CHAPTER NINETEEN
When the Chips Are Down
45 minutes later
Marcus stood alongside four other Breachers, their eyes fixed on the scene below. Julien and another Breacher hurled waves of fire into a massive hole in the ground, while a third, drenched in sweat, widened and deepened the opening with a steady, controlled motion of his arms. As the hole expanded, a sprawling network of tunnels and smaller cavities became visible. Occasionally, a creature would emerge, only to be swiftly incinerated or crushed by other Breachers, who lobbed rocks with a casual, almost playful demeanor.
Marcus shook his head and scanned the area, his gaze lingering on the highway and a pond nearby. Bubbles occasionally broke the surface of the water. ‘Can’t believe we missed that,’ he thought. He remembered the frantic search for the second Orb, how he and Julien had run past this spot over and over, until another Breacher casually spotted it on her first glance. ‘Guess it won’t hurt to increase my Perception from now on.’ They had found a small entrance in the ground afterward, and now they were using their Abilities to break into the enemy’s lair.
Stepping back, Marcus felt the intense waves from the fire, the air shimmering around him. Julien's wild laughter rang out alongside the other fire-wielding Breacher as they killed a few more monsters that suddenly became exposed. It reminded him of two bullies burning ants with a magnifying glass while others clapped and cheered from the sidelines. ‘Kinda feels like we’re the real monsters here,’ he thought, pacing around the hole.
The process dragged on until no more creatures emerged after a while. The Breacher shaping the earth finally stopped, gasping for breath, his body trembling from the strain of constantly using his Ability. One of the other Breachers then stepped forward, breaking the silence. “The Orb’s probably deeper underground,” he said. “We need to split up and search these tunnels. Pair up.” He assigned pairs, leaving Marcus and another Breacher behind. “You two, guard the entrance. We don’t need anything attacking our rear.”
Julien approached Marcus, smirking and smelling of burned flesh. “He’s right, probably best if you stick here, being Alpha rank and all.”
Marcus raised an eyebrow, staring at Julien. “Alpha, huh? What about the whole kindred souls bit?”
Julien grinned as he patted Marcus on the shoulder. “That was before I got a chance to grab an Orb for myself,” Julien said before he made his way towards the ledge with the other Breachers. “You’ll be fine. Most of the monsters outside are taken care of, and the guild will probably be here soon, trying to stake their claim. So, you good?”
Marcus nodded slowly and watched Julien and the other Breachers leap into the hole, most equipped with a glow stick for light. Julien, however, relied on a small flame dancing in his palm. As the group split off into different tunnels, Marcus and another Breacher, who looked even less eager to be on guard duty, stayed behind.
They stood in awkward silence, staring into the hole. Occasionally, they heard shouts and monster hisses before everything settled down again. Marcus broke the silence first. “I’m Marcus, Alpha rank.”
“Colin, Beta,” the man replied, nodding briefly before both turned their attention back to the hole.
Marcus paced around the large hole, occasionally swinging his sword to keep his muscles limber. He felt the Glass pieces in his pocket, aware it was a pitiful amount and he’d have to give up when he left the site. ‘At least I’ll get a few extra credits,’ he mused, thinking about the bills he still had to pay. Colin, meanwhile, sat at the edge of the hole, eating a sandwich with his mace resting beside him.
Pausing near the small pond, Marcus noticed occasional bubbles breaking the surface. He stared at it, wondering if one of the tunnels led there, whether the monsters had accidentally dug it or done so intentionally. ‘Do they even need water? I’ve seen them eat things, even each other, but do they actually need—’
He froze as something massive slowly rose from the pond. The creature stood twice his size, with four crab-like legs and two tentacles for arms, with a tendril-like cable attached to the back of its head where the Monster-glass usually sat. The creature’s body and head were surprisingly humanoid in shape but covered in grey, wet skin. “What the—” Marcus barely managed to utter before one of the arms struck him. He instinctively raised his shield, but the force of the blow sent him flying. He rolled and slid to a stop not far from the other Breacher, who quickly stood and grabbed his mace.
“Are you all right?” the man asked as Marcus slowly got to his feet and nodded. “Good. Run and get backup. I’ll hold it off and prevent it from attacking the others.”
“Wait—” Marcus started, but Colin was already moving. The Breacher dodged the monster’s long limbs, weaving left and right while occasionally blocking and redirecting a swing with his mace. The creature’s attacks sped up, forcing Colin to halt his advance. His mace suddenly glowed as Colin pointed it skyward. Sparks of lightning arced out, brightening and charging the air with a deafening hum. Colin then two-handed his mace and slammed it into the ground, sending a wave of lightning rushing towards the monster. Just as the lightning was about to hit, the creature jumped in a burst of air, landing beside Colin.
Colin swung the mace again, but the monster grabbed the weapon and ripped it from his grasp. In the next instant, a tentacle wrapped around Colin’s arm, hurling him away like he weighed nothing. He crashed into the ground, rolling to a painful stop in a cloud of dust.
“Colin!” Marcus shouted as he rushed towards the fallen Breacher. The dust settled as Marcus reached him, finding Colin struggling to his feet, his right arm bent and dangling limply at his side.
“Shit,” Colin muttered, pain etched across his face. “It’s not supposed to look like this, right?”
“It’s broken,” Marcus said, quickly inspecting Colin’s arm while keeping an eye on the advancing monster. “We need to get you—”
Colin gripped Marcus’s shoulder tightly. “You need to run. Look at the tendril connecting to its back. The bastard’s got an Ability,” he said through gritted teeth.
“Ability?” Marcus echoed, turning toward the monster, which slowly approached on its four crab-like legs. His eyes locked onto the tendril extending from the back of the creature’s skull, trailing along the ground and into the pond, connected to something.
Colin nodded, pointing with his good arm. “Something that lets him use air-pressure. It used it to speed up and push me away. The tendril is probably constantly supplying it with Mana. We need to—” His words trailed off as the monster scooped up rocks and pebbles, holding its tentacles in front of it. A gust of wind sent the projectiles speeding toward them like bullets. Marcus rushed to step in front of Colin, trying to shield him as rocks pelted their position. A powerful blow followed when the stolen mace slammed into his shield as well.
The barrage ended, and Marcus felt warm blood running down his right leg and shoulder. He glanced at Colin, who lay unconscious on the ground, covered in wounds. ‘Shit, that’s not good,’ Marcus thought, quickly assessing the situation. He considered grabbing Colin and running but knew they’d be vulnerable to attack from behind. ‘No, I need to disable its ability to use Mana first, then get out of here.’ Marcus thought, his gaze hardening as he clutched his shield and weapon. ‘That or kill the fucker.’
Marcus moved away from Colin, circling the monster while swinging his sword to keep its attention on him, not Colin. He occasionally faked a sudden rush forward, trying to keep the creature guessing. He stabbed his sword into the ground and slid it forward, sending pebbles and dust flying towards the monster before rushing in himself. The monster slammed its tendrils together, creating a shockwave that blew back the dust and nearly sent Marcus sliding back.
‘Dammit, that Ability is nasty,’ he thought as he quickly recovered and sprinted around the monster, heading toward the pond and the tendril connected there. An explosion of air erupted near him as the creature shot upwards, crashing into the ground and blocking his path to the pond a few seconds later. Marcus didn’t hesitate; he charged straight at the monster. A tentacle whipped toward him, but Marcus blocked it with his shield. He hacked at it with his sword, making the creature hiss and retract the limb. It quickly countered by slamming its tendrils together again, creating another shockwave that pushed Marcus back. He dug his shield into the ground to stop himself from sliding further, feeling the wind slam into him. ‘Come on, think. Colin is bleeding out; you need to hurry.’
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When the wind lessened, Marcus started to sprint forward even faster, burning through half his Mana to strengthen his body as a thin blue mist bled out of him. With a yell, he gripped the shield by its edge and hurled it like a frisbee at the monster as hard as he could. The creature caught it with both tentacles, sliding backwards while hissing from the force. It dropped the shield and looked around, only to find Marcus missing. Spinning around, it saw the young man skid to a halt behind it and grab the tendril. Marcus hacked repeatedly until he severed the tendril, light blue liquid spraying from both ends and dissipating into the air.
Marcus grinned as he got back up, the blue liquid from the severed tendril dripping off him. He pointed his sword at the monster, mocking, “Let’s see you use your fancy Ability now.”
But before he could advance, the creature screeched so loudly that it dazed him, nearly rupturing his eardrums. Then, with a powerful clap of its tentacles, it unleashed a shockwave that sent Marcus flying backward. He bounced across the water several times and slid to a halt near the hole in the ground, disoriented and confused.
As he blinked to clear his vision, he heard another loud bang. Seconds later, he spotted the creature airborne, plummeting toward him.
“Shit,” he barked, rolling to the side just in time to avoid the monster’s landing. Dirt showered him as the creature hit the ground. Marcus scrambled to his feet, gripping his weapon with both hands. A tentacle lashed out at him, and he hacked at it repeatedly until he partially severed it.
The monster screeched in agony, thrashing wildly and spraying greenish blood in all directions. Seizing the moment, Marcus lunged at the creature, driving his sword deep into its stomach and tackling the monster as hard as he could. They tumbled into the hole, kicking up dirt and dust as Marcus lost his grip on the sword.
Marcus hit the ground with a thud, sliding to a stop in a cloud of dust. Coughing, he got up and looked around, spotting his sword behind the monster. The creature got back on its four legs in an instant, seconds later swinging its remaining tentacle at the ground, producing only a weak sputter of wind.
In response, Marcus flashed a wicked grin. “What’s wrong? Can’t perform under pressure?”
With a howl of rage, the monster charged. Marcus met it head-on, ready for the chaos of battle. The creature lashed out with its tentacle and crab-like legs, while Marcus dodged and weaved, switching to bare-knuckle brawling now that he was without a weapon. He landed precise blows on the monster’s torso, cracking ribs and repeatedly striking the gut wound he had inflicted earlier with his blade. Each punch drew more blood and wrung agonized howls from the beast.
The monster’s counterattacks were fierce; Marcus felt the sting of its tentacle slapping across his body and face, and the occasional impact of one of its legs. Still, his experience showed as he exploited most opening, striking at weak spots and even head-butting the creature, letting his steel helmet do the heavy lifting and deliver his rage.
The fight reached its climax when Marcus delivered a nasty leg sweep, sending the monster face-first into the dirt. He jumped on top of it, pinning it down. With relentless fury, he rained blow after blow on its head, roaring as he burned through the last of his Mana. Bone and flesh broke under the barrage of his fists, each hit splattering him with blood. He didn’t stop until the creature lay still, half of its head caved in.
Panting heavily, Marcus reached for the Monster-Glass embedded in the creature’s back. With a final surge of strength, he ripped it out and used it to stab the creature in the temple three times before leaving it there. Only then did he let go, sinking to the ground, gasping for breath while drenched in sweat and two kinds of blood.
Marcus took a moment to catch his breath, leaning heavily against the corpse until he recalled Colin’s condition. He pushed himself up, wincing from the aches of the fight. He ripped the Glass from the creature’s temple, gave it one last kick in the ribs and was about to rise when he noticed something shimmering on the back of its neck, just below where the Glass had been. His eyebrow arched as he leaned closer.
The greenish material he found there looked similar to the Marks on his body. He gripped its edge and wiggled it free, tearing apart flesh and arteries. The piece was smaller than the Glass but felt denser. ‘Looks important,’ he thought, touching the sharp edges on one side, before pocketing it and the Glass piece, afterwards scrambling back out of the hole to check on Colin.
Marcus knelt beside the unconscious man, assessing his injuries. He tried to recall the first aid lessons his mother had drilled into him. He carefully supported Colin’s neck and tied off the visible wounds with rags he tore off the man’s clothes. ‘He looks messed up, but the bleeding isn’t that bad. Breachers really are sturdy creatures,’ he thought, removing his gloves to check the man’s pulse again.
‘Now, how the hell do I get you out—’ His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden shattering sound above him. He looked up to see the Sphere’s barrier suddenly shattering into pieces, the light blue hue and fragments slowly dissipating as they fell, revealing the actual sky and sun.
“They got the second Orb, huh?”
A few minutes later, the first Breachers emerged from the tunnels, with one of them carrying a light blue Orb. Most of them were enthusiastic until they saw the monster Marcus had beaten to death. Some of them checked it out, murmuring among themselves, while Julien, covered in dirt and blood, rushed out of the hole to find Marcus. Still clutching his staff, the Caster glanced over at him, who gave a weak wave.
“So, you boys had fun down there?” Marcus asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
- - -
A while later, Marcus watched the ambulance drive off with Colin inside, the wailing siren slowly fading into the distance. ‘That could’ve been me today,’ he thought as the weight of his dangerous new lifestyle pressed down on him. ‘Sis would’ve killed me herself if I ended up in the hospital again.’ He turned to see Julien hosing down their gear, blood and filth swirling into dirty rivulets. The man’s expression was tight, his usual cocky demeanor replaced by something heavier. Marcus wondered if Julien felt guilty for dragging him into this or just for leaving him behind to chase the Orb and credits. ‘Let him sulk for a while longer.’
He joined Julien, helping to store their weapons while an official secured everything, making sure it was all accounted for. When it was all done, Julien turned to face Marcus, his voice cautious. “So, how are you feeling?”
Marcus flexed his shoulder, wincing slightly. “Sore as hell… and I need a nap,” he admitted. Days of fighting with his robots, and the Stat upgrades had taken their toll on him. “But nothing that needs to be mentioned to Sebastian or Benedict. You?”
“In dire need of a rum and coke, naked, wearing just my loafers, and Jazz playing loudly,” Julien replied, his tone lightening up as he retrieved the Glass pieces he’d collected, handing them to the official. As the man did so, Marcus raised an eyebrow at him, clearly judging him. “Don’t give me that look. I’ve seen the inside of your apartment, or pigsty. What I do in my own home is perfectly normal.” Julien smirked, holding out his phone as the official tapped a data pad against it, transferring credits.
“I’ve marked my kills with a cross on their backs, but most of them are burned to shit. The brat next to me is entitled to a fifth of my corpses. And…” Julien glanced at Marcus, “…he killed that crab-like thing near the second Orb. Don’t let anyone else claim it. I don’t trust them.”
The official nodded, making a note as Marcus opened his banking app while retrieving the Glass pieces he had collected. He watched the credits transfer into his account, a small smile forming. ‘That’s food and rent for the next month,’ he thought, relieved to see the amount. It wasn't much in the grand scheme of things, but earning a few more credits felt good. He then forced himself to send half of it to his sister, fully intent on keeping the oath he had sworn.
The official then informed them the guild would transfer their payment by the end of the day, once everything was processed. Julien nodded, about to leave, when Marcus spoke up.
“Do I need to hand this over to you guys as well, or isn’t this treated the same as Glass?” Marcus asked, producing the green object he had pulled from the monster’s neck.
Marcus had barely shown the item for a second when Julien rushed him, pushing his hand down. “Where the hell did—” Julien paused, eyes wide, and lowered his voice as he looked over his shoulder before he continued with a whisper. “How did you get your hands on a Chip?”
“Chip?” Marcus asked, looking at the green object in confusion.
Julien stared at it, his eyes widening further before urging Marcus to slide the object back into his pocket. He glanced over at the official, seeing a similar shocked expression there. “He’s good to go, right?”
The official slowly nodded, his expression a mix of shock and concern. Julien quickly grabbed their gear, dumped some of it into Marcus’s hands, and dragged him away from the site. After rushing through a final check-out, they got into the car. Julien immediately locked the doors and exhaled deeply, firmly gripping the steering wheel. “You glue-sniffing assmonkey!”
“What did I do?” Marcus defended himself, irritation creeping into his voice.
Julien threw his hands up in disbelief. “You don’t go showing a Chip like that, not around Breachers you don’t know. Anyone could’ve stolen it from you at some point... hell, I’m tempted to do so right now. So, please, punch me in the face if I so much as flinch. Jesus!” He started the engine and sped off, quickly going well above the speed limit to match the mood he was in.
“What’s so special about this Chip thing?” Marcus asked, then paused as realization kicked in. “Wait, is this what gave the monster its Ability?”
Julien nodded while swerving through another corner. “Yeah, and now you have a chance to get a similar Ability—if it doesn’t kill you in the process—or you can make some serious credits when you sell it.” A pause fell over them before Julien spoke again. “What type is it?”
“I don’t know for sure. How can you tell?” Marcus asked, turning the Chip over in his fingers as if searching for a clue. “The monster I fought could produce large gusts of wind. It wasn’t precise, but it hit like a truck.” He heard Julien curse a few more times, gripping the steering wheel harder.
“So first, I make a bad and greedy decision to go after the second Orb, and then I lose out on an Chip that could improve my fire Abilities. Fate has a twisted and cruel sense of humor,” Julien said, trying to calm down.
Marcus paused, gripping the object, then slipped it back into his pocket. “How much is a Chip usually worth?”
Julien took another turn before slowly lowering his speed to the actual speed limit. “Depends on the Ability itself. But even the crappy ones are enough to pay your bills for several years. I mean, I bought two of them, and I’m in serious fucking debt. Did I mention that?”
“You might’ve slipped that piece of information, yeah,” Marcus said sarcastically.
“In your case, look at it this way: you sell that thing, and you could shave off a massive chunk of your sister’s debt, for sure.” Julien glanced at Marcus, seeing the young man deep in thought. “So, what do you want to do with it? Sell it or risk your life and get an Ability?”
Julien gave Marcus a moment to mull it over before he spoke up again, flashing a grin. “You know what, Marcus, hold off on your decision. Let’s take a detour first. I’m going to take you to the Bodyshop.”