Chapter 1212: Underground Predicament

Author: Sanjiu YinyuWord Count: 1262

Thump—thump—thump...

The spotlight illuminated the stage. A figure draped in a grand red opera robe opened their eyes, watched by a multitude of gazers.

"Is it finally time to use it...?"

Chen Ling didn't hesitate. He tapped the screen, and a familiar table materialized behind him.

"Congratulations on completing the play, 'Rhapsody of Fate'.""Maximum audience expectation for this play: 91.""You have gained one designated draw right.""Upon use, you can select any character from all the characters who appeared in this play and randomly draw one of their abilities. The probability of drawing a rare skill is related to the overall audience expectation of this play."

Since escaping the Boundless Realm, Chen Ling had not used his drawing chances from new plays. He believed the accumulated expectation for this one was very high, meaning there was a high probability of drawing a high-tier skill if he confirmed his target. The crucial trump card, he thought, should only be used at a critical moment.And now was precisely that "critical moment" to play this card.

Chen Ling picked up a pen and carefully wrote a name on the paper, stroke by stroke:—Lu Xun.

Underground Shelter.

Rumble—rumble—rumble...Continuous roars echoed from above the shelter. Fine sand and gravel constantly fell onto everyone, and the ground seemed to be shaken by some entity. Cries of terror erupted one after another.

"What's happening?" Chu Changqing asked with a frown."I don't know, but this doesn't sound like a nuclear strike," Su Zhiwei hesitated for a moment before saying. "It feels more like... some living creature shaking the earth?"

"A living creature? What kind of living creature could be that massive?"Chu Changqing had studied biology for many years and had never heard of any species on Earth that could shake a shelter through such thick layers of soil, not even ancient dinosaurs.

Just then, Lu Xun's grave voice sounded in their ears: "Something has broken through my starlight and is approaching here."

Both of them froze.The next second, an entrance in a corner of the shelter suddenly exploded!

Amidst the screams of those around them, a segment of a root-like tendril, resembling a flesh-and-blood snake, slowly emerged from the soil and debris. It seemed to possess self-awareness, its tiny tentacles at the end looking left and right in the air, as if confused.Though called a root, it was thicker than three adult thighs bound together, and its surface of writhing flesh constantly pulsed, making it look utterly unlike any earthly species. One glance was enough to send chills down one's spine!

Piercing screams erupted one after another. Everyone in that area fled backward like mad, instantly overcrowding the already confined space. Those at the back were shoved forward, creating complete chaos.

Faced with the dense mass of flesh-and-blood nutrients before it, the root quickly trembled with ecstasy, then rapidly lunged toward a girl on crutches, who was closest to it!

The girl, supporting herself with two crutches, was already hindered in her movement, and with the surrounding crowd, she became the primary target... However, the next moment, shouts rang out from the side:"Xiaoyu!!""Sister Yu!! Look out!!"

Brother Pao rushed out of the crowd without hesitation, pulling the pale Xiaoyu into his arms.The other brothers also gritted their teeth and squeezed out of the crowd, wanting to help, but also afraid. The group could only huddle together, clumsily adopting fighting stances, collectively facing the bizarre flesh-and-blood root.

Seeing more nutrients gather, the root became even more ecstatic. With a whoosh, it shot out like lightning, lunging toward Brother Pao at the very front!

Brother Pao was terrified, but he gritted his teeth and threw a full-force punch...Bang—!!

The flesh-and-blood root burst apart in the air with a loud bang.Writhing, mutilated chunks of flesh fell everywhere, and an inexplicable stench permeated the air... Brother Pao's eyes were tightly shut. After a while, he tremblingly opened them and froze at the sight before him.

A woman in a white training suit had appeared before him, seemingly out of nowhere, her fist suspended in mid-air—the very one that had just obliterated the root. Despite being so close to the exploded root, not a speck of blood stained her, her white attire remaining pristine.

"Are you alright?" Su Zhiwei turned to look at the group."N-no... I'm fine," Brother Pao stammered, staring blankly at the woman who had shattered the monster with a single punch, as if in a dream. "You are...?"

Just as Su Zhiwei was about to speak, rustling sounds emanated from the wall on the other side.Boom, boom, boom—

Amidst renewed screams, more and more roots drilled out from the soil. They were like ferocious beasts, starving for days, lunging greedily toward the crowd!

Su Zhiwei let out a cold snort, her figure like a white bolt of lightning, whistling as she charged toward the roots!

"What are these things???"Upon seeing these calamities, Chu Changqing immediately recalled the mysterious monsters they had encountered in Shennongjia. Even after so much time, those never-before-seen species had left a profound impression on him... But the monsters before him now were clearly more ferocious and bizarre than the last time.

Lu Xun's eyes were fixed on the starlight above his head, beads of sweat trickling down his cheeks..."My mental energy isn't enough... I can't hold out much longer," Lu Xun said hoarsely. "They're about to break through."

"What are they??""Shouldn't we be asking you? You're the expert in cellular biology.""I..." Chu Changqing suddenly felt embarrassed. He hesitated, wanting to say more, when Su Zhiwei's shouts came from the side: "Chu Changqing! What are you standing there for? Come help!"

As Lu Xun's mental energy rapidly depleted, more and more calamities drilled into the shelter. Even with Su Zhiwei's fighting prowess, she couldn't fend off so many roots alone. With Lu Xun using starlight to protect the shelter and Yang Xiao unconscious, Chu Changqing was the only one who could help her.

"But I..."The images of those brutal spiders flashed through Chu Changqing's mind. The scene of them slaughtering two university students still made his heart tremble.

"Chu Changqing, I'm about to collapse," Lu Xun said, enduring immense pressure but still trying to keep his voice calm. "Now, only you can step forward... I believe you can do it."

Chu Changqing glanced at Lu Xun, who was struggling to hold on, then at Su Zhiwei, surrounded by roots, and gritted his teeth fiercely!"I'll try... I'll try!"

He scanned his surroundings, seemingly searching for usable materials. However, there were only humans in the shelter; he couldn't even find an ant in such a short time. He dared not conduct human experiments; in his current state, he couldn't control his ability properly.

Chu Changqing was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. Just then, half of the root corpse, shattered by Su Zhiwei, appeared before him.