Chapter 1744: Chapter 1560: Going back

Chapter 1744: Chapter 1560: Going back



Back in the heart of the Chaos organization's hidden headquarters, a groan of pain echoed through a dimly lit passageway. A heavy metal door slid open with a hiss, revealing Number Two stumbling into the sterile, industrial environment.

Gone was the pristine white laboratory Number Two knew. Here, flickering fluorescent lights cast long, harsh shadows across the cracked and chipped concrete floor. Cobwebs clung to the corners of the ceiling, and the air hung thick with the metallic tang of old blood and ozone.

Number Two, her once pristine white clothes now tattered and stained crimson, leaned heavily against the doorway. Her face, usually a canvas of mischievous defiance, was contorted in pain, a livid scar marring her previously smooth cheek. Her remaining arm clutched the hilt of a makeshift dagger - a poor substitute for the monstrous sword she had wielded just hours ago.

The laboratory itself was a testament to hurried use and neglect. Glass beakers filled with murky concoctions sat precariously on the brink of overflowing. Discarded wires snaked across the floor, sparking occasionally, and half-finished charts and diagrams scribbled with cryptic symbols littered the chipped countertops. In the center of the room, a pulsating sphere of swirling energy hummed ominously, casting a sickly green glow across the desolate

scene.

A lone figure hunched over a workstation, their back to Number Two. Their ragged lab coat barely concealed the telltale glint of magical runes woven into the fabric. It was Skarn, the wiry strategist of Chaos, his normally focused expression etched with worry.

He didn't turn around at the sound of the door opening. Instead, he continued muttering to himself, his voice laced with frustration. "The readings are off the charts... temporal distortions... residual chaos signatures..."

Number Two, her breath ragged, pushed herself away from the doorway. "Skarn," she rasped, her voice a hoarse whisper. "I... require medical attention."

Skarn finally whirled around, his eyes widening in surprise. He took in her state, the grimace on his face morphing into a mixture of concern and disbelief. "Number Two? What

happened?"

Skarn rushed towards Number Two, his wiry frame surprisingly agile for a man of his presumed age. He caught her before she could fully collapse, easing her down onto a nearby workbench cluttered with half-disassembled machinery.

"Easy, easy," he soothed, his voice gruff but laced with genuine concern. "Looks like Incursio gave you a real run for your money this time."

"Just a scratch," she reassured Sakuya, forcing a smile.

"A scratch?" Sakuya scoffed, her voice laced with playful exasperation.

"Coming from you, that could mean anything from a minor cut to a near-death experience." She ushered Incursio towards the palace, her brow furrowed.

Inside the cool, marble-floored palace halls, Incursio found the others - Artemia, her face etched with concern, Kuina was present as well.

"Report, Incursio," Artemia said, her voice firm. "What transpired at the ice tomb?"

Incursio launched into a detailed account of her encounter with Number Two - the raw, destructive power of Chaos, the desperate struggle against spatial distortions and temporal manipulation. She didn't shy away from the near-devastating consequences of their battle, highlighting the damage inflicted upon the containment field surrounding Maria's frozen prison.

A heavy silence descended upon the room as Incursio finished. Sakuya's expression was grim, Kuina's eyes narrowed in contemplation, and even Artemia's stoic features betrayed a flicker

of worry.

"Indeed," Kuina agreed, her voice heavy. "We can't allow them to exploit the power that lies dormant within. The consequences could be catastrophic."

"But how do we proceed?" Sakuya asked, her voice laced with frustration. "Incursio barely managed to contain Number Two, and who knows what other threats Chaos might unleash?"

Incursio, despite her fatigue, straightened her shoulders, a determined glint returning to her

eyes.

"We don't back down," she declared. "We strengthen our defenses, prepare for any contingency. And perhaps," she added, a mischievous glint flickering in her gaze, "we can use this situation to our advantage. After all, Chaos thrives on unpredictability. Let's give them something truly unexpected.