Luo Shu gritted his teeth in frustration at the "God."
But so far, he had been powerless against him.
The "God," with his spatial manipulation abilities, was simply too slippery!
Even if Luo Shu had the power to kill him, he could never pin down his location.
That was the real problem.
But now, with Pursuit Over a Thousand Miles, Luo Shu could at least track the "God's" movements in real time.
The opportunity had finally arrived!
Unfortunately, the old bastard was currently outside Site-19, and as a D-Class personnel, Luo Shu had no authorization to leave freely—otherwise, he would've already hunted him down.
He'd have to wait for another chance.
Just you wait, you old bastard. Dare to step into Site-19 again, and I'll make sure you regret it!
As Anomalous Project-096 (The "Shy Guy") was transported away, Luo Shu sensed the "God" swiftly leaving the city.
However, instead of following the "Shy Guy" westward, the "God" headed south—back to Site-17.
After consecutive failures with Anomalous Project-053 (The "Little Girl") and the "Shy Guy," the "God" had finally realized that Luo Shu wasn't an easy target.
The question was—when would he return? And what tricks would he bring next?
Luo Shu had no way of knowing. For now, he could only wait.
But before that, a new problem arose.
The Site Director, suspicious of the "Shy Guy's" sudden disappearance and reappearance in the Sublevel-4 stairwell, had ordered an investigation.
The Mobile Task Force (MTF) Nine-Tailed Fox was assigned to assist, and Luo Shu—as Bearded Jack's top advisor—was invited to join the Stairwell Investigation Team.
Well… this is awkward.
Should I "discover" the stairs to Sublevel-5 or not?
The stairs to Sublevel-5 had always been there. Others simply hadn't noticed due to the anti-memetic effects, but that didn't mean they didn't exist.
In fact, the descending staircase was just as wide as the ascending one—enough for four people to walk side by side.
If the investigation team thoroughly combed the area, even if they had to feel around like blind men, they'd eventually find it.
Given that, it was better for Luo Shu to "expose" it himself rather than wait for someone else to stumble upon it.
Before the investigation began, Luo Shu used his Photo Passage ability to retrieve everything he had stored in Anomalous Project-055's (The "Unknown") unit.
After some thought, he tossed it all into another photo—Anomalous Project-012's (The "Unfinished Symphony") unit.
Since the symphony had visual cognitohazards, its unit also lacked surveillance cameras—perfect for hiding things.
What can I say? A smart rabbit has three burrows. Heh.
Once everything was settled, Luo Shu joined the team at the MTF assembly area.
Seeing the internal security squad decked out in full combat gear—as if they were about to fight SCP-173 ("The Sculpture")—he couldn't help but laugh.
But he couldn't blame them.
The last time Luo Shu had faked an SCP-173 containment breach, he'd vanished into the Sublevel-4 stairwell wearing an orange D-Class uniform. The MTF still remembered that clearly.
Since a "teleporting fugitive" had supposedly hidden there, they treated this mission with the same caution as facing SCP-173.
Sorry, guys.
Luo Shu mentally apologized before taking his place beside Bearded Jack at the front of the formation.
Soon, the team arrived at the Sublevel-4 stairwell.
Every member of Nine-Tailed Fox, including Bearded Jack, acted as if they were walking into a warzone—guns trained on every wall, as if SCP-173 might materialize behind them at any second.
Bearded Jack even ordered, "Follow Level-4 security protocols! Ensure every squad member has at least two pairs of eyes watching their back!"
Luo Shu couldn't take it anymore. "Is this really necessary? We use these stairs every day—hundreds of people pass through here. Has anyone ever gone missing?"
Hearing this, Bearded Jack coughed awkwardly and signaled for the team to ease up.
Even so, everyone remained on edge. No one dared touch the walls, afraid they might accidentally trigger a hidden door and unleash some nightmare.
Watching from the Site Director's office, the Director facepalmed and spoke over the intercom:
"You're still within camera range! If there were hidden doors, they'd be in blind spots!"
As the only one who knew Sublevel-5 was harmless, Luo Shu put on an act. He stepped forward and began "searching" the walls.
Before long, he "discovered" the descending staircase.
"Huh? Something's off here!"
All the world's a stage.
The moment he spoke, the sound of safeties clicking off and bolts being racked echoed behind him.
Luo Shu turned to see over a dozen guns aimed his way.
"Easy, guys! Don't get trigger-happy!"
Getting shot now would be the dumbest way to die.
Bearded Jack leaned in. "What did you find?"
Despite the clearly visible staircase right in front of them, no one had noticed it.
Luo Shu "carefully" took a step down and said, "There seem to be stairs leading further down!"
Once the truth was spoken, the team finally saw the staircase—the one their minds had refused to acknowledge.
With Luo Shu leading, they cautiously descended.
What followed was absurd.
They moved like toddlers learning to walk—sideways, one step at a time, same foot first, then the other.
Step. Pause. Step. Pause.
Luo Shu was baffled. Do they see only darkness below?
But he couldn't ask without raising suspicion, so he mimicked their movements.
After about a dozen steps, Bearded Jack finally snapped.
"Luo Shu! These stairs look endless! At this rate, we'll be here all day!"
Luo Shu blinked. "Wait… you can see them?"
"Of course I can! Unless you're blind, how could you miss a staircase this wide?!"
Once their minds accepted the stairs' existence, their perception aligned with Luo Shu's.
Confused, Luo Shu asked, "Then why were you all walking like that?"
Bearded Jack glared. "You started it! Everyone just copied you!"
"…"
Luo Shu suddenly remembered—he had indeed taken the first exaggerated step as part of his act.
And the whole team had followed suit.
So… this is my fault?