As he fell.
Cheng Qi could clearly see an enormous space below, dim and hazy.
Foolish Boy leaned against a dark gold door.
Judging by its appearance, the door was thick and sturdy. It should have no trouble keeping the Killer Rats out.
The miniature repair robots went ahead, drifting like smoke into the keypad beside the door.
Then.
As Cheng Qi neared the ground, he flipped to bleed off his momentum and landed on one knee.
He then stood before the alloy door and looked up.
Countless Killer Rats poured down with enough ferocity to devour heaven and earth.
Suddenly.
The midair "waterfall of Killer Rats" split down the middle like a raging torrent.
Then a huge black shadow burst out of the swarm!
Cheng Qi's pupils contracted. "What's that? A giant rat... a Killer Rat king?!"
The airborne Killer Rat was covered in red fur and had to be over four meters long. Through the gloom, it looked about the size of a rhinoceros!
There were freaks like this too?!
But a moment later, Cheng Qi realized he had been thinking too small. That Red-Haired Killer Rat was no Rat King, because hundreds more enormous Red-Haired Killer Rats appeared over the next few seconds.
They had to be some kind of elite rats!
"Preparing a repair plan."
Cheng Qi froze at the voice and looked at the tiny UFO on his shoulder. "Come on, buddy. You were quick enough when there was no rush. Now that we're pressed for time, you suddenly need a plan?"
Roar!
A monstrous howl erupted from the Red-Haired Killer Rat's fang-filled mouth!
This thing deserved to be called a beast. After landing, one Red-Haired Killer Rat rolled, shook its stiff fur, and leaped four or five meters into the air, its gaping, bloody maw lunging straight at Cheng Qi.
"Equipment repairs complete!"
Cheng Qi paused again. The plan was so it could finish the repairs instantly?!
"Access Control System repaired and functioning normally."
"Beginning password cracking. Estimated time unknown."
"???"
Cheng Qi's emotions were on a roller coaster, but the situation made sense. Now that the door had been repaired, its password system was working normally again. To get in, he could only wait for it to be cracked.
But there was no definite time estimate...?
Watching the waterfall of Killer Rats and the mass of elite rats, Cheng Qi couldn't help growing agitated.
When I get the chance, I'm definitely synthesizing some weapons of mass destruction!
"Ding!"
"Authorized Personnel credentials detected."
"Welcome to the Muon Research Center, China Sector 52."
This time, the notification came from inside the alloy door.
Cheng Qi froze.
How was I Authorized Personnel?
How was that possible? The Muon Base had long since been abandoned and buried underground for a hundred years. I was only eighteen!
Humm-
Rumble-
The alloy door began to shake, shedding layers of dust.
Then the two halves slid apart, slowly opening a gap.
Cheng Qi grabbed Foolish Boy beside him and squeezed sideways through the gap.
Once Cheng Qi entered the Muon Research Center, the door began to close slowly.
Roar!
A Red-Haired Killer Rat forced half its body through the gap, only to get caught by the closing door.
The alloy door closed with astonishing force. Bones cracked as the Killer Rat was crushed, spraying flesh, blood, and entrails. It howled as its body snapped in two!
Half the Red-Haired Killer Rat's body fell inside the door. Cheng Qi thought it was already dead, but a moment later, the severed rat pushed off with its two front paws, sprang up, and lunged at his head again!
Shing!
A dark silver edge flashed. The Extreme Warrior Armor formed a blade that stabbed straight into the Killer Rat's mouth and out through the back of its head.
Thud!
The red-furred rat fell to the floor, truly dead this time, its mouth wide open and leaking black blood.
Cheng Qi's eyes widened.
No denying it, exploring ruins really was terrifying and thrilling!
He could faintly hear violent impacts outside the door, along with claws scratching against it.
But the entire alloy door remained rock solid. Back in the old era, it had probably been capable of withstanding a nuclear blast.
The miniature repair robots switched targets and began repairing Foolish Boy's legs.
Cheng Qi slowly turned to look inside the Muon Research Center.
It was pitch-black.
He couldn't even tell how far the interior extended.
Cheng Qi frowned slightly, not daring to let his guard down for a moment.
Clack!
Suddenly, the sound of some kind of electrical switch engaging came from the distance.
At that instant, a white fluorescent tube lit up above Cheng Qi's head.
Then, as though illuminating a whole new world, rows of fluorescent tubes flickered on, their clear white light stretching farther and farther into the distance.
Cheng Qi drew a small breath.
The place looked like a vast office.
It was exceptionally clean and tidy. The floor was laid with white tiles popular in the old era, and numerous office cubicles enclosed in tempered glass lined both sides.
But everywhere he looked was empty. Only basic tables and chairs remained, nothing of value.
Cheng Qi had a bad feeling that he might leave empty-handed.
Apart from the noise of the Killer Rats outside the door, the place was quiet. As quiet as a realm of ghosts.
"Hello there, friend."
A voice abruptly sounded beside Cheng Qi. Caught completely off guard, he jumped, his hair standing on end.
He turned his head inch by inch. A middle-aged man in a white lab coat had appeared silently beside him.
The man walked toward Cheng Qi, but his footsteps made no sound whatsoever.
"Who are you?"
Cheng Qi narrowed his eyes, bringing a blade into his hand.
"My name is Huo Linzhong. I'm in charge here."
The middle-aged man wore an easygoing smile.
"Huo Linzhong?"
"The Muon Research Center's chief professor?"
Cheng Qi frowned. It was the name on that business card.
But it was hard to believe.
Like the Muon Research Center, the business card was a hundred years old.
He should have been dead already!
What was more.
The Muon Research Center had been buried deep beneath the garbage heaps. How could anyone still be living here?
Just then.
The Ultimate Warrior Powered Armor also reported information about the environment.
The oxygen level here was extremely low.
So low that the Life Support System had to be activated.
Cheng Qi's pupils contracted.
-Could he be a ghost?
Before you continue