Chương 67: Chapter : 67

Ken slouched his shoulders, dragging his feet as he followed them into the dark, echoing stairwell. The sounds of the massive, chaotic battle in the lobby slowly faded away behind them as they climbed higher and higher. The Vanguard had successfully kept their promise. They were holding the line against impossible odds. Now, it was entirely up to the remaining members of the team to reach the top of the Doom Tower.

But as Ken casually walked up the concrete steps, quietly complaining about his calves hurting, his sharp mind was completely focused. He knew that leaving the lobby was just the easy part. The real danger of the Doom Tower was waiting for them in the dark hallways above, and Vane was not going to let them reach the penthouse without a deadly fight.

The dark, crumbling staircases of the Doom Tower seemed to go on forever. Princess Iris, Sayma, Naomi, and Ken rushed upward, leaving the chaotic sounds of the Vanguard's battle far below them. The air grew thinner and colder the higher they climbed.

"Are we at the clouds yet?" Ken complained loudly, his voice echoing in the empty stairwell. He was leaning heavily against the concrete wall, dragging his cheap shoes up one step at a time. Scuff. Scuff.

"Seriously, how many stairs are in this building? My calves feel like they are on fire. I am going to need a wheelchair after this mission." Naomi didn't even turn around to look at him. She kept her daggers drawn, moving lightly and quickly up the steps.

"We are on the fiftieth floor, Ken. Stop whining. You haven't even fought anyone yet."

"Walking up fifty flights of stairs is a fight!" Ken argued, wiping a completely fake drop of sweat from his forehead.

"It is a battle against gravity! And gravity is currently winning! Can we just take a five-minute break? I have a squished cracker in my pocket with my name on it."

"Keep moving," Sayma said from the front. She was not out of breath, but her face was serious. She kept adjusting her thick glasses, her eyes scanning the dark corners.

"We are getting very close to the top. Vane's penthouse should be just a few floors above us. Stay sharp. The guards down below were just thugs, but anyone guarding the upper floors will be much more dangerous." Princess Iris nodded, her silver rapier held tightly in her hand.

"Do not let your guard down, everyone. We do not know what kind of traps Vane has waiting for us." They reached the landing of the fiftieth floor and pushed open the heavy fire doors. They expected to see another dark, dirty hallway filled with garbage and broken glass, just like the rest of the tower. Instead, they stepped into a hallway that looked completely different. The walls here were not covered in peeling wallpaper. They were surprisingly clean.

Bright, modern magical lights hung from the ceiling, casting a harsh, white glow over the corridor. It didn't look like a gang hideout; it looked like a sterile laboratory. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. And standing right in the middle of the hallway, completely blocking their path to the next set of stairs, was a man. He was not a street thug. He wasn't wearing dirty leather armor or holding a rusty weapon.

He was a tall, very thin man wearing a perfectly tailored, spotless white suit over a dark shirt. He had slicked-back blonde hair and wore a pair of very expensive-looking silver spectacles. He looked like a wealthy college professor or a high-level scientist. He stood with his hands neatly clasped behind his back, carrying a deeply refined, arrogant aura.

"Well, well. It seems the little mice have finally climbed all the way up the maze," the man said. His voice was smooth, polite, and dripping with absolute superiority. Naomi immediately stepped in front of Princess Iris. The green wind magic sparked around her boots.

"Who are you? Move out of the way, or I will move you myself." The man smiled. It wasn't a crazy, villainous smile like Vane's thugs. It was a cold, calculating smile.

"My name is Francis. I am a Senior Researcher. And I am afraid I cannot let you pass just yet. You see, I have been waiting for you." Ken peeked out from behind Sayma's shoulder. He looked Francis up and down, taking in the spotless white suit.

"Hey, Francis," Ken called out lazily, completely ruining the serious tension in the hallway.

"Quick question. How do you keep your white suit so clean in a dirty building like this? Do you carry a tiny iron in your pocket? Because my shirt is a total disaster, and I could really use some laundry tips." Francis blinked. His polite, arrogant smile faltered for a second. He looked at Ken's wildly untucked shirt and crooked tie with absolute disgust.

"I am a man of science and high society, you filthy boy. I do not soil myself with the dirt of the lower classes. I suggest you keep your mouth shut before I use you as a test subject."

"Test subject?" Sayma repeated, her eyes narrowing behind her glasses. She recognized the emblem stitched onto the pocket of Francis's white suit. It was a golden gear with a sword through it.

"You are from the Imperial Research Division. What is a high-ranking government researcher doing in a place like this? Are you working for Vane?" Francis let out a soft, elegant laugh. He reached up and adjusted his silver spectacles.

"Working for Vane? Please. Do not insult me. Vane is a crazy old man playing in the dirt with his primitive Curse magic. I have absolutely no loyalty to that broken former captain, and I care nothing for his little drug operation." Princess Iris frowned, her grip tightening on her rapier.

"Then why are you here? Why are you blocking our path?"

"Because of you, Your Highness," Francis answered, giving her a small, mocking bow.

"You see, the research division back at the capital has been developing something entirely new. Something beautiful. But my superiors told me it was too unstable to test. They said it wasn't ready. They lack vision. So, I packed my bags, borrowed the prototype, and came to the slums to find some proper live targets." Francis unclasped his hands from behind his back. In his right hand, he was holding a metal hilt. There was no blade attached to it, just a thick, mechanical handle covered in glowing blue runes.

"I heard the 13th Unit was coming to raid this tower," Francis explained, his eyes shining with a crazy, obsessive light.

"I realized this was the absolute perfect opportunity. What better way to prove the destructive capabilities of my new weapon than to test it against a live Royal target and her elite bodyguards?"

"You are insane," Naomi hissed, her daggers at the ready.

"You stole a top-secret weapon just to use us as practice dummies?"

"Science requires sacrifice, little girl," Francis smiled coldly. He pressed a small button on the side of the metal hilt.