Re:Awakening with Ultimate Power as a Cosmic God
Chapter 46: Ch 46: Emergency Task - Part 2

Chapter 46: Ch 46: Emergency Task - Part 2

Commander Zero leaned back in his chair, red pen in hand, scratching another thick line across a poorly formatted report. Paperwork and more paperwork.

The worst part of command. He exhaled sharply and tossed the report onto the growing pile beside him.

Just then, an alarm went off.

He froze, blinking at the blinking red light above his console.

"...That’s early."

He muttered.

The alarm only lasted a second or two before cutting off abruptly. Commander Zero narrowed his eyes.

"What the hell?"

He tapped a few commands onto the terminal. No alerts were registered. The emergency drill wasn’t supposed to start for another five minutes. Had someone triggered it by accident?

Before he could investigate further, the actual scheduled drill alarm echoed through the entire base, loud and insistent.

Outside his door, the sounds of movement flooded the corridor—running footsteps, shouted instructions, doors opening.

Commander Zero stood up with a grunt.

"Finally."

He tugged on his uniform coat and made his way to the command room.

Inside, the place was already bustling with officers checking live feeds, giving out orders, and ensuring that the drill was carried out smoothly.

He stepped in, and the hum of conversation lowered as a few officers turned his way.

"Well, well. You look awfully cheerful today, Zero."

One of the senior commanders said with a sly grin.

Commander Zero scowled.

"I’m not."

"Sure you’re not. You’ve got that spring in your step. Let me guess—you found yourself a favorite student this year?"

Another chimed in, elbowing the first.

The room chuckled.

Zero rolled his eyes.

"I don’t have time for favorites."

"Oh, come on. You didn’t drag that humanoid up two ranks for nothing. Everyone’s talking about it."

The first commander said, eyes gleaming.

"I didn’t—"

Zero started, then paused. His gaze drifted toward the monitors, specifically the one showing the crowd of gathered cadets and soldiers heading out for the drill.

His brow furrowed.

The humanoid wasn’t there.

Nova was missing.

The chatter in the room continued, but Zero’s attention narrowed. His hand gripped the edge of the console, and his jaw clenched.

"You don’t see him, do you? Is the favorite missing in action?"

Another commander said, peeking at the same monitor.

"He’s probably being bullied. I mean, humanoid or not, special treatment never sits well with the others."

Another joked.

"Still, we all know Zero wouldn’t care. The guy only gives a damn about strength."

The first added.

Everyone laughed again, but this time, Zero didn’t say a word.

He pushed back from the console and stood up.

The room went silent.

"Where are you going?"

One of the commanders asked.

Zero didn’t answer. He turned on his heel and walked out of the command room, leaving behind a stunned silence. A few officers exchanged surprised glances, the momentary mirth gone.

"...He’s really going to look for him."

Someone muttered.

"Damn, maybe that humanoid really is something special."

Another whispered.

______

The last machine fell with a heavy crash, its smoking core sputtering out in fading blue sparks.

Nova lowered his blade, its aether edge dimming to nothing as he let out a breath. Anna was leaning against a pillar, panting heavily, her gun slack in her hand.

"That... that was the last one, right?"

She asked, brushing a strand of hair off her face.

Before Nova could answer, the second alarm blared through the compound.

[EMERGENCY DRILL IN PROGRESS. ALL PERSONNEL PROCEED TO ASSIGNED STATIONS.]

Anna’s face lit up with vindication.

"See? Told you I was right."

Nova offered her a small nod, too focused to indulge in smugness.

"Let’s move."

They raced down the corridor toward the central command section, the hallway lit in a faint red hue from the alert lights.

Nova stayed ahead, keeping an eye on their surroundings, but it didn’t take long before more heavy footfalls echoed behind them.

The second wave of security bots was different.

Stronger. Larger. Faster.

Anna’s eyes widened as she raised her gun, only to falter.

"I... I’m too tired. I can’t keep up like this.?"

She admitted, her arms shaking.

Nova didn’t hesitate.

"Then run. Get somewhere safe. I’ll handle them."

"But—"

"Go, Anna."

She looked into his eyes, read the certainty in them, then gave a nod and turned down a side corridor. Nova didn’t watch her go.

Instead, he turned and ran in the opposite direction, drawing the security robots away.

Their footsteps thundered behind him as he led them through tight turns and blind corners, his mind racing.

He moved like a shadow through the corridor, using every inch of space to his advantage.

Each time he risked a glance back, he counted at least six units, all built for close-combat and all homing on him.

But Nova wasn’t planning to fight them all.

Not yet.

He skidded to a halt in front of a tall, sealed door at the end of a long hallway. Vault Sector Zeta.

The resting place of the core of life.

He reached for the panel beside the door and pressed his palm to the surface. A red glow scanned him before a mechanical voice echoed.

[Access denied. You do not possess the required clearance to enter this vault.]

Nova’s eyes narrowed. The sound of approaching bots was getting louder. He clenched his fist and slammed it into the door, coating it in a violent surge of aether.

The metal buckled. Sparks flew.

But instead of resisting, the system froze.

Then flickered.

The red light turned white.

A new voice emerged from the panel.

[Override recognized. Welcome, kin of convergence. Access to Vault Sector Zeta granted.]

The doors slid open.

Nova stared at the threshold.

He didn’t like this.

Still, he stepped forward. The room ahead was dark, a soft pulsing green glow lighting the interior. But he didn’t lower his blade.

He stepped inside, every sense alert.

Nova stepped into the final chamber, and his breath caught for a second.

The room was unlike anything else in the facility—lush and eerily silent. Vines curled around crystal pillars, glowing softly with green aether.

Bioluminescent spores floated in the air, drifting like snowflakes in a dream. It felt... sacred.

At the center stood a single tube—tall, transparent, filled with thick, slow-moving liquid. Inside floated a small humanoid figure, no older than ten.

Their eyes were open, but lifeless, staring into nothing.

Nova walked forward slowly and placed a hand on the glass.

The child’s eyes twitched.

And then, very slowly, they turned toward him.

Lines of white system text began to appear on the inner surface of the glass.

"Welcome to my prison.’

"You feel... familiar."

"But I no longer remember who I am... or what I was made for."

The light in the chamber dimmed slightly, casting gentle shadows as the text shifted again.

"Tell me... Who are you? And why have you come here? And perhaps, what my purpose is and why I was born? I wish to know it all once before my core gets extinguished."

Nova stood still, watching the child’s blank face through the glass, his reflection mixing with theirs.

The room was quiet again, save for the faint hum of the core’s pulse, waiting for an answer.