In short, it’s peripheral research concerning Soul Arms. The core content is likely on the fifth floor.
However, even peripheral research, Nis was very willing to collect. Combining these contents and the organ possessing Soul Arms he acquired, even if the core content was not found, he had some confidence in deducing it himself.
"How about your side? Seemed quiet from you earlier; have you found anything new? Is there really no path from the fourth layer to other layers?" Nis asked.
Angel: "I’m certain there’s no passage connecting the fourth layer to others. However, while I was observing the magical energy array on the fifth layer, I discovered that the fifth layer has only one road, which is the passage from the fourth to the fifth. Now, the exterior corridor of the fourth layer has been completely severed, which results in the fifth layer..."
Before Angel could finish, Nis interjected, "The fifth layer has also become an island?"
"That’s one way to put it; the fifth layer has indeed turned into an island, but that’s not what I wanted to say. Rather... the passage interface on the fifth layer is now exposed."
Nis asked, puzzled, "What do you mean?"
"Hasn’t Angel made it clear enough? And you still don’t understand?" It was Kanter speaking up, taking advantage of the moment when Nis was a bit slow to catch on because he was distracted, to mock him a bit.
"Angel’s meaning is quite clear; because the external corridor between the fourth and fifth layers is broken, the only passage interface on the fifth layer is revealed. This means that a new exterior corridor can be connected to the passage interface of the fifth layer."
Angel: "Lord Kanter is correct, that’s what I mean."
Nis then snapped back to reality and immediately understood the crucial point. His eyes brightened, and he quickly said, "You can now connect the exterior corridors from other layers, excluding the fourth layer, to the fifth layer?"
Angel: "Yes, including the first layer’s exterior corridor."
Which means, as long as the exterior corridor is connected to the fifth layer, one can directly reach the fifth layer from the first layer, bypassing other layers.
"That’s wonderful!" Nis exclaimed in delight, "Angel, you..."
Nis suddenly stopped, coughed twice, and in a more serious tone said, "You should be able to go from the first layer to the fifth now, right? How about we make a deal; could you help me find something in the archive on the fifth layer?"
Nis spoke cautiously, already thinking about what benefits would persuade Angel.
However, Angel wasn’t thinking about benefits at all and agreed directly, "Sure."
Angel himself was quite interested in the fifth layer, and while observing its layout, he had indeed discovered a few very concealed spaces.
Perhaps secrets lay hidden there.
Moreover, he had some interest in the archives of the laboratory, including Soul Arms, Mechanical Puppets, and even information on the Lacey Association and the Origin World mentioned by Number 03, which might all be found on the fifth layer.
"You just agreed?" Nis was taken aback, asking subconsciously.
"Why wouldn’t I agree?" Angel retorted.
Nis awkwardly replied, "Nothing, it’s good that you agreed, good that you agreed."
After speaking, to ease the awkwardness, Nis glanced back at Number 50, who still had his eyes tightly shut in the distance, and said, "This guy proudly severed the exterior corridor between the fourth and fifth layers, probably not expecting it to backfire in the end."
The direct connection between the first layer and the fifth layer’s passage interface even saved Angel time.
Kanter: "If you really plan to go to the fifth layer, be cautious of potential traps and mechanisms there."
Angel: "Rest assured, I’ve already observed the fifth layer’s situations, and I’ll suppress all mechanisms involving the magical energy array in advance."
As for mechanisms that don’t involve the magical energy array... there should be few, if any, because deploying other mechanisms when there’s a convenient shortcut like the magical energy array would indeed be a waste.
...
Although Angel decided to visit the fifth layer, he did not leave immediately.
He first reviewed the whole laboratory’s magical energy array to ensure there was no risk of linkage; then, Angel accessed the Authority Eye for the fifth layer via the main control node.
Using the Authority Eye, he began to observe the situation on the fifth layer directly.
Of course, observations here were limited to the three main rooms and corridors on the surface. As for hidden rooms, the Authority Eye couldn’t observe them. If Angel wanted to observe them, he would have to go in person.
Angel’s main interest in observing the fifth layer was to find the fire-scaled summoned demon that had intruded there.
Previously, he had only briefly scanned the layout of the fifth layer and hadn’t paid attention to that fire-scaled summoned demon. But now, since he was planning to visit the fifth layer, he had to consider all circumstances.
Analyzing details from before, whether it was Angel or Nis and Kanter, they all felt that the fire-scaled summoned demon was somewhat odd.
Unsurprisingly, the fire-scaled summoned demon should have escaped from the Magical Beast Garden, according to Reynaud’s account.
The Magical Beast Garden is on the first layer.
Yet this fire-scaled summoned demon was now on the fifth layer.
The fire-scaled summoned demon didn’t have a shortcut like Angel’s to take. To reach the fifth layer, it must have started from the first layer, moving layer by layer downward.
Normally, fire-scaled summoned demons are low-intelligence magical creatures and wouldn’t be able to precisely find paths to the next layer.
Even high-intelligence magical creatures would find it nearly impossible to find paths in this maze-like laboratory filled with magical energy array traps in a short time.
The ability of this fire-scaled summoned demon to accomplish this was quite extraordinary.
Nis previously speculated whether someone might be colluding with the fire-scaled summoned demon; otherwise, without someone familiar leading the way, the fire-scaled summoned demon would find it hard to recognize the paths.
The truth remained unknown, but Angel personally thought the fire-scaled summoned demon perhaps received the correct path from someone’s mouth inside the laboratory, but not necessarily through collusion.
Perhaps the fire-scaled summoned demon used force to coerce someone?
Even though the fire-scaled summoned demon’s prowess was relatively weak... this fire-scaled summoned demon was different. It could even decipher Kanter’s Ghostly Shadows in the fourth layer’s experimental center; could that be called weak?
Moreover, without any surprises, the Number 23 in the third layer’s medical center was probably burned by the fire-scaled summoned demon too.
Number 23, though a medical staff, was numbered below 30, which barely counted as combat personnel. A fire-scaled summoned demon overcoming Number 23 could easily threaten an ordinary research staff.
Based on this information, everyone felt the fire-scaled summoned demon was peculiar.
It seemed to be working towards a goal.
Moreover, that goal, unsurprisingly, was on the fifth layer.
This made Angel very curious about what the fire-scaled summoned demon would do upon reaching the fifth layer.