Tomb raider: You're going to extract my alien bloodline?

Chapter 6 Covering the Rear

The blood-soaked corpse's violent roar was like a tangible shockwave, making one's eardrums ache and sending chills down one's spine. The pungent stench of death was almost tangible, making one's stomach churn.

"My goodness!" the fat man cried out, staring at the terrifying dark red figure that had risen upright from the coffin. His legs trembled, and half of the strength he had used to run away vanished instantly.

At this critical moment, Qin Yuan shoved the still-stunned fat man and growled, "Fatty! You run first! Get out the way you came!"

"Huh? And what about you?!" the fat man asked instinctively.

"I'll cover their retreat!" Qin Yuan's gaze sharpened as he looked at Zhang Qiling, who had already drawn his Black Gold Ancient Blade and was ready for battle. Although it was only a brief encounter, he could sense that among everyone present, only the taciturn Zhang Qiling was capable of dealing with this terrifying blood corpse. And he, possessing alien bloodline and combat instincts, was by no means without a fighting chance.

The fat man glanced at Qin Yuan, then at Zhang Qiling, who exuded a cold aura yet inexplicably gave people a sense of security. He gritted his teeth and said, "Damn it! Little Blackie, hang in there! I'll wait for you outside! Don't fight!" After saying that, he didn't hesitate any longer and turned around to run frantically towards the depths of the tomb passage, in the direction they had guessed was the exit.

The blood-red corpse seemed to have identified the living who disturbed its slumber. Its murky white eyes locked onto Qin Yuan and Zhang Qiling, who were closest to it, or rather, onto all intruders radiating life. It suddenly leaped out of the coffin, its movements stiff yet incredibly swift. Its dark red, withered claws, carrying a foul stench, lashed out straight at Qin Yuan's face!

The speed is astonishing!

Qin Yuan's pupils shrank sharply. Almost instinctively, he used the entrenching tool in his hand as a shield and suddenly blocked forward!

"clang--!"

A piercing clang of metal clashing rang out as the blood-soaked corpse's claws slashed several deep gashes into the steel shovel. The immense force sent shivers down Qin Yuan's spine, and he staggered back several steps, horrified. That thing was incredibly strong!

Just as the blood corpse missed its attack and let out an angry growl, preparing to pounce on Qin Yuan, who was still unsteady on his feet, a black figure moved.

Zhang Qiling had been calmly observing. In the instant the blood corpse's old power dissipated and its new power had not yet arisen, he moved! Swift as a ghost, still as a virgin, and swift as a rabbit! He did not draw his sword, but instead ducked low to avoid the blood corpse's waving arm, delivering a swift and sharp hand chop that precisely struck the side of the blood corpse's knee joint!

"Crack!" A sickeningly loud sound of bone breaking rang out.

The blood-soaked corpse's forward momentum abruptly halted, letting out a painful roar as one leg nearly collapsed to the ground. Zhang Qiling's attack, in terms of timing, angle, and power, was executed flawlessly, showcasing superhuman combat skills and a profound understanding of inhuman creatures.

Qin Yuan was shocked, thinking to himself, "Impressive! Is this Zhang Qiling's strength? Truly living up to his reputation!"

He dared not be negligent. Taking advantage of the moment when the blood corpse was injured and its movements were slightly slower, the cold power in his body surged. He used the entrenching tool as a spear and thrust it fiercely into the blood corpse's chest with all his might!

"Pfft!"

The shovel tip managed to pierce the blood corpse's withered yet resilient chest, but not deep enough to penetrate the flesh, as if it had pierced through tough old cowhide. Dark red, viscous blood oozed from the wound, dripping onto the ground with a hissing, corrosive sound.

The blood corpse, severely wounded, went into a frenzy! It swung its arm wildly with incredible force. Qin Yuan only had time to hold his entrenching tool horizontally in front of him before he was swept away by a tremendous force, crashing heavily into the tomb wall. The entrenching tool flew out of his hand and clattered to the ground.

"Clang!"

A clear, resonant hum, like a dragon's roar, rang out! The black-gold ancient sword, wrapped in cloth, was suddenly drawn, its blade flashing a chilling light in the dim light of the headlamp! The sword was ancient in appearance, yet it carried an aura of sharpness capable of annihilating everything!

He flashed away, dodging the blood corpse's frenzied attack, and his black gold ancient sword, accompanied by a piercing shriek that tore through the air, slashed straight at the blood corpse's neck!

"Roar!" The blood corpse seemed to sense the threat of the blow and raised its other intact arm to block.

"clang!!"

Sparks flew everywhere! The black gold ancient sword struck the blood corpse's arm, producing a sound like metal being struck! But the blade was so sharp that it still managed to cut several inches in, and dark red blood spurted out!

The blood corpse seemed to be in pain, and its attack slowed slightly. Zhang Qiling retreated immediately after his attack, showing no intention of lingering, and shouted to Qin Yuan, who was leaning against the wall panting, "Go!"

Qin Yuan understood. He knew that this blood corpse was thick-skinned, incredibly strong, and seemed to have no fatal weaknesses, making it impossible to kill in a short time. If they continued to fight, and it went completely berserk or attracted other things, they would all perish here.

He suppressed the surging blood in his chest and abdomen, glanced at the entrenching tool on the ground, didn't pick it up, and turned to run wildly in the direction the fat man had fled. Zhang Qiling swung his knife, forcing back another attack from the blood corpse, and followed closely behind like the wind.

The blood-soaked corpse roared in resentment from behind, dragging its injured leg, which slowed it down, but it still relentlessly pursued. The heavy footsteps and howls echoed through the tomb passage, like a demonic siren calling for death.

The two ran wildly through the dimly lit and complex tomb passage, the roars of blood-soaked corpses and heavy footsteps echoing behind them, but the distance between them was gradually increasing.

"This way!" Relying on his enhanced memory and senses, Qin Yuan was the first to locate the faint footprints left by the fat man as he hastily fled, and a faint, almost imperceptible "scent" belonging to the fat man that only he could keenly detect. The senses granted by his alien bloodline came into play at this moment.

Zhang Qiling remained silent, simply following closely behind him. A faint hint of surprise flashed in her cold eyes, as if she was surprised that Qin Yuan could track her so accurately.

After several twists and turns, the tomb passage ahead began to slope downwards, with broken bricks and dirt scattered on the ground, making the traces appear even more messy. At the end of the slope, a dark, gaping hole suddenly appeared! The stone slabs along the edge of the hole showed clear signs of being overturned—it was a trapdoor!

"Fatty fell down!" Qin Yuan rushed to the mechanism to observe, the roar of the blood corpse behind him growing closer and closer, the heavy footsteps seeming to strike his heart.

Zhang Qiling glanced in the direction they had come from, then at the trapdoor beneath his feet, and decisively ordered, "Get down!"

There was no time to hesitate! Staying up there meant either being caught up by the blood zombies and fighting to the death, or being blocked by Wu Sanxing and his men who might be chasing after them. Now, under this flip-flop, although the outcome was uncertain, at least it was the path the fat man had taken, and it allowed them to temporarily escape their pursuers.

Qin Yuan gritted his teeth and nodded to Zhang Qiling: "Let's go!"

Without further hesitation, the two disappeared into the darkness beneath the flip-up panel, one after the other.

Above them, the blood-curdling roars and the clicking sound of the flaps slowly closing gradually faded away, eventually being swallowed up by the falling darkness.