Cyber Era Witch
Chapter 471 - 421 Zero Hub

Chapter 471: Chapter 421 Zero Hub

"Shangjing United Security Company also sent out their team," Lila announced, "they’re taking another secret path and might arrive at Zero Hub before us."

"Understood," Pan Ruiyi gripped the Star-Chasing Spear, her strongest, biggest, most ferocious weapon, and customarily took the lead, even though she was nervous, she set the example by pushing forward.

They made use of specialized subterranean exploration vehicles, designed for traversing complex terrain, a total of six vehicles, advancing through the narrow underground tunnels. These vehicles carried explosives in the center, with units 101 and 102 covering the rear, alert to potential attacks from the sides and behind.

Ratman Sentinels scouted deep in the underground, where Lila’s magic power needed to be on the cutting edge. The three hired Rat Sentinels cleared the way for the main force, shuttling through narrow gaps, in search of signs of the Crystal People.

"Squeak, squeak," the Ratman Sentinel pointed here and there ahead, indicating threats in the cracks.

They encountered Crystal People.

"Captain, do we fight?" Zhang Yunxi hurriedly asked.

"I’ll try, you guys stay back," said Pan Ruiyi, carrying the Star-Chasing Spear into the darkness, and turned on the lights on her armor, a cone-shaped halo illuminating the circular tunnel.

All around were collapsed rocks and scattered cracks, as if a stone giant had rusty intestines riddled with flaws.

Indeed there were Crystal People, but at the sight of Pan Ruiyi, they turned and fled.

Pan Ruiyi signaled the others to follow, looking forward; the tunnel wasn’t straight ahead but meandered down a slope as if leading to an unknown world beneath the surface.

"Are you still there?" Pan Ruiyi stepped boldly forward, speaking into the built-in communication channel of her armor, repeatedly contacting Xu Yang.

"I’m here, I’m here," Xu Yang kept the communication open, Pan Ruiyi sounded quite tense.

Pan Ruiyi was not just tense but had lost half her soul.

The claustrophobic environment suited the Crystal People, suited Ratmen, but not her. It was no wonder to Pan Ruiyi why Wei Shiyue refused to go underground; she told herself she was a Battle Witch well accustomed to hardship, yet she felt uneasy. The pampered Moonlight Princess must find it even harder to cope.

How she longed to overcome herself, to conquer her weakness! Pan Ruiyi silently thought this as she pressed on. How could a Battle Witch be brought down by fear?

It got to the point where Xu Yang, hearing silence through the earpiece, had to check, "How’s it going? Are you still there?"

"Here!" Pan Ruiyi continued forward, gripping the long spear tightly in both hands, ready to strike hard at those Crystal People the moment they appeared out of nowhere.

It wasn’t clear if the tunnel was originally this way or if it had been modified by invading Ratmen or Crystal People, but it got narrower, and thus the vehicles could no longer be used. The Synthetic Humans jumped off one by one, carrying explosives and walking forward.

Their eyes emitted a harmless white glow, like a group of moving flashlights in the darkness.

As the crevices constricted and rocks piled up chaotically, the path ahead grew narrower, forcing Pan Ruiyi to wield her spear, cutting a path through the rock crevices.

The Ratman Sentinels moved effortlessly through these crevices, contracting slightly and slipping through the gaps. They were happy to have such powerful allies backing them, emboldening them as they scouted ahead.

Deeper and deeper they went, until the communication with the surface network became unstable. Xu Yang gave Pan Ruiyi the coordinates, finding a network access point near a maintenance station close to Zero Hub, where a network interface was available.

Pan Ruiyi acknowledged this.

As they continued further, communication was completely cut off, as if unhooked from the entire world. Pan Ruiyi’s heart pounded. She kept moving forward, but each step felt like it was taken in fog and shadow – even the solid rock underfoot provided no assurance of safety, making her feel as if she could fall through at any moment.

They found themselves in a dark cavern without a name or daylight.

The entire underground tunnel had become more convoluted and narrow, her steel boots protected her feet, otherwise, they would have been pierced by these rugged rocks. She looked up – cables and pipes dangled above Pan Ruiyi’s head, torn apart from the middle by some tremendous force, with tumors spreading from them, endlessly dripping. Was this the work of the Crystal People? Pan Ruiyi wasn’t sure. There was no reason for them to tear these cables.

Citizens living in comfort couldn’t imagine such a bizarre place existed just beneath their feet, Pan Ruiyi thought. Common people under the protection of warriors willing to fight to their deaths – ah, she was one such invincible warrior, ready to destroy anyone at will...

But she could not conquer the darkness before her, could not widen the annoyingly narrow tunnel. The temperature rose around her, and Pan Ruiyi felt like she couldn’t breathe – the world seemed to have turned into a giant compressor, ready to crush her into a tiny scrap.

Pan Ruiyi stopped and looked back to see the entire team advancing resolutely, showing far more composure than Pan Ruiyi herself.

The Synthetic Humans were fearless, Zhang Yunxi had an unflagging trust in Pan Ruiyi and never stopped, Shallow Dream, the youngest, was eager to prove she was no less a Battle Witch than the others, puzzled as to why Pan Ruiyi had stopped. Units 101 and 102 were highly focused at the rear, vigilant; their short six years of life had seen too much blood and flame, making them true warriors.

Their certainty shamed Pan Ruiyi. A strong urge to prove herself surged within her. She turned to continue onward. In a few moments, she recalled the knowledge she had acquired during training, realizing that the tunnel had suddenly changed due to geological activity – the terrain of the Northern Archipelago was fragmented, and such a tunnel could easily twist and bend.