A day later, the first team of researchers arrived at the lab—around 30 people in total. Among them, only six or seven were actual researchers; the rest were military personnel assigned to escort them.
This team represented only one of several official shelters. They were the same group that had previously contacted Lin Wu.
The laboratory’s space was limited, and with power not yet fully restored, it was impossible to accommodate research teams from all shelters simultaneously. When Lin Wu raised this concern, the other party stated they would coordinate with other official shelters through meetings to determine the order of team arrivals.
Unsurprisingly, the researchers from this shelter were granted first priority. This shelter had a unique advantage over the others—Feng Xu’s parents had been sent there earlier for temporary residence.
At the time, the lab’s viability as a stable refuge was uncertain, so Lin Wu had arranged for Feng Xu’s parents to stay at the official shelter temporarily. With the researchers now safely escorted to the lab, Lin Wu requested that his parents also be brought over.
This was a minor request compared to Lin Wu agreeing to let the researchers settle in the lab. The shelter readily agreed and even allocated extra food, water, and protective supplies for his parents.
The team’s leader was a stern-looking man in his forties. Shortly after arriving, he offered to help restore the remaining electrical systems and clear out the rest of the laboratory.
At first glance, this seemed like a generous offer, but Yu Xi and Lin Wu both understood the underlying intent—it was a way for the researchers to gain control of the lab. Without much discussion, they tacitly agreed to let their people escort the team to the power room.
After watching the leader and his group leave, Lin Wu immediately headed to the room where Feng Xu’s parents had been settled.
Their room was on the third underground level, in a corridor lined with 30 identical rooms, each about five or six square meters in size. These rooms, originally used to hold test subjects, resembled solitary prison cells. Each had a bed, a simple sink, and a toilet, with no windows or additional exits except for a door with a round window facing the corridor.
Cleaning this area had taken significant effort, but the rooms were convenient for living once prepared.
Yu Xi accompanied Lin Wu. Feng Xu’s parents seemed visibly exhausted, likely from the long journey. Their spirits appeared low, and they barely reacted to seeing Lin Wu, their gazes unfocused.
Feng Xu’s mother asked Lin Wu many detailed questions about his childhood, recounting events one by one and prompting him to elaborate on them. Lin Wu chatted with her for a while, patiently indulging her nostalgia.
Yu Xi quietly observed. After the conversation, Feng Xu’s mother’s condition seemed to improve significantly. She even brought out some food to offer them and asked, somewhat abruptly, if they had plans to get married.
Lin Wu: …
Yu Xi: …
The unexpected question left both of them momentarily stunned. After staying a bit longer, they left. On the way out, Lin Wu, slightly embarrassed, apologized for his mother’s remark, his ears tinged with redness.
Yu Xi didn’t mind at all and instead asked Lin Wu if he had noticed anything unusual about Feng Xu’s parents.
“There’s definitely something off,” Lin Wu admitted. His mind was swirling with suspicions—not just about Feng Xu’s parents but also about the researchers and even the official shelter itself.
The sudden contact from the shelter seemed logical on the surface, yet something felt strange beneath it all.
Their decision to lead a group to the lab had been discussed during the villa meeting, so it wasn’t a secret. However, even Lin Wu and Yu Xi hadn’t been sure about the lab’s state at the time or whether it could serve as a long-term refuge.
Yet, as soon as they finished setting up the lab and had barely begun using it, the shelter seemed to know all about it.
How exactly did they find out?
“Or rather, who informed them?”
This person was undoubtedly among their group. Had they also revealed the details of how he and Yu Xi defeated the mutants in the villa district?
Taking it a step further, if the officials knew the specifics of their fight, would it prompt other ideas? Was this visit really just about borrowing the lab for research?
Yu Xi could more or less guess what Lin Wu was thinking. She patted his shoulder and said four words: “Wait and see.”
With just ten days left, they would hold on until the end.
…
In the days that followed, things remained calm. The researchers and military personnel focused on their respective duties.
The military team worked faster than Yu Xi and Lin Wu’s group, with professionals in their ranks who not only repaired the remaining generators but also improved the water purification and air filtration systems. They even restored the abandoned monitoring room, making it fully functional again.
They planned to establish a hydroponic vegetable area in the lab and proposed expanding the underground facility, preparing it for the eventual arrival of research teams from other shelters.
The officials spoke with Lin Wu and Yu Xi about this twice.
Although the officials were taking charge, Lin Wu and Yu Xi didn’t care about leadership. As long as their actions genuinely benefited humanity’s survival, they had no attachment to making decisions or managing operations.
Meanwhile, the researchers worked almost around the clock in the lab’s specialized rooms, equipped with professional instruments. They seemed to be racing against time, possibly trying to gain a head start on other shelters and achieve a breakthrough in the development of anti-acid agents.
Lin Wu and Yu Xi didn’t fully understand the dynamics between the various official shelters. Despite being part of the same system, the collapse of social order had thrown everything into chaos.
No matter how harmonious things appeared on the surface, wherever humans were in charge, personal interests and competition were inevitable.
…
Only two days remaining until Yu Xi’s three-month survival deadline. The shelter’s team leader, Captain Zhou, could no longer hold back. He approached Lin Wu and Yu Xi again.
He began by discussing the initial plans for expanding the lab. This topic was extensive and took quite some time.
Once the expansion plans were finished, he shifted the conversation to the core laboratory potentially hidden behind the multiple sealed doors on the lowest floor.
This time, Lin Wu wasn’t as accommodating. He directly stated that he didn’t want them attempting to break through the doors for now.
“Why not? Have you discovered something we don’t know?” Captain Zhou’s sharp gaze swept past Yu Xi, who remained silent, and landed on Lin Wu. His words carried a double meaning. “Is that why you didn’t mention this hidden space before? And why you changed the access codes for the sealed door to the fourth level?”
Hearing this, Yu Xi let out a cold laugh. The implications of his words were clear.
“I don’t know anything,” Lin Wu said firmly, meeting Zhou’s gaze without flinching. “But safe spaces are scarce. Until we’re absolutely certain, we don’t want to stir up unnecessary trouble.”
“But the research has reached a bottleneck,” Zhou countered. “We need more data and samples. You know as well as I do that what we need is very likely behind those doors.”
“‘Very likely’? Who told you that?” Lin Wu shot back. “And how do you even know about the core lab?”
The computer containing the information and access codes had been securely stored by Lin Wu. The door itself was incredibly well-hidden. There was no way they could know so much without someone tipping them off.
Captain Zhou stared at Lin Wu. “That’s not the point. This is no longer a decision for just the two of you. This concerns the future of humanity.
“I’ll admit, someone among your group has been integrated into our official network. Without their input, such critical information would have been overlooked.
“I understand your concerns about potential risks, but you should trust our capabilities. Our team has the best equipment, extensive training, and a proven track record of saving lives in countless acid rain disasters.”
This time, the other party didn’t hold back as they had before, instead laying everything out in a candid manner.
This approach was something Lin Wu and Yu Xi could accept. Lin Wu spoke again, suggesting they wait two more days, after which they would fully transfer control of the lab to them.
“Thank you for being willing to transfer all management rights, but I’m sorry—we can’t wait another two days.”
Lin Wu was about to respond, but Yu Xi gently pulled him back. He turned to see her tilting her head slightly, as if listening to something, before her brows furrowed.
“It’s too late,” she said.
“What?”
“The door is already open.” Yu Xi’s gaze flicked toward Captain Zhou. It was their oversight—if Zhou had the means to infiltrate their group and turn someone against them, he would naturally have the means to unlock the hidden door to the fourth underground level without their knowledge.
Lin Wu had reset the password, but with professional equipment and enough time, they could still crack it. Captain Zhou’s visit today clearly wasn’t for negotiation.
“You came today just to buy time, didn’t you?” Yu Xi said, realization dawning.
Zhou studied her for a moment, surprised.
Until now, he had mostly paid attention to Lin Wu, who did most of the talking. It wasn’t until Yu Xi intervened to stop Lin Wu and directly confronted him that Zhou became aware: between the two of them, Yu Xi was the one making the decisions.
In this world where strength dictated authority, the fact that Yu Xi held the power to decide suggested her capabilities surpassed Lin Wu’s.
From the information he had gathered, Lin Wu possessed abilities beyond ordinary humans. If Yu Xi was stronger than him, then…
Before Zhou could finish his thought, Yu Xi moved. His hand instinctively went for his weapon, but Yu Xi moved with a speed beyond his comprehension, appearing behind him in a flash. Her hand clamped onto his neck, and before he could make a sound, he blacked out.
Yu Xi pulled out an electric baton to ensure Zhou was completely incapacitated, then said to Lin Wu, “Head to the fourth level.”
The entire situation had been meticulously planned. They had worked to lower Yu Xi and Lin Wu’s guard while secretly figuring out how to breach the door. Zhou had even personally delayed them for quite some time today.
Not only was the sealed door to the fourth level open, but soundproofing devices had also been installed along the floors below, ensuring that the noise of breaching the core lab’s sealed doors wouldn’t reach Yu Xi and Lin Wu.
The other party’s only mistake was underestimating Yu Xi’s abilities, though even she had noticed the situation a bit too late.
On the fourth underground level, the team had already reached the end of the corridor. Several layers of sealed doors were open, revealing the hidden lab behind them. A dim blue glow emanated from within, but the team members were nowhere to be seen—they had likely gone inside.
Yu Xi and Lin Wu stood cautiously at the entrance to the lab. From their vantage point, it looked like a circular metal chamber bathed in blue light. It didn’t resemble a lab but rather some kind of transitional space.
Yu Xi drew her weapon and took a few steps forward with Lin Wu. The blue-lit circular space resembled the spiral of a snail’s shell, narrowing as they progressed. Surveillance cameras hung from the ceiling at one-meter intervals.
At the center of the space stood a massive metal cylinder with a sliding door that was currently open. Inside the cylinder was a downward metal staircase that appeared to be very deep. The team that had entered earlier must have already descended.
The two of them paused to listen but heard no signs of movement from the previous team. It was unclear whether they had gone too far down or if the cylinder’s walls were highly soundproof.
“Do we go in?” Yu Xi asked, glancing at Lin Wu.
Lin Wu hesitated before shaking his head. “We retreat. I’ll go in myself in two days.”
He said this because he had a death immunity in this SS-level world, but only after Yu Xi completed her mission in two days. At that point, both of their tasks in the apocalyptic world would officially be marked as complete.
Yu Xi, however, did not have immunity. After the mission period ended, if she chose to stay or continue exploring and died in this world, it would be true and irreversible death.
So, waiting two days before Lin Wu acted alone was the best course of action.
The two agreed and began to retreat, but just then, the blue lights on the surrounding walls abruptly changed, flashing red, as if shifting from a peaceful state to full alert.
Sure enough, a mechanical voice echoed through the space: “Warning: Specimen No. 1 has escaped. Warning: Specimen No. 1 has escaped.”
Yu Xi and Lin Wu exchanged a quick glance and immediately turned to run.
The situation had changed in an instant—they had no idea what had happened, but the priority now was to evacuate.
Halfway through the circular space, however, a heavy crashing sound came from the entrance ahead, like something massive had fallen to block their way.
Yu Xi had a sinking feeling. She sped up, overtaking Lin Wu to check the situation first.
The entrance that the team had opened earlier was now completely sealed by a thick silver metal door, resembling a barrier designed to prevent something from escaping.
Without hesitation, Yu Xi destroyed two nearby ceiling cameras with her gun, then pulled out her high-temperature perfume and sprayed it directly at the metal door.
Whatever material the door was made of, it was highly resistant—levels three and four had no effect. Only when she turned the spray to level five did the metal begin to show signs of melting.
Lin Wu quickly caught up, and from the end of the circular space came the sound of movement—panicked footsteps and labored breathing from the team members who had gone below. They seemed to have encountered something terrifying.
Yu Xi’s perfume ran out soon after, as it had already been partially used. She could hear gunfire and screams from the end of the corridor, mingled with frantic s being sent to the upper levels through communication devices. Amid it all, there was a low, guttural roar—inhuman and terrifying.
Yu Xi purchased several more bottles of high-temperature perfume, tossing two to Lin Wu, who turned back to prepare for a fight. She activated two bottles simultaneously and focused on melting through the door.
Seconds later, the level-five flames suddenly weakened. Yu Xi felt a chill of unprecedented dread as an overwhelming sense of danger enveloped her.
The roaring grew closer. She heard the sound of Lin Wu being struck and slamming against a wall, followed by his muffled groan of pain. She could feel that “Specimen No. 1” was now dangerously close to her.
Whatever it was, it was impervious even to high-temperature perfume—it had to be terrifying.
Yet this external fear paled in comparison to what was happening to her own body.
She couldn’t breathe. Or rather, the air in the entire circular space was disappearing, as if being drained.
No—it wasn’t “as if.” The air truly was being rapidly extracted from the space. Yu Xi quickly pulled out an oxygen tank and mask, but even with it, she knew the vacuum-like environment couldn’t be endured for long.
Normal human bodies couldn’t survive a vacuum. She felt the fluids in her body beginning to evaporate, and her fingers were already swelling unnaturally.
Not far ahead, a tall black shadow appeared—its form distinctly inhuman. It rushed toward her at an incredible speed. Yu Xi, fighting the agony in her body, barely managed to dodge, but she was still struck and sent flying.
Her back slammed into a metal wall before she crumpled to the ground, feeling as though her internal organs had shifted positions.
Blood gushed from her mouth, splattering her oxygen mask. The world around her was bathed in red, growing blurry.
Forcing herself to rise, she saw the black shadow charging again. But before it reached her, it roared and collapsed, black liquid spilling from its body. It, too, was succumbing to the vacuum—its internal organs rupturing, its body swelling as it neared death.
Yu Xi crawled only a short distance before collapsing. Before losing consciousness, she vaguely understood: this circular space was a fail-safe designed to prevent that creature from escaping.
Meanwhile, on the stairway connecting the fourth and third underground levels, additional metal doors had automatically sealed the path.
Captain Zhou, just revived by his team, stood outside one of the sealed doors with a grim expression, directing his men to break through.
But these doors were nothing like the earlier ones. Even explosives were useless.
He clenched his fist and struck the door in frustration, remembering the desperate cries and screams of his team from the communication relay earlier.
Out of 25 members, 15 had gone down.
And now Lin Wu and Yu Xi were trapped down there as well.
What exactly happened down there? Why was there no chance to resist, and why did those metal doors suddenly appear to cut everything off?
“Captain Zhou, the surveillance!” a team member reminded him.
Captain Zhou immediately snapped out of it and strode quickly toward the monitoring room.
At the same time, in the circular space sealed off by layers of metal doors, Lin Wu—who had been lying motionless on the ground, bleeding from all seven orifices and seemingly lifeless—suddenly twitched and then slowly opened his eyes.
He noticed the numerous cameras on the ceiling and frowned slightly. The moment he closed and reopened his eyes, all twenty-plus cameras exploded simultaneously.
As his senses returned, he became aware of the damage to his body.
“Useless,” he muttered, as though speaking to himself or someone else.
A faint golden glow appeared around him, forming a barrier-like field. Within this glow, the loss of fluids from his body ceased immediately.
He quickly got to his feet and raced toward Yu Xi’s location.
On the way, he passed the unmoving black form on the ground. With a hard kick, he sent the lifeless body flying against a wall, where it rebounded to the floor, spilling even more black liquid. The body cracked further—it was beyond dead.
Without stopping, he moved on and swiftly reached Yu Xi, who was on the verge of death.
Her body, having undergone three modifications and aided by the initial intake of oxygen, had held out a few seconds longer than most.
Lifting her gently, he enveloped her within the golden glow. The moment her body left the vacuum, the evaporation of fluids halted. However, her near-death state couldn’t be reversed on its own.
At the very least, she wouldn’t die now.
Lin Wu checked the device on his wrist:
37 hours, 25 minutes, and 6 seconds remaining until the mission was complete.
He removed the oxygen mask from Yu Xi’s face and, supporting her, leaned back against the metal wall. Carefully ensuring every part of her body was protected within the golden barrier, he closed his eyes and exhaled slowly.
This body, having already been declared dead, experienced the sensation of dying with every second he remained here.
And that sensation would continue for the next
37 hours and 25 minutes.
He needed to conserve energy, keeping the barrier’s size minimal to last through the remaining time.
…
Yu Xi felt as though she was sinking into endless darkness. For the first time, she experienced the brink of death—a slow, suffocating vacuum-induced demise.
Every cell in her body seemed to split apart, the water within her skin and blood evaporating. Her limbs and torso felt stretched to their limits, as though they were about to tear open.
Then, suddenly, all the agony vanished. She felt cradled in softness, as though someone had lifted her and placed her in a comfortable place.
Struggling to open her eyes, she finally caught a blurry glimpse of her surroundings.
Everything was bathed in red light. She was still in the circular space, but within that red, a faint golden glow surrounded her and the person holding her.
She tried to focus on the familiar face—once known as Feng Xu, now Lin Wu.
The pain surged back, overwhelming her, and she lost consciousness again.
She wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but in a daze, she heard a familiar voice.
“World Task 1: Survive for three months—completed. Host has earned 60 star coins. Current total: 640 star coins. Would you like to exit the current apocalyptic world?”
…
Thingyan
: I feel like Lin Wu is not Lin Wu anymore 🤔
Reading Settings
#1a1a1a
#ef4444
Comments