Chapter : 725

The team cheered softly but firmly. They understood the extreme urgency of the situation. They packed their gear. Sayma secured her digital tool. Risa hugged her teddy bear tightly. Luna stood up from the floor and rubbed her eyes. They prepared to march back through the ruined laboratory.

Ken Eliot stood up from his rolling chair. He dusted off his navy blue sweatpants. He slumped his posture. He dragged his cheap shoes across the white tiles. Scuff. Scuff. Scuff. He followed his friends toward the exit. The ticking clock was officially started. The ultimate battle against the darkness was waiting for them in the desert sands.

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Sayma pulled a black wire. She disconnected her digital tool from the main computer terminal. The large screens turned dark. The blue lights faded away. The secret server room became quiet again.

Sayma placed the digital tool into her pocket. She kept the copied files perfectly safe. She pushed her thick glasses up the bridge of her nose. She clicked her silver pen. She opened her notebook.

"The data is secure," Sayma stated politely. She looked at Princess Iris. "We have the full digital records. We have the absolute proof. The Black Magicians are building a permanent gate. They want to free the Black Soul Sovereign. The ritual will take place in the desert city of Albino."

Princess Iris nodded slowly. She held her silver rapier. The holy white light shined from her purification shard. The light chased the dark shadows out of the corners. Her violet eyes looked determined.

"We know our target," Princess Iris said smoothly. "We know the location. The Emperor sent us to investigate. We completed the investigation. Now we must stop the ritual. We cannot let them open that gate."

Laxmi punched her open palm. A bright orange spark popped into the air. The fire user grinned a wide, excited grin. She wore her bright orange pants.

"I am ready!" Laxmi cheered loudly. "We are going to a desert! Deserts are very hot. My fire magic will burn even brighter. We will roast those crazy cult members. We will melt their scary gate."

Zinia cracked her knuckles. The sound echoed in the small room. Pop. Pop. Pop. The strong earth mage crossed her muscular arms.

"We need to move fast," Zinia warned deeply. "Albino is very far away. We need to leave this toxic wasteland. We need to find a fast transport vehicle. The Black Magicians have a massive head start."

Luna lay on the floor. She used her rolled-up jacket as a pillow. The gray-haired girl rubbed her sleepy eyes. She let out a loud, dramatic yawn.

"A desert sounds terrible," Luna complained lazily. She sat up slowly. "There are no comfortable trees in the desert. There is only sand. Sand is very itchy. I cannot take a good nap on hot sand."

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Ken Eliot sat in a black rolling office chair. He drooped his shoulders as far as they could possibly go. He wore his baggy navy blue sweatpants. His white dress shirt hung completely untucked over his belt. He did not wear a tie. His messy black hair stuck up in wild spikes.

He held a plastic bag of green apple gummy rings. He reached into the bag. He pulled out a candy. He tossed it into his mouth. He chewed it very slowly.

"I agree with Luna," Ken announced casually. He shoved his free hand deep into his pocket. "Desert regions are the worst part of any video game. The developers always put them right after the poison swamp level."

Naomi stood near the doorway. She wore her dark combat pants and a sleek green shirt. She turned her head. She looked at Ken. She smiled a very warm, bright smile. Her green eyes sparkled with fondness. She liked his silly observations. They made the scary situation feel normal.

"Why do you hate the desert, Ken?" Naomi asked softly. She spun her twin silver daggers. The metal glinted in the light.

"It is a massive stamina drain," Ken explained lazily. He swallowed his candy. "The sun gives your character a heat debuff. You walk slow. You have to drink water every five minutes. If you do not drink water, your health bar drops to zero. You pass out in the sand. It is a very annoying game mechanic."

Ken let out a long, loud sigh. He stared at the ceiling.

"I do not have any water," Ken complained. "I only brought sugary soda. Soda makes you more thirsty. I am going to fail the survival check. I will definitely pass out. You guys will have to carry me across the desert."

Naomi chuckled a soft, musical chuckle. She walked over to his rolling chair. She stood right next to him.

"Nobody is going to carry you, slacker," Naomi said. She playfully bumped his shoulder with her arm. "You have legs. You will walk. I will make sure you drink plenty of water. I will not let you pass out in the sand."

"You are a very strict tour guide," Ken mumbled. He offered her the bag of gummy rings. "Do you want a candy? It will boost your morale before the long walk."

"No thank you," Naomi smiled brightly. "Keep your sugar rations. You will need them."

Risa hugged her brown teddy bear. The sweet pink-haired healer stayed close to Sayma. She gripped her glowing white purification shard. The holy magic kept the toxic air away. She felt very safe with her friends. She did not feel scared of the desert. She just wanted to help stop the bad guys.

Ira stood perfectly still near the wall. Her pale face showed zero emotion.

"Statistically speaking," Ira analyzed in a flat, robotic voice. "Traveling to Albino requires significant logistical planning. We must secure a train or a fast carriage. We cannot walk the entire distance. We must exit this facility immediately."

"Ira is right," Princess Iris commanded smoothly. She turned toward the doorway. "We need to leave. We will retrace our steps. We will find the elevator. We must get back to the surface. Stay alert. The facility is still very unstable."

The 13th Unit agreed. They formed their tactical walking formation. Naomi took the front position. Sayma stayed in the center with Risa. Zinia and Laxmi guarded the sides. Luna stayed near the middle. Ken and Ira walked at the very back.

They walked out of the hidden server room. They stepped back into the ruined biological containment ward.

The room was destroyed. The mutated test subjects were sleeping peacefully in their glass cells. Risa had stabilized their magic earlier. They were no longer in pain. The vines from Risa's emotional outburst covered the floor. Broken concrete lay everywhere.

They walked carefully over the debris. Ken dragged his cheap shoes on the floor tiles. Scuff. Scuff. Scuff. He popped another green gummy ring into his mouth. He looked at the broken walls.