Two and half hours had passed since Abraxas entered the Research Institute. The hostages were soon teleported to the camps.

  The soldiers of Iron Wolves Covenant were working the hardest, trying to calm the researchers who had gone mad while also tending to those whose situation was critical.

  And in that time, an important hostage appeared in the Eastern Camp,

  "7?!" 13 shouted as she ran up to him and caught him in his arms. "7?! Are you alright?"

  But 7th didn't respond and the members shifted focus on tending to 7th, who was not healing despite the regenerative factor.

  Part of his neck and a major portion of his flesh from waist down was missing. Signs of burns, blunt force trauma and cuts as precise as those of surgical grade scalpels were present all over his body. But he was alive.

  Seeing 7's condition made a lot of members of Iron Wolves shiver in fear. Initially a lot of them were taking it lightly, but now even those who weren't worried had started working diligently.

  "If Lord 7th is in a bad shape.. What good can we do?"

  "Yeah, we may be elites.. But we cannot fight against something that did that to Lord 7th.."

  Words flew around the camps in fear and confusion. To the old bloods of Iron Wolves, it wasn't anything new but it was still a rare occurrence and until now, no matter how much they tried to discipline their juniors, it was not working.

  But the flow of war had changed. They were protected by Lady 6th, whose presence alone was motivating everyone. They were separated from the monster that was treating 7th like a guinea pig by the barrier that Lord 5th made.

  "Olecumbra, 14.. Both of you will assume the command of Eastern Camp. Let 13 take care of 7.." Elaira's voice rang in their heads and they followed her order.

  Meanwhile, in the basements of the Research Centre,

  The entire basement trembled as Deum and Remu crashed against the wall, making them cough up blood. The one beating them to this extent was none other than Abraxas.

  Their bodies were shaking from fear and their wounds were still open but they did not even try to apply pressure against their wounds as another hit from Abraxas sent them flying through layers of basement walls.

  "I hope you are doing well now.. Tell me, am I really fighting the one who calls himself 'The Mechanical God'?" Abraxas asked as he looked down at Deum, trying his best to save Remu.

  "We.. we don't know, sire.." Deum replied as he was holding Remu in his arms, letting his body take the blows from Abraxas.

  "It seems you are out of the frenzy now. Tell me what they are planning?" Abraxas said as he sat down on a throne of darkness that was conjured in front of Deum and Remu.

  But before Deum could speak, Abraxas shushed him. "And don't try to waste your life on random guesses. Their names can kill.. I think you already know that,"

  Deum nodded before he spoke. "No, Sire. We do not know what they are planning.. And please forgive us.. we acted rashly when you came to save us.. But Remu and I only survived because we listened to them for all these years,"

  "Deum and Remu.. You two are the founders of the Techonia Research Centre. I do not care if you two are angels or not.. I only care about whose side you are on..." Abraxas asked as his eyes were glowing black.

  Ever since he entered the basement floor where they were on, he had kept his guard up. Not even for a moment had he let himself be vulnerable.

  The way he handled the collar bombs that were placed on every hostage in the basement was swift and precise. As far as Deum and Remu were concerned, every researcher and the vampire who was missing a lot of his flesh were safely teleported to places out of the town by Abraxas.

  But he hadn't done so with him for a reason. Was it trust or was it that he needed something.. Deum didn't know but he was grateful that he wasn't already dead. Especially after knowing who they were.

  Though Deum didn't know how Abraxas knew about their species but it was not the time to ask such questions. He wanted to help Abraxas and save the world and its people, but he was afraid of them.

  Though Abraxas was strong, Deum knew how much destruction and havoc they could wreak, so for him, the choice was to die by the hands of either Abraxas or them.

  "T-there is a nuclear reactor underneath us. So as long as the safety code is put in, it will be secured and the rebuilding process would be easier," Deum spoke with a determined look. He wanted to help Abraxas but he didn't know how.

  "Then go ahead and shut down the reactor," Abraxas said as Remu melted in the shadows. "Remu is in the Northern Camp outside the borders of Techonia."

  Abraxas clarified as the crystal of darkness embedded itself in Deum's back. "And you'll be able to go there as soon as your work here is done.."

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  "Yes, Sire.." Deum replied before he stood up and began to walk away from Abraxas. But he was slow because of his injuries. Every second of physical trauma he suffered under them and Abraxas thrashing him did take a toll on his body.

  "Elaira," Abraxas whispered and in that instant, an arrow materialised in Deum's heart and rejuvenated him.

  "Continue. You'll be okay now," Abraxas said before he disappeared into the shadows, leaving Deum alone to continue his way to the nuclear reactor that powered the entirety of Techonia and the Research Centre.

  __________

  Ten minutes later

  Abraxas made his way up and to his surprise, the traps had rearmed themselves. But it wasn't an issue for him.

  "What now? Do you trust them?" Elaira's voice echoed in his head. The communication between them was being maintained by 13's telepathic abilities but they could feel it blurring as her mental state wasn't the best right now.

  "I don't.. Keep your eyes on Remu while you are at it. I don't have a good feeling about this," Abraxas said as he ran his way up. There were still the women who had been forcibly taken in the Research Centre and from what he learned from the memories of the researchers in the basement. The women were in grave danger.

  "I didn't think you would use your 3rd blood art," Elaira commented as an arrow of healing materialized and pierced Abraxas's wounds, healing him one last time.

  "You will go dark any moment.. Please.. don't die," Elaira was worried and she has every reason to.

  "I will not.. No matter what happens do not come in and do try that," Abraxas said with a smile.

  "I love you, Elaira.. and I love Iliana too. I will be back soon,"

  And right as he said his final words, the outline around his heart vanished. Elaira could no longer see or hear Abraxas.

  All she had now were his last words.

  "It seems I need to try that now," Elaira mumbled before she took a deep breath and began focusing.

  Time around her began to slow down.

  __________

  Seven minutes later,

  The Research Centre was locked down from all existence planes now. They could no longer hear anything from the outside world as even the Spirit Spaces connecting the outside world from inside had been locked down now.

  "Pfft! Was he allowing me to gain information before?" They speculated if everything they knew about Abraxas's plans had been a trap.

  If he was able to separate the world at this level, then there was no reason to keep it open until now.. unless, he wanted information himself and what he wanted was more valuable than what he gave away.

  They chuckled before knocking on their head. "You see this, right? He is trying to outsmart me.." They spoke to 10th, whose consciousness was still alive inside them. He could die anytime but he had been holding out for a century now so they kept him alive to see the end.

  And just then, all 150 women who were chained to wall, began puking blood. But because of the drugs in their bodies, they cared more about the things that was tearing its way out of their wombs.

  What came out of them was a fleshy abomination.. Half flesh and half of something.

  They laughed when they saw the women taking care of the things they had just given birth to. An abomination that was not a lifeform that this world had to see.

  The room soon was drenched in blood of the 150 women and as if right on time, Abraxas ran through the room, ignoring 10th as he grabbed the abomination from the women's arms and threw it at the wall, while crystals of darkness embedded themselves in the women and teleported them out of the barrier.

  And as soon as the camps received these women, panic began to rise. Resources were shifted to these women as their injuries were grave. Every medic of Iron Wolves began treating the women.

  "I need anesthesia here. Quick! And blood of O negative."

  "I have a universal acceptor here, any spare blood!"

  The shouts echoed through the camps as even the ones securing the perimeter began helping.

  Elaira, who had been trying what Abraxas told her to didn't find any success. The methods he told her to employ were so obscure that even with her mastery over her Divine Blood Art, it was nigh impossible to achieve.

  And just as the shouts began to echo through the camps, Elaira interrupted her Complete Manifestation and went to the Northern Camp. But what she saw scared her.

  Young women who were bleeding to death and their wounds and scars showed experiments- or surgical impregnation scars and signs of something forcing its way out of these women's womb.

  Without a second thought, she ran upto a woman who was in critical condition and used her Divine Blood Art to stabilize her heart before surgically closing her wound.

  And just as the medics began to transfuse the woman with blood, Elaira ran up to another woman, whose age was no more than 27. She kept murmuring to save her child, but there were no children.

  "MEDICS! PATIENT'S HAVE HALLUCINOGENS INJECTED. MEDICATE THEM FOR PSYCHOTIC DRUGS!" She shouted at the top of her lungs. This information was soon propagated to other camps for proper treatments.

  As the blood supply dwindled, they had to take the blood out from the civilians who were asleep. It was a life and death situation so they could not wait for the civilians to wake up from Elaira's psychic sleep.

  And in a matter of minutes, most of the women were out of danger but not all of them were saved.

  As one of them died in Elaira's arms, while begging Elaira to save her child. It came off as a shock to everyone.

  Till now, there were no signs of any major injuries to anyone but all of a sudden, almost 150 critical patients were teleported.

  And as the dust settled, everything went silent. The only emotions on Elaira's face as she held the deceased woman in her arms was.. fear.

  8th, who was also stationed there, took note of Elaira and walked upto her before putting her hand on Elaira's shoulder.

  "Lady 6th.. You can rest now. As per Lord 5th's order, I cannot allow you to continue under severe mental stress.." 8th spoke while holding back her emotions.

  But Elaira didn't respond. Seeing what happened made her relive the worst moments of her life..

  "Elaira.. my child. It is for your own good." A sweet voice echoed in Elaira's mind. The voice she could recognise from anywhere.. Her Mother.

  Just as Elaira regained her focus, she saw that the woman whose corpse she was holding had been taken away. She was still kneeling on the ground with 8th standing behind her.

  "I.. will be resting for a while.. Inform me if the situation changes." Elaira said, as she stood up before she made her way to a tent to rest.

  She was shaking but she didn't want to show it. She did not want to appear weak. She COULD NOT appear weak at this point of time.

  But right as she entered her tent, her resolve broke. As she fell on the ground with a thud and began to shiver in fear.

  The trauma that she had buried under layers and layers of memories resurfaced after seeing the wounds of the women.

  "Here I thought I was strong enough to face that again.. But I am not.." Elaira curled up on the ground in a fetal position. Tears streamed down her face but she knew she couldn't call for her help now.

  But she hoped that someone would find her. And as she lost consciousness from the phantom pain that stung her, she whispered. "Save me.. Ab.."