Fallen Chronicles

Chapter 44 44: Do You Desire Power? 1/2 [3/20]

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"Doctor!...."

"ROCA! "

Ajax's loud shouts snapped Dr. Roca back to reality.

Ajax, who was usually the cool leader of the Callewa gang, was now totally freaking out and not acting like a leader at all. In a really urgent way, he grabbed Dr. Roca by the shirt collar.

"Stop spacing out! Wake up! What do we do now?" Ajax screamed into the doctor's ear.

Even though they had braced themselves for potential calamities from the moment they began secretly building this facility to study the Relic, when disaster finally struck, Ajax was still desperate to salvage the situation.

The Crimson Star at the core of the furnace was trembling more violently, and the innermost barrier shield had completely shattered. Though a few backup shields were struggling to hold, the cracks appearing on them indicated that their collapse was inevitable.

Realizing the severity of the situation, the gang members quickly snapped out of their shock. They began to rush toward the exit in a frenzied escape.

If there was anything more terrifying than nuclear radiation, it had to be a Tainted Miasma leak. Once the pollution from the Crimson Star spread, a dense red fog of Tainted Miasma would envelop the entire facility within moments. The fate that awaited anyone inside would be horrendous, something these gang members had seen far too often.

The man inside the transparent experimental chamber who had lost his sanity and ultimately became a "Tainted Corpse" was still fresh in their minds. His body hadn't even cooled yet.

Amid the chaos that had enveloped the massive factory, Dr. Roca's entire body shivered. He yelled angrily at the researchers at the control panel:

"Idiots! What the hell are you doing? Activate the emergency safety system and sink the 'Relic' underground!"

When Dr. Roca originally designed this furnace setup, he had certainly accounted for emergencies like this. There was an emergency button on the control panel. Once pressed, a tunnel, several meters deep underground, would open below the furnace, allowing the Crimson Star to fall through.

"I've pressed it several times, Doctor! But... it's not working! Not just this button—the whole control panel has malfunctioned!"

The researcher was on the verge of tears.

Dr. Roca suddenly realized the gravity of the situation. The Barrier had shattered too quickly. In less than half a minute, the Tainted Miasma red mist released by Crimson Star had already seeped through the cracks and contaminated the entire boiler machine, rendering its electrical components completely dysfunctional under the influence of the Miasma.

"Damn it!"

'Now there is only one last option left'

"Ajax! Quickly, send someone to the bottom of the furnace. On the rear-right side, there's a manual safety device. Pull that switch to send the 'Relic' underground!"

Roca found it necessary to clarify this to Ajax, despite the urgency, due to a cruel dilemma.

'Who would go?'

Anyone with half a brain could see that approaching the furnace now was so damn dangerous, especially since a significant amount of Tainted Miasma red mist had already leaked out. Going near to activate the manual safety switch was akin to a suicide mission. Even if successful, one wouldn't expect to make it back alive.

Was anyone willing to sacrifice themselves for the sake of Callewa's factory?

Clearly, neither Dr. Roca nor Ajax were willing.

Their subordinates, when met with their gaze, either turned to flee or were trembling, their eyes full of fear and refusal.

"Don't even talk about pulling the safety switch; they'd probably get scared and turn back halfway," Ajax thought angrily, pulling out his gun and aiming it at his subordinates.

"Do as the doctor says! Head for the boiler, now!"

For Callewa's leader, no number of underling lives was more valuable than this factory and the "Emperor's Relic" their last hope. Any sacrifice would be worth it to get through this disaster.

However, just as Ajax was about to make an example by shooting one of them, a commotion arose. One of the nearby underlings excitedly shouted,

"Boss! Someone's gone! Someone is heading toward the boiler!"

"What?"

Both Ajax and Dr. Roca were overjoyed, quickly directing their gaze back toward the boiler. They instantly spotted the person their subordinates were talking about.

After all, nearly everyone else in the factory was running away, while only two "Callewa members" were moving against the tide, heading in the completely opposite direction, toward the boiler. This made them conspicuously noticeable.

Moreover, judging by their appearance, they were extremely calm. Especially the young man leading the way; 'calm' couldn't begin to describe him.

His face showed not a trace of fear or panic. To describe it extremely, his demeanor even gave Ajax the absurd impression that the young man was leisurely strolling in an environment that could erupt with Tainted Miasma at any moment.

But regardless,

Ajax breathed a slight sigh of relief. The leader of Callewa secretly vowed that if the young man and his companion behind him could successfully reach the furnace and pull the emergency switch, he would definitely give them a hefty bonus and promote them to higher ranks.

Of course, the premise for all of this was that the duo had to make it back alive.

What Ajax didn't know was that the two members of Callewa, now seen as the factory's hope, were ironically the very culprits behind the Crimson Star's leak disaster.

At least one of them would certainly not escape blame.

"Old timer, what the heck is happening? Where are we now? I have a really bad feeling about that thing!"

A restless voice came from the girl behind him.

However, Renji did not turn around to reassure her but said straightforwardly,

"If you want to find your mother and save her, stick close to me."

As Renji spoke, Eileen looked at the approaching Crimson Star, feeling a subconscious shiver deep within her soul. The Tainted Miasma's red mist, now dancing wildly in the air around the furnace, was clearly visible to anyone who wasn't blind.