GOD FORMULA

33 The Storm~

| Concord City |

| Planet G*****a |

| An Undisclosed Location |

Major Vic James darted across the management floor of Providence headquarters, his two assistants, Matt and Lou, in tow. He hated that there was no elevator access to the area. 

There were only two chambers on the floor- the Director's and the Assistant Director's offices.

The Director was never in his office. Providence was basically run by the Assistant Director, Dr. Jack Chrysalis. The genius scientist had a DimPort, a portal travel device fueled by God Formula equations. There had never been a need for elevators as both Director and Asst Director had their teleportation devices. What enraged Vic James was that the rest of the staff had to climb the stairs and then walk across a fifty-foot-long corridor. That was because- the Asst. Director kept his device in silent mode most of the time.

"Sir!" Matt spoke up. "Did they go rogue? What are our available options now?"

James had cold sweat across his brow, despite the cold weather outside and the air conditioning inside.

"What else can we do?" he mumbled. "We will send a hit team to neutralize them!"

"Will Dr. Chrysalis let-"

"The Asst. Director will have to see reason. I will make him. We can't risk our secret technology falling into the wrong hands!"

Matt and Lou fell silent and threw nervous glances at each other. Jack Chrysalis was an enigma who listened to none other than himself.

They reached an office with metal-fiber double-doors. It looked like a simple door mechanism but could withstand a nuclear device explosion if it came to that. Both the Director's and Asst. Director's offices were practically bunkers.  

James had a virtual key, and he flashed it before barging into the room.

"Dr. Chrysalis! It's an emergency!"

The Asst. Director, tall and well-built, stood facing a modern casement window, his hands clasped behind. He was in his classic lab coat. The window offered a panoramic view of the storm raging outside. In the distance, over the hills, lightning struck and cleaved a chunk of the mountain away.

"How many times have I told you to knock before entering, Major?"

"Sir! Apologies! But Drake Ace and Eve Trinity have removed their limiters without seeking permission!"

"I know that, Major. I received the notification too." The Asst. Director did not seem to be flustered by the radical situation.

"Well, then-"

"Let me guess," Jack cut the Major short. "You want me to authorize an elite team to neutralize the duo?"

"Yes, Sir!"

"Isn't that an overreaction, Major? Drake and Eve are two of our biggest assets. Millions of credits were spent on experiments! You want me to wipe them out over indiscipline?"

"But they could have-"

Jack waved an arm out. "Gone rogue? What nonsense are you spewing, Major? I have trained them myself. Do you think my students could go rogue like one of your pet experiments?"

James' face was red in embarrassment. "I apologize, Sir."

A lieutenant rushed into the office. At the same time, Jack and James got notifications on their devices.

"Dr. Chrysalis!" the lieutenant cried out. "A game event was just triggered at Loch Lake!"

"What's new about a game event?" James turned around and explained. "It happens during every quest. It could denote the arrival of a boss, which usually happens after the swarm is defeated."

"But, Sir, the GFD is off the charts!"

"What are you talking about?"

God Formula Distortion (GFD) was antithetical to God Formula Factor (GFF). While GFF denoted the player's potential, GFD determined a monster's power levels.

"How much is the GF distortion?" Lou asked.

"It's 10000+!"

James' eyes widened, and he looked at Jack Chrysalis.

"Sir, this means it is a-"

The Asst. Director pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "It's a God-class monster."

Everyone inside the office gasped. A crowd of staff and interns had gathered outside the room, murmuring anxiously. Everybody wanted to know what was going on.

"Everything makes sense now. Drake and Eve breaking their limiters and going off-radio," Jack continued. "A God-class swarm itself would be overwhelming enough to decimate a level 50+ team."

Regular classes could go up to level 80 or even 90. It would still be theoretically possible to appraise and defeat them.

However, a God sub-class in a Special-class had no caps. It could have sky-high stats and virtually invincible attributes. If it reaches level 60, such a monster could be impossible to overcome.

"Have you tried contacting the players?" James asked the lieutenant.

"We have, sir. But we are getting only static from them."

The Major turned to Jack. "Dr. Chrysalis, what do we do now?"

Jack Chrysalis dismissed everyone from the office. "You will have my orders on your devices shortly."

He walked to the panoramic window and let the storm consume his thoughts. "Noah, my friend," he thought. 'I'm sorry for putting you through this. I have high hopes for you. It may end with you dying young. If you do not survive this game, you were never meant to be the strongest player."