It wasn't until Barbie entered the containment chamber that Jianjia finally deactivated her ability.
With an innocent expression, she said, "Boss, that guy is really strange! I clearly sensed the environmental Hume drop suddenly and reacted immediately, but I couldn't see him at all."
Barbie didn't respond. Instead, she crouched near the negative-pressure chamber door, examining the traces left behind.
Scattered on the ground were withered reed fragments—the remnants of Enemy of Life.
"Look here—he was definitely here! Your reeds couldn't hold him!"
Jianjia's eyes lit up as she followed Barbie's gaze. Turning back toward the entrance, she saw a trail of wet footprints leading out of SCP-939's unit.
Since all Omega-12 personnel had been moving inward, these prints could only belong to the reality bender.
A smug grin spread across Barbie's face. "Now you can't escape! After him!"
The wet footprints ended abruptly at the open area outside the unit—where Luoshu had boarded his electric cart.
Barbie studied the vanishing trail and deduced, "If this guy can't teleport, he must have a vehicle! Split up!"
Omega-12 divided into two Humvees, speeding off in opposite directions:
One team ventured deeper into Area-14's containment zone.
Barbie and Jianjia headed outward, tracking with a Kant Counter.
Soon, the device beeped—Hume level: 400.
Barbie halted the vehicle. "Your water," she muttered, spotting a single droplet from Luoshu's cart.
Following the trail, they reached Area-14's exit zone, where the other Humvee rejoined them.
"Boss! Found it—over here!" a voice crackled over comms.
Barbie rushed to the scene, only to freeze in fury.
The trail led to Omega-12's own temporary barracks.
A puddle of water sat conspicuously at the entrance, the Kant Counter screeching at its high Hume reading.
That bastard tricked us!
Luoshu's Evasion
Rewind a few minutes:
Luoshu, watching the chaos in SCP-939's unit via his terminal, noticed Jianjia's excited pursuit and realized—he'd left evidence.
His pants and shoes were soaked from the reed marsh, dripping water onto the cart's floor.
Every few dozen meters, a drop fell—a perfect trail.
Though unaware the water carried high Hume levels, Luoshu's instincts screamed danger.
Instead of returning to Hammer Down's barracks, he diverted to Omega-12's quarters, wringing out his pants to create a decoy puddle.
By the time the Humvees passed him, his cart was dry, and Omega-12 ignored the Kant Counter's blips—thanks to Unobservability.
Back in his room, Luoshu:
Dried the cart thoroughly.
Washed his pants and shoes to dilute Jianjia's water.
The Satellite Factor
Barbie's team scoured the main road, but the trace amounts of water evaded detection.
Unlike a reality bender's massive Hume signature, a droplet's impact was too localized for satellite sensors.
Why hadn't the Energy Hourglass triggered satellites before?
Simple:
As a "children's toy" from ██████, its Hume distortion was too weak for orbital detection.
Required two-week cooldowns for 15-minute effects.
But Luoshu's Evolution Distortion:
Lasted 30 minutes (boosted by his milestones).
Grew stronger with use.
The difference was clear—the problem wasn't the ability. It was him.