by Riker Kane
“I noticed that in the ability shop. Not that it mattered, since I can’t afford anything.”
“You’ll get more Mana from more difficult Junctions. Engineer Gage will be more willing to craft new weapons for you. He can improve your armor, too.”
“Stop,” I said as I put my hands up. “I get any more excited and I’ll explode.”
She arched an eyebrow at me, her face wrinkled like she smelled a bad fart. I chuckled to laugh it off. Thankfully it was enough to make her smile.
I took another sip and leaned back in my seat. “I believe you. Everything you’ve told me has been the truth. But this isn’t something everybody gets from reading a brochure and I know you haven’t been sitting around in your dorm room to read up on all of this. I’ve been too tired from Junctions to do anything but sleep.”
“What are you saying, Liam?”
“Synergy. The Omega Trials. World Bosses. How the hell do you know about all of this?“
Her eyes shifted to the ground. Her fingers fiddled with the sleeve around her cup. It was obvious something was on the tip of her tongue. I knew I wouldn’t have to wait long to hear it.
“My grandfather was a scientist during the First Event. He lived in Tokyo and worked with the research team who figured out how to open up a gateway to the other dimension. He was around early enough to help name it Pandora. They realized Pandora was made up of different worlds, which we close by defeating the World Boss. Close every world and maybe close the Pandora dimension for good.
“My father moved to America when he was younger. He worked with the researchers here to do his part for the LOD, following in his father’s footsteps.”
“Thomas Higashi. Higashi Robotics, was it? Quentin mentioned him.”
She nodded though she was still staring at the ground. “My grandfather helped lay the groundwork for the Junctions. My father helped improve them into the technological structures you see now. They made getting into Pandora as easy as walking through a door.”
“A gateway to another dimension.” I chuckled at the thought.
“I know about Pandora and what the Omegas do. I know about the World Bosses and the trials. I know what it takes to be an Omega because I’ve been around the LOD my entire life.”
Nina fell silent. I thought twice about asking her but knew I couldn’t bite my tongue.
“Quentin said you’re a model. You’ve got like a billion followers on Instagram or something.”
She smirked and laughed softly, though her stare didn’t move.
“I mean, you are Nina Higashi, right?”
She shifted her eyes toward me. A subtle smile on her lips, she didn’t blink. “The one and only.”
“You know… There’s one thing I don’t get. Your grandfather and father were involved with the Legion since the beginning. Now you’re a model and you’ve got a successful career ahead of you. You’re smart. You’re pretty. Why would someone like you wanna be an Omega?”
Nina didn’t take her stare away from me. “You think I’m pretty?”
“What?” I closed my eyes and shook my head in confusion. “That’s not what I meant—”
“So you don’t think I’m pretty?”
My mouth hung half-open as I tried to figure out what to say. I was never terrible with women but when a green-eyed redhead with porcelain skin was eyeballing you, it got noticeably harder not to stammer.
“Well…” I started.
She tightened her lips to hold back her smile and began laughing hard enough to make her whole body shake.
I rolled my eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. “You’re a model. You’re a potential Omega. One moment you’re as serious as a Class Captain. The next, you’re asking me to pull your finger. I don’t get you, Nina.”
“Maybe you’ll figure it out eventually. For now, let’s just enjoy our day off. It’s only going to get harder from here.”
“No kidding.”
She looked back out toward the grassy area at the center of the Central Square where all of the cadets were relaxing. I took a sip of my drink and felt my communicator vibrate against my wrist just like the night before.
SYNERGY with LIAM ALDRIDGE
Nina Higashi - Level 2: +3 increase to speed
Quentin Young - Level 1
Paige Costa - Level 1
I looked up at Nina to see if she noticed but she didn’t. Not that it mattered. All I cared about at the moment was enjoying the rest of my day off before heading back into a Junction tomorrow.
22: When It Rains, It Pours
Current World Status: Green
Threat Level: 82%
Junctions Closed: 127
Junctions Available: 70
Current Herald Threat: Emerald Basilisk
Most Junctions Closed
Rhys Griffin - 26
Gregory Harding - 26
Brooke Silvestri - 16
Most Shadows Defeated
Rhys Griffin - 387
Gregory Harding - 322
Jane Sato - 245
“How the hell is Griffin killing that many Shadows?” Quentin stared up at the digital display in the Junction Room. I was just as perplexed as he was but the dumbfounded look on his face made me chuckle. “The guy’s a damn buzzsaw.”
“I don’t know,” I said with a shrug. “I’m guessing the higher level Junctions have a lot more Shadows to blow away.”
“He’s a higher level, going through better Junctions, blowing out trash mobs. And he’s outpacing everybody else. He was probably that asshole in class who did the extra credit even when he had an A.”
“The rewards are a little better than a report card this time around.”
Quentin put a hand on my shoulder like he was trying to console me. “Doesn’t look like you’ll get the Apex. We were really going for it.”
I chuckled and patted him on the arm. “It would’ve been cool if one of us got there on our first try. No sense in worrying about it now. We’ve gotta stay focused on becoming Omegas.”
“Sensible. Logical. Analytical. You really are a computer programmer. What the hell are you doing enlisting with the LOD?”
We shared another laugh. The mood was light even though the tension in the Junction Room was thick. With the threat level rising, the World Boss was on the horizon. None of us had any idea what to expect with the Emerald Basilisk but we knew for sure it was a big deal.
“How’d it go?” Quentin asked.
“How’d what go?”
“Oh, come on! Going out with Miss Higashi. You’re the envy of so many lonely guys right now.”
“I wouldn’t call fighting drones in the training lab ‘going out,’ but it went as well as can be expected. You should’ve been there.”
“I’m not about to third-wheel my squad leader. Why do you think I decided to spend time with Crazy Gill over there?”
We both looked over at Elliot a few Junctions away from us. He twirled his pistol around in his hand like an old gunslinger. If it wasn’t for the lime-green armor and the crop-top haircut, he might’ve been able to fit in around a bunch of cowboys.
“Crazy Gill, huh? Is that what we’re calling him now?”
“I think all Gunrunners are nuts with Captain Lawler running the show.”
“To be fair, I don’t think any of the Class Captains are what anybody would call normal… No aspirations to be a Gunrunner, huh?”
“It’s Strider or Vanguard for me. Nothing else.” He slapped me on the arm. Even though he was a few inches shorter than me and skinnier, too, Quentin’s armor was so bulky even a friendly pat moved me slightly.
Elliot noticed us staring at him and walked over. His hand cannon still twirling around in his hand, he grinned as he looked me up and down.
“What’s up, Liam? The Emerald Basilisk is almost here. You excited?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “Should I be?”
“I don’t see why not. All these low-level junctions the new recruits are stuck in a
re getting old. Rumors are floating around. We blow this big, bad whatever-it-is out and we finally get to become Omegas.”
“Just make sure you don’t get ahead of yourself.”
“Hey, my squad is tight. Quentin over here said you guys gave yourselves a squad name. The Great Defenders. I think me and my boys will come up with one, too.”
I looked over at the two men in Quentin’s squad. One of them was Douglas who I recognized from my Cavalier lessons. The other I didn’t know but could tell was a Zealot just from the giant maul over his shoulder.
“You boys take care now, ya hear?” Elliot spoke with a mocking southern drawl. “Got a bunch of varmints to take care of. He bowed his head and walked back over to the Junction his squad was getting ready to step in.
“Crazy Gill,” Quentin sighed. “You ready, Liam?”
I looked down at my communicator to double-check my stats.
Liam Aldridge
Level 11 Private Serviceman
(550 Red Mana until next level)
Hit Points 100
Endurance 50
Strength 14 (+4)
Speed 13 (+3 Nina Synergy Bonus)
Durability 10
Control 8
Available Abilities
Upper Thrust (Cavalier)
Level 2
400 Green Mana until next level
I noticed the Synergy Bonus I gained from Nina but didn’t mention it.
“It’s getting expensive to level up,” I said. “Hopefully Nina found us a Junction where we can farm some real Mana.”
I looked up and saw Nina standing on the other side of the room. She motioned for us to come to her. When we arrived she pointed at the display next to the giant metal gate.
Pandora Junction
Level 13
Threat Level: Moderate
Precautions: Harsh Rain, Flying Shadows, Labyrinth
Status: Open
“It’ll be the first moderate level Junction we’ll go through,” she said. “It won’t be as simple as spotting the Obelisk and walking to it. It’s your decision, squad leader.”
Quentin gave me a thumbs up.
“All right.” I turned toward the soft blue energy rippling from the Junction gate. “Let’s get this done.”
~ ~ ~
I stepped onto the grass just as the thunder boomed above. Harsh winds blew the pouring rain into my face like I was standing underneath a showerhead. The grassy valley was the only thing that hadn’t changed from what I was used to.
“Holy… They weren’t kidding about the rain, huh?” Quentin activated the shield on his right arm and held it up to block the downpour. The rain plinked against the metal in a fast, tapping rhythm.
Nina’s long red hair whipped in the direction of the wind. She didn’t seem to mind the rain drenching her skin and armor all the same.
“There.” She raised her hand up. “That’s where the Obelisk is.”
I looked to where she pointed, expecting to see the purple energy resonating in the darkness. Instead, there was what looked like a stone structure in the distance.
“I’ve never seen a maze in person before,” I said. “I’m guessing this one is a little more dangerous than a normal one.”
“I got your back, Soul.” Quentin patted me on the back. Nina gave me a reassuring smile and we began marching forward.
With Quentin shielding the rain away, the trek through the muddy plains was as much of a drudge as it could’ve been. My armored soles muddied from the wet soil and slick grass.
BOOM!
Thunder cracked the air and shook the ground. A burst of white light appeared and a pack of five wolves leaped out in front of us. The gray beasts growled and bared their fangs. Yellow eyes glowed in the growing darkness around us.
“Rose, wait for my signal! Q, watch her back!”
I raised my saber up and didn’t hesitate to charge forward. The five feral beasts chased after me and leaped into the air at the same time. I reacted just in time, slashing down and catching one in the chest to turn it into Mana. The added strength already proved its usefulness.
But the other wolves didn’t care about what level I was. They managed to pounce on me, slashing and clawing at my armor and knocking me to the ground. One of their swipes caught me on the face and sent me stumbling back.
“Go! Now!” I shouted as I got back up to my feet.
Nina came racing toward the wolves with her katanas aimed in front of her. Quentin dashed right behind her. As bulky as his armor was, he managed to stay in range of her.
Two wolves turned their attention to Nina and pounced. She cartwheeled between them, making them crash into each other. She followed up quickly and stabbed simultaneously with both blades. Her katanas found their guts and spilled blood from their wounds. Vicious howls were interrupted as they burst into Mana.
Nina turned around to see the last two wolves converging on her. Quentin managed to slide in front of her just in time. He raised his shield up and the wolves’ progress was halted by a barrier of solid steel.
I ran up while the wolves recovered from their daze. The added damage from the Mana Core made it easier for me to rip into one wolf’s flesh. The other one met the same fate as I slashed down at it with all of my strength, ending the battle as quickly as it started.
“You all right?” Quentin asked.
The rain washed away the blood from the scratch on my cheek. “Let’s keep going.”
I grew numb to the rain drenching me. We approached the stone structure in front of us and I was able to see just how large it was. The walls were several stories high, too tall for even an Upper Thrust to reach. And they were thick enough even Quentin wouldn’t be able to knock them down.
“It’s a labyrinth all right,” Quentin said. “I wonder what’s waiting for us in this maze…”
“Only one way to find out.” I held my saber up by my side as I walked into the stone labyrinth.
It was hard to make out the path ahead because the walls were so high and all looked the same. I kept venturing forward, following the twisting path of the maze. Left. Right. Back around. The maze seemed to keep going without end.
“Make sure you remember your way out,” Quentin said. “I’m having trouble remembering where the hell we’ve been.”
“It shouldn’t be a problem. Look.” Nina walked up to the stone walls and ran her hand over it. “This white paint… Arrows pointing the path back.”
“That’s convenient. Now all we need to do is figure out which way is forward.”
We moved into a circular clearing. Three paths led in every direction. There was no telling which way we were supposed to go. At least, I thought that until I took a closer look at the paint on the walls.
“Take a look at this.” I moved next to one of the paths. “Blue paint.”
“This one over here is red,” Nina said.
“And this one’s purple,” Quentin said. “I’m guessing this is the path leading to the Obelisk.”
“The Obelisk is our target.” I looked up at the stone walls of the maze towering over me. “But I figure we’re here for more than just closing this Junction. This might be our last chance to level before the World Boss. I say we take down as many Shadows as we can.”
“I’m with you,” Nina said.
“Q?”
He gave me a shrug. “Pouring rain. Giant maze. Violent beasts. Why wouldn’t I wanna hang around here?”
I gave him a smirk before turning down the path with red paint on the walls. There was more white paint, too, to lead us back to where we came from, though my attention was on whatever I knew was waiting for us.
The path twisted and turned before us. The rain poured harder and the clouds darkened. I kept pushing forward until we made it into another clearing.
“Dead end.” Quentin looked around at the stone walls surrounding us. A circular space as big as one of the training labs was empty except for the mud and grass.
“There’s so
mething here,” I said. “There has to be.” I walked forward and felt the grass shake beneath my feet. “There better not be another damn worm underneath me…”
Nina and Quentin looked around as the ground continued to shake. The quakes grew in size until it was obvious something was near.
I kept staring at the grass, trying to search for it. But then I heard something. It was moving toward us. And it was coming from the grass.
CRASH!
The stone wall across from me exploded like dynamite hit it.
“Watch out!” Quentin moved in front of me and shielded the debris away. The rocks settled and the dust began to clear. I looked by Quentin’s shield and saw the figure emerging from the broken hole in the wall.
I had to squint to make sure I was looking at it right. “Is that… what I think it is?”
“A minotaur,” Nina finished my thought.
The black beast stood ten-feet tall. Every inch of it bulged with sinewy muscles. Its giant head was the shape of a bull’s but its horns were thick and long enough to gore all three of us at the same time. If that wasn’t enough, it wielded a giant iron hammer three times the size of my head.
It stomped forward on its hooves and locked glowing red eyes upon me. Breath from its nose came out like smoke. Something like a combination of a roar and a howl came out of its mouth before it suddenly lowered its head and charged forward.
“Shit!”
I moved out of the way just in time, listening to the sound of the stones crumbling behind me. The beast slowly pulled its horns free from the rubble and turned its attention back to me. It didn’t hesitate to stomp its hooves and charge forward again.
“I got you!” Quentin ran up next to me and slammed his shield into the ground. His feet sank into the mud as he braced himself.
CRASH!
The clash of horns against metal echoed through the clearing.
“Ahh!” Quentin yelled out as he stumbled back. He held the minotaur off but the giant dent in his rectangular shield was deep. “Crap… I’m gonna have to get Gage to repair this thing—”
