As they continuously went deeper, the surrounding light seemed to be swallowed by some invisible monster, becoming darker and darker.
The dim magitech lamps on the walls originally seemed to start striking in large areas at this section due to insufficient energy supply, leaving only a few scattered ones still lingering, emitting faint light.
Morin stopped his steps, holding the double-barreled shotgun in one hand, freeing up the other to grope around in the small multi-purpose pouch on his chest rig for a while.
Soon, he pulled out a rectangular metal box.
This thing looked a bit like a large brick mobile phone, or that kind of old-fashioned Walkman, except that a circular glass was inlaid at the top, and there was a brass push-button on the side.
This was the earliest portable flashlight of this era.
Due to the limitations of battery technology, dry batteries were astonishingly large, so it could only be made into this square box shape, rather than the slender cylinder shape in Morin’s memory.
“Click.”
As the push-button was pushed up, a not-too-bright but sufficiently dazzling dim yellow beam of light shot out in the darkness.
Morin had to hold this lighting device in front of the left side of his body like holding a shield or a selfie stick.
Then he rested the barrel of the shotgun on the forearm holding the flashlight, forming a tactical flashlight-holding posture that wasn’t too standard, but was the most practical at present.
Seeing their commander’s action, the combat engineers following behind him also pulled out identical small boxes from their gear one after another.
However, this group of strictly trained veterans did not turn on their flashlights immediately.
In a dark environment, too many light sources would not only expose their own numbers and positions but also interfere with teammates’ adaptability in low-light environments.
So they just hooked their thumbs on the switches, maintaining light control, and like a group of silent shadows, continued to follow Morin sneaking downwards.
The team continued downward.
The creaking sound of the cast-iron stairs echoed in the empty vertical shaft and was infinitely amplified.
Morin walked while sizing up the surroundings by the light of the flashlight.
At first, he thought that with the engineering and technical capabilities of this era, the Gauls being able to build a space similar to the scale of a large air-raid shelter or a subway station underground would already be considered a remarkable achievement.
But reality slapped him hard in the face, incidentally showing off what the capability of the “Magical Industrial Revolution” in “creating wonders” was.
As the height descended, the space around the vertical shaft began to widen.
By the occasionally flickering magitech lamplight and the beam of the flashlight, Morin could see huge reinforcing ribs on the concrete walls in the distance, extending all the way into the darkness at the end of his line of sight.
Comparing it to that large patch of black shadow representing the [Unexplored Area] on the system map, the current position of this vertical shaft they were in was merely a small piece at the edge of the entire massive underground building complex.
“This is getting somewhat outrageous…”
“Did this bunch of Gauls… hollow out the entire underground of the Bois de Boulogne?”
While observing the surroundings, Morin silently evaluated the situation before him in his mind.
However, considering the existence of magic and magitech in this world, plus the fact that among the spells of mages there were indeed quite a few spells “specially for employment in the civil engineering department”…
“Move Earth, Transmute Rock… As long as there are enough spell slots or magitech devices, these spells can indeed achieve the effect of a large shield tunneling machine.”
But no matter what, this was still a staggering mega-project.
For an underground building complex of this scale, just maintaining ventilation, drainage, and lighting, the daily maintenance cost would probably be an astronomical figure.
Not to mention this underground research institute was used to burn money on the “Sentinel Project.”
This made Morin have to sigh about what is called “wonders ruining the country”… The Gallic Republic throwing so many resources into the “Sentinel Project” and this underground research institute would indeed lead to an irrational distribution of resources.
Moreover…
This massive facility buried deep underground, with complex structures and full of unknowns, made scenes from the “Resident Evil” movies he had seen before involuntarily pop into Morin’s mind.
And that hellhole called the “Hive.”
“If a few zombie dogs suddenly jumped out right now, I wouldn’t be surprised at all.”
Morin complained inwardly, and the fingers gripping the double-barreled shotgun involuntarily tightened.
The current environment was simply identical to that place, except there were no zombies crawling around everywhere…
Oh wait, considering this was the place for researching “Sentinels,” Morin even felt the enemies that might appear here would be even more terrifying.
However, strangely, besides the psychological pressure brought by the environment, they hadn’t encountered any substantial resistance.
Those Britannian remnants who had wretchedly fled in earlier seemed to have evaporated from the face of the earth.
Until Morin’s military boots stepped onto the solid concrete floor, making a muffled sound, the entire team hadn’t encountered any interception.
Not even a straggling wounded soldier was seen.
If it weren’t for the trails of dark red bloodstains and messy muddy footprints on the ground extending towards the depths, proving that those Britannians had indeed been here and ran very fast…
Morin would have doubted whether these Britannians had actually come in or not.
At the end of the stairs was a broad space completely located underground.
This place looked like a small underground plaza, or a transit station of some kind of transportation hub.
Morin wasn’t in a hurry to let the main force down, but took the combat engineer squad behind him and quickly spread out along the base of the wall.
Several beams of flashlights swept crosswise, licking over every corner of this space.
“Clear.”
“Left side clear.”
“No anomalies on the right side.”
After confirming this space was temporarily safe, Morin took out his flashlight and flashed it rhythmically three times toward the stairwell entrance above.
Not long after, an answering light signal came from above.
The subsequent troops began to come down one after another.
Taking advantage of the waiting time, Morin stood in the center of the plaza, looking around.
The lighting situation here was even worse than above; only a few emergency magitech lamps emitted faint light, reflecting everyone’s faces somewhat eerily.
Judging from the overall structure and layout, this should be the material transit center of the underground research institute.
Besides this personnel passage they came down from, on the left and right sides of the hall, there was a huge circular tunnel capable of allowing two-way four-lane traffic for carriages and motorized vehicles.
Morin approached the entrance of one of the tunnels, raised his flashlight, and shone it on the wall beside it.
There, written in Gallic in large mottled letters: [Logistics Channel B-02 / Connecting to Paris Underground Rail Transit Network]
“Sure enough…” Morin nodded, “This place is connected to the Paris subway system… It seems the Gauls utilized the ready-made subway network to transport materials and personnel for this underground base.”
“Sir, isn’t this place… a bit too quiet?”
The 1st Company Commander, Kahn, had come down with the second batch of soldiers. This battle-hardened veteran also appeared somewhat nervous in this environment at this moment. “Where did that bunch of Britannians run off to?”
“Maybe we’ll find out when we go inside the research institute. Since we’re already here, we definitely have to go in and take a few looks…” Morin glanced at this hall, then pointed to those two huge circular tunnels:
“Kahn, arrange two teams of people to establish temporary defense lines at those two tunnel entrances… Although it doesn’t look like there’s anyone over there, better safe than sorry.”
“Yes! Sir!”
Kahn immediately turned to arrange the manpower.
After arranging the guards, Morin took down the communication main unit from the backpack on his back, trying to contact the support outside.
“Bzz… bzz… This is… Odin… bzz…”
The voice coming from the earpiece was intermittent, mixed with a large amount of magical fluctuation noise.
“L19… checking… unable… to talk…”
Morin frowned and cut off the communication.
“As expected, the depth is too deep, plus the rock layers here probably also have a blocking effect on the ‘waves’ generated by magic. Communication is basically useless.”
After thinking for a moment, Morin tried to contact the 2nd and 3rd Platoons outside again, and told them that if they didn’t see the people of the 1st Platoon come out within the specified time, they should find a way to contact other support.
Since the 2nd and 3rd Platoons couldn’t reply, Morin had Kahn arrange a messenger to go back to relay the message synchronously—this is also why messengers test leg strength more.
After finishing all this, Morin walked to Master Haber’s side and asked in a low voice:
“Master Haber, the road ahead might be even more difficult… I want to confirm, how is your spell slot preparation today?”
Although they had communicated briefly on the train before, before truly entering this enclosed and dangerous environment, Morin had to have a clear understanding of their side’s “VIP.”
Master Haber stopped observing the surrounding environment, pushed up his glasses, and a confident smile appeared on his originally academic-looking face.
“Rest assured, Lieutenant Colonel Morin. Although I usually mainly do research in the laboratory, I am a full member of the Imperial Royal Academy of Magitech Research after all.”
As he spoke, he patted several scroll cases at his waist like enumerating his family treasures.
“I prepared strictly according to the standards of the ‘Imperial Mage Combat Instruction Manual’.”
“For defense, I prepared [Mage Armor] and [Shield], and carried an extra two [Shield] scrolls… just in case, there’s also one [Stoneskin].”
“For reconnaissance, I prepared two [Detect Life].”
Speaking of this, Master Haber even puffed up his chest quite proudly:
“As for offensive methods, although I’m not good at spell combat, and the Conjuration School might not be as intuitive as the Evocation School, the [Melf’s Acid Arrow] and [Mordenkainen’s Faithful Hound] I prepared are also very easy to use in narrow terrain.”
After hearing this, Morin still maintained a proper expression on his face, but couldn’t help complaining in his heart—weren’t all the mages of the Saxon Empire treated as treasures in the research institutes to climb the technology tree? How did they even come up with a “combat standard”?
“Alright, I understand!”
Morin nodded. Since the other party had prepared quite a few life-saving skills, he didn’t need to say much more.
“Since you prepared [Detect Life], then perhaps in a while when my spells are used up, I will need you to help scout the situation…”
“No problem, no problem, I will follow your arrangements the whole time, Lieutenant Colonel Morin!”
After briefly communicating with Master Haber for a few more sentences and giving some instructions on things to pay attention to, Morin turned to look at that last half-open massive metal door.
Compared to the entrance on the surface, this massive metal door looked more like the main entrance of the research institute.
Unsurprisingly, bloodstains were also found near the main entrance.
“Engineer detachment, combat formation, prepare to breach!”
“Kahn, take the 1st Platoon and protect the ‘VIP’!”
Following Morin’s order, several combat engineers wearing enchanted breastplates and holding MP14 submachine guns immediately pressed close behind him.
Morin took a deep breath and took one last confirming look at his current status and spell slots.
Compared to the spell configuration in trench warfare and conventional combat previously, Morin’s spell preparation today leaned more towards this kind of close-quarters combat.
“Enter!”
Without any superfluous nonsense, the combat engineers filed in following Morin just like that.
Behind the door was a corridor spacious enough for multiple trucks to pass simultaneously. Those emergency magitech lamps were embedded in the walls at intervals, emitting faint light—just looking at the value of these magitech lamps alone, it was already not a small sum.
On the ground, those messy bloody footprints were still clearly visible, extending all the way deep into the corridor.
“Turn on flashlights.”
Unlike when going downstairs, this time, several beams of light instantly pierced the dimness in the corridor.
Morin walked at the very front of the team, but his line of sight wasn’t just staring straight ahead, but occasionally swept over those signboards on the walls.
[← Area A: Life Support Area, Administrative Center, Central Archives, Defense Force Barracks]
[→ Area C: Magitech Core, Water Storage Station, Air Filtration and Circulation Center, Material Warehouse]
[↑ Area B: Serum and Potion Laboratory, Tissue Culture Room, Operating Room, Rehabilitation Observation Room]
Following these signs, the system map in his mind was also rapidly updating.
The areas originally shrouded in the fog of war were like being erased by an eraser, gradually revealing the hideous face of this underground maze.
This place was even more complex than he imagined.
The entire research institute presented a ring structure, divided into multiple levels.
Each level was further divided into multiple functional areas, and they were currently in the main connecting corridor on the topmost level.
And the strangest thing was, obviously the signs on the wall and the system map both marked that there were “Defense Force Barracks” here, but Morin hadn’t seen a single figure of a Gallic soldier up to now…
“Right, where is the garrison?”
Just as this doubt flashed through Morin’s mind, he suddenly stopped his steps and raised his right fist, signaling to stop advancing.
The soldiers behind him immediately stopped as if by conditioned reflex, quickly half-squatted and aimed their guns, the muzzles pointing at different positions ahead in the corridor.
The entire team instantly switched from marching state to combat state without making any extra sound.
Morin listened sideways. In this deathly still underground corridor, any slight sound would be infinitely amplified.
About fifty meters ahead, a burst of extremely faint “rustling” sounds came through the air.
That sound sounded like rats making a fuss in the house, or like someone deliberately lowering their voice to converse.
Morin narrowed his eyes, turned off the flashlight in his hand, and his whole person blended into the darkness.
He was like a hunting feline, lightening his footsteps, pressing against the wall, and slowly feeling his way forward.
The source of the sound seemed to be a room on the right side of the corridor. The door there was ajar, revealing a trace of faint light.
When he was about ten meters away from that room, Morin stopped, and then activated the [Detect Life] among the Tier-1 spell slots.
As the spell was released, his originally pitch-black vision instantly changed.
The walls became semi-transparent, and in that room, one orange-red humanoid silhouette after another emerged clearly like a thermal imaging picture.
One, two, three…
Morin counted silently in his heart.
A full twenty heat sources.
And judging from the postures of these heat sources, except for a few people lying in the innermost part, they were not resting.
Most of the people were scattered in various corners of the room. Some squatted behind desks, some leaned near the door, obviously in a state of high alert.
“These should be the Britannians…”
Morin made a judgment in his heart.
These guys didn’t all retreat into the depths, but left 20 people here to act as “nails,” wanting to intercept or ambush pursuers.
If it were an ordinary search unit, it would indeed be very difficult to discover the enemies hiding in the room.
Once passing the doorway rashly, they would be shot into sieves by the rain of bullets suddenly pouring out from inside.
But unfortunately, they didn’t encounter an ordinary unit.
Morin thought for a moment, then stopped in place preparing to attack. At the same time, he waved to the several combat engineers behind him, and this team of combat engineers immediately pressed close to the wall and slowly approached.
Morin didn’t speak. He first pointed to the room in front, then raised three fingers, and then patted the position of the stick grenade on the chest rig of the first soldier behind him.
The combat engineer standing at the very front immediately understood.
He pulled a stick grenade from his chest rig, unscrewed the back cover, and pulled out the pull-cord.
Then he raised two fingers to the comrade behind him, and then similarly patted the grenade on the other party’s chest.
The second soldier also made the same action, and raised one finger to the third soldier.
This was a kind of silent relay.
Meaning: three bombers, three grenades, listen to my command, throw simultaneously.
Seeing the three people behind him all pull out stick grenades and get ready, Morin also nodded in satisfaction—at least they didn’t train in vain normally.
He returned to one side of the doorway, backed against the wall, took a deep breath, and then violently raised his right foot.
Those twenty Britannian soldiers in the room were currently in a state of high tension.
They were soldiers of the 1st Task Force Company of the Coldstream Guards who retreated into this research institute. Under the orders of Commander Major Hamilton, they brought a few wounded soldiers who were completely unable to continue advancing and stayed here. Their mission was to “delay the enemy as much as possible at all costs.”
They used the heavy solid wood desks and file cabinets in the room to pile up a makeshift breastwork, all muzzles staring fixedly at that half-open door.
As long as that door moved even slightly, twenty bullets would greet it simultaneously.
But they obviously underestimated the “door breaching” method of the instruction unit here.
Morin didn’t carefully push the door or poke his head out to scout as they expected, but…
“Bang!”
A loud bang, the iron door violently bounced inward under the massive impact force, slamming fiercely against the wall inside, making a metallic clashing sound.
Almost at the same time the door was kicked open, Morin used the reaction force, his whole person spinning backward like a top, instantly escaping that death sector at the doorway.
“Holy sh…”
A terrified and brief exclamation came from the room, followed immediately by a “bang” gunshot.
That was the Britannian soldier guarding the door subconsciously pulling the trigger. The bullet hit the corridor wall opposite, splashing a shower of sparks.
Immediately following, the other people in the room also followed suit and shot toward the door, regardless of whether there were actually enemies at the door or not.
But this was all these soldiers could do.
Because after that door was kicked open, three dark objects were precisely flung into the room.
The movements of the three combat engineers were neat and uniform, and the throwing force was also controlled just right.
“Grenades!!”
Before this heart-wrenching roar could fully spread, it was drowned out by the successive sounds of explosions.
“Boom! Boom! Boom!”
In such a confined space, three fully-charged stick grenades exploded simultaneously, and their lethality was also maximized.
The huge shockwave, wrapping shrapnel and wood splinters, wreaked havoc in the room.
The entire room seemed to tremble for a moment, dust and gunpowder smoke spewing out from the doorway.
But this wasn’t over yet.
For combat engineers who had undergone basic room-clearing training, this was a signal.
Two more grenades were thrown deeper into the room.
After the sounds of explosions rang out, Morin, bearing the [Mage Armor], was the first to charge into that still-tumbling cloud of smoke and dust.
The “Indoor Close-Quarters Combat” of the instruction unit didn’t have that many flashy tactical movements. What it emphasized was one word—Fast!
As soon as Morin charged into the room, he saw a Britannian soldier in the distance, dizzy from the explosion but not killed on the spot, unsteadily trying to stand up.
The double-barreled shotgun in his hands raised without hesitation.
“Bang!”
12-gauge buckshot in this environment could be said to have completely entered its comfort zone. That soldier was like being hit in the chest by an invisible giant hammer; his whole body was knocked to the ground and had no more movement.
The combat engineers following closely behind Morin also filed in holding flashlights and guns.
The MP14 submachine guns in their hands at this distance also similarly entered a very comfortable engagement range.
“Da-da-da! Da-da-da!”
Brief and rhythmic sounds of bursts rose and fell in the room.
Those Britannian soldiers who hadn’t been killed by the explosion, holding their wounds and rolling painfully on the ground, or trying to grab their guns, were nailed dead to the ground by the dense rain of bullets before they had time to figure out the situation.
“Clear!”
“Clear!”
In just a few short seconds, the gunfire stopped abruptly.
Only the heavy smell of gunpowder smoke, the smell of blood, and the dying moans of the wounded soldiers remained in the room.
Morin held the still-smoking shotgun, quickly scanning the battlefield.
Twenty Britannian soldiers, none survived. Most people didn’t even have time to fire a second shot before being written off by those three grenades.
“Finish them off.”
Morin spat out these two words coldly.
In this underground environment full of unknowns, he wouldn’t show any superfluous knightly spirit at this time.
Any enemy playing dead or still having a breath left could shoot them in the back.
“Bang! Bang!”
After a few sporadic gunshots, the room fell completely silent.