Chapter 40
The metal corridor was silent, save for the steady hum of the cold white light strips overhead, a strange contrast to the faint sound of explosions and collapses coming from beyond the barrier behind them. The smell of disinfectant, mixed with an indescribable scent resembling ozone and heated metal, stung my nose with a chill.
Chen Mengzhou leaned against the cold alloy wall, quickly tending to the scrapes on his arms and waist. The bullets had only caused flesh wounds, nothing serious, but the surge of energy and blood from forcing his way through the barrier and the impact of the explosion still needed to be calmed.
What made her even more nervous was this suddenly appearing corridor and the mysterious gap in the barrier.
Who is it and why are you helping her?
A trap? Or... is there someone else lurking here?
Spatial perception was even more suppressed here, barely extending out to about ten meters, and the feedback was also unclear. The alloy doors on both sides seemed to be controlled by an internal system and were extremely strong.
There is no turning back. Only forward.
She held the dagger in her hand backwards, and her figure moved silently along the corridor like a ghost blending into the light.
The corridor wasn't long, and at the end was a thicker, almost gapless, round, airtight door. There were no markings on the door, only a red status light that quietly lit up, indicating "locked."
Next to the door, there is an inconspicuous biometric scanner and numeric keypad.
It's obviously not possible to force your way in.
Chen Mengzhou glanced at the scanner and then at the keyboard. Try? It's almost impossible to crack.
Just as she was thinking about countermeasures——
Click.
With an extremely slight mechanical sound, the heavy airtight door slid open to the side by itself!
Just like the gap in the barrier before, it silently and actively opened the way for her!
Behind the door is a wider space.
The scene before him made Shen Mengzhou's breathing pause slightly.
This was a vast circular hall. In the center, a dizzyingly complex ring-shaped device, composed of countless precision robotic arms and luminous crystals, hovered. At its center, a vortex of energy, approximately three meters in diameter, pulsated and refracted a rainbow of colors.
The vortex was not as violent as the S-114, but was relatively stable, yet it emitted a more bizarre and deeper suction force that penetrated the soul, as if one's soul would be pulled in if one looked at it a few more times.
Is this the "Dream Weaver"? A device for consciousness projection?
The hall was surrounded by a circle of elevated observation platforms, dotted with various monitoring screens and control terminals. At this moment, the platforms were empty, with only the data on the screens still scrolling rapidly.
The most eye-catching thing is that there are more than a dozen life-support capsules connected to the device.
But unlike the slaughterhouse-like life-support pods in S-114 that were used to extract life energy, these pods were more refined, their interiors soaked in light blue nutrient solution, and inside lay a dozen or so people... wearing researcher or scavenger uniforms!
Their expressions were calm, as if they were just sleeping, but their sunshades were connected to fine wires, and the other end of the wires was immersed in the "Dream Weaver" device in the center!
Are they the "raw materials"? The "batteries" used to maintain the stability of the channel and allow Adrian to project his consciousness?
Chen Mengzhou felt a chill in his heart. The Foundation's methods were always beyond imagination.
Her gaze quickly swept across the hall, quickly locking onto an auxiliary control console beneath the observation platform. Dr. Adrian was slumped in a chair in front of the console, wearing a sensor-laden helmet. His eyes were closed, his brow furrowed, seemingly absorbed in the Dreamweaver's projection, unaware of the intrusion behind him.
He was guarded by two scavenger soldiers, but their attention was completely absorbed by the central device and the doctor's condition, and they had their backs to the entrance.
Chance!
Chen Mengzhou didn't hesitate at all, his body exploded in an instant like a taut bowstring!
Puff! Puff!
Two extremely soft muffled sounds! The bayonets were like the kiss of death, precisely slicing through the throats of the two soldiers! They fell to the ground before they could even utter a sound.
Chen Mengzhou stepped in front of Dr. Adrian and put the cold muzzle of the gun directly on his temple!
Almost at the same time, her other hand quickly tore off the data cable on his helmet!
“Ugh—!”
Dr. Adrian let out a shrill scream, as if his soul had been forcibly torn back, and suddenly opened his eyes! His pupils were dilated, filled with extreme fear and confusion. He gasped for breath, and saliva flowed uncontrollably from the corners of his mouth.
The backlash of having consciousness forcibly interrupted is obviously extremely painful.
"Don't move." Chen Mengzhou's voice was as cold as iron, and he pushed the muzzle of his gun hard. "Tell me, how do I shut down this damn thing?"
Dr. Adrian's whole body trembled violently, and his scattered vision focused with difficulty. When he saw the person pointing a gun at him, the blood instantly drained from his face, as if he had seen a ghost!
"It's... it's you?! S-07?! How could you be here?!" His voice was hoarse and distorted, filled with incredible horror.
"Answer my question." Chen Mengzhou's finger was on the trigger.
"Shut...shut it down?" Dr. Adrian seemed to have heard a huge joke. Despite his fear, a hint of crazy mockery flashed in his eyes. "It's too late... Once the 'Dream Weaver' is activated, it can't be stopped unless the energy is exhausted or... the 'Dream Weaving' is completed! Forcibly interrupting it will only cause an even more terrible energy backlash! We will all die!"
He suddenly looked towards the swirling energy vortex in the center, a morbid fanaticism on his face: "And... and I have seen it! The fragments of the 'other shore'! That is... that is a miracle! It is..."
Phew!
Chen Mengzhou didn't listen to his crazy talk at all. The bayonet pierced his palm without hesitation and nailed him to the console!
"Ah--!!!" Adrian screamed like a pig being slaughtered.
"I don't care what you saw." Chen Mengzhou leaned over, his eyes coldly gazing at his face twisted in pain. "How do I close it? For the last time."
"Madman! You lunatic!" Adrian roared with tears streaming down his face. "The main energy source is on the third floor underground! The backup energy source... the backup energy source is... ah!"
He screamed again because General Shen Mengzhou twisted the spear half a circle.
"Under...under those 'batteries' life support systems! Connected to their life signals! Unless they all die, the backup energy will continue to supply power! You can't do it! Hahaha..." He screamed and laughed crazily.
Using a "battery" life support system as a backup energy source? What a sinister design!
Chen Mengzhou's eyes turned even colder. This meant that in order to completely shut down the "Dream Weaver", it would be almost impossible not to kill those who served as "batteries".
The energy vortex in the center seemed to be spinning faster, and the spiritual suction it exuded was getting stronger and stronger! The entire hall began to vibrate slightly, and the equipment sounded an overload alarm!
The Dreamweaver has become unstable! Is it because Adrian's connection was forcibly interrupted? Or is it because the external explosion affected the energy supply?
"Warning! Energy overload! Space-time coordinate shift!" The console screen glowed red and a shrill alarm sounded!
"It's over... It's over... The coordinates are offset... We will be lost in the turbulence of time and space... We will all be torn apart..." Dr. Adrian looked at the screen, his face completely pale, muttering to himself, and fell into complete despair.
We must leave here immediately!
Chen Mengzhou acted decisively, pulling out her bayonet and ignoring the limp Adrian. She quickly scanned the control panel, trying to find any useful information or a way to shut down some systems.
At this moment, her attention was suddenly attracted by an independent surveillance screen next to her!
What was displayed on the screen was not energy data, but a familiar room!
Cold white walls, a simple bed - it was exactly the room where she saw Chu Li being imprisoned in her dream!
But at this moment, the room is empty!
Chu Li is missing? !
Almost at the same time, a small red dot in the corner of the screen flashed, and a line of tiny timestamps appeared - [Signal source lost: 3 minutes and 17 seconds ago].
Just when she barged in here and caused chaos?
Did she escape on her own? Or... was she transferred?
The one who helped her open the barrier and the door... could it be her?!
Countless questions suddenly came to my mind!
Boom——!!!
The entire hall shook violently! Metal components and light bulbs fell from overhead! The energy vortex in the center began to fluctuate violently, the colors becoming chaotic, and even occasionally flashed with strange, sanity-destroying colors and fragmented images that didn't belong to this dimension at all!
"No! Stabilize it! Stabilize it quickly!" Dr. Adrian rushed to the console like a madman, hitting the buttons randomly, but making the situation worse!
It’s not a good place to stay for long!
Chen Mengzhou no longer hesitated, turned around and rushed towards the airtight door through which he came!
The moment she rushed out the door——
Boom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Behind him, a deafening explosion sounded! Blazing flames and chaotic energy streams gushed out from the door! The entire underground structure was collapsing crazily!
"Dream Weaver"... is completely out of control!
Chen Mengzhou was blown away by the huge air wave and hit the wall of the corridor heavily, with a sweet taste in his throat.
She struggled to get up and ran out along the corridor without looking back!
The explosion and collapse behind me are like maggots on the tarsal bones, chasing me relentlessly!
The entrance to the crevice we came from has been completely blocked by falling rocks!
There is no way back!
Just when she was about to be swallowed by the collapse——
Buzz!
At a point on the rock face ahead, space rippled once again like water waves! Another temporary, extremely unstable spatial crack suddenly appeared before her!
Behind the crack, there was no longer a mine, but... a sparse dead forest and the vague outline of a mountain in the distance!
It's outside!
Without any time to think, Chen Mengzhou used up his last bit of strength, lunged forward, and plunged into the crack!
The next second after her body was completely immersed, the crack flashed violently and disappeared in an instant!
Boom boom boom——!!!
The entire underground exploration base of Blackrock Mountain was completely buried by billions of tons of rocks and destructive energy.
All secrets, all madness, are temporarily buried deep underground.
Chen Mengzhou fell heavily onto the cold, gravel-covered ground outside.
There were sparse stars in the night sky and the air was cold and dry.
She coughed out the sand and blood foam in her mouth and looked back with difficulty.
In the distance, the outline of Black Rock Mountain stood silently in the night, as if nothing had happened.
Only slight tremors in the ground hinted at the great changes deep underground.
She survived again.
But my heart is extremely heavy.
Although the "Dream Weaver" may have been destroyed, Adrian's last crazy words and the strange fragments that flashed in the vortex made her unable to feel at ease.
What exactly is the “other side” that the foundation is spying on?
And Chu Li... where is she? Is that person who helps her time and time again really her? What does she want to do?
Chen Mengzhou slowly spread out his palms.
The cold black compass that saved her life lay quietly in her palm.
The pointer remained motionless.
The road ahead is uncertain and full of dangers.
But the only clue still seems to point to the West.
Pointing to the Wall of Weeping promised in the dream.
She put away the compass, stood up, wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, and looked firmly towards the dark night in the west.
Then, he took a step forward.
Whatever awaits her.
She has to go.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
