Chapter 79

Chapter 79

Ark met his gaze; he had heterochromatic eyes, one red and one black, filled with confusion and curiosity about this intruder. The red eye seemed vaguely familiar to her.

He leaned forward, extending his hand towards Ark, his fingertips touching the transparent wall of the tank, as if trying to reach her.

Ark took a step back, noticing a digital screen above the tank displaying the number "1."

Reflecting inwardly, she deduced from the carriage's setup and the man's physical condition that he was likely a Central experiment. As for what aspect of experimentation, it was hard to determine just from his appearance.

Xi Xiang followed close behind Ark into the carriage, her gaze immediately falling upon the experimental subject.

Seeing another person enter, the experimental subject's expression shifted from curiosity to wariness. He hugged his knees, curling up and retreating, but the confined space left no room to escape. He pressed against the bottom of the tank, half-covering his body with his black hair.

Ark took note of his behavior. He exhibited a degree of defensiveness and shame, not like a mere "newborn."

The pieced-together limbs and the blood-red eye led her to an unsettling conjecture. She turned to look behind Xi Xiang, confirming no one else had entered.

"Why didn't Shuo Shu come in with you?"

"I asked him to wait at the door."

—It appeared Shuo Shu didn't have the authority to know what was inside, which was strange. Mr. Wang, the boss, seemed to have given Ark, a new member, a high level of trust and access.

Ark: "Is he the one we're supposed to take with us?"

Xi Xiang: "Yes, figure out a way to get him down without breaking the tank."

Ark approached and examined the upright nutrient tank. As she got closer, she noticed the subject's eyes, peering at her through his floating hair.

Closer still, Ark spotted a black tube behind him. One end extended from the bottom of the tank, while the other was inserted into the bones of the subject's spine, connecting them as if it were a chain restraining a monster.

After inspecting, she found that the entire tank was embedded into the carriage wall, making it impossible to remove and transport separately.

The most straightforward solution would be to break it open and take the person, but the nature of the subject and his bodily connections were unknown. Xi Xiang had also instructed not to break the tank.

Ark pondered, "How large can your portal open, and how much can it transport?"

Xi Xiang appeared wary, "Why do you ask?"

She didn't fully trust Ark and wouldn't likely answer such a question about the specifics of her abilities.

"If we can't break the tank to take the person, then we might have to take the entire carriage."

"…What?" Xi Xiang was taken aback. Upon closer inspection, she realized that it was indeed impossible to detach the nutrient tank without removing part of the wall. The hover train's material was particularly tough, not easily destroyed by ordinary means, and such a task was beyond their current capability.

Xi Xiang grimaced, "Taking the whole train is not possible."

"What about just this carriage?"

"That could work, but the train is one unit. Do you have a way to separate it?"

The explosives Xi Xiang carried could cause damage, but they were intended for destroying evidence at the end, not for precise control.

"I think I can manage." Ark said into her communicator, "Baizhi, get the driver to stop the train and deal with him, then quickly come to the last carriage."

"Received, Sister Zhouzhou," a cheerful voice came through.

After a while, Ark felt the train slowly coming to a stop, and a barely audible gunshot sounded in the distance.

After taking out the driver, Li Baizhi sprinted from the train's front to the last carriage to meet Gigantic Mouse, and while on her way, she communicated: "Sister Zhouzhou, this train will send a signal to the Central Headquarters once it stops. I found this out after stopping the driver. We need to leave quickly!"

"What?!" Xi Xiang, also hearing Li Baizhi's message, was visibly shocked. It would only take a few minutes for reinforcements to arrive from there. She turned sharply to Ark: "What's your plan? Solve this quickly."

"Open a portal above," Ark instructed, pointing to the top.

Xi Xiang obediently opened a portal at the top, and Ark used the wind to leap up to the portal, standing once again atop the train.

Having traveled for so long, the train was still in a pitch-dark underground tunnel, indicating the enemy had deliberately constructed this route, but its exact start and end points were unknown.

Ark looked forward, estimating the train's width and height, and gestured a rough range in front of her.

"Maintain your positions and don't deviate to other carriages," she instructed the others through the communication device.

Half a minute later, a black hole large enough to engulf the train appeared at the front, its terrifying suction forcefully pulling the entire train from the front.

Those inside the carriages, unaware of what was happening, only felt the train's sudden movement, tumbling backwards.

"Whoosh—"

A gust of wind hit them, accompanied by the sound of the train's parts breaking apart. The flickering red lights inside abruptly went out, and suddenly, the train was severed from the end of the sixth carriage, crashing down onto the road with a heavy thud.

"Damn! What's happening!"

Gigantic Mouse, resting due to his injuries, puffed up his body in shock, blocking Li Baizhi and clinging tightly to her. The break in the train was right in front of him.

Ark closed the black hole, leaving only the last carriage remaining.

After completing this, Ark's face slightly paled. The larger the object the portal consumed, the more energy it required. She wouldn't have used it like this if the battle wasn't already over.

Assured everything was under control, she dropped down to the severed section to meet with Gigantic Mouse and Li Baizhi.

The noise ceased, and Xi Xiang emerged, her expression mirroring Shuo Shu's upon seeing the six missing carriages.

She was unaware of Ark's power, unlike Shuo Shu and Li Baizhi who had prior knowledge. Ark's swift elimination of the train's guards was surprising enough, let alone this feat.

Who exactly was she?

Xi Xiang composed herself and looked ahead, realizing the other carriages were gone: "Is the sixth carriage also missing?"

That carriage had contained a mysterious stone, something Central wouldn't carry without purpose. She had intended to take it back with them.

"I didn't control it well; having the last carriage is enough," Ark said expressionlessly.

She had intentionally swallowed the sixth carriage with the black hole, uncertain of the stone's nature but aware that anything radiating like that was a significant threat and should not fall into anyone's hands.

"Let it be," Xi Xiang said, acknowledging their target wasn't the other items. She leaped down from the carriage, opening a portal beneath it.

A dark entrance slowly expanded until the carriage could fit, after which Xi Xiang jumped in after it.

The black portal closed, leaving behind an empty railway tunnel awaiting its original occupants.