The intense explosion came from upstairs, causing the entire building to tremble slightly.
Fortunately, the explosion didn't seem to be aimed at him, with the blast center a distance away. After Ethan's body became exceptionally robust, he only needed a few seconds on the ground to gradually recover from the shock.
Ethan immediately became alert, realizing this was no ordinary incident.
As his hearing slowly returned, he could make out the library's alarm going off, mixed with screams and gunshots coming from downstairs.
A robbery? Who would rob a library?
Feeling his mobility had returned, Ethan quickly hid to avoid being spotted by potential robbers.
The alarm was then silenced, seemingly controlled by the robbers who had taken over the library's central system. The chaotic background noise suddenly quieted down.
Ethan observed the blasted ceiling from his corner, hearing an angry voice, "Damn it, all this security for a few damn books? Be careful, if you damage them, you're dead!"
"Don't worry, the explosives I mixed are just right, see, it's only a bit messy inside."
Ignoring that, with the robbers' attention focused upstairs, Ethan quietly moved towards the staircase, looking for a suitable spot that allowed him to observe the situation upstairs without being discovered by the robbers downstairs. His goal was clear, to ascertain the group's movements and intentions.
Ethan carefully avoided the gaze of the men in black, finding a concealed corner. He crouched as low as possible, peering upwards stealthily.
There were several fully armed men in black, blasting open rooms upstairs, seemingly searching for something.
Carlos? Ethan was familiar with this black attire, identical to what he saw Carlos and his group wearing at the old mansion!
The scene of these men searching upstairs. They seemed desperate, turning every room upside down, yet apparently not finding what they were looking for.
Were they here for the same reason as him? Ethan pondered if these men in black came for the object indicated by the light point, hence the takeover of the library.
Ethan stayed close to the ground, peeking over the railing to glance downstairs. Indeed, several men armed with guns were controlling the situation, shouting at the onlookers to stay still.
It seemed Ethan had inadvertently avoided their search by staying in the corridor earlier, or else he might have been detained in the hall too.
Ethan knew he had to act or these people might find what he was searching for.
These men hadn't opened the correct room yet; they seemed unaware of the specific location? This presented a good opportunity.
Ethan first turned down his phone volume to the lowest and then sent out an emergency message. Though the alarm had been triggered, he decided to call for help as a backup.
After sending the message, Ethan picked up a piece of the fallen ceiling and tiptoed back into the corridor. Just then, another explosion occurred, blasting open another room!
How many such rooms were there? Ethan wasn't sure, but he hurried to the door indicated by the light point.
How to open it? A violent break-in would surely attract attention. Moreover, the door seemed ordinary, but its material was likely extraordinarily sturdy, or else the men in black wouldn't have resorted to explosives.
Ethan tried prying the lock with the debris in his hand. His strength had significantly increased, but the lock showed no response.
As he contemplated his next move, another explosion sounded. Ethan decided to attempt unlocking the door using the explosion as cover. However, just then, a man in black emerged from the other end of the corridor.
Ethan's heart tightened, knowing he had to act immediately.
He rushed forward and, just as the man in black opened his mouth to speak, Ethan struck his neck with his palm.
He had never truly knocked someone unconscious before, but based on scenes from TV shows, he believed this was the right approach.
The man spat out blood, apparently, Ethan's blow was heavier than intended, his strength uncontrollable since the transformation.
"Damn, he's not dead, is he?" Ethan hastily checked the man's nose for breath, relieved to find he was still breathing.
At least he was indeed knocked out.
What next?
"Got an idea." Ethan quickly stripped the unconscious man of his clothes and dressed himself, blending in with the other men in black.
Taking a deep breath to appear calm and natural, he began to make his way upstairs, blending in.