Chapter 22: Ch62. Surge - 4 (Into the unknown)
Both the Guardian members and the monitoring division members stood there, frozen on their spots.
Completely baffled by what they just heard.
"D-do the... B-beast just... Speak?" Erick hushed faintly.
Leblanc’s forehead gleamed with sweat as he exerted all his will into his telekinesis, trying to restrain the Beast.
"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, GUYS?!? I NEED HELP HERE!" He shouted nervous, but determined.
It was the first time in years Leblanc’s partners heard him actually ask for help outside an A+ Nest. So all of them posted themselves in front of the dragon-like Beast and prepared for battle.
Some of the division monitoring division members prepared their weapons, while others readied their telekinesis and exerted it over the creature.
The Beast, however, just moved forward, step by step, like the <Telekinesis> weighing on it was nothing but a slightly annoying difference in gravity.
"Where is the host? I must kill the host. Take me to the host." The Beast growled, slobbering as its lips moved.
If they were baffled by the creature’s words before, now all of them sensed the dread of something that surpassed their ranks.
"Guys..." Leblanc said with a slightly trembling voice. "It’s show time!"
And the monitoring division members charged towards the Beast.
***
Octavius’ group had been walking through the sandy terrain for what seemed like hours and nothing had attacked them yet.
But the Guardian guild’s commander began noticing a pattern.
As the three moons disappeared in the horizon, five suns rose up behind the group, sending scorching heat waves over them, and making the ground look and feel more and more like sand.
"Angels, elemental buffs!" Octavius ordered as they began to feel the scorching heat.
It was a huge toll on him, but it had to be like that.
His subordinates never acted on their own when they raided with their captain, unless there’d been some planning beforehand, which wasn’t the case.
The eleven paladins rose their weapons up high as they changed prayers to their Purposes, and not long after, a soft and soothing light began permeating everyone, including them.
It was an ability unique to their own group.
<Cry for the Purpose>
All for them immediately felt the relieve of a fresh breeze blowing from inside of them, as if their body was made of that soothing breeze in a hot summer day.
"Captain, sir..." Stone spoke. "It’s been hours and we found nothing but sand and heat."
"We found out that we’re not in a Nest." Octavius retorted coldly.
Stone was ready to shoot back, used to being the only combatant close enough to their captain.
But Octavius’ words shut him up.
"Did anyone of you ever experienced a Nest that had a sky like this?"
The group looked at each other, shaking their heads in silence.
"Sanchez, you did your homework. Otherwise you wouldn’t be here. What are the field-type Nests?"
Sanchez, a short girl with the complexion of a dwarf and muscles that would put a heavy lifter to shame, looked at Octavius and answered straight away.
"Swamp-type, Mountain-type, Plains-type, Ocean-type, and Forest-type."
"Someone Gran her a beer when we get out. Now, if we only have this five types of field-type Nest, why are we standing in a place that looks like a desert and has an entire sky over it?" Octavius looked at everyone, waiting for an answer.
But the answer didn’t come.
"Three moons, five suns, supposedly no life other than a single beast with the power to become invisible or to camouflage itself. What does it look like, guys? Anyone?"
The young man who warned about the bubble closing spoke this time, enthusiastically.
"It looks like those movies about alien races and other planets." And after a few seconds of awkward silence. "Right?"
"You’re the newest member of the guild, right Xander?" Octavius asked.
"Y-yes, sir." He looked nervous and his palms were sweating cold.
"I don’t like nerds, but you got some points for pointing at the right direction. I think that black bubble took us to another planet or something like that."
"But..." Sanchez started to ask, but before she could finish her sentence, the sand below them began vibrating.
"POSITIONS?" Octavius blared.
"ANGELS, SHIELDS, PLEASE!" Xander shouted, to everyone’s absolute shock.
No one but Octavius ever addressed them.
But Octavius’ raised his brow, nodding. And the Angels soon conjured their shields over the entire group.
Which proved to be the smartest of choices, because not even a second after they had conjured their defenses, something rose from underneath the sand, swallowing Xander whole like he was nothing but an appetizer.
"Everyone..." Octavius announced. "ATTACK AT WILL!"
***
Kurt’s hands were bleeding and his bones hurt like nothing in the world.
But his punches were causing some damage and the [ANTIBODY] now staggered to move.
As it didn’t have a face, it didn’t show any emotions, but Kurt knew that it was, somehow, angry, since its movements had become more clumsy and reckless.
’But I don’t know how much longer I can drag this fight on... The punches are causing a great deal of damage to it, but even inside here I’m feeling the backlash, so it’s not a useful strategy to go with while I haven’t leveled up... Damn... I didn’t even sign up for this and I’m talking like it’s been part of my life already...’
That was when he noticed something about the [ANTIBODY].
It was limping and its movement had become reckless, but Kurt hadn’t understood what it meant before.
’But... What if...?’
It was a gamble, but he didn’t have other choice but to accept it, so Kurt used [GHOST STEPS OF A THOUSAND FEET] again, the only skill he could depend on, despite how fatigued his body felt.
The afterimages started to show up everywhere, but less visible than before. Due to the fatigue building up in Kurt’s body.
However, when he got close enough again, instead of punching what seemed to be vital areas in the creature’s body, Kurt chose to lend a kick in the creature’s knee.
The crack sound was audible and the [ANTIBODY] fell to one knee, but not without being able to grab Kurt by his throat.
It didn’t look like it felt any pain or anything, other than the wild urge to kill him.
But Kurt used his momentum to attack the arm grabbing his throat with his knee, and the elbow immediately went into an impossible angle, releasing Kurt’s neck from its grasp.
"I might... Break a leg... But you’re going down worse than me!" And Kurt began to run again, putting some more effort into his skill.
The faceless figure moved its face in all the directions, seemingly trying to look for the real Kurt, but too late.
The last of Kurt’s afterimages vanished a bit far from the [ANTIBODY], and before it could try to move in any way, Kurt appeared with a powerful knee right into its head.
He felt the crack of his kneecap, but the blow sent the creature right to the ground. Its face looking all cracked and bleeding that same black, muddy substance.
It didn’t move anymore.
[ANTIBODY #8172327970 HAS BEEN DEFEATED]
[CALCULATING REWARDS]
[EXITING - TRIAL ROOM]
[THE HOST HAS BEEN DEEMED VIABLE FOR THE #%&$]
And before Kurt’s body vanished completely from that place in the system, he heard a voice he didn’t recognize.
We’ll meet again, vessel...
