No one knew how much time had passed before the elevator in the depths of the Underground Research Institute gave another faint shudder, like a sigh rising from the bottom of an abyss.
The elevator descended slowly, unusually slowly, as though someone were stopping to search every floor carefully. Inside the enclosed space, aside from the faint hum of machinery, it was so quiet that they could hear only their own breathing.
As the elevator approached the floor housing the Laboratory, the Mutants surrounding Qi Yan and the others could even faintly hear footsteps from upstairs. Heavy yet brief, the sounds stood out sharply in the oppressive atmosphere.
At last, with a low ding, the elevator doors slowly opened.
Qin Ge entered the floor housing the Laboratory with the other members of his Player squad, their expressions weary but their steps firm. Clearly, finding this place had cost them considerable time and effort.
From the moment he noticed Jiang Hong and the others acting strangely, Qin Ge had secretly installed a tracking device on their vehicle, hoping to retain the initiative. However, Su Bai had refused the bulky satellite phone Qin Ge offered him, and his outdated communications equipment could not receive any signal underground. As a result, after tracking them to the abandoned factory, Qin Ge and his team had still spent a great deal of effort before finally locating the entrance to the Underground Research Institute.
Qin Ge stood at the entrance to the Laboratory, his sharp gaze sweeping over his surroundings. Beneath the dim lights, Qi Yan and the others lay lifelessly on the floor, as bedraggled as discarded rag dolls. Qi Yan's face was pale as paper, his eyes vacant, with none of his former arrogance or malice remaining. A flicker of surprise crossed Qin Ge's