Chapter 113: Where Lies the Solution

Chen Bo braced himself for the impending crises, but after several seconds, it seemed that nothing remarkable had occurred. Could the mechanism have fallen into disrepair and jammed? Chen Bo mused with a touch of malice.

A moment later, still sensing no sudden threats, he grew skeptical and took a few steps forward. Then a few more. And a few more. Why did it feel like he was moving slower and slower?

Chen Bo snapped to attention, coming to a halt to focus on his surroundings. He realized, with a jolt, that the gravity around him was slowly increasing. It felt as if he were burdened by a hundred or two hundred pounds, and the weight was growing, steadily and inexorably.

He could even feel his blood circulation beginning to sluggishly falter. His previously fluffy hair was pressed flat against his scalp, and even his clothes hung heavily, pulled downward by an invisible force.

"Is this some kind of gravity chamber? Like the one in Dragon Ball?" Chen Bo muttered.

He did not dare underestimate this creeping gravity. While he could currently withstand it with his strength, the gravitational pull was still climbing; if it continued for too long, he would surely be pinned to the ground.

Moreover, although his skin and flesh were tough, his blood vessels were fragile. If this pressure continued to mount, his circulation might fail entirely, and it wouldn't be long before he met his end.

At that thought, Chen Bo nearly jumped in panic. Damn it, this godforsaken place was even more dangerous than before!

He wanted to escape quickly, but the ever-increasing gravity made it impossible to pick up any speed. What was he to do? If he didn't clear this corridor soon, he would be forfeiting his precious life right here.

He hadn't even taken a wife yet! He still needed to carry on the Chen family line and keep the incense burning! He still wanted to have a few daughters to raise—wait, did that reveal some kind of strange inclination?

Wait, if the gravity reached a certain point, would it crush his countless descendants to death?

Damn it, just the thought was terrifying!

Chen Bo shivered involuntarily. The notion was bone-chilling, especially for a straight man like him; it was simply unacceptable.

Could it be that he would be rendered infertile just for the sake of a System shard?

Well, the Wild Continent was full of strange and wondrous things; surely there was a cure for such an ailment. Even if the Wild Continent failed him, he still had the System! Although the System wasn't omnipotent, it should at least be able to resolve a physiological issue like this, right?

Probably.

Chen Bo took dozens of steps, each one a long stride—after all, he didn't have to worry about pulling anything. Yet, after less than a hundred meters, he was reaching his limit. It felt as if a thousand-pound boulder were pressing down upon him. He was essentially trudging forward while carrying an invisible, massive weight. His blood flow had slowed significantly, and even the surrounding air seemed to have grown heavy.

"Damn it!" Chen Bo cursed under his breath. He hurriedly stored his chest plate, bracers, and helmet into the System space, and even stowed away the two large blades he carried for self-defense, yet he still moved at a glacial pace.

Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.

Chen Bo could no longer distinguish between the beating of his heart and the heavy sound of his own footsteps. His legs felt as if they had been injected with molten lead—no, as if they were made entirely of lead. Every attempt to move required every ounce of his remaining strength.

He didn't know what multiple of gravity he was facing, but he knew it had to be well over ten times Earth's standard. He recalled reading a post back on Earth: the maximum gravity a human astronaut could withstand was 10Gs, a Guinness World Record. During the most difficult phase of a spacecraft launch, humans could endure a gravitational acceleration of 10G, but the individual in question had suffered a brain hemorrhage afterward.

Chen Bo’s physique had long since shattered human limits; with a full-force strike, he could punch a hole through a steel plate—provided he didn't mind his own hand bones shattering in the process. If even his enhanced body could barely withstand this gravity, the intensity of it was unfathomable.