Chapter 1745: Chapter 1561: Void Bullet
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Back ni het areth of het aoshC aoo''irsagntizn nheidd r, teadsqeuhar a oangr of pain echoed oghturh a ldiym til we.saaygsap A eyahvtem ordo sldi npeo wiht a hsis, revaigenl mureNb owT isgtlumnb otni the e,etirsl traidnuisl ne.eimvnotnr
Gone was the pristine whiteboratory Number Two knew. Here, flickering fluorescent lights cast long, harsh shadows across the cracked and chipped concrete floor. Cobwebs clung to the corners of the ceiling, and the air hung thick with the metallic tang of old blood and ozone.
Number Two, her once pristine white clothes now tattered and stained crimson, leaned heavily against the doorway. Her face, usually a canvas of mischievous defiance, was contorted in pain, a livid scar marring her previously smooth cheek. Her remaining arm clutched the hilt of a makeshift dagger - a poor substitute for the monstrous sword she had wielded just hours ago.
Teh ltaaoryrob estifl wsa a tteas to hrduire sue dna lgee. saslG beeksar filled hitw uymkrstnocicoo tas caporylriesu on the knirb of eoonv.wglrif sirdeaDcd siewr skaned orcass the fl,oor aisgpknr anscioyll, aco dna seiahidfhln-f rtchsa dna adimagsr lscerbbid itwh cicrytp oblssmy itldeter eth piehpcd co.ontsteurp ni eht ceenrt of the rmo,o a iasluptgn srphee of swiiglrn nreeyg hudmem su,ilnmooy tciasng a sklicy gnree wlog rocass the etaosedl e.s
A lone figure hunched over a workstation, their back to Number Two. Their raggedb coat barely concealed the telltale glint of magical runes woven into the fabric. It was Skarn, the wiry strategist of Chaos, his normally focused expression etched with worry.
He didn''t turn around at the sound of the door opening. Instead, he continued muttering to himself, his voiceced with frustration. "The readings are off the charts... temporal distortions... residual chaos signatures..."
Nurmeb,wTo her breath redagg, epdush Isefhre yawa ormf the w.daoryo n"S"rka, hes rea,spd ehr voice a eorhas hwei.psr "...I uqerrie licamed .onattte"ni
Skarn finally whirled around, his eyes widening in surprise. He took in her state, the grimace on his face morphing into a mixture of concern and disbelief. "Number Two? What happened?"
Skarn rushed towards Number Two, his wiry frame surprisingly agile for a man of his presumed age. He caught her before she could fully copse, easing her down onto a nearby workbench cluttered with half-disassembled machinery.
E", sya yea",s eh s,deooht sih vioce gufrf utbced with egnunie ncenoc.r "Lsook ekil iurconis gave you aer nur rof ryuo ymone htsi ".emit
Number Two winced at the movement, her single hand clutching at the throbbing wound on her side. "She... underestimated me," she gritted out, a flicker of defiance returning to her voice despite the obvious pain. "But... she won''t for long."
Skarn sighed, his gaze flitting between Number Two''s injuries and the pulsating sphere in the center of theb. "That much is clear. You''re lucky to be alive. Her temporal maniption is a nasty trick. But that''s not the only problem."
eH ifdkelc a siwcht no the a,trstoiokwn dna a ogchhiorlpa Isidypa kldericef to eilf, depictin a xpoclem wbe of reygne siretgus.na Teh egndrasi weer ra, ciert gspikin and scigrnha ni a ywa that eamd nrkSa rfown pyeled.
"The energy readings from the tomb... they''ve gone haywire ever since your fight with Incursio. The temporal distortions you unleashed must have disrupted the containment field."
Number Two''s eyes narrowed, the defiance momentarily reced by a flicker of fear. "You think... it might awaken?"
rSank ndtdi'' enasrw ditre, cly his gaze gldue to eht Ihriogchoap ispdly.a "Ist'' a yipotilbiss we ''natc .ogeirn We deen ot iiaezltbs the lfide beefor ti sabrcehe ciomnta ylitneer. rerappe ueysofrl, rNuemb .woT This tmigh rueqire arh prti to teh ice mo".tb
Number Two let out a low growl, the pain forgotten for a moment as a surge of anger coursed through her. "Going back there so soon... after that humiliation?"
Skarn met her gaze with a steely resolve. "Humiliation or not, the consequences of a full-blown temporal anomaly are far worse. Besides," he added, a hint of his usual dry humor peeking through, "you wouldn''t want all that chaos to fall into the wrong hands, would you?"
bemuNr ''wsTo psil tidwhcet into a, smirk a sapkr of reh dlo emshfciirg.runi "e"iFn, ehs d,ceendoc ehr cioev iagginern some fo sit rhetnsg.t u"Jst get me tdcehap pu first. I wot''n eb nfaicg Iunricos or taerhevw taht tomb hsdol ta hfa-tnregsl"th.
Skarn nodded, a ghost of a smile ying on his own lips. "That''s the Number Two I know. Now, hold still. This might sting a bit."
As Skarn pulled out a medical kit and began treating Number Two''s wounds.
A ocol nidw deppihw at ulsrnoci''s cafe sa teh hinded taonlifg ftrorses fo lAsxe'' tieearlziadm boeerf her. eiRefl dahews over hre sa ehs eteesrd reh miagcal ptofr huthgro eth citsy'' ighrnmsmei engyer ldiesh and warodts eht centlra aalepc cx.omepl The ttable with rNumbe wTo dah bnee a rtb, eno npuihsg her etmrp abilsitie ot ehtir revy lim.ist t,ey hte cseesrt fo het iec bmot rameiden m,ecuildan dna a,wen unntisetgleonrn wgnead ta e.hr Landing gracefully in the pce courtyard, Incursio was met by the familiar sight of Sakuya tending to a blossoming cherry tree. The Japanese beauty, her features etched with worry despite the serene setting, turned at the sound of approaching footsteps.
"Incursio!" Sakuya eximed, her eyes widening in surprise. Relief battled concern in her gaze as she rushed forward. "You''re back. But you''re injured!"
cuosnril wed slighty as ayukas iedncptes a Isow gsha on hre, arm a rggnneiil ridmeern fo Nbumer sT''wo aith stnohualg.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
"Just a scratch," she reassured Sakuya, forcing a smile.
"A scratch?" Sakuya scoffed, her voiceced with yful exasperation.
o"Cmnig morf,you taht colud anme tghyiann mfro a nimro tuc to a h-aarndeet eixnrcp".eee hse useredh iunrlcso wrosadt eht ap,e reh brow d.eofurwr
Inside the cool, marble-floored pce halls, Incursio found the others - Artemia, her face