While Ryan wasn't allowed to see what Eric did with the blood, he knew it involved a Gifted's ability to track someone. The Government used this method many times, but always kept this particular Gifted hidden to protect them. Even August didn't know who it was.
Eric told Ryan to sit in the waiting room until he came out, but 30 minutes later, there was still no sign of him. The worst part about it was the monotony of the room he sat in. Everything in the building was made from the same strange material, a black granite-like stone that could hold its own against Gifted. Because of that, there were no plants, windows, or any decoration where Ryan was. Just some uncomfortable chairs and a few doors.
Creak.
Behind him, Eric finally came out of the room. He glanced at Ryan with his sharp blue eyes, eyes that could hold the sea.
"We've located the assassin in Fog Town. I've already approved an expedition outside with you and Corva; we'll leave immediately."
Ryan immediately stood up with a stunned look on his face.
"Are you sure taking me and Corva is the best option?"
While he couldn't directly say what he wanted to a Triarch, his message was pretty clear: I don't want to go!
Fog Town existed about 50 miles from the City, or around a 2-hour trip for them. It was a small ruined town covered in mist, ruled by a single Grade-S Abomination.
The Lagging Reaper.
This was an extremely powerful skeleton covered in a dark cloth, wielding a glowing scythe. Ryan doesn't have much experience outside the walls; the only people who do are the Triarchs. Because of this, he's only seen the Lagging Reaper in pictures. However, what this means is that it once encountered a Triarch and survived.
It could rewind a short distance back in time. For example, if it suffered an injury and used its ability, it would revert to its form before the attack. However, it had to reverse every single action it took. That means that if it rewound 5 seconds, it would end up in the same position it was 5 seconds ago.
Naturally, Ryan wanted no part of that.
"There are only two Triarchs in the City right now, including me. We cannot leave this place unprotected, so I'm forced to seek other help. On top of that, Adam is outside the walls as well."
Ryan almost rolled his eyes.
'Of course, he's their favorite...'
"I understand. I'll call Corva and get her to meet us right away."
Ryan and Corva were part of the Special Command, a group of a few Gifted who do work that others can't. This includes accompanying Triarchs outside the City.
But that doesn't mean Ryan wanted to.
A few minutes later, the three of them stood right before a massive stone gate in the City wall.
Corva, like Ryan, did not want to go on this trip either, but was forced under the command of a Triarch. Although they could refuse, it would lower their standing in the Government and revoke their access to many of the resources it provided.
At the end of the day, they were still soldiers. Soldiers fighting for humanity against ruthless Abominations.
Since vehicles were fragile and slow compared to powerful Gifted, Ryan, Corva, and Eric would have to run to Fog Town. The Government had yet to manufacture a motorized transport system that could contain its soldiers. While they did have other transportation methods through the means of Gifted abilities, these were only used on special occasions to travel to faraway continents. Something this close to the City wouldn't be too much trouble to travel on foot.
"Since you two fought directly against this assassin, you can describe his fighting style on the way there. If we encounter him, I will do most of the fighting, and you will provide backup if needed."
As the gate opened, Eric spoke without looking at them. His gaze was fixed ahead like he was living through what was to come.
"The Lagging Reaper will not discriminate against Gifted. To be honest, I don't know how he is able to survive in that place. The most logical theory would be that the Abomination has left or been killed. However, if it does show up, you two will be responsible for keeping it distracted."
Ryan and Corva shared a glance as the gate finished rising, revealing the sorry state of the outside world.
Almost every building collapsed, and rubble littered the streets, making it impossible for a normal person to walk through. One might expect this place to be crawling with Abominations, but they were rare to see near the City. Gifted would kill any Abomination within a mile of the walls as a top priority.
The three of them stepped through the gate and took in the sight while it closed behind them.
"I will lead us on the way there, try to keep up."
Eric jumped forward, clearing a large mound of debris and continuing ahead in this fashion. Corva, being the weakest physically, was still able to keep up. This made it obvious Eric wasn't traveling at his full speed.
As they kept moving, Ryan couldn't help but grimace at how he got into this situation.
'All I was supposed to do today was bring that girl to headquarters, and now I'm outside the City!'
He sighed.
'Alright, calm down. I just need to deal with that assassin; then I can go on a vacation for a while. After all, I'm with a Triarch. This may be the safest place for me right now.'
The reason Ryan wasn't too afraid of venturing outside was because of Eric. This man had a reputation for having never lost a single fight. The Triarchs never fought each other, making it hard to determine who was the strongest, but Ryan would personally choose Eric.
His eyes lowered to the sheathed sword Eric carried, a weapon with unimaginable power.
'We'll be fine.'
The group kept running at the same pace, slowly leaving the city behind. As they traveled, the ruined buildings and streets around them began to grow scarce as they entered the more rural areas. Here, there was far less destruction.
Abominations target humans, which is why populated places like cities were annihilated first. Forests and more natural areas had far less damage compared to these.
As for the chances they would run into problems on the way there, they were minimal.
There are not many Abominations around to begin with. Since they appeared with such bizarre powers, the military wasn't enough to subdue even a small number of them. This led to billions of deaths, which then lowered the chance of Abominations being created.
Even though there are still many out there, most of them near the City have been wiped out. They even fight each other sometimes.
However, there was still one more point to consider.
Other Gifted.
The public believes that all life on Earth has been eradicated outside of the City, but this is not true. Actually, Ryan assumed that there were fewer than 100 people in the City who knew of this truth.
There were other civilizations scattered across the world, surviving similarly to the City. Granted, they were nowhere near the same scale. This was obvious considering how difficult it would be to keep such a large population a secret.
As long as a few strong Gifted were in a community, they could protect themselves and survive against Abominations.
The reason they kept this a secret was because of how Gifted portrayed themselves. These ruthless soldiers were responsible for saving lives and preserving humanity; they would be expected to save anyone outside of the City. However, the reality was much harsher than this.
Rescuing outsiders was extremely risky for many reasons. The trip there, the Abominations in or outside the group, even the Gifted themselves, were a threat. Since outside Gifted weren't used to the government, they may reveal facts that would hurt its image.
Not all Gifted were heroes.
The closest civilization to the City was Area-01, a town around 200 miles inland. Communication with them was never established, so everything they know about them is based on outside observation.
Around 4,000 people live in Area-01, at least 100 of whom are Gifted. This is a 40:1 ratio of Gifted to non-Gifted, much lower than the City! Given the sheer number of Gifted, they appear to have no trouble fighting off the Abominations. It's also unlikely that they know the City exists, since they haven't ventured far from their home. Because of this, the government is still hesitant to make official contact with them.
Besides different communities, the last thing they might encounter is a rogue Gifted. This is most likely who the assassin was, yet it is unclear why he attacked them. These individuals roam around fighting Abominations and each other, growing stronger without the need for support. While not all of them were bloodthirsty killers, Gifted like the assassin prove why being cautious is important.
'Hopefully, he is only a rogue Gifted and not part of some terrorist group. Although something like that has yet to happen, it's still possible.'
Ryan was still pondering all the different possibilities when he noticed a small change around him.
'Looks like we're almost there.'