The facilities built by the Guardian Giant were spacious even for ordinary-sized humans; even a ventilation duct was more than wide enough.
Perhaps Hao Ren's usually unreliable superior had, for once, shown some concern for his employee, or perhaps the Creation Goddess was watching over her own daughter from beyond the grave. Either way, the group crossed the outer security line beneath the Corruptors' noses and slipped into the ventilation duct leading to the Control Center without encountering almost any trouble.
The Lord of Madness's power had tainted nearly everything on Amantir, and the temples and their attached facilities were naturally no exception. Yet this taint had not affected the facilities' normal operation, such as their power and lighting systems. The ventilation duct's gates could still be opened, and its circulation system and lights continued to function as usual. Combined with the silence inside the duct, Hao Ren would almost have forgotten that he was in the heart of the Lord of Madness's stronghold if not for the oppressive chill permeating the surroundings and the strange, faint odor in the air.
"This passage is going to be long." Hao Ren led the way while studying the map projected by the Data Terminal. The map had been provided by Salamander and recorded Amantir's detailed structure before its fall. The Corruptors had no reason to destroy a fortress they had already claimed, so most of the areas on the structural map were still valid. The only question was how safe they were. "A Planetary Fortress has a complicated underground structure. Or rather, its underground facilities are the starship's true body. We'll pass through several underground factories and mechanical compartments. Most of the route is inside ducts, but there are still a few sections without cover. When we get there, everyone will adapt