If they can’t enter the room, the data is effectively gone too.
"What should we do now?"
Kanter: "If we’re unwilling to barge in, the only option is to wait for results from Angel."
Nis contemplated and realized this might indeed be the only solution left. He initially wanted Toby to call Angel and update him about the situation here, but ultimately decided against it. Angel is surely researching the magic pattern to find the main control node right now. Any interruption could disrupt his thoughts, so he decided to wait until Angel finishes his research to talk.
In the meantime, the group cautiously roamed on the fourth floor, while identifying the regions where the magic pattern had been activated.
During this process, they encountered numerous researchers in silver-white uniforms. They all shared one common trait: their expressions were tense, and they hurried about as if danger was looming behind them, threatening to swallow them into the darkness if they dawdled.
This degree of cautiousness and nervousness piqued Nis’s interest in what’s happening on the fourth floor.
"Earlier, when overhearing the conversation between 61 and 62, it seemed like they mentioned some creature had intruded into the laboratory?" Nis: "I feel like this might be the reason why there is no one on the first three floors."
"Could it be some kind of magical creature?"
During their discussion, 61 and 62 never mentioned the intruder by name, only referred to it as "it." And "it" is usually translated as a non-human entity in the Universal Language on the continent. However, sometimes "it" can also be used to refer to humans, for example, extreme humanists might refer to other humans as "it," which carries a disdainful connotation. Like many Carabit people don’t think highly of Wise Men, even long after the "Human Revision Law" has been commonly recognized, they still refer to humans as "it."
"A magical creature intruding the laboratory? That’s unlikely; generally speaking, it’s very hard even for humans to break into the laboratory." Reynaud said. He was able to sneak in with Nausicaa because he knew the place inside out, even understood the mechanism of patrols, allowing them to quietly infiltrate.
If they weren’t led by an insider, not to mention causing chaos in the lab, they wouldn’t even be able to get through the lab door.
Because... they don’t have permissions.
Nis thought about it and agreed; like this time, without Angel, they would definitely be stuck at the entrance.
A magical creature, no matter how high its intelligence, does it understand magic pattern applications?
"Then could it be that the magical creatures kept in the laboratory have rioted?" Nis: "Didn’t you say earlier that there were magical creatures being kept inside the laboratory? Last time, weren’t you and Nausicaa chased and forced to flee for your lives by magical creatures?"
Nis hesitated for a moment and said: "It’s possible, but even if the magical creatures kept inside the lab riot, it shouldn’t be to the extent that no one can handle them. Moreover, if we’re daring enough to keep magical creatures, we surely have methods to control them."
"That’s true, but how should this record be interpreted then?" Nis had a medical record in his hand, recorded by 23.
Nis turned to the record from the day before yesterday, which clearly documented that 23 was attacked by magical creatures, ultimately forcing him to undergo cold liquid repairs proactively.
Although 23 didn’t explicitly document what kind of magical creature attacked him, thus unable to confirm if it was a creature kept inside, it can be inferred that some kind of magical creature did show unusual movements.
At that time, Nis didn’t pay much attention to it, but looking at it now, this record seems to pinpoint the source.
Combining this with what 61 and 62 said earlier, it’s highly likely that everyone is holed up on the fourth floor due to magical creatures causing havoc.
Reynaud was also struck silent by this medical record.
"Could it be that with the combat personnel leaving, they couldn’t suppress some magical creature?" Reynaud speculated to himself, though even he didn’t believe his own guess much.
It’s true that researchers are adept at research, but to say they lack combat capabilities is impossible. Wizards largely develop comprehensively. Some are more skilled at combat, while others focus on research.
Because many things couldn’t be explained, further discussion seemed pointless. Nis thought for a bit before saying: "Let’s continue to gather information while looking for the way to the fifth floor."
With so many people crammed on the fourth floor, and not even bothering with consumption, they had fully activated the Magical Energy Array. Gaining anything on the fourth floor seems nearly impossible. But the fifth floor is different; according to Reynaud, the fifth floor is the private domain of the first three sequences. Even if magical creature invasions did occur within the laboratory, they might flee to the fourth floor at best, but surely wouldn’t dare trespass into the fifth floor.
Reynaud nodded. He had secretly gathered a lot of intel on the fifth floor, and his target also lies there.
He was just slightly worried that on the way to the fifth floor, they’d pass through numerous halls, such as the experiment center. Would the magical energy arrays in those places be activated as well?
With a sense of anxiousness, Reynaud walked into the shadows...
...
On the first floor of the base laboratory, footsteps echoed through the empty hallway.
Due to the narrow space, the footsteps produced a remote, repetitive ghostly feeling.
"Every step you take feels like a jolt to my heart, truly creepy." Dangross shivered and said.
Angel glanced at Dangross: "Do you have a heart? Also, you used the wrong word; you shouldn’t say ’creepy,’ but... ’creepy as fire.’"
"..."
Angel had already left the sub-control node on the first floor; he could basically determine the main control node was on this floor. However, he still needed to pinpoint its exact location.
He could directly calculate using the sub-control nodes on the second and third floors, but that would be slightly slower. Therefore, he decided to wander around the first floor, examining the magic pattern distribution here, combining it with the data from the sub-control nodes on the second and third floors to ultimately pinpoint the main control node’s location.
Thus commenced his leisurely stroll through the corridor.
After wandering for about ten minutes, Angel’s gaze suddenly halted at a corner of the corridor.
There emerged an unusual energy fluctuation... and it wasn’t originating from the Magical Energy Array.