《Brigante Ark》


 Foreword

    If you¡¯re reading this, then I am sure you heard of us. We live our lives that were defined by the battles we have experienced, and I¡¯m afraid because of what we did, it will lead to more battles that are yet to come ¨C and that is our fault.


    You may know us by our actions that spread throughout the land. Some of us fought for the truth and justice, others for the leisure of liberty, and some fought to have control of their lives. We stride with different motives, yet it destroys us. There¡¯s a point where we stood for each other for the greater cause, but it did not last long.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.I don¡¯t know by what means these words will reach you, but I am relieved to know if someone is reading this because what I¡¯m about to tell you is about how it came to a point where our failures, hatred, and hypocrisy brought catastrophe into this world.


    I want you to know where it all began.

 1

    ¡®Let go of the hate. Let go of your fear. Let go of your emotions. A sympathy with no borders is self-destruction.¡¯ Those were the words that my brother Meil told me once when he left the Glade. I never took him as a man who values philosophical knowledge, but he was without a doubt a warrior who has shared experiences on the battlefield. Nonetheless, I always find myself in situations where it is hard to uphold the mantra. For many reasons in this season, there¡¯s a pull that keeps me luring off my space into some unknown conjunction. I believe normal people refer to this as the Call of Fate. If I were a normal person, I might agree with that, but I¡¯m not, and I say it¡¯s a bull. At least, I used to call it a bull. This time around, there¡¯s a force working and I can¡¯t help to think that maybe I¡¯m wrong. Maybe there is something that¡¯s conspiring to change the world and I¡¯m being part of it.¡¯ ¨C Alastor


    ***


    Alastor arrived in the alley as soon as he was able to find a dark enclosure, but it was too late. A thug was able to follow him from behind. Everything happened quickly from thereon. When the thug pulled the trigger, the bullet missed the target due to poor visibility. However, the shot became a beacon of attraction to the enemies like a moth to a flame.


    Here, in the Northern Sector of Kayon City, east of the Jules Market, some of the surrounding buildings appear to be abandoned and unkempt, but still, others are living in this slump for the reason they do not have enough money to live in the metropolitan area. The silhouettes of people turn off their lights, afraid of the brewing conflict outside.


    Alastor moved hastily and jumped from the ladder to the roof. He leaped to another building and dove head first to the ground, his legs shaking spasmodically. It was his poor attempt to confuse the enemy of his whereabouts, but it did not last long. The thug was able to deduce his location and saw him crouched behind a crate. He scolded himself for his mistake.


    ¡°There¡¯s nowhere to run, jackass!¡± one thug shouted, his voice was hoarse due to his earlier yelling.


    Despite being outnumbered, Alastor¡¯s confidence remained unshaken. He froze as he heard them yelling and running towards his location. His back pressed against the cold brick wall. His eyes scanned for any escape routes, but with fifty armed enemies closing in, he was overwhelmed by the odds.


    ¡°If you give us the device now, we promise a painless death,¡± the thug declared. Alastor peered and studied the man in front of him, weighing his options. The thug grit his teeth together. ¡°I¡¯ve got over fifty men, all armed. Come out now!¡±


    Alastor saw their silhouettes scurrying around to watch out for any possible escape route.


    ¡°Looks like you brought the big guns,¡± he mused.


    ¡°Poor choice of words, kid,¡± the thug threatened, his eyes flashing with frustration at Alastor¡¯s words. He took it as a refusal.


    In the midst of their hub-hub of profane and yelling, Alastor discreetly pulled the pin of a smoke bomb and he stepped off the narrow passage, he threw the bomb, sent it rolling, and exploded, causing a brief explosion of thick smoke that engulfed the alley, making their vision blurry and eyes teary. Despite the obscure vision, Alastor could still make out through their shifting noises and coughs.


    ¡°What the hell? Damn you, bastard!¡±


    The once tranquil alley was turned into a battlefield. They fired their guns, aiming blindly into the smoke. The cacophony of gunshots echoed and not too long, he heard magazines clattered. They clumsily reloaded with their teary eyes and some magazines fell while others could push it on the well. Alastor peered and chuckled lightly. He almost felt sorry for them, but that was the big difference between a regular mercenary and someone from the Glade, they have different mindset and training designs that made them formidable foes unlike the thugs who didn¡¯t know better than to learn how to handle a gun.


    The smoke swiftly dispersed as a powerful gust of wind swept through. The brush of coldness did not bother him.


    Alastor ran to the nearest enemy. The mercenary knocked an enemy with the back of his sword after he saw him gesturing for his comrade to come closer. He leaped, twirled, his blade glinting briefly and swish sharply as he deftly dispatched his foes one by one. They all came out flying onto the street. Wounded and decapitated. Their blood streak broadly on the road. Alastor threw another smoke bomb, releasing smoke that spread from the alley to the narrow road. He was running around in the dark, waiting for the right time to strike.


    ¡°He¡¯s using the haze to his advantage,¡± the leader said in a disgusted tone.


    One by one, his men retreated, cowed by their adversary. The leader turned abruptly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about fleeing, it¡¯s just one person!¡± he yelled at his subordinates.


    A voice rang out in protest, sounding discouraged, ¡°I¡¯d rather take a beating from the boss than get killed because of some lunatic!¡±


    ¡°Are you idiots?! He¡¯s the one who''ll kill you if you don¡¯t do your job!¡± The leader yelled back.


    The rattling gunshots were music to Alastor¡¯s ears. Aware of the enemy¡¯s numbers, he remained concealed in the darkness. He had seven smoke bombs left. The alleyways of this part of the city created a network, offering ideal hiding spots for Alastor, but analyzing his current position provided a limited advantage. Deciding to look for the best opportunity, he climbed to the ladder and sprang to the top of a nearby building. The enemy remained oblivious of his presence, which worked for him. Alastor cracked his stiff neck, moaned, and swiftly grabbed his handgun just as bullets pelted his previous position. He reacted instinctively, leaping from the building. His legs absorbed the impact of the landing, pain erupting through his bones. Despite the pain, he pushed forward, not allowing himself to rest. After all, the enemies aren¡¯t going to wait for him to recover. He looked at the handgun he stole, served as a backup and put it back to the holster. When his phone vibrated, he pressed the button of his earplug. A loud static noise erupted before he could properly hear the person¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Linda, where are you now?¡± Alastor asked.


    ¡°We slipped into the metropolitan area, thanks to you. I¡¯m so sorry, Al. The police are on the move. You have to escape on your own; we have no choice but to return to headquarters,¡± Linda said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it. I¡¯m already used to it. Is Ken alright?¡± Alastor said.


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, man. Ugh,¡± Ken¡¯s voice came from the other side. ¡°Help me. My wounds¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll live,¡± Linda replied to him.


    ¡°Bitch,¡± Ken gasped. ¡°I¡¯m dying.¡±


    ¡°Just stay put, okay? Anyway, you need to hurry. The police are on their way, and stay out of their sight.¡± Linda paused for a second, her breathing was shallow and her voice was brittle. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if we couldn¡¯t help you.¡±


    ¡°Hey. Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll take care of these guys. Then, after this, I¡¯ll be back. Just make sure the items are safe. I¡¯ll handle these guys; yeah¡­ that¡¯s ¨C that¡¯s a simple task.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. I promise, somehow, I will make it up to you.¡± Linda¡¯s last reply.


    Alastor returned the phone to his pocket.


    They finally noticed that he already moved around and he heard their footsteps echoing with loud thuds toward his direction. Alastor was about to hide behind the concrete wall, but the enemy caught him out of the corner in his eyes. Before he could shoot, Alastor already initiated a fire. The bullet pierced through his skull. Alastor took cover as the thugs returned to shoot at him. The mercenary dragged his right feet behind, but a bullet rang one inch away from his eyes. His eyes felt the sharp heat, winced, and shook his head. Alastor hesitated to swing his sword because there was no room. He doesn¡¯t want to further blunt his sword. So, he threw another smoke bomb as soon as the smoke dissipated which gave him enough time to find a better cover.


    Suddenly, there were few raindrops that fell followed by drizzle, and the weight of the gloomy clouds endured fell onto the earth in heavy torrential sheets that pelted over the soiled land. The rain dampened his cloak. His raven hair was plastered against his face. The boots were damp, and every thump of it, there was a dull sound of a splash. The water seeped through his socks, numbing and distressing his movements. Alastor breathed heavily and could feel the coldness of the evening rain penetrating through his wet clothes to his skin. The lightning sliced the sky. He wiped up a strand of his hair, allowing his eyes to have sight even though the rain was pelting over his face.


    As he heard the thugs were closing in, he threw the smoke bomb in front of them and then charged forward. For a second, the smoke blinded them and they couldn¡¯t see a thing, but that didn¡¯t last long enough for him to properly consider other options. Alastor ran to the closest enemy, he kicked the thug¡¯s hand and his gun flew, thudding against the stone-paved street. The thug was flabbergasted to not even respond accordingly due to being blindsided. Then, Alastor gripped his arm with his brute strength, seizing it. There was a loud crunch when the mercenary twisted the arm. The thug howled and wailed, kneeling. Alastor stole the gun, pointing it at the hooligan. The loud bang resounded in their ears. The blood splashed onto his face down to his dark coat and streamed down along with the rain. He cast his eyes around, the smoke was being pushed away by a powerful gust of wind. He was well aware what he did was a gamble, and a risky one. He was underwhelmed by the pressure for a brief moment. He was left with no choice, but to put his trust in the thick smoke to buy himself enough time to at least take down some more thugs.


    They were startled and began to approach the source in this hazy place with caution but were hesitant to even lift their guns to avoid friendly fire. Upon breaching through, Alastor emerged and charged using the hooligan as a meat shield. They began to fire as soon as they saw the nose of the gun pointing at them. The guns rain on the dead body. Alastor returned with random shots at them, hoping that it would hit someone.


    Luckily, some of them fell and while others lay injured. His meat shield on the other hand finally lost its purpose and he tossed aside. Their guns finally ran dry. They unlocked the chamber. Some were clumsy when they put their magazines on the well, it slid again. Their clumsiness made Alastor chuckle a little. He decided to switch to his handgun and shot back at them before they could finish reloading. It was evident that the enemies, especially the leader, were in awe of his aggressive, nonchalant approach, with their longed faces watching him leap nimbly out of their weapons range.


    Alastor pointed it directly to the thug¡¯s face and shot point blank. The chunks of flesh spread on the cold pavement. He showed no urge of repugnance nor did he fear the odds of facing them. They rattled and clumsily reloaded.


    The leader seemed to be agitated about Alastor¡¯s change of tactics. He pointed his gun at Alastor and then shot. They hesitated to shoot as it would likely turn into some friendly fire within the narrow and tight spot of the alley.


    ¡°Just shoot! Kill that bastard!¡±


    ¡°But sir -¡± One of his men hesitated.


    ¡°No more buts! Kill that fucking asshole!¡±


    The leader discharged his weapon at Alastor, who was recklessly darting and sliding around, ignoring his subordinates. He ignored their doubtful expressions and objections. In spite of this, a few men displayed enthusiasm to carry on, whereas others obeyed reluctantly.


    Dodging the gunshots, Alastor closed his hands and began muttering a spell. ¡°Cinque parete invisibile,¡± he whispered. Instantly, five radiant walls materialized, shielding him and fending off the gunfire. The shells bounced off and rang when it made contact on a concrete road. Another smoke bomb followed.


    The goons stopped when they thought their gunfire was in vain, but the leader persisted. ¡°Keep shooting! Eventually, it will tear down!¡± he cried out.


    Hesitation flickered among them, but they obeyed their leader.


    ¡°They¡¯re so persistent,¡± Alastor muttered. Spotting a pathway to his left, he entered it while the other party continued to fire to the walls. The smoke was gradually clearing, but slowly enough for Alastor to think of a new plan.


    The rain was so heavy that it felt like needles hitting them, making it almost impossible for him to see. He wiped them away and maintained his assault on Alastor¡¯s barriers. The enemy leader couldn¡¯t see Alastor, and realization dawned upon him¡ªthe walls Alastor summoned weren¡¯t tall enough. Spotting a metallic staircase at the end of a wider alley, he climbed with haste, reaching the top. One of his subordinates approached and handed him a grenade launcher. Alastor, who was already running around them, smiled grimly.


    He pulled the trigger, and the explosion consumed its target. Silence followed the blast.


    ¡°Did you blow up into pieces? That¡¯s too bad.¡±


    There were no response.


    The gentle breeze rustled the leaves and cleared the air of any lingering dust and smoke. The rain poured down in a steady rhythm, pattering against the earth. The bodies of his men lay across the street, drenched in red liquid, yet he caught no glimpse of the perpetrator¡¯s body.


    ¡°That¡¯s not possible. An explosion like that would turn his body into chunks.¡±


    His confidence returned as he pondered this, but his cheerful thoughts were disrupted when his ears caught a thumping noise. He spun at once and saw Alastor swiftly moving like a shadow from behind, wielding a sword that dispatched half of his men with precise and fatal strikes. They were cut down with splendid maneuvers.


    ¡°What the ¨C¡± Fear licked down his spine, his stomach sinking with icy dread. His mouth hung wide in awe, resembling a fish, as his eyes locked onto the figure of the man who aimed the double-edge sword at him.


    The men that were standing near him were now cut in half. The blood that smeared the silver sword was now being washed away along with the rain. A strong push of the wind made a rhythm on the torrent.


    ¡°Did you think that would kill me?¡±


    Being able to wield magic and obscure combat skills surprised the thug. Not all the adventurers and hunters there in Kayon City could fight like that, ever since the country imposed a law that restricted the use of magic within the walls of every major city within the country.


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re a mercenary, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Alastor paused for a moment, as though he were ignoring the question. The thugs were closing in. He pressed the tip of his sword against the leader¡¯s neck.


    ¡°You shoot, he dies,¡± Alastor threatened, his voice resonating with confidence.


    ¡°Not if we kill you first.¡±


    Fear overcame the leader¡¯s confidence as his men spoke out with aggressive boldness, their lack of common sense was evident in their actions. However, the mercenary didn¡¯t budge. Not an inch.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already seen how fast I am. A single move would be enough to kill your leader. The choice is yours.¡±


    The leader grunted, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Alastor took his moment, closing his eyes. His ears caught the wailing sirens of approaching police vehicles echoed in the distance. His eyes popped open as his attention returned.


    ¡°Waste your time.¡±


    Alastor abruptly leaped from the building and sprinted toward the clustered structures. Thunder cracked and lightning flashed. He vanished from their sight.

 2

    ¡°Only one person and you didn¡¯t even manage to kill him?! I didn¡¯t pay you a lot just to slack off!¡± His boss growled at them. He lowered his head, apologizing to their boss. If he could catch the perpetrators, his credibility and reputation wouldn¡¯t have been gone, kaput and would have forced him to quit the job, or worse his boss would have killed him, but their boss was considerate despite the lack of his attitude.


    He deeply breathed, gathered his thoughts, and expunged the anxiety.


    ¡°I am so sorry if I didn¡¯t catch them, sir! Give us one more chance and then we will show you the results.¡± To the least, he already gained the trust of his boss. In the past few years, he accomplished many tasks without fail. He knew when he saw that mercenary use magic, he was bound to fail. Unlike what he faced before, he dared to deal with them by using guns, but now, their enemies can use magic, and this bothered him. Obviously, someone must have hired those mercenaries.


    His attention returned to his boss. Even though his boss wore formal attire, his rotund figure still transcended and his belt couldn¡¯t hold the plumpness.


    ¡°It was beyond my anticipation that those bastards could conjure magic.¡±


    His boss snorted, ¡°Enough with the excuses. It looks like you are just squabbling now. Where did the best of you go, eh?¡±


    Again, he defended the honor he once held, ¡°I could still fight just like before.¡± His jaw clenched, stopping the tremble overtaking his reasons.


    ¡°If that was true then, what were you doing right now?! Idling like a fool. To hell with all of you! If none of you could return those items, I would have hired another gang and made them kill you all!¡± He warned, his beard filled with sweat.


    ***


    He wandered down the sidewalk, bitter. It was early in the morning, the sun was about to rise at any moments. Further below the stairway, he saw the wooden door and the fluorescent tubes twisted into forming letters, Dove Alley.


    He pretended to be surprised and showed an energetic attitude to the kids who tried to scare him by wearing a Halloween mask as he entered. The last time he saw them, they were thin, unrecognizable, but now they were healthy and energetic. Together with his friend, who ran a bar, they could help the kids grow up in an environment with supportive adults.


    ¡°Oh, I see you kids must¡¯ve been playing a lot,¡± he said and offered a weary smile.


    ¡°Hmm, I thought you were going to visit this Saturday. Why early?¡± This time his friend got out of the kitchen then walked to the server station.


    He kneeled down to the level of the children and greeted them with a tired smile.


    ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t you guys play over there? Uncle Henry and I need to talk. Okay?¡±


    ¡°Adult stuff again?¡± one of the kids replied with a grumpy face.


    ¡°Uhm, yes. Don¡¯t worry. The next time I come here, I will bring a gift for all of you,¡± he promised.


    ¡°Really?¡± they said in unison.


    ¡°I promise,¡± he said.


    ¡°Okay then. Bye,¡± they said before running off to play tag somewhere else.


    He sighed and could not hold the tiredness anymore. ¡°Listen, the reason I came here is that I need my weapons, Henry.¡±


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.He stopped and gave a serious look at him.


    ¡°Is it serious this time?¡±


    ¡°The prey can use magic and high combat skills; I might need to be serious this time,¡± he replied.


    He could not be careless as he already faced the enemy and underestimated their capabilities. He must be in top-notch condition. Henry signalled him to follow and they went to the basement. There, Henry opened a secret wall that revealed weapons and armour.


    Out of concern, Henry asked him, ¡°Port, what kind of enemy are you facing now?¡±


    Port didn¡¯t know who they were, but he must be prepared next time like this. There is little else he could do now that they¡¯re in hiding. He must perform diligently or he wouldn¡¯t be able to feed the kids he took care of. Worse, they would become the target of his boss¡¯s wrath.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who they are, but I¡¯m sure that they¡¯re mercenaries hired to steal items that my boss is obsessed with,¡± he said as he grabbed a giant case and started to choose weapons.


    ¡°When are you gonna stop this job? I know it¡¯s not my concern,¡± Henry asked.


    Port showed a wry smile and said, ¡°You know I can¡¯t leave this way of living. I¡¯ve grown with it, and I¡¯ll die with it.¡±


    Henry let out a sigh as if he already anticipated his answer, but still, he wished that it would be different this time.


    ¡°Besides, I have a debt. I cannot just waltz away. He might target you guys. Just do not worry about me, take care of those kids.¡±


    ¡°You can still go back,¡± Henry said.


    Ignoring Henry¡¯s comment, Port locked the door behind him and pulled a sack full of money from underneath his coat. Henry¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    ¡°I know that your business¡¯s income is low, but with this, you can compensate for it,¡± Port said.


    ¡°Where did you get this?¡± Henry asked.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. Just use it.¡± Port said.


    Henry hesitated for a moment before reluctantly accepting the money. ¡°Thanks for the concern, but actually¡­ where¡ªalright, I¡¯m not gonna ask anymore, just be careful, okay?¡±


    Port nodded, ¡°No problem. I won¡¯t be here for a while.¡± He began to look for a bag in the cabinet. ¡°I¡¯m going somewhere.¡±


    Henry raised a brow. ¡°To where?¡±


    Port walked through the counter where his weapons were locked and started to pack. The pain in his ribs made a soft crunch when he crouched. He suppressed the pain so that Henry won¡¯t nag about it.


    ¡°It would be better if you don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to get yourself in trouble.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an understatement. I¡¯m always in trouble.¡± A loud hoarse of voices began to ring from outside even though muffled by the thick walls, the commotion was considerably loud. ¡°I think you should go now, things are getting busy out there.¡±


    Henry left the room and Port retrieved a box from his coat¡¯s pocket. He walked towards the desk, pressed his palm against the brick wall, and felt for the slightly different texture of the bricks. He pressed it, and a faint moan sounded as the wall opened and groaned. Port grabbed a flashlight and walked down the stepping stone leading into the unravelled darkness. The door closed behind him.


    A few moments later, Port was sitting in the corner. The weapons are in his bag. He let out a long sigh before leaving the place.

 3

    Alastor gripped the doorknob and turned with care the custom made wooden door, though installed, it was poorly crafted as it eerily creaked when he opened it. The room beyond was dimly lit, but it was enough for him to make out the first thing that caught his eye was a burly man standing by the forge, pounding hard at a hot rod with his hammer in a precise and calculated manner. The clanging sound echoed through the room with each strike at the anvil. His eyes squinted from the blinding radiance of the molten iron. A brief clang from the tongs rang when the blacksmith held it and followed by the hiss of steam as he submerged the rod in a nearby barrel of water. Then, the room was filled with the hiss of hot metal. Meil¡¯s face contorted as he went to continue his work.


    The man, Meil, was a striking figure, six or seven feet tall with broad shoulders, spiky hair, a thick beard, and shallow eyes. He had a chiseled physique that showcased his impressive six-pack abs. His physique made an intimidating impression. The place was quite a mess, their few papers laying off far from the workplace, blueprints he created, and plates that haven¡¯t been able to be washed indicating how busy he had been for the past few days.


    The room was cluttered with a few items on display; medieval swords, armours, and various weapons hanging on the walls. He leaned back against the woolen counter, the long-wrapped object clothed in white, which contained his sword, hidden in his suitcase that was resting at the side. He kept his eyes on Meil.


    Meil¡¯s gruff voice broke the silence, ¡°Kid, didn¡¯t I tell you to knock before you enter and where the hell is your pass card?!¡±


    Alastor sighed, his fatigue apparent in his tired reply, ¡°Sorry, I forgot.¡±


    ¡°I told you that if you want my service, leave a card at the post office before you come here!¡± Meil barked.


    Alastor glanced at the counter where a few cards scattered. ¡°Meil, why bother leaving a card when I can just visit here directly?¡±


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to be bothered by the police, you dumbass!¡± Meil snapped, reaching for a rag to clean the desk.


    ¡°Right.¡± Alastor said. He knew better than to argue with Meil.


    Meil smirked, ¡°I heard that you guys have gotten pretty cocky these days, eh?¡± he laughed, ¡°And also, all of you are dead meat.¡±


    Alastor¡¯s expression remained unchanged. He anticipated the news of their gang¡¯s activities would spread fast, and he knew that other gangs would come after them for their advanced technology.


    ¡°That¡¯s not surprising,¡±


    Meil¡¯s tone turned grave, ¡°Hey, be serious. You never know who you might bump into; you guys might want to lie low for now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯re currently doing,¡± Alastor said. His arms crossed.


    Meil finished cleaning the desk and pulled out a cigar from under it, lighting it at the fireplace. He took a puff, blowing the smoke towards Alastor, who swayed his hands to drive it out from his face. Alastor¡¯s eyes scanned the workshop. Despite the disorganization, Alastor knew that Meil was a skilled craftsman, and he was the best person to go to for several gangs¡¯ weapons and armour needs.


    ¡°I¡¯m curious, how many years has it been since you left the Glade?¡±


    Meil leaned back in his armchair, taking a puff of his cigar before replying, ¡°I think it¡¯s been around fifteen or sixteen years. I¡¯m still doing some gigs there though.¡±


    ¡°How did it go?¡± he asked out of curiosity.


    Meil threw his cigar into the fireplace before responding. ¡°At first, people wouldn¡¯t stop bothering me, especially the ladies. I guess they saw me as a rich guy, even though I have nothing but a bucket full of Haz when I arrived here with no connections or reputation.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m guessing you beat a few of them up to earn their respect?¡± Alastor said, amused.


    Meil grinned, ¡°You bet I did. So, how¡¯s the Glade doing?¡±


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    Alastor groaned in response, he held his eyes on him. ¡°Same as always, with those damn training programs.¡±


    Meil chuckled, ¡°Holm sure knows how to train a professional mercenary.¡±


    Alastor shook his head in disagreement. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call myself a professional. Learning doesn¡¯t stop once you¡¯ve graduated. There¡¯s so much out in the world that you can¡¯t learn from books or instructors. I didn¡¯t even know what cake was until I left that hellhole. Besides, I¡¯m not a big fan of following instructors¡¯ directions in the Glade.¡±


    ¡°Your attitude reminds me of someone I knew before.¡± Meil smiled.


    Alastor raised his eyebrow, ¡°Who?¡±


    Meil¡¯s expression turned distant, and he shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± he said before abruptly standing up. Alastor could sense a shift in mood.


    ¡°Meil, is everything okay?¡± Alastor asked with concern.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, really. So, what brings you here? You didn¡¯t come all this way just for a chat, did you?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I do have a favour to ask. It¡¯s about my sword, it got pretty rusty since my last fight.¡±


    Meil¡¯s was interested due to the fact that he made an adjustment with his sword last month. Alastor opened the suitcase and revealed the cherished sword wrapped in white cloth. Meil noticed the broken hilt and a few scrapes on the blade, but he was confident that it was nothing he couldn¡¯t fix. As he inspected the sword, Meil realized it was considerably dull.


    ¡°Oh damn,¡± he muttered under his breath. ¡°The hilt will only break if used against a hard surface. Also, considering the dull blade that I just sharpened last month, cutting flesh could have caused the dullness, but the damage could be extensive from within.¡±


    Meil turned around to gather his tools and prepare to reconstruct the blade. ¡°Ya want me to reconstruct it?¡± he asked without looking back.


    ¡°Please do, but make sure the handle is comfortable and not heavy.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing.¡± Meil said. ¡°You can have it the next day.¡±


    Alastor bowed and left a bag of coins, but before he could walk away, Meil¡¯s tense voice stopped him. ¡°Hey.¡±


    Alastor turned around, wondering what he could possibly want to talk about. Meil had something else on his mind. ¡°How are you holding up with your teammates?¡± he inquired.


    Alastor furrowed his brow, slightly confused. ¡°We¡¯re just doing fine. Is there something we shouldn¡¯t be fine with?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m just a little worried about you. I was wondering if your relationship with them is okay. Since we know that, you know what I mean.¡±


    Alastor understood Meil, but was appalled by the irony. Meil was the one who told him ¡®Sympathy with no borders is self-destruction.¡¯ A surge of frustration told Alastor to argue with him, but the reason in him kept his thoughts in check. He wanted to tell him, he wanted to shout, and to call out his hypocrisy, but he won¡¯t, and he is not going to understand him.


    ¡°I know. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re fine,¡± he said, offering a wry smile.


    Meil smiled back, but his eyes betrayed a sense of worry. Alastor noticed the concern and felt grateful for Meil¡¯s friendship despite what happened. They knew each other for a long time, and Meil helped Alastor during his tough times. He won¡¯t hate Meil for the things that he had done.


    Meil broke the tension, ¡°Just remember, kid, they¡¯re the only ones who you can rely on if you want to survive in this kind of business.¡±


    ¡°Hey, stop it. You¡¯re being weird. I¡¯m not used to clich¨¦ sayings,¡± Alastor protested, his lips curving up in a half-smile.


    Meil¡¯s expression turned serious as he replied, ¡°Kid, just make sure you hang tight with your friends. They¡¯re the ones you can rely on.¡±


    ¡°You got that being tight is right, but the wrong thing is that they¡¯re not my friends, and I rely on myself,¡± Alastor retorted.


    ¡°It¡¯s not always about yourself, kid,¡± Meil murmured thoughtfully.


    ¡°I know that. Sometimes, I wonder how I can get rid of that part of me.¡± Alastor admitted, his voice tinged with vulnerability.


    ¡°All you have to do is open yourself to them,¡± Meil advised, his voice soft, and reassuring.


    Alastor considered Meil¡¯s advice, but his independence and orphanhood taught him to be self-reliant. He couldn¡¯t help but question whether Meil¡¯s advice would work for him and his teammates. Despite this, he managed a wry smile and told Meil, ¡°I don¡¯t think it will work.¡±


    ¡°You just think that it wouldn¡¯t work. I mean, look at us. We became best buds. How come you aren¡¯t able to see and treat them the way you¡¯re fond of me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s different when it comes to you. You took care of me since I was a child and taught me things until you left the Glade,¡± Alastor explained, his tone softening.


    Meil fell into silence, leaning against the wall and giving a heavy sigh. ¡°Alright, if I cannot change your mind, suit yourself.¡± He rubbed his spiky hair, stood up, and continued his work. Meil added. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be a greedy person. You rarely complain, and if you do, it¡¯s constructive criticism. But being so conservative, seemingly so desireless, you make me worry and feel sorry for you. Why are you like that?¡±


    Alastor explained, ¡°Because I saw how desires ruin people. They claim that they have enough, but in fact, nothing is more than enough. I don¡¯t want that. I detest that. I want to avoid that.¡±


    ¡°Is that the reason why you keep your distance from them?¡±


    ¡°Who knows what they will become in the future? I don¡¯t want to tie myself to those people who can¡¯t help themselves.¡±


    Alastor dragged the solid wooden door, and as he was leaving, Meil warned him, ¡°You gotta also be careful. I heard that the Canaries are here in town.¡±


    Alastor left without responding, and Meil¡¯s words bugged him for the next few days. He couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that something terrible was looming over them. Meil¡¯s words about the Canaries kept running through his mind, and he wondered if he should be more cautious about his surroundings.

 4

    Dove Alley was intended to be a bar for everyone, but the owner¡¯s primary intention was not fully realized due to the mercenaries, hunters, and adventurers who often gathered there. Most of the time, mercenaries occupied the place, especially at night. When the sun broke out, the bar would be filled with drunkards. The owner found it challenging to handle formal customers mixed with troublesome patrons from three guild branches. Adventurers rarely set foot in the place, unlike the mercenaries.


    Henry did not expect any guests, but three people suddenly entered. They were all dressed in white coats with earthly faces. The youth approached Henry and asked, ¡°Hey, mind if you cook us a steak?¡±


    ¡°Sure, as long as you have money to pay for it,¡± Henry replied promptly.


    However, one of the men in the group intercepted, his jaded eyes flickered. ¡°Forget it, we¡¯re leaving.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, but we just came here. Come on, don¡¯t be such a killjoy, Lance. We¡¯ve been working nonstop these days. Right, Ina?¡± The youth raised a protesting tone.


    ¡°I thought the reason we came here was because of your information. Nah, we¡¯ll just go. Do whatever you want.¡± Ina said.


    Lance and Ina seemed to be alike in their strictness, but their friend, Gary insisted. He was the least tense among the group. He scratched his head and said, ¡°Dude, you know what? Just shut up and eat something healthy, okay?¡± He then stood up and pushed the two of them to sit on the woollen chairs. They gave up. Besides, their stomachs growled.


    Henry gave each of them a menu. Their eyes were heavy as if they hadn¡¯t slept for a couple of days. The man who seemed to be the leader of the group sighed, forfeiting against the energetic youth. He fixed his sight on the wooden floor, lost in thought. The woman, Ina, sat beside him, noticed his contemplation and disturbed him of his daydreaming by clicking her fingers. Lance expelled the air that made him feel heavier than he would normally be.


    ¡°So, have the two of you already picked your delights?¡± Henry asked.


    Ina pressed the tip of her finger on the menu as though she was selecting a dish. He noticed just now her tied red hair, her glamour, and her radiant skin, along with her red lips, attracted the attention of other customers. Henry cautiously glanced at the corner of the pub and saw five drunk men gazing at the woman. They didn¡¯t even bother to hide their lustful glances. Deciding what to eat, she raised her hand and gently pressed her tip to it.


    ¡°I want this and this,¡± she said.


    Henry glanced over to the man, waiting for his order. It didn¡¯t take long.


    ¡°Also, steak and a cup of coffee.¡± Lance sharply said, putting down the menu and resting his arms on the table.


    ¡°Coming right up.¡± Henry proceeded to the back, listed down the orders, and gave them to the chefs in the kitchen.


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be here,¡± Lance said without moving his eyes on the table.


    ¡°Relax, chill, and enjoy the food,¡± Gary replied, not even bothered with Lance''s words.


    Gary yawned in stress as his stomach growled in hunger. They waited patiently, and it wasn¡¯t too long until Henry came back with a tray, placing the plates one by one in front of them. Upon accepting the payment, he went to the counter and counted the amount of money they earned that evening.


    ¡°Hey, not bad.¡± Gary used the fork and knife to slice a portion of steak before tasting it. He could feel the tenderness and the juiciness that slipped down his throat. His comrades silently ate their food.


    Henry¡¯s eyes darted when he noticed the men staring at the lady, rose, and walked toward them. ¡°This could be trouble,¡± he muttered. Lance caught the phrase and felt the presence approaching them. They were about to get closer, but a seven-foot-tall man holding a butcher knife stood in front of them, threatening them with his glare. ¡°You already gave us trouble last time. We were quiet on what you did. If y¡¯all insist on doing it again, then you¡¯ll be facing all of us.¡± The kitchen staff were ready to throw some knives at them.


    ¡°Tsk. Fine,¡± the five of them had no choice but to retreat.


    Observing the situation, he got closer to the chef, thanking him, ¡°You saved us from trouble, thanks.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Besides, those men have been a pain in the ass for the past few days. I guess it¡¯s time for them to learn their lesson.¡± He gave a smile before returning to the kitchen.


    Lance lay down, drank his coffee, and pulled out cash from his pocket, handing it to Henry. ¡°Hmph, we should go now,¡± Lance said, pulling on his trench coat before walking out. Ina nodded in assent and pinched the young lad, pulling him over.


    ¡°Ow, ow. Hey, I haven¡¯t finished eating yet!¡± Gary yelled.


    ¡°Forget it. We need to get out of here,¡± Ina replied.


    ¡°Oh, man,¡± he sulked.


    ***


    As soon as their presence resurfaced from the alleyway below, he took a deep breath. The moonlight illuminated the area like a strip film. The lights of the buildings and the bustling noise of the crowds sank the loud clamour of vehicles as they made their way away from the metropolitan. They had a hard time jostling through.


    ¡°Dude, I haven¡¯t finished eating yet,¡± Gary said.


    ¡°Forget it, Gary. We don¡¯t want to attract any attention, especially from the criminals lurking around here,¡± he snorted as his plain white hair gently swayed in the air.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Gary hissed.


    They stopped at the pedestrian lane, waiting for the stop signal.


    ¡°We came here to investigate, not to go sightseeing,¡± she interjected with an indifferent tone.


    ¡°Yeah, I get it. But we need to rest. I mean, look at our eye bags,¡± Gary emphasized. He tried to put on a smile, but his tired, saggy skin would pull it back to his tired expression.


    Ina looked at Gary¡¯s face as if he were about to have a mental breakdown. She sighed, ¡°I understand why you¡¯re worried, but it¡¯s our job to keep an eye on Kayon City.¡±


    It has been two months since they were assigned to this city. Their superior officer ordered them to investigate the unusual crime that had been escalating for the past year. They were working non-stop to unveil further cases, such as missing persons, rumours about bio-weapons, and smuggling.


    ¡°So much for the past months we spent investigating, but we still ended up with nothing. Even the riot that happened last week didn¡¯t give us any clues,¡± Gary murmured, sulking while crossing the street.


    ¡°Not for long,¡± Lance said as he looked at him, wondering what was on his mind. Gary noticed that they were taking an unknown route, at least for him. The two of them followed him. A few meters away, the odour of graffiti lingered in the air. The words written on it were more like an eyesore with profanity about the treaty of other nations.


    ¡°You remember what happened in the Elfin Region?¡± Lance questioned Gary as he began to walk steadily. He limited his breathing as he could taste the strong smell of odour coming from the spray can that the delinquent used.


    ¡°Oh yeah, a tension between their nations has arisen. If I remember correctly, it¡¯s because of the commotion about the boundaries when they found minerals lurking in the Alfahon Mountain. Am I right?¡± Gary replied.


    ¡°Not exactly. That was two weeks ago. There¡¯s a new issue rising,¡± Ina intercepted.


    ¡°Do you know about the Ylfon Kingdom¡¯s King Jven Teralhan?¡± Lance asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Gary replied.


    ¡°He died. With the loss of their king, it has shaken the alliance and the inner circle of the country, which means a civil war is probable, much worse than that if the other nations will see it as an opportunity to declare war.¡± Lance explained.


    ¡°But that¡¯s impossible! Together with The Ylfon Kingdom, the six nations have formed a treaty to stop an unnecessary war.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t hear about the rumours?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What about him?¡± he grunted indifferently. His face looked perplexed, unable to grasp the information.


    Lance¡¯s eyes darkened for a moment. ¡°He died three days after the hearing between the nations, at the state of Crohan where the chosen high nobles live. They declared the cause of his death to be natural, but there were doubts about. Neither of them can be trusted, thus, suspicion stained trust.¡±


    ¡°Now that¡¯s alarming. He has no son to rule the kingdom; he has two daughters. I doubt that balance will remain unshaken for the next few months.¡±


    ¡°You might have thought that, but his first daughter is rather competent, unlike her sister,¡± Lance said.


    ¡°Are you saying they allowed a woman to rule a kingdom?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with a woman ruling a kingdom?¡± Ina asked, her spirited voice growing serious. Lance and Gary exchanged a glance, and Gary could feel the intensity radiating from Ina¡¯s presence.


    ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s new for me to see one. Most of the time, the women I knew were a little bit emotional and unreliable,¡±


    Ina¡¯s brows met. ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m emotional and unreliable?¡±


    ¡°Did I mention your name? I said most. Are you sure you¡¯re one of them?¡± Gary sardonically said.


    ¡°Well, I never saw you with another woman aside from me before, so¡­¡± Ina trailed off.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should be glad or be insulted, but fine,¡± Gary could hear the low tone of Ina¡¯s chuckle as it wafted off along the breeze.


    ¡°You can guess, but the point is that it is not necessary for a ruler to have a partner or not. You are your own person, and you can be competent if you have the wits to withstand the odds. So, I think her credibility is not questionable. Other than that, she has the council to consult,¡± Ina said.


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right,¡± Gary conceded.


    ¡°Since the two of you are done arguing, I thought you might want to know that our fellow agents are on the move, and here is what is interesting,¡± Lance said, shooting them with a serious look. ¡°This is supposed to be confidential, so don¡¯t tell anyone.¡±


    ¡°Cross my heart,¡± Gary said.


    ¡°Reports from our fellow agents said they saw soldiers meeting secretly at Thebasas canyon, wearing the banner of each respective kingdom, Indine Nation, and Hayan Empire.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. They will never ally with that country, not after what they did thirty years ago. I am sure the Ark Renevaes and the other kingdoms and countries will not just be at standby if they know those sly foxes are plotting something,¡± Gary said.


    ¡°That is a question that has not yet been answered,¡± Lance said.


    Gary¡¯s eyes altered, noticed by the punks that were doing it. They walked through a dark passage under a bridge, taking many paths that led to an unknown part of the city. Gary showed a perplexed expression, disturbed, then he asked, ¡°Where are we supposed to be going?¡±


    ¡°Meeting Ground of the scums,¡± Lance said.


    ¡°Meeting Ground? Care to elaborate?¡± Ina inquired, turning to see Lance¡¯s well-known untethered composure.


    ¡°What are we supposed to do there, and what do you mean by Meeting Ground?¡± Gary asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to pretend to be mercenaries,¡± Lance said briskly.


    ¡°Mercenaries?!¡± Gary snapped.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Ina uttered in disbelief.


    Gary breathed heavily, trying to calm down his racing heartbeat.


    ¡°I know this is a little crazy, but we have no choice.¡± Lance said.


    ¡°Anyway, how the hell did you find out about this place?¡± Gary asked.


    ¡°I put a tracer on one thug we met earlier.¡±


    ¡°Them? How did you know that they¡¯re involved in this?¡± Ina asked.


    ¡°A hunch,¡± Lance said.


    A gentle wind passed by as the sounds of birds chirping echoed in the air. Gary stiffened, lost in thought. Listening to their plan made him feel guilty, considering the principles they held as patrolmen of the Canary.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, dude. I think we might end up getting into trouble. Don¡¯t you think so, Ina?¡± he asked.


    Ina stopped in her tracks. ¡°I agree. We don¡¯t have a proper plan, and we have no idea what kind of people are in there.¡±


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°What do you think I just said right now? It¡¯s an impromptu plan.¡±


    ¡°An impromptu is not an actual plan.¡± Gary responded.


    ¡°This is not the first time we¡¯ve done a cover-up mission. This will be a cinch,¡± Lance confidently replied.


    ¡°Perhaps going in and pretending to be one of them would give us a clue about what¡¯s happening in this city,¡± Ina agreed.


    ¡°Um, hello? Dude, if we get busted, dozens of hunters and mercenaries will come to kill us!¡± Gary said.


    ¡°Not if you shut your mouth,¡± Ina replied, annoyed.


    ¡°Relying on the police won¡¯t do anything good for us. We must move on our own,¡± Lance said. Ina and Gary glanced back at each other, giving a nod as they agreed with his reasoning. ¡°Who knows? Those pig heads might be working under bribes.¡±


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll tag along.¡± Gary said.


    As they entered the gloomy alleyway, they uncovered the revelries of outlaw deviants dwelling in perilous residences. Ahead of them, a luminous neon hue emitted by the fluorescent tube accelerated the excitement as people inside danced on the floor. The flashing lights inside the bar were visible through the higher windowpane.


    ¡°Is this the place?¡± Gary said.


    ¡°I think so. The tracer stopped blinking when they came inside,¡± Lance replied, looking at his radar.


    The bar was a large one, bustling with crowds entering it. At first, Lance doubted that this was the place. He could have sworn that there was something wrong with it, its openness. As they passed a street filled with prostitutes, Gary observed his comrades. Ina¡¯s eyes were filled with disgust at the women lining themselves up with no regard for their dignity, but gloom by a realization. The government could have done something for them, and as an asset of it, she felt that was also on her.


    Gary tapped her shoulder, and she noticed, giving him a wry smile before looking straight ahead as if pretending not to see him. ¡°Relax, we have to go inside if we want to know,¡± Lance tiredly replied.


    ¡°Oh man, something tells me that this isn¡¯t going to end well,¡± Gary murmured.


    The trio walked with a certain guise, trying to look like they belonged there. They stood in front of the bar, gazing up at the fluorescent tube forming the letters ¡°Cassa Hal.¡±


    A metallic door stood before them, its small grid carved into it. Lance knocked on it while the other two stood beside him, trying to look casual. The door¡¯s peephole opened, giving them a glimpse of the revelries inside. As Gary leaned in closer, a pair of fierce eyes peeked out and grunted at him, causing him to shriek in surprise. Ina gave him a disapproving look, and Gary gathered his thoughts, pretending as though nothing had happened.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± a deep voice flared from behind the door as the loud music pounded in their ears.


    ¡°I heard this is the place for outlaws,¡± Lance replied.


    The man behind the door eyed them suspiciously, ¡°Hm, you don¡¯t look like one.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s just say that we came from far away. We want to make a name here and provide some services to the Hoarder,¡± Lance said, trying to sound confident.


    The man continued to scrutinize them, intensifying their sense of suspicion. Lance noticed this and continued to make playful words, ¡°You don¡¯t want to lose an asset, do you? I heard that Hoarder is looking for a valuable ally?¡±


    Giving in to his words, the thug gave them the last advice, ¡°Fine, just don¡¯t give us a headache.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Lance replied.


    The metallic door squealed as the bodyguard pulled the lever and lifted the lock. They entered the bar. The place was much more intense and provoking than outside as the jock¡¯s music kept the audience grooving. Three disco balls hung tight, emitting different colours of lights dancing that seemed like exploding with wild throbbed of rhythm. The noise was deafening, and it was difficult to relay his words as they proceeded sideways, avoiding the bustle of dancing crowds.


    ¡°Hey! Where is this guy called Hoarder?!¡± Gary said through gritted teeth.


    ¡°Huh!? I couldn¡¯t hear you!¡± Lance replied, his voice barely audible over the loud music.


    Ina gripped Lance¡¯s shoulders tightly, afraid to let go as the music lowered and the lights focused on a man walking onto a semi-circular podium above them. Two guards opened a closed red curtain, revealing the man of the show himself.


    He was dressed in a dramatic red leather cape, resembling a king, with a trimmed beard and shaggy hair adorning his hat, tight red jeans, and white boots. As soon as the audience noticed his presence, they sat down on their benches, and the mixed lights switched to a single white light, marking the Hoarder.


    ¡°Well, it looks like we won¡¯t be wasting our time finding him,¡± Gary murmured.


    The microphone emitted a static sound that rang through their ears, deafened them by sharp noise for a moment before the Hoarder confirmed that it was working properly and announced, ¡°It is a lively night, indeed. The food, the drinks, the freedom!¡± Applause and cheers filled the room for him. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, let us proceed to our main event and introduce the newest collections for sale!¡± he shouted.


    Ina grumbled in disbelief as the Hoarder revealed the slaves that lined up on the stage, chained and illuminated by white light.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Ina uttered in disgust.


    ¡°Now, I know that the police have been quite hectic about recent incidents, and because of that, of course, our operation had been delayed, with lots of delays, so fuck them,¡± the Hoarder continued. ¡°But, with the help of my crew and colleagues, we could deliver you guys our lovely products, whose rarity is at its best!¡±


    The Hoarder introduced some slaves, but one caught Lance¡¯s attention. The elf wore dirty rag clothes, had pointy ears, silver eyes, and attractive auburn hair that fell over her eyes. Encored by light, they strained their eyes and had to cover themselves.


    ¡°I know that they would famish you all for the surprise that I will spill into you because their race is far beyond this region that we knew. Nonetheless, this precious being was found by my endearing hunters and presented to you, the magnificent being of nature, a part of the race we knew as Elves!¡± the Hoarder declared.


    The audience gasped in astonishment. Right in front of them, a mystical being was being sold like a material possession. Not too long, several people from the crowd yelled their price. The Hoarder hushed them.


    ¡°Now, I know that you all want to get a grip on its magnificent existence, but now is not the right time, as others might not have yet readied their leverages. We will hold this meeting on Friday night! So, please be ready on that day, because things might go wild if you know what I mean. He-he-he.¡±


    As he bent down, lowering his hat to his chest, showing courtesy to the audience, his thin smile widened, and the light slowly vanished with the clapping.


    ¡°Lance, this is¡­¡± Ina frantically tried to say something, but Lance interrupted her.


    ¡°I know what you were thinking, but we have our top priority. We would take care of that matter later,¡± Lance said as if he had no intention of letting it interfere with their main objective. Gary, on the other hand, was thinking of something different. Ina interrupted Gary by waving her hand, and Gary nodded and followed Lance.


    As they slipped through the people to the edge of the corridor, they saw the thugs guarding the red door. They did not need to know what was inside, but they already had some ideas.


    ¡°Halt, this place is for VIPs only,¡± the thug blocked the way.


    ¡°We came here for the Hoarder,¡± Lance replied.


    ¡°You have insurance?¡±


    It puzzled the three of them over what he said.


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Insurance...invitations, money, name on the list,¡± the thug elaborated.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say that we don¡¯t have any of those, but we have something to offer him.¡±


    The thug grunted and walked away with a suspicious glance. The trio noticed it, and Gary gulped in anxiousness, wiping his sweaty forehead using his hand. Ina was concerned about it and couldn¡¯t help but whisper to Lance, ¡°What are we going to do if things go south?¡±


    ¡°I have no such plan,¡± Lance said and stiffened, gulping at what he realized.


    ¡°What?¡± Ina said.


    ¡°Relax, we¡¯ll just bust our way out of here,¡± Lance confidently replied.


    ¡°Oh, man,¡± Gary mumbled, putting his palms on his face.


    He picked up the sudden change in the atmosphere. Lance gave a glance to his left and then to his back. Thugs holding guns came close to them. He cursed, ¡°Damn.¡± And Lance muttered, ¡°Prepare for the worst.¡±


    The two picked up the pace and showed a sullen expression as they encircled them. ¡°The boss wants to see you.¡±


    ¡°Lead the way,¡± Lance said.


    The trio proceeded with the lead of the grunt in the narrow-wide space of the white platform with the white hue giving sight to their way. Turning to the southerly path, they observed each room they happened by, which was guarded, or if not, a grunt would freely assist them. A person came crashing into Ina as someone hurriedly came out of the room.


    ¡°Oh, do forgive me, miss,¡± he hissed. Ina covered her mouth as his breath stank of alcohol, and the man held her left hand. ¡°Hey, have we met before?¡±


    ¡°Uh no, probably you mistook her for someone else, sir,¡± Gary interjected, creating a gap between Ina and him.


    ¡°Surely I met you somewhere before, and it wouldn¡¯t be easy for me to forget such a beauty like you.¡±


    Gary snapped and turned to wave his hand at those who were trying to catch Ina. ¡°Seriously, you should go back to where you came from,¡± he said, his irritation escaping his breath.


    The guy would dare to persist, however, the thug interjected and firmly clutched his hand.


    ¡°Please go back inside, sir,¡± the thug said.


    ¡°Okay, okay, no need to be so brash,¡± he muttered, throwing another flirty glance at Ina. ¡°Call me if you¡¯re bored.¡± Chuckling, he walked back into the room.


    ¡°What a creep,¡± Gary muttered in disgust. ¡°Are you alright, Ina?¡± he asked, turning towards her.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m never bothered by that,¡± Ina replied calmly.


    They continued to walk, and three guards joined them, with one walking ahead and guiding them to a room at the end of the corridor. The path had no windows or stairs, only a thick wall that limited their options for escape.


    Once they reached the room, the thug who was leading them left them in front of the door, with two grunts guarding outside. Lance turned the doorknob, hearing the creaking sound, and they entered the room.


    The Hoarder called out to them as they entered.


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t our guests.¡±


    Lance threw a conspicuous glance at him, wary of any danger.


    ¡°Now, now, don¡¯t give me that look. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to do something bad to you guys, hee-hee, not if you don¡¯t give me any reasons to do it. Now, come in, no need to be shy.¡±


    Gary felt unreasonably chill that glided in his spine as he entered the room. The Hoarder¡¯s words and intentions frightened him, and he could sense that Ina was worried too. However, their leader, Lance, showed no expression and cautiously observed the Hoarder.


    ¡°I know you were wondering why an important person like me would want something from you guys, but clearly, you¡¯re the ones who want something from me,¡± the Hoarder said, smirking as he pulled away his red cape, threw it to a red cushion, and sat down on it. He tapped his hand on the cushion, implying for them to sit down too. They lounged at the opposite side of him.


    ¡°I have been in this kind of business for a few years, and each guest and businessman that comes here gets to know me first, so it wouldn¡¯t be surprising to lead you guys to meet me here. Tell me, what do you want?¡± he questioned them forthrightly.


    ¡°We came from a very far place and just got here now in a hurry,¡± Lance said, tapping his feet rhythmically on the ground and crossing his arms, while the two beside him listened.


    ¡°Far away, eh? To where? Leaf region, Iziol?¡± the Hoarder asked.


    ¡°Not exactly. Somewhere in the Coastal Region,¡± Lance replied.


    The Hoarder showed a surprised expression, but hid it. ¡°Coastal, you say? Now, this is interesting. I know someone who wasn''t able to get out of that savage region of tribes that is currently at war. Tell me, what brings you here?¡±


    ¡°The reason is quite complicated, and we can¡¯t reveal it to you. It¡¯s a matter of privacy,¡± Lance said.


    ¡°Oh dear, you must know that in business, one must trust their partner and open themselves up to create a strong bond. That¡¯s the foundation on which I built my empire. Well, if you¡¯re not willing to tell me, then I can¡¯t trust you guys, which means you won¡¯t get what you came looking for, no?¡± the Hoarder said, his tone turning cold.


    Lance fixated his eyes, deep in thought about which words to choose. Ina and Gary could feel the tension growing. They were anticipating that the Hoarder might not fully trust them, and it confirmed their suspicions when one of his men reported back about them.


    It seemed that he hit the right nerve.


    ¡°Cat got your tongue. Tsk, okay kiddo, getting straight to the point, do you have any leverage to compensate for my service?¡± The Hoarder asked.


    Lance was still lost in his thoughts, trying to think of what they could offer in exchange. Gary noticed the change in the Hoarder¡¯s demeanor and guessed that he must be getting angry due to Lance¡¯s consecutive non-response. Gary decided to intervene, knowing it could get dirty.


    ¡°To be honest, we¡¯re broke,¡± Gary said, cutting through the tension.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not nice to hear at all,¡± the Hoarder frowned.


    ¡°But we could offer you our service,¡± Lance replied confidently.


    The Hoarder looked at them, judging them. ¡°Kids, with white funny clothing, need to work on their interpersonal skills. I see no good in all of you.¡±


    Gary hushed and changed his voice, saying ¡°We bombed the state of Taronda, launched a bio-attack at the Iziol Region, and caused a civil war among the tribes in Leafol. Would you still neglect our accomplishments?¡±


    The Hoarder showed a mocking smile, wanting to be impressed by their claims. ¡°Well, there¡¯s one way to find out.¡± He snapped his fingers, calling out the thugs hiding in the shadows.


    Gary¡¯s expression stiffened, and he looked at Lance, he returned with a nod, and they both threw a glance at Ina. Lance jumped out from behind, as if the thug was about to attack him, but Lance¡¯s movements were quick, and he could guard himself with his left arm, then throw an uppercut punch into the thug¡¯s chin, sending him flying. Lance then turned to face the grunt, and the two exchanged heavy punches.


    Meanwhile, Gary and Ina were facing four other grunts. Gary delivered a right hook, but he missed as the grunt swayed his body and countered with a hook of his own. It wasn¡¯t something Gary couldn¡¯t withstand, but he might lose a tooth there. He spat blood. The grunt tried to grab him, but Ina came crashing down with her knee on his face.


    The grunts closed in on them, holding batons. There were only four left, and they had no assurance of how things would turn out. Both Gary and Ina smirked as they pulled out sticks hidden in their coats. Gary wiped the blood dripping from his nose and rushed towards the enemies, as they parried and strengthened themselves with sheer force, gripping their weapons.


    When Lance moved his head back, the enemy saw his feint and came much closer to deliver a quick blow on his face. Lance¡¯s nose bled, and he took another blow from the enemy. Lance adjusted his dishevelled glasses and delivered another punch to the enemy¡¯s gutter. The enemy grunted, and his eyes began to drift in a haze. The two of them were coughing hard, spitting out blood. Lance saw an opportunity and tried to pull the enemy up and prepare a stance to throw him at the enemies in the back, where Gary and Ina were facing, but it was futile. The enemy rose wobbling on his feet and held onto Lance¡¯s neck, then threw him at Gary. Gary was taken aback, and stumbled at the two grunts on top of them.


    ¡°Oh, crap,¡± the two muttered.


    ¡°Get off on top of me, please.¡± Gary said and huffed.


    Lance stood up, turning his attention to the enemy. Lance sheepishly said, ¡°Screw it,¡± as he held his breath and hardened his fist.


    When the enemy caught Ina¡¯s arm, her knees slammed against his groin. The poor bastard was on his knees, screaming in pain. Gary, who was beginning to recover, used a metallic stick to slam it into the face of the stiffened enemy and punched the enemy on his left side. Ina used her heels to stomp the enemy¡¯s feet, causing him to let go and crouch to his knees. She pirouetted and her feet landed on the enemy¡¯s face.


    The enemy swept his leg to Lance, but he caught it. Shoving it aside, a clenched fist devastatingly made contact to the enemy in the gut, causing him to cough up blood. With sheer force, he delivered another roundhouse kick. The man howled in pain as he dropped, his face first on the pavement.


    The Hoarder was clapping at the side line. ¡°Well-well, I thought y¡¯all just talked, but I see you can fight as well.¡±


    Lance glanced at him with a fiery look as he walked towards him. The Hoarder raised his brow as he stepped back, wary of the change in the guests¡¯ attitude.


    ¡°I guess this is it. Tell me what you want, and in exchange, you¡¯ll serve me,¡± the Hoarder said.


    ¡°Yeah, well, I changed my mind,¡± Lance said furiously as he pushed the Hoarder against the wall. ¡°You¡¯re going to tell us what¡¯s happening in this city.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on. We both know what will happen if you¡¯re going to do something for me. Well, it¡¯s not like mocking your abilities, but you could barely handle those goons. Imagine what would happen if all of my men gang the three of you?¡± he chuckled, mocking them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate us,¡±


    Lance gripped the Hoarder¡¯s shoulder tightly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t threaten me,¡± the Hoarder said as he shoved Lance¡¯s hands aside and pushed him with his palm. The two caught him. Lance felt terrified by the sheer force the Hoarder performed.


    ¡°Before I started this business, they once knew me as a mercenary. An experienced man, if you would say, but I¡¯m not into it anymore, well not directly,¡± the Hoarder said.


    Lance was surprised and made a gap between them. ¡°Tell me, you¡¯re the agents of Canary, am I right?¡±


    ¡°How did you know?¡± Gary asked. He braced Ina¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to be psychic to know what¡¯s inside your mind. Entering here with confidence and talking about being invited without knowing what¡¯s inside tells a different tale. That¡¯s right, your expressions when you first saw the auction,¡± the Hoarder explained. ¡°I¡¯m awfully mindful of my surroundings. You should have worn different colours to make you inconspicuous.¡±


    ¡°Well, congratulations, you¡¯re a seer. Why not kill us now?¡± Ina said.


    ¡°Oh no, my dear. I¡¯m not that idiotic to waste such an opportunity. You want something on me, right? Let me guess about the mysterious incidents happening for a couple of months?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lance replied as he softly huffed and crossed his arms. ¡°It¡¯s about the disappearance of people in this city.¡±


    ¡°About that, I can give you a clue.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because first, there is something that I want you to do.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°You think we can trust him?¡± Ina asked.


    ¡°We have no choice.¡± Lance said.


    The Hoarder chuckled and said, ¡°Where were we again? All right, let¡¯s talk about your plea.¡±


    Gary nervously gulped and folded his hands.


    ¡°There is someone that I want you to take care of.¡± The Hoarder said.


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    The Hoarder¡¯s face lit up with a cheerful smile, revealing his joyous eyes. He narrated everything that he wanted them to do, but the three had no choice but to accept his offer, unaware of his true intentions.

 5

    The first thing that he saw as he woke up was the shaft of moonlight piercing the darkness in his room through the window which face his bed. He shook his head to decline drowsiness that was threatening him back to sleep. He sat up and stared at the clock then to the window, he was surprised that he slept more than his regular sleeping hours.


    The cloudless night sky above Kayon City was blotted by thousands of stars, too many for the human eyes to count, but he did anyway just to pass time and tire his mind to put asleep. He was about to go back to sleep when he heard chants outside.


    A chilly breeze washed over him when he opened the shutters. He observed the outside world: cars racing by, a dragon-shaped figure swaying down the street, and a marching band playing music, drummed pounding hard that prompted some people to dance on the sidewalk. Although he found it all unfamiliar, it was entertaining for him.


    Unnoticed by Alastor, Linda walked in quietly and took a seat next to him. She was observing silently. His eyes remained fixed by the parade outside, while Linda observed him with curiosity and concern. She understood that the previous mission exhausted him and was grateful for his efforts. After a while, he heard a rustle of clothes. Linda was waiting patiently.


    ¡°Al, would you mind telling me what¡¯s on your mind?¡± she asked. Ever since his position moved up, the Grandmaster made considerations and sent Alastor to Kayon City as a pledge member of the Glade. This is his first mission for a while. Though, he was still adjusting to the unfamiliar culture of the city and to them of course.


    The chilly wind found its way through the room again, and Linda¡¯s blonde hair fluttered. She grew tired of waiting for his attention and persisted, ¡°It wouldn¡¯t hurt if you talk to me, right?¡± At last, Alastor spun around and she asked, ¡°What¡¯s bothering you?¡±


    He sighed and sat with his back straight up and said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t help but feel intrigued and amazed by all of this. It¡¯s kind of new to me.¡±


    ¡°I was like you before. The first time I got out into the Glade, the outside world amazed me, but the mission kills the fun.¡± Linda offered a half-smile.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it terrible to be in debt?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The Glade sheltered us, but we have to repay it by getting sent to the field then they expect us to fight for the cause we are not familiar with.¡±


    Linda shook her head. ¡°We all have purpose, Al. The Glade did not force us to take missions, we could have chosen other paths, yet here we are, unable to bear just to watch people struggle, but you already understood that. And to respond with your second statement, I believe that every mission we had has a purpose. The glade wouldn¡¯t just throw us into the battle we knew nothing of.¡±


    There was silence.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s your story?¡± Linda asked after a while.


    Alastor was puzzled by what she was talking about and replied, ¡°Story about what?¡±


    Linda rose and walked towards the window, peering out.


    ¡°Well, about your life,¡± Linda clarified.


    Alastor keenly gazed at Linda, and she noticed it and became startled. ¡°Are you angry?¡± Her heart began to throb faster than normal, and she couldn¡¯t look directly at him.


    Alastor didn¡¯t want to talk about anything related to his past and subconsciously gave Linda a cold stare. He noticed a sudden change in Linda¡¯s facial expression, likely from him being undoubtedly cold. It wasn¡¯t that he intended to do it, but more like it was a habit he couldn¡¯t get rid of.


    He sighed and tried to steer the conversation to the last few minutes, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not angry about it. Just don¡¯t ask that kind of question. I have no idea what to say about that.¡±


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Despite his reassurance, the tension in her heart persisted, and her conscience grew. ¡°Ugh, I apologize. It¡¯s not like I purposely want to intrude on your privacy. What I want to say is¡ªis¡­¡± She paused, realizing that her words were lost in thought.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± He asked, his voice was instigating something which made her even more uncomfortable. He was doing it on purpose.


    Linda bit her lips, and the awkward atmosphere grew intense. ¡°Maybe I just want you to be more open with us. We barely talk in private, and as a leader, I think the connection is essential to trust. You purposely lagged behind to face the enemies alone. You could get hurt, you should have told me that you were planning that in the first place.¡±


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t and I¡¯m fine.¡± Alastor¡¯s rested legs moved to the floor, and he stood straight, facing Linda. She was intimidated for a moment because of the height difference, but she managed to maintain her composure despite the difficulty of making out of his reaction. Alastor was tall with healthy light skin and eyes deep and dark. ¡°I guess that¡¯s why you guys are sometimes uptight when we have a meeting, especially you.¡± he remarked.


    ¡°I am not uptight. You¡¯re uptight.¡±


    Alastor sighed. ¡°Listen to me. I don¡¯t talk too much, but it doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t have faith in you guys. I¡¯m different, alright and I don¡¯t care. It¡¯s none of my business to change whatever you think about me. What matters is the mission; personal information would hinder each of us in fulfilling our mission.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so strange,¡± Linda said.


    Alastor let out another heavy sigh, expelling the air weighing on his chest, as he ambled towards the door, pressing the switch to turn on the lights. He realized what Linda was wearing - a long T-shirt that covered down near her knees, with her slender legs exposed, and her silken blonde hair ponytailed with a ribbon.


    Linda noticed his gaze and shouted, ¡°What are you looking at?!¡±


    Alastor realized the tense atmosphere and averted his eyes, pretending to ignore her words. He walked back and sat near her while staring back to the view. He fell silent for a few moments before saying, ¡°Yeah, well, thanks to you the drowsiness is gone. Tell me, Linda. Do you believe everyone is destined for something?¡±


    ¡°Not really. You?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°No, but I hope so.¡±


    ¡°Hm. I¡¯m curious, what is your goal? The Glade doesn¡¯t restrict our people as much. Some people I knew left and lived their life. I¡¯m sure you have something else set on your mind after this mission.¡±


    Alastor looked away and stared down the plaza. The people halted and lined at the sidewalk. They watched several participants in the costume parade. On top, in the sky, fireworks exploded with beautiful colours that he couldn¡¯t forget.


    ¡°I wished to be wrong.¡±


    Linda¡¯s brows met.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Ever since then, I believe that nothing comes good in this world. I am trying so hard to be optimistic like you guys, but¡­ you know where we came from. You know what the directors instilled in us. I am the only encumbering factor in this group.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± Linda cut in. ¡°You are just as important in this team. You did something unthinkable and lured the enemies off our back.¡±


    ¡°No. I am no better than them. I kill because I have no purpose. The thing that keeps me here is because I am nobody and the Glade, it¡¯s the only thing that serves my life a purpose.¡±


    ¡°What about the people we¡¯re helping?¡±


    ¡°What about them?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you doing this because you feel sorry for them?¡±


    Alastor looked down. ¡°Of course, I do, because they have something that I don¡¯t; life.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being too hard on yourself?¡±


    ¡°The truth is hard to swallow, Linda, and that¡¯s a good thing. It¡¯s what strives us to keep in touch in reality.¡± He briefly paused before continuing, ¡°You guys are lucky that you had something in the past to hold onto, to remind you what you are, and to believe what you are meant to be. I didn''t have anyone before I joined.¡± Alastor withdrew his eyes from below and shot her a look, the kind of one who¡¯s seeking empathy. ¡°I want everything I know to be wrong. I want someone to prove it to me. So that I won¡¯t remain neutral.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a belief, a century old passed down by the wisdom of old men alike ¨C that each one of us are fated on something, whether it¡¯s glorious or tragic; a Call of Fate. That is something powerful that no man can turn their back against. You will find it, Al. Someday you will.¡±


    Linda rose from her seat and walked to the door, quite enough that Alastor thought she was still there until he looked around. She was about to open the wooden door when someone knocked first. ¡°Al, have you seen Linda? She¡¯s not in her room,¡± a boyish voice said, rattling Linda.


    He looked at her, and Linda gestured to be silent about her being in his room. Alastor knew what she meant.


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t seen her. I just woke up, and I¡¯m watching the parade up here,¡± he replied.


    Tin added, ¡°Oh, about that, Cid is here, and he has something to tell us. Come to the meeting room, okay?¡±


    Tin left and Linda exhaled loudly.


    ¡°What was that again?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Cid is here. She wants us to come to the meeting room,¡± he replied.


    Alastor opened the cabinet, grabbed a towel, and proceeded to the bathroom. He turned to face Linda and said, ¡°The next time you come here, don¡¯t wear that. They might think differently about us.¡±


    ¡°I know that!¡±


    When Linda left the room, a totem caught his attention, a rather odd one shaped like a monk wrapped with a tiny ribbon. He smiled. He hid it in his pocket before going out.

 6

    Opening the door, he heard the rumbling noise of people inside. It was past eight o¡¯clock in the evening when the man summoned the gang. Alastor knew the importance, but he just hoped that whoever he was, he should make an exemption for the timing. Tin and Ken were arguing. Although Alastor couldn¡¯t get the gist of the topic, he wanted to make them shut up. The thing that conveyed his thoughts was his behaviour. The grim look in his eyes sent a chill down Ken¡¯s spine even without looking at him.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up with you again? Why the gloom? Looks like someone skipped a meal,¡± Ken jested, his way of warding off Alastor¡¯s grim presence.


    ¡°Just leave him be, Ken. Come back here; we¡¯re not done arguing,¡± Tin said. They rambled again.


    ¡°Could you guys please shut up for a couple of minutes? Why aren¡¯t we starting to discuss this meeting yet?¡± Alastor asked flatly.


    ¡°Uhm, because the pretty boy is not here, and Linda is ¨C Oh, there they are.¡±


    The chamber doors opened. Linda entered the room with a man clad in a flamboyant outfit. He was wearing a flamboyant outfit, red long-sleeve polo along with trousers and a red scarf twist on his neck. His name is Cid Philson. Despite his rare appearances in a mission like this, he was considered a reliable asset to the organization. He was working with their group for the past few months, with the exception of meeting Linda occasionally. Normally, a spy like him would solely focus on his designated task given by his superior, alone, but Linda requested his assistance from the director for this assignment due to the lack of social network.


    ¡°What took you so long?¡± Ken asked.


    ¡°Oh, you know, I have to pick this guy up at the entrance because he doesn¡¯t want to get lost,¡± Linda explained.


    ¡°What are you, a nine-year-old?¡± Ken mocked.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s just say that I have a terrible sense of direction.¡± Cid scoffed.


    Alastor was confused by how they casually talked.


    ¡°You guys know each other?¡± Tin asked.


    Alastor offered a shrug as he had no idea who he was. They met once before he visited their hideout, and other than that, he could not recall any other occasions they had met.


    Ken came closer to his ears, whispering, ¡°Dude, back when we were in the Glade, he was our senior. He¡¯s famous for being known as a ladies¡¯ man.¡±


    ¡°Why are you whispering?¡± Tin suddenly joined and startled Ken.


    Linda sighed and felt sorry for Cid. ¡°Just don¡¯t mind them, and please have patience.¡±


    ¡°Nah, don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m used to it,¡± Cid shrugged off the comment.


    However, their conversation was soon interrupted by a commanding voice.


    ¡°Hey! Will you guys stop gossiping!?¡± Linda squawked. ¡°Tin and Ken, will you guys act according to your age?¡±


    ¡°We are acting based on our age!¡± the two replied in unison. Alastor struggled to recall who Cid was, but a flash of recognition hit him as he noticed the resemblance in his face. Cid now has blonde hair and a shaved beard, whereas he used to have dark hair. The only similarity that remained was their ochre-colour eyes.


    ¡°Listen, we all have one chance to expose, get inside and extract the data bank. If we mess up, they might increase their security.¡± Cid started with a caution. The bright glow of the white bulbs illuminated the spacious room, which featured a large table at its center, surrounded by control panels and buttons. Tin was decoding a device they stole from the Jules market, with everyone listening intently to Cid¡¯s explanation.


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotta be careful too, aside from those armed guards, they also have weapons inside, and they¡¯re not happy with what you did. So, listen to me, alright? Tin, are the blueprints ready?¡± Cid asked.


    Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°Just wait, here we go,¡± Tin replied as she pressed a button. A giant, old chemical factory appeared on the screen, with a massive cylindrical-like structure standing tall behind a large building.


    ¡°This is Kayon Chemical Factory. It¡¯s been abandoned for the past eight years until now,¡± Cid explained, swiping through the profile list until he found the person involved in their mission. The others marked as eliminated were small fries that they already dealt with over the past few months. When he found the person he was looking for, he pressed the button. ¡°This fatso, Don Trifalgo, he¡¯s the one who bought that plantation. That place had turned into a delivery service partner of Kelby Hives. Now, I know that you guys know this pig.¡±


    ¡°Of course, we stole his item at the Jules market, and our superiors have already briefed us. Why are you repeating this discussion?¡± Ken said.


    Cid snorted, indicating his boredom before continuing, ¡°Yes, Atta boy, but that¡¯s not all of that. He¡¯s just a puppet, a proxy. Your actual target is this guy.¡±


    Cid pressed the search bar and entered his code at the top of the login members. Linda paused her movement and keenly observed who he was talking about as he opened the secret files of the Glade. The figure of a man in a white trench coat and all black tuxedo caught her attention.


    ¡°His name is Theo Koel Juvel. He is the CEO of the Kelby Hives, and while they may not have known him, he is a certified ¡®King of Douchebags¡¯. He is the number one suspect of those rumours of biological weapons that were circulating. This guy is a different kind of monster.¡±


    Ken sat and rested his arms at the table. ¡°I don¡¯t think we should dig in that much. Look, we have the pieces of evidence from the stolen Data Bank and the energy dampener in our possession. Why don¡¯t we just copy a file to another Data Bank and wait for the right moment to assault them, and then give the evidence to the police?¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a great idea. We should have just given a copy to the police and assault them as the clients wanted, without digging deeper into their menace. You¡¯re a genius, Ken.¡± Cid said. His tone was sarcastic.


    ¡°Yeah, right?¡± Ken happily congratulated himself, but the others were stuck in their pace, trying to comprehend the situation. Then, Cid¡¯s loud voice cut through the silence.


    ¡°No! We will not hand them a copy, and we will not stop right there. Listen to me, they might have already created a bioweapon generated from the experiments.¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°Powerful weapons and if we¡¯re not careful, things might go critical. We can¡¯t trust anyone under any authority. If Trifalgo managed to get passed by the authorities despite being a criminal, you could also imagine that Theo had some gripped of several officials.¡±


    Ken finally realized the gravity of the situation and looked down, pulling a face.


    ¡°Uh, question,¡± Alastor raised his hand, ¡°I¡¯m curious. This blueprint. Are we looking at the new or outdated one?¡±


    ¡°Uhh, the outdated one.¡±


    ¡°Figures,¡± Alastor mumbled, disappointed.


    ¡°Look, there¡¯s no way I can get an actual blueprint of the place. So please bear with my presentation, okay?¡± Cid said.


    ¡°Do you think we should skip the part where we plan on how to take him down and consult with the directors about the change of circumstances? Our original mission was to gather data, but the preceding info changed a lot of things for the worse. We can¡¯t ignore this.¡± Tin said.


    Cid promptly replied, ¡°Here¡¯s the thing, kid. I am an agent, a spy, if you will. There¡¯s a mission that is waiting for me, and the higher-ups won¡¯t stop bothering me. So, yeah, my time is limited, and I can¡¯t jeopardize the trust of my collaborators. Are we cool with that? Because I know that any of you can find a way to convince them.¡±


    As Cid looked back at the screen, Linda pressed a button, opening a tab for a video call. Cid was about to cancel when an image of a man appeared on the screen. He was surprised by whom Linda was calling. It was one director of the Glade, Rod Hidalgo Fey


    Cid let out a sigh and cursed under his breath, ¡°Oh, shit.¡±


    Rod¡¯s face was emphasized on the screen, forehead was profuse with sweats, the papers behind was disarranged and the attendant hastily move from places to places. Cid stood back as if he had seen a ghost. Linda pushed a button underneath the table and dragged the tab to the giant screen, causing the image to be displayed on the wall. ¡°Sir, there have been changes in circumstances regarding the mission,¡± Linda began to narrate what Cid explained to them, and the plan was laid out. The mission was scheduled to proceed that night, and they hoped that they would uncover the secrets of the man.


    Rod¡¯s face twisted in a scowl as he listened to Linda¡¯s report. ¡°What kind of changes?¡± he asked gruffly.


    Linda took a deep breath and continued, ¡°The information that we have gathered suggests that there may be a bioweapon in development at the Kelby Hives, and we believe that the CEO, Theo Koel Juvel, is responsible. We cannot afford to wait any longer, sir. We need to act fast.¡±


    Rod¡¯s expression softened slightly as he considered Linda¡¯s words. ¡°Very well,¡± he said. ¡°Proceed with the mission as you see fit. But be careful. We don¡¯t want any unnecessary casualties.¡±


    Cid was delighted by the fact the mission was still on go, but with him being part of it, he could feel his soul leaving his body. He had something else to do other than securing information that he was feeding them. He wished he could just have ignored their request before.

 7

    ¡°I¡¯m heading out,¡± Alastor said as he snatched his sword back from resting against the wall. He left the building, pulling the door shut behind him. Tin was still inside, assembling her weapon, and she gave a slight nod as she sat staring back at him.


    Alastor looked down the building, his eyes scanning the railways for transportation, and then a shrill noise came from a train. Its wheels flashed as it braked and finally, it halted. He took a deep breath, a long sighed. He took out his grappling hook and then without thinking twice, he jumped. The hook spurted on the building, swinging around until he leapt and landed on top of the train. He entered the dark, shabby carriage and closed the door, his sword resting on the dusty ground. In a few seconds, his eyes felt heavy, so he shook his head to wane off the dizziness.


    When Alastor heard a sharp whistle, he got up and peered through the window. The rumbling wooden floor and the roar made him wobble and flinch, but then he took caution as he might miss the destination of their mission. He checked his wristwatch; the handset pointed to ten o¡¯clock in the evening. He peeked at the slightly closed wooden door and noticed that the destination was nearby. Beneath him, he could feel the train gradually slowing down. He lowered his hands, felt the coldness of the wooden floor, standing straight from resting his back on the quaking wall. The train broke, and Alastor hardly held the pole to keep his balance. After it stopped, he reclaimed his sword. His fingerless gloves reached out to the taut red leather that surrounded the thin handle of the double-edged silver sword. He swung it from left to right, passed it onto his other hand, testing the weight and balance. When he was satisfied with the upgrade, he hung it back to its scabbard.


    Once the train stopped by, he opened the door. The doors were weak, made of wood, and could be opened easily. It was not surprising that they used this extension of the train as a carriage of transportation for food as they did not want to waste money. The transportation processes of this city elevated questions.


    He stepped out from the shabby carriage into the shadowy edge of the buildings that were a few meters away from the chemical factory. A few lamps shone with brightness, and the others were stuttering, making a buzzing noise.


    As he moved to the dark enclosure, the engine started to rumble and moved along the narrow path. He swiftly ran away from the crowd, next to an empty road then took a right turn. They could have used transportation services to get there quickly, but they don¡¯t want to leave any traces by the security footage. Besides, their suits could gather some unwanted attention, so they decided to split up.


    He took cover as soon as the presence of the guards showed up. There were three of them, but they couldn¡¯t be underestimated; they had guns and wore tight, dark tuxedos. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not suspicious,¡± Alastor said, astounded by the enemies¡¯ outfits. His dark, tight jacket camouflaged him in the shadow of the wall, and his presence went unnoticed.


    He wore the mask and placed the headphones over his ears before attempting to call his accomplice. The operating system finally functioned, just as expected from the computer expert¡¯s talent. The phones began vibrating in each member¡¯s pockets.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up?!¡± Ken energetically replied.


    ¡°Where are you right now?¡± Alastor questioned him.


    ¡°Wait, aren¡¯t the two of you supposed to be together?¡± Tin asked.


    ¡°Wait, we¡¯re supposed to be in the same location?¡± Alastor was surprised.


    ¡°Ken, you idiot! You should¡¯ve joined Alastor!¡± Linda said. Her voice was laced with annoyance.


    ¡°Dude, it¡¯s not entirely my fault. Al was the one who jumped on the train and didn¡¯t wait for me,¡± Ken excused himself.


    ¡°Do you realize that if he waited for you, then he would have been in the same situation as you?¡± Linda calmed herself and didn¡¯t want to make a commotion as it would likely distract them from the mission.


    ¡°Look, we all have one chance to expose this guy. If we screw up, then we¡¯ll likely have a hard time meeting him again.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll just follow Al. I¡¯ll take a reroute.


    The plantation¡¯s grounds were vast, comparable to a district. Several warehouses were operational, but some of them appeared to be non-functional. The silhouette emerged behind the building, largely in the shadow, the undercover branch of Kelby Hives.


    Alastor patiently waited for the others to divide their way. He was about to engage the enemy when Tin stopped him, ¡°There¡¯s a watchman at the rear. How could you not see that?¡±


    Alastor looked up and noticed it.


    ¡°Of course, the security. Tin, take him down.¡±


    In an abandoned eight-story building, Tin was sitting and watching out in the compartment, just a few blocks away from the plantation. She was preparing her sniper, reloading the magazine, but instead of bullets, it was filled with injections.


    ¡°Roger.¡± She attached the stand of the sniper and crouched. Her sniper adjusted to the target, and when it was focused, she pulled the trigger. The timing was perfect, and the hooligan landed gently on the chair, appearing as if the occurrence was normal.


    Another enemy was approaching, while the other two were likely checking other alleyways. As the enemy drew closer, Alastor leaped in front of the foe and jabbed his Adam¡¯s apple, causing him to flinch, followed by a series of punches that knocked him down. The enemy lay sprawled awkwardly on the concrete ground.


    At the end of the narrow road, he could see the guard flying and making a light thud as he fell on the floor. The silhouette of a man revealed himself as the light reached his dark face mask. Clad in a tight jacket and plain pants, his knuckles were brimming with light.


    Alastor gestured that one enemy remained, and Ken nodded. Alastor began to jog across the platform, the dull thumping of his boots echoing in the yard. The last guard, alarmed by the noise, immediately returned from the alley he came from. They swiftly climbed on at the side of the wall, and got behind the guard. They emerged and knocked him down before he could react.


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s okay to leave them here?¡± Ken asked.


    ¡°Try answering your own question,¡± Alastor said.


    Ken gave him a look.


    ¡°No, we must hide the bodies, covering the possibility of suspicion,¡±


    Ken let out a sigh and scratched his scrawny dark hair.


    ¡°Ok then, you go first. I¡¯ll take care of these.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, besides, Tin is up there, she¡¯ll watch out for me.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Tin said.


    Alastor nodded and proceeded with caution, jogging towards the entrance at the rear of the location. However, the entry required a member¡¯s login, so Alastor pulled a squared piece of machinery out of his pouch, a device that kept blinking, and placed it on the screen.


    ¡°I¡¯m on it,¡± Cid announced and started to fiddle with his laptop, and a bunch of binaries showed up. He logged into their surveillance and changed the actual live recording to a previous recording. There was a loud beep and the light turned green, the door opened. They ran inside and made a huge turn on their light to avoid the guard at the watchtower. ¡°Damn, how the hell did I end up helping them?¡±


    ¡°How are we doing, Cid?¡± Alastor asked.


    ¡°Oh, me? Nah, I¡¯m fine, just watching the--¡±


    Alastor intercepted, ¡°That¡¯s not it. I¡¯m talking about security.¡±


    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s not that much security at the rear entrance of the place. Just be careful, sometimes guards were roaming there,¡± Cid added. He was hiding inside the van parked between two buildings. He pressed the cancel button of a tab and focused back on the mission.


    As they emerged from the shadows and snuck behind a huge crate, Ken felt his heart double in speed. He looked at Alastor, envious of how collected and calm he was. They waited for the guards to waltz away.


    ¡°Do you know why I dislike women?¡± Ken asked.


    ¡°How is that even relevant?¡± Alastor thought.


    ¡°Because they get mean for no reason at all.¡±


    Alastor let out a sigh. His eyes trained forward.


    ¡°Is this the part where you start playing guitar in the lobby?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the only reason. When I asked Tin to taste my cooking, she abruptly spit it out even though it was fairly good and started calling me mean names.¡±


    Alastor replied, ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know how to respond to that. Don¡¯t ask me about women. I don¡¯t know anything about them.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you were there when I was practicing my guitar?¡±


    Alastor hesitated at first, but then admitted, ¡°Yeah, I was. And I think you should play in public.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    Alastor peered around and noticed that the guards were gone. He gestured for Ken to follow as they continued to scurry further. Alastor waited for a few seconds as Cid decoded the binary codes flashing back and forth on the screen. He watched as the entry blinked green and there came a faint groan before it began to open. Alastor concealed himself in the shadow, avoiding the white hue as he jogged across the platform. Ken followed from behind.


    The huge cast of shadow from behind was an enormous edifice that served as a place for their experiments. At the end of the narrow alleyway at the side of the building, he saw the emerging presence of someone he knew. It was Linda, wearing a red tight jacket. Her red lipstick stood out as the light made its way to her milky skin.


    ¡°Where is your mask?¡± Alastor asked.


    ¡°Right, I forgot, sorry,¡± she replied, pulling out her mask and covering her face. She turned back and sneaked in, with Alastor and Ken following closely behind.


    They entered the downward side of the building until they reached an open concrete way. Alastor asked, ¡°Hey, where are we going next?¡±


    Linda pointed out the stairs behind the parking lot. ¡°Once we reach the twentieth floor, there will be a ventilator that is connected to the panel bridge.¡±


    ¡°Bridge?¡± Alastor questioned.


    Cid began to explain, ¡°Yes, kid. The bridge that connects to the Experiment Sector, which is inside that gigantic industrial furnace, requires two keycards that need to be simultaneously entered. The panel is at the same level. You just have to look around the office.¡±


    Linda raised her brow. She couldn¡¯t understand how Cid knew this.


    ¡°I thought you have no idea about the place,¡±


    ¡°I said there¡¯s no way I could get an actual blueprint of the place,¡± Cid replied.


    ¡°Then how did you know this?¡± Linda said.


    ¡°I have a, uh¡­¡±


    ¡°Let me guess. You hit one of their staff, didn¡¯t ya?¡± Ken asked.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say ¡®hit¡¯. I prefer the words ¡®infiltrating with perks,¡± Cid explained with enthusiasm.


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re the only spy who could do that,¡± Tin said and snorted.


    The heavy breaths produced by their tired lungs softly echoed through the stairways as they climbed. Finally, they reached the ventilation, and Linda snatched a lapel out of her pocket. She pressed the button of the flower head figure, and its shape turned into a screwdriver.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Alastor asked.


    ¡°This is a tool for thieving,¡± she huffed as he reached for the bolts of the ventilation filter. The width of the duct surprised Linda upon opening the ventilation filter.


    ¡°Well, this is convenient,¡±


    Alastor followed her lead while Cid guided their way to the designated level. He kept changing the direction of his gaze, and Linda could feel his inconspicuous gaze coming from behind her.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°What were you looking at?¡± she asked. He altered his sight, and his poker face seemed rather convincing. She let out a sigh and proceeded without saying anything.


    As boredom set in, Ken broke the silence.


    ¡°Hey, Cid, where did you hit the lady?¡±


    ¡°For the love of God, Ken, will you shut your mouth?¡± Linda asked.


    ¡°There was no ¡®hit¡¯ happening,¡± Cid protested.


    ¡°I doubt that,¡± Ken replied.


    The air inside the duct was unpleasant and irritating to breathe, and clouds of dust fell over their faces. The shrill mechanical sound produced from the propeller rotating ahead of them added to the discomfort. After a few turns, they found themselves cornered.


    ¡°Crap,¡± Linda muttered.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here,¡± Alastor said. He leaned back and proceeded to the left side, disarraying with a quick pull of the shaft, creating a metallic sound that he held. Linda followed him, and the two found themselves in the promenade part of the building.


    ¡°Where are we, Cid?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re on the eighteenth floor. Let me check the population of the next floor,¡± Cid replied. He continued tapping on his laptop, creating a rhythm that coincided with the tapping of Linda¡¯s foot. Alastor¡¯s eyes narrowed as he scanned the surroundings, waiting for Cid¡¯s confirmation.


    ¡°Lucky for you guys, apparently there is no personnel from the thirteenth to the nineteenth floor. So, it¡¯s best to use the stairs,¡± Cid said.


    ¡°Stairs? We can¡¯t use elevators?¡±


    ¡°No, company policy. They¡¯re using a card reader in every corner of the office in this building,¡± Cid explained.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be damned,¡± Alastor said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know how the building¡¯s system works. Going to the next ladder and finding another ventilation duct is the best option we have right now,¡±


    Just as Cid finished speaking, an alarm began to ring loud, flashing in red lights.


    ¡°You were saying?¡±


    ¡°Heh-heh. Sorry,¡± Cid replied.


    The two of them hurriedly jogged to the dark entry underneath the ascending floor to the elevator. As they moved, there was a bleep from the elevator entry. They emerged in the dark enclosure, halting their motion and slowly walking through their way. The patrolmen came down laughing, unaware of the duo hiding in the darkness. They could hear them talking about their fellow patrolman¡¯s rattled reaction to the false alarm. The two glanced at each other, nodded, and proceeded.


    They found the ventilation and scurried inside without a flinch, taking a few routes until they found the exit of the ventilation they sought. They hid and observed from the ventilation shaft as the footsteps of the dozen drew closer. Once they saw the individual walking casually at the platform with a bunch of bodyguards, they already knew it was an important person. They couldn¡¯t see the face as the hooligans surrounded him, but they could hear the angry, distressed voice echoing in the marble pavement of the edifice. The voice was deep, hoarse and distressed.


    ¡°Now, I want you to redo it! This is the fifth time it failed!¡± The scientist scolded and turned around, looking frustrated. ¡°Mister Theo wouldn¡¯t be pleased if he found another failure again! Look, I am being considerate here because I am kind, but these failures are getting on my nerves. So, chop-chop, make the salary worth it.¡±


    As they entered the elevator, they could see the two guards entering their keycards and disconnecting the bridge through the translucent window. They finally left.


    ¡°What the hell is happening here?¡± Ken asked. He appeared out of nowhere.


    ¡°What took you so long?¡± Alastor asked as he cowered down to open the filter.


    ¡°I went to some places. Hey, would you mind if we get out now?¡± Ken asked.


    ¡°Stay close and stop wandering around.¡± Alastor shrilled a whisper.


    ¡°Wait, Cid, what¡¯s next?¡± Linda asked.


    ¡°Okay, listen to me. Though it may seem like there are no guards, they are together in one room,¡± Cid explained.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Linda asked suspiciously.


    ¡°Yes, I am sure. That¡¯s what my computer is showing,¡± Cid affirmed.


    Alastor nodded, agreeing to what he said, ¡°He¡¯s right. They may be slacking because they thought that the security of the other levels is enough.¡±


    ¡°Wow, I wonder if their boss knows about this. I mean, he didn¡¯t even suspect the quietness of the place,¡± Ken said.


    ¡°Those who get cocky get dissed off first,¡± Alastor said with enthusiasm.


    Linda suspiciously gazed at Alastor and he asked, ¡°Why give me that look?¡±


    ¡°I wonder sometimes how old you are,¡± Linda replied.


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®old¡¯?¡± Alastor didn¡¯t get it.


    As the guard sipped his hot coffee, he lay off his feet onto the empty part of the panel, unwinding with the music. His partner seemed a bit off and couldn¡¯t resist the urge.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m gonna go jingle. Would you mind looking out for me?¡± he said as he hurriedly reached the door. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not like someone might hack and break the security systems,¡± he said before leaving.


    After releasing himself, he washed up and proceeded back to the control panel room as the gang knocked him down. Even though jazz music echoed in the room, he still heard a loud thump near the door. He decided to go out and found his fallen partner. He turned on his walkie-talkie to call for backup, but it was too late, and Ken delivered a round kick, stopping the guard. Ken almost felt sorry giving the guy a black eye.


    ¡°Room secured,¡± Linda reported.


    ¡°Good, now I want you to insert a plugin into one computer,¡± Cid requested.


    Alastor pulled out a box from his jacket that had an antenna and a connector. After inserting it, binaries showed up, and in a couple of seconds, there was an alert requiring a passcode.


    ¡°It needs a passcode,¡± Alastor said. Linda and Ken watched outside the room, scouting the area, wary of the possibility of patrolling guards.


    ¡°Okay, how about we use the key card? That might work,¡± Cid suggested. Alastor inserted the key card ¨C the one he used at the entrance ¨C into the hole and the hunch was right. Cid began decoding the system and breaking down the codes. After he entered the passcode, he began downloading files in the frame.


    ¡°What are you doing, Cid?¡± Alastor asked.


    ¡°I am copying the files from their previous activities. We might find a use for them.¡± He has no idea how wrong he was.


    Linda and Ken was at the opposite side when they slid the keycards at the same time. The disconnected bridge created a low hum sound. The engine rumbled faintly as the two separated the channels that connect. After this, there came the rumble of machinery, and with a faint groan, the door began to part.


    Walking on the metallic bridge, Alastor looked up at the main building. Its size was incomparable to what it looked like outside the industrial furnace. With a blank expression on his face, the gloom began to spread out. He couldn¡¯t help but teeter, letting out a heavy sigh, dispelling his thoughts.


    Alastor noticed that the building was much bigger than he initially thought when he was outside. The cylindrical chimney made it look like a normal chemical factory. But if one looked at it from the inside, their perspective might change. The exterior has many quarters, most of which were operational, while others served as a stockroom or their office¡¯s meeting room.


    The giant doorway closed as they entered the Experiment Sector. They didn¡¯t waste time and continued to explore. They encountered some guards, but they slipped by them as they moved through the shadows and hid in crates. They covertly knocked down the enemies before they could ask for help, leaving their bodies hidden in the stockroom or locker where they could hide them and not alert other guards.


    After searching this part of the section, they entered another slim pathway. They tried to use the keycards, but it kept blinking the word ¡®error.¡¯ Alastor put the device he used before, and Cid began hacking the system. It didn¡¯t take too long, and the door opened.


    ¡°Done deciphering,¡± Cid said.


    They could hear Cid sipping something liquid, and this annoyed Ken. ¡°Dude, are you drinking coffee?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ It helps me stay focused and awake,¡± Cid roughly replied, and they could hear the shrill sipping sound.


    Ken interjected, saying, ¡°Will you stop doing that?¡±


    ¡°Stop what?¡± Cid asked.


    ¡°That sound, that sipping sound,¡± Ken said, almost annoyed.


    ¡°Is it bothering you?¡± Cid asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ken replied.


    After hearing those words, Cid grinned and continued to make sipping sounds louder, provoking Ken¡¯s reaction more aggressively. ¡°Hey¡­ asshole!¡± Ken shouted.


    ¡°Hey, how about both of you stop acting like children and be mindful that we¡¯re in enemy territory?¡± Linda intercepted the the argument.


    Alastor was observing them with a blank expression and decided to leave them behind to proceed with entering the room. ¡°There¡¯s no need for me to be distracted by their sappy argument.¡±


    They noticed that he was already a few meters away from them, so they followed and stopped arguing. They checked every room they passed, most of which were composed only of transparent glasses, but it didn¡¯t look like the usual glass that could be broken by any traditional means.


    Ken decided to punch one of them. He moved his right foot backward, aligning it with the other, and his right fist pulled close to his chest, concentrating power in his hands. He pulled the string, and the fist met the target. Instead of breaking the glass, the windowpane vibrated. Ken¡¯s hands made a crunchy sound in the most uncomfortable way. The others noticed his face squirmed.


    ¡°Wait¡­ did you try to punch that windowpane?¡± Alastor asked.


    ¡°Yes, I was just trying to confirm if it was breakable or not,¡± Ken replied, grunting and holding his fist.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Linda asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m already used to it,¡± Ken offered a confident smile, but Linda could still see the pain on his face.


    Alastor turned his eyes away, ignoring Ken¡¯s pain and continuing to stroll ahead.


    They entered one of the doorways hoping to find what they were looking for, until they found themselves standing in front of a giant circular door.


    ¡°I see no security. It seems safe for you to proceed. But I cannot breach it for you,¡± Cid said.


    ¡°Why not?¡± Linda asked.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s just say it might be connected to the mainframe, and I don¡¯t want to mess up. You¡¯ll have to find another way to hack it,¡± Cid replied cautiously.


    ¡°Scared cat.¡± Tin snorted.


    ¡°The previous computers were connected to another dummy server, so there would be no problem if I fail. I can just disconnect and change to another laptop so they wouldn¡¯t be able to find me. But now that we¡¯re in the Experiment Sector, it¡¯s probably connected to the mainframe, and I don¡¯t dare to place my bet on it,¡± Cid explained.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Tin hissed while cleaning her gun.


    Linda began to open the lock of wirings of the panel and started to rewire it.


    ¡°This could take a while,¡± she said.


    Meanwhile, Alastor scoured his glance at the surroundings. Ken noticed the way he looked, ¡°Dude, do you realize how terrifying you look?¡± he asked, a bit anxious.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Alastor asked, confused.


    ¡°That look you have, it scares me to death,¡± Ken replied.


    ¡°Oh dear,¡± Alastor murmured. Once he figured out the cause, he tried to decide what to do. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong with it,¡± he justified.


    ¡°Yes, there is. You look like you¡¯re about to kill someone,¡± Ken retorted.


    ¡°Why do I care about how I look? It¡¯s not like the way my look will hurt somebody,¡± Alastor said.


    ¡°Obviously duh, but someone might misinterpret those looks,¡± Ken replied.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see the point,¡± Alastor mumbled as he still conspicuously altered his gaze to the environment, wary that there may be a possibility of security.


    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s the reason you¡¯re still single,¡± Ken joked.


    ¡°And you¡¯re not?¡± Alastor responded dismissively.


    ¡°Finally, the door is opening, let¡¯s go,¡± they heard Linda call out. The metallic circular door rumbled open, and they were about to enter it when a silhouette of machinery appeared in front of them. Its dull sound of metal clanging got louder as it got closer, and they could see that it was a missile targeting them. The gang side rolled, evading the incoming attack, but the missile still landed near them, hurling them in the air. Their backs landed heavily on the cold ground, gasping for breath.


    Alastor sat up, everything was still ringing. He blinked twice before he carefully turned his neck, peering back at the entrance where the attack came from. A semi-bipedal machinery emerged from the bright light that came inside the room. The choke on its four metallic legs created steam produced by extreme heat, and its four-sided head attached to the tank-like body has a curved surface. The camera visuals of the robot zoomed in on them, scanning the surroundings for enemies.


    Thankfully, the door to the Experiment Sector was closed, preventing outside enemies from hearing the commotion within. However, there were adversaries that the group did not anticipate.


    ¡°What the hell is that?!¡± Ken exclaimed, gritting his teeth as he stood up.


    ¡°It¡¯s a defense security robot¡­ It must have been set by one of the technicians to detect any anomalies,¡± Linda groaned as she struggled to regain her posture.


    Alastor gritted his teeth and pulled out his silver sword. The robot¡¯s metal chassis emitted a high-pitched squeal as it charged towards them. The gang swiftly scattered and ran around, managing to avoid the attack unscathed. Alastor was first to rose, he brandished his sword, and was measuring his enemy. His adrenaline surged through his veins, allowing him to maintain his focus.


    ¡°Cid!¡± Linda raised her voice, calling for his aid.


    ¡°On it,¡± Cid replied as he tapped on his computer, hacking the doorway behind them and locking them inside.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± Ken demanded to know.


    ¡°The guards may find us, so it¡¯s better to stay in here and fight,¡± Linda explained.


    ¡°Do you have a plan to escape this thing?¡± Ken shouted, growing frustrated.


    ¡°Like Linda said, we stay and fight,¡± Alastor declared, his grip tightening around the hilt of his sword as he charged towards the enemy.


    As the thumping of the robot¡¯s feet echoed through the room, Alastor slid and side-rolled repeatedly, dodging the attacks of the four-legged tank-like machine. As it relentlessly assaulted him with its foot stomping to him, he found himself backed into a corner. Taking a deep breath, he propelled himself up the wall, jumping and rolling in mid-air to evade the enemy¡¯s reach. Landing gracefully on the surface of the robot¡¯s body, he plunged his sword deeply into the metal. Feeling the thickness of the iron, he realized his strength alone would not be sufficient to pierce it.


    Suddenly, he heard a screech, the result of the insides grinding and a loud steam of release. The hatch opened, a Gatling gun emerged, aimed directly at Alastor. Quickly reacting, he threw himself off the machine¡¯s body and fell, narrowly avoiding the attack. As he looked up, he saw the weapons emerging from underneath the tank, countless armaments appearing before his eyes.


    ¡°Al! Over here!¡± Linda called out, conjuring magic and creating five transcended walls. Alastor ran towards them, and the weapons of the enemy turned their focus towards the group.


    ¡°Heads up!¡± Alastor declared, bracing himself for impact as the countless missiles surged towards them. Ken muttered under his breath, crackling his hands and preparing himself for battle. Linda focused her mana on the walls, raising her hands and pouring her energy into them. She struggled to maintain her focus as the walls began to break apart under the relentless assault of the missiles and machine guns. A rigid crack appeared on the concrete, and the walls started to crumble.


    ¡°I can¡¯t hold it much longer!¡± Linda cried out in distress, the concentration of her mana gradually diminishing. At a certain point, the last missile broke through the fourth wall. Just as the enemy¡¯s attack seemed unstoppable, it ceased its motion, a steamy smoke rising from its body and dissipating into the air. He just noticed that there was an imprinted name at its side, with the words ¡®MB42¡¯. Linda fell on her knees, catching her breath.


    ¡°You okay?¡± Ken asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me,¡± she said, ¡°attack while it¡¯s vulnerable now.¡± Linda was trying to catch her breath and her eyes seemed to droop as she crawled. Alastor, however, seemed unfazed by her condition and his dark eyes were fixed on the enemy.


    ¡°Ken, go help Al,¡± she huffed as she sat down.


    ¡°No, we can¡¯t do this. We have to retreat, Al!¡± Ken called out.


    ¡°No,¡± Alastor replied. His eyes trained forward.


    ¡°What do you mean no?! Dude, she¡¯s not in good condition! We need to get out of here!¡± Ken shouted at him.


    ¡°We can¡¯t. It¡¯s too risky for us to go back now. If we let this thing loose, they might know we¡¯re here,¡± Alastor explained.


    Ken could only grit his teeth. The cold breeze from the ventilators made Linda¡¯s consciousness drifted, but she was still clinging on. Ken shifted his gaze from Linda to the robot. ¡°It seems that things are vulnerable now. Linda, lay low for a while. Come on, Al!¡± He howled and charged towards the enemy.


    Alastor shouted at him, ¡°Wait!¡±


    Ken leaped forward at the enemy with his fist wearing metallic gloves, intending to reach the robot¡¯s head. Upon landing, the machine jumped backward, evading the attack. The metallic ground sparkled and cracked due to its weight.


    ¡°What the ¨C¡± Ken was surprised.


    The robot¡¯s legs penetrated again, and it jumped towards Ken.


    Alastor dashed towards Ken, jumped, and pulled him away. A loud crash exploded behind.


    ¡°It seems that thing doesn¡¯t have any bullets left,¡± he said.


    ¡°Are you sure about it?¡± Ken asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure of it,¡± Alastor grunted as his eyes remained fixed on the circling enemy. Linda was hiding at the edge of the crate¡¯s corner. Once again, the tank-like robot¡¯s springs penetrated down again, jumping upwards, but this time it became aggressive.


    Ken murmured lowly and grunted, dashing away from the attack. ¡°Do you have any idea how to beat this thing?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± Alastor groaned in tiredness.


    ¡°Then what are we supposed to do?!¡± Ken cried out.


    ¡°We¡¯ll wait for the right moment,¡± Alastor snorted.


    Not too long after, the robot¡¯s internal machines began to show signs of complication. Its body started to spark, and wirings blew out from it. The legs made a screeching sound, deafening to the ears, but stopped after a few seconds.


    ¡°This is it. Aim at the legs!¡± Alastor howled, and Ken followed him. Alastor dragged his feet around, cutting the leg in half. He had no intention to let the opportunity slip away. Soon after, the wires and the metallic cables comprising the legs gave up. The robot knelt as it lost its balance. It could no longer move.


    Ken grabbed it and aimed at its head, then he heavily breathed, kneeling at the surface of its body and raising his elbow while his fist faced downward. Alastor did the same thing to its legs. He cut another one of them and noticed the change in contemplation of his fellow mate. He decided to go at it. In the last throes of defeat, the robot¡¯s curved surface unleashed another weapon, but before the machine gun activated, Alastor cut the gun in half. He felt his shoulder ache.


    Ken pressed his fist to the enemy. The legs of the creature couldn¡¯t withstand the weight of his power, causing its parts to explode and leaving his hand buried in its body. To ensure that it was finished, he raised his left fist and brought it crashing down. The machine¡¯s light began to blink before it lost all power. The duo landed a safe distance away as it exploded.


    Linda approached them with a smile, having regained her composure. ¡°Are you guys okay?¡± Ken asked, to which Linda replied with a nod. Ken couldn¡¯t help but feel that Alastor¡¯s intense attitude was still present, as he was careful not to let his guard down after their recent fight.


    ¡°Dude, we defeated the enemy. There¡¯s no need to worry anymore,¡± Ken said, trying to ease the tension.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get carried away by defeating a small fry,¡± Alastor snorted.


    ¡°Small fry? It almost got us killed, and you call it small fry? Besides, if it weren¡¯t for me, you would have become dead meat.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so full of yourself. The enemy we fought was defective,¡± Alastor explained and elaborated. Linda was nodding in agreement. ¡°When I first hit it with my sword, I noticed that the wirings at the back of its head were jumbled and has some abrasions, which would explain why its body sparkled and the wirings were popping out. In short, we got lucky.¡±


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll be more careful from now on,¡± Ken conceded. ¡°Now, what do we do?¡± Ken asked, looking towards the lab¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°Since Cid already shut the door, we have no choice but to move forward,¡± Linda instructed, and Alastor nodded in agreement.


    The three of them proceeded with extreme caution, and what they saw inside was beyond their comprehension. Dozens of glass tubes filled with what appeared to be human and machine hybrids lined the lab. Some were offline, while others were being made at the factory below.


    ¡°What the hell are they planning to do with these?¡± Ken asked, horrified at the sight.


    ¡°This is inhumane,¡± Linda added, her eyes reflecting pity for the poor souls trapped in the tubes. Alastor, however, didn¡¯t show any emotion towards the heinous act they just witnessed.


    They followed the path and took a stroll down the stairs. Together, they uncovered the inhumane acts of the people working there. The person¡¯s body parts had been replaced by a metallic hand, similar to others who were mutilated.


    ¡°There are no signs of Theo here.¡± Linda announced.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do about it.¡± Cid said.


    They continued down many stairways and conduits until they reached a room occupied by hundreds of types of technology. Behind a transparent window, a row of computer panels lined the behind at the wall, operating on their own. In the center of the room, a giant screen hung on the wall, displaying blueprints of various projects. As they approached, the door automatically slid apart, and they entered the place without triggering any alarms or crossing any security.


    All that remained was the buzzing noise of computers and the bubbling water coming from the chemical tubes. Looking at the widescreen, different blueprints loaded back and forth. Alastor and Linda started examining the computers, while Ken focused on the files arranged in front of the widescreen.


    ¡°Project Amalgam.¡± Linda muttered in a low voice.


    Alastor leaned forward from resting in the chair and asked, ¡°You found something?¡±


    She entered the file and showed a dozen notes and videos. Clicking one of them, she played the video. They could hear the charismatic voice of a man behind the audio-visual as he narrated the experiment.


    ¡°Experiment test no. 1, human subject 2401. The subject is being tested as a potential candidate for the experiment. The subject is healthy, and his stats are normal. The candidate is caged inside a four-sided glass plane. One minute from now, the subject will be exposed to a gas that comes from a newly discovered rock called Hemil Klust.¡±


    Tubes connected inside the glass cage released a violet gas that spread at once. The man¡¯s body changed, and his nerves thickened. Within seconds, he started exhibiting violent behaviour. Before long, his body started to degrade and liquefy. The man behind the video narrated and gave orders, ¡°Human subject 2401¡¯s body structure shows an aberration. The substance is inadequate for human cellular use, and nerves are impaired at the synapses connecting to the brain. The extension of its capabilities is yet to be known, but no worries, this is the first experiment. The development will start to show in the next ones. Clean it up, boys; we will proceed to the next one.¡±


    ¡°This is unpleasant,¡± Alastor said, but his expression remained unshaken.


    Linda changed the directories of the output and inserted a flash drive. ¡°Cid, can you copy all of this?¡± she asked.


    Cid was thrilled and replied, ¡°Oh yes, this is a big catch. I wonder how they will react when they find out how I am going to destroy their mainframe.¡±


    ¡°Good, because we are not just going to destroy their work, we are also going to blow this place,¡± Alastor said.


    ¡°Are you out of your mind? Those are people, living beings. They¡¯re the victims here and you want to blow this place?!¡± Ken yelled.


    ¡°Yeah, well, that¡¯s the thing kid. Look at them, do you think that they will be pleased with their current situation? Their bodies are now mutilated, we don¡¯t even know if they¡¯re human anymore. It¡¯s best to reprieve them off their torment.¡± Cid calmly explained.


    ¡°Ken, I know it¡¯s hard, but we have to do this. At least, we may honor their sacrifices by stopping their doings,¡± Linda also justified. ¡°We can¡¯t let these people be turned into weapons.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª ¡°


    ¡°You¡¯re a mercenary. We were hired to stop them, whatever it takes. So, you must toughen your guts¡­ and besides, it¡¯s none of our business if they die or not, consider them as collateral damage,¡± Alastor added. He was beginning to be annoyed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you guys can handle this,¡± Ken murmured.


    ¡°Our priority is to fulfill the mission,¡± Tin chimed in.


    ¡°I know that.¡±


    ¡°Then we must do what we must do to fulfill the request. Besides, we can¡¯t even say if they¡¯re humans anymore,¡± Tin continued. The signal began to stutter.


    Alastor noticed Ken¡¯s contemplation changing and decided to advise him, ¡°Ken, remember. In our job, ethics apply too little. Look, I get it, you don¡¯t want to kill, and you think this job is quite dirty, but that doesn¡¯t mean that all our missions are out of being human. I mean, look at this. Theo uses humans for his ridiculous ideas, and if you think about it for them, what would happen only ¡®if¡¯ they regain their selves? This is worse than dying. Their sacrifices wouldn¡¯t be useless. It would likely prevent Theo from creating more possibilities of such conflict in this city.¡±


    ¡°I guess¡­ you¡¯re right¡­¡± Ken conceded, falling into silence and in deep thought.

 8

    Meanwhile, Tin rested her back on the four-sided metal pane of a fan filter, catching her breath from climbing the stairs of the abandoned building. She figured that it would be better to watch at the top of the building rather than stay in the compartment of the structure that limits her vision. She held down the sniper and turned off her communication device because she didn¡¯t want to lose her concentration while preparing her weapons. Besides, they already infiltrated the site, all that was left was fulfilling their objective.


    ¡°It has been a long time since I¡¯ve used these babies,¡± she muttered to herself as she unloaded the magazines from the guns, checking if they were loaded with bullets.


    As soon as she was finished checking her weapons, she turned on the communication device. She altered her gaze at the lunar light and gasped at the breath-taking beauty of it. Tin listened to them while taking turns monitoring outside the factory.


    Clad in green combat and a closed button brown trench coat, and equipped beneath a vest. She kept her entire body warm from the passing breeze of the night that blew a strand of her hair across her eyes. She pulled herself from the metal panel, stretching her body. The edifice was abandoned and surrounded by countless empty buildings, making it convenient to not be noticed by people who were celebrating festivities.


    She wailed as soon as the crackling bones sounded from the stretching legs. Preparing for the worst, Tin rested the guns and opened the bag revealing dozens of hazardous items. Two handguns rested in her waist, flash bombs hung in the utility belt, and a knife in her leg. The assault rifle hung slant in her back, while the shotgun clung to the trench coat holder in a horizontal position. The magazines suspended in her chest and in the midriff. The shotgun shell was horizontally applied to her belly.


    This over-composure in equipping weapons was but a bad habit that she developed ever since she was in training back at the haven. Tin was madly attracted to weapons and she was considered a prot¨¦g¨¦ in the art of armaments with her innovative mind in weapons making.


    She held the sniper and adjusted the scope to the factory. She noticed that the place became quiet, and there was no presence of the worker.


    ¡°Hey, the outside became quiet, something¡¯s fishy about it,¡± Tin warned.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re just about to get rid of this place,¡± Alastor replied. The three of them started to fiddle on computers.


    ¡°How are you going to do it? You don¡¯t have any explosives left,¡± Cid asked.


    ¡°We don¡¯t need explosive devices to blow up this place. We will just improvise,¡± Linda replied. They breathed heavily jogging across the platform, taking the south route, which led them to the electric chamber. Upon entering the room, they saw dozens of electric conduit containers.


    Tin rose, gazing afar at the factory before nodding in confirmation there is no reason to be alert. She crouched to grab the bag, but a wandering red dot aiming caught her eyes. Traversing towards her body, she knew what it aimed for. Her heart skipped a beat.


    ¡°Oh, crap.¡± She rolled and evaded the gunshots. She drew out her pistols, shooting as she ran and hid behind a squared metallic fan filter.


    ¡°Whatever you have to do; you better do it fast. We got some company here.¡± Tin called through the mic. A few of his shots missed and grazed the nearby filters. She laid down her sniper and switched to an assault rifle. When she heard there were no movements, she assumed it stopped. She returned fires to where it came from. Tin strongly gripped the handle and caressed it to withstand the recoil. Bullets came striking as she rolled, hiding behind a cement wall.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are or where you came from, but creeping out in the back¡­ is so unmanly.¡± She howled, hid, and reloaded, then clutched the charging handle for another round.


    A few seconds passed and the entire field became quiet. She huffed softly, considering her surroundings, her eyes suspended at the back. She called Cid, ¡°Hey, would you check if there are more enemies?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think my computer¡¯s working properly, there¡¯s no one there but only you,¡± Cid reported and continued to tap the computer. ¡°Wait a sec. Hide around! He¡¯s on the right side of the other building!¡± he shouted.


    Tin stumbled as the bullet narrowly missed her cheek. She leaned back, rolled to the side, and took cover behind the fan filter on the other side. Quickly, she inserted a 30-round magazine into the well of her rifle, firmly clouting the bottom of the magazine to ensure it was seated properly. She then pulled back the charging handle, allowing the bolt to snap forward with a cracking sound, chambering a live round. As soon as she heard the soft thumping of boots moving to another position, she initiated an attack on the enemy¡¯s location. Her gun¡¯s nose followed the man as she pulled the trigger. The loud noise of her gunshots echoed in the air, creating a sound of death. The bullets only grazed his black cloak.


    Tin crouched and unloaded the magazine, then reloaded it, gazing back at the enemy. She realized that he was only standing and staring at her position. ¡°What the hell?¡± she muttered to herself. Looking underneath his black garb, she saw a dozen magazines resting vertically, trailing to his shoulder and chest. The last thing she noticed were the hood trailing a coat down to beyond his knees and the gas mask he wore, the eyeglasses of which glowed red, the eyes of grim reaper.


    Tin stood, clutching the charging handle, ready to pull the trigger when a clanging sound caught her ears. A one-foot silver container was thrown four feet away from her, and the ticking sound of the bomb made her heart forget his early intention. Without hesitation, she ran to the edge of the building. The last words she heard from the mysterious man were ¡®Boom.¡¯ The canister exploded, and she felt the shockwave that sent her hurling off the building with a grown. She reached behind her and pulled something, shooting the grappling hook at the ledge near a window and landing safely on the ground.


    She looked back at the man but found nothing. I could hear only the sound of debris from the explosion. She left the scene. A van stopped in front of her and Cid opened the window, calling her name.


    ¡°Hey, we need to get out of here,¡± he said urgently. She climbed into the van, and they proceeded to the factory.


    The mysterious man was left standing, gazing at the rushing vehicle, with no intention of pursuing them.


    ***


    ¡°So, would you mind sharing with me what you were doing?¡± Ken stood before Alastor, discerningly observing what he was doing, he was done double checking the security.


    ¡°We were using this energy container to connect in the core reactor,¡± Alastor replied. He was busy connecting wires to the container of energy. Meanwhile, Linda was unbolting the gas tube.


    ¡°The tube contains methane gas; this would be enough as a trigger to blow this place,¡± she added. Linda walked hastily at a control panel, reaching for the tube to unbolt it. Seven containers were connected, wired up, and only needed to be plugged in.


    ¡°Again, how do these things blow up?¡± Ken still could not grasp the plan.


    ¡°We will use these energy containers to overload the core reactor. The core will explode and ignite the methane gas, or if not, a single spark of it would be enough,¡± Alastor explained.


    ¡°That¡¯s why we need to get out of here fast after we finish wiring these containers,¡± Linda huffed and jumped from reaching the connecting tube. In a second, the gas hissed and came out from it, filling the room with fumes.


    ¡°This should be enough,¡± Alastor pulled his hands out of the small hole of the core reactor and rose from crouching. Thirteen energy containers were finished wiring.


    ¡°Hey, help me connect this to the reactor,¡± Alastor asked Ken.


    Ken stopped in motion and hesitantly did it. ¡°I don¡¯t know, man, maybe I¡¯ll leave this thing up to you.¡± He walked outside the room, while Alastor gave Linda a look, and she shrugged, then proceeded to help connect the container.


    The white luminous light emitted by the lampshade gave light in this distressing place. The cold breeze of the atmosphere that came from the air conditioner was numbing, penetrating the nerves starting from Ken¡¯s neck down to his body.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°How could they easily kill them? Without knowing if they¡¯re still human or not?¡± Ken was still concerned about the humans that were included in the experiment. He knew deep inside his heart that it was wrong to kill innocent people, but Alastor¡¯s words kept resounding inside his mind.


    ¡°Ugh, I don¡¯t know what I am supposed to do anymore,¡± he grunted. Ken was raised by monks at the Alfahon Mountain in the far east of the Jafal Region, before the Glade took him care of. He was taught the importance of life and why we should respect and take care of it. In the present, the place he was raised was now in ashes, when the Grand Military Empire ¨C the Hayan Empire ¨C decided to declare war against the Gahoda Kingdom. The monks helped the people who were victims and used their sanctuaries to be their temporary home. But with the advanced mechanisms they possessed, the enemy could track the refugees, and because of that, they were killed. The monks tried to fight back but proved ineffective with the enemies using advanced weapons. After the gruesome battle, he was found by a member of the Glade and brought to their base.


    He continued to walk, trying to figure out what he should do, until he noticed the dim-witted eyes of a woman. Dozens of outlets that restrained her injected her. The only thing that was replaced was her hands, which were made of iron. Her expression which lacked life was giving an impression of wanting to be saved. Her eyes seemed to call out to him, her mouth moving as if trying to say ¡°Help¡­ me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll get you out of there,¡± Ken reassured her as he approached the computer panel near the glass chamber. Although the operating system was somewhat different, he could still understand it. He pulled down the lever that turned off the light and the opening hole underneath her feet sapped the water, he immediately caught her.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re safe now,¡± Ken whispered to the girl who was drifting to sleep. He carried her and headed back to where the others were. Alastor and Linda already finished connecting the devices, and the image at the control panel showed the power percentage increasing until it hit one hundred percent and then beyond.


    ¡°We need to go now,¡± Alastor urged. He went out first.


    ¡°Cid, where¡¯s the nearest exit?¡± Linda asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s supposed to be a ventilation shaft on the next floor that will slide you down outside the building. You¡¯ll need to use a grappling hook,¡± Cid said.


    Tin grabbed the laptop and looked at the blueprint. ¡°Since when did you have these blueprints?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Dude, I extracted them when I was gathering information. Hey! Get those feet of yours down where they¡¯re supposed to be!¡± Cid growled.


    ¡°Okay-okay, jeez,¡± Tin snorted.


    Cid observed Tin as she typed on the laptop. ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asked with uneasiness caused by her bratty look.


    ¡°Just doing something funny.¡± she grinned.


    The two of them hurriedly walked, knowing that it would be a matter of time before the building exploded, and when that time came, the authorities would be alerted.


    ¡°Hey, where¡¯s Ken?¡± Linda asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t care¡­¡± Alastor replied flatly.


    Linda pressed the button to call Ken and he responded, his voice audible as though he was nearby. As he elevated up the stairs, Linda noticed that he was not alone, he brought an unwanted guest.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± she shouted. ¡°You¡¯re jeopardizing our mission!¡±


    ¡°No! She¡¯s alive and she needs help¡­ Just please, at least¡ª¡± Ken tried to justify his actions, but Cid interrupted.


    ¡°Hey, we might learn what they¡¯re up to if we could bring one of their samples, so let him,¡± Cid suggested.


    Alastor ignored the discussion as he looked below and saw countless silhouettes approaching their location. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it later. They are coming, let¡¯s get out of here,¡± he warned with an urgent tone and ran to the staircase. They needed to alert the authorities once the subject was released. Maybe there was a silent alarm somewhere.


    Ken sighed and leaned the girl against him, holding her. Behind them, the guards pointed their guns, locking their aim with a firm grip on the charging handle. They pulled the trigger, and the bullets volleyed towards them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let them escape, no matter what happens!¡± someone shouted.


    Alastor reached for his sword, hissing against the scabbard and gleamed for a moment. He deflected the incoming bullets with his swordsmanship, swinging back and forth as he let himself be the last line of defense to protect them. The bullets grazed his cheeks and somewhere on his legs, but most bounced against his blade. He cut off the wires of the barrel-like structure letting it roll over them.


    Ahead, Linda led them, and Ken was in the middle of the chase, carrying the unconscious woman on his back. A guard reached the other side and was about to aim at them with his gun, but Linda threw a bolt of lightning magic at him, instantly knocking him down.


    They reached the available ventilation shaft at the center of the wall in the open space metallic stage, but the position was convenient to the enemy, leaving Alastor to deflect the attacks. He calmly assessed every parried attack and only deflected those that could hit them. In the end, he resorted to magic, conjuring green constructs that blocked the attacks.


    ¡°Hey, get in. We¡¯re going to get out of here!¡± Linda pulled the lock and entered the duct, sliding down then kicking the filter that led her outside, falling in the large chemical industrial factory. She grabbed the grappling hook and shot it randomly, luckily clinging to the ledge.


    ¡°You go first!¡± Alastor said while deflecting every attack of the enemy. His strange speed of deflecting left some enemies in awe, but they furiously assaulted him. With every bullet he deflected, more followed, pushing him to the edge.


    Ken retorted, ¡°But you can¡¯t hold it any¡ª¡±


    ¡°Just go! Leave it to me!¡± Alastor shouted.


    ¡°I owe you one.¡± Ken leaned his back upward as they slid to the wide duct.


    Alastor couldn¡¯t take his chances to slide to the duct as long as the enemies kept shooting at him. Hence, he slowly moved backward, preparing for an opportunity. Unfazed by the aggressors, he didn¡¯t notice that the others were taking a reroute. The loud noise of the striking bullets enabled him to foresee it. He breathed roughly, his boots creating friction when he took a step back. The cold atmosphere was slowing his muscle movements.


    Before the indiscreetly approached enemy could get near him, gas leaked from the tube hanging up sideways. The electric wirings sparked and grounded the lights, turning them off and on until it reached the enemy. Some of them were blinded by the gas, and others were electrified. The loud shrieking noise of the spark resounded where they came from, and some of the machinery began to explode.


    The explosion intensified as the canisters exploded, and the methane gas flickered, producing a vindictive flare that flowed in the ventilation duct, creating a chain of explosions across the platforms. The building shook and so was he. The enemy¡¯s reaction couldn¡¯t catch up to the immediate blast, burning them alive. The continuous screams of the guards dissipated as the entirety began to collapse.


    Even though some of them were willing to take chances of surviving the blast and tried to get rid of Alastor, they couldn¡¯t fight back against the destructive flame. He lost his balance as soon as an explosion came at his right side. He used his sword to support him, regaining his composure. His eyes strained to focus as he felt that his head was heavy. The mercenary forced the air on his mouth to ease his heart and mind. After collecting himself, he glanced back at the escape route that was now covered in piled boulders.


    His teeth grinded, scolding himself for failing. However, he knew that giving up was not an option. The growling explosion of flames halted, and he could once again hear the swarming presence of the enemies. The sights of the automatic rifles were fixated on him. He quickly rose, gripping the holder, prepared for the next wave. A deafening roar of volleying bullets came, and he sprinted towards them, deflecting the bullets with rapid swinging and skillful sword movements. As soon as they ran out of bullets, he didn¡¯t hesitate to take the chance and fixed his sword towards their flesh.


    Alastor aimed low then swung back and forth, threw the gun, kicked the guts hard, and the enemy fell. Soon, the others fired at him, aiming for a convenient position. The once calm fire raged again, succumbing to the aggressors. Along with the blast, water leaked next to him. He decided to remove his mask and shower in the leaking water before wearing it again to prevent unwanted smoke from entering his nostrils.


    Alastor risked a glance at the top to confirm any means of escape. Beyond the rows of glass tubes, he saw the window as he snapped the neck of the enemy. Large pieces of technology blocked the stair. He looked for another way as he took cover. He saw a path that led up, but it would be bothersome to circle the route, and the enemy might catch up to him. So, he chose to take the easy way. He jumped and clung to the ledge. His strong arms pulled him up, and he met another enemy. He threw his sword at the foe, plunging it deep into his chest. Running, ducking, sliding down, and reclaiming the sword back into his hand. He struck at the enemy¡¯s chest.


    Once he reached the window, he grabbed the grenade from the fallen enemy, threw it into the air, and shot it as soon as it got close to the window. Alastor knew what was about to happen and rested his sword while the opportunity was there. The flame came after him. The hotness was threatening, and the frightened mercenary could feel that the unstoppable blaze was behind him as he knelt, jumped, clung, and pulled himself up. He didn¡¯t think twice and jumped at the building. The height was high, and probably the length of the hook couldn¡¯t do the job, so he waited to find the right timing. He grabbed the grappling hook and then shot it at the deformed wall. The vehicle was parked behind the walls of the factory. Cid looked at the upcoming party, Linda and Ken landed safely. Cid noticed the woman clinging to Ken¡¯s back.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± he exclaimed. Tin grabbed the handle of the door and opened it, making a way for the hurrying comrades. Ken caressed the lady to the comfortable seat, and then he grabbed a towel, covering her nakedness.


    Cid leaned forward to the woman, then to Ken. ¡°Hey, is she one of the¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she is,¡± Ken promptly replied.


    They could hear the explosion. They gazed up to the cylindrical furnace and saw the smoke trailing up to the sky, then came the explosion. The debris fell across the place until they saw Alastor from the higher echelon, falling as though the roaring flame came out. Alastor decelerated and while in mid-air, the ledges crumbled, and the hook held no longer, leaving Alastor to free fall. Ken estimated the distance and timing. When Alastor drew near, he leaped towards him, cushioning his fall and altering the force of the impact. They both hit the hard pavement with a loud thud and let out a groan of pain.


    ¡°I got ya,¡± Ken muttered and moaned, standing up and holding his waist.


    ¡°This is gonna hurt tomorrow.¡± Alastor struggled to catch his breath as Ken helped him up. Together, they stumbled into the waiting vehicle and drove away from the scene, leaving behind the wailing sirens of the police and fire-fighters rushing to the exploding building.


    The brimming night sky was shrouded by thick columns of black smoke, a haunting reminder of the danger they just escaped.

 9

    At the end of another day, a young woman came rushing from upstairs. The wooden floor rumbled but proved not to be disturbing as the joyous music from the drunken men downstairs dominated the entire place. "Geez, they¡¯re so early." She retorted in her thoughts but couldn¡¯t do anything but follow the orders of her boss.


    Grabbing a tray from the table, she was called by the chef in the open kitchen area. The kitchen released smoke when it opened, a brief reprieve for those whose inside. She hissed, coughing as she passed through the smoke-filled kitchen.


    As Sherry hurried down the stairs, more groups of rowdy customers entered the pub. They laughed, cheered, teased their friends, and some even got into a fight. Others attention was on her. The attraction was not surprising even among her closest friends. Sherry was tall with blonde hair tied back in a red ribbon. She wore a black and white maiden outfit that went down to her knees, revealing her long legs. The way she moved was with care and grace. She taught herself the etiquette as soon as she was hired as a waitress in order to showcase her femininity and attract customers. It was evident to the customers¡¯ reactions that her efforts were not in vain.


    As she approached the party of men, she cheerfully smiled and said, ¡°Bean soup for table 54!¡± The guy at the table thanked her as he received his food.


    One of the staff members called out to Sherry again, ¡°Would you kindly throw the trash bags outside?¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute, I¡¯m quite busy here!¡± Sherry yelled as she cleared the plates and cups from the table. She scanned the room, counting the tables she needed to clean. Most of the table didn¡¯t need too much effort to clean, but some was left by some ill-mannered customers. A bubble gum was stuck beneath the table. She had to spray it with vegetable oil just to remove it.


    Her friend came over to her and whispered, ¡°Hey, can I leave that guy in the corner to you? He¡¯s creeping me out.¡± She pointed out the man in the formal suit, who was staring at them.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll handle him after I take out the trash,¡± Sherry said. She got up and arranged the plates and spray to the stroller.


    Sherry went to the employees¡¯ room on the right side of the counter, where dozens of trash bags were piled up. She spent a few minutes carrying them outside.


    As Sherry walked out, a gust of wind blew past her, making her shiver. She heard footsteps and turned around but saw nothing. The anxiety grew stronger, given the recent news of mysterious disappearances in the area. When she confirmed there was no one, she reached for the doorknob. Suddenly, she noticed a shadowy figure coming towards her. She tried to use her elbow to defend herself, but the attacker overpowered her, and a towel covered her face. She lost consciousness.


    ***


    Her body twitched as a ray of light focused on her eyes, and they wearily opened. She altered her gaze from the light, darting around the room to make out what was in her surroundings. She noticed the blood pressure monitor blinking and monitoring her status. Few small tubes were attached to her. Her senses were intact, and she could feel her feet, but she could also smell the porridge that rested around the table at the far corner.


    The last thing she noticed was her hands, composed of metallic fabrics and golden sheeting with a few grids carved onto them. There was no trace of any organic compound. Thinking that something was wrong with them, she lifted them up to her elbows. She observed the pink dotted black shirt and white pajamas she was wearing, and her expressionless face turned into a sullen one, followed by teary eyes. She couldn¡¯t explain why she was having these feelings, a sensation of being incomplete. Wiping away the tears, she raised her upper body and saw the man at the corner of her eyes, sleeping on a blue cushion. A loud snort exploded from the man wearing a blue jacket and jogging pants.


    Sherry observed the young man, with no intention of approaching him nor able to grasp why she was there. Her head was a little fuzzy, and she couldn¡¯t recall anything about her past whereabouts.


    ¡°Who am I? Where is this place?¡± she asked.


    She altered her gaze from the young lad to her replaced hands and stretched them, creating a crippling sound.


    ¡°Hey, you finally woke up. I got some porridge for you,¡± the unknown man said, yawned, and stretched his body as he proceeded to the tray.


    ¡°I know you¡¯ve been through a lot, but don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll take care of you. Though one of my friends is pissed about it. Nah, just don¡¯t worry about it. Say, what is your name?¡± he inquired.


    She looked at him blankly, not sure about what happened to her, only that she could remember her name.


    ¡°S-Sherry.¡± she uttered.


    ¡°Sherry, pretty name, eh. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re quite famous among boys. I gotta tell ya, one of my friends is a lady¡¯s man, so you gotta be careful when he¡¯s around, okay?¡±


    Her expressionless face worried the young man.


    ¡°Are ya alright? Is something bothering you?¡± he asked.


    It didn¡¯t take an answer to know, as her belly began to growl.


    ¡°Oh, right. Sorry, I talk a lot. Here, have some of this,¡± he handed it over to Sherry. As she touched the bowl, Sherry could feel the warmth of the food. Caressing the spoon, she tasted the porridge. Her mouth spat it out; the taste was bittering her tongue.


    He nervously laughed and apologized, ¡°Sorry, it doesn¡¯t fit your taste. No one else is around, and I don¡¯t know how to cook. Oh, wait here, I think there are some carpel nuts left in the fridge.¡± He took off from the room in a quick burst. She decided to walk out, removing the blanket from her feet. As she walked, she passed countless empty rooms with a view of the city from the higher echelon of the window. She halted her movements, mesmerized by the view outside the windowpane.


    Suddenly, unknown images flooded her mind, searing, ringing, and she struggled to process the images. A voice interrupted her thoughts, trying to cling to her head as she cowered. Her consciousness was in an alarming state of a siren, she braced at the table, but fell. Her senses dulled. Her sight became distorted into pitch blackness.


    ***


    A piercing whistle from the entryway could be heard, jolting her back to reality. Just as she tried to move, her body became numb. She observed her surroundings with her drifting consciousness and saw men busy fiddling with control panels and heard the rhythmical tapping of keyboards.


    She noticed the men in black who just arrived, pushing a giant glass tube that held a man who appeared to be sleeping. The tube was connected to wires and tubes that ran from his body, but she felt powerless to act. All she could do was yelp and saw them take his container and proceed to the elevator.


    The scientist turned his attention back to the young woman. ¡°Hey, Experiment 432 is awake. Take her to the Experiment Sector,¡± he called out someone on the communication device. ¡°Hm, looks like it¡¯s our lucky day. Seven consecutive successes for today,¡± he said with a grin as he started to tap at the nearby panel on the right side.


    ¡°Is everything ready?¡± a voice flared out of nowhere, clad in a blue blazer with a small metallic head of a tiger attached to the chest, accompanied by guards.


    ¡°Everything is ready, Mister President.¡± The scientist curtly bowed. ¡°We¡¯re waiting for your orders. Shall we start the experiment?¡±


    ¡°Do as you wish. Show me the results when it¡¯s done,¡± he said, his eyes starting to observe around. ¡°Also, report to me about the progress of the experiments, because I will be busy negotiating with the mayor and that lowlife mob,¡±


    ¡°I do believe that you don¡¯t need his help. You have connections inside the government, and you can explain the expansion easily,¡± the scientist said.


    His eyes narrowed as if he was looking down at the scientist. ¡°Sometimes we have to play behind the curtains. It would be easy as you say to explain the expansion, but that would also harbour suspicion, especially with the media. Rather, we will use someone to blame for all of this.¡±


    ¡°Please pardon me if I am a short-sighted person,¡± the scientist lowered his head.


    The President¡¯s attention was caught by the woman in the tube. His white hair briefly flashes from the lights of the giant computer. She could make out his dazzling face and nose crafted perfectly.


    ¡°And this¡­?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Ah, this woman will be a candidate for our symbiotic transplant,¡±


    ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll be going. I¡¯ll leave things in your hands.¡± Leaving the staff in the room, the scientist called out to the men to detach the containment and transfer it. Before she lost consciousness, the scientist said something to her that she couldn¡¯t forget.


    ¡°Everything went as I planned, and it won¡¯t be too long, the empire he had built will rot,¡± he laughed, dissipating as he walked outside, leaving his men to do the job.


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    ***


    Sherry let out a heartfelt grunt as she opened her eyes, narrowed, and wiped it. The familiar fluorescent light the familiar grumbled from the young man from her side could be heard. She looked around wearily.


    Ken appeared next to her and asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    She flustered and replied, ¡°Uhm, not quite. My head still feels dizzy.¡±


    ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t strain yourself,¡± Ken said laced with concern. ¡°Luckily Cid found you outside. Don¡¯t make us worried sick, okay? We know that you¡¯ve been through a lot, and don¡¯t know what should be done, but we¡¯re here to help, so don¡¯t force yourself.¡±


    A few moments passed, and Sherry ate the curry while Ken slept on the blue cushion beside her, snoring loudly. Linda entered the room and sat down on the chair near Sherry. ¡°I heard you collapse this morning,¡± she said. ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t have strained yourself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to worry about you. Who are you guys?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re the ones who saved you from those douchebags,¡± Cid interjected as he entered the room, looking dazzling in his half-unbuttoned red polo and white pants. ¡°You¡¯re quite promising. I didn¡¯t notice it last time we ¨C¡±


    ¡°Cid, cut the crap,¡± Alastor interrupted.


    ¡°Hey! I was just being nice here,¡± Cid cried.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind him,¡± Linda sighed. She glanced back at Cid and signalled for him to stop.


    ¡°I know that you¡¯re confused about why you¡¯re here, but I assure you, we will help you. Just tell us what they are planning.¡±


    ¡°I-I am not sure what to say,¡± Sherry said. Her eyes roamed around.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Linda asked.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t remember¡­¡±


    Linda reached for a glass of water on the table and muttered, ¡°This is going to be difficult.¡±


    ¡°Hey, mind if we talk about this outside?¡± Alastor interjected.


    It was night time, and thick clouds slightly covered the view of the moon. Alastor appeared upfront and bothered Linda with his serious demeanour. Linda knew that there was something else that had been bothering him. She didn¡¯t want to speak about it, not until he was ready. Although, she has some ideas.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Linda asked.


    ¡°Well, that girl could have become a threat to us,¡± Alastor replied. ¡°We might get rid of her.¡±


    ¡°A threat? She could barely move, and you could see that she¡¯s not a fighter at all,¡± Ken said, sounding a bit annoyed.


    ¡°That¡¯s not it,¡± Alastor said. They heard birds singing outside, but they paid no mind to it. Alastor¡¯s eyes were filled with disgruntlement. ¡°Her hand was not the only thing that was replaced. We found a hardware circuitry that linked to her cerebral cortex, and an energy source was detected in the middle of her ribcage.¡±


    Linda raised her brow. ¡°Are you supposed to report to me if you were planning to do something with her?¡±


    ¡°Hm, since you guys were busy, we initiated it,¡± Alastor said.


    ¡°We?¡± Linda asked, confused.


    ¡°I requested Tin to scan her.¡± Alastor said.


    ¡°I have to stop you right there. I can¡¯t believe this. Tell me what you saw,¡± Linda demanded.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening here?¡± Cid asked as he walked in. The spy leaned his shoulder at the wall.


    ¡°Something about her,¡± Alastor said.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Cid asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s best if Tin explains all of this,¡± Linda interjected.


    The five of them sat down in the meeting room, each lost in their own thoughts. Cid looked at the projector on the table while Tin stood in front of the monitor, busy swiping through the information they obtained. Linda sat opposite Cid at the table, crossing her arms, while Ken paced back and forth in front of Alastor, who sat on the sofa.


    ¡°Will you stop doing that?¡± Alastor asked. His eyes lifted to Ken.


    Ken didn¡¯t notice the disturbed young man and kept pacing.


    ¡°Hey! Sit down. It¡¯s not like walking idly will solve this,¡± Tin said, starting to get annoyed.


    Ken stopped and thought for a moment. ¡°What if we kidnapped one of the scientists from their lab and made them fix her?¡±


    ¡°You know that¡¯s kidnapping, right?¡± Alastor returned.


    ¡°You¡¯re just asking for trouble,¡± Linda said. She sat properly this time.


    ¡°Ken, chill out or I¡¯m gonna have to kick the shit out of you,¡± Tin warned.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Ken started.


    ¡°No more buts!¡± Tin yelled.


    Ken finally sat down on the sofa, stealing the pillow that Alastor was leaning on. Alastor blankly stared at him, but Ken didn¡¯t notice. ¡°What?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Alastor replied, looking away as though his thoughts was interrupted.


    ¡°Ok, guys, come closer. I have something to show you,¡± Tin said, getting their attention.


    They all stood and looked at the monitor table, where images of human physiological systems appeared. There were videos and schematics about human gene reconstruction, as well as some about inventing a new type of robot. Tin swiped the tablet towards the monitor, which was linked to it.


    ¡°This rock is called Hemil Klust, a new element that was found at the abandoned mine in the City of Kalum. The Kelby Hives were not the first to find out about this rock. Some miners were messing with it, selling it to some merchants with proper compensation of course, until this¡­¡± Tin swiped and showed them an image of a male adult with pallid skin who was so thin that it looked like his soul was sucked out. Some parts of his skin were starting to shred.


    ¡°How many days before he died?¡± Cid asked.


    ¡°Not a day, only five hours,¡± Tin said and continued to swipe, showing more victims of the element. ¡°The merchant was with his friends, drinking and going to the toilet. They started to suspect him of taking too long, and when they entered, they found him in a degrading state. It also happened to a seller whose wife had found him degrading.¡±


    ¡°Then it spreads like an epidemic,¡± Alastor continued.


    ¡°Right, and that¡¯s where the Kelby Hives come in. They close the entire city to ensure that no one can relay information to the outside world,¡± Tin explained.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t explain why the mayor didn¡¯t stop him,¡± Cid said.


    ¡°He couldn¡¯t. President Theo had him under blackmail, with information about approving illegal operations within his city,¡± Tin replied.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the mayor were under his influence,¡± Linda concluded.


    ¡°So, how did they solve this?¡± Cid questioned.


    ¡°They haven¡¯t. They gathered the infected ones and continued their research at the Vesoga Plain,¡± Tin explained.


    They all froze. Cid, however, was interested.


    ¡°That place is a den of monsters. How the hell did they manage to build an HQ there?¡± Cid asked.


    ¡°They have their ways, Cid. Further research has been done and the researchers demand more specimens. That¡¯s when they started to kidnap innocent people. Theo must¡¯ve realized that it is more convenient to move his lab somewhere near the city. So they chose Kayon City and started to find collaborators, which led to Don Trifalgo,¡± Tin said. ¡°They created many designs, specifically on bio-human engineering. They found a way to use it, one of them is converting it into gas, and the other is to use it as an energy source. They called it ¡®Project Amalgam¡¯. From what I could make out of the files from the Data Bank, Theo aims to build an army surpassing human limitations with the use of Hemil Klust. Sherry is a primary example of their experiment. They implanted her with a small portion of Hemil-Klust at the middle of her ribcage. The energy is being regulated by nanomachines that are living inside her along with the metallic plate that¡¯s monitoring the energy and facilitates neuron information dissemination. Her hand is directly connected to it and can be switched to weaponize. Schematics showed a hardwired circuit connected to her cerebral cortex, and the computer detected a tracking device on it. Don¡¯t worry, I disabled it when she was asleep, of course. Thanks to the security systems of our building that blocked any outside signals, our safety is guaranteed,¡±


    ¡°How come you didn¡¯t tell me about this, Tin?¡± Cid asked.


    ¡°About what?¡± Tin replied.


    ¡°About sneaking into her room,¡± Cid said.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re a pervert,¡± Tin replied, sarcastically.


    Alastor observed at the screen, which showed the blueprints of the design, and a sudden thought flickered in his mind. ¡°Say, is there any possibility that Theo is aiming to build an army?¡±


    The rest of the gang looked at him with surprise, but Cid disagreed. ¡°No way, a guy like him would be interested in building an army. Building a militia would be out of the queue for his resources. The expenses could be too much.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s assume my crazy idea. If there is any chance he would use these meta-human robots, or his crazy war inventions, what are the chances that the government¡¯s army would win?¡± Alastor asked.


    Tim explained thoroughly, ¡°I haven¡¯t read all of the projects, but seeing the previous anomalies with the unknown substance he carries and reinventing humans into cyborgs, I¡¯d say that this guy might have the upper hand if he completes his projects. But hey, there are still unknown variables that might balance the current circumstances.¡±


    Tin lowered the tablet to the table, thinking as if having a second thought about it.


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem, Tin?¡± Linda said.


    ¡°Uhm, nothing.¡±


    ¡°Tell them, Tin.¡± Alastor insisted, ¡°No need to keep hiding.¡±


    ¡°We would love to know what you have to say.¡± Ken said.


    ¡°Uhm, it¡¯s about Sherry¡¯s condition. I don¡¯t think Sherry is going to last much longer.¡±


    ¡°What? How?¡± Ken said. He was bedazzled at most.


    ¡°There¡¯s something in her blood, mixed substances entered her system, and I don¡¯t know what kind of substances it is. She was exposed to a lot of treatment, and there¡¯s no telling what it could be. We may have technology, but it¡¯s not surgical material, and I¡¯m not a doctor.¡±


    Ken looked down, discouraged, clenching his fist.


    ¡°How many days does she have left?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. She looks healthy. Best to say that it would probably be less than a year before it spreads up to her brain.¡±


    ¡°That much.¡± Ken sighed.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like she¡¯s our priority.¡± Alastor murmured.


    ¡°The only thing that is inside your head is only the mission, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ken asked, almost exasperated from his words of disapproval.


    ¡°We were given a task that must be accomplished, and we did, but you got us nearly killed when you brought that girl.¡± Alastor raised his voice just enough for Ken to perceive that he was angry at his reckless decision.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what the hell is wrong with you, man.¡±


    ¡°The only one who is wrong is you.¡±


    ¡°You would sacrifice someone just to accomplish your mission?¡±


    ¡°If it is for the greater good, then I would. In this job, we must kill our moral compass and follow our code of arms.¡±


    ¡°Both of you stop it. We don¡¯t need to argue about something that cannot be undone.¡± Linda interjected, cutting off the tension between the two.


    ¡°Alright, since things are getting clearer now, I gotta go. I still have business to attend to,¡± Cid said.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Tin asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m a spy, remember? I need to gather information for my assignment,¡± Cid reminded them.


    ¡°And what is your assignment again?¡± Alastor asked.


    ¡°That is a secret that you will never know.¡±


    ¡°Fine, you already helped us. I think we can handle it from here.¡±


    ¡°Ciao,¡± Cid cheerfully said, winking as he walked through the door.


    ¡°Where does that leave us now?¡± Ken asked.


    ¡°We need to think about this.¡±


    ¡°There will be a lot of commotion in this city after the building explodes. It may be best to lay low for now.¡±


    ¡°You guys can rest; I¡¯ll keep monitoring her,¡± Linda offered.


    ¡°You sure?¡± Ken asked.


    ¡°Yeah, Tin will replace me tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Okay, just call us if anything happens,¡± Ken said, yawning as he marched to his bedroom.


    Tin followed, her eyes closed as she stretched her neck. Once the two of them left, Alastor began to talk.


    ¡°You¡¯re not just gonna let this slip, are you?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t kill her, Al. This may be an opportunity for us to know what way they¡¯re planning to go. I¡¯m gonna report this back to headquarters. I¡¯m sure Rod will be interested,¡± Linda elaborated. She was beginning to see the advantage of Ken¡¯s disobedience.


    ¡°Hm, maybe you¡¯re right. Carrying insurance would help us after all.¡±


    ¡°You should go to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    When Alastor left, Linda proceeded to the patient¡¯s room where she busied herself scanning the entire body structure of the half-humanoid.


    ¡°Just what the hell is that thing?¡± Linda muttered as she looked at the energy floating inside the core of Sherry.


    It was early in the morning when Linda finished checking on Sherry. She called out for Tin to take over. When Linda left and everything was still, Sherry¡¯s eyes opened in blinding red light.


    They have no idea what kind of monster they brought.

 10

    Although the explosion only damaged the upper left part of the chemical building, some sections of the structure remained unstable. Under the cover of darkness, Port moved with haste and quietly through the ruins of the Kelby Hives secret chemical factory. He scanned the area, trying to piece together what happened. Having bypassed the building¡¯s security by crawling through the sewers and accessing a nearby hatch, the stench didn¡¯t bother him. All he cared about was discovering what went wrong in this place. He stood on what appeared to be the remains of a balcony and looked down upon Kayon City. The icy air made him shiver a little.


    ¡°Where did he go wrong?¡± Port muttered to himself.


    He reached up and pulled back his hood, then he scanned his surroundings. This is not the right place he was looking for. After a few moments of walking, he found a place that was not fully destroyed and saw empty glass cages, he altered his look at the left side and found a computer blinking on and off. He tried to operate it, but it didn¡¯t respond. Out of annoyance he slammed his hand to the panel, banging it hard enough to force it on. He began to tap at the keyboards and one by one he opened the files. His eyes widened on what he just saw. He clenched his hands as he witnessed the hideous act of the man behind all of this.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to be this bad,¡± he muttered.


    A man emerged from the darkness. The eyes from his gas mask glowed in red, and his black coat trailed behind him as he walked with his guns dangling at his back. Port raised his own gun, pointing it at the man.


    ¡°Relax, it¡¯s just me,¡± the man said.


    ¡°I thought you were still searching for those kids.¡± Port said and let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°I am, and I found one of them that night,¡± the man replied.


    Port returned his attention to the computer, brow furrowed. ¡°Those kids knew what they were doing. If it were me, I¡¯d lay low for now. But to get this close to the building, they must have an insider.¡±


    The mysterious man approached Port and watched as he searched through the files. ¡°Glade,¡± he muttered, lost in thought.


    ¡°Do you think they¡¯re involved in this mess?¡± Port asked.


    ¡°I think at first too,¡± the man replied. ¡°They may be skilled, but that doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re part of that organization.¡±


    Port nodded. ¡°That¡¯s a good point. But you also have to consider that no sane mercenary would take a job like this unless they knew they had a chance of taking down a huge company like this, especially one that has super-soldiers.¡±


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    ¡°Hm, I guess so,¡± Port said as he clicked on a video file in the folder of saved security camera footage. He fast-forwarded to the night in question and quickly realized that the kids he fought before were responsible for the wreckage.


    ¡°It seems that they¡¯re on the move again,¡± Port said.


    ¡°I met one of those kids when I was scouting outside the area,¡± his companion responded.


    ¡°What do you think about them?¡± Port asked.


    ¡°Reckless yet resourceful,¡± his companion replied.


    ¡°Hm, why does it feel like you¡¯re complimenting them?¡± Port said as his companion began to walk up the staircase.


    Port followed him, sensing that his companion picked up a lead.


    ¡°Where are we going, actually?¡± Port asked.


    ¡°Vault,¡± his companion replied.


    Port fell into silence as he followed his companion up floor after floor. Eventually, they arrived at what Port believed to be the highest level of the building.


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± his companion muttered.


    Port looked around the empty room, which was illuminated by the moonlight. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re thinking, but I see no vault in here. This is a dead-end,¡± he said irritably.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand. Our friend Theo likes to hide his toys so that even his intruders can¡¯t find them,¡± his companion said as he knelt down and knocked on the floor.


    It didn¡¯t take long enough to find what he was looking for as when he changed his position to knock again, it sounded not alike to the other, it was a metal sheet covered the same to the colour of the floor. Port knelt opposed to him. He reached and plucked out the wood. Below was a hidden compartment that locked the item they sought.


    ¡°Well, what are we waiting for? Let¡¯s go get it,¡± Port said.


    ¡°Wait, this could be a trap,¡± his companion cautioned.


    Port grabbed a flashlight and shone it on the glass tube that held the item they sought.


    ¡°What do you think about this?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I see no opening in the glass tube. Perhaps it¡¯s a pressure bomb?¡± his companion replied.


    Port and his companion nodded in agreement, preparing for the worst. Port held the glass tube tightly, his palms sweating.


    ¡°Three,¡± his companion said.


    Port strengthened his knees, and his companion readied his grappling hook.


    ¡°Two.¡±


    Port return his eyes on him once more with a nod of confirmation to let go. When they felt they were holding the glass tube, they ran as fast as they could and jumped outside the building.


    ¡°One.¡±


    The blast came roaring and the tremendous force can be felt from behind as he shoots the grappling hook, clinging at the ledge, slowly descending to the surface just outside the premises, as they landed outside the building, they knew they only have two minutes before the area is going to be flooded by securities and another minute for them to issue a lockdown.


    But as they were wrong, a dozen soldiers appeared.


    ¡°You were saying?!¡± Port shouted irritably.


    ¡°Scram!¡± his companion yelled as he reached for his guns, taking out the soldiers without breaking a sweat. The shells fell with loud ringing as it volleyed to their flesh. The soldiers ran and hid.


    They ran as fast as they could across the alleyways behind the train tracks.


    ¡°I think we¡¯re safe now,¡± Port said.


    ¡°You know the plan,¡± his companion replied.


    Both of them nodded and went their separate ways, blending into the darkness.


    ¡°Whoever they are, they¡¯re far more dangerous than I could ascertain.¡± Port uttered as he ran by and slipped through the roads. He could no longer hear the yells from behind.

 11

    ¡°Boom, you lost!¡± Ken shouted as his eyes gleamed, raising his palm to Tin. The two of them were sitting on a couch playing a video game that was now displaying the words GAME OVER. ¡°Err, uhm, I think I left my money in my room,¡± Tin said, trying to stand up. However, Ken stopped her by grabbing her right hand. ¡°No escaping.¡± ¡°I promise I left my money in my room,¡± Tin said hesitantly, uncertain whether Ken would trust her. ¡°Really?¡± Ken asked, looking at her suspiciously. ¡°R-Really,¡± Tin replied. By then, she was on her feet. ¡°Kay, fine,¡± Ken said, relenting. Tin felt confident at that moment and tried to hide the grin that was forming on her face as she turned around. However, Ken noticed and threw a threatening word at her. ¡°Hey, if you¡¯re not gonna pay up, I¡¯m gonna mess up your toys.¡± Tin snapped at his words, ¡°Both of us know you¡¯re not gonna do that.¡± ¡°Oh yeah? Try me,¡± Ken provoked. ¡°Hey, stop it, you two,¡± Linda interrupted, trying to calm them down. Ken and Tin grunted as they averted their gazes from each other. Alastor entered the room and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the commotion all about?¡± ¡°Nah, kids fight,¡± Linda said dismissively. She walked by the shelf and read a magazine in the living room. ¡°Right,¡± Alastor replied, blankly looking at them before turning his attention to Linda. ¡°Anyways, how¡¯s she doing?¡± ¡°Getting better,¡± Linda replied without looking back. ¡°Really? Fill me in,¡± Ken said eagerly. He finally looked up. ¡°Hey, calm down, lover boy,¡± Alastor interjected. ¡°She can barely mutter five or three words, and we¡¯re not sure if she¡¯s not or a liability to us.¡± ¡°Hey, how ¡®bout we talk to her and help her remember some things,¡± Ken suggested. ¡°Interrogation?¡± Alastor questioned. ¡°No, talk to her like a normal person, a soldier boy. She has amnesia; an interrogation is not a freaking pep talk,¡± Ken retorted. Alastor thought about it for a moment before grunting and walking outside the premises with an unexplainable reaction. ¡°That guy has a serious problem,¡± Ken added, as though he was mocking Alastor. ¡°Al is a bit, um, how do I say this?¡± Linda struggled to find the right words. ¡°Edgy?¡± Ken suggested. ¡°Edgy, right,¡± Linda agreed. ¡°Yeah, I know. Some cadets get hang-ups even though he¡¯s not looking at them.¡± ¡°The way he looks strikes fear into people,¡± Ken observed. ¡°Ken,¡± Linda warned. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t get it into you, alright? He¡¯s a lot more complicated than you think,¡± Linda cautioned. ¡°Right, I can already see it. I¡¯ll suck up the tension and use happy imagination,¡± Ken said, trying to lighten the mood. *** Alastor grunted as he opened his eyes to the buzzing and sirens of his alarm clock. He took a deep breath before deciding to stand up. After glancing at his phone and reading Linda¡¯s message about the elevators not working, he proceeded to the bathroom to do his usual routine. As always, he proceeded to the bathroom, doing the same routine, brushed his teeth, bathed, put on his favorite white and black striped shirt, and wore short black pants. As he proceeded outside of his room, he saw Sherry at the end of the hallway, staring aimlessly down beyond the window. She wore a white dress with a red lace tied to her hair. The wind made her ponytail fly when she opened the window, met by a gust of wind. Alastor observed for a few seconds before he decided to go down to the lounge when he heard a voice as he stepped towards the stairs. ¡°Hey,¡± Sherry called out. ¡°Yes?¡± he said without looking back at her. ¡°I just want to-to¡­¡± she trailed off. ¡°To what?¡± ¡°To thank you.¡± He tilted his head to see Sherry¡¯s face. ¡°Look, if you think we saved you out of goodwill, then you¡¯re lucky because we only saved you to find a use for you.¡± Sherry paused her movements and looked discouraged about what he said. ¡°Is that so?¡± she frowned. ¡°Yeah. If that¡¯s all, then I will go downstairs.¡± Alastor left Sherry with a worrying thought clinging to her head. She tried to toughen herself, but a single tear crept out, and she shed it. As Alastor proceeded to the lounge, the energetic man, Ken met him. ¡°Yo! Have you seen Sherry?¡± Ken questioned. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Outside my room. She was staring out the window.¡± Ken intervened when Alastor headed towards the kitchen. ¡°You realize that it¡¯s breakfast, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why I came down here to eat.¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you invite her?!¡± ¡°Must¡¯ve slipped my mind,¡± Alastor said. ¡°Dude!¡± Alastor didn¡¯t respond anymore, only with a grunt gesturing that he was getting annoyed, but Linda came in and threw him a look as if she were saying, ¡®Calm down.¡¯ She sat down on the sofa holding a book and started to read it. ¡°If you want to, go upstairs and invite her.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem to care about her, d¡¯ya?¡± Ken said, and he ran up the stairs. When he left, Alastor decided to go to the kitchen, but Linda¡¯s voice reached out to him. ¡°You seem to be in a bad mood.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he always?¡± Tin added as she walked towards the table holding a tray full of desserts and coffee from the hallway. Alastor grunted as he walked without saying a word. Linda turned her attention to Tin, dragged because of the food she brought. ¡°Since when does dessert qualify as breakfast?¡± Linda asked. Tin looked at her without a trace of annoyance, only a display of a poker face. ¡°My tummy, my rules,¡± she said and started to eat.


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