Asher and Herman stood side by side, observing the bustling squads as they prepared. Herman glanced at Asher, noting the calm confidence in his demeanor. Despite being an E-rank, Asher's aura made it hard to dismiss him.
"So, how do you want to play this?" Herman asked, his tone curious but slightly skeptical.
Asher crossed his arms and replied, "You focus on amplifying our synergy. I'll handle direct combat. Use your ability to boost my attacks and cover for my weaknesses."
Herman raised an eyebrow. "You're not planning on holding back, are you? Even with my Amplifier, an E-rank body will struggle against C-rank opponents."
Asher smirked faintly. "Let's just say I have a few surprises."
Before Herman could question further, Renard's voice boomed across the field. "Squads, fall in! You're moving out!"
The teams began forming up and heading toward their designated positions in the training grounds. Asher and Herman followed, their expressions serious as they approached the Metis combat zone. This section was designed for realistic simulations of enemy invasions, with dense, rocky terrain and minimal cover.
Myria and Renard stood on a raised platform, observing the proceedings. Myria's sharp blue eyes tracked Asher and Herman as they moved. She leaned toward Renard. "You sure putting those two together is a good idea?"
Renard chuckled. "Trust me. Herman's a wild card, and Asher... Well, you've seen how he holds his ground. This pairing might surprise even us."
Myria's lips curled into a faint smile. "We'll see."
Asher and Herman's target—a C-rank Metis soldier—emerged from the simulated forest. The figure was humanoid but augmented with chitinous armor, glowing red eyes, and a vicious-looking blade for an arm. Its movement was swift and deliberate, giving off an air of menace.
"Time to see what you've got," Herman muttered, activating his Amplifier. A faint blue aura surrounded him, and Asher immediately felt a surge in his body—strength, speed, and reaction time all heightened.
The Metis soldier lunged toward them, its blade slicing through the air. Asher sidestepped gracefully, the amplified boost making his movements sharper. He retaliated with a precise strike aimed at the creature's joint, forcing it to stagger.
Herman, meanwhile, provided cover fire with his energy gun, the amplified blasts striking with enough force to keep the Metis off balance.
"You're faster than I expected," Herman admitted, firing another shot. "But it won't go down easy."
"I know," Asher replied, his eyes narrowing. "Time to test something."
He activated his Red Lightning Blood ability, crackling red energy coursing through his veins and concentrating in his strikes. His movements became a blur as he closed the distance with the Metis soldier.
With a flurry of lightning-enhanced strikes, Asher targeted weak points in the Metis's armor. The creature screeched as it began to falter, but it wasn't defeated yet. It adapted quickly, its blade arm transforming into a shield to block Asher's blows.
"Focus its defenses," Asher called out to Herman.
"Got it!" Herman adjusted his aim, sending a powerful amplified blast toward the Metis's shield arm. The impact shattered the shield, leaving the creature vulnerable. Asher seized the opportunity, delivering a final, electrified punch to its core. The Metis soldier collapsed, defeated.
"These Metis sure are bastards," Asher said as he read through the report on their kind. Normally, the Metis race was a humanoid species, just a bit stronger than humans, and most of them had illusion-type abilities of various ranks. However, these particular Metis soldiers were abominations. They enhanced their lower-ranked abilities by combining their genes with those of other monsters.
Like the one they had just killed—it had definitely been combined with an insectoid creature.
"That's why we can't let our world fall into their hands," Herman said, his voice firm. Asher nodded in agreement, his expression serious as they moved forward. Meanwhile, Renard and Myria had already taken care of the A and B-rankers of this Metis outpost. Now, they hovered mid-air, keeping a watchful eye on the squad members below, ready to intervene if necessary.
The remaining C-rank Metis were spread out across the battlefield, their abominable forms a constant reminder of the genetic tampering they had undergone. Each squad member was engaged in intense combat, working together to bring down these formidable foes. Despite the challenge, they fought with determination, their training and teamwork evident in every coordinated attack.
The battlefield was a chaotic but mesmerizing scene, alive with the clash of powers and strategies. Each squad moved as a single, cohesive unit, their individual talents blending into a symphony of combat that met the monstrous Metis abominations head-on. Every strike, every maneuver, showcased the relentless training and ingenuity they had developed to survive.
Clara's hands wove intricate patterns in the air, summoning a whip of water from the surrounding moisture. The liquid weapon struck with deadly precision, coiling around the scorpion-like legs of the Metis hybrid and yanking it off balance.
"Now!" she shouted, her voice carrying over the din.
Jared responded instantly, slamming his fists into the ground. The earth trembled under his control, rising into jagged spikes that drove into the Metis' underbelly. The creature hissed, its tail whipping forward, only for Nina to intercept. A blur of motion, she danced just out of reach, her daggers flashing in coordinated strikes as gusts of wind propelled her forward and back like a phantom.
Reed stood further back, his hands crackling with electricity. A bolt of lightning arced from his fingertips, slamming into the Metis and leaving it paralyzed. The creature thrashed weakly, its exoskeleton steaming from the heat of the blast.
"Keep pushing!" Reed yelled.
Behind them, Shira's hands glowed faintly with healing energy. A wounded Jared retreated for a moment, his torn arm bathed in her restorative light before he charged back into the fray. Together, they overwhelmed the grotesque hybrid—a fusion of human and scorpion—and ended its threat with a thunderous strike of Reed's lightning that shattered its armored tail.
"These squad members are made up of pure elemental ability users," Renard said as Myria observed the teams in action.
"They've got good synergy," she remarked, and Renard nodded in agreement.
They then turned their attention to another remarkable team.
"These ones sure know how to enjoy themselves," Renard chuckled, watching as the team cleverly used illusions against a race already known for their innate illusion abilities.