The buzzing of the fluorescent lights in the secret CIA facility known as Camp G was constant and maddening.
Arthur sighed, adjusting the tactical belt of his uniform. He was just a Level 1 guard. Cannon fodder. If anyone broke into that place, he would be the first to die.
Suddenly, a translucent blue interface flashed before his eyes. He had already gotten used to it over the past two hours.
[HOST STATUS]
Name: Arthur
Level: 1
Class: None
[ATTRIBUTES]
Strength: E
Agility: E-
Endurance: E
Intelligence: D-
Perception: E+
Innate Talent: [100x Multiplier] (Passive/Active) — All experience, proficiency, and rewards gained are multiplied by 100.
The attributes ranged from E- (the weakest human imaginable) to EX (the pinnacle of the impossible). And Arthur was at rock bottom.
Before he could test anything, the facility's alarms began blaring. A red light bathed the white corridors.
“Attention, all units!” Marissa Wiegler's cold voice echoed through the speakers. “The package has been secured. Prepare Containment Room 4. Maximum security protocol.”
Heavy footsteps echoed down the corridor. An elite tactical squad marched past, dragging a restrained figure in heavy chains and a modified straitjacket.
It was a girl. Blonde, small, looking no older than fifteen or sixteen. But her eyes... Arthur felt a chill run down his spine. They weren't the eyes of a frightened teenager. They were the eyes of a cornered wolf, calculating every weakness, every heartbeat, every possible escape route.
It was Hanna.
They threw her into the reinforced glass cell in the center of Room 4. Arthur was assigned, along with three other guards, to stand at the door.
Marissa Wiegler watched everything from the other side of the glass, her eyes shining with a mixture of relief and cold triumph.
Arthur discreetly glanced at the girl inside the cell. She was sitting motionless on the concrete floor. Her breathing was so controlled that her chest barely moved. She was listening. Feeling the vibrations.
That was when the System beeped.
[ALERT!] High-Risk Entity Detected: Hanna (Utrax Project)
Danger Level: A-
[Mission Generated: First Contact]
Objective: Establish any form of communication with Hanna without alerting your superiors.
Base Reward: +10 Experience Points, +1 Free Attribute Point.
Arthur swallowed hard. Ten experience points? That's nothing. But then he remembered his talent.
He observed Hanna's breathing. It was an advanced military technique for lowering the heart rate and simulating relaxation while keeping the muscles ready to explode into action. Arthur tried to imitate the rhythm. Inhale, hold, exhale slowly.
[You attempted to learn an advanced breathing technique.]
Proficiency gained: +1.
[100x Multiplier Talent Activated!]
Proficiency gained: +100!
[New Skill Unlocked: Stealth Breathing (Rank D-)]
Arthur's lungs seemed to expand. A sudden mental clarity struck his brain. He felt as though he could run for miles without getting tired. Just from watching her for ten seconds!
Inside the cell, Hanna's eyes opened. Ice blue, piercing.
She turned her head by the slightest degree, looking through the thick glass, ignoring the researchers, ignoring Marissa. Her gaze locked directly onto Arthur. She had noticed the change in his breathing rhythm. The predator recognized that there was another being trying to camouflage itself in the room.
Taking advantage of Marissa turning to speak with a scientist, Arthur took an almost imperceptible step forward. He couldn't speak; the microphones would pick it up. But he could use Morse code.
He tapped his index finger against the rifle he was holding, producing a hollow, faint sound that he knew Hanna's enhanced hearing would pick up.
TAP... TAP... TAP. (I-A-M) TAP... TAP... (H-E-R-E) TAP. (T-O) TAP... TAP. (H-E-L-P)
Hanna's expression didn't change. But the little finger of her right hand, which was tied near her knee, tapped twice against the concrete floor.
W-H-Y?
Arthur smiled inwardly and tapped back.
C-O-M-M-O-N E-N-E-M-Y.
The System beeped frantically.
[Mission Completed: First Contact]
Base Reward Received: +10 EXP, +1 Free Attribute Point.
[100x Multiplier Talent Activated!]
Final Reward: +1,000 EXP, +100 Free Attribute Points!
[The Host Leveled Up!]
[The Host Leveled Up!]
[The Host Leveled Up!]...
Arthur felt a torrent of energy flood through his veins. 100 attribute points to distribute. With that, he would no longer be just an E-rank guard.
He was about to tear that entire facility apart, and the Utrax wolf would be his ally