Boom boom boom——
The commotion in the corridor was getting louder and louder, dust and debris falling everywhere, and from time to time there would be a spatial inversion, where even the ceiling could become the passageway.
At first glance, it seemed as if the laboratory was on the verge of collapse.
Angel initially thought there was an external problem with the laboratory, that continued shaking would make the internal structure unable to hold for long before it collapsed. But soon, he dismissed this idea, because he noticed a previously overlooked detail: despite the massive commotion inside the lab, and some energy pipes being shattered, the Magical Energy Array itself actually remained unaffected.
The main part was still functioning well. The mechanism corridors didn’t fail due to the internal vibrations.
Generally speaking, such a commotion should definitely have an impact on the Magical Energy Array. However, since there were no issues with the Magical Energy Array, it could only mean that the current commotion was sanctioned by the Magical Energy Array itself.
Recalling that not long ago the Observer clearly pointed out that 01 was attempting something outside, aiming to kill the seed of Shiz, it may very well be that the current vibrations are related to 01’s actions.
But Angel couldn’t determine exactly what it was at present. Perhaps going to the main control node to check the Magical Energy Array would reveal something, but clearly now was not the time to head there.
Suppressing the speculation in his heart, Angel continued sprinting towards the exit.
If calculating by time, Gemito possessed by the Mist Shadows was likely already awoken, but Angel hadn’t noticed it catching up again. Perhaps it had calmed down slightly, or the anomaly in the lab made it give up the pursuit. Regardless, its failure to catch up was a good thing for Angel.
On his way to the exit, Angel was also reflecting on the events that had transpired earlier.
Encountering the Observer, while unexpected, made sense with Ferro’s groundwork. However, Angel wasn’t sure what the Observer’s presence there signified. Was the role he played purely that of a bystander, or would he become a participant? Although the Observer shouldn’t meddle in matters of the Southern Domain, the pursuit by the Phantom Spirit City shouldn’t be under the Southern Domain, right?
Beyond the confusion about the Observer, what role did Mist Shadows as third-class citizens play in coming to the lab? Was the contents of the bottle the Shiz infant? And what was Reynaud’s scoop of fortune even about?
Unfortunately, the communication time with the Observer was too short, leaving many doubts unasked.
These doubts could only be left for the future, hoping to find answers then.
...
Finally, Angel reached the exit just before another turn of the corridor.
Taking a deep breath, he reached out to touch the silvery white metal wall right in front of him.
The flow of the Magic Pattern beneath his palm was still normal, further confirming Angel’s hypothesis. The external vibrations were within the control scope of the Magical Energy Array.
This was also favorable for Angel, as he didn’t need to worry about the Magic Pattern’s backlash causing the exit to move.
Taking out the external Magic Pattern platform once more, he easily suppressed the surrounding flow of Magic Patterns. After doing all this, Angel directly opened The Gate of Void.
The opened exit did not greet Angel with flat land but a dim gray sea of clouds.
Seeing the scene before him, Angel looked bewildered. Having only been inside the laboratory for half a day, how had the outside changed to such a state?
Just as he was in a daze, the laboratory vibrated again, causing the exit to move from directly in front to directly above.
After a slight hesitation, Angel flew straight out from the exit.
As he flew out, Angel saw a massive steel tentacle sweeping past him, engulfed in astonishing power, cutting through space and stirring a stream of gray cloud mist downwards fiercely.
Instinctively, Angel looked towards the direction the steel tentacle was moving. This look left him stunned.
He had previously thought the gray mist and cloud sea outside were natural phenomena caused by heavy fog, but now he realized he was wrong; the cloud sea was truly a cloud sea.
He was now no longer on a patch of vacant land at the seafloor but hundreds of meters high up in the sky.
The base laboratory was no longer buried underground; it had... flown into the sky!
The previous steel tentacle was an external corridor attached to the base laboratory.
At this moment, the laboratory seemed to have transformed into a fortress-like steel giant, in mid-air, continuously swinging its tentacles to attack a Magical Creature below.
The Magical Creature, covered with purple crystals all over its body, was not unfamiliar to Angel.
It was the seed of Shiz he had encountered earlier.
Angel was perplexed by what had happened outside to cause such dramatic changes when suddenly a voice sounded in his ear: "Who are you?"
Angel looked up to find a tall figure standing atop a steel tentacle, overlooking him.
Though it was against the light, Angel still managed to capture the details of the visitor.
The visitor was a man wearing a half-face mask, looking highly refined. His overall demeanor was like that of a professor from a Divine Academy—calm, composed, solemn, and abstinent. The only exception was his exposed eye expression which contradicted his presented demeanor—repressed, desperate, yearning... and madness.
Due to the half-face mask, his specific appearance was unclear, but on the half of his face without a mask, a "0" identifier was engraved.
From this "0" identifier, along with his maniacal gaze, Angel deduced the man’s identity.
Undoubtedly, he was 01.
01, trapped and pursued by Phantom Spirit City with nowhere to run, deranged and desperate.
Angel hadn’t expected that upon exiting the lab, he would encounter this person. It seemed his previous conjecture was correct; the lab’s grand commotion was likely orchestrated by 01, who seemingly aimed to use the lab to kill the Shiz infant.
Angel was considering whether to say something to 01, but before he could speak, a shadow abruptly rose behind him.
Earl Mi emerged from the shadow.
Earl Mi manipulated the shadow, transforming into a dark shield, repelling an attack shimmering with harsh brilliance, directly blocking it outside.
Angel looked back and found that at some unknown point, another person had appeared behind him.
This was a very thin young man with a pale face and bright red lips.
His appearance seemed somewhat sickly and delicate.
Yet the sudden and unexpected assassination attempt just now was enough to demonstrate the opponent’s formidable prowess.