With the name "Project Chimera" seared into his mind, Rune realized that simply searching for information wouldn't be enough. He needed to locate specific sites, places that might hold physical evidence or house surviving individuals connected to this project. Logic dictated that a large-scale endeavor like this would have multiple facilities, perhaps secret laboratories or heavily fortified military bases.
Rune left the office building, his mind brimming with questions. He was beginning to feel the subtle energy currents hidden beneath the Ruined City more clearly than ever, as if they were guiding him. He believed these energy streams, the "blood vessels of the world," could lead him to significant locations related to Project Chimera.
He began moving towards the outskirts of the Ruined City, where previous maps indicated numerous industrial zones and old military bases. This path was far more dangerous. Larger, more aggressive mutated creatures often congregated in areas less affected by Vorn's war.
Rune used all his senses and abilities to navigate. He sensed the energy fluctuations of creatures, avoiding large monster nests. His Electromagnetic Manipulation allowed him to perceive faint underground currents, weak radio frequencies from old equipment, hinting at subterranean facilities. His Quartz Manipulation enabled him to efficiently cut through dense rubble, creating narrow passages only he could fit through.
After days of relentless movement and searching, he arrived at an area previously marked as Military Research and Development Center #7. Now, it was a desolate scene, ruined buildings covered in mutated nettles and patches of eerie glowing moss. However, Rune sensed a distinct energy signature from deep underground – something structured and controlled, unlike the chaotic energy from the Eternal Gate or the biological energy from other Awakened.
He began to search for an entrance. Based on remnants of architectural diagrams he'd seen in the documents, Rune deduced a secret entrance would be beneath a collapsed helipad. He used his combined powers. His Chaotic Kinetics helped him shift colossal concrete blocks that blocked the way. His Quartz Manipulation allowed him to precisely alter the ground's structure, opening a gap just wide enough.
A dark, damp underground tunnel appeared. The air below was thick with the scent of metal and ozone, mingled with a faint, stale chemical odor. This was a heavily fortified facility, designed to withstand even a nuclear strike.
Rune proceeded, his crimson eyes illuminating the way. He moved through reinforced steel corridors, occasionally encountering withered remains of soldiers or scientists, scattered like forgotten skeletons. Electronic equipment was dead, but Rune could sense faint energy echoes lingering.
He reached a larger area. It was a massive, abandoned laboratory, with empty tanks, overturned medical equipment, and rusted operating tables. On the walls, anatomical diagrams and genetic schematics were torn, but enough remained for Rune to recognize images of human anatomy with sections marked by strange, energy-related symbols.
And then, he saw it.
In a corner of the room, covered in dust and cobwebs, was a colossal metal control panel, with dozens of buttons and dark screens. Above it, a bent but still legible metal plate read: "PROJECT CHIMERA - MODULATION UNIT."
Rune placed his hand on the cold metal surface of the control panel. A faint electromagnetic pulse coursed into him. He closed his eyes, trying to "connect" with it, searching for any lingering memories or data.
For a fleeting moment, an image flashed in his mind – a sterile white room, whispering voices, the clink of metal, and an intense feeling of pain... along with a name, a whispered voice: "R-U-N-E..."
A forgotten memory, or an implanted code? Rune didn't know. But he had found a starting point.