A car… throwing a bomb?
The sheer absurdity of it left everyone stunned.
Before they could react, the jeep itself ignited, exploding in a flash of red light.
BOOM!
A shockwave tore through the dig site, sending shrapnel and searing heat in all directions.
BOOM!!A second explosion rocked the ground before everything finally went quiet—except for the crackling of fire and groans of the wounded.
Ding.
A soft chime broke Li Chengyi's daze—a message.
He pulled out his phone.
[You have received a regional broadcast. View?]
He tapped yes.
"Just a small reminder."— Unknown Number
He stared at the screen, eyes darkening, then looked up at the burning jeep.
"…How badly is the lower structure damaged?"
Ding Chongyi was still catching her breath, but quickly answered.
"They dropped a bomb right after breaching the tunnel. It's probably collapsed down there. What do you think!?"
"This was a cleanup hit…"
Whoever was behind this had no interest in survivors—or evidence.
"Call in company cleanup. Have them scan the debris. Whoever did this… they're stalling us."
Stalling? Mission accomplished, Li thought grimly.
Reality was harsher than any nightmare.
In the real world, he couldn't use the Flower-Scale Armor.His combat strength? Likely worse than a trained soldier's.
His Flower Language ability was incredible—but only if he got close.
If I can't reach them… I'm dead.
I need to improve my real-world strength. Armor is my trump card—it drains too much to wear daily. My core focus must be hand-to-hand combat, firearms, and stealth. Everything else is backup.
His thoughts were interrupted—
BANG!
A gunshot tore through the air.
A worker collapsed—blood seeping from the side of his head.
"SNIPER!""TAKE COVER!"
Chaos erupted. The yellow-hats scattered, diving behind prefab cabins.
Li grabbed Dr. Ding and sprinted behind cover.
But before they could call for help, a figure burst from the treeline—
A massive man, dragging another by the collar. He wore a black T-shirt, his eyes yellow-tinged.
"Song Ran!"
The man held a silver handgun, and his eyes were filled with fury.
"Got one. Dead. Chip fried his brain the moment I caught him."
Song began giving out orders.
"Split up—report to HQ. Huang Zhisheng, message the main office. Rest of you, check the tunnel. See if there's anything left."
"The tunnel?" Li asked. "Still usable?"
"Probably not. The whole cavity might have collapsed," Ding Chongyi sighed.
Song Ran's jaw clenched. "We don't have enough people here to fend off whoever's doing this. We're sitting ducks. We need to inform the boss—see if we retreat or push forward."
"Wait," Ding interrupted, adjusting her AR interface. "The tunnel… might still be intact."
"Seriously?" Song and Li turned to her at once.
"The sensors we planted held up! The signal just came through—they're reading a viable cavity. The damage only hit one corner. We can still enter!"
Li didn't hesitate.
If I don't go now, I may never get the chance again.
He geared up—harness, oxygen mask, full protective suit.
"You ready?" Huang Zhisheng asked.
"Always."
Two engineers released mechanical spiders from silver boxes—fist-sized machines with glowing bellies that lit the tunnel below.
"Stick with the drones. Watch your footing!"
"Got it."
Li approached the edge of the shaft.
Step by step, he lowered himself in.
Just as he vanished into the darkness—
BANG! Another shot rang out above.
"Cover the entrance!" Ding ordered. "Use the lid—leave a gap for air!"
"We'll seal the exit! You've got three hours of oxygen. Focus on finding the clue—don't worry about us. AR link stays active," Ding's voice rang in his ears.
"Understood."
He tightened his grip on the rope, then unhooked it and began descending using just his gloves.
The rope hissed, friction heating the gloves to near-burning. The smell of scorched leather filled the air.
But this was faster.
After a few minutes, he reached the bottom:247 meters deep.
The earth here was loose and soft.
Thanks to the drone's light, he spotted a narrow tunnel ahead.
Cold air drifted out.
"Status?" Ding's voice returned.
"Landed. Explosion hit mid-tunnel—this section is untouched."
"We're under attack, but Song Ran is holding them off. Focus on your mission. Don't damage the drones—they amplify your signal."
"Roger."
The line cut.
A green prompt lit his HUD:
[Connect to drones and issue movement commands?]
"Yes."
Two green spider icons appeared.
Let's go.
He gestured.
The drones crawled into the tunnel, lights flooding the space ahead.
Li followed close behind, the passage sloping downward.
After about ten meters, the space opened up.
He emerged from the tunnel…
…into the real version of the Gelius Parking Lot.
"Finally…"
The ground was lined with faded parking lines.Concrete pillars stood like silent guards.Emergency red doors lined the walls.
Overhead, flickering lamp fixtures dangled from the ceiling.
It was exactly as he had seen it in the Dead Zone…
But here—it was older, colder, and soaked in a damp silence.
[📘 Chapter End – Horror + Mystery Tone]He made it underground—but was it victory… or a trap waiting to spring?
What lies deeper in the Gelius ruin?
🧠 Drop your thoughts below.📚 Add to Library so you don't miss the next descent into darkness.