Chapter 11

"Branch Master, care to explain to me why the best team within three provinces got their asses handed to them?" Governor Molly Tanner asked with a bit of venom in her voice. "For King's sake, you got multiple S-rankers on that team!'

"I've seen the replays from each of their masks. The male called himself a Sunstrider and he's from another world, or so he claims. However, what is evident is his power. He's a master of magic but also has the speed and strength of a triple S-ranker. Then, he also has incredible healing, so when he does take wounds, they vanish nearly instantly. This threat is simply too much."

"That's your official answer?" She replied with a cock of an eyebrow.

"Unfortunately."

"Then perhaps we need to bring in the Syndicate. Specifically, we need the one they call The Forgotten and the one called the Witch."

"Ma'am, we don't work with criminals, especially not those two psychopaths. The Forgotten would never even be known if his online profile didn't exist. If he were ever to delete that, then everyone would forget him automatically. It's even said he can make you forget he's there while you're looking right at him."

"Yes, and the Witch has been known to remove powers with her curses. If anyone has a chance, according to your official stance, then it would be them."

"They'd never agree to work with us."

"They would if I put in the request. My family has generational wealth. They won't turn down us."

"This is risky. The last time they did a job in this town, we ended up with the great fire of 82. Besides, this Sunstrider hasn't done anything outright evil. Unless you count killing criminals evil, wouldn't it be better if we left him alone?"

"Sure, if you want the King to charge us both with treason and execute us. We have laws for a reason, and while we generally don't care for most of them, there are some that cannot be ignored."

Nathan, the Branch Master for the Meta Association, just shook his head with a defeated sigh leaving his lips. He was never for politics because of hypocrisy just like this. But he also knew there was nothing he could do about it as well.

~~~

Thanks to the extra help with healing, team Pantheon was back on their feet and deep into another meeting. "Like I said, we now have recorded evidence that the Club owner and our vampire are not the same person," Radiant Jack replied to Titan's question.

"But that doesn't mean he has nothing to do with them. That man was going around talking about vampires before those two vampires showed up. That's not just a coincidence," Titan argued back.

"Jacik may not be the vampire we fought against, but he certainly smells like them, which is to say, they all have no scent," The Huntsman interjected.

"Ooh, right, maybe there are three vampires or Sunstriders, whatever that is," Nebula said.

Renovate, who rarely speaks in meetings, spoke next, and it left everyone pondering: "But we know the two we fought do drink blood. Has anyone ever seen this Jacik person drink blood?"

"I haven't seen him, and I've been stalking him the longest. But maybe one of those bottles in his private bar is blood instead of alcohol."

"Like Tru Blood?" Captain Cosmo asked the Huntsman, shocking everyone. "What? I have a life outside of being awesome."

"First, I doubt there is a large enough secret population of vampires that they would have a need for manufactured blood. And secondly, if they did, why would two out of the possible three vampires still be hunting criminals for blood? Also, you need special equipment to keep blood fresh," Dark Matter chimed in on the discussion.

"He's got a good point," Titan replied. "So, instead of tailing this club owner, let's reach out to Cyberpunk and see if he could sneak some microbots into the club. Maybe bug his suite, the club, and some of Jacik's clothes. Then perhaps we can solve this mystery."

"Solving the mystery is one thing," Cosmo said, "but what do we do about them afterward?"

"Shit…" Radiant Jack suddenly cursed. "Check your messages." The team did, and then they all swore.

"That governor is insane to bring in those two mass murderers. Aside from being wanted on every continent, if the King found out about this, we're all dead," Radiant Jack responded.

"I'm not so sure about that," Cosmo replied. "It is rumored that the Syndicate has gotten away with their crimes because they work for the royal family."

"What?" Nearly everyone said simultaneously.

"I've not heard that," Dark Matter said while sitting back down in his chair. He had been standing since first reading the message. "We've been on the same team since basic training. When did you hear of that?"

"The yearly Captain's meeting. There were a few of us brought in on some secrets, and connecting the dots suggested the royal family was either directly involved or had influence with the Syndicate."

"Yeah, he's right. I was brought in on that, too. We weren't supposed to talk about it with anyone, including our teams, but Captain Cosmo is right to bring it up now. We're in uncharted territory and we all need to be united on this. We might end up having to fight those two and I hate to say this, but also team up with the vampires."

"You don't think we can take those psychos?" Nebula asked.

"No," Captain Cosmo replied absolutely. "But it gets worse. The Syndicate never just sends in those requested for a job. They always have more operatives in play. It is how they get away with everything they have so far. We're sure to have at least six of them, if not more, show up."

"And any that they send for this job will be on the same level as the Witch and The Forgotten. Their whole organization is full of very dangerous Metas. Powers that are as twisted as they are monsters. If we took them on, we'd have to unleash our full might, and that will wipe out the city. We'll be at a great disadvantage," Titan followed up.

"So, why are the higher-ups requesting help from the Syndicate in the first place? Do they think they'll do the job and just leave?" Nebula asked.

"Probably, yeah. But we know it is never that simple. We also know exactly how strong this Sunstrider is. I'm afraid the Syndicate will burn the city in an effort to win, which places us against them automatically. But we'll likely get the order to stand down and not interfere," Cosmo told the group."

"That's bullshit. No way we'll follow that order," the Huntsman scoffed.

"Agreed," Titan responded. "Let's formulate a plan. We need to pull up everything on every member of the Syndicate we believe will be sent here, and then we'll need a plan to deal with each one. Let's get to work, team. Oh, and Huntsman, go clear your name already. I know you have everything you need." Titan turned and headed for the main computer. Then he began his research as everyone else also headed to their stations to do the same.

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~~~

"Okay, class, focus up," Knox shouted. Jessica, Oden, and I were taking courses on normal hero work and dungeon dives. There were six other students ranging from C rank to A rank. "Today, we'll be doing our first dungeon dive. You'll be splitting into pairs of two and joining an experienced team. They'll take the lead on everything, but they will expect you to participate. But under no circumstances are you to do anything without being ordered to. Do you copy?"

Everyone nodded their heads. Then, without another word, Knox left the room. We all looked at each other before scrambling out of our seats to follow him. Pilling into a van, we were dropped off at one of four locations, with two people exiting at each one. Jessica, Oden and I got out at the last one, which was an A-rank dungeon. The team we'd be joining was already there waiting for us.

"Ah, so our newbie S-rankers finally decided to join us," a large, short man with a massive beard down to his belly gruffed. "I'm the leader of this team. My name is Lightning Max. I hear you have lightning-based powers, too. Pay attention to what a real lightning user can do," he said while slapping me on the back. He was strong, too, but I think he expected to send me stumbling because his eyes widened when I didn't budge. "Guess that's why you're an SS-ranker," he grumbled.

"Sorry for my husband," an equally short woman replied, stepping up next to Max. "He's a bit uncouth around new people. My name is Sally, but my hero's name is Scarlet Thread. Max is the lightning axe-wielding maniac. I do crowd control. Then Jasper and Jackal do ranged damage. Finally, we have Bubbles for our support. She can heal some but does mostly shields." One by one, Sally introduced her team and pointed to them. They all wore various kinds of armor that had a mix of medieval and army tactical. The most impressive piece of gear, though, was Max's axe. It was larger than the man himself and just as wide, being that it was a double-bladed axe.

"I'm Ryan, and this is Jessica and Oden."

"Ooh, such a magnificent dog!" Bubbles exclaimed.

"Yes, I am a magnificent dog! My hero's name is Awesomeness!"

"Whaa…" She squeaked in reply. "You can talk? Oh! That is wonderful!"

"Yes, I am wonderful. My full name is Oden, the Wonderful Magnificent Awesomeness and most fearest dog!"

"Oden, that doesn't even make sense," I scolded him.

"Does, too. And that is why I deserve treats," he sniffed and raised his nose at me. "Well?" I shook my head but tossed him a biscuit. It was better than having him nag me all day.

"I'm sure you all have been briefed on the types of monsters, terrains, and traps that are expected to show up. Pay close attention to every detail, and if you see something, speak up right away. We don't want you acting on your own, but you are free to speak as long as it pertains to the dungeon dive. It is very dangerous in there and we need lines of communication open. Got it?" Max asked, but it sounded more like a demand.

"Yep, got it," I replied. Jessica nodded along.

"Alright. When I place my hand on the portal's opening, all of you will have one minute to do the same before the portal becomes locked. Once inside, put up your guards. We don't know what to expect yet. Bubbles will place shields on us now before we enter, but even as strong as her shields are, this is still an A-rank gate. This means there are some elite monsters with power strong enough to one-shot those shields. That is why I go in first since I'm tougher than everyone else," Max told us as he stepped up to the gate. He nodded at Bubbles, who promptly cast her magic. Then Max placed his hand on the portal and vanished. We all took turns doing the same, with Bubbles going in last.

Once inside, we were met by strong winds and icy terrain. The sky was cloudy, but rays from the two suns spilled through. "So, these dungeons are really on another world?"

"Not exactly. This world is likely all simulated with magic. We don't know how or why, but we know that if you destroy the Dungeon Core at the end, the world starts to collapse within an hour. Once that happens, you'll see everything start to deconstruct. You don't want to be caught left inside when it fully collapses, believe me," Sally replied. "Now, pay attention and follow orders. And remember, if you see something we don't, speak up."

We were at the bottom of a hill that rose to a tree line. To our right was a path through the hill that opened up into a valley. It was obvious which direction we were supposed to go, and so that was where Max started hiking. His wife followed behind him, and then the two ranged damage dealers. I was last at the rear with the two Supports between me and the others. I was to be their support in case of an ambush. Oden walked by my side, sniffing the snow and occasionally eating it.

About five minutes later, we ran into our first set of monsters. There were three ice giants with large spears, as well as six white wolves with two heads each. They were also three times larger than normal wolves.

"Ah, good! Odin smiles upon us this day!" Max shouted. Then channeled lightning into his axe as the wolves burst forth to engage us. Then, I noticed that the wolves were partially made of ice. It was hard to see through the blinding white snow that coated the white fur, but the underneath side of the wolves was solid ice.

"Why am I smiling upon them?" Oden asked. No one paid any attention to him since the battle had officially started.

Like water, lightning travels easily through ice, often even better. Max took a single step forward and appeared ten feet in front of him, swinging his axe like a baseball bat. The blade bit deep into the chest of the first wolf, and then the beast exploded as a lightning dragon pierced through the body and struck the next wolf. From there, a fork of lightning sprung out into three more wolves. The first two struck were killed instantly, while the last three were left writhing on their sides, stunned.

Suddenly, those three were wrapped in scarlet threads that bit deeply into the ice and flesh as they struggled to get free. Jasper drew upon his energy bow before firing off an arrow made of pure yellow energy. The arrow struck the first downed wolf, and thousands of little lights suddenly erupted from the body from all directions, killing the beast instantly.

Meanwhile, Jackal had raised his hands above his head and conjured a black ball of fire, then ripped the ball into two and then shot them at the other two downed wolves. They became fully engulfed in flames that never went out, even after they died. The snow around the burning corpses turned to blackened ash.

The three ice giants shouted something in monster, and then one of them thrust his spear forward, and the final wolf, which was even larger, stood up and howled. An invisible sound attack rippled through our team, causing our shields to flicker and, in some cases, crack. Then the twin heads opened their mouths and fired off two breath attacks. The ice beams struck Max's shield and instantly formed an ice layer over his shield, encasing him inside several feet of ice. The ice shot around him and also struck Sally's shield along with Jasper's, doing the same thing before the beams exhausted themselves.

Max tried striking the ice with his lightning-empowered axe but found it magically reinforced. The best he could do was chip it. But each blow began to form ice on his axe until it merged with the ice shield and stuck.

Jackal conjured a single fist of black fire and slowly tried to free Jasper without leaving too many flames to endanger his friend. But the work was slow going. I heard the ice giants moving closer to us and knew we needed to do something quick. "Can I help free everyone?"

"Yes, go for it," Bubbles replied while she cast another round of shields on everyone. Just in time, too, because Jackal's shield took a direct hit from a thrown spear and became lodged in the bubble. Luckily, unlike real bubbles, her shields didn't just pop when pierced. It behaved more like bulletproof glass. However, the spear was emitting a frosty mist that started to chill Jackal's movements. He responded by engulfing the spear's head in black flames, effectively ending the chilling effect. Eventually, the spear burned to ash, allowing the rest to fall to the snow-covered ground.

I channeled lightning into my body and became a bolt that traveled up and over the party and down into the magical ice. Instead of relying on lightning, I used a disruption spell to destabilize the magic within the ice. To everyone else's eyes, it just looked like I struck it with an intense bolt of lightning. I freed each person within seconds and even caught another thrown spear out of the sky. I twisted with the spear to re-throw it back at its sender.

The spear struck the ice giant in the chest and picked him up off of the ground to travel a good thirty feet in the opposite direction of us. The two other ice giants looked at their fallen comrade and then tried to run. The alpha wolf stayed behind to allow its master's retreat.

"Good one, Ryan," Max said with unusual praise. "Have you picked a hero name yet?" He asked mid-combat as he used another lightning-empowered step to move him rapidly into the range of the alpha wolf. But before he could attack, he saw Oden move so quickly that he looked like a blur. Oden crashed into the alpha ice wolf and tore into the monster like wet tissue paper. It wasn't even a contest. It was like a dog got ahold of a snake and was tossing it back and forth so violently it became nothing but a bloody mess. "Holy beard of Odin, what the hell?"

Oden stopped, cocked his head at Max, then asked: "What beard?"

Bubbles sent some healing waves to help with stamina and told Jessica to help in any way she could, as well after the fight had ended. They would eventually catch up with the two ice giants that fled as the dungeon would require them to, but for now, it was time to get everyone back to one hundred percent. So, Jessica used her rejuvenating spell to not only replenish all energy but also boost their power levels to two hundred percent. Everyone felt like they suddenly became Superman.

"You can give buffs?" Sally asked.

"Um, yes," Jessica replied.

"Why didn't you do that in the beginning?"

"You said don't do anything unless told to so. Bubbles said to help, so I did?" She said with a quizzical expression.

"Okay, point taken. Perhaps we should've gotten a better sense of what you two and that mutt could do. Your files clearly didn't give us everything."

"Yes, let's do that. We'll make camp here. Grill up some food and discuss a new strategy. Then we'll get going after that. Jackal, mind making us a fire?" Max asked. Unlike normal fire that needed wood, Jasper could make a spot of black fire for heat without anything but his magic.

"Food? I want food," Oden demanded.