Chapter 295

Xuanyuan Qing's situation was even worse. The effect of the adrenaline was fading rapidly, and the intense pain drowned her like a tide. Her vision went dark, her body sliding downward uncontrollably, the intense pain from her broken arm making her almost faint. The debris brought up by YA-000's wild attacks hit her, and she didn't even have the strength to dodge.

"Xuanyuan!" Lin Yu saw this scene, and his eyes turned red instantly! He leaped up from the ground, and something seemed to explode inside his body! His speed and strength increased suddenly! He no longer tried to attack those hard parts, but lunged at YA-000 like a cheetah, utilizing the obstacles scattered in the laboratory to constantly change direction, approaching the target.

The biological chip in his hand seemed to start emitting a faint hum due to the close proximity to YA-000, producing a strange resonance with some kind of core inside YA-000.

YA-000's movements appeared stiff for an extremely brief moment again! Its scarlet eye lights flickered violently, as if a conflict was occurring within its internal system!

Now is the time!

Lin Yu erupted with all his strength, kicking the ground fiercely, his body like an arrow off a bowstring, instantly circling behind YA-000! He saw it! At the connection point of YA-000's neck spine, an energy interface that was flickering abnormally and emitting an ominous red light!

He leaped up, gripping the dagger tightly with both hands, and stabbed down with all his might!

"Puff——!"

The dagger accurately and deeply sank into that energy interface flickering with red light!

"Roar ahhh——!!!"

YA-000 let out a heart-rending, shrill howl that didn't sound like it could be made by a biological creature! Violent energy electric arcs exploded from the wound, instantly spreading to its entire body! Its huge body twitched and convulsed violently, and the glowing nodes and energy interfaces on its body surface exploded one after another like dominoes! Sparks splashed everywhere! Burnt stench permeated!

It was finished!

But, before Lin Yu could relax—

Woo—woo—woo—!!!

The alarm sound was sharp enough to tear his eardrums.

The entire B3 level shook violently.

The metal above his head twisted, emitting a dying groan, and large chunks of the ceiling and duct fragments rained down with a clatter.

All lighting went out instantly.

Only the emergency red lights embedded in the edges of the walls lit up stubbornly, casting swaying, blood-colored light.

This place had become the bottom layer of purgatory.

YA-000's huge, twisted remains were still twitching.

The broken energy interface was spitting out the last electric sparks, and the burnt, nauseating stench permeated the air.

Its collapse was like pulling out the last pillar supporting this dangerous building.

"Warning... B3 level... structure... integrity... below fifteen percent..."

From the speaker of Lin Yu's arm-mounted computer, Xiao Ya's voice squeezed out, intermittent, mixed with static electrical noise, so weak it would disconnect in the next second.

"Main... power... cut off... backup energy... maintaining... eighty-seven... eighty-six..."

Lin Yu's heart sank suddenly.

He looked toward the depths of the laboratory, at the end of the only path that had been blocked by YA-000 earlier.

A thicker, circular isolation gate painted with yellow and black warning stripes was emitting a dull hydraulic drive sound, slowly and irreversibly closing downward.

The red digital countdown above the door frame pulsed coldly: 81... 80...

"Life support pod... is behind that..." Xiao Ya's voice carried an urgency he had never heard before, "Must... get past... quickly... I..."

Zzz-la—

The voice stopped abruptly, leaving only a patch of electrical noise.

Lin Yu lowered his head, looking at Xuanyuan Qing, who had completely lost consciousness in his arms.

Her body was chillingly cold.

The blue-gray color on her face was heavier, and her breathing was so weak it was almost imperceptible.

The face under the gas mask was lifeless.

The path to the isolation gate required passing through the area where YA-000 had fallen.

There, the air was distorted by high temperature.

On the ground flowed a sticky, steaming mixture of coolant and monster pus.

Amidst the broken metal debris, unstable blue electric arcs were still jumping frantically.

There was no time to hesitate.

Lin Yu gritted his teeth, readjusted Xuanyuan Qing's posture, and used the tactical strap to bind her more securely to his back, ensuring she wouldn't slip.

He checked his pistol ammunition.

Then he lunged out suddenly.

The ground beneath his feet was scorching, his shoe soles making a sizzling sound as they stepped on it.

The scorching heat wave rushed toward him, and the air in his lungs felt like it was about to be ignited.

Lin Yu lowered his body, moving quickly between the twisted metal debris.

Gravel and metal components kept falling from above, and he could only dodge in a sorry state based on his body's reactions.

Zzz-la!

A thick electric arc exploded suddenly from a broken cable nearby, grazing his arm!

A piece of his combat uniform was instantly charred, and intense burning pain came from his arm.

He let out a muffled groan, his feet not stopping.

Xuanyuan Qing on his back seemed to be stimulated by the jolting and scorching heat, her body tensing up suddenly.

Her one good hand grabbed Lin Yu's shoulder randomly, her nails digging in tightly.

"Core... don't... swallow..."

Blurred, broken words spilled from the depths of her throat, through the gas mask, the voice weak and strange, against Lin Yu's ear.

Lin Yu's heart skipped a beat, and a chill instantly crept up his spine.

Core? Swallow? What did that mean?

But he had no time to think about it.

The isolation gate was closing faster and faster, the gap already less than half a person high!

Countdown: 23... 22...

Ahead, a huge, twisted metal shell that had fallen off YA-000 was slanted on the ground, its surface still relatively smooth.

Lin Yu's eyes lit up; he lunged over, using that metal plate as a temporary skateboard, and kicked forward with all his strength!

His body rushed forward with huge inertia!

The high-temperature airflow scraped his cheeks painfully!

Isolation gate! Only the last narrow gap remained!

10... 9...

Lin Yu's body slid almost against the ground, and the moment he was about to hit the door frame, he turned sideways suddenly!

"Urgh!"

His shoulder smashed fiercely into the edge of the heavy door panel that was descending, and the bone-splitting pain came!

He was carried by the huge force, forcibly squeezed into that gap that was about to disappear!

Clang——!!!

Behind him was the sound of hell closing its door completely. The heavy isolation gate, despairingly thick, closed and locked completely, the heavy metal collision echo ringing endlessly in his ears, shaking his internal organs.

Lin Yu lunged forward, exhausted, and struggled to lean against the inside of the cold door panel with his last bit of strength. His chest heaved violently, every breath carrying the smell of blood and burning pain, his shoulder where it was squeezed by the door edge was already numb, only the sticky warmth reminding him that it was bleeding. He shook his dizzy head, forcing himself to focus his vision, looking at the space behind the door.

Then, he froze.

This was not a life support pod area.

This was a carefully constructed cage, an altar that slowly squeezed out life and consciousness.