Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 2401: Chapter 2402: Main Control Clue

This world of magic patterns feels like a trap full of temptations—the more you observe, the easier it is to become ensnared. Especially for someone like Kanter, who is just starting to understand magic patterns.

Continuing to explore might lead to being lost in its glittering allure, thinking oneself enlightened, yet in reality gaining nothing, and possibly even suffering mental attacks.

With Kanter’s insight, he naturally understood this was a consequence of insufficient aptitude and foundation. So he quickly withdrew his gaze, no longer focusing on the projection of magic patterns.

"What should we do next?" Kanter asked.

"There’s nothing else to do for now. Just let me take a closer look at these magic patterns," Angel replied swiftly.

Kanter nodded, allowing the Authority Eye to float in midair and giving it a bit of magic power, enabling it to freely change its perspective.

Kanter dared not look at the projection of magic patterns, fearing mental entrapment, so he began observing his surroundings. Eventually, his gaze settled on a transparent pod resembling a coffin.

Inside the pod was a tall mechanical puppet. From the markings on its face, Kanter immediately recognized its identity.

"Hunting Sequence, Number 4... I didn’t expect the early numbers of the Hunting Sequence to be within the nodes of the Magical Energy Array..."

A short while ago, after encountering Hunting Sequence Numbers 18 and 19 on the first floor, Reynaud informed them of the role of the Hunting Sequence within the laboratory.

In the mouths of Reynaud and some low-sequence personnel, the Hunting Sequence is universally acknowledged as ruthless Law Enforcers. Anyone violating laboratory protocols would be purged by them. Because once they are dispatched, it inevitably results in death, hence the prefix "ruthless."

However, Reynaud also mentioned something: "Law Enforcers" is just their name for them. The high-sequence personnel in the laboratory referred to the Hunting Sequence as "Scavengers."

As for why, Reynaud didn’t know.

There’s also another matter related to the Hunting Sequence. It’s said there are 20 members, and the higher the sequence number, the stronger they are. However, only numbers 6 to 20 are currently active in the laboratory. The first 5 of the Hunting Sequence have never appeared since the laboratory’s creation.

Reynaud even speculated that maybe there are no first 5 members, or that they simply aren’t present in the Southern Domain’s laboratory.

Unexpectedly, the first 5 members of the Hunting Sequence are actually hidden within the nodes of the Magical Energy Array. Their mechanisms are linked to the triggers of the Magical Energy Array, acting as guardians of all sub-control nodes. Once someone intrudes, they will inevitably face their relentless attacks.

Unfortunately for them, they encountered Angel, who is immensely skilled in magic patterns... Not only did he avoid the trigger points, but the outsider even critiqued them.

Hunting Sequence Number 4 is a creation of Mechanical Alchemy, also inscribed with some magic patterns, but compared to the magic patterns on the wall, those on its body are much friendlier.

Even Kanter could make some sense of them.

So, while Angel researched the sub-control nodes on the wall, Kanter studied this member of the Hunting Sequence.

About a quarter of an hour later, Kanter came back to his senses. From the magic patterns on the mechanical puppet’s exterior, Kanter roughly discerned its level... It is a Wizard Level puppet.

Previously, they thought the base laboratory only possessed the capabilities of three Official Wizard Level combatants, but now it seems otherwise. Hunting Sequence Number 4 is already at Wizard Level.

Presumably, higher sequence numbers also possess Wizard Level combat strength.

This suggests the laboratory has at least 7 Wizard Level combatants. In this light, the laboratory’s foundation is quite deep—worthy of originating from the Origin World.

As for the other parts of this mechanical puppet, for instance, what its capabilities are, Kanter could not discern.

But speaking solely of a mechanical puppet with Wizard Level combat strength, its value is considerable. Alas, it is connected to the Magical Energy Array; otherwise, Kanter would indeed want to pry it away and take it back.

Having roughly examined this mechanical puppet, Kanter withdrew his gaze and turned back to Angel.

He noticed that the Authority Eye representing Angel was still immersed in the magic patterns, occasionally getting closer. In principle, magic patterns would repel all who approach, yet showed no reaction to the Authority Eye’s proximity. This indicated that Angel fully understood the energy flow timing within the magic patterns, allowing him to move within their projection without triggering them.

To Kanter, this was incredible.

He knew that he didn’t even have the qualification to continuously observe the magic patterns, while Angel, through the Authority Eye, could achieve such a feat.

All he could say was... the young are to be feared.

An Alchemy Master recognized by the Research and Development Institute is no fluke.

"Number 03 probably hasn’t yet realized... what kind of person has entered their base laboratory..." Kanter silently lit a candle for Number 03 in his heart. Number 03 had no idea Angel was also there. If she knew Angel’s identity, she probably wouldn’t be so calm, staying inside the Surge Alchemist’s head.

While Kanter remained silent in his heart, there was finally some activity from Angel.

Angel said through the Mind Ribbon: "Indeed, it’s just as I imagined!"

Before Kanter could inquire, Nis, waiting outside the corridor, quickly spoke: "What’s the situation inside, what is just as you imagined?"

Angel: "I cannot currently manipulate the second floor’s sub-control node, but I discovered an important clue within it."

"What clue?"

Angel: "A clue pointing to the main control node!"

The reason Angel wanted to use the Authority Eye’s perspective to look at the second floor’s sub-control node was to verify an idea in his mind.

—Whether the main control node could be found.

The Magical Energy Array can have multiple sub-control nodes, but there is bound to be one main control node that manages the entire system. Generally speaking, sub-control nodes and the main control node possess some kind of interconnected relationship.

However, Angel only saw the first floor’s sub-control node, making it impossible to determine which magic patterns pointed to the main control node. Therefore, he needed more evidence.

And this evidence came from other sub-control nodes.

Now, in the second floor’s sub-control node, Angel found what he needed. Here, he indeed saw magic patterns connected to the first floor’s sequence nodes.

It is certain that these magic patterns are connected to the main control node.

Angel: "I can now confirm that finding the main control node via the sub-control nodes is feasible."

Nis: "Having looked at the second floor’s sub-control node, can you find the main control node?"

Angel: "With only two sets of data, calculating the position of the main control node isn’t easy. The computational workload would be enormous. If I could see the third floor’s sub-control node, I would have more confidence."

Angel’s meaning was clear: to find the main control node, they must continue with the Authority Eye to the third floor to examine the third floor’s sub-control node.

Should they do it? Nis and Kanter had no hesitation—the answer was definitely: do it.

Once the main control node was found, the hidden secrets of the laboratory would be revealed completely.

Their safety would also be greatly assured.

Angel might even be able to manipulate the Magical Energy Array in turn...

"Alright, let’s go to the third floor’s sub-control node! Once the Authority Eye reaches the third floor, will its view be obscured?" Nis asked after making the decision.

Angel: "It won’t."

Nis: "Then let’s go now."

Angel: "Okay, but before leaving, I need Lord Kanter to do something."

Kanter paused: "What is it?"

"Suppress the information barrier between the second and third layer..." If not suppressed, even if Angel can see the environment of the third layer through the Authority Eye, he can’t communicate with them.

Kanter looked at the dazzling magic pattern projections covering the wall, swallowing hard.

After a long while, Kanter hesitated and said: "Let me try."

Eventually, when Kanter successfully suppressed the information barrier and walked out of the corridor, his face was pale, with sweat stains on his wrinkled forehead.

Even though Kanter said nothing, Nis knew just from these details that Kanter likely went through considerable torment suppressing the information barrier.

Nis was very thankful that he wasn’t the one entering the control node at that time. Even a top-level True Knowledge Wizard like Kanter looked pale, if it were him, at least his legs would have turned to jelly. If he actually turned jelly-legged and couldn’t walk, it would be utterly embarrassing.

The journey ahead was very silent.

Angel was trying to use two evidences to solve the main control node location, while Nis dared not speak, afraid to provoke Kanter... usually he could be impertinent, but now Kanter’s complexion was too bad.

In this way, they walked into a narrower path compared to the corridor of the control node.

This path was winding, and not far ahead there was a corner.

Nis used his spiritual power to probe and discovered that after turning, in less than ten meters, he would encounter a wall. In other words, this path was a dead end.

"To the third layer, are you sure this is the way?" Nis asked Reynaud.

Reynaud nodded: "I’m sure."

Nis opened his mouth intending to say something, but thinking back to the situation from the first to the second layer, he ended up closing his mouth. After all, Reynaud is the local tyrant, just follow him.

The path wasn’t long, and soon they turned the corner and reached the end of the dead end.

"Wait here for ten seconds," Reynaud said.

Ten seconds later, Reynaud led the group back to the entrance of the path and waited for another ten seconds.

Next, when they walked forward again and turned the corner, they saw that the end of the path was no longer a wall, but a long, winding staircase leading down.

Nis: "Exactly like the situation from the first layer to the second... Who would have thought you have to retrace your steps when going downstairs, is this a mechanism?"

Reynaud scratched his head: "I don’t know if it’s a mechanism, maybe it is? Anyway, to reach the next layer, you have to walk this path, the same goes from the third to the fourth layer."

At this point, Angel, who had been silent, suddenly spoke: "Actually, there are no direct stairs connecting the layers in the lab."

"Eh, what do you mean?"

Angel: "The first to second layer, the second to third, they exist independently, there’s no direct link at all."

"Then what is this path we are on now?"

Angel: "I call this path a tentacle, the tentacle of this gigantic lab. Or, it can also be called an external corridor."

Angel’s words made Kanter and Nis simultaneously think of something.

Before entering the base lab, they had used spiritual power to sense the general shape of the lab. At the time, they noticed that the lab was surrounded by square "tentacles."

Now it seems, the path they are currently on is indeed within the "tentacles."

The reason for retracing and waiting twenty seconds before the entrance to the third layer appeared was because the tentacle was moving, shifting from the independently existing second layer to the entrance to the third layer.

"So that’s how it is... Then if someone finds us within the tentacle, couldn’t they just cut off the tentacle and bury us underground?" Nis said.

Kanter: "Can you not be such a crows mouth?"

Angel said seriously: "The situation Nis mentioned is very likely to occur. The lab presumably did this for security. If anything goes wrong, they can directly sever the tentacle, completely isolating the layers."

Because of this, they are actually not safe.

If someone discovers their intrusion, they could completely sever the tentacle between each layer, forcing them to confront the lab directly, which would inevitably result in a counterattack by the magical energy array.

Thinking about this, Nis had a slightly bad foreboding.

"The person who built this lab must have paranoia, to make it so strict," Nis finished and couldn’t help but curse.

To prevent this premonition from coming true, they must now urgently help Angel find the main control node, only then, with a certain degree of authority over the magical energy array, can they prevent being shackled.

With this in mind, Nis swiftly stepped onto the stairs leading to the third layer.

Everyone followed quickly.

Upon arriving at the third layer, Angel immediately used the Authority Eye to observe the surrounding magic pattern directions, guiding Nis and the others to the third layer’s control node.

As for the Exhibition Room, this is not urgent... with the crisis ahead, personal gains and losses can be set aside for now.

The group moved quickly through the third layer, ignoring the rooms they encountered along the way. Their target was solely the control node.

However, on their path, they encountered an unexpected situation.

They were obstructed.

Since entering the lab, it was the first time they encountered people.

Not just one person, three at once. Moreover, Reynaud actually recognized these three people.

"Tooth, Rin, and... Scythe." Reynaud stared blankly at the visitors, lightly pronouncing their names.

But the other party clearly did not agree with these names, their eyes cold, indifferent.

The three people appeared to be male from their appearance, wearing silver-white base uniforms, standing tall with quite an air.

Numbers were also present on their faces, however, their number tattoos differed from No.03 or the hunting sequence, instead resembling Reynaud’s.

Left was an X, right was a number.

The three were respectively X5, X9, and X2 from left to right.

Upon seeing the "X," the group realized that these appeared ones were experimental subjects like Reynaud.

Reynaud had previously mentioned that of his kind experimental subjects, only nine survived in the end. During years of missions, intelligence gathering, and assassinations, four more had died, leaving four aside from Reynaud.

They had encountered three of the remaining four.