Chaos Corridor

The second-floor corridor had descended into utter panic.

The terrified crowd surged upward from the direction of the spiral staircase like a burst dam.

Screams, wails, shoving, people falling...

The pungent scent of blood, mixed with a metallic, rusted stench, permeated the air.

Downstairs, the roars and gnashing sounds of the Corrosive Abyss Wolf were like the rhythmic beating of a death knell, growing closer and clearer by the second.

"Get out of the way! Don't block the path!"

"Mom... Mom!"

"Help!!!"

Lin Yi, clad in black armor and wielding a long staff, stood like a lone boat rowing against a violent current amidst the human tide.

He fought to shove aside the bodies colliding with him, his anxious gaze piercing through the chaos to lock onto the sign for the restroom deep in the corridor.

"Ah!!!"

A shrill, distorted scream erupted from downstairs, followed immediately by the teeth-grinding sound of tearing flesh and the excited low growls of the monster.

The panic of the crowd exploded instantly!

"It's up here! The monster is coming up!!"

"Run, hurry and hide!!!"

The crowd became even more frantic; the vast majority were like headless flies, screaming and scurrying about, or attempting to ram into other locked private room doors.

"If you don't want to die, listen to me!"

Looking at the chaotic, jammed corridor, Lin Yi roared while fighting to push forward:

"Go to the Fuxiu Hall behind me! It's empty, the door is open, go! Get inside and barricade the door!"

Lin Yi pointed quickly in one direction.

That was an empty Banquet Hall he had noticed while passing by earlier; the door was open, making it the nearest shelter.

Hearing someone giving directions amidst the chaos, the vast majority subconsciously looked toward where he pointed, as if grabbing onto a life-saving straw, and began to squeeze desperately toward the Fuxiu Hall.

"If you can't squeeze into the Fuxiu Hall, find the nearest empty room, lock the door! Barricade it!"

Lin Yi continued to shout as he charged, his voice hoarse from anxiety, "Or run to the third floor, don't block the corridor! Leave a path for those behind you!"

Just then, a young mother holding an infant and covered in blood was shoved by the crowd and fell at Lin Yi's feet. The baby in her arms let out a weak cry, and her eyes were hollow, as if she had already given up hope.

"Get up!"

Lin Yi didn't hesitate for a second; he grabbed her arm and hauled her to her feet.

Lin Yi stared at her tear-streaked, blood-stained face, having no time for pleasantries, only a simple command: "Think of your child, go to the Fuxiu Hall, now!"

These words struck like lightning, shattering the mother's despair. She looked down at the swaddled infant, then clutched the child tight and stumbled into the flow of people heading toward the Fuxiu Hall.

Lin Yi didn't have time to look back. He continued to push against the current, first shoving aside a hysterical Middle-aged Man who tried to grab his armor, then unceremoniously using his long staff to ward off a woman who was blocking his path, screaming and crashing about, forcibly clearing a way.

Finally, he reached the entrance of the restroom, only to find that the door to the women's restroom had already been closed.

He tried turning the doorknob, but it wouldn't budge; it was locked.

"Mengmeng! Are you in there?"

Lin Yi tapped anxiously on the wooden door of the women's restroom.

"Brother?! Brother! Is that you?!"

From inside, Zhou Mengmeng's tearful, fear-suppressed response came immediately, her voice filled with the surprise of someone finding a lifeline in the face of death.

"It's me! Mengmeng! Open the door, hurry!"

Lin Yi felt a weight lift from his heart; at least she was safe and still inside.

Click.

The lock was opened a crack from the inside, revealing a pale, tear-stained little face—it was indeed Zhou Mengmeng.

Seeing her brother outside in armor and holding a long staff, she burst into tears and threw herself into Lin Yi's arms.

Lin Yi first shielded Mengmeng behind him, then braced himself against the door, his sharp gaze sweeping into the room.

In the corner on the Inner Side of the cramped restroom, he saw three people huddled together: two young girls in waitress uniforms, and a Female Office Worker in a professional suit, stained with blood, trembling incessantly while clutching her phone.

Their faces were as pale as paper, their eyes filled with extreme terror, and they clung to each other, their bodies shaking like leaves in the wind.

"These ones?"

Lin Yi cast an inquiring look at Zhou Mengmeng.

"Brother... they..."

Zhou Mengmeng sobbed as she explained, "I was washing my hands when it suddenly got so loud outside, and then I heard screaming... These two waitress sisters and this lady ran in."

Zhou Mengmeng pointed at the Female Office Worker, "They said there was... a man-eating monster downstairs that broke in! So they pulled me in here to hide with them..."

The Female Office Worker glanced at Lin Yi, then lowered her head again, her fingers frantically tapping away at her phone screen.

"It won't go through... it still won't go through!"

Her voice was shrill and desperate, the light from the screen reflecting off her bloodless face, adding a touch of the uncanny.

"The emergency line is constantly busy, and emergency calls aren't working either. How can this be!"

Emergency services...

Lin Yi sighed inwardly.

The emergency lines must be completely overwhelmed by now, and soon, even mobile signals would be lost.

Because the arrival of the Abyss Beasts was a global catastrophe, the more important the facility or location, the higher the probability of a high-level Miniature Abyss Beast Nest appearing nearby.

As infrastructure like power plants and Communication Base Stations failed one after another, it wouldn't be long before electricity, the internet, and communications were cut off in the vast majority of areas.

As for the military, they were even less reliable at this moment; they were basically already locked in bitter struggles.

However, being mere mortals, they were no match for high-level Abyss Beasts, and in the end, most of them had their units scattered and were forced to retreat in disarray.

The only forces still functioning within the city were the police and the military, but due to their small numbers and limited ammunition reserves, they were like a cup of water trying to put out a cartload of burning firewood when faced with the first surging wave of Abyss Beasts.

Therefore, don't count on rescue; at a time like this, you can only rely on self-preservation.

But he couldn't say these things explicitly.

As the roars and screams from the direction of the stairwell became increasingly clear, Lin Yi could only urge them urgently:

"Mengmeng, come with me. Uncle and Aunt are worried sick in the Banquet Hall! It's not safe here!"

His gaze swept over the three people inside, his tone extremely serious.

"You can't stay here. This door is too thin, and there are grilles at the bottom—it's not sealed at all! Come with me to the Banquet Hall. We are using tables and chairs to barricade the doors; it's much safer there than here! Hurry!"

Out of consideration for the fact that they had pulled Zhou Mengmeng into the restroom to hide, Lin Yi offered a special reminder.

He knew all too well what kind of monsters Abyss Beasts were. A Miniature Abyss Beast Nest wouldn't just produce Corrosive Abyss Wolves; staying in the restroom, relying on this thin wooden door without even anything to barricade it with, was a dead end.

"B-but outside..."

A waitress girl looked in terror toward the horrific sounds coming from the depths of the corridor, her voice trembling uncontrollably.

"Follow me or wait to die, it's up to you!"

Lin Yi's voice suddenly dropped. He didn't say another word, grabbing Zhou Mengmeng's wrist with one hand to pull her behind him, while his other hand gripped his long staff tightly, and he turned to leave.

Zhou Mengmeng had stopped sobbing by now; she gripped the edge of her brother's armor tightly, following him obediently.

The two waitresses looked at Lin Yi's back—young yet exceptionally firm—as well as the extraordinary-looking armor he wore and the heavy long staff in his hand. Hearing him say that the Banquet Hall was organizing a defense, their instinct for survival finally overcame their fear.

They exchanged a glance, gritted their teeth, and supporting each other, they stumbled along behind Lin Yi.

"The phone still won't connect... it's over, we're finished..."

Seeing everyone else leave, the Female Office Worker didn't dare stay behind alone. She followed them out, looking utterly dejected, clutching her phone tightly and muttering to herself, clearly on the verge of a breakdown.

"If you're going to follow, keep quiet! Put your phone away!"

Lin Yi growled, shielding Zhou Mengmeng on the inner side against the wall while he walked on the outer side of the group, holding his long staff.

"Also, if we happen to run into a monster, remember to stay far away. Don't get in the way."

His eyes were like torches as he stared at the corner of the corridor leading to the stairwell, not forgetting to give a final warning.

The sound of his armor clanking in the now-empty corridor seemed somewhat jarring, but he couldn't worry about that.

Time was life right now. "Running into" a Corrosive Abyss Wolf was secondary—there would be plenty of opportunities for that later—but the most important thing right now was to get Zhou Mengmeng back safely.

After all, he was still in a mortal body; while he could protect himself without issue, it was better to be cautious when he also had to ensure Zhou Mengmeng's safety.