Chapter 119: Dragging Joe Into a Deadly Trap

After hearing Ye Hai’s words, Javier shook his head slightly, feeling compelled to dampen Ye Hai’s naive expectations.

"The Shesa Sect has four High Priests, each stationed at the cardinal points—north, south, east, and west—of the Sacred Land," Javier explained. "They almost never cross into each other's territories. Given that the laboratories are also distributed across these four directions, if one were to call this a coincidence, I would find it far too abrupt. Perhaps the very purpose of the four High Priests is simply to guard those four corners."

"As for the secret experimental base of Kalan Bio-Genetics, I suspect it is encased in a shell of super-alloy poured deep underground. Otherwise, with the capabilities of the ARMY-3, it should have been able to breach the bedrock and burrow into the lab long ago. Don't forget, those snakes possess the same formidable tunneling abilities as the bio-fortress we are currently riding. If, after all these years, the ARMY-3 still hasn't entered the interior of the lab, then your plan to use the bio-fortress to find an entrance is highly impractical."

In a small meeting like this, which served as a tactical deployment session, Javier immediately set himself apart. Unlike the few corpse-hunters who had no experience in formulating combat plans, Javier could always pinpoint the flaws in a strategy with surgical precision. This was the stark difference between a professional soldier and a ragtag amateur.

After a moment of contemplation, Ye Hai had to admit that Javier’s reasoning held weight. "What about the ventilation shafts, then? Surely the lab must have ventilation?"

Javier stared at Ye Hai with a look of disdain and curled his lip. "Sometimes I really wonder if you’re actually from the Leviathan Galaxy. In deep-underground architecture, the internal ventilation and oxygen systems are constructed according to the standards of a spacecraft’s oxygen recycling system. The interior of the lab is an absolutely independent space, likely even stocked with enough water and food to sustain a certain number of people for a hundred years."

"That should be common knowledge in the Leviathan Galaxy! Although the virus broke out twenty years ago, looking at your age, you should have been in school before the outbreak. How could you not know such basic common sense? The technological level before the Zombie Star era was extremely high!"

Ye Hai’s eye twitched uncontrollably. *What the hell? Deep underground structures are built like spaceships? This is common knowledge? According to Javier, any kid who went to school should know this? What kind of strange courses do they teach on these high-tech planets? As an Earthling, I certainly don't have that kind of common knowledge.*

Just as Ye Hai and Javier were caught in their back-and-forth, Lister, who had been listening from the side, spoke up helplessly: "Gentlemen... given your combined intellect, I think you should both be buried in the pits I've dug."

"Don't worry, I’ve already thought of your epitaphs. One tombstone will read, 'Too stupid to save, therefore dead!' The other will be engraved with, 'Fools have no value in survival.' Consider which one you’d like to claim."

Ye Hai glared fiercely at Lister. "Spit it out! Stop talking to me about your dirt pits and tombstones. When you die, I’ll erect a tablet for you that reads 'Died of a Loose Tongue' to commemorate your wasted life! If you have a solution, say it, otherwise, don't expect a share of the virus samples from the lab!"

Lister sighed, resigned. "You only know how to threaten me! I am your senior brother, after all—shouldn't you show me some proper respect?"

Zero chimed in with a laugh, "A senior brother who spends every day thinking about burying his master and fellow disciples? You’re really something else!"

Lister didn't want to get tangled up in these trivial matters, especially with Zero. Arguing with Ye Hai was a win-lose situation that didn't matter much, but arguing with Zero was different—if you lost, you lost face; if you won, you ended up crippled.

Lister turned, looking listless as he addressed Ye Hai: "The Master’s catalyst can convert the vast majority of alloys into semi-mechanical organisms. As long as we have sufficient virus... and with Liana here, that won't be a problem at all. If we have enough catalyst, it’s not impossible to completely transform the laboratory into a bio-fortress."

After hearing Lister's suggestion, Ye Hai and Javier looked at each other. Javier nodded, saying, "I suppose this dead-faced man has some constructive ideas after all."

Ye Hai grinned in response, "I didn't expect this guy with a head full of machinery to be useful once in a while! Let's do it! We’ll head into the Sacred Land first to confirm if this is indeed the location of the laboratory, and to check on the status of the ARMY-3. After all, with that thing nearby, even if we do break into the lab... I don't feel it’s entirely safe!"

Javier shrugged. "You really are cautious. Since it’s decided, go bring Liana here. But since you mentioned the Dusa Resistance is still lurking near the camp, we should keep three people behind. That means one of us has to go back."

Ye Hai and Javier turned in unison to stare at Lister.

Lister had thought he had a deep understanding of the shamelessness and despicable nature of these two, but today, they had adopted his plan only to kick him to the curb. It made him want to drag them both into a pit and bury them alive.

"Hey, hey, hey! Are you two dogs? You haven't even crossed the river yet, and you're already tearing down the bridge? Without me, could you maximize the effects of the catalyst?"

Ye Hai smiled slightly. "That’s not exactly a complex application. Even that silly girl Liana can use the catalyst to create bio-mechs. There's no reason we can't do it ourselves! So... sorry, you'll have to take one for the team. Zero, go swap with Liana."

The others were stunned. Seeing the mischievous glint in Ye Hai’s eyes, they finally realized that he was just teasing Lister.

Zero looked annoyed. "Why me?"

Ye Hai couldn't be bothered to explain further, tossing out a casual remark: "Joe has been quite energetic lately. Leaving him to look after that blind Saintess for so long... who knows..." He paused, stealing a glance at Zero before continuing: "Don't you think that’s a dangerous situation? When a woman is blind, she’s very prone to falling for someone like Joe!"

At Ye Hai’s words, Zero’s eyes darted rapidly. She glared at him, her tone hostile. "Why do I feel like you're insulting me?"

Ye Hai shrugged, continuing, "You probably don't know, but when the Saintess woke up yesterday, Joe personally spoon-fed her meat porridge. That little girl seems to have never encountered anyone who treated her so well; she was moved to tears!"

Zero’s demeanor instantly turned frantic. "All of you, get out of here! Now! Immediately get the Sea Urchin out of my way..."

Hearing Zero, Ye Hai winked at Lister and Javier and promptly sprinted away.