“Steward…”
The guard captain stared blankly at the Crimson Demon, completely unprepared for his sudden appearance and rescue.
Could it be that he had been by my side all along, simply hiding, waiting for the perfect moment to ambush the intruders?
The guard captain’s mind raced, but his face betrayed nothing. He simply stood respectfully behind the demon, silently watching the two intruders ahead.
Finally seeming to react, the researchers in the data machine room looked at the servers, mostly destroyed by the shockwaves of the recent fight, then glanced at their several colleagues grievously wounded by the same shockwaves.
They didn’t even have the courage to question or demand an explanation. They simply opened a side door to the server room and fled in panic, desperate to escape before the two sides clashed again.
They were, after all, just ordinary researchers. If they stayed here any longer, even a stray shockwave from the battle could take their lives. Moreover, the demons didn’t seem to care much about their survival right now.
Thinking this, many of the senior researchers wore expressions of dismay and panic. In the past, these demons would never have allowed a battle to take place here. Not only would researchers not be grievously wounded or killed, even minor injuries wouldn’t happen.
But now, everything had changed. They didn’t know what had caused this shift, but for them, it was definitely not a good thing.
With these thoughts, many researchers’ expressions grew complex, but their escape speed increased. They deeply understood the principle: “You don’t have to be the fastest, but you absolutely must not be slower than your companions.”
Ling Xiaoyou and Su Lihua naturally blended into the crowd of fleeing researchers. Although the latter didn’t understand why they weren’t staying to help Bai Shuanglian and Su Taosheng, she knew that following Ling Xiaoyou was the right move.
Following the crowd, Ling Xiaoyou turned her head to look back at the battlefield. A tense standoff was still ongoing. Bai Shuanglian and Su Taosheng watched the demons opposite them with grave seriousness, not initiating the attack.
Their main goal was to stall—to stall long enough for Ling Xiaoyou and Su Lihua to get away, to stall until they could complete the other objectives of their plan. These demons would be handled entirely by Bai Shuanglian and Su Taosheng.
Thinking this, Ling Xiaoyou couldn’t help but press her lips together. Honestly, this feeling wasn’t good. While she understood Bai Shuanglian and the others were protecting them, the feeling of only being able to watch her companions cover their retreat, powerless to help, was truly awful.
It’s because I’m still too weak. If I were stronger, I could fight side-by-side with Bai Shuanglian, maybe even resolve all these dangers myself.
The smugness that had appeared in Ling Xiaoyou’s heart from her smooth victories during the day’s earlier battles vanished without a trace. All that remained was a desire to grow stronger and to protect Bai Shuanglian.
“Steward, those researchers…”
Seeing the many researchers fleeing through the side door, the guard captain instinctively took a step, wanting to chase after them.
But in the next instant, an Ice Crystal Longsword shot through the air, embedding itself directly in the path he was about to take.
If the Crimson Demon hadn’t pulled him back in time, he would have been skewered through the skull.
Spirit Power surged in the surroundings, and the pressure steadily climbed. Bai Shuanglian glanced at the guard captain, his face full of post-fear shock.
Then, her figure shifted slightly. Wispy, faint ice mist manifested from the void, spreading around her.
Her dark, pure eyes now shone brilliantly, making her flawless, peerless beauty appear even more transcendent. She was like a Celestial Maiden who had descended from the moon to the mortal world, to cleanse it of sin and filth.
Beside her, Su Taosheng also erupted with an imposing aura no less powerful than Bai Shuanglian’s. Bloody flames soared to the heavens, her fierce might terrifying, like an undefeated general who had walked out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
The Crimson Demon looked at the two who were no longer restraining their auras. Without turning his head, he spoke to the guard captain.
“Ignore those people.”
“But sir, among them, there might very well be…”
Before the guard captain could finish, the Crimson Demon cut him off.
“Their companions, right? I know.”
“You know? Then why let them go?” the guard captain asked, confused.
“Simple.”
The Crimson Demon said casually, simultaneously mobilizing his most powerful strength. His bones cracked, his muscles swelled, and his frame grew a full size larger as he prepared for battle.
“Because they won’t let us leave, just as we won’t let them leave. Only by winning this fight can we talk about what comes after.”
The guard captain was speechless.
“Moreover…”
The Crimson Demon abruptly turned his head to look at the guard captain, revealing a ferocious grin.
“How do you know I don’t have a backup plan?”
Boom! Crash! Kaboom!!
Not far from where they had run, Ling Xiaoyou and Su Lihua heard the sounds of intense combat erupting from the place they had just left. Just as Bai Shuanglian had said, not a single demon was chasing them. They had been completely blocked there; not a single enemy had been let through.
Listening to the sounds of battle, Ling Xiaoyou’s expression turned serious, and she lightly bit her lip. We need to rescue those imprisoned spirits quickly. And we have to find a way to eliminate those Bomb Disease pathogens too.
Thinking this, Ling Xiaoyou pulled Su Lihua and quickened her pace. Although Su Lihua struggled to keep up, she didn’t utter a single word of complaint. Instead, she pushed her legs to their limit, just to not fall behind.
I have to keep up with everyone! When I get back, I’ll train diligently! At the very least, I have to…
Su Lihua shouted this in her heart, her steps speeding up a little more.
The two followed the researchers, traveling a distance before stopping at a corner, then changing direction to continue forward.
While reviewing the data earlier, Ling Xiaoyou had also found a general layout of this research institute and learned where the place for imprisoning spirits was.
Passing through several doors, Ling Xiaoyou saw a wide metal door standing there, like the vault door of a bank.
But Ling Xiaoyou knew what was stored inside wasn’t money, but those spirits being used as experimental subjects.
She took a deep breath, stepped forward, and prepared to open this incredibly sturdy door.
But at that moment, a huge, spike-covered chain ball hurtled towards Ling Xiaoyou, energy called “Mana” coiling around it.
If it hit her, she would definitely be turned into “Ling Xiaoyou paste.”
Fortunately, Ling Xiaoyou’s reaction speed was extremely fast. The moment the chain ball tore through the air with a shriek, she swiftly dodged, avoiding the blow.
Immediately after, she steadied her footing and looked at the Unicorn Demon who had walked out from around the corner.
“As expected, the steward was right to have me wait here. Little mice really did come, wanting to rescue their kin.”
The Unicorn Demon sneered, hefting the chain ball on his shoulder.
Ling Xiaoyou didn’t speak. She just looked at him, then shifted her gaze to the system panel that had abruptly appeared:
[Long-term Mission Part Two: Liberate the Underground Research Institute]
Mission Reward: Random High-Quality Protective Spirit Tool, Spell Overclocking Technique]