Pretending to be a genius starts with the civilization advancement assessment.

Chapter 13 Chaotic Corridor
The second-floor corridor was now filled with panic.

The terrified crowd surged forward like a burst dam, rushing wildly from the direction of the spiral staircase.

Screaming, crying, shoving, falling down.
A pungent smell of blood mixed with a rusty, fishy stench filled the air.

Downstairs, the howls and biting sounds of the Corrosive Abyss Wolves grew closer and clearer, like a death knell.

"Get out of the way! Don't block the road!"

"Mommy! Mommy!"

"Help!!!"

Lin Yi, clad in black armor and wielding a long staff, moved like a lone boat against the current through the crowd.

He struggled to block the oncoming body, his anxious gaze piercing through the chaos, locking onto the restroom sign deep in the corridor.

"what!!!"

A bloodcurdling scream came from downstairs, followed by a grating tearing sound and a monster's excited growl.

Panic erupted in the crowd!
"It's coming up! The monster is coming up!!"

"Run! Hide!"

The crowd became even more chaotic, with most people running around like headless flies, screaming, or trying to bang on the doors of other closed private rooms.

"Listen to me if you don't want to die!"

Looking at the chaotic and crowded corridor, Lin Yi rushed forward while shouting:
"Go to the Fuxiu Hall behind me! There's no one inside, the door's open, hurry! Hide inside and block the door!"

Lin Yi quickly pointed in a direction.

It was an empty banquet hall he had noticed as he passed by; the door was open, and it was now the nearest refuge.

Amid the chaos, upon hearing someone point the way, most people instinctively looked in the direction he was pointing, as if grasping at a lifeline, and began to squeeze their way toward Fuxiu Hall.

"Those who can't squeeze into Fuxiu Hall, find the nearest empty private room, lock the door! Block it up!"

Lin Yi continued running and shouting, his voice hoarse with anxiety, "Or run to the third floor, don't block the corridor! Make way for the people behind!"

Just then, a young mother, covered in blood and holding a baby, was pushed and shoved by the crowd and fell at Lin Yi's feet. The baby in her arms made a weak cry, and her eyes were empty, as if she had given up hope.

"stand up!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Lin Yi grabbed her arm and lifted her up.

Lin Yi stared at her face, which was covered in tears and blood. He didn't have time to say much, and simply said, "Think of your child, go to Fuxiu Hall, quick!"

These words shattered the mother's despair like a bolt of lightning. She glanced down at the swaddled baby, then hugged the child tightly and stumbled into the crowd flowing towards Fuxiu Hall.

Lin Yi didn't have time to look around. He continued to go against the current, first forcefully pushing aside a hysterical middle-aged man who was trying to grab his armor, and then unceremoniously using his long stick to clear a path for another woman who was blocking his way and screaming and scrambling around.

Finally, he rushed to the bathroom door, only to find that the women's bathroom door had already been closed.

He tried to turn the doorknob, but it wouldn't budge; it was locked.

"Xiao Meng! Are you inside?"

Lin Yi anxiously patted the wooden door of the women's restroom.

"Brother?! Bro! Is that you?!"

Immediately from inside the door came Zhou Mengmeng's tearful, suppressed-fear response, her voice filled with the joy of escaping a desperate situation.

"It's me! Xiaomeng! Open the door, quick!"

Lin Yi felt relieved; at least the person was safe and still inside.

Click.

The door was opened a crack from the inside, revealing a pale, tear-streaked face—it was Zhou Mengmeng.

When she saw her brother outside the door, dressed in armor and holding a long staff, she burst into tears and threw herself into Lin Yi's arms.

Lin Yi first shielded Xiao Meng behind him, then braced himself against the door, his sharp gaze sweeping inside.

He saw three people huddled in a corner of the cramped restroom: two young girls in waitress uniforms and a female office worker in a business suit, stained with blood, her hands trembling as she held her phone.

Their faces were ashen, their eyes filled with terror, and they huddled together, their bodies trembling like leaves in the wind.

"These few?" Lin Yi asked Zhou Mengmeng with a questioning look.

"Brothers and the others"

Zhou Mengmeng explained through sobs, "I was washing my hands when it suddenly got very noisy outside, and then I heard screams. These two waitresses and this lady ran in."

Zhou Mengmeng pointed at the female office worker, "They said there was a man-eating monster rushing in downstairs! So they dragged me inside with them."

The female office worker glanced at Lin Yi, then lowered her head again, frantically tapping her phone screen with her fingers.

"Can't get through. Still can't get through!"

Her voice was shrill and desperate, and the light from the screen reflected on her bloodless face, adding to the eeriness of the scene.

"The emergency call line is constantly busy, and the emergency call function is also unavailable. What's going on?!"

Call the police
Lin Yi sighed inwardly.

The emergency lines must be ringing off the hook right now, and soon even cell phone signals will be lost.

Because the arrival of the Abyss Beasts is a global disaster, the more important the facility or place, the greater the probability that a high-level Abyss Beast's lair will appear nearby.

As power plants, communication base stations and other infrastructure gradually fail, it won't be long before power, internet and communications are cut off in most areas.

As for the army, they can be counted on even less now, as they are already engaged in fierce fighting.

However, being mere mortals, they were no match for the high-level abyssal beasts, and in the end, most of them were disorganized and forced to disperse and evacuate.

The only forces still capable of operating within the city are the police and the military, but their numbers are too small, and their ammunition reserves are limited, making them woefully inadequate against the first wave of surging abyssal beasts.

So don't count on calling for help; in this situation, you can only rely on yourself.

But he couldn't say these things outright.

As the screams and screams coming from the direction of the stairwell grew clearer, Lin Yi could only urge them urgently:

"Xiaomeng, come with me! Your aunt and uncle are frantic in the banquet hall! It's not safe here!"

His gaze swept over the three people inside, his tone extremely serious.

"We can't stay here! This door is too thin, and there's a grille underneath; it's not sealed at all! Come with me to the banquet hall. We're blocking the door with tables and chairs there; it's much safer than here! Hurry!"

Considering they had also pulled Xiaomeng into the bathroom to hide, Lin Yi gave her a special reminder.

He knew all too well what kind of creatures the Abyss Beasts were. Miniature Abyss Beast nests didn't only produce Corrosive Abyss Wolves. Staying in the bathroom, with only the thin wooden door and nothing to block it, meant certain death.

"Coco is outside"

A waitress stared in horror at the terrifying sounds coming from the depths of the corridor, her voice trembling uncontrollably.

"Follow me or wait to die, it's up to you!"

Lin Yi's voice suddenly turned cold. He said no more, grabbed Xiao Meng's wrist with one hand and pulled her behind him, gripped the long stick tightly with the other hand, and turned to leave.

Zhou Mengmeng had stopped sobbing by now. She clung tightly to the edge of her brother's armor and obediently followed him.

The two waitresses looked at Lin Yi's young yet resolute back, his extraordinary-looking armor and heavy staff, and heard him say that the banquet hall was organizing a defense. Their survival instinct finally overwhelmed their fear.

They exchanged a glance, gritted their teeth, and, supporting each other, stumbled and followed behind Lin Yi.

"The phone still won't go through. We're done for, we're finished."

Seeing that everyone had left, the female office worker didn't dare to stay alone. She ran out in a daze, clutching her phone tightly and muttering to herself, clearly on the verge of a breakdown.

"If you're going to follow, then keep quiet! Put your phone away!"

Lin Yi let out a low growl, shielding Xiao Meng on the inside against the wall, while he himself, holding a long stick, walked to the outside of the group.

"Also, if you encounter a monster, remember to stay far away and don't cause any trouble."

He stared intently at the corner of the corridor leading to the stairwell, while also giving a word of advice.

The sound of armor rubbing together was somewhat jarring in the now empty corridor, but he didn't care.

Time is of the essence now. Encountering the Corruption Abyss Wolf is secondary; there will be plenty of opportunities. The most important thing right now is to get Xiao Meng back first.

After all, he is still a mortal. While he can protect himself, he should be more cautious in order to protect Xiao Meng as well.

(End of this chapter)