A strong stench of blood and decay immediately wafted in from the corridor.
"Ugh... this smell is so foul!"
"It's disgusting!"
The kittens quickly covered their noses.
With their senses far more acute than humans or elves, the smell affected them more severely.
"This is..."
Jexia was the first to follow Zhang Chen out of the elevator.
The entire corridor was filled with what looked like melted flesh and blood.
The ground was covered in vein-like structures, spreading like tree roots.
There were also tumorous growths on the walls, some of which were vaguely human-shaped and occasionally twitched.
"This is too disgusting!"
Miao Qi and Miao Yin huddled behind their elder sister, Miao Ke, torn between fear of the horrific scene and an irresistible urge to look.
"It seems these resuscitated beings didn't appear on their own. Someone is conducting experiments in this laboratory."
"Five hundred years, and the progressives' equipment is still functional, impressive!"
Zhang Chen murmured to himself in admiration.
"True God, you mean... someone created a new type of soulless one? But why? These monsters are indiscriminate; they only consume humans. Creating such creatures is akin to playing with fire!"
Jexia whispered.
"Indeed, it's playing with fire, but whether it leads to self-immolation remains to be seen!"
Zhang Chen instantly activated his Absolute Vision, gaining a complete view of the laboratory's energy network.
Energy flowed through the veins on the ground, and the fleshy tumors on the walls indeed contained humans. The energy within them was being siphoned out, consumed like batteries.
A powerful energy fluctuation was detected at the end of the corridor.
"At the end of the corridor. Let's go and see. Stay alert!"
Zhang Chen said, slowly advancing.
Upon hearing the possibility of enemies, the three kittens forgot their disgust and immediately adopted alert combat stances, following closely.
Soon, Zhang Chen arrived at the entrance of a familiar room.
This was where Xiao Bai's hibernation pod had been.
It was the same room where he, Er Pang, and Xu Ruina had awakened Xiao Bai.
However, given the current state of the place, it was impossible for a perfect life form like Xiao Bai to hatch here now.
Zhang Chen reached out and gently pushed the door, but it didn't budge.
Simultaneously, a powerful energy wave repelled his own strength.
"Is it an energy barrier? What's inside that requires such a potent energy barrier?"
Zhang Chen expressed mild surprise.
"This energy barrier isn't enveloping us; it's encasing the room. This implies someone doesn't want whatever is inside to get out!"
Jexia stated.
"That makes me even more curious!"
Zhang Chen said, then condensed a surge of red energy in his right hand and lightly touched the door.
The red energy immediately absorbed all the barrier's energy.
*Buzzz...*
The device releasing the barrier instantly short-circuited.
"It's native technology again. Five hundred years, and science hasn't made any more progress?"
Zhang Chen shook his head helplessly.
Just as he was about to push the door open, static crackled through the corridor's speaker.
Then, a voice emerged.
"Don't, whatever you do, don't open the door. If you release the creature inside, our world is finished!"
The voice was slightly distorted due to fleshy tendrils blocking the speaker.
However, it was clearly a man's voice, tinged with urgency and panic.
"What's inside?"
Zhang Chen asked.
"That's... in short, you mustn't open it, absolutely not!"
The man cried out anxiously.
"You created this monstrosity but lack the courage to take responsibility and fled. What kind of man are you?"
Zhang Chen taunted.
"You, how do you know I created this thing?"
The man was taken aback.
"I didn't know before, but now I do. You just told me!"
Zhang Chen chuckled slyly.
"This... in short, until I find a solution, do not open it!"
The man sounded on the verge of tears.
Concurrently, the sound of pages turning and a clock chiming could be heard through the speaker.
"Master, his eyes are over there!"
Miao Ke pointed to a surveillance camera in the corner.
"Alright, I won't open it!"
Zhang Chen wiggled his left index finger.
The surveillance camera instantly shattered, its parts clattering to the ground.
Then, he simultaneously nudged the door open a crack.
"Good, good, please don't open it, I'm close to finding a solution, thank you!"
The voice from the speaker abruptly cut off.
It seemed he had been observing the corridor situation through that camera.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have thanked Zhang Chen even after the door was already ajar.
"This man's location is likely the library in Battlefire Fortress. That's the only place where one can consult documents late at night, and there's a large clock outside the library there. I'm familiar with that clock's chime."
Jexia reported her analysis to Zhang Chen without reservation.
"Mm, let's see what's in here first, and then we'll deal with this troublemaker!"
Zhang Chen said, then pushed the door open.
To everyone's surprise, despite the disgusting state of the corridor outside, this room was impeccably clean and tidy.
The room was divided into two sections. One was a laboratory with a bed and restraints on either side for a person's limbs.
Hibernation pod number 7 was in the corner, its hatch open, suggesting someone else had occupied it before.
On the other side, separated by a large glass pane, was an observation room.
The observation room contained a bed, a desk and chair, with over a dozen thick books piled on it.
In the corner, there was a toilet.
In another dimly lit corner, a woman clad in white was crouched.
Her back was to the glass, and her long hair cascaded down her back, pooling on the floor.
The woman was curled up, her shoulders seemingly trembling incessantly.
"They're using women for experiments?"
"Hmph. No wonder they didn't want us to open this door; they were afraid their wicked deeds would be discovered!"
"The Valen Empire, so powerful on the surface, yet engaging in such despicable acts behind the scenes."
The three kittens exclaimed indignantly.
Seeing the woman, their minds immediately went to the cat-eared sisters who had been bought away. Their lives were likely even more miserable than this.
"What does this woman have to do with the new type of soulless one? I don't quite understand!"
Jexia said with a frown.
"Be careful, she possesses immense energy!"
Zhang Chen said, lightly tapping the glass with his finger.
With a crack, the resilient glass shattered.
Simultaneously, the woman in the corner suddenly turned her head.
With a single glance, Zhang Chen involuntarily staggered back two steps...
"Xu Ruina? How is this possible?"