The cutting wind of the Moroccan desert whipped across Arthur and Hanna's faces as they rolled out of the ventilation duct. An expanse of sand and rock stretched beneath the cold moonlight, while the muffled alarms of Camp G continued echoing in the distance, fading into distant noises.
Arthur took a deep breath of the dry air. His new attributes kept his lungs steady and his body warm despite the sudden drop in temperature.
Hanna was already on her feet. Her eyes swept across the horizon with surgical precision, her muscles tense like guitar strings ready to snap should any military vehicle appear among the dunes. She didn't say a word, but took two steps south, indicating that she knew the general direction away from the main facility.
[You survived the containment zone and adapted to the hostile environment.] Proficiency gained: +1. [100x Multiplier Talent Activated!] Proficiency gained: +100!
[Skill Unlocked: Extreme Survival (Rank F) ➔ Evolved to (Rank D)]
(Effect: Reduces the impact of fatigue, hunger, and extreme climates on the host's body.)
Arthur glanced at the notification. The system's usefulness in real-life situations was frightening. He stepped forward to follow Hanna, but kept a respectful distance. Invading the personal space of a newly freed killing machine was the fastest way to end up with a knife in his throat.
"They'll send trackers within twenty minutes," Arthur said quietly, making sure his tone remained strictly practical. "The eastern perimeter has less cover, but the jeep patrols use thermal sensors. We need to move through the rock formations."
Hanna stopped for a fraction of a second. She slightly turned her head, looking back at Arthur with a mixture of caution and cold curiosity. He wasn't begging for protection, nor was he acting like a superior. He was plotting their route with the same cold logic she herself used.
Without answering, she changed direction, slipping into a narrow gap between two dark rock formations that blocked any thermal signatures coming from the base.
Her silent acceptance was the best response he could have asked for.
Meanwhile, miles behind them, in the main command room of Camp G, the silence was deadly.
Marissa Wiegler stared at the burned-out surveillance monitors and casualty reports. Her fingers gripped the edge of the metal table so tightly that her knuckles had turned white. Twelve elite agents and four low-level guards had been killed in less than three minutes.
"The perimeter was breached through the northern sector," reported one of the field operators, his voice trembling. "We found the containment team's bodies... all of them were taken down with precise shots to the blind spots in their body armor."
Marissa narrowed her eyes, her jaw clenched. It wasn't just Hanna. The girl had been trained to kill, but she needed time and absolute chaos to cause that kind of damage. Someone on the inside had opened the way, taken the crucial shots, and disappeared alongside the target.
"Who was on duty in Sector 4 with the guards who were eliminated?" Marissa asked, her voice sharp as shattered glass.
The operator quickly typed into the console, pulling up the personnel records. His eyes widened slightly.
"A Level 1 guard, ma'am... Arthur Vance. Clean file, unremarkable history... He disappeared with them."
Marissa stepped forward, a vicious, icy smile forming on her lips. An insignificant pawn had suddenly become a piece capable of changing the entire board.
"Arthur Vance..." she hissed the name as though it were poison. "Send the hounds and the aerial reconnaissance squad. They can run across the desert all they want. They'll be coming back in a zinc coffin."
Back in the maze of rocks, exhaustion seemed unable to touch Arthur's body. His new survival skill, combined with his [C]-rank Vigor, made walking for miles through the freezing wind feel like a morning stroll.
Hanna, on the other hand, was beginning to show the toll of weeks of confinement and psychological torture at Utrax. Her pace slowed slightly, and she placed one hand against the rock wall for a moment, taking a deep breath to hide her weakness. She refused to appear vulnerable.
Arthur immediately noticed the hesitation. He stopped, removed the canteen from his tactical belt, and held it out to her without making any sudden movements.
"Drink some. We need to cross the ridge before sunrise, and you won't make it if your muscles start giving out from dehydration," he said calmly.
Hanna looked at the canteen, then at Arthur's eyes. For several long seconds, the only sound was the wind whistling through the rocks. She assessed the offer, searching for any trap or psychological trick. Finding none, she abruptly took the canteen from his hand, drank a quick sip, and returned it, keeping her gaze locked on his.
This time, she didn't reach for her weapon when she turned to continue walking.
[You demonstrated tactical usefulness and basic logistical support.] Proficiency gained: +2. [100x Multiplier Talent Activated!] Proficiency gained: +200!
[Skill Unlocked: Tactical Empathy / Behavioral Reading (Rank F) ➔ Evolved to (Rank D-)]
Arthur smiled faintly. The ice surrounding the wolf was beginning to crack. And with the vast desert ahead and Marissa Wiegler right behind them, they would need every bit of synergy possible to survive what was coming.