“Huh? What do you an?”
As they walked, Ding Junyi explained, “Throughout history, humanity has endured countless outbreaks of viral pandemics. Millions have died. Although modern science and virology have provided us with nurous counterasures, the reality is—we have never truly defeated a virus through dical ans.”
“Then how did we survive? The virus just disappeared on its own?” KIKI asked, confused.
Ding Junyi nodded. “Partially, yes. But for the most part, it’s due to the evolution of the human immune system. So when you ntioned the SIID Foundation’s mission statent, this is what ca to my mind. To be honest, as soone in the biological sciences field, I find the theory rationally sound.”
“You an abilities?” KIKI floated beside Ding Junyi, reaching out to play with the little tuft of green hair on her head. “You’ve evolved too, so I’d say you’re making a fair point. But I don’t agree with their thods—neither does Lin Xian. So, what’s their purpose in deploying marked decoys?”
“That’s just a hypothesis. We can’t be certain yet.”
KIKI fell silent for a mont, then suddenly looked at Ding Junyi and asked, “If your stance were different from Lin Xian’s, what would you do?”
Ding Junyi responded calmly, “My agreent with a theory is purely from a scientific perspective. My personal stance doesn’t matter. If Lin Xian asks for my conclusion, I’ll tell him based on my principles. As for what he chooses to do…”
“I will support any decision he makes.”
She glanced at KIKI. “I act on principle. You act on emotion. That’s the difference between us.”
KIKI’s eyes widened. Flustered, she quickly retorted, “Emotion? Pfft! What nonsense! He and I are just partners—right now, everyone’s struggling to survive…”
“Wait!”
Ding Junyi suddenly stopped in her tracks, staring ahead.
KIKI, startled by the interruption, imdiately turned around. They had arrived at an unfamiliar research sector. Before them was a large isolation hall with a massive glass enclosure, now filled with murky lake water. It looked like an aquarium. Cracks in the structure were leaking water, and the ground was already flooded up to their knees.
“What kind of room is this?”
Ding Junyi searched for a naplate and quickly found one near a control panel outside the chamber. It read:
【GX Deep-Water Sampling Chamber】
“This is a depressurization chamber. It must connect directly to Shijiu Lake.”
KIKI lifted her mobile terminal and floated closer to the thick isolation window, staring into the dark water inside. Then, after a few quick operations, she exclaid, “Huh, this sector is controlled by an independent internal system.”
She flew toward a massive control panel in the distance and connected her mobile terminal. Within seconds, she had accessed the chamber’s control program.
“Easy work…”
Pleased with herself, KIKI activated the chamber’s drainage system.
“Looks like the main leak isn’t here. The drainage is working fine.”
anwhile, Ding Junyi stood beneath the naplate, reading the various warning labels on it. Her brows furrowed, and she imdiately turned to KIKI.
“Be careful. This seems to be a hazardous research facility—everything here is remotely controlled by the system.”
“Huh?” KIKI imdiately flew back, her eyes wide. “It’s not so kind of toxic or radioactive research, is it?”
Splash!
As the water level inside the chamber slowly receded, the space echoed with strange sounds. A vortex swirled within the murky liquid. KIKI and Ding Junyi watched as several chanical arms erged from the ceiling, each holding a device resembling a small subrsible.
“Oh~ I get it now.” KIKI sighed in relief at the sight. “These must be used for deep-sea exploration in Shijiu Lake. They co here for depressurization afterward. I thought it was sothing serious.”
Then, she noticed a dark object caught in the swirling water. Curious, she leaned closer, reaching out with her ability to pull it toward her for a better look.
The black mass drifted toward the glass, swirling in the current.
Thud!
Suddenly, it slamd into the glass right in front of KIKI.
It was a bloated, corpse-like body with wide-open eyes.
KIKI’s pupils contracted as she instinctively recoiled. Just as the corpse began drifting away with the current, she abruptly reached out with her ability and caught it.
“Ding-jiejie! I know this person!”
Floating in the water before them was none other than Tan ng—the woman from Room 5 in the Death Ga that KIKI and Lin Xian had encountered earlier that afternoon.
“What’s wrong?”
“This woman—she was in that ga I told you about! I rember…”
“I rember she survived! How did she end up dead here?”
“So the so-called ‘freedom’ and ‘survival’ they promised were just lies?” Ding Junyi murmured.
“The SIID Foundation is disgusting!” KIKI gritted her teeth.
As the depressurization chamber continued to drain, the atmospheric pressure increased. The corpse, having been subrged for days, swelled grotesquely, its mouth and nose leaking chunks of flesh. The sight was horrifying.
KIKI scowled and released her grip, letting the corpse sink into a corner as the remaining water drained.
“There’s an open subrsible over there. I’m guessing she escaped from it.”
Ding Junyi pointed toward a damaged subrsible resting on the flooded floor. Its transparent hatch was open, subrged in the remaining water.
“So these subrsibles were made to hold people?”
KIKI lifted the subrsible with her ability, bringing it closer. Now they could see that the cylindrical interior was barely large enough for a person to fit inside.
Ding Junyi stepped down into the water and joined KIKI.
“KIKI, put it down. Let take a look.”
KIKI nodded, lowering herself and the subrsible to the floor. The two of them peered through its glass window.
Ding Junyi adjusted her glasses, remaining calm. “This is definitely an unmanned subrsible. The space inside isn’t for piloting—it’s for containnt.”
“Look,” she pointed at the interior. “There are no control panels in here. The occupant would be completely sealed in.”
KIKI leaned closer and finally noticed the bloody scratch marks covering the tallic interior.
“…So what exactly was this project for?”
KIKI’s expression darkened. “It’s obvious.”
“Ding-jiejie, be careful.” With a flick of her power, KIKI lifted Ding Junyi and moved her to a safe distance. Then, she clenched her fist and smashed through the high-strength glass of the depressurization chamber, extracting the subrsible.
She pulled it toward her, pried open its control panel, and connected her mobile terminal.
“These unmanned units all have mission logs. No way they wiped everything.”
Sure enough, within monts, she had accessed the stored data.
She floated Ding Junyi back beside her and frowned. “What the hell are these missions…?”
Ding Junyi adjusted to floating in midair, finding the sensation oddly thrilling. As she examined the logs, her brows furrowed.
“All missions followed the exact sa pattern: descend 900 ters, stay for 30 minutes, and return.”
“What’s that supposed to an?” KIKI was baffled. “Dump soone in the lake for a half-hour swim?”
Ding Junyi pushed up her glasses. “I’m more interested in the timing.”
She pointed at the tistamps. “Every mission occurs exactly 30 minutes before sunrise.”
“Huh… You’re right,” KIKI muttered. “So they always return just as daylight breaks?”
“Check the other subrsibles,” Ding Junyi instructed, a theory forming in her mind.
KIKI complied, quickly scanning several more units. Their logs were nearly identical—except none of the others had scratch marks inside.
“Ding-jiejie, what are you thinking?”
Ding Junyi’s gaze sharpened. “Don’t you think this is like fishing?”
“Fishing?”
“Yes. They’re dropping live bait into Shijiu Lake, then reeling it back in.”
KIKI paled. “You an—they’re using people to lure Eerie Entities?”
Ding Junyi shook her head. “I don’t think so. If that were the goal, they wouldn’t need this specific setup.”
“Then what are they fishing for?”
Ding Junyi’s expression turned serious. “Unmanned. Live target. Always returns before daylight. If sothing happens to the person down there… what use are they when they co back?”
KIKI’s eyes widened in horror.
“Black Night Marks!”
Ding Junyi nodded grimly. “And more than that—whatever’s lurking 900 ters down must be sothing terrifying enough that they can’t risk retrieval after sunrise.”
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