On the other side of town, not long after the village chief had departed, he stumbled upon a pack of grey wolves in the woods. Even though Ashen King was dead, there were still many wolf packs in these woods. Usually, they obeyed the village chief's commands, but today, for some unknown reason, they showed no respect.
They growled and started to approach. The village chief, realizing the danger, shouted, "Watch out for their sneak attacks!"
Unfortunately, his warning came too late. Many were already overpowered and struggling against the wolves, creating utter chaos.
Just as the standoff seemed to go nowhere, numerous snakes also emerged from the trees.
In the darkness, they flicked their bright red tongues, eager to taste blood.
The snake closest to the village chief opened its gaping maw to strike, but the village chief, with a squint, threw one of his men towards it.
"Ahh!"
A scream echoed through the woods, disturbing many birds and instantly changing the atmosphere.
"Useless! What are you staring at? Finish them off, or you'll regret it!"
Despite the village chief's words, everyone seemed dispirited, facing defeat against these wild beasts.
Connor, from the control room, noticed a small disc left in the lab and, with a smile, called the village chief.
That very call attracted the attention of the grey wolves. The ones that were mauling their prey instantly abandoned them and started approaching the village chief.
"Damn it!" the village chief cursed, seeing the caller ID and reluctantly answered the call.
"What's going on over there?" Connor asked casually.
Before the village chief could reply, he shoved a branch into a wolf's mouth, dropping the phone in the process.
Connor heard nothing but animal roars and human screams, causing his face to turn serious. "What's happening?"
Defending against the wolves, the village chief managed to say, "Vivienne, that damn girl, and Percival might have breached the place. Sebastian's gone – he is Percival!"
Connor's forehead vein throbbed. "I told you something was off with him, and you're just realizing this now? What have you been doing?!"
The village chief, ashamed, couldn't retort to Connor's reprimands.
"Now, pull the crooked tree to your left, and don't upset me further," Connor ordered before hanging up to continue monitoring the screens, now devoid of any movement.
Vivienne, having noticed the hidden cameras in the darkness, had covered the screens the moment she entered.
When Vivienne and Percival met at the lowest level, they hadn't even had time to speak before hearing a scream from inside.
The brief cry, though short, was clear to both of them. "Let's see what's happening."
Vivienne led the way, but all they saw were cold walls, with no more sounds.
"Could we be in the wrong place? This is the last level," Percival said, his face darkening.
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