He lowered his hand and examihe readout from the dungeon, the ges were starting to take effect. It was so iing. He had only used a few of his cheats and the features of his ability. They were all he needed and the others seemed so pointless when he’d first acquired them. What more did he han to be invincible? He frowned a little, Clearly much more, he thought as he remembered the pain of being blown nearly to pieces by a self-destrug A. He raised the hand that had regrown and flexed it a little.
He gnced up at the dungeon again, The monsters will respawn faster now and its drawing in more mana. I’ve uncapped it so it shouldn’t burst at least. He chuckled, he didn’t really care whether or not it was forcibly altering a ‘natural’ process of the dungeon. In fact, I wonder what could happen if it just keeps filling up. Maybe the reward will get better? He paused, Oh, weren’t the scouting trainees inside? Oh well. He snorted and turned away to look at the young woman leaning against a tree nearby. She frow him and sighed when he gestured for her to e to him.
“Jessica,” He said with a wide smile, “How have your powers been developing?”
She stared deadpan at him, “Well enough, I’ve kept pace with the Nashville team,” She said and crossed her arms, “Why?”
He pursed his lips, “That’s not good enough,” He said and she narrowed her eyes before taking a momentary step back, “I want to try something, if you’ll indulge me.”
“I’d rather you didn’t,” She said, pulling her arms closer to her chest only to freeze when he leveled a cold stare on her. Her face went pale and her knees buckled once, “Please?” She asked, “I really don’t want to be yuinea pig.”
“That ship has sailed,” He said with a his and snapped his arm out, grabbing her by her throat. He tilted his head to the right, “I’m going to make you strong enough to deal with that Cassiopeia girl, whether you like it or not. Liberty has the right idea in this case, surprising for an idiot like her,” He said with a snarl as she coughed and squeaked, trying to pry his fingers off of her throat, “Stop struggling, it’ll only hurt for a moment.”
He drew on his powers, his eyes widening as a smile cracked his fa half. “Let’s try it out!” He cackled and activated the cheat. She let out a scream of anguish as pale white shocks of energy ripped through her body. She vulsed, her arms falling limp and her head bug as the energy tore through every cell in her body. When he was done, he let her go and she colpsed face-first to the ground. He tapped the side of her head with his boot but she didn’t stir. Still breathing though, I suppose that’s good enough. He scoffed.
He gowards the trees, “Not watg today either, probably preparing for the exam ahead. Ignorant thing,” He muttered only to pause as two presences approached. He narrowed his eyes until two of the aspirants he had brought in as ckeys came into view. They paused when they saw Jessica. His eyes narrowed. And this is what I get for being careless. He grumbled, “What is it?”
They blinked a few times and looked away from her. The first opened his mouth and was about to say something when the sed cut in, “We spotted a group of people wearing masks heading this way, sir,” He said, “They’re heavily armed.”
“Isaac tried to teleport to you but his ability’s on the fritz,” The first added quickly. “He’s unscious.”
He frow them for a moment befng over at Jessica, “Ah, I see what’s happening. It looks like she took too long,” He tilted his head, “The camp is utack. That works for me,” He said with a smirk.
“Sir what happeo–”
Otis accessed his cheats and called a gun to his hand. He turned his on owo young men and fired off two quick shots. Both of them dropped like saeat to the ground. He wrinkled his nose and walked over to them, he kicked eaake sure they were dead. Stupid things, shouldn’t ask questions like that. More trouble than your pathetic abilities were worth. He thought before pausing and chug, Oh, Liberty, now look what you did!
He turowards Jessica, “Looks like you don’t have time to rest,” He said aloud and walked over to her, kneeling down and grabbing her by the face. “Let’s try stat modificatio,” He chuckled, “Rise and shine!”
Golden energy crackled across her body as all of her muscles tracted once before she threw her head ba an anguished scream. He released her fad got to his feet, brushing his hands off, “Get up,” He snarled.
She stared up at the opy of trees for a moment, tears in her eyes as her chest rose and fell. She looked at him, her pupils tiny with terror. He sneered, “The camp is utack, we’ve lost two already,” He said, mog sympathy aured to the two corpses behind him. She sat up and brought her hands to her mouth before retg and looking away, he sniffed, “e on now, you’re a killer aren’t you?” He said and took a step towards her.
“But they-”
“Were loose ends and unreliable,” He corrected before she could tinue, “Now, as I said, the camp is utack, by your old owner if I had to guess,” He said with a shrug.
She coughed and looked up at him, “B-but I- I haven’t had enough time to get close! I finally set up my cover and-”
“And there’s your problem, gcially slow,” He said with a shrug, “You fet that winter o suddenly,” He tinued, “Now get up, we’re going to joihers back at camp.”
She pulled herself up, stumbling a little at how fast she rose. She blinked and looked down at her hands, “What did you do to me?”
“Made some improvements,” He said callously, “Is there a problem?”
She bowed her head, “N-no sir.”
“I didn’t think so,” He said, “You and I are going to pretend like we know nothing about the attad return separately. Follow any iven,” He said and waved her away. She straightened a little before nodding and darting into the trees. He watched her go before turning back to the corpses, “A little close to the portal,” He said thoughtfully and walked over to grab both of them, “Lets put you somewhere a bit more eaining, might as well get some use out of you. A good timewaster before my heroic arrival.”
He snickered, “Today’s the day! I gotta hand it to you, Liberty! You really do make an excellent unwitting subordinate!” He ughed as he walked into the trees and disappeared.
–
“Everyone! Please remain calm and move in an orderly fashion!” hua shouted, waving her hands towards the on building. “Please follow Miss ovna, she will lead you to the buhe security force will be occupying the bunker, make sure to listen to their instrus!” She tinued as aspirants raced past her. She was ting them as fast as she could but even with those she likely missed there were far too few ated for.
She turned her attention to the small gathering of instructors who had moved to line up in front of the on building. Axel isn’t back yet, she thought and gnced over her shoulder towards the on building, Madame Rouge hasn’t e out either. What is she waiting for? She frowned as she looked back to those who remaihere were three of them. Bedrock eak-epic earth elementalist, a solid batant but better with creating defehan direct attacks. He’d been brought in alongside Axel from Marion Corporation.
o them were Crowley and is, both of them utilized animals and animal-like abilities. They’d e from ASTA. It irritated her that instructors of actual sequence hadn’t shown up from the other corporations who had insisted on poag students from the camp at the beginning. She let out a sigh and spotted a pair of familiar faces. “Alex!” she shouted over the din of fused aspirants. Some were loudly w where reinforts were.
The hero-in-training ran up and slid to a stop alongside his friend, Greg. The gravity using aspirant who had been distinguishing himself a lot over the past few weeks. “Where’s the rest of yroup?” she asked quickly.
“Snow is right behind us,” he said, “Val is grabbing John.”
She furrowed her brows, “Where’s Lillian?”
“Lillian is still in the dungeon,” A new addition to their versation said. She turo see the youee of Madame Rouge rush over. Ollie’s chest was heaving. This is why you don’t skip ditioning, kid, she thought, “The entire scout team is with her.”
Alex and Greg stared at him before turning to hua. She frowned and looked back at the three heroes who were lined up. She could already hear gunfire in the distance. Lillian, damn it. How many aspirants are still out there? She reached up and tapped her earpiece, “Amos?”
<“I’m here, you staying put?”> he asked.
She clicked her tongue, uanding what he was getting at, “I’m going to make a move if necessary, suspension be damned,” she said, “That’s not why I’m tag you.”
<”Sonya won’t like that,”> Amos said.
“Sonya isn’t my boss, Amos, she’d do the same anyway so I don’t want to hear it from her,” she growled, “How are we doing?”
<”...I’ve set plenty up, but no oicipated whatever the hell this is interfering with getting reinforts. The guards at the gates were hit with a surprise attack too, pretty sure they’re all dead at this point.”>
She swore and rubbed the bridge of her nose, squinting over her fingers at the pair of young men who were staring at her ily. She knew what they were thinking and it was stupid and reckless. They weren’t lised. She shouldn’t allow it. She should send them back but… Damn it, Sonya, you’re rubbing off on me. She looked past them towards the other members of their little group that had gathered, a little surprised to see Cassiopeia among them, “I’ve got orders for you guys,” she said, “Do you think you make it to that dungeon in one piece?”
Alex and Greg both visibly rexed before nodding to her, determination in their eyes. “We’re on it. We’ll get her out of there,” Greg said.
She returned his nod, “Get moving and-”
BOOM!
She threw up her arms just in time for a wave of dust and debris to wash over her and the others, she raised her head, “Go! Now!” she bellowed as the steady pops of automatic ons began drawing nearer. She squihrough the cloud and spotted a solitary figure kneeling amidst it all. As the young aspirants raced off, she hurried over to the man’s side and dropped to a knee. “Axel!” she grabbed his shoulder, “Axel are you alright?”
He looked up at her wearily, bags under his eyes. Blood dripped from his lips and nose. His skin looked rippled in pces as if he’d been hit by some kind of wave. He coughed and doubled over, his chest heaving with the effort. He looked like he was about to say something when a fsh of red light caught her attention. She moved on instinct, whipping out her sword to deflect the ining attack. The luminous arrow struck her sword with a crack of sound before darting off into a distant tree, rending in half.
She pulled Axel to his feet and he slumped onto her shoulder, more arrows came from across the field, bolts that she quickly parried. Soon they came in like a storm and she threw her head to the side, “One of you three get him inside, now!” she bellowed. He’s not breathing. Shit!
With a quick fsh of movement, is, a woman iwenties with a mess of brown hair and lupine yellow eyes darted in and scooped Axel up into her arms. Just as quickly she raced away and hua got into a fighting staaking a moment to tap her earpiece again as she watched a small horde of mask-wearing cultists ra her dire. Some distance behind them she saw a trio walking at a much slait. One held a glowing red bow in his hands. Her lips thinned and dipped into a frown. “I don’t think I’m getting out of helping, Amos.”
<“I’ve got some dolls on your way and I’m activating the turrets. I don’t see any more aspirants ing in,”> he said quickly, <”It’s bad, besides the scout kids and the nashville brats, we’re still missing a good number of them.”>
She clicked her tongue and shot a gowards the other two heroes who were standing at the ready. Crowley trol birds.
“Crowley! Bedrock! Get over here!” she shouted as she moved over to stand dead ter in the courtyard. The two of them ran over and she gave them only a cursory look before speaking, “Crowley, you’re on task to find the missing Aspirants. I told Greg’s group to get to the dungeon and help secure it. They’re some of the best we’ve got so they’ll be fine.”
Crowley, a thin man with a bowler cap on his head leaned on a heavy-looking e and nodded sharply. She turo Bedrock, “You’re our wall. If they’re strong enough to deal that kind of damage to Axel then putting you out on the frontlines is pointless. No offense. I want you to turn the on building into a fortress and stay put,” she anded, “No os in without Doctor Carter firming them, uood?”
He hesitated, “...aren’t you suspehat just leaves you.”
“I know, it’s what they want. They’re bringing this much force to bear to force me to act,” hua said and drew her sword, “I suppose I should accept their invitation.”
“They’re trying to get you expelled from the ittee!” the dark-haired elementalist shouted.
She rounded on him and scowled, “Damn the lise,” she said, “I’m a Hero not a funary! I will do what I have to. If it means losing my lise to protect those kids in there, so be it,” she rumbled and poiowards the on building, “If you stay out here, yoing to get killed. Go.”
He ched his fists but nodded and the two men darted off. Crowley raced towards the trees in the opposite dire of the path leading towards the dungeon while Bedrock raced through the doors and into the on building. A heartbeat ter the ground began to shake beh her feet and walls of stone began to rise up around the building, eng it in literal bedrock. She let out a sigh and drew her sword, pointing it in the dire of the oning crowd and their agents. She set her jaw and readied her sword.
No bag down now.
