Chapter 312: The Testing Chamber

The Spectre Guild’s headquarters stood tall before him, its sleek exterior catching the afternoon light.

"Alright."

Kael glanced toward the entrance before making his way inside. The moment he stepped through the doors, he was greeted by the familiar interior of the Spectre Guild.

The spacious lobby was brightly illuminated, polished floors reflecting the overhead lights. Several Hunters were scattered around the area, some waiting near the seating arrangements, others speaking with staff at the various reception counters.

Kael didn’t bother looking around for long. Instead, he headed straight for the reception desk, where a young woman sat working at her computer. The moment she noticed him approaching, she straightened and greeted him with a professional smile.

"Welcome to the Spectre Guild, sir. How may I help you today?"

"I’m here to pick up my Nano Bracelet," Kael replied. "I got an email saying the repairs were completed."

The receptionist paused.

"Oh?"

She looked at him more carefully.

"Excuse me, sir, but would you happen to be Mr. Kael Voss?"

Kael nodded.

"That’s me."

The young woman’s expression immediately changed.

"Oh! Mr. Voss!"

She quickly straightened in her seat, her already polite demeanor turning noticeably more respectful.

"Welcome, sir. We’ve been expecting you."

Kael raised an eyebrow, though he didn’t find it particularly surprising. After all, the Spectre Guild had personally invited him to come inspect the completed repairs. It made sense they’d have informed the reception staff of his arrival.

"Please wait here for a moment," the receptionist continued. "Someone will come to escort you shortly."

"Alright."

Kael nodded.

The young woman immediately turned toward her computer and began typing.

After entering a few commands, she seemed to send a notification to someone before looking back at him.

"It shouldn’t take long, sir."

"Thanks."

Kael stepped aside slightly and waited. Fortunately, he didn’t have to wait long, less than a minute later, a soft chime sounded from the elevator across the lobby.

Ding!

The doors slid open, and a man stepped out in a hurry, his gaze sweeping across the reception area. The moment his eyes landed on Kael, his expression brightened, and he quickly made his way over.

"Mr. Kael!"

Kael turned toward the voice, and upon seeing the man approaching, he immediately recognized him, the same person who’d escorted him during his previous visits to the Spectre Guild. It seemed he’d once again been assigned to receive him.

"Welcome back to the Spectre Guild, Mr. Kael," the man greeted with a broad smile. "I’ve been waiting for you."

Kael returned the greeting with a nod. "Good to see you again."

"The pleasure is mine, sir."

The man glanced briefly toward the elevator before gesturing in its direction.

"Everything has already been prepared. If you’ll please follow me, I’ll take you to the engineering department."

"Sure."

With that, Kael followed him across the lobby, and the two stepped into the elevator. Once the doors closed, the man pressed a button on the control panel, and a faint mechanical hum filled the air as the elevator began ascending.

"How was your journey, Mr. Kael?" the man asked.

"Pretty smooth," Kael replied. "The traffic wasn’t too bad."

"That’s good to hear." The man smiled. "We were informed you’d be coming today, so the engineering team’s been preparing for your arrival."

Kael nodded, growing increasingly curious about the upgrades mentioned in the email. After a short while, the elevator slowed.

Ding!

The doors slid open, revealing a quiet hallway.

"Right this way, sir."

The man stepped out first, and Kael followed as they made their way down the corridor, passing several doors along the way. Unlike the busy lobby downstairs, this section of the building was considerably quieter, fewer people moving about, most of the doors leading into what looked like private workspaces or restricted facilities.

Kael glanced around as they walked. Although he’d visited the Spectre Guild before, this wasn’t the same area he’d been taken to during his previous appointment.

The difference became even more obvious when they finally stopped before a large metal door.

Kael raised an eyebrow.

The door was considerably thicker than the others they’d passed. The man stepped up to a small panel beside it, retrieved a keycard, and held it against the scanner.

Beep!

A green light flashed across the panel, and immediately afterward, a series of mechanical clicks sounded from within the door. Then, with a low hum, the heavy metal panels began sliding apart.

"Please, come in."

Kael stepped through the entrance. Beyond the door lay a large room, the floor stretching across a considerable distance, with only a few pieces of equipment positioned near the walls. The ceiling, too, was unusually high, leaving plenty of open space in the middle of the chamber.

Kael looked around with mild interest.

Judging from the room’s construction and the reinforced entrance, it was probably designed for testing equipment that required a significant amount of space, built sturdy enough to withstand whatever damage the testing might cause. Considering the nature of his Nano Armor, that made sense.

But before he could examine the room any further, a familiar voice reached his ears.

"Mr. Kael!"

Kael turned toward the sound.

Standing a short distance away was a woman he recognized immediately.

Evelyn.

She was the engineer he had met during his previous visit, when he had come to the Spectre Guild to upgrade his Nano Bracelet.

Upon seeing him enter, she approached with a welcoming smile.

"Welcome back, Mr. Kael."

Kael nodded.

"Thanks. It’s good to see you again."

"Likewise."

Evelyn glanced briefly at the man who had escorted him.

The man gave a respectful nod before stepping aside, apparently leaving the rest of the appointment in her hands.

Kael then turned his attention back toward Evelyn, waiting for her to continue.

"So, I got an email from the Guild earlier, letting me know the repairs were done."

"Ah, yes."

"It also mentioned that some additional upgrades had been made along the way." Kael looked at her with growing curiosity. "What exactly did you end up changing?"