Codename: Freedom - Book 4 - Chapter 43

The race to the center wasn’t as simple as charging forward in as straight a line as possible. We had a job to do. I let necessity guide me. If something needed to be done, we did it. I wouldn’t let my men pass by any of the barricaded buildings without taking care of business first.

What could be considered the middle could’ve been measured in multiple ways, so when I saw Kline waiting for me atop one of the largest domed buildings in the area, I began to prepare my arguments, but quickly dropped it. If we were to go out for food I’d want to pay anyways. I’d let him have this small victory.

With a Othisi push through both my feet, I rocketed up ten feet to land on the side of the building, then skipped up the rest of the arch. Reaching the top, I directed energy into my pshield refinement belt and stepped up to stand next to Kline. We hadn’t faced many bolt casters from the enemy, but that didn’t mean they weren’t there.

He stood their arms crossed with his shield on his back. He was already smiling smugly as I joined him. “Somebody’s late,” he said.

“I wanted you to feel like you’re winning before we reach the boss mobs.”

“That’s your excuse? I thought you’d do better than that.”

“Well, if you want to get technical, I’ve calculated that my fans might find a wild beast devouring steak as fascinating as it is disturbing.”

He gave me the widest, teethy grin humanly possible.

“Don’t mind me while I chuck you off the building,” he jeered, reaching for me.

I smacked his hand aside with a push of energy.

He crouched down into a grappler’s stance.

I parroted him to fend against whatever he might throw at me.

“Good,” he said, slowly straightening. “You going to be showing off all those fancy things you’ve been working on?”

“You know it. What about you?”

“Oh, you know. I’m getting a better hang of weapon enhancing, but I’m going with what has worked for me.”

“So you’ve already given up?”

“Not a chance.”

“Gentlemen,” Destiny chimed in. “We might have a slight problem.”

“What did you find?” I asked.

“Take a look.”

A shared window appeared. The aerial view showed a small courtyard surrounded by domed buildings where hobgoblins were gathering. There were thirty-two of them at first count, and a few goblins amongst their numbers. Above their heads appeared their creature breakdown.

Hobgoblin Evolved

Atk: B

Phys: D

Psi: F

Tech: F

Def: C

Phys: D

Psi: G

Tech: F

Each and every one of them was at the same level of the boss hobgoblins we’d faced on the first day. As I considered the best approach, I then saw what Destiny had been worried about. It was the size of a normal goblin, but had blue-tinted skin. It’s psionics placed it in a whole new category of the species.

Goblin Overlord

Atk: A

Phys: D?

Psi: E

Tech: F

Def: A?

Phys: D?

Psi: E

Tech: F

“Rank E psionics? Destiny, are you sure?” I asked.

“With the current data I’ve gathered up to this point? Positive. The higher a person’s psionics rank is, the higher their body’s frequency of vibration. It’s not as easy to tell at lower ranks, but once someone reaches rank E it’s many times their natural level. And Lucius, Kline, there are three of them.”

She pointed out the three Overlords on the screen. It seemed they were acting like squad leaders to the hobgoblins, so they were spread out.

“We can’t let them join together in a defensive formation,” Kline warned.

“Yeah,” I replied. “Those definitely look like pshields they’re carrying.”

“We’ll take a straight on approach and be the anvil.”

“Then we’ll be the hammer. Once you’re in place I’ll have Barrell flank them. I’ll coming in from the rear.”

“Good. And Lucius,” he said, stopping me as I was already stepping away. “Don’t do something stupid and get yourself killed. I don’t want to have to try and enjoy my steak dinner while you’re sitting there wallowing in self-pity.”

I choked up laughing. “Funny. That’s not going to happen.”

“I’ll hold you to it.”

“Yeah, same goes for you.”

He was already scurrying down the domed building when he waved in response.

The images of what I’d seen of the Ekseliksi after the archives had been opened to me flashed through my mind. Their culture seemed like a contraction in my mind. In some ways, they were much more moderate and traditional than most Earthlings, while in others they were even more lascivious. Specifically, the ways of the Epithumia.

I believed I knew Victoria as well, if not better, than almost anyone. I would wait to make any judgement calls until after I spoke with her. There were questions that needed to be answered.

Then there was what I’d learned of the Vasileia and those rare Krato that could compete with them. Their avatars of war. Every time I thought of them, I couldn’t help but to be reminded of Achilles. He was the one person I was sure would’ve reached their level whether he hand rank C psionics or not. If he’d only been born Ekseliksi and not on Earth. I had beaten him, but only after my psionics had materialized. Without them, would I even be able to last ten moves with him?

I chided myself. He’d taught me how to fight. Of course, I could’ve lasted ten moves. I understood angles and broken rhythm. Remembering the methodical beatings he’d given me—how couldn’t I stand toe to toe with him?

There was only one realistic path available to me. I’d have to become a Krato that could fight Vasileia—that could defeat them. Just being one of the best wasn’t enough. I needed to dominate them all just as my old mentor had the ranks of Combat Masters for decades. Today, was but another steppingstone.

In a few bounding strides, I landed on the ground below and was already issuing orders. Winning the day was the bare minimum of today’s mission. I couldn’t stop pushing.

***

We were in place, ready to charge in from the flank. As Ma engaged the bulk of the remaining soldiers, Barrell would take his men and rush in toward the goblin leadership’s flank. Mel would place casters on top of the surrounding buildings as soon as possible. As for me, I would race in with Barrell, only to go off on my own and attack the platoon worth of hobgoblins and overlords from the rear.

I stood near the middle of my men as I viewed Kline’s advance. They were minutes away from reaching the main gap between buildings that led to the courtyard. The overlords were waiting.

His squad breakdown was what’d I’d consider more typical for the military. The members of each squad had varying specialties. My squads didn’t nearly vary as much, but that’s because I’d let my Captains decide on their own. The main exception were his poleaxe specialists. In a world where melee had returned to combat, it was difficult to defend against such force.

“Almost,” I said, mostly to myself.

A countdown appeared above my center-vision, as it did for all my men. “Remember to stay low as you move,” Destiny said where only I could hear. “Less than one percent of their men have been casters, but I’d anticipate that changing, and we have no information on what psionic abilities the overlords are capable of using.”

“Thanks for the reminders, drone-head.”

“Lucius,” she rebuked. Ten seconds to go.

“Sorry, princess drone-head.”

“Now is not the time.” Eight seconds.

“You’re the one that’s been insisting I perform better when I’m having fun with it.”

“Yeah, but—”

“No buts.” Five seconds.

“Why do I feel like your about to do something stupid?”

“It’s only stupid if it doesn’t work.” Three seconds.

“Lucius, please.”

Two seconds. “Don’t worry so much. I been learning what works and what doesn’t. Mostly…”

One second.

Kline’s men were already engaged with the hobgoblin squads at the front of the courtyard when Ma’s men switched from facing the opposition shield to shield to a full company charge. Barrell was standing at my side, watching the map for the opening we were waiting for.

“It looks like we’re going up,” he said, almost trembling in excitement. He’d been getting far more action during Prodos’s expansion than I had, but facing a new enemy was a rare occurrence.

“Your call. I’m just along for the ride,” I replied.

He frowned. “One of the overlords is mine.”

“Sure. If you’re fast enough.”

“I’m fast enough.”

“Prove it.”

He snarled at me without losing the mirth in eyes. “Let’s go.”

We took off behind Ma’s company with two hundred lightning troops filed behind us like a giant snake. It moved deceptively fast. I skirted beside him as he leaped to the domed side of the nearest buildings. We ran along the building’s outer edge as much as we could without giving up sure footing to use its shape to hide our advance as much as possible.

Within moments we were back on the ground and circling around Ma’s party. They were a build away from the cluster surrounding the courtyard. It was going to make Barrell’s advance trickier.

“Here we go,” I called.

Even at the speed we were going while racing across the building, he reached over. His spear clanked off the top of my shield and his fist pounded its surface.

We both hooted as we landed in the clearing between the last building and the cluster. Many goblins were scattered about, running to join the force facing Ma, or some other defensible position.

Killing would just slow us down, so we did what we’d done countless times before in Freedom. We made a road.

I limited my psionics to rank F until it was time for the main battle. Saving energy was one reason, but it was mainly so that the boss monsters wouldn’t feel the psionic tremor my aura might cause. Sensing such things became an almost subconscious thing after numerous battles against psionic users. The air couldn’t help but churn with energy.

My spear spat orange bolts at the closest goblins. Barrell’s position made this job easier since his shield was facing outward. If I used my spear directly, I’d have little luck removing it while I was running by. So Voli and Othisi it was. I pushed and threw bolts as we cut across the opening toward the cluster of domed buildings overlooking the courtyard. They weren’t especially tall. Only two and a half stories at most, but they were tighter together than normal with tunnels linking them.

As we reached the cluster, I glanced back and saw that a platoon of his men had webbed out to face the goblins and give him men a clear shot.

We both jumped at almost the same time on top of one of the domed buildings flanking the courtyard.

“I’ll be waiting,” I said softly, letting Destiny carry my voice to his ears.

“He’s mine,” he retorted.

We clanged spear and shield together one last time as I veered away.

I kept low against the building and my psionic use to a minimum. My speed was faster than it had been when running with Barrell, but I kept the pace steady as he gathered his men to attack. My aim was the building opposite of the entrance Kline was assailing now. This was the most danger I’d faced in the four to five hours of our attack on the ruins. There were goblins on both sides of the buildings I was running across. Thankfully the more powerful hobgoblins were focused on Kline. A few may have spotted Barrell, but there wasn’t any movement yet, so there was no movement from the goblins.

The goblins on the outside of the cluster were mostly solo goblins or squads racing toward the action. There weren’t many of them left, so I wasn’t too worried. Besides, I was moving faster enough that targeting me with a bolt would’ve been difficult.

I pushed off the side of a building and leaped over the connecting tunnel to the next without so much as grazing it. Reaching my destination, I scanned the screens Destiny had waiting for me. Kline was making progress, but the gap of the entrance was too narrow. He had some casters on the overlooking buildings, but the hobgoblins were shrugging off the bolts with help from their pshield refinement belts.

Seeing the mobs from Freedom with modern military tech still didn’t sit right with me, but it was the way it should be. The hobgoblins had only ever been intended to help us get used to facing more physically imposing opponents that might mimic the Ekseliksi.

As of yet, the overlords hadn’t taken the front line, but I feared today we’d lose more people than any day since Krato had showed up. I believed had the ability to keep that number to a minimum.

That didn’t mean I was invincible. Nearing the top of the building, I slid to my knees and looked just over the top of the dome at the battle below. I glanced back and saw most of the goblins outside the courtyard were preoccupied. I’d have to rely on Destiny to give me a heads up for any surprise attacks. I kept a trickle of energy funneling into my refinement belt. I was more worried about non-psionic projectiles like rail-rounds or high caliber sniper rounds. Blocking them with my psionics going at full strength was one thing. I knew my ballistic suit and a low-level energy shield wouldn’t cut it.

Now I had to time things just right. I’d seen the destruction battalion Lethal Accord could cause with their squads full of rank E psionic users. The elite among them were even more impressive, but I’d noticed almost immediately how they limited themselves. There were so many more dimensions available to them. Why didn’t they see them?

It was then that I saw Kline take to the top of one of the buildings near the entrance. Some of his best men were there with him.

“Hey,” Barrell objected. “I called one of the overlords.”

“Oh?” Kline replied with a grunt. “That’s cute.”

“I know I’m sexy. What’s it to you, old man.”

“Incoming!” Destiny shrieked.

A silver bolt flew from the squad overlord near the front of the courtyard right for Kline. Its target wasn’t Kline himself, but a man a few yards away.

He caught the bolt with his pshield. The initial force drove him back a few steps, but he seemed to have blocked most of the force. An instant later he fell forward with his shield beneath him and started to spasm uncontrollably.

There seemed to be a lull in the battle as everyone present registered what had just happened. It wasn’t a race to see who could score the most points. The longer it took us to kill the enemy, the more of our people would die. Everything sped as if time had to catch up with itself.

“Any direct hit to the head or chest will cause instant death,” Destiny announced through the battalions general comm channel.

There were no howls or battlecries. Kline continence darkened as he issued the order to charge. His aura flared, and he took one big bounding step before launching himself toward the base of the building where there was still some room to land. His men didn’t miss a step.

Barrell descended. No words passed between him and his men. By now they’d been spotted, but it was their way.

Even as more of our men took to the roofs of the domed buildings to cast upon the hobgoblins, silver bolts began to fly. The delay between them was much shorter than we were used to from rank F casters.

Despite the danger my men were facing, I didn’t rush. The enemy was being assaulted from multiple sides, but adding my own attack wouldn’t have the greatest impact until I was sure that the enemy was fully committed.

I saw the momentum the opponent’s troop movement change. I saw the overlords find targets and lock on. I took off from my hiding place. Drawing back with my spear, I unleashed my rank E aura and launched my spear at the back of the overlord on the far side of the courtyard. It was more than fifty yards to my target, but his back was facing me, and he was amongst his men without much room to move.

Before I saw if it landed, I blurred forward. I reached the edge of the building and used push to its very limit.

Flying toward the flank of the nearest enemy squad, I moved with the speed of a low rank bolt. Silver blasts of Voli flew from my hand as I rocketed for them. I greeted the first head on with my shield. The four-to-five-hundred-pound humanoid monster drilled into the enemy’s ranks. Three additional hobgoblins went down.

My sword was out. If I wasn’t moving so fast, it would’ve looked like I was skidding around on my knees I was staying so low. But what was considered the hobgoblin’s greatest strength, their size, was also their greatest weakness.

If it was just my aura, I would’ve had difficulty causing serious injury against their physiques, ballistic armor, full body shields for those that had them. However, the lovely Purifier Gladius in my hand drunk in excess energy from my hand and glowed with Akonizo’s bolstering edge. I was a scythe to wheat.

Killing them outright wasn’t my immediate cause. Limiting the overall threat was.

One hobgoblin that had been one of the first to spot me charged me shield first. Normally, meeting it shield to shield was a losing battle. My psionics made it possible, but it was the same as giving up my advantage. At least, it would’ve been a few weeks ago.

I’d replaced my old shield with a new one. It was still a Lethality Hoplon Pshield, but it was the Model 3c. The difference was that it didn’t just refine all psionic energy into shielding energy but allowed all forms to flow through it.

My rank E psionics cycled into the shield, causing Apotho’s energy to create a field of repellent force. As soon and the hobgoblin and I were about to meet shield to shield, an internal wave of Othisi flowed through my body and into the shield. It hurled the energy shield from my hoplon at the monster with the full force of rank E psionics.

I bore the brunt of the force in my legs and shoulder as I braced against it.

The hobgoblin met it head on. One moment it was stampeding to trample me underfoot, and the next it was flying backward, knocking another hobgoblin to the ground.

There were only three of them still standing with the overlord backing them.

I had succeeded in catching them off guard. It had all happened in a matter of seconds. I now had the overlord’s full attention.

I felt its rank E energy as soon as I saw the silver bolt form in its hand. We were so close that it should’ve been almost impossible for it to miss. Of course, my psionics were on the same level so I could guard against it, but I was determined not to be bound to the same shackles the rank E users from Lethal Accord were.

Othisi’s push through my feet, cutting a sharp angle and propelled me to the side with unnatural speed even for a psionic user. My sword was already flying into the air for my shadow drone to grab. With a hobgoblin between me and the overlord, I took one lunging step forward, then pushed myself into the air.

I threw a psionic bolt into the hobgoblin’s face as I passed over its head. It had been trying to swat at me as I came closer, but the bolt it hadn’t expected. Its sword was redirected toward my bolt. It was only faster enough to bring its hand between it and the projectile. The violent energy took ahold of it like a bolt of lightning.

The overlord had moved to a defensive position on the other side of the hobgoblin, thinking I’d just skirt around and flank him. Even if the boss monster was similar in size to one of our average soldiers, it was still smaller than the hobgoblin, so its vision was obstructed.

A hum of energy covered the overlord from head to toe. I didn’t throw another bolt but prepared another layered technique.

The first one I’d used through my shield layered a shielding technique with push. I called it Shield Blast. It was one of my more recent experiments and very effective in the right situation. This second one though was a purely offensive technique. Akonizo solidified over my knuckles like blades of energy.

I hadn’t mastered many of Mara’s more advanced tumbling techniques, but I had learned to turn one hundred and eighty degrees in the air.

I landed behind the overlord just out of melee range and punched out.

It must have sensed me for its body pshield strengthened, but that’s all that was between me and its back.

The silver energy enhancing my knuckles was more like hungry spikes than the electrifying Voli bolts. Its solid nature gave it a quality that bolts just didn’t have. The only problem was that it would lose rigidity quickly. It was also very difficult to aim from more than a few yards away.

Othisi surged through me and toward my fist. Isamu used Voli to cause the same effect, but I found push to be much more effective. As my right cross reached the peak of its extension, a geyser of energy exploded out of me, propelling something that resembled a Phantom Fist.

This Akonizo energy wasn’t just more solid than a Voli bolt, but also had a devouring or corrosive effect like that of fire or acid. The phantom fist struck the overlord directly. Its energy shield certainly helped, but the kinetic force was far greater than a normal bolt. It tore through the overlord’s defense and landed square between the shoulder blades.

The monster spun. Its aura flashed, but it didn’t have the speed it should have. When it faced me and tried to lift its shield, I could see in its face it knew something was wrong.

A shield blast met it, throwing it back.

I lunged to the side as the remaining hobgoblins tried to stop me. One even stepped over the overlord, straddling him, but I was too fast.

I lowered a phantom fist onto the side of the stunned overlord’s head. It was not a pretty sight that followed.

Grinning up at the hobgoblin I’d just circumvented as if turned. Instead of finishing the last couple of them off, I took off running in the opposite direction. The other two overlords awaited me. My men would have no problem with these hobgoblins, but these bloody overlords were too much.

There were seconds before I reached them and had to decide which to face next. Destiny sent me some images of the dead and dying, so I followed her guidance. Leaping into the air, I dared to throw myself twenty feet into the air.

This overlord had taken to the frontline. It was worse than I feared. Mounds of men I called friends were already beginning to pile up. Barrell and some of those that remained from the initial striking force had formed up in a shield line and were funneling as much energy to their shields as possible. It was hardly enough to keep them from getting one hit under the overlord’s bolts and physical strikes.

I began throwing silver bolts of my own at the monster’s back.

As I fell from the air, I send a blast of Othisi from my foot to slow and direct my fall. After Peter had mentioned it was possible to create enough thrust with push to actually fly once you reached higher ranks, I’d of course had to try it. Destiny hadn’t said as much, but she was delighted with what I found out. Flying was still beyond me. However, I could create enough thrust to give me a controlled decent.

As if I was descending a great staircase, I alternated my pushes from foot to foot. It allowed me not just to slow my decent with each step, but also gave me side to side movement to make me a much more difficult target to hit.

Those on the Combat Development Team had seen it already in a simpler form. During my personal training I’d taken it to a different level.

Multiple curses rose sounded from the casters overlooking the courtyard from the buildings around us when they saw me. One guy had such a hard time believing it that he didn’t hold back his own bolt and sent it flying on a path to intercept me.

I simply lounged out of the way as I flung another bolt at a hobgoblin that had spun to face me.

The overlord had taken a sideways, defensive stance.

I didn’t go for him right away. Getting rid of the hobgoblins would give Barrell and his men a lot of relief even if their greatest threat was still there.

Reaching back, my shadow drone was kind enough to place my sword in my hand. Only two of the hobgoblins could afford to turn and face me because of Barrell’s men. They were trying to anticipate where I’d land. I cackled as I darted in a direction they didn’t expect to the rear of a hobgoblin and plunged my sword into his back.

Spinning away, I faced the monsters chasing me. I didn’t need any fancy tricks. My aura took over and I cut them down.

The overlord retreated to try and face me alone.

A shield blast was waiting for him, which sent his backpedaling toward Barrell’s shield wall.

An Othisi lung took me to the hobgoblin’s other flank, and I disabled them in seconds.

“Barrell?” I called. Destiny delivered my words to his ear.

“Yours,” was his only reply.

The overlord had rebounded from being knocked back and had left another hole in Barrell’s line with a rank E bolt.

I shouldn’t have asked. A man had just died because I’d waited.

The boss monster surged. His silver aura granting him speed that had never been seen in Freedom.

Normally, I’d try to reserve my energy, but this was the home stretch. I pushed myself to the side, but unlike before, I didn’t use a pulse of Othisi, but just kept funneling it.

My feet didn’t return to the ground as I blended hover with motion. Krato had tormented me as he attacked me from every direction while using his movement technique. It was time someone else feel the same torment.

Without releasing Othisi, my speed didn’t slow as I circled around him, but only sped. I’d dodged to the overlord’s left side. Swinging around behind him, I felt the g-force increase. It only when I’d reached his opposite side that I changed direction with and even more powerful push.

He’d tried to keep up, but he’d never seen anything like it.

I was going too fast to try and pull off a layered attack, so I flooded energy into my shield and rammed into him.

The rim of his shield arrived fast enough to put up some resistance. It was far too little.

His shielding energy met mine and its violent reaction added to the momentum of my charge. He spun as he flew.

A hobgoblin retreated from Barrell’s men directly in the path which I was using to pursue the overlord. I reverted to my aura as I slashed at a downward angle, severing its leg from its body high near the hip.

This overlord retained its senses as if fell. It rolled to its feet but had spun enough to lose its sense of direction.

I approached it from the flank.

He found me before I could take advantage, but I lunged to get a rear angle.

He snorted as he saw what I was trying to do, not about to let me fool it with the same move twice, but instead of circling around it, I anticipated its turn.

My aura still shone as I swung my shield, hooking it inside his. It sent his shield arm wide giving me an open shot. I plunged my phantom fist into his gut.

There was normally recoil when using the technique, but it was just bracing against the force of push. However, this time I was so close that I felt the extra resistance.

Even though I blew out its stomach, it still had enough fight left it in to prepare a silver bolt with my name on it.

I didn’t use my shield but covered my face and neck in a barrier of Apotho. Catching the bolt in the face felt like receiving a slap from Kline. Through gritted teeth, I stared it down as it realized its attack hadn’t left a mark.

A bolt to its front foot sent it sprawling. I bashed it in the back of the head with my shield.

I didn’t even wait for Destiny to send me an update on how Kline was doing. There were very few hobgoblins left, so they were obviously doing better than Barrell’s men had. Kline was known for his overly powerful internal walls, so I suspected it gave him a bit more durability against the even these higher rank psionic bolts.

Othisi carried me above the ground as I rushed toward the last overlord. I soon reached an almost reclass speed.

Destiny didn’t have the time to show me much, but an image of Kline’s bloodshot eyes from behind a shield as he faced off with the boss monsters gave me a good idea what was going on. He was battered and bloodied, but it seemed he’d also annoyed the overlord in his unwillingness to die. All of the monster’s efforts were homed in on my friend as his men were trying to injure it.

When I spotted the overlord, I cut Othisi as I judged the distance. My aura strengthened me as I ran. I didn’t even consider my landing. Finishing this Ekseliksi wannabe was all that mattered.

As I pushed myself into the air, I knew Mara would mock my form later. It was bound to feel me coming. That caused me to do something between the most exaggerated superman punch in human history and a flying aerial.

It turned as it backstepped to face me. When it did it found no one there.

In the last moment, it lifted its eyes and met mine. There wasn’t even time to gauge its reaction.

I was peering down at it below me as my feet flipped over my head. If I could’ve stopped in space in that instant, it would’ve looked like I was doing a sprawled-out handstand a yard above it as I floated on nothing.

My phantom fist struck downward, smashing into the top of its skull. There was more than one sickening pop—more like a crunching sound—that came from its form.

A wave of relief washed over me. It was over. Then I remembered I’d yet to land.

If there wasn’t a squad of Kline’s men beneath me my feet may have hit the ground. Instead I was like a too zealous crowd surfer. Some of them tried to get out of the way, others to catch me, and the rest had no choice.

I covered myself in shielding energy, but toned it down to rank E. It should keep me from getting a spearpoint to the groin, or some other uncomfortable region, without causing too vicious of a reaction if my Apotho shielding met with others.

In the end, I was semi-caught by three people. It could’ve also been called a crash. One guy had caught my foot in the shoulder, while the others had it a bit easier.

I was still mostly unharmed besides a nice bruise on my shin. I quickly climbed off of them, while yelling, “Need a heal?”

Destiny instead highlighted Kline in a blinking red outline. He was as tough as a fantasy-style dwarf.

“Kline,” I cried as I marched up behind him. I grabbed him from beneath his armpits to pull him back, but he was so out of it he still tried to stab me in the face.

One of his men saw what I was doing and grabbed his hand to pry the sword from his grip. It wouldn’t budge, but he seemed to have a moment of clarity and stopped fighting against us.

“Destiny, I need a med-drone,” I demanded.

“Already incoming,” she assured me. “Seven seconds.” The timer popped up.

The problem with psionic bolt damage was that the energy spread so if there weren’t any obvious entry wounds it was almost impossible to know where to start.

I found a nook at the foot of one of the dome buildings and sent healing energy directly into his forehead. Not only would brain damage kill a person the fastest, if I could get him to give me an idea where it hurt, it would be easier to help him.

Thankfully, the med-drone arrive when Destiny said it would and we went to work on him.

As soon as I was done, I found the rest of the hobgoblins had been taken care of and I moved on to the next person I could save.

We simply killed those that were too far gone. It was only a simulated death, and they would feel less pain in the long run, so it had become our practice. Those who lost limbs had a choice between letting them grow back, which took hours and was incredibly painful, or to just kill themselves to respawn. Most people choice death as the less painful option. It was something we would’ve only done in the most dire situation in the beginning stages of Freedom, but by now we’d learned to be efficient.

Those who needed it rested, while the rest finished clearing out the ruins of the old settlement. Mel took it upon himself handle much of the remaining work. For him, it was simply a game of picking the right buildings and placing his men on top of them.

In the end, we’d lost twenty-eight men in total and cleared the city ruins in six hours and thirty-seven minutes. It just went to show how essential it was for our men to advance to rank E psionics before last competitions in Vanguard. If not, we’d already lost.

I stood in the courtyard watching panels when the last goblin was finished. I’d done as I’d promised.

“See you at 2300,” I said.

Victoria replied back through our direct channel. “Lucius—”

“No excuses. I’ll meet you at your quarters. No simulations tonight.” I knew she’d been trying to keep her distance, just as I knew the reason why.

“Okay.” She sounded subdued.

A small part of me felt bad for being so insistent—only a small part. I wanted to try and make things easier for her, and I would, but not at the cost of losing her. It was time to remind her.