CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

The Art of Urban Warfare

Day 89

A week later, Marcus found himself sitting in the back of his friend’s food truck, chewing on a burrito. The warm spices and soft tortilla did little to lift his mood. Kay stood nearby, finishing his soft drink before resuming his speech.

“I mean… it’s our first proper blue Sphere. Not a light blue. Blue! And the two of us are nailing it, right?” Kay grinned broadly, clearly proud of himself. He started rattling off the details of his last fight, explaining how he killed the final two monsters and how his technique had improved. “I mean, it’s a blue Sphere. Most people would be scared to even enter it, right?”

“You did alright,” Marcus said, his voice dry and tired, gaze shifting towards his messy steel armor. ‘Is that sauce or blood?’ he thought, poking at a spot on his outfit. ‘Feels too thick to be just blood. Bits of brain?’

“Yeah,” Kay said while tossing his empty can toward a garbage bin. It clanged against the edge and rolled away, forcing him to rush after it. He froze mid-step, realizing something. “Wait… dude, I’m the Beta rank here, you’re the Alpha. I think I did a bit more than just alright.”

Marcus let out a groan, shaking his head as he took another bite of the burrito. “You’ve mentioned you’re a Beta-ranked Breacher... several times today.”

A string of harsh German curse words broke through their conversation, and Marcus glanced past Kay, spotting Sebastian angrily walking away from a pile of shattered taco shells and meat scattered on the ground.

“Need a hand?” Marcus called out, half-heartedly, knowing full well it would tick the man right off.

Sebastian didn’t even look back, just raised a middle finger and stormed off, leaving Marcus to shake his head again.

He stuffed the rest of the burrito into his mouth, tuning out Kay’s constant stream of self-assurance. He nearly choked on the last bite, forcing him to cough and head into the truck.

Marcus moved toward the fridge, yanked the door open, and grabbed a cold bottle of water. Twisting off the cap, he tipped it back, taking deep gulps to dislodge the piece of burrito that had apparently decided his throat was its mortal enemy. Each swallow felt like a battle until the bit finally went down.

“Customers can’t be inside the truck,” Felix said dryly. The man leaned against the counter, dark eyes watching Marcus’ near-death experience with a calm, almost amused expression. “Rules and stuff.”

“Really?” Marcus said, pausing just long enough to finish the entire bottle. He pointed the empty container at Felix like a weapon. “Customer? What happened to the whole ‘best friend’ bit you told me back in the hospital? I recall seeing tears.”

“Meh, allergies,” Felix shrugged, his tone light. “I mean, acquaintances fits, I guess.”

Marcus shot him a glare and jabbed a finger into Felix’s ribs, hitting just the right spot to make him wince.

“Fine,” Felix said, rolling his eyes before letting out a snort. “You can stay, but I’m putting that water on your tab.”

“Fine,” Marcus said as he took up a position next to his friend, staring out of the food truck. The city stretched out before him, but a deep blue Sphere now covered a large chunk of it. The swirling, unnatural distortion twisted and warped the skyline, swallowing up entire buildings in its eerie glow. Tall fences formed a temporary steel barrier around the Sphere, with security teams and military personnel patrolling every inch of the perimeter.

“Since when do I have a tab?”

“Since we had our first beer years ago. You skipped rounds all the time back then,” Felix said with a chuckle, his eyes on the scene in front of them. Dozens of smaller Breacher teams scattered the area, their gear dirty, faces streaked with sweat and blood. Marcus could spot similarities in their steel armor, simple but functional, much like his own. A few stood out, sporting more advanced, impressive equipment that gleamed in the sunlight.

“You sure you’re good to go?”

“Yeah,” Marcus muttered as he bent down to grab another drink from the fridge. Before he could open the door, Felix pressed his foot against it, holding it shut. “Stingy old goat,” Marcus grumbled as he straightened up. “I’d be better with another sip of water. But, yeah, I’m fine. I just have one more shift and then I’m done for today.”

Felix’s gaze lingered on the Sphere, his expression softening. “Is it different inside of a blue instead of a light blue?”

“A bit,” Marcus admitted. He’d already been inside twice today and would be heading back in shortly. “I mean, it’s not that different. I think a red one would be a whole different thing. But light blue and blue? They’re roughly the same. Just more noticeable mutation, and from what I experienced, the monsters hit harder. They’re a lot tougher to put down. But…” He pointed to Benedict, sprawled on the ground with his head resting on a backpack. “… it’s still doable. I mean, the German bloke over there isn’t even a Breacher, and he’s still alive.”

He gave Felix’s hair a playful ruffle. “Besides, there’s a big guild coming in a few hours to actually clear it. We peasants just need to map out the hotspots and thin their numbers where we can in marked out buildings. And there’s a constant stream of Breachers like me going inside in waves. The hard part is mostly over.”

Felix just nodded, still staring out of the truck, his gaze locked on the Sphere. Marcus left him to it, focusing on his own gear instead. He checked over his equipment, making sure everything was in back place, and tightened the straps on his armor, occasionally scraping off bits of dried up blood. “How’s the credits coming in today?”

“Decent, I guess,” Felix replied, grabbing Marcus’s helmet and inspecting the scratches that marred the surface. He set it down on the counter and pointed toward another food truck parked a ways off. “Could’ve been a lot better if it wasn’t for Anton’s Sushi Palace.” Felix’s expression darkened as he glared at the rival truck. “He’s been stealing the majority of the customers.”

“It can’t be that bad, right?” Marcus asked, eyeing a few people standing in line at the sushi truck. “I mean, his truck looks a bit nicer, but—” He stopped mid-sentence when he noticed Felix’s hand slowly inching toward a nearby knife on the table.

Marcus coughed, trying to ease the sudden tension. “His truck looks like shit. Who even likes fish, right?” Marcus grinned, patting Felix on the shoulder before grabbing his gear and heading out. Seconds later, a sharp ring of a bell cut through the air, signaling the next group of Breachers to prepare.

Marcus circled around the food truck and stopped to face Felix again. “Stay out of trouble while I’m out, alright?”

“That’s my line,” Felix grumbled, bending over to grab another drink. He tossed it toward Marcus, who snatched it out of the air. “And you’re paying for that, by the way. So, you better not die in there.”

Marcus chuckled, raising the bottle in a mock salute as he walked toward the Salamanders. He spotted the rest of the team already gearing up, each member checking weapons and armor. Benedict stood in the middle of the group, pointing at the map of the city, going over the buildings they had cleared and the new areas they were tasked to clear next.

“Any questions?” Benedict asked, scanning their faces. His gaze met only determined faces; everyone was ready. “Good. Let’s get in, clear the buildings, then back out to get paid. It’s been a long day.”

The Salamanders, along with a few other Breacher groups, lined up as the next bell rang. Marcus stepped forward with his group, passing through the gel-like barrier. He took a deep breath when he was through, the air inside crisp and cool, tinged with the faint charge of Mana.

They paused briefly, waiting for the other Breachers to pass through as well, with Benedict and the other squad leaders standing off a bit to the side. In the distance, a group of Breachers limped toward them, blood splattered across their gear. Some moved more slowly, clearly injured, while others just looked exhausted.

‘Looks like they ran into a tough fight out there,’ Marcus thought, watching the group pass. ‘Perhaps they found a next?’ Their leader exchanged quick words with Benedict and another squad leader, pointing to the buildings they had checked or cleared.

Marcus scratched his right elbow absentmindedly, still getting used to the black Mark there. The itch seemed constant, as if his skin couldn’t quite accept the change. He fought the urge to yank up his sleeve and give it a proper scratch. Instead, he opened his HUD to distract himself, checking his remaining Mana and reviewing his elevated Stats.

╔ ╗

Actual Rank:

Beta Rank

Power Rating:

22

╚ ╝

╔ ╗

Stats

Strength:

4

Endurance:

3

Agility:

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5

Perception:

3

Mental

4

Vigor:

3

Total Mana

59

╚ ╝

‘The Glass is coming in a lot faster now that we have four Orbs at our disposal,’ he thought, recalling how he’d spent most of the last week training, healing bruises, and nursing his injured hand. Beyond that, he had worked back-to-back shifts with Felix, scraping together credits to buy another Mana battery. While he had done all that, Specter and Bastion had been farming nearby Spheres, bringing in nearly 30 pieces of Glass each night, while working on repairing their frames and improving them during the day. ‘Weird to think I’ve already gotten to a Power rating of 22 in such a short time. Technically, that means I’m Beta+ rank now. I didn’t even celebrate it when I did. Perhaps I should do so? Pick up a cake or something?’ He smirked as he updated his rank in the HUD, feeling a bit silly for it.

╔ ╗

Official Rank:

Beta+ Rank

Power Rating:

22

╚ ╝

‘Jessica was around 17, and Kay 19, I think. So I’m slightly above their level now, though I have no clue how we’d compared in actual Stats. I think Julien was around 27, and Sebastian 33?’

He glanced over his Status screen again, seeing the balanced spread he had chosen so far. Agility had become his highest Stat. With Bastion and Specter hunting monsters nonstop, his only limitations were repair time and staying out of sight of people. Still, he was starting to hit a wall. Each Stat upgrade required increasing amounts of Glass, with Agility alone having taken 100 pieces of Monster-glass to reach level five. ‘I wonder how many monsters we’ve killed already. Looking back, it all sort of blurs together.’

Marcus split off a small part of his mind, forcing it to calculate each upgrade so far, multiplying it by 20 to get a rough kill counter. A grin tugged at his lips as the numbers climbed, though he had to correct them a few times. ‘I still suck at math, huh?’ he thought as the counter settled at 1,060 Glass pieces. ‘I’ve still got seven pieces back at home. That’s not counting the dozens Specter and me killed in the past but couldn’t loot, or those that didn’t drop a stable Glass piece.’ He paused, the sheer size of the number hitting him. ‘I kinda feel like a mass murderer if I’m going by pure numbers.’

He almost turned to ask Sebastian about the man’s own kill count, but before he could speak, someone bumped into him, knocking him back.

“Watch it, idiot,” a blonde Breacher barked, glaring at Marcus as he stumbled back. The guy didn’t linger, though, turning his back and marching towards the edge of the Sphere with several others in tow. Each of them looked rough, caked in blood and dirt. Marcus caught a glimpse of a faded patch on the guy’s back, a sword wrapped in snakes.

“Nice patch,” Marcus called after them, his tone sharpened by the urge to get back at the rude Breacher. His voice dripped with sarcasm as he added, “Did your mom make it for you guys?”

The blonde Breacher froze mid-step, turning slowly to face him, eyes blazing with fury, hand moving towards a nasty looking black sword on his hip. “What the fuck did you just say to me?”

Marcus opened his mouth, ready to fire back, but Benedict stepped forward before he could. “Nothing. He’s just tired,” Benedict said, his smile calm and reassuring. The blonde shot them both a pissed-off glare, spat on the ground, and then turned back around, disappearing through the Barrier with his crew seconds later.

Marcus closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the familiar wave of regret roll through him. He knew that angry response all too well—it had always been his go-to as a teenager. “Benedict, I’m sorry about—”

“No, you’re not,” Benedict cut him off, locking eyes with Marcus. The man briefly shot him a look heavy with disappointment. “When you’re on a job with us, you behave like the rest of the Salamanders. We’ve got a clean record, and we’re keeping it that way. Alright?”

Marcus nodded, swallowing his pride. Benedict’s gaze then immediately shifted to his brother, Sebastian, who stood nearby, hand resting on the large dagger strapped to his side while staring at the Barrier. “No, you can’t kill blondie.”

Marcus watched Benedict move past them, taking the lead as the group headed deeper into the city. He noticed Sebastian lagging slightly behind, tapping his blade playfully against his thigh while still glaring at the Barrier. Marcus couldn’t make out the muttered German words, but he could guess their meaning from Sebastian’s icy glare. Sebastian then locked eyes with him, holding the gaze for a moment before breaking into a brief, amused grin, as if they both understood something unspoken about each other.

‘I’ll have to remember never to piss him off,’ Marcus thought, realizing that his own temper paled in comparison to Sebastian’s.

They joined the others as squads gradually began splitting off in different directions. The officials and guild representatives had instructed each squad to scout different spots near the Barrier. The quiet of the city unsettled Marcus as they pressed on. Streets lay eerily still despite rows of apartment buildings, shops, and the occasional parked car or truck. Dropped items littered the ground—abandoned bags, scattered toys, bicycles, pieces of clothing. It looked like people had bolted out of there in a hurry, abandoning their lives mid-step.

‘This Sphere has been active for two days now,’ Marcus thought, taking in the abandoned surroundings. ‘Most of the wildlife still inside has probably died from Mana-sickness by now.’ His mind flashed back to the monsters he’d fought earlier—twisted creatures that looked like a blend of bird, dog, and cat. He wondered what other abominations lurked within, knowing that monsters within a Sphere were in a constant state of mutation and growth.

They arrived at their next target, a large apartment complex that loomed over the empty street. Benedict and Jessica moved toward the entrance, guns drawn. Marcus followed, once again struck by how gracefully Benedict moved. Every step seemed calculated, every shift of his body designed to minimize exposure when turning a corner while maximizing the potential for lethality. Compared to the man, Jessica—a strong and fast Breacher—almost looked clumsy.

‘I wonder how long it takes a person to learn to move like that. Months? Years?’ Marcus thought as he and the others filed inside. They combed through the ground floor, moving room by room, clearing each space with precision. The few monsters they found didn’t stand a chance against six armed fighters driven by a clear mission and a craving for credits. It didn’t take long before the group regrouped in the main hall, bodies adorned with a new coating of monster blood.

“Julien, Marcus, take care of the first and third floor. Sebastian, take Kay and clear the second and fourth. Jessica and I will block off the entrances to the ground floor and make sure nothing gets inside after you. Alright?” Benedict’s instructions were clear, leaving no room for questions.

The Breachers nodded and got to work. Marcus adjusted his grip on his sword and shield, his mind slipping into that familiar, ready state. He and Julien headed up the stairs, boots scuffing softly against the worn wooden steps. Reaching the first apartment, Julien motioned for Marcus to stand back as he slowly pushed it open and peeked inside. “Hello?” Julien said before taking a few cautious steps inside, finding nothing. The caster moved through the small apartment, checking closets, cabinets, and under furniture. After a while, he returned, closing the door behind him before pulling out a spray can. He painted a bright red cross on the door—a signal that the space had been cleared.

They moved to the next door. This time, Marcus pressed the tip of his sword against the wood, cracking it open just enough to get a peek inside. Julien raised a brow at him. “You sure? You’re Alpha rank.”

“You didn’t seem to mind me being an Alpha rank last time,” Marcus replied, focusing on the dim room beyond. “Or is that only when you want to abandon people for credits?”

Julien let out a sigh, but it barely covered the sound of his fingers digging into his staff. “Dude, I said I was sorry. And besides, you got a Chip out of it.” A pause hung between them as Marcus pushed the door wider. “Marcus, like I said back then, I—”

“Relax, I’m just messing with you. We’re fine,” Marcus cut in, his voice dry. “Just treat me like an equal, alright?” Without waiting for a response, he stepped into the room, shield raised, sword ready.

His armor clinked lightly with each movement, but he felt steady, protected. His increased Agility and Perception gave him confidence as he swept through the room. He checked every nook, every closet, even kicking over a few small tables to make sure nothing hid beneath them. “Clear,” he said as he reached the final room, eyes catching the soft pink wallpaper and a baby crib tucked into the corner. For a moment, he paused, thoughts flickering to the family who might’ve lived here. ‘Let’s hope they made it out safe.’

Rejoining Julien in the hallway, Marcus noticed the man smiling. “Two duds in a row. Easy work,” Julien said, shaking the can as he sprayed another red cross over the door. “Let’s check the next one.”

They continued down the hall, stopping at the next door. This one bore claw marks, deep and jagged, running across the wood. Marcus tensed, fully aware of what waited on the other side. He heard movement coming from within. Julien opened the door cautiously. The moment it creaked open, a feathered creature with six legs lunged toward them, teeth bared and hissing.

Before Marcus could react, a thin stream of fire shot from Julien’s hand, hitting the creature dead-on. Flames wrapped around the beast, reducing its snarls to screeches as the fire consumed it, leaving a burned, twisted corpse after a full minute of constant fire.

Julien stepped forward, stamping out the remaining flames with his boot, making sure nothing else caught fire. “No sense burning down the whole block,” he muttered, wiping his brow.

‘Being a Caster is less useful in these urban settings,’ Marcus thought. He watched as Julien navigated the cramped apartment, occasionally bumping his staff against doorframes. The weapon and long-range Abilities weren’t optimal for tight corners and cramped spaces like this. The last turn he entered this Sphere, Benedict had paired him with Kay, and before that, Sebastian. Each had a distinct style. Kay’s movements synced with his, while Sebastian just charged into every room first, leaving Marcus to handle Glass retrieval and mark cleared rooms.

He heard the familiar sounds of more monsters dying and the Caster flinging witty remarks at them, followed by the heavy thud of flames being stamped out. Marcus sighed, making his way further down the corridor. A portable fire extinguisher caught his eye, and he reached for it, but a creak next to him made him pause. The door near him slowly opened, and a long, feather-covered limb slid through, followed by the rest of the monster’s hulking body.

‘A big lad, huh?’ Marcus thought, remaining calm. He stood with his shield in one hand, his sword still at his hip. Instead of reaching for his sword, he picked up the extinguisher and backed away, waiting. The creature hissed, its beak-like mouth clattering as it crouched low to pounce. Despite its bulk, it shot forward faster than he anticipated.

At the last second, Marcus sidestepped and slammed his shield into the side of the creature’s neck with a sharp crack, feeling the jolt of Mana surge through his body as he pushed it down further. For a split second, he pushed into overdrive, letting the energy fuel his movements, strengthening every aspect of him. Bone shattered under the impact, and the creature collapsed, stunned but still twitching. Marcus followed up quickly. He grabbed the fire extinguisher more firmly and brought it down like a hammer, slamming it into the monster’s face repeatedly. The crunch of bone and flesh echoed through the room with each strike. After ten strikes, its skull caved in, and it finally lay still.

He dropped the extinguisher, his breathing fast but controlled, then knelt beside the corpse. Reaching down, Marcus dug his hand into its head and ripped out the Glass, feeling the familiar weight and texture between his fingers. Blue mist swirled briefly around him, thicker and darker than it had once been. He noticed it had grown more intense since reaching a higher Breacher Rank.

A part of him took pride in that, seeing it as a sign of his growing strength. But at the same time, he knew the mist had become harder to hide. He couldn’t pass for a simple Alpha anymore unless he really focused on keeping his Mana in check around others when fighting.

He pocketed the Glass with the others in his pack, then grabbed the extinguisher again. ‘They really are sturdy buggers,’ he thought, wiping some blood off his hands. Most of the monsters he had fought within this Sphere had tanked a lot more damage compared to what he was used to, with even the smaller ones proving quite durable.

Heading back to where Julien was, he found the man stepping out of the apartment, his face dusted with a fresh coat of ash and soot. Marcus tossed him the extinguisher. “Present for you, mate.”

Julien blinked, staring at the blood-covered tool before glancing past Marcus to the dead creature in the hallway. A warm smile tugged at the corners of the Caster’s mouth. “How thoughtful. Though, I’d have preferred that Chip you got last time. Still have it?”

“No,” Marcus said calmly, watching the Caster pull out the spray can. “It’s probably in some bloke’s arm by now. You know how it is.”

With a chuckle, Julien crossed off the door before they moved to the next one. “Probably for the best. Hope you got a decent line of credits for it.”

“If I did, I sure as hell am not going to tell your greedy ass,” Marcus countered as he tried the door handle, only to find it locked. He sighed, then kicked the door in, splintering it off its hinges. Inside, two smaller feathered creatures feasted on what was left of a dog-like corpse spread across the table. Marcus rolled his shoulders, readying his shield and sword. ‘Time to work,’ he thought as he stepped confidently into the room, instantly drawing the aggression of the monsters.