NOVPUBDaniel and Jennifer sprinted non-stop, making their way to the fifth floor of the mall.
Throughout their dash, Daniel remained on high alert, ready to engage in combat at any given moment.
Nine’s words had served as a reminder: with his ability to resist negative effects, the lurking creature would be unable to control him.
With strengths and weaknesses playing off one another, defeating the creature should have been as easy as taking candy from a baby.
Yet, even by the time they reached the fifth-floor general manager’s office, Daniel hadn’t encountered the monster.
Only when the mall was engulfed in roaring flames did the blood-curdling screams echo from every direction, sending chills down one’s spine.
Regardless of the creature’s power, under the might of the flames, all would eventually turn to ash.
Following Jennifer into the general manager’s office, Daniel knew they had to exit the mall before the fire spread further to deem their mission successful.
Jennifer felt around beneath the desk’s surface, and moments later, the large bookshelf behind her split in two, revealing a hidden door.
It made Daniel wonder about the cunning of this certain Richard.
After all, who in their right mind installs a secret door in their office?
It was a stroke of luck to have Jennifer by his side, making their escape seem all the more feasible.
However, just as things seemed smooth, Jennifer exclaimed in surprise, "Odd, why won’t the door open?"
From their side, the door appeared to be unlocked.
Normally, a simple turn of the handle would suffice.
But no matter how hard Jennifer tried, it remained unyielding, even the handle refused to budge.
Daniel approached, offering, "Let me try."
Jennifer stepped aside, allowing Daniel to handle it.
He pressed down hard on the door handle, but it gave no indication of movement, feeling more like a decorative piece than a functional tool.
He banged on the door a few times and tried the handle again, but the door stood firm, as if mocking his attempts.
From the sound of it, there was still a solid barrier behind it.
Turning back to look at Jennifer before focusing again on the door, Daniel surmised that Jennifer had no reason to deceive him.
This door surely led to the fire escape.
The question now was, what had obstructed it?
It was indeed puzzling.
Jennifer had used this very door to enter just minutes ago.
Who could have blocked it in such a short span?
Suddenly, a pungent stench of decay assaulted Daniel’s nostrils.
It seemed the answer was about to present itself.
Without hesitation, Daniel drew his pistol, aimed at a spot on the door, and fired.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Consecutive shots hit the door, but curiously, the bullet holes did not let in any light.
Instead, they were dark voids, with fragments of the bullets scattered across the floor.
The door had undeniably been sealed!
The stench grew stronger, indicating the imminent appearance of the monster.
Sensing the growing danger, Jennifer, panic evident in her voice, asked, "If the door won’t budge, what do we do now?"
Standing resolute, Daniel calmly responded, "Wait here."
He then took a step back, channeling all his strength into his right leg, and with a powerful shout of, "Ha!", he aimed a kick at the door.
Thud!
A muffled sound echoed as cracks spider-webbed across the wall.
The door was badly warped but remained stubbornly embedded in its frame.
Hmm?
Momentarily stunned, Daniel readied himself once more.
"Ha!" he roared again.
This time, he harnessed the power of a hundred-fold strike, amplifying his strength exponentially. Boom!
The entire door, along with parts of the surrounding wall, was blown away in an instant, leaving behind a ragged, gaping hole.
Jennifer stared, eyes wide with disbelief.
Could this really be human strength?
Before she could fully process the situation, she took one look outside the door and turned back to Daniel with a strange expression, "We can’t go this way."
Puzzled, Daniel walked over to see for himself.
Damn, he thought, I overdid it.
The once direct escape via the fire exit now plummeted straight down.
The drop was over thirty meters, a height not even Daniel dared to jump from.
"Is there another way out?" Daniel asked hurriedly.
Jennifer replied, "This exterior fire exit was the only one, shared by all the floors. As for the interior fire exits, the closest one is about a hundred meters from here, just turn right out of the door."
Daniel frowned upon hearing this.
The putrid stench was growing more potent, signaling the monster’s movements.
Navigating through the mall would risk drawing its attention.
While he himself was not afraid, having Jennifer, an ordinary person, by his side increased the danger.
He had promised her safety after all.
After a moment’s thought, Daniel dialed Julia’s number.
She picked up swiftly, "Hello? Daniel? We’ve ignited the fires inside and outside the mall as you requested. What’s your status?"
Daniel informed her of his current position, and soon after, he saw Julia and Mike rushing over.
They stood on the ground, looking up at him, "Why aren’t you out yet?"
Daniel responded, "You need to find a way to get her out first."
Upon spotting Jennifer, both Julia and Mike looked somewhat surprised, but they knew this wasn’t the time for questions.
Mike quickly activated his radio, "Fire department, bring the ladder truck to the northeast corner of the mall!"
Daniel was about to leave Jennifer behind and venture out when she urgently grabbed his arm, "Where are you going?"
He pulled away, "They’ll get you down soon. I need to check the outside."
Once he had ensured Jennifer’s escape route, he felt less compelled to leave immediately.
After all, leaving without confronting that creature would be a missed opportunity.
With that, Daniel headed out.
Jennifer was scared.
She feared that once Daniel left, she’d be stranded if the creature arrived before her rescue.
But knowing his limited patience and the fact that he had arranged for her rescue, she refrained from pressing further.
As Daniel exited the office, Jennifer waited by the hole in the wall, anticipating the imminent rescue.
Shutting the office door behind him, Daniel found himself in a pitch-black corridor.
Perhaps because of the raging fire, everything was burning, and the pungent combination of scents masked the earlier putrid smell.
He turned on his flashlight, stepping out of the office area, and approached the balcony rail to look down.
The entire mall was now consumed by a sea of flames.
From the fifth floor, he clearly saw countless burning figures.
They were the mannequins manipulated by the monster, along with the bodies of the missing individuals.
Suddenly, a suffocating voice emanated from the sea of fire, a sound so grating and uniquely piercing that even from his elevated position, Daniel felt disoriented.
"Damn it! Who the hell started this inferno?"
Out of nowhere, a voice laced with murderous intent echoed.
Its sheer power carried an oppressive weight, suggesting that Nine was close to unlocking the third Gene Lock chain.
Daniel immediately pinpointed the source of the voice.
BOOM!
A massive shadow rolled up from the ground, forging a path of survival amidst the towering flames.
Trailing behind, a petite figure sauntered through this cleared path.
It was unmistakably Nine and Jack.
Daniel’s strategy of burning out the creature had inadvertently trapped them too.
Suddenly, the northwest wall on the first floor exploded, sending a shower of sparks into the air.
An ancient, putrid stench immediately permeated the atmosphere.
Daniel’s eyes sharpened.
"Finally showing yourself?"
Excitement flickered in his gaze. 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘱𝘶𝑏.𝑐𝘰𝑚
The creature was formidable, having killed Alex and Brooks and possessing the ability to manipulate other beings in silence.
Its threat level was undeniably above Rank A.
If he could kill this creature, it might ease the burning vengeance he harbored for Atelarxus, even if just a little.
Nine, startled by the sudden noise, immediately sensed something amiss.
She gritted her teeth, ready to make an escape.
"Damn it, how can it still be alive? Did Daniel not only fail to kill it but get killed instead?"
But the rampant fire had blocked all her escape routes.
From amidst the flames, a chilling laughter pierced through.
"Hee-hee-hee."
Its pitch was high and rapid, as if someone was clicking their tongue but filled with desolation and horror.
While keeping an eye on the situation below, Daniel descended.
Amidst the ominous glow of the fire, a gaunt figure emerged, unharmed by the flames.
It was barely recognizable, its body covered in patches of charred, cracked skin.
Yet, it crawled forward with a calm intent, targeting Nine, who was fleeing with her back turned.
Daniel hid in a corner on the first floor, keen to understand the creature’s mode of attack.
What was it? Suddenly, he noticed the creature raising a finger.
From between its flesh, an almost invisible thread emerged, only discernible because it reflected the surrounding firelight.
The thread defied gravity, floating swiftly towards Nine, who remained oblivious, solely focused on finding an escape route.
"The main entrance is guarded by the Investigation Bureau, and with the raging fire, there’s no way out," she muttered.
"Damn it! I shouldn’t have blocked all the emergency exits!" Regret consumed Nine.
What was meant to be a testing ground for Daniel seemed to have turned into her own hellish nightmare.
Behind her, the creature’s presence grew ominously closer.
