A row behind Jeff, Daylor Anas sat on a canoe seat. This guy was wearing a serious expression now.

This entire way, Daylor only intensely stared at his plate apparatus. Over time, that arrow's color changed. From a light grey, to a charcoal black.

Now, within the black, there was a dark purple brewing.

Below the canoe, the coalition force ran down the empty roads. 3 S-ranks and 20 A-ranks. Only the top dogs of Berrystone city were here.

Travelling at 50 miles / hour, these guys weren't even sweating.

In Jeff's opinion, these guys weren't really needed. However, he wasn't going to stop these guys from getting merit points and loot either. Well, someone had to deal with the small guys right?

Flying past a residential area of houses, they had reached an uptown commercial area. There were high-rise apartments and shops on the streets now.

Gunshots broke the silence of this city. Looking down, streams of bullets were spraying at Jeff's canoe. Yet, an invisible barrier easily blocked out these bullets.

"We have 12 minutes to break through their defenses." Daylor Anas looked at Jeff with a determined gaze.

Jeff scanned around with his stack of detection abilities. About 200 enemies were in sight. Most of them were B-ranks. About 10 A-ranks. 2 S-ranks.

However, these guys were stocked with mana projectiles and mana stones. Also, these guys had the higher grounds secured. They even set up barricades and bunkers in the roads.

In other words, these guys were the ones with superior firepower.

If nothing went wrong...

Buy 12 minutes? They could buy 12 days with ease!

"Can your canoe stand against RPG missiles?" Jeff asked.

"Yes. But our main focus is stopping their ritual."

"Oh." Jeff nodded. "Give me 12 seconds."

Without further hesitation, Jeff took a step to the side. Leaning forward, Jeff dropped down from this canoe.

Thump!

Jeff dropped down to the ground. He was right in front of the coalition force's way now.

Facing the shower of bullets and rays of light, none of these guys were bothered. They were the elites of the elites after all.

A bullet shot towards Jeff. Yet, it deflected right off an invisible barrier.

"Sir." The 30-men platoon stopped confused.

"Is there new orders?"

"At your command."

Jeff nodded at these guys.

"Let me give you some aid." Jeff readied a punch. His fist started to emit a creamy white glow.

BAM!

A wild torrent pushed the coalition back. In front of them, dirt and soil was blasted 20 meters into the air. The buildings on this street were knocked down under the shock wave.

In a moment, the wind died down.

Looking forward, these guys widened their eyes.

The asphalt road disappeared, leaving only the soil and pebbles beneath. It's as if this road had been raked by a giant plow.

All the barricades and bunkers in the way were gone now. Ahead of the coalition force, void rifts opened up here and there.

At this instance, the world became quiet again. It's as if a ceasefire had been signed. Only a low wind sound was getting louder and louder.

Wearing a poker face, Jeff subtly looked around at the collateral damage. 'Ok. That was unintended. But Ok.'

Looking at the enemy energy signatures... Well. These void servants seemed to have lost their morale. Some were starting to flee already. Others took cover, trying to hide themselves. That's good news right?

'Hmm... Just this?' Jeff pointed his staff forward. In a blink, those void rifts closed up.

Jeff closed his eyes and sensed for the spacial vibrations...

'Over there...' Jeff looked in one direction. Tapping his staff at air, Jeff disappeared.

With a pop, Jeff appeared by the parkade gates of an eleven-stories apartment.

'This is basically doing a level 1 quest with a level 99 character huh.' Jeff raised a hand and flicked a finger.

Bam!

A truck-sized opening blasted open on those gates.

Walking into the parking lot, Jeff sensed around a little.

Stomp!

A hole appeared on the ground.

Jeff dropped down a floor. An altar was in sight now. There were some surprised thugs down here as well. 1 S-rank, 5 A-ranks. A rather elite force.

"Die intruder!"

"For the void!"

'Uh huh. No.' Jeff raised his hand.

Snap!

[Mana Burst]!

A blast wave exploded out from Jeff.

In an instance, nearby pillars crumbled into pieces and dust. Nearby cars were thrown into the air. That black altar cracked and tumbled into pieces.

One after another, these thugs imploded into void rifts. Being a sage-tier, S-ranks were just small minions to Jeff now. No matter how many S-ranks were present, one snap was all it took.

'So this is a decoy after all.' Jeff casually looked up.

Bbtttoom!

Under fiery explosions, pillars of this basement were blasted into pieces.

The ground shook violently. The ceiling waved around.

Looking from the outside, there were simultaneous explosions everywhere inside that building.

In an instance, the weight of this 11 stories building tumbled down onto Jeff.

...

Tens of miles away...

Inside the sanctuary. City Hall. Negative First Floor...

Most of this machine shop was empty. Down the dark aisles, there were various models. Powered armors. Battle suits. Motorbikes. Cars. Some were completed. Some only had a frame.

By the elevator, under a bright lamp, Atlas painted the inside of his powered armor.

"You are still following me." Atlas grumbled.

"You know why." Standing some distance behind Atlas, Magni crossed his arms.

Behind Magni, there were 5 smite team members. Now, they were under the command of Magni.

Looking at the back of their old boss, these guys all wore serious expressions. Alerted gazes. Hands by the handle of their weapons.

"I would stay put if I were you." Magni looked around.

Atlas sighed and powerlessly waved around his hand.

Magni squinted in alert. Yet, in the next moment, this guy's gaze became blank.

The girl in orange battlesuit lifted her scepter.

Moving like a blur, Atlas appeared in front of Magni.

Grabbing Magni by his neck, Atlas lifted Magni off the ground with one hand. Turning around, Atlas threw Magni towards his open armor.

Clunk!

Magni slammed into that powered armor.

Tssssss...

The armor slid shut.

Pa!

The smite members all kneeled onto one knee.

Atlas grumbled as he walked towards his armor. Flipping open a shoulder plate, Atlas grabbed onto an exposed wire. With a yank, that wire snapped into half, letting out a burst of sparks.

"Powered armor? More like powered prison." Atlas scoffed.

"Rise and follow." Atlas headed towards the elevator. Rising a hand, Atlas made a few hand signs.

"I don't know which of you is on my side." Atlas walked forward without looking back. "It doesn't matter to me. But, your decision will mean everything to you."

Ding~

The elevator doors opened. Atlas stepped inside without looking back.

The archer in purple and the swordsman in blue followed.

Leaving no more words, this group left.

Ding~

A quick moment later, the other elevator arrived as well. The girl in orange and another smite member in green left as well.

...

...

"Uhh... Anyone out there?" Magni knocked on the armor.

The last smite member in red stood there with an expressionless face.

"No? I guess I'll just have to break out by force."

Bam!

BOOONNGGG~~

That powered armor sounded like a large bell. Other than this effect, that armor was completely unharmed.