Chapter 179:Failure.
Dillian looked down at the notebook James had been using before nodding in satisfaction.
"I think that’s everything."
James closed the cover and tucked it back into his vest.
"One hundred ninety-three Tier One cores, forty-eight Tier Two cores, and two Tier Three cores. No elemental cores, unfortunately."
Silver glanced around the vault one final time. Nothing else appeared particularly valuable.
The researchers had clearly removed anything that could be considered confidential before abandoning the station. What remained was largely what they had either overlooked or deemed too cumbersome to transport during the evacuation.
Dillian rested a hand on one of the reinforced cases containing the Tier Three cores.
"These two should be divided first."
No one objected. After all, they were by far the most valuable items in the vault. He looked around at everyone.
"Silver was the strongest among us today."
Everyone instinctively glanced toward Silver.
Dillian continued.
"He was the only Rank Two contractor, took the greatest risk against the fire beast, and also landed several attacks that gave us openings."
James nodded immediately.
"I agree."
Maya smiled.
"He deserves one."
Even Selene and Iris gave small nods of agreement; only Cruella remained silent.
Silver looked at Dillian.
"You should take the other."
Dillian blinked.
"Me?"
Silver nodded.
"You led your team and kept the tiger occupied long enough for everyone to regroup; if not for that, the battle would’ve collapsed."
Dillian scratched the back of his head before laughing softly.
"I won’t argue with that."
The atmosphere relaxed considerably.
The two Tier Three beast cores were carefully placed into separate reinforced containers before each man stored his own away.
Silver quietly slipped his into one of the compartments of his Limited Storage while everyone else was busy arranging the remaining loot.
Attention soon shifted toward the remaining beast cores. James opened his notebook once more.
"After removing the two Tier Three cores... We have one hundred ninety-three Tier Ones and forty-eight Tier Twos."
Dillian considered the numbers.
"There are seven of us."
He looked toward the surviving guard.
"And James."
James shook his head.
"I’m here as Association support. I’ll report everything honestly. I don’t need a share."
Dillian frowned.
"You fought too."
James smiled.
"I did my job, besides..." He gestured toward the rows of beast cores. "The Association will reward me for discovering anything about this place."
Silver understood.
James wasn’t refusing out of pride. Association personnel received official compensation for successful expeditions. Accepting additional shares from contractors could create unnecessary disputes later.
Dillian eventually nodded.
"Fair enough."
He looked toward everyone else.
"Then we’ll split everything between the seven contractors."
No one objected. The division itself proceeded surprisingly smoothly. Each contractor received an equal share of the Tier One cores.
The Tier Two cores couldn’t be divided perfectly evenly, so after a brief discussion, those with one fewer Tier Two core received several additional Tier One cores instead.
No one argued over the arrangement. Compared to surviving a Tier Four beast, this distribution felt trivial. Even Cruella remained unusually quiet.
Silver noticed that the other three women interacted far less warmly with her than they had before. Maya answered only when necessary, Selene barely looked in her direction, and Iris remained polite but distant.
The attempted push against Ravenna had left an impression. Nobody had openly discussed it after Ravenna’s retaliation, but nobody had forgotten it either.
Cruella quietly accepted her share without lifting her head. Dillian sighed inwardly but chose not to say anything. There would be another time to address what had happened.
Nearly twenty minutes later, the final preservation case had been emptied. The shelves that had remained untouched for decades now stood bare. Only a thin layer of dust marked where the beast cores had once rested.
James took several photographs for the Association’s records before closing his camera.
"Everything’s documented."
Silver adjusted the strap of his rifle over his shoulder.
"Then let’s leave."
Everyone agreed.
They had already spent far longer underground than originally intended. The laboratory had yielded far more discoveries than anyone had expected. There was little reason to linger any longer.
One by one, they made their way toward the circular vault entrance. Silver was among the last to leave. He instinctively glanced back once.
The empty shelves reflected only the pale light of their flashlights. For some reason, the room suddenly felt colder.
He frowned slightly before dismissing the feeling. They stepped back into the hidden office.
James carefully sealed the circular vault door behind them as best he could. The mechanism groaned before coming to a stop. The entrance blended almost seamlessly into the surrounding wall once more.
Dillian stretched his shoulders.
"Let’s head back."
The group began walking toward the main corridor. Their footsteps echoed steadily through the abandoned laboratory.
No one spoke very much. Everyone remained mentally occupied by everything they had discovered.
The silence persisted for several minutes, then...
"Hiss..."
The sound was faint, soft enough that Silver initially wondered if he had imagined it. Everyone stopped simultaneously.
James slowly turned around.
"...Did anyone hear that?"
Ravenna nodded slowly.
"I heard it; it came from behind us."
Maya immediately raised her rifle. The beam of her flashlight swept across the empty hallway, but there was nothing.
Silver narrowed his eyes. Without saying a word, he activated his skill.
[Spatial Sense Lv2 Activated]
The familiar ripple spread outward through the surrounding corridors.
Silver concentrated but found nothing. There was no movement, distortion, or sign of another living creature.
His frown deepened. He slowly lowered his sword.
"...I can’t find anything."
Dillian looked at him.
"Nothing?"
Silver shook his head.
"If something’s there, ot’s outside my detection."
Or... it wasn’t being detected at all. The thought unsettled him. Spatial Sense had never completely failed him before.
The group remained perfectly still. Every flashlight pointed into the darkness. Several long seconds passed.
James exhaled.
"...Maybe it was a pipe."
No one answered. The explanation felt weak, then...
"Hiss..."
The sound came again. This time, it was unmistakably much closer.
Ravenna immediately stepped beside Silver, her hand tightening around the hilt of her sword. The hairs on the back of Silver’s neck stood up.
Again, he activated his skill.
[Spatial Sense Lv2 Activated]
He focused harder than before. The invisible wave expanded through the corridor, past the broken laboratories, past the containment wing, and even past the hidden vault.
Still... Nothing.
Silver slowly lowered his hand. His expression became unusually serious.
"...Whatever made that sound... I still can’t detect it."
Those words hung heavily in the silent laboratory.
For the first time since obtaining Spatial Sense, Silver was facing something that seemed to exist beyond the reach of one of his most reliable abilities.
And somewhere within the darkness ahead... Something hissed once more.