Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 243: Attack of the Rat Team (5)

Dragon Raja 3

The long, winding sewer felt like the digestive tract of some giant beast. In such a place, Lu Mingfei found that banter was the only way to remind himself that he was still a lively, hopeful young man. Small whirlpools appeared on the black surface of the water, likely stirred by the creatures with long tails.

The rumble of the subway echoed from directly above as they approached a giant water turbine over three meters in diameter. The sewer at this point had widened into what looked like an underground river, where calm water had turned into rapids, crashing white waves bouncing between the turbine’s blades with a thunderous roar. The turbine was drawing a massive amount of water into Iron Dome.

“How do we get across?” Lu Mingfei stared up at the sharp blades, each about two meters long, forged from high-strength steel, easily capable of slicing through debris like floating water plants. The turbine was part of the purification process.

“The turbine doesn’t spin continuously. Once it stops, we’ll crawl through the tunnel between the blades, but we’ll have to move fast. If it starts spinning again, it’ll cut us in half,” Chu Zihang explained.

“More like grind us into mincemeat,” Lu Mingfei corrected. “But when does it stop?”

“It’s already slowing down.”

Sure enough, the turbine was decelerating. It took several minutes to gradually come to a halt, with water trickling down from its blades.

“Now!” Caesar commanded in a low voice.

The three quickly climbed up the iron ladder beside the turbine and dashed through the stainless steel tunnel. It felt like being a small dog running through the engine duct of a jet plane, with sharp blades all around them. If they had to sprint for their lives in this place, Lu Mingfei was sure he’d set a personal best.

They slid down the smooth walls of the tunnel and gazed up at the vast emptiness above. It was impossible not to marvel at the engineering miracle that was Iron Dome. This might be the most advanced sewer system in the world—fully automated. Layer upon layer of filtration nets intercepted debris in the water, while giant mechanical arms scooped sediment and waste from the bottom of the pipes into overhead disposal chutes. Intelligent robots slid along grooves in the walls, inspecting the internal mechanics of the system. Though there were iron ladders and walkways for maintenance, according to the design standards of Maruyama Construction, Iron Dome wouldn’t require human maintenance for at least twenty years.

The familiar sound of welding echoed through the tunnel.

“Do you hear that? Over there is the underground dock of the Ganryū Research Institute. The sound of welding means they’re repairing equipment,” Caesar whispered. “There are at least twenty people over there, all fully armed. From this point on, no one can speak loudly. Our voices will echo through the tunnel and carry a long way.”

“I’m really worried I won’t be able to control myself,” Lu Mingfei whispered back. “When I get nervous, I feel like I’ll suffocate if I don’t talk.”

“Here, use this,” Caesar said, pulling out three lollipops from his coat pocket and handing one each to Lu Mingfei and Chu Zihang. “Keep it in your mouth, and you won’t accidentally shout. Plus, it’ll boost your blood sugar.”

“Can I swap for the mint flavor, boss?” Lu Mingfei asked.

“Too late,” Caesar said, popping the green lollipop into his mouth. “And now, shut up—someone’s coming this way!”

Ten seconds later, footsteps echoed from above. A black-clad guard appeared, his bony hand gripping a revolver beneath a transparent raincoat. He clearly wasn’t a regular policeman—no cop would carry a Colt King Cobra. This large-caliber revolver was expensive and overkill for hunting, favored by yakuza hitmen who treated people like prey, aiming to kill in one shot. The three of them flattened themselves against the pipe wall, hiding in the shadows. Through the iron grating, they watched as the guard, in fur-lined shoes, walked over their heads and gradually moved away.

“There are at least twenty armed guards, all at the level of professional killers, right?” Lu Mingfei muttered through his lollipop.

“There were fewer guards last time—maybe half this many. They must have increased security recently,” Chu Zihang noted, glancing at Caesar, who shook his head, indicating that breaking through this level of security would be difficult.

“What about suppressing them with firepower? You’ve got enough bullets. How many can you take out in one go?” Lu Mingfei asked.

“Three to five targets, max six. We’ve only got four guns between the two of us, and they have twenty. Plus, who knows how many hybrids are mixed in with them?” Caesar replied. “This isn’t like dealing with a biker gang.”

“And I don’t count?” Lu Mingfei protested.

“You don’t count—you’re a newbie.”

The three of them fell silent. Their path to the gates of Genji Heavy Industries was completely blocked. It was as if the young heroes, eager to embark on their journey, had left the village full of hope only to find twenty demon knights on hellish warhorses waiting for them on the only road forward. Charging in headfirst would only lead to their swift and inevitable demise.

The young hero could only surmise that this was a demo version of the adventure—one that wouldn’t let him leave the village to see the world outside. The only option now was to turn back and return to the village, listen to his NPC grandfather repeat old stories of heroism, and maybe exchange glances with the plain-looking girl next door who secretly harbored feelings for him.

“If worst comes to worst, we could just go back to the club. We’ve ordered so much champagne that we haven’t even touched… We could drink and order some snacks while thinking of another way to sneak in,” Lu Mingfei cautiously suggested.

“No, there might still be a way. Look over there,” Chu Zihang said, pointing ahead.

The water suddenly split, and a cigar-shaped object surfaced, about six or seven meters long and no more than two meters in diameter. It left a white trail in the water, heading towards the dock of the Ganryū Research Institute.

“It’s a mini-submarine from the Yamata no Orochi!” Lu Mingfei remembered that Chisei had once admitted that the Yamata no Orochi used the sewer system to transport contraband. Before the cargo ships reached port, they would load the contraband onto unmanned mini-submarines, which would then travel through the sewers to the area beneath Genji Heavy Industries.

“Get closer, but stay quiet,” Caesar whispered as he led the way, moving cautiously.

A buzzing hum vibrated through the pipes as the guards blew their whistles, calling for reinforcements from all directions towards the dock. The submarine glided into the dock, where a crane hoisted it into the air, and mechanical arms pulled out a metal canister as thick as a person’s embrace and about two meters long, resembling an extended oil drum. Chu Zihang and Caesar exchanged a glance, both shaking their heads. With their experience, they couldn’t tell what the cargo was, but this golden route clearly wasn’t being used to smuggle oil.

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