Snapping back to attention, Mu You continued his search, having just found two clues.
[You continue to search as directed and finally find a broken Octave Box hidden behind the window sill.]
[You open the Octave Box only to find that it is empty.]
[Obviously, you’re a step too late; whatever was inside has already been taken by someone.]
Mu You was taken aback; the second clue had unexpectedly hit a dead end.
Adding this to the ’footprint’ hint from before, it seems someone really had been in here before and had found the diary inside the Octave Box ahead of him.
Apart from him, the only other humans that could freely access this abandoned area were obviously the ’Administrators’.
[You realize that it was possibly an Admin who got the clue before you.]
[Judging from the footprints on the ground, this person is a woman. Among the female administrators you have encountered in this underground factory, there is only one, the elderly lady in green with the bifocals!]
The Admin managed to grab the clue before him...
Mu You frowned. This meant that if he wanted all the diaries, he’d have to forcibly take them now.
After some thought, Mu You decided to first visit the central residential area of the Admins to locate this person.
Upon reaching the central area, he realized something was off.
[You see numerous cleaning robots and labor robots gathered in the area ahead with several Admins all around them. Their bodies are enveloped by Shadow Ghosts, sharp claws and fangs on display. They’re moving among the robots, mercilessly destroying them one after the other, turning them to scrap.]
Mu You was taken aback. Why were they suddenly mass-destroying robots? Had his cover been blown?
As Mu You was wondering where he might have slipped up, a notification popped up on his phone.
["Stop right there, robot!" You hear a shrill voice coming from behind you.]
[Turning your head, you see an elderly lady in green walking towards you.]
[The old lady with bifocals is watching you warily, chiding you, "Didn’t I tell you all to line up in the central area for inspection? Why aren’t you there?" What do you choose...]
Caught off guard, Mu You initially intended to backtrack. However, it just so happened that the one who discovered him was the green-clothed Administrator...
After a little hesitation, Mu You made up his mind: attack directly!
Since he had been exposed, if he didn’t act now, he would most likely be pursued and cornered until he was driven out. He figured he might as well take a chance before escaping. If he could overpower them and seize the item, all the better. If not, he would only lose a year of his lifespan.
[You try to fake a damaged track and show the other party your damaged walker, announcing in a mechanical tone: "Walker malfunctioning, unable to move..."]
[Upon hearing this, the green-clothed Administrator relaxes slightly, signaling you to stay put while she checks.]
[You do as told, stealthily preparing to attack while lying low.]
[When she approaches within five meters, you suddenly launch an attack, a chilly energy wave shooting straight from your chest into her, freezing the green-clothed Administrator on the spot.]
[The Spiral Cannons rapidly materialize over your hands, and a flurry of bullets descends on her.]
[The green-clothed Administrator is infuriated and quickly morphs into an old man with an aging Shadow Ghost image emerging on the surface of his body. He instantly breaks free of the ice and lunges at you!]
[You activate your smoke spray device, the area immediately blanketed in a thick smoke, obscuring everything in sight.]
[Your twin guns fire blindly into the smoke while, at the same time, your Cannon begins to charge...]
[With the release of your Cannon’s high-energy blast, the dazzling light disperses the smoke and obliterates any obstacles in its path.]
[You have killed an Aging Shadow Ghost, lifespan +1...]
[You have received the remains of the Aging Shadow Ghost.]
[You have received the ’Clue Hidden in the Octave Box’.]
[You were torn to shreds by the enraged Shadow Ghosts that came in support!]