Wanted Case

Santa arrived in front of the elevator just as the doors closed. He was breathing heavily, trying to catch his breath. His hands flew to the closed door, feeling the slight rumbling, trying to figure out how high the elevator had gone.

"What is the meaning of this Sir Louis?"

He knew something was off when he couldn't keep up with Night. And with that instant after he sped up momentarily just as he was close to catching him, Santa knew that Night might have already been invited by the Sage, which explains why the system of the Simulation battleground had encountered an error earlier.

The Simulation battlegrounds' located underground of every Central Awakened Center in every district could only be used by awakened ones and not people who have been invited by the Sage and have become a Legion. A simulation where illusionary monsters were created and awakened ones fight for the Sage, who controls the Simulation battleground, to decide if that particular individual would either become a Legion or stay as an awakened one till their last breath.

Liam's eyes, which were locked on the elevator, switched to Santa. His emotionless expression heightened the tension in the room.

As another rumbling came attacking them, which was stronger than the previous ones that it made them almost lose their balance.

The third person watching everything gritted his teeth and shouted:

"Now is not the time for that! We need to get up there and evacuate!"

Noah looked distress. Only after he shouted from the top of his lungs did the other two snapped out of themselves and noticed the look on Noah's face.

It was distorted to the point where Liam, who have known Noah as someone who was often relaxed other than the times when he was like a feral stray cat, frowned.

"What's happening up there?"

Liam opened his mouth, but Santa beat him to it.

Noah flinched, instantly averting his gaze, but he couldn't conceal the noticeable trembling of his pupils from them.

"Rifts appeared and Chaos creatures just... those monsters..."

Santa had a grim look on his face as he listened to Noah's shaking voice while the latter tried to explain what occured while they were down there.

There was no way that just a couple of rifts appearing all at ones would scare someone as strong as Noah who was one of the strongest Legions only six months after he debuted. However, someone who was acknowledged even by the three strongest Legions looked scared?

The situation, which might be grimmer than Santa had anticipated, was being depicted in his mind as he utilized one of his abilities.

Mind Imagery. It was something that he received immediately after becoming a Legion. It was an ability which Santa, himself, thought to suit him so much.

Even before the cataclyst happened and earth became what it was right now, Santa, no, Heindrik Salazar, had a unique ability called hyperphantasia which allowed him to picture things as vivid as the real thing.

This unique ability of his became even more accurate when it was upgraded into his current skill, Mind Imagery.

This skill of his, which only little information was known by the public was more powerful than generally known.

And as he activated and manipulated it, Heindrik couldn't help but shiver. Both of his palms were clenched so tightly that they bled.

"Liam..."

Heindrik was too focused on the image that he was seeing that he didn't realize he had called Liam's name casually, contrary to how he usually does.

Liam looked over to Heindrik and a frown immediately crept to his handsome face.

"We need to head up."

"Why?"

"Now, Liam!"

Heindrik repeated as he slammed his fist into the button to call the elevator down. The frown on Liam's face deepened, but he had no choice but to perceive the situation as even worse after witnessing the reactions of two other Legions.

***

The elevator door opened, and without a second of hesitation, Night jumped out of it. He held his chest with his other hand as he did so.

He was scared for his life when the elevator rumbled multiple times and threw him off his feet a couple of times.

"What a shitty ride."

Night whispered and ran outside with the short sword in his hand. However, before he could even take a step outside, his body reflexively threw itself back, just like it did back in that unknown desert.

Fortunately, he was wearing the military bag on his back or else he would have broken his back if not his skull.

'What the hell was that?!'

Night stretched his neck and looked at the object that had caught his attention.

He had been pre-occupied with the thought of running away that he didn't realize the chaos the place had turned into.

And as Night looked at what could have been the cause of his premature demise, only then did he become aware of the circumstances surrounding him.

A creature on all fours was the thing that darted at him. It had the body of a human but, contrary to a real human, that thing had a head of a mosquito.

"Ahh!"

"No! Stop!"

"Help me!!!"

"Where is Noah?!"

"He went to fetch Sir Heindrik and Sir Liam from the underground!"

"Fuck! Why did rifts suddenly appear and open like this?

Night ignored the screams surrounding him and stood up immediately. The Chaos creature he had encountered set its eyes on him. He was already its prey the moment it attacked him.

"You're awfully quiet."

Night tried to talk to Rafael who hadn't said a single word since he went inside the elevator.

The words reflected on the corner of his retina informed him that the temporary skill that she gave him was still activated.

He waited oh-so-patiently for Rafael to respond, but even after the monster lunged for a second time her voice didn't echo in his mind.

'This little... Right when I need your-'

[Master! I figured it out!]

Night almost failed to evade the mosquito head monster's attack when Rafael shouted.

"What the..."

Night chose not to finish his sentence. He thought that he should refrain from using profanity in front of a child.

[I'm not a kid. Anyway, the Chaos Dance!]

Night swung his short sword at the sharp beak of the mosquito as it attempted to extract his organs.

'What about it?'

[I'll tell you later. For now, use this and let's get out of here fast!]

A millisecond later, new words popped into his retina. Night couldn't stop the smile from forming on his lips from rising when he read it.

[Rafael has granted you permission to use the leveling feature! You're current level is 8.

You have leveled up!

You're current level is 11!]

'I don't know if you're smart or if you're just not good at math, but thanks anyway!'

Night could feel his limbs getting lighter and his grip on the short sword getting tighter. He could feel the power welling up inside him, roaring as if it wanted to be released.

The side of his lips raised even more as he circulated his mana in his core and without a moment of hesitation, Night thrusted the short sword towards the mosquito head monster.

The screams of chaos from the weaker Legions were drowned by a loud booming sound which made the surrounding area rumble. The land beneath their feet quaked, but they couldn't care less after seeing the sight which revealed itself in front of them.

A bright light traveled in a straight line and turned everything in it's path into nothingness.

"Eh?"

Night, who had his body leaned forward after he thrusted his short sword to the mosquito head monster, looked at the light which had started to dissipate.

He stood straight and looked at the tip of his short sword.

'It came from this, right?'

[Haa...]

Night flinched ever so slightly after hearing Rafael sigh.

[Well, for now. Let's escape.]

'Yeah, let's run.'

Night covered his face and cleared his mind, gathering his wits and belongings. Some of the Legions were looking his way. They were the stronger ones, who had come to their senses and turned to find where the mysterious bright light came from.

Night used Rapid Speed to quickly escape and avoid any curious onlookers who might inadvertently reveal crucial information about him.

***

One of the Legions who managed to take a look at Night, who created the huge straight-lined crater, couldn't help but gaze back at the sight in front of him.

But, he snapped out of himself when Noah shook his shoulders.

One of the Central Awakened Center, which was the safest place in each Districts was destroyed. The mana enforced building and barricades and what they thought to be an unbreakable gate were all destroyed.

"What happened here?!"

Noah gripped the Legion's shoulders harder.

"It's all destroyed."

"We can see that."

Heindrik took out two mana reinforced knuckles and wore them. His eyes were surveiling the surroundings.

Chaos creatures were everywhere, but they remained stationary.

'What's up with those monsters?'

The Chaos creatures were shivering. Their body trembled while their eyes locked on the direction where the light had long since dissipated.

"Legion Marcus, tell us what the heck happened here! What on earth caused this place to become like this?!"

Impatient, Noah pushed Marcus to the ground. Liam frowned after seeing the fear in Marcus's trembling eyes.

"I-it... It was a boy. Th-the boy..."

Marcus's did not need to say more. Both Heindrik and Liam already knew the next words that he would utter.

"What boy?!"

Noah took a step closer to Marcus and reached his hand to his collar, but Liam grabbed him before he could do so.

"There is no need to interogate him any further."

Liam's eyes which were devoid of emotions looked straight into Noah's agitated eyes before letting his arm go and looking at Heindrik.

"I believe we must file a wanted case on him."