Once again, I slamd into the ground in another force teleportation. This ti, however, I wasn't alone. With was the entire 2nd Andnt squad.
Because of my stronger body, I was able to recover faster than the others. Angela was noticeably helping her husband up while everyone else was still on the ground groaning in pain.
The lighting was poor as usual, but was manageable once our eyes adjusted to the soft glow of the starless sky.
I looked around, half expecting soone to introduce to this place. Sadness crept into my heart as I rembered that my constant companion, Aira, was no longer present.
Using {Connect} I tried to find the defender's network to join. It was like searching for a floating symbol in the air. I intuitively felt one close and connected.
After finding an open socket, I downloaded the current situation. But instead of a warm welcoming voice, I received only text.
[Welco to the Defender Network for Zone 1126-4, downloading situation data].
The data was then downloaded into my brain, four different types of information being sent to .
First, I felt the souls of over 500 beings spread out.
Second, there were three larger souls moving slowly in different directions.
Third, there were four locations that were marked but no longer had souls.
and finally a large malevolent presence in the center of the zone.
After the download was complete, the four signals stopped and I no longer "felt" anything. I noticed again how seamless the rcenary profession was. Zach probably created the rcenary AI to ensure that his forces would never go in blind.
This must be what Aira ntioned before, she saw what was there when she arrived, but we never get any updates after that. I need to get my AI back as soon as possible, fighting without it is just too difficult.
I chose this zone for two reasons: it had over 500 Rank F's, and it had a few Rank E's. By checking the information on the dirge siren, I was able to see the danger level. I didn't know what Rank E's they were, but it didn't matter.
This zone was past floor 10, which ant there was a chance of tainted undead. However, since my squad carried blessed ammunition, I was no longer afraid. Even if I lost my {Kist}, I had a group that could support .
'Let's just use tonight as practice for when I join the front line,' I said to myself.
Technically, the mbers of the 2nd Andnt were all Formless, so in theory I could borrow their {Fates} like I did with the Sirens. But I hesitated, what if the {Limitless} disappeared once I did?
I didn't know if I could create combat techniques on the fly even if I got their abilities. And sohow, I didn't want to use the {Fates} of anyone other than the girls.
It was good that I had {Code}, otherwise I wouldn't even know the basics.
'Let's summarize what we know of first and tell the group.'
I turned to see that everyone was already up. Warren was making sure Claire was okay by stroking her back, the Production Saint seed to be vomiting on the floor.
Hmm, she should have been a Reaper a long ti ago, was the summoning to the Hellsgate and the rcenary Warpgates different? How could she be okay with one and not the other?
I was about to try and help Claire when I heard the sound of footsteps all around us. The undead seed to have figured out that we were present.
"Well, if the undead follow souls, I have over a hundred thousand, so I must look like a big signpost to them," I joked inwardly.
Due to my heightened hearing, the footsteps of over a hundred zombies began to evoke a sense of urgency. I clapped my hands and called my squad's attention.
"2nd Andnt, listen up. There are over 500 rank F's and three rank E's in this zone. They are headed my way.
"The four Reapers in charge of this zone are dead. So our job is simply to destroy anything that still moves."
When the others heard the numbers, their faces were visibly distraught. Scott had almost died against 50 rank F's, Mike and Santiago against 150. Angela and Joshua barely survived a fight with 500 on horseback after everyone else died.
I was in all three of these battles with these people. And even though we were outnumbered, the terrain was one of our advantages.
Jack Moses used his fort to break up the undead, and Scott basically hid in the closet.
Mike and Santiago, though buried underground, managed because we used the narrow passageways as choke points.
Angela and Joshua fought with the mobility of cavalry and set traps in a wide area. So even when they were outnumbered, they just ran around.
In all three battles, I was the only reason they decided to fight. Warren and Claire, who rarely fought before, turned pale from my words alone.
This would be everyone's first battle where we went in blind. We didn't know what to expect, nor what surprise awaited us. But while I could understand their fear, I needed them to see things the way I did.
The U.S. used the bald eagle as its symbol for good reason. The eagle was one of the few animals that could fly in the strongest storms. It could do this because it never relied on the weather or the wind. Its confidence ca from the strength of its own wings.
I was the sa, I didn't trust the terrain or the situation. I trusted only two things. The steel of my weapons and the {Fates} in my Soulgem.
As Formless or Non-Combatant, everyone had been told that fighting such a battle would be suicide.
It was from this misconception that I had to mold them. Alone and unard, it would have been impossible. But with guns, {Rewind}, and each other. It was a piece of cake.
With most of my armory divided among the mbers of the 2nd Andnt, I only had four weapons with .
To ensure that my {Rewinds} did not suddenly disarm the entire squad, my {Auto} was updated to only include the two MAC-11s and the two Punisher 1911s.
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