Li Mei sprinted around a corner at top speed, only to find herself facing a mass of Morteworms surging out of another vent. Worms in front, worms behind.

The colony behind started to pull itself together faster, making disgusting wet noises as it wiggled in her direction. In front a couple lone worms were inching their way toward her with tiny mouths ringed in teeth held wide open, eagerly anticipating a delicious meal.

Li Mei grit her teeth and pulled several vials of hydrochloric acid from storage, throwing them with all her might toward the colony blocking her path. Before even seeing the reaction, she stabbed at the lone worms with her staff with all the ferocity and desperation of a housewife ridding her kitchen of spiders.

Ka-sha!

The vials shattered on impact, splashing their contents all over the worms.

Much to her surprise, the reaction was far beyond what she expected. The colony writhed and undulated, slamming against the walls as the worms splashed by acid dissolved, melting into puddles of disgusting goop. Any worms that touched the goop also started to melt, forcing the colony to retreat into rooms on either side of the hall to avoid the spreading puddle.

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[New Skill]

You have learned [Throw Lv.1]!

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[Quest Progress - Skillset]

Learned Throw Lv.1

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[Weakness Discovered]

Morteworms have no physical defenses individually, and appear to have exaggerated weakness to harmful chemical substances!

New information added to Archive.

Reward: 100000 EXP

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Li Mei's mauve eyes sparkled with excitement as she jumped over the disgusting puddle, bubbling and squirming with the remains of the melting Morteworms. Her Scan skill was maxed out, but only displayed and saved information potentially obtainable through relatively common means. Esoteric and specialized information would not be uncovered without prerequisite knowledge, skills, or spells.

Apparently discovering new - or at least uncommon - information was a potential source of EXP! At least as long as she discovered it through her own experiences, since she never got EXP for reading books to learn.

'Looks like I have to try lots of new things. The Interface is really lenient towards me. Even the EXP gains have been generous ever since I went so far into debt, like it's trying to help me pay it off.' Li Mei chuckled to herself, impaling a Rake through the head with her staff and prying out its Core at top speed before continuing on her way. 'If it drops back to awarding smaller amounts when I'm no longer in the negatives, I'll know for sure it was lending a hand.'

The closer she got to Lab 3, the more enemies she stumbled across. Rakes were the most common, while thankfully Morteworms were the least. There were also furred beasts with too many eyes and mouths called Wurgs that roamed in packs of four but were only the size of small dogs. Despite their diminutive stature, or perhaps because of it, Wurgs were extremely vicious and shredded prey down to the bone while it was still alive.

Li Mei and Bao ran across Wurgs in the forest sometimes, and they both witnessed the small creature's ferocity for themselves. She didn't dare underestimate them just because of their size and lack of numbers.

Wurgs were best dealt with by luring them into hallways and blocking off the exits with barriers, then tossing gas vials over to make them suffocate. The scent of blood would send them into berserking frenzy, making her various shallow injuries excellent bait. They would turn on any injured packmates, so any Wurg who got a face full of acid or who inhaled too much gas and coughed up blood because of it would be immediately destroyed by erstwhile allies.

Li Mei experimented with barrier placement even as she made her way through throngs of enemies toward the Lab. Her barriers didn't need to be touching the ground when she created them, and with careful visualization and enough concentrated control she could make floating platforms seemingly anchored in space. Unless she wanted them to move they wouldn't budge without being destroyed by taking damage.

She could summon up to three barriers at once and only circle or square shapes, but being able to dispel them at will to summon new ones in different locations increased the functionality enough that Li Mei wasn't too bothered.

If a nearby vent grate rattled as she ran, she didn't hesitate to block it with a barrier to prevent Morteworms emerging in her path. Once she was a few steps away and safely out of immediate range she removed the barrier again.

The Class-C Keycard she looted off a random researcher's body finally turned out to be useful as she approached the Lab - the hallway she chose happened to be blocked by a sealed security gate, but the Keycard was able to open it long enough to let her pass.

On the other side of the gate, dozens of bodies were crammed into a pile, many still clutching companions even in death as though they fought each other while trying to claw their way through the barrier trapping them in the hall. Bloody handprints and pieces of gore covered the walls as a new layer of macabre paint. Deep claw marks gouged the ceiling, floors, and walls.

Behind the pile of people corpses were several dozen dead Rakes, Wurgs, Phytons, even Vine Crawlers. At least the researchers put up a fight before they got cornered, though it may have been thanks to the cluster of soldiers who died with their backs to the scientists and their hands on their weapons.

Li Mei wrinkled her nose in distaste and jumped over the corpse pile. She paused long enough to retrieve any intact Cores, completing a Quest objective with relative ease and convenience.

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[Quest Progress - Escape]

Obtained Cores 30/30

Awarded +1 DEX

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Lab 3 looked like a warehouse or airplane hangar converted into a block of holding cells. The middle of the lab was occupied by sturdy metal tables of various sizes, surrounded by equipment specialized for moving and securing unwilling creatures. Each table had a bright spotlight focused on it, starkly contrasting the dim lighting available in the rest of the room. Visibility was so poor it made Li Mei uncomfortable, checking her minimap every few seconds and stretching her senses to the maximum.

Dozens of different cages were stacked against the walls within her field of view - glass paneled cubes, rusted metal storage containers with air holes punched into the sides, even classic iron barred cages. Several were large enough to house a Verasus while others were the perfect size to hold Wurgs or Phytons.

One enormous metal cage in the back was even capable of holding the giant Earth Wyrm Li Mei ran across in the forest! That one bore claw marks matching the ones in the hallways, deep and vicious and more than a little intimidating. Its walls awkwardly bulged outward from the force of something inside struggling for freedom.

Something large, mean, and nowhere in sight.

All cages she could see were empty judging by the lack of response on her map. Some were broken, bars bent or glass walls shattered, while others simply hung open with their doors barely clinging to their hinges.

Just like everywhere else, corpses littered the area. Scientists in lab coats, soldiers with weapons, and an assortment of creatures. Overhead a latticed metal walkway formed a second floor: bodies draped on railings like drying laundry, dismembered limbs and gaping wounds dripping blood to the ground below.

Shuddering, Li Mei glanced around the room cautiously from the safety of the doorway. Sense had a limited range, 50 meters at her current Lv.3 rank, not nearly far enough to check the entire cavernous lab from the door. But with the area wreathed in shadow and the smell of viscera so pungent she hesitated to venture further.

'Someone's injured and needs help, but at the first sign of Too Much I'll just... Run for it and abandon the bonus objective. No need risking my neck for a random stranger even if it awards a CON point. Right? Right!' Li Mei steeled herself, then crouched low to the ground and slipped into the lab.

According to the map, each laboratory was more like a hive connected to the other lab hives via tunnels large enough to move the biggest creature cages through. Numerous smaller rooms were accessible only through the warehouse-like central area of each lab.

Li Mei crept forward, staying low to the ground and close to the wall. She strained her ears listening for sounds of movement or breathing, taking a step after exhaling when she heard only silence.

The first room she checked had a bloody table with a tray of used medical instruments toppled on its side, scattering said tools across the ground. Vials on the counters were smashed, strange liquids sending a foul stench into the air.

Most of the other rooms were much the same until Li Mei entered one near the back of the lab. Her eyes lit up when she saw large table with a computer on top, the screen still on and displaying the same logo used for decoration all over the research facility: a flying oriole superimposed over a circle and holding a mantis in its beak.

Simple, to the point. Good logo.

Li Mei pressed her hand to the computer, frowning when a holoscreen popped up.

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[Quest Progress - Escape]

Downloading information. Please remain in contact with computer for duration of download or Quest bonus objective will fail.

ETA: 7 minutes

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She immediately turned toward the door, preparing for a horde of creatures to assault her with impeccable timing, but the lab was still silent.

Just in case, Li Mei put her staff away and hopped up on the table, flat against its smooth surface, palm of one hand pressed to the computer the whole time.

Minutes ticked by and silence reigned. Li Mei fought the urge to yawn.

With only two minutes left on the timer, the silence was interrupted by a faint rustling noise.

A creature like an enormous millipede scuttled into the room, long antennae twitching. Its body was so large around a grown man couldn't wrap his arms around one body segment.

Li Mei swallowed a scream.

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[Titanic Caustic Millipede (Adult)]

Female

Rank 1 (2.5%)

Their body secretes acid, the strength of which depends on the millipede's Rank. This millipede's acid is likely to burn through cloth and a few layers of your flesh if you come into contact with it, but will not be inherently lethal. Caution is still advised.

Completely blind, but able to sense the body heat of prey with its antennae. The jaws of an adult Titanic Caustic Millipede are able to gnaw through steel.

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The millipede reared up like a spitting cobra, slamming a portion of its upper body against the nearest wall. Its long antennae flailed about, touching all surfaces in reach before the creature slid back down and scuttled to a different part of the room in order to repeat the process.

Li Mei wrinkled her nose in distaste. At least it wasn't a worm.

She lifted her legs when the millipede slammed against the edge of the table she lay on, squirming at rapid speed to avoid coming into contact with its antennae while maintaining her hold on the computer.

The constant scuttling of hundreds of legs was like clattering static, rapid staccatos forming unsettling white noise. The creature circled the table, going over its flat surface then under its belly, sensing body heat yet unable to grab hold of its prey.

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[Quest Progress - Escape]

Archive Download Complete

Awarded +1 STR

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'Time to try something out!'

Li Mei glanced up, summoning a horizontal barrier that seemed to stick out from a wall. Then she leapt from the table to the barrier, skidding and slipping a little on its smooth surface.

'Fixed positioning and weight support, check - thank goodness.'

The noise of her leaping to safety alerted the millipede. It clacked its mandibles and slammed itself against the table, breaking it in half with its massive weight and smashing the computer to pieces.

While the creature threw a hissy fit Li Mei summoned a couple more long but narrow barriers, creating a pathway for herself out of the room to prevent touching the ground and leaving a trail for the millipede to follow.

She shut the door behind her just to be polite.

Li Mei jumped up onto one stack of cages, taking deep breaths to center herself before circulating mana. Her Celestial Crane of the Northern Winds technique had ice-elemental attributes which caused the temperature around her to drop and reduced the amount of body heat she generated. The effect lingered after she finished a circulation session until she'd used 10% of her total mana again.

Dealing with a giant millipede whose body oozed acid and whose jaws could bite through bone wasn't at the top of her priority list. If it hunted by sensing body heat, eliminating said heat was tantamount to becoming invisible.

The millipede burst out of the room, smashing the door into fragmented pieces. It flailed around in fury, twisting and writhing as it sought the prey it sensed then lost.

Li Mei fought to stay calm, forcing her breathing to remain slow and steady without losing control of the mana flow. Losing control led to backlash which caused pain and damage to the body, and could even result in destruction of the Core.

Which, of course, usually ended in death.

So she shut out the noise of the angry millipede flailing around the lab and focused on the pattern of flowing mana.

Breathe in, breathe out.

Breathe in...

"Help!"

Li Mei shivered, eyelashes fluttering. The sudden shriek echoed through the lab, ripping through her concentration like it was made of paper.

"Please, somebody! Anybody..."

Feeling the mana fluctuating dangerously close to the edge of her control, she exhaled sharply and forced her attention back inward.

"Help us! Help... Help me..."

Only when Li Mei finished a full circulation did she open her eyes and slink in the direction of the voice calling for assistance.

The voice sounded strong at first but was fading fast. Every word seemed to drain the person's vitality, until the last plea was just a faint whisper emerging from behind the closed door of a crate-like cage.

Circling the cage was the huge millipede, slamming its heavy body against the metal sides to leave behind big dents. Li Mei narrowed her eyes, pulling the staff out of storage.

Whoever was trapped in the crate could give her some insight into what happened at the research facility and why so many creatures were running rampant. Plus if it was her rescue target she'd get +1 CON!

Li Mei scrambled on top of a tall pile of cages, waiting until the millipede smacked against the cage again before jumping down with the staff pointed at its body. She hoped the force of her weight, plus the height she jumped from, would be enough to pierce the creature's exoskeleton.

Unfortunately reality wasn't so kind.

Sparks lit up the air as the staff point made a horrible screeching noise, grinding against the segmented exoskeleton plate and barely leaving a scratch. The millipede whipped around faster than Li Mei thought possible for something so big, its jaws snapping her staff in half.

"Well, fuck your mother in particular!" Li Mei snapped, bouncing away before the creature could do the same thing to her leg. "And your grandmother, and all your nasty little ancestors too!"

She stole the staff from the farmers before ever entering the forest, and it lasted through countless battles against creatures of all sizes. But a single bite from a millipede snapped her weapon in half.

Fast, strong, good defense. What a troublesome enemy! And she wouldn't even learn special attacks until she fully mastered the foundational basics of the Sky Serpent technique. Spells weren't something Faust left behind for her to learn, either.

"If it oozes acid I doubt the stuff I have will cause damage... Creepy crawlies of all kinds are really so unforgivable," Li Mei sighed, dancing away to avoid the millipede's crazed flailing. She wielded the two staff parts like clubs, smacking at the millipede when it was in range then moving away before it could bite.

She lured the millipede away from one cage and into another with a bit more room. Sensing a more cramped environment the millipede used its size to its advantage, surging to fill the entrance with its body in an odd spiraling movement.

Li Mei swore under her breath, shoving one half of her staff in the millipede's mouth when it lunged at her for a sudden attack. She dove between the thick coils of its body, rolling on impact with the ground and slamming the cage door shut with one quick kick to buy herself an extra few seconds of time.

The heavy magnetic latches snapped shut. When the millipede hit the cage door a moment later the locks held fast, causing Li Mei to stare at them with narrowed eyes.

Since the locks still worked, why were the cages open in the first place?

Someone opened them with a purpose.

It couldn't have been the soldiers she hunted earlier, she already got a Quest completion confirming they were dead. Unless they were incredibly fast runners who infiltrated an entire secret base to open some cages in the lab...

Faust said Oriole Sectors were competitive. Could they have planted a mole?

Li Mei sighed and ran back to the crate-like cage. Whatever, it wasn't her problem.