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Teleporting into the New Main Square and throwing away his suit pieces all over, Vincent screamed at Bee and Irene: “We have to evacuate the town.”

Prodigia Guildchy Core: I saw the System’s message. I’m transmitting an evacuation order on all communication channels. The Guild had a drill a week ago, simulating a Mongol attack from the Wrocslau faction. Guild non-combat personnel, visitors, elderly women, and children will take the train in ten minutes. Estimated capacity 1000. The rest will leave the town on foot.

“Why?” Bee screamed back, alarmed by Vincent’s shouting.

“There’s a pissed alien monster coming here, a friend of our core’s mom. If I don’t kill it within an hour, the city will be destroyed. Dragon, this is Axe Raven,” he yelled on the radio. “I need a nuke. Immediate. I need a nuke. Immediate! Over.”

“This is Dragon. Say again? Over.”

“This is Axe Raven. I need a nuke, or we’re all dead. A bad thing from space followed me here. Think Alien, only worse. Over.”

“Axe Raven, this is Dragon. Do I activate Top Protocol? Dragon. Out.”

“Negative, Dragon. I’ll execute Top Protocol. Get working on the nuke. Over.”

“Roger, Axe Raven. You are on Top Protocol, I’ll take care of the nuke. Over and Out.”

“You brought a nuke on the Realm?” Irene hissed. “Have you tried solving the problem without violence?”

Your parents bought them, not I! Vincent’s mind screamed. “Core, can you tame that thing somehow?” Vincent yelled.

Prodigia Guildchy Core: I might, but the System won’t allow cores to control Calamity-type monsters; it will destroy me both before that happens. All I can do is trick my mother’s servant into believing I am in another location.

“Lure it into the clearing,” Vincent ordered. Two seconds later, there was a slight bent in the descending monster’s trajectory. “Dragon, this is Axe Raven. What’s the nuke status?”

“Dragon here. The first nuke is ninety percent assembled. Location: bridge.”

“We brought two tactical nukes, cores separated from the main device, to prevent explosions,” Vincent said.

“Man, you’re crazy,” Bee said. “Mana could make those things unstable.”

“Good point,” Vincent said, transporting Bee and Irene to Hradcany Square in Prague.

“What are you doing?” Irene yelled. “Take me back this instant!”

Ignoring her protests, he jumped to Lila’s room, where the girl was still sleeping, and took her to Prague as well, putting her on a bench.

“Hey! Did you not hear what I just said?” Irene shouted.

Awakened by Irene’s and Bee’s screams, Lila rubbed her eyes, yawning. “What’s up?”

“Sorry, this is for your safety. I’ll be back as soon as possible,” Vincent said, returning to the bridge, where Dragon and a team waited beside the troll. A large suitcase was near the colonel, and a team of mercs were frantically inserting a metal ball contraption into the other, using protection gear. “Top Protocol is done; I took Irene to Pragwyn. She’s safe there. Is the bomb ready?”

“We just finished setting the timer. Press this button, and it will explode after ten seconds,” Dragon said.

“I’ll try to blow the monster up in the clearing; if it does not die, we’ll explode the second bomb too.”

“Something can take a nuke in the face and keep coming?” Dragon gasped.

“I don’t know, but considering it stayed buried in lava and then in space for a few hundred years… Let’s say it’s a possibility.”

“Fifty-six minutes,” Hubris said, appearing next to them.

“Who’s he?” Dragon asked.

“Pay no nevermind to him. Dragon, put the people in position, help with the evacuation… you know… do the stuff you’re hired to do.”

Jumping at the edge of the clearing, holding his hand above the button, Vincent took a deep breath. The line of fire transformed into one of smoke, the reentry heat diminishing. The monster grew in size, closer and closer. Calculating instinctively how long it would take for the boss to land, Vincent pressed the button, then entered Outsider’s Refuge to be sure the impact wouldn’t destroy the bomb.

The bug crashed into the clearing at full speed, the impact throwing dirt, rocks, and trees everywhere. It was strange to see objects flying directly at his pocket universe, and as they touched the envelope, being warped on the other side. One second before the countdown reached zero, Vincent exited the Refuge and returned to the bridge, leaving the bomb behind.

The explosion was no different than what he had expected. A huge ball of smoke mixed with fire and a ring of wind expanding. It reached them with the force of a hurricane. Luckily, no people were in the fields that day because it was Sunday.

Teleporting a mile up and gliding down, he scrutinized the former clearing, now a ruin surrounded by forest fires. It was hard to see anything. There was the smoke from the explosion and the burning trees, and the storm had started as well, covering everything in a deluge. The wind pushed the radioactive cloud away from the city and to the west, which was good; there was only wilderness for more than fifty miles in that direction.

In the devastation replacing the clearing, something moved. An insect claw. Extracting itself from the giant mud pit, the Boss started to move east, aiming for the city. Its legs on the left side were destroyed, and it was advancing laterally, crawling on the remaining thirteen limbs. It was not as slow as Vincent had hoped.

“Shit!”

Hubris appeared next to Vincent. “The train carrying the first batch of townfolks has left. They’re well organized,”

“How’s the second bomb?” Vincet asked, returning to Dragon.

“Give me five,” one of the mercs working on the device asked.

“Hurry, or it will be too close to the town. I’ll stall—" Vincent stopped short. He was thinking of doing the trick from Earth. Jumping into the same space as an object and destroying it in the process. Yet that critter had withstood a nuke… Chances were Vincent would be thrown away like a rag doll or his attack avoided… He balled his fists, undecided.

“Stay put, kid. We have it covered,” Dragon said, like reading his mind.

“Dragon, this is Maverick,” a voice said on the radio. “We’re ready. Over.”

“Maverick, this is Dragon. Execute. Over.”

“Roger, Dragon. Maverick out.”

“Is that a code?” Hubris asked.

“Yeah,” Vincent nodded.

A drone swarm of at least a hundred strong flew over their heads, heading toward the monster who had appeared at the edge of the destroyed forest. A second later, from two bulges on the sides of the insect, countless lines of fire erupted up, moving to follow the drones and destroying them in flight.

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“The fuck! The bug shoots lasers?” Dragon cursed, looking through binoculars at the incoming creature, something Vincent could do without the lenses.

“It’s not an insect; it’s a modified trilobite,” Hubris said. “The woman-like protuberation is similar to the baits anglerfish have on their heads. It hypnotizes men, making them fight on its side. The bulges are the eyes; they have a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree vision and shoot Mythical Light beams. Its shell reflects or absorbs immense amounts of damage.”

“Any weaknesses?” Dragon ground his teeth. The howitzers were shooting, but their projectiles didn’t even make the boss flinch.

“Anything, probably, if it gets into the vitals… We made it fall into a volcano and solidified the lava around it, but it still survived…”

“Bomb’s ready,” a mercenary said.

“It’s too close to the city…” Vincent groaned. The crawler was now half the distance, about a mile and a half away from the town.

“Do it, it’s the only way,” Dragon said.

“I’ll raise a shield over the bridge and the walls,” the troll said.

Vincent pushed the button before Striding, jumping back and forth at the last second. This time, from closer, the pillar of fire was even more impressive, making them close their eyes. He prepared to activate his Refuge, but the troll’s shield held, the shock breaking only windows and roofs farther away.

“Dragon, this is Wrath,” the mercenary drone pilot said on the radio. “Hostile survived and is on the move again. Lost half its legs and an arm on that lass… Over.”

“Bloody hell,” one of the mercs behind cursed.

“Take cover!” Hubris yelled.

Lines of light had begun searching for them, making cracks appear in the shield. Everybody ran, the troll included, hiding behind the farthest pillar of the bridge.

Message from The System: The System has forwarded the orbital bombardment countdown. It will begin in five minutes. Evacuate the city. Minimal safe distance: 500 yards from the outer wall.

“Wait,” Hubris yelled. “There’s another way. Please! I always did everything you asked me, no questions asked… Give us fifteen minutes.”

Message from The System: The System grants ten minutes with one condition: Hero Vincent will accept the quest The System proposed last night—capture, reason with, or eliminate rogue Archetypes.

Hubris turned toward Vincent and spoke very fast. “Listen… When we cleared that dungeon, we went with my plan. The Raven had another. His spear had Supreme Mythical Penetration on a first hit in combat. If anything could go through that thing’s armor, that’s it. Back then, we considered it too risky… Our teleportations were channeled, too slow, and the exit point visible…”

“But I can Stride in a blink,” Vincent said.

“Yes… The weapon was gifted to the Corvinus family. It’s the one Ludwing keeps in his secret room.”

“I accept your quest, you mother fucker,” Vincent yelled. The insult had been added because he didn’t like to be coerced. Nevertheless, if there was a chance to save the town, the core, and the guild, he was going to take it.

System Message: The ten minutes begin now. Hero Vincent will need to bond with The Raven Set.

“I will need a drone live stream on my phone,” Vincent told Dragon. “Evacuate, if possible, but someone has to fly that drone for me.”

Without more ado, he jumped in front of Ludwing’s mansion.

“Vincent!” he heard Irene scream. “Come here this instant and take us back!”

Shit! Vincent cussed, realizing how close the mansion was to where he had left them.

“No time now; the town’s in danger!” he yelled, banging his fist on the door. “Open up!”

There was no answer. Pff… I’ll have to jump directly to the private quarters… I hope no one moved there meanwhile…” Before he did that, there was a noise on the other side of the door, like a loud sniffing. An animalic thought projection searched for his mind, asking who he was.

“A friend. Open the door!” Vincent shouted.

Grunting and heaving came from the other side, then the noise of the heavy wooden beam falling. Pushing on the panel, Vincent found himself looking almost eye to eye with a giant dog, freezing in place for a second. The canid made no hostile move.

“You’re that warg guarding the secret room!” Vincent realized. “You’re pretty smart if you managed to open the gate…”

The dog whined. Somebody had put a conic party hat on its head and painted his claws pink. ‘Help!’ came an empathic projection.

“Go join my friends,” Vincent pointed to the group that was now approaching. The animal nodded and squeezed between the door and the man, leaping toward Irene, Lila, and Bee. “Guard them, and I’ll adopt you. Don’t be scared; he’s tamed,” he yelled at Bee, who was opening his mouth in horror, and Irene, who was preparing a magic projectile.

After rushing inside the courtyard and up the main stairs, Vincent entered the palace running, with Hubris following. If the Guild’s cantina had been a mess, this was worse. Drunk people, many naked, lay around unconscious in the rooms or on the corridor. A heavy scent lingering in the air reminded Vincent of the weed some colleagues smoked in his first and only year of college.

I’m so happy I joined the army… Vincent thought. If I’d gone through college, I would have turned into a bum or, worse, a civil servant… He made his way through the disorder, jumping over bodies, empty bottles, and vomited food, reaching the king’s apartment a minute later.

“Six minutes,” Hubris said.

In Ludwing’s private quarters, a blond and pale reveler, still awake but not by much, was preparing to draw a mustache on Mathias Corvinus’ ambrotype. Vincent threw a jab into the man’s chin, sending him to the dreams, and stored the portrait in storage. He felt it owed that to Ludwing despite their differences.

The door to the secret room was opened, which he had guessed already, seeing the warg outside. The magic book had been thrown on the floor, and the trunk lay open, the clothes inside missing. The armor and the spear were in their place.

“Five minutes,” Hubris said.

Vincent nodded. He stored the book, then touched the armor and the spear, sending them to his inventory as well because it was more practical to equip the armor directly… a thing he could have done with the space suit, he realized too late. Despite two months with magic power, he still had reflexes to build.

You have bonded with The Raven’s Armor of Darkness (Mythical artifact). This item is usable only under the Velasco name. Set equipped 1/2

Shit… Oh… It’s OK… I have it equipped already…

If the full set is equipped, this armor offers a +25% in all Resistances, doubles your Mana Pool, and will ignore one lethal hit once per day. It will adapt to the wearer's measures and preferences without losing its properties.

Under Vincent’s eyes, the armor changed from metal to leather, and even the helmet became lighter.

You have bonded with The Raven’s Spear of Darkness (Mythical artifact). If the full set is equipped, the spear can execute a perfect strike once per day, ignoring all armor. This weapon doubles any imbued Dark or Shadow Damage. Set equipped 2/2

Vincent jumped back on the bridge. Dragon and the rest were nowhere, and a line of destruction stretched toward the town's center. Houses in ruins, fires… bodies. The boss had walked directly toward its target, ignoring the streets like a mini-Godzilla.

“Fuck,” Vincent wailed, his stomach at the point of throwing up. He should have jumped more carefully… taking a telescope, looking through it… A scanner, a radar, something… “This is all my fault!”

“You couldn’t have known,” Hubris said.

“Doesn’t make it any better,” Vincent hissed, preparing his spear in his right hand and his phone in the left. As he had hoped, the drone was streaming. The boss was almost at the tree, maybe thirty or forty yards away.

“Two minutes,” the Archetype said.

I have to hurry…

Despite the urge to jump into the fight, Vincent knew he had to concentrate. What was the weak spot? The fake woman? No… Did the boss have a heart? Lungs? But what if it didn’t or had two or more hearts and vitals?

He made up his mind and Strode, focusing on appearing as close as possible to the monster, on the left side, where the legs were destroyed, and a little on the rear, thrusting the spear in the big eye. There was resistance at first, but the lance found its way forward, penetrating five feet deep inside the target.

It screamed with the woman’s mouth, a long, sinister screech. On the left side, the human simulacra looked like it was made of melted glass from the bomb's heat. Vincent pushed the spear on, trying to do as much damage as possible. He also had a guaranteed hit skill, which added to the spear’s Perfect Strike. His Dark Damage added thirty percent… A normal foe would have been dead in a split second.

Yet the trilobite was still standing. Vincent’s Arcane Awareness painted a map of the monster’s insides in his mind. The most dangerous part was still the eyes, each a cluster of crystal balls, each able to fire light beams. They danced around, the monster shooting lasers with the right eye, still intact, and Vincent trying to hide in a blind spot.

A beam hit his leg, but the Raven’s armor negated the damage. That was, at the same time, good and bad news… he was still alive, but even a leg wound from that monster would have been fatal.

Vincent willed his shapeshifting weapon out of his storage, making the strand grow, wave itself over the spear, go inside the wound, and spread in filaments to destroy the Light Damage orbs on the inside, denying the monster its most powerful weapon.

The boss screamed again, trying to hit him with the woman’s left hand, the only one still available. The fingers grabbed Vincent’s head, trying to gauge out his eyes, but its strength was fading. The limb only scratched his forehead. Vincent closed his eyelids to avoid getting blood in his eyes. He kept leaning his weight on the spear and spreading the shapeshifting filaments. Finally, he added a Stride for a few inches, sending the impact shock into the now vulnerable monster. Something hissed. A white smoke exhaled out of the creature's lower front, and it collapsed.

Message from The System: The System canceled the Orbital Bombardment. Hero Vincent has completed the quest and slain the Calamity. For freeing it from its prison in the first place, Hero Vincent’s rewards will be minimized as follows: Level x1. + 1 in all stats.

Hero Vincent is placed under the direct observation of Hubris, The Archetype of Darkness and Wisdom. Hubris will be removed from all other assignments.