It was now nighttime, and the group had woken up one by one, still exhausted but slightly recovered from their short rest. The artificial forest was eerily quiet, its plastic-like trees reflecting the distant glow of the city nearby. Even from where they stood, they could see the city illuminated under the dark sky. It was strangely beautiful. Massive holographic screens floated between skyscrapers, flashing advertisements in bright, shifting colors. Neon lights stretched across buildings and streets, and even at this late hour, the city looked alive and crowded.
"What do we do now?" Anthony asked, breaking the silence as he stared at the glowing skyline.
"We have to find a way to escape," Cosmic answered firmly, his eyes fixed on the city.
"How?" Adrian questioned, still holding Riley's hand.
"Maybe we should infiltrate one of their military bases, steal a spaceship, and use it to leave this planet," Cosmic replied after a moment of thought.
"That could work… but isn't that extremely risky?" Riley asked, clearly nervous.
"It is," Cosmic admitted calmly, "but it's the only real option we have."
Without wasting any more time, they took off toward the city. Adrian kept hold of Riley since she couldn't fly, slowing him down slightly, but he didn't complain. After scanning the area from above, they eventually spotted a large, heavily structured building that strongly resembled a military base.
They descended quietly and slipped inside, carefully avoiding patrol routes and surveillance points. After maneuvering through hallways and narrowly avoiding several soldiers, they finally located the hangar area filled with spaceships lined up in rows.
However, just as they were about to move forward, dozens of high-level soldiers suddenly surrounded them from every direction.
"How did they notice us?!" Adrian whispered urgently.
"I don't know. I'm sure none of us made a sound," Cosmic responded, already unsheathing his sword.
Before anyone could make the first move, a familiar figure stepped forward from behind the soldiers.
It was Lucius.
"How?! How did you escape from Noah's Box? And why are you here?!" Cosmic demanded angrily.
Lucius simply smiled. "I knew you would come here to steal a spaceship and attempt an escape. You people are far too predictable."
Flashback
Inside the grand throne room, Lucius knelt before the king, his head slightly lowered but his smile unmistakable.
"I can help you locate them," Lucius said confidently.
"Oh? And how exactly would you know where they'll go?" the king asked skeptically.
"I just know," Lucius replied smoothly. "They will likely attempt to escape using a spaceship from one of your military bases."
The king narrowed his eyes. "It's possible… but I don't trust you. The army commander will accompany you. If you attempt anything suspicious, you'll regret it."
Lucius's smile only widened.
Back to the Present
Cosmic lunged at Lucius without hesitation, swinging his sword in a powerful arc meant to cut him down instantly. But before the blade could reach its target, Andrew, the army commander, stepped in and blocked the attack with precise timing. The force of the clash echoed through the hangar. Cosmic immediately followed up with another slash, faster and sharper, yet Andrew deflected it effortlessly. Andrew countered with a swift strike of his own, and although Cosmic managed to block it, the sheer strength behind the blow launched him across the room and into a reinforced wall, cracking it on impact.
Before Cosmic could fully recover, Andrew appeared in front of him in a blur of motion and slashed downward. Cosmic barely managed to disappear in time, leaving behind a deep gash carved into the wall where he had stood. Realizing the threat Andrew posed, Cosmic focused entirely on him, knowing he had to defeat this monster alone while the others handled the high-level soldiers.
Around them, chaos erupted. Adrian, Riley, and Anthony engaged the surrounding soldiers, exchanging blows and dodging coordinated attacks. While the enemies weren't overwhelming individually, their numbers forced the trio to constantly defend and reposition, preventing them from assisting Cosmic.
Andrew seized an opening and delivered a brutal strike, slashing Cosmic from top to bottom. Blood splattered across the floor as Cosmic staggered back, clenching his teeth in pain.
"Is that all you can do? Earth must be quite weak," Andrew mocked coldly.
Out of the corner of his eye, Cosmic saw Adrian take a hit, blood trickling down his arm. Riley was visibly exhausted from repeatedly using her powers, and although Anthony was holding his ground well, they were all being delayed. Cosmic realized he had to end this immediately.
Gathering his strength, he activated his skill.
"Slash of the Cosmos."
The energy behind the attack distorted the air itself as he swung his blade. Andrew attempted to dodge, but he wasn't fast enough. The attack severed one of Andrew's arms cleanly. Andrew screamed in agony, and Cosmic took advantage of the moment, pressing forward relentlessly. Within minutes, Andrew collapsed, defeated, though Cosmic himself was bleeding and breathing heavily from his injuries.
Relieved, Cosmic turned toward the others, only to see that they had just finished defeating the remaining high-level soldiers.
"Good job! Let's head to—"
A sudden, sharp pain exploded through his body.
Cosmic looked down slowly and saw a sword piercing through his stomach. Blood dripped from the blade as he turned his head.
Lucius stood behind him.
"I think you forgot about me," Lucius said softly, smiling. "You killed Arthur like this, didn't you? I was watching."
Rage filled Cosmic's eyes. "HOW DARE YOU!"
He swung wildly at Lucius, but his movements were noticeably slower. Lucius barely dodged each strike, stepping back calmly as Cosmic's strength began to fade.
Adrian rushed to support Cosmic, catching him before he collapsed, while Anthony charged at Lucius in fury. Anthony's fist connected with devastating force, launching Lucius into a wall. In an instant, Anthony teleported in front of him and unleashed a rapid barrage of punches. However, several high-class soldiers suddenly intervened, blocking every strike in perfect coordination, forcing Anthony to retreat.
Moments later, nearly a hundred low-class soldiers flooded the hangar alongside the king himself.
"It seems you were right," the king said, clearly impressed.
Lucius stepped behind the king and bowed slightly. "Of course. I am always right."
Suddenly, all of the high-class and low-class soldiers attacked at once. Magic spells illuminated the hangar in blinding flashes while blades and fists came from every direction. The air filled with killing intent as the entire army surged forward in perfect unison, leaving no visible path of escape and barely any room to dodge.
And just as it seemed like everything was about to end…
Something happened that even Lucius had not predicted.