Chapter : 696

He knew where the hidden door was located. His absolute, god-like magical senses mapped the entire area ten minutes ago. He felt a massive hollow space directly beneath the main drill shaft. He felt the hum of an electronic elevator. But he did not want to reveal his true power. He wanted to maintain his harmless slacker disguise.

"I will just let them find it," Ken decided casually in his mind. He slipped his hands deep into his pockets. "If I find the secret door too fast, they will get suspicious. Background characters do not solve puzzles. They just stand around and wait for the cutscene to end."

Ken walked slowly toward the center of the rig. He dragged his cheap shoes on the cracked dirt. Scuff. Scuff. Scuff. He stopped walking near a large, flat metal plate. The plate looked like a normal piece of industrial flooring.

Ken intentionally dropped a blue gummy worm. The candy hit the metal plate. It made a very distinct, hollow sound.

Tink.

Ken gasped dramatically. He pointed his finger at the ground.

"Oh no!" Ken complained loudly. "I dropped my favorite candy! This is a massive tragedy! The floor stole my gummy worm!"

Naomi heard his voice. She walked over quickly. She looked down at the metal plate. She noticed the hollow sound. Her green eyes widened. She tapped the toe of her combat boot against the metal.

Clang. Clang.

"You found something, Ken," Naomi praised softly. She smiled a bright, genuine smile. She gently patted his shoulder. "Your clumsy snacking actually helped us. This metal plate is hollow."

"My snacking is a highly tactical skill," Ken bragged lazily. He crossed his ankles. "But please do not step on my candy. I was planning to invoke the five-second rule."

Zinia and Sayma rushed over. Zinia knelt down on the dirt. She placed her strong hands flat against the metal plate. She closed her eyes. She sent a small pulse of earth magic into the ground.

"Naomi is correct," Zinia reported. She opened her eyes. "There is a massive empty shaft right below this plate. It goes very deep underground. This is a false floor."

Sayma knelt next to Zinia. She inspected the edges of the metal plate. She found a very small, hidden electronic keypad. The keypad was covered in a layer of fake dirt. Sayma brushed the dirt away. She pulled a small digital tool from her pocket. She connected the tool to the keypad.

"This is a military-grade security lock," Sayma noted politely. She typed rapidly on her tool. "It uses a complex encryption algorithm. The coding is extremely advanced."

"Can you open it?" Princess Iris asked. She stood ready with her silver rapier.

"Of course, Princess," Sayma smiled a confident, small smile. "Mathematical encryption is my specialty. Give me forty seconds."

A small note on provenance: this copy came from the author's publication without permission. The official story page supports its creator.

Sayma typed a few more commands. The small tool beeped quietly. A green light flashed on the hidden keypad.

A loud mechanical hiss filled the air. The giant metal plate slowly split perfectly down the middle. The two halves slid backward. They disappeared into the dirt. A massive, square opening appeared in the ground.

A large industrial elevator platform waited inside the hole. The platform was made of solid steel grates. A glowing control panel sat on the metal railing.

Laxmi cheered happily. "We found the secret entrance! Let us go down!"

Luna opened one sleepy eye. She stood up very slowly. She dusted the dirt off her clothes. "I hope there is a bed down there."

The 13th Unit stepped onto the large metal elevator platform. They stood close together. Their glowing white purification bubbles overlapped. The holy energy created a large, safe dome of clean air.

Ken stepped onto the platform last. He slumped his shoulders. He let out a loud, dramatic yawn.

"Going down an elevator is my favorite activity," Ken mumbled casually. He leaned his back against the metal railing. "It requires zero walking. You just stand still. The machine does all the work. I wish I had an elevator in my bedroom."

Sayma pressed a glowing button on the control panel.

The elevator jerked slightly. The metal cables whined. The massive platform began to descend. It moved slowly into the dark, vertical shaft. The yellow-gray toxic mist faded away above them. The bright industrial lights of the mining rig disappeared.

They traveled deeper and deeper underground. The air grew very cool. The walls of the shaft were made of smooth, reinforced concrete.

Princess Iris looked at her team. Her violet eyes were serious.

"Listen to me, everyone," Princess Iris commanded smoothly. Her voice echoed in the enclosed space. "We do not know what is waiting for us at the bottom. The Emperor ordered us to investigate. We must gather evidence. Do not engage in combat unless it is necessary. We need to stay hidden."

Naomi nodded firmly. She held her silver daggers tight. "Understood, Princess. We will use stealth."

The elevator continued its long descent. Ken popped another gummy worm into his mouth. He chewed it slowly. He knew what was waiting at the bottom. He felt the massive energy signatures below them. He felt the hum of advanced machinery. The secret was about to be revealed. The lazy slacker simply smiled. He was ready to watch the drama unfold.

---

The metal elevator platform finally slowed down. The gears whined loudly. The platform stopped with a solid, vibrating thud.

A set of thick steel doors stood directly in front of them. The doors hissed softly. They slid open in a smooth, automatic motion.

The 13th Unit stepped off the elevator. They walked into a massive underground facility.

The sight before them was staggering.

The underground lab was gigantic. It was the size of a large city block. The ceiling was high. Bright, flawless white LED panels illuminated the entire space. The light was almost blinding after the dark descent. The floors were made of polished, pristine white tiles. The tiles shined perfectly. There was zero dirt or dust anywhere.

This place did not look like an abandoned ruin. It did not look like a dead wasteland.

It looked brand new.

Rows of massive computer mainframes lined the walls. The screens displayed complex graphs and scrolling numbers. Large glass containment tubes stood in the center of the room. The tubes bubbled with glowing green and yellow liquids. Thick black wires connected the machines together. The entire facility hummed with immense, active electrical power.

Scores of people moved across the lab floor. They wore clean white hazmat suits. They wore clear protective helmets. They carried digital tablets and silver clipboards. They typed on keyboards. They adjusted the glowing glass tubes. The researchers talked to each other in low, busy voices.

The facility was fully operational. It was alive.

Princess Iris stared at the massive laboratory. Her violet eyes widened in pure, unfiltered shock. She gripped her silver rapier tightly. Her knuckles turned white.

"This is impossible," Princess Iris whispered softly. Her voice carried a profound sense of disbelief. "This entire sector was declared a dead zone. The empire erased this facility from all official records ten years ago. It was supposed to be shut down."