Damon's Ascension

Marshal climbed up on a small hillock, glancing around at the rainforest area below with deep and thoughtful eyes. He had been spawned randomly away from his team and with the sound isolation in effect, he couldn't hear anything.

He was one of the people who should have been theoretically weakened in a Sector like this, his Words of Power nullified if sound was unable to travel outwards.

Luckily for him though, words of power were not about sound itself, but rather the language of the universe. Even his ability description explicitly stated that being deaf of unable to hear does not constitute a defense.

So with that in mind…

[Name: Marshal || Level: 26 || Species: Human (Pre-Chaos) || Age: 26.]

[Post-Chaos Status: POW: 5 || MOB: 5 || FOR: 10 || MEN: 10 || PRO: 1]

[Pre-Chaos Abilities: Words of Power (SSS).]

[Post-Chaos Abilities: Command (C), Thunderous Echo (D), Auto Translate (A).]

[Chaos Items: Stun Baton (D), War Axe (C), Jumping Boots (D).]

Marshal closed his eyes and focused, changing his entire pattern of speech as his voice, audible even in this silenced domain, sounded out as if said by the universe itself.

"I Command Thee: Reveal the presence of all enemies within range!"

His voice was thunderous yet subdued at the same time, clear and audible yet raspy and hoarse. It was a strange and bizarre combination that shouldn't have worked, but did and it made any living being shudder by hearing it, knowing that this was an absolute command.

Marshal himself paled slightly as his energy was drained greatly, but he felt it wads with it as in the next moment, he received a sort of mental mini-map containing a bunch of red dots, which signified the 12 remaining enemy contestants.

He was surprised to see that one had already been taken down, then in the next moment, seven of those dots disappeared as well!

Marshal's lips couldn't help but twitching, thinking that indeed, their Vanguard Team was not one to be messed with.

Marshal combined the 'free' location ping he was receiving for his allies and compared that to the one he had for their enemies and realized that the remaining 5 were closing in on one person at the same time!

Marshal's face changed as he immediately spoke once more.

"I Command Thee: Reveal the details of mine ally and their ambushers!"

Immediately, Marshal clutched his chest and he was forced to sit on the ground due to the energy expenditure, but he was now able to view the scenario of the ambush.

Five figures moved through the other side of the rainforest, each one completely different from the others, yet their movements were perfectly synchronized as if guided by the same mind. They advanced in a loose V-shape formation, covering each other's flanks as they closed in on their target.

The first was a tall insectoid being, its body covered in a chitinous armor of deep red. Multiple compound eyes glowed faintly on its ugly face while its thin limbs tipped with sickle-shaped claws plowed along the gorund quickly.

Its loadout included a curved dagger, an acidic sprayer mounted on its left wrist, and a thin shield generator buzzing quietly on its chest.

Next to it moved a floating sphere that was metallic and polished, its surface constantly shifting and forming eyes, mouths, and other shapes as it moved. It carried no weapons but glowed with a faint purple light, suggesting mental or psychic powers.

The third was a hunched simian creature with elongated arms and digitigrade legs, its fur a deep and unnatural black. It wielded two serrated short swords strapped across its back and wore a belt lined with small vials, likely poisons or chemicals.

The fourth was a massive quadrupedal reptilian, its scales an iridescent green that shifted with the angle of the light. It possessed an enormous bladed tail that it kept low to the ground and wore spiked armor plates over its shoulders and neck.

Its loadout included a single enormous hammer strapped to its back, which it could probably swing with devastating force.

The last was a slender yet ethereal figure that was barely tangible, its body shifting between translucent and solid with each step. Its long arms ended in five-fingered hands, each tipped with elongated nails that shimmered like glass.

Around its waist hung a belt of small metallic orbs, each one faintly glowing with contained energy.

"Pre-Chaos species, each of them…" He muttered to himself, but the way they moved - step for step, pause for pause - was eerie.

"They're communicating without sound. They must have some sort of mental link. A skill, maybe, or a natural trait of one of them." He realized.

His eyes narrowed as he analyzed them. "And a tracking skill for sure. They're too coordinated for this to be just luck."

He suddenly felt a cold sweat run down his neck as he worried for the one they were targeting. If it happened to be Xela, they were going to be in serious trouble!

"Wait a minute…" Marshal focused on who their target was and then his lips parted in surprise.

Then, without warning, he started to laugh!

A deep rolling laugh that felt almost out of place coming from Marshal's normally reserved self.

"Oh, these poor bastards, they chose the worst possible person to ambush." He said between chuckles.

His eyes glimmered with dark amusement. "Of all people, they're actually going after Damon."

..........

Damon Arnan walked through the thickets calmly, not hiding his presence nor did he suppress his movement. He actually hoped to attract enemies his way, for his combat power was one of the highest among the Vanguard Team, so it was better of their foes chose him over someone with weaker combat power like Xela.

"Oh?"

While moving he did pick up something. He sensed five different intense and robust lifeforces rapidly approaching with his Empty Soul Palm, which worked perfectly fine for detection even with sound negated.

"Five enemies, huh? This should be a good time to test out my power." He remarked with interest.

Since the enemy was coming to him, he relaxed his posture, letting his body align naturally with the subtle weight of his armor, which was camouflaged as his classic tuxedo on a normal day.

He placed his right foot forward and spread his stance evenly, ready.

The first enemy emerged from the trees, the insectoid with red chitin gleaming in the filtered sunlight. Its compound eyes locked on Damon, and it lunged with surprising speed, its curved dagger aimed straight for Damon's throat.

Damon stepped aside, pivoting smoothly on the ball of his foot. The blade passed inches from his neck, and he countered with a quick strike from his left palm, using the Flowing Iron Curtain skill without Internal Force added.

The motion deflected the dagger's momentum, guiding it away harmlessly akin to the famous counter ability of Ultra Instinct.

Another shape burst from the trees, this one being the simian creature, its twin serrated swords flashing as it slashed at Damon's back.

Damon turned his body, pivoting with Shadow Tide Step as his figure blurred, leaving afterimages that flickered like ghosts as he slipped between the sword strikes.

He emerged behind the simian, his elbow driving into its ribs with a muffled crunch. The creature staggered but didn't fall, twisting back with an animalistic snarl.

Even as that foe reeled, the reptilian brute charged in, its massive hammer swinging low to sweep Damon's legs.

Damon's eyes gleamed as he crouched, then sprang upward with a burst of power, his body twisting midair as he spun over the hammer's arc. He landed lightly, his knee bending slightly, and immediately launched a strike using Silent Wheel Palm.

His palm struck the reptilian's shoulder, and though no outward damage was visible, the creature's body jerked like it had been hit with an electric shock. It hissed in pain but stayed on its feet.

All around him, the enemies moved with eerie coordination, each one adjusting to his moves as though guided by a single mind. Damon's breath steadied as he could feel their synergy, the way their movements flowed together like he was fighting the Six Paths of Pain, not Pre-Chaos creatures.

At this time, the ethereal figure darted in with its long glassy claws raking through the air towards him.

Damon shifted his weight and dodged right, narrowly avoiding the strike, but the figure's other hand swung around with a quick jab to his ribs.

Damon countered with Withering Thread Style, his fingers flicking like needles to strike at pressure points on the figure's arms and chest. The ethereal being recoiled, shimmering with an unnatural ripple.

The floating sphere moved in next, its shifting surface sprouting dozens of eyes that glowed with a strange light. Damon felt a sudden pressure in his mind, a psychic attack pushing at his thoughts.

He gritted his teeth, channeling his Mentality stat and using his raw willpower to push back as the sphere wavered, but didn't relent.

For a moment, Damon stood at the center of the circle, each of his foes recovering from his counters and preparing to strike again.

He felt sweat beading at his brow, not from fear, but from the strain of holding them off without using his abilities or Internal Force.

He needed to test the limits of his current state before relying on his trump cards.