Chapter 33: Rank Reassessment Part Threw (Unedited)
Cashel stared at the observation deck for several seconds, silent as ever as disbelief and shock washed over him.
Then he laughed softly, and said with a dry tone, "My wife?"
Lionface chuckled through the speakers, "Yes."
Cashel lowered his head, rubbing his forehead with his gloved hand. Of all the threats they could have made, somehow that was the one that irritated him the most.
Even A Supreme Awakener being involved was nothing, even though it meant overdoing for someone like him, but his wife?!
And it wasn’t because she was weak, Quite the opposite, and maybe that was the problem.
They knew what she was capable of, to put her as a last resorts, and even he knew, despite not being aware of everything she was capable of.
If they actually put her against him, the assessment would stop being an assessment. It would become a domestic dispute with several million dollars’ worth of equipment caught in the middle.
And knowing, Andeen she would rather challenge everyone in the room than engage him and that would be turning her, maybe him as well into traitors or something like that.
"I’m not fighting my wife." Cashel said firmly, his tone leaving absolutely no room for negotiations or more suggestions.
Rain crossed her arms, relaxing her posture, "You don’t have to."
Cashel glanced at her, "Then why mention her?"
"Because you asked what happens if everything else fails."
"And you thought threatening me with my wife was necessary?"
"It wasn’t a threat." Rain’s expression remained completely serious, "We are simply informing you of what would happen should you choose to continue hiding your abilities."
Cashel face twisted, "I still don’t get why you all are so hell bent on knowing that," he smirked but his eyes went dark almost immediately. "Despite what happens, whether or not you find that out, I’m not Andeen." Rain narrowed her eyes. "And I definitely will not hesitate to fight every one of you, including BMM if anyone crosses the line."
"Ho!"
Lion face made an amused sound from the observation deck but the mumurs of concern that followed got Cashel shifting his attention.
Lion Face chuckled softlt as he shunned the voices, "Bishop, trust me, I’m in full support of that."
Cashel smiled, although the smile didn’t reach his eyes. His words were, somewhat genuine, he was curious. ’What would happen if I turned against everyone like my past life, but this time with good abilities and a ticking time bomb on his side.’ not that he considered his wife a bomb.
It was a.... phrase.
Cashel shook his head and glanced at the control side, but Nathan quickly lowered his gaze and suddenly found the control panel very interesting.
"Traitor," Cashel muttered.
Nathan’s cool voice replied, "I didn’t say anything."
"You didn’t have to."
Lionface laughed again through the speakers, "Enough."
Cashel exhaled and rolled his shoulders inside the heavy suit, "Fine if we’re doing this, give me a weapon."
Rain shook her head, "No weapons, use what’s around you."
Before Cashel could reply, a series of objects dropped from a compartment above, landing with gentle glclinks and thuds. Empty glass bottles, wooden sticks of varying lengths.
Cashel stared at the scattered items, then at the Rain, "You’re serious."
She did not answer. Instead she reached up and pulled a thin collar from a pouch in her jacket before pulling the fabric off. The moment she locked it around her neck a faint energy washed outward. The air around her lost the usual sharp heat signature of her flames.
Cashel raised a brow and she smiled.
"Temporary ability lock," she explained calmly. "To make it fair."
Cashel made a face, "There’s nothing fair about that, you’re only locking abilities, what about your regular stats?"
Rain shrugged.
He just rolled his eyes and moved from his spot. He picked up a medium length wooden stick, around the length of his calf and tested it’s weight. It was balanced enough to serve as a staff, but it would obviously shatter under any excessive force.
’Outside a dungeon,’ he thought as he glanced at the roof of the chamber. ’The main class should be able to work effectively outside.’
Inside gates his power adapted to the environment and was decreased to match the other class and the cards. Outside, it was more or less doubled if he used both classes at the same time.
And he was mainly specialized in Killing people.
Rain settled into a loose stance and raised her fists, "Whenever you’re ready, Altar."
Cashel did not wait for a signal.
He lunged forward and swung the stick in an arc aimed at her temple. Rain blocked with her forearm and the impact cracked the wood.
She countered withna straight punch that Cashel slipped under and drive his elbows towards her ribs.
She stepped back, the collar around her neck flashing once as it absorbed the residual energy of the near miss and her instincts to use her abilities.
Rain sucked her teeth, already regretting since she wasn’t used to not using her abilities unless it was necessary.
They continue fighting, both moving across the chamber as they exchanged rapid strikes. Each time she sped up, somehow Cashel coughs up.
Blows to the head, blocked. Ribs? Blocked. An attempt to lock his arms to render him vulnerable? He countered with a head butt.
The wooden stickers and bottles under their feets broke and shattered from the pressure and them stepping on them. Cashel’s reading suit green heavier, but somehow he wasn’t slowing down.
Nathan’s voice came through the speakers, analytical rather than concerned as there was nothing to be concerned about the boring exchange. "Mana level still normal, no active skill detected yet."
Lion face hummed. Then then the sounds of footsteps echoed through the chamber making Cashel and Rain pause their fight.
Hiss!
The doors to the chamber opened and the man dressed in white from head to toe with a white lion mask and a hat on his head stepped through with his staff ahead of him.
Cashel frowned when he spotted the man, already gearing up to defend himself from two S ranks. But Lionface paused just a few steps away from the door.
"Remove all restrictions."
Gasp!
Nathan frowned, "That is impossible."
"I’ll pay for all damages," Lionface said cooly and tilted his head, "Take the suit off and use actually weapons Bishop."
Cashel narrowed his eyes, "And risk breaking them?"
Rain just laughed under her breath and took off the collar without hesitation. Almost immediately her eyes were lit up and heat radiated around her.
Cashel huffed. He walked to the corner, pulled off the suit with ease, but deliberately left the boots and gloves on. Then he summoned the system inventory, linked to the weapon case at home, then he reached in, took out a utility belt, wo flash bangs, his mask, a dagger, a dun and a rope.
He tied the rope firmly around his waist and crossed it over his chest, the flashbangs hanging from belt, his gun in one hand and the dagger in another.
Lionface chuckled and tapped his staff gently on the ground. Almost instantly a black translucent barrier formed around the chamber.
"Start!"
Bang!
’Bang?’
Nathan’s eyes widened.
Cashel shot at Rain without hesitating even for a second.
Rain didn’t even have time to react, the bullet grazed her cheek. Her eyes were wide, but she suddenly grinned.
"Oh I’m going to enjoy this so much...."
"I don’t think so..."
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Rain created a wall of fire in front of her, swallowing the bullets and leaving them to nothing. She dropped the wall and smiled.
Cashel nodded, bullets were definitely not going to work with her guard up. But he confirmed she was capable of getting hurt by one.
However, while he thought of what to do Rain charged at him, her hands outstretched to grab him.
Cashel leapt above her and flipped, he pressed his foot to the walls Nd pushed off, creating a distance between them. He reached behind him where the grenadeswss and narrowed his eyes.
He held his dagger out before him, and Rain imitated him, creating her own dagger from her own fire.
They clashed, the sounds of the daggers colliding and the sharp sounds of metal burning and spraying form the heat.
Cashel parred all of her attacks while Rain was enjoying the thrill more than she imagined.
Lion face who was watching the exchange smirked behind his mask.
At that moment, Cashel pulled the pins on the flash bangs, pulled the robe from around his body and quickly dropped his dagger.
Before Rain could figure out what was going on, he used the last of the shadow step card he had bought instinctively and moved behind her. He wrapped the rope around her neck, and to himself and...
BANG!
The entire chamber was covered in white light an incredibly loud shreech sound. Rain’s agonized scream followed, but then the sound of a gunshot before her flames filled up the chamber and dispersed the light.