A dozen meters ahead, Christopher crawled onward despite the unsettling tremors beneath him, accelerating undeterred.
At last, he arrived at his destination and pried open the vent. After careful observation assured him that no peril lurked below, he leapt into the chamber. There, a computer awaited—no password required. Upon activation, the screen displayed a map identical to the one he had seen before, with all markers unchanged except for this room's position now illuminated.
"I haven't lost my way!" Christopher exclaimed with relief. Clicking the icon for the chamber, the screen abruptly displayed four stark characters: "Open Secret Passage." He clicked the command.
A mechanism clicked beneath the table. Crouching to inspect, a smile spread across his face. He refrained from immediate entry, instead rising to examine the new map, which revealed the layout of the passageway. After committing the details to memory, he proceeded into the tunnel.
As he crawled, Christopher mused: If all goes well, that young woman should already be atop that very chamber. I feared she might stray, but she chose the left passage of her own accord—a providential turn. Once she reaches the vent above Mutation No. 1's room, she will divert its attention. She appears strong and healthy; I hope she can run fast and endure longer, allowing me to slip away through that room.
Self-preservation is paramount; may she not blame me—for this was her chosen path.
Christopher crawled swiftly, the tunnel's walls uneven and jagged, his nails caked with earth, hands stained with blood. Yet his will to survive numbed any pain, and finally, he reached the tunnel's end.
After discovering the escape route via the computer, he immediately conceived the plan to leverage other players' lives as a shield—the advantage granted by his early access to vital information. Other players need not resent him for this.
Lifting his head, he pressed his ear to the cold metal vent above, striving to discern sounds from within, ensuring that Mutation No. 1 had indeed been lured away by the female player.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Christopher's heart sank; the heavy breathing was unabated. Mutation No. 1 was still in the room.
Had the female player failed to reach the vent above No. 1's chamber?
Steeling himself, he waited briefly—but still he heard the breathing—proof that the creature had not been baited away. What was happening?
His complexion darkened. Could it be that she fled?
He had been careless—he should have been more vigilant and not trusted her assurance when she mentioned taking the left path.
Remorse flooded him; he resolved to return and forcibly subdue her, delivering her to the chamber overhead as bait to distract Mutation No. 1.
Following the trail of dust, Eric arrived in the very room, eyes fixed upon the computer's map.
Studying it carefully, she recognized the escape route and its critical checkpoints. Understanding Christopher's scheme, a shiver of dread coursed through her. Fortunately, her prudence had led her to return midway, else she would now be a feast for Mutation No. 1.
Furthermore, the remaining escape time was not a mere twenty minutes—it was two hours, now dwindling to one hour and forty-three minutes.
Though used by Christopher, Eric felt neither surprise nor anger, only the resigned thought, "So it is."
All were strangers here; aid came from goodwill, and betrayal was the price of insufficient caution.
If only one could survive, requiring another's demise to pave the way, perhaps she would do the same.
She surmised Christopher had already entered the tunnels; if he detected that Mutation No. 1 still remained in the room, he would know she had broken their pact and would soon return.
Thus, Eric concealed herself.
She chose the cabinet, identical to the one where she had first hidden—a cramped refuge just sufficient for curling into a ball.
No sooner had she closed the door behind her than she heard Christopher emerge from the tunnel below. He fussed with the computer, muttered curses, then ascended the ventilation shaft, vanishing swiftly into the distance.
Suspecting Christopher sought her, Eric slipped from the cabinet, positioned it beneath the vent, then climbed atop. Drawing from the supermarket's utility box, she nailed the vent cover firmly shut—sealing off the passage completely.
Waiting briefly without hearing Christopher return, she stowed away her tools with satisfaction.
She then entered the tunnels herself, navigating to the blockade where Christopher had been stopped. Listening cautiously, she heard Mutation No. 1's stirring.
The name alone evoked terror—this creature must far surpass the frenzied monkeys outside, a deadly experimental aberration likely to shred anything illuminated by a single light.
The exit lay just ahead; Eric was resolute not to surrender so easily.
Though she dared to seal the ventilation shaft, obstructing Christopher's further attempts to use her as prey, she could not bring herself to reverse the roles and drag him into becoming the bait.
Perhaps when her heart grows colder and sterner, she might become capable of such ruthlessness—but that moment was not yet.
Fortunate was she to possess her special advantage.
Eric twisted the switch on the metal cover and gently lifted it upward—
Sensing the scent, the restless Mutation No. 1 lunged fiercely into the room. Eric barely caught sight of its form before startled by its swift speed. Without hesitation, she unleashed the shark carcass she had stored from the supermarket.
The sudden presence of the shark's potent blood scent overwhelmed the creature's olfactory senses, immediately diverting its attention to the freshly fallen carcass.
It lunged, biting and tearing with wild, piercing cries, utterly disregarding Eric's existence.
Though frightened by its ferocity, Eric knew opportunity favored the bold. She dashed for the chamber's door, rapidly entering the password she had gleaned from the computer—effortlessly unlocking it.
Glancing back, she saw that the creature remained engrossed in the shark's blood-rich scent, oblivious to her presence.
As the computer's data had indicated, Mutation No. 1 relied solely on its sense of smell, lacking hearing and sight.
Looking toward the vent, Eric reflected that passage without the shark's lure would have subjected her to the ravenous beast's ascent and attack. It was only by wielding this cunning decoy that she safely traversed the perilous room.
The moment the door clanged shut behind her, Eric observed the shark's remains shredded into fragments, the chamber awash in blood.
No halo awaited beyond the door.
She stepped into a confined corridor, barren save for a solitary elevator.
Entering, she noted the elevator bore but a single button. Upon pressing it, she felt the cabin ascend smoothly.
The elevator's uninterrupted ascent carried her upward for what felt like a dozen or more floors, her silent counting embedded in her mind.
When the doors slid open, a fierce wind and pouring rain greeted her, causing her to shudder.
"Here she comes! The last one has arrived!"
"Board the aircraft, board the aircraft! They say we can take off now!"
"Come on, miss, we're heading to the plane!"
Squinting against the storm, Eric felt a hand grasp hers. Reflexively withdrawing, she faced a tall player smiling reassuringly.
"Hey, your vigilance is admirable. Relax, I'm no foe. We're all survivors from the lab, just waiting for you. Look, there's the helicopter, but the pilot insists on waiting until everyone's counted—what a drag!"
Shielding her face from the rain, Eric glimpsed the helicopter and a few players boarding.
She nodded in acquiescence. "Alright, I'm coming."
Having never flown before, Eric took a seat in a corner upon board, observing the pilot.
Without turning, the pilot seemed to sense the count was complete; with her presence, he swiftly initiated takeoff.
Braving the storm, the helicopter circled before speeding away. Eric gazed down upon an endless forest that soon swallowed the helipad from view.
Suddenly, a deafening explosion erupted. She glanced back, the acrid smell of smoke lingering—the laboratory had truly detonated.
"But didn't they say it would explode two hours later? We've already been away two hours?"
"That doesn't add up. It's probably been less than thirty minutes."
Eric's face darkened with apprehension; the data the mission provided was flawed. Had they relied solely on the two-hour deadline, they would have perished in the blast.
Fear washed over the group, plunging them into uneasy silence. Only the lanky player who had first seized Eric's hand persistently questioned the pilot.
"Where are you taking us? Are there other helipads in this forest? Why haven't we seen any other survivors?"
The pilot remained silent.
Even the talkative tall one fell quiet, finally ceasing his inquiries.
Rubbing his arms, he muttered, "This cold is unbearable—I'm only in short sleeves."
Eric withdrew her gaze from the tempest outside and closed her eyes to rest. Without a healing kit, she could tolerate her current injuries for now.
A premonition whispered that this quest was far from over.
The forest stretched vast and unending. Judging by the flight, the helicopter had spanned at least ten minutes, yet even twenty minutes in, they had not exited the woods.
Now the helicopter began descending in preparation to land; the silent players shifted uneasily, each signaling heightened vigilance. Eric was no exception.
The downpour persisted as the helicopter touched down smoothly upon a wide helipad. Eric noted several other helicopters parked nearby, their passengers casting attentive glances toward them.
The tall player marveled, "This quest is truly… extraordinary."
Having completed numerous quests herself, Eric heartily agreed.
According to past patterns, the halo should now have manifested, yet the scene before them starkly indicated the mission's objectives remained incomplete.
"Quickly! Our heroes, come inside!"
A voice boomed unexpectedly as a tall figure approached under an umbrella, his exuberant gestures reminiscent of theatrical flair.
Waving enthusiastically, he beckoned, "Follow me, everyone! The rain is fierce; inside we have hot coffee and snacks prepared. Let's all rest a while!"
He called out multiple times, prompting the pilot to be the first to respond. Only then did the players descend from the helicopter.
Eric's boot splashed through a puddle as she briskly followed without hesitation.