Chapter 22: The Explorers Within the Base (Please continue reading, please bookmark)

The roar of a car engine suddenly erupted from the depths of the shopping mall without warning, shattering the deathly silence.

Xia Tong stopped abruptly, her ears pricking up in alert.

"A car..."

With a second-tier Blood-Winged Bat resting on the roof above, they dared to drive inside? Were they courting death? Or perhaps... were these people confident enough to be fearless?

Realizing this, she immediately crouched low, hiding in a nearby gap between thick vines. She minimized her presence, observing the direction of the sound only through her peripheral vision.

The engine roar grew louder, accompanied by the crunching of tires over rubble and debris, as the vehicle headed toward the entrance of the building where she was hiding. Before long, two blinding beams of headlights pierced the darkness of the entrance.

A heavily modified black off-road vehicle rumbled into the dilapidated building's lobby, its engine growling with a muffled, menacing power. The vehicle was massive, its body covered in thick, bolted-on armor, with sharp metal spikes and grilles welded onto various sections. The windows had been replaced with dark, bulletproof-style plating, and the tires were enormous, sporting deep, aggressive treads—clearly customized to rampage through the ruins of this post-apocalyptic world.

The car came to a halt in a relatively flat area in the center of the lobby. The engine was not cut; it idled with a low, humming vibration. The doors opened, and two figures stepped out from the front seats.

The driver was a slender, refined-looking young man with black-rimmed glasses. Upon exiting, he immediately scanned the surroundings with caution, holding a tablet-like device and tapping rapidly on the screen, as if checking for something.

The passenger was a hulking, bald man. He stood nearly two meters tall, wearing a tight black tank top that revealed muscles as knotted and massive as hillocks. A thick metal chain hung around his neck, and a hideous scar ran from his left temple down to his chin, adding a layer of ferocity to his already brutal appearance. He carried a giant splitting axe proportional to his massive frame, its edge glinting with a chilling, cold light under the glare of the headlights.

"That is... an Alienation Tool!"

Xia Tong’s sharp eyes caught the glint of the axe. After careful observation, she confirmed it was indeed a specialized weapon forged by the base: an Alienation Tool.

Countless thoughts raced through her mind; the identities of these two were obvious. She had not expected to encounter wilderness explorers from the apocalypse base so soon in this lifetime.

Just as she was deep in thought, the rear doors opened, and two more people stepped out.

One was a young woman in camouflage combat gear with a sharp, short haircut. Her expression was cold, her gaze as piercing as an eagle’s. She wore two pistols at her waist and carried a custom-made crossbow on her back. The other was a man in a hoodie, his face largely obscured by shadows. He kept his head down, his features unreadable, and followed silently behind the woman.

Four people—three men and one woman—well-equipped, moving with a disciplined, practiced synergy.

"This group... they have that distinct vibe..."

"They are likely an elite exploration squad from the base."

"Ke Ji, what’s the situation around here?" the scarred, hulking captain asked in a thick, booming voice that sounded like distant thunder.

The bespectacled youth known as Ke Ji adjusted his glasses and stared at his tablet. "Captain, preliminary scans indicate the building’s internal structure is stable, but the energy signals are incredibly complex. Aside from the high-energy source from the big guy on the roof, there appear to be signs of many mutant creatures active in the lower levels—mostly small burrowing insects and fungal aggregates. No high-tier threats detected for now."

"Hmm," the scarred captain nodded, sweeping his gaze across the area. "Ling, what about you? Any discoveries?"

The short-haired woman, Ling, closed her eyes as if sensing something. A few seconds later, she opened them, her brow slightly furrowed. "The pheromones in the air are chaotic. There are traces of the previous survivors, and... a very faint, yet distinct aura. It feels like some kind of high-tier predator, but it’s not the one on the roof. It seems to be nearby."

"Oh?" A glimmer of interest flashed in the captain's eyes. "It seems this place is even livelier than we anticipated. Mo, you’re in charge of guarding the vehicle."

The silent man in the hoodie gave a slight nod, walked over to the off-road vehicle, and leaned against it, blending into the shadows like a statue.

Xia Tong took it all in from the darkness, assessing them silently. These four were clearly an ability-user squad cultivated by the base, and they had a clear objective—they were here specifically for this building.

[Scarred Captain (Name unknown), Human, Fire Ability (Initial Tier), Strength Enhancement (Low Tier).]
[Ke Ji, Human, Electronic Control (Initial Tier), Intelligence Enhancement (Initial Tier).]
[Ling, Human, Psychic Sensing (Initial Tier), Speed Enhancement (Initial Tier).]
[Mo, Human, Shadow Manipulation (Initial Tier).]

At the same time, the information provided by the "Source Core" made Xia Tong’s heart tighten. This was a luxurious squad configuration: heavy assault, electronic expertise, sensory detection, and a shadow-wielding assassin.

The scarred captain, with his heavy assault fire ability and boosted strength, was undoubtedly a powerhouse in melee combat. And that woman, Ling, with her psychic sensing... that was problematic. Her own stealth capabilities would be significantly diminished in the presence of such a sensor-type ability user.

Xia Tong could only pray they wouldn't discover her.

"Captain, according to the data, the 'Moonlight Orchid' is most likely growing near the climate-controlled lab on the third basement level. It used to be the rare plant exhibition area of this mall." Ke Ji pulled up the map on his tablet, pointing to a green zone.

"Excellent." The scarred captain grinned, revealing white, jagged teeth. "Then let’s clear the path and go down. We need to be quick—don't alert the 'landlord' on the roof."

"Ignore it for now."

With that, he hefted his giant axe and strode toward the entrance of the safety stairwell leading underground, with Ling and Ke Ji following close behind.

Xia Tong watched them vanish into the dark entrance of the stairwell, a thoughtful glint in her cat-like eyes.

Moonlight Orchid? It sounded like a plant.

Were these people risking so much, even daring to trespass on the Blood-Winged Bat’s territory, just for a plant? That plant couldn't be simple.

She did not move immediately. This group was strong, and with a psychic sensor among them, following them rashly would easily expose her.

Besides...

Xia Tong shifted her gaze to the hooded man leaning against the customized off-road vehicle.

There was still a "master" guarding the perimeter here.