Ascenders Rift

Chapter 196: A Shocking Discovery

The scene within the unground lair was a broad one, a long stairway that descended in a spiral as if one traveled further below its depths, they would see nothing but the sight of rocky walls on all corners. At the very base of this lair, was a vast space of a few hundred meters with a height of similar range.

Looking around, one would see that a small number of humanoids hurried back and forth as if they were preparing for something. Around them was a series of human corpses, each of which was in pristine condition, line up at a variety of compartments in the walls.

These individuals were of an angular body structure, some being tall while others were of large stature. Amongst them were a few others that seemed like humans, but if one paid close attention, they would notice that these humans had differences. Their skin seemed no different from pale corpses, as even their lips and hair were of a different color.

Currently, the personnel were hurriedly storing the human corpses into different storage devices, as a few individuals that wore dark robes and future-like helmets supervised.

"Hurry up! We don't have much time until the human forces repel those distractions, store the bodies as quickly as possible," One supervisor said with red lights coming from the visor of his headgear.

"Understood!" The other Body Shifters replied as he picked up the pace.

The leader of these Body Shifters looked around carefully, but as he saw no strangeness, he did nothing. He shifted his eyes towards the farthest end of this sector. There, one would notice a large metal door that connected to a secret room. A strange vapor was lingering below it as if the temperature behind it was low.

Suddenly, this door opened with a loud mechanical noise as another supervisor had walked outside of it, the door was once more closed as everything seemed normal. However, what everyone had failed to realize was that an invisible man had entered its domain during the process of closing.

Evan, having infiltrated this hidden lair, cautiously traversed the pathway before him as he thought with beaming eyes, 'Ho... there's a lot of activity here, even if it's not their main lair it shouldn't be far off.' 

As he moved, he couldn't help but narrow his eyes as the new scene that appeared. A sight of many different human bodies in containers at the sides of a narrow but long hallway, many of them seemed quite similar in features.

'Clones? I must say these Body Shifters sure are resourceful... to think they would manufacture their own special bodies, separate from those corpses shown on the outside,' Evan pondered while looking at the sights, but as he didn't come here for this, he no longer paid them any mind.

As Evan moved about, he would occasionally put a small chip on specific areas, leaving no place unturned. Once placed in hidden crevices, each of these chips began to flicker on and off with a red light.

Suddenly, Evan knitted his brows as he saw the end of the hallway's final door. With his senses, he could feel a dangerous power from behind it, one that stirred his dormant battle will, as a vicious amount of killing intent oozed from behind its closure.

'Such raw killing intent directed towards my position? It looks like Rick's message was right, this fellow is more than capable of sensing others, it's odd though, how could he sense me when I am superior to Rick in hiding my presence?' Evan thought as his eyes shone sharply. He already had everything set up in place, and even if he detonated, no harm would come to him once he used his powers to conjure a barrier.

Not wasting any time, Evan decided to go commando, with a sway of his body, he blurred and appeared at the door that rested at the end of the hall and hit it with his fists.

Bang! The door blasted backward, it flew into the room behind it and smashed into a glass wall. Oddly enough though, the glass remained at ease as if such a simple amount of force won't be enough to break it.

Behind it were a small amount of Body Shifters that numbered to roughly a few dozens. They all held onto a gigantic fossil-like case as they marched towards a portal leading to a distant area.

Before them was Valoz, who had a confident smirk on his lips as he eyed the large case. He soon shifted his focus onto the intruder and said, "So you've finally made it here, but it would seem that you're too late. Huhu... our main force and those scientists have already left this sector,"

Evan didn't pay Valoz any mind; his mind was currently reeling with danger as he stared at the fossil-like case while in thought, 'What the hell is that thing?' 

Feeling a terrifying power from the genetic blood energy that oozed from it, Evan finally realized that it wasn't because he was discovered, but the energy from the case itself had utterly destructive intent to all beings.

Valoz frowned as he noticed that his attempt to distract Evan from the case had failed, he quickly recovered a calm expression as he chuckled and spoke, "You want to know what it is? Huhu... I'm sorry human, but that's a secret you'll find out the next time we meet again."

As Valoz said this, he ignored Evan and snapped his fingers; the other Body Shifter's then hurried up carrying the case through the portal. During this time, Evan wasn't idle; he was merely inspecting the details before he took action.

____

Ding! 

[Unknown Biological Entity Detected! Failure to identify!]

[Special Status invoked!]

[Scanning properties...scan complete!]

[Genetic Blood Corpse, Threat Level: ???]

[You have discovered an unregistered threat! U-U-U-Updating system r-r-r-register!]

____

Upon seeing the details, Evan opened his mouth wide in shock, he didn't know what the hell they had created, and didn't bother to care about the system notification. Right now, he knew that he had only one thing to do.

'I must destroy that thing at all costs!' Evan's mind warned him as he didn't even hesitate to summon his full power.

Bang! Instantly, his battle energy rose to the peak as he summoned his Void Sword. In this instance, Evan's entire being changed, his crimson energies blended with the genetic blood energies of the corpse in the case.

The room shook as if it underwent a violent tremor, causing Valoz's eyes to shrink, he hurriedly turned to the men and shouted, "Hurry and get it out of here!"

"Y-Yes, sir!" The other Body Shifters spoke as they put more power in their arms, to push the case through the portal.

Evan, who gathered an immense amount of power, had a sharp ray in his eyes. He raised both the Havengaurd and the Void Sword as towering amounts of his Battle Energy condensed around them before he invoked his skill, "Executioner Slash!"

With a humming sound, both swords chopped towards the glass wall, as Evan's swing sent two massive crimson waves of blade energies that carried and unstoppable will.

Though this glass was manufacture with a material strong enough to resist even the explosive impact from tank destroying missiles. In the face of true power, all was meaningless. It shattered into bits of fragments as Evan's two slash waves moved forwards at alarming speeds, traveling towards the giant case.

The other Body Shifters felt death was approaching, causing them to waver, but as if Valoz was ready, he shouted, "Get moving! I'll take care of here!"

Not paying them any mind, Valoz jumped towards Evan's attack, he could feel the power behind it was more than enough to annihilate even himself if he didn't give it his all.

"All Force!" Valoz yelled as he placed both of his hands before him, a bright light flashed over his body as the space before him seemed to twist into multiple multi-colored layers as it struck towards Evan's attack.

BANG! In the moment of their collision, a startling boom sounded as energies scattered far and wide, but as Evan had his barrier, he was in no way affected.

Valoz, on the other hand, was pushed back by a few steps as the corners of his lips ran with bits of blood. Even his helmet was partially destroyed, revealing a part of his face.

Valoz felt rage that he was pushed to this state, but as he saw that the case behind him was intact, he smirked and spoke, "Haha, human... your attempts has fail..."

Valoz was about to say something, but as he saw Evan looking at him like he was a dead man, he felt a sudden chill. He wanted to act, but as if time slowed down, all he could see was Evan's mouth moving as he yelled in a resonant tone, "Detonate!"

When Evan said those words, all the chips in the lair had suddenly stopped flickering. Moments after, a white light eclipsed everything, enveloping even the room causing Valoz to stare at in horror as he shouted, "Damn!"

In this instant, not only this room, but the entirety of this part of the sector of the forest's that hid the secret lair was enveloped by a massive explosion. One that shook everything, as if it could even be felt in the distant city on this chaotic night.