"Yes," Ding Chongyi nodded gravely. "And it may very well have been a man-made plague. That boy... might've been one of its victims. It's not that they didn't want to leave—they couldn't."
"If our think tank's speculation is correct, once you enter the parking structure and understand its architecture, you might uncover the method those special individuals used to escape."
Li Chengyi understood her implication.
If the white-robed boy couldn't escape… then who could?
Undoubtedly, only the ones responsible for the tragedy.
"So what's the plan for entering—"
Before he could finish, a commotion broke out nearby.
Both turned toward the noise. A few men in blue security uniforms wielding batons were shouting at the workers, trying to force their way in but getting blocked by the yellow-hat team.
"I'll handle it," Song Ran muttered, striding over.
"They've come twice before," the young woman in the yellow helmet said in a low voice. "They're from a company called Aixi Real Estate. Claimed this land is under lease, and no one's allowed to dig."
"Aixi again…" Li narrowed his eyes.
Whatever Song said to them, it worked. The security guards backed off immediately, looking visibly cowed.
But then—
CRACK.
A sharp mechanical snap echoed behind them, followed by a burst of black smoke from one of the excavators.
A shadowy figure bolted from behind the machine, sprinting into the distance.
"Catch him!"
Workers gave chase, shouting.
"The engine's wrecked! Someone sabotaged it and stole key components!"
This wasn't some cheap backhoe. These modern diggers were precision machines, designed for complex subterranean operations. Losing one meant huge delays.
Was someone trying to slow us down… on purpose?
Li had his suspicions.
But he wasn't too worried. They had time. And they had backup.
With the machine out of commission, work stalled.So he and Song stayed in their prefab tin housing, awaiting repairs.
Meals were rehydrated rations—barebones, but no one was here for comfort.
Over the next three days, Li used the time to run an experiment back in Tiamog:
He tried provoking thugs to build up malice…and then beat them down to trigger the Absorption ability.
The result?
+4 Malice.
Barely anything—despite hours of effort and two battered hoodlums.
It's not enough…
He theorized that only deep-rooted hatred, especially from mentally resilient individuals, would yield significant gains.
Maybe I need to build a Saw-style "game"... force people to reach the edge of madness.
He shook the thought away. Not yet.
On the fourth morning, Li stepped out of his metal cabin and froze.
Three white vans had arrived, their sides emblazoned with blue text:
"National Land Bureau."
Government agents were speaking with Song Ran and the site manager, Huang Zhisheng.
Soon after, Song walked over, frowning.
"They want us to register with them. Think we're illegally mining."
"How long will it take?"
"Shouldn't be long. But I have to go. I'm listed as the highest-ranking rep on site."
Li sighed. "Alright."
"Stay with Dr. Ding. I'll be back soon."
With Song and Huang gone, an unease crept in.
Someone really doesn't want us digging here…
Dr. Ding appeared beside him, watching the departing vehicles.
"Little tricks like these still work wonders," she muttered. "Every hour they delay us could be fatal."
Li scowled. "Is slowing us down really that effective?"
"You'd be surprised."
He didn't reply. But she was right.
A week had passed since they arrived, and they'd made barely any progress.
His armor was stuck at 55 Malice. His time was running out.
I need to evolve the Flower-Scale Armor. I won't survive another encounter with the Face Creature otherwise.
Ding interrupted his thoughts.
"Just because Song's gone, doesn't mean we stop."
She rallied the crew immediately.Excavation resumed that afternoon.
Li stood by, grateful. He couldn't wear the armor full-time—it drained his mental stamina.
And the next time the Dead Zone pulled him in…There would be no reset, no second chance.
Three more days passed.
"It's through! It's open!"
Someone pounded on Li's door.
He rushed out, holstering his handgun.
"Can I go down now?"
"We're reinforcing the shaft. Just a bit longer," said the crew member.
"Where's Dr. Ding?"
"She's already at the site."
He ran to the pit.
Sunset bathed the sky in red. Sea breeze carried the salty scent of the nearby coast.
Two massive pipes were pumping oxygen into the hole.
"Reinforcements are nearly done. You'll be going down soon," Ding confirmed, standing nearby.
"How am I getting down?"
"See that?" She pointed to a harness, protective suit, helmet, and a portable oxygen tank. "Put all that on."
Li nodded and began preparing.
But then—
A military-green jeep rolled out from the palm grove.
It had no plates, looked brand new.
A yellow-hat worker tried to stop it.
The engine roared.
WHAM!
The jeep slammed into the worker, sending him flying in a spray of blood.Then, it headed straight for the pit.
"MOVE!"
Li yanked Ding to the side.
They scrambled out of the crater as the jeep barreled in—
And then they realized…
There was no driver.
"Autonomous vehicle!?"
Too late.
CLUNK.
A silver mechanical arm extended from the jeep and dropped something into the pit.
BOOM!!
An earth-shaking explosion tore through the site.
A column of orange fire and smoke erupted from the shaft.
[🔥 Chapter End – Suspense + Cliffhanger]An ambush. A buried secret.What did they blow up—and why now?
💬 Drop your theories below—📚 Don't forget to Add to Library to witness what lies beneath Gelius!