His family was equipped and, in his opinion, safe. The shield could last for two hours. It wasn’t bulky and covered their body like a layer of skin. All they needed to do was activate it when the fight began.

He had them change into something more combat-ready. He even picked out some things for the people downstairs.

He looked at the clothes and shook his head. The clothes were fine for ordinary times, but now, they weren’t even considered subpar. He awaited the day when clothes would take a drastic turn for the better.

The family walked in looking like a unit, all dressed in black.

The swords were fastened and hanging on their backs. All meditation stopped as they watched the family walk in. When they saw the swords on the children’s backs, they couldn’t help but speak up.

"Are the kids going too?" Claire asked.

Kain tilted his head in response. "You don’t need to worry about them. This is your training. Amelia and I will take care of the kids. You need to focus on getting stronger."

Hearing this, none of them said anything. The parents were willing to let them go out. What more could they say?

The radio in the corner of the room crackled to life. Amelia wanted to know if there was any other news.

... a smaller group of mosquitoes joined the first. The speed had increased. They are still moving to the NorthWest quadrant. They should arrive in 30 minutes.

The voice boomed in the room.

It seemed they no longer had hours; they only had a few minutes.

Kain walked towards the pantry and retrieved some food.

"Eat something before you go out. Don’t eat much, just enough so your body can draw on it later as a reserve. Just in case."

Fifteen minutes later, the food was gone, and everyone made their way up to the rooftop.

This time, they didn’t need the report. They could see it and hear it. It looked like a large black cloud. The buzzing penetrated their ears, sending tingling through their skull.

This wasn’t the usual high-pitched whining. The sound reverberated through the body.

Kain immediately told the children to activate the spirit shield. An imperceptible layer was added to their skins the moment it was activated.

Kain gave the order. "Everyone spread out. This is your first time using the sword. Make sure not to cut anyone. If you see anyone having a hard time and you can step in, do it. We are a team. No one is standing here on their own."

Their hands held their swords, knuckles going white as they gripped them.

The most composed was Kain, and then Marcus.

Both were experienced in dangerous situations.

There was no sound from the group. Each watched as the mosquitoes got closer. Jon shivered as he looked at them, their mouths especially. He glanced at the green sprouts, and his eyes drooped.

They might not survive the rampage.

"Remember," Kain called out, "to watch out for the crops. It’s specially for Awakened."

When they heard that, they froze, Jon included.

Kain snickered and said to himself, ’Yes, yes, watch your feet. You might trample the food.’

The moment the mosquitoes saw them, they swarmed as if they had seen their favourite food, which they had.

What Kain and the others didn’t know was that the mosquitoes had a penchant for the blood of the Awakened. It kept them energized and fuller for longer.

The swept in, some landing on the building, waiting for their turn.

Kain made the first move. He swung the broadsword. Even as a level 4, he could feel the weight of it. It wasn’t something he was completely used to, but he moved with the flow of it.

He didn’t fight the weight. Cutting clean through, the first mosquito died without knowing the danger.

That first cut set off a frenzy. The others charged towards them. The group started swinging. Chaos erupted on the roof.

Mosquitoes dropped from above, swooping in from all sides.

Kain moved with the weight of the blade, cutting through them like watermelon. The constant whoosh sound of the blade and the thud when they fell filled his ears.

Different from when he was fighting the swordfish, Kain could feel a thrill running through his body.

He glanced to the left of him, where Amelia and the children were having their own battles. He saw the children struggling and took a step closer. He didn’t join their fight.

This was what they wanted. So as much as his body was screaming at him to step in, all he did was watch.

Around them, the others were also caught in their fights.

Marcus was doing well. He knew how to judge distance and estimated when to swing. His movements were controlled. First, disable, then kill. Unlike Kain, whose first goal was to kill.

This was his first fight. Each of them would learn sooner or later that killing directly was the best way. Don’t give your enemy the chance to make a comeback.

A mosquito lunged at Marcus’ face, and he tilted his head, letting it pass. He cut off a wing before slashing the abdomen to split it in half.

Kain ducked when he felt something whizzing towards his back. His eyes narrowed, and he swung. He heard the thunk sound of a mosquito being cut and looked up to see Vincent close by.

He raised his voice so everyone could hear, "If you swing wide, you’re not hitting them, you’re hitting each other."

He saw the apologetic look and ignored it. Whether Vincent did it on purpose, he didn’t care. He had better things to do. If he tried something once, he would try it again.

Paige and Jaylin were back to back. Paige’s swings were wild, only aiming to catch whatever mosquito came her way. Jaylin was more careful; she looked for an opportunity before completing a swing.

She heard Paige’s ragged breath and said, "Be wild in the bedroom, not here. Swing when they’re close enough."

The three little ones were having the time of their lives. Avery saw opponents, and Ashton saw experimental parts. Dominic kept staring, as if forcing himself to see something that wasn’t there.

"Ava, Dom, Ash, swing when they get close enough. Don’t try to move around too much," Amelia called out to them.

"Okay, Mom," three small voices answered in unison.

"I got one!" Dom added as the bone sword cut through the large mosquito. The faintest hint of a smile found his lips.

"Good job," Kain and Amelia said at the same time.

Kain had been keeping watch on them despite having his own share to kill.

Verdana and Jon weren’t doing so well. Jon had only just become an Awakened. He wasn’t used to his strength, and he was even more unfamiliar with using a sword. Add to the mix the constant barrage of mosquitoes, and he was very nauseous.

Verdana, on the other hand, had the right instincts but none of the timing.

"Verdana, Jon, plant your feet, don’t move," Kain shouted.

They tried to do what he said.

Jon planted his feet, kept them rooted until he saw the mosquito was close, and then he swung. The force wasn’t strong enough and embedded itself in the mosquito. He pulled it out quickly and staggered.

Luckily, with that hit, the mosquito died.

Verdana did the same, planting her feet. However, her swing was haphazard. It knicked the mosquito, but she ended up being caught by the mosquito. The paralytic fluid touched her body, and she froze.

Kain rushed over, cutting the mosquito in half. She was stuck in the same swing, with her eyes wide open.