As a symbiotic being, I raise children amidst the chaos.

“It sounds like the sound of some kind of large machine running at high speed…” Theresa said softly, lowering her voice. Although she tried to remain calm, a barely perceptible unease could not be hidden in her tone.

"Don't worry, let's keep going, we'll figure out where the sound is coming from soon!"

Time passed slowly, and soon they finally arrived at the exit of a ventilation duct.

Through the narrow gap, the two cautiously peered into the interior of the enormous laboratory below. All sorts of intricate instruments and equipment were neatly arranged, resembling a labyrinth built of technology.

However, the most eye-catching feature is undoubtedly the massive device located at the center of the entire laboratory—the Honkai Reactor. Like a dazzling jewel, it is embedded in this realm full of unknowns.

"Is this... the place we've been searching for?" Theresa asked softly, her voice barely concealing her nervousness.

“Judging from the current situation, it should be correct.” Patrick nodded slightly in agreement, and at the same time reached out and gently pushed aside the metal barrier next to him.

With a slight rustling sound, she leaped silently like an agile cheetah, landing steadily on the ground.

Theresa didn't dare to delay at all. She followed Patrick's footsteps and jumped down lightly, trying to minimize the noise she made.

"If there is anything in this laboratory that is of extremely high value and worth seizing, then without a doubt, it is this Honkai reactor in front of us."

Patrick spoke in a low voice as he walked towards the Honkai Reactor. Once he stopped, he skillfully operated the terminal device placed in front of the Honkai Reactor, his slender fingers flying rapidly across the keyboard, inputting strings of code and instructions like flowing water.

Immediately afterwards, a slight mechanical whirring sound was heard, and a holographic image resembling a human electrocardiogram slowly rose and hovered in the air.

"This is a record of Honkai energy reactions in the Babylon Laboratory. As you can clearly see from this data chart, this occurred just last night and within five minutes of our arrival here."

"The output power displayed on the reactor, which had been operating stably, suddenly disappeared completely, as if it had evaporated."

Patrick pointed solemnly at the blueprint that detailed the changes in various data, and continued, "This situation is too bizarre. If we follow normal logic, it is very likely that someone has secretly absorbed all the Honkai energy stored here."

After hearing Patrick's words, Theresa gasped and swallowed hard, then looked around at the dimly lit laboratory environment.

"Could it be... that some supernatural force is at work? Like ghosts or something... After all, being able to absorb such a large amount of Honkai energy so silently is definitely not an ability that ordinary people can possess!" Theresa felt more and more terrified as she thought about it, and her voice even began to tremble slightly.

However, seeing Theresa's state, Patrick, standing beside her, couldn't help but shake his head helplessly. He sighed softly and spoke with a slightly teasing tone.

"Hey Theresa, don't forget you're the powerful Valkyrie who once single-handedly defeated an Emperor-class Honkai Beast! How come you're acting like this now that you might hear about ghosts?"

At this point, Patrick seemed to recall something amusing, a smile involuntarily appearing on his lips, before adding more.

"Do you remember when you went to that amusement park with Captain Cecilia? You screamed 'Wow!' just because a staff member dressed as a ghost suddenly appeared. You were so adorable..."

Before Patrick could finish speaking, Theresa's fair face flushed crimson, like a ripe apple. With a coquettish cry, she pounced on Patrick and immediately covered his mouth with her hand.

"Ugh, stop talking! It's so annoying!" she muttered, complaining. This playful banter between the two slightly eased the tense atmosphere. However, this relaxed mood didn't last long, and they both quickly snapped back to reality.

Patrick paused for a moment, then reached out and gently pushed Theresa's small hand away from his mouth. He then lowered his voice, "Alright, my little Theresa, I was just playing a little joke on you."

Hearing this, Theresa nodded slightly, indicating that she understood. Then, she took a deep breath, her beautiful eyes fixed on Patrick, and asked softly, "So, what should we do next?"

Patrick didn't answer immediately, but instead sharply scanned the intricate array of equipment around him. After a moment's thought, he finally spoke.

"The most urgent task is to find the main unit of the monitoring system. If the failure of the monitoring system was indeed caused by someone's deliberate sabotage, then we should be able to find some key clues from the main unit."

They nodded to each other and began searching the surroundings. They moved quietly, sometimes bending down, sometimes squatting down, carefully checking each piece of equipment.

Time ticked by, and then, Theresa's eyes suddenly lit up, as if she had discovered some treasure. She hurried towards a dark corner and excitedly called out to Patrick, "Look, here!"

Hearing Theresa's shouts, Patrick rushed over. Following Theresa's pointing finger, he saw a control panel that had been smashed beyond recognition. Its once smooth surface was now covered in cracks and dents.

Patrick stepped forward, approached the damaged control panel, and examined it closely. He then discovered that the wiring on the panel had been maliciously cut! The broken wire ends were scattered haphazardly around, clearly not caused by natural damage.

"It seems someone really did deliberately sabotage the surveillance system here," Patrick muttered to himself, his brow furrowed. His expression grew increasingly serious as he pondered the motives behind it.

Who could possibly do such a thing? Is it to cover up some shady dealings? Or is there something far more dangerous lurking within, perhaps... a Herrscher!

Thinking of this, Patrick couldn't help but shudder. However, before she could delve deeper into her thoughts, Theresa interjected, "Whatever the reason, we must find out the truth as soon as possible!"

“That’s right, let’s keep looking! I feel like we’re not far from the truth.” Patrick nodded vigorously, encouraging himself and Theresa.

After speaking, the two of them left the laboratory. They walked slowly down the corridor again, an unsettling silence permeating the surroundings. As they approached their destination, the previously faint, damp smell grew stronger.

Theresa could no longer tolerate the pungent odor. She involuntarily wrinkled her small nose slightly and asked Patrick in a low voice, "What is this smell? It's absolutely awful!"

Patrick also noticed the strange smell, and his brows furrowed tightly. After a moment of hesitation, he replied in a serious tone.

"I'm not entirely sure of the exact reason, but I'm certain it's not the smell of something good... It smells a bit like the stench of a rotting corpse."

As they spoke, they soon arrived at a tightly closed door. Above the door were the words "Core Control System" prominently displayed, clearly indicating that this was the most crucial central hub of the entire laboratory.

Without hesitation, Patrick took out a set of exquisite tools from his backpack, skillfully fiddled with them for a few moments, and with a soft "click," the door lock opened.

The moment you step into the room, the first thing that catches your eye is countless large screens that are constantly flashing with various colors of light, as well as a dense and intricate array of circuit boards.

Theresa was stunned by the sight before her, standing there in a daze, momentarily overwhelmed, since she really couldn't understand it.

Patrick, without hesitation, walked straight to one of the terminals and began typing rapidly on the keyboard, sending a series of commands into the system like shooting stars.

A few minutes later, all the surveillance footage from inside the lab appeared on the screen. Patrick frowned as he watched the footage, carefully searching for anything amiss.

“Look at these videos,” Patrick said solemnly, pointing to the time on the screen.

"All the recordings stopped abruptly at the same time last night, as if someone had pressed the stop button, and there was no sign of anything unusual in the final footage."

Theresa, who was standing to the side, leaned forward and examined the screen carefully. She asked in confusion, "Did someone tamper with it beforehand?"

Patrick nodded slightly, agreeing with Theresa's conjecture: "That's certainly possible. But that alone is far from enough to explain why the Honkai Reactor's energy vanished so abruptly. We need to find more direct and conclusive evidence."

While the two were engrossed in their analysis, they were unaware that several floors above them, Sirin and Chenyuan were silently watching Theresa and Patrick's every move.

(Please give this poor author some free gifts!! A few clicks to urge me to update!! Thank you, readers!! Please~ Please~).