BIOLOGICAL SUPERCOMPUTER SYSTEM



Marcus found himself in a dance of blades and deception with Ilsa, the Frantian soldier skilled at creating illusions, made some afterimages that confused her opponent.

Her power was based on disorientation rather than brute force, making her a difficult opponent for a straightforward guy like Marcus.

Ilsa's eyes glowed menacingly as she maintained her stance and focused her mana. Then, like ripples on a pond, the air around her began to distort. Suddenly, Marcus saw multiple versions of her. He focused but couldn't find the original despite his many attempts.

Marcus gripped his Axe tighter; his knuckles whitened. His gaze darted from one illusion of Ilsa to the next, each appearing as real as the last.

Ilsa raised her sword and lunged at him at the same time. Marcus raised his shield instinctively with his right hand and the Axe with his left. At the same time, he set up the mana barrier glowing with mana. The illusions began to circle the man.

Ilsa was a blur of movement, her afterimages mirroring her movements and amplifying her threat. Marcus was encased within his shimmering mana shield, the only barrier between him and the phantasmal onslaught, as a spectral army danced around him in a surreal ballet of deception.

Ilsa circled him with a faint smirk on her lips. "How long can you maintain that shield of yours?" she mocked, her voice eerily echoed by her duplicates. "You must be exhausted from your previous battles." Your mana is dwindling, and when it runs out, you'll be at my mercy."

Ilsa's smirk was met with a defiant grin; Marcus's gaze never left her after images. Even though his muscles ached from the long battle, and he could feel his mana reserves dwindling, he stood firm, his grip on his Axe unwavering.

"I've always been a fan of suspense," he shot back, his voice strong despite the fatigue tugging at his edges. "I guess you'll have to wait and see. But do not blame me if the ending is disappointing for you."

With a huff of annoyance, Ilsa lunged, her illusions mirroring her, a slew of strikes aimed at Marcus; only one was real, but the woman was so fast that Marcus couldn't tell where the blow came from. But he stood firm, his shield firmly in place, his confidence undiminished.

The real Frantian soldier weaved through the chaos, her sword poised for a quick strike. Marcus dropped his mana shield and swung his Axe, sure he had found the real woman.

But his blow was met with nothing but empty air; the Ilsa he had aimed at dissolving into nothingness was a mere illusion. It was a fatal mistake, a split-second miscalculation, and the true Ilsa seized the opportunity, her blade descending in a fatal arc.

A new figure entered the scene just as her sword was about to make contact. Ava, who had appeared out of the picture until now, appeared in front of Marcus like a specter, her movements swift and lethal. She blocked the downward slash intended for Marcus, her body bending with the grace of a dancer to parry the move. Then, rising behind Ilsa, her dagger, a streak of deadly metal, moved.

Before Ilsa could react, Ava's dagger slashed across the woman's throat. Ilsa's eyes widened in shock as her hands flew to her throat, her sword clattering to the ground.

Her illusions faded, and their energy source was abruptly cut off. The woman's knees buckled, crumpled to the ground, her life fading as quickly as Ava's had appeared.

Marcus stood there, his eyes wide with disbelief and relief, realizing how close he had come to death. Above all, he was grateful for Ava, his timely savior. He didn't have to say anything; his gaze said everything.

"We have two more people to kill!" Ava yelled. They then headed to Alexia, Erik, and Garrett.

***

[FRANTIAN SOLDIERS KILLED: MANA ABSORBING PROCESS STARTING.]

[0%...1%....5%...30%...70%...100%]

[MANA SUCCESSFULLY ABSORBED, STARTING CONVERTING PROCEDURE.]

[3...2...1...0]

[MANA SUCCESSFULLY CONVERTED INTO EXPERIENCE. 10989 EXPERIENCE POINTS AWARDED TO THE HOST.]

That was the message Erik received as soon as the dust settled from the battle. Garrett wiped his brow and turned to Ava, a wry grin on his face. "That was quite the entrance, Ava. Couldn't have picked a better moment."

Ava softly chuckled, scanning the surrounding area for any remaining threats. "Running away from the Frantian soldiers was no cakewalk, but I managed. Glad I came here on time."

"Ah, you are damn right!"

But that wasn't all; Alexia was also enraged. During the fight, Erik abruptly stopped using his power and went melee; this was not the issue; instead, he did not use his sword. "Erik, why did you switch to hand-to-hand combat in the middle of the fight?" she demanded accusingly.

For a brief moment, Erik let out a long sigh. "I ran out of mana, Alexia. And I didn't want the Frantian soldiers to see my blade. If they recognized it and reported back to General Becker... well, I'm sure he'd send more troops after us, and that would put Liberty Watch Village in even more danger."

There was a brief pause as the gravity of his words sank in. Alexia's brow furrowed in thought, her eyes narrowing slightly. She didn't seem convinced, but she dropped the subject. "Alright," she said finally, nodding at him. "I'll trust you on this one."

Marcus then broke the silence with an urgent voice. We should move. The journey back to the village will take a while, and we can't afford to waste any more time."

"Yeah… I'm tired, honestly, and would like to rest a little bit," Garrett said. He then turned to look at Erik, "Do you think you will have enough mana to make a shelter in a couple of hours?"

"Yes, most likely," the young man replied.

They took off, leaving the carnage of the battle behind. The toll of the battle dampened their spirits, but they also carried a sense of accomplishment and newfound resolve.

They had fought against elite Frantian soldiers and won. Not only that, but they managed to obtain the seeds of the Auburn Pine. With Erik's assistance, they were confident that the agricultural project inside the ancient underground city would be feasible.