The roar reverberated in his ears, making the air in his chest tremble. Ye Mo didn't stop, or even slow down. His mud-caked sneakers made a dull, rhythmic sound as they stepped on the slippery rock face. Emma Frost followed half a step behind him, their breathing forced into sync. In this confined and oppressive space, even their heartbeats seemed superfluous.
The air deep in the mine was as thick and murky as solidified glue, each breath requiring a strain to compress the lungs. The temperature was abnormally low; the sweat that had been warm just moments before now clung to his back, a chill seeping into his bones. Ye Mo stopped, raising the back of his hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead, his fingertips touching the icy, bone-chilling rock surface. He turned his head, his gaze sweeping like a hawk across the dark, winding passage ahead. The beam of his flashlight was pale and weak here, illuminating less than three meters ahead; beyond that, it was an impenetrable mass of darkness.
"The signal is lost." Ye Mo muttered to himself, then transmitted the message to Emma Frost via their mental link.
His Spatial Perception reached its limit at this moment, but it still felt like he had run into a pile of cotton. The traces left by Klaue were too faint, so faint that they were almost an illusion. The faint smell of ozone in the air was still there, but its direction had become extremely chaotic, sometimes to the left, sometimes to the right, as if deliberately toying with the two trackers. Conventional visual cues had failed, the gravel and puddles underfoot had covered all the footprints, and even the distinctive metallic scraping sound had disappeared, leaving only the faint sound of mechanical operation in the distance, like the snoring of some kind of behemoth in its slumber.
This uncertainty puts people on edge to the extreme.
Emma Frost's Mental Barrier fully deployed at that moment. Her face was pale from excessive concentration, and her long, golden hair clung messily to her cheeks. She closed her eyes, her brows furrowed, trying to catch a trace of Klaue's presence amidst the chaotic mental noise. Fear, greed, rapid breathing... these lingering emotions flickered like candlelight in the wind, threatening to go out at any moment.
"Left side." Emma Frost's voice rang directly in Ye Mo's mind, trembling slightly. "There's a lingering sense of anxiety there, very faint, but the direction is clear."
Without the slightest hesitation, Ye Mo turned his body to the left, avoiding a loose pile of rubble. His movements were as light as a cat's, each step precisely calculated, making no sound while maintaining the optimal explosive stance. He knew that at this stage, any unnecessary movement could alert the enemy or lead him into a deeper trap.
As the two ventured deeper, the mine's terrain became increasingly complex. Narrow passages frequently forked, some leading to dead ends, others to bottomless shafts. Ye Mo, relying on his keen sense of the ground's vibration frequencies, eliminated the false signals. He walked in front, feeling the subtle tremors beneath his feet—the only real clue left by Klaue.
Time ticked by, and his physical exertion was rapidly escalating. Ye Mo felt his muscles begin to ache, and his lungs felt like they were on fire. But he couldn't stop, nor dared he stop. He thought of Klaue's character—greedy and suspicious. Such a person would never easily give up a gain, much less change course without a reason. He must have a fixed transit point, a place he considered absolutely safe.
This belief sustained him as he continued forward.
Emma Frost's mental state became slightly disordered, and her breathing became rapid. Ye Mo immediately noticed this. He stopped and turned around, conveying a reassuring signal with his eyes. His gaze was calm and firm, as if saying: Don't be afraid, I'm here.
Emma Frost took a deep breath and adjusted her state. She took the initiative to share Ye Mo's burden and further expanded the scope of her Mind Stone perception. This time, she no longer tried to capture all emotions, but focused on that peculiar ozone scent. Although faint, its direction was clear. The two stopped speaking and achieved a silent synchronization through Telepathy. Their steps were once again in unison, as if they had become one person.
With this tacit cooperation, the search area was quickly narrowed down. What was originally aimless wandering turned into a precise hunt. Ye Mo no longer relied on sight, but completely trusted Emma Frost's mental guidance; Emma Frost no longer bore the mental burden alone, but used Ye Mo's physical strength to maintain her balance.
However, a sense of despair still lingers.
The air grew increasingly thin, each breath feeling like swallowing ice. Klaue seemed to be deliberately taking a detour, his trail repeatedly breaking and reappearing, making one wonder if they had truly been shaken off. Exhaustion washed over them like a tide, their strength nearing its limit, and a flicker of doubt arose within them. "Is he really still ahead? Or have we already entered a dead end?"
This kind of self-doubt is the most deadly poison. Once confidence collapses, actions become distorted, and the consequences are unimaginable.
Ye Mo gritted his teeth, forcibly suppressing the urge to vomit. He recalled the encrypted messages he had received at the base, the contacts from the resistance organization. If they knew about Klaue's escape, they would definitely take action. But now, they needed to seize the initiative. Only by controlling Klaue could they gain leverage in the subsequent negotiations, or at least prevent the situation from deteriorating further.
He looked at Emma Frost and saw that her lips had lost their color, but her eyes remained firm. At that moment, a warm feeling welled up in Ye Mo's heart. They were no longer two lonely individuals, but a whole. This trust transcended words and became each other's greatest support.
"Hold on," Ye Mo told himself. "Just a little bit more, just a little bit more."
He quickened his pace, his legs feeling as heavy as lead, but his mind was clearer than ever before. The darkness ahead remained thick, but the smell of ozone grew clearer, as if guiding him.
Finally, Ye Mo stopped at a fork in the road.
To the left was a steep, downward-sloping path, while to the right was a relatively gentle, horizontal passage. Ye Mo crouched down, his fingers gently touching the ground, feeling the vibration frequency there. The vibrations on the left were stronger and more regular; it was the sound of large equipment operating.
"Left side." Ye Mo stood up, patted the dirt off his work pants, and his tone was no longer the lighthearted banter of before, but instead one of unquestionable resolve.
Emma Frost nodded and followed closely behind him. Their figures moved forward in the darkness, like two ghosts, silently advancing into the unknown depths.
The air deep in the mine grew increasingly cold, and his breath condensed into frost before his eyes. Ye Mo clenched his fist, feeling the power emanating from his palm. He knew that this chase had only just begun. Klaue was like a wounded Beast; though injured, its fangs were still sharp. And he had to be ruthless, faster, and more precise than this Beast.
"Stay close to me," Ye Mo said in a low voice, his tone unusually firm in the cave.
Emma Frost didn't answer, but silently increased the range of her mental perception. She could sense a faint aura flowing ahead, a trace left by Klaue. Although it was very faint, it was as clear to her as a lighthouse in the dark.
The two continued deeper into the mine, their footsteps echoing in the empty cavern, sounding exceptionally lonely. The wind outside seemed to have subsided, replaced by the gurgling of underground water. This environment created a strange sense of oppression, as if the entire world consisted only of the two of them and their fleeing target.
Ye Mo's gaze remained fixed on the faint light ahead, the only clue left by Klaue. He didn't know what awaited them, but he knew there was no turning back. They either captured Klaue or were dragged into an even deeper abyss by Klaue.
The power of choice always lies in the hands of those who act.
Ye Mo took a step forward and rushed into the deeper darkness. Emma Frost followed closely behind, and their figures were instantly swallowed by the darkness, leaving only a series of footprints of varying depths on the ground to prove that they had been there.
At the end of the mine, the faint rumble of machinery could be heard, as if some large equipment was starting up. The sound was deep and powerful, causing the surrounding rocks to tremble slightly.
Ye Mo paused for a moment, then quickened his pace.
"It seems he prepared something there," Ye Mo thought to himself, his eyes growing even colder.
He didn't stop or back down, but rushed in that direction without hesitation. Emma Frost also felt the tremor; her expression became even more serious, but her steps didn't falter in the slightest.
The two sped through the darkness, the wind whistling past their ears as if cheering them on. The light ahead grew brighter, and the roaring sound grew louder.
Ye Mo took a deep breath, adjusted his breathing rhythm, and prepared to face the upcoming challenge.
He didn't know what awaited him, but he knew that whatever it was, he wouldn't run away.
Because he is Ye Mo, the one who seeks survival in Extremis.
He was also the one who vowed to eliminate all hidden dangers.
The walls of the mine began to smooth out, the marks of human excavation. The slope of the ground gradually decreased, and a strong smell of machine oil and rust filled the air. Ye Mo stopped and raised his hand to signal Emma Frost to stop as well.
Ahead lay an open area, where some enormous metal structures could be vaguely seen standing in the darkness. These structures emitted a faint glow, as if some kind of energy core was in operation.
"This is it." Ye Mo murmured to himself, gripping the tactical backpack tightly in his hand until his knuckles turned white from the force.
Emma Frost stood half a step behind him, her Mental Barrier fully activated, her face pale but her will resolute. Her gaze was fixed on the darkness ahead, ready to respond to any unexpected situation.
Ye Mo slowly leaned forward and peered through a narrow gap.