Two researchers imdiately rushed into the records room. They frantically checked the shelves, flipping through docunts. Their faces went pale as they realized that several important files were missing.
deia didn’t waste a second and she bolted toward the door. But before she could slip away—
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
Suddenly, alarms blared throughout the entire third floor and soldiers poured in from all directions, their weapons raised and ready.
[Countdown: 00:00:46]
Shit.
She had spent too much ti skimming through docunt titles and completely ignored the tir. A loud clank suddenly echoed through the halls.
Thick tal walls began descending from the ceiling, sealing off all exits. The gap between the closing barriers was too small for her to slip through, which ant she needed a new plan.
Without wasting any ti, she moved swiftly to the back of the soldier formation, deactivated her camouflage cloak, and tucked it back into her inventory.
There was a blind spot near the closed gate, a place just out of view of the control room’s surveillance system.
Now, if anyone checked the surveillance footage, they wouldn’t be able to tell whether she had just arrived with the soldiers or had been there the whole ti.
Without hesitation, deia pulled a rifle from her Space Pocket and seamlessly rged into the formation.
The mont she stood in the middle of the soldiers, she imdiately regretted it.
She wrinkled her nose because the stench of sweat was unbearable.
It seed like water was truly scarce here, making it impossible for them to bathe twice a day. But these were trained soldiers, constantly engaging in physical activity.
If they weren’t washing often enough, their body odor alone could probably knock out a dog in seconds.
A researcher in a lab coat stepped forward, addressing the soldiers. "The control room can’t identify the intruder." His expression was tense as he continued, "We’re not certain, but I suspect this person has the ability to disappear."
"Maybe he escaped," the old man with graying hair said, his voice filled with certainty. "Or maybe ... he’s right here among you."
deia didn’t react, remaining calm despite being under pressure. She had worked under extre conditions in hell for thousands of years, so sothing like this was nothing new to her.
"Searching for him here is pointless," the old man continued, his sharp eyes scanning the group. "He can move when the alarm sounds. But considering how quickly the door sealed shut, I highly doubt he managed to slip away.
"And based on his ability, which can make himself invisible but not the objects he touches, I’d estimate his skill level to be Grade B ... maybe even Grade A."
"An ability of that level must have a ti limit," he said. "So ... show your badges and dog tags. I need to verify your identities."
A soldier stepped forward, his face filled in anger. "Are you accusing one of us of being a traitor?! How dare you?!"
deia watched their quarrel with interest as the researchers and soldiers bickered, throwing insults at each other.
The soldiers were offended at the implication that one of them could be disloyal, while the researchers, equally frustrated, believed the soldiers were letting their pride cloud their judgnt.
The room filled with suspicion and hostility, a battlefield of intellect and emotion, and deia was thoroughly entertained.
If their argunt dragged on any longer, deia might as well grab so popcorn and enjoy the show.
Unfortunately, it ended too soon, thanks to a beautiful woman from the neurology departnt who stepped between them. "Stop! Just stop! Don’t you guys realize how ridiculous this sounds?!"
She turned to the soldiers, her voice softening. "Co on, boys. This isn’t like you."
deia’s eye twitched. This woman was acting exactly like the heroine from one of those cliché romance novels she had read before.
"We’re not saying you’re traitors," the woman continued with a sweet smile. "Our leader just thinks the intruder might have disguised himself as one of you so he wouldn’t seem suspicious after failing to escape."
She tilted her head slightly, playing innocent. "Co on, just show your badge and ID. It’s not a big deal, right?"
Sister, you’re doing a fantastic job.
deia still thought she was acting like a soap opera lead, but so what? In this kind of world, if a woman could enslave n with beauty alone, then good for her.
Too bad that beautiful lady didn’t have a kind heart. If she were a fairytale character, she wouldn’t be the princess, she’d be the wicked witch poisoning children’s candy. Which ant, at so point, this woman would have to go.
"Fine. That seems fair," one of the soldiers finally agreed. The others followed, pulling out their badges and dog tags. deia did the sa, flashing the identity she had stolen—Brennan Cross.
"Corporal Cross?"
deia froze for a split second as the soldier next to her called the fake na.
"Why are you wearing a mask? Are you sick?"
She didn’t answer right away because she couldn’t speak without giving herself away. Instead, she lowered her hat slightly to hide her eyes and gestured that she couldn’t talk.
The soldier frowned. "You can’t speak? But weren’t you just singing at the top of your lungs with the others this morning?"
This bastard.
deia should’ve taken the identity of an introverted soldier who barely spoke.
"Oh! Did you lose your voice from singing too much?"
deia quickly nodded and gave a thumbs-up, pretending his guess was spot on.
"But I think you should take off your hat. Covering your face like that will only make people suspicious."
deia clicked her tongue silently. Great. So much for staying low and slipping through unnoticed.
As the researchers started walking toward her, she subtly signaled the soldier beside her to lean in.
"What’s wrong?" he asked, clueless.
Without a word, deia pulled him closer and quickly slipped an unimportant docunt into the back of his bulletproof vest. She gave his back a firm pat—casual enough not to raise suspicion—before nudging him forward toward the researchers.
Before he could even ask what the hell she was doing, the researchers had already stopped in front of him, demanding to see his badge and ID plate.
Just as he reached for his badge, the docunt suddenly slipped out from his vest, landing right in plain sight.
deia casually nudged the soldier beside her and pointed at the fallen paper.
"Hey! He’s hiding the missing docunt!" one of the soldiers shouted.
All eyes snapped to the poor soldier.
The poor soldier’s face turned pale the mont he noticed the docunt lying between his feet. "No! No! I didn’t steal it! I wasn’t even here when it went missing! I just got here when the alarm went off!"
"Can you prove it?!"
"I ..." The soldier’s voice faltered. He had only just stepped out of his quarters when the alarm rang, aning he had no witnesses to back up his claim.
"Arrest him now!"
"No! It’s not , it’s him!" The soldier desperately pointed at deia. "Isn’t he the more suspicious one?! He’s wearing a mask and a hat indoors! And he patted my back just monts ago, he must have been the one who planted that docunt on !"
A soldier snatched the identity plate from deia’s hand, frowning as he read it.
"Corporal Brennan Cross? It says here you can manipulate water. If you’re really him, then prove it, show us your ability!"
"That’s right! If he can’t do it, then he must be a fa—"
Before the soldier could finish his sentence, deia casually flicked her fingers and a splash of water hit his face.
The entire room fell into stunned silence.
"He’s really Corporal Cross!" soone blurted out.
Anyone with water manipulation abilities was considered a valuable asset to the base. Because of that, no one dared to act recklessly around deia anymore.
"We’re sorry for doubting you!" one of the soldiers quickly apologized before turning back to the accused man. "Arrest that traitor! How dare he lie on his records and fail to report his mutant ability?!"
"I don’t have another ability! I can only shoot bullets through my fingers!"
BANG!
He fired a bullet through his finger at a soldier nearby, hitting him in the arm.
"He’s trying to kill us!"
"Take him down!"
The panicked soldier yelled back, "I wouldn’t be shooting if you idiots just listened to !"
Chaos exploded across the third floor. Bullets flew, soldiers scrambled, and researchers dove under tables, clutching their precious equipnt like their lives depended on it.
At this point, it didn’t even matter if he was innocent of theft or not because he had destroyed valuable property, injured a soldier, and caused absolute mayhem. He was screwed either way.
Poor guy.
That’s what happens when you try to have a conversation with a demon.
Just as the soldiers finally tackled him to the ground, a steel wall lifted into the ceiling, opening a perfect escape route.
Without hesitation, deia slipped away, vanishing into the shadows.
Reviews
All reviews (0)