BZZZZ!

Violent purple ADE flared like a tsunami from a corner of the large receptionist area of the hotel as he charged out in a rabid manner.

Daren made his triumphant entry!

Wearing the dark grey regular guard uniform of Bourdillon Hotel, unarmed, Daren charged out like a hurricane.

Thud... thud...

Seeing him charge out in the midst of the ongoing gunfight between the 2 sides, time seemed to slow down and there were myriad reactions.

The female receptionist who facilitated Daren’s employment just yesterday night and was hiding behind a counter was stunned as her eyes widened in shock. ’What is he doing???’

She panicked on his behalf.

For the elite guards of Bourdillon Hotel who were engaging the thugs though, instead of panic, they felt bewildered. ’Who is this guy?’

Due to how new Daren was in the guard force, not a lot of guards knew who he was. The purple ADE flowing around him revealed the truth that he was an Ascended though, but still, the guards were stunned.

Afterall, even their leader who was also an Ascended dared not brave the gunfire of the thugs head-on.

Being an Ascended did not directly translate to invulnerability.

On both sides, though the violent gunfight was yet to take a life, multiple guards and thugs on both sides were already injured. Some guards were even lying on the ground, bleeding out amid the tense gunfight.

To see someone charging through all this chaos was unusual in the current circumstances.

’Who is this?’ They thought collectively.

Not just the guards, but the thugs too. They were just as shocked.

The leader of the thugs who was running with the suitcase narrowed his eyes as he saw the new guard fearlessly charging towards them.

From the density of the ADE revolving around him, this experienced thug could tell that this unknown guard was an F Rank just like him. This realization made him heave a sigh of relief, but at the same time it made him scoff.

’Naïve’. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Shoot at him!" He bellowed at his subordinates as he ran, ducking to evade bullets. "He’s just F Rank, he’s not fast enough to dodge bullets!"

The subordinates unhesitatingly obeyed their leader.

They turned their pistols, aimed, and then they pulled the trigger.

Bam... bam... bam...

And that was where the true orchestra played out.

Just before the thugs could pull the trigger, riding on his years of experience as an Ascended and his passive enhanced combat senses as an E Rank Cyber Gladiator, Daren predicted their next moves and timed his reaction perfectly.

BZZZ!

His ADE erupted around him.

He used no E Rank ability. Afterall, the current him could not use his E Rank abilities because of his implant.

During the preparation phase for "Operation Killing Joe", as the plan became more concrete, they realized that to infiltrate seamlessly and successfully, they needed the ability to perfectly mask the density of their ADE to a certain level when required.

Once the problem came up and Leon couldn’t think of a way to solve it immediately, the next thing he thought of was contacting General Ren Nora.

This was the importance of having connections in high places.

And just like expected, the Freegrid Army had an advanced technology to perfectly mask the density of an Ascended’s ADE- a special implant.

During the preparation phase for the mission, all 6 of them who came on the mission went on a mini-surgery where the implant was installed inside them.

With it, their bodies became partially digitized, becoming capable of switching between ADE density states. For Talia and Daren, it was 2 states, switching between E and F Rank. But for Lt. Colonel Umar Farouq and Leon, theirs was more complicated and it was 3 states, switching between D, E, and F Rank.

Without this, they would have never been able to infiltrate Daddy Puff’s enterprise back in Community Kragin not to talk of here.

But the implants had a side effect. After switching states to reduce ADE density, in each state, for example the F Rank state, even Leon wouldn’t be able to use his E Rank abilities effectively. His D Rank abilities would be effectively locked.

For Daren, in this state, all his E Rank abilities were locked completely which meant what he was currently doing was not just an act, he was actually putting his life in danger for it.

An F Rank Ascended not a Gene Augur running at multiple armed men was suicide. But Daren didn’t hesitate, he was locked in for it.

He wasn’t reckless though; he had a plan.

Just before the thugs pulled the trigger, he predicted it and reacted.

Bzzz!

He bobbed...

A bullet flew past him.

Bam!

He ducked...

Bullets flew past him.

He weaved, bullets flying past him like darts! Then he rolled, all in one smooth interconnected motion!

The bullets flew over him harmlessly.

"...!" The thugs were stunned as they froze in shock, they didn’t expect to see such athletes from him.

Seeing them freeze; Daren’s eyes gleamed and without hesitation he took advantage of their shock.

He didn’t just roll. Having covered a lot of distance with his run already, he rolled beside one of the injured guards who was bleeding out, picking up his sub-automatic machine gun that was by his side.

Before the thugs could react or realize what was happening, Daren rolled again for balance and was now on his knees.

Holding the sub-automatic machine gun with both hands, he relaxed his shoulders and took aim, then...

Tutututututututu!

Unlike the mundane guards, even with the implant suppressing him to F Rank now, Daren’s aim was accurate like he was being laser-guided.

He scored 3 head shots instantaneously!

Thud...

The 3 thugs fell dead immediately even as more bullets sprayed out.

Seeing 3 of their comrades fall down dead, the other thugs were stunned, including their leader and Brick, the man who brought the update to them.

For a moment, they froze, then...

"RUN!" Their leader bellowed.

He didn’t wait for them, he was already running.

Having achieved their objective already which was getting the suitcase with money, even if they could kill this new guard eventually with time if they stayed, they had no intention to stay.

Afterall, they were on a time limit.

The police was coming!

As they ran, turning their backs to Daren, they became easy targets to him and Daren didn’t hesitate as he pushed his advantage.

"SHOOT!" He bellowed at the other guards even as he cocked the gun.

Then he unleashed hell on them.

Tutututututu...!

The other guards joined him, unleashing hell on the escaping thugs!

Considering the fact that alongside Brick, only 2 of them were actual Ascended, it was extremely hard to dodge.

They began falling like flies as the bullets dug into their bodies with effortless ease. But even as they fell, defiantly, they resisted by shooting back.

4 more thugs fell in rapid succession in a pool of blood, but by retaliating, they also downed a few more guards even as 2 bullets finally found their way to Daren- one piercing the left side of his abdomen and the other one his right shoulder.

He groaned, but he didn’t stop shooting.

He couldn’t stop more though as the 3 other thugs beside the thug who was injured first finally made it outside the rubble of the hotel gate that was blown open earlier.

The moment they made it outside though, they heard the sound of sirens.

’The police!’

Without hesitation, they immediately made a beeline towards the adjacent street where they came from.

They also heard the sound of a helicopter, and then from the sky...

Tututututututu!

The police unleashed hell on the 3 escaping thugs!

One of them got injured- the one carrying the suitcase who was the leader of the gang, but as an F Rank Cyber Gladiator, he didn’t stop.

He gritted his teeth through the pain and continued running.

A few seconds later amid the heavy gunfire from the police, they disappeared into a dark alley as they made their way towards the lower streets where it would be a bit harder to find them even with the Omnicore Eye.

The police went after them.

And finally, silence returned to Bourdillon Hotel.

...

More than 10 minutes later, the group of 3 thugs finally lost the police as they navigated deep within the hidden corners of the lower streets where they knew best than the police.

They moved through dark corners and hid in dark places, trying to hide from the Omnicore Eye.

Looking back and seeing no police officer, they finally heaved a sigh of relief, and yet that was when he moved.

Silently unsheathing a dagger, Brick stabbed one of the 2 surviving thugs on the neck as the poor thug shuddered in pain.

"Gah...!" He quickly grabbed his neck, gurgling and trying to stop the bleeding but it was too late.

He was drowning in his own blood!

"...!" The gang leader was stunned.

He turned around, about to react but then he felt the cold touch of a pistol’s muzzle on his forehead before he could react. It was cold as ice.

He froze.

He stared into those deep gray eyes behind the Halloween-themed mask. "But we succeeded," he mumbled. "And you have the biggest share. Why?"

Brick shrugged. "Sorry".

He pulled the trigger.

BAM!