District 42-Chapter 218: Fearful power
Casper could sort out from where the sound was coming.
He was guessing before that the noise was being produced on top of a building; maybe the criminals doing something to end with them, but that wasn’t the case.
He realized that something was going on inside a specific building, one very big. As it seemed, it was still being constructed, so there were no people or many floors finished inside, which left Casper thinking if the criminals choose that building just because of it.
’They are at advantage on us, though. They have an entire residential zone where they could use a lot of people as hostages. If they blocked an entire building filled with Jarls, it would be two times as difficult for us to stop them. Is it possible that they are avoiding to hurt or threaten innocent people?’ The more that Casper thought about those criminals, the more confused he got.
Their actions were very strange. At times they looked to be simple robbers, in others a huge and dangerous organization filled with crazy terrorists, and, finally, good people that were trying to do something that others couldn’t comprehend.
The White warrior was starting to guess whether they were or not the wrong people there. Just the sight of them being Frelsi made him even more confused.
’The Frelsi aren’t as bad as people say...’ He remembered the words that Olaf said to him. ’If they are Frelsi, then it starts to be even more difficult to conclude.’
While he was thinking, the fight on top of the buildings continued, its intensity raising more and more.
The soldier realized that the criminals weren’t using their most dangerous technologies, nor their guns. They were only threatening the Sgails and defending themselves, retrieving every time they had a chance and changing their positions. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢
’No! They are bringing the Sgails right on top of the building from where the sounds are coming! I must stop them!’ He burst forward, not concerned with his legs anymore and using all the potential of the exoskeleton.
However, the criminals were faster and could bring the Sgails on top of the terrace they were wanting.
They had given up on fight at that point and just ran as fast as they could, jumping from that place, but this time landing on the streets.
The Sgails were on their tail and were about to do the same, but before they could, the terrace of that building exploded and a blue light burst towards the skies.
Casper looked at that scene with his eyes widened and needed to stop his rush when he was just one building away from there.
He saw that his comrades got launched into the air, some of them had part of their bodies totally carbonized. All the buildings in the surroundings shook with that powerful attack. The night was looking like day because of the intense light going up like a beacon.
That powerful laser dissipated after a while. Casper was feeling that the environment was very hot before, just like in the time he used that laser on the Third Lab, although this one was surely weaker than the other he shoot before.
’Where... Where are the Sgails? They used the Savior, right? Please, say to me that--’ He stopped to think when he saw that, in another far away building, some shadows were moving and making some noise.
The soldier, at first, thought that it could be the criminals, but seeing the pitiful scene of them trying to raise from the ground or walk with such difficulty vanished all his doubts.
’Thank goodness... Man, I was sure that they had died in that place! It’s good that they are fine, but not all of them are there, though.’
The White warrior decided to stop thinking so much and enter into action. He ran after his comrades, anxiously jumping through each building.
When he got there, the situation was as bad as he thought before.
"Oh my..." This time, he couldn’t prevent himself to just think, he needed to express himself in words.
The Sgails had parts of their bodies disintegrated. It was turned into ashes at the exact moment that the laser got them. They must have been really quick on their decision to use the Saviors, but it wasn’t enough.
Their wounds weren’t even bleeding. The same attack that ripped off their limbs or carbonized their flesh also had stopped the blood.
’That’s... That’s terrible! So, that’s what they meant when they said that fight enemies who used without hesitation all the technology they had was a completely different thing from all I needed to pass until now.’
The soldier was in shock. He had seen a lot of amazing and dangerous things in District 42 until that point. Before, he considered himself experienced enough, or wise enough, to deal with the enemies he might find on his path. However, that wasn’t the situation at all. Casper was still a baby in that world. There were a lot of unimaginable things that could threaten his life.
The only thing he could think at that time instead of worry for his comrades was the sight of himself not realizing that noise and going straight to that terrace to help the Sgails.
He probably would be dead, or as debilitated as them.
"W-White warrior!" One of them said. He seemed to be experiencing the most excruciating moment of his life right now. "Go... check the building."
Casper didn’t like to receive orders, but at that point, he wasn’t even paying attention to it. He turned his back for them and ran towards that building.
’If something happens again...’ He held a device in his hand. It was shaped like a disc and had a button on the middle of it. ’I will use the Savior before they can catch me!’
They called as "Savior" a technology that the Sgails used as a last resort to keep alive. When the button in the center of the disc was pressed, they were teleported to a random place that was in a ratio of 100 meters away from the local they were.
It was good for sudden retreats or to get out of a trap, like the one that just happened.
The White warrior got into the building, in which the terrace was completely destroyed. He went down to the streets and stealthily entered inside there.
Just as he supposed, that place was inhabited. There were no floors constituted yet. Just the walls, terrace, and first floor were finished. It was an empty building.
Casper looked above again, seeing how the roof looked from down there. The huge hole opened on it send chills to his spine. He didn’t even know at that point how the Sgails hadn’t died when such a powerful laser got them.
’It’s hard to believe that they could hold such... Such fearful power... It’s frightening how people that go against something inside here can be so dangerous. It’s not just about the criminals or Frelsis, but also the Jarls, Aesirs, Ridires, Sgails... All of them have access to the same technology that those criminals use as well.’
While thinking about it, Casper suddenly felt that he was still too tiny compared to them. He had no power at all. His contacts were still limited, and so were his equipment, his financial situation, and so on.
In that sea of powerful people, the White warrior was nothing but a grain of sand in the deepest bottom.
’I need to catch up with them as soon as possible, otherwise, I won’t just feel weak and demotivated, but I can end up dying as well.’
The soldier searched on that place for something that could bring him to know where the criminals went. As it was too dirty, he could see their footprints on the ground, but they were all messy and wouldn’t help him too much.
However, something was interesting inside the building, right in the middle and in line with the center of the roof.
It was a technology looking like a disc as well. Metal claws were fixed through its main body, curved to the center. There was a slightly blue detail on its structure as well and it seemed to be made in a hurry.
The soldier got surprised by that thing, and approached more, putting his hands on one of the metal claws and noticing that its temperature was still high. Probably they were catalysts, serving to accumulate and hold for longs periods and amount of Indigo Energy that would be liberated after some time.
Casper inspected it carefully, trying to sort out how it worked. He saw a name in the corner of that technology, and it would surely be something that could help.
He called to someone from group A and they hastily answered the call.
The soldiers seemed to be doing their best to treat the wounded.
"Hey. It’s Casper here. XZ4700 it’s the name of the thing that shot you all. It seems like a round metallic platform, similar to a disc as well, with claws and..."
The Sgail didn’t respond. Casper could hear his unsteady breath on the other side of the line, but he was silent.
