Chapter 39: The Escaping Energy Source

Inside the derelict laboratory, the air hung heavy and thick. Xia Tong’s gaze remained fixed on the woman in the lab coat, waiting silently for her reply.

The woman took a deep breath, her hand trembling as she pointed toward a terminal in the corner that was still barely functional. Her voice carried a hint of resentment and resignation:

"The activation method… it requires authorization… and a specific energy sequence…"

"Tell me." Xia Tong’s voice was cold, her cat-like eyes locked onto the woman, offering no room for hesitation.

The woman in the lab coat gritted her teeth and began to explain. She kept her voice extremely low, as if afraid of disturbing something:

"The startup process for the incubation pod is highly complex. You need to input an authorization code, and then… you must simulate a specific energy fluctuation frequency to unlock the main program."

"Furthermore… the supervisor in charge of this project is dead. The authorization code resets every day, so… time is needed for verification."

As she spoke, she struggled to her feet and moved toward the terminal, operating it with clumsy hands. Her movements were agonizingly slow due to fear and tremors. It was fortunate that there had been no self-destruct program installed initially; otherwise...

"Hurry up," Xia Tong urged, a flicker of impatience in her tone.

"I… I am trying… the code is… 038… no, that’s wrong! It’s 083…" Beads of sweat formed on the woman’s forehead, her nerves clearly stretched to the breaking point.

As the woman continued to operate the terminal with shaking hands, she cast nervous glances at Xia Tong, terrified that this eerie black cat might suddenly lose its patience.

"Authorization code resets daily, and it requires a specific energy sequence… interesting."

Xia Tong’s glass-like cat eyes shimmered with thought. It seemed the "Deep Blue Prospect Project" had indeed been designed with rigorous security measures; it was not something that could be opened casually.

"I found it… it’s… it’s this one."

The woman finally grasped the correct code and tapped it into the screen with trembling fingers. Alarm messages scrolled rapidly across the display before settling on a single prompt: "Authorization verified. Awaiting energy sequence simulation…"

She let out a long sigh of relief, only for her expression to turn bitter again: "The energy sequence simulation requires special equipment, or… someone with a specific ability must perform it at the energy collection port in the main laboratory…"

"Where is the collection port?" Xia Tong asked immediately; she had no intention of wasting more time in this abandoned lab.

The woman pointed toward the opposite wall: "In that laboratory over there… beneath a concealed metal panel. But… the surrounding area is plagued by energy interference, making collection extremely difficult. Besides… there are many mutated creatures there…"

Before she could finish her sentence, Xia Tong had already vanished like a blur, darting toward the indicated direction.

***

Silence fell over the laboratory.

"It… it can actually speak human language…"

After Xia Tong left, the fat man on the floor struggled, gazing weakly at her retreating silhouette with a complex expression.

The two exchanged a look, and the woman in the lab coat wore an expression of shock and uncertainty: "What… what exactly is that thing…"

***

On the other side, Xia Tong quickly located the laboratory the woman had pointed out.

While the outer walls were ruined and unrecognizable, the heavy door to the specialized structure remained intact. From within, low, hoarse roars could be heard echoing periodically.

"Energy collection… could it be that I need to capture the energy leaking from the incubation pod and simulate a specific sequence model?" Standing in the corridor, Xia Tong pondered the theory.

She did not act recklessly, choosing instead to survey the surrounding environment first.

Just as the woman had claimed, the area around this lab was plagued by chaotic energy fluctuations, and the air was thick with a volatile aura.

Furthermore, she could clearly sense that many mutated creatures were lurking nearby, seemingly drawn by the energy fluctuations and growing restless. Even she felt a strange, inexplicable pull toward it.

"Troublesome," Xia Tong whispered. Yet, to open the incubation pod, she had to take the risk.

She returned to the woman and the fat man. The fat man was deathly pale, leaning against the wall and gasping for air, his eyes fixed on Xia Tong with a complex look. The woman was on high alert, though her eyes were filled with irrepressible fear.

"There are many mutated creatures around the laboratory you mentioned," Xia Tong stated directly.

The woman’s face turned even paler at the news:

"Yes… that is the area where the energy is most chaotic, the very origin point of the outbreak. And those test subjects are extremely sensitive to energy fluctuations…"

What she didn't say was that the true target of those test subjects was whatever lay inside the incubation pod; the energy sources were merely "excretions" that would dissipate over time.

They had hoped to escape while the creatures were distracted, but they never expected to run into those mutated mad dogs… and then, to be cornered by this cat.

"A bit of a nuisance," Xia Tong frowned. She could feel the lurking creatures watching this direction with hungry eyes.

***

"Then… what now? What… what are you planning to do?" the woman asked cautiously, terrified of provoking the strange black cat.

Xia Tong did not answer, her glass-like eyes turning back toward the main laboratory.

Giving up was not an option. To her, this was merely a minor inconvenience.

"A pack of rabble."

With her current strength, as long as she didn't encounter a formidable Tier 2 beast or get swarmed by dozens of Tier 1 creatures, she was more than capable of protecting herself.

Moreover, whatever was inside that pod held a fatal attraction for the budding illusory wood-type crystal core within her—a craving that stemmed from the very essence of life.

Therefore… no matter what, she had to obtain it.

"You, come with me."

Xia Tong turned her head, her cat eyes flicking toward the woman, her tone flat but brooking no argument.

The woman shuddered, the color draining from her face:

"I… what do I do there? It’s too dangerous! Those mutated monsters…" She instinctively wanted to refuse; that accident-stricken laboratory was essentially a cafeteria for the mutated creatures. Going there was suicide.

They had finally managed to seal them inside.

"Enough talk."

Xia Tong’s voice turned icy. "If you want to live, lead me there and tell me how to operate the energy collection device. Otherwise…" She left the rest unsaid, but both understood.

A chilling murderous intent washed over the woman like a tidal wave, choking the words in her throat. She had no doubt that if she dared to say "no," this terrifying black cat would turn her into a cold corpse in an instant.

"I… I understand."

Under the threat of death, the woman nodded with difficulty, her voice trembling with the urge to cry. She glanced at the fat man on the ground, whose fate remained uncertain, gritted her teeth, and ultimately chose to submit.

It was better to take a gamble than to die now. Perhaps this cat really could deal with those mutated test subjects.