He had completed two check-ins at the prison and harvested an energy body comparable to Asterite. He had easily completed a wave of development.
After returning to the laboratory, Qi Yuan got Seraph to activate the energy weapon while studying the Tree Heart of Annihilation.
Asterite's power and magic had been widely used in many fields, directly causing the value of Asterite to skyrocket. It was difficult for ordinary people to obtain it.
If he could find an energy body comparable to Asterite and could be prepared in batches, it would probably cause a revolution in technology.
Not only would this mean a large number of academic points and academic points, but he might even obtain the Leader Medal from the Gate of Truth.
The Leader Medal was the highest award in the energy field given by the Gate of Truth. It, the Creator Medal given by the Flesh and Blood Alliance, and the Ascender Medal given by the Gate of Truth represented the highest achievements in the three fields of energy, flesh, and machinery.
In the Biological and Mechanical Research Laboratory, only Cao Yansheng had received the Ascender Medal once. Even Chief Molin had never received such an honor. Therefore, before Molin appeared, Cao Yansheng's prestige was enough to suppress all the level-4 researchers.
One evening, just as Qi Yuan was immersed in his research on the Tree Heart of Annihilation, a dull explosion and a sudden tremor woke him up from his research.
Seraph, who was activating the energy weapon, also had a blank expression on his face as he looked at the ground of the laboratory.
The explosion and tremor came from below.
Was there an experiment accident or an enemy invasion?
Qi Yuan looked at his feet with a solemn expression. Because the main body of the building was underground, the laboratory had a strong earthquake-resistant ability. If even he could feel the tremor, one could imagine how intense the explosion below was.
Qi Yuan did not believe that the enemy could break through the defense of the Black Steel Shelter and destroy the interior of the laboratory. However, the explosion just now was too intense. Even if there was an experiment accident, it was impossible for an ordinary research to have such a violent explosion. The explosion this time had clearly exceeded the limits of an experiment accident.
Qi Yuan was even a little worried that the explosion came from a Level 4 researcher's laboratory.
Under such an explosion, even a Level 6 powerhouse might not be able to survive if caught off guard. Among the few Level 4 researchers below, the strongest one was only Level 5. Furthermore, most of them only had auxiliary abilities and did not have any defensive abilities. It was almost impossible for them to survive such an explosion at close range.
Qi Yuan did not rashly leave the laboratory. Every laboratory had a powerful defense system, and it would not be easy to break through. If there really was an enemy, staying in the laboratory and waiting for rescue was the best choice.
The explosion just now must have alerted the guards outside, and reinforcements would arrive soon.
At this moment, the laboratory shook violently again, followed by another violent explosion.
Although the exact location of the explosion could not be sensed, the powerful data center vaguely calculated the approximate location.
These two explosions were not at the same location. Compared to the previous explosion, this explosion was closer.
Qi Yuan's heart gradually sank to the bottom. If the first explosion was just a suspicion, then the second explosion was almost certain that this was not an experimental accident, but an enemy invasion.
The enemy was actually able to invade the laboratory, and judging from the location of the first explosion, it might even be in a Level 4 researcher's laboratory.
A few seconds later, the laboratory shook again, and another violent explosion was heard.
Compared to the previous two explosions, the explosion this time was closer, but the power was obviously much weaker.
The third explosion!
Every explosion meant the death of one or more researchers. Qi Yuan could not imagine how much damage the Biological and Mechanical Research Laboratory would suffer from this invasion.
Soon, the fourth explosion was heard from below.
How did the enemy do it?
In less than a minute, four laboratories had been detonated consecutively!
This was at least the strength of a Level 6 powerhouse.
At this moment, Qi Yuan felt his personal communication device vibrate.
Qi Yuan opened it and saw that it was a private message from Tanqiu.
"Leave the laboratory immediately!"
Qi Yuan's pupils shrank, and he quickly realized that the chain of explosions this time was not as simple as he thought.
Without hesitation, Qi Yuan activated Berserker, and madly ran in the direction of the laboratory's door.
However, just as Qi Yuan was about to open the door, he suddenly found that the door was locked, and could not be opened.
The control authority of the door had been tampered with!
Who did this!?
An extremely dangerous aura shrouded Qi Yuan's heart, and Qi Yuan quickly realized that the next explosion would be in his laboratory!
"Blazing Angel!"
Qi Yuan roared.
The Blazing Angel did not hesitate to abandon the mutated energy weapon, and quickly returned to Qi Yuan's body. However, this time, she did not return to the energy heart, but turned into a blurry angel's shadow, spreading her wings and enveloping Qi Yuan.
* Boom! *
The explosion erupted without any warning!
An extremely violent shockwave instantly spread to every corner of the laboratory, and under the envelopment of the destructive energy, Qi Yuan felt the aura of doomsday descend.
The impact of this explosion had far exceeded the limits of what he could endure, and it had even surpassed the Tier 4 threshold, reaching the level of a Tier 5 powerhouse's all-out attack!
Qi Yuan did not hesitate to allocate two Tier 3 Talent Points to Steel Regeneration and Energy Control, raising both abilities to the Tier 3 level, increasing his resistance to the destructive energy to the extreme.
In the face of life and death, Tier 4 core abilities could only stand aside!
The instant the explosion erupted, Qi Yuan used Detect to find the source of the explosion.
It was an Elemental Oscillator Instrument that was installed in the laboratory. It had suddenly activated without warning, and then frantically absorbed energy through the laboratory's energy channel, before finally exploding.
The entire process had only taken three seconds!
Blazing flames instantly engulfed the entire laboratory, and similarly engulfed Qi Yuan, who was protected by the Blazing Angel.
All of the experimental instruments were destroyed in the instant of the explosion.
After an unknown amount of time, the rampaging energy gradually calmed down, and the entire laboratory was pitch-black. All of the lighting equipment had been destroyed in the instant of the explosion, turning the laboratory into a complete mess.
The aftermath of the explosion reverberated, and the scorching heat lingered in the ruins of the laboratory. Only a milky white radiance stubbornly illuminated a small corner of the laboratory.
A pair of dilapidated and illusory milky white wings of light slowly folded, revealing Qi Yuan within.
Qi Yuan slowly raised his head, then stood up.
The instant the explosion descended, Qi Yuan curled up his body, crossing his arms to protect his head.
At this moment, Qi Yuan only felt a burning pain all over his body, as if his body had been thoroughly cooked. Qi Yuan could even smell the smell of charred meat coming from his body.
I survived!
Qi Yuan glanced at his arms, which had nearly been charred, and his body, which was covered in black ash.
Although the Blazing Angel had blocked the majority of the explosion's impact, the destructive energy of the explosion had completely exceeded the limits of her defenses. The small bit of shockwave that had penetrated her defenses had nearly killed her.
The Berserker had been thoroughly destroyed, and all of the energy arrays inside had been destroyed by the shockwave.
As the second line of defense, the Berserker had lasted less than 0.1 seconds before being defeated by the explosion.
If not for the Tier 3 Steel Defense and Tier 3 Energy Control as his final line of defense, Qi Yuan suspected that he would've been reduced to a pile of charred coal.
Without hesitation, Qi Yuan activated Steel Regeneration. Although the laboratory had sufficient steel and energy cores, Qi Yuan still chose to consume Asterite. The combination of Asterite and Steel Regeneration was the fastest way to recover his body.
Qi Yuan only needed to vaguely sense the rate at which the star energy was being depleted, and he knew that his injuries this time were even more severe than when he had fallen from a thirty-story building. If he still had a body of flesh and blood, then he would have died a long time ago.
By the time the [Steel Self-Healing] had completely healed his severely damaged internal organs, Qi Yuan quietly slowed down the speed of his recovery, making his injuries look as miserable as ever.
"I want to eat too!" The Blazing Angel's weak voice sounded.
Qi Yuan lowered his head, only to see the Blazing Angel's body rippling like water. She was so weak that she could barely maintain her original form.
As an energy lifeform, even a Tier 5 energy shockwave shouldn't have been able to injure her so severely.
However, in order to protect Qi Yuan, the Blazing Angel had chosen to endure the shockwave head-on. This was why she had exhausted so much of her energy and almost fell into a deep sleep.
Qi Yuan condensed a ball of Asterite energy that was even larger than the Blazing Angel's body and placed it in her hand.
The Blazing Angel stared at the ball of Asterite energy in shock. She then let out a shriek and dove into the Asterite energy, happily devouring it.
He watched as the Blazing Angel swallowed a ball of star energy that was several times larger than its body as if it was eating cotton candy. It then continued to look at him with pitiful eyes, as if it hadn't eaten its fill.
Qi Yuan stroked the Blazing Angel's silky hair.
"First, absorb all the Asterite energy you've hidden in your stomach."
Seeing that she had been exposed, the Blazing Angel stuck out her tongue and returned to Qi Yuan's energy core in a flash.
Qi Yuan surveyed his surroundings. The entire laboratory was pitch-black. Apart from a few scattered flames, there was no other source of light. The entire place was shrouded in thick smoke and looked like a battlefield.
Qi Yuan relied on his [Scan] ability to locate the Elemental Oscillator Meter that had exploded first. The explosion just now had triggered the laboratory's emergency control system. The laboratory's energy supply had been cut off from the outside. Without the support of energy, the explosion had subsided.
The explosion outside had also subsided. This meant that this man-made accident had temporarily come to an end.
What had tampered with the authority of the door and sealed the laboratory?
What had controlled the Elemental Oscillator Meter and caused the explosion?
Qi Yuan used [Scan] to inspect every corner of the laboratory. In the end, he only found the Mutated Energy Weapon that hadn't been fully activated. Other than that, there was only the Corrupted Energy Weapon that he had collected from the prison. The storage device provided by the one-armed woman was extremely sturdy. That was why it hadn't been destroyed in the explosion.
Qi Yuan furrowed his brows.
Where did the other Corrupted Energy Weapon go?
Since the storage device provided by the one-armed woman could protect the integrity of the Corrupted Energy Weapon, it naturally could also protect the 12- 00055 Corrupted Energy Weapon.
Qi Yuan carefully searched every corner of the laboratory. In the end, under the charred ruins, he found the opened storage box.
Qi Yuan's heart jumped. It had actually been opened!
If he was still an ordinary person, Qi Yuan might have suspected that he had accidentally opened it and forgotten to close it. However, with the powerful memory of the Data Center, he clearly remembered that he had only performed a simple inspection on it before closing it again.
No outsiders had entered the laboratory. The Blazing Angel wouldn't have done such a thing.
Was there a problem with the storage box?
Or was there a problem with the 12- 00055 Corrupted Energy Weapon?
Qi Yuan's eyes flashed. He once again used [Scan] to conduct a comprehensive search of the entire laboratory. However, he couldn't find the 12- 00055 Corrupted Energy Weapon. It was as if it had disappeared into thin air.
Although the explosion just now was very intense, destroying almost everything in the laboratory, it was impossible for it to erase all traces of the 12- 00055 Corrupted Energy Weapon.
After all, it was a Rank 4 Corrupted Energy Weapon. Even if it was damaged in the explosion, it couldn't have disappeared so cleanly.
Just as Qi Yuan was deep in thought, a heavy rumbling sound came from the direction of the laboratory's door.
The tightly sealed door was forcefully opened from the outside. Beams of light shone in from the outside. Without waiting for the smoke to disperse, all the wandering lights gathered on Qi Yuan's body.
At the same time, Qi Yuan felt several energy guns locking onto him. An extremely dangerous aura came from them. This feeling meant that these energy guns had the ability to threaten his life.
"The person inside, report your identity!" The person standing outside the door said in a deep voice.
"Level 2 Researcher, Qi Yuan!" Qi Yuan said.
After a few seconds of silence, the energy guns locked onto him still didn't move their muzzles.
"Researcher Qi, the situation is urgent. Please stop what you are doing and leave the laboratory immediately!"
Qi Yuan frowned. Only now did he realize that the situation wasn't as simple as he thought. However, with so many energy guns locked onto him, and with so many Rankers on the other side, he didn't have any room to struggle.
He could only walk out of the laboratory alone.
Qi Yuan didn't rashly activate his Area Detection to observe the people outside. Only when he walked out of the smoke-shrouded laboratory did he realize that the people outside weren't the laboratory's emergency rescue team, but people from the Public Order Department.
Five staff members from the Public Order Department stood in a row at the entrance of the laboratory. The person in the lead had a pair of electronic mechanical eyes. A red light flashed in his eyes as he scanned Qi Yuan's body.
"Researcher Qi, regarding this incident, we have some questions that we would like to ask you. Please follow us to the Public Order Department."
Qi Yuan's gaze swept past the five people and nodded.
"There's still a mutated energy weapon in the laboratory that hasn't been destroyed. Remember to keep it safe for me." Qi Yuan said as he tossed out the sealed Corrupted Energy Weapon in his hand.
"Keep this experimental material safe for me as well!"
One of the Public Order Department staff held a gun in one hand and received the sealed Corrupted Energy Weapon that Qi Yuan tossed over with the other. He carefully kept it safe.