Chapter 145: Eliminating the Intruders
CDC, Hive Center — Basement Level 5
A sharp claw emerged from the hatch.
Its five fingers spread wide, long black nails resembling sharpened bone. Thick knuckles protruded beneath dark-gray, hairless skin.
Then another claw appeared.
The creature gripped the edge of the hatch, its talons digging into the metal and leaving deep scratches behind.
A long, forked tongue slowly extended from the darkness, tasting the air before retracting.
Then the creature climbed out.
The Licker moved on all fours, its forelimbs significantly longer than its hind legs. Its shoulder blades protruded high above its back, while dense muscles bulged beneath its skin like miniature mountains.
It had no eyes.
No eyelids.
Only a pale, exposed skull with its brain clearly visible beneath a thin membrane.
The creature paused, tilting its head as though listening.
Then it moved.
It didn't run.
It launched itself.
In a single leap, it crossed the corridor and landed on the ceiling. Its claws dug into the concrete, allowing it to hang upside down like a giant gecko.
Another leap.
Then another.
Moments later, it vanished into the passage designated for biological weapons.
---
Savannah Transit Station
Bang!
The iron gate slammed shut.
It wasn't a slow closure.
The heavy door snapped into place with violent force, shaking the frame. The locking mechanism engaged instantly, and a red warning light illuminated above it.
Li Hanfu turned around and stared at the sealed gate.
Then he looked at Kong Dexiang.
Kong Dexiang's expression was equally pale.
"Wh-Why did the door close?" Li Hua asked, his voice trembling.
Kong Dexiang walked over and pushed against the gate.
It didn't move.
He pushed harder.
Still nothing.
Taking two steps back, he kicked the metal door with all his strength.
The gate remained completely unmoved.
"Forget it."
Li Hanfu jumped down from the platform and landed between the tracks. His flashlight beam pierced the darkness ahead.
"The way back is blocked. We can only move forward."
Kong Dexiang followed him down.
Li Hua jumped last.
His legs weakened upon landing, causing him to twist his ankle. He nearly fell before grabbing the rail for support.
The three men switched on their flashlights and ignited their flare sticks.
Red flames flickered within the darkness, casting long shadows across the tunnel walls.
The railway stretched endlessly ahead.
The concrete sleepers beneath their feet made walking difficult and uncomfortable.
Every few dozen meters, a dim emergency light emitted a faint green glow, barely illuminating its surroundings.
The tunnel was eerily quiet.
Only their footsteps and breathing echoed through the darkness.
Occasionally, the rails emitted faint metallic creaks.
Li Hanfu led the way, sweeping his flashlight across the walls.
Kong Dexiang walked in the middle, one hand resting on his rifle.
Li Hua brought up the rear, repeatedly glancing behind him.
There was nothing there.
Only darkness.
After nearly an hour of walking, a faint sound suddenly echoed through the tunnel.
It wasn't footsteps.
Nor was it the sound of train tracks.
It sounded like something crawling through a metal pipe.
Light.
Fast.
Like fingernails scraping across sheet metal.
Li Hanfu immediately stopped.
His flashlight beam rose toward the ceiling, illuminating a row of ventilation ducts.
The sound was coming from inside.
Silence followed.
Then the noise returned.
Closer this time.
"Hurry."
Li Hanfu's voice dropped to a whisper.
The three men quickened their pace.
Their footsteps echoed louder through the tunnel.
Behind them, something moved through the darkness.
Unseen.
Yet clearly audible.
Claws scraped through the ventilation system overhead, moving from left to right, then right to left.
Like a beast searching for an exit.
Li Hua broke into a run.
Li Hanfu followed.
Kong Dexiang sprinted after them, his flashlight beam shaking wildly.
The sound behind them grew louder.
Closer.
Perhaps it wasn't just one creature.
Li Hua suddenly stumbled.
His flashlight slipped from his grasp, bounced twice across the ground, and rolled beneath the tracks.
The beam twisted sideways, illuminating his own shadow against the wall.
Kong Dexiang grabbed him and hauled him upright.
They continued running.
Then—
The sound stopped.
Instantly.
The three men halted as well.
Panting heavily, hands on their knees.
The only thing they could hear was their own heartbeat.
Everything had gone silent.
Too silent.
Even the distant hum of the ventilation system seemed to have vanished.
Li Hanfu slowly turned around.
His flashlight swept across the tunnel.
Nothing.
Empty.
He slowly raised the beam toward the ceiling.
Something glistened between the gaps of the ventilation ducts.
It wasn't metal.
It was wet.
A thick, sticky liquid.
Drip.
A drop fell onto the rail below.
Then another.
Li Hanfu raised the flashlight higher.
At that moment, a strange screech echoed through the tunnel.
The beam landed on an eyeless gray head staring directly at him.
Its mouth hung open.
A long forked tongue dangled from within, dripping saliva.
The creature clung upside down to the ceiling, its claws embedded in the concrete like a giant gecko.
But it was enormous.
So enormous that Li Hanfu's mind went blank.
Bang!
A gunshot shattered the silence.
It wasn't Li Hanfu.
Kong Dexiang had fired.
The bullet struck the concrete beside the creature.
The Licker instantly leapt away and vanished into the darkness.
The sound of claws scraping against metal echoed overhead.
The oppressive atmosphere became even heavier.
"K-Kong Dexiang..."
Li Hanfu's lips trembled.
"W-What the hell was that thing?"
Kong Dexiang swallowed hard.
"I don't know."
Li Hua's face had turned pale.
"Could it be some kind of mutated zombie?"
Kong Dexiang's voice shook.
"This tunnel is seriously cursed."
"Damn you, Kong Dexiang!"
Li Hanfu finally snapped.
"I must've lost my mind to follow you here! We would've been safer carrying explosives upstairs!"
The scraping sounds continued overhead.
Every scrape felt like a knife dragged across their nerves.
The flashlight beams darted frantically around the tunnel.
"I'm leaving!"
Li Hanfu suddenly shouted.
"I want to go back! I don't want to stay here anymore!"
He turned and ran.
"Li Hanfu, stop!"
Before anyone could react, a dark figure exploded from the darkness.
A powerful limb wrapped around Li Hanfu.
In an instant, he was dragged into a nearby ventilation shaft.
His agonized screams echoed throughout the tunnel.
"Help me!"
"Save me!"
The screams quickly turned into desperate cries.
Then silence.
"Run!"
Kong Dexiang yelled.
"While it's distracted, we need to find another way out!"
The two survivors immediately fled deeper into the tunnel.
Half an hour later, both men were exhausted.
Li Hua bent over, gasping for breath.
"Brother Xiang... how long does this railway go on? Why haven't we reached the end yet?"
Kong Dexiang wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Maybe it's some wartime railway leading to another military facility."
"If that's true," Li Hua asked, "then how did that monster get inside?"
Kong Dexiang was about to answer.
Then he froze.
A long tongue slowly slid across Li Hua's shoulder.
Neither of them had noticed it until now.
When Li Hua saw Kong Dexiang's horrified expression, his heart nearly stopped.
Slowly turning around, he saw the tongue wrapped around his neck.
The next second, he was lifted off the ground.
"No! No!"
The tongue tightened.
He was dragged toward a ventilation shaft.
"Brother Xiang! Save me! Save me!"
Kong Dexiang's face turned pale.
Then he shouted,
"Wah Jai! It's better for one man to die than both of us! Buy your brother some time! I'll burn you plenty of joss paper next year!"
Without hesitation, he turned and ran.
Li Hua's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Kong Dexiang! I'll kill you, you bastard!"
His curse ended in a scream as he was dragged into the darkness.
The horrifying cries echoed endlessly behind him.
Kong Dexiang ran even faster.
The Licker's mutated body was built for hunting.
Elongated muscles.
Extended claws.
Unnatural speed.
Kong Dexiang had no idea how long he had been running.
All he knew was that he still couldn't escape.
The eerie sounds remained behind him.
Getting desperate, he raised his rifle and fired wildly into the darkness.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
When the rifle ran dry, he pulled out his pistol.
His face twisted with fear and madness.
"Come on!"
"Show yourself!"
"Eat me if you can, you bastard!"
A strange noise echoed behind him.
Kong Dexiang slowly turned around.
A giant shadow lunged from the darkness.
The Licker opened its monstrous mouth wide
And bit down.