Libra

Groaning as he moved his battered body to regroup with the rest of the squad, Otto had a pensive expression on his face.

'This is quite weird to encounter a rank 3 zombie in a Grade 2 zone. However, judging by the size of the horde it led, it was probably the only one in this zone.'

Rubbing his chin as his fingers brushed through his beard, he mused for a little longer before retrieving a potion from his storage ring and gulping it down.

The cool liquid travelled through his throat into his stomach, quenching his raging thirst.

Wiping his mouth with his sleeve, Otto resumed travelling as he limped forwards with a steady gait with one leg trailing behind the other.

The martial art that he had just used came with stringent drawbacks on the body as it forcibly increased a person's size.

So, after being deactivated, the body would be in a state of recuperation, with any strenuous activity becoming painful.

Walking for a few more minutes, he arrived at the area where the other members of the squad were situated. He saw Evan and Kang slumped on the floor panting for breath, trying to recuperate after the intense battle.

"Huff… Huff."

The sound of rough breathing reverberated in this deserted space full of zombie corpses as the scent of murder remained in the air, whilst the marks of battle would be preserved until it succumbed to the power of time.

Two silhouettes made their presence known as Finn and Astrid arrived, allowing the Fanged Wolves to become whole again.

Throwing a potion towards Evan and Kang, Otto addressed the squad as he spoke whilst suppressing the grimace that threatened to appear every time he moved his body.

"Alright, let's gather all the corpses which remain relatively whole, as we can sell them for extra money to the military."

Getting straight to work, they spent half an hour placing the somewhat intact corpses in their storage rings before setting off back to the outpost.

***

In a bare room unadorned with any decorations to call home, darkness reigned supreme.

The lack of light barely allowed someone to identify what was directly in front of them. In this spine-chilling darkness, two figures were facing each other, as one of them seemed to be in a genuflecting position.

Aided by the pitch-black darkness and the hoods that covered their features, both parties were able to conceal their true identity from each other, alas what use was hiding your identity in the face of true strength?

Gazing at the ground, the person kneeling, spoke as he lowered his eyes, afraid of meeting the other party's sharp gaze.

"Lord Drake, Vanderson has accepted our proposal. However, he is requesting more remuneration to complete his end of the deal."

As his aura rose sharply, Lord Drake replied with malice dripping from his words.

"Tell him we accept. However, warn him this is the only time Libra will acquiesce to his demands, as this is an extremely important mission."

"By your will, Lord drake. For Libra!" the kneeling figure replied as he brought his knuckle to his chest and bowed.

"For Libra! you're dismissed." Repeating the same action, Lord drake nodded and waved his hand, dismissing his subordinate and watching them leave with an eerie smile..

Turning his head, he gazed at the wall at the opposite end of the room. His eyes turned brighter with his sight managing to pierce the darkness surrounding him.

Outlined on the wall was a picture of a skull with two horns protruding from its forehead. The skull was blood red and exuded a malevolent feeling.

Positioned beneath this was a scythe drawn horizontally as it combined with the skull to give anyone who looked too long an impending sense of doom.

Chuckling darkly. Lord drake spoke to the skull as if it was a living creature.

"The fate of the times is ever-changing. Humanity has lived long enough on this accursed earth. Wherever they go, carnage and destruction follow in their wake. Only against a common enemy can they barely set aside their differences and commit to a joint cause. Truly a pathetic race. Don't fret, Libra will vanquish your pitiful existences soon."

In response to his words, the symbol on the wall brightened as he closed his eyes and basked in the glow which drove the darkness away and brought light.

A fleeting light that retreated a second later.

Clenching his fist, the determination to succeed rose as his rough voice echoed in the room.

"Humanity, your second reckoning is approaching. Destruction shall run amok through the lands. This process cannot be halted. Bask in despair, as the cries of death will become music to your ears."

***

Back in the military outpost, after selling the zombie corpses, the squad split off and went their separate ways to their own accommodations.

Evan, who decided to rest for today, lay on the bed as he struggled to fall asleep.

'Only 2 days have passed since the duration of the mission has been started and I've almost lost my life on multiple occasions. Sigh. So this is how those fighting on the front lines feel.'

Gazing upwards toward the ceiling, he involuntarily entered a daze.

He remained like that for a while and soon his heart slowed and the soft sound of even breathing reverberated in the empty room.

An unknown amount of time later, the stillness of the room was suddenly broken as a shadow flickered in the room.

Their features were indiscernible as they blended perfectly with the dark room devoid of light.

Softly creeping towards Evan, they tapped his forehead lightly as a blue hue emerged from their finger entering his forehead, before extinguishing rapidly.

After the process finished, the shadow walked calmly to the door.

Turning back, it gazed one last time at Evan's sleeping figure as their emotionless eyes turned warm for a quick second before reverting back into cold, calculating indifference.

"Forgive me, little one, but your path is destined to be full of thorns, near-death situations, and betrayals from those close to you. Remain stalwart with your back straight as you face these difficulties head-on. I'll be waiting for you at the end, I know you will make me and the others up there proud. Our family is fated to be humanity's shield, both in the light and darkness."

As the shadow flickered out of the room, a deep sigh that contained the vicissitudes of life escaped its mouth before the room returned to its natural stillness.