The Guardian

Chapter 248: We Are Weak

Leslie breathed heavily as she finished running for several miles.

The military was very strict about training, but the emphasis they placed on her was even greater than the others.

What was more impressive and enjoyable was that the Atlantis City army had many benefits.

It wasn’t just the pay or things like that, but the quality of life during training and the excellence of the training.

They would get up early before dawn, make them run and exercise along with other physical activities until noon, then they would have lunch.

Lunch was what stood out, not only because of how delicious it could be or how well balanced it was for their hard exercise, but because of the magical energy the food contained.

It was very much in the style of the meals when she was on her internship in Africa... High magical energy meals that tasted great and helped her body, providing it with needed nutrients and a boost of energy.

With those meals she would recover faster than anyone could imagine, all to then get back to training for the entire afternoon.

The idea of ‘forcing’ the tired body was useless when magic intervened... After several sections of training, they could take a break in areas dedicated to relaxing the body.

Areas with high concentrations of magical energy made anyone’s body recover more quickly and more naturally.

This made it possible to repeat the training with no repercussions of overexertion.

The training lasted until late at night, where they slept in environments where the magical energy was high and then when they woke up they were energized to go through hell again.

This training was Spartan, but to Leslie, it reminded her of her time in Africa and while it was physical training, she knew it wasn’t to improve her body, but rather to get the recruits acclimated.

To show her how hard the training could be in just a few days.

And at this point Leslie controlled her breathing as she watched in the distance as the other recruits approached.

She wasn’t good at socializing, as many would suddenly drop out because of the wear and tear the training caused.

The city of Atlantis was a metropolis in the middle of the sea and, although there were guilds in charge of security against monsters and dungeons, those who really protected the city were the military and police forces.

The forces of the city were the best in general and that was because of the economic support to maintain the soldiers.

From good food, good rest and all that for recruits.

When all of them arrived from finishing their career, a captain approached with a serious expression.

“We believe that you have already managed to acclimatize to an intense training environment, and that is why we will now allow you the use of weapons.” The captain reported seriously and looking around at those present, he noted. “Most of the recruits in this platoon have some talent related to ‘weapons mastery’. Some are specific to some type of weapon and some are more general.”

Leslie looked at those present who were nodding. The group numbered no more than ten, but they all looked excited about what was to come.

They were young men who wished to put their ‘talent’ to use or who had just recently awakened their ‘mastery’... Talents were rare and mixed, in this sense some ‘weapon masteries’ were focused on specific weapon sets.

Shotguns, rifles and even swords... The diversity was higher than one could imagine and while not all of them end up becoming powerful individuals; they end up recruited for police or local forces.

In their case, their mastery was very general.

The talents were so diverse that the only methods of categorizing them were by function and by the development they might have... Masteries related to firearms, talents related to technology, food, martial arts, and dozens of others.

Unlike an innate ability, talents were treated as a result of external intervention... In the same way that the God of Technology made a ‘Sage’ appear.

Their functioning and explanation was a mystery, but in a world with magic, gods and supernatural things, talents were simply one of many unsolved mysteries.

Leslie followed the captain with the other excited recruits.

“We mechanics are treated in the background. Usually, people see us as weak individuals who only serve as cannon fodder... And in a way, they are right.” The captain informed getting the expressions of the recruits to change, but the man continued. “Our bodies are weaker than a fighter of lesser rank than ours, less agile and with fewer reflexes than a swordsman, with less memory and thinking ability than a mage or psionic.”

The expressions of the recruits showed no disappointment as they noticed the captain’s serious look.

“In the end, we are humans with a talent that we can only express through weapons. Weapons that depending on their quality and technology can cause scratches to some fighters.” Added the captain with a simple tone.

The group walked into a training room and then took a portal.

The captain’s words got the more novices who imagined they were now better than others to wake up from their reverie and stiffen.

Leslie couldn’t deny that difference either, without her weapon and combat armor she would be nothing... That was the sad and realistic truth.

She would only be a human with an unusable talent and perhaps a stronger than average body, but weaker than any individual of the magical type.

People, when ‘awakening’ abilities, were always disappointed when they awakened a talent and mastery... The difference with awakening the ability to use magical energy was huge, and so were the possibilities.

Leslie would have been one of them... A mastery wouldn’t change much and looking at the S and SS Ranks, the difference was obvious.

Most were of the magical and psionic type that had greater powers. It was the same if one looked at the recognized SSS ranks.

Mages, fighters, swordsmen, beast tamers and all the other professions that fell into the magical and psionic category had greater future possibilities than a weapons mastery.

Although Leslie knew there were some high-ranking individuals related to talent, the cost was higher for them.

That was what it was all about, cost.

They all walked through the portal into a large technological hallway and as they walked through, they could see researchers, scientists and soldiers heading to different areas.

Until they entered a large weapons room that made everyone stunned, even Leslie herself.

“Here you have the most modern weapon designs today that you are allowed to access. Choose at your leisure. Once you choose your weapon, the future will be limited and so will your styles.” The captain revealed and looking at the different students, he explained. “Someone who uses a shotgun will be focused on close combat. Their physical development, reflexes and reaction speed will be higher. Even their future armor will have to be heavier.”

An individual using assault weapons, such as rifles, would have a medium firing distance and focus on mobility.

Heavier weapons such as submachine guns would also change the training that was available and what they would go through, while the styles they could use would decrease.

It made sense, a soldier with a shotgun would not go far to shoot because shotguns were designed to produce greater damage in close combat... The type of weapons would define and limit their future styles when it came to fighting.

Leslie had decided long ago that it was what she wanted and that was why she searched for a sniper rifle until she found a rifle similar to hers, only with fewer modules and power.

It was light to her hands, but she knew the recoil would be problematic for bullets with higher powers.

Not only were the weapons of different types, but they were designed in different ways.

Common firearms focused on just technology, weapons that combined technology and magic and even psionics... Cosmos Enterprise with these weapons was letting it be seen that they were far ahead in technological, magical, and psionic advancement.

The captain looked at his holographic watch and when they all took their weapons, he gave a big smile.

“From now on, these weapons will be your companions. They will be with you at all times, you will sleep with them, they will care for you and keep you by your side at all times. Your weapons must suffer no damage and must be spotless at all times, understood?” ordered the captain in a loud voice.

“Yes, sir!” they all shouted in unison, falling in line.

The captain nodded and, giving a smile, touched a few buttons on his holographic clock, causing the front wall to open, revealing a window looking out into a large training arena.

“We mechanics and individuals with mastery talents are weak... No, normal people are weak, we can die from a spell of a lunatic, from the battle of some strong individual. Humans without skills in the eyes of higher-ranking individuals we are like ants. Too weak to care.” The captain said seriously and, giving a glance, he added. “But it was always this way... Before the ‘Great Cataclysm’ we humans were still weak, we could be killed by a thief’s robbery, by a gang member’s assault, by a car crash or the stray bullet in some police confrontation.”

Humans were weak, no one was denying that.

It was impossible to compare a simple human to an A-rank, as the difference was huge... And even if they compared a mechanic to a normal human, the difference would be high.

Let alone a higher ranked fighter, mage or psionic, such individuals could cause great destruction.

To a lesser extent it was the same as before the Great Cataclysm, only now the difference was greater because an S-Rank fighter could collapse a building on his own.

“We have been at a disadvantage not only now or before the Great Cataclysm but also throughout our history, but something has made it possible for us to survive... Giving us a better life and increasing our quality of life.” The captain said and looking as the entrance to the arena opened, he announced. “That is science and technology.”

Humanity would have been able to advance for most of its history because of science, technology and the ingenuity to innovate.

The Terranovians were stunned when they looked at the engineering accomplished through experience, knowledge and technology that had been developed without magic.

Earth may not have had flying cities, as told in the Terra nova stories, but they had metropolises that reached the clouds.

They hadn’t had magical creatures to fly the skies or magic itself before, but earthlings designed airplanes and helicopters capable of taking to the skies.

“If there is one thing we have in common with people without abilities, it is that we are weak, but most of all... We both depend on technology.”

Along with those words, several figures entered the arena.

Measuring from two meters upwards, they were large, heavy, metallic hulks that moved quickly.

The ‘T’ shaped helmet glowed in different totalities, managing to give a futuristic atmosphere... No, it was no longer the futuristic atmosphere, it was the present time.

Now several heavy power armors were out in the arena, testing their functions and showing greater strength.

Leslie had heard many things from her father when he worked with the Cosmos Company and one of it was that they kept a lot of technology hidden and among it was weapons technology and now she realized it was true.

Seeing those power armors that would show greater battle strength than combat armor, Leslie couldn’t deny that she was excited.

Her captain wasn’t lying about humans without abilities and they depended on technology... To protect themselves, to become strong and survive.

The reason Leslie never felt depressed about awakening a talent related to weapons mastery was because she knew that technology had a great future.

And now she realized that her thinking was not wrong.

******

*BOOM*

Nicole hit the ground with force, managing to create a small crater.

Gritting her teeth, she avoided groaning in pain, but she couldn’t get up when the damage to her body came back to her, causing tears of pain to come out.

“We players had it easy. I’ll give that to the new generation.” The person who had left her in this state said.

Emperor Victor was stretching his neck in a bored manner and, seeing Nicole looking at him, he recounted. “You know, in the time of Terra nova, we could take beatings like this when training and die trying, even though there was a transmission of pain. We were still alive.”

The players in Terra nova were immortal... As if they were ‘characters’, so while there was a transmission of pain, at the end they could revive as many times as they wished as if it were a game.

Learning in such a place was easier and more so when you added that the players could learn skills faster thanks to the game system.

Nicole tried to calm her breathing while she let her body recover by itself... The pain in her muscles, bones, nerves, and practically her whole body was high.

More pain than she had been in the entire previous year during the academy or before when she was training her fighting skills with her father.

Emperor Victor didn’t treat her like a child or a student... He turned her into a living punching bag.

Their training consisted of punching each other, or rather that man punching her... Even when he limited his strength to B-rank, it was Nicole who got beaten up.

Sure, in the middle of their sparring, she had managed to land a few blows, but that was all because Victor was advising her to move in a better way.

“That was hard training, Your Majesty.”

A soft voice rang out and Nicole felt a pleasant, comfortable sensation as a light spread through her body, helping her recover with greater speed.

She didn’t know if she’d had a broken bone, but she felt much better now.

“Thank you, Ersin.” Nicole said after getting up looking at that nice and beautiful elf who gave her a friendly smile.

Then, she started stretching to check her body for damage and where were the places that hurt the most.

The blows on her face were minor compared to the blows all over her body, in that sense Nicole noticed that Victor was holding back.

Although that was after Ersin had criticized him for fighting her like a worthy fighter... Landing blows where he could and how he could.

Nicole watched Victor and his secretary. She could tell they were close, even though Ersin seemed to maintain a professional image.

“Do you think we would be a good match?” Victor asked giving a smile as he stood next to Ersin, noticing her gaze.

“Your Majesty had better watch your image, or you will receive complaints of harassment at work.” Ersin warned seriously and with a threatening voice, she asked. “I don’t suppose you don’t want to be known as a harasser, do you?”

Her words carried enough seriousness to cause changes in Emperor Victor’s expression, but that man simply coughed and put on a serious look, as if he hadn’t said anything.

“What’s wrong?” Victor asked, looking at Nicole.

He was obviously changing the subject, getting Ersin to give a small smile, and Nicole decided to take advantage of that question.

“Why don’t you intervene with the portal?” Nicole asked and, taking a deep breath, muttered. “You’re one of the strongest individuals on Earth, an SSS rank.”

Maybe other people couldn’t get the answer they wanted from such individuals, but Nicole was in front of one and couldn’t resist.

“Why should I?” Victor asked back curiously.

“Why is it about the abyssal portal... No, now there is a rift and everything can turn into an unimaginable disaster.” Nicole answered seriously.

A rift was dangerous. Everyone agreed with that and while the battle against chaos had lessened in intensity, it still continued, and would do so until the rift was closed.

Noticing that she was speaking seriously, Victor also put on a serious expression.

“If the world enters a true apocalypse, the kind that comes without anyone knowing and the kind that endangers what is mine, then I will act.” Victor replied and, giving Nicole a look, he commented. “But I won’t be used as cannon fodder either.”

He would not participate in something to which he did not see the danger, but mainly he would not move in a direct way for something that did not enter into his interests.

Nicole could understand the first words, as Emperor Victor was never known to be a hero, on the contrary, the rumors on a public level abroad were quite infamous.

Still, she could not understand his comment.

“The other individuals in my category will do the same. Each of them is bound in different ways and limited by their different responsibilities. The King of Arabia is a bastard, but he takes his responsibility as king seriously. Director Ackermann may want to help, but his partner, the Barbegazi, is the real holy beast and the true SSS rank force.” Victor explained nonchalantly and then, looking at Nicole, added. “The others who can stand up to me are also the same, or maybe worse.”

His words caused Nicole’s expression to change.

Interests and responsibilities... Victor, as the Emperor of South America going to another continent to play hero, would not bring him benefit.

It was the same as for the other individuals of the same rank.

Perhaps they were not many humans of that rank, but in a sense, they were the same as the Holy Beasts who were of SSS rank.

The Queen of the Forest stayed in her area, the Barbegazi liked to be in Switzerland, the Holy Beast of India protected only the borders and the Holy Beast of China maintained its position in its area.

And those were just the recognized ones whose strength had been seen and not to mention the other magical beasts that liked to sleep and be in their territory.

Humans were the same in that sense, only they protected their interests and no one could force them to do anything they didn’t want to do.

Nicole could tell by the look in Victor’s eyes that he was hiding secrets that perhaps she couldn’t imagine, and most likely had his own goals to follow.

“If you want to continue living in this world and not die at a young age, you have to understand that we humans are cruel. Even if one day we get to be up to our necks in shit, there will be bastards who will think of personal interests and sacrifice anyone to achieve it... Like me.” Victor said and giving him a look, he pointed out. “And let alone those people who wish to bring you down out of envy or use you through ideals while they hide in the shadows.”

His expression was serious and his tone was heavy as he was revealing his values to her without the need to hide behind a mask of false beliefs.

Victor was the one who had sent the Queen of the North using the abyssal portals and the rift to his advantage, and it was proof that they could be in a difficult situation and profit from it.

Nicole wasn’t angry... When he promised to send an SS Rank to the portal, she hadn’t believed it and when the Queen of the North was sent, she only realized that the person she trained with wasn’t as straightforward as her fighting style showed.

“Having said all that, now referring to the abyssal portal and the rift, I can be more at ease. I may not know too much about Cardinal Auguste and the other SS ranks, but I know the strength of Duke Kristoph.” Victor said and looking at Nicole, he gave a smile and pointed. “The vampiric lineage of Cain is more terrifying than you can imagine and although Duke Kristoph seems obedient and calm once ordered to move, he can become fearsome in strength and appearance.”

******

In a meeting room, there was a heated discussion.

“No. Praying to close the abyssal portal next to the rift cannot be allowed and more so when there are earthlings on the other side.” Cardinal Najjar announced.

“Romania can no longer bear the burden of an abyssal portal and if it is necessary to pray to the Earth Gods to close it, then it must be done.” General Cocis said, and looking at those present, he added. “As for those inside... It will be a sacrifice for the greater good.”

Edward, who heard those words, felt annoyed and very angry, but unlike his mood, the room became silent... A very frightening silence.

Cardinal Najjar’s gaze was cold, but the one who managed to cause the most terror was Duke Kristoph, whose gaze carried a depth and presence that made the weak tremble.

Liam and Edward were the weakest S-rank individuals in this gathering of allied forces and both were upset.

General Cocis had come to the meeting asking to close the abyssal portal next to the rift... There was a reason for that.

Right now, Romania had managed to stabilize itself by using the ‘martyrs’ to unite its people and bring down the guilds that previously held power while managing to stop the corrupt.

While adventurer guilds were not banned, as they were necessary to maintain security, they were better regulated.

However, those in power could not make a mistake and more so now that the inhabitants were rising up supporting the idea of joining the European Union, where the regulations would be heavier than the current rulers could afford... On a personal level.

General Cocis’ petition was the representation of such interests, however, it was different now.

“They prevented reinforcements from abroad from participating in the first expedition to the abyssal portal, then they still continued to restrict reinforcements from neighboring countries and now that they have achieved no benefits and only losses, do they wish to pray to the Gods of Earth to seek help?” Duke Kristoph said, and giving a cold look that made General Cocis turn pale, he announced. “It is already too late.”

The guilds could be blamed for having power, but in a way the politicians at the time also supported them moving and even the Romanian military accepted the guilds... Hoping to gain benefits from them failing to accomplish the mission.

By restricting the military forces of neighboring countries like Russia and the European Union, but letting in Greece and the Falion Empire, it was simply in their own interests.

The European Union, after the civil war they had after the Great Cataclysm, which involved cultists who were supremacists of abilities seeking to control everything from the shadows, started to unite more strongly.

Regulations became more precise and stricter, preventing cultists in hiding from infiltrating the government.

The subsequent European war against the East, started by a lunatic, intensified the sense of unity of Europe as one, rather than as many united countries.

Some citizens wanted to be part of such unity and clearly another group did not want such a thing to happen.

In this case, it was the same.

Accepting foreign aid from countries was a weighty political issue not only because of the sovereignty of such a nation but also because of the loss of privileges for the ruling class in the face of foreign support.

That was why they accepted the church and the Falion Empire, which was not of this world and wished to maintain its image, but did not accept reinforcements from the European Union which was closer and stronger.

They did not want the support to be part of such a giant to gain more popularity among their people.

Honest nationalism, personal or international interests, in the end the causes were multiple, but it was all the same... They were rejected.

“That was because of the guilds.” General Cocis said with a subtle frown.

That was the excuse they used to hide their various interests and....

“Now it is not. Now it is a matter of you wishing to close the portal.” Duke Kristoph interjected and, giving him a hard stare, announced. “The Falion Empire will not let that happen... I will not let that happen.”

His gaze and tone were commanding, very different from before when he seemed to remain in a passive state.

People forgot him because of Duke Kristoph’s calmness, but he was the one who led the Terranovian calamities during the European-demon war.

They marked him as an SS rank, because in his human form he reached that strength, but people forgot that such an individual was a vampire.

A vampire of a lineage dedicated to battle that when transformed his strength rose and that was the case with Duke Kristoph... He was a true calamity of great strength and he proved it again when he razed most of Constanta City.

Now he was moving as a SSS rank, those who could not be commanded and had to be respected.

“I agree that sacrifices must be made, and more so when it comes to protecting the land.” Cardinal Auguste said, and looking at General Cocis, he added. “However, the Gods of Earth will not change anything and more so when the Goddess of Order and the God of Time and Space have not acted.”

With his first words, he was reminding Duke Kristoph that this was Earth and he had no right to intervene in such matters.

His last words only marked that, if two Primordial Gods had not moved to act, praying to the Gods of Earth might prove futile... After all, the difference of the Primordial Gods with the Gods of Earth was enormous, although the way to help was as well.

For Edward, Cardinal Auguste was willing to make sacrifices, but in this case, being the abyssal portal, something beyond his powers, he had to restrain himself.

“Just designate the time to begin, gather strength and prepare the assault in the best way to reduce casualties.” Cardinal Najjar announced and giving a solemn look, she added. “The Cosmos Enterprise and Atlantis City will participate in this war, and their weapons equipment will help us reduce casualties.”

Director Vincent, Cardinal Auguste and Duke Kristoph nodded in unison, leaving General Cocis with a serious look on his face, with no choice but to nod.

Was closing the abyssal portal okay?

If there was one thing Edward knew about the Earth Gods, it was that they acted in favor of the earth, always seeking the best results.

The possibility of them closing the abyssal portal was not high, but it was possible that they would move if they believed it was necessary.

Objectivity and acting, always following an objective, was what differentiated the Earth Gods from other gods who had their own opinions and interests, often selfish.

When they said goodbye, Edward approached Liam... He had met him when they went to see the abyssal portal and as they had both stayed, they had contacted each other many times.

Unlike Akira or Cesar, who went back to their respective tasks due to pressure from Cithrel, Edward and Liam had stayed.

“We are closer to taking the portal. Duke Kristoph has mentioned that supplies to avoid casualties have arrived. He also commented that the rift is more stable and will now allow them to move without problems.” Liam muttered after pulling out some drones that hid their conversation.

Now that they were also going to move, they needed to prepare... From the ritual and resources to close the rift, the security of the soldiers and the strength of the assault.

They also needed to secure the abyssal portal so that it would not become more unstable and for that, Duke Kristoph had prepared this time by designing a better spell to stabilize a bilateral portal.

What they were looking for was to prepare so that a mistake would not happen or worse... Something unexpected will lead to the ruin of their mission.

While it was very stressful to have to take longer and longer to move and take the abyssal portal, unfortunately, it was something they could do little to change.

Romania had lost a city and this time they didn’t want to have any major problems, which was why the allied forces were very cautious about moving again.

While quite a bit of money was being spent on the defense lines because of the constant attacks, now that the intensity of the waves for the monsters was being reduced, it made future assault easier.

Edward understood that if they had moved at the start, things could have become much worse because of the weakness of the dimensional barrier that could lead to the rift spreading, but his logical side clashed with his emotions... And lost completely.

“I don’t trust Cardinal Auguste... Romania has its own problems and its own very diverse interests, but I don’t like Cardinal Auguste.” Liam muttered earnestly.

His drones created a powerful barrier to protect from anyone overhearing him and it was at an admirable level, which showed that Liam was not the first time he had spoken about complex subjects.

“Do you know something?” Edward asked with a curious tone and a serious look.

He didn’t know much about Liam and that was because he hadn’t met him before, but he seemed close to Aurora and Alice.

Liam was a mechanic, but unknown to his eyes, while he was an official A rank, the real strength was of an S rank... Someone who was kept very well hidden and secret, such a person would be without a doubt, suspicious.

“Yes, but you don’t need to know that.” Liam replied and noticing Edward’s frown, he explained. “Cardinal Auguste is a man who is driven by his own will and his own beliefs, performing whatever he has to do to achieve his goal.”

His expression turned serious, further reinforcing his barriers.

“I know people like that... Damn, I’m one of those and I know how troublesome they can be.” Liam added and giving a look, he pointed. “I may be paranoid, but in the end, I don’t want to let that possibility happen.”

Edward’s expression became more serious as he listened to him.

Aurora was one of those people who did what she had to do for her goal, she was extreme and if her goals went awry, she could become terrifying... Edward, realizing that realization, had doubts about Cardinal Auguste.

However, Liam looked serious... Perhaps, he had something planned and was simply informing out of caution, or maybe something else.

Edward could not know and only stood still, lost in thought, as the young man walked away.