Kingdom of Corrosion
Chapter 782 - 353 Hell’s Gate_2

Chapter 782: Chapter 353 Hell’s Gate_2

Carrying a load at 50% capacity is one challenge, while at 200%, it is impossible to run or move stealthily; one can only walk normally. As the spearhead, Lin Wu’s load couldn’t exceed 50%, which is about 18 kilograms (ascending body load has its bonuses), but he had to carry the giant weapon Forest Wolf, ready to confront the threat of the Titan at any time.

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Is the next target the 17th floor? Theoretically, the 17th floor is highly suspect, but for Dawn, reverse analysis must be applied. However, Dawn might also employ reverse analysis. Consequently, they finally decided to head to the 17th floor.

The overall structure of the hotel wasn’t cubic; below the 17th floor it was a square. Half of the area on the 17th floor was an outdoor terrace. The floor area of the buildings above the 18th floor was only half of the footprint.

The indoor area of the 17th floor consisted of a bar, sauna, and foot bath, among other recreational facilities. The outdoor area’s swimming pool was divided into three types: one was the constant-temperature pool for children, which included one large pool and three slide-style smaller pools; another was a large amusement pool with various water attractions; and the third was a standard large pool.

When the elevator doors opened, the intense confrontation they had anticipated didn’t happen. Instead, they were met with a blood-covered NPC lying on the ground, pleading for help, with a 3-minute countdown over her head. With shields on either side for cover, Shana stripped off the NPC’s clothes to confirm she wasn’t bitten and infected with the virus, thereby allowing Little Knife to take her to the rooftop first.

The layout was a simple T-shape, with the elevator area as the vertical line and corridors on both sides. Turning left and walking 15 meters would lead them to the outdoors. After dealing with the NPC, spearhead Lin Wu stepped out of the elevator area and saw two NPCs wearing hazmat suits with the inverted Fortress logo; one of them was executing another NPC dressed in regular clothing.

What’s going on? Lin Wu turned his head to the right, where he saw two more NPCs in protective suits. Upon eye contact with them, the enemies immediately grabbed their rifles, and Lin Wu swiftly dove back, with a burst of bullets hitting the wall.

Lin Wu: "Fortress NPCs are clearing out the NPCs, there are enemies on both sides."

Maya called out, "Snow Egg to the left, I’ll take the right, go." Crouching low, with one shield each, they moved out, greeted by bullets.

Maya’s pistol protruded from her cover, she fired a shot hitting one NPC and forcing another to take cover in the sauna. Meanwhile, Shana and Lin Wu waited behind their shields and seized the opportunity to fire, taking down two Fortress mercenaries.

The Fallen Fortress mercenaries dropped two cards, corresponding to their fully loaded guns and the 30 rounds of ammunition used by the firearms. Additionally, there was a command letter.

The gist of the command letter was that a virus leak had occurred at the hotel, originating on the 17th floor, and Fortress had ordered its mercenaries to reach the 17th floor of the hotel immediately. They were to seal off the 17th floor, cut off its communication with the outside, and kill everyone.

It also included some background story. It had been mentioned before that there were people who, intending to protect the Earth from human harm, planned to eradicate humanity using a virus. The current incident might be the work of these individuals.

According to information discovered later, the story of this event started from the 17th floor of this hotel.

After the virus broke out, the city was put on lockdown, with those working in office buildings staying put, and those at home staying home. But due to the saboteurs, the lockdown not only failed to have the intended effect, it also blocked the escape routes of healthy people, and the city became the first fully-fallen major human settlement.

Since the virus originated from Fortress Company’s lab, once it was known that the villains were causing disaster on the 17th floor of the hotel, Fortress Company immediately dispatched mercenary troops to airdrop onto the 17th floor. Mercenaries were akin to outsourced labor dispatch staff, allowing Fortress Company to dissociate themselves from any direct involvement. As for Fortress agents, they were part of the official roster and completely different in nature.

Just after reading the letter, Lin Wu, who was already outside, sent a warning: "Helicopter incoming, new personnel are likely being dispatched."

Maya: "Retreat to the elevator area first." Calculating the time, Little Knife should have already lit the bonfire, and they would need to wait a few more minutes for the elevator to return.

Realizing this, Maya understood just how malicious Dawn was. It had previously neither arranged for Fortress mercenaries nor opened fire or made a sound, simply waiting for you to take the NPC away. Because there was a countdown above the NPC’s head, and as saving the NPC was a mainline mission, players could not ignore it. Once the elevator left, Fortress mercenaries appeared. If Shadow hadn’t been so fierce in firepower and hadn’t found two shields, they might have suffered casualties at the first encounter.

Even more shamelessly, when the opposition realized they couldn’t beat Shadow, they began to lure others in.

Shana tossed a smoke grenade to the left and carelessly fired a couple of shots along the wall. A grenade landed in front of Shana, but the prepared shield bearer Snow Egg shifted to protect her. After the explosion, Snow Egg and the shield stood unwavering. On the other side, Maya threw a Shock Bomb to the right and then joined Lin Wu in leaving cover, killing three mercenaries who had closed in to 7 meters. Maya provided cover while Lin Wu ran forward to collect the three rifles and retreated back to the elevator area.

The elevator area featured a service desk that normally provided consultation services for guests. The wired phone on the service desk started ringing amid their intense firefight. Shana backed up to answer the phone and put it on speaker: "Hello," while staying vigilant on the left flank.

"Help me."

Shana: "Who are you?"

"I’m the hotel manager. I and two guests are trapped in the sauna room’s steam chamber."

Shana asked, "Is it said that you know of the legendary Hell’s Gate?"

"Help, we’re dying."

Shana looked at Maya and said, "We have to save him."

Short on manpower, Maya checked the right side, which had seen no new mercenaries appear, and the sauna entrance was just seven meters away on the right. But the three mercenaries from earlier had used the wall corner at the sauna entrance for cover, making it uncertain how many more mercenaries were inside.

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