Leo's phone screen glowed bright red.
At the exact same moment—
Lana suddenly collapsed onto the floor without moving.
Deep within the underground basement, gunshots continued echoing endlessly.
BANG!!BANG!!BANG!!
Leo's body twitched violently each time another bullet tore through him.
Three assassins surrounded him from different directions, firing nonstop as if trying to suppress something terrifying from waking up.
Blood flooded the ground beneath Leo.
Then—
Footsteps.
Null arrived.
The moment he saw Leo lying there getting riddled with bullets—
something changed.
Axiom expanded.
The invisible field around Null spread across the entire underground basement instantly.
The air itself felt heavier.
Yet—
nothing happened.
One of the assassins smirked.
"I knew it."
All three immediately pulled out a second handgun and began firing directly at Null.
BANG!!BANG!!
A bullet pierced Null's shoulder.
Another tore through his leg.
But Null didn't stop.
He sprinted forward anyway.
Fast.
Cold.
Silent.
Then he jumped straight at one assassin.
Both of them crashed onto the floor.
Null immediately began punching him repeatedly.
Again.
Again.
Again.
The assassin's face quickly became covered in blood.
But while Null focused entirely on beating him down—
the assassin secretly injected something into Null's leg using a syringe.
Null never noticed.
His fists kept moving without stopping.
Then Null suddenly grabbed the assassin's gun.
Without hesitation—
BANG!!BANG!!BANG!!
Three bullets flew toward the second assassin.
But immediately after firing—
a sharp pain exploded inside Null's head.
His gun slipped from his hand.
He grabbed his head tightly.
His vision blurred violently.
The third assassin saw the opening instantly.
He aimed at Null—
BANG!!
But before the bullet could hit—
a figure jumped in front of Null and took every shot.
Leo.
Or at least—
something that looked exactly like Leo.
The fake Leo's body tore apart from the bullets.
Then another Leo suddenly appeared behind the assassin.
CRACK!!
A brick smashed against the assassin's skull.
The assassin collapsed to the floor.
The fake Leo climbed on top of him and repeatedly smashed the brick into his face.
Over.
And over.
And over again.
Meanwhile—
the real Leo's regeneration finally restored enough damage for him to wake up.
His eyes slowly opened.
The first thing he saw—
was Null lying unconscious nearby.
Leo's face froze.
"Null!"
He immediately ran toward him and tried shaking him awake.
But Null didn't respond.
Leo's breathing became unstable.
"What is happening…?"
"What am I supposed to do…?"
Then—
a voice came from behind him.
"Would you like my advice?"
Leo instantly turned around.
The assassin stood there calmly.
Completely unharmed.
Leo clenched his fists.
"Why won't you just give up?!"
The assassin tilted his head slightly.
"Why would I?"
He smiled faintly.
"I'm the strongest person in this room."
Then his eyes narrowed with fascination.
"Still… I must say I'm impressed."
Leo stayed silent.
"You copied my ability after seeing it only once."
Leo's eyes widened slightly.
But he quickly hid his reaction.
The assassin continued speaking.
"You tried using my own replication technique against me."
He looked genuinely curious now.
"But there's one thing I still don't understand."
His gaze sharpened.
"How are you still alive after receiving that drug?"
The assassin slowly raised his gun toward Leo.
"But I believe I finally figured it out back in my laboratory."
Leo's mind raced desperately.
If he got captured again—
everything was over.
Then suddenly—
Lana jumped onto the assassin from behind.
Both of them crashed onto the floor.
Leo reacted instantly and kicked the assassin directly in the head.
But the assassin grabbed Lana by the neck immediately.
Lana bit deeply into his hand.
The assassin flinched.
Then—
Leo suddenly remembered Null.
He quickly looked backward.
Null was gone.
His heartbeat stopped for a second.
He turned back again—
Lana and the assassin were gone too.
Leo froze.
Then realization hit him.
"…He's testing us separately."
Panic spread through Leo immediately.
He didn't know where to go.
Didn't know who to save first.
So he simply started running randomly through the underground basement.
Between endless pillars.
Into endless darkness.
Then—
he finally saw someone.
"Lana!"
She turned around slowly.
"Leo… are you alright?"
Leo sighed in relief.
"Forget about me. Are you okay?"
Lana smiled softly.
"I'm fine."
Then she asked quietly—
"But did you know something?"
Leo frowned.
"What?"
Suddenly—
Lana grabbed his throat violently.
"I'm going to kill you."
Leo's eyes widened.
Her face started melting.
Skin dripping apart like liquid.
Until the assassin's face appeared underneath.
Leo immediately kicked him in the stomach and escaped backward.
He began running again.
"Great…"
His breathing became heavier.
"Now he can disguise himself as other people."
Fear slowly crawled into his chest.
"I can't trust anyone…"
"But first—I need to find Null and Lana."
—
Meanwhile.
Upstairs.
Null lay unconscious on a metal bench.
The assassin stood beside him holding another syringe.
His eyes contained pure curiosity.
"I wonder what happens if I inject this drug into you…"
As the syringe moved closer—
Null's hand suddenly grabbed the assassin's wrist.
The assassin's eyes widened.
With his other hand, Null grabbed the assassin's collar and slammed his forehead directly into the assassin's face.
CRACK!!
The assassin stumbled backward and fell.
Null immediately grabbed a nearby iron rod.
Without hesitation—
he thrust it straight through the assassin's neck.
The assassin's body twitched violently before going still.
Null stood there silently for a moment.
Then frowned slightly.
"…Why do I feel lighter?"
He looked at his own hand.
"Stronger too."
His headache had disappeared completely.
Even his body felt faster than before.
But Null ignored it.
"Whatever."
His expression darkened.
"I need to find Leo and Lana."
Then—
he began walking back down into the underground basement.
Into the darkness waiting below.