Ding Junyi’s words made the colors of the other three people’s faces change drastically, and the air suddenly turned colder.
As if in response, just after she finished speaking, Lin Xian’s voice came from the intercom.
"We can come to rescue you, please open the gate of Tunnel GF2."
Upon hearing this, the people in the laboratory stood up swiftly, their eyes filled with eager joy and their delight was unmistakable.
"They agreed, we’re saved!!"
"Ding was right after all..." Xu Wen said with an unsightly expression.
"Thank goodness Ding stopped you, otherwise you would’ve caused trouble," Zhao Yan glared at Xu Wen, unable to hide her excitement at this time.
At this moment, Ding Junyi’s expression was still impassive, with no time to argue with the others, she directly operated the control system to open the gates to the Underground City’s access tunnels, and at the same time spoke into the communicator.
"The total length of the access tunnel is 31,650 meters, with a gradient of 59.5‰. The backup energy is not enough to support the electromagnetic braking system, so you need to maintain a speed within 20 KM and be sure to keep the brake pads’ thermal load. Although the 127 surveillance sensors in the tunnel have not reported any abnormalities, I suggest you turn on the lights and pay attention to safety."
Inside GF2 platform, the ’Infinity’ slowly started, with the access tunnel gates to the Underground City opening before it. Lin Xian and Chen Sixuan stood in the cockpit, serious upon hearing Ding Junyi’s words.
"Your name is Ding Junyi, right?" Lin Xian said as he operated the train and pressed the intercom.
"This is ’Infinity’, I’m the train captain, Lin Xian."
"Where did you discover the underground creature?" Lin Xian asked.
"Level 106; right now, every level below 100 is a construction area pending work. Elevator 3 originally could go down to level 95, but currently, everything below level 89 is out of contact, so it’s best if you stop at the Level 65 fourth-grade cargo rail terminal. After that, you can use Elevator 3 to directly load all sorts of materials onto the carriages."
"Understood, which specific area are you in on Level 52?"
"Section F13, when you come out of the elevator it will be in area K2; there are quite a few zombies outside the corridor and also a zone indicator map. Once you enter the elevator, I can open image transmission on this side, and then I’ll tell you the detailed routes. The distance is approximately 1.9 kilometers."
The information was conveyed very clearly; Lin Xian made sure Chen Sixuan was securely seated in the driver’s seat and then controlled the ’Infinity’ to move into the pitch-black access tunnel and begin descending into the depths of the earth.
The train began its downward slide upon entering the tunnel, the wheels making a whooshing sound. The lights revealed a long track in front, and as the train continued to wind downward, everyone on board could feel a slight pain in their eardrums.
"Hold on tight, everyone!"
Lin Xian called out to the people behind him while continuously controlling the vehicle’s deceleration to avoid derailment and loss of control.
Ahead of the train’s lights, yellow distance and level signs kept appearing in their field of vision.
The entire train spiraled downward through the dark tunnel like a roller coaster, with the smell of underground dampness gradually seeping into the carriages.
Finally, after a gradual slope, the Infinity arrived at the level four freight rail terminal of the 9th Underground City.
The wheels of the Infinity train, red-hot, released billowing steam as it came to a steady halt at a pitch-black platform. Through the windows, one could see several broken lights still flickering and occasionally sparking.
Sha Sha, KIKI, and Chen Sixuan gathered by the window, peering outside in the faint light.
At a glance, it was a large freight loading and unloading platform, complete with specialized lifting systems and conveyor belts. However, it seemed to have been the site of some terrifying events; bloodstains of varying shades of dark red were everywhere on the floor and walls, with many dismembered corpses littered across the platform.
The oppressive and fearful feeling of being in a confined space was exacerbated by the fact that they were 325 meters underground. The thought that nearly all the inhabitants of the Underground City were dead, and that there were potentially tens of thousands of zombies and unknown underground creatures buried in the depths, was enough to send a chill down their spines.
Chen Sixuan, looking uneasy, turned to Lin Xian, "How shall we proceed?"
Lin Xian pointed towards the passage behind them, "There’s only one passage out of here. We can’t afford any mistakes, or we’ll have to leave the train and fight our way out of the Underground City unarmed."
"Sha Sha, Sixuan, same as always, you two take the weapons and guard the train to avoid being cut off. I’ll go with KIKI to the 52nd floor to rescue the people first. After we return, we’ll decide on which areas to collect supplies from, depending on the time and actual situation."
Without the map open, Lin Xian couldn’t just wander around this vast Underground City. They didn’t have much time and had to search for their targets selectively. Otherwise, with floors ranging from tens to twenty square kilometers, they would exhaust themselves searching floor by floor, even if they weren’t killed by zombies and Abnormal Bodies.
The clearest plan was to find Ding Junyi and the others first, get a detailed grasp of the internal situation, and then plan accordingly based on the time, deciding which areas to scout.
The conditions inside the Underground City were complex and unknown. Sha Sha and Chen Sixuan, who had no superpowers and couldn’t keep up with Lin Xian and the others physically, would be safer staying with the train.
After splitting the tasks, Lin Xian, Yuchi, and KIKI were fully armed. He carried the GK03 electric knife, a submachine gun, and a pistol. KIKI took an automatic rifle, and Yuchi, as usual, a light machine gun, along with plenty of ammunition.
Meanwhile, the three also equipped themselves with the anti-toxic masks they had acquired from the outpost – after all, it was an enclosed space, and they had to consider things more thoroughly.
"There’s no telling how many zombies are inside. Don’t waste your strength on those things."
The cockpit door opened, Lin Xian said to KIKI.
"I know~" KIKI didn’t seem nervous at all, chuckling, "Didn’t I tell you my superpower has evolved? It doesn’t run out of power after just a few uses anymore."
Lin Xian looked at her, "How many times can you use it then?"
"How would I know, but it’s much stronger than before anyway."
Click-clack, Lin Xian stepped out first, his foot landing on the platform of the loading station with a clear sound.
The ground seemed wet, slick with moisture.
"Everyone be careful." Lin Xian turned back to signal Chen Sixuan to close the door. The musty, earthy scent mixed with the smell of blood wafted into the carriage, causing Chen Sixuan and Sha Sha to feel nauseous. After closing the door, they felt much better.
The walkie-talkie was showing a green light, indicating that short-range communication was not yet affected. Ever since encountering the three-headed spider creature in Yuchi City, Lin Xian had mulled over a detail.
That was, the status of the walkie-talkie communications could potentially offer hints about the presence of Abnormal Bodies nearby.
It sounded a bit like a poor man’s Soul Swinging Value Detector. Although it might not be entirely accurate, it could at least serve as a heads-up.