"Boom—!!!"
The shattered floor slammed heavily onto the ground of the third floor; concrete fragments splattered everywhere, steel bars twisted and snapped, and dust instantly filled the entire space.
Leo stood steadily on the ruins, his clothes fluttering gently in the air currents.
Ashir landed unsteadily behind him, supporting his knees with his hands and panting heavily.
His face was deathly pale, cold sweat dripping from his forehead; clearly, he had not yet recovered from the thrill of the moment just now.
The dust gradually settled.
Leo raised his head and looked around.
Then, his brows furrowed slightly.
This was a huge circular space, twice as large as the experimental site on the second floor.
The entire space was over six meters high, but what truly made Leo frown was the scene on the ground.
Corpses, countless corpses.
Thousands of creatures lay scattered across the ground—no, they could no longer be called "creatures."
They were mummified corpses, each one shriveled, twisted, and unrecognizable.
There were all kinds of livestock like cows, horses, pigs, and sheep; various beasts like wolves, bears, tigers, and leopards; and some strange creatures whose names he could not identify.
They all lay there in the same posture—skin clinging to bone, eye sockets sunken, mouths wide open, limbs twisted at bizarre angles, as if they had experienced extreme agony before death.
"styx stone."
He said softly.
The Doctor was using that gem to absorb Life Energy, and the amount absorbed was far beyond his imagination.
Thousands upon thousands of creatures had all turned into mummified corpses.
She must be planning something very important; they had already fought their way to the second floor, yet the Doctor was still here continuing her experiments, even releasing those experimental subjects to delay them—
"I cannot let her succeed."
Leo turned around and looked at Ashir.
"What is on the third floor?"
Ashir raised his head, his gaze sweeping over this mountain of corpses, his body trembling slightly.
"I don't know..."
His voice was a bit hoarse.
"I have never been to this floor."
He paused and added.
"Only Elliot and Layard have the authority to enter the third floor. The Doctor won't let me in because my ability is special; she is worried that I might leave a teleportation coordinate here."
Leo raised an eyebrow.
"Elliot?"
"He is the captain among those five ability users."
Ashir said.
"He is the strongest and is responsible for the security of the entire base. Layard is the Doctor's right-hand man, but he seems to have disappeared..."
He didn't finish, but Leo understood what he meant.
Layard was dead.
"However..."
Ashir hesitated for a moment.
"I have heard them talk about it."
Leo looked at him.
"This floor is supposed to be holding a powerful experimental subject. They call it 'Number Zero'."
Ashir's voice lowered even further.
"I heard it possesses Nen, and its strength is terrifying. All the experimental subjects are related to it—those bugs, those monsters, were all cultivated from things extracted from its body."
"It went berserk once."
Ashir said.
"Just after this base was first built. That time, it killed more than half of the guards and three ability users."
Leo frowned slightly.
"Then how was it subdued?"
Ashir shook his head.
"No one could subdue it. It fell asleep on its own."
He paused and added.
"It doesn't stay active for long each time. As for why... I don't know. The Doctor wouldn't tell us."
Leo was silent for a few seconds.
He looked at the huge metal door in the distance, then looked at the mountain of corpses around him.
This is troublesome; this floor is also very large, and it will take time to find the Doctor here.
And time is exactly what the Doctor wants.
Leo took a deep breath.
"Let's search slowly."
He stepped forward and walked toward the door.
Ashir gritted his teeth and followed.
The second floor.
Inside a room deep in the second corridor on the left.
Sophia and Shizuku stopped.
Ahead, two figures blocked their path.
A man and a woman.
The man was burly, bald, his bare upper body covered in scars, with metal brass knuckles on his hands—Sergei, an Enhancer.
The woman was petite, wearing tight leather clothing, with heavy makeup on her face, and slender steel needles between her fingertips—Natasha, a Manipulator.
Behind them were over thirty fully armed guards. Assault rifles, submachine guns, and shotguns, with their dark muzzles all aimed at Sophia and Shizuku.
He raised his hand, stopping the guards behind him who were about to open fire.
"Without my order, you cannot open fire. Let us play first."
He licked his lips, a cruel excitement flashing in his eyes.
The guards behind held their guns, watching like tigers, waiting only for the order.
Natasha didn't speak, just looked at them coldly, the steel needles at her fingertips shimmering with a cold light under the lights.
Sophia didn't waste any words; she exerted force under her feet and charged at Sergei!
Shizuku followed closely, the vacuum cleaner materialized in her hand!
The battle erupted instantly!
Sergei punched toward Sophia, the wind of his fist whistling!
Sophia dodged to the side, her right fist slamming hard into his ribs!
"Bang!"
Amidst the muffled sound, Sergei took a step back, but the smile on his face became even more ferocious.
"You have some strength!"
He turned and lunged again!
Natasha's steel needles shot toward Shizuku like a rainstorm!
Shizuku swung the vacuum cleaner, blocking all the steel needles!
But after those steel needles landed, they actually bounced up on their own and shot over again!
A Manipulator's ability—as long as they are coated with her Nen, the steel needles will continuously pursue the target!
Shizuku remained expressionless and pressed the switch on the vacuum cleaner.
"vacuum cleaner, suck!"
A powerful suction force erupted, and all the steel needles were instantly sucked into the vacuum cleaner!
Natasha's expression changed!
Natasha didn't believe it; she waved her hands repeatedly, shooting several more steel needles at Shizuku.
Shizuku raised the vacuum cleaner, the suction force erupted, and it swallowed all the steel needles again.
Shizuku raised her head, looked at her, and adjusted her glasses.
"Are there any more?"
A murderous intent flashed in Natasha's eyes.
She drew two daggers from her waist, coating them with Nen, and the daggers instantly glowed with an eerie light.
"No more."
She sneered.
"But I have this."
She waved her hands, and the two daggers flew out, carving two arcs in the air, one left and one right, stabbing straight at Shizuku!
Faster speed! Trickier angles!
Shizuku swung the vacuum cleaner and knocked the daggers away!
Natasha controlled the daggers to return to her hands, rushing toward Shizuku while the latter was busy blocking the other dagger.
Just as the dagger was about to pierce Shizuku's heart from behind—Sophia appeared behind her, knocked the dagger away with a punch, and simultaneously kicked Natasha back.
"Watch out."
Sophia returned to Shizuku's side and said.
Shizuku nodded.
The two stood together, facing Sergei and Natasha.
Sergei and Natasha exchanged a glance, both revealing a cold sneer.
"A bit interesting."
Sergei cracked his neck, making a crisp clicking sound.
"Then let's fight seriously."
He took a deep breath, his muscles bulging all over his body, and Nen rose from him like flames!
The next moment, Sophia patted Shizuku.
Seeing this unusual action by Sophia, Sergei and Natasha's expressions changed, and they thought to themselves.
"Not good!"
She had already left a mark on Natasha and was putting her hands together to activate her ability!
The opponent had many people, and she didn't intend to waste time with them; she would strike first.
With a clap of her hands, marks appeared on both Shizuku and Natasha, and the three of them disappeared in front of Sergei and the guards.