Union Branch Office, Mega City I – Night Meeting.
The dimly lit conference room in the Union branch office was filled with a low but intense aura. The shadows cast by the fluorescent lights stretched on the walls, highlighting the tense expressions of the board members seated around the long, oval table.
At the head of the table sat Director Aethel, his piercing blue eyes surveying the room with a calm yet intense gaze.
Viktor Anders, a high-ranking Union officer, stood at the front of the room alongside his assistant, Celia Marlowe. Viktor’s stern expression matched the gravity of the situation, while Celia’s bright green eyes still sparkled with mischief, as they usually did.
She leaned against the wall, arms crossed, ready to contribute her insights when necessary. “Ladies and gentlemen,” Aethel began, his voice low as he spoke. “We are here to discuss the recent emergence of the sandworm. Viktor, Celia, please share your findings from the site.”
Viktor nodded, stepping forward with confidence. “Thank you, Director. As you know, our team investigated the area of the sandworm’s emergence. Unfortunately, we couldn’t pinpoint a direct cause for its return. However, we believe this emergence is forced, or at the very least, unnatural.”
The board members exchanged worried glances. Kira, a sharp-witted analyst known for her skepticism, leaned forward in her chair. “What do you mean by ‘forced’?”
Viktor continued, “Based on our previous data, while the intervals of the sandworm’s appearances have been erratic, there has always been one constant: it remains dormant for at least six years. Now, it resurfaces just three years after its last appearance. That defies our understanding of its patterns.”
Another board member, Donnel, a pragmatic strategist with a no-nonsense attitude, furrowed his brow. “And you’re suggesting that something has disturbed this cycle? What could possibly provoke a creature that has always operated outside the bounds of logic?”
Celia stepped forward, a playful smile fading as she addressed the concern. “In previous instances, the sandworm has caused far greater destruction and has remained active for longer durations. This time, it seems different-it appears irritated, perhaps even attracted to something specific. We believe the conditions of the environment or an external force may have provoked it.”
From the corner of the room, Magnus, a grizzled veteran known for his bluntness, grunted. “So, we’ve got a creature that’s been lying low, and now it’s back to wreak havoc again? What if all our previous data has been completely off? What if it’s just random chaos?”
Viktor held his ground. “I don’t think that’s the case. The destruction it caused last time was catastrophic and prolonged. This time feels… orchestrated. We sensed an energy in the area, almost like a disturbance in the mana concentration, which indicated that something attracted it.”
Hannah, the group’s environmental scientist, raised her hand. “That’s a valid point, Viktor. If something has indeed disrupted the sandworm’s dormant phase, we need to identify what it is before it escalates. The emergence itself could lead to environmental changes that we’re not prepared for.”
The director interjected, his voice cutting through the rising tension. “And what of the Reapers Guild? Have you made any connections to their sudden wipeout?”
Celia nodded, her playful demeanor shifting to one of seriousness. “That brings us to a critical finding. We believe we may have identified what wiped out the Reapers.”
Viktor’s expression darkened, and he took a moment before speaking up. “As we all know, the Reapers were by no means close to where the sandworm emerged. So, the question of what wiped out an SS-ranked team is rather disturbing. Although it took a lot of manpower, we’ve finally found the cause.”
With a flick of his wrist, a large screen hovered down from the ceiling and lit up, booting up with a soft whirring sound. The members leaned forward, curious.
Viktor continued, “While the system is booting up, I’d like to point out we were able to find pieces of the Reapers’ tech armor.”
“Luckily for us, we also found some of the chips that stored their body cam memory.” “Although the signals for the live feed were jammed during their final moments, it didn’t stop their suits from recording. Although the chips in question are damaged, so we weren’t able to obtain a full-length video, just fragments we pieced together. But what we do have is revealing.”
The screen flickered on, displaying static and distorted images at first, but then it slowly settled, causing a ripple of unease among the board members. Celia adjusted her posture, her playful demeanor suddenly becoming serious as she focused on the screen.
Donnel raised an eyebrow, he was clearly skeptical. “And what exactly is this supposed to be?”
Viktor gestured toward the screen, where a distorted image of a white and black-scaled humanoid monster could be seen. “As you can see, the visuals are fragmented, but they indicate a rapid engagement with an unknown monster. SSS-ranked.”
“I will now play the video feed.”
The feed displayed the Reapers.
SHHHHH
Rex slammed his hands into the ground, iron walls surging up around the monster. The dragon’s golden eyes glinted with annoyance.
“Do you think this can hold me?” the monster taunted.
The monster raised a clawed hand and slashed through the air.
“Void Rend!”
Golden lightning claws sliced through the iron walls. They crumbled, and the monster charged at Rex with incredible speed, tail whipping like a sword.
BOOM
A massive crater formed where the monster had stood.
Rex barely raised his iron armor in time, but the tail strike sent him crashing into a distant
boulder. freewebnσvel.cm
Kael charged at the monster, flaming sword drawn.
“### this!” he yelled, slashing at the monster’s side. The blade barely scratched the scales.
The monster swung its massive claw. Kael dodged just in time, but the claw sliced through the air, tearing off a piece of Kael’s armor.
Jin took aim with his sniper rifle, focused on the monster’s head. He fired.
BANG
The bullet hit the scales, denting but falling harmlessly.
“You’re going to have to do better than that,” the monster rumbled.
Mira darted in, glaive aimed at the monster’s legs. Her weapon struck harmlessly against the scales, and then the monster vanished, leaving dust behind.
“Where is he?” Mira wondered, looking around.
“You ### rather bold,” the monster’s voice echoed from behind her. She turned slowly.
The monster swung its tail. Mira barely avoided the attack, landing hard as the tail created a
deep trench.
Kai appeared behind the monster, daggers ready. He teleported around, searching for an
opening.
“Die, ### monster!”
“Don’t get #### of yourself, ###.”
The monster spun around, claws slashing. Kai barely teleported away, the claws missing him
by inches.
“How are you going to ##### your #### ### if you keep teleporting like a coward?” the
monster growled.
He raised his hands, summoning bolts of golden lightning.
Kai teleported frantically, but the lightning chased him, striking the ground with explosive force. One bolt grazed his side, tearing through armor and causing him to grunt.
Rex managed to recover then slammed his hands together. Iron spikes suddenly erupted from
the ground, moving as they aimed to impale the monster. The monster dodged, punching a spike, shattering it into shards.