Chapter 43 Collecting the Secret Key

Sunk to the floor, Hermann stared blankly at everything before her. The laboratory was stained with water and charred marks, and three fierce, ferocious mutant creatures now lay limply on the ground, completely motionless.

So simple, so crisp and clean, this tiny black cat had ended their lives.

Her mind was a blank slate, as if she were trapped in an absurd dream. The terror those three monsters had inflicted upon her seemed so insignificant in the face of Xia Tong's terrifying strength.

"This monster..." she whispered.

...

On the other side, Xia Tong had no time to spare for her. She paced toward the slime monster, and a clear electronic chime rang in her mind:

[Successfully killed Mutant Frenzied Lizard, EXP +20]

[Successfully killed Bone-Aberration Zombie, EXP +20]

[Successfully killed Peptide-Eroding Slime, EXP +30]

...

[Congratulations to the Host for successfully advancing to Tier 1, Three-Star]

[Current EXP: Tier 1, Three-Star (40/1000)]

As the voice faded, a familiar, gentle warmth surged through her entire body, and a surging, overflowing energy circulated within her. Xia Tong could clearly feel the water-element crystal core in her mind gradually growing brighter, and her physical capabilities seemed to have been enhanced to a certain extent.

She had leveled up!

Tier 1, Three-Star!

She stood in place, carefully sensing the flowing energy within her, then elegantly shook her slightly messy fur, and strutted gracefully toward Hermann on cat paws.

Her glass-like cat pupils were cold and majestic. Too lazy to argue with this idiot woman, she only emitted a low, oppressive "meow" growl, signaling Hermann to step forward.

Hermann shivered all over, snapping back to her senses as if struck by lightning.

Paying no mind to her filthy, foul-smelling clothes, the shadow of death looming over her head forced her to submit to the terrifying black cat before her.

Though her legs were still weak, she managed to struggle to her feet, stumbling deeper into the laboratory. There lay the location of the energy collection port.

Xia Tong walked slowly behind Hermann, her glass-like feline eyes scanning her surroundings vigilantly.

The energy fluctuations in the air were still unsettling, and the scent of sulfur was everywhere. Although the three mutant creatures had been dealt with, who knew what other dangers might be lurking in this abandoned laboratory.

"It's... it's right here..."

Hermann stopped in front of a wall, her trembling finger pointing at a metal panel on the surface.

The metal panel was engraved with intricate runes, emitting a faint blue light. Her voice carried a hint of a sob: "We need... we need a specific key to harvest it."

Taking a deep breath, she clumsily operated the runes and interface on the metal panel using the cryptographic key hidden within her lab coat, explaining the collection process as she worked.

Her movements were slow and labored. Due to the damage to the laboratory, the energy fluctuations here were abnormally chaotic, interfering with her operations as her fingers slid across the cold metal panel.

In silence, Hermann struggled with the controls.

When the incubation pod's password was originally set, to ensure more efficiently that the precious test subjects inside would not leak to the outside world, this specific layer of energy encryption had been added. Only the combination of energy fluctuations at the exact same frequency could truly open the pod.

Once a mistake was made, the entire incubation pod would enter a locked-down state, and no one other than specific high-ranking base personnel could ever reopen it.

"Can you hurry up?"

Xia Tong's tone carried a hint of impatience, her cold cat eyes locking onto Hermann, radiating an overwhelming sense of oppression.

Every second she stayed here, unknown accidents could happen. She hadn't forgotten that these people had previously sent out countless distress signals to the outside world, and heaven knows if the people from those bases had received them...

Right now, she just wanted to quickly grab her spoils of war and leave this place.

...

Hermann was so startled she gave a violent shudder, her movements speeding up slightly as fine beads of sweat broke out on her forehead.

Her lips trembled, and her voice carried a sob: "I... I'm trying my best. Th... this place is severely damaged, and the surrounding energy interference is too intense..."

After that, Xia Tong did not urge her further, but Hermann could feel the heavy, oppressive atmosphere growing denser behind her.

...

As the collection progressed, the blue light emitted by the metal panel gradually intensified, as if some energy was being slowly stripped away from the wall and flowing bit by bit into the cryptographic key.

Those complex runes appeared increasingly eerie against the backdrop of the blue light, and the air around them grew heavier.

Hermann's face grew paler and paler, and her breathing became rapid. The damage to the laboratory made this harvesting process inflict a certain kind of torment upon her.

She could feel chaotic currents of energy invading her body through the metal panel, making her feel as though she were suspended between fire and ice. It was excruciatingly painful, yet she dared not say a word.

Xia Tong stood quietly to the side, her glass-like cat pupils watching Hermann's operations to ensure she wasn't playing any tricks.

Finally, after a long and agonizing wait, the metal panel emitted a soft beep, and the blue light instantly dimmed.

Hermann collapsed limply onto the ground, gasping for breath as if she had just been fished out of the water. She raised her head, looking at Xia Tong with complex emotions in her eyes—fear, exhaustion, and perhaps a hint of relief?

The energy key had completed the energy harvest.

Hermann tightly clutched the cryptographic key in her hand; this was her last line of defense, and she absolutely could not hand it over so easily.

Xia Tong glanced at her indifferently, guessing roughly what she was thinking. This little bit of petty cleverness was a common affliction among all "drowning people."

It was nothing more than using this as a bargaining chip or a threat to protect herself.

"Let's go," Xia Tong said flatly. Ignoring the slumped Hermann, she took the lead and walked back toward the original laboratory.

Watching Xia Tong leave without looking back, Hermann experienced a swirl of mixed emotions. She had thought that once the energy key was collected, the cat would immediately turn on her, but unexpectedly, it walked away first.

Did it look down on her as a mere experimental assistant, or did it simply not take her seriously at all?

Regardless, she should be safe for the moment. Though her legs felt like they were filled with lead, she still shakily followed behind, clutching the energy key tightly in her hand. This might be her only chance at survival.

No, this was her only chance at survival! She had to grasp it tightly!

...

Walking back through the corridor to the entrance of the previous laboratory, a thicker scent of blood permeated the air. On the ground lay the carcasses of the fanged hounds pierced by water arrows, dark green blood still slowly oozing out.

Seeing this scene, Hermann felt a churning in her stomach and barely managed to suppress the urge to vomit.

As for her other teammate, he was currently leaning weakly against the corner with his eyes half-closed. She hurriedly stepped forward to check; thankfully, he still had a breath left...

Though only barely a breath.

...

"Hurry up!"

Hermann understood the unspoken meaning, and with trembling hands, slowly brought the key closer to the incubation pod.

"After you open the incubation pod, can you spare us?" she asked cautiously, trembling all over, her nerves strained to the breaking point.

When the words fell, the entire laboratory fell into silence. Whether it was Wang Hangyang leaning against the corner or Hermann, both were awaiting the final verdict.

Hermann had even made up her mind: if the cat refused, she would immediately destroy the energy key.

Since they were going to die anyway... she wouldn't make it easy for this cat either.

"Very well." After a prolonged silence, Xia Tong spoke slowly, her tone calm and devoid of the slightest ripple.