The chamber exploded into motion.
Master Yu hurled himself toward the nearest soldier.Old Zhang swung his wrench like a man possessed.Liu Fang pulled Lin Wei backward toward the stabilizer room.
And Zhao Ruitian stood completely still—as if savoring the chaos he had just unleashed.
The tactical soldiers surged forward.
Electric batons crackled.Boots hammered the concrete.Shadows danced under the flickering red lights.
Lin Wei's system screamed in his mind:
Warning:Hostile Engagement Detected Escape Probability: 34%
Recommended Action: Immediate
Relocation Route: Right Corridor
"Wei—GO!" Liu Fang shouted, shoving him toward the indicated direction.
He grabbed her hand and ran.
Master Yu slammed a soldier to the ground with a brutal shoulder throw.
"GET THE KID OUT!" he roared.
The second soldier swung toward him—Yu blocked with his forearm, teeth clenched in pain, but held.
Old Zhang rammed his wrench into another soldier's visor.
"Move, boy! MOVE!"
Lin Wei hesitated—just for a heartbeat.
"I won't leave them—"
Liu Fang nearly slapped him.
"They're fighting because of you! RUN!"
Lin Wei's heart clenched—but he forced himself forward.
Liu Fang pulled him into a narrow side corridor, the walls shaking behind them as the fight intensified.
CRACK!A baton hit concrete.
THUD!A soldier went down hard.
Master Yu roared in pain.Old Zhang cursed bloody murder.
And over it all, Zhao's calm voice drifted:
"Lin Wei, don't run. You're only delaying what must happen."
Lin Wei didn't look back.
Not once.
The Chase Begins
Bootsteps pounded behind them—fast, trained, precise.
"Faster!" Liu Fang gasped.
The corridor was lined with old machinery, discarded shelving, and rusting ducts.
Lin Wei's mind raced.
"Left ahead!" he shouted.
They skidded around the corner—just as a baton slammed into the wall behind them.
Electric arcs snapped dangerously close.
Two soldiers chased them now; one remained fighting the others.
Liu Fang's breath hitched.
"Wei, they're trained—what do we do?!"
His system flashed:
Emergency Option AvailableRisk Level: ExtremeTrigger: Environmental Instability
Lin Wei gasped.
"This place is unstable now that the stabilizer is off—if we can force the corridor to collapse—"
Liu Fang's eyes widened.
"Are you insane?! We'll be crushed!"
"Not if I time it right."
His system chimed urgently:
Structural Weak Point Detected Location: Ventilation Support Column 4
Lin Wei grabbed Liu Fang's hand tighter.
"Keep running!"
He veered right—toward a stack of old crates beneath a rusted support beam.
The soldiers gained speed.
One shouted:
"HALT! DOWN ON THE FLOOR—NOW!"
Lin Wei didn't answer.
Instead—he grabbed a heavy metal bar from the ground, spun, and struck the weakened support column with all his strength.
KRAAAAAK—
The beam groaned.
Dust rained down.
Liu Fang screamed:
"WEI!"
The soldiers skidded, realizing too late what he'd done.
CRRRRASH!
The ceiling collapsed between them—concrete, pipes, and twisted metal slamming down like an avalanche.
The shockwave knocked Lin Wei and Liu Fang to the ground.
When the dust cleared—
The soldiers were trapped behind a wall of rubble.
Liu Fang coughed violently.
"We—We did it…"
Lin Wei helped her up.
"We bought time. That's all."
His system flickered nervously:
Warning:Zhao Ruitian Approaching Distance: 38 meters
He is not alone
Liu Fang's face drained of color.
"Wei… if he gets you—if he touches the sphere—everything your father died for—"
Lin Wei squeezed her hand.
"I know."
The Backup Plan
They reached a dead-end chamber—a maintenance bay filled with old circuit breakers and abandoned equipment.
Liu Fang looked around desperately.
"We're trapped!"
"No," Lin Wei said."There's a hatch."
His system highlighted a panel near the floor.
Lin Wei kicked it open.
Below was a steep ladder descending into darkness.
"Come on!" he urged.
But Liu Fang didn't move.
Her eyes were full—with fear, yes—but something else.
Resolve.
"Wei… listen to me."She grabbed both his hands."If you go down—go alone."
Lin Wei froze.
"What? No. We're going together."
She shook her head violently.
"They're chasing you. Not me. If I go down too, I slow you. And—"Her voice broke."—I can buy you more time."
He stared at her, horrified.
"No. Liu Fang, I am not leaving you behind."
Something cracked outside—The rubble shifting.Zhao's men breaking through.
Liu Fang's grip tightened.
"You think I want to?!"Tears glimmered."But your father trusted you to shut that monster down. Not me. Not Yu. Not Zhang."
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"Just you."
Lin Wei shook his head, desperate.
"No—Fang—please—"
She leaned forward—forehead against his.
"Live. Finish this. Then come back for me."
Footsteps approached.
Closer.
Zhao's calm voice echoing:
"Lin Wei. You cannot hide from inevitability."
Liu Fang pushed Lin Wei toward the hatch.
"GO!"
The heavy footsteps turned the corner.
Zhao's shadow stretched across the floor.
Lin Wei's heart shattered.
"FANG—!"
Liu Fang smiled through her tears.
"I'll be fine. I'll stall him. Just—GO!"
A baton crackled.Concrete crunched under boots.
No time.
No choice.
Lin Wei whispered:
"I'll come back for you."
Then he disappeared down the ladder—into the darkness.
Liu Fang Faces the Wolf
Liu Fang wiped her tears.
Breath shaking.
She turned toward the approaching figure.
Zhao stepped into the room.Calm.Immaculate.Untouched by chaos.
His soldiers behind him.
He gave her a polite nod.
"Ms. Liu.A pleasure, though I had hoped to avoid this."
She stood tall.
"You won't get him."
Zhao smiled thinly.
"That depends."
He approached the open hatch—looked down into the dark—and murmured:
"Lin Wei… you cannot run forever."
He signaled his soldiers forward.
"After him."
The soldiers obeyed.
Liu Fang took one last breath—then slammed her shoulder into the lever on the wall.
K-THUNK!
The emergency lockdown hatch snapped shut—cutting off the ladder.
Zhao's eyes widened—the first crack in his mask.
The metallic gate sealed with a final, echoing clunk.
Liu Fang stood between him and the controls.
Zhao turned toward her very slowly.
"…That was unwise."
Liu Fang lifted her chin.
"So come through me."
For the first time—
Zhao looked annoyed.
And the room filled with a cold, terrible silence.
Down below—
Lin Wei climbed deeper into the darkness.
Determined.Terrified.More alone than ever.
But alive.
And somewhere above him—Liu Fang faced a monster.