The image the SYSTEM showed him was obscured by a cloud of dust filled with streaks of blue lightning and catapulting Soulless. Noah could determine that the User was Grade-2. The SYSTEM unexpectedly transmitted him information related to the Awakened’s Ability. It contained the sigil and its title, [Storm Form].

Wait, you can show me people’s Abilities?

[Only active ones. The information is transmitted to the SYSTEM network. Consider it a replacement feature of your [Battle Instinct].]

Is that all it’s capable of now, identifying Abilities?

[Negative. It is merely a background SYSTEM verification process that I am displaying to you. The upgraded Ability you possess will be unique. Do you wish to activate it now?]

Noah didn’t respond immediately, he received a clear image showing the new arrival. It was a masculine form constructed of blue lightning arcing in all directions. The lightning elemental straightened upright. He was standing in front of Lord Raptor, breathing heavily.

“I’m…” the lightning man started to introduce himself in a deep, resounding voice.

“Stormbringer. Would you kindly clear a path through the Soulless for us,” Lord Raptor interrupted, lifeforce appearing at his throat. Noah tensed as he was transmitted a stream of information related to Lord Raptor’s Ability.

[Compulsion (+2) activated. When the User makes a verbal command, it will trigger the corresponding action in response.]

We can’t let this happen. Activate the new Ability.

[Affirmative. Activating.]

[Mythos Unique Ability combining [Battle Instinct] and [Inferno]: War Dance. The User surrenders control of their motor functions to be handled by the SYSTEM for optimal combat effectiveness.]

Noah felt a series of micro twitches travel through his muscles and tendons. The SYSTEM was calibrating his movements. He focused on a Soulless charging past him. Suddenly, a series of mathematical calculations overlayed the creature’s joints. They displayed angles of trajectory and velocity. He shifted his attention around him, everywhere his gaze passed showed similar numbers. He felt his body tremor, he had awareness of every individual muscle in his body waiting for his command to move.

Only an instant had passed in the world outside, the man formed from lightning’s posture went slack as he absorbed the [Compulsion]. To onlookers, Noah’s porcelain white skin had become covered in tendrils of midnight-purple lifeforce. His black gaze was illuminated by glowing iris. Something about his change amid the sea of Soulless drew Lord Raptor’s attention, pointing toward him.

“That one’s wrong. Swordsman, be wary,” Lord Raptor instructed.

“Yes, milord. It’s strange, I feel like there’s something familiar about that Soulless. But I can’t put my finger on it,” Swordsman replied.

Noah ignored their conversation, the lightning Awakened had started moving. Arcs of lightning connected to surrounding Soulless as he sprang forward. A pair of Grade-1 lunged toward him, only to be immediately blasted from the sky. The smell of seared flesh filled Noah’s nose as swathes of Soulless were zapped to death in the Awakened’s path.

The Awakened was quickly tiring, on a direct path toward Noah. Noah watched his approach without concern. He could see the blue-lifeforce starting to falter with his altered vision. The Awakened stumbled to a halt, falling to his knees at Noah’s feet. The man was the image of desperation as he looked up, making eye contact with him. He gasped in surprise. The Awakened’s [Storm Form] deactivated to reveal a large, barrel-chested man with a thick beard.

“You’re not a Soulless,” the man stated.

“No,” Noah agreed.

“You have to help the children. I have nothing left in me,” the man said with heavy fatigue.

“I know. Take this and rise to your feet. You have a job to do. Stay away from that group if you don’t want to be brainwashed completely,” Noah said while retrieving a handful of Rations from his [Zero-Space Dimension Ring]. He tossed them into the big man’s lap. “What’s your name?”

“Jim Carswell, but I guess that doesn’t mean anything anymore. I think Stormbringer is as good as any. What’s yours?” Stormbringer answered, accepting the hand Noah offered to help him to his feet. He placed a [Grade 2 Ration] into his mouth, Noah watched his stamina return before replying. Soulless were quickly closing in.

“Noah. But like you, I think it doesn’t mean anything anymore. Call me the Shepherd of Dust,” Noah replied, activating the second of his new Abilities. He looked indifferently away from the approaching horde of Soulless toward Lord Raptor and his companions.

[Mythos Unique Ability combining [Earth Manipulation + 2] and [Inferno]: Dust Decay. The User can deteriorate objects in the environment into particles that can be manipulated.]

Swathes of dust started to rise from the corpses littering the ground, stripping flesh from bone. Stormbringer looked around himself in bewilderment as swirls of dust surrounded him. Noah’s body abruptly launched passed him toward Lord Raptor. Ruined buildings collapsed on his passing, reduced to dust before impact with the ground.

His body ran with extreme precision without any superfluous movements. Dust blanketed the entire area making it impossible for Lord Raptor and his minions to see Noah’s approach. But Noah’s Soulless vision allowed him to pierce through it effortlessly. Soulless milled around him, continuing to swarm over the tower of stacked cars.

The SYSTEM projected potential targets climbing the tower in his peripheral. He shot off a string of [Ice Bullets] toward them without even turning his head. The projectiles unerringly struck their marks, sending Soulless hurtling into the crowd below.

As he continued to shoot [Ice Bullets], he felt something lock onto him from above the city. An undetectable stream of pure energy was transmitted from a nearby Pylon to him, instantly replenishing the minute drain on his stamina. A wall of Soulless appeared in front of him. He planted a foot firmly against the back of a Soulless in front of him, using it as a springboard to launch himself into the air.

His [Wind Element Body] caught him mid-flight, suspending him in the air. He began to maniacally laugh, the momentum of shooting out [Ice Bullets] in every direction caused him to slowly twist in the midair. Soulless began to react, suspiciously looking for the source of their ambush. They were being lured in between Lord Raptor and the tower of stacked cars.