At the end of the hallway, the man in the white lab coat walked slowly, his expression calm as if he had no idea about the unusual situation around him. Su Man held her breath, keeping her eyes locked on his every move. She adjusted the communication channel and spoke in a low voice:
"Zero is heading deeper into the lab. I suspect he has regained some of his awareness."
Li Chuan responded quickly:
"Don't act rashly. Keep following him. Cheng Mo and I have already obtained the lab files. The information confirms our suspicion—Zero is not completely under Nightfall's control. His memories might be returning."
Su Man nodded slightly and followed silently behind "Zero." Her heartbeat quickened as she recalled what was written in the files—"Personality Restructuring Experiment". Nightfall had attempted to completely erase Zero's original self, turning him into a tool that followed orders without question. But something interfered with the process, allowing him to retain part of his independent consciousness.
Suddenly, the man stopped walking. He turned his head slightly to look at a glass lab room beside him, his gaze revealing a flicker of emotion.
Su Man immediately hid in the shadows, her finger resting on the trigger, ready to react.
But the man didn't notice her. Instead, he raised a hand and pressed it against the glass door, staring inside with a complex expression.
Through the glass, Su Man could see several incubation pods. One of them was labeled "Code: β-0".
Zero slowly closed his eyes, his lips moving as if whispering to himself.
Su Man frowned, feeling a sense of unease.
"He's muttering something… but it's more like he's remembering something."
Meanwhile, Li Chuan and Cheng Mo had quickly sorted through the key documents. Shen Qiu, who was hacking into the system, found even more critical information:
"Zero wasn't originally a test subject. He was a 'volunteer' who entered the experiment willingly!"
Cheng Mo frowned.
"That doesn't make sense. Why would anyone willingly go through memory erasure and personality restructuring?"
Li Chuan's eyes darkened. He pointed at a specific line in the documents.
"He had a mission."
Shen Qiu dug deeper and suddenly found an old encrypted file. He quickly unlocked it.
A name appeared on the screen—
Lin Shu
Former National Security Agent
Mission ID: S-107
Objective: Infiltrate Nightfall and retrieve core data of the "Restructuring Project."
The three of them exchanged glances. The atmosphere became heavy.
"...Zero was an undercover agent?" Cheng Mo muttered.
Shen Qiu exhaled sharply.
"Not just that. He was originally sent to sabotage the 'Personality Restructuring Project,' but… he failed. His memories were wiped, and he became one of their test subjects."
Li Chuan stared at the screen. His voice was low and serious.
"But his memories are coming back."
Back in the hallway, Su Man remained hidden, watching Zero closely.
Suddenly—
ALARM!
The entire base was flooded with red warning lights!
A piercing siren echoed through the lab. The doors slammed shut automatically, locking down all exits.
Su Man's earpiece crackled as Shen Qiu's voice came through urgently:
"The security system has been triggered! Someone activated the emergency lockdown! You need to get out, now!"
Su Man's eyes snapped to Zero.
He remained still, standing before the glass, unmoving.
Her instincts kicked in. Without hesitation, she stepped out of the shadows, gun aimed straight at the man's back.
"Don't move!"
Zero slowly turned around. His eyes were calm—too calm.
He looked at her as if he had already expected her presence.
"Who are you?" Su Man asked, keeping her finger on the trigger.
Zero's lips curled into a faint smile. His voice was deep and steady.
"You already know the answer, don't you?"
Su Man hesitated.
"...Lin Shu."
The man nodded slightly, then glanced at the incubation pod, whispering:
"They tried to erase me here… but they forgot one thing. Consciousness… true self… cannot be destroyed so easily."
Before Su Man could respond, heavy footsteps echoed from the corridor.
She turned sharply—Nightfall's armed forces were moving in!
Men in full tactical gear stormed into the hallway, weapons raised!
Su Man gritted her teeth and stepped back cautiously, her eyes scanning for an escape route.
Zero remained still, watching the approaching soldiers with an unreadable expression.
From the group of armed men, a figure in a black military uniform stepped forward. His sharp eyes glinted with amusement as he looked at Zero and Su Man.
A smirk formed on his lips.
"Lin Shu. Your 'recovery' is happening faster than expected."
Zero's gaze darkened.
Su Man tilted her head slightly.
"You know him?"
Zero's voice was calm, but his fingers curled slightly.
"Luo Sen. Nightfall's lead researcher."
Luo Sen smiled slightly, his voice eerily cold.
"Did you really think you could escape Nightfall's grasp? Lin Shu… we gave you a new life. Your memories, your mind… they are no longer yours."
Zero exhaled slowly, his expression unreadable.
Then, in a quiet, unwavering voice, he replied:
"You're wrong. True self… can never be erased."
Luo Sen's eyes flashed. He lifted his hand—
"Take him back."
The moment the order left his lips—
BANG!
A gunshot exploded through the air!
Su Man didn't hesitate. She pulled the trigger.
The bullet flew straight towards the nearest soldier—
And the battle began.