This was a very dangerous job. However, as of this moment, Chen Xiaolian had no other options. He cannot assign this job to others as well and could only step out on his own.
Chen Xiaolian quickly inspected his diving suit. Then, he equipped the oxygen tank and grabbed the tactical vest with the hand grenades.
“Drain the capsule, then I will go out! You need to open the door for me to move out of this submersible vehicle. Make sure you maintain the current speed! Understand? No matter what happens, do not slow down!”
Chen Xiaolian gave out his orders and Fujino Masayoshi quickly nodded – this fellow would clearly prefer to move this submersible vehicle out of here as fast as possible.
“You keep an eye on him,” Chen Xiaolian turned to look at Nagase Komi. Nagase Komi, who was trembling, nodded her head.
Chen Xiaolian quickly opened the door into the sealed capsule and moved outside the room. After the submersible vehicle’s hatch was opened, Chen Xiaolian quickly climbed out.
The submersible vehicle moved forward, causing a surge of rushing water to flow by. Chen Xiaolian grabbed onto the handle on the external surface of the submersible vehicle before using a rope to tie his body to the handle.
Chen Xiaolian became like a fish, tied to the submersible vehicle as it kept moving forward.
Wearing underwater goggles, Chen Xiaolian could barely make out Tian Lie’s incoming figure. It appeared that Tian Lie’s speed has increased somewhat.
Chen Xiaolian bit onto the oxygen tube and snorted. He did his best to stick to the surface of the submersible vehicle as he produced the tactical vest. Retrieving one of the hand grenades, he pulled out the ring from the grenade and threw it to the back.
The rate at which the hand grenade was thrown under the water was not too fast. Thankfully, the submersible vehicle was constantly moving forward.
BOOM!
An underwater explosion erupted outward ten meters from behind the submersible vehicle.
The resulting water surge and shockwave produced by the explosion caused the area behind the submersible vehicle to become a blurry scene of chaos.
To Chen Xiaolian’s disappointment, he quickly caught sight of Tian Lie. Tian Lie’s figure charged out from among the turbulence of turbid waters and he continued chasing after the submersible vehicle.
Again!
Chen Xiaolian retrieved another hand grenade and tossed it out as well.
BOOM!
This time, the resulting explosion was very good. Chen Xiaolian’s luck was in his favour as the radius of explosion enveloped Tian Lie’s figure!
Tian Lie’s figure tilted from the explosion and he nearly fell to the surface of the channel walls.
This setback cost Tian Lie at least ten seconds!
Chen Xiaolian continued sticking close to the submersible vehicle as he tossed out one grenade after another to the back.
Bursts of underwater explosions rocked the area behind the submersible vehicle continuously, causing Tian Lie’s speed to decrease significantly.
Chen Xiaolian watched as Tian Lie’s figure grew more distant from the submersible vehicle. Soon, not even Tian Lie’s figure could be seen.
Chen Xiaolian tossed out the final hand grenade and turned around to head into the sealed capsule of the submersible vehicle. After closing the hatch, Chen Xiaolian knocked the door to the interior of the submersible.
Fujino Masayoshi quickly drained all the water inside the sealed capsule before opening the doors to the interior, allowing Chen Xiaolian to climb inside.
After entering, Chen Xiaolian rolled on the floor and gasped for a moment. “Son of a bitch! A pity there is nothing better available. If there are any explosives, I could just blow up the channel behind us and make it collapse. That way, the fellow would be trapped.”
“Guild Leader? He is not chasing after us…” Nagase Komi screamed out in delight.
“Do not be too happy just yet. There is quite some distance between us. However, he must still be right behind us,” Chen Xiaolian shook his head. “He will never let us go while hand grenades simply would not do much to him. Hand grenades could only delay him and pull the distance between us.”
Chen Xiaolian was not too concerned with having Tian Lie following them. All they need to do was maintain some distance from Tian Lie. According to the system, as long as they exit the channel… they would have met the requirement set by the system: Leave the research institute!
By doing so, they would have completed the system’s quest and could leave immediately! At that time, they simply need not care about Tian Lie!
Chen Xiaolian was currently concerned something else. The people from the other group!
Qiao Qiao, Soo Soo and the others!
Even until now, he had yet to receive any system prompt.
Generally speaking, if Qiao Qiao and the others were able to complete the other quest, the system should have issued out a prompt.
However, there was still no prompt… could it be? Could their quest remain unfinished even now?
The Bio-transformation Faction’s quest… is it that difficult?
With Nicole, the Floating Angel with them, they were still incapable of completing the quest?
…
The countdown had ended!
In the final moment when the countdown ended, Nagase Komi let out a sharp scream. However, nothing happened. Nagase Komi looked at Chen Xiaolian and Fujino Masayoshi with a puzzled expression.
Chen Xiaolian’s face was grim as he said. “Even though the self-destruct has begun, it will take some time before it reaches this place. Be prepared for it!”
As expected… in merely ten seconds of time…
The entire underwater channel shook fiercely!
The flow of water suddenly became turbulent!
“It is here!” Chen Xiaolian shouted loudly. “Hold on tight! Fujino Masayoshi, keep moving forward at full speed!”
“I know!” Fujino Masayoshi’s expression twisted and he let loose a loud roar himself! His pair of eyes had turned red.
The submersible vehicle moved forward amid the trembling underwater channel and “weng weng” sounds hummed out from the submersible’s propeller!
The faint collapsing sounds of certain parts of the underwater channel could be heard. Following that, debris fell down onto the surface of the submersible vehicle.
Nagase Komi knelt on the floor; both her hands were clutching her head as tears flowed out from her eyes. Chen Xiaolian grasped tightly onto a handle while his other hand held onto Roddy to stop Roddy’s body from rolling around.
“The exit is just up front!” Fujino Masayoshi suddenly shouted out in delight.
The underwater lights installed onto the submersible vehicle illuminated the chaotic turbulence before them, revealing a dome shaped exit…
However, there was a metal fence fixed upon the exit…
“Smash through it!” Chen Xiaolian roared loudly. “Smash it! This moment will determine whether we live or die!”
“A a a a ah!” Fujino Masayoshi twisted his face and he howled out frantically.
…
BOOM!
On the seabed’s continental shelf, a splintered metal fence was smashed out of a metal pipe and a yellow submersible vehicle charged out from the pipe!
It charged out together with a gushing flow of water before veering into the sea.
The front part of the submersible vehicle was deformed and some parts had caved inward. Even the metal parts were deformed.
“Move up!” Chen Xiaolian saw that cracks were appearing on the surface of the reinforced glass of the sealed capsule. He quickly shouted. “This vehicle would not be able to last much longer! Hurry up and move to the surface!”
…
When the submersible vehicle broke through the surface of the water, Nagase Komi broke out in tears of joy as she sobbed.
Tears and snot were all over the bald girl’s face. The same could be said about Fujino Masayoshi who knelt down as his hand kept grasping tightly onto the control panel, tears flowing down his cheeks.
As for Chen Xiaolian, he displayed a complicated look.
Through the cracked glass, he could view the blue sky and seas.
One whole night had passed since the moment they entered the underground research institute.
It was currently early in the morning outside.
The sun could be seen slowly rising upon the horizontal surface of the sea.
Waves washed over the surface of the submersible vehicle.
Chen Xiaolian could not hold it in and he exhaled deeply before issuing a laugh.
Soon however, a puzzled expression came over him.
“Why… why hasn’t the system issued out a notification?”
That is not right! That is not right!
Logically speaking, once they left the research institute, they should have completed the quest! They should be able to leave the instance dungeon!
At present though, there was no notification from the system!
No notification!
They were also not teleported out of this instance dungeon.
What is going on here?
As Chen Xiaolian was feeling puzzled…
The notification from the system arrived!
Seeing the notification, Chen Xiaolian was quick to feel delighted. However, after he read the notification from the system… his face sank!
Hunt Prolonging Card?
What the Hell is that thing?
Chen Xiaolian was both shocked and furious.
Chen Xiaolian quickly tapped open the [B] class Hunt Prolonging Card part of the system notification. As expected, there was a description available.
“…” Chen Xiaolian gnashed his teeth. “TIAN! LIE!”
Chen Xiaolian suddenly understood why Tian Lie did not seem to be in a hurry to chase after them. Instead, Tian Lie had simply trailed them!
Chen Xiaolian abruptly ran to Fujino Masayoshi’s side and pulled him up with one hand. “Stop crying! We need to hurry up and leave! Hurry!”
Fujino Masayoshi was flabbergasted at being caught up by Chen Xiaolian. Chen Xiaolian shouted. “Hurry! Do not ask anything! Just hurry up and leave this place!”
“We… where should we go?”
“Damn it! Of course we will go to the land!” Chen Xiaolian’s forehead turned red with rage.
Of course, we have to get to land! We cannot stay in the sea!
At present, their side only had the miniature submarine! If they were to move out to the seas and the power ran out, they will be stuck in that one location. Once Tian Lie found them, they will have nowhere to run to!
The only way for them to survive was to get to land. Then, they will think of a way to deal with Tian Lie.
“Yes, yes…” Fujino Masayoshi did not know why Chen Xiaolian was so agitated. However, he dared not disobey Chen Xiaolian’s orders.
Fujino Masayoshi quickly retrieved a GPS positioning device.
“We are currently at Tokyo Bay… the distance between our current position and land is… 40 nautical miles,” Fujino Masayoshi said. “Our maximum speed is 15 knots. In other words, to return to land will take us around two and a half hours or three hours.”
“Do not be long-winded! Hurry! Hurry!”
Fujino Masayoshi quickly started up the propeller and the submersible vehicle began to sail across the surface of the water, moving toward land.
Around ten minutes after the submersible vehicle left the area…
A bald head emerged from under the sea, breaking through the surface of the waters there.
Tian Lie’s body emerged from the surface of the sea. He stood naked upon the water surface and the magnificent muscles upon his body brimmed with a striking sense of savagery.
Tian Lie felt the drops of water slowly trickling down his cheeks as he revealed a ferocious grin. “Ten more hours to go… enough for an interesting hunt to unfold! Run! Hurry up and run! It would be best if you can go find that Floating Angel!”