Syal and Vincent stood at attention in the meeting room, awaiting the Colonel's briefing. The Colonel, a stern expression on his face, began to explain the details of their first mission together.
"Gentlemen, we have a situation that requires your attention. There have been reports of a Stray Fated in the vicinity. A Stray Fated is a civilian who has somehow gained knowledge of the Wheel and has spun it, transforming them into a Fated."
The Colonel paused, surveying the room before continuing.
"As you know, when our nation was founded, the Proclaimer, our founding father, used his Mystical Profession as President to wipe out all knowledge and memories of the supernatural. This was done to protect our citizens from the dangers that come with such knowledge."
Syal listened intently, intrigued by the history lesson. He doesn't know about it.
"However, in rare cases, individuals may still stumble upon the knowledge of the Wheel and spin it, becoming Fateds without proper training or understanding. These Stray Fateds pose a significant risk to themselves and those around them."
The Colonel's expression turned serious.
"Your mission, Syal and Vincent, is to locate this Stray Fated and bring them in for proper training and evaluation. We cannot allow them to continue unchecked, posing a danger to our citizens."
The Colonel's expression turned grim, his voice taking on a serious tone.
"If the Stray Fated cannot be negotiated with, and poses a significant threat to the safety of our citizens, you are authorized to eliminate them if necessary."
Syal felt a shiver run down his spine at the Colonel's words. He had never taken a life before, and the thought of doing so was daunting.
Vincent, on the other hand, seemed unfazed by the Colonel's instructions. His expression remained neutral, his eyes fixed intently on the Colonel.
The Colonel handed them a file containing more information on the Stray Fated. "Your target is a young woman, approximately 20 years old. She was spotted in the outskirts of the city, demonstrating unusual abilities."
Syal took the file, scanning the contents quickly.
"Oh before I forget, go get your uniform at armory. It's been ready." Added colonel to syal.
***
Before heading out with Vincent, Syal made a quick stop at the armory to collect his uniform. As he changed into the crisp, black attire, he couldn't help but feel a sense of handsomnest.
The uniform consisted of a sleek black coat with gold accents, a matching waistcoat, black breeches, and sturdy leather boots. Syal adjusted his coat, smoothing out any wrinkles, and checked his reflection in a nearby mirror.
He looked magnificent. The uniform seemed to accentuate his lean physique, and the gold accents added a touch of elegance to the overall design.
With his uniform in place, He met up with Vincent, who raised an eyebrow in approval at Syal's sharp appearance.
"Looking sharp, Syal," Vincent said, his voice tinged with a hint of amusement. "Let's go take care of that Stray Fated."
***
As they walked, Syal turned to Vincent. "Hey, Vincent, can I ask you something about being a Double Core?"
Vincent nodded. "What do you want to know?"
Syal hesitated for a moment before asking, "How did you become a Double Core? And what does it mean, exactly?"
"The Wheel has intervals of a week between each summons. If you spin it again after a week, and the second spin stops at the Core, you'll become a Double Core."
Syal's eyes widened in understanding. "And then you have to wait another week for the third spin?"
Vincent nodded. "That's right. But here's the thing: each spin adds a new slice to your Core. The problem is, not all slices come with options. Some of them will show up as '???' or the Unknown."
Syal frowned, intrigued. "What does that mean?"
Vincent's expression turned serious. "It means that the Fated needs to gain sufficient knowledge about the Unknown slice before it can be unlocked. The knowledge can be the name of the profession, what it can do... but how can you know what it is if it's Unknown?"
Syal's eyes widened in realization. "That's what makes progress so slow."
Vincent nodded grimly. "Exactly. And if you spin the Wheel and stop at the Unknown, you won't become stronger... you'll turn into a monster."
Vincent's expression turned grave. "That's exactly why Stray Fateds are so dangerous. They may not know about the risks of spinning the Wheel, and they'll still attempt to do it. And at worst, they'll become monsters."
Syal nodded in agreement.
"We need to find her before she can spin the Wheel again. We can't let her become a monster." Vincent closed the the conversation by speeding up.
Syal still have many to ask but knowing the severity of situation, he just follows.
Syal and Vincent approached the target house, their senses on high alert. They knocked on the door, but there was no answer. Vincent exchanged a wary glance with Syal before proceeding to break the door open.
As the door creaked open, Syal and Vincent stepped inside, their eyes scanning the room. But they didn't find the Stray Fated they were looking for. Instead, they were met with a sight that made their blood run cold.
In the center of the room, a monstrous creature stood, its eyes glowing with an otherworldly energy. The creature was disgusting, with tentacles squirming its skin like worm. Her light blue blouse can't cover how disgusting she are.
A long, slimy tongue lolled out of its mouth, and its left hand had transformed into a twisted tentacle.
The creature's right hand, however, was still recognizable as human, albeit with long, razor-sharp nails that looked capable of tearing steel.
Her stomach pack with tentacles or maybe her own intestine.
Its lower body, mercifully, was still humanoid, but the rest of its body was a grotesque amalgamation of human and tentacles monster.
Syal and Vincent were frozen in shock, their minds struggling to comprehend what they were seeing. It was clear that the Stray Fated had spun the Wheel for the third time, and her luck had been catastrophically bad. She had become an abomination, a monster with no resemblance to her former human self.
"It's too late," Vincent whispered, his voice barely audible over the sound of their own ragged breathing. "She's already spun the Wheel. We're too late to save her."
Vincent sprang into action, dashing forward to grab the monstrous creature and push it out of the house. The creature let out a deafening roar as it stumbled backward, its tentacle flailing wildly.
Syal, meanwhile, focused on summoning Proto. He had brought the puppet core artifact with him.
Before the mission he already dismembered proto taking out the core puppet, releasing the excess Spirit that had accumulated within. After all the true artifact are the first puppet he infused spirit with.
With a swift motion, Syal reassembled the puppet, using the metal accessories he had brought to reform Proto.
However, due to the limited materials available, Proto didn't return to its original size. Instead, it emerged as a much smaller robot. Undeterred, Syal quickly scanned the room, his eyes settling on the metal tools and furniture. With a burst of inspiration, he used his Spirit to infuse those items to life, merging it with Proto.
As the metal furniture transformed, Proto grew in size, its body expanding to a towering 1.8 meters tall, a head taller than Syal. The robot's new form was imposing, its metal body glinting in the dim light.
"Proto at your service master."
With Proto by his side, Syal felt a surge of confidence. Together, they charged out of the house, ready to face the monstrous creature that Vincent had pushed outside.
As he reached the battle ground, he saw Vincent already exchanging blows with the monstrous creature.
The creature's Core, are the flesh and mind. As a human, she had possessed superhuman strength, regeneration, telekinesis, and even telepathy. However, her transformation into a monster had come at a cost, downgrading her powers slightly due to the loss of rationality.
Despite this, the creature remained a formidable foe, its brute strength and ferocity making it a force to be reckoned with. Vincent dodged and weaved, avoiding the creature's wild attacks as he searched for an opening to strike.
The monster sharp nail slicing air wildly while Vincent dancing around dodging it. Vincent get sliced time to time when he try to punch it. The monster body got dented with every punch landed.
Syal charged forward, Proto by his side, ready to join the battle.
The monster suddenly widened the distance between itself and the two Fateds, its eyes glowing with a fierce red animalistic intensity. Despite its loss of rationality, it still possessed the ability to wield telekinesis, and it began to manipulate the rubble of the surrounding buildings.
With a wave of its twisted, tentacle-like hand, the monster sent chunks of red brick wall flying through the air, hurtling them towards Vincent and Syal with deadly precision. Vincent, with his extraordinary reflexes, dodged the projectiles with ease, his movements a blur as he sidestepped and weaved between the flying debris.
Syal, on the other hand, shielded behind Proto, using the robot's sturdy metal body to protect himself from the hail of rubble. Proto's ensuring that Syal remained safe behind its protective bulk.
"Stand behind me Master."
As the barrage of debris subsided, Syal peered around Proto's edge, his eyes locking onto the monster.
Syal swiftly drew his flintlock pistol, loading it with bullets imbued with his Spirit. He took aim, his eyes locked onto the monster's twisted form, and fired. The bullet soared through the air, striking the monster's head with a sickening crunch.
But to Syal's dismay, the monster's regenerative abilities kicked in, and it began to heal from the wound at an alarming rate. The bullet's impact seemed to barely slow it down, her dented body also already like brand monster new at this point.
Meanwhile, Proto had charged forward, attempting to grapple with the monstrosity.
"You can't run from Proto."
Vincent, having circled around behind the creature since while ago, joined the fray, striking at its exposed back. The monster, undaunted by the dual attack, flailed its tentacle-like arm wildly, trying to swat both Proto and Vincent aside.
The battle was intense, with all parties exchanging blows and neither gaining the upper hand.
Vincent chuckle, mocking the monster. " Aren't eating yet?"
Syal reloaded his flintlock, taking aim once more, but this time, he targeted the monster's human-like feet. The bullet struck true, and the monster's legs buckled beneath it, sending it stumbling off balance.
Vincent seized the opportunity, unleashing a massive blow that sent the monster crashing to the ground.
Proto, meanwhile, transformed one of its hands into a long, sharp blade, its metal body glowing with a fierce, golden light, consuming massive amount of spirit. Of course the spend spirit not lose, only will comeback to it's source.
As the monster struggled to regain its footing, Proto raised its blade-like hand, poised to strike. Vincent stood ready, his eyes fixed intently on the monster, waiting for the perfect moment to deliver the finishing blow.
Syal, still holding his flintlock, kept a safe distance, his eyes scanning the monster for any signs of weakness. He then once again shot the monster, this shot also his last shot, he already spent so much spirit to reassemble proto at the start.
Syal once again shot the monster on the chest. Break open that monster body, exposed monster like beating heart that glowing red.
With a swift, deadly motion, Proto sliced the monster's head off, severing its twisted, neck covered tentacles.
Vincent sees this as chance, reached into the monster's chest, his hand closing around its heart. With a fierce, crushing grip, he squeezed the life out of the organ, ensuring that the monster would not regenerate this time.
As the monster's body slumped to the ground, lifeless, Syal let out a sigh of relief. They had won. Vincent's uniform was torn and tattered, his body covered in wounds. However, Syal knew that Vincent's regenerative abilities would soon kick in, healing his wounds.
As if on cue, Vincent's body began to glow with a soft, golden light. His wounds started to close, his torn uniform fluttering to the ground as his body regenerated. Syal smiled wryly, shaking his head. "Looks like your uniform didn't make it, Vincent."
Vincent chuckled, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Ah, well. I suppose it's a small price to pay for victory."
"What about the destruction and eye witnesses?" Ask Syal.
With grim expression Vincent say. "Well it the part I hate about the mission. We need to silence them."
Syal face turn white with horror's. But Vincent suddenly laughing so hard. "What with that expression bro? Don't worry i am just kidding. There's police later will clean the scenes and cover us up. If you have mind as core, you will have mission to clean up to."
Syal nodded with understanding. With mind core, they probably going to manipulate memories of eye witnesses. In truth, they just hypnosis them, make them forgot if they see something here. They still got hypnotized even they doesn't see anything just to be safe.