From Robinson Crusoe

Although he was secretly stalling for time, Vladimirovich did not dare to go too far. After the cave was dug open, his men neatly lowered the long ladder, and the work was finally over.

Back at the vehicle, they turned on the self-heating stove, ate a simple lunch, and then regrouped to begin exploring the first level of the modified base.

……

This time, Alexander's men replaced Vladimirovich's men and became the new reconnaissance team.

Compared to Vladimir Vladimirovich, who was skilled in firearms combat or explosives, Alexander was a typical tech fanatic.

He believes that more advanced technology can reduce their casualties, provide more information, and help them complete their missions better.

Therefore, Alexander's army was equipped with a variety of high-precision firearms, including the FR-F2 sniper rifle and the FAMAS bullpup assault rifle.

The latter can fire rifle grenades directly, causing great damage to large groups of enemies.

In addition, the corps also carried more than a dozen drones and two mechanical dogs converted from civilian to military use. They were also equipped with night vision goggles, timed and directional explosive devices, smoke bombs, incendiary bombs, and other weapons.

Whether facing his own kind on the battlefield, an outsider in the jungle, or a wealthy drug lord in hiding, Alexander can deliver a fatal blow to his enemies with his advanced equipment.

Vladimirovich remained vigilant throughout the operation, but Alexander was unconvinced, believing in the power of modern technology and convinced that the fully armed legion could complete the mission unscathed.

……

The tranquility of the basement's lower level reinforced Alexander's belief.

Small drones shuttle between the separated corridors, and the terrain of the basement level is gradually being outlined on the monitor.

The operator became increasingly bold in his explorations. He no longer focused his attention on every corner, but instead maneuvered the drone swiftly back and forth within the chaotic base like a speeding car, even humming a song.

The drone's wings hummed and roared, while the communication channels remained silent.

The bright light illuminated the corridor as if it were daytime, and the haphazardly placed equipment cast shadows in the bright light.

The protective suit blocked most of Chen Zhou's senses, especially his sense of smell.

He listened intently to all the sounds in the basement, his eyes wide as he scanned the walls on both sides, a sense of unease creeping into his mind.

That was his intuition, the instinct that arose when he stepped into the territory of wild beasts and faced unknown dangers.

The static continued to emanate from the communication channel, a sound that seemed to weigh heavily on everyone's hearts, making them constantly feel as if they were walking on the border between heaven and hell.

Amidst the rustling sound, Chen Zhou suddenly caught the sound of hurried footsteps—

The noise came from underground ahead, like a water snake rapidly approaching Alexander's army's explorers.

Focusing their gaze on the source of the noise, they found a drainage ditch covered with iron plates, and the strange noise was coming from under the ditch.

Chen Zhou quickly switched on the microphone in his ear, trying to remind Alexander to watch his step.

But the explorer continued forward, the sound rapidly approaching. The two converged at the same spot, and although his warning was timely, it could not change the outcome.

……

A giant rat, much larger than the other long-haired rats, pushed open the metal plate of the excavation hole and pounced on the explorer like a mad dog.

In an instant, all the headlamps gathered around the giant rat and the explorer because of the unusual commotion.

Gunshots rang out immediately, and the giant rat pressing down on the explorer was pushed backward by the impact of the bullets.

Before the explorers could react, the iron plates covering the drainage ditch beneath their feet were repeatedly lifted up, and the rat swarm launched a second attack.

Caught off guard, the members of Alexander's legion were forced to fight individually.

The solid walls in the corridor provided them with reliable cover. With their backs against the walls, they either held a corner alone or in pairs, raising their guns and firing at the giant rats.

The spent cartridge cases fell to the ground, gleaming metallically in the bright light.

Amidst the chaotic interplay of light and shadow, Chen Zhou managed to make out the appearance of these giant rats. They were clearly different from the long-haired rats at the entrance of the burrow.

Besides their darker, thicker fur, they also had larger ears and more robust limbs. What was particularly striking was that they had two sharp, curved tusks extending from the sides of their mouths, which reminded Chen Zhou of mammoths.

These "mammoth rats" were much stronger than the ordinary long-haired rats at the entrance of the cave, and their long tusks increased their lethality. With their numerical advantage, they quickly broke through the defenses of Alexander's army and rushed to the rear.

Faced with the escaped fugitive, Ivan's confidant finally opened fire.

Their fighting style was very similar to that of the soldiers of the Vladimirovich Regiment. They preferred to eliminate the enemy with precise burst fire, and would never fire a second shot if they could avoid it. They had an almost stingy and demanding requirement for ammunition consumption.

No matter how strong a giant rat is, it is still just a rat.

Not to mention that their size is only comparable to that of a medium-sized dog, even the mammoths they imitate are no match for humans.

The one-sided massacre ended quickly.

Alexander regrouped his troops, ignoring Vladimirovich's taunts, and ordered everyone to first check if any giant rats remained in the sewers, then had the drone operators retrieve the drones, before finally checking for any injuries.

……

Although the bullet-filled blockade blocked most of the giant rats' attack, their sudden attack was completely unexpected. In the chaos, two warriors' protective suits were torn, with tears in their thighs, revealing their combat uniforms underneath.

The Geiger counter alarm never stopped, and Alexander had intended for the two men to return to the convoy on their own, change into new combat uniforms, and then come back.

Unexpectedly, after looking at the long, dark passage behind them, they ultimately chose to stay there.

The team insisted on this choice, and Alexander, fearing a shortage of manpower, readily agreed.

They had all taken iodine tablets, and the effects of short-term exposure to low-intensity radiation on their bodies were not serious.

Half a century has passed since the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, and the base is quite a distance from Chernobyl. Even today, the radiation levels here are not unacceptable.

……

The rodent attack forced Alexander's army to abandon their carefree attitude and begin to concentrate on exploring steadily and cautiously.

Almost every inch of the land they trod was carefully inspected.

However, the raid seemed to have only happened once. After leaving behind a pile of corpses, the rat swarm disappeared without a trace, and the base returned to its quiet state.

I walked through the office area and the medical room, around the dormitory corridor, stepped on the tattered clothes scattered in the corridor, and left my footprints in the thick dust.

After walking about 300 meters, Chen Zhou noticed that the decorative style on both sides of the corridor suddenly changed, from a serious modern Suzhou-style minimalist style to a gorgeous religious style.

At the same time, the voice of Ivan's confidant came through the communication channel.

"Attention all, we have arrived at the confessional."

"Raise your guard. We're about to enter through the secret passage in the confessional and head deeper into the second basement level."

The voice ended, but the hissing noise continued.

Just as Chen Zhou was about to continue forward with the group, Ivan suddenly patted him on the shoulder.

Turning around, through the transparent mask, Chen Zhou noticed that Ivan's eyes, which were hidden by his dry hair, were bloodshot, and his eyeballs bulged out of their sockets as if they were about to roll off his face.

Then he heard Ivan talking to himself.

"Chen, can you hear that? The sound of hymns being sung..."

With a warning bell ringing in his mind, Chen Zhou abruptly shook off Ivan's hand that had landed on his shoulder.

Before he could figure out what was happening, he saw two gunshots fired from the confessional.

With the sound of gunpowder exploding, two Alexander's Legion soldiers, who were outside the confessional and hadn't yet entered, fell to the ground. (End of Chapter)