As they neared the fifty-meter perimeter of the building, the Fearless Warriors turned their heads in perfect unison, their glowing visors piercing the darkness. The girl gasped, clutching Hunter's arm as a low mechanical voice shattered the silence. "Come closer and die."
One of the Fearless Warriors stepped forward, his voice a grating metallic snarl. The girl let out a small cry and shrank back, tears streaming down her face. Even Hunter, who fancied himself a brave man, felt his legs tremble under the crushing pressure of the warrior's presence.
"S-sir! I-I'm just delivering something for Mr. Zack!" Hunter stammered, his voice barely audible. His words, however, fell on deaf ears. The Fearless Warrior's hand moved to the hilt of his chain sword, the subtle motion radiating lethal intent.
Just as the tension reached its breaking point, Zack's voice called out from within the building, calm but commanding. "Let them through."
The warriors immediately straightened, their thunderous reply echoing across the courtyard. "Yes, sir!" They returned to their positions, their imposing silence resuming as if nothing had happened.
Hunter exhaled shakily, wiping the cold sweat from his brow. "God, is this what they call killing intent? I thought I was dead for sure…"
When he turned to the girl, she was trembling violently, her tears flowing freely. "I-I can't… I can't do this!" she sobbed, shaking her head.
"Stop crying!" Hunter hissed under his breath. "Do you want to ruin your makeup? This is our chance to impress him! If you mess this up, we're all dead!"
The girl sniffled but nodded weakly, wiping her tears and touching up her face before following Hunter into the building. The door creaked open, revealing Zack lounging on a sofa, his back to the door. His exoskeleton armor stood nearby, motionless but imposing, like a silent guardian. "Sir," Hunter said with a deep bow, his voice trembling slightly. "The basement entrances have been cleared, as you requested."
Zack didn't turn around, his feet resting casually on the coffee table. "Good. That's all I needed. You can go."
Hunter hesitated, sensing Zack's impatience, but mustered the courage to speak again. "Uh, sir… I also brought my sister. She's, um, well taken care of… untouched, I promise!"
The room fell silent. For a moment, Zack said nothing, and the tension grew thick. Hunter's mind raced with worry, fearing he had made a mistake.' Does he not like women? Did I offend him?'
Finally, Zack's voice broke the silence. "The girl stays. You leave."
Relief washed over Hunter's face. "Thank you, sir! Thank you!" He shot a quick glance at the girl before backing out of the room, leaving her behind.
"Luna, is it?" Zack said without looking back. His voice was calm, but the girl stiffened in surprise. How did he know her name?
"Yes…" she murmured, her voice barely audible.
"Relax," Zack said with a faint smile, sensing her nervousness. "Come here and give me a shoulder massage."
Zack didn't need to turn around to sense her nervousness. The rapid, uneven rhythm of Luna's heartbeat was as loud to him as if it were echoing in the room. "Alright," Luna managed to say, nodding slightly. She moved closer and placed her trembling hands on Zack's shoulders. Despite her efforts, her grip was weak, more from fear than a lack of strength.
"You—" Zack began to speak, but his words were cut off by a low, muffled roar that seemed to reverberate through several walls.
"Roar~~~" The sound was faint but unmistakable—the guttural growl of a creature.
"Night Stalker?" Zack muttered, his brow furrowing as he focused on the sound. He'd encountered it before, and the memory came rushing back.
"Confirmed, sir. Audio comparison identifies this as the sound of a Night Stalker," Ego confirmed.
"The sound is coming from underground," Zack noted as he carefully traced its source. He stood from the sofa, his focus narrowing as he prepared to investigate. When he turned, he finally took a good look at Luna. She had a quiet beauty about her, slightly reminiscent of someone he once knew—Layla. However, the resemblance stopped there. Layla had a radiance that Luna lacked, her elegance putting her far above the girl before him. By Zack's internal score, Layla was a 95—higher if she removed her glasses. Luna, with her makeup smudged from tears, barely hit 85.
Still, Luna wasn't unattractive. In fact, she was quite pretty, but Zack's standards were exacting, and her charm wasn't enough to hold his attention. "I have to deal with this. Stay here or go back to your brother. Your choice," Zack said curtly. Before she could respond, he turned to the Apex suit, which activated at his command, encasing him in sleek black-and-gold armor. With confident strides, he left the room.
The roar sounded again as Zack stepped outside, clearer this time and unmistakably coming from beneath his feet. "Groups of three. Search every basement thoroughly," Zack ordered, addressing the thirty Fearless Warriors who stood in formation.
"YES, SIR!" their voices boomed in unison. The warriors divided into ten teams, each heading toward a building. They quickly began clearing the entrances to the basements, their immense strength making short work of the rubble. What had taken the survivors hours to clear was removed in seconds as debris was flung aside like leaves in the wind.
Once inside, the warriors activated the searchlights built into their power armor, illuminating the dark basements as they began their sweep.
"No abnormalities found."
"No abnormalities found."
"Mutant rodents detected. Eliminating targets."
Boom! The elimination of even a single rat created a deafening sound, akin to a small-scale explosion. It was overkill, but thoroughness was part of their protocol.
As the warriors completed their sweep of the dozen buildings, including the main headquarters, they reported back. Aside from some mutated rodents and cockroaches, no significant lifeforms were discovered.
"Roar~~~" The growl echoed again, louder and more distinct, as though it came directly from beneath Zack's position. He frowned. The basements were clear—so where was the sound coming from?
"Strange…" Zack muttered, his eyes narrowing as they focused on the main building. It was adorned with the faded logo of a prominent e-commerce company: a stylized bee. This structure had been the first one he inspected earlier in the day, but at the time, it had seemed thoroughly stripped of anything valuable.
"If I were running the Vanguard Organization, I'd use this as the headquarters," Zack mused. The building's central location and size made it the ideal choice.
"Sir, you've already inspected this building," Ego reminded him.
"That's true," Zack replied, "but what you see is often what others want you to see. Real secrets are hidden where no one thinks to look."