Chapter 64: Infiltrators

The SUV arrived in front of a massive gate, and with a simple password input from Mildred, the gates opened, and they drove inside with the gate locking behind them.

After about a minute’s drive through an expansive pathway adorned on both sides with massive gardens, trees, and fountains, they soon came upon a massive mansion of immense splendor.

The vehicle came to a stop, and everyone filed out on alert; both from those that had tailed them all this way and whatever danger might be there. The vacation home was supposed to be completely empty, but they still needed to be cautious.

After unlocking the door, everyone filled in, with Damon heading straight for his favorite master bedroom. Though he had been sleeping intermittently during their travels, he hadn’t gotten a proper long sleep.

So after the place was confirmed to be secure, he went and jumped into the comforting mattress in his bedroom while the rest prepared to meet the enemy. Damon went into a partial state of rest; half alert and half sleepy as everyone else prepared for battle.

Because electric communications and tools had all failed, leaving only mechanized or combined mechanized tools, the security system could not be used. So Harvey took his rifle up to the balcony of the mansion—

He would be sniping them all down. And those that managed to sneak in would meet a similar end. It was obvious this group had evil intent, and Harvey had no problem taking out such threats.

"Haha.... This is where they came?. Are they planning to lock themselves up in here?. It’s safe, but how will they find mutants to hunt?"

"Forget it. Lets just do what we’ve come to do. Kill everyone else and take the speedstar."

Outside, a few meters below the mountain, the men in the black van made their plans, as they all began jumping off the van; three of them holding electric batons, with two of them holding a large hammer and blade.

"You... remain in the vehicle until we return; and keep your eyes peeled for the signal in case something goes wrong, which I doubt." The man who was the leader said to the young man driving as he nodded with a smile.

"Tsk. Creepy-ass smile. Such a freaky skill." He muttered as they started ascending the mountain on foot.

"Um, boss. Among those guys, didn’t you see one of them standing out very much?"

"What...you mean the one-armed guy with the sledgehammer?"

"No, boss.... I mean the one they were all surrounding..... I wasn’t able to see his face.... But he sort of had a familiar look."

"Stop spouting bullshit and let’s go. Aside from the fast girl, the only other awakener they have is an earth Esper. Useful skill he has with the earth shields, but we don’t need that. We go in.... Kill everyone and receive their crystals, then get the girl."

Before long, they arrived at the gates of the mansion.

"Okay. Spread out. They might be weaklings, but don’t lose you, guard. You never kno....." The leader spoke as he attempted to climb the fence, but a whoosh sound suddenly passed by, and the man’s speech paused.

The rest of the rest of the four looked up at their leader in confusing, who was just hanging on the fence stationary, The the man’s body slowly fell back and slamming into the ground. On his forehead, a clean circular hole, with his eyes wide open.

"Wh.....scorpi...?!" Another screamed, but his scream was cut short as another whoosh sounded, a hole appearing in his skull as he dropped dead.

"Fuck!....RUN!." They screamed as they began to race down the mountain.

"How the fuck do they have working guns?!"

WOOSH!

Another sound, another body dropped dead, leaving just two of them running in horror.

"You. You bastard!. Start the fucking car!" The guy with the blade yelled in desperation, but a bullet met the back of his skull before he reached the vehicle, and he dropped dead. His partner was running next to him; the last remaining one didn’t even bother to look back as he ran with all his might.

"Shit shit shit shit!!!... go go go!!.’

The van revved to life as the guy jumped into it, just in time for a bullet to pierce through the vehicle’s body above his head as he stared up in horror.

"DRIVE NOW!!!"

The van went on full throttle, exhaust fuming as it sped out of there at maximum speed.

Back at the mansion’s balcony. Harvey got back up from where he had lain down with his rifle as he watched the vehicle dash farther away,

"Hmm... out of range."

The rifle’s range and lethality seem to have gotten a boost after the reset, and Harvey was most satisfied. Looking at the van leaving, he didn’t feel good about it. He would have preferred to take care of every potential threat as conclusively as possible, but sniping from a distance required recalculated repositioning after every shot, so it’s not nearly as instantaneous as close- to medium-range shots.

[Private Chat]

Tell master Damon it’s done.

Mild: Roger.

Inside the master bedroom of the mansion, Mildred walked and going to sit down next to Damon who was trying to maintain a half conscious half sleep state, she said to him softly—

"You can rest now, young master."

Hearing this, Damon gave in to the long, suffocating need for proper sleep as he closed his eyes and drifted off. His subconscious delved into his ever-expanding liminal space and alternated through the compulsion that called to him deeper inside.

Somewhere else, two cities away from Damon’s current location, a mutant with a unique characteristic suddenly paused as its shadowy hollow socket looked up at the skies....

Every other mutant around it also paused and stood in place while letting out bone-chilling roars. This mutant turned its grotesque head to the side, then back to the front again as it croaked unintelligible—

"Big... big mov... in...."

"Fi.... nd. cr...yst.....arrrrrr!"