I Don't Agree to the Terms
Chapter 53: The Beginning of the Era of Superpowers

Chapter 53: Chapter 53: The Beginning of the Era of Superpowers

After entering the ruins, various survey and conservation efforts were naturally in full swing, and as for uncovering secrets, there were plenty of murals.

Gu Shanhai looked at these murals depicting figures controlling the weather and using various Divine Skills, knowing that these individuals had awakened their superpowers.

However, the scientists in the expedition didn’t see it that way; they considered them to be part of some mythological tales. Of course, he didn’t correct them—more explanations, more mistakes. If the era of superpowers was truly upon them in the future, how would he explain his foreknowledge?

"Now it seems," he thought, "that the era of superpowers didn’t begin three months later, but started the moment the players entered, though it was an undetected undercurrent unknown to anyone."

He had inquired about the project’s initiation time, which was half a month before the players arrived.

Thirteen days had already passed, and many players had grown impatient and left this advanced world, evidently because the Holy Federation and their modern cities weren’t much different.

"What’s the fun in that? If they wanted to experience modern cities, they could have just quit the game."

"Today, we should be able to enter the core area, the center of the superpowers." Gu Shanhai thought silently.

Li Zhongye had announced this during dinner last night. The progress was not a secret project; revealing it early could indeed motivate people.

Everyone had spent thirteen days in these darkness-shrouded underground confines, especially some personnel who were working intensely—news of a holiday would certainly be heartening.

The progress was derived through various documents and clues within the ruins, not merely conjecture.

Gu Shanhai was somewhat convinced of this. If it turned out to be wrong, well... he’d just continue to cook in the kitchen. What else could he do?

For him, it was relatively easy; he just watched from here.

"Here it is, it’s a door!"

One of the scientists exclaimed, and the others gathered around, visibly excited.

Seeing this, Gu Shanhai also looked from a distance and confirmed that it indeed was a peculiar door.

The door was large and had only been partially cleared; it seemed to be made of bronze, with its beam and arches depicting a story.

It appeared to tell an ancient story of demon extermination, which might be useful to understand why the superpower core had been sealed here. However, for Gu Shanhai, it was just another door; he didn’t possess enough strength to delve into these stories. Perhaps there would be a chance in the future, but not now.

With this news, everyone secretly breathed a sigh of relief, reassured that this must be the final part of the ruins. Once the excavation and conservation were complete, the holiday would be secured.

Of course, for the scientists, this was not just about a holiday; their research topics and tasks also now seemed hopeful.

Gu Shanhai hastened to join them as the bronze door had been cleaned up and now it was time for manual labor.

Over these days, he had lent a helping hand whenever possible. Initially, the scientists were reluctant to let Gu Shanhai help, fearing he might clumsily cause damage.

But seeing Gu Shanhai fully geared up like them, complete with gloves and a mask, no one objected anymore. Even Li Zhongye tacitly approved, assuming he was there to make a good impression for his promotion.

So, this time when he joined them in pushing the door, no one complained.

It seemed they had grown accustomed to him; less effort from them was welcome.

Creak~

As the door moved, fresh air flowed into the dark interior.

Beep beep beep~

But, as the door was half-opened, the Geiger counter on Li Zhongye’s belt, used for radiation detection, started ringing.

"Not good, there’s an unknown radiation source!" Li Zhongye roared, having never expected such an incident to occur.

Boom~

Then, a violent explosion erupted in the darkness.

A massive amount of unknown debris flew out like fiery meteors.

Gu Shanhai’s expression changed as well, and like everyone else, he was blown backward by the shock.

In that instant, Gu Shanhai sensed that something in the center of the relics had been liberated and had completely drifted away with the explosion.

Later, without anyone’s knowledge, he quietly placed several fragments into his portable laboratory.

His main mission was completed, so he could confirm one thing, the thing that had just exploded was very likely the superpower core.

So what could these exploding stones be, if not the superpower core? Even if they weren’t, they were contaminated.

Moreover, these stones were not actually stones, but more like fragments of some crystals.

’The birth of the first batch of superpower users...’ Gu Shanhai knew that facing the explosion of the superpower core, these people would become the first batch of autonomously awakened superpower users, and the superpower awakening potion was also derived from the genetic research of these individuals.

As for Gu Shanhai, he had already isolated the radiation using Magic Domain and Purifying Grass at the first opportunity.

Just now, all his senses were frantically alerting him to the crisis, if he hadn’t blocked it, his genetics would have definitely collapsed immediately due to the radiation.

He wasn’t one of the natives.

And even if he were a native, facing such a high degree of evolutionary exposure, the only possibility would be some form of physical mutation.

If the suitable superpower energy value was 1, theirs would be 100, and whether they could maintain their human form afterward was another matter.

"Cough, is everyone okay?" Li Zhongye, somewhat disheveled and wounded from the explosion, got up and said, his injuries were not serious, just superficial.

Naturally, Gu Shanhai had also simulated tearing his own clothes and skin wounds using Mana, so as not to appear too out of character.

"No worries, just feeling a bit dizzy, got hit nearby."

"My body hurts, all wounds."

"..."

Everyone spoke in turns, none too seriously injured, perhaps because the source of the explosion was relatively far from them.

"Glad to hear that, I just used the walkie-talkie to call people in, and if everyone’s okay now, let’s first handle the scene to see what caused the explosion," Li Zhongye’s words sounded a bit insensitive, but it was indeed the truth, given the magnitude of the aftermath, someone had to take responsibility, and they needed to salvage the scene quickly.

Gu Shanhai also got up and silently began pulling in the light sources, and the others started to help as well.

As the darkness dispersed, everyone saw the glittering broken crystals scattered everywhere.

Seeing this, Gu Shanhai was certain, the fragments in his portable laboratory were part of the superpower core, and sensing residual radiation through Mana, this was good news for him, so he silently picked a few more pieces and put them in.

With these items, even without a superpower awakening potion, he could independently develop one, and the quality could potentially be better than the original superpower awakening potion.

Superpower awakening potions relied more on inducing the body to absorb externally and didn’t mean that they contained fragments of the superpower core.

He suspected that the awakening method for many superpowers probably required superpower core fragments as raw materials.