The Falling Stars

Worried filled his mind. He tried to call her again many times but vain. Seemingly no point, he closed the panel box and twisted the throttle but before he had the chance, similar to a flashbang blow up, white light could be seen flashing from the distance. It was coming from the giant centipede to be exact.

Following that is a deafening boom and a large explosion, the night is no more as the explosion lightens the surrounding area for a brief moment. Dark smoke rises and rubbles coming down as if meteorites and in addition to that, the smoke was spread as if it was a sandstorm!

Gritting his teeth, he twisted the throttle and passed through the black smoke, black as charcoal. Prior to that, however, Asitana said.

"Tornado! That smoke is highly dangerous! My system classified it as an S danger rank!"

Heard her words, Tornado was slightly confused. Due to Jun being in great danger and he's in a rush to save her, it looks like he forgot the fact that Asitana had a system.

Though, he wasn't quite sure what kind of system it was, was it the system like players had or something one of the kind? Like a computer system that could access everything?

If it was the latter, it proves Tornado's guess that Asitana is truly similar to a computer. When he had a conversation with her for example, it happened in that medical room.

Tornado asked many related game stuff and theories with the intention of testing her to which Asitana answered his questions without a single pause.

He could confirm that Asitana indeed had a computer-like system but Tornado felt like he's missing something important and didn't know what it was.

When first met her, Asitana is an AI that literally didn't know anything, and yet a few hours later, she knows almost everything about the game. Chance is that she's learning as time passes, learning the system's ability in her mind.

What it's capable of and what its weaknesses were. In this case, it seems knowing a danger rank by a single look is one of its capabilities.

Putting aside that for a moment, he came back to reality after a brief moment of wonder. A cloud of black and deadly smoke coming at him even as we speak, it was so fast that Tornado didn't have enough time to think.

Should he run away from the charcoal-like smoke or enter it like a brave knight traveling through the unknown with its mighty dragon for someone he cares the most?

If you think it morally and which one is cool, it's definitely the latter. However, no matter how 'cool' or 'morally' it is. If you end up dying as the result, what's the point then? That would make the person in trouble become sadder and feel guilty that your death is caused by it!

As much as he wanted to help her, if he died in the process then he only wasted his life.

Help her and die or flee to save oneself? Within a short period of time, he must choose these two options.

"Tornado, I could use one of my skills now. I can protect us from the black smoke but we only have thirty seconds."

Tornado who didn't know that Asitana couldn't use her skill this whole time asked.

"Asitana, by your words. Does that mean you can only use your skills for a certain period of time?"

Like cooldown after a skill being used?

"Un," she nodded.

The cooldown of the skill is rather short, about three to ten seconds long, how long this girl's cooldown must be? Tornado never saw her use any skills except the time when he was unconscious.

"Also, by 'one of my skills,' how many exactly?"

Each player can only store fifteen skills and have three slots to use them. Some even had five slots but such cases are quite rare.

However, this floating child said 'one of my skills', it's clear that she had many skills beyond players!

"Asitana doesn't know, it's so many that Asitana has to search it on the search bar."

On the search bar? Does that mean you don't even need slots? You just search it on the search bar like those bars when surfing on the internet? If that's the case, does that mean if you want to use a skill, you just search it just like a person searching for a web and access it with only one click? Tornado thought to himself and as he wondered, Asitana said this since Tornado hasn't said anything.

"Tornado quick! You have to choose!" Expecting hesitation from Tornado, the latter replied.

"We go through!" Without a hint of hesitation and Asitana nodded. Therefore, she leaves from her comfortable position and floats in front of Tornado's chest then closes her eyes and with her hands, she makes this posture that was rather alike to the well-known posture when Naruto formed a Rasengan.

On her left hand, a glowing and round ball slowly grew in size but this ball didn't have any energy whatsoever. What's more, the ball looked like a ball made of blue transparent glass that if one holds it not careful enough, it will break the next moment! It looks so fragile.

As the ball grew to the size of a basketball, Asitana twisted her arms clockwise and the ball became small in the process, and when the ball was the size of a marble. She grabbed the ball with both hands and opened it wide.

At this moment too, the ball's size grew in rapid speed. The size now is a huge hamster ball and with this, both are safe from the danger, still. It doesn't mean Tornado lowered his guard, he had to keep in mind that this would only last thirty seconds. He doesn't have time to waste.

This huge hamster ball gives whoever inside it a sense of safety and a feeling of nothing could break it.

With every second more precious than a diamond, Tornado twisted the throttle, and the motorcycle shot forward just like an arrow! At this moment too, Asitana showed a hint of doubt on her face, she wasn't sure if they had enough time to save this girl named 'Jun' but it's too late now for anything.

Even if she back down now, it's too late, and in addition to that, can she manage without getting hurt? The smoke is everywhere and limits one's sight by a meter. Even for Tornado who drives the motorcycle, he couldn't rely on his eyes but the map.

That's right, the mini-map. It shows his surroundings in HD not in bits, with such a crystal clear mini-map. He easily dodged any objects coming his way, like the rubbles for example. It was like dodging meteors at this point considering every rubble engulfed in fire, reminiscent of a fireball.