Chapter 300: Zero Element Center (Requesting Mid-Month Monthly Tickets)

BOOM!

In the instant the elevator doors closed, the entire elevator shaft shuddered violently.

Lin Xian used his ability to restart the stuck elevator, sending it descending underground, where a pungent stench of buried extinction mold surged upward.

"What the hell was that just now? How did we all fall for the illusion at once?"

Luo Yang asked, his face still pale with fear; all of them were above Rampage-level, yet none had reacted in time—they were all caught off guard.

What seemed like a moment had actually lasted over two hours; if those head-fungi and fungal corpses had burst in now, they'd all be dead.

"The purpose of these hyphae is parasitism—not killing."

Ding Junyi analyzed: "Moreover, these hyphae show greater interest in living tissue than in mechanical energy."

Lin Xian's expression turned grim: "Even your full-coverage battle armor was compromised by the hallucination—how do we protect against those parasitic spores?"

Ding Junyi looked at him: "I've already analyzed those brownish-yellow fungal spores—they're 2 to 5 micrometers in size. Our gas masks can easily block them. All current Federation-standard train cars have air circulation systems capable of filtering particles as small as 0. micrometers. Unless the system is damaged or a car is breached, you don't need to worry."

On the other side, Xiang Ningjing nodded: "Many trains were upgraded for Dark Invasion defense—our train too. But if there's a breach, we can't guarantee safety…"

Luo Yang looked deeply concerned; this was their first time using a train, and they'd just escaped the battle in Xilan City—this issue left him utterly uncertain.

"Yeah, how are we supposed to defend against this?" Kiki frowned, worried for Chen Sixuan and the others.

"Worrying won't help. All we can do is hope the Crimson World organization has some useful solution—or we'll have to reverse and retreat back to Xilan City."

Lin Xian spoke, though he knew it was unlikely: having just cleared the mark from Xilan City, turning back would be suicide.

At that moment, Lin Xian bore immense pressure—the flaw of the Apocalypse Train's track was exposed. If this were a car, they could simply detour. But now, over four thousand people on Train 22 were trapped in spore mist, unable to advance or retreat—once again, they were cornered.

WOOOOO~

Lin Xian controlled the elevator's rapid descent; through his Mechanical Heart, he felt the cabin constantly smashing through vast networks of hyphae, occasionally encountering drag.

Finally, the elevator reached the fifth basement level's core testing zone. DING—the doors opened to utter darkness. Lin Xian immediately activated the drone's floodlights. What met their eyes was the entire corridor and passageways completely entwined and smothered in fungal vines, the floor and walls entirely obscured; had it not been for the faint outline of the corridor, they might have thought it the digestive tract of some monstrous creature.

"How come there's more down here?" Kiki said.

"No one's here. The research facility must be fully overrun." Luo Yang added.

While operating the elevator, Lin Xian had already scanned the building's mechanical feedback via his Mechanical Heart. He'd expected Crimson World operatives to be hiding below—but found no signs. Now, with the doors open, his suspicion was confirmed.

"Did we get the wrong place?"

"No." Lin Xian said: "The deputy leader of the Night Blade convoy mentioned fighting Crimson World forces underground—this must be it. But we're too late. It's been completely overrun by hyphae."

"Then what do we do?"

Lin Xian's expression darkened. The drone's lights caused subtle shifts in the corridor's hyphae—he knew they couldn't stay long. "Kiki, scout this entire area. Find anything useful, then we leave immediately."

"Got it." Kiki nodded. "Everyone, stay close."

She immediately lifted them off the ground and flew into the corridor, aided by the drone's lights and scanning array, the group swiftly navigating the underground core lab.

The entire underground core lab was blanketed in thick hyphae—floors, walls, all claimed by fungal vines, clusters of tumor-like spores hanging everywhere. As they searched, they found nothing but fungal-covered corpses fused to the walls—no living souls.

At last, they reached the final zone: an unusually long corridor, stretching as if into some hidden area.

"There was a major battle here."

Ding Junyi's Black Hawk armor immediately detected discarded weapons beneath the hyphae.

Lin Xian also noticed—his mechanical scan swept over the hyphal carpet and quickly cataloged dozens of weapons.

"These weapons are mismatched—most aren't standard issue for large organizations. They're from survivor squads."

With this clue, they pressed deeper into the corridor. Soon, they reached the end. Under the drone's light, a heavy radiation-shielded door appeared, entirely covered in hyphae.

【RESTRICTED AREA — NO ENTRY】

Kiki ripped away the hyphae. The group now saw a biohazard symbol on the alloy door—clearly, this was a site for specialized research.

"Lin Team Leader."

As Lin Xian prepared to use his mechanical ability to open the door, Ning Jing grabbed his arm: "This corridor is easy to defend. The survivor squad must have been trapped here. Watch for ambushes."

"I know."

Lin Xian immediately raised an AT force field shield before him, then activated his Mechanical Heart to manipulate the blast door. The precision lock offered no resistance—within a minute, his scan completed. The alloy bolts retracted one by one, and the circular blast door slowly opened.

SQUEEEE—

As the door opened, a faint wind rushed from behind—suggesting a vast space beyond.

Lin Xian instantly sent the drone flying forward and discovered a massive underground chamber.

"No biological heat signatures, but heavy hyphae coverage."

The group stepped out of the corridor. Ding Junyi immediately scanned the area with her Black Hawk armor's radar.

"What is this place?"

"Looks like an underground platform?"

Kiki stepped out and immediately spotted a control panel nearby. She connected her mobile terminal and lit up the entire platform in seconds.

The lights revealed a small underground rail station, filled with protective wooden crates of large experimental instruments, assorted equipment, and a section stacked with metal cages. The light exposed dead bodies—cats, dogs, humans, zombies, even the snow wraiths they'd seen in Xilan City.

Beside it, a small white rail locomotive sat idle on the tracks, pulling three tightly sealed high-tech carriages. The surrounding walls were entirely smothered in fungal vines.

"Lin Xian, this track leads directly to a place called the 'Zero Element Center,' five kilometers away—likely this organization's secret underground research base," Kiki said, having retrieved the route data from the terminal.

"And this track directly connects to Yijin's Metro Line 1 and the Salt Marsh tourist train line!"

She looked up at Lin Xian, eyes alight with excitement: "That means this underground line can cut straight through Yijin Canyon and out of the city!"

Lin Xian's expression changed. He walked over, took the terminal from Kiki, and studied the secret track layout—his gaze grew increasingly eager.

"You're right. If we exit from here, we don't need to build a 22-kilometer track—just switch from the open-air metro line at Jinkui Street onto this underground route!"

"Jinkui Street?" Ning Jing exclaimed: "I checked the map—it's less than two kilometers from us!"

"So… you mean…" Luo Yang's face twisted: "We're going to drive the train into the city streets, then switch to the metro tracks???"

"Why not?" Lin Xian said seriously, his mind racing: "It's temporary. Two kilometers is far easier than twenty-two. At a time like this, who cares about traffic laws?"

"Now our only concern is whether the track is clear," Ding Junyi said.

Lin Xian nodded: "Let's first go to the 'Zero Element Center.' Given how thoroughly this underground lab was overrun, the Crimson World organization may have evacuated. If so, we split up—check the track, then move the Combined Train out of the city via this underground line to avoid the spore mist."

"Agreed," Ning Jing said: "This plan saves us a lot of trouble."

"Then let's move."

WOOOOO~

Two drones swept the station with their lights as the group descended, fully alert. Lin Xian scanned and activated the dormant rail train, opening its doors.

HSSS—the doors opened. Inside, bright and clean. As they boarded, they realized the underground train's design was bizarre: the first carriage was luxury business seating, each seat like a first-class airplane cabin, with a holographic screen in front. As Lin Xian powered up the system, corporate tech ads resumed playing.

The next two carriages weren't for passengers—they contained isolated compartments and equipment racks. Now empty, the floors were cluttered.

As soon as they boarded, Kiki said on her terminal: "Lin Xian, I can't find any data on the Zero Element Center, nor can I connect to its system. I don't know what it is."

"Mm. I suspect it's like the underground lab in Qingshui Town. From the firebook left by the Night Blade convoy, this place definitely had the organization's people. Stay alert."

KRAK!

Lin Xian directly activated the rail locomotive. The wheels crushed hyphal roots clinging to the track, tearing sounds echoing as the train slowly accelerated into the tunnel.

"These hyphae must have spread underground only in the last few days," Ding Junyi said, watching the hyphae outside the window: "That corridor had a major battle—if these hyphae were present then, there would've been massive explosions."

Luo Yang looked at her: "So you mean those people might not dare fire at us?"

"At least it's a risk," Ding Junyi said: "If we engage in combat underground and these hyphae ignite, we won't have a chance to escape."

WHOOSH.

The rail train accelerated. The special underground tunnel had track lights; through the windows, they clearly felt a gradual incline—the depth was increasing. As the train moved, hyphae coverage thinned.

Ahead, the tunnel widened into a spacious, luxurious special platform. White lettering glowed: ZERO ELEMENT CENTER. The platform had top-tier defenses—automated loading systems, decontamination chambers, guard posts—as if requiring multiple layers of inspection. But as the train entered, Lin Xian and the others saw no one—only emptiness.

The vast platform had a long loading line. As the train stopped, Lin Xian's squad disembarked. A hollow vacuum pressure rushed into their ears. All inspection zones were vacant, their access lights blinking green—so tightly sealed, it resembled an underground nuclear defense facility.

"How did this pharmaceutical conglomerate manage to build such a massive underground rail platform and facility?" Luo Yang asked, curious.

"You're amazed too soon," Kiki said, having seen the Foundation's Qingshui Town test site and underground lab—she was now immune to shock. She pointed to an automatic blast door at the platform's end: "Bet there's some weird lab behind it."

Lin Xian's expression was grim. He scanned the silent platform—then suddenly noticed: as the group stepped onto the platform, dozens of surveillance cameras began rotating to track them!

Someone's here!

Lin Xian's eyes sharpened. "Watch out!"

HSSS!

As he spoke, ten small automated turret cannons suddenly emerged from corners and behind pillars. Red laser dots locked onto targets—then opened fire!

BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG!!

Instantly, Kiki used telekinesis to shove everyone apart. The next moment, a storm of metal rounds slammed into their previous positions—the floor exploded, shrapnel flew, and the deafening roar of gunfire echoed through the cavernous underground station!

"Get down!"

In an instant, all were on high alert. Kiki immediately raised a telekinetic barrier to block flying debris and bullets, then grabbed three automated turrets and tore them from their mounts. Fire Brother, freed from hyphae constraints, thrust his hands forward—multiple fire beams shot out. Simultaneously, Ning Jing and Luo Yang attacked. Lin Xian's mechanical ability surged, rapidly overloading and shutting down every turret and camera. In a single glance, all ten-plus turrets went dark.

Just as they thought the threat was over, the automatic door at the platform's end suddenly opened. Lin Xian's rapidly spinning Mechanical Heart detected mechanical sounds in the dark tunnel—he froze, rushed forward, raised his left hand before the group, and activated a transparent AT force field shield!

SHHHHH!

Instantly, four plasma arc pulses shot from the tunnel, slamming into Lin Xian's shield. Sparks erupted, and an energy current surged across the platform.

"Ambush?!"

"Wait!"

Then Lin Xian heard an extremely faint engine hum—like the PX-05 robot. His Mechanical Heart reacted instantly. He swept his scan into the tunnel—and captured four rapidly moving targets flying out.

ZZZZZZ.

In the next instant, four black spherical drones shot from the tunnel, forming a tetrahedral formation. They reacted instantly, locking onto the group's new positions, pivoting, and aiming their central weapon-grade plasma pulse cannon directly at them—energy built up with a hum!

WOOO!

"Watch out!" Kiki immediately used telekinesis to capture all four drones, preparing to crush them—when Lin Xian shouted.

"Wait—let me handle it!"

Lin Xian interrupted Kiki's move; his mechanical ability had already covered the several drones, scanning and overriding them simultaneously, instantly seizing control of their main cores.

Uhh…

In the next instant, all four spherical drones canceled their weapon charging, their engines emitted a whine, then plummeted rapidly to the ground as if cut off from power.

Lin Xian's eyes glowed with faint ability energy; his Mechanical Heart activated, and within a few breaths, he subdued all four drones.

【Mechanical Scan Successful: Acquired Lei Sun 2000 Attack Drone】

"Done." Lin Xian said to Kiki: "Check for any usable data, and copy the control program for me directly."

"Got it."

Kiki used telekinesis to pull one drone over, forcibly dismantled its data cable, then hacked into it with her mobile terminal. Soon, she shook her head.

"It's an intelligent defense system command—nothing else." She tapped confirm, overwrote the drone's program, and rebooted it. Afterward, Lin Xian could effortlessly control the drones with his mechanical ability.

Once complete, Lin Xian gestured, and the four Lei Sun drones on the ground reactivated, slowly rising into the air and hovering before him.

The flying drones were no larger than a basketball, covered in light armor, equipped with Hall-effect propulsion engines, and armed with plasma arc pulse cannons that looked highly threatening. From the scanned blueprints, the energy capacitors used were extremely advanced—the pulse cannon's power far exceeded that of standard rifle rounds.

"It seems the intelligent defense system has activated—we've been identified as intruders," Ding Junyi said, watching the drones.

"Phew, that was close! Those things are fast—I almost got ambushed!" Luo Yang exhaled sharply, stepping forward and staring in awe: "These drones are incredibly precise—they even use plasma arc pulse cannons. Their energy storage must be top-tier, far superior to the Starfleet's Hawk Falcons."

"Thanks to Lin's mechanical ability," Ningjing said, her expression grave. "It looks like they've already targeted us."

"Their defenses probably aren't limited to this."

Lin Xian waved his hand, sending two reconnaissance drones flying into the corridor behind the automatic door. Instantly, the motion sensors detected movement, and lights along the corridor lit up in sequence. Lin Xian pushed his force shield forward, peering inside as the drones transmitted scan data—no signs of living beings.

The corridor's design was bizarre: all four walls glowed with light, nothing like a normal passage.

"This corridor is incredibly deep," Kiki leaned in to peer inside. "I bet there are more ambushes ahead."

At that moment, Lin Xian sensed a surge of energy and shoved Kiki back behind him.

"Fall back!"

No sooner had he spoken than the glowing walls of the corridor erupted in high-frequency flashes. Dozens of blue, ultra-high-temperature plasma beam cutting arrays erupted from the corridor's end, slicing through the entire space at blinding speed. In an instant, both of Lin Xian's reconnaissance drones were severed into fragments, crashing to the ground and sparking violently, their cut edges glowing red and melting.

"Hss!"

"What the hell is that?!"

Seeing this, everyone paled. The attack came too fast—no one had a second to react. Had Lin Xian not sent the drones ahead, they'd all have been sliced to pieces.

"This isn't just any corridor," Lin Xian said grimly.

His mechanical ability swept through the corridor—and as the scan progressed, his brow tightened, his face filled with disbelief.

In mere moments, his ability detected body signature and gait scanners, infrared thermal detectors, vibration sensors, and thousands of surveillance nodes. On the corridor's ceiling, he spotted sixteen Lei Sun drones lying in wait—all activated and in attack mode. Most critically, the corridor was lined with an ultra-high-temperature plasma beam cutting array, explosives were installed along its outer walls, and beneath it lay a bottomless void…

"Damn…" Lin Xian muttered lowly. "This corridor has at least five lethal traps and self-destruct protocols—not counting the drones. With all these scanners and defenses, the security level rivals top-tier military standards."

"Huh?" Luo Yang's eyes widened. "Why would a research institute need this level of security?"

"Something this elaborate must hide something extraordinary," Lu Xingchen said, arms crossed, calm. "All this effort—it's not for nothing."

Ningjing nodded. "This kind of defense isn't meant for zombies or anomalies, is it?"

"No," Ding Junyi said. "Scanning at this level is for identity verification—only authorized personnel allowed. If there's a self-destruct protocol, it's meant to protect something of immense importance."

While the others discussed, Kiki and Lin Xian moved in perfect sync. Lin Xian used his mechanical ability to locate hidden data lines, then overwrote, scanned, and forcibly seized control of the remaining sixteen drones, pulling them out of the corridor. Kiki connected them to her mobile terminal and copied their programs.

Meanwhile, Lin Xian's Mechanical Heart continuously overwrote the entire corridor, disabling sensors and scanners, disconnecting explosives, and shutting down the rear plasma beam cutting array.

Though the corridor bristled with high-tech weapons and self-destruct protocols, to Lin Xian, they were no obstacle. His mechanical ability was the bane of all machinery. Within twenty minutes, every defense system was offline, every weapon disabled and short-circuited. The heavily fortified, supposedly foolproof security corridor fell silent.

Still, Lin Xian wasn't fully reassured. After securing everything, he built two new reconnaissance drones and sent them deep into the corridor. Only after confirming the path was clear did he lead the others through swiftly.

When the automatic door at the end opened under Lin Xian's control, they stepped into a massive monitoring hall. It was filled with high-tech equipment, but most strikingly, at its rear stood a hemispherical dome half the size of a soccer field—the entire lab built around it.

All eyes locked onto the center of the hall: on a mechanical arm high above, a female robot head smiled at them.

The robot's ocular focus modules fixed on Lin Xian. A holographic projection flickered over its face, forming a lifelike human model. Then, "she" opened her mouth and spoke in a voice laced with ionized magnetic resonance:

"Hello, Lin Xian."

Instantly, Lin Xian's gaze sharpened. Though the face was digitized, he recognized it at once—the mysterious woman he'd seen repeatedly in his dreams.

Chu Yan!

(End of Chapter)