Across the rain-soaked alleys, the crimson radar pulse guided Leo toward the canal, flashing in his field of view.
The signal led toward the perimeter of an abandoned meatpacking plant that stood like a dark silhouette against the smoggy horizon.
Corroded gantries hung over the stagnant water, creaking softly in the nocturnal breeze of the late night.
With his Perception attribute raised to eleven, his hearing picked up subtle environmental sounds, registering them with astonishing clarity.
He heard the rhythmic drip of drainage pipes three blocks away, the hum of subterranean generators, and the coarse voices of two guards stationed by the loading bay.
"Boss Flint wants the transport moving before dawn," one guard grunted, flicking a glowing cigarette into the weeds.
"Apex Bio-Tech promised twenty thousand credits for the whole shipment once we deliver them to the sub-level laboratory."
"Ugh, I just hope the boss doesn’t take another cut from our cut," the second guard complained, leaning his back against the fence.
"We took all the physical risk raiding that charity clinic in the afternoon."
"Stop whining," the first guard barked, checking the electrical charge on his shock baton.
"Kincaid breached the clinic doors and cracked the security lock himself."
’Twenty thousand credits for kidnapping innocent healers,’ he thought, crouching low behind a row of dumpsters as his jaw tightened with unspoken rage.
He slipped through an opening in the perimeter fence, his footsteps making zero sound, carrying him across the gravel yard.
A sweeping searchlight washed over the pavement, but he moved beneath the glare with fluid speed before the beam touched his jacket.
He reached the service door near the drainage conduit, finding the lock cylinder already pried open from the earlier raid.
He eased the door inward and stepped inside, entering the dim slaughter floor where the air smelled of stale brine and dried blood.
Rows of empty overhead hooks stretched into the gloom, swaying faintly in the draft that rose from the basement levels.
Discarded medical kits, cracked glass vials, and ragged bandages littered the floor near the freight lift, left behind in the chaotic struggle.
’The kidnappers didn’t even bother cleaning up their tracks,’ he noted, stepping carefully over a broken glass syringe.
’They know the corrupt municipal marshals will never investigate a charity clinic in the slums.’
He followed the blinking red beacon on his display, heading toward the stone stairwell leading into the basement refrigeration vaults.
Chill air spilled upward from the depths, chilling the sweat on his brow as he reached the top landing of the stairs.
He descended into the sub-level without making a creak, balancing his weight across his toes as the temperature dropped sharply.
Muffled whimpers and the sound of stifled weeping drifted through the corridor, escaping from behind a set of reinforced freezer doors.
’Multiple captives are trapped inside,’ he realized, his fingers tightening around the cold grip of the crowbar in his pocket.
He reached the threshold, easing the freezer door open an inch, peering into the frozen chamber.
Frost coated the walls, illuminated by the sickly glow of a work lamp hanging from an exposed ceiling cable.
In the center of the room, several young women were trapped inside holding cages welded to the floor.
Most of the captives huddled in corners, trembling with their arms wrapped around their knees as muffled sobs broke from their throats.
In the middle cage, a young woman in stained scrubs held a weeping teenage girl protectively against her chest.
She had wavy honey-caramel hair spilling over her shoulders, warm amber eyes, and soft curves that strained against her clinical uniform.
"They won’t touch you while I am breathing," Luna promised, wrapping her arms tighter around the younger girl.
"Keep your head down and stay behind me no matter what happens."
She raised her right palm, letting a ribbon of healing vitality ether flow over the girl’s shoulders, soothing the biting winter.
"Ah..." The green warmth spread across the girl’s skin, easing the shivers in her limbs and closing a shallow scrape on her forearm.
The moment his eyes locked onto her face, the All-Spark core inside his chest surged with a wave of rose-gold heat.
A radiant pulse swept through his bloodstream, flashing a vivid pink status window across his line of sight.
[ High-Resonance Female Target Detected ]
[ Target: Luna ]
[ Age: 25 ]
[ Innate Affinity: Pure Vitality / Life Ether ]
[ Emotional State: Frightened, Protective, Resolute ]
[ Heroine Slot 1 Unlocked: Luna ]
[ Initial Emotional Resonance: 15% ]
[ Duo-Quest Activated: The Rescue In Cold Storage ]
[ Combat Objective: Neutralize F-Rank Bounty Target "Bone-Splitter" Kincaid ]
[ Combat Reward: +1,500 EXP | 20,000 Credits Auto-Wire Bounty | +5 Free Stat Points ]
[ Desire Objective: Rescue Luna And Erase Her Terror ]
[ Desire Reward: +500 Desire EXP | Luna Emotional Resonance +20% | Love Rate Multiplier Active (1.5x) ]
’She carries an awakened healing strain,’ he thought, watching the emerald light soothe the frightened girl inside the cage.
’Apex Bio-Tech wants her for genetic vitality extraction, and Kincaid is their paid delivery dog.’
A sudden thud rattled the stairwell outside, followed by the sound of feet descending the stone steps.
"Eek! He is back," one of the caged women whimpered in terror, shrinking against the back of the grating.
The double freezer doors slammed open against the wall, rattling the overhead lamp on its hanging cord.
A muscular brawler stepped into the refrigeration room, his thick forearms covered in scar tissue beneath a sleeveless leather vest.
Over his right shoulder rested a four-foot hydraulic cleaver, its serrated edge glinting under the electric light.
Two syndicate enforcers followed behind him, carrying zip-ties and stun batons while sneering at the captives.
"Silence, cattle!" the brute barked, slamming the flat of his notched cleaver against the cage bars with a ringing crack.
"Kyaaa!" The captive women screamed, covering their ears as the violent vibration shook the entire room.
"Time to load the transport," Kincaid sneered, flashing a cruel grin full of capped teeth.
"Apex sent the transport vans, and the corporate doctors pay double for undamaged stock."
"Boss, which one goes into the primary stasis tank?" one of the thugs asked, pointing a stun baton toward the center cage.
"The nurse, obviously," Kincaid grunted, spitting onto the frosted floor.
"Her genetic healing strain is worth more than this entire warehouse district combined."
Luna stood up inside her cage, placing herself squarely between the brutal enforcer and the younger girl behind her.
"Leave the girl alone, Kincaid," she said, her voice shaking slightly despite the fierce defiance in her gaze.
"She is an apprentice with zero awakened abilities, so take me and release the rest of the clinic staff."
"Hah! Look at the brave little nurse trying to play hero," Kincaid laughed, leaning down until his scarred face was inches from the bars.
"Don’t worry, sweetheart, because Apex has a stasis tank reserved just for your pretty neck."
He reached for the padlock on the cage door, his hydraulic cleaver humming as its internal piston charged with compressed ether.
High above the freezer floor, concealed in the deep shadows of the ceiling rails, a hooded figure crouched silently along the support beams.
He pulled his hood forward, his eyes burning violet as his fingers locked around the shaft of his crowbar.
He dropped from the rafters, plunging toward the brute’s exposed neck with lethal speed.