Last Son: Book One

Chapter 10 Aza Terminal Program

Samael reached the sixth floor and stepped off the round steel platform. To his surprise, he encountered a never-before-seen creature with pale grey skin and black eyes, similar to the one he had seen in his father's church. "Men! Fall back!" Aza guard shouted, urging his men to retreat. The creature mercilessly attacked the guards, tearing them apart. Samael wondered how these creatures had infiltrated the system. Drawing his sword, Samael prepared for battle, but before he could engage, Abbie intervened. "Adventurous! Adventurous!" Abbie called out, pulling Samael into a vision. When Samael snapped back to reality, the creature had vanished. Abbie warned him to hide from the Aza guards, and Samael obediently concealed himself as they passed by without noticing him. Curiosity got the better of Samael, and he asked Abbie, "Abbie, how many guards are on the sixth floor?" Abbie responded, "The sixth floor is on low alert, but adventurous, you mustn't draw any attention to yourself." Puzzled, Samael inquired, "Why? What happens if I do?" Abbie explained, "If you draw attention, the sixth floor will go on high alert, and the Aza terminal program will be shut down." Startled, Samael asked, "Shut down? What do you mean?" Abbie clarified, "I mean the entire facility will be put on lockdown until the enemy is eliminated." Realizing the gravity of the situation, Samael quickly responded, "Eliminated?" Abbie nodded and continued, "Let me show you where you need to go." Abbie displayed a holographic map of the sixth floor, pointing out the northeast path that would lead Samael to a round steel platform, transporting him to sector one. Determined, Samael declared, "Alright, let's go!" Samael stealthily maneuvered through the hallway, keeping to the shadows and avoiding detection from the Aza guards. "This hallway is clear," he whispered to himself. Overhearing a conversation between two guards, Samael learned that they were restricted from accessing sector one due to the emperor's direct order at guard level six. As soon as the guards moved away from their positions, Samael resumed his journey, following the route shown on the holographic map. Samael skillfully maneuvered past numerous Aza guards, moving silently in the shadows. As he pressed on, he noticed a peculiar sight up ahead that seemed to strike fear into the hearts of the guards. One of the guards exclaimed, "We're in grave danger if we stay here!" To which another guard responded with determination, "We must stand our ground and defend level six!" Suddenly, a mysterious creature with razor-sharp claws emerged, tearing through the Aza guards and devouring their flesh. "Adventurous one! You must hide!" she warned. Samael, sensing the urgency, quickly found refuge behind a dark corner, patiently waiting for the Aza guards to pass. Once the coast was clear, Samael resumed his journey, skillfully evading more Aza guards and patiently biding his time. Along the way, he overheard a conversation between two guards. "So, sector one is no secret, but what about sector two?" Samael eavesdropped, curious to learn more. Fearfully, one of the guards responded, "I've heard rumors... there's supposedly a sector three." Another guard chimed in, "And you won't believe it, but there's a sector four as well!" The first guard exclaimed in disbelief, "Sector four?!" With the Aza guards finally moving away from his position, Samael cautiously emerged from his hiding spot and proceeded along the designated route. Eventually, he arrived at a hallway that led to a round steel platform. There, he spotted a figure cloaked in darkness stepping onto the platform. Without hesitation, Samael made his way towards the mysterious individual as the platform descended. Suddenly, a guard's voice boomed from behind, "Hey, you! Stop right there, don't move!" Thinking quickly, Samael sprinted towards the steel platform, which had just ascended again, and pressed the button on the control panel to descend. As Samael caught his breath, he turned to his companion, Abbie, and inquired, "Abbie! Is this place about to go into lockdown?" Abbie materialized on his left side and replied, "Yes, adventurous one! This facility is going on high alert!" True to Abbie's words, the Aza terminal program activated the high alert mode, plunging the facility into darkness. Soon, the surroundings were illuminated by an eerie red glow, and Samael found himself standing in sector one, encircled by Aza imperial knights. The question now remained: would Samael successfully reach sector two, or would he meet his demise at the hands of the formidable Aza imperial knights?