203: Chapter 203 The Return to the Abyss

The light filtering through the cracks in the Warehouse dome moved slowly through the accumulated dust, outlining the traces of passing time.

The lingering echoes of the emergency broadcast on the radio seemed to still reverberate in his ears. "Dark Nest," "Core Individual," "Missing Person Notice"... Each word was like a cold needle, pricking at Ling Ye's taut nerves. The situation on the surface was deteriorating, and the net searching for him was tightening.

He could not wait any longer. Every minute of delay could mean losing the initiative or falling into an even more passive situation.

He quickly assessed his condition. His injuries were healing rapidly under the nourishment of the Legacy meditation; the new skin beneath the greyish-white scar on his left arm felt a slight itch, a sign of complete recovery. His physical strength had recovered to about sixty percent; although not at his Peak, it was enough to support a high-intensity operation. His Mental Energy was full, the "Ancient Ring" mark was stable, and the faint light of the "xuanyuan ring" flowed quietly between his fingers. The weak, balanced rhythm between the two was as natural as breathing.

It was time to leave this temporary safe haven.

He walked to the generator room shaft, where the rusted metal cover was left ajar, revealing the bottomless darkness below. This was the path he had chosen—the blueprint indicated it might lead to the base of the surface building. Compared to other exits marked as "suspected blockage," this route was built by "Deep Space Frontier Capital," so the structure should be more complete and lead directly to a relatively remote area (old Municipal Government facilities?), where the risk of exposure might be lower.

He did not choose "full preparation" or "creating a disguise." The former meant carrying a lot of dead weight, which would be a burden during the climb in the unknown shaft and in any potential sudden combat; the latter was questionable in effectiveness and time-consuming, given the lack of professional Materials and intelligence support. He decided to travel light, prioritizing speed and stealth.

He quickly organized his gear. On his back was the well-maintained vintage bolt-action rifle, with the sling adjusted for comfort and a bayonet locked under the muzzle. On his belt hung a multi-tool, a high-intensity flashlight, and that precious tube of medical alcohol. A simple satchel sewn from tarp contained the following items:

Survival Supplies: Two packs of compressed rations, one can of meat, two bottles of fresh water, a few painkiller and antibiotic pills, and simple hemostatic dressing supplies.

Key Data: Senior Researcher Chen Qinghe's notes, Chen Yan's data card, the ancient Star Visualization Incomplete Manual, the Warehouse blueprint, and a partial map of Dawn City, all sealed in waterproof bags.

Tools and Small Items: A small roll of electrical tape, about ten meters of paracord, that vintage mechanical watch (calibrated to the approximate time), as well as a few spare rifle bullets wrapped in cloth and a defensive grenade (stored separately with extreme caution).

Special Items: That "Space Dao Beacon Stone" crystal (wrapped in cloth), and a small bottle of Mutant's black blood sample (sealed, for research or to create interference when necessary).

He carefully hid the flare gun, another grenade, the entrenching tool, most of the spare bullets, and the remaining food and medicine in an extremely concealed interlayer in the safe zone. If this trip went smoothly, he might have a chance to come back and retrieve them; if it didn't, this would be his final reserve point.

He checked his equipment one last time, confirming everything was secure and handy. Then, he cleaned up the traces of activity left in the Warehouse as much as possible, especially near the safe zone and the weapon cache, scattering dust to restore it to an uninhabited state. The direction of the "Danger Zone" in the east passage remained deathly silent, with only that faint smell of sulfur and ozone serving as a reminder of its existence.

No lingering, no farewells. Ling Ye took a deep breath of the air filled with dust and the smell of machine oil, then exhaled slowly, his eyes becoming cold and focused once again. He crouched down, grabbed the edge of the shaft cover with both hands, and forcefully lifted it completely, leaning it to the side.

Cold, humid air surged up from below, hitting his face. The inner wall of the shaft was rough concrete, embedded with a rusted metal ladder that extended down into the thick, bottomless darkness. On the shaft wall were remnants of cable conduits and ventilation ducts, most of which were damaged. The flashlight beam shone down, only revealing what seemed to be a maintenance platform about twenty meters below, before being swallowed by darkness further down.

He estimated the depth to be about fifty meters, as marked on the blueprint. It was not too deep, but climbing with his injuries just recovering and while carrying equipment still required extreme caution.

He slung the rifle onto his back and checked that the satchel would not hinder his movements. Then, he grabbed the cold, slippery ladder rung with both hands and stepped on it to test the load-bearing capacity. The rusted metal made a slight "creak," but it was still stable.

Without hesitation, he began to climb down.

The ladder rungs were widely spaced and the surface was slippery, so he had to use both hands and feet, stepping firmly and gripping tightly with every move. In the darkness, only the flashlight beam illuminated a small area in front of him; below was an endless abyss, and the spot of light from the entrance above was getting smaller and smaller. The air was damp and cold, carrying a heavy smell of mold and old metal. In his ears, there was only his own heavy breathing, the sound of clothing rubbing, and the faint groans of the ladder under the burden.

He was fully focused, relying on the mental stability and enhanced physical strength brought by the "Star Visualization" to descend steadily. The wounds gave a faint pulling sensation when he exerted force, but it was nothing serious.

After descending about twenty meters, he indeed encountered the maintenance platform. The platform was small, made of metal mesh, and severely rusted, but it looked like it could still bear weight. On the shaft wall to one side of the platform was a tightly closed, dust-covered explosion-proof airtight door, with blurred markings on it, which seemed to be "Equipment Level B-2." This should be the entrance to the "Emergency Generator Room." But Ling Ye's goal was to go up, not deeper into the lower levels. He paused briefly, drank some water, checked his equipment, and then continued downward.

After descending another thirty meters, the monotonous repetition of climbing almost made him feel as if time had stopped. Just as he estimated he was approaching the bottom, his foot suddenly found nothing!

"Crack!"

The last section of the ladder had actually fallen off the shaft wall! Ling Ye was caught off guard, and his body plummeted!

At the critical moment, his left hand gripped a still-secure rung above, while his right hand instinctively released the crowbar (which had been tucked at his waist), and he backhanded a protruding cable bridge on the shaft wall! He was suspended in mid-air, the weight of the backpack and rifle pulling him down, and his injured muscles felt a tearing pain!

"Ugh!" He groaned, cold sweat instantly breaking out on his forehead. Looking down, at the break in the ladder below, the rusted fixing bolts had long since decayed, and there was about five to six meters left until the ground—a pile of scattered rubble and standing water.

He couldn't let go! He gritted his teeth, his arms exploding with all his remaining strength, and with the help of his core muscles, he swung upward violently. His right foot accurately hooked onto another intact rung above, and then he laboriously pulled his body back onto the ladder, hugging it tightly.

His heart was pounding, and adrenaline was surging. He panted, staring fixedly at the darkness beneath his feet. It was so close...

After calming down, he became even more careful. Observing below, he found that beneath the broken ladder, there were some protruding pipe brackets and cable fixing rings on the shaft wall that could serve as footholds. He adjusted his posture, and like rock climbing, he used these protrusions to inch his way down little by little.

Finally, his combat boots touched solid ground—it was damp concrete with shallow standing water. He exhaled in relief, leaning his back against the cold shaft wall to rest for a moment. The flashlight beam swept around; this was a cylindrical space at the bottom of the shaft, about three meters in diameter and four meters high. The ground had standing water, with scattered rubble and trash. Directly in front, there was a heavy, circular airtight door with a manual wheel; the door was covered in rust, but the structure looked intact. On the wall next to the door was a sign with blurred writing: "To: Old Municipal Government Sewage Treatment Center - Level 2 Pump Room Emergency Passage."

Old Municipal Government Sewage Treatment Center? That was unexpected. But the location was relatively remote, which met his expectations. The key was, could this door be opened? Was it safe behind the door?

Ling Ye approached the airtight door and checked the wheel. The wheel was severely rusted, but it didn't seem to be locked from the inside. He gripped the cold wheel with both hands and, using all his strength, began to turn it counterclockwise.

"Creak—creak—"

The teeth-gritting sound of metal friction echoed in the small space, sounding exceptionally harsh. The wheel was unusually heavy, and every bit of movement was extremely difficult. The veins on Ling Ye's arms bulged as he pressed his entire body weight onto it.

One turn, two turns, three turns... After turning it about a dozen times, the wheel suddenly loosened!

"Hiss—"

A stream of muffled air, carrying the heavy mixed scent of sewage and disinfectant, escaped from the door hinge!

The door opened!

Ling Ye did not push it open immediately, but instead listened intently for any movement behind the door. It was silent, with only the faint, low humming of machines in the distance—perhaps water pumps still in operation?

He slowly pushed the door open a crack and shone his flashlight inside. Behind the door was a narrow, dimly lit concrete passage with anti-slip grates on the floor, and the walls were covered with pipes and cable trays. The air was damp and stuffy, and the peculiar smell characteristic of a sewage treatment plant was even stronger. The passage extended forward for about twenty meters, with what appeared to be stairs leading down at the end, and the sound of machines was coming from below.

For the time being, there were no signs of human or abnormal biological activity.

He slipped into the passage and gently closed the airtight door behind him, but did not lock it (as a precaution for a retreat). The lighting in the passage came from old incandescent bulbs, dim but sufficient to see. He turned off his flashlight to save battery.

He carefully moved along the passage. The grates under his feet made a slight "click" sound. On the walls were some long-faded safety operating procedures and area signs. He soon reached the end of the passage, where there was a T-junction. The passage to the left seemed to lead deeper, and the sound of machines mainly came from there. The passage to the right was relatively clean, and the lighting was brighter; the signs on the wall pointed to "Duty Room," "Material Room," and "To Surface - Emergency Exit."

Emergency Exit!

Ling Ye's spirits lifted, and he turned to the right without hesitation. He needed to confirm the situation on the surface as soon as possible and leave this underground labyrinth.

The passage on the right was short, and he soon arrived at an ajar metal door marked "Safety Exit." There was a small observation window on the door. Ling Ye leaned in to look; outside was a small stairwell cluttered with cleaning tools and debris, with stairs leading up. The sound-activated light at the top of the stairwell seemed to be broken, and the lighting was dim, but he could see that the stairs led to the floor above.

Temporarily safe.

He gently pushed the door open, slipped into the stairwell, and pulled the door shut behind him. The stairwell was silent, with only the sound of his own breathing. He looked up; the stairs spiraled upward, about three stories high, and at the top, there seemed to be a heavy fire door.

There was no choice; he had to go up.

He gripped his rifle tightly, disengaged the safety (with no bullet in the chamber to prevent accidental discharge), and began to walk up the stairs, step by step, silently.

The stairwell was filled with dust and a faint smell of mold. There were graffiti and small advertisements on the walls, but they were all very old. He stayed as close to the wall as possible, using the shadows to hide his figure, while pushing his "Energy Perception" to the limit to capture any abnormal fluctuations.

One floor, two floors...

Just as he approached the third floor and was about to reach the fire door at the top—

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

A heavy, urgent pounding on the door suddenly came from upstairs! Immediately following it was a man's terrified and hoarse shouting, which sounded muffled and distorted through the heavy fire door:

"Open the door! Open the door quickly! Please! There's something outside! It's caught up to me!"

Ling Ye's footsteps stopped instantly! His body pressed tightly against the wall, holding his breath, his rifle muzzle raised slightly, pointing toward the source of the sound above.

The pounding on the door became even more frantic, mixed with the dull thuds of a body slamming against the door panel.

"Help! Don't leave me behind! It's here! It—"

The shouting stopped abruptly!

In its place was a hair-raising "hissing" sound, as if countless slippery tentacles were sliding across the metal door panel, along with a low, greedy sucking sound, as if something were pressed against the door gap, drawing out the fear and... life from behind the door?

Ling Ye's heart skipped a beat. He slowly, extremely slowly, took half a step back, hiding himself completely in the shadows of the stairwell corner. His gaze locked onto that heavy fire door above.

What... was the "thing" outside the door? Was it a derivative of the "abyssal eye"? Or a "Core Individual" of the "Dark Nest"? Or perhaps... some other horror that had bred after this city fell into chaos?

The pounding and sucking sounds lasted for about a dozen seconds, then gradually faded away, as if the "thing" had left or turned elsewhere.

The stairwell returned to deathly silence, with only his own almost inaudible breathing.

Behind that fire door was the exit to the surface. But outside the door, there was clearly an extremely dangerous existence lurking.

Should he wait until he was sure that thing had completely left?

Or should he take the risk and rush out, betting that the thing had gone far away, and then immediately look for cover or escape?

Or perhaps... retreat back underground and look for another exit?

Ling Ye's brain raced, calculating the risks and timing. The cold touch of the rifle in his hands slightly soothed his taut nerves.

He slowly raised his head, his gaze piercing through the dimness, as if he wanted to see through that heavy metal door to get a clear look at the "human world" outside, filled with unknowns and murderous intent.