New Game+

A large battalion of soldiers continued to march forth. This was the Morning Army of the Eastern Australian Force. The dying forest soon broke into a large wasteland where the plants rotted. It was as if the entire forest began to die from the great heat of the wilderness.

Overseeing the entire Morning Army was a man suited in a large Armor. He stood on a nearby mountain to observe the formation of their troop. Several large dropships were approaching, and he watched the soldiers move inside. But he had to decide whether to believe what this man was stating.

"Sir. If you don't do this, we will lose the Central regions. Our first priority is to make them escape! Millions will die! And after the constant attacks, we've received from the many nations, our forests are all dying. If these people run out and flee to the other regions, they will die in the wilderness!" The young teen continued to make his report.

"Private, if you weren't as good as General Smith said you were, I wouldn't bother talking with you. Do you know how crazy this is? You are telling me that many of the Bringer of Change in Australia could be linked to these Lost Primordials. You believe the words of that General Harker, who is the sole cause of the deaths of soldiers and civilians in the last three months?" The General angrily questioned.

"I believe what I heard! I don't know about Primordials. But they called the Bringer of Change as a Pioneer! Sir! Please explain then, how is it that within these past months, the greatest technological security systems that our country could afford were easily bypassed by spies! I saw a Bringer of Change five minutes before he was killed! Who has the power to infiltrate these bases and kill these people?!"

The General was silent. This was one of the causes of why the Australian army has been so divided.

"And General, three of the fallen Bringer of Change were also creating strange technology and were doing inhumane researches to create strange technology! Why haven't the military acquired those strange poisons and chemical warfare? Please General! Send a hundred, even just a hundred soldiers to ready the city for evacuation!"

"A hundred soldiers could probably take out one Golem! One Chimera! We don't know what the WGP will send, but we are preparing for war!"

"That's why we should send it to Central! My companions died to get this information! The Primordial, Pioneer, or whoever that is! He's in Central! If we capture him and hand him over to the WGP, we may avert the war!"

The General glanced at the soldier and looked him in the eye. His Armor zoomed and looked at the expressions of the boy.

"Two hundred soldiers. I will promote you to the rank of Captain." The General finally answered.

"Tha-Thank you, General! I won't fail you!" The soldier announced.

"Give him a specialized and well-balanced company. Give him platoons with a varied team of soldiers."

"Yes, General." A soldier who stood wearing an Exoskeleton saluted.

"Captain. Follow me." The soldier moved.

Soon, the entire army began to depart with only a few platoons being outfitted for another mission.

The young finally found the opportunity and opened a strange comm device that was hidden within the cuffs of his sleeves.

"This is Matthew. I managed to acquire 200 soldiers."

"Good work. That Company should have a few Armors… Good. The armies were shaping up to be better than I thought." Seeker replied.

"Sir… if I may… How did Jamie do?"

"Jamie? She managed to pull the same amount as you."

Matthew could help but frown after hearing this.

"Except around fifty are Evening Soldiers, and they even gave us two Dawn soldiers. But relax! It's not a competition!" Seeker laughed.

Matthew's expression grew dark.

"Noted, General. See you on the battlefield." Matthew immediately shut his comm device off.

Seeker laughed and couldn't help but remember the days the Adult would compete with Irvana.

"I wonder how she's doing…?" Seeker couldn't help but recall the beautiful Russian who Seeker had in his arms back at the Kraken.

The doors opened, and several men entered.

"How's the prosthetics?" Seeker asked Cronus.

"It's functioning as intended. Good thing, it can keep up with their speed. And it's a good thing that none of my limbs are missing." Cronus answered.

"It's a good thing you still have millisecond reaction, Cronus. Otherwise, that arm of yours would have been made of metal. And it shouldn't be fast enough to react like your actual hands." Seeker laughed.

"Allow me to introduce my team formally. Git Godlike." Cronus ignored Seeker's snide comments.

"You know, I may not seem so excited or interested now since we have this whole alien invasion and fighting for our lives thing, but the truth is, I am quite star-struck to be here in front of you guys. I am a big fan of the Piercing series in my previous life and even in this. And right before me is the team that did the impossible." Seeker smiled.

"You didn't seem that star-struck when you ripped my legs out!" The most beautiful girl of the team cursed.

"I'm sorry it had to be that way, but you did had it coming. Who told you to attack me anyway?" Seeker countered.

"But in all seriousness, your potential in that game will prove useful in the real world. You guys did the impossible. Despite how much slower Impact characters are and how weak they are, you utilized the diverse weapons and emphasized pure skills to bridge the gap. You are the only team that can use Impact characters at a pro-level and even defeated a reigning champion. I salute you on behalf of all gamers!" Seeker spoke sincerely.

"I heard the rumors, but you really insane." A fat teen could not help but comment.

Seeker had broken several ribs of this man when he punched and broke the Exoskeleton armor. The succeeding punch damaged his lungs. Even with the most advanced medicines designed for the Unlocked, the teen was in critical condition for almost a day. He had the worst state among all of them.

"Enough. Do you guys want to agitate him?" Cronus intervened.

"Seeker, this is Paul Anthony Dantes, who everyone knows as Kid_Caramel. He is the best snipe-obstruction player in the game with the most annoying harassment. He was the first to debut an Impact character in our team and the history of Piercing. But while he can use a lot, he mains as the Impact character, The Distant Destroyer." Cronus introduced.

"Next up is Dara's rival. Though Dara is the better tank, I would say she is the better player. You know her as Alexa_Squared. Alexa Alexa." Cronus pointed to a slender but tall woman who was wearing large round glasses. She seemed to be the total opposite of Dara. As she quietly stood by the side.

"Oh, that's her real name?" Seeker was surprised.

"Our team scout, and the one who was the key player to achieve our victory over that famous battle. Everyone calls her the slayer of Titans. Misty Wedgers."

The woman had bright purple hair and wore a very strict expression. She was the most beautiful woman in the group. And that was considering that most E-sport players undergo enhancements that make them a cut above the rest in terms of beauty.

"Ah, the infamous Cerulean_Stars. Misty Wedgers? So that's why you went with the name Cerulean! I have watched that battle several times. I couldn't believe that Titan's Piercing Arrow would have lost three consecutive times! You're more beautiful up close." Seeker praised.

"Shut up and-"

"Misty. Now's not the time. I don't want to repeat what I told you. If you want to lose your limbs, fine! But do it in your time! Don't involve me! I already told you what he showed me!" Cronus shouted.

"It was a trick! He's mad because Australia-!’

"Enough! I don't care if you don't believe me! But I am the team leader, and we are prisoners! If you want to escape, go ahead! If you want to save your parents, go ahead! But I won't follow!"

The woman was now silent. But even after the scolding, the woman still glared at Seeker.

"What can make you more cooperative?" Seeker sighed.

"She just wants to see her parents prove your sincerity." Cronus answered on her behalf.

"Done. I can arrange to have them here in one day. Pray that the attack doesn't happen then."

Misty continued to glare at Seeker.

Seeker shook his head and ignored her.

"Jumpstart_Engine, I presume?" Seeker asked.

"Twister Hover, or Jumpstart_Engine." Cronus introduced.

A tall and tanned man with messy hair gave a simple nod.

"The God of All Trades. You're the guy who proved that Impact characters could fight against Piercings on a one-on-one. I just hope you'd be as useful in real life as you are with your team. I hope that the diverse technologies prepared for you can bring me a good surprise." Seeker smiled.

"It will. We've already had our plans. It all depends on what techs you can do. We've already used the Covenant's suits as the baseline models. Next one is Shanna Turner. Her game handle is RaVeil_Fantasy. She would have been our ace in fighting against the Covenant in this season. She uses The Faye Fighter."

"Another Impact player? That is amazing! Arthur would have a higher chance of losing if the battle continued. But the way Arthur is now, you guys don't stand a chance anymore. Nothing escapes his calculations anymore. Which places a great burden on you, Surge Embers." Seeker smiled at Cronus.

"From now on, Cronus will be addressed as Lieutenant and will be commanding a squad of soldiers. The Twelve Disciples will be your Captains. Use them to your heart's content. I'm sure, with your experience in the game Generals, you should have some familiarity with military command."

"If the techs that will be added to our Exoskeletons are not yet here, how can we train with them?"

"For now, you can familiarize it on the computer. Harker just completed the program and uploaded it in the Dark Web. We will be using a VPN connection hosted in China. Customize your Exoskeletons according to the game. You can also make special requests and see if our scientists can replicate the technology you want. After that, log in the game and play."

"You want us to train using an online game?" Cronus was confused.

"It's an online VR computer game with physics settings set by Lennox Humphrey itself. It's very, very lifelike. Because of the Unlocking and the current level you guys are at, this is more than enough. What you need is to improve and train in your reaction time and so on. Being Pro-Gamers, this is even easier for you. Kristine's first battle wearing Piercing Valkyrie proved to be too much for Meng's soldiers. So this is the perfect training for you."

"But we're training with a video game? Not even a real battle?" Paul asked again.

"That video game is linked to your nerves. You will feel whatever pain you would feel in reality. Of course, dying in the game won't kill you. But the shock is real. And don't underestimate it. You see, we are Unlocked. Training does very little. Our senses, aim, timing, awareness have risen to a level that makes us superhumans. What we need are actual battles. And this game that Lennox and Pangea and other countries have worked hard on allows us to go wild and bring out the best of our Unlocking."

"Alright. I understand. If this game is as close to reality as you say it is, then expect our powers to increase considerably." Cronus accepted it faster than the rest.

"I'm looking forward to it. Other teams should also be online. You can try challenging the Dragon's Fangs if you're confident enough."

"So our training is… to play computer games?" Twister Hover repeated, still adapting to the upcoming training. He was already mentally bracing himself to face the terror of Seeker.

"Would you rather another round with me?" Seeker offered.

"No!" The girls shouted.

"I'd rather let myself be mangled by a pack of deranged gorillas."

"Pass."

"We're training in the VR."

"Anyway, Arthur believes that the attack would occur within the next three days. But Arthur is almost sure that it will happen on the third day. Since you are Unlocked, you probably don't need that much sleep as you once had. So use that time to familiarize yourself with the techs and play against the teams. Here are the schedules Harker's Trio, the Small Time Drug Dealers, and Warfreakz."

"Small Time Drug Dealers?"

"Yes. With Gardo Dalisay."

"Who?"

"Just fight them. Cliff will murder you guys, and with that Gardo around, you're bound to be confused."

"If we fight Warfreakz, will Lowengren be around?"

"No. God knows where that rascal is. And considering that he's with Alean, I couldn't imagine what that blackmailing woman is doing. And Lowengren's not exactly the let bygones be bygones type. Just prepare for the war. Save an official preset of what weapons and techs you have just in case WGP will begin their attack earlier than expected."

"When can my team get hands-on training if we have presets saved?"

"During the battle. The techs are not around here. It's currently in the Tatsulok and will be delivered here via rocket attack."

"What?" A chorus of confused answered echoed back.

"You, guys are smart. The Unlocking gives birth to a wider range of possibilities. Since we are still hiding the fact and making it look like the attack that will occur in Central Australia will belong to the Lost Primordial, the method of how you get your weapons must be carefully hidden. So we are using a means of transport that is within the intersection of 'what everyone else thinks is impossible' and 'what I can do' in the Venn Diagram."

"You can retrieve six Exoskeletons being carried by rocket before it explodes?"

"Of course not." Seeker rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Oh. Right. That's imposs-"

"If I retrieve it before it explodes, the Aragarians might see it through whatever techs they have. We have to be very secretive. The six exoskeletons will be hidden inside the rocket. And I will retrieve it during the explosion."

"During?"

"Yup."

"As in... while the rocket blows up."

"Right again."

"Let me get this straight. You plan to retrieve our Exoskeletons when the rocket explodes. As in, when it releases a powerful kinetic force and such hot energy that can incinerate even the steel of an Exoskeleton suit?"

"You're Three out of three!" Seeker confirmed once more.

"I don't want to wear a burnt up and beaten armor."

"Relax. I can ensure that not a scratch would fall in it." Seeker assured.

"Where exactly will this rocket explode?"

"Right on top of us, of course. We will use the fiery flames as our means to escape. This is the most logical option we have."

Everyone was silent.