Chapter 497: Research Information? (1)

Chapter 495

"...."

Not only were the others completely shocked and frozen, but so was Ray.

He blinked a few times as he processed what the AI had called out moments ago.

’Seventy percent?’

Captain Ella and Raze exchanged a brief look of confusion before staring back at Ray’s back.

Murmurs immediately bloomed amongst the others.

— How the hell did he achieve a seventy percent combat power?

— Bullshit! Is the AI mistaken? How can he have the same combat power as a Captain?

— Damn! This guy is a real monster.

— How isn’t he a monster? Isn’t he a werewolf?

Ray blinked once before turning his head around to see his friends gawking at him with wide eyes.

At the same time, he looked towards the two Captains on the stage.

Shaking off her shocked expression, Ella lifted a finger towards her ear.

"JARVIS, run the test on Vanguard Ray Dawson again."

A few seconds later, the mechanical voice replied.

"Noted."

Ray remained in his position, watching the blue lights snake across his body for several seconds as his muscles tightened until—

"Vanguard Ray Dawson, total combat power drawn...."

Everybody held their breaths as they looked at Ray and then—

".... Seventy percent."

"...."

Another pin-drop silence washed over the hall.

— So-So it wasn’t an error?

Another Vanguard gulped loudly.

A second wiped his sweaty forehead with the back of his hand.

Ray and Felix could hear their heartbeats rising and pounding loudly against their chests.

Then, the corner of Captain Raze’s lips twitched for a split second.

"I guess our expedition ain’t a death sentence anymore."

"How in seven hells are you so damned lucky, Raze?!" Ella shouted with a furious glare.

She grabbed her hair with a solemn look on her face.

"Monsters... absolute monsters, that’s what your squad are. You waited years without forming a squad and when you did, you got monsters? Each of these kids has the strength to become Captains in no time.

Especially the werewolf....ugh..."

Raze folded his arms across his chest with a smug smile on his face.

"Your squad ain’t bad too, Ella."

The Captain opened one eye, staring at Raze.

"Really?"

Raze tightened his lips together before turning his head to the side while a sinister smile crept onto his lips.

"Damn you, Raze!"

Kai sighed inwardly.

’And the strong keeps getting stronger,’ he mused inwardly as he looked in Ray’s direction.

He had read the forum about the suits.

A suit that allowed one to increase their strength and speed based on the total power drawn.

And with Ray drawing about seventy percent, he wouldn’t even need to fully transform before taking down all his threats.

Shaking her head, Ella glanced in the direction of the other three newly inducted members.

"You three, come join my squad. At least as compensation for what Raze got."

Captain Raze blinked.

"But you already have seven members, why are you so greedy?"

"Says the one who got monsters under his grasp. Tsk. I need to even the field with you, duh." She scoffed and began walking down the podium to meet the three members.

Raze smirked before staring back at Ray and his group.

"So.... I guess we are done here. You all can go do whatever you like. You are dismissed."

The older Vanguards all fumed and walked out of the hall—their moods too sour to continue any celebrations whatsoever.

Ray and his cohort simultaneously saluted the Captain before watching the man walk away.

"Well, what do you all want to do next?" Caster inquired as he looked at the others.

Ray thought for a few seconds before replying:

"I will be heading to the library. I need to research some important things."

Before the others could question him, Ray bolted away, his form already a blur in the distance, leaving the others blinking at where he had stood a second ago.

"Well, what do the rest of you want to do?" Caster questioned as he looked towards the others.

.....

Five minutes later, after following his memory of where the important locations in the base were, Ray arrived at the library.

Pushing the door open, he was greeted with rows and rows of books.

The library was a vast, quiet space lined with towering bookshelves that stretched across the walls and disappeared into the distance. Row after row of neatly arranged books filled the shelves, with narrow aisles running between them for easy access.

Near the entrance stood a large reception desk made of polished wood. A male librarian sat behind it, quietly attending to the library while keeping an eye on those entering and leaving.

Several long reading tables were arranged throughout the center of the library, each surrounded by comfortable chairs and illuminated by overhead bulbs that cast pools of warm light across the metallic surfaces.

Books, notebooks, and papers were scattered across some of the tables, while others remained neatly arranged for anyone who wished to study.

Tall windows along one side of the library allowed natural light to filter into the room, illuminating the floating dust particles in the air. Ladders rested against some of the taller shelves, allowing access to books stored near the ceiling.

The entire library carried a peaceful atmosphere, broken only by the occasional turning of a page, the quiet footsteps between the shelves, and the faint sound of the librarian working behind the reception desk.

Gulping at the sheer size of the library and the number of books within it, Ray turned towards the corner of the room where the reception desk was located.

He could see a receptionist seated there with his face buried in a book that was held up in the air.

He looked so consumed by what he was reading that even the soft chime of the door signalling Ray’s entry wasn’t enough to jolt him back to reality.

Walking forward to meet the man, Ray used his enhanced eyesight to make out the receptionist’s name tag.

"Zamir."

___

[A/N: I hope you’re all enjoying the book so far? Kindly do not be frustrated by the slow-mo.... The action will ramp up soon.

P.S. All support matters. By the way, who can gift us a Castle? 😁😁😂😭 Sigh....never received that before. Oh well, onward]