The reaction drew a faint, hollow chuckle from the Hunter as he allowed himself that small indulgence. His burning gaze lifted its oppression from the back of Dan Heng's neck to observe the corridor ahead.

One door hung open along their path, its shadow spilling into the hall. How careless...

"You might need someone to watch your back." A mocking smile ghosted along his lips.

Their steps were softened by a carpet that laid beneath their feet, soaked with a red hue by the faint light, while the absence of power continued.

A flash of turquoise caught his gaze, and he could detect the unease that rippled beneath.
+

An eerie silence stretched along the corridor with them.

Gradually, Blade began to fall back, allowing Dan Heng to move ahead of him.

He took the lead as they navigated down the snaking corridors up until they reached another stairwell.

Upon scaling the set of stairs, the halls expanded.

The condition of these halls was far greater than the ones below, and yet, something wasn't right.
+

At least he was useful. Blade quietly measured the Vidyadhara's reaction after he returned from surveying the dimly lit halls. They seemed to be clear.

"Another set of stairs, and we'll be free." His voice rolled smoothly in response.

at the sight. To him, the decoration seemed pointless.

He carried on regardless, inserting the drive beneath the control panel. A loading bar appeared on the screens.

With his task complete, Blade returned to the doorway where Dan Heng stood guard.

"That's all. The others can handle the rest."

His rigid fingers flexed towards the keypad to input a code that would stir the terminal alive. A piercing blue flooded the screens as they lit up, one by one, with a welcoming chime upon startup.

A purple flash drive was pulled from his pocket, covered in vivid stickers. His brows furrowed
+

Without another word, he closed the distance.

One brow arched as he spared a glance at Dan Heng, who seemed transfixed by the grandiose display of technology. The console beckoned with pulses of colour between every key, while the monitors watched through their smooth, beady surfaces.

"Unremarkable," Blade scoffed.
+

⚔️ Absolutely same. It tickles me to think of a character randomly dancing to themselves after something big happens

Blade was unfazed by the timely outage, with the continuous rhythm of his footsteps echoing for evermore.

The heavy door creaked as he pushed through, revealing an impressive control panel with many screens.

That path of destruction continued as they went on, with more bodies and debris along their trail. The lights flickered.

As they approached the final floor, the building was swallowed by darkness. A haunting red glow followed after, cast through the halls by the awakened standby generator.
+

There was nothing notable about the stairwell; worn steps surrounded by grimy walls. It led to the cells, after all, where the two would depart from.

Lifeless cameras hung from the corner of each level, their wires exposed, destroyed since his arrival to the dungeons.
+

⚔️ It's both sweet and interesting that he remembers the line from his past life during the Quintet days, which we found out through Blade at the start of the Amphoreus arc.

I suppose it's all thematic to the Remembrance storyline.

⚔️ All jokes aside, I love anything inspired by the Four Auspicious Beasts (sì xiàng 四象) and the Yellow Dragon, Huanglong (黄龙).