Void Spawn - A litrpg adventure fantasy

As silence finally won through the first halls of the fortress, Samael approached a small pillar inside as he hopped up and crouched, unfolding a remnant that mimicked the appearance of a paper crane.

Moving it closer to his lips, Samael whispered. "We've taken the fortress labelled Black Hawk; I repeat, we've taken the fortress. I am Samael Blank of the cover mission Night Hawk. This will be my last message, as I will now prop up the veil."

Tapping the remnant multiple times, the eyes of the paper crane glowed purple as it slowly cracked its wings and flew forward, vanishing within the clouds.

Taking out another remnant from his dragon hoard, Samael pulled out a long silver stick that he unfolded to form a stand. Placing it on the top of the pillar, he made sure to stick it tightly so the wind won't blow it over.

A white glow emanated from the lines on the device as Samael gently brushed his finger across the main body.

Hopping back down, Hammel approached him. "Is it a cap?"

Samael gave the man a brief nod as he looked at the remnant. "It's up. We're blacked out."

Hammel sighed as he signalled to Geralt and Caephas.

They've cleaned up the bodies to avoid any disease to fester. They've also burnt them as a sign of respect.

"We need to make our way towards Arthur and Limbo as fast as we can," Samael ordered as he approached the opened blast gates. "If we lose the control centre, we lose everything."

Hammel and the rest nodded.

"You heard the captain; let's move!" Hammel followed close as Samael began to move through the steel corridors.

The fortress was as large as they thought. There were multiple corners and hallways all extending to different sectors of the palace.

The windows had long been boarded and blocked, so the only light sources were the torches on the wall. Samael had no qualms with it; after all, he could see in the dark.

Raising his hand, Samael felt the pull of the ring on his finger as he looked at the right passage. "Here."

Marching towards the hallway, Samael's gaze narrowed as he felt a cold chill run down his spine.

"Captain?" Caephas asked as he walked towards Samael.

Sharpening his senses and extending his Void compass, Samael's eyes bolted open as he roared. "STEP BACK!"

Caephas flinched as he tried to back away. However, it was too late.

From the long stone hallway, a whistling sound echoed in the air as an object billowed forward, leaving a bright flash in its wake.

Reacting fast, Samael raised his hand forth as he mustered a circular Void shield, blocking the rapidly approaching object.

As the shield and the projectile clashed, a thunderous boom shook the corridor as an explosion erupted in front of Samael. Luckily, it wasn't too strong to deal any real damage to him nor push him back. But he can't say the same for Caephas and Geralt.

The surrounding hallway had been charred black as Samael took a peek through the thinning smoke.

Seeing a brief flash over the end of the hallway, he spoke again. "Move!"

Turning to the side, Samael watched the projectile move fast past him while the others jumped out of its way.

It was almost cylindrical in nature, but the tip was sharp and pointy. It was made of steel too.

What the hell is that?!

Samael gritted his teeth as he looked forward to see the object firing the projectiles.

It looked foreign. Almost similar to a cannon but with a longer barrel and a shield propped in front. Two men currently manned it, one loading the machine and the other firing.

Swinging his hand forward, two Void needles formed in Samael's fingers as they launched forth. Unable to detect it, the two Omens fell to the ground as they held their throats, the needle disintegrating their flesh.

"What was that?" Caephas asked as he huffed for air. "I've never seen a cannon or ballista that can fire a round that fast."

"It almost looked like a speeding echo," Hammel compared. "Echoes around the Ascended rank might not even be able to dodge it."

"Whatever it is, we need to destroy it now," Geralt hissed as ice formed over his arms.

"No," Samael held the man back as he put his arm before him. "We leave this one alone. Leave it to the mellaguns to dissect."

Approaching the weapon, Samael looked at the complex machinations within. He's never seen anything of this complexity before, not even within the mellagun's forges.

"If they have it here, they might have it everywhere." Samael looked around the cold, dead walls of the fortress as silence engulfed the halls. A creeping dread slithering in their hearts. They could only imagine the number of people who might have fallen prey to this machine.

"Where did they even get this? I've never seen any blacksmith capable of making something this... complicated," Hammel said as he knocked on the dense, but perfectly moulded steel barrels. Only a Mellagun could craft one.

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"It doesn't matter, not for now at least." Samael looked ahead as he approached the room in front. "We have a mission; let's go."

The others nodded as they cast one last glance at the machine.

Entering the room ahead, they couldn't help but feel breathless as they stared at the massive hole at the centre leading to the darkness below.

Looking down, Samael could faintly see bones and corpses.

Going across the hole was a massive bridge that extends to 4 different corridors. Sensing the pull of his ring, Samael decided to go further left.

As they marched deeper into the fortress, Samael once again felt a knot in his gut. Turning swiftly, he slammed his foot down as he ejected vast amounts of Void matter.

As he did, multiple heavy bangs ripped in the air as those same projectiles they encountered earlier ricocheted off the Void matter, losing their speed and falling on the cold floors.

However, these rounds were smaller. Following the trail, Samael soon saw the gaps beneath their feet on each side of the walls.

"CRAWLSPACE!" Samael roared as he lowered himself and fired a plethora of Void rounds, causing loud screams to echo.

Hammel himself moulded a small orange orb that he yanked under the crawlspaces, causing multiple explosions to echo in the air as dust fell off the ceiling.

After that, there was once again silence.

"Fuck! Were they trying to blow our legs out?!" Hammel hissed as he looked at the blood seeping out of the crawlspaces.

Samael's suspicions were right. It seems every corner of this place was laced with traps and kill zones.

"Let's move." Samael went on forward as the others followed behind closely.

Walking through the maze of corridors, they soon eventually found the main control panel. However, their journey was rather harrowing and filled with unknown dangers.

The omens kept relying on tricks and their machines to try and get them. But they've learnt to expect it.

Some were tripwires connected to circular devices on the floor that, once triggered, cause a massive explosion. Some were gas attacks to try and purge them from covers.

None worked.

They simply kept going, trampling over their technologies.

"Took you guys quite long; thought you'd arrive faster." Arthur scratched his head as he approached the 4.

"It wasn't exactly easy with their traps," Hammel replied.

"Frankly, those machines were quite the marvel. If we could get them on our side, this war would be over quick," Caephas pointed out as he fixed his glasses.

"Oh great, the bastard found another thing to yap about." Arthur just shook his head as he approached Samael. "Cap, we got full access to the blast doors here. Not only that, but it seems they also have maps of the fortress and even some form of visual scout device that allows them to see what's happening from far away."

Samael nodded as he approached the square boxes on top of complex buttons and wires. What even are these?

These are called computers, boss!

Samael's eyes darted to the side. Commuters?

Computers, boss, Com-Pu-Ters!

What do these do?

They're able to process information through a series of binary codes. It is hard to explain, as this world is technically devoid of it.

Binary codes? Devoid of it? Is it some ancient extinct relic?

No, boss. Ergo has simply not created such things. These are not relics; these are machines like the artillery cannons and machine guns earlier.

Samael's brows furrowed. His head was starting to ache with the complex words that Elyria was using.

Those weapons earlier are basically like ballistas but 100x better. Much like the computers here, Ergo has yet to develop enough understanding of engineering to build one.

Those weapons earlier are basically like ballistas but 100x better. Much like the computers here, Ergo has yet to develop enough understanding of engineering to build one.

Then how did they get it?

Samael stared at the glass on the centre of these computers where images of omens were MOVING. It was as if they were inside.

Tapping it a couple of times, it was fairly solid. So how was this possible?

That's the part that confuses me too, boss! The only way to get these is through £&@-*&&#&—

Samael's head tilted as he groaned from the sudden screeching emanating from Elyria.

Sorry, boss! I thought it was available information to reveal, but it seems authority is too low.

That means the info is way out of my league right now.

Taking advantage of the machine's capabilities, Samael began to take notes of their attack plans.

While awakened, echoes were still human. By nature, they needed to still eat and drink. Thus, Samael's first priority was to take over the water and food storage of the place.

To do that, he began to devise a chained plan of attack on different sectors to overwhelm the enemy back.

Afterwards, his next target was the "electric source", as Elyria described. Without it, these computers cannot function.

Once that is over, they'll begin to take the sanitation stations, ensuring the enemy cannot properly maintain themselves over long periods of time. Echoes were not immune to diseases, simply resistant.

Outwards from there, they'd been extremely weakened, so breaking them down will be an easy task.

The most defended area based on what they can see seems to be the throne room. A massive room where a golden, fractured throne sat.

There appear to be high-ranking omens there with more odd technologies with them. Currently, they seem to be preparing something, but the cameras cannot see much.

Whatever it was, Samael could feel a faint trace of threat from it, even from this far and such a safe distance. How much more when he's close?

That machine, whatever it is, needs to be destroyed.

Now, it was time to learn more. Looking over the now awake Saint Omen, Samael approached the man as he knelt before him.

"I give you two choices," Samael said.

"I'd rather die!" the woman spat.

Samael's lips curved to an ominous smile.

"I won't kill you. But what I'll do will make you wish you were dead."