Chapter 676: Wrecking the Table

With the last of the soldiers defeated, Seeker and the girls finally managed to reach the area where the soldiers were trying to breach.

The corridor was littered with smoke and debris, signs of the intense skirmish that had just ended with numerous civilian bodies in the ground.

"They... are attacking my family...!" Liani couldn’t believe it.

"The last of the soldiers... You girls! Attack them!" Seeker’s voice echoed sharply against the cracked walls.

"What?!" The girls all exclaimed. Confusion and hesitation flashed across their faces.

"There are few enemies here. You need to learn how to fight! You’ve all had training in combat! Use it!" Seeker urged as he dashed ahead to patrol the area.

The girls looked at each other. A moment of silence passed as tension hung between them.

"There are several of us and just two soldiers. We can do this!" Liani urged the group to quickly apply the training they had learned. Determination slowly replaced their fear as they began to move.

As with Earth, all that had substantial resources would train their children for war. And these girls were no exception.

What the girls needed now was experience and confidence. This wasn’t just about survival. Seeker was investing far too much than he thought he could give. He needed soldiers and this test would prove if they could act without Seeker holding their hands.

Applying the training of their Pioneer heritage, the girls began to fight and launch an ambush at the soldiers. They took cover and flanked the enemy with the same discipline they’d been taught in simulations.

But the soldiers detected them through their techs and quickly deployed their shields. The hum of the shields rose, forming a faint shimmer in front of the soldiers as they braced.

The girls began to use the standard tactics that the soldiers had, as prompted by their AI system. They used the absorbed armor and linked it with their bonds to see the standard protocols and tactics used, and followed suit. Data scrolled across their lenses, giving them real-time strategies and movements.

They were using their number to overpower the enemy while they themselves activated the shields.

Each girl took a position, forming a layered defense that mimicked trained infantry.

Two in the front were deploying shields, and two at the back were laying fire at the slightest of movement as the two girls approached. Their formation was rough but improving, driven by necessity more than confidence.

"They are only using this blank band! We have our techs! Girls! Let’s show them!" Liani urged.

Her voice carried a steadier tone now, no longer shaken by fear.

Seeker kept rushing around the area to detect another possible escape route. Hemoved ahead and used his powers to cross the walls again to watch and save his allies should the need arise. The very code that defined the walls bent according to his will, as he used the Passover and slipped through like water seeking an opening.

Seeker carefully searched the entire floor. He was afraid that the lie that ’Lowengren is no longer here’ would make him meet his end.

He knew that relying on the girls and whatever escape mechanism the family had would be stupid. Lowengren and Harker could have already prepared any traps. Even the smallest assumption could cost them the entire mission.

"Damn. This is the most stressful fight I’ve had!" Seeker cursed. He felt the weight of too many unknowns pressing down on every decision.

The power of truth and lies was a force that was attempting to control the very way Seeker was thinking. Even his thoughts weren’t safe; every conclusion could be one they had planted.

He had to constantly consider whether or not he was following the truth and lies that the two had set before him. Doubt crept in, forcing him to reevaluate every step he took.

"What lies am I believing? What truths have been presented before me that I accepted and limited my thoughts...?" Seeker asked as he looked around and ran across the floor. His eyes scanned the surroundings, seeking something—anything—that could disprove the assumptions in his mind.

There were no other enemies left. The silence was heavy, unnatural for a place that had been full of gunfire just minutes ago.

"Looks like I killed all on this floor, but what traps do they have?" Seeker considered. He slowed his pace, wary of motion sensors or tripwires that could be hidden nearby.

Outside, he observed if the commotion had caused changes. The distant echoes of shouting and energy bursts hinted that the situation beyond was escalating.

But Seeker’s eyes roamed out with his Realm, and finally, he saw a faint energy approaching. It was like a ripple through still water—barely there, but moving steadily closer.

"A Throne! The Presiders are here...! Looks like this battle I have is a starting point that will pit the Presiders against each other! That must be Westbernt, and Fortgleamm would be near..." Seeker looked around. He saw the forces outside. The sky outside shimmered faintly as distant powers moved into position.

The Pioneers in the building had also been busy defending against the raid. They were holding their own, buying Seeker more time.

"So that’s why no one is coming up here..." Seeker saw that the attack started all at once.

"If this is the case, was Lowengren going to blow up the building? Why didn’t he start with that?" Seeker thought. His mind cycled through possibilities, discarding each one as quickly as it came.

"No. He wouldn’t. Such an attack would force the Presiders to investigate. But a kidnapping attempt of a Pioneer’s daughter wouldn’t be that serious. If they blew up this building, the Presiders would rush here... They could defeat me, kill all my allies instantly, but that complicates the plan against the Presiders... After all, it would force Mehkaelos to appear." Seeker began to reason with himself, but even found himself questioning his reasons. What if the lies and truths planted were supposed to lead towards that kind of thinking?

"No... That’s not it... Am I overly complicating things? Knowing them, they might be trolling me!" Seeker cursed. His frustration built. It was like trying to navigate a maze that shifted behind him.

BOOOM! BOOOM!

Two explosions marked the destruction of the last soldiers.

Seeker turned back.

"...This could be the only option. It would be too dangerous, but I would have a better shot at escaping!" Seeker decided. He clenched his fists, already preparing for what came next.

Meanwhile, Lowengren and Harker’s forces had already gathered around the building.

They were moving quietly, securing every exit.

Presider Fortgleamm followed Harker’s instructions. His forces were already in motion before the others even realized he’d arrived.

Many who were part of Pioneer Vackeron’s most trusted soldiers were all now following Harker in the chaos. They themselves had heard how disappointed Fortgleamm was to have left in the most crucial time such as this.

"Oh? They already started..." Harker saw a battle occurring at a distance. The lights from afar flickered as powerful weapons exchanged blows.

Two Presiders were clashing as Westbrent was bringing a force to break into the city. The skyline itself trembled with the pressure of their presence.

Fortgleamm appeared and fought against Westbernt. Their clash lit up the sky in pulses, like thunder rolling before a storm.

"You are an ally of the new killer! How dare you recreate the Ben10 Killer’s tech!" Westbernt shouted.

The words were sharp and loud, carrying across the battlefield like a charge of judgment.

The accusation rang across the entire city and shocked many.

"Really? Is that why a commotion happens so near in my city, and you’re already here? You sent him in here, didn’t you?!" Fortgleamm countered. He spoke with practiced calm, but his tone cut deep.

Westbernt was stunned at Fortgleamm’s accusation.

"You sent him in here to kill and steal techs from my highest-ranking Pioneers! But this will be his grave!" Fortgleamm roared as the two began a battle between two thrones. Their energy flared and clashed, drawing all eyes toward the skies.

Harker observed the battle.

"We have thirty minutes. If we want to win this little clash with Seeker, we need to act now. How is Seeker?"

"He already fled back. But he spent a full four seconds gazing at the window. To an Inhuman like him, that’s like spending about a minute to think about life! Our trap is working. He’s questioning everything!" Lowengren gleefully remarked.

"Sir! We are ready!" One of the Planteds reported. Their weapons gleamed faintly, synced and primed.

"Good... Let’s go Lowengren... It’s time to fight ol’ Seeker!" He laughed as his armband began to give a faint blue light.

Lowengren’s light began to emit a faint glow of black.

Back in the room that was finally opened...

"What?! You want me to blow up the building?!" A man cried. His voice cracked, more disbelief than refusal.

He was communicating with Seeker through Liani’s connection.

He was the head of the Fresks family.

"Presiders are fighting outside of the city! Your building is surrounded! Even if you fled to whatever network you have down that tunnel, you will still be chased! You are being blamed by Presider Fortgleamm as ones harboring the traitor! Your family took some tech from the Ben10 Killer, right?!"

The man couldn’t answer. His lips parted, but nothing came. Even the truth could betray him now.

"And if I blow up the building, what chance do we have? The forces are still around us! We could surprise them and push them back, but a mere explosion won’t even kill anyone!"

"But it opens us to him."

"Him?"

"Presider Westbernt is also here. Offer them all the techs that relate to the Ben10 Killer, and I will also do the same. He will be forced to rescue us! He’s already on bad terms with the Presiders here!"

"You want us to switch our allegiance?"

"You’re already dead here. Finding that tech and not giving it to them is already a betrayal. Offer it to another, and you might have a shot at surviving!" Seeker urged.

"There are nineteen in my family. He can’t possibly..." His voice dropped as doubt crept in.

"If Westbernt appears, Mehkaelos will also try to get here and kidnap you. In any case, this could give your other family members a shot at escaping. Have them escape through the tunnel or by other means, but Liani and you must escape by flying through the sky after the building collapses! Decide now!"

Every second counted. Delay was death.

"...Fine." The word came like a stone dropped from a great height.

"Good. Now follow my instructions. You have to make use to blow up the parts I of the parts I send you. I’ll handle the rest." Seeker began to send the schematics.

Brenston, Taliana, and everyone else overheard the shocking plans. Their faces were pale.

"Wha-What about us? What about our family?!"

"They will either disown you, or they will be killed by Fortgleamm."

"But...! We’re not traitors!"

"It doesn’t matter. Welcome to the world of Presiders." Seeker coldly answered.

Seeker glanced out the window and could see the battle. Lights flickered, and the city trembled beneath the weight of the war above it as the Presiders clashed.

"I won’t play by your rules, Lowengren. I don’t like the hand you gave me. So I’ll wreck the dealing table!"