This world of magic patterns feels like a trap full of temptations—the more you observe, the easier it is to become ensnared. Especially for someone like Kanter, who is just starting to understand magic patterns.
Continuing to explore might lead to being lost in its glittering allure, thinking oneself enlightened, yet in reality gaining nothing, and possibly even suffering mental attacks.
With Kanter’s insight, he naturally understood this was a consequence of insufficient aptitude and foundation. So he quickly withdrew his gaze, no longer focusing on the projection of magic patterns.
"What should we do next?" Kanter asked.
"There’s nothing else to do for now. Just let me take a closer look at these magic patterns," Angel replied swiftly.
Kanter nodded, allowing the Authority Eye to float in midair and giving it a bit of magic power, enabling it to freely change its perspective.
Kanter dared not look at the projection of magic patterns, fearing mental entrapment, so he began observing his surroundings. Eventually, his gaze settled on a transparent pod resembling a coffin.
Inside the pod was a tall mechanical puppet. From the markings on its face, Kanter immediately recognized its identity.
"Hunting Sequence, Number 4... I didn’t expect the early numbers of the Hunting Sequence to be within the nodes of the Magical Energy Array..."
A short while ago, after encountering Hunting Sequence Numbers 18 and 19 on the first floor, Reynaud informed them of the role of the Hunting Sequence within the laboratory.
In the mouths of Reynaud and some low-sequence personnel, the Hunting Sequence is universally acknowledged as ruthless Law Enforcers. Anyone violating laboratory protocols would be purged by them. Because once they are dispatched, it inevitably results in death, hence the prefix "ruthless."
However, Reynaud also mentioned something: "Law Enforcers" is just their name for them. The high-sequence personnel in the laboratory referred to the Hunting Sequence as "Scavengers."
As for why, Reynaud didn’t know.
There’s also another matter related to the Hunting Sequence. It’s said there are 20 members, and the higher the sequence number, the stronger they are. However, only numbers 6 to 20 are currently active in the laboratory. The first 5 of the Hunting Sequence have never appeared since the laboratory’s creation.
Reynaud even speculated that maybe there are no first 5 members, or that they simply aren’t present in the Southern Domain’s laboratory.
Unexpectedly, the first 5 members of the Hunting Sequence are actually hidden within the nodes of the Magical Energy Array. Their mechanisms are linked to the triggers of the Magical Energy Array, acting as guardians of all sub-control nodes. Once someone intrudes, they will inevitably face their relentless attacks.
Unfortunately for them, they encountered Angel, who is immensely skilled in magic patterns... Not only did he avoid the trigger points, but the outsider even critiqued them.
Hunting Sequence Number 4 is a creation of Mechanical Alchemy, also inscribed with some magic patterns, but compared to the magic patterns on the wall, those on its body are much friendlier.
Even Kanter could make some sense of them.
So, while Angel researched the sub-control nodes on the wall, Kanter studied this member of the Hunting Sequence.
About a quarter of an hour later, Kanter came back to his senses. From the magic patterns on the mechanical puppet’s exterior, Kanter roughly discerned its level... It is a Wizard Level puppet.
Previously, they thought the base laboratory only possessed the capabilities of three Official Wizard Level combatants, but now it seems otherwise. Hunting Sequence Number 4 is already at Wizard Level.
Presumably, higher sequence numbers also possess Wizard Level combat strength.
This suggests the laboratory has at least 7 Wizard Level combatants. In this light, the laboratory’s foundation is quite deep—worthy of originating from the Origin World.
As for the other parts of this mechanical puppet, for instance, what its capabilities are, Kanter could not discern.
But speaking solely of a mechanical puppet with Wizard Level combat strength, its value is considerable. Alas, it is connected to the Magical Energy Array; otherwise, Kanter would indeed want to pry it away and take it back.
Having roughly examined this mechanical puppet, Kanter withdrew his gaze and turned back to Angel.
He noticed that the Authority Eye representing Angel was still immersed in the magic patterns, occasionally getting closer. In principle, magic patterns would repel all who approach, yet showed no reaction to the Authority Eye’s proximity. This indicated that Angel fully understood the energy flow timing within the magic patterns, allowing him to move within their projection without triggering them.
To Kanter, this was incredible.
He knew that he didn’t even have the qualification to continuously observe the magic patterns, while Angel, through the Authority Eye, could achieve such a feat.
All he could say was... the young are to be feared.
An Alchemy Master recognized by the Research and Development Institute is no fluke.
"Number 03 probably hasn’t yet realized... what kind of person has entered their base laboratory..." Kanter silently lit a candle for Number 03 in his heart. Number 03 had no idea Angel was also there. If she knew Angel’s identity, she probably wouldn’t be so calm, staying inside the Surge Alchemist’s head.
While Kanter remained silent in his heart, there was finally some activity from Angel.
Angel said through the Mind Ribbon: "Indeed, it’s just as I imagined!"
Before Kanter could inquire, Nis, waiting outside the corridor, quickly spoke: "What’s the situation inside, what is just as you imagined?"
Angel: "I cannot currently manipulate the second floor’s sub-control node, but I discovered an important clue within it."
"What clue?"
Angel: "A clue pointing to the main control node!"
The reason Angel wanted to use the Authority Eye’s perspective to look at the second floor’s sub-control node was to verify an idea in his mind.
—Whether the main control node could be found.
The Magical Energy Array can have multiple sub-control nodes, but there is bound to be one main control node that manages the entire system. Generally speaking, sub-control nodes and the main control node possess some kind of interconnected relationship.
However, Angel only saw the first floor’s sub-control node, making it impossible to determine which magic patterns pointed to the main control node. Therefore, he needed more evidence.
And this evidence came from other sub-control nodes.
Now, in the second floor’s sub-control node, Angel found what he needed. Here, he indeed saw magic patterns connected to the first floor’s sequence nodes.
It is certain that these magic patterns are connected to the main control node.
Angel: "I can now confirm that finding the main control node via the sub-control nodes is feasible."
Nis: "Having looked at the second floor’s sub-control node, can you find the main control node?"
Angel: "With only two sets of data, calculating the position of the main control node isn’t easy. The computational workload would be enormous. If I could see the third floor’s sub-control node, I would have more confidence."
Angel’s meaning was clear: to find the main control node, they must continue with the Authority Eye to the third floor to examine the third floor’s sub-control node.