4.17

Shoutout to LordValmar for the new cover!

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To read up to 15 chapters ahead: https://www.patréon.com/SlyOW

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[Jonathan's POV]

As Jordan was sent flying through a wall to another room, my focus slipped for a moment, and even as I conjured a last second Protego to stop the incoming flame from hitting me, I could not extend the shield to my allies.

[Score -1. Your current Score is 0.]

Victor had been swift enough to hide behind me, but Charles, due to his old age, lagged behind, and ended up being incinerated by the attack.

Feeling anger rise within me, I whipped my wand from the side, using my Ancient Magic to throw a large piece of furniture at the fire mage, who was forced to dodge, earning me the time to focus and dig into the pool of Ancient Magic within me.

The fire mage recovered faster than I expected however as he used his flames to maneuver mid air, and seeing me in the middle of my casting, he slapped his hands together, sending a large wall of flames at me.

I could feel this wouldn't be fatal to me however, so I drew a sharp breath, preparing for the incoming impact while I brought down my wand, summoning a thick bolt of lightning and bringing it down on him.

Our two attacks landed nearly at the same time, but I could not see much of my attack's effect as I was engulfed in flames. I chaotically swiped my wand around, using my magic to try and put out the flames, which I ended up managing to do, but my entire body was pretty much turned into a crisp by the point I managed to do so.

As I fell to the ground, even staying still hurt, it hurt more than anything I had ever experienced. But I knew that if I didn't do anything, I would die here.

Because as I looked over, I saw the enemy fire mage. While he was in a bad condition too, his left arm and leg missing and half of his face burnt off, he was still alive, and flames were being created around him.

So even though it hurt horribly, I extended my arm to grab my wand, which had fallen off of my hand during the fight.

Unfortunately, the fire mage was faster than I was. Just as I touched my wand with the tip of my fingers, the fire mage had risen to his knee, and seeing this, he fired a concentrated orb of fire at my hand.

It blasted right through my hand, leaving only a stump down my wrist.

Even crying out in pain was painful as my throat had been burned as well.

I was left unable to do anything but watch as the fire mage limped towards me. I screamed at my body to move, but it wasn't listening. I… I finally realized it was over.

[Score +1. Your current Score is 1.]

Along with God's notification, I heard the sound of something being smashed, and opening my eyes, I saw Victor standing behind the fire mage, a large wooden leg of a table in his hands. As for the fire mage… his head was smashed in, his brain and pieces of his scalp and skull were sent flying everywhere.

Victor and I shared a look, before the world went dark.

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[Asher's POV]

I was with Claire, Julia and Joel. The last two were virtually useless, as they simply stood to the back of the room, while Claire was going to be our main attacker, while I would give her support with my gun.

Or at least, that was the plan.

I aimed my gun at the door, waiting for the enemy, when I suddenly heard a crash from the floor above. All three of my teammates looked up for an instant, distracted. I was not however, as I had been trained.

The enemy had been waiting the opportunity apparently too as the Leader of Team Northern Africa, Witcher Guy, came in running quick. Unfortunately for him, although he was fast, he wasn't fast enough.

I shot him in the middle of the chest, blowing a hole into it as he was sent flying out of the room.

I pumped the shotgun, but before I could fire another shot another three enemies ran into the room. There was the swordswoman of Team Northern Africa, whom I could feel had already opened her Genetic Constraint, Kimiko from The Boys, and a guy from Team Oceania armed with a gun.

Claire ran past me, kicking Kimiko into a wall and clashing swords with the enemy swordswoman.

The member of Team Oceania held out his gun, but I could tell he had bad aim, as his barrel wasn't pointing at me.

But then, I felt my Genetic Constraint open itself as I jumped to the side by instinct. At the same moment, the member of Team Oceania fired his shot.

Although he wasn't aiming at me, his bullet somehow ended up passing right where I was a moment ago.

My brain, boosted by the Super Soldier Physique, immediately made the connection with one of the characters of the show, Gunpowder, who had superhuman accuracy, and was capable of ricocheting bullets to surfaces to hit unlikely angles.

[Score +1. Your current Score is 1.]

My eyes diverted to Claire for a moment, but saw that it wasn't her who had made the kill.

But my instincts, sharpened by the opened Genetic Constraint, warned me of the armed guy again, not because he was aiming for me, but he was aiming for Claire.

Knowing I wouldn't be able to shoot my shotgun fast enough, I made a split second decision and threw it at the guy, disrupting his aiming.

He easily dodged away from my gun throw, which just ended up slamming against the wall behind him, but that earned me enough time to reach him.

He tried shooting me as I approached, but I was too close. Although I had been trained as a Sniper in the Army, Snipers were also trained in close combat. Moreover, I had used some of my time in Naruto to train.

It might only have been weeks, but with the Super Soldier Physique, it was the equivalent of years of training.

Slamming his wrist with a high kick, I felt it get completely broken as he was forced to let go of his gun, and I understood that this guy was only a regular human, ignoring his accuracy.

He was left completely unable to react as I slammed my fist into his throat, crushing his windpipe. He did not immediately die, so I finished him by smashing his head with a stomp.

[Score +1. Your current Score is 2. You have eliminated a member of an enemy Team. Rewarded 2000 Points.]

With him finished, I turned to look at Claire, and was alarmed to see that she was slowly being overwhelmed. I wanted to rush in to help her, but Witcher Guy, whom I had shot earlier, suddenly rushed in from the doorway, slashing down one of the two swords in his back at me.

Taken by surprise, I could only hastily block.

To my utmost surprise however, as the sword struck my arm guards, although the impact was rather strong and made my arms feel numb, it didn't cut.

We both took several steps back, and I heard him mutter, "So you are still human…"

I wasn't sure of what he meant by that, but he sheathed his sword, taking out his second one. I was a bit puzzled as to why he would wear two swords if he wasn't using them both, but in the end, it didn't really change anything to me.

[Score -1. Your current Score is 1.]

[Score -1. Your current Score is 0.]

[Score -1. Your current Score is -1.]

My eyes widened as we suddenly dipped into the negative. None of them were coming from my floor, but I wasn't sure whether that should make me happy or not.