Unknown Savior?

Following the end of the exam, all the surviving participants made it to the base and were put up in barracks under watch. With an assassin from another race making it into the exam, they needed to inspect the participants more thoroughly to ensure no more accidents occurred.

Those that were injured were treated in the medic bay. The doctors treated the lightly injured, while the more severely injured were placed in healing pods. These pods were oval-shaped and were full of clear liquid. The severely injured were placed inside with masks and tubes to keep them alive and heal them. Using advanced technology and medicine. Few injuries could not be treated by such devices.

In these pods were the soldiers and Aston, who had survived the explosion but were near death's door. Usually, one would only need to spend a day in the pod to be healed enough to rest in bed for a few days and fully recover. However, although the pod healed Aston's wounds, it could not eliminate the poison in his body.

Nearing nighttime, he had flatlined many times, and the healing pod barely kept him alive. The doctors did not know what to do and hoped he would survive.

Kayla and Ripley sat nearby outside the pod with worried expressions and clenched fists.

Kayla couldn't help but cry, "Aston, don't you dare die. Didn't you promise to take me with you to another world and soar through the skies with me?" Kayla lightly pounded her fist on the pod. Kayla felt a sense of regret. If she hadn't frozen up when Lucsius appeared and ran, maybe Aston wouldn't have had to sacrifice himself to save her. But when she saw Lucsius and felt his bloodlust, she froze. "Please, Aston, survive; I don't want to lose you. I finally made a friend who didn't care about where I was from, someone who liked me for who I am."

Ripley was filled with a sense of regret as well. If only he hadn't been so weak and trained like he was supposed to, so many people wouldn't have had to die to save him. Friends and a stranger had saved his life. All he could do was cower in fear and run away. When Lucsius appeared and remembered what he did to his group, he froze. He would have never run into Lucsius and forced Aston to save him if he had been stronger. He would not have followed Aston to hide from the beasts if he had been stronger.

Both Ripley and Kayla had their own reasons for feeling regret. Both felt grief for their dying friend. According to the doctors, Aston was not going to make it. So they gave them some time to say their goodbyes. Afterward, they would administer an injection to end Aston's pain and let him peacefully move on.

As the doctors gave them time to say goodbye, a nurse called General Garricks' office and informed him of their conclusion on Aston's condition. "In the end, that bastard achieved his goal, and Dan's efforts were in vain." Garrick slammed his fist into his desk, destroying it, and he sat back in his chair with a deep sigh. "This exam was a disaster, I lost an entire platoon, and only 24 participants survived. After leaving the frontlines, I never thought I would see death like this again."

As General Garrick sat in his chair, his phone rang again. "What is it?" Garrick asked half-heartedly. "Sir, a package just arrived through the supplies transport pad. We are unsure who sent it. Somehow it was sent without any paperwork, and we received no news of it being sent beforehand." General Garrick sat up angrily and ordered a bomb squad to the site. "Maybe they had inside help to sneak that assassin in the exam. I can't take a risk with this suspicious package. I won't lose anyone else."

Upon arriving at the supply building, Garrick saw the bomb squad had been thorough. With information about the last explosion, they use the base's energy to power a shield around their package that could contain an explosion 10 times the last one. After safely opening the package, they found only a vial and a note. In the vial was a red fluid. The note simply read, "A cure for the poison," and that was all.

General Garrick was confused as to what to do with it. But after a few moments of thinking, he thought of Aston. But he was conflicted at first. He did not know what was in the vial, who sent it, and why. However, he was pressed for time. Soon the doctors would pull the plug on Aston. Regardless, he would die today anyway, so Garrick decided to take a risk.

He grabbed the vial and told the soldiers to return to their posts. Then he ran with great speed to the med bay.

As he arrived, the doctors were just about to inject euthanasia into Aston. Kayla sat their tears in her eyes, and Ripley held her hand with sadness on his face.

"Stop!" Garrick ran over and held the doctor's hands. "A potential cure for the poison just arrived. Give it to him." Garrick handed over the vial.

"Sir, with all due respect, there is no cure for this poison in the Star Empire. Otherwise, we would have already used it." The doctor shook his head.

"Just try it; I am unsure who sent it. However, with Aston about to die, regardless, I still want to try. If things go wrong, just give him the lethal injection." General Garrick insisted, handing the vile over once more.

"Very well, sir, if that is your order." The doctor took the vial and filled a syringe. With a moment of hesitation, he injected Aston with the red fluid.

All of them sat there with trepidation. After a minute, Aston's breathing calmed, and the look of pain on his face receded. The color of his skin started to improve. The doctor looked surprised and looked at the empty vial in his hands. General Garrick was happy. Lieutenant Dan had not died in vain.

Kayla and Ripley were happy, and once they knew Aston was safe, exhaustion hit them, and they soon fell asleep sitting there. General Garrick told the doctor to inform him once Aston woke up and left the med bay.

Over the next few days, the participants were thoroughly checked and cleared. Everyone was cleared as human. They spent days relaxing and speaking to soldiers who questioned them in an investigation to understand what happened during the exam as best they could. General Garrick reported directly to the emperor and the principal of Gate University.

A decision needed to be made about what to do with the participants who survived. What to tell the citizens and parents. And how to proceed.

In a room with no windows and a long table sat General Garrick. At the opposite end sat the hologram of the emperor, and in the middle of the table sat the hologram of the principal.

The emperor was a handsome middle-aged man with red hair and silver eyes. His eyes seemed to see through everything and gave off a regal feeling. He wore gold and black armor with a long red cape. His gold and black armor only adds to his commanding presence. The glint of the golden metal catches the light. At the same time, the black portions of the armor offer a stark contrast that emphasizes his muscular frame. The armor is adorned with intricate designs, including symbols that depict his achievements during his reign and a dragon crossed with a sword on fire on his cape and chest, the symbol of the royal family. He exuded constant pressure, and he always appeared calm and confident. A man who could be relied on.

The principal was an old man with a long beard who gave off a sense of profound wisdom and experience. He has a face weathered by time, with deep lines etched around his eyes and mouth, a testament to a life well-lived. His long and flowing beard cascades down his chest in waves of gray and white, giving him a distinguished and dignified appearance. He wears simple, loose-fitting blue robes adorned with intricate patterns and symbols of the school and books and scrolls, indicative of his position in education. His eyes, though aged, are bright and piercing, radiating a sense of inner calm and knowing. His movements are slow and deliberate as if every action has been carefully considered and weighed. His voice is deep and resonant, imbued with a quiet authority that commands attention and respect. He speaks with the measured pace of someone who has learned the value of silence and thoughtful reflection.

"I think we should tell the truth about what happened during the exam." The emperor tapped his finger on his head as he sat there.

"I agree, but what should we tell the parents and civilians? We still do not know how the assassin snuck in or why he went after the participant named Aston. We researched his background, and he comes from a Pioneer family. His parents died in a red gate that was closed later. He was raised by his two older siblings. One is a Gate scientist, and the other serves in the military. As far as we can tell, their family and himself are not connected to any known organization or groups of interest."

"Have you two seen the footage from his holowatch?" The emperor asked as he pulled up a few clips from Aston's holowatch and sat forward, pointing at different moments. The transformation this participant named under the alias Clark was not done with technology. His body did not suddenly change to its true form. He morphed slowly. He grew these scales and claws. This is impossible with technology that could be carried on someone's body. It would require a large machine and days, if not weeks, to achieve similar results. This took less than a minute."

"Furthermore, this stone he threw, which created this barrier, was a stone with runes on it. It had no power source. Most likely, this was all achieved with magic." The emperor said as he leaned back in his chair. Usually, one could never see the emperor so nonchalant, but he trusted General Garrick and Principal Alder Galad. These two were hand selected by him, and he had known them for a long time.

General Garrick stood up in surprise, "Are you sure of this? As far as the empire knows, magic and powers from other universes do not work in ours."

"This is a top-secret piece of information not to be spread from this meeting." The emperor stood up and turned around with his back facing them as he looked at something they could not see. "Recently, scientists have discovered that previously rejected materials and objects can now suddenly come through the Gates. They also have retained their functions. Although magic can not be wielded by people in our universe yet. Magic items can be brought through and used. However, they will not work for long as they would in their natural environment. Without mana to recharge them naturally, they will lose their ability to work after some time." The emperor turned back around and sat down.

"This is known only to our top scientist and you two. They likely used magic items to sneak the assassin past our scanners. Without magic items of our own, it is impossible to detect. We are still unsure for now what this means for our universe. For now, simply say that a terrorist had snuck onto Planet Tyber and attacked the base. Offer condolences and compensation to all the participants and soldiers' families." The emperor then left the meeting.

Alder and Garrick sat for a moment before leaving the meeting. The universe was changing, and they needed to prepare for it.

Back at the base, Aston finally opened his eyes. For a brief moment, his eyes flashed with blue before returning to their normal color. "Aston!" two voices sounded beside him before he was smothered in hugs.