Not only was Captain Zhang on high alert, but Huang Jinghe, who had been quietly guarding the rear, was even more cautious. His attention was almost entirely fixed on what lay behind them.
Huang Jinghe followed the group down the stairs, his steps careful and deliberate. He kept glancing back over his shoulder, wishing he could walk backward so he wouldn't miss a single movement from behind.
But even with just an occasional glance, what he saw made his blood run cold.
Those mutant creatures—those abominations with human faces—were stepping one by one out of the very painting they had just moved aside.
A sudden clarity struck Huang Jinghe like ice water. No wonder they hadn't seen a single creature in this villa before. The entire time, they'd been hiding inside the painting. Now that the opportunity had come, they had emerged from their hiding place and were following closely behind the group, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Whether it would end in slaughter or being devoured, either way, none of them would have a good outcome. Such a discovery was far too important to keep to himself. The moment he realized it, Huang Jinghe shouted for everyone to turn and look.
The sight was nothing short of terrifying.
As more and more mutants clawed their way out of the painting, their attention immediately zeroed in on the twelve humans. It was as if the creatures had been tracking them the entire time, for they instantly fixed their gaze and adjusted their movements toward them.
Fortunately, the stairwell's passage was narrow. Before the creatures could descend, Ling Jiang quickly sealed the entrance with a thick layer of ice, using her ability to block the way.
In an instant, the beasts lost sight of their prey. Whether it was because of the obstructed view or the scent being cut off, the mutants grew restless and scattered in confusion, searching aimlessly.
Captain Zhang muttered, "If we have to come back this way, it won't be easy."
But the truth was, this path was no longer an option.
Huang Jinghe said grimly, "The basement level one is packed with mutants. There's no way we can get out through here."
Pei Xin spoke up. "What about the elevator? Didn't you see an entrance after all that walking? We can just take it straight up."
Xi Yu rolled her eyes. "Weren't you the one who refused to use the elevator earlier?"
"This is different! You gotta compare, right? The elevator's safer than this, isn't it?" Pei Xin said without a trace of embarrassment.
She continued walking forward as if she wasn't worried at all about being trapped here.
By the time they reached basement level five, they were no longer walking through a long hallway. Instead, they faced a reinforced door with a chip lock, like they had reached some kind of restricted area.
"Another door that needs a card?" Lan Jin asked.
Captain Zhang tugged at the door. It wouldn't budge. "Take out your card and try it. This looks like the kind of door it would open."
Lan Jin dug out the card she'd used to open the villa's first-floor entrance and swiped it against the lock.
The chip lock emitted a loud, shrill beep, but the door didn't open. She switched to Professor Pei's work ID and tried again, only to be met with the same piercing sound and no result.
Everyone exchanged uneasy looks.
"Neither works? Then try those four chips we found earlier," Captain Zhang said.
Those four chips, however, were for unlocking the safe, not this door. They'd already been used.
Huang Jinghe and Pei Xin exchanged glances. They knew something the others didn't: Lan Jin still had one more chip.
But this chip had been given to her privately by Professor Pei. If it was meant to be used openly, why would he have handed it over in secret?
Lan Jin hesitated, torn between revealing it and keeping it hidden. She glanced toward Pei Xin, silently asking for guidance.
The group wasn't blind. They noticed the subtle tension between the two women but chose not to question it aloud.
Pei Xin, however, couldn't keep quiet. "You should try that chip. Grandpa told me it was important, but I don't know why. Maybe this is the time."
Her words confirmed for everyone that Lan Jin had another chip.
Under their expectant gazes, Lan Jin sighed. "Alright. I'll give it a try."
With a thought, she summoned the hidden chip into her hand and pressed it to the lock. The beeping sounded again—then there was a crisp click.
The heavy door swung open.
Lan Jin exhaled in relief. "So it was for this door."
"Let's hurry in. If this place turns out to be a dead end, we'll leave right away."
…
The moment the door opened, all twelve of them froze in shock. Inside were more than a dozen humanoid mutant creatures—walking upright, like people. And they were… working.
Yes. Working.
Lan Jin took in the scene.
These humanoid creatures had animalistic features, much like the long-necked mutant they'd seen in the elevator earlier, but they stood tall on two legs. Their front limbs functioned like human arms, tapping away at sleek, high-tech equipment in front of them.
Each creature was a different species, yet all shared eerily human faces. They spoke to one another as if holding a conversation.
A transparent glass barrier separated the humans from these creatures, as if dividing them into two distinct worlds.
Yet every single mutant inside had turned its head to stare at the group.
Lan Jin suddenly understood. Their presence had interrupted the creatures' work.