Chapter 134: Underground Space
A dimly lit underground space.
Deep beneath the earth, a spacious chamber had been excavated. Issa Gregory sat in a chair, a wine glass in hand. Opposite him stood Mary, alluring in a tight leather outfit.
"How's the enhancement going?"
Mary clapped her hands. A sealed chamber in the corner of the room opened, and a tall, stern-faced man with dark hair emerged.
It was James Barnes.
The once cheerful and optimistic Barnes now had a cold expression, his face as hard as stone. His body was much more muscular than before, his black tactical suit stretched taut as if about to tear.
Issa stood up and circled Barnes several times, his admiration growing stronger.
He beckoned, and Mary nestled into his arms, receiving a deep kiss on her red lips.
"Well done!"
"My master, it's my honor!" Mary exclaimed fervently.
"This is the warrior I have prepared for you!"
"His physical attributes are outstanding among all the test subjects, and most importantly, his willpower is extremely strong, allowing him to withstand three enhancement procedures." Mary produced a set of experimental data.
"His current physical attributes are even stronger than those of Karl Kroenen, the top enhanced operative. In addition, because he did not undergo complete memory erasure, his cognitive function remains intact, and the range of tasks he can perform has greatly increased."
"However, the complication is that you need to provide him with mental conditioning regularly."
Issa smiled, "Through hypnotic suggestion, I have formed a special activation protocol in his brain. With additional conditioning, this activation protocol will form a fixed mental imprint."
"Then, even without direct conditioning, this weapon can be easily activated!"
"My master, your brilliance overwhelms me, please grant me... your favor!" Mary's red lips parted slightly, and she whispered in Issa's ear.
Issa laughed, pressed Mary against the wall, and began to ravage her, oblivious to everyone else. Barnes, standing nearby, remained expressionless, like a machine in standby mode.
After a long while, their passion subsided.
"I've discovered something fascinating, and I'll show you. Through it, you'll gain a new understanding of this world," Issa said to Mary, putting on his robes.
Meanwhile, Mason and the others had arrived at their destination:
Sebastian Boulevard, number 16.
It turned out to be a vast cemetery!
After leaving Ivanovich's mansion, the group first returned to the town where the Horn Tavern was located. Following the map, their journey to Sebastian Boulevard passed right by the Horn Tavern.
Following the marks left by Mr. Wink, Mason found the other elves in hiding.
Seeing the dead female elf, the group was filled with rage and vowed revenge for their fallen.
Besides Mr. Wink and the others, there were several skilled elven warriors. However, even after thousands of years, the elves still maintained their traditional fighting methods, primarily using melee weapons.
They weren't accustomed to the firearms Mason provided, so Mason had no choice but to teach them how to use simple grenades. He and Agent One retrieved their previous weapons, fully armed themselves, and headed straight for their destination.
"This place is so huge, I don't know how long it will take us to search it with just the few of us," Elenia said after climbing to a high point and looking around.
"Follow me, I know where it is."
Princess Nuala took the lead and walked deeper into the cemetery.
This cemetery had existed for countless years, constantly expanding outwards, its area even larger than a small town.
It was already late at night, and it was pitch black all around, even the moonlight was obscured by the clouds in the sky.
However, those present were not ordinary people, and their vision was not greatly affected.
"This is it."
After walking for a while, Princess Nuala stopped in front of a freestanding mausoleum about thirty feet high.
Agent One stepped forward and pushed open the heavy mausoleum door, revealing a circular chamber before them, its architectural style suggesting it was left by Russian nobility 200 years ago.
Princess Nuala lowered her head and pondered for a moment, then walked to a statue in the center of the chamber and gently moved the statue's arm.
"Click, click, click!"
The statue's arms were positioned with hands covering its chest, and the sound of a mechanism turning came from the depths of the tomb, revealing a downward staircase.
"This shouldn't be the main entrance, but Ivanovich entered through this passage." Princess Nuala led the way, torches on both sides of the passage automatically lighting up, allowing everyone to clearly see their surroundings.
The staircase was long, turning a corner midway. Emerging from the passage, they found themselves in an enormous underground space, so dark that the horizon seemed endless.
"This underground space extends downwards for several kilometers, and there are few signs of recent modifications. It seems to have been formed a long time ago."
Mason found it hard to imagine how much manpower would have been needed to construct such a massive underground space in an ancient society with limited technology.
Princess Nuala frowned. "This style seems familiar, like a faction of the Elven race. But that shouldn't be the case; that faction was exiled from our homeland. How could there still be structures here?"
Hearing Princess Nuala's mutterings, Mason was secretly alarmed. It seemed the princess's race wasn't native to Earth; they had apparently arrived here by accident.
Their homeland... Could it be connected to other realms?
Mason remained silent, making a mental note.
"Everyone be careful, follow me," Princess Nuala said, her eyes flashing. "I'll try to lead you through the most direct route."
Under her guidance, the group navigated carefully, descending for a full half hour before finally emerging from the maze-like area. There, Mason spotted a glimmer of light in the distance.
"Someone's down there!"
he signaled. "Prepare for combat!"
He then led Agent One, quietly infiltrating the area.
Only a few scattered Soviet soldiers guarded the area. Mason and his companion silently neutralized them, working in tandem. He signaled to the princess and the others, then led Agent One deeper into the underground space.
They were now at the bottom of the entire underground complex. After passing through a deteriorating courtyard, Mason found himself facing an underground river. The water wasn't deep, and was even slightly warm.
But just as Mason was about to examine it more closely, a huge creature suddenly burst out of the water, catching the unprepared Mason off guard and knocking him to the ground.
The distance between them was too close, and Agent One dared not fire recklessly. He charged forward and rammed into the monster, but the creature only swayed slightly, while he was instead swatted away by a massive strike.
"Get back!"
Mason roared, arching his body and kicking the monster in the abdomen. Then, he raised his weapon and pulled the trigger sharply!
Author's Note
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