New Game+
Chapter 97 - Cliff’s Preparations

The Lynd and Cliff ran back to the room and stood behind Meryl.

After the explosion, three areas of the room continued to burn with a strange bright fire. The enemies whom Meryl faced where the masked assassin typical, Sting' and Shock, the assassin with a metal arm.

Cliff and Lynd, who stood behind Meryl, were facing the other direction. Another set of three assassins, a large assassin with an abnormally huge gun, Trigger, an assassin who wore a strange mask with military-grade visors, and the large hulking figure of Suit, who have merged with several other androids which followed him.

"Meryl, Seeker's awake! I saw him outside just now." Lynd's happy and excited voice sounded out.

The raging eyes of Meryl immediately diminished. However, knowing the skills of the enemy' she dared not turn his attention to Lynd who was behind her. Still, an uncontrollable smile of relief surfaced.

"Really? Where is he?"

"I don't know. But it looks like he's planning to face Meng. Something must have happened to Richie." Lynd frowned.

"What? That's crazy!" Meryl cried in alarm.

"Yeah. Let's go all out. We have no time dealing with these guys. Let's finish them and help Zeek!" Lynd sighed.

"Go all out immediately?! This isn't what we talked about! I-" Cliff complained.

"Get stronger Cliff. If you can't win against these guys, then you can't even help Zeek. Meryl, let's switch. I feel that that Sting knows Realm Somatotopy." Lynd ordered and immediately turned back to face Typical and his group. Meryl moved in synch and faced the Trigger's group.

Dejected of being ignored and forced to fight a battle he knew not the outcome, Cliff clenched his fist in anger. But as he had no choice but to follow on the changes in their plans, Cliff activated the strange back-pack provided by Lennox. The Backpack that he wore was started to emit strange sounds and it began to slowly reshape itself becoming a full bright silver armor that covered Cliff.

"American Nono-tech. Pesky Miscellaneous techs." Trigger couldn't help but frown as he identified the equipments.

"They're ridiculously rich. Let's kill them and get those techs!" Suit couldn't hide the greed in his eyes. being the only Assassin that utilized such complex heavy machinery, he yearned for a suit that had American Miscellaneous techs.

Cliff continued to clench his fist in anger and despair even after the armor was fully equipped.

"Cliff, you can do it. You've been doing your best. For the first since ever, you were trying hard. You even studied under Arthur to improve your strategy." Meryl giggled as she spoke to Cliff with a refreshing tone.

"That's right. We believe in you. You can do this. Don't think of it that we are giving our backs to you because we don't have a choice. We are moving on with the plans not because we are reckless or desperate, but because we know you have the strength to help us." Lynd added.

"Right. You have to grow stronger. But know that we believe you can. Don't worry. Lynd and I are Believers. So believing in you isn't just an empty gesture. We really mean it. Let's go."

"I admire your confidence, but please don't underestimate us." Typical frowned.

"Kill them." Typical stepped back. He wasn't used in fighting with the assassins as a team so he decided to withdraw and observe.

"We don't dare underestimate you. We're just in a hurry. Meryl. Do it."

Suddenly, a bright glow appeared again. Instead of the burning sun, a bright light enveloped the room.

"Pangean Everbright?" Shock wondered.

"No. Even my mask can't see through this light." Typical frowned.

"No wonder he made her face Trigger's group."

At the back, the three assassins, could not look directly at the light despite the advanced visors they wore.

"Strange. The light even distorts my scopes." Blast complained as he aimed randomly.

"Mine as well." Suit had a solemn look as even his Suit proved useless.

"Careful! She's attacking!" Trigger shouted.

Despite the bright light, the assassins still sensed Meryl's approach. Relying on technology alone wouldn't have made them fit to be in the Dragon's Fang.

Sting was the first to attack.

He immediately raised his hands as a sudden swarm of small needles shot out towards the three enemies.

"HAH!" Lynd shouted mightily.

A strange fearful chill gripped the backs of the assassins blinding Sting from detecting Meryl.

The alarmed eyes of the assassins could not help but focus on the location where the sound was heard. Sting, who faced Richie once, recalled the terrifying ordeal and unconsciously feared Lynd.

Though the sensation was weaker, the familiar dread made all the assassins warry.

Trigger immediately started shooting. The blinding light hindered his sight but relying on his experience and instinct, his attacks were surprisingly accurate.

Meryl tried to leap forward all the way, but she had to change her course and evaded it to the side and would rush backward. Suit joined in attacking as his suit opened several compartments unleashing a storm of bullets. Despite the blinding light, Trigger and Suit managed to roughly trace the location by identifying where the light was brightest. This whole time, they kept their eyes wide open.

Blast silently stood and observed as he left the two to do their part.

Suit and Trigger unleashing their load, Meryl was unable to push forwards and simply started to run around the room slowly pressing forward.

Meanwhile, on the other end of the room, although Sting couldn't identify his enemy's positions as Lynd's copy of Peal's of Thunder created a powerful vibrating force that distorted his senses, he still managed to have a rough idea of where Lynd was.

Shock joined in the fray. He shot his attack as soon as Sting began.

Using the metal needles that Sting threw as a guide, the electric shocks generated from Shock's arm created a web of electrical energy that followed Sting's needles.

Lynd, who managed to 'understand' Sting, knew that Meryl's light wasn't enough to incapacitate someone who had stepped on the road of perfecting Realm Somatotopy.

Lynd immediately dove forward to face Sting as he used Lander's special attacks to dive right in, evading and knocking off the swarm of small needles. His weapon vibrated with a strange force that did not allow the electricity that coursed through the needles to hurt Lynd.

The counter-attack that Lynd employed not only managed to knock off the needles but it canceled the electric currents that went along the needles.

But Lynd dared not rush forward recklessly, he also started zip and zooming around the room as the entire swarm of lightning needles was not easy to deal with.

Blast suddenly lifted his gun and aimed somewhere.

While the entire group was busy, Cliff stood unmoved from the sudden movements of his companions as well as the ensuing chaos caused by the assassin's attempts to shoot despite being in a light blinding scenario. He closed his eyes knowing that it would be impossible to see. He was right in the middle of Lynd and Meryl. The light that Meryl emitted had blinded him.

Cliff tried to remember Lynd and Meryl's movements and guessed the movement that the two would usually do. He cursed himself for not paying attention to Arthur's training as his thoughts wandered to the fights he had with and against Arthur.

What would Meryl do? How would Lynd attack? Knowing their personalities, who would they target?

Arthur and Lowengren had sternly warned the group not to make any plans. And Meryl and Lynd followed it. Cliff, however, spent all his days preparing and planning what he can do. The simulations of Lynd and Meryl's attack had countlessly replayed itself in Cliff's head.

Cliff had several sessions with Arthur, Lowengren and even had several bouts with Richie, days before the attack begun. He was relentless and constantly hovered over these three asking and inquiring, and often times pleading with them to revert the plan. The upcoming battle was dangerous for them. The possibility of fighting Meng had robbed Cliff of his easy-going confidence.

Seeker was the monster that he feared. But when he realized that this monster was training him to become a monster as well he grew overconfident and laid-back.

But now, he might die. And so, when his life was on the line, Cliff pestered everyone with questions, advice and even fought with them.

His memories recalled further back and even reviewed the time when Seeker taught them Realm Somatotopy.

He reminded himself about their talks and tried his best to achieve it.

The 'vision' of Cliff slowly started to form. Cliff could somehow feel things. It wasn't clear because clarity wasn't what Cliff wanted. A vague, blurry, image started to surface in his mind where all that he could see where strange silhouettes detailing the presence of something.

The memories were tightly grasped in his brain. The power of Advanced Recall made it so that he could replay the scenes in his head. Unknowingly, the method and speed of his recollection had surpassed everyone, even Seeker Carlean.

In his memories, Arthur had a busy and immersed expression but his mouth moved endlessly.

"The enemies are equipped with the best of Chinese technology. So the Technological Possibilities that they have focuses on magnetic, electromagnetic and rail technology. So expect attacks similar to the Lightning Rod technology. Using magnetic technology, they should be able to create diverse possibilities in the repelling and attracting of metals. Meng's organization should use metals with specific magnetic frequencies. So the possibilities are endless as it is horrifying."

Cliff continued to give a dumb look as Arthur narrated every possible thing that their enemies would have.

Arthur gave a glance at Cliff.

"Repeat what I just said thirty-four sentences ago."

"The Assassins should be capable of working as a team and can undoubtedly utilize each of their skills to synchronize with each other's attacks and fighting styles," Cliff repeated.

"At least your Advance Recall can help you memorize everything I'm saying. Watch the videos so you can completely understand everything I've said. It's important that you review and reflect on specific topics as you watch the videos which explain or show what I'm talking about."

What Arthur didn't know that Cliff had managed to push his Advanced Recall to another level. Even then, when Cliff was desperately preparing, he could remember everything that Arthur was saying, all at the same time.

It was a strange form of recollection that had surpassed the usual method that people recollect.

Back to the present, using all the memories available and the totality of his vague Realm Somatotopy Cliff had actually memorized everything that the assassins were doing.

Although he couldn't see anything, his poorer and distorted version of Realm Somatotopy allowed him to see where Blast aimed. He wasn't even aiming at Meryl.

At that moment, Arthur's words came to memory.

"Rail technology, added with magnetic technology, could be dangerous. If it were me, I'd create a weapon that can attract, push or guide other attacks so that it can surprise the enemy. Imagine seeing a tank fire about ninety degrees from where you are standing only to replace out that the cannon was guided to attack your position."

Cliff just gave his usual blank and confused stare.

"They have that technology. They are assassins and they are a team. You can be dead sure, that if Lynd or Meryl reveals their strength they will use underhanded methods to kill you."

As Cliff was recalling these words, he found himself asking an important question.

"How will Blast guide his attacks?"

His memories suddenly brought to attention Lowengren's suggestions.

"If I were fighting Meryl, and I have the technology that the Brits have, I'd use heat-seeking technology to trace Meryl. It's simple yet very effective."

The talk with Richie, which he dreaded since Richie would occasionally release an extremely painful sound, also surfaced in his mind.

"The feeling that I get is complex. I simply know where the attack will be, how it may happen, why it will be that way. It isn't a psychological understanding of my enemies, it isn't because I make impressive plans like Seeker, Arthur or Lowengren. No. All I ask myself is, what scares me? And oftentimes, the most unlikely and strange things are the very things that do." Richie laughed.

Cliff realized, that of everything happening in that room, Blast's actions were the strangest. Why did Blast aim randomly at the center?

Slowly, Cliff waited for the precise moment.

Blast finally started to pull the trigger.

"Meryl, off! All, don't move! Defend!" Cliff shouted. The words sounded strange as Cliff shouted at a fast speed that only an Unbecoming can understand.

Meryl immediately stopped her blazing attacks and stopped using the burst. A large metallic shield formed in front of her as she freefell from her last jump.

Lynd also stopped his boosts and used a complex maneuver to knock off all approaching needles.

The sudden act of stopping was reckless and extremely dangerous even for them.

But they immediately followed without hesitating or questioning. All because it was Cliff Fangwood who told them to do so.

At that split second, Blast had already pushed the trigger.

A canister was launched.

Midflight, the canister glowed and finally, with the amazing rail technology it had, this canister, aimed to shoot a rail beam.

The target? As Lowengren guessed, it was the area with the highest heat signature.

It would have been Meryl. But Meryl immediately undid her bright flash. It would have been the Booster techs the two were wearing as the Dragon's Fang should have weapons that could conceal or cool down the heat that their weapons gave. But of course, it couldn't have been the Boosters, since Meryl and Lynd stopped flying.

All that was left was Shock, the source of the lightning webs which enveloped Sting's needles.

And so, the canister, after confirming its target, fired.

BOOM!