The air in the sewer was damp and stifling, filled with the stench of mold and decay, making it hard to breathe.

With every step, the gentle splashing of water echoed against the stone, occasionally accompanied by the sound of dripping.

These subtle noises were often amplified by the echoes, as if something unknown was lurking in the dark corners.

The silence in the air heightened their unease, making it feel as though this sewer had no end.

Eli’s gaze swept quickly through the darkness. His powerful night vision allowed him to see every detail around them clearly.

No rats scurried about, no cockroaches emerged from the cracks, and even the spiders on their webs had disappeared.

“Doesn’t it seem too quiet here?” Eli spoke softly, keeping his voice low as if not wanting to break the silence of the sewer.

Alan slowed his pace, looking around cautiously, and replied in a low voice, “It’s not right. It shouldn’t be this quiet down here...”

Landon paused, gripping the metal rod in his hands nervously. “You mean there should be something alive down here?”

Alan responded quietly, “In a place like this, there should at least be rats or bugs.”

Eli nodded in agreement. “Yes, if it’s really this quiet, that means...” He paused, lowering his voice further, “There could be danger ahead.”

Ethan let out a cold laugh: "It's too late to say that now. What, you want to go back up and play hide-and-seek with the zombies?"

Alan nodded in agreement and motioned for the group to keep moving forward.

The group continued along the dark passageway, each person treading carefully, fearful of shattering the eerie stillness around them.

After walking a bit further, Eli looked down at the sewage beneath his feet, The water level had risen to his ankles.

He knew in his heart that it was probably due to a leak in one of the pipes, causing the water level to rise.

At that moment, Ethan couldn’t help but speak up, "The water level doesn’t seem normal."

Eli quickly picked up the conversation, "Could there be a leak somewhere?"

Alan nodded, "It's possible."

Eli feigned a puzzled look and continued, "Does this happen often?"

Alan immediately understood what Eli was getting at, and he stopped in his tracks, lowering his voice as he spoke to the group,

"Just in case, let’s check the surroundings to see if there’s a leak. Hopefully, it’s just poor maintenance by the city government."

Eli quickly moved his phone's beam around, illuminating the nearby walls to help the group see better.

The group split up, carefully inspecting each potential leak point.

A few minutes later, Ethan suddenly stopped, his eyes fixed on a section of the pipe in the corner.

On that pipe, he noticed some extremely unusual marks.

He crouched down, examining them closely—deep scratches that seemed to have been made by something sharp.

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Scratches of this nature couldn’t possibly be caused by natural factors—they were undoubtedly man-made.

Ethan called out to the group in a low voice, “I’ve found something here.”

Everyone quickly gathered around, and Eli illuminated the area with his phone to give them a clearer view.

Alan frowned, "These don’t look like tool marks."

He pointed at the crisscrossed gouges on the pipe, "These are claw marks."

Eli instantly guessed the source of the claw marks, but he didn’t say it aloud.

Landon’s heart skipped a beat, "Claw marks? Are you saying—"

Ethan analyzed, "It could be zombies. Those things have incredibly sharp nails."

Eli feigned confusion and whispered, "Zombies? What would zombies be doing in the sewers? Could it be to catch rats for food? That’s ridiculous."

Alan nodded slightly, "Makes sense,."

Eli added in a low voice, "There’s something else to consider. If these were made by zombies, it’s probably not that simple."

He pointed at the nearby leaks, signaling everyone to pay attention, "Zombies are incredibly strong, and their claws are very sharp. I've seen them rip a car door right off with my own eyes."

He paused, then concluded, "So, if it was zombies, there wouldn’t just be small cracks like these. With their strength, that section of pipe would have been completely destroyed by now."

A sharp glint appeared in Ethan’s eyes, "So, it wasn’t zombies. It was some kind of mutated creature, one not as strong as a zombie."

Landon couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief, "That’s good news, at least it’s not as dangerous as a zombie."

Alan pondered for a moment, then frowned, "If it’s not zombies, then what could it be?"

He looked up at the damp surroundings, trying to find some clues.

Eli spoke softly, "If I had to guess, mutated rats are the most likely. The sewer environment is suitable for rats. Given the number of rats in the New York sewer system, even if only 1% mutated, we'd be talking about tens of thousands."

The air grew heavy with tension, and everyone felt the potential threat.

Alan looked around at everyone, his expression turning resolute as he quickly gave instructions:

"Next, I'll scout ahead to make sure the path is safe, then the rest of you follow."

Eli immediately objected, "Going alone is too risky. I’ll go with you—it’ll be safer that way."

Ethan nodded in agreement. "Eli's right."

Landon rarely voiced his opinion, "I also think two people should go..."

Alan looked at everyone and quickly made a decision, "Alright then, Eli, you’re with me. Ethan, Landon, keep an eye on the rear. Once Eli and I confirm the path ahead is clear, you two follow immediately."

As Alan's words fell, the team quickly sprang into action.

Alan took the lead, gripping a crowbar in one hand and a fire axe in the other, moving forward cautiously.

Eli followed closely, using his phone for light but strictly limiting the area it illuminated.

Whenever they were close to reaching a corner, Eli would turn off his phone to prevent the light from alerting any mutated creatures that might be lurking beyond the corner.

Meanwhile, Alan would crouch, pressing his hand against the wall, listening for any sounds beyond the corner before silently leaning out to observe.

Once Alan confirmed the area ahead was clear, Eli would signal to Ethan and Landon behind them with his phone light.

Ethan and Landon maintained a distance of about ten paces behind Alan and Eli, keeping an eye on the rear while staying ready to support the front.

There was no unnecessary conversation—glances, hand gestures, and the light from their phones were enough to communicate. The entire team moved with seamless coordination.

With this seamless coordination, the team gradually advanced deeper into the sewer.

In the blink of an eye, over ten minutes had passed.

Eli’s eyes caught something unusual, his gaze locking onto a small section of the wall ahead.

On a certain part of the wall, there seemed to be some blurred characters, almost engulfed by sludge and mold.

Eli glanced at Alan, who didn’t have night vision and hadn’t noticed the characters.

Eli took a few light steps forward, his phone’s light moving across the wall.

Alan’s attention followed the light, his steps pausing abruptly as his eyes locked onto the spot on the wall.

“Stop,” Alan ordered in a low, firm voice.

Eli asked, surprised, “What’s wrong?”

Alan pointed at the wall ahead. “Light it up.”

Eli quickly illuminated the area, ensuring Alan could see every detail.

Alan walked up to the wall, gently wiping away the layer of mold and sludge, revealing a series of alphanumeric identifiers.

At that moment, Ethan and Landon at the rear noticed something unusual with the two ahead and quickly stepped forward.

The two reached Alan, their gazes falling on the wall, brows slightly furrowed.

They didn't understand the meaning of the identifier, but they knew it might indicate their current location.

Alan thought for a moment before speaking softly, “If my memory serves me right, we’re on one of the branch lines leading to the Lincoln Tunnel.”

“That’s good news.” Landon’s voice carried a hint of excitement.

Eli’s lips curved into a slight smile as he feigned a look of relief. “Looks like we’re not lost.”

Ethan spoke decisively, “Let’s keep moving and get out of this place as soon as possible.”

Alan nodded in agreement, and the team quickly resumed their tactical formation, setting off once again.