Inside Ethereal, Ethan had already descended to the third level of the General's Tomb. The violent pounding from above, which once shook the walls like the heartbeat of a giant, had dulled into a faint, distant hum.
[Ding... Alert: Your VR Capsule is under external attack!]
He froze. A quick swipe brought up the 360-degree external feed from his capsule. The hallway outside was chaotic—everyone had rushed out. Before Ethan could make sense of it, a figure suddenly darted back toward his capsule.
"What the hell is going on?" Ethan muttered.
The man—Blackie—hurled himself at the capsule door, eyes wide, grinning with a manic fervor. "Ya, hehehe..." he muttered, clawing at the sealed hatch like a rabid beast.
The next second, a bright arc of electricity shot out, throwing him across the floor. The VR Capsule's high-voltage failsafe had activated.
"What in the world is Blackie doing?" Ethan barely finished before Blackie charged again.
