CHAPTER 109: DISBELIEF

The voice was strained. Frantic.

Theo’s eyes sharpened. Without hesitation, he turned to the commander. "I’m heading to their location."

The commander didn’t even look up. "Negative. Hold position. That’s not our sector."

Theo didn’t wait. He broke from the group, sprinting down the hallway.

"Hey! Where are you going?!" one of the other men called out.

But Theo was already gone.

The moment he turned the corner, he activated Aero Dash, propelling himself forward with a burst of wind. The hallway blurred around him as he crossed the corridor, cutting through stairwells and slipping between crumbled walls.

He knew this wasn’t part of his orders but orders meant nothing if people were dying.

He clenched his fists.

Lexa.

The voice on the radio hadn’t said her name, but Theo knew. The moment he heard "Delta Team," something in his gut twisted. That voice, panicked, desperate, definitely belonged to one of her team. He was sure of it.

She must be in the middle of that chaos, probably trying to manage everything on her own again. That was just like her. Always prioritizing the mission. Always shielding others.

He heard gunfire in the distance, sharp bursts followed by abrupt silence. His jaw tightened.

"Dammit..."

Theo activated Flashstep, his body surging forward in a streak of blue lightning. He reappeared a few meters ahead, only to find a cluster of Meteorborn Infectees blocking the hallway to the gym.

Grotesque, twitching figures with half-melted flesh and twisted limbs hissed at the sudden flash of light.

He didn’t slow down.

The first lunged toward him with a snarl. Theo sidestepped instinctively, already raising his double-sided axe, and brought it down in a clean arc. The blade cleaved into the Infectee’s skull with a sickening crunch.

One down.

Another screeched and charged from the left. Theo pivoted, activating Pyre Burst, a wave of fire exploded outward from his core, engulfing the creature in searing flame. It howled as it burned and collapsed into a heap of ash and twitching limbs.

Two more came from behind, shrieking.

Theo didn’t even turn. He activated Chain Shock, and electricity crackled in the air. Bolts leapt from his hand, chaining between the Infectees, stunning them mid-lunge.

He turned then Silent Strike, boosted by Gale Fangs.

Wind-sharpened edges wrapped around his axe as he slashed through them both in a single, fluid spin.

Four down.

He panted once, then wiped blood off his cheek with the back of his hand. His eyes narrowed as he stared down the long hallway ahead.

The gunfire had stopped.

That silence was worse than the screaming.

Lexa.

Without hesitation, he activated Flashstep again... one, two, three times, chaining the ability until the walls blurred past him in rapid flashes of light and shadow.

And then, finally, he reached the end of the hallway.

Theo burst through the gym’s side doors and immediately ducked as a fireball exploded past his face.

Chaos. Screams. Smoke.

Inside the gym was a warzone. Screams echoed. Then a familiar voice, Lexa’s voice, barked a command from within the gym.

"Hold your line! Don’t scatter!"

Lexa’s squad was scattered behind makeshift barricades. At least two were down, dragged to cover, bleeding.

And the enemies? Three Meteorborns. MSentinel stomping through bullets like they were rubber pellets. MPyre, its molten body flaring hotter with every hit, flames licking from its arms as it hurled fire across the gym. MCrawler with elongated claws dripping infection, darting unnaturally fast from wall to wall like a spider.

And among them, like locusts, MB Infectees, at more than a dozen, snarling, fast, unpredictable. Theo’s eyes widened but only for a second.

[Ding! Main Quest Available]

Target Confirmed: MSentinel

Target Confirmed: MPyre

Target Confirmed: MCrawler

[Rewards per Meteorborn: +500 EXP, +50 Gold Coins, +Basic Loot Crate, +Contamination Sample]

[Warning: Penalty will be issued if at least one target is not eliminated within 12 hours.]

[Accept Main Quest? YES / NO]

"YES." Theo charged forward without hesitation.

"Delta Team! Reinforcement, move back to formation!" he barked.

Lexa looked up from behind cover, blood smeared on her cheek, eyes wide in disbelief. "Theo?!"

He didn’t answer.

Flashstep. He blinked right in front of MPyre, axe coated with icy blue from Cryo Mantle then slammed it down hard.

BOOM!

Steam and fire exploded as ice met flame. MPyre screamed and recoiled, molten chunks splattering off its shoulder. Theo twisted and flung a Pyre Burst to keep it back, then ducked a leaping MB Infectee and cleaved it with a backward swing.

"Fall back to the north wall!" he shouted to Lexa’s team.

A soldier hesitated, of course, he would. He was just a random recruit wearing a Class 4 uniform. He even looked at Lexa, who shouted, "Do it!"

That was when he quickly obeyed, dragging a bleeding comrade with him.

"You’re not supposed to be here," she muttered, half accusing.

Theo smirked faintly, pointing his lips to the Meteorborns and muttered, "Neither are they."

She almost laughed. Almost.

"Let’s end this."

The Meteorborn roared.

MSentinel stomped forward, charging like a bull. Theo activated Granite Skin and Immovable Stance, his body braced like stone, and when MSentinel slammed into him, the collision cracked the ground but not Theo’s footing.

He grunted, then countered with Seismic Counter, a shockwave blasting MSentinel off balance.

Then MCrawler came.

Slick, fast, and vicious, it lunged from above, claws aimed for Theo’s head.

Theo’s eyes flared. Silent Strike. He twisted just in time, his form vanishing into Shadow Step, reappearing behind the creature and drove his axe deep into its spine.

CRACK. SHRIEK.

MCrawler spasmed, slashing wildly. Theo activated Voltgeist - Chain Shock, sending volts straight into the beast’s nervous system.

MCrawler dropped, twitching and smoking.

Theo exhaled hard. Two more.

Lexa’s team had regrouped. They were laying suppressing fire now as Theo distracted the remaining two Meteorborns.

"Who the hell is clearing the gym like that-? That can’t be one person!" one of the younger recruits in Lexa’s team burst out, eyes wide with disbelief. His voice echoed over the comms, cracked with awe and panic.

From behind a shattered barricade, another recruit lifted his head and muttered, "Is that... is that a Class 1 Commander? No... I’ve never seen him before."

"No way," said the girl crouching beside him. "He’s wearing a Class 4 badge and uniform!"

Lexa stared from behind cover, heart pounding, as Theo waged war with power after power.

He wasn’t just a recruit. He was a storm.