"A single night is nowhere near enough to master a personal technique…"
The thought lingered in Seran's mind as they advanced.
Moving at a steady pace, the group cut through the dense vegetation pushing back against them. Eventually, they emerged into a small clearing. Beyond it, the caves loomed.
Armed men were stationed at the entrance. Armored vehicles, transport vans, and research tents filled with equipment completed the makeshift outpost.
"Halt. Identify yourselves" a guard in a gray uniform ordered, raising his rifle toward the group.
"We're the raider team assigned to clear the area" Frost replied, casually displaying her contract.
"Follow me."
Moments later, they were escorted into the encampment and guided into one of the tents. Inside, a man in his fifties—wearing a black suit utterly out of place—was finishing a call.
"Yes, the operation will begin shortly. The materials will reach our warehouses by tonight."
He ended the call and turned to face them.
"Welcome. I'm Clint Desot—the one who requested your services. I represent Ferrum Industries. On the table to my right, you'll find your advance."
He gestured lightly, then stood, swiping across his tablet.
"To proceed, you'll need to sign an NDA. We prefer to avoid anyone getting… creative ideas about sharing our methods."
Seven notifications appeared simultaneously across their devices.
The group exchanged glances, silently wondering what could possibly warrant such secrecy.
What am I getting myself into? Seran thought.
After a brief hesitation, they accepted.
"Excellent… go ahead."
Thirty-five luminescent cores, neatly arranged in a black container, were distributed among them.
Even a stalled Tower had reasons to care.
Money was one.
The more important one—absorbing them, even in stagnation, slowed aging, slightly extending one's lifespan.
Shockwave immediately absorbed his five.
"I already feel younger" he said, having long reached the end of his evolutionary path.
Far, Dune, and Frost stored theirs in their rings.
River handed his to Icarus.
"Brother… hold onto these."
The others exchanged surprised looks.
No one had ever guessed they were related.
They were too different—in bearing, in presence.
Seran chose to keep his as well.
"Now, the mission details" Clint continued. "Your objective is to eliminate all Tier 1s inside the cave system. Our sensors detected thirty-two. Roughly a hundred Tier 0s. Reliable estimate—with some margin of error."
"And their cores?" Frost asked.
"They're yours. Divide them however you like."
The group visibly relaxed.
"You'll also find Evonium deposits within the caves. That's the material we're after. My researchers will provide markers to help you locate them."
So that was the reason for the secrecy.
Evonium was used across multiple sectors—energy, weapons, advanced technology.
One kilogram could be worth up to one million Flux.
"You'll be given specialized rings to preserve its properties."
"One question," Frost said. "Why only Floor 1s for this mission?"
Clint paused for a moment before answering.
"Efficiency. Hiring even a single Floor 2 would cost two times your total fee. And if anyone here is tempted to pocket even a gram of Evonium…" he added with a thin smile, "…retrieving it won't be difficult."
Any trace of greed vanished instantly.
The implication was clear—and Ferrum's reputation did the rest.
"That's all. You may begin."
Without wasting time, the Towers collected their gear and entered the caves.
"Shockwave, Icarus—front line. Lag, River—center. Far, Dune—rear," Frost ordered, taking command effortlessly.
"Hey—what makes you think you can give me orders?" the man snapped.
"The fact that I'm the only one here at the peak of Floor 1—on the verge of Floor 2," she replied coldly.
The air temperature dropped. A thin layer of frost formed around them—a quiet display of control and power.
The man nodded, silenced.
The cave system stretched for nearly seven kilometers underground.
Ten minutes passed.
"Beep… Beep… Beep…"
The detector activated.
"Shockwave, begin extraction."
Grumbling, he stepped forward. With a single motion, the stone shifted aside under his earth affinity, revealing bluish crystals beneath.
They shimmered like stars in the darkness.
"That's at least half a kilo…" River whispered, eyes wide.
With controlled force, the stalled Tower tore the mineral from the wall, its glow reflecting in his gaze.
"Move," Frost said.
After locating two more deposits—
"Something's wrong… no Evox so far" Seran said, drawing attention.
"Lag's right. This place should be crawling with them…" Far added.
Frost stopped.
The stagnant air shifted.
A foul stench of rot and blood flooded their senses.
Weapons were drawn instantly.
Ahead, the path was littered with mutilated corpses.
"What the hell did this?" River muttered, crouching to inspect the bodies.
"Something fed on them… look at the bite marks" he said quietly.
Deeper within the caves—
Half-devoured bodies lay scattered.
A pool of blood had spread so wide it resembled a lake.
At the center of that slaughter—
Something was sleeping.
Then, suddenly—
Its eyes opened.