19:50 IST, Twentieth day, Fourth month, 3079 PV | Planet City Stelarum / Ignis Plains / Mysterious Bunker

  I enter the structure, inside the walls are all made out of a strange yellow-black material.

  The room is deceptively big, I would estimate it is maybe ten meters tall and about two hundred square meters.

  It is empty. Save for one thing.

  In the middle of the room is what appears to be a large spiral staircase, descending down into who knows what.

  Well, I don't have any other choices so I descend down the stairwell.

  In order to prevent myself from being sneak-attacked, I deploy a field of raw inae. Just as I have used in the past, except this time I am using it to monitor things in my environment. It's not very precise, but It should give me decent warning of any invisible presences.

  I descend down the steps quite slowly, but it doesn't feel like there is any danger. Strangely enough I am getting a vibe as though I am being invited in. Which just makes my internal danger assessment all the more suspicious.

  After a few dozen meters, the walls suddenly change from a bright white to a yellow color. It looks like someone took a big ol piss all over the walls. Whoever decided on this color palette needs to take a course in design.

  About one hundred meters below the surface, I reach the bottom of the stairwell.

  I am greeted by a fairly long corridor. At the end is a very ominous door. It seems to feel off. Almost as if it isn't quite there.

  As I walk through the corridor, I notice some strange inscriptions on the walls. But, they aren't ancient. This whole place is definitely pretty newly built. Otherwise we would've noticed it pretty easily in our early recon.

  I approach the door and notice some strange engravings at the top of the door. They are in human writing I believe. Some version of the eastern standard system of writing. My implants translate it, it reads:

  “Unity under one, for all eternity.”

  Totally not all creepy. It's hard not to feel like I'm in some horror flick. Oh well, I'll just be oblivious like most horror protagonists and walk into the room that is so obviously a trap.

  I place my hand upon the door. Instantly, it starts to glow with an intense energy.

  The energy is… inae? No, that can't be. The Order definitely has nothing to do with this.

  The door disappears and I am sucked inside. It closes behind me. I am greeted with a horrifying sight.

  A massive room. Column, arched ceiling, the works. The floor and ceiling are a pitch black color, while the walls are that piss-stain yellow. Kek, how I hate that color already.

  At the opposite end of the room is a massive black throne. It's comical how much it looks like something you'd find a villain sitting on. Like, the designers weren't even trying to hide the fact that these guys must be some kind of evil.

  On the throne is what appears to be a little kid in some form of power armor. I can't see their face, but they are mostly humanoid. Can't be taller than 120cm, and covered in some strange armor. It seems to have some strange energy running off of it. Making it look like it is shifting between black and yellow in chaotic patterns.

  I walk a little bit into the room, the door firmly sealing behind me, and then I notice it.

  Sitting just behind the throne is a large tube, some sort of suspended animation device.

  Inside it is Ray. Who is supercute of course.

  Thankfully it seems she is physically unharmed, or has been healed. That's good to see, I can be a bit calmer now that I know she is not in dire trouble, probably.

  The figure on the throne just looks at me. I can tell they are assessing me in some way.

  I stare back, meeting their gaze.

  Several seconds pass. I can practically cut the tension in the air with a knife.

  Eventually, the figure speaks. In a strange voice, it is one that feels very old, in sharp contrast to the small frame.

  “What an interesting specimen we have here. Kovon Ducker, age 19. 26% Vikea, 74% Human genome. Extreme affinity in all categories of inae wielding with potential indicating that this one could quickly grow to be immense. Competent with blades and quite good reaction and general combat sense. Those test dummies sure did their job well. This telemetry will be very useful.

  Records indicate a mentor bond with the entity known as Initae. Most curious indeed, only one other has ever had such a bond formed. The specimen is estimated to be of great tactical value to the cause.”

  This cannot be, this figure knows about my mixed ancestry. This must mean that they are a part of the same organization that my father is associated with. The ones that illegally interfered with humanity.

  I point my speartip at the figure and boldly ask, “Who are you? What do you want with me and Ray? Why bring us here? How do you know this information? What is this ‘cause’ that you speak of?”

  “Hmm, it is inquisitive as well. I can see why Initae would choose this one to form a mentor bond with.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  According to guidelines, I should answer any question that does not contain sensitive information. Now addressing questions.

  Who am I? I am MinorNode-734, also known as Sancter Regulus.

  What is the purpose for bringing you two here? Why, for research and acquisition of course.

  How do I possess this information? I am unsure what you mean, it is simply in the mission briefing given to me.

  The cause that you so casually belittle is the most grandest mission of all. One that shall reshape the universe in the most ideal image.

  If you have any other questions feel free to ask, combat will automatically initiate in five minutes according to protocol.”

  What the klack is going on? MinorNodes? This implies that this entity is only one in a vast network. Though it does appear to have a name, Regulus. I have no clue what the title Sancter means though.

  The fact that it seems to think of us as mere specimens is quite disturbing. Along with its vast knowledge of what I thought were very highly guarded secrets. Plus it seems to have some connection to Inae. In addition it even knows Initae’s name. I thought that only Ray and I were permitted to know her name. The craziness only gets more crazy as time goes on.

  Three minutes left. I could try to ask questions, but I feel like I won't get any good answers to my most pressing ones.

  Instead, I let the battle-calming nature of rage take over and charge.

  I move as fast as I can, covering the roughly one hundred meter distance in a moment. I even use inae to give myself a boost, since it seems that is on the table in this fight. Though, most of my wielding capacity is put into maintaining my spear and armor.

  My spearpoint impacts the position where Regulus was.

  Faster than I could even perceive, they moved and are now standing where I was, a hundred meters away.

  Well, it seems this isn't going to be nearly as easy as those ‘test dummies’ from earlier.

  Regulus starts to change, they grow much taller, now standing at exactly my height. In fact, they appear to have perfectly replicated my entire build. The technology is so creepy, it's like I'm staring into a version of myself, except this one has no face and is in some weird power armor.

  In their hand is a spear, though it isn't made out of pure inae thankfully.

  “Replication complete, fighting style replicated, implementing and creating countermeasures.” The thing called Regulus says.

  I once again move to strike.

  Yet again, just before my point impacts, they dodge out of the way. Only to hit me with an absurdly powerful hit from the butt of their spear.

  I am thrown forwards into the wall and impact it, hard. I can sense the strange metal dent as I hit it. I think I broke a rib or two.

  I manage to get myself off the wall and regain my footing. I thicken my armor, anticipating the next attack.

  I can't see them move.

  One moment they are standing in the middle of the room, the next I feel a sharp point digging into my side and throwing me away.

  I am thrown into the air and I barely manage to cushion with inae myself as I hit the ground.

  My newly-thickened armor is riddled with cracks stemming the impact point.

  Whatever that spear is made out of, it's not normal. No conventional weapon should be able to just casually pierce through pure inae plating this thick. Especially when it's imbued against melee attacks and I'm infusing it with a pretty decent amount of raw inae.

  A bit of blood trickles out of the side of my mouth. I ended up biting my cheek. I spit it out to the side. Hoping that I can redeem a bit of my shattered badassery aura.

  I struggle to get up onto my feet, the injury to my side is definitely leaking some blood. It bloody hurts.

  I quickly apply one of my few healing injections that I brought, they quickly remove the pain and promote coagulation and cellular regeneration.

  By the time I am standing on my feet again, Regulus has walked over in front of me.

  “Hmm, unfortunate. This specimen is proving to be quite a disappointing opponent. I wonder why they would send myself to deal with such a weakling.”

  “Im. Not. A. Weakling.” I manage to croak out, my voice much in contrast to my words.

  “The specimen protests its classification. I shall review the data.” several seconds pass “No errors found, specimen is found to be of the lowest combat capability. Strange, the briefing indicated that this assignment would be of at least mild danger.

  Such a shame, I won't be able to break out the true form of this vessel today.”

  I quickly act, while they are distracted with their speech. I manage to land a hit with the point of my spear, I manage to glance at their shoulder.

  The moment my spear impacts, I feel an intense pain. It is as though a million joules of energy suddenly course through me. I drop to my knees.

  My spear clatters to the floor.

  “What a fool this specimen is. For it to think that it could harm this vessel with a weapon made out of its inferior material of inae. It is obviously a complete idiot. A fool amongst fools.”

  What does it mean by that? Does its vessel somehow have some form of immunity or repulsion towards inae? How come Initae didn't inform me of that possibility?

  Their spear changes shape, now it forms into a typical longsword.

  They smack the side of my head with the flat part of the sword and I go flying once again.

  I hit the wall and my body goes limp. I'm still paralyzed and I can only watch as they slowly walk towards me. Sword coated in my blood.

  “A foolish specimen indeed. You must've foolishly thought that you stood a chance, against one such as I?

  If I were in this vessel’s true form I could crush you into a fine dust with merely a thought. My superiors could do so with barely a single neuron firing.

  I can see why that creature Initae would deign to mentor you. But unfortunately, it shall all be in vain. Your journey ends here.”

  I stare at this being, Sancter Regulus.

  My vision is starting to darken at the edges, I'm losing too much blood.

  Just behind Regulus, I can see Ray. Sitting suspended in the pod, looking as beautiful as ever.

  Regulus raises their blade up to my throat, preparing for the final blow that shall end my worthless life.

  Kaboom.

  The entire room shakes, several panels of strange metal fall off of the walls.

  A giant cloud of dust flows into the room through the area where the door was.

  After a few moments the dust clears, and someone steps through.

  Initae.

  Wearing her super snazzy combat maid uniform. Dozens of blades hovering around her, aimed to strike. She radiates a brilliant golden light. Like some sort of goddess descended from the heavens, to me, a fallen angel, disgraced and defeated.

  I guess this means my journey isn't quite over. I bet she is totally going to say ‘I told you so’.

  I'm sure that with her here, everything will be fine. So to this Regulus that stands in front of me I croak out,

  “The reinforcement has arrived. So, bring it on.”

  End of Chapter 63

  Next: Chapter 64 | Transcendent