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ZELAIDE hurtled through the double doors into another insanely large open space. The rooms before it didn’t even compare in size.
The Wilds spread out in every direction. Did he accidentally exit the building?
No, on second look, it wasn’t the Wilds. To be precise, it was a habitat that recreated the Wilds on a smaller scale indoors. While the greenhouse was a manicured garden with flowerbeds and walkways, this space let nature take its course untouched.
The ceiling was an all-sky dome, and although it was currently the middle of the night, a light-blue spring sky was shown instead of the stars. Rugged wastelands, grasslands, and deep green forestry resembling the Sea of Trees surrounded him.
Zelaide’s attention was drawn to several towering rock formations on the opposite side of the dome, the tallest of which nearly pierced the ceiling.
This space was elaborately crafted to mess with the senses, confusing visitors into not knowing what was real and what was being projected by advanced projectors and screens.
A gentle breeze caressed Zelaide’s sweaty cheeks.
“What in the seven Wilds is this place?!” Zelaide was rightly astounded by the huge space that preyed on the senses.
His eyes were drawn to the plethora of Night Blooms covering half the grasslands inside the dome.
Despite the flowering season having already ended and the fact they were being bathed in sunlight, the glowing petals didn’t lose their luminescence. All of these flowers bore the fruit that was the raw material of the terrifying narcotic Nightz.
RUSTLE. RUSTLE.
The air control system strengthened the wind current, swaying the field of flowers.
To an outsider, it would be an enchanting spectacle to behold. Zelaide marched on, unmoved, trampling the alluring flowers underfoot.
The winds quieted down and clouds crossed over an artificial sky that began to shift away from the light of day as it slowly darkened. A night cycle had been triggered. The Night Blooms emitted an even brighter light. Temperature and humidity were perfectly controlled by the automated environment control system. It even controlled weather patterns such as rain and snow.
Zelaide stood in the middle of the artificial beauty. Eyes closed, he felt the wind in his hair.
Closing off his visual perception helped him search for any life inside this dome where the very air was controlled by the enemy. Concentration fully honed, he sensed several living creatures.
She’s here! Zelaide’s skin tingled. His eyes flew open. Those silver pupils shined brighter than the Night Blooms. Every cell in his body reacted to his mate’s close proximity. She’s on the farthest rock mountain!
“Yumi! EUPHEMIA!” Zelaide yelled. “Yumi! I’m here!”
His voice echoed back from every direction. The dome’s diameter was impossible to estimate. How many enemies were left lying in wait was a mystery. Nobody responded to his voice.
Beast Bloods had impeccable vision. But he didn’t see a single soul near or around the mountain where he sensed Euphemia. That could only mean she was locked up somewhere out of sight within that mountain. There was nowhere else a person could hide.
Then, in the distance, Zelaide heard gunfire. He sprinted through the simulated Sea of Trees only to pass a Bijour charging through the branches with a human leg still in its mouth.
Zelaide quickly snapped out his wrist wire and swung up into the trees in hot pursuit of the Bijour that was charging another stumbling guard.
“Stay away!” the guard screamed, firing his gun before grabbing a grenade from his belt with shaky hands. In his panic, he pulled the pin out and threw the explosive at the charging Bijour.
BOOM!
The Bijour vanished in the explosion. Yet the tenacious reptile stumbled out of the dust cloud bleeding but still not dead. Its snapping jaw inched closer to the guard who stood too dumbfounded to shoot.
BANG! A single shot finished off the Bijour.
“Entertained? Definitely is somethin’ to see alright.”
“…!”
Fear filled the bleeding guard’s eyes when he shakily turned around. The Beast Blood was right behind him. He was a greenhorn barely out of training. It didn’t matter how good his gear was if he didn’t have the experience to use it.
“I’ll give ya a chance to live,” Zelaide whispered like the devil to the glassy-eyed young man. “Where is she…?”
“…I’m gonna die. I’m gonna die,” he repeated, fear stricken.
“I swear I’ll let ya live… You just have to pretend I killed ya and play dead up in the trees. All you gotta do is tell me where she is. Where are they in this dome?”
That deep, rumbling whisper sounded awfully kind to the terrified young man.
“T-Tallest rock mountain…c-control room’s inside…he’s in there with her—GHH!” The young man lost consciousness. He had taken a direct hit to the back of the neck from Zelaide’s hand chop.
“See, I didn’t lie. I knocked ya out instead of killin’ you.”
Zelaide gazed up at the majestic rock mountain visible between the trees. How tall was it really?
The sky behind it turned a deep shade of red, dyeing the rock surface red.
That was going to be the stage of the final battle.