Chapter 39: The Underground Elevator

The other room, labeled the information command center, was relatively empty. Chairs and desks were stacked haphazardly, and there were traces of makeshift bedding on the floor. “This will do,” Lin Xian said, dragging a chair out. He glanced at Kiki. “Get some rest.” Kiki wrinkled her nose in disgust at the dirty floor but quickly became distracted by the command console. The table was lined with over a dozen monitors and information equipment, though they were utterly useless in the absence of power. Her eyes sparkled with interest as she walked over. “Hey, bad guy, how about we move this stuff onto the train and set up an information center for me?” “An information center?” Lin Xian raised an eyebrow. He had noticed earlier that the base had a sentry warning system, but the system was far too complex to disassemble and move easily. “Easier said than done. How are we supposed to haul all this back?” Kiki pouted. “Are you stupid? There’s a freight rail line outside—it’s obviously connected to Beiwang Station!” “I know,” Lin Xian replied with a wry smile. “What I mean is, we’re still trapped in this fog. We’re lucky to even be alive, so how would we find the time to move anything?” “Uh... fair point,” Kiki admitted, deflating. She stretched lazily and glanced at Lin Xian, her exhaustion plain to see. “I can’t take it anymore. I need to rest for a bit.” Lin Xian found a corner and leaned back against the wall, leaving her be. He knew Kiki was utterly drained by now. Whether it was Qian Yu or Tang Hai, Lin Xian was certain they both harbored ulterior motives. In this harsh environment, everyone prioritized their own survival. Their politeness toward him and Kiki was only due to their abilities as ability users. Once they escaped the fog, Lin Xian would become their biggest threat. Some might see Lin Xian and Kiki as powerful allies, but for now, with the extreme night just two days away, everyone’s survival was uncertain. “This kind of place should have backup power or generators,” Lin Xian muttered, noticing how the survivors in the main hall were lighting candles. It was clear the ventilation system was still functional, yet the electricity was completely out. “In the armory. It stinks in there,” Kiki mumbled, leaning against Lin Xian’s shoulder. Within moments, she had fallen asleep. Lin Xian turned to look at her, a complicated expression crossing his face. Yesterday, she had fainted after using her ability twice to fight off the giant bug. Yet today, she had managed to hold out without revealing any weakness. She was sharp. If the others discovered her ability’s limitations, neither Qian Yu nor Tang Hai would treat them with such caution. Even though Lin Xian’s display of power had been impressive, Kiki’s explosive combat ability had left a much stronger impression on everyone. He recalled how she had feigned sleep for three days and began to wonder about her true identity. How could a spoiled rich girl have such resilience? Night fell, and everything inside and outside the bunker grew deathly quiet. Whether it was the convoys in the courtyard or the survivors in the underground shelter, nobody made unnecessary noise. It was a night destined to be sleepless—not only because of the looming terror of the dark but also because tomorrow’s planned escape from the fog was a gamble of life and death. Lin Xian did not rest. Instead, he placed his hand on the command console and activated his Mechanical Heart to interface with the system. But he quickly realized this command system wasn’t just a server or a set of information devices. It was the central hub that connected the entire outpost. The system’s scale was far beyond what he had anticipated. His energy began draining rapidly, alarming him. Just as he prepared to stop his ability, something strange caught his attention. Beneath the underground facility, there was a hidden elevator. What shocked Lin Xian even more was that the elevator was currently descending! Frowning, he stood up and looked out into the main hall, but everything remained silent. Where was this elevator located? And more importantly, with the base’s power completely out, how was the elevator still operational? “Backup power?” Lin Xian muttered, glancing at the sleeping Kiki. He remembered her mentioning a backup generator in the armory. With a growing sense of caution, Lin Xian’s suspicions deepened. The first person that came to mind was Tang Hai. Both Lin Xian and Qian Yu had found Tang Hai’s behavior odd. While his goals seemed straightforward, his timing was too convenient. Luo Shasha had arrived two days earlier, and Qian Yu’s group a day before that. By all logic, Tang Hai should have been aware of their presence much earlier. Yet he had chosen to emerge today, risking a potential zombie horde attack. However, as a local, Tang Hai had also led them to a much safer shelter than the plaza, which had temporarily eased some suspicions. Although the various groups remained wary of one another, the shared danger of the fog bound them together for now. Even with the bunker doors open, Lin Xian had put his doubts on hold. Still, his cautious nature compelled him to investigate further. After carefully laying Kiki onto a discarded sleeping bag, he left the command room and stepped into the hallway. The survivors in the main hall eyed him warily but said nothing. Since Feng Yuming had personally escorted him inside, they remained silent, though their expressions were guarded. Ignoring them, Lin Xian returned to the armory. As expected, deep inside the room, he found a large diesel generator and an energy storage system. However, when he used his ability to scan it, he discovered that the generator was damaged and out of fuel. “What’s going on? No power at all? Could there be another source of backup energy?” The realization sent a chill down his spine, sharpening his suspicions. Lin Xian searched around for a while longer before deciding to return to the hangar entrance of the bunker. The heavy iron door was already locked, but using his Mechanical Heart , he quietly unlocked it. Peering out, he saw the slope below and the courtyard of the outpost where dozens of vehicles belonging to the survivors were parked in eerie silence. From the cracks in several of the vehicles, faint beams of light leaked out—proof that many people were not sleeping soundly but remaining on high alert throughout the night. Lin Xian circled the area but found no sign of the elevator entrance, nor did he spot Tang Hai or Feng Yuming. Their absence unsettled him. Feeling a growing unease, Lin Xian returned to the command room and took a deep breath. This time, he decided to push his Mechanical Heart to its limit, attempting to fully integrate with the base’s command system and map out all its mechanical pathways. It wasn’t long before he felt an intense drain on his energy, leaving him visibly exhausted, his face pale. But his efforts paid off. As he scanned the entire base’s mechanical structures and conduits through the command hub, his eyes suddenly snapped open. A sharp, fierce glint flashed in his gaze. “F***!” Lin Xian cursed under his breath, his expression darkening as cold sweat poured down his face. After a brief moment of deliberation, he scooped up Kiki, who was still sound asleep, and carried her into the armory. Locking the door behind him, he ignored the pervasive stench of the room and used a flashlight to find a spot near the backup generator where the air was better due to the proximity of the ventilation pipes. Placing Kiki down gently, he turned off the flashlight and listened to the faint sound of her breathing in the dark. He then placed his hand on the generator and began another scan. “Just as I thought!” In the pitch-black room, Lin Xian’s expression grew grim, his heart pounding faster. “Ugh, it stinks so bad...” Kiki’s sleepy voice murmured faintly beside him, half-conscious from the horrible smell. “Little girl,” Lin Xian muttered, giving her cheek a quick pinch. The startled Kiki jolted awake, groggy and visibly irritated. The foul stench made her wrinkle her nose as she struggled to sit up. “Hey... you—” Before she could finish her sentence, Lin Xian covered her mouth with his hand. Click. He turned on the flashlight again, his face solemn as he pointed toward the wall next to them. “What’s going on?” Kiki asked, her expression shifting to seriousness as she saw Lin Xian’s demeanor. Forcing herself to focus despite her fatigue, she whispered, “Is it a monster?” Lin Xian’s gaze darkened. “I think it might be worse than that...”