Roberion felt in a do-or-die situation. He stopped his running, with Shade still walking slower ahead, as if sensing the situation. He didn't know what to do; did he keep running even ahead of Shade, or did he follow the giant until the end? Each second could make the difference.

The armored team fought the behemoths tooth and nail; they seemed weaker, but their team synergy was astounding; Roberion never saw something like it. Their speed was slower than Shade's, but they were superior to him even with the effect of the speed potion.

When one of the undead behemoths tried to punch one of their group, they directed the attack of the creature aside. Another teammate used the breach and attacked the behemoth mercilessly. Each unit is doing their attack and making way for a new one to keep the choreography going. They seemed to dance with the massive beast, betraying the giant armors they used.

Their melee unit attacked the behemoth as the ranged one kept shooting with impressive aim in the chaotic situation. Never a shot was inflicted on their colleagues. Their team is composed of fifteen units: eight on melee and seven on ranged. One of them had an impressive weapon that seemed to be a fusion of chainsaw and gun; this warrior had the most impressive armor of the group, fighting both in close and ranged quarters, slashing when fighting near the creature, and shooting when evading or taking distance.

These guys are on another level. Roberion couldn't do anything but be mesmerized. Shade was feeling the same, but for another reason entirely.

Why is the Blight Squad here? Being the Emperor of Creation's base, they could only be here to take the data or something else from their project. But if that is right, why won't they use a clan? They couldn't have that many problems with the null revolt that they deemed necessary to use the blight squad for a recovery mission; they are known to be used as weapons of war; they aren't the furtive type. The quality of their equipment is better than normal, too. It's time to flee before they take an interest in us.

Before Roberion could make sense of anything, Shade took the same action as in the battle before. Space gained a weight that soon vanished as the giant dashed to the left side, trying to evade the conflict between the Blight Squad and the undead behemoths. This time, though, Roberion couldn't even see the indigo energy, like it was purposefully hidden.

But if someone thought that these hulking armored men only thought about fighting, they would surely be disappointed. The one with a chainsaw gun, their supposed leader, attacked with a bodyslam one of the behemoth beasts with unforeseen strength. The ones that helped in this fight against that behemoth helped both with attacks and shots to change the behemoth's direction. Their plan was successful; Shade got near enough for the creature to get interested in this new participant, this new enemy.

The hulking beast tried to grab Shade, but the giant was faster, evading and cutting the beast's hand with the summoned bone-white glaive. To Roberion's surprise, the fast slash was different; as the slash cut the creature, instead of the being already starting to regenerate, a crack appeared, and the hand fell down on the floor, already regenerating the cut and becoming immobile.

The cut arm of the undead behemoth still had that black crack, looking like a dark space had been created in reality. This fissure was fixed on the undead arm, and to his surprise, inside it started to show up organic parts of the undead behemoth, as if the newly regenerated flesh were thrown out in this dark space.

It didn't take long for the space fissure to cease to exist, taking only a second to be created and blink out of existence. The group of armored fighters didn't take Shade's exchange idle; they were fighting the other undead with all their forces, and finally Roberion saw they were using spells. The one most powerful being the one with the chainsaw gun, electricity started to creep out of his body, lightning him like a holy beacon. With each slash and electric bolt he shot out with his extended hand, a part of the undead behemoth was burned to crisp, the nearby flesh spasming uncontrollably.

That wasn't enough for the hulking beasts; even with parts of their heads missing, they kept fighting, and in seconds, their flesh was already recovering, looking like the beasts didn't suffer any type of damage.

Damn, is that the power of someone of the Blessed incarnation? How will they defeat those beasts? What will I do? Roberion walked a little way back to run from any type of crossfire. He was out of options.

Roberion looked everywhere; he only had two hays to go, back or ahead; if he did go ahead, he could reach the research and development area, but only by a miracle he wouldn't die by the clash between the three titanical forces; even the structure would be destroyed. If it wasn't the magic shield that would show up from time to time, the one who created this place was prepared for everything, it seems.

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An errant firespell crosses the battle between the blight squad and the behemoths. Roberion looks in alarm as the spell nears him. What?!, was the only thought that crossed his mind as he evaded falling head first on the floor. The heat was severe, burning his back and armor, and the melted leafleather worsened the pain as it crossed his back.

"I-I can't be here anymore", Roberion said with hopelessness, turning back and preparing to run away. As if answering his prayer, a small part of the wall was opened above his left, looking like a type of vent tubulation. Roberion looked at it with hope and fear.

This seems suspicious as hell. I could return and maybe join the nulls, but I can't make sense of that stupid quest, and maybe they can see if I'm part of their group or not. I didn't join either of the parties at the class selection… Fuck it, let's try this vent.

Roberion jumped but didn't feel any purchase on the wall; the surface was smooth, and to his luck, the distance wasn't big; if he tried some more, he would achieve it. But he is near a battle any second more, and he added the risk of dying by an errant spell, or maybe they changed the confront near him during the heat of battle.

Roberion activated his trustworthy space bag, and from there, he removed a large supply box from it. The box had rations in it, and this would be a glorious use; the food would be wasted, but it would save his life. Dropping in on the floor, he didn't wait a second. Using it as a leverage for his jump, being high enough, his hands found purchase in the vent hole, and using all his strength, he pushed himself inside it.

Looking ahead in the tunnel, there was only darkness. It was a good sign to Roberion; the vent was long, and he would for sure find a better place to think about what to do next and learn that wind spell.

Before he could take all his body inside the vent, an errant electric bolt caught partially at his right foot, burning it to crisp. Roberion's body started to convulse, and the speed increased working against him as he would struggle and hurt more than normal.

After a dozen seconds, his body stopped convulsing, and his heart rate was erratic. Roberion dragged his body inside and forced himself to drink a potion, most of its content falling out of his mouth, making him almost take a bath of regeneration potion.

He drank enough to lessen the pain and feel a little better. Roberion took a look at his foot. The smell of burned flesh was unbearable; most of his foot seemed to be burned, but only the point of it was burned black and carbonized.

He was wounded and in pain, but the haunting thought of someone, be it the undead behemoths, the armored men, or even Shade, dragging him out was enough to fill him with determination and willpower. He dragged his body like a half dead man inside the vent, in pain. It's just like old times.

Roberion stopped after moving for twenty minutes, remembering something important. Percival!

"Percival, can you hear me?"

"Yes, sir, why does your voice sound strange? Are you hurt?

"Yes, but that doesn't matter", Roberion grimaces, "I will need to summon you back; things got a turn for the worse. Take care of the automaton; I will deactivate and reactivate the die in one minute."

Roberion kept crawling inside the tunnel, his head full of thought. He didn't know what to do about Shade; maybe his earbud had a tracker, but he couldn't get rid of the only communication he had with the giant. For good or worse, Shade was the only ally he had inside this cursed place.

When summoning Percival, he had to take two tries, and he was grateful for it because the Jubilant choir's massive size was both uncomfortable and disgusting as the mouths and eyes almost reached his face.

"Sir, what happened to your foot?! Did you drink a regenative potion??", Percival was alarmed by the sight of Roberion's foot.

"Crossfire, the behemoths are crazy strong. A bunch of armored guys showed up, and this was the result of one of their spells that hit me…Stop looking at me like that; yes, I drank a potion already. And from your part, everything is okay?"

"Yes, I ended the filth machine!"

Roberion looked at Percival with incomprehension and asked, "What did you do to it?"

"I ate him", Percival said, looking proud of such a feat.

"Damn, Shade will be pissed. Weren't you vegetarian or something? Is he still in your belly?"

"Oh, sorry, sir; I didn't think it would be wrong. It seemed the right thing to do. Yes, I still feel the miscreation inside.."

"Weird, we will need to see that in the future; maybe that is one functionality of the die. Let's keep that guy there for now. I have a job for you; help me move inside this vent. Please."

"Yes, Sir", Percival tried to push Roberion with his hand but thought it was easier to use his head to push the null inside. Roberion curved into one ball, his back feeling a little itchy, but it was a better option than crawling with the burned feet.

So Percival kept pushing Roberion inside the vent, Percival looking like a rammster and Roberion as his toy ball.

So Percival kept pushing Roberion inside the vent, Percival looking like a rammster and Roberion as his toy ball.