29 Book 3 Chapter 25

It was unknown whether all Nobles fought alike. Ascender's combat styles varied greatly, so it was wise to expect Nobles were the same. Ideally, it was best to have a raid composition to counter every archetype. Peter and Shenlong had the workforce and resources to accomplish this, but there was one problem. Through trial and error over the many years in the tower, the optimal raid size was determined to be fifty. Any more and things started to get troublesome.

Long ranged ascenders such as mages and rangers needed a clear line of sight to hit their target. If the boss was small and there were too many close-ranged fighters, then friendly fire was a big concern. Although unfair, the most effective strategy for raids was to have a few select close-ranged ascenders. There was much nuance, but for now, the time had come.

Nineteen Nobles still lived. Due to ascenders flooding the floor, their locations have all been found, except one. The good news ended there. Not every Noble was alone; some controlled cities in groups of two or three, while there was even one group of four. It was hard to imagine fighting four monsters with Hector's strength, but that didn't deter Jason and his allies.

Two weeks had passed after Eboni's party wipe. Since then, the world saw Nobles as invincible, with Hector's death being a fluke. That would change today.

Among the decaying corpse of what was once a vast metropolis lay a fortress, much like Hector's. Inside lived a noble named Catherine. A specter flew over the fort, giving Ebba a clear view of its defenses. By using the multi-purpose contact lenses, Peter was able to see what she did.

He thought it was so cliché how Nobles treated humans. It was almost comical. Like really, this was the best that Architect could come up with? Give the villains some complexity! Focus up. Peter reminded himself as his back pressed against the fortress wall.

"How many?" Peter asked. Rather than count himself, it was best to leave it to the best multitasker he knew.

"Around a thousand," Ebba responded within a second.

Peter flashed a grin as he switched channels, "Plan B. Wipe them out."

At Peter's command, two hundred ascenders scaled the wall, reaching the top in moments. Rangers used a skill to highlight hostile targets, then lead their squad down into the fort. Fifty feet above them, a specter followed along, invisible and soundless.

Screams of terror came from captive humans as death and destruction wove its way through the fortress. Up above, Ebba could see thousands of laser beams at any given moment. It was beautiful, yet sadly, that sight ended as Catherine's defenses fell like flies against the combined might of Shenlong and Peter's guilds.

Another change came from Peter's appreciation for the lightning shroud skill. Berserk-type skills like that weren't useful in longterm fights, but what if he split his forces into two: one focused on clearing the way, another for fighting the target. Peter's heart ached at the cost. It was expensive, nearly cutting his treasury in half, but seeing his forces mow down the robots like cattle confirmed he made the right decision.

The berserk division's overwhelming power inevitably vanished, leaving them exhausted and afflicted with heavy debuffs, unlike Peter's berserk skill, which came with no repercussions. Those were too hard to come by. But it was enough – Catherine's forces no longer existed.

"Berserk division, fall back," Peter commanded as he stood atop the wall overlooking the battlefield. Within these few short moments, the dystopian fortress was now more pleasing to the eye. Roots, rocks, and ice covered the streets, while projectiles and magical explosions scarred the buildings.

Howling came from the heart of the fortress as the division retreated. It sounded like a wolf, yet there was something artificial about it. Peter squinted at the sound, "Ebba? Got a visual?"

"One moment." Ebba paused. "Catherine is heading right for you, with four mechawolves, it seems. Ah!"

"What's wrong?" Peter asked calmly, his concern for Ebba non-existent, considering she was outside the fortress.

"Damn, she can see my specters."

"Invisibility doesn't work? Good to know." Peter commented as he swapped channels, "Strike squad, listen up. Catherine has four bodyguards – assume each one's a boss."

Peter's role here was over, so Shenlong swiftly took command, "Jason, you're tanking Catherine. Tan Qiang, Sun Kun, Finn, Wendy, handle those bodyguards. As for the others, you know which tank to follow. Advance!"

As the two hundred members of the berserk division retreated, fifty ascenders jumped from the top of the wall without regard for safety. Within moments they hit the ground, the concrete shattering beneath them as they charged forward. The division split into five squads, each lead by an ascender decked out in heavy armor.

"Contact in ten seconds," Ebba announced as another specter disintegrated.

Jason felt the ground tremble. Looking ahead, he saw four mechawolves the size of tanks come into view. Their design was incredibly intricate – silver metal weaved together to form their body, inside which blue energy pulsed as if it were alive.

Commands to split up came from behind just as Jason felt something. Two mechawolves leaped, clinging themselves to a building on each side of the street. Their chests expanded as tendrils of blue energy escaped from their mouths.

"Barriers!" Shenlong roared from behind.

Countless mana barriers sprang into existence while an enormous dome of illusory water covered the raid, created by Tank's Tsunami, the evolved form of Bulwark. As support-type ascenders enhanced the barrier's stats, two dark blue beams arrived.

When the barriers melted under the intense heat, the illusory water was enraged. Silver streaks of battle energy attacked from all directions until finally, the lasers vanished.

Without delay, Jason charged forward as the street came back into view. Sun Kun and Wendy followed, casting defensive skills just in time to block two jaws from clamping down on Jason's body. With complete confidence in his allies, Jason sped up without batting an eye. His target lay beyond.

Taking a deep breath, he clenched his illusionary divine grade sword, then used Cleave. A razor-thin line of battle energy spread out in an arc, followed by a muffled cry. Behind the mechawolf on his left stood Catherine, a woman of unimaginable beauty if not for the inch-deep cut across her face.

(Mutant Raid Boss) The 17th Artificial Intelligence, Catherine - Level 160

Health: 749,230/750,000

"You lowly hum-" An attack from the side forced her to defend. Although her hand blocked the spear, a blade covered in lightning cut into her exposed back. Shockingly, unlike with Hector, each attack left a visible wound on Catherine's body. Divine grade weapons were no joke, though unfortunately, Andy could only conjure three for a limited time as of now.

With the four mechawolves pinned down, Catherine seemed to be cosplaying as a salad. Tossed over here, then over there, she was helpless under the power of equipment. The only thing she could do was unleash a barrage of insults, though that only seemed to increase the damage she took.

After several minutes, much to her relief, the divine grade weapons vanished. Now able to fight back, she retreated a short distance and glanced around, only to find herself surrounded. Her mechawolves were far away – clearly now was no time to hold back. Looking back at her opponents, she straightened her hair and hummed, "I must be having a bad day. Playtime is over now, humans."

Much like Hector, she hovered off the ground with tendrils of energy extending from her body. Catherine's confidence soared as the suppression of energy spread out to cover Jason and his allies. She expected to see expressions of horror and despair – yet all she saw were fifty humans stretching about as if they were in a yoga class.

Catherine's brain shortcircuited. She was unable to understand why her abilities, which had controlled countless humans, were suddenly unable to function correctly. A wave of attacks soon arrived, and for the first time, she felt fear.

She didn't live to feel anything soon after.