Chapter 21
To the other side
Part 3
Day Four
Date: 04/01/01
Location: In the city.
Mission Duration: Four Days
Remaining Time: One Day
Objective: Reach the City Gate
Subject Names: Thomas & Samira Ali
Previous success rate: 65%
Expected success rate: 50%
Failed Subjects: 245
Successful subjects: 10
Samira opened her eyes. The mental attack was intense, but she had discovered a flaw in its code. "Thomas! Drive to the left, now!" she shouted.
Thomas, his mind clouded by the song, was barely able to differentiate between what was real and what was not. He heard her voice and reacted. He turned the car sharply to the left, away from the siren. The creature let out a shriek of frustration, its beautiful song turning into a terrible sound of anger.
But it was not giving up. It was fast. It flew at them, its beautiful face now contorted with terrible rage. It was no longer singing; it was attacking. It was both a mental and physical threat. Its long, sharp claws reached for the car.
"She's too fast," Thomas shouted. "I can't fight her from the car; I have to get out." Without waiting for a reply, he leaped out of the car.
"The lights!" Samira shouted. "The streetlights! The Siren uses light to create its illusions! We can use that against it.
Thomas understood what she meant. He accessed the System's interface and turned on the car's headlights. He aimed the beams at the Siren, and the bright light struck the creature. The Siren shrieked in pain and flew backward, its body shimmering. The light was disrupting its cloaking ability.
Samira, utilizing her Technical Mastery skill, located the energy grid powering the streetlights. She mentally connected to a nearby streetlight and sent a powerful surge of energy through it. The streetlight flickered before bursting into a brilliant, blinding light that struck the Siren.
The Siren screamed in pain, its body convulsing. Its cloaking ability had completely failed. The creature, which had once appeared so beautiful, now resembled a terrifying monster, with sharp teeth and an angry, grotesque face. It was no longer a Siren; it had become a beast.
Thomas saw his chance. The creature was stunned, its beautiful face contorted in pain. Using his martial arts skills, he burst forward with powerful speed, leaping out of the car. He ran toward the Siren and struck it hard with a kick to the head. The Siren collapsed to the ground, its body going still.
The beautiful song had ended. Silence returned.
{Mission Complete: Siren Defeated}
{Rewards:}
{Level up: 1}
{Points: 100}
{New Skill Acquired: Mental Resistance (Level 1)}
{You have gained one attribute point, which can be allocated to Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, or Vitality.
Thomas, panting, got back into the car. He thought about his stamina and how quickly it was depleting, realizing he needed to use points to increase his attributes. He looked at Samira, who was also exhausted but victorious. They had defeated the Siren not with strength alone, but with their combined skills.
Khorcha looked at them with a new kind of awe. "You are... you are stronger than I thought" he clicked. "You saved us once again. The Siren... it has killed many of us."
"We worked together," Thomas said, his voice full of pride.
Samira nodded. "We have to work as a team. I guess that's why we have been paired together; it's not just a coincidence."
They drove to the entrance of the tunnels, and Kael used a series of clicks to open a hidden door. The door slid open, revealing a safe, warm, and bright place—a haven, a sanctuary in a world filled with monsters. Thomas and Samira exchanged glances, a new feeling of hope blossoming in their hearts. They had a mission, allies, and a new home. The journey to the city gate was far from over, but...For now, they were safe..
They finally arrived at the hideout. It was a massive, subterranean subway station, its entrance hidden beneath a pile of rubble and debris. Inside, it was a different world. The station was filled with dozens of other Langkatans, their faces filled with the same fear and desperation Thomas had seen in Khorcha's eyes. The air was cool and smelled of dust and fear. Makeshift beds made of discarded clothes and scrap metal were arranged along the walls. A small, central fire provided a source of light and warmth, and its smoke was cleverly vented through a small, undetectable shaft.
Khorcha led them to a quiet corner, where he introduced them to his companions. There was Lyra, a young Langkatan with a kind face and gentle eyes. There was an old Langkatan named Koron, who had seen the old world. His skin was pale and covered with scars. Lastly, there was a Langkatan who seemed to be the leader of the group, named Kahin, who stood tall and with a serious face.
Kahin walked to Thomas and Samira, his eyes examining their bodies, his expression filled with seriousness and hope. "We have been watching you. We have seen what you can do," Kael said, his voice a series of low, gravelly clicks. "You defeated the Consumed. No one has ever done that before."
"We had to do it," Samira said, nodding toward Thomas. "We are only trying to survive also."
Kahin seemed to understand. He then looked at them and gestured to his companions and the children, and a new message from the System rang in his ear.
{You have been asked for a new mission.}
{Mission: Aid the Survivors.}
{Objective: Help the Langkatan survivors by securing supplies and food.}
{Reward: The gratitude of a new ally and the key to the next objective.}
"We are running out of food and supplies," Kael said, his voice filled with a desperate urgency. "We have sent out our best scouts to find new sources, but they have never returned. We are starving." He looked at Thomas and Samira, his black eyes filled with a desperate plea. "We need your help. We need you to go to the city's food stores and find supplies for us."
"And what's in it for us? Thomas asked, his eyes narrowing slightly, for he had a feeling that the System was using them for its benefit.
Kahin's face filled with confusion. He didn't understand the question. "Our gratitude. Our friendship. We will show you the city gates. We know where they are."
"We need a place to rest," Thomas said, his mind racing. "We need to recover. And then... we will help you."
Kahin's face lit up. He turned and made a series of clicks to his companions. A moment later, they brought them a bowl of food and a small bottle of water. They ate hungrily, their bodies aching with exhaustion. After they were done, they both fell asleep.
The next morning, Thomas woke up to a new sound. It was a low, throbbing hum that seemed to be coming from the heart of the city. He sat up, his body feeling refreshed and renewed. The System's message flashed in his mind.
{System: Energy restored. Health: 100/100. Stamina: 200/200. Agility: 300/300.}
He looked at Samira, who was also waking up, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and wonder. The low hum was getting louder. Suddenly, the ground began to tremble. A series of small explosions rocked the city, and a loud, piercing shriek filled the air.
Khorcha's face went white. "They're here," he said, his voice a shaky whisper.
Thomas ran to the entrance of the hideout and peered through a small crack in the rubble. His eyes widened in horror. A new, terrifying monster was heading toward the hideout. It was not a consumed. It was something else, a new and dangerous threat, and it was heading straight for the only place of safety the Langkatans had left.
The new monster was a horrifying sight. It was a colossal, quadrupedal beast, its body a chaotic fusion of black obsidian-like plates and razor-sharp metallic limbs that extended from its back. Its head was a featureless, gleaming black sphere, and its eyes were two glowing, crimson lasers that swept the city, leaving behind a trail of destruction. From its massive body, a pulsating, electric-blue orb floated above its head, and a low, throbbing hum emanated from it, causing the very ground to shake. It was a monster made for destruction, a being of pure chaos and fury.
It had to be a new threat. Thomas's heart pounded in his chest. He looked at Samira, who had already activated her shield, her mind racing with a hundred different possibilities. The two of them had fought monsters before, but this one... this one was different. This one had found them.
"I guess we have to fight all the time," Thomas said, his voice low and firm. "We can't let it get to them." Samira nodded, her eyes fixed on the approaching monster.
{Warning: High-level enemy detected. Creature: The Destroyer. Level: 15. State: Aggressive.}
{Warning: The Destroyer can be affected by electricity.}
{Objective: Defend the Hideout.}
{Reward: The survival of a new ally and the key to the next mission.}
The two of them stood side by side, their faces a mixture of fear and determination. The battle for the hideout had begun.