Free Web NovelChapter 252: Science Centre (3)
"Wait... was it during one of the meetings?" Shinon murmured as he tried remembering the scene, and it didn’t take long for him to find what he was looking for. freeweɓnøvel.com
The ’Project Spectral Genesis’ was a phrase he had heard from the Eclipse leader during a meeting with his father and Miro. They had been discussing securing funding to continue the project, but the topic shifted once Shinon entered the room.
While Shinon didn’t ask them anything about the project in the leader’s presence, once he left, Shinon couldn’t hold back his curiosity any longer. He asked them about the project, but both his father and Miro claimed ignorance.
They knew little about it other than that it was a project of great interest to the Eclipse. But this memory brought another realisation to Shinon. Since Miro knew about the project and the base, there was no way he didn’t know about the project and kept Shinon in the dark for a reason.
’Miro... he grows more suspicious with each second I spend here,’ Shinon mumbled and taking the chance, he decided to confront Miro. But for that, he needed to retrieve the information first.
Shinon wasted no time delving deeper into the project’s information. His nimble fingers danced across the keyboard, navigating the encrypted files.
"Wait... who is that?" Shinon heard a voice behind him.
"Fuck..." Shinon whispered under his breath.
He was just about to retrieve the hard drive when a scientist saw him from the corner of his eyes. There was no denying that Shinon wasn’t supposed to be there, and the scientist didn’t waste any time before rushing outside to alert the guards.
Unfortunately, Rico, waiting outside the door, charged in before the scientist could raise the alarm.
"What the-" The scientist managed to blurt out before Rico caught up to him.
Rico grabbed the scientist’s head and slammed it into the wall, rendering him unconscious. After realising there was more than one intruder, the remaining scientist made a break for the inner room, hoping to call the guards from there.
However, Shinon conjured a shadowy vine, causing another scientist to trip and fall before ensnaring him in shadows. Once both scientists had been dealt with, the trio breathed a sigh of relief.
"That was a close call," Rico smiled.
"Too close for comfort," Lova joined in.
Shinon, however, was focused on the scientists and dragged the scientists wrapped in shadows closer.
"Tell me everything about Project Spectral Genesis," he whispered.
"I hope you won’t play games," Lova, brandishing a knife, added a threatening tone. "or you’ll find out how creative I can get with this knife."
The frightened scientist nodded vigorously. It didn’t seem like the scientist would do anything to forfeit his life. After sharing a look, Shinon undid the shadows around his mouth. But all hell broke loose as soon as the scientist could speak.
"INTRUDERS! There are intruders here—"
The scientist’s voice would have gotten louder had it not been for Lova’s swift and brutal response. As she had warned, she plunged her knife into the scientist’s throat, silencing him, but the damage had been done.
Within moments, sirens blared, alerting everyone inside the facility. The guards rushed everywhere as the hunt for intruders commenced.
"Fuck my life," Shinon shook his head and got busy with the terminal.
After some precious seconds, Shinon snatched the hard drive from the terminal, hoping to know more about Project Spectral Genesis if they made it out of there alive. Moreover, the proof would help him confront Miro and decide his fate.
"Go! Go! Go!" he yelled, rushing everyone towards the air vent they had used to infiltrate the facility.
Thankfully, the guards were yet to reach that part of the facility, but it was only a matter of time before they did. As such, they needed to be quick if they wanted to make it out of there alive.
"Come, you go first!" Rico said, ushering Lova inside before preparing to follow.
After that, Rico jumped inside, extending a hand for Shinon to join them. However, in an unexpected twist, Shinon forced Rico into the vent and sealed it shut from the outside.
"What the hell are you doing!?" Lova exclaimed, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"Go and tell the rest what we found here. I’ll stall them so you can get away safely," Shinon informed them of his decision while handing Rico the hard drive. "Once that’s done, I’ll slip through using my shadows and meet you at the settlement."
"Fuck..." Rico muttered, torn between loyalty and concern, but he nodded in agreement. "Fine, but you better make it out of here!"
"I will. Now, get going!" Shinon urged them, his eyes scanning the area before he rushed to the room they had just left.
***
As the metallic clank of footsteps echoed through the corridor, Shinon melted into the shadows, his form blending seamlessly with the darkness. The facility’s security personnel were now on high alert, combing through the chambers and corridors one after another in search of the intruders.
Shinon, however, was no stranger to stealth. His shadow-woven cloak gave him an advantage as he slipped past guards, remaining unseen.
But avoiding them wasn’t good enough. If the guards found nothing inside, they would turn their attention to the outside area, and there was a high chance Rico and Lova would get caught if that happened.
So Shinon decided to use his shadow pets to cause confusion amongst their ranks while he made it outside.
"I heard something there!" one of the guards yelled before rushing toward the source of the sound.
As the guards disappeared, Shinon took a deep breath and headed inside another room. It was there he found something unexpected.
The expansive room housed an array of cryo pods containing undead creatures, some of whom Shinon had seen and fought before. But what shook him to his core was that all the zombies inside the cryo pods were Alpha-level bosses.
Shinon was still wrapping his head around the fact when the lights in the room went off, coupled with the sounds of clapping. Turning around, he saw his father and the Eclipse leader behind him.
"Shinon," the Eclipse leader greeted with a sinister smile. "We’ve been expecting you."
