Chapter : 698

Ken shuffled along at the very back of the line. He dragged his cheap shoes lightly on the polished tiles. He popped another strawberry candy into his mouth. He sagged his posture. He followed his friends deeper into the massive, active laboratory. The investigation was officially underway. They were ready to uncover the empire's darkest secrets, unaware of the chaos waiting for them in the next room.

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Naomi moved silently past a large bank of glowing computer servers. She held her twin silver daggers tight. She stepped very carefully on the pristine white tiles. She did not make a single sound. She raised her left hand. She signaled for the group to stop.

The 13th Unit stopped immediately. They crouched behind a row of tall metal cabinets. They stayed inside their glowing white purification bubbles. The holy energy from the Core of Luminus shards kept the toxic radiation away.

Zinia watched the right flank. The strong earth mage kept her fists raised. She looked for any approaching security guards. Laxmi pouted quietly. The fire user hated sneaking around. She wanted to throw fireballs. She wanted to make a loud mess. But Princess Iris gave a strict order. They needed to gather evidence first.

Sayma knelt on the floor. She plugged a small digital wire into a computer terminal. She typed rapidly on a silver keypad. She pushed her thick glasses up the bridge of her nose.

"I am accessing the local network," Sayma whispered politely. "The encryption is very advanced. I need a few more minutes to download the files. We need this data for the Emperor."

Risa hugged her brown teddy bear. The sweet pink-haired healer stayed right next to Naomi. Naomi smiled a warm, reassuring smile at her. Naomi placed a gentle hand on Risa's shoulder. She wanted to make sure Risa felt safe.

Ken Eliot crouched at the very back of the group. He slouched his shoulders. He wore his baggy navy blue sweatpants. His white dress shirt hung completely untucked over his belt. He did not look worried about the armed guards. He did not care about the secret computer data.

He held a small plastic bag. The bag was full of green apple gummy rings. He pulled one out. He popped it into his mouth. He chewed it slowly.

"This is a classic stealth mission," Ken analyzed casually in his mind. He swallowed his candy. "The developers always put a stealth section in the middle of an action game. It forces the player to slow down. I actually respect the stealth mechanics. But we are missing a very important item. We need an empty cardboard box."

Ken looked around the clean laboratory. He did not see any cardboard boxes.

"You can always hide under a cardboard box," Ken reasoned smoothly in his head. "You just put the box over your head. You crawl across the floor. The guards look at the box. They just assume it is normal trash. They never check under the box. It is a flawless strategy. I really wish I brought a box."

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Sayma continued to type on her keypad. The download bar on the computer screen slowly filled up. The laboratory was very quiet. The researchers in white hazmat suits worked a few aisles away. The armed guards walked their regular patrol routes. The stealth mission was going perfectly.

Then, a massive noise shattered the silence.

BOOM.

The entire underground facility shook violently. The polished white tiles vibrated under their boots. The tall metal cabinets rattled loudly.

Ken stopped chewing his gummy ring. He blinked his sleepy dark eyes. He looked toward the far side of the massive room.

A solid concrete wall exploded.

Thick chunks of gray rock flew through the air. Twisted metal pipes crashed onto the floor. A huge cloud of white dust filled the aisle. The pristine laboratory was instantly ruined.

The facility alarms triggered immediately. Loud sirens blared from the ceiling. Bright red lights spun rapidly. The red lights painted the room in an alarming, urgent color. The researchers screamed in panic. They dropped their digital tablets. They ran toward the emergency exits.

"What is happening?" Princess Iris asked. She stood up quickly. She gripped her silver rapier.

"Did a guard spot us?" Laxmi asked excitedly. She punched her open palm. An orange spark popped into the air.

"No," Naomi answered. She frowned deeply. She stepped in front of Ken and Risa to protect them from the flying debris. "That explosion came from the outside. Someone else just broke into the laboratory."

The white dust slowly settled. A massive figure stepped through the broken wall.

It was a gigantic tiger.

The beast was not a normal animal. It was a terrifying Battle Tiger. It was the size of a large transport vehicle. Thick steel armor plates covered its entire body. Sharp metal spikes stuck out from its shoulders. Its eyes glowed with a fierce, bright red magic. It opened its massive jaws. It let out a deafening, mechanical roar.

ROAR.

The sound forced the girls to cover their ears.

A person sat on the back of the armored Battle Tiger.

It was the 4th Prince, Ares Belmontia.

Ares did not wear a clean white uniform. He wore rugged combat trousers. He did not wear a shirt. His muscular torso was covered in scars. His spiky red hair looked wild. He smiled a massive, bloodthirsty smile. He looked excited.

Ares and his Vanguard unit had traveled through the toxic wasteland. They did not look for the secret elevator. They did not use a keypad to open a hidden door. They simply smashed their way straight through the solid dirt. They broke through the reinforced concrete wall of the underground lab.

Ares jumped off the back of the Battle Tiger. He landed on the white tiles with a loud thud. He cracked his knuckles. Pop. Pop. Pop.

His Vanguard unit followed him through the hole. They were all massive, muscular fighters. They carried giant axes and huge broadswords. They looked ready for a massive brawl.

Ken slumped his shoulders. He let out a loud, dramatic sigh. He put his hands deep into his pockets.

"Well, the stealth mission is officially ruined," Ken complained lazily to himself. He looked at the spinning red lights. "Someone just pulled the aggro for the entire room. All the guards are going to rush over here now. I hate when random players join the server and ruin the stealth run. This is a massive inconvenience."

The armed security guards reacted instantly. They heard the explosion. They saw the giant armored tiger. They raised their advanced magical rifles. They aimed their weapons at the 4th Prince.

"Intruders!" a guard captain shouted loudly. "Open fire! Eliminate them!"

The guards pulled their triggers. Dozens of magical energy blasts shot across the room. The bright blue lasers zipped through the air. They aimed directly for Ares and his Vanguard.

Ares did not dodge. He did not hide behind a wall. He just laughed a loud, booming laugh.

"Finally!" Ares roared happily. "Some real action! Let us smash this place!"