"Boss, I shut off the water valve and made holes in the gas pipes. I can't approach the electrical panel because the two security guards haven't left their position. But problems should start inside soon," said Avis.

  "Cipher, speed things up. Ran and Rex, watch the door, don't let anyone in. Avis, continue observing from above. Luna, get to a safe place," the man said into his microphone. "Shade, use the device now. Let's keep them away from here."

  Shade nodded, transformed into smoke form and floated up. The man meanwhile began rhythmically clapping his hands with each boom created by the generator. He was trying to harden his hands as much as possible.

  Shade first carefully drifted to the upper corner of the room. She took on her physical form and grabbed one of the pipes on the ceiling with his hands. While continuing to hold onto the pipe with her feet, she took out the EMP device given by Avis from her pocket. She pressed the button on top and threw it toward the water pump. Within seconds, an electrical wave spread from around the device and smoke began to rise from the top of the pump.

  The man squinted as he watched Shade's movements. He had adapted to the rhythmic noise of the generator, hardening his hands more with each beat.

  Panic-stricken voices began to rise from the other side of the control room. Technical personnel rushed toward the screens and control panels.

  "Pressure is dropping! Water temperature is abnormally high!"

  "Cooling systems aren't responding! Manual control isn't working either!"

  "Gas supply is being cut off! Why didn't the alarm sound?"

  The chief engineer was struggling to restart the systems. "Restart all systems! Activate emergency protocols!" But no command was working.

  "Production lines are about to stop! Generators aren't producing enough power and the cooling system has crashed!" shouted a technician, wiping his sweaty forehead. "If we can't get the cooling systems active immediately, all Mistforges will stop working and all our saved progress will be reset!"

  Shade knew this chaos was being heard by the others through her earpiece. "Water pump disabled. Technical team is panicking. It worked."

  The man smiled. This was going exactly as they wanted. "Perfect," he whispered into his microphone. "Cipher, what's the situation?"

  Meanwhile, Cipher was focused on a screen full of complex codes. He was rapidly moving his fingers across the keyboard while also watching a progress bar flashing red on the side screen.

  "I found a vulnerability in the system," Cipher said excitedly. "The crash of the cooling systems and the interruption of gas flow triggered an automatic restart on the main servers. During this, the firewalls temporarily went down. I'm currently trying to access the main database."

  Rex was on alert by the door. "Be quick, I hear commotion outside. Guards might be heading this way."

  Ran had also taken position at the door. While nervously watching the corridor, her hands were trembling slightly and she wasn't exactly sure what to do. Despite not being accustomed to these types of missions, she was doing his best to be part of the team, trying not to let her attention wander and staying focused on his task.

  A green light flashed on Cipher's screen. "I'm in!" He smiled as his eyes quickly scanned the screen. "The entire system is under my control now. Everything..."

  Cipher was rapidly scanning the data. "There's a lot of interesting stuff here. This factory produces much more than what's visible. There are secret laboratories on the lower floors. And... you'll want to see this. The formula for fog production is here, but only part of it."

  The man made eye contact with Shade. "You can download the formula, but don't forget our main priority. Try to cut all electricity and stop all machines."

  Cipher nodded and began typing even faster on the keyboard. "On it. I'm downloading all the data. Also boss, the office you want to go to opens with retina scanning. Normally it would be impossible for you to enter, but I think I've found a way to open it. Give me one more minute."

  At that moment, the chaos in the control room had intensified. Technicians and engineers were now grappling not only with the cooling systems but also with the fact that they had lost control of the entire factory.

  "Main control systems completely locked! Someone must have infiltrated the system!" shouted the chief security technician, reaching for the emergency phone.

  "All production lines are stopping! Machines are shutting down!"

  "Laboratory security breached! Samples on the lower floor are in danger!"

  The chief engineer grabbed his headset, trying to communicate with security. "To all security units, initiate emergency protocol! We're under attack! Repeat, we're under attack!" But only static came from his headset.

  The man heard Avis's voice through his earpiece: "I'm watching from the roof, guards are running around without a plan. They can't coordinate because communications are cut. The head of security is heading toward the main building, probably to assess the situation."

  "Luna, what's your location?" asked the man.

  "I'm in a safe place," Luna replied. "I got out using the chaos at the front gate. The old man and the woman with him hurried up to the top floor of the factory. I think they know about you. Boss, the office on the lower floor won't work."

  The man thought quickly. The old man wouldn't be coming to the office downstairs. He needed to get upstairs quickly. "Cipher, what's your status?"

  "Eighty percent complete," said Cipher, without taking his eyes off the screen. "But the system is trying to restart. Firewalls are starting to rise again. We might last another minute."

  "Rex, Ran, be ready," the man said with a determined voice. "When Cipher finishes his job, get out of here quickly. I'll go up to the top floor to find the old man."

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  "Cooling systems are restarting!" Cipher shouted. "Temperature is still above critical level but it's starting to drop. They must be intervening from somewhere else."

  "Adjust gas flow manually! Slowly return pressure to normal!" shouted one of the officials. The man continued to watch the unfolding chaos. Guards were going up and down the stairs. He needed to act quickly.

  Just then, the download bar on Cipher's screen reached one hundred percent. "Download complete!" he said triumphantly. "We have all the data. I've also managed to stop the machines. However, I can't stop one machine, boss."

  The man looked around. All machines had stopped except for the one filled with red mist. Despite control panels being off, motors silent, and production lines motionless, the machine with red mist continued to operate as if it had an independent power source. The crimson vapor inside moved vigorously despite the still air around it.

  "Great job, Cipher! Now—" Rex's words were cut short as the door burst open with enough force to shove him backward.

  Everyone began looking at the woman who entered. Her confident stance brought an elegant yet dangerous air with her. A momentary silence fell over the room. All eyes turned to the woman standing by the door, coolly surveying her surroundings. Rex cautiously extended his hand toward his earpiece, preparing to report the situation while keeping his eyes fixed on the woman.

  "The beautiful woman you mentioned is right in front of us, boss..."

  "So you're the vermin that broke in. You know, there are easier ways to die," said the woman, placing her hand on her hip.

  "Step back, ma'am. I don't like hurting women," said Rex, standing up and drawing his sword from its sheath.

  "You won't be able to hurt me, darling. I suggest you talk. What gives you the audacity to enter here?"

  "My lips are sealed!" said Rex, lunging at the woman with his sword.

  A confident smile appeared on the woman's face. As soon as she saw Rex's move, she elegantly swept her coat back from her shoulders. As the fur coat floated in the air, she drew a long, thin sword from inside her jet-black dress. The metal gleamed even in the dim light.

  "Men," said the woman, easily blocking Rex's attack with her sword. "Always resorting to brute force."

  Rex stepped back, surprised by the speed of her defense. "Ran, protect Cipher!" he shouted, giving his full attention to his opponent.

  "I can protect myself!" Cipher retorted.

  Ran quickly moved to Cipher's side, keeping the weapon on his wrist ready. "Sir, what should we do?"

  "I'm trying to get there! Just stay alive!"

  Meanwhile, the sword duel between Rex and the mysterious woman had accelerated. The woman parried Rex's attacks with almost playful elegance at every move. Despite her high-heeled shoes, her movements were quick and fluid.

  "I've seen your kind before," said the woman, skillfully wielding her sword. "Small people with big ideas. What do you think you're doing against us?"

  Rex launched a series of attacks, but the woman's defense was perfect. "We're just doing what's right..." he answered, breathless.

  The woman smiled, this time with a more dangerous expression. "What's right? Do you really know what's right?"

  For a moment, she managed to distract Rex and unexpectedly changed her move, swinging her sword toward Rex's shoulder. The sword tore through Rex's protective clothing, lightly touching his skin.

  "First blood," said the woman, looking at the red drop on the tip of her sword.

  Suppressing the pain, Rex attacked again, this time with more cautious and controlled movements. But the woman's fighting technique was a style he wasn't accustomed to; both aggressive and defensive, both classical and unexpected.

  Rex, gritting his teeth, performed a somersault, attempting to strike a blow to the woman's chest while swinging his sword. The woman withdrew almost as if gliding through the air, Rex's sword cutting through empty space. The skirt of her black dress rippled with her movements, making her look even more dangerous.

  For a moment, both stood still, examining each other. Beads of sweat ran down Rex's face, his breathing becoming irregular. The woman, however, was calm as if practicing a dance, with a slight smile on her face.

  The woman suddenly moved with incredible speed. Before Rex could understand what was happening, the woman's sword sliced through the air, grazing his cheek. A second red line appeared. Rex stumbled back, and as he tried to regain his balance, the woman swiftly moved behind him with an agile motion.

  "You're too slow," the woman whispered from behind Rex.

  Rex quickly turned, swung his sword, but the woman had already moved to another position. The woman's sword grazed Rex's arm, cutting through his clothing and the skin beneath. Rex groaned in pain but continued to grip his sword tightly.

  On the other side of the room, Ran and Cipher watched tensely. While Cipher tried to secure the data, Ran looked at Rex with concern.

  Rex tried to pull himself together. The woman's movements were too fast, almost blurring. He took a classic defensive position, holding his sword in front of him.

  The woman gracefully spun around, testing Rex by swinging her sword from different angles. Each attack challenged Rex a little more, creating small gaps in his defense. The woman raised her hand as if inviting him to dance, saying, "Come."

  Rex lunged forward, executing a series of attacks using all his technique and strength. But the woman met each of his moves with perfect timing. Every time their swords met, shock waves spread through Rex's arms. The woman's strength was a monster hidden behind her elegant appearance.

  During one move, Rex thought he saw a gap in the woman's defense and swung his sword toward it. But it was a trap. The woman sidestepped at the last moment and extended her sword toward Rex's exposed flank. Rex barely managed to throw himself back, but the sword still cut deeply into his side.

  Rex stumbled in pain, pressing his hand against his wound. Blood seeped between his fingers. The woman began circling around him unhurriedly, like a hunter.

  "You're getting tired," said the woman, her voice almost full of compassion. "Let me end this quickly."

  Rex took a deep breath, trying to ignore his bleeding wound. He raised his sword again, but his hands were trembling. The woman noticed this, and her smile widened.

  Suddenly, the woman lunged forward with a sharp movement. Her sword sliced through the air, bypassing Rex's defense, and cut his shoulder. Rex stumbled back in pain, his sword nearly falling from his hand. The woman didn't stop, delivering a series of rapid blows. Each one further shattered Rex's defense, opening new cuts on his body.

  Rex was now completely on the defensive, each of his moves barely able to block the woman's sword. The woman was like a shadow, appearing in one place, then attacking from another. Rex's reflexes were inadequate.

  With a sudden move, the woman kicked behind Rex's knee. Rex fell to his knees, but still held his sword in the air. The woman struck Rex's sword with incredible force; metal met metal, sparks flew.

  Rex's sword flew from his hand, landing far away. He was unarmed. The woman swung her sword in a victorious manner.

  "Any last words?" asked the woman, approaching Rex.

  At that moment, with one final effort, Rex reached for the hidden knife at his waist and quickly drew it to parry the woman's sword. This unexpected move surprised the woman, causing her to step back for a moment.

  Rex now had only a small knife, while the woman skillfully held her sword. They both looked at each other, determination in Rex's eyes, and almost admiration in the woman's.

  "You're brave," said the woman. "But it's not enough."

  The woman lunged forward, her sword easily parrying Rex's knife, and with a turning motion, she cut Rex's hand. The knife fell to the ground, and Rex was unarmed.

  The woman pressed her sword against Rex's throat again, this time more firmly. Rex's blood began dripping down from the tip of the sword. Rex, breathless, didn't take his eyes off the woman's.

  "Kill me," said Rex. "But let my friends go."

  The woman hesitated for a moment, her sword loosening slightly. Just as she was about to swing her sword at Rex's throat, she jumped back. Ran had picked up Rex's sword from the ground and swung it at the woman.

  "I don't want to kill you, fish. You're what we want. If you want to live, drop your sword."

  Ran, putting her shoulder under Rex's, helped him to his feet. "You're fighting for us, risking your life." She extended the sword to Rex. "Let's fight together."

  Rex grinned. "I saw your swinging style. You've been trained. Keep it, though, I don't have the strength to lift my sword. I'll make do with my knife for now."

  Ran and Rex took defensive positions with their weapons.

  "That's a shame. You could have been useful. Oh well," said the woman, taking position with her own sword.

  "Damn it... I wish I could use a weapon too!" said Cipher, frustrated that he couldn't do anything to help.