Chapter 70: Ch 70: Going Scouting
The soldier spun around in shock. He dropped his explosive charge and reached for the suppressed pistol holstered at his waist.
He was highly trained, but he was still bound by the limits of normal human biology.
Leo possessed the blessing of the system.
The [AGI] agility stats infused into his muscles made the elite soldier appear painfully sluggish.
Woosh!
Leo charged forward. He slapped the soldier’s wrist with the flat of his blade, sending a shockwave of numb pain up the man’s arm. The pistol slipped from his fingers.
Before the infiltrator could recover, Leo swept his leg outward. The soldier crashed hard onto the frozen concrete. Leo immediately pressed his knee into the center of the man’s tactical vest and brought his serrated knife directly against his throat.
"I strongly suggest you stop moving," Leo whispered with a chilling calmness.
The soldier gritted his teeth, glaring up at his captor. "You have absolutely no idea who you are messing with. The remnant forces will burn this entire civilian camp to the ground."
Before Leo could reply, the shadows in the alleyway began to ripple. The ambient temperature dropped drastically, turning their breath into thick white mist. A swirling vortex of emerald energy tore open the fabric of reality just a few yards away.
Leo instantly recognized the signature aura. He kept his blade firmly against the prisoner but bowed his head in absolute reverence.
Raidan stepped out of the rift, completely enveloped in his Master Verde persona. A towering cloak of digital green light obscured his features, radiating a terrifying, divine pressure that made the surrounding air vibrate. His boots hovered silently an inch above the cracked pavement. He looked like a god of the new world descending to pass judgment upon a mortal sinner.
"You have performed your duties flawlessly, Leo. Master Verde acknowledges your devotion. Your faction standing has been elevated."
A blue system screen flashed in Leo’s vision, confirming his reward. A wide, fanatic smile spread across the young guard’s face.
"Thank you, Master Verde. My life belongs to the cult."
The soldier stared at the floating figure in sheer disbelief. The military had classified the Detroit camp leaders as delusional zealots. They thought the Verdian Cult was just a group of desperate survivors following a charismatic con artist. Seeing a being made of pure energy manipulating spatial magic completely shattered the soldier’s worldview.
Master Verde drifted closer, peering down at the trembling infiltrator.
"You sought to poison the well of my flock. You intended to create desperation, paving the way for your commanders to step in as false saviors. It is a very predictable strategy."
"Stay back!" the soldier choked out, struggling weakly against Leo’s grip. "I am a scout for the Fourth Mechanized Infantry. If I do not report back by dawn, a heavy strike team will level this coordinate!"
"They will certainly try," Master Verde replied smoothly. "But I need to know exactly where they are launching from. Speak!"
A knife place aginst his throat, forcing him to spill everything.
"They have established a forward operating base inside the ruins of the old national guard armory. It is exactly twenty four miles northwest of your current position. They have heavily armored vehicles and advanced energy weaponry."
Hearing the confession, Leo spoke eagerly:
"Master, Do we double the camp defenses? I can rally the entire night watch."
"Defending is a passive strategy, Leo," Master Verde stated coldly. "When a predator circles your home, you do not simply lock the door. You step outside and break its teeth. The military believes we are a herd of helpless sheep. It is time we demonstrate the true power of the Verdian Cult. We are going to conduct a preemptive strike."
Master Verde opened his administrative system interface and began drafting new quests. He selected his most capable combat operatives from the Camp.
"Leo, secure this prisoner in the underground holding cells. Then, summon Aaron, Chloe, and Sarah. Tell them to equip their highest grade tactical gear and meet me at the northern gates in fifteen minutes. Tonight, the shadows belong to us."
"Yes, Master!" Leo saluted, hauling the unconscious soldier over his shoulder with his enhanced strength. He sprinted off toward the detention block, fueled by absolute religious fervor.
Fifteen minutes later, the heavy steel doors of the northern gate creaked open just enough to let a small group slip into the wasteland.
Master Verde stood at the forefront, his emerald aura dialed back to a faint, stealthy glow. Behind him stood four of his most loyal followers.
Leo wielded his twin serrated knives. Aaron carried a heavy plasma rifle scavenged from a dead rift boss. Chloe held a pair of custom forged energy pistols, and Sarah gripped a massive, enchanted war hammer that Master Verde had brought back from the Olympus.
They were not an army, but they were a hyper lethal strike team empowered by system mechanics.
"Our objective is simple," Master Verde told them, sharing a digital map directly to their neural interfaces. "We will infiltrate the perimeter of the military stronghold. We will map their defenses, destroy their heavy artillery, and secure any advanced technology they are hoarding. You will follow my commands with absolute precision. Do you understand?"
"By your will, Master Verde," the four cultists chanted in perfect unison.
They moved out into the ruined city. The journey northwest was a treacherous trek through a nightmare landscape. Twisted rebar jutted out of shattered highways like broken bones. The sky was a sickly shade of purple, illuminated by the distant, unnatural glow of active Rifts.
They traveled in total silence, utilizing the stealth augmentation modules Master Verde had previously rewarded them. They moved across the rubble faster than any normal human could ever run.
About ten miles into their journey, a low, guttural growl echoed from an abandoned subway entrance.
A pack of six Corrupted Stalkers crawled out of the darkness. They were massive, hairless hounds with glowing red eyes and rows of razor sharp teeth dripping with acidic saliva. These were Class C monsters that normally required an entire platoon of regular soldiers to bring down.
Aaron raised his plasma rifle, preparing to fire.
"Hold your fire, Aaron," Master Verde commanded softly. "Conserve your ammunition for the military. I will clear the path."
"Ah, yes!"
The cultists stopped and watched in absolute awe as their god stepped forward.
Master Verde did not draw a weapon. He simply tapped his finger against the air.
Very soon, a tiny sphere of absolute darkness materialized directly above the pack of mutant hounds.
The monsters looked up, momentarily confused.
Buzzz!
The sheer crushing force of a localized black hole slammed into the street. The concrete cratered instantly. The six massive hounds were flattened against the ground, their bones shattering under the immense pressure. They could not even yelp before the crushing weight condensed them into pulp.
Two seconds later, the gravity well vanished, leaving behind nothing but a perfectly smooth crater and six glowing monster cores.
Master Verde waved his hand, collecting the cores into his spatial inventory.
[ System Alert: 600 EXP gained. ]
He turned back to his disciples. "Let us continue. We are burning daylight."
Sarah swallowed hard, her grip tightening on her war hammer. Her faith in the Verdian cause was already absolute, but witnessing such apocalyptic power casually displayed cemented her devotion forever. They were walking alongside a supreme being.
They covered the remaining distance in less than an hour. The terrain shifted from ruined commercial districts to a heavily forested state park that had miraculously survived the initial cataclysm. Hidden deep within the overgrown trees sat the old national guard armory.
Master Verde led his team to a high ridge overlooking the military base. They crouched low behind a cluster of massive boulders, peering down into the valley.
The military had completely fortified the facility. High concrete walls topped with electrified razor wire surrounded the perimeter. Automated turret emplacements tracked every movement in the surrounding woods. Inside the compound, dozens of soldiers in heavy tactical gear patrolled the grounds. Three massive mechanized walkers stood near the motor pool, their plasma cannons resting in standby mode.
It was a small army.
"They have significant firepower," Aaron whispered, zooming in with his rifle scope. "Those mechs could level our camp walls in a matter of minutes."
"They are machines built by human hands," Master Verde replied calmly. "They are bound by the laws of physics and circuitry. We are bound by the boundless potential of the system."
Master Verde raised his hands, summoning a massive holographic display that only his cult members could see. He began drafting specialized quests for the raid.
[ Dynamic Quest Generated: Sabotage the War Machines. ]
[ Target: Sarah and Aaron. ]
[ Objective: Infiltrate the motor pool and plant explosive charges on the three mechanized walkers. ]
[ Reward: 5,000 System EXP, Enhanced Weapon Proficiency. ]
[ Dynamic Quest Generated: Disable the Turret Grid. ]
[ Target: Chloe and Leo. ]
[ Objective: Breach the command center and sever the hardlines connecting the automated defenses. ]
[ Reward: 5,000 System EXP, Shadow Step Skill Book. ]
The four cultists accepted their quests immediately. The glowing notifications reflected in their eyes, filling them with an unnatural courage. They were not afraid of the guns or the mechs. They were eager to prove their worth.