Chapter 480 - 101: Mirage
The edges of the cut were as smooth as a mirror, showing traces of carbonization.
The sword-light, its momentum undiminished, grazed past Quentin’s headless body and struck the solid alloy wall behind him.
BOOM!
A deep, terrifying boom exploded through the corridor!
A horrifying crater, over half a meter in diameter with molten, twisted edges, instantly appeared on the wall. It bored nearly a meter deep, and the surrounding metal plates buckled and warped, groaning under the strain.
The intense heat distorted the very air, and the acrid smell of burning metal spread.
It all happened too fast, too suddenly.
It wasn’t until Quentin’s headless body slumped into his wheelchair with a dull thud, and the resounding boom of the pierced wall echoed through the corridor, that the researchers finally snapped back to their senses.
"AH—!" A young female researcher let out a short, sharp gasp before immediately clamping her hands over her mouth, her face deathly pale as she trembled all over.
The other researchers’ faces were ashen. Their eyes, filled with terror and bewilderment, darted between the lifeless corpse on the floor and the shocking gash on the wall.
"S-Sir..." An older researcher, struggling to compose himself, spoke in a trembling voice, his eyes avoiding the body on the floor. "This... This is..."
Murphy slowly retracted his hand, his icy gaze fixed on where Quentin had fallen, as if confirming something.
"Examine Quentin’s body at once," he ordered, his voice devoid of any emotion. "Focus on any remaining parts of his head. Overlook no anomaly."
"An anomaly?" The older researcher paused, exchanging a confused glance with his colleagues. "Sir, Quentin... was he acting strangely just now?"
Murphy’s brow furrowed slightly as he turned to them. "None of you saw the light in his eyes?"
"Light?" The researchers exchanged blank stares, then shook their heads in unison.
"We saw nothing, Sir."
"Quentin’s eyes looked normal. They were... just a little cloudy."
"That’s right. All we saw was him getting a little emotional while talking to you, and then... you..."
A younger, bolder researcher hesitated before cautiously speaking up. "Sir, could it be... have you been overworking yourself recently? Or... perhaps you’re under some sort of curse or Illusion Technique? We honestly didn’t see a thing."
Murphy’s gaze swept over their faces, one by one.
’Fear, confusion, concern... but not a single trace of deceit or concealment.’
’They truly hadn’t seen it.’
Murphy fell silent for a moment. Then, his vast and pure Spiritual Power surged out like an invisible tide, instantly blanketing Quentin’s corpse and the several meters of space around it to perform the most detailed scan imaginable.
Every inch of skin, every muscle fiber, the bone structure, organ residue, blood composition, clothing fibers... even the microscopic dust motes hanging in the air—nothing could escape the probe of his Spiritual Power.
The results, however, only made him frown more deeply.
’Nothing.’
’No anomalies at all.’
"Dispose of it." Murphy retracted his Spiritual Power. "Handle the body according to top-level protocols. Quarantine everyone who had contact with him for observation and psychic evaluation. This area is hereby sealed."
"Y-Yes, Sir!" the researchers hastily agreed. Though their hearts were still filled with questions and fear, none dared to challenge Murphy’s command.
Murphy said nothing more. He cast one final glance at the lifeless husk on the floor, then turned and strode steadily down the corridor.
And only then did a flicker of darkness surface in the depths of Murphy’s eyes.