Bloodstar System: Infinite Evolution Through Beast Slaughter

Antares Command broke apart into more than a hundred combat squads and vanished into the night.

Joren sighed and sat back down on the hood of the armored vehicle.

"Kyo."

He did not turn around.

"Did everyone misunderstand me?"

Kyo lay nearby smoking. He rolled his eyes.

"And now you are complaining?"

Joren shrugged and raised his wrist.

A few quick movements across the tactical watch opened functions he had never possessed before. Now that he was Frontier Marshal, his clearance stood at the highest level.

Beep.

A holographic interface unfolded before him.

Three thousand green points filled the display, spreading outward from the stadium in every direction.

[Alkaid system connection complete.]

[Synchronizing all individual combat terminals.]

[Vital sign monitoring activated.]

[Real time coordinate tracking activated.]

Joren adjusted the settings while watching the lights disperse across the map.

"The moment any squad encounters an enemy, send me the exact coordinates and direction."

...

An abandoned shopping street lay deeper within the Fallen Zone.

The bright storefronts of the old city had long since become stretches of broken glass. Rusted signs scraped against their supports in the wind, producing a sound that set the teeth on edge.

Every step here could lead into a death trap.

"Team Three, stay sharp."

Dax kept low behind an overturned double decker bus.

He was an experienced squad leader in Antares Command, an early stage Rank Three Warrior with enough strength to be known throughout Norcrest.

His palms were still wet with sweat.

"Captain, up ahead..."

Lee swallowed and pointed toward the dark entrance of an underground station.

More than a dozen pairs of crimson eyes stared from the shadows.

Carrion Hounds.

Rank Two Voidbeasts that hunted in packs.

Individually, they were not especially powerful. What made them dangerous was their thick hide, poisonous teeth, and refusal to release prey once they had latched on.

"This is what we came for."

Dax drew a deep breath.

The Frontier Marshal’s words returned to him.

If you cannot win, run.

What concern.

What care.

The Frontier Marshal did not want them dying for nothing. He wanted to carry every danger himself.

Could they accept that?

Absolutely not.

If a handful of Rank Two dogs still required the Frontier Marshal to act personally, Antares Command might as well disband and go home to grow corn.

"Listen carefully."

Dax drew the alloy combat blade from his back.

"Do not let a single one escape."

"We will prove to the Frontier Marshal that we are not a burden."

"We will share the pressure with him."

The four soldiers behind him had trembling legs, but the same fire burned in their eyes.

"For Norcrest."

"For the Frontier Marshal."

Lee tightened both hands around his long blade.

Even if he died, he would die charging forward.

"Prepare..."

Protective force gathered around Dax as he lifted his weapon.

The squad looked ready to face an army rather than a dozen dogs.

The Carrion Hounds had noticed them as well. Low growls rose from the station entrance as the beasts crouched to spring.

The clash was about to begin.

Dax opened his mouth to give the order.

Buzz.

Something passed through the air with a sound no louder than a mosquito near the ear.

The largest Carrion Hound opened its jaws to howl.

Its head fell off.

Dax froze with his blade still raised.

Before he could process what had happened, transparent ripples flashed through the street.

Whistle.

Whistle.

Whistle.

The remaining hounds collapsed in neat rows, cut down like wheat before a scythe.

Thud.

Thud.

Headless bodies struck the pavement, the sound unnaturally loud in the empty street.

Lee stared at them.

His blade had not moved once.

"This..."

Dax snapped his head upward.

A black figure stood on one foot atop a streetlight several dozen meters away.

Joren’s coat moved in the night wind. Several metal fragments the size of coins rolled between his fingers, and his smile was warm enough to belong at a family gathering.

"Well done."

His voice drifted across the street.

"You found the location quickly. I will record a contribution for your squad."

Dax said nothing.

Neither did the others.

They had spent all that time building themselves up, and he had killed everything in one second.

It felt like being constipated for a week, finally getting somewhere, then having the whole thing kicked back inside.

Miserable.

Frustrating.

"Frontier Marshal..."

Dax’s voice came out dry.

"We could have handled those dogs ourselves."

"That sounds troublesome."

Joren waved the concern away.

"You are elite soldiers of Antares Command. How could I leave this kind of dirty work to you?"

"Stop standing around. There seems to be movement in the sewer over there."

"Go take a look."

He pushed off with one foot and rose like a great bird, disappearing into the night.

Dax and his squad remained among the dog corpses, staring after him.

"Captain..."

Lee spoke cautiously.

"Are we still charging?"

Dax shoved his blade back into its sheath.

"Find the next group."

"This time, move faster."

"We cannot let the Frontier Marshal beat us to them again."

...

The same thing was happening throughout the Fallen Zone.

In the southeast stood an abandoned pharmaceutical factory.

Kaia’s squad held their breath as they watched a shape lurking within the shadows ahead.

An early stage Rank Three Venom Lizard.

Poison sacs covered its body. Once ruptured, they released fumes strong enough to corrode steel.

A difficult creature to fight.

"Careful."

Kaia kept her voice low.

Sweat dampened her palm.

"Jazz, hold it from the front."

"Alar, take the high ground and aim for the eyes."

"I will lead the attack."

The orders came quickly.

This was their chance to prove themselves.

They might not compare with a monster like Joren, but they could at least avoid becoming decorations.

"On my count."

Kaia tightened her grip on the blade, her entire body drawn like a bow.

"Three."

"Two..."

Before she could say one, lightning fell from the sky.

Boom!

The bolt was as thick as a barrel and struck the Venom Lizard squarely in the head.

It never had time to scream.

A Rank Three Voidbeast that could have kept Kaia’s squad fighting for half an hour became a blackened heap of flesh in an instant.

The smell of roasted meat drifted through the factory.

Kaia remained in her charging stance.

Her blade was only halfway out of its sheath.

Awkward did not begin to describe it.

Joren jumped down from the roof of a nearby building and brushed dust from his hands.

"Good reaction."

"That thing was well hidden, but you still found it."

Kaia drew in a slow breath and forced down the urge to swing her blade at him.

She looked at the charred corpse.

Then at Joren’s innocent face.

"We could have tried fighting it."

"Too dangerous."

Joren shook his head with complete seriousness.

"What if someone got hurt?"

"That thing is poisonous."

"And what if the poison scarred your face?"

"How would you get married later?"

Kaia "..."

"Yeah, thanks for that."

"I am an Awakened Warrior, not a porcelain doll."