As it turned out, Daniel’s family was powerful. It wasn’t the usual “I think I’ve heard of them,” but more like, “You don’t know the Zerog household? Have you been living under a rock?”
The Mistrals tried to move away from Dirk—what a stupid name to give a massive wyvern—but the beast was already upon the first Mistral, its maw crunching down on the avian beast’s neck. I saw dark speckles resembling a tall figure in the distance as someone leaped from the wyvern’s back. The figure was fast and pounced atop the other Mistral in a flash. A moment later, the beast’s head slid from its neck.
“What in the—...” I gasped, goosebumps spreading all over my body.
Had it been easier to defeat the Mistrals than expected, or were the wyvern and his Blessed simply that much stronger? Powerful enough to defeat the Mistrals effortlessly.
But that—... How was that even possible? I swallowed hard and glanced at Daniel, who was still rambling about his sister.
That has to be a mistake. Daniel’s uncle is not that powerful, I told myself, but the confidence drained from me as the words echoed in my mind.
Or is he? I mean, I have no idea who his uncle was in the first place. He never really mentioned his uncle—or his sister, for that matter.
To be fair, I didn’t even know how powerful the Zerogs were. The only time I saw them in action—if you could call it that—was against the Shadowing. While impressive, the Shadowing was only an Awakened beast.
Daniel was already a Journeyman. His parents were definitely stronger than that, meaning they had to be Experts with Soulkins at or above the Evolved grade. In all likelihood, they had Unblemished beasts, or…
Could they be Masters with Guardian Soulkins? If that was the case, they could have fought the Mistrals head-on… right?
My attention lingered on the Mistral torn apart in the wyvern’s maw, and I found myself pitying the beast. It was hard to grasp my feelings as I looked at the dying creature in the distance, but I was not sad about its—their—death. That much was apparent.
They attacked the Bastion, tore the dome apart, and killed almost everyone. Not even their deaths would balance the deaths that were yet to come. The Mistrals had killed hundreds, if not thousands, of innocent people. Still… it was not like they would have attacked the Bastion under normal circumstances. All they wanted was to get their child back. The Mistrals were not the initial perpetrators. They were victims of circumstance, even if their actions led to many deaths.
But that did not change the facts; they put the Bastion in danger. So… why was I feeling like that? I… should be angry at them—loathe them and all the other beasts.
However, I wasn’t angry at them. If anything, I was angry at the people who took the Mistrals’ child. Their selfish act caused it all. It was them who killed everyone—be it humans or beasts.
***
Mom and Dad were adamant about returning to the apartment now that squadrons of the Bluesky Battalion patrolled the sectors, but they didn’t know Daniel well enough to know that he didn’t accept a “No” for an answer. He was as stubborn as his Soulkin, and that meant something.
Daniel convinced my parents to come with us to the Zerog estate. He invited them to the main sector, which took us a while to reach as the skytrain and other means of transportation were out of service. At least none of the beasts we encountered on our journey through the Bastion attacked us. Not many beasts were left to be dealt with, and those few troublemakers that remained would soon be removed as well.
“Where are Bert and Evalynn?” I asked at some point, but Daniel didn’t know either.
“I’m not all-knowing, you know?” He snickered, trying to hide the steely look in his eyes as he inspected the death and destruction around him. No street had been spared from beast attacks, although some streets seemed better off than others.
The main sector looked bad compared to the outer sectors, but the Mistrals caused a lot less damage than I’d expected. I was half-certain the Zerog estate wouldn’t have made it, but other than a few broken windows and a disheveled garden, it looked fine.
Butler Steve emerged out of nowhere, which resulted in surprised yelps from my parents, but I pushed them through the gate when Steve opened it. My parents stared at the butler, who vanished moments after the gate closed behind them.
“Was that—...?” Mom asked in a high-pitched voice.
“Did he just…?” Dad added, shuddering.
“That’s Steve. I have no idea where he comes from or where he goes. No, I do not know how he can sense us, but he does, and yes, he is always there to open the gate.” I ruffled through my hair, trying to hide the irritation building up within me. “Ask Daniel if you have questions. He’ll be happy to talk your ears off.”
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
Daniel raised an eyebrow and stepped into the elevator beside me. “How about you jump into the shower? Today has been a bit of a mess, but I’m sure cleaning up and putting on some fresh clothes will make you feel better.”
I glared at my friend, ready to snap, but I said nothing. Unable to feel Aureus’ emotions, I didn’t have an outlet for mine—not that I needed one, but the day had been a mess. Everything had been a mess, and it certainly didn’t help that I didn’t know whether Bert and Evalynn were fine.
They’re strong enough to take care of themselves. We rescued my parents, and everyone else… is dead. I cursed myself. The unBlessed in the outer sectors were probably dead now. There hadn’t been many beasts in the outer parts of the Bastion, as even Wilds barely benefitted from the unrefined Worlds of unBlessed. Still, they benefitted from their Worlds, and they instinctively knew that.
Even 1-Star Wilds were a threat to normal people. UnBlessed could defeat them or hide from them, but how many had managed to save themselves, and how many fell victim to today’s incident?
I didn’t know how I reached the shower, let alone when I stripped my clothes. My eyes lingered on a set of clean clothes Daniel must have given me at some point, but I couldn’t recall when or how long it had been since I entered the shower.
My eyes were still aching, my World trembling, and my bond was still fragile, yet I was alive. My parents were alive as well.
I moved the nozzle to the side and waited for the stream of water. It came in a small flood—ice-cold and distracting—exactly what I needed right now. To my dismay, I got used to the cold stream trickling down my body, and my mind had free rein to think about what had happened and what was bound to happen now that the Mistrals and the vast majority of beasts that had attacked the Bastion were dead.
The entire ecosystem in the Zones surrounding the Bastions, as well as the Zones adjacent to them, changed entirely the moment the Mistrals moved. Even though countless beasts had died, probably eradicating a few species altogether, most beasts didn’t enter the Bastion. They were just scared by the Mistrals and forced in some direction—any direction—as the wrath of the Mistrals reached them. Their instincts pushed them to move away from the beasts strong enough to annihilate them with a breath, which greatly shuffled the ecosystem of those who prevailed.
That alone was already problematic, to put it simply. More problematic, however, were the deaths caused by the Mistrals and other strong beasts. It was uncertain if all beasts hiding in the Bastion could be captured in time, and I had no idea how long the dome would be deactivated. It shattered, so… was it broken too? Would it be easy to fix the dome, or was that an expensive ordeal?
As for expenses, I didn’t dare to fathom how much damage the beasts had caused. Many Blessed had been killed by the beasts, ending the lives of Blessed with crucial jobs—be they combatants, office workers, or laborers. It was, to put it lightly, a mess, and it promised to cause a lot of trouble for Ruler Wale, the Bluesky Battalion, as well as the Camp.
How many promising young Blessed had been killed by the Mistrals, and how would the incident change the Camp? Would it change, in the first place?
Ice-cold water poured down my face, but no matter how much I prayed for a blank mind, questions popped up. And when there were no more questions to ask, the images resurfaced. The dead sprawled across the streets, vivid memories of the despaired screams of those unfortunate enough to be eaten alive, etched deeply into me.
I could not help but think about them and shuddered—not because of the cold, but because I truly understood what had happened merely a few hours ago. Adrenaline had been helpful for some time, but it no longer protected me.
I dried my body once I was done showering. A small nick caught my attention, but it didn’t look infected or worse, so I continued drying my hair. Meeting my reflection in the mirror, I was greeted with a myriad of familiar freckles, long, wet hair, and a lean, well-built physique. My eyes trailed the muscles, perfectly distributed throughout the body, optimized for strength, durability, agility, and flexibility.
My body was the result of a great diet, hard work, and, of course, the custom body tempering technique. I looked nothing like I used to look a few months ago. I… was stronger than I used to be, yet it hadn’t been enough. The Mistrals were still stronger than me. No—forget about the Guardian beasts—even the weakest Awakened beasts with special traits would tear me apart.
A heavy sigh escaped my lips.
I was far from strong enough.
***
Daniel’s voice cut in, serious and insistent. “I want you to move in with us, Mr. and Mrs. Savier.”
I heard it as I returned to the living room. Mom and Dad were standing near the elevator, tightly holding each other’s hands. They looked out of place, as if taking one more step into the living room would cost them greatly.
“Even if you don’t want to stay here, do it for Adam. The dome has been damaged and needs to be repaired. While that might take only a few days, the Bastion will be susceptible to more attacks in that time.” Daniel stared intently at my parents, and I grimaced when Mom squirmed beneath his gaze. “I don’t want to sound like a jerk, and I certainly don’t want to force anything upon the parents of my friend, but I don’t think Adam can continue his training properly when his parents are in danger. Desperate as well as stupid Wilds will be drawn to the Bastion, day and night, and they would endanger your lives. The Bluesky Battalion will protect the Bastion and its residents, but they’re not perfect.”
Daniel looked like he had a lot more to say, but the elevator’s doors opened, sealing his mouth shut.
Peter Zerog and Chloe Zerog stepped outside, followed by an unfamiliar woman and a giant of a middle-aged man. The man was definitely more than two meters tall—probably more like 2.3 meters, if I wasn’t mistaken—and he was incredibly muscular. Even his muscles seemed to have muscles.
“Wait, is that Daniel? Nah, no way—that’s not my nephew. Definitely not,” the towering man hollered as he looked at me.
What was that supposed to mean?
The giant, apparently Daniel’s uncle, turned to Daniel with a smile. “You look more like your sister.”
The unfamiliar woman snorted and glared at Daniel, who returned the favor. He stuck out his tongue, to which his sister rolled her eyes.
“I didn’t know your sister was this beautiful,” I said, my eyes widening as the comment left my lips.
Did I really just say that out loud?!