“Asshole!” Li Shuo’s eyes were bloodshot, his huge fists were clenched so hard that they made a creaking sound, almost crushing the communicator in his hand!

Dr. Qin was trembling all over, his bloodshot eyes instantly turning red: "How dare you!"

The crimson beam of the Heart of the Ark also fluctuated violently due to this sudden change. Its chaotic shrieks seemed mingled with an indistinguishable hint of... confusion? Its tainted core logic seemed unable to comprehend such despicable tactics of exploiting the weak.

The immense pressure, like two mountains, crashed down upon Wen Shifei! On one side was the precarious medical area, the lives of the children; on the other was control of the entire Ark Base, the future of all the survivors! Her nails dug deep into her palms, nearly drawing blood! The immense pain and choice threatened to tear her apart!

Just then!

Yun Zhan, who had been standing silently, seemingly blending into the shadows, suddenly raised his head! His face, covered by a metal mask, turned towards Wen Shifei. His eyes, hidden beneath the mask, seemed to penetrate space and locked onto the flashing portable terminal on her wrist—the key device connected to the "Dawn" node!

[Medical area... coordinates... locked...]

A cold, intermittent, yet remarkably clear fragment of electronic command suddenly emerged from beneath Yun Zhan's metal mask! Along with the command, his mechanical arm, covered in fine scales and tipped with gleaming blue claws, rose without warning! The sharp claws pointed directly at Wen Shifei's terminal! A powerful, aggressive energy surge instantly condensed!

"Yun Zhan?! What are you doing!" Li Shuo instantly realized something was wrong and was about to pounce on him with a roar!

Wen Shifei also looked in horror at Yun Zhan's deadly mechanical arm pointing at him! Could it be that... the command fragments in his body were activated by Pandora or the "Heart of the Ark"?

The grim smile on Viper's face widened. "Oh? It seems our 'weapons' have finally regained some of their 'instincts'? Very good..."

At this critical moment, everyone thought that Yun Zhan was going to attack Wen Shifei and snatch the terminal!

Yun Zhan's raised mechanical arm suddenly changed direction! Three dark blue blade claws instantly popped out, with a sharp scream that tore through space, and fiercely stabbed towards... the thick metal floor beneath his feet!

Swish—boom!!!

The solid alloy floor was instantly torn apart like a hot knife through butter! Three bottomless cracks, their edges gleaming with a molten red light, suddenly appeared! Beneath the cracks lay the intricate network of the base's energy pipelines! Deeper still, the vast, maze-like space of the lower pipeline area loomed!

"You...?!" The "Viper"'s hideous smile froze on his face, his eyes filled with astonishment and confusion!

Yun Zhan's movements didn't pause! His intact right hand shot out like lightning, grabbing a thick, broken pipe nearby, its internal wiring exposed! Raging bioelectricity mixed with the energy output from the robotic arm, pouring into the pipe like a high-pressure water gun!

Buzz——!!!

A visible, violent energy pulse, a mixture of dark blue and golden red, traveled along the pipe like a raging dragon out of control, slamming fiercely into the intricate network of pipes below! Wherever it passed, cables melted and pipes twisted! The energy pulse's target was crystal clear: all the energy nodes and physical pathways connecting the medical area to the lower pipeline area!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A series of dull explosions and metallic tearing sounds came from beneath the floor, from the direction of the medical area! The entire command center shook violently!

In the communication channel, the cries for help from the medical area were instantly drowned out by the violent explosions and the sounds of collapsing buildings! But then, the guards shouted in shock:

"It's collapsed... it's collapsed! The gate leading to the lower pipes from the medical area has been blown down! Those 'scavengers' rushing in... have been cut off! They can't get through!"

Yun Zhan… wasn't attacking Wen Shifei! He used a violent, self-destructive energy output to forcibly destroy the key passage connecting the medical area and the lower pipeline area! Using physical means, he erected a temporary barrier for the medical area!

The price was enormous! Forced to output such a violent energy, his newly formed mechanical arm emitted an overwhelmed humming and metallic twisting sounds. The bioalloy armor covering it cracked in several places, revealing the internal structure underneath, which flashed with dangerous electric sparks! His tall body shook violently, and his intact right hand was charred black by the powerful energy recoil! Beneath the metal mask, the suppressed roar of pain was like the wail of a wounded beast!

He used his own body and pain to buy the most critical time for Wen Shifei! He responded to the promise of "protection" in the most extreme way!

"Yun Zhan!" Wen Shifei looked at the crumbling metal figure, tears instantly blurring her vision! The huge shock and heartache almost suffocated her!

"Good! Well done!" Li Shuo let out an earth-shaking roar, and the look he gave Yun Zhan was filled with unprecedented recognition and respect!

Viper's expression darkened completely, like dripping ice. His carefully planned threat was completely disrupted by this sudden, almost suicidal destruction! A murderous glint flashed in his eyes: "Seeking death!"

The crimson beam of light from the Heart of the Ark, sensing Yun Zhan's violent burst of energy, a blend of self-destruction and protective will, erupted into an even more violent, unprecedented chaotic ripple! Countless crimson data streams clashed frantically, and within the phantom's compound eyes, a fleeting glimmer of... a faint, pale blue luminescence, representing the "Guardian Agreement"? Though fleeting, drowned out by the even thicker crimson, it was like a tiny spark ignited in the absolute darkness!

Lu Cheneng took it all in. The surging coldness and struggle in his eyes instantly subsided, transforming into a penetrating sharpness like the ice in a deep pond. He took a sudden step forward, his body swaying slightly from the immense exertion, but his voice was like thunder, carrying unquestionable control, booming through the deadly command center, overwhelming all the chaos:

"'Ark Heart'! Is this your choice? Watch the lives protected under your wings be slaughtered? Watch Pandora's fangs inject new pollution into your body? Or... seize this last chance, join forces with us, eliminate the cancer, and find your true mission?!"

His gaze was like a sharp sword, piercing through the crimson chaotic light column and piercing its core:

"Initiate the 'Dawn' deep decontamination protocol! Objective: locate and eliminate the source of Pandora's contamination! Now! Immediately!"

Lu Chen's order, like a final ultimatum, with the determination to perish together and a glimmer of hope to ignite the fire of "protection", smashed hard into the chaotic "Heart of the Ark"!