Weapons of all sizes and ammunition were aimed at the seven individuals who suddenly materialized in the center of the room. Robert Sullivan ran his hand through his thick beard. He called off the weapons, his eyes lingering curiously on the two blue giants within the group of seven Asoto' and Loh'.
"The planet is under a full-scale invasion, and you seven randomly appear here. Who sent you and Why?" Robert asked, studying the change of expression on their faces.
Loh' moved Al and Cesar to the side as he stepped forward. "My name is Loh' Polieus. I'm an emissary from the nation of Tonovia, an ancient branch of humanity. I was sent to ask for help from the Blood Leaf, but I have constantly been turned down. I come to ordinary humanity asking for help. I am willing to share some knowledge of our people's stone technology in exchange for help.'
Robert pondered for a moment before introducing himself. "It's my pleasure to meet you, Loh' Polieus. My name is Robert Sullivan. " He then turned his attention to Cesar, Al, Jin, Ellie, and Agnethe standing alongside Loh' and Asoto'.
"What about them?" Robert inquired.
Al realized Robert wasn't fazed by the existence of Tonovia and its implications. "Well, since you're not astonished by the two blue giants, we are part of a not-so-hidden organization of cultivators called the God Leaf, which the Blood Leaf is a part of" Al explained.
"Interesting," Robert Sullivan remarked. "So, I assume the unknown individuals fighting against this invasion are connected to your group. But what about the invisible forces that seem to be decimating a large portion of the invading forces? It's as if this force is the world's will itself."
Jin interjected, eager to shed light on the matter. "You must be referring to what we call the dark and light acolytes. They are etheric beings who form spiritual contracts with humans. They are spiritual predators that feast on mankind, invisible to anyone who has not awakened their Will. "
Robert Sullivan's fascination grew as everything began to fall into place. He motioned for the guards to relax and bring water for their guests. Five others wearing lab coats resembling Robert were present in the room, surrounded by monitoring screens displaying live feedback from various parts of the world.
"Where are we?" Ellie asked, her voice filled with awe.
"What you see before you are the central operating room of the Institute for Practical Science, formerly known as the World Committee for the Departed—the last bastion of humanity's greatness," Robert Sullivan replied.
"Hey, that's Yosemite National Park, but why is there a lake there?" Cesar exclaimed, his gaze fixed on Al, who lived nearby. Their families resided northwest of Yosemite in Santa Rosa. The notion that the ocean could have extended so far as to reach Yosemite sent shivers down their spines.
A woman wearing a lab coat responded to their astonishment, providing an explanation. "Yes, the initial attack from these otherworldly invaders triggered five-dimensional rifts across the world, causing a shift in the very tectonic plates of the Earth. The west coast of California vanished within seconds, while Japan, South Korea, and Northern China merged into one, creating mountains that dwarfed Mount Everest. Half of Australia joined with New Zealand. Similar catastrophic events unfolded worldwide in mere moments. The number of casualties is beyond calculation. Our military, in the aftermath of the vanishings, transformed into something akin to religious mercenaries. However, we, the ones who think before we act, anticipated what would come, and we made preparations."
As she spoke, the monitors displayed waves of heavily armed individuals, donning skin-tight suits that joined forces with the Immortals and Acolytes in the battle against the Rakh-ahtan. Compared to the super-suited soldiers, the number of Immortals was rare.
Robert pointed at individuals in the room and introduced them: "These suits are made from synthetic bio-organic nanobots, woven together like the costumes of comic book heroes. When worn, they grant regular individuals strength comparable to our enemies. Our esteemed Charles Schafer worked on the technology himself, and Doctor Sydney Tyler contributed to developing the integration system, making the technology compatible with our biology."
Robert's words were accompanied by gestures toward the individuals in the room who had contributed to creating the technology that had leveled the playing field in this life-and-death battle. Turning his attention back to Loh, he inquired about the stone technology they had mentioned.
Loh' glanced around, wearing a peculiar expression. "Yes, but upon second thought, I don't think I'll be sharing it. I believe my companion and I will be taking our leave now," Loh' declared, subtly signaling Asoto' to accompany him.
Loh' decided not to share his people's stone technology. The armed guards entered the room with bottled water, and Robert urgently interrupted. "Wait, Loh'! What about your people? Even after the initial calm following the invasion, the war will intensify. If you find any survivors among your people, they will need shelter from what is to come," Robert pleaded.
The guards positioned themselves in front of the door, creating a tense atmosphere in the room. Al and Cesar were unsure of what was about to unfold when suddenly, Loh' swiftly kicked one of the guards and shoved the other out of the way.
Gatling guns and mini turrets emerged from various angles in the room, but before they could fire, Cesar and Jin eliminated them with a frenzy of wind and lightning.
The seven individuals turned their attention to the bewildered Robert, who stood frozen. Alarms blared, filling the air with urgency. Loh' smashed through the door, with the others following closely behind.
They sprinted through passageways, the alarms relentlessly ringing. Running alongside Loh', Al couldn't help but ask, "What's the plan now, big guy?"
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"I don't know," Loh' responded, his voice filled with determination. "But I do know that man is using Rakh-ahtan technology to empower his men. It's only a matter of time before the enemy reclaims what is rightfully theirs. If that happens, I could never forgive myself if they also take the science of our people."
As they continued through a steel corridor, a massive metal door suddenly descended, forcing them to retreat. But as they turned back, another door lowered, as they were corralled a gas from the side walls released into the air. "Hold your breath, everyone!" Cesar shouted.
Loh' and Asoto' had sturdy physical Tonovian constitutions and were immune to almost all poisons and irritants. The rest, with their cultivated Will and proficiency in breathwork, could hold their breath for over 30 minutes.
The lights abruptly went out, leaving only Agnethe and Al capable of seeing in the darkness, thanks to their connection to the material plane through their Wills. From the roof, a group of six armed soldiers descended, with the two men in front unleashing a hail of armor-piercing rounds.
Aside from Agnethe and Al, the people of Tonovia lived in a darkly lit environment their vision remained unaffected and worked better in the dark. Asoto' remembered his father's words and consumed one of his glass crystals, positioning himself in front of Loh', ready to defend their group.
The first two bullets pierced Asotoh's leg and abdomen, causing initial injuries. However, the bullets quickly lost their effectiveness as they bounced off his resilient body. Asotoh steadily approached the armed group, undeterred.
Reacting swiftly, Ellie illuminated the area with her mirror, casting a bright light, while Jin's lightning Will crackled blue sparks in his gauntlet. Positioned in front of them, Al shielded the group and intercepted any stray bullets that bypassed Asoto's defense.
Unfortunately, one of the powerful bullets found its mark, severing Al's left leg and obliterating half of his head, scattering brain matter in every direction. Al's lifeless body fell into Cesar's arms.
Reacting with speed, Ellie expanded her mirror, forming a protective shield around the remaining four individuals. The onslaught of bullets ceased, and two assailants behind the armed soldiers swiftly advanced.
One brandished a shotgun, while the other wielded a knife and pistol. Unfazed, Asoto maintained his steady pace as he absorbed four shots from the tactical shotgun, which initially had little effect on him and then nothing at all. The other soldier engaged in close combat, landing a few slashes with his bowie knife before shooting Asotoh in the eye, causing him to momentarily flinch and step back.
Taking advantage of Asoto's momentary vulnerability, the final two assailants, clad in the same suits seen on the monitor screens, jumped from behind the two men who had unleashed the hailstorm of bullets. The super soldiers attacked him relentlessly with powerful punches and kicks.
The force behind their blows sent Asoto rolling backward, crashing into Loh'. During the chaos, Cesar leaped into the fray, launching his spear with a mighty burst of his Wind Will. With unwavering determination, he struck without remorse.
The spear obliterated the man with the pistol, tearing through his body and continuing its trajectory, impaling one of the armed soldiers who had shot Al, pinning him to the ground.
Witnessing Cesar's relentless strikes, the two individuals wearing power skins closed in on him with astonishing speed. Cesar fought back, countering their attacks with well-placed wind-powered elbows and knees.
However, their superior strength and agility eventually prevailed, as one of their powerful kicks connected, propelling Cesar backward.
Jin leaped into action, surprisingly, splitting into two separate Jins. However, one of the Jin's couldn't muster a lightning arc in time, as one of the super soldiers swiftly struck him with a devastating blow, causing him to collide with the recovering Al, whose ring emitted a glowing aura, representing his manifested etheric shell and Stubborn Will.
However, the other Jin, without using his Lightning Will, met the fist of the powered soldier head-on. The result was Jin transforming into a mirror reflection of the soldier, accompanied by a blinding light that temporarily exploded the soldier's arm.
It was Ellie all along under the guise of Jin. She appeared beside the mirrored reflection and was left exposed as her mirror stabilized after the counter. The second super soldier launched at her. She managed to block his initial assault but then suffered an uppercut followed by a forceful kick, resulting in blood staining her face.
Before the power-skin soldier could deliver a finishing blow, Asoto' charged forward like a juggernaut, an unstoppable force, crashing into the power-skin soldier. Without relenting, Asoto' continued to gather momentum, colliding with the remaining regular soldier.
His relentless charge culminated in a bone-crushing impact against the metal wall, impeding their progress. With a resounding "thud," Asoto' shattered through the steel door, leaving behind a gruesome scene of unrecognizable, mangled bodies.
The team wasted no time, following Asoto' through the breach. Only one of the super soldiers, severely injured, managed to survive the onslaught, though in an appalling condition.
The group finally breathed in fresh air as they escaped the gas-filled room. A voice resonated through the speakers, cutting through the tension. "Loh', I understand that you may assume our technology is derived from the enemy and therefore vulnerable to them. However, I assure you that couldn't be further from the truth," Robert's voice echoed.
"We have gathered the world's greatest minds, and while we initially reverse-engineered the enemy's biology, we have made significant advancements to make this technology entirely human. I don't wish you any harm, but I cannot allow you to roam freely and jeopardize our progress. If you wish to leave, all you had to do was say so."
In the uncertainty, a door suddenly opened in the middle of the metal corridor they were running through. "Loh', I sincerely hope you will reconsider. I value your opinion on the use of this emerging technology. After all, you represent humanity as much as those of us on the surface,"
Robert's voice no longer resounded through speakers. He was speaking to them in person, walking towards them from down the corridor. Loh found Robert's words promising, and he turned to Ellie and the rest of the group, seeking their input.
Jin spoke up first, acknowledging the truth in Robert's words. "One thing is certain: in the short time we have known each other, we have learned a great deal about both the enemy and ourselves," he said.
Cesar added, "We came here with you and fought alongside you. Whatever you choose, you can count on us to support you." Al and Ellie nodded in agreement while Agnethe observed the situation intently.
Loh' felt reassured by their words, and a sense of ease washed over him. He recognized that what Robert said was true—this was just the beginning. Instead of fighting or running away from the inevitable, it was best to confront it head-on.