The battlefield of the university’s central courtyard was chaos incarnate. Aberrants shrieked and surged toward Squad Prime, claws tearing at stone and flesh alike. Dust swirled, glass shattered, and the acrid smell of scorched debris filled the air.
Kael’s voice cut through it all, firm and commanding.
“Squad Prime! Engage!”
Without hesitation, the squad sprang into action.
Serafina planted herself at the front, her shield absorbing each strike. She countered with precise thrusts of her spear, driving back the charging abberants. She clenched her teeth and activated her ability.
“Panthera Atrox!”
A massive, spectral lion erupted from her, its aura glowing a deep, primal gold. Every strike Serafina made was mirrored by the lion, claws raking, tail smashing, fangs tearing through abberant flesh.
Kyle moved next. His hands gestured sharply, and the earth beneath the abberants rippled.
“Pack Hunt!”
Wolves formed of twisting green vines surged from the ground, leaping and snapping at their foes. Each wolf moved with unerring precision, fangs and claws made of living flora shredding abberants in coordinated swipes.
Takeshi danced between targets, his katana whistling through the air.
“Thunder Bolt String!”
Threads of lightning shot from his blade, lancing across multiple abberants simultaneously. Each arc left scorched marks on the pavement, and some of the larger creatures convulsed and fell.
Anya’s rifle gleamed in the sunlight as she took aim.
“Frost Shots!”
A rapid volley of icy bullets erupted from her barrel, freezing the abberants in mid-motion. Shards of ice exploded outward as they shattered, leaving the courtyard littered with crystalline remains.
Natalia twirled her twin sabers, poison seeping from their edges.
“Poison Slash!”
Every swing sent a green haze outwards, striking abberants with lethal precision. Within moments, the creatures writhed and fell, succumbing instantly to the toxin.
Kael raised his hands, summoning his own power. Five javelins of pure blue light formed above him.
“Light Javelin!”
He hurled them in perfect synchronization. They struck with surgical precision, piercing the remaining abberants and reducing them to nothing more than smoke and ash.
Kael turned to his squad, the battlefield now eerily silent aside from the wind.
“Good work, everyone. Move forward. We need to find Doctor Rose.”
The squad nodded, regrouped, and advanced through the debris-strewn courtyard, their armors gleaming and spirit energies still flickering in readiness for the next threat. They then entered the building.
The squad prime pushed deeper into the dim hallway of the building, their boots splashing against scattered puddles and debris. The air felt heavier, charged. Kael’s eye twitched as a familiar chime echoed in his mind.
[SYSTEM WARNING — IMMINENT THREAT DETECTED]
?? MASS ABERRANT AMBUSH FORMING ??
Spirit radar spikes flashed through his vision.
THREAT ANALYSIS:
? Type: Abberant Swarm
? Estimated Count: 30+
? Composition: Beast-Type and Semi-human types confirmed
Kael exhaled sharply.
“Squad Prime, be on guard. Serafina, front. Raise your shield and lock defense. Anya, get your rifle ready. Takeshi, traps. Natalia, once they’re caught, finish them. Kyle, send your wolves ahead—flush anything hiding.”
Everyone nodded.
Serafina stepped forward, shield raised, her armor gleaming faintly in the dim light.
Takeshi spread his hands and murmured, “Electro Web.”
Crackling strands of electricity shot from his fingertips, weaving across the entrance and corners like glowing tripwires.
Natalia’s twin sabers dripped venomous mist as she crouched into position.
Anya steadied her rifle, eyes sharpened.
Kyle slammed his foot down, vines burst from the cracked tiles.
He whispered, “Pack Hunt.”
Five vine-wolves formed from twisting roots and leaves, their eyes glowing feral green. They sprinted into the corridor, their snarls echoing through the dark.
Kael signaled sharply.
“Everyone, hide.”
They pressed against walls, behind pillars, under broken beams. Silence… then—
RROOOAAAR!!!
More than thirty beast-type abberants burst out from inside the building—driven out by the attacking vine-wolves. Misshapen bodies, elongated claws, semi-human faces twisted with hunger.
The first wave sprinted directly into Takeshi’s traps—
ZAAAP!
Electro webs erupted, paralyzing them mid-lunge. They writhed violently, stuck like flies.
“Now!” Kael barked.
Natalia shot forward, twin sabers carving sharp arcs.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
“Poison Slash!”
Toxic trails followed every movement; every abberant the blades touched collapsed instantly, their bodies dissolving into black rot.
Some abberants avoided the traps, leaping sideways or climbing along walls.
Serafina roared, slamming her shield into the ground.
“Panthera Atrox!”
The colossal prehistoric lion aura manifested behind her, when she swung her spear, the lion mirrored her movements, its massive spectral claws striking down the incoming beasts.
Anya fired at the remaining escapees.
“Frost Shots!”
Each bullet exploded into ice on impact, abberant froze mid-charge, their bodies encased in thick frost before shattering into pieces.
Within seconds, the hallway fell silent again, broken only by the faint crackling of Takeshi’s webs fading.
Kael lowered his hand, scanning the area once more.
“Good work,” he said, voice steady. “Stay sharp. Doctor Rose should be somewhere deeper inside. Move out.”
Squad Prime reformed formation and advanced into the darkness ahead, prepared for whatever abberant monstrosity came next.
They continued deeper inside the building, room by room. Each door creaked open with an eerie echo, each room swallowed by dim light and overturned furniture—but nothing. No signs of Doctor Rose.
Through the earpiece, Cain’s voice cut in sharply.
“Kael, status report.”
Kael pressed two fingers to his ear.
“We’re fine, Captain. Some abberants attempted an ambush, but they were eliminated quickly.”
Cain paused for a moment.
“Understood. What about Doctor Rose? Any sign of her?”
Kael shook his head even though Cain couldn’t see it.
“We’re still in the process of locating her, Captain.”
They pushed open another door, and stopped.
The stench of dried blood hit first.
Inside lay the bodies of students and researchers, scattered across the floor. Papers soaked in red. Broken glasses. Backpacks. ID cards. Silent, lifeless faces frozen in fear.
The squad went still.
Serafina lowered her shield, grip trembling slightly.
Natalia bit her lip, eyes darkening.
Anya’s breath quivered.
Takeshi looked away, fists tightening.
Kyle stared at the ground, jaw clenched.
Kael stepped forward, forcing himself to look.
They checked each body carefully, fearing the worst.
Finally, Kael exhaled in relief.
“Doctor Rose… isn’t among them.”
But the relief didn’t erase the weight in their chests. These were innocent people, ambushed, slaughtered before they even understood what was happening.
Natalia whispered, voice soft but angry,
“They didn’t deserve this…”
Kael straightened. The delay was eating at him.
“This is taking too long. Kyle, use Pack Hunt again. Extend the search.”
Kyle nodded. “Right.”
He knelt, placing both palms on the floor.
“Pack Hunt.”
This time, dozens of small vine-like creatures erupted from the cracks in the tiles, rats made of roots, leaves, and twisting vines. They scattered instantly, rushing through holes, vents, hallways, and every crevice of the building.
The squad waited in tense silence.
Minutes later, the first vine-rat returned, scurrying quickly up Kyle’s leg and pointing its small root-like snout toward a hallway to the east.
Kyle’s eyes widened.
“Kael… we have to follow it. It found her.”
Kael nodded without hesitation.
“Squad Prime, move out! Doctor Rose has been located!”
Weapons raised, armor gleaming, hearts pounding, the squad sprinted toward the direction the vine-rat pointed, unaware of the danger waiting just ahead.
The whole squad followed the vine-rat as it scurried through the hallways, leading them deeper into the building. Eventually, it stopped in front of an office door heavily barricaded from the inside with shelves, tables, and chairs.
Kael stepped forward and knocked.
“Doctor Rose, are you there?”
Silence.
He knocked again, louder this time.
“Doctor Rose! Are you there? If you don’t answer, we might have to force our way in.”
For a moment, nothing.
Then a trembling voice from inside:
“W-Who are you?”
Kyle immediately answered, voice steady.
“We’re from the Battle Infantry, Doctor. We’re here to take you back.”
They heard scraping noises—furniture being dragged away, metal legs scraping the floor. The barricade was being dismantled piece by piece. Footsteps approached.
Finally, the door clicked open.
Standing in the doorway… was a girl.
A young girl—no older than twelve.
Squad Prime froze in disbelief.
Anya blinked rapidly.
“Uhh… hi? Little girl, is Doctor Rose with you?”
The child shook her head.
“…I am Doctor Rose.”
Shock rippled through the squad.
The system chimed instantly in Kael’s mind.
[SYSTEM SCAN: SUBJECT – Rose Campo]
?? Initiating Full Spirit Scan…
…
Scan Complete.
[SUBJECT PROFILE]
Name: Rose Campo
Rank: Spirit User – Scientist
Affiliation: University Research Division
[COMBAT READINGS]
Level: 12
EXP: 70 / 180
HP: 130 / 150
Spirit Energy: 140 / 150
Status: Stable
Kael exhaled.
“She’s the real Doctor Rose,” he confirmed to the squad.
He tapped the earpiece.
“Captain, we’ve found Doctor Rose.”
Cain’s voice returned quickly.
“Good. Ask her where the device is. The other squads still haven’t located it.”
“Understood.”
Kael ended the call and faced his team.
“The device hasn’t been found yet.”
Anya knelt slightly to meet Rose’s eyes.
“Doctor, do you know where it is?”
Rose nodded nervously.
“It’s in the basement of the east building. But…”
She swallowed.
“It’s guarded. A powerful abberant took it over. I think it made that place its nest.”
That immediately raised tension in the squad.
Kael relayed the information, pressing the earpiece again.
“Captain, the device is in the basement of the east building. Doctor Rose confirms it’s guarded by a powerful abberant. Likely their nest.”
Cain replied without hesitation.
“Understood. Take Doctor Rose to the extraction point and stay on standby. I’ll call in Squad Striker to retrieve the device.”
“Copy that.”
Kael turned to his squad, eyes sharp.
“Protect Doctor Rose. We’re heading to extraction.”
Squad Prime shifted immediately, weapons ready, senses sharp.
The child doctor stepped behind Kael as they prepared to move…
…and somewhere far off, deep within the east building, a distant roar vibrated through the halls.
Meanwhile, in the east building, Squad Striker advanced through the dim corridors, their footsteps echoing faintly. At the front was Isha Patil, their captain, her armor a sleek blend of orange and white with gold highlights, tiger patterns etched along the metal. Her twin katars gleamed in her hands, edges humming with contained spirit power.
Her earpiece crackled.
“Isha,” Cain’s voice came through, steady and direct.
“Squad Prime has secured Doctor Rose and is heading to the extraction point. Same for the other squads. Doctor Rose confirms the device is in the basement of your building. It’s guarded by a powerful abberant. I’m sending Squad Action as backup—”
“No need for that, Captain,” Isha replied immediately, voice firm with confidence.
“Squad Striker can handle it.”
She ended the call without waiting for an answer.
Isha turned to her squad, elite, sharp, and dangerous.
Beom Hye stood silently at her right, clad in sleek silver armor with a gumiho motif spiraling across the plates. His halberd rested at his shoulder, the blade crackling faintly with silver light.
Next was Lana Popova, brown armor marked with the fierce image of Ursa Major. Twin pistols spun effortlessly in her hands as she grinned.
Cristiano Nascimento Paz leaned casually against the wall, green armor patterned with a hummingbird’s wings, light, agile, razor-fast. Daggers shimmered at his hips.
And lastly Zheng Yang, armor blazing red with a radiant sun motif. His pair of dao swords glowed faintly as he stepped forward, ready for combat.
Isha lifted her katars.
“Basement,” she ordered.
“The device is being guarded by an abberant. Stay sharp.”
Lana laughed, holstering her pistols with a flourish.
“Whatever it is, it doesn’t know what’s gonna hit ’em.”
Cristiano smirked.
“First one to land the killing blow gets the core.”
The squad shared a brief grin, cocky, confident, unaware.
Unaware of the nightmare waiting below.
Together, Squad Striker moved toward the basement stairwell, shadows growing thicker, the air changing, a faint stench seeping upward from the lower floors.
None of them knew the truth.
What guarded the device wasn’t just an abberant.
It was something else entirely. Something that should never have evolved.
Something hungry.
And it had already sensed them coming.
