CHAPTER 47: HOVER TANK PLATOON

Hermes listened to her answers and nodded. This was the first time he has learned about the abilities Celestial Sentinels hold. According to Eleanor, at 0.5 dimensionality, a Sentinel unlocks [Cyber-Telepathy] and at 1.0 dimensionality, they unlock [Contraption-Mastery]. This ability allows them to master technology and other gadgets far more quickly.

He decided it was best to leave these lectures for later. Mutants were still prowling around the battlefield and some have even decided to return after noticing that the three Mutant Devil Wolves were taken down.

"Alright, I think I am the only Celestial here who can fight them directly. You three will offer me support. The two sisters will be placed at the center for protection." Hermes then looked at the tall man in tactical gear. "By the way, what is your name? I haven't heard it yet."

"Ah, you can call me August, sir." Hermes patted his shoulder and smiled. "You don't have to call me sir. I am probably younger than you, you know."

The man reaffirmed himself. "No, you are a gold rank mercenary. That takes a lot of effort to get to. And you killed a Crimson Claw like it was nothing." Hermes sighed and went back into formation. "Alright, I won't pressure you against it then. Let's get going."

According to August's communication device, the East Company's remaining soldiers and merchants will group up around the front of the merchant caravan. From there, they will retreat in that direction toward the Marcia Empire's capital. The Guardians positioned there as well the city's defenses would be enough to repel the rest of the Mutant Rampage.

After getting all their supplies ready, the group set off toward their destination. Hermes, who assumed the temporary leader position, sighed to himself. 'I wonder how much time has passed outside... The trial I am currently conducting is apparently five days long, but is that how much time will pass in reality as well?' He had no answer to such a question.

All he can do now was focus on trying to successfully complete the mission. His own life rode on this, after all. If he could not save Elizabeth, then he too will suffer the same fate as her.

With steady steps against the rigid Martian soil, he headed toward the destination they all held hope for, unsure what could be waiting for him. Along the way, countless stage 1 mutants prowling around were dispatched by Hermes and the three soldiers, while Eleanor watched over her sister.

Since the bombardment of mortar shells ended, the dense plumes of sand and dust were slowly dissipating, giving the group more and more visibility of their surroundings. They eventually grouped up with a few more scattered soldiers, some were heavily injured.

Despite their large numbers and how vulnerable this made them to mutant attacks, Hermes refused to deny anyone's company. He did not want to abandon any of the remaining soldiers, even if their injuries made them unable to walk. He didn't know whether this was just his moral compass acting on his behalf, or whether the guilt he held in his heart for not helping out earlier was using these deeds as a way to redeem himself.

Either way, his actions sparked respect in the soldier's hearts. This was the first time they had ever encountered a selfless mercenary other than Mason Melbourne. The ones they were all familiar with were very selfish people who only cared for profits and their desires. Even their emblem, a pile of gold with a Christian cross placed above, symbolized their worship of money before anything else.

With every stride they took against the Martian regolith, the bigger their group became as more and more scattered soldiers were absorbed into their formation. Eleanor decided to break the rigid mood everyone was in by talking to Hermes.

"Sir Hermes, how did you stumble upon our caravan?"

Hermes answered as his eyes darted around, making sure he didn't miss the approach of any mutants. "It was fairly random. I was heading toward the capital on foot when I heard the clashing of swords and gunfire and decided to check it out." Of course, half of what he said was a lie. He popped into this world out of nowhere and just headed toward the first thing he heard or saw.

"I see... I must thank you again for saving us. The Valencourt family will never forget this." Hermes smiled. 'Maybe doing this was worth it. Having such a powerful family owe me a favor could help me find Elizabeth faster.'

He replied to her nonchalantly. "Don't worry about it, miss Eleanor. I only did what my father taught me to do."

Eleanor giggled. "Oh? And what might that be?"

"To never regret not doing something that you know you can accomplish. I had the power to help you guys out, so if I decided to ignore your plight, I might regret it later. I do not want to live with regrets."

Eleanor responded immediately. "Your father was a very wise person. He raised a true gentleman."

Hermes' smile deepened even more than his thoughts began to dwell in nostalgia. "He really was a wonderful man..."

Suddenly, the sound of an engine humming silently was heard. Then a few more similar sounds simultaneously popped up from behind them. Hermes and the group stood there in silence, trying to understand what it was they were hearing.

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Sam, who was right behind Hermes, shouted in excitement. "It's a hover tank! Haha, those bastards weren't all dead!" Just as she had declared, three hover tanks, positioned in a line formation, cruised along the sand and stopped next to the group of injured soldiers.

On the top deck, a soldier shouted down to Hermes' group. "Hey! all of you get on! Our bio signals had finally come back online! We are detecting a pack of Mutant Devil Wolves that are heading our way as we speak! We need to hurry up and retreat!"

Hermes cursed his luck. 'Just as Mason had predicted...'

After Eleanor and Elara were given the right to climb aboard first, the rest of the soldiers took turns as they divided themselves upon the three tanks. Hermes decided to get on the tank with the two noble sisters. The mission Mason gave him has not been completed yet; he was still responsible for their safety.

With everyone settled on the tanks, they began to cruise along the dunes as the caravan's line of destroyed trucks became visible to them from atop the decks. Hermes began to admire the view; this is the first time he has seen such advanced weaponry before. The large gun barrel the tanks boasted towered above him, casting a large shadow on the deck.

'Incredible...' He thought. 'To think humanity would become this advanced one day...' He had seen how amazing the Nano-biotic machine Angelica used on him was as well as the incredible SV weapons inside the armory, but this is the first time he was seeing such vehicles being utilized... As a scientist, he was fascinated by how they worked.

Although he did read a lot about what technologies were utilized back during the Marcia Empire, one had to see them to truly believe them. It pained him that most of the schematics utilized in the Marcia Empire were lost to time.

Pulling him out of his thoughts, Eleanor interrupted, "Sir Hermes, I have a favor to ask of you..." Hermes turned to face her. "Yes? How can I help?"

She bit her lips. It was frustrating for her to ask this, but she had no choice. "If we do not make it out alive... Can you escape with Elara alone?"

"..." Hermes was speechless. Not once did he consider the possibility of death. This was not something on his mind; he would much rather think of only success than weighing down his own psyche by considering the possibility of failure. The girl before him was a stage 1 Celestial just like him, but she was much more powerless than he was. As a Celestial Mystic, her dimensionality had not yet reached the 0.5 stage to even unlock [Augmented-Comprehension], yet her ability to think ahead was much greater than Hermes at that moment.

She had already considered the possibility of death and was accounting for it. She had already accepted such an outcome and if it ever came to pass, she knew she was powerless to stop it. But to her, it didn't matter. Her younger sister's life was much more valuable in her opinion. Even if she died, she knew that Hermes would definitely have the ability to run away with Elara, who is only a child. This way, her beloved younger sister would survive this tragedy and maybe even lead the Valencourt family to their past glory.

Hermes nodded his head. "Alright, if the worst ever happens, I will do as you say." Eleanor smiled at his reply. "Wonderful! I apologize for needing to ask this of you..." Hermes simply nodded and looked at the floor.

Although he accepted her request, his heart was not convinced. He did not know if he could truly do what she asked him to do. Could he realistically abandon everyone to save himself? So far, everything he had experienced was so real that he stopped believing it to be an illusion. When he first began the test, he had almost thought of it like a game where winning equals success and losing equals death.

But now, he was not so sure. Sam and Oliver's goofiness, the way Eleanor speaks and acts protectively around her sister, the way Mason makes him remember his own father... These people all felt real to him. He would feel immense guilt if he hurt them to achieve his goals. This no longer felt like a video game to him with NPCs, but another semblance of reality itself.

If it was an illusion, whoever created it had to be a being with immense power. But a fraction of him doubted such a hypothesis. He did not want to bet that being the case, only to find out in the end that his actions impacted actual human beings.

"Hermes Wilson! The gunner wants to have a talk with you!"

As he pondered about this moral quandary he found himself in, another person called his name on the deck. Both Hermes and Eleanor shifted their attention to the man. It was a regular soldier in tactical gear. Hermes excused himself from Eleanor and headed towards the man.

"Yes?"

"You are Hermes Wilson, correct? The gold rank mercenary?"

Hermes answered him. "Yes, that is right."

The man nodded. "Alright, come with me. Lance wants to speak with you. He is the gunner of this tank." Hermes decided to stay silent and follow the man inside. Soon, they reached a small compartment and Hermes was led inside. The soldier closed the door to the compartment and left.

What reflected in Hermes' eyes was the gunner's compartment. At the center, a cockpit with him sitting on it could be seen. Surrounding him were numerous monitors displaying graphs and other information. From the ceiling, wires and cables hung loosely as they were all attached to a helmet he was wearing; a VR headset of sorts.

Hermes broke the silence. "You needed me for something?"

Lance continued to do his job of controlling the tank's main plasma barrel while watching the monitors displayed within his helmet. "Ah, you are here. Yes, I brought you here to give you something you might need; captain's orders."

Hermes' brows furrowed. "Captain?"

Lance answered immediately. "Yes, Captain Mason Melbourne. He sent me a private message using [Cyber-Telepathy]. He wanted me to conjure a gadget for you." As he spoke, electricity crackled to life around him as mysterious particles coalesced into his palm.

The particles swirled and combined, forming the shape of an arm brace. Hermes furrowed his eyebrows in confusion once more. "What is this?"

Lance smiled from beneath his helmet and tossed the object towards Hermes, almost hitting him in the head. Clumsily catching it, Hermes was able to recognize what it was up close. It was a grappling hook made of a dark, sturdy material. Attached to it was a small, sharp arrow connected to a thin rope.

Hermes was still confused about its purpose, however. "Why did Mason tell you to give me this? What am I supposed to use it for?"

Lance answered immediately. "As you can see, it's a grappling hook. When you wear this over your arm and clench your thumb inwards, the arrow will fire off, pulling the rope along with it. Mason said this will be useful against flying enemies."

Hermes suddenly remembered who those 'enemies' were. If a Mutant Devil Wolf pack does show up, it would be hard for him to fight them with his gunblade if he cannot get close and personal to them. The grappling hook before him solved that issue completely.

Hermes smiled. "I seriously need to thank that old man. He really thinks ahead."

Lance chuckled. "I know, right? This is pretty rare. He only tends to use his smarts to cheat others out of drinks!"

End of Chapter