At this moment Guts (The dark ship) surged in planet Hestia. It started shaking as it entered the planet’s atmosphere which was filled with clear white clouds. The ship passed them as red cracked ground entered their view, this was Union’s area and they could clearly see three hammerhead ships ready to fire them.
“Let’s try to contact them” Said Xmox on which Seth nodded
<….>
***
Rin would stay in the ship to pilot it. As they exited, Ayrton was surrounded by three of Xmox’s bots, his body right now was weak, he didn’t had time to make general changes in it. So he could oonluy depend on his friends who were taking the lead
A squad of twelve wearing the same union armor entered their view
“You can rescue you friend now” said Zeta, his armor clearly different from others. The location Xue had sent them indicated that she was inside a chasm here, looking down from the crack Ayrton could see that the chasm was very deep
Seth held his waist to help him hover down. Ayrton didn’t have much time to prepare his gear, Xmox would stay up in the meanwhile. The walls of chasm seemed as dry as the planet itself, devoid of life. The chasm grounds were made of much darker minerals and was rather uneven, nearing the location his nervousness sored
“Xue”
Where is she
The only thing in their view was a small light green ship parked. Right at this moment from a crack in the chasm, Xue’s figure emerged. The same black and white spacesuit as his, expect that she had made her visor tinted to hide her face. Looking at her filled him with warmth and eased his worries which remerged as another figure emerged from the crack
The mysterious figure was shorter in height wearing dark purple attire, his helmet looked like a hoodie. Seth’s thrusters started as he remerged in front the figure and pinned him down, his silver arms gleaming. Players could dispose their old bodies here in epi verse hence they would do several modifications to it, Seth himself had cyber-arms installed with which he could easily crush the figure
“One wrong move and you di-”
“Stop” Screamed Xue.
“Calm down” said Ayrton with both his hands forward while nodding at Seth who let the mysterious figure free.
“Care to explain it” Asked Ayrton, they didn’t have much time
“Art…. it’s that, its-”
“Both me and Xue can’t log out” said the Mysterious figure who for some reason had a childlike voice
“Can’t log out, what does it means” Asked Seth
“For some reason, epi verse is registering us as native Ai’s. You can check my id”
< Professions: 4.5-star pilot, strategist Reputation: Good>> Xue also showed her id < Professions: 5-star mechanic, scientist Reputation: Honorable>> Wtf…. Is this a joke “Normally when native AI’s die then there is no re-spawn” He took a breath “My host is also on the orbit; we have to escape” Now that they were registered as native AI’s, union would never let them go. Native AIs were epi verse generated advanced intelligences which were treasured by bigger organizations. They could fore them to do work and kidnap them, the AI would have to comply as not doing so meant death. This kidnapping thing could not be done to real player’s id, a real players could kill their own body and get a new respawn, but native AIs had only one life. Xue and Blue were 5 star and 4.5 stars respectively, they first had to get them somewhere safe. I have to calm down Thought Ayrton while looking at Xue who was sitting on the ground, her back supported by the chasm walls. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Steh went to other side with Blue as Ayrton took a seat beside Xue. After a pause he broke the silence. “I contacted pops” He paused “he said there is no eminent danger, we were just here to know the whole picture” He placed her head on his shoulder “I am here, will never let any harm near you” *** Xmox was chilling up on the ground while looking at Zeth and his squad. It seemed to him that this rescue mission would be boring Xmox ears stood up hearing this It seemd now that not too boring He looked at Zeth and his squad all aiming at him, any suspicious move and anyone would be dead. But Xmox was not ‘Anyone’, confrontations like this were normal to him, a 5.5 star. “Tell your friends that I’m getting impatient,” said Zeta “So am I” Said Xmox as his thrusters started. His body surged forward and was shot multiple times as it fell. Right when everyone thought that he was dead, his body exploded and his head shot backward towards one of his three Bots who picked it and attached it in its head Zeta’s squad was shaken by the huge explosion. Xmox took advantage of this and started shooting, lightspeed laser projectiles speeding. He took down four of Zeta’s members but his body was also finished in the process by the incoming firepower, his head again fallen on the ground Xmox head looked at one of his two remaining bots and his eyes glowed as he took control and started shooting, shots also incoming which were absorbed by his energy shield. His remaining bot also fell down, now only him and Zeta were left Now His energy shield was also starting to crumble, starting his thrusters he launched up and fired a rocket which Zeta couldn’t block and was killed. Energy shields could only absorb energy lasers, not physical projectiles like rocket and such a point-blank range Zeta couldn’t intercept it Xmox Laughed as he picked his head and attached it, he took a huge 7-meter gun and aimed at one of the hammerhead ships. Rin’s ship was in pretty bad shape and would be destroyed shortly. There are still two hammerhead ships remaining. He thought grimly, is this all Seth planned, will we lose here. MAN, I hate losing. He took aim of his railgun which was glowing from its ends and fired at one of the Warhammers whose shields were low. Xu..Xu..Xu The hammerhead exploded; Rin’s ship explodes as well. One remaining hammerhead was still standing at full shields and Union’s reinforcements would arrive shortly, the hammerhead ship took a notice of Xmox, the huge metallic fortress like ship coming his way with its guns aimed at Xmox. But shots never came near him, the ship moved upwards. It had detected something, three missiles coming from the clouds leaving smoke trails behind and started following the hammerhead. From the clouds entered a dark red ship shining, it looked eerily sinister. Thet ship is Azazel! *** Right now, Ayrton, Seth and Xue were tightly fitted inside Blue’s small green ship which was parked in the chasms. If normal ships were cars here then this ship was a bike, its passenger seat was clearly only meant to house one person. Ayrton’s helmet was being pinned down against the ship’s walls; he couldn’t even move his body by an inch. Blue was exempt from this treatment as he was the driver The ship surged upwards from the chasms and sky entered their view. The aftereffects of the battle present here. In the sky, a red ship was handling four of union’s ship all by itself, is seemed to seamlessly maneuver itself continuing its spree. Their ship stooped to pick up Xmox who came near the sunroof and threw his head “Quite spacious here” Suddenly the sky boomed with explosions. Their small ship speeded upwards as shots were fired at it, some its shield blocked some it dodged. Due to this the ship was spinning and maneuvering very strangely. Xmox’s head was moving and bouncing Looking at Ayrton thought Seth It seems that having Xue with him changed his mood to normal Suddenly Xmox’s head collided with his. Their ship arrived inside Azazel and its cabin opened, from which Xue fell down followed by Ayrton. Azazel’s interior lights were light purple, it was built by the same manufacturers as of Archangel’s, unlike archangel it was a stealth ship. All of them collided with the ship’s walls due to its sudden turn She attached his head on her waist. As soon as they arrived at the cockpit they sat down, not wanting to collide again. But what they saw on the radar made them grim, they were surrounded by 11 of Union’s ships and their own shields were half left. It was a miracle itself how was Azazel standing Azazel narrowly avoided a missile as it took down a sentinel ship. It sped up in the sky being chased by 10 ships, its shields were 15% now In the clouds it arched backward and destroyed another ship Slowly they neared horizon and they had destroyed some more ships in the process. As they passed 300 miles altitude mark, a white and gold ship, Archangel came into their view Archangel fired two huge laser projectiles at Union forcing them to stop their pursuit who were not ready to face such star-ship. They had escaped Hestia *** In outer space, they all were sitting in the Archangel’s lobby “You sure your dad can help us” Asked a girl with wavy long hair and pale skin, Lorca. “Even if he can’t, he knows Epi verse developers,” said Ayrton “Your dad is a big shot then” “He’s a 7-star” “7-star! first time I met someone acquainted with a 7” A black-haired child was looking at Xmox’s skull placed on the table “Is he fine like that” He asked Xue “He’s a strange one” said a silver hair, grey eyes girl. Xue “Can I pick him up” Asked the child, Blue as he moved his hand forward “I bite” Said Xmox while opening his mouth. Blue strangely backed down while glaring at Xmox which made Lorca laugh. “I’m longing off then. Xue, take care of him” said Lorca as she laid down on one of the bunk beds nearby “I’ll try to sleep as well,” said Blue while yawning