The SSS Ranked Villain's Return-Chapter 62: Secret Laboratory

What’s this? Neraxis furrowed his brows as he stared at the room’s layout.

So far, every single room he had entered looked identical to one another. Yet this room, in particular, had a bed that was slightly moved to the side.

"Amara, has Sarah been in this room?" he asked, just to be sure.

<Doesn’t seem like it, no. You can proceed with checking it out.> Amara affirmed, and immediately, he walked up to the bed and pushed it aside.

Surprisingly, nothing stood out at a single glance, but he knew the moved bed was no coincidence—the sheets were still perfectly made, meaning no one had stayed here.

Therefore, Neraxis crouched down and tapped onto the floor.

Immediately, a hollow noise resounded, and as he continued tapping around, he noticed it formed a cubic area just barely big enough to fit a person.

[Hidden space, eh?] Evangeline chuckled before manifesting in her sword form and quickly cutting out the entire hollow outline, revealing a downward ladder.

Doesn’t look ominous in the slightest, Neraxis thought sarcastically and proceeded downwards until, eventually, he was met with some kind of tunnel.

"Do you still hear me?" he questioned, receiving a response immediately.

<I do. Don’t worry about the communication—I’m replacing the radio signals with my own mana.>

"I see. Proceeding forward."

The tunnel seemed like a casual metro tunnel, but much more spacious, with flickering lights scattered along the walls.

Neraxis walked forward, trying to track anything that could be of use, but aside from a few unrecognizable stains, there was nothing too suspicious.

That was until he stumbled upon a small passage in the tunnel, one that seemed to narrow inwardly.

But from the little he could see, there was definitely something on the other side.

Evangeline, this isn’t a rift, right? he asked, rolling his fingers across the narrow walls.

[It’s hard to tell from out here. Give me a second.] She replied steadily, then shot out of his tattoo in her sword form, heading into the narrow passage. After just a few seconds, she came back.

[It’s fine,] Evangeline announced, earning a nod from Neraxis as he made his way through.

However, what greeted his sight on the other side was not what he had initially expected.

It seemed like some abandoned laboratory, with vials of all kinds of different shapes and sizes scattered around on desks and miniature shelves.

But that’s not what was important. Slowing his breathing, he glanced to the left side where a lone door stood. Below it, he could see a light.

More importantly, there was someone moving inside, their shadow reflected out for him to see.

"Not-so-abandoned laboratory. I’m going to check further." Neraxis stated and took slow steps toward the door, stopping right in front of it.

Any mana signatures I have to be worried about?

[Nope, just seven people,] Evangeline replied curtly before voicing her worries. [Though this is getting a bit shady.]

He assured her, Even so, Amara said she’d give me some missions to help improve my strength after I’m done with this one, so I just have to bear through it.

[I know...] she let out a deep sigh before continuing, [I’m just afraid not all missions are going to be this peaceful.]

You got that one right, Neraxis snickered before summoning his sword and preparing himself.

Immediately, he ran up to the door and kicked it down, meeting the shocked gazes of the seven people inside.

However, unlike the panicking bunch he was used to, these people immediately got their bearings together and soon pulled out all sorts of weapons, some of which happened to be guns.

Those people were the first ones Neraxis went for. Using Sword Dash, he appeared before the first one and, with a single slash, severed the person’s torso in two.

Neraxis did not stop there. With the added momentum, he slashed toward the person nearby.

He was met with a sword and shield—the shield attempting to block his slash.

Alas, the sword’s sharpness, thanks to Evangeline, cut through it like butter and cleaved the man in half.

But Neraxis was not completely at ease yet, as in the very next moment, a gunshot resounded, followed by a stinging sensation in his shoulder.

Locking eyes on the person who had shot him, Neraxis used Restorative Cut and slashed at the man.

However, just before his attack could land, the remaining four people huddled together, protecting the gunman.

Each one of them used skills, momentarily halting Neraxis, and soon, he heard another gunshot.

This time, Neraxis was better prepared. Keeping track of the pistol, he was able to tell its trajectory.

Bringing the sword near his heart, he deflected the bullet to the side before finally looking onward at the five people huddled together.

Perfect. He nodded to himself and, without further hesitation, used the Stellar Dominion’s Cosmic Cascade.

It collided with them, and unlike Kael, they weren’t as lucky.

Their bodies were immediately set on fire by bluish-purple flames, disintegrating their already dead corpses.

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Heaving a sigh of relief, he glanced at the two he had killed earlier and began inspecting their bodies.

However, even after searching them both, he was unable to discern much. The only thing that stood out was the fact that the gunner had the same needles that were placed in those beds.

Neraxis held the needle in front of his glasses to examine it before tossing it aside, where Evangeline promptly stored it.

<Good. Same goons. Proceed further or wait for Sarah—your call.> Amara stated, to which he shrugged.

"I’ll go further."

Taking a few glances around the room he had broken into, he noticed there wasn’t really anything here aside from a now-broken, empty table and a single TV screen mounted on the wall.

Neraxis thought about turning it on, but as he did, it suddenly fell to the ground and shattered.

Ironic... he sighed, then went back, taking a few glances around the laboratory to make sure he hadn’t missed anything before quickly heading back out through the narrow passage and into the wide tunnel.

I wonder what the actual reason is that Amara sent both Sarah and me down here. It seems like the government is involved... but, at the same time, not exactly, Neraxis wondered as he pulled the bullet out from his shoulder and threw it onto the ground.

[Careful with that,] Evangeline said in an annoyed tone as she began to stop the bleeding before continuing, [Why do you think it’s connected to anything other than the government?]

While they do experiment on people, they don’t send them out to terrorize safe zones. Instead, the chimeras are used as testing dummies and, well, rift-clearing machines.

Evangeline, however, did not seem convinced. [But isn’t the barrier surrounding those safe zones enough to negate any kind of monster hybrid that would try coming inside?]

Sighing, he answered, A safe zone is just a barrier outside a city, yes. However, that’s all there is to it. If enough force is used, it breaks. If the predominant DNA is that of a human’s, it lets you through.

[So you think they’re using a mix of both?] Evangeline mused, to which he replied with a small nod.

That’s my theory anyway. I could be wrong.

[Well, tha—] Evangeline’s words suddenly halted as he, too, froze in place, looking down.

A few droplets of blood caught his attention, falling from the ceiling of the tunnel. As he turned his gaze upward, his eyes narrowed.

[Oh...]