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Chapter 8: Usurpation Zone
🕑 Added 2024-03-03 18:24:36 +0000 UTCI woke up to a sharp pang of pain as my leg accidentally struck something during my sleep. Immediately, I checked all my spy cameras. The sky was still cloaked in darkness. Glancing at my smartphone, it displayed 2 AM. A wave of panic hit me before I calmed myself down. I had never been out past 6 PM, nor had I ever slept over at a friend's house. But this was an extraordinary situation.
"Ugh..." I tended to my leg, unwrapping and then reapplying the antibiotic ointment. Fortunately, there seemed to be no signs of infection.
"Fel, should I purchase medicine from the vault after all?"
"Do you wish to open the First Aid Kit Vault (Common)? It costs 100 points."
"How many MGs have accessed this vault?"
"About 80% of MGs, excluding those with a blue classification, have opened it. It's invaluable in emergencies and can also be used to aid civilians."
"Alright, let's open it." I hesitated at the thought of spending points, but the worsening pain in my leg made the decision for me. I regretted not opening this vault sooner.
"Opening First Aid Kit Vault [Common], Nyaa. I recommend either the emergency spray or the greater restoration gum."
"Which is more effective?"
"The emergency spray will seal your wound immediately, but the greater restoration gum will regenerate your wounds until it heals you completely. With the gum, you'll be fully restored, Nyaa. However, it costs 20 points."
"Then I'll take the gum. I need to be in top condition to head to Guardian Command after this, right? And I'll need another one of those enchanted javelins."
[First Aid Vault (Common) Unlocked!]
[-100 Points]
[Purchased: Greater Restoration Gum!]
[-20 Points]
[Purchased: Zeus Javelin!]
[-30 Points]
[Remaining Points: 26 (176-100-20-30)]
"Wise choice, opting for the Greater Restoration Gum. Your points are now 26. The javelin was indeed a good purchase, wasn't it?" Felicia remarked while scratching her ear.
As I munched on the gum, which surprisingly tasted of strawberry—my favorite—I pondered over the upcoming communication with Guardian Command. The gum's slightly sweet and tangy flavor felt tailor-made, far from the unpleasant sweetness of typical gum or candies. It made me wonder if everything from the Gate was customized for me. The javelin and the spear were at the perfect height. As expected from Zenith, Their medicine was also exceptional. The wound on my leg, inflicted by the wasp, entirely healed within minutes.
"Yes? Ah, your leg's healed? Excellent! We can now contact Guardian Command and request a Magical Girl to deactivate your Blacklight Protocol. However, be prepared to either flee or hide as soon as we make the call. Anathema capable of detecting our mana signal, likely above level 30, would pose a significant threat, even if you have access to your astral shift."
"Alright."
"Before we proceed, would you like to create an alias? It might simplify communication with them."
"My alias? Just use my name. Alice knows me too. She's known as Shining Arrow."
"Shining Arrow, huh? She's one of the few Magical Girls whose personal identity was publicly known." Felicia then froze, her behavior momentarily becoming somewhat peculiar for a cat. Why did she suddenly freeze like that?
"Alright, I've made the call. They'll arrive soon. Let's get moving," Felicia prompted, urging me to exit the minimarket. Chaos erupted as a banshee-like cry of despair reverberated through the air. A swarm of Anathema burst forth from the residential homes, descending upon the minimarket. Hounds, ghouls, and various beasts reminiscent of mythological demons emerged. I sprinted as swiftly as I could, heading back to my school and confronting Anathema along the way. With my leg healed, I felt a newfound strength coursing through me.
Executing a dash, I skewered a ghoul through its throat. When another came close, I swung my spear and decapitated it. Performing a sweeping attack with a cross spear was challenging due to the blade's limited length of only thirty centimeters, unlike the broader reach of a naginata. Nevertheless, I managed.
[Defeated: Fomorian Ghoul Level 3 x2]
[Reward: 20 Points]
[Remaining Points: 46]
"Run!"
"Got it!" I hastened back to the school, which had transformed into a nightmarish landscape populated with Anathema of varying sizes. The sight of the school shrouded in black miasma made me hesitant, inducing a sense of nausea.
"Fel? Must we enter?"
"Ah, the school has become a usurpation zone... We have no other option. Judging by the miasma's intensity, this doesn't seem like a high-level usurpation—probably level 20 at most. We can handle it," Felicia reassured, bolstering my courage. I followed her lead, tightening my grip on my spear. Despite spotting two hounds on the field, Felicia instructed me to bypass them and discreetly enter through the back gate.
"Why?" I questioned her.
"Eliminating them would alert the other Anathema within the school, provoking them to swarm us. Engaging them in an open area is not advisable."
"I see." I felt confident handling several ghouls in an open area with my naginata. Although I wasn't a world champion yet, I excelled at the top of my club in that sport. However, spears tend to get stuck after a stab. While the enchanted weapon significantly aided me, I had to step back to retrieve the spear for another stab, losing precious seconds.
"Attach your magic eyes to your Javelin and aim for the ghoul lounging in the corridor." I entered through a broken fence, a shortcut often used by truant students, which was nearer than the back gate. Climbing through a window, I spotted the ghouls on the ground. Initially thinking it was deceased, Felicia confirmed it was merely dormant. It would strike me if it sensed me coming nearer. After throwing the javelin, which pierced its head, I used the attached camera to confirm that the rest of the corridor was clear.
[Defeated: Fomorian Ghoul Level 2]
[Reward: 10 Points]
[Remaining Points: 56]
"It seems there are fewer Anathema here than anticipated," I noted, retrieving my javelin and deactivating the camera. Before entering the school, I had placed two more magic eyes at the front gate and the fence. "What's our next move? Wait for another Magical Girl?"
"We should attempt to clear this area. If we locate the curse seed, we might be able to eliminate the usurpation zone in this school."
"Wait, I thought we were to avoid Anathema, given my lack of an astral shift."
"This presents a valuable opportunity. This is a low-level usurpation zone. Successfully clearing it on your own could yield up to three hundred points in addition to the Anathema you've already defeated. Gaining more levels means acquiring more stats, and the closer we get to level ten, the better."
"Alright," I agreed, acknowledging her advice. "But there was a big spider before. It looked powerful..."
"I didn't detect it when I went through here. It might have moved on. The fact that Anathema can leave usurpation zones here, unlike in sanctuary cities, is perplexing. But right now, it was a boon for us."
"Understood." With Felicia's guidance, I proceeded. Her ability to phase through walls and doors facilitated scouting, while the gypsum walls proved no barrier to my javelin and spear. We methodically cleared the first, second, and third floors. The only significant challenge was a gorilla-like Anathema, standing four meters tall. My javelins, which easily pierced through hounds and ghouls, only embedded three inches into its dense black flesh.
"Be wary of its hands. One hit could be fatal. Employ hit-and-run tactics!" Felicia advised as I engaged it. Initially intimidating, I quickly adapted to its movements. I struck its torso with my spear, then retreated swiftly to dodge its swinging hands. It moved slower than my walking pace unless using its hands for support; even then, it only matched my jogging pace. After about ten cycles of this strategy, the gorilla fell. In total, I vanquished approximately fifteen Anathema, with Felicia strategically saving the gorilla for last.
[Defeated: Fomorian Hound x2]
[Reward: 20 Points]
[Defeated: Fomorian Ghoul x5]
[Reward: 50 Points]
[Defeated: Big Ape x2]
[Reward: 30 Points]
[Defeated: Fomorian Gravedigger x3]
[Reward: 30 Points]
[Defeated: Fomorian Wasp x3]
[Reward: 30 Points]
[You have leveled up to Level 4]
[You have leveled up to Level 5]
[Remaining Points: 216]
I requested Felicia to condense the notification messages, which she did by omitting the levels of the defeated Anathema, explaining that their levels were not significant for a beginner. Although she offered to simplify the notifications further, I found the current detail level adequate but wanted my points total displayed. As she mentioned, in the early stages, Anathema with identical names typically possess similar strengths.
"Is that a curse seed?" I whispered upon noticing a mesmerizing black jewel surrounded by dense miasma and oozing black ichor. The gem appeared to cry out for help, its despair palpable. From the inky substance, a Fomorian Ghoul emerged. Reacting instinctively, I impaled it with my Seraph Spear.
"Quickly, destroy the curse seed."
"Done!" With the gem shattered, relief washed over me. Exhausted, I slumped down, surprised by the experience. "I assumed usurpation rifts were smoky in nature."
[Quest Completed! - Usurpation Zone Cleared]
[Description: On your second day as a Magical Girl, without prior training or assistance, you've cleared an usurpation zone, demonstrating exceptional bravery. Thank you for your hard work on behalf of humanity.]
[Difficulty: Medium]
[Reward: 150 Points]
[Remaining Points: 366]
"Usurpation rifts transport Anathema from their realm to ours, then a curse seed would be transported to stabilize this connection and could potentially evolve into a Rebellion—a more perilous event where Anathema are spawned directly in our dimension."
"Is this a Rebellion?"
"No, but it was likely on the verge of becoming one. The bloodstains suggest it claimed several civilians. However, not all Rebellions pose equal threats, nyaa. They can either spawn numerous weaker Anathema or a few powerful ones, each approach with its own advantages and disadvantages." Felicia somehow changed her speech back like a cat
As the remnants of the shattered black gem began to vanish, the distant sounds of explosions and metal clashing reached my ears. Instinctively, I grasped my spear and attempted to view through the camera I had placed at the gate.
"It seems our reinforcements have arrived. With their help, we can finally address the bothersome Blacklight Protocol that's been restricting us."
"Really? But I've heard Shining Arrow and her team are ranked E, with Shining Arrow herself nearly at rank D. Can they actually deactivate the Blacklight Protocol? And wait, why don't I have a rank?" I pondered, suddenly aware of my lack of ranking. Rankings were meant to indicate the strength of a Magical Girl or Guardian. So, why was I assigned levels instead of ranks? Was it because I hadn't reached level 10 yet?
"The situation with ranks is quite complex. Originally, everyone had levels and a status screen, but rankings were introduced by Guardian Command later on. In the past, Magical Girls only had levels, but then some began to underreport their levels. This was partly for safety reasons, as understating one's level could provide a tactical advantage. However, this led to levels being perceived as an indicator of a Magical Girl's strength."
"Doesn't that make sense? Higher levels mean more points and stats, right?"
"No, acquiring stats isn't exclusive to leveling up, and points can be obtained through achievements and quests as well."
"Then, MGs began to manipulate their reported levels both ways—downplaying them for safety and inflating them for bragging rights, which led to numerous casualties. In response to these issues, the UNH made levels private and established a ranking system."
"I understand." I nodded. "What does each rank signify in terms of strength?"
"Ranking starts at F, typically representing levels ten to twenty. Under that, they were called a trainee. E ranks are from levels twenty to forty, D spans up to level sixty, C is around level 100, B is approximately level 150, and A reaches about level 200. Beyond that, individuals are considered aces. It's important to note, however, that these are general guidelines. An MG's actual level can vary based on how they allocate their points or stats."
"Okay." I felt reassured knowing the Blacklight Protocol hadn't complicated my status unnecessarily.
"Regardless of their specific levels or ranks, they are Magical Girls. They should be fully capable of deactivating your Blacklight Protocol without issue."
