American comics: I am full of martial virtues and I love to be kind to others.

“Twenty meters from the target,” Sarah updated the intelligence. “He’s patrolling the ventilation center, focusing primarily on the building’s entrances.”

This is good news. If the guard's attention is focused on the building entrance, he might not have noticed the threat posed by the ventilation ducts.

Lynn continued forward and soon could see the light source ahead. The ventilation center was indeed much larger than the ductwork, about the size of a small room. He could see the figure of the guard—a man of medium build, wearing a Shadow Alliance uniform and carrying an automatic rifle.

As Sarah had said, the guard's main focus was on monitoring the several exits leading into the building. He clearly hadn't expected anyone to sneak in through the ventilation system.

Lynn carefully observed the layout of the ventilation center. The space consisted of several platforms at different heights, with a large central ventilation fan and multiple ventilation duct entrances around the perimeter. Guards stood near the largest entrance, which led to the main part of the building.

“Target confirmed, prepare for action,” Lynn whispered to Sarah.

“Received, the guard is now facing away from you,” Sarah provided real-time information.

Lynn took a deep breath, preparing to climb out of the pipe. This was the most dangerous moment of the entire mission—once exposed, he would have to fight armed enemies in a confined space.

He slowly climbed out of the pipe, feet first, then body. He was extremely careful throughout the process, trying to avoid making any noise. The floor of the ventilation center was made of metal grating, which was prone to making noise when stepped on.

“He hasn’t found you yet,” Sarah’s voice gave Lynn confidence.

After Lynn regained his footing, he took out his tranquilizer gun. At this distance and in this environment, a tranquilizer gun was the ideal weapon—it could quickly subdue the target without alerting other enemies.

He cautiously approached the guard, using the ventilation equipment and pipes as cover. The distance drew closer: ten meters, eight meters, five meters.
Just as Lynn was about to launch his attack, the guard suddenly turned around!

They locked eyes, both stunned for a second. Then the guard immediately raised his automatic rifle and shouted, "Intruder!"

Lynn reacted quickly, immediately rolling behind a pipe support to avoid the impending gunfire. The automatic rifle shots echoed deafeningly in the confined, ventilated center.

"Sarah, retreat immediately!" Lynn shouted. "Notify command, the infiltration plan has been exposed!"

But he knew Sarah wouldn't abandon him and retreat alone. In fact, he also needed her senses to gain an advantage in this difficult battle.

Bullets struck the pipes and equipment behind Lynn, sending sparks flying. The sounds of metal clashing and gunfire mingled, creating a chaotic environment.

"The guard is calling for backup via the building's communicator," Sarah's voice came through. "You must subdue him quickly!"

Lynn realized the urgency of the situation. If enemy reinforcements arrived, he would not only be unable to complete his mission, but might also be trapped here.

He observed the guard's position and firing pattern. The man was clearly military-trained, his shooting disciplined, and his chosen position advantageous—controlling the main exit of the ventilation center.

"He's reloading," Sarah reported promptly. "Now's your chance!"

Lynn immediately burst from behind cover and charged toward the guard's position. The guard saw Lynn's movements and hurriedly finished reloading, but Lynn was faster.

At three meters away, Lynn raised his tranquilizer gun and aimed. But the guard simultaneously raised his automatic rifle. The two fired almost at the same time.

Lynn's tranquilizer dart struck the guard's shoulder, but not fatally. The guard's bullet whizzed past Lynn's head and struck a pipe behind him.

Although the guard had been hit by a tranquilizer dart, he was still capable of fighting. He shakily raised his weapon, preparing to continue firing.

Lynn had no time to aim and fire again; he charged straight at the guard, ready for close combat.

The two collided and began to wrestle. The guard was slightly larger than Lynn and was wearing a bulletproof vest, but the anesthetic began to take effect, and his movements became sluggish.

Lynn used his fighting skills to try and control the guards' weapons. They wrestled in the confined space, bumping into various pieces of equipment and pipes.

“Watch out, he’s still calling for backup,” Sarah warned. “I can sense someone moving this way!”

Lynn heard Sarah's warning and knew he had to end the fight quickly. He used a wrestling technique to successfully throw the guard to the ground, then swiftly pressed his knee into the guard's chest.

The guard was still struggling to reach his spare weapon. Lynn saw this and immediately grabbed the guard's wrist, preventing him from taking the weapon.

“Don’t move,” Lynn said in a calm but threatening tone. “The anesthetic will knock you unconscious in thirty seconds. Don’t waste your energy.”

But the guard was clearly a die-hard, and he continued to struggle, even attempting to attack Lynn with his other hand.

Lynn was forced to use more advanced subjugation techniques. He locked the guard's neck with his arm, applying appropriate pressure. It wasn't a fatal attack, but it was enough to quickly render the guard unconscious.

Ten seconds later, the guard stopped struggling and fell unconscious.

“Target uniform,” Lynn reported to Sarah, “but how much time do we have?”

“Reinforcements are about two minutes away,” Sarah sensed the approaching threat. “There are at least four of them, one of whom may be a mutant.”

Lynn quickly assessed the situation. Two minutes wasn't enough time for Sarah to get here through the pipes and then they could continue to their target location together. Besides, if reinforcements arrived, they would find the unconscious guard, and the entire infiltration operation would be completely exposed.

“Sarah, continue with the original plan,” Lynn made a difficult decision. “You proceed through the pipeline to the core area.”

“What? I can’t leave you!” Sarah’s voice was filled with shock.

“Listen to me,” Lynn said firmly, “the success of the mission is more important than our personal safety. If Victor Sadov escapes, the Shadow League will reorganize, and many more innocent people will be harmed.”

“But what about you?” Sarah asked worriedly.

“I’ll hold off the reinforcements and buy you time,” Lynn explained. “I’m very familiar with the structure of this ventilation center; we can use the terrain to our advantage for defense.”

"This is too dangerous! You're facing four enemies all by yourself, including mutants!"

“I have experience and a superior equipment,” Lynn tried to reassure Sarah. “More importantly, your senses are invaluable when operating alone. You can bypass all defenses and get straight to Victor’s location.”

Sarah hesitated in the pipe. She understood that Lynn's logic was correct, but letting her teammate face danger alone went against her principles.

“Sarah, time is of the essence,” Lynn urged. “You must act now. I can hear footsteps; they’re almost here.”

“Alright,” Sarah finally decided, “but you must survive. If things get too dangerous, retreat immediately.” “I will,” Lynn promised, “now go!”

Sarah began moving rapidly through the pipes, advancing towards the core area. Meanwhile, Lynn began preparing for the impending battle.

He quickly surveyed the terrain of the ventilation center, looking for tactical advantages he could exploit. Although the space was small, it had multiple platforms at different heights and a large amount of piping equipment, which could provide cover and maneuverability.

Lynn dragged the unconscious guard to a corner and took his weapons and ammunition. Now he had an automatic rifle as a backup, which, while not very practical in the confined space, was more powerful.

“I can sense they’re almost here,” Sarah’s voice came through the communicator. “Four people, climbing the stairs. One of them is a mutant. He has very strong energy, possibly electrical or fire-based.”

“Roger that,” Lynn replied. “How’s your location?”

“I’ve passed the second fork in the road and am about 600 meters from the core area,” Sarah reported. “There are no other guards here yet.”

“Good, keep it up,” Lynn encouraged.

Just then, footsteps and voices came from outside the ventilation center. Reinforcements had arrived.

“Where is Johnson?” a gruff voice asked.

“He should be on duty in the ventilation center,” another voice replied. “We just heard gunshots and his cries for help.”

“Be careful, there might be intruders,” a third, younger voice said. “The boss said the FBI might try to infiltrate.”

Lynn held his breath, preparing for battle. He chose a position that offered a view of the main entrance but also provided cover.

The door to the ventilation center was pushed open, and the first armed man cautiously peeked in. He immediately became alert when he saw the empty space and the unconscious Johnson in the corner.

"Johnson is down!" he shouted. "Intruders!"

The four men rushed into the ventilation center, spreading out in a fan shape to search for potential threats. Lynn could tell that three of them were ordinary militants, but the fourth was clearly different—faint arcs of electricity flickered around his hands, confirming him as a power-manipulated mutant.

“Search every corner,” the electric mutant commanded. “The intruders might still be here.”

Lynn knew he couldn't hide for long. The space, though offering cover, wasn't large enough, and he would be discovered soon. He decided to take the initiative and use surprise to gain the upper hand.

He rushed out from behind cover, raised his tranquilizer gun, and fired at the nearest militant. The tranquilizer dart hit the target squarely in the chest, and the man immediately began to stagger.

The other three immediately opened fire on Lynn's position. The automatic rifle fire was deafening in the confined space, and bullets struck surrounding equipment, producing numerous sparks.

Lynn quickly rolled to another cover position, avoiding most of the fire. But the electric mutant's attack was more dangerous—he released an arc of electricity that struck the pipe where Lynn had just been standing, creating a powerful spark.

"Watch out for that mutant," Sarah's voice came through the communicator, "His electrical attacks are very powerful!"

“I know,” Lynn replied, while observing the enemy’s position.

Three remaining combat-ready enemies began to spread out and surround Lynn. They were clearly tactically trained and knew how to fight as a team in confined spaces.

Lynn realized he needed to reduce the number of enemies to effectively combat the electric mutants. He aimed at an armed man on his right and fired repeatedly with his tranquilizer gun.

But just as he fired, the electric mutant unleashed another arc of electricity. This attack struck the metal pipe behind Lynn, and the powerful current traveled through the metal, sending a strong electric shock through Lynn.

Although his protective gear reduced the damage, the electric shock still temporarily threw him off balance. The militants on his left seized the opportunity and fired at Lynn with their automatic rifles.

Lynn managed to roll away, but a bullet grazed his thigh, leaving a wound. The pain made him more alert and angrier.

“Damn it,” he gritted his teeth, enduring the pain, “you’ve successfully enraged me.”

Lynn changed tactics, abandoning his attempts to remain hidden and adopting a more aggressive approach. He burst from behind cover and used a captured automatic rifle to suppress the enemy.

Under the cover of fully automatic fire, he quickly moved to a more advantageous position—a high platform overlooking the entire ventilation center.

From this position, Lynn had a better grasp of the battlefield. He suppressed two ordinary militants with his automatic rifle while simultaneously aiming at them with a tranquilizer gun.

Both tranquilizer darts hit their targets. Now only the electric mutant remains combat-capable.

“Very well, FBI agent,” the electric mutant sneered, “but do you think you can handle me?”

He raised his hands, and intense arcs of electricity began to leap between his palms. This time, the electricity was noticeably stronger than before, and the air smelled of ozone.

Lynn knew this attack would be dangerous. He surveyed his surroundings, looking for an advantage he could exploit.

Suddenly, he had an idea. There was a large metal ventilation fan in the center of the ventilation center. If the electric mutant's attack could hit that fan, the powerful current could cause a short circuit, affecting the power system of the entire area.

"You want to kill me with electric shocks?" Lynn deliberately provoked him. "Come on, let me see your true strength!"

Enraged, the electric mutant pointed both hands at Lynn, preparing to unleash his most powerful electric shock.

The instant he launched his attack, Lynn leaped from the platform and rolled to the other side of the ventilation fan. A powerful arc of electricity struck the metal fan, producing a violent spark and an explosion.

The entire ventilation system began to smoke, and the circuit short-circuited. More importantly, the powerful electrical feedback also impacted the electric mutant, who cried out in pain and staggered backward.

Lynn seized the opportunity and fired the tranquilizer gun in quick succession. All three tranquilizer darts hit the injured electric mutant, and the powerful anesthetic quickly took effect.

The electric mutant staggered and fell down.

“All enemies subdued,” Lynn reported to Sarah. “Ventilation center secure.”

“That’s great!” Sarah’s voice was filled with worry. “I was worried you wouldn’t be able to handle that electric mutant.” (End of Chapter)