Chapter 72: Ch 72: Over
The glow of the blue system notification bathed the ruined courtyard in a soft, ethereal light.
Master Verde swiped his hand through the air, dismissing the prompt. The massive vines restraining the military garrison immediately retracted, slithering back into the cracked concrete like reversed time.
The base commander slowly pushed himself off the ground. He rubbed his wrists where the magical flora had gripped him. The man looked completely defeated.
"What is your name, Commander?" Raidan asked.
"Marcus Vance," the man grumbled, keeping his eyes firmly locked on the cracked pavement.
(Raidan) Master Verde approached Vance. "Look at me, Marcus. You have made the correct choice tonight. You chose survival over stubbornness. Now, I will fulfill my end of the bargain."
Master Verde placed his glowing green hand on the commander’s shoulder.
Marcus gasped instantly. His eyes widened in absolute shock. The chronic pain in his lower back, a lingering injury from a shrapnel blast three years ago, vanished completely.
He felt a sudden rush of vitality flooding his muscles. For the first time in his life, a translucent blue screen materialized in his vision, displaying his newly elevated stats.
"This is impossible," Marcus whispered, staring at his own hands.
"Nothing is impossible within the cult," Master Verde stated flatly. "Your men will receive the same blessing once they have proven their loyalty. For now, you will organize them. Gather your injured and have them line up near the motor pool. Sarah and Aaron will administer healing potions. Leo and Chloe will oversee the confiscation of your heavy munitions."
Marcus did not argue. He stood taller, his previous hostility entirely replaced by awe. He turned to his bewildered soldiers and began barking orders, completely submitting to his new role within the Verdian hierarchy.
With the courtyard secured, Master Verde walked toward the main command center. The heavy steel door remained fused open from Chloe’s previous sabotage.
He stepped inside the dimly lit room.
The surviving technicians cowered in the corners, terrified of the glowing entity that had singlehandedly conquered their base.
Master Verde ignored them and approached the central terminal. He placed his hand flat against the primary server tower.
Information flooded into Raidan’s consciousness.
He saw the entire layout of the remnant military forces operating in the Midwest region.
This forward operating base was merely a scouting outpost. The true threat lay three hundred miles east. A massive underground bunker complex known as Citadel Prime housed over 10 thousand heavily armed soldiers, mechanized divisions, and the highest ranking generals of the old world.
The data logs revealed their ultimate plan. The military intended to sweep the entire region, forcibly conscripting all civilian survivors and executing anyone who resisted. The Detroit camp was scheduled for complete absorption within the next two months.
"They are far more organized than I anticipated," Master Verde thought to himself. "If they march on Detroit with ten thousand men, our walls will not hold. Even with the system, I cannot protect every single civilian from a massive artillery barrage."
The strategy had to change. Defensive posturing was no longer an option. The Verdian Cult needed to grow rapidly. They needed to conquer more strongholds, gather more resources, and build an army capable of rivaling Citadel Prime.
Master Verde retracted his hand from the server. He looked at the trembling technicians in the corner.
"Reboot the communication array," he ordered them. "Use an encrypted channel. I want you to send a message back to your superiors at Citadel Prime."
A young technician scrambled to his feet and rushed to a keyboard. "What should the message say, sir?"
Master Verde’s synthetic voice dropped to a terrifying octave. "Tell them this outpost has been reclaimed by the earth. Tell them Master Verde claims the wasteland, and any army that marches west will be swallowed whole."
The technician swallowed hard and began typing frantically.
Two hours later, the integration process was fully underway. The soldiers had surrendered their heavy weapons without resistance.
Captain Sarah and Aaron had distributed low tier health potions, instantly curing the soldiers of radiation sickness and malnutrition. The sheer miraculous nature of the system items had completely shattered any remaining skepticism.
The military personnel were now looking at the cultists with absolute reverence.
Master Verde stood on the outer wall, overlooking the transformed base. He had successfully secured a small army and a fleet of armored transports. It was time to return home.
"Leo," Master Verde called out.
The shadow adept appeared instantly, kneeling respectfully.
"Yes, Master."
"You four will remain here tonight. Work with Commander Vance to secure the perimeter. Tomorrow morning, you will lead a convoy of supply trucks and armored vehicles back to the Detroit camp. Bring the excess weapons and half of the soldiers. Leave the rest here to hold this position."
"We will not fail you," Leo promised, his eyes shining with devotion.
Master Verde nodded once.
Hours later.
Raidan emerged in the dark alleyway behind his personal tent in the Detroit camp. He immediately deactivated his Master Verde persona. The towering cloak of digital green light vanished. His boots hit the muddy ground softly. The divine pressure dissipated, leaving behind just a normal looking teenager in a worn leather coat.
He let out a long, exhausted breath. Maintaining the persona and utilizing high tier spella drained his mental stamina significantly.
He desperately needed sleep.
Raidan slipped into his tent and stripped off his coat. Just as he was about to collapse onto his cot, the heavy canvas flap of his tent ripped open.
Uncle Michael stood in the entrance, holding a kerosene lantern. The dim yellow light illuminated the deep worry lines etched into his face.
He looked at Raidan, his eyes darting around the small space.
"Rai, You are awake?" Michael noted, his voice tight with anxiety.
"Yes. Just got back from a late patrol," Raidan lied smoothly, sitting on the edge of the cot and unlacing his boots. "Why? Is something wrong, Uncle?"
Michael stepped inside and closed the flap behind him. He set the lantern on a wooden crate.
"The military scouts outside the southern gate are gone, Rai. They packed up their observation equipment and vanished in the middle of the night."
While hearing, Raidan kept his face perfectly neutral.
"That sounds like good news. Maybe they decided we were not worth their time."
"No Rai. Military scouts do not just abandon their posts without orders," Michael argued, crossing his arms. "Something spooked them. Or worse, they were recalled because an attack is imminent. The camp leaders are holding an emergency meeting right now. They are panicking."
Raidan tossed his boots aside and leaned back on his hands.
"Maybe the camp leaders worry too much. The walls are strong, Uncle. We have the cult protecting us. Whoever Master Verde is, he seems to have everything under control."
Michael sighed heavily, rubbing his temples. "I do not trust blind faith, Raidan. These freakish cults are dangerous. They make people reckless. Relying on an invisible savior is a very quick way to get everyone killed. I want you to pack a survival bag. If things go bad tomorrow, we are leaving the camp immediately."
Raidan felt a pang of guilt. His uncle cared deeply about his safety, completely unaware that Raidan was the very entity he feared.
"Alright, I will pack a bag. But trust me, Uncle Michael. Nobody is going to attack the Detroit camp. We are safer here than anywhere else in the world."
Michael gave him a long, skeptical look. He eventually nodded and walked out of the tent, leaving Raidan alone in the dark. Raidan laid back on his cot and stared at the canvas ceiling. The lie was becoming heavier every day. Eventually, the truth would have to come out.
The next morning dawned with a pale, gray light fighting through the constant smog. The Detroit camp was operating on high alert. The regular guards were pacing the walls nervously, their rifles clutched tightly to their chests. The sudden disappearance of the military scouts had put everyone on edge. Civilian scavenging teams were ordered to remain inside the perimeter.
Raidan stood near the southern gate, chewing on a piece of dried jerky. He watched Uncle Michael speaking frantically with the head of the civilian militia, pointing toward the empty tree line where the military scouts had previously been stationed.
Rumble.
Suddenly, a low rumble echoed across the wasteland.
The ground began to vibrate slightly. The sound grew louder, resembling the synchronized roaring of heavy diesel engines. The guards on the wall raised their binoculars, frantically scanning the horizon.
"Vehicles approaching!" a watchman screamed from the highest tower.
"Heavy armor! It is the military!"
Panic erupted instantly. Civilians began running toward the underground bunkers. The militia rushed to barricade the heavy steel gates.
Uncle Michael grabbed his combat knife and sprinted toward Raidan, fully intending to drag him to safety.
"Rai, run!" Michael yelled over the escalating noise.
Raidan did not move. He stood perfectly still, a calm smile playing on his lips.
"Wait, Uncle. Look closely."
Soon, a massive convoy broke through the tree line and rumbled onto the ruined highway leading to the camp.
There were five heavily armored troop transports, followed by a dozen military supply trucks. They looked exactly like a conquering force.
However, as the vehicles drew closer, the details became horrifyingly clear to the defending militia.
The lead transport was not flying the standard military flag. Instead, a massive black banner flapped wildly in the wind. Emblazoned in glowing emerald paint on the fabric was the intricate, circular emblem of the Verdian Cult.
Standing on the roof of the lead vehicle was Leo, dressed in his black cultist robes, flanked by Chloe, Aaron, and Sarah. They looked like triumphant warlords returning from a glorious crusade.