No One Survives! (Part 1)
They're trapped here!
After the Tech-Priest analyzed that there was a large signal jamming device in the area, Topa, the leader of the expedition team, vaguely sensed the root of the problem, but he could not confirm it yet.
"Have the sample analysis results come out yet?" He turned his head sharply, his gaze sharp and solemn, and looked at the Tech-Priest.
Upon arriving on this planet, they collected seawater samples from this pink ocean and handed them over to the Tech-Priest for analysis. Judging by the time... the results should be available soon.
More importantly, Topa has a very bad suspicion that needs to be verified.
However, the Tech-Priest shook his head. "No, we were in too much of a hurry when we escaped, and we lost a lot of equipment. I need to find the equipment here to conduct more in-depth research."
This answer disappointed Topa. He frowned and pondered for a moment, then looked around at the remaining members of the exploration team and said, "From now on, no matter what happens, everyone must not be separated. Activate the mental shielding device at full power. The communications officer is responsible for trying to contact the mothership."
"Yes, Captain."
Everyone responded in unison.
"Maintaining the full-power mental shielding device requires a large amount of bioenergy, and we cannot replenish the energy here in a timely manner. Is it necessary?" The Tech-Priest raised this question from his perspective.
The armor worn by the exploration team incorporates many functions, such as survival capabilities in various extreme environments and a mental shielding system to prevent the influence of the Warp. However, both of these are the exploration team's last resort for survival and require a huge amount of energy!
Even running at full power, it can only last for a maximum of twenty minutes!
But now, in such a dangerous environment, consuming energy is equivalent to consuming lives. Once they lose the protection of their armor, they may be wiped out.
To the Tech-Priest's question, Topa merely glanced at him coldly, too lazy to explain, "Although you are Tech-Priest, you are also a member of the exploration team. Here, I am the boss, and you must unconditionally obey my orders!"
The Tech-Priest stared at him for a few seconds, then finally lowered his head in silence. "I understand. I will obey your orders, Topa."
From the perspective of Tech-Priest is always calm and accustomed to analyzing and evaluating results with data, Topa's decision undoubtedly hastened their deaths and was not the right decision.
But only Topa knows the real reason.
From the moment he was forced into the wreckage of this Mechanicus Ark, his teammates died from the strange seawater corrosion, and his signals were blocked, preventing him from contacting the mothership, he didn't believe that his group would be able to leave alive!
Indeed, Topa clearly understood that all of them were doomed to die!
Reason?
There was no reason, and ironically, the root of all Topa's decisions was his intuition!
But he trusted his intuition!
Before Valshius Family, he was a slave and scavenger in the Underhive of Alert Star, and he survived to this day by relying on his intuition and being cautious, until he met Alvin.
He has always firmly believed in his intuition.
Today, his intuition foresaw death. Both the eerie seawater and the sunken Mechanicus Ark kept him on edge, a piercing fear constantly lingering in his mind!
Topa had a vague suspicion in his mind, but he didn't voice it until he had solid evidence.
"Analyze the seawater composition as soon as possible," he whispered to the Tech-Priest, his tone utterly disrespectful.
Faced with the crisis, the Tech-Priest didn't bother arguing with him, and simply said rather unfriendly, "I'll analyze it as soon as possible, but without the necessary equipment, it'll take at least another ten minutes."
Topa nodded, then gathered everyone together. After confirming that the equipment and all functions were working properly, they followed the guidance of the Tech-Priest and explored the depths of the Mechanicus Ark along the unknown pipe.
But soon, they encountered a problem.
The pipes were a maze, leading in all directions, making it difficult to find the right way. In desperation, he could only entrust the task to the only expert, the Tech-Priest.
"These are pipes used to transport energy." The Tech-Priest crouched down, examined them for a moment, and determined the direction to proceed.
Pointing to a spot, he said, "According to the Mechanicus, the most important energy chamber of the Mechanicus Ark should be located ahead of this path."
"Okay, let's go this way then."
Just as Topa was about to lead his men inside, he heard a cracking sound coming from the surrounding pipe walls!
His face suddenly darkened, and he looked in the direction of the sound.
But then, several terrifying cracks appeared in the pipe walls around them, and pink, gelatinous seawater suddenly sprayed out from those cracks!
"Oh no, run!" Topa's pupils constricted sharply, and he roared, ordering everyone to immediately take cover from the seawater.
The scene that just happened—the horrific state of my teammates after seawater seeped into their bodies—is still vivid in my mind!
"No, we can't go this way!"
Topa and the others tried to crawl into the pipes of the energy compartment, but it was already filled with gelatinous seawater gushing out from the cracks.
The sticky texture felt like sinking into a swamp when you stepped on it, with a dragging sensation that made them very worried!
"Try another route!"
In desperation, Topa didn't care about anything else and could only lead the panicked crowd to the only pipe that hadn't yet been flooded by seawater.
Breathe in! Breathe in! Breathe in!
Inside the pitch-black pipes, only heavy breathing could be heard. Almost every one of them was running forward as fast as they could, not daring to delay.
Because behind it was seawater gushing into the pipes—thick, asphalt-like, swamp-like, pinkish gelatinous seawater.
They're being chased!
If you're even a second slower, you'll be swallowed by the sea!
Even with the aid of exploration armor, their physical strength was inevitably pushed to the limit when running under such extreme conditions!
As a result, some people fell behind!
Thump!
A dull thud made Topa turn around, but that one glance filled him with dread.
The teammates who had fallen to the ground had their armor shattered by the surging seawater, which seemed to carry immense force.
Once he lost his protection, the gelatinous seawater, which resembled living creatures, rushed to envelop him like sharks that had smelled blood!
Immediately following, amidst the man's shrill screams, thick, pinkish liquid began to flow from his eyes, mouth, and nose, while his entire face became twisted, ferocious, and terrifying!
Ahhhhh--
His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked like a madman, tearing at his own skin with his bare hands, peeling off layer after layer of skin, blood dripping from his mouth, uttering incomprehensible howls. "It's in! It--it's in! Ahhh--it, it's crawled into my brain!"
Then, right before their eyes, the man gouged out his own eyes, staring at them through two bloody, dark holes. His entire face, including the muscles, was contorted into an extremely grotesque expression, and he let out a hoarse, sinister, and shrill laugh from his damaged vocal cords, "You... none... can... leave--"