Ascendants Records Mankind Saga (A.R.M.S.)

"WUYAN!"

Audrey shouted his name the moment she saw WuYan was shot in the heart. Since he was shot in mid-air after leaped from the cliff, Julian and Robert managed to grab his right hand, never giving up on him and hoping to take him back to base for immediate treatment. From sabotage, assassination and other missions, WuYan had been their leader for eight years. 

The memories of them doing missions together are flashing in their mind in a retro black and white film. WuYan felt his heart was partially destroyed by the bullet pierce, it was beating hard and fast, desperate to survive but the pace was irregular and out of control. His mind and perception towards the surroundings had slowed down; his visions started to lose grasp of color and was showing him everything in gray. Other than hearing faint helicopter rotor sound and his teammates calling his name, his hearing ability is also starting to lose.

"DON'T LET GO OF HIM! PULL HIM UP! NOBODY LEAVE ANYONE BEHIND!"

Julian yelled at everyone in the helicopter while his fear had him drenched in cold sweat. His arms and hands are covered with it as he desperately tries to pull WuYan into the helicopter.

"YOU ARE NOT GOING TO DIE! YOU AIN'T GOING TO DIE! NOT WITHOUT MY PERMISSION, YOU ASSHOLE!"

Warned his team leader, Robert Kent, the biggest of them all also grabbed WuYan's hand while crying like a kid that was about to lose his parents. Uncontrollable tears rolling down from his eyes and mucus from his noses smeared all over his face as he wiped them away. 

Suddenly another fired shot can be vaguely heard from afar. His teammates' heart skipped a beat and in a panic again. They pulled him up with all of their strength while hoping the shot would miss its target. Unfortunately, the shot wasn't aimed at WuYan's heart or head but his right arm that was being grabbed by his teammates. The shot pierced through the arm, dismembering it from the body and causing him to fall to the cliff below them.

With the arm suddenly and completely torn off from the body, his teammates that were struggling to pull WuYan accidentally rolled into the helicopter. When they see only the arm of their leader is in their hand, they quickly look out from the helicopter and see that their leader is falling into the forest below.

The teammates shout his name out loud as the helicopter prepares to evacuate from the hostile area. The pilot steer the cyclic stick away from the cliff, until they could no longer see clearly their leader body and flew the helicopter to the east, returning to the F.O.B. 

"WUYAN!" Audrey still continued to shout the name in a helpless tone despite already being unable to see any traces of her leader. 

"TURN AROUND! I SAID TURN AROUND! DAMN IT!" Julian furiously approached the crewman and grabbed him by his collar, ordering to turn the helicopter back to the cliff. 

"Hey! Let go of me! We can't turn back because that whole damn place is now crawling with those god damn heavy armed sons of bitches! We have our orders to bring you guys and the target safely back to the base!" The crewman was angered by Julian's act and explained his reason. 

"*Sniff* *Sniff* He….he's right. Let go of him, Julian. WuYan would surely want to see us complete this mission safely and soundly." Robert approached Julian and patted on his shoulder, convincing him to release the crewman in a soft but also sobbing tone.

After hearing answers from both sides, Julian had no choice but to accept the reality. He released the crewman from his grab and took a seat in the helicopter to calm himself. But it didn't last long as he began to furiously and continuously stomp on the metal floor to vent out his frustration. 

"GOD DAMN IT! FUCK!" Julian yelled to release his anger. 

The adults and the kids still haven't recovered from the shock while looking at WuYan's severed arm. They were all startled and stunned by what they had witnessed until an incoming communication alert was beeping through the pad held by Audrey. She accepted and the pad displayed a live video call from their superior that's currently stationed at the F.O.B. 

"Status report. Is the package safe?" A sheer confidence and strong voice came from the pad.

In the display stood a middle-aged man who's in charge of supervising this operation. Through his emotionless and cold-blooded voice, their superior had angered them as the first thing he asked was if the kids were safe.

"YES, THEY ARE SAFE! YOU FUCKER! BUT WE LOST WUYAN, YOU ASS SHAT!"

Robert snatched the communication device and furiously shouted at the commander that's on the other side to vent out his anger. His superior ignored those insulting words and chose not to entertain him by remaining silent. 

"THE INTEL YOU PROVIDED ARE WRONG! THEY HAVE AN ARMY! NOT JUST A FEW GOONS! "

This time, Julian seized the device and condemned the commander for all the wrong information he provided in anger.

"WHY? WHY GIVING US THE FALSE INTEL! WE LOST HIM BECAUSE OF YOU!"

Audrey cries and shouts at the pad in hopelessness, suspecting their superior gave them false intel that led to WuYan death. Even after all those shouts filled with hostility were thrown at him, their superior still remained silent. After he got his answers, the communication was cut off after a beep was sounded.

The kids looked at the mercenaries with a gloomy face, thinking they are the burden and the reason that caused the death of WuYan. Unsure of what to do to make them feel better, the boy gently and carefully tapped on Robert's shoulder with his hands but the little girl cried as she put all the blame on herself.

"I….I am sorry! If I didn't follow….and stay back….he wouldn't die. He's dead because of me!" 

The little girl wiped her watery eyes with her bare but dirty hands until eyes turned red. She couldn't stop blaming herself and the tears kept on flowing out, if this kept on going, the little girl would probably wipe her eyes into blindness. Audrey had her heart broken after seeing the little girl crying for taking faults that's not hers. She immediately gets up and hugs her while comforting her.

"No….no. Don't think like that. I believe even if you don't follow, He will also insist on taking you with us." 

Only when Audrey comforted the little girl with a soothing voice, the girl finally felt some heavy guilt was lifted from her heart. Her cries gradually became weak and then finally stopped as she basked in Audrey's warm hug. 

With him patted by the boy on his back, Robert looked at the boy with a serious gaze. 

"Remember those who saved you, boy. Don't disappoint those who give their life for yours.."

Robert uttered his life advice to the boy when he remembered WuYan's face in his mind.

The boy didn't utter a word but silently agreed with him. Although quiet, his eyes filled with sheer determination and that alone is louder than any words or shout can be. The understanding boy heeded their words and promised them.. 

*Minutes ago after WuYan arm was torn by the bullet shots*

WuYan falls from the helicopter after his arm was shot off by a bandit sniper. He looked at his decapitated right arm with his visions slowly dim into darkness and hearing completely went deaf, hearing nothing but dead silence. In a weak state, he closed his eyes and accepted his end. 

'So this is it, my life as a killer, as a mercenary all ends now. Heh, it's laughable and ironic that the first mission where I was sent out to save someone had me end up dead.' Reon thought of himself and smirked at it.

'I had observed you for quite a while, Zhong WuYan. I can save you.'

Out of nowhere, he suddenly heard a gentle female voice echoing in his ears. The soothing voice calmed WuYan's body, allowing his stiff muscle to relax while feeling his body is basking in something warm that enveloped him. A bright light suddenly shines at him, forcing to open those tired pairs of eyes.

'Huh? Where am I? It's so bright but my surroundings are soothingly warm. Wait, I couldn't possibly be in heaven now, am I?'

While still floating in a strange light zone, WuYan is in awe that he is able to glimpse his surroundings. But soon, he quickly thought it's impossible for him to be in heaven since his job had involved him killing lives .

'No, you are not in heaven. However I could provide you a second chance in another life, if you agree to help me, that's it.' 

The female speaks to his mind again with his calming voice. All to persuade him to agree to her terms and conditions.

"Hmm, this proposal sounded awfully familiar. Let me guess, is this a plot where a god or goddess had chosen their desired one from a world then had them transmigrated to another world to live a second life but they need to follow orders to accomplish goals set by the gods and goddess?" WuYan expressed his view on this matter. 

"I don't get what you mean but you are correct and have seen through my intentions. So now, do you accept it?" The goddess was confused initially but remained calm and asked for WuYan agreement again.

"I read lots of stuff. So if I don't, I will have my soul perished into nothingness or I will be sent down to hell for eternal torment to repay my sins, is it?" WuYan confidently replied. 

"Impressive, it seems I caught a unique one. Since you are stuck and powerless here, I will ask one final time, will you accept my offer?" The Goddess was impressed but also began to lose her patience as she asked WuYan for the final time.

"Well, the bargain seems too good to be believable but it also looks like I can't say no either in this current state so yeah, I accept. So what shall I do in another world?" WuYan agreed to the Goddess invitation.

"We will talk about it once I meet you personally in the other world. Now I shall restore your body, especially your damaged heart and arm." The Goddess answered his question.

Just when the goddess starts to restore WuYan's fatal injuries after have him agree to her request, the blissful surrounding suddenly turned ominous. From shining bright warm light changed into a cold dark zone with blue and red stripes formed and glowing from the ground to the wall then towards the ceiling, completely caged WuYan within. 

"SUITABLE HOST FOUND. INITIALIZING FUSION."

Another female voice was heard but this time instead of soothing and calming, the voice is emotionless and cold as if it's a robot speaking those words in a monotonous tone.

"Huh….is changing the surroundings and the voice necessary? I prefer the warm light and your previous tone." WuYan felt something definitely went wrong and asked with worries.

"No! It wasn't me. This summoning dimension is being tampered and infiltrated by an unknown force." The Goddess replied to him in a panic.

"What? What are you talking abo….AAAAAH!"

WuYan suddenly shouted in agonizing pain as if something had forcefully entered his body. A painful sensation like molting heats with thundering arcs sneaked into and pierce through every part and cell in his body. He looked at the hole of his damaged chest that was pierced through by a sniper bullet, it had already been covered in a metallic silver colored liquid. In just a few seconds while enduring through the pain, he could feel his heartbeat again, indicating his heart was restored but with an unknown and unexplainable technology device that was installed into it that constantly and repeatedly radiating in crystal blue color glow.

The pain now shifted to his right arm. As WuYan raised the decapitated arm, he saw his forearm had begun to be molded by the same metallic silver liquid and he also started to feel some response from it. As the liquid quickly formed the shape of his right arm, all of it went away in a splash and revealed his restored hand but to his shock, it was not his original and organic hand but instead a mechanical metal hand.

WuYan suddenly feels a burn behind his neck and is starting to lose control of his mind and consciousness. He began to feel dizzy and everything he sees right now is blurry and has afterimages. 

"Shit! It went into my neck and my nerves! I….I feel like….I am not….controlling myself anymore." WuYan told the Goddess with a weak voice before passing out. 

"Damn it! I will now instantly transport you to the other world to cut off the connection! No one is going to take you away from me!"

After hearing WuYan's voice become low and weak, the worried Goddess had no choice but to pour the majority of her power to instantly transfer him to another world. The bright light suddenly shone from the ground below and vaporized everything around him. The black dimension with red and blue light stripes were gone and WuYan closed his eyes again while basking in the warm light after the hellish pain on him had finally ended.

'This is bad, my final summon was disrupted and he had transmigrated into the chosen world with no blessings or powers. The process of transmigration summoning must be completed in a procedural manner so that the summoned ones are able to receive unique powers but that unknown force suddenly infiltrated had messed up the process. To save him, I don't have any other choice but to immediately transport him. Now I could only hope that he had survived and think of a plan after that.' 

In the warm light zone, the Goddess still didn't choose to appear herself but her worried thoughts had echoed in the area. 

"BAAA~"

WuYan heard a goat bleating sound nearby him and slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was the roof was made of dried leaves and hays. He slowly lifted himself up and found that he had slept on a wooden floor and noticed the walls are also made of wood planks.

"A wooden house? So, I really got sent to another world? Or perhaps it was all just a dream?"

WuYan thought of his situation deeply and is questioning himself whether he's already in another world.

"BAAA~"

WuYan heard a goat bleating sound again and this time, the sound was much closer to his ear. He looked to his right and saw a white goat with long fur and horns chewing bunches of fresh green leaves in front of him. It's staring at him deeply with a pair of scaringly black and red eyes.

"BAAA~ Greetings, I am Zuo Ci. Also, nice phallus, brother." The goat had unexpectedly spoken to him in a conversable language. 

"Huh? What? The goat is talking to me and why is he talking about my phallus?"

After listening to its words, WuYan looked down and found his body fully exposed to the goat. However, instead of showing any signs of embarrassment, WuYan stood up nonchalantly as he didn't mind his naked body.

"A human body is nothing to be ashamed of. Unless you have insecurities…."

WuYan explained his situation to a GOAT by covering it up with a lie. 

"BAAA~Wise words, young man." 

It seems that the goat had looked through WuYan fabricated lies but it chose to entertain him with a smug look.