Lucius and Ralph exited their suite and met the other students outside, with three military vans waiting. Snow stepped out, his gaze falling on Lucius, who wasn't wearing an actual hero costume.
"The costumes are made of special materials to help reduce the negative effects of Aether exposure." He said.
"Don't worry, I'm immune to the negative effects of Aether due to the nature of my ability." Lucius shrugged. "It was the constant exposure to Aether-infused environments while working in the mines was why I got this strong."
Buzz!
Moon, who was always calm, was shaken by this revelation, including Ralph and the others. They always believed Lucius's monstrous physical attributes were a bit too much when added to his power and should be considered a different ability, but his words cleared their doubts.
"Can you explain?" Snow was too curious to let this information pass.
Lucius would have disagreed but seeing the expectant faces of students and soldiers alike, directed at him, he could only sigh and give in to their demands.
"My ability is called Hand of God, and it's not limited to just absorbing the properties of solid objects. I can absorb probably anything and in the case of Aether which led to our evolution, I can use that to further improve my genes, though the process is slow. That's why it took me years to build up this level of strength." Lucius lied.
The more he gave off this false information, the less people would try to find the source of his strength, since they think they already have the answer.
[You are getting pretty good at this.] Lyxor complimented.
"Wait, doesn't that mean you can safely undergo the Biogenic process without risks?" Silver said, and for the first time, he too wore a look of shock.
"Yep." Lucius nodded and began walking towards the military van. "Why do you think I was rated S in the first place?"
Fuck…
Everyone was frozen, watching Lucius as if they saw a ghost. They finally realized why Lucius was personally introduced by Bruce Ainsworth. He was an S-rated student, but in truth, he was SS-rated because he was assured of surviving the Biogenic process.
A student whose actual rating was SS!
"He probably wasn't given the SS ratings because it would cause an uproar." Silver said, and everyone nodded in agreement.
"This explains why he has been toying with the invincible God set ever since he joined. He is actually a rank above you guys." Ralph said, but his words only attracted disdainful glares.
"Alright, it's time to move out!" Moon said as he began handing over communication earbuds to everyone.
While he maintained a look of indifference, when he gave the earbud to Lucius, there was a glint in his eyes.
Resolve!
[Now he knows how dangerous you can become if given the chance to grow, he will definitely find a way to get rid of you.] Lyxor said.
'Of course, but the world already watched our exchange on Silver's stream. He won't come at me directly.' Lucius chuckled.
[Most likely, during the operation, he will order students, soldiers, and guardians to split up to cover more grounds.] Lyxor speculated.
'Yep. If there is a scout-type guardian with decent offensive abilities, that person would most likely be the one to carry out the assassination.' Lucius nodded.
[Yes, to keep suspicion off himself, Moon will remain in view of the media team. That way they can say you were a victim of a beast attack.] Lyxor added.
'Exactly… But that is an opportunity to kill the assassin and gain his abilities. What do you think my chances of survival are?' Lucius asked.
[30% at best. In the end, you are still weaker than a guardian and lack the experience they have. As you are now, even a C-rated guardian can take your life] Lyxor answered honestly.
'That's what makes it fun. Some danger to spice up my boring life' Lucius shrugged.
[Hehe-hehe!]
The vans sped out of the command center, into the chaotic mine facility. As soon as they had gone past the inner walls, sounds of gunshots and explosions filled the air. It felt like they had been transported to an entirely new world.
"Listen up." Moon's voice rang from the communication buds. "Our first goal is to eradicate the mutant beasts at the gate. Only when they have been dealt with can we move towards the city? Follow my lead and stay safe!"
"Yes, Sir!" The voices of other students erupted.
However, Lucius was not paying attention to Moon's words. His gaze was pinned on the watch towers at the edges of the gates, where most soldiers were mounted and shooting from.
He could see news agency reporters and cameramen, recording the chaos taking place with excitement. Their attention soon turned to the three military vans, and he could hear them speaking about backup arriving, while also including the involvement of students in the operation.
Lucius's attention shifted to an airborne figure with angelic wings, dishing out orders. He had dazzling golden hair, beautifully combed and jelled back. The man wore a golden jacket specially designed not to hinder his ability and a camouflage trouser that complimented his black boots.
He looked like someone in his early twenties and had a goatee. What really got Lucius's attention were feathers from the man's wing, detaching and bombarding airborne mutant beasts. His feathers seemed to be as hard as still, stabbing through beasts with ease, while his ability to fly gave him a good view of the battlefield.
'He is the one!'
[He is the one!]
Lucius and Lyxor screamed at the same time. The man had the mobility, fell into the scout category, while also possessing enough firepower to harm him.
Even a monkey would realize this is the assassin!
Lucius wanted to ask Ralph about this guardian, but if Moon heard his questions through the earbuds, he would suspect Lucius had caught up to his plan and change his approach. He could only play the fool while waiting for death.
[After seeing your killer, your chances of survival has been reduced to 20%] Lyxor chuckled.
'Fuck you.' Lucius rolled his eyes