Chapter 579 (1/2)

The aisles were filled with people standing in solemn rows. The stared upwards, towards the main body of Arbor, burning brightly in the vaulting cathedral. Small motes of ash drifted downwards from the branches, catching the light like snow.

Kiersty stood at the front of the congregation, her expression serious. They had been like this for several hours, waiting for what was to come. Arbor hadn’t been able to explain fully what would happen, just that it would happen soon. So they waited underneath the silk walls of this cathedral they had built. Their eyes were locked upon the swaying branches.

The leaves flared, first at the base, then racing upwards. It was like someone had turned on the Christmas lights and in the next moment, the whole tree was ablaze. Arbor stood before them, resplendent.

The entire tree trembled. Across the Zone, and into Zone 1, every one of Arbor’s trees trembled.

Kiersty didn’t smile, but she felt something hot burning in her chest. Arbor was changing. A change that he had chosen. Kiersty couldn’t wait.

*****

“How many?” Lucifer grunted. He slowly stood and stretched, his joints cracking.

The two men glanced at each other. “We… we can’t confirm. Maybe as many as 10,000. But at least 2,000-”

“Useless,” Lucifer said, cutting them off. He walked over towards the wall, where his swords lay. He had four now. His original iron monstrosity, which he selected. The scythe he had obtained inside the Raid Dungeon was there too, but he ignored that one. There was one created from the shoulder blade of an eagle-type monster, but he didn’t choose that one either. The second sword he selected was one made for Lucifer by Sam.

It sat in its sheath, even now. Lucifer had not used it, out of respect. This was a sword he would only use against the most powerful opponents.

Gently, he touched the hilt. The entire thing seemed to throb. Lucifer shivered. Sam had indicated that… it possessed its own sort of life that could be ignited. Even the creator wasn’t sure what would occur when the sleeping beast inside of it woke.

...but, Lucifer didn’t think these enemies were worthy of waking it up now. Let it sleep a little longer. Lucifer reached over and selected the eagle shoulder blade. An army of humans wasn’t something that he needed to bother his baby with.

“So,” Lucifer said slowly, walking out of the room. The two men followed after him, but he wasn’t speaking to them. They were simply extra baggage that he was forced to handle. “A new Zone has connected. And the late arrivals think they know how to bloody a nose? Let them come. Franksburg will welcome them with open arms.”

*****

To Randidly’s surprise, they took him to Lake Apollo. They bundled him into a submersible and carried him down into the deep waters that he hadn't bothered to ruin because they were close to the bases. At first, he was slowly mystified as to how they would repel the monster with this tiny vessel, but his senses informed him this wouldn’t be necessary; the monsters didn’t even glance at the thing.

In his chest, Randidly felt a cold premonition of the looming presence of something terrible.

They brought him with surprising delicacy out of the craft and into a hanger. Carrying him quickly, the led him down hallways while Randidly’s senses were furiously scanning outwards. Around him, he felt Raid Bosses moving among people down the hallways. And outside of that, he felt the entire base and instantly became furious.

He saw people struggling in the gym restraints. He saw people being drained of blood. He saw individuals open on the operating room table, with their organs being slowly removed. He saw groups of scientists pouring over data. He saw a child screaming as he waved around the muscular arm of a beast, while someone simply stood there and took notes.

His first response was to strike out, but he quickly suppressed that. With so many people here… what could he do? There were so many people… and they were down here, surrounded by monsters.

While he was thinking at lightning speed, they brought him into a closed room and placed him on an operating table. Immediately, the 9 people with him moved to strap him into the table. This, of course, was too much.

Randidly lost his temper.

Three seconds later, he lowered Acri, looking coolly at the bodies around him. They didn’t even have time to struggle. It was rare that Randidly relied so heavily on his stats to dominate opponents but now felt like an appropriate time. This was his world. These… monsters, whatever they were, needed to be removed. They would add nothing to the chances of this world’s survival.