76: Explore the building

[Consciousness Space]

At the very moment Lu Jianchuan infiltrated the interior of the medical center and melted into the shadows.

"System," Han Chengyu focused his consciousness intensely, "it's time. Don't underestimate the bond between us and Lu Jianchuan. Help him one more time! Directly hacking the surveillance System is too risky; it could easily trigger a counter-alarm. Is there a more covert method? Like... real-time overwriting?"

[Command confirmed. Assessing target network architecture...] The System's data streams surged.

[Adopting 'Dynamic Image Overwrite' protocol. Accessing the medical center's internal network. Locking onto all surveillance data streams. Stripping the silver skeleton's real-time footage from the images and seamlessly overlaying it with static background frames looped from the previous ten minutes. This operation will require continuous computational power to maintain, but offers extremely high concealment.]

"Can you do it?" Han Chengyu pressed.

[host, do not underestimate this System's capabilities.] The System's electronic voice seemed to carry an extremely subtle, almost 'haughty' fluctuation.

[Overwrite protocol initiated and running. Until the System administrator detects an anomaly, the silver skeleton will be in an 'invisible' state on all surveillance feeds.]

"Excellent!" Han Chengyu's spirits lifted. "Then, the rest is up to Lu Jianchuan. We'll handle the exposure problem. The fighting and exploring are on him!"

[The Real World - Inside the Qiming Future Medical Center]

Lu Jianchuan was unaware of all this. He pressed close to the cold wall, completely merging with the shadow of a corridor pillar. His azure visor scanned the environment with extreme efficiency.

Although it was night, a few technicians in white uniforms and cleaning staff were still active inside this soon-to-be-opened center. Footsteps, faint conversations, the sound of cart wheels grinding against the floor echoed distinctly in the vast, advanced corridors.

He moved like a true ghost at the border of light and shadow. Whenever he heard footsteps in the distance or sensed someone approaching, he would instantly freeze or silently slip into the nearest empty room, equipment closet, or even behind large medical instruments.

His movements were swift and precise. The superhuman agility and strength granted by the armor allowed him to perform incredible evasive maneuvers—clinging to overhead pipes like a gecko one moment, sliding under a row of mobile hospital beds the next.

His eyes kept glancing warily at the slowly rotating surveillance cameras in the corners overhead. Each time, he instinctively chose to avoid their direct line of sight, moving through blind spots. He didn't know that on the other side of all the surveillance screens, his location was currently displayed as a series of empty, looping corridor footage.

He cautiously avoided a team of technicians performing final equipment checks, holding his breath as they entered an elevator. Seizing the gap, he shot like a silver bolt of lightning across the main corridor, heading deeper into the building, toward the core areas housing intensive care and special treatment Units—where the 'Deep Life Support Pods' were likely stored.

The risk of exposure hung over his head like the Sword of Damocles, but he had to press on.

At an intersection on a main passage, Lu Jianchuan spotted a faintly glowing electronic floor map on the wall. His gaze quickly locked onto a specially marked area—'Advanced Life Support Research Zone'. That was it!

Without hesitation, he advanced swiftly along the indicated direction. The closer he got to that area, the dimmer the surrounding lights seemed, and the environment grew quieter, as if isolated from the outside world. Finally, he arrived before a heavy metal door that required an access card. Standing guard outside the door, a burly man in the center's security uniform stood like a statue.

The instant Lu Jianchuan's gaze fell on the security guard, the armband on his left wrist and the evo factor within his body simultaneously transmitted an extremely faint yet clear tremor! It was an indescribable resonance between forces of the same origin!

Almost simultaneously, the security guard, whose eyes had been somewhat vacant, stiffened abruptly, his head jerking up. His pupils, which instantly lost focus, precisely 'locked onto' the silver figure concealed in the corridor shadows! A low, inhuman guttural sound escaped his throat.

He'd been discovered!

Lu Jianchuan's heart turned cold. There was indeed something inside the other! And because of this primitive resonance, neither could completely hide from the other!

Without any hesitation, before the other could raise a larger alarm, Lu Jianchuan pushed off the ground with explosive force. His silver form tore through the distance between them like a fired shell! Clenching his right fist and deliberately suppressing its power, a faint flicker of blue-white electric sparks danced over his knuckles—his goal was to subdue and control, using enough current to incapacitate the opponent, perhaps even preserving the life of this parasitized host.

However, just as his fist, wreathed in faint arcs of electricity, was about to strike the opponent's chest, the security guard's reaction was unimaginably fast!

"Hah!" He let out a low roar. His arm, which had been hanging at his side, shot up with a speed that defied human ergonomics, fingers splayed, directly grabbing for Lu Jianchuan's electrified fist without any attempt to evade!

Fist and palm collided with a dull thud of flesh. The expected scene of the opponent collapsing did not occur. The guard's body shook violently, a flash of pain crossing his face. The sleeve on the arm gripping Lu Jianchuan's fist instantly charred black at the point of contact, but he actually withstood the blow, his fingers clamping onto Lu Jianchuan's wrist like iron pincers!

What was more chilling was that, through the point of contact, Lu Jianchuan could clearly feel a cold, viscous, and malicious biological signal attempting to reverse-invade along the other's arm!

This guy... was tougher than expected! Moreover, this sensation was completely different from those controlled by the 'neuro-weaver' in the hospital earlier—more primitive, more savage!

Startled, Lu Jianchuan immediately increased his energy output. His left fist shot out like lightning, striking the vulnerable point at the opponent's elbow joint, while the electric arcs on his trapped right fist suddenly surged!

"Zzzt—!"

A stronger current instantly coursed through the security guard's body. He convulsed violently, the strange glint in his eyes rapidly extinguished. His grip on Lu Jianchuan went slack, and his entire body slumped limply to the floor, unconscious.

Lu Jianchuan took a slight, panting breath and was about to check the other's condition when a sudden mutation occurred!

"Squelch!"

A sickening, muffled sound of flesh being forcibly torn apart rang out! A bloody hole exploded from the fallen guard's right shoulder blade. A human hand, ghastly pale with bulging veins, composed entirely of reinforced muscle and mutated nerves, shot out like a demon escaping its cage, dripping with fresh blood, aiming straight for Lu Jianchuan's face!

This parasitic Unit, after the host lost consciousness, had chosen to actively detach and launch an attack!

Lu Jianchuan reacted swiftly, dodging to the side while his right fist, now wreathed in blazing electric arcs, was already swinging out, smashing into that grotesque hand!

"Thud!"

Fist and palm collided with a dull sound like striking rotten leather. The hand was sent flying backward by the immense force, its surface instantly charred black, emitting the acrid smell of burnt protein. But it was unnaturally tough. Twisting in mid-air, its fingers splayed, it tried to lunge forward again!

A cold glint flashed in Lu Jianchuan's eyes; he held back no longer. Closing the distance, his left fist, arriving later but striking first, delivered a heavy uppercut from below, smashing once more into the 'wrist' of the hand!

"Crack!" A clear sound of bone fracturing echoed.

Almost simultaneously, his right fist gathered a more dazzling sphere of blue-white plasma, pressing it mercilessly onto the struggling hand!

"Zzz—Crackle!"

Frenzied currents completely engulfed it. The hand spasmed and convulsed violently, finally emitting a wisp of blue smoke. As if all life force had been drained, it turned charred and withered, dropping to the floor with a 'thud,' motionless.

The moment Lu Jianchuan dealt with the grotesque hand, hurried, chaotic footsteps and beast-like low growls came from inside the heavy metal door ahead!

"Boom!" The door was violently slammed open from within!

Three twisted figures charged out!

On the left was a large stray dog, but its eyes were hollow and numb, drool uncontrollably dripping from its mouth, its back unnaturally hunched as if something writhed beneath its skin.

On the right was a woman in a Nurse's uniform stained with filth. Her movements were stiff, her neck tilted at an odd angle, her face expressionless, only a deathly stillness.

And the 'person' in the middle made Lu Jianchuan's blood run cold in an instant!

It was the missing fitness trainer, Zhang Wei! His originally robust and burly body still stood tall, but beside his normal neck, a massive tumor composed of countless dark red flesh buds and nerve bundles had sprouted! Atop the tumor, embedded unmistakably, were Wu Meng's eyes, filled with madness and venom, and a mouth capable of opening and closing!

Zhang Wei's own head hung limply to the other side, eyes wide open, pupils dilated, facial muscles withered and sunken, long devoid of any sign of life, like an empty husk drained of its essence.

The scene before him was cruel and bizarre to the extreme! A vibrant young life had been plundered in such a despicable manner, becoming a 'vehicle' for another monster to survive!

Witnessing this atrocity that transgressed the very bottom line of human ethics firsthand, an uncontrollable flame, a mix of grief and ultimate fury, ignited within Lu Jianchuan's heart!

He had still clung to a sliver of hope that perhaps the parasitized could be saved, but now, that hope was utterly crushed by the sight of this two-headed, life-defiling monstrosity!

From the moment of their parasitization, these hosts—their consciousness, their lives—had been completely erased!

"Unforgivable...!"

Lu Jianchuan's raspy, metallic voice squeezed out from beneath his visor, carrying an icy killing intent. His azure visor locked onto the monster that had usurped Zhang Wei's body. Unprecedented, violent arcs of electricity began to madly gather and shriek upon his knuckles!