Chapter 620: Chapter 386: Cold Mist Snake? Flood Dragon! Infiltration (Part 2)
There was another way to expand the search range: restore his Spiritual Power Level.
With each Tier he recovered, his detection range would increase by several kilometers, or even dozens.
The jump from Tier Two to Three and from Tier Three to Four were both qualitative leaps.
As for the jump from Tier Four to Five, that was far too difficult for now. It wasn’t something Han Ning could even consider in the short term.
Next, he took out the python-like skull Li Changxi had given him and used his panel to absorb the Energy within.
[Energy +3.57]
Based on past experience, the skull’s original owner must have been at least Extraordinary Level.
The residual Energy from a single skull was equivalent to the Spiritual Energy of an entire Awakening Soul Beast.
This strengthened Han Ning’s resolve to increase his power before entering the ruins again.
As for the Energy, he didn’t use it immediately. It might come in handy for his nighttime infiltration of Lu University.
...
The night grew deep.
By the outer wall of Ludao University, Han Ning had changed into an all-black outfit. His face was shrouded in a thick black mist, and beneath the mist was another layer—a mask to hide his features. It was a disguise with layers upon layers, like a Russian doll.
Dark clouds hid the bright moon, making it a perfect night for action.
He carefully avoided any potential security cameras. With a light leap, he was like an agile cat, clearing the high wall and weaving nimbly through the alleys between the buildings under the cover of night.
The Botanical Garden lab’s operating hours were easy to find, and its location was public knowledge. To avoid exposing Xie Mingke as his mole, Han Ning hadn’t asked for too much information.
But those two pieces of information alone were enough.
The Lu University campus was scenic under the shroud of night.
Various decorative streetlights cast a warm yellow halo.
Students walked in twos and threes along the campus roads, completely unaware that a man with ill intentions was hiding in a dark corner nearby.
The plant laboratory was located inside the Botanical Garden in the west district. Following the map in his mind, he reached a five-story modern building with almost no effort.
It was a botanical research institute containing several different laboratories.
The lights shining from all sides of the building illuminated the surrounding paths clearly. A dense array of cameras covered the white building, leaving no blind spots.
Han Ning hid in the shadows outside and carefully observed the building’s structure.
All the windows had been specially modified. Not even a cat could slip through, let alone a person.
The only way in or out was the main entrance on the first floor, and perhaps some unknown fire escape routes.
’This is the downside of not having the floor plans.’
’I’ll have to figure everything out inside on my own.’
After a rough survey of the exterior, Han Ning began to wait quietly outside the building.
He waited for several hours.
When 80% of the lights had been extinguished, he glanced at his watch: 3:03 a.m.
’There shouldn’t be many people inside at this hour. Any later, and some of those research fanatics will probably start showing up for work.’
Having made up his mind, his body transformed into a wisp of black smoke and silently drew near.
Whenever he passed through a camera’s field of view, he would shoot a wisp of black mist at the lens, temporarily shrouding its vision to prevent security from quickly spotting his movements.
He only needed to block the camera for one or two seconds to speed through the monitored area.
In less than ten seconds, he moved like a phantom from the greenbelt outside to the main entrance of the botanical research institute.
The door, made of explosion-proof glass, was shut tight. Four unmoving cameras were locked onto the entrance area.
This was no challenge for Han Ning. He reached out, touched the access panel, and silently thought, ’Analyze.’
BEEP.
A faint, almost imperceptible blue light flashed.
The panel cracked the access control system with barely any computational effort.
Compared to the complex Spiritual Array circuits in the Purple Crystal World, this simple access system was child’s play.
However, to penetrate deeper into the institute’s entire encrypted control system, the required Energy would increase exponentially.
’They seem to be using some rather advanced encryption technology here... damn.’
Han Ning felt a sense of helplessness as he saw that the required Energy was comparable to what it took to unlock the Cosmic Light Tower.
He would have to rely on himself to find the lab containing the Mind Confusing Grass.
Fortunately, a directory map showing the various areas on each floor was hanging on the wall of the first-floor lobby.
It roughly indicated which labs were on each floor.
’Spore Research? Probably not. Plant Pathology Lab, not that one either...’
’Paleobotany... Unidentified Plant Laboratory... that’s a possibility.’
Han Ning quickly scanned the map and finally narrowed it down to two labs: one on the third floor and one on the fourth.
He didn’t take the elevator. Instead, he ascended silently through the pitch-black stairwell.
His footsteps made almost no sound, not even triggering the voice-activated lights.
In the dark environment, if someone else had been walking on the stairs, they probably wouldn’t have even noticed an extra person beside them.
The journey from the first to the third floor passed in a flash.
Just as Han Ning was about to follow the signs toward the paleobotany lab at the end of the hallway...
a sudden tapping sound echoed through the silent, empty corridor.
TAP, TAP, TAP.
It was the crisp sound of a blind cane tapping on the floor.
Han Ning frowned. Hiding around the corner of the stairwell, his head still shrouded in black mist, he quickly glanced to the right.
A young woman appeared in his line of sight. She was dressed in a simple T-shirt and pants, wearing cloth slippers, and holding a long metal cane she used to gently tap the ground.
She had delicate features and a slightly pale complexion. She wore a pair of non-prescription glasses, but her eyes were shut tight.
’Why is there a blind person here?’
’Probably a teacher or student on duty. Judging by her face, she looks more like a student.’
The probability of a blind person appearing in a research institute was extremely low, practically zero, but not impossible.
If he weren’t in a modern city, he might have thought he’d encountered a ruin intrusion or some other bizarre phenomenon.
He leaned against the wall, quietly waiting for the blind girl to return to her room.
TAP, TAP, TAP... TAP, TAP, TAP...
The sound of the cane tapping on the floor echoed through the silent corridor.
The sounds didn’t stop until they were right beside his ear, at which point both the tapping and the footsteps ceased simultaneously.
Using his Spiritual Sense, Han Ning pictured a figure standing at the doorway of a room just around the corner.
She didn’t move to open the door, but simply stood there quietly.
After a long moment, a pleasant, melodious voice suddenly broke the silence. "Who’s there? Is that you, sir, from security?"
’Is she talking to me?’
Han Ning scanned his surroundings.
It was pitch-black all around.
’What security guard?’
’And that voice... it’s so familiar.’
’Lu University, a blind person, that tone of voice...’
A flash of insight went through Han Ning’s mind. The expression hidden beneath his black mist turned to one of surprise.
’Her voice is so similar. Could it be... this girl is my predecessor’s online girlfriend, the one he never met?’
They say that when a person loses their sight, their hearing and the sensitivity of their skin to air currents become extremely acute.
Han Ning estimated that there were at least three meters between them. Other than his slow, deep breathing, he hadn’t made a single sound or movement. Yet an ordinary person had somehow sensed his presence.
’Perhaps she’s an Extraordinary Being, or at the very least, a normal person with exceptionally high Spiritual Power Talent. Otherwise, it’s impossible that she would have noticed anything unusual.’
He found it strange. Even an Extraordinary Being would have a hard time detecting him.
Han Ning didn’t answer the girl’s question.
After a few seconds, when no sound came from nearby, the girl said nothing more.
TAP, TAP, TAP. TAP, TAP, TAP.
Three meters, two meters.
When they were about two meters apart, Han Ning knew he had to get out of the way for a moment.
He silently took a step, placing his foot on the stairs leading to the next floor.
But just as his front foot had lifted...
that pleasant voice spoke again. "Don’t move. If you don’t answer, I’ll pull the alarm."
"Heh."
A resigned chuckle echoed in the darkness, followed by a gentle male voice.
"I’m very curious. How did you know I was here?"
With no other choice, Han Ning stopped and watched as the girl came around the corner and into his view.
He stood a few steps up on the staircase, looking down on her from above.
"That voice, that voice..."
After Han Ning spoke, the blind girl seemed to freeze completely, rooted to the spot.