The invasion of the Origin Seekers compound was no secret to the players of the forums. Most of the Juniper Station players had logged in excitedly to join the assault. And now, the Seekers faced a calamity that could end them. Still, killing a few foot soldiers and, perhaps even, their raid boss would likely not be enough to end the evil cult.

During Gol D's formation of the raid team, Shadowmaster had received a communique from his liaison with the Midnight Agents, Agent Selene.

There was no video call, just a line of text. 'Target - Council of Origin: Enter the Origin Seekers compound and assassinate the council.'

Under any other conditions, such a task would be a suicide mission that not even Shadowmaster would want to engage in. But, with the growing fervor of the players and their gathering on the fields beyond the compound, the assassin player could see an opportunity.

Little had Melissa known that she would be tasked with such a high-value assignment when she'd revealed to the player community the secret behind the Ravenous Spikers. But now, as Shadowmaster, she couldn't help but feel as though the pieces had lined up perfectly for her.

Shadowmaster had jumped into the raid team easily. Even if he wasn't the legendary gladiator, Gol D would have taken him just to have an extra body.

The assault on the walls of the compound had moments of doubt, with dozens of players at a time dropping in the rush to assail the fortifications. When they'd broken through, one could have almost imagined that the battle would have grown easier. But, the armed and armored protectors of the Seekers were ready for them. Red blood was shed upon the green grass, white walls, and stone walkways within the compound as players fought like a mob.

The NPCs themselves held more discipline in their fighting. But, against players immune to the fear of death, even the most stalwart of cultists couldn't help but tremble. That was until the Director came out to face the challenge.

The aged figure had spoken with a voice barely above a whisper, but everyone could hear his words. And now, the players quaked with evolutionary dread.

When the director consumed his vial and began to shred players a handful at a time, Shadowmaster took it as his cue to leave the main battlefield.

The assassin dashed through the pristine walkways of the Origin Seekers compound, he was seeking something.

In fighting in the inner courtyard of the compound, Shadowmaster had looted the bodies of a number of protectors. Their dropped keycards had given the player hope. But, on using the items at various doors, he'd found them largely useless.

In this foreign compound, Shadowmaster was blind. The Midnight Agents had only given him the task. But, figuring out how to achieve it was left to him.

In running from one end of the compound to the other, the player heard the noise of battle nearby. Not the thunderous roar of hundreds of players battling thousands of Seekers. But, of the conflict of those in a desperate fight for their lives.

Shadowmaster turned off to find the source of the sound and, when he did, he caught sight less than a dozen heavily armored protectors facing off against faces that the player recognized.

Dancing Dagger was throwing footsoldiers, impaled on his twin daggers, into the protectors behind them. Wu Lan was showering lines of Seekers with ice shards. And, a player named Winter Storm was deflecting kinetic fire while piercing his foes with his epic sword.

They were doing well. But, they seemed to be running out of steam and the protectors merely walked over their dead.

Thinking little of the challenge, Shadowmaster silently used a foot technique to bridge the gap between him and a protector on the fringes. [Fallen Light] cut a path through the air in a wide arc. Against the armored plating of the Seeker's armor, the blade would merely form a spark. But, through the small gap in the neckpiece, the blade severed the man's head.

Before the next target could notice his fallen brother, Shadowmaster recovered his swing and, planting his feet firmly into the ground, speared the next protector through the crotch.

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Now, with the neutered protector screaming his agony, the other Seekers turned to face the new threat. But, this shift in the dynamic empowered Dancing Dagger and his cohort. The players took advantage of the momentary distraction to push their advantage.

Shadowmaster used his [Null Variable Crystal], attuned to wind, to shower the oncoming protectors with wind blades that tore at their joints. Dancing Dagger bridged the gap from one player to the next, his daggers leaving bloody marks as he passed. Winterstorm continued to weave his sword through the attacking protectors, piercing everyone. Wu Lan's ice shards froze the gathering until she was forced to hold back lest she harm her companions.

The players breathed heavily as they stood over the last of the protectors.

A smile could be seen on Dancing Dagger's face as he looked to the newcomer, "Thank you, Shadowmaster."

The taciturn figure nodded briefly before beginning to loot the bodies of the fallen Origin Seekers. His companions looked at him oddly as Wu Lan picked up the refrigerated case at her feet.

Winter Storm scratched his head, "Are you looking for something in particular?"

Shadowmaster shifted on his feet as he looted the last keycard from the fallen bodies.

With a tapping on his omnitool, the silent assassin projected the message he received from Selene on an illusory holographic window, 'Target: Council of Origin – Enter the Origin Seekers compound and assassinate the council.'

Dancing Dagger and Wu Lan cocked their heads to the side.

"Council?"

Winter Storm's expression brightened.

"I know this!"

The others looked at him expectantly.

"I've seen guard duty logs for the council room. The building is at the center of the compound behind multiple gates. I never had clearnance. But," he looks to the fallen elite protectors, "maybe they did."

Shadowmaster looks at him as if expecting more.

The player smiles awkwardly, "It's in that direction. You'll know it when you see stone collumns behind the fencing. No where else in the compound do they use collumns like that."

Shadowmaster nods and dashes off, leaving the cohort to complete its own objectives.

The winding pathways leading to the fence with the columns are desolate, the NPCs hiding or fighting. And, it doesn't take long for Shadowmaster to find the gate he's looking for.

Licking his lips under his bandanna, the player swipes a card and is rewarded with a pleasant beep. The gate slides open and Shadowmaster enters.

The building itself opens for him and the assassin sneaks in.

Thinking it time, Shadowmaster activates the stealth generator he bought from Koll and continues to slink through the corridors of the council's building.

At the end of a hallway sits a heavily armored protector by a door.

As Shadowmaster sneaks close, his sword, invisible as it is, dangling before the guard's eyes, a beep from the door alerts the guard.

Shadowmaster quickly pulls away as the guard looks to his fellow protector coming out of the room. With a difficult swallow and a steadying of his breath, Shadowmaster moves past the oncoming guard and through the open door.

Inside, he finds what he's been looking for. Eight elderly men and women in lab coats sit around a square table with a hollowed center. A guard stands behind each council member.

"Where did these soldiers come from?!" an old man exclaims.

"Exactly. Did the world government learn of our plan."

A patient-looking elder sighs, "That seems to be the case. But, I'm more curious about why these attackers don't seem to die."

A silence comes over the council.

"It appears that these are the Immortals that have been wiping out the Ravenous Spikers. They've been ruining our agenda for a while. It's time we eliminate this threat once and for all."

A kindly-looking old woman sighs, "But, we can't kill them."

"Perhaps we should have the Director capture them. We could begin experimentation to learn the secrets of their immortality. This could advance our goals in ways the Spikers never could."

The other members of the council nod and one of them reaches for a communicator.

Shadowmaster realizes that if the raid boss seeks to capture the players instead of killing them, their entire assault could be in jeopardy. He has to act.

But, there remain eight guards. Killing all eight council members will be difficult without getting killed by the guards.

Then again, Shadowmaster doesn't need to survive. He just has to complete his task.

The player sneaks up behind a protector and, rather than assassinating his ward, jumps up and over the table to the hollowed center.

As he lands, the sound of footfall alerts the guards.

From behind each council member, the guards begin drawing their weapons.

Shadowmaster knows he has little time and brings both arms fashioned with [Bolt Launchers] to bear. Bony spikes fly from the enchanted projectile machine to impale the chests, throats, and faces of the council members in a torrent of death. There is no concern for wasted ammunition, only the completion of the task.

The grisly scene concludes with the last of the council members skewered on the spikes of the beasts they had released upon the unsuspecting citizens of planet Meesach.

Shadowmaster has no time to revel in his victory as blaster fire unleashes on him from eight directions, his armor as nothing before the interstellar-grade attacks.

A few seconds after the decisive end of the Council of Origin, Shadowmaster respawns outside of the Origin Seekers Compound with a slew of other players.

He pulls up his quest tracker and sees the completion of the Midnight Agents assignment, a smile coming to his lips.

Not one to let a good time pass him by, Shadowmaster rushes off in the line of other players. There's still a raid boss to kill.