Chapter 199: Nothing Special
Through thermal imaging, the entity's movement was clear as day. At nearly absolute zero, wherever it moved, the water vapor in the air flash-froze, leaving behind a trailing signature. Unlike heat, which dissipates rapidly, extreme cold takes much longer to equalize with the surrounding temperature.
Meaning—it left a trail Zack could follow. And so he did. The chase was on. The Apex Mk2's engines roared as Zack pursued the fading blue streak, tracing it all the way back to the hospital—the same place Hank and the others had originally entered.
The trail led straight through the hospital's outer wall... And vanished inside. Zack halted mid-air, hovering roughly 100 meters above the building. Instead of following immediately, he paused. Then—he removed the VR neural link. "Ego, take over."
"Understood, Sir."
"Keep the armor positioned above the hospital—don't engage, just keep tracking. I'll handle things from here."
"Affirmative." With that, Zack pushed himself up from the recliner, stretching out his arms. Then, he grabbed a sketchbook, flipped it open, and started scribbling blueprints. Since he had obtained mechanical arms and started developing insect-like robotic constructs, this was the first time he had personally felt the urge to craft something himself. His voice was low. "...If ghosts can be explained...Then they can be destroyed."
Zack rolled out several schematics across his worktable. "The BEC entity is physical. It cannot pass through ceramic. Ceramic bullets might disrupt its structure... but to kill it? The matter itself has to be fundamentally destabilized." One by one, he burned the excess schematics. Until only one remained. Then, without hesitation—he got to work.
Back at the hospital, the Apex Mk2 remained airborne, monitoring everything through thermal imaging. And then—something changed. "Sir," Ego's voice crackled in the background. "Multiple entities detected."
Zack froze. "...Define 'multiple.'" The holographic display flickered on. On the hospital's thermal scan, several dark blue figures had appeared—all humanoid. One was already chilling enough. But now there were many. And just like before—when the thermal imaging was turned off... They completely vanished.