A few minutes earlier, as the recruits returned back to the base, Derek stepped foward, as he surveyed the battlefield.

" Collect "

His eyes shown with a blue light, an invisible vacumn force swept over the battlefied as all the mana crystals disappeared.

[ Mana stones Collected x 1003]

Yvalana noticed the mana stones disappear, but she did not press for answers.

Derek jumped down and landed with a metallic thud, the shock of his impact cracking the concrete beneath his boots. Dust plumed around him, but he moved through it like a ghost, eyes scanning the sea of monsters still clawing their way forward from the outer perimeter. The stench of blood and sulfur was thick in the air, a grim perfume of the apocalypse.

"Time to clean house," he muttered, drawing in a deep breath.

Lightning flickered at his fingertips.

[ Skill Activated: Tempest Convergence ]

A low hum built in the air—like a storm being pulled into a single heartbeat. The clouds above rippled unnaturally, drawn into a spiraling vortex. Mana surged, invisible currents latching onto Derek's frame. His suit's white armor plates gleamed under the moonlight, refracting light like mirrors, while twin arcs of blue lightning licked up the edges of his blades.

Then came the burst.

BOOM.

A pulse of wind erupted outward from Derek, flattening the nearby swarm of monsters. Above, dozens of jagged blue streaks of lightning speared down from the clouds, crackling into the hordes like divine judgment. Beasts screamed and scattered—but there was no escape. The storm wasn't hunting them—it was devouring them.

Each bolt was precise. Each strike landed on tightly packed clusters of Class D and even some Class C monsters, leaving behind scorched husks and melted chitin. The ground sizzled with residual energy. In under thirty seconds, nearly a hundred beasts lay twitching or completely still.

From the rooftop, Yvalna shielded her eyes with a hand, watching the destruction unfold with mild surprise.

"He's getting faster at that," she said quietly, half to herself.

Down below, Derek's swords slowly dimmed as the storm receded. The blue light faded from his eyes, but the intensity in them remained. He twirled one sword and sheathed both in a smooth motion before surveying the field again. The beast numbers were still high in the far distance, but the ones pressing closest to the city had been obliterated.

[ EXP Gained: 34,200 ]

[ Progress to next level: 372,145 / 5,000,000 ]

Derek exhaled. "Still need more…"

A voice crackled over the comm—one of the A.R.D. officers. "Commander Derek, the recruits have safely arrived at the inner-city checkpoint. Medical teams are on standby."

He nodded. "Good. Keep them rested, but don't let their gear cool. I want them ready for another run at dawn."

Yvalna leapt down from the rooftop, landing beside him like a shadow.

"You're pushing them hard."

"We don't have time to be gentle," Derek replied. "There's an S-Rank beast leading these hordes. If we don't kill it before it reaches the walls, everything we've built turns into another ghost city."

She tilted her head. "And if we die trying?"

Derek's grin was all teeth. "Then I hope someone's watching. Because I want that thing to remember who made it bleed."

A distant roar echoed from the darkness—deep, guttural, and chilling. The S-Rank was getting closer.

Yvalna cracked her knuckles, mana flaring along her arms.

"Let's make it bleed then."

" But before that I need to do some things" He said, pulling up the system screen, he entered the shop and began a round of indiscriminate purchasing, the things he bought were not that pricey, as they were mostly in th D and C ranks. In a blink he had nearly spent two thirds of the 1.5 system credits he earned today.

He closed his eyes and activated the Spatial Tether skill. He had set one of the tethers to Andrew.

__________________________________________________________________

The checkpoint had once been a subway station—now it looked like a warzone's nerve center. Flickering lamps cast long shadows across makeshift med bays, where wounded recruits lay groaning on foam mats. The walls were lined with salvaged equipment racks, comm consoles, and a massive holographic table where the Genesis Squad huddled in tight conversation.

Andrew stood at the table's edge, brows furrowed, arms crossed. His jacket was slung over a chair, blood-soaked bandages peeking through the tear in his shirt collar. Evelyn and Felix flanked him, analyzing the latest reports from the outer perimeter.

"Four hours of fighting," Andrew muttered. "And the beasts are still pressing from the northeast sector. We're gonna need a miracle. Or five."

"Maybe Derek will conjure another one out of thin air," Felix said, only half-joking.

Andrew snorted. "If that guy 'conjures' one more time without warning, I swear—"

Suddenly, space warped.

Like a curtain being yanked open in reverse, the air behind Andrew folded in on itself—and Derek stepped out. One second: silence. The next: armored boots thudding against steel.

Andrew yelped.

"Sweet hell, Derek!"

"Good reaction time," Derek said flatly, completely unfazed.

"That was not a reaction. That was trauma."

Evelyn had already backed up, one palm raised, mana swirling in instinct. "Could you maybe... knock next time?"

"I did," Derek replied. "Just... not in a conventional dimension."

Andrew muttered something about cardiac arrest and stepped back, trying to collect himself.

But Derek was already moving. With a swipe of his hand, a massive system cache manifested behind him in a flash of blue particles. The floor groaned under the weight as rows of sleek black crates crashed down, one after the other.

THUD. THUMP. CRACK. THUD.

And then silence.

Everyone stared.

Crates opened automatically with pneumatic hisses. Inside: weapon racks, gauntlets with etched runes, tactical armor fitted with mana-reactive plating, thermal cloaks, injector kits, arc-blades, utility rigs—and even high-tier support tech that hadn't been seen since before the Fall.

It looked like a miniature army arsenal had just been delivered via teleportation.

Felix's jaw hung open. "Is that… is that a mana cannon?!"

"I don't even know what that is," Evelyn whispered, "but I want two."

Derek stepped forward, his voice level and clipped.

"Consider this our new supply depot. All items are now linked to the Contribution System. Recruits and certified A.R.D. members can trade their earned points for gear. Tiered access. First come, first equipped."

"Where did all this come from?" Andrew asked, stunned.

"Does it matter?" Derek replied, his tone unreadable. "Gear doesn't win wars. But the right gear in the right hands? Might just tip one."

Evelyn raised a brow. "And who's tracking who takes what?"

Derek glanced sideways at Andrew. "You are. You've got the best judgment here."

Andrew blinked. "Wait—what? I'm not—"

"Keep it fair," Derek continued. "If someone tries to cheat the system, warn them. Second time, revoke access. Third time?"

Andrew crossed his arms. "Let me guess. Pull their teeth?"

"Only if they're still alive."

Felix leaned closer to one of the open crates. " Where'd you even find—"

"I didn't find it," Derek cut in. "I earned it."

That shut everyone up.

He walked past the team, pausing just long enough to look over the base—battered, tired, but still alive.

Then he said quietly, "Reinforce the perimeter. Rest who you can. I'll handle the next wave."

Andrew exhaled slowly. "You going after that S-Rank beast?"

Derek's eyes gleamed under his visor. "Yeah."

He vanished a moment later—light bending, space twisting—as if reality itself had decided to look away.

Evelyn stared at the spot where he stood, then muttered, "What the hell is he?"

" No idea " Andrew just shook his head

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