Chapter : 697

Sayma pushed her thick glasses up the bridge of her nose. The intelligent Vice-Captain opened her notebook. She clicked her pen rapidly. Her dark eyes scanned the advanced technology. She calculated the raw data instantly.

"This is not a leftover operation, Princess," Sayma reported politely. Her voice was serious. "Look at the computer terminals. Look at the containment glass. This technology is current generation. It is state-of-the-art equipment. The power grid alone requires a massive, dedicated energy source."

Zinia crossed her muscular arms. The strong earth mage frowned a deep, angry frown. "Someone fixed this place up. Someone turned the lights back on."

Sayma nodded firmly. "Exactly. And this level of infrastructure requires astronomical funding. It requires billions of Bels. It requires a constant supply chain of materials. Normal criminals cannot afford this."

Sayma looked directly at Princess Iris.

"A project of this massive magnitude cannot exist in secret without high-level protection," Sayma concluded logically. "Someone with immense political power is funding this laboratory. Someone is hiding these supply lines from the government. The traitor is not a low-level spy. The traitor is someone with absolute, top-tier authority inside the empire."

The words hung in the cool, filtered air. The reality of the situation hit the team like a physical punch.

The Emperor was right. A massive conspiracy was actively operating right beneath the toxic wasteland. A high-ranking official was conducting illegal research in the dark.

Risa stood in the middle of the group. The sweet pink-haired healer hugged her stuffed brown teddy bear very tightly. Her small hands shook.

Risa possessed deep nature magic. She could feel the ambient energy of her surroundings. This underground lab felt wrong. The glowing green liquid inside the glass tubes radiated a sickening, corrupted feeling. It felt like pure, concentrated poison. It felt like tortured earth.

Risa squeezed her glowing white shard of the Core of Luminus. The holy crystal pulsed warmly in her palm. The purification bubble pushed the ambient toxic magic away from her skin. The crystal kept her erratic mana stable. But she still hated the feeling of this place.

"This place is very bad," Risa whispered softly. Her bright green eyes filled with nervous tears. "The machines are hurting the magic. They are doing scary things here."

Naomi walked over immediately. She placed a gentle, warm hand on Risa's shoulder.

"Stay close to me, Risa," Naomi comforted softly. She smiled a brave, reassuring smile. "Keep holding your crystal. Do not let go. We will protect you. Nobody is going to hurt you."

Risa nodded bravely. She wiped a tear from her cheek. "I will be brave. I promise."

This chapter came from NovelPhoenix without permission, while the author publishes the story there. Reading that publication supports the author.

Ken Eliot stood behind a stack of silver metal crates near the elevator. He drooped his shoulders as far as they could possibly go. His white shirt hung untucked. He wore his baggy gray sweatpants.

He did not look scared of the massive laboratory. He did not look shocked by the expensive equipment. He reached into his pocket. He pulled out a small, wrapped piece of strawberry candy. He unwrapped it slowly. The plastic crinkled softly. He popped the candy into his mouth.

Ken observed the entire facility with flawless, analytical precision. His sleepy dark eyes tracked everything.

"This is a fantastic dungeon layout," Ken thought casually to himself. He leaned his back against the metal crate. "The developers did a great job. It looks like an evil science corporation from a mecha anime. The bad guys always put glowing green liquid in giant glass tubes. They love glowing liquids. It makes the room look very sinister."

Ken chewed his strawberry candy. He mapped the entire room in his mind.

He looked at the researchers in the white hazmat suits. He looked at the armed security guards standing near the far doors. The guards wore thick black armor. They carried advanced magical rifles.

"The stealth mechanics here are very simple," Ken analyzed lazily. He crossed his ankles. "The guards are walking in basic patrol routes. They move in perfect squares. They stop at the corners for five seconds. If we just wait for them to turn around, we can walk right past them. It requires zero combat. We do not even need to hide in a cardboard box."

Ken noticed a large, red metal door at the very end of the laboratory. The door had multiple digital locks. It looked secure.

"The main boss is definitely behind that red door," Ken deduced silently. "Or maybe a really good treasure chest. I hope it is a treasure chest. Boss fights require too much cardio. I wonder if they have a vending machine in this facility. Evil scientists always need caffeine."

Ken kept his brilliant observations to himself. He did not share his tactical mapping with the girls. He wanted to maintain his harmless slacker disguise. He just stood in the corner and acted like he was lost.

"Wow, this basement is very clean," Ken mumbled lazily out loud. He offered a goofy smile to the group. "The janitors here do a fantastic job. The floor is shiny. I can almost see my own reflection. I should ask them what brand of floor wax they use."

Laxmi punched her open palm. A bright orange spark popped into the air. She grinned a wild, excited grin. She ignored Ken's silly comment.

"There are guards over there!" Laxmi cheered in a loud whisper. She pointed at the men in black armor. "Let us go fight them! I can melt their shiny rifles! We can smash all these glass tubes! It will be a massive mess!"

"We are not smashing anything, Laxmi," Princess Iris commanded firmly. She kept her voice very low. She crouched behind the silver crates. "We are on an investigation mission. We need to find digital records. We need to find out what they are building here. And we need to find the missing artifact."

Princess Iris looked at her vanguard leader. "Naomi. Lead the way. Find us a safe path through the equipment."

Naomi nodded with strict, military focus. Her soft smile vanished. Her green eyes turned sharp. She gripped the handles of her twin silver daggers. The metal glinted under the bright white LED lights.

Naomi peeked around the edge of the metal crates. She watched the researchers walk past. She timed the patrol route of the nearest security guard. She waited for the exact perfect moment.

The armed guard turned his back. He walked down a different aisle.

Naomi raised her left hand. She used a swift, silent tactical hand signal. She pointed her two fingers straight ahead. She signaled the team to move forward.

Naomi stepped silently out from behind the crates. She moved like a red-haired ghost. She stayed low to the ground. She slipped behind a row of large computer mainframes.

The rest of the 13th Unit followed her immediately. Zinia moved quietly despite her large muscles. Sayma kept Risa perfectly centered in the group. Luna walked softly, keeping her wind magic ready to deflect any noise. Princess Iris guarded the flank with her rapier.