Reborn- Apocalypse 2

by L. M. Kerr

  It was from his blood.

  ♫ In restless dreams I walked alone… ♫

  Micheal shifted again, taking in several deep breaths. His arms were raised and clenching the sides of the tub as his mouth twisted into a grimace. Small trails of blood dripped down from these arms, blood from two long, open cuts that were visible, one on each arm, just below the wrists.

  On the face of it, this was a rather horrifying sight to anyone that didn't understand what Micheal was doing.

  The first thing Micheal did after he woke up was his customary workout and cultivation routine. He alternated doing this in the evening and the morning, sometimes doing both exercises twice in the same day.

  After he warmed up for the day and ate some breakfast, he then began to prepare.

  He was well aware that today was going to be one of the most dangerous days of his existence, far more dangerous for him than anyone in the Godfather Organization expected.

  However, Micheal could not back down. He needed to know if the Hidden Truth Department's plans were possible. And, beyond that, he needed to be there in person, because he didn't trust that they would succeed without him. He was not a trusting person, especially after his return to the past.

  After his warmup, he opened up the Holy Shop and sifted through the Artifacts section. He made several purchases racking up thousands of Points, various organic ingredients that he picked out specifically.

  He then combined all of the ingredients he bought, using a small stove and a few vials.

  It was a quick process to create the recipe from his memory. Not because he was an expert, but because it was okay if his measurements and timing were not exactly perfect.

  And that was how he ended up creating a glass of Bracken Enhancement Fluid.

  Bracken Enhancement Fluid was a type of potion that researchers discovered how to create on the Second Layer. It was a potion that saw a sizable amount of popularity due to its notable effects, limited only by its cost.

  The potion, to put it simply, would greatly boost his Strength and Recovery stats. In Micheal's case, especially with his 1 Star Physique, Micheal expected it to at least double his stats.

  The potion was only effective for a single day, however.

  Even worse, the ingredients to make it cost around 21,000 Points for a single dose.

  When active, it placed a heavy burden on his body and Soul in return for its boosting effects. It was especially useful for those with a Strength stat of less than 300. Past that, its effectiveness waned.

  On the Second Layer, it gave weaker humans a chance to participate in dangerous hunts or missions and gain a large number of Points. Weaker warriors that fought in the wars with other races were fed the potion to boost their power and give them a stronger chance of survival. The potion was versatile in that almost every weak human could gain something significant from it.

  As with most things, however… that power did not come freely.

  The side effects of using Bracken Enhancement Fluid would keep a hale man in bed for a week, one's body overdrawn, overtaxed, and unable to keep up. While it was rarely fatal if properly administrated, it was possible to overdose on Bracken Enhancement Fluid, especially if used again before one was recovered.

  However, given that Micheal could regenerate with ease in this timeline, he felt confident he wouldn't have to deal with these side effects. His Soul would only need a single day's rest to recover, so for him, this potion was a huge boon.

  The potion did leave some minor damage that would remain in his Soul longer than a day, but as long as he didn't use it again within a couple of weeks, the damage would fade away.

  With all of that said, there was still one problem.

  Micheal knew of the potion. He knew the correct ingredients and a rough idea of how to make the potion. He had even drunk it before, back in the desperate times when he'd fought for survival on the Second Layer.

  He didn't, however, know the exact ratio of ingredients needed. He had never learned that before and thus couldn't access any memories of it.

  And that was extremely dangerous.

  The potion put a strain on not only his body, but also his Soul. A backlash from using the incorrect ratio of ingredients could injure his Soul due to a buildup of internal energy.

  And as of right now, Micheal had no idea if his Life Orbs would heal injuries to his Soul or not.

  The Bracken Enhancement Fluid flooded his veins with energy. The specific ingredients used reacted in a manner that drew energy from the environment into his body, using his own Ki as a conductor.

  To prevent himself from overdosing or suffering a backlash, Micheal willingly cut his arms open and allowed himself to bleed off some of the excess energy he felt trying to condense in him. He soaked in a bath to help himself relax and wash the blood away, making an environment that was both soothing and calming.

  It was grim and faintly horrifying, even for him. He had no stomach for such casual experimentation on his own body, nor for self-injury. But it also wasn't like he had much of a choice right now. This was the best option for survival.

  "Ugh…" Micheal winced out loud again, feeling as if his body was on fire. His face was flushed, his eyes bloodshot.

  At the same time, however, he felt a mighty sensation of power, as if his entire body had expanded. He felt as if he could take on the world, a rush of robust energy flying within him.

  Several more minutes passed as Micheal soaked in the tub, regulating his body bit by bit. Gradually, the overwhelming energy was beginning to settle.

  ♫ "Fools" said I, "You do not know… ♫

  ♫ Silence like a cancer grows… ♫

  In the background, the music continued to play as Micheal retained his focus. Blood continued to drip down his arms, faint bits of steam rising off of him. He felt slightly lightheaded for a little bit, but the feeling vanished quickly.

  Gradually, the new energy Micheal felt in his veins merged with his Ki and body. It was a familiar feeling, one he had felt before on the Second Layer. The energies were synchronizing and adapting to each other, molding together.

  When he finally felt that, a smile appeared on Micheal's face.

  ♫ But my words like silent raindrops fell… ♫

  Micheal looked over at his arms.

  The two long gashes had completely closed up. Micheal raised his right arm, flexing it.

  "Not bad." His smiled widened as he felt the strength within it.

  Not only was his Strength stat at, a bare minimum, doubled, he felt like it had been boosted beyond that. He had an extremely fine control of his body and was able to calculate that his Strength had increased from the 80s to around the early 210s. He had well more than doubled his stats, an increase of more than 150%.

  "Is this all because of my 1 Star Physique? Wow." Back in his previous life, the one time he used the potion it only boosted his power by around 60%. A huge increase for him, but nowhere near as potent as this.

  After assessing his boosted state, he checked his status. There was no visible change in his stat panel, something that left him unsurprised. This was a temporary buff that wouldn't register as his own power, things like this typically wouldn't show up.

  He then got out of the bathtub and cleaned up, washing away the blood. He brushed his teeth, put on some un-scented deodorant, and dressed up in his strongest Shop-made suit.

  In no time at all, he was fully kitted up. His Ashari Blade hung at his waist in its sheath, tucked in tightly. He wore his Cloud Stepping Shoes on his feet as usual, strapped in safely. He eschewed most other gear, keeping his setup relatively simple.

  "Hmm… should I take this off?" Micheal touched the Aura Nullification Necklace he wore with a slight frown as he looked at himself in the mirror.

  He wore this particular Artifact almost 24/7 these days. There were countless Abilities that could be used for tracing, hunting, or sifting through fate. It would be dangerous to leave himself exposed.

  However�
�� his purpose on this mission was to draw as many Monster Class Morenkai to himself as possible and then flee. Leaving the necklace on would interfere with that and likely extend the mission a good deal.

  "If I take it off for a brief, few seconds and then put it back on… that could probably work." He smiled as he realized something.

  Monster Class Morenkai were incredibly sensitive. Once he took the necklace off, they would be able to detect the Points value of his Abilities, the energy they would gain from killing him.

  Even with the necklace on, they would still be able to get a vague idea of how much he would be worth to kill as long as they were close to him. This was the main reason Micheal felt he would be in more danger than anyone else expected.

  His Grandmaster Sword Mastery Ability… that was an Ability that would likely be worth millions to them. It was an Ability you couldn't buy, one you could only achieve through both talent and a huge amount of work.

  The Monster Class Morenkai would flock to him like moths drawn to a flame. All he would have to do after that is flee to wherever Head Cameron was going to be situated. The distraction he, and Cameron by extension, caused would provide more than enough cover for the research team to go in and do whatever it was they needed to do.

  He nodded his head firmly, settling on the idea. Even when he put the necklace back on, he would still be chased as long as they saw him. Taking it off for a few seconds wouldn't really leave him exposed to people trying to scry him, his fate, or his past, or track him.

  "Let's do it." He had already informed Shin and Sophia what he would be up to while they were recuperating.

  It was time to go.

  He snagged the record player on his way out, storing it in his Spatial Ring, but not before it let out one last haunting line that echoed in his ears as he left his room and headed towards the Hidden Truths Department.

  ♫ And whispered…

  …in the sounds…

  …of silence ♫

  .

  Chapter 58

  "Ah, ah, ah Heron! You made it here! Good, good!" Doctor Isaiah's excited voice bounded into Micheal's ears as he walked into the agreed-upon meeting room.

  The doctor was standing in a full white lab coat, wearing a simple set of tan pants and a white shirt underneath. He was carrying a large stack of papers in his hands, balancing them as he walked across the room.

  Micheal smiled and waved at the doctor as he took the rest of the room in.

  The skyscraper he was in was a skyscraper in one of the outer regions of the Godfather Organization's territory. It was a small-scale supply depot that Micheal had been surprised to learn was one of the secret bases of the Hidden Truths Department.

  There wasn't anything of value left here, but it was used as a forward operating base for when members of the Department went on expeditions.

  Micheal's ability to move around freely had jumped enormously after he became Shin's 'subordinate.' It didn't particularly bother him, he wasn't one to care about formalities, though he did find it mildly amusing.

  Shin and Micheal had worked as partners for more than a decade. Micheal had often assumed the role of leader, but as more of a first-among-equals type of deal. He was still getting used to being the full-blown leader of his small team, and now he'd already been demoted.

  He couldn't help but smile at the thought.

  He shook his head, however, as he focused back on the present.

  The room he'd entered was on the 48th floor of this skyscraper. He'd passed through a single checkpoint of guards that had been set up at the entry to the floor, barring un-allowed persons, and a checkpoint back up on the rooftop.

  The room itself was a large-sized lounge that had a variety of computers set up on two long, wooden tables. As he looked around, he could spot various graphs, a few images of a black Nest Core, and long lines of text. He made little sense of all of it.

  "Doctor." Micheal nodded at Isaiah as he replied to the man's greeting. Isaiah nodded back and then walked over to a counter where he began to stack several papers together.

  Isaiah wasn't the only person in the room. His two assistants, Doctor Rosphen and Doctor Natasha, were sitting down at a couple of computers, going over data. They didn't even look up when he entered.

  Apart from them, there was one last figure in the room, but one Micheal didn't spot at first.

  "You're looking extra energetic today lad." Micheal started as he heard a familiar voice sound off just half a dozen meters from him.

  His eye darted to the left and, upon seeing the speaker, his mouth twitched.

  Sitting upside down on the ceiling of the room, in a snug looking bean-bag, of all things, was the prestigious and powerful leader of the Godfather Organization, Head Cameron.

  "Godfather." Micheal nodded at the S Ranker, smiling internally as he continued,

  "I warmed up early today."

  Head Cameron merely shrugged, his eyes twinkling.

  The Godfather's senses were incredibly keen. He'd somehow noticed the changes in Micheal's physique despite the fact that Micheal had done nothing to indicate that he was any stronger today than he was yesterday.

  As Micheal finished replying, he fully took in Head Cameron's outfit.

  Instead of a professional-looking suit, the Godfather was wearing…

  A loose, open red Hawaiian shirt, a set of loose khaki pants, a yellow straw hat, orange sunglasses, and a pair of neon pink flip-flops.

  Micheal's mouth fell open slightly as he saw this, completely unable to reconcile his vision of a fierce warrior with this… person. He'd read the records that stated the Godfather had a caring side but…

  Head Cameron coughed slightly as he saw this.

  "Ah, today isn't an official mission. I'm on 'vacation.' Hehe, this is my cover." The Godfather shrugged.

  '…' Micheal was unable to come up with a response.

  In the background, Doctor Isaiah had been still stacking papers together. At this exact moment, as Head Cameron finished replying, Isaiah turned around and spoke aloud.

  "He-head Cameron!" The Head Researcher stuttered slightly as he gathered himself, ducking his head as he looked at Cameron.

  "I've got the full layout for your and Heron's mission here! We can go over it again with Heron, if you like!" Isaiah pulled a paper off the top of the ones he'd stacked together and brought it over. His voice was full of excitement when he spoke and as he walked, he danced back and forth, as if he could barely control himself.

  "That would be fine." Cameron waved at Isaiah to continue.

  The doctor walked over to Micheal, smiling in a friendly manner. He handed Micheal a sheet of paper.

  Micheal looked at it, memorizing its contents. A map took up half the page, while a series of numbered steps took up the other half.

  The map was of a place Micheal recognized instantly. The Towers.

  He forced down a few painful memories as he gazed at the map, and, in particular, the part of the map that was highlighted and circled.

  As he looked it over, Doctor Isaiah began to explain the plan.

  "We want to keep this mission as low-key as possible, with as few members as possible. From our testing in the past, the more people in the vicinity of the Monster Class Nest, the more things tend to get out of hand." Isaiah pointed at the map,

  "In the past, we had an expedition of around 80 men patrol the outer area and, almost out of nowhere, nearly 1,000 Morenkai swarmed them. You can imagine what a nightmare that was. The Monster Class Morenkai Nest seems to have some type of automatic defensive response to any group within its vicinity, one that seems to be based solely on numbers."

  Micheal memorized this tidbit as he heard it. Temporary Nests definitely influenced the Morenkai in the local area, but never anything at such a massive scale.

  Isaiah continued,

  "For this mission, we have two distinct teams. Team A and Team B." The Head Researcher pointed over at Rosphen, who was still looking over some graphs.
>
  "Doctor Rosphen will be accompanying the Team A, alongside a couple outer members of the Hidden Truths Department. We aren't hiding their identities because we don't trust you, but because that is our standing operating procedure for a new member like yourself." Isaiah shrugged apologetically as he said this.

  Micheal nodded, unsurprised. He'd been taken aback the first time he'd met Rosphen by the man's powerful physique, but now it made a little bit more sense. The Doctor was probably in charge of most of their fieldwork given that he could defend himself far more ably.

  He also wasn't surprised at the secrecy they showed, though he still didn't understand why they were so obsessed with it. They were the elites of the Big 3, after all. Who, on the First Layer, could truly prove to be a threat to them?

  "Alright, that sounds fine. I assume I'll be on Team B?" Micheal replied smoothly.

  "Yes, yes!" Isaiah replied cheerfully,

  "You and Head Cameron will be helming Team B!"

  Micheal blinked,

  "That's it?"

  "Yes, we thought it best to keep your numbers as low as possible." Isaiah replied seriously

  "Eh? Lad, are you doubting my mighty uh, er… what's the word… ah, might!" Cameron replied from up above, his voice booming with confidence as he rocked forward in his bean-bag like a proud ruler.

  "No, of course not." Micheal turned and glanced at the Godfather, keeping his face mostly expressionless.

  'A small team would work best. Just the two of us, though…? Well, I suppose he IS an S Ranker.' Micheal frowned internally. He had heard legends of how absurdly powerful the Big 3 S Rankers were, but never really witnessed that power firsthand.

  Each Layer had its own distinct legends, warriors that were geniuses or legends. Due to the Points Wall, these elites truly were some of the strongest humanity had to offer, going Layer by Layer. He couldn't ignore this fact, despite having climbed all the way to the Seventh Layer in the original timeline.

  On the First Layer, Head Cameron was well and truly a monster.

  "Good! Then it's decided. Explain the rest of the mission to him, Isaiah." The Godfather grinned widely as he tapped on his Spatial Ring, Instantly, a large coconut with a straw and a tiny plastic umbrella appeared. Cameron raised the coconut up and sipped on the straw, shifting back into his beanbag.