Gale sat by the window beside Rachel. Ollie and Erin were across from them while the twins and Lily were in the other booth across the aisle.

Everyone was eating a nutrition brick in the bowls provided by the Ann Family combat kit. Not one of them seemed to enjoy the tasteless goop they funneled down their throats, except Erin. She was happily smiling while eating the nutrition brick. Although this wasn’t the best taste, Gale also happily ate the earthy soil-like brick paste that had an iron aftertaste.

“The combat situation for the Rift Aperture System’s area favours our approach,” Erin said. “Fortune shines on our side. Most areas in the Tomb are designed for defense.”

With a snap of Erin’s finger, water coalesced in the middle of the aisle and flash froze. A sculpture showing a corridor that had 3 gates, leading to a circular room appeared floating just enough for everyone to see without getting out of their seats.

Kyle leaned forward from his seat, almost putting his nose too close to the sculpture. “Gates?”

“Three gateways lead to the RAS chamber,” Erin manipulated the display and the hologram zoomed in. “Each gateway, once triggered, will shudder open to remove its shutters towards the top. All 3 are wide enough to accommodate 2 Hellbringers side by side. Or as the feral one calls it, two garbage-truck size lengths of space.”

“Garbage truck? Again, seriously?” Ollie asked.

“Yeah, you know. Garbage trucks,” Gale said, whooshing his hand around like it meant something.

“I don’t know what that means, but I’ll take it. Garbage truck-sized units,” Kyle laughed.

“The gates are the sole entrance and exit,” Erin continued. “A chokepoint we shall use to our advantage. The Tekanimantus wage war in the adjacent sector, leaving Wisdom undermanned.”

“Guess that solves that issue. Less units there for now,” Lily said.

Erin tapped her bracer again. “Intelligence confirms Wisdom Sector’s forces are spread thin. Once we reach the main floor, we move directly to the RAS. Set up defenses at once.”

Rachel crossed her arms. “What’s the setup?”

Gale was the one who spoke up first, “I say place anti-guardian mines at the third gateway, closest to the RAS itself. Soft targets at the first and second.”

Kyle frowned. “Why?”

“Guardians and the Tekanimantus are in a fight against each other, and the Guardians are outnumbered,” Gale said. “Let them fight.”

“Makes sense,” Kyle said.

“That factor alone increases the probability of success for this mission compared to the rescue operation for the more silent one of the loud ones,” Erin said.

Clyde groaned. “Does she really have to bring that up all the time?”

“Every single time,” Lily said.

“No shit. You think you’re not going to get some ribbing after that clusterfuck?” Ollie said. “How you going to make me money with that super nano core when we get back?”

“Quantum Nano Core,” Kyle said.

“And fuck you, Ollie,” Clyde said.

Rachel smiled at Clyde. “Honestly, you could scream like a little girl next time that happens. That would have made it a lot easier in preventing you from being kidnapped.”

“Would’ve saved us a lot of trouble,” Lily said, then paused. She looked at both twins. “Actually, I haven’t ever heard you two scream, though. Not even while taking a beating in any of the missions we’ve been on. You guys ok? Like actually ok?”

Kyle and Clyde exchanged a glance, probably doing their twin telepathy thing. Clyde shook his head once and that was it.

“Scout lady, you think you’re smart, huh? Trying to goddamn put a death flag on us?!” Kyle said.

“Too close. Not now. Maybe later when we get back when a death flag risk actually comes with the gain of mad money,” Clyde said.

“What about over dinner on me?” Lily smirked. “I can’t wait. Love to hear it over at the greasiest place I can find after this is all over.”

“Fran’s Restaurant is nice,” Rachel said.

“Fran’s is great,” Lily agreed.

That restaurant was still at the back of Gale’s mind. The wasted food he never had the chance to bite into. The smell of the egg and grease together only blocked by Rachel’s unnerving anger at him, making him shrink back into his seat. It was the first casual meal he had ever experienced after coming back to Earth. The uneaten steak and eggs.

Gale looked at Rachel. “Next time you leave your steak and eggs on the plate, I’m eating it.”

“You didn’t ask,” Rachel said.

“I was staring at it, and you didn’t even take a bite,” Gale said.

“This useless chatter serves no purpose,” Erin said, snapping her fingers once more, and the sculpture melted back to water. “Eating is only for nutritional sustenance. This discussion serves no purpose.”

“Lighten up, Grand Researcher,” Ollie said. “Once we’re back on Earth, we’ll take you to the greasiest foods you can have. Burgers, fried chicken, pizza, poutine soaked in an ungodly amount of gravy you better pray you wake up the next day.”

“Greasy food has ramifications on the body,” Erin said flatly. “Greasy food dulls the mind. This form has been maintained through sustainable nutrition. Taste is a simple luxury for the masses.”

“Come on, live a little,” Ollie said.

“I have lived for millennia. I do not need to ‘live a little.'”

Gale cut in before the argument could continue. “So then that settles it.” He smiled at the group. “Everyone at Fran’s on Tuesday when we get back.”

“I’m in,” Lily said immediately.

“Same,” Kyle and Clyde said in unison.

“Obviously,” Rachel said.

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Ollie added.

Erin opened her mouth, but Gale kept talking. “Back to the topic. Soft target traps on the first and second gateways. Third gateway is mostly for Guardians, which means the forcefields and anti-Guardian mines are spread around there. That’s the setup, correct?”

Lily nodded, working through it. “Makes sense. Let them tear each other apart at the front gates while we focus on whoever makes it through.”

“Exactly,” Gale said.

“That is correct,” Erin confirmed. “The strategy is sound.”

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

The train shuddered and decelerated. Through the windows, they saw the flesh creep covering every surface of Wisdom Sector’s transit hub.

Everyone sat up from their seats and moved to the nearest exit. Stepping off first, Gale materialized Erebus and let the tendrils spread before him.

No hostile contacts yet.

Turning back to his team, he waved them to move out of the train, and the rest followed him outside, taking in the view.

Flesh covered almost every inch of the transit hub’s surface. Veins pulsed and bled. Scorch marks and charred flesh permeated the air. Laser burns cut through straight lines of the flesh creep.

“Lily,” Ollie said. “Please.”

Lily clasped her hands together and uttered inaudible words. An air purifying sigil appeared on everyone’s necks, letting everyone finally breathe.

“Well anyways, look at all that,” Kyle said, crouching at one of the scorch marks that were obviously from a laser.

“Day old at most based on how dead the flesh is,” Clyde said.

“Enough gawking,” Erin said. “Make haste through the corridors.”

“Alright, let’s move,” Gale said, nodding to Lily.

Lily moved forward first, reaching a square pillar and putting her back against it. She checked left and right, and then signalled the others to move forward.

When the team reached her, Lily moved again immediately to the next set of pillars, and then the wall ahead was the entrance to the outer defense hall. Compared to other sectors, the entry was much closer to the transit hub.

Gale slashed at the flesh covered door, removing the blockage. Entering the outer defense hall, inside was a library with towering shelves and the lovely smell of old paper from used books. In front of them were three narrow paths through the shelves.

“The library regenerates itself perpetually,” Erin said. “Every nineteen hours, it shifts. Pathways change. Shelves rearrange themselves to reset the maze.”

“That’s fucking creepy,” Kyle muttered.

Erin tapped her bracer and then looked to the middle path. “Follow me. Make haste.”

The team followed Erin. Straight through the first fork, then left at the fork. Gale felt for one of the books, taking one out and immediately opening it. Upon looking in the book, he felt a pang of pain in the middle of his head before he could even see the first letters of what was in the book.

“Foolish. Your mind is too weak to accept the contents of any of the books in this library,” Erin said. “Keep close. Follow.”

Gale grumbled but continued following her. They went left again, then right, and then straight up the staircase. Meeting a junction again, they turned right, then straight through the corridor that narrowed and sloped downwards until they met another fork.

Erin immediately walked left without hesitation and soon, they could see the door to the Core Chamber. A touch of her palm on the rhombus pattern made the door open with a hiss.

Tendrils spread out through the chamber. No hostile signs again. “Really no hostiles?”

“A fortunate event. The war in the adjacent sector is currently being fought. Let us not waste this chance,” Erin said. She looked to Lily, who moved forward first into the other end of the Core Chamber.

Entering the defense hall again, this one was also a maze library. Everyone followed Erin in the maze, careful not to lose each other out of sight. Their path went straight, straight, left, straight, right, straight, left. Each direction had either a fork or a junction.

Exiting the outer defence hall, they entered the transition between the inner defense hall and what was supposed to be an elevator. Instead, it was a massive hole that replaced the elevator.

Gale walked to the edge and looked down. He couldn’t see what was below, covered by clouds that obstructed the view.

Kyle whistled. “Long drop.”

“Everyone knows the drill,” Ollie said. He didn’t hesitate, just stepped off the edge. His body slowed mid-fall, telekinesis controlling his own velocity.

Erin dropped next, falling in the same manner as Ollie.

Lily jumped third, and blue shields materialized above her, using them as a glider.

Kyle pulled out his dagger and threw it straight down. The blade disappeared into the distance. He put his hand on Clyde’s shoulder, and they both blinked down.

Rachel turned to Gale and crouched down slightly. “Hop on.”

Gale sighed, shaking his head. One of these days, he needed one of those flying skills. If Erin could learn how to float, he should be able to, anyway.

“Hold tight,” Rachel said.

Then she jumped.

Wind noise tore past Gale’s ear. Rachel hadn’t ignited her feet yet, letting the clouds pass them. For a couple of minutes, they floated through the clouds until finally they saw the vast expanse of Wisdom Sector’s metal horizon, covered in patches of flesh, explosions, and scorch marks.

Her feet suddenly ignited, a jet of flame shot out from the bottom of her feet, slowing their descent in a controlled fall.

Once they were close enough to the floor, the jets on her feet disappeared, and she let herself drop 2 metres from the air.

Gale dropped off her back. “Thanks.”

“Anytime,” Rachel said, flames extinguishing.

Ollie, Erin, Kyle, Clyde, and Lily gathered around them after.

“Everyone here?” Gale asked.

“All accounted for,” Ollie said.

“Fortunately, twins didn’t get lost,” Lily said.

“You’re lucky. We found some shit over there we wanted to loot,” Kyle said as Clyde nodded.

Gale’s tendrils spread out once again. In the sector were 3 buildings, large, medium, and small. Although the small one was already larger than Yorkdale Mall, the only one that had three gates was the small building, which would mean that was where the RAS was.

On the floor, he saw metal grooved lines, similar to the ones for blind people on sidewalks. They led to the three buildings, and the right one led to the small building.

“Right path,” Erin said.

Gale nodded. “Everyone run together this time. No point in scouting when this is open space.”

The team broke into a sprint, following the grooves that led to the smaller building. On the way over there, they saw a burning giant 12 legged mech the size of a low-rise building, dead on the flat surface of the sector. Its hull was torn open; electronics from the inside were all ripped apart or taken away.

Passing by what looked like a skirmish, Kyle almost tripped on a large vein of bulgy flesh creep. The others jumped over it rather than running through it.

They then met a section where floors had been ripped open entirely, revealing the complex etched circuitry below the metal floor plates. Transparent cables hung and sparked from where they were ripped apart. From the looks of the cone, this was something that had enough firepower to do this in one strike.

After half an hour of running, the facility came into view that was only slightly bigger than a low rise apartment. It held a gate at the front with bold alien letters that read “RIFT APERTURE SYSTEM.”

The entrance was a large thick shutter, about the same thickness as the elevator from Harmony sector. On its top right and left were inactive alarm lights and klaxon horns.

“GTFO time,” Kyle pointed as he reached the gate. “Watch out, Erin. Those things blast loud music that’ll attract every monster here.”

“Nonsense,” Erin said, arriving beside him. She tapped her bracer twice. “Alarms disabled. Your concern is irrelevant.”

The gate shuddered suddenly. Metal scraped against metal, echoing throughout the sector. The massive doors began to open up, revealing the 2nd and 3rd gate also opening up at the same time.

Erin turned to Ollie. “Origin cores. Now.”

Ollie materialized three spines still covered in fluid, transparent threads. They hovered above him before floating to Erin, who caught them with her own telekinesis.

“I shall begin the repair procedure. We must defend until it is done,” Erin said.

“Alright,” Gale said, turning to the team. “Time to set up. Let’s make this count.”

The team split up immediately, each person grabbing equipment from Ollie’s storage box and Gale’s space storage. Claymores were placed at the first gate. Frag imploders were set between the first and second. Twenty freezing fields were set in front of the third gate. Twenty eight distortion fields set all around at random intervals at all three gates.

Lily added her own sigils to the mix, a green sigil that looked like something between an X and a P. “Oxygen depriver sigils. Useless on the go, good for traps. Witch Ashen said it was really only good for putting out fires.”

“Anything that helps is good,” Gale said. He learned that the hard way in the Eclipsed.

The group moved back to the 3rd gate, and the gates began closing on them. They saw Erin in the middle of the platform, eyes closed, both hands out towards the sky. Multiple circles of light with complex circuitry spun against each of the three poles. The Origin Cores hovered just behind the poles.

“Erin, how long?” Gale asked.

“Thirty minutes,” Erin said. “Do not disturb my focus.”

The 3 gates shuddered, closing slowly, scraping against the rusted metal until they fully closed. Everyone looked at each other, trying not to say anything that would jinx the effort, but that was for naught.

A large thumping rumbled the area. Thud. Thud. Thud.

Something giant was coming. And suddenly, the first gate exploded. Bits of metal debris could be heard crashing against the second gate.

And with that first sound, the battle started. The large buzz of the swarm could be heard coming from all directions. Speaker-like screeches echoed from everywhere. Explosions shook the whole place every couple of seconds. Guns rattled, hitting the metal floor and what sounded like bones.

Gale’s presence could see it all. The guardians against the tide. Thousands of spider mech guardians along. A familiar humanoid mech was there, Stormbreaker, marching alongside its comrades towards the Rift Aperture System. She had already let the void in as intricate inky patterns swelled into every bit of her armour. Her blade culled the flesh warriors by the tens with each swipe. The spider mechs also did their job, taking on abominations.

The Tekanimantus didn’t relent. They swarmed against the giant monstrosity that was the 12-legged spider mech. Flesh warriors climbed and hacked away its joints. The swarm of winged humanoids shot at the guns on the top, exploding them or ripping them away from their platform.

The 12 legged mech didn’t care. It crouched and rotated its singular large barrel towards the 2nd gate.

Boom.

Second gate exploded.

Boom.

Third gate opened up the scene to the group. Metal against flesh. Blood and oil mixed together. The Guardians and Tekanimantus fought against one another while flooding into the RAS.

“Don’t let them hit Erin!” Gale shouted. The group opened fire.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep