An Unexpected Turn

The man sighed and shook his head. He leaned on the railing and watched his beloved daughter walk away.

'It's no use.' He shook his head again and chased away all the thoughts in his head. He turned around and left the room. After walking for several minutes, he arrived in front of an elevator. A quick flash of light appeared and a synthesized voice sounded out.

"Identity confirmed. Welcome back, Master."

The mirror-like doors slid apart and he walked inside the elevator. A low hum sounded out for a split second and doors opened again. He walked out into a room filled with people scurrying about. There were info screens covering walls and holo tables placed through the step-like layers culminating in an open space with a window that allowed one to overlook the entire flying island. The floor and the ceiling consisted of screen panels that transmitted the images of surroundings creating an illusion that the people and equipment were hanging high in the air.

"What is the situation with the relays, Mo Fan?" The man asked the moment he walked into the room.

A middle-aged man dressed in a high-quality, but simple-looking attire turned his head.

"Eighty-two percent of relays are still online."

A red flash appeared on the holo table in front of him. He sighed and spoke again.

"Eighty-one percent, sir."

The golden-haired man nodded and asked further.

"What about the lunar signal?"

"Transmitting at over nominal values. The coverage exceeds a hundred percent."

"Good. As long as it is present, even if the entirety of the transmitters are destroyed, we still have a chance." He looked deep in thought for a moment. "Prepare Lohengrin for departure for the lunar orbit."

The middle-aged man looked surprised.

"Sir, the Lohengrin is the home of the Dawson family, I'm afraid the-"

"I have already spoken with the head of the Dawson family. He will be the captain himself. The majority of the family members are already preparing to relocate here."

***

Alexander and the students have finally found the gymnasium. However, there now was another obstacle in their way. From a lookout they were on, one could see that there were at least two dozen of demonized people circling the gymnasium, looking for an entrance. Two of them were trying to break through the gates, but the gates were built sturdy in the first place, and obviously barred by something from the inside. On top of the gymnasium, a head of a student could be seen, looking around with a slight expression of panic.

"I guess we were not the only ones with the idea of hiding here." Alexander shook his head and put his hands together. Everyone looked at him curiously.

"No sudden moves, okay?" The students behind him nodded when Alexander unexpectedly jumped down unsheathing his sword. A surprised yelp was heard behind him as he landed slicing one of the demons in two.

One after another, he swung his blade mercilessly at every demon that approached him. At this rate, they won't last much longer. Alexander quickly surveyed the situation and realized that he had underestimated the enemy's numbers. As if out of nowhere, more demons rushed to his position.

'Maybe I was a bit too hasty.'

Still, Alexander did not feel any threatening aura amongst them. It was obvious that these demons were low-level ones. Only three of them managed to get close enough to try attacking him before he dispatched each one using a single swing. By now, he had killed over ten of them. Despite that, there were still many others rushing to attack him.

'Dammit!'

He couldn't keep killing them forever. Eventually, he would run out of stamina.

Just as Alexander started thinking about how to deal with it, there was a loud bang coming from above. An explosion occurred right next to the gymnasium and caused the building to shake. Suddenly, a wave of energy erupted from above him. For a moment, the surrounding area was enveloped in blinding white light, causing all those nearby to fall unconscious. They awoke groggily a short while later. Some were covered in wounds, but none died.

Once they regained consciousness, the students saw that the gymnasium was gone. Instead, there was a crater in its place which was clean-cut as if someone just deleted this place out of existence. What used to be a large dome-shaped structure was now completely gone.

"W-What the..." Several students murmured quietly under their breaths.

That was when Alexander noticed something strange. There was a thin layer of ice forming around the crater. Not only that, but the temperature around the crater itself dropped significantly. He swiftly retreated, using anything he had as a path, including the heads of some, presumably very indignant, demons.

"Let's retreat!" Alexander yelled loudly and waved his arms towards the students behind him. The whole group moved back rapidly, leaving the vicinity of what used to be the gymnasium.

The surviving demons tried following them but were quickly cut down by Alexander. Now that they were safe, everyone let out heavy breaths and panted heavily. Alexander also heaved a sigh of relief. As he cut down the last demon, a notification sounded out in his mind.

[Level Up available.]

He made a mental note to himself and turned his head to the students.

"Everyone alright?" He checked with his companions and received nods back. The students looked battered, but everyone was capable to move on their own.

While he was checking up with the students, he suddenly sensed a powerful force emanating from somewhere nearby. He turned around and realized that it was coming from the crater.

There was something barely perceptible in the air over the crater. When Alexander tried to examine it by expanding his consciousness, he felt waves of energy passing through his mind. Something was happening within the crater, something that was beyond his understanding.

"Wait here." He instructed the students to remain where they were and headed toward the crater alone. When he got closer, he was surprised by the sight that greeted him.