Chapter 298: Unraveling Secrets

Bang!!

The corridor trembled with overwhelming force.

Like a charging tiger, Fang Teng landed and fixed his furious gaze on Yenir, his eyes burning with rage.

“Yenir! You’ve got some nerve!”

His roar of anger made everyone’s ears ring.

Even from the air, he had seen the Research Institute’s doors blasted open! If not for the middle-aged man by Yenir’s side, he would have struck by now, planning to take that little brat down first!

No amount of planning could have prepared him for Yenir’s brazen assault—daring to charge in right here!

A single glance made his face twist in dismay.

Seeing his good friend Yuan Xiao, bound nearby with a look of bitter anger, along with the scattered documents, unease surged within him.

Everything had happened too fast. Even though he rushed over with all his might, he was still one step too late.

How much does this kid really know!

Ignoring Fang Teng’s ashen expression, Yenir stood silently in place, not even bothering to look at him.

“Task Reward: 1000 Prestige Points, Spirit Energy Solution (Epic)”

“Task Failure Penalty: None”

On the translucent Sword God System panel, brief messages flickered slowly.

It was a very lenient mission—even the penalty was missing.

Yet it left Yenir feeling utterly powerless…

Four hours later, disaster struck…

That meant his time was running far too short…

In his plan, he had hoped to locate the source of the outbreak. The best outcome would have been to stop the disaster; failing that, at least lure the sea beast away to buy some time.

The worst outcome would be a full-scale evacuation…

That’s why he was so determined to investigate the situation…

He intended to gather evidence to convince the Authorities!

After all, he knew what evacuating every survivor from the East Sea Safe Zone would truly mean…

But now, it seemed all hope was lost.

With just four hours, locating the source was out of the question. Even an immediate evacuation would be a monumental challenge.

The disaster was unstoppable.

Evacuation was an easy word to utter, but moving a million people would itself be a catastrophe…

The Safe Zone housed too many ordinary people. Without prior preparation, military support, or organized plans, survivors would be besieged by monsters as soon as they left the Safe Zone. The current peace was merely humans huddled in safety, far from danger.

Outside, the wild was a monster’s paradise.

Millions of flesh and blood…

Surely that would drive countless mutated creatures into a frenzy…

Especially since the East Sea region, once a pre-apocalypse port area, now lay along evacuation routes with vast urban ruins. Yenir had noticed this from high above.

And within those ruins, the number of zombies would be astronomical.

“Eliminate the Host and buy time…”

“Yenir! I’m talking to you! Do you hear me!”

“Get out of here immediately! I’ve reported this to the Military! Mark my words—no one will be able to protect you this time! You’ve caused a huge mess!”

His rage boiled over.

Suppressing his inner unease, Fang Teng barked sharply, pointing a hand at Yenir.

Everything here is top secret! It concerns the person behind him! If any of this leaks, you’ll all be in deep trouble!

At the same time, several committee members who had hurried over with Fang Teng glared at Yenir disapprovingly:

“Yenir, you have no right to be here.”

“I know you have issues with Commander Fang, but personal grudges should never escalate to this level!”

“And you… you’re Ming Luo, right?”

Among the three representatives, a committee member with graying hair shot Yenir a withering look before turning his cold gaze to Ming Luo.

“Young Yenir, you’re causing chaos—and dragging everyone into your mess!”

“As a member of the Military, don’t you understand the consequences? Forget everything you saw here! If even one word leaks, you’re all headed to a military tribunal!”

Compared to their treatment of Yenir, the middle-aged man showed no mercy toward Ming Luo and the others.

Yenir was still enjoying high-level favor for his great achievements.

Although Fang Teng had reported him to higher-ups, it was unlikely they’d act harshly against him. But Ming Luo’s situation was different.

This matter ran deep and involved state secrets.

Frankly, when they reviewed the East Sea situation a few days ago and learned of these issues, they dared not investigate further.

Some truths are best left unsaid.

Their faces went pale.

Standing beside Yenir, the entire squad felt their hearts tighten, realizing their colleague had stirred up a massive mess.

And judging by Yenir’s silent demeanor, he probably hadn’t uncovered any real issues either.

The Military was aware of the sea beast incident.

All the anomalies had occurred right under the Military’s watch. Yenir’s earlier judgment was wrong—he had mistaken these anomalies for a sea beast invasion.

It was merely an escaped experiment—a minor incident.

“Yenir…”

“We…”

With a bitter laugh, Ming Luo sighed inwardly.

Watching Yenir’s dejected back, he struggled to find the right words. In his eyes, Yenir had probably recognized his mistake and now felt utterly lost.

But then again, was it really Yenir’s fault?

Yenir’s actions were meant for the survivors’ sake; he had simply misjudged the situation. Sure, his methods were extreme.

For that, he couldn’t really be blamed. As for any punishment, so be it—after all, he’d saved lives, leaving nothing to complain about.

A long silence followed.

Moments later, Yenir finally lifted his head slowly, his gaze fixed silently on Fang Teng.

Uncharacteristically, he lost all his earlier defiance, simply walking past Fang Teng without a word of protest.

“Uncle Liang, Ming Luo.”

“Let’s go.”

His calm tone hinted at abandoning further investigation.

They were momentarily stunned.

Fang Teng, feeling snubbed as Yenir left—aware he had sparked a major crisis—sneered coldly.

Only after Yenir had completely departed did he instinctively glance at a researcher, his eyes full of questions.

Their eyes met. The researcher slowly shook his head, signaling he had said nothing, and finally relaxed.

“Is that it?”

“I thought he’d stubbornly keep going… It’s rare to see him taken down a notch like this.”

When the three committee members came to their senses, they snickered dismissively and shook their heads in contempt.

“If he isn’t leaving, then what is he doing here? Looking for more humiliation?”

“We told him there were no anomalies in the East Sea, yet he wouldn’t believe it.”

“After all this trouble, he probably knows his worries are nothing but a joke.”

Amid their banter, the three shook their heads and said no more.

In reality, the anomalies were the work of the Research Institute—there was no trace of a sea beast invasion. And the escaped experiment was nothing more than a juvenile specimen, likely dead in the ocean by now.

It seemed the Authorities had overhyped this kid, showering him with praise and accolades until Yenir truly believed he was infallible.

……..

“Yenir, where do we go now? Back to the Capital?”

Trailing behind Yenir, Ming Luo whispered, glancing at his gloomy expression and wanting to offer some comfort.

But to his surprise,

Yenir silently shook his head before speaking calmly:

“To the East Sea Safe Zone.”

“I want… to take one last look…”

Unnoticed, a flash of steely determination and inner struggle crossed Yenir’s eyes.

It was as if he stood on the verge of a monumental decision.