Chapter 46: Chapter 9.8: Research Lab Part 5 The service tunnel was a throat of darkness, swallowing the light from their headlamps and compressing the air around them. The metal walls, slick with condensation, seemed to press in from all sides, each footstep echoing like a drumbeat in the oppressive silence. The air was thick with the smell of ozone, rust, and something acrid and vaguely organic, like old meat left out to spoil.
Jin moved at the front leading them. The stun baton felt more natural in his hand with every step, its weight a familiar anchor in the suffocating darkness. His `Predator Instinct` was a constant, low-level hum at the edge of his consciousness, a sixth sense that painted the darkness ahead in shades of threat and possibility. His heightened `PER` (Perception) picked up subtle details: the faint vibration of a failing power conduit deep within the wall, the minuscule shift in air pressure that signaled an upcoming junction. It was a comprehensive awareness of his surroundings.
"Interference is... off the charts," Clara whispered from the center of their small formation, her voice tight with anxiety. Her engineering glasses, usually a beacon of information, were flickering erratically, the streams of code dissolving into static. "I can barely get a reading three feet in front of us. The power conduits in this section must be completely fried."
Jin glanced back, his gaze meeting hers. "Stay close to me. I’ll guide us." His voice was calm, a steady presence that seemed to quiet her trembling. At 49/100 affinity, her trust in him was a tangible thing, a warm current in the cold darkness.
"I’ll take the rear guard," Rosa announced from the back, her usual playful demeanor replaced by a focused intensity. "Anything sneaks up on us, it’ll get a face full of electricity." She held her stun baton at the ready, its blue glow a small point of defiance against the overwhelming dark. Her affinity with Jin, now at 40/100, had evolved from simple teasing to a reliable partnership.
"Sera, you’re with Clara," Jin continued, his mind clear, his thoughts surprisingly ordered. "Keep her safe."
Sera nodded, her pulse rifle held in a relaxed but ready position. "Understood. Sound carries down here. Keep it to a minimum." Her gaze lingered on him for a moment longer than necessary, a silent acknowledgment of his growing competence. Her affinity, 42/100, was built on a foundation of mutual respect that was strengthening with every challenge they faced.
They moved in a tight, coordinated formation, navigating the Vault’s diseased veins. The tunnel sloped gently downward, taking them deeper into the earth. Jin’s `Athletics` skill allowed him to move with an economy of motion, his `AGI` (Agility) letting him adjust his balance on the slick, uneven floor without a second thought. The air grew colder, and the organic smell grew stronger, mingling with the scent of chemical sterilizers.
After what felt like an hour, Jin held up a hand, bringing the group to a halt. "Something’s ahead," he whispered, his `Predator Instinct` flaring with a sudden warning. "A blockage."
He edged forward, his headlamp cutting a narrow beam through the gloom. The tunnel ahead was partially collapsed. A section of the ceiling had caved in, sending a cascade of twisted metal conduits and shattered concrete across their path. It wasn’t a total barrier, but it would be a difficult climb, and the jagged edges of the wreckage created a dozen potential hiding places.
"Clara, can you scan it?" Sera asked, her voice barely a breath.
Clara shook her head, her face pale in the dim light. "No good. The interference is too strong. It’s like... like there’s something actively jamming the signal."
Rosa peered into the tangle of wreckage. "Well, there’s no going back. We’ll have to climb over."
"Carefully," Sera cautioned. "That could be unstable."
"I’ll go first," Jin said, already moving towards the collapse. "I’ll test the footing. Wait for my signal."
He began to climb, his movements sure and deliberate. His `Athletics – Basic Strength Feats` skill kicked in, allowing him to find purchase on seemingly sheer surfaces and pull himself up with a strength that belied his lean frame. He was halfway across when he saw it—a flicker of movement in the shadows beneath a fallen I-beam.
He froze, his hand raised in a silent signal to the others. "Two of them," he breathed, his voice so low it was almost a thought. "Hiding in the wreckage. Waiting."
"Waiting?" Rosa whispered back. "For what?"
"For us," Jin said, a cold certainty settling in his stomach. His `Mutated Fauna Combat Basics` skill was screaming at him. This wasn’t random. It’s a coordinated tactic, an ambush. These creatures were learning.
He could feel the creatures’ hunger, their predatory patience. They were smart, smarter than the Crawler they had fought in the corridor. They were using the environment to their advantage.
"We can’t go over," Sera’s voice came through the darkness, sharp and clear. "We’ll be too exposed. We have to go through."
"How?" Clara asked, her voice trembling.
"Jin," Sera said, her tone leaving no room for argument. "You’re the distraction. Draw them out. Rosa and I will be on you. Clara, stay back and be ready to provide support."
Jin nodded, his mind already working through the possibilities. He had a stun baton, not a sword, but the principles of `Sword Mastery` were universal. Distance, timing, and using an opponent’s momentum against them. His `Melee Weapon Mastery (Improvised)` skill provided the practical application, allowing him to adapt the forms to the weapon in his hand.
He took a deep breath, then deliberately dislodged a small piece of metal, letting it clatter to the floor on the other side of the collapse.
The effect was instantaneous. Two Crawlers, larger and more heavily armored than the one they had faced before, burst from their hiding places. They were fast, their movements a blur of chitin and claws, but they were also predictable, moving directly towards the source of the noise.
"Now!" Jin yelled, dropping from the wreckage and landing in a crouch, his `AGI` allowing him to absorb the impact without injury.
The first Crawler lunged at him, its claws extended. Jin didn’t try to meet it head-on. Instead, he flowed to the side, his body moving with a grace that seemed almost supernatural. He brought the baton down in a sharp, precise arc, not at the creature’s head, but at its joint. There was a loud crack, and the creature’s leg buckled, sending it tumbling to the ground. The power of the strike, amplified by his `STR` (Strength), was undeniable.
Before it could recover, Rosa was there, a blur of motion. She vaulted over a fallen conduit, her baton humming with energy. "Hey, ugly!" she yelled, drawing the second Crawler’s attention. The creature turned, its multifaceted eyes focusing on her, and that was its mistake.
Sera’s pulse rifle barked once, a single, controlled shot that struck the creature in the side, just behind its head. The Crawler shrieked, a high-pitched sound of pain and rage, but it didn’t go down. It turned, its attention now fully on Sera.
"Clara, now!" Sera yelled, backing away from the enraged creature.
Clara, her face a mask of concentration, pointed her tablet at the Crawler. A small, focused beam of energy shot out, striking the creature’s antenna. The Crawler froze, its movements becoming jerky and uncoordinated.
"It’s... it’s an EMP pulse!" Clara stammered. "I modified the scanner’s emitter! It won’t last long!"
It was all the opening Jin needed. He activated his `Instinct Surge`, and the world seemed to slow down. He could see the creature’s every twitch, every muscle spasm. He moved in, his baton a blur of motion, guided by his `Sword Mastery`. He struck the creature again and again, his movements precise and economical, targeting the joints and nerve clusters he could now see so clearly. The creature went down, its body twitching.
The first Crawler, its leg broken, tried to drag itself towards them, its mandibles clicking in fury. Rosa dispatched it with a single, powerful blow to the head.
Silence returned to the tunnel, broken only by their ragged breathing. Jin stood over the fallen creatures, his chest heaving, the baton still humming in his hand. They had done it. They had faced an ambush and won, their coordination and teamwork overcoming the creatures’ superior numbers and cunning.
A familiar chime sounded in his HUD.
> [SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
> [Combat Experience Gained]
> [Enemies Defeated: Enhanced Crawlers (x2)]
> [EXP Gained: +150]
> [Current EXP: 450 / 1000]
> [Skill Progression: Mutated Fauna Combat Basics (Lv. 1 → 10%)]
> [Skill Progression: Melee Weapon Mastery (Improvised) (Lv. 5 → 27%)]
"Is everyone okay?" Sera asked, her voice steady as she scanned the darkness for any more threats.
"Good," Rosa said, a grin on her face. "That was more fun than I’ve had in ages."
Clara just nodded, her eyes wide behind her glasses.
Jin looked at the others, a sense of pride swelling in his chest. They were a team. They were strong. His `Natural Leader` skill wasn’t just a passive effect; it was a truth he could feel in the way they looked to him, the way they trusted his instincts.
"We need to keep moving," he said, his voice firm. "This fight will have attracted attention."
They quickly and efficiently climbed over the collapsed section, their movements now more confident, more assured. The tunnel continued for another hundred meters before opening up into a large, circular chamber.
The chamber was a hub, a nexus of tunnels branching off in different directions. In the center of the far wall was a massive circular blast door, easily twenty feet in diameter. It was made of a dull, gray metal, but it was covered in intricate carvings—a mix of traditional Japanese clan symbols and the sleek, modern insignia of Project Phoenix.
And in the center of the door, gleaming faintly in the light of their headlamps, was the crest of the Tsurugi family.
Jin felt a powerful pull, a sense of coming home that was so strong it almost brought him to his knees. He knew, with a certainty that defied all logic, that this was it. This was the entrance to the Research Labs. This was the place his mother had prepared for him.
"This is it," he whispered, his voice filled with awe and determination. "We’re here."