END Initiated...

[Beep…. YOU have killed a Hostile zombie puppet. Acquired 10 kill points]

[Beep…. YOU have killed a Hostile zombie puppet. Acquired 10 kill points]

'Huh, these things even give out system points. Interesting…' 

Obviously, it was Kiel who stood up in front of Leon. And just in the next second, Kiel grabbed hold of him and ran to a little distance away in front of Leon's teammates. Leon felt like he was being carried like some commodity.

"Leon!" "Leon are you ok?"

"Hmm, I am alright!"

Leon was already surrounded by kids worrying about his welfare. Kiel wondered how did this fella get so involved with these kids.

"Thanks for saving me."

Kiel was in the midst of a thought and addressed so suddenly he was surprised for a bit. He could see the kids mingle with each other and some even looking at him with eyes filled with gratitude. However, his intention was never to save Leon. So he just shrugged it off.

 It was just a by-products involving three major reasons for his attack now.

First, he was feeling the ominous sensation more and more clearly now. And that made him really unsettled. So he decided that he could no longer wait.

Second, he wanted to test something as per the rules provided. If it was as he thought it to be, he may get even more survival points for this test. And Leone was an important piece in it. So he could not die now.

The last and most important reason being him wanting to test out his new training skills to find out if he had any problems with these lifeless things to ascertain his survival strategy for the later part. And from the looks of it, there wasn't any.

"What's coming?"

Being asked that question, Kiel could not provide a straight answer for that. Obviously, he himself didn't know what was coming. It was just a feeling. But he knew one thing. He shouldn't ignore this hunch.

BLAST!  BOOM!

"Damn this stone piece is not even scratched. What the hell did that girl commute it with!"

"Continue! We will break this damn door and get the f.u.c.k out of this place!"

Kiel looked around to see some guys trying to blast away the stone piece created by the earth girl as a last dit attempt? However, it seemed to be of no use. The door was amazingly durable. 

'Looks like the door is something else. No one among the coloured cards can be underestimated it seems. I wonder if my body can break that apart? Should I give it a try? Oh, I know! Azrael can you scan that door!'

[Beep… Host matter scan function for material is unavailable in this version of the upgrade]

'Huh? Oh ok' Kiel found out once he woke up from his coma that his strength now was largely different from what was previously. And after some deductions he concluded that it was still the work of his Root Chakra. It created a little problem in his rehab. However, when he tried to attack the walls of the Fort, there was not much effort. There was a little dent on the walls. And furthermore he wasn't allowed to traverse out of his room. Hence he couldn't gauge how much his strength had increased. Although he trained in it, but two weeks were likely not enough. So he had to do somethings special about it.

"It's no use. These guys don't know how powerful that earth elemental spell is." 

The way Leon talked, seemed to indicate that he knew something about the earth-girl?

"Can you walk?" Seeing that there was no point in holding the conversation with the system and procastinating, Kiel turned to Leon. 

"Oh, I can. Thanks for the help again." Leon stood up by himself but the pain from before was still there. He could only clench his teeth and suck it up for now.

"But I can't fight now much in this state. I can't be of help any longer. Only if I could bring my healing potions…"

This kid here seemed like a protagonist. He was really upset about not being able to help others. So maybe saving him was not a bad option. Maybe Kiel could get some of the protagonist luck rubbed on him? Who knows? It was worth a try.

"I was say…"

GROWL!

Leon suddenly saw a rotten arm come down straight at k Kiel from the front of the horde. They were all a little distance away from the zombies which were still not much away from the scope of the battlefield. However, this was a really sudden attack. The hand stretched out so clearly targeting Kiel from such a distance was quite strange in itself. And he didn't know how the zombie managed to achieve it. But he knew one thing- what this thing could do. 

"Watch ou…"  Just as he was about to warn Kiel, he noticed something he totally didn't expect again. Kiel directly caught the rotten arm with his left hand like he was already aware of the attack. He held out his left arm without even turning back and then pulled it forward causing the rotten arm to just tear off from the zombie itself.

GROOOOOWWWL

"Stop it! I am trying to have a conversation here."

[Beep…. YOU have killed a Hostile zombie puppet. Acquired 10 kill points]

'Oh well!'

This time Leon was a little awestruck. He saw how Kiel thrashed the zombie without any effort at all and still had that unfazed face even now. Well, he too could kill these things as their bodies were quite frail. But this was a strength at a different level. 

Direct contact! Well not directly. He could see a pair of gloves on Kiel. But that was it.  He was also someone who came into the direct contact of the lethal weapons of the zombies too. So he knew the terror of the force they contained. When he stood up for the fight, he was ready to sacrifice himself for Aida's safety. But looking now,  filled him with a hope of something else.

Kiel turned towards Leon again.  "So I was saying we should…"

"Wait before that" Leon placed his knees on the floor and looked at Kiel.

"Please help me save Aida. She is my friend! Please I beg you. I can't let another friend die on me like this."

Kiel was trying to warn everyone of the ominous vibes he was getting from this place. But he was stunned seeing Leon going on his knees and begging for the girl's life. 

Didn't Leon just meet the girl here the first time? Also he didn't see any conversations between them too. So how all of a sudden they were such friends worth even the sacrifice? Was he missing something?

"Huh? What are you doing?" 

And what was frustrating was almost all others were watching him. Mostly the group that was following him. Kiel could see he was almost standing at the forefront of the left side facing the other zombies which were currently stunned, while Astrid and Neel and the others, who were handling the right side mostly by themselves were also recovering from the stun from before.

"Please I beg you!"

"Huh? Ca-can you stop doing that first? It is making me uncomfortable." 

Seeing the kneeling Leon and all the gazes around him, Kiel felt like he was the guilty one. And the eyes of Leon signified that he would not get up as long as Kiel didn't approve his request.

"Fine fine. I will help her. Just stop the drama."

Kiel waved his hand at Leon and turned around. It was not much of a deal to save the girl to get a strong friend. And like the tales, it is better to make a friend than an enemy. It not like these thing could even hurt him?

Seeing only a few other zombies also recover up from the stun of that previous shout, Kiel knew that he wouldn't have to waste too much energy now if he took action now. Otherwise, it would be just a little more problematic. 

'The psychic attack from the now-dead girl… Wait what was her name again?...well whatever... seemed to be really effective on the everyone. Azrael take a mental note for the psychic element. Alright, let's finish this quickly.'

Watching the battlefield to get a better view, Kiel could see the zombies trying to break the rock layer on Aida. 'Wait? How could she even hold up in this state? Well, whatever not like I care. And let's see how better my strength compares against these guys in melee combat. '

Just thinking up to that Kiel activated his Gravity Manoeuvre the third time and shifted to the mass of the zombie ahead.

However to others, it looked like Kiel just disappeared and the next moment he appeared right next to the zombie. Yup, it was that fast. You can imagine the frightening speed of the mobility skill just by the fact that it didn't even take half a second to cover a 1-metre long hall. But let's leave the details for a future fight. 

The zombie much like the others didn't even get a chance to see what was coming when it suddenly saw a boy in front of his face and then nothingness. It didn't even get a chance to attack back.

'Can the zombie even feel this kick?'

And as its control over its body faded, its grip loosened. Kiel immediately grabbed the rotten hands and tore them off taking hold of Aida in her brick armour. He thought that the armour would bring rigid to his mobility however,  she was as light as a feather despite all that rock.

'Huh, even the rock girl is so light?' Kiel was bewildered for a moment there.

"Miss are thee ready for thy voyage?"

"Mmm??"

He then shifted back to his initial position the next second not giving the other zombies to react to his adventure; even not giving the girl a chance to express her d.e.s.i.r.e. 

"Phew, luckily that didn't require me to use Tranquility. Hmm… oh, there you go! Your order has arrived." 

Kiel replied with a cheeky grin as he handed the mostly-likely-to-be-dead girl-if-not-for-him, to the kids.

Leon didn't even know what to say. Even his other group members were there with open mouths. What Leon meant by help was he would be the bait for distracting the zombies, while Kiel would take the chance to free Aida from the clutches of the undead. He was expecting a fierce fight! However, what just happened didn't even give him the time to speak properly.

"Huh? Oh-that- than- thank"

"What are you mumbling there for?" 'And that was not the reaction I was expecting. At least react to the joke!"

"Aida" "Aida are you ok?" 

Leone's group swarmed Aida the next moment to help her after an initial shock. Leon also thanked Kiel one more time before going to ask if Aida was alright. Worry was written ll over his face. It seems he did know her from before, judging by his looks.

*Cough Cough*

"I am ok! *cough* Just using that mind glyph took a lot of toll on my body. I don't think I can go on much longer."

"Same for me too. I don't know how much I can hold on now. Damn this test is so hard." The others also started to complain.

"What can we do now. We can't even escape from this place much less complete the quest. Even time is ticking by… "

Kiel could see everyone was down. And although the zombies were stunned for a moment where they all had started to recover.  So not much they could do. Kiel could only throw stones at a few more zombies now. He was keeping his strength intact. 

.

.

.

"Ah damn it. What the f.u.c.k was that? It burst my ears. And what's this tremble from the outside… And what is this weird trembling in the nearby space? F.u.c.k it's giving me goosebumps! That's it I am out of here." It was Astrid shouting this time. His loud voice transmitting to everyone. He then turned around with his cheeky grin.

"You idiots! See ya all in the next phase if you survive… oh and before I go out, something is approaching. So run if you can."

That was the last line coming out of Astrid, as he gripped his hand and a blue portal opened behind him. He then stepped into it and vanished. 

'Just as I thought! Spatial Element! Azrael did you scan the energy signatures around him?'

[Negaative Host. Host needs to be near the vicinity of the energy spikes for a better scan]

"What no…" 

Astrid was fighting a large portion of the lifeless on the right side all by himself. So his disappearing opened a large hole on that side. And the kids seemed to go into despair even more. 

"F.u.c.k us. We are all going to die here. You hear me Guide? Let me out of here. I am done with this shitty test. There is no end to these things. How do you expect us to go out!"

Things were getting messier by the seconds now. The zombies were getting out of hand now with 3 fighters out.

 The left side was then also a little alright. Although Kiel was not even trying, this time he was at least killing a few zombies by throwing stones at them. At least something was worth it. But it was really fascinating. How just simple brute strength and simple stones were proving to be such a lethal combination to the zombies that even magic wasn't. One could only imagine the immense strength in those frail arms. There were immense some gulping sounds.

"Hey, guys… that's what I wanted to talk about too.  The same thing Space-Garden was shouting. I don't know. It is just a hunch. And whether you believe me or not is up to you. But I think we should get out of here soon. There is something ominous lurking here… So I am getting out of here."

"What you too? That can't be! We will all be damned here. And how will you even go out? The front door is blocked.

As Kiel didn't hide his voice deliberately as he started walking to the front door with just a big smile. 

Almost everyone near him could not visualise how that smile could match up this place? And obviously, those words brought forth a new sense of uneasiness in them. 

"Cough-cough! Ya, they are right. I would not suggest doing that. That stone is more than half a metre in thickness and it's in a highly compact state of only one type of material. It's not made from the earth here. It is a summon from another plane. *cough* Even if it is you, any force would be distributed to every corner of the wall. Unless you are able to generate enough force to break every bit of the wall, it will not budge. That's why it took such a big toll on my body. But… now that I think about it, my decision was wrong."

At the end of her sentences, her voice quietened down quite a bit. Obviously, she was feeling guilty due to her actions.

"It's not your fault Aida! It's me who should be at fault! I should be at fault. I know how powerful your spells are. I should have protected you better."

"Leon don't be like that. Although it is not possible now maybe… right if I am given a little more time to recover I can undo the wall!"

"Really?? Ok, we will do that! You hold on properly ok?" Leon looked into Aida's eyes and assured her only to see her cheeks a little red. Even the others agreed. It seemed to be the only way.

"Hmm"

"Hey, dude! We are in some deep shit here. Can you save your romance for the later? I can't handle much from this side here!"

Leon automatically ignored that retort from that greenwood guy, as Kiel would call him. Obviously, he did comply though. He turned to Kiel and thanked him again.

"Thank you, friend, for helping us out. We are in your debt. But, we really can't get out now, stay with us a little longer and we will get out of here. I promise!"

Leon was really serious. However, what he saw was a mocking grin on Kiel's face a the guy turned around.

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