The Energy Aspect examines his gift, eyes full of acute focus. Five hours have passed, yet the momentum remains smooth. The extraordinary device he holds resembles sonar yet is shaped like a pyramid, etched with mysterious symbols. Kanji discerns a fascinating pattern— the glyphs morph into sequences of numbers under a rhythm of electrical shocks.

Kanji "A set of numbers is nothing unless there is an input for said numbers. Hmmm... now that I think about it. AN never taught us how we can activate the damn thing."

He holds it up to his chin.

Kanji "Activate search mode."

Surprisingly, the device spins, revealing a pair of Azure text boxes. On the left one, a streamlined map manifests, depicting his immediate surroundings— an iron cube enveloped by miles of earth.

Kanji "How in the world did they manage to find time to bury like 11 steel boxes into the ground? I have to admit... it is a bit impressive."

His attention shifts to the right box, boldly titled "Password". A grin spreads across Kanji's face as he keys in the numerical sequences from the top of the pyramid downwards.

An ethereal glow emanates from the device, revealing two sentences, each accompanied by a checkbox.

Kanji "Malice mode only. Malice and Life mode. Dammit, AN. Why didn't you select the second one by default?"

Ignoring the first, he selects the second option.

Kanji "Oh would you look at that. There are four dots rushing right at me. Eh... What?! Where are you guys going?! I was right there!"

Eagerly, Kanji retrieves his phone, dialing everyone on the chatting program. Amongst his contacts, only Adrian, Gwen, Claire, and Dave respond. Moments of buffering precede Adrian's live video feed.

Adrian "Kanji! Are seeing this?! We are making progress! Hold on we will be there soon!"

Kanji "You guys just missed me. Like you consciously made a sharp turn right before reaching my space."

Dave "Oh damn really, dude. That's low-key unlucky. Where should we go then?"

Kanji "Take a sharp turn right-

A metallic wall suddenly ruptures, revealing the quartet of wielders.

They emerge, their hands smeared with earth but free of any signs of harm. Kanji patiently allows them to regain their composure before delivering a single statement.

Kanji "I guess our hands are strong enough to act like shovels thanks to training. But still... how far did you guys travel?"

Gwen "I kept track of the distance. It is roughly around 10 miles. I'm very impressed that they managed to secure such facilities in the shortest of time."

Kanji "Same. Now that we are all here. Things will be much easier since I managed to unlock the normal sonar option of this device.

Claire "Sweet! Now we can get to everyone faster!"

Adrian "Man to think I spent hours digging random directions hoping to bump into someone. Kanji, are they located at the same altitude."

Kanji "Fortunately for us, yes. However, they are much further away. Our hands are going to be encased in dirt once we are done."

Claire "Before we go. I was going to ask Adrian. Err... your powers didn't show where we were?"

Adrian "Well, to put it in simple terms. Connected Minds act like a game of hot and cold though I can't tell which way the hot is coming from."

Kanji "Thanks for the clarification. We can discuss this more after picking up the others."

And so, they begin digging...

________________________________________________________

In the far north, a certain steel box exists. Noah marvels at the countless paintings adorning the frosty confines of his cage, even a carpet blankets the floor, depicting an image of an open field.

Noah "Hold on a minute. These paintings. They are all..."

Within this unique dwelling, Noah’s eyes gravitate to two specific murals. One exhibits a grassy expanse, another, an infinite ocean akin to what his group has traversed. These coincidences make him anxious, prompting him to wield his axe.

Suddenly, a brilliant blaze of light engulfs the room.

?? "My dear guest. Why would you pull such barbaric objects within this room of astonishing serene beauty?"

As the luminescence recedes, Noah confronts a stranger. He is distinguished from other Majors by his intricately detailed robe, akin to an English nobleman, and a unique top hat sporting antennae. The stranger also bears a mutation— the pincers of a horned beetle encircle his wrists.

?? "They are disgusting, aren't they? Oh, I wished for a change in mutation though there is that risk of becoming fouler."

Noah "Hey, why are you like this? Aren't you supposed to be attacking me now? This is really suspicious."

?? "Pardon... Huh? You're not that wretched rude glasses fellow. You're the edgy one... how inconvenient. Relax, no need to tense up. I was given the option of killing or stalling. I prefer the latter. Come on let's have a friendly exchange. The name's M110 by the way."

Noah "My name's Noah but I assume you already know that. You're different compared to the other psychos which... make you even more suspicious! Is this a condition for your power?"

M110 "My my what with all this question. I already offered peace. What are you so worried about?"

Noah "I know that you fuckers have information on each of us! If this is what you call "friendly exchange" then you should at least tell me your powers. That way we can even!"

M110 "Ah... it was worth a shot. You're no less barbaric than most of your squadron. Some part of me wants to be matched with that big fellow. Oh well, I need to perform my duties. Noah Smith. You have already fallen for the condition of my power ever since you were sent here."

Noah "What are you talking-

The floors and walls are gone.

Noah finds himself on an alien landscape, it's surface reminiscent of a basic object texture from the popular game engine, "Union". Each step echoes the hollow sound of treading on plastic.

Noah "Wow, so your power is making this wide open field. It is similar to Kanji's portal though this is kinda useless."

M110 "You haven't grasped the brilliance of this space. Here let me show you!"

An object fell from the sky.

The grenade belt lands squarely in M110's grip. He secures it around his waist, charging directly at Noah. Noah hoists his axe overhead while taking a few steps back...

Noah "Are you trying to do?!"

M110 "Feel the magnificence power of explosions!"

Something's wrong. Those grenades seem unusual. Draped in fear, Noah stows his axe and bolts, yet the Major catches up to him. The grenade sparks to life...

A cluster of brilliant yellow explosions catapults Noah.

His fear, thankfully enough, minimizes the damage, leaving only minor burns. As the smoke disperses in the distance, a figure solidifies from the haze. To Noah's terror, his adversary remains unscathed.

Stolen novel; please report.

Overwhelmed, despair takes over him and he collapses.

M110 observes two obsidian pillars circle menacingly around Noah.

M110 "What in her holiness's name? I didn't recall this from the info-

One pillar evaporates, his sight now eclipsed by a gargantuan shadowy hand.

It pushes and slaps M110 with a force that sends him further away from Noah. Remarkably, the Major maintains his footing, teeth gritted in fury. His once sleek, elegant grey hair is now tangled and messy.

M110 "You little... What trick did you-

A second spectral hand appears, catching the M110 off guard.

Propelled further, The Major crashes to the ground, fracturing his left arm on impact. Still paralyzed by fear, Noah can only scuttle backward, succumbing to a rising tide of despair that keeps telling him to give up. Until... a familiar voice echoes in his mind.

Noah "Sa-Sarah! Is that you?"

"No, dude! I'm just a voice in your fucking head. Look at you. You're pathetic."

Noah "I'm sorry but he's invincible! You saw that right?!"

"Pft! Yeah right! Two can play that game. Come on, Noah. Remember when we were hanging out in the RV? You got a glimpse of "That". Didn't you?"

Noah "What are you saying? O-Oh..... oh right. Gosh! That's... err... well..."

His body radiates a blush of bright crimson as intangible green pentagons scatter, attending to his wounds. Renewed, Noah faces M110 with a wide-open smile like he could challenge the whole world.

M110 "What is the meaning of this? You were cowering just a minute ago."

Noah "Oh, you would never understand. The amount of pleasure I'm feeling right now. Remembering that moment. Black panties and a white bra. I can die in peace."

M110 "What the hell are you talking about, simpleton? Are you asking for death? Fine, I'll give it to you!"

A katana, constructed with pure energy, descends from above.

M110 slashes at Noah, but the blade simply phases through him as if through a hologram. Seizing his chance, Noah throttles M110 by the neck, unleashing a flurry of punches before landing an uppercut. As the katana slips from M110's grasp, Noah steals it.

Noah "Very sick blade you got here. Woa-

An inscrutable force wrenches the weapon from his hands.

M110 "Alright! I don't find humor in this anymore! No more conversation! Time... Time to finish you off."

Surrendering the blade up, he exchanges it with a missile-shaped object plummeting from the dim heavens.

Noah "You really gonna try the damn bombs again. Give up, man! I'm invincible!"

Alas, The Major remains silent and fastens the grenade belt around his waist. Noah tightens his grip on his axe... M110 darts forward, acceleration stirring up a sight-obscuring whirlwind in his wake. However, Noah stands there unbothered.

M110 hurls the missile to the ground.

Noah "I told you! It won't-

A colossal plume of flaming gas engulfs the battlefield...

As the fiery haze clears, M110 emerges unharmed, not even a single shred of radiation eroded his skin. He lights his pipe calmly as the flames recede. Yet, a sense of unease persists, hinting that the wielder might still be alive.

A mysterious firearm falls into his outstretched hand.

Out of curiosity, he analyzes the object gifted to him by the cult leader. A revolver-like weapon, its metallic parts substituted with radiant, glass-like yellow material. The grip is fashioned from synthetic woven fibers, their origin a mystery even to M110.

The smoke dies down, revealing an unharmed Noah. M110 discharges rounds in a panicked response, but each bullet harmlessly phases through Noah, who approaches with a smirk.

M110 "Dammit. That power of his is very annoying. Using my weapons against him is pointless. Wait now that I think about it, his power and mine aren't so different. I can't harm myself but he can harm me. I can't harm him but if he..."

Noah falters for a moment, perturbed by M110's sudden smile. Despite this, his confidence propels him forward.

Noah "Alright, here I come."

Noah launches himself upward, axe coming down for a swing. But M110 dodges.

He launches his pistol skyward, receiving a wooden scepter in return. Three peculiar green orbs orbit the scepter's neon-red crystal head. One orb detaches, striking Noah's axe, and rebounding the weapon into Noah.

Blood trickles from his nose. The invincibility Noah had felt, starts to decline.

Regaining his cool, he fixates on the familiar image once more. Noah discards his axe, hastily applying bandages to his damaged nose. M110 eyes the discarded weapon, but Noah feigns ignorance and continues advancing forward...

His axe, aiming for the back of his head, misses as Noah takes a powerful jump.

M110 "Dammit. One more time!"

It then returns and tries to hit Noah's neck but he leans back just in time.

In a flash, Noah quickly catches the handle, halting the axe's rebellious flight. Spurred into action, he charges as M110 retreats, evidently out of weapons. Noah withdraws the anger stone from his inventory, clenching it lightly before stowing it away.

A rush of exhilaration morphs into sheer excitement, propelling Noah across the landscape.

Summoning his anger stone once more, Noah grips it as if it was his lifeline. His escalating rage ignites a wave of crimson fire, engulfing the floor. M110 attempts to escape, but a hand takes him by the shoulder.

Scorching metal sears into his back.

Noah "Time to end this."

A chuckle repeats from The Major, extracting another explosive from his pocket. It detonates into a frigid cloud, cold enough to douse Noah's flames. Noah stows his stone, flailing blindly within the frosty haze but to no avail.

Suddenly, he hears...

?? "... may my newfound strength crush her majesty's enemies."

A lengthy fist emerges to his right.

With a swift dash back, Noah dodges, yet the punch's shockwave dispels the cold cloud and sends him flying back a few feet back. He finds his adversary now transformed, clothes tattered, body contorted to be malnourish yet his muscles are grotesquely fortified.

A plethora of ten weapons drops from the sky.

Upon landing, they scatter in all directions. Noah races, quickly securing two familiar weapons in his inventory. He spots four more, stowing them without a glance. When he turns around, the remaining weapons are now shattered beyond repair.

The creature has vanished from sight.

Noah "Oh fuc-

Suddenly, a blow lands on Noah's stomach.

The force flies him through the air. Stifling unconsciousness, Noah regurgitates a gory streak of blood across the field. Gathering his remaining strength, he strikes the ground with the katana, draining all of its remaining energy to arrest his knockback. Relief washes over him, fleeting as the echoing sound of approaching footsteps invades his ears. Noah draws a syringe, injecting its contents into his belly, surprisingly alleviating his pain. He pulls out the strange pistol...

Noah takes aim and unloads a barrage of shots, but the primal creature dodges.

Noah "Ah shit! Is this thing overloaded?"

As the creature moves closer, its large jaw unhinges, allowing Noah to hurl the pistol into its gaping maw before running away.

The creature's neck bulges and retracts, billowing out smoke from its mouth and ears. Letting loose a deafening roar, it rushes right for Noah, severing his hands. Noah's fear radiates as he retreats, forcing the creature back off.

Salivating, the creature leers at the severed hands before it, beginning to feast upon them...

Noah "That is... fucking gross."

Sitting on the ground, Noah accesses his inventory. Extending a leg, he retrieves what he presumes to be gloves. As soon as skin contacts the weapons, a strange tingling sensation occurs. Astonishingly, the gloves mimic his touch sensitivity as though they were his missing hands. To verify, Noah wills them to move, and they comply.

He commands them to take the final syringe from his inventory.

One of his lost hands reappears, withdrawing the anger stone with it. At the same time, the gloves retrieve a pair of daggers made out of bones.

Pausing its gruesome launch, the creature growls aggressively at Noah.

Noah "Come on, you ugly son of a bitch!"

Noah squeezes the stone in his hand.

A fiery maelstrom of crimson sweeps across the battlefield, charring the once greyish ground to cinders. The inferno reaches the creature, searing flesh from its bone, but... it still lives. Noah pushes himself forward with a mighty jump...

Swooping down, he plunges the daggers into the creature's eye sockets.

The daggers crumble, fractures sprawling across every inch of the creature's skeletal form. It attempts to grasp Noah's arms but slowly disintegrates into dust upon contact.

Noah "May you rot in hell or maybe be a better person in your next life."

Exhausted, Noah collapses onto the now silent battlefield with relief. He then spots a note. It reads out...

The year is 1970 and I haven't found a way out of this bloody room. If you are reading this, my name is Jeffery Alborrow and I plead for help. My life so far was very dehumanizing. Ever since I was a baby, I was trapped in this large room fancy. No one ever came in and took care of me. Food, toys, and books appeared left and right out of nowhere. It was like this for 18 whole years of my life. I want to escape... please. I just want to know what's out there. I want to experience the wide open world and see places I only saw in books and stories!

Hello, are you still reading? If so that means my message managed to make it out to the outside using a separate method from my last. I'm very desperate right now. The room, it is getting smaller by the day. I don't know what will happen to me.

Help! Please help! Someone! Anyone! I can barely stretch my leg in this space. Please, I don't want to die!

Noah "Sheesh! I didn't know you had it that rough but what does this all mean-

A couple of letters write themselves at the bottom of the note.

I received a letter. It told me to eat a pill and forget my fears so I may serve her holiness. I'm afraid and I have no choice. This is better than dying.

Noah "I see so those fuckers planned this."

?? "You got that right, Noah."

Noah "Wait, this voice!"

The illusory space shatters, akin to a broken mirror, returning Noah to the steel confines with a hole on his left.

There lie his comrades. Adrian sweeps everyone into a warm hug. Noah glows green with pentagons.

Claire, noticing Noah's absent hand, retrieves a damaged drone.

Claire "Sorry, Diana for turning your dumbbell into a drone. But... I have to do this for Noah."

It transforms into a syringe and restores Noah's wounds.

Gwen "That's odd. I thought you could only convert items you conjured."

Claire "I thought that as well but in the last couple of battles. There appears to be an orange aura around certain objects. Some are even stronger than others like my mechanical soap."

Kanji "My theory is that the longer you possess an object, the more qualified it becomes for conversion. Though we need to test how long for said conversion to be available. For now, let's keep digging. We don't want the others to wait."

All "Yes, sir!"

(To be continued)