Chapter 194: Chapter 194: Underground Level 3

With the crowd’s blatant stares falling on him, Shen Yan naturally understood what they were thinking.

His condition was no secret, not to mention he had just caused irreversible consequences due to losing control. To the others, he was probably a ticking time bomb right now. This was especially true when handling an emergency—his lack of control made him the most dangerous presence of all.

However, the thought of Lu Jingyu not only fighting alongside Xu Qingsui but also forming a separate team with her, which would give them space to be alone, made it difficult for him to contain his frustration. He absolutely loathed the idea of giving Lu Jingyu the upper hand by letting him take advantage of being close to her.

Just as he braced himself against the crowd’s piercing gazes, Lu Jingyu spoke up. "How many more people do you want to harm?"

The blunt words struck right at Shen Yan’s sore spot. He stared blankly at Lu Jingyu as hatred welled up in his heart.

"Perhaps you don’t care about the safety of our team, but shouldn’t you at least consider the people upstairs? If a Mutant escapes because of you, can you bear the consequences?"

All of Shen Yan’s emotions shattered under Lu Jingyu’s questioning. The 27th District could not endure any more turmoil, and he could not shoulder that responsibility!

"I understand. I’ll leave what happens down there to you. Also..." Shen Yan looked at Xu Qingsui. "You must take good care of her, don’t—"

"I don’t need your reminder. With me here, Qing Sui will absolutely not get hurt," Lu Jingyu cut in, shutting him down directly.

The tense atmosphere between the two men once again drew strange looks from the rest of the group. Yet, as the saying goes, the onlookers see the whole picture while the players are blind. Even now, Xu Qingsui hadn’t realized that she was caught in the center of a strange rivalry.

Without Shen Yan’s interference, Lu Jingyu quickly laid out the plan. "You can take us to the third underground level now."

As soon as he finished speaking, a staff member brought over nine freshly retrieved gas masks. "Since we aren’t sure if the leaked contamination source below is airborne, it’s best for everyone to wear a mask just to be safe."

Since they were about to venture deep into the contaminated zone, Lu Jingyu didn’t dare be careless and immediately had everyone gear up.

Once everything was ready, the group followed the staff member to a stairwell.

"To prevent unexpected situations like this one, the second and third underground levels weren’t equipped with elevators. There is only this stairwell, and at the end of it is a reinforced Vajra Gate. A few members of the combat team are standing guard down there," the staff member briefly explained as he led them down the stairs.

Emergency lights lining both sides of the stairwell illuminated the dim environment, casting an eerie glow that gave one the illusion of marching toward a life-and-death struggle. Upon reaching the bottom, the group finally saw the Sentinels standing guard.

From behind the Vajra Gate, the heavy sound of something violently smashing against metal echoed out. Because of this, the Sentinels on guard all wore solemn expressions, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.

"Thank you for your hard work. Leave the rest to Captain Lu." Shen Yan offered a few words of concern, though his gaze still subconsciously drifted toward Xu Qingsui. The thought of her going down there with Lu Jingyu continued to make him feel uneasy.

With the situation being urgent, Lu Jingyu didn’t waste words. Glancing at the Vajra Gate, he instructed, "I’ll take the lead. Open the gate just a crack to let me in first. Wait for my signal. Once I’ve dealt with the Mutant slamming against the door, you can enter. You must act fast; we can’t let any Mutants seize the chance to escape."

Receiving their orders, the group immediately split into two teams, standing on either side of the gate to cover Lu Jingyu as he entered.

Once everything was set, the staff member opened the gate upon receiving the signal. However, the moment a narrow gap appeared, a hairy hand thrust out from the opening, clawing wildly at the air. Its sharp nails scraped against the Vajra Gate, striking sparks and emitting a piercing screech.

Seeing this, everyone went on high alert, prepared to strike at any second. But right at that moment, a longsword flew out from the back and cleanly severed the flailing claw.

Simultaneously, the gap in the gate widened, and in a flash, Lu Jingyu slipped through the opening. As soon as he successfully entered the third underground level, the gate slammed shut.

If not for the severed claw lying at their feet, they would have doubted whether the gate had ever been opened at all. While everyone was still reeling in shock, the longsword flew back to Shen Yan’s side. Watching the arc of the returning weapon, the group finally realized that Shen Yan was the one who had struck.

Seeing Xu Qingsui looking at him too, Shen Yan smiled. "Given my condition, I can’t fight alongside you all, but I should still do what is within my power."

In truth, Shen Yan had been deeply bothered by the fact that Xu Qingsui would be fighting side-by-side with Lu Jingyu. He felt that if he didn’t do something, he would be losing outright to his rival. So, when that claw conveniently popped out as an eyesore, he directly controlled his weapon and sliced it off.

Xu Qingsui nodded. "You don’t need to feel bad. I know you want to do something for the 27th District, but there is too much that is beyond your control. Besides, hasn’t the lab been researching a serum to suppress the Frenzy Factor in your body? Even though an accident happened at the lab, a phoenix must burn to be reborn. I believe that once this is all over, they’ll make a major breakthrough. Perhaps they’ll develop an even more effective serum. When that time comes, you’ll be able to fight without any worries."

Hearing her words, a warm current flowed through Shen Yan’s heart. In comparison, Xu Qingsui’s words were much more pleasant to hear than Lu Jingyu’s.

"I’ll take your word for it. But you must be careful when you go down there. I can’t protect you right now, so you have to stay vigilant. Once what you said becomes a reality, I will definitely protect you myself."

Xu Qingsui smiled awkwardly. Since when did she need someone to protect her? Having lived through two lifetimes in the Apocalypse, she knew very well that personal strength was the only absolute truth. She could protect herself just fine.

"You can come in now!"

Lu Jingyu’s voice echoed from behind the heavy metal. Immediately, Xu Qingsui didn’t even bother saying goodbye to Shen Yan. As the gate reopened, she was the first to slip inside.

Passing through, Xu Qingsui first glanced at Lu Jingyu. Seeing no signs of him undergoing frenzy, she then took in their surroundings.

Having seen the floor plan of the third underground level beforehand, she knew it resembled a prison, divided into dozens of holding cells. Aside from those, there was only a main hall and a few rooms used for experiments. Stepping into the third underground level put them right into the main hall.

At this moment, a Mutant over three times the height of a normal person, covered entirely in needle-like hair, lay lifeless on the ground. One of its arms was still bleeding profusely, leaving behind nothing but a bloody stump.

"A gibbon Mutant," someone muttered. "Boss Shen truly runs a massive enterprise, getting his hands on any kind of creature for his experiments."

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