The Call of the Forces

by Yuri Ajin

  Meanwhile, Kai was thinking about something completely different. If Joseph was to be believed, he had never heard of any tower that appeared along with the System. Someone of his rank should’ve been informed about such an important event. But he did know who Diamond Evans was.

  Lieutenant general, huh? He hadn’t been sitting idly for these eighteen years... Kai thought, nodded to himself, and looked through the window. And now he’s in Washington. I wonder how the White House looks now...

  Their group was on its way to the city center so that they could meet with the general who was in charge of Boston. No one dared to send them further together with the fugitives, since they were powerful, and therefore, extremely dangerous.

  The Union was by no means a weak organization, and it’d stop at nothing to fulfill its main goal, which was to ensure the safety of its cities and their inhabitants. So, as long Kai and his friends behaved, they’d be treated with the respect they deserved. But the moment they posed a threat, the Union would do all in its power to eliminate them.

  Boston was strikingly different from Montreal. It was lively and much less dilapidated. Traces of the System’s arrival and the appearance of Demonids were present, but they didn’t stand out as much.

  Having passed the first checkpoint, and then two more, the bus got into the outer sector of the city. That was where the main Boston Forces were based — soldiers and military equipment. Ring-shaped, the outer sector was a solid barrier separating ordinary citizens from the horrors of the outside world. Citizens lived in the inner sector, and Luke, Stephen, and other fugitives were about to join them.

  Due to the special version of the System, almost everyone got the opportunity to develop. Breath of Power — the skill all of those who stepped on the path of cultivation received — was usually not easy to learn, but with the Crystals which allowed their owner to instantly master whatever was contained within, it became much easier to start cultivating.

  But not everyone was in a hurry to develop and risk dying even though they’d be rewarded for their efforts. Resources were obtained either from monsters or from other cultivators. That meant that those who fought for their lives by killing enemies were able to get stronger. The rest, who were hiding behind the military or simply ran away from monsters, usually remained non-cultivators.

  Having passed the residential sector, the bus approached the city center, where the strongest members of the Union lived, and arrived at the next checkpoint. Thanks to the major and his connections, they got in pretty quickly. Watching as they passed by the outpost, Kai thought how he could’ve made this trip much faster on foot were they not alone and on foreign territory.

  His contemplation was interrupted when the bust stopped in front of a skyscraper, where all of them got off.

  “Before we talk to this general of yours, could you tell me something about the general situation in the US and the world? I think I should know at least something. Don’t want to look like a total idiot and all that,” Kai said.

  “You know about America? But aren’t you from another world?” Joseph asked without turning around.

  “Let’s just say that I wasn’t born in the world from which I’ve come from,” he answered. People exchanged surprised glances but no one was in a hurry to start asking questions. In this day and age, people didn’t like others knowing everything about them.

  “Well, alright... So, the eastern and southern parts of the country are under our control. Over a hundred cities are under the Union’s protection, which we’ve managed to clean up and secure in the first three years. That’s where most of the refugees from all over North America flock to. As for the western part, as well as parts of Canada and Mexico, the local military was less successful than we were. Various organizations, that is, guilds, rule in those territories. Their members began to develop, but didn’t want to join us.”

  “What about the Alliances?”

  “For the last year and a half, special System zones began to appear in various places. These zones are known as dungeons among common people. They have a lot of resources and very tough monsters,” Joseph explained. “Guilds began to unite in order to pass these special zones, creating Alliances. Currently, there are nine of them. Along with the Union, they rule the mainland.”

  “Hmm. Interesting... What about the rest of the world?”

  “I can’t really tell you much. Because of the monsters, communication with other continents was restored only recently. Thanks to the efforts of several Alliances and heads of the Union. All I know is that Europe and Asia were also able to unite and survive.”

  “I see...” Kai nodded, lost in thought.

  Having entered the building and passed through security, they entered the elevator. The first thing Kai noticed when they entered the office was a huge table packed with papers. Paperwork and bureaucracy seemed like roaches, unkillable and immortal.

  A sullen, broad-shouldered middle-aged man was sitting at the desk. He was at the Source Creation level, but his strength couldn’t be compared to Kai’s or that of his friends.

  “Hello. My name’s Clark Denil,” the general introduced himself. “So, how can I help you? Why did you come to Boston?”

  “I believe you’ve already been informed about my arrival.” Kai nodded at Joseph, sitting down in one of the chairs.

  “You’re right. But before I answer, I want to ask — are you, Kai?”

  He nodded.

  “But your aura... Why can’t I...?”

  Joseph shook his head frantically, as if to tell Clark not to ask, but it was too late. Kai released his aura.

  Clark’s eyes widened and his hands began to sweat. But he managed to stay composed

  “I understand…” He breathed heavily. “But like my subordinate, I don’t have a lot of information. I don’t know anything about the tower you’re interested in. However, I do know a little bit about Diamond Evans. He’s a relatively young lieutenant general, a top member of the Union, and he lives in Washington.”

  “I see. Can you take us there?”

  Clark was taken aback by the request.

  “Well, yes, it’s possible. We have planes. But every flight takes a lot of resources,” he said, frowning. “Nowadays, the main currency are Spheres, so if you have them...”

  “Let’s do it like this...” Kai chuckled, interrupting him. “You help us get to Washington as soon as possible, and we forget about your rudeness.”

  Clark frowned even harder. Only the demonstration of Kai’s strength made him hold back.

  “But it was you who provoked one of the guards. You were asked to step back,” he argued.

  “I’m not talking about that. You help us, and I’ll ignore the fact that you’ve tried to lure us into a trap. Or did you think that the people and the explosive devices placed on this floor would go unnoticed? You planned to sacrifice yourself to save the city in case something happened, didn’t you? I can respect that. However, we aren’t your enemies and we come with peaceful intentions. But by greeting us like this, you greatly offend me and my friends.” Kai narrowed his eyes, glaring menacingly at the man.

  Clark got up from the table and walked over to the window. Turning his back to those present, he lit a cigarette.

  “Very well,” he finally said in a displeased voice.

  ***

  Ten hours later, the group was ready to set off. Flying wasn’t as easy as before and required a lot of preparation, so they spent this time on the bus and chatting.

  As soon as they began to climb aboard, the soldiers who were supposed to go with them to Washington began to talk among themselves in dissatisfied voices and disembarked.

  “What’s happening?” Kai asked Joseph.

  “The north part of the city was attacked. Eleven outposts were destroyed. Apparently, it was the Lord and his people,” he replied. “They have more than a hundred soldiers at the Soul Stage, and the presence of at least one Exorcist has been confirmed... We’ve been given the order to pre
pare for battle, so the flight’s canceled. Also... The general asked me to give you a message... He’s asking you for help.”

  The group exchanged confused and surprised glances.

  Chapter 6

  THE TEST

  From the top floor of a rather tall building, Clark, along with several other officers, watched the northern outpost, where the Lord was now located. As for the other destroyed outposts, there were now ten groups, each of which consisted of at least a dozen Soul Stage soldiers, who were now awaiting orders from the Lord.

  The soldier who was supposed to find out why the attack had occurred and negotiate with the attackers, finally returned. But, in all honesty, everyone already knew that the cause was the fugitives who had recently arrived in Boston.

  At first glance, it looked like the military was trying to solve everything peacefully, when, in fact, the representatives of the Union were simply buying time so that the troops could gather.

  “How much more time do you need?” Clark asked, frowning.

  “Sir, the first strike teams are almost ready. They just need to get to their locations. That’s ten minutes.”

  “Drones are also ready. We can launch a surprise attack at any moment. That should give us an advantage.”

  “I see.” Clark nodded, crossing his hands behind his back.

  Although an army of more than a hundred Soul Stage soldiers posed a serious threat, that wasn’t what he was worried about. Boston would hold on since only the Union and a couple of the strongest Alliances had System weapons. Therefore, the Lord’s people had to use only what they had stolen and looted from the monsters.

  What Clark was worried about was the enemy Exorcist. There were only nine people of that level in the Union, but none of them were in Boston. Not that this meant that they had no chance without them. Clark knew which tactics he should use when fighting an Exorcist. With that in mind, they could easily hold back the onslaught for more than twelve hours, by the end of which, the Exorcists from other cities could come to their aid. They couldn’t come earlier than that, not with the flying restrictions. Unfortunately, this also meant that a part of the city would definitely be destroyed, that many of his men would die, and that a lot of precious equipment would be lost.

  Clark knew of only one way to stop this from happening. As much as he didn’t like it, he turned to Kai and his friends for help, among whom there was also an Exorcist.

  The door of the room opened and the travelers walked inside. In a normal situation, any guests, unless they were of a high rank, would be stopped at the entrance. This time, however, they didn’t even think to prevent the group from going in.

  “Where’s Major Joseph?” Clark asked.

  “Got stuck in traffic.” Kai shrugged. “He can’t move as fast as we can, so he’ll be here a bit later.”

  “Then how did you know that we were here?” Clark frowned. I’m sure that none of my men would reveal the location of the temporary HQ to outsiders. Is it really that easy to figure us out? he thought, agitated. If that’s the case, the Lord and his men can find us too...

  “He told us the general direction, and we did the rest ourselves. Consider it an advantage of cultivation from another world.” Kai reassured him. “But this isn’t important now... If I understand correctly, you canceled the flight?”

  Clark turned serious.

  “That’s right,” he replied. “While the city is in danger, I have no right to relieve it of strong people such as yourselves. I... No, we need your help. With Miss Elize’s help, I’m sure that we can drive away the Lord and his people.”

  “How dare you!” she cried, outraged. “We had a deal! You can’t back out of it just like that!”

  “She’s right,” Ivsim said. “Isn’t this your battle? Why should any of us interfere?”

  Clark’s face darkened. He wanted to answer sarcastically and activate his aura, but he knew that if he did that, they definitely wouldn’t want to help them.

  “A deal, you say? You call using your power to threaten us and get what you want a deal? Whatever. I’m not letting you fly to Washington while the city is in danger. I can easily turn you into enemies of the Union. Even if you go there yourself, you’ll find nothing but hostility.”

  “You love to take risks, general.” Kai approached him with a frightening smile. “You’re bold for giving us such an ultimatum. But this time you’re in luck. Being an enemy of the Union isn’t on our list. However, our help doesn’t come for free.”

  “Are you now making decisions for me?” Elize asked.

  “Elize...” Lily said softly. She knew how hot-headed her friend could get. Putting her hand on her shoulder, the blonde shook her head.

  “Why would you think that?” Kai asked in surprise and then turned back to Clark. “So, what do you say?”

  “Of course, the Union will be grateful if you helped us solve this problem.”

  “What about the information I wanted? Can the Union use its connections and information network in order to find the tower?”

  “I can’t promise you that the brass will agree to use up so many of their resources.”

  “And if the problem with the Lord is solved once and for all?” Kai smiled. “What then?”

  Clark looked at him with a raised eyebrow and a glint in his eye. If something like that happened, no one would be opposed to it.

  “If that happens... The brass will be forever grateful. I’ll use all of my connections and resources to find this tower of yours.”

  “I like the sound of that.” Kai chuckled, then went to the window.

  “So, what’s the plan?” Elize asked haughtily, wondering how he’d try to persuade her to participate in this.

  Turning around, Kai looked at his friends.

  “I’ll kill the Lord myself.” He smiled, making them look at him in shock.

  “You must be joking...” Jiang Yong tried to smile.

  “I’m serious. It’s been a year and a half since the Tournament, I think it’s time to have some fun.”

  “You just want to show off…” Elize commented coldly.

  “Listen, I don’t know just how much stronger you’ve gotten since then, but do you really think that the local Exorcists are that weak?” Ivsim asked.

  “Kinda. Not all of them, of course, but I’m sure I can handle this.”

  Having learned a technique that gave him the ability to sense auras at a much greater distance than ordinary cultivators, Kai knew what to expect from this Lord fellow, which was why all attempts to dissuade him ended up being dismissed. His friends would jump to his aid if need be.

  In all honesty, more than anything else, Kai wanted to test himself. The last major battle he had was in the Tournament finals. A year and a half had passed since then, during which he was able to climb to the peak of his current stage, as well as become stronger. Now it was the time to test just how much he had grown. And he couldn’t think of a better opponent than an Exorcist.

  ***

  The northern outpost, installed on a bridge, was completely destroyed and in flames. Corpses and wreckage of military equipment were scattered everywhere. In the center of this chaos was a small group of soldiers — six of them were at the Source Creation level, and one was an initial-level Exorcist.

  “Funny.” Grinned a blue-eyed guy with a manbun. “Those tanks of theirs couldn’t even get through my Flame Barrier. You guys didn’t even let us test it properly. Why did you destroy the cars? You made them activate the explosives and destroy the tanks so that we wouldn’t get them.”

  “I apologize, sir, but I think they wouldn’t have pierced your new defensive technique,” one of the people said.

  “Alright, never mind that... We’re waiting for their answer.” He snapped his fingers. “I wouldn’t mind having some more fun, but I fear that that’d get their panties in a real twist.”

  “I think you’re unlikely to get into the city,” a voice said.

  From behind the blazing remains of t
he tank emerged a long-haired young man with unusual purple eyes.

  “Oho! What a performance!” the Lord said, perplexed, seeing the young man’s strange clothes. “Who are you? Were you sent to negotiate?”

  “You could say so.” He smirked, haughtily looking at the group. “I was sent... to deal with you.”

  “Are you out of your mind?” The Exorcist raised an eyebrow. “No need to answer that... Burn!” Outstretching his hand, he curled it into a fist.

  At the same moment, a ring of fire formed around the raven-haired young man, flaring up with a bright light — a piece of asphalt instantly burned.

  “Where are you aiming at?” the young man asked mockingly, chilling on the railing, unharmed, and acting as if nothing had happened.

  “You’re not a complete weakling. That’s good. It’s a pity that your tongue is quicker than your brain, though. I would’ve invited you to join me had you talked less.” The Lord shrugged calmly, trying to understand how the young man had avoided his attack.

  “Why should I join the dead?”

  “Excuse me?” he asked, taken aback for a moment. “Are you planning to kill me? Ahahaha! Oh, you’re hilarious! A pitiful Soul Stage boy thinks he can harm me, an Exorcist?! Dave, kill him.”

  “Yes, sir.” He nodded. “Wave Robes!”

  The Forces and energy of Water engulfed him, after which he made a lightning-fast dash. Dave was the strongest among the Lord’s men, so most of those present could only see a blurred silhouette instantly appearing next to the newcomer. So imagine their shock when the blur turned out to be missing its head when it finally reached its target.

  “Not bad, not bad... You’re very strong for your level.” The Lord unexpectedly clapped and even laughed. “But do you think that someone like you can compete with a real pro like myself?!”