《Human Hunter》


 Chapter One: A Sudden Change

    "Aghhh!!" A man screamed. Through his chest, a spear like blade impaled him. It rested at the end of a long chain.


    The man fell. He was dragged through the silent, and empty parking garage. Leaving a trail of blood. Whoever was at the end of that chain had muscle.


    "Err-.. D-Dammit!" The man groaned. He felt the blood trickle down his stomach as he was pulled. Suddenly though, his momentum stopped. He was grabbed by the shoulders, and lifted.


    He was now face to face with a masked man. Well.. more so a helmeted man. The helmet was brown, and displayed huge horns which stuck out from the back. Identical to how the god Loki''s looked. However, this helmet extended to the face, completely concealing the identity of whoever the wearer was. Below, the mysterious figure had brown, layered, spiked armor that covered the entirety of his body.


    "Wait-.. is this..?" The victim then remembered rumblings that he had heard on the news as of late. Rumblings of an armored figure, who would brutalize his victims with a unique set of weapons. This was.. Human Hunter.


    A slam could be heard from another end of the large garage. "Hey.." Human Hunter snapped his fingers twice, holding the helpless man with one arm. His voice was deep, and scratchy. It sent shivers down the man''s spine. "Keep your attention on me.." He tilted his head in a strange fashion, examining his victim. "..age, 42. Weight, 210 pounds. Height, about 6''1." Looking up and down his prey''s body once more, Human Hunter asked a question. "What is it that you do..?"


    Blood leaked from the civilian''s stomach, drenching the floor. "I-I.." he gulped, "I''m a construction worker.. I build shit, w-why do you want to know..?"


    Human Hunter just stared. "Pollution. Unnecessary area usage." He threw the man to the floor. "And lack of empathy.. those are three inexcusable offenses that you have committed. Tch, why do I even check anymore." He spun his speared chain around, creating sparks along the cement floor each time contact was made. This was not meant to prepare for an attack though, Human Hunter was putting his weapon away. Twisting the chain around his arm, and tucking the speared end into his armor. He walked away, yelling, "C''mon Halt, let''s go."


    Suddenly, a large wolf sprinted by. The helpless man heard it, and looked back. His head was torn off by the beast as it passed him. "So much for that bath I gave you." Human Hunter joked.


    Later..


    Opening the door to his shack located atop a tree in the middle of the woods, Human Hunter set his wolf, Halt down. He had been forced to carry him up the tree, wolves weren''t exactly the most skilled animals when it came to verticality.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    "Ah, H.H., you''re back eh?" A young boy, looking to be around age 19, spun around in an office chair. He adjusted his glasses. "So, how''d the hunt go today?"


    "Well.. it-"


    Human Hunter was interrupted. A young girl with sleek black hair hung upside down from the ceiling. She seemed to be around 17. "It obviously went perfectly fine, you remember who this is right??"


    "Hey.. you-" Human Hunter tried to speak again, but didn''t have a chance.


    "Ugh, of course I do. Even if I know it went well it''s still polite to ask!" Messing with his glasses some more, the young boy seemed a little irritated.


    "Polite?" The girl responded, "Hah.. ahaha! Since when did being polite matter, we''re trying to kill off the entire population anyway ya know."


    The boy looked furious, "Maybe, but a noble man like Human Hunter deserves our respect alright so quit hounding me about it and let him answer!"


    The room shook. Human Hunter began carving something onto the wall. The boy and the girl both immediately looked over. "Eighteen.." he finally said, finishing engraving that very number onto the wood. "Benson, Aria, I killed eighteen people today. Another four were taken out by Halt. Hardly enough.. so I''ll need you both to work extra hard tomorrow. Understood?"


    They both nodded.


    "Good.. now then," Human Hunter grabbed a sponge, and a large toothbrush, tossing it to Aria, "Halt bit someone''s head off today. I can''t have his breath smelling like meat and blood. Can you clean him off?"


    Aria lifted the items, examining them, and then looked over at Halt. She made a sour face. "Uh.. Y-Yeah.. eheheh.. I''m right on it.."


    Benson held back a chuckle.


    The door of the shack quietly shut as Aria left. Halt had already jumped down the tree, which left Human Hunter and Benson alone.


    "How many potential targets have you located for tomorrow, Benson?" Human Hunter asked. Benson spun back towards his computer, which he had somehow managed to get working in the middle of the woods, and pressed a series of keys.


    "Heh, well my good Human Hunting pal.. Based on schedule, route taken, and offenses, there are about 78 high level targets, 211 mid level, and 1,473 low level."


    "Not enough." Gazing at the screen from afar, Human Hunter noticed that something was off. "Hold on a second, why''s-.."


    Aria burst in. "They''ve found us! The police, FBI, Swat Team, they''re all here. It won''t be long until they have helicopters coming in!"


    Human Hunter crossed his arms. "Hmph.. annoying. Where''s Halt?"


    "I left him by the lake." Aria answered.


    "Good. That''s probably the safest place for him in this situation." Adjusting his shoulder, Human Hunter walked towards the door, opening it. "You both remember how to get out of here, right?" Benson and Aria nodded. "Perfect.. then I won''t have to hold back.." Human Hunter jumped out of the tree. He landed directly in front of it. Shortly after, a gigantic grouping of police, swat members, and helicopters arrived. Just as Aria had described. They all pointed weapons towards Human Hunter.


    A megaphone armed police officer announced, "You''re surrounded by an overwhelmingly large number of assault weapons! Attempting to escape would be pointless! Remove the armor, drop your weapons, and-.." The officer, who was speaking from beside a police car, was smashed by Halt.


    Halt barked. "Woof!"


    "Seriously boy, you''re supposed to listen to Aria when she tells you to stay!" Human Hunter groaned.


    "Shoot!" The entirety of the police force unloaded on Halt. Human Hunter threw his chained spear towards the large wolf, wrapping it around him. He pulled Halt over to his side. This occurred so quickly, that it was inhumane. Every bullet missed.


    Human Hunter unsheathed two blades from his back. "Nngh.. alright jackasses, I get trying to kill me, but now that you''ve shot at my wolf.." he tightened his grip on his weapons, "You''ve really pissed me off.."


    The police all aimed their guns towards Halt and Human Hunter. "FIRE".


    Human Hunter surveyed the police with his eyes once more, before claiming, "Let''s dance."

 Chapter Two: Departure

    The police force unloaded on Human Hunter as well as his trusty companion, Halt. Every single bullet though.. was deflected. Human Hunter kicked Halt into the air, allowing him to avoid damage, and was now spinning his chained spear at an abnormally high speed.


    A few of the bullets that were deflected hit officers, either killing, or critically injuring them.


    Halt held one of Human Hunter''s blades within his jaws. With this, he could now deflect bullets on his own. Though he wasn''t as skilled as Human Hunter himself, so he may still need a bit of assistance.


    "Halt.. fetch."


    Shaking a bone out of his belt, Human Hunter kicked it into the middle of the pile of cops. Halt sprinted towards it, slicing and dicing his way through everyone. Limbs flew everywhere, and blood seemed to spray endlessly.


    Human Hunter, now in a different location of fire than Halt, no longer needed to play defense. He stopped spinning his chain, revealing that his armor was bulletproof. "What''s the matter?" He taunted, "Did something happen to your bullets? Oh wait.." Stepping forward, Human Hunter tossed a spiky looking ball towards his enemies. Sparks flew from his armor. "Those things don''t work on me."


    The ball exploded. A variety of sharp objects spewed from it, stabbing through many more of the police crew.


    "Aghh!" Some of them screamed.


    Human Hunter then sprinted towards the crowd, grabbing necks and cracking them, stomping on limbs, and tearing out organs.


    Halt and Human Hunter both took out their enemies in unison.


    Meanwhile..


    "I hate it when we have to do this!" Benson complained. He ran alongside Aria through an underground tunnel.


    "Too bad too sad, we''re world renowned criminals here so these things happen! Suck it up!" Both kids ran through their escape route as quick as they could.


    "Man.. Human Hunter really is a wonder. I mean, he managed to build this entire thing in a matter of six months! So breathtaking.." Benson pushed his glasses up. They had slipped down his face a bit due to his running.


    "How many times are you going to repeat something so obvious." Aria rolled her eyes, "Human Hunter this and Human Hunter that, yeah I know he''s great why do you think I''m working for him."


    Benson made a goofy face, "Okay, Aria. One of these days I''ll be teaching you proper respect." They finally reached the end of the tunnel. It had been built to lead all the way to Human Hunter''s secret base. One that was used for emergencies only. It was a humongous fort, with walls surrounding it in its entirety. Trees covered the top in order to prevent aircraft detection. "Hm.. sometimes I wonder how law enforcement can always seem to find our tiny little tree bases, yet they somehow miss our extensive barricaded hideout that we''ve had for years."The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Gazing at the plethora of vehicles, gear, technology, as well as other miscellaneous items, Benson and Aria walked through the secret base which they had only seen three other times up to that point.


    "Now.." Benson pulled up a chair, "We play the waiting game. Depending on the amount of enemies he must deal with, it can take-"


    "Ughh" Aria groaned, "You act like you''re talking to an audience. I know how long it takes him to get here." She blew a strand of hair out of her face.


    Benson took off his glasses, and looked at Aria like a disappointed parent. "Fine then! We can sit here.. IN. SILENCE!"


    Before that could happen though, a loud and bombastic crash was heard. Benson stood up, putting his glasses back in place. "..okay then.. for once Aria, I think I agree with you. I shouldn''t have said anything.."


    "Hehe, exactly." She giggled a bit. But her smile was quickly reversed as a large grouping of futuristic looking creatures approached her and Benson.


    "Uhm.. uhh.., w-what the hell are those things??" Aria''s eyes had widened. Conflict and danger didn''t bother her, but the unknown.. definitely did.


    "I-.. have no idea.." Benson was just as scared. Both kids looked up at the creatures, who wore blue and gold shining armor. They each were on average around 7 feet tall. "Nevertheless.. as long as we do what Human Hunter told us to do in case of an extreme emergency such as this, we should be fine.. r-right..?"


    Aria backed up. "No.. idiot. Because he never prepared us to face off against 7 foot tall freaks of nature.."


    "Ah.. right."


    Elsewhere..


    "Stop eating them Halt. It could give you a disease."


    Human Hunter and Halt stood within a sea of corpses.


    "I''m a little surprised, they found our hideout quicker than usual. With the precautions I take.. I doubt they did it on their own. Hm.." Human Hunter finished wrapping his chains around his forearm. "And if there''s a second party involved, it''s likely they''ve found our emergency HQ. Nngh. Great, better head over there quick in case Aria and Benson are in danger." He pet Halt. "Though I''m certain they can handle themselves for now."


    Benson grabbed his pockets. He tossed out a grouping of small gadgets, each of which could fly. "I''m able to control these suckers simply by thinking of the action I''d like them to take. I doubt even these creatures will be able to keep up with our instant communication." The gadgets all did their jobs. Some opened fire, a few shot overwhelmingly powerful lasers, and the rest attempted to slice through the creature''s armor with powerful bladed propellers. The sparks created by all of this mayhem glistened off of Benson''s eyewear.


    None of this worked though. Their armor was too strong, looking to be completely unaffected by the attack.


    "U-Uh.. you''re kidding me right??" Benson freaked out after seeing the lack of effectiveness.


    One of the opposing enemies knocked one of the robotic machines away, sending it directly towards Benson. He thankfully saved himself with a forcefield wielding gadget. "Eek!" He screamed as it just barley missed him.


    Aria sighed, now trying to act like she had no fear, "Useless.. let me give it a try." She pushed her hair aside, pulling an ultra thin, folded katana from her jacket. "This thing packs a little more punch than those stupid little scraps of metal."


    "They''re called Robotic Gadgets, thank you." Benson corrected her.


    "Mhm. I totally care. Now shut up and watch how someone with actual battle skill takes care of things." Sweat dripped down Aria''s chin. She had no clue whether or not her weapon would work on these things, but still wanted to make sure her ego was in tact.


    Starting off with a 360 spin, Aria swung her blade at the unknown creatures. The three directly in front of her were sliced clean in half. She was completely stunned.


    "W-Wait that-.. hah! Ahaha! Ahem.. see Benson, when you''re as skilled as me, even dumb weird freaks don''t stand a chance against you."


    Aria played with her hair, giggling.


    "Okay now you might wanna record this next part, the footage can be used as a great lesson for you later.. oh."


    The three creatures who she had sliced now fell to the ground completely, revealing that it was in fact Human Hunter who had made the cut.


    "....hhhellll yeah!" Benson screamed. "Err-.. I mean- it''s good to see you H.H., I humbly thank you for saving us both!"


    "..hello sir." Aria groaned, "I could''ve soloed all of them but, I guess I should thank you now that I don''t have to get my hands dirty or anything."


    "ARIA BE POLITE!"


    Passing Aria, Human Hunter placed his hand upon her head, patting it. "The blade I created for you isn''t strong enough to cut through these guys. But after today, I''ll be sure to change that." Aria silently and angrily pouted. He gave Benson a pat as well, but on the shoulder this time, and continued behind the two teens. He approached a large group of the creatures who had been standing behind Aria and Benson the entire time, and pointed to them.


    "There''s an aircraft that I built back there, I haven''t given it a name yet, but I''ll need help from the both of you in order to get it. You can both use some of my gear to take these things out." He glanced back slightly, and asked, "Are you ready?"

 Chapter Three: The Escape

    Human Hunter tossed Aria a long staff which he had folded into his armor. "Use that, it''s far stronger than any regular weapon. It''ll crush wherever you aim on the body of those things."


    "Ahem.. sorry to bother, H.H., but if I may ask, how do you know that?" Benson was a little confused as to how Human Hunter was aware of the durability of these strange creatures.


    "It''s simple. I tested the effectiveness of my own blade on the creatures. Based on how easy it was to slice through, and how strong the blade is itself, I can compare its strength to my other weapons and tools. In turn, it shows me how strong each would be against the target I just attacked. It''s sort of like power scaling I guess you could say." He rummaged through his belongings, finding something that Benson could use.


    "Ah.. yes, I get it now." Benson confirmed.


    "Hm. Alright then, good. Anyway, I have a weapon for you to use as well." Human Hunter pulled a small electronic part from his armor. "It enhances the abilities of all your electronic gadgets. Basically, all you need to do is eat this. The chip implanted into your brain, which is used to control your weapons, will drastically increase it''s effectiveness."


    "E-Eat it..?" Benson hesitantly questioned.


    Aria walked over, and smacked the electronic part down Benson''s throat with her newly acquired staff. "Uhh, yeah? Duh, he just said it five seconds ago moron. Now try not to choke and die." The staff rested along her shoulder, Aria asked everyone. "Now can we go? I''m getting sick and tired of having all of these weirdos staring at us. Actually, why the hell are they barley doing anything?"


    "I''m not sure." Human Hunter scanned the area once more, "I may know how durable they are, but these creatures are still a mystery to me. Either way, they''re getting in the way of our goal to eradicate all humans, which is something that I can''t tolerate. As consequence.. they''ll need to be killed too. But for now that''s not the focus. We need to leave until we gain more information on whatever they are."


    "I-Is Halt coming?" Benson asked, looking a little concerned.


    "Of course he is." Cracking his knuckles, Human Hunter continued, "I have him guarding the entrance. I''ll pull him into the aircraft with my chain once we leave." He then shifted his feet, "But for now, our priority is actually getting to the aircraft." Sprinting towards the enemy, he yelled. "Now let''s go!!"The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Benson replied, "C-Coming H.H.!"


    Aria didn''t say anything, and just started busting limbs while smiling due to her acquirement of her new overpowered weapon.


    Cracking necks and busting skulls, Human Hunter ran through the onslaught of enemies. They finally began fighting back, but only with slow and sluggish movements.


    Benson followed suit. Though he attacked with his gadgets. "Hah, Human Hunter was correct, this upgrade has certainly improved my gear in every way possible! Hahah, thank you sir!" He slid under one of the armored creatures, blowing it to pieces once he had already passed. This battle was going almost too well, but it was about to change drastically.


    Out of the sky, a behemoth crashed through the trees and smashed through the fort. The impact of its landing caused the entire building to shake. It stood up.. slowly, revealing it''s massive scale and vast selection of unknown gear.


    Benson looked up, and fell back to the ground in shock. Aria dropped her staff. Her confidence had just been crushed. Halt barged in through the door, barking at the humongous monstrosity. It looked down at him, and prepared to crush the, now tiny looking wolf.


    The gargantuan thing had armor the same color as his much smaller brethren, but had a wider build. It swung its arm at Halt. The blown air caused by the movement of his arm shattered the fort walls. At the last second.. Halt was saved by Human Hunter, who once again used his chain to grab him. This time though, he also grabbed Aria and Benson, and traveled towards the aircraft he kept mentioning at full speed ahead.


    When the punch connected with the ground, it resulted in the complete devastation of everything nearby. It even killed the ginormous thing''s smaller friends. Luckily for Human Hunter, he had built his aircraft so that it would be strong enough to survive a small nuclear blast. He needed this machine to almost always be in working condition in case a situation such as this were to arise. His cautious behavior has certainly paid off.


    Human Hunter, who was 7 foot 7, looked tiny compared to who he was up against, just like Halt did. After a bit of maneuvering and dodging, Human Hunter finally arrived at what was remaining of the room that held his aircraft within it.


    The aircraft was matte black, a color that went well with Human Hunter''s brown armor. It was much smaller than Benson and Aria had expected, only about 25 feet long, and lacked any sort of wings. It had 5 seats. One for Aria, Benson, Halt, an extra passenger, and of course Human Hunter himself. Halt decided to sit on Human Hunter''s shoulder. Before taking off he said, "Err-.. you''re heavier than you look, boy." He then pressed a button. The back of the aircraft began charging up. The humongous opposing armored creature came over, and kicked the aircraft across the now exposed forest.


    Everyone screamed. While upside down, the aircraft thankfully started. It spun around before rocketing into the air at a steady pace. Aria, who sat in the back, glanced back at the creature. It threw a piece of rubble towards them, but it was blocked by the invisible forcefield surrounding the strange flying machine.


    The creature then just stared for a while. Human Hunter paid no attention, until he heard it.. begin to speak.


    "Humans.. due to your reckless and problematic nature, we have been sent here to take care of you by ending your lives. We cannot allow you all to continue on these murderous rampages. You may have escaped for now.. however, know that we are the weakest of our kind. And soon enough, the stronger members will find.. and will bring you down. That.. is a promise."


    Human Hunter kept his head forward, continuing to focus on driving. He did however, utter something to himself.


    "Not likely."

 Chapter Four: What the Future Holds

    "What the fuck was that!?" Aria screamed. Once they had left the area, she had lost all fear of disrespecting Human Hunter.


    Benson looked stunned at her tone.


    "I already told you.. that I''m as clueless as you are." Human Hunter replyed, keeping his eyes locked ahead. As much as both kids usually tried not to talk back to him, Human Hunter rarely ever became angered with them. He was a rather calm sort of guy when he wasn''t slaughtering large groups of people.


    "A-Aria..!!" Benson stuttered. "How dare you use such language when speaking to him!"


    "You think I give a fuck??" She was losing it, "I signed up for this shit to kill people not to run from insane alien fucking psychos!" Aria started to shake.


    Human Hunter still kept his gaze set forward. "Then leave."


    This angered Aria even more. "Leave?? Why the hell would I do that?! Now that I''ve been roped into this shit, without you I''m fucking screwed!!"


    "LANGUAGE Aria!" Benson was acting like a parent again.


    She looked directly at him like the devil. "Benson.. shut your fuckin mouth.."


    Human Hunter sighed. "Listen.. you''re both going to be fine. Neither of you can die before fulfilling our goal.. our uhh.. promise. Now, we''re heading over to see a.. friend of mine.. I guess you could call them. They''ve warned me about things like this, but I always pushed it off as nonsense and didn''t pay much attention to what they were saying. They''re probably going to be pissed, but I can handle it so try not to get involved."


    Benson saluted, "Yes sir! And I thank you for your concern in our safety, I assure you that we will not die until we have eradicated all humans!" He turned back slightly, and nudged Aria to respond as well.


    Chin rested on her hand, Aria said, "I don''t care where we go, as long as it''s somewhere that''ll keep me alive for a while."


    "Good. I''m glad there aren''t any complaints." Human Hunter took a sharp turn, "Until we get there I''ll be assessing what just happened in my head, trying to make sense of it. You two should do the same. Either way though, we should gain some answers once we arrive at this place."


    "How long are we staying here..?" Aria asked. She seemed to have calmed down rather quickly.


    "I''m not sure." Human Hunter answered, "Long enough to allow ourselves to build another secure base, emergency HQ, and tunneling system. Plus we''ll need to figure this alien crap out, or whatever those things are called."This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Hours passed. Flying over vast forests and through tall mountains, the group, in a way, was on a family road trip.


    After nineteen long hours, finally, they arrived at a futuristic looking temple like structure, which sat atop one of the tallest mountains.


    Landing, and exiting the vehicle, the group came to realize that the ground was rather flat. This made traversing the high landscape simple. Though Human Hunter, having already been here before, was already aware of this. It was mostly Aria and Benson who were surprised. Halt payed no attention to it.


    Entering the large structure, they encountered an elderly man who sat with his legs crossed on the far side of the room.


    The old man stood up, walked over, and smacked Human Hunter behind the head with a stick. His walking stick that is.


    "Bafoon! What did I tell you! I said the Sapients would be on their way sooner or later, but the oh so great Human Hunter just blew me off!"


    Benson had to hold himself back from defending Human Hunter.


    Human Hunter didn''t even flinch at the whack. "Yeah, I know. Sorry. But now''s not the time for punishment, we need to do something about this and quick." He sat upon a nearby bench, "So, what do you know?"


    After Human Hunter discreetly waved them off, Benson, Halt, and Aria went to explore the place.


    The old man, who went by the name of Aurora, sat down on another bench opposite to Human Hunter. He sighed. "You know, this would have been a lot simpler if you had just heeded my advice when I told you ahead of time. Well, I guess for once you are correct, complaining about it now will do me no good."


    "Right." Human Hunter stared at him.


    "So with that being said, I''ll tell you again. Ahem.."


    Narrated by Aurora..


    There was a time when all living things stayed within a set path. They didn''t stray like humans of today do. The food chain was balanced, and people as well as animals, lived on mostly equal footing. That is until one day, a despicable race by the name of the Sapients came along.


    They are the ones who granted Humans with the knowledge they inherit today. Technological advancements were made because the Sapients, who are a race that travels to different planets messing with the ecosystem or the food chain. They are able to implant far fetched "ideas" into the minds of the living things who they want to become almighty rulers of their particular planet. One such idea, was given to a man by the name of Tatum.


    A Sapient gave him the idea, but most importantly the will, to create a sort of automatic animal hunting mechanism. Countless had tried before, but without a will given to them as strong as Tatum''s, they were unsuccessful. Tatum on the other hand, was in fact successful, creating a machine that could hunt at a more effective rate than a thousand hunters.


    From then on, more and more ideas continued to be implanted into the minds of humans. Basically, any inspiration that a human ever had back then, was directly caused by the Sapients. Eventually though, it became second nature to them. They no longer needed assistance from the Sapients to be inventive. This led to them completely overtaking the planet, making all other forms life obsolete. At least when it came to having control that is.


    The Sapients did this because they wanted humans to be on top, and now that they''ve seen you trying to mess with that, they''re coming to stop you.


    (End of Narration)


    Human Hunter shook his head.


    "Implanting ideas as simple as that into people''s brains? Now that''s just stupid."


    Aurora yelled. "It May be stupid but it''s what happened! And if you want to complete your goal, your promise, of eradicating the human race, you''ll have to deal with the Sapients!"


    Human Hunter stood up, swiftly. He clenched his fist, and peered over towards a nearby window. "And deal with them I will. They talked about stronger units, do you know anything about that?"


    "Not much. I just know that if they were to attack right now, you wouldn''t stand a chance. They''re world altering beings, something almost beyond our comprehension. I have no idea how you managed to escape with your lives today."


    "It''s because those were their weaker members, according to the twenty foot tall giant."


    "I see.." Aurora thought for a minute, "Alright, if you want to stand a chance against the Sapients, you''ll need to know how powerful they are exactly. It''s my assumption that they''re much stronger than something any of your blades could cut. So to figure out a way to defeat them.."


    Human Hunter jumped in, "We''ll need to observe them up close."


    "Precisely." Aurora pushed himself up with his cane. "And it won''t be an easy task."


    "I know." Human Hunter looked at Aurora.


    "But that''s why I will be coming with you. You have an extra seat on that flying machine of yours, right?"


    "Yeah, I do."


    Aurora smirked, "Then let''s go find ourselves a top ranking Sapient."

 Chapter Five: Sapient Hotspot

    Aria, Benson, and Halt walked through the dark corridors of the back end of the building.


    "Ugh, unsanitary much?" Aria had her arms crossed as she walked, looking around the dusty old place.


    "It''s not your place to judge the habits of someone else within their home." Benson looked back and forth, making sure nothing seemed out of the ordinary. "Now I must ask, what was with you on the flight here? You were far angrier than usual.."


    "If you listened to a word I said, you would know." Looking the other way, Aria tightened her grip on her arms.


    "Yes.. I heard what you said. But do you not have faith in Human Hunter? He''s always kept us safe, and I don''t see that changing anytime soon."


    "I-.." She whimpered a bit, "I know he has.. but Human Hunter has only had to kill people, same as me and you. These alien creatures are a lot stronger. Who knows if he can keep us safe from them."


    Benson placed his hand on her shoulder. They both stopped, and Benson smiled. "He can. I promise you, and if not," He slammed his fist against his chest twice, "Then I will! I''m not a push over myself you know!"


    Staring into his eyes, Aria blushed. She then realized how she was reacting, and quickly resumed walking. "Y-Yeah.. whatever moron. I''m stronger than you are so like I''d ever need your help."


    Benson also resumed walking. "There may be a time in the future, you never know. And I''ll be there for you when there is. Same goes for Human Hunter." Halt barked. Chuckling, Benson patted his head. "See! Even our trusty wolf buddy agrees!"


    "I''m sure that''s why he barked." She rolled her eyes, "Anyway, let''s just finish looking around this place so we can see what that old creep had to say."


    "You don''t even know him Aria!"


    "I don''t need to, all old people are secretly creepy pedophiles now don''t go starting another damn argument Benson!"


    "That logic makes no-.. grr fine! I won''t even try then!"


    The trio finished searching the entire location, surprisingly finding nothing of note. They returned to where Human Hunter and Aurora had been talking.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Holding a suitcase in one hand, Aurora greeted them. "Ah, hello children. Find anything of note back there?" I assure you I have nothing to hide."


    "Not much, just a dusty disgusting hallway that''s all." Aria messed with her fingernails.


    "Err-.. um.. I see. Well you know, I am a busy man and sometimes dusting isn''t a top priority. Hahah, either way I''m hoping that you are able to trust me soon enough. In fact, I believe that we have the potential to become great allies!"


    Benson stepped up. "Yes sir, I humbly agree. Any friend of Human Hunter is a friend of mine!"


    Looking disgusted, Aria walked to the other end of the room with Halt. "C''mon boy, let''s not stand next to the suck up."


    It was then, that Human Hunter re entered the room. He was almost completely decked out in new gear. While his armor was identical, he had an abundance of newly acquired weapons, gadgets, and tools at his disposal. "Do you have everything you need?" He asked.


    Aurora turned around. "Of course I do, there were only a few things of note that I needed to grab, such as my trusty crystal ball for example. Heh heh heh." He smiled cheerfully.


    "Really?" Human Hunter responded, walking towards the middle of the room. "And what does that thing do? Tell the future?"


    "No you dimwit! Real crystal balls are for watching movies and playing games! An old man gets bored just sitting around in an airplane you know!"


    "It''s not a plane." Human Hunter stopped next to Aurora, adjusting his gauntlets. "And I don''t see any reason to bring a non practical item like that. Leave it. I''ll need your help with locating this place anyway."


    Aurora ended up sneaking his crystal ball anyway.


    "Uhh, hold on." Aria said. "Just where exactly are we going? I thought you said we were staying here for a while?"


    "Yeah. We are." Human Hunter finally reached the door, and opened it slightly. "But for now, Aurora is going to help us locate one of the stronger soldiers from that group of aliens."


    "Ahem, they''re called Sapients." Aurora added.


    "Right.. anyway, we think we''ve found a possible location of interest. One that could be a hot spot for the uhh.. Sapients. It''s in the middle of nowhere though, which is why Aurora is coming. Plus, unlike us, he knows a lot about them. That information should come in handy."


    Benson lifted his hand in a thoughtful manner. "If I may ask, what exactly is this ''Location of interest''?"


    Going outside, and with a fading voice as he left, Human Hunter said, "Aurora is the one who suggested it, ask him."


    Both teens turned to Aurora, and he began to explain.


    (Aurora''s explanation is narrated as the group flies to their destination)


    "Basically, there''s this large city sized crater in the middle of a vast desert. The thing glows blue, and can be seen from space at the right angle. It''s usually used by humans such as ourselves to permanently slow the aging process. A real life fountain of youth you could call it. Problem is, that as of late, more and more people have been discovering it''s existence. It''s in a rather remote area, and the government''s done their best to hide it so far, but the cracks are beginning to show, and soon enough people will start killing each other over this thing. That''s a good thing for us, but bad for the Sapients. They want to prevent worldwide wars. Plus, if everyone started to live close to forever, overpopulation would become a problem. It''s my guess that the Sapients may take a pit stop in order to destroy it. If they do though, security will be tighter than it usually already is. Getting in won''t be easy."


    After a flight that lasted multiple days, the group of five finally passed by the glowing crater.


    "Okay, now can you tell us your plan already?? I''ve been asking all trip and I''m getting tired of it!" Aria rudely asked.


    "Simple." Human Hunter used binoculars to observe the security from afar. "Our goal is to analyze how strong a ''strong'' soldier from this group is. That doesn''t mean we need to engage. Though whatever theories we come up with I''d like to test." Putting his binoculars down, Human Hunter looked at Aria. "So we''re going to observe, come up with a strategy for how we can kill one of the soldiers, and walk in."


    "That.. may be the dumbest plan I''ve ever heard.." She said, now looking slightly nervous.


    Benson yelled in a defensive tone, "Unless you can suggest something better, that is what we are doing! Don''t insult H.H. like that he is perfectly capable of assessing a-.."


    "Shut up, I do have a better plan actually. It just depends on if you''re all willing to hear it." Aria confidentially leaned back, and played with her hair.


    After a few seconds of silence, Human Hunter responded. "I''m listening."

 Chapter Six: Crystal Predictions

    Aria couldn''t hold back the wide grin displayed across her face. She was finally able to take the spotlight for a while.


    "Okay so, for one, I don''t understand why we can''t just fly directly over the place and dive in? I mean, this aircraft is practically invincible right?? Plus we''d be able to pass the ugly guards and most of the early security systems."


    "That is quite a good point!" Aurora realized.


    Benson touched his chin. "Yes yes.. but I''m certain Human Hunter has a reasoning for not taking that route."


    Human Hunter looked up, "Yeah.. I just thought charging in would benefit my combat skills." He paused, "And it would be more fun."


    "You''re not serious, are you??" Aria yelled, "Fun isn''t something you think about for important things like this you heavy armored idiot!"


    "You don''t think?"


    "NO OF COURSE NOT!!"


    Looking surprised (as surprised as a masked man could look), Human Hunter said, "Either way, we''ll still need a strategy for taking them out. According to Aurora, my weapons won''t work. I brought some of his but I doubt they''ll do much damage either."


    "Ya, I know that." Aria flipped her hair, "That''s why we use the aircraft''s missiles or whatever. It does have weapons, right..?"


    "Come to think of it, yeah it does." Human Hunter glanced at the control system. "I''ve never used them, but they should be reliable. One thing to note though is that we shouldn''t have to completely rely on vehicular weaponry. We should have a way to eliminate them on foot. And that''s if the weapons on here are even effective."


    "Ah! I have an idea!" Aurora raised his hand like a student.


    Aria made an annoyed face. "Yes child I call on you, what is your probably stupid idea?"


    "Aria!" Benson yelled.


    "Not the time Benson I''m the boss for now so keep your mouth shut!" Glaring, Aria continued, "Now let''s go old man tell me."


    "Well you see, we can use my crystal ball. It is able to tell the future."


    This caught Human Hunter''s attention. "Wait hold on-.."


    Aurora continued, "We can plan on testing out different methods, and watch the results in the crystal ball each time. Heh heh heh. Just be prepared to watch yourself die around twenty or so times at least!"


    "That doesn''t bother me in the slightest, as long as it works." Aria stated.


    "The same goes for me Aurora sir!" Benson saluted.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    "Bark!" Halt insightfully added.


    "Fine then.. we can do that." Human Hunter prepared to park the aircraft somewhere secluded. "But we''re watching my method first."


    The group landed a few miles from the crater, far enough away to avoid detection. Aurora unveiled his crystal ball.


    "Now, all of us must imagine a scenario where we.. uhh.. charge directly towards our enemies at the front gates."


    Everyone closed their eyes and imagined such a strategy. Aurora rubbed the crystal ball, and after a while, it shocked everyone.


    Demonically looking at Aurora, Aria yelled. "Hey geezer it would''ve been nice to have been told that I get electrocuted by this stupid thing!"


    "M-My apologies, but before you keep yelling take a look!"


    Pointing to the crystal ball, he showed that a playback.. or more so a playforward, was displayed.


    It showed Human Hunter charging in first, attempting to take on the first two guards who protected the front gate. An epic battle occurred. These definitely, or at least hopefully were the stronger members of the Sapients. If not, our group of human killers were in trouble.


    The first guard attempted to electrocute Human Hunter, summoning a bolt of lightning from the sky, but to no avail. Human Hunter''s armor absorbed it.


    "Rookie mistake. Electric attacks are ineffective against me." Present day Human Hunter stated as he watched.


    After this, crystal ball Human Hunter rocketed one of his blades towards the second guard. It clanked off of him, falling to the ground. Halt tried biting the first, but nothing happened. The Sapients armor was too powerful.


    An exciting and evenly close exchange of blows occurred between Human Hunter and the first guards of the crater. It seemed to be leaning towards being in Human Hunter''s favor, until an 8 foot tall staff wielding Sapient crashed in front of him from over the gate. He pointed his staff, which was long and had a circular shape at the top, and just stood there. Human Hunter tried to attack.. and his head exploded. Current Human Hunter didn''t even flinch seeing this, and crystal ball Benson sprinted over to Human Hunter''s corpse, sitting next to him and screaming for him to stand up. The vision ended after that.


    Everyone instantly looked at Human Hunter.


    "Real great plan you had there." Aria sarcastically told Human Hunter. "We''d be dead if we followed it. Thankfully I of course was here to save us all."


    Benson lifted his hand, which was shaking. He gulped. "H-How about we test out the aircraft weapon theory now, just to see if it''ll work."


    "It was my idea so it most likely will, though I''ll admit there''s a small chance that it could maybe.. possibly fail." Aria admitted.


    As Aurora rubbed the crystal ball again, everyone imagined a scenario where the Sapients were attacked by Human Hunter''s aircraft.


    Intitially, this was an extremely successful method. The large bullets used by the aircraft were powerful enough to incinerate the Sapients. That was until, yet again, the staff wielding member came along. He created a forcefield durable enough to negate the blasts. Then, a second staff wielder grabbed the aircraft, and crushed it to pieces.


    "Impossible." Human Hunter stated. "That thing must have a grip more powerful than a small nuclear blast.."


    Benson chimed in. "So far the biggest dilemma we''ve been faced with is dealing with the staff users. The aircraft is able to take out the regular members, and Human Hunter may be able to find some way to defeat them on foot, however, I don''t see how we could possibly take out the staff users if not even the aircraft is able to damage it."


    "Maybe.." Aurora thought. Aria interrupted.


    "Just throw a bomb down their throats or something, that should do the trick pretty easily."


    "You think getting one, let alone multiple of those things to open their mouths will be easy?" Human Hunter questioned.


    "Erm.. well-.."


    Benson placed his hand on Aria''s shoulder. "You know what, why not give it a shot. As much as I dislike her rather disrespectful approach, Aria has had some amazing ideas. In fact, she even saved our lives from.. um.." He looked a Human Hunter.


    "From what?" Human Hunter calmly asked.


    "N-Nothing nevermind just-.. lets see what the crystal ball has to say!"


    Going through the same routine, the group watched as they managed to get one of the staff users to open its mouth by luring it out from behind the gate, and prying it open with a sneak attack. Once the explosive was placed in its mouth, the Sapient was surprisingly killed.


    "Yeeeeahhhhh!! See I told you Aria coul-.. uh.." Benson calmed himself down. "Ahem. The method was successful! Now let''s see if we are able to eliminate the second."


    Following their victory, the group managed to kill the second staff user once he left base to look for his missing comrade. "We must act quickly." Crystal Benson said, "Otherwise, the entire facility will notice that their seemingly most powerful members have not returned."


    Coming up with a plan on their own, our present day characters watched as their crystal counterparts used the explosive method on a majority of the remaining standard Sapient warriors, except with a far more direct approach. Each member maneuvered their way around a Sapient as they battled, before shoving an extremely powerful explosive into their mouths.


    "Well my god, just how many explosives do you have?" Current Aurora looked at Human Hunter with a shocked expression.


    "482. Most are stored under the aircraft. The others? They''re somewhere in my armor."


    The vision continued, until every last member had been eliminated.


    "And there you have it! We have cracked the code on the third attempt!" Benson triumphantly yelled. However, he was far from correct.


    Just moments later, a monster burst out of the ground, and ate everyone in a single gulp.


    Benson slowly lowered his hand. "Or.. not.."


    Hand placed on his knee, Human Hunter gazed at the screen. "Something tells me that this is going to be a lot harder than we thought.."

 Chapter Seven: Infiltration Preparation

    Attempt after attempt went by, as Benson, Aria, Human Hunter, and Aurora all considered separate possible methods to approach this situation. Every single one though, was trumped.


    Human Hunter paced back and forth, thinking. "Every time we figure out how to eliminate an enemy, another appears. Even if we manage to take out the ground Sapient, something else could show up."


    Halt barked, and ran over to his master, grabbing his speared chain with his jaws.


    Noticing this, Human Hunter glanced down at his signature weapon.


    "Although.. I think I just came up with something."


    Standing up, Human Hunter entered the aircraft. This caught everyone''s attention. "Lets go." He said, "I''m done watching these predictions, if we don''t take action soon, the enemy will shift positions, completely screwing up the layout we have mapped."


    "Oh really?" Aria sassily stated, "Well that sucks because I''d rather deal with having enemy placement changed than getting killed and torn to pieces by Sapient freakazoids!"


    "That won''t happen." Human Hunter calmly said, starting up the aircraft. "Because I have a plan now. A real one."


    "So what? Last time we listened to your suggestion your head ended up EXPLODING!"


    "Nnghh, that''s why I said that I have a real plan now. One that I''m fairly certain will work."


    Benson gulped. "F-Fairly certain..? As much as I love your plans H.H. I''m not sure I like those odds. Let''s just quickly check the crystal-.."


    "No." Human Hunter said in a cold manner. "If we watch it play out on the crystal ball, and it''s successful, then our actions will change because we''ll have knowledge that our crystal ball counterparts didn''t. We''ll mess up trying to replicate what we witnessed. So we need to execute this without it."


    Aurora hopped in. He stored away his crystal ball, and placed his cane under the seat. "That is something that I didn''t think of. Heh heh, Human Hunter is a smart one indeed."Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    "Ugh." Aria groaned. "Whatever, I guess he has his moments once in a while. I''ll take Benson''s advice and trust him on this... partially." She sat in her seat as well.


    "I did not say to trust him partially I said to trust him fully!" Benson exclaimed, also getting in. "And with that being said, I take back what I stated about the odds earlier and place my full unbridled faith in our leader!"


    Halt jumped onto Human Hunter''s shoulder, and they took off.


    The aircraft shook a bit due to the wind. Aurora leaned over, and asked Human Hunter in a low voice, "So, where are we headed?"


    "We''re jumping out. During the crystal ball session, while you were all suggesting ideas near the end, I trained Halt to fly this thing. He''ll be able to safely land it without us."


    "Y-You''re serious..?"


    "That''s right. Why would I be joking?"


    "Because teaching a damn dog how to fly a vehicle, especially one as weird as this, is hard enough on its own, and you managed to do it in 30 minutes!"


    "He''s a Wolf. And it''s because Halt is smart, and can understand what I''m saying pretty easily. Teaching him was simpler than making pancakes."


    "Huh.. what an odd reference." Aurora thought to himself, "Gah well if you say he can do it then fine I trust you, but where are we supposed to jump out at, the place is packed! And the staff users are still a threat you know!"


    Human Hunter adjusted the placement of his hands on the wheel. "Two of us will jump directly in front of the staff users, distracting them. The other two will land behind, prying open their mouths. The prying will probably need to be done by us, Benson and Aria''s aim is solid enough to get the job done on the other end. Once the staff users have been eliminated, as we noticed on the crystal ball, taking out the remaining Sapients is simple. The problem arises when the giant land monster comes up. But I can handle it."


    "Yes I was hoping you''d have a plan of action for that, otherwise I don''t see why we''d be preparing to strike right now. So tell me, what is this masterful idea of yours?"


    "Heh.." Human Hunter couldn''t hold back a smirk, "I''m going to dive into its stomach."


    "YOU''RE WHA-.." Aurora stopped himself, and touched his temple. "You know, I would ask if you''re kidding, but I know you aren''t.."


    Human Hunter was silent for a few seconds, before giving more information. "I was originally planning on sending my chained blade down it''s throat in order to pull out it''s stomach, or whatever I could latch onto. But if I happened to miss.. we''d all be screwed. Going in there completely will allow me to at least move around a bit. If it''s stomach is as big as it looks from the outside that is. And if that''s the case, I can make for certain that my target is killed."


    Shaking his head, Aurora said, "You are one crazy son of a bitch Human Hunter. Even crazier than I was at your age."


    Human Hunter ignored the old man''s words. He tilted his head back a bit. "Benson. Aria. Did you get all of that?"


    Benson took this opportunity to scream in a terrified fashion. "H.H., I beg you to reconsider!"


    Slamming on a button, Human Hunter aggressively stood up, setting his feet on the ends of his seat. He was inches away from falling to his death. The button he pressed had disabled the aircraft''s forcefields. He then fully turned around to peer down at Aurora, Benson and Aria. Halt still sat atop his shoulder.


    "Reconsidering this is the last thing I should do. We have the perfect plan, and it''s the plan that''s going to finally kill these bastards." Human Hunter clenched his fist, and held it close to his body. "My plans may have not been successful in the simulations, but things are different now. Aria, Benson, Aurora, and all other living things in this world... I made you a promise. A promise to eradicate those who took this planet away from you. The Sapients are now an enemy of that promise. Mark my words, they will be eradicated by our hands. And when we''re finished.. the planet which used to be so balanced will return to its natural state. Sapients.. you''ve made a mistake. Sapients.. you''re going to be eradicated. Sapients.. it''s not you who''s coming.."


    Human Hunter''s already dark and grim voice, seemed to become far more intimidating when he uttered these two words. "It''s us.."

 Chapter Eight: Plans Change

    Our group of human killers all stood on the side of Human Hunter''s aircraft. Though instead of killing humans, this time they were preparing to kill another species. Human Hunter and Halt were on the far left, beside the drivers seat, followed by Aurora, Benson, and Aria.


    "I know this will work!" Benson yelled, taking his glasses off for a second. "I know that it will, because H.H. has never let us down! Not once!"


    Aria had her own words to say about her caretaker. "I''ve been with Human Hunter for a few years now.. and he''s treated me like family more than anyone else has in my life. As much as I make it seem like I doubt him.. I don''t."


    Touching her shoulder, Benson smiled. "I think that may be the nicest thing you''ve said in a while."


    "Yeah, and it won''t happen again if you don''t shut up about it!"


    The wind blew against everyone, and caused their clothing to wave.


    Aurora looked to his left, at Human Hunter. "Well, they''re definitely ready." He gestured towards Aria and Benson, "The only question now is.. are you?"


    Halt barked on Human Hunter''s shoulder, who payed no mind to it. He unbuckled the parachute from his back, allowing it to fall to the ground below. "Yeah. I am. Time to teach the Sapients who they''ve picked a fight with."


    Everyone jumped. Aria and Benson activated their parachutes, grabbing the attention of both staff users within the gates. From behind, Human Hunter, who jumped without Halt a few seconds later, grappled onto one, forcing its mouth open. Aurora did the same. This was Aria and Benson''s cue, and they definitely delivered. Tossing the powerful explosives given to them by Human Hunter down the staff user''s throats, killing them both once the explosion occurred.


    "Haha! Step one of three has been completed!" Benson triumphantly yelled. "Now onwards to-.." something then.. went horribly wrong.


    Benson was stabbed through the chest mid air. He had not yet descended fully from his parachute. One of the opposing Sapients had taken advantage of this, throwing his weapon through the back, and out the chest of Benson.


    Aria looked over in horror, her eyes grew wide, and she screamed.


    Blood dripped down Benson''s soaked shirt. Each drop for some reason sounded incredibly loud each time it splattered across the ground below.


    "Ack! This is not good Human Hunter! What is it that you are.. um.. H-Human Hunter..?" Aurora looked at Human Hunter, and noticed that he had begun shaking.


    While Aria was busy freaking out, a Sapient tried to do to her as was done to Benson. It threw the blade it carried towards her body.. but the sword was stopped in its tracks. Human Hunter grabbed it with his chain, and in one concrete motion, he did a 360 spin, torpedoing the Sapients own weapon back in its direction.


    "Wait where did he-.. my word that young man is fast!" Aurora was impressed with how Human Hunter almost instantaneously charged forward to save Aria.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    The blade thrusted through the Sapient''s face. One of its comrades who stood nearby, looked over at its dead brethren. That was the last thing he saw. Human Hunter was over there in an instant, and brutally tore it in half with his bare hands. Bensons injury had lit a raging fire within him.


    Aria continued to stare. That was all she could do at this point, fighting was out of the question following the traumatic occurrence. Struggling to move, Benson managed to lift his head up slightly. He chuckled a bit, which spewed out blood.


    "I-I will be fine.. Aria. I still have to save you one of these d-days.. don''t you remember..?" He made a subtle thumbs up. His arm was too weak to gesture normally.


    She burst into tears. "I have to save you first you fucking moron!" She hollered between coughs and sniffles.


    Grabbing her katana, Aria cut her parachute. She jumped over to Benson and grabbed him, cutting his parachute too. Both teens landed onto the ground below. Growling and bawling at the same time, Aria did everything in her power to defend Benson.


    Every second that ticked by resulted in the death of another Sapient. Human Hunter no longer needed to use the explosive strategy on them now that he was in a berserker like state. He sliced, tore, and shredded his way through anyone he sensed nearby.


    Aurora did some battling of his own. He swiftly slithered around the battlefield, quickly planting explosive after explosive into the enemies mouths.


    Human Hunter and Aurora both eventually met up next to Aria and Benson. Aria was beaten up a bit from her defensive strategy since she was unable to actually damage her current foes. All three combined to form a complete line of defense for Benson. None of the Sapients stood a chance at injuring him further. Anyone who approached the trio were met with an unpleasant demise.


    After a while, every last Sapient was whittled down except for a few. This meant that the ground monster would be coming up momentarily.


    "Shall we let you take care of the rest of things here Human Hunter?" Aurora asked.


    Human Hunter nodded, not saying a word. Aurora took both Aria and Benson out of the area. Once finishing off the last of the above ground Sapients.. the land began to shake. Putting his weapons away, and shifting his feet, Human Hunter was ready.


    It happened. The ground monster, Sapient, or whatever it was rose up.. or it tried to at least. Still in a rage, Human Hunter gripped onto one end of its mouth, partially holding down the ginormous creature. The momentum from the monstrosity''s other side ended up flipping it upside down.


    Instead of holding its mouth from above the creature, Human Hunter was now below it. He stood on the earths surface, however he was surrounded by the inside of this thing''s mouth.


    Human Hunter looked up. Seeing no other way out, he pushed his feet against the terrain, rocketing himself upwards.


    Aurora watched from afar as Aria held Benson close by. "C''mon you maniac, you can take this thing out.." he nervously said to himself.


    Midway through its body, Human Hunter stabbed his blade deep within the flesh of the monster.


    Glaring, Human Hunter opened his mouth, and spoke for the first time in his berserker mode. "YOU WASTE OF FLESH. OUT OF EVERYONE I''VE OFFED IN MY LIFE, KILLING YOU IS GOING TO FEEL THE BEST!" His sword slashed alongside the creature''s insides, cutting it open. "Hurt someone that means something to me.. AND YOU ALL SUFFER." He blasted through the top of, what appeared to be a ground Sapient''s head, instantly killing it. It fell to the floor, sending vibrations throughout the surrounding area.


    The blood covered Human Hunter firmly landed next to the ground monster, breathing heavily. The impact kicked a bit of dust up from his boots. Aurora slithered all the way over to him. "Ahahah! You''ve done it! The Sapient''s stronger forces have been thwarted! Bravo! We now know exactly how to take out these three specific kind-.."


    "We need to get out of here to heal Benson, now." Human Hunter interrupted. He stomped towards where Benson and Aria lied.


    "Now hold on a minute! You do realize that we''ve just eliminated the defenses in front of what''s inherently the fountain of youth!"


    "Yeah?! And who gives a shit?? It sure as hell isn''t me because if Benson''s dead he''ll never get to see the world the way it''s supposed to be! The way I promised him he''d get to see it! So if that''s all you care about, then go frolic around in the stupid thing! But me? I''m going to go save my family!"


    Aurora stood there, shocked. He had never in his entire life seen Human Hunter like this.


    Human Hunter only made it a few steps though. Out of seemingly nowhere, a single Sapient member, one who looked far more advanced than any of the others seen up to this point, knocked Human Hunter to the ground with a single kick. He crossed his arms, and watched Human Hunter pull himself up.


    "Gullible fool." The powerful Sapient said. "Did you seriously think that I, Malent, Lord of the Sapient race, wouldn''t have expected you to arrive here? One of the few logical places for Sapients to gather? This was a trap set for you and your allies. I humbly thank you for taking the bait so easily."


    "L-Lord of the Sapient race..? M-Malent..?" Other than that, Aurora was speechless in regards to what he was witnessing. Of all his years of studying, and attempting to comprehend who the Sapients were, he had not once heard such a name.


    Malent glanced over at Aurora for a second, before returning his eyes to Human Hunter. "That''s correct. And I have come here to personally take care of each and every single one of you myself. Prepare for the ultimate display of devastation. What you''ve seen from our race previously is nothing compared to what I''m about to unleash."


    With Aria tending to Benson, and Aurora locked in a state of complete shock, it was up to Human Hunter now to single handedly take on the leader of the entire Sapient race.

 Chapter Nine: Malent

    The light wind caused a bit of sand to drift across Human Hunter and Malent''s feet. They stood across from each other, about ten meters apart.


    Human Hunter gritted his teeth. "Now isn''t the time.. there''s something I need to do." He said.


    "Oh? And what may that be?" Malent asked. His arms were crossed. "Could it be saving the little traitor over there? The one who''s helping you and the young girl kill off your own kind? Hah. I''ve already ordered my subordinates to bring both of them into my custody. I can''t let murderers roam free."


    This made Human Hunter snap. He threw his speared chain forwards without saying a word.


    With a smile, Malent caught the spear with his bare hand, and shattered it. He then pulled Human Hunter towards him with the unbroken part of the chain, and connected his fist with Human Hunter''s face, sending him through the air and across the floor yet again.


    Human Hunter tumbled for a while, until he stopped his momentum by digging one of his blades into the ground. He pushed his foot off of the floor for an extra boost towards Malent, and tossed a collection of his spiky balls towards the Sapient Lord.


    Every one exploded and sent sharp objects everywhere. Malent didn''t move, but instead allowed the objects to ricochet off of his armor.


    An uppercut landed on Malents chin. Human Hunter had used his spiky balls as a slight distraction to allow himself to get closer to his opponent. The impact of the uppercut blew the surrounding sand away. Malent didn''t move, so Human Hunter followed this up with a spinning kick to the side, sending more sand into the air.


    More punches and kicks were thrown by Human Hunter. None were effective, so he quickly attempted to cause damage with his blades. Back and forth his weapons went, slicing away at the seemingly invincible set of armor. This strategy was pointless.


    With another quick and seamless transition, Human Hunter removed and unfolded a long, double sided, bladed staff from inside his armor. Clanking sounds could be heard from miles away due to how hard Human Hunter was hitting the confident looking Malent.


    Malent caught the staff, and cracked it in two, chuckling in the process. He lowered his shoulder, and slammed it against Human Hunter, which again knocked him across the terrain.


    Not a second went by before Human Hunter had already made his way back over to Malent. He broke open a few smoke bombs with his teeth, concealing his position, and slid underneath Malent''s legs. Appearing behind him, Human Hunter tried prying his mouth open to test the explosive method they had all used on the staff wielding Sapients. Much to his shock though, Malent willingly opened his mouth, and allowed the explosive to go off between his teeth.


    "As you can see, your efforts are pointless. Give up now and maybe I''ll make sure your death is quick and painless. A mercy that you have refused to show to countless innocent civilians." Malent claimed. He grabbed Human Hunter''s arm, pulled it and the rest of Human Hunter''s body towards his leg, and kicked him hard into a nearby Sapient scouting post.


    The post was severally dented by this. Human Hunter grunted for a second. He held his side, but still stood back up as usual. Removing a green container from his belt, Human Hunter threw it at Malent. It was a poisonous acid from Aurora''s temple. This unsurprisingly did nothing when it exploded and sprayed across his body.


    Malent sighed, and shook his head. "Don''t you listen? As I''ve said before, no attack you throw at me stands a chance at causing damage. But.. if you insist on ignoring me, I guess I''ll have to show you a bit of my own strength to signify what I mean." Human Hunter firmly planted his feet, preparing to dodge. Before his brain could register it though, Malent had already pummeled him several times. He noticed earlier that Malent had plenty of weapons in his arsenal, but apparently in this moment he didn''t feel the need to use any of them.


    Bone crushing punch after rib shattering kick, Malent absolutely unloaded on who he saw as the devil. A man who threatened to eradicate the very race he had loved seeing evolve over the past few thousand years. "I won''t let you kill anyone else! Not a single soul! You Human Hunter, are a devil that shall be slain! All of the pain and suffering you have caused to others shall now be felt by you!" He pulled his head back, and slammed it against Human Hunter''s skull. Human Hunter flew into the ground, creating a second crater next to the one that glowed blue.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "How does it feel to be the helpless one, you killer!? Does it feel good? I hope so because this is how your final moments will be spent!" Malent couldn''t help himself from revealing how he felt about the situation.


    One last time, Human Hunter tried to pull himself up, but he had taken too much damage. He.. couldn''t move. All he could think about was how he could no longer protect Aria and Benson. They would never be able to see the perfect world if he didn''t win right here and now. "I..." he tried to say something, but it was no use.


    "Are you in pain you piece of filth?" Malent stomped on Human Hunter''s gut, and left his foot there. "Then allow me to help you with that!" Grabbing Human Hunter by the throat, he lifted him. He began to crush his neck.


    "Look at me.." Malent said with a low but powerful tone. "I want my face to be the last thing you see." Tightening and strengthening his grip with each passing second, Malent was prepared to finally end the life of who he hated most. "This may be your first interaction with me, however I''ve known you since you were a mere infant. Watching over each and every human is one of my jobs. Murderers I hate, but must tolerate due to a variety of factors. But people like you.. are why I need to check the planet''s state so consistently. You put the entire race at risk, and I can''t allow that.Now.. for the sake of humanity.. die, Human Hunter."


    Malent attempted to tighten his grip to its fullest power, but couldn''t. Human Hunter had stopped it. With his hands placed around each side of Malent''s palm, he resisted, holding onto life with everything he could. "I..." he tried saying again. This time, he was successful. "I... am not going to die... until those kids have seen a world ruled by nature!" Malent''s hand was beginning to spread apart. "A world that''s been repaired from human destruction!" Now fully escaped from Malent, he dropped onto the Sapient Lord''s foot, trying to crush it with as much strength as he had. "And most importantly, a world where everyone can thrive! Not just the human race!" This is when.. Human Hunter finally used his trump card.


    With everything he had within himself, Human Hunter began unleashing his final series of attacks. A combination that he only ever imagined himself needing to use against entire nations. He revealed a tiny piece of metal, and shoved it down Malent''s throat. Halt finally showed up, flying in the aircraft from above, and dropped Human Hunter a massive club with rockets attached to its end. Human Hunter used all of his remaining power to knock Malent as far away from him and everyone else as he possibly could. The club enhanced the strength of whoever used it by inconceivable margins. The blow landed against Malent with such an incredible amount of power, that everything including the blue age halting crater was incinerated.


    Feeling as if Malent was blasted far enough away, Human Hunter pressed a button from inside of his armor. It detonated the tiny piece of metal that had been shoved down Malent''s throat only seconds ago, which was secretly a nuclear bomb. Human Hunter typed a code into a hidden pad that was also under his armor. This released a gigantic sweeping forcefield, similar to what a few of Bensons robotic gadgets used, but with a much grander scale of course. This protected himself from the nuclear blast, as well as Benson, Aria, and Aurora who were all somewhere behind him.


    Human Hunter waited there. He nervously anticipated the arrival of the grand explosion. Unfortunately.. it never arrived. He seemed confused, but stood his ground behind the forcefield. It was then that Malent made his way back through the rubble created by the club, coughing out smoke.


    "I must give credit where credit is due, you were a far more formidable opponent than I expected, Human Killer." Malent''s footsteps sent chills down Human Hunter''s spine. He couldn''t believe what he was seeing, Malent had somehow survived his attack, though his armor was considerably damaged.


    Malent coughed some more. "I applaud you for proving me wrong, I really do. You did manage to injure me quite a bit. But no matter.. I believe that was everything you had in your arsenal. If so.. I can finally finish this once and for all." He removed an enormous hammer from his back. The material it was constructed with glistened in the sunlight. With a booming swing, Malent cracked the forcefield. After a few more attempts he managed to fully burst through it. The wind created by the destruction of the forcefield caused Human Hunter to struggle to stand.


    Malent swung his hammer at Human Hunter, who tried blocking with his arms. Swing after swing, slam after slam, Human Hunter was pounded into the ground. As a grande finale, Malent picked him up, and tossed him into the air. Removing a large bow from his back, Malent dropped the hammer he wielded to the floor. "You brought this upon yourself, scum. Now die. Our planet is fine how it is." He pulled back on the bow, nocking and releasing a massive arrow from it.


    Malent skidded back, wind blew aside, and Human Hunter was impaled. The arrow flew several kilometers away with Human Hunter stuck in the middle of it.


    "Hmph." Malent grunted. "He has finally been taken care of. What a foolish man. Thinking he could eliminate the entirety of the leading race of this planet without major consequences. Murderers of that scope must always be dealt with by us." He put his bow away. He picked up his Hammer as well, and placed it alongside the bow on his back.


    Some time passed until Aria was made aware of the situation. Benson was still unconscious from the bleeding, and Aurora, had been knocked out by Malent. Speaking of Malent, he was the one to inform Aria of what had happened. She collapsed, not being able to handle the devastating news. "I-I was right.. these aliens.. were too much for us to handle.." she said to herself.


    Malent had done what he said he would. Both Aria and Benson were already on his continent sized ship. Looking at Aria, sitting upon his throne, Malent proudly spoke. "I''m aware that as of right now you despise me. After all, I am the one who disposed of your caretaker. However I assure you, you''ll soon come to realize that a life of killing innocent humans is one that isn''t worth living. Instead, serving under me as powerful overseers will be much more fulfilling. Taking out anyone who threatens the human race will be your new job. Once your training begins, I''m sure you''ll take a liking to it."


    Back on earth, Human Hunter laid within a pool of blood, motionless. The arrow was gone. Someone.. had removed it. In a desert where everything was silent, a faint bark was heard. Who heard this? Well.. it was Human Hunter, who was still alive.

 Chapter Ten: A New Direction

    Laying on the floor, motionless, in a pile of his own blood, Human Hunter heard a faint bark off in the distance.


    "H-..Halt..?" he managed to spit out.


    Soon enough, Halt had arrived. His trusty wolf had been searching the aircraft for something to stop the bleeding. "Woof!" he exclaimed, placing a roll of bandages next to his master.


    Human Hunter managed to pull himself up into a sitting position. He took the bandages, and began to unravel them. "Thanks boy.." he said in a tired tone. "Aria.. Benson.. I''m guessing they were taken by Malent?"


    Halt whimpered, signifying that his master was correct.


    "Nnghh, not good." Human Hunter placed both hands upon the sand. Taking a deep breath, he pushed against it, hauling his body up so that he could walk. "As of right now, I''m nowhere near strong enough to take action. In order to save Aria and Benson, I''ll need to find somewhere to improve my skills. The problem is.." Holding his side in agony, Human Hunter peered off into the distance. "I''m not sure if there''s anyone from this planet stronger than I am.."


    Climbing into the aircraft, Human Hunter took the wheel. Halt sat behind him this time due to his master''s injury. They flew all around the desert, trying to find Aurora, but they were unsuccessful. The next day they arrived back at Aurora''s temple, which was also empty.


    "Halt, see if you can find anything useful around here. Healing items or something like that." Human Hunter stated. He went to the back, and laid in a spare bed.


    "Aria.." Human Hunter said. He stared at the ceiling. "Benson.. I''m going to save you.. then, we can continue our mission, and kill everyone. I promised you, right? I don''t break promises."


    Halt frolicked into the room carrying some type of odd liquid in his mouth. Human Hunter grabbed the container that held it, removed the lid, and gave it a whiff. "Hm. Not bad." he said. "Am I supposed to drink this, or poor it on the wound?"


    Halt crushed the container with his paw. Its contents poured down Human Hunter''s stomach, aggressively stinging his wound.


    "Err-.. guess that answers that.." he spit out.


    The next morning Human Hunter woke up in a far better state than he had been previously. He could function almost normally, just feeling a bit of pain here and there. "I really need to ask Aurora, if he''s alive, how he gets this stuff." he thought to himself, referring to the medicine he had used.


    Looking around the place further, Human Hunter searched for clues to any sort of location he could travel to for extensive training. A place where he could increase his battle skills tremendously. After a reasonable amount of digging, he finally found that place. "Proel" he read from a worn letter. "Apparently, Aurora attempted to contact a few of the trainees from this place. Who knows why. But if I know Aurora as a person, he would only want top tier fighters. Heh.. guess that settles it then." he folded the letter and slipped it into his armor. "Halt, get in the aircraft. We''re headed to join Proel."Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Following yet another almost day long flight, Human Hunter and Halt arrived at the entrance of a dark and dreary looking swampland. One set in the middle of a forest.


    "We''ll have to walk the rest of the way, flying through all these trees wouldn''t be a smart idea." Human Hunter told Halt.


    Together, the duo entered the swamp. Every way they looked, they noticed something even more disgusting and grotesque than what they saw last. Algae crept up the tree trunks, and the bodies of water sizzled and bubbled. "Aria would''ve hated this place.." Human Hunter thought to himself. He smiled a bit under his helmet.


    This moment of reflection was interrupted when someone flew out of the trees. The person slashed at Human Hunter with his two blades. Human Hunter got his own sword out just in time, but when he blocked, the strangers weapons sliced right through it.


    Human Hunter watched as his own blade, which he had constructed to be several times sturdier than normal, fell to pieces. He looked up at the stranger, who had landed a few meters away from him.


    The stranger wore a red cowl, combined with a red bandana across his mouth. Only his seething red eyes could be seen. The rest of his body was covered in shiny black, and light as well as dark red armor, that was worn tight against his slim figure. In his back rested the two blades he had just used, which were again, red. Blood dripped down from their tips, it had been smeared across the weapons for some reason.


    "Heh heh." The stranger chuckled. "C''mon man, you can''t just go roamin around our swamp like that. I mean, I know there''s not a sign or anything to show it, but I live here with my friends. So can ya do me a favor and leave? Thanks."


    Halt barked at the stranger, but refrained from growling. That was usually an incredibly good sign. Halt almost always growled at new people.


    This caught Human Hunter''s attention, and he assumed that this reaction was because Halt realized that the stranger they had been approached by was a member of Proel.


    All of a sudden, the stranger appeared in front of Human Hunter, waving a hand in front of his face. "Uhh, hello? You did hear me right? Get lost already I seriously don''t wanna kill you. Well-.. not right now at least, I''m kinda in the middle of something. Maneuverability training. It''s where I improve how fast I can traverse around certain areas, stuff like that."


    "I''m trying to locate a group called Proel. Do you know of them?" Human Hunter got straight to the point.


    "Ohh yeahhh." The stranger responded. "As a matter of fact I do. Actually, you''re looking at one of their top members right now!" Examining Human Hunter''s body and gear, he continued. "Wanna join or somethin, or are ya trying to kill us?"


    "I''m looking to join. There''s a group of extra terrestrial beings who managed to capture the people I care about. In my current state, I''m unable to rescue them. I was hoping that by joining your group, I could exponentially improve my skill set in a variety of ways, gaining the power I need to get them back."


    "Hm.. I guess we could see what you''re all about. If you pass our tests, I''m sure Setianal would be happy to train ya straight awa-.." the stranger was then tackled to the ground by.. well.. another stranger.


    "Alant! You idiottt what the hell do you think you''re saying?!" he screamed, "There''s not a chance in hell that Setianal would even consider letting someone that he didn''t personally handpick learn the whereabouts of our base let alone train him!!"


    "Ugh, get off of me Tigal!" Alant struggled to push his friend off of him. "If this guy doesn''t pass the tests Setianal will just kill him anyway! Who cares if he knows where our base is!"


    Tigal stood up. "Hmph, it''s dangerous either way. You''re walking a fine line Alant and you know it. Let''s hope this doesn''t piss Sentianal off too much. Even with his power, he likes to play it safe. A wise decision if you ask me."


    Human Hunter stomped his foot, grabbing the attention of both Tigal and Alant. "Nngh.. I have no reason to cause you all any trouble. I just need to train for a while, and then leave."


    Tigal and Alant looked at each other.


    Alant removed one of the blood soaked swords from his back, spun it around, and pointed to Human Hunter. "Heh, got it buddy. We''ll bring ya right on over to our base of operations, and make sure you get the improvements you need!"


    Tigal scoffed, and crossed his arms. "Grr.. just try to stay away from me. I don''t like newcomers, even when they are picked by our boss."


    Looking at both of his newfound potential teammates, Human Hunter gave them a simple answer, as he usually gave most people. "Got it. Now let''s go."

 Chapter Eleven: Proel

    The trek to Proel''s base was a muddy one, and wasn''t exactly the most pleasant of experiences. Alant and Tigal argued the entire time about almost anything they discussed. Human Hunter kept silent.


    "C''mon now Tigal, you don''t seriously think that these leaves are genetically engineered to spy on us all, they''re plants and that''s it!" Alant held a green leaf within his fingertips, observing it as he continued onwards.


    Tigal walked with his arms crossed, and glared at his surroundings. "How else could this guy have found us? There''s just no other possible way. Our swamp forest clearly must have been tampered with. It''s my guess that cameras were placed around here.. and the only place they could be is right in front of our faces. The leaves themselves."


    Following this statement, the muscular Tigal unsheathed his massive curved sword, and sliced a grouping of trees while screaming.


    "Tigal c''mon man calm down!" Alant urgently yelled.


    "Grr! No! If these stupid leaves weren''t here spying on us this guy wouldn''t be here!"


    "I already told you they aren''t spies! He''s a friend of Aurora''s and found the letter we sent him! That''s all now-.. AHH!"


    Tigal screamed at the top of his lungs once more, slashing a second grouping of trees to the ground. He took a deep breath, and exhaled. "Alright.. that''ll be enough for now. But mark my words.. leaves, I''ll be back here to kick the crap outta you later."


    Human Hunter and Halt both looked at each other in unison.


    Alant let out a sigh of relief. "Phew.. okay, now next time you do that, take Faed or someone else. I can''t handle seeing you use your weapon to destroy such works of art. Trees are beautiful you know, even the ones in this swamp."


    "It''d be no use. All she does is ramble in my ear."


    "Well hey, she''s still interesting to talk to, and probably won''t try to stop you from.. uhh.. ya know."


    Tigal grumbled.


    After a while longer, Alant backed up a bit to speak with Human Hunter. "Hey uhh, sorry about that little incident up there. Tigal can get a teensy bit paranoid at times. But I love him for it, it''s one of his quirks after all. It''s part of what makes him.. him!"


    "It''s fine." Human Hunter responded, "Being overly cautious is better than not being cautious enough."


    Alant smiled gleefully. "Hahah, that''s right! I''m glad you get it! Well, anyway, we''ll be arriving soon. If you''re this understanding of our other members, you''ll fit right in!" Patting Human Hunter upon the back, Alant continued forward.


    The group arrived at Proel''s base soon after, just as Alant had said. Once entering however, the scale of the place ended up being far grander than Human Hunter could have imagined.


    It started off looking fairly normal. A few metal doors within the side of a wall made entirely of dirt. Inside there were many tables and chairs, with a bar on the side. Very simple. But in the back, lied an elevator, which is exactly where Human Hunter was taken.


    "Yeahh up here''s not too much to write home about, but it''s nice!" Alant said.


    Tigal continued for him. "Just try not to piss your pants when you see downstairs.. it could.. spread disease.." he shuttered at the thought. "And if that happens I''ll punch you in your stupid masked face understand!?"


    "I don''t think you''ll need to." Human Hunter claimed.


    "Hmph. You better hope not." Tigal slapped the down button on the elevator. "Whatever.. it''s like Alant said, if you don''t pass the tests, Setianal is gonna kill you. And there''s not a chance in hell that you''ll get through those things hah!"


    Alant leaned over and whispered to Human Hunter. "Sentianal''s our boss by the way, if you didn''t notice from our other convos. He''s a pretty scary guy to newcomers so, as Tigal would say, don''t piss your pants! Heh heh."


    Human Hunter looked to his left, directly at Alant. "I doubt that will happen. Using the bathroom isn''t an issue for me. Also, after everything that''s gone down, there''s almost nothing that could shock me."


    It was at that moment that the elevator became transparent, displaying the grand scale of the room they were preparing to enter from above. It was ginormous, and boasted many training facilities for specific skills, large meeting halls for when Proel came together to discuss issues, camera systems to monitor the entire base, and research stations, among many other things.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    "Though I''ll admit." Human Hunter continued, "This is pretty impressive.."


    "Hahah I know right!" Alant happily agreed.


    Tigal grumbled. "Told you. Now before we step out of this elevator, I advise you not to infect the air here with any sort of virus or contaminated gas. Especially not one that increases the speed in which our base decomposes."


    In a confused manner, Alant looked at him. "You are way too paranoid Tigal is that even possible?!"


    "Probably. I wouldn''t put it past this bastard."


    Immediately after exiting the elevator, the group met up with a man sitting on a bench, with a book. He was dressed in a small tight robe. One that wasn''t glued to his body, but wasn''t completely loose either. He wore glasses, and had long, silky silver hair.


    "Ah, friends, you have returned?" he said. "Splendid. I am glad to see you each have come back in good health. Now, if I may ask, leave me be. You see, I am attempting to read this book. I''d prefer not to do it with an audience."


    "Ah yeah I understand Lock." Alant acceptingly said, "But could you maybe give our guest a quick hello?"


    "No!!" he clapped back, "I am currently busy! Please accept that and run along!"


    Tigal grabbed the book, and crushed it with his bare hands. "Sorry Lock, but that book could contain a phrase that''s secretly used to unleash a powerful dragon. I can''t have you reading it, at least not in here." Grumbling yet again, Tigal walked away. He traveled straight towards the room where Setianal was located, not wanting to stand near Human Hunter any longer.


    Lock''s eyes widened as he was consumed with rage. "That imbecile! Who in their right mind would come up with such a preposterous theory!?" Tossing his glasses aside, Lock stomped after Tigal. He glanced back for a moment to speak to Alant and Human Hunter. "Alant.. I applaud you for finding a potential recruit. Let''s hope he isn''t a failure much like the others. And newcomer.. do not let us down. I assure you, if you do, it will most certainly result in your death." Lock picked his glasses up off the floor, and dusted them off before departing.


    "And that''s Lock!" Alant said, smiling under his bandana. "So you''ve met me, Tigal, and Lock. Only two more to go before we''re off to see the big one, Setianal."


    "Alright." Is all Human Hunter could think of saying. He wasn''t exactly the type of person to engage in much small talk.


    Entering the camera monitoring room, both Human Hunter and Alant approached a woman who was gazing across the screens. She was dressed in a blue sweater that reached down to her knees, and wore sunglasses. The sleeves of her sweater were far too long, going past her arms, hiding her hands. Her hair, which fell to her chin, was colored purple.


    "Silva!" Alant grabbed her attention, "Sorry if I interrupted anything, but I wanted you to meet our newest recruit! Or-.. who we''re hoping becomes so at least. His name''s.. uhh.."


    Silva stood up, and turned towards the two boys. "How rude. You''ve come all this way and don''t even know the poor boys name. Well I''m not like that." Reaching her sweater sleeve out towards Human Hunter, she smiled, removing her sunglasses with the other hand. "What shall I call you?" Silva''s gorgeous eyes made Human Hunter stagger a bit.


    "I-It''s Human Hunter."


    "Ah, so we share the same goal. Eradicating the human race and giving this world back to nature. Haha. That''s what this place is all about you know. It''s what Setianal formed us for, to take earth back!"


    "Wait, you''re a Human Hunter too??" Alant looked a little stunned.


    He may not have showed it, but Human Hunter was surprised himself. "Yeah. It''s what I call myself. I.. wasn''t aware that there were others. But now that I think about it, that''s Aurora''s goal too, so it would only make sense that he was attempting to contact you."


    "Hm. Guess so!" Alant said. "Well this is ironic, who woulda guessed that I''d stumble across a fellow Human Hunter just roaming around our swamp! I mean, you were looking for us, but still!" He awkwardly scratched the hair underneath his hood.


    Human Hunter had something else to say. "So everyone here is a.. Human Hunter? Why haven''t I heard of you before?" The next part, he only wondered in his head. "And why wouldn''t Aurora tell me about this..?


    Silva stepped in. "That''s correct darling, everybody here shares the same mindset. Even you it seems like. We all understand that our race doesn''t have the right to mercilessly overtake every last patch of land, slaughter animals, and overuse resources. It''s absurd. So it''s our mission to-.."


    Interrupting, Human Hunter finished Silva''s sentence. "To kill them all. Every last one. Make them pay for how much they''ve screwed up this planet."


    Alant put his arm around Human Hunter. "Haha, hey, you''ve got it down pat! Finished that sentence right for her!"


    Silva crossed her arms in approval. "Hah, indeed he does. Well then, I''m starting to think this guy might have a legitimate chance at getting through Setianal''s infamous tests."


    "Maybe, I mean it''s the first time we''ve had someone come through here who''s literally named himself Human Hunter. Speaking of which, what''s your real name? It''d be kinda weird just calling you that since it could refer to anyone here."


    A drawn out silence followed this question, as Human Hunter hesitated to reveal this information to who were inherently strangers. "Nothing." he finally said. "Just call me Human Hunter. That''s it."


    Alant looked at Silva, and then spoke. "Alright then, if you say so. But sooner or later we''ll have to at least give ya a nickname."


    "Fine." Human Hunter responded. He left the room, and yelled back. "Let''s just meet the last Proel member so that I can speak to your leader."


    "Go on ahead, darling." Silva seemed to be understanding about this. "He must have a pretty big reason for keeping his real name a secret. No need to bug him about it any further."


    Alant glanced down, thinking of what could have happened. "You got it..!" he finally said, faking his normally cheerful voice.


    When Alant left the room, he noticed that Human Hunter had already been confronted by the final member of Proel, Faed.


    She was a pink haired girl, with green eyes, and was a little shorter than the others. She wore a blue bandana sort of cover around her mouth, though it appeared completely different than Alant''s red one. The rest of her clothing consisted of tight, detailed, blue (with a few spots of green) armored plating that covered her chest, and lower body (above her thighs and below her waist). Other than armored boots of the same design, that was it. Quite revealing for something that was meant for protection.


    Slightly freaking out, Alant jogged over. "F-Faed..! Ahaha.. I see that you''ve met our newest recruit already! Call him.. Human Hunter! Yes that''s really his name!" He awkwardly smiled, pointing to Human Hunter with both of his hands.


    "WHAT?!" Faed belted out, "That''s the most amazing and adorable name I''ve ever heard! I get it because you''re a Human Hunter, so you kept it short and simple by naming yourself Human Hunter! Oh my you''re so clever, actually I''m not sure if I''ve ever met someone as clever as you other than Lock of course. Well-.. actually..."


    Faed went on and on, talking Human Hunter''s ears off while holding his hand between hers.


    Pulling his hand away, Human Hunter walked past her. "Alright, now that I''ve met the entire crew, can I speak with Setianal. I''d really like to know what these tests consist of."


    Faed slowly teared up, and started to bawl.


    "Err-.. yeah for sure I''ll take ya there in a sec!" Alant told Human Hunter. "Just wait there for a minute." He tended to Faed, wiping her eyes and nose with a spare tissue he had in his armor.


    "Hey there." He lowered himself so that he was at eye level with Faed. "Human Hunter''s just really anxious to be here, and wants to meet Setianal as soon as possible. He wasn''t trying to be mean or anything, I promise!" Alant closed his eyes gleefully, and Faed hugged him, still sniffling a bit.


    "Well if you s-say so.. hehe." She turned around towards Human Hunter. "When you''re done talking to Setianal, I''m going to show you my collection of-.." Alant quickly covered her mouth.


    "Heheh.. we can show him that a little later on, when he''s used to us! Anyway, Human Hunter, I think we can go now. See ya Faed!" he let go of her mouth, and waved.


    "Byeee!" Faed waved back. "But I really am going to show Human Hunter my human heart collection when he finally does get used to us! He has three days! Hehe!"


    "Err-.." Alant cringed, hoping Human Hunter wouldn''t react. Luckily.. he didn''t.


    Walking towards the back, a large, ominous door towered almost to the ceiling.


    "Welp, this is it. It''s only fitting that our big scary leader sits behind a ginormous flashy door like this am I right?? Haha." Placing a hand upon the door, Alant pushed it open. "Anyway, after you." He said, gesturing towards the almost pitch black room that awaited Human Hunter.


    Without a second thought, Human Hunter walked through with Halt, who had frolicked over to the door immediately after they had exited the elevator. He was about to meet someone who would change.. everything.

 Chapter 11.5: Alant

    (Everything within this chapter takes place before Human Hunter''s arrival at Proel).


    "Alant.. Alant!" Someone called. "Alant!" They said once more.


    It was a women, with her child. A little boy who seemed to be around five years old.


    Alant was sitting on a bench, at a park. He had had gone into a daze for who knows how long.


    The sun was setting, but still gave off enough light to brighten the surrounding area.


    "Daddy!" The boy said, leaping into Alant''s lap. "C-Can you play with me a little longer? Mommy said we have to go soon, and then I won''t see you for a long time.." he frowned.


    "Alant is your uncle silly." The women, who was Alant''s sister, said with a chuckle.


    "Well I don''t care he''s not mean like our stupid daddy at home!"


    "Hey now don''t.."


    Alant interrupted. "Sure I can buddy!" he said with a smile. "It''s like ya said, this is our last chance to play together for a while, so let''s make the most of it! Okay?"


    The boy giggled. "Kay daddy! Let''s go now!" Grabbing the hand of Alant, he brought him onto the playground. They ran around, laughed, played, and had the time of their lives. Once they were tuckered out, both boys sat next to each other on the bottom of a pair of slides.


    "Hey uhh.. Alant?" The boy asked. He seemed a little worried, and touched his feet together.


    Alant answered, putting a hand on the boy''s shoulder. He usually wasn''t called by his first name. "What''s wrong my little man?"


    "Well.. I heard my mommy talking with my other daddy downstairs. I was um.. s-spying on them."


    "Haha, spying on them? Guess your sneaking skills didn''t come in handy too much today when we played tag, huh?"


    The boy was visibly holding back tears. "They said they were going to kill you."


    Taken aback, Alant felt his heart drop to the bottom of his stomach. "Hey.. c''mon now buddy, that''s not funny to joke about. I know you don''t like your dad but, this is going a little too far."


    A tear rolled down his cheek. "Y-Yeah.. you''re right. Sorry. "


    The playground was dark at this point, and from the benches, Alant''s sister called for them. "Okay guys, I think playtimes run it''s course for the day! Time to go home Lalit!"


    "Kay..!" Lalit hollered back. He stood up from the slide, and waved bye to Alant as he ran off.


    Later that night, Alant''s body wouldn''t allow him to sleep. He couldn''t stop repeating the small conversation he had with Lalit in his head. "They said they were going to kill you." Was played again and again in his mind.


    He sighed. "Man.. I really hope those guys don''t hassle me for acting like a zombie tomorrow. I just can''t get myself to sleep.. hah." The next day, he was scheduled to join a group of warriors such as himself to go explore an unknown patch of land. One where helicopters, planes, and other aircrafts had been disappearing.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Due to his inability to find rest however, Alant decided to confront his sister about his worries immediately.


    After driving to his sister''s place with his sleepwear on, Alant knocked on the door. She opened it.


    "Alant..! It''s uhh.. it''s 2 AM. Why are you.. here? Is everything okay..?" She groggily asked.


    Originally planning on being optimistic about things, Alant had changed his mind. The more and more he thought about it on his way here, the more he realized that Lalit wouldn''t lie about something like this. He was a little boy, but an honest one.


    "No." He replyed. "No. Everything''s not okay Ava. Ya know, I was talking to Lalit today at the park, and do you wanna know what he said to me..?"


    Noticing Alant''s drastically different tone compared to how he usually was, Ava shook her head. From behind her back, she pulled out a gun.


    "I think I already know, Alant."


    Glancing downwards, Alant noticed that she had a bit of blood on her hands.


    "That so? Mkay then, so you''re gonna kill me huh? Hah... ahahaha! Good thing I never told ya about.." he sliced her gun in half with a powerful knife that he had brought just in case something like this occurred. "Why I''m really gone so much.."


    Pushing Ava out of the way, Alant walked into the house, slowly. "I guess you could call me a liar, a lot like you. But the difference is, I lied to protect my family, where as you were trying to kill them." He turned around. "Where''s Lalit? I''m gonna grab my little buddy, and head on outta here with him."


    "He''s dea-.." Lalit''s abusive father stepped out to inform Alant of what had happened, but his throat was sliced before he could even finish his sentence. Blood was sprayed across the walls.


    "WHAT THE FUCK WAS HE ABOUT TO SAY AVA!?" Alant tried his best to smile as his body shook. He always tried to keep a positive attitude no matter what happened, but tonight.. his life was falling apart. "IF I FIND OUT THAT ANYTHING HAPPENED TO LALIT, THE RESULTS WON''T BE PRETTY!!"


    Ava pulled the trigger on a second gun that she had. Alant blocked three shots, each ricocheted off of his overly strong knife, and sprinted down the hall to avoid the others. He entered Lalit''s room, only to find his mangled corpse sitting within the center. Ava walked in behind him. "Sorry Alant, but we couldn''t deal with having a child anymore. It was too much, and he was tearing our family apart.. so we got rid of him. We knew you wouldn''t be able to handle what we''d done, so we planned on killing you too, right when you got back actually."


    "Got... rid of him..?" Alant said to her. "You''re joking.. you act like he was an old dog. Oh wait.. not even they should be treated like filth. You killed a little boy.. my little nephew.. because you think he''s responsible for that dead son of bitch on the ground''s outbursts.. and you don''t even seem to care that either of them are gone. Not one bit."


    Ava fired the gun repeatedly, she didn''t bother to respond.


    Easily blocking the bullets this time, Alant charged towards his sister, and sliced her to pieces.


    He breathed heavily, and left the house.


    The next morning, Alant was late to meet with his warrior buddies.


    "Damn, I am so gonna kick Alant''s ass when he-.. wait, who the hell is that?"


    Dressed in a red hood, black and red armor, and a red bandana, Alant removed, what at the time was, his brand new set of blades. "I''m done.." he thought to himself. "Humans.. are evil creatures. They kill, they betray, and they stab you in the back. Heh heh, funny how this isn''t the first murder that''s happened within my family. Not the second either. Or the third, or the fourth, or the fifth. They all slaughtered each other, and this was only the most recent occurrence. Ya know, I''m starting to think that it''s not just my family that''s the problem, but it''s the human race as a whole. So today, I''m officially resigning as a warrior for hire, and replacing it with my own little self employed gig."


    Approaching the group, Alant smiled at them, making sure to keep his positive attitude in tact.


    "I now consider myself.. a Human Hunter."


    Alant slaughtered them all, not leaving a single person alive. Not even the pedestrian on lookers.


    "Andddd yep. That''s pretty much what happened." Alant was sitting with the rest of Proel inside the meeting room. "Later, Setianal would recruit me of course, but at the time I was just really mad. Ya know because of all the murdering and what not, but now that I''m here with you guys, I feel a lot better! You''re way better than my family ever was anyway."


    Lock cleared his throat. "Why must you be so graphic, I could have done without the details."


    "Lock! You kill people almost every day!" Alant yelled back.


    "Yes, but it''s necessary in order to cleanse this foul planet. You on the other hand were informing me of why you became a Human Hunter in the first place. Something that could have been told without the grimy details."


    Silva jumped in. "I thought it was a marvelous story darling, Lock is just being rude."


    "Heh heh, yeah yeah I know." Alant was well aware of Lock''s knack for disapproving of the smallest of things. "Well now that I''m done, who wants to go next! I say it should be Tigal!"


    "Not a chance." Tigal responded to this. "For all I know, there could be a microscopic organism that explodes once learning the deepest secrets of multiple people."


    "You''re kidding me Tigal quit with those crazy theories, they make no sense! None at all! Why would it have such a specific trigger?!"


    "If I knew, we''d be a lot safer right now.."


    "Oohh can I go then pretty pretty please!" Faed begged. "I promise I''ll make my story quick and to the point, maybe two hours tops! Or.. three hours actually! Maybe four.. no, five! Five that''s all! Wait.. g-guys..?"


    Everyone had quickly ran away except for Lock.


    "Awh.. Lock..? W-Why don''t they wanna hear my story..?"


    Adjusting his glasses, Lock sighed. "The reasoning behind it is most likely because of your abysmally high usage of time. Cut it down to a twenty minute session and I''m certain that they''d be happy to listen."


    "Oh okay then.. thank you Lock! Well uhh, would you wanna listen to it right now? I''ll keep it short like you said!"


    "Ugh.. ridiculous.. fine, I will listen. But go a second past the twenty minute mark and I assure you we will have a dilemma. One that will result in my immediate departure."


    "Yayy!" Faed clapped. "Okay so..."


    Lock ended up sitting through an eight hour backstory.

 Chapter Twelve: An Important Discussion

    Human Hunter''s heavy footsteps echoed throughout the nearly pitch black room. He heard, off in the distance, the sound of two people arguing.


    "Tigal.. I am utterly blown away by the stupidity you continue to display each and every day. If such a risk is truly present, then I will take it in order to finish my novel."


    It was Lock, arguing with Tigal.


    "Stupidity huh? Tch, you won''t be saying that when the floor transforms into goo one these days. It''s a real possibility that I take precautions for frequently. It''s you that''s dumb for not considering it." Tigal was extremely disappointed in Lock''s lack of concern.


    "What are you even saying! The idea of such an occurrence is far gone from reality! Besides, I was talking about the absurd dragon theory you came up with not.. goo!"


    "I''m just trying to keep everyone safe, okay? And with scum like the new guy coming in here, I don''t have time to worry about your dangerous book."


    Lock clenched his fist.


    "Waddup guys!" Alant yelled from behind Human Hunter. "Where''d the boss head off to?"


    "He''s been absent for thirteen minutes now." Lock claimed. "Apparently he''s found a way to solve our little dilemma."


    "Whenever he''s back," Human Hunter began, "I''ll be prepared to go through whatever his tests happen to be. If it''s the only way I can prove myself, then so be it."


    "Wellll it''s mostly to figure out whether or not you''re the typa guy to betray us." Alant informed Human Hunter. "Mental tests. Though I''m sure he''ll test your physical abilities for fun anyway. Haha!"


    "I''m not exactly in the greatest of shape right now, but I''ll try my best. As for the mental tests, I''ll be fine. If they''re really meant to determine whether or not I''ll turn against everyone here, assuming they work, my non lethal intentions will be proven."


    "Pft." Tigal scoffed. "Sorry, but you can''t fool me. Passing the tests will only confirm that you''ve taken control of Setianal''s mind."


    All of a sudden, a loud thud was heard.


    "Really..?" A calming, but serious voice said. "Do you truly believe that anyone would be able to overtake.. my mind?"


    An ominous aura filled the air, one that even effected Human Hunter. Halt whimpered.. and hid behind his master. Human Hunter stood there, taken a back.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    The stomps heard now made Human Hunter''s footsteps sound like they came from mice. Appearing from the darkness, Setianal stood there. He was eight feet tall, and wore dark black armor all around his body. His face was covered with a black horned mask. From inside, all that could be seen were his eyes that glowed red. He walked over to his throne which sat at the far end of the room, and sat upon it.


    Tigal gulped. "N-No sir, that''s not what I meant it''s just-.. I''m a little paranoid about things that''s all!"


    "Finally admitting it I see." Lock said, pushing his glasses against his face. "Very well, our business here seems to be completed then. If you would kindly hand over my book now." He reached a hand out, awaiting the book to be placed into it.


    "Woah now hold on a second! I never said we could-.."


    A booming interruption came from Setianal''s lips. "Listen! I''ve come up with a solution that will benefit you both. Firstly, Tigal, if a dragon were to appear within our base, I could swiftly defeat it, eliminating the need for worry. And Lock, you must learn to respect the concerns of all your fellow comrades, no matter how absurd or arbitrary. Do you both understand?"


    Tigal and Lock both said yes.


    "Good. Now then, please leave. I have some business to attend to with whoever it is that entered our base uninvited."


    A bit of sweat slid down Human Hunters forehead from inside his mask/helmet.


    "Yeah uhh, heh heh, sorry about that Setianal.." Alant scratched his hair again awkwardly. "I kinda let him in without asking. But get this, he''s another Human Hunter! Just like us!"


    Setianal tapped his knee with a finger. "I see.. does someone claiming they are a Human Hunter automatically give you permission to allow them into our hideout?"


    "Oh, well I actually didn''t even know that at the time. I only found out after talking with Silva, probably shoulda checked."


    "Yes.. that would have been wise. Either way, it won''t matter if he ends up being worth the effort. Just try not to make a mistake like this again in the future, alright Alent?"


    "Of course sir, youu got it!"


    "Fine then. Now, I ask you to leave us be. I''ll need to speak with this.. Human Hunter in private, as you should already know by now from when I bring in my own recruits."


    Nodding, Alant left along with Lock and Tigal.


    Human Hunter and Setianal were alone. Other than Halt of course.


    "So.." Setianal began. "Do you have a name by chance? Or am I supposed to just call you a Human Hunter?"


    Looking up at Setianal, who''s throne was elevated, Human Hunter answered. "It''s Human Hunter, there are reasons why nobody calls me by my actual name."


    "Is there? Hm. Fair enough, I''ll call you Human Hunter then, as you requested." Both men were silent for a while. "Why are you here?"


    Silence again.


    "I need to become stronger, that''s why. I''ve recently come into contact with a race called the Sapients. They''re apparently responsible for the human race taking complete control of this planet. Explaining it would be a hassle, so I''ll get to the point. They captured people who share our ideals, people who could take over as the next generation of Human Hunters, but most importantly, people I care about. I need to get them back. In order to do that, I''ll have to become strong enough to face off against these things alone. Not to mention I''ll have to take out their leader, Malent, who''s the only perso-.. thing to ever defeat me. It was sort of.. a wake up call. A reminder that I''m not unbeatable. Coming here has only hammered that in even more."


    Setianal yet again, waited for a while before responding. "Assuming you''re the one above all is never a good mindset to have. Thankfully for you, you realized that before it resulted in your death. As for the assistance you''ve requested, I''ve never heard of these Sapient beings. For all I know they could be fictional. Furthermore, even if they do happen to be real, what reason do I have to give you any of my help?"


    Human Hunter pondered on this for a while, but Setianal continued before he could come up with an answer.


    "I''ll tell you what. If you can survive three entire missions along with the rest of Proel, I''ll give you multiple years of training. I''m certain that an increase in power like that will give you plenty of strength to save your allies. However, before these missions begin, I''d like as much information on the Sapients as you can reveal. If you haven''t noticed, we''re both in the same line of work. If these creatures are in fact real, I''d like to be aware of as much about them as possible. Does that.. sound like a deal?"


    Though he tried to keep a straight face, Human Hunter smirked a bit under his mask. "It gets me the training I need, as well as some more enemies for the Sapients to deal with. Yeah, I like it."


    "Perfect. It''s decided then." Setianal stared at Human Hunter in an intense fashion. "After giving me the information we agreed upon, you will accompany my apprentices on three important quests, and if you return, the power you desire will be engraved into your very soul."


    This time it was Setianal who smirked under his face concealing attire.


    "Time to see if you''re the real deal.. Human Hunter."

 Chapter Thirteen: Proel Prepares

    Having now moved to the meeting hall, Human Hunter sat with the rest of Proel in order to discuss the first mission he would be assisting them with.


    The table they sat at was rounded and large. Surrounding it was the entirety of Proel. Lock sat next to Faed, then came Silva, and Alant. Tigal sat on his own, as far away from everyone as he could. Human Hunter was nearby Alant with Halt by his side. Setianal of course sat in the largest seat.


    "Everyone." Setianal began. "I''m sure you''re all aware by now that Human Hunter did indeed pass my tests. There''s something about him that''s different than others. The drive and will to save those he cares about is what led me to make my final decision. But enough about that, we''ve gathered here today to discuss our next mission."


    Lock clapped his book shut. "Very well, hearing you give someone such a high amount of praise following a single interaction is enough to get me at least mildly interested in his future here."


    "I agree." Silva smiled, chin rested on her sweater covered hand. "When I talked to him, Human Hunter already seemed like he would be a splendid addition to the team. Your seal of approval only makes his presence here all the more joyous."


    "It''s good to hear that many of you are pleased with this." Setianal continued. "While I''m certain that''s not the case for everyone.. in order to work as a team, we must accept new additions that get through me."


    Tigal growled to himself, and glared.


    "It''s like I said though, enough about Human Hunter for now. We need to discuss the mission you will all be embarking on immediately once this meeting has ended."


    Faed, who had been trying to stop herself from belting this out earlier, snapped. "Setianal can I please pretty please tell everyone about it! I remember that you let me know what we were doing a few days ago which made me feel really special plus I like explaining stuff so getting to tell our whole team about it would be even more special and-.."


    "Yes. That would be fine, Faed." Setianal stopped her to say.


    Lock''s eyes widened.


    Alant clenched his fist, but smiled. "Go on and tell us then, Faed. We''re all ready to listen!"


    "Yayy!" Faed clapped her hands twice, grinning in a happy though sort of creepy manner. "I''ll be sure to keep it short for you guys too, hehe. Okay so.."


    Mission Briefing Done By FaedThis book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    There''s this really mean rude greedy selfish women who''s been trying to capture humans for her research. What kind of person would do that I know it''s weird!! Anyway, Mr. Setianal said it''s because she''s trying to learn how to clone them. That''s bad guys, if she cracks the code we''ll never be able to eliminate all humans on earth... hmph! Which is why I''m going to add her heart to my collection! It''s where all of the love happiness and joy in a person is kept, that''s why I take them! Hehehe.. plus it''ll make her die so we won''t have to worry about a thing anymore! Well, it''s a little harder than that though. She apparently has way way way too many traps outside of her house, that''s her specialty I guess. Setting down traps, catching humans, and killing intruders. Speaking of her house, it''s right in the middle of a really big canyon, one that''s way bigger than even our swamp! So we''ll have to be extra careful when going down there. But once we do, I know all of us together will be able to remove her heart for me so that I can have all of her love and affection foreverrrr without all the bad stuff hehe. Oh and also since she''s mostly bad other than her heart she''s probably really ugly so watch out for ugly people and traps like I already said watch out for because I don''t want you all to die I love you all I mean you''re my family after all and the only people who are good even outside of just your hearts even you Human Hunter I know you just got here but I already feel like you''re a member of my little family it makes no sense I know you didn''t even say anything to me but..


    ~two hours later~


    End of Mission Briefing


    Lock looked like his head was about to explode. "How I ever managed to sit through an eight hour session of that nonsense is a question that even someone as intelligent as I cannot answer!" He thought to himself.


    "Faed.." Tigal said, "There are so many potential risks that you missed during that briefing that it''s not even funny, but, I''m glad that you at least tried to cover them all unlike most here would do."


    "Hey man." Alant added on. "As much as I hate to say it Tigal, I''m pretty sure the sky isn''t gonna implode on us."


    "What?" Tigal seemed extremely confused. "Why would I ever think of something like that? The only risks here have to do with molecular rearrangement and animals evolving to their next stage in front of our very eyes. But now that you mention it.."


    "Err-.. n-nevermind hahah.."


    Finally deciding to add something to the conversation, Human Hunter spoke. "If it''s traps we''re dealing with, I can snuff them out fairly easily. When I was living on my own, I needed to be able to pick up on any potential threats, which included an assortment of certain traps specifically designed to take me out."


    "These are different." Setianal informed everyone. " Phina doesn''t use ordinary traps. Not ones designed for any specific purpose either. She creates traps that cater to any possible situation that could be thrown her way. They''re like nothing we''ve ever seen before. I trust that you''ll all be ready."


    "Hmph." Tigal grunted. "I''ll be sure to warn everyone of potential threats along the way. Not only will we have to deal with the molecular rearrangement risk and possibly life threatening evolution of animals, but now Alant brought to my attention the fact that at any second the sky could come imploding towards earth. Not the greatest of things to have on your mind during an important mission like this."


    "Tigal dear, there''s no need to worry about something that you can''t prevent. If the sky does implode we''ll all be killed either way." Silva crossed her legs. "Now enough with the negativity, I think that we''re going to kill the bitch without many issues whatsoever.." her eyes narrowed.


    "Hahah that''s right!" Alant yelled with a wave of positivity. "Not a chance in hell that this chick will take us out, especially not with our new buddy Human Hunter!" He put his arm around who he had just mentioned, Human Hunter.


    Petting Halt, Human Hunter gave his opinion on the upcoming mission. "We''ve gathered six elite level human hunters to work side by side. I doubt anyone would be able to knock us off course let alone defeat us all together. The odds are in our favor."


    Closing his book yet again, Lock seemed anxious to get started. "Then let us embark on this perilous journey straight away. We needn''t discuss it any further, I believe we have acquired all the necessary information."


    "I agree." Said Setianal. "All of you, it is time to gather your things. Phina awaits you within her canyon, I expect her to be greeted with care. By that I mean.. give her the death she deserves."


    "Yayy!" Faed yelled in glee, much like she did earlier. "That means I''ll be getting my heart soon. Hopefully it looks good on my wall next to all the others.."


    Everyone left the meeting hall before Faed had a chance to speak any further. They were all gearing up to face off against someone who was being severely underestimated.

 Chapter Fourteen: The Mind of a Trapper

    While Proel prepared to infiltrate Phina''s trap defended canyon hideout, she herself was sitting in the middle of it, inside of an enormous strange looking warehouse, cackling like some sort of crazed sociopath.


    "M-Miss..?" Someone nervously said to her. It was a Sapient. Phina had somehow managed to enslave a large grouping of them. Most likely because their ideals of keeping the human race as the top species coincided.


    Phina stopped cackling, and took a quick breath of air. "What..? Can''t you see that I''m busy, this better be good you worthless peasant.." she gritted her teeth a bit in anger.


    "Of course Miss, my apologies.." the Sapient quickly scrambled through some recordings he had captured. "T-The group we''re spying on, Proel, one of the recording devices that we planted within the leaves caught onto one of their member''s items of clothing. Luckily, that means we were able to listen in on what they discussed. I-In addition to a new member, Proel has located our hide out, and plans to immediately attack. This is not good Miss, should I-.."


    "Ahahahahahahaaaa!!" Phina cackled even louder, cutting the Sapient slave off. "They''ve found our location have they?? Splendid! Marvelous! I''ll finally have the opportunity to capture humans who are actually worth cloning! Not the mediocre good for nothing trash I''ve gotten as of late... prepare the monitors, I''d like to witness the capture of our test subjects first hand. Hehehe."


    Crossing her legs, Phina was immediately rolled over a tv. It displayed the camera systems she had set up all throughout the surrounding area. She always used it to view the effectiveness of her traps, this day however, the stakes were a little higher. She bit her lip. "Oh my.. they''re already here? I guess you weren''t wrong when you said they were arriving soon. Hehehe.. now it''s only a matter of time before I get to see them face to face behind a cage!!"


    One of the cameras showed Proel in it''s entirety. They were next to the canyon, the aircraft (not Human Hunter''s) they had taken there was parked nearby.


    Human Hunter peered down the edge of the canyon. He examined the distance of the drop, in addition to any potential methods of climbing down. His shoulder was then suddenly grabbed by Tigal.


    "Keep your distance from there, Human Hunter. One wrong look and the place could cause a massive nuclear level explosion."


    "For once, Tigal makes a statement that I agree with." Lock said, occupied with his book. "As Setianal informed us, this ladies traps are nothing to scoff at. Be wary that the slightest of movements could result in your immediate demise."


    Jogging over, Faed tugged onto Lock''s hand. "L-Lock, I really don''t wanna be killed especially by this mean rude lady so can you pretty please come up with a way for us to get down the canyon plus if one of us is blown up and Tigal is proven right he''ll come up with even worse theories and never let us hear the end of it-.."The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Grr.. yes Faed! I will cycle through possible solutions until I have come up with one that is effective. But I cannot concentrate if you do not settle down!"


    "O-Oh.. I''m sorry Lock.."


    Sighing, Lock clapped his book shut, and put his free hand on his eyes. "It is fine. Just please keep the noise level to a minimum. If you are able to do that, we can... sit together while I think."


    This statement filled Faed with joy. She sat with Lock on a nearby rock, well-.. tried to at least. Tigal tackled them both to the ground before they made contact with the stone. "What are you two doing!?" He yelled. "Did you not just listen to what I said?! Anything and everything here could be rigged as an explosive, portal, molecular rearranger, or anything else that the human mind could possibly conceive." Tigal stood up, and peered off into the distance. "Hmph. If it weren''t for me, you two would have probably switched clothes at such a rapid pace, that it would have turned your skin to ash. That''s my guess for what the rock does at least."


    Both Lock and Faed looked at Tigal in confusion due to his last statement. They began arguing with him, and while that was going on, the rest of Proel discussed solutions of their own.


    "When I was younger.." Silva began, standing next to Human Hunter and Alant. "The people dear to me used to say that I was such a bright little girl. That there wasn''t a single puzzle I couldn''t solve." She chuckled a bit. "Well as much as I hate to say it, their statement doesn''t seem to be holding true today. I''m stumped."


    "Hey, it''s no sweat!" Alant optimistically said. "It''s why we''ve got a guy like Human Hunter here, he said it himself, he''s a pro at this kinda stuff. Ain''t that right, H.H.?"


    Human Hunter flinched a bit after hearing the nickname Alant had just come up with. "That''s right. But since these traps aren''t coming from people who I''m experienced with, I''ll need to see at least one of them go off before I can assess how this particular trapper goes about things."


    "Heheh, fine by me." Alant lifted a red rock from the floor, and prepared to toss it into the canyon. "Let''s just hope this doesn''t kill us."


    Silva grabbed his arm. "Now hold on just a minute, we''ve spent all this time discussing our plan of action, and our conclusion is to just-.. set off a trap to see what it does? I may not have any better ideas, but this seems a little rash darling."


    Alant smiled under his mask. "Don''t worry, if we die, Setianal and Human Hunter''s dog will eliminate the human race for us!"


    Human Hunter shook his head. "He''s a wolf."


    A few seconds of hesitation passed, until Silva finally let go of Alant''s arm. "As much as I disagree with you, arguing like those three wouldn''t accomplish much at all. Go for it I guess."


    "Will do." Alant said as he brought his arm back. He threw the small rock into the sizable canyon.


    Instantly, a large grouping of glowing yellow objects zoomed towards Alant at what looked like light speed. He put on a stunned face, but only for a fraction of a second before smirking. Alant proceeded to seemingly phase through the projectiles. Almost disappearing due to how quickly he managed to dodge. His speed sent a burst of air behind him.


    "Nice! That was actually pretty impre-.." he started to say, however he was cut off by the same yellow projectiles, which had completely turned themselves around in mid air.


    This forced Alant to continuously dodge at all times. To Human Hunter, Silva, and the rest of Proel, Alant appeared as a blur in the air as he bolted around to avoid damage.


    "What the-.. ALANTTT WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO!?" Tigal screamed, looking away from Lock and Faed who he had been arguing with this entire time.


    "I was seein what these traps are made of, that''s all!"Alant replied.


    Tigal was visibly angry. "That''s all!? Moron! You''re lucky the tilt of the earth hasn''t shifted!"


    "Ugh.." Lock stood up, and dusted himself off. "Why must I always be the one to solve dilemmas such as this." Reopening his book, he closed his eyes for a moment. This resulted in the complete absorption of the glowing yellow projectiles, into the book of course.


    Alant skidded to a halt, stopping directly in front of Lock. He chuckled nervously. "Oh uh, sorry about that Lock! Didn''t mean to almost kill us!"


    Faed grabbed onto Lock again, hoping he could protect her from any future trap activations.


    Sighing, Lock touched his glasses. "Whatever Alant, the important thing is that we are now aware of the power that one of Phina''s traps is able to display."


    "Yep!" Alant answered. He turned around towards Human Hunter. "Alrighty man, was that demonstration enough for ya?"


    "Yeah. I think I''ve got a good idea of what this psycho is capable of." Human Hunter took a step back, and gazed off towards the vast canyon. "And it''s a lot worse than what we''ve just seen."

 Chapter Fifteen: True Strength

    "Considering the fact that one of her early traps was that powerful," Human Hunter told Proel, who stood in a circle around him. "The rest are most likely impossible to avoid under normal circumstances. Actually, the trap Alant set off probably would have killed me. The only way to avoid the rest would be to use Lock''s absorption ability."


    Lock nodded in acknowledgment.


    "However," Human Hunter continued. "Setianal informed us that this Phina lady has traps suited for any possible situation. Lock''s absorption won''t work forever. Does anyone else have abilities that could potentially be helpful?"


    Silva gave an answer, while pacing back and forth. "I would suggest using my power of flight to pass over, but there''s no way our dear friend Phina didn''t rig her little devices to sense airborne threats."


    "Which is why we aren''t using our aircraft." Tigal grunted in response.


    "I.. may have a suggestion." Lock gulped.


    Everyone gave Lock their full attention.


    "What''s up buddy?" Alant leaned on one of his swords that he had stabbed into the ground.


    A single drop of sweat dripped down from Lock''s forehead. His book wasn''t in sight, making it obvious that something crucial was about to be revealed. "Lately, Faed and I have spent quite a bit of time together. Much more than usual. The reasoning behind this is something that can be deduced at a later date, for now, I would like to share with you all the remarkable albeit alarming discovery I made as a result of our frequent and extensive interactions."


    A few more drops splattered across the rocky floor. Lock adjusted his eyewear and cleared his throat. "When provoked, Faed''s level of power is increased by such an inconceivable margin, that I fear for anything that unfortunately happens to be within the area during the outburst. She gains talents and skills far beyond our own, though loses all control of herself in the process. I kept this as a secret so that Alant wouldn''t intentionally activate it like the fool he is."


    "What!?" Alant seemed slightly offended. "C''mon Lock you know I wouldn''t go that far."


    "No matter!" Lock stated in a harsh tone. The veins in his forehead intensified. "The point is, if Faed''s other form is awakened, our chances of passing through this abyss of traps increases tenfold. The issue is that Faed doesn''t particularly enjoy transitioning over to this form."


    Faed gripped onto Lock''s arm a little tighter. Her eyes watered. "I-.. I don''t like it because it turns me into a mean jerk just like this lady and I hate mean jerks which would mean I''d hate myself and that doesn''t really make any sense how could I hate myself not to mention the fact that I get super tired afterwards.."


    Putting his hand up, Lock interrupted. "Quiet Faed! Now''s not the time for a lengthy explanation." He gritted his teeth. Lock only mentioned Faed''s displeasure for her secret power, so that someone else would hopefully trigger it. He wasn''t sure if he could bring himself to do it on his own.


    "Lock.." Tigal began, shaking his head. "I never knew that you were such a daredevil. Why would you have activated this form of hers in the first place?"


    "By mistake of course. My attempts to show her what a healthy meal is backfired in a horrific manner. Faed enjoys her sweets a little too much I''m afraid."


    Faed looked back and forth at a rapid pace. The fact that everyone was arguing over something related to her stressed her out.


    "Listen Lock." Alant began with a soothing tone. "I dunno if we''re gonna be able to use this man. I mean it''s Faed after all, we can''t do anything she doesn''t want t-.. S-Silva..!?"


    Everyone froze. Silva had impaled Lock through the chest with a blade of hers. "Oh shush he''ll be fine. You said it yourself a minute ago Alant, even if all goes wrong, Setianal will take care of our goal along with Human Hunter''s dog."If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Human Hunter clenched his fists. "Wolf.."


    Lock dropped to a knee. Blood poured from his chest, and drenched the ground below. Faed looked on in horror, letting go of Lock''s arm. She began to shake as her eyes widened with shock.


    "Not the greatest of ideas Silva, but I suppose it''ll do." Lock groaned in pain.


    All of a sudden, the entire canyon vibrated. Faed''s eyes sparked and transformed into a sort of glowing black color.


    The strength of Faed''s power alone kicked up powerful gusts of wind. She was growling in fury.


    "Faed didn''t want to be like this... Silva." Alant fiercely brought up. "So why did you make her?"


    Silva stepped back, a little surprised at Alant''s unusual tone shift. "Well Alant, I believe it''s rather obvious. I did it so she could destroy all the traps, like Lock was suggesting."


    Alant stared at the ground.


    "Then you better run, because she''s not after the traps. She''s after you."


    With a sudden look of urgency, Silva glanced over at Faed, who had removed her bandana. Drool flew from her mouth.


    Faed brought her left foot back, and bent it. Preparing to blast herself forward at unknown speeds.


    Punching the ground, Tigal screamed. "Dumbass!! You were stupid enough to start this.. but that doesn''t mean you should let yourself die! Get on your damn cloud and go!!"


    "C-Certainly.." Silva agreed. She quickly used one of her abilities to form a floating cloud beneath her, and sat upon it. She took one good look at the canyon, drew a deep breath, and bulleted towards it full speed ahead.


    Faed quickly followed suit, cracking the ground as she left it.


    As Silva passed through the canyon, hundreds of traps were set off. Each had a unique assignment of it''s own. From powerful barrages of weapons that would result in instant death, to monstrous flying beasts that relentlessly pursued their target, Silva was barley able to hang onto her life, managing to only slightly dodge most of these.


    Faed on the other hand, completely wiped out everything in her path. No trap stood a chance at touching her. Darkness surrounded her body, and destruction was the only thing caused by this form. Her mind was completely set on the death of Silva, who knows how Lock survived an attack like this.


    Meanwhile, more of Lock''s blood spilled onto the floor as he coughed. Alant and Tigal quickly rushed to his side. "C''mon buddy, hang in there. We''ll find a way to fix ya up soon! Kay?" Alant was trying to be optimistic as usual.


    "Repairing my damaged body is far from the priority here. Take a look. While you may not be a fan of the method used, a pathway to our destination has been cleared. Soon enough, Phina will almost certainly use other tactics in order to prevent us all from reaching there. So you m-must hurry.." Lock coughed even more, hurling blood from his throat.


    Alant''s eyes watered, but he smiled. "I don''t really care about that right now, man. I care about keeping my teammate safe."


    "Focus on that." Human Hunter all of a sudden stepped forward. "I''ll follow Silva and Faed''s path of destruction, and eliminate Phina for you. I''ve done almost nothing this entire time. It''s time for me to change that."


    "W...What..? Hahah, c''mon H.H... don''t be like that. You''re gonna get yourself killed so just wait for us, we''ll-.."


    "No. I came here to improve my skills, and that won''t happen if I''m just watching Proel do all the work. I need to see what I''m capable of against these people on my own." With a whistle, Human Hunter called Halt, who had secretly accompanied him on their way here. "I''ll only accept help from my wolf, Halt. Otherwise, try to keep your distance from me until Lock has been patched up. He needs you right now, but he doesn''t need me."


    Leaving Lock''s side, Tigal stood up. He stomped his way over to Human Hunter, pulled his arm back, and swung. "Diving head first into an overwhelmingly dangerous situation isn''t the correct way to test yourself you useless bafoon!"


    Human Hunter used most of his strength to catch Tigal''s fist between both of his hands. He slammed his feet into the ground to stop the momentum. "Maybe not, but it''s the only way available right now! Plus it''ll allow you both to focus on healing your friend! So let me help you.. that''s what teammates are for, right?"


    Tigal applied a bit more force. "You expect me to sit here, and wait for you to return with an entire army of corrupt immortal gods?? Like hell! I haven''t trusted you since the second our eyes first met, and I''m not about to let some stranger leave mid mission without my surveillance. Not even if you were approved by the boss."


    "Fine then.." Human Hunter stated with a hint of aggression in his voice. "I''ll show you who I am. Engrave it into your memory, then hopefully we''ll finally be acquainted enough."


    "Guys, stop it or else Lock''s gonna die no matter what we do!" With a bit of hesitation, Alant decided to agree with Human Hunter''s decision. "Human Hunter''s just trying to help Tigal, he''s trying to gain our trust, and your crazy theories are getting in the way of that! Let him go, and come help me with Lock already."


    "If I let him go, we''ll all probably end up dying. I love Lock, don''t get me wrong, but it''s either him, or everyone."


    "No... it''s... not! Are you that stupid Tigal what the hell!? I''m usually pretty tolerant with your crap but not now, not when it''s gonna kill someone!"


    "Funny. You didn''t seem to care about killing anyone when you set off that trap earlier having not a single clue as to what it did.."


    "Nngh.."


    Before this argument could get too out of hand, an unknown figure kicked Human Hunter in the side, launching him away from Tigal into the decimated section of the canyon created by Faed. The figure grabbed Tigal''s head before the Proel member could even react, and slammed it into the ground, fracturing the surface.


    "Hello all, your comrades seem to be making quick work of Miss Phina''s traps. That is an impressive feat indeed, however you''re far from achieving your goal." The strange figure lifted his hand from Tigal''s head, and allowed fresh blood to seep down his fingertips. "I''ll admit that little stunt of yours caught us off guard. I''m referring to the girl who''s wrecking the canyon as we speak. We never saw her use that ability in the surveillance footage, but that''s what back up plans are for am I right? We have plenty of those prepared in case they''re needed."


    Alant watched as this stranger, who was concealed with a mysterious gray attire, played with the wet blood on his hands. "Doesn''t really matter how many back up plans you''ve got, cause it won''t be enough. Not to stop us." Alant rose to his feet, resting Lock''s head upon the rough terrain. "Now my buddy over here isn''t lookin so hot, I don''t have time to deal with annoyances like you, got it my bro?"


    The figure chuckled. "Bro, huh? That''s a funny thing to call the one who will be responsible for your defeat. Not to mention your.. buddy''s... death. Your lack of time is none of my concern though, the only thing that I must worry about is doing exactly as Phina has asked."


    "Cool man, thanks for clearing things up." Unsheathing his blood smeared swords, Alant didn''t smirk like he usually would. "Glad to know that you''ll be second on the list of Phina''s strategies we''re gonna screw up."

 Chapter Sixteen: Tensions Rise

    His eyes awakened. With short quick breaths, he brought air into his lungs. Human Hunter layed within a pile of rubble. Rubble created by Faed when she was in her mindless, destructive state. Halt licked his face. His trusty wolf had climbed all the way down here to check on his master.


    "Nngh..." Human Hunter groaned as he stood up. "Don''t worry boy, I won''t need to be patched up this time." He patted Halt''s head, while looking around at the same time. "This canyon is larger than I thought, it''s appearance is much wider when I''m at the bottom. Either way, I should be able to pinpoint the general direction of Phina''s hide out due to a number of variables."


    Halt sniffed his master. "Plus.." Human Hunter noticed his wolf''s audible snuffling. "I''ve got your sense of smell if needed."


    Far ahead in the canyon, nowhere near Human Hunter, Faed and Silva''s chase continued. Bloodied, and injured, Silva held her arm as she kept up her insane speed. She had been damaged by the powerful traps. Luckily though her life hadn''t ended yet since Faed unintentionally obliterated the projectile based traps whenever she passed them.


    Then, just ahead, Silva spotted a large structure. A warehouse. It was clearly the place where Phina was conducting her human cloning. "Hmm.. not a bad looking place if I must admit. Too bad it''ll have to be blown to bits pretty soon here. And I''ve got the perfect plan for how to do so.."


    Looking back, Silva observed her pursuer. She was attempting to decipher an exact moment to maneuver out of the way, in order to send Faed charging into the warehouse itself.


    "And.." she squinted, and straightened her cloud directly in front of the warehouse. "...now."


    Leaping with grace, with her arms extended, Silva did a backflip over the crazed Faed. She manipulated her cloud to latch onto Faed''s body, increasing her chances of success. The cloud she materializes is over 45,000 times stronger than steel.


    It wasn''t enough though. Faed erupted from the cloud even angrier, shattering it.


    "LOCK''S DYING.. AND ITS BECAUSE OF YOU.. YOU BITCH.. I''D ADD YOUR HEART TO MY COLLECTION, BUT I THINK CRUSHING IT WOULD BE MORE FUN!! AFTER ALL, IT''S CLEARLY BARRON OF ANY LOVE AT ALL!!" She darted towards her target, resuming her aggressive pursuit.


    Silva generated two energized whips from her coat sleeves. She flung them at Faed, and twisted each around her opponent''s arms. "It''ll be quite the treat seeing you try, darling!" she screamed, pulling her whips in order to torpedo her body against Faed. She extended her legs, slamming them into Faed''s gut. This was a poor choice however, as Faed reversed this attack by grasping onto Silva''s shins, spinning around, and flinging her into Phina''s base at full strength.


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    The throw sent Silva rocketing through the air. She blasted into an invisible forcefield that surrounded the futuristic warehouse, and busted past it due to how hard Faed had hurled her. Once this had occurred, one final trap was set off. It was a trap that was to be used as a trump card in case anyone managed to somehow reach Phina''s base, which is what had just occurred. Silva crashed through the warehouse and coincidentally landed directly in front of Phina. The trap set off on the outside, instead targeted Faed.


    Human Hunter noticed a massive explosion from off in the distance. "Based on that, we seem to be going the right way, as expected." He said to Halt. "But by the time we get there, if things are that rough, Phina might already be dead.."


    Boy was he wrong.


    Elsewhere..


    Alant''s sword sparked against his opponent''s red materialized rod of energy. He pushed his blade against it, but was moved. His feet which were firmly set upon the ground drifted back.


    "You''re a pretty tough dude." Alant praised who he was facing, "Normally I''d have a bit of fun with ya, but like I said, I''m kinda in a hurry right now. Time to go all out." The smile Alant was known for returned to his face, as he used his inane speed to nearly instantly appear behind the man he had been battling. He swung both blades in unison, only to fail at hitting his target. Instead he once again made contact with the red energy.


    "I applaud your confidence." his opponent said.He was protected by a barrier of his red energy. "But with the ability I possess, ''Overflowe'', I am able to manipulate and morph my red energy into anything my mind can think up. The possibilities are endless I''m afraid, which means your struggles are pointless." Transferring the energy to his left hand, the unknown warrior altered it into an eight foot long staff. He swung backwards, but Alant dodged. Alant was too quick to be hit by this person.. or so he thought.


    The energy wielder slammed the staff into the ground, and spread his energy throughout the area. This in turn electrocuted Alant, and gave the energy wielder the opening he needed.


    While Alant recovered, the stranger returned the red energy to his body. This time he used it to create a large hammer with a spike at its tip. The spike grew in length with each passing second, and the stranger, who was sprinting towards Alant, glared. He was determined to fulfill what he had been payed for.


    The spike lightly poked the middle of Alant''s forehead. Before it could kill him, Tigal was there. He bashed the energy user across the ground. The enemy almost slipped off the side of the canyon, but just barley held on by morphing his energy into a platform below him. "Already recovered I see.." he said, floating upwards while standing atop the platform he had created with Overflowe. "Which I''m assuming means this will now be a two versus one showdown. Hm. It''s fine, I''ve been in worse situations."


    "Get up Alant!" Tigal yelled, standing next to his comrade. "Human Hunter is attacking us! See.. I told you trusting him was a terrible idea!"


    With the help of Tigal, Alant, who had fallen down following his extreme electrocution, recovered from his slightly injured state. "You''ve gotta be kidding me Tigal, that doesn''t even remotely resemble Human Hunter.. not in the slightest!" He pressed his palm against his head. "He''s literally the one who knocked Human Hunter off the side of the canyon Tigal c''mon!"


    "Not the time to argue with me Alant, we need to take him out before Lock betrays us next."


    "TIGAL YOU IDIO-.."


    This conversation was cut short by the energy wielder. He had used Overflowe to alter his energy into exact replicas of Alant''s sword, and Tigal''s curved blade. Simultaneously swinging them towards both men, his attack was only non lethal because Tigal sacrificed his arm. Throwing it in front of his own face as well as Alant''s at the last second. It was sliced to pieces by the two opposing weapons.


    The energy wielder grabbed Alant, who was now in shock, by the head, and sent energy surging throughout his body. He kicked Alant across the floor. "Tch, maybe I was wrong. You both may be out of commission before you have the chance to double team me."


    "B-Bastard.." is all Tigal could grunt to himself, as he clenched where his arm once was in seething pain.


    "Hush now, you''re not in a position to be making insults." The energy wielder contorted a gargantuan hand onto his own arm.


    Tigal and Alant were up against a wall, things weren''t looking good for them. The same could be said for Faed and Silva, each in dire situations of their own. With Lock in no condition to even move, let alone battle, the only member of Proel left who was at full strength was Human Hunter. While he headed towards Phina''s hideout however, Tigal and Alant would be forced to either pull through this situation by themselves.. or face death.

 Chapter Seventeen: Silva鈥檚 Grief

    Dust from the crash covered Silva''s body. She struggled to stand up, but somehow did it, only to be greeted by Phina herself, sitting across from her.


    "Finally one of you managed to crawl your way here.." Phina uttered. "I was hoping I wasn''t dealing with a bunch of overrated garbage. Hehehe.."


    "Overrated garbage huh? What exactly do you mean by that?" Silva asked, a little confused. She patted herself down, causing clouds of dust to momentarily form around her. "Are you implying that you already knew about us darling? If so, I may have to give little ole you at least a bit of credit. We hadn''t a clue about your presence until our leader let us know."


    Phina chuckled a bit in her chair, and crossed her legs the other way. "That''s right.. hehe. I''ve been spying on your group for weeks on end now.. and I''ve absolutely LOVED every second of it! You''re all such strong, special, unique, and one of a kind humans for me to clone!! It reallyyyy gets me going just thinking about it.." she touched her thigh, playfully. "Once today ends, I''ll have an army of you all to control... yeah.. each and every single one of Proel''s members will be mine to command, duplicate, and produce! I''ll be invincible... hehehehe..! Soon these Sapients will become nothing more than useless mice to me." Phina gestured towards the guards who stood behind her.


    "You''re quite the messed up girl, and the government thinks we''re the bad ones. Tsk tsk tsk. What a shame. Let me tell you something, Phina. The fact that you have been cloning humans, increasing their population, is unforgivable. Humans are nasty little creatures. They lie, they steal, they kill, and they commit unspeakable acts. Back when I was younger, I used to have the most adorable little puppies. I took them out into my garden on a daily basis so that they could frolic around. They loved it so much.. not a care in the world. That is until one day.. the humans did what they do best. Ruined... everything."


    Silva attempted to keep her cool, but couldn''t. She had a bit of an emotional breakdown. "They set my garden aflame, burning the gorgeous flowers to ash. What happened to my puppies? Well, heh.. the neighborhood teens found it funny to kidnap my little beauties for their own experiments. Limb removal was fun to them, I guess.." generating her whips again, Silva spun them around and paced as she spoke. "So I took matters into my own hands. Returning the favor to those naughty boys. The survivors.. now wish they were dead. The government didn''t seem to agree with my methods of revenge however, and neither did the public. They all wanted me to suffer for what I''d done to people who had it coming. So I concluded that the entire race was at a loss. They were irredeemable monsters who supported monstrous acts. Is it wrong to think I was justified?"


    "Yes." Phina stood up. "Yes it is wrong. Because those humans could have become my glorious cloned slaves!! Ahahahaha! Sapients, take this bitch out! As precious as she is, I''m tired of listening to her stories of servants she''s wasted, even if they were most likely weaklings! We need to clone her immediately, and give her the one true mindset she deserves.. the one where she bows down to the perfect goddess Phina!"


    "Hm. I should have known that my story wouldn''t have effected you in the slightest. You''re a human after all.. and humans other than Proel are heartless beasts." A grouping of eight Sapient guards drew near Silva. The stomps of their feet shook the room. Finally, they got close enough to surround Silva in every direction. The only way out of this for her, was to fight.


    Luckily for Silva, her energized whips were stronger than some of the most powerful blades on earth, even surpassing Alant''s who''s sliced Human Hunter''s upgraded swords to pieces.


    "Let''s play a little, shall we?" Silva thwapped her whips, slicing through two of the eight Sapients guards. One was cut in half, killing it, and the other lost a hand. The remaining six who were left undamaged pinned Silva against the wall.


    "Target has been captured, Miss Phina." One of them said.


    That Sapient never spoke a word again, as he among a few others were impaled by Silva''snewly formed cloud. Only three remained, including the handless Sapient.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Now that the Sapients were aware of the cloud threat, they did their best to dodge. This distracted them from Silva herself however, who leaped into the air, twapping her whips again in several different directions. She landed into a kneeling position. "Mm. I have to agree with you for once, Phina, those Sapient whatever''s were quite worthless. Ahaha." Pieces of the Sapient''s bodies fell all over the ground following this sentence.


    Silva rose back to her feet, and pointed to Phina with a whip. "I''m waiting for you now.. darling. Either grow up and fight me yourself, or I''ll just slice whatever mechanism you use to clone these people without a struggle. Actually.. option two would be much more convenient love. Do consider it will you?"


    The hands of the trap expert Phina touched the arms of her chair. A second later, she was in front of Silva. "I''ll never let anyone destroy the only thing that brings me joy.. the machine that creates my slaves.. the slaves who will help me build a world where all bow down to and worship me! The goddess Phina!" With a fist to the jaw, Phina punched Silva through a wall. This led Silva into a rigged room. The floor of the room she was punched into began to light up, sort of like it was charging. "I wanted to clone you.. I really did. You''re such a beautiful specimen, hehe.. but it''s too much of a risk now! The only option I have to assure my pride and joy''s safety is to shred you into an unrecognizable state!"


    The floor charged up, and unleashed a barrage of yellow beams. The same type of yellow beams that attacked Alant.


    Luckily Silva morphed her cloud around her body, sort of like armor, just in time. The yellow beams blew off of her and didn''t even leave a scratch. "Faed effortlessly shattered my cloud with little to no effort.." Silva thought to herself. She climbed back through the broken wall, still taking hits. "She''d be able to defeat Phina in seconds. But she''s not here right now.. it''s just me. Me and this evil little women. And as a member of Proel, it''s my job as the only one here, to take her out!!"


    The energized whips of Silva were now several times the thickness and length they used to be. It''s what happens when she transitions to her armored cloud form. With another thwap, she attacked the ground, which cracked it all the way up to Phina''s feet.


    "Trying to show off!? Listen to me dammit.. it''s too late to become my slave. You might as well kill yourself because without that you have no purpose in life!!" Phina dodged, jumped over, and ducked under many of Silva''s whip attacks as she ran towards the one who threatened her cloning device.


    Phina pulled a string on her belt. It released a barrage of traps as she slammed her fist into Silva''s stomach.


    Silva was sent through numerous walls and rooms. Eventually, she skidded to a halt, still on her feet. The traps Phina released were all knocked away or incinerated by Silva''s whips as they attempted to reach her. With a push of the foot, Silva shot forward. Phina had done the same, and both women blasted their weapons against the other''s once they had reached each other. Silva''s whips, and a large snake Phina had revealed which could harden itself into a baton on command.


    This caused an explosion so massive, that it practically sent the entire warehouse facility to ruins. Bits and pieces of the walls, ceiling, and floor were all that held the structure up. Phina and Silva both lied within the rubble.. though Phina hauled herself to her feet pretty quickly.


    "Dammit.. you annoying, stupid, fucking moron." she said between coughs. "You seriously messed up my home, hehe.. ahahaha! But it doesn''t matter to me! As long as my cloning device is fine, I don''t much care. Now where were we? Oh yeah, I was trying to kill you wasn''t I!? Ungrateful freak! Learn to worship the goddess of this world in your next life, and maybe you''ll have a better chance to lick my boots!"


    With the press of a button, Phina opened up a hatch in the floor. It led down to a room filled with lethal traps. "The room I just opened is completely covered in traps. Ones that you won''t be able to survive this time." She walked over to Silva and began dragging her injured body by the leg. "Ugh, this would have been so much easier if you just agreed to become my slave. You could have lived! You could have actually had a purpose! I really hope your friends aren''t stubborn like this. Hmph, maybe I''ve been studying the wrong people.. hehe."


    For Silva, everything was a jumbled mess. The impact of her collision with Phina had hampered the functioning of her body.


    Then all of a sudden, Phina felt a pair of jaws lock onto her forearm.


    "Huh..?"


    She watched blood ooze from the wound, and drip onto the cement. Everything went silent.


    That is until.. Human Hunter arrived.


    From seemingly out of nowhere, he bashed his knee into Phina''s jaw, launching her across the already heavily damaged environment. He reached a hand out to Silva. Halt pranced over, blood on his teeth, and licked her face. "That.. was a large explosion. I''m not sure what caused it, but if it had anything to do with you, you''re strong. Too strong to lose. Without your assistance our future missions could be complete failures, which isn''t an option. Plus.. I''m trying to build a relationship with my fellow Human Hunters. People I didn''t know existed until recently. Now isn''t the time to die. It''d seriously mess up my plans."


    Slightly regaining her senses, Silva looked up at the man who stood over her with curious eyes.


    Phina was back before anything else could happen though. She spit a few teeth to the floor. "Oohh goodie! Another rare slave is here! Too bad it''s just the new guy.." Picking one of her teeth up, she examined it. "I guess I''ll find out if you''re strong by practicing against you in person instead of observing it from the cameras. But first.. hehe.. I''ll need you to move. I was in the middle of killing that thing on the ground." Silva flicked her tooth over towards Human Hunter and Silva. It had been rigged with a trap that... well, nobody knows what it did, because the device didn''t last long enough for its abilities to be shown.


    It activated right next to Human Hunter, but he caught it and snapped the mechanism in half. He was ready. Ready to take out Phina and finish this mission once and for all. Too bad neither he, or Silva were aware of the situation Alant, Lock, and Tigal were in at that very same moment.

 Chapter Eighteen: Unlocked

    "H-Human Hunter.." Silva gasped from her lips. Without seeing him in action previously, Silva wasn''t sure if Human Hunter would come out of this battle victorious.


    "I''ll be fine." He said. "On my way here, I did a couple of push ups. That should be more than enough training to surpass this amateur. Plus, I don''t think she''s nearly as strong as my previous opponent anyway."


    "Oh?" Phina giggled at the confidence of Human Hunter. "Hehe.. that''s quite the bold statement for someone who''s about to begin serving this ''amateur''."


    "Not likely. For me to do that, you''d need a clone. And I don''t intend on allowing someone of your status to gain my strength. Try me.." Releasing the speared chains from his wrist armor, Human Hunter let them clank against the ground. He waited for Phina to make a move.


    Elsewhere...


    "You think defeating a cautious person such as myself will be that easy..?" Tigal asked, reaching for his curved blade with the only arm he had left.


    "I do actually." The odd assassin replied. "From what I''ve seen on the cameras we implanted within the leaves, the cautious.. no, paranoid nature of your personality is usually your downfall."


    "I-.. I-." Tigal began. "I KNEWW ITTTT!!!" Slashing his heavy sword against the ground, the air blown away by the brute force of the swing was manipulated to knock the stranger off his feet. "You''re not the only one who has a manipulative ability! With this sword, I can force the air surrounding us to do whatever the hell I please!"


    Tigal stomped and beat his opponent deeper into the ground as the air he controlled pushed the stranger down even further. This only worked for so long however, as after about thirty to forty blows, the red energy user formed a ninety foot long spear, which knocked Tigal away without the stranger even needing to touch it.


    Launching himself into the air, the red energy user slashed and hacked at Tigal with the elongated spear. The user landed on his feet with a thud after a multitude of slices. Tigal.. grabbed his chest in agony.


    "My name is Flowe by the way." The user revealed. "Flowe Somnous, hence the name of my ability. And I am the one who will be responsible for your inevitable demise. As I''ve said before, you''re all quite capable. Quit while it''s still an option and maybe I''ll-.."


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    "THE SPIT FROM YOUR MOUTH IS SPREADING POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC GERMS KNOCK IT OFFFF!!!" Tigal belted, springing forward at Flowe with his blade.


    Flowe simply enveloped himself with Overflowe, making Tigal''s attack useless. Tigal screamed and hollered, repeatedly swinging his sword for basically no reason whatsoever.


    "Right.. I forgot that you''re a completely hopeless moron. Though I thought due to your overly paranoid nature there might have been a slight chance for you to make the right decision. Hm. Oh well. In that case, I''ll dispose of you, the rest of your group Proel, and then collect the sum of cash Phina promised me in return for her protection." Flowe morphed a katana into his hand. He was prepared to permanently finish Tigal off.


    All of a sudden, from behind, Lock was standing. "NO!! THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!! I REFUSE TO ALLOW ANY OF US TO BECOME DECEASED JUST YET!" Aggressively opening his book, Lock began absorbing the red energy that had morphed around Flowe.


    "What''s this? A little spring left in your step, is there?" Flowe questioned, glancing over at Lock.


    "That is correct, fool! It takes much more than a mere flesh wound to eliminate one such as myself!"


    Alant was back to his feet as well. "Heheh.. glad to see you''re all good Lock. Takin this guy out should be fun now with you!!" He smiled joyfully.


    "Grr.. Alant! Now is certainly not the time for such childish discussions! If you''d like to emerge from this battle as one of the victors, I suggest you act at once!"


    "Yup! Kay!" Alant chuckled to himself, and burst at nearly light speed towards Flowe.


    Tigal also pulled himself up, and took a swing of his own.


    Lock continued his absorption of the red energy of Overflowe until the perfect opportunity to strike arrived. Charging, very similarly to Alant and Tigal, he went to release the energy he had absorbed from his book as a finishing blow to Flowe.


    All three Proel members''s attacks were about to simultaneously connect.


    Flowe had other plans however.. he stomped his foot onto the ground, spreading a gargantuan overflow of more red energy all around where he stood. The red energy released by Lock returned to Flowe''s body. He could not be attacked by his own power.


    This negated every single attack coming Flowe''s way. Blowing the three Human Hunter''s away. They each tumbled to the floor. Steam rose from Flowe''s foot.


    "A valiant effort, but one that was pointless in the end." Flowe stated. He stood in the center of a damaged circle of land caused by his stomp. "I call that move.. Overcharge. It occurs when I release a large portion of energy I''ve accumulated over a battle."


    Lock gritted his teeth. He thought about Faed, and what her life would be like if Alant, Tigal, and himself weren''t apart of it. How they had found her all those years back, and given her a home when no one else would. They had raised her to become a Human Hunter. How would she handle that title if her inspiration was deceased?


    "What''s wrong Lock?! We''re gonna beat him, ya know that right!?" Lock heard Alant yell from the side.


    "He''s right.. Lock." Tigal agreed with Alant. They were both already back on their feet. "This ridiculous man would cause a great deal of issues for our planet.. too many for me to list. Do you seriously think I''d die and allow him to stay? Hmph.. no way."


    Flowe''s hand slightly trembled.


    After looking back and forth at his two teammates, Lock closed his eyes, and smiled. "Hm. In that case, I suppose my assistance would be appreciated."


    "Nahh." Alant responded. "It''s needed. Heheh.."


    Lock pushed himself up. He wiped his hands together, cleaning the dirt, and opened his book. "Very well then.. Alant. What is the strategy we will be using?"


    "I don''t gotta single clue buddy, just go all out I guess."


    Tigal screamed, sprinting directly towards Flowe.


    "Usually I''d advise against that strategy, but for once I believe that I''ve come across an opponent that is indeed worthy of my full strength" Lock removed his glasses, and tossed them to the ground. His eyes exploded with some type of blue aura. "I AM PREPARED. ALANT, TIGAL! I JOINED PROEL AND ACCEPTED YOU AS MY FAMILY FOR A REASON! AND THAT REASON IS FOR MOMENTS LIKE THESE! MOMENTS WHERE YOU PUSH ME TO USE ABILITIES I''VE KEPT CONCEALED FOR AN EXTENSIVE PERIOD OF TIME! Thank you both.. THANKS TO YOU, THE FULL EXTENT OF MY POTENTIAL WILL BE UNLEASHED! GOODBYE... FLOWE!"


    The final stretch of the battle between three Proel members and Flowe began.

 Chapter Nineteen: An Unknown Factor

    Phina and Human Hunter sprinted through the maze like warehouse. It fell apart as they ran. Human Hunter attached his speared chain onto a nearby crumbling wall, and used it to swing into Phina.


    She jumped backwards, dodging his attack, and typed a code into her wrist, opening a hatch on the ground exactly where Human Hunter was going to land. He fell deep into the trap rigged room below.


    "He...hehe.." Phina laughed a bit, panting heavily. She heard explosions, crashing, and screaming from below. "Either he was the weakest member, or I''m just that strong! Hehehe!"


    The noise stopped, and after a moment of silence, Human Hunter crashed through the ceiling. Much to Phina''s shock, he was unharmed. "Weak, and predictable." He said, stomping his way towards Phina who still couldn''t believe her eyes. "All I needed to see was a single one of your traps activate. After that, I was able to guess the functioning of your others. I lied when I said these pathetic things could kill me. The truth is, we overestimated you.."


    That statement turned Phina''s shock into rage.


    "Overestimated..? Really you stupid fuck!? Every single FUCKING one of you are going to be groveling under my boots pretty soon here, then you''ll realize that the only overrated trash here is Proel!!" Phina tossed three traps towards Human Hunter. He sliced them all in half.. which unfortunately activated them. They each released a Staff Wielding Sapient.


    Moments before Human Hunter would have exploded, and been killed, Silva showed up. She used her energized whips to completely decimate the Sapients into tiny little pieces.


    "Staff wielding Sapients kill their target seconds after they become aware of their presence." Human Hunter thought to himself. "If Silva hadn''t recovered in time.. I would be dead." His internal monologue was interrupted by Phina''s hand. She grabbed him by the helmet, and dragged it across a grouping of walls, smashing them all. Silva attempted to stop her attack, but was too weak to continue moving. She had used her last waking bit of energy on the save she gave Human Hunter just a second ago.


    Phina let go. This sent Human Hunter into the air. He regained his balance, and latched onto the ground with his chains. Pulling, he intentionally slammed through the floor, reappearing behind Phina with his blades for a sneak attack.


    A giant trap appeared out of nowhere, preventing this attack, and crushed him against a wall. It was like a huge sideways pillar.


    The impact blew Phina''s hair back. This put a smile back on her face. "Yess.. there we go." She said in relief. "He''s got to be dead now.. yes.. I really hope he is.."


    Her hopefulness didn''t last long. Human Hunter slowly began pushing the pillar off of himself.


    "Hehe... NO!" Phina yelled, and used Human Hunter''s current vulnerability to launch another blow. But.. she fell right into a trap of his own.


    She entered the tiny opening between the opponent she hated so much, and the pillar trap.


    A millisecond before Phina was able to further injure Human Hunter, he escaped the trap, slamming her into the small opening she had entered.


    "Nngh.." Phina burst out of the wall, with only a small amount of damage done to her. "Flowe.. where is Flowe!? If I continue to fight this freak on my own, I may end up needing to release my full strength, accidentally destroying my cloning device in the process."The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Human Hunter threw a punch at his full strength. His fist landed right into Phina''s palm, who caught the blow. The entire warehouse shook and crumbled to the ground even more. As this occurred, Phina radioed Flowe using another code, this time on her leg. Once this had been done, she returned her attention to Human Hunter, and smacked him away with her hardened snake baton.


    Flying across the landscape at inconceivable speeds, Alant and Lock battled against Flowe. Tigal was unfortunately forced to the sidelines for the moment. He wasn''t fast enough to keep up with the current state of the fight.


    Flowe glided backwards using a platform he had created with Overflowe. Alant used his pure speed to keep up with him and launch swings with his blade at an incredibly high rate. Lock on the other hand, used the speed increase his powered up state gave him to absorb nearby objects as he rocketed past them, and use them against Flowe.


    "Hahah, I now see why Phina wanted you all as specimens to clone so badly! Strength of this scale and magnitude is unheard of outside of the Assassin Corps!" Surprisingly, Flowe was beginning to enjoy this battle.


    "Assassin Corps..?" Lock questioned, as he continued launching and swinging rubble at Flowe. Consuming and releasing objects was not all his book was capable of. He could also maneuver the objects with pinpoint accuracy. Using them as a long term weapon or shield, increasing and decreasing their speeds at will, and so on. In this instance, he removed a humongous tree from his book that he had stored earlier, and repeatedly beat it against Flowe''s seemingly invincible energy shield.


    "Yes, the Assassin Corps!" Flowe seamlessly took down his shield, and pummeled his knee against the tree, splitting it in two. "It''s an organization filled with some of the most skilled fighters this world has to offer. They keep tabs on current events, recruiting any potential candidates for the corps based on skills, beliefs, personality, and intelligence. They observe all other major factions as well.. that includes your odd little group Proel. I never payed too much attention when they would discuss it though. Quite frankly, I only joined because of the money, as well as my own boredom. I never imagined we would ever encounter an opponent who could hang with a single one of us. But now.. I may be interested." Flowe kicked his foot through a series of objects Lock had thrown, and knocked Lock towards the ground. Slamming into the floor below, Flowe''s kick was so powerful that Lock''s body burst onto the ground with a blue aura. It created a devastating explosion.


    Though his attack was incredibly successful, Flowe failed to aknowledge Alant''s presence. His description of the Assassin Corps had distracted him. "These Assassin Corps guys sound pretty tough. Scary tough, actually. But ya shouldn''t have forgotten about me buddy! Because now.. you''re complete toast!"


    "Hm. I doubt it." Flowe calmly stated. Alant rocketed in Flowe''s direction, blades out, breaking the sound barrier.


    Alant yelled at the top of his lungs. His blades inched closer and closer to Flowe''s neck with each passing millisecond. Then.. they made contact. Made contact with a shield Flowe had formed with Overflowe. The red energy sparked against Alant''s bloodied swords. Alant himself was stunned. He stared at his failed attempt for a couple of seconds, before he was absolutely blasted into the earth below.


    Both him and Lock... had failed.


    Landing next to his defeated opponents, Flowe deactivated Overflowe. Thinking for a brief moment, he eventually spoke to them, pacing around their beaten and broken bodies.


    "..When I stated that you both were exceedingly impressive opponents, it wasn''t a lie. That truly is what I believe. As I said earlier, I didn''t expect much when I originally joined the Assassin Corps. The biggest reason for my alliance with them was to appease my boredom. But I did in fact, have a second motive. That''s right.. the Assassin Corps may not be well known by people such as yourselves, but to someone like me, someone who''s spent their life trying to find the strongest, they''re unrivaled legends. I wanted to see their strength first hand. And when I finally did, it certainly didn''t disappoint."


    Flowe crouched down, and sat next to Lock and Alant.


    "Now that I''ve found challengers to their might however.. I''m thinking that with my assistance, they could be taken down. Proel could become something even more legendary."


    Lock managed to slightly tilt his head up. "Why.. what would be the point of assisting us? Switching sides on a moments notice purely due to battle capabilities..? Having such a person among us would be far too great of a risk."


    "T-That''s right.. piss off man." Alant spit up a bit of blood between his sentence.


    "It isn''t simply because you''re stronger." Flowe continued. "You see, while I didn''t listen to much about your squad, I did get the basics. And I know that your goal is to eradicate all humans. Something that.. I''ve come to agree with as of late. My childhood was an unexplainable nightmare. And there are activities the Assassin Corps partake in that disgust me in more ways than one. I''ve never met a good human in my life. The Assassin Corps believe that the world should be run by the most intelligent and qualified people. People who they judge to be the best. Soon, they intend on taking over the planet once they have become powerful enough, and have eliminated most potential threats. I originally planned on being a part of that. There wasn''t much I could do about it either way. Like I said though, it''s a different story now. With you I have a way to stop them. So how about this.. let''s eradicate the human race together. We''ll kill Phina right here and now, then, after significant training of course, we¡¯ll head over to the current whereabouts of the Assassin Corps, taking them out as well. Or-.. maybe we can postpone the training until after a months rest. I almost forgot that you''re both struggling to even move.. heh."


    Alant and Lock continued to lay there, motionless. They pondered on what they had just been told, trying to decide whether or not they should accept the offer they had received from a man who had been their enemy just moments ago.


    Flowe suddenly received a call. It was a distress signal... from Phina.


    "Ah, what perfect timing. She seems to be in a bit of trouble. Let''s go take Phina down, shall we?"

 Chapter Twenty: Reunion

    Flowe kneeled next to Tigal, transporting some of his red energy into the burly Proel member''s body. "This should give you the ability to use the arm I removed. It''ll be replaced with an artificial arm created entirely out of my red energy."


    "I''m completely screwed.." Tigal weeped. "A-Alant... Lock... why? Why would you let him poison me?"


    Alant put his hood down, revealing wavy blonde hair. "Because I''m not about to let you live the rest of your life while missing an arm buddy. Not to mention when I contacted Setianal to ask whether or not I should trust this dude, he gave me like a twenty minute answer on the pros and cons before giving me the nod. I''ve got no clue what he was talkin about but I trust his input!"


    "Essentially.." Lock pressed his glasses against his forehead. "Setianal informed us with accurate data he had collected based on what Flowe had said thus far, that there was nothing to fear. Ah, yes. I nearly forgot to add that the only reason why we are currently standing, is due to Flowe''s direct assistance and healing capabilities. He''s proven to be one of the strongest beings I''ve ever encountered. With the power he possesses, deceiving us would be pointless."


    "Damn you Lock... you brainwashed bastard.." Tigal stared at the ground in defeat following his comrades attempts at reassurance.


    "And... there we go.. your arm should be available for use shortly." Flowe patted Tigal on the shoulder. "In order to make it appear, you must feel the flow of power throughout your body, and focus it towards the missing arm. It''s rather simple in the grand scheme of things. You''ll catch on quickly."


    Without answering, Tigal pouted, staring at the floor.


    "Anyway.." Flowe continued, pulling himself to his feet. "We''ll need to answer Phina''s distress signal before whatever happens to be going wrong is resolved." He used Overflowe to morph his energy into a platform yet again. "Anyone who''d like to assist, may hop on at once."


    Before even a second went by, Alant made his way onto the platform. "Did ya really think I was gonna say no? You don''t even gotta ask Flowe, everyone''s coming."


    Looking from side to side, Flowe noticed that Tigal and Lock had quickly joined as well. He closed his eyes for a moment, smiling gently, fiercely opening them up again to acknowledge their haste. "Very well then! You all seem to have taken a liking to me rather quickly, and I feel the same! So let''s give our newfound companionship meaning by eliminating the one who threatens the lives of your allies!"


    Everyone nodded (though Tigal seemed to be quite hesitant) as Flowe took off. Momentarily they would be joining up with Human Hunter and Silva to finish Phina off, and eliminate her cloning device once and for all.


    A significant chunk of time had passed since Phina had sent the distress signal. It hadn''t been long but, the wait was substantial. "Just another worthless peasant.." Phina thought to herself, blocking another attack Human Hunter had thrown her way. Speaking of Human Hunter, while he had sustained damage, the intent to accomplish his goal to one day save Benson and Aria drove him forward. He needed to improve significantly in order to defeat Malent, who he was up against now was nothing compared to the Sapient Lord.


    Phina jumped over one of Human Hunter''s shattering grenades, and prepared for a counter attack. Just then however, Flowe and the rest of Proel smashed through the ceiling, blocking Phina''s path.


    "Ah, hello there my dear Phina!" Flowe stated with a smile. "You needed me to come to your aid, yes?"


    Phina skidded to a halt. "...hehe... yes! Yes! You are exactly right! Targeting these mentally screwed people was a terrible idea.. but.. you seem to have recruited at least a few. Stupendous job Flowe! Maybe you were worth the money after all... hehehe.."This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    "Well I''m afraid you may disagree with your own statement following what I''m about to say."


    "Hm..? What''s that....?"


    "I believe you heard me correctly the first time, Phina. I''m no longer on your side. No need to explain myself to a lunatic such as yourself, though. You''ll be dead momentarily anyway so why bother.."


    Everyone within the warehouse that barely stood let silence consume the place.


    "H-How.. did you get through the shields?" Phina finally asked."


    "Oh, that? Heh.. I gained a bit of assistance from this little angel." Flowe pointed his thumb behind himself.. at Faed.


    "I just tore the mechanical looking thingy apart because well I assumed that was the right thing to do I mean how else was I supposed to get in here I was way too tired to break in since you guys made me so mad plus I had to destroy that really really big trap but-.."


    "Not now Faed!" Lock threw his glasses to the side. "We need to quickly dispose of this waste without allowing another second to pass!"


    Human Hunter kneeled for a moment to catch his breath. "Yeah. I usually don''t complain much, but I''m ready to get the hell out of here."


    "I''m feeling the exact same way." It was Silva, back on her feet. "This crazed sweetheart should have been taken out by me a long time ago. I''ll make up for my failures by helping you all right here and now."


    "You guys are seriously startin to pump me up! Hahah, but I guess that''s what amazing people like you do.. right?" Alant spun his swords around, excited to presumably claim victory.


    "That''s right." Flowe added. "This has been no mistake. Joining Proel will prove to the greatest decision of my life. That''s been made clear simply by observing how you all interact in this single instance."


    "What the-.. who the hell said he was permanently joi-.." Tigal''s concerns were interrupted by a yell from Flowe.


    "Either way, that''s irrelevant now! The focus needs to be on the elimination of Phina! So I suggest you all prepare.. to let loose."


    Every single member of Proel acknowledged Flowe''s final statement in one way or another, and then proceeded to attack Phina simultaneously.


    "Damn fucking traitor!" Phina screamed. "Whatever.. you think I didn''t prepare for even something as disgusting as this to occur!? Yeah right.. we''ll see how strong you should be slaves really are once you take on the last of my traps! One that not even I thought I''d ever have to use.. hehehehe!" Phina dodged the offensive onslaught somehow, maneuvering her way past each of the Proel members. Once on the other side she typed one final code into her keypad. "Try not to scream too loud, it''ll hurt my little ears.."


    The entirety of the warehouse aggressively vibrated. Proel all stood together, anticipating what this apparent final trap was going to do. "Woah.. even if this kills us, at least it''ll probably be freakin sweet!" Alant''s excitement increased even further.


    Faed grabbed onto Lock''s arm. "Eek! Please keep me safe Lock I''m all out of power so if something really really bad happens it''s going to hurt me!"


    "This is it.. she''s going to detonate planet earth." Tigal placed his sword down in defeat.


    The warehouse reached the peak of its vibration, and shot out of the ground. It launched several hundred feet into the air somehow staying together, taking Proel along with it. It transformed itself into some kind of gigantic creature. The warehouse being it''s head. It''s sized surpassed that of multiple skyscrapers.


    "H-Holy shit this is gonna be awesomeeee!!" Alant gleefully screamed.


    After head patting Faed, Lock looked around the structure with his surging blue eyes. He then looked at the rest of Proel. "Do not fret. As dire as the situation looks, I have a simple solution." Lock gently pulled away from Faed, walking towards the edge of the creature. "Flowe, on my signal, may I ask for you to create a platform? Otherwise I''m afraid that this could potentially result in my death."


    "As you wish, Lock. Do you plan on attempting to absorb this thing?"


    "Precisely. Now that I''ve tapped into abilities far greater than what I was previously capable of, I''m confident that even something of this magnitude can be consumed by my faithful book."


    "Dammit Lock!" Tigal yelled with concern. "And what the hell do you expect us to do?! Just fall to our deaths??"


    Flowe chuckled, and reassuringly placed a hand onto Tigals shoulder. "I will prevent that by placing platforms under all of us expect for Phina, if she is even up here that is. I''m also fairly certain that Silva can fly herself down. Which means platforms will be needed for you, Alant, Faed, Lock, Myself, Human Hunter, and his adorable little wolf."


    "Tch, just get off me. Like I''d trust you. If we survive you''ll probably just end up killing us anyway." Tigal scoffed, and walked a few steps away.


    "J-Just stay safe Lock please! I have lots of stories to tell you once we get home so don''t even think about getting killed okay??" With delicate watery eyes, Faed tugged on Lock''s robe.


    "Hmph.." he smiled at her warmly. "Yes, I understand. In that case, the prevention of my death will take priority." Lock removed his robe, revealing black strapped on gear with blue clothes underneath. He placed his robe in Faed''s hands. "And your priority here in addition to preventing your own death, will be to ward my attire."


    Faed pulled the robe close to her after spending a minute staring at it. "Mhm, I''ll do that Lock. Your special robe will be safe with me!"


    "I am glad to hear it. Now then, I wish you all the best of luck supposing this is a success. In addition to the defeat of Phina''s monstrous creation, this strategy should also result in the destruction of the cloning device, assuming it''s located in the warehouse. Additionally, we are placing most of our lives in your hands here Flowe. You are a man who only a short time ago was our enemy. But it is the only option thought of thus far, I can only hope that this is not all part of some type of scheme."


    Flowe clenched his fist and pulled it down. "I assure you it isn''t.. my trustworthiness will be confirmed shortly."


    "In that case... I will not delay any further. Our plan will be put into action... NOW!"

 Chapter Twenty-One: A Worthwhile Risk

    "As long as Proel is together, it''s impossible for us to lose." That single thought is what continued to run through Alant''s mind as Lock boldly stepped off the side of the ginormous creature.


    Lock faced upward as he fell, having a good view of what he would be attempting to absorb. Carefully aiming his book, with the turning pages flapping through the air, he prepared to completely take in the monstrosity before him.


    The thing eerily screamed at the top of its lungs. It''s size and scale made the noise send shockwaves throughout a one thousand mile radius. Flowe blocked everyone''s ears with Overflowe to prevent them from exploding.


    After the scream subsided, Lock immediately activated his absorption ability, pouring absolutely everything he had into it. The veins in his temple tensed up whilst the book he placed so much of his trust into, began consuming the abomination of an enemy.


    It was working slowly, but successfully. Piece by piece the enormous creature lost a bit of it''s body before it even had the chance to do anything other than scream. It attempted to prevent this from occurring, digging its feet into the ground, but to no avail.


    "MY APOLOGIES, FOUL BEAST." Lock wholeheartedly belted from his lungs. "BUT YOUR LONG AWAITED DAY OF RELEASE HAS BEEN UTTERLY WASTED! AS YOU WERE UNFORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE PLACED AGAINST US! PROEL! GRRRAHHH!"


    With a surge of enthusiasm that he''d never felt before, Lock went beyond that of what even he thought was possible, and started absorbing the monster at a far more rapid rate. First it''s arm went, then it''s leg. The body of this thing crumbled into Lock''s book much faster than anyone had expected, being fully absorbed in a matter of seconds.


    Lock shifted his body around the other way, and then saw Phina directly below him. Phina''s eyes grew wide. A tear rolled down her cheek in her final moments. Opening his book once more, Lock released the entirety of the monstrosity he had just absorbed directly onto Phina, crushing her in the process.


    Phina had been defeated.


    An Overflowe created platform enveloped under Lock, preventing any amount of damage he would have taken, and lowered him to the surface. The same occurred for the other members of Proel (not including Silva, as she flew down herself.) as Flowe had promised. They all landed nearby each other, within the dust and rubble.


    Fallen to a knee, Lock grasped and felt his hands and forearms. The power he had just used put a lot of stress on those parts of his body.


    "You alright buddy?" Alant jogged over, and kneeled next to his friend. "That''s alottaaa crap you just absorbed.. we didn''t even have to do anything, you took that thing out all by yourself!"


    "Y-Yes.. I will be perfectly fine. Though combined with the injury I sustained earlier from Silva, time will be required in order to recover from this occurrence."


    "Which will be the perfect opportunity for us to talk allllll the time right Lock..?" On his other side, Faed was there. "Oh yeah also, here! It''s your robe! I kept it safe, just as promised. It was really soft I see why you like wearing it all the time if it was my robe I''d never take it off either unless of course I needed to for some secret power like you did right now oh and-.."


    "Thank you, Faed." Lock placed a hand on her shoulder.


    She paused for a moment, and blushed. "You''re oh so very welcome!"The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Wait.. so you really don''t intend on killing us..?" With a stunned expression, Tigal gazed at Flowe.


    A breath of air slipped through Flowe''s lips. "That''s correct. See now, others such as myself can be trusted Tigal."


    "Hmph, yeah we''ll see about that. Your betrayal is inevitable."


    Flowe closed his eyes in disappointment, though he was unsurprised. That is until...


    "But for now.. I suppose I''ll have to force myself to accept you as one of us." Tigal finished. He tried not to acknowledge Flowe much immediately after this out of embarrassment, and walked elsewhere.


    Silva leaned against Flowe, who visibly displayed his bewilderment. "Well now.." she began. "That''s quite impressive. Hah. I may have no idea who you are darling, but that''s the greatest compliment I''ve ever heard Tigal give an outsider. You should be proud."


    This managed to get a smile out of Flowe. A real, genuine smile. "Yes.. indeed I am." He simply stated. "I am truly honored to have received such a blessing. Hahah."


    Human Hunter stood, arms crossed while Halt rested on his shoulder, just watching Proel converse and come together. He felt an odd feeling inside his stomach, something he hadn''t felt since first meeting Benson and Aria. What this feeling was, he decided he could figure out at another time.


    "Yo H.H." Alant snapped Human Hunter''s train of thought.


    "Hm? What is it?"


    "Ya about ready to go? We noticed that you had some kinda aircraft back at base, a lot like ours so, we decided to have you drive us back. How about it man?"


    Unsettling himself from his relaxed state, Human Hunter began walking towards where he assumed the aircraft was located. "Yeah. That''s fine. I''ve been thinking though, the aircraft has probably been blown to a completely different location."


    "Nahh. We knew we''d be going on super tough missions like this so, our aircraft was built with this stuff that keeps it attached to the ground no matter what. That''s what Setianal said at least, dunno much about it other than that myself though. Speaking of Setianal, I''m hyped to see what he thinks of your first mission! That was some crazy stuff we went through, so the fact that you survived is sayin something."


    "I don''t really know him well enough to make an accurate assumption on what his response will be, but considering someone like you is excited about it, it''s probably something substantial."


    "You bet! Sooo c''mon let''s get moving! Between you and me, I think the boss gets seriously hyped up when new recruits as strong as you join and prove themselves so early. The same thing happened with Faed and-.. oh wait that reminds me! Flowe''s coming haha! There''s no doubt in my mind that the dude will prove to be another great member." Alant clenched his fist. "Pfft, there''s no way I can wait any longer now, let''s go!" he sprinted away, so fast that it was basically teleportation, and let the rest of Proel (including Flowe) know that it was time to leave.


    Walking in small individual groups, they boarded the aircraft. Human Hunter was the last to hop on, right into the driver''s seat.


    "Hey.. Lock." He said, waiting a moment to depart.


    "Yes?" Lock had retrieved his glasses, and put them back on. Faed still held his robe in her arms. "What is it that you are in need of Human Hunter?"


    "Are you for certain that the cloning device was destroyed?"


    "Hm.." Lock paused for a bit to consider his answer. "If the device was powerful enough to survive such an attack, then I''m afraid our efforts would be wasteful anyway. If the location of the device happened to be elsewhere, then finding it would be rather difficult. Even so, seeing as how Phina is deceased, its'' elimination now would be simply to prevent any future users. For the time being at least I think we may return home. We are all rather weakened from what has transpired anyway."


    "Alright.." Human Hunter seemed to be satisfied enough with this answer. "In that case, I''ll get going."


    During the ride to HQ, Proel was just as talkative as they were before their departure. All of them except, yet again, Human Hunter. Although this time his mood was worrisome. He felt as if they had missed something integral. As many times as he scanned over what had occurred though, he couldn''t find anything other than the possibility that the cloning device had not been destroyed.


    Even with all the conversing, the ride home for Human Hunter, was quiet.


    Elsewhere...


    "... an unsatisfactory performance for Phina. As I thought, the threat of this Human Hunter group is significant." Malent stood within the center of his massive ship, pacing back and forth.


    "Lord Malent. I attempted to inform you that Proel would just barley pull through. Toying with them like this will just increase their strength and numbers." A strange looking Sapient protested. He definitely wasn''t a standard soldier. "Placing our most powerful forces against them now will guarantee our victory."


    "I thought all of our forces, were powerful forces." Malent continued to pace. He glanced over at the hologram displayed of Proel flying home on their aircraft. "For several generations now I''ve overseen these so called powerful subordinates. Those who''s battle capabilities are supposedly strong enough to prevent any threats from ever reaching myself. Well... when were those claims ever proven to be authentic? Not once in the last few thousand years have I ever seen a single one of them battle other than in combat training. Frankly, I see right now as a sort of testing ground. A way to confirm their legendary status. Do you not agree, Tieren? Would you rather have the weak remain among us?"


    "Tch.. I suppose not. However, I don''t think a loss here necessarily translates to weakness. Phina was our newest, and first ever human recruit. Her loss was expected. But that doesn''t change the fact that Proel gained battle experience from this. Plus, they gained an impressive new member from the Assassin Corps. "


    "According to Xenia, what they gained from the Assassin Corps is exactly the opposite of an ally. Only time will tell though how this plays out. If it is as Xenia has informed me, we will not be needing to send anyone down there for a while anyway. Who knows, maybe the two children will have been converted once that time comes. Now sending them down... would be absolutely... perfect."


    End of Phina Arc

 Chapter Twenty-Two: Celebration Preparation

    Grass folded under the weight of the aircraft as it landed. Human Hunter was able to maneuver his way through the woods this time whilst flying. His battle against Phina had enhanced his senses, due to his need at the time to avoid powerful traps at a moment''s notice. It translated to avoiding the trees.


    "That was some top level flying H.H.! I think we''ve got ourselves a new permanent pilot!" Alant closed his palm into a thumbs up, winking.


    Human Hunter exited the vehicle. "If that''s the job you assign me, I won''t complain. It''ll help improve my flight skills drastically for whenever I resume using my own aircraft."


    "Hahah.. right." Exiting as well, Alant began walking into Proel HQ alongside Human Hunter. "You know.. Human Hunter, whenever I meet someone, it''s usually not long until I start to understand them. I learn about their quirks, goals, and what makes them special. But you.. heh.. I still don''t know a single thing about. It''s pretty weird really, I mean you''re one of the most straightforward guys out there. Just sayin what''s on your mind. Still though.. if someone asked me to describe you, I couldn''t tell em much other than you care for those close to you, and you''re calm most of the time. It''s pathetic.. so I''m making it my goal to become your friend. A real friend, someone who knows you at least close to as much as the family you''re trying to save. So get ready, cuz I''m gonna have alotta questions!"


    Taken aback by this if only a little, Human Hunter stopped walking for a brief moment. "Yeah, I''ll prepare. I''d like to be your friend too." he continued onward toward the elevator that led down to Proel''s main area of operations. Alant was filled with joy hearing Human Hunter''s response.


    During Alant and Human Hunter''s discussion, the other members of Proel had been following close behind them. They all huddled up in the elevator in order to travel downward.


    "So, I assume you''ve already seen this place Flowe, considering how much you already knew." Tigal stood, arms crossed next to Proel''s potential newest member. He was attempting to look disinterested with conversing.


    "Yes, that is correct. Your maneuverability training caused most Proel members to bring at least one leaf camera into the main area of your base." Flowe confirmed. "I''ll admit, it''s a pretty sight indeed. Not as impressive as the Assassin Corps''s but.. it doesn''t need to be. They''re a rich organization so overwhelmingly high quality is expected."


    "Bragging now, huh?" Human Hunter jokingly questioned from the front of the elevator. Though his body remained emotionless.


    "Hah, no that is not my intent. I''m simply making a comparison to my previous comrades that''s all."


    "The Assassin Corps.." Lock touched his chin, pondering. "You spoke of their unmatchable strength. Strength you stated only we had the potential to eradicate. Just how capable are these people?"


    "Staggeringly capable. I''d be happy to inform you of the details, but I intend on saving that for a meeting with all of us, along with your boss."


    "Hm.. certainly. We will wait until then."


    Reaching the bottom, the elevator opened. Faed sprinted into the large, open area, screaming. "Yeeeaaaaasssssss!!!! Finally finally, oh how I''ve missed this place oh so very much it''s crazy how much being gone for a few days kills you on the inside but what''s important now is that we''re home!"


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Can''t deny that enthusiasm, I''m stoked to be back too Faed!" Alant agreed.


    "Grr.." Tigal, still learning how to fully generate the energized arm given to him by Flowe, slung his curved blade over his shoulder. "Time to check every last corner of the place for intruders. See you all later."


    "Very well, farewell." Lock waved. "Alant, I''m going to trust you to keep an eye on Flowe for the time being. Roaming the base carefree is a privilege he must earn our trust even further to acquire. As for myself, Silva will be assisting me with setting up a modest celebratory event. Something for our victory against Phina. I assume Faed will be joining as well."


    "You got it Lock. Just make sure whatever you guys cook up is seriously great. Actually, knowing you, I don''t have anything to worry about!" Pressing his fingers against his eyebrow, Alant saluted goodbye. "Welp, see ya. Hey Flowe! Let''s go man, there''s something in the back that I''m pretty sure you couldn''t see in your camera footage."


    With a sigh, Flowe complied. "I guess I don''t have much of a choice considering I, understandably so, lack enough trustworthiness. One moment."


    Some time passed by, and things were going well. In a short time the tone had shifted from urgent and critical (against Phina) to relaxing and friendly. Human Hunter rested on his own alongside Halt, watching Lock, Faed, and Silva set up the celebration from a distance. He witnessed Lock''s authoritative abilities be vanquished by Faed''s cupcake attack. She grabbed one, and aggressively shoved it down Lock''s throat.


    "I personally believe that was the perfect use for our first cupcake, ahaha." Silva tried to hold back her laughter as much as she could. She leaned against the table they were using.


    Lock gagged and spit it out. "Faed! The manners you have just displayed are not that of a Proel member! That was a waste of a cupcake and of time!"


    "W-Well did you like the cupcake at least..? That''s the first time I''ve ever made something like that with someone so I thought you would maybe have wanted to be the first one to try it.."


    "Tch.." Realizing her good intentions, Lock composed himself. "Ahem.. yes. It was delectable. Now please ask for consent next time Faed, it is quite clear now that you are a naturally gifted cupcake constructor, so many more are likely to be made. I''d prefer to enjoy them together with the rest of Proel rather than on my own."


    "Hehe, okayy got it Lock I''ll make way more cupcakes so that we can all enjoy them together like a family!"


    "Precisely, like a family. Now then, Silva, I believe it is your turn to contribute."


    "Oh? No need to worry about that darling, I''ve already made plenty." Gesturing to her side, Silva showed off twelve full muffin tins of completed cupcakes. "I don''t mean to boast or anything but, I''ve sort of impressed myself."


    "I-.. how the-..." Lock cleared his throat, and shifted his glasses. "I see. Well then, onto the cake I suppose. Ah, we must also gather helpings of fruit. With the abundance of sugar, a bit of balancing goes a long way."


    "Marvelous idea Lock. All we need to do is raid Alant''s fruit shrine." Silva devilishly smiled.


    Meanwhile...


    Alant lifted up a pair of swords. It was the 32nd he had shown Flowe thus far. "Pretty awesome, huh? I like to call these babies ''Super Secret and Powerful Dual Blades Only Used When Necessary''. I mostly like them though because I got em from Lock, but they''re strong either way."


    "They''re yet another impressive set of blades. You''re quite the collector, Alant." In the back of Flowe''s mind however, he thought, "Every single one has been nearly identical.. what is it that he''s trying to show me..??"


    "Ahh yeah I know, well, heh, just wait until ya-.." Alant was cut off by a large chunk of his wall. It spiraled towards him rather quickly, though luckily Alant had insanely adaptive reflexes. He split it in two with his Super Secret and Powerful Dual Blades Only Used When Necessary milliseconds before it would have connected with his face. "T-Tigal! What the hell are you doing!?" Looking over, both Alant and Flowe noticed Tigal standing seven rooms over, panting within the dust clouds.


    "Grahh.. one of the specs of dust I was observing shifted in an odder position than I felt comfortable with. Sorry but, I had no other choice but to dispose of it before Proel in it''s entirety ceased to exist."


    "Your sword is strong Tigal, you didn''t need to cut through seven entire rooms for a piece of dust! Plus it''s dust what could it possibly even-.."


    "Oh you shut your damn mouth Alant! You''re the one who told me the leaf cameras were some far fetched idea that didn''t exist and wouldn''t you know I was right! If everyone was as careful as myself the human race would probably already have been eradicated by now!"


    "Incorrect." Flowe swiftly stood up, entering himself into the conversation. "As you know, I was indeed momentarily apart of the group who made use of those leaf cameras, so I am aware of strategies used by people such as them. With that being said, I''m here to shed some light on your ''carefulness'' Tigal. Once observances have occurred for a substantial period of time, your enemies tend to shift their strategies based on your behavior. Since you frequently destroy objects..." he paused, and spoke quietly. "They probably implanted dangerous substances inside of the walls rather than on the outside."


    Tigal''s entire life instantly began flashing before his eyes, as he stood there, motionless. "S-So you''re basically saying that.. I have been playing right into their hands this entire time."


    "Mhm. Yes indeed. So I suggest you stop destroying things before it''s too late, you''re lucky Proel has even made it this far considering this oversight of yours."


    "Uhmm.. Flowe?" Alant pushed his hood down,  and scratched his hair. "I dunno if that was a smart idea."


    "Maybe not." his teeth were displayed briefly. "But if Lock, Faed, and Silva are truly working on celebratory treats, I simply cannot risk them getting destroyed.."

 Chapter Twenty-Three: A Grand Celebration

    Silva glanced back at Lock and Faed. They were both hard at work on baking the cake. She on the other hand, was planning on snatching Alant''s secret shrine of fruit. An item very few people knew about. Lucky for her, he was distracted with Flowe and Tigal at the moment.


    "I failed at defeating Phina, this is the perfect chance to redeem myself." she thought. Her footsteps made almost no audible sound as she snuck into the secret room that held the shrine within. Completing an oddly specific series of events, it opened. "Sorry Alant dear, but maybe if you were more careful with these sort of things I wouldn''t know your codes."


    Upon entry, Silva glanced up at a seat. It displayed smooth, shiny, flawless fruits of almost every kind. Apples, bananas, raspberries, and even tomatoes for those who wanted to get technical. "Alant... this is breathtaking.." she whispered to herself. Taking in the gorgeous site for a moment longer, Silva quickly collected all of the fruit held by the shrine, and left without wasting another second.


    Silva used her cloud to fly the fruit to Lock. One fell out into her hand. She examined the plump, juicy tomato, and went to take a bite. "Your fruits look gorgeous Alant, time to see if that applies to their taste." The tomato inched closer and closer to her mouth. Before contact was made, tomato juice exploded onto Silva''s face. "H-Huh..?" she seemed confused. Without closing her mouth, Silva peered over to her left, noticing Human Hunter there. His arm was extended.


    "Collections of that magnitude take a lot of heart and determination to create. Even if it''s for our celebration, I don''t intend on allowing such a selfish act of theft to continue." Human Hunter''s speared chain had impaled the tomato. He retracted it.


    Silva lowered her head. A smile slipped out. "Ah.. Human Hunter darling. The newest official member of Proel. You believe that just because of that, you''re allowed to decide who I do and don''t steal from. Hm?"


    "Not exactly. I believe that if I think something is wrong, I''m entitled to stop it. Now I''ll give you one final opportunity to comply."


    "Well, I apologize but, we don''t have time to collect fruit on our own. This is the only way to balance the meal. Since you have objections however, I guess a bit of force will be needed!" The energized whips Silva was known for lashed out. She slammed them against the floor across from Human Hunter. Without uttering even a single word, Human Hunter stepped back, avoiding the whip by millimeters.


    "Not a wise choice. I guess we''ll get to see if this newcomer''s strength is comparable to your own."


    "Hah. I already know the answer to that, the only thing left is to prove it."


    Just as Human Hunter and Silva were about to fully engage in combat, Lock came sprinting over. He stopped, and stood in between the two. "Tchh.. are you two children truly attempting to engage each other in combat within our own facility! Today is a day of celebration, not conflict!"


    "I know that." Human Hunter said. "Which is why I''m stopping Silva from robbing Alant of his shrine of fruit."


    "S-Silva!" Taken aback a bit, Lock displayed his disappointment, just now seeing the fruit collected inside of her cloud. "That is widely inappropriate, you are well aware of how important that shrine is to Alant. Its'' disappearance would devastate him considerably!"


    "Sometimes sacrifices must be made for an enjoyable and balanced meal Lock! Plus, do you not find it a bit suspicious that Human Hunter of all people knows about his Shrine! He hasn''t even been here a single week!"This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Lock shifted his attention to Human Hunter now. "Actually.. that is a reasonable argument. How exactly have you become aware of its existence, Human Hunter..?"


    "Observing.. that''s all there is to it."


    "Uhm.. Lock the cake is done!" Faed called from nearby.


    "I will be there shortly, Faed! Hm.. you two, if you''re done here, I suggest you both join me. We are almost prepared to eat. Silva, you must return Alant''s fruit beforehand. We may think of another healthy treat to pair with our unhealthy meal."


    In disappointment, Silva did just that. "I will have to find some other way, to redeem myself.."


    Everyone gathered around a lengthy table. Alant, Flowe, Silva, Human Hunter, and Halt each sat at their own individual seats. Lock and Faed presented the food.


    "To Phina''s defeat! And the success of the mission of course." Lock held multiple trays of food above his head, Faed did the same. "There were many developments that occurred during our battle. The revelation of my as well as Faed''s true strength, gaining a powerful ally in Flowe, and even unfortunate events such as the loss of Tigal''s arm. Whether good or bad however, they all made Proel a collectively stronger team. We should be proud of that. Now, enough of my rambling. Time to feast!"


    With a toss, Lock placed the food on the table. Alant sliced the cake up at nearly light speed. Thankfully he used a clean blade and not one drenched in blood.


    Lock and Faed sat down to eat once they had finished setting everything up. Alant ate a slice of cake delightfully. "Mm man, you guys sure didn''t let me down. It tastes incredible!"


    "I strive to make for certain that only the highest quality of desserts are served to my fellow Proel members." Lock stated. "I am glad to hear that I was successful."


    Tigal poked at his food, making sure it wasn''t poisoned.


    The mood was overwhelmingly lighthearted. The positive relationship between Proel was continuing to increase. Sometime in the middle of their meal, Setianal dropped down from the ceiling, slamming onto the table. The impact sent a few of the remaining cupcakes into the air. Setianal caught them, and consumed them quickly through his mask. "Welcome back everyone. The mission seems to have been a success." He said with a full mouth. "I am pleased to see it. With Phina out of the way, we won''t have to worry about an additional source of human production. She was defeated, correct?"


    "That''s right. Although it didn''t happen without its issues." Silva pointed out. "As you can probably tell, our sweet darling Tigal lost an arm."


    "Yes. I did happen to notice that. I''ve also noticed that yet another candidate to join Proel has arrived. I''m assuming that this is the now former member of the Assassin Corps. Am I right, Alant?"


    "As always Setianal!"


    "Perfect. I''ve been waiting to meet him. I''ve never discussed the Assassin Corps with you all but, I probably should have. They''re one of the most dangerous organizations in existence, almost holding the strength to take over the planet whenever they please. If it wasn''t for myself, as well as a few others, they would have already done so."


    Flowe didn''t seem to be intimidated by Setianal whatsoever. "If a discussion with me is what you wish for, I''d be happy to oblige. In exchange for a spot on this team of course. I believe that lending you all the inside information on the Assassin Corps is more than enough to-.."


    "No. Not even close." Setianal claimed. "For one, there''s no way to confirm the authenticity of anything you say. As a matter of fact, right now I''m fairly certain that you''ve been sent here to gain our trust, so that you can eliminate us from the inside. Giving us false information with forged evidence is the most logical scenario. You won''t be granted access to our team until our next mission is complete."


    Flowe placed the fork he used for his cake on the table. "Of course, your suspicions are only natural. Might I ask though, what exactly will this next mission be?"


    "I will get to that in a moment. I have one final thing to say before doing so. Human Hunter." Setianal caught Human Hunter''s attention. "You have returned.. and in one piece. That''s no small feat. Not even Tigal managed to do so.  Which means you''ve officially passed your first Proel mission, but more importantly, you''re one mission closer to completing the criteria I set. You are.. the real deal."


    Everyone around the table looked in Human Hunter''s direction. Setianal then continued.


    "Let''s hope you''re able to prove your worth yet again in the mission I''m about to assign. It''s one that''s far more difficult."


    "Whatever it is, I''ll successfully make it through. Benson and Aria have been confident in my abilities, and have looked at me as an inspiration since the first day I met them. Being directly responsible for their capture is something I''ll never forgive myself for. But I have the chance to at least save them, I just need to become strong enough." Human Hunter clenched his fist in a determined fashion. "Until they''re retrieved.. I can''t fail at anything." He felt something pat his shoulder. It was Alant.


    "I''ll make sure ya don''t man. Saving your buddies is my priority too."


    Human Hunter nodded.


    "That determination is what landed you a spot on Proel in the first place. Don''t lose it, Human Hunter. Ahem. Now then, onto the mission." Looking back and forth, Setianal peered at all of Proel''s members. "Exactly one month from now, you will all be engaging with the Assassin Corps."


    Flowe''s heart dropped, his eyes grew wide, and his body began to shake. He knew that Proel had the potential to take out the Assassin Corps in the future, but at their current level, they wouldn''t even get close.

 Chapter Twenty-Four: Unexpected Tragedy

    "Proel may have the potential to defeat the Assassin Corps in the future, but as of right now, they aren''t even remotely near the level of strength they need to be! The entire team would be slaughtered!" Flowe urgently belted out.


    "I''m aware of our current shortcomings." Setianal acknowledged. He sat down on the table, resting an arm on his knee. "When I say we''ll be engaging with the Assassin Corps, I don''t mean in battle."


    Leaning forward, Lock asked. "What is it that you would like us to do then, Setianal?"


    "I''d like you all to do a few things. Firstly, you''ll need to acquire a piece of their base. Whether it''s big or small doesn''t matter. The materials used by the Assassin Corps are incredibly rare. That''s one of the most well known facts about them for those who are at least aware of their existence. Luckily, I can usually track down where any material was retrieved by simply examining it. It''s a natural skill I have. I''ll be able to gather an abundance of whatever you bring and create an indestructible and unmatched base of operations. The one we reside in now, will be demoted to our secondary headquarters."


    The table shook. "Ughhh then I''ll have to move all my hearts!" Faed complained. She grabbed a cupcake, and shoved it in her mouth while laying sprawled out on the table.


    "Secondly." Setianal continued. "You''ll be needing to-.." he stopped. Slowly, Setianal turned his head. Left.. then right. A creaking sound echoed throughout the large room they were in. This went on for several seconds.


    "Setianal..?" Alant asked. His voice was serious. "What are you doing..?" He had never seen him act like this before.


    Then, through the ceiling, something crashed through, shattering everything surrounding it. Every member of Proel flew back. Whatever had caused this devastation stood in the middle of a small crater it had just created. It''s black silhouette didn''t move. As the dust subsided, it was revealed to be wearing skin tight, glistening, black body armor. It covered the figure from head to toe, with hints of yellow metal in some areas.


    The dust faded completely, revealing that the figure was holding Setianal''s hand in his palm. "T-That''s..." Flowe began. He brought himself to his feet."That''s.. Kensin.. the third ranked member of the Assassin Corps. Why.. why would they send him..?? Even the tenth ranked member would have been more than enough!!"


    "What''re you talking about Flowe..?" Alant asked from behind.


    "Isn''t it rather obvious..? I''m speaking of the man who stands before us. A true monster indeed. I was only able to interact with him a few times during my alignment with the Corps. Based on the circumstances, I''m fairly certain that he''s been sent here to deal with my betrayal. Though he''s well aware of who Proel is, and will without a doubt take you all out with me while he''s here."


    "A monster huh..? Heh, we''ve dealt with plenty of em before. Plus guys, this dude made the mistake of messing with Proel while they''re all togethe-.."


    "ALANT!" Lock cut him off.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "Hm?" Turning his head, Alant''s gaze met Lock''s. "What''s up?"


    "In all our years of training, not a single one of us has ever managed to damage Setianal. Not even to an insignificant degree."


    Alant realized what Lock was referring to before his explanation was even finished.


    "But this guy.." Alant''s voice suddenly became a lot shakier. "Took off his whole entire hand.."


    At the moment, Setianal was nowhere in sight. Kensin had landed directly onto the table where Setianal and Proel were all sitting. This meant that Setianal was either crushed, or had fled.


    The noise of Silva''s whips buzzed near Alant''s left ear as she walked by. "Either way, to prevent losses and further damage to our home, we must take care of him as soon as we can."


    "Tch.." Flowe tightened his fists. "As I mentioned to Setianal, current day Proel stands no chance against even a single high ranking member of the Assassin Corps!"


    "Is that so?" Silva shook her head as she approached Kensin. "Well what do you expect us to do then darling? Sit around and allow this ''high ranking member'' to slaughter us? Hmph.. I apologize but, that''s not how we do things around here." As her flying cloud morphed around her body, Silva returned to her armored cloud form for the first time since battling Phina. "If this Kensin is as strong as you say, I''ll need to put absolutely everything into this fight. My life along with the rest of my teammates''s are at stake here. I won''t fail you all again."


    "Exactly the kinda motivational speech I was waitin for.." Now standing next to Silva, Alant drew his swords. "You lead the way, and I''m pretty sure the rest of Proel will follow ya."


    Silva smirked. She drove her foot into the ground, finalizing the strategy she had created in her head.


    "Do none of you know how to listen?! The power gap between you and Kensin is immeasurable!" Flowe activated his Overflowe shield when he sensed an attack coming from behind. It was Tigal, who''s curved blade ricocheted off.


    "You ignorant bafoon." He said. "Giving up gives us all guaranteed deaths. If you at least give a bit of effort, no matter how small, the chance of victory still increases. Plus.. there''s a small chance that a meteor will crash through here and kill this guy for us.  Let''s cross our fingers and hope that''s what occurs."


    A drop of Flowe''s sweat connected with the floor. "You''re wrong.. I doubt even a meteor could kill Kensin."


    The attack then commenced after Silva called for it. Kensin still had not moved from his position.


    "GRAHHHH!" Alant and Silva swiftly ran in two separate directions. Alant intentionally didn''t strike first, assuming Kensin was already aware of his vast speed advantage. This left Silva with the duty of landing the first blow. From a distance, Lock removed his glasses, and used his absorption ability to its fullest extent. Coming out of nowhere, Human Hunter jumped in to help as well. He tossed a multitude of shattering grenades hoping that would have some sort of affect.


    Blade in hand, Tigal waited to see how things would play out at the beginning here. With already so many attacks going on at once, he didn''t want to interfere with any of them. As for Faed and Halt.. they were nowhere to be seen.


    With more force than she''d ever put into anything, with more effort than she''d ever given before, and with more emotion in her face, and her heart, than she''d ever had, Silva swung at Kensin. The glowing yellow color of her whips shone onto his armor. However, the effect was short lived. Kensin grabbed her by the neck. He released some sort of black mist from his wrist, which entered Silva''s mouth as she struggled to breathe.


    "S-SILVAAAAA!!" A blood curdling scream came from the lips of Alant. He increased his speed so much, that the air blew out the remaining walls to each individual room that still stood. The blades in his hands shattered into pieces once connecting with Kensin. "Huh..?" Alant was blasted into the ground, completely crushing his rib cage, and a few other bones.


    The strange black mist continued to enter Silva''s body. She was now twitching and scratching at her neck awkwardly.


    "Damn Assassin scum!" Tigal finally joined the fight. He didn''t even get remotely close to Kensin before Human Hunter was thrown into him.


    "Tch.." Wrinkles formed on Lock''s forehead. "Without a doubt, I''m exerting more power now than I did even against Phina''s monstrous creation.. yet this man is yet to even flinch. O-Originally I was mostly concerned about Faed.. but now.. I''m beginning to think that this time..  we will be unable to pull off the impossible."


    Kensin tossed Silva into the air, and disappeared. A hint of black mist was left behind. Not even half a second later, he reappeared in front of Lock, who''s expression faintly switched to one of distraught. He didn''t leave Lock any opportunity to move. Kensin grew his hand, and crushed Lock''s book. After uppercutting him into the ceiling, Kensin teleported back to his previous location, and caught Silva.


    Nobody was left to provide any form of assistance. Flowe, knowing a loss was guaranteed, cowered in fear.


    The black mist shot into Silva''s body incredibly fast now. Her neck tightened, she was trying to scream, but couldn''t. After a long while of suffering, Silva''s eyes exploded due to her body being overloaded with the mist. Her stomach burst, and her body squirmed with its last bit of life. Finally, Silva fell limp.


    She was dead.


    Beginning of the Assassin Corps Arc

 Chapter Twenty-Five: The Awakening

    Nobody moved, nobody spoke, nobody even drew breath. They just stared, frozen in place. Kensin still held Silva''s mangled corpse by the neck. Her blood seeped down her face, onto his arm.


    Alant''s jaw was to the floor. He was kneeling, holding his chest. "D...Dead..? Is Silva... dead..?"


    "We cannot worry about that now.."Lock stated, holding back his emotions. He had somewhat recovered as well. "The focus must be put on escaping with our own lives."


    Kensin released his grip, causing Silva''s body to hit the floor with a thud. After staring at what he had done for a moment, he focused his attention on the rest of Proel. He disappeared yet again leaving a bit of black mist behind. The black mist this time though.. grew larger as time passed, eventually turning into a duplicate of Kensin. The actual Kensin reappeared and grabbed Tigal, Human Hunter, and Flowe before teleporting away.


    "Damn bastard.." With his broken bones and all, Alant pulled himself up. His face was soaked with tears. "You killed one of our members..!" He cried. "You killed her.. and think I''ll let you take Tigal and Human Hunter too?! No.. no damn way!!"


    With urgency, Lock grabbed Alant''s shoulder. "ALANT! YOU MUST CALM DOWN OR ELSE OUR ENTIRE TEAM WILL END UP IN THE SAME POSITION!!"


    "I don''t care right now!!" Alant responded. "It''s because of people like him that I became a Human Hunter!! I did it so that those who I care about would stop getting killed! If I make it so they''re the only ones alive, there won''t be anything to worry about.. but.. it still happened. People in my life are still dying..! And if I don''t kill this guy right here and right now, it''ll happen to you too Lock!"


    Out of nowhere, the duplicate Kensin was in front of Alant. Mist surrounded the duplicate''s entire body. He swung his fist full force at Alant seemingly in an attempt to kill him.


    Instead, his arm slammed into something that seemed impenetrable. Setianal had returned, holding Faed''s unconscious body in one arm.


    "I should have anticipated that you would come to us." He began. "Your strength certainly did not disappoint. Though it has already reconstructed itself, you were able to remove my hand, and even managed to kill one of our members. But the show is over. Even without knowing exactly how strong the Assassin Corps is, I doubt even the third ranked member is able to defeat me."


    Kensin made an indescribable and eerie noise. He slid backward, and lifted his hand toward Setianal, then releasing an astonishingly large constant burst of black mist.


    Not affected, Setianal partially slipped something out from a slit in his armor. Whatever it was.. negated everything Kensin was currently doing, completely obliterating the mist as well as the duplicate.


    "And there we go, the result I expected."If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Everything began to settle down.


    "Setianal.. what the hell.. where were you?" Alant tugged on his arm from behind, teeth clenched.


    "Where was I? I needed to make for certain that no other Assassin Corps members were nearby. If that was the case, they could have killed any one of us who tried to run away."


    "Run away..? You really think any of us would do that..?"


    "Of course. When up against an unbeatable opponent, retreating and becoming strong enough to take out that opponent later down the line is the only logical thing to do."


    "Yeah, maybe.. maybe if we even had the chance. He was so damn fast that anyone who tried to leave would''ve been killed before they even reached the elevator. Hell, most of us are almost at that point anyway, but at least we''re still alive. We''re still alive.. unlike S-..Silva."


    Pulling away from Alant, Setianel gently set Faed down. "I was also able to retrieve Faed from another one of the copies. Though I did defeat one of them in here, I''m fairly certain that the duplicates are significantly weaker than the actual third ranked member."


    Lock took a step forward. His face and body were slightly damaged, and due to his robe being torn to bits, he removed it. "Setianal, if you were examining the outside area, then how exactly do you know that was the third rank?"


    After a pause, Setianal glanced back. "I have audio capturing devices placed throughout our headquarters, and overheard Flowe mention it. Do you believe that I may be a trader, Lock?"


    Another pause occurred.


    "No, of course not. It was simple curiosity."


    Faed coughed, and it echoed through Proel''s damaged base. Racing to her side, Lock held her head. ".. never have I been more glad to hear a cough." he said, holding back tears.


    Setianal scanned the area with his eyes. While the damage was substantial and significant, the base was still recognizable. "Thankfully, our base of operations was not completely wiped out. We''ll be able to repair it soon enough." he said. "But now that the Assassin Corps knows where it''s located, remaining here would be difficult.. unless they''re eliminated." After grabbing a few items and placing them in his armor, Setianal prepared to depart. "Alant, Lock, and Faed, if you''re conscious.. your mission for now will be to infiltrate the Assassin Corps headquarters, assuming that''s where they took everyone, and retrieve our comrades. If you survive, together we''ll develop a plan to wipe them out completely. Meet me at Aurora''s temple with whoever escapes alive."


    "So you won''t be helping then.. again." Alant spit blood on the floor. His fists tightened.


    "Is there a problem with that Alant? My assistance would only hinder your potential to improve. You''d never reach the level of any member of the Corps. Even Flowe, the former sixteenth ranked member, defeated you and Lock simultaneously."


    "There is a problem with that, because now''s not the time for training Setianal. Half of Proel is at risk of being killed."


    "Then I suggest you act quickly. If you''re truly worthy of Proel, you''ll figure out a way. Believe me... I took you in for a reason. You won''t fail" Following that statement, Setianal left.


    "Took me in for a reason..? Silva must not have been as important then.. huh?"


    "Alant." Lock said, still holding Faed. "You must calm yourself. As devastating as Silva''s death may be, you cannot let it change you to this degree. The Alant I know is optimistic about everything without exception. He believes there is always a way to achieve success. Most predominantly though, he lifts the spirits of everyone when tragedy strikes."


    A drop of blood from Alant''s blades dripped to the surface.


    "I can''t let it change me? No.. Lock. A change is exactly what I need. For my entire life people have died around me. Everyone I''ve ever cared for has turned into a corpse sooner or later. Enough is enough, being optimistic is stupid when I''m always wrong."


    "You still have a living family surrounding you Alant. I''m still alive, Faed is. Tigal, and now Human Hunter and Flowe if you consider them allies. I don''t intend on allowing any of their deaths to arrive anytime soon."


    "Neither did I.. but death is something that I''ve learned is impossible to prevent Lock. It''s just a matter of time until I''m alone again. So I''ve decided, once we save everyone, I''m leaving Proel."


    A shattered light reflected against Lock''s glasses as he sat there for a moment.


    "You aren''t thinking normally right now Alant, you''re grieving. Give it time and I assure you, your optimism will return."


    "Nahh." Alant hauled himself toward the somehow still working elevator. "I''m not kidding with ya Lock. The cycle ends here."


    "I''m still speaking with you.. stop."


    "Oh yeah, and you''ve changed too.. Lock." With that statement, Alant left.


    Lock sat alone with an unconscious Faed in the middle of Proel''s massacred base. He stared at the ground, noticing there was smeared cupcake frosting. He looked at it for quite some time.


    He screamed.

 Chapter Twenty-Six: The Assassin Corps

    A bit of black mist drifted into the air. Kensin reappeared inside of the massive Assassin Corps HQ. Chandeliers covered the ceiling of the fancy looking, lit up room. There were multiple staircases leading to several different areas. Someone entering for the first time would be overwhelmed.


    He dropped Human Hunter, Tigal, and Flowe to the floor, and made a screeching noise before entering a separate room.


    "Tchh.." Flowe couldn''t stop shaking. He grabbed at the ground. "I knew they were aware of your location but.. I never thought the Corps would send such a capable member this early on. I thought we had time.. an opportunity for me to inform you all of the coming danger."


    A cracking noise echoed throughout the vast room. It came from Human Hunter, who was adjusting his shoulder. "Shut up.." he said. "When I originally listened to your interactions, you came off as an intelligent and skilled fighter. Someone who knew what he was doing. Someone who''d be helpful. I was clearly wrong, you''re nothing more than a weakling who mentally breaks down when dealing with enemies stronger than yourself. You feared that Proel would one day surpass the Assassin Corps, which we will, and that''s why you joined us. There aren''t any other reasons, and now that your plan has fallen apart, you think that it''s all over."


    Flowe gulped. Human Hunter grabbed him by the neck, and slammed him on the wall.


    "But guess what..! Just because we''ve been caught heavily off guard doesn''t mean we''re completely done! As strong as the Corps may be, there''s a way to kill them other than in direct combat, and once I find out what that is... they''ll all be slaughtered... each and every single member." He let go of Flowe, and scanned the area with his eyes. "They must be extremely confident in their abilities because they left us completely armed in the middle of their base. That was a big mistake.. or.. maybe it wasn''t. Judging by how smart they''re made out to be, I doubt they''d leave us here without some sort of plan or precaution."


    "You''re correct.." Flowe confirmed. "Even with such a drastic difference in strength, the Corps are excessively careful. I was aware of this already.. but even more so after seeing someone as powerful as Kensin be the one to attack your base."


    "Alright then, I suggest we enter each of the rooms until we find something waiting for us. At this point, it''s our best option."


    "What the-..? Flowe!" Tigal raced over to Flowe''s side. "Have you not been here before during your alliance with these bastards??"


    "That''s right. I''m yet to ever see this particular section." Flowe paced back and forth. "The Corps certainly wouldn''t be dumb enough to place us somewhere I''ve been before, Tigal."


    "Grr.. every passing second causes me to further suspect that you''re lying." Tigal grumbled.


    Close by.. further back in the Assassin Corps''s base..


    "Hey, Sonic." Someone said. This person was closely observing a computer.


    "Eh?" Multiple cans of soda dropped from the fridge as Sonic turned around. "What??"


    "Well.. there''s a multitude of strange threats that have been appearing as of late. Across the planet, four Proel level beings have appeared. This is getting out of hand."


    "Outta hand?? Hah! Whaddya mean? Yeah, maybe a bunch of crazy teams, monsters, or whatever else have been comin around, but we''ve prepared for this kinda thing for decades now. If any of em wanna mess with us, they''ll get killed. That''s all there is to it. We''ve got back up plans to the back up plans, precautions in place for even the craziest of scenarios. Even if all of those fail, nobodies stronger than us in a straight up fight."


    Breaking his gaze from the computer, the person, who was known as Vess, turned to look at the glass wall next to him. On the other end of it, over two hundred unique Sapient variants were being held captive. "We''re strong, that much is obvious. But the reason why we''ve lasted this long is because of how we fully prepare for anything no matter how low of a threat it is. If your cocky mindset interferes with that, Sonic, Rez will kill you."Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    "Hm.. yup, I know. I''m not trying to be cocky alright, I''m trying to calm you down."


    "Ah, well thank you Sonic. But if I''m not careful we could be caught off guard. The team relies on my information, and even if we''ll be okay, the number of notable threats is above anything we''ve ever seen before."


    The two''s conversation was interrupted when Kensin came into the room. Sonic looked the other way, and gritted his teeth. "Damn.. it''s that weirdo.." he thought.


    Vess greeted him. "Hello Kensin. Have anything notable to tell us?"


    "No, he doesn''t. All he ever does is make weird noises and sit in his creepy little room." Still looking away, Sonic stood still.


    "He''s also one of the strongest members we''ve ever acquired. Losing him would be a significant blow. And you''re only naming what he does here, outside of the base, Kensin is an even more valuable asset."


    Kensin released some of his black mist. It morphed into a replay of the events that transpired in Proel''s base. Following that, it showed him capturing Flowe, Human Hunter, and Tigal, including when he brought them back to the Corps''s own base.


    "Seriously?" Sonic, who couldn''t prevent himself from watching, shook his head. "What''s the point of bringing em here? What? Did you want us to get a piece of the action? News flash weirdo, we don''t get pleasure out of killing people. It''s just what we have to do. This planet isn''t big enough to support weaklings, idiots, or mute mysterious psychopaths like you so if that''s what you joined for, you might as well-.."


    "Sonic. Every single member of the Corps is heavily researched before being approved. If Kensin was here just to satisfy his murderous ambitions, he would never have been given entry. I''m confident that the Proel members were brought here for our other project." After interrupting, Vess returned to his computer.


    "Tch, yeah. Whatever you say. In any case, I''m still thirsty. Never got my drink." Sonic lifted a soda from the floor. He cracked it open, and pressed it against his lips. "You know what.." he said, wiping his mouth. "I think I''m gonna make sure those Proel guys know that the Assassin Corps isn''t just filled with crazy mutes and dirty traitors. Plus, after we sent Kensin, I didn''t think I''d get the chance to talk with Flowe again. That''ll be interesting.. heheh."


    Before Sonic could leave, Vess called out. "Just a moment, Sonic."


    Sonic stopped. "Eh? What now?"


    Kensin seemed to be intrigued as well.


    "Well you see.." gazing at the screen for a moment longer, Vess slowly turned toward his fellow Corps members. "One of our defense systems has just gone down.."


    "What''d you just say..? Bullshit." Sonic tossed his drink aside, and pushed past Kensin, eventually reaching the computer. He looked at it for himself. "The hell..? Now the first five are down!"


    This information caused Kensin to put his guard up.


    "It''s as I said." Vess began, wrinkling his forehead. "Things have been getting out of hand."


    Loud slamming noises could be heard from a distance. As time went by, the number of downed defensive systems went up to ten... then twenty... fifty... one hundred... five hundred... nine hundred...


    "They''re nearly here." Vess calmly, and quietly said.


    While charging up his gear, dozens of thoughts rushed through Sonic''s mind. "Holy shit.. each and every single one of our defenses are tough as hell. Whoever''s slamming through em this quickly.. could actually be dangerous."


    Assassin Corps HQ Entrance


    "Hmmmm?! What''s this!? A group of intruders actually managed to break past our defenses!? BAHAHA! I''m impressed! Don''t think you''re off the hook though, those will take a whole day to repair, and that.. pisses me off.." The 12th ranked member of the corps, Belfume, waved around gigantic hammers in each of his hands. A large group of ghost like figures had appeared before him.


    "Corps activities.. interfere with mother Hondal''s ideals.. you must all be disposed of. Brothers.. infiltrate the base and eliminate all living beings. We must complete this task for mother, I will take care of this one. Now go." One of the floating, transparent beings pointed forward at the Assassin Corps''s base. His comrades all followed his command, and floated past Belfume, into the building.


    "Err-.. damn!" Looking back, Belfume realized there was nothing he could do to prevent these intruders from entering. He returned his attention forward. "So, you all have the ability to phase though objects huh? I assume that means you think you''re unstoppable."


    "No.. incorrect. There is a way to defeat us. However... it''s doubtful that any of you are able to perform a task that would result in our demise." the ghost figure gradually grew it''s limbs several times longer.


    "Hah, you see, that''s where you''re wrong. Even more so.. you''re bluffing. Otherwise you wouldn''t have had a reason to wreck all our traps. You feared we''d have a way to kill you, and rightfully so. As a matter of fact, I know just the thing I could use to take out weird floaty pests like you. And I''m sure the rest of the Corps will come to the same conclusion. You see.. there''s a reason why your ''mother'' or whatever hates us so much. It''s because we''re tough as nails and smart as hell! Something her little babies clearly can''t relate to!" Pulling his arms back, Belfume took a deep breath. The air filled his extremely obese, and oversized, yet still muscular body. He slammed his hammers against each other with as much power as he could. His muscles tightened. The vibrations traveled through the air as he tried to straighten them out, eventually hitting the opposing ghost enemy.


    This blew the transparent figure to nothingness. Only it''s newly severed limbs remained. The raw power and strength Belfume had, caused the shockwave to leave a line of destruction upon the ground for hundreds of miles.


    "Tch, try not to be so cocky next time. Oh-.. wait. I obliterated you already. Kinda hard to have a next time! BAHAHA!" Flinging his hammers over each shoulder, Belfume prepared to reenter the Corps''s base. "Mkay.. time to find out where the rest of those fools went off to. That is if they''re not all already dead. Hah."


    Without warning, before he could leave, a faint noise crept into Belfume''s ear. It was a sort of wet, crackling sound. He paused, and turned once more.


    To his slight surprise, the ghostly being had regenerated itself completely, only this time, it''s features were different.


    "Well now.. look what we have here." Belfume gazed upon every change his opponent had sustained. "You''ve gotten stronger.. a lot stronger. Seems to be some sort of enhancive regenerative ability. Alright then, if that''s the game you want to play, I suppose it''s time to test out just how strong of a shockwave I can create." Preparing to battle once more, he readied his hammers again.


    The ghostly figure twitched and burst with equally transparent mucus. "M-Mother! Cannot fail you.. cannot.. will not! MOTHERRR!!" It shrieked. It''s cries could be heard from miles away.


    "What''s this? No.. it cannot be." Another ghostly figure nervously claimed from inside the base. "Sortah... I-I believe he has done it. I think he has... awakened."

 Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Assassin Corps II

    The ghosts swept and wove their way through the hallways and rooms of the Assassin Corps HQ, searching for some sort of living being. "They''ve masked their presence.." One of them said.


    "No.." another answered. "Something in the air here has prevented us from being able to track anything."


    "Grr.." a third jumped in. "Mother was right.. these ones must be dealt with.."


    One of the ghost figures from far closer to the front of the building began to panic. "Telepathy... is not working. But.. Sortah has awakened.. I must inform the others."


    "Not happening." Standing just outside of a doorway, a man uttered these very words. He opened a book, one that looked nearly identical to Lock''s, and instantly absorbed the ghost. "Number three of thirteen.. which leaves exactly ten of these things remaining. Not counting the one out front but, I trust that Belfume can take care of that one."


    Across the vast hallway, a section of the wall fell into atomic sized pieces. A women wielding a blade stepped through.  "Shult.." she altered her gaze toward him. "What are these things? Why haven''t we heard of them before?"


    Shult clapped his book shut. "I hadn''t a clue. They may have masked any sign of their existence so incredibly well up to this point, that discovering them, even for you.. Rez, would have been near impossible. Either way, that''s a question for Vess. I think you know where he is."


    "Hm.. right." she said. "I wanted to hear your thoughts on the matter first, that''s all." After saying this, Rez noticed a ghost rocketing down the hallway. With a slight flick of the wrist, she moved her blade so unfathomably quickly, that it cut through the molecular arrangement of the air. The ghost fell to pieces. "I''ll be heading over to Vess now. Not that I think you will but, don''t get yourself killed." Rez sprinted away.


    "Very well then, I won''t." Shult stared down the hallway where Rez had left. "Only nine remain now."


    Elsewhere, Vess rapidly tapped a variety of keys on his computer''s keyboard. "The enemies have entered base, and have engaged in combat with Shult, Slate, Kor, and Rez. Their battle capabilities are still being assessed. Hold on... one is quickly approaching our current locatio-.." One of the nine remaining ghost enemies phased through the wall, and sent Vess and his computer, among other items into the air.


    Having landed on his feet, Vess slowly lifted his left arm. There was some sort of bionic covering over it. "By linking my laptop to my mind, I was able to transform it into a tool that can be manipulated into any object I may need at any given time. Seeing as you''re a ghost type figure, a molecular bypassing plasma blast should swiftly eliminate you."


    "That won''t be necessary.." From behind, a sonic boom erupted. It sped forward, slipping past the top of Vess''s hair, and into the transparent ghost, disintegrating it into nothingness. "What idiots." The source of the sonic boom, Sonic complained. "Did they think being untouchable would save em from us? Tch, the fact that our defenses couldn''t stop people as dumb as that quite frankly disgusts me." He closed the hand which he had released his attack from.


    "Ah, thank you Sonic." With a blank look, Vess returned his computer to normal, and resumed his investigation while standing. "Let''s see now.. while it''s impressive that these things have managed to enter HQ, they don''t seem to be too much of a threat to us. Also.. I''m not sure how or why they destroyed any of our defense systems considering they could have just phased through them."


    Cracking open another Soda, Sonic took a few gulps. Once finished, he let out a sigh of gratification. "Maybe they''re a religious group returning from the dead, that has a fetish for breaking into heavily defended facilities just to get their asses kicked."


    "While that''s a crazy theory, it''s very much possible. Though now that I''ve run through a few audio recordings, I''ve noticed that they keep referring to an entity they call - ''mother''. I''m assuming that''s who''s behind this attack."


    "And if it is, she''ll be sad to see that all her kids are dead."


    Kensin loudly screeched from nearby in the room.


    "Ah, damn! Can you keep it down over there freak?" Sonic turned around, picking at his ears, to look at Kensin in disappointment. Much to his shock however, this time Kensin''s odd noise was justified.


    The glass in front of every single Sapient that they had captured, was shattered.


    Back in front of the Corps HQ, Belfume was battling against the ghost, Sortah, who had undergone some sort of awakening. He ran in a zig zag formation, avoiding any attempts the awakened ghost had at attacking. Sortah blasted a beam across the landscape, and used his massive, sweeping claws to try and do some damage to Belfume.


    "Not going to work buddy, so I suggest you quit trying!" Belfume quickly turned toward Sortah, skidding across the floor to halt his momentum, and slammed one of his massive hammers against the ground''s surface. The vibrations traveled through the dirt, creating significant cracks everywhere it went, and exited right under the ghostly figure.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "M-Mother..!" Sortah screamed for what seemed to be the millionth time. "Will not.. be failed!!" The monstrous ghost shot forward, just barley avoiding death. Belfume''s vibration attack flew aimlessly into the air.


    "Really now, won''t she? Well I beg to differ!" Belfume hollered. Sortah rapidly approached him, claws prepared for a slicing. "Looks like breaking in here was all you had to show, all bark and no bite, because when it comes to actual combat.. you''re pathetic. Iron Charge! Lets take this amateur out!"


    "Combat mode deployed. Enemy engagement ready." A man made entirely of some sort of iron or steel appeared from the sky. Thrusters burst from his back, rocketing him through the air.


    Belfume launched his hammers at Iron Charge full force. After catching them, Iron Charge sailed back a bit before fully regaining his flight capabilities due to their weight. He then stopped in mid air, and with a hammer in each hand, extended his arms outward. "Target elimination probability... one hundred percent." He slammed them both together, using a separate set of thrusters on his arms to increase the power. Just like Belfume, this created strong vibrations in the air which travelled toward Sortah.


    At the same time, Belfume used his tremendous fists to rapidly pummel the ground, sending loads of smaller vibrations into the air. "You''re finished, translucent dirtbag!"


    Sortah''s attempts to get away were thwarted this time. The smaller size of Belfume''s fist created vibrations allowed them to travel much faster than the one his hammers created. They zoomed into Sortah, blasting pieces of his body away. Then came the massive one from Iron Charge, finishing the job.


    While fizzling out, Sortah managed to utter one final sentence. "Heh.. perfect."


    The mood calmed down following the absence of any sort of threat other than those who resided inside. Iron Charge landed next to Belfume, de engaging his thrusters. "Target elimination complete. I believe the Corps will be able to take care of the rest. Our work together was efficient as always, Belfume."


    "Heh, yeah it damn well was." Belfume agreed. "Now if you''d be so kind to give me my hammers back, we could head on inside and grab ourselves a couple of celebratory beverages. Hell, I''ll pour you a glass of some top quality aged wine myself. A decade old exactly."


    "No thank you. Consuming anything doesn''t benefit me in the slightest, so I deem it unnecessary and a waste of resources."


    Taking his hammers back from Iron Charge, Belfume let out a chuckle. "Maybe you should program some taste receptors into that tin body of yours, then you could get some enjoyment out of life every once in a while! Ha ha!"


    "I''ll consider it next time I make significant alterations to my functioning."


    "Alright alright, a consideration''s better than nothing I suppose."


    From behind them, a distant rumbling began to increase in notability. "Huh? Now just what in the hell is that? Jeez, don''t tell me this crap still isn''t over." Belfume took a step back to turn himself around toward the source of the noise, the Assassin Corps HQ.


    "Analysis initiated..." Iron Charge''s metallic body began to glow in certain areas. "Based on the area''s shift in molecular arrangement, weight of the footsteps, and the speed of approach, the source of the noise is in fact our two-hundred sixty seven once contained Sapients."


    "The Sapients?? Bah, those damn ghostly sacks of crap must''ve let them lose."


    "I drew an identical conclusion."


    "Well, no use in whining about it. Let''s just take the suckers out already, I''ve had enough simple battling for one day."


    "Affirmative. I will immediately assist you with the Sapient elimination."


    "Bahah! Vess is going to be seriously pissed when he finds out all his research subjects are done for!"


    "Knowing Vess, the probability that he already knows is exactly one hundred percent."


    Inside of the Assassin Corps HQ, Tigal dropped to his knees. "From the moment we stepped into this place, I had a feeling our chances of escape were slim to none."


    Noises from the battles taking place could be heard from where the kidnapped Proel members resided.


    Human Hunter returned from unsuccessfully searching the final room. "A little noise doesn''t mean we''re dead. Actually, that could be Proel trying to rescue us. Either that, or the Corps is under attack by an unknown source."


    "The chances that a force was able to infiltrate any establishment of the Assassin Corps are astronomically low. Additionally, unless Setianal is assisting, I guarantee the intruders would not be Proel." Flowe seemed to have somewhat regained his composure. "They simply aren''t strong enough, Human Hunter. Not yet, and with the situation we''re currently in, they may never be."


    "I see.. in that case, I might as well kill you now before you switch sides. Isn''t that right?"


    "Tchh.. I may have taken it into consideration but, if you recall, my initial betrayal is the reason why we''re here. At least I''m assuming it is. There''s also a chance that they coincidentally decided to launch an attack on you at that very moment. Either way, at this point there''s no way I could ever hope to rejoin the Corps, even if that were my wish."


    After a moment of thought, Flowe prepared to speak further, but was cut off. Tigal punched him in the face as hard as he could.


    Human Hunter glanced down at Flowe who was now on the floor.


    "T-That''s how long it lasted, huh!?" Tigal spat out. He was weeping.


    Flowe didn''t say a word, instead deciding to just stare at Tigal with slightly wide eyes, placing a hand where he had been hit.


    "I.. can''t keep it up anymore, I can''t keep up this act!" The distraught Tigal continued. "The truth is.. that everyone.. everyone I''ve ever trusted... has one day or another caused everything in my life to go to shit! Listen, I don''t make these stupid damn theories for no reason.. you got that? I make them because of past experience! And you Flowe, are a perfect example of why I don''t ever trust a single soul! Everyone always tells me.. Tigal that''s so stupid.. Tigal why would that ever happen.. Tigal you make no damn sense, it''ll be fine! So for once, despite acting like I was still my same suspicious self, I decided to trust you Flowe!"


    His voice echoed throughout the vast room.


    "This situation probably wasn''t the best to choose out of them all." Human Hunter claimed. "Even I was cautious, Flowe''s an enemy who switched sides in an instant to help us. Not exactly the kind of guy to-.."


    "Shut the hell up!!!" Tigal screamed. "You think you''re not apart of this too Human Hunter!? Kind of suspicious that the two newest members are the ones I''m suddenly stuck with in the inner headquarters of the most dangerous organization on planet earth!"


    Human Hunter kept quiet.


    "You''re both damn traitors! At least I know Flowe is.. without him Silva would still be alive, and everyone would be back at home strategically planning some sort of engagement instead of being crippled like this!"


    This time, it was Human Hunter who punched Tigal in the face full force, sending the brute gliding across the smooth tile. He opened and closed his hand, examining it before clenching his fist tightly. "Fine then, I''m done. If you don''t want to listen to my alleviating, then I''ll give you a true piece of reality."


    The gaze of Human Hunter locked onto Tigal.


    "Tigal.. complaining about the past is pointless. It''s something you can''t change, so the one who needs to shut up is you. All this talk about constant betrayal, and never have you considered that it''s just a part of life. To get through it there''ll be times where you make the wrong call. Times where those you thought you could count on stab you in the back, those who you admire with the highest regards instantly swap sides, and the ones you care about get killed because of someone you thought you could call an ally. But guess what.. if those are the only moments you remember, if you walk around every day fearing everyone and everything you come by just because of that, then what''s the point of living. How the hell do you expect to move forward? I''ll tell you how.. you do it by..!


    Blood sprayed across Human Hunter''s face. He froze. Flowe''s jaw dropped to the floor. The chandelier above slowly swayed back and forth, making small creaks in the suddenly dead silent room.


    "Hm? What was that you were saying about betrayal, Human Hunter?" Tigal''s head had been splattered into pure liquid, and the man responsible stood next to his corpse.


    Blood soaked into the bottom of the man''s cane, which he held in one hand. The other rested behind his back. "Heh heh heh, I''d truly like to hear it. Now don''t just stand there, spit it out you bafoon."


    The man.. was in fact.. Aurora.

 Chapter Twenty-Eight: An Interruption

    "Aurora.. what did you just do..?" Human Hunter''s gums bled from how hard he was gritting his teeth.


    Every step Aurora took as he paced back and forth, sent an echo throughout the room. The cane he used was heavier than it looked. "I have found you a powerful ally, that is what. Benson and Aria cannot sit and wait for us forever. When I first heard of the Sapient outbreak, I planned on getting assistance from my friends at Proel, but after seeing their overlord''s strength, I came to realize that Proel simply.. would not be strong enough. So I went to seek out a different organization, one that would give us a fighting chance."


    "I see.. so you''re saying that killing Tigal was completely unnecessary."


    "Now now, calm yourself down there Human Hunter. The Assassin Corps do not just work with anyone, it took me some mighty convincing to get to this point. All for Benson, Aria, and your sake. They consider Proel one of their enemies, so I was simply showing my devotion by taking care of the intruders I''ve been hearing smash up the place. Now I sincerely advise you to assist me with that, otherwise everything I''ve done will have been for nothing. Ah, not to mention, they''re humans. You know, the species you used to hunt."


    "I''ve been a little busy as of late, old man..."


    "Understandably so, you weren''t aware of what I was doing. But now that you are, I believe it is time for us to rejoin forces, take care of Proel, and go save your family."


    Human Hunter just stood there for a while. Not saying a word, not moving. "They''re Human Hunters, just like I am."


    "Yes... and they will get you killed today if you decide to stand beside them."


    "Nghh.."


    "And keep in mind, whatever your next move is, I know. I have the crystal ball.. you do remember it don''t you?"


    "Yeah, I do. So you should already be aware that..."


    Tilting his head, Aurora calmly asked. "Hm? That what exactly?"


    "That whether or not you found a solution, threatening me with it was a big mistake..."


    "Then it is as I thought.." Aurora closed his eyes. "You''ve most certainly been thrown off track."


    "Maybe." The intimidating gaze of Human Hunter met Aurora. "So now what? Do you intend on becoming my enemy?"


    "If that''s what it takes to bring you back to your senses, then yes." Following this statement, Aurora turned to depart.


    "I''ll find a way to save Benson and Aria. One that doesn''t require me to kill those who share our ideals. And then.. I''ll take you and the rest of the entire Assassin Corps down. I promise."


    Stopping for one final brief moment, Aurora separated his lips and said. "The Corps and I should be the least of your worries, Human Hunter." He then left through an opening in the wall that wasn''t previously there. One that he seemed to have created himself somehow.


    Again, there was silence for a while. Tigal''s blood had trickled all the way over to Human Hunter''s feet. Speaking of Human Hunter, he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Flowe''s.


    "We now have an exit, I believe we should get going." Flowe said. "Staring further will only feed into any negative feelings you may have at the moment."


    Human Hunter looked for a moment longer, taking in the site before him one last time. Engraving it into his memory. "Fine then, let''s go." Not altering his gaze toward Flowe even once, he began walking to the exit. "Let''s go kill the Assassin Corps."


    Without moving, Flowe watched him leave.


    A huge explosion of smoke erupted following an attack from Iron Charge. Along with Belfume, he was battling against the escaped Sapients. Since the Assassin Corps had only captured one of each kind, every single Sapient they were currently facing had its own unique abilities, strengths, weaknesses, and level of power.


    One of the Sapients that was blasted to pieces by Iron Charge multiplied itself into several separate entities. Another took small bites of its own flesh, and spit it out as steaming acid.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    "Half of these damn things don''t even seem killable!" With a swing of the hammer, Belfume crushed a sapient into the ground, only for it to turn into goo. "Seriously! The hell is this!?"


    "It seems Vess inadequately assessed their capabilities." Iron Charge eliminated a few more, but revealed the strange abilities of some others.


    "Damn right he did!"


    Slate, a martial artist, slammed his leg against a massive Sapient grouping. "C''mon you guys, do you seriously not know Vess at all? Like he''d ever make a mistake."


    "Bah, there ya are Slate." Belfume unsuccessfully attacked another Sapient that originally seemed to be somewhat normal. "I''ll admit it''s a shocker, but how else can you explain this? You''re not tellin me Vess would hide this from us are you?!"


    The toughness of Slate''s skin made him nearly unable to suffer any physical harm. Tanking attack after attack, he pummeled multiple Sapients with his legs and fists. "Not a chance, basically what I''m saying is not to assume anything until we''ve heard from the man himself. For now though, focusing on these guys is probably the best course of action."


    "Yeah yeah, no complaints here. Let''s just hope we can figure out how to take the suckers down sooner rather than later. I''m tired of waiting to have some damn alcohol!"


    Just then, a beam of light shot through the middle of the Assassin Corps HQ, creating a sphere shaped hole from the ceiling all the way to the floor. A Sapient stood where it shot, one that seemed to be far more powerful than the rest.


    "The readings I acquired.. so they were from here." it said, looking at a strange screen displayed on its wrist. "I see. It''ll certainly be interesting to see what the cause of such a large gathering actually was. Something tells me though, that the reasoning isn''t positive."


    Belfume, Iron Charge, and Slate looked on in shock. Human Hunter and Flowe stopped in their tracks, wondering what could have caused such a dramatic shockwave. The attention of all the other members of the Corps was caught as well.


    "Just what we needed." Belfume groaned, he peered at the destructive mess created by the beam.


    Just like Belfume, Iron Charge gazed at it. "Assessing...... whatever came from that beam, is several times stronger than what we''re currently up against. Victory will require our full strength."


    "Full strength huh? Pfft, c''mon tin can, if you couldn''t tell, I''ve been giving it my all already. That''ll just have to be enough for a victory."


    "It will be!" Slate yelled from nearby. "We''re the Assassin Corps, a team built of the strongest there is! No way I''ll let a bunch of aliens we captured ourselves take us down."


    "Heh." A faint smirk grew on Belfume''s face. "Well said. Alright then, for the hundredth time, are you guys ready to kill the freaks in front of us? I think these conversations we keep havin have overstayed their welcome."


    "Same here."


    "Agreed."


    The Sapients had all gathered close to each other, having recuperated during the commotion.


    "If you both agree.." Belfume resumed. "Then shut your mouths already and help me take these bastards down.  They''ve also overstayed their welcome. A welcome they never even got!" This initiated the onslaught. All three Corps members charged at the army of Sapients, throwing everything they had at them.


    Explosions from Iron Charge erupted all around. He landed, and generated blades on his wrists for close range combat. Belfume did what he would usually do, smashing his hammers left and right, flattening Sapients whether it killed them or not. As for Slate... he still used his arms and legs for battle, but they now were completely different.


    "A bunch of Sapients?" The arms of Slate tightened, and grew in size ever so slightly as he powered up. "Nice try, but it''ll take more than you guys to bring the Corps to their knees. I''ve gotta hand it to you though, you did manage to hide all your neat abilities from Vess. At least I think that''s what happened. That alone is an accomplishment, but it ends here. This is where it all comes crashing down for you." he narrowed his eyes. "I''m not ranked number six for no reason."


    One swing. All Slate started off with was a single swing. His fist landed against the chest of the Sapient that turned to goo, and disintegrated it into nothingness. The power behind this one blow sent an incredibly forceful burst of air in all directions, and developed a large crater around his feet.


    As was said though... that was only the first swing. After this, Slate began unleashing this level of power at a rapid rate. Every single attack wouldn''t leave a trace of its target left.


    Even with all of this strength, soon enough, the remaining Sapients... the strongest Sapients... began gaining the upper hand. The fist of Slate crashed into a Sapient that stood at fifteen feet tall. Much to his shock, it had no affect.


    "What''s the matter? Exerted yourself already?" The Sapient asked with clear confidence.


    Slate''s body vibrated. "That''s not it at all, I just need a bit more strength for you, and a better angle." He shifted the positioning of his legs, and launched himself into the air. Once near the Sapients head, he took a swing. It attempted to block, but it was pointless. Slate''s fist obliterated it''s hand, and rammed into the head.


    The Sapient staggered backward, and fell to the floor. It was finished off with a slam from Belfume''s hammer. "There''s around sixty left, but they''re damn tough ones! Nothing we can''t handle but... bah, who am I kiddin. Who the hell knows what kind of crap these guys have in store for us!"


    "Nothing that my systems are able to comprehend." Yet again, Iron Charge had taken the time to scan the remaining targets. Normally this would result in a complete analysis on every single detail of an opponent, comrade, or anything else he may have used this ability on. While he could still use it on these high level Sapients to measure their level of power, the feedback he received on their abilities was extremely strange.


    Luckily, they wouldn''t be needing to eliminate the remaining Sapients themselves. Fifteen of them dropped dead moments after Iron Charge finished speaking. Black mist rose from their corpses. The third ranked member of the Assassin Corps, Kensin, was somewhere in the nearby area.


    Startled that so many of their powerful comrades had instantly fallen, the forty five Sapients that remained looked around frantically. "Gisto, Blentura, Wrak.... gone so quickly. What could have-..."


    A sudden knee to the chin from Kensin was enough to rocket a Sapient thousands of miles across the planet. The rest were beaten to the ground, or killed by his mist seconds later.


    Kensin screeched, looking at his hand while Belfume and the others came over to greet him.


    The first to speak was Iron Charge. "Per usual, the combat skills displayed by Kensin were inconceivably efficient. I only hope that one day I am able to reach such heights."


    "You''re the lucky one." Belfume firmly patted the glistening silver back of Iron Charge. "Unlike the rest of us, your shiny ass can get upgrades. Your dream''s got a damn good chance of happening someday."


    Slate tapped Kensin''s arm. "Hey, Kensin. Do you know what came out of the beam that seriously messed up base, it''d-.. well... you don''t exactly talk I guess, do you?"


    Kensin screamed awkwardly in response.


    "Heh.. right."


    Arms crossed, Belfume''s attention was drawn to the Corps HQ. "Oh yeah, that''s right the beam. Almost forgot about it after the adrenaline rush I just went through. Bahah! I suppose we better check out what the deal with that thing is, huh?"


    "That decision is the obvious choice, considering the beam catastrophe occurred within our living quarters. Otherwise we will be unable to return to our previous way of life." A variety of mechanisms were at work on Iron Charges body as he spoke. "But, as I warned you before, the life form that emerged from the beam is several times the strength of even the strongest we''ve ever faced, though at this moment in time I''m unable to measure how it would perform against the likes of someone such as Kensin."


    "Yeah? Ya don''t say. Well, crazy strong or not, we''ll be taking the thing on sooner or later so why bother with the details. Let''s go." Belfume slung a hammer over his shoulder, and walked toward the Corps HQ entrance.


    "I suppose that''s an accurate assessment." Iron Charge hovered forward, following Belfume into base. "I just sincerely hope whatever we''re up against is able to be defeated by the combined efforts of us all. A loss against such an entity would be fatal to our project."