It was another weird thing that Zein had never considered; a base inside of the Deathzone. A base so good they could even shower. He had a feeling that rather than the thought of experimentation, the researchers cheered up better with the thought of being able to finally douse their bodies in fresh, purified water.
After getting rid of the two Specters, the cave had become the most secure place. But Bassena spent a lot of time around the hole made by the wood Specter. He had sent his 'kids' to follow the trail, but it ended with an underground water channel.
"This Specter...they formed when a large number of miasma got mixed with dense elemental energy?" he asked Ron while they stared at the hole. The three attackers—plus Zein—were hanging around the small chasm.
"Yes," the scout narrowed his eyes to peer into the darkness below. "We encounter them from time to time when the miasma's activity is the highest. But the one that roamed the jungle's periphery wasn't this big or this strong."
"They don't usually use conceal too..."
"Well, perhaps the ones in the deeper area are of higher rank?"
"That's a given, but..." Bassena crouched down to touch the remnant of burning vines. "Were they strong from the start, or get strong as time went by?"
"Is there any significance in knowing that?" Zein tilted his head.
Bassena picked up one of the black vines. It was burnt, but the deepest part of the vine was still sturdy. "Initially, I thought Specter was a corrupted elemental," he peeled the burnt part of the vine. "But they had no cores, and were shaped differently from the corrupted elementals in the dungeon."