The door of the establishnt creaked open as a slim, black-haired young man entered.
Shye had no idea what the damned protocol was.
However, there was no ti for him to hesitate, so he quickly decided to head towards the front counter, presenting the Hawkin Badge he obtained from the spatial bag of the man he killed.
The receptionist subtly looked around and took the badge, putting it atop so sort of device for verification.
The young man's data was then revealed on a small holographic screen.
'Hoh, so that guy's na was Jeff, huh?' Shye mused as he saw the na on the screen. 'Alright then, for now, my na is Jeff.'
As he was lost in thought, the receptionist glanced at his face, and upon confirming it matched the one on the badge, the guy allowed him to proceed.
After retrieving his badge, he headed down the hallway where the first mber had entered, keeping his [Mana Pulse] skill active the entire ti.
It didn't take long for him to find a room guarded by two butlers.
With his intelligence, it wasn't too hard for him to deduce that this was the entrance to the headquarters.
He walked slowly, anticipating that the two butlers would ask him for sothing.
Fortunately, they didn't, so Shye continued into the room, finding a wide staircase inside.
As a precaution, he had morized everything in Jeff's spatial bag while walking toward the establishnt, ensuring he could quickly retrieve any item if needed.
Still, he preferred things to be this easy.
Unfortunately, when had anything ever gone smoothly for him?
Unbeknownst to Shye, the receptionist watched him from a holographic screen as he descended the stairs, a cold smirk on his face.
The guy then picked up his mana communicator and called soone.
"An intruder has entered from the seventh entrance, posing as a black-haired mber nad Jeff. Set an ambush on the third floor."
Shortly after, the receptionist put down his mana communicator, his smile returning to a receptive expression as if nothing had happened.
Little did Shye know, each entrance of the Hawkin Group had its own thod of entry, and at the seventh entrance—where he entered—he was required to give the two butlers one silver coin each.
All Hawkin Group mbers were familiar with the protocols for each entrance, making it clear that Shye was an intruder.
This was how Dweezel's n identified rats among those trying to enter.
All the receptionists and guards were also trained not to react strangely upon identifying an intruder, enabling them to capture or kill each one without fail, regardless of which entrance the rat has chosen to infiltrate.
anwhile, the clueless Shye didn't waste any ti and imdiately sprinted across the dimly lit tallic hallways of the underground headquarters, though he still tried to be as sneaky as possible when investigating rooms. Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire
He saw a few underground plantations of rare herbs and a few other worthwhile treasures to grab.
Yet, he didn't pay them any attention, as to him, the lives of his friends were more important.
With this, he quickly cleared each floor, locating the stairs heading to the next underground level at a rate impossible for any other intruder.
***
"That damn bastard... just how vast and deep is this place?" Ian muttered, his expression grim.
As the party's scout, he led the way for the five of them, making sure that they remained undetected throughout their infiltration.
The Valenzian ex-scout hero had successfully guided them to the tenth floor without any issues, carefully exploring each room in search of Wendy.
After all, they headed out on a mission to rescue their friend despite knowing nothing but the location of Dweezel's headquarters.
Finding their target would ultimately depend on their own efforts and a little bit of luck.
Luna, Harry, and David's reactions didn't differ much from Ian's.
Navigating the expansive yet eerily silent tallic hallways of the underground headquarters left them feeling slightly uneasy.
As for Kiin, a sly smile occasionally flickered across his face.
He could already picture the satisfying influx of Hawkin Credits headed his way.
With a contribution like this, his father would have no choice but to finally recognize him, viewing him with the sa regard he reserved for Primo—the First Hawkling—and Harvan—the Second Hawkling.
To Kiin's understanding, they were the only two considered to be the real contenders for the position of the Mansion's Heir.
Though the organization would stay under Dweezel's command once he got rid of his elderly body and attained immortality, the five hundred elite Hawkin Guards, along with their formidable leader, Captain Balkan, would eventually fall under the heir's authority.
This was why Primo and Harvan were so determined to secure the position.
After all, in ti, Dweezel Hawkins would "die," and once world domination was realized, the Hawkin Heir would ascend as the king of the world—albeit rely a puppet under the immortal Dweezel's control.
'Only a few more floors now…' Kiin thought to himself.
On the thirteenth floor, the trap he and his handler had ticulously prepared lay in wait, poised to ensnare Shye Crowley's closest friends.
Once captured, they would serve as invaluable leverage in manipulating the movents of the Black Dawn Hero to a certain extent.
Naturally, Kiin knew that Shirley would be the perfect target.
However, because of her unshakeable loyalty to Shye, it would be difficult to manipulate her emotions and urge her to go with them and save Wendy.
Including Shirley in the party would almost certainly tip off Shye to the plan before it even began, so Kiin opted instead to make do with Ian, Harry, David, and Luna for the ti being.
After all, with Shye's personality, the knowledge that a few of his closest friends were in enemy hands would undoubtedly unsettle him, if not shake him to his core.
Such an advantage would be huge for the Hawkin Group in the final battle.
**
"Get to your positions!" exclaid a Hawkin squad captain.
Earlier, the receptionist at the entrance tipped them that there was an intruder and that they were to intercept and capture the lone man at the third floor.
Since the squad captains were already long accustod to the speed and pace of intruders, they decided to finish their al before heading out.
They believed they still had plenty of ti before the bastard reached the third floor.
After all, based on the usual pace of intruders they had captured in the past, the bold rat should still be on the second floor, despite his speed in clearing rooms and locating staircases.
Only, they didn't know that the intruder was none other than Shye Crowley of the Black Dawn.
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