***

Frank’s heavy boots stomped on the grim ground of the service tunnels, each step resounded down the tunnels. Like he didn’t care if anyone knew he was coming. It was the confidence of being strong and…

Frank looked behind him. Soldiers in the hundreds marched in heavy armour following behind closely, weapons in hand. They moved at a high speed. They didn't want to give their enemies a chance.

“The moment we enter the rat’s nest, do not hesitate. Strike to kill. That goes for anything that moves, understand?” Frank’s cold voice entered the soldiers’ ears as they nodded. Their eyes, behind the helmet’s visors, looked at Frank’s back with unease.

Frank looked at his own personal device. Multiple different camera angles showed the service tunnels. Although they were moving through them, the soldiers didn’t show up on the screen at all. As if they didn’t exist at all.

We control this ship, not you bunch of wild mutts. Frank’s lips turned up into a savage grin. His hand grabbed hold of his sword as he unsheathed his weapon. The Undercity’s door came into view. Frank stomped on the ground, sending his body hurtling forwards like a ball being released from a cannon. He thrusted his sword forward as the tip of the blade contacted the heavy metal door. Instead of the blade piercing the metal, the tip smashed into the door like a heavy hammer. The door exploded into sharp shrapnel.

“Go, kill!” Frank’s scream sounded out as the soldiers rushed past him. Their sharp weapons gleaming under the dim service tunnel lights.

“Commodore Frank, th-there’s no one.” One soldier turned his head and said.

Frank squinted his eyes. He peered into the distance. It was quiet. Too quiet. The usually bustling town was silent, as if ghosts had taken over.

Frank had a horrible premonition. How did they know we were coming? A flash of light interrupted his thoughts in the middle of the town. The flash erupted into a roaring blast. Before the balloon of fire reached them, the shock wave burst their eardrums. The explosion ripped apart the hull of the ship. The soldiers couldn’t control their bodies, the strong sudden suction force effortlessly picked up the soldiers. As they disappeared into the black void of space, the hole swallowed them.

Frank’s powerful arms bulged as held onto a steel beam. He had hit a device that was stuck to his chest. “Requesting immediate isolation of Cargo Hold A1.” He screamed into his talking device.

The wretched screams of his soldiers being sucked into space scratched at his eardrums. Despite his strength as an officer, there was nothing he could do about the hole in the walls. His teeth gnashed into his lips, blood seeped forth. Frank’s eyes turned bloodshot.

Loud sirens sounded out within the town after a minute. The terrifying suction ended. Frank watched as the hole in the floor was quickly sealed. His mind flashed with the image of Admiral Kaiser.

Frank’s legs collapsed, his knees colliding against the floor, but he felt no pain.

***

Alphonse carefully descended the sheer cliff face. Anxiousness clasped at his heart as a strange sensation tugged at his stomach as he looked at the massive drop below.

Holy shit, that's high. Alphonse chuckled as his palms became wet with perspiration. So I can fight with my life on the line against bloodthirsty monsters and not bat an eye, but I’m feared of heights? At least I know one thing about my past. He wryly smiled at his thoughts.

Alphonse had to stop now and then, wiping the sweat from his hands as he took a breather. Every time his vision looked down, the pit in his stomach would growl in nervousness.

The screech of a beast entered his ears. He tried looking around, but he couldn’t seem to see anything. The noise was hitting the walls, making it hard to pinpoint any noises that were being made. Please, nothing attack me on this fucking cliff. He mentally crossed his fingers.

Alphonse sighed, his eyes lowered, trying to find a good foothold to lower his body. Sweat had moved from his hands to his forehead. A faint screeching sound was coming from below him. He patiently, with care, lowered his body. His vision fell on a hole in the wall. There were a bunch of featherless birds chirping away with their mouths open. Deep orange marks covered their bodies, razor-sharp talons had already begun forming on their baby feet.

“Where is your mother?” Alphonse nervously said.

The answer appeared behind him. An ear-piercing shriek threatened to make his ears bleed. Alphonse twisted his head as the massive bird approached him at high velocity.

“Shit!” Alphonse shouted. He grabbed hold of the wall and jumped up. The bird collided against the wall. The crash caused loose boulders and rock to fall.

What goes up must come down. Alphonse plummeted towards the bird. Its large maw opened wide, like a baby bird waiting to be fed.

If you want something to eat… A fireball flared into existence within his palm as he threw it into the mouth of the beast.

An explosion followed as the bird tried to spit it out. The monster’s head exploded into a red mist. The chick’s chirping stopped as their little bead-like eyes watched their mother’s body plummet to the floor, Alphonse along with it.

The air licked Alphonse’s face. His eyes watered from the beating of the wind. Shit, shit, shit. Alphonse hectically repeated as he free fell down the side of the cliff. He activated his Jungle Cat form, his arms grew dense fur and blades sprouted forth from his forearms. He rammed his arm against the wall, the friction from the blades on his arm against the rock caused sparks to fly out in all directions.

He felt his body slow, but it wasn’t enough. Alphonse used his other arm and eventually ground to a halt. His eyes looked down. He had made it to the floor. Alphonse stepped onto the floor as he looked up at the sheer cliff walls. A sigh of relief left his mouth. Then anger filled his mind.

Walking over to the massive bird, he sent a kick to its body.

“You fucking stupid thing. I could have died.” Alphonse spat and took a breath. “Thanks for the meal.”

Alphonse waited until he had the energy to move. Thankfully, nothing moved in his direction. Alphonse looked at the bird. Uh, where the hell do I start with this? The thought stirred within his mind. Markus hadn’t taught him how to cook a bird.

Can I eat the feathers? The question popped up inside his head as he shook his head. He decided to just wing it.

Chopping some trees down with his cleaver, he gathered plenty of firewood. Stacking it all up nicely, with his own flames, the wood burned. Because of the size of the bird, he wasn’t able to create a spit big enough for it. With no other plan, he dragged the bird onto the fire. The pungent smell of feathers burning singed his nostrils.

His eyebrows twitched as the bird was quickly reduced to black tree bark. I should have cut it into smaller pieces first. His teeth sank into the burnt bird as he awaited the bad news.

[ Chef’s Kiss activated ]

[ Recipe: Charcoal Deviant Bird ]

[ Charcoal Deviant Bird : The Deviant Bird was a once graceful, dominant bird of the skies. Until you disgraced it by turning it into burnt tree bark.

Was… that sarcasm? The systems words baffled him, but his eyes turned to the extra stats.

[ Rating E ]

+20% from Apocalypse Butcher’s Set.

| 15.4 -> 18.4 extra dexterity added

| 12.6 -> 15.1 extra strength added

Trait extraction failed.

[ -5 to Dexterity for 4 hours. You can’t use magic for 10 hours. ]

Alphonse's eyes opened wide at the debuff. Not being able to use magic was huge. Veins bulge from his forehead as he sent another kick to the poor charred corpse.

“You fu-” Alphonse stomped on the ground. He spun his head. The sound of leaves crunching and stones being overturned entered his ears.