A short, sharp scream echoed from the corridor at the end of the Interrogation Area.
The voice belonged to a Duty Officer, its tone still carrying an unrefined youthfulness.
In the corridor, several Security Team Members accompanied by Houndoom paused, instinctively exchanging looks.
Exposed.
Faster than expected, but still within the plan.
He didn't run.
In a place like this, any unusual movement would be instantly Locked-On. The first person to bolt is usually the first to fall.
The team members around him were already starting to stir.
"What's going on?"
"Did something happen in the Interrogation Area?"
The lead captain reacted the fastest, pressing his communicator and shouting sternly:
"Abnormality in the Interrogation Area, go and support immediately!"
"If Lord Fire Ghost blames us, none of you will have it easy!"
"Roger!"
Noisy static came from the communicator.
Chaos is the best cover.
Ariel didn't look up, let alone look at anyone.
Following the reaction of the crowd around him, his body trembled slightly, assuming a reasonable, astonished posture.
Then, he pulled the brim of his hat even lower, almost covering half his face, revealing only a cold, hard-lined chin.
Stooping down, he blended in behind two team members also rushing toward the Interrogation Area, then stepped out in the complete opposite direction—the exit—walking briskly.
His pace was fast but didn't seem frantic; every step landed in the gaps of others' hurried footsteps, like a slippery fish perfectly blending into this soon-to-boil water.
No one noticed him.
Everyone's attention was drawn to the other end of the corridor by that scream and the captain's order.
"Wooo—! Wooo—! Wooo—!"
A piercing alarm blared without warning, tearing through the silence of the Temporary Base.
His eyes didn't flicker in the slightest, calm as a block of ice.
More people poured out from various rooms and passages, faces filled with shock and tension, like ants from a disturbed nest, surging toward the Interrogation Area like a tide.
"Quick! Lock down the Interrogation Area!"
"Has the target been confirmed?"
"Don't let him escape!"
Ariel was right in the middle of this counter-current.
Like a reef, he let the surging crowd buffet him, yet remained steadfastly moving in his own direction.
A tall Security Team Member was running too fast and almost crashed into him.
"Out of the way!" the man roared.
Ariel sidestepped, leaning in slightly with his shoulder at an extremely tricky angle. It seemed unintentional, but with a clever use of force, he instantly threw the other's center of gravity off balance, sending him stumbling to the other side.
The whole process was as smooth as flowing water, so fast that the team member didn't react at all, merely thinking he had lost his footing.
Ariel's pace didn't falter for a second as he continued forward.
He left the mountaintop and entered the interior of the Mt. Chimney base.
Passing through the main passage, a slightly open platform appeared ahead.
Ariel's gaze fixed on a corner at the edge of the platform.
A pile of discarded mining equipment was stacked there; huge Spiral Drill Bits were covered in rust and solidified black engine oil, beside several damaged Energy Ore Crates.
Left unattended for years, a thick layer of dust had accumulated in the corner, emitting a strange smell of mixed metal and dirt.
Most importantly, that position happened to be in the blind spot where the two Surveillance Cameras intersected.
That's the spot!
Ariel didn't hesitate for a moment. Taking advantage of the split second when everyone's attention was diverted, he ducked down like a civet cat and slipped over silently.
His movements were minimal, each shift timed perfectly to the moments when guards turned or lights swept past.
A few seconds later, he successfully sneaked into that cluttered corner filled with scrap metal.
The tall drill bits and ore crates perfectly concealed his figure, the heavy shadows becoming his best camouflage.
He leaned against a section of a cold drill bit, the chill of the metal against his back letting his tense nerves relax for a moment.
"Time to get to work, Malamar."
The footsteps outside were already close at hand, the bright light of flashlights sweeping across the ground around Ariel through the gaps in the metal equipment.
A beam of light even brushed past his cheek, less than five centimeters away.
Malamar also seemed to feel the urgency and stopped dawdling.
With a gentle wave of its tentacles, an indescribable wave of energy instantly spread out.
For at that very instant, the pale purple light in the cluttered corner suddenly contracted inward and then vanished completely.
A nearly imperceptible ripple appeared in space, like a pebble dropped into a calm lake, before returning to normal.
The figures of Ariel and Malamar had disappeared without a trace.
In their place, only the pile of cold, rusty discarded drill bits remained, lying quietly in the darkness as if nothing had ever happened.
A few seconds later, two Team Magma members walked over cautiously, illuminating every inch of the corner with their high-powered flashlights.
"Captain, there's nothing here."
"Just a pile of scrap metal."
The officer addressed as captain walked over, frowning, and personally swept the area with his flashlight.
Indeed, there was nothing.
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