The terminal's alarm shrilled, cutting through the silence of the abandoned military base. Red warning lights flickered frantically in the corridor, dyeing everyone's faces scarlet. Liam endured the restlessness of the symbiotic energy in his body and the stinging pain from the collar around his neck, his gaze firmly locked on the direction of the third basement laboratory. The strange energy fluctuation became increasingly intense, and the resonance with the β-7 crystal on his collar grew more frequent. Each resonance was like a blunt knife, cutting his nerves repeatedly.
"The fluctuation of the energy barrier is very unstable, containing two completely different types of energy—one is homologous to the β-7 crystal energy of Liam's collar, and the other is an undetected dark energy. The two energies are intertwined, forming an impenetrable protective layer." Wang's fingers slid rapidly on the terminal keyboard, cold sweat oozing from his forehead, his tone full of anxiety, "I tried to crack the barrier with the terminal, but the energy fluctuation of the barrier is too violent. Once touched, the terminal will be counterattacked, and it may even trigger the barrier's defense mechanism, releasing unknown dangers."
Elena clutched the tablet in her hand tightly, which displayed the real-time image of the laboratory entrance—a translucent light red barrier shrouded the entrance, with black lines wandering continuously on the barrier surface, like a living creature. Occasionally, faint energy sparks burst out from the lines, emitting a terrifying aura. "This barrier did not appear accidentally," Elena's eyes were solemn, her tone firm, "Just now, Liam's collar suddenly glowed red, and then the barrier appeared. It is obvious that there is an inevitable connection between the β-7 crystal of the collar and the barrier. Perhaps the collar itself is the key to opening the barrier."
Dr. Gray walked quickly to Liam's side, took out a miniature detector, and aimed it at the collar around his neck. The detector immediately emitted a faint beep, and a string of complex data appeared on the screen. "That's right, the β-7 crystal of the collar is resonating strongly with the energy of the barrier, and the resonance frequency is constantly increasing," Dr. Gray's brows furrowed tightly, his tone serious, "But this resonance is very harmful to Liam's body. In the long run, his symbiote genes will have severe disorders, and even genetic collapse may occur. At that time, even if the barrier is opened, Liam will be in danger of losing his life."
Commissioner Marin's face became more and more solemn. He raised his hand and pressed the communicator in his ear, contacting the military anxiously: "This is Marin. An unknown energy barrier has appeared at the entrance of the third basement laboratory, accompanied by unknown biological signals. Request to send a professional energy cracking team for support. At the same time, strengthen the security deployment outside the base to prevent spies from the Shadow Organization from taking advantage of the chaos." There was a burst of noise from the communicator, and after a moment, the military's response came: "The support team has set off and is expected to arrive in an hour. During this period, you must hold your position, protect the core R&D personnel and Liam's safety, and closely monitor the changes of the barrier and biological signals."
Kane gripped the energy rifle in his hand, his eyes sharply scanning the surroundings, his tone cold: "Wang, continue to monitor the energy fluctuation of the barrier and report immediately if any abnormalities are found; Elena, assist Dr. Gray to closely monitor Liam's physical condition and try to find a way to alleviate the resonance damage; I will lead the team members, divided into two groups—one group to guard the laboratory entrance to prevent the barrier from suddenly breaking and unknown creatures rushing out, and the other group to investigate the inside of the base to find the lurking spies of the Shadow Organization. We must not give them an opportunity."
Everyone took action immediately. Wang continued to stand guard in front of the terminal, staring closely at the data on the screen, daring not to relax for a moment; Elena took out her experimental equipment, cooperated with Dr. Gray, and tried to adjust the medicine formula to alleviate Liam's physical discomfort; Kane led the team members, quickly divided into two groups, and carried out security and investigation work in an orderly manner; Commissioner Marin stood not far from the laboratory entrance, his gaze fixed on the light red barrier, his eyes full of vigilance—he knew that behind this barrier, there were not only the secrets of ten years ago, but also dangers enough to threaten everyone's safety.
Liam slowly closed his eyes, endured the severe pain in his body, and tried to control the symbiotic energy in his body according to the breathing method taught by Dr. Gray, trying to reduce the resonance frequency with the collar. But no matter how hard he tried, the symbiotic energy in his body surged like a runaway wild horse, the red light of the collar became brighter and brighter, the stinging pain became more and more intense, blood kept overflowing from the corner of his mouth, and his whole body trembled uncontrollably.
"Don't force yourself, Liam." Elena's voice was gentle but firm. She gently pressed Liam's shoulder, holding a syringe in her hand, which contained a light blue medicine, "This is a relief medicine temporarily prepared by Dr. Gray and me. Although it cannot completely stop the resonance, it can temporarily reduce your pain, protect your symbiote genes, and hold on until the support team arrives."
Liam slowly opened his eyes, his eyes full of exhaustion but still firm. He nodded, letting Elena inject the medicine into his arm. After the medicine was injected, a cool feeling spread all over his body instantly. The stinging pain around his neck really eased a lot, the restless symbiotic energy in his body gradually stabilized, and the red light of the collar dimmed a little. "Thank you, Elena." Liam's voice was a little hoarse, "We must open the barrier as soon as possible and find out the secrets inside. Otherwise, once the Shadow Organization's support arrives, we will fall into a passive position. At that time, not only will the secrets of the laboratory be taken by them, but all of us may become their prey."
At this moment, Wang suddenly let out an exclamation, his tone full of shock: "No! The energy fluctuation of the barrier suddenly became extremely violent, the dark energy is expanding rapidly, the unknown biological signal is becoming stronger and stronger, and it is getting closer and closer to us!"
Everyone gathered around the terminal instantly, watching the data on the screen jump wildly. The light red color of the barrier was gradually covered by black, the lines on the surface became more dense, the energy sparks became more frequent, and even a low roar could be heard from behind the barrier. The roar became clearer and clearer, making people shudder. "What's that sound?" A team member couldn't help but ask, his tone full of fear, "It doesn't sound like any known creature."
Dr. Gray's face suddenly turned pale. He looked at the biological signal waveform on the screen, his tone trembling: "This signal waveform has never been detected in any known creature. Its energy fluctuation is very strong, far exceeding that of ordinary symbiotes. Moreover, the frequency of the signal is slightly similar to Liam's symbiote genes—could it be that the unknown creature in the laboratory is also genetically modified through gene fusion?"
Commissioner Marin's eyes became even colder. He gripped the energy gun in his hand, his tone firm: "No matter what it is, we must be ready for battle. Kane, immediately let the team members guarding the laboratory entrance be on the defensive. Once the barrier breaks, prioritize protecting Liam and the R&D personnel to evacuate; Elena, Wang, continue to try to crack the barrier and find a way to open it, while closely monitoring the movement of the biological signal; Dr. Gray, continue to monitor Liam's physical condition to ensure that he can hold on until the support team arrives."
Kane immediately gave the order. The team members guarding the laboratory entrance quickly assembled, raised their energy rifles, aimed at the barrier, looked alert and stood ready; Elena and Wang threw themselves into the cracking work again, their fingers sliding rapidly on the keyboard, cold sweat pouring more and more from their foreheads. The energy fluctuation of the barrier became more and more violent, the terminal kept emitting alarms, and it might collapse at any time; Dr. Gray stared closely at the data on the detector, not daring to relax for a moment, for fear that Liam's body would have an accident.
At this moment, a burst of gunfire suddenly came from inside the base, followed by the scream of a team member. The communicator instantly became noisy: "Captain! No good! We found a spy in the corridor on the west side of the base. He is holding an energy weapon, has injured one team member, and is fleeing towards the laboratory entrance!"
Kane's eyes suddenly became sharp. He immediately pressed the communicator, his tone cold: "Intercept him with all your strength! Never let him approach the laboratory entrance! I will take people to support immediately!" After speaking, Kane turned around, led two team members, and rushed towards the corridor on the west side of the base, his steps hurried, his eyes full of murderous intent—he knew that this spy must be someone from the Shadow Organization lurking in the base, whose purpose was to take advantage of the chaos to seize the secrets of the laboratory, even open the barrier, and release the unknown creatures inside.
At the laboratory entrance, the atmosphere became more and more tense. The roar from behind the barrier became clearer and clearer, the black lines had covered the entire barrier, energy sparks kept bursting, and the light of the barrier flickered on and off, as if it would break at any time. Liam endured his physical discomfort, slowly stood up, the symbiotic energy at his fingertips condensed again, the faint white light intertwined with the red light of the collar, forming a faint glow. His eyes were firm, staring closely at the barrier: "No matter what is inside, no matter how cunning the lurking spy is, I will not let them succeed. I will protect everyone and find out all the truth."
Elena looked at Liam's firm back, a surge of strength welling up in her heart. She accelerated her movements, her tone firm: "Liam, let's work together. We will definitely open the barrier, find the lurking spy, and defeat all dangers." Wang also nodded, staring at the screen intently, his fingers sliding rapidly on the keyboard, trying to seize the gap in the barrier's energy fluctuation to crack the barrier's defense.
The roar from behind the barrier became more intense, as if something was frantically hitting the barrier. The barrier began to show fine cracks, and black energy seeped out from the cracks, emitting a nauseating stench. Dr. Gray's face changed drastically, his tone anxious: "No! The barrier is about to break! The unknown creature is hitting the barrier. If this continues, the barrier will be completely shattered in less than ten minutes!"
Commissioner Marin immediately raised his energy gun, aimed at the crack of the barrier, his tone cold: "Everyone, get ready for battle! Once the barrier breaks, prioritize attacking the unknown creature and protect Liam and the R&D personnel! Elena, Wang, speed up the cracking. We don't have time!"
At this critical juncture, Kane's voice came from the communicator, a little anxious but still firm: "The spy has been intercepted and seriously injured, and is being interrogated. He confessed that the Shadow Organization's support team has arrived outside the base and is breaking through the base's security defense line. They are expected to arrive at the laboratory entrance in twenty minutes. Their purpose is to open the barrier, seize the core data and gene samples in the laboratory, release the unknown creatures inside, and destroy the entire base!"
This news was like a bolt from the blue, instantly plunging everyone into despair—on one side was the impending broken barrier and unknown terrifying creatures, on the other side was the Shadow Organization's support team and lurking crises, while the military's support team was still forty minutes away. They fell into a desperate situation of being attacked from both sides.
Liam took a deep breath, endured the severe pain in his body, the symbiotic energy at his fingertips became more intense, the faint white light became brighter and brighter, and the resonance with the red light of the collar became more and more intense. There was no trace of fear in his eyes, only firm light: "Everyone, don't panic. We still have time. As long as we work together, we will definitely hold on until the military support arrives. Elena, Wang, continue to crack the barrier. Even if we can't fully open it, try to control the cracks of the barrier to prevent unknown creatures from rushing out; Commissioner Marin, Dr. Gray, you are responsible for protecting yourselves and assisting in intercepting the Shadow Organization's support; I will use the resonance between the collar and the barrier to try to temporarily suppress the barrier's rupture and buy time."
After speaking, Liam slowly walked to the barrier, closed his eyes, and injected all the symbiotic energy in his body into the collar around his neck. The red light of the collar suddenly surged, producing a stronger resonance with the energy of the barrier. The cracks of the barrier gradually stopped expanding, the seepage of black energy slowed down, and the roar from behind the barrier also weakened a little. But this was very harmful to Liam's body. Blood kept overflowing from the corner of his mouth, his whole body trembled violently, his face was as pale as paper, and the dull pain in his temples almost made him faint.
"Liam!" Elena exclaimed, wanting to step forward to stop him, but was stopped by Dr. Gray. "Don't go over," Dr. Gray's tone was heavy, "This is the best method he can think of now. What we can do now is to crack the barrier as soon as possible, find a way to open it, reduce his burden, otherwise, he won't last long."
Elena's eyes turned red. She nodded vigorously, turned around, and threw herself into the cracking work again, her fingers sliding rapidly on the keyboard, her eyes full of determination—she couldn't let Liam's efforts be in vain. She must crack the barrier as soon as possible, find a way to open it, protect Liam, protect everyone, find out the secrets of ten years ago, and defeat the threat of the Shadow Organization.
Outside the base, gunfire and explosions sounded again, becoming more and more intense. The Shadow Organization's support team was frantically breaking through the base's security defense line. Kane led the team members to resist desperately. Although there were heavy casualties, they still did not flinch; at the laboratory entrance, Elena and Wang were trying their best to crack the barrier, Dr. Gray closely monitored Liam's physical condition, Commissioner Marin stood aside, vigilantly observing the surroundings to prevent spies from making trouble again; Liam still stood in front of the barrier, using his own body to temporarily suppress the barrier's rupture, and using symbiotic energy to fight against that strange dark energy.
Time passed minute by minute. The military's support team was still thirty minutes away, the Shadow Organization's support team would arrive at the laboratory entrance in fifteen minutes. Although the cracks of the barrier had temporarily stopped expanding, they might still break at any time. The roar of the unknown creature became clear again, and the lurking crisis was approaching step by step.
Liam's body became weaker and weaker, his symbiotic energy was rapidly consumed, the red light of the collar gradually dimmed, and his consciousness began to blur, but he still did not give up. The faint symbiotic energy was still condensed at his fingertips, supporting him firmly. In his mind, the figures of his comrades fighting side by side kept appearing, the determination to crack the collar and promote R&D, and the obsession to find out the secrets of ten years ago—he couldn't fall. He must hold on, for his comrades, for himself, for the future of human science and technology, he must defeat all dangers and uncover all secrets.
At this moment, Wang suddenly let out a cheer, his tone full of surprise: "Success! I found a way to open the barrier! As long as we use the resonance of Liam's collar and cooperate with the energy guidance of the terminal, we can temporarily open a gap large enough for us to enter the laboratory, and at the same time, prevent unknown creatures from rushing out!"
Everyone's eyes lit up instantly. Elena immediately walked to the terminal, cooperated with Wang, and operated quickly. The data on the screen jumped rapidly, and a faint energy beam shot out from the terminal, aiming at Liam's collar; Dr. Gray immediately stepped forward, injected a strong relief medicine into Liam, helping him maintain his physical condition; Commissioner Marin gripped his energy gun, got ready for battle. Once the barrier was opened, he would immediately enter the laboratory to investigate the dangers inside.
Liam felt a surge of strength in his body. He gritted his teeth, condensed symbiotic energy again, and injected it into the collar. The red light of the collar surged again, intertwined with the energy beam shot from the terminal, and shot towards the barrier. A low hum sounded, the black lines on the barrier surface gradually faded, the light red light appeared again, and a thin gap slowly opened in the center of the barrier. The gap grew larger and larger, enough for one person to pass through. At the same time, the roar from behind the barrier was firmly blocked inside, without any leakage.
"Great! The barrier is open!" Elena said excitedly, her tone full of joy. Commissioner Marin's eyes narrowed, his tone firm: "Kane, we have opened the barrier and are ready to enter the laboratory to investigate the dangers. You intercept the Shadow Organization's support as soon as possible and hold on until the military support arrives!" From the communicator, Kane's anxious voice came: "Received! Be careful. If you encounter any danger, evacuate immediately, and we will come to support as soon as possible!"
Commissioner Marin nodded, turned to everyone, his tone serious: "Elena, Wang, you stay outside, continue to monitor the energy fluctuation of the barrier, maintain the stability of the barrier gap, and at the same time, closely monitor Liam's physical condition and the movement of the Shadow Organization. Report to us immediately if any abnormalities are found; Dr. Gray, Liam, come with me into the laboratory. Dr. Gray is responsible for monitoring the energy and biological signals in the laboratory, Liam is responsible for dealing with possible dangers, and I am responsible for leading the way. Everyone must be careful and not rush forward. The secrets in the laboratory may be more dangerous than we imagine."
Liam nodded, endured his physical weakness, slowly took steps towards the gap of the barrier, the symbiotic energy at his fingertips still condensed, his eyes firm, his eyes full of vigilance—he knew that entering the laboratory was just the beginning. The secrets of ten years ago, unknown creatures, the threat of the Shadow Organization, and the lurking spies, all crises were waiting for them to solve, and all truths would gradually lift their mysterious veil in the laboratory.