A Vague Hint
They were attacked again, and Podbe began fighting to incapacitate the mind-controlled soldiers. "Who would've thought the boss had a higher-up," Reia remarked from within Podbe.
"Hey, Podbe, I hadn't noticed before, but now you have an extra crescent moon below where your frown starts," Leila pointed out while using her powers to shield herself from the attacks. "Hey, little dog, does that thing on your head hurt?" Adia asked. "To me, it looks like they're painted on his forehead," Drake commented as he fought, delivering punches and stunning enemies with his weapon faster than before.
"Hey, no fair! Leave some for me. I barely managed to handle two, and I only had 1,500 points. I need to get stronger to save Aiden," Podbe thought to himself, realizing he now needed to reach 2,000 points to advance to the next level.
"Well, we finished quicker than expected. The boss said we can't kill people," Leila remarked as she used her telekinesis to bind the mind-controlled children and place them in a sort of prison created by Adia.
"Let's keep moving," Drake said. They arrived at Radar's main base in Oceania. "Alright, let's knock on the door," Leila joked. "No need," Drake replied, smashing the door down with his gauntlet-covered arm. "Wow, that's strong, sir," Leila commented. "What a superpower!"
"Superpower? The boss doesn't have powers, sweetheart," Adia told her as they entered. "Oh, I see," Leila said, giving the boss two thumbs up, which he glanced at briefly.
"We're inside. I'll disable the weapons," Adia announced, casting a spell to deactivate all the cameras. "Who do they think they are?" Irina exclaimed. "Soldiers, sound the alarm and evacuate all personnel!" The alarms began to blare, and everyone started rushing out the door. Podbe and the team stepped aside to let them pass. Once everyone was out, a new door rose into place. "Great, the enemy knows we're here," Adia remarked. "Let's proceed."
They continued through a vast corridor until they reached a space that seemed designed for events.
"Well, well, how dare you destroy my beautiful door," Irina said, snapping her whip against the ground. "Now you'll pay."
"We don't have time to play with you, ma'am," Leila responded.
"Who are you calling 'ma'am,' brat? If you must know, I'm a young lady, and now you'll see what happens when you're so impertinent!" At that moment, more mind-controlled soldiers began emerging from the walls.
"Don't you ever get tired of sending the same thing? We've already defeated several," Drake said.
"Believe me, these are just like the ones before," Irina replied with a smile, shouting orders to her troops.
"Podbe, these aren't like the others—they're stronger. Look, the system sent an alert: 'Danger! You are facing powerful enemies. Be careful. Defeating one will earn you 500 experience points. Retreat if you can.' Seriously, does this system want me to run? Are they really that powerful? No way—I'm not running. I'm here for Aiden," the canine declared as he prepared to fight.
The mind-controlled children moved to attack—there were about 20 in total. "Nothing out of the ordinary," Drake remarked as he approached one, but it easily dodged his attack and struck him in the abdomen, leaving him breathless before sending him flying with a kick. Leila softened his fall with her telekinetic power. "Are you alright?" the young woman asked.
"Yes, they're stronger," Adia said. "The system wasn't lying," Podbe told Reia.
"Take off your masks, my children," the whip-wielding woman commanded.
The controlled children removed their masks, revealing expressionless faces and blood-red eyes ready to kill. "Be careful, Leila, Drake," Adia warned.
The 20 attackers charged at them. Some wielded earth-based attacks, forming rocks from their hands; others used fire, launching fireballs. One generated electricity, conjuring an electric whip that lashed toward Podbe, who barely dodged it at the last second. The rest possessed physical abilities like super strength and concentrated strikes reminiscent of Ezequiel and Gat's attacks.
"It won't be easy to take them out of the fight," Drake remarked as he recovered while the mage erected a protective shield. "Don't push yourself too hard," Adia advised.
"I liked you better when you were carefree," he muttered under his breath.
"What did you say?" she asked.
"Nothing," he replied.
"Alright, get ready. This wall won't hold for long, and they might come from below. Two are already coming up from underground," Podbe said. "I can't hesitate, but I'll try not to hit them too hard. If I can take down two at once, I will." With that, Podbe lunged at the two, emerging from the ground and incapacitated them both with a "Ray Breath" before they could fully surface, while Leila fired her weapon, knocking them unconscious.
"Great, that's two down," Leila announced. "Eighteen to go."
"Only an eighth of the points? Sometimes you're annoying, system," Podbe grumbled. Meanwhile, Reia chimed in: "You now have 1,750 experience points. Just 250 more to reach level 13."
"The others are about to break through. The wall was better for fighting them one or two at a time, but eighteen at once is excessive," Leila noted.
"Here they come! Get ready!" the mage shouted, conjuring a pair of fan-like blades that dissipated the incoming fire attacks, though they were destroyed by the electrical ones.
"Firehead, but tone down the flames a bit," Podbe instructed Reia. The canine charged directly at two who had been repelled, while Drake fired his stun weapon.
"Congratulations, you're now level 13. You've earned 1 skill point."
Once again, the attacks came mercilessly, and Podbe threw himself into the fray with contained ferocity, determined to incapacitate the mind-controlled foes without causing permanent harm. As he dodged a blow and countered with precision, a voice echoed in his mind: "Who would've thought the boss had a higher-up," Reia remarked, her tone filled with astonishment and curiosity.
"Hey!" Leila exclaimed, pausing her telekinetic power for a moment to point at something on Podbe's forehead. "Since when do you have that crescent moon lower down, right above your brow? I hadn't noticed it until now. I just thought you had the other one higher up… you know, the inverted crescent that points downward, while this one seems to be facing upward."
Podbe frowned, uncomfortable, as Adia interjected with a teasing smile:
"Doesn't that hurt, little dog? To me, it looks like they're painted on your forehead."
The boss, Drake, who was fighting with impressive speed, stunning his opponents with precise strikes and his modified weapon, added without looking at them:
"It's true. They look like tattoos."
While the others discussed, Podbe silently reflected: I barely managed to handle two enemies because you didn't leave any for me, and I only have 1,500 points. I need to get stronger… for Aiden. Determination burned in his chest like an unquenchable flame. He knew he needed to reach 2,000 points to advance to the next level, but the path ahead seemed steeper with every step.
"Well, we finished faster than I expected," Leila remarked as she used her telekinesis to bind the mind-controlled children, placing them in a prison created by Adia. "The boss was right: we can't kill people."
Drake nodded firmly.
"Let's keep moving."
They arrived at Radar's main base in Oceania, a place that radiated both technology and danger.
"Alright, let's knock on the door," Leila suggested with a mischievous smile.
But before they could act, Drake raised his gauntleted fist, covered by a device that concealed his entire arm, and destroyed the entrance with a single blow. The thunderous impact echoed through the air, and Leila exclaimed in admiration:
"Wow! Now that's strength, sir. What an impressive superpower!"
Adia chuckled softly.
"Honey, the boss doesn't have powers."
Leila blinked, surprised, and gave Drake two thumbs up, who looked at her with an inscrutable expression.
"We're inside. I'll disable the weapons," Adia announced as she began reciting a spell. The security cameras flickered and went dark, plunging the area into tense shadows.
An authoritative voice rang out from somewhere within the base:
"Who do these intruders think they are?! Soldiers, sound the alarm and evacuate all personnel!"
The alarms blared, sharp and relentless, as people rushed toward the exits. Podbe and his team stepped aside, watching the crowd pass. Once everyone was out, a new metal door rose into place, blocking access.
"Great. The enemy knows we're here," Adia muttered sarcastically. "Let's proceed."
They advanced through a wide, cold corridor where the echo of their footsteps reverberated as a constant reminder of the threat lurking nearby. Finally, they reached an open space that seemed designed for events.
A dark-haired woman wielding a whip awaited them with a malicious smile.
"Well, well… How dare you destroy my beautiful door?" Irina said, snapping her whip against the ground with a deafening crack. "Now you'll pay."
"We don't have time for games, ma'am," Leila replied calmly, though her eyes gleamed with determination.
Irina scowled.
"Who are you calling 'ma'am,' brat? I'm a young lady, and now you'll see what happens when you're so impertinent."
Suddenly, the walls began to open, revealing more mind-controlled soldiers. Drake sighed in exasperation.
"Don't you ever get tired of sending the same thing? We've already defeated several."
"Believe me, these aren't like the others," Irina responded with a confident smile, gesturing to the new enemies. "Attack!"
An alert echoed in Podbe's mind: "Danger. You are facing powerful enemies. Be careful. Defeating one will grant you 500 experience points. Retreat if possible."
"Seriously? This system wants me to run?" Podbe growled, indignant. "No way. I'm not running. I came for Aiden."
Reia chimed in: "The system doesn't lie, Podbe. These enemies are stronger."
The mind-controlled soldiers removed their masks, revealing expressionless faces and blood-red eyes glowing with a thirst for destruction.
"Be careful," Adia warned Leila and Drake.
The twenty enemies charged with devastating abilities: some manipulated the earth, creating sharp rocks; others hurled fireballs that illuminated the space with fiery orange bursts; one even wielded an electric whip that crackled with deadly energy.
Drake tried to approach one of them, but the enemy easily dodged his attack and struck him in the abdomen, leaving him breathless. Before he could recover, a kick sent him flying. Leila used her telekinesis to soften his fall.
"Are you alright?" she asked with concern.
"Yes, but they're much stronger," Reia responded, her voice tense. "The system wasn't lying."
Podbe watched as two enemies emerged from the ground, preparing to attack. Without hesitation, he lunged at them and unleashed a "Ray Breath," incapacitating them before they could react.
"Great, that's two down," Leila remarked with a forced smile. "Eighteen to go."
"They only gave me an eighth of the points… Sometimes you're annoying, system," Podbe muttered as Reia updated his progress: "You now have 1,750 experience points. Just 250 more to reach level 13."
"This is excessive," Leila protested as she watched the enemies break through the defensive wall. "We can't fight eighteen at once."
Adia conjured a pair of fan-like blades that dissipated the fire attacks, but they were destroyed by the electrical enemies.
"Firehead, but tone down the flames a bit," Podbe instructed Reia.
The canine charged at two enemies who had been repelled, while Drake fired his stun weapon.
"Congratulations, you're now level 13. You've earned one skill point," Reia announced.
"Great. Now I have to climb another 2,000 points… The problem is, if they intervene, they'll only give me an eighth of the points. What am I going to do?" Podbe muttered to himself, his tone laced with frustration. "I need to get stronger."
From an elevated balcony, Irina shouted with authority:
"Go all out!"
The mind-controlled soldiers obeyed instantly, launching their attack with renewed ferocity. Electric bolts streaked through the air, fireballs illuminated the space with fiery orange flashes, and those with enhanced physical abilities charged directly at Drake, who grunted as he dodged their attacks.
"Why does it always have to be me?" the boss complained, though he quickly regained his composure. "Alright, I have no choice. I need to counterattack seriously."
Drake moved his gauntleted arm with impressive speed, blocking blows and deflecting attacks. The material of the glove seemed resistant, almost indestructible.
"That thing looks tough," Reia commented in Podbe's mind. "I wonder what it's made of. It's definitely not Luxtero."
A couple of enemies managed to strike Podbe, and Reia alerted him immediately:
"Minus 80 Health Points (HP). You have 120 left."
"What? But they didn't even graze me!" Podbe exclaimed, incredulous.
"I'd better equip you with 'Hardness.' And also for the girl… She's unprotected. At least she'll be safe for a few minutes," the canine decided, focusing intently.
Leila suddenly felt an invisible barrier envelop her, forming a protective armor that shielded her from the incoming electric attacks. She looked at the dog in astonishment.
"What is this?" she asked, touching the invisible shield. "I don't know what you did, but thanks."
Podbe observed the surrounding chaos. The enemies were numerous and moved with superhuman speed. Though his agility had increased, he knew it wasn't enough.
"There are too many of them at once, and they're moving so fast. My agility is boosted, but I'm not superfast," he reflected aloud.
Adia then stepped in, raising her staff decisively:
"I'll even the odds."
With a fluid motion, she cast a spell that warped the ground beneath the feet of the mind-controlled children, trapping them. While they struggled to free themselves, Leila and Drake took the opportunity to incapacitate them.
"Great! That leaves five opponents," Leila announced with a triumphant smile.
Podbe looked at Reia in his mental space with a mix of disbelief and satisfaction.
"They weren't so strong after all. System, you were wrong."
"Yes, I think you're right," Reia replied.
However, the remaining five weren't about to give up so easily. They leaped from the ground to evade the reach of Adia's spell, moving along the walls with indescribable speed. Irina shouted from the balcony:
"Take out the mage first!"
The enemies lunged toward Adia, but before they could reach her, she raised her staff vertically. From it emerged tentacles that firmly captured the attackers.
"Alright, your turn, Podbe," Adia said calmly.
The canine needed no further instructions. With a simple headbutt to the stomach, he knocked one of the enemies down.
"You've earned 650 points. Something is better than nothing," Reia noted.
"Well, system. You were wrong. I didn't need to run, even though my HP dropped from 200 to 120," Podbe remarked sarcastically.
"We're 1,350 points away from reaching level 14," Reia added. "You've succeeded in defeating your strongest opponents. You've earned an additional skill point."
"Well, at least it's something," said Podbe, now with four skill points available. "Alright, ma'am, surrender," the canine directed toward Irina.
"Ma'am? Your grandmother could be a 'ma'am'! I'm a young lady!" Irina retorted indignantly. "You won't defeat me without a fight."
She descended from the balcony, whip in hand, ready to attack. However, before she could act, Adia froze and shattered her weapon in an instant.
"Damn it! My whip! You'll pay, you cursed mage!" Irina shouted furiously as she pulled on a pair of gloves from her belt, preparing for close combat like a professional boxer.
"This lady is pitiful," Leila commented, hurling a piece of the wall at Irina, who barely dodged it before collapsing, weakly murmuring:
"I'm… a young lady…"
Her henchmen attempted to defend her but were quickly repelled by Adia and her magic. The woman was unstoppable, unlike anything they had seen before.
"This is how I remember her," Drake remarked. "Like an ancient warrior. And then she became a mage."
"That explains a lot," Reia added within Podbe's mind. "Her ability to move and defend herself is impressive, and magic is just an added bonus for her."
Once the Radar headquarters in Oceania was defeated, they seized the device controlling the powered children to bring it to Adrian.
"Where else are there Radar branches on this continent?" Drake asked Leila.
"There was only one base here in Oceania. Irina doesn't know where they're holding Aiden," Leila responded after probing the prisoner's mind.
Adia frowned, worried about the teenager. At that moment, an incoming call from Marie interrupted the silence.
"Tell me, Marie. What good news do you have?" the boss asked sarcastically.
"Well, sir… It's bad news. All the units we sent to various parts of Europe have been annihilated. Only some members of Squad I managed to survive," Marie reported.
"It can't be. That means there's a stronger level than this, or perhaps because the others didn't have someone with powers on their side," the boss reflected. "Also, all of Europe has been cut off from the rest of the world. What are we going to do?"
"Until we figure out how to cure the children, we can't do anything. Plus, we have less than 24 hours to complete everything," the boss said, his tone grim. "Contact the other agents. It's time for them to stop whatever they're doing and prepare to fight. Send them to Europe to clean up this mess."
"Understood," Marie replied, beginning to make calls.
"And you, where are you going?" Adia asked.
At that moment, Podbe had Leila touch his head so he could speak.
"I remember seeing something like a frozen volcano. That information might help us. We need to check how many frozen volcanoes there are in the world."