ETERNAL NIGHT STRANGER

Peace Breaker

"Damn it, why do we have to crawl through this cramped and dirty ventilation duct to get to the ground floor institute! Can't we just take the stairs, or the elevator?"

Suzie complained as she was sandwiched between Megan and Zero.

"I'm sorry to say that the elevator to the Institute has been sabotaged by intruders, so if you want to take the stairs, you might want to look down at the view from the walkway."

Megan explained unhurriedly.

Suzy squinted down through the duct's vents, the red warning lights in the hallway kept flashing.

There seemed to be a slimy liquid running on the ground, and Susie saw the slime gradually rumble as several monsters slowly formed before her eyes.

"What the hell was that, it was disgusting." Suzie asked.

"This is the monster created by that intruder, according to Enki's analysis this kind of thing shouldn't be in the category of living creatures, it's more like an inorganic body, this liquid formed alien carries a high level of contamination, but as long as it doesn't get close enough, it's not enough to be a threat." Megan explained.

"Enki? what is that thing?" Zero asked suspiciously.

"That's the Authority's Artificial Intelligence System, responsible for monitoring and analyzing the situation of the entire Authority, including security threat assessment, data processing, daily operations and maintenance, and many other aspects.Enki is one of our most reliable sources of information, and it helps us formulate plans and countermeasures by collecting and analyzing data in real time." Megan explained to Zero in detail.

"So, we're now relying on this AI system to guide us to the underlying institute?" Suzy tried to comprehend the situation.

"Exactly." Megan replied affirmatively, "Enki is able to monitor the security status of the entire facility in real time, including those alien activities. Through its guidance, we can avoid most of the dangers and safely reach our destination."

"Well, it sounds like our only option. I just hope this ventilation duct route isn't too circuitous, my back is killing me already." Suzie said half-jokingly, trying to ease the tension.

As they continued to make their way through the ventilation ducts, Megan maintained communication with Enki to ensure that they could pass through this area surrounded by danger as safely as possible.

They continued to creep through the narrow ventilation ducts, a constant creaking sound coming from the metal walls around them. Suddenly, there was a loud bang from the duct, followed by a violent vibration.

"What's going on!" Susie exclaimed, fear in her voice.

"Hold on!" Megan hurriedly shouted, but before her words fell, the duct shook violently, the metal plate detached from its original position, and the four of them fell like kites with broken strings.

Suzy, Megan, Zero, and Lilith fell into an abandoned storage room. Dust billowed as Suzie struggled to get up from the ground, grimacing from the pain in her back.

"Is everyone okay?" Megan quickly stood up, checking on the others.

"I'm fine, just a little sore." Zero replied, patting the dust from his body.

"Lilith, what about you?" Zero asked with concern as he helped Lilith up.

"Still alive." Lilith replied with a frown, moving her arm.

"I really hate ventilation ducts now." Suzie spat.

"Where is this place?" Zero looked around, trying to comprehend their current location.

Megan checked her surroundings and realized that the door to this storage room had been locked. She immediately contacted Enki, "Enki, we've fallen into a storage room and the door is locked. Can you help us figure out a new route?"

Enki's voice soon sounded over the intercom, "Your location detected. According to the current map of the facility, there is a secure exit next to the storage room, but it needs to be manually unlocked."

"Okay, we need to figure out how to open this door." Megan said, starting to examine the structure of the door lock.

"Let me try." Suzie stepped forward, she had some experience in this area.

"You're not thinking of just smashing it open with your steel pipe, are you?" Zero pointed to the steel pipe in her hand that had been bent 60 degrees.

"Am I an i***t? It's not like this is a confinement room, it's just a normal door lock." Suzy rolled her eyes towards Zero.

She pulled a slim wire from her waist and began to fiddle with the door lock. A few minutes later, the lock gave a soft click and the door opened in response.

"Good job, Suzie." Megan said approvingly.

They carefully pushed the door open, the corridor outside was dim and silent, the red warning lights were still blinking and a faint odor of chemicals filled the air.

"Stay alert, we could be in danger at any moment." Megan whispered a warning.

They continued on, cautiously avoiding the slime on the ground. Suddenly, there was a low grunt in the distance, and several slime monsters began to move toward them.

"Quick, this way!" Megan pointed to a nearby lab.

Suzie made a quick arrow-step to the lab door, but unfortunately the coded door was locked.

"Damn! It's an electronic lock, it's locked!" She shouted towards the trio, trying to pull on the door, but it wouldn't budge.

Lilith smiled faintly, and a stern light flashed in her eyes. She raised her hand, and black shadows spilled out from her fingertips, spreading forward as a thick fog. The iron gate was instantly surrounded by dark tentacles, emitting a piercing metallic tearing sound before collapsing with a loud bang. The sight behind the door was creepy, the ground was covered in viscous liquids and crystals, the monsters seemed to be slowly writhing.

"Looks like this place has turned into a monster's lair." Megan whispered, gripping the twin guns in her hands.

Before Lilith could respond, the viscous liquid suddenly squirmed violently and its form began to change, quickly coalescing into several monsters of various shapes and sizes.

"Prepare for battle!" Lilith ordered, her voice calm and firm.

Megan quickly drew her twin guns and aimed them at the slimy liquid and crystallized monsters. Suzie, on the other hand, clutched her bent hose and wielded it like a weapon. She batted the monsters back, each strike full of power. Megan tried to give her a g*n, but Suzie shook her head and smiled, "This is better than a gun."

"As you like." Megan shrugged before continuing to shoot the monsters.

Lilith was the first to strike, her body transforming into a black shadow that swept through the line of monsters like lightning. Black shadows surrounded her like an untouchable shield. The slimy monsters tried to surround her, only to be swallowed up and reduced to nothing the moment they touched her.

Lilith swung her hand violently, and the dark tentacles chopped at the monsters like sharp blades. Several monsters were instantly sliced in half, letting out mournful hisses. Her speed was incredibly fast, and every movement was precise and deadly. A crystallized monster attempted to sneak up on her from behind, only to be easily caught by her back, and the power of the black shadow instantly shattered it into a pile of debris.

Zero stood aside, his gaze calm but with a hint of anxiety. At this moment, he felt somewhat powerless.

"Zero, back off, these monsters seem to be heading towards you." Lilith said faintly.

With the dark power between Lilith's swings, the situation of the battlefield rapidly changed. Her movements were both graceful and deadly, and she didn't seem to need any help to easily deal with the threat in front of her. With every wave of her hand, monsters fell, their screams echoed in the night sky as if they were witnessing the power and coldness of this Queen.

Under her attack, those seemingly ferocious monsters were as fragile as pieces of paper. Even the crystallized monster that attempted to sneak up on her instantly turned into pieces under her power, unable to become an obstacle in her footsteps. With just a flash of her silhouette, the monsters around her were cleared away like an autumn wind sweeping away leaves. The entire process took no more than a few minutes, but it seemed incredibly shocking and fluid.

Megan and Suzy had sighed in relief, they had witnessed the way Lilith had solved the problem without having to intervene.

As the dust of the battle settled, the four of them followed Enki's guidance to the main gate of the institute.

"This is ......" Zero asked.

"This is the Infected Underground Test Area. Looks like we're catching up with the intruder." Megan said.

Zero stood in the doorway acting uneasy and anxious, as if something horrible was inside ready to rush back out and tear them apart.

Megan told Zero to place his hand on the bioinformatic collector in the doorway and stated that only he could open the door.

Zero frowned, but followed Megan's instructions to place his palm on the collector. He felt a weak current run through his palm. The collector let out a slight buzz with it, and a gentle female voice in the system prompted:

"Identity confirmed, Norn Crisis Management Bureau - Class S Executive - Zero."

The door to the institute slowly opens in front of the four ......