Sandrone paused briefly, a faint smile on her lips.
“After all, as you well know, I have always been quite interested in the Doctor’s ‘ingenious’ experiments.” The Tsaritsa ignored Sandrone entirely.
She rose slowly, and a biting, commanding pressure filled the council chamber.
“Hear my decree.” “First, effective immediately, Dottore’s main laboratory and its surrounding areas are designated a maximum forbidden zone.
Pierro will personally lead the effort, in conjunction with Capitano’s direct guard, to enforce full-spectrum energy blockade and physical isolation.
No one is to approach, pending further resolution protocols.” “Second, activate ‘Snowy Owl’ at the highest clearance.
Mobilize all of the Fatui’s overt and covert intelligence assets across the Seven Nations.
At any cost, search for Dottore’s whereabouts in secret.
If he lives, we will find him.
If he is dead…” She paused.
“…his status must be confirmed.” “Third, this matter is classified at the highest level of secrecy.
Externally, announce that Dottore is carrying out a long-term classified mission.
Internally…” Her gaze swept over those present.
“Keep your subordinates under control.
I do not wish to hear any unnecessary speculation or rumors.” “Yes, in strict accordance with Your Majesty’s decree,” everyone answered in unison.
Crucabena gave a slight bow and cast a meaningful glance at Sandrone.
“It seems certain someone’s little schemes are about to come to nothing.” Sandrone let out a cold snort.
“Since there is nothing for me here, I shall take my leave.
Let us hope our wayward Second Seat returns soon.
After all…” She glanced back at Pierro.
“Someone has to clean up his mess.” After the others had departed, the Tsaritsa stood alone before the great ice window, gazing out at the eternal snowscape.
“Dottore…
I hope you do not…
burn yourself playing with fire,” she murmured under her breath.
Outside the council chamber, Sandrone looked back in the direction of the heavily guarded laboratory.
The careless expression on her face had long since vanished, replaced by a sharp, pensive look.
“Vanished?
How intriguing…
Dottore, what exactly are you up to?
I will get to the bottom of this.” Her thoughts drifted to that anomalous energy fluctuation that had emanated from the direction of Dottore’s laboratory.
Though it had been brief and quickly suppressed, it was no ordinary experimental accident.
The sensation had been more like…
the twisted feeling of something forcibly torn open and then barely stitched back together.
Her fingers tapped unconsciously against the object in her hand.
“That fool Crucabena knows only how to sneer, Pierro’s judgment is clouded by anger, and Her Majesty is far too cautious.” As she brooded, a Debt Collector appeared silently at the end of the corridor and bowed to her.
“Lady Sandrone, Lord Director has ordered that all Harbingers are not to leave Zapolyarny Palace for the time being.” Sandrone raised an eyebrow.
“House arrest?” “It is to facilitate timely communication regarding news of the Doctor,” the agent replied flawlessly.
She gave a cold laugh and waved him off.
Pierro had moved even faster than she had anticipated.
But this only confirmed her suspicions: a greater secret lay behind Dottore’s disappearance.
In a training ground hastily set up near the Doctor’s laboratory, two figures conferred in secret.
“I will assign additional personnel to monitor the borders,” Capitano said at last.
“If he has truly left…” “Then it is all the more imperative that we find him and bring him back.” Pierro’s voice was resolute beyond question.
Three days later, atop the highest observation platform of Doomsday Bastion, Dottore was making his final preparations.
The pale blue Elemental Purification Arrays were running steadily along the stronghold’s perimeter, having nearly doubled the size of the secured zone.
“Mister Dottore, here are the latest energy readings from the central zone.” Old Jean handed over a data pad, his tone full of worry.
“The fluctuations are growing more and more violent.
It’s practically like…
a volcanic crater about to erupt.” General Victor pointed at the area marked in deep crimson on the holographic map.
“This is where our last reconnaissance signal was cut off.
According to the fragments that were transmitted back, the spatial structure there is extremely unstable.
There have even been…
peculiar flashing phenomena.” Dottore scanned the data rapidly, and his gaze suddenly stopped on an anomalous peak in the energy spectrum analysis chart.
“This frequency…” he murmured to himself, tapping the screen with his fingertip to enlarge the image.
“It has a 12.7% congruence with the characteristics of ‘world boundary abrasion’ recorded in certain ancient civilization ruins.” The discovery deepened his gaze.
Though the congruence was not high, it might be the first time he had observed a phenomenon related to world boundaries in reality.
“I need to depart at once.” Dottore set down the data pad and walked toward the edge of the observation platform.
“Now?” General Victor hurried to block his path.
“The protective suit we prepared for you is still undergoing final testing.
It needs at least…” “Any protective gear is utterly meaningless in the face of a spatial rift.” Dottore cut him off, his eyes sweeping over the holographic map.
He could feel a faint vibration emanating from the spacetime pocket watch tucked against his chest.
The longer he remained in this spacetime, the more the watch’s energy depleted.
The cracks on its casing had deepened further compared to three days ago.
Old Jean pushed up his glasses and asked nervously, “Mister Dottore, are you certain you don’t need us to dispatch a support squad?
Even just for remote monitoring…” “Monitoring?” Dottore let out a soft chuckle and took out a palm-sized silver device from within his coat.
“That won’t be necessary.
This detector will automatically sync all data and transmit it back to the stronghold.” He paused and added, “One more thing.
If I lose contact, immediately activate the stronghold’s highest defense level.
The spatial anomalies there could trigger a chain reaction.” General Victor accepted the detector with a grave expression.
“Understood.
Please exercise the utmost caution.” Dottore offered no further words.
Clutching his communicator, he leaped from the observation platform.
Before the astonished eyes of everyone present, he did not fall.
Instead, he suspended himself in midair, his silver hair drifting gently in the alien world’s wind.
“Wait!” Old Jean suddenly shouted.
“Mister Dottore, if you encounter something beyond comprehension, please prioritize your own safety!
We can still search for other solutions!” Dottore glanced back at him, the faintest hint of a curve tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“Rest assured.
Before I leave, I will resolve your troubles here.
That is our contract.” His words had barely faded when his form transformed into a streak of blue light and shot off at great speed toward the distant contamination core zone.
The closer he drew to the central zone, the more bizarre the environment became.
The earth was entirely covered by the viscous Void Filth, forming a ceaselessly writhing black marsh.
A pungent stench of sulfur filled the air.
The light here was twisted and deformed, as if the world were being viewed through a shattered prism.
“The spatial structure is indeed deteriorating,” Dottore noted as he flew, recording the surrounding environmental data as he went.
“Stability is less than one thirty-seventh.” Suddenly, a teeth-grating tearing sound came from ahead.
Dozens of misshapen, contaminated creatures rose from the black marsh.
Their bodies were even more massive than those he had encountered before, and the black sludge on their forms churned violently, as if boiling.
Dottore was about to move and clean them up when the spacetime pocket watch against his chest emitted a violent jolt.
He pulled out the watch and saw that its core was oscillating wildly, and the cracks on its casing were spreading at a speed visible to the naked eye.
“The spatial interference is worse than I anticipated,” he muttered with a frown.
“This makeshift device won’t hold out much longer.” Just then, the contaminated creatures seemed to sense the unique fluctuations radiating from the spacetime pocket watch and grew even more frenzied.
They let out piercing shrieks and lunged madly toward Dottore.
Dottore gave a cold snort and raised his right hand slightly.
“Velocity-rate force field.” The movements of the several contaminated creatures leading the charge instantly slowed to an extreme crawl, as though they were insects trapped in amber.
But to his surprise, the creatures behind them began to absorb the energy of their vanguard companions, their bodies rapidly swelling in size.
They forcibly tore through the velocity-rate force field’s restraints.
“Their energy absorption instinct has evolved?” A flicker of surprise crossed Dottore’s eyes.
“No.
It’s an adaptive mutation induced by environmental pressure.”