Rui was beginning to think this team was perhaps a little overqualified for the mission. So far it had been overwhelming success, the Martial Union had chosen a team with a decisive advantage over the security of the research facility. Out of the six Martial Apprentices assigned to security for the research facility, four of them were mid-grade, one of them was roughly grade-seven and only one was a grade-ten Martial Apprentice.
They had sent a grade-ten Martial Apprentice who had experience taking down grade-ten Martial Apprentices in response.
The human security was insignificant. Even low-grade Martial Apprentices could deal with a large number of guards easily, they were mostly a token and were there to enforce order in the research facility.
('Now the only thing left is the grade-ten Martial Apprentice.') Rui mused. ('I'll round up the others and we'll go together.')
The original plan was that Rui handled the grade-ten Martial Apprentices alone while the remaining four handled the remaining three Martial Apprentices. However, things had evolved a bit unpredictably and all the remaining Martial Apprentices were handled before the grade-ten Martial Apprentice had even appeared.
However, this was in their favour. Now, they got to fight with a huge dominant upper-hand. The moment the grade-ten Martial Apprentice showed up, it would be game over for her.
('Speaking of which, seriously, where the fuck is she?') Rui wondered as he finished off a few more researchers. The only thing he knew about her was whatever the mission bill had told him; that she was female and a defensive Martial Artist. Which made sense given that she was assigned to a bodyguard mission from the Vinfranian government.
A section of the research facility had been massacred, God knew how many researchers had died, all the other Martial Apprentices were also dead. Yet this grade-ten Martial Apprentice had refused to leave the deepest section of the research facility that Kane hadn't manage to infiltrate before.
"You guys are done?" Rui asked as the three of his teammates appeared.
"Just sweeping up some survivors." Fae replied.
"Where's the grade-ten?" Nel excitedly asked.
"I'm heading there right now." Rui said.
Kane appeared out of thin air. "Count me in."
Rui nodded. "Let's get going then, we'll finish off all survivors on the way there."
In the deepest section of the research facility, a commotion that didn't escape past the confines ensued.
"Wait doctor!" One researcher said. "Subject SQ007 is not yet fully ready for deployment! The project has only succeeded the day before yesterday! This is against protocols!"
"IDIOT!" The head researcher snapped. "WE'RE GOING TO DIE YOU MORON! NO ONE GIVES A FUCK ABOUT PROTOCOLS. The Martial Apprentice guards are all dead!"
"But still!" Another researcher. "We shouldn't-!"
"Move!" The head researcher pushed his way past her as gazed at a giant transparent cylinder with a woman inside. "She's our only hope!"
He walked over to a terminal before operating a few controls. "We'll show those bastards that coming here was the worst mistake of their lives."
The man looked up, grinning when he saw the woman's eyes opening slowly.
Quite some distance away, Fae broke into the sealed section of the facility. The five of them entered the research area through the hole in barrier.
Inside was a wide spacious facility with many sections across it. Inside were many containment rooms with even more test subjects in the same state as the test subjects in the rest of the facility, though far fewer in number, only in the single digits.
However, Rui suspected this part of the research facility was special. The technological infrastructure was larger and more extravagant.
Furthermore, there was something strange about the few test subjects. Each of them had their own large sub-section. Clearly, they were special.
Rui walked in closer towards them as his senses told him something was wrong. Their eyes were rolled up and they were barely medically alive. But still, something told him these weren't ordinary humans in the first place.
"Rui?" Kane asked, pausing as he looked back at him.
('Are they test subjects that managed to endure the experiments?') Rui wondered, shaking his head. ('No, they're in the same state. That's unlikely.')
Primordial Instinct could almost feel something. Rui closed his eyes, homing in on a particular sensation. It grew clearer and clearer by the second.
Until he recognized it.
His eyes widened in shock!
"Martial Apprentices!" He exclaimed. "These are Martial Apprentices!"
"Are you sure?" The four of them glanced over at the test subjects.
"No doubt." Rui had become surer of it.
The research facility was ultimately trying to successfully apply their human augmentation procedures to Martial Apprentices. Rui had become more and more certain that this was the core goal of the research facility.
"They are trying to elevate Martial Apprentices to a higher leve-" Rui froze as another realization hit him. "...No. Not to a higher level. To a higher Realm."
This research facility was researching the breakthrough to the Squire Realm. The Commonwealth Duchy of Vinfrana had long lost all of its higher Realm Martial Artists, who taken away the secret to the Squire Realm with them, leaving them with a weak Martial Art foundation that was unable to elevate their remaining Martial Apprentices to the Squire Realm.
Finally, all of it made sense to Rui. This was why the Martial Union wanted to destroy the facility and slaughter all the researchers. Once the Commonwealth Duchy of Vinfrana obtained Martial Squires they would probably eventually obtain Martial Seniors and then maybe even Martial Masters in a more distant future. It wouldn't be enough to defy the Kandrian Empire, but it would be enough to share a significant portion of the market in the Duchy that the Kandrian Empire had a monopoly over.
It would create and upward and elevating trend in the growth of Martial power in the Commonwealth Duchy of Vinfrana.
Yet, before Rui could ponder about the issue more;
BOOM!!
A loud explosion in the distance shook the very facility, drawing their attention.
"The grade-ten is here." Rui warned. "Get ready."
