Chapter Twenty-Five: Lost Path

“C-Commander, they’re gone!!”
Eluka’s shock was no small matter. She distinctly remembered, just a moment ago, Corona and the others were still in the corridor. She had only rounded a corner, and after a brief back-and-forth, they’d vanished? Even if Miss Delin had the uncanny ability to appear and disappear at will, neither Chris nor Corona possessed such skills. The only one among them who could manage such a feat was the eldest sister, but she’d already been killed by the mutant. So what was going on now?

“I see,” Ferrin replied.

Much to Eluka’s astonishment, Ferrin merely glanced at the spot where the three had been, then nodded. His inexplicable response left her even more confused.

“Commander, did you see how they disappeared?”

“No, but it doesn’t matter.”

In stark contrast to Eluka’s anxiety, Ferrin remained unfazed. He reached out and gently patted her shoulder.

“There’s no need to worry so much. In fact, you should realize that worrying now is pointless. Besides, if I’m right, they’ve likely been moved to another floor.”

“Moved?”

Eluka froze for a moment, then quickly caught on.

“Like when we’re walking on the first floor but suddenly find ourselves on the fifth?”

“Exactly. I’m certain this isn’t a coincidence.”

As he spoke, Ferrin lifted his gaze to the nearby emergency exit map.

“It seems we’re no longer on the fifth floor, but the third... Not surprising, really. Office buildings like this are often designed with identical layouts, so you might not notice the change at first. After all, whoever set this up put some thought into it—they wouldn’t let us escape so easily.”

“So what you mean is... this is a trap? There’s someone here?”

Eluka tensed at Ferrin’s words. But unlike her, Ferrin grew even more relaxed. He smiled, leaned casually against the wall, and looked at her.

“That’s unlikely. If this was a controlled node, we wouldn’t have gotten in so easily. The Blackstone Group wouldn’t go to such lengths either. But something is definitely hidden here. It uses this place as its base and lair, capturing prey with its abilities. And we are its prey. Furthermore, I’m quite certain that whatever it is, its strength is not overwhelming.”

“Why?”

Eluka was growing more intrigued by Ferrin’s deductions. They didn’t even know who or what their opponent was—how could he be so sure? Ferrin merely shrugged and straightened his slightly disheveled collar and tie from their earlier battle, then replied.

“It’s quite simple. Suppose this ability to relocate us really does belong to it. In that case, it could have sent us directly to the rooftop or an elevator shaft and killed us outright. But it didn’t. Also, did you notice anything odd about the earlier fights?”

“Oddities…”

Eluka furrowed her brow, carefully recalling the previous battles. Suddenly, her eyes widened in shock.

“There was only one type of monster on each floor!”

“Exactly.” Ferrin snapped his fingers.

“Sure, most monsters are territorial. If one invaded another’s turf, even if it got killed, there’d at least be a corpse left behind. But we never saw any. The zombie floor had only zombies. The energy-drainer floor—” Ferrin glanced meaningfully down the corridor, “—I expect only had energy-drainers. I think the creature controlling this place might have some sort of power, but it isn’t true spatial transmission. Rather, if you imagine each floor as a cage for lab rats, then all it can do is open doors between cages at will and lure its prey into whichever cage it wants. Of course, this is only speculation.”

He paused to glance at Eluka, who was frowning deeply, trying to digest his words.

Hmm… Intelligence probably a bit below average for a human.

Watching her, Ferrin silently made another note in his mental ledger. Just then, Eluka seemed to have an epiphany; she looked at him with wide, startled eyes.

“Wait, Commander, you said... the monster opens doors to lure its prey. Since we’re now on the fourth floor, does that mean there’s an enemy here too?”

Alright, maybe slightly above average intelligence—just a slow reaction time.

Ferrin smiled and pointed behind her, then, like a wraith, swiftly melted into the shadows and was gone in the blink of an eye.

Bang!

Before Eluka could turn to see what was behind her, a gunshot rang out. Anticipating danger, she rolled to the ground and pressed herself against the wall at the corner. The spot she’d just occupied was now utterly obliterated. The floor had been blasted apart, exposing the battered concrete beneath. Debris flew through the air; a sharp shard even grazed her cheek, drawing a line of blood down her pale face.

Their firepower is terrifying! What now? Commander?

Eluka glanced toward Ferrin on the other side—only to nearly explode with fury. There he was, leaning lazily against the wall as before, notebook in one hand and pen in the other, scribbling away as if none of this concerned him. In fact, to get a better look at his writing, he’d even shifted his body toward the corridor, turning himself into an open target!

What on earth is this commander of ours thinking?!

Eluka could feel her stomach tying itself in knots. She sighed helplessly, then cautiously poked her head out.

Boom!

A flash of fire; the wall behind her shuddered. The enemy’s firepower was not only powerful but utterly relentless. If not for her quick reflexes, that last shot would have blown her head off.

But in that risky moment, Eluka finally saw her attacker. He was a burly middle-aged man, clad in black armor and fully armed, the very image of an American soldier. What shocked her even more was that she recognized the uniform.

“We’re the ‘Black Dogs,’ a special combat unit sent by Blackstone Group! Are you with the exploration team?”

Shouting, Eluka prepared herself for combat. Yet the situation was far from favorable. Her “Furious Firepower” could be devastating if she seized the initiative, but caught off guard like this, she was at a severe disadvantage. If she tried to counterattack now, she’d probably be shot in the head before she could even activate her power.

At her shout, the fierce barrage finally ceased, and a halting voice answered from the other side.

“You’re... with Blackstone...”

“We’re members of the exploration team! Are you with Blackstone too?”

Eluka pressed herself to the wall, not daring to step out. The man’s behavior was erratic, and he’d attacked them without warning—a bad sign. What irritated her even more was that Ferrin still seemed utterly unconcerned, just scribbling away in his notebook. Whatever he was doing, Eluka thought it best not to ask.

“Blackstone... exploration... node...”

The man seemed confused. He muttered to himself, repeating the words, then suddenly his tone grew frantic.

“No! Nothing—nothing’s here! We’re all going to die! You’ll die too! We’re all dead!!”

Thud!

As if to emphasize his words, a deep, muffled sound rose from beneath Eluka’s feet. Even Ferrin paused, pen stilling as he narrowed his eyes and raised his head, alert.

Thud... Thud-thud...