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When the heavy metal door emitted that crisp unlocking sound and slid open, the world outside was presented to them once more. Almost simultaneously, Noah and Claire caught a faint scent of gunpowder that didn't belong in the sterilized air of the Breakthrough Zone.
"Bang! Bang!"
Two rapid gunshots echoed from the far side of the circular hall. The sound was thin, swallowed by the vastness of the architecture, but it pierced their eardrums clearly.
Noah and Claire's eyes met. They knew that signature. It was a Beretta. It was Etienne.
In the "Children's Paradise," the last emergency biscuit had been broken in half. Sophia pushed her portion toward Etienne. "I'm not hungry. You eat."
Etienne looked at his wife's sunken eyes and felt a phantom hand grip his heart. For days, they had survived on scraps, but the well had run dry. Little Angela nibbled her small portion, her blue eyes devoid of the luster a child should have.
"We have to find food," Sophia said firmly.
"No, it's too dangerous," Etienne countered. "I'll go alone."
"I won't let you risk your life alone again," Sophia said, her gaze resolute despite her trembling hands. "We are a family."
Angela grabbed the hem of Etienne's shirt, her voice breaking. "Daddy... I'm afraid to stay here alone."
That sob broke Etienne's final resistance. He nodded. "Okay. We go together."
They formed a fragile fortress: Etienne in front with his Beretta, Sophia guarding the rear with hers, and Angela shielded in the middle. They stepped out of their fake heaven and back into the white alloy hallway of Hell. Every footstep was a thunderclap in the silence.
They reached the multi-functional restaurant area. Etienne scanned the room—the white tablecloths and cold coffee cups remained exactly as they had left them. They began a frantic search for supplies: sealed biscuits, mineral water, even lukewarm water from a coffee machine.
As they packed their findings into a cloth bag, a dark shadow seeped into the room from the reception area.
It was a monster of nightmares. Skinless, dark red muscle exposed, its massive brain pulsing with every movement. It crawled along the ceiling on razor-sharp bone claws, making no sound. Its whip-like tongue flicked, tasting the air.
A Licker.
Etienne's pupils contracted to pinpoints. He spun around, shushing his family and shielding them with his body. Sophia's face went deathly pale; she covered Angela's mouth so tightly the girl could barely breathe.
In the dead silence, the terror in Angela's chest expanded. Her body trembled so violently she bumped the edge of a dining table. A white porcelain cup wobbled, tipped, and fell.
Clatter!
The sound boomed like a grenade. On the ceiling, the Licker froze. Its brain twitched. It turned its eyeless face toward the source.
"Hiss—!!!"
The creature launched itself like a cannonball.
"RUN!" Etienne roared, pushing his family back as he opened fire. "Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Sophia also fired, her maternal ferocity erupting. The Licker twisted in mid-air, defying physics as bullets grazed its tough muscle. It landed on all fours, tongue flickering, searching for the killing blow.
Sshh—
The heavy alloy door from the main hall slid open. Noah and Claire appeared. Noah looked at the Licker and a cold arc curled at his mouth. He recognized this one—the coward from the cable car.
"Hey," Noah chuckled. "You ran so fast back then; I was worried I wouldn't find you."
The Licker sensed a far more dangerous aura behind it and spun around. But it was already too late. Noah's figure blurred. Before the afterimage could even dissipate, he was in front of the beast.
Extreme speed.
Noah raised his right foot. A simple, clean whip-kick.
BOOM—!!!!
The Licker's exposed brain exploded like fragile tofu. Red and white matter sprayed the wall in a fan shape, creating a piece of modern art out of gore. The headless corpse flew ten meters, overturning tables before sliding to a stop.
One kick.
Etienne and Sophia stared blankly, their minds unable to process the violence. Noah retracted his foot and gave a small, apologetic smile. "Sorry for making a mess of your floor."
The tension snapped. Etienne and Sophia collapsed, gasping for air. Angela poked her head out from behind them, staring at Noah—this man who seemed to support the sky itself.
"Daddy..." she whispered. "Is he a Superman from Asia?"
Noah's keen ears caught the question. He turned to the little girl with a smile that could melt ice.
"Chinese Kung Fu!"
After gathering a massive cache of supplies, they escorted the family back to the safety of the "Children's Paradise."
"Please... come back alive," Etienne said as he took the laptop bag.
Noah gave a reassuring gesture as the elevator doors closed. He and Claire returned to the grand circular hall. The three massive doors still glowed with an ominous red light.
Claire brushed her hair back, her gaze landing on the middle door.
「NE-Alpha Incubation Nest」
She turned to Noah with a defiant smile. "Let's go with this one."
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