Chapter 01: Prologue

"There she is!"

"Get HER!"

BAM! BAM!

Twin blasts erupted from strange-looking firearms, narrowly missing their target and searing the metallic corridor wall.

Step. Step.

Footsteps pounded a frantic rhythm. A woman in a long white lab coat sprinted away, more shots barking at her heels.

"I must escape, I can't let them have it," she muttered, glancing at the briefcase clutched in her hand for a fleeting moment before brushing her fingers against the metal wall as she ran.

An extraordinary phenomenon unfolded instantly. Metal bars erupted from the wall, effectively blocking the path and thwarting the pursuing figures. One unfortunate soul found himself being crushed by a bar, leaving behind a crimson stain on the metallic surface.

Undeterred, the woman continued her frantic dash. In mere seconds, she reached a massive glass window. She paused, gazing out at the desolate, icy expanse. "Snow, I like snow," she murmured. "Always endless snow here at the North Pole."

"Sigh…There is no time for this. I need to reach the teleport room." Sighing, she resumed her hurried pace, reaching an elevator and swiping her card.

Scanning the card, the elevator opened up. The display flickered to life, revealing the woman's picture and name: Professor Linza Mori.

Linza selected the lowest floor, where the teleport room and her lab resided. A significant distance separated her current location from the desired floor – over twenty.

The elevator descended smoothly. Linza leaned against the wall, catching her breath after the adrenaline-fueled sprint.

"Why now of all days?" Frustration laced her voice as she muttered, "I was supposed to leave tomorrow." Furrowing her brow, she pieced together fragments of information, suspicions, and whispers about the attackers.

"This can't be a coincidence. They're after my latest invention."

Linza clutched the briefcase protectively to her chest. "...But how? How did they find this place, and more importantly, how did they know about my invention?" Her mind raced, a whirlwind of unanswered questions.

BOOOM!

"W-What!!"

Suddenly, a deafening explosion rocked the facility, the elevator jolting violently. Linza's heart hammered in her chest as she watched the descending floor numbers.

However, the elevator came to a sudden halt, throwing Linza forward, and causing her to lose balance. Gripping the metallic handrail, she steadied herself and stared at the display – nine floors remained.

Her mind, honed by years of scientific training, swiftly analyzed the situation. Linza's fingers danced across the control panel, but the buttons remained unresponsive. The silence that followed the explosion was a stark contrast to the urgency that had propelled her just moments before.

With a defeated sigh, Linza slumped against the wall. "I have no choice."

Reaching into her lab coat pocket, she retrieved an egg-sized blue crystal. Focusing her gaze on the crystal, Linza's violet eyes pulsed with an electric blue glow.

Placing one hand on the crystal and the other on the elevator floor, she uttered in a firm voice, "Equivalent Exchange."

The blue crystal vanished instantly, replaced by a network of blue lines spreading across the floor like a spiderweb. The elevator lights and display flickered erratically as Linza seized control with her powers.

Standing tall, she commanded, "Descend. Last floor."

The elevator resumed its descent, this time unimpeded. Upon reaching the final floor, the elevator doors slid open. But Linza didn't come out; she remained hidden for a few seconds then she took a peek, seeing that the path was empty. She mustered the courage to step out.

The floor, constructed from the same metallic material as the rest of the facility, stretched before her. The teleport room, her destination, lay at the far end, requiring several minutes to reach on foot.

She pulled her card attempting to unlock the door, but a voice startled her from the shadows. "Professor, is that you?"

Linza gripped the briefcase tighter as a shadowy figure emerged from the corner. Relief washed over her as she recognized the figure.

"Jane, what are you doing here? Are you alright?" Linza scanned the young woman, noticing blood staining her lab coat.

Jane, one of Linza's young assistants with blonde hair and green eyes, stood before her. She had recently graduated at the top of her class and had secured a position under Linza due to her exceptional skills and the nature of her powers.

"I'm scared, Professor," Jane stammered. "Are we going to D-Die?...T-The attacker killed everyone"

Linza's heart sank at her words. She could see the traces of fear and trauma etched across the young woman's face. Gently, Linza approached, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"I won't let that happen, Jane." Her voice held a blend of determination and comfort. "We need to stay focused. Can you help me activate the teleporter?"

Jane's eyes widened after hearing the word 'teleporter' A glimmer of hope shone through the darkness that surrounded her.

"I will help you, Professor."

"Good. Let's go, then."

Linza turned, quickly unlocking the door, revealing the teleporter room. A fusion of advanced technology and enigmatic energy. The walls were adorned with sleek, metallic panels that emitted a soft, bluish glow. In the center stood the teleporter itself – a circular platform etched with intricate symbols that pulsed with subdued energy, mirroring the rhythm of Linza's violet eyes.

Linza approached a control panel, a series of holographic displays flickering to life around the teleporter.

"Jane," she instructed, "activate that panel and input the coordinates for the Hunter Guild Headquarters."

Jane nodded curtly, her movements betraying a hint of lingering fear. Meanwhile, Linza scanned the teleporter's status with a practiced eye. The holographic display to her right depicted the entire facility layout, the first ten floors ablaze with a menacing red hue.

"Shit! They set fire in the facility," she cursed under her breath. "Hopefully, the power lines haven't been compromised."

Her fingers flew across the control panel, each keystroke a calculated maneuver. Her mind sifted through status updates and diagnostic readings, desperately seeking any indication of malfunction within the teleporter's intricate machinery.

"Good, GOOD! There's enough power, and the lines seem stable!" Linza exclaimed, a surge of relief washing over her.

As the teleporter's systems came to life, soft energy currents pulsed through the room. The circular platform at the center seemed to respond to Linza's touch, its symbols glowing brighter, a testament to the fusion of technology and arcane knowledge.

Jane's voice pierced the charged atmosphere. "Coordinates locked in, Professor."

Linza glanced briefly at the display, confirming the parameters. "Perfect. Now, let's get out of here." She strode towards the platform, the briefcase clutched tightly in her hand.

"This is it, Professor?" Jane asked, her voice barely a whisper as she glanced at the briefcase. Linza nodded slightly, confirming her words, and soon they made their way to the platform.

Linza first, Jane following closely behind. As Linza neared the platform...

BAAM!

A Shot was fired!

 Linza's heart raced, her body instinctively freezing in response to the sudden danger. But a new sensation dominated her senses – a chilling cold spreading through her right side. Linza slowly lowered her gaze, her blood turning to ice as she saw the right half of her waist encased in solid ice.

"Nova Blaster?" she gasped, recognizing the signature weapon. With agonizing slowness, Linza turned, her violet eyes locking onto the source of the attack – Jane, her young assistant.

In an instant that felt like an eternity, Linza's mind raced to comprehend the unthinkable. Putting pieces together and going through today's events, Linza came to a conclusion.

"It was you?" she choked out, her voice a mixture of disbelief and betrayal. Her gaze locked onto the person she had trusted, her young assistant who had stood by her side.

The warmth had vanished from Jane's face, replaced by a cold, emotionless mask. Without hesitation, Jane fired again.

BAAM!

The blast found its mark on Linza's left leg, instantly encasing it in a similar icy prison.

"AAHHH!" A scream ripped from Linza's throat as the frozen limb shattered, sending searing pain through her body.

Jane ignored her mentor's screams, snatching Linza's access card and rushing to the door.

Unlocking the door, a hulking figure clad in imposing black armor entered the room. He cupped Jane's chin gently, bestowing a swift kiss upon her. "Thank you, darling," he murmured, his voice a low purr.

A chilling smile stretched across Jane's face. "Anything for you, love," she replied in a saccharine tone.

The armored figure scanned the room, his gaze falling on Linza sprawled on the floor. With measured steps, he approached her, exuding an aura of power and superiority.

"Well, well," he drawled, a hint of amusement in his voice. "The famous Professor Linza Mori in person. I must admit, you're as brilliant as you are beautiful."

He bowed slightly, a sardonic gesture. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Jane speaks highly of you," his words dripping with a mixture of charm and arrogance, a dangerous combination that sent shivers down Linza's spine.

Linza lay on the cold floor, her labored breaths mingling with the excruciating pain radiating from her shattered leg and frozen waist. "Who are you scum?" she snarled through gritted teeth. "And what the fuck do you want?"

"Tsk, tsk," the armored figure chided, feigning offense. "Now…Now no need to use bad words, they don't suit your pretty mouth, It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is what's inside that briefcase."

Linza instinctively clutched the briefcase tighter. The man's charming smile vanished, replaced by a steely glint in his eyes.

"Give me the AI now," he barked, his voice a chilling command.

"!!!" Linza's mind raced. This confirmed her worst fears. They weren't after her research notes or weapons; they coveted her latest invention – an Artificial Intelligence designed to aid Hunters in their fight against the monstrous threats plaguing humanity.

Two centuries ago Earth experienced a sudden phenomenon that changed the course of history—Gates

Rifts in reality suddenly began to appear randomly and from those gates, a torrent of grotesque creatures invaded the earth.

At first, humanity managed to hold on since the appearance of gates was low and monsters were in animal-like form– Wolves, tigers, bears, and things like that.

However things started to change rapidly when humanoid monsters with intelligence started to appear, that's when humanity faced an extinction-level crisis.

Then, a spark of hope emerged. A select few individuals, awakened by the crisis, manifested extraordinary abilities – elemental manipulation, superhuman strength, and a myriad of other powers. These individuals became known as Hunters, humanity's last line of defense against the encroaching darkness.

But even after all of that, humanity managed only to recover and rebuild two cities, and when things become extremely hard for humans and their new gate allies—Elves, dwarves, and beastmen

Linza awakened her power, and that caused yet another big change.

Using her 'Equivalent Exchange' Linza created many weapons, armor, and tools that helped in the fight against monsters. Humanity and its allies even recovered another city using Linza's inventions.

As long as Linza has a deep understanding of how an object is made and how it functions, she can use her powers to create that object after paying a price.

Now her latest invention, an Artificial intelligence that is designed to help Hunters in all aspects and can even awaken their powers. And now the first product that will become the stepping stone for humans against monsters, was forcefully taken by the man in armor suit from Linza's grip

"NO! Give it back, you have no idea what you're dealing with!" Linza screamed.

The man smirked. "I know precisely what this is...this is the dawn of the new resistance."

'The resistance? NO! Those ignorant little bastards won't steal my life's work from me!'

Linza bit her lip, formulating a plan. Glancing around, she saw nothing usable as a weapon. Even if there were, a standard weapon wouldn't penetrate that body armor. She knew the armor's defenses intimately, after all, she'd constructed it.

Checking her vitals, Linza recognized her perilous state: a shattered leg and a frozen midsection causing internal injuries.

Making up her mind, Linza faced the armored Man and called.

"Hey, you! ...Cough...Can you at least hear my final words, well both of you? I have a request."

The man narrowed his eyes and looked at Jane. "Very well...Given your immense contributions to humanity, I suppose I can grant your final words."

The man and Jane gave Linza a begrudging nod. He crouched near her.

"So? Any last words?"

Cough. Cough

Linza coughed up blood, struggling to speak. Her voice was faint, causing the man and Jane to lean closer to hear.

Seeing them get noticeably close, Linza unleashed a malevolent smile as her violet eyes blazed with an electric blue glow.

"Rot in hell BASTARDS!"

Crack.

"Huh?"

Neither of them had a chance to react as enormous metal spears erupted from the floor, impaling them instantly.

"Cough…how?" The man sputtered, a significant amount of blood spilling from the five massive metal spears piercing him. Jane died instantly, while the man barely clung to life due to his armor.

"You've forgotten the power I possess," Linza rasped, crawling with difficulty to retrieve the falling briefcase.

The man's eyes widened. "B-But you need...Cough...Crystals to fuel your power."

Linza smirked. "My life force is my fuel." With that, another spear erupted, obliterating the man's head.

Linza dragged herself to the teleportation platform. If she could flee this facility and reach Hunter HQ, she might survive. However, another complication arose.

The teleporter had been active for several minutes, and the energy reserves were now insufficient to send Linza.

"Damn it!" Linza's curse echoed through the room. Realizing the depleted energy, she resorted to a desperate measure, channeling her power and life force to fuel the teleporter.

Linza placed her hand on the platform, pouring her power into it. In her focus, she missed a crucial detail.

The man's armor possessed a hidden function. To ensure no monster survived even if the Hunter perished, the armor contained a self-destruct mechanism.

When the armor sensors detected the cessation of the Hunter's heartbeat, the self-destruct would immediately activate.

BOOM!

The explosion was colossal, causing Linza to lose control of her power as she was shoved into the platform by the blast. The last thing she saw was flames engulfing everything before utter darkness consumed her.

...

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