Chapter 187: 187, I'll carry you on my back

Yang Xiaojin stared at Ren Xiaosu in bewilderment. Attacking her simply because she wasn't a Barrier resident? What kind of absurdity was this?

At that moment, Ren Xiaosu suddenly spoke: "The experimental subjects—this peculiar group—is growing stronger. On my way here, I saw one injecting a gray serum into a normal human. After the injection, that person seemed to transform into a new experimental subject."

This was the first Yang Xiaojin had heard of such a thing. She exclaimed in shock: "If they injected this serum into all the Barrier residents, wouldn't there be hundreds of thousands of experimental subjects? No, they must be selective."

"Yes," Ren Xiaosu replied: "They probably choose specific individuals, but I don't know the criteria. I think we need to understand how the experimental subjects came to be to figure out their selection process. The 113 Barrier had tens of thousands of refugees surviving the earthquake, but the number of experimental subjects only increased by about a thousand."

Yang Xiaojin suddenly said: "We received intel from Huozhong Company. The lab in Jingshan was indeed connected to them. It was their pre-disaster lab, but after the disaster, the lab lost contact, and they abandoned those experiments. All related data was lost."

"Do you know what kind of experiments they conducted?" Ren Xiaosu asked curiously.

"I don't know, only that the subjects were cancer patients. They knew their time was short, so they sold themselves to Huozhong Company to leave money for their families," Yang Xiaojin said.

At that moment, Ren Xiaosu's wounds began to ache again. He retrieved a bottle of black medicine from the palace to apply it: "You need to apply the medicine too. Where did you get hurt?"

Yang Xiaojin said: "Give me the medicine. I'll do it myself."

Ren Xiaosu handed her a bottle of black medicine, intending to mention its price, but he held back.

She watched as Yang Xiaojin blew out the candle, then in the darkness, she quietly applied the black medicine to her wounds: "I've heard your black medicine is miraculous. I didn't expect it to be quite effective."

"Mhm," Ren Xiaosu asked curiously in the dark: "Are there wounds you can't reach yourself? I..."

A *click*—Yang Xiaojin had already relit the candle with a match. Ren Xiaosu lowered his head and continued applying the medicine to his wounds...

Yang Xiaojin suddenly noticed Ren Xiaosu lifting his shirt. She saw four deep gashes on his waist and abdomen. They were likely claw marks from an experimental subject. Fortunately, his internal organs were unharmed. She exclaimed in surprise: "Didn't you feel any pain just now?"

After all, Ren Xiaosu had calmly spoken to her for a long time, and his expression showed no sign of suffering.

Ren Xiaosu applied the medicine calmly: "I'm used to it."

The three words "I'm used to it" carried a quiet strength, as if all the bitterness and hardship of over a decade was hidden within them.

Used to pain.

Used to injury.

Used to endurance.

Under the candlelight, Yang Xiaojin saw sweat beads falling from Ren Xiaosu's head, and his lips had turned pale—his injuries were clearly severe.

She took the black medicine from Ren Xiaosu's hand and lifted his shirt, revealing over a dozen wounds across his body. Yang Xiaojin said: "Let me apply the medicine for you."

Ren Xiaosu didn't respond, allowing her fingers to glide over his wounds.

The girl's fingers weren't delicate; they were calloused, clearly from rigorous training.

In truth, Ren Xiaosu had already realized during his time in Jingshan that Yang Xiaojin was different from other frail girls.

"Does it hurt? If my hand is too heavy, tell me," Yang Xiaojin whispered: "Turn around. There's a wound on your back too."

Her tone left no room for argument.

Ren Xiaosu thought and said: "We should be near the Barrier City gates by now, but I'm not sure if we'll get the chance to leave."

Climbing to the surface would be easy, but how could they escape the experimental subjects' pursuit?

If they emerged and ran into an experimental subject, those creatures might chase them hundreds of miles outside the Barrier. They'd still die!

Feeling the cooling effect of the black medicine, Ren Xiaosu's pain eased, and his spirits lifted: "But I think the experimental subjects must rest during the day. We'll wait quietly until then. When they hide away, we'll escape and regroup."

Yang Xiaojin suddenly asked: "Their aversion to light isn't a secret. Your judgment is correct—they'll definitely hibernate during the day."

"Mhm," Ren Xiaosu felt a sense of shared understanding.

The two sat in the pitch-black sewer in brief silence. Yang Xiaojin suddenly said: "Even close friends or family might not come back to save me in that situation. I won't thank you—I..."

But Ren Xiaosu said earnestly: "Thanks still need to be said."

Yang Xiaojin froze for a moment: "Thanks..."

"Thanks from Yang Xiaojin, +10!"

Wait, Ren Xiaosu froze. He had only wanted her to say thanks, thinking that since the mission wasn't completed, he might as well collect some gratitude coins to offset his losses. He hadn't expected Yang Xiaojin's thanks to net him ten coins!

Why was Yang Xiaojin so special?!

Just then, a manhole cover above them rang out. An experimental subject leaped down, but it seemed equally surprised to find people below. Both sides were stunned!

They had planned to find a way out during the day, but now an experimental subject had barged in. With dawn approaching, weren't they supposed to be hiding to sleep?

Yang Xiaojin whispered: "I just realized something. Where do you think they hide during the day?"

Ren Xiaosu pondered for a moment: "The sewers?"

"Mhm," Yang Xiaojin nodded.

At that moment, Ren Xiaosu felt his heart sink. He had planned to escape at dawn, but now he realized he had to flee immediately, or else he might end up sleeping with the experimental subjects. He wasn't sure if they'd welcome him.

In an instant, the experimental subject roared and charged at them. Ren Xiaosu didn't move, but his shadow had already drawn a black blade and lunged forward. The shadow grabbed the experimental subject's throat with one hand and drove the black blade through its heart, pinning it to the opposite sewer wall.

But greater disaster loomed. The roar had alerted the experimental subjects above ground. Two of them clung to the manhole's edge, peering down. Ren Xiaosu said: "Quick, I'll carry you!"

He couldn't let the shadow carry Yang Xiaojin because he needed the shadow to fight!

What Ren Xiaosu hadn't anticipated was that, after the intense nighttime battle and his injuries, his strength was waning. Simply standing was already a struggle.

At that moment, Yang Xiaojin crouched in front of him: "I'll carry you."

Before Ren Xiaosu could react, she had already hoisted him onto her back and started running forward.

Yang Xiaojin was tall, but her frame was slight. With him on her back, he felt awkward—he had never relied on anyone, even in the harshest circumstances.

He had come to the Barrier to save someone, and now that person was carrying him away...