Mutants - Chapter 15
Chapter 15: Domination
Before, when she left the area of the pond where the vehicles had crashed, she had glanced at the wrecked cars. She mentally calculated: they had set out at seven yesterday morning and she had eaten the first nutrient stick, allowing the eggs to enter her body. After the crash, by the time she woke up, the vehicles were no longer even smoking. The dashboard clock on some of the totaled cars had stopped at 10:13.
Later, the toxin had taken effect around 11:17, and the pain had subsided by 11:28.
From this, she summarized three characteristics of these experimental, mutated Salmon-Host Myxosporean worms inside their bodies.
1: The incubation period for the eggs is about 27 hours, after which the toxin is released. The toxic effect lasts for about ten minutes, then subsides.
2: The first nutrient stick was issued uniformly by the corporation, so everyone received the same quantity of eggs. The incubation and toxin release did not vary based on individual physique; the timing was roughly the same for everyone. However, different body types certainly contained different levels of biological nutrients, meaning the size and growth stage of the worms would differ. She had observed that the worm on her arm was noticeably shorter than the others', a result of her body's lack of nutrition. If they could all activate at the same time regardless, it meant the toxin release was not dependent on the growth stage. From the moment the egg was viable, it possessed the ability to release toxins. With a consistent starting point, the activation point was also consistent. Therefore, its biological characteristic was most likely a 27-hour cycle of toxin release.
A 27-hour cycle, with a 10-minute duration.
She memorized this data. Now she had to hide and wait for the others to be afflicted. They would surely be at the energy armory, swapping for new equipment and opening the energy chests to get energy bars. However, only she and Ye Chen knew the password for the energy chests, but only she and Jenny knew how to operate the tech equipment to open the valves.
This meant Ye Chen's ability was incomplete; he couldn't open the energy chests immediately and would need some time to figure it out.
So, they were most likely at the armory now and would be staying there for a while.
She could have chosen to go through the ruins zone, but… Sui Xin didn't dare.
She had her reservations.
Who the hell knows what secrets are hidden there? Fungal-Insectoid Mutants have already appeared. The ruins zone is the focus of development. It's either heavily guarded by the corporation to keep cannon fodder like us away, or they've arranged some other 'entertainment' there. I definitely can't go!
That only leaves the route to the armory where Ye Chen and the others are.
Having decided, Sui Xin decisively found a relatively safe spot in the pharmacy, used relevant herbs to mark a perimeter, and then lay down inside it.
Perfect. Full belly, sleepy, time for bed!
Sleeping was the best way to conserve energy. She had to be frugal.
After Ye Chen returned, he gave a rough account of the situation.
When they learned the pharmacy was full of worms, the group immediately gave up on the idea. Only Huang Ye gave Ye Chen a meaningful look. He knew that with the three of them going, Sui Xin's death was no surprise. For Jenny to die as well, Ye Chen must have been ruthless.
Sui Xin didn't matter. She was an outsider from the start, and frankly, she made people jealous. She wasn't one of them. Now that they had reached the outpost and she had served her purpose, her death was just that—a death.
Knox and the others felt a brief pang of sadness for Jenny, but their minds were quickly captivated by the wealth before them.
The corporation was obscenely rich, and the outpost in the ruins zone had been built like a fortress of bronze and iron, especially the energy armory.
Before their eyes, 20 cubic energy chests, each a meter on all sides, were arranged. Inside were the energy bars that had been stocked before the incident at the outpost.
So many weapons, so many energy chests!
They had struck it rich.
What was the death of a teammate or two? They hadn't been particularly sad when Zhang He died. It was common to get new teammates every year; it wouldn't be strange for the entire team to be replaced with new faces within a year.
So, they focused only on the wealth before them.
But, they couldn't open them.
The energy chests were fixed in their slots. Forcibly prying them open or moving them would trigger an attack state, and they would be riddled with holes like a sieve inside this space, which was a maximum-security zone with live ammunition.
The most terrifying part was the self-destruct mechanism.
No, brute force was absolutely not an option. Even the organizations in the ruins zone didn't dare try it, let alone them.
"I know the password, but I'm not very familiar with the specific operation. We can only try."
Of course, Ye Chen wanted it all for himself, but his abilities were limited. He had some perspective and decided to pool their efforts to get the energy chests open. Even if he took it all, it would be difficult for a single person to cross the ruins wilderness. He'd be taken out by one of those organizations sooner or later.
So he contributed the password, and the group worked together.
They were sleep-deprived, battered from the journey, and some were injured, but for the sake of wealth, they mustered all their energy, chewing on nutrient sticks and studying computer technology with dark circles under their eyes.
Time flowed like water.
Just as Knox couldn't help but slump over, nearly crushing Lin Dan, someone suddenly exclaimed.
"It worked!"
With a click, an energy chest opened, revealing 100 energy bars inside.
One energy bar equaled one unit of energy intensity, which equaled one explosion from a Kinetic-01.
This single energy chest could fuel 100 Kinetic-01 explosions, enough to wipe out several small organizations and flatten a medium-sized one.
Considering the black market price of one energy bar was 1000 LB, a single chest was worth a hundred thousand LB.
And there were 20 energy chests here, totaling 2 million LB.
There were 18 of them left. Divided equally, each person could get over one hundred and ten thousand LB.
A sudden fortune.
They couldn't earn this much in a lifetime.
No wonder those organizations were so crazy… Of course, they couldn't possibly take all these energy bars with them.
"Whether it's backpack or vehicle carrying capacity, we can't possibly take too much. Two chests is the most we can move."
Although they were reluctant, it was the only way.
"But not all 20 chests are full. Look here, some have less than 100 bars."
"Not surprising. When the incident happened, the outpost itself must have fought back. Add in normal consumption and the energy bars taken by later scouting teams that reached this place, it's good that there are even 10 full chests."
"We're rich, we're rich! Good thing that woman with the surname Sui is dead, otherwise we'd have to give her a cut."
"Exactly. I can't stand women like her who can't fight. But she was pretty good-looking. Her skin and figure were really nice, even more delicate than those women at the clubs."
"Haha, Old Liu, you can't afford one at her price point. That's for the top brass to enjoy."
Since they couldn't take everything, there was no point in arguing over it.
They took as many energy bars as they could carry, but as they were moving them, Knox suddenly cried out and fell to his knees.
The energy bar that fell from his hand hit someone else's shoe. The person hopped up in pain, but soon went from clutching their foot to clutching their stomach.
One after another, almost all of them began to suffer from the toxin's effects.
Wait, what was happening? Why were their bodies reacting to the toxin again? Hadn't they been cured before?
Ye Chen was on the ground, clutching his abdomen and groaning in pain. He soon vomited a disgusting mucus from his throat. The pain wasn't as intense as the first time, but it was even more nauseating.
"Maybe the dosage wasn't enough, it only suppressed it?"
"The detoxification wasn't complete…?"
At this moment, the live stream switched to their location, and the watching audience was also quite surprised.
More than twenty hours had passed since the incident. Of course, they couldn't be watching the live stream constantly, but…
Clever people like Ye Chen and Huang Ye reacted quickly. They immediately took out the reagents from their backpacks. They had saved the previous reagents as a backup, in varying quantities. Of course, leaders like Ye Chen and Huang Ye had gotten the most.
The former had three vials, the latter had two.
At this moment, the two of them quickly took out the reagents and drank them. The taste was certainly not good, but it effectively suppressed the taste of the nauseating mucus as it went straight to their stomachs…
Outside the armory door, which was closed, two people stood guard. They communicated with those inside via communicators. They had been paying close attention to the situation inside, worried that the people in there would leave them behind and not share the resources. But they were the lowest-ranking members of the group and could only do such thankless jobs without daring to complain.
But at this moment, they too were collapsed on the ground in pain. Hearing the people inside mention the reagent, they also realized what was happening.
They hurriedly opened their backpacks to get the reagent, but just as their hands touched the cold vial, the pain diminished their usual perception. They didn't notice the subtle, not-so-stealthy footsteps at all.
They couldn't see a furtive shadow in the corner of the corridor, tiptoeing close to the wall, peeking its head out. After seeing their condition, it quietly took aim.
Thump!
One man, looking down to grab the reagent, was shot in the head first. The other, splattered in the face with hot blood, reacted instantly and fumbled for his gun.
He raised the gun, but his body was trembling—a person's will often cannot overcome the body's limitations.
The pain was absolute.
"What was that sound?"
Ye Chen was undoubtedly the strongest here. He was also the first to take the reagent, which alleviated his pain. He sensed something was wrong outside and abruptly looked up, only to see the keypad lock on the main door indicating that someone outside was entering the password…
They know the password. Someone from the company?
The company is here?!
It's over.
His pupils dilated. Clutching his still-aching stomach, he quickly rolled behind cover.
"Someone's outside, quick…"
He shouted sharply.
Huang Ye and the others also realized it. Those who could still move scrambled for their weapons, but the door was already opening.
From the live stream's perspective, the audience hadn't seen the shooter from the two guards' point of view. The surveillance angle could only see them fall, their buttons obscured, the view going dark. All that could be heard were footsteps and the beeping of the password being entered.
Finally.
The door swung open with a clang.
The moment it opened… before anyone inside could get a clear look, the muzzle of an assault rifle appeared in the opening.
Rat-tat-tat!
A hail of bullets swept across the room—aimed at the group who, in their agony from the toxin, hadn't even had time to grab their weapons.
A brutal slaughter.
Huang Ye, hiding behind cover, raised his hand to shield his aiming angle, trying to get a bead on the attacker.
The attacker used the momentum of the sliding door to retreat to the side, but as the gap widened, they tossed a smoke grenade inside.
Fuck!
A smoke grenade!
Is she trying to blow this place up? Smoke grenades also contain incendiary powder. What if it ignites the armory…
Although the probability was low, who could know for sure?
Huang Ye, Ye Chen, and the others who could still fight were terrified. Seeing the smoke grenade hiss on the floor, releasing a thick cloud of smoke, they had no choice but to duck behind cover and put on their helmets and other gear.
The others afflicted by the toxin couldn't even take care of themselves. They just felt a cloud of smoke enveloping the area.
Escape!
Ye Chen, Huang Ye, and a few others pushed through the pain, providing cover for each other, continuously firing to keep the person outside from attacking as they moved towards the door.
"Out!"
One person went out.
Bang!
He was shot.
Dammit, that bastard had retreated to a blind spot and locked down the position. They had to escape the potentially explosive armory, which meant going through the main door. This person had the door locked down for a kill zone.
Ye Chen was ruthless. He immediately grabbed the body of the fallen man and held it in front of him.
Out!
He rushed out, with Huang Ye and the other three following.
With Ye Chen's body as a single-file shield, they formed a vertical line behind him, but their firing angles were also locked on that corner.
Like a multi-armed deity.
Bang, bang, bang! Bullets flew wildly towards the corner, sealing off the opponent's angle of attack.
The corner of the wall was blasted to pieces.
The audience saw no reaction from the corner. The person seemed to be scared.
But…
What was that?
It turned out a pile of worms had been placed at the entrance long ago.
The person who placed the worms had opened the test tube and retreated, letting the worms crawl out. Being aquatic, they needed moisture, so they would frantically seek out living organisms with blood. As Ye Chen and the others approached…
They crawled onto their boots, and then up.
Red Corrosive Ironworms!
By the time Ye Chen and the others noticed, the worms were already on their pants, which were rapidly being corroded.
Not good!
They were terrified.
They immediately aimed their guns at the worms on the ground.
In the midst of the chaos.
The person behind the corner went all out.
The assault rifle fired wildly.
Ye Chen felt a bullet hit his shoulder. In pain, he quickly pulled out a device from his waist…
Sui Xin saw it, her breath catching. She scrambled to the side to hide, just as Ye Chen threw a grenade towards the corner!
Boom!
The corner exploded.
Sui Xin rolled on the ground. When she got up, she felt dizzy. Damn this useless body.
But Ye Chen and his group didn't dare to approach. The distance was too great; they wouldn't make it in time. It was better to go the other way… and escape!
Taking advantage of the moment, Ye Chen and the others quickly fled towards the other corner. But with the toxin flaring up inside them and the worms eating through their pants, their speed was greatly affected.
Sui Xin emerged from behind the corner and fired at their backs.
Bang!!
Huang Ye felt a cold sensation in his chest.
He was shot and fell to the ground.
"Ye…"
Ye Chen ran with Chucks without looking back.
They disappeared around the corner.
Dammit, she was still not professional enough. Even with such an opportunity, she couldn't kill that bastard Ye Chen.
Sui Xin was a little annoyed, but she knew this was her first time in a real field battle. Usually, she just practiced at the company's shooting range or learned from watching combat videos.
In any case, she had done her homework before coming. If these people hadn't been suffering from the toxin, she wouldn't have dared to make a move.
But even so, Ye Chen had escaped.
That man was a vicious one, a professional at turning his back on his teammates and never looking back. Sui Xin was wary of him. Now that her first wave of attacks had failed, she was quite dejected, but she approached the fallen Huang Ye.
From Huang Ye's camera and eye-level perspective, he could only see a person under 1.7 meters tall. He couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman, only that they looked thin even under the bulky protective suit.
Was it a woman?
It was rare to see men this short in frontline combat; their physical strength just couldn't keep up.
So who was she?
A member of a previous exploration team, or an assassin sent by the company?
Huang Ye struggled, asking, "Who are you? I have money, and energy bars. I can give them all to you, we can…"
As he spoke to distract the person, he quietly reached for the gun that had fallen nearby…
Bang!
A bullet struck him.
And not just one.
Rat-tat-tat! Three or four more bullets pierced his head, neck, and chest.
She hated him.
Because she didn't like what he said, or what he did. She just hated everything about him.
So he had to die.
Huang Ye fell, his face covered in blood gushing from his wounds, looking at this decisive and ruthless stranger in disbelief.
It really was an assassin sent by the company, so cruel and merciless.
Assassin Sui Xin glanced at Huang Ye's pocket, where the car keys were, but she didn't take them right away. Instead, she avoided the camera's angle and checked her watch.
Ten minutes weren't up yet, so…
She returned to the entrance and peered inside. She saw that some people's pain was subsiding, but most had lost a lot of blood from the first volley of shots. They were all hit and on the verge of death, but some were still fighting each other.
They were fighting over the reagent.
They were all trying to take more of the reagent to lessen the toxin's effects, regain their mobility, and survive.
How bloody, how cruel.
She entered cautiously.
"Stop fighting, she's here!"
"Quick!"
The living screamed weakly, but unfortunately, the person who entered had already raised her assault rifle.
From the live stream audience's perspective, they indeed saw the Helmet Killer enter and unleash a second round of fire.
Flesh and blood splattered.
Within ten minutes, she had taken care of 16 people.
Including Knox and the others.
To their deaths, they never knew who this person was, only that she must be a company assassin.
A formidable assassin!
And this assassin, just 27 hours ago, had tearfully clasped their hands, her eyes red, saying things like—we are all a family, this is a time of crisis, we must stick together…
She had been just short of swearing a blood oath with them.
It wasn't her fault, though. She had wanted to stick together, but these people were just asking for it. Now they were almost team-wiped by her. Look how awkward this is now.
Sui Xin would not show any mercy to people like Knox.
Even setting aside the fact that she had seen from the beginning that their initial arrogance followed by deference was because they wanted to use her brains for the mission, she wouldn't have been polite to these strangers who had given her attitude from the start.
Didn't they know she had leadership authority?
Insubordination, not following the rules—they deserved to die in the first place.
After killing everyone, since she was already disguised, she didn't care about being seen on the live stream.
At this point, on their turf with their pre-arranged live stream, could she really expect to remain completely hidden?
In fact, she could have escaped after killing the two guards at the door, but Sui Xin remembered something: she needed a car.
The two guards outside wouldn't have the car keys; only the leaders would.
So she inevitably had to kill a leader to borrow a key, which meant she had to confront the people inside the armory.
After killing them, pretending not to know about the live stream, she deliberately fiddled with the energy bars, packing some—not too many, just what she could carry—and swapped out her weapons and gear.
This was to make the company think she was here for the money. Whether it was an infiltrator from an organization or a survivor from another scouting team, she had to create a persona.
Otherwise, having already attacked the armory, it would be too strange not to enter it after killing Huang Ye and the others. It wouldn't follow normal logic and would instead make the people at the company suspect she knew the inside story and was desperate to escape.
So… she deliberately looted some of the people inside and casually took a set of car keys.
Sui Xin quickly left the armory. Looking at the bloodstains on the ground, she saw that Ye Chen and the other person had not fled towards the main gate.
They couldn't destroy the gate, nor its lock. Otherwise, the official outpost personnel could be trapped by invaders. Only the control room inside could seal it.
Ye Chen was shot. The two of them couldn't cross the ruins zone, and they were probably afraid that since this assassin was here, there might be others lying in ambush outside. So—their destination was to bypass the central corridor and head to the ruins zone on the other side.
Which route to take.
There was a high-defense safe house over there, designed for mid-to-high-level personnel like technical staff involved in mining operations to retreat into and protect themselves when enemy invaders breached the defenses—and more importantly, to protect the highly valuable Marine Fossils and some precious mining equipment.
Sui Xin, however, was different. Her goal was to escape, so she decisively took a different path from them, even if it meant losing the chance to kill Ye Chen. It didn't matter.
The journey back was smooth. Even though Sui Xin wasn't a professional frontline combatant, she didn't find anything amiss retracing her steps.
She found it very strange. Was there only that one Fungal-Insectoid Mutant? Hadn't the company arranged other dangers to spice up the live stream?
It was too smooth. She actually felt a little uneasy.
Arriving at the main gate, she looked at the keypad lock nervously, took a deep breath, pulled up the unlocking program, and tried hard to recall the details of the password. After confirming it was correct, she cautiously entered the password while remaining alert to her surroundings.
After entering the last digit, 6.
The device automatically verified the password. A green progress bar began to load, and just as the last segment indicated successful extraction, Sui Xin saw a notification pop up.
—Password correct, gate will unlock.
Oh my god!
It actually worked?
Did the planning team at Tianxi Group collectively convert to Buddhism, lay down their butcher knives, and turn over a new leaf?
Or was her luck so overwhelmingly good that she had truly defied fate?
Sui Xin was starting to doubt herself, but a wave of ecstasy washed over her. Just as she was about to escape this godforsaken place… she did indeed hear the sound of the massive gate's internal mechanism unlatching.
Oh, it's opening!
Beep. The previous notification was replaced by a new one.
—Unlocker identified as non-company personnel. Suspected thief attempting to escape. Higher protocol override. Self-destruct sequence will initiate in 72 hours to eliminate the thief!
—Gate re-locking.
Clank. The unlocking gate locked itself again.
Sui Xin: "?"
Well, that was just 66666666!
So brilliant it was explosive!
Under the helmet, her face flushed red, her expression one of utter bewilderment and grievance.
How could they do this?
But her internal emotions were like having painstakingly cooked a huge New Year's Eve dinner, and just as she was about to take off her apron and sit down to eat with everyone, the people already eating told her she was a woman, and a low-class E-grade commoner at that, not qualified to eat, so…
Then nobody eats. Flip the table.
She had the urge to flip the table right now.
But reason forced her to turn around and run swiftly towards the ruins zone.
There was no way out. The main gate was sealed. This was a dirty move by Tianxi's planning department—the ultimate goal must be to force everyone into the ruins zone.
She guessed that no matter who tried to get out, no matter what correct password they entered, this would be the notification that was ultimately activated. The gate was never meant to be opened from the inside. Everyone who came in was trapped.
And with this path blocked, the only way out was the escape tunnel controlled by the safe house in the ruins zone.
All the pawns being manipulated by capital were to gather in the next scene they had arranged.
To fulfill their purpose.
Sui Xin was furious and aggrieved, and also deeply disappointed, but since there was still a sliver of hope, she could only move towards the ruins zone.
Meanwhile, Ye Chen and the other person had already reached the gate to the ruins zone.
The ruins zone connected to the mining area, and its gate was taller and thicker than the armory's. This was to facilitate the entry and exit of equipment and transport vehicles. In fact, if viewed from a transport aircraft high above, one would see that the outpost was a giant ring-shaped structure. The front gate was connected to a thicker section of the building, which housed the main departments of the outpost such as the armory, pharmacy, and living quarters. Beyond these departments was a massive, ring-shaped wall. The wall was circular, three meters thick, and ten meters high. Regardless of the construction material, a wall of such thickness could not be breached by ordinary firepower.
And such a containment was naturally to seal off the ruins site within the circular wall.
Right now, before Ye Chen was the sealed gate between the outpost's functional departments and the mining area. His shoulder was still dripping blood. Fortunately, it wasn't his right arm, the one he used to hold his gun, that had been shot through, otherwise his combat effectiveness would be greatly diminished.
"Boss, how are you?"
Chucks, seeing that the Helmet Killer hadn't caught up, had taken the opportunity to quickly stop the bleeding and bandage Ye Chen's wound. The bullet certainly couldn't be removed; there was no time or proper conditions.
"I'm fine," Ye Chen said through the pain, his face pale.
"Let's get inside quickly and lock the door so she can't follow us."
"I don't know who that person is."
Chucks was also shaken by the person's methods.
Given the situation, Ye Chen didn't want to talk much. The entire operation was shrouded in mystery. He vaguely felt a large hand arranging their fate. Unable to figure it out, he could only deal with the immediate crisis step by step.
Click!
The password was entered successfully, and the gate began to open. The two were still seasoned veterans; after unlocking it, they quickly raised their guns and took up positions, aiming behind the door.
There were already some dirt and gravel tracks on the ground near the gate, left by transport vehicles, and of course, bloodstains, which wasn't surprising.
But Ye Chen and the others were also wary of other dangers, such as—were all the members of the previous scouting teams dead?
They had just encountered an assassin. Either this person was sent by the company, or they were a member of a previous scouting team.
Logically, if they were sent by the company, it would rarely be just one person. If it was one person, they would have to be an Adept. But that person's combat ability didn't match that of an Adept. They were just a strong planner who had taken advantage of the worms and the fact that they were suffering from the toxin.
Based on this, Ye Chen and the other man believed this person was more likely a member of a previous scouting team.
In that case, it was uncertain if there were other survivors.
The gate opened completely, revealing a scene of a dusty, rubble-strewn mining site. Various trucks were visible, and about three hundred meters away, a cone-shaped mountain rose five to six hundred meters high. Judging by the rounded edges of its peak and the dark, mottled patterns on its surface, one could tell that it had been deep under the sea a century ago, constantly washed by ocean currents. There were also traces of various marine plants that had lived on it. Later, as the sea level dropped, it emerged, revealing itself to the world, which then coveted the treasures it held.
The mine shaft had been excavated. Over the years, such a huge opening had been dug, and it extended deep inside, its depth unknown.
This was the first time Ye Chen and the other man had reached the mining area of the ruins outpost. Their previous rank had not been high enough; even on missions that took them to the outpost, they had no authority to enter the mining area. Now, seeing it for the first time…
Ye Chen's gaze quickly fell on the building behind the trucks. That was the residential and office area for the mining staff in the inner ring of the outpost. Naturally, the safe room was also there.
"Close the door, let's go!"
The two of them didn't have time to observe the mine entrance. Ye Chen noticed the gate beginning to close automatically. He was slightly surprised but didn't pay it much mind. He was about to head quickly to the safe room to protect himself and treat his wounds.
However, just as the two of them ran past a truck.
Swish!
A sharp pain suddenly pierced his neck. Startled, Ye Chen instinctively clutched the object in his neck, but his vision was already blurring.
Then, his perspective tilted towards the ground as he fell heavily.
When Sui Xin arrived, she found the gate locked. Her eyes lingered on the fresh bloodstains on the ground.
Ye Chen and the other man had stood here for a while, taking up defensive positions to the side while opening the door. They probably judged it to be safe in the end, and both went in.
Based on this, if they were safe, then she should be safe too.
Sui Xin knelt and scraped the bloodstain with the edge of her knife, confirming the degree of coagulation to estimate the approximate time the two had arrived here.
It had been ten minutes.
After going in, they probably went to the safe house and wouldn't be guarding the gate against her.
Although she thought this, Sui Xin remained vigilant. She entered the password, unlocked the gate, and stood ready with her gun.
The gate opened. Sui Xin peered inside, confirming that no one was watching or aiming at her from either side of the gate or straight ahead before she slowly entered.
She also saw the mine shaft and the many trucks, as well as traces of past digging and some signs of battle. Soon, the gate behind her began to close automatically.
Closing?
Sui Xin was surprised, but she could understand it. She had long known that this mining area was likely the final, sealed stage set by Tianxi Corporation, like raising Gu, trapping the live stream's prey in one place and not letting them out.
Once it closed, it probably wouldn't open again.
Entry only, no exit.
Her gaze quickly shifted towards the safe house, and she began to move in that direction, but…
As she passed by the trucks, she suddenly felt a sensation like a feather brushing against her heart.
The dirt under the wheels of one truck was very fresh, and the tire tracks were also fresh, meaning this truck had been driven recently, perhaps even today.
Ye Chen and the other man had just entered. Would they have started a truck? They would have headed straight for the safe house.
So…
Sui Xin's heart suddenly pounded. For a moment, surrounded by these densely packed trucks, she felt as if she were trapped in a forest, with each truck being a tree. Who knew what was hiding behind them!
Her scalp tingling, she slowed her pace, then abruptly stopped and was about to turn and run out of the truck area. But just as she turned.
Bang!
A bullet shot out… grazing past the spot where she had just been standing. It had been aimed at her leg!
Not good!
Sui Xin quickly dodged behind a nearby truck, but as she retreated, she heard a noise from on top of the truck—the sound of boot soles on the metal shell.
She reacted instantly.
Swish!
A figure leaped up from on top of the truck, swift and powerful, raising a knife as they jumped down from above.
Clang!
The blade sliced down just beside where Sui Xin had scrambled to dodge. As it landed, Sui Xin, now steady with her back against the truck's body, aimed her assault rifle at him.
However, the moment the man landed, he kicked his leg high.
The assault rifle was kicked upwards by his boot. In the next second, the man followed with a side kick, switching legs in mid-air, and upon landing, kicked back in the opposite direction, aiming for Sui Xin's head.
The opponent was tall, thin, and agile, his skills formidable, leaving Sui Xin with no way to defend… Her reaction was fast. She tilted her head back, and after the rifle was sent flying, she freed her hand to draw the pistol from her lower back.
She decisively fired a shot at the opponent's body.
But terrifyingly, the man's waist was so flexible that when he couldn't dodge in time, he could bend backward like a bridge, letting the bullet fly over his torso. The long knife in his hand spun with the arc of his body's backward bend, and as he straightened up again, it sliced back with the momentum.
Swish!
Sui Xin felt a burning pain on her chin. The powerful leg kick had grazed her helmet, the force causing her chin to be scraped. She staggered and bumped into the truck. Due to her weakness, her vision even swam for a moment, but she could vaguely see the opponent swinging the blade at her. She was terrified, not even having time to catch her breath.
Death?
Was she going to die?
Bang!!! The blade slammed viciously into the truck door.
In a moment of crisis, she had the presence of mind to pull open the truck door, which was already slightly ajar, and jump into the driver's seat. A glance at the energy gauge and she was about to start the truck.
The engine warmed up with a thumping sound. She was just about to stomp on the accelerator and run over this formidable person she couldn't beat.
But!
She suddenly saw a shadow in the rearview mirror.
A large, strong hand suddenly clamped down on her neck. In the instant Sui Xin was caught off guard… something was jabbed into her neck.
A syringe.
She saw it clearly. It was a tranquilizer needle.
The drug was quickly injected, and in an instant, her… vision blurred and she felt dizzy.
A moment later, the person controlling her throat felt her breathing become heavy and released their grip. The head of their prey, still in its helmet, thumped against the steering wheel, and her body went limp, slumping forward.
The person behind her, still in the shadow of the truck, opened the door and got out.
And the driver's side door was pulled open by the knife-wielding youth, who dragged her out.
The person fell against him like a dead pig.
But then, he raised an eyebrow.
"A woman."
The large man behind him laughed. "Yeah, a woman. You can tell just by touching her neck."
"She's quick on her feet. Too bad her luck ran out. Ran right into the truck I was hiding in. It's pretty funny…"
Neither he nor the youth could have imagined that after dealing with Ye Chen and the other man, they would continue to lie in wait for their next prey, only to find that the prey arrived shortly after, but seemed to be quite clever. From the moment she suddenly slowed her steps, they knew she might have sensed something, so they acted first.
"Something's a bit strange. This girl reacts really fast, but her physical condition is so poor. Her breathing is too heavy. She's probably technical staff."
"Let's go."
After a brief chat, the person was tossed like a side of pork into the back of the truck.
Inside, Ye Chen and the other man were already lying there.
The truck started and drove towards the mine entrance.
In a moment, the place was silent again.
When Sui Xin came to, she found her hands and feet were tied.
Her head was still in the helmet, but as her consciousness gradually cleared, she understood she had been ambushed. There were other people in this ruins zone.
Survivors from the previous scouting teams?
In any case, they were a group of frontline combatants whose fighting skills were far beyond her own. Ambushed by two of them, she had been at a great disadvantage.
In the end, she was taken down by a tranquilizer.
But they hadn't killed her directly, or even removed her clothes or helmet. They had only tied her up. Were they planning to interrogate her about something, or were they afraid she was carrying something?
As Sui Xin pondered this, she glanced around and saw she was in a small, separate room. A cell, basically. She was tied to a chair, and a clock hung on the opposite wall. By her calculation, three hours had passed.
The tranquilizer had taken effect so quickly. She calculated that the tranquilizer guns issued to the previous scouting teams should be the same model as the ones their group carried. After all, they were effective. Under normal circumstances, an average person hit by such a tranquilizer would wake up in half an hour to an hour, depending on their physical condition and size.
She was weak, the most fragile type. Any kind of toxin would affect her faster and she would recover slower than others.
But three hours was too ridiculous.
So she was probably the last to wake up. If Ye Chen and the other man weren't dead, they had probably already been interrogated.
By her calculations, they should be coming for her soon.
Sui Xin felt nervous and quickly scanned her surroundings. She found no surveillance cameras. This place probably lacked monitoring equipment…
So these people had likely been trapped here for a long time. According to the mission schedule, a total of nine scouting teams had been sent over a period of about two years. A lack of supplies and resources was to be expected.
They had taken her backpack.
But the inner pocket of her protective suit…
Just as Sui Xin was thinking, suddenly.
The iron door opened.
The youth and the large man walked in, holding nutrient sticks.
Unsurprisingly, they were eating the nutrient sticks she had saved up.
Sui Xin immediately had a bad feeling, and she became acutely aware of something—she was hungry, very hungry.
She had fought, and fighting exhausted her.
"Looks like you're awake. So weak."
The man with the full beard was burly. He ate his nutrient stick with a relaxed expression, probably having been hungry for a long time. Having something to eat had put him in a good mood. But Sui Xin noticed they had changed into protective suits—during the fight, she had seen that the youth was wearing old, regular clothes. Now, when not in combat, they had specifically put on protective suits. Judging by the serial numbers, they didn't belong to Ye Chen or Chucks, nor were they from this batch of suits.
The buttons were also different, so they probably didn't have live-stream cameras.
Thank goodness.
She felt a sense of relief. Otherwise, if they took off her helmet later, her identity would be exposed.
But these two hadn't been wearing protective suits outside. They probably only had this one set and were reluctant to wear it, afraid of damaging it in combat. Now they had changed into them just to see her.
Were they afraid she was carrying worms or some kind of infectious bacteria?
In that case, they might have encountered the Ironworms or…
As Sui Xin was thinking, the youth walked over, still holding his knife.
The knife was one of the common types used by frontline combatants—a Tomahawk Combat Knife, with a wide, heavy blade designed for powerful strikes.
The youth was tall and thin, with a buzz cut and cold, sharp features that gave off a strong sense of cruelty and harshness. But on his left cheek was a brand mark, like a star-shaped brand?
He had been ruthless in his attack earlier. Now, he used the hilt of his knife to press against Sui Xin's chin, prying at the button under her helmet from below.
After the helmet was unlatched,
Thump!
The scabbard flicked the helmet off.
Only then did the large man and the youth see their captive's face.
Just a young girl, looking exceptionally weak and pale. Her hair was damp and stuck to her cheeks. Her features were delicate and soft, and she was looking at them with unease.
There was actually a cut on her cheek, probably from the earlier fight.
But that was nothing, not worth mentioning.
Most frontline personnel were ruthless, especially survivors trapped in a mining area like this. Why would they show any pity to an ordinary woman?
She wasn't some peerless beauty.
The large man smiled and said, "Looks like you really are technical staff. Spill it. Everything about you, everything about this mission."
Before Sui Xin could speak, the youth pressed the blade of his knife against her throat.
"First, tell me if you have worms inside you."
Sui Xin felt the bone-chilling cold of the sharp blade against her skin. It was too close; she could smell the metallic scent of blood that clung to the blade after long use in killing.
She had spent too long in a quiet office. This was the first time she had been so close to a cold weapon. Her throat moved slightly. She didn't dare to move, unsure if these people would kill her just for having worms. Unclear of their attitude, she said hoarsely, "One got in before, on my arm. I dug it out. I don't know if there are any more inside."
"Does it hurt?"
"Huh? Yes, it hurt before. After the pain, I recovered quickly… that's why my body is so weak."
The large man laughed. "Little sister, your weakness isn't necessarily because of the worms, is it? It's because you were a weakling to begin with, a cripple among E-grades, and a classic big-eater with a hungry body type."
Sui Xin's expression immediately soured. "How did you know?"
Had they interrogated Ye Chen about the identities of all the team members? That couldn't be right. Ye Chen had secretly tried to murder her; he probably wouldn't dare to bring it up, especially since they were all from Tianxi. If they ever got out, the company finding out would be a major taboo.
"Isn't it obvious? I've never seen someone whose stomach was still growling after being tranquilized."
Sui Xin: "…"
Really? You're not lying to me, are you?
How embarrassing.
"That's impossible. My stomach isn't even growling now, let alone before."
She refused to admit it. The large man smiled. "That's because we were afraid you'd starve to death, so we gave you another shot of tranquilizer."
They would rather give her another shot of tranquilizer than a single nutrient stick. It was clear that in this mining area, nutrient sticks were the scarcest resource. Without them, you would starve to death.
But combat gear could still be found, and not having it wouldn't kill you.
Sui Xin was dumbfounded. So that's why she had been unconscious for so long… and two shots of tranquilizer could have easily sent an ordinary person to their grave!
These two bastards!
"From the looks of you, you must be mid-level staff. To be on the team with such pathetic combat skills, you must be a mid-level technician… which department?"
"Think Tank's Analysis Department. Xiao Tiantian."
The youth and the large man were both surprised. What was a mid-level employee who didn't specialize in mining technology doing here? Sightseeing?
Environment, history… archaeology?
"Looks like this scouting mission of yours is different from our previous ones. Tell us everything that happened this time."
Sui Xin naturally told them, but she used the fake name Xiao Tiantian. As she spoke, she observed the two men's expressions. When she mentioned the Frostcloak Bruce, they showed no surprise.
As expected, Ye Chen and the other man had told them the same information, not daring to lie.
After all, telling them wouldn't hurt.
It was even possible those two were trying to switch sides.
That wasn't good.
She had to show she was more valuable… by revealing information Ye Chen didn't know, information that would be valuable to these people trapped in the mining area.
"Later, we discovered a worm monster in the pharmacy. Captain Ye was terrified. I don't know why, but he tried to shoot me. He wanted to kill me, to use me to block that monster so he could survive. That's for sure. That's why I had to kill him later. He went too far. We agreed to be a family and stick together, but he tricked me!"
Sui Xin put on an expression of lingering fear, but she carefully observed the two men. If they were shocked, it would confirm that they had never been outside and didn't know the situation there.
"What monster?"
As expected, their expressions changed slightly. Sui Xin then described the Fungal-Insectoid Mutant in detail, and how she had used her two hidden guns to deal with it and survive.
"You're saying those worms can control corpses and attack you? And the attacks are very strong?"
The youth didn't believe her. His eyes were fierce. He turned the flat of his blade and tapped her cheek with it a couple of times. "If you're going to lie, at least make up a good story. Are you trying to use us to get revenge on that Ye guy for you?"
"I'm not lying! If you don't believe me, go look in that pharmacy. Jenny's body and the monster's body are still there. And those worms can quickly transfer between two people in close contact. It can absorb nutrients from a human body to repair gunshot wounds—I hit it with my first shot, but it could still attack me."
Damn it, this was getting more and more ridiculous.
This time, even the smiling, good-natured large man's face darkened, his eyes filled with the anger and killing intent of being deceived.
The youth narrowed his eyes, turned the blade… and was about to cut off some of her flesh or just kill her. Sui Xin didn't know, but she was scared enough to add.
"I also figured out that there are two types of worms. One is the Red Corrosive Ironworm, which has been mutated before and is a finished product. But the other type of worm is even more terrifying; it can control corpses. I'm still analyzing it. And I know which herbs can repel the Ironworms! I fell into a pile of herbs while dodging a shot earlier, and I found that the worms didn't dare to come near!"
The herbs on her were a mixture of several types. Even if these people knew they were useful, they wouldn't know how to use them.
She was betting that these people had never been outside since they arrived. Since they didn't know about the Fungal-Insectoid Mutant, they naturally wouldn't know about the progress of Tianxi's experiments and would lack knowledge about the Salmon-Host Myxosporean.
But their previous wariness of her was likely due to the Ironworms.
After all, the threat of the Salmon-Host Myxosporean was its internal development, while the Ironworm was aggressive and had corrosive, armor-piercing properties. That was what they were wary of.
Sui Xin didn't mention that she also knew about the Salmon-Host Myxosporean, to keep an ace up her sleeve and to avoid exposing herself to the ever-present live stream cameras. She pretended not to know the secret, but the Ironworms could be identified with enough intelligence and knowledge.
She guessed that if there were any mid-level technical staff who had survived among these people, they should also be able to recognize the Red Corrosive Ironworm, but whether they knew about the herbal repellent was unknown.
In any case, she threw out this proof of her ability. Only then would these people believe in the existence of the Fungal-Insectoid Mutant.
As expected.
The expressions and actions of the youth and the large man changed instantly.
They probably believed her to some extent, because ordinary frontline combatants wouldn't have the ability to identify the type of worm. But they had been trapped here for so long and had encountered personnel from several previous teams, so there must have been someone among them who could recognize it.
So…
If the Fungal-Insectoid Mutant existed, and there were other worms, then things were really troublesome.
The youth said, "The good thing is, it seems they haven't appeared here yet. Only the Ironworms. We don't know if these three are carrying them."
Did he mean they should just kill them all to be safe?
This person was really annoying.
Sui Xin was displeased but could only say weakly with a pale face, "Of course, that kind of worm is terrifying. Those two definitely have worms, but I don't."
The youth sneered, tapping her cheek with the blade again, tap, tap, tap.
"Didn't you say you were in pain before? What, are you lying?"
"I dug the worm out of my wound. It releases a corrosive substance. This corrosiveness is the same as the corrosive ability carried by that gray mist. It remains in the body and burns the blood, so of course it hurts. My pain is different from theirs. I don't need to take a reagent to suppress that kind of pain, but they do."
Reagent.
With Sui Xin's mention of it, great, more information.
The large man and the youth exchanged a look, their expressions a bit strange.
Oh, so they had taken it too.
So all nine scouting teams had been designed to drink this reagent, and what followed would be the next push from Tianxi's planning department, to prove that they could really survive some kind of mutation.
Soon, the youth came forward. Cautiously, he used his knife to lift the sleeve of her protective suit. The bandage was unwrapped, and indeed, he saw the wound on her arm.
Well, how to put it, it didn't look like a worm had been dug out. It looked more like acupuncture.
"Looks like it's true. The wound has scabbed over, and she doesn't have any vials on her. According to Ye Chen and the others' description, they were attacked by someone. That attacker was naturally her. She didn't even try to take their reagents, which means she doesn't need them."
"This little cabbage is weak, but her brain works. The information is very useful."
"More useful than those useless things from before."
The youth rarely spoke like a normal person. Sui Xin breathed a sigh of relief, and was just about to slightly revise her opinion of him, thinking she might be allowed to live.
"My suggestion is to hang her up and beat her, use a branding iron, and continue to interrogate her. We'll definitely dig up more information. I'll go get the furnace."
Sui Xin stared at him, her face a mask of shock and terror. In a weak, nasal voice, she said, "Big brother, were you the King of Hell in a past life?!"
But the youth was really going to get a rope. He clearly wasn't joking.
Fun!! Thanks for the update
ReplyDelete