Chapter 81

Chapter 81

"Lu Fen!"

Hubbard called out. He saw Lu Fen's fingers digging into the edge of the cabin door until they turned white from the pressure and blood loss.

His slightly lowered eyelashes and empty gaze seemed to be desperately concealing his master's distress. However, the subtly trembling knuckles betrayed the truth of the situation.

Amidst the fiery inferno, his voice was hoarse but remained calm and resolute. "Prepare for assault."

Surprisingly, the assault proved easier than expected.

The monsters' assault seemed to wane in that instant, as if they had finally abandoned their frenzied pursuit of the crowd, no longer desperately searching for something. Instead, they were now conducting a mundane hunt.

In this mundane hunt, some of the creatures turned and headed back towards the abyss, while others persisted in their assault on the research facility. Those that had managed to penetrate the institute's interior were largely annihilated by Simpson's Enclosure, which subsequently drained its electrical power and slowly dimmed. However, the research facility launched a counterattack, effectively staving off their offensive.

As for the creatures on the outskirts, they were held at bay by the PL1109 micro-nukes and heavy weaponry – this was a wilderness, with no need to worry about collateral damage except for that insignificant courtyard atop the mountain. Here, the fleet of fighter jets was truly fulfilling its purpose, much like in the vast plains above the Dungeon Base before.

The inner circle of monsters was gradually being exterminated.

Heavy weaponry established an impenetrable barrier of smoke and dust around the research facility, a frontier that the creatures from the abyss, with their notable intelligence, reluctantly acknowledged. After some deliberation, the trailing monsters turned back, recognizing the futility of pressing on.

They arrived like a tsunami's sudden surge, and departed like a tide's gradual ebb. Upon this mournful peak, two hours later, all returned to stillness.

Amidst the red and white, a plethora of fluids stained the ground before the research facility. At noon, when the sun was at its most blinding, the blood shimmered under the intense light.

The PL1109 touched down gently. A human officer paid a visit to the white building where Boli Joan resided.

They appeared not to harbor any prejudices against the institute due to the differences between humans and the alien species, eagerly inquiring about what had just transpired. The Highland Institute, in turn, regarded them as fellow compatriots. After explaining the stable frequency, Boli Joan, as the head of the institute, expressed gratitude for the selfless support from the Northern Base.

"Has the Foundation reported anything?" he finally asked.

Yet, all he received in response was silence.

In the midst of this suffocating silence, a voice suddenly broke through on the emergency communication channel.

"This is the Northern Base," Dr. Ji's voice trembled slightly. "Greetings, please state your inquiry."

"This is the Highland Institute. Hello." Boli Joan reported, "The monster surge has receded. Number of survivors: thirty-seven."

"The Northern Base... the monsters are receding," Dr. Ji's voice rasped through the static. "Base personnel are retreating to the central magnetic core laboratory. Survivors... three hundred and forty-two, with one hundred and thirty-six severely injured."

"Aerial attacks are ineffective. Thermal weapons are unusable. Light arms and troops are running low." He panted heavily, as if suppressing something. "The monsters have ceased their frenzied attacks on humans but haven't abandoned preying on us. I... We're still holding the line at the core lab..."

Boli watched the blank screen in silence.

"Are you injured?" he finally asked.

Dr. Ji's voice trembled with emotion beneath its formal tone. "Yes, I am, Mr. Boli. We've never met, but..."

He didn't continue. After a bout of hurried breathing, he changed the subject. "I've served the base for two decades, boasting of my intelligence, yet I failed to contribute any groundbreaking achievements. Mr. Boli."

"In the past, I heard people from the Northern Base mention that you developed genetic screening devices. Now, they speak of your extraction of a stabilizing solution – perhaps the reason the artificial poles remain stable amidst today's distortion storm."

"Tha... Thank you," Dr. Ji replied from the other end. "We'll defend the poles until the very end. But please... prepare for the loss of the magnetic field... Please... take care."

After that, only chaotic breathing could be heard.

Through the intermittent static, muffled noises emerged – commands, gunshots, screams, objects falling, walls collapsing.

In the Highland Institute, silence reigned supreme.

Someone finally ventured, "So... are we still doomed to die?"

If the Northern Base could no longer hold out, and the magnetic field enveloping the globe was destined to vanish, the limited support brought by PL1109 fleet would not save the day. With endless sacrifices and a stable frequency, hope for survival still seemed bleak.

Human aspirations remained as elusive as the reflection of the full moon in water.

No one replied.

The silence was deathly still, the air heavy with the stench of decaying flesh.

A low chuckle echoed, slicing through the frozen stillness like a blade, mocking their predicament.

Yet amidst this eerie quiet, a sudden pause in the hissing static was followed by an unfamiliar voice.

"Hello," the speaker's pronunciation was awkward, barely recognizable as individual syllables.

"I apologize for the technical issues. We've been unable to establish contact with the emergency communication channel. This is the command center of the Underground City Base."

The atmosphere froze for a moment.

"Boli," the voice responded, "this is the Highland Research Institute. Can you give us an update on the status of the Dungeon Base?"

"The Dungeon Base is holding up well," the speaker replied. "After the massive monster attack two months ago, the base sealed its surface gates and went into full lockdown. Today, the plains above are swarmed with monsters, but due to our advantageous location, they haven't breached our defenses."

Boli's expression shifted slightly.

The voice continued, "The Dungeon Base expresses its gratitude for the selfless aid provided by the Northern Base two months ago, especially to Colonel Lu Fen for making the decision to rescue us."

"After learning about the situation in the North, the supplies, weapons, ammunition, and equipment that the Northern Base offered have been loaded onto transport planes. The fleet took off from the Dungeon Base six hours ago, accompanied by a thousand lightly armed paratroopers. They're expected to arrive at the Northern Base for a relief operation in half an hour."

He added, "Please hold on for thirty more minutes."

There was a sound of something sliding, followed by Dr. Ji's voice, low but resolute.

"We will manage."