Chapter 37: Battery (II)

The two put the break aside and descended the stairs, looking for a way to see at least four meters ahead. The darkness seemed to suppress even the two lanterns they carried on their belts, and the rotten smell grew stronger as they went down. Dante stepped on something slimy, light green in color, and then saw that the trail extended to the lower floors.

Since he had entered there, his only concern was the battery. Now that the battery was closer, something in his chest warned him that this Lagmorato was not only about the Felroz. He had made it clearer to Marcus about a possible creature, but he himself was not confident about what it was.

A door appeared at the end of the staircase. Dante opened it, and it creaked so loudly that one of the Felroz groans seemed to quiet down. Marcus passed through with his weapon raised, making a comment:

"If we're going to get killed, give me a heads-up first."

The strange room was a prototype of what the administrative area represented on the upper floors. The only difference was that here, all the rooms and glass panels were untouched. No alarming destruction, except for the double door on the other side, twisted backward, its chains stretched to the limit.

The greenish slime led to that door. Something told them the battery was beyond it.

Before they advanced, Vick spoke to both of them.

"Energy test. Based on analyzed circuits, some of these machines are capable of Cosmic Energy assimilation. My data lacks context, insufficient basis, insufficient information."

"What does that mean?" Marcus asked Dante as he approached one of the computers. "Do you think you can get something out of these? I don't like being exposed in an open place, old man."

"It's fine."

Dante wasn't so confident he could, but he needed a reason for his instincts to scream so strongly that there was a danger he couldn't clearly see right before his eyes.

He took the small disk and inserted it into the slot. The machine even sucked the device in but spat it out immediately after. Vick had said they might assimilate Cosmic Energy. He placed his hand over it and performed the conversion in a milder way.

He felt the Cosmic Energy in his muscles being sent outward. There was a static noise. The screen flickered with a few lines, trembling horizontally. No image, not even a filament.

"It may seem like little, but this is the last message I'll send," a voice came through, low, as if the man who recorded it was whispering back. "Forget Kappz, forget the Reservoir. Don't go down to the prison, and don't even try to enter the hospital wing of Kioh. They are corrupted; I don't know how, but we've had problems with the Felroz invading in search of something. We lost a lot, listener, more than you can imagine, and we're evacuating the city northward to Glow. If you've come this far, I ask you to turn back if you have any love for your life. This place is dead; you're in a graveyard." The man paused, tired, sighing. "This is my home, and I'll have to leave everything behind because of these monsters. If you're going forward, then I'll say one last prayer. I hope you don't die like the others who came before you. But if you do, avenge my daughter. Her name was Anne…"

The transmission stopped, the sound growing weaker. Silence returned between them.

Dante removed his hand from the panel. So, there really was something different waiting for them. How to get in and deal with them without losing an arm or leg was the question hammering in his mind. Should they go back? Maybe, arm themselves better, understand the terrain, and move forward with more preparation.

A mission like this wasn't like one from the Capital. It was exhausting for everyone—mentally for him, physically for Marcus. If the shooter wanted to turn back, then…

"What's the plan to go down?" The rifle hung from his arm. "The battery should be there as you said. And that guy just confirmed our suspicions."

They wouldn't turn back. Dante smiled even in the darkness.

"Let's take down these bastards." Dante walked toward the jammed door. "I'll need your cover. Don't let them hit me from the right; I'll clear the way on the left. And don't stay in plain sight. Try something more enclosed, a path where they can't grab you. And always tell me if one of them comes out through the doors or holes."

"Why?"

"I'm going to take them all down."

The two approached the door, and Dante kicked it forward. The chain broke easily, the door flew inward with an impact, and the screams of the Felroz echoed. The creatures' footsteps grew louder.

They were close.

Marcus stood ready. Dozens of arms launched out of the hall, trying to gain space against one another, colliding and shoving, screaming and showing rotten teeth filled with black blood or carrion. They gained speed when one of them broke through and ran toward Dante.

The old man kept walking and didn't stop when the Felroz opened its mouth to bite him. Marcus realized something had changed. It was no longer casual, not even the fear of the dark or the place.

When Dante grabbed the Felroz's neck with speed and dragged it aside, Marcus understood instantly. He hadn't been exerting strength until now. How strong was he, really?

The old man's Cosmic Energy rose through his shoulder. He clenched his fist.

"I think I can do this here since no one's around," Marcus heard him say with a low laugh. "I've always wanted to try this but never did for real."

Vick quickly sounded in Marcus's ear.

"Conversion levels at 5%. Please be cautious with civilians and public structures."

What did she mean by "be cautious"? Even an offensive ability like his shouldn't require so much adjustment. Converting energy into muscle gave an attack boost, sure, it was possible. But an AI message shouldn't emphasize it so much.

Could it be… that the conversion level could reach 100% one day? No, impossible. Of course, it's impossible.

Believing it made him less confident. Something so destructive being used in a human body would cause chaos, more than what already existed in the world. And if Dante wanted to dominate Kappz…

Marcus felt fear watching the man handle the Felroz with a smile on his face, jumping between walls, tearing through their bodies, and displaying overwhelming strength.

How many people had he seen fighting so many of these demons head-on at once?

"When you ended up here, did you face forty of these things alone?" The question echoed in his mind, hammering once more.

"As much as I wish I could say I didn't want to, it's the truth."

It really was. A massacre heading toward the Felroz. A worse beast had appeared. And Marcus thanked any entity that could hear him.

"He's on my side."

A burst of air sent all the creatures flying, crashing into walls, pillars, and the ceiling. Dante moved ahead, and Marcus ran to hide behind a pillar.

The two stopped when they saw the number of Felroz on the walls, ceiling, and around a massive water tank in the center of the hall.

There, however, the power cables were in perfect condition, running to the ceiling, charged with electricity. And just below, right in front of the tank with its bright green hue, was the battery. It was smaller than a rum barrel, perhaps a square meter, but compact, made of black metal, with several inputs and pins on the sides connecting other tubes to the tank.

Marcus used thermal vision. The battery was fully charged but wasn't supplying the tank. It was charging during the day. And as his vision narrowed to a smaller angle, the auxiliary cables connected to something at the bottom.

The creature sensed the gaze, and its two eyes opened. Marcus trembled and shouted to Dante,

"There's something at the bottom of the tank."

"I noticed," Dante replied, clenching both fists and widening his stance. "Cover me, Marcus."