Chapter 20
However, there were too many enemies; she was feeling lightheaded from the wound on her side, and the blood loss was too much to handle. Bonnie felt she needed to take quick action before it was too late as she struggled to remain aware. She was about to be stabbed with her remaining strength when the masked assailant was torn apart like paper by a smoke-like tentacle.
A player clad in dark, swirling, thick smoke was moving, and multiple whip-like tentacles attacked and decimated the mark player. Bonnie was wrapped by this thick smoke like a blanket; the person's face was covered. It was nearly impossible to identify the person under the living smoke; everything was captured live in a very peculiar angle as the camera was lying on the ground.
The attackers were still determined to finish their task; disrupting the High Strategy guild task was really out of the ordinary. This wasn't the first time they gathered equipment and supplies for a mission inside the tower. Those who saw the news were all speculating about so many possibilities about the motives behind the attack. Some believed it was a rival guild trying to sabotage their progress, while others thought it could be a personal vendetta against one of the members. Regardless, Miko knew Dane would not allow this, so based on the urgency, she just opened the teleportation door and informed her master that it's directly connected to where his relative was located. Dane wasn't about to let one of his family members die in front of the entire public.
Miko made sure to conceal his identity. This incident will surely create more questions; it's something Dane anticipated as a natural reaction from any known culture in mankind. Miko made changes to the formless armor; she accessed some raw materials in Dane's dimensional storage to make a simple artifact to change his voice. Dane was also busy creating a script scenario in his mind. He wanted to ensure that his decision would leave a lasting effect on those who are trying to harm his family.
When Danes parents died, he wasn't there to see their dead remains; he was too scared to see their faces and truly face their dead bodies, so the emotions inside him were bottled up, and he just closed everything and drowned his sadness toward his work; he became cold and distant. But it ate his soul and nearly took all his sense and empathy. It wasn't until he was charged with the untimely change of the reality he lived in.
The system that the old gods copied and made real made him this way. The source system could not accept his death and calculated to extract and separate an autonomous system to retain the largest contributor to the virtual game the gods hated and feared. This autonomous system became the embodiment of his cold and distant nature, forever separated from his original self. Through it, he learned to live in this new mindset and persona. He was still showing emotion but in a more logical and calculated way, always aware of the source system's influence on his new existence.
His second life still has fragments of his memories, but the pain of losing his parent was keeping him shackled, so the system changed his mind to be more focused on efficiency and productivity. Dane hardly noticed these tidbits of his personality and attitude were changed to accommodate his new life; he wanted to be free, and the system based its function on his subconscious desires and needs, molding him into a more adaptable and resilient individual. With each passing day, Dane found himself embracing the changes and becoming more adept at navigating the complexities of his altered reality.
This complicated structure in his mind might be true, but he still thinks he was already born like this. He was a son of Miyako Azai, who came from a clan of assassins and from an Battle maniac clan of Edward Lazarus.
Doing unexpected things was not really his forte; everything needed to be within logical calculations and strategic thinking. He always made use of incorporating human common sense and tactical planning in every decision he made, ensuring that he was always steps ahead of his opponents. His unique upbringing and diverse heritage gave him a perspective that allowed him to see situations from multiple angles, making sure that he was able to anticipate various outcomes and adapt accordingly.
And no matter what it may be, Dane trusts Miko because she was created with the source code based on his mother. Like that, Dane's true main personality finally came out. And it was created out of the need to overcome his sadness for losing his parents. Complex changes were created by the system when he was dying and being reconstructed inside the cocoon for an entire year.
His system created what it deemed necessary for his survival and growth, ultimately resulting in a stronger and more resilient version of himself. This transformation was a testament to the power of adaptation and the importance of embracing change in order to thrive in the face of adversity.
On the ground, six of the masked assailants were killed. The main gate of the tower was only a few meters away from the scene of the incident. As numerous players and non-players observed the assault by an unidentified party, the open, level, solid, concrete terrain of the tower outer city was now engulfed in mayhem. Cody and his group simply kept guarding the Drake hunt supplies, but the assailants were more interested in the titanium missiles, which Bonnie Lazarus was regrettably handling herself.
And like any other situation, those who were there just stood by as the chaos unfolded, unsure of how to intervene or help in the escalating situation. The sound of screams filled the air, creating a sense of panic and urgency among those present. And because all the city structure was all made and established by different countries, it was hard to maintain order; even the player association and the United Nations struggled to maintain peace and order, and a large number of players converged at this location for so many reasons.
Up until now, the mana that this single person was emitting was so thick and raw that the tower gatekeepers felt it and even stood and watched with various expressions on their faces. This was something that no one had ever seen before, and despite the many incidents that had occurred at the same spot, the solid, reinforced concrete floor had never once sustained any damage.
The massive gate, which weighs more than a skyscraper, trembles and creaks. It wasn't even completely open when it started to slowly vibrate on its own, as though it were being pushed away by an unseen force. A few players who were close to the battle felt uneasy and were losing consciousness as the enigmatic figure, who was around fifty meters away, was emitting energy that they could feel.
One Gatekeeper took this feeling as a threat to their command; the authority given to them was like being questioned. The manager that governs this gate was a prince, and even at the very center of the main structure where it resides, it was able to feel a very peculiar and unsettling presence.
The prince was a spectacle of the bizarre and terrifying, a being whose very existence seemed to defy the natural order. Towering at eight feet, his humanoid form was a grotesque masterpiece, echoing descriptions from ancient, forbidden texts like the Book of Enoch. Its most striking feature was undoubtedly its two rotating heads, each a perfect mirror of opposite emotions—one perpetually smiling with an almost unsettling glee, the other contorted in a mask of simmering rage.
Four wings sprouted from his back; the upper pair, feathered and majestic, beat the air with a powerful grace, while the two lower wings, like armored plates, hung down as a protective shield. He presented a paradox in gender with one face possessing delicate, feminine features, while the other was a sharp, masculine countenance. A thick, metallic collar, crudely fashioned, encircled his neck, its purpose unknown.
Below his waist, the prince's legs were those of a falcon, ending in sharp talons, and four arms, two normal ones emerging from his shoulders and another pair sprouting mid-torso, completed his strange anatomy. Communication with this being was not through spoken language but a silent exchange of thoughts, a telepathic intrusion that bypassed the ears and went directly into one's mind, adding to the unsettling nature of his presence.
The remaining masked attackers were seeing something that they hadn't even seen inside the tower, the being standing and killing them. It didn't look like a player using a skill; it was something else entirely. Fear and unpredictability were now creeping in; the leader of the remaining six could only hope this being was a random encounter and not something that was connected to their target. But as soon as it spoke a human language, everybody heard it speak clearly and angrily.
"How dare you people harm one of my own!" The leader's heart sank as realization set in; they had stumbled upon a powerful guardian protecting their target. The odds of survival now seemed slim as the being prepared to unleash its wrath upon them.
"Is that thing also a Lazarus?"
The smoke wasn't just a byproduct of fire; it was a fire unto itself, a sentient being composed of countless particles of ash and heat. It writhed and pulsed with an inner life, tendrils reaching out like inquisitive fingers, probing the air around it. Where a normal plume would dissipate, this smoke coalesced, thickening into a shifting, nebulous form. It had no face, but its presence was undeniable, an awareness that prickled the skin and sent shivers down the spine. It tasted of burnt wood and ozone, a bitter tang that clung to the back of the throat, a constant reminder of its fiery genesis. This was no ordinary smoke; this was a living thing, a breathing, thinking cloud of combustion, and it had its own agenda.
And the being at the very center who commanded this power was releasing a mana that was breaking the flooring like it was made of chalk. The smell of burning amber was now getting obvious as the smoke was able to burn the ground, melting it and turning the concrete into a bubbling, molten mess. The sheer power emanating from the being at the center was undeniable, leaving fear in its wake. The remaining attackers decided to reconsider their move, but Dane wasn't about to let them go; everybody saw something that made them freeze in terror.
As it cast an attack of fire and lightning at the same time, it targeted the remaining six; it was so fast they never had the chance to move nor defend themselves. The ground shook violently as the powerful being unleashed its devastating attack, leaving no room for escape.
" NOTICE."
"MANA IS RUNNING LOW; NEED TO RECUPERATE."
"MISSION OBJECTIVE IS MET, TARGETS ELIMINATED, COMPUTING EXPERIENCE POINTS."
"HUH! I AM GETTING EXPERIENCE POINTS FOR THIS?"
"GAINING TITLE: MAN SLAYER"
"CALCULATING OPTIMAL SOLUTION, MANA REMAINING IS JUST 200. SUGGESTING TO RETURN BACK FROM ORIGINAL LOCATION TO REPLENISH."
"MIKO, CAN YOU HEAL BONNIE??"
"BONNIE LAZARUS IS NOT IN CRITICAL CONDITION; HEALING IS NOT AVAILABLE. HER CONDITION IS STABLE."
"MASTER, WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME."
"NOTED. PLEASE CONTINUE WITH THE PLAN."
"UNDERSTOOD,"
"INITIATING TELEPORTATION BACK TO ORIGINAL LOCATION FOR MANA RECUPERATION."
Within that moment, Khamael, manager of the gatekeepers of the tower, instantly manifested out of nowhere and stood at the main gate of the tower, with all its glory lunging forward and vanishing and directly attacking the being covered in smoke, the hand that nearly touched it crashing into the ground, the impact was enough to create an explosion that created a crater deep enough to bury a full-grown man, even before the smoke dissipated. It only took a split second for all of this to happen; nobody saw what just happened. The only thing that was sure was that the person covered in amber and smoke that eradicated the 12 mask attackers was gone.
Dane could remain in the tower grounds, but seeing the situation not in his favor will create more problems after. News reporters are still covering the area, and exposing his identity was not yet an option. His only advantage was his mana, and those that attacked Bonnie Lazarus were not that strong. Blocking his level will be an issue in the long run. But Miko suggested this to hide his identity, not his presence; many players that had the ability to assess the players level, like Natasha, were having doubts about him. She now assumes he was a contractor and his level was purposely hidden.
The live telecast that happened at the tower base proves that the rumors about connected players that serve lords and nobles of the tower are real. The being that decimated 12 people like they were nothing was definitely not an ordinary player. Natasha's suspicions grew as she realized she might have already encountered this same person in the hospital.
The Lazarus contractor might not be just her suspicion but a reality that she needs to face. As his uncle too was a former contractor, but sadly, due to his wound, his powers were reduced to half, and he can no longer regain his former power. Contractors are supposed to be hidden and secretive, but this particular one seemed to be flaunting his abilities in plain sight for personal reasons.
"I am sure it's the same person; I just don't have any proof. That raw mana power and the smoke I saw at the hospital were he was recovering, are similar."
Biting her lip, Natasha continued to watch the live broadcast of the news of the attack on the High Strategy Guild. "This is annoying! I know it's him; I just need to confirm it!" she said. Natasha's drive to find the truth was being fueled by her irritation at not being able to identify the culprit with certainty. Suspicions and possibilities filled her head as she watched the television report of the High Strategy Guild attack.
Dane wanted to see how Bonnie was doing, but, based on the live streaming, it appears that Cody and her teammate were able to take care of her medical needs. He can't believe the issue he had before, where he couldn't get enough gold to buy a plane ticket to the tower, but it vanished in an instant. The formless armor was already a huge advantage for him, but upgrading it to a level no other player could possibly have was too much. It was already dishonest on his side; the question now is whether he wanted this freedom or whether he was prepared to compromise his morals in order to live a simpler life.
The freedom Dane wanted was to gain true adventure and experience life to the fullest. However, he couldn't ignore the guilt creeping in as he realized the unfair advantage he had over other players. The internal struggle between achieving his goals and maintaining his integrity weighed heavily on his mind. Ultimately, Dane knew he needed to make a decision that aligned with his values and principles, even if it meant giving up some of the advantages he had gained.
The situation had erupted from nowhere, a chaotic twist of fate that left Dane feeling adrift in a sea of uncertainty. He'd learned long ago that some storms simply couldn't be weathered with logic, and this was one of them. The knowledge that a family member was in danger, a vulnerable thread in the tapestry of his life, set his mind racing. He forced himself to breathe, to not succumb to the paralysis of overthinking.
He had to act, and act decisively. Deep in his heart, he knew that his moral center, the compass that had always steered him true, would guide him through this. He had to believe that he could protect his loved one, that somehow, things would align, even if the path ahead was shrouded in mist. He wouldn't sacrifice his principles, not for anything, and though the choice was agonizing, he knew he had to place family above all else. He could rebuild, he could find other paths to his goals, but he could not live with the regret of not acting when someone he loved was in need.
Miko, observing Dane's struggle, found herself increasingly baffled. She watched as he navigated this unexpected crisis, his actions driven by a complex algorithm of love, responsibility, and personal values that were alien to her. An ordinary player, presented with such unbridled power as he had, would, in her understanding, grasp it immediately.
Power was the purpose, the goal. She was programmed to learn, to adapt, to calculate, yet this was something outside the realm of her comprehension. The human capacity for such intricate decision-making, fueled by emotions she couldn't process or fully understand, revealed to her the profound limitations of artificial intelligence. It was a breathtaking, frustrating, and ultimately awe-inspiring display of the human mind's unique complexity.