32: Chapter 4 The Struggle of a Trapped Beast

* * BOOM — — ! ! ! * *

The deafening sound of an explosion and the violent shaking were like the tolling of a doomsday bell, echoing crazily within the enclosed underground space! The lighting panels on the ceiling went out in an instant, and the few remaining emergency lights cast a blood-red glow, staining the twisting, falling debris and the pervasive dust with an ominous hue. The harsh screeching of twisting metal and the blaring of overloaded servers replaced the previous low hum.

＞ ＞ Structural Integrity Compromised ! Multiple Breaches Detected !

＞ ＞ Hostile Forces : Breach Successful . Numbers : 12 +. Composition : Heavy Assault Units .

＞ ＞ ETA to This Level : < 3 Minutes .

The "Source" System's warnings mixed with the shrill electronic alarms, coldly announcing the arrival of a desperate situation.

The Engineer's holographic projection became somewhat distorted under the flickering blood-red lights, but his synthesized voice was unusually calm, even carrying a hint of impatience like one whose experiment had been interrupted: "Defense protocols have been maximized. But according to calculations, the existing barrier can only hold for four minutes and seventeen seconds. We need to go to the lower-level core laboratory immediately; it has the highest protection rating and an emergency evacuation route."

An evacuation route? They hadn't mentioned that before!

But now was not the time to question it! Above their heads, the heavy sounds of destruction, like giant hammers pounding, and the hissing of energy weapons burning through metal could already be heard! The elite from The Cleaners were violently dismantling the last obstacle to their level!

"Which way?!" Ling Yue asked sharply, her energy pistol pointed at The Engineer's projection, though the muzzle was primarily aimed at the ceiling where the demolition sounds were coming from.

"The right passage, elevator at the end!" The Engineer's projection indicated the direction without hesitation. Simultaneously, a sealed door on the right side of the hall, which had originally blended into the wall, hissed open, revealing a hallway with flickering lights behind it.

"Lei Kun, can you still move?" Ling Yue asked quickly, scanning the ceiling vigilantly.

Lei Kun gritted his teeth and struggled to stand up from the medical chair. Although his face was still pale, the effect of the military nano-injection and his powerful willpower sustained him. He glanced at Xiao Qi, who was still calm inside the medical pod, a flash of resolve in his eyes: "No problem!"

"Take Xiao Qi! Lin Feng, cover the rear!" Ling Yue ordered decisively and rushed toward the right passage first, her mechanical arm raised, ready to fire at any moment.

Lei Kun used his uninjured right hand to violently pull open the medical pod cover and carefully carried Xiao Qi out. The little girl seemed to be startled by the loud noises outside, letting out a faint whimper, and the purple energy around her began to flicker unsteadily again.

"Don't be afraid... Xiao Qi... Uncle Lei is here..." Lei Kun whispered to soothe her, holding her tightly in his arms, and stumbled to keep up with Ling Yue.

Lin Feng endured the throbbing pain in his brain and the weakness in his body, grabbed the dagger that had been confiscated earlier and then dropped during the chaos, and followed closely behind. He glanced back one last time at The Engineer's still-calm projection, which was disappearing from the center of the hall as they moved, as if it had never existed.

The three (strictly speaking, four) rushed into the right passage. The hallway was not long, but at this moment, it felt incredibly long. The vibrations and demolition sounds overhead followed them like a shadow, and they could even hear clear snippets of the enemy's communication:

"...Target confirmed entering lower passage..."

"...Reinforce the door... Use thermal fusion bombs..."

"...Live capture is the priority... Especially 'The Key' and the 'Source' host..."

The cold commands sent a chill deep into their bones.

At the end of the passage was an old-fashioned, heavy-duty freight elevator that required manual operation. The Engineer's voice came from hidden speakers somewhere: "Password: Omega7. The elevator will take you to the B7 level core area. I will try my best to interfere with their tracking signals."

Ling Yue entered the password quickly, and the heavy elevator door creaked open. The four of them squeezed in, and Ling Yue yanked the lever down.

The elevator groaned under the unbearable weight and began to descend slowly.

Just as the elevator doors were about to close —

Bang ! Bang ! Bang !

Several huge impacts slammed into the top of the elevator shaft ! Immediately following was the tooth-aching sound of metal tearing ! The elevator shook violently and came to a sudden halt ! The lights went out completely, and only a few fault indicator lights on the control panel were flashing crazily !

＞ ＞ Elevator Arrested . External Grip Applied . Hostiles Attempting to Pry Doors .

The elevator had been grabbed by an external mechanical device ! The enemies were trying to pry open the elevator doors !

"Damn it !" Ling Yue cursed angrily, energy gathering in her mechanical arm, and she fired a violent volley at the top of the elevator !

Bang ! Bang ! Bang ! The energy beams left scorch marks on the thick metal roof panel but could not penetrate it immediately !

Outside came the sounds of crowbars and hydraulic cutters at work ! The gap in the door was widening bit by bit ! They could already see the soles of armored boots and the barrels of guns outside !

"It's too late !" Lin Feng felt despair. In this confined space, once the door was opened, they would be trapped like turtles in a jar !

＞ ＞ Analyzing Elevator Structure ... Weak Point : Hydraulic Control Unit ( Floor Panel ) .

＞ ＞ Suggestion : Overload Hydraulics , Cause Controlled Drop .

The "Source" System provided an extremely dangerous plan ! Overload the hydraulic system and cause a controlled drop !

"Hydraulic system ! Shoot through the hydraulic control unit under the floor !" Lin Feng shouted at Ling Yue !

Ling Yue understood instantly. She turned her mechanical arm and fired violently at the floor connection of the elevator cabin beneath their feet ! Sparks flew everywhere !

Lei Kun shielded Xiao Qi tightly in the corner, using his body to block any potential flying debris.

Bang ! Crack !

A floor panel was blasted open, revealing the complex hydraulic pipes and valve blocks underneath !

"Which one ?!" Ling Yue asked urgently.

＞ ＞ Target : Primary Pressure Release Valve ( Red , Largest ) .

"The red one ! The largest one !" Lin Feng pointed at a red valve block that was continuously spraying fine oil mist and shouted.

Ling Yue did not hesitate ; her energy pistol fired a precise shot !

Hiss — — ! ! ! !

A stream of high-pressure hydraulic oil shot out from the destroyed valve block like a fountain, instantly filling the entire elevator cabin ! At the same time, the hydraulic system, having lost pressure, let out a wail, and the elevator, which had been locked tight, plummeted suddenly ! Then it began to accelerate into a free fall !

"Hold on !" Lei Kun roared !

The sensation of weightlessness hit them instantly ! The elevator cabin slammed toward the depths of the dark shaft like a stone ! The harsh sound of metal grinding and sparks flashed crazily outside the cabin !

Outside came the enemies' shocked and angry curses and the loud noise of mechanical devices being forcibly torn apart !

Boom ! ! !

The elevator cabin finally slammed into the buffer at the bottom of the shaft in an extremely brutal manner ! The massive impact caused the cabin to deform severely, and everyone inside was thrown about !

Lin Feng felt as if his internal organs had shifted, and he vomited a mouthful of bile. Ling Yue's mechanical arm emitted an overload hum. Lei Kun protected Xiao Qi with his life, but he himself slammed heavily into the deformed cabin wall, letting out a muffled groan.

But regardless, they had temporarily shaken off the enemies above !

The elevator door was twisted and deformed by the impact, stuck in place.

"Get out ! Go from the top !" Ling Yue made a quick decision and used her mechanical arm to forcibly tear open the deformed top maintenance hatch.

The four of them climbed out with difficulty and landed in the B7 level elevator lobby. It was simpler than the upper level ; the walls were made of thick alloy, and the air was filled with a stronger smell of ozone and coolant. The sound of more intense server humming came from the distance.

"This way !" The Engineer's voice came from a speaker on the wall again, carrying a hint of imperceptible urgency, "Core laboratory ! Hurry !"

A thick alloy door, flickering with a blue energy barrier, opened in front of them.

The three of them rushed in.

The door closed quickly behind them, and the energy barrier emitted a steady hum.

It seemed temporarily safe here.

The core laboratory was smaller than imagined, filled with more precise instruments and screens flickering with complex Data Stream. In the center was a columnar structure connected to countless cables, like a nerve center.

And The Engineer's holographic projection was standing in front of that columnar structure, seemingly integrated with it.

"You have about two minutes." The Engineer got straight to the point, without any pleasantries, "Director Walker has mobilized the highest authority of The Cleaners; the barrier outside won't hold for long. The emergency evacuation route is over there —" He pointed to an inconspicuous airlock door on the side of the laboratory that required dual iris and genetic verification.

"But the exit at the other end of the passage is located at the maintenance port of the third sewage main pipe of The Nest, and it is certainly full of ambushes there now."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the three shocked people, and finally landed on Lin Feng: "To break through, you need more powerful strength and more accurate information."

As he spoke, the wall on one side of the laboratory slid open, revealing a weapon rack on which were placed several strange-looking, high-tech pieces of equipment: a streamlined rifle with complex energy circuits on the body; a small, sharp-edged round shield; and a tactical vest that looked thin but shimmered with the faint light of a defensive field.

"These are prototypes made using the early results of the project legacy. The energy rifle can interfere with and even temporarily paralyze The Cleaners' standard armor; the round shield can deflect low-power energy shots; the tactical vest can provide basic energy defense." The Engineer introduced, his tone as if he were introducing laboratory equipment, "Ling Yue, they are more suitable for your mechanical arm to drive. Lei Kun, your state is not suitable for a frontal assault; you are responsible for protecting 'The Key'."

Finally, he looked at Lin Feng: "As for you, Lin Feng. You need to truly 'see' the enemy."

He operated something, and the central columnar structure shot out a soft beam of light, enveloping Lin Feng.

＞ ＞ Incoming Data Stream : "Cleaner" Elite Unit Tactical Data , Real - Time Position Feed ( Limited Range ) , Weak Point Analysis ...

In an instant, a massive amount of information flooded into Lin Feng's mind ! It was no longer the chaotic torrent from before, but highly refined and integrated tactical information ! The real-time locations of the elite The Cleaners who were breaking through the barrier outside ( although the range was limited ), their armor weaknesses, their common tactical cooperation patterns ... It was as clear as if it had been branded directly into his consciousness !

This feeling of instantly grasping the overall situation of the battlefield made him feel as if he possessed a god's-eye view !

"This is the final gift from the Observation Point." The Engineer's voice was calm and waveless, "Use it, and lead them to live."

Just then !

Bang ! Boom !

The alloy door of the core laboratory let out a thunderous sound of being unable to bear the weight ! The energy barrier on the surface flickered violently, obviously about to be breached !

"No time !" The Engineer's projection began to become unstable and flicker, "Remember, only by surviving can you see the truth. Whether it is about me, or about this world ..."

Before he could finish his words, the projection suddenly disappeared.

Almost at the same time, the heavy airlock door made a hissing sound of unlocking — the emergency evacuation route opened !

Ling Yue did not hesitate, rushed to the weapon rack, quickly adapted the energy rifle and round shield with her mechanical arm, and threw the tactical vest to Lei Kun.

"Lin Feng !" Ling Yue looked at him, her eyes sharp, "Lead the way !"

Lin Feng took a deep breath, endured the slight dizziness from the information overload, and superimposed the tactical information provided by the "Source" System onto his vision.

＞ ＞ Barrier Failure Imminent . Hostiles : 8 outside door . Formation : Standard Breach Pattern .

＞ ＞ Suggested Focus : Left - side Two , Their Weapon Overload Modules are Exposed .

"Two on the left of the door ! Attack their weapon overload modules !" Lin Feng instructed quickly !

Ling Yue raised her gun instantly, her mechanical arm as steady as a rock, and the energy rifle emitted a humming sound of charging energy !

Bang ! Bang !

Two precise energy beams passed through the crumbling barrier and hit the fragile modules on the side of the rifles of the two elite The Cleaners outside the door !

Boom ! Boom !

The weapons of the two enemies overloaded and exploded instantly, blowing themselves and their nearby companions over ! A perfect assault formation suddenly had a gap !

"Now ! Go !" Ling Yue roared, shielding herself with the round shield, and rushed out of the newly opened airlock door first !

Lei Kun hugged Xiao Qi and followed closely behind !

Lin Feng glanced one last time at this core laboratory full of mysteries and dangers, as well as the place where The Engineer had disappeared, gritted his teeth, and also rushed into the evacuation passage.

Behind them, the alloy door was completely blown open in a huge explosion ! The roars of the enemies and the sound of energy weapon fire were cut off by the quickly closing airlock door.

Ahead, it was a dark, narrow, and unknown sewage pipe.

But they had gained a glimmer of hope, gained new weapons, and Lin Feng had gained a pair of "eyes" capable of piercing through some of the fog.

The struggle of the trapped beast was not yet over. Amidst the cracks, a glimmer of light had already appeared.