Chapter 229: Challenging Lilibeth

The panic inside the Kraken continued to increase. The battle outside was so shocking that all soldiers were all called to retreat. And during this commotion, several chambers inside the Kraken had been mysteriously attacked.

Some exploded out of the blue, and various chokepoints within the Kraken were blocked and were even blown up.

The continued attacks inside frustrated the Commanders. It was clear that someone who knew all parts of the Kraken was inside.

The Commanders and the soldiers were all acting wild, and the various soldiers aimed to guard the passageways. Traveling within the Kraken was very strict. But then, more reports of explosions and attacks were happening elsewhere.

Yet even with that chaos, those who were not fighting or guarded certain chokepoints all waited in silence. An important confrontation was about to happen. The Commander and the Admiral's conversation had now been broadcasted all over the Kraken.

The mind games between Commander Drake and the Admiral kept everyone in a constant tense situation.

Drake had given several orders that were counter to the Admirals. He sent the platoon directly under him to bypass all protocols and move towards a specific room where they will rendezvous. He gave them the orders to shoot and kill any soldiers that would bar or hinder them on their path.

No soldiers dared attack them. The Admiral was confused at the orders, and since it would only benefit him, he didn't give any specific demands to send them in but sent another Commander to accompany them.

The Commander sent were one of the strongest Exoskeleton pilots in the entire Kraken.

The more the talk continued, the more it seemed like the Admiral had betrayed them. Various locations that the Admiral sent orders to protect and add more defenses were being attacked. Some of the locations were very far from each other.

As the lethal talk continued, things took a stranger turn as a reported werewolf had breached through the Kraken and was fighting various areas. Videos of a crazed man growling as he charged forward with an Exoskeleton suit could be seen. Another video of another troop that was attacked surfaced as a crazed man leaped and ran on all fours as it charged towards the unprepared soldiers.

Amidst this chaos, several chambers had already been blown up. The Kraken's ability to keep itself to remain at float was already showing troubling signs. In fact, the Kraken's constant floating height had sunk by several meters.

But secretly, this was all apart of the scheme and plot that Sammy and the rest of the Covenants, the Small Time Drug Dealers, Warfreakz, and Gardo's team continued to do.

Sammy had access to a comm device that Chase had. With this, he could observe the various locations within the Kraken. He gave his orders as the Kraken-wide broadcast between the Commander and Admiral continued to talk and challenge each other over the battle.

The rest did as instructed. Titan, who wore light armor, searched for nearby items to make himself look like a crazed and feral man transforming to a wolf. He would then use his techs to make it appear he was a charging wolf. The distraction would then allow John to snipe the enemy with his godlike sniping ability.

And right before the enemy could deliver a clear report after Titan's initial sighting, Dara and Danny would attack and kill them.

The Small Time Drug Dealers were with Harker's trio and brought Gardo's team had the most critical mission and immediately prepared for the trap they had created. They were nearer to the buoyancy chamber and with great haste and made the preparations. They immediately left and rushed towards another area to intercept another team who was fleeing.

This team's escape was in great haste that they even fought and slew several guarding troops.

After the explosive trap, Rai had to force his team into a retreat as several Commanders, and more platoon members chased them. The technology of teleportation was something that they had to keep secret. But in their wounded state, Rai knew that fighting the enemy would lead to several men's deaths.

And so, Rain recklessly used his teleportation to escape.

Sammy, who could see the various feeds, could predict Rai's travel path. Knowing that the enemy could teleport for a short-range, Sammy had already deduced the distance and direction of how Rai and the ninjas could flee. When Richie linked with him, Richie gave Sammy Rai's location. It only lasted a few seconds, but it was enough for Sammy.

And so, the Small Time Drug Dealers, Harker's Trio, and Gardo's team prepared the greatest ambush of that they could manage.

Their opponent, after all, was a Near-Overcomer. Thankfully, they knew the greatest weakness of this teleporting assassin.

The moment the assassins appeared, the ninjas immediately began to attack the nearby platoon and easily massacred them when the Unlocked team began to move.

"Quick! Focus your cameras! We need to identify the enemy!" Tyler shouted as he left his cover and began shooting.

Several of Gardo's team came out carrying strange rectangular gears that had lenses. It wasn't even a camera but a stylized magazine of a weapon with some round class stuck on the corner. But with the Small Time Drug Dealers showering the enemy with their marking technology, Rai and the assassins had no time to worry but began to retreat. It was at that point that one of the nearby squadrons heard the attack.

"Dingo troop! An enemy attack has been detected on Roo Troop! Head over there and provide backup!" Drake immediately shouted and ordered the team to check on the group.

The Admiral was silent. But the attack location was nearby, and the Roo Troop has not responded, and the Commanders have concluded that they were already dead.

"No! Dingo Troop withdraw! We need to save our forces! This enemy has already killed two troops, and our scans indicate that the Roo troop is dead!" The Admiral frowned.

The gunshots continued, and even more explosive attacks were made.

"Are you insane, General?! Can't you hear the explosions?! There are some in the Roo platoon that is still alive! Dingo! Save your allies!" Drake shouted back.

"Let's move!" The platoon leader ordered as he could still hear the ongoing exchange and attacks.

The Admiral was silent. But he was rushing faster and faster. The first chamber that was near him had already been destroyed right before he could enter it.

And so, he began to move towards the main buoyancy chamber right in the very middle of the Kraken.

Most of the Kraken's transportation system has been shut down. These were the protocols they had set whenever major breaches happened in the Kraken. Since it was unclear how many enemies were inside, the Admiral and Chase gave orders to initiate this.

The Admiral was using one of their faster highways inside the Kraken. While it was slower than the transportation system, these roads allowed for Armors and Exoskeletons to travel at rapid speed. The downside for these highways was that those traveling might have to circle around to get somewhere or use entry points further from their destination.

This was the Kraken's protocols to allow monitored traveling inside.

"You are clearly betraying us, Admiral! You are forcing our platoons not to aid each other! You claim that those soldiers are dead, yet the audio in those locations indicates that a battle is ongoing!"

The Admiral could not respond. He knew that claiming that the Roo squadron's vital scans had disappeared was not enough of a reason to stop the Dingo squadron from charging in. After all, if the enemies used EMP techs, it was possible to cut the signal and make it look like the soldiers died.

The Admiral kept silent as Drake kept complaining. The Admiral had changed the location as to which buoyancy chamber he was heading to since the first wone was immediately destroyed right before he got to it. The Admiral thought that as he would declare which buoyancy chambers to go to, the traitors would immediately destroy it to make it appear that the Admiral was at fault.

And so, to test his theory, he declared different chambers while heading towards the main chamber. 

"The truth is, I was afraid that you were using the places where I said I would be going to attack it before I get there. I have been heading towards the main buoyancy chamber all along!" The Admiral finally admitted. 

"What?! Then the Roo troop fought you?!" Drake replied in shock. Although it was not that near to each other, when Drake stated it, the many commanders' expressions inside the Command Center changed. They had already lost signal from the Admiral and couldn't trace his current location.

"I knew you would say that! You're twisting facts. Although I am near their troop, I'm already in front of the buoyancy chamber! How would I go there and get back here considering the exit points that I can use with my Armor! You can't fool me, Drake! Or should I say, Chase!" The Admiral finally revealed the truth he had long known.

"... So you knew?"

"Oh? Are you admitting it? There you have it, men! Even Chase didn't deny it! Chase, I have long known that you were once a fugitive of the WGP and has- Lilibeth, come and fight?!" The Admirals monologue changed as he entered the main chamber. He unconsciously read the carved letters on the primary buoyancy device. 

"Where are you, Lilbeth?!" The more he read it, the more confused he got. The Admiral couldn't understand why anyone would write those words. Whoever was here could have destroyed the chambers but instead wrote these strange words. The surprise caused the Admiral to read it immediately. And since he was previously talking in a very challenging tone, the words that he spoke came out with an aggressive tone.

Scribs sighed as he witnessed the scene and immediately began to retreat. He was the one who was tasked with doing this. Richie had already found the locations of all buoyancy chambers and told Sammy where it was allowing Sammy to send Scribs there ahead of time.

When everyone heard that broadcast, Sammy quickly found a table and flipped it over sheer joy.

Roselyn, Stanley, and Chase were stunned at Sammy's actions.

"My plan went perfectly!" Sammy laughed.

"Chase! Quick!"Sammy ordered.

Chase knew what to do and how to follow up.

"Lilibeth? That flower-powered ninja you keep talking about these past days? Why are you bringing up your lilypad?" Chase asked with a perplexed tone. 

When Rai heard those tabooed words, his rage reached its boiling point, and he immediately acted.

"I'll kill that, Admiral! So it is them!" Rai sprinted away from the incoming attacks and positioned himself behind one of the other ninjas with great rage.

"My Liege!" Before his soldiers could calm their leader, Rai gave his commands.

"Deal with this first." And before the other ninjas could move, Rai had vanished as he teleported away.

The ninjas could only sigh. The hatred in the eyes of their leader was clear as day. Ever since that incident in Africa, the ninjas had been living a life of hellish training. 

Several strange rounds containing electrical energy could be heard approaching them.

One of the ninjas noticed it and took out a strange red blade and deflected the lightning bolts.

The bolts were tossed aside at the attack.

"Let's just kill the enemies." One of the ninjas ordered as he led the team to attack Gardo's group.

"They took the bait! Drug Dealers, Go!" Tyler ordered and sent out the three to fight and tank them from the approaching ninjas. But then the Kraken began to quake as a terrifying explosion occurred outside.

"Gardo..." Jane couldn't help but worry. The sounds and vibrations of the outside battle worried Gardo's team.

They had long seen how out-of-place they were in this battle. Jane took on the mantle of leading the team with Gardo's absence, but the shocking scenes continued. The Golems' appearance and even the reports of the werewolves outside made them realize how weak they were.

Though the effects of the drugs soon became apparent, they had a hard time mastering it. Even when they were Unlocked, they could only survive through the powerful Pangean soldiers and the teenagers that were far braver than them.

"He's alright... Is he? He isn't as weak as we are, right?" Brent asked.

"Such a stupid question..." Efren scoffed. 

"With the weird drugs that Harker gave, we were transformed to practically near the boss's level. But if he took the drug, imagine what level he would reach! He'd be even more powerful than the Golems and werewolves! Worry about ourselves! If these guys are right, and we are fighting teleporting ninjas, we need to focus!" Efren immediately moved and aided the team to shoot the ninjas.

"Efren's right. Relax, Brent. Our President is a hero, after all. Right now, he's no longer the Protector of the Provinces, but the Protector of Pangea. What you need to be worried about is if you can still catch up with the President." Jane laughed.

Brent nodded, and determination appeared on his eyes. He moved and began attacking as well.

"Gardo... Please be alive." Jane whispered so softly that even for those Unlocked, only she could hear it.

Upon the Kraken's hull, the battle had ended. Since the time the wolves became Unlocked, only a few seconds passed.

Gardo smiled. His heart was still beating. He just went through a rollercoaster of emotions in that battle. But right now, all he could feel was peace. Even though his arms were gone and large ice blocks were falling on them, he still had a very peaceful mind.

"That was fun," Gardo said softly before his consciousness gave in to the darkness.