The dark night glowed warmly as fire engulfed a building. Amidst the shouts, gunshots, and chaos, a man in a long black coat leisurely strolled into a room.


    He entered what appeared to be a surveillance area. While the monitors flickered, his gaze followed a trail of blood on the ground until it stopped at an old man in a bloodied lab coat.


    The old man sat motionlessly on the floor, his back leaning against the wall, blood pooling beneath him.


    The man halted in his tracks and gazed down for a second. "You made this harder than it should be, Professor."


    The professor remained motionless, making the man glare at him. "Take this bastard."


    Hearing this, the professor clenched his fists and laughed maniacally. "I was so close!" He abruptly lifted his head, revealing two desperate, bloodshot eyes. "I could’ve helped you!"


    "Nonsense!" the man snapped. But then he noticed the old man''s shoulders twitching subtly, yet abnormally. He reached for the handgun under his coat, but a gunshot stopped him.


    He let go of his weapon as the professor slumped back onto the ground, now lifeless, with a hole in his left eye.


    Looking toward the door, he saw a man in full metal armor who had just pulled back his rifle. The armored man looked at him apologetically. "I''m a bit traumatized by these things. I''ll accept my punishment later." He bowed.


    "It''s fine. I would’ve done the same." Saying this, he walked out. "Take his corpse."


    "I understand. What should we do next?"


    "Order a retreat."


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    "But the retrieval—"


    "This place will collapse soon. Order a retreat."


    When the man in armor nodded, he walked ahead.


    The armored man put the professor in a sack and carried him over his shoulder, pressing on his earpiece to convey the orders as he walked out.


    Some time later, a large monitor displayed a loading bar at 12%, which then disappeared, replaced by a large error message. A collective sound echoed as all the machinery in the building lost power.


    Minutes later, the fire seemingly vanished as the rising sun met the flames.


    The dark night glowed warmly as fire engulfed a building. Amidst the shouts, gunshots, and chaos, a man in a long black coat leisurely strolled into a room.


    He entered what appeared to be a surveillance area. While the monitors flickered, his gaze followed a trail of blood on the ground until it stopped at an old man in a bloodied lab coat.


    The old man sat motionlessly on the floor, his back leaning against the wall, blood pooling beneath him.


    The man halted in his tracks and gazed down for a second. "You made this harder than it should be, Professor."


    The professor remained motionless, making the man glare at him. "Take this bastard."


    Hearing this, the professor clenched his fists and laughed maniacally. "I was so close!" He abruptly lifted his head, revealing two desperate, bloodshot eyes. "I could’ve helped you!"


    "Nonsense!" the man snapped. But then he noticed the old man''s shoulders twitching subtly, yet abnormally. He reached for the handgun under his coat, but a gunshot stopped him.


    He let go of his weapon as the professor slumped back onto the ground, now lifeless, with a hole in his left eye.


    Looking toward the door, he saw a man in full metal armor who had just pulled back his rifle. The armored man looked at him apologetically. "I''m a bit traumatized by these things. I''ll accept my punishment later." He bowed.


    "It''s fine. I would’ve done the same." Saying this, he walked out. "Take his corpse."


    "I understand. What should we do next?"


    "Order a retreat."


    "But the retrieval—"


    "This place will collapse soon. Order a retreat."


    When the man in armor nodded, he walked ahead.


    The armored man put the professor in a sack and carried him over his shoulder, pressing on his earpiece to convey the orders as he walked out.


    Some time later, a large monitor displayed a loading bar at 12%, which then disappeared, replaced by a large error message. A collective sound echoed as all the machinery in the building lost power.


    Minutes later, the fire seemingly vanished as the rising sun met the flames.