This Spiritual Energy is Lethal!
Chapter 546: Lucina’s Quick-wittedness in a Crisis

Chapter 546: Chapter 546: Lucina’s Quick-wittedness in a Crisis

Chen Ke anxiously waited in the car. The situation with Lucina had taken an unexpected turn. He had thought they would smoothly ascend the floors and then slip into the office whenever the chance arose, but reality always conversed with one’s fondest wishes.

On the other side, Lucina and her team had already reached the end of a corridor between narrow ducts.

Priskin cracked open the gray metal door slightly and looked outside; the elevator wasn’t far from there.

He gestured for Lucina and Hall to come and peer through the door’s crack. They saw a lady in a gray business suit press the elevator button and gracefully enter.

"See, the elevator’s over there, and it seems like you don’t need a card to go up," Hall said.

"But there are security cameras," Lucina pointed out at the conspicuous white camera at the corner of the wall.

"That’s probably just one of many cameras. The Administration Bureau must have hidden ones," Priskin nodded.

"So, either way, we’re going to be caught on camera, right?" Lucina asked.

"Do you think they would be so cautious? We’re just three janitors," Hall glanced at Priskin.

"This is the Administration Bureau, Hall, not some County Police station. So this won’t work; we should call off the plan. Even if we go up, agents will find us quickly," Priskin said.

"Chen Ke is still waiting outside," Lucina said.

"That doesn’t matter now, kid, unless you want to get caught by the Administration Bureau," Hall said.

"The three of us will definitely get caught if we all go up, but there might be a chance to slip away if only one person goes," Lucina said.

"I know what you’re thinking... it’s like walking into the lion’s den," Hall said.

"I have a plan. You guys stay here and cover for me... pull out when it’s about time," Lucina said.

"Are you joking? You think we would let you go up there alone?" Priskin shook his head.

"Listen, guys, no matter how we get up there, we’ll eventually be discovered by the Administration Bureau. One person is harder to find than three. I can hide myself; trust me," Lucina said.

Priskin and Hall exchanged glances, still apprehensive.

"It’s too dangerous. You should contact Chen Ke and tell him to call off the action," Priskin said.

"He won’t call it off," Lucina said.

"He’ll get you killed," Priskin sighed.

"He won’t let me die, okay? He knows exactly what he’s doing," Lucina said.

"He knows... Of course, I know he’s well aware of what he’s doing, he always is, it’s just that we’re not so sure... I think he’s changed a bit recently, not quite the same as when he first came as a courier," Hall said.

"I’ve noticed too, Luc. We’re involved in this for your sake because I don’t know what Chen Ke will have you do," Priskin also said.

Lucina took a deep breath, then, hands on hips, looked out through the crack in the door again.

"It’s only about twenty steps from here to the elevator. Are we going to stand around chatting until they clock off, or get out there and handle this?" Lucina grew impatient, a sign she was close to losing her temper.

"We need to think this over... It’s too dangerous," Hall hurriedly said.

"It’s not dangerous; I have a plan. You just stay here," Lucina said.

Afterward, she opened the door and walked straight towards the elevator. Hall and Priskin didn’t even have time to react.

"Hey, hey!" Hall attempted to grasp Lucina’s hand, but she was too quick and slipped right to the elevator entrance.

Fortunately, the elevator happened to be on the first floor. It took less than two seconds for the doors to open after Lucina pressed the button. Several workers in suits stepped out, looking curiously at Lucina before stepping aside to let her enter the elevator.

Watching the elevator doors slowly close, Priskin and Hall shut the small iron door too, exchanging frustrated glares at themselves for not immediately following Lucina out.

"What now?" Hall asked.

"Contact Chen Ke... tell him Lucina went up alone. Maybe this is what he wanted after all; he’s only thinking about getting the door opened," Priskin shook his head.

"At this point, let’s remain hopeful... After all, it was Chen Ke who rescued her from Yasla’s clutches in the first place," Hall took out his cell phone and muttered as he texted Chen Ke.

"She’s up," Hall sent.

"All of you?" Chen Ke promptly replied.

"Just her." Hall replied as well.

"Tell him, Lucina’s chances don’t look good," Priskin interjected.

"It’s dangerous, a rescue plan is needed," Hall sent another text message.

After a while, Chen Ke replied, "Not even a scratch will happen."

The floor indicator light stopped at the 12th floor, and Lucina slipped out of the elevator, looking at the unfamiliar corridor and the offices behind glass walls, where clerical staff were busy at work.

The sound of telephones ringing, murmured conversations, and the echo of high heels on wooden floors mixed together, giving Lucina, who was accustomed to the streets and the sea, a sense of inexplicable alienation.

Lucina didn’t belong here; she was never associated with being docile or quiet, nor had she ever imagined herself wearing a business suit, high heels, and working at a keyboard with nimble fingers.

She moved cautiously along the wall, carefully examining the signs on doorframes in search of the archives office.

Behind the glass walls, several workers moved back and forth, seemingly discussing something. She walked quickly past them and was tapped on the shoulder from behind.

Like a frightened rabbit, Lucina trembled violently and turned around in panic, only to find a woman in a gray business suit. She wore glasses, and though she was about the same age and height as Lucina, she seemed more steady and restrained, exuding an inexplicable aura with her every move.

"This area is restricted, didn’t the guard downstairs stop you?" the woman asked.

"I came to... fix the toilets," Lucina replied.

"What? I don’t recall the toilets on this floor ever being broken. Ma’am, may I see your work ID card?" the woman said.

Lucina handed her the forged work ID card and her mind raced, looking for an opportunity to leave.

"Hmm... I don’t recognize this company," the woman murmured to herself.

"It’s a piping issue, not related to the toilets. I need to check if there’s any blockage in the pipes on this floor and inspect for signs of pipe corrosion," Lucina blurted out desperately.

Skeptically eyeing Lucina, the woman returned the work ID card and said, "All right, I’ll take you to the toilets to have a look, but you must leave immediately afterward."

"No problem, ma’am," Lucina nodded.

The woman led Lucina through the complex corridors, heading straight for the restroom. Along the way, Lucina saw a blue door with a sign reading "Archives Security Office."

"All right, here it is. Men to the left, women to the right. You can’t possibly want to go to the men’s, right...?" the woman asked.

"Of course not... nor do I need to check the men’s," Lucina said with a smile.

The two entered the women’s restroom, and the woman stood by the door, watching Lucina’s every move, while Lucina pretended to inspect each stall, pushing the flush button to check for blockages.

The restroom was empty for the moment...

"Are you done checking?" the woman grew impatient.

"It’s not that easy," Lucina mused in the last cubicle, hinting at a risky idea.

"Efficiency, please. I’m very busy," the woman sighed.

"Um, ma’am, there’s a problem here. Could you come and take a look?" Lucina called out.

The woman pushed up her glasses, her face showing displeasure, and walked toward Lucina’s stall in her clacking high heels.

"What’s the issue?" the woman leaned in to look inside.

"Bam!" A punch landed squarely on her face, drawing blood from her nose. She staggered back a few steps and sat down on the washbasin.

Lucina stepped forward, grabbed her shoulders, and moved behind her, using her right arm to tightly choke the woman’s neck.

"You!... arrgh!!..." The woman struggled, managing to last for several seconds before her hands drooped to her sides.

Lucina dragged the woman into the stall, took a quick glance at the restroom door, first ran to wedge the door with a nearby broom, and then returned to strip the woman’s clothes off.

She unbuttoned the suit, slid off the jacket, then undid the white shirt, revealing the body underneath.

"Hmm... pretty small," Lucina laughed.

Efficiently, Lucina stripped the woman and unzipped her own coveralls. After a quick change, a chocolate-skinned woman in business attire emerged from the restroom.

She pushed her glasses’ bridge, fiddled with her still-unbuttoned shirt, and headed for the Archives Security Office.