Chapter 442: The Seventh Filter
Alexander emerged through the portal’s threshold into a white decompression bay. In contrast to the chaotic environment of the shelter back in The Breach, this place radiated military order and a stench of disinfectant.
Intending to leave without causing destruction that would put the city on alert, Alexander remained merged with the shadows along the walls, advancing behind the evacuated personnel.
"Attention all arriving personnel," instructed the medical officer from the desk. "Maintain safe distance and proceed to level-three sterilized showers for mana decontamination."
"Proceed with standard protocol," ordered the captain in charge of Filter One. "Scan for mist residue before clearing passage to Sector Two."
Alexander glided across the wall while the soldiers passed beneath arcs of ultraviolet light. Technicians reviewed holographic displays and issued reports in routine tones.
"Filter One clear," reported the operator. "Zero radiation signatures from the fault."
"Filter Two confirmed," added the guard at the corridor. "Identity logs validated; cleared for the wash bays."
As he traversed filters three, four, and five, the environment grew institutional and serene. Officers signed digital clearance forms while soldiers whispered rumors regarding the core failure.
"Looks like the secondary shelter’s generator suffered a short circuit," said a lieutenant, stamping a transit order at Filter Six. "We’ll file a report with Capital Command to justify the emergency evacuation."
"Sixth filter cleared," stated the attending physician. "Contamination levels within permitted margins."
Alexander continued his advance along the gloom of the seventh filter’s ceiling, satisfied that the complex’s bureaucracy was allowing him to cross every checkpoint without raising suspicion. The steel doors leading to the surface exit were meters away.
However, just as he was about to slide through the threshold, the white lights of the hallway cut out, replaced by a wall of golden energy that sealed every exit in the chamber.
A voice echoed through the ceiling speakers:
"You, infiltrating monster... did you believe no one detected you?" asked the facility’s High Commander over the intercom.
The golden barriers crackled with intensity, sealing the armored panels of the seventh filter and plunging the chamber into silence.
"Did you think you’d slip through unnoticed because your biological signature disappeared?" mocked the High Commander over the intercom. "The scanners at the first filters measure mist contamination, but the seventh filter doesn’t look for flesh and bone... it measures mana density within the emptiness of the shadows."
Alexander remained motionless on the ceiling, feeling the mana of the room begin to compress around his body.
"Ever since you crossed the fourth filter, our spiritual mass sensors detected an excess of dark mana moving along the surface of the walls," explained the High Commander. "We allowed you to advance through the checkpoints solely to isolate you in the heavy containment zone without risking civilian lives."
In the upper galleries, fifty automated mana turrets and dozens of armed elite soldiers materialized behind reinforced glass, aiming at the gloom along the ceiling where the Lord of the Night was concealed.
"Signature confirmed on the northern corner of the ceiling," reported the tactical officer over the military frequency.
"That thing slaughtered the General back in The Breach and destroyed the base’s core," stated the High Commander, his voice cold. "Do not allow that abomination to set a foot outside this facility... Fire at will!"
"Holy shit... how do they even know about the General?" whispered Alexander, gritting his teeth from the darkness along the ceiling.
Alexander hadn’t realized how seriously the Federation handled military reports. The surviving officer’s account regarding the intrusion and the General’s slaughter hadn’t been dismissed; on the contrary, High Command had activated top-priority containment protocols the moment the evacuation portal was forced open.
The Federation was not run by fools, and this was far from the first time a high-tier entity had attempted to infiltrate the surface through the rifts. Keeping the world free from invasions required discretion and operational discipline.
From the armored observation booth, the High Commander monitored the tactical displays.
"Crossfire! Pulverize the northern ceiling section now!" barked the High Commander.
The fifty mana turrets and heavy weaponry opened fire, unleashing a hellscape of light projectiles that illuminated the heavy containment chamber like a sun.
The barrage of projectiles brought the ceiling structure down, but instead of finding the enemy’s pulverized remains, a mass of gloom absorbed the light explosions.
As the smoke cleared, Alexander emerged in the center of the chamber. His shadow cuirass, mantle of darkness, and bone crown—the full form of [Lord of the Night]—unfolded in dark splendor, radiating an aura that caused the chamber’s reinforced glass to vibrate.
Upon seeing him materialize in his true form, the High Commander’s face turned pale. Without hesitation, he reached out and slammed his hand onto a red button beneath a glass cover.
"CODE BLACK! I repeat, CODE BLACK! Evacuate non-combat personnel immediately!" shouted the High Commander over the intercom, triggering a siren that resounded throughout the facility.
Beside him, an operations assistant trembled as she watched the spiritual mass readouts overload the consoles.
"Sir... what is Code Black?" asked the assistant, her voice cracking.
"An entity that only the Great Pillars can contend with has appeared," answered the High Commander, staring at Alexander’s silhouette. "We must hold out against that monster here by any means... If he reaches the surface, the level of destruction he would cause would be apocalyptic."
The evacuation sirens echoed as the main blast doors began to descend, isolating the containment bay.
Upon receiving the Code Black order, twelve elite guards clad in heavy mana armor leaped from the galleries, encircling Alexander in formation. In their hands, they wielded runic alloy stakes linked by spatial suppression chains.
"Deploy Phase Anchors! Don’t let him move!" shouted the elite guard captain.
The soldiers drove all twelve stakes into the stone floor at once. Dark purple runes ignited across the surface, emitting a geometric shockwave that froze the fabric of space across a ten-meter radius.
"[Spatial Sealing Cell: Absolute Level]!" screamed the captain, channeling his energy into the chains.
The air surrounding Alexander turned dense as lead, shutting down any attempt at teleportation or shadow travel. The currents of gloom radiating from his [Lord of the Night] skill slammed into the translucent barrier, repelled by the spatial pressure of the seal.
Alexander tilted his head, watching the runic chains vibrate around him with a spark of intrigue in his crimson eyes.
"Impressive... they severed the flow of shadows in this space," whispered Alexander, tightening his armored fists.
From the command booth, the High Commander monitored the spatial containment levels holding firm while non-combat personnel bolted toward the emergency escape tunnels.
"Maintain pressure!" commanded the High Commander over the intercom. "The sealing protocol requires three minutes to lock in completely. Buy those three minutes at all costs!"