Chapter 297

At the same time, B2 level laboratory.

Xu Xiaochuan's hands had almost merged with the surface of the console, the charred flesh and blood fused with the metal interface. The pain nerves had long since gone on strike, and now what remained was a strange, near-manic excitement.

His consciousness had been partially digitized, floating on the periphery of the "Xiao Ya" system, trying to break through more and more obstacles. The code and data streams flashing on the screen became the only language he could understand.

"Detected... bottom-layer breakthrough attempt..." Xiao Ya's voice was extremely weak, "Biological chip... activated... Xuanyuan Qing is trying to access..."

Xu Xiaochuan gritted his teeth, his whole body's muscles convulsing, veins bulging: "What's missing? Tell me what else is needed!"

"Core node... needs synchronous interference..." Xiao Ya's voice was intermittent, "B3 core... energy lines... must be forcibly cut... but..."

"It will explode," Xu Xiaochuan finished her sentence, his voice cold and determined, "Triggering a chain reaction, the entire facility will collapse."

"Yes... but I... don't want to become it..."

——

Lin Yu handed the chip to Xuanyuan Qing, while turning to face the approaching mechanical troops. The remaining bullets had to be used to their full potential.

Xuanyuan Qing took the chip, her fingers dancing on the console, struggling to find the interface. Her vision was blurred, her consciousness constantly sliding toward the edge of darkness, only the endless pain pulling her back to reality.

Lin Yu held his gun steady and took two steps back. His body had reached its limit—there was a deep wound on his left arm, and his right leg had been pierced by metal fragments in the previous explosion, already bloody and mangled. He could feel Xuanyuan Qing's rapid and weak breathing on his back.

There was no retreat.

"Come on, you tin cans..." Lin Yu grinned, revealing a near-ferocious smile.

The first mechanical warrior rushed forward; Lin Yu dodged sideways, while raising his hand and firing a shot into the weak link connecting its head to its neck. The mechanical warrior staggered, but immediately adjusted its balance and continued to attack.

Another attacked from the side, its arm blade slashing down like lightning!

Lin Yu ducked to dodge, but was still slashed on his left shoulder's combat uniform. Blood surged out instantly, and another wound joined the painful chorus.

He seized the opportunity, raised his leg, and delivered a fierce side kick, kicking that mechanical warrior toward its companion, winning a few precious seconds.

"The interface is here..." Xuanyuan Qing's voice suddenly rose by a decibel. She found a groove that matched the shape of the chip, where a tiny snake-shaped symbol identical to the one on the chip was carved.

【03:16】

【03:15】

【03:14】

"Detected... intrusion attempt..." Xiao Ya's voice suddenly became unusually clear, completely different from the previous intermittent mode. Her expression fluctuated for a moment, then quickly returned to calm, "Xuanyuan Qing... access successful..."

"Let me take over the system!" Xu Xiaochuan roared, the veins on his forehead almost bursting.

"Cannot fully take over..." Xiao Ya shook her head, "But... can temporarily interfere... left a backdoor..."

Xu Xiaochuan closed his eyes, throwing himself into the system struggle with all his heart. He could feel something helping him, bringing him closer and closer to the core. Was it Xiao Ya? Or something else left by Xu Jianhua?

Xuanyuan Qing pressed the chip tightly with both hands, her whole body convulsing, emitting a painful muffled groan from the depths of her throat. The chip emitted a harsh hum in the interface, and its surface began to glow slightly!

"Hiss——"

The console suddenly lit up, and a series of ancient codes rolled wildly on the screen! Those code structures were completely different from contemporary programming, more like some kind of biological algorithm—they self-replicated, mutated, evolved, and spread through the system in a near-organic way!

Xuanyuan Qing endured the intense pain, her fingers dancing on the keyboard, guiding those codes to invade the depths of the system. Every operation she performed increased the pain in her body, but she gritted her teeth and didn't stop.

"It is... resisting..." she said faintly, "Needs... physical disconnection..."

At the same time, Lin Yu was trapped in a desperate battle. With little ammunition left, he had to switch to close-quarters combat. But the mechanical warriors' strength and durability far exceeded humans, and every exchange added new wounds.

A mechanical warrior broke through his defense and headed straight for Xuanyuan Qing!

"No!" Lin Yu roared, using all his strength to throw the tactical dagger in his hand!

The dagger spun and inserted into the neck joint of the mechanical warrior, jamming its movement mechanism. The warrior staggered, giving Lin Yu a chance to charge.

He was like an injured lion, erupting with his final strength, crashing into that mechanical warrior and knocking it to the ground! Then he rode on top, grabbed the dagger handle with both hands, and stabbed down with all his might!

"Ahhh!" His voice was hoarse, his muscles almost tearing, and he forcibly stabbed the dagger into the key node of the mechanical warrior!

The mechanical warrior's red sensor flickered a few times and finally extinguished.

But more warriors surged up.

In the container, Xiao Ya suddenly trembled violently! Those dark red energy lines also fluctuated, as if subjected to severe interference.

"I can feel you..." Xiao Ya's voice was transmitted directly into Xu Xiaochuan and Xuanyuan Qing's consciousness in some way, "It is swallowing me... turning me into a part of it..."

"Hold on!" Xu Xiaochuan responded at the consciousness level.

Xiao Ya's image in the container became more and more transparent: "I don't want to become it... that terrible thing... I'd rather... disappear..."

A series of data garbled characters suddenly exploded on the screen in front of Xuanyuan Qing, followed by a clear line of text:

【Cut off the main energy line. The node is three meters to the right of the container. Physical switch.】

Xuanyuan Qing's gaze followed the instructions, and there was indeed a carefully hidden control panel on the right side of the energy shield!

"Lin Yu!" she tried her best to raise her voice, "Three o'clock direction! Control panel!"

Lin Yu had just shaken off a mechanical warrior and turned to look at the indicated position.

There was indeed a dark red panel covered by a protrusion, connected to several thick energy pipes, leading directly to the container system!

"The time has come..." Xiao Ya's consciousness fluctuated, "Must act simultaneously..."

Xu Xiaochuan felt a powerful force pass from his palms into the console; every key, every interface became an extension of his consciousness. He could "see" the layout of the B3 level, could "feel" the pulse of those energy lines.

"Now!" he roared.

Xuanyuan Qing pressed the chip tightly with both hands, her whole body convulsing, emitting a painful muffled groan from the depths of her throat. The chip emitted a harsh hum in the interface, and its surface began to glow!

The console emitted an unbearable warning sound, but still transmitted her instructions.

"Disconnect it!" she shouted at Lin Yu.

Lin Yu's vision was blurred, blood having soaked half of his field of vision. Three mechanical warriors were pressing step by step, he had to break through this line of defense!