Blockade

It seemed to be built out of bricks. It had no glass windows but simply large openings from which the guards could observe the situation. It could be said to have two floors. There were gates on the first and windows on the second. It didn't seem like I could just climb over this one as it was a building.

The first thing I had to wonder was why a gate existed here in the first place. Given that there should be little to no human traffic in this area. The most likely reason was to stop the mutant beasts from entering, that is to say the flies and maggots.

Did that mean that these people weren't simple guards but exalted ones? If they were, I might be in trouble. One could look at it as the maggots simply being too young but what if the fly was simply more powerful?

What I mean is, what if the fly could be considered an exalted fly. I am sure that there might be a term for non-humans but as I didn't become part of the military it's unlikely for me to know them for this instance.

Let's summarize it further. if the guards haven't had their genes exalted then they probably won't see me.

And there was only one way to know. To walk up to them.

But wait… what about the crystal in my hand...

I doubt that my body actually becomes invisible and more likely simply hard to notice. The crystal was definitely not hard to notice though. Do I have to hide it in my underwear…?

Well, the crystal isn't acidic anymore so let's just hope junior is not affected. I still want to use it after all.

I dropped the crystal into my pants. Now carrying some serious package, I was ready to walk towards the blockade.

Hiding the worry in my heart, I nonchalantly walked towards the blockade. There was a multitude of reasons to be anxious when facing this situation.

If they could see me I will need to come up with some sort of reason as to why I came from where I did. That in itself is a problem since assuming these guards have the slightest tinge of awareness my get-up would easily notify them that I should be dead.

I mean, why would you find a man in his underwear inside of an underground tunnel?

The second issue was… the closed doors. They are likely unlocked but I would be noticed if I open a door. Similarly, I could try to climb up into the openings on the second floor but I might alert the people inside. In that case, I might end up fighting them to the death.

The issue isn't killing them, well it is. I don't have any means to do so right now. I've never had anyone on a chokehold for example and imitating television for life and death matters could only be said to be unwise.

I kept on treading confidently towards the guards. I felt my senses heighten due to the increased tension. Every casual movement of the conversing guards seemed threatening.

My throat felt dry as I was a mere 10 or so feet away. I gulped nervously but none of the guards seemed to notice me. I could more or less hear their conversation…

"Hey, did you see that!?" One of the men said. This instantly put me on alert.

"Yeah! It was a bad movie, I don't know why I did"

Why the hell would you phrase it like that!??!? I wanted to scream out but the response still put me at ease. I finally sighed internally in relief.

I could have tried to act sneakily in the first place but the main reason why I didn't was that they probably wouldn't kill me. I mean, if I resist they might.

No actually, it depends. Maybe they don't want others to know about the corpse pile, silencing would seem optimal in that situation.

All of that aside, I basically took a large gamble.

Now, should I try to open a door?

There were two large openings on the second floor. I could see one person on each one. As for the first, there were two gates close to each other being individually guarded.

The safest bet was likely to climb but I am not sure I am up for the task... I hadn't climbed a brick wall before or any tall wall in general. I could try to run and jump but if the maggots were any clue then this would be a large mistake.

I should sneak past them and open the gate then. If they notice me… I'll just quickly lock them out and deal with the ones inside. Since nobody noticed me they likely aren't exalted.

With caution in each step, I tiptoed my way behind the guards.

"I can't blame you though, there aren't any good movies here in the first place… " I heard the first guy say while I was extremely close behind him.

"Damn, if only we were altered." The second guard cursed. I was very curious as to what an altered was and if it was in any way related to being exalted. It seemed plausible.

How did they come across such information though? Is working as a security guard the next authority rank? Then again, for them to be guarding the failed experiment corpses meant that they were quite trusted.

I grabbed the gate's handle and slowly unlocked it. The guards were still casually conversing about a lot of the injustice they suffered.

If I was seeking justice it would seem surprisingly easy to form a rebellion. At the same time, it would be super easy to quell said rebellion as the rebellion would probably only consist of regular people.

The gate successfully opened and to my surprise, without a creak. At least the subterranean government kept their gates well oiled.

I entered the building. The decorations were non-existent and only some tables and chairs could be seen in my immediate vicinity.

I then noticed a large problem. A camera! There was a camera pointing straight at me!

Would I get caught in its feed? Would it be better for me to turn myself in and insist on joining the military then?

I felt quite unwilling to do so. Especially after how I was treated by the professor. It would be unwise to enter the military as a regular recruit. Unless they value me I don't see myself joining them.

Is there some sort of black market here? I wouldn't mind forming part of that for a while.