The group reached the compound. Emily monitored their surroundings through her scope, noting the locations of patrols and security cameras.
Thanks to her help, the group avoided them, but sometimes Emily was forced to take care of the patrols, and then the group had to hide the bodies.
They couldn't avoid dealing with the bodies-leaving them exposed would create an obvious trail leading straight to their position.
They were forced to hide the corpses in drainage ditches and alleys, making sure no blood trails would give them away. The process was time-consuming but essential for maintaining their stealth approach.
"Three squads approaching from the left street," she said through their comms. "Standard equipment, no Vindicators in sight."
Amber listened. "We will avoid engaging for now. Let's hide behind those dumpsters."
Getting to the building housing the generators had been frustratingly slow, despite Emily telling them where the patrols were.
The Blackguards swarmed everywhere in groups of three to five as they rushed toward two main locations: the hangar where the planes were kept and the outer walls where waves of undead tried to breach the barrier.
The group heard the blackguards talk. From the blackguards' conversations, they learned that the situation at the hangar was dire.
Two Vindicators were on their way to the place, and the second division commander was already battling Erik, who was described as more like a demon than a human.
Erik was killing many blackguards, but unfortunately, he was in a thought fight himself. The group couldn't determine if the second division commander's tough demeanor was genuine, or if they were merely trying to boost their own spirits, but that's what they said.
The group then scaled a building. The Chimaeric Demons took position at the edges, near the parapet, from which they could see the streets below and act as if someone noticed them. Mira and June went scouting near the building.
"Two minutes and we act," Amber said.
The sun was already up at that point, yet lightning flashed above them, illuminating the target building.
Security around the building was unusually light, with only a handful of guards patrolling the perimeter and minimal surveillance equipment visible.
Two cameras covered the main entrance, and only one guard stood at each corner of the building.
This last defense immediately raised red flags-it could mean either a cleverly concealed trap or that the real security lay inside.
"Something's wrong," a Chimaeric Demon said. "Where are the Vindicators?"
The absence of Vindicators was obvious from several missing signs. Normally, with Vindicators present, there would have been much tighter security-at least 24 well-armed and very powerful guards at each entrance. The guards would also act more professionally, unlike the relaxed behavior they were showing now. The group would have also seen more frequent patrol rounds and special security equipment around the building.
"The blackguards said two Vindicators were going to Erik. Could they be them?"
"There is no alternative," Amber said.
"I don't think those on the walls could leave. If they are there, it means they're commanding the defense there—if they abandoned their position, the entire chain of command would fall apart."
Mira nodded, but was still confused.
"Strange," Mira said, frowning. "News of two dead Vindicators should have reached command by now. They should realize Erik isn't working alone and that we're after the barrier's power sources."
It meant that sending the two Vindicators protecting the generator was stupid.
"Unless they don't care about us..." Amber said.
"Worse," a clone added. "They might think their defenses are enough to deal with us. After all, the master is the real oddity here; even us Chimaeric Demons are nothing compared to him. Besides, I think they believe no sane person would sneak their way here."
"We must not be sane then," Emily said with a grim smile, adjusting her rifle against her shoulder. The rain trickled down her scope lens as she continued scanning the perimeter. "By the way, there are no signs of movement on the upper levels. There are no snipers or heavy weapons." ɽάɴÔᛒΕṣ
Amber wasn't liking the situation one bit. "Whatever they prepared, it will be inside." She paused to think. "Should I warp you in?"
"No," One of the Chimaeric Demons said. "Better keep your mana. We will sneak our way in and destroy the generators. In the meantime, you cover our asses. I'm talking to you, Emily."
The woman nodded. Mira kept observing the building, taking in every detail—the placement of the guards, the worn paths in the mud where patrols had repeatedly walked.
With each moment, her sense of unease grew stronger. The security setup felt too sparse, almost staged.
"I was thinking," Mira said. "In my experience, this level of security for such critical infrastructure means one of two things: a trap or..."
"Or they've already moved everything important," Emily said.
"Yeah."
The group exchanged looks. They had come too far to retreat, but the situation urged them to be cautious in their approach.
"It's not like we have alternatives," Amber said. "But we double our precautions. Mira, take point. Emily, keep doing what you are doing. June, stay with her. The rest of us will..."
"No," a Chimaeric Demon said. "The best thing is still for us clones to go there alone."
"They have the Veritas Lenses. If you are not careful, they might spot you," Amber said. "True, but having you with us would make it harder to stay undetected."
"True, but I can warp you out in case all of this is a trap." She paused. "Remember, you are currently controlling the barrier masters. We need you alive."
The clones sighed. That was extremely similar to Erik's sighs. Almost the same. It was true; they were his clones, but each one of them got slightly different personalities from him and the others. This gap widened as time passed.
A distant explosion interrupted the group, the sound carrying clearly despite the rain. Then another, closer.
"That's from the hangar," a Chimaeric Demon said.
Emily swung her rifle toward the disturbance. Through her scope, she saw flames rising
despite the rain. However, she couldn't see much. She was too far, and the vapor and smoke
there limited the visibility.
"Multiple explosions," she said, as more of them appeared.
"Maybe it is the planes..."
"No," Mira said. "They should have destroyed them already. This is their battle."
Amber's expression hardened. "We need to move now. Let's go..."
Mira remained behind with June, Emily, and the barrier masters. She would provide the first defense line, June would act as a lookout, and if things went bad, the barrier masters would
create one.
More explosions rocked the area where Erik was fighting-three sharp blasts followed by a deeper boom that shook the ground beneath their feet.
Amber and the three Chimaeric Demons went inside. They moved through the service
corridors. Water dripped from overhead pipes. As they crossed the metal grating, Amber
followed the Chimaeric Demons' steps.
Steam leaked from valves where maintenance passages connected to main corridors. If she did not pay attention, they might all die.
A patrol walked past the other side of the wall. Amber and the clones pressed themselves against the pipes until the footsteps disappeared. Amber kept her breathing steady despite her racing heart. For the clones, it was just another Tuesday.
At some point, one clone signaled to stop.
"What?"
"There is someone..."
Then they heard some voices.
They heard two blackguards walking past, their boots echoing on the metal floor. "The generators are struggling," one said. "They weren't meant to maintain the barrier alone for
this long."
"Yeah, what happened to the barrier masters anyway?" the other said. "Their barrier just
vanished."
"Must be dead. Good thing we still have the generators, or we'd be overrun by now."
Their voices faded as they continued down the corridor.
Another clone pointed to a vent above them. Once there, Amber sighed in relief. "Well, at
least we know the generators are still here."
"Which doesn't mean this is a trap," a clone said.
They climbed further inside the ventilation system; the clones helping Amber through the tight space, but then they turned into rats. Her clothes got dusty as they crawled, while Amber was smaller than them and had fewer problems moving. Guards passed below, not noticing
them.
Red emergency lights shone through the vents. Amber ignored all thoughts and focused on
staying alert.
A clone stopped suddenly. He signed that there was a large room with multiple people below
them.
They then reached a wider section. "Based on the map I took at the entrance, the generator room must be nearby."
They entered a storage room through the vents, which the clone closed behind them. The room only had spare parts and tools.
On the other side, there was the generator room entrance, guarded by security cameras and
dozens of people. The clones watched the devices and moved when they weren't pointing at
them.
They went past them and stopped.
The generator room was massive, filled with the enormous machines. Walkways crossed
above, and power lines ran along the walls.
But the machines weren't what made them stop.
Hundreds of armed guards stood around the generators. Teams with heavy weapons and even deadlier brain crystal powers lined the walkways. More guards blocked the other exits. The clone was right. This was, in fact, a trap. There weren't few guards outside because the generators had been brought away, but because they were all inside the generator room. That also explained why the Vindicators left. There were hundreds of people here. Only Erik, or a powerful team of at least hundreds of fighters, would have been able to come here and have the strength to fight. "Well. We were wondering where the hell they ended up," Amber said.
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