The Celestine Incident - Ship Number Two (Part 2)
The ceiling of Ship Number Two collapsed with a thunderous crash. Panicked students screamed at the top of their lungs.
“Uwaaaaah!”
“Save us!”
In the midst of the chaos, the swordsmen drew their blades with calm precision. They planted their feet and launched themselves upward. Seeing their decisive movement, Rustilla ignited her own sword with ether.
The God of Purity and Tenacity detects a malevolent presence.
She had expected this the moment she learned a hole had been punched through the Ether Belt. Her mind was already prepared. Rustilla took a deep breath and activated her suit’s flight systems, shooting skyward.
“Hup!”
The elongated plasma blade roared as though it would pierce the heavens. A sword strike brimming with stellar energy pulverized the silver pillars into dust. The powdered debris rained down onto the students’ heads.
“Uwaaah!”
The students reflexively covered their heads. It would sting if it hit them, but it wasn’t enough to cause fatal injury. Rustilla and the swordsmen landed lightly on the floor. The students stared at her in a daze, as if they had seen a ghost.
“Oh my god.”
“Is she really a student like us?”
“Isn’t she from the elite class?”
“S-so cool…”
Rustilla scratched the back of her head and smiled awkwardly. It was the first time she had ever been praised with swords by so many people.
“Impressive. You move like a seasoned soldier.”
Isaac approached and offered genuine praise.
“Excellent reaction speed and superb improvisation. If you enlisted, you’d start at S-class at minimum.”
“Ah, thank you!”
Being acknowledged by a Great Omega-grade swordsman was no small feat. Without thinking, Rustilla snapped into a crisp salute. Isaac burst into loud laughter at the sight.
“You can save the salutes until after you enlist, kid.”
“Then can I enlist right now?”
“No. You will graduate from the academy first.”
“But Instructor, I want to keep fighting!”
Isaac shook his head.
“I acknowledge your talent, but never forget that you are still a student. If anything serious happened to any of you, we would be in deep trouble. In the worst case, every soldier here might have to take off their uniforms.”
He was teaching her the true weight a soldier must carry. A soldier’s duty was not to win, but to protect.
“Losing an avatar is acceptable. But if even one of you students dies, that is our defeat. Do not let your skill make you forget your place.”
“……”
“Remember this. Humans are social creatures.”
Rustilla’s grip tightened around her sword. It frustrated her precisely because it made sense. Convinced, she returned to the group of students.
Monsters are swarming in.
Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom!
Violent scraping sounds echoed from every direction. The very next instant, the ventilation grille burst open and white spears poured out like a waterfall. They were noticeably faster than the falling silver pillars from before. Some moved so quickly they were impossible to track with the naked eye.
S-class Transformation: <Leap>
Kwoong!
Isaac severed the necks of the spears trying to crawl free with blinding speed. His movements were so fluid they seemed like teleportation. Pillars then erupted from the floor as well—deadly horned spikes sharper than awls at their tips. Even though they moved too fast for the eye to follow, Isaac dodged them a beat ahead and sliced every last one apart.
“Wow… so that’s what an Omega-rank swordsman looks like.”
Rustilla watched in pure admiration. It seemed each pillar corresponded to a single monster, yet he was cutting them all down single-handedly. How much training would it take to reach that realm? For a brief moment, Rustilla’s entire world trembled before that distant, towering pinnacle.
“Kibel!” Isaac shouted to his adjutant. “Take the unit and escort the students down to the orbital elevator. Check on the other ships and see if communications are still functioning.”
“What about you, Captain!”
“I’ll hold this place alone. Once I confirm every student has evacuated, I’ll follow behind you.”
“Understood!”
Kibel saluted sharply and led the androids and students away. Pillars continued to rain from above or burst from below, but the EX-rank swordsmen deflected them with effortless grace.
“The elevator at the stern is wide. Even if we’re attacked, it should be relatively safe. Let’s head there.”
Kibel set off at a brisk pace. An android reached the call button first and pressed it. Moments later, the elevator that served the mid-levels arrived and its doors slid open.
Thud. Thud.
Dozens of swordsmen spilled out like broken dolls. Their pupils were cloudy, their movements lifeless. At least one limb on each was severed, and both eyeballs had been gouged out.
“N-no…!”
Kibel stumbled backward in horror. It was a brutal sight. Several students fainted on the spot. Rustilla covered her mouth with both hands as she took in the carnage. Every corpse wore purple epaulets. They were all S-class swordsmen.
“What happened to these people? Why are they dead here?” Rustilla asked Kibel.
“I-I don’t know. But I recognize a few faces. They were definitely troops we left on the surface…”
“There’s no way S-class fighters would fall this easily!”
“Exactly. Wait… unless it was an avatar…”
“We don’t have time to speculate. Let’s get these bodies out first. We still need to escape!”
Holding back her nausea, Rustilla began dragging the corpses clear. Then came a distinct snapping sensation. At first she thought it was the sound of flesh tearing and nearly retched. But that wasn’t it.
“Huh…?”
The moment she blinked, she found herself alone in a dark, gloomy space.
“This is… the lobby.”
Rustilla muttered in bewilderment.
Her sponsor constellation, Vega, sent words to steady her mind and body. Rustilla nodded and took slow, deliberate breaths. The area was dark and oppressive. She sealed her helmet and activated the infrared visor, using the faint emergency lights as waypoints.
As she advanced down the wide corridor, Vega’s voice rang out again.
She instantly ducked behind the nearest pillar. A white shape flickered in the distance. The fine hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Swallowing hard, Rustilla peeked around the column.
Far ahead, someone was facing off against a tall, pale monster.
“Eidel…?”
***
Ena-vet had vanished without a trace. And right after I dodged two attacks, an avatar appeared. Without an EX-rank swordsman guarding me, I was as helpless as rice cake without broth.
The avatar ‘Yodel’ is observing your actions.
This guy must be the second subjugation target. Its emaciated frame reminded me of Slenderman. The interesting part was how it glowed pure white.
“Feels like meeting a god,” I joked with a laugh.
It slowly raised its elongated right arm and approached.
Whoosh!
The avatar charged in an instant. It was fast. I pushed my thought acceleration to the limit and hurled myself sideways the exact moment its foot touched the ground.
Kwaaaang!
The electronic billboard behind me exploded into sparks. The concrete pillar supporting it shattered as well, shaking the entire ceiling.
“Ha. So you’re just a coward.”
The tips of its fingers grew even sharper. It was preparing its next attack.
At Cartesia’s warning I immediately ducked. A silver awl shot down from the diagonal section of the ceiling, aimed straight at my skull. I had nearly died instantly.
I continued dodging Yodel’s attacks—half through thought acceleration, half thanks to Cartesia’s guidance.
Yodel began to mutter.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
Yodel placed its long palm against the floor and bent its knees, assuming a sprinter’s stance. Sensing imminent death, I cursed and prepared to run.
I knew that. With my current physical stats I wouldn’t last more than a few minutes. The suit helped compensate, but the limit was obvious. The only thing I had going for me was my brain. No choice. I would have to unlock a tech tree I had deliberately ignored because it seemed useless.
It was a shame to spend the fron I had carefully saved up, but I had no other option.
Integrating <Thought Acceleration> and <Parallel Thinking> using 100,000 Fron.
Integration successful.
Acquired <Future Prediction (50%)>.
Due to the Incarnation trait, the skill evolves further.
Acquired <Future Prediction (100%)>!
The moment the transaction completed, white lines appeared everywhere—across the floor, walls, ceiling, and even in mid-air. Each line carried a number.
[0.8 seconds]
I dodged the first one immediately. Whoosh! The real attack followed the line’s trajectory and slammed into the spot where I had been standing a second earlier—a silver pillar.
I broke into a full sprint.
[0.5 seconds]Whoosh!
[0.7 seconds]Whoosh!
[0.6 seconds]Whoooosh!
I slipped through Yodel’s attacks with less than a second to spare each time. It wasn’t that I had become faster. My body was still slow, but now I knew exactly where every strike would land.
Yodel chased after me with terrifying speed.
[5 seconds]
From sky to floor, left to right—silver lines completely filled the lobby.
Yodel is preparing <Finale>!
I didn’t know what it was, but it was clearly an area-of-effect attack. I had to dodge it, yet there was nowhere to run. No blind spots anywhere.
[3 seconds]
The only cover was the pillars… but I doubted hiding behind one would save me.
[1 second]
Shit. I’m screwed.
The God of Wisdom and Curiosity is concerned for your life.
The God of Wisdom and Curiosity is devising a countermeasure.
There was only one thing left to do. I drew my calipers and spun around.
[0 seconds]
If I couldn’t dodge it, I would just have to block it.
And then—
Kaang!
A sharp metallic clang rang out as a golden line dropped right in front of my eyes.