Chapter 6: Chapter 6: The Crystal Core Hunt
空气中的紧张气氛浓厚到足以在亚当和莫妮卡深入废弃的医院时用刀割伤.与马克的相遇留下了挥之不去的不安,但亚当拒绝让它分散他的注意力.手头的任务很明确:找到高级僵尸晶核并离开.他们停留的时间越长,吸引不必要关注的风险就越大.
Adam的感官处于高度警觉状态,他的每一个动作都是经过计算的.这家医院曾经是治愈和生活的地方,现在已经变成了一个腐朽的迷宫.碎玻璃在他们的靴子下嘎吱作响,刺鼻的腐烂气味与旧消毒剂的无菌气味混合在一起.墙壁开裂,剥落,寂静令人窒息.唯一的声音是他们远处的脚步声,在长长的废弃走廊上回荡.
莫妮卡总是更敏锐的那个,紧紧地跟在后面,她的手紧紧抓住一个临时武器——她之前捡来的金属管.她的眼睛来回扫视,寻找任何危险的迹象.尽管她外表平静,但亚当可以看出她和他一样不安.这个地方感觉不对劲.
"还有多远?"莫妮卡低声说,她的声音很低,几乎是犹豫.
亚当没有立即回答.他不确定.医院的布局因时间和疏忽而扭曲,曾经井井有条的大厅现在变成了迷宫,门口被堵塞,天花板坍塌.有传言说水晶核心在顶楼的旧研究翼楼里,但亚当并不抱太大希望,认为到达那里会很容易.他很久以前就知道,这个世界上没有什么是像看起来那么简单.
"我们会找到的,"Adam说,试图让她放心,就像他自己一样.
但当他们转过一个拐角时,亚当愣住了.他的本能爆发了,他脖子后面的汗毛都竖了起来.他示意莫妮卡停下来,示意她尽可能保持静止.
前方的走廊很暗,但最微弱的光芒从远处散发出来.那是水晶的明确无误的光芒——太亮,太集中了.毫无疑问:一个高级僵尸晶核.
光芒闪烁,沿着墙壁投下飘忽不定的阴影.虽然还有一段距离,但太完美了,太容易了.亚当感到不安加剧了.有些事情不对劲.
"我们并不孤单,"Adam低声咕哝着,连他自己都几乎听不见.
莫妮卡一向警惕,举起了武器,眯起了眼睛."你觉得是另一个幸存者吗?"
"我不知道,"Adam 回答道,压低了声音."但我不喜欢这种感觉."
他们蹑手蹑脚地向前走,空气中弥漫着从水晶中散发出的微弱的能量嗡嗡声.他们越靠近,光芒就越强烈,仿佛水晶本身在呼唤他们.它不仅仅是任何水晶——它是一颗强大的水晶,能够升级能力并赋予巨大力量的水晶.这就是亚当一直在寻找的力量.
但他们越靠近,亚当就越能感觉到隐藏在阴影中的东西的重量.当他们绕过另一个拐角时,他听到了——一阵轻柔的刮擦声,紧接着是明显的脚步声.
亚当举起一只手,示意莫妮卡停下来.他向拐角处张望,心跳加速.一个人影站在水晶前方——一个高大威严的男人,有着一头深色的狂野头发,穿着一件破烂的军装夹克.他背对着他们,似乎完全沉浸在水晶中,他的手悬停在它上面,仿佛在等待它做些什么.
"那是谁?"莫妮卡低声说,她的声音几乎没有呼吸.
亚当没有回答.他的头脑飞速运转.这个男人看起来不像一个正常的幸存者.他站着的方式有些令人不安,他似乎对那颗水晶如此着迷.亚当以前见过人们不顾一切地追求权力,但这个男人的执念不同.
男人突然僵硬了起来,仿佛感觉到了他们的存在.他的头猛地一转,他冰冷,钢铁般的眼睛瞬间锁定了亚当和莫妮卡.他的目光中没有恐惧——只有知道自己在掌控之中的人的安静自信.
"嗯,好吧,"男人说,他的声音低沉而沙哑."看来我今天不是唯一一个打猎的人."
Adam突然感到一阵不安.这个男人的语气很熟悉——太熟悉了.这让他想起了Mark曾经散发出的那种掠夺性的冷静.他对生存世界并不陌生,Adam 知道这个人不会是容易面对的对手.水晶核就是奖品,很明显这个男人打算索取它.
"退后,"Adam说,他的声音坚定,他向前走了一步,把自己挡在了Monica和那个陌生人之间."那颗水晶是我的."
男人暗暗地笑了起来,声音在墙壁上回荡."是这样吗?"他的笑容扭曲了,几乎被逗乐了."我想你会发现这个世界上的一切都是可以争夺的.你不是唯一一个愿意不惜一切代价生存的人.
亚当紧紧地握住了他的砍刀.事态迅速升级,他不打算让这个男人拿走水晶.并非没有战斗.
"We can do this the easy way," Adam said, his voice calm but filled with lethal intent. "Or we can do this the hard way."
The man didn't flinch. He stepped closer, his eyes gleaming with an unsettling confidence. "The easy way doesn't exist anymore, kid. In this world, it's either kill or be killed."
Before Adam could react, the man lunged. His speed was surprising, faster than any normal survivor would have been. He moved with precision, aiming a sharp, vicious strike toward Adam's midsection. But Adam was ready. He sidestepped the attack with practiced ease, his machete slicing through the air with deadly precision.
The man twisted just in time to avoid a fatal blow, but Adam's attack was close enough to make him stagger. The man's eyes darkened, his expression shifting from amusement to cold fury.
"You're a quick one," the man growled, circling Adam, looking for an opening. "But you'll regret making an enemy of me."
Adam didn't hesitate. He closed the gap between them, his machete flashing in the dim light. The man was good—damn good—but Adam had been in enough fights to know how to survive. He wasn't going to let this stranger stand in his way.
The two clashed in a whirlwind of strikes and counterattacks, each movement fluid and precise. The hospital's eerie silence was shattered by the sound of steel against steel and the grunts of exertion. Monica, standing off to the side, gripped her pipe tightly, her eyes darting between the two fighters, ready to intervene if needed.
Adam's focus never wavered. His thoughts were clear—get the crystal. Win the fight. Survive. He couldn't afford to lose now. The stakes were too high. As the man lunged again, Adam pivoted, dodging the attack and striking low. This time, his blade found its mark, slicing across the man's leg.
The stranger let out a curse, his stance faltering. Adam wasted no time. He brought the machete up, aiming for the final blow. But just as the man staggered, something strange happened. The glow of the crystal intensified, flickering wildly, as if reacting to the fight.
In that moment, Adam hesitated. The crystal was right there, and the power it promised was within his reach. But something deep inside him told him that grabbing the crystal now might be a mistake.
The man, sensing Adam's hesitation, smirked. "Not so confident now, are we? The crystal is more than just a prize—it's a trap. You don't even know what it can do."
Adam didn't have time to think. He raised his machete and brought it down in one swift motion, striking the man across the chest. The man collapsed, his body crumpling to the floor with a final, gurgling breath.
Adam stood over the fallen body, his breath heavy, his heart pounding. He had won, but the feeling of victory was hollow. The crystal was still glowing brightly ahead, but now it seemed...different. More dangerous.
Monica stepped forward cautiously, her eyes on the crystal. "Are you sure we should take it?"
Adam didn't answer right away. His hand hovered over the crystal, his mind racing. There was something about this crystal that felt off, something he couldn't quite place. But it was too late to turn back now.
He reached out and grabbed the crystal.
A sudden, sharp pain coursed through his body, and for a moment, everything went black.