5: Chapter 5 Strange! An Unseen Figure!! Unusual Movements in the Command Post's Underground Area

Li Yuan hurriedly closed the blast door of the command center and entered a room. It wasn't large, about ten square meters, a standard command room with no signs of battle.

“This is the place!” Li Yuan thought with certainty. He immediately slipped inside and then slammed the room's blast door shut.

Bang!

The heavy blast door closed behind him. The "click" of the manual bolt falling into place seemed to isolate him from the death-filled world outside, giving Li Yuan a significant sense of security.

He leaned his back against the metal door panel, his body feeling as if all its bones had been removed, and he slowly slid down to sit on the floor.

“Phew...” His nerves, which had been tense for an entire day, instantly relaxed.

The world on the surface was filled with all kinds of dangers. Those mountain-like Ultralisks, the disgusting Infectors, and the terrifying Queens all made Li Yuan tremble with fear.

Although the crash of the Zerg Tide mothership had caused the Zerg on the surface to lose their desire to attack, combat-type Zerg still had instinctive alert ranges. One small slip-up, and he would be entangled.

Now, having entered a closed indoor space and isolated from those dangers, fatigue and sleepiness surged over him.

He had been too tense during the day to look closely; he needed to sort out exactly what had happened today...

First, [Remaining Lifespan: 73 hours 54 minutes].

Not many days left to live, and sleeping would waste several more hours. A sense of loss made Li Yuan feel that life was quite meaningless...

Next, [Intent of the Northern Darkness]. Given the vast and boundless scene during its awakening, Li Yuan felt that it shouldn't be just an F-rank...

[Intent of the Northern Darkness]

“In the barren north, there is a dark sea, the Celestial Pond. There is a fish there, whose breadth is thousands of miles, and no one knows its length.” Wild horses, dust, living creatures blown about by the breath of one another. Is the azure of the sky its true color? Or is it because it is so distant that it has no limit? (The meaning of the last two sentences is that the breaths of all things attract each other, being too vast to observe; you can just understand it that way.)

Current Stage: Intent without Form (First Glimpse of the Threshold)

Effect: Can passively absorb free energy and convert it into [Northern Darkness True Qi].

Current Absorption Efficiency: Extremely Low.

Alright, it really is F-rank.

Li Yuan had read 'A Happy Excursion,' but no matter how much it was hyped, that "Extremely Low" efficiency evaluation explained everything. Just looking at the talent description, this talent should be upgradeable...

Then, he looked at the first SSS-rank class.

[Lord of Light]

Wielder of the Path of Light, Summoner of the Holy Legion. You are the Light, dispelling the darkness; you are Hope, leading all living beings.

Current Rank: Tier 1 (0/1000)

Core Abilities:

1. Light Creation: Can shape light energy into biological forms with specific functions.

- Currently Summonable: [Light Guardian] - An energy construct with extremely strong physical defense and threat-generation capabilities, but low attack power. Summoning Cost: 2 Energy.

- Next Tier Preview: [Light Mage] - A ranged unit capable of casting basic Light Spells.

2. Light Spells: Can directly use light energy to cast spells.

- [Glimmer Illumination]: Consumes 0.5 energy to create a sustainable light source.

- [Flare]: Consumes 2 energy to release a sudden burst of intense light, blinding nearby enemies.

- [Holy Light Bolt]: Consumes 3 energy to fire a sphere of light with purification and damage effects.

“Summons plus spells... this pet is really tanky!!” Li Yuan's spirits lifted. But these spells seemed a bit useless; two had no attack power, and the one that did was also available in the other class for only 1 energy.

[String-Controlling Weaver]

With the bowstring as the guide and laws as the foundation. Controlling the string to pierce the void, weaving laws into principles.

Current Rank: Tier 1 (0/1000)

Core Abilities:

1. Energy Arrow: Condenses arrows from energy, no physical bow or arrows required. Base Cost: 1 Energy.

2. Song of Battle: The String-Controlling Weaver possesses skilled archery techniques. Currently available at Tier 1:

Shooting: No cost.

Magic Arrow: Energy Cost: 1. Gives your arrows magical power that ignores defense.

3. Law Weaving (Passive): For every archery attack, perform 3 Law Weaves. Currently Tier 1, Energy Cost: 1.

- Current Weaving Options:

**- [Elemental Enchantment]: Condenses elemental power into the arrow, giving it different characteristics and adding base elemental damage and special effects. Currently supports basic elements: Light, Dark, Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, Ice, Lightning, Wind, Poison, etc.**

**- [Elemental Strike]: Weaves elemental power to form magic or law attacks with unique strike effects. Currently supports Tier 1 Magic Strikes.**

**- [Battlefield Strike] (Locked): Weaves elemental power to form magic or law strikes that change the morphology of the battlefield. Unlocks at Tier 2.**

...

Drowsiness gradually washed over him, and his consciousness slowly sank into darkness, leaving only...

[Energy: 4.1]

[Energy: 4.2]

Energy recovered by 0.1, 0.1 at a time. Occasionally, though he wasn't sure if his eyes were playing tricks on him, it would increase by 0.2 at once...

Only the Light Guardian remained in the command room, quietly emitting its radiance.

...

He didn't know how long he had slept until a sudden tremor of intuition startled him awake.

It was the Light Guardian!

He opened his eyes; everything in the room was normal. The Light Guardian stood silently, its light steady.

But a feeling that something was "off" slowly began to seep in.

It was too quiet... an oppressive silence. The entire underground command center felt as if it had been covered by a soundproof glass dome.

Then, the sound came.

At first, it was from very far away, echoing from the bottomless dark end of the command center.

Tap... tap... tap...

It was the sound of footsteps. Very slow, very heavy, as if someone wearing ill-fitting metal boots was walking on the command center's metal floor. The interval between each step was very long—so long that Li Yuan's heart hung suspended in the gaps between the sounds, with nowhere to settle.

Following that, another sound joined in.

Drip... drop... drip... drop...

Like water dripping down a pipe, or more like blood sliding off a blade—sticky, cold, and echoing, as if dripping into an empty metal pipe.

Intermittent whimpering echoed in the air, like something struggling to breathe in the ventilation ducts, or like countless vengeful spirits sobbing in low voices. This sound was everywhere, filling every gap in the silence.

Tap... tap... The footsteps were approaching. Still slow, but with a clear direction, coming up step by step from the stairs in the depths.

The hair all over Li Yuan's body stood on end. He covered his mouth tightly and even held his breath, fearing that the slightest sound would attract that thing's attention.

The footsteps reached the stair landing and then entered the corridor.

Tap... tap... The sound echoed in the empty corridor, becoming clearer. It moved very slowly, seemingly pausing slightly at every room door.

Was it... looking for something?

A massive fear seized Li Yuan. He had a crazy, uncontrollable urge—he wanted to see! He had to know what was out there!

Trembling, he used all his strength to press his eye against the observation window on the door.

In the narrow field of vision, the corridor was still shrouded by the dim emergency lights. It was empty. Only distorted shadows and scattered debris.

That tap... tap... of footsteps was sounding not far outside the door! He could even feel a slight vibration from the door panel!

But there was nothing outside!

The footsteps stopped. Right outside his door.

Li Yuan stared fixedly out the window, his pupils shrinking to the size of pinheads.

Several seconds of dead silence felt as long as several centuries.

Yet the whimpering wind and the dripping water remained clear.

Then, the footsteps sounded again. Tap... tap... It... seemed to be walking away? Toward the other end of the corridor?

Li Yuan slowly slid down to the floor, leaning against the door panel, gasping for air, cold sweat having already soaked his back.

Suddenly—

“Thud!!”

A dull, massive impact sound suddenly came from the room next door! As if something heavy had slammed hard against the shared wall!

Li Yuan jumped in fright, and before he could react—

Skritch... skritch-ritch...

A scalp-numbing scratching sound started right against the bottom of the wall! It sounded like countless hands with long, hard nails were frantically clawing at the metal floorboards! The sound was dense, piercing, and filled with frantic malice!

It hadn't left! It had gone to the next room!

The scratching continued, getting louder and more frantic. Suddenly, the sound entered.

A sound like a heavy object moving with difficulty through thick mud began to penetrate the wall! Bit by bit, it pushed into the room where Li Yuan was!

That invisible thing was now in the same room as Li Yuan and the Light Guardian!!!

Li Yuan watched the partition wall with wide eyes. He could see nothing; he couldn't understand this phenomenon, nor could he imagine what kind of thing had just entered!

Was it a living creature?!!!

Just then—

The Light Guardian, which had been maintaining its alert posture, moved without any warning!

Its light-forged body was like an arrow released from a bow, lunging toward the center of the room—at that patch of empty concrete floor!

“There's something there!!”