Chapter 96: Rank III Gate
"Master Abe! Where’d you guys go? And where is the vehicle?" Roy exclaimed. He felt both joy that he wasn’t actually abandoned and annoyance that the possibility existed in the first place.
But then his mentor’s words about the grey snow hit him.
"And... what did you say about turning undead?"
"Exactly as you heard."
The C-Class Executioner carried a rectangular box across his back like a bag. He entered under the opening and set it down.
"We received a warning that the Rank III Gate was about to break right after you signed in. A dark energy surge from it would have broken the APC down. Getting home will be impossible without it. They had to drive it to a safe place."
Roy looked up at the red sky, the red lightning flashes within the clouds, and the falling grey snow. He should have known it was the Rank III Gate. All the signs were right there before him, but he didn’t let himself think it.
He gulped.
"What is that?" Roy asked, pointing at the black box.
Tss~ Ch~ Chic~
The sophisticated mechanism on the box unlocked, and Roy’s tactical gear, devices, hi-tech pistol, and netherstone dagger were revealed.
Roy breathed out a sigh of relief. And without a jeer—
"Suit up."
"Tch. I know."
As Roy began to dress, Master Abraham spoke, "We will start moving immediately. The rest of the team is headed to an underground bunker to wait out the initial wave. Which is why we have to get moving fast. They are coming."
"What is coming?"
"..." The C-Class Executioner had already communicated what he had to and put his attention on his dataPad.
The screen glitched on and off as he fiddled with it. Dark energy was really the bane of the modern technological century.
Roy wore the tactical uniform over his current clothes, strapped the sheathed dagger to the back of his waist for easy access, and checked his holoRadar, proShield, and communicator.
It was a few minutes into the new day. Meaning, it had barely been two hours since he signed in.
Master Abraham spoke again, making a side comment, "And also, you will have to take more care of yourself. I am a binary clone."
Roy raised his head sharply. "You’re a WHAT?!"
"Why else did you think I carried this box? I cannot summon the original’s Array."
Now that he mentioned it, Roy noticed the face of this Master Abraham had an uncanny edge, almost like he couldn’t really show expressions on his face.
"But why will he send a mere clone instead of coming here by himself? My brother paid you five million dollars for this shit! Mr. Professor just wiggled his eyebrows at you, and you accepted his stupid mission! A Rank 3 Gate is just right there, but that dumb sample is more important than my life?! I am supposed to be training, but so far I have only been sidetracked and—"
Pa! A heavy hand struck Roy across his face. It was so fast he didn’t—
Pa! The binary clone used his backhand to land another resounding slap across Roy’s face, not even giving him enough time to process the previous one.
Roy stumbled back, holding his face and reflexively unsheathing his dagger.
"What are you going to do with that?" The clone asked calmly.
Roy clenched his teeth with deeply knitted eyebrows. He still hadn’t gained his bearings due to the impact of the slaps.
"H-How dare you hit me?! Something not even Donald would dare—"
In a rapid motion, Master Abraham punched Roy in the stomach, and as the boy reeled forward and retched, the C-Class Executioner grabbed Roy by the hair and used his knee to smash in his nose. And as Roy reeled backward as blood sprayed from his nose, the clone performed a roundhouse kick, sending Roy flying to the side and landing limply on the ground.
Roy spat blood and raised his head defiantly. The dagger had long fell off his hand, so he grabbed the pistol and pointed it at the bastard.
However, he could only find the cold blue-eyed gaze of the binary clone staring down at him.
Although he had increased his physique considerably, he was dispatched so easily by a mere clone.
"You are just a goddamn clone," Roy struggled to say and got right on his feet, still keeping the gun trained at the fake Master Abraham.
"...Then what are you waiting for? Take your shot."
"..."
Roy’s mind was clouded with rage, but he wasn’t so mad that he lost all reasoning.
He couldn’t afford to harm this clone, if he even could. That would outright cost him his life.
Master Abraham spoke, "You did not inform him that you were about to sign in, and you expect him to wait for you? Do you think he is responsible for only your life out here? If the horde got here while they waited for you, what will happen to Dr. Gretsch and Dr. Sally, who can’t fight or escape like you can?"
Roy’s hands trembled.
He was already defeated.
So then, he did what any sixteen-year-old kid with no way of expressing their intense emotions did.
He lowered his head and cried.
"Hic... hic..."
His shoulders trembled. He lowered the gun and covered his eyes.
"Goddammit. Why did— Why did he abandon me?"
The clone stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder.
However, Roy slapped it away and glared at him.
"Don’t touch me!"
"You were not abandoned, Roy." The clone maintained the distance.
But then placed his hand on Roy’s shoulder again. "He will never do that. No, I will never do that."
Roy sniffed.
"...My head hurts. And I think my nose is broken."
"Sit down. Let me take a look..."
Five minutes later, Roy had a tiny bandage above his left eye and a proper bandage across his nose.
Pat. Pat.
"Come on. Let’s go." Master Abraham’s clone offered him a handkerchief.
Roy cleaned his teary face and blew his nose into the kerchief before nodding.
"...Okay. I think I’m hungry."
The clone hung the black box on his back and voiced, "Your build is firmer now. Did you increase your body stat?"
Roy nodded, munching on a snack. "I also gained two new skills. It seems the shadow guy isn’t around us."
Master Abe nodded and handed Roy a transparent umbrella.
"The original made sure he remained in the vehicle when they drove away by using [Circle of Order] to trap all shadows inside."
"Whoa. How come that skill of yours is so broken?"
"Not precisely broken. It’s what is expected of a tier-3 skill. In addition, the more you increase your mind-soul stat, the more creativity or ’freedom’ you get in using your skills."
Roy rubbed his chin, thinking about why he still couldn’t use his 2x Multiplier skill on his eyes to see farther and better.
"...I see."
They exited the shelter and raised their umbrellas.
"Tell me about your new skills."
"They’re nothing too crazy..."
The master-student duo conversed as they traveled away from the spreading horde of... whatever came out of that gate.