CORE

Chapter 3 - Abomination

"Hello, Boss? Are you able to hear me?"

"Yes, I can,"

"I have something to report,"

"Speak,"

"Area 1 has been invaded by two intruders, they seemed to have come from The Entrance of Area 1, in other words, they have come from Area 0,"

"Interesting... So, there are exactly two intruders, you say?"

"Yes, Agent 452 has been killed by one of them, they seem to wield an uncanny ability to manipulate and create light,"

"...Ah, so it is him,"

"Who is he, Boss? Do you know him?"

"...A very, very old enemy,"

"I will deal with him alone, fret not,"

"For now, make sure he does not leave Area 1,"

"Understood, Boss,"

"I don't know why people don't notice things like this..." The Office Worker thought, sighing as they still sat down at the bench.

"Aren't people here alive and working?"

"So why don't they try and help..."

Meanwhile, back inside the Office Complex...

As Hero sat there on the stairway to the 4th floor, he patiently waited if there was to be anything else that would come and attack him.

"I need to make sure this floor is completely safe," Hero said to himself as he took a deep breath, and summoned his magical spear as he looked on at the dark office space, reminding him of something eerily similar.

As he stood there, focusing, he started to feel, almost see the magic within him, it came on him naturally, perhaps this was the effect of loneliness for too long? Even he did not know.

"...I can sense your magic," Hero said as he raised his head, standing up before swiftly turning around and slashing a Phantom that tried to sneak up on him its purple magic leaked out of it, before being absorbed into Hero.

As Hero took down the Phantom, he quickly felt more of them come into existence, their purple glimmers becoming clearer by the second as Hero could almost see their true form.

He counted how many there were at the moment that was surrounding him, it took a moment however he counted to at least 14.

"Let us make this quick," Hero said as he bravely took a step forward toward a horde of one of them.

"I have more to deal with, and after this is over, I have to tell someone good news," Hero spoke as his glowing white eyes looked as though they were illuminating his surroundings.

Immediately, Hero dashed toward the group of Phantoms, their form finally becoming clear as Hero slashed through one of them with his magical spear, killing and absorbing its magic.

He then avoided a purple magic slash from one of them, by stepping to the side he regained his balance using his other leg, spinning around and sending a devastating magic-imbued spinning kick toward the Phantom's head which sent it flying as its purple magic flew into Hero, being absorbed in the process.

Just as a Phantom tried to attack him from behind, he immediately slashed backward using his magical spear, cutting the Phantom's body in half as he absorbed its magical essence.

"3 down," Hero said as he sighed before looking at the rest of the Phantoms.

"11 more,"

Elsewhere on the rooftop of the City Platform...