Chapter 34: Substitute Savior in the Apocalypse (11)

The soldiers possessed a coordination that the others lacked. They understood intimately the interplay of elemental attributes—how they complemented and counteracted each other—and knew precisely how to cooperate with their partners. Their tacit understanding made them formidable; without the advantage of a surprise attack, it became a daunting task for the Congxia base to dispose of those from Shanghang City.

After a fierce battle, the outcome was grim: most of the Congxia base members were killed or wounded, a handful managed to escape, while the Shanghang City base suffered two severe injuries and several minor ones. Mu Yin and two female soldiers who had assisted from the shadows rushed out to heal the wounded, stabilizing their conditions.

It was true—so long as Mu Yin hadn’t been decapitated or had his breath extinguished outright, even a pierced heart could be sustained with a single lingering breath until help arrived. It was no jest, but an undeniable reality.

Once the wounded were settled and Mu Yin’s sigils affixed to them, the remaining members hurried back to defend their position. The malicious intent of the Congxia group had been exposed, and they feared for the safety of their captain and teammates. Moreover, it was clear that the Congxia base was also after their mission target.

Everyone understood the importance of their task and worried that their objective might be snatched away. Mu Yin was among them. Earlier, they had lured away hordes of zombies and had run a considerable distance to prevent them from returning. Now, retracing their steps consumed precious time. They could only use sigils to conceal their presence and hasten their return to the hospital. Even moving at their fastest, it was already two hours from their departure to their arrival.

Two hours—enough time for many things to transpire. Meanwhile, Wan Yuanheng carefully evaded a searching figure, hardly daring to breathe. He had listened to Mu Yin’s warning and relayed it to the captain. Though skeptical, the captain kept silent and heightened the team’s vigilance.

When they first entered the hospital, nothing seemed amiss. They cleared out the remaining zombies, spent some time searching, and finally located the laboratory. It was vast; with the plague rampant, research wasn’t concealed but conducted directly where the patients were most concentrated.

Of course, such a large nation had more than one laboratory, but this was the closest to Shanghang City, and the status of other labs was unknown. Securing a virus sample from here was imperative.

Once inside, they found relative safety. They had previously cleaned the place when rescuing the doctor, so this time was easier. Even the lab doors remained intact, though a year of disuse meant the electricity was gone and the doors had to be forced open.

The laboratory was three floors underground, accessible only by elevator, with no stairs. After the power outage, descending was troublesome, but they managed. By the time they unlocked all doors and reached the lab, more than an hour had passed.

Following the doctor’s prior instructions, they found where he had stored the virus samples. But as soon as they did, the Congxia base struck. If not for the automatic defensive sigils they carried, they would surely have perished.

In that critical moment, Wan Yuanheng swiftly grabbed a virus sample and fled, determined to ensure it could be brought back safely. With sigil protection, his teammates would be safe for a short while, so he had no time to hesitate.

At first, the Congxia base was stunned—their attack had failed. When they saw Wan Yuanheng escaping with the sample, their attention shifted immediately and they gave chase.

Captain Ye Ling reacted quickly. She grabbed the remaining sample tubes, distributed them among her teammates, and before the attackers could recover, scattered toward the exits.

“Damn it, chase them!” Yu Xinling exclaimed angrily, realizing what had happened.

“Don’t worry, they won’t get away,” her boyfriend, Peng Xi, replied coldly.

“What just happened? How did they come out unscathed?” Yu Xinling asked, watching their targets flee.

“It seems someone among them has a unique ability,” Peng Xi said, surprised by the unexpected turn.

“What now? They’ve escaped with the samples,” Yu Xinling pressed.

“Relax, they won’t get far,” Peng Xi replied confidently.

“That’s good. If they manage to take the samples and develop another terrifying virus, humanity will truly suffer,” Yu Xinling sighed in relief.

“Don’t worry, nothing will happen,” Peng Xi reassured her, a faint blue gleam flickering in his eyes as he smiled.

“Yes, let’s hurry out as well,” Yu Xinling nodded.

Wan Yuanheng was the furthest ahead, already out of the underground lab and into the hospital proper. The others were still inside, but he found the exit blocked by their enemies.

Forced to retreat into the hospital, he was spotted as he emerged. He felt two bullets strike him, causing pain before falling to the ground. Now inside, he engaged in a game of cat and mouse with his pursuers.

Though not a soldier, Wan Yuanheng had grown up in a military compound, often thrown into training camps as a child. His discipline and skills were on par with the best. Once inside, he quickly exploited the terrain to eliminate one pursuer, but the other was a veteran, deftly evading his attacks and nearly outmaneuvering him several times.

Since they were hunting him, all sides used firearms rather than abilities. Powers, though suited for direct combat, were less effective for stealth or ambush.

When Mu Yin and the others finally caught up, only three of their people remained; four had fallen. The Congxia base fared little better—of their eight, only four survived, searching the hospital for their quarry. They hadn’t expected Mu Yin’s group to return so quickly or in such numbers, and could only retreat.

After a brief pursuit, Mu Yin called a halt. They returned to find their remaining comrades, and recovered the bodies of the four who had perished. The mood was heavy.

“Why would they do this?” a soldier growled, fists clenched in anger. They hadn’t died at the hands of zombies, but were slain by their own kind—how could they not be furious?

“Let’s head back. This must be reported,” Ye Ling said, her face flushed with rage, but she forced herself to remain calm—they still had a mission to complete.

“Captain!” The soldiers turned to Ye Ling, their faces full of unwillingness.

“The mission is more important!” Ye Ling closed her eyes briefly, then opened them to scan the group.

“There is a World-Ender among that group,” Mu Yin spoke quietly.

“A World-Ender? What do you know?” Ye Ling turned to Mu Yin.