Chapter 161: Join in Too
Chapter 159
"... I want to join you all on this mission to clear the footage."
...
The boys remained utterly silent for a long second as they stared at the girl, glancing at each other in a state of shared confusion.
The sheer audacity of her request hung in the air, thick and unexpected.
"What did you just say?" Ray asked, his brow raised in a sharp peak of skepticism.
Chloe let out an audible sigh before repeating her ultimatum once more.
"I said; I want to join this mission and help you guys out."
"Er... and why exactly is that?" Kai inquired, his own eyebrow lifting to match Ray’s.
Chloe crossed her arms firmly across her chest, narrowing her gaze at the trio with a look of tempered judgment.
"First off; you all are boys. Incredibly dumb ones at that. Whether you helped or saved me before or not, it doesn’t change the undeniable fact that you are being foolish for doing what you did. You need a girl in the mix to keep you three in check in case you decide to mess with things again."
She paused for a heartbeat, observing their reactions.
Ray’s brow was twitching slightly as he glared at the girl, who continued her explanation without missing a beat.
"... Secondly; I feel like my specific ability will be beneficial in this situation. Though it is currently weak and cannot function from a long range, it can still come in handy when things get tight. Who knows." She shrugged casually, as if joining a high-stakes infiltration was a minor weekend plan.
"Thirdly; this sounds like legitimate fun. Although I’m naturally scared of getting caught, I still don’t mind tagging along for the ride. I have always wanted to take part in something risky... provided it won’t actually cost me my life, of course."
Van shifted his weight slightly, his analytical mind already processing her points.
"That’s all?"
Chloe thought for a brief second before adding the final, most crucial piece of the puzzle.
"Lastly; I actually know where the control room is located."
"....."
A heavy silence descended for several seconds as the boys blinked at her repeatedly, stunned by the revelation.
"Huh?" they all muttered in a chorus of surprise.
Shaking his head to clear the cobwebs, Van pressed for more information.
"You know where the control room is? How? And more importantly, where is it?"
Chloe beamed at them, clearly enjoying the leverage she now held over the group.
"Of course I know where it is; after all, I ended up there once."
Compared to the initial shock, the boys didn’t look quite as staggered this time, but their curiosity was piqued.
"Uh... why exactly did you go there?" Kai asked, leaning in.
Chloe sighed, shaking her head as she checked the time.
"The longer we stay trapped here participating in this question and answer segment, the more likely the footage is to be sent to the higher authorities. If that happens, your little stunt will be fully exposed to the Corps."
Van straightened his posture, the urgency of the situation finally overriding his curiosity.
"That’s right. We’re wasting time."
Ray, on the other hand, kept his gaze narrowed on the girl for a few more seconds before glancing toward Van with a lingering concern.
"But wouldn’t the people who work in that room have seen the footage already? For all we know, our identities could have been compromised by now."
Chloe turned her attention toward Van, her expression becoming business-like.
"What exact time did he transform in the hallway?"
Van paused, glancing toward the ceiling as he mentally calculated the timeline of when Ray had come to his aid and the moment they finally exited the room afterward.
"Uh... it could be around 3:30 pm when he arrived. We then left the area around 5:30 pm or so..."
Chloe nodded slowly, her mind working through the security protocols she had observed.
"Then we still have a window of time. You see; the control room has numerous screens that govern each sector except for the training halls, aspect classes, and the dorm rooms.
The legacies are terrified of their secret techniques being discovered by outsiders. So, depending on which specific hallway he did the do, the footage likely would not have been scrutinized by now."
Kai stared at the girl, his suspicion not entirely faded.
"How sure are you about these blind spots?"
Chloe shrugged again, her confidence unwavering.
"Like I said; I have been there before and that was how I knew the layout. Also: which hallway did he do the do in?"
Van calculated the exact position of where the camera they needed to neutralize would be, and then he replied,
"Two halls away from the tech aspect class."
Chloe heaved a massive sigh of relief, her shoulders relaxing significantly.
"That’s good news. We still have time, hence we need to hurry as soon as possible. There are typically only two people stationed in the control room at a time.
The job is incredibly strenuous, so they can’t possibly monitor all the cameras simultaneously. Let’s move now before they actually decide to check it."
Without hesitation, the girl spun around and bolted out of the room, her footsteps echoing down the hallway.
The boys exchanged quick, uncertain glances with each other before they scrambled to follow her lead.
However, the moment they crossed the threshold, Van stopped them in their tracks.
With a focused expression, he reached into his gear and handed Ray and Kai two small, intricate mechanical spiders each.
"What exactly are these?" Kai asked, staring down at the metallic arachnid in his palm with a suspicious squint.
"When you reach the control room, just drop them on the ground and leave the rest to me. I’ll be back in my workshop until I receive a signal," Van replied, placing his palms over the spiders to initialize them.
Charging the devices with a surge of his meta-force, he stepped back, watching as the tiny legs whirred to life and clicked against his friends’ hands.
Chloe, who had already gained some distance, paused and looked back, glaring at the lingering trio.
"What are you waiting for? Let’s go!"
"Go," Van urged, and with that, he darted away from his friends, taking a separate route toward his workshop.
Not wasting another second of thought on it, Chloe continued the frantic pace while Kai and Ray gripped the mechanical spiders carefully in their grasps, following suit through the labyrinthine corridors of the Corps.
***
Meanwhile, Captain Jake could be seen in the weapons’ hall, seated on the raised platform with his eyes fixed on the Aspirants as they trickled into the room.
Even though he was physically present, his mind was entirely elsewhere.
He glanced down at his watch, the seconds ticking away with agonizing slowness.
’A few more minutes until that footage is sent to me. Just a few more minutes until I catch the culprits behind this mess.’
Soon enough, the Aspirants had all filtered in.
Among the crowd, two people began twisting and turning subtly, searching the faces of their peers for specific individuals.
’Huh? Where is my brother? Why isn’t he here yet?’ Felix mused inwardly, his eyes scanning the room with growing concern.
Trisha, on the other hand, scanned the area for a brief second before turning her attention back to Captain Jake.
No words passed her lips, and no specific thoughts crossed her mind—just a mask of cold indifference as the class prepared to listen to the instructor’s opening remarks.
"Let’s begin the class!" Captain Jake shouted, choosing to shelve his anticipation for the CCTV footage to the back of his mind... for now.
But the clock was ticking at a relentless pace.
***
Simultaneously, three figures could be seen rushing through a restricted sector at full speed, their breathing heavy but synchronized.
"We’re here. The security control room,"
Chloe announced, skidding to a halt and gesturing to the heavy door in front of them.