A large expansive forest stretched as far as the eye could see, trees of all different sizes ranging from 3 meters to 8 meters tall sprawled throughout it.
Berry bushes and heavy thickets of ivy lay scattered through the forest, large cedar trees touch branches together forming a large net covering the dense forest.
The forest was home to all types of animals such as squirrels and lizards, however, all of them were currently hiding as the rain pounded the net of trees causing their large oak trunks to creak and groan.
The leaves rustled in the rushing wind as droplets poured down their tips, the smell of dew permeated the air as the forest became increasingly soaked by the storm.
Lightning flashed at close intervals releasing a thunderous boom that would send animals scampering.
From the cloudy gray skies that continued to pour down rain, a man descended at a rapid pace.
His parachute fluttered and rustled in the torrenting rain as the frighteningly fast winds pushed him in circles causing his parachute to twist.
Boom!
Lightning flashed behind him causing his face to light up, it showed an unnaturally calm expression as the man attempted to untangle his parachute.
The storm pounded his slender figure causing his thick and sleek muscles to bulge as he attempted to untangle the parachute.
Every moment he neared the rapidly approaching forest threatening to swallow him up.
Finally, the man let go of the ropes and reached into his pocket.
Fumbling in it for a moment, he pulled out what appeared to be a knife, its sleek and thin design showed its deadly cutting ability as it began sawing through the parachute ropes.
One down.
As he began cutting more ropes, the wind beat against his back causing him to begin spiraling in the air, hovering ever closer to the ground.
Finally, he managed to cut all of the ropes as he turned his face to the ground, approximately 20 meters from the ground.
Twisting his body so he was heading towards the ground ramrod straight, his body was like a cannonball as it dived for the dense forest floor.
Once he was within sight of the branches spreading through the trees, he twisted his body so that it would fit in between the gaps in the branches.
Descending through the dense canopy of leaves, he reached out his arms and grabbed hold of a, particularly thick branch.
Normally this would have simply torn off a normal human’s arms and they would have continued to hurtle to the ground as gravity intended, however, he was no normal human.
His thick yet taught muscles bulged as his grip enclosed around the branch, causing it to groan with effort as the branch threatened to break off from the force of the fall.
Quickly swiveling his legs to the side to plant his feet on the trunk of the tree. He pressed against the trunk to counterbalance the weight.
Once sure that the branch would not snap, he began a slow descent down the tree’s rough bark.
Several seconds later, he hopped down from the tree and sat down against its thick trunk.
His soft breathing was drowned out by the pouring rain as it ran down his face.
Sighing heavily, he got up once more and shook the dirt and leaves off his body.
His defined jawline locked in place as he began a slow and steady trot deeper into the forest.
His piercing blue eyes darted at every twist in turn as he seemed to be deciding which direction to take.
His dull brown hair fluttered slightly in the wind, as the raindrops caressed his cheeks.
Animals scampered back into their hiding holes as he trod on the sodden earth, its wet crunches leaving a muddy footprint behind him.
Finally arriving at what appeared to be a large cave, he pushed past its circular entrance and entered its moist interior.
Gray limestone greeted him as he entered the cave, nearly hitting a stalactite as he walked.
Quickly ducking out of the way he gazed at the cave around him.
Sharp gray stalactites jutted from the cave’s ceiling as water droplets slid down their tips, dripping quietly to the ground forming little puddles.
Various stalagmites lay strewn about the cave, forming various interesting shapes as they all clustered around a singular object in the center of the cave.
Drip!
Drip!
The silent cave echoed with the sounds of dripping water as the man made his way to the object in the center of the cave.
Approaching it, the man gazed at it momentarily.
What appeared to be a large door frame made out of a material so black there appeared to be no light, just endless darkness.
The man extended his arm towards the black material and rested his hand upon it.
Suddenly a loud humming noise was heard as a blue light filled the room.
In the middle of the frame a large vortex had opened up as it slowly spun, it twisted and turned inwards almost as if it was overlapping upon itself.
Its light blue rays lit up the cave as its pitch black inside seemed to suck all light into it, causing an odd effect as light seeped out only to be pulled in.
Its blue and black tendrils stretched out as they attempted to reach for everything in sight, however, the large black frame suddenly let out a red zap which caused the tendrils to hurriedly withdraw, only for them to attempt it again over and over.
The man paid this no mind as swiped his hand on the black frame.
In front of him appeared a small screen upon which only a single white line was drawn, beneath it numerous numbers and letters as well as strange symbols spread out to form a square of sorts.
The man quickly swiped sideways and upwards as the symbols and numbers rapidly scrolled by showing more symbols and numbers.
The man’s pale fingers quickly tapped on the screen as a long sequence of characters appeared above the white line.
Once he was done he tapped on the white line, causing a prompt to appear on the screen.
[Teleport to coordinates?]
{Yes/No}
The prompt asked him.
Quickly tapping the yes, he heard a loud rumble as dust poured from the cave ceiling.
The light in the vortex fluctuated slightly as it emitted several different colored glows before returning to its normal light blue.
A deep hum was emitted as it calmed down.
The man released his hand from the black frame and stepped into the vortex.
***
Opening my eyes I glanced around at the room in which I stepped.
Bright white walls glared fiercely at me as I exited the port, black lines crisscrossed and intersected on the walls, all of them eventually congregated at the portal.
“Identification.” came a neutral voice from in front of me.
Looking forward I saw two gun barrels pointed at my face, the guns weren’t just any guns either, they were made out of a metal called Narkite.
Narkite was essentially a reinforced superconductor that was abundant on this planet.
These guns generated specially charged plasma rays that could instantly incinerate a person on contact.
Their sleek black design and slim build caused them to be extremely effective.
Lowering the mask on my bodysuit I let them scan me.
They were dressed in a similar bodysuit as me, it was a pitch-black metallic suit that covered you from head to toe.
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Also made of Narkite, it granted the user many benefits such as flight and the ability to use the built-in AI.
Its deadly-looking design often inspired nightmares in those that came across it, not that any who came across it would live to have those nightmares though.
Once they finished scanning me they lowered their guns and resumed their positions guarding the portal.
Stepping forward I walked over to a terminal that sat in the corner.
It was a bulky machine with various monitors constantly displaying various coordinates and diagnostics.
Behind the terminal sat a woman in a prim and proper business suit, its gray-colored fabric stretched tightly on her skin and was only being held together by the button attaching it together.
Her glasses-covered eyes turned to gaze up at me as I stopped in front of her terminal.
Her tightly pulled bun of black hair tilted as she asked.
“Name?”
Focusing my attention on her cold blue eyes, I responded neutrally.
“7173.”
Her eyes widened slightly in surprise as she hurriedly adjusted her laid-back posture.
Quickly typing something into her digital keyboard she hurriedly pulled up a file and turned her gaze back to me.
“Mission coordinates?” she asked in a much warmer tone.
I paid no attention to her change in attitude as it meant nothing to me.
Reciting a long set of coordinates, I watched as she pulled up an image of the planet I had just come from.
Earth was labeled beneath the planet as she pulled up several datasheets.
“Mission status?” she asked, looking up at me once more.
“Complete,” I answered the same as I always did.
She nodded as if she expected the answer and quickly registered the information in the database.
Reaching under the workbench, she pulled out a slim tablet the length of my forearm and held it out to me.
“Please transfer all remaining funds,” she said.
Grabbing the tablet from her, I quickly flicked through the screen as I logged into my account.
Approving a transfer of 236 eris to the organization account, I handed the tablet back to her.
She nodded in a satisfied manner before clicking on her screen a few times.
“The directors are waiting for you in meeting room 12,” she said not looking up as she began sorting through the mission files.
I saluted in response and proceeded to exit the room.
Upon exiting the room, bright rays of sunlight shone in my eyes causing me to squint slightly.
They seemed to have no effect on my armor as it remained pitch black.
Large opaque windows lined the walls, rays of sun shining through them.
Silver metallic walls greeted me as I walked at a moderate pace in the direction of the meeting room.
Black wiring once again lined the walls in order to power the facility.
As I exited the narrow hallway I was walking down, I entered a spacious hall.
On my right was a giant glass wall behind which large snow-covered mountain peaks could be seen.
Despite the snowy terrain, the sun shined ruthlessly through the windows.
The mountain range seemed to stretch endlessly on the horizon causing the world to be painted white.
Turning my attention to the left of the hall, I saw several long winding moving staircases as well as a few elevators.
Several voices echoed through the hall as various people moved throughout it in an orderly fashion.
Nobody crowded or blocked entrances and nobody shouted, there was quite simply order.
The white marble floor echoed as the thuds of many feet pounded against it.
In the center of the hall, a large screen took up a vast amount of space, almost stretching from wall to wall.
Upon it, a list of numbers was displayed constantly scrolling down and refreshing.
At the top of the screen in big bold letters, it said.
Ranking:
* 0001
* 3646
* 9825
* 7173
* 0974
My gaze lingered on the ranking momentarily before I continued on my path.
Each person was dressed in the same bodysuit as I was except for a few, who wore gray military-style uniforms with badges attached to their uniform to designate what position they held.
I brushed past several people as I made my way towards one of the elevators, occasionally some would look at me with strange gazes however I ignored them all and continued on my way.
Stopping before the glass elevator, I pressed the button and stood waiting silently.
Suddenly I heard rapid footsteps behind me before a tall shadow sidled up next to me.
“Four.” said the man with a slight smile.
“Five,” I said simply.
“How did the mission go?” he asked as the elevator dinged.
As the sliding doors opened I stepped forward and entered the elevator before pushing the button for the 9th floor.
“Fine,” I responded, leaving no room for conversation.
He smirked as if expecting this, and sidled up to me even though the elevator was quite spacious.
“You know, you don’t have to be so cold, the other three already don’t show their faces anymore… it’s so boring, you could talk more than a few sentences once in a while cant you? Were all friends here aren’t we?”
His eyes bent like crescents as he said that.
“Sure,” I replied, not really caring.
Tearing his gaze away he sighed heavily.
“Tough as always…”
Ding!
The elevator doors slid open as they reached the 7th floor.
“Well il see you later, don’t get into too much trouble!” he said as he stepped out of the elevator.
I didn’t reply as the elevator doors slammed shut.
Standing there in silence I waited as the elevator finally reached the 9th floor.
Stepping out of the elevator I immediately noticed that the floor was deathly silent.
Not a single person walked around on this floor.
Taking a left, I began walking down the corridor in the direction of a mahogany door.
My footsteps echoed quietly in the empty hallway, the noise suppressors in the suit stopping my footsteps from making a loud noise.
The hallway walls were the same color as the rest of the facility, however, lining the hall were several different doors with various nameplates on them.
All belonging to officers of various stations.
Upon arriving at the end of the hallway, I stopped in front of a large mahogany door.
Its intricate carving and elegant design attested to the importance of whoever was behind the door.
Raising my hand, I placed it on a small metal scanner that was attached to the wall.
After several moments of continuous humming from the machine, the display on it showed that permission had been granted to enter.
Enclosing my fist around the door handle, I pushed it open and entered.
Stepping inside, I was greeted by a large room.
The walls floor and ceiling were all completely white with no visible wiring running along them.
They were made from a special material that blocked sound, it was also used in the suits as a noise suppressant.
A large pitch-black half circle table made out of Narkite filled the center of the room.
At the table sat 6 people all staring at him.
These were the 7 directors of Anarchy, the organization I belong to.
However, I quickly noticed one of them was missing.
“Step forward 7173.” said one of them, a balding white man, with a stubble lining his rigid jawline.
He was dressed in a large white military uniform with a long white cape draped over the back of his chair.
His hands were positioned in front of him so as his head could lean on them.
“Report,” he said.
I quickly stepped forward and stood ramrod straight, lifting my hand in a salute I stared into their eyes.
“7173, reporting,” I said calmly.
The man nodded at me, before gesturing for me to continue.
“Mission completed in 172 System days, with 236 eris to spare.”
The man looked at the other members at the table for a moment as they seemed to share a conversation by glancing at each other, before clearing his throat.
“Special mission notes?” he asked.
“I believe that the planet will be taken by the contractor, based on my information gathering while on the planet, I have come to the conclusion that they should have the capability to eradicate their remaining enemies.”
The people at the table nodded in confirmation of my observation.
“We will continue to monitor the planet until the victor is decided, more importantly, 7173, you have a new mission.” said a woman in a white military uniform that hugged her body.
Her long red hair was bundled up in a ponytail that twisted as she tilted her head to bring up a screen.
Her murky brown eyes locked on mine as she enlarged the hologram for everyone to see.
“The contractor is one of the Good gods attached to the planet, they have contracted us for a long-term escort mission. The mission has been elevated to the highest priority as it is a level 8 difficulty planet, the reward is 5,000 eris.”
My eyebrows raised ever so slightly upon hearing the amount.
Eris was a form of currency developed by the system that encompassed the universe, no one knew where it came from or how it was created, however, it governed everything.
Each person upon birth is given an ID made by the system, on it were various things such as your name and stats, but by far the most interesting part of the system was the shop.
The shop was a part of the system that functioned as a hub for everything in the universe.
Every material existed there, every scientific advancement.
But it all came at a price.
For instance, if one wanted to make Narkite armor, they would first have to come up with the idea and then input it into the system.
Once having done that, they would either have to collect the material themselves from whatever planet it could be found on, or they could simply buy the material from the shop.
Once having gotten the material, one could either build the armor themselves or have the system do it for a certain amount of eris.
You could even sell materials to the shop for a discounted price.
This caused a resource war to begin in the universe between two groups.
The so-called ‘Good Gods’.
And the so-called ‘Evil Gods.’
They began a long war that was still ongoing, they would fight each other to conquer planets in order to collect their recourses.
The organization I belong to is a neutral organization in this war, we take mission requests from Gods for a fee that is set depending on the difficulty of the planet that is designated by the system.
The system accepts mission requests and sets a reward for them according to the difficulty of said mission among various other things.
“You will receive a mission briefing at the portal that is currently being held in stand-by for you,” she said.
I nodded silently.
They all nodded back at me before the balding man said.
“You are dismissed, report to port station 6 for briefing.”
“Understood!” I said as I saluted.
I quickly turned on my heel and left the room.
“Is it fine for us to accept such a high difficulty mission with one of us missing?” asked another man in the room.
The room descended into silence for a moment.
Clearing her throat the woman who spoke earlier said.
“With Edmund having gone missing, we have no choice but to accept the mission in his absence. Knowing him I’m sure he’s fine and will return soon, after all, he has Emerson with him.”
They all nodded in assent.
“But isn’t the mission difficulty too high for him to handle alone?” asked another woman.
“He will be fine, after all, he is one of my greatest creations.” said the balding man.
A round of sighs came from the rest as they got up from their seats.
They all quickly filed out from a door that had not been there before, leaving the room in silence.