The Chaotic Corridor

The second-floor corridor had descended into utter panic.

A terrified tide of people surged up from the direction of the spiral staircase like a burst dam.

Screams, wails, shoving, and bodies hitting the floor.

A pungent, bloody stench mixed with a metallic, rotting odor permeated the air.

Downstairs, the roars and gnashing of the Corrosive Abyssal Wolves sounded like a death knell, growing closer and clearer by the second.

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

"Mommy! Mommy!"

"Help!!!"

Lin Yi, clad in black armor and wielding a long staff, moved through the crowd like a lone boat rowing against a violent current.

He shoved aside the bodies colliding with him, his anxious gaze piercing through the chaos to lock onto the sign for the restroom at the end of the hall.

"Ah!!!"

A shrill, distorted scream erupted from downstairs, followed immediately by the sickening sound of tearing flesh and the excited growls of monsters.

The panic of the crowd exploded instantly!

"They're up! The monsters are coming up!!"

"Run! Hide, quickly!!!"

The crowd grew even more frantic. Most people were like headless flies, screaming and scrambling aimlessly or trying to ram into other locked private room doors.

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

Watching the chaotic, jammed corridor, Lin Yi roared while pushing forward with all his might:

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

Lin Yi pointed quickly in one direction.

It was a vacant banquet hall he had noticed while passing by; the door was open, making it the nearest shelter.

Hearing someone giving directions amidst the chaos, most people instinctively looked where he pointed. Like survivors clutching at a straw, they began to shove their way toward Fu Xiu Hall.

"If you can't squeeze into Fu Xiu Hall, find the nearest empty room, lock it, and barricade it!"

Lin Yi continued to shout as he pushed forward, his voice raspy from anxiety. "Or run to the third floor! Don't clog the hallway! Give the people behind you a chance to live!"

Just then, a young mother covered in blood and clutching an infant 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!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Lin Yi grabbed her arm and hauled her to her feet.

Lin Yi stared at her tear-streaked, blood-stained face. He had no time for pleasantries, only a simple command: "Think of your child! Go to Fu Xiu Hall, now!"

The words struck like lightning, shattering the mother's despair. She glanced down at the swaddled infant, then held it tight and stumbled into the flow of people heading toward Fu Xiu Hall.

Lin Yi didn't look back. He continued to push against the tide, first shoving aside a hysterical middle-aged man who tried to grab his armor, then unceremoniously using his staff to ward off a woman blocking his path who was only interested in screaming and flailing. He forced a path through.

Finally, he reached the restroom entrance, only to find the door to the women's restroom already shut.

He tried the handle, but it wouldn't budge. It was locked.

"Mengmeng! Are you in there?"

Lin Yi tapped anxiously on the wooden door.

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

From inside, Zhou Mengmeng's voice came through, choked with tears and suppressed terror, yet filled with the surprise of someone finding a lifeline.

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

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

Click.

The lock turned, and the door opened a crack, revealing a pale, tear-stained face—it was Zhou Mengmeng.

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

Lin Yi first shielded Mengmeng behind him, then braced the door and scanned the interior with a sharp gaze.

In the corner of the cramped restroom, he saw three people huddled together: two young girls in waitress uniforms and a woman in a business suit, stained with blood, trembling as she clutched her phone.

Their faces were as white as paper, their eyes wide with terror, and they clung to each other, shaking like leaves in the wind.

"Who are they?"

Lin Yi asked, his eyes shifting to 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 the screaming. These two waitresses and this lady ran in."

Zhou Mengmeng pointed at the businesswoman. "They said there were... man-eating monsters downstairs! They pulled me in here to hide with them."

The businesswoman 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 have been overwhelmed by now, and soon, even cellular 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 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 couldn't be counted on right now; they were essentially locked in bitter struggles.

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

The only forces still capable of functioning within the city were the police and the military, but due to their limited numbers and finite reserves of ammunition, 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, one could only rely on self-preservation.

But he couldn't say these things plainly.

As the roars and screams from the direction of the stairwell grew clearer, Lin Yi could only urge them urgently:

"Xiaomeng, come with me. Uncle and Aunt are worried sick in the banquet hall! It's not safe here!"

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

"You can't stay here. This door is too thin, and there's a grille underneath; it's not sealed at all! Come with me to the banquet hall. We're using tables and chairs to barricade the doors; it's much safer than here! Hurry!"

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

He knew all too well what kind of monsters Abyss Beasts were. A micro-Abyss Beast nest didn't just produce Corrosive Abyssal Wolves. Staying in the restroom, relying on this thin wooden door without even anything to barricade it with, was a dead end.

"But... but outside..."

A waitress 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 Xiaomeng's wrist 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 that the banquet hall was organizing a defense, their survival instinct finally overcame their fear.

They exchanged a glance, gritted their teeth, and supporting each other, 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 coming, stay quiet! Put your phone away!"

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

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

His gaze was like a torch as he stared at the corner of the corridor leading to the stairwell, not forgetting to add that warning.

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

Time was life now. "Running into" a Corrosive Abyssal Wolf was secondary—there would be plenty of opportunities for that later. The most important thing right now was to get Xiaomeng back safely.

After all, he was still in a mortal body; while self-preservation wasn't an issue, it was better to be cautious while trying to protect Xiaomeng at the same time.