Chapter Fifty-Two: The Beast of Death Unleashed

“What’s happening?” Gu Sha instinctively drew his blade from its sheath.

Director Chen hurried to reassure him, “Mr. Gu, please don’t be alarmed. It’s just a minor issue. The lowest level of our base is a research institute where a group of scientists study those undead beasts. Outbreaks happen often, but rest assured—security measures are solid and nothing major ever goes wrong.”

“I see, so that’s the reason.” Gu Sha reversed his grip and slid the Tang sword back into its sheath. “What kinds of undead beasts are they?”

“There used to be a zoo within these walls. After the Crimson descended, quite a few animals were infected and became undead beasts. Some were dealt with swiftly, but others caught the scientists’ attention—now they’re imprisoned for research: lions, tigers, giant pandas… you name it. All under control though.”

Gu Sha nodded.

Director Chen glanced at his wristwatch. “Please wait here for a moment. I’ve already reported your request to the chairman, who’s currently in a meeting. He’ll bring up your wish to purchase corpse cores, and whether it’s approved or not, you’ll get the answer right away.”

...

Meanwhile, deep on the fourth basement level, a heated argument was raging among the high-ranking members of the enclave.

A patriarch from the management division slammed the table. “Chairman Han, that Gu Sha wants to get corpse cores from us—our management division absolutely refuses!”

Han Ze took a deep breath. “Master Liu, let me stress once more: Gu Sha isn’t taking corpse cores for free. He’s paying for them. Besides, corpse cores might become valuable one day, but for now, they’re worth less than a handful of bullets to us. Gu Sha is essential—he’s the one we must win over for our Extraordinary Association. This is a perfect opportunity to draw him closer.”

“Buying? With what money? Isn’t it from our enclave funds?” Master Liu retorted angrily, “And about winning him over—don’t even mention that damned cooperation plan! I opposed it from the start.

You see now the results of your cherished plan: defiance, lawlessness. These rogue extraordinaries cannot be allowed to run wild. Your plan offers them no restraint at all. He even killed Academician Wang—do you realize how crucial Wang was? Do you know how much we sacrificed to save him?

Yet Gu Sha cut him down with a single stroke, and you still defend him? I’ve shown you enough respect not to cause trouble for him, but he’s on our blacklist now. He’ll never get any convenience from us.

Corpse cores may be useless now, but I won’t hand them to him—not unless you cancel that cooperation plan and make Gu Sha take a formal position in the Extraordinary Association, under our rules!”

Han Ze spoke gravely, “That plan cannot be canceled, Master Liu. We must look farther ahead. Right now, Gu Sha is our only target, but in the future, when the era of great strife arrives, how many rogue experts will emerge? How many will join the official ranks?

Times have changed. Most people’s moral boundaries are gone. This plan is the best way to gather strength, to build order, and to avoid backlash from rogue extraordinaries!”

“Nonsense,” another official interjected. “Order is order. Cooperation is indulgence. No matter the times, those who break order must be suppressed by force. Beat them down from the start; who would dare defy order after that? Since ancient times, heroes who wielded arms to defy law were suppressed by every dynasty. No order was maintained through indulgence and cooperation—it only encourages greater lawlessness!”

“You’re not wrong,” Han Ze said, “Without laws, indeed, we can’t govern. But times have changed. Our aim isn’t to suppress rogue extraordinaries, but to protect humanity as a whole. The future is uncertain, but right now, we must rally every fighting force to safeguard the ember of humanity. So what if they’re indulged, so what if they’re unrestrained? At least there’s hope for preserving civilization. If we resort to large-scale suppression now, we’ll only scatter our own strength and fail to unite others.”

Someone else countered, “I don’t believe extraordinaries can decide humanity’s fate. I believe in science—under artillery fire, who among them would dare resist? Order can always be established by force. Cut off dissent decisively!”

Han Ze slammed the table. “You people sit in the rear and think you know everything, but you know nothing! If you have the guts, go see the front lines. Without extraordinaries, how long could your precious artillery suppress the threats?

It’s been just a month, yet the undead and beasts have already evolved terrifyingly. Technology is ahead for now, but for how much longer? A year at most. Even nuclear weapons may soon fail to contain them. Extraordinary individuals are humanity’s only hope. I don’t deny science, but it simply can’t keep pace anymore!”

“Alarmist talk, Chairman Han. I have every reason to believe you’re exaggerating!” another retorted. “Our disadvantage is temporary—merely caught off guard. Truth lies within the range of artillery. I admit extraordinaries greatly help humanity, but they’re nowhere near what you claim.”

“Exactly, Chairman Han,” someone chimed in. “Those beasts locked up on the sixth level are strong, aren’t they? Yet, could your extraordinaries capture them? It was technology, artillery fire, that did the job!”

Han Ze inhaled deeply. “You truly don’t understand. It’s only been a month since the world changed, and the undead and beasts are evolving too rapidly. Technology is already struggling to suppress extraordinary power. If humanity wants to keep its spark alive, extraordinaries are the only path forward.”

Master Liu said, “But so far, I see nothing irreplaceable about extraordinaries, nothing that surpasses technology. Chairman Han, can you do it? Or is it Gu Sha who can?”

Han Ze pounded the table, about to speak—

Suddenly, a violent tremor shook the room like an earthquake, the chamber quaking in terror.

Roars—ferocious and overwhelming—erupted as the undead beasts howled in waves.

Alarms blared throughout the association base.

A soldier burst into the meeting room, shouting, “Report, leaders! The sixth floor—something’s happened! The beasts in the lab have escaped, and we can’t hold them back!”

Everyone paled in shock.

Han Ze hurriedly asked, “What happened? Weren’t they locked up?”

“One of the beasts awakened psychic abilities and lost control—it somehow manipulated a group of researchers into opening the observation chamber!”

(End of chapter)