Crash!
The rooftop shattered open beneath Cashel and Gerald, suddenly making Gerald reach out his arms subconsciously, searching for something to hold onto, while Cashel just clenched his jaw and braced himself.
At that same moment a blast of energy fired from where Andeen and her team were fighting, swallowing the noise of their fall so that the hunters never paid attention to the sudden sound.
Cashel and Gerald dropped clumsily through the ceiling of the building, through five floors, and finally into the already hollowed-out space below.
Cashel landed on both feet, not before rolling across the dusty floor to bleed off the force. Then he straightened up almost instantly and slipped the gun into his waistband as he moved into a defensive stance.
Gerald, on the other hand, landed upright. His boots slammed flat against the floor as if the fall was nothing more than a step down one staircase. He then straightened, his stern expression searching for Cashel while the small black device remained clenched in one hand.
The system screen appeared in front of Cashel’s vision as the remains of the ceiling fell through with them, raising dust.
[Target In Range.]
[Warning: Target is a high-risk individual with malicious and dangerous energy surrounding them]
[Recommendation: Immediate disengagement, lethal force authorised or Call for assistance]
Cashel furrowed his brow behind the mask. He was certain Gerald had not lifted a finger yet. The man simply stood there, his red mana still pulsing with the Mana Thread Sensing still in effect.
Cashel shifted his weight to attack first, as his opponent made no move. He could not just stand back and wait. He had other things to do.
Suddenly Gerald stretched out one hand and almost immediately Cashel felt an invisible weight on his head, pinning him in place.
His eyes widened.
He still could not sense anything strange.
And yet he felt like there was a huge anvil on his head. He tried to raise his arms, to take out his gun, but he was stuck in place.
He strained his body trying to break free, but each motion made the pressure heavier, draining the strength that the cards had given him as if the mana itself was leaking out of him. He could not see the mana threads as clearly anymore and he felt like....
’This... How is he able to affect the cards too?!’ This was one of the questions that formed in Cashel’s mind when he tried to call up his system, but he could not form the thought. It was like a lockdown had been placed on him.
"It’s a unique skill," Gerald suddenly spoke as he began making his way towards Cashel, and the black box vanished from his hands. "It’s one-time, since my asshole of a boss couldn’t for the life of him invest in better skills..."
’Another shop user... No, wait.’ Cashel’s gaze hardened.
"You still work for Eclipse?" Cashel asked. He was certain Division Commander Theo was an A-ranked hunter. Sure, the man was strong based on the records he saw, but he was certain he was not strong enough to allocate skills to others. Not like the BMM leader and definitely not as strong like Rain and they were both S ranks, maybe higher.
Ignoring his question, Gerald closed the distance casually. Before Cashel could ask another question or brace himself, the man pushed his weight into his legs, curled his fists and—
Bam!
Whoosh!
Wind shot out from his fist right behind Cashel the moment it slammed hard into Cashel’s abdomen. But he did not stop there. He grabbed Cashel’s collar just as he was about to double over and punched him hard across the face.
His cheeks split open and blood filled his mouth with the saliva that Gerald had punched from his gut, maybe a bit of the water he had drunk moments ago.
Cashel’s eyes were bloodshot as his hands moved suddenly and he gripped his abdomen. He spat out blood through the small space that formed in the gap of the mask before it sealed back, not that Gerald could see it. Then he doubled over slightly, coughing, and dropped to his knees.
"Ugh." He groaned, fighting the urge to vomit.
’What..a...Joke... the hell’s...’ he thought painfully. He could not even form proper thoughts.
He expected it would take a while for his body to be able to adapt to his new abilities, but this was just mockery.
’Good system, trash physical ability downgrade in a dungeon. Give me a fucking break,’ he cursed under his breath.
Gerald crouched in front of Cashel, making him raise his head and glare at the deputy commander. Then Gerald seized Cashel’s jaw with one hand, bringing back the pressure, and forced his masked face upwards until he was gazing deep into those now blood-red eyes.
He raised a brow. "They were blue a moment ago." He muttered inaudibly, making Cashel frown from the ache in his body and the inability to move or attack back.
"I knew you looked familiar. That body is not easy to miss, especially after she bragged about it and hid the face."
Cashel’s face twisted in annoyance, "What the hell are you talking about?"
Andeen? Brag?
Gerald glanced at Cashel’s hands and the black quartz ring on his fingers. "Cashel Altar." He dragged the name, letting it roll smoothly off his tongue, adding irritation to Cashel’s pain.
This bastard had the audacity to stalk his wife, and now he was calling his name so intimately.
If he could, he would have shuddered into a wrinkled cucumber.
"That coward did really well hiding you. I almost didn’t believe she was married and was just playing around," he chuckled softly. "To think a brat without proper home training would be picked as well. Ironic."
Cashel’s eyes narrowed. "Don’t talk about my wife like that."
Gerald scoffed. He tapped Cashel’s cheeks twice with two fingers, the way one might correct a child. "If I were you I wouldn’t have married her if I knew what she was really like."
Cashel’s frown shifted to a scowl.
This was just his first day on the field, his third...? A month hadn’t even passed since he awakened and he was already meeting someone like Gerald.
Lion face just had to give him this person to fight...as a trial!
Oh how he was exhausted from hearing this nonsense come from the mouths of people who barely knew Andeen.
And it was all because she was a public servant. He was not unfamiliar with things like this. In his past life the police, soldiers and all forms of uniformed individuals and public servants were insulted and called all sorts of things due to the state of the government.
Even in this supposed advanced world. It was even worse here because the leaders also had abilities to overpower the weak and normal people.
As much as he wanted to keep a clean and good image, he was always two steps away from ripping someone’s throat out, awakened or not.
Now there was this one before him.