Chapter 119: Handle with Care

Buzz!

A piercing noise suddenly emanated from the direction behind them, causing HK416 to whirl around abruptly.

"What's that sound!?"

"Don't be nervous, it's probably just the noise of the engine starting on the nearby cargo ship. It's likely because this area isn't very safe, so they're planning to move the ship." M16 didn't startle easily and squinted to assess the situation inside the cabin.

The tactical flashlight provided adequate brightness in this completely dark environment, allowing M16 to see the conditions inside the cabin.

"It looks like someone was here recently. These footprints don't seem to be more than half an hour old." On the floor of the cabin, there were scattered footprints, but none of them were leading outward.

"Are those who went in still inside? Or have they all died from excessive radiation?" HK416 frowned and subconsciously tightened her grip on her weapon.

"It's highly probable. With the current level of radiation, even wearing protective suits, humans can't last more than thirty minutes." As M16 spoke, she suddenly noticed some inconspicuous interference in her field of vision.

Hmm, was her body experiencing interference?

M16 immediately thought of the commander in the powered exoskeleton who seemed not afraid of death earlier. If she had known, she would have insisted that he put on two sets of protective suits earlier.

"Let's pick up the pace. We don't have time to thoroughly search here. If we delay, the situation the bastard commander mentioned might become a reality."

"What situation?" HK416 asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Radiation interference. Isn't your video reception system intact?" M16 took big strides towards the door leading to the lower level of the cabin.

The interior structure of the small cargo ship was simple. Going down from the upper deck, they would reach the cargo hold, and all the footprints left previously were heading in this direction.

However, just as the two turned the corner, they saw a figure wearing a shoddy protective suit lying on the steps. In a pathetic state, it seemed like they were struggling to climb out of the cargo ship before dying.

"It seems like they just died. They're wearing the same protective suits as the bodies piled up outside earlier."

"The same protective suits? Are they from Statesec?"

"No, they're mercenaries. There were a bunch of bodies piled up next to the armored vehicles earlier, but you couldn't see them coming from the gas station." M16 scratched her head. If she hadn't followed Angelia over there, she might not have seen those things either.

"Mercenaries? Could they be the ones we heard gunfire from before we arrived here? Did that security contractor and those Security Bureau armored vehicles snatch this cargo ship from the mercenaries?" HK416 immediately recalled the gunfire they heard on their way here.

"It's possible." Passing by the corpse at their feet, M16 shone her tactical flashlight under the stairs. A dense cluster of bodies lay there, mostly mercenaries wearing protective suits.

There were about a dozen of them, lying face down, all facing the stairs. Apparently, these guys also realized something was wrong and tried to escape from here. But before they could run, they were already completely dead...

"M16, the interference is getting worse. What's that?" HK416 looked at the increasing interference in her field of vision. Obviously, the radiation interference here was about to exceed the limits their bodies could withstand.

If this continued, it wouldn't just be a minor issue like losing vision or shutting down perception systems.

However, just as she was about to speak up to warn M16, several sudden reflections made HK416 furrow her brow and turn her tactical flashlight.

"Hiss—Roar!"

As if protesting against HK416's audacious behavior, a clear roar suddenly echoed from deep within the cargo hold.

"What's that!?" The sudden roar startled M16, who was walking ahead, and she quickly looked in the direction of the noise.

A massive ELID-infected creature, covered all over with siliceous surfaces, slowly rose from the ground. Its head, buried among various fused limbs, slowly turned towards them!

"A mutated Heavy-ELID Infected!?" HK416 also exclaimed immediately, raising her gun to attack the giant infected!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A series of gunshots rang out before HK416's, and upon seeing the infected for the first time, M16 immediately raised her weapon and pulled the trigger.

Ratatatat!

HK416 also opened fire immediately, but unfortunately, most of the infected's body had completely hardened into siliceous material, including the limbs fused with its body.

The surface hardness of the siliceous material exceeded the imagination of M16 and HK416. The rifle bullets hitting this guy's body, except for bouncing off to the side, had no additional effect. Apart from sparking around the containers nearby, they had no effect whatsoever!

"No! We can't hurt this guy!?"

"HK416! We need to retreat! This is not a target we can handle!"

Click! M16 emptied a magazine, but the mutated infected seemed unaffected by any attacks, roaring and slowly advancing towards the two.

"Not yet! I still have this useless thing!" Obviously, HK416 didn't intend to obey M16's suggestion obediently. As she spoke, her finger had already touched the trigger of the AG416 grenade launcher mounted under her gun barrel.

'Be careful with that thing mounted under the gun...'

HK416 inexplicably remembered what that guy said to her earlier, she ignored the warning and with a determined mind, she pulled the trigger!

Boom!

The 40mm high-explosive grenade directly hit the mutated infected standing thirty meters away from them!

The sudden explosion force directly blew away a piece of the mutated mass in front of its body... a piece of silicified human tissue...

However, for this small piece of tissue, it was probably just like peeling off a layer of skin for the ELID infected. It didn't hurt its vitals at all! Instead, it exposed a glowing green object within its body!

"Roar!"

Hiss!?

Standing in front of M16, HK416, having only heard a crackling sound of electricity, collapsed directly.

And at this moment, M16's vision went completely white. Apart from the snowflakes generated by radiation interference, the only thing left in her field of vision was distorted scenery! And the sound in her ears had completely disappeared!

The auditory module was burnt out! Damn it!?

M16 quickly grabbed HK416's collar, trying to drag her out of the cabin. However, as she turned her head, her almost damaged visual module finally saw what was embedded in the mutated infected's chest!

A cracked bottle...

Of a collapse liquid bottle.

"Handle with care..." M16 remembered that guy's words.

Did that guy already know what was on this ship?