Ecuador END
The night was dark and like an ink-black veil smothered the huge military base like a mysterious shroud, an effect created by wards Sebastian did not expect from mere upstarts. It seems like they had a hidden supporter… Sebastian crouched in a bush near the base and focused his eyes on the literal fortress before him. Fierro's main base was like a steel and stone labyrinth, spanning several acres using expansion charms he didn't see before, while the base was flooded with enchantments, wards, and an army of guards, nearing the likes of Fujin's base from a Naruto fanfiction he had read.
This was the centre of Fierro's operations and the neighbouring regions, where decisions influencing large parts of the world were made. Phew… Sebastian took a slow, deep breath. The air was cold and sharp, which helped focus his mind. He wasn't suicidal, but this mission was unlike any other he had heard about. The stakes were higher, the defences tighter, and the risks insurmountable. He could have asked for support, but Sebastian had a purpose he had to achieve all alone: killing the bastard Fierro!
The perimeter was a death trap, warded to detect magical and mundane intrusions. Sebastian pulled a small, blue stone from his pocket, a Null-Ward-Stone, capable of temporarily hiding your magic in a limited area if you actively suppressed it and didn't use it. When others used magic as well, the Null-Ward-Stone would mimic their magic and hide his use of magic. It was an insanely useful tool, stolen from a Russian base, but unluckily, all advanced countries had countered it by now, the Government wizards did not.
He pressed it against the base of his ribcage and felt something fade away in a gentle breeze. The time window was small, minutes, no more. He slipped through, careful not to disturb the intricate pattern of glowing runes etched into the ground and successfully made his way past the first defence.
Inside the base, Sebastian advanced cautiously. The first obstacle was a series of motion-sensing charms spread across the ground and he knew that the slightest disturbance would trigger an alarm. He carefully mapped a route through the thin layer of dust, pinpointing where the sensors' magical signatures were at their weakest. Silently and with precision, Sebastian slithered forward on his belly, centimetre by centimetre, navigating the sensitive area with painstaking meticulousness.
A timely patrol of guards, four men moving with militaristic stiffness came out from around a corner. Sebastian pressed himself against a wall and waited for the right moment. As the guards passed, he attacked. His combat knife flashed under the dim moonlight, cutting through the air like a shimmer. The first guard went down with a slit throat, the second with a knife to the heart. The third and fourth guards barely had time to react before they too were dispatched, their bodies lowered gently to the ground. Noobs.
Sebastian wiped his blade and moved on. The area was bustling, even at this very late hour. He slipped into the shadows with a spell and avoided sentries and flashes of light cast by large, flickering torches. His route took him through a supply depot, where he encountered a trio of wizards looking through the crates on the ground. He couldn't risk an alarm, so when they lifted a crate with a spell, a quick and silent spell later, they fell to the ground, lifeless and split horizontally.
-HP-
Deeper inside the base, Sebastian faced increasingly stronger wards and enchantments. He paused at the edge of a small lawn and studied the defences; they were just too difficult to disarm on the fly. Layers of enchantments shimmered on the walls, each a deadly and complex trap upon being touched by unauthorised personnel. Using and few alchemical tools from a small expandable bag and his knowledge of wards, he traced a counter-pattern in the air with his staff, quickly disrupting the flow of magic. One by one, the wards blinked out of existence near him.
Crossing the lawn, he approached the entrance to the big central building. Two guards guarded the door, their eyes scanning the darkness, completely serious and doing their job. As the area was saturated enough because of the enchantments, he muttered a spell, and with a swift move of his staff, a faint ripple of magic washed over them. They swayed and slumped to the ground in a deep, unnatural sleep. Smiling, Sebastian stepped over their bodies and entered the building all the while dropping poisoned darts on them.
-HP-
The interior of the building was full of long corridors, each turn presenting unexpected rooms, laboratories and other things he would have found interesting on another day, just not now. He moved silently while avoiding contact whenever possible. When he couldn't, his knife and magic were quick and deadly. He left a trail of bodies on his path; each kill was a necessary step and very refreshing. Shaking his head, Sebastian quickly drove away the last thought… did he turn crazy…?
The corridors were lined with defensive wards, ready to unleash deadly force and ugly traps on any intruder, Sebastian used a series of counter-spells to neutralize them, but it was a long and annoying process, were they paranoid? He paused at each corner, listening for footsteps and checking for hidden runes. One misstep and he would be dead.
At one junction, he encountered a heavily fortified metal door, guarded by two more elite wizards. These were not just ordinary guards and their ready combat stances and scarred faces showed Sebastian that he had to take them out silently and carefully. He summoned a minor illusion, which also projected the sound of footsteps behind the guards. As they turned with a confused look on their face -how could this door let the sounds of steps through? - he moved, his knife flashing in the dim light. The first guard went down with a slash to the throat, the second with a stab to the brain.
Further down the corridor and after passing the annoying metal door, a pair of guards stood in front of a set of reinforced wooded doors. Sebastian threw a small, enchanted pebble that emitted a high-pitched, but not far-reaching sound, which drew the guards' attention. As they turned, he lunged towards them. The guard on his left heard him and swung his sword, in a desperate attempt to fend off the assault, which shocked Sebastian, as he thought they would use magic, but so it be...
Sebastian moved to anticipate the strike and deflected it with a strong parry of his knife. The man recoiled and seizing the momentary opening, Sebastian turned on his heels. His knife found the flesh, driving deep into the unprotected side of the guard with a swift, decisive thrust. The guard let out a choked gasp, his eyes widening in shock as tears streamed out of his eyes before he fell to the ground.
Meanwhile, the other guard who had gone to check the stone returned with a calm face, ignoring the dead guard. He charged forward with his bare fists clenched (?), what a weird duo. Sebastian deflected the first fast attack and with a swift movement, he ducked beneath the second swinging fist. In one seamless motion, Sebastian rose from his crouch, his fist a blur of motion as it surged forward with bone-crushing force, supported by a previously consumed potion. The impact landed squarely on the guard's throat, a brutal strike that should have crushed the windpipe and shattered cartilage. The guard staggered backwards and clutched at his neck as his breathing became heavy, wheezing gasps.
However, unlike his fallen comrade, this guard was not so easily dead. With a growl, he shook off the pain and launched himself forward once again and he unleashed a barrage of attacks, at Sebastian's face. Sebastian braced himself, as his muscles strained against the force of the punches. Blow after blow rained down upon him yet, despite the ferocity of the assault, he refused to yield. The battle continued and each of them fought with all their strength, blow after blow was exchanged.
As the minutes stretched into eternity, both Sebastian and his enemy began showing signs of fatigue and their movements grew slower. With a surge of adrenaline, Sebastian launched himself forward, his fist a blur as it connected with the guard's jaw with bone-shattering force. The guard staggered backwards, his eyes glazed with pain as he collapsed to the ground, defeated.
-HP-
He continued deeper, even finding a room filled with training dummies and weapon racks. A group of soldiers practised close-quarters combat, while their instructor barked orders. Sebastian took a deep breath, then charged into the group and graciously moved his knife through the air, finding flesh and bone every other second. The instructor was the last to fall, a look of shock frozen on his face as Sebastian's knife pierced his heart.
-HP-
Even deeper inside, he found himself in a section of the base dedicated to research and development.
In the first lab, he encountered a group of researchers working late into the night. They barely had time to react, before he was upon them. He used a combination of spells and physical combat to take them down, freezing one with a charm and slitting another's throat. He sent a bolt of lightning into the third researcher, who collapsed with a charred, smoking hole in his chest. A donut.
Moving through the armouries, he encountered racks of enchanted weapons and armour. The sight was both awe-inspiring and terrifying. He pocketed a few useful items—a pair of invisibility cloaks and a vial of explosive potion—before continuing. Another group of guards patrolled the armoury and Sebastian waited until they were separated, then struck. A freezing charm immobilized the first guard, a blast of his fist knocked the second off his feet, and his knife finished the rest.
He encountered more resistance in a storage room where several elite guards stood watch over a cache of powerful magical artefacts. Sebastian's knife flashed through the air, finding its mark again and again. He dodged spells and parried strikes, using his agility and training to outmanoeuvre his opponents. One guard managed to land a small blow, but Sebastian retaliated with a vicious stab that left the man gasping for breath while he disposed of others with small spells.
In a dimly lit corridor, he came across a hidden door. It opened to a chamber filled with experimental weaponry and forbidden magic, torturing magic. The room was guarded by a group of heavily armed soldiers and wizards. Sebastian ducked under a swing from a battle-axe, driving his knife into the soldier's unprotected armpit. He spun around, catching another guard with a quick slice to the thigh, and followed up with a thrust to the stomach with a cutter.
A wizard conjured a fireball and hurled it towards him, but Sebastian countered with a shield, redirecting the fireball back at the caster. The wizard screamed as flames burned him, all the while Sebastian moved through the room like a whirlwind. He disarmed a soldier wielding a spear, then used the spear to impale another guard. He sidestepped a magical blast and retaliated with a bolt of lightning that left a wizard convulsing on the floor.
As the battle raged on, Sebastian found himself locked in close-quarter combat with a particularly skilled guard. The man was fast and strong, his strikes powerful and precise. Sebastian parried a blow aimed at his head, then twisted around to deliver a punch to the guard's ribs. The guard grunted in pain but recovered quickly, countering with a knee to Sebastian's stomach. The air was knocked out of him and Sebastian stumbled back, but he quickly regained his calm and launched a flurry of strikes.
The guard blocked most of his attacks, but Sebastian managed to land a solid hit to the man's jaw. The guard staggered, and Sebastian seized the opportunity, driving his knife into the man's chest. Breathing heavily, he surveyed the room. Bodies lay strewn across the floor, the air thick with the scent of blood and burnt flesh.
-HP-
Fierro's private quarters were heavily guarded in another building on its own, he found in a wide area, surrounded by the other, large main building. Sebastian observed the guards' patterns but couldn't wait any longer. He was rather lucky so far, that no one had realized that others were missing -well, all they would find was ash. The rest was hidden. -
…
He paused at the entrance to Fierro's quarters, the door reinforced with steel and magic. Placing his hand on the door, he felt the vibrations of the protective spells built into its structure and whispered an incantation, and the spells unravelled, the door swinging open without a sound.
…
Fierro was lying on a large bed. The room was dark, and the only light was coming from the flickering flames in the fireplace. Sebastian approached the bed, his heart pounding in his chest. Fierro's face was peaceful in sleep. The face of a monster while asleep.
Sebastian didn't hesitate. He placed his hand over Fierro's mouth, muffling any sound, and drove his knife deep into Fierro's chest. The knife sliced through flesh and bone, piercing the heart firmly. Fierro's eyes flew open, wide with pain and shock. He struggled, but Sebastian held him down, twisting the knife to ensure the kill, and of course to make it more painful for the strong wizard. Fierro's body convulsed, then went still. Blood filled the sheets. Good.
Sebastian pulled the knife free and wiped it on the bed. The kill was done. Fierro was dead and Sebastian just felt great!
-HP-
He moved quickly, retracing his steps through the corridors. The element of surprise was gone; guards would be on high alert as they couldn't find the guards. He reached the lawn, just as the alarms began to blare. Red lights flashed, and the sound of running footsteps echoed through the night. Hehe... if only they knew…
Sebastian needed a distraction. He pulled a small, spherical device from his belt—a magical explosive. He set the timer and tossed it into a nearby munitions depot. As he, the explosion rocked the base, a deafening roar that shook the ground and lit up the night sky. Flames and smoke painted the brightening sky.
As Sebastian sprinted for the gap in the walls, the Null-Ward-Stone still active in his pocket began blinking. He slipped through just as the stone turned off and he was found alerting the guards of his presence. Behind him, the base was in an uproar, guards shouting, and spells flying as they tried to contain the fire, while seldomly shouts were heard transmitting information across the whole camp.
-HP-
The alarms from Fierro's base still echoed in the distance as Sebastian fled into the Ecuadorian wilderness behind the base. He was still hindered by the anti-portkey-wards. He had planned his escape route meticulously, knowing that the base's anti-portkey-wards extended far into the surrounding forest. He would have to evade any capturers on foot until he was able to get out.
…
While the sound of the pursuing soldiers grew closer, Sebastian paused and caught his breath behind a large tree. He moved silently, skirting around obstacles and leaving false trails to confuse his hunters, but these soldiers were well-trained, and they spread out, using tracking spells and the senses of hunting animals to close in on him. Sebastian knew he couldn't avoid confrontation forever.
Just ahead, he spotted a small clearing, a stream cutting through the forest, as he heard the murmur of two voices—two soldiers who were inspecting the ground and trying to pick up his trail. He slowly crept closer, and with swift, deadly efficiency, he struck. His knife found the first soldier's throat, silencing him before he could cry out. The second turned, eyes wide in shock, but Sebastian was already upon him, driving the blade into the soldier's chest. Damn, the knife really became addictive…
He continued his way through the jungle, moving faster now, they were just behind him. The anti-portkey-wards had to be close by. Sebastian encountered another group of soldiers—a squad of six moving in formation. Climbing a nearby tree, he positioned himself above their path. As they passed beneath him, he dropped down silently, landing behind the last soldier and a swift strike to the neck ended the man's life before he could react.
The remaining soldiers spun around, but Sebastian was already on them. The first soldier lunged at him, but Sebastian sidestepped and drove his knife into the man's side. The next soldier managed to block his attack with a shield, but Sebastian delivered a powerful kick, knocking the soldier off balance, and followed up with a lethal stab to the chest.
The remaining soldiers hesitated, giving Sebastian the opening he needed. He dispatched the next with a quick slice to the throat, and the last fell to a series of rapid, precise strikes. The squad lay dead at his feet, but he couldn't linger, as he heard the distant sound of a horn - reinforcements - shit. The jungle was becoming increasingly dangerous as more 'soldiers' poured into the area.
He stumbled upon a small cave, partially hidden by a blanket of vines and slipped inside. He took a moment to catch his breath and assess his situation. He could hear the soldiers' voices growing louder and closer. He had to think quickly.
As the soldiers neared his hiding spot, Sebastian prepared himself for another confrontation. He spotted a wizard and three soldiers, their eyes scanning the forest for any sign of him, so Sebastian picked up a rock and threw it to the left to create a distraction. The soldiers turned toward the sound, and Sebastian took the opportunity to strike. He took out the first soldier with a quick, silent strike to the neck. The others turned, but he was already upon them. He conjured a blinding flash of light, momentarily disorienting them. In the ensuing chaos, he moved like an assassin, in a way he was never able to before, his knife flashing. Three more soldiers fell, and the last tried to run, shouting for reinforcements, so reacting quickly, Sebastian threw his knife and the blade embedded itself in the soldier's back.
Despite his efforts, more soldiers appeared. He was surrounded, with no way out. Desperate, he summoned the last reserves of his strength and all of his willpower to use a spell he wasn't able to use until now.
"Tempestas Inferno!"
A swirling vortex of fire and wind erupted from the staff he had taken out of his bag, expanding outward in a roar of power. Flames leapt and danced, devouring everything in their path with hungry tongues of fire, while gusts of wind whipped and tore at the soldiers, their screams drowned out by the sounds of power. The jungle surrounding them lit up in an inferno of flames, trees becoming towering torches that burned down in seconds and crashed, as they were made into ash. The heat was unbearable, suffocating, the air thick with smoke and the smell of burning flesh after seconds. Ash and sparks filled the sky, as Sebastian stood in the middle of the chaos and destruction, his eyes fixed on the swirling vortex of fire, of power.
…
Sebastian fled through the burning jungle while the flames continued to spread. The soldiers' hunt became even more desperate, but the fire slowed them down and he could hear their shouts and the sounds of the fire, while he pushed more power into the flames he had left behind, his body nourishing upon a newfound strength, and Sebastian finally reached the end of the anti-portkey-wards. With the last parts of his strength, he summoned the portkey—a small one on the ground.
Activating it, he felt the familiar tug behind his navel, and the world around him blurred.
In an instant, he was gone, leaving behind the chaos of Fierro's stronghold and the blood-soaked wilderness.
All of this… had made him a lot stronger…
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
DaoistDumbles
DaoistDumbles Sorry for the wait
Weekly Power Status
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