Chapter 14: The Plunder

Half an hour later, the four-person squad expanded to eight and all re-entered the subway tunnel.

Chen Jian chose not to deploy drones for reconnaissance again. Partly to conserve the dwindling battery power, and partly to see just how far these so-called “Holy Bloods” could push their abilities.

And indeed, they did not disappoint him.

Though it was their first time entering the tunnels, they displayed a remarkable level of professionalism in navigation, scouting, combat, and retreat.

Occasionally, one or two giant mantises would suddenly appear, but without exception, they were instantly dispatched by the shield bearer Li Shi and the ranger Zeng Yi who led the way.

Blood and gore splattered everywhere, embodying the brutal beauty of cold weapon combat reminiscent of the classical era.

Chen Jian suspected that if strength and speed were the sole measures, these Holy Bloods might individually surpass these smaller monsters.

Add to that the advantage of weapons and tools, and cutting through them like slicing vegetables was hardly surprising.

Compared to their combat prowess, the squad’s “functional” abilities impressed Chen Jian even more.

He had originally thought Xu Lie, designated as scout, was responsible only for ordinary reconnaissance.

But unexpectedly, Xu Lie possessed not only faint night vision but also an extraordinary sense of smell.

He could guide the squad forward by following residual odors left by the mother creature all the way, barely pausing at every corner...

What kind of humanoid dog is this?

Chen Jian had to admit, at least in this regard, his four-man team was far inferior to these Holy Bloods.

Following Xu Lie’s lead, the scent of blood grew stronger and stronger.

Chen Jian raised his hand in a warning gesture, and almost simultaneously, the others raised their guns, advancing in a combat-ready posture.

Xu Lie was startled by their reaction but quickly spoke up:

“Don’t be too tense. Theoretically, the closer we get to the nest, the safer we become.”

“These monsters have a strict hierarchy. Lower-level creatures rarely venture near the nests of higher-level ones unless the latter are completely dead and their bodies fully decomposed.”

“So, if even you can sense that the nest is just ahead, it means we’ve passed through the most dangerous part.”

Though he nodded, Chen Jian did not lower his gun.

He could clearly feel the change in the environment—the temperature rising, the blood scent intensifying, and, of course, a deepening silence.

More precisely, it was a deathly stillness.

As if even microbial life had ceased to exist.

“We’re almost there,” Xu Lie said lightly.

“I wonder what good things we’ll find this time.”

“What good things?” Chen Jian asked, puzzled.

“Of course there are!” Xu Lie proudly drew his handgun.

“This radio set too, was found inside a nest.”

“Last time near Jiangcheng, we took down a level-five monster, and this very pistol was discovered in its lair.”

“Functional handguns are rare— even the Mechanical God Cult...”

As he spoke, Chen Jian had already drawn his own QSW06 silenced pistol from his thigh. Xu Lie caught sight of it and abruptly swallowed his words.

“...Never mind, maybe you guys don’t lack these things.”

“But anyway, these monsters tend to drag their prey back to their nest, so nests usually concentrate the most resources in the area.”

“Even if you don’t need weapons or ammo, it’s worth searching carefully—you might find something else.”

Chen Jian said nothing.

In truth, how could he not be short on weapons and ammunition?

The relentless fighting had completely drained their ammo reserves—even their stock of 5.8mm rifle rounds had dwindled to just over forty.

That was why he was so eager to cooperate with the Holy Blood squad.

After all, threatening them with his scant ammo was far more reliable than trying to take on the monsters head-on with those bullets...

Of course, Chen Jian would never reveal this to Xu Lie.

If the other side realized his squad’s true weakness beneath their tough exterior, any cooperation would collapse instantly.

That was an undeniable fact.

At this moment, Chen Jian’s greatest hope was to find the supplies he needed in the so-called “Graveyard.”

Bullets, guns, anything that could bolster his team’s combat strength—he would accept without hesitation.

With this in mind, he followed closely behind Xu Lie into the Graveyard.

The view suddenly opened up to reveal countless white bones scattered across the ground, with the deeper layers already weathered into grayish dust.

Looking up, daylight streamed directly down, bright as the opening of a well.

They were at least fifty meters below ground level.

Chen Jian scanned the area and was struck by an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

“...Does this look familiar?” Chen Jian asked the others.

“Very familiar, except it’s collapsed at the top...” Shen Yue drew a cold breath, hesitating slightly.

“Isn’t this 1102? Judging by the location, it seems about right..."

“No ‘seems’ about it—this is definitely 1102,” Lei Jie said, pointing to the wall on the right side of the cavern.

“There are remnants of the support structure, but the height’s all wrong.”

“Right now, the supports are less than three meters tall, but when we came through before, they were about twelve meters high—roughly three stories.”

“That means the ground beneath our feet has been buried nearly ten meters deep.”

“To go further inside, we’d have to dig through this ten meters of... bone dust completely.”

“Obviously, we can’t do that now.”

“It’s a pity—1102, being a fortification, must have sealed storage rooms. If we’re lucky, there might be usable supplies inside.”

“Even if the supplies aren’t usable, finding records from that time could help us understand what really happened in this world...”

When Lei Jie finished speaking, Chen Jian frowned deeply.

Yes, the “truth of the world” was a luxury beyond their current reach, but if there was a chance to glimpse it, who would refuse?

Unfortunately, such exploration had to wait for another time.

Not far away, the Holy Blood squad had already begun scavenging.

They moved quickly, tossing aside scattered skeletons and what they deemed useless debris into the air, letting it crash heavily back down.

This scene involuntarily reminded Chen Jian of scenes from sorting packages at a courier station, making him almost smile.

But in the next moment, his expression changed instantly as his eyes caught a particular item flying through the air.

Damn, they’re just throwing that away?!