Team 0 delved deeper into the heart of the dungeon, their path marked by the ever-increasing signs of carnage. As they ventured north, the desert landscape, once teeming - to James' senses at least - with the dungeon's denizens, was now filled with just the remains of golems and sand creatures.
They were badly hidden evidence of collusion between the Emerald Guard and whoever was conducting the poaching operation.
Even as the sandstorm howled with all its might, it was impossible to miss that several places were littered with craters, evidently made during a fight.
James led the way, his Thakinetic Awareness extending through the shifting sands, alert for any sign of danger. The further they went, the more evident it became that they were dealing with an operation on a larger scale than initially suspected.
"This is more than just a couple rogue Awakeners." James muttered, surveying another site of a recent battle. The remains of a massive stone golem lay scattered across the sand, its mana stone expertly extracted in such a way as to maximize profit.
Considering these things' toughness, it takes an experienced hand to carve it out without chipping.
Maria shook her head in disgust. "They're systematically clearing out the dungeon. At this rate, there won't be anything left for us."
Daniel clenched his fist. "We need to find them. Stop them before they cause any more damage."
As much as they all disliked the Guilds, it wasn't just that they had once again shown their hand that made them so mad. It was the constant meddling with their growth. The absurd fact that Team 0 had run more dungeons where information or the place itself had been tampered with than not.
The abuse was becoming more than any of them could stomach, and the fact that such a brazen operation had been set up in a dungeon owned by the AA, whose license had been expanded to include the Emerald Guard only after public pressure had mounted for the Agency to dedicate as many resources as possible to the operation in Kashmir… It was too much.
The team pressed on, their resolve hardening with each step. The sandstorm raged around them, but they were undeterred, their high-quality gear protecting them from the harsh elements.
It wasn't long before James sensed a group of Awakeners nearby. "We're not alone.” He warned, his voice low. "There's a group ahead, and they're heading this way."
Team 0 quickly prepared for a confrontation, positioning themselves strategically. James, Daniel, and Lauren formed the front line, ready to engage the enemy directly. Maria and Ezekiel stood back, ready to provide support.
As the unknown Awakeners drew closer, James could see they were part of a Guild. Their equipment was uniform, and they moved with a confidence that spoke of extensive training. However, they were clearly not expecting to encounter resistance, especially of Team 0's caliber.
Considering how brazen they are with this whole thing, it doesn't surprise me that they didn't even consider being attacked by humans. They must know an AA team would be coming… Well, they probably thought their allies would take care of us.
The moment they were seen, all thoughts of possible diplomacy fled out of the window as the poachers immediately attacked. The first to engage was a tall, heavily armored Awakener wielding a massive hammer. He charged at Daniel, who braced himself, his shield absorbing the impact. James moved swiftly, delivering a powerful punch that sent the hammer-wielder staggering back, his armor cracked by the singular blow.
Maria unleashed a barrage of fireballs, targeting the enemy's ranged attackers. Her flames arced through the air, exploding upon impact and sending her adversaries scrambling for cover.
Lauren danced around the battlefield, her daggers a blur as she struck at the enemy's flanks. Her movements were precise and deadly, each strike apparently aimed at vital points, forcing them to dedicate time and energy to stopping her, allowing her teammates to go in for the finish.
Ezekiel, meanwhile, cast a series of debuffs on the enemy, slowing their movements and making them more vulnerable to Team 0's attacks. The opposing team, too, had a support mage whose spells tried to do the same. Yet, his skill level was evidently much lower than Ezekiel's, because the bolts traveled through the air slowly, and on the few occasions they hit, their effects were weak enough to be shrugged off easily.
The fight was intense, but it was clear that Team 0 had the upper hand. The Guild Awakeners, though skilled, were not prepared for the ferocity and coordination of Team 0's assault. One by one, they fell, overwhelmed by the superior tactics and strength.
Stolen novel; please report.
As the last of the enemy Awakeners lay defeated, James approached them, his expression grim. "You're under arrest for poaching, assault to an officer and unauthorized entry into a dungeon assigned to the AA."
Again, the same problem as before repeated itself. They couldn't really abandon the poachers there, as monsters would kill them quickly, but to let them go was unthinkable. Thus, they had to resort to the paralytic poison Miss Walker had given them and escort them to the dungeon's boundaries, where they were much less likely to be found by anyone.
After dealing with the second group of poachers, Team 0's resolve only intensified. Given the coordination and abilities displayed, they knew they were in the midst of a larger and more sinister operation than they had initially anticipated.
With each step further into the dungeon, they encountered more evidence of the poachers' reckless devastation.
James' Thakinetic Awareness guided them through the tempestuous sands, alerting them to hidden dangers or lurking enemies. The dungeon's environment was harsh and unforgiving, especially as they headed further north, but Team 0's determination was unyielding.
"The further we go, the worse it gets." Maria observed, her eyes scanning the horizon. "It's like they don’t really care about anyone finding them."
Daniel, his shield at the ready, nodded grimly. "We need to put an end to this, once and for all. If we let them get away with this, they'll start to think they can do whatever they want."
Their path was marked by more scenes of violence and destruction, with the bodies of sand creatures and shattered golems strewn across the landscape.
As they pressed on, the intensity of the sandstorm grew, the winds howling with a ferocity that would have made progress impossible without their specialized gear. Visibility was reduced to near zero, but James' sensory acuity allowed them to navigate the maelstrom.
As they walked through the harsh conditions, huddled together so they could hear each other, they discussed a plan. "We might be facing more of them than we could take at once. It's unlikely we'll always find lonely teams, far enough from the others to be unnoticed when they disappear." Daniel said, earning nods of agreement from the others.
"Also, I don't think it's a good idea to always attack them directly. We should conserve our strength to not be caught with our pants down when we need it." Lauren added.
"Alright, so we need a way to deal with any stray group without tiring ourselves so that when we find the main base, we can attack them without holding back." James concluded. "They don't seem to have anyone with sensory skills, but we probably shouldn't count on it too much. Once they realize they are being hunted, they'll immediately know it's us. And if the team from the Emerald Guard is anything to go by, they have some ideas of our abilities, even if the last guys we fought were pretty weak."
Again, they all agreed and started pitching ideas. Eventually, Ezekiel's won.
They hunted through the dunes for their quarry, silently making their way around the empty battlefields until they found it. A large stone golem, lumbering through the sands, its movements heavy and deliberate. Ezekiel quickly debuffed it, weakening its defenses and slowing its movements, making it appear an easy target for any nearby poachers.
"This should attract their attention." Ezekiel whispered, his eyes scanning the horizon. "We just need to wait and watch."
Team 0 concealed themselves behind a nearby dune, their eyes fixed on the debilitated golem, and settled in to wait for the poachers. Half an hour later a group of Awakeners, evidently part of the poaching operation, emerged from the swirling sands, their signatures lighting up at the sight of the seemingly vulnerable golem.
The poachers moved in quickly, their weapons drawn, eager to claim the prize. As they surrounded the golem, Team 0 prepared to spring their trap.
"Let them fight a bit." James murmured, his muscles tensed for action.
The poachers attacked the golem all at once, attempting to overwhelm it immediately. Despite the debuffs Ezekiel had cast, its durability was still very high, so Team 0 was treated to several minutes of constant chipping until it finally toppled over, its core exposed.
The moment the poachers lowered their guard, believing the golem to be done and preparing to extract its core, Team 0 burst from their hiding spot.
They were caught completely off guard and barely had time to react as Team 0 launched a swift and coordinated attack.
Daniel charged in first, his shield leading the way as he barreled into the closest poacher. James followed closely, his fists glowing with mana, delivering a devastating blow that sent another flying. The man's ribs cracked, even as he held himself back from unleashing a mana explosion.
Maria's flames roared through the air, creating a barrier that cut off any escape route for the poachers, while Ezekiel's debuffs further weakened their ability to fight back, allowing Lauren to put them to sleep with little trouble.
The battle was over almost as quickly as it had begun. The poachers, overwhelmed by Team 0's surprise assault and superior skills, stood no chance. Within moments, they were all either incapacitated or surrendering, realizing the futility of their resistance. With the enemies subdued, Team 0 quickly secured them thanks to the almost depleted paralytic, ensuring they couldn't cause any more harm for at least a day.
James couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction as they marched the captured poachers out of the dungeon, leaving them just outside the boundaries after searching them for any communication devices.
With that done, Team 0 returned to scouring the depths of the sandstorm for more intruders.
As they moved through the storm, a strange sensation began tugging James' senses. It wasn't like the presence of the golems or the other monsters they had encountered. This was different - more structured and organized.
"There's something ahead.” James announced, his voice barely audible over the howling wind. "It feels... artificial, like a ward."
Having been a member of the AA for several months, James was well aware of what state-of-the-art wards were like. Silent and unnoticeable until their power was brought to bear, becoming overwhelming in an instant.
State of the art, this was not. It was a shoddy construction, which made no effort to hide itself and was powered by someone actively feeding it mana stones and directing it.
They approached cautiously, their eyes scanning the shifting sands. As they drew closer, the outline of a camp emerged from the storm, a temporary yet well-established setup, untouched by the raging winds, like in the eye of a hurricane.
"This must be it." Daniel muttered. "Their base of operations."
Inside the camp, they could see figures moving about, busying themselves with various tasks. James focused his Thakinetic Awareness, trying to gauge the strength of those within the camp. His eyes narrowed as he sensed the distinct presence of a particularly powerful individual - an F-rank Awakener, likely the leader of the whole operation.
"They have an F-rank with them." James informed the team.
Maria's expression hardened. "That confirms that they are doing this with their Guild's backing. No one in the second Awakening Tier would risk their license for this little without significant support."