Full Drive Combat Simulation [4]

The wind howled through the empty streets as it carried the ashes and the scent of blood.

Ryker and his team sprinted across the destroyed roads. As they were navigating through the city, light rain started. It was turning the dust into clinging mud.

Ryker was carrying the child on his back they had rescued from behind the car. The child was now awake and rode on Ryker's back. The child was clutching Ryker's shoulders tightly.

"Hospital is half a click ahead," as they were moving, Arthur said to everyone. They would arrive at the hospital soon.

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Ryker and his entire team arrived at the hospital location. The hospital loomed ahead, its once pristine white facade now stained with ash and cracked by falling debris.

Windows were shattered and the flickering emergency lights were barely visible through the haze. Ryker glanced around at his team.

Arthur was at the front, his sword covered with violet black flame. He was ready to fight.

Dean and Lucas behind him, Dean was in his battle stance while Lucas held his spear. It was crackling faintly with electricity.

Sasha was standing on top of a lamppost. She was scouting the hospital from the outside.

Lia was right beside him, a red aura coming through her fingertips. She was ready to fight.

"That hospital is going to be our base," Ryker said,

"There might still be survivors inside."

"Let's sweep and secure. Fast and quiet."

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Ryker and his team approached the entrance of the hospital slowly.

Momentarily, Sasha disappeared in a blur of wind.

She reappeared moments later.

"Front's clear, but I heard shuffling deeper in."

"No visuals yet."

Sasha shared what she found inside the hospital.

"We will move in two teams," Ryker instructed,

"Arthur, Sasha, you two with me. Lia, Dean and Lucas, you three circle to the rear and enter from the emergency wing. We will eliminate any threats inside and regroup at the central lobby"

Lia nodded as she conjured a small flame orb to light their way. Dean created a brown shield made out of mana as he led Lia and Lucas towards the emergency wing of the hospital.

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Inside the hospital, it was completely dark. Emergency lighting flickered as Arthur, Sasha and Ryker slowly moved down a hallway littered with overturned gurneys.

At the end of the hallway, a shadow darted across.

"Contact!" Arthur whispered.

Two misshapen figures appeared. Those were mutated civilians twisted by demonic energy. Their flesh shone with corruption as their eyes glowed purple.

"Void infected"

"They are simulating high level abyss monsters. Their threats are high," Ryker said.

"I'll take the lead," Arthur muttered as he dashed forward.

The first infected growled as it leaped towards Arthur.

Slash!!

Arthur stood his ground. As the infected came towards him,

Arthur swung his sword in a crescent arc. The Voidfire hissed as it made contact with the infected's chest. Where a normal flame would burn and scar, Voidfire disintegrated and consumed the infected form as if peeling it from existence. It screamed as its upper half dissolved in an instant.

The second infected leaped toward Ryker.

Sasha shot past him like a breeze made flesh. Her movement was almost soundless, just a slight whoosh before she materialized behind the infected. Her twin daggers flashed.

Swish!!!

One blade slashed across the infected's back to its knees, dropping it. The second blade plunged into its spine, then Sasha twisted it. Wind rotated around the impact point. It created a micro vacuum that burst outward with a sharp pop.

The infected collapsed, twitching before it faded into dust.

Ryker watched Arthur and Sasha move with precise coordination. Arthur was raw destruction with his Voidfire cutting through every flesh like paper. On the other hand, Sasha was a finesse warrior. A whisper of death that never saw retaliation.

"They're testing our synergy,

And our ability to react without hesitation," Ryker murmured, from placing them in a similar place so they could form a team and work together. The academy was testing them.

Sasha turned as black blood dripped from her blades.

"More coming. We need to regroup"

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Bam!!!!

On the other side of the hospital, Lucas kicked in a blocked door as lightning surging around his body.

Lia cast a fireburst into the room, revealing a swarm of infected beasts feeding on something.

"Clear them!" she shouted.

Dean stepped forward, his arms turned into dense stone as he slammed his fists together.

CRUNCH!!!!

Spikes made out of earth elements erupted beneath the beasts, impaling three instantly.

Swish!!

Dean charged forward, using his stone armored shoulder to go through the rest.

Whoosh!!!

Lucas leaped over Dean, spinning his lightning coated spear in a wide arc that sent electric pulses across the floor.

Crack!!!

Crack!!

The surging voltage paralyzed the remaining beasts, leaving them writhing.

"Wave of Fire!"

Lia focused her fire as she conjured a flaming phoenix that swept through the room in a screech of heat. It burned the beasts with controlled, cleansing fire, igniting none of the surroundings thanks to her precise mastery.

With the rear cleared, Dean called out,

"Emergency wing secured."

"Moving to regroup."

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With the front and the emergency wing secured, both teams regrouped at the central lobby. As they regrouped, Arthur suddenly said,

"More movement. Basement level."

Dean growled, "That'll be the heart of the infection."

Ryker took a deep breath. "We will clear it."

"First, set up a secure ward. We can't take this child with us"

"After that, we will move to the basement level."

Hearing Ryker's proposal, everyone nodded.

Soon, with the entire team regrouped. Arthur, Lucas and Dean killed any leftover monsters they could find while Lia, Sasha and Ryker secured a ward and placed the child there. Since it was a simulation, handling the child was much easier.

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"Ready..."

Arthur, Lucas, Dean in the front. Lia, Sasha and Ryker in the back. All of them were ready.

They opened the door to the basement and started descending into the surgical basement.

The air grew heavier as they walked down. Walls flickered with glitching textures. It was a sign that the simulation was being pushed to its limits.

In the center of the main surgical theater stood a towering abomination. Multiple human torsos were fused into a single writhing beast, arms grafted together, mouths agape in silent screams.

RAAAUUGH!

The Chimera roared.

Dean immediately raised an earth barrier in front of the team just as a barrage of limbs lashed out. The claws dented the wall, cracking it.

"Luminous Barrier!!"

Ryker raised his hand, casting a shimmering dome of Light to reinforce it.

Move!!!!