Chapter 81
The hand Han Fei had placed on his shoulder was no longer a gesture of goodwill, but had transformed into an iron clamp! A tremendous force erupted instantly, violently pulling him off balance. At the same time, Han Fei's other hand, like a venomous snake emerging from its hole, slashed with unparalleled precision across his carotid artery!
"Uh?!" The staff member only managed to let out a short groan before everything went black and his body went limp as he collapsed to the ground.
Han Fei moved with fluid grace, and before he fell to the ground, he had already bent down and lifted him up, quickly retreating back into the room as if carrying a sack of grain.
"Is he alright?" Lemuen, her voice tinged with concern as she looked at the unconscious staff member whom Han Fei had gently placed on the bed.
"Don't worry, it's just deep sleep. At most, my neck will be sore when I wake up." Han Fei spoke quickly, his eyes sweeping over everyone like a cheetah about to pounce. "Time waits for no one, target clear, let's go now!"
Without hesitation, Lemuen, Fiammetta, Mostima followed Han Fei out of the room.
"Over there!" Han Fei pointed deep into the corridor, the area where the gate was located drawing him in like a magnet. "Mostima?"
Mostima looked in the direction he was pointing, a strange smile curving his lips, "Heh, the goddess of fate is being generous today; my 'curiosity' is also pointing in the same direction."
The group had just rushed out of the building where they were being held in confinement when the piercing alarm and sharp shouts shattered the tranquility of the passageway!
"The prisoner escaped! Over there! Stop them!"
At the end of the passage on the right, several guards carrying Guardian Gun were frantically raising and aiming their weapons, one of them shouting into a communicator.
"Get some cover up!"
Han Fei gave a low shout and flicked his wrist. The small swarm of drones shot out with a "buzz," its tail spewing out a thick, almost tangible, milky-white smoke screen that instantly engulfed the right-hand passage, obscuring all vision.
"Flowers, come!"
Before he finished speaking, a rose shimmering with a pale golden light magically appeared in Han Fei's hand. Without hesitation, he crushed the rose in his palm!
Bang!
With a soft pop, as if energy was injected into his legs, Han Fei suddenly accelerated like an arrow released from a bow! A near-ground-hugging slide tackle! Immediately following was an explosive leap!
Sprint, slide, jump!
A series of movements so fast they left only afterimages on the retina, so fluid they were breathtaking, instantly widening the distance between them and their companions.
"Here we go again!"
Mostima sprinted along, muttering to himself, his voice laced with a helpless laugh amidst his rapid breathing, "Every time I see him pull off these inhuman stunts, I have to double-check my species encyclopedia. Is that guy's joint made of bone or springs?"
"Shut up! Run faster!" Fiammetta growled, his eyes warily pointing in the direction of any potential threat.
Lemuen pressed her lips together, remaining silent, but her bright pink eyes, like the most sophisticated radar, rapidly scanned her surroundings. A strong sense of unease surged within her.
--Isn't the security here a bit too lax?
Where is this? The First Hall of the Pontifical Hall! The heart of the Laterano judicial system! How could its defenses be so... childish?
Where were the expected elite Gun Knights? Where were the well-trained officers? All that remained were these panicked, headless-flying ordinary guards. This unsettlingly lax security was like a poorly executed stage play.
It's very strange, really very strange.
However, Han Fei's speed gave her no time to investigate. The fifty-meter distance was compressed to its limit by him amidst the deep hydraulic hum of the powered exoskeleton. Almost the instant Lemuen's thoughts flashed through her mind, he had already crashed into the heavy iron gate of the target building like a cannonball!
Above the door, a warning sign that read "Key Area, Unauthorized Entry Strictly Prohibited" flashed a cold red light.
Han Fei didn't even look, and threw a round smoke grenade behind him. Thick black smoke billowed out again, providing cover for his teammates behind him. At the same time, he lowered his shoulder and slammed into the iron gate!
Surprisingly, the door wasn't locked!
The heavy iron door was slammed open with a loud crash. What greeted him was not cold machinery, but two gun muzzles that suddenly lit up, brimming with deadly energy!
The scorching heat was almost overwhelming. Two fully armed guards stood like statues behind the door, their eyes sharp as knives.
"Don't move! Get down immediately!" The stern shout echoed in the cramped hallway, carrying an undeniable killing intent. The other man's finger was already on the trigger.
Han Fei's pupils contracted slightly, but his body reacted reflexively—he slowly raised his hands upwards, as if to surrender.
Just as the guards' tense nerves began to relax slightly due to this gesture of surrender...
Han Fei subtly flicked his raised right wrist, and a smaller smoke grenade slipped from his sleeve, silently landing on the metal floor.
With a whoosh, thick, pure black smoke exploded instantly, like ink dripping into water, engulfing everything in the hallway and completely depriving everyone of their view!
"Fire! Blind fire!" The guard's furious roar echoed through the smoke.
The next second, gunfire erupted.
Han Fei was not from Laterano, which undoubtedly emboldened the guards to fire.
Bang bang bang!
The deafening gunfire erupted in the confined space, bullets tearing through the air and scattering blinding sparks as they struck the walls and iron doors! They were unleashing a barrage of fire in the direction where Han Fei had just stood.
However, at the very instant the smoke exploded, Han Fei moved!
The joints of the powered exoskeleton emitted a deep, efficient hum. Instead of retreating, he crouched low to the ground like a ghost, executing an incredibly fast slide tackle, narrowly escaping between the legs of two guards amidst thick black smoke and deadly bullet trajectories!
The sound of the metal exoskeleton rubbing against the smooth floor sounded particularly eerie between the gunshots.
"Did you hit him?!" a guard asked hoarsely during a reload.
"I don't know! The smoke is too thick!" another voice said, filled with doubt and uncertainty.
Just then!
Two tactical-gloved hands, brimming with terrifying power, like iron claws reaching out from hell, darted out from behind them with pinpoint accuracy and gripped the back of their necks.
Immediately afterwards, an irresistible force came.
Thump!!!
With a sickening thud, the heads of the two guards collided without any cushioning, like two hard bowling balls, under Han Fei's cold and efficient grip.
The two guards froze, their fingers on the triggers instantly releasing their grip. The Guardian Gun slipped from their hands and fell, but Han Fei caught them with lightning speed, preventing a loud crash to the ground.
Immediately afterwards, like puppets with broken strings, they collapsed limply to the ground without even uttering a sound, completely losing consciousness.
Han Fei quickly kicked the two fallen guns into a corner to ensure they wouldn't trip his companions. Thick black smoke still filled the air, leaving only two figures on the ground, both in a deep coma.
As Han Fei sighed, thinking to himself, "I can resist pressing the execution button even when two executions are right in front of me. I must be a saint."
The next second, almost instinctively, he crouched down and was about to lick the bag.
Then he discovered that he couldn't lick these two.
???
What does that mean...?
A sense of confusion immediately arose in Han Fei's mind. Even though Lemuen was unconscious last time, he was still able to lick her.
Perhaps it was a moment of crisis, but Han Fei's mind was racing.
Based on his experience from the previous two searches, raids, and withdrawals, he almost instantly realized a possibility—was it because these two were just regular soldiers?
The Emperor's Blades on the Tundra, as top-tier combat power, could be described as elite. They had appeared on his list of defeated soldiers, while the other Ursus Infected Inspectors did not receive this treatment.
Similarly, Lemuen was clearly not a grunt, so even though he was seriously injured and unconscious but not dead, he could still loot a bag.
Just then, hurried footsteps approached from afar, and the girls' figures broke through the thick smoke, appearing at the doorway.
"So much smoke!" Mostima's voice was tinged with a slight cough as if he'd been choked. "I just heard gunfire. Han Fei, were you alright?"
"Intact," Han Fei replied, pointing to the ground. "Watch your step; there are two lying 'roadblocks,' don't trip over them."
Before the words were finished, a soft cry of "Ouch!" was heard, followed by a dull thud and a suppressed groan of pain.
The next second, Fiammetta's angry complaint came through. "Couldn't you have said so two seconds earlier?!"
"I think my speaking speed is already at its limit." Han Fei frowned helplessly. "Alright, get up, we need to get down to business."
As the smoke cleared, three girls walked in, looking somewhat disheveled. Fiammetta was rubbing her knee; she had clearly taken a hard fall.
Han Fei glanced at her. "Are you alright?"
"They won't die," Fiammetta waved her hand dismissively. "These two cushions below are doing a pretty good job."
Han Fei said no more, his gaze quickly locking onto his target, and he walked straight towards the gate room in the middle of the corridor. The location of the gate was much more conspicuous than he had expected, right on the first floor, and the door wasn't locked.
He pushed open the door and entered, and the moment his gaze swept over the furnishings in the room, he couldn't help but be taken aback.
"This place... why does it look so familiar?" he muttered to himself, then suddenly realized, "It's you! The Blue Room at the Space City!"
The room's layout is almost identical to the "Blue Room," only the items displayed are completely different.
There were no Space City models here; instead, there was a collection of strange and unusual objects: paintings of various styles, ancient-looking armor, and even gleaming Longspear and spears. The pair of staffs that Mostima had sensed lay quietly in one of the display cases.
Each item is securely locked in a separate glass display case.
At the far end of the room, an enormous, almost exaggerated safe was pressed against the wall, exuding an aura of "keep away." Next to it, Han Fei keenly spotted a slightly smaller, but equally sturdy and heavy, safe.
The situation was urgent, Han Fei forcibly suppressed the urge to rush towards the safe. With a clear goal in mind, he jogged to the control gate and pulled it hard!
"Click!"
As the gate handle fell, a heavy locking sound rang out, and all the display cases opened. The huge weight that had been hanging over Han Fei's heart finally lifted.
With the crisis temporarily averted, he finally had the opportunity to turn his attention back to the safe, and his feet involuntarily and furtively crept over to it.
Reaching out and touching it, sure enough, it was the classic Delta Force combination lock puzzle.
What are you doing now?
Lemuen's soft yet inquisitive voice suddenly rang out from beside her.
But Han Fei didn't turn around and said directly, "Don't rush, let me have a bite first!"
As the last digit of the password was entered, the lock cylinder made a crisp "click," and the door popped open a crack.
The next second, the two horizontal lines in his field of vision made Han Fei's heart sink.
But since he was already there, Han Fei patiently waited for the object to appear. As the magnifying glass rotated, the search time ended, and two cow horns appeared in Han Fei's line of sight.
"No complaints, this is real Space City."
Han Fei sighed, closed the search interface in his field of vision, and turned his head to meet Lemuen's pink eyes, which were filled with curiosity and a hint of disapproval.
"Why are you looking at me?" Han Fei blinked innocently.
"Don't you dare steal anything," Lemuen gently reminded him, her tone mild yet carrying an undeniable bottom line.
"I didn't take anything, I didn't take anything."
Han Fei shrugged; he really didn't think much of bull horns these days.
"Hmph."
Lemuen hummed twice, seemingly believing her.
She definitely didn't see Han Fei take anything out of there.
Just then, Mostima's voice suddenly rang out. "So that's how it is."
Han Fei looked in the direction of the sound and saw Mostima holding two staffs, a hint of understanding in his eyes.
Clearly, she had gotten the answer she wanted.
"Tell me, what did he see?" Fiammetta pressed.
"I..."
Mostima opened her mouth, wondering how she could explain all this to Fiammetta, to tell her bluntly that the Sankta were actually of the same origin as the Sarkaz?
Even if Mostima believed in Fiammetta's character, she found it difficult to say these things aloud.
Just then, heavy footsteps approached, and then several Gun Knights in white armor appeared in everyone's sight.
"Alright, kids, it's time to end playtime."
Upon hearing the voice, Lemuen immediately recognized the person leading the group and said softly, "Good morning, Your Excellency Patrician."
Patrician's gaze swept over the crowd, and he said, "You guys really are..."
He shook his head, said no more, and reverted to his businesslike tone, saying, "Alright, come with me, His Holiness the Pope wants to see you."
Volume 1: Chapter 118 Underground
It can be said that the moment the Gun Knights appeared, this meticulously planned riot was already over.
Han Fei, on the other hand, remained calm and composed. His core objective had already been achieved—the floodgates to the Pontifical Hall had been closed. Now, being "escorted" directly to the cathedral to meet the Pope saved him the trouble of finding a way in, which was an unexpected bonus.
Accompanied by a small squad of Gun Knights, the group returned to the service hall.
From afar, Han Fei spotted Texas and Lemuen.
They were both under the guard of the Gun Knights, but the atmosphere was clearly much more peaceful. Texas maintained her ever-present icy expression, while Lemuen even had a slight smile on her lips, looking quite pleased with herself.