19. Zeera

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Name: Aquila

Age: 68 | Level: 20 (Sealed)

Race: Royal Divine Eagle

Title: Eagle God’s Avatar

Attributes:

Strength: 20 | Endurance: 20

Speed: 13 | Dexterity: 12

Intelligence: 24 | Luck: 5

Sub-Attributes:

Stamina: 85/85 | MP: 240/240

Swiftness: 74 | Agility: 37

Senses: 69 | Atr Cap: 94

Attack: 115 | Defense: 80

Magic Attack: 72 | MP Regen: 1.2/min

Proficiencies:

- Flight (Lv. Max)

- Plunge (Lv. Max)

- Mana Control (Lv.7)

Magic Skills:

- Wind Magic (Lv.7) => [Tempest (T.8); Jade Rouse (T.9); Wind Blade (T.10)]

- Earth Magic (Lv.4) => [Quake (T.9); Anchor (T.10)]

Cognitive Skills (Passive):

- Far Sight (Lv.7): A vision unbothered by distance or speed. It is said that this skill allows the user to catch molecular and subsonic movements from thousands of kilometers away at its highest levels.

Spontaneous Skills (Active):

- Scan (Lv.6): The most common analytic skill provided by the System. Its biggest downside is that it cannot scan higher leveled targets and is easily countered by Hosts possessing a higher-grade skill of the same nature, Appraisal included.

- Atzpul (Lv.3): Rapid take-off. The time needed to take flight is reduced to nearly a second.

Cost: 5 Stamina

Unique or Racial Traits:

- Divine Vision: The user can see two seconds into the future and their perception range becomes 360° at any time.

- Avatar of the Eagle God: Bound to the Eagle God Statue. The Avatar is also granted accelerated recovery while close to the statue.

Note: Aquila is one of the Divine Envoys said to have been raised on a Secret Plateau of the System where the beings of divine nature captured by the yearly summons are rumored to live. This Aquila is merely a clone. Most of his attributes and skills are sealed by the System to match the Seedling Hosts’ level.

❮ ◈ ❯

“Scary stuff,” Allan remarked as they ran through the forest.

“Yes… this doesn’t look like something we can defeat in all honesty,” Flavia added.

“Yeah, also, what are these things between brackets next to the magic skills?”

“Magics,” Rakna responded shortly while vaulting over a large root.

Allan deadpanned, “Care to be a little more specific?”

“They’re stand-alone abilities. Alexa called them Sub-Magic Skills and the number between parenthesis represents their Tier. She said that these magics had their own effects as well as their own magic attack multiplicator. Before you ask, my Appraisal is too low to look at the specifics.”

“So… for all we know, that Tier 7 Magic of his, ‘Tempest’, might be able to deal 300% magic damage or something?”

“Pretty much,” Rakna nodded impassively and Allan sweatdropped.

“Dude, can we even get through his defense? At least I know I can’t. Only the ability of my gloves would be remotely able to something.”

“It’s fine. I confirmed it before, defense is a relative value. It’s not because your attack is too low that it will do nothing. At least until a certain threshold probably. Additionally, my attack is high enough,” Rakna retorted and Allan sighed in defeat.

“This is why you want allies then; I see.” Flavia nodded in understanding. “Numbers will probably give us the edge we need to fight it.”

Rakna nodded and as he circled a tree, he heard a gunshot in the distance. Pronos turned his head toward the source with a contorted face.

“What’s wrong? You don’t like the sound?” Allan asked when he noticed and the little snake hissed quietly before looking ahead again.

Rakna glanced at his pet and hummed. “He probably must have grown a dislike for it back at the research facility he was in.”

“Research…?” Flavia started. “Now that I think about it, before being taken here, you said you had an idea of where he came from, right?”

“Yes. Tell me, have you two ever heard of a project called Zeera?”

“Zeera? Can’t say I have,” Allan shook his head. “What about you, teach?”

Flavia took a contemplating expression before answering, “I have gotten wind of it. If I’m not wrong, it was a project believed to be as potentially focal as the successful manufacture of Eion Nuclear Heads. At least, that’s what my grandfather told me when he was still an active General in Aurora. I have no idea of what it actually entails.”

Rakna nodded. “Zeera is an acronym for ‘Zoomorphic Eion Encroachment of Reconstructed Acid’. A mouthful, I know. Let’s say that its main goal was to use Eion to restructure DNA in such a way that it would have the same propriety as Eion Systems.”

“Wait,” Allan spoke up. “To be sure I’m understanding this right, by Eion System, you mean the reaction of Eion Stones?”

“Correct. As you both know, more than a hundred years ago, we discovered the very first two Eion Stones and found out they produced Eion energy when close to each other. Since then, we’ve managed to replicate them to have unlimited energy wherever we wanted. My cigarette case, for example, has two miniatures stones to power up the lighter. The Zeera project took this concept even a step higher,” Rakna said while sending a look at Pronos.

“They wanted to create a biological agent capable of transforming cells into ‘Eion Poles’ and thus allow humans to borderline become superhumans with not only the ability to aliment pretty much any device imaginable by just touching it but also gain powers like inhuman strength, inhuman vitality, increased longevity, and Eion manipulation. It was said that the establishment of the Zeera project was the closest humans ever got to actual magic.”

“Wow… I guess that never happened then?” Allan remarked. “Unless there are Supermen back at home and I had no idea.”

“No, you’re right. It never happened. As stated in the name, the project only involved experiments on animals and although it worked a few times, there was a 99.9% chance for a subject to die. When it was concluded that it was impossible to better these odds, they gave up altogether. After all, no one was really willing to try and see if they were the lucky ones. Not even mentioning the still untested potential effects it could have on humans.”

“I see. So, what you’re trying to say is that Pronos is one of those survivors?” Flavia inquired.

“Yes. As provided by the System, he’s an Eion Snake. Increased physical and mental capabilities plus a very terrifying manipulation of Eion Poison,” Rakna affirmed with an unmoved face. “That’s why he must hate gunshots. The injection would sometimes cause an animal to go berserk and they would have to be put down. He must have seen some of his fellow subjects suffer that fate.”

Pronos lowered his head and almost seemed to be crying. Everyone stayed silent for a short moment for his sake.

“Still, I’m still shocked, to be honest,” Allan broke the silence with a light tone. “I would have never expected something as crazy as that might have actually been possible for humans.”

“Well, are you curious to know what inspired this project?”

“The inspiration… you say?” Flavia tilted her head.

“Yes. There was one man who got very close to be that sort of superhuman. That certain man got his chest blasted by an Eion System which accidentally and quite unbelievably, got stuck to his heart without killing him. It gave him inhuman physical and recovery abilities. But, to use that superpower, because of the weakened version of the System he got implanted, he needed an external influx of Eion that would, let’s say, kick start the engine.”

“Damn, that must have been a pretty scary guy.”

Rakna would have smirked if he could. “You’ve met him, Allan.”

“Huh?”

“You too, Flavia. You both knew him pretty well in fact.”

Flavia’s eyes widened. “There’s no way…”

“The old master was a superhuman?!” Allan exclaimed. “Holy shit, no wonder he was so damn strong for a guy over a hundred years old! I suddenly feel better about all the beatings I received…”

Rakna snorted and Flavia wryly smiled but inwardly, she was thinking hard. She stared at the back of her arguably favorite student and frowned.

‘Aurora took over 90 years ago. There is no one who doesn’t know how the organization threatened every country in the world with its monopoly over Eion nukes. But, the main factor to their success was their leader. The same man that people would call a Demon and who would appear uninvited in enemies’ houses only to leave a sea of corpses behind. Never caught, never beaten. He even once survived an explosion large enough to raze an entire building.’

She squinted her eyes. ‘Exactly like a superhuman…’ The familiar smirking face of a terrifyingly intelligent and unnaturally fit old man popped in her head. ‘It can’t be… can it?’

“Fire!” A shout pierced through their conversation and the trio stopped in their tracks. Several gunshots followed and one could hear the cries of goblins and eagles mixed in. At some point, even the sound of an explosion echoed through the forest.

Allan clicked his tongue. “Explosives too, huh? I guess the temptation was too big for mere students. Most of them probably bought firearms from the shop.”

“Well, most kids are like that,” Rakna commented.

“You speak as if you weren’t one,” Flavia jested.

“Does one need to be a woman to tell another that he is a man?”

“…sorry, I’m not sure I get what you’re trying to say.”

Rakna paused. “Never mind… Guns aside, explosives aren’t a bad idea. I should have bought some as well. Anyway, let’s head toward the fighting,” he stated and kicked the ground. At the same time, he whistled and several shadows around the forest moved.

* * *

“I hate my luck,” Leis cursed as he drew his katana and placed it back in its sheath as two goblin heads spun in the air. He then rapidly rolled on the ground to dodge a massive club swung by a massive-version of a goblin wearing leather armor.

“That makes two of us,” Leia added and tried to hit the large monster with her hammer only for it to be grabbed barehanded. “Shit,” she cursed and let go of her weapon before using it as a foothold to retreat.

“Watch out,” a calm voice announced and Leia looked over her shoulder with a scowl. An arrow then flew past her cheek and pierced the monster’s eye.

“AAARRHHHHH!” The green-skinned creature roared in pain and dropped the hammer in his hand as it began to wildly swing its weapon, smashing both goblins and a few unfortunate eagles.

“The fuck, Dan!” Leia shouted at a tree where the one who shot the arrow was perched on. “You could have killed me with that!”

“But I didn’t.”

“How is that a valid excuse?!”

“Calm down, Leilei,” the well-built man of the gang said as he lifted a shield to confront the enemy.

“Shut up, Gantt! Don’t call me, Leilei!” She shouted back before rushing back toward the monster and grabbing her hammer back while it was occupied trying to get past the shield’s defense.

Leis also sneaked behind it and attempted to slash its neck but before his blade could reach it, the oversized goblin crouched and rammed Gantt’s shield with his shoulder.

Gantt winced because of the shock that was transferred to his arm. He clicked his tongue and buried his feet in the ground. “Boss! This isn’t going anywhere!”

“He’s right! This thing’s a level 10 hobgoblin, with the armor, his defense is nearly 50!”

“I get it!” Leis replied and jumped back. “Forget about saving up, everyone! Fire!”

At his order, the whole gang fished out the firearms they had bought and fired with an uncanny proficiency for a group of students. The hobgoblin immediately crossed its arms and crouched to protect its head and heart.

“Throw the grenades!” Leis ordered and several members threw their explosives at the monster.

When the explosions occurred, they heard the hobgoblin roar before it was drowned in the sound of detonations. Soon afterward, everyone had emptied their magazines and the bullets stopped.

“I-is it over?” One member stuttered.

Leis raised an eyebrow at the cloud of smoke and after a good moment of silence, everyone started relaxing. Then, the smoke suddenly moved unnaturally and Leis shuddered. “Don’t relax! It’s not dead yet!”

Even before he could finish his sentence, the hobgoblin had already started rushing toward the closest target it could find. Leia paled as she saw the burned face of the hobgoblin charging at her and tried to lift her hammer. But she would obviously not do it in time.

“Leia!”

The second the hobgoblin was in range; she closed her eyes in fear and braced for what was about to come. But nothing of the sort happened and instead, she heard the monster roar in fury.

She opened her eyes again and the sight of two wolves gnawing onto the hobgoblin’s wrists was presented to her. Just after, a shadow leaped over the hobgoblin and landed on its head.

“Why don’t you take a nap?” She heard this shiver-inducing voice and then watched as exactly ten weird thin blade-like objects pierced the monster’s head with an audible sound of bones breaking and flesh being stabbed. The shadow jumped off from the hobgoblin’s head and landed on the ground at the same time as the corpse fell.