Chapter 9: The Violet‑Eroded Core and the Cleaner

Dong! Dong! Dong!

In the control room's center, the energy conduit linking to the vacuum life pod throbbed like a dying heart, its frantic, rapid hum accompanied by wildly flashing violet light that bathed the whole room in an eerie glow. The energy fluctuations in the air grew violent and unstable, as if ready to explode at any moment.

"What's happening?!" Han Qing gripped the steel pipe tightly, his eyes nervously fixed on the restless energy core.

"Energy overload! It's going to blow!" Li Siwen stared at the screens where several red warning characters suddenly lit up and flickered wildly, shouting hoarsely.

Chen Mo's eyes were sharp, instantly assessing the situation. They had to leave immediately! His keen sense of smell caught the scent of fresh air flowing from behind a concealed door on the right side of the control room, a door that now showed a crack due to the chaotic energy.

"This way! Go!" Chen Mo hauled the still‑dazed, grief‑stricken Su Yu without hesitation and rushed toward the hidden door.

The others dared not lag, following close behind.

Behind the hidden door was an emergency passage, narrower and steeper than the tunnel they had entered, climbing upward. The group sprinted desperately, the humming from the control room growing louder behind them, now mixed with muffled explosions and the screech of twisting metal.

After they had been running up the spiraling stairs for about two or three minutes, a deafening, earth‑shaking roar suddenly erupted from behind them!

Boom—!!!

The entire underground structure shook violently, debris and dust raining down from above. A scorching gust of wind mixed with dense violet energy aftershocks burst out from the tunnel entrance below, nearly blowing the group off their feet.

It exploded!

"Quick! The exit is just ahead!" Chen Mo shouted, seeing a faint glimmer ahead.

The group scrambled, finally bursting out of the passage. The blinding sunlight—still tinged with a bloody hue—flooded over them, causing them to instinctively squint.

They emerged into a secluded alley, with a disguised, abandoned transformer box behind them serving as the exit. Looking back toward the direction of the police station, faint smoke and dust rose in the distance, and the ground seemed to have a slight depression.

The underground research institute, along with most of its hidden secrets, appeared to have been reduced to nothing by the explosion.

The survivors collapsed on the ground, panting heavily, their hearts still racing. The brief onslaught of information and life‑or‑death danger left everyone exhausted in body and mind.

Su Yu clutched her mother's diary and the water‑drop pendant tightly; her tears had dried, but her eyes remained hollow and sorrowful. The weight of the truth was almost crushing her.

Chen Mo walked to her side and silently handed her a bottle of water.

Su Yu didn't take it, only raising her head, her red‑swollen eyes fixed on him, hoarse voice: "You've suspected me for a long time, right?"

Chen Mo didn't deny: "Your status bar is unusual. But I didn't expect the truth to be like this."

"I'm not a monster…" Su Yu's voice carried a hint of stubbornness and pleading, as if speaking to Chen Mo and to herself.

"I know." Chen Mo's tone was unexpectedly calm, "Your mother gave her life to protect you. You're not a key; you're just… an ordinary person caught up in this."

He paused, looking into her eyes, and said earnestly: "But now, knowing the truth, you're no longer ordinary. You have the right to know, and the right to choose—whether to flee with this secret or… use it for something."

Su Yu was stunned; Chen Mo's words struck like a thunderclap, clearing the fog and despair in her heart. Escape? Or face it?

At that moment, Chen Mo's gaze hardened, his sharp eyes sweeping toward the alley's exit. His keen sense of smell detected several rapidly approaching, ice‑cold murderous auras! At the same time, a similar sharp energy residue lingered, reminiscent of the wounds left by the research institute's scientists!

"Enemy incoming! Prepare for battle!" Chen Mo barked low, instantly entering combat mode, a fire axe held before him.

The group startled, their previously relaxed nerves snapping taut, each grabbing a weapon.

At the alley's exit, shadows flickered; four figures appeared silently like specters, blocking the way.

They wore uniform, oddly textured dark‑gray combat suits, faces covered by tactical visors that hid most of their features, bearing no insignia. In their hands were not conventional firearms but bizarre weapons—resembling enlarged pen holders, the tips crackling with pale‑blue energy arcs.

The aura they exuded was cold, precise, bearing a programmed will to kill, starkly different from the chaotic, mad monsters outside.

【LV. 6 Cleaner (Standard Combat Unit)】

As expected—those "Cleaners" mentioned in the institute's logs!

"Target 'Zero' marked and unknown high‑threat entity detected. Execute highest‑priority directive: eliminate all witnesses, retrieve 'Zero'." The lead Cleaner spoke in a flat, synthetic electronic voice, raising its energy weapon, locking onto Su Yu and Chen Mo!

No room for negotiation!

"Scatter!" Chen Mo roared, thrusting Su Yu toward a pile of discarded cardboard boxes, then lunging sideways himself!

Zila—!

A pale‑blue energy beam skimmed Chen Mo's back, striking the ground where he had just stood, leaving a charred crater; the concrete's edge showed a faint crystallization effect!

What a powerful strike! If this hit a person, the consequences would be unimaginable!

The other three Cleaners fired simultaneously, their energy beams like the scythe of death, aimed at Han Qing, Zhang Yang and the others!

"Take cover behind the barrier!" Han Qing, experienced, rolled and tucked behind a trash can, the solid steel pipe hitting the ground and sparking.

Zhang Yang and Li Siwen scrambled behind an abandoned tricycle, while Wang Hu and Zhao Lei crouched behind a dilapidated sofa. Liu Qian screamed in terror, pulled to safety by Han Qing.

The battle erupted instantly, but the odds were heavily stacked against them!

The Cleaners' energy weapons fired at extreme speed with great power, and their tactical coordination was flawlessly synchronized; the four took turns shooting, creating intersecting fire, pressing Chen Mo's group down so they could barely lift their heads. The cover became riddled with holes under the relentless beams, teetering on collapse.

Chen Mo tried to counterattack, but the fire axe couldn't get close. He activated Bone Armor Technique, bracing a beam to push forward a short distance, but the energy attack seemed to have a penetrating effect, greatly weakening the armor's defense, and his health dropped a small amount instantly.

【Health: 89/100】

Can't brute‑force it!

Chen Mo's eyes hardened; it was clear he had to use his trump card! He thought briefly and retrieved from the system space the Primordial Blood (Diluted Stabilizer Type).

Without hesitation, he unscrewed the alloy tube cap and poured the crimson liquid tinged with specks of gold into his mouth!

The liquid entered his throat, feeling not the imagined burning but a warm, gentle spring that instantly flooded his limbs and marrow! Immediately after, a massive, pure energy erupted within him!

【Consuming "Primordial Blood (Diluted)", all attributes temporarily +3, energy limit temporarily +100, effect lasts 10 minutes!】

【Detected special energy source, "Death Echo" talent temporarily activates hidden effect: increased skill‑copy probability, enhanced skill effects!】

An unprecedented sense of power filled his body! Chen Mo felt his five senses sharpen, his body lighter, muscles brimming with explosive force! The energy he had spent instantly replenished, even his limit rose!

He glanced at his temporary stats: Strength 14 (+1), Agility 13, Constitution 9, Spirit 12! That's almost a direct boost of five or six levels!

"Cover me!" Chen Mo shouted to Han Qing and the others, then surged out from behind cover again!

This time his speed surged far beyond before! His form became like a phantom, leaving after‑images in the narrow alley, easily evading two incoming energy beams!

"What?!" The lead Cleaner's tactical visor data flashed wildly, clearly not expecting the target's speed surge.

Chen Mo was now in close range! The fire axe screamed through the air, no longer a swing but a thrust like a poisonous dragon lunging from its lair! At the axe tip, the grim green glow of Corrupt Poison Saliva flared, faintly tinged with a golden speck of Primordial Blood!

"Pfft!"

The lead Cleaner tried to block with his energy weapon, but Chen Mo's strength and speed far exceeded his estimate! The fire axe, with a crushing force, pierced the seemingly sturdy combat suit, embedding deep into the chest!

The strengthened corrupt toxin energy was instantly injected!

"Ugh..." The cleaner's body stiffened suddenly, the gaze behind the tactical visor flashing a hint of disbelief, then quickly dimming as he collapsed, unable to rise.

【Successfully killed LV. 6 Cleaner, gained 120 experience points!】

【Level increased to 5!】

【Death Echo triggered! Successfully copied skill: Energy Shot (LV. 1)!】

【Energy Shot (LV. 1): Active skill. Condense energy onto weapon or fingertip, fire an energy beam for ranged attack, power related to spirit attribute. Cooldown 15 seconds.】

A sudden understanding of energy condensation and discharge surged into his mind, while a stream of pure experience energy flowed into his body, solidifying the state he had just refilled after leveling up!

Chen Mo didn't hesitate, turning to lunge at the second cleaner!

The other three cleaners obviously hadn't expected their companion to be instantly killed, and their formation showed a hint of panic.

"Focus fire on that high-threat target!" a cleaner shouted (still in electronic tone).

Three energy beams shot simultaneously at Chen Mo!

Chen Mo neither dodged nor avoided, a fierce glint flashed in his eyes as the newly acquired Energy Shot skill activated! He poured his mental strength into the firefighter's axe and swung forward fiercely!

A white-hot energy beam, only as thick as a finger yet incredibly condensed, shot out from the axe blade and precisely struck one of the azure beams!

"Boom!"

The two energies collided in midair, producing a slight explosion and annihilating each other!

Meanwhile, Chen Mo relied on his temporarily heightened agility to narrowly dodge the other two shots and closed in again!

The balance of battle began to tilt as Chen Mo took the Primordial Blood and instantly killed a cleaner!

Seeing Chen Mo display godlike might, Han Qing, Zhang Yang and the others had their morale boosted, rushing out from cover to join Chen Mo in surrounding the remaining cleaners.

Having lost their numerical and firepower suppression advantage, these cleaners' close-combat ability, though not weak, was utterly insufficient against Chen Mo, whose attributes had temporarily surged and who possessed the Bone Armor Technique and Metal Hardening passives!

The firefighter's axe was like the grim reaper's scythe, each swing carrying a deadly threat. Combined with the ranged interference of Energy Shot, Chen Mo was like a tiger among sheep!

"Pfft! Pfft!"

Another two muffled sounds rang out as two cleaners were successively slain!

【Successfully killed LV. 6 Cleaner, gained 120 experience points!】

【Successfully killed LV. 6 Cleaner, gained 120 experience points!】

【Death Echo triggered! Successfully copied skill: Tactical Visor (LV. 1 Passive)!】

【Tactical Visor (LV. 1): Passive skill. Slightly enhances dynamic vision and information capture, able to faintly sense energy flow and mark weaknesses.】

The last cleaner, seeing the tide turn, without hesitation pressed a device on his wrist.

"Stop him! He's going to self-destruct or call for backup!" Chen Mo shouted urgently.

Han Qing, being the closest, fiercely threw the steel pipe in his hand!

"Whoosh!"

The steel pipe accurately struck the cleaner's wrist, interrupting his action.

Chen Mo instantly closed in, placing the firefighter's axe against his neck.

"Speak! Who sent you? What exactly are the Primordial Blood and the Violet Corrosion?" Chen Mo's voice was icy, laced with killing intent.

The cleaner lifted his head; behind the tactical visor, his eyes showed no emotion, only a cold indifference.

"For…… a pure…… future……"

His voice cut off abruptly, his head lolled to the side, and he actually lost all vital signs. A faint energy ripple dissipated from his body, apparently triggering an internal self‑destruct program.

Chen Mo frowned. These cleaners were nothing but brain‑killed killing machines.

The battle ended, the alley fell silent except for everyone's ragged breathing.

Chen Mo felt the still‑surging power within him and the three newly acquired skills, yet his gaze grew heavier.

The appearance of the cleaners confirmed the authenticity of the research institute's records. A powerful, hidden force is systematically eliminating those in the know—and they, especially Su Yu, have become the primary target.

The road ahead is destined to be even more perilous.

He looked at Su Yu; she had somehow stepped out from behind cover and was silently gazing at him, her eyes still sad but now edged with a determination she hadn't had before.

She seemed to have made her choice.