Rebirth of the Supreme Sentinel

Chapter 10: Chain Reaction

Unlike the fresh Mazes where exiting the Boss Room would automatically expel them out of the Maze, when a permanent Maze, dungeon-type, is cleared, the Rangers inside are required to manually return to the entrance not unless they have an artifact called Return Stone prepared beforehand. Once everyone are out, that’s the only time the Maze will reset. However, it must be done within an hour or else, the Maze will forcefully reset and the people still left inside will be thrown to the Abyss.

As for the field-types, there’s no such pattern and consequences. The Boss and the monsters will simply spawn again after a certain period of time and multiple teams of Rangers can enter and indefinitely stay inside the Maze. However, the latter fact is mostly by design rather than choice. In the field-type, once the Rangers entered they are trapped within it not unless they capture the Exit Stone guarded by the Maze Boss. The number of Rangers the Exit Stone can accommodate are limited too so multiple confrontations to the Boss per party is pretty common. Above those, field-types are thoroughly unpredictable, both in terrain and clearing condition, compared to the dungeon-type. Chances of Deviants spawning are pretty high too.

However, congruent to the threat, the potential rewards are exponentially higher.

Expected from a Rank 1 Maze, there’s no treasure or anything else of great value inside the Boss Room. Hence, after the Troll’s Mana Stone was extracted by the drones, Nichol and Downing’s team immediately exits the Maze with Nichol carrying both of the fatally injured.

“What happened?!” The Association personnel hurriedly rushed to them.

“There had been an accident inside the Boss Room,” Nichol told them. “They needed medical attention.”

“Call the Healers!” “Bring the ambulance!”

“Hey, I fulfilled my part, you’re safe.” Nichol said to Downing as the Medics treat him. “I’m heading out now.”

“You’re a fucker but you get the job done,” he said with a groan.

Nichol nodded but before he left, he handed a folded piece of paper to Downing. “By the way, give this to the Mayor.”

“What’s this?”

“He’ll know once he read it,” Nichol said with a shrug and with that, he finally leave Greenbleed with his spoils.

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

Half an hour later, there was a knock on the door and the head facilitator of Greenbleed, Miles Pardoner, who was sitting at the table while on the phone, frowned. After he spoke a few more words of explanation and apologies to one of the victim’s parents, he ended the call and cleared his throat. “Come in.”

The door was pushed open and the person who came made Miles’ to abruptly stand.

“Chief Bowen!”

“We received the report,” he said, approaching his table. “How are the victims?”

“The victims are fine,” he answered immediately. “Please have a seat.” He then gestured to the couch beside his table.

Chief Bowen nodded and sat. “The report says that their porter saved them?” He inquired with a frown.

“Yes.” Miles immediately took the folder at the side of his table and hurriedly gave it to the RD Section Chief. “One of the victims, Mayor Downing’s son, says that the porter was actually an unregistered Ranger and he saved them in exchange for money. As for how much, he didn’t disclose.”

“Hmm.” Chief Bowen flipped through the folder’s contents, lightly pursing his lips. “This porter, where is he now?”

“We weren’t able to get hold of him, sir.” Miles informed apologetically. “He’s undocumented and not a regular in Greenbleed, and to be honest too, we didn’t mind him since he’s just a porter and none of the victims mentioned anything until later. But don’t worry, we will do everything we can to track him.”

“There’s no need for that.” However, that was the Chief’s reply to his earnestness. “I think I know who this porter is.”

“Excuse me?”

Miles wanted to inquire but Chief Bowen abruptly end the conversation. “As per the protocol, transfer everything to RD. That includes all the communications to the victims’ relatives. We will identify what happened as soon as possible.”

“Y-yes sir, of course.” Miles was curious to that passing remark regarding the porter but ultimately decided to give up the notion. One of the most influential among the leaders next to the ORA President is the Chief of the Reconnaissance Department. It’s utter stupidity for a lowly Maze entrance facilitator like him to question his decision. “We will do the transfer right away.”

“Also, make sure that the details of this incident won’t leak especially to the Guilds, you understand?”

He instructed next but there was a hint a threat in his voice.

Miles nervously respond. “Yes, absolutely sir.”

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

Inside a chatroom established in the darknet, a certain someone is being reprimanded.

* * * * * * * * *

Kira: How could you fail such a menial hit!?

Hornet: I don’t know too. I was sure no one among those wannabes could have handled a Level 3 Boss.

* * * * * * * * *

The news that Mayor Downing’s son surviving the Maze ‘accident’ had already reached all the interested parties including those that devised the said ‘accident’.

* * * * * * * * *

Kira: Are you sure you did not miscalculate? The potency of your bugs might not have been enough.

Hornet: No. I’m sure I released the same amount. The Boss was elevated to Level 3, no doubt.

Kira: Then how will you explain this?!

Hornet: I’m not sure yet but I think it’s the porter that was with them.

Kira: The porter?

Hornet: I’ve been thorough to the target’s companions. There’s no way that any of them could have handled the Level 3 Boss. Eliminating them, that leaves me with the porter whom I absolutely have no information about.

* * * * * * * * *

There’s also another information Hornet didn’t disclose. When he was about to leave Greenbleed after sending his bug, he made a final glance to the Boss Room and saw the porter staring back at him. Of course, he immediately dismissed the notion as there’s no way that an ordinary human could have sensed him when even Rangers couldn’t. But now that this happened, Hornet had reconsidered.

He might not have mistook what he saw.

* * * * * * * * *

Kira: I don’t care what you think had happened. All I care about is you finish the job.

* * * * * * * * *

Kira didn’t need to remind him. Hornet remains dead set to finish it. As the no. 1 assassin of the Brotherhood, he takes pride over the fact that he never once failed to eliminate his targets and this one will be no different.

* * * * * * * * *

Kira: And if you think that porter is a loose end, get rid of him too!

* * * * * * * * *

Again, Kira didn’t need to tell him. Hornet had already had his eyes set to that porter.

He’s a rogue variable. If he’s the one who truly saved those wannabes then that opens the possibility that he might have an idea or some understanding of what happened to the Boss. He can’t let that happen. No one must ever know about his ability.

That porter must disappear before he could spill anything.

* * * * * * * * *

Hornet: Don’t worry, I will finish the job. I’ll contact you once it’s done.

==END OF CONVERSATION==

* * * * * * * * *

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

However, unknown to Kira and Hornet, the moment they logged out of the darknet, a conscient emerged from the chatroom they vacated.

* * * * * * * * *

==START OF CONVERSATION==

Sentinel: Lower lifeforms such as yourselves dared to target my brother? You will regret it, hehehe!

==END OF CONVERSATION==

* * * * * * * * *

=======================

-Establishing Connection…

-Connecting to Digital Addresses:

-01:17:05:02:PP:XX: CONNECTED

-02:78:98:07:UV:XX: CONNECTED

-01:40:13:05:UV:XX: CONNECTED

-01:60:18:09:PO:XX: CONNECTED

=======================

-Initiating Facial Recognition

-Scanning All Real-Time Sources

-Scanning Coordinates

-Retrieving Data

-Piling All Results

=======================

Then his menacing will began to track, infiltrate, and conquer the network of this so-called Brotherhood.

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

“Let’s return to HQ,” Clint said to the driver the moment he was settled at the backseat of the car. He’d just went out the hospital where the Rangers involved in the accident at Greenbleed are confined.

“Yes sir.” The young man in the driver seat nodded and started the car.

Not a minute later, Clint’s phone rang. It’s the President of ORA, Henry Castle. Since the accident had involved Portland Mayor’s son, The ORA President must put more emphasis to the incident in order to ease the highest political power in the city. “Everything is settled here, sir. All the Rangers involved in the accident are okay.”

“Good.” President Castle sighed in relief. “Anything else?”

Clint briefly paused and stared down to the files beside him. “Mister…I mean, Ranger Schade is involve.”

“He was there?”

“Apparently he returned to his porter job while he waits for the issuance of his license.”

With the emergence of fresh Mazes getting fewer and fewer each year since the start of this entire ordeal, the options of the Rangers were ultimately narrowed to the permanent Mazes organized by the Rangers Association, and for the sake of order and safety, only licensed Rangers are permitted to conduct raids.

Everyone, Rangers and ordinary humans alike, are aware of this policy and since he cannot conduct yet any raids despite his awakening, Ranger Schade returned to his former job as a porter for the time being where coincidentally, he was confronted by yet, another accident.

“I believe he is alright too.”

“As I mentioned, sir. All Rangers involved are okay. In fact, it was Ranger Schade who resolved the situation.”

“Ah yes, his Innate Skill is pretty intriguing.”

The data regarding his Innate Skill remain insufficient but with what they’d already gathered, Ranger Schade’s Innate Skill is highly likely belonging to the cyberkinesis category, the ability to manipulate technology.

According to some historians, there was once an era hundreds of years ago where the technological advancement of man was several times higher than what they have now. Unfortunately, it all disappeared in a year everyone called as Year 0.

Still, what they achieved in the present era so far is nothing short from extensive and impressive. Touchscreen phones, mass surveillance systems, supercomputers, robots, etc., and to have an ability which can manipulate these rampant stuffs, its potential is as extensive and impressive.

“His license will be ready this week, right?” President Castle said next.

“Yes sir,” Clint confirmed.

“And hopefully, no Guild had taken him yet.”

“Soldiers tried but he refused.”

“Good. By that time, offer him a place in RD. I believe he will be a huge asset to your department.”

“Absolutely sir,” Clint replied casually. As a matter of fact, even without the President’s instruction, he was already planning to invite Ranger Schade to RD.

He’d already proved that his combat potential is high, defeating a Level 4 while being a Level 1 is no small accomplishment, but Clint believed that Ranger Schade’s potential in support is much higher and people like him are highly sought by any organization that are into Ranger and Maze related businesses.

“I will give my best to rope him in.”

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

Thanks to their gamble, their day at Greenbleed wasn’t a waste. Instead, they made a lot of profit. With the amount they collected from Downing, they can purchase the remaining Elixirs even if it’s offered at twice the price.

“Make the purchase right away.”

-On it! (Sentinel)

Sen ardently complied.

Two days later, Nichol stared at his Status Window with glee.

The effects of the Elixirs had been kind to him. Nothing tremendous but instead of 11, he was initially only less than 9 Stats away from One Above All’s requirement after maxing his Elixir consumption. Then, after securing other known consumables that increases Stats, these were the final results:

______________________________

[Status Window]

Name: Nichol Schade

Age: 18

Condition: Healthy

Level: 1 [Mana: 12]

Strength: 24.00

Dexterity: 23.27

Vitality: 24.60

Intelligence: ???

Innate Skill(s): [SENTINEL], [ONE ABOVE ALL]

______________________________

One more for Strength and 5.40 for Vitality.

______________________________

[ONE ABOVE ALL | Level 1]

*The Power of Your Mind is Limitless*

Each Skill Level-Up will develop your Cerebral Capacity by 10%.

One Above All is a maturing-type Innate Skill. Instead of adapting the Ranger’s Level, it independently advance to the next Level after a certain period of time.

Countdown before Level 2: 14 days, 20 hours, 39 minutes, 16 seconds

For your body to endure the 20% Cerebral Capacity, you must enhance your Stats to the following minimum:

25 Strength, 20 Dexterity, 30 Vitality

Failure may result to DEATH due to the disparity between your Physical State and Cerebral Capacity.

______________________________

However, the triumphant mood chilled when Sen raised his concern.

This is only for the first advancement but their options in the matter of Stats increase are already narrowed to the extreme and they both knew that in the foreseeable future, One Above All will demand the same thing for its succeeding advancement.

“I’m not too worried about that.” Surprisingly, Nichol wasn’t that worried.

-Why’s that? (Sentinel)

Sen wondered.

“Limitations is caused by lack of understanding. Like our options right now, it’s limited because we’re incapable of accessing the other potentials. However, all of that will change once One Above All reach Level 2.”

Aside from unlocking the next stage of his cerebral capacity, Sen’s Level as an Innate Skill is also dependent to One Above All. Hence, once it reach Level 2, it will greatly broaden their horizons. Sen’s functions will increase and aside from the massive boost to his intellect, Nichol will also gain access and control over his own body. A big deal for someone who will be under a constant demand to improve his physical state.

“The world is big and since 50 years ago, the emergence of the Mazes just made it a whole lot bigger,” he said. “Once we have the capacity, I’m sure the solution will bare itself before us.”