The heavy combat boots of the power armor made a dull SQUELCH as they stepped onto a metal deck slick with viscous pus.
With Qin Feng at the point, the four-person squad formed a tight diamond formation. They followed the flashing navigation route on their power armor’s HUD, pushing deeper into the ship.
The corridors along the way were a bloody tableau straight out of Hell.
The walls were covered in claw marks and impact craters. Twisted corpses and the shattered limbs of the corrupted were strewn everywhere. The sweet, cloying stench in the air grew ever thicker, so much so that even the power armor’s internal air-circulation system couldn’t fully filter it out.
"Captain, according to the schematics, the central lift platform to the lower residential pods is three hundred meters ahead."
Zhou Quan’s powerful voice echoed over the comms channel. Not a single drop of blood stained his dual blades; each of his slashes was so precise it kept the corrupted creatures’ fluids at a safe distance.
"Stay on high alert."
Qin Feng’s voice was cold as ice. "The closer we get to the survivor stronghold, the fiercer the resistance will be. Nurgle’s creations are drawn to the scent of life."
The words had barely left his mouth when several jets of green acid shot out from a corner in the corridor ahead.
"Dodge left!"
Qin Feng issued the command without even looking.
As if they had drilled it a thousand times, the four squad members moved in perfect unison, sidestepping to the left. The powerful capabilities of their power armor allowed them to easily evade the deadly ambush.
The streams of potent acid splashed onto the metal floor where they had just stood, instantly eating away several large holes that sizzled and belched black smoke.
"ROAR!"
With their ambush failed, seven or eight of the corrupted, wielding bone blades, charged out from the shadows. Their life-force indices all hovered around the 60-point mark.
"Yin Jing, pick them off!"
Qin Feng issued another command.
Yin Jing, who had been silent until now, blurred into motion. She shot out from the formation like an arrow loosed from its bow.
Her silver Long Spear traced a brilliant streak of light through the dim corridor. The spear tip vibrated seven consecutive times, faster than the eye could follow.
PFFT! PFFT! PFFT! PFFT! PFFT! PFFT! PFFT!
After seven soft sounds that were almost simultaneous, the charging corrupted creatures froze as if someone had hit a pause button. A moment later, a precise, bloody hole appeared in each of their skulls.
Without breaking stride, Yin Jing tapped her toes against the wall, executed a graceful flip, and landed back in formation as if nothing had happened.
The entire sequence took less than three seconds.
"Nice."
Zou Yun muttered in admiration over the comms.
Every single person on this team was a true elite.
"Keep moving."
Qin Feng’s tone was completely flat.
The squad fought their way forward, one bloody Battle after another.
Just as Qin Feng had predicted, the deeper they went, the more numerous the corrupted became, and the stronger they were.
Their life-force indices rose from around 60 points to 65, and they even started encountering a few elite individuals whose indices were nearly on par with their own.
But no matter how ferocious the enemy, under Qin Feng’s supercomputer-like, precise command, the four-person squad remained an unstoppable blade, steadily carving through every obstacle.
Finally, after traversing a kilometer-long, blood-soaked corridor, a massive, circular hall opened up before them.
This was the final barrier to the lower residential pods.
At the far end of the hall stood a massive, circular alloy blast door that gleamed with a metallic sheen.
The door was covered in a dense network of dents and claw marks, clear evidence that it had been under intense assault for a long time.
BOOM! BOOM! CLANG!
Heavy impacts hammered against the blast door, accompanied by the faint, muffled sounds of suppressed sobs and desperate screams from the other side.
And before the door, the entire hall was packed wall-to-wall with countless corrupted creatures!
There were at least a hundred of them!
Of those, more than forty had a life-force index of 70 points or higher!
Even more terrifying, the forms of these corrupted were more twisted and powerful than any they had previously encountered.
Their bodies were generally more bloated, and the pustules on their skin pulsed violently as if alive. Some had even grown bony, insect-like appendages from their backs.
Forty corrupted creatures with a life-force index of 70 or higher!
Their power was on the same level as the squad members themselves!
This was no longer a battle, but a War!
"This... How are we supposed to fight this?"
Even a fierce warrior like Zhou Quan couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath at the sight.
The breathing of Zou Yun and Yin Jing grew heavy as well.
Over forty enemies of their own caliber, fearless and seemingly endless, and there were only four of them.
If they got surrounded, their power armor’s Energy Shield wouldn’t last long.
"Scared?"
Qin Feng’s voice came over the comms, his tone still perfectly even.
"Like hell I am!"
Zhou Quan roared back instantly, his fighting spirit flaring to life.
"Then it’s war."
Qin Feng’s gaze swept across the hall.
"On my command. We’re cutting in from the left flank. We’ll punch right through them!"
"Zhou Quan, you’re the tip of the spear. Use your dual blades and carve a path for us! Don’t conserve your energy—give me your strongest burst!"
"Yin Jing, you’ll be behind and to the side of Zhou Quan. Use your spearmanship to take out any enemy that tries to hit his flank!"
"Zou Yun, you’re responsible for support on the right flank! And protect Yin Jing’s back!"