Chapter 33: Rank Reassessment Part Three

Cashel stared at the observation deck for several seconds, silent as ever as disbelief and shock washed over him.

Then he laughed softly and said in a dry tone, "My wife?"

Lionface chuckled through the speakers. "Yes."

Cashel lowered his head, rubbing his forehead with his gloved hand. Of all the threats they could have made, somehow that was the one that irritated him the most.

Even a Supreme Awakener being involved was nothing, even though it meant overdoing it for someone like him. But his wife?

And it was not because she was weak. Quite the opposite, and maybe that was the problem.

They knew what she was capable of, enough to put her as a last resort, and even he knew, despite not being aware of everything she could do.

If they actually put her against him, the assessment would stop being an assessment. It would become a domestic dispute with several million dollars’ worth of equipment caught in the middle.

And knowing Andeen, she would rather challenge everyone in the room than engage him, and that would risk turning her, and maybe him as well, into traitors or something similar.

"I’m not fighting my wife," Cashel said firmly, his tone leaving absolutely no room for negotiations or further suggestions.

Rain crossed her arms, relaxing her posture. "You don’t have to."

Cashel glanced at her. "Then why mention her?"

"Because you asked what happens if everything else fails."

"And you thought threatening me with my wife was necessary?"

"It wasn’t a threat." Rain’s expression remained completely serious. "We are simply informing you of what would happen should you choose to continue hiding your abilities."

Cashel’s face twisted. "I still don’t get why you all are so hell-bent on knowing that." He smirked, but his eyes went dark almost immediately. "Despite what happens, whether or not you find that out, I’m not Andeen." Rain narrowed her eyes. "And I definitely will not hesitate to fight every one of you, including BMM, if anyone crosses the line."

"Ho!"

Lionface made an amused sound from the observation deck, but the murmurs of concern that followed made Cashel shift his attention.

Lionface chuckled softly as he quieted the voices. "Bishop, trust me, I’m in full support of that."

Cashel smiled, although the smile did not reach his eyes. His words were somewhat genuine. He was curious. ’What would happen if I turned against everyone like in my past life, but this time with proper abilities and a ticking time bomb on my side?’ Not that he considered his wife a bomb.

It was a reckless thought.

Cashel shook his head and glanced at the control side, but Nathan quickly lowered his gaze and suddenly found the control panel very interesting.

"Traitor," Cashel muttered.

Nathan’s cool voice replied, "I didn’t say anything."

"You didn’t have to."

Lionface laughed again through the speakers. "Enough."

Cashel exhaled and rolled his shoulders inside the heavy suit. "Fine. If we’re doing this, give me a weapon."

Rain shook her head. "No weapons. Use what’s around you."

Before Cashel could reply, a series of objects dropped from a compartment above, landing with gentle clinks and thuds. Empty glass bottles. Wooden sticks of varying lengths.

Cashel stared at the scattered items, then at Rain. "You’re serious."

She did not answer. Instead she reached up and pulled a thin collar from a pouch in her jacket before removing the fabric. The moment she locked it around her neck a faint energy washed outward. The air around her lost the usual sharp heat signature of her flames.

Cashel raised a brow and she smiled.

"Temporary ability lock," she explained calmly. "To make it fair."

Cashel made a face. "There’s nothing fair about that. You’re only locking abilities. What about your regular stats?"

Rain shrugged.

He just rolled his eyes and moved from his spot. He picked up a medium-length wooden stick, around the length of his calf, and tested its weight. It was balanced enough to serve as a staff, but it would obviously shatter under any excessive force.

’Outside a dungeon,’ he thought as he glanced at the roof of the chamber. ’My main class should be able to work effectively out here.’

Inside Gates, his abilities were restricted by the environment, forcing his strength down to levels comparable to the other classes and the cards he used. Outside Gates, however, those restrictions disappeared. If he used both classes together, his effective combat ability was almost doubled.

And he was mainly specialised in killing people.

Rain settled into a loose stance and raised her fists. "Whenever you’re ready, Altar."

Cashel did not wait for a signal.

He lunged forward and swung the stick in an arc aimed at her temple. Rain blocked with her forearm and the impact cracked the wood.

She countered with a straight punch that Cashel slipped under before driving his elbows toward her ribs.

She stepped back, the collar around her neck flashing once as it absorbed the residual energy of the near miss and her instinct to use her abilities.

Rain sucked her teeth, already regretting the restriction since she was not used to fighting without her abilities unless it was necessary.

They continued fighting, both moving across the chamber as they exchanged rapid strikes. Each time she sped up, Cashel somehow adjusted before her attacks could reach him.

Blows to the head were blocked. Ribs? blocked. An attempt to lock his arms and render him vulnerable was met with a headbutt.

The wooden sticks and bottles beneath their feet shattered under the pressure of their movements. Cashel’s reading suit grew heavier with every exchange, but somehow he was not slowing down.

Nathan’s voice came through the speakers, analytical rather than concerned. So far there was nothing alarming about the exchange, because it was boring. "Mana levels still normal. No active skill detected yet."

Lionface hummed. Then the sound of footsteps echoed through the chamber, making Cashel and Rain pause their fight.

Hiss!

The doors to the chamber opened and the man dressed in white from head to toe, wearing a white lion mask and a hat, stepped through with his staff ahead of him.

Cashel frowned when he spotted the man, already gearing up to defend himself from two S-ranks. But Lionface paused just a few steps away from the door.

"Remove all restrictions."

Gasp!

Nathan frowned. "That is impossible."

"I’ll pay for all damages," Lionface said coolly and tilted his head. "Take the suit off and use actual weapons, Bishop."

Cashel narrowed his eyes. "And risk breaking them?"

Rain just laughed under her breath and took off the collar without hesitation. Almost immediately her eyes lit up and heat radiated around her.

Cashel huffed. He walked to the corner, pulled off the suit with ease, but deliberately left the boots and gloves on. Then he summoned the system inventory linked to the weapon case at home. He reached in, took out a utility belt, two flashbangs, his mask, a dagger, a gun and a rope.

He tied the rope firmly around his waist and crossed it over his chest, the flashbangs hanging from the belt, his gun in one hand and the dagger in the other.

Lionface chuckled and tapped his staff gently on the ground. Almost instantly a black translucent barrier formed around the chamber.

"Start!"

Bang!

’Bang?’

Nathan’s eyes widened.

Cashel shot at Rain without hesitating even for a second.

Rain did not even have time to react. The bullet grazed her cheek. Her eyes were wide, but she suddenly grinned.

"Oh, I’m going to enjoy this so much..."

"I don’t think so..."

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

Rain created a wall of fire in front of her, swallowing the bullets and reducing them to nothing. She dropped the wall and smiled.

Cashel nodded. ’Noted.’ Bullets were definitely not going to work with her guard up. But he confirmed she was capable of getting hurt by one.

However, while he thought of what to do next, Rain charged at him, her hands outstretched to grab him.

Cashel leapt above her and flipped. He pressed his foot to the wall and pushed off, creating distance between them. He reached behind him where the grenades were and narrowed his eyes.

He held his dagger out before him, and Rain imitated him, creating her own dagger from fire.

They clashed, metal against flame, but Cashel did not meet her strength head-on. He redirected each strike, turning his wrists at precise angles and using her momentum against her rather than wasting energy trying to overpower her.

Rain’s fist grazed his ribs, cutting deep into his skin. He paused, created distance and grabbed his side.

Lionface watched the exchange with a faint smirk behind his mask.

Once the bleeding stopped, Cashel pulled the pin from one of the flashbangs and fastened his dagger to the utility belt. At the same time, he released the rope from his waist.

In the next instant, he disappeared.

Rain’s eyes widened when he reappeared behind her. ℴℴ𝘮

The rope snapped around her neck, and Cashel locked the other end around his arm, pulling her backward against him.

She barely had time to turn around when...

BANG!

The entire chamber was covered in white light and an incredibly loud screech. Rain’s agonised scream followed, then the sound of a gunshot before her flames filled the chamber and dispersed the light.