Chapter 73: Bracing for the Worst

Chapter 73: Bracing for the Worst"A bit," Yui replied, voice steady despite the tension. "We ran into quite the figure. Joji. I’m sure that name rings a bell from the early days."

There was a brief pause over the comm before Elara responded, her tone shifting slightly. "It does. We ran sting operations in his country a few times—some successful, some... not so much. What does he have to do with anything, though?"

Yui exchanged a glance with Elias before continuing. "He’s here with his son—who’s been affected by a shard. I’d bet he’s dealing with the movement penalty too. But more importantly, he managed to slip away while we were dealing with someone who was either trying to capture or kill him."

A beat of silence, then Elara’s voice sharpened. "Wait, what? Who did you fight?"

Yui exhaled, rubbing the back of his head. "It was some guy in a mask. Don’t know if he was with the rebels or just a freelancer, but he was gunning for Joji. He fired first."

There was a pause before he continued, voice flat. "Reflected his own blast right back at him. Ended up with a hole through his skull before he even knew what happened."

Elara’s voice came through the comm, calm but pointed. "You’re sure he’s dead?"

Yui glanced at the charred remains still smoldering in the hallway before shaking his head slightly. "Yeah. No way anyone survives getting their own shot turned against them at point-blank range. There wasn’t much left to identify."

Elias looked at the blackened scorch mark along the wall and floor, the faint remnants of heat still curling in the air. He swallowed before speaking. "It was quick. But that’s not our biggest problem—Joji and his kid are gone

Elias exhaled, rolling his shoulders as he shook off the lingering tension. "I’ll scan for him again, but we should probably alert the local guard force about the dead guy before some poor tourist stumbles in here and freaks out."

"Right," Elara replied through the comms. "I’ll handle it. I’m taking this old guy back to the ship for holding until we secure the second shard user. Once you find Joji, don’t engage. Wait until we’re back. Shouldn’t take more than 15, 20 minutes max."



"Understood," Yui responded, adjusting his gear.

Elias brought his hands together, letting out a slow breath as Dots mirrored his movement. "Alright... focus."

A familiar dull ache began to pulse behind his eyes, but he pushed it aside as the grayscale world bled into view around him. The room shifted into muted tones of grey and black, the space littered with motionless, dark dots—signatures of lifeless objects.

Then, at the very center of the room, something pulsed. A faint glow shimmered in the air, growing in intensity before a translucent window panel materialized in front of Elias.

[System Alert]

???? Levels Too Low

⚠ Energy Reserves Depleted

???? Unable to Detect Next Route

The red text flashed briefly before the entire window dispersed into static, vanishing before Elias could react.

He sighed, his shoulders slumping. "I see."

"You see what?" Yui’s voice cut in, snapping Elias from his thoughts.

Elias blinked. "Oh, nothing. Just something Dots was saying," he lied.

Another panel suddenly flickered into existence in front of him, this time far more ominous than before.

[Emergency Quest Available]

---------------------------------

???? Accept?

✔ Yes | ✖ No

???? Reward: Unlock Tree Window Path

⚠ Failure Consequence: 24 Hours of Blindness

-------------------------------------------------------------

Elias felt a drop of sweat trickle down his temple. His heartbeat quickened as he hesitated, the weight of the decision pressing against him.



"I... I don’t know what this is," Dots murmured, voice unsure. "But I think we should do it."

Elias clenched his jaw, taking a slow breath. "You’re right. If we keep taking things passively, we’ll never catch up."

His eyes narrowed as he mentally selected the ✔ Yes option.

Another window immediately appeared, its contents making his stomach twist into knots.

[Quest Objectives]

???? Task 1: Defeat Rhino Shard User


???? Task 2: Save Teleportation Shard User

⚠ Task 3: Don’t Die

--------------------------------------------------------

The moment the final words settled in his vision, Elias felt his head snap back as reality came rushing in like a crashing wave.

His eyes snapped back to normal, and he barely registered that Yui had grabbed him by the collar, shaking him slightly.

"Hey! Are you even listening to me?!?"

Elias gasped slightly, his stomach churning at what he had just seen. He looked at Yui, then back at the scorched hallway, and felt something cold settle into his gut.

"Call Elara back. Right now."

Yui’s brows furrowed. "Why?"

Elias swallowed hard. "Because we’re about to have some serious company."

Yui, still clearly skeptical, crossed his arms. "What do you mean? I’m still not following."

Elias exhaled, rubbing his temple as the headache still lingered from using his ability. "Okay, very quick rundown."

As he spoke, Yui turned his attention back to his scanner, checking for any new pulse readings for the shard user.

"The shard that hit me—along with the others—gives quests for whatever reason. Elara mentioned she’s completed a few and is just stockpiling whatever ’soul energy’ it generates."

Yui tilted his head slightly, shifting his weight onto one leg. "Yeah, I remember her mentioning that... It still doesn’t make any sense, but sure, let’s roll with it."

"Perfect," Elias continued. "Right now, I’m working through a remedial quest to fix my senses being swapped. But while I was trying to scan the room, an emergency quest popped up."



Yui’s gaze flicked up from his scanner. "Okay... and?"

Elias clenched his fists slightly. "It gave me three tasks. The reward isn’t important right now, but one of the main tasks is taking down a shard user with a Rhino Ikona. I have no idea what that is exactly, but I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that it’s the same person who attacked me—and then Elara."

Yui’s expression darkened slightly, his fingers tightening around the scanner. "And if something like that is triggering as an emergency, then that means we’re about to have a confrontation whether we like it or not."

Elias nodded. "Exactly. We need to be ready."

Yui didn’t waste another second. He tapped the side of his ear again, bringing up his comms. "Elara, come in."

Her voice came through crisp and clear. "Yes? What is it?"

"We’ve likely got incoming. I’d recommend bringing your suit and the prototypes along."

There was a pause before Elara replied. "Hmm... if you think so, that’s good enough for me." She shifted gears immediately. "Yusuke, status report."

A moment later, Yusuke’s voice came through. "Twelve unidentified individuals have entered the island within the last twenty-four hours. Additionally, a global fugitive—Vincent Ruiz—was reported within the same timeframe."

A sigh escaped Elara’s lips. "Great. Well, nothing can ever be simple, huh?"

She refocused. "Yusuke, once we get back, take the old man to the compound and return as fast as you can."

"Understood," Yusuke responded firmly.