Leo watched their backs disappear into the stairwell, then turned around and pressed the elevator button.
"Ding." The elevator door opened.
It was empty inside, so Leo walked in and pressed the button for the "-1" floor.
The elevator door closed slowly.
The red numbers began to flicker.
1... The elevator descended slowly.
Leo stood in the center of the elevator, hands in his pockets, looking expressionlessly at his own reflection on the door.
-1... The elevator vibrated slightly.
"Ding."
The second floor, arrived.
The elevator reached the second floor.
The moment the door opened—
"Bang bang bang bang bang bang—!!!"
Countless tongues of fire erupted simultaneously!
Bullets poured into the elevator like a torrential rain, the sound of metal clashing deafening!
A dozen grenades were thrown from different directions simultaneously, tracing chaotic parabolas as they landed in the elevator!
"Boom—!!!"
A violent explosion, and fire instantly swallowed the entire elevator!
However—a figure slowly walked out from the fire.
Leo had his hands in his pockets, his pace as steady as if he were taking a stroll.
Bullets struck him, bursting into sparks, yet they couldn't even lift a corner of his clothes.
Those metal warheads, enough to tear an ordinary person to shreds, were like toys before him.
He walked out of the elevator and stood still.
Ahead, more than fifty guards were scattered throughout the corridor, holding various heavy weapons, but at this moment, they all froze.
They looked at the unscathed man, looked at his clothes without even a trace of scorch marks, looked at the chillingly calm expression on his face—fear grew wildly in their hearts.
Leo raised his right foot, then—stomped down.
"Boom—!!!!!!"
The moment his right foot landed, with him as the center, the stone floor within a ten-meter radius exploded!
Gravel, dust, and chunks of concrete erupted upwards like a fountain, covering the sky!
Leo raised his right hand.
The speed was so fast it left an afterimage!
His index finger danced in front of him, and with every flexion and extension, it precisely tapped a flying piece of gravel!
"Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish—!!!"
The gravel turned into bullets, shooting forward at supersonic speed!
The first stone pierced the lead guard's forehead—blood bloomed, and the corpse fell straight down!
The second hit the machine gunner's throat on the left—the cervical spine shattered, and blood gushed out!
The third, the fourth, the tenth...
Every stone precisely hit a target!
Forehead, throat, heart—all fatal spots!
Penetrating wounds, one-hit kills!
"Puchi! Puchi! Puchi—!!!"
In less than three seconds, all fifty-plus guards holding heavy weapons fell.
Guns slid from their hands, hitting the ground with scattered clattering sounds.
Dead silence, blood slowly spread from beneath the corpses, converging into a dark red creek on the floor.
Leo withdrew his hand and lightly flicked the non-existent dust from his fingertips.
The tattoo on the back of his hand transmitted a continuous warm sensation, [Rank: Level 71 (20%) → Level 71 (28%)].
He lowered his head to take a look, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned.
"Not a bad harvest."
Just then, the door to the stairwell was pushed open.
Hisoka walked out, and seeing the corpses all over the ground, his footsteps paused slightly.
Those golden eyes swept over the fallen guards—all were one-hit kills, all were penetrating wounds from gravel.
He raised his head to look at Leo, his eyes carrying a hint of resentment.
"What a pity~"
He drawled.
"Looks like I arrived too late~"
Leo glanced at him.
"Don't act like a resentful woman."
He said.
"There are plenty of enemies on this floor. Go find some yourself, no need to follow behind my butt."
Hisoka shrugged, his mouth spreading into a brilliant smile.
"Alright then~"
He turned around and walked in the direction where footsteps could be heard in the distance, his pace light.
After walking a few steps, he suddenly turned back.
"See you later~♦"
Then, his figure disappeared around the corridor corner.
Just as Hisoka left, the door to the stairwell was pushed open again.
Sophia, Shizuku, Kastro, Machi Komacine, and Ashir walked out one after another.
Sophia hurried to Leo's side, her gaze sweeping over the corpses on the ground, a flash of shock in her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure.
"Master, are you alright?"
Leo shook his head and pointed ahead.
The corridor split into four paths in front of them, leading in different directions.
Each corridor was deep and dark, with no end in sight, only the occasional light from the red alarm lamps shining in, casting eerie shadows on the ground.
"This floor is quite large."
Leo said.
Ashir spoke up.
"These four paths lead to different places, but they are all interconnected and can all reach the research lab, where there is an entrance to the third floor."
Machi Komacine stepped forward and observed the four paths.
"To prevent the Doctor from escaping, let's split up. Kastro and I will take the far left."
He pointed to the leftmost corridor.
Kastro nodded without speaking.
Machi Komacine looked at Sophia and Shizuku again.
"You two take the second path on the left."
Sophia nodded, Shizuku adjusted her glasses without speaking, just quietly standing next to Sophia.
"Hisoka should have already gone to the far right."
Machi Komacine said.
Leo nodded.
"Then Ashir will follow me, and we'll take the middle one."
He looked at Sophia and the others, his gaze lingering on each of their faces for a moment.
"If there's danger, retreat. Don't force yourself."
Sophia nodded seriously.
"Understood, Master."
Shizuku and Kastro also nodded.
Machi Komacine patted Leo on the shoulder.
"Be careful."
Leo didn't say much more, turning to walk towards the middle corridor, and Ashir hurriedly followed.
Leo wasn't afraid of Ashir escaping at all; his hands were still cuffed with special metal shackles, making it impossible for him to use teleportation to leave.
Behind him, Sophia and the others each walked towards their own targets.
The footsteps gradually faded away.
Soon, only corpses and dripping blood remained at the end of the corridor.
The red alarm lamp continued to rotate, dyeing everything in the color of blood.
In the distance, low roars could be faintly heard.
That was the sound of monsters.
Inside the rightmost corridor.
Hisoka walked quickly; he had already killed dozens of guards along the way.
Those people couldn't even react before their throats were slit by his playing cards.
But he wasn't excited at all.
Too weak, too boring.
"Sigh~"
He sighed, his playing cards flipping boredly in his hands.
"Isn't there anyone who can fight~"
Just as he finished speaking—several strange roars came from ahead.
The sound didn't seem human; it was more like some kind of beast—but even more eerie than a beast, carrying an indescribable sense of creepiness.
Hisoka's eyes lit up.
He quickened his pace, walking in the direction the sound came from.
At the end of the corridor was an open space.
It might have originally been a warehouse or laboratory, but now, it had been transformed into some kind of... nest.
Three monsters appeared before him.
They were huge in size, their skin showing an abnormal dark red color.
Tentacles of varying thickness grew all over their bodies, flailing wildly in the air.
The most eerie part was their foreheads—embedded there was a constantly squirming red bug, its tentacles piercing deep into the skin, connecting to their nerves.
Hisoka stopped and tilted his head, examining them.
"Monsters?"
His tone was full of disappointment.
"Boring. I thought it was an enemy."
The three monsters seemed to sense his presence and, simultaneously emitting a roar, charged at him!
Their speed was astonishingly fast, tentacles waving in the air, bringing with them the whistling sound of wind!
Hisoka stood still in place.
He just watched them, his gaze resting on those red bugs on their foreheads.
"Aistan Island..."
He remembered that experience with Leo.
Those monsters infected by Kotekinnas using the scepter, the weakness should be—the head.
Three playing cards appeared between Hisoka's fingers.
The next second, he moved.
The speed was so fast it left an afterimage!
He shuttled between the three monsters, and every flash was accompanied by a sharp, cold light!
"Chih!"
The first playing card sliced into the first monster's forehead, precisely severing the red bug!
The monster's roar stopped abruptly, and its massive body fell to the ground with a crash!
"Chih!"
The second monster fell as well!
"Chih!"
The third one!
In less than a minute.
All three monsters lay on the ground, lifeless.
Hisoka withdrew his playing cards, looked down at their corpses, and curled his lip.
"Too weak."
He raised his head and looked deeper into the corridor.
From there, more roars could be faintly heard.
The corners of his mouth spread into a brilliant smile again.
"But... the quantity is quite high~"
He took a step and continued walking forward.
Behind him, three corpses lay quietly, blood slowly flowing.