64. Desperate Situation
Inside the underground shelter, time seemed to be sped up by an invisible hand. When the internal timekeeping system indicated one standard hour until dawn, everyone was ready. Under the soft artificial light, the air was no longer filled with a restful tranquility, but rather a tense prelude of metal grinding, equipment checks, and suppressed breathing.
Su Lin stood beside the medical bed as Ling Ye took the final steps in adjusting the collar and straps of his combat uniform. His complexion looked much better than it had been two days before, his paleness fading, revealing a hint of color. However, his figure remained frail, as if a strong wind could blow him over. His amber eyes were exceptionally bright with nervousness, his long eyelashes trembling slightly, betraying his inner unease. Ling Ye's movements were meticulous, fastening each buckle and adjusting the backpack's shoulder straps to ensure they wouldn't rub against Su Lin's still-unhealed wounds. His fingertips occasionally brushed against the skin on the side of Su Lin's neck, feeling slightly cool.
"Follow me closely and don't try to be stubborn." Ling Ye's voice was low, almost close to Su Lin's ear.
Su Lin took a deep breath and nodded, his knuckles turning white as he unconsciously clenched the handle of the light pistol Ling Ye had just handed him. "I know."
Elsewhere, Lei Qing was making final pre-battle deployments. He stood at the central control console, his rough fingers tracing the simple route map Xingchen had just drawn. Mu Lin and Xingchen flanked him, while A Yan leaned against the wall, arms folded, his gaze piercing the packed equipment.
"Route confirmed," Lei Qing's voice was unquestionable, pointing to a winding path on the map that avoided the main roads. "We're evacuating through the backup ventilation duct. The exit is here—an abandoned exhaust vent on the edge of the old city. Stardust, reconfirm the safety outside the exit and the energy response along the route."
Xingchen closed his eyes in concentration, his face paler than before. The constant high-intensity output of his mental energy was taking its toll on him. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes and spoke rapidly, "The exit is safe for now. There are only sporadic signals of low-level mutant activity. Along the route... the Guichen Cult's mental scanning density is very high, especially near several nodes near the main roads, but our route happens to pass through several weak areas of their scanning network. As long as we move quickly and quietly enough, there's a chance we can get through. But..." He paused, looking at Lei Qing, "That high-level fluctuation... the residual induction of 'Nirvana' is moving, and its direction... is uncertain. It seems to be patrolling various search areas."
"That means we might run into him." Mu Lin said with a frown on his face. He was packing the last few first aid injections and energy bars into everyone's tactical pockets.
"It's possible," Lei Qing admitted, his eyes hard. "So, if we encounter them, Ling Ye, A Yan, and I will hold them back head-on. Mu Lin, Xing Chen, you will lead Su Lin. Break through according to the predetermined route at all costs. Don't look back."
"Captain Lei!" Mu Lin said anxiously.
"This is an order!" Lei Qing interrupted him, his eyes sweeping over the crowd. "Our primary goal is survival, not annihilation. Do you understand?"
"Understood!" Everyone responded in unison. Even A Yan, who was leaning against the wall, stood up and nodded heavily.
"Check the communicator and tune to encrypted channel seven." Lei Qing gave the final order.
After a subtle electronic sound, the team's internal communication network was established.
"action!"
The heavy airtight door slowly opened with the low hum of hydraulics, instantly allowing the cold, damp air from the passage outside to rush in. Lei Qing was the first to step aside, his sniper rifle gleaming coldly in the dim light. He gestured, signaling it was safe.
The team filed out and once again stepped into the dangerous underground world. Unlike the time they came, this time they had a clear goal and a tight deadline.
Ling Ye remained in charge of Su Lin. He no longer carried him on his back, instead letting him walk behind him, one hand resting lightly on Su Lin's lower back, providing immediate support without unduly restricting his movements. Su Lin gritted his teeth, striving to keep pace with Ling Ye. Although each step strained his still-unhealed meridians, causing a dull ache, he made no sound, though a fine layer of cold sweat quickly seeped down his forehead.
Xingchen walked at the front of the group, trailing only Lei Qing, who led the way. He completely abandoned vision, relying solely on his mental power to "pave the way" ahead. His perception was like the most sophisticated radar, constantly providing real-time feedback to Lei Qing and Ling Ye behind him on the structural stability of the passage ahead, the location of obstacles, and most importantly—energy fluctuations.
"Turn left ahead, the passage is narrow, be careful of the overhead pipelines." "There's a collapse fifty meters to the right, detour." "Stop! There's a scanning wave passing through the fork in the road ahead... Wait... The wave has passed, it's safe, pass quickly!"
His voice, transmitted clearly through bone-conduction headphones, became the team's eyes and ears in the darkness. Mu Lin followed closely behind Xingchen. He didn't condense a light ball in his hand, so as not to reveal his target, but an extremely faint chill lingered around him. This chill not only interfered with any possible thermal detection to a certain extent, but also allowed him to more keenly sense changes in air flow and temperature, giving him early warning of possible ambush.
A Yan was the last man standing, his footsteps the lightest, like a black panther on the hunt, each landing soundless. His golden pupils, sharp even in the darkness, constantly scanned the shadows behind and to the sides, sensing no movement.
The team swiftly moved through the maze of passages and tunnels, like a school of fish swimming silently in an undercurrent. All around them was a dead silence, broken only by their muffled breathing, the rustling of clothing, and the occasional soft creak of gravel underfoot. This silence, even more disturbing than the clamor, felt as if danger lurked around the next corner.
Suddenly, Stardust stopped abruptly and his body tensed up instantly!
"Oh no! There's an ambush in the passage to the front right! Three energy reactions, they are lurkers from the Guichen Sect! They have set up tripwires and sonic alarms!" His voice was a little hurried.
Almost at the same time as Stardust issued the warning, Lei Qing also noticed something unusual with his rich experience. He immediately made a gesture to stop and hide.
The team instantly dispersed, hiding behind the pipes and protrusions on both sides of the passage. Ling Ye pulled Su Lin behind him, completely shielding him with his body, his bayonet already gripped in reverse.
At the corner in front of the passage, a very slight sound of metal collision could be faintly heard.
"Have they discovered us?" Mu Lin asked in a low voice, and the cold air in his hands began to condense.
"Not sure, maybe just a routine alert." Stardust closed his eyes, his mental focus firmly fixed on the three energy sources. "They're moving... very cautiously... like they're confirming something."
Lei Qing's mind raced. A forceful attack? That would immediately expose their position and attract more enemies. A detour? Other routes were unknown and potentially even more dangerous.
"Ling Ye, A Yan," Lei Qing whispered through the communicator, "Follow my instructions and prepare for a silent elimination. Mu Lin, prepare freezing traps to prevent them from retreating or calling for help. Xingchen, accurately guide the target location."
"Understood." "Got it."
There was a brief moment of dead silence. Only the muffled heartbeat could be heard in the passage.
The footsteps around the corner were getting closer.
"First, behind the left pipe." "Second, stick close to the right wall." "Third, provide support from the rear."
Stardust's voice was like the calmest guiding thread.
Just as the three lurkers were about to turn the corner—
"Get started!"
Lei Qing's voice exploded in the headphones like thunder!
Ling Ye and A Yan suddenly emerged from their hiding place like ghosts! Ling Ye's bayonet flashed a black light, piercing the throat of the lurker on the left with precision. The lurker collapsed to the ground without a single grunt. A Yan, like a raging train, slammed directly into the lurker on the right, slamming him against the wall with immense force. The sound of bones shattering was audible. Simultaneously, his free hand ignited a blazing flame, instantly extinguishing any possible screams or distress calls from the lurker.
Almost at the same time, Mu Lin pressed his hands forward, and a biting cold air instantly spread out, forming a thick and slippery layer of ice on the ground of the passage behind the corner, and freezing any alarm devices that might be farther away.
The whole process happened in a flash, cleanly and neatly, without any loud noise.
"Clear." Ling Ye's calm voice came.
"Safe." A Yan confirmed, shaking off the ashes on his hands.
Lei Qing quickly stepped forward and inspected the corpse and the surroundings. "Keep moving forward! Speed up! We can't stay here for long!"
The team was on the move again, crossing the bodies and the ice on the ground, faster than before. Su Lin was half-supported and half-carried by Ling Ye, his face even paler. The sudden burst of murderous intent and the tense atmosphere just now made his heart beat wildly.
On the rest of the journey, they encountered several small patrols and detectors, but thanks to Stardust's precise warnings and the team's efficient coordination, they were able to avoid or eliminate them without any danger.
As time ticked by, the internal timer showed they were getting closer and closer to the exit. However, Stardust's expression grew increasingly grim.
"Captain Lei... something's wrong..." His voice trembled slightly. "That high-level wave... 'Nirvana'... it's approaching! Very fast! And the direction... is exactly the direction of our exit!"
Everyone's heart sank to the bottom in an instant!
The worst case scenario still happened.
"Distance!" Lei Qing's voice remained steady, but the veins on the back of his hand holding the gun were bulging.
"Less than two kilometers... At his speed, he will reach the exit in ten minutes at most!" Stardust said hurriedly.
Ten minutes! They were still quite a distance from the exit, and needed to cross the last section of the relatively open underground square with few shelters!
"Full speed ahead!" Lei Qing roared without hesitation, "Abandon hiding and rush to the exit as fast as possible! Mu Lin, prepare to create chaos and provide cover! Ling Ye, A Yan, no matter what, make sure Su Lin and Xingchen reach the exit!"
There was no time to hesitate! The team instantly increased their speed to the limit, rushing towards the final passage like an arrow from a bow.
The sound of footsteps echoed in the empty underground space and could no longer be concealed.
Just as they rushed into the last section of the open square, an icy, deadly pressure that seemed to be able to freeze the soul, like a tangible shadow, came crashing down from the other end of the square, in the direction of the passage leading to the exit!
“Buzz!”
The few remaining emergency lights in the square flickered violently, then exploded one after another! The entire space was plunged into darkness. Only the ice crystals condensed by Mu Lin in his panic reflected the faint light from nowhere, illuminating the horrified expressions of the crowd.
A figure wearing a black robe with silver-grey patterns and a smooth white mask covering his face seemed to emerge from the darkness, standing quietly at the end of the square, blocking the only way to the exit.
Nirvana has arrived.
He didn't move at all, just quietly "watched" them. Under the smooth mask, there seemed to be endless coldness and death flowing.
A desperate situation, a real desperate situation, is right in front of us.
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