"Hey, look, there are shell casings here."

Shangshan picked up a bullet casing and used the powerful flashlight from the mall to illuminate the surroundings.

The walls that were previously unlit were riddled with bullet holes, their trajectories chaotic, and blood splattered, looking like marks left by random gunfire.

Shi Jinzhe continued walking without stopping: "There was a gunfight here three days ago."

He saw the trace when he passed by; there were bullet residues on the wall. After Shekh's senses were heightened to the maximum, she also smelled the almost dissipated gunpowder odor.

Only a shot fired close to a wall could leave such a wide-spreading bloodstain; the muzzle was most likely pressed against the person's body.

There was no smell of radiation monsters here. Considering what the driver said about the shelter being inhabited by multiple factions, aside from the fact that some factions were fighting each other, Shi Jinzhe couldn't think of anything else.

Shang Shan quietly put the spent cartridge back, thinking he would have to investigate. But others saw through his plan at a glance and skipped the process. Perhaps this is the difference between people.

Arriving in front of the four elevators, whose box-like structures were comparable in size to shipping containers, Shi Jinzhe stared intently at the floor beneath his feet.

“We need to act quickly. The temperature on the lower levels is even higher. The generators and shelter operating systems are all on the lower levels, but most of the life energy is concentrated on the upper levels, where there are many survivors who can learn some things.”

Upon hearing this, Sun Qi pursed his lips. Shi Jinzhe's unspoken meaning was that in order to save time, it would be best if someone went to survey both places at the same time. The three of them had come in, so they should do something.

He's now laying out the preconditions: the temperature is high below, and there are many people above, so they can choose which one to go to.

After weighing the options, Sun Qi decided to go to the upper levels to learn about the survivors before Shi Jinzhe could take direct control of the situation on his behalf.

He and Shangshan have skills and remaining points, so they shouldn't have much trouble protecting themselves. It's just Xiao Su...

Sun Qi glanced over and saw that Xiao Su was in a dilemma.

He knew very well that he would be a burden no matter which side he went with, and that he might be abandoned if danger came his way.

After much deliberation, Xiao Su finally gritted her teeth and chose to leave with Shi Jin.

Although this snake-turning woman is stern and dangerous, he is safe as long as she is more dangerous than anything else here.

Having confirmed her thoughts, Xiao Su followed Shi Jinzhai at a distance of two meters and entered the descending elevator with him.

Before closing the door, Shi Jinzhe handed Sun Qi a seed, saying, "Notify me if you have any leads."

The elevator doors were like an old, poorly maintained chain, jamming and swaying as they closed. Once they finally closed, the feeling of weightlessness as they started moving made people dizzy.

The shelter is designed with eight floors above and fourteen floors below. The descent takes a little longer. Sun Qi and the others have arrived, but the three on this side are still in the elevator.

When we descended to the eleventh basement level, the elevator car was so hot that we could smell the burnt odor of aging plastic.

Shekh twitched his ears and heard a stretching sound coming from above.

Listening to the noise, she couldn't help but think of the stringy dragon beard candy she had seen in the night market, which was stretched into thin strands, as if it was about to break in two, much like the power cables outside.

Schech reminded him, "Time's up, this elevator is no longer usable."

This elevator, which has been in operation for two hundred years, is dangerous; we need to get out as soon as possible.

Shi Jinzhe pressed the button for the twelfth basement level, deciding to proceed to the last two levels.

The healing golden ring was placed in advance outside the elevator door. As soon as the door opened, a wave of heat hit. If it weren't for the array, blisters would have been burned on the face.

Xiao Su didn't dare to get any closer to the outside of the circle. She walked cautiously within the golden light, her clothes soaked as if she had just been pulled out of the water.

The ground floor of the twelfth basement level was covered with water, which was above ankle height. Shi Jin followed the signs and walked towards the emergency exit.

Upon entering the thirteenth basement level, the water level was above knee-deep, and the water temperature was getting higher and higher. As Xiao Su walked, she suddenly felt something slide across her ankle.

It was sharp and hard, and his skin stung from the cut. He bent down and touched it, but there was no wound.

There was no bleeding. Could it be just my imagination?

Su was suspicious and focused all her attention on the water.

He hadn't walked more than a few steps when his ankle was scratched again. Xiao Su immediately touched it and felt the wound, which hadn't fully healed yet.

"Hey guys, there seems to be something in the water. I've cut my foot."

When Xiao Su saw the two turn around, she pointed to where she was standing and said, "It's right there. It's not big, but it's alive. I could feel it."

Shi Jinzhe frowned and asked Shehe, "Did you sense it?"

“No.” Shekh raised a hand, his palm glowing with purple light. “Logically, when I release the aura of my territory, no living creature should dare to come near.”

Xiao Su was certain that he hadn't misjudged the situation, but since his wound had healed, he had no evidence to prove its authenticity.

"Could there be something here that sees me as easy to bully and chose to deal with me? Should we take precautions and prepare for the worst..."

If Shi Jinzhe put down the palm leaf, and if there were any living creatures, he would be the first to come looking for it, not Xiao Su. There's some truth to what this newcomer said about being easy to bully.

Picking on the weakest link, this unknown creature ignored Shekh's threat; it possessed self-awareness and knew that Xiao Su was the best target.

Shi Jinzhe concealed his concerns and asked Xiao Su, "What are your thoughts?"

Xiao Su always kept in mind the principle of not actively causing trouble. He clenched his hands behind his back. "I want to stay outside this protective circle. I can test what this thing is. Since it chose to attack me, it might do it again. If I can catch it, the potential threat can be eliminated in advance."

Eliminate potential hazards in advance, mitigate some of the dangers, and avoid crowding together; this will make him safer.

"You're going outside?"

Shekh turned around. Without constant healing, ordinary people couldn't stay outside the circle. This Xiao Su was more pleasing to the eye than the previous newcomer who couldn't speak.

Xiao Su: "Yes, since they're attacking me, I'll act as bait and go outside to take a look."

Shi Jinzhe stared at him for a moment, then didn't object: "Then go ahead."

It's a good thing that someone is taking the initiative to test the waters; this person has some sense and will know to return to the circle if they encounter real danger.

"Hoo..." Xiao Su took a deep breath and left the formation's range.

He could only breathe in small sips to avoid burning his throat or cooking his lungs with the air he inhaled.

Shi Jinzhe glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. Xiao Su had been walking for less than half a minute when he started to stumble, his left foot hitting his right, and he could only walk by holding onto the wall. His hands were burned red but he didn't even react.

Not only that, his sweating is also decreasing, which is a symptom of a disorder in the body's temperature regulation center's heat dissipation function, making it unable to balance body temperature. Before long, he will faint from heat and then die from organ failure.

Shi Jinzhe hugged a bucket of ice he had bought at a high price from the mall and quietly walked down the last flight of stairs to the thirteenth basement level with Shehe.

Just then, Xiao Su suddenly felt a sharp pain in her left leg and cried out in pain.