The death of a mindscape was a fascinating sight. Having lived most of his life in a post-apocalyptic world, James was well-acquainted with fiery destruction and desolate landscapes, but life had a way of rendering even that mundane.

Those pesky rules didn't bind the collapse of a mind. Stars imploded. Panicked and flighty, streams of consciousness crashed against pools of suppressed memories, causing even more chaos.

Time reversed, accelerated, and stopped all at once. The process continued.

James allowed more and more ether to enter Poison Snake's mind, curiously observing the effects.

I knew the ether was dangerous, but this is much more than expected. My Talent must give me a lot more protection than I initially realized. I've used it mostly in explosive applications, but I should start experimenting with ways to use its corrosive quality more… That actually gives me an idea for the future. Now, I think it's time to leave.

He offered the bound ghosts a fleeting smile, though they were too busy falling apart to notice. Still, James liked to think that he could feel an undercurrent of relief go through the entire mindscape.

Returning to the real world, he saw the consequences of his actions. Where before, Poison Snake had been in the process of unleashing her full might upon them - and the effects of the noxious cloud she unleashed would likely stay with the forest for a long time - now she was on the ground, foam forming at the edges of her mouth.

A quick peek revealed that any mental activity was rapidly fading. His attack had been more effective than anticipated, but he'd take it.

"Is she down?" Daniel ground out, and James finally remembered that the poor tank was still holding his barriers at full strength.

"Yeah, she's braindead." He replied quickly, and the others let out a sigh of relief. "Let me clean up the smoke, and you can drop them."

With that, James set about purifying the air. Extensive applications of telekinesis were always harder than specific ones, but he had gotten enough experience that gathering the poisonous particles in the atmosphere took only a minute.

A small marble of compressed, purple gas was all that was left, which James took the time to send into orbit with a mental punch. He guided its arch telekinetically until it had reached the edges of his senses and then pushed it once last time, just to be sure.

"Alright, we are clear." He called out, and the barriers were dropped.

Daniel crashed down, breathing harshly from the expenditure. Ezekiel was on him quickly, providing some relief with a mana potion and a glowing hand.

At James' glance, Maria and Lauren joined him as he walked to where their fallen foe was still feebly breathing.

Despite their training to never let their guard down until the System confirmed a kill, it was difficult to do so when the chimera was little more than a meat husk. Any brainwaves left when James last checked were gone, and he was pretty sure she'd die on her own if left to it.

Almost nothing was left inside her, barely even the impulses necessary to allow involuntary muscle movements.

"Let's put her out of her misery," James murmured and approached. He took out a mana potion from his hip pouch and downed it in one gulp, feeling the refreshing power course through his veins. It wasn't enough to refill him, as he hadn't been able to stock up on Medium-tier potions before leaving, but it was enough for what he was about to do.

Ether gathered at his fingertips, and he concentrated it with a flex of his will, crafting a thin needle of vibrating, iridescent power.

With one last look at the creature that had once been a formidable Awakener, James let it go.

A blast of air followed, pushing his hair back. When he looked back, there was a hole in her skull.

A familiar ding sounded out, and James sighed. He was glad for the levels, but something told him that the problems weren't over yet.

Putting that aside for a moment, he looked at his new status.

STATUS WINDOW

NAME James Summers

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AGE 20

AWAKENING 3rd

TALENT Ethereal Champion

TITLE Protector of the Weave

LEVEL 244

MP 1.351/4.760

STR 164

VIT 140

AGI 140

SENSE 163

MIND 164

STAT POINTS 128

The victory against the group of Grasstalkers had brought him three levels and killing Poison Snake another thirteen. It was actually a bit less than he had expected, but then again, the chimera hadn't been nearly as capable as the Awakener was rumored to be. For it to still give out enough EXP to grant him thirteen levels just went to show how much the System loathed the things.

Then again, he had basically handled her by himself. Where the B-rank Alpha Grasstalker had been a group effort, Poison Snake had fallen only because of his efforts.

Thinking of it that way, it wasn't actually that many EXPs.

It's still a fuckload. Much more than I ever expected to get from this mission. From any mission, really. In less than twenty-four hours, I have gone from the beginning of D-rank to the end of it.

Of course, the immense gains were balanced by the absurd difficulty he had faced. Killing two B-rank beings without support from a stronger Awakener was considered impossible. There were few records of it happening in AA history, and even then, they had extenuating circumstances. The difference between tiers was just that much.

James let go of those thoughts. He knew himself well enough to realize he was stalling, so he pushed through the tiredness and worry. He then placed his new stat points following his build.

STR 190

VIT 165

AGI 164

SENSE 190

MIND 190

STAT POINTS 0

Power burst through his limbs, revitalizing him in a way that was difficult to describe. It filled every crevice; every cell was given its fair share.

In the span of a few seconds, James went from tired and mentally spent to ready to face a horde of monsters.

It would never cease to amaze him what the System was capable of. In a moment, he had become significantly stronger. He knew now that if he tried to attack the Alpha again, he could inflict much more damage. The sensations of his newly acquired power were exhilarating, but James knew they didn't have the luxury of basking in the victory or the enhancements for long.

Turning his attention to the group of civilians still standing catatonically around the now-still chimera, James signaled to Ezekiel. "We need to get these people out of here," He said.

The healer nodded, stepping forward with a solemn determination etched across his features. His hands glowed with a soft, golden hue as he approached the first of the dazed individuals. His touch was gentle as he began to free them from the poison that entrapped their minds.

One by one, their expressions began to clear, confusion and fear replacing the vacant stares as Ezekiel's healing magic restored their awareness.

"Can you walk?" Ezekiel asked them softly, offering a supportive arm to an older man who looked particularly shaken. The man nodded, clinging to Ezekiel's side as more civilians started to come around, their bodies trembling as they took in their surroundings and the remains of the battle.

Half-rotten carcasses from dead Grasstalkers, a moribund forest that had seen significant damage. It certainly was quite a sight to wake up to.

With Daniel and Lauren helping to support those still too weak or disoriented to walk unaided, the team began the slow procession out of the forest. Along the way, they kept a steady stream of explanations, as they had been taught during their first responder courses. This allowed the civilians to feel more in control, especially once they became convinced that the worst danger had passed.

James's radio crackled to life as they finally passed the treeline and entered the suburbs. Static burst through the speaker for a moment before a voice came through, strained and urgent. "Team 0, do you copy? This is Command."

James quickly grabbed the radio, pressing the talk button. "This is Team 0. We copy, Command. What's the situation?"

The voice on the other end was breathless, the sound of chaos palpable even through the static. "We're under attack. Chimeras have infiltrated several key points in the city. Agent Walker has helped stabilize the situation at AA HQ, but we've received intelligence from Commander Bethany about a city-wide ritual in progress. We need all hands to check the major power nodes. Can you assist?"

James immediately accepted the task, his voice firm and resolute. "Affirmative, Command. We're on our way." He closed the connection and quickly relayed the information to his team. Together, they accelerated the pace, picking up those civilians who couldn't keep up and rapidly reaching the abandoned barricades at Elmsford's edge.

Leaving them so soon after their rescue and without another team to take over protection duty tasted bitter, but they could do nothing about it.

Picking the one middle-aged man who seemed the most in control, James instructed him, making sure his voice carried so that everyone could hear, "Stay here; help is on the way."

The news that they would be left alone didn't seem to please anyone, but the man nodded grimly, "Go do what you need to do. We can look after ourselves for a while."

The team didn't waste a moment. Lauren led them to an abandoned car near the edge of the neighborhood. With a glance to check the mechanism, she pulled a slim set of lock picks from her pouch. Within seconds, the car was open, and its engine hummed to life, a testament to her oft-hidden skills.

They all piled in without hesitation. As Lauren drove, the car's tires kicking up gravel in their haste, Ezekiel elaborated on the situation. "For a ritual this size, there must be multiple redundancies built in," he explained, his voice tense but clear. "Destroying one node, like we did, wouldn't be enough to stop it entirely. There are likely several focal points channeling energy."

James received a digital map from Command while Ezekiel spoke. It highlighted several significant locations across New York City, each marked as a potential node for the sprawling ritual. His eyes narrowed as one area in particular caught his attention - a place they had all become too familiar with in past missions.

"Most places have been already assigned, but Coney Island's lighthouse is still open," He said.

Lauren snorted harshly, effortlessly swerving around a massive pothole, "Why am I not surprised that place is a node? There is always something going on there."

James allowed a smile to grace his features briefly. "So you guys are okay with me picking it?"

The others answered in agreement. The AA proved surprisingly competent for such a massive operation, especially one put together so quickly and while under attack. The moment he chose it, James received a confirmation message. Another one followed, evidently automated, telling him that as soon as the closest ones had been cleared, help would be on the way. They were expected to rush to the nearest location to support the team there if they managed to destroy theirs quickly.

Lauren pressed fully on the accelerator, using her enhanced senses to avoid the few cars on the road. They passed by several checkpoints, where rescuers were processing injured civilians, but they didn't stop.

Team 0 trusted their teacher to be able to defeat anyone, but they knew fully well that sometimes, that wasn't enough. Not all villains were foolish enough to tie the success of their operation to their own lives, and whoever it was pulling the strings this time certainly appeared not to shy away from underhanded tactics.