Once again, I mmed into the ground in another force teleportation. This time, however, I wasn''t alone. With me was the entire 2nd Amendment squad.


    Because of my stronger body, I was able to recover faster than the others. Ang was noticeably helping her husband up while everyone else was still on the ground groaning in pain.


    The lighting was poor as usual, but was manageable once our eyes adjusted to the soft glow of the starless sky.


    I looked around, half expecting someone to introduce me to this ce. Sadness crept into my heart as I remembered that my constantpanion, Aira, was no longer present.


    Using {Connect} I tried to find the defender''swork to join. It was like searching for a floating symbol in the air. I intuitively felt one close and connected.


    After finding an open socket, I downloaded the current situation. But instead of a warm weing voice, I received only text.


    [Wee to the Defender Network for Zone 1126-4, downloading situation data].


    The data was then downloaded into my brain, four different types of information being sent to me.


    First, I felt the souls of over 500 beings spread out.


    Second, there were threerger souls moving slowly in different directions.


    Third, there were four locations that were marked but no longer had souls.


    and finally arge malevolent presence in the center of the zone.


    After the download wasplete, the four signals stopped and I no longer "felt" anything. I noticed again how seamless the mercenary profession was. Zach probably created the mercenary AI to ensure that his forces would never go in blind.


    This must be what Aira mentioned before, she saw what was there when she arrived, but we never get any updates after that. I need to get my AI back as soon as possible, fighting without it is just too difficult.


    I chose this zone for two reasons: it had over 500 Rank F''s, and it had a few Rank E''s. By checking the information on the dirge siren, I was able to see the danger level. I didn''t know what Rank E''s they were, but it didn''t matter.


    This zone was past floor 10, which meant there was a chance of tainted undead. However, since my squad carried blessed ammunition, I was no longer afraid. Even if I lost my {Kismet}, I had a group that could support me.


    ''Let''s just use tonight as practice for when I join the front line,'' I said to myself.


    Technically, the members of the 2nd Amendment were all Formless, so in theory I could borrow their {Fates} like I did with the Sirens. But I hesitated, what if the {Limitless} disappeared once I did?


    I didn''t know if I could createbat techniques on the fly even if I got their abilities. And somehow, I didn''t want to use the {Fates} of anyone other than the girls.


    It was good that I had {Code}, otherwise I wouldn''t even know the basics.


    ''Let''s summarize what we know of first and tell the group.''


    I turned to see that everyone was already up. Warren was making sure ire was okay by stroking her back, the Production Saint seemed to be vomiting on the floor.


    Hmm, she should have been a Reaper a long time ago, was the summoning to the Hellsgate and the Mercenary Warpgates different? How could she be okay with one and not the other?


    I was about to try and help ire when I heard the sound of footsteps all around us. The undead seemed to have figured out that we were present.


    "Well, if the undead follow souls, I have over a hundred thousand, so I must look like a big signpost to them," I joked inwardly.


    Due to my heightened hearing, the footsteps of over a hundred zombies began to evoke a sense of urgency. I pped my hands and called my squad''s attention.


    "2nd Amendment, listen up. There are over 500 rank F''s and three rank E''s in this zone. They are headed my way.


    "The four Reapers in charge of this zone are dead. So our job is simply to destroy anything that still moves."


    When the others heard the numbers, their faces were visibly distraught. Scott had almost died against 50 rank F''s, Mike and Santiago against 150. Ang and Joshua barely survived a fight with 500 on horseback after everyone else died.


    I was in all three of these battles with these people. And even though we were outnumbered, the terrain was one of our advantages.


    Jack Moses used his fort to break up the undead, and Scott basically hid in the closet.


    Mike and Santiago, though buried underground, managed because we used the narrow passageways as choke points.


    Ang and Joshua fought with the mobility of cavalry and set traps in a wide area. So even when they were outnumbered, they just ran around.


    In all three battles, I was the only reason they decided to fight. Warren and ire, who rarely fought before, turned pale from my words alone.


    This would be everyone''s first battle where we went in blind. We didn''t know what to expect, nor what surprise awaited us. But while I could understand their fear, I needed them to see things the way I did.


    The U.S. used the bald eagle as its symbol for good reason. The eagle was one of the few animals that could fly in the strongest storms. It could do this because it never relied on the weather or the wind. Its confidence came from the strength of its own wings.


    I was the same, I didn''t trust the terrain or the situation. I trusted only two things. The steel of my weapons and the {Fates} in my Soulgem.


    As Formless or Non-Combatant, everyone had been told that fighting such a battle would be suicide.


    It was from this misconception that I had to mold them. Alone and unarmed, it would have been impossible. But with guns, {Rewind}, and each other. It was a piece of cake.


    With most of my armory divided among the members of the 2nd Amendment, I only had four weapons with me.


    To ensure that my {Rewinds} did not suddenly disarm the entire squad, my {Auto} was updated to only include the two MAC-11s and the two Punisher 1911s.