Novel Antagonist Rewind

Discussion in 'Community Fictions' started by Minaku, Aug 23, 2016.

  1. Minaku

    Minaku Writer

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    Chapter 101: The evil within.
    A pool of darkness appear underneath Crule and his armor. It was similar to the pool he summoned to fight Hanuman. It was his gateway to the special spatial storage where he keep his live monsters. His storage is separated into two sections, one for inanimate objects, and the other for live beings. The armor sank down into the void.

    Suddenly, tendrils of darkness rose out of the void and wrapped around Crule like an octopus clutching onto a prey. It covered every inch of his body leaving only his face. The shadowy tendrils shivered and slowly from the darkness, the armor formed. The last piece that formed was the helmet and the face cover slammed down with a *click* forming an evil smiling helmet.

    As the pool of darkness slowly faded under Crule’s foot, a flash of silver flew out from it and landed in Crule’s remaining human hand. It was his old dagger, the Taming Sari. Its curved edges seem to gleam with a certain blood lust. Unexpectedly, the armor sent out a tendril from the wrist and connected the dagger to the backside of Crule’s hand.

    With him now fully armored, every single eyeball on the armor opened to reveal hundreds of bloodshot eyes staring left and right, making Crule look far more menacing than before.

    A truly evil looking knight, a warrior of darkness and chaos. Everyone who saw him in that armor can only immediately assume the wearer was evil.

    [Brigid]: I swear I didn’t program the armor to do that…

    Everything she planned has been out of whack for Ming and Crule’s armor. Nothing seem to be normal anymore. They were not normal armor, it was as if they have come to life and obeyed only one master.

    Lawks’ father looked at the evil armor and felt a tinge of regret.

    [Lawks’ Father]: Have I created a greater evil…no, I couldn’t have.

    He whispered to himself hoping to reassure his decision. Sadly, he knew he wasn’t a match for the group and even if he wanted to stop them, he didn’t have the power to do so.

    [Lawks’ Father]: As long as the clan doesn’t die out during my time as head…

    Now he was compromising, trying to make excuses.

    Crule moved his fingers, trying to get use to the tightness around his body. It felt like a second layer of skin had formed around him. It wasn’t stifling but it did feel tight. He looked at his dagger which was now a permanent part of his armor on his left hand. He took out Brigid’s cannon with his prosthetic hand but it didn’t seem to connect to the armor. It seems the lack of a glove means it doesn’t connect, but even without a connection, the cannon was strong enough of a weapon. It equaled in strength of Ming’s attack she used earlier. Now with the boost the armor gives Crule and the fact that he was now several gates stronger, the strength of that cannon was now on a deity level.

    [Brigid]: I would normally say “let’s see a demonstration of your power” but I’m beginning to feel we aren’t safe here if you do.

    [Crule]: Don’t worry, I won’t go insane with power or anything.

    From under the helmet, Crule’s voice was changed into a far deeper growl. It sounded like the voice of a dragon.

    [Brigid]: Ohoho, it changes your voice too? I know I didn’t install that in. I swear you guys seem to be already altering the armor I spent all day making.

    [Crule]: It seems so…This is good. No one will recognize me once I take off the armor so no one will associate me with this evil looking thing.

    [Brigid]: No, I think with a natural evil looking face like yours…never mind, forget it.

    [Crule]: I will just use one move then, but it will be at nearly full power.

    Crule started to gather energy to the cannon on his right. The eyeballs seem to quiver with excitement as the energy flow through his body to his hands, into the cannon. It streams of darkness along the cannon seemed far more profound than the time he used it against the drake.

    Distortions in the space time was starting to be visible as small black tears were slowly forming around the cannon.

    [Brigid]: Holy crap, this is almost as strong as Gramps…How is he not affecting the space time normally but only when he uses an attack…

    The wind started to pick up and seem to form from a powerful suction the tears in space produced. Everyone bunkered down and shielded their eyes from the dust that went along with the wind.

    Sounds of electricity filled the atmosphere as the cannon was reaching a critical point.

    [Chun Qin]: Is the cannon going to break?

    [Brigid]: You think something I make breaks that easily? Please, I demand more respect than that!

    [Shin]: This power is amazing…it seems I have been too contempt with my meager strength.

    [Kate]: Yea…If our little Crule needs this much power to fight the enemy, how much would we need to not become burdens?

    Shin and Kate look at each other than at Crule with worry and guilt.

    Ming only stared at Crule with admiration.

    [Ming]: And he’s mine, all mine.

    She giggled on the inside with a psychopathic glee.

    Lawks’ father stared in both fear and worship.

    [Lawks’ Father]: Are we watching the birth of a god…?

    Crule felt the cannon has nearly reached its limit. The tears in space started to get in the way of his concentration. He aimed the cannon at the hole Ming left in the mountain.

    [Lawks’ Father]: Oh shit, NOOOO NOT THE MOUNTAIN AGAIN.

    But it to was too late.

    With a blinding flash equivalent to that of a nuclear explosion, silence filled the air.

    Everything within a few hundred meter turned white due to the flash. Not a single sound could be heard. Everyone closed their eyes for a split second due to the blinding flash.

    When they opened it, it was already over. The sound still hasn’t come yet, silence filled the air.

    [Lawks’ Father]: W-where is it?

    He pointed in front of Crule.

    There was nothing there anymore.

    [Lawks’ Father]: Where did the mountain go?

    Not a single atom remained. The ground had become a scorched black hole where the mountain use to be. Off in the distance, the white beam of light could be seen still traveling. Upon closed inspection, the light was actually mostly black. It’s just the small bits of light was too blinding.

    Then, like an oncoming train at point blank, the sound came back. An earth shattering boom caused some of the engineer’s to pass out with blood flowing from their ears. Even Chun Qin, Shin, and Kate felt uncomfortable as their internal organs received a good jolt.

    Brigid only stared with the widest eyes anyone has ever seen on her. She forgot how to blink.

    [Brigid]: I’m beginning to think nothing on this planet can survive that...

    [Crule]: That’s not true.

    Crule corrected her.

    [Crule]: Once the final seal is removed, the archaic ancestor beasts will awaken. They have powers strong enough to be call gods. Each one of them has the strength to create and destroy planets. It’s a miracle so many of them gathered on this planet…but I assume back in the day, this planet was far more sturdy and brutal.

    Crule didn’t seem tired at all. He carefully explain his hypothesis to Brigid.

    Brigid only nodded with excitement and fear in her heart. Her grandpa never tell her anything of the beginning few years of their pioneering. She was born after the seals were placed.

    The scene looked hilarious. A tall person wearing the most evil looking armor one has ever seen waving his finger and explaining theories to a person who look like a small little girl wearing a lab coat with curiosity beaming out of her eyes.

    [Lawks’ Father]: M-my…M-mountain…
     
  2. Minaku

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    Chapter 102: Farewells and Next Seal.
    After all the excitement, all the engineer who had been working non-stop for endless hours on end passed out. Brigid was the last one to fall asleep.

    Lawks’ father sat alone on a balcony drinking a very strong liquor.

    [Lawks’ Father]: *sigh* I feel like it’s my own fault I let you guys destroy my mountain. I should have known you kids are far too abnormal.

    [Crule]: It’s just a mountain. What’s so special about it?

    [Lawks’ Father]: It’s where we bury out ancestors…

    [Crule]: Oh…

    [Lawks’ Father]: Man…grandpa is going to be pissed off when I join them in the afterlife…

    [Crule]: Sorry about that…

    [Lawks’ Father]: What happened happened…We can’t change it now.

    Lawks’ father wanted to maintain relationship with this monster child. He rather save his living clans men than his dead ancestors. Normally this may be frowned upon but times have changed.

    [Crule]: Here, take this as our way of saying sorry.

    Crule reached into his spatial storage and took out a jade box.

    Lawks’ father stared at the box with curiosity.

    [Lawks’ Father]: What is it?

    [Crule]: It’s a sealed spell. Opening the box will release one of two powerful spells of mine. Both extremely powerful and lethal.

    [Lawks’ Father]: What are the spells?

    [Crule]: The first spell is a barrier skill. It will allow nothing to enter it as all who touched the outside of the barrier will be consumed as used as the barrier’s power source. When used, the barrier will tag those who are already inside so they can come and go as they please. The barrier will maintain itself as best as it can on the energy in the air but it will only last at most a month. If you want it to last longer, you will need to feed it.

    [Lawks’ Father]: This sounds very ominous…but very useful indeed. Having a powerful barrier like this will be very useful during times of need. What’s the other one?

    [Crule]: A powerful attack spell. It has about the same power as the attack I used today. Meaning you should be VERY careful where you aim it when you open the box.

    Lawks’ father was dripping with cold sweat. Something this dangerous was sealed inside of a box with not even the most simplest of padlocks. Anyone with limbs can open it and release the powerful held within.

    [Crule]: I see you are worried about how protected this dangerous thing is but rest assured. I can bind it to you so only you can open it.

    [Lawks’ Father]: *sigh* That would be nice.

    He bound the jade box with his blood and carefully stored it.

    [Lawks’ Father]: So what will you do now?

    [Crule]: Something big, don’t worry about it.

    [Lawks’ Father]: Everything you do is big…

    The two chatted the night away enjoying the liquor.

    Crule woke up the next morning and brought everyone together to leave.

    [Lawks’ Father]: Have a safe trip.

    The Lawks’ clan came to give them a farewell. The engineer were sad to see Brigid leave. They had learned so much these past few days and their curiosity had been ignited.

    [Crule]: If you guys need help, give me a call.

    [Lawks’ Father]: We look forward to your support.

    They waved and Crule set off with everyone.

    ______

    Back on the ship, everyone gathered in the cockpit to discuss what they were going to do next.

    [Shin]: What now?

    [Crule]: We will be heading back into the game to open the second seal. Meanwhile, you guys need to go take advantage of the game starting to train yourselves.

    Shin, Chun Qin, and Kate nodded. They saw the huge power difference between them and realized how lacking they were.

    [Brigid]: Hm? What should I do?

    [Crule]: Whatever you want!

    [Brigid]: Ah, finally more free time to work on things. I got a pile of materials I want to try out stockpiled in the ship’s lab.

    She seemed happy that she gets so much freedom.

    Everyone left to rest for the long journey leaving only Ming and Crule left in the cockpit.

    [Ming]: Which one of the seals are we going to?

    [Crule]: The one in the great lake Trysl. If I remember correctly, there should be a temple hidden deep at the bottom of the lake.

    [Ming]: That lake is huge…nearly the size of a small planet. Just how are we going to find it?

    [Crule]: The temple is hard to find for most, but with our armor, we should be able to cover the ground easily. With the power of the legion eyes, I should be able to point out the energies that are slowly leaking out from the seal.

    [Ming]: I see…

    [Crule]: But first, we will stop by one of the game’s towns by the lake. We shouldn’t forget to make a name for ourselves. The others while training will definitely be noticed by the public as being strong and eventually will get famous. We on the other hand, have to do so elsewhere or we will shadow their fame.

    [Ming]: Hmm, but we finally get to be famous!

    Ming said it with a certain sarcastic tone.

    [Crule]: Yea…”famous.”

    The two spent the night together.

    ______

    Crule dropped off Shin and Kate in one of the gate towns, said their good byes and left. He dropped off Chun Qin at another area. He told them he didn’t want their fame to shadow each other’s.

    Brigid was happily locked away in her lab doing all sorts of experiment. Flashes of light was often seen shining from under the door and the sound of metal on metal collisions sounded dully through the nearly soundproof door.

    Crule flew the ship to the gate town closes to Lake Trysl and gave the keys to Brigid with a note telling her to pick them up when they call. She was too busy tinkering and he didn’t want to disturb her or worst, be used as a test subject.

    Ming and Crule walked off their ship after preparing everything. Hand in hand, they headed toward the guild hall.

    [Crule]: Might as well take escort missions to improve our adventurer grade.

    Everyone who joined the close beta were immediately registered in the adventurers’ guild and given a C rank. The others all had to register themselves and began at G rank.

    This really distinguishes the strong from the weak as those who participated in the close beta, the small handful of people, were all the cream of the crop, the strongest of the strong who are in the eyes of the public. Of course there were certain hidden experts who would rather join discretely, but the close beta participants were not to be considered weak.

    Crule and Ming walked into the large guild hall. It was made from a darker cobbled stone and dark oak wood. The place was outside of the wild so electricity still worked. Dim lights hummed in the background giving the place a slightly bleak feel. But the blood, sweat, and adrenaline that filled the air offsets the bleakness.

    There were several dozen adventurers sitting around filling out paper work for their quest. Some were chatting with friends and discussing future journeys. Crule and Ming walked up to the counter where the receptionist was smiling cheerfully with a strong business smile.

    [Receptionist]: Good day! How may I help you two? Are you here to register?

    Crule just smiled politely and Ming smirked a little. They both reached into their pocket and took out a bronze token. The receptionist looked at the token with shock. During job training, they clearly explained the meaning of the tokens.

    All G ranked adventurers were given a wooden token. Each rank they improve, they would add a layer to that token. At F rank, they plate the gold in green paint. At E rank, they add a layer of aluminum so the token looks metallic. At D rank, the tokens were coated with a darker metal so it looked like a grey iron.

    But the highest anyone has reached so far, was C rank. This was depicted by a bronze token. It was bigger than all the normal tokens as each layer was put on top of each other so if one were to slice into the token, they would see the layers. That is if they could slice into the token at all. It was made from a treated wood that was resistant to weathering and cuts.

    To see bronze tokens was a first for the receptionist. The gate town was not known to have much close beta participants hanging around.

    She carelessly blurted it out.

    [Receptionist]: B-bronze rank…

    Everything stopped in the hall and eyes turned around immediately to look at Crule and Ming.

    Tension filled the air.
     
  3. Minaku

    Minaku Writer

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    Chapter 103: Guild Hall and sandwich.
    The receptionist quickly covered her mouth after realizing her blunder. Most adventurers would prefer to remain anonymous as grudges and fame hinder their progress.

    Crule could only put his hand over his face and shake his head. Ming just sighed.

    Now that everyone’s attention was on them, it was actually a slightly more ideal situation. Crule and Ming wanted to get famous. But doing so in a gate town like this was kind of a waste.

    [Crule]: I would like to take on an escort mission from here to Lake Trysl.

    The receptionist quickly recovered the best she can.

    [Receptionist]: Y-yes sir! We currently have three missions from here to Lake Trysl. The first two is recruiting twenty people each and the last one is looking for only five. The ones requiring twenty people has an F rank base limit whereas the last one has a D rank limit.

    The receptionist opened a book to reveal three laminated pages with details of the mission, its level, the employer, and the merchandise they are shipping.

    Crule took a quick glance through them and just picked up the last sheet.

    [Crule]: We will go with this one.

    It was the escort mission that was only recruiting five people. Knowing the dangers between the gate town and the great Lake Trysl, one either needs a lot of people to scare away potential threats or a strong enough expert. The first two quests were for beginners to enjoy party environments and to level up through group work. The last quest was more of a single party grind with the sole mission of reaching the destination at the fastest time possible. Less people, more speed.

    Everyone in the guild hall heard what Crule said. Not all of the adventurers here are pure. Thieves and bandits also come here to get intel. Although it was very hard to actually kill someone in the game, since most physical injuries will be recovered by their energy, but the nanobots also rapidly recover lost tissue and prevents excessive blood loss. They are really a modern medical miracle.

    So unless you entire body was destroyed without a single trace, it was impossible to fully kill a person. Although if you destroy their head first, they won’t come back. But the game has rules against fully killing a person. Those who die due to monsters can only count themselves as unlucky or too foolish to go against something they can’t win. But when a human kills another human, rules had to be applied.

    Those who break the rules will have a bounty placed on their head. They can still participate in the game, they will just be hunted continuously. The constant tension of being hunted deters most people from killing, but it doesn’t stop people from stealing and maiming.

    Crule looked through the corner of his eyes at the people glaring at him. He only smiled lightly and tried to act as simple as he can.

    [Receptionist]: Here is the contract sir!

    The receptionist finished the paper work and gave the finished contract for Crule and Ming to sign.

    They signed it and handed it back to the receptionist.

    [Receptionist]: The employer is waiting at the Glamor Inn. They are ready to go as soon as five people who meets the qualifications accepts the quest.

    Crule nodded and thanked the receptionist who was clueless to all the hidden plans being plotted in the guild hall.

    ______

    Crule and Ming stocked up on food rations, mostly spices and various ingredients they won’t be able to find in the wild. Most of the time, they will just hunt for their own food. They already have all the other survival necessity in Crule’s storage.

    They headed toward Glamor Inn the next morning. Sitting in the lobby was a short man with an enormous beard. He was wearing the tiniest spectacles anyone has ever seen and was staring at the Inn’s restaurant menu. He was twisting several strands of hair that stuck out from his beard while looking as if he was trying to make the most important decision of his life.

    Crule looked down at his copy of the contract he signed. On the top was a picture of his employer. It looked exactly like the tiny man but didn’t reveal his actual size. Normally if one were to see his picture, he would seem like a mountain giant with a huge beard. But up close in person, the actual man was barely reaching five feet tall.

    Crule waiting till the man finished making his decision. The waiter next to him was trying to hold in her laughter.

    [Tiny man]: I think….I will take the roast beef sandwich.

    The man said to the waiter as he put down the menu and removed his glasses.

    The waiter quickly jotted it down and ran away before his laughter get the better of him.

    Once he reached the kitchen, a muffled laugh could be heard.

    Crule now approached the tiny man.

    [Crule]: You must be Mr. Turf. The man who put up the escort quest from here to Lake Trysl.

    The tiny man looked toward Crule and Ming and tried to size them up. He rubbed his beard with a judgmental look on his face. Then he smiled and said:

    [Turf]: Kid, I hope you aren’t lost. Where are your parents?

    Crule nearly wanted to rip the man’s beard off. He was currently almost sixteen years old although he looked a lot younger than he actually is. Since he and Ming spent three years in a pocket time dimension, they looked the exact same as they did before. Crule look like he was fifteen and Ming looked like she was barely a teenager.

    Crule restrained himself and sighed. He took out the contract and his bronze token. The tiny man was shocked at the token and his tone of voice quickly changed.

    [Turf]: My oh my, sorry about that dear adventurers. It’s just you two look so incredibly young!

    Ming smiled. Crule could only sigh again.

    [Turf]: With you two, we now have five people! That means we can set out! But first let me finish my meal.

    Crule and Ming sat down beside him and ordered some food as well. Turf took out a phone and called the other adventurers. Soon, three people walked into the Inn.

    The first person looked pale and thin. He gave off the feeling of someone who didn’t get much sunlight before the game started. He smiled and was following what seemed like the leader of the three people group.

    The other person beside the leader was a silent but sturdy looking man. He looked like a bouncer combined with a construction worker. His arms looked more like logs than human arms. He was silent and followed the leader closely.

    The leader was a woman who looked like she was in her mid-thirties. She carried with her an arrogant atmosphere and walked with a proud demeanor. One look can tell she has been trained in etiquette.

    She was carrying with her a rapier on her side. Her outfit was a deep tanned leather and looked like what a corsair would wear on their journey into the seas. It was a strange mix between a cowboy and a pirate.

    She smiled when she saw Crule and Ming. Turned her attention toward Mr. Turf and spoke.

    [Woman]: We ready?

    [Turf]: Ah, Ms. Dante. We are indeed ready to go.

    [Dante]: Good, Shallot, Gumb, let’s go.

    The two next to her seemed to be named Shallot and Gumb. They followed her toward the large wagon in the courtyard of the Inn.

    Turf was biting into his roast beef sandwich when he suddenly remembered.

    [Turf]: Ah, do you two have any luggage you need to carry? Just put it in the wagon where there’s space.

    Crule shook his head.

    [Crule]: We are good, thanks for offering.

    Turf only looked a little shocked and went back to eating his sandwich.

    Crule and Ming both enjoyed a cold refreshing mint tea.

    Looks like the journey ahead of them is going to be interesting.
     
  4. Minaku

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    Chapter 104: A thousand miles.
    Having finished scarfing down his sandwich, Turf finished up his drink and jumped off his seat. He put down a few gold coins and left to his wagon. Crule and Ming followed without saying anything.

    When they reached the wagon, it was already prepared and ready to go. Since electricity doesn’t work, the wagon runs on two different fuels. They have a combustion engine which works on most flammable materials. Even if they can’t use electricity, it doesn’t block them from using things made from technology that use other things as a source of power.

    The combustion engine has been fitted into the wagon to allow a smooth ride as long as one provides fuel. The other power source was steam. The combustion engine produces huge amounts of heat which is used in a steam generator. Instead of producing electricity, the steam is used to manual turn the wheels instead. Of course this is far more inefficient compare to the combustion engine but it’s another source of power to keep the wagon mobile.

    The back of the wagon was covered in a beige tarp and was tied down firmly onto the wagon frame. The tarp was water proof and weather resistant. It keeps the load inside the wagon safe and sound. The frame of the wagon was made from a light metal similar to aluminum. It shines brightly under the suns yet doesn’t absorb much heat from the combustion engine.

    Turf climbed the ladder running along the side the wagon to the front seat. The front seat was a sizable couch with a wooden steering wheel fashions in front. It controls the wheels movements quite easily due to hydraulics. There was another beige tarp over the front covering the driver’s area. Turf turns to Crule and Ming.

    [Turf]: Hop on. The other three should be in the back.

    They heard a muffled agreement from the back storage.

    Looks like they were in charge of protecting the cargo while Crule and Ming was in charge of protecting the driver.

    The wagon took off from the courtyard with the owner of the Inn waving goodbye. They steadily reached the huge gate in the wall leading into the actual wild.

    [Turf]: I never bothered to ask, but how old are you two?

    [Crule]: Fifteen.

    [Ming]: Fourteen.

    [Turf]: Ah, so young yet already bronze rank! Y’all must be some fancy smancy kid from some big hidden martial arts clan or something.

    [Crule]: Close enough.

    [Turf]: Ha-ha! Never thought I would recruit someone like you. And here I thought I would get mostly rugged muscle men, but I was shocked when Ms. Dante applied with her two cronies. I was even more shocked by you two though.

    [Ming]: Yea, we seem to get that a lot…

    [Turf]: Ha-ha, let’s chat! The journey has just began and most of the monsters near the gate has been cleared by all the game participants. We should be safe until we hit the forest’s edge.

    [Crule]: May I ask where will our trip pass through?

    [Turf]: Ah! Let me get my map.

    Turf pulled a wooden lever next to him to lock the steering wheel in place. The road was straight anyways for a long, long time and there was no traffic so it was safe.

    He reached into the knapsack he had besides time tied to the metal frame and pulled out a scrolled up piece of paper. Since they are now officially in the wind, none of the electronics will work so laminated paper or plastic maps works best.

    He pointed toward the long wall section.

    [Turf]: This is the gate town we left from. Following the road, we will soon reach the edge of this here Division forest. Our travel speed will slow down a bit but thanks to some adventurers, the road is flat enough for wagons to pass through. This doesn’t mean we are safe though as monsters appear from the forest quite often to attack us since we are in the clearing.

    He dragged his finger across the map pointing toward the dense patch of green. It lead up to a red dot.

    [Turf]: This is our first pit stop, the town of Janus. It’s a medium sized adventure town created for the guild so it should have enough for us to resupply to continue the next leg of our journey.

    He dragged his finger from the red dot toward a bumpier yellow region.

    [Turf]: Once we leave the town, we will follow along the border of the Sangrias desert. This part will be the longest part of our trip.

    Turf continued to point out the direction.

    [Turf]: After the desert fades out, we will hit our half way point in the journey when we reach the smaller pioneer town of Caketon.

    [Crule]: I am serious beginning to doubt the naming sense of the pioneers…

    [Ming]: I wonder if we get to name a place.

    [Crule]: Technically we did. The mountain area we were before didn’t have a name and now it’s called Mt. Tai.

    [Ming]: Oh…no fair! I wanted to name it!

    [Crule]: Maybe next time.

    Turf drone on about the directions.

    [Turf]: After we leave the town of Caketon after resupplying, we will enter the extremely dangerous Bourbon Sand Sea.

    He points toward the orange colored area on the map. It was connected to the previous desert but was separated by a large strip oasis.

    [Turf]: The sand sea is so hot, it creates the illusion of flowing water and waves. The sand is so smooth, they nearly behave the same as water so traveling through them will slow us down greatly, but it’s the quickest way to Lake Trysl.

    On the map, after the large blotch of orange, came a small mountain.

    [Turf]: When we exit the desert through the Bum’s valleys, we will arrive in a dense forest that eventually exists into the Lake town of Tryslvania besides Lake Trysl.

    [Crule]: Who the hell named the mountain Bum…?

    [Turf]: Oh, it was one of them pioneers who are now in the top rankings for levels.

    [Ming]: There’s a ranking?

    [Turf]: Yea, you can have your stats registers to their main web through that there terminal on your wrist. It will add you into the rankings. Of course some people choose not to for certain reasons but most people want the fame and glory.

    Crule turned to whisper to Ming.

    [Crule]: We will register after we perform something big enough to garnish attention.

    [Ming]: Got it!

    Turf was smiling that he finished his explanation of the route they were taking.

    [Turf]: So hold on to yer butts, we got a long journey ahead of us.

    The plains before them seem to be endless but over at the horizon, the forest, the first transition in their trip, looms menacingly with its dark olive green hue.

    The other three were awfully quiet in the back. Crule could sense that they were there but two of them seem to have fallen asleep already.

    [Ming]: What a carefree bunch.

    [Crule]: They need a certain level of power before they can be this carefree.

    [Ming]: Hmm, hopefully they don’t try to steal our thunder.

    [Crule]: Don’t worry, we will just have to make the storm bigger than they can manage.

    With an evil smirk that Turf didn’t notice, Crule cultivating with his eyes closed, pretending to be asleep. He was close to learning the truth of the heavens and thus establishing his ninth gate.

    Ming wanted to snuggle next to Crule but there was a tiny man between them…

    [Turf]: Ah kids, always sleeping on vehicles.

    Ming turned a blind eye to Turf.
     
  5. Minaku

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    Chapter 105: Division Forest and hordes.
    The first day of the journey was uneventful. By nightfall they reached their first pit stop right outside the forest.

    The orange hue of the dusk sky painted the tired faces of the crew. Crule and Ming were well rested but the other three had a very bumpy first day. Turf was also tired from driving the entire time.

    Turf applied the brakes to the wagon and jumped off. He looked in the back at the goods, checking for any damages. After a while, he took a relieved sigh.

    [Turf]: Looks like the goods this time are packaged well…Last time it ended in disaster.

    He shuttered thinking about his last shipment and a drip of tear fell out of the corner of his eye as he remembered the sheer amount of money he lost out on.

    The three other adventurers were setting up tents. The nearby river provided a decent supply of fresh water although one has to watch out for waterborne monsters.

    Crule gathered firewood and Ming lit the campfire.

    Soon they were ready for dinner just as the tip of the twin suns dipped below the horizon. The darkness of the wilderness was mitigated by the faint lamp hanging from the wagon and the campfire besides it.

    The dim flickering orange light shined on the tired adventurer’s face. Their meal consisted of a harder stale bread with a warm vegetable soup. Meat was very limited due to the lack of hunt today but they had some dried preserves they added to the soup.

    It was soul warming, having such a good soup that Crule cooked. Turf was amazed at his cooking and wanted thirds. The other three adventurer seemed like the outgoing shameless types and asked for more too. Crule only smiled and kept on pour out bowls by bowls. Ming watched with a gleeful satisfaction.

    The night went on with minimal chatter. Crule took this chance to cultivate. He sat on top the wagon keeping watch for the night. With one eye open, he circulated his energy into his newly established eighth gate.

    Compared to his other seven gates, the eighth one looked far more regal. The other gates looked like they were made from black obsidian. This new one was significantly bigger and was made from a white gold. When Crule circulated his energy through it, he could feel it filling every nook and cranny of the gate. The veins on the front of the door flowed with energy and reached the center. A click sound was heard and the gate was opened. The sheer mount of flowing energy that followed nearly knocked Crule off the wagon. It was just a huge amount, but he wasn’t that shocked. His capacity was huge, the eighth gate just allow him to access a fourth of his energy all at once.

    A fourth of Crule’s energy is an insane amount of energy. If he were to expose it to the outside, it would create ripples in space. The energy refreshed every tired cell within Crule’s body. He felt like he got a wonderful night’s rest.

    Anticipating the wonders of the ninth’s gate, Crule opened his other eye and went back on watch duty. He still constantly circulated his energy through the eighth gate. The energy was becoming more pure each time it circulate through. The energy Crule absorbed over the years were polluted by the atmosphere of Noxia and the moons he stayed on.

    Polluted by what you say? Cosmic energies of different variety. With the conservation of energy, things that seem to dissipate into nothingness usually just become the invisible energy. These invisible energy can be changed according to one’s will based on their attribute.

    Crule right now have a huge mixing pot of various energies, whether it’s the fiery heat energy from the moon Wrath, or the cold energy from Mt. Tai, they all exist in his giant pool of energy.

    When he let the energy make it way through the eighth gate, it slowly becomes more and more pure.

    Pure energy is the best kind of energy because they can be converted into the user’s attribute to allow stronger usage. After Crule purify the excess energy, he can turn it all into famine energy.

    The entire night passed in a flash as Crule was focused on cultivating.

    The next morning, everyone else woke up to the smell of coffee. Crule was brewing up a pot of it. The aromatic roasted beans perked up everyone’s morning. The fatigue from yesterday’s journey cleared up immediately.

    [Turf]: We will delve into the Division forest today. I expect we will start seeing monsters.

    [Crule]: Don’t worry about it. We aren’t bronze adventurers for nothing.

    The other three adventurers was slightly shocked.

    [Dante]: You two are bronze adventurers?

    [Shallot]: Wow, they are the same rank as you mistress!

    [Gumb]: Hmm.

    [Dante]: Hahahaha, good, good, I want to spar with you sometime! It’s hard to find people around my rank!

    [Crule]: Gladly.

    [Ming]: Anytime.

    The two are as bloodthirsty as ever. Never shying from a fight after gaining insight was sadly one downside for cultivators. Sometimes it leads to injury and death, but that’s the way it goes.

    [Dante]: *smiles* Good!

    [Turf]: *cough* Fight on your own time, we got a journey to finish.

    The wagon slowly crept into the woods. The giant trees loom along the edges of the makeshift roads the pioneers paved. Shrubs grew rampant on the road due to the lack of trees allowing sunlight in but the wagon crushed them with ease as it moved along steadily.

    However, this doesn’t mean the ride was anymore smooth than yesterday. It was far bumpier and Shallot and Gumb began to look green.

    [Shallot]: Uhg. I don’t feel so good.

    [Gump]: Mhm.

    [Dante]: Stop being so whiny, it’s just motion sickness!

    Crule and Ming didn’t feel any sympathy for the two but Turf did. The wagon sped up a bit to reduce the bumpiness but the fuel supply was being burned at a faster rate.

    [Turf]: We may need to stop early to resupply on charcoal.

    [Crule]: We might as well take a lunch break and restock on our water.

    [Dante]: Agreed.

    The wagon slowed down to a crawl and stopped by the side of the road. The sound of running water could be heard nearby.

    Everyone left to gather wood to be turned to charcoal while Gumb and Turf watched over the wagon.

    Crule and Ming dashed through the trees like a pair of shadows. Soon, they reached the source of the sound of flowing water. It was a small river that flowed slowly through the dense forest like a swamp. The water had already become green from all the algae. Crule looked at the water and sighed.

    [Crule]: Looks like we need to filter it.

    Ming nodded. Since Crule’s energy cannot become completely solid, Ming created a fine mesh using her blood. It was solidify to the point where it does not contaminate the water. Crule put a bucket under the mesh and poured the green water through it. Soon the bucket was filled with clear fresh water.

    To be able to make such a fine mesh shows how skilled Ming was at controlling her energy.

    Pouring the bucket of fresh water into the large container, Crule and Ming started to head back to the wagon.

    Suddenly, a low growl could be heard. Crule and Ming stopped suddenly and hid in the shadows.

    From behind a large tree, a single creature walked out. It looked like a large bronze lizard and its scales blended with the color of the bark on the trees.

    Crule silently pointed at the lizard and nodded to Ming. Ming nodded back and they both attacked the lizard. Although the lizard could not stand a chance against either Ming or Crule, since the two wanted to remain silent and hidden, they both attacked at the same time. The lizard was bisected immediately with very little blood. Ming collected the blood form the corpse and Crule stored it.

    They started making their way back to the wagon again, but another sound made them worry. A louder growl came from where the wagon was and it seems there was more than one.

    [Crule]: Let’s hope they are still OK.

    [Ming]: Mhm, we need witnesses to our greatness!

    They two quickly rushed back.
     
  6. Minaku

    Minaku Writer

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    Chapter 106: Schemes and failure.
    When they got back to the wagon, it looked perfectly fine, but it was surrounded by about two dozen similar bronze lizards. Gumb was currently holding them off but was injured in doing so. Turf was cowering on top of the wagon while Gumb was swinging a large mace back and forth with his remaining good arm, keeping the lizards at bay.

    His wounds looked serious. One of his arms had been torn off from the elbow. It was bleeding profusely which made his complexion start to pale. Upon closer inspection, his Health bar was at an abysmal 1/6th full. Since they made a party with the wristband before they head out, they can check on team member’s statuses.

    Just before Gumb was going to pass out and before Crule and Ming could act, Dante and Shallot returned first and attacked the lizard from behind. Dante pulled the string of her short bow with rang with a tender sound as she fired several arrows at blinding speeds. In the span of one second, she had fire four arrows at four different lizards. The arrows pierced about a foot deep into the lizard. Those who didn’t have a chance to dodge were immediately killed with the arrow piercing their brains.

    Three out of the four lizards she shot died immediately and collapsed on the ground with a thud. This quickly alerted the other lizards of an enemy from behind. Before they could turn their massive body around, Shallot already performed his move.

    Three egg shaped grenades bounced on the ground and rolled to the lizards. The lizards were still mid rotation when the grenades went off blowing up two of the lizards into pieces directly. The shrapnel lacerated two other lizards who was a distance away from the grenades. The lizards are now facing both sides, the remaining count was 21 lizards were angry and three were wounded.

    Gumb collapsed onto one knee clutching his arm. His health bar was slowly regenerating but it wasn’t enough to keep him out of the danger zone. He needs time to fully let the nanodes regenerate his arm.

    The lizards who was facing Gumb’s side took the chance to attack only to be completely sliced in half by a wave of blood.

    Ming and Crule appear from the trees behind the wagon with a smile.

    [Dante]: Good, you’re here. Let’s take care of these annoying things.

    Pulling another arrow from her quiver, she readied her bow and pointed it at the lizards. Shallot pulled out two large looking pistols from under his jacket and pointed it at the lizards as well.

    Ming rapidly erected a barrier of blood around the wagon with the injured Gumb included. The lizard was startled by the barrier and attacked it. Claws, teeth, and tail barraged the barrier to no avail. Ming with her hand extended just smiles and sat on the tree branch.

    Dante and Shallots were picking off lizards one by one. Shallot would wound any lizards that dare to be brave enough to charge at them by shooting them in the limbs. Dante would finish them off with a swift arrow to the head. They were very efficient in what they were doing but it was slow.

    Soon the lizards dwindle down to only sixteen left. They were becoming desperate and starting to become more reckless with their attacks.

    Dante and Shallot was starting to seem fatigued. It was time for Crule to act.

    [Crule]: Let’s finish this.

    He of course used his signature move. With a wave of his hand, the ground underneath the remaining lizards darkened. This time instead of tendrils dragging his enemies into the depths unknown, sharp spikes suddenly shot out of the shadows impaling the lizards, even severing some in half. The blood flowed from the corpses into the barrier around the wagon and its color changed from that of a brick red into bright crimson.

    Ming gave Crule a thumbs up. Dante and Shallot stared in awe.

    [Dante]: It seems you got some tricks up your sleeve kid.

    [Crule]: Just a simple magic trick.

    [Dante]: Well, very few people know actual magic. Most people just use the given class based skill or to boost physical strength or agility.

    [Shallot]: Mistress is right, you two must be one of the few special ones.

    [Crule]: Special?

    [Dante]: Out of the hundreds of thousands of participants, around a thousand of them are gifted with the ability to use magic. They are rare, powerful, and someone to not be trifled with.

    [Ming]: Can we keep this a secret from Mr. Turf?

    [Dante]: Hahaha, if you meet your promise on that spar then sure!

    [Ming]: Good!

    The blood barrier retracted and went back into Ming’s blood bank.

    [Turf]: Is it over?

    Turf popped his head over the edge to see the dried husk of lizards littering the floor.

    [Turf]: Wow, you guys are awesome!

    He excitedly jumped off the wagon.

    Noticing the injured Gumb, his expression changed.

    [Turf]: Oh…help me carry him into the back of the wagon to rest. Base on his health bar, he should be fully healed by tomorrow morning.

    His tone was very serious, a more business leader type suddenly replace his whimsical personality. It was like a switch flipped.

    [Turf]: I take my employee’s health very seriously. But what makes me wonder about this incident is normally this large amount of monsters attacking at once is unheard of. What could have triggered it?

    Crule scanned around the wagon with Ming. Dante and Shallot was helping the unconscious Gumb into the back of the wagon.

    Suddenly, Crule noticed an arrow sticking out of the wood paneling on the wagon.

    [Crule]: This wasn’t here last night, this might be the cause.

    He shows the arrow to everyone else.

    On it was a red fletching.

    [Turf]: This should be an arrow that is mass sold in the town we were just in…but something seems off about it.

    Dante took the arrow and gave it a whiff.

    [Dante]: It has a…strange smell.

    Crule took it back and smelled it as well.

    [Crule]: This…I think it might be lizard pheromones.

    [Dante]: Why would someone deliberately do this?

    [Crule]: It might be just a test. But it’s interesting since both you guys and we didn’t notice when the arrow hit the wagon. Perhaps they waited until we got away. This may mean that their target is the cargo instead of its personnel. Something along the lines of making it look like an accident.

    [Dante]: Haha! Whoever did this vastly underestimated out strength.

    [Crule]: It would seem so…

    Crule couldn’t help but think back to the stares he got back in the guild hall.

    He walked over and whispered something to Ming.

    [Crule]: Make a few blood sentries to follow us from behind. Kill all who dares to close.

    Ming nodded in agreement.

    [Crule]: These fools think they can stop us? Hahaha…
     
  7. Minaku

    Minaku Writer

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    Chapter 107: Lord of the forest.
    The wagon continue along the path. Crule and Ming remained vigil in front of the wagon next to Turf. Dante and Shallot was in the back protecting Gumb.

    After Crule stored the corpses of the lizards, no one asked any questions and continue on their journey silently. The tension could be felt in the air around them.

    Turf was scared as his eyes darted left and right.

    Nothing else happened as the suns were close to setting.

    [Crule]: We should make camp.

    Turf snapped out of his paranoia and nodded.

    The wagon grind to a halt. Crule and Ming jumped off the wagon to survey the surroundings. Turf started to make a camp fire while Shallot set up the tents. Gumb was still unconscious and was looked after by Dante.

    A couple minutes later, Crule and Ming emerged from the trees shaking their heads. It seems there were no enemies within the vicinity. Turf breathed a sigh a relief.

    Dinner was served in a pot and the spicy soup warmed everyone up from the chilly forest breeze. They saved some for Gumb who should be waking up in the morning.

    Crule looked out into the darkness of the night.

    [Crule]: I see…

    He whispered to himself as he hopped back onto the top of the wagon and went into meditation.

    ______

    In a large tent made from rough olive green tarp, were six men looking down on a table dimly lit by a candle.

    It was already dark outside but the men did not sleep. Suddenly a seventh man walked into the tent.

    [Man 1]: How did it go?

    [Entering Man]: The lizards are all dead.

    [Man 2]: All of them? Did they suffer any casualties?

    [Entering Man]: Only the big guy called Gumb. He suffered a serious wound.

    [Man 3]: I see, it seems we have injured their tank.

    [Man 4]: How are you so sure that big guy was their tank?

    [Man 3]: Doesn’t it seem fitting? The guy looks like he can take a punch.

    [Entering Man]: From what I have seen, the man named Gumb is very sturdy. He manage to hold off two dozen lizards by himself although suffering a major wound.

    [Man 3]: See! He was the tank. I’m guessing that woman was a support and the lanky looking man was a magician?

    [Entering Man]: Close. The woman named Dante is skilled at archery. The thin man called Shallot is skilled with firearms.

    [Man 3]: Oh?

    [Man 1]: So that team consist of one tank and two ranged dps?

    [Entering Man]: Indeed.

    The five men were discussing Dante’s group when suddenly the remaining two men spoke up.

    [Man 5]: What about the two kids we saw today at the guild hall? The so called “bronze ranks”?

    [Man 6]: They seemed out of the ordinary…

    [Entering Man]: For certain reasons I couldn’t see them. After I saw enough, I tried to retrieve the arrow from the wagon but the kid spotted me, so I ran. Honestly the look in the kid’s eyes were frightening.

    [Man 5]: So they are a threat?

    [Man 6]: I would seem so.

    [Man 1]: Hey don’t worry about it! There’s seven of us and only five of them.

    [Man 2]: We just have to weaken them first!

    [Man 3]: Yea! If two dozen lizard isn’t enough, then let’s send the king after them!

    [Man 4]: We should act soon.

    [Entering Man]: Shall I make the preparations?

    [Man 5]: Fine, we will do this in two days.

    [Man 6]: Record it as to show our might. The Stupendous seven against five bronze rank adventurers!

    The seven men smiled and cheered over their cup of alcohol.

    ______

    Crule opened his eyes.

    [Crule]: So that’s who was after us.

    The tracer he planted on the man who entered the tent allowed him to hear the entire conversation.

    [Crule]: King of the forest huh? Should be a fun challenge.

    Ming walked over to Crule.

    [Ming]: So what will we do?

    [Crule]: What we always do, perform.

    Ming smiled in agreement.

    [Ming]: Shall we make it flashy?

    [Crule]: As much as possible.

    ______

    The next day was uneventful as they continued on their journey with much alertness. Gumb finally woke up in the morning and with a muffled thank you, drank the spicy soup from last night. He had almost recovered fully as his arm has healed. Only muscle fatigue remains from the day’s fight.

    [Dante]: Feeling better?

    [Gumb]: Yes mistress.

    [Shallot]: Good to see you still alive and kicking!

    [Gumb]: Yes, the nanodes really work their magic. My physical wounds have all recovered.

    [Dante]: Amazing to see what advanced technology can do!

    Gumb rotated his arm to show it’s in perfectly working order.

    Crule walked up to the three.

    He nodded to Gumb and Gumb nodded back.

    [Crule]: Ready to start?

    [Dante]: You know it. It’s finally nice to have some action on this journey.

    Dante tilted her head upwards and laughed heartily.

    Crule only smiled and walked away slowly.

    The wagon rocked up and down as the road has become bumpier. Large boulders lined the side of the road and most of them looked like they have been smashed or moved. The moss had already started to reclaim the surface of the broken rocks.

    The trees hang over the side of the road looked willow trees with their gracefully swaying branches.

    The sound of avian creatures screeching in the skies above them. It was very peaceful. Even Turf who was on high alert early in the morning started to calm down. Crule knew today was going to be an uneventful day.

    But tomorrow, that’s when the show starts.

    Suddenly, Crule could feel a change in the atmosphere. It was similar to when he established his eighth gate. He looked toward Ming to see her shining brighter than the noon suns.

    He opened his mouth in astonishment and happiness.

    [Crule]: Have you finally done it?

    [Ming]: Yep! My eighth gate has been established. I can feel the primordial energies and how it affects everything around it.

    [Crule]: Great! Tomorrow you can give us a demonstration as well as showing off.

    [Ming]: As an actress performing tomorrow, I shall play my role with grace and elegance.

    The two chuckled to themselves while speaking to each other. Turf didn’t hear a thing that went between them but Dante, Shallot and Gumb heard the laughing.

    [Dante]: Those two kids sure are creepy at times.

    [Shallot]: A-are you sure they aren’t ghosts?

    [Gumb]: They aren’t ghosts.

    Dante nearly face palmed at that comment.
     
  8. Minaku

    Minaku Writer

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    Chapter 108: Lights! Camera!
    The seven men stood on top the trees looking down at the giant sleeping lizard.

    [Man 1]: No matter how I look at it, it’s a dragon isn’t it?

    [Man 3]: No, no, I’m pretty sure it’s just a big lizard. Something about not having wings or fire breathe.

    [Man 4]: Are we really going into dragon classification?

    [Man 5]: Shhhh. We want to lure it, not fight it ourselves.

    One of the men gulped and jumped off the branch quietly. It was the man who was spying on Crule and the others on that day. Since he was the newest member He sneaked up to the sleeping lizard. Besides it was a pile of large eggs. He tipped toed closer and closer to the pile while keeping an eye on the lizard.

    The lizard’s loud breathing vibrated every bone in the man’s body. Sweat was dripping off the man’s face and he was biting his lip as to not let a sound escape from his mouth. Step by step he inched closer and closer. The other six men hiding in the trees were awaiting with baited breath.

    But sadly, the man wasn’t so lucky today. He slipped on a fragment of an eggshell that was still covered in embryonic fluid and fell.

    Face first.

    Into an egg.

    The egg shattered with the sound of a thousand windows.

    The man could feel his life flashing before his eyes. The six men on the trees nearly pissed their pants.

    He was covered in goo from the broken egg and he was slipping trying to get up. The lizard opened one eye and its serpentine tongue lashed out like a snake with a vengeance. It wrapped around the ankles of the fallen man and he vanished into the maws of the lizard. The lizard fully awoken realizing what its tasty snack has done. It looked at the broken egg then back up at the trees. It could feel the presence of six intruders.

    It was going to take out its anger on them.

    [Man 1]: Shit, we have to run!

    [Man 5]: Lure it to the wagon, we can still do this!

    [Man 2]: Shit…we have to rename ourselves now…

    [Man 3]: How about the Savage Six?

    [Man 4]: I like it!

    [Man 6]: MOVE NOW!

    The six shadows dashed away as the giant lizard followed.

    ______

    Crule could sense it.

    He warned everyone immediately.

    [Crule]: Something is heading this way, and it’s big.

    Turf’s face paled. He quickly stopped the wagon and jumped off. Dante, Shallot and Gumb leaped from the back in battle formations. Turf scuttled into the wagon like a scared rabbit.

    The vibrations in the air scared away all avian creatures. With each thud comes a feeling of pressure.

    Off in the distance, weaving between the trees were six men. They manage to just keep ahead of the giant lizard chasing them and were on course with the wagon that has now come to a stop.

    [Man 5]: Split up now. Hide and we will watch the battle. Wait for my signal, we will attack when they mess up.

    [Man 6]: I’ll stay behind and film.

    The man pulled from his pocket a large sheet crystal. By injected a small amount of energy into it, it flashes and the image before it appeared on the screen.

    Due to electronics not working in the wild, new things had to be developed that used an alternative power source. Since energy was so abundant, scientists wracked their mind to come up with the most simplest of things.

    The lizard pop out of the trees into the clearing were the road lies. It saw Crule and the others and only thought that his meal was getting bigger. Since Crule and Ming was hiding they aura well, the lizard had no idea who it was up against.

    Dante shouted out commands to attack and they set into action.

    The lizard was a good three times the size of the wagon. Trying to take on one of its physical attacks head on will result in serious damage. Gumb tried his best to keep in the blind spot of the lizard, constantly making the lizard try to turn its head to snack on him.

    Dante and Shallot took this chance to pull out their signature weapons, the bow and the dual pistols. Arrows and bullets rained upon the lizard but its scales were far tougher than its smaller brethren. The arrow head barely pieced half an inch into its near metallic scales while the bullets flattened on the skin like pancakes and exploded out like a flower. It only left scorch wounds on the scale that seems harmless.

    Dante and Shallot was starting to worry. Gumb could barely keep the lizard focused on it and their weapons were not affecting the monster.

    [Dante]: Shit, I didn’t want to use this…

    [Shallot]: We have to.

    Dante finally started using her energy and aura instead of just her enhanced physical strength.

    A cyan blue flame encased her bow and arrows. It consumed the wooden bow leaving behind a bow made of pure flame. The arrows too turn into projectiles of bright cyan flames.

    [Dante]: I lose more bows and arrows this way…

    She sighed and took aim at the lizard who was spinning around trying to get Gumb. Gumb was quite agile despite his large build. He kept to either the left or right of the lizard without getting in the way of its head or tail. The lizard’s limbs were too short to be used as weapons other than stomping. He just dodges and punches but those punches really doesn’t do anything but annoy the lizard further.

    The arrow in Dante’s bow started to glow even brighter as she closes one of her eyes. Her remaining open eye’s pupil changed into that of a crosshair. It seems her aura is applying a film in front of her eye allowing accurate shooting. With a gentle demeanor, Dante let go of the arrow.

    The sailed at blinding speeds straight at the lizard. It looked like a beam of laser instead of a flaming arrow due to its speed and the trail of fire it left behind it. The sound of a screeching bird followed soon after. It slammed into the lizard’s side spot on. The area of impact was immediately engulfed in a sea of cyan fire.

    Dante looked very tired as the flame vanishes from her hands. She was on her knees panting for air. It seems it took a lot of energy out of her to use it once. Shallot helped her back up on her feet and they watched the blaze burn. Gumb backed away from the ball of fire slowly.

    Suddenly, from the inferno, a scaled lance shot out and stabbed Gumb in the thigh.

    [Gumb]: Gahhh!!

    The tail retracted leaving a sizable hole in Gumb’s thighs. You could see through to the other side. The bone was shattered and the flesh was torn asunder. Gumb collapsed on the floor in pain, shouting at the top of his lungs.

    [Gumb]: GAHHHHHH!!

    [Dante]: Shit, it’s still alive. We got to get Gumb back here.

    The lizard’s head emerged from the blaze seemingly unharmed.

    [Shallot]: Oh crap, it’s not even hurt at all.

    The six men in the tree watched with glee as one has fallen.

    [Man 1]: Should we strike soon?

    [Man 2]: Not yet. Let them weaken the lizard some more.

    [Man 3]: Yes, we might as well let them do the hard part for us. The magic of editing will allow us to be famous with this video.

    The sheet crystal was still recording the battle. At the moment, it looked futile.

    Suddenly, the crystal focused on Ming.

    Her signature smile graced the recording as from underneath her feet, a pool of crimson red blood flowed freely like a broken hydrant.

    [Ming]: Scene 1: The beautiful maiden saves the day.

    [Crule]: Break a leg.

    Ming rose off the ground carried by a red crystal plate made of solidified blood.

    The lizard noticed the sudden change in energy and faced Ming.

    The battle was about to get real.
     
  9. Minaku

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    Chapter 109: Action!
    Everyone stared at the majestic yet vile looking plate of blood Ming was standing on. Many felt not only fear but also reverence upon laying eyes on the crystalized crimson contraption.

    The six men in the trees opened their mouth in awe. They forgot that they were still recording and couldn’t take their eyes off the beauty before them.

    The lizard was feeling an extreme amount of pressure. It originally though these few humans would be a quick snack before finding the actual destroyers of one of her eggs.

    It felt regret that she didn’t run while she had the chance to, and now it may be too late.

    The lizard then understood that this maybe its final moments. It has to fight for its life to survive.

    The realization caused the lizard to throw all caution to the wind and instead became incredibly enraged.

    Dante and the others stare in fear. The lizard was no longer engulfed in flames after a rapid whip of its tail, a powerful gust eradicated Dante’s cyan flames. It completely ignored the unconscious Gumb nearby as well as Dante and Shallot. The rushed toward Ming with blinding speeds equivalent to that of a speeding vehicle.

    Ming only smirked and lifted up her arms. Like a command from the queen of oblivion, a sizable lake of blood gushed from under her crystalized platform and flowed toward the lizard like a tidal wave of death. Like soldiers who worships a queen, the tidal wave crashed into the lizard stopping its rapid advances.

    With a twist of her fingers, the tidal wave transformed into a bowl shaped arena with the lizard trapped inside trying to crawl out. From the other’s point of view on the ground, no one could actually see what was happening inside the bowl but from the trees where the six were still recording, everything that happened inside was crystal clear.

    Like a mosh pit of death, countless weapons made from blood emerged from the inner walls of the bowl and continue to fly toward the lizard. It was basically a powerful blending as the spears, knifes, swords, and axes flew from one side of the bowl to the other ignoring all that happens to resides in between. The lizard was hacked left and right, up and down, soon leaving barely any spot that was not maimed.

    Dante and the others could not see the true brutality but could hear the cries of death as the lizard struggle the best it could.

    The six men in the trees however, practically pissed their pants. Nothing in the world could have prepared them for such a show.

    But Ming knew. People enjoyed carnage. They enjoyed seeing the pain of something that they didn’t have to sympathize with. Like the roman colosseums, spectators enjoy a good show. The death of such a powerful beast only brings enjoyment.

    By sending fear into the hearts of the six men, she also guaranteed that they would release the video. It was the kind of feeling of wanting to tape a natural disaster in the process. They want others to hear their epic tale of how they manage to survive.

    Not even a minute have passed and the cries of the lizard resounded in the skies no more.

    The men hid in the trees were covered in a cold sweat and all of them could feel a shiver go down their spine.

    [Man 1]: T-these are people we shouldn’t mess with.

    [Man 2]: Shit, shit, shit, what if they find out we did this?

    [Man 3]: Nononono this can’t be.

    The men whispered back and forth between each other.

    [Man 6]: We have to run. NOW.

    The men quickly ran away with “baggages” in their pants.

    Crule smiled. He had heard and seen it all.

    [Crule]: Good, good, just as I expected.

    Ming put down her arm, releasing the blood bowl. The tidal wave of blood seemed to have grown larger as it retreated back to Ming’s crystal disk.

    The lizard’s corpse was now pale. Its entire body was covered in wounds that lead from one side to another. It was impaled completely and all of its internal organs were eviscerated. It was a brutal sight to behold.

    But Dante and the others were not shocked.

    [Dante]: Haha! Good job! Serves that stupid creature right!

    Dante was elated. She always enjoy someone who more brutal if not more than her. She walked up to Ming who hopped off her disk and gave her a pat on her back.

    [Dante]: Nice going! We were really in a pinch there. Thanks for the help!

    [Ming]: If I had helped sooner, you wouldn’t have lost another bow.

    [Dante]: No problem! I know that flashy of a spell must have taken some time to prepare!

    Ming only smiled back without answering. Dante took this as a sign of being humble.

    [Dante]: You two really do bring all sorts of surprises! Heck, we no longer have to fear anything without these outer regions!

    Shallot and the now conscious Gumb nodded.

    The wagon door opened and a shivering Turf slowly dragged himself out.

    [Turf]: I-is it o-over?

    [Crule]: It’s done.

    Turf recovered his spirit instantly and ran toward the lizard corpse.

    He kicked it a few times and with a satisfied sigh, turned toward Crule and the others.

    [Turf]: We can sell this lizard corpse!

    At the sight of a profit, Turf never turns down a chance.

    The others laughed as they started setting up camp around the corpses. Thanks to Ming’s blood removal, the corpse didn’t need draining and was ready to process. Not only that, there was no smell that could attract other beasts. Not that they were afraid of the beasts in the forest anymore.

    The most prized part of this lizard was its tail. The Division Lizard’s prize possession and the object that gives it its name. The tail regrows infinitely when the lizard was alive. The divides again and again and again. The lizard itself even uses its own tail as a source of food during hard times. Many wonder how it could sustain itself using its own tail as the energy required to grow the tail back probably is equivalent of how much energy the tail gives. But scientists could never figure it out.

    Even in death, the tail still retains a few of its amazing properties. Although it doesn’t regrow infinitely, it still can provide an entire village with enough food for a year. Having so many new settlements in the Wild requiring large amount of food, it was hard to get food across the dangerous lands. It was even more dangerous to hunt food in some regions. So having a food source like the division lizard’s tail was god send.

    Of course, they had to sample the product first. That night over a camp fire, Crule made lizard tail kebabs.

    The savory flavor renewed everyone’s spirits and readied them for the continuation of their journey. The forest will soon end and the next area will not be so kind.
     
  10. Minaku

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    Chapter 110: The town of Janus.
    The remainder of the trip through the forest was quiet and peaceful. Dante and her group took the chance to recover from their injuries sustained from the lizard. It didn’t take them long. They were a sturdy group.

    The road started becoming more and more rugged. The wagon even had a few close calls with the boulders sticking out of the ground. The wagon stopped on a cliff. The greenery ends there as a sharp sheer drop down.

    From the top of the hill, one could see the city of Janus. The medium sized city was still huge in comparison to the cities on earth. Due to the actual size of the cities in Noxia being the size of small planets, anything smaller than the main seven islands are considered small or medium sized cities. Janus still covered a large area of a hundred thousand square miles.

    Looking down at the walled citadel the size of a celestial body lying on the bottom of the valley surrounded by the mountains where the division forest loomed, one could feel the power of the sword shaped city. As if a powerful titan had fallen down from the heavens and dropped his sword on the ground creating the valley.

    From the distance, one could see faint traces of sweltering yellow sand that marks the beginning of the Sangrias desert.

    After admiring the view, the wagon continued on its journey. A complex winding road system leading down the side of the cliff led the way to the outskirts of the city of Janus.

    The city of Janus had a long history. It was created long before the games even began. It was one of the few rare cities of warriors and mages that lie deep in the Wild. The residents of Janus had reverted to a near medieval life style due to electricity not working. But this didn’t stop many companies from trying to reach Janus to trade. It was the journey originally was extremely difficult. After the games began and the road between Noxia and Janus had been built, trade blossomed. Janus was now a major city in the Wild, a hub of trader, merchants, adventurers, and mercenaries.

    The outskirts were mostly farmlands. To feed a city of such a large size, farms were a necessity. But the farmers were no ordinary plebian. Rather these farmers are the life blood of the city of Janus. Not only do they farm, they also are the first line of defense against the beasts of the Wild.

    Most of the farmers had been training in the warrior arts by their fathers and fathers’ father. Their long lineage of martial arts ensure they all have strong able bodies and capability to defend against the monsters. Each one of them could use energy far better than any of the newer game participants. In comparison, most of them could be considered around lvl 40.

    The wagon went its merry way past the fields of grain, tubers, leafy greens, and various other edible plants. There were even fruit orchards. The farm land covered around seventy percent of the valley. The remaining thirty percent was the actual walled city of Janus.

    The wagon drove for several hours until the suns had almost fallen below the horizon. Upon reaching the gate, a long line of various wagons and groups of people could be seen.

    [Turf]: This may take a while. They have to check each and every person who enters the city.

    The others nodded. If one person were to bring something extremely dangerous into the city from the Wild, the entire population could be placed in jeopardy. They border security had to be thorough.

    Crule and the others didn’t get their turn until the sun had already set. By the looks of it, it was already around nine in the evening.

    The wagon stopped by four well armored men at the gate.

    [Guard 1]: Purpose of visit?

    The first guard started asking questions while two of the guards opened the back of the wagon to inspect the goods. The last guard as on standby incase an emergency happened they had need someone to send a message fast.

    [Turf]: Trade and merch.

    [Guard 1]: Number of people total?

    [Turf]: Six.

    The guard counted everyone quickly and again turned to Turf to ask more questions. The whole process took around fifteen minutes. The goods were carefully inspected as well as the wagon. Every nook and cranny was checked.

    [Guard 2+3]: All clear.

    The guard asked his last few questions and handed Turf six wrist bands.

    [Guard 1]: These wrist bands are your entry permit. Upon leaving, please return them or you will face a hefty fine.

    Turf grabbed the bands and handed one to each person.

    [Guard 1]: Have a nice stay at Janus.

    The guard’s expression turned a full 360 after the inspection finished. A strong smile beamed from his face. By the looks of it, their wagon was the last one in his shift before the night guards take over.

    Everyone hopped back on the wagon and entered the black wooden gates. Upon entering, they arrived at a large square paved with cobblestone. Road signs were dimly lit by various luminescent ores and oil lamps. Although it was already late in the evening, quite a few number of people still roam the streets. The snack vendors were still opened and trade was still bustling.

    The wagon ignored everything and arrived at a loud crowded inn. The name of the inn was Dwarven Delight. It was a large structure made of strong chiseled stone and treated wood. It was a staggering height for a building made of stone and wood. It looks to be nearly eight stories tall.

    Crule and Ming cringed at the name of the inn. Dante found it amusing.

    Turf hopped of the wagon giddily and ran to the front counter.

    At the front counter was a middle aged woman sitting on a stool behind the counter, knitting what looks to be a scarf.

    Looking up at her newest customer, a large smiled slowly formed on her face. She immediately threw away what she was working on and jumped over the counter to hug Turf.

    [Turf]: Hey, hey, easy there.

    [Woman]: Hahaha long time no see brother!

    Crule and the others were shocked. So they were related.

    [Turf]: Long time no see Gardenia. I’m finally back.

    [Crule]: Ah I see. So you were actually a resident of Janus.

    [Turf]: Yep, born and raised in the grand citadel of Janus. Oh right, let me introduce everyone.

    He turned around to Crule and the others.

    [Turf]: Sis, these are my trusty adventurers. They ensured I had a safe trip back from Noxia.

    [Gardenia]: Thanks for taking care of my cowardly brother.

    She bowed gracefully.

    [Dante]: Haha, no problem!

    Dante lifted her head up in superiority and laughed heartily. Gardenia wasn’t bothered by her haughty personality but instead smiled.

    [Gardenia]: So I’m guessing you guys are all staying here for the time being?

    [Turf]: You know! My old room please!

    [Gardenia]: Its always waiting for you dear brother.

    Suddenly, the door to the inner area opened up and a large man walked out.

    He was holding a bottle of alcohol and was obviously near the point of being drunk.

    His bald head reflected the light from the ceiling lamp making his face far more defined than anyone else. His mighty beard loomed over his chest like a fur coat stapled onto his chin.

    The man saw Turf and immediately became happy.

    [Man]: Brother-in-law! You’re back! GREAT!!! Let’s celebrate!

    [Gardenia]: Please honey, let them settle down first.

    [Man]: Hahaha! Alright! I’ll be waiting in the dining hall for you guys!

    The man returned to the laughter in the other room.

    [Crule]: Was that your husband miss?

    Crule asked Gardenia.

    [Turf]: Yep, that’s her husband Turnip.

    Ming couldn’t help but laugh through her fingers at the name. She tried her best to hold it in. It was a good thing Crule was there to block the sound.

    [Crule]: What a….”interesting” name…

    [Turf]: Most of us who were born in Janus have names that come from nature.

    [Dante]: Haha, that explains a lot!

    Gardenia grabbed six room keys and handed them to the party.

    [Gardenia]: Your rooms are on the sixth floor.

    [Turf]: Let’s hurry and get ready for dinner! Knowing my brother-in-law, if we don’t show up, he will come to us.

    The wagon was safely parked besides the inn in a safe area and their luggage were taken out. They hurried to the room to prepare for the festivities.
     
  11. Minaku

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    Chapter 111: The insanity race.
    A couple minutes later, everyone went back downstairs and met up at the lobby. The grimes of travel have all been washed away and signs of fatigue slowly fades from their face.

    They pushed open the door leading to the dining area of the inn and was shocked. There were nearly a hundred people chatting about, laughing, drinking, and eating their merry way into the night.

    [Turnip]: HEY! OVER HERE!

    He yelled across the room while waving his flask of beer.

    Everyone carefully walked over as to not disturb the merriment of the other restaurant customers. They plopped down at the table where Turnip and five other people were sitting. The table was now fully packed with twelve people.

    [Turnip]: Let me introduce you to my crew.

    He pointed at the other men and women one by one.

    [Turnip]: This here is my first mate, Radish.

    [Radish]: How’s y’all doing?

    Radish was a tall burley man. He was nearly as tall as turnip and towered over most people in the room. If he wasn’t sitting down, he would certainly be a behemoth. His pale brown hair was short to the point where one could see his scalp. His tanned bronze skin shows how often he spends his time outside under the twin suns. Radish had a wide smile on his face, a smile that one can get used to.

    [Turnip]: This man here, is my main deckhand, Spud.

    [Spud]: Pleasure to meet you all.

    Spud was a rather average fellow. His height was around middle of five foot and his dark brown hair makes him look very average yet rustic. His skin was a tanned brown similar to Radish. Across his chin was a scar that seems old and faded but never the less, it makes his facial features seem more masculine. He too had a gentle smile.

    [Turnip]: This here is our resident chef, Scallion.

    [Scallion]: Hey guys.

    Scallion was a woman who looked around her later twenties or early thirties. Her black hair made her facial features more profound. Her skin was pale but not to the sickly point. Her eyes were bronze colored and seem to have a gentle gaze similar to that of a mother. Her height was around the same as Spud and under her left eye was a beauty mark.

    [Turnip]: And the last two here are my Cannon maestros, Taro and Carrot.

    Taro looked at them silently with a depressed glazed look. It seems he had drunken far too much and was trying to forget something. His lavender hair seemed to turn into purple under the dim lights of the oil lamps. On his face were soot marks and his hands had some burn scars on them.

    He finally looked up at everyone and with a sigh said hello.

    Carrot was beside him trying to cheer him up. Carrot was a young fellow who looks to be in his mid-teens. His youthful face shows concern for the melancholy Taro and was trying his hardest to cheer him up. He turned around to face everyone and cheerfully greeted them.

    [Carrot]: Hi everyone!

    Crule immediately had a question to ask Turnip.

    [Crule]: By the sounds of it you guys have a ship.

    [Turnip]: Yep! But it isn’t your average ocean vessel. Rather it’s a sand ship. The best kind of vehicle to traverse the Sangrias sand sea.

    [Crule]: Oh ho ho, a sand ship? How does that work?

    [Turnip]: I will gladly show you my magnificent vessel tomorrow. Tonight, we party!

    Turf was handed a large beer flask. He chugged it down and slammed it on the table with a satisfying sigh.

    [Turf]: Good to see you all again!

    [Scallion]: How was your visit to the mainland?

    [Turf]: It was a culture shock for sure. I know we have been taught that there were insane technologies outside of the Wild where electricity works but to see it truly for yourself is another thing all together.

    [Radish]: Ah, sounds amazing. I want to visit someday.

    [Turf]: I might be able to take you on my next trade trip!

    [Radish]: Hahaha, you better promise!

    [Turnip]: So brother-in-law. Are you participating in this year’s grand race?

    [Turf]: Oh shoot, I nearly forgot about that…I suppose I can but I have to ask my escorts first.

    [Dante]: A race you say? I never turn down a friendly competition but I need to know what this race is about?

    [Turf]: It’s a big race that occurs once every three years.

    [Turnip]: It’s a race across the Sangrias sand sea and back. It traverses along nearly half the desert. It’s a lengthy race that takes up to a week long. It’s also a dangerous race as the monsters of the Sangrias sand sea are no laughing matter. But the prize for winning entices far too many people.

    [Turf]: I heard this year since the games opened, participants includes those participating in the games. Thus the competition is fierce and HUGE. A few hundred people are participating.

    [Dante]: Sounds like a challenge I want to take on!

    [Crule]: What are the rules?

    [Turnip]: A maximum of six people a team. You’re allow your personal vehicle. The first to cross the finish line wins. The only rule is no murder allowed. Everything else is legal.

    [Crule]: Including sabotage?

    [Turnip]: Hahaha, if you were dumb enough to fall for it yes. Yes it is.

    [Crule]: Now that’s my kind of race. We aren’t in a hurry anyways.

    [Ming]: *whispers to Crule* This is for fame as well huh?

    [Crule]: Since participants from the games are included, yes.

    [Ming]: I look forward to it.

    [Dante]: So we all agreed. We will participate.

    [Turf]: Great!

    [Turnip]: Wonderful! Brother-in-law, you old ship is still out back. It needs a few repairs but it’s still in sailing shape.

    [Turf]: Thanks for taking care of it while I was gone.

    [Turnip]: No problem!

    The two shared another flask of beer.

    ______

    The night really kicked off as the food finally arrived.

    The first dish was a cold vegetable. Most were chopped carrots, radishes, and turnips that has been washed in cold water, and placed in a vinaigrette. Boiled peanuts were also served as well as salted green soy beans.

    When the dishes were nearly finished, the next course came. A boiled green leafy vegetable with clear onions and watercress. One can taste the chicken broth used to boil the vegetable. It had an oily yet refreshing taste.

    The next dish was salted preserved fish stir fried with white cabbage. Chili peppers were added to give the dish a vibrant mix of colors. Between the brown and black, were flakes of red and white.

    The two dishes were finished off rapidly.

    The dish that followed was beef meatballs served with a fennel filling. It had a strong savory flavor that washed away everything else that came before it. It was also quite filling and worked well with the rice they were given.

    To clear the pallet for the next few dishes, a refreshing soup made with winter melon, radish, and cilantro. Dried shrimp was included in the soup as well tying all the cleansing flavor together.

    The next dish was a large boiling river carp. It was served with a soy sauce and sesame oil blend. The delicious white meat of the carp falls apart like tasted like heaven when dipped in the sauce.

    For those who didn’t like fish, another dish was served. It was roasted lizard tail. It was slowly roasted over a fire light by a strong smoking wood. Cumin, salt, pepper, coriander, and many other spices was sprinkled on over the roasting process. It was prepared the same way lamb kebabs were made.

    The lizard tails had the chewy consistency of ox tail but due to certain spices and the time it roasted, the meat was practically falling off the bone. It was an overpowering delicious dish that didn’t lose out to the fish.

    In the end everyone was satisfied. Dessert was a large assortment of chopped up fruit. Can never have too much fruit when living in a valley near a large desert.

    That night, everyone finally slept on a bed and their fatigue fully washed away. Tomorrow is a new day.
     
  12. Minaku

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    Arc 9 Epilogue.
    Deep at the center of the Wild was a natural castle created by the stones of a mountain. Within its halls was a dark room lit dimly by six jewels embedded in the walls. Each of the gems glowed a different color creating a collage of colors in the center of the room. In the room sat six figures. None of them looked truly human. They all had a beastly figure to them.

    [Snake-woman]: Those humans broke our ancestor’s pact. We have to retaliate!

    [Bear-man]: Patience Meddy, their time will soon come.

    [Tiger-man]: Has anyone seen Leon lately? He does have the final say in all our decisions.

    [Bird-man]: He may be the king, but this is the council of monsters. We as the first original creatures of this planet has our right to own and live. We are not just fodder for these invaders.

    [Fish-woman]: That’s right! Our ancestors conquered the planet with their power and separated the land equally among them. What gives the rights for those humans to just come and take our land?!

    [Bear-man]: Everyone calm down. There must be a reason to their treachery.

    [Voice]: Of course there is.

    The sixth being walked into the room.

    He had the head of a lion, but something was immediately different about him compare to the other five.

    [Tiger-man]: What?! Who are you and what have you done to Leon!

    Chaos laughed.

    [Chaos]: Leon is no more. I have taken his place as king.

    [Tiger-man]: You bastard!

    The tiger-man pounced on chaos with his claws extended aiming for the neck. Chaos only smirked and with a powerful aura immediately knocked the tiger-man onto the ground with sheer gravity.

    [Tiger-man]: S-such…p-p-power.

    The tiger-man could barely talk as his internal organs were faced with the crushing pressure of Chaos’s aura.

    [Bear-man]: You…what is your purpose?

    [Chaos]: The same as everyone else here. The eradication of the plague known as humans.

    The snake-woman smiled and walked toward Chaos. She put her hand on his shoulder seductively.

    [Snake-woman]: My oh my, I do like this Leon better than our old one.

    [Tiger-man]: Y-you w-whore!

    The tiger-man was still being pressed by Chaos’s aura. Rips in the fabric of space started tearing open around him. If any of those had gotten close enough to him, it would rip his apart.

    [Bear-man]: Enough. Let him go.

    [Chaos]: Deem me as your King and I shall.

    [Bear-man]: Fine…you are our king and forever will.

    [Chaos]: Good.

    The aura was lifted and the tiger-man passed out.

    [Chaos]: Now then. About the reason why humans have broken the centuries long pact.

    [Fish-woman]: Go on.

    [Chaos]: They have forgotten the kindness and mercy of our ancestors. They tread upon the Wild as if they own the whole planet. Those naïve humans will be the death of this planet like their original home world. Their war-like nature and hubris will doom us all. Unless we stop them.

    [Bird-man]: So you’re saying we shall wage war?

    [Chaos]: No, not way. A massacre. A genocide. We as superior species shall bring down those humans and take our rightful place as rulers of the planet.

    [Bear-man]: And how do you suppose we do that?

    [Chaos]: I will tell you…

    The meeting continued in the dark room.

    Hours later in one of the cave-rooms.

    [Chaos]: Foolish beasts. So easy to trust those who pretend to share a similar interesting. It seems the body I have taken over this time is very special.

    The gestalt lion was no longer a suitable host for Chaos as he recovered. He swallowed a larger prey, slowly working up to the point where he finally got his hands on a power figure in the beast’s community.

    [Chaos]: Once I get rid of the most annoying thorn by my side, I shall rid myself of these pesky animals as well.

    Chaos smiled and laughed maniacally into the air.

    [Chaos]: That pawn Grimly really is doing everything I told him to do. Even if the visit from that old Sage bastard was unexpected, everything is accordingly to my grand scheme.

    Chaos played with his new retractable claws.

    [Chaos]: Soon, this world shall fall and I shall finally be free…

    ______

    [Bear-man]: I still don’t trust him.

    [Tiger-man]: M-me too.

    [Bear-man]: Your injuries are that severe?

    [Tiger-man]: It may take a couple days to fully heal. His power is extraordinary. Even if we don’t trust him, we don’t have the power to do anything about it.

    [Bear-man]: True…Perhaps only our slumbering ancestor can move that menace…But we cannot wake them. Not when we have a chance to fix this problem ourselves.

    [Tiger-man]: But how?

    [Bear-man]: I can sense the being in Leon’s body is injured. Which mean he isn’t at full strength yet.

    [Tiger-man]: Heavens, just how powerful is he if his injured state is already so strong?!

    [Bear-man]: You’re not getting the clue. SOMEONE or SOMETHING must have injured that powerful being to such a state. If we can find them or it, we will have a fighting chance.

    [Tiger-man]: But how?

    [Bear-man]: We must be secretive about it. But we must send our men out there to find it.

    [Tiger-man]: And what if we don’t find it?

    [Bear-man]: Then we will have no choice left but to awaken the ancestors…

    [Tiger-man]: *sigh* I don’t want to imagine the rage we will face once they have awoken.

    ______

    [Fish-woman]: Do you trust him?

    [Snake-woman]: Not even a bit. But with powers strong enough to completely neutralize Tige, we have no choice but to submit for now. But knowing Bear, he will have a plan for this.

    [Fish-woman]: *sigh* It seems trouble really do come in pairs.

    [Snake-woman]: Tell me about it…

    ______

    [Grimly]: Everything is going according to plans. The next step…The grand tournament…

    [James]: Things are almost ready sir.

    [Grimly]: Good, good…

    Hanuman only stood there with a grim expression. He had to act soon or it would be too late.
     
  13. Minaku

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    Chapter 112: Turf’s vessel.
    The next day, Dante, Crule, and Ming followed Turf to see his parked vessel. Gumb and Shallot went out to resupply for the race. Food, water, and other supplies were needed for the week long competition.

    They reached a wooden boat with a wide hull. The boat was actually quite large. It was around thirty meters long and ten meters tall. The inside had two rooms and on the deck was enough space to stand. The bottom was two large metal blades that seem to dig right into the ground. It allows sleek and rapid movements through the desert. On the back was a large nose shaped rudder for steering.

    The whole vessel looked like a dark oak monstrosity. It was however, covered in a thin layer of dust and looked aged.

    [Turf]: Ah, my old vessel, how I missed you. I remember the days of my youth when I built this thing during my coming of age ceremony. The months I spent making it, the blood sweat and tears…

    Turf was reminiscing about the past. The others just look at the strange vehicle with slight amusement.

    [Dante]: How fast does it go?

    [Turf]: If the winds are in our favor, a good hundred twenty kilometers an hour.

    [Ming]: So this thing is wind powered? What if the winds are blowing in the opposite direction?

    [Turf]: Ah, that shouldn’t be possible. The time during which the race is held is special. A unique wind that blows a full circle across the Sangrias desert appears during this time of year. Every year, around the same time. This is why the race is held during that time.

    [Crule]: So it’s a seasonal wind?

    [Turf]: Indeed. Now, help me clean up my old baby.

    Large buckets of water and mops were brought over.

    [Dante]: Eh, if I knew there was going to be manual labor I would have just gotten Gumb to do it.

    [Crule]: No harm done. A good day of manual labor can keep the body healthy.

    Ming nodded.

    Wearing crude cotton cleaning uniforms, they began cleaning the wooden ship.

    ______

    Meanwhile, on top of cliff facing the City of Janus. A black vortex appeared out of nowhere. It slowly swirled for several minutes before suddenly speeding up and expanding. From the hole, a man walked out. His uniform was unlike anything seen in this world. A shining black overall with an olive green line running across it.

    On his face was a pair of sunglasses that occasionally flash red before coming to a complete stop.

    [Mysterious being]: So the anomaly is here…But it seems I am in a negative zone…my tools won’t work as well…

    The man look down at the pistol on his hip and the bangle he wore around his right wrist.

    [Mysterious being]: No matter, capture of the anomaly is no troubling matter without my tools.

    The man grumbled to himself before jumping off the cliff. He rapidly descended like a missile and hit the bottom with a veritable shockwave. He patted the dust from his uniform and continued walking toward Janus.

    ______

    The ship was starting to regain its former luster. Crule, Ming, and Dante was covered in dirtied water and sweat. The job was not finished, but now is the time for lunch.

    Gardenia brought over some sandwiches for everyone along with a cold refreshing glass of cider. She also brought along some cold wet towels. They gratefully accepted the towels and wiped the dirt and sweat off their face and hands.

    After lunch, the cleaning process was quickly finished. The suns were setting by then.

    Everyone cleaned up and had a good dinner. The race will be the day after tomorrow.

    ______

    The entire town of Janus was excited. More and more game participants appeared throughout the day. These participants were no beginners too. To be able to reach Janus, they either followed a trade caravan or had the strength to get there on their own. Most of them were in the mid-30s in lvl.

    Mix between them were some warriors and mages who decided to participate in the games too. They had no need for the nanodes and were fully capable of taking care of themselves. If they die, it’s their own inadequacy and they accept their fate. These warriors and mages had face years of trial by fire through hunts and adventures in the Wild.

    Soon, the number of teams participating in the race reach two hundred. Since many of them was in a hurry, the ship workshop had their hands full making new vessels left and right. None of them got a single wink of sleep in the past three days, continuously making new ships for the participants left and right. Some brought their own, some made their own, but most bought standard ones.

    The city was fully decorated for a festival. Streets stalls became more profound and numerable. The whole city was bustling with anticipation.

    ______

    Crule and the rest prepared everything for the race tomorrow. He didn’t seem to sense any disturbance these past few days. His cultivation was coming along nicely. He will soon establish his final gate. At times he was extremely thankful for his past self for gathering and saving so many things. His hoarder mentality actually paid off.

    Ming had been playing with her new pet on and off. Snuggles had been doing nothing but sleep and eat. Its adorableness really help it earn its keep.

    They spent the entire day in a carefree yet excited mood. The race was about to start soon. That evening, a filming crew from Metallurgy Inc. arrived. They set up an intricate filming setup. A flying drone that doesn’t seem to run on electricity flew up into the sky. Everything is saw was sent back to a large monitor that looked like a polished crystal. Several more drones was tested and almost all of them worked.

    The race will start tomorrow. That night, few people could sleep due to anticipation.

    All the ships lined up on the largest street in Janus. The street was covered in sand to allow the ships to move. Drones hovered left and right, recording everything as the ships and team come one by one. Soon the entire street was full and covered with ships. The audience on the sidelines cheered. A powerful warm wind was blowing through the street. None of the ships had their sail opened but if they were, they would be traveling at high speeds soon.

    Crule and the rest were wearing their battle-ready uniforms. Of course Crule and Ming always keep their living armors on standby.

    Their vessel shined sleek dark brown as its dark oak shined in the twin suns.

    The mayor walked up on the podium, gave a short speech and welcomed all the new participants. He thanked the film group and Metallurgy Inc.

    He pulled out from his pocket a red flare gun and aimed it up toward the air.

    [Mayor]: Ready? Set?! GOOOOOOOOO!

    He pulled the trigger and a stream of red smoke following a bright light flew up. The fireworks were set off and confetti rained from the sky.

    The ships opened their sails nearly all at the same time and the race was on.

    [Mayor]: May the wind guide you to victory!

    Everyone shouted the same thing. The race had begun.
     
  14. Minaku

    Minaku Writer

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    Chapter 113: An old Enemy.
    The sail of Turf’s ship opened with a large “floof”. On it was a large symbol of three tufts of grass. The wind immediately slam into the sail and the boat creaked along. Speed quickly picked up and they were brought to the front area of ships. The gates of the city flashed by them as they entered the outskirts. A long yellow lane of sand leading to the desert was laid out. Within the next few minutes, they have entered the desert. The powerful heat blasted the participants.

    The suns glared and flared above them. Most were wearing either a hat or sunglasses to protect their vision.

    On Turf’s ship, Crule, Ming, and Dante were in front of the ship standing on the deck. Turf was behind the steering wheel. Gumb was manning the cannons down below and Shallot was on standby to help with the cannon.

    Soon, the dangers of the race immediately presented themselves. Large lizard-like fishes pop out of the sand and was slamming into the sides of ships. Many of the participants were ready and was already fighting them back. Ming had already spread a spiked layer of blood across the hull. Dante was shooting arrows left and right. The arrows each found their mark in either the fish’s eyes or head. The fish falls back down onto the sand and were immediately devoured by its brethren. Hunger was a scaring thing and scarcity makes it even more frightening.

    The ravenous lizard-fish were a darker yellowish brown. Their jaws contain hundreds of sharp edged teeth.

    All of the fish who attacked from the front were taken care of by Dante. Crule covered the back of the ship and Ming impaled all the fish who tried to tackle the sides of the ship.

    The rest of the ships were holding their own. Most of the participants are no weaklings. This onslaught of fish-lizards are but minor nuisance which slow down their initial acceleration.

    Once they had reached a certain milestone, the strong desert wind picked up. Once the ships hit that mark, they all sped up substantially. It was smooth sailing from then on. The lizard-fish have gave up chasing as the pack of ship sped up beyond their swimming speed.

    [Dante]: Man, what a start to a race.

    [Turf]: Those fishes aren’t that dangerous really. However, they are extremely delicious.

    [Dante]: Oh really?

    [Turf]: They taste like nothing really, thus they go good with almost anything, like chicken.

    [Dante]: I see…

    [Crule]: Normally you seem scared of the monsters. Why are you so confident now?

    [Turf]: I’m not sure. I think it has something to do with my ship. I feel extremely secure on it and my courage gains a boost.

    [Crule]: A feeling of home field advantage huh.

    Turf’s eye shine with bravery behind his sunglasses. Crule only shook his head and continue monitoring the surroundings. The blazing two suns baked the sand, leaving waves of heat strongly visible to the naked eye. Only the sound of powerful wind and the creaking of wood could be heard on the ship.

    The race covers the full distance of the desert wind’s path. Normally one would thing that with the same winds, the ships would all travel at the same speed. But soon one will realize, the sheer number of obstacles blocking the participants. From monsters, to natural large hills and dunes, all the way to mirages.

    The ship could only be left at the mercy of the winds.

    The race would take up to a good two to three days depending on how high the temperature rises.

    At this point in the race, only a few have dropped out due to accidents or injury. Sabotage was the name of the game, and Turf’s ship seem to have won out. No one tampered with anything and the journey was moving along. They were in front of the pack with four other ships. Behind them was the majority and even further behind that were the stragglers.

    Crule and Ming were both biting into a crunchy cucumber. The refreshing taste and water cooled down their system that had been baking in the suns. Turf was wearing a rag over his head that was soaked in cool water to keep him cool. Dante went down below the deck to check up on Gumb and Shallot.

    Inside the hull was not as bad as on the deck. The heat was greatly reduced by the large supply of water and ice being stored. The ice was incredibly cold to the touch and would definitely cause frost burn if one were to be stupid enough to touch it. This piece of ice was from a tall mountain to the outskirts of the desert. Before the race, each ship must prepare one in advance. It serves as the ship’s cooling and water supply. The ice will last a good three to four days even in the desert heat.

    The mountain where the piece of ice was from was also the cause of the powerful wind. The clash of the super-heated desert with the sub-zero chill of the mountain clashed to form this powerful wind that blows across the desert. It picks up the heat along the way and becomes quite warm.

    This phenomenon happens every year around the same time as the ice on the mountain builds up and the temperature difference sky rockets.

    The ice was a life saver in this race.

    ______

    The night passed without any dangers. Crule kept a look out while the rest took brief naps. The ship’s steering wheel was locked in place. Most part of the journey was a straight line. Crule only had to steer if something appeared to block the ship directly in front.

    The suns were slowly rising after a cold night. The desert was quick to heat up, quick to cool down.

    Crule looked nonchalantly toward the front of the ship.

    Suddenly, something caught his eye. A small shadowy figure with a green line across it.

    Then it hit him. A powerful blood vessel shattering headache. Unimaginable pain barraged his head. Crule screamed with the most unintelligible scream imaginable.

    [Crule]: ARRRRRRRRRRRRRHHHHHHGGGGGG.

    Everyone woke up with a shock. Ming quickly arrived next to Crule to help only to be also hit by the powerful headache.

    [Ming]: AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

    The both of them were rolling left and right on the deck clutching their head in utter pain.

    The others could only look on with terror.

    Just what was happening?

    Crule recovered first but his face was pale and blood was slowly dripping from his ear. His breathing was labored and it looked like he just survived a long torture session.

    [Crule]: I…I remember now.

    Crule look toward the shadowy figure off in the distance with both fear and anger.

    [Crule]: You…

    Turf and Dante went up to Crule to help him back up.

    With a glass of water, Crule’s face seem to recover a little bit of color.

    [Turf]: What happened?

    [Crule]: We need to prepare to run. NOW. That “thing” ahead is not something we can face.

    Dante looked over and spot the shadowy figure.

    Suddenly a shockwave of energy blasted forth from it like the fallout from a large explosion. The sent shivers down Dante’s spine. She felt fear beyond anything she had ever felt before.

    She looked down at Crule and nodded. Running is the only option.

    ______

    [Mysterious being]: Anomaly spotted. Calculation course of action. ERROR. ERROR. Anomaly has fused with local energy. Cannot directly assault. Course of action Change. Delta 296Z initiated.

    The being suddenly turned around and shoved his hands into the ground. With a pulse of energy, it found what it was looking for. A monster hidden deep in the sands. The King of the desert. The ruler, the monarch, the destroyer. The Herculean Sand Worm.
     
  15. Minaku

    Minaku Writer

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    Chapter 114: The mutation.
    Herculean Sand Worms, the top predator of the food chain in the Sangrias desert. It boroughs deep underground leaving massive cave-ins. The sand above them rise and sink to form the dunes that were oh so notorious part of the desert. Normally they rarely surface fully like the scene before Crule right now.

    They only come out in the sun to consume prey, and even then, it’s only their head that comes out. The scene before Crule right now is a full one hundred meter long sand worm fully out of the sand. Its angered roar shook the sand. The hole it used to come out was slowly filling with sand and becoming a whirlpool.

    The city of Janus was safe from these giant monsters though. The hard bedrock underneath Janus doesn’t allow the Herculean sandworm any leeway.

    This kind of monster can even give a dragon a run for its money. It was a force of nature. One that Crule and Ming have to combine their power to take down.

    But Crule didn’t want to fight it. They can only run. The mysterious being he suddenly recognize changes everything.

    [Crule]: HURRY UP!

    Turf snapped out of his shock and with a slightly less brave face, turned the ship around to avoid the whirlpool of sand.

    The other ships around them all tried to avoid the whirlpool. Many contestants abandoned their ship and started running away back to Janus in fear.

    Turf’s ship sail was tilted as so the wind pushed the ship away from the worm.

    Ming recovered from her headache with a cold sweat as well.

    [Ming]: I-I remember now.

    [Crule]: I know…Our old self were quite cruel to keep this important information away from us.

    [Ming]: I can understand why though…It’s not something we are ready to face.

    Crule nodded while keeping an eye on the being.

    The being had his eyes closed and was facing the worm.

    [Mysterious Being]: Injecting forced advancement tonic.

    From his palm, the skin ripped apart to reveal a metal flap. The slides open and a syringe popped out.

    With blinding speeds that Crule could barely keep up with. The being jumped on the worm and injected it.

    Before the worm even had a chance to react, the being was already off of him and quite a distance away.

    [Mysterious Being]: Injection complete. Observation: Mutation imminent.

    The being quickly backed away to a safe distance. His speed was so fast, that the sand under him couldn’t react in time. A few moments after the being disappeared, the sand under him exploded by the wind pressure created by his movement.

    Crule only swallowed a little with both fear and annoyance.

    The worm was twisting and turning as if it was in great pain. It continuously roared into the skies and mucus was spewing out of its large mouth.

    The reason why the worm stays underground most of the time was because its huge body, if exposed to the sun, would result in it dehydrating extremely fast. The mucus lining of its body not only allows it to glide through the sand without the sand causing tears, but also to regulate its body temperature. The mucus around this particular Herculean sand worm was slowly turning a shade of pink. It was bleeding from its pores as it thrashed around violently.

    Turf was scared out of his wits and was trying to rush the ship.

    [Turf]: Come onnnn, move faster already!

    He prayed the winds would pick up.

    Dante was staring in awe at the worm.

    She snapped out of it and aimed an arrow at the worm.

    [Crule]: Don’t shoot!

    But it was too late. The arrow flew true and imbedded itself into the worm like a harmless mosquito bite…

    Sadly, it was all that was needed. The worm suddenly focused all its attention on the small ship. It didn’t know what attacked him earlier but now that it has seen the ship, its rage was all directed to it.

    Crule paled. He was in no shaped to fight the worm. If he had worn himself out fighting it, the mysterious being could dispose of him very easily.

    [Crule]: Crap…Ming we need a boost.

    Crule reached into his pocket and threw a pill at Ming.

    She caught it and looked at it. The pill was spherical and had a soft shell.

    [Ming]: Got it.

    She threw the pill in her mouth and gulped. Color slowly returned to her face.

    The pill Ming took was something that was hidden deep in Crule’s storage. He didn’t even remember he had it until his headache awoken his locked memory. The pill was considered a panacea. It could heal most wounds and help recover energy. Although it was god like, it took time to take in effect.

    Ming recovered enough to form three things. She made two large blood blades that crystalized under the metal blades under the boat. It cut through the sand with almost no resistance. It was as if friction had no effect on it.

    The third thing she made was a large and thing sheet of blood behind the boat.

    [Ming]: RAHHHH!

    With a strong swing of her arm, the sheet of blood fanned the sail giving them a short burst of speed.

    The boosted forward, away from the worm.

    Ming collapsed on her knees as the sheet dissipated into ash.

    [Ming]: *cough* I’m going to need to recover the lost blood…

    She looked even more fatigued than before. The pill however was still in effect, so she didn’t faint completely. The blood blades under the ship was still intact and Ming was still awake to manage them.

    Crule nodded at Ming and turned both his palms toward the Worm.

    [Crule]: Hopefully this will make it wary of approaching.

    From his real hand, a faint black light wisped out like a stream of smoke. It wrapped around his metal hand and began rotating. As it rotate faster, Crule’s energy was channeling into balls at the tip of his fingers. Five black balls formed from the smoke consumed the energy Crule emitted from his fingertips. The five balls grew more and more profound yet stayed the same size. It was soon rotation to the point where screeching sounds could be heard.

    Crule tried to be as reserved as possible as he needs to save his energy for a greater enemy. He gripped his metal arm to steady his aim. Five balls were now pulsating greatly with power. The worm stared at the human on the ship with both anger and curiosity.

    Crule shot his attack. The five balls rotated as it flew toward the worm at high speeds. It slammed directly into the worm leaving a large hole on its side. However, the balls didn’t exit from the other side. Inside the worm, the five balls expanded and shot out all in different directions. It sliced the worm full of holes like a piece cheese.

    Mucus and blood exploded forth from the numerous wounds. It was not life threatening to the worm however. It was injured greatly, but it wasn’t something that could kill it. Its tenacity was tyrannical.

    The worm roared again as it watched the ship get away. For some strange reason it couldn’t move anymore. From deep within the worm, the tonic worked its magic.

    From the holes that Crule created, more worm heads rapidly formed.

    [Crule]: What?! What just happened?!

    Countless heads just kept coming out of the wounds.

    Soon it was no longer a Herculean Sand worm. No, it had evolved beyond that. It’s now a Hydra worm King.

    [Crule]: Shit, what have I done…?

    Sadly it’s far too late to regret now. They are now facing a monster above what Crule and Ming can handle even at full power. It’s now a race for their life.
     
  16. Minaku

    Minaku Writer

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    Chapter 115: Race for your life.
    The ship continued forward at high speeds. It bobbed up and down from the erupting sand blasts hitting just left and right of the ship. They had reached 300 kilometer per hour with the boost of Ming’s wind but it was still not enough to fully escape from the hydra worm. With its mutation now complete, it could fully move again. It’s a good thing it had not gotten use to its new form so it’s slower than before. But still it was a huge threat chasing Crule and company.

    From its numerous heads, the worm spat out large volumes of sand. Soon, it became a full sandstorm chasing after them.

    [Turf]: God dammit, all I wanted was a race, why am I now running for my life!

    Turf was crying and mucus was dripping from his nose.

    [Dante]: Man up! This is the kind of action I was looking for when I set out! HAHAHAHA! Faster!

    Dante had recover from her shame earlier from attacking the worm and attracting its attention. Seeing that Crule also made a mistake made her feel a little better. Misery loves company after all.

    [Crule]: How are you hold up Ming?

    Crule showed a sincerely concerned face toward Ming. He kneeled down next to her. Ming was on all fours panting heavily. Large beads of sweat dripped off her forehead.

    [Ming]: J-just barely. The pill is working though.

    [Crule]: Good. But remember, keep yourself safe most importantly. I would rather not want you causing irreversible damage. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.

    Crule placed his real hand on Ming’s back and soothed her energy that was in turmoil from the pill. The pill supplied Ming with instant energy so she doesn’t have to take the time to draw from her reserves but that energy is both brutal and wild. It was quite hard to control but Crule had faith that Ming could do it. The reason why he gave Ming the pill was because although she had reached the eighth gate as well, she had not stabilized it yet.

    [Crule]: I will try my best to stall that bastard.

    Crule looked toward the multi headed hydra worm once again. He had to think. Just what does he have in his disposable that can take that monster down…?

    The wind blew violently now as the worm rushed toward them in rage. The other contestants were running for their lives away from the worm. They were smart. They saw the worm was not aiming for them specifically and decided to steer their ship left and right instead of forward. Although this may cost them the race, their lives were more important. Live to race another day they would say.

    The suns were near setting as the first day of the race was coming to a close. Normally, ships would travel slower during nights with only half the crew sleeping to take shifts. But the hydra worm doesn’t seem to tire.

    [Turf]: I-I can only do so much…the ship needs to rest, it isn’t built for this kind of speed for such a long period!

    Turf calmed down from earlier but the ever looming threat of the worm isn’t letting him rest his emotions.

    [Crule]: I will see what I can do about the worm.

    Crule could only do one thing right now. Attack the worm as much as possible, hopefully to destroy all of its head in one go.

    He ran to the back of the ship and readied himself. He closed his eyes and opened his gates. The latent energy was jolted and came to life. It flowed like the Yangtze River through the channels in Crule’s body. The farther they travel down Crule’s channels, the faster it flowed. As they finally reached their destination, the sheer speed the energy was traveling was strong enough to shoot out of Crule’s hands as a beam.

    But he didn’t shoot it immediately. It was only pure energy. The final part was the filter that energy through his aura. A black glow grew on Crule’s palms. It made his real hand look menacing while his metal hand looked shinier.

    The energy collided with his aura and was filtered through it. Spheres of pitch black formed in Crule’s palms again. But this time, instead of five, it was one large sphere in each hand.

    Crule lifted his arms toward the Worm after opening his eyes.

    He breathed in a deep breath and exhaled.

    Dante watched on the side.

    [Dante]: (mumble) I might finally get to see some of his real power…

    Crule looked around to make sure there were no more constants around them. He didn’t want people to be caught in the blasts as collateral. Right now what he needed was fame, not infamy.

    Crule turned to Dante.

    [Crule]: Hey, Ms. Dante. Do me a favor and record this will ya?

    [Dante]: Ah? Me? Eh, let me keep a copy later then I’ll do it.

    [Crule]: Sure sure, I plan to release it to the public anyways.

    [Dante]: Hahaha, trying to get famous are we?

    [Crule]: You know it!

    Crule’s smirk sent shivers down Dante’s spine.

    [Dante]: Fine. Make it one hell of a show!

    Dante took out a crystal and placed it on top of her wristband. The started glowing and slowly lit up. She pointed it towards Crule and started recording.

    Crule nodded.

    He turned toward the worm.

    [Crule]: Eat this you piece of shit!

    He let the energy fly.

    Like a missile launcher, countless numbers of energy spheres sprayed from the two balls in Crule’s palms toward the worm. The ball all his the worms and ate through it like a wet marble through tissue paper.

    They literally had zero resistance. Blood and other bodily fluids exploded from the worm but it healed just as the fluid touched the air. Areas where a hole was left in the actual body spawned a new head. The heads that were damages were immediately repaired while the body just spawned new heads.

    The spheres just kept firing. The worm was halted as it tried to heal and recover from the constant damage. Dante stared in awe.

    [Dante]: Holy shit, it’s like I’m watching a CGI movie super hero movie…

    Crule stayed silent as more spheres fired endlessly from the sphere. He had to look cool even in the most desperate of situations if he was being filmed.

    Not a bead of sweat was on his face. His energy seemed limitless. This was the level of attack he could now perform now that his eighth gate was established. But this wasn’t his full strength though. He didn’t use his mobile suit yet.

    The worm screamed in agony and rage as he could still feel the pain of his flesh being eaten left and right by the spheres. But he recovered so fast that his life was in no danger. As the number of heads increased on its body, its intelligence rose steadily. When it first transformed, it knew deep down a powerful regenerative power erupted.

    The spheres seem to do damage but all it did was made it angrier. Crule knew this but he had to continue. At the very least, it was slowing the worm down. They have to run…for now that is. Eventually he will have to face it. But how?

    Crule could only focus on coming up with a plan as his energy attacks went on auto pilot.
     
  17. Minaku

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    Chapter 116: Blankness
    Ming stared at Crule continuously fire attacks at the worm. But she was not worried. No, she had complete faith in him. Knowing that the following moments are being filmed, she could only smile valiantly has a wounded ally of the hero.

    Crule knew their currently situation seemed bleak. As the sky become darker, the worm became harder to hit. Although such a huge target was in front of him, the constant flailing of the hydra worm’s heads made it a difficult enemy as one had to hit the brain section of each head.

    One may ask where does a worm’s brain lies? Honestly Crule had no idea as well. But he let the natural of his aura do its job. If he wills it, the balls will travel closest to its natural, the feeling of hunger. This feeling was screaming from the brains of the worm’s heads thus attracted Crule’s attacks like moths to a bright flame.

    Crule knew he had to think…just what in his repertoire, his vast knowledge, his countless experiences, will be able to get them out of such a situation.

    Dante filmed the scene with amazement. It was not her first time seeing an aura based attack as her family use to hire mages and warriors all the time. But to see such magnitude of it both inspire her to work harder as well as garnish her upmost respect. She already knew Crule was not an opponent she stood a chance against. But this didn’t stop her competitive spirit and curiosity from wanting to find out just how strong this fellow bronze rank adventurer was.

    Oh how wrong was she. Crule isn’t bronze rank. No, no, no, calling him a bronze rank is like calling an ocean a puddle. She felt completely overwhelmed and inferior but the sheer difference in strength lessened her disappointment in herself.

    She filmed every last scene.

    All of a sudden, Crule closed his eyes again.

    [Dante]: Just what is that kid doing…?

    Dante mumbled as to not get her voice recorded on accident.

    Deep inside Crule’s mind, a memory surfaced. As if it was placed there right in front of him by his old self. It was a memory of long ago. Back when he was a child, back when he was a prisoner. Back on the Gluttony moon prison, deep, deep, under the crust.

    ______

    The young Crule looked toward the bug in front of him. It was already wounded by his previous attack but it was not enough to finish it off.

    He was scared, shivering, and his palms were sweaty. His nose was dripping as he held in his tears from the pain he was feeling. Blood trickled from the wounds on his body. None were fatal and were all just scratches, but to a kid, they seemed like the end.

    Behind him was a cross covered in chains with a familiar face tied to it.

    [Famina]: Come on kid, put your back into it. I didn’t save you just so your pathetic ass will lose to a common bug!

    Famina goad Crule to attack.

    In Crule’s hands was a sharp rock. It was covered in a very very thin membrane. Barely visible to the naked eye. This was Crule’s aura. His very beginner aura.

    Crule stared at the bug. Screamed and threw the sharp rock at the insect.

    The wounded bug didn’t move fast enough and the rock ate through its carapace like it was nothing. Even at its weakest state, Crule’s aura was deadly. That’s the aura of hunger, the aura of famine, the aura of complete and utter greed.

    [Famina]: Good! Your training is coming along nicely.

    [Crule]: M-m-master, can I please take a break?

    [Famina]: Ha? Did I hear that right?! You? Take a break? After just half a dozen pathetic bugs you’re already tired?!

    [Crule]: B-but…

    [Famina]: Oh-ho-ho, so you’re saying you DON’T want revenge then huh? Where’s that kid so full of killing intent, so full of rage and bloodlust? Where’s the kid I took in as my disciple? All I see here is a sack of shit!

    Crule quieted down afterwards. Remembering the traumatic scene, his rage once again got the better of his fatigue.

    [Crule]: More…

    [Famina]: What’s that? I can’t hear you!

    [Crule]: MORE!

    [Famina]: That’s more like it! That’s the kid I took in!

    Famina lured more bugs into her chamber. Crule faced them on with his rock in his hand, and his aura slowly maturing with each fight.

    Soon, the bugs have all died and Crule lied on his back. Not able to move a single muscle.

    [Crule]: Ha-ha-ha, I did it!

    [Famina]: Not bad kid. Now tell me, what have you learned about your aura?

    [Crule]: It’s very hungry.

    [Famina]: Never forget that feeling of hunger. It will guide you to victory!

    [Crule]: But…I always wondered…why me? Why hunger?

    [Famina]: Kid…this isn’t really the time to be asking…but I guess since you eventually will know I might as well get this over with.

    Famina sighed and looked toward Crule with a sympathetic gaze.

    [Famina]: Now you understand everyone in this world is born with an attribute.

    [Crule]: Uh huh, I heard from some of the old prisoners from Noxia that people there had a latent attribute and that a few people called Mages and Warriors could use them.

    [Famina]: Right, you also should know that nearly everyone MUST have an attribute. Even an infant will inherit some of their parent’s attributes.

    [Crule]: Yes master.

    [Famina]: Even if the infant wasn’t born with an attribute or if they come from far away and haven’t gotten use to Noxia yet, they will soon develop an attribute as the energy around them emitted from the elements will slowly contort their attribute. For example, those who live by the sea tend to have wind and water attributes.

    [Crule]: What about hunger?

    [Famina]: As you can see, emotions and primal factors are very different. They cannot be acquired from exposure. Only VERY rarely will that happen.

    [Crule]: Then how did I receive your power?

    [Famina]: Why my little darling, that’s because you’re special!

    [Crule]: Special? How?

    [Famina]: Why dear, you’re one of the only and probably the rarest thing I have ever seen in my life!

    Crule waited with great anticipation. He wanted to know what made him special. Every kid did.

    [Famina]: You kid, are COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY TALENTLESS!

    Crule felt his shoulder drop and his spine grow cold.

    [Crule]: Please don’t tease me master.

    He tried to hold his tears in.

    [Famina]: Please. You void of talent means your attribute was completely blank. This made things easy for me as all I had to do was convert a small bit of your energy to famine energy. This caused a chain reaction that completely overhauled your attribute to become the same as mine.

    [Crule]: I-I see. So I’m not useless!

    [Famina]: Of course not! You’re just blank, a white canvas, just patiently awaiting my brilliant brush stroke to paint a masterpiece! You kid, will be my work of art!

    [Crule]: Yes master!

    [Famina]: Oh and always remember this. Hunger is a powerful tool. Everything feels it eventually.

    ______

    Crule opened his eyes as the memory faded back into the deeper reaches of his mind.

    [Crule]: Hunger is a powerful tool…Everything feels it eventually…That’s right…hunger.

    Crule looked toward the hydra worm with renewed confidence.

    Dante looked surprised.

    [Dante]: Did he finally find a method to beat this?

    [Crule]: How could I have forgotten? Perhaps I have been blinded by the need of sheer power I forgot my attribute…

    Crule stopped his barrage of attacks. The worm quickly regenerated all the damage and roared with immense fury.

    [Crule]: Come, take a bite of this.

    Crule threw a thin black needle directly at the epicenter of the worm heads.

    It pierced in and vanished.



    Silence. Nothing happened for a good three seconds.

    [Dante]: Was something supposed to happen?

    She couldn’t help but worry.

    Suddenly, the worm twitched. A powerful feeling washed over everything around its vicinity.

    [Crule]: That’s right little worm, dinner time.

    Crule smirked.
     
  18. Minaku

    Minaku Writer

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    Chapter 117: Unexpected.
    The worm started shivering. Its heads look toward Crule with a strong hunger. But it seem realize its prey will not fill him up even a little bit. It need something bigger, something to satiate its loud profound calls of hunger. It looks towards its own head. With each of its head having a mind of its own, it realize that the other heads look awfully delicious. Surely it wouldn’t mind if he took just a nibble…

    Dante watched in shock as in merely a second, the worm stopped in its tracks and went insane. Its head attacked each other, taking bites out of the weaker ones. Soon, the heads started to diminish yet their hunger have not been satisfied.

    Not wanting to see the end result when only one head is left, Turf quickly steered the boat away from the worm.

    Originally Dante thought Crule was just a strong youth full of potential. Now she knows just how wrong she was. This was not just your average strong youth…this was a demon in the skin of a child. But she didn’t discriminate. No, she just found something far more interesting. It filled her with anticipation of what was to come next. Perhaps if she followed the two youths she may see even more amazing things.

    Crule smiled at the scene of the carnage. It was just as he expected. He even praised himself a little on the inside.

    But a surge of power caught him off guard.

    The mysterious being suddenly appeared next to him with a glowing green dagger.

    [Mysterious being]: Plan failed: Initiating False safe plan.

    The being stabbed the dagger toward the unexpected Crule.

    [Crule]: Shit, I can’t move fast enough.

    It was as if everything slowed down at that moment.

    Just before the dagger was about to hit Crule in the neck, a whip of blood lashed across and stabbed the mysterious being in the hand. The sheer impact made it drop the dagger. But the being now focused its attention on Ming.

    He quickly severed his hand that was impaled by the blood whip and dashed toward the fatigued Ming with a second dagger in his other hand.

    Crule finally reacted and summoned a mouth on the floor where the mysterious being’s foot stood. The foot sank into the mouth and as the teeth clenched, his foot was severed. This altered the course of the dagger, but sadly it was not enough.

    Ming couldn’t react fast enough as the dagger hit her shoulder.

    [Ming]: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

    The dagger imbedded deeply in her shoulder and green veins exploded from its center. The mysterious being quickly backed away. It was now seriously wounded. But what leaked from his severed hand and foot was not blood. It was a black fluid that looked sinister.

    [Crule]: NOOO MING!!

    Crule felt his heart sank. He stared at Ming with fear and worry. He didn’t know what kind of weapon the mysterious being used and its current effect. He had to act quickly but first he need to eliminate the threat.

    He looked toward the mysterious being.

    [Crule]: YOU! You are going… TO PAY FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE!!

    Extreme rage filled his eyes and he shouted at the mysterious being. Crule’s aura became unstable and exploded outwards as his anger peaked.

    Dante and Turf who were near them felt the aura and nearly fainted. It was a powerful aura of rage and deprivation. They felt incomplete, that something was lacking. It was strong than just the normal feeling of hunger. It was like they lacked everything. Air, food, water, emotions, everything. They lacked it all and they needed it now. It was suffocating them.

    The aura receded after its initial explosion. The feeling that Dante and Turf felt left them slowly but it left them with a scar in their minds and heart. It was the feeling of being incomplete so powerful they could not stand it if it had lasted longer.

    The aura hit the being as well but it seem to have no effect on it other than knocking him off his remaining feet.

    Crule dashed toward the being. He could no longer hold back. From the explosion of his aura, his armor was immediately activated. The armor flew around Crule and snapped itself into place. A fully armor Crule was now lunging at the being. Before the being could get back up. Crule was already on top of him.

    Whilst screaming in rage, Crule clawed at the being. Ripping flesh from flesh, metal from metal. The being’s tough skin could not bear the sheer force and it rend and teared. Its insides were strangely mechanical.

    Crule ripped the being’s remaining limbs off with a gut wrenching crunch. Dante and Turf stared in fear. The fully armored Crule look more monster than man. The eyes staring in every direction was unsettling. The dark color gave them a feeling of dread, as if a large predator was directly in front of them.

    The mysterious being was shredded into nothing but parts. Only its head remained intact.

    A blue light was flashing behind his eye.

    Suddenly a bright light enveloped the boat followed by a large explosion.
    Everyone was knocked off the boar and its deck was blown apart. Wood shrapnel flew everywhere.

    Crule however was completely safe in his armor. Dante and Turf however, was not. They were knocked out cold by the explosion and the ship now had a large gaping hole in the middle of the deck.

    Crule looked at the hole with a cold anger in his eyes.

    [Crule]: This asshole self-destructed…

    His anger then quickly subsided as he rushed to the side of Ming. He knew Dante and Turf only sustained small injuries. But Ming was bleeding still. The dagger was still imbedded in her shoulder.

    Crule quickly took it out but it was quite difficult. Part of the metal had seemingly melted and was now bound to her skin.

    Ming was unconscious but it was obvious from the great amounts of pain she was feeling. Perhaps if she had not taken the pill Crule gave her earlier, the pain could have killed her directly.

    Crule quickly used his aura to envelope the dagger and corrode it away. After it was eaten, the wound on Ming’s shoulder was still visibly serious. The bones of her shoulder could be seen. Crule knew it was dangerous as there were blood vessels leading from her shoulder to her brain. He had to stop the green poison from spreading. Ming’s face was now extremely pale and the veins on her face could be seen clearly. Crule felt a strong tug in his heart as he could do nothing to ease her pain.

    [Crule]: Hang in there Ming.

    He sealed the wound with his aura to stop the bleeding. He had to get her help immediately.

    He looked at the wristband on his arm and sighed. He pressed a button and a list of names appeared. He scrolled down and clicked the name of the only one who can help him at this time.

    A screen appeared from the wristband. Crule talked into it.

    [Crule]: Chun Qin. Where are you right now? We need your help immediately.
     
  19. Minaku

    Minaku Writer

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    Chapter 118: The illness and the Occult.
    Hearing the anxiety, desperation, and seriousness in Crule’s tone, Chun Qin immediately confirmed and headed toward the town of Janus.

    A few days later, he finally arrived and was immediately rushed to the inn by Crule.

    Seeing the pale Ming in the bed sweating profusely and obviously in pain, Chun Qin frowned deeply.

    He noticed the green veins slowly creeping up her neck.

    [Chun Qin]: How long have this been going on?

    [Crule]: From when I called you till now. Her symptoms have been getting worst. It seems my aura cannot consume whatever is hurting her too.

    Chun Qin sighed. He sat down besides the bed, took a few tools of his trade out and placed his finger on her wrist.

    [Chun Qin]: No irregular pulse although her heart rate is elevated. I suppose that’s from the pain she is no doubt feeling.

    Crule’s heart was turmoil seeing Ming in such pain with him unable to do anything. He never liked the feeling of being so hopeless. He promised himself before they set off to the past that he will take hold of his destiny. A strong firm hold, as so he would never feel so hopeless again.

    [Chun Qin]: I need to take a sample of her blood. It looks like the toxin is traveling via her blood stream.

    Chun Qin picked up a plastic-wrapped syringe from a small white box. He took a small cotton ball and dipped it in a small glass bottle of rubbing alcohol. After disinfecting Ming’s arm, he took the syringe and drew a blood sample.

    Using the syringe, Chun Qin dripped a drop of the blood onto a glass petri dish. He placed his hand firmly over the dish and circulated his aura to it. He closed his eyes and information filtered into his mind.

    [Chun Qin]: I see…

    He sighed again and opened his eyes.

    [Chun Qin]: I never thought I would see this damned sickness again.

    [Crule]: What is it? Can it be cured?

    [Chun Qin]: It’s a diseased caused by a form of bio weaponry used back in the war. It incapacitate soldiers en masse. The illness causes the victim to be unable to move, speak, or do anything. It basically puts them in a comatose state. It then mess with them through their memories.

    [Crule]: Memories? How is this possible?

    [Chun Qin]: If only I knew. Bio weaponry that somehow got mixed with the occult was never my specialty. However, there was a cure found by my era.

    [Crule]: What is it?

    [Chun Qin]: It was under experimentation and was just a trial. But if successful, the sickness was eradicated at a 100% accuracy.

    [Crule]: What? How?! Tell me please!

    [Chun Qin]: Once researchers have found ties with the occult, they consulted an occult expert. A famous demon hunter from Spain was found. The demon hunter played the flute. With an eerie tune, he manage to wake up entire hospitals full of patients inflicted by the illness. When asked how, the demon hunter only replied that his song affects memories or dreams.

    [Crule]: So any occult music that can affect memories or dreams?

    [Chun Qin]: Conveniently yes. The scientists went further to find various other occult musicians. Regardless of how the music affect the mind, as long as it affect the mind, it cured the illness. It seems this sickness is very weak to outside stimuli.

    [Crule]: I see…I know what I have to do now.

    [Chun Qin]: I will stay here to monitor her symptoms. We were lucky this time. This illness doesn’t kill the victim, only incapacitate for an unknown period of time. It’s also not contagious.

    [Crule]: Thanks Chun Qin. I wouldn’t know what I would have done without you.

    [Chun Qin]: Hey, I like being useful to others. Why did you think I took up the look of a priest?

    [Crule]: Because you enjoy religious authority?

    [Chun Qin]: God damnit no! I like healing people.

    [Crule]: Hmm...Use that for your fame.

    [Chun Qin]: *sigh* it’s against my better nature but I guess…

    [Crule]: I’m heading out now. Ming hold on for me…

    Crule brushed his hand on Ming’s fevered cheeks. With a single tear shed from her eyes, Crule wiped it again. He will always be the one to wipe her tears away.

    A determined looking Crule left the room. With Ming in the capable hands of Chun Qin, he set out to look for an occult musician.

    ______

    [Dante]: Have you found a way to cure Ming?

    [Crule]: Yes, I will head out immediately. Do you with to join me?

    Dante remembered the demonic feeling she gotten from Crule during the last fight. Her curiosity was overshadowed by her fear.

    [Dante]: I-I’m good.

    [Crule]: Suit yourself.

    Crule sighed and left after placing his dagger into a holster on his waist. He didn’t want to seem like a weaponless adventurer.

    As soon as he walked out the door, Turf came out from his room.

    [Turf]: I-is he gone?

    [Dante]: Gone for now…

    [Turf]: *sigh* To think I could have offended such a demon…Just thinking about scares me witless.

    Turf shudders again when he thought of the feeling depravity he felt that day. He promised himself to always stay on the good side of that monster wearing a human skin.

    ______

    [Crule]: Now where would I find an occult musician…?

    Crule thought hard for a moment.

    [Crule]: Wait a minute…how could I forget that?!

    He walked at a fast pace toward a certain district in the city of Janus. Soon he arrived at a large white building. The large sigh in front of the building gives one a feeling of awe.

    ‘The Janus Adventurers Guild’

    [Crule]: Most people with the kind of power I am looking for will be an adventurer.

    He walked in the revolving door. No one really paid attention because Crule looked like a just an average young man full of angst dressed in black garb.

    He walked over to the giant billboard. The wooden billboard was huge. Thirty meters tall by fifty meters wide. On the billboard were countless requests. There was a limit on how big of a poster one could post on the guild board but there were so many of them that layers of paper had stacked on top of each other. Some of the older requests may never be fulfilled due to the sheer number of them.

    It has only been a few months since the games started but yet there were already so many request. One can see just how much things the people in the town of Janus wanted done but were too lazy to do themselves. Since this town was a mid-level town for the gamers, there were only a few hundred people in the city to take on the numerous request.

    Crule carefully stood under the board and carefully scanned each and every sheet.

    There were countless requests. From delivery, to escort, all the way from material gathering to revenge. There were even modeling jobs as well. Basically any work that would require someone else to do, there was a request for it. The adventurers and gamers were considered jacks of all trades.

    There were nothing that they wouldn’t do for a good reward and to improve their guild rank.

    Finally Crule spotted something interesting that could prove useful in healing Ming.

    He took a copy of the paper and headed toward the front desk where a blonde receptionist was dealing with a burly and rowdy adventurer.

    The adventurer dejectedly left after a long sigh. He didn’t want to cause too much trouble as there were people he didn’t want to offend in such a large guild hall.

    Crule was up next as he walked in front of the counter.

    [Receptionist]: How many I help you sir?

    [Crule]: Yes, I would like to take this request.

    He hands the sheet of paper to the girl.

    A flash of excitement momentarily glared in the girl’s eyes but faded away quickly.

    [Receptionist]: Yes sir!
     
  20. Minaku

    Minaku Writer

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    Chapter 119: Symphony in the sands.
    The receptionist excitedly led Crule into a room on the second floor. He was served tea and was made to wait. Moments later, the receptionist returned even more agitated. She seem to be completely infatuated with the person she was leading to the room.

    The man who entered the room looked young, around his mid-twenties. His clothes were extremely gaudy and flamboyant. It was obvious they were tailored to catch attention.

    [Man]: I heard you took on my request? Do you have the qualifications to?

    Crule just smiled and reached into his pocket and gently put his bronze badge onto the desk.

    Upon seeing the badge, the man’s eyes widened and he smile grew. His pearly white teeth blinds anyone who looked directly at it.

    [Man]: Hahaha, I didn’t think my request would garner the attention of one of the few upper class adventurers!

    The man walks up to shake Crule’s hands. The man knew he was famous to a certain extent, but it doesn’t even come close to the fame a bronze rank adventurer could garnish. Since no one has reached anything above bronze rank yet, they could be labeled the cream of the crop, the top of the top, the ones who have power.

    [Man]: My name is Johan Killskull, lead guitarist for the band Murderhead.

    Crule introduced himself whilst shaking his hand.

    [Crule]: Name’s Crule. Bronze adventurer. I heard you were looking to dungeon dive for new guitar materials?

    [Johan]: You know it! These monster materials really make great guitars! The strings from the tendons, the backbone for the body, the knuckle bones for the tuner, everything is strong and just oozes power!

    Crule noticed underneath Johan’s excited gaze was a slight hint of rage and anticipation.

    [Crule]: He must have some other motive to collect the materials other than making a good guitar…

    Crule thought to himself.

    Crule chatted with Johan on the details of the mission and when they will set off.

    [Johan]: Let’s head out tomorrow morning. The area where the dungeon lies is a cave inside the cliffs along Janus. It was recently discovered and the Metallurgy organization deemed it a full dungeon after sending scouts in. A base camp was established near the entrance for those who wanted to enter.

    [Crule]: I see… so we will prepare our things today and head out in the morning. Is that right?

    [Johan]: Yep! I will see you then, new friend!

    He high fives Crule and walks out the door with a prideful strut.

    [Crule]: What an interesting fellow.

    Soon Crule’s mellow gaze becomes serious again. Ming was still in pain, he had no time to care about the smaller things. He said goodbye to the receptionist and left the guild. He didn’t need to prepare anything as he already got all he needs but some information about the new dungeon would be nice.

    He walked over to a nearby café, ordered tea, sat and listened to the gossip.

    It wasn’t long until a group of adventurers who looked inexperienced sat down in the café as well.

    [Adventurer 1]: Did you hear about the new dungeon?

    [Adventurer 2]: I heard it contained tons of lvl 20 monsters. Not suitable at all for us yet…we barely reached lvl 17.

    [Adventurer 3]: If we can get a few more people, we can make a raid team. Even if we are lower leveled, we can still carry our own weight. Also with a full team, our chance of survival will be decent enough for us to take a chance.

    [Adventurer 1]: I heard the new dungeon actually contains a boss!

    [Adventurer 2]: What?! A boss?! Is that even possible here in the wild?

    [Adventurer 1]: It’s a game isn’t it? Why isn’t a boss possible?

    [Adventurer 3]: Well, I think what he’s saying is the monster should be labeled a boss by the appraisers at Metallurgy Inc. Something that could be considered the highest lvl existence in that dungeon.

    [Adventurer 1]: That’s right! I heard it drop some very nice stuff!

    [Adventurer 2]: Really?! What are we waiting here for then? Let’s head to the guild and find more people!

    [Adventurer 3]: Ah, but I just ordered coffee…

    [Adventurer 2]: Forget about the coffee! What if all the good loot gets taken?!

    [Adventurer 1]: Yea! Without good loot, how else are we going to catch up with the rest of the Meta?

    [Adventurer 3]: *sigh* fine…

    The group left in a hurry after putting some gold coins down.

    Crule finished his cup of tea and placed it back on the dish gently.

    [Crule]: A boss huh? I think the queen wolf spider and the fire drake would count as bosses…

    Crule continued to sit there and drink his tea. It calms his worried nerves and renewed his confidence that Ming will be cured.

    Around half an hour later another group of adventurers arrived. This group was all tired and their armor had clear dents and scratch marks. Some were injured but only lightly.

    [Wounded Adventurer]: Man that dungeon was tough.

    [Armored Adventurer]: No kidding. And here I thought the lizards we fought along the way was hard…

    [Female Adventurer]: Yea…that dam dungeon even had monster plants…God damn man eating plants?!

    [Wounded Adventurer]: If it wasn’t for one of us had fire attribute, I doubt we could have made it out in one piece…

    [Female Adventurer]: Yea thanks man.

    [Armored Adventurer]: No problem. I think we should really get more people to go with us next time…

    [Wounded Adventurer]: Yea…we were greedy and went with just us 3…

    The three sighed and went deeper into the café. The higher floors should contain an inn so the three returned to their rooms.

    Crule took another sip of his tea. The stuff hasn’t cooled down even after half an hour.

    [Crule]: This is some good tea.

    The amber orange tea looked like an inferno in the white porcelain tea cup. Crule stared at his reflection in the cup and smiled.

    [Crule]: Why can’t tomorrow come sooner…