Chapter 467:Retrieval.

Chapter 467: 467:Retrieval.

Timothy looked toward the corridor leading back into the facility, his expression becoming increasingly pale.

"Laboratory Seven is near the primary containment chamber."

"We know."

"That’s where the breach started."

"We know that too."

He stared at the communicator in disbelief.

Director Halden’s voice hardened.

"Humanity cannot afford another failure, Doctor. Bring back the research."

The communication ended.

Timothy remained motionless. For several seconds, only the emergency alarms and distant impacts could be heard.

Then he laughed, it was a strange, broken sound.

"Humanity..." He lowered his communicator. "Always fucking humanity."

His gaze moved toward the security door. A long crack had appeared across its center.

He swallowed and turned toward the laboratory access corridor.

"Fine."

He raised his right hand and a faint silver light spread across his fingers.

The damaged wall beside him began changing, its surface rippling as the internal arrangement of its material shifted. Concrete compressed, metal supports twisted, and within several seconds a thick barricade formed across the passage behind him.

[Molecular Reconstruction Activated.]

[Structural Reinforcement Successful.]

Timothy lowered his hand.

Sweat rolled down his forehead. The barricade would delay whatever was pursuing him, perhaps for a minute or less.

He didn’t intend to find out.

The research facility had been constructed beneath a mountain range located deep within the Red Zone, far beyond the territories regularly patrolled by sanctuary expedition teams.

It wasn’t situated at the absolute center of the region, where even high-ranked Contractors rarely ventured, but the surrounding wilderness was dangerous enough that only specialized military convoys could safely transport personnel and supplies to the installation.

Officially, the facility didn’t exist.

Its construction had required years of preparation, enormous financial resources, and the cooperation of several powerful organizations.

Most of the researchers working inside knew only fragments of the overall project.

Timothy knew considerably more... And what he knew was enough to make him question whether the people funding their experiments had any understanding of the consequences.

He hurried through another corridor, passing shattered observation windows and laboratories filled with overturned equipment. The emergency lighting illuminated rows of broken containment tanks, some large enough to accommodate entire beasts, while others had been designed for human subjects.

A few still contained bodies but most were empty.

Timothy tried not to look.

He reached a junction only to find that the route toward Laboratory Seven was blocked by a collapsed ceiling.

"Of course."

He raised his hand and silver light spread across the fallen debris.

[Molecular Analysis Activated.]

A complicated arrangement of structural information entered his perception.

Timothy identified the weakest supporting sections, then carefully altered the surrounding material.

The collapsed concrete shifted and metal beams straightened before a narrow opening formed.

He squeezed through.

The moment he emerged on the other side, a distant roar shook the corridor loud enough for dust to fall from the ceiling.

Timothy froze.

Another roar answered it, this one came from farther below.

His expression twisted.

"There are more of them?" He whispered to himself.

He began running again.

His communicator suddenly crackled.

"Doctor, your biological readings indicate elevated stress."

Timothy nearly threw it away.

"Then stop monitoring me and open the damn pod!"

"Please conserve your energy. You may require your ability during extraction."

He laughed bitterly.

"Thank you for the advice."

He ended the connection.

Several minutes later, he reached the final security checkpoint. The door was enormous, nearly three meters thick. Constructed from an alloy designed to withstand attacks from high-ranked beasts.

Timothy placed his palm against the identification panel.

"Timothy Serion. Authorization level seven. Emergency access."

The panel flashed red.

[Warning! Laboratory Seven remains under full containment lockdown.]

[Entry is prohibited.]

Timothy stared in complete defeat.

"Override."

[Override requires director-level authorization.]

He activated his communicator.

"Halden! The laboratory is locked!"

The response came almost immediately.

"Stand by."

A few seconds passed, then the panel changed.

[Director Override Accepted.]

[Containment Lock Released.]

The enormous door began opening.

He stepped backward as a horrible smell immediately escaped through the gap. It was a mixture of blood, burned chemicals, rotting flesh and something else he couldn’t identify.

He covered his mouth.

"Oh, God..."

The laboratory beyond had been completely destroyed.

Laboratory Seven had once been the pride of the entire research facility.

It was a vast circular chamber containing advanced biological analysis equipment, reinforced containment tanks, surgical platforms, and a cryogenic archive where experimental samples and research records were preserved.

Now the ceiling had partially collapsed. Several containment chambers were shattered. Broken glass covered the floor.

A surgical platform had been torn apart, its metal supports bent outward as though something had forced its way through them.

Blood stained the walls.

Timothy stepped inside, his shoes crunching against the glass. He looked around but there was no movement or voices.

"All right..." He said inwardly and swallowed. "Just the case."

He hurried toward the cryogenic archive.

The storage shelves were located behind a reinforced partition near the far side of the laboratory. Several had been damaged, but the main preservation system remained operational.

He approached the identification terminal.

"Authorization seven. Open archive compartment forty-three."

The terminal beeped.

[Access granted.]

A compartment slid outward and cold vapor spilled across the floor. Inside rested a rectangular black case marked with several warning symbols.

Timothy grabbed it.

The case was heavier than he’d expected. He placed it on a nearby table and opened the outer authentication panel.

A series of sealed sample containers appeared inside, accompanied by encrypted storage drives and a compact preservation unit.

The labels were familiar.

Experimental cellular adaptation results,beast integration stability records, subject compatibility evaluations, and several files concerning a project whose designation had been removed from the visible archive.

Timothy frowned.

He hadn’t personally authorized those additions but he didn’t have time to investigate.

He closed the case.

[Archive Retrieval Confirmed.]

[Experimental Materials Secured.]

Timothy immediately contacted the evacuation team.

"I have it! I have the damn case!"

The response came after several seconds.

"Confirming archive authentication."

Timothy gritted his teeth.

"Please..."

[Authentication successful.]

"Evacuation authorization restored. Proceed to the eastern launch chamber."

Timothy nearly collapsed with relief.

"Thank you."

He turned, then stopped. Something had caught his attention; a containment tank stood several meters away.

Unlike the others, it remained intact. Its preservation lights were still active, and inside...

Timothy slowly approached.