Seeing the "Unbreakable" sign that appeared before the egg’s status screen, Vogue decided the safest place to keep such a mysterious and potentially valuable item was close to his body at all time.
Then he fashioned a makeshift sling from torn strips of fabric and hung the wrapped egg behind his back, positioning it specifically so it rested directly behind his heart. If someone attacked him from behind and aimed for his vital organs, they would hit the egg first.
Since the egg was marked as unbreakable by the system, it would serve as impromptu armor protecting one of his few truly vulnerable spots.
The positioning was deliberate and practical.
His regeneration could heal almost any wound, but he still wasn’t completely certain what would happen if his heart was destroyed entirely before regeneration could activate. Better to have an indestructible shield covering it.
Vogue left the ruined building and continued moving through the devastated streets. The morning sun was climbing higher in the sky now, and he could feel the temperature rising. Radiants would be getting stronger as direct sunlight touched them, which meant he needed to be more careful.
As he turned onto what had once been Broadway near West 157th Street, he suddenly heard sounds of combat. Shouting voices, the clash of metal on flesh, grunts of effort and pain. He moved closer cautiously, staying low and using abandoned cars as cover.
What he saw surprised him.
There were seven people, all civilians based on their clothing, fighting against a group of radiants in the middle of the street. But these weren’t helpless victims running for their lives. They were actually fighting back with some degree of success, and they had the upper hand in the battle.
The seven survivors weren’t Players, Vogue could tell that immediately. They didn’t have the same kind of refined techniques or overwhelming abilities that someone who had passed the Osympic Trial would possess. But they had clearly gained some kind of strength enhancement, their bodies moving faster and hitting harder than normal humans should be capable of.
Vogue focused his enhanced perception on them and noticed something interesting. He could sense faint traces of cosmic energy within each of them, flowing through their bodies in small currents. It was weak and unrefined compared to the energy of a true Stellar Knight, but it was definitely there.
They must have been exposed to something during the trial’s beginning, perhaps the same energy that transformed people into radiants. But instead of being corrupted by it, their bodies had adapted and absorbed just enough to enhance their physical capabilities without losing their humanity.
One man, heavyset with a bushy beard, was wielding a metal pipe that he swung with enough force to crack radiant skulls. A young woman with short black hair moved with enhanced speed, dodging claws and striking back with a knife that she drove into radiant eyes with precision. An elderly Asian man showed surprising strength, his punches actually denting the hardened flesh of the creatures he fought.
They were working together effectively, covering each other’s weaknesses and focusing their attacks to bring down radiants one at a time. It was impressive for people with no formal training.
But while Vogue was observing their coordinated efforts, he suddenly saw danger approaching that they hadn’t noticed yet.
A muscular radiant, far larger and more developed than the ones they were currently fighting, was stalking toward them from behind an overturned bus. This wasn’t a normal radiant. Its muscles bulged grotesquely, its arms were as thick as tree trunks, and its eyes showed a hint of intelligence that regular radiants lacked.
It was a Savage Radiant, one that had evolved by consuming enough humans to break through its limitations. Based on its size and the aura of strength it radiated, Vogue estimated it was at least equivalent to a Lower Moon Rank 2 or 3 Stellar Knight.
The seven survivors were so focused on the weaker radiants in front of them that they didn’t see the real threat approaching from their blind spot.
The Savage Radiant moved with surprising speed for something so large. It suddenly burst from its hiding spot and attacked them with a coordinated assault that showed tactical thinking.
Although each of the seven survivors had developed talents or abilities that could block severe blows, some kind of defensive barrier or hardening effect that protected them from lethal damage, the Savage Radiant was simply too strong. It used a single massive fist to strike each person in rapid succession, moving from target to target with practiced efficiency.
The first punch caught the bearded man in the chest and sent him flying backward through a storefront window. His defensive ability activated, creating a brief shimmer of light around his torso that prevented his ribcage from completely caving in, but he still went down hard and didn’t get back up.
The second punch hit the young woman with the knife as she tried to dodge. Her speed wasn’t enough. The impact caught her in the side and spun her around like a top before she crashed into a parked car with enough force to dent the door.
One by one, the survivors were beaten down. Their defensive talents saved them from instant death, but they were all severely injured, lying on the ground groaning or unconscious. The Savage Radiant stood over them, raising its massive fists to deliver finishing blows that would crush their skulls regardless of any defensive abilities.
Just as it was about to kill the first one, Vogue moved.
He immediately moved, using Big Dipper Step to cross the distance in a blur. He aimed to land directly on head of the Savage Radiant.
But the creature’s intelligence and enhanced reflexes saved it. The Savage Radiant sensed the attack coming and shifted to the side at the last possible moment, its bulky body moving with unexpected grace.
Vogue landed hard on the cracked asphalt where the radiant had been standing a second before. His feet hit with enough force to create spiderweb cracks in the pavement.
He immediately straightened and locked eyes with the creature, which had backed away about five meters and was now studying him with those disturbingly intelligent eyes.