23 – The Mind-bender

We rode through the city streets and finally found the place the traveling merchant was referring to, an intersection filled with military vehicles. Those things are like tanks but without wheels, and there's a box with two gunner muzzles on top.

I got off the hoverbike as soon as Ciara stopped it.

"Damn." I hissed as I approached those vehicles. "It looks like there's just been a big war between robots here."

I found many robot bodies, and many of those vehicles were upside down. I checked their cockpit, most of which were fried.

If I can't find one still intact, I can't do anything about it. Our trip was in vain.

"Here, sir," Ciara called me. "There is one that is still good."

I went to the cockpit in question.

"Please get him out," I asked.

Ciara took the robot with the hollow head out of the cockpit. I entered and plugged my data cable into the vehicle's computer.

The word [Initializing…] appeared on the screen as I started to bypass that thing.

"Are you all right, Ciara?" I found that the super soldier was massaging her forehead.

She wore a faint smile. "The telepathic attacks are getting stronger, sir. But don't worry, I can fight it."

"If you don't feel well, better go further away from this place." I'm getting more and more worried about her condition. It seems her level of mind immunity isn't enough to protect her from this telepathic attack."

"I have to protect you, sir. Please, don't make me leave."

Her words make sense. I don't know what threats will be posed to me later.

"Then hang in there." I continued to focus on bypassing the vehicle. "Sit down and relax. Maybe that will help."

Instead of following my orders, she started walking away.

"Ciara!" I had to pull my cable from the computer, interrupting the bypass process. "Where are you going?"

"I… I have to go there." She groaned. "There's something in…."

I blocked her path and found her face so tense. She seemed to be in excruciating pain.

"Get to your senses, Ciara." I suppressed my panic. "Don't listen to that voice. That's only in your head."

However, the super soldier continued to walk forward. I kept trying to wake her up, but my efforts were to no avail.

And after walking for more than a mile, I found a large expanse of the roots of evil.

"This…." Ciara choked. Countless standing human figures were entangled in the roots, and their skin was already purplish.

Yes, just like those roots.

"Please…. Help me…" A man near me whimpered. His face was filled with agony. "I can't stand this anymore… It hurts so much…."

A purple-colored female figure extended her hand at the center of the expanse of roots. I immediately knew that she was not human. Apart from having a single horn on her forehead, she has only one giant eye in the middle and no other features on her head.

That figure has no nose, mouth, hair, or ears.

"It's useless, child. I know you've tried hard against my call. Maybe you're the only one who can do it this far, but I'm much stronger." That monster uses a human-like voice with a strange accent and sounds like an echo. "You won't be able to resist me. So, become one with me."

"Ciara!!!" I hovered in front of her. She grimaced in pain. "Don't leave me!!! You know how sad Bonnie will be if you don't come home!!???"

The roots began to creep up the super soldier's legs. I desperately cut those things with my tiny chainsaw and the heat vision from my vision lens, but it had no effect.

"Please, Ciara." If it were possible, I would probably cry right now. "We have to stay together. We promised to survive, right? So, free yourself…. It's an order, and you can't go against it."

The super soldier widened her eyes. With trembling hands, she drew the sword from her back, then cut off the roots that had started to entangle her body.

"Impossible!" The monster gasped. "This shouldn't have happened! I should be able to lure all humans!"

"Perhaps you can influence the minds of ordinary mortals, but not me." Lowering her head, Ciara walked towards the monster. "You will know the consequences for making my master worry so much."

She boosted herself forward, delivering a stab at the enemy. But the monster jumped aside and pulled claws out of her fingers.

"I see. You choose to fight." The monsters hissed. "I swear, I will defeat you and continue tormenting your mind after I catch you."

Ciara blitzed again, but this time her opponent was ready and gave the super soldier a stream of claw attacks. The black-haired girl had to stop her strikes and block her opponent.

Meanwhile, I prepared something, even though I looked like I was standing still.