Watching the Zombie King's head roll to the ground, and then watching Jorah faint clean away from power depletion, a rare, complex expression flickered across Zephyr's perpetually icy face.
He walked over to Jorah, hesitated for a moment, and finally reached out, grabbing the back of Jorah's collar. However, perhaps considering that the guy had, after all, just performed a miraculous feat, his action this time was considerably more "gentle" than before. He didn't just yank him up but, in a slightly awkward posture, hoisted him onto his shoulder.
"Vespera," Elara said, walking over to the little girl and crouching down. "Can you… use your ability one more time? Could you try to control the undead blocking the elevator entrance down there?"
Although the Zombie King was dead, the dense tide of undead downstairs still posed a massive obstacle to their retreat.
Vespera's small face was still pale from her earlier exertion, but upon hearing Elara's request, she nodded firmly without hesitation.
She walked to the elevator door and, through the small observation window in the heavy fire door, looked out at the horde of undead. They were now somewhat chaotic without their "king's" command but were still enormous in number. She took a deep breath, then slowly extended her small hand, fingers splayed, aiming towards the door.
The moment Vespera activated her ability, Elara's eyes twitched sharply!
She keenly noticed that Vespera's slightly oversized sleeve had slid up as she raised her arm, revealing a section of her pale wrist. And on that skin, thin lines, like a black spiderweb, were rapidly spreading upwards along her delicate veins! The black lines became exceptionally clear when she activated her ability, and then slowly faded and disappeared when she stopped.
A detail she had overlooked in her past life flashed through her mind like lightning—
The Vespera from the later stages of the apocalypse, the one who had made a name for herself as the "Dark Witch," had always, regardless of the season, worn a large, black, hooded robe that covered her from head to toe!
Elara's heart skipped a beat!
Because she had recognized Vespera so early in this life, and knew she had survived safely into the later stages of the apocalypse and become a powerful ability user, Elara had subconsciously treated her as a "normal" survivor with a special gift, without ever conducting a thorough check of her physical condition.
But now, it seemed…
This special ability to directly control the undead, this strange physical change that occurred when she used her power, coupled with Amily's solemn tone when she had mentioned Vespera earlier, as if entrusting some important secret…
A bold and startling speculation surfaced in Elara's mind. But she kept it to herself, burying the shock and doubt deep within her heart.
Meanwhile, at the elevator entrance, the undead, under the influence of Vespera's ability, had stopped battering and clawing at the door. As if they had suddenly lost their target, they voluntarily moved to the sides, milling about aimlessly, clearing a small, safe area for them.
"Amazing, Vespera, you did so well," Elara said, snapping back to the present and suppressing her thoughts. She walked to Vespera's side with a smile, gently stroking her head, her voice filled with sincere encouragement.
Vespera seemed pleased to have successfully completed her task and smiled shyly. She held tightly to her mother Amily's arm with one hand, while the other sneakily hooked onto the corner of Elara's clothing. Her big, bright eyes were filled with trust and reliance on Elara.
Once they confirmed it was safe, the group re-entered the elevator. Cassian took out a strangely shaped electronic device from his pocket, manipulated the elevator's control panel, and entered a complex key sequence. The elevator then slowly started, beginning its descent towards their target area on the third basement level.
Inside the elevator, the survivors finally had a moment to breathe. As their tense nerves relaxed slightly, a wave of exhaustion washed over them.
"Speaking of which," Cassian said, looking at the changing floor numbers on the elevator screen, seemingly trying to break the somewhat somber atmosphere, "weren't the military's rescue teams supposed to arrive today? How come there's been no sign of them at all?"
"Don't know," Zephyr replied, shifting the unconscious Jorah on his shoulder to a more secure position so he wouldn't slide off. His tone was honest, devoid of any speculation.
Hearing this, Cassian's deep blue eyes darkened slightly. The military was known for its punctuality and efficiency. Failing to arrive at the agreed-upon time was not a good sign. Had they encountered some insurmountable trouble on the way? Or… had something unexpected happened within the military itself?
"Anyway, let's stick to the original plan and rescue them first," Seraph spoke up, breaking the slightly heavy atmosphere. She deftly tied her brilliant red hair into a high ponytail, cinched her waist with a belt, and looked capable, cheerful, and full of vitality. "No matter what's happening outside, let's focus on the task at hand."
Everyone agreed. Regardless of when the military reinforcements might arrive, their primary objective for this trip had always been to rescue the trapped researchers.
"Ding—"
The elevator stopped on the third basement level. This floor, finally, was neither completely dark nor eerily silent. The corridor was lit with normal lighting, and although the pungent smell of chemicals still lingered in the air, there was at least a hint of… human presence.
Following Zephyr's electronic key and the structural diagram, they quickly located the biosafety lab in B-Zone. The lab door was locked from the inside and thoroughly barricaded with various pieces of lab equipment and cabinets. It was clear the people inside had taken extensive measures to prevent the undead from breaking in.
After Cassian identified himself and they confirmed their identities via the video intercom system, the people inside cautiously removed the obstacles and opened the door.
Fortunately, the few researchers trapped here, though looking haggard and listless from the prolonged confinement and high stress, didn't appear to have suffered any serious physical injuries.
Among this group of scholars, the most conspicuous was a young man who, like Jorah, had a messy mop of brown curly hair. He was as thin as a bamboo pole, looking as if a gust of wind could blow him over. The heavy dark circles under his eyes seemed to be sliding down his cheeks, and he was slumped listlessly against a lab bench, looking as though it wouldn't be surprising if he simply expired on the spot.
"Alan, Alan, wake up! Someone's here to rescue us!" A seemingly older female researcher with a gentle demeanor excitedly nudged the incredibly listless curly-haired man. The nameplate on her chest identified her as Sarah, and her role—Visiting Botanist.
"Mmmph…"
The curly-haired man called Alan let out a faint groan and slowly raised his head. His bloodshot eyes, looking like those of a gaming addict who'd pulled several all-nighters, struggled to focus on Elara and the others at the door. His voice was as faint as a thread, "We're saved… That's great… So… is there any food?"
"Sorry, a few days ago, Alan gave his share of the emergency food to the rest of us…" another young woman, wearing round-framed glasses and a black-and-white striped shirt, explained, pushing her glasses up her nose with some embarrassment. She didn't look well either, her face pale and exhausted. She wasn't wearing a lab coat, and the sleeves of her striped shirt seemed to bear the faint, discolored traces of… soaked-through bloodstains. Her lab coat was likely taken off for the same reason.
Elara's gaze lingered on this woman in the striped shirt for a few extra moments. She looked quiet and scholarly, a typical intellectual, but when she pushed up her glasses, Elara keenly noticed that her slender arms had clearly defined, firm, and toned muscle contours!
The muscles weren't exaggerated, but they were full of explosive power, forming a stark contrast with her scholarly appearance, like a… miniature jacked rabbit.
This discovery sparked a flicker of curiosity in Elara about this seemingly unremarkable female researcher.