Something's not right.
As the three were heading towards the entrance to the underground tunnel, Han Xiao frowned, looked around, and said, "Something's not right. There are fewer people on the road. I have a dangerous feeling... Did you trigger the alarm?" As he said the last sentence, his eyes pierced Cerberus like needles.
Cerberus was startled and quickly denied it, "No, it absolutely wasn't me. The leader probably noticed something was wrong. My access level isn't as high as his, so he found traces of me browsing the data. It really has nothing to do with me."
Han Xiao gripped his equipment bag tightly and whispered, "Hurry up."
At this moment, five floors above, the leader, carrying a tablet computer, was rushing in this direction. The screen clearly displayed the surveillance footage. He sneered, "Starting to have doubts? By the time you get to the underground tunnel, my ambush will be complete. This time, you won't escape."
The leader hadn't expected Han Xiao to infiltrate alone, and even felt that such a powerful ambush was somewhat wasted. In his memory, Han Xiao's strength was still at the level of the Dark Crow Valley Operation, similar to Pan Kuang, while at this time there were more than fifty executives in headquarters whose strength surpassed Pan Kuang's.
A net so tight it's impossible to escape.
The final safeguard of the encirclement was the leader himself; his strength was rarely matched. Even the legendary hero Bennett could only manage a draw against him at best. Decades ago, the leader and Bennett had a single encounter, ending in a draw.
The leader is also a powerful figure at the peak of Planet Aquamarine, which is why he can keep such a large organization in check.
Watching Han Xiao sink deeper and deeper into the spider web like a small insect, the leader seemed to see the light of success. However, the next moment, he saw a dark red streak of light shooting straight at Han Xiao from the end of the corridor in the surveillance footage.
Hila appeared frantic, her eyes bloodshot, her gaze filled with boundless hatred fixed on Han Xiao. It wasn't that she recognized Han Xiao, but rather that she sensed Aurora's life imprint; her younger sister was hiding in the equipment bag this man was carrying, curled up in a ball.
Seeing this, Hila could no longer hold back. Her superpowers erupted instantly, her wine-red hair slithered wildly like snakes, and dense gray and red energy intertwined and condensed into a jet of energy that shot out like an arrow. Her killing intent was almost tangible.
"Put her down!"
Concern leads to confusion. Seeing a stranger put her sister in a bag and take her away is like a parent seeing their own child being taken away by a stranger. In this situation, it's impossible to stay calm. Anger consumes reason, making it impossible to think rationally. Moreover, the sister has special significance for Hila, almost her emotional support, which only adds fuel to the fire.
"This woman has gotten stronger again." Han Xiao was secretly shocked. He quickly slid and narrowly dodged the cone-shaped dark red energy arrow. The energy arrow pierced deeply through the steel wall, making him shudder. He knew that Hila's ability was both physical and mental damage. If the physical damage alone was this fierce, the main mental damage would be even more terrifying. She probably attacked in anger, and the damage bonus was almost comparable to his [Willpower Burning].
Even though he was tough and resilient, Han Xiao had no interest in taking a direct hit. He dodged, and with a thought, fired two shots, destroying the camera. Then he shouted, "Hila, I'm here to save your sister! Tu Shu 've got the wrong person, you spendthrift woman..."
Before he could finish speaking, Hila rammed into him, reaching for his backpack without listening to a word he was saying. Helpless, Han Xiao released the backpack, grabbed his other equipment bag, activated his Electromagnetic Hover Boots and Small Maneuvering Device, and leaped onto the ceiling to avoid the attack.
Hila quickly put down her shoulder bag, unzipped it, and met Aurora's gaze.
"Sister!" Aurora's cheerful voice was full of surprise.
"Are you alright?" Hila hurriedly checked Aurora's body. Seeing that she was unharmed, she breathed a sigh of relief. Only then did she remember that there was still an enemy. She suddenly stood up and protectively shielded Aurora behind her. Her eyes gleamed with a dark red light, and she looked wary and vigilant, ready to attack.
"Sister, you've misunderstood." Aurora poked her little head out of the bag with difficulty and hurriedly called out, "That uncle came to rescue me."
"I don't know him at all." Hila remained wary and unmoved.
He said he was Uncle Zero.
Hila was stunned, unable to believe it.
Zero?!
"It's me." Now that things had come to this, Han Xiao no longer hid it. The alarms throughout the base went off, and he knew he had been exposed, looking helpless. When Hila suddenly appeared, he knew something was wrong. Given how much Hila valued Aurora, she would definitely fight him to the death the moment they met.
"How could it be you?" Hila couldn't believe it, her dark red aura rising and falling violently with her emotions.
Why would Zero come to rescue Aurora? They shouldn't have any connection whatsoever. She couldn't understand Han Xiao's motives at all, and shouldn't they be enemies? Why was his target Aurora...? Did he intend to threaten me like he did with Germinal?
Various speculations flashed through Hela's mind, and subconsciously, Hila couldn't believe Han Xiao. Regardless, Han Xiao's act of secretly stealing Aurora was something she couldn't forgive.
"I'll explain later. Your sister has already been rescued. The facts are right in front of you. Whether you believe it or not, I'm here to help."
"You are now an enemy hunted by the organization." Hila was icy, her supernatural power gathering in her hands, but she did not make a move.
"Do you want your sister to remain under the organization's control? Now is the best chance to escape," Han Xiao said in a deep voice. His purpose in saving Aurora was for Hila, and now that the person in question was right in front of him, he naturally wouldn't leave.
The alarm blared, Hila, unusually, hesitated. She desperately wanted to escape with Aurora, but the base's alarms had already been triggered. She knew better than Han Xiao the current strength of headquarters; the chances of escape were slim. She didn't want Aurora to risk her life...
"If only I hadn't made a move." The thought flashed through her mind, and a moment of regret disappeared, but if she had to choose again, Hila would still act without hesitation.
Just then, Aurora tugged at Hila's sleeve.
"Sister, take me with you."
Hila's expression tightened. Looking down, she saw Aurora's face full of hope and longing, and the words of refusal stuck in her throat, unable to be uttered.
Yes, how could we possibly throw my sister back into a living hell?
Thinking of the times Aurora had endured, Hila felt as if her heart was being torn apart, deeply empathizing with her suffering.
At least the hardest step has been completed; my sister has left that cage, which is exactly what she has always dreamed of.
At that moment, Hila's expression hardened, and she gently stroked Aurora's little head, thinking to herself:
At worst, if we fail, I'll die with you.
Hila looked up at Han Xiao, her eyes filled with complex emotions, and said, "Come with me."
She never imagined that one day she would fight alongside Han Xiao...
With more strength, the chances of escaping are greater. Zero was able to sneak in unnoticed, so he can't be too weak.
After saying that, Hila put Aurora into her bag and strode off in another direction, with Han Xiao pulling Cerberus along behind.
Now that it's been exposed, we can't go to the underground tunnel. Hila, being the local strongman, probably has other ways.
Han Xiao sighed helplessly, realizing a fierce battle was inevitable. Fortunately, he was prepared for a failed infiltration and a direct confrontation. Alas, being a peerless assassin was not his true calling...
Unbeknownst to him, Hila's apparent act of exposing him actually indirectly helped him avoid a trap.
"Fool! Who told her to do it!" the leader roared in fury. Han Xiao's change of route had disrupted his plans and alerted the enemy, and at this time the encirclement had not yet been formed.
Because the camera was destroyed, the leader didn't see Han Xiao and Hila's subsequent conversation and assumed they had already started fighting.
"All executives and headquarters personnel, intercept and kill them all! I want Zero dead here!" the leader roared into the walkie-talkie.
At the same time, players at headquarters received regional emergency missions.
[[Intercept and Kill Zero]: Intercept Zero before he escapes headquarters]
[Mission Rewards: 200,000 EXP, LV20 Dungeon Crystal - [Germinal Base Escape Battle]]
Two hundred thousand experience points and Dungeon Crystal?!
The players' enthusiasm was instantly ignited.