by L. M. Kerr
Just like that, she was left as the only person standing. She looked around with hesitation in her eyes, gazing at the downed figure of Number 14.
She then bent down and picked up the Gold Giant's Gauntlet that Commander Kenneth had dropped. It was a type of Artifact that enhanced one's Strength stat, but was strenuous to use and could only be worn short term. The Commander had tried to put it on when he realized he was under attack, but didn't make it in time.
"Number 14, sir, I-" She was in the middle of speaking as she took a few steps forward before her eyes widened in shock.
Instantly, she ducked down and tapped on her Spatial Ring, pulling out a sleek, silver gun. The air around her began to shiver as she began activating her-
Before she could finish doing anything, a metal fist grabbed her by the neck, causing her to freeze as her breathing was restricted. The Gold Giant's Gauntlet and the silver gun she held were flung up into the air as she temporarily struggled before stopping, looking at her attacker in disbelief.
"Leila. How could you?" Commander Kenneth's voice sounded dazed as he held the woman up by the neck, ready to crush it and kill her at a moment's notice. The man's body was trembling from exertion, a faint, poisonous air seeping out of his body as he gradually turned to steel.
"H-how did you recover?!" Leila gasped as she stared at him in horror.
"That would be because of me, my dear."
A male voice echoed in the air as Micheal stood up, dusting himself off. He picked up all of his gear and weapons, still wearing the same suit he had been wearing before. The garment was ripped and torn, but it still covered his body.
"How?! How?!" Leila yelped out loud as her eyes darted to the side and stared at Micheal in horror. Her body trembled, but she was unable to move, Kenneth holding her in far too serious a grip.
In terms of physical strength, Leila was one of the weaker A Rankers. Her specialties lay in using her poison attacks and her ability to manipulate energy, as well as her cunning and investigative mind. She had a Defensive Artifact, but she was well aware that it wouldn't be able to stop a close-range blow from Kenneth if he crushed her throat.
Commander Kenneth was equally shocked. He had seen Micheal die when he was in a helpless stupor, still recovering from the Malwa Poison Energy.
The two pills Micheal had secretly thrown Kenneth were known as Cleaning Body Pills. They were tools Micheal had purchased from the Shop for a flat 3,000 Points each. Each one focused on refreshing one's inner strength, their Ki, boosting their energy levels.
Kenneth had used that to boost his strength just above what was needed to throw off the Malwa Poison Energy. Doing so left him partially exhausted and drained, but in decent enough health.
The only reason he was able to get away with this was because Leila's attention was directed elsewhere. If she had been actively focusing on repressing him, the two pills would've proven ineffective.
It all seemed like a perfect coincidence, something that could've happened by happenstance at first glance. But if one looked closely, they might see the guiding hand of a seasoned expert, planning for every eventuality.
"Good job, Commander Kenneth." Micheal nodded at him. The Commander nodded back, still slightly dazed. Despite the fact that he was still gathering his bearings, he held a death grip on Leila's throat, his eyes cold.
Micheal adjusted his ripped up suit before walking over, his Ashari Blade held loosely in his hand, an inch above the ground. He stopped right in front of the downed Number 14, glancing at him.
Number 14 was in bad shape. His face was pale behind his mask and his body shaking, the trauma and injuries he'd suffered sending his body into shock. He looked rather pitiful.
Micheal stared down at him for a moment, his heart pensive.
'Has he even done anything evil yet, ignoring my interference?' He frowned internally, struggling slightly with the implications of killing someone for a crime they would commit in the future.
The Nightrunner Numbers hadn't planned on killing anyone here.
If a high ranking Commander of Arcadia had been captured, the Nightrunners would use that member as a tool to trade with Arcadia for rare Artifacts or prisoners that Arcadia held. There was stiff competition between the two powers, but not yet open war. They certainly hadn't planned on killing him.
Their Nest feeding program was initially only focused on murdering criminals and their ilk. It was only later on that it developed into one that targeted innocents, though it was possible Kenneth would be held prisoner long enough to suffer that fate.
Micheal's interference had thrown a wrench into their plans.
'Kidnapping innocents is still an evil thing to do and they were certainly willing to kill me just for defending myself.' He reached the conclusion after half a second's thought, nodding his head slowly.
'In the future, you'll support and defend an abhorrent thing. I'll likely have to kill you then, anyway.' Micheal solved his own moral dilemma. It wasn't a perfect solution and perhaps, ethically or morally, he was in the wrong to some degree, but he ignored that with a callousness that had been built up over years of tough, grueling experience.
The survival of his race was far more important than his own moral quibbles.
As soon as he reached that conclusion, he dropped his arm down like a missile as his Ashari Blade piercing forward.
"Ulp!"
Micheal stabbed Number 14 through the heart, his Defensive Artifact unable to activate in his weakened state.
"What?! No!" Leila let out a ragged scream as she saw this, her voice filling with fear as she watched the brutal execution and realized something. If Micheal was willing to kill someone as influential and powerful as Number 14…
The Steel Kraken struggled for a few seconds, his body twitching as he gasped out loud, before the light in his eyes dimmed. Blood pooled from beneath his body as he faded into the dark embrace of death.
.
—-Points Obtained—-
Points 31,882
.
An anticlimactic, short ending to one of the strongest experts in the First Layer, a legendary fighter that had earned the respect and fear of many.
Micheal killed his first Supreme A Ranker.
He gained a huge number of Points, far more than any other Ranker he had killed. It was more even than a Golden Morenkai could possibly give, though Number 14 had been a far more dangerous target.
Micheal flicked aside the notification as he steeled himself, knowing his job was far from done.
He bent down and scooped up Number 14's Spatial Ring before he moved on, one that was the same Tier as his own, transferring everything that was in it into his Spatial Ring.
He then pulled his blade out of Number 14's chest and turned his attention over to the stunned pair to his right. His eyes zeroed in on Leila.
He began to walk towards them.
.
Chapter 29
"Yo-you're supposed to be dead." Leila stuttered as she watched Micheal walk forward, her voice wavering.
"Emissary Heron." By this point, Commander Kenneth had recovered enough to no longer look dazed. He kept his grip around Leila's neck, knowing that if he let go, she would likely lash out.
At the same time, he pulled her down with him as he bent down and picked up his Gold Giant's Gauntlet Artifact, putting it on his free hand, though not activating it.
Micheal studied Kenneth for just a brief second, watching as he still carried Leila with care. He didn't drag her down rudely like he might an enemy, but instead pulled her with him like he would someone he cared about.
His face remained impassive, hidden by the mask he wore as he gave nothing away.
"Commander. Have you recovered enough to move?" Micheal kept his voice serene as he bent down and picked up Leila's silver gun.
"Yes… Yes sir." Kenneth nodded sharply, growing more and more steady. He blinked several times and then stared at the body of Number 14.
"You… killed him?!
" Kenneth stuttered out, his eyes wide.
"He tried to kill me." Micheal shrugged and took a few more steps forward until he was right next to the Commander.
"Ah, of course. This will be a huge incident… we should make our escape now, while Number 11 is preoccupied." As the full enormity of the situation settled into Kenneth's mind, he realized that it had reached a point where he couldn't change things. It was now a matter between the true higher-ups.
The death of a member of the Nightrunners Numbers deep within Arcadia territory was bound to send shockwaves throughout the Main Cluster.
"You-you said you were switching bodies! How are you still here?!" Kenneth had loosened his grip enough on Leila to allow her to talk a bit freer. The woman didn't have the attitude of a prisoner, but instead acted as if she had been wronged, her demure attitude gradually making a return.
"Oh, right, about that." Micheal calmly looked her in the eyes,
"I lied."
He held her gun up to her forehead.
Kenneth and Leila's eyes widened.
"What are you-"
“Wait-"
A loud bang echoed out as Micheal pulled the trigger.
.
—- Points Obtained—-
Points: 22,280
.
Blood, bits of bone, and brain matter spattered out into the air, staining the ground as Leila's body collapsed backwards, killed instantly. Her corpse froze up as it fell, knocking hard against the floor as it slipped from Commander Kenneth's grasp.
"What have you done?!" Commander Kenneth's eyes went red as he saw this, his body trembling.
"She was a traitor." Micheal replied calmly, his eyes cold.
The Black Witch was known, in the historical records, as the genius researcher that not only helped jumpstart the Nightrunner's Nest feeding program, but helped pioneer the way for them to use innocent humans, causing the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocents.
With her death, Micheal had effectively crippled the start of the Nightrunner's Nest Feeding program. While it wasn't impossible for them to recover, they would be greatly delayed and miss out on the key starting moments of the Great Arrival, unable to effectively take advantage of this period.
Leila was a veritable genius when it came to experimentation and organization. Losing her was a huge blow.
They wouldn't fully stop, however. This was only a delay.
After all, the one who started the plan, the one who suggested using innocent lives as fuel, and the one that directed everything was ranked extremely highly in the Nightrunners.
The leader of the Numbers and the second in command of the entire Nightrunners. Ranked 2nd on the Main Cluster Ranking.
The man known as Number 1. Garen Olsteis, nicknamed 'The Hero.'
Micheal tossed the thought from his head for now, focusing on the present.
He had successfully accomplished one of his first big goals here in the Main Cluster. That was more than enough for now.
"She would have been tried and dealt with by the Angels Arcadia Truthseekers! You cannot just murder our fellow-" Commander Kenneth's face grew red as he stared at Micheal, trembling in rage. The man's body began to turn to steel, his outrage fueling him.
"Commander. This is a live combat situation and we have officially been attacked. If I hadn't interfered, you would be dead right now." The Commander likely wouldn't have been killed, but there was no reason to tell him that.
Micheal's words were cold, but full of unfeeling logic that couldn't be argued against. When the Commander heard them, he froze.
"Yes… I know, but-"
"Commander, is this really the time for this discussion?" Micheal interrupted him again, mercilessly, as he stored her gun in his Spatial Ring.
As they were speaking, a few random Morenkai had begun to creep into the ground floor, moving towards the source of all the noise. The fight down here had caused quite a racket, finally drawing the ire of the monstrous creatures.
Kenneth stuttered for a moment, looking around as if he was lost for a moment.
The Commander ran his fingers through his hair as he took a deep, ragged breath. He gained control of himself, his body returning back to normal.
"Yes, yes. Yes sir, Emissary Heron." His voice shook as he nodded stiffly. His eyes pierced towards Micheal like daggers, but no longer did he seem as if he was about to attack.
"You are correct. My infatuation has interfered with my ability to think clearly." Despite his words, his tone was a mess of emotions, the emotional injuries he'd suffered ones that would stick with him.
Micheal glanced at him sideways. He had half expected the man to go on some type of rage-fueled attack, despite the clear betrayal by the woman he loved, or at least cherished. The Commander was able to see the logic of the situation, however, and not react blindly. For that, Micheal gave him credit. Arcadia certainly chose their Commanders well.
"Call it in and let the Headquarter know what's going on. Can you make it safely back to base?" Micheal continued.
"Yes, sir." The Commander replied mutely, his eyes still full of anger. Some things could not easily be let go, and the Commander was, to some degree, in the right. The proper course of action would've been to imprison Leila.
However, Micheal wasn't willing to risk her living, and opted to go with what he saw as the best plan. Killing her first and arguing later. It might be brutal, but he could bear that burden.
"Alright. We can settle these differences with the Headquarters when we return. For now, we split up to ensure one of us survives. You take that stairway, I'll take this one." Micheal's voice was full of urgency as he pointed at one of the vacant entrances. He began to jog towards it immediately, opening the door and entering it as soon as he reached it.
The Commander froze for a second before he remembered there was a lethal Monster Class Morenkai on the loose, as well as an extremely powerful, murderous Werewolf. He sprinted over to the stairwell Micheal had pointed out, throwing it open and making his own escape.
Both of them were chased by a small throng of normal Morenkai that had entered the ground floor.
A few seconds passed.
Micheal's stairway door slowly crept open as he reentered the ground floor. Behind him, half a dozen regular Morenkai corpses lay sprawled out, killed silently.
He looked left and right around the room before running over to where Leila's corpse was.
"No point leaving it here." He muttered as cleared out her Spatial Ring, looting everything in it. He also took off a white necklace she had on, an Iridescent Exterior Necklace, a Defensive Artifact he recognized that was designed to protect from long range attacks. When he saw it, he nodded, and put on his own necklace, donning the Nullification Aura Necklace once more.
He didn't worry about Number 11 coming back anytime soon.
If Monster Class Morenkai were so easy to deal with, all of them would've been wiped from the Cluster with ease. This one here wasn't the absolute strongest of them, but it was still a Monster Class Morenkai.
As he finished looting Leila's body, he turned his attention over to the last thing of interest in the room.
A small, glowing black orb that had remained largely ignored by everyone else. The original reason that Leila had used as an excuse to come here in the first place.
A Temporary Nest.
"Well now… no reason to leave you here either…"
.. .. .. .. .. ..
Some time later...
In an ordinary looking bedroom, a lean, but solidly proportioned and muscular, man sat at the end of a bed. This man had shoulder-length, well-maintained blond hair and a solid blond beard that matched his jawline and tan skin, giving him a powerful, masculine appearance.
At this exact moment, the man reached down and picked up a book.
In the ordinary bedroom he was sitting in, if one was to name a single thing that seemed out of the ordinary, it would be the dozens of books that lay stacked in piles on the floor, the
desk, even the dresser off to the side.
Books on strategy, books on medicine, books on martial arts, a plethora and font of knowledge, from a variety of sources.
This man examined the book he had picked up, glancing at it.
"Ah, an older title." His voice was deep as he spoke, rippling out with authority.
"The Art of War - Sun Tzu. I haven't read this one yet." He read the title out loud and nodded his head slightly.
He stared at the book.
A small flash of green light appeared and then vanished in his eyes.
"Not a bad read, not a bad read at all. " The man set the book down atop one of the stacks near him, rubbing at his beard slightly, as if in deep thought.
"Many of the strategies he offered give me a bit of a new outlook on possibilities I could focus on in the modern world. Or, at least, here in the First Layer." He frowned slightly and then nodded.
"It was worth the time spent reading."
Approximately 2 seconds had passed since he picked the book up, stared at it without visibly opening it, and then set it back down.
Just as he was looking over at another stack of books, a beeping sound echoed out from a sleek grey bracelet he wore.
The man squinted, tapping on the bracelet.
"Director Prime…" Number 11's voice echoed out, ragged and hoarse, as if he was extremely tired.
This was a Goldsteel Communication Bracelet, a special Artifact that was engineered through combining a few different things from the Shop, plus modern human ingenuity. It could be used for long distance communication, but was extremely expensive to create, limiting its users to only the members of the Nightrunner Numbers and the Director.
"Borial? What's the matter?" Director Prime, the leader of the Nightrunners and one of only 6 S Rankers in the First Layer, spoke Number 11's true name, recognizing the man's tone and words without problem. A concerned expression appeared on his face as he stood up, his eyes tense.
"Number 14 is dead. Leila is dead. I am badly injured and in need of evac. I just put in a request with the backup team, Number 6 is coming to help." Number 11 gave a terse report, interspersed with wheezing gasps.
