Shane's eyes followed her hand to the direction she was pointing and found out that she was indeed right.
At a far off corner where there was a long wooded oval shaped table, sat about twenty persons, there were stacks of files in front of them. And they were sorting out each one.
It seemed like they were diligently doing their jobs, but that was only to the ignorant, for someone like them who had been trained by old Bai to be very observant, especially when hunting demonic beasts.
It wasn't hard for them to detect the miniscule hesitation on their faces.
"They do indeed seem out of place, almost like...."
"Almost like they don't want to be here. How peculiar."
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking"
"Well they would definitely be a good addition to our strength"
"I'm pretty sure Zidane would be reeling with joy if we brought them in"
"Yes, and those files seem to be the most important thing here. If we're able to get these people to our side, then they're pretty much secured"
"That leaves us with the rescue mission, and I think the captives should be behind that door over there."
"Our targets are in sight, all that's left is a perfect plan"
"Well you're the expert here, come up with one"
"Zidane is better suited with coming up with plans"
"She isn't here now soooo...."
"Fine then. The first thing we need to do is communicate first with those researchers, I just hope we're right and they'd be willing to betray the Tenebrous Taskforce"
"Yes but first of all, let's confirm the layout of the facility, so we can better plan our movements"
The both of them then kept quite as they surveyed the entire layout of the facility again.
The facility consisted of three interconnected rooms, each serving a sinister purpose:
The first room which was the main Research Center was a large, dimly lit chamber filled with rows of workstations, strange equipment, and eerie, pulsing orbs.
The Researchers in black robes, their faces obscured by hoods, conduct twisted experiments on unwilling subjects.
There were shelves lined with dusty jars containing unknown specimens, strange artifacts, and forbidden tomes.
A large, circular device dominated the center of the room, emitting a dark, malevolent energy.
On the far left corner was something that looked like a detention cell, it was a cold, damp chamber with stone walls and iron bars, holding cells for the abducted children.
Flickering torches casted eerie shadows on the walls as the children huddle together in fear. The air was thick with the scent of despair, hopelessness, and forgotten dreams.
And then there is the third room which contained hundreds kids of huddled up together, the only difference between them and the other children in detention cell were the transparent crystals on their foreheads.
All the kids that were captured by them were between the ages of nine and ten, no one younger or older than that, it seemed they had figured out that was the best age to for their experiments.
These three rooms are connected by heavy, iron-reinforced doors, each adorned with array formations to keep them in check. The walls seem to absorb sound, making the facility eerily silent, except for the faint whispers of the damned.
After they had completed the survey once more, they were ready to proceed with their mission.
"But what do we do with the the kids who hadn't been experimented on, will they be taken in too" one of the Ten Shadows asked.
"Of course they would, I'm pretty sure their fate are the same as ours were, homeless. There's no reason to leave them behind" Diane replied.
"We're all fighting for the same thing, a better world, we'll definitely need all the help we can get" Shane chipped in.
Diana then turned to the Shadow who had asked the question "Alright Nala, you're up" She said to her.
Nala who was a skilled Shadow adept in the mystical arts stepped forward and activated her technique,
She created a Whispering Orb - a small, glowing sphere that amplified and transmitted thoughts. The Orb was then imbued with a gentle, pulsing qi that resonated with the researchers' minds.
This Orb which was created from her skill was called, the Whispering Orb, and it was almost similar to Vin's God's eye as it amplified and transmitted thoughts.
But there was a huge difference, while Vin could send his thoughts to anyone within a certain large range or people he had marked.
The Whispering Orb only worked within a limited range and at a certain frequency.
The two groups then focused their thoughts, and the Orb began to glow brighter.
The researchers, sensing the unusual energy, look up from their work. Diane then broadcasted a telepathic message, speaking directly into the minds of all twenty researchers:
"We mean you no harm. We are the Exodus Order, working to bring down the Tenebrous Taskforce. We seek the files you are sorting. Will you help us, or stand in our way?"
The Orb's energy ensured that the message resonated at a frequency that awakened the researchers' latent desire for freedom and autonomy. The message echoed in their minds, stirring their thoughts and emotions.
The researchers, now aware of the Exodus Order's presence and intentions, respond telepathically, their thoughts and feelings merging into a collective answer. The two groups sensed the responses, gauging the level of cooperation and willingness among the group.
With the Whispering Orb's aid, the Exodus Order established a connection with the researchers, forging an alliance that would aid in their mission to secure the critical files and bring down the Tenebrous Taskforce.
"It's time then, Cormac you're up" Shane said to one of the Paragons. Diane also looked at one of the Shadows and nodded her head at her. "Nyx, it's your turn"
"But before that here's the plan" Diane continued "Cormac and Nyx would both combine their sound skills to disrupt sounds from alerting the guards outside, but that isn't enough because the vibrations from the battle might also alert them.
"So on that note, I'll also activate my shadow territory, which would disrupt the movements of the enemies so we can be as quite and meticulously as fast as possible.
"These skills must be a activated at the same time, and once they're done, we'll attack at the same time, I and Shane would directly go after the head researcher, the Nine other Paragons and Shadows should have no trouble dealing with the rest of the researchers.
"Nala, you'll go after those researchers who have defected, secure the files and have them open the two doors, that's keeping the hostages.
"Two people from the Paragons should also help her, so we can also protect them while the rest of us are fighting, this moment is what the grandmaster has been training us for, so let's put that knowledge to good use. Are we ready?"
After giving her heartfelt speech, Diane looked at the rest of her team mates as they acknowledged her suggestions in approval.
"We understand"
"We'll definitely not disappoint Lord Zero"
"We're ready"
Diane nodded her head and said "Good, let's go"
And immediately, three voices were heard as they activated various skills.
"Soundless Monastery"
"Silence Of The Night"
"Shadow Territory"
Immediately two pulsating sound waves was released into the research center.
The skill Soundless Monastery created a localized area of complete silence, resembling a serene monastery.
Absorbing all sounds within the area, making it impossible for enemies to use sound-based attacks.
Allies within the area would gain increased focus and concentration, enhancing their abilities.
The made sure the Exodus Order could move undetected and strike from the silence, dealing increased damage.
While the Silence of the Night unleashed a wave of oppressive silence, blanketing the entire area in an unsettling quiet.
Enemies within the area would suffer from disorientation, reduced accuracy, and decreased movement speed.
This made them almost temporarily invisible as they could move with increased speed and stealth.
The silence can be shattered by loud noises, leaving enemies stunned and vulnerable.
Soundless Monastery provided a defensive, protective space, while Silence of the Night offered an offensive, disorienting effect.
At the same time these happened, large amounts of shadows were released into the research center, this immediately caused an uproar amongst the researchers.
The Shadow Territory skill established a large area under Diane's shadowy influence.
This allows her to sense movements, track targets, and anticipate attacks within the territory.
Enemies within the territory would also suffer from fear, confusion, or disorientation.
Diane could also teleport short distances within her territory or summon shadows to aid her.
And that was exactly what she she did, she released a shadow tendril and wrapped it around Shane and then she teleported behind the head researcher.
This domain skill demonstrated Diane's mastery over shadows, enabling her to create and control areas of darkness to aid allies, hinder enemies, and enhance her own abilities.
As this was a very large skill she could only maintain the shadow territory for as long as ten minutes, so they needed to be as quick as possible.
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