"We've got it!" Ghost exclaimed, pointing at the screen, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "The key generator is located on the ninety-fifth floor of the Meteorfall Group headquarters. That's the…"
"The boardroom," Rowan finished, his voice steady but sharp. "I know the place. It's where the highest-level decisions are made."
"And more importantly," Ghost continued, pulling up another data visualization, "we've identified every terminal device receiving these encryption keys. There are seventeen in total using this system to communicate."
Rowan leaned closer, scanning the positional data. "Let me see. One in the chairman's office, one in the vice chairman's office, three in finance, two in external relations, and…"
"And several in places we didn't expect," Ghost cut in, highlighting a few anomalies. "This one is in Human Resources. Another in Legal. And this one… surprisingly, inside the security department itself."
Rowan inhaled sharply. "That means the spy network has infiltrated nearly every critical department within Meteorfall Group."
"And judging by the communication frequency, they're tightly coordinated," Ghost added. "There's data exchange almost every day. This is an extremely active and well-organized network."
Just then, her expression shifted.
"Wait… something's off." She frowned at the screen. "Over the past week, a few terminals have changed their communication patterns."
"What kind of changes?" Rowan asked.
"The frequency has spiked significantly, and the encryption level has increased," Ghost replied, pulling up detailed logs. "Especially last night, during your operation. Nearly all terminals initiated emergency communications."
Rowan's expression darkened. "That means they realized someone is investigating them."
"Most likely," Ghost said with a nod. "And based on the structure of those transmissions, they've activated some kind of contingency protocol."
A chill settled in Rowan's chest. If the network was on high alert, then Silvermoon's situation was far more dangerous than he had feared.
"Ghost, can you decrypt those emergency messages?" he asked urgently.
"I'll try," she said, already diving into a more advanced decryption process. "This level of encryption will take time, but it's not impossible."
Two hours passed.
When Ghost finally broke through part of the encryption and saw the contents appear on the screen, her face turned pale.
"Starlight… we have a situation." Her voice trembled slightly. "They've discovered Silvermoon's identity."
"What?" Rowan rushed forward, his eyes locking onto the screen.
The text hit him like a hammer:
"Target Suya is suspected. Immediate containment and interrogation required."
"Identity confirmed: External Agent Silvermoon. Proceed with capture immediately."
"Transfer to safe house. Await further instructions."
Rowan's fists clenched, anger blazing in his eyes. "When were these messages sent?"
Ghost checked the timestamps. "Three hours ago. Shortly after you left the building."
"Damn it!" Rowan's voice was low but filled with fury. Every instinct in him screamed to go back and pull her out immediately, but he forced himself to stay still.
At that moment, the Observer and Samuel hurried into the room.
"Starlight, we just received word," the Observer said, his tone grave. "Silvermoon is missing."
"I know." Rowan pointed at the screen. "She's been captured by Meteorfall Group."
Samuel's face hardened as he read the decrypted messages. "This is worse than we expected. Not only did they identify her, they're preparing to interrogate her."
"We have to rescue her. Now," Rowan said without hesitation.
"Too dangerous," the Observer replied, shaking his head. "Security will be at its highest. Charging in blindly would be suicide."
"So we just sit here and let her suffer?" Rowan's voice carried a sharp edge.
"Of course not," Samuel said firmly. "We will save her, but we need a plan."
"I can continue tracking their communications," Ghost added. "I should be able to pinpoint where she's being held."
"Good," the Observer said. "That's our best option. Starlight, calm yourself. Silvermoon is one of our best. She knows how to survive."
Rowan took a slow breath, forcing his emotions back under control. Recklessness would only make things worse.
Hours passed as Ghost monitored communications and the rest of the team analyzed the network structure, preparing for a decisive strike.
"I've found something," Ghost said suddenly. "According to the latest transmissions, they mentioned a location code-named 'Black Hole.'"
"Black Hole?" Rowan repeated.
"That's likely a hidden facility," Samuel explained. "Organizations like this often use code names for key sites."
Ghost nodded. "Based on routing data, it's not in the headquarters. It's somewhere else on Carol Star."
"Where exactly?" the Observer asked.
"Give me a second." Ghost worked quickly, pulling up a planetary map. "Got it. Industrial zone. An abandoned mineral processing plant."
"A perfect place to hide a hostage," Samuel said. "Isolated, complex layout, plenty of concealed spaces."
"Then we move now," Rowan said immediately.
"Not yet," the Observer stopped him. "We need more intel. Guard numbers, defenses, her exact position."
"And there's another concern," Samuel added. "If we act now, we might alert the entire network and lose the chance to wipe them out completely."
The room fell silent.
Rescue their comrade, or risk losing the larger objective.
"I have an idea," Rowan said at last. "We split into two teams. One handles the rescue. The other continues intelligence gathering and prepares to dismantle the network."
The Observer considered it. "It's viable, but risky. A rescue could expose everything."
Before he could say more, Ghost spoke again, urgency in her voice.
"I just intercepted another message. They plan to conduct a 'deep interrogation' on Silvermoon tomorrow night."
The words hit like thunder.
Everyone understood what that meant.
"We don't have a choice," the Observer said decisively. "Starlight, you lead the rescue. Samuel and I will handle the network strike."
"When do we move?" Rowan asked.
"Tonight. It's six in the evening now. You have six hours to prepare. Operation starts at midnight."
Midnight.
The industrial zone of Carol Star lay in darkness, silent and oppressive. The abandoned factory complex loomed like a sleeping beast beneath the faint glow of distant lights.
Rowan piloted a stealth craft, landing two kilometers away in a field of discarded scrap.
Dressed in a specialized black combat suit that masked thermal signatures and offered moderate protection, he checked his gear. His pack was stocked with cutting tools, medical supplies, explosives, and escape equipment.
"Ghost, I'm in position," he said quietly through a secure channel.
"Copy," her voice came through his earpiece. "Twelve life signals inside the structure. One is located in the southwest corner of sublevel two. That should be Silvermoon."
"What about enemy strength?"
"Most are standard cosmic-level fighters," Ghost replied, her tone tightening. "But there's one signal… different. Energy output at stellar level."
Rowan's expression hardened.
"That's likely their leader. He's far beyond your current strength."
Rowan exhaled slowly. "Then I avoid him. Focus on extraction."
"Be careful. I'll keep feeding you intel."
Ending the transmission, Rowan moved.
The factory was massive, a maze of interconnected buildings. Hidden sentry posts surrounded the perimeter, each guarded by two armed personnel.
"They're well-equipped," Rowan thought.
He selected the weakest point and approached silently, stopping fifty meters away. Gathering his mental energy, he formed two invisible Starblade Rifts.
They sliced through the night, striking both guards at the base of their necks. The men collapsed instantly, unconscious.
Rowan slipped inside.
The interior was a labyrinth of machinery and pipes, perfect for stealth. Guided by Ghost's intel, he made his way downward, eliminating patrols one by one without a sound.
Sublevel two was damp and dim, the air thick with the smell of oil and decay.
Finally, he found it.
A reinforced storage room, its heavy metal door secured by a complex electronic lock. Through the small window, he saw her.
Silvermoon.
Bound to a chair, bruised but conscious.
Rowan pulled out a portable decryptor and began unlocking the system. Within seconds, the mechanism clicked open.
He pushed the door inward.
Her eyes lit up in surprise, then sharpened with urgency.
"Rowan? What are you doing here? This place is dangerous."
"I'm getting you out," he said, already cutting her restraints. "Are you hurt?"
"Nothing serious," she said, flexing her numb wrists. "But there's a stellar-level fighter here. They call him Black Hawk. He's incredibly dangerous."
"I know. We avoid him." Rowan handed her spare gear. "Can you move?"
"Of course." She geared up quickly. "Which way do we go?"
Before he could answer, footsteps echoed down the corridor.
Both of them froze.
"Damn it," Rowan muttered under his breath.
The footsteps stopped right outside.
Then a low, cold voice spoke.
"Interesting. Someone actually came to rescue our guest. That must mean she's far more valuable than we thought."
The door burst open.
A tall man stood in the doorway, his presence suffocating. Dressed in black combat armor, his sharp eyes resembled those of a hunting hawk. Power radiated from him like a storm.
This was Black Hawk.
"A Virtual Universe agent?" he said, studying Rowan. "You're young, but bold. Admirable."
His lips curved slightly, though there was no warmth in it.
"Unfortunately, courage alone cannot bridge the gap in power."
-------------------------------
Already hooked? Tell me what reeled you in leave a review, spark the fire with a comment, and if we hit every 250 Power Stones, a bonus chapter drops!
The evolution's just begun. Dive deeper into Unbound Evolution and stay leagues ahead!
[email protected]/_tey
Change @ to a.