Gunshots roared, and the steam engine drove the heavy mechanical spider to rotate its body. The six-barreled machine guns rotated and spewed out angry flames in all directions, sweeping across the monsters that continued to emerge from the fog like harvesting. From time to time, bullets flew from the thick fog and hit the armor of the walker and the sandbags used to build the barricades.
There are also "soldiers" among the monsters, including fully armed soldiers and even walking mechanical spiders with black mud flowing.
As the battle continues, these dangerous enemies become more and more numerous.
"These sons of bitches are copying us!"
A soldier wearing a breathing mask hid behind the barricade, shouting angrily while frantically pulling the trigger. His metal armor was scarred, and the power pipes at the joints of the armor were damaged. Hissing steam poured out of the valves, and on the steam backpack behind him, the logo of the Frost City-State Elite Garrison could be seen.
"They're not the only ones copying us," the squad commander shouted, his voice hoarse and dark behind his breathing mask. The fog on the street was getting worse. To avoid the possible toxic gases in the fog, the garrison troops entering the war zone to perform missions were already wearing these terrifying breathing masks. "Any living thing that appears in the fog is an enemy, all enemies!"
"I just saw a group of people running past the intersection ahead!" another soldier suddenly shouted, "They looked like armed civilians - or sailors on a ship!"
"I saw it too. It was blurry. It looked like they were burning, but the fire was green!"
The team commander raised his head when he heard this, but the next second, a strange whistle suddenly came from the other side of the thick fog, carrying with it the sharp sound of death.
A grenade penetrated the thick fog, passed through the gap between the barricades, and fell directly at the feet of the steam walker - there was no time to react, the grenade exploded, and shrapnel burst like rain.
The thin metal breastplate could not withstand such a fatal impact at such a close distance, and the squad commander and his soldiers were blown away.
After an unknown amount of time, he regained a little consciousness in a trance. In the corner of his eye, he saw the steam walker staggering and falling, its armor torn, all the power pipes spewing white mist, and the only remaining machine gun turret splashing out the final barrage of bullets as it collapsed.
Countless shadowy things emerged from the fog and rushed to the next intersection.
The squad commander slowly moved his body, holding tightly in his hand a grenade with the pull ring pulled. He could not remember when he got it - perhaps it was when he was blown away just now, or perhaps it was a subconscious reaction when he lost consciousness.
He felt that he had used up all his strength and threw the grenade into the thick fog.
However, he only loosened his grip weakly.
The iron-gray metal cylinder slipped from his hand and rolled onto the street with a clang. Its fuse emitted a hissing smoke and rolled to the side of the road, where it fell into a dry trough - passing through the darkness, falling into the gap, sliding through the inclined ventilation duct, and falling into the time-eroded underground world of the Frost City-State, making a roar in the forgotten darkness.
"boom!"
A muffled sound came from far above my head, and the ceiling of the tunnel seemed to tremble slightly, scattering some sand and dust.
The "sailor" immediately shrank his neck, with a hint of nervousness on his shriveled face: "Is this place really not going to collapse?!"
"At least it hasn't collapsed in the past few decades," Lawrence stepped forward. The gas lamps embedded in the walls of the corridors on both sides emitted a dim glow, illuminating the way ahead. "As a mummy, how can you be so timid? Your 'abnormality' should be something that scares others, right?"
"I think... digging such a huge underground space under the city-state is terrifying enough!" Anomaly 077 said nervously, "What do you think..."
Lawrence shrugged: "How would I know? I didn't dig it."
Then he stopped paying attention to the mummy and looked down at the small mirror on his chest and said, "Martha, how are things going over there?"
"It's very lively," Martha's voice came from the mirror. There seemed to be explosions and artillery fire in the background. "After you entered the second waterway, the entire mirror world went crazy. All the ships inside and outside the port were firing at me."
"Are you okay?"
"I'm not that easy to sink - but the bad thing is, the enemy doesn't seem to be that easy to sink either. They're constantly getting replenishment from the reflection."
Lawrence was silent for a moment and looked up at the dark and deep corridor ahead.
"How far is it from here to the deepest point?" he asked.
"It's far, but you can take a 'shortcut'."
Lawrence frowned: "A shortcut?"
"Notice those puddles of water on the ground? Find a road sign, then find the puddle closest to the sign and see what's reflected in it."
Lawrence followed Martha's instructions and came to a pool of water that met the requirements, then looked down at the reflection inside.
The reflection reveals a crossroads. On the wall next to the crossroads is a nameplate on which the words "Upper City Sewage Main Pipeline" can be vaguely seen.
His eyes widened and he looked up to his side.
On the wall next to him, the mottled nameplate clearly read "Port Area Sewage Discharge".
Martha's voice came from the mirror: "Did you see it? The world in the mirror is discontinuous."
"... Incredible... It's like a dream..." Lawrence muttered to himself, looking down at the puddle of water under his feet again. Even as one of the most experienced captains on the vast sea, he had to admit that everything in this mirror city was beyond his imagination. But soon, he calmed down and asked, "Then how can we use these 'shortcuts'?"
"You have already arrived," Martha said with a smile, "When you stay in front of this 'mirror' long enough, you have already arrived."
Lawrence was stunned and looked up hurriedly.
There was a crossroads in front of him. The dim and flickering gas lamps were embedded in the corridor walls of the intersection. On the nearest nameplate, the mottled handwriting was vaguely discernible -
〖Shangcheng District sewage main pipeline〗
Abnormal 077 looked at the suddenly changing environment in astonishment, his eyes quickly scanning the roadside nameplates and the reflections of the puddled water. After a long while, he suddenly shouted, "Is this reasonable?!"
The sailors around all turned their eyes to the mummy.
Lawrence didn't pay attention to the "sailor's" reaction. He just looked thoughtfully at the dimly lit corridor ahead. After a long time, he frowned in confusion and said to Martha: "We are already in the Second Waterway, but where are the 'helpers' you mentioned before? Where are the 'Queen's Guards' fighting in the Second Waterway?"
The sound of distant gunfire was heard in the mirror. Martha's voice was delayed for a few seconds before it reached Lawrence's ears: "Take the left fork and follow the red road signs. When there is no road, stop and wait... They will appear. When the time comes, they will appear."
Lawrence frowned: "Time?"
"...the Queen's Guards will attack at midnight - every day at midnight. Before this time, they are invisible."
※※※
In the secret room of the underground liaison station in the "Golden Flute" tavern, the "old ghost" lying on the bed suddenly opened his eyes.
"What time is it..."
The old man's eyes seemed a little dazed, and he muttered as if in his sleep. However, in the dimly lit room, the only responses he received were the occasional "beep" from some monitoring equipment and the faint sound of gunfire coming from nowhere.
The next second, the old ghost suddenly widened his eyes.
Faint sound of gunfire?
Gunshot!
The old man woke up instantly. The sound of the gunshot came into his ears, vague and indistinct, as if it was separated not only by thick walls and floors, but also by decades of time. He quickly climbed up from the bed, and then reached out to grab something placed beside the bed.
It was a big wrench that he kept next to him even when he slept.
It is his tool and also his weapon.
"The fighting has begun... The fighting has begun... I can't sleep here... It's time to assemble..."
The old ghost muttered to himself, put on his shoes tremblingly, and put on his coat that was on the chair next to him. Then he raised his head and looked at the room where he had just slept.
This is a secret room used for communicating with the Sea Fog Fleet. Nemo arranged for him to rest here and take care of the equipment here.
But the next second, the old ghost seemed to have forgotten everything about this room. His eyes became cloudy again, and he looked at the door not far away in confusion.
"Oh! The door is here!"
The old ghost suddenly realized something and a look of joy appeared on his face. He then walked over quickly and pulled open the iron door leading to the underground secret passage.
Opposite the door was a narrow, gloomy corridor where the lights flickered and there was a hissing sound caused by insufficient gas supply from the gas pipe.
"The gas pipe is not functioning properly... the air pressure is not enough... no, no, now is not the time to worry about these things..." The old ghost looked at the lights in the corridor, muttering quickly. He took a step forward, but seemed to suddenly remember something and looked back at the secret room where he had just rested.
The room was empty.
Everyone might have gathered in the tavern above ground.
"Crow, I'm going out, you stay at home!"
The old ghost shouted to the empty room, then turned around, holding the big wrench that he never left behind, and slowly walked into the deep and dark passage.
Go to the second waterway.
It's time for the Queen's Guard to strike back.