Finally, Chris led Tiger and the others to the last checkpoint.
There were no Hall of Valerian guards stationed at this final gate, but it was sealed with a massive titanium alloy door. The door was virtually impenetrable-designed to open only with the fingerprints of a high-ranking Hall of Valerian member.
No amount of brute force could break it open, not even with Chris’s immense strength. Turning around, Chris glanced at Lynx.
Lynx, known not only for intelligence gathering but also as Amerosia’s top hacker, was a master of all things technological.
Stepping forward, Lynx said, “Boss, leave this to me.”
Chris nodded. “Lynx, how much time do you need to open it?”
After inspecting the lock, Lynx frowned and replied, “This is an advanced biometric fingerprint lock. It’ll take me about ten minutes to crack.”
For Lynx, the best hacker in Amerosia, to need ten minutes, it was clear just how complex this lock was. No wonder the Hall of Valerian hadn’t stationed guards here-there was no need. For anyone without the required access, this door might as well have been invincible.
Even explosives likely wouldn’t breach it.
Chris turned to Tiger. “Tiger, take the Guards of Death and secure the perimeter. No one gets near us.”
“Understood!” Tiger nodded, leading the Guards of Death to lock down the area.
Chris looked back at Lynx. “Lynx, it’s all on you now.”
Without replying, Lynx got to work.
The fingerprint lock was indeed cutting-edge, designed to activate its alarm system after three failed attempts. Worse, any attempt to force it open would trigger a self-destruct mechanism, making the door permanently inaccessible unless destroyed with heavy-duty explosives.
Suddenly, Tiger’s expression darkened. “Not good!”
In the distance, a group of Hall of Valerian patrol guards armed with firearms was approaching.
Lynx was still focused on cracking the lock, and any disturbance at this moment could jeopardize the entire mission.
Chris shot Tiger a look. Tiger understood immediately.
Gripping a sharp combat knife, Tiger led the Guards of Death in a silent charge toward the enemy.
The Hall of Valerian patrol guards hadn’t anticipated an intrusion this deep into their territory. By the time they realized what was happening, Tiger and his team were already upon them.
Screams echoed in the air.
One by one, the Hall of Valerian guards fell.
In just three minutes, over a hundred patrol guards lay lifeless on the ground, their bodies scattered like discarded dolls.
With the threat neutralized, Chris let out a sigh of relief. They had avoided detection-for now.
Click!
A crisp sound broke the tension.
Chris turned back to see Lynx wiping sweat from her forehead and exhaling deeply.
“Boss, the lock’s open!” Lynx said, clearly relieved.
“Good. Let’s not waste any more time-move out!” Chris commanded.
Without hesitation, Chris led Tiger and the others through the now-open door.
—
Meanwhile, in the heart of the building, a massive hall bustled with people in protective suits moving back and forth.
In a luxurious room nearby, two men relaxed on an opulent sofa, sipping red wine.
One of them was none other than Judge, the world’s most infamous assassin.
After knocking Chris off a cliff, Judge had been recruited by Daniel Williams. Tempted by the generous offer, Judge had pledged his allegiance.
As a reward, Daniel Williams handed over command of the Hall of Valerian headquarters to Judge.
Judge turned to the elderly man sitting across from him. “Healing Hand, how’s the progress on the task the Duke assigned?”
The older man chuckled softly. “Don’t worry. The experiments are nearly complete. Once we succeed, we’ll be able to mass-produce super soldiers for the Duke. These soldiers will ensure his claim to the throne.”
The man, known as Stephen Rivers, had once been a royal physician in Amerosia’s imperial hospital. Renowned for his medical expertise, he had earned the title “Healing Hand.”
However, Stephen Rivers’s moral compass had long since broken. Expelled from the imperial hospital for conducting poison research, he was later taken in by Daniel Williams.
Since then, Stephen Rivers had devoted himself to Williams’s cause, aiding him in secretive and sinister experiments.
Here, he worked on creating super soldiers-powerful beings who, once perfected, would make Daniel Williams unstoppable. With such an army, Williams could seize the throne and rule unchallenged.
Judge smiled at the thought. If the plan succeeded, Daniel Williams’s rise to power would be imminent.
Stephen Rivers grinned. “By the way, Judge, the woman you captured recently-she has an extraordinary physique. With proper research, I might be able to create a super female soldier from her.”
Judge chuckled. “Healing Hand, do you know who that woman is?”
“Who?”
Judge smirked but said nothing.
—
Elsewhere.
“Boss, why are there so many bodies here?”
“Could we have come to the wrong place? This doesn’t look like the Hall of Valerian headquarters-it’s more like a morgue!”
“This place gives me the creeps. What on earth is Daniel Williams up to?”
Chris and his team had entered a large hall filled with glass containers.
Inside these containers were countless bodies.
Some were human, while others were beasts.
Chris approached one of the containers and examined it closely. His eyes widened in shock. “They’re not dead. They’re alive!”
“What? That’s impossible!”
Tiger and the others were stunned.
The figures in the containers appeared lifeless, devoid of movement or expression. They looked like corpses, yet Chris was certain they were alive.
“They seem to have lost control of their bodies,” Chris murmured, frowning.
The containers held men and women of all ethnicities-Black, white, Asian-each in their twenties or thirties, and all with exceptionally robust physiques.
Who were these people? Why had they been brought here?
And just what was the Hall of Valerian planning?