Chapter 21: A Trip to Disaster IX
Aetheris-Veston Border—Awakened Camp.
Disaster.
The Aetheris-Veston Border Camp trembled violently as the deafening blast tore through the residential sector.
The ground rumbled like a wounded beast, structures shuddered, and screams erupted in the distance.
The security personnel stationed near the blast zone had no chance. One moment, they were standing guard—The next, they were gone. Obliterated.
Not even a scrap of them remained.
A massive explosion—one designed not only for destruction but for impact—sent shockwaves rippling through the entire area.
It was a type of bomb that was meant for a wide-range impact, was what was detonated. And judging by the scale, it wasn't only one that was detonated.
The manner in which the explosion erupted—from deep beneath the ground—meant only one thing. It had been planted long before now.
KSHH!
The emergency comms crackled, voices barely audible beneath layers of static interference.
"Re…ply… Is…an…one…!"
A desperate attempt to reach their base. But it was useless. The explosion had taken down more than just structures.
It had wiped out the antenna—the only thing allowing for long-distance communication. Yet. That alone wasn't the reason why the signals were failing.
But that wasn't all; buried alongside the bomb had been a jamming device, one specifically engineered to prevent all forms of telecommunication and mana-frequency transmission.
It would have been a good thing if the comms alone were down, but even a means to prevent mana-frequency transmission had been blocked.
Another barrier had overlapped the barrier they were so proud of.
Now, unless they were using a specialized communication line specifically designed to work around the jamming device, there was no way to get in touch with the outside world.
They were completely isolated.
"Team Four, head over to the residential apartments right now! Prevent the fire from spreading further!"
Such were the shouts their captain had ordered from across the command post.
They were in front of the administrative sector, which, though they felt the impact, hadn't spread, the explosion that is.
Hence, in a rushed act, the remaining here had been assembled in a rush and were to head over to the residential area.
"On the Ever-present's name is happening."
The security captain, who had come over here in a rush, assembled his men in a hurry.
They too were awakened, although the best of them were around the «practitioner» rank at best.
What could they do?
After all, they certainly couldn't hire those around the «Enlightened» class and above as securities could they?
Dungeons, Criminals, and the Anti-Order were still roaming about doing as they like, no?
The people here were those who couldn't challenge dungeons like others and had simply opted for an easygoing life as a security.
Their salaries were around seventy to eighty thousand RHN, which was this world's currency equivalent.
But still, they had been trained for something like this, yes? True, however, right now? No amount of money could prepare them for what they were witnessing.
They had trained for emergencies like this. They had been briefed, drilled, tested. And yet, seeing the real thing unfold before their eyes.
The sheer magnitude of destruction, left even the most hardened of them frozen in place.
"Help!"
"My son!"
Screams like that of suffering filled the air at the residential areas. Even if they did use a fire extinguisher, it wasn't enough for a fire on this scale.
"Stop this nonsense immediately! Call the fire department!"
"They are already on their way!"
"Hold out till they appear!"
"Yes, sir!"
The captain gritted his teeth, steeling himself, and in the next moment, mana wrapped around his body with a thin film, as layers of defensive enchantments wrapped around him like a protective aura.
Then, without hesitation, he charged into the flames.
Several other «Practitioner» ranked security members followed behind him, their bodies similarly reinforced.
There was no other choice.
They couldn't rely on the lower-ranked members—those below Practitioner rank, the equivalent of a D-rank Awakened.
Because even though they were Awakened, their capabilities were still far too human.
After all, though they were awakened, to put it into perspective, the «Practitioner» ranks were not that much different from normal humans.
Even the lowest-ranked Awakened, the Apprentices (E-rank equivalents), possessed superhuman capabilities.
At their strongest enhancements, their physical abilities could reach fifteen to twenty times that of a peak human.
However—Raw strength meant nothing in a situation like this.
Because with their subpar mana reserves, maintaining their enhancements for long periods was impossible.
And once their time ran out? That was it. There would be no second chances. Which meant they couldn't afford to rush in blindly.
Instead, their only option was to hold back, wait for the right moment to act. Meanwhile—
Those around the stable D-rank, the security members strong enough to take action, had already begun Operation Rescue.
But the moment they entered the burning wreckage, a single thought consumed them.
Terrible.
Was what most of them could say as they carried out their operations.
Bodies reduced to bone, barely recognizable.
The few survivors they managed to find were horrifically burned, their skin blackened, their wounds too severe for normal healing.
Scars that would never fade unless treated with elixirs or Saint-grade Heal. And then, there were those they couldn't save at all.
Some had already succumbed to oxygen deprivation, their bodies collapsing from the sheer heat before the flames even reached them.
A hopeless situation.
"Goddammit!"
In fact, one of the rescue personnel, a security officer, emerged from the burning wreckage, his uniform singed, his arms seared, carrying a human body engulfed in flames.
His eyes were wild, filled with a desperate, frantic determination, he wouldn't let them die, he couldn't.
As he neared the perimeter, where others were holding back the wildfire with mana, he roared—"Assist!"
Without hesitation, he flung the burning figure upward, forcing his own mana to reinforce his arms for the throw.
"Water Wave!"
Another security officer, standing ready, immediately raised his hand.
As they did, a circle lit on his palm, before a concentrated blast of high-pressure water shot forward, slamming into the burning body.
The flames hissed and screamed, snuffed out instantly by the force of the spell. And just as the charred figure began to fall, the rescuer caught them.
However, it was too late, the fire had gone, the heat had vanished. But life had already left. The figure in his arms was still.
They were no longer breathing, no pulse. Nothing.
"Goddammit!"
The rescuer collapsed to his knees, his body trembling. His fist slammed into the concrete, sending cracks through the stone.
His voice was hoarse, broken, filled with rage and sorrow. "Why!?"
He cried to the heavens. However, this wasn't even the beginning, he ought to have saved it after the whole operations had been carried out.
Those who had ventured further into the residential buildings that extended like a street had it tough.
There wasn't just one street-filled building; there were more of them. And that was the problem, and besides that, the worst had yet to happen.
However, while that was happening.
Aetheris-Veston Border—Awakened Camp. Administrative Building.
The suited man, the leader of this infiltration, let out an almost bored sigh, adjusting his cuffs as he spoke.
"It's a pity the Yosen students weren't caught up in it, as there are far more horrors waiting at the dungeon."
"Was it really necessary, Boss…?"
"Orders. I can't go against my boss, can I?"
The guard who had been behind the man and the man himself had continued like that, ignoring the chaos-filled hallway.
However, the only change of expression on the two faces was mostly on the guard. The bodyguard's expression twisted slightly.
He had known his superior was high-ranking within the Anti-Order faction—but this confirmed something else, even he answered to someone higher.
The higher-ups of the Anti-Order weren't particularly people you could just see every day.
They had emulated the Great Clans to the point it was like they didn't exist.
Even people that carried out their will only ever talk to them through either communications or through another person.
The leader slowed his pace slightly, as if thinking. Then, with a smirk, he finally spoke.
"Joker. That's all I know about him. The Anti-Order follows a card hierarchy like that. [King], [Queen], [Ace], [Jack], and finally, [Joker]. That is who I'm following."
"Amongst them, he is unlike the rest who are simply ruthless; however, he's such a schemer. Even this plan was concocted by him."
It was a long-term plan that they couldn't afford to mess up in the slightest.
By infiltrating this place, working for the Great Clans, there were many chances to tamper with the places outside the Administrative Sector.
After all, even this place was treated as a sacred ground that only securities of the highest ranks could enter the administrative grounds.
"It was a slow and agonising plan, but now, we can see the results."
Surely, the results were like the Joker expected, and no doubt, the man himself would be pleased with the results.
"Now then."
Mumbling that, they entered an elevator that took them underground.
Even if they could steal the most lowly of magi-tech owned by them, their most brilliant minds could replicate it, and that way, they would be no inferior to the Affiliated.
And unfortunately, they had received a tip that a tech similar to the Mana reactor was in production.
Now… it would fall into their hands, regardless of if it was finished or not.
In the meantime. Inside the Dungeon.
While that was happening, the chaos hadn't reached here… Yet.
"Now, block its vision. C team, make sure to aim for its vitals. D team, make sure the trap is ready."
Arianna didn't even have the chance to participate by herself, no, she didn't need to in the first place, that was the situation.
B-class was also filled with competent people to begin with. She was just making use of the most competent amongst them.
"Support, weaken it with your debuffs."
She asserted, swaying her fan as she gave those seamless commands.
It was like an orchestra in play; they were all in sync with the command, the sway of her fan was the baton, and the rest were the orchestras playing her tune.
There was no blind spot, as with a glance she could see through the entire battlefield.
Among the spectators, one person was staring at her in absolute horror.
Shane.
The person, who despite being lazy prided himself on intelligence, looked over her with a look of horror.
He had extensive knowledge of a lot of things, as he had studied far ahead of anyone, but seeing this bizarre sight in front of him shocked him to no end.
No. It wasn't even him; the rest were the same, as all eyes were on Arianna at this moment.
She knew this, as that smile was still plastered on her lips.
Rosebell.
She was currently showing her worth as a part of the Rosebell family.
"What a drag."
Even the instructors, who had been grading their performances, could only write one thing on their papers.
Perfect scores. And it was so. It wasn't even a question.
Other students were also the same as they had a look of surprise on her face that they couldn't hide even if they tried.
Arianna, however, was simply using all the information she had against the Orcs to her advantage.
She was using every scrap of knowledge available to her.
The orc's weaknesses? She made sure to exploit it.
Her team's strengths? She also made sure to maximize that.
The terrain in which she stood? She also memorized down to the most unimportant detail.
Every piece of data had been processed, broken down, and weaponized into a perfectly executed plan.
And now, her teammates were playing the tone, carrying out her orders perfectly.
Arianna continued swaying her body and her fan before she then stopped.
"Adagio, Allegro—Change beat: Prestissimo."
As she stopped, their formations halted, everyone switching to a defensive formation after stopping the Orc in its tracks.
Even the supporters had stopped their debuffs and began putting everything they had into buffing, recklessly buffing a girl who held a bow and arrow.
She was the main attacker.
This was a signal for her.
She drew her bow aggressively as she then began layering spell over spell over her arrow.
"Quick, haste, pierce, critical strike, strengthening, hardening, damage enhancement."
Like that, she continued laying support magic overlapping them as her arrow now shone green as if she were a star.
This was destruction condensed into a single point, in literal sense.
A [one-shot pierce magic].
A technique that didn't spread its damage across a large area, however instead funneled everything into a single piercing strike, breaking through all defenses.
And with one breath, she whispered:
"Go. Artemis Arrow."
She shot the arrow as it flew faster than most could see.
All they had seen was a green that had been released following a blinding light.
And in the next moments, the Orc's upper torso was missing, along with some trees alongside it.
By the time that was done, Arianna had simply given an elegant, curt bow with a soft smile, signalling the end of their performance.
What hadn't been done had happened now.
A resounding applause rang out.
Unlike the raw overwhelming power displayed by Damian and Sakurai, Arianna's performance captivated them in a different way.
Because she had shown something beyond brute strength. She had displayed something far more terrifying.
Omniscience. Complete control over the battlefield.
"Thank you, fellow students~"
She said, with a tone of satisfaction in her voice as she then straightened up. However, as she did that—
"W-what—!?"
A trembling voice of a student rang out behind, as they all turned to see.
They saw the orc whose torso had been pierced still standing; heck, if anything, it had taken a step forward.
"What!?"
"Get back!"
But before anyone could respond.
A red thunderbolt descended from the heavens, slamming into the orc with blinding intensity.
The air crackled, the ground trembled, and the smell of burnt flesh filled the area.
If their eyes didn't miss it, they saw it had begun regenerating, its muscles pulsing.
"Shane—!"
"I know; I can see it."
Damian, who didn't need to spell it out, had looked over to Shane before he had approached, landing beside him.
Shane, who didn't need to be told twice, was already on it, his eyes, which had glowed golden, had seen everything that was happening like an omniscient god.
"No way. 1, 2, 3, what the… Instructor, this is…"
"...Yeah, I sense it too…"
Even Celeste, who was an Enlightened-Above Awakened, couldn't help but let her cigarette dangle as she stared before her in horror.
Then, a nervous smile was plastered on her face.
"We're screwed…"
Hordes of Enlightened Class Monsters had suddenly spawned from the deepest parts of the forest-plain-type dungeon that sprawled out before them.