Chapter 99: Mechanical Guards

The streamlined curved underside of the aircraft in the sky suddenly detached, descending slowly like a circular disc.

Upon the descending disc rested three figures.

The one standing at the front was a handsome mixed-race youth with black hair, dressed in minimalist attire dominated by black, white, and gray—the most common style in recent urban circle advertising projections—with almost no visible adornments.

Behind him were two bodyguards clad in sleek black combat suits that fully enclosed their bodies, even obscuring their eyes; at a glance, they resembled two towering black humanoid entities.

The patrollers below stared in shock at the scene.

Everyone could tell this mixed-race youth was undoubtedly a high-ranking figure from the urban circle.

“Quite a crowd.”

The handsome youth casually scanned the surrounding patrollers, then stepped down from the disc with his bodyguards.

The disc automatically rose back and re-embedded itself into the aircraft.

Immediately, the saucer-shaped aircraft shifted abruptly, instantly transforming into a terrifying black streak of light that departed at a speed far exceeding the speed of sound by countless times.

The multitude of patrollers watched in awe.

“Oh?”

The handsome youth studied Tang Wanqiu and the Lin Qing behind her; faint glimmers flickered in his pupils before he smiled and said, “Patrol Headquarters, Twelfth Division Patrol Master Tang Wanqiu?”

Tang Wanqiu stepped forward and spoke cautiously, “Yes. May I ask who you are?”

She knew these high-ranking figures from the urban circle carried technological artifacts far beyond Earth’s level, or had implanted minimal nanomachines, freeing them from reliance on communication devices.

Perhaps merely glancing at her, their background’s intelligence database could already retrieve vast amounts of information about her.

“I am from the Vitas family,” the handsome mixed-race youth said with a smile. “Given your patrol authority, perhaps you’ve heard of us?”

Tang Wanqiu took a deep breath and replied, “One of the twenty-four invested by Zhixing Group. I’ve heard the name.”

As far as she knew, the Twenty-Four Families, though not as vast as extraterrestrial-civilization-backed powers like Chaoyang Martial Arts Gym or Dawn Group, were still top-tier familial factions in the urban circle.

Yet Patrol Headquarters also had backing within the urban circle; no matter how powerful the family, they were not her superiors.

Thus, she only needed to maintain polite courtesy.

“Before arriving, I submitted an application to the Patrol Star Council to join this operation as an ‘External Affairs Consultant’ for Patrol Headquarters.”

The mixed-race youth smiled slightly and said, “But I know some intelligence hasn’t been reported yet, so I’d like to ask: Is the biological weapon still inside the underground research facility? Is there truly a possibility of a Star Transmission Tower?”

Tang Wanqiu fell silent for a moment, then said, “According to patrol reports from twenty minutes ago, evacuating the underground facility, the biological weapon remains.”

She paused, then added, “As for the Star Transmission Tower, it’s merely speculation based on rumors that the original institute’s Dr. Chu Hui once obtained it—yet it was never found even after his detention.”

“The rumor that Dr. Chu Hui had a Star Transmission Tower is already absurd,” the mixed-race youth shook his head. “And you think he hid it inside a dilapidated research facility?”

“It’s merely a faint hope held by the higher-ups at Patrol Headquarters,” Tang Wanqiu said.

The mixed-race youth chuckled dryly and shook his head. “Even if Patrol Headquarters truly obtained a Star Transmission Tower, could they find a genius worthy of its recognition? Wouldn’t they just hand it over to the Patrol Star Council?”

He glanced toward the entrance of the underground facility and said, “I’m going in.”

“Consultant.”

Patrol Master Tang frowned slightly. “Communication is blocked inside the facility, and there are still criminals from the original institute. It’s dangerous. Why not wait outside?”

The mixed-race youth smiled. “If someone else gets the biological weapon, retrieving it will be troublesome.”

He looked at Tang Wanqiu; she, at her level, surely knew the underground facility posed no threat to him—he instantly understood her thoughts and shook his head. “Patrol Master Tang, don’t worry. I have no interest in other trash.”

The mixed-race youth gave Tang Wanqiu a faintly mocking glance, said nothing more, and immediately walked toward the underground facility with his two bodyguards.

Under the gaze of all the patrollers, the mixed-race youth and his two bodyguards entered the eighty-meter-deep shaft.

“Patrol Master Tang,” Lin Qing spoke up.

Tang Wanqiu looked at him. “Go down too. This is a good opportunity for you—perhaps you’ll gain something valuable.”

She added, “But don’t provoke him. He’s from a major urban circle family and only cares about the biological weapon. Don’t compete with him for it.”

“I understand,” Lin Qing nodded slightly.

Internally, he muttered: Though the biological weapon is valuable, to the urban circle it shouldn’t be that rare—otherwise, a mere family member wouldn’t come personally to claim it.

Probably… this mixed-race youth isn’t even a significant figure in the Vitas family.

Of course.

That was still a major urban circle power family; even their most ordinary member was a person he couldn’t afford to offend.

Even a Patrol Master had to speak carefully and politely—his weight was obvious.

Lin Qing last checked his Patrol Chief uniform and essential equipment, then walked to the sealed shaft entrance, glanced inside, and jumped down.

Inside the broken, deep elevator shaft, patrol personnel had placed signal lights along the path, guiding downward.

Though Lin Qing hadn’t prepared a specialized climbing rope, he merely activated his Free Body technique, reducing his body weight to its limit until his falling speed stabilized at the point where air resistance balanced his gravity.

Eighty meters took over ten seconds to descend.

Landing lightly, Lin Qing faced a metal door roughly five meters tall, seemingly embedded into the rock layer, with fragments of a dismantled underground elevator visible around it.

On the door was a character: “7,” indicating it was Research Facility Seven.

“Damaged Gate?”

Lin Qing glanced at the inscription, stepped forward, and pressed his palm against the circular sensor on the door.

Instantly, a faint beam of light projected from the door, enveloping him.

Lin Qing knew this was the underground facility’s detection system—capable of identifying genetic information without DNA scans, its technological level far surpassing anything beyond the urban circle.

As long as the subject’s genome was confirmed as human and the gene optimization index was below 100%, entry was permitted.

But if someone tried to force entry without passing detection, the facility’s laser defense weapons would activate; even a Patrol Master attempting to break in would die instantly under the ultra-high-power lasers.

Even if the laser weapons failed to kill the intruder, the facility would trigger its self-destruct protocol.

“Access granted.”

Instantly, the heavy alloy door slowly opened, revealing a dark corridor.

Lin Qing stepped inside immediately.

Behind him, the alloy door silently closed on its own.

According to Patrol Headquarters’ intelligence, the underground facility was vast—several million square meters, divided into multiple zones.

After a day and night, most zones had already been “searched.” Emerging from the dark corridor, Lin Qing faced a massive white hall, its floor splattered with blood and littered with severed limbs and corpses.

Clearly the result of combat between the patrollers and the original institute.

Lin Qing wasted no time; his mind projected the entire facility’s map, instantly plotting a route. He became a silent, blurred phantom, moving at roughly sixty meters per second toward the facility’s deep interior: the “Advanced Gene Experiment Zone.”

The biological weapon was in the “Animal Breeding Zone”—he had no intention of competing with the urban circle family’s elite.

His goal was fourth-tier gene optimization; naturally, he prioritized the “Advanced Gene Experiment Zone.”

According to patrol intelligence, the “Advanced Gene Experiment Zone” consisted of multiple labs, two of which remained unconquered.

One was suspected to study lineage evolution genes; the other, fourth-tier energy theory.

But as facilities permitted to arm themselves by Zhixing Group, the mechanical guard units protecting these two labs were overwhelmingly powerful—patrol teams had seemingly abandoned them.

Moments later.

Lin Qing swiftly passed through winding corridors, bypassing damaged or unlocked doors, soon arriving at the entrance to his destination.

[Order Level Decreased by 1.6]

[Order Level Decreased by 1.6]

[Order Level Decreased by 1.6]

As Lin Qing stepped into the corridor, a series of crimson warnings flashed before his eyes.

Chu Tianyao’s threat had only lowered his order level by 1; now, dozens of threats each lowering it by 1.6 appeared!

Ahead in the corridor, over a dozen figures suddenly emerged.

They were men wearing sunglasses and black leather jackets, cold and ruthless; nearly each held a heavy machine gun, either crouched on the ground or slung over their shoulders.

“Tatata—!!”

Flames erupted, dense bullet streams nearly sealing off the entire corridor.

Each bullet was specially designed armor-piercing rounds, capable of penetrating a Patrol Chief’s defenses; now, countless rounds rained down simultaneously in a furious barrage.

“Enhance!”

Lin Qing’s pupils flared with pale cyan light; metallic luster spread across his entire body as he charged straight into the bullet storm.

His hands became blurs before him, deflecting bullets aimed at his face; his body absorbed the rest.

Armor-piercing rounds pierced his sturdy Patrol Chief uniform, yet were fully blocked by his resilient skin, bouncing off!

At this level of power, even now-blocked and degraded firearms and bullets posed virtually no threat to him.

In an instant, a human-shaped void appeared in the dense bullet curtain.

“Whoosh!”

Lin Qing’s burst of speed carried him into the midst of the mechanical guards.

The nearest mechanical guard lowered his machine gun; his palm instantly extended a black dagger, thrusting straight at Lin Qing’s body.

His speed was so fast, ordinary people couldn’t even see the motion.

Firepower suppression was merely the simplest tactic of these mechanical guards; even capable senior Patrol Chiefs could endure it—but once intruders entered their close-quarters formation, trouble began.

Because each mechanical guard’s melee combat strength slightly exceeded that of a normal senior Patrol Chief!

With over a dozen guards coordinating perfectly, supporting each other, any senior Patrol Chief who dared charge in would die without doubt!

“Hmm?”

Lin Qing’s expression didn’t change; his waist bent like dough, shifting slightly to easily evade the black dagger thrust, while his right arm elongated into a palm-blade and slashed—

“Sssch!”

The mechanical guard’s head flew off; its metal spine was severed by an invisible blade.

The other mechanical guards simultaneously surrounded him, black daggers stabbing from every angle.

Lin Qing remained utterly calm, his body shifting like a butterfly dancing through flowers, twisting in ways utterly beyond ordinary comprehension, evading each black stiletto with exquisite agility, while his hands unleashed invisible blades that continuously severed the heads of one mechanical guardian after another.

If he weren’t wielding the Instinct-Level Zizai Body, dealing with these mechanical guardians would have been a nightmare—changing his form would require preparation time.

In such high-speed combat, even that moment would be far too long.

But the Instinct-Level Zizai Body was entirely different: shifting his body required only a single thought, granting him extraordinary evasion capability.

Moreover, it was unaffected by air resistance—unfettered, unrestrained, utterly free! This style of speed and agility was clearly born for chaos combat.

Though his offensive power was clearly lacking, Lin Qing compensated with his gene ability, “Invisible Blade,” a pure offensive power capable of effortlessly tearing through the mechanical guardians’ defenses.

Though it sounded slow, Lin Qing had merely moved through the group of mechanical guardians once—in mere seconds, over a dozen had been destroyed, their bodies dismantled and collapsing to the ground.

Yet it was clear these mechanical guardians’ bodies contained memory components; they still struggled to reconnect their limbs, attempting to restore themselves.

Lin Qing paid no mind, glancing at the guardians and muttering to himself, “Why do they all look like Terminators…”

He glanced again at his now tattered patrol uniform, unable to suppress a sigh of resignation.

Then Lin Qing walked deeper into the experimental zone.

The order level had already restored, indicating the threat from these mechanical guardians had vanished.

Ahead lay a laboratory behind a blast-proof glass door.

Before he could attempt to break the glass door, it opened on its own.

Lin Qing stepped forward into the laboratory doorway, confirmed the order level remained unchanged, then stepped inside.

At that very moment—

Beams of light converged abruptly, forming a little girl, roughly seven or eight years old, with eyes as pure as an angel’s, clad in a white dress, her skin flawless and snow-white.

A projection?

The underground research facility’s AI system? Lin Qing halted his foot, squinting at the girl.

“Inspector Lin Qing.”

The girl gazed steadily at Lin Qing, her childish voice devoid of any emotional fluctuation: “Your actual strength far exceeds the records in the Inspector Headquarters’ database. Please cease destroying Father’s laboratory. Whatever you seek, simply state it.”

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