A vicious female is trapped in a beastly hell.

Chapter 648 Gatekeeper

When Yue arrived at the laboratory, it was in complete chaos, with some outsiders even mixed in, making it difficult to distinguish friend from foe.

But amidst the chaos, he suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure, and his heart skipped a beat as countless complex emotions surged up within him.

Seeking Fu?!
Why is she here?

Just as Shen Tang was about to sneak into the depths of the laboratory amidst the chaos, her heart was pounding. At that moment, a large hand suddenly reached out from behind, grabbed her shoulder, and pulled her into a corner.

"Ah—who?!" Shen Tang was so startled she almost made a move.

But a deep voice came from beside him, "Shh, don't be afraid, it's me."

Hearing that familiar yet long-lost voice, a voice that shouldn't be there at all, Shen Tang's heart skipped a beat. She turned her head to look at the handsome silver-haired man before her, and said in astonishment, "Yue... Yue Lin?"

Yue Lin looked down at the female in front of him, her expression a mixture of shock and panic, her usually cool demeanor now somewhat unsteady.

She wasn't the only one shocked.

He never expected to meet her here.

What does she want to do?
Why is it that every time, she manages to do something unexpected?

"That's not right." Shen Tang suddenly realized, touching the rough mask on her face. "I was clearly wearing a mask, how did you recognize me?"

Yue Lin gazed at her, his dark eyes growing even deeper. "If you can leave a spiritual mark on me, I can naturally leave a mark on you as well."

He reached out and gently touched behind her ear. As a trace of supernatural power was injected, a small patch of silvery-white patterns appeared there, like a light snowflake.

This is the energy imprint he left behind, usually used to track prey or enemies; this is the first time he's used it on a female.

Unless someone is far stronger than him or possesses a detection-type ability, it is difficult for them to be detected.

Shen Tang's heart skipped a beat, and she felt a little guilty. "You...you knew all along."

“Yes, Mori told me.” Yue Lin said calmly, “He said that it is a disgrace to the Moon Wolf that the young master of the clan was secretly marked by a bold and reckless female.”

"..."

Shen Tang remembered that Yin Luo had mentioned that Mo Li was Yue Lin's friend in the royal city.

This person is quite a character. Although he is male, he possesses powerful mental strength and is also a mental healer.

After Yue Lin returned from her training trip, she often sought his help for mental well-being.

Yue Lin raised her wrist, where a pure white mark appeared, vaguely shaped like a cat. "This mark is still there."

Shen Tang's face flushed, and she said apologetically, "I'm sorry, there were indeed unavoidable reasons at the time, and I offended the young master! I will take back the mark right away."

Yue Lin withdrew her wrist, her brows furrowed, and looked at her intently. "What I mean is, I don't need to wipe it off."

He glanced at the fleeting silver mark behind her ear. "At least for now, it's fair."

Shen Tang was momentarily speechless. She knew her little tricks wouldn't fool him, but she hadn't expected to see him again!

Thinking back to the last time I accepted his confession and agreed to stay, only to leave without saying goodbye... the scene was so awkward that I couldn't even bring myself to say it.

Yue Lin's cold gaze remained fixed on Shen Tang. Being so close, he could smell her familiar and alluring fragrance.

In addition, there was a hint of aura that made him instinctively restless and disgusted.

It's the scent of that leopard.

The scents of the two mingled so intimately, lingering for a long time, which was enough to indicate that something had happened not long ago... Through the mark left on her body, Yue Lin could perceive this pheromone even more clearly.

Yue Lin's fingers clenched slightly, her chest felt tight, as if an indescribable sourness and a trace of uncontrollable jealousy were rising within her.

He was still one step late.

However, he was unwilling to do so.

What's so good about that mad beast that could lose control at any moment?

From birth, Yue Lin was a figure above all others, and never felt that he was inferior to that mad beast.

If the other party is indeed Xun Fu's beast husband, then no matter how jealous or resentful Yue Lin is, she can only swallow her emotions and remain silent.

But now that he knows the truth, how can he be willing to give up the female he likes to someone else?
Yue Lin was never an impulsive person, but the aura of other male beasts on Xun Fu made him so jealous that he was almost driven mad.

The veins on his forehead throbbed, and he could no longer restrain his emotions. Suddenly, he pulled her into his arms and lowered his head to kiss her lips.

"Xiao Fu, your departure last time really made me very sad..."

boom--

Shen Tang's mind went blank, her eyes widened, and she almost forgot where she was.

Her face flushed red, and she pushed Yue Lin away, wiped her mouth, and said in embarrassment and indignation, "Young Master Yue Lin, what are you doing? I'll really get angry if you keep doing this!"

"I like you, I want to pursue you, and I hope you understand my feelings." Yue Lin took a deep breath, her eyes filled with complex emotions. "Don't follow him anymore, come with me."

"He's not the right person for you."

Shen Tang frowned, unable to understand what he was saying. She felt offended, and her previously good impression of Yue Lin plummeted. She turned around and wanted to leave.

Yue Lin quickly caught up and grabbed her wrist again. "Getting into the lab won't be that easy. If you're discovered, you'll be dead."

He didn't know what Xunfu was up to, but since she had gone to such lengths to get here, she must be trying to get into the lab. She was just oversimplifying things.

He took her hand and pulled her closer. "It's too dangerous for you to be alone. Come with me, I'll take you inside."

"No, I need to find Jin. We're probably not on the same path." Shen Tang knew that the two had never gotten along, whether in terms of personality or background. In this matter, Yue Lin would not only not help, but might even stand on the opposite side.

A look of understanding flashed in Yue Lin's eyes. So it was for him.

No wonder she, a female, dared to enter the laboratory alone, and that leopard wasn't even with her.

It seems that the intruder that severely damaged the laboratory this time was that mad leopard.

Suppressing her resentment and sadness, Yue Lin quickly agreed, "Okay, I'll go with you to find him and help you bring him out."

Shen Tang was taken aback. She hadn't expected him to agree so readily. Could there be a trap?
Before she could even consider whether to cooperate with Yue Lin, a piercing alarm suddenly blared in the hall.

[Unregistered individuals detected... 157 unregistered individuals detected, immediate action taken!]

Several laser beams shot down from the sky towards the crowd, accurately hitting the intruders who had sneaked in. Before they could even scream, they vanished in the light.

One of the attacks was aimed directly at Shen Tang.

The miserable state of those people just now has already explained everything. Once locked onto by the defense system, there is nowhere to escape!
Shen Tang's expression changed, and Yue Lin stepped in front of her, raising his hand to conjure an ice wall to block the laser beam.

He then swung his hand and unleashed a moon-like blade of light, which struck a concealed device with a bang.

The hidden defense system has been partially destroyed, temporarily losing its locking function.

Shen Tang's heart pounded like a drum, and her expression was solemn.

This is a laboratory secretly set up by the "Hand of Creation," and its defensive measures are incredibly strong. The orcs who were instantly annihilated were all top-tier experts, at least at the peak of the tenth rank! If she hadn't met Yue Lin today, she would have been seriously injured even if she hadn't died!

However, the crisis was not over. A large number of pursuers had surrounded them, with a clear objective: to capture Shen Tang, the illegal intruder.

Yue Lin stepped forward, blocking her way, and scanned the crowd. "The laboratory has been invaded. I have come to provide support on behalf of the Moon Wolf Clan. These are the people I brought. Please let them pass so that we can hunt down the intruders."

The Moon Wolf Clan had close ties with the laboratory, so no one doubted his words. They all put away their weapons and made way for him.

Yue Lin then led Shen Tang deeper into the laboratory.

Shen Tang couldn't help but glance at the silver-haired youth beside her. According to her original plan, whether she could even sneak in was uncertain, let alone break through the encirclement so quickly. Unexpectedly, Yue Lin led her through the checkpoint directly.

It seems that cooperation is still necessary!
Shen Tang didn't object anymore and silently followed beside him as the two walked towards the underground laboratory.

The public area on the first floor of the laboratory is just the entrance, and you can't see the whole picture at all. Judging from the elevator signs alone, there are actually more than a hundred floors underground.

Unfortunately, the elevator was already broken, so the two had to walk down.

Even the old staircase was broken in many places, the surrounding buildings were dilapidated, and many orc corpses were scattered around, making it very difficult to move forward, which showed how fierce the battle had been not long ago.

The deeper you go, the colder the air becomes. That chill, so deep and dark, seeps into your bones, making you shiver slightly.

When I reached the 90th floor, there was almost no one else around.

A deathly silence fell; the air seemed to freeze, filled with an inexplicable sense of oppression. The only sounds were one's own breathing and even the faint murmur of blood flowing.

No, this sound seems to be coming from deeper within...

It's like a faint, rhythmic pulsation.

Even Yue Lin felt an indescribable chill. He frowned, suppressed his unease, and walked ahead of Shen Tang into the hall on the ninety-first floor.

From this floor onwards, the style changes abruptly.

The floors we passed before were just ordinary laboratory structures, but this place is like a huge exhibition hall.

The ground is made of a special material that is almost silent when stepped on, yet has a cold feel.

The two walked forward along the main passage, with cabins on both sides separated by thick, transparent material, most of which were empty.

A few cabins were shrouded in mist, and distorted shadows could be vaguely seen, like... those ugly mutants.

Yue Lin's expression changed drastically. He shattered the glass dome with a wave of his hand, and the sleeping monster inside instantly awoke, roaring as it pounced, but was quickly dealt with by him.

However, the man's face was pale, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He stared blankly at the broken container in front of him, unable to recover for a long time.

It's like stumbling upon some earth-shattering secret!

Why would the laboratory of the Hand of Creation study these things?

They collect the monsters' genes for experimental research, hoping to eradicate them at their source...

Or is there another purpose?
As the moon approached for the first time, I dared not think any further.

Shen Tang looked at Yue Lin's surprised and uncertain expression, but remained relatively calm. She had seen this scene before and knew the truth behind the deception.

"Let's keep going down. I can vaguely sense that Ember is down there," she whispered a reminder.

Yue Lin snapped out of her reverie and gave a soft "hmm." The two continued down the dark staircase.

……

Half an hour ago.

The elevator plummeted downwards, its red alarm flashing wildly, until it finally stopped at—
-
103 floors.

That is, the very bottom of this underground laboratory.

The elevator exploded the moment it hit the ground, and a tall, slender figure in black leaped out of the dust, like a bloodstained demonic sword, slaying all the pursuers.

Jin's clothes were already torn, and he was covered in blood, making it impossible to tell whether it was his own or someone else's.

Blood dripped from his fingers, splashing onto the smooth ground. The hunger from the long battle made him raise his hand and lick the blood off his fingers. His face was also stained with the splattered blood. His eyes, hidden by his hair, were deep and lifeless, and wisps of black energy swirled around him, making him look like a god of death who had walked out of hell.

He walked with heavy steps, leaving a trail of bloody footprints, until he reached the end of the passage.

Before me stood a massive door.

The door is made of heavy alloy casting, with no gaps or handles on the surface, making it more like a special metal wall.

Behind the door lies the core laboratory, and no one knows what's hidden inside.

Jin's dark golden eyes were fixed on the door as he stepped onto the stairs.

His body's intuition was clearly telling him—

What he's looking for is inside.

Jin naturally didn't have the key to open the door, so he planned to break it down by brute force.

But the next second, the door slowly opened.

There seemed to be an invisible energy barrier inside the door, separating the inside from the outside. From the outside, all that could be seen was a hazy wall of mist, and nothing could be made out.

Suddenly, the mist rippled like water, and an exceptionally tall figure emerged.

That person was really tall, almost unlike an ordinary orc, nearly three or four meters tall, almost reaching the ceiling.

He wore a white lab coat that was so tight it looked like it was about to burst, revealing his bluish-gray arms and calves. His muscles were bulging like piled-up rocks, and his veins were like snakes crawling all over his body, giving off an inhuman horror.

He carried no weapon, standing like a gatekeeper at the entrance. His slightly protruding eyes were dark and unwavering, and he looked at Jin as if he were looking at a stone or a long-dead corpse.

As soon as he appeared, the surrounding air became thick and heavy, and breathing became slightly difficult.

"Sir, please stop."

The voice was dry and flat, without any threat, yet it was as if stating the simplest fact: this road is blocked.

Jin narrowed his eyes, refraining from making any rash moves, and examined the enormous creature before him.

The fact that the Creator has set up such a laboratory in the six royal cities must mean that it is hiding something important or intelligence.

The most important things are naturally hidden in the last layer.

The gatekeeper at the deepest point must possess strength beyond imagination.

This one should be the final checkpoint.

It was obvious at a glance that he was a special orc who had been modified in the laboratory. The modification was quite successful, and his aura was far superior to that of ordinary orcs. Even he felt oppressed.

If you want to get in today, you have to defeat this gatekeeper.

The gatekeeper silently observed the black-haired man before him. So young, yet he managed to fight his way to the last floor all by himself; his strength was truly astonishing.

Then, his gaze fell on the man's conspicuous leopard ears and golden eyes, and he slowly spoke:
"Oh it's you."

Sensing the black aura swirling around Jin, the gatekeeper was slightly surprised.

Even during this berserk state, he still retained a sliver of rationality.

Suddenly remembering something, the gatekeeper's voice was low and dangerous, "A thief broke in before, and a small piece of the crystal core I was guarding was stolen... It seems it ended up in your hands."

"You came here today for the crystal cores, didn't you? Too bad, you've come to the wrong place."

"If you walk onto the road to hell that I guard, you are destined to die here!"

Jin sneered, lightning gathered in his fist, and he instantly moved forward.

"Oh? Then let's see if you die or I live!"

Four thousand characters.

good night.

Sigh, my puppy has parvovirus and is having bloody stools. I didn't sleep much last night. I still have 1000 words left, I'll see when I can finish them. I'll focus on maintaining basic updates for now.