32: Chapter 32 Deep Underground: Base A-03

"Cough, cough..."

Everyone instinctively covered their noses and mouths.

"Air quality check... Oxygen levels are slightly low, but there are no toxic gases." Luo Yao glanced at the detector on her wrist. "We can enter."

Lin Xiao turned on the tactical flashlight on his gun.

A beam of intense light pierced through the darkness.

Behind the door was a metal corridor wide enough for trucks to drive side-by-side, extending downward into the bottomless depths.

Dried-up fire axes and gas masks hung on the walls, and scattered on the floor were some unidentified documents and papers; everything remained exactly as it had been during the chaotic evacuation years ago.

"Let's go, ladies."

Lin Xiao stepped in first.

"Welcome to... Pandora's Box."

They walked down the corridor for about ten minutes.

Suddenly, the space ahead opened up.

They had arrived at a massive underground hall.

This place must have once been the base's reception hall or transfer center, with a ceiling height of twenty meters. Surrounded by circular glass curtain walls (most of which were already shattered), the center featured a massive reception desk, the electronic screen of which was surprisingly still emitting a faint light.

"There's actually still power?" Su Qingqian was somewhat surprised.

"It's probably geothermal energy or a micro-nuclear battery." Luo Yao excitedly ran to a control console that looked relatively intact and connected a data cable to it.

"Awesome! Although most systems are paralyzed, there is still a residual signal on the local area network! Let me see if I can hack in..."

The little girl's fingers flew across the keyboard, and green code cascaded down the screen like a waterfall.

"Is this the power of a genius hacker?"

Liu Ruyan watched from the side, feeling awestruck but confused. She only knew how to dance and please men; this kind of high-tech stuff was practically Greek to her.

"Done!"

In less than a minute, Luo Yao snapped her fingers.

"The access control system has been partially hacked! The passageways to Zone A and Level B1 are open! However, the encryption level below Level B2 is too high; it requires a manual hack at the host room downstairs."

"Also..."

Luo Yao's expression suddenly changed.

"Squad leader! Watch out! I just triggered a defense protocol! The security system here has been activated!"

Before she could finish,

"Click, click, click—"

From the shadows in the corner of the hall, a teeth-grinding sound of mechanical friction suddenly emerged.

Immediately after, several crimson electronic eyes lit up in the darkness.

"Intruder detected... Executing clearance protocol..."

A cold, emotionless, synthesized electronic voice echoed throughout the hall.

Four tracked security robots slowly rolled out from the shadows.

They were about waist-high, with a chassis on tracks and an upper body featuring a turret that could rotate 360 degrees, each side mounted with a rusted but still lethal rotary machine gun.

Although they had weathered the erosion of time and their armor was covered in rust, those red electronic eyes and pitch-black gun barrels still emitted a suffocating pressure.

**[System Scan: T-600 Autonomous Security Robot (Battle-Damaged Version).]**

**[Threat Level: C+.]**

**[Weaponry: 7.62mm Gatling Machine Gun, Tear Gas Launcher.]**

"Watch out!"

Su Qingqian reacted the fastest.

She flashed forward, blocking in front of Luo Yao and Shen Man.

"Clang!"

The Tang sword "water cutter" was unsheathed, and a chill instantly filled the air.

"Ice Wall!" she cried out, slamming her left hand onto the ground.

A transparent ice wall, half a meter thick, rose from the ground instantly, protecting everyone behind it.

"Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!"

Almost simultaneously, the robots' barrels spewed tongues of fire!

A dense hail of bullets poured onto the ice wall like a rainstorm, sending ice shards flying and creating a crisp "pitter-patter" sound.

Su Qingqian's face turned slightly pale.

Even though they were battle-damaged versions, her ice wall couldn't hold up for long against this kind of sustained heavy firepower suppression!

"Liu Ruyan! Take Shen Man and hide behind the pillar!"

Lin Xiao commanded calmly.

He didn't panic; instead, he narrowed his eyes, observing the iron hulks.

Physical attacks? A direct confrontation?

That was only for brutes.

"Luo Yao! How do I turn these things off?" Lin Xiao shouted.

"I can't! Their hardware is locked!"

Luo Yao, hiding behind the ice wall, shouted back anxiously, "Their CPUs are in their heads! But the armor is very thick! Ordinary bullets can't penetrate it!"

"Wait! EMP! Squad leader! Use an EMP!"

"The circuit shielding on these antiques must have aged! They can't withstand an electromagnetic pulse!"

"You should've said so earlier!"

A mischievous smirk curled at the corner of Lin Xiao's mouth.

He pulled a strangely shaped blue grenade from his tactical backpack—**[High-Energy EMP Grenade (System Product)]**.

This was a specialized weapon he had specifically exchanged for this expedition.

"Qing Qian! Drop the wall!" Lin Xiao barked, pulling the pin.

Su Qingqian had absolute trust in Lin Xiao.

Without any hesitation, she instantly retracted her ability.

The moment the ice wall shattered, the barrage of bullets outside came whistling in!

But before the bullets could hit them,

The muscles in Lin Xiao's arm bulged, and the blue grenade traced a perfect parabola like a shooting star, landing precisely in the middle of the four robots.

"Taste this! Artificial lightning tribulation!"

"Boom—zzzz—!!!"

There was no violent explosion or flames.

Instead, a dazzling ring of blue electric arcs erupted instantly!

A powerful electromagnetic wave swept through the entire hall like a storm!

In that instant, it was as if the world had been pressed on pause.

The four robots, which had been roaring madly, suddenly froze.

Their originally crimson electronic eyes flickered a few times before turning dim.

The gun barrels continued to spin from inertia, but no more bullets were fired.

"Sizzle... sizzle..."

Black smoke poured from their interiors, accompanied by a burnt smell; they had completely broken down.

"Whew..."

Lin Xiao blew on the non-existent smoke from his gun barrel and struck a cool pose.

"Technology changes lives, and it can also change how you die."

"Wow! Squad leader, you're so cool!"

Liu Ruyan offered some timely flattery, her eyes full of admiration.

Her legs had gone weak from fright during that hail of bullets, yet this man had resolved the crisis while chatting and laughing.

"Don't rush to praise me; let's go see if there's anything good first."

Lin Xiao led everyone to the scrap metal.

He used his knife to pry open the casing of one of the robots.

"Luo Yao, can the chips and fire control systems inside still be used?"

"Most are burnt out, but some parts are still good!"

Luo Yao scurried over like a little scavenger obsessed with treasure, "This servo motor! And this lens! They can all be salvaged to upgrade our machine gun turrets!"

"Then dismantle them!"

Lin Xiao waved his hand, instantly turning into the director of the demolition office.

With the assistance of the beautiful women, the four robots were quickly taken apart and turned into spare parts in Lin Xiao's storage space.

After clearing out the "watchdogs," the team continued deeper.

Crossing the hall and passing through an isolation door hacked by Luo Yao, they entered Zone A.

The environment here was completely different from the industrial style outside.

White walls (though now yellowed), bright shadowless lamps (some flickering), and the nauseating smell of formaldehyde in the air.

"Is this... a biological laboratory?"

Shen Man covered her nose, looking at the rooms on both sides of the corridor, her face somewhat pale.

Through the dusty glass windows, one could see various precision instruments placed inside, along with countless petri dishes of all sizes.

"It seems this isn't just a research base, but also a... biological weapon factory."

Lin Xiao's expression also turned serious.

Before the war, civilization conducted many unethical experiments to counter some kind of crisis (or perhaps for war). This was standard procedure in all kinds of wasteland settings.

They carefully pushed open the door to the largest laboratory.

"Beep—"

The sensor lights turned on automatically.

The scene before them made everyone feel a chill rise from the soles of their feet straight to their scalps.

In the laboratory of several hundred square meters, dozens of huge cylindrical glass tanks were densely arranged.

Most of the glass tanks were already shattered, the liquid inside long dried up, leaving only piles of unrecognizable withered bones.

But a few were still filled with murky green liquid.

And in those liquids, hair-raising biological specimens were soaking.

There were mutated dogs with two heads and the size of calves.

There were humanoid monsters whose arms had completely turned into bone blades.

There was even one... a bizarre creature with the upper body of a beautiful woman and the lower body of a spider!

"Ugh..."

Shen Man and Liu Ruyan finally couldn't take it anymore, covering their mouths and dry-heaving.

This kind of visual impact was simply too much for women.

"Don't look."

Lin Xiao reached out to cover Shen Man's eyes, pulling her into his arms.

"They're all dead things, no need to be afraid."

Although he said that, his mind was in turmoil.

Could these... be the prototypes of the mutated zombies that appeared later?

Or were they... a more advanced direction of evolution?

"Squad leader... look at this."

Su Qingqian's voice trembled slightly.

She was standing in the deepest part of the laboratory, pointing at a huge metal tank wrapped in heavy chains.

That tank had no glass window; it was completely sealed, with a yellow warning label stuck on it.

**[Warning: Codename "Tyrant" Prototype. Extremely Dangerous.]**

**[Status: Dormant (Vital signs weak).]**

"Tyrant?"

Lin Xiao's pupils constricted sharply.

If it was the kind of Tyrant from Resident Evil... then they were completely outmatched!

But fortunately, this thing was still dormant.

"Luo Yao, can you find the control terminal for this tank?" Lin Xiao asked in a low voice.

"Over there!" Luo Yao pointed to a standalone computer nearby.

She ran over and operated it for a while, her expression becoming strange.

"Squad leader... the experimental data for this 'Tyrant'... seems to be about 'Human Limit Enhancement'."

"The log says this is the only successful case that fused with some kind of mysterious virus without collapsing... but because its desire to kill couldn't be controlled, it was sealed away."

"And... there's also a vial inside..."

Luo Yao pointed to an icon on the screen.

"**[Perfect-Grade Gene Enhancement Serum (Prototype)]** formula and storage location!"

Upon hearing the words "Perfect-Grade," Lin Xiao's breathing instantly grew heavy.

They were currently using only "Primary" gene modification fluid, and they were already this strong.

If it were Perfect-Grade...

Wouldn't that directly create a superman?!

"Where is it?" Lin Xiao asked urgently.

"It's in the core freezer on Level B2!" Luo Yao pointed to the floor beneath them.

"But... the elevator to Level B2 is broken; we can only take the emergency ventilation ducts or the stairs."

"Also, the radar shows that the biological signals on Level B2... are much denser than here."

Much denser?

That means... the place below is a monster's nest?

Lin Xiao looked at the huge "Tyrant" tank, then looked at the women beside him.

This was a huge gamble.

If they went down, they might die.

But if they didn't go down, they would miss this chance to defy fate.

"Lin Xiao."

Su Qingqian suddenly spoke.

She looked at Lin Xiao, her eyes clear and firm.

"You want to go, don't you?"

She knew this man too well. In his dictionary, there was never the word "retreat," only "fortune favors the bold."

"Yes." Lin Xiao nodded, gripping his gun tightly.

"I must get that serum."

"As long as I get it, I will have the absolute power to protect all of you."

"Then we will go with you."

Su Qingqian drew her Tang sword and stood by his side.

"You are the Conductor; wherever you go, we go."

"Me too!" Although Liu Ruyan was still trembling, she firmly raised her gun.

Although Shen Man was afraid, she silently took out her first-aid kit and prepared herself.

Looking at this group of confidantes who would follow him through life and death, a warm current surged in Lin Xiao's heart.

"Alright!"

"Then let's brave this den of tigers and snakes!"

"Luo Yao, lead the way! Target: Level B2!"

The stairwell leading to Level B2 was pitch black.

Only the beams of the tactical flashlights flickered.

The air became even more humid, even carrying a nauseating stench.

It was the scent of beasts, and also the scent of death.

"Tap, tap, tap..."

The sound of footsteps echoed in the empty stairwell.

Everyone held their breath, every nerve strained to the limit.

Just as they were about to finish the last step and arrive in front of the gate to Level B2.

"Roar—!!!"

A shrill roar suddenly erupted from the darkness behind the door!

Immediately after, countless dense crawling sounds arose, surging like a tide!

"Prepare for combat!"

Lin Xiao roared, and his shotgun was instantly loaded.

"No matter what comes out, hit it hard for me!"

"Boom!"

The gate to Level B2 was smashed open from the inside by some massive force!

In the darkness, countless pairs of glowing green eyes lit up.

That was...

Darkness, like a sticky net, shrouded Level B2 of Base A-03.

This was the most core biological laboratory before the war, and the air was filled with a nauseating stench—the smell of decades-old fermented rotten culture medium mixed with corpses.

"Everyone be careful, the biological signals here... are glowing purple-red."

Luo Yao looked at the radar screen, which was alarming frantically in her hand, her small face deathly pale, and her voice subconsciously lowered.

"The largest red dot ahead is in that circular hall at the end of the corridor."