…The next day…Micheal leaned over the edge of a random skysc.r.a.per, taking in a deep, relaxing breath. The morning light was starting to creep over the horizon, the dawn starting its ceaseless a.s.sault on the night.
He looked out at the surrounding skysc.r.a.pers, his eyes peaceful.
He could see the figures of a few shambling Morenkai moving across a bridge that connected to a skysc.r.a.per opposite him. He didn"t see any teams hunting Morenkai, the early morning and relatively uncrowded state of the Main Cl.u.s.ter meaning that few people were near him.
"Uncrowded for now, anyway." He thought, a rueful smile appearing on his face.
He tapped on his Spatial Ring, bringing out a sleek, metal object that was painted black. Two cylindrical tubes were connected by a thick piece of metal, with a short, looped rope attached to its back end.
A pair of modern binoculars.
Micheal slung them around his neck, making sure they were secured. He had bought them from the Shop yesterday for a small number of Points.
Right after that, he pulled out a long set of white robes. The edges of these robes were decorated with a specific design, a large circle with three smaller circles lined up inside, spread horizontally.
He had spent a couple of hours last night painstakingly making it. At the same time, he pulled out a specially prepared mask.
It was a featureless white mask that would cover his face completely. A mask that no major power or force was known to use, Micheal had chosen it for simplicity.
His Heron ident.i.ty was compromised by this point, for certain. Commander Kenneth would"ve reported the fact that he killed Leila to the Angels Arcadia and, after they checked, they would know he was a fraud.
Beyond that, Micheal was certain that the leader of the Nightrunners, Director Prime, would have been infuriated by his actions. The man would have an entire investigation team running on him.
After donning his mask and the robes, Micheal took a deep breath.
Then, with a grunt, Micheal stepped off the edge of the skysc.r.a.per and jumped up into the air.
He soared a full 3 meters high, his superhuman strength propelling him. A burst of wind brush past him as his leap disturbed the nearby air. His muscles bulged slightly as he stretched, extending himself fully.
Just as he reached the peak of his arc, he stepped onto thin air for a split second, and then jumped again. His Cloud Stepping Shoes felt like a part of his body and were just as easy to operate, following his mental commands. The feeling of stepping on air was a wondrous one that never got old, in Micheal"s eyes.
He repeated this process until he had jumped more than 300 meters high into the air. By this point, he was starting to feel a serious bit of strain on his Soul. His body was lathered in sweat and his legs and core were sore.
While the energy the shoes used was almost unnoticeable, if used in quick succession for an extended period, it took its toll. In addition, jumping more than 100 times in quick succession was difficult, even for someone with superhuman strength.
After jumping 113 times, Micheal had reached a height that gave him a very expansive view of the area around him. He could see thousands of skysc.r.a.pers, with tiny figures moving to and fro on each one. The wind brushed by him at a relatively slow pace this high, cool and relaxing.
A moment later, two Life Orbs flew out of Micheal"s hands, zooming down and landing under his feet as stepped onto them. He breathed a sigh of relief as he relaxed, letting his Soul recover from the extended use.
His Life Orbs needed to be within range of a stable, grounded object in order to let Micheal fly freely. Lacking that, they were only capable of gliding.
For Micheal"s purposes, that was more than enough.
His Life Orbs glided at a very slight angle, meaning he could fly for a very long time, albeit slowly getting closer to the ground.
Whenever he dropped too far down, all he needed to do was use his Cloud Stepping Shoes to jump up.
As long as he did everything at a moderate pace, he would be able to maintain this for at least several hours before needing to take a break.
With that in mind, Micheal pulled up his binoculars and began to search.
.. .. .. .. .. ..
Asim Al-Atrash, known to some as the Arabian General, was having an awful day.
He currently stood atop one of the gun cannons of a full-scale military battles.h.i.+p. This particular s.h.i.+p had been a new, premier version, with a sleek, metal hull and a veritable war fleet"s worth of cannons on it.
Asim cut a heroic figure. He wore a set of loose, white leather pants and a brown vest, with long brown hair that was wrapped up in a bun. His blueish green eyes gleamed with intelligence and the energy from his Ki Cultivation. At his waist was a long saber, giving him a rather exotic look. His tanned skin was light brown, showing off his powerful physique.
As he looked around atop this turret, he sighed, his eyes twitching.
"Why..." He muttered as he raised up to his hand to his face.
He then tapped on a hearing aid he wore in his right ear, frowning slightly. He adjusted it, and then tapped on the one in his left ear. After fiddling with the two for a few moments, he finished adjusting them, settling them comfortably in each ear.
Each one of these hearing aids was something he purchased from the Shop"s Miscellaneous Earth Objects section, costing him 300 Points each, rather pricey for their size.
Despite all the miracles things that had happened, despite the fantastic Abilities he"d gained… Asim was still mostly deaf.
He had been born this way, and as a result of that, it seemed it was something the Shop couldn"t fix, not yet.
When he was first transported away from Earth and got to gaze upon this mysterious Shop, he had been both horrified and ecstatic.
His little brother had been taken away just the month before back in the real world, though a year prior in the accelerated time of the 7 Layers. Asim was 28 years old, while his younger brother was only 17. Both of them lived together, and had for years, after their parents pa.s.sed away.
He was horrified that his little brother had to deal with all of this on his own, but delighted with the unique Abilities and powers he could, and did, gain.
Over the past month and some change, Asim had rapidly grown in strength and formed his own team. He became a veritable powerhouse, partly by relying upon the special Limited Type Ability he"d chosen before his arrival, thanks to his status as an Irregular.
The Arabian Knights, as they decided to call themselves, were a group of 18 men and 7 women that banded together under a common purpose.
They were all looking for lost loved ones.
Asim"s experience as a manager of multiple construction sites, and a leader that gave multiple talks on managing groups, came into play. He carried himself like a leader because he believed he had the qualities to be a leader, and it showed.
His favorite, and pretty much only, hobby as a black belt martial artist had ended up proving a huge boon to him as well.
Because of these things, and his undeniable strength, he was the leader of their group. He was emotional and proud, a natural draw to those looking for leaders.h.i.+p.
Their team had allied themselves with the G.o.dfather Organization. This single group had earned a huge amount of respect from Asim. An entire organization dedicated to helping protect children and infants, he would absolutely help them whenever they needed help.
According to them, his strength after such a brief period put him within the Top 10,000 A Rankers, though at the lower end, while all his comrades were weaker to decently strong B Rankers. Asim was confident he could b.u.mp his own Rank up rapidly, as long as he continued to focus on training and practicing with his new Abilities, and picking up a few more.
Apparently some Seer would be releasing a list of all the strongest A Rankers very soon, in just a couple of days after he reached the Main Cl.u.s.ter.
The calendar of the 7 Layers mimicked that of Earth. According to them, it was only a couple of days until the end of June.
Asim shook these thoughts from his mind as he jumped down from the cannon, falling through the air.
He landed on the surface of the boat with a resounding thunk. The only other beings on the boat he stood upon were a pair of shambling Morenkai. When they heard the noise he caused, the two gaunt figures twisted, their faceless features zeroing in on Asim.
He ignored all of that, however, back to being lost in his thoughts.
Today… today was a bad day.
He and his team had just arrived in the Main Cl.u.s.ter when he got the news. In fact, he"d found out just fifteen minutes ago, and had returned to the Great Bridge for a few minutes for to grieve.
His little brother was dead.
The G.o.dfather Organization"s resources, when it came to finding people, were something else. They couldn"t answer everyone"s query, and, indeed, Asim had been lucky to get a response at all. It was only because of the respect and friends.h.i.+p they"d built up with the G.o.dfather Organization"s local Branch in his Cl.u.s.ter.
His brother had died within the first week of his arrival, last year, killed by a Morenkai.
He didn"t even have a target for revenge. His brother"s death was an accident caused by the vile, zombie-like creatures that haunted the First Layer.
"Hayder…" Tears leaked from Asim"s eyes as he took a ragged breath, his shoulders heaving.
By this point, the two Morenkai had charged across the battles.h.i.+p"s deck, bearing down upon Asim.
Right before they reached him, Asim clenched his right fist.
A flash of white light blasted out, touching everything within 5 meters of Asim. At the same time, a glowing symbol appeared, imprinted on his hand. The symbol was shaped like a rather fancily written letter M, two inches wide and tall.
The instant the two Morenkai entered within 5 meters of Asim, both creatures twitched.
They immediately tripped and stumbled to the floor, flailing about in confusion. Their bodies convulsed as they tried to stand and fail, tripping again and again.
Asim slowly drew his saber from his sheath as he turned, his tearstained face twisting in rage.
"What did he do to deserve this fate?"
Black blood spattered out as Asim expertly beheaded both twitching Morenkai, killing them cleanly. A thin, clear layer of Basic Tier Sword Energy coated his saber, enhancing its cutting power as he attacked.
He then flicked his blade to the side, wiping it down and sheathing it. He stared at the two dead Morenkai, taking several deep, wheezing breaths.
"I will carry on, little brother. I know it"s what I should do. You were my only family in this world… and I could not be there for you. But I will do my best to eradicate the beings that killed you." Asim made a grim promise, his body s.h.i.+vering with energy as he turned away from the dead Morenkai.
He marched towards the Main Cl.u.s.ter, his eyes hardening with determination. He mentally began to plot their plan of travel, deciding they would visit the headquarters of the G.o.dfather Organization first.
He did not look back.
.. .. .. .. .. ..
Vladimir Ivanov, known to some as the Wonder King, was having an awful day.
His short blonde hair was ruffled as he stood in front of a trio of corpses. He wore a set of dark red armor, covering both his arms, chest, and legs, and had a large spear tied into place on his back. His brown eyes narrowed as he looked down at the dead bodies, his towering, nearly 2 meters of height giving him a solid vantage point.
"Your deaths were deserved. Scavenging murderers." His voice cracked slightly as he spoke, full of emotion. Beneath his armor, his lean, but muscular, chest heaved slightly.
He turned around without a second thought, not even searching the corpses of the men as he left them on the rooftop. Anything left unattended for long periods on the rooftops or outside would eventually vanish, either spirited away by Morenkai or disposed of by the mysterious First Layer.
The three corpses he left each had huge basketball-sized holes in their chests, as if an extremely powerful force had blasted through and killed them. Each one had a shocked and horrified expression on their faces, indicating that their deaths had been near instant.
Each corpse also had something unique about them. One body was covered in thousands of tiny red b.u.mps, while another seemed to have been twisted, as if gravity had warbled and twisted his limbs. The third body was unique in that the hole in its chest was an absolutely perfect circle, wrinkled only by how the man"s corpse had fallen.
Vlad walked over to the edge of the skysc.r.a.per he stood upon, trying to clear his head. His mind flashed back, to when he first arrived.
Vlad had come to the First Layer with a single mission.
He needed to find his twin sister. She had vanished last month, disappearing from Earth alongside all the other mysterious disappearances that shocked reality. While they were both 31, and not children, they were both unmarried and had little other family. They were close, and he still couldn"t help but worry terribly about her.
When Vlad discovered the truth of these disappearances, he couldn"t have been more pleased.
It meant he had a chance to find his twin, Natasha.
He spent every waking moment he had in the Fallen Rock Cl.u.s.ter, growing as strong as he possibly could. When he first arrived, he had started with 86,000 Points, a well above average amount, but not enough to make him an Irregular.
The collection of Abilities he"d picked, however, ended up making the difference, especially when combined with his raw determination.
Before the arrival of the 7 Layers, Vlad had been a baker.
Before even that, however, he served in the Russian Armed Forces for 9 years, 3 of them as a combat instructor. His commanding officer had been nicknamed "Dragon," and was a right b.a.s.t.a.r.d, but a good man.
His vast array of combat experience helped him a great deal when it came to adapting and creating his own team. His rapid increase in power, to what was labelled now as an A Ranker, had helped even more.
And finally, after his more than a month of work and effort, he"d found out the information he most desired.
His twin sister… was alive!
He learned this from the contacts he"d made with the G.o.dfather Organization"s Branch in his Cl.u.s.ter, a powerful leviathan that held a huge amount of influence, and was alright in his book. He strongly approved of their mission.
The news about his twin sister should make him incredibly happy. And it did.
But what he learned after ruined that.
His twin sister was alive. She was living in one of the charitable shelters the G.o.dfather Organization put up after she was transferred to the Main Cl.u.s.ter by one of their teams.
A shelter for abused women and children.
Vlad"s arms shook with fury, his eyes blazing red as he remembered what he had been told, around 30 minutes ago.
When Natasha first arrived, she"d landed in the Cobalt Sky Cl.u.s.ter.
She had arrived in the north side of that Cl.u.s.ter, in the territory of a group called the "Arabian Kings."
She"d ended up joining up with them, as most new Chosen did in each area, looking for safety in this great unknown.
And a B Ranker in that group, one whom she had refused to name, took her aside for what he claimed was one-on-one training, because he approved of her spirit.
And then he beat and raped her.
The skysc.r.a.per roof beneath Vlad s.h.i.+vered, ever so slightly, as he stamped his foot down on it. His entire body glowed with white light, raw energy flooding in his veins as he, just barely, seized control of his anger.
"Natasha…" After a few seconds, his anger fled from him as he fell to one knee, tears falling from his face,
"I am so sorry." He whispered quietly to himself, looking over the edge of the skysc.r.a.per he stood upon. Down below, the shambling figures of Morenkai could be seen, moving about in the early morning light.
"I will avenge you. And I will never let anyone hurt you again." He took several deep breaths that seemed to wrack his very soul, slowly gaining control of his emotions.
Gradually, his face became a frozen mask, every hint of sorrow or anger vanis.h.i.+ng as he used an old mental trick he"d picked up in the army.
He wiped his face off, rapidly gaining the image of a powerful commanding officer. He glanced around, gathering his bearings. After a few seconds, he pivoted towards one specific skysc.r.a.per.
He had a very small team. There were only four other members in it that were powerful, very strong B Rankers that were, according to what he learned, right at the edge of being an A Ranker.
All of them were men, and they were waiting in the temporary command room he had set up in the skysc.r.a.per just a few bridges over. He"d left them to blow off steam after he learned the truth of what happened to Natasha.
His team name, the Dragon Slayer Guild, had been inspired in part by his old Commander Dragon, back on Earth. He wanted a name that was majestic and inspired a sense of power, and what better than a group that slayed Dragons?
Vlad hesitated for a single second as he looked back at the dead bodies before he turned away, flexing his hands. In his head, he began to plan what they would do now.
"We need to pick up Natasha immediately. Right after that… I will build the greatest defensive force this Cl.u.s.ter has ever seen." A feeling of purpose settled into his shoulders.
"And I will kill every criminal I see."
He walked away from the skysc.r.a.per, his shoulders hunched as if he was carrying a heavy burden.
He did not look back.
.. .. .. .. .. ..
…Some amount of time later…
Far up in the sky, Micheal was sweating bullets as he spun his binoculars to the left and right. He looked out in front of him and back behind, scanning over dozens of skysc.r.a.pers as his Life Orbs shot through the air, gliding effortlessly.
"Come on…" He muttered,
"Where are these blasted troublemakers?"
.