Chapter 193: Stored Cores & Unspoken Warnings

Down in the primary laboratory room, the heavy airlock doors remained sealed as Dr. Zhou conducted the initial containment evaluation on the newly harvested yellow energy stone.

The glowing crystal rested on a thick ceramic testing pedestal, surrounded by high-precision sensors. Dr. Zhou adjusted her glasses, carefully maneuvering a mechanical arm to lower a standard cold kinetic gel housing unit over the stone—the exact same matrix that had successfully stabilized the crimson cores.

The moment the gel matrix made contact with the outer surface of the yellow stone, the monitoring screens spiked into the red.

HUMMMMMM—

A sharp, violent vibration tore through the testing assembly. The high-density energy radiating from the yellow core didn’t slowly absorb into the gel; instead, it unleashed a sharp kinetic reflection wave. The baseline gel matrix bubbled violently, turned white under the thermal load, and broke down completely into a liquid slush within seconds.

Dr. Zhou instantly hit the emergency purge valve, sealing the ceramic containment shield over the yellow core before the feedback could damage the lab’s main console.

She let out a long breath, wiping a line of fine sweat from her forehead as she looked at the ruined gel housing. "The energy density in this yellow core is completely off the charts compared to the red stones. The kinetic reflection output instantly overloads the standard molecular structure of our current gel buffer."

Standing near the observation glass, Han Zheng took in the telemetry readings with a calm, analytical eye. "Can it be buffered?"

"Yes, but not with our standard formula," Dr. Zhou explained, pulling up a series of complex chemical equations on her tablet. "I need to synthesize a dense, multi-phase kinetic gel matrix capable of absorbing high-frequency reflection spikes. It’s going to take time, trial, and error. I’ll have to run these experiments alone in isolation to prevent any accidental containment failures."

"Do what you need to do," Han Zheng instructed. He turned to the Depot guards standing watch by the doors. "Until Dr. Zhou perfects the multi-phase gel, lock all thirty-two crimson cores and the yellow stone in the high-security storage vault."

Since the Research Center’s primary power grid was already running at full operational capacity from their previous setup, there was no immediate rush to force the yellow stone into the central generator. The surplus cores would remain safely locked away—not just as power reserves, but as potential raw material for future base expansion.

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Leaving Dr. Zhou to her solitary laboratory work, Han Zheng and Lin Qing made their way toward the heavy elevator shaft, riding it down to the cold, concrete corridors of the lower levels.

With Lu Feng safely resting under medical supervision of Zhou Ming, the immediate operational threats were handled. It was time to address the remaining unknown variable locked deep inside the bunker.

They stopped before the thick door holding the woman from Apex. Han Zheng swiped his security card, and the door unlocked with a deep, mechanical clunk, sliding open to reveal the dimly lit interior.

Inside, the woman sat calmly on the edge of her narrow steel cot. Her wrists and ankles were bound in heavy power-dampening restraints, anchoring her to the wall. Despite her captivity, her posture was relaxed, her head tilting slightly as Lin Qing and Han Zheng stepped into the cell.

Han Zheng leaned back against the doorframe, his towering frame casting a long, imposing shadow across the room, his dark eyes fixed on her with cold, unyielding authority.

Lin Qing stepped forward, halting a precise six feet from the edge of the cot. Her posture was textbook military—balanced, alert, and carrying zero wasted movement. Her expression remained completely unreadable.

"Let’s skip the games," Lin Qing said, her voice dropping into a smooth, cold tone. "You’ve had time to think. Who are you and what was your original objective while running away from Apex?"

The woman didn’t answer immediately. Instead, her eyes swept over Lin Qing from head to toe.

’This posture... these mannerisms...and even the way she talks’ the woman couldn’t help but wonder silently, her pulse quickening slightly behind her calm facade. ’In the original storyline, Han Ye’s stepmother was supposed to be a timid, soft-spoken woman who died during the initial wave of infected very early on. But this person standing in front of me moves like a top-tier special forces operative. Is it possible... could she actually be her?’

The thought lingered heavily in her mind, but without concrete proof, she kept her expression locked tight. She knew better than to reveal her suspicions or drop any hints.

Instead, the woman let out a dry, soft chuckle, resting her back against the cold concrete wall. "Asking for my background isn’t going to get you anywhere. You won’t find my name in any Apex files you pull up."

"You asked me earlier if I had ever read an ’apocalypse book,’" Lin Qing pressed, her gaze sharpening, not allowing the woman to deflect. "Explain what you meant by that."

The woman looked directly into Lin Qing’s eyes, searching for any flicker of recognition, but Lin Qing’s discipline was absolute. No personal information was offered and no memory loss was hinted at. They were two brick walls staring at each other.

Realizing that Lin Qing was not going to yield a single piece of personal information or break her composure, the woman leaned her head back, her voice turning cold and serious.

"You’re wasting your time asking about books or who I am," the woman said plainly. "If you want to survive what’s coming, you should be asking about what the thaw is actually bringing."

Han Zheng crossed his arms, his deep voice echoing in the small cell. "Speak."

"Sector 4 was just the beginning," the woman said, her eyes narrowing as she delivered her single, unyielding warning. "The collapse of Block C and the energy spikes you’ve been triggering here won’t stay hidden. As the global thaw deepens, the rising temperature is activating dormant, high-tier mutations across the entire region."

She leaned forward slightly, the heavy metal chains of her restraints clinking softly against the concrete floor.

"The thaw isn’t just melting ice," she continued, her tone dead serious. "It is going to bring about massive, migrating hordes of mutated infected. And I’m not talking about the mindless, slow-moving walkers you usually encountered. These are high-tier variants—monsters with dense bone armor, kinetic reflection fields, and lethal speed."

She glanced down at the sidearm holstered at Lin Qing’s hip. "Standard lead bullets and baseline rifles won’t even scratch them. If all you have are conventional firearms when those mutated hordes sweep through this valley, your fortified bunker will just become a tightly sealed coffin."

Silence settled over the cell, heavy and dense.

Lin Qing studied the woman’s face for several seconds, analyzing her micro-expressions, heartbeat, and breathing pattern. The woman was holding back most of what she knew regarding her own background and motives, but the threat of the mutated horde migration was genuine.

"We’re done here," Lin Qing said calmly.

Without another word, Lin Qing turned on her heel and walked out of the cell. Han Zheng stepped back into the corridor, casting one final, warning glance at the prisoner before swiping his keycard. The door slid shut with a thud, locking the mystery woman back into the dark.

---

They walked side by side down the long, quiet corridor leading back to the central lift. The hum of the base’s ventilation system hummed steadily overhead, keeping the air fresh and warm inside the fortified facility.

"She’s hiding everything about her personal origins," Lin Qing said quietly as they stepped into the elevator cab. "She recognized something about me, but she’s far too sharp to let it slip."

"And her warning about the horde?" Han Zheng asked, pressing the button for the main command deck.

"It matches what we encountered at Block C," Lin Qing replied, her eyes fixed on the illuminated floor indicators as the lift began its ascent. "That single yellow-stone zombie wiped out Lu Feng’s shock-absorbers in one strike. If a whole horde of high-tier variants migrates through this sector, our standard weapons won’t cut it."

The elevator doors slid open onto the bright, bustling command deck.

Han Zheng reached out, his warm hand wrapping around Lin Qing’s fingers, holding it with steady, reassuring strength.

Lin Qing paused, looking up at him.

"We have thirty-two red energy cores and a high-tier yellow stone locked in storage," Han Zheng said, his dark eyes filled with absolute resolve. "If standard rounds won’t cut down high-tier variants, then we stop relying purely on standard lead. We’ll start designing core-infused energy weaponry."

Feelings of quiet warmth bloomed in Lin Qing’s chest at his unwavering confidence. The mysterious origin of the prisoner and the threat of an impending mutated horde migration still loomed over their future, but standing beside Han Zheng inside their fortified home, she felt entirely grounded.

She gave his hand a firm, confident squeeze in return. "Then let’s get to work."

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