Chapter 47: New Predicament

"Sector F is not called the most populated sector of humanity for nothing. There are three times as many humans here as there are in Sector H!"

Captain Ennessa chipped in, causing a gleam of light to cross through Arlo’s eyes.

"But that would also make it more difficult to find the Vorath in such a crowded sector," she said, her eyes narrowing.

Not for me, though. I can almost smell them right now, Arlo thought as his eyes caught the remnants of Dark Mana within the crowd.

It was none other than Dark Magic, belonging solely to the Voraths.

"So, are we going to some central base here in Sector F?" Arlo asked.

Ennessa shook her head and suddenly drove the bus toward an average-looking bungalow.

There were far more buildings like it in Sector F compared to Sector X, which was almost entirely filled with skyscrapers.

_________

VROOOOM

VROOOOOOOM

The bus finally came to a halt within the compound, and they all got down, with Ennessa taking the lead as she guided them into the house.

The interior was simply furnished, consisting of a medium-sized living room with various faint odors lingering in the air and several doors leading to other rooms.

"Take your seats on the sofa. We will be meeting with the higher director overseeing the mission here in Sector F," Ennessa ordered.

Everyone, including Arlo, took their seats around the glass table as Ennessa brought out her tablet and rapidly tapped on it.

A holographic image soon appeared at the center of the room, and an astral-blue projection gradually materialized before them.

"It is very nice to meet you, Governor Ritchell Sonya," Ennessa said as she rose to her feet, prompting everyone else to immediately stand and place their hands over their chests.

Arlo simply followed their lead.

"Ahhh, Ennessa. You have really grown up, and quickly too. I knew you would be embarking on this mission as well, and I am very proud that you and your crew have come to our aid, just as your parents did years ago."

"I cannot thank you all enough," Governor Ritchell said.

He appeared to be around seventy years old and seemed oddly familiar with Captain Ennessa’s background.

"It is our job, Governor, one that will be done irrespective of will or time," Ennessa replied.

"You make a good point. I am guessing you have only just arrived in Sector F. I apologize that I will be unable to give you a tour around my sector. Please understand that the situation truly does not allow it."

"It is expected, sir."

"Then, without taking too much of your time, I will go straight to the mission objectives."

"About two weeks ago, there were cases of people suddenly going missing in Sector F."

"Being such a large sector with millions of inhabitants, it was not really noticed until around a week later, when roughly one hundred and fifty people had vanished without a trace."

"Then we began catching sight of Voraths in various parts of the sector where the abductions had been occurring."

"While it might have initially been interpreted as curious Vorath children entering the human city, that possibility was ruled out because of the missing people and, more importantly, because of the type of Voraths being sighted."

"Can you please elaborate on the type of Voraths that have been sighted, sir?" Ennessa asked as the Governor sighed.

"The Voraths that have been sighted are all adult males. As you know, they are among the most vengeful and powerful."

"And seeing them moving around in groups of five or six means they are definitely up to something."

"It was only last week that we finally discovered what they had been doing. A group of these missing people were thrown from an airplane that later crashed into the sea in broad daylight at the center of Sector F!"

As the Governor spoke, the hologram changed to reveal a strange group of people.

They resembled neither humans nor Voraths, with darkened skin, green moss, and black spots growing across their bodies.

Some had abnormally long ears, while others had bulging eyes and twisted faces, with additional arms even protruding from the stomachs of some of them.

"Like zombies," one of the crew members beside Arlo muttered as the Governor removed the holographic image and nodded.

"They are like zombies. When we received reports about the missing humans and began investigating further, we discovered that those creatures were the very humans who had disappeared."

"Research conducted by our elite scientists found traces of Vorath genomes within their bodies."

"This could only mean the Vorath had been experimenting on humans with the aim of turning them into Voraths themselves."

"Why they chose to conduct those experiments in my peaceful Sector F, however, is something that still eludes us," he lamented.

Even an idiot would know why.

Sector F has the largest human population, so it provides an abundance of test subjects, and because of the sheer number of people living here, missing individuals would not immediately create much of a ripple, Arlo thought, though he maintained his poker face.

"A week of searching for these Voraths has proved futile."

"The people we sent after them have all gone missing, so much so that the sector guards have refused to send any more of their people on the mission, yet humans are still vanishing."

"So, I could only beg for help from the other sectors."

"May I request the cultivation level of the sector guards who have gone missing, sir?" Ennessa asked.

The Governor looked at her for a long moment before sighing.

"You know, Ennessa, right now I am a desperate Governor who would do anything to keep those willing to help, even if it meant lying to them about the strength of the people we had already sent."

"But because of your background, I will be honest with you."

"According to records sent to me this morning, a total of twelve sector guards at the First Cyber Core Rank have gone missing, while three Second Cyber Core experts have been confirmed dead."

"Judging from their wounds, we could tell the battles were almost completely one-sided."

"The Second Cyber Core experts were not even able to put up much resistance, despite being armed to the teeth with sufficiently powerful cybernetic weapons and suits."

Gasps of shock reverberated through the room as the Governor’s words settled upon the crew, their spines turning cold.

It had to be known that every member of Ennessa’s crew was at the First Cyber Core level, with only Ennessa herself having reached the Second Cyber Core.

Yet now they were being told that all the First Cyber Core guards sent after the Voraths had vanished, while three Second Cyber Core experts had been killed.

This was practically a suicidal mission.

"From your words, that means the Voraths responsible for killing them must be stronger than the Anouq Grade if they were able to make Second Cyber Core experts completely unable to resist."

"This is a very serious case, Governor," Ennessa said.

The Governor nodded.

"I know very well, Ennessa. Thankfully, a total of six other sectors have sent their men to help, including your Sector X, and they are all working together now, but they have been unable to find the exact location yet."

"Still, we have records of the places where the greatest number of sightings occurred, and it has been noted that they only come out at night. We still have no information about their base."

"We also do not want the Voraths to know that we have secured help from outside sectors. That is why you should all blend in as ordinary civilians while operating within the sector."

"And, Ennessa, I would completely understand if you decided to withdraw from this..."

The Governor was cut off before he could finish.

"May I request the maps showing where the majority of the Vorath sightings occurred, as well as the areas where the other sectors have currently focused their attention?"

"We will need them if we are to proceed with the mission tonight," Ennessa said as though she had not even heard how dangerous the mission was.

The Governor stared at her dazedly before a smile slowly appeared on his face.

"You remind me of her, Ennessa. Stone-cold, with unshakeable focus and resolve."

"Very well, then. I will immediately transfer everything you need to know about the mission, including the work the various sectors have done since arriving a few days ago."

"Thank you, Ennessa. Thank you."

"Just as I said before, Governor, I am simply doing my job. I will be expecting the records as soon as possible."

"Of course. My PA is already working on them as we speak. Do not forget to call me if you need anything, Ennessa. I am at your beck and call."

"Good luck to you and your crew."

With that, the holographic image gradually faded away. A beep sounded almost immediately afterward, causing Ennessa to look down at her tablet and nod.

"Come forward," she said.

They all rose from their seats and gathered around the table.

Ennessa tapped its surface twice, and a screen immediately appeared across it.

She quickly manipulated the display until a map was projected before them.

"This is the map of the entire Sector F. These red dots represent the places where Voraths have been sighted."

"The more red dots in an area, the more sightings there have been, and also the more sector guards have been lost there."

"As you can see, most of these places consist of dark alleyways and corners of streets that connect to one another. That is likely what has made tracking down the Vorath base so difficult."

Ennessa continued analyzing the situation while they all listened intently.

"With so many alleyways linking to one another, the only approach is to spread out while ensuring that the strongest sector guards are deployed to the areas with the highest concentration of sightings, while weaker guards are sent to locations with fewer reported appearances."

"But what if a soldier like me, at the First Cyber Core, encounters an Anouq Grade Vorath?"

"How would I prevent myself from getting abducted or, in the worst-case scenario, killed?"