"I...I'm fine..." Ning Yu squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth, his voice so weak it was almost inaudible. He tried to raise his hand, but found even this simple movement incredibly difficult.
"Don't talk! Hang in there!" Mu Xue noticed his unusual condition and her heart tightened. She quickly supported Ning Yu's swaying body, letting him lean against her. His body temperature was alarmingly high, and his breathing had become rapid—a side effect of overusing his supernatural abilities, the situation she had feared most.
"Damn it! Why now..." Mu Xue bit her lip, her heart filled with anxiety. She took out a vial from her waist, pried open Ning Yu's mouth, and poured the vial into his mouth. This vial was specially made for him; it could temporarily suppress the backlash from his supernatural abilities, but its effect was limited.
"Ning Yu, look at me! Stay awake!" Mu Xue gently patted Ning Yu's cheek, trying to rouse his fading consciousness. "Think about our plan, think about everyone, we'll succeed soon, you can't fall!"
Called by Mu Xue, Ning Yu regained some consciousness. He struggled to open his heavy eyelids, and Mu Xue's anxious face vaguely appeared before him. Her eyes were filled with worry and concern, which warmed his heart and made him realize that he couldn't give up like this.
"I...I'm fine..." Ning Yu took a deep breath, enduring the throbbing pain in his head, and said haltingly, "Time...time is almost up..."
“5…4…3…2…1!” The alarm in the warehouse stopped abruptly, the countdown ended, and everyone’s heart was in their throat.
Ning Yu's hand trembled as he pressed it onto the identifier. Everyone's eyes were focused on that small screen; their fate and their hopes rested on this moment.
However, instead of the green light they expected, the recognition device flashed a glaring red light, and a line of cold text appeared on the screen: "System malfunction, recognition failed!"
"how so?!"
"No! Impossible!"
Despair spread like a plague among the people, and the flames of hope that had been ignited were mercilessly extinguished at this moment.
Ning Yu let his hands fall limply, staring at the flickering red light, feeling as if all the strength had been drained from his body. Was all their effort, their sacrifice, ultimately in vain? Were they destined to be trapped and die in this dark, hopeless place?
“Ning Yu…” Mu Xue looked at Ning Yu, who was on the verge of despair, and wanted to say something to encourage him. But just then, a muffled sound suddenly came from the depths of the warehouse, as if some enormous creature was slowly awakening…
"What was that sound?" a team member shouted in alarm, his voice trembling slightly.
A massive shadow slowly spread from the depths of the warehouse, enveloping everyone within it...
Looking at Ning Yu's ashen face, Mu Xue felt as if an invisible hand was gripping her heart tightly. She knew that he was enduring unimaginable pain and pressure. The blow of failing to recognize his abilities, coupled with the torment of the backlash from his powers, was almost crushing him completely.
She desperately wanted to tell him that even without these supplies, they could still find other ways to survive in this apocalyptic world, and that they could still rely on their own strength to live. But the words wouldn't come out.
Because she understood that Ning Yu was bearing not only his own life and death, but also the hope and future of the entire team. These supplies were the foundation for rebuilding their homes, their capital to fight against powerful enemies, and their last hope.
The strange noises coming from deep within the warehouse startled Mu Xue from her reverie. She abruptly raised her head, her sharp gaze sweeping over the heavy shadows at the depths of the warehouse, a strong sense of unease rising within her.
"Everyone, be on high alert!" Mu Xue shouted in a low voice, her tone serious. "It seems our operation has alerted something we shouldn't have."
As soon as the words were spoken, the dim lights in the warehouse suddenly began to flicker, their brightness creating an even more eerie and unpredictable atmosphere. At the same time, an invisible sense of oppression emanated from the depths of the warehouse, as if an invisible giant hand was slowly enveloping them.
Ning Yu endured the excruciating pain churning in his mind, struggling to maintain the last shred of consciousness. He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning bluish-white from the force. He knew an even greater crisis was about to unfold, and the only thing he could do now was to fight with all his might to protect those around him.
"Mu Xue..." Ning Yu began with difficulty, his voice hoarse like a broken bellows, "Take everyone... away from here..."
"What nonsense are you talking about!" Mu Xue refused resolutely, her tone firm. "Whether we go or stay, we'll go together. I will never abandon you!"
"It's too late..." Ning Yu's consciousness grew increasingly blurred, but he still clung to his last breath, "Promise me... to live..."
"No, I won't agree! You better pull yourself together!" Mu Xue's eyes welled up with tears, but she held them back. "You haven't kept your promise, you haven't taken me to see..."
Before she could finish speaking, a deafening roar suddenly came from deep within the warehouse, causing the entire warehouse to tremble violently and the ground to begin to crack.
Immediately afterwards, a blinding white light shot up from the depths of the warehouse, illuminating the entire warehouse as if it were daytime.
"Get out of the way—" Ning Yu used the last bit of strength to push Mu Xue away.
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