40: Chapter 40 A Narrow Encounter, A Life-or-Death Battle

Lin Ye pushed open the ajar iron door with his left hand and squeezed inside sideways.

Behind the door was a passageway made of reinforced concrete.

The floor was covered in dark brown, dried bloodstains.

Industrial-grade ventilation ducts were fixed to the ceiling, with faint light filtering through the grille vents.

Dilapidated as it was, the structural features couldn't lie.

This was no ordinary basement.

It was a retrofitted doomsday shelter.

"The landscaping of this 'Endgame Simulation' is truly insane; it even replicated human countermeasures facilities from before the Great Cataclysm."

Lin Ye muttered to himself.

However, amazement aside, a high-threat Pale Species was still lurking here.

Take it out first, then loot the place.

He reached out and pulled the door shut.

His fingers hooked the manual latch, slowly sliding it into the slot.

The iron door was locked from the inside.

Blocking the Pale Species outside was a burn-the-bridges move.

Great Xia Live Stream.

[Look at those walls and pipes, is this place an underground bunker?]

[Thinking about it is terrifying! Is this implying that our Blue Star will turn into this in three years?]

[No wonder Brother Eye risked his life to come in; there might be strategic-level supplies here!]

...

Disaster Prevention Administration, Third Research Group.

Lu Chen stared at the metal passageway on the screen, his brain working at high speed.

The redundant design of the ventilation system, the thickness of the wall casting, the markings on the door...

"What level of natural disaster is this shelter guarding against? What did its builders see?"

He looked up at the screen, the light in his eyes growing more intense.

"Endgame Simulation... Void Sea... City Ruins..."

"Could this scene be a live survival exercise arranged for the Great Cataclysm on Blue Star three years from now?"

...

Underground shelter.

Lin Ye crept along the wall, holding his breath.

This shelter was more complex than anticipated.

The passageway branched off into multiple intersections, with rooms marked for different functions on both sides.

There were claw marks of varying depths left on the door panels.

He found a stairwell leading downward.

The concrete steps were covered in dried blood and drag marks that stretched deep into the darkness.

In his left eye, a red dot was wandering below.

A golden dot was also down there.

Lin Ye did not rush in.

Going head-to-head with this thing and the Pale Species with his mortal body would definitely put him at a huge disadvantage.

Looking up, a main pipe spanning across two walls was large enough for an adult to crawl on.

It was positioned right above the stairwell.

He gently took off his backpack in a corner to minimize his burden as much as possible.

Then, he gripped the fire axe tightly and raised his right arm.

"Bang!"

The Wind-Chasing Claw shot out, its three claws biting into the metal frame of the main pipe.

The cable retracted, and with a push of his arms, Lin Ye silently flipped onto the top of the pipe.

From his high vantage point, the view was perfect.

He reached out and tapped the metal pipe lightly twice.

"Tap, tap."

The faint tapping sound spread through the quiet shelter.

Just a few seconds later!

A low, guttural growl came from the depths of the stairs.

Immediately after, the sound of claws scraping against the floor rang out.

It's coming!

Lin Ye lay on top of the pipe, his muscles tense, staring fixedly at the stairwell.

Soon, a gray-white shadow crawled into his field of vision.

The light screen in his right eye flashed.

[Small Pale One]

His pupils constricted.

What the hell do you mean "small"!?

The size of the one in front of him was a whole circle larger than those withered specimens outside!

It was almost as big as an adult cheetah, and the spikes on its spine were even protruding!

In the laboratory, Lu Chen's eyes lit up as he grabbed a pen and recorded rapidly:

"Differentiation in body size among the same species! Hyperostosis of the spine, muscle mass is at least 30% greater than the peripheral individuals... This is a creature on the verge of evolving."

...

The Pale Species crawled back and forth at the stairwell, seemingly searching for the source of the sound from earlier.

It had no idea that a deadly axe was already hanging over its head.

Just as it crawled directly underneath Lin Ye...

Lin Ye's eyes sharpened.

Now!

He leaped down from the ventilation pipe!

Using gravity, he raised the fire axe above his head with both hands.

Aiming at the spine of the Pale Species below, he swung the axe down with all his might!

However...

Just as the axe blade was about to touch the target, the beast instinctively sensed the threat.

It forcibly twisted its body and shifted a distance to the side!

The fire axe missed the spine and grazed its flank.

"Squelch!"

A gash over thirty centimeters long was sliced open, and black blood sprayed out.

"Screeeech!"

The Pale Species felt the pain and let out a shrill screech.

Ignoring the severe wound on its abdomen, it kicked off the ground with its hind limbs and lunged at Lin Ye's face with its front claws!

"Damn it!"

Lin Ye reacted extremely quickly, holding the handle of the fire axe horizontally across his chest to block it!

"Bang!"

The monster's sharp claws crashed into the axe handle, and the impact pushed him and the axe backward.

His feet skidded, leaving two marks on the ground, until his back hit the concrete wall with a thud, finally coming to a stop!

"Cough..."

Lin Ye felt his blood churning in his chest.

This beast's strength was at least double that of the ones outside.

Before he could even catch his breath, the Pale Species had already opened its bloody maw and lunged to bite at his face!

"Damn! Don't hit the face, you mad dog!"

Lin Ye braced against the axe handle and dodged with his head in a panic.

The fangs grazed his left cheek, and foul-smelling saliva splattered all over his face.

The pressure on the axe handle was getting heavier and heavier.

He knew clearly that if he kept competing in strength like this, he would sooner or later be worn down by this big guy.

Can't drag this out!

Lin Ye gritted his teeth, gripped the fire axe with both hands, and used all his might to forcefully twist it to the side!

The monster's center of gravity was disrupted, and its body tilted uncontrollably to one side.

This is the opening!

He let go decisively and rolled along the ground in the opposite direction.

While rolling, he drew his dagger with his right hand.

He kicked off the wall with his heels and lunged right back at it!

Lin Ye mounted it, digging his left hand desperately into the bony protrusion on its shoulder!

The Pale Species twisted frantically, trying to shake off the parasite on its back.

He held the dagger in a reverse grip with his right hand, raising his arm high.

"Die for me!"

"Stab! Stab! Stab! Stab..."

As the blade pierced the back of its neck, Lin Ye began to attack frantically.

2 stabs!

5 stabs!

Black blood splattered all over his cheeks and survival hunting gear.

But he didn't stop; every stab carried the strength of his entire body.

10 stabs!

20 stabs!

The monster's spasms, wails, and struggles beneath him grew weaker and weaker.

"Squelch!"

When the final stab pierced the brainstem of the Pale Species, the monster finally splayed out its limbs and stopped twitching.

"Huff... huff... huff..."

Confirming the thing was dead, Lin Ye collapsed into a pool of blood nearby.

His chest heaved violently as he gasped for air.

The Great Xia Live Stream chat was boiling!

[Awesome! My Brother Eye is just awesome!]

[I'm tearing up! I'm really tearing up! This close-quarters combat is too damn hardcore!]

[Who dares say Brother Eye only knows how to hide? Who can withstand this murderous intent!]

[Fist to flesh! Blade to blood! This is the way a real man fights!]

[One man, one dagger, risking his life to win!]

All those overseas IDs went silent, unable to squeeze out a single word.

But among those who just got their visas and emigrated, these people couldn't sit still.

[It's just killing a small monster; Scott takes them out one by one with a stick, no need to be this pathetic.]

[Exactly, fighting until he's in this miserable state, he's bound to fail sooner or later.]

The Great Xia netizens couldn't be bothered to respond, collectively spamming "Lin Ye is awesome," directly drowning out those comments.

...

After a brief rest, Lin Ye pushed himself up from the ground.

He pulled the dagger out of the monster's head and wiped it clean on the corpse.

He walked back to the corner to pick up his backpack and took out a flint.

He used the dagger to whittle some dry wood shavings from a short spear.

"Sssshhh!"

Sparks flew, and the wood shavings ignited.

He quickly pulled out a torch and lit it.

The orange firelight illuminated the passageway, as well as his body covered in black blood and scratches.

Holding the torch, he went deep down the stairs.

Second underground floor... third underground floor...

Except for scattered debris and mottled bloodstains, there were no living creatures here.

He stepped into the fourth underground floor.

At the end of the corridor on this floor, Lin Ye stopped.

A large metal door, its surface covered in rusty rivets, appeared before his eyes!

Through the vision of his left eye, that golden halo...

Was right behind the door!