The hum of the distant facility, a low, unsettling thrum, seemed to grow louder as Anya, Jax, and Ethan prepared to delve deeper into Sierra One. The service tunnel they were in offered temporary respite, but the objective was clear: the Alpha. To reach it, they had to descend.
"According to these schematics," Anya stated, pointing at the tablet's glowing screen, her face illuminated by its cold light, "the containment chamber for the Prime Specimen is on Sub-Level 5. That's three levels below us."
Jax grunted. "Great. More fun in the dark." He shifted his weight, his bandaged arm throbbing. "How do we get down there? Elevators are probably dead or rigged."
"Access shafts," Ethan murmured, recalling his earlier observations. His **Intelligence** stat, now at 12, helped him process the information Anya was presenting. "I saw a few maintenance access points on the lower sections of the loading dock, just before we hit the labs. They looked like they led down."
"Good eye, Ethan," Anya commended, a rare hint of approval in her voice. "That's our best bet. Less likely to be patrolled by larger groups than main stairwells, and less chance of being trapped like an elevator."
The journey back through the service tunnel was tense. Ethan's ribs ached with every movement, but the medical tape and his elevated **Stamina** (now 11) kept him from collapsing. Jax moved with a grim determination, his crossbow ready. They could still hear the faint thudding of Runners on the heavy steel door of the lab, a constant reminder of the threats they had left behind.
They eventually found the access shaft Ethan remembered. It was a dark, square opening in the floor of a forgotten supply room, marked with faded warning signs. A rusted ladder led into the gloom. The air flowing up from below was colder, carrying a faint, metallic scent that was different from the decay above—like stagnant water mixed with something electrical.
**\[New Sub-Objective: Descend to Sub-Level 5. Reward: 75 EXP.]**
"Alright," Anya said, slinging her rifle. "I'll go first. Jax, you follow. Ethan, you take the rear. Your **AnomalySense** will be our early warning."
Climbing down was agonizing for Ethan. Each rung sent a jolt of pain through his ribs, but he pushed through it, focusing on his breathing. The shaft was narrow, just wide enough for them to maneuver, and utterly dark beyond the reach of their flashlights. They moved slowly, methodically, their lights cutting through the thick dust motes dancing in the air.
As they descended, the oppressive silence was broken only by the creak of their gear and their laboured breathing. Suddenly, Ethan's **Anomaly Sense** flared, a stronger hum now, closer.
"Below us," Ethan whispered, his voice tight. "Something's coming up."
Anya immediately froze, pressing herself against the ladder. Jax likewise halted, aiming his crossbow down into the blackness. The sound grew clearer: a series of quick, erratic scraping noises, like something climbing with too many limbs.
Then, a pair of glowing, yellow eyes materialized in the darkness below, followed by the distorted, elongated head of a **Lurker**. It was climbing surprisingly fast, its specialized limbs allowing it to scale the ladder with terrifying efficiency.
"It tracked us!" Jax hissed, firing his crossbow. The bolt struck the Lurker's shoulder, but it barely flinched, still climbing.
Anya aimed her rifle, but firing down a narrow shaft at an ascending target was tricky. "Ethan! Your hatchet!"
Ethan, despite the pain, pulled out his hatchet. He couldn't swing effectively from his position on the ladder. He had to be strategic. The Lurker was almost at Jax's feet.
"Hold on!" Ethan yelled. With a burst of his **Agility**, he kicked off the wall of the shaft, briefly putting his weight on the ladder rung with his good leg. As the Lurker clawed its way up, he aimed a powerful, downward thrust with his hatchet, striking directly at its exposed head. The blow was solid, piercing its skull.
The Lurker shrieked, its yellow eyes dimming as it lost its grip. It tumbled down the shaft, a wet, sickening thud echoing far below.
**\[High-Threat Mutation (Lurker) eliminated! Experience Gained: 75 EXP.]**
**\[Current Experience: 375/400.]**
Anya let out a tense breath. "Good kill, Ethan. Too close."
They continued their descent, now even more wary. The Lurker had tracked them, meaning the anomalies in Sierra One were more persistent, perhaps even vengeful, than anything they'd encountered. The Alpha's influence was undeniably vast, guiding its horrific creations with an unnerving precision.
Finally, after what felt like an endless climb down, their feet touched solid ground. They were in a much larger chamber, still dusty and abandoned, but the air was colder, and the distant hum of the facility was now a deep, resonating throb. This had to be Sub-Level 5. The home of the Alpha.
They were in the belly of the beast.