Chapter 82: Ambushed

"There's not only fresh blood, but also a crucial marker missing," Ji Cheng's gaze fell on a certain spot.

"According to the records, during an exploration in the southern port seven years ago, someone died here, and the body was never recovered."

A corpse? The others were startled.

"You people from the southern port know the situation best, so what exactly happened?"

"Either we've been unknowingly affected by the 'Brain in the Sand,' causing mental contamination, or something else has changed down here."

He thought of Pang Weiwei—perhaps she hadn't died, but had found some way to bypass the small honeycomb and enter this place directly.

"Mental contamination!?" Tian Gang—also known as the big-nosed ability user from Red Hawk—cried out in alarm, while the rest stood rooted to the spot like wooden statues, not daring to move or speak; after all, two people had already spoken.

"But my instincts tell me it's the latter," Ji Cheng said nonchalantly, walking over to squat by the bloodstains and observe them.

It was indeed very fresh, and there was a scent reminiscent of hot iron plunged into water, evidence that this was blood from internal organs, vomited up.

"Isn’t it reckless to make decisions based purely on instinct? Especially when you’re the commander of this team. A wrong order from you could get people killed. I strongly suggest we immediately follow the 'Mental Contamination Handling Protocol' for assessment."

"I don't need your doubts. This is the mining zone—your best option is to shut up and follow orders without question."

Are these fools even incapable of lying low? Ji Cheng was thoroughly exasperated.

"Anyone feeling nauseous, dizzy, or have headaches?" There were clearly no symptoms or signs of mental contamination—what were they so afraid of?

Only when Ji Cheng spoke did they come to their senses.

"We’re a bit jumpy," Lei Junming said with an awkward laugh. "With only a three percent chance of survival, anyone would be on edge."

"We have twenty-two hours left. No matter what's happening below, I assume no one wants to quit now?" Ji Cheng said as he walked to the foremost railcar, posing the question.

Naturally, no one answered.

Creak.

Ji Cheng pulled open the heavy iron door of the railcar, and a faint scent of decay wafted out.

It was a rectangular, low-ceilinged compartment, its inner walls badly peeling from years of neglect. Dust lay thick underfoot, swirling into the air with every step, lending the place an air of desolation and death.

A torn tarp covered a dozen or so closely spaced seats.

Ji Cheng scanned the interior from end to end, his gaze finally lingering on the hollow window frames.

A strange, low moan reached his ears—likely the wind from underground whistling through the window frames.

Ji Cheng glanced at the time on his wrist computer and called out, "It's now 5:56 p.m., four minutes until the next departure. Get in, everyone."

Their ID clearance was too low to force a manual start; they had to wait for the scheduled departure.

He strode to the back row, dusted off a seat, sat down calmly, and fastened his seatbelt.

As the team leader, it was his duty—not his privilege—to put himself in a relatively safe position. Only by ensuring his own safety first could he issue orders with a clear mind.

The other ability users clambered in and found seats.

"It's cramped in here."

"Looks like the person who built this lab was a real penny-pincher."

"Strap in, everyone—the tracks ahead are a steep descent. Don't get tossed out and break your neck."

The banter helped to ease the tension, and the atmosphere soon relaxed a bit.

With the Brain in the Sand compounded by the overlapping mines, and the already perilous Hive Laboratory, anyone who claimed not to be scared was surely lying.

Buzz.

Before long, the cable car-like vehicle began to move steadily and silently. To their surprise, the unremarkable railcar must have employed some advanced technology—its motion was nearly noiseless.

After traversing a horizontal stretch of ten or so meters, the car accelerated sharply down a steep incline.

Ji Cheng braced himself against the seat in front to keep his balance.

The compartment lights seemed broken; only the tunnel lights on either side slanted through the windows, quickly replaced by the next set as they advanced, creating a flickering effect.

"What’s it like down below? Our map doesn’t say," someone asked from the front.

"The records show a ring of labs called the Central Hive below. There’s a high probability of encountering tier-two protoforms inside."

"Does that mean there’s also a Main Hive?"

"There is a Main Hive surrounded by the central labs, but don’t get your hopes up. That place is inaccessible."

Ji Cheng had just finished speaking and was about to review the data again when he felt a soft arm encircle him from behind, the touch as gentle as a lover’s caress, with neatly trimmed, spotless nails.

A sensation of exquisite softness pressed against his back, and warm breath fluttered at his neck.

What was his sister up to now?

He was about to speak when he froze.

"This is the last row, damn it!"

Ji Cheng nearly exclaimed out loud, but managed to stifle his outburst, determined not to break his cool demeanor as commander.

"Prepare for combat," Ji Cheng ordered with composure.

Combat? The others were baffled by his strange command—nothing unusual had happened.

But trained to respond to orders, the ability users reflexively drew their firearms or melee weapons, the sounds of loading and cocking echoing through the compartment.

"Where's the enemy?" asked a Red Hawk ability user, glancing back at Ji Cheng in confusion.

"Perhaps—just outside the car," Ji Cheng replied, rubbing his neck. As soon as he’d given the order, the arm around him had vanished, withdrawn with such unnatural speed that the lingering sensation felt like waking from a springtime dream.

"What is that!" Zhang Lingfei suddenly shrieked, her face ashen, eyes wide with terror.

Everyone instinctively followed her gaze, and Ji Cheng felt his heart leap into his throat.

Zzzrra!

With a shriek of tearing metal, the roof of the compartment split open. The thick steel plate curled back like flesh, and a monstrous claw—five fingers like razors, half a meter long—thrust inside.

As it entered, the claw flared out like an umbrella, the inner edges scraping the wall and showering sparks, gouging deep furrows into the steel before vanishing in an instant.

"What was that?" someone shouted from the front.

Because of the lighting and the small size of the opening, Ji Cheng couldn’t see clearly, but he managed to recall a few details.

The creature’s entire body was encased in what appeared to be an extraordinarily tough layer—veins as thick as bottle caps ran across it, some jet-black, others translucent enough to reveal the dark red blood surging beneath.

Only its left arm was smooth and pale, indistinguishable from a human’s—the very arm that had embraced Ji Cheng moments earlier.

"It’s a mutated beast!" shouted Centipede, his scarred face twisted into a hideous mask.

Ratatatat.

He raised his submachine gun and unloaded a burst into the crack in the roof, the muzzle flashing and momentarily illuminating the compartment.

But the bullets struck only the tunnel’s petrified rock, sending back a dull, splintering thud.

"It’s gone!"

The monster was no longer on the roof.

"Watch all directions," Ji Cheng warned, his eyes scanning for any sign of the next attack.

What on earth was that thing?