The cleaners moved in perfect order.
They were professionals in these areas so the traps didn't slow them down.
They were even aware of the structure of this complex underground laboratory, so they knew where to move.
Hans bit his fingernails as he was receiving real-time reports of the cleaners' movements through the mice.
'It's not going to work like this. At this rate, they'll reach us in 5-10 minutes.'
Rudger left to kill Duke Ludwig Venkanto, the leader of all this, so it was Hans' responsibility to protect this place.
'Of course, there's the little dwarf kid.'
Honestly, Hans could not have lasted this much time alone if it wasn't for Seridan's explosives but the opponent was more formidable than he thought.
"What are you going to do now? Do you have anything in mind?"
Seridan next to him asked inquisitively.
Hans managed to open his tight-lipped mouth.
"There's one thing. I wasn't going to use this method."
The herd of mice that caught Hans' eyes began to move in perfect order.
* * *
The cleaner's leader felt something strange.
"What is this?"
It was a strange sensation of tingling and a signal from his instinct that something was happening. However, no matter how wide he opened his eyes and looked around, he could not find anything strange except for the explosive traps hanging from the ceiling but they avoided them easily.
They knew that the other party was trying to buy time so they had to move fast.
"Leader, is there a problem?"
"No, it's nothing."
It was the moment when the leader of the cleaners tried to move again, saying it was nothing that the sound of rats coming was heard.
There were rats everywhere, but the cleaner's leader felt something different this time.
'Were there always this many rats here?'
They received information that the laboratory was built in an abandoned mine but there could not be so many mice.
In addition, the movements of the mice were somewhat strange. They were crawling up pipes and walls were moving toward one target. And the cleaner's leader noticed what the herd of rats was going to do.
"……Get everybody out of here now!"
"What?"
"Come on!"
In the moment when the leader of the cleaner shouted, the booby traps that the cleaners were deliberately avoiding were forcibly triggered by the rats.
"Kwagwa-gwa-gwa-gwa-gwa-gwang!"
A huge explosion engulfed the surrounding area.
Hans closed his eyes with a complex face at the explosion and vibration felt above his head.
'I'm sorry, guys.'
Hans, who carried out a suicide attack using his mice, felt a strange feeling that was hard to describe.
He shouldn't have cared how many mice like that died, but it was strangely heartbreaking.
After a few moments Hans opened his eyes wide after receiving signals from some mice.
"They are alive?"
To his surprise, the cleaners were alive.
'Not everyone. Obviously their numbers decreased, but how the hell?'
Hans could understand the reason by looking at the people who got up in the wreckage.
'Protective magic gear! You're wearing that expensive thing?'
The elite cleaners, including the leader, were wearing protective magic gear, an object that automatically activates a defensive magic when a strong impact is applied.
It's inferior to artifacts but it was like a spare life for those who live on the edge.
Although their lives were saved they weren't exactly unscathed either. The shock of the explosion and the collapsed debris wounded them even though they were wearing protective gear.
In addition, the cleaners who didn't wear protective clothing were all crushed to death by the rubble and the team of about 30 people quickly dropped to 7.
"Even so, this is not enough."
If you can't completely eliminate them you'll only anger the enemy. In fact, now the cleaner's leader was distorting his face because of what happened.
When he frowned with his face covered with blood he looked like a devil that crawled up from hell.
He began to shoot the rats in front of him.
'I was caught.'
Hans called all the rats back.
The cleaners also noticed something about the mice since a bomb was detonated using them so they had no choice but to notice unless they were fools.
"How did it go?"
Seridan asked just in case.
"……there are still survivors."
" How the hell?"
"They were wearing expensive equipment. Of course, they barely survived, so their condition is not very good, but they've very angry."
"How many?"
"Seven people."
"It has definitely decreased compared to before. So what are you going to do now?"
"I don't know and we are also out of traps."
"That's why I'm asking."
Hans hesitated for a moment and took a small tooth out of his waist.
"……run away."
"What?"
"I can't fight either, but at least I can slow them down for a while."
It was not that Hans didn't think about running away, either. Whatever happens to the little boy sleeping in that glass tube, it has nothing to do with him.
He didn't have to fight for his life in a place like this to protect that child. He had no responsibility to do that but Rudger asked him to protect this place.
"……I will also run away after I delay them for a while."
So he couldn't back down.
He was always running away with his power, but he thought he couldn't do it at least now.
Seridan opened his eyes wide at Hans' words, then she burst into laughter and slapped Hans on the back with his hand.
"Argh! What!"
"No. I thought you were pretty good."
"What do you mean?"
"I thought you were just a nerd who was always looking at the atmosphere and the mood but what you did a while ago changed my mind. Yeah, you don't want to fight, but sometimes you have to fight. So I'll help you, too."
"You might die. This has nothing to do with you."
"Two is better than one, isn't it? In addition, I've been marked by them anyway, so it doesn't matter."
Seridan smiled and asked Hans.
"So what are you going to do? If you refuse, I will go to fight alone."
"……don't just interrupt."
Hans said so and put the teeth of a large beast in the back of his hand. Soon Hans' body swelled up and turned into a bear. The torn hem of the clothes flowed down through the swelling brown hairs.
Seridan saw the figure, then grabbed the fur and climbed on top of Hans.
"Well, then, let's have a fight! Bear Rider, here we go!"
"Don't call me weird names."
Hans growled and was ready to welcome the cleaners.
* * *
Reaching the coal mine, Rudger squinted at the footprints inside.
The number is about 30, a considerable number of people infiltrated inside.
Rudger ran fast inwards.
The wreckage of the released booby traps was scattered everywhere along with the traps that didn't work properly.
Rudger realized that things were going worse.
'This is…'
When the coal mine disappeared and the large area of the secret laboratory appeared, Rudger stopped to look at the collapsed debris.
The blood flowing from under the rubble showed that they had just died.
'There's no way they made a mistake while releasing the trap. Hans and Sheridan did something as a special measure.'
Thud!
At that moment, he felt a slight vibration below and a roar like that of a giant bear was heard immediately after.
"Hans?"
There were no animals in this place, so it was clear that this sound belonged to Hans.
This would mean that stayed to fight instead of running.
Rudger immediately guessed the location of the source of the sound with his eyes and used shadow movement magic.
It was a situation where the coordinates might be twisted but now it was not a situation to think about it.
Rudger raised his curled body in the changed landscape. His head was spinning because he consumed too much mana for a moment, but it was bearable.
The sticky tar-like shadow clung to his body and flowed down as Rudger looked around before examining his physical condition.
"Hans."
Rudger, who saw a huge bear stuck in a corner of the laboratory, along with Seridan, who seemed very tired. Perhaps she also participated in the fight; however, there were no wounds on her body because Hans acted as a shield.
"……Brother."
Hans, whose brown fur was all red, grinned at Rudger. His relieved face contained the conviction that this situation was over.
"Who are you?"
The leader of the cleaners, who was in the midst of a confrontation, glared at Rudger with bloodshot eyes. He was also in a pretty fierce battle, breathing heavily, and there were wounds everywhere on his body.
Three of the elite who came with him were killed by Seridan's bomb and he was in a very bad mood now because of that.
Killing all the guys here wasn't enough to relieve his anger.
He fell into a pitfall, fought a dwarf girl with a giant bear monster, and lost his precious men. This was not at a level that could be restored, even if he was paid by the client.
Of course, it is true that there's always danger in this industry. Still, when he saw what he lost, he couldn't help but feel bitter.
"Are you with the guys here?"
However, the reason why he didn't attack Rudger immediately was because of his instinct.
'I didn't feel his coming this far.'
This man appeared out of nowhere, as if he had sprung up in the air. In addition, the fierce atmosphere he emitted showed that he was stronger than them.
'Even so, if the opponent is careless, I can end it with a surprise attack.'
The cleaner's leader knew that fights couldn't be won just because someone was strong. The strong don't win, the winners are strong.
Winning and surviving at all costs was the only belief he had.
'If I find a gap……Right now!'
The cleaner's leader immediately took out his hidden pistol and aimed it at Rudger's forehead however his head was cut off before he could shoot.
"Boss, boss?"
His men were surprised and tried to attack Rudger, but it was already a priority for Rudger's shadow to devour the cleaners.
Hans felt both despondent and relieved when he saw the situation being cleared up in an instant.
"I can't believe he overpowered the opponents who we barely fought in an instant."
"……Nari, you're so strong."
The exhausted bear and the dwarf girl looked at each other and soon burst into a smirk.
Rudger approached those two.
"It is not yet time for relief. Hans, how did the experiment go?"
"I don't know, I was too focused on them."
Rudger handed Hans a neutralizer along with a cure.
Hans sprayed the cure on his body and injected a neutralizer. His wounds were not deep thanks to the hard and tough bear's leather. Still, it couldn't be helped that it hurt, so Hans frowned.
"I can't do this again. It's fortunate that the bullet did not penetrate the inside of the skin."
"But you didn't use 'the tooth.'"
"……I don't know what will happen if I use it in the first place."
Hans quickly changed into his pre-prepared clothes and the three headed straight to the laboratory.
Despite the dire situation, the laboratory did not suffer any damage.
Rudger looked at Arte, who had his eyes closed inside the laboratory.
"The transfer of the soul is over but it looks like he needs some time to sync."
"Is that so?"
Automaton Alpha, the prototype of the Steel Chapel.
Rudger, who was looking at the boy sleeping in the capsule, raised his head.
"Brother?"
Hans wondered at Rudger's abnormal behavior and asked.
"…Hans, Seridan, the two of you, hurry up and escape this place."
"What? Wait a minute. Why are you suddenly saying that?"
"It's coming."
Hans and Sheridan did not understand the meaning of Rudger's words.
"Who the hell is……?"
"Whoo-whoo-whoo-whoo-whoo-!!!"
At that moment, a huge vibration that rang through the entire underground laboratory spread from above.
The green "liquids" containing the experiments began to shake as if they were in an earthquake.
"Kaga gaga gak! Kagu gugung!"
The sound of something grinding and collapsing gradually got closer.
"Hey, what is this……?"
Unlike the bewildered Hans, Rudger stared at the ceiling. No, at someone beyond that.
"She must be very angry. She chased me all the way here and now she's trying to drill a hole in the ground."
Rudger calmly opened his mouth because he was vaguely expecting this to happen.
"Do you want to catch me so badly, Casey Selmore?"