Responding to a War

Yang Xue had said that there were 24 researchers, and Zhang Jue trusted her memory. The one missing was most likely the enemy. Zhang Jue guessed that he had mixed in with these researchers and attempted to attack Yang Xue.

If he hadn't coincidentally appeared at the time and distracted Yang Xue, that person would likely have succeeded in sneaking in. Loris looked back at the colleagues lying on the ground and began to recognize their faces one by one.

"Jones, Mary, Kit, Walten...."

Loris recognized them one by one. Soon all the names were given at once. But it was useless. Now it was not to ask her who the people here were but rather to know who's the one missing. Loris pinched her brow and tried hard to remember.

"It's Kiddo. Kiddo is not here!" She shouted, a little bit pumped. "It's him. It's the person who went to the toilet. It's definitely him!"

Seeing that she had finally remembered, Zhang Jue nodded gratefully. It seemed that he had made the right choice and had not wasted his energy in getting her to wake up. So now it was almost certain that this Kiddo was the one hiding in this group. The ones who were infected by SCP-3125. He lurks here, waiting for an opportunity to attack anyone who attempts to come to his rescue. As for his ultimate goal, they didn't know what it was.

It was entirely possible for him to infect and kill everyone here, but he didn't do it. He now disappears from them, lurking in the shadows. He doesn't know what kind of tricks he is going to do again.

As the saying goes. There is no fear of thieves stealing, but there is no fear of thieves thinking about them since they're his target now.

After Loris finished speaking, she fell into silence. Needless to say, she should be missing her father.

"Advisor Zhang, Dr. Yang. Can you take me to see him?"

Yang Xue looked at Zhang Jue, who pondered for a moment and nodded his head. The three of them then went back to Gray's grave. By now, the sun had completely set, and it was completely dark.

When she came to Gray's grave, Loris did not cry. She stood quietly for a while, then slightly owed her body and bowed to her father. She knew that she was not Gray's real daughter and most likely a daughter of his colleague, but she didn't care.

Zhang Jue and Yang Xue watched her back. Five minutes later, Loris turned back and walked toward them. Zhang Jue could feel it. The aura on this girl seemed to have changed from when she turned back.

She had been a girl living under her father's wing. Now she had to bear it all by herself. There is some resemblance to Yang Xue.

Loris wiped the corners of her eyes with her sleeve and said, "Advisor Zhang, Dr. Yang. Let's go."

Zhang Jue looked at her, "Do you know what we're going to do?"

"I don't know." Loris shook her head, "But I'm more familiar with this place than you guys are. I'm always here to help."

At this moment, the sky had completely darkened—the last light of the sky. In the distance, a large dark cloud was covering this way at speed visible to the naked eye, with the momentum of a black cloud pressing down on the city.

Zhang Jue looked up with a gloomy expression.

"There's good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?"

Yang Xue glared at him, "Don't look at what time it is. Don't waste any more time. Say what you have to say!"

"Okay." Zhang Jue shrugged, "If I'm right, a storm is coming, and it's a big one. I'm afraid we won't be able to get out for the next few hours, which means we'll have to pick a spot and wait until the storm is over."

Loris followed Zhang Jue's gaze and nodded. She had lived in the desert for much longer and had more experience than Zhang Jue.

She adds, "A storm of this level lasts at least six hours or more."

"Ah, a question suddenly occurs to me." Zhang Jue said, "Your father was just buried outside by us. A storm of this magnitude might blow his body away. Should we move him back?"

"Advisor Zhang, you don't need to ask me that." Loris said, "People are dead. There is no difference in where the body was buried. I think the father didn't really mind about this problem. Now, what's the good news?"

Zhang Jue's face didn't even blush when Loris poked him. He said, "As for the good news, it's very simple. If we can't resist such a big desert storm, the enemy can't either. As long as he's still here, he can only stay in one building and can't run back and forth. We can catch him quickly!"

Yang Xue looked at Zhang Jue, "You want the three of us to divide into three separate ways and enter each of the three buildings?"

Zhang Jue nodded. "Exactly."

"No way." Yang Xue decisively rejected his proposal, "Even if he really is hiding somewhere in these three buildings. It's fine for the two of us to act alone, but not for Loris."

"I can-" Loris snapped back.

Zhang Jue scratched his head, looked at Loris's small body, then at Yang Xue, and sighed.

"Okay, I was wrong. Going separately will allow the enemy to break us down one by one. Let's stay together. So here's the question, there are three buildings in front of us plus a basement. Where should we go?"

"We can't go to the basement." Loris said, "That entrance was too low. Although, there are three buildings that could be used as a cover. But if the storm is massive, it is likely to bury the entrance completely underground, then we all have to be buried alive."

It seemed that saving this chick from waking up was really worth something. Zhang Jue nodded, and now the only options left were these three buildings above ground. Zhang Jue wasn't worried about how sturdy they were. After all these years, they were still standing in the desert, so their quality must be excellent. The Foundation never cut its budget for the construction of its sites.

Three buildings, where exactly should they go?

Zhang Jue was about to take off his shoes and use the "most scientific method".

Yang Xue suddenly shouted, "Look!"

Zhang Jue looked in the direction of her finger and saw a figure on the sixth or seventh floor of the main building looking down at them from above in the darkness. At the moment before the storm was about to come, it looked even more eerie and terrifying.

Zhang Jue immediately recognized that the black figure was the same one that had introduced them to the code pad room in the first place. Zhang Jue still can't figure out what the hell it is. But he always felt that although it looked terrifying, it didn't seem to have any combat power. It appeared there as if it was deliberately meant to be seen by them due to their presence in the building.

"What should we do now? Should we go after him?" Yang Xue was afraid that this was another trap for the enemy.

Zhang Jue pulled at the corners of his mouth, revealing an even more sinister smile.

"Since the enemy has already declared a war, there is no reason not to answer it."