309-311

Chapter 309: The Canyon 

Hammer picked up where Jay left off. 

“This project was under my supervision. After the research base lost contact, I immediately sent a Marine squad into the canyon. Dozens of fine young men went in, but not a single one came back. I realized the situation in the canyon was far more serious than we thought, so on someone’s suggestion, I brought you in as outside help.” 

Roy had a rough grasp of the mission by now. 

“General Hammer, what do I need to do?” 

“Find out what’s happening at the bottom of the canyon. If there are any survivors, do your best to bring them out.” 

The task didn’t sound too complicated. 

“Got it. Can you tell me about any unusual creatures in the canyon?” 

Jay then showed Roy some of the known bizarre creatures in the canyon. 

For example, there were giant centipedes several times larger than a human and massive Venus flytraps capable of swallowing a bear whole. 

Many of the creatures in the canyon were dozens, even hundreds, of times larger than their counterparts outside. No wonder the Pentagon was so interested in studying the unique species in this area. 

“Mr. Black, I’ve told you everything I can about this mission. The rest is classified. We’ll arrive at Fog Island by 2 p.m. at the latest, so I hope you’ll be ready. If you need any gear or equipment, ask Ms. Jay. She’ll be accompanying you on this mission.” 

Roy was used to being saddled with partners on missions, but most of the time, it wasn’t by choice. 

If he had his way, he’d rather not drag along someone who might slow him down. 

The look in Roy’s eyes, like he was sizing up a burden, stung Jay’s pride. She shot him a fierce glare. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

Roy shrugged innocently. 

“What? I didn’t say anything!” 

Hammer seemed to pick up on Roy’s reluctance and waved a hand at Jay. 

“Mr. Black, Ms. Jay is an intelligence officer with the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI). She has high-level clearance for the Fog Island lab and can get you into most areas of the facility. You have to take her with you.” 

So that’s how it was. 

This was probably Hammer’s insurance policy to keep Roy from messing around in the lab. 

Roy nodded. 

“Alright, then I’ll grudgingly bring Ms. Jay along.” 

If looks could kill, Roy would’ve been dead a thousand times over. 

“Ms. Jay, take Mr. Black to get his gear!” 

Hammer looked uncomfortable again, his face tinged faintly green. Maybe he’d talked too much and was fighting back nausea. 

“Come with me,” Jay said curtly. 

Jay led Roy out of Hammer’s office. 

Once they were outside, Jay’s attitude toward Roy grew even colder. Clearly, his earlier behavior had rubbed her the wrong way. 

Roy didn’t feel like explaining himself. From the start, this female soldier’s attitude toward him had been lukewarm at best, which wasn’t exactly normal. 

How could any woman resist Roy’s charm? 

Roy was seriously starting to suspect Jay might be into women. 

Though Jay couldn’t read his mind, the way Roy was looking at her made her feel like he was thinking something rude. 

“What are you staring at?” 

“Just admiring a beautiful lady. Is that a problem?” 

When Roy called her beautiful, the corner of Jay’s mouth twitched upward for a split second before she forced it back down. Only someone with Roy’s sharp eyesight could catch such a subtle change. 

As expected of an intelligence officer—her poker face was top-notch. 

From this, Roy could tell Jay’s preferences were probably fine. She just genuinely didn’t like him. 

That piqued Roy’s interest. A normal woman who wasn’t into him? Could Jay have a unique taste, maybe for older guys or rough-around-the-edges types? 

Come to think of it, the way Jay had looked at Hammer earlier did have a hint of admiration—completely different from how she looked at Roy or other soldiers. 

Could it be…? 

Roy’s gaze grew even weirder, which Jay found increasingly unbearable. 

“What the hell are you looking at?!” 

“I told you, I’m just looking at a beautiful lady—oh, looks like we’re here!” 

They’d arrived at the armory, guarded by soldiers at the entrance. Jay didn’t press Roy further, just giving him a sharp glare. 

“Hmph!” 

Getting gear from the armory required a slew of complicated procedures, but thankfully, Jay had General Hammer’s authorization, which skipped most of the red tape. 

The armory was stocked with a dazzling array of standard U.S. military equipment, leaving Roy momentarily overwhelmed. 

“Need me to recommend something?” Jay asked, arms crossed. 

“Nah, I’ve got my go-to weapons. Do you have a Smith & Wesson M500 revolver?” 

Jay rolled her eyes. 

“Why would you pick something so flashy and impractical?” 

The Smith & Wesson M500 was known as the world’s most powerful revolver, but its low ammo capacity and massive recoil made it unsuitable for military use. It was mostly used for hunting, its sheer power capable of taking down even a tough-skinned elephant. 

“Just tell me if you’ve got it.” 

Jay gave him an exasperated look but found an M500 for him. 

(Smith & Wesson M500) 

“Anything else?” 

Besides revolvers, Roy was a fan of shotguns. 

“I want a shotgun that can fire 4-gauge shells.” 

A 4-gauge shell was the largest commonly used shotgun round, equivalent to 26mm in diameter. In some countries, that was practically artillery. 

Jay frowned. 

“Why do you keep picking impractical weapons? Can you even handle that kind of recoil?” 

I’ve got something with even more kick—wanna try it? 

Roy gave her a sidelong glance but stuck to his line. 

“Just tell me if you’ve got it.” 

Jay pulled out an M1014 shotgun, the military version of the Benelli M4, typically used with standard 12-gauge shells. 

“I can modify it to handle 4-gauge barrels.” 

“You can mod guns?” Roy looked at her, genuinely surprised. He hadn’t pegged her for having that skill. 

“Hmph! I’m not some desk-jockey clerk. I’m a field operative!” 

“Perfect! While you’re at it, slap on some accessories and calibrate the gun for me.” 

Roy was treating her like a glorified armorer now. Jay shot him another glare. 

“Pick the rest of your guns first!” 

Roy wasn’t too picky about other firearms. 

He liked revolvers because they let him maximize Bob Munden’s shooting techniques, and shotguns for their devastating close-range power. 

In the end, he picked two submachine guns he could wield one-handed and called it a day. 

“That’s it? You’re not taking a rifle?” Jay looked at him like he was an idiot. 

Roy’s loadout was entirely short-range weapons—an absurd setup for a soldier, like he was joking. 

“Why would I need a rifle?” 

“What if you run into enemies at, say, 200 meters?” 

“Revolver.” 

“What about 400 meters?” 

“Revolver.” 

Jay was starting to question whether Hammer had made the right call. 

“Alright, Ms. Jay, my fighting style’s a bit different from you grunts. Hurry up and mod those guns, or we’ll be at Fog Island before you’re done.” 

“Hmph! I mod guns fast. It won’t delay the mission!” 

Despite her disagreement with Roy’s choices, Jay took him to modify the guns. 

An hour later, all four guns were fully customized. Jay handed them to Roy with a challenging look. 

“Wanna test them?” 

Testing a freshly modded gun was standard to catch any issues before hitting the battlefield. 

“Sure. Is there a range on the ship?” 

“Of course there’s no range on a ship, but I’ve got another way to test them. Follow me.” 

Jay led Roy to the deck and tossed ten glass bottles into the sea. 

“Break those bottles, and you pass.” 

The ship was moving fast, and the bottles were bobbing randomly in the waves, making the shooting conditions as tough as they could get. 

Roy glanced at Jay, realizing she was trying to put him in his place. 

Interesting. A real wild horse, huh? 

“Ladies first. Why don’t you show me how it’s done?” 

“Watch closely.” 

Jay used a classic M4A1 rifle, switching to single-shot mode before aiming at the bottles floating in the sea. 

By now, the bottles had drifted dozens of meters away, ramping up the difficulty. 

Jay calmly fired, breaking one bottle per second. She missed one shot, but with 11 rounds, she shattered all 10 bottles—a hit rate over 90%. 

Jay tilted her chin up, looking at Roy with pride. 

“Your turn.” 

Her marksmanship was impressive, no wonder she was so confident. 

“Alright, you toss the bottles. Make sure to throw them far.” 

Jay hurled ten bottles into the sea one by one, then stepped back to watch Roy’s performance. 

Roy rested his hands on the grips of his M500 and M629 revolvers, tracking the bottles bobbing in the waves. Then… 

High noon. 

Jay barely saw a blur before Roy drew and fired at the bottles. 

Bang— 

The two revolvers fired ten shots in a single, continuous roar. 

“Done.” 

Roy spun his guns with a flourish and blew on the barrels. Jay, meanwhile, stood frozen, dumbfounded. 

“No way… Are you kidding me?” 

As a firearms expert herself, Jay could appreciate just how insane Roy’s shooting was. 

From drawing to firing ten shots, the whole thing took less than a second. 

In other words, Roy had drawn and fired ten rounds in under a second. 

What shocked Jay even more was that every single shot hit its mark—not one missed. 

To her, this was practically mythical. 

“How… how did you do that?” Jay stammered, her eyes betraying a new kind of respect. 

“No clue. I started practicing at 18, and a year later, I was like this.” 

Jay bit her lip, feeling like Roy was messing with her. 

“It’s true! I just turned 19 in June. Check my driver’s license if you don’t believe me.” 

Roy’s honesty only made Jay feel worse. Was there anything more frustrating than busting your ass and still not being able to catch up to a natural genius? 

Jay felt like she’d swallowed a fly and just wanted to crawl into bed and sulk. 

But then Roy spotted Fog Island in the distance. 

“Looks like we’re almost there!” 

In the distance, a lush green island came into view, breathtakingly beautiful. Who would’ve guessed it was home to a secret military research base? 

“Mr. Black, Ms. Jay, this mission is in your hands. I’ll be waiting here for your success.” 

At Fog Island’s port, Hammer offered his well-wishes to the fully geared-up Roy and Jay. 

It was Roy’s first time wearing a full military loadout: body armor, tactical vest, gas mask, and helmet. All he was missing was a backpack. 

But since this wasn’t a long-term mission, he and Jay didn’t need extra supplies. 

“Follow me!” Jay said, having regained her composure, and led Roy deeper into the island. 

From the outside, the island looked like any other tropical paradise, maybe just a bit higher in elevation. 

The only standout feature was a massive, kilometers-long rift at the island’s center. From above, it looked like a scar—or a vertical pupil. 

“That’s the canyon defense line up ahead. I’ll send a signal.” 

Jay fired a special flare. 

At the canyon outpost, Drasa was zoning out. 

About a week ago, Drasa was down to her final assignment before earning her freedom. That’s when her boss, Bartholomew, gave her an odd job: guard a remote, uninhabited island in the Pacific all by herself. 

Drasa was a top-tier sniper, not a security guard. This kind of mission wasn’t her usual gig. 

But for the sake of her freedom, she took it. 

She was airlifted to the Fog Island canyon outpost. 

The place was rigged with automated gun turrets and tripwires, all aimed at the foggy canyon below, as if something terrifying lurked down there. 

When Drasa first arrived, it was pretty chill. She checked equipment daily and otherwise just hung out at the outpost. 

That is, until a new guy showed up at the military outpost across the canyon. 

The man kept finding ways to get her attention, which was starting to annoy her. 

For heaven’s sake, all Drasa wanted was to finish this damn mission, move to a quiet little town where no one could find her, open a coffee shop, and live out her days in peace. She had zero interest in playing romance games. 

But her quiet routine was shattered that morning by a radio call. Bartholomew had suddenly given her a new task. 

Chapter 310: The Temptation of Retirement 

Delasa pressed the record button on her pen and began speaking. 

“Bartholomew, this isn’t how it works! I’m already on a job. I can’t take on another one!” 

“Delasa, hear me out. You were supposed to be stationed at the canyon for a year, but if you complete this task, you can end your mission early.” 

Those words made Delasa hesitate. 

The chance to wrap up her assignment a year ahead of schedule was incredibly tempting. But Delasa knew that any task from Bartholomew, that old schemer, wouldn’t be simple. 

Still, the lure of early retirement was too strong. Delasa gave in. 

“What’s the job?” she asked. 

“Around two o’clock this afternoon, the military will send two people into the canyon for a mission. Your job is to secretly follow them, find the Layton couple, eliminate everyone, and take the research data from the base.” 

“But the canyon’s a straight shot. I’ll be spotted by the military outpost across the way!” Delasa protested. 

“Don’t worry about that. There’s a hidden passage in your outpost that leads straight to the canyon floor.” 

Delasa’s heart skipped a beat. She knew something must have gone down in the canyon for the military and Amacham to set up outposts, automatic turrets, and trip mines above it. That hidden passage could be a death trap—if whatever was down there found her, she might die in her sleep. 

“Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner?” Delasa snapped, furious. 

“Oh, dear Delasa, some things are kept from you for your own good. There’s also an ID card in the passage. Use it to get into the base. You understand the mission now, right? Good luck!” 

The radio went silent. Delasa returned to her lookout post, waiting for the military personnel Bartholomew mentioned. 

A nagging unease gnawed at her. She kept wondering if she’d made the wrong call, so distracted she didn’t even notice the man at the opposite outpost signaling her. 

At two o’clock sharp, a flashing signal appeared in the sky—likely the military team Bartholomew had mentioned. 

Delasa hurried back inside her outpost to prepare. Knowing Amacham’s track record, the canyon floor was probably a bio-leak disaster zone. Having done countless dirty jobs for Amacham, Delasa knew to wear a gas mask and gloves, leaving no skin exposed. 

Across the canyon, the military guard on duty stared at the signal flare in surprise. His radio crackled to life. 

“Sergeant Levy, two soldiers on a top-secret mission have arrived at the canyon outpost. Meet them and assist as needed.” 

Levy grabbed his radio and replied, “Roger that!” 

Slinging his rifle over his shoulder, Levy headed toward the flare’s location and soon found Roy and Jay. 

“You two the ones on the top-secret mission?” he asked. 

“That’s us. I’m Captain Jay, ONI,” Jay replied. 

They exchanged ranks and unit designations—not the movie-style serial numbers, but proper military unit codes. 

“Captain Jay, good to meet you. I’m Sergeant Levy, Marine Corps,” Levy said, shaking her hand. 

He glanced at Roy, who hadn’t given his designation yet. 

Jay stepped in to explain. “He’s not military. He’s an FEA agent assigned to assist with the mission.” 

“Alright, let’s head to the outpost,” Levy said with a nod, leading Roy and Jay toward the canyon outpost. 

“The radio said you’re on a classified mission and I’m to assist. What do you need me to do?” Levy asked. 

“Nothing,” Jay replied. “Just keep monitoring the canyon like you’ve been doing. If we’re not back in 24 hours, contact the outside via radio.” 

As they reached the outpost’s terrace, Roy caught sight of the canyon’s breathtaking scenery. 

“Wow, this place is gorgeous! They could totally turn it into a national park,” he said. 

“Yeah, and how many tourists would die every year?” Jay shot back, scanning the opposite side. Noticing Delasa’s absence, she turned to Levy. “Where’s the Amacham guard?” 

Levy shrugged. “The Amacham guard’s kinda introverted. Doesn’t talk much. I often don’t see her.” 

Jay caught Levy’s use of “her” instead of “him” and realized the guard across the canyon was a woman. 

“Sergeant Levy, don’t forget your mission! You’re not here to flirt,” Jay scolded sharply. 

Levy snapped to attention and saluted. “Yes, Captain Jay!” 

Meanwhile, Roy eyed the canyon’s cliff walls, littered with countless trip mines, automatic turrets, and traps. “How do we get down there?” 

“There used to be elevators on both sides going straight to the canyon floor,” Jay explained. “But after the incident down there, they were destroyed. So we’ll use zip lines to reach the bottom.” 

Jay rummaged through the outpost and pulled out two zip line kits, handing one to Roy. 

“Sergeant Levy, once we’re down, we’ll tug the line. Pull it back up. When we’re ready to extract, I’ll fire a flare, and you drop the line again.” 

“Roger that!” Levy replied. 

Roy and Jay secured their zip lines and began their slow descent. 

With Roy’s physical conditioning, he could probably jump down without issue, but he didn’t want to reveal too much of his abilities and invite trouble. 

The problem was, Roy had no formal zip line training. His clumsy technique led to a slip, and he nearly lost control of his speed, almost plummeting. Luckily, the zip line’s brake caught the rope, saving him from a free fall. 

“Black, you okay?” Jay called out. 

“I’m fine, just slipped,” Roy replied. 

They continued their descent, soon plunging into the mist. 

As they went deeper, the mist shifted to an eerie pale yellow. 

After a grueling half-hour descent, Roy and Jay finally reached the canyon floor. 

“Man, this canyon’s deep. Are we below sea level or what?” Roy asked. 

“Shh! Keep it down! Noise attracts whatever’s down here,” Jay whispered urgently. 

Things at the canyon floor? What did that mean? 

Seeing Jay’s serious expression, Roy didn’t press further and followed her lead. 

The ground was bizarre—a sticky, crimson carpet-like surface that felt like walking through glue. The plants here were twisted and grotesque. 

Roy had seen these plants in the briefing files, but they looked even stranger in person. 

The two moved silently, unaware of the shadow trailing them. 

As a top-tier sniper, Delasa’s stealth skills were unmatched. Even Roy didn’t notice her. 

Since Roy was fully geared up with a gas mask covering his face, Delasa didn’t recognize him. If she knew she was tailing Roy, she’d have abandoned the mission on the spot. 

“Where are the monsters from the files? I haven’t seen a single one,” Roy whispered. 

“Shh! The monsters down here only come out at night. During the day, they’re dormant. Just watch out for the plants,” Jay replied. 

“Careful!” Roy warned. 

Ironically, while preaching caution, Jay nearly stepped on a Venus flytrap-like plant. It was camouflaged against the ground, ready to snap shut when triggered, with only a few serrated edges betraying its presence. 

The trap snapped shut, nearly catching Jay. Roy yanked her back just in time. 

Jay gasped, shaken but unharmed. “Thanks, Black!” 

“No problem,” Roy said. 

Helping a teammate in a pinch always builds camaraderie fast. Jay’s opinion of Roy softened considerably. 

“If the monsters come out at night, why are we going in the afternoon instead of the morning?” Roy asked after a bit. 

“Because we need to investigate the base, which could take hours. If we went in the morning, we’d likely finish at night, making extraction risky. By going in the afternoon, we hit the base at night, investigate, and stay safe inside during the dangerous hours.” 

It was a solid plan, but Roy had a bad feeling the base might be even more dangerous. 

He noticed a small stream running through the canyon, its water a sickly yellow. Every so often, pale yellow gas bubbled up from it. 

“We’re here!” Jay announced. 

After about an hour of walking—around four in the afternoon—Jay led Roy to a massive metal door built into the canyon’s stone wall. 

“Wow, building a base like this must’ve cost a fortune,” Roy remarked. 

“Yep, the military and Amacham have sunk tens of billions of dollars into this place,” Jay confirmed. 

She approached a smaller door in the corner of the massive gate and began working on its computer panel. 

Tens of billions? That’s a huge mess to clean up. No wonder Hammer was so desperate—if this went south, he’d probably be forced into retirement. 

Jay quickly passed the authorization check, and they entered the secret base. 

Inside, the base had a sleek, sci-fi aesthetic, all white, like a movie set. But getting through the outer door wasn’t enough—there was a second door to clear. 

“Two doors? They really went all out on security,” Roy said. 

“Quiet! I need to enter the code. If I get it wrong twice, automated turrets will shred us,” Jay warned. 

Roy smirked. All this security, and the place still went to hell. Fortresses always fall from within—truer words were never spoken. 

Jay carefully entered the code, and the second door opened, granting them access to the base’s interior. 

The corridor lights were on, meaning the power was still running. 

Roy and Jay moved cautiously, covering each other. The base’s rooms were a mess, as if they’d been ransacked. Bullet holes and bloodstains marred the walls, but there were no bodies. 

That struck Jay as odd. Did the intruders take the time to clean up the corpses? Unlikely. 

She’d already checked the outer and inner doors—no signs of forced entry or hacking. This wasn’t an outside job. If there was an intrusion, someone on the inside had to have let them in. 

But with Mist Island under Navy lockdown, a guarded dock, and outposts at the canyon, an external breach was nearly impossible. The problem had to have started inside the base. 

The easiest way to uncover the truth was to check the security footage. 

“Black, we’re heading to the control room. We can view the surveillance tapes there,” Jay said. 

“Got it,” Roy replied. 

Jay seemed to know the base’s layout well, as if she’d been here before. She led Roy straight to the control room. 

“Black, cover me while I access the control room’s server,” Jay said, setting down her rifle to work on the computer. 

Roy stood guard at the door, ready for any threats. 

With her high-level clearance, Jay quickly accessed the server—only to find all the surveillance footage gone. 

“What the hell?” she muttered. 

“What’s wrong?” Roy asked, glancing at the screen. The folders were empty. 

“Could the videos be hidden?” he suggested. 

Jay shook her head, biting her lip in confusion. “No way. I wouldn’t make that mistake. The server’s completely empty.” 

“Deleted, maybe?” 

“The surveillance server can only be wiped with the highest clearance. My advanced clearance only lets me view footage. As far as I know, only three people have that level of access in this base.” 

“Who are they?” Roy asked. 

Jay didn’t answer—likely some military secret she couldn’t share. 

Suddenly, a man’s voice crackled through a walkie-talkie on the desk. “Hello? Can you hear me?” 

Roy and Jay exchanged a look. Neither had expected survivors in the base. 

Jay grabbed the walkie-talkie and responded. “We hear you. Who are you?” 

“I’m Cliff Layton, chief scientist on Project Canyon. Who are you?” 

Jay’s eyes lit up—she clearly knew the name. 

“Miss Jay, you know him?” Roy asked. 

She nodded. “Yeah, he’s one of the three with top-level clearance.” 

“Could he have deleted the footage?” Roy asked. 

“I don’t know, but he’s definitely key to figuring out what happened here,” Jay said. 

Canyon Poster 

Adapted from “Canyon” and “Splice.” 

Chapter 311: Fahrenheit 100 

“Hey! Why aren’t you answering? Who the hell are you guys?” 

Since Roy and Jay were busy discussing, they didn’t respond to Cliff Layton’s question over the radio. He asked again, his voice crackling through. 

Jay quickly keyed the radio to reply. 

“We’re two operatives sent by the military!” 

After Jay’s response, Roy added, “Sounds like that guy can see us.” 

Jay subtly glanced at the security camera in the control room. 

“Someone with top-level clearance for the base can access the control room’s servers through the intranet and view the cameras.” 

After addressing Roy’s comment, Cliff Layton’s voice came through the radio again. 

“So you’re military! Finally! Are you here to rescue us? Why are there only two of you?” 

Roy’s expression turned odd. 

“From the sound of it, the Marines General Hammer sent didn’t even make it into the base. They all died out there?” 

“It was an emergency. The Marines went into the canyon at night. The canyon’s always been dangerous, but it was manageable before. After something went wrong in this secret lab, the canyon just got worse and worse.” 

After answering Roy, Jay responded to Cliff. 

“We’re advance scouts. The rescue team will move in after we report back.” 

Jay wasn’t lying. The soldiers on the ship were indeed Hammer’s rescue team. 

As soon as Roy and Jay figured out what was going on in the base, the rescue operation would begin. 

“That’s great news! Hurry to Lab 3. I’ll tell you everything!” 

Cliff Layton’s willingness to spill the beans right away caught Roy and Jay off guard. 

“Black, should we go? It could be a trap,” Jay said. 

She found this Cliff Layton guy suspicious. The entire base’s staff had vanished—why was he the only one still alive and well? 

Unsure, the female soldier looked to Roy for his take. 

“Let’s go. We’ll just be careful.” 

Roy wasn’t afraid of any traps. 

Jay gritted her teeth and decided to head to Lab 3 to see what Cliff was up to. 

“Alright, we’re going to Lab 3.” 

Jay led Roy out of the base’s administrative area and toward the entrance to the lab sector. 

The door required clearance to unlock, but when Jay tried, it wouldn’t budge. 

“What the hell?” 

Jay looked shocked. Roy glanced at the computer screen. 

“Maybe your clearance isn’t high enough?” 

“No way! My clearance is the second-highest. I can open every door except the three top-clearance offices and the main lab!” 

“Then maybe that guy locked it. Ask him what’s up.” 

Jay immediately radioed Cliff. 

“Mr. Layton, why won’t the lab sector door open?” 

The radio crackled with a quick reply. 

“Sorry, I forgot to mention! There was a bio-leak in the main lab, which contaminated Labs 1 and 2. Lab 3 is the only safe one. To stop the contamination from spreading, I locked the door between the administrative area and the lab sector. To get to Lab 3, you’ll need to take the maintenance tunnel to the energy sector, then enter the lab sector from there.” 

It sounded complicated, but it was simple enough. 

The base’s entrance led to the administrative area, where daily office work and guest receptions happened. 

Straight ahead from there was the lab sector, home to the main lab—the one Cliff said had the bio-leak. 

To the left of the administrative area was the living quarters, with dorms and a cafeteria. 

To the right was the greenery area, a small park with a hydroponic farm where base personnel could relax. 

Finally, the energy sector was at the back of the base, separated from the administrative area by the lab sector. 

The base was essentially four zones surrounding the central lab sector, which itself was divided into four parts: the large main lab and three smaller labs. 

Lab 3, where Cliff was, was near the energy sector, at the far end of the lab sector. 

“But why didn’t he just let us go through the living quarters or greenery area instead of the maintenance tunnel?” Roy asked. 

Jay relayed the question to Cliff. 

“The living quarters and greenery area are also contaminated to some extent. Their cameras are down, so I don’t know the exact situation. I had to lock those doors too. Right now, only the administrative area and energy sector are free of bio-contamination.” 

So, the living quarters and greenery area were compromised too. 

“Black, looks like the maintenance tunnel’s our only option,” Jay said. 

Roy smirked. 

“Who knows if that guy’s lying? But there shouldn’t be cameras in the maintenance tunnel, right?” 

“Of course not. Why would they put cameras in there? Maybe one at the entrance, but that’s it. Wait, are you saying…” 

Roy didn’t answer her directly. 

“Ms. Jay, do you have a photo of Cliff Layton?” 

Meanwhile, in a hidden lab somewhere in the base, a pale-faced middle-aged man sat at a computer, a sickly smile on his face. 

“Two more fools walking into their graves! Dren, you’ll have fresh food soon!” 

A seductive voice responded from behind him. 

“Oh, darling, I can’t wait!” 

A strange humanoid creature stepped out of the shadows and wrapped its arms around the man. 

The creature had a bald, hairless head, yet its face was strikingly beautiful. 

Hairstyles can hide flaws or change someone’s entire look, but to still look gorgeous without hair? That meant this creature’s features were flawless. 

Below the head, its body was equally hairless, with curves like a supermodel—ample “headlights” up front and a perky “taillight” in the back, complete with a long, rodent-like tail. 

On closer inspection, the creature was androgynous, with legs structured like an ungulate’s, featuring reverse-jointed knees and feet that looked like natural high heels. 

In short, it was a humanoid yet distinctly alien creature, exuding a deadly allure. 

(Poster from a certain movie, can’t mention the title. Features Dren and the Laytons.) 

The middle-aged man—Cliff Layton—turned and embraced Dren, kissing it passionately, like a lover. 

After a moment, Cliff let go. 

“Go, Dren. Enjoy your dinner.” 

“I’ll be back soon, darling!” 

Dren sashayed toward the hidden lab’s exit, its reverse-jointed legs and swaying hips dripping with seduction. 

Step by step, Dren’s body faded until it vanished completely. 

“You sure that guy’s in this direction?” 

“Positive!” 

Jay held a military-grade PAD, used for downloading critical data on missions or doubling as a decoder. 

The PAD contained photos of Cliff Layton and his wife, Elsa Layton. 

The Laytons had transferred from Amacham Corporation to the base earlier this year. In just a few months, their biotech expertise had overcome several major hurdles, earning them promotions to chief scientists. 

Cliff, in particular, had gained top-level clearance. 

After hearing Jay’s rundown, Roy couldn’t help but wonder if the Laytons were behind whatever caused the base’s downfall. 

Jay clearly had similar suspicions, which was why she was hesitant about going to Lab 3. 

After getting Cliff’s photo, Roy activated the Hound Ring’s effect. 

Since he hadn’t met Cliff in person, the Hellhound’s phantom tracked slowly. Photos weren’t as effective as a real encounter. 

Luckily, Jay’s photo wasn’t edited. If it had been a heavily filtered smartphone pic from the future, the Hellhound’s phantom would’ve been clueless. 

“No issues. I’m using a mystical ability to track someone within a certain range. But since I’ve never seen Cliff in person, it might take a bit.” 

Roy was also giving Jay a heads-up. 

If things went south, he might have to reveal his supernatural powers. As an ONI operative, Jay had to know something about the mystical world. 

“You… you’ve got mystical powers?!” Jay stared at him, stunned. 

“Yeah. How else do you think I became an FEA special agent?” 

Jay pursed her lips. 

“So, this afternoon on the ship, when you shot those bottles—were you using supernatural powers too?” 

Roy gave her an exasperated look. This woman was so competitive! 

She was still trying to poke holes in his marksmanship, but he hadn’t even used Bullet Time back then. 

“Nope. That was pure skill.” 

Roy’s blunt honesty dealt another blow to Jay’s confidence. 

“Black, has anyone ever told you you’re kind of a jerk?” 

“Nope. I’m usually the guy everyone loves, like flowers blooming when they see me!” 

“Gross!” 

Jay clammed up and followed Roy through the cramped, pipe-and-cable-filled maintenance tunnel. 

Large bases like this hid their utility lines for aesthetics, but that made maintenance a pain. 

Hence, dedicated maintenance tunnels like the one Roy and Jay were navigating. 

The tunnel was pitch-black, but Jay had night-vision goggles, and Roy had shifted into Ghost Wolf form, granting him darkvision. 

The lack of light didn’t slow them down. 

After a while, Jay started feeling warm. 

“Black, is it getting hotter?” 

“Yeah, seems like it.” 

“Hang on, let me check the PAD’s environmental readings—oh my God, it’s 82°F (28°C) already! I checked when we came in, and it was 62°F (17°C)!” 

A 20°F jump in just a few hundred meters? That was wild. 

Roy considered a possibility. 

“Could it be because we’re nearing the energy sector? Maybe it’s hotter there.” 

Jay shook her head. 

“The energy sector has state-of-the-art cooling systems. It’s the same temperature as the rest of the base. No way it’d be 20°F higher. Something’s definitely up ahead. We’d better be careful.” 

They slowed their pace, moving cautiously. Soon, they noticed a faint red mist filling the tunnel ahead. 

“The temperature’s hit 90°F (32°C) here!” Jay said. 

“Looks like the heat’s tied to this red mist,” Roy replied. 

Roy activated his True Sight to check if the mist had anything unusual about it. To his surprise, he caught a glimpse of a figure darting through the fog. 

Startled, he turned to Jay. 

“Ms. Jay, did you see something run past up ahead?” 

“Nope. Just the red mist. What else would there be?” 

If it wasn’t Roy’s imagination, then whatever ran by must’ve been invisible, which was why Jay didn’t see it. 

“Let’s go check it out.” 

Their gear protected against toxic gases, so they didn’t hesitate to step into the mist. 

The temperature spiked again, nearing 100°F (37°C). 

At that heat, even doing nothing would make you sweat buckets—especially since Roy and Jay were in full, non-breathable gear. 

The high humidity in the misty area made it feel like a sauna. 

“Damn, why’s it so hot?!” 

Heat and humidity sapped energy fast, dulling focus. It was why tired driving was banned. 

Jay was starting to feel it. 

As she ducked under a pipe, she misjudged the distance and banged her head on it. 

Clang! 

“You okay?” Roy turned back and helped her up. 

The impact sounded rough, but thankfully, Jay was wearing a tactical helmet. 

Oddly, the metal pipe she’d hit had a visible crack! 

Either Jay’s head was made of steel, or that pipe was shoddy.