Due to the physical disconnection of the external corridor, the situation on the fourth floor has become irreversible. It looks like an island, but this is only limited to those researchers trapped on the fourth floor.
Nis and Kanter on the fourth floor are unlikely to encounter any danger.
Therefore, when Nis went to the data room, Angel was not worried and continued to immerse himself in the research of the Magical Energy Array.
Angel had generally mastered the Magical Energy Array on the fourth floor, but it was impossible to grasp further or more core permissions in a short time. Hence, Angel shifted his focus to other sections.
The section he was most interested in right now was undoubtedly the floor Magic Pattern that X0 wanted to activate, and the situation on the fifth floor.
Considering the urgency, Angel first delved into the floor Magic Pattern, as it might be related to the security issues within the main control node. Moreover, he had already locked onto the floor’s Magic Pattern before, making the research relatively convenient.
As time passed, Angel continued to explore deeper among the dazzling Magic Patterns.
"Blood Covenant, Authority, Level Restriction, Activation."
As the foreign-feeling Magic Tattoo Horns were deciphered by Angel one by one, the truth about the Magic Pattern hidden beneath the floor gradually surfaced.
"A Magical Energy Array that can only be activated with blood of specific authority," Angel murmured softly, "The coordinates of the activation area are in the center..."
Perception began to spread outward from Angel’s forehead, reaching the center of the Magic Pattern.
After suppressing the Magic Tattoo Horn representing "activation," Angel gradually permeated his perception beneath the floor.
Seconds later, Angel retracted his perception.
"I see." A flash of realization crossed Angel’s eyes. He had already sensed the presence beneath the floor, marked with a "Yao" pattern on its left face and a "0" number on its right—a member of the hunting sequence.
Angel had previously pondered that the sub-control nodes on the first, second, and third floors respectively corresponded to hunting sequence number 5, number 4, and number 3. Following this pattern, the fourth floor might be number 2, and the fifth floor number 1.
Who would correspond to the main control node?
Initially, Angel speculated it might be the legendary still-sleeping number 00, which motivated his urgent attempt to unravel the truth of the Underground Magical Inscriptions. But ultimately, he was wrong. Number 00 still wasn’t here. What the Magic Pattern under the floor required to activate was still the blood of number X0 for the hunting sequence.
Through his perception, while observing this number 0 hunting sequence, Angel had discovered its aura had surpassed the limits of other hunting sequences.
Judging from the aura, it was stronger than him, though not by much. Even if X0 activated this hunting sequence, Angel believed he could handle it.
Moreover, with Earl Mi and Toby, the two combat forces present, if one couldn’t defeat it, they would attack together, forcing even the strongest to kneel.
For now, since it was still asleep, Angel hadn’t activated it. If the opportunity arose, he even considered trying to bring out the hunting sequence without activating it.
This type of Mechanical Puppet, surpassing ordinary wizard levels, was rare in the Southern Domain, and Angel was indeed eager to research it.
However, considering the current urgency, the task of retrieving the hunting sequence would have to be postponed.
With the truth of the Magic Pattern beneath the floor unveiled, Angel relaxed and prepared to study another section that piqued his interest—the fifth floor.
What could the fifth floor be like? Were there really only three rooms? Where was the legendary number 00 sleeping?
Angel believed that he could find the answers to these otherwise difficult-to-answer questions within this Magical Energy Array that encompassed the entire base.
...
When Nis arrived at the data room, he immediately saw a researcher enclosed within a small area by a circular light arc.
This researcher, numbered 50, was continuously pressing on a miniature light screen suspended in mid-air. On the light screen was a cross-section of the entire fourth floor, with several glowing points inside.
However, no matter how much he pressed, the map on the light screen did not respond, as if it was stuck.
Seeing this scene, Nis immediately understood that the "external object" Angel had mentioned in the Mind Ribbon, which controlled the fourth floor’s Magical Energy Array without being at the sub-control node, referred to the light screen floating in front of him.
Observing the stuck light screen, Nis secretly rejoiced, thankful that Angel was here this time, otherwise this number 50 with just the light screen could have played them into circles.
In addition to this sense of relief, Nis also felt anger towards number 50. Because of this guy, they were forced to be trapped on the fourth floor.
But no matter how resentful, Nis first suppressed it.
Finding the data was more important now, and since number 50 was trapped and unable to move by Angel’s set circular light arc, dealing with him later was not an issue.
Nis glared at number 50 and entered the data area directly. As for number 50, upon hearing the door of the data room open behind him and seeing the red light spot representing the intruder appear outside the door on the light screen map, he unhesitatingly lowered his head and closed his eyes.
Don’t look, don’t listen, don’t speak, and don’t ask.
He seemed to be expressing some stance: I didn’t see your faces, I don’t know who you are, nor what you’re doing in the data room, I am just an emotionless piece of wood.
This attitude seemed composed, but the logic embedded within was actually a latent... plea for mercy.
Indeed, number 50’s inner and outer expressions were completely different at this moment. The more composed his expression, the more his inner self trembled, wanting to scream in panic: Why must he, an apprentice, face this group of Wizard Level thugs? He’s merely a poor, weak researcher! And... why did the light screen suddenly fail?
Number 50’s internal conflict was something Nis and others chose to ignore, but his displayed attitude was considered a wise approach.
Nis and others entered the data area.
The data area was very large, about the size of a small exhibition hall in the Cloudtop Library. The internal furnishings were similar too, with neatly arranged steel bookshelves categorized to display research data, thematic reports, and related research books derived by different laboratory researchers.
Since accessing the data required permission, Reynaud ultimately retrieved the books, while Nis and Kanter quickly assessed the importance of the books and data.
Each time, Reynaud took six books, the maximum his permission allowed—three for Nis, three for Kanter. After they finished, they placed them back on the shelf and retrieved another six. Even so, their speed was very fast.
On average, they stayed at each shelf for at most one to three minutes before moving to another shelf.
Time passed quickly in this manner.
When they had sifted through about eighty percent of the data, Angel’s voice came through the Mind Ribbon.
"Wizard Nis, how’s your search going? Did you find any research on Soul Arms?"
Nis continued his rapid screening while responding, "Yes, but it’s all very scattered, likely research done by different individuals. It’s still unclear how much it involves, requiring a final consolidation. But I suspect the core content is not much."