CH-5

Amidst the chaos of the explosion-ravaged laboratory, Francis hurriedly made his way towards the source of the blast. A group of guards, armed with fire extinguishers, followed in his wake, attempting to combat the spreading flames.

The sight that met Francis as he entered the area was one of utter devastation. Amid the wreckage, something caught his attention—an empty oxygen chamber where Wade should have been lying. His heart tightened with unease.

Before Francis could process this new development, a figure emerged from the thick smoke, charging toward the group of guards. In one hand, the intruder held a shard of glass, which was swiftly driven across the throat of a guard.

Blood gushed from the wounded guard's neck, and he clutched at the injury, struggling to call for help but producing only hoarse sounds.

The attacker was none other than Wade, his disfigured visage and scar-covered body a horrifying sight to behold. Wade's appearance had been brutally marred by Francis during his captivity, leaving him a grotesque and nightmarish figure.

"Francis!" Wade's voice, though raspy and filled with anger, was unmistakable.

As Lu Chuang had surmised, Francis had subjected Wade to even crueler abuses in retaliation for his relentless taunts. Wade had endured long stretches of hypoxia, leaving him further altered by the serum's effects. However, it also accelerated his transformation, granting him an enhanced self-healing factor that eliminated his cancer threat.

Wade's resolve had grown with each torment he endured, culminating in the deliberate explosion that had just rocked the laboratory.

Francis wasted no time, issuing orders to his guards to open fire on the disfigured mercenary. But Wade was faster. With remarkable speed and precision, he seized a rifle from a fallen guard, disengaged the safety, and unleashed a barrage of gunfire.

Bullets found their mark with uncanny accuracy, and three guards fell, their heads rupturing like overripe fruit.

The remaining guards, stunned by Wade's sudden assault, hastily aimed their rifles and unleashed a hail of bullets in return. The room filled with the deafening roar of automatic gunfire.

Yet, Wade, despite his grotesque appearance and disarrayed surroundings, moved with a veteran's grace. He darted behind cover, using the debris as a shield while expertly returning fire. The smoke-choked atmosphere seemed to enhance his combat prowess, giving him an advantage.

Francis, amid the firefight, chose not to engage directly. Instead, he concealed himself within the wreckage of a large instrument, observing the chaos from a distance.

But then, footsteps approached, faint but audible amidst the cacophony. Francis watched as a guard clumsily overturned a piece of debris and took cover, his trembling hands gripping a rifle.

The guard's sudden appearance caught Francis's attention. He seemed startled, dropping to his knees and clutching his weapon as though seeking protection.

Sensing Francis's gaze, the guard turned to meet his eyes. Their mutual recognition hung in the air, creating an awkward tension.

Lu Chuang, now disguised as a guard, had inadvertently stumbled into the midst of the firefight. He had hoped to find an escape route but had instead encountered this volatile situation.

Fearing being swept up in the crossfire, Lu Chuang had attempted to blend in by posing as a surviving guard. When Francis questioned his presence, Lu Chuang claimed he wanted to stay and protect him.

"I don't need protection," Francis responded, puzzled by the guard's odd request.

Unfazed, Lu Chuang persisted. "Okay, then you'll protect me."

Francis's confusion deepened at the guard's unusual request. "Who are you?"

"I understand what I know, and it's useless to talk about what I don't know," Lu Chuang replied with a grin.

Francis's gaze narrowed as he recognized the peculiar phrasing. "It's you!"

The cryptic riddler had reappeared amid chaos, and Francis's frustration and anger surged.