"Excellent work, girls," Princess Hestia praised them softly. "We are moving with perfect efficiency. We are dismantling their fortified positions effortlessly. I am absolutely certain my sister is struggling right now. Her messy little unit could never match our flawless execution."
Zaima sneered in agreement. "Princess Iris relies on a very chaotic vanguard. They lack our superior discipline. And they have that useless, lazy commoner dragging them down. He is probably crying in a corner while they do all the work."
Elma sliced another guard down. She heard Zaima's insult. A sudden, totally unexpected blush colored Elma's cheeks. She remembered the lazy boy's goofy smile. She remembered how he looked in his tailored suit. She actually hoped he was staying safe during the fight. She quickly shook her head to clear the thought. She forced herself to focus entirely on the enemy.
The 16th Unit marched forward. Their pristine white boots clicked sharply against the metal floor. They pushed deeper and deeper into the central corridor. They completely dominated the enemy patrols. They left a trail of defeated guards behind them.
The battle across the facility was massive. The alarms continued to blare. The red lights continued to flash. Both Royal units fought intensely to survive the ambush.
But entirely unseen by anyone, a single person was walking completely outside the rules of the war.
---
Ken Eliot stepped out of the shadows. He appeared in a totally empty, dimly lit corridor on the lower levels of the Ashura facility.
The loud noises of the firefight were gone. The blaring security sirens sounded very muffled down here. The air was much colder. Pale fluorescent lights flickered softly on the ceiling. The walls were made of thick, dark metal.
Ken shoved his hands deep into his pockets. He slouched his shoulders. He let out a loud, lazy yawn.
"Stairs," Ken complained quietly to himself. He looked at a long, steep metal staircase leading further underground. "The absolute ultimate enemy of my lifestyle. Why do evil scientists always build their secret bases downward? They should build them horizontally. It is much better for the knees. A nice, flat ranch-style bunker would be fantastic."
He shuffled his cheap shoes against the metal floor. Scuff. Scuff. Scuff. He started walking down the stairs. He did not rush. He took his time. He casually looked at the boring gray walls.
"The interior design in this place is terrible," Ken muttered lazily. "Gray metal is so depressing. A nice pastel blue paint job would really brighten up the place. Maybe add a few potted plants. Risa would definitely appreciate some plants."
He reached the bottom of the stairs. He stepped into a wide, quiet hallway.
A patrol of four elite Ashura guards suddenly turned the corner. They marched down the hallway. They held their glowing magical rifles ready. Their toxic green veins pulsed brightly against their pale gray skin. They looked very dangerous. They were actively searching for intruders.
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from NovelPhoenix. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
Ken did not panic. He did not summon a magical weapon. He did not even break his lazy stride.
He just casually stepped to the side. He leaned his back flat against the cold metal wall. He pulled another piece of strawberry candy from his pocket. He unwrapped it and popped it into his mouth. He crossed one foot over the other. He chewed happily.
The four elite guards marched right past him. They walked so close that one guard's shoulder almost brushed against Ken's untucked white shirt.
The guards did not stop. They did not raise their rifles. They did not even turn their heads.
Ken had wrapped himself in a totally flawless, microscopic illusion of non-existence. He did not turn invisible. He simply told the universe that he did not matter. The guards' brains completely slid past him. They perceived him as a boring, empty piece of the metal wall.
"Excuse me, fellas," Ken whispered lazily. He gave them a goofy little wave as they walked away. "Have a nice patrol. Try not to trip over anything."
He pushed himself off the wall and continued his quiet stroll.
He navigated the lower levels with absolute, effortless precision. He bypassed locked security gates without touching the keypads. He just melted through the solid steel doors as if they were made of thin mist. He walked past a dozen more guards. None of them saw him. None of them heard his scuffing shoes.
He was totally untouched by the frantic war happening above him.
Upstairs in the primary laboratory, the 13th Unit was still fighting fiercely.
Naomi spun her daggers. She sliced a glowing rifle in half. She kicked a guard away and took a quick breath. She wiped sweat from her forehead. The enemy forces were finally starting to thin out.
She quickly glanced over her shoulder. She looked at the large metal desk in the corner.
She saw Ken's magical clone. The clone was still curled into a tight ball on the floor. It had its arms wrapped securely over its head.
"Please stop shooting the desk!" the clone wailed loudly. It sounded incredibly pathetic. "I am just a guy in a suit! I do not have health insurance for magical laser burns!"
Naomi smiled a very fond, genuine smile. Her green eyes softened. She felt a huge wave of relief. He was completely safe. He was not trying to be a hero. He was just staying out of the way. That was exactly what she wanted. She wanted to protect him.
"Just stay right there, Ken!" Naomi yelled back over the noise. "We are almost done here! I will buy you that large pizza when we get home!"
"I want extra cheese!" the clone shouted back enthusiastically.
Naomi chuckled and turned her attention back to the remaining guards. She dashed forward, totally energized. Her team was winning.
Deep underground, the real Ken Eliot finally reached his destination.
He stood at the very end of the lowest corridor. In front of him were two massive, incredibly thick vault doors. The doors were made of reinforced black steel. Glowing red runes were painted across the metal. The runes pulsed with dark, toxic magical energy. This was the absolute deepest part of the facility.
This was the core chamber.
Ken did not kick the doors open. He did not break the runes. He simply stepped forward. His body dissolved seamlessly into the dark shadows on the floor. He slid right underneath the small gap at the bottom of the blast doors. He reassembled his physical form on the other side.
He stepped into the core chamber.
The room was vast and circular. The ceiling was very high. The air in here was incredibly cold. It felt completely suffocating. The entire chamber smelled like raw, burning chemicals.
In the exact center of the room sat a massive, glowing green terminal. Thick pipes connected the terminal to the walls. The dark magical energy radiating from the machinery was overwhelming. It was the absolute heart of the biological operation.
Gathered around the glowing terminal were five figures.
These were not normal guards. These were the highest-ranking Ashura commanders.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter