Reborn- Apocalypse 2

by L. M. Kerr

  One of the 10 Supreme A Ranked Emissaries was a woman Micheal had to kill.

  He blinked, shaking the stray thoughts from his head as he watched Enforcer Ayer bring out a second emblem, this one marked slightly differently than his. Instead of a simple pair of angelic wings, it had an angelic wing and a pointy sword emblazoned in it, the sign of an Enforcer.

  Ayer mumbled something. Gradually, a faint, glowing blue light began to shimmer, rising off his own emblem. This light slowly moved to hover over Micheal's emblem, faint particles of it flaking off and dissipating in the air.

  In the First Layer, the methods for creating their magical emblems were known only to Arcadia's team of researchers and craftsmen. It was a relatively short process that involved imbuing certain types of magical light into a finely carved Cloud Rock, a type of material purchasable from the Shop.

  The emblems were imbued with a type of 'code,' one that was extremely complicated, like encryption technology back on Earth. All emblems were linked together through this code, one that only an extremely tiny number of people knew.

  Micheal…

  Did not know the code, nor did he even have any idea what it could be. Arcadia changed their code every month, from what he'd read up on the compiled history. Even if he had an old code, it would change nothing.

  He hadn't made any notable splash in his first run, not while he was on the First Layer. The information he had here was limited to the historical records that humanity gathered together near the end.

  Even then, he mostly only remembered the major events from those records and his memories, as well as a few small minor things. Most of the minor stuff wasn't anything he bothered memorizing. After all, it wasn't like he had known he was going to start over. If he had been aware…

  He tossed the stray thought to the side again with a mental sigh, focusing on Ayer's actions. He seemed to have gained a bad habit of reminiscing about things from his past life.

  The blue light wavered and seemed to drizzle out as it flashed around his emblem. When Enforcer Ayer saw this, his eyes narrowed, a hint of suspicion appearing.

  Micheal didn't have any knowledge of Arcadia's codes.

  What Micheal did have, however… was some rudimentary knowledge about the science of these emblems, and the ability to create an emblem that looked convincingly like a real one.

  When one emblem reacted to another emblem, sharing the correct 'code,' the target emblem released a unique aura. It released a sphere of light that was tightly constrained, a faint orb of energy that gave off a pure feeling.

  Something like that was, for almost all people, completely impossible to replicate. It might not be impossible to create a similar aura, but to have it react to their own emblem as well as form a sphere of light… it was simply far beyond the abilities of anyone in the First Layer to create, not after only 3 years.

  Micheal couldn't do it either.

  What he could do, however, was fake it.

  The moment Ayer activated his Enforcer Emblem, Micheal's right finger twitched.

  A near invisible, minute string of colorless Sword Energy shot off his finger, forming a long, almost impossible to see trail in the air. This tiny string shot all the way over to the Emblem Micheal had forged, using materials from the shop that bore a good enough resemblance to a proper emblem to get by.

  His Sword Energy gave off light. A little manipulation could change that light to any color, though doing so would vastly weaken the energy.

  And that weakened energy, when it combined with the glowing appearance of the Emissary Emblem he made…

  With a gust of wind, a glowing sphere of light and energy appeared, one that gave off a very powerful aura. It rippled sharply, barely containing its spherical shape. Micheal frowned stiffly beneath his mask, feeling the strain of such fine-tuned control on his low Soul stat.

  When Ayer saw this reaction on Micheal's emblem, his eyes opened wide in shock, his jaw dropping. He immediately turned to look at Micheal, his hands trembling.

  "M-my apologies, sir!" The Enforcer's face had visibly paled, sweat appearing on his forehead. His reaction was rather exaggerated.

  'Did I go too over the top?' Stronger Emissaries were given more powerful emblems. Knowing this, Micheal tried to make his appear powerful and daunting, trying to look like an A Ranked Emissary.

  Unless you were one of the extremely small number of researchers that designed the emblems, it was practically impossible to tell the difference between his emblem and a legitimate one. People saw what they expected to see. There might be a minor difference here or there, but not all emblems were perfectly identical.

  Ayer gave several hurried bows, ducking his head respectfully. His entire body was trembling as he spoke, knowing he had been somewhat disrespectful to an elite Emissary that could end his life with a wave of his hand.

  "It's fine." Micheal's voice took on a magnanimous air as he replied, deciding to play the part.

  "I assume you won't force Crane to hand hers over as well?" He replied as he held out his hand, canceling the string of Sword Energy with an internal sigh of relief. Maintaining Sword Energy in such a complex shape was incredibly trying.

  Ayer quickly returned his emblem to him, stuttering out a reply,

  "No, no! Of course not!"

  "Good." Micheal's words were smooth, not betraying a hint of emotion.

  "Now then." He immediately continued, nodding slightly at Ayer.

  "I have been away on a mission and my intel on the Main Cluster's current going-ons are a bit outdated." His voice was leading as he finished speaking, looking at Ayer expectantly.

  Ayer picked up on the cue, his eyes lighting up as he realized he'd found a way to make up for his error.

  "Ah, of course! I would be happy to fill you in, sir!"

  "…"

  Several minutes, and several questions later, Micheal had gained a much better grasp of the current Main Cluster, getting clear information on what major events had happened, and what hadn't. What he found out made him rather pleased.

  The Head of the Godfather Organization was still alive, the Nightrunners were still acting like they were a good, upright organization, and Leila, the Supreme A Ranker he was infiltrating the Angels Arcadia to take out, was still considered the weakest of the Supreme A Rankers in the Emissaries of Arcadia, ranked at 47th on the Main Cluster Ranking List .

  'She isn't active and a traitor yet, and the Nightrunners haven't revealed themselves.’ If he took Leila down relatively soon, that should buy him enough time to stop one of the future disasters that struck the First Layer, the Dawning Six incident, before it even started.

  As these thoughts ran through his head, he blinked, smiling beneath his mask as he spoke,

  "The force I am here with is the Stardust Coalition. They aren't an official ally, but want to establish a presence in the Main Cluster. Inform the Iron Eye Branch that they are to be treated as a Friend of Arcadia. Maintain silence on which Emissary I am, however. I would like to avoid having my identity leaked, it would put them all in danger."

  "Yes sir!" Ayer responded enthusiastically, without hesitation. The reason the Emissaries wore masks was well known. They were the high-level enforcers that fought against powerful groups and enemies. Largely as a result, they were hated and reviled by many, and had many enemies. Being public friends with any Emissary could lead to serious danger.

  While Micheal wasn't technically a part of the Stardust Coalition, in the end, the people here had helped him rapidly traverse the Great Bridge with ease. He wouldn't mind paying it forward a little and boosting their start here in the Main Cluster.

  The Saru Group, the Flesh Wizards Tower, the various other smaller organizations. All of these powers had notable strength in the Stardust Cluster. The first two, in particular, had provided him with a good deal of help or influence, helping him make fast progress.

  Still, he didn't have any time to waste. Humanity was living on a ticking clock. As much as it would
be nice to settle down and create a large organization of his own, absorbing these smaller teams, it would take too long.

  'I want to make a team… but my team will need to consist of a small number of top-tier, elite humans.’ It was enough that he helped humanity as a whole grow stronger, to bring his race up to a higher level. This thought was one of his core plans. Every human was limited to 7 Abilities and there was so much he needed to do, it wasn't feasible for him to stay as a loner. A single human could not fight against an entire race.

  "I will personally see to it!" Ayer continued, interrupting Micheal's thoughts.

  After exchanging a few more words, Ayer left the room. Micheal and Sophia exited behind them, watching as the Enforcer went and began to talk with the various members of the Coalition.

  Micheal got a few more looks of awe and surprise, as well as ones of happiness as everyone found out their newly minted Coalition was receiving some substantial backing from another group, before they even reached the Main Cluster.

  'Speaking of other groups… Shin, buddy, are you already in the Main Cluster?' The Great Bridge from the Stardust Cluster had opened up. Shin's Great Bridge had already been opened as well, a few days ago at least.

  'I'll be able to find out soon… I hope you're doing well, bud. We've got a lot of work to do.'

  .. .. .. .. .. ..

  …Far away from Micheal, near the Main Cluster headquarters of the Godfather Organization, a cheerful, relaxed voice echoed out loud. The speaker was a blonde haired 18-year-old laying languidly on a large, folding beach chair, taking in the warm sunlight from the sky above.

  "Oh man, I sure love not doing any work."

  .

  Chapter 12

  Micheal's entrance to the Main Cluster was rather anticlimactic.

  After the incident with Ayer and the other members of his Enforcer Team, they all moved in a group through the remainder of the Great Bridge. Safety in numbers was a real concept, though the Enforcer Team likely feared little. They wouldn't have been sent after the murderess if they weren't confident about traversing the Great Bridge.

  They went back to their usual method of having a leading vanguard that wiped out any potential threats, clearing the way and rotating teams in and out. The method itself was very efficient, ensuring they progressed smoothly without having anyone tired out greatly and maintaining top form.

  When Ayer saw this, he was suitably impressed. This method of transport was one Micheal had learned in later Layers, in some of the few times he was participating in a large group or team. It wasn't commonly used here on the First Layer, especially considering most people crossed the Great Bridge in smaller sized groups.

  In what felt like no time at all, but was actually several hours, the Main Cluster came into sight.

  When Micheal first saw it, a wave of nostalgia swept over him.

  A huge, seemingly endless expanse of skyscrapers was just barely visible in the background, covering the horizon. Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, veritably hundreds of thousands of skyscrapers were spread out, a massive maze of buildings. The variety of skyscrapers was much larger in the Main Cluster, with all sorts of uniquely styled towers.

  'It really is huge. In total area, it's bigger than some countries back on Earth, if I recall.' Compared to the Stardust Cluster, the Main Cluster was significantly larger.

  The other members of the Coalition hadn't had much reaction. In sheer appearance, it actually looked very similar to the Stardust Cluster from the Great Bridge, just a decent amount wider. They could only see a small portion of the Main Cluster, after all.

  It took them only a couple of hours from the time they saw the Main Cluster to actually reach it, crossing over hundreds and hundreds of derelict ships.

  With Micheal's precise guidance, they made incredible time. No longer was it a harrowing journey that took tons of concentration, an epic in its own right. Instead, just a quick, multi-day trip.

  And just like that, they arrived at the end of the Great Bridge.

  "Emissary Heron, sir, we should have one of our re-supply stations right over this way." Enforcer Ayer's voice echoed out as Micheal looked out from the exit of the Great Bridge.

  The exit of the Great Bridge took the scene of a large oil tanker leaning upward at a slight angle as it connected with the edge of a smaller, grey skyscraper. The point where the boat and the skyscraper collided was easy to see, with the boat flexing and bending slightly, right at the top.

  Micheal was currently standing on the very edge of the tanker, looking at the skyscraper that stood just half a meter below him. Behind and around him, the members of the Stardust Coalition were clambering over the edge, all in good cheer.

  Hundreds of skyscrapers spread out, all around them. In the background, Micheal could hear several gunshots echoing. He could already see a few battles from Morenkai duking it out with humans a few skyscrapers over. The familiar sights and sounds of the Main Cluster, where the average person was typically a decent bit stronger and braver.

  "Alright." Micheal replied, turning his attention over towards the Enforcer and his team. His eyes flicked to the left and right as he glanced at the immediate skyscrapers neighboring theirs.

  'Ah, there they are.'

  He could make out several small groups of people, sitting down or lounging on the roofs of these skyscrapers. Roughly 3 such groups, each one having 6 or 7 people.

  'Scavengers.'

  Despite there ostensibly being law and order here thanks to the Big 3, there still existed plenty of people that would take advantage of injured or weak people. Many groups that just finished making it across the Great Bridge would fall into the injured category, potential Point mines just ready for the taking, sometimes with even less risk than a regular Morenkai.

  Upon seeing the size of their massive group, not a single one of these Scavenger groups dared to step forward. Micheal shook his head ruefully when he saw that.

  His own first crossing had ended on a very different exchange. They had been ambushed by a group of Scavengers and nearly killed, surviving by the skin of their teeth and a great deal of luck. These groups only existed on the edge of the Main Cluster, while much larger groups typically dominated the interior.

  "Give me a moment to recap with the Coalition." Micheal waved at Ayer as he jumped off the end of the ship, landing on the ground with a resounding thunk. The feeling of having the skyscraper beneath his feet, and no longer having to travel and help coordinate with a large group, was one of relief.

  He may have become the de facto leader, but he didn't particularly enjoy directing so many groups and people. It was stressful, even if nothing happened, though still well within his capabilities.

  "Heyo!" Micheal yelled out loud, catching everyone's attention. He rubbed at the comfortable mask on his face, his mouth twitching slightly. Wearing a mask for so long, even one magically designed by the system to be breathable and perfectly comfortable, was a slightly unpleasant experience.

  'Will my face grow slightly pale because of a lack of sunlight?' He tossed the irrelevant thought from his mind as he looked over the leaders of the Coalition.

  All of them, from Captain Simon of the Saru Group, to Sharpshooter Mike, the leader of the Sharpshooter Alliance, to Swiss Artillery Noah, of the Tobagin Party, to Officer Martin of the Godfather Organization, stood before Micheal, looking alert.

  "Alright, everyone. This is where we will part ways." He explained, giving them all slight nods.

  "Emissary Heron! It's been a pleasure traveling with you!" Captain Simon replied instantly, banging an arm on his chest as he looked over at Micheal with a warm smile. The two had become half-decent friends over the course of the journey, with Simon asking for his advice on several things relating to combat.

  Micheal expertly answered all of his questions, giving Simon the impression that he was a seasoned expert. Which, he was, despite only living in the Cluster for around a month.

  "Yes, Emissary! The Blue Wing S
ociety thanks you, we are eternally grateful to all you've done for us!" A man wearing a set of blue leather armor bowed his head, sincerely voicing his opinion.

  "As does the Tobagin Party!"

  "As does the…"

  All of the various groups offered their thanks. Micheal's presence had given everyone a large amount of reassurance and made the journey much easier. Everyone here held a certain level of gratefulness towards him.

  Behind Micheal, Sophia looked on everything silently. She wanted to stick her tongue out at Micheal and the group, feeling slightly ignored. She had avoided talking much to anyone, largely because of how nervous she felt pretending to be part of some unknown group. She didn't want to spoil Micheal's plans.

  As a result, she didn't leave much of an impression on anyone.

  "Have you all decided who will be leading the Stardust Coalition in my absence?" Micheal continued, after the din died down.

  "Yes sir, we have." Noah stepped forward and replied respectfully, his short blonde hair wobbling as a breeze drifted past. He continued,

  "We've decided upon Captain Simon." The Captain of the Saru Group had shown incredible might to those present, winning many of them over.

  Officer Martin nodded, as did the others.

  Simon seemed to swell up slightly at the recognition, laughing out loud,

  "Ah, well, I'll be doing my best, ahaha!" He smiled cheerfully,

  "Maybe not as good as you could, Emissary, but I'll lead as good as I can!" Despite his words, his voice was flooded with confidence.

  "A wise choice." Micheal nodded in return.

  A few minutes passed as he talked with the leaders and made his farewells. He offered a few pieces of choice advice on where they might choose to settle down, advice on how to survive in the Main Cluster, and other small tidbits of info.

  He had already decided to share with them the details on how to create Dragon Building Liquid and how to hunt Golden Morenkai, surprising most of them with the intel during their journey, holding back little. Them knowing wouldn't interfere in his own hunts, the sheer size of the Main Cluster seeing to that.