Catria was a tall woman, standing at 6’2. She had long black hair that was usually kept in a ponytail and piercing blue eyes. Her skin was a deep brown and her body was fit and toned. She wore a suit of armor that was the same color as her skin, with an intricate silver design etched into it. The armor was enchanted to be lightweight and flexible, allowing her to move freely while still offering protection.
She had a job as the scout leader for the Outer Circuit, tasked with finding new Earths and assessing their potential for inclusion in the Grand Circuit or assessing their threat levels. She was one of the best in the business, with a reputation for being resourceful and reliable. She had devoted her life to exploring and discovering these Earths.
As she made her way toward her next mission waypoint, Catria couldn’t stop thinking about how the mission to Earth 694 had been a disaster. The containment team was wiped out by the Frost Maiden. Her ship had been destroyed. The anomaly had been stronger than estimated. The containment wasn’t enough.
Now she was being rerouted to the next planet in the line of destruction. She was exhausted and most of her equipment had been lost.
Catria stopped at a safe house en route, on the moon of a destroyed Earth. She had 4 hours to restock and prepare for the next jump. She could teleport, or warp, between Earths. Her personal warp device wasn’t as powerful as the one on her ship. It needed time to recharge before it could be used again. The safe house had a charging station that reduced the charging time in half from 8 hours to 4.
She thought about the containment mission. They’d rated the anomaly at a rating of 4 after the destruction of its third Earth system. A wave of cold that left no one alive. Those Earths had no magic, no way to fight back. They’d brought a containment level 8, double what they thought they’d need to take her.
The scanner had indicated her power level had increased to over 9. Over 9! She’d broken containment and wiped out the entire team. Catria was preparing for warp when the storm hit her ship and froze her systems. She’d initiated a personal jump before the ice took hold and ended up on an adjacent Earth where she’d waited 8 hours only to be rerouted to this new mission.
Catria sighed, dropping her armor onto a nearby table and laying down. She’d might as well get some rest before risking her life again. She didn’t know what they could possibly hope they could have of defeating such a powerful anomaly with a few newbie magic users. What was the director thinking?
* - - - - - - - - -
Cold air blasted Catria the moment she warped into Earth 669.
Already? A fierce blizzard whipped around the area. Four-foot snow drifts up to her waist impeded her every step. Was the anomaly here already? The cold was intense.
She took cover in a nearby barn and set up her scanning briefcase. The scanner was set to scan for humanoids. If there were any left. The nearby house was encased in ice and snow.
The first scan sent out a rippling circle. Nothing within 100 meters. Either the house was empty or nobody survived the cold. Another rippling pulse indicated there were no signs of humanoids within one kilometer. Ten Kilometers. Nothing.
Creeeeeaaak. Catria looked into the rafters of the barn. Something large was moving. Two large yellow eyes stared at her. Fangs the size of a forearm glistened with saliva as it hissed at her.
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“Good kitty?”
The bear-sized cat dropped from the ceiling with an ungraceful thud in a pile of loose hay. The cat hissed at her again, front paws digging into the ground as it cautiously circled her. The barn doors rattled from the blowing wind and snow but she couldn’t let herself get distracted.
Bleep. The scanner went off behind her.
The moment she turned just slightly, the beast pounced. Catria was fast. Her right hand became engulfed in light, outstretched facing the creature’s mouth. The cat’s fangs were inches from her hand, hot breath on her arm when a beam of blinding white light erupted from her palm.
The reaction time from the giant cat was impeccable. It shot to the side as the beam ripped through the wall of the barn, disintegrating a human-sized hole in the side. A gust of cold wind wrapped around her and she shivered.
The cat was on her again, swiping with one passive claw. She instinctively activated her Dodge skill, moving backwards out of the reach of the cat’s paw. Catria drew her side-arm, a standard issue scout handgun. A marvel of science and technology that didn’t rely on magic. It had a wide barrel with a touch screen on the back that indicated how much of a charge the weapon had and what functions were available.
Catria unleashed a barrage of shots at the enlarged murder cat. She weaved between wooden beams and stacks of hay, activating dodge each time the beast neared. On the right side of her peripheral vision, she could see the combat log of the fight. Each time one of them did an action, it would relay the details to her. She was skilled enough that she could read the information without having to focus on it.
Catria Vaan (Level 7)
Scout Leader
[ ?? ]
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Catria dodged Giant Cat’s Lunge! (5 stamina)
Giant Cat dodged Catria’s Flash Cannon!
Catria deals 14 damage to Giant Cat with Circuit Pistol! (3 Hits)
Catria dodged Giant Cat’s claw swipe! (4 stamina)
[Status]
[Inventory]
[Party Options]
[Quests]
With another quick burst of shots, the beast fell to the ground and Catria took a moment to breathe. Not everything was wiped out, she noted.
The scanner indicated there was a lone humanoid signature just shy of 1000 kilometers south of her position. She switched the scanner to bio-mode to detect all creatures nearby. It was a bright blaze of lights and beeps. A pack of creatures was headed straight for her.
“Haha,” Catria laughed nervously, “I think I’m in danger.” She slammed the scanner shut and prepared for a local warp. She was heading south towards the first signature.
The warp function required for warping from Earth to Earth needed 8 hours to recharge after each use. However there was a reason she was leader of the Scout team, even at her lower level. Catria had the ability to teleport using one of her abilities. By spending more mana, she could teleport even further.
Crack! The barn doors imploded inward. Catria was gone.