On the 26th day of the sixth month, in the 102nd year of Beiming, the dark sun rose as usual—but not a single ray of light reached the colonists of Chongdongdao. Since dawn, a steady drizzle had fallen without pause, and thick clouds loomed heavy in the sky. After a night of intense coordination, the search teams had finally been assembled. With Jigong Ridge as the central axis, an area within a fifty-kilometer radius had been sealed off with utmost precision. This was an operation of the highest caliber. Sakamoto Kaxiong, the Supreme Commander of the Western Garrison, was appointed overall leader of the mission, while Fujiki Sadanao, dispatched as a Special Inspector, oversaw the operation in person. Hardly had the command center begun its operations when news arrived—ground search units had successfully captured a pack of giant lizards. After escaping the research facility, the lizards had shunned all waterways and instead climbed upward, astonishingly mimicking the behavior of humanoid rodents by digging their own tunnels and emerging onto the surface.
After entering the Longling River, the giant lizards astonishingly began to swim upstream, attempting to flee toward the river's upper reaches. It wasn't long before the river patrol detected their movement. Under the coordination of the Search Command Center, multiple departments launched a joint operation to encircle and capture the creatures. The outcome was unsurprising—every last one of the lizards was ensnared by fishing nets. Yet, this minor triumph served little purpose beyond salvaging a shred of dignity. It brought no real restitution to Dongtai Corporation, for these particular lizards were the least dangerous of the lot—they were all male, and all had been sterilized. The Vice President of the General Command personally oversaw the operation—who would dare take it lightly? At precisely 8:00 a.m., the underwater search operation commenced in earnest. Responsibility for the upper fissure was assigned to the Second Reconnaissance Unit, comprising the Underwater Division of the Chongdongdao Special Security Team, the Fourth Mobile Battalion, and several auxiliary units. Li Zhui, having enjoyed a full twelve hours of rest, awaited them in high spirits. In contrast, She Yaoyao was utterly exhausted, having worked through the night hauling supplies. The distance from the cave to the aquatic chamber exceeded 1,300 meters, with a vertical drop of more than 300 meters. The final 75 meters consisted of an almost sheer incline, with a gradient between 80 and 85 degrees. The Underwater Special Security Squad led the charge, taking a full three hours to complete the submerged passage and emerge at the underground water surface. The lead was then handed to the Fifth Team of the Mobile Battalion, known for their superior climbing ability. However, the first to scale the cave walls were the engineers from the Dongtai Railway Construction Company, temporarily conscripted for the task. Upon hearing they were to blaze the trail, the engineering crew immediately erupted in protest. The waterway was littered with abandoned gear—any fool could tell fugitives lurked above. "We're workers, not armed personnel! Why the hell are we going first?" "Exactly! You security guys have guns and grenades, yet you're sending us to die? To hell with this job—I quit!"
Squad leader Pi Qiangjun signaled with a sharp gesture, and Sergeant Cao Minsheng immediately swung the butt of his rifle, smashing it hard against the cheek of the most outspoken worker.
"According to the Colonial Security Ordinance, if you defy orders again, I have the authority to execute you on the spot. Is that clear?" Pi Qiangjun said coldly, his voice laced with menace.
No one dared respond. Displeased by a defiant glance, Cao Minsheng once again raised the rifle butt, aiming for another worker's skull.
Just as the blow was about to land, a large hand shot out from the side and seized the weapon mid-air, stopping it with brute force.
"B*st*rd! You dare?" Cao Minsheng roared, straining with both hands to wrest the gun free, but it was no use—he could not move it an inch.
Humiliated beyond bearing, Cao clenched his teeth and reached for his dagger with his right hand.
"Stand down! All of you, fall back!" Pi Qiangjun barked.
The man holding the rifle butt gave a casual shove. Cao stumbled backward, nearly toppling over, and was only saved from falling flat by a teammate who caught him from behind.
"Your name," Pi Qiangjun asked, now surprisingly calm.
"Ma Yongxian."
"Good. It seems you're the true leader here. Very well, you lead them up. I'll see to it you're awarded first-class merit."
"Thank you, sir. I'll go up, but I have one condition," Ma Yongxian replied, composed and unyielding.
"And what would that be?"
"We'll take the lead on the climb, but once we reach level ground, the rest is your responsibility."
"This…" Pi Qiangjun hesitated, visibly embarrassed, his face tinged with red. At last, he gave a reluctant nod.
Ma Yongxian was a man of action and wasted no more words. He immediately set to work.
He aimed his climbing crossbow one meter below the fissure's edge and fired two rope-tethered arrows in succession. Each arrowhead had three barbed hooks that spread wider the more tension was applied.
With a tool pack strapped to his back and climbing gloves on his hands, Ma scaled the rope swiftly. A second rope was secured around his waist as a safety line.
Within ten minutes, he had reached the cave above.
He ignored Pi Qiangjun's earlier order to toss in tear gas. Instead, he climbed up boldly, shining his flashlight on himself and shouting:
"Hey! Friends inside—don't panic! We're just the shrimps sent to die. The crabs come after us!"
Though Li Zhui couldn't see him, the words brought a smile to his face. This man had spirit—and that sparked interest in recruiting him.
Receiving no resistance, Ma continued with his task: he drove pitons, installed carabiners, secured the rope, and tossed it down before sitting aside for a smoke.
The rest of the engineering team soon followed, hoisting more gear with them. They quickly assembled a makeshift gantry crane. Powered by a small motor, it could lift three people or an equivalent load of supplies at a time.
"Brother Ma, your skill is second to none!" Pi Qiangjun praised with an ingratiating grin as he offered a cigarette.
Ma initially hesitated but then reconsidered. In a place like this, where survival was uncertain, what was there to fuss about? He reached out and accepted it.
Pi handed him the entire pack. "Keep it. Share with the men. If we make it out alive, drinks are on me."
His voice caught slightly. In that moment, both men shared a silent truth—they might not get out at all.
Pi couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. He turned and pointed his tactical flashlight at the jagged rock wall above. Nothing—only countless cracks. Not even a spider.
"Ultrasound! Scan this section thoroughly!" Pi ordered, pointing to the wall.
A corporal carrying the ultrasonic scanner complied at once, sweeping the probe back and forth across the stone. But the readings showed nothing unusual.
It seemed he had indeed been spooked by shadows. Pi Qiangjun exhaled deeply. "Advance the search—stay sharp, and cover each other!"
Yet instinct is often the truest guide. Li Zhui was, in fact, concealed within a deep fissure in the rock wall, just far enough that no external scan could reach him.Clutched in his hand were two stun grenades—part of the plan he had devised with She Yaoyao: trap the prey behind a closed door.
As the Fifth Squad pressed forward, personnel from other squads continued to be hoisted up one by one.The cavern system stretched on and on—its chambers not large, but winding and labyrinthine. The lead element of the Fifth Squad had already advanced nearly three kilometers into the depths.
The Second Unit had fully deployed, while the First Squad of the First Unit was in the process of being lifted up.Suddenly, the distant roar of explosions echoed through the passage—those unmistakable shockwaves of stun grenades, instantly recognized by the guards.
Several workers rushed toward the great fissure, attempting to descend by rope, only to be stopped by the stationed guards, who opened fire at their feet."Back off! Anyone steps forward again, you're dead!" one of the guards bellowed.
A stray bullet ricocheted and pierced a worker's heart—he died on the spot.Ma Yongxian quickly shouted at the panicked workers to halt, his mind racing for a solution. Just then, a small stone came flying and struck a worker's helmet.
His eyes lit up. He looked up toward the rock wall. In the flickering glow of swaying flashlights, a silhouette appeared halfway from the crack.A hand emerged, waved a few times, then gestured sharply in the direction ahead.
Ma Yongxian felt as if a jolt of clarity had struck him."Follow me!" he roared, turning on his heel and sprinting deeper into the cave.
Over a dozen workers followed, but a handful remained, still pleading with the guards for a chance to descend through the fissure.
At that moment, Li Zhui hurled his two stun grenades.With two thunderous blasts, the mountains shook and the earth roared—the cave-in began!
Earlier tremors, caused by the collapse of the Longling Riverbed, had already fractured large portions of the cavern system, leaving it riddled with cracks.Now, the blast waves from the grenades tore through the weakened rock walls like brittle pastry, sending massive slabs crumbling down.
Even Li Zhui's own hiding place began to tremble violently.He stomped his foot hard several times—and with a crashing roar, both man and stone plunged downward.
But before the rubble could bury him, he launched himself upward with both legs, landing clear of the collapsing debris.
The soldiers and workers clustered near the fissure weren't so lucky—those not killed were left wounded and stunned.
Li Zhui showed no mercy. Once the killing began, the beast within him awakened.He seized a barely breathing soldier and smashed his spine against the rocks before rifling through his tactical vest.
Finding no stun grenades, he stripped it of every grenade he could find and strapped them onto his own vest.
By now, two soldiers farther away had regained their senses and began aiming at Li Zhui.
He quickly dropped flat behind the rubble. A spray of bullets tore across the stone, each impact erupting like mini-explosions, hurling fragments into the air.
Li Zhui yanked the pin from a grenade and flung it without looking.The explosion triggered another wave of collapse, followed by cries of agony—shouts for mothers and curses of pain.
If they hadn't cried out, he might've spared them—but now, hearing their voices, he hurled another grenade.
After the latest explosion and ensuing collapse, silence finally fell, deep and absolute. Li Zhui continued gathering grenades—once he had collected over a dozen, he lobbed two more beneath the fissure before pressing forward into the depths of the cavern.
Earlier, She Yaoyao had launched the initial assault with a stun grenade, though it hadn't achieved the devastating effect she had hoped for. While a cascade of rocks fell from the ceiling, no full collapse occurred. For the guards, however, it was calamity enough.
Ironically, She Yaoyao was more terrified than any of the soldiers. At the first thunderous echo, she bolted—vanishing into the shadows, destination unknown.
Worse off were the guards in the rear, left only to curse their ill fortune at crossing paths with this bringer of death—Li Zhui.
His tactics were brutally simple: throw grenades.Then, from the corpses of the dead or dying, retrieve more grenades. Advance. Throw again.
Simple, yes—but lethally effective. Each detonation sent shockwaves and pressure blasts through the tunnels, triggering cave-ins both minor and massive.
The number of guards crushed or crippled by falling rock far exceeded those struck down by shrapnel.
Ironically, the guards had access to weapons far deadlier than grenades—namely, grenade launchers. But firing one came with a fatal caveat: the ensuing collapse would swallow the shooter as surely as the target.
Li Zhui himself was buried under rubble more than once—but each time, he clawed his way out.
It wasn't luck—it was will."He's not human! He won't die! You can't crush him! You can't!" one of the soldiers shrieked in hysteria.
"Shut up! Die already!" roared Squad Leader Guo Chaoneng, kicking the man to the ground."All grenade gunners—front and center! Now!"
"Here!""Reporting!"
"Target—straight ahead! Fire at will! Open fire!" Guo bellowed like thunder.
A rotary grenade launcher and a semi-automatic model unleashed a barrage, a deadly rhythm of detonations—boom boom boom boom boom boom…
The lava tunnel, nearly a hundred meters of it, collapsed around the impact site. Li Zhui, the gunners, and Guo Chaoneng were all buried beneath tons of stone.
The battle seemed finished.
Vice squad leader Shi Rusong immediately ordered the men to form two lines and begin clearing rubble. After half an hour, they finally uncovered Guo Chaoneng—he was still breathing.
"M-mon…ster… dead… is it… dead…" he rasped with his last breath.
"Dead, sir, dead and buried! Captain Guo, you've done it! You're a true hero!" Shi Rusong praised him with genuine admiration.
Guo forced a fragile smile, preparing to deliver his dying words—When suddenly, a savage roar erupted from the mound of stones.
Startled beyond bearing, Guo's eyes widened—and then he breathed his last.
With the commander dead and the inspector long buried, Shi Rusong became the highest-ranking officer."Retreat!" he shouted, tossing aside the fallen idol's body and fleeing without a second glance.