Chapter Sixty-Two: Defeating the Enemy with the Enemy

At this moment, within the imperial palace of the Southern Dian kingdom’s capital, Emperor Zhong Yongcheng was conferring with his trusted minister, Shi Youlu, about certain matters. Zhong Yongcheng had grown utterly weary of the harassment from the Terrorfolk, but felt helpless, not even knowing what these beings truly were or where they hailed from.

What infuriated him even more was their utter lack of any means to resist. All of this he poured out to Shi Youlu, his confidant, venting his frustrations.

Shi Youlu spoke, “Your Majesty, perhaps we should relocate the capital to evade them. I don’t believe they would pursue us.”

Zhong Yongcheng replied, his voice resigned, “Relocate the capital? But where could we possibly go? Their power is so vast, wherever we flee, they would surely reach us quickly. We are mere mortals—how can we contend with such supernatural forces?”

Shi Youlu responded, “Are we to sit and await our doom? The things they say are baffling; we’ve never seen the people they mention. Clearly, they only seek to extort riches or else find an excuse to annex us.”

Zhong Yongcheng agreed, “Indeed, these demons simply fabricate reasons. Very well, seek out the most powerful monster-catchers and send them to subdue these spirits. Naturally, I shall reward them handsomely.”

Shi Youlu answered, “Yes, Your Majesty!”

Without delay, Shi Youlu departed to carry out his orders.

Meanwhile, in the city of Dali, unease gripped many households, for people feared calamity was upon them. Most believed monsters had come to their doors, so fervently hoped for a master to subdue the spirits.

…

Let us set aside the affairs in Dali for now, and the cold-armed Terrorfolk drawing near to Changdu.

Zhang Desen and his companions pressed onward, soon arriving at a place where a vast space suddenly opened before them. Zhang Desen felt both familiarity and strangeness, for tracks reminiscent of railways crisscrossed the area, though far more futuristic than any he had seen before.

Upon pushing open the door, they found themselves amid countless glass-covered tanks—some filled with water, many shattered, and those still containing water seemed long dormant.

Peering closely, Zhang Desen realized this must be the abandoned cloning laboratory described in the records. Suddenly, a tremendous crash echoed ahead, startling Zhang Desen and his group; they instantly heightened their vigilance, preparing to face whatever might emerge.

The sound was so jarring that their hairs stood on end, yet they did not panic. Instead, they quickly readied themselves to confront any threat.

The noise persisted, growing louder. Zhang Desen thought that blindly confronting an unknown enemy was unwise; perhaps someone more familiar with the situation should handle it. He further reasoned that the Terrorfolk must surely have alarms—they would not want their own people to stumble in here without a means of calling for help. Though the lighting was dim, there must be switches somewhere.

With that, Zhang Desen produced his night-vision device, soon spotting a row of switches nearby. He instructed everyone to retreat down the passage they had come from, closing the heavy door to forestall any direct attack from unknown foes.

Once they had almost all withdrawn, Zhang Desen tried the switches. Fortune favored them—the lights came on, and the front door opened. Zhang Desen and his group quickly retreated to their original corridor and sealed the door behind them.

Now, Zhang Desen examined the door carefully, confirming it was manually operated and could not be opened remotely.

From the window in the door, he observed that the cacophony had been caused by a massive humanoid creature smashing through the glass tanks. Several tanks still contained humanoid beings who appeared to be awakening.

These humanoid creatures were different from those encountered before—their skin was redder, their bodies more robust, and their hides seemed so tough that bullets might not penetrate.

Yet for Zhang Desen, this was not entirely a misfortune. If these new humanoids could become the vanguard, it might force the Terrorfolk to taste the bitterness of their own creations.

Now, Zhang Desen needed a way to direct these creatures toward the Terrorfolk. Suddenly, some broke free from their tanks, triggering a piercing alarm. Zhang Desen knew the Terrorfolk would soon arrive.

Sure enough, as the creatures charged toward the main door, urgent shouts rang out from the other side—evidence of the Terrorfolk’s arrival. Though he could not understand their language, their tone betrayed their surprise and disarray.

Zhang Desen signaled for silence, observing the unfolding situation.

…

Meanwhile, in the command room of the Terrorfolk’s mountain base, a guard rushed in to report, “Sir, Chief of Staff, the door to the abandoned cloning lab has inexplicably opened. The sealed monsters inside have broken free.”

“What? Impossible!” exclaimed Goba Xiaofu.

“It can’t be. The lab was specially sealed—no way it could be opened from outside. Could someone have opened it from within?” added Dadu Kul.

The guard replied, “Sirs, preliminary assessment suggests that the lab’s machinery and programming, neglected for years, malfunctioned and accidentally opened the door. Coincidentally, the monsters inside awakened and escaped.”

“Deploy all available troops. Eliminate these creatures before they reach the residential districts—leave no threats behind,” ordered Goba Xiaofu.

“Yes, sir!”

The guard hurried out to relay the orders.

“What now? The lab was abandoned precisely because the clones were uncontrollable. What are we to do?” Goba Xiaofu asked.

“Our only option is to destroy them quickly. If word spreads, our reputation will be in ruins, and our plans to unseat Yuri Gotne may collapse. Our standing in the mountain base is at stake. If we lose our position, the fact that we secretly manufacture doomsday weapons may be exposed…” Dadu Kul replied.

Goba Xiaofu said, “It’s not impossible; we could activate the explosive devices in that area. But the public will demand answers, and the Seaside Base will surely send investigators. It’s a last resort—only to be used if absolutely necessary.”

He interrupted, “I understand. You stay here and direct operations; I’ll go to Gekur Base to make preparations.”

Dadu Kul asked, “Gekur Base? Sir, what are you planning?”

Goba Xiaofu replied, “Preparing the doomsday weapon, of course.”

“But the detonation device isn’t ready, and that would mean mutual destruction for all!”

“I’ll supervise its completion. As you said, if the troops cannot contain them, the area must be destroyed. The Seaside Base will investigate. If things become untenable, inform them that if their investigation continues, I’ll activate the doomsday weapon. I’ll oversee the process myself and ensure it’s finished swiftly. You know what to do.”

“This… yes, sir!”

Soon, Goba Xiaofu boarded his private aircraft and flew to their clandestine Gekur Base.

…

Meanwhile, Zhang Desen took advantage of the moment to locate a data port within the corridor, using a computer to gather intelligence.

Though not present at the battle, information about the clash between the Terrorfolk and the monsters was transmitted live via their data network to Zhang Desen’s computer.

Thus, Zhang Desen learned that Goba Xiaofu, commander of the mountain base, had left for Gekur Base. However, his main focus remained on the corridor, and soon he discovered an old, abandoned sewer pipe—ideal for infiltration.

According to the data, the pipe had entrances and exits in all major areas, making it perfect for their purposes. Li Longfang and the others agreed it was ideal, though uncertainty about the doomsday weapon’s nature left them uneasy.

Fortunately, their intelligence revealed that the weapon was not yet completed; Goba Xiaofu’s departure was to oversee its construction. This allowed them to breathe easier for the moment.

Zhang Desen immediately conducted a deeper search for more information. Suddenly, the computer sounded an alarm, startling him—was he discovered?

But he soon realized the alarm signaled something else, and he quickly decoded the event.

It turned out the Terrorfolk were testing the self-destruct device. If the area became uncontrollable, they would trigger the device to obliterate it.

Luckily, the explosion would not affect Zhang Desen and his group in their current corridor, only the laboratory ahead. By sealing the thick blast door, they would be safe.

This also illuminated another reason that the zoo had been abandoned. When the Terrorfolk built the zoo, they developed only a main route from the laboratory to the zoo; that route was blocked when the lab was sealed, and other areas were left unexplored—hence the current state.

What surprised Zhang Desen most was that, according to the intelligence, the pursuers behind the main door had withdrawn—a most welcome turn of events.