[Location: Area Four]
Area Four was a vast underground cavern. The sight was nothing short of surprising – an entire subterranean settlement hidden beneath the base. Metallic buildings, each designed to accommodate a single family, stood in ordered rows, their surfaces gleaming in the dim light.
It took one-third of the entire space of the MB-35. Separated from the military High facilities, it had its area of Governance.
The Non-droids.
Another system of barriers protects the humans in its vicinity. The next-gen robotic androids. They are also called 'The Guardians.'
The place was far from peaceful. People could be seen everywhere. It had power plants. Non-radioactive ones. It uses the underground ores as a source of raw materials. Providing electricity to the urban landscape.
William entered the makeshift streets between the buildings as he left the farmland areas. Sara was following behind him. Their quarters were a mile away from the main entrance, so their walk was justified.
As they made their way deep into the bustling wave of people, Each was busy in their world, William noticed the crowd gathering things in a certain place.
There was a stage. Above it, a fat man in his thirties.
'It's him again.' William thought.
The fat man was named Trojan Strong. The ex-mayor of above-ground ruins. Trojan had an ambition to become prime minister. And he was just as meticulous to be one. He was the kind of politician where one can see the potential followers. He might've been able to achieve his ambitions in the years to come. But his dream was cut short by the apocalypse.
Ever since he was transferred safely to the military base, He has been rallying people to build followers.
As it turned out, He just wanted to feel superior to others.
'Tsk.' William clicked his tongue in disgust. He hated those kinds of people. Using others to satisfy your pride, he hated the repulsive feeling he got from dirty politicians and unworthy leaders. Too much power corrupts people, man and god alike. Maybe that's what led the gods to bring apocalypse. Or maybe the humans would've ruined this world themselves if not for them.
Reaching home, William sighed before placing his palm on the screen before him.
**[Access Granted
Welcome. Mr. Grant]**
A door hissed open. Inside, white walls could be seen accommodating a single girl. Sleeping peacefully in her bed. A comfortable bed was a luxury, so little Nina slept rolling inside the woven cotton-made sheets.
"Sara," William said in a low voice. "I'll have to go to the central square for my report. Wait for me here and lock the doors. Okay?"
Sara nodded.
Minutes later, William was in front of the administration block. A small building no bigger than a quarter of a house, managed by three people, typing away on computers in an orderly manner.
"Nothing else to report?" Lathan, one of the three, asked, correcting his glasses reflecting the digital screen.
"Everything is going smoothly so far. We can expect the first crops in the next three days. It should happen before the stack of emergency food runs out. We need new spaces for cryopreservation."
"..." Lathan paused typing. "We have a problem, then…"
Before William said anything, he showed the footage of a man on the computer screen. It was Trojan.
"I noticed some disturbing developments in the settlements. I don't know if I should report it. Trojan is forming a party of people who share his 'vision'."
"..." William paused before replying, "How many?"
"Twice what you expected," he answered sharply.
"...So soon? But…"
"Did we underestimate him?" Lathan eyed William sideways. "No. After investigation, the soldiers told me that he was awakened. I confirmed it myself. But I'm hesitating to report it above."
"..." William remained silent.
"You know why I can't report it, right, brother? How long are you going to hide it?"
The silent room echoed the tapping of the keyboard, the two others dismissed this conversation as none of their business.
"There will be an inspection if it gets to Leo. He will sniff out others hiding their powers like Trojan. Trojan is clearly misusing them to lead his masses-"
But Lathan was interrupted.
"I'll take care of this," Will said in a hurry before going out.
"..." Lathan saw his big brother going out the door. Speechless in his seat.
'Dealing with him gives me a headache every time.' he scrawled
***
Zeff took a moment of breath in the dark technical room.
He was exhausted beyond his limits. His body needed rest. And needed it badly. Zeff could feel every muscle in his being twitch in pain. He decided to take a rest.
He performed this great escape from the armory only because he had a 'dragon tooth' at hand. He had it since he killed his first monster in Sierra Madre mountain.
Dragons are superior beings. Their bodies were integrated with the spirit of fire since ancient times. Part of their body, like scales and teeth, had special properties. A dragon tooth, for example, could possess an incredible amount of mana by themselves. Not only that, they can turn any kind of energy, like electricity, into magical energy to perform Runic circles.
That's what Zeff told Daksha to draw a circle in the data center. He chose the data center because it was the only place he could think of where large amounts of data, or, electricity, concentrated in one place.
However… It was conveniently dark and empty.
"Was there no one here when you barged in?" Zeff asked Daksha.
Daksha was in a hurry, so he might've ignored it. But there was a life sign in the room. Someone was hiding.
Zeff figured him a coward by the faint sound of heartbeats.
His mind focused on something else immediately as Zeff felt his body heal. He still had to find a way out. So far, he was adapting as the situation changed. He knows his next plan of action needs to be solid if he strives to pull it off alive.
And then, for his luck, he found it. Probably another reason why he chose to teleport to the data hub. It had a blueprint. Not like the one he saw first when he infiltrated the command center. It was missing several parts like Area Six. But the one he found now provided him with more information.
Another way that connected this area to somewhere else.
"Now, this looks like the best way to get out. " Zeff muttered. "I don't care what Kai thinks, before this place falls, I'll be out. I can't save others before myself. It doesn't make sense. Idiot."
And what Kai feared came true some hours after. The rate of collateral damage began when Area Two was burned to ashes. 681 soldiers died in cinders.
***
William walked at a hurried pace toward the direction of the crowd gathering.
Though he can't pinpoint specifically, William could feel pulsating mana around his surroundings. Trojan was using his ability to attract people. To listen to his speech. But that's not all.
Something else was happening. Something big. Outside the giant doors of Area Four.
As he reached the center of the crowd, William saw Trojan a step above everyone else. Trojan noticed William and smiled.
'Heh, this stubborn man never listens. He probably found out about my awakening. I can't let him have others know my plans.'
He mentioned his men behind to grab William. And as a conflict of interest was about to happen, something stopped it.
Something else happened, shocking all the others.
Zwaaa–
A beam of light emerged from the floor below. like a zap of wind, electrical energy surged into the atmosphere in an instant.
In the blink of an eye, that light, no, a laser beam, like a long sword, swung with all its might slashing the metallic floor below.
The arc of the scythe formed when the laser slashed at Tyrojan's body, splitting him in half diagonally as his lifeless body fell amid the crowd in front of him.
No one shrieked. No one yelled. No one noticed the horror unfolding in front of them
The atmosphere bathed in silence. The base was quiet. For once. But not for long.
The first who noticed fell to the floor on his back. "..a...ha..." his mouth struggled to get the scream out.
But someone shrieked. Everyone jerked back in unison. People screamed, running away, and fearing they might be the next victim.
People scattered. Nondroids on emergency mode. Red lights glimmering everywhere. It was chaos the next second.
"Run. Ruuun. " It was all one could think about in such a dire situation. Simple minded, but, instinctive. everyone ran to their quarters to pick up their loved ones. Not thinking about anything else, without a sense of the future.
The panic spread everywhere.
But William stood in place when all others scattered, swept in chaos. His eyes were focused on the corpse of Trojan, looking at things everyone else missed.
William had seen death. As an ex-doctor, he saw people differently, saw death in various forms, and twisted gore. His mind could endure changes in his surroundings like a heartless surgeon. Keeping what's important and what's not, separate.
He took a step back, expecting another attack. but it never came. Instead, a voice arrived.
"Sigh... Finally done..." Crimson said, on the other side of the door, stretching his arms. "Now let's blast it-"
Moments after, a small explosion happen at the doors.
Boom-
It created a small hole inside, allowing a red-haired man to come in amid the fissures of smoke.
"Where did that laser energy come from?" Crimson asked.
"Dunno," Koul replied. " I think it came from below us. It caught us unexpectedly. The damn thing almost killed me."
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