Free Web NovelChapter 22: Ch 22: The New Order!
Aided by the shower of armor-piercing bullets, Raidan took down the rest of the direwolves within the twenty-minute timeframe.
[ Quest Completed: The Unwanted Hero ]
[ Rewards Received: 3,000 Exp, +5 ATK, +5 AGI, +10 Mana ]
[ Level Up! ]
[ You are now Level 12. ]
[ Received 5 Unassigned Attribute Points. Can be distributed immediately. ]
After distributing the five attribute points to DEF (Defense), all of his stats rose by five points.
[ Player Name: Apollo
Level: 12 | Exp: 1,500 / 10,000
Species: Human
Titles: None
Class: Quest Originator (SSS+)
Origins: [Sun God’s Shrine]
Physical Attributes:
ATK (Attack): 49
DEF (Defense): 46
AGI (Agility): 51
Mana: 18
Skills: Fear Immunity (F-6), Cloud Step (F-7)]
His mana also increased. He could feel it moving through his body and veins.
The battlefield went quiet. The roar of the military helicopters died down. The rift closed automatically.
Raidan stood amongst the blood drained corpses, panting heavily.
Taking them down had taken quite a toll on him.
However, the soldiers saw this differently.
They saw a warrior straight out of myths and legends. The way he walked on air using [Cloud Step], and the way he stood fearless because of his [Fear Immunity] skill, had taken their breath away.
Inside the lead helicopter.
"Sir... did you actually see that? He didn’t just jump. He walked on the air. Literally stepped on nothing."
The commander seemed astonished too.
"I saw it too, Lieutenant. He tore through those monsters like they were made of paper. While our heavy artillery barely scratched them."
The smiling pilot also chimed in: "It’s like we’re watching a damn superhero movie, sir. No armor, no tactical gear, just a glowing sword and raw power. The way he stared down that pack of wolves, I can tell he wasn’t even scared."
The commander nodded.
"Superhero or not, we need to know who he is. If there are more rifts opening up, we need people like him on our side. Bring us down. Carefully. Tell the men to lower their weapons. We are not treating this man as a hostile."
The helicopter descended slowly, kicking up dust and debris around the slaughtered direwolves.
As the skids hit the asphalt, the commander slid the side door open and stepped out.
And of course, he waa followed closely by two of his top officers. They kept their rifles aimed at the ground, approaching the solitary figure standing amidst the carnage.
Raidan noticed them and stood up in alarm.
"Young man! I’m Commander Hayes, 4th Air Support Battalion." ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
Finished saying Commander Hayes extended her hand for a handshake.
Sensing no hostility, Raidan accepted it with his right hand.
"Commander."
"Young man, may I know your brave name? I’ve been in the military for thirty years. I’ve seen my fair share of wars, and I’ve seen some unnatural phenomena recently. But I have never seen a single man wipe out a threat like this. You saved our lives, and the lives of the civilians evacuating behind us."
"It’s not a big deal. I am just doing what needed to be done," Raidan replied, keeping his name deliberately unknown.
The young lieutenant stepped forward, unable to contain his curiosity:
"With all due respect, sir. You moved faster than a sports car. You even stepped on thin air! Are you... are you some kind of a superhero? Maybe some kind of secret government project?"
Raidan almost let out a laugh.
"A superhero? If only they knew he was just grinding for experience points."
He replied evenly:
"I’m not a superhero. And I don’t work for the government."
Analyzing Raidan’s posture, Commander Hayes frowned a little.
"Then who are you? How did you acquire these abilities? And what kind of sword is that? If the world is facing an apocalypse, son, we need to understand what we’re up against. We’d like you to come back to base with us for a debriefing."
Raidan immediately recognized the trap. A "debriefing" would inevitably lead to blood tests, interrogations, and confinement in a secure facility.
"I appreciate the offer, Commander. But I operate alone."
"Young hero, things are going to get a lot worse out here. We could use your help." Commander Hayes said again.
"Then you’ll need to adapt. Because normal weapons won’t cut it anymore. Good luck, Commander."
Before Hayes could utter another word, Raidan kicked off the ground.
Whoosh!
Using [Cloud Step], he bounded into the air, stepping on invisible platforms and disappearing over the rooftops of the ruined city, leaving the dumbfounded military officers staring at the empty sky.
"Commander, do you think he is a Super Hero?"
Commander Hayes couldn’t answer. Instead, he walked over to the nearest direwolf carcass, kneeling down to examine the deep lacerations left by the crimson blade.
The blood pooling on the asphalt was unnaturally dark, almost gleaming with a faint purple hue.
"Look at this, our standard 5.56 rounds didn’t even pierce the epidermis. It took a coordinated barrage of armor-piercing rounds just to distract them. But this ’Young Warrior’ cut them down like summer grass. With a sword."
The other officer, a seasoned captain who had remained silent during the encounter, stepped up beside the commander.
"Sir, the world changed the moment those colourful crystals rained down. Physics, biology, the global chain of command... it’s all fracturing. The Pentagon isn’t responding. The central government is in a state of absolute collapse. Earth isn’t just under attack, Commander. It’s evolving into something else entirely."
"If Earth is changing, then the old rules are dead, aren’t they, sir? Think about it. Weapons of mass destruction, tanks, jets... they might become obsolete overnight if these rifts keep opening. But people like that Super Soldier? They are the new currency of power."
Commander Hayes stood up and asked,
"What are you getting at, Lieutenant?"
"I’m saying we can’t just be a cleanup crew or an evacuation escort anymore. If we just sit back and rely on the old manual, the military will be wiped out by these beasts, or worse, subjugated by independent ’superheroes’ who decide they don’t want to follow the law. We need to adapt. If a civilian teenager can unlock that kind of ungodly strength, then our soldiers can too. We have the discipline, the structure, and the tactical training."
The captain agreeed as well. "He’s right, Commander. We need to secure the next rift that opens. We need to study the energy coming out of them, find out how these powers are triggered, and build an elite vanguard of our own. If the global power structure is resetting, the 4th Air Support Battalion shouldn’t just survive. We should lead the new world order."
"Yes, you’re right. Get the comms, I need to talk to the general."
