The Fifth Layer (1)

Isaac broke the last skeleton wizard's head with his spear. Only fifty reptoids remained. They dropped their weapons as the army surrounded them.

An officer, the dark-haired woman Isaac had saved when they entered Slitherland, stepped forward. "Seth Rayn isn't here. I'm the one in charge until he wakes up."

"Your orders?" asked Anne next to Isaac.

The reptoids were frightened. They knew what had happened to other reptoids that had surrendered in other battles: none were left alive.

The second-in-command frowned. "They killed many people to get here, and we lack the resources to keep them as war prisoners."

"So you want to kill them? Is that it?" Anna took a step closer to her, arriving before the reptoids.

The officer sighed. "I'll call the strategist. He'll tell us what to do."

Anna nodded, but Isaac proposed a solution. "I think we do have the means to keep them alive. I heard from a friend that there was a high-security prison close by. We could use it as it is empty now. It's the Dissension Penitentiary near Alzion City."

"Very well." The officer closed her all-purposed watch as Stephen Cure hadn't answered the call.

…

Stephen was in his office in Syphon City, the Fourth Layer's capital in the Southeast.

He called someone with his tablet. The woman answered. She had a skeptical look.

"Deputy Kray, hello."

The deputy from the Western Alliance smiled. "Good morning, Agent Cure. I see you've finally established a proper contact line."

"It was a lot of trouble, but at least we no longer have to play the telephone game. Let's take turns. What is the situation outside of the Obscure Guild?"

"We're still in a stalemate. Attacking the Obscure Guild managed to get rid of a lot of soldiers. Mainly the ones from the Obscure and Topaz guilds."

"That's good." Stephen closed his windows' curtains.

"This past week, four cities fell to the Topaz Guild, but the alliance regained territory to the North and the South. Shipments from the central continent have also been steady, though we would have appreciated more weapons."

"I see. On another note, it's been 48 hours, and we still haven't located Zephyr Dragos. It's safe to say he's escaped to the Fifth Layer."

"That's unlucky."

"At least the werewolves and the rebels took back the territory he had invaded: we have secured the entire Southeast up to the Fourth Layer. We also took over the Obscure Guild's main port. The Topaz Guild has a strong navy, but they won't be able to receive their help from now on."

Kray straightened her posture. "What's the update on the Northwest's situation?"

"Before last evening, we thought the Topaz-Obscure forces would march east. However, they seem to have abandoned that plan because of Zephyr Dragos' defeat. They're making their way into the inner layer from the West by marching to the South. That side has fewer rebels and werewolves." Stephen was tapping on his desk again.

"Won't they fully reclaim the western side of the guild then? What do you intend to do?"

"No matter what we do, most of the West will be lost, so we will only defend from the Third Layer. We'll wait until the Fifth Layer has gotten secured before fighting them. Since they are no longer coming at us directly, it's better to unite our forces."

"That's an adequate plan. We should go into the specifics later. I'm sure there are variables to consider. I'll give you an update on the Topaz and Tremblay Guild now. Both Rico Amon and Jacob Topaz are staying in their respective territories."

She pulled up a file on her computer. "I received a report from a spy in the Tremblay Guild that they are opening new secret factories. I'm afraid the Dark Faction may be escalating its red magic research."

"This is worrying… Oh, there's one more thing. Remember the reptoids' 'Operation Allusion?'"

"Yes, what of it?" The deputy crossed her arms.

"We're cracking down on it. We've made a device capable of quickly and accurately telling whether one is a reptoid."

"Good, good…"

…

After visiting Alpha City, Christiana, Aaron, and Christopher Fireblood came back to Lycanport in the Third Layer. The city had welcomed over five thousand rebels along with their families. 

It was the first time the Werewolf Alpha noticed regular humans keeping their heads up as he and his werewolf army walked to the eastern gate, close to the rebel camp. The humans, who had always averted eye contact, were smiling.

"What happened here?" He said aloud.

Aaron explained, "Lycanport was the first city to be overtaken by the reptoids. I was there. Fortunately, after Zephyr was defeated, many rebels from the Second Layer arrived, rid it off reptoids, and settled here."

"Well, not of all the reptoids," Gabriella added. "Some are undoubtedly hiding among us, which is why Stephen sent us this device."

She pointed at a one-meter-tall rectangular box set on top of a platform. They walked on top of the stairs and gathered around it.

A short human was waiting for them.

"Gather a hundred rebels in a line. We'll begin the investigation," Christopher ordered him.

"Do I have to do it too?" The werewolf faced the detection device.

Gabriella had a slight grin. "You haven't been acting like the battle-crazed idiot I know recently. Maybe you're an imposter!"

Christopher shook his head and opened the box's cover. There were two holes for him to put his arms in. He did so unhesitantly.

"See? Nothing's happening!"

With a strident beep, the detector's light turned red as it zapped him. 

"Ouch!" Christopher backed up. 

"Why am I in my wolf form?" He howled.

"This device isn't only good at detecting if someone is a reptoid. It excites someone's mana. That's why you transformed into your cursed form as soon as it shocked you. The same would happen to Gabriella, who is a vampire." Aaron explained.

Gabriella laughed at Christopher. "I was just playing with you. A reptoid can't shapeshift into a werewolf or a vampire, so you didn't even have to take the test."

Aaron smiled as Gabriella and the werewolf exchanged words. 'Gabriella, Isaac, me, and so many others lost everything due to this war. It's been a while since I've seen Gabriella happy.'

The middle-aged werewolf sat on a chair and crossed his arms. "Come to think of it, can't mages simply prove they're human by using mana?"

Aaron rejoined the conversation. "There are drugs and tools that can let you use mana externally, so testing it like that would be troublesome."

He turned around to look toward the gate. A hundred humans were waiting in a line beneath them. "Let's hurry up. We don't have all day."

A first rebel climbed the stairs and put her arms inside the two cavities. The box emitted a green light accompanied by a soft sound, indicating she wasn't a reptoid.

"Next," said Gabriella to the man below the stairs. However, someone else had already gone up to the platform.

Gabriella observed as the woman with white hair glided past, bypassing the device, and proceeded to descend the platform using another set of stairs.

Werewolf guards blocked her path.

"Hey! What are you doing? Come back here." Christopher ordered.

Aaron and Gabriella frowned as the old-looking lady gave them a menacing eye.

"Looks like we found our first lizard." Christopher eagerly got up, clenching his fists.

Aaron stared at the rebels down below. Some had the same ominous expression as her. "More than one, actually."