Li Xin, having recovered his condition, identified the type of poison gas and the location of the vaccine through the system's built-in information in less than 10 seconds.
Upon learning the type of poison gas, Qin Feng and Natarle broke out in a cold sweat.
"Luckily, those blood-colored vines were there, otherwise you wouldn't have lasted until I arrived."
Natarle was filled with mixed emotions, unsure how to evaluate these unknown vines.
"True," Qin Feng patted his chest, "I always thought it was just ordinary biological poison gas and that I survived because of my strong constitution. I never expected it was because these vines absorb the poison gas."
With a strange expression, he added, "But they were also the ones disrupting communications. It's really..."
Marveling at this peculiar coincidence, they began to take action.
Li Xin broke through the partition wall for Qin Feng and the others, while Natarle followed the map to retrieve the vaccine from the underground cold storage.
Natarle's journey was quite challenging. She frequently encountered collapsed passages that forced her off course, and sometimes she had to go up to the second floor to bypass blocked corridors on the first floor.
Winding around, going up and down, Natarle herself became disoriented about her location.
Fortunately, the markings on the walls, even if broken or collapsed, were still somewhat legible, allowing her to safely reach the underground cold storage. Using the tactical headlamp on her helmet for illumination, Natarle saw that the cold storage door was bent under a large rock, leaving a gap large enough for one person. Inside was pitch black, but cold air still seeped out.
Not rushing in, Natarle carefully observed the structure and load-bearing capacity of the collapsed area at the entrance. After confirming there was no risk of a secondary collapse, she slipped through the gap. As soon as she entered, her white light swept across the room, and she was startled to see finger-thick red vines covering the floor like a carpet.
At the ends of the vines were spherical clusters resembling balls of thread. Comparing the shapes of the objects they enveloped with nearby items, Natarle realized they were actively consuming the chemical substances in the cold storage.
"What exactly are these vines for?"
Muttering to herself, Natarle frowned and carefully stepped forward.
Stepping on the vines felt soft yet firm, and the vines seemed to curl as if in pain.
Sweeping her headlamp, she located her target. Without hesitation, Natarle leaped several times to the broken freezer, grabbed the rack holding the vaccine test tubes and the syringe, and turned to leave.
As expected, the vines on the floor, having been repeatedly stepped on, suddenly surged up, grabbing at Natarle's ankles like hands.
Natarle leaped into the air, dodging the vines beneath her. While mid-air, she raised her gun and fired at the ground ahead.
Rat-a-tat—
Sparks flew as the bullets shredded the vines on the floor.
The next second, Natarle leaped forward, her feet landing on empty space as she dove precisely through the freezer doorway. After hitting the ground, she rolled several times to dissipate the momentum. Without rising, she lay on her side, aiming her gun at the entrance and opening fire.
Rat-a-tat—
The vine that had just appeared was instantly shredded by bullets.
While maintaining suppressing fire, she rose from the ground and swiftly retreated. Once she was over ten meters away, she turned and sprinted off.
Natarle's heart pounded wildly. In the military, she had only ever shot at targets—this was her first time firing at a living creature.
As she ran, she replayed the recent events in her mind, considering whether she could have done better.
Thump!
A sudden noise echoed from the darkness.
Natarle halted, raising her gun warily toward the pitch-black corridor beside her.
Her flashlight beam swept across the area, catching a flash of gold disappearing around the corner ahead.
Someone?!
"Come out!"
Instead of rushing forward, Natarle stood her ground and shouted.
Her voice reverberated through the underground passage.
After a moment of silence, she turned to leave.
But as soon as she took a step, a faint rustling sound reached her ears.
Raising her gun, Natarle froze.
A small head with short golden hair peeked out from around the corner. Half of his face was visible, his light blue eyes cautiously observing her.
"A child?!"
Natarle immediately turned and rushed toward him, but the boy ducked back and fled in an instant.
"Stop!" she called out, then realized her tone was too harsh. Softening her voice, she added, "Don't go. I'm not a bad person." But the child had already vanished into the darkness.
Standing at the corner, Natarle hesitated briefly before giving chase.
The child's footsteps were faint, and after a few steps, she lost track of him.
Faced with the maze-like underground passages, Natarle glanced around uncertainly.
After a moment's thought, she pulled out her phone. "I'll search for ten more minutes—no, fifteen. After that, I have to leave."
Setting the alarm, she marked the wall and began her search.
Six minutes later, Natarle spotted the child again. Following him, she finally cornered him in a hidden room.
The door blended seamlessly with the wall, its presence only revealed by a slight bulge where the structure had warped.
Natarle approached cautiously. The room was as dark as the rest of the area. Sweeping her light across it, she saw the frightened child scramble under a metal-framed bed.
The space was spartan—no extra furniture, no windows, only a ventilation shaft overhead and the metal bed in the corner. It felt more like a prison than a living quarters. Seeing no immediate danger, Natarle lowered her gun. Though puzzled, she spoke gently, "It's dangerous here. Come to me." The child remained curled under the bed, and Natarle waited patiently without pressing him.
After a few minutes, as if sensing no threat, the boy slowly crawled out.
Natarle finally got a clear look at him: short, slightly curly golden hair, delicate features, and large light-blue eyes. He appeared to be around seven or eight years old, dressed in a light-green hospital gown and barefoot.
As she studied him, a flicker of familiarity stirred within her, but there was no time to dwell on it.
Natarle smiled warmly and slowly extended her hand. "Come, let's go with me."
Timidly, the little boy approached and reached out his small hand.
Beep-beep-beep—
The alarm on Natarle's phone rang. Startled, the boy darted back under the bed.
Fumbling to silence the alarm, Natarle hurriedly tried to reassure him.
Several minutes passed before he cautiously peeked out from under the bed like a startled kitten, his pale blue eyes filled with confusion.
"Don't be afraid, come here."
Finally, the little boy slowly approached.
Gently grasping the boy's outstretched hand, Natarle carefully pulled him into her arms, softly patting his back to comfort him. "Is there anything you need to take with you?"
The boy remained silent and unresponsive, simply staring blankly into Natarle's eyes.
Scanning the room once more, her confusion grew.
Who would lock a child in such a place?
Puzzled, Natarle quickly led the boy away.
Half an hour later, Natarle reunited with Qin Feng and the others. Shortly after receiving the Vaccine, Zhao Qi and Gu Yue regained consciousness.
"Sorry for the embarrassing display, Badgiruel. Thank you for your help."
Zhao Qi looked pale and weak.
"This is my mission, isn't it?"
They exchanged understanding smiles.
Nearby, Gu Yue asked curiously, "Who is this child?"
The little boy was currently hiding behind Natarle, clutching her black tactical uniform.
Natarle reached back to gently pat his back reassuringly. "We found him alone in the underground facility of the research institute."
Zhao Qi frowned upon hearing this.
Gu Yue approached and crouched down. "What's your name, little one?"
The boy tilted his head but remained silent.
Frowning, Gu Yue looked at Natarle.
Shaking her head, Natarle said, "I don't know. This child hasn't made a sound so far."
"Badgiruel," Zhao Qi spoke up, "this child is probably..."
Natarle understood, her expression showing heartache as she gently stroked the boy's golden hair. Looking at Zhao Qi, she said, "Captain Zhao Qi, I want to—" "You don't think we would abandon a child in a place like this, do you?"
Qin Feng and Gu Yue both turned to look at her.
Natarle blushed, embarrassed, and turned away, vigorously ruffling the boy's smooth golden hair.
This made him scrunch up his face and duck down to avoid her touch.