Nikke, something’s seriously wrong with this evacuation point! Chapter 112 112: You Underestimate the Central Government

"That should about do it."

Charon let out a breath of relief. In front of him, the Rapture-core generator had begun emitting a faint hum as it slowly started up.

Since it had been built by Abe, even though the exterior looked sowhat rough around the edges, there were no issues with its actual functionality. A Tyrant-class Rapture core produced more than enough power to keep the laboratory running for a very long ti. And since the lee squad's Nikkes barely needed any high-energy-consuming equipnt, as long as the generator itself wasn't physically destroyed, they wouldn't need to worry about energy for quite so ti.

As the lights flickered on, the laboratory that had been sealed away for years finally welcod a kind of "rebirth."

Professor Abe had already cut the connection. Since geothermal generators weren't her area of expertise, she needed ti to study it first. Only after figuring out a repair plan would she contact him again.

Charon was deeply grateful for that. Without Abe, this "shelter" would never have had a chance to start up again.

[Rather than saying useless things like that, you'd be better off rembering all of this and repaying properly in the future.]

That was the final thing she had said before leaving. Charon engraved those words into mory. The next ti he returned, he would bring Abe a suitable little "miracle gadget." As for exactly what, he still needed to think it over carefully once he got back.

Earlier, he had already handed over the indoor agriculture system he ntioned to Rose. At this point, power, water supply, ventilation, and food production had all been solved.

What ca next was sothing the lee squad needed to learn themselves. Rose could not depend on Charon forever to handle everything for them. The most he could do was teach them how to survive and build the foundations they needed. Beyond that, the rest would be up to them.

He explained everything carefully, and Rose listened just as attentively. That afternoon, the two of them ran all over the laboratory, making sure every condition necessary for survival had been secured. Afterward, Charon even spoke privately with Rose for about half an hour.

No one else knew what they discussed, but Rose's emotions beca visibly complicated afterward. When Scarlet and the others returned from capturing Raptures, they were all confused, yet Rose didn't seem like soone burdened by an unsolvable problem anymore.

Instead, it looked more like she had finally figured sothing out. The whole atmosphere around her had relaxed.

At the very least, she was no longer trapped beneath the anxiety and uncertainty that had been looming over her future.

And so, night arrived.

A transport aircraft landed near the hidden laboratory, and Dorothy stepped out.

The wind was freezing, the temperature brutally low. There were barely any small animals left in the surrounding area.

Dorothy wore a white European court-style dress, radiating both nobility and elegance. Even in such harsh surroundings, she still resembled so dreamlike young noblewoman.

Combined with her pink hair, she stood out brilliantly even within the darkness.

She hadn't brought her personal weapon. Instead, she carried nothing more than an ordinary plastic paintball gun. To her, as long as it brought victory, the weapon itself didn't matter.

Charon had already entered ahead of ti and likely knew the entire interior layout by heart, but Dorothy didn't care.

If she didn't even grant him this much advantage, then the title of "Goddess of Victory" would hardly deserve its reputation.

The only thing she found strange was why he had specifically chosen nightti for the duel.

Although Nikkes required rest just like humans, rely staying up for a single night was insignificant to her.

Following the indicated route, she stepped into the passage leading into the laboratory.

The interior lights had not been activated. Only dim, flickering ergency lights marked the way forward, while everything else remained swallowed by darkness.

The sound of high heels echoed steadily as she moved deeper inside.

The place was far from silent. The twenty or so Raptures captured beforehand had already been modified and were now rampaging throughout the enormous facility. Of course, they posed no real threat.

Interesting. Using the sounds of the Raptures to cover his own movents?

Too naïve.

Dorothy suddenly stopped mid-step. Her body seed to glide backward as though pulled by an invisible force.

At that exact mont, a paintball shot flew past directly in front of her face and splattered against the floor, paint bursting outward without a single drop touching her.

Dorothy raised her gun and fired once.

At the sa instant, Charon rolled across the floor, narrowly avoiding the paintball aid straight at his head. His body vanished around the end of the corridor in the blink of an eye.

"Your heartbeat is too loud, Lieutenant. If you think darkness alone can hide you from my senses, then you are even more naïve than I imagined."

Regardless of whether he could hear her or not, Dorothy maintained her elegant posture and continued forward.

She had no interest in where he was trying to lure her. There was no need for her to rush the attack. No matter what tricks her opponent used, she only needed to respond and counterattack.

Charging recklessly ahead did not fit her aesthetics.

At that mont, one of the Raptures opened fire on her with a barrage of paintballs, yet she casually dodged every single shot.

On the battlefield, Dorothy was practically untouchable. Even after battles, her clothes often remained spotless. That wasn't simply because she fought from long range–her movent techniques themselves were absurdly refined.

In an instant, she appeared directly before the low-level Rapture. Her high heel crushed it beneath her foot, the machine shattering instantly without leaving even the slightest mark on her shoe.

Ignoring the scattered wreckage, she continued onward.

She wasn't in a hurry at all. The man's footsteps echoed clearly in her ears. Tracking him was far too easy.

What she enjoyed was the sensation of a cat toying with a mouse.

This was punishnt for provoking a Goddess of Victory.

Once the battle ended, she intended to personally send this man before a military tribunal. That was the duty of a Goddess of Victory.

Yet at that mont, the man's voice echoed from sowhere in the distance.

If not for the stillness of the night, she might not even have been able to hear him clearly.

"Aren't you curious, Dorothy? Why the Central Governnt is so desperate to get rid of this lee squad?"

"I have no interest in idle conversation. Besides, the truth behind this matter has already been clarified, and the responsible parties have been punished. If you intend to shake my resolve with this kind of tactic, it is aningless."

"No, no, no, Dorothy. You underestimate the Central Governnt. You underestimate humanity."

Charon's voice remained neither too near nor too far away.

"Sotis, the people who appear to take the bla are rely disposable political scapegoats. The true mastermind loses nothing more than one pawn."

"And soone like that?"

"He probably has dozens more."

"How boring."