《Epoch of Desolation》


 CHAPTER 1-REVELATION

    [Launching Revelation]¡­


    [Launch successful]¡­


    [Player will not be exterminated]¡­


    [Checking mental state]¡­


    [Mental state: Stable]¡­


    [Studying Physical Attributes]¡­


    [Physical Attributes studied successfully]¡­


    [Assigning Class]¡­


    [Class assignment completed]¡­


    [Due to current Physical Attributes, Player has been classified as a Lightweight]¡­


    [Modifying Player¡¯s Dataset to fit their Class]¡­


    [Dataset modified successfully]¡­


    [Assigning Dataset]¡­


    [Dataset assignment completed]¡­


    [Granting Role]¡­


    [Side Character Role granted]¡­


    [Despite being a Side Character, Player Rain Leclair is still required in the development of a substantial plot, and in that regard has been given the choice of selecting a Division based on their Class]¡­


    [Division selection has been postponed until Player has awoken]¡­


    [Seeking Benefactor]¡­


    [No Benefactor is currently interested]¡­


    [Resuming Player preparation]¡­


    [Player preparation completed]¡­


    [Duration taken for completion: 5 years and 15 days, calculated from the 18th of August, year 2024, to the 3rd of September, year 2029]¡­


    [Time of completion: 5:03PM]¡­


    [Player Rain Leclair is now ready to participate in Revelation]¡­


    [Starting location: Edinburgh, Scotland]¡­


    [Final notice to Player Rain Leclair: Spawned Glades are to be ventured into within 48 hours. Repercussion for failure? Melding will occur]¡­


    [Releasing Player Rain Leclair from his pod]¡­


    ###


    Happy birthday¡­


    Rain¡¯s eyes flicked open sharply, a dot of blue and purple hue resting silently in his peripheral vision, while the words which had snapped him awake became transient echoes that were lost forever to him.


    His skull was extremely heavy¡ªalmost as though its components had been swapped from that of the calcium of bone to the galena of lead¡ªwhile his mind was clouded by a thick hazy fog which was only now beginning to clear bit by bit.


    What had happened to him? Where was he?


    He wanted to see. To be able to view his surroundings, but despite the fact that his eyes were wide open, they were smeared by a blur of muted, dim-golden light which prevented his wish from coming to pass.


    The latest of his questions came at that moment: Why¡­ Why couldn¡¯t he seem to remember much?


    Rain was unable to arrange his thoughts into a singular coherent form yet, despite that, he was able to figure out one thing: Something was wrong¡ªwith himself.


    Besides the basics of life which had been ingrained in him right from the beginning of his existence¡ªa beginning he couldn¡¯t even recall, nor those who had caused it¡ªeverything else was either partially or completely blurred; some were even imprisoned in a cave of darkness.


    He would have panicked physically in that regard, but his body was too weak to react. It was almost like he had been caged within an unbreakable wall of cement.


    That realization of his caused his chest to spasm stiffly. And as if only now registering that to survive he needed a lot more of the stale, dusty, and decaying air he had been breathing in, Rain¡¯s mouth flung open, revealing a small gap between both his lips.


    It was painful. Breathing was excruciatingly painful. His throat was dry and hurting, and every breath he drew in felt like torture. Regardless, he needed to breathe. And, most importantly, he needed help.


    Rain tried to call for just that, but his words were stuck in his throat.


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    His lips were open, though the only sounds able to make their way out of his esophagus were raspy ones which shared a lot of similarity to the choking croaks of a person being strangled.


    I can¡¯t speak?


    Another realization regarding his situation dawned upon him. This one caused his heartbeat to race and his stomach to churn and quiver. He could only react to the frustration he was feeling by protesting with his toes and fingers. Those, though, were useless in the grand scheme of things.


    Unable to do anything to better his situation, Rain finally resolved to lay still, breathing slowly for a while. After which he focused his attention on the unforgiving, hard, and discomforting surface he was lying side-faced upon. And as if his sense of feeling had been waiting for him to do just that, it was at that moment that he experienced a shivering sensation pricking his skin, and, as well, a chill seeping into his bones.


    A single tear rolled down his right cheek, but its warmth was not enough to make up for the cold that had taken control over his body and mind.


    He needed answers to his questions, yet the more he reached for them the farther into a bleak horizon they ran.


    Still, he did not give up.


    As his blurred eyes darted about, and his throat kept trying to produce a word, his mind persisted on trying to attain answers from his fragmented and hazy memories.


    It was not until the dim-golden yellow light bathing his eyes had transformed into a dull, ethereal silver that seemed to be everywhere and nowhere at the same time, was he able to finally produce a single word¡­


    ¡°Hello¡­¡± Like a toddler who was only just learning how to speak, Rain mumbled in a scratchy whisper, and a momentary wave of joy swallowed him up. Until he realized that his call had been met with a deafening silence in return.


    Was he all alone?


    A colder chill than the previous one crept up his spine.


    ¡°Hello¡­!¡± he called out again, louder. But still no reply came. The beats of his heart transitioned from a slow trod to a gallop, and this time his panic was palpable.


    Breathe¡­ Rain told himself¡ªstabilized himself¡ªas he closed his eyes for a moment while taking in the damp air clouding wherever he was in with shivering breaths. Breathe¡­ He told himself again before finally opening his eyes as his galloping heart calmed down somewhat. And this time whatever had been left of the blur veiling them was lifted ever so slightly as though they were thin cataracts successfully removed by an ophthalmologist.


    Plus, because of that, he was able to glimpse a particular set of features he seemed to have been struggling to remember.


    Across from him, on the shattered screen of a plasma tv, was an image of a teenager in a messy hospital gown with blonde short hair, a somewhat shrunken face, and a mole on his right eye. It was an image of¡­


    Me¡­? Rain mumbled to himself in a moment of quick apprehension, since as he moved his eyes, the hazel eyes on the tv screen moved as well. Then there was a short silence in his head, after which he added, Handsome.


    He was not particularly sure why that thought had crossed his mind, considering his predicament, but he didn¡¯t dwell on it for a second and decided to further his understanding of his situation by taking in his surroundings.


    After all, he could finally see a lot more clearly.


    Rain turned his gaze towards the walls within his current scope of vision, curiously scrutinizing their cracked and grimy surfaces.


    It¡¯s like I¡¯m in an abandoned building or something. Am I?


    When he looked further he made out a broken ceramic vase which had long decayed, as well as withered flowers, and a nursing tray toppled over with countless syringes littered all over the dusty floor.


    What is going on here? Rain questioned himself, knowing fully well that he did not have the answer to anything, not even those concerning his own self. The syringes¡­ The patient gown I¡¯m wearing¡­ I¡¯m definitely at a hospital. But were hospitals always this gloomy?


    Rain tried to push himself up from the floor as soon as he noticed that a little bit of strength had returned to his muscles, but his joints cried out in pain and he had not even been able to lift himself up an inch before he¡¯d crumbled back down.


    I guess I¡¯m going to have to wait a bit longer then.


    He forced himself not to feel anxious and decided to take things slowly, one step at a time.


    No good would come from rushing things, obviously.


    And besides, it seems like I¡¯m all alone here. No one responded to my calls, and I¡¯ve not even heard any sounds apart from the ones I¡¯ve been making.


    Rain gnashed his teeth in a slight frustration.


    That¡¯s barely reassuring. I¡¯m a sitting duck here, one who doesn¡¯t even know what has happened to him.


    Tsk!


    Rain Leclair. Seventeen years of age. That¡¯s all I can seem to remember. I need more than that¡ªsome answers. Why am I in a hospital? Did I get into an accident?


    Furthermore, he was completely dehydrated, that much was obvious from his features. And he was exhausted too. And hungry.


    A wave of tiredness suddenly hit Rain¡¯s core, causing him to close his eyes and exhale deeply.


    It was then. Just as he opened his eyes.


    He took notice of something which he had seemingly been subconsciously pushing aside during his moments of mild panic. It was an indistinct blue and purple-ish light to the corner of his eyes which seemed both far and near and kept pulsing in a low manner


    What is that?


    Rain was taken aback at the sight, but for some reason he didn¡¯t completely feel as though it was something strange.


    If he were to compare the feeling he was having for the pulsing light it would be similar to the kind related to his manhood. He knew he had one, but he could easily forget that he did.


    Though, somewhere in his brain, there was a notion flying around that the light being present wasn¡¯t a normal situation. That it wasn¡¯t natural, and instead it was weird.


    Rain¡¯s thoughts were split into two contradicting parts in that regard, but he didn¡¯t seem to care which was right or wrong.


    All he wanted at this point was to get answers to all the questions he had, including the current ones which had sprung up due to this light.


    That said¡­ How would he get them?


    Having already completely focused his psyche on the light through all his thinking¡ªtacked on with his unwavering resolve to get answers¡ªthe pulsing blue and purple-ish light responded in an ethereal manner. Rain gasped as deep as his strength could allow while an incredulous look took over his face.


    The light had spread out bizarrely, transforming into words before his view.


    [Side Character Rain Leclair, a Division is yet to be selected]...


    Side Character?


    [Proceed to select Division?]...

 CHAPTER 2-A TRIGGER

    Side Character? Division? Rain was left bamboozled for a brief moment, before his frontal lobe suddenly pushed forth to him a memory he had subconsciously concealed.


    Wait. Those messages weren¡¯t dreams? His mouth almost went agape, wider than when he¡¯d opened it to help with his breathing. But since attempting that felt like a bunch of needles were being stabbed into his cheeks, Rain kept his lips together.


    What he had recalled were the barrages of notifications which had popped up before him while he had still been swaying in the bleak darkness of his mind. And surprisingly even their arrangements, something so forgettable, were still quite vivid in his head, almost like he had a perfect photo of them stored in there.


    Rain remained baffled for quite some time. Then a ripple shook that pond of perplexity as a flicker of something both familiar and alien stirred to being within him, arriving like an uninvited spark of a candle¡¯s miniature light in a completely dark room.


    Rain froze solid like a mannequin devoid of life as a jolt similar to that of an electric current coursed through his brain and an onslaught of fleeting images ransacked his mind.


    He quivered for an instant. Then, as soon as he pulled himself back, reached for those fleeting images. Not caring that they were literally incomplete puzzles meshed together in a chaotic manner, the hands of his psyche reached for them either way, desperate to bring home what were seemingly pieces of himself which had gone astray.


    Luckily, he grabbed something. And despite how disoriented his body felt at that moment, Rain was smeared with an unhealthy amount of joy, one he believed was an accumulation of all the past joys he had experienced while engaging in that particular memory he had caught.


    They overwhelmed him, by the way, and Rain had to take a moment to calm his rapid breaths because of that. Eventually, he was well stabilized, and the sensation of a certain, small part of himself being patched up¡ªa part which had a hand in the excitement of life¡ªcaressed his scrawny body.


    A trigger. Rain seemed to have come to an enlightenment as a rush of dopamine was excreted in his brain. The corners of his lips raised into a soft smile instinctively, the needle-like pain in his cheeks almost completely forgotten about.


    He focused once again on the mixture of blue and purple hue words before his hazel eyes, while the rest of his fragmented memories escaped once again into the horizon of his mind.


    This served as a trigger? I can get back my memories one step at a time through triggers? Cool! Fucking cool! He suddenly paused as his eyes narrowed. Why do I feel like I should have been reprimanded for mentioning that word? That feeling stuck with him for a couple of seconds, but he internally shooed it away not long later. After all, what was the use of dwelling on a feeling that had no trigger to spark his remembrance of it¡ªat least at this moment?


    Rain shifted his attention to the words he had seen before awakening, focusing on two in particular: Revelation and Player.


    His eyes twitched instinctively. Is this like a game?


    Of course, he had zero clarity on what he was talking about. The intricacies of what a ¡®game¡¯ actually was remained hazy to him. But from what he could now recall, due to the memory he had caught, the words before his view shared an uncanny resemblance to what might be seen in a game.


    That aside, there were three other things in particular that stuck with him more than the others.


    One was the ¡®Role¡¯ he had gotten. The ¡®Side Character¡¯ Role.


    If the little he¡¯d recalled about ¡®games¡¯ were true, then weren¡¯t Side Characters like¡­ Useless? Bound to die? Or something along that line?


    Rain shook his head internally.


    Death? Heh. He shouldn¡¯t be thinking about such bad omens. Whatever was happening to him¡ªwhatever that Side Character Role was¡ªhe could not let it cause negative thoughts to pop up in his head.


    ¡®Negative thoughts beget negative happenings¡¯.


    Rain blinked owlishly. He had no recollection of learning that particular sentence.


    He moved on to the rest of his worries. The first which was the last of the initial messages: ¡°Releasing player from his pod¡±. And the second which was the time-length recorded.


    His questions came then:


    What was this pod? How come he had spent five years inside it? And¡­ Was his memory loss connected to it in some way?


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    Rain threw his gaze around his scenery again, checking for any more weird things he might have missed, while the pair of messages which had popped up in his view kept up with his eyes¡¯ movement like a homing missile.


    He had no idea what this pod looked like, or what exactly he should be keeping an eye out for, and it frustrated him beyond whatever little reasoning he had.


    Not having a complete set of memories put a lot of restrictions on what he could understand. Of what he could¡ª


    Rain¡¯s eyebrows shot up suddenly as he gasped softly.


    He was lying side-faced to the floor; in a hospital shouldn¡¯t he be on a bed?


    If he took the term pod literally, and he had been in one all this time, then him having just been released meant that the pod should be¡­


    He strained his neck and tried to look over his shoulder¡­


    ¡­The pod should be behind him.


    It was futile though. The muscles of his neck seemed to be the slowest of his body¡¯s muscles to regain their vitality.


    Well, he was tired of waiting for answers. If this pod was connected to his memories somehow¡ªif it would serve as a trigger¡ªthen he had to seek it out immediately. He was not going to let things such as stiffened muscles keep him rooted to one spot.


    A single push of his body up and the way his whole being protested in return reminded Rain that those stiffened muscles were the whole essence of his existence. The muscles made him.


    He clutched a characteristic then and there though. Stubbornness.


    With puffed cheeks and widened, reddened eyes full of desperation and anguish, Rain kept raising his overly dehydrated body from the damp and dusty floor he was on.


    It was not until after a few seconds of struggle did he find himself in a push-up position. His recalcitrant muscles had had no choice but to succumb to his will at the end of the day.


    Rain moved his neck, rather painfully, though, but due to that he was able to catch sight of a lifeline that had always been so close to him.


    A hospital bed.


    He could lean on that.


    As if to punish him for feeling joyous, his body suddenly took away his control over it, forcing him to crash down and his nose to passionately kiss the floor.


    Despite the pain, Rain didn¡¯t shout. He just grunted and beared with it, squeezing his hands tightly in return as a single streak of blood came out of his right nostril.


    ¡®Squeezing his hands?¡¯


    Rain¡¯s eyes widened, the sting in his nose seemingly forgotten.


    I can control my hands now!


    It must have been the combination of the shock and pain he had been bombarded with as he fell to the floor, but at least he got a reward out of it. In fact, it was something better than what he could have asked for. He had one section of his body back to him. That was a great start for better things to come.


    A grin took his face, one so wide that his nose was pushed up exaggeratedly.


    It would be nice to walk, wouldn¡¯t it? Rain pictured the scenario briefly. I should try it¡­


    And he did.


    Up into a crouch, he went. It worked. His joints were crying, but it worked. He went further, on his knees this time. Painful, but he succeeded again. Further, his brain bellowed at him, and he went. Before he knew it, he was on his feet. Rather wobbly, but he was standing.


    A smile appeared between shaky breaths, and then he moved¡ªtoward the hospital bed he had seen. Even though his legs were somewhat his, he still had to rest on something. The pain was so mind boggling that he couldn¡¯t stand for long.


    A minute or so later he arrived at the bed stand, and circled around it to the side that faced the window, a muted silver of moonlight coming in through the slit in between its curtains.


    As Rain climbed onto the bed, he noticed that the bed sheet, which seemed like it had once been white, was now yellow and rotten.


    Although, he accepted it that way regardless.


    Considering his situation, he couldn¡¯t even complain. And besides, he was not planning on staying here for long. The bed was just to be a means for him to take in the whole scenery of the room he was in, especially because of ¡®the pod¡¯, while serving as a temporary place of comfortable rest until he was able to control his muscles without pain.


    As you know, my little stubborn neck, I don¡¯t plan on staying here forever, so I think it¡¯s high time you start responding to me without complaints, don¡¯t you?


    Maybe hoping his intimidation would work, Rain squinted his eyes and started to turn the apex of his body around, and to his utmost surprise his head moved without ¡®complaint¡¯. The pain was a lot less than what he¡¯d felt a moment ago too.


    Mental prowess. Rain was delighted at his brilliance as a better view of his location came into his vision.


    The hospital room was somewhat spacious, but it only accommodated a few things¡ªat least, that he could see presently. The bed he was seated on, a chair and a dead monitor and an IV-stand placed beside it, as well as a single plush sofa at a distance across from him. It had the ambience of a private area.


    Is this a VIP room? Rain wondered. Was I, like, rich?


    A rather fast deduction for the little bit he had been able to make out, since it was not like the room was in any way flashing bright; It was stumbling between a thin division betwixt utter darkness and a murky ray of silver dullness after all.


    Undoubtedly, the moon was up in the sky, pouring down its radiant glow. The problem was with what was acting like some sort of veil over night¡¯s source of light? And in that regard, Rain didn¡¯t dwell on any hopes of completely satisfying his curiosity by taking every inch of the whole scenery in.


    Besides, his main desire lay with whatever the pod he had been released from was, and the light coming in between the narrow gap of the window¡¯s curtains was sufficient enough for him to¡ª


    ¡­Huh?


    Rain saw no pod-like thing; no, he¡¯d come to see something else¡ªsomething that filled him with displeasure and terror. He was staring at death straight in its eyes.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve got to be fucking kidding me.¡±


    ¡­He should have been reprimanded for that.

 CHAPTER 3-SURVIVAL

    No one needed to tell him. His memories weren¡¯t complete, but he still had the survival instincts of a human. One which was automatically triggered at the sign of danger.


    Well, it had been triggered now. The hairs on his fair skin were standing on end.


    Rain was seated diagonally on the hospital bed he had climbed upon, looking over his right shoulder.


    Not just looking though¡ªstaring.


    From the direction of where seemed to be the door to this hospital room he was in, glowed a pair of bright amber orbs peering straight back at him.


    He could feel it¡ªinstinctively. They were hunting eyes. And that gaze planted upon him was the kind a predator gave their prey: a sharp and determined gaze.


    Suddenly, the silence in the room had its own layer of silence.


    Rain could hear his breaths, his heartbeat, the sound of blood pulsing in his veins, and worse, the low growl of the golden yellow coated and black spotted beast leering voraciously at him.


    Normally, from his ingrained instinct as a human, Rain believed it should have been bad for the animal that he was a badly dehydrated teenager who was more bones than flesh. But he could well see that it did not care. Rather, he could smell it. The stench of death. And it was from his body that the pungent smell oozed.


    As if to confirm his thoughts, and further plunge his heart into a deeper, sinking well, the words before Rain¡¯s eyes condensed ethereally and shuffled into new words.


    [Side Plot]


    A Mutated Jaguar has appeared, and it holds animosity towards you. Survive.


    Rain¡¯s brain turned to mush as soon as he read what was before his eyes.


    Haha¡­ He chuckled weirdly. Just bring back my Division selection message. I won¡¯t put it off again, huh¡­?


    The words didn¡¯t change though. They remained¡­ stubbornly.


    Rain¡¯s face turned purple.


    He¡¯d barely just gotten control over his body, the pain of making use of it was still extremely overwhelming, so how in the world was he supposed to survive the onslaught of a wild cat all on his own?


    His heartbeats pounding intensified in the same manner that a furnace would be agitated by the toss of an extra couple of woods.


    Maybe it was due to the possibility that he had not completely gained a solid grip over all his emotions, but he felt like the current one cloaking him wasn¡¯t only of fear. Rather it was a mixture of both it and anger. In fact, anger probably took the cake. Because¡­


    Why the actual fuck was the Jaguar just standing there staring back at him?


    On second thoughts, how long had it been doing that? Did it think so little of him that it felt like it didn¡¯t need to sneak up on him to kill him? Didn¡¯t cats pride themselves on sneak attacks?


    Rain¡¯s eyes tightened, and his expression hardened.


    His brain had reminded him of his state and how little of a threat anything with intelligence would see him.


    The Jaguar could take its time if it wanted, and it would still kill him without as much as a struggle. After all, the average human would lose to a regular Jaguar without even a hint of difficulty. And even though the one before Rain was somewhat lean, like it had just made it into its youth, the message had tagged it as mutated, while he¡­ he was less than the average human.


    He had no chance.


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    Survive.


    That word stood out from the message before his eyes and Rain grimaced even further.


    To hell with you damned Jaguar. Mutated or not, there¡¯s no way I¡¯m dying here. I have memories to pursue. A lost life to find. Something flashed in his mind, and Rain¡¯s perception of time dulled for a brief moment. A family to seek¡­


    That was true. He had not thought about it before, but he obviously should have a family. A father, a mother, a sibling, or siblings¡ªmaybe a sister, or¡­ brother. He had a family. A family to seek. He definitely did.


    All of a sudden, the Jaguar¡¯s growl was no longer low.


    Rain saw the beast baring its fangs at him now.


    Maybe it had smelled his relief and hated that he was feeling that way. Hurt the big cat¡¯s pride, perhaps. At the end of the day, it was a predator, and no predator liked their prey feeling relaxed before them.


    What the beast didn¡¯t know though was that Rain had already pushed aside the thought that he was its prey. After all, to find his family he had to be alive; and alive and kicking he would be.


    Rain was not sure, maybe there was a manual book within his skull, but for some reason he felt confident as scenes of plausible ways to survive swirled about in his head, playing at a bizarre speed.


    He had a chance.


    Finally, the Jaguar inched forward, and Rain instantly settled on one scenario of the countless he had seen.


    First¡­ Intimidation.


    At that thought and moment, the message before Rain¡¯s eyes reverted back to the pulsing little light it had once been, shifting to the edge of his eyes and making itself almost unnoticeable again.


    Rain understood then. The light was controlled on command by his state of mind. If he was focused on it, it would appear. If he was not, it would hide.


    That¡¯s pretty neat. He thought to himself while still keeping his gaze on the Jaguar. Then he gnashed his teeth together in a makeshift predatory manner and¡­ growled¡­ on all fours.


    He looked completely stupid. But it worked. The Jaguar stopped moving and seemed to tilt its head at him.


    But only for a moment.


    The next second it pounced forward with a loud snarl. Maybe in a fit of rage, Rain was not sure, but he wasted no time thudding to the floor with a squawk and turning the hospital bed over with all of his strength to intercept the agile cat.


    His intimidation scheme had not worked. The next thing was¡­


    Rain threw his gaze upon the syringes scattered on the floor, scooped up a bunch. And as the cat nimbly leaped on top of the hospital bed¡¯s frame¡ªas though it had anticipated such an action from its supposed prey¡ªhe dug them all into its hind leg from behind.


    There was a guttural cry from the Jaguar as it tumbled to the floor in anguish, but Rain did not have the time to relish in the tune brought about from his handiwork. He instantly buried the jaguar underneath the hospital bed before it had the time to regain its wits.


    Possibly it was the adrenaline coursing through his body, nevertheless Rain found himself standing on both his feet next, despite the mind boggling pain; not just standing, though, running¡ªif he could call it that.


    A few seconds later, he was out of the spacious hospital room.


    Rain knew it was because of the Jaguar¡¯s pride that his ploy of escaping the room had succeeded, but it still baffled him how he had been looked down upon.


    Were all the animals that way? Prideful and enjoyed imbuing their prey with fear before ripping them to shreds?


    Mutated¡­ That word took center stage in Rain¡¯s head for a second as he used all his strength to slam the hospital room¡¯s door shut, closing the still-wailing Jaguar inside it.


    The fact that the Jaguar was still on the floor left a deep impression on Rain. He¡¯d expected it to have already been up and about to attack once again before he¡¯d even left the room.


    Was it that the ¡®mutation¡¯ the Jaguar underwent was purely mentally?


    Truly, he had not seen anything special about the animal¡¯s physical features; on the other hand, it even looked less stocky than he would have imagined for a large cat.


    Had it been granted the wit-like qualities humans had in exchange for physicality?


    If so, then Rain believed his ordeal was going to prove much more difficult than he¡¯d expected.


    A hunting cat with the same level of smarts as a human was too crazy of a threat to battle. But even worse was that it was too much of a threat to remain with in the same location. Rain instantly came to that conclusion as his vision took on a scotopic state due to the variation of brightness with his previous location and his latest one.


    There was no doubt that the beast was going to break out of that room sooner or later, even though it was still groveling underneath the hospital bed it had been buried beneath for now. And when it did it would hunt him down¡ªsmartly, this time.


    Rain¡¯s initial plan had been to just cage it there and find a new place to make his base, but now he thought against that. And as he pushed forward within the darkness of the hospital¡¯s hallway without a specific location in mind, he made a decision:


    That Jaguar has to die.

 CHAPTER 4-DIVISIONS

    The silence was deafening.


    Rain felt like a lot of time had passed, still he was yet to hear any crash or thuds¡ªor even growls.


    Was the Jaguar yet to break out?


    He couldn¡¯t believe that was the case, and as such was getting somewhat fearful that it might have already escaped in some other way. Maybe it was even stealthily finding its way towards him at this very moment with that mutated wits it had been given.


    There was also the unease he had been tainted with, one which stemmed from the possibility of many of such similar beasts also residing in the hospital, and their attention being drawn by all the prior noise he had made during his escape from his initial location.


    Who knew, possibly those ones were sniffing him out as well¡ªall mutated?


    A shiver coursed through Rain¡¯s body. He couldn¡¯t fathom taking several of them on.


    Only one was already forcing him to stress his weak body and use all of his brain power, he did not want to consider what a whole pack of them would cause.


    Rain wrapped his arms around his stomach, the fluttery, empty feeling there made him nauseous. He looked down at it, unable to see it but able to picture it. Flesh caved in so much that the ribs above it were almost like a large triangular crown. It would have been a blue sight, he thought.


    His arms tightened around his stomach as the questions wandering into his head intensified.


    What¡¯s even up with my situation? How come I¡¯m all alone in a dark and empty hospital? He breathed out a soft sigh. And how come a Jaguar is in here with me?


    Rain wanted to scratch his head in frustration, but he was too tired to even do that. He kept asking himself the same questions over and over again. It was getting quite annoying, or rather¡­


    Not knowing anything¡­ that is what is annoying. It¡¯s dark and painful. It feels like I¡¯m stuck in a small container¡ªa container I can¡¯t escape from. He gritted his teeth. What in the world is going on, with my surroundings, and with me? How did I live before now? What was I doing before now? Having to search for these answers¡ªWhy do I have to search for what used to be mine?


    From putting two and two together, the situation, the messages he had seen, Rain was a hundred percent sure that what was transpiring currently wasn¡¯t the norm. His humane instinct told him that it wasn¡¯t the norm.


    Perilously journeying through a dark hallway alone while looking over his shoulders to avoid being attacked from behind; stumbling occasionally; hitting his toes against metals and boxes; being randomly startled senseless whenever he saw an unusual lot of golden-yellow eyes appearing in the dark for a second¡ªof course they hadn¡¯t been real, but the jump scare came nonetheless; how could any of that have been the norm?


    It wasn¡¯t pretty, that much was obvious. The near death scenario he was in wasn¡¯t pretty.


    Could he really survive?


    All of a sudden, Rain¡¯s ears cried out in pain. He¡¯d slapped both his cheeks.


    Wake up! He shouted at himself. There was no could. He had to.


    Although, the more time passed as he sat in silence, the more his courage and confidence in surviving faltered.


    The silence was finally getting to his head now¡ªalmost.


    He could not let that happen, so he decided to quickly calm his raging heart and mind by shifting his focus onto something else. And what better than the mysterious pulsing light that could possibly have a bit of answers to what the hell was going on?


    Besides, when danger was nigh he would know. After all, he had devised a makeshift alarm mechanism. It was a rather simple one, not perfect in any way, but it should work¡ªhe hoped. He was not a hundred percent sure.


    What Rain had done was strip himself naked to place his patient gown discreetly on the cushion of the lounge he had arrived at through his voyage. His intention was for the Jaguar to be attracted to that location because of his smell, and then, whether it snuck upon his gown or pounced on it, the fire extinguisher he had set in place would be knocked down to the floor, alerting him.


    But again, that Jaguar¡¯s wits was apparently mutated¡ªenhanced. Would such a simple trick work? It was not like his patient¡¯s gown took away the scent that was on his own body. The Jaguar would definitely notice the scent coming from two different positions, and, obviously, the one coming from his body would be the stronger one. It would be able to discern which was the decoy that way.


    The only alternative Rain had was to mask his body¡¯s scent by using something stronger. But where was he to get something of such a caliber?


    Rain sighed as he sent a hand toward the other fire extinguisher he had kept to protect himself. This was all he could depend on now.


    He was cradled under a reception desk, but it felt as though he was seated naked in the center of the hallway for him to be found out by those hunting amber eyes he could not get out of his head.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Well, he actually was naked, seated on a dirty marble floor without any piece of fabric over his buttocks to boot. But that was hardly the point. The point was that being alone made him feel¡­ unsafe.


    The silence grew loud once again as his thoughts died down, and then Rain wished for the indistinct pulsing blue and purple light in his peripheral vision to once again take center stage.


    The light obeyed without delay, and recognizable words reappeared.


    [Side Plot]


    A Mutated Jaguar has appeared, and it holds animosity towards you. Survive.


    Oh, I will, Rain uttered in his head. I will. Then he thought of the first words which had appeared after he¡¯d awoken, making it clear to the current ones before his eyes that he did not wish for their company anymore.


    Unlike before, they heeded, shifting ethereally into new but familiar words.


    [Side Character Rain Leclair, a Division is yet to be selected]...


    [Proceed to select Division?]...


    Proceed¡­ Rain answered the question he had been asked with a drop of his shoulders, and a different set of words manifested.


    Sure, he was ignorant of what was going on so on the outside it would not seem like a good idea to play along, but that ignorance of his was all the more reason for him to do just that.


    Fighting against the reality of his situation would not grant him answers, exploring it would.


    [Divisions available for Side Character Rain Leclair as a Lightweight]:


    [Elementalist Division]: The elements of the world are all controllable, but that depends on if you want to hold their reins.


    [Rogue Division]: Stealth and trickery entices you, a world where you are no longer the prey but the predator. Such a world exists, and it awaits you.


    [Saint Division]: Extravagance is rarely your forte, but perfection is. A fighter you believe you are? Then skills fit for such are yours for the taking.


    [Make your choice Side Character Rain Leclair]...


    That was easy for whatever was the source of the words to say, but for Rain it wasn¡¯t.


    His gut was telling him that the choice would be irreversible once he¡¯d made it, sticking with him all through the rest of his life.


    He didn¡¯t know what the pulsing light was, or where it had come from, but what he did know, and was pretty much obvious, was that it was a part of him now. And since that was the case, he was not willing to make any wrong decisions that would come around to bite him in his currently naked behind.


    Rain carefully pored over each word in his sight again and again and again.


    If what he was reading was not some sort of jape, then when he chose a Division he would be granted some type of ability that was related to it. Again, like a game.


    Rain¡¯s breath shook as he realized something.


    He would be granted an ability? Then he might be able to finally stand a chance against the Jaguar. His survival wouldn¡¯t be so far fetched any longer.


    Every Division seems to have a perk I would not want to let go though. Why do they all look so good and beneficial in their own ways?


    Rain was torn. So he decided to read through them one last time, but with a different outlook: Which would be of the most use to him at this moment and in the long run no matter what situation he found himself in?


    The Elementalist Division offered abilities based on each of the elements of the world, Rain figured. He had an inkling that those elements meant the likes of fire, water, air, and earth, maybe even more.


    Being able to take control of such things didn¡¯t sound so bad; the problem lay in ¡®how?¡¯


    Would it be wise of him to risk it? Was he going to be able to wield all the elements or just one? Should he just go ahead and select the Division then slowly figure out how to make use of the powers of the element or elements he would be offered? Was he even blessed with such a liberty? And also, how dangerous would it be to be able to control things such as that? Surely, there was no way he would be granted powers without there being some sort of risk to them, right?


    The questions were too great. And when he thought about the potential hazards that could arise from tampering with something like fire, Rain shuddered rather erratically¡ªalmost as though he had been spooked. It was like a casket was suddenly opened up and an overwhelming plague of nightmares were released from it into his mind.


    He was instantly displeased with the notion of controlling fire.


    At that moment, the Elementalist Division had some sort of repulsive feel to it. Rain shifted his attention away from it.


    As for the Rogue Division, it almost felt like it had been specially crafted for him due to his situation. If he had stealth and trickery he could go head to head with the Jaguar that was supposedly hunting him, perhaps even defeat it at its own game.


    But¡­ that was a big perhaps.


    This Division seemed like it was solely focused on the art of stealth, therefore, if it was impossible to sneak up on someone or something then it was practically useless. At least that was what he¡¯d gotten from the Division¡¯s definition. It might not be so, but he could not risk confirming that. He needed to be sure to make a choice. And in that regard, his gut was not leaning towards this Division.


    That left him with the last of his options. The Saint Division.


    ¡®Extravagance is rarely your forte, but perfection is. A fighter you believe you are? Then skills fit for such are yours for the taking¡¯.


    Rain was drawn to the words before his eyes far quicker than when he had been reading through the previous two, even during his previous read-throughs.


    Being a fighter meant a person was potent in the skills of attacking and defending, right? Then considering the little knowledge he had of what had happened to the world and what dangers might be lurking within it, wouldn¡¯t this be the perfect Division for him to select?


    It did not seem to have the risk of the Elementalist Division, and it was not single-faced like the Rogue Division.


    A fighter would be able to defend and protect themself far better than an Elementalist and a Rogue, since that was their whole forte¡ªgoing by what he understood from the words before his eyes¡ªand the skills to do such was what he needed the most. If picking this Division would grant him that, then he saw no reason to hesitate, besides the fact that fighters excelled in close range battles; in other words, he would be butting heads with danger quite often in order to damage his opponents.


    Well, it¡¯s not like keeping myself far away from danger would change anything much if that danger keeps coming after me, right? I¡¯d rather be able to defend myself in close range, than be unable to at a distance.


    Rain closed his eyes, took in a deep breath, and heaved out an exhale.


    He¡¯d thought it through. This had to be his best choice¡ªit had to.


    His eyes opened, and they were placed on the last Division on the listing.


    Saint Division¡­

 CHAPTER 5-SAINT SKILL

    [Division selected]...


    [Assigning Saint Division to Side Character Rain Leclair]...


    [Assignment successful]...


    [Selected Division cannot be changed]...


    Thought as much.


    [Proceeding]...


    [Skill selection has been unsealed]...


    [Proceed to select Skill?]...


    Skill?


    It turned out that selecting a Division wasn¡¯t the be-all to becoming a different person from who he already was. It was just a prelude.


    Since he had not been expecting the development which had occurred, Rain was startled at first. But it took him nothing more than a couple of seconds to decide his next course of action.


    Besides, it was not like he had any choice in that regard.


    From what made up the ethereal words before his eyes, it was obvious that postponing a response to the latest question he had been asked would put a hold on him receiving any substantial abilities to protect himself¡ªif everything was as he¡¯d assumed.


    I can also use this as an excuse to rest more, Rain thought.


    His initial plan had been to scoop himself up once he was done selecting his Division and go after the Jaguar, because, unlike a few moments back, he could not take the overwhelming anxiety clouding his body for much longer. His mind and heart felt like they would explode if he kept waiting without a sense of how much time had passed.


    But now he had something to keep his mind company and his body rooted to where he was. Though, he knew that once he was done with this current scenario of his life he would have no choice but to move on to the next. The courage he had could only last for as long as his anxiety was low. Once the latter spiked, the former would dwindle, and at that point such a thing would be anything but good.


    Rain sucked in a considerable quantity of the damp air in the vicinity and heaved out an exhale. Then he answered in a rather nonchalant manner, Proceed.


    [Saint Division]


    [Blade Saint]: A Skill tailored to grant its user exceptional abilities in the handling of any and all blade-type weapons the universe has to offer.


    [Martial Saint]: A Skill tailored to grant its user exquisite qualities in the art of combating without a need for weapons.


    [Ranger]: A Skill tailored to grant its user fabled flair in the manipulation of various ranged weapons.


    [Smith Saint]: In a similar way to a forge, this is a Skill which exceptionally boosts the smithing capabilities of its user, guiding them into a deeper world of weaponry that no man should be able to reach otherwise.


    [Make your choice Side Character Rain Leclair]...


    Rain sent a palm to his forehead in obvious exasperation, the words before his eyes shimmering for a mere second as his hand passed through them on its way.


    Maybe it was a characteristic from who he was before he¡¯d lost his memories, but he hated reading. That much he could see now. Words upon words irritated him. And his head was now aching.


    So much for making use of the selection process as a chance to rest. Using my brain is an act of work after all.


    Rain skimmed over the words with his eyes.


    This was the part where he just had to sucker up and get on with what he had to do whether he hated it or not.


    He couldn¡¯t also just randomly pick and hope things would turn out good for him. His uncertain future was at stake here. There was no leeway for him to make a mistake¡ªnot now, not ever.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Just so you know, Rain, your choice will determine your survival, and also if you¡¯ll be able to get back your memories. He briefly recalled the message which confirmed the unchangeability of his Division. There are no second chances, get things right the first time. You can do it.


    Resolving himself, Rain got into gear and thoroughly examined each of the Skills that had been made available to him. He did the same thing he had done while he had been selecting his Division a few seconds back: analyzing their pros and cons with regards to his future.


    He started from the first: ¡®The Blade Saint Skill.¡¯


    It was a skill that stood out, undoubtedly, just like the Saint Division had stood out from the rest of its peers.


    However, he couldn¡¯t select the Skill just because of that. He needed to be sure he wouldn¡¯t regret his decisions later on.


    The Blade Saint Skill granted him exceptional qualities in handling blade-type weapons; in other words, his attack potency would be at its peak. He would be deadly when faced with danger, and as long as he had something with a blade he would be able to harm his enemies.


    But¡­ What if he didn¡¯t? What if he had no weapon on or near him? What then? He would be no better than he was currently.


    Rain pursed his lips.


    It was a risk to choose this Skill. With a blade he would be deadly, but without one, he would just be plain old Rain.


    Still, he did not rule it out completely.


    He moved on to the next Skill: ¡®The Martial Saint Skill.¡¯


    This one was rather fascinating. It seemed to Rain like it existed purely for those who were not delighted by the con of the Blade Saint Skill.


    With the Martial Saint Skill he would be a master of attacking with his fists, not wielding a weapon would pose no problems.


    But¡­ It was obvious what its con was. The damage dealt to enemies would undoubtedly be low. After all, fists and feets could only do so much compared to blades; and since it was apparent that he had no knowledge on fighting with blades he couldn¡¯t just claim that he would complement himself with his existing natural skills on them.


    Choosing the Martial Saint Skill meant he would have no worries when he had no weapons, at the very least he would be able to defend himself well enough to escape, but on the other hand, he would practically be unable to decide a battle quickly. And that could prove worrisome if he met a beast he could not escape from and he needed to kill in a single blow or it would kill him.


    He was in quite a dilemma.


    The next Skill on the list discredited his initial conclusion that his choosing of the Saint Division meant his abilities could only shine in close combat, since this particular Skill was called: Ranger. And it was a Skill that would seemingly provide him with exceptional abilities in handling ranged weapons.


    Now, this was a lovely Skill Rain would have not once hesitated to select, but¡­ where in the world was he going to find a ranged weapon?


    Arrows? Spears? This was not the stone age, damn it.


    He had been excited when he¡¯d first seen the Skill, but now he was sneering at it, displeased with everything about it.


    I hate you, Rain murmured, making sure his annoyance was not kept all to himself.


    He cut the Ranger Skill out of his options, and at the same time, the Smith Saint Skill.


    Even though whatever had brought about this ethereal words before his eyes seemed to be taking a rather peculiar liking to the Smith Skill¡ªseeing how its explanation stood out from that of its peers¡ªRain could not find a reason why he would want to learn about the intricacies of a weapon when he was yet to find out about that of his own self.


    With a snort of derision toward the last Skill he had been offered, he glanced up and down at the first two Skills he had analyzed. His brows were pulled in, and his head was tilting in a side-to-side rhythm.


    Tsk.


    Rain became frustrated after a while of indecisiveness.


    He would have loved to put this selection on hold, but he felt that doing such would be unwise, considering his situation and how he had zero knowledge on what was going on. It was best if he had a way to survive in his grip.


    In that case, I have to make a choice now. He looked over the Blade Saint and Martial Saint Skills one more time, and at the end decided on the one with better pros for his survival in extremely dangerous situations.


    Blade Saint¡­ Rain answered, and the words before his view shifted as usual.


    [Skill selected]...


    [Assigning Blade Saint to Side Character Rain Leclair]...


    [Assignment successful]...


    At that moment a tingle overcame Rain¡¯s body. This was not in any way similar to the chilly wind that had been biting into his shriveled skin all these while, this one was something he could not quite explain. But if he was forced to say, then he would liken it to a fleeting ethereal sensation comparable only to what the calm waves of seas were always described as. And most of all, it caressed him with the warmth of life.


    Though, just as mysteriously as it had come so had it vanished, leaving him momentarily confused that maybe what he had just felt had been merely a figment of his imagination.


    A familiar message popped up in his view then.


    [Selected Skill cannot be changed]...


    Sure. Sure. There was an exhale from him, as if to say: ¡°at last¡±, and then an unfamiliar sentence showed itself.


    [Proceed to Plexus Interface?]...

 CHAPTER 6-THE PLEXUS

    Plexus? Oh, come on. What is it this time?


    Rain was tired of all the words and terms that kept springing up on him one after the other. Sure, their appearances gave him an opportunity to take his mind off the direness of his situation, but they also exhausted him¡ªmentally.


    It seemed like he hated being exhausted mentally. That was another characteristic unlocked.


    Still, he was not going to say no to the question he had been asked. He did not know how the Skill and Division he had selected would change the course of his life yet, but now he was completely sure that every single word appearing before his eyes was as important as the other. And since that was the case, he should treat them like what they were.


    [Proceed to Plexus Interface?]...


    Rain read the blue and purple hue words before his view again then answered internally, yes. And as the words warped in an attempt to produce different ones, he felt his pulse hasten, he instinctively anticipated what he would see next.


    Shortly after, his eyes widened into golf balls.


    What¡­ What is all this?


    [Plexus Interface]


    Player: Rain Leclair.


    Role: Side Character.


    Class: Lightweight.


    Division: Saint.


    Active Skill: Blade Saint (Low Level).


    Passive Skill: Aura. Photographic Memory.


    Benefactor: None.


    Privilege: None.


    Golden Points: 00


    [Entertainment Level]         [Attributes]


    There was a sharp pang in Rain¡¯s head as his toes curled. The sight of the words before his eyes had made him recall his tiredness, hunger, and thirst.


    In response, he subconsciously turned around, searching for something to relieve his thirst in the darkness, and at the same time not, because he knew he wouldn¡¯t find anything of such.


    Sighing dejectedly as his features blanked, Rain put a stop to his fruitless searches and went ahead to glance through the ¡®Plexus Interface¡¯. And as soon as he did something in his head sparked into life.


    The image had been fleeting, but strangely Rain seemed to be very good at catching shards of his memories and never letting go of them.


    For a brief moment he wondered if that was the same for everyone who had amnesia, but he quickly shoved that aside and focused on what was at hand. He was yet to see anyone besides him, thinking about others at the present would just be a waste of time.


    The memory shard Rain had gotten hold of replayed in his mind over and over again until he got accustomed to it, and then¡­


    A system? He found a word¡ªno, it was not just a word, he found the existence of something extremely similar to the Plexus Interface. I see. This is like a system.


    Rain scrutinized the Plexus with a slight tilt of his head and a ponderous expression.


    Was I like a big game nerd or something? Mmm¡­ I doubt that. For some reason I feel like I wasn¡¯t. Well, it¡¯s not like I have to be a game nerd to know game terms or the like, right?


    That was true, but he couldn¡¯t just push aside that possibility seeing as he knew exactly nothing whatsoever of himself. Therefore he kept it somewhere in the back of his mind that he could have been a teenager who preferred gaming to socializing. And when he took into consideration his characteristic of not enjoying reading, it almost aligned perfectly.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Rain huffed impatiently.


    If my whole situation is actually like a game, then isn¡¯t this kinda bad? Death in games are normal occurrences, right? The hairs on his body stood erect. Ah, shit! Why am I the only one in this hospital?


    What Rain wanted was obvious. It was just someone to share his thoughts with. That would undoubtedly remove a lot of burdens from his shoulders and ease his stress.


    That¡¯s wishful thinking, isn¡¯t it?


    Rain retired his current thoughts, giving his attention back to the Plexus Interface in his line of sight as he took in a deep breath and an exhale, then he went ahead with the usual.


    His studying was directed to the ¡®Passive Skill¡¯ section first. After all, he was already familiar with everything else up to the ¡®Active Skill¡¯. Well, not exactly ¡®familiar¡¯ in truth, but he knew a bit of what they meant or represented.


    He also had a bit of an idea on what an ¡®Active Skill¡¯ indicated. He believed it to be a Skill that required an action from him for its effect to be triggered. And that thought went in line with what his ¡®Blade Saint Skill¡¯ was about.


    Then a Passive Skill is one inherent to me, I guess? Rain questioned, recalling how he had not been bombarded with options to select any of the Passive Skills he had been given, unlike his Active Skill. Probably, he answered himself and moved on.


    Erm¡­ Let¡¯s see. Aura and photographic memory¡­


    His body posture perked up slightly at the sight of those words, and his buttocks impulsively shifted on the dusty floor of marble he was on, going from a spot that was already layered with warmth to one untouched by it. Rain shivered in response. He remembered he was naked then.


    Tsk.


    A momentary feeling of displeasure came upon him, but it only lasted a few seconds, after which he breathed out a sigh as his mind flew back to the moment he¡¯d encountered his current nemesis.


    Aura, huh? If this is what I think it is then I pretty much don¡¯t have a high level in it, seeing as I couldn¡¯t even scare off a Jaguar.


    He had resolved to using the word ''level'' to categorize his strength in various aspects because of two things. One, he had settled on the high possibility that whatever was happening was similar to a game in all its forms; and two, his Active Skill had been categorized as ¡®Low Level¡¯.


    Now that he was on that point of reasoning, he further went ahead to worsen his mood himself.


    Something having a low level meant it was significantly weak compared to other things with higher levels; in fact, it might even be weak when set side by side with its own peers.


    Rain¡¯s Active Skill, the greatest thing in his arsenal, was in this category; his Aura Skill seemed to be even notably worse. In other words: he was exponentially weak.


    That conclusion made him chuckle in a suppressed but dramatic manner; although it was not a new realization, it was still hurtful.


    And then there¡¯s my Side Character Role; a person who is easily disposable in plots. Whatever was left of Rain¡¯s muscles strained. I¡¯ve been set up for failure, haven¡¯t I?


    It was pointless thinking about it though, so he just went ahead to focus his attention on the second of his Passive Skills. And a few seconds later, he stumbled upon an awareness that uplifted his mood slightly.


    Hold on. This photographic memory, is it the reason I¡¯m able to recall things quickly? The edge of his brows almost touched each other. Holy¡­ With this I might just be able to get back my memories in no time. That and the fact that whatever he learned from now on wouldn¡¯t be easily forgotten. I must have been one smart kid before I lost my memories.


    He based that notion on what he believed Passive Skills were: inherent skills to a particular individual. In other words, he had always been a person with photographic memory. In other other words, he was amazing.


    Rain smiled softly for the first time since he¡¯d escaped his hospital room.


    He was just about to continue on to the next section of words hovering before him when he suddenly heard a crash.


    Instantly, lightheadedness overtook him, and as the hair on the nape of his neck stiffened so did the Plexus revert back to the small pulsing light it always was, hiding in his peripheral vision.


    What was that?


    At first he had thought it was the Jaguar he had imprisoned, but the sound which had stormed his ears wasn¡¯t that of glass or a door, it had been something else. If Rain was to settle on a particular thing, he¡¯d say a table¡ªa large table. Furthermore, it had not come from the direction he had escaped from, it had come from the opposite one¡ªthe one currently to his right.


    Another Jaguar?


    He anxiously anticipated the Plexus notifying him of whatever was close by, but he got nothing. And since he couldn¡¯t just hide in hopes that whatever storm brewing would pass, it was then that another trait of his came back to him. A trait which involved him taking a step to confront what was unknown to him in order to determine his stand.


    In some ways that would be termed recklessness, in others bravery, but for him it was simply curiosity.


    Damn it!

 CHAPTER 7-PHYSICAL MUTATION

    True, sometimes curiosity was stupid. Although, how else would he craft up a way to avoid the dangers lurking close to him if he didn¡¯t know what or where they were exactly?


    Besides, it was not like he was going to confront whatever had made that sound. His plan was just to silently sneak up on it, find out what sort of savage beast it was, and draft up a completely different ploy than what he had currently to both survive against it and the Jaguar after his life.


    On other thoughts, he was not being stupid, he was being logical.


    A deep breath, an exhale, and Rain was up on his feet without them protesting as violently as they¡¯d used to some moments ago; he was even a lot more stable than before. He then picked up the fire extinguisher he had reserved as a weapon for himself and held it tightly.


    There was darkness all around him, but Rain insisted on pushing forward, each cautious step of his following the guide of his mind to lead his body towards the area the sound had come from¡ªor he felt had come from.


    It didn¡¯t take too long before the adventurous teenager came upon a corner to his left, and a sight that forced him to pull in a brief excited gasp which was quickly drowned out by wariness.


    His posture perked up instantly, his grip on the fire extinguisher tightening.


    Impossible. Rain turned his head around to peer into the location he had just left, then once again returned his gaze to the new corridor he was obviously about to venture into¡ªits far end to be precise. How is this possible?


    He was right. It was something unbelievable. Everywhere else was completely dark and devoid of any form of light¡ªbesides what little the moon gave off, of course¡ªbut to the left of the corridor before his eyes was a room spilling out a dim golden yellow radiance.


    Rain¡¯s brows lowered with a purse of his lips. Hesitation tightly grabbed him around his waist in an emotional hug beseeching him not to take any step closer.


    Obviously he didn¡¯t heed the request of his romantic partner¡ªhe couldn¡¯t. For one, there was something in that mysterious room he was gazing at with pure curiosity; and most of all, there was light.


    If he could figure out how that had come to be then his current problems would be reduced by a thousand folds. After all, it would be easier to keep himself safe if he could see where he was headed and what he was battling with. Madness was what it would be if he chose to run away from an opportunity being offered to him on a silver platter.


    A sudden thought wandered into Rain¡¯s head then.


    He¡¯d been thinking of whatever had caused that crash as ¡®something¡¯, but what if it was a person? Someone like him¡ªsomeone like him who actually had answers.


    Rain tingled all over, and before he knew it his legs moved forward.


    There had been an indistinct smile on his face fueled by anticipation during his approach, but that was now long gone as he peeked into the ¡®mysterious room¡¯ through the left of the tempered vision panels of its double door.


    His heart had become a shrunken mess and his expression stony.


    Whatever excitement he had possessed was a distant dream now, and in its place lay an overbearing silhouette of disappointment.


    The ¡®mysterious room¡¯ was a world of desolation. The flickering light from the fluorescent ballasts on the mold-stricken ceiling shone down dimly upon a disarray of chairs and tables, and broken dishes and vases with dried stems. Curtains were rumpled but still covered windows. Signs that the cabinets and vending machines had already been looted in a hurry were visible. And rotten remnants of meals were all over the scratched and worn once-exquisite floorboards.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    It was a sight Rain had been expecting. What he hadn¡¯t though was to see a wharf rat nibbling on those rotten meals which were strewn on the floor.


    No. No. That wasn¡¯t right. The rat wasn¡¯t just a wharf rat, it was a wharf rat roughly four feet tall with enhanced musculature and an overexaggerated dark gray fur. And on its forehead was a black jewel like premature horn, that could probably be equivalent to a Diamond or better, the size of a baby goat¡¯s.


    If it had been any other time, maybe moments prior to when he¡¯d met that Jaguar, Rain would have gasped in part shock and part amusement. But since he knew now that such a thing as ¡®Mutation¡¯ existed he wasn¡¯t in any way surprised at what he¡¯d seen. He simply drew an inference on the difference between the Mutations of this wharf rat he was staring at and the Jaguar he was wary of.


    Physical and Mental, huh? Maybe there¡¯s even more, Rain told himself calmly.


    The Jaguar had had no variations in its build like this rat, so he had concluded that it had been given the wits of humans instead. And since it was the other way around now, it was only normal for him to think that the rat had been blessed with physicality in place of wits.


    Of course there was the possibility that he was all wrong and it was all something else. But he¡¯d rather stick to an answer than let questions keep whirling about in his head.


    When he was proven wrong he¡¯d shift to whatever the correct answer was then. As of now, he was right.


    I wonder though, do the animals select what type of Mutations they want just like I did with the Divisions? It was a brief thought of his that was quickly overshadowed by a question concerning how the rat had made its way into the dining area.


    Rain answered himself almost immediately though, by comparing the rat¡¯s situation to his. And the answer he came up with made perfect sense to him.


    He had been apparently ¡®released from a pod¡¯, so why did he never think it could have been the same for the animals on earth as well?


    If he had been in a pod all this time, so could have been the beasts of earth.


    A rat is understandable, but why was a Jaguar released from its pod in a hospital? Unless it came from outside? Rain couldn¡¯t find the answer to that, so he just shifted it aside.


    He¡¯d deemed it unnecessary to dwell on unanswerable questions, especially if they wouldn¡¯t help solve his current predicament. And on that note, so did he decide to just sneak back the way he¡¯d come, leaving the wharf rat to its feast.


    At least he¡¯d seen what to be wary of now, and in truth he was not exactly bothered.


    Yes, it was a large rat, but one significantly below him, if he was to say. Compared to the Jaguar, he did not perceive the rat as much of a threat. An extinguisher to its head should weaken it and give him enough time to escape. And luckily there was no survival message from the Plexus. He had no reason to engage.


    Hmmm. I wonder, do animals receive the messages too? He smacked his lips together. I wish I¡¯d come across another person. How nice would that have been?


    There was also nothing he could do about the light. He¡¯d seen nothing of notice powering it within the dining area, so he had thought maybe the switches of the rooms and corridors were just off. But on his way back to the lounge he¡¯d seen a switch and toyed around with it, and it had not worked.


    Maybe it''s being powered by something entirely different, Rain deduced as he stood before the plush cushion where he had placed his patient¡¯s gown, the rather risky decision he was about to make taking center stage within his head.


    He turned his head to his right and observed the depths of the dark and silent hallway as though it was an eerie cave, causing his heartbeats to increase in tempo.


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t just go back to sitting and waiting to be attacked now, can I?¡± For the first time since he¡¯d heard his raspy voice while he had been in his hospital room, Rain spoke. Luckily his voice was no longer that way. It was calm and steady now.


    He cleared his throat, re-wore his patient¡¯s gown, and discarded the fire extinguisher he had been holding for the one he had set as a makeshift alarm.


    The new one he held was heavier than the last, and that was exactly why he had discarded the other one for it.


    Rain did a little bit of weight test with his ¡®weapon¡¯, then huffed out a sigh after a curt nod.


    Yup. This is better for battle.

 CHAPTER 8-SAME SITUATION, DIFFERENT SPECIES

    Rain¡¯s eyes burned with alertness and vigor, but his heart, on the other hand, palpitated in a manner so rapid that he almost thought he could hear its throbs resounding throughout the hallway. There was also an empty feeling in the pit of his stomach; and as for his hand and the fire extinguisher they held, they were overtaken by tender trembles.


    The long silence had won the game of thrones in his mind now; he was seemingly no longer the same brave person he was a moment ago.


    Tch. Rain gnashed his teeth together in anger at that sudden realization. Calm down. Deep breaths in and out. This isn¡¯t right. You shouldn¡¯t be like this. Where did your previous courage go, you dimwit?


    Insulting himself didn¡¯t help much, but at least he was able to stabilize his breathing to an extent. And as such he finally took hold of the cold handle of the door he was before, turned it, and brought before his view the familiar interior of the hospital room he had woken up in. The sight, though, caused the upper and lower lids of his eyes to part further away from what they were meant to protect as an incredulous look took over his face.


    Thanks to the dingy light of the moon making it past the halfway curtained window, Rain knew that what he was seeing wasn¡¯t some sort of hallucination which was as a result of being within the murky feels of darkness for too long. No. This¡­ It was the real deal. The Jaguar he was quite fearful of was still stuck underneath the bed he had sent crashing over it.


    He couldn¡¯t believe his eyes.


    For some reason he¡¯d thought that even without ¡®apparently¡¯ being physically mutated, the large cat would still have an unreal measure of physical strength, and would be able to free itself from such a minor setback.


    But it seemed he was wrong.


    Was it that all Jaguars were physically weak, or was it just this one?


    Rain wasn¡¯t a national geographics or animal expert¡ªmaybe he had been, he couldn¡¯t know¡ªso he had no idea what the answer to his question was. In that regard, he did the only thing he could: proceed with caution.


    The room¡¯s door was closed silently, hazel eyes were narrowed into slits, sidesteps formed a quiet arc, and after a while Rain was standing opposite his current nemesis. His muscles tensed while his subconsciousness kept itself active in order to make sure a swift escape was guaranteed if any unprecedented problems arose.


    Although, as more seconds passed while Rain probed every nook and cranny of the trapped Jaguar, he slowly felt more and more relaxed. And of course it scared him, so much that he began to hope for the Plexus to re-notify him of the dangers of being in the same room as a wild cat.


    But nothing came.


    It was probably because he had already been notified once, so the whole ¡®Side Plot¡¯ was still ongoing and hence there was no reason for any other form of reminder. If the Player forgot that they were to survive then they were on their own.


    Due to that, Rain knew the only way to rekindle his fear of the Jaguar was by personally bringing that message back to his view. Although, to do that he¡¯d have to first close the Plexus Interface he had been on previously, and that was too much of a distraction to allow in the presence of a seasoned predator.


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    After all, this could just be a trap by the Jaguar to force him to let his guard down; it had the wits of a human.


    That thought lingered not for long though as Rain slightly tipped his head to his side after catching sight of something unexpected, or rather, something he had not once considered.


    He started to notice them then.


    The amber eyes of the Jaguar were actually quite dull and sunken; yes, they glowed, but they weren¡¯t in any way as bright as he¡¯d thought them to be. And occasionally, even though he was standing before the animal, its gaze drifted as though unfocused.


    Furthermore, its muscles weren¡¯t that of an adult cat, it seemed more like that of a youth. Its frame was less defined, thin, fragile, and gaunt; and looking closely Rain could make out its ribs faintly visible beneath its skin.


    It hasn¡¯t roared or snarled at me. No, that¡¯s not it. It just can¡¯t.


    Rain was not slow to realize what was happening here. The low, shallow, and pitiful exhales of the Jaguar was what had been the final touch.


    The beast was basically him, a hungry, dehydrated, and exhausted youth left to fend for itself, just a different species.


    Rain¡¯s heartbeat became significantly slower, and a deep sigh escaped him.


    No wonder I was able to escape. As a teenage Jaguar I doubt it has much hunting capabilities under its belt, and it''s also dehydrated, so it¡¯s definitely sluggish. Hah¡­ I would have been killed in an instant if it was an adult one.


    All the energy in Rain¡¯s legs gave out suddenly, and the blonde-haired boy went sliding to the ground, his back placed on the grimy wall behind him.


    His eyes had been on the extinguisher he called a weapon, which he had placed beside him, but now he took them back to the Jaguar. The Jaguar was staring at him, but at the same time it wasn¡¯t.


    I wonder if it lost its memories as well.


    Rain wanted to talk to it¡ªwith it. Maybe it was because he was yet to see any of his kind, and this mutated Jaguar was the closest thing to a human at the moment, but he wasted no time coming up with plausible ways to have an interaction with the beast. And not long after, he had an idea.


    There was a syringe beside him, Rain picked it up and tossed it accurately at the Jaguar, prompting it to land just at a reachable distance of the animal¡¯s right paw. No sounds of protest came from the Jaguar, but its eyes became focused once again, this time with hints of something tantamount to curiosity visible in them.


    ¡°Yes or no,¡± Rain began, hoping to himself that the Jaguar would understand what he was saying. ¡°Place your paw on the syringe if your answer is yes, and if it¡¯s no, do otherwise.¡±


    Of course Rain knew the Jaguar most likely couldn¡¯t communicate in the language of humans, therefore he was not weirded out that silence was what had followed after his words. He simply sighed and continued; it was his duty to initiate the conversation.


    ¡°Do you actually understand a word I say?¡±


    The most important of questions. After all, a conversation would be pointless if he¡¯d had the wrong notion about what the whole Mutation thing was.


    Maybe the Mental Mutation existed just between the cat species or something¡ªincreasing their knowledge between themselves¡ªand it was not up to that of humans; or maybe there was not even such a thing as Mental Mutation to begin with. He had come up with that himself to satisfy his curiosity, so it was possible that he was wrong. In fact, he would not be disappointed if he was.


    Although, it seemed as though he couldn¡¯t help himself.


    Seconds felt like minutes, and with their passage the heavier Rain¡¯s body felt.


    Funny me, I actually thought I could converse with a Jaguar. Rain chuckled self deprecatingly at his own delusion. This also disproved his whole Mental Mutation claim, and because of that his self esteem was dealt a fatal blow. So much for thinking I was detective-level smart.


    Releasing a heavy sigh, Rain was just about to break eye contact with the Jaguar to bury his face exasperatingly in his palms when he noticed subtle movements. And before he knew it, a smile appeared on his face.


    But he was not complaining. Besides¡­ The Jaguar¡¯s right paw was on the syringe.

 CHAPTER 9-A RATHER WEIRD CONVERSATION

    ¡°Great,¡± Rain said, his expression a tad too plain and unexcited for what he had just witnessed.


    However, that was just his outlook.


    Within his mind he was actually throwing a victory party with shadow clones of himself. When he rolled, the others rolled. When he sang, the others sang. And when he jumped, the others jumped. The fact that he was able to finally enter into a conversation with another being besides himself was too great a joy for him; but since savoring it as he pleased outwardly would make quite the awkward scene, he decided to do so inwardly.


    It was brief though. He composed himself soon after. And with that composure reactivated his self-imposed detective-level smarts.


    The Jaguar¡¯s paw being placed on the syringe he had thrown towards it was proof his notion on the existence of Mental Mutation was correct. But obtaining proof was not the be-all to investigations, it was just the start. What ended an investigation was the truth being heard straight from the horse¡¯s mouth; in his case, though, that would be the Jaguar¡¯s paw.


    He needed to be a hundred percent certain to be completely relieved.


    Rain was on the verge of asking his next question when he suddenly paused before a sound could even escape his lips.


    He squinted for a moment, closed his eyes, and rubbed his chin with consecutive soft nods. His expression was that of someone who had stumbled upon some sort of realization.


    Yeah, let¡¯s be a hundred percent certain before moving on.


    His eyes shot open at the Jaguar with a narrow glint. ¡°Are you¡­ a human?¡± he asked, looking completely serious.


    Silence had always been prevalent in the atmosphere of the hospital, but now it seemed to have doubled a thousand fold. And with that abrupt increase came a cold shiver running down Rain¡¯s spine.


    He had not taken a moment to come up with the impromptu question he required to clear the doubts he had left, so he had just uttered the first thing that had come to his mind. But now, as his words echoed continually in his ears, he couldn¡¯t help but realize how dumb his question sounded. Heck, even the Jaguar he still slightly doubted could understand what he was saying had a blank look on its face. That was how bad it was.


    Rain chuckled awkwardly then waved his hands fervently. ¡°No. No. That question was just¡­ Ah!¡± He scratched his hair. ¡°Just¡­ Don¡¯t mind what I said and just answer the question.¡±


    It went without saying that the beast wasn¡¯t human, Rain knew that. But the Jaguar could have placed its hand upon the syringe by mere chance, not in an actual attempt to answer his first question. He could have just misjudged it all. And so, his latest question was as a way to prove that thought false. The Jaguar just needed to take its paw off the syringe, and¡ª


    Rain¡¯s breath hitched.


    The Jaguar¡¯s paw was off.


    And at that, a feeling of satisfaction whooshed over him. Now he could converse to his heart¡¯s content. And he delayed not.


    ¡°You see, I came up with a notion that you have been Mentally Mutated,¡± Rain¡¯s excitement was evident on his shrunken face as he babbled off, unconcerned of the possibility of his words being too fast for the Jaguar to grab at once. ¡°When you appeared, a message¡ªOh, that¡¯s true. Do you receive messages floating before your eyes too?¡±


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    The Jaguar was a tad too slow, but it eventually placed its paw once again on the syringe before it, its gaze a lot more focused than it was previously.


    Rain snapped his fingers. ¡°I was right. Both humans and animals have this ¡®Plexus¡¯ thing. Anyways, as I was saying, when you appeared I received a message tagging you as a mutated Jaguar, but since your physique wasn¡¯t anything to write home about¡ªno offense intended¡ªI assumed your mutation was mental.¡± He raised both his eyebrows. ¡°Am I right? Are you actually Mentally Mutated?¡±


    After asking his questions Rain began his countdown. Ten seconds, he had decided; that was enough time for the Jaguar to give him an answer.


    Those ten seconds passed soon enough, and the Jaguar¡¯s paw was still placed on the syringe. As a result, a lightness took over Rain¡¯s chest, calming the rapid thumps of anticipation which had once been there as a radiant smile bloomed on his face.


    That smile turned into laughter soon enough, and when he was done all the tension that had cloaked his body evaporated.


    He leaned back on the wall behind him and heaved out a deep exhale, his eyes turning up to the darkness clouding the ceiling above him.


    ¡°I have more questions to ask, like if you were allowed to select, you know, what type of Mutation you wanted, and also what types of Mutations you were offered. My guess is that there are only two, Physical and Mental, but I doubt that. I¡¯ve even begun to wonder if you lot get the Division and Skill stuff too.¡± Rain remained silent for a second. ¡°But all those would require speech to be discussed effectively.¡±


    He brought his gaze back down, examining the Jaguar he had imprisoned underneath his hospital bed, its midsection to be more precise. His attention was placed on the ribcage exposed through the animal¡¯s skin and the way its breathing was flimsy.


    ¡°Also, thinking about it, I wonder if you received a survival message when you found me.¡±


    Rain had come to a conclusion after his journey to the hospital dining lounge that the survival message only appeared when animosity was actually held by an opposing party. The wharf rat he had seen then had not even known of his presence so it had had no animosity towards him. Taking that into consideration for his interaction with the Jaguar, he was quite sure that the beast had not received any animosity message pertaining to him¡ªwell, that was obviously until he¡¯d thought of surviving at any cost.


    But¡­


    ¡°That is not what I¡¯m most concerned about.¡± His hazel eyes slid towards the dull ambers of the Jaguar. ¡°Why did I not receive a message for your animosity until a few seconds after I locked eyes with you?¡± The Jaguar just simply blinked listlessly; Rain, at this moment, wasn¡¯t focused on if the animal¡¯s paw was on or off the syringe. ¡°Is it the way the Plexus is programmed, or¡­ were you contemplating?¡±


    This was a question that needed actual words to be answered to a degree of satisfaction, and Rain knew that much, that was why the question had not been in any way for the Jaguar but for himself.


    For some reason, he was trying to make sense of what he should have just tagged as a normal interaction between a predator and its prey. Maybe it was because he was conversing with the beast. Maybe it was because he was relaxed. Or maybe it was because he felt some kind of sympathy welling up inside him. He was not sure. So he decided to pose an actual answerable question to the Jaguar.


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    A low, weak growl emanated from the beast, and Rain took that as his cue to continue.


    ¡°I see,¡± he muttered. ¡°Attacking me because you are hungry is something I can live with¡ªthat¡¯s a natural reaction after all. At least you¡¯re not some sadistic beast.¡±


    But that meant releasing the Jaguar would result in another attack on him.


    Of course, he had the option of just leaving the beast where it was and it would eventually kick the bucket out of dehydration, but, strangely enough, he could not bring himself to do that.


    It turned out he was now seeing the beast as a being equivalent to a human.


    Rain sighed, the reason for his emotional distortion vivid in his head.


    His interaction with this Jaguar was the closest thing he¡¯d had to a conversation between humans since he¡¯d woken up without his memories; who knew, it might even be the only one he would have in a while. He could not bring himself to just watch the beast die, it would eat into his conscience.


    And since that was now the case, Rain knew that meant he had to help it in some way, or it would give up the ghost regardless.


    What way could he help though? He thought for a moment and an answer arrived. It was something hypocritical, but to him the lesser of two evils.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal,¡± Rain broke the silence between him and the Jaguar with an offer. ¡°In exchange for a truce, I¡¯ll bring you a meal.¡±

 CHAPTER 10-THE LESSER OF TWO EVILS

    Rain was back in the darkness of the corridors, the current situation leading him into it a great deal different from his past one. After all, the first had been to escape death, while now he was proceeding to court death.


    What a laughable turn of events. Rain paused his steps as soon as he turned to his left and a dim yellow radiance appeared before his view. I must be completely out of my mind.


    Though he didn¡¯t turn back.


    He knew his actions were those of a person with a loose screw, but¡­


    This is for the best¡­ hopefully.


    With the fire extinguisher he had once hoped to use to strike the Jaguar dead, Rain exhaled and went forward¡ªinched forward¡ªa step at a time. And a few seconds later he was beside the door of the dining lounge where his current nemesis resided, but not as calm as he would have loved to be.


    The palpitations his heart was experiencing was caused by a single thought: Had the rat already been notified of his animosity?


    It was a thought which had stemmed from his deduction on how the Plexus¡¯s survival messages worked, and, as well, his interaction with the Jaguar.


    Previously, the wharf rat had not noticed his presence because he hadn¡¯t felt a single shred of animosity towards it, all he¡¯d wanted then was to remain unnoticed. But since the case was currently a lot different, and seeing as the rat knowing of his plans beforehand would make hunting it prove extremely difficult, Rain decided to come up with two different sets of tactics here and now.


    One was in case he was reading into the way the Plexus¡¯s survival message worked wrongly. Maybe the Jaguar hadn¡¯t actually been contemplating, but the survival message was only triggered when a predator and its prey directly locked eyes with one another. While the second was for if it was the other way around.


    If it was the former he could try sneaking up on the rat, but if it was the latter then he would have no choice but to be direct.


    Rain blended into the darkness beside the double door of the dining lounge and calmed his breathing as much as he could, various scenes of how to successfully tackle the wharf rat unscathed playing in his head.


    A while later, he settled upon the two best sequences for success he could come up with. After which he crept upon the dining lounge¡¯s door and, as he had done some moments back, peeked through one half of its tempered vision panels.


    The scene was just as he had remembered it, derelict with a visible air of desolation. But something was missing, or rather his prey was missing.


    Rain¡¯s chest tightened as his eyes began to frantically seek out the wharf rat he had come here to hunt.


    It was as high as four feet, the height of a dwarf, so it was not something he could miss, that was why the only explanation he had was either the rat had moved on to a new location, or¡­


    Don¡¯t tell me¡­


    ¡­The rat had received a survival message?


    Needless to say, he had prepared his mind for the worst, but since his strongest notion was that the animosity message only appeared when the one bearing it had a visual on who they bore it towards¡ªjust like the way hatred between humans worked, the situation saying otherwise unnerved him.


    Rain bit down on his bottom lip.


    He was already on the verge of accepting that he would not be able to keep to his own end of the bargain with the Jaguar¡ªwhich meant he would have no choice but to kill it¡ªwhen all of a sudden a little round table toppled over and the wharf rat he had thought missing appeared with a slice of rotten meat clutched in its front paws.


    It¡¯s here!


    All the tension which had taken hold of Rain¡¯s muscles released their grips at once, and a wave of giddiness overcame him. But that feeling did not remain for long as he tensed up soon again.


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    The rat had suddenly turned its beady eyes towards the door where he was, the meat in its paws falling to the floor.


    [Side Plot]


    A Mutated Rodent has appeared, and it holds animosity towards you. Survive.


    Rain understood. The rat had only noticed him because it had just now been notified of his animosity towards it.


    Apparently, he was right, the message only appeared when the one hunting set its sight on its target; in other words, the delay of the Plexus¡¯s message during his encounter with the Jaguar was because¡­


    It was actually contemplating! Rain shook his head, refocusing his attention on the matter at hand as he selected which of his battle plans he was going with. The second tactic it is.


    With his choice made, Rain shot into the dining lounge, and, before he could even register the hisses the wharf rat spat at him, used a table as a wedge to block the door so his prey would not escape.


    Although, it seemed like the rat did not care one bit about doing that, since as soon as Rain turned around, the dwarf-sized rodent was already streaking through the air at him, its paws on the ready to slash at his face.


    Instinct, reflex, Rain was not sure which, all he knew was that he was grateful for the in-built reaction mechanism in humans which had helped him evade the attack of the Mutant he had come here to hunt.


    Of course he had not had a single thought that this would be easy, no dehydrated person in their right senses would. But if someone or something had told him that it would be this hard he would have not believed.


    The rat was significantly smaller and should have obviously been weaker than a Jaguar¡ªdehydrated or not, but the dread Rain was bathed in because of this thing left him bamboozled. He could not fathom the sort of speed and agility the rat had.


    One second it was slashing at him, and the other it was already back to pouncing at him.


    Again and again it repeated the same attack pattern in such a violent manner that Rain had a train of thought that this particular rat had been mistreated by humans once. He was just the one it was taking out its anger on.


    There was a screech followed by a swipe of claws, the angle of its attack the same as its previous ones, and Rain grew tired of being on the defensive.


    He reined in his fright, and as he rose to his feet from the latest of his dodging roll, swung the fire extinguisher in his hand with all his might into the large body of the rat lunging once again at him. It crashed into a table with a squeal and with that Rain was off¡ªto the buffet area.


    While he had still been on the other side of the dining lounge his search had not been for the wharf rat alone. For both plans he had come up with to succeed he needed a crucial element. And that crucial element was what he¡¯d picked up as soon as he had arrived behind the buffet area. The Plexus was not one to delay too, it blessed him with a new message instantly¡­


    [Active Skill, Blade Saint (Low Level), activated]...


    The kitchen knife Rain held felt as though it was a part of him, like it was just another limb of his. And that sensation amused him, prompting his cheeks to shift for a second into a smile.


    It¡¯s rusted, but that doesn¡¯t mean it can¡¯t do what I need it to. I¡¯ll just need to use a little more force than usual.


    That brief moment was all he¡¯d had to relish in his feeling of excitement, though, as a familiar screech came upon his ears in the next second; the wharf rat he had come to hunt was up and ready to continue¡­


    But so was he.


    The direct tactic he had formulated was underway now. And since the wharf rat had traded wits for brawn, it couldn¡¯t see that.


    The one-trick pony lunged at him, but Rain didn¡¯t move an inch. Instead, he wasted no time directing at it the discharge hose of the fire extinguisher he had placed on the buffet area¡¯s counter while pressing down hard on its discharge lever.


    A white cloud of fine, powdery dust burst out of the extinguisher¡¯s nozzle without a moment to spare, spreading through the air and coating the wharf rat, who had fallen prey to its onslaught, with a gritty, chalky layer.


    Despite the fog of the extinguisher obviously blinding the rat and filling its lungs with whatever irritating substances it possessed, Rain knew its ongoing attack wouldn¡¯t be put to stop midway.


    It was flying through the air after all.


    Therefore, he sidestepped away, leaving the fire extinguisher where it was, and sending the rat crashing into the shelf behind him as a tune of ceramic plates shattering rumbled through the dining lounge. At this point, the hisses of the dwarf-sized rat were now squeaks of something Rain felt were agony.


    He immediately scooted closer to the rat while feeling emotionally drained, and it was then that he was able to take his time studying the specks of red lights which had appeared in some spots of its body.


    Rain was enlightened on what they were in an instant; it was almost like he had always possessed the knowledge of them. Though he knew that such wasn¡¯t the case. It was the effect of his Skill, Blade Saint, being active.


    As for the red spots, they were fatal points on the rat¡¯s body that would deal it the most significant damage, leading to its death.


    ¡°Forgive me,¡± Rain said to the rat with a glum sigh as he dug his knife into its upper chest, the point with the greatest color intensity of the red specks. ¡°To me this is the lesser of two evils.¡±

 CHAPTER 11-A COMPANION

    [Side Plot: Completed]


    Side Character Rain Leclair has successfully eliminated the adversary.


    Unscathed to boot¡­ Rain had patronized himself at the sight of the Plexus¡¯s message as some sort of means to better his mood. After all, even though his first kill was a rat, taking its life had turned out to be quite the bittersweet experience. Even worse was that he had done that solely because of his own selfish interests under the pretext of it being ¡®the lesser of two evils¡¯.


    Either way, what is done is done, Rain told himself as he shut the door of his hospital room behind himself.


    He was still the same scrawny boy with amnesia who had no knowledge of what exactly was going on, but his little expenditure had caused the air around him to turn somewhat dense. And the Jaguar seemed to notice that.


    With his newfound weapon smeared by blood in his right hand, and his kill being held by its tail in the other, Rain loomed over the yellow and black spotted beast he had buried underneath his hospital bed.


    He could see it, from where he stood, the evident anxiety in the glassy amber eyes of the Jaguar.


    Was it the knife or the dead rat he held? Rain wasn¡¯t sure. All he knew was that the beast who had once hunted him was currently afraid of being hunted by him.


    How the tables had turned.


    Rain closed his eyes, took in a deep breath, and with an exhale, released all the tension that had stiffened his muscles. Whatever stern or rumpled expression he¡¯d had also vanished as he sent the dead wharf rat he was holding towards the Jaguar.


    The beast didn¡¯t look at the meal it had been offered though; or rather, it only glanced at it for a mere second before putting its gaze back on the knife the human before it had in his grasp.


    Rain too looked at his weapon then before raising his eyebrows.


    ¡°What?¡± he scoffed as he questioned the Jaguar in a stiff tone. ¡°What do you take me for? Do you think I went through the trouble of hunting for you to come back and kill you? Get off your high horse, you clumsy spotted kitty.¡± The Jaguar¡¯s eyes twitched. Rain pointed his knife at it. ¡°I¡¯ll free you now, and you better honor our deal or I won¡¯t take it lightly with you. Do you understand me?¡± There was no reply. He gestured at the syringe near the beast in return. ¡°When I ask a question I expect a response, and you damn sure know how to respond, don¡¯t you?¡±


    As though hesitant at first, the Jaguar slowly stretched its paw forward and placed it on the syringe, a look likened to that of either curiosity or bewilderment plastered on its face.


    ¡°Good,¡± Rain huffed, and as he¡¯d said, went ahead to haul up the bed frame pressing the Jaguar to the floor.


    This he did with his knife still solidly held in his grip; despite all his rambles about their deal and all, he was not going to fully trust a wild cat with the smarts of a human after just a single interaction. He was still well on his guard. And if he was to be completely honest, the Jaguar had not been wrong to look at him with hints of anxiety and fear. After all, during his walk back from the dining lounge, he had actually considered killing it.


    That was behind him now though; his decision was made.


    The sound of the bed frame standing on its own four feet rang through the room, but before Rain could complete his job and take the bed off the Jaguar, the cat sprang away from the young man who was both its captor and savior.


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    Rain was unsure of what expression to take as he saw the Jaguar crouching far away from him in a defensive manner, so his face blanked instead.


    It was obvious that they both had doubts about each other, but why was the cat thinking it was the smarter of them two?


    ¡°You really have paws for brains, don¡¯t you?¡± Rain said as he placed the bed he was holding up back on its frame, even further going ahead to arrange its rotting bedsheet of yellow and white on it.


    His pulse was racing. He had a bit of fear that the Jaguar would end up attacking him, but he¡¯d made up his mind not to show his fear in front of the cat for any reason. If their current interaction developed into a brawl, then so be it. It was not like he was going to let himself die either way.


    ¡°I already told you,¡± Rain continued, ¡°I¡¯ve long gone past the point of trying to kill you.¡± He was done laying out the bed now, so he hopped onto it and sat cross legged with his back resting on its headboard. ¡°You should stop all that too. What¡¯s the point? I brought you meat and you¡¯re leering at bones, the rest of your clan would look at you funny if they saw this.¡±


    For a moment Rain thought he saw the Jaguar¡¯s shoulders droop and its head hang low. But he forgot all about it as the cat finally gave a longer look than its prior one to the rat he had brought it.


    ¡°Go ahead and eat. I even went through the trouble of wiping its body free of the fire extinguisher smoke I had sprayed all over it.¡± He pointed at the Jaguar as though he was its parent. ¡°And don¡¯t you waste a single meat. Eat it all!¡±


    The cat tilted its head at him with the befuddled look it always had, but soon later it was upon the meal it had been offered, ripping at it in such a violent manner that Rain almost felt like he would puke. Maybe he was saved purely by the fact that there was nothing to puke. Regardless, looking at the Jaguar feed made him both hungry and a tad irritated¡ªirritated that he might come down to having to feed like an animal if he did not find something to fill his belly soon enough.


    Like hell I will! Rain discarded that thought and decided to take his mind off his troubles by studying.


    Yes, studying. He was back to relying on what he seemingly hated a lot.


    Placing his weapon beside him, he called for the Plexus Interface hiding in his peripheral vision, and it answered with haste.


    A mixture of blue and purple words manifested before his eyes.


    [Bestowed Reward(s)]


    +2 Experience Points (Assignable).


    [Proceed to assign?]¡­


    Rain didn¡¯t quite recall these words, what he did remember though was that he¡¯d been graced with a new message he had instinctively pushed aside after he¡¯d received the completion message of his tussle with the wharf rat.


    Bestowed rewards, huh¡­? He had attained a point of nirvana regarding his situation where whatever the Plexus threw at him he would just go along with the flow.


    Besides, what was the point of trying to make sense of it all?


    He glanced toward the window, peeking beneath the small gap the curtains had to view a somewhat foggy world where nothing could be made out.


    I wonder what¡¯s happening outside now?


    The urge to come down from his bed and stroll to the window came upon Rain, but the tiredness his body had was a lot greater. That kept him rooted.


    Then his stomach growled.


    Rain was about to plant his eyes upon his midriff when a low moan called his attention to the crouching Jaguar on the floor ahead of him, and the way its front paws were placed firmly on the carcass of the wharf rat it was feeding on. The cat had a look of concern on its face, but the blood painting its jaws made Rain miss that.


    He took his eyes away from it instantly.


    You must be enjoying your meal¡­ Rain pinched his eyes as he yawned, after which he focused on the Plexus¡¯s message once again and finally answered, Proceed.


    The words shifted, but before the new ones could fully come into view his senses dulled in an instant.


    A wave of exhaustion overtook him suddenly. The ache in his stomach became a distant throb as his thoughts blurred and his eyelids fluttered into closure.


    Before he¡¯d known it, he had given in to his body¡¯s wants.


    Although, as soon as he was about to bathe in the warmth of the darkness that had swallowed him, one last message from the Plexus forced itself to appear¡­


    [Side Plot: Completed]


    Side Character Rain Leclair has successfully befriended his adversary.


    [Bestowed Reward(s)]


    A Companion.

 CHAPTER 12-THE WORLD BEYOND

    The darkness surrounding him like a blanket was slowly dispelled by the sudden arrival of a soft, golden glow¡ªthe first light of morning which spelled the end of a day past and the beginning of a new one.


    Rain was nudged awake by this, his being stirred to the serenity of dawn as his eyelids gently separated from each other, bringing before his sight a blurry scenery that was almost distant and alien until after a second had passed.


    I fell asleep? He had been put to bed without his consent so it was only natural that as his eyes adjusted to the pale hues of blue and gray painting the hospital room those were his first thoughts.


    His stomach growled then, and with it came a sharp pang that sent a rather painful shock to his brain, forcing him to grit his teeth and close his eyes with a lowered head. He was instantly reminded of what had driven him to sleep.


    I guess I can only go on for so long; I really need to find something to eat¡­ or drink, even. Rain sighed, his eyes opening along with a huff of air. And it was at that moment that a rather fascinating view he had missed appeared before him.


    At a reachable distance from where he was on the bed was paws-for-brains curled up into a ball. It had its paws tucked beneath its body and its head rested on its front legs, while its amber eyes were nowhere to be seen as they were closed in a rather peaceful slumber.


    What is this? Rain¡¯s face slackened, his expression one of obfuscation. But his look was not thrown at the Jaguar¡¯s act of sleeping, it was instead because of what the golden furred beast did with its tail. Why is it wrapped around my ankle?


    That thought of his was put on hold almost immediately as a high pitched screech wandered into his ears, seeming as though it could shake the whole hospital building and shatter all its glasses.


    Well, it couldn¡¯t even shake paws-for-brains awake, so that was most likely an exaggeration.


    On the other hand, though, it did well to startle Rain and spark a whole new realm of curiosity in him as his attention was instantly drawn to the window beside him and the world beyond it.


    He had been wanting to view what existed outside this hospital, but he had barely had the chance with all that had been happening. Now he had both the chance, the brightness, and even a little bit of strength to work with. The only problem was¡­


    Rain put his gaze on the Jaguar.


    How do I get its tail off me without disturbing its sleep? He placed his fingers on his chin, caressing them as he peered at the Jaguar¡¯s tail while thinking of a way.


    On the outside a person would see it as a form of affection, but Rain was not leaning that way. He just wanted a little peace of mind; the Jaguar being awake would disrupt that as he would subconsciously be on guard.


    Because it did not eat me while I was asleep does not mean it won¡¯t change its mind later on. Maybe it was just saving me for its morning snack. Rain heaved out an exhale and slapped his forehead. Why did I even go through all the trouble of bringing it a meal if I am not going to trust that it¡¯ll keep to its own end of the bargain?


    That aside, he was not planning on sitting on the bed until the Jaguar woke up on its own.


    Rain scrutinized the tail wrapped around his ankle, different methods he could use to free himself from it wandering through his head but none without the Jaguar snapping awake.


    After a minute or two he found out that his task was a rather impossible one.


    The thing about predators, large cats most especially, was that they were always alert. Even a slight contact would snap them to life. At the end of the day, there was no way to free himself while avoiding that outcome.


    Accepting the possibility of something not turning out in an expected way was the first step to growth.


    Rain scratched his hair in exasperation, took a glance at the window in longing, then returned his gaze back to the scenery of the enclosure he was in.


    If he couldn¡¯t place his eyes on the outside world at the moment, then he would do it for the inside. After all, the darkness of night had obviously hidden from him a lot of important details concerning his environment, but now, with the availability of the light of day, that would change.


    His gaze fell upon the spot paws-for-brains had fed first, but surprisingly, there was not a single shed of flesh on the floor, only blood.


    Rain raised an eyebrow as his body leaned forward instinctively.


    Did it really gobble up that rat completely? He wondered; and a second later that wonder turned into amazement, his eyes anchored on the sleeping Jaguar in return.


    Although¡­


    Heh, that¡¯s impossible¡­


    ¡­Rain didn¡¯t believe it. He waved his hand in denial, and further swept his gaze about the room, noting the things about it he had missed while seeking out the particular spot where the Jaguar had hidden the meal.


    There wasn¡¯t much, in all honesty, the things he had missed.


    The room was as spacious as he had predicted¡ªmaybe it really was a VIP room¡ªand the walls were just how he had seen them the night past: grimy and cracked. On the other hand, though, the bed, monitor, and IV-stand he¡¯d felt were his hadn¡¯t been the only ones in the room. There was another exact set just a few steps beside his.


    I wasn¡¯t the only person in this room?


    Rain¡¯s pulse hastened slightly at that realization, but not for long. He instantly settled himself down and came up with a notion on why, even though he had apparently had a patient-neighbor, he was the only person present. And the catalyst for that was the initial messages he had received from the Plexus, precisely the one detailing his awakening time.


    Whoever that person was, they were probably released from their pod before me, Rain reasoned. With this assumption I have to consider that all of humanity, maybe even the animals as well, were all put into those pod thingys, and the time each person was released differed. In other words, some people are still stuck in their pods.


    His eyes brightened a tad. He did not see a pod in this hospital room, but¡­


    Now I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll come across one. Still¡­ He rubbed his chin. Do the pods evaporate or something after releasing the person they held? Or¡­


    Rain had another hypothesis, one he didn¡¯t like but had to consider regardless¡­


    ¡­Is there a possibility that they don¡¯t actually exist on this plane?


    He really hoped that it was the former, because if it wasn¡¯t he would never be able to see what the pods looked like. Something not existing on the same plane as he would be invisible to his naked eyes.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Rain sighed and put that thought to bed; that was his limit on the topic.


    He had forced himself to learn when to stop seeking out answers his brain couldn¡¯t attain on its own. If there was someone to share his thoughts with that would be a different case entirely; but, oh well¡­ there was no one like that.


    At that moment Rain caught sight of something that sparked his eyebrows to fly up. It was a fridge. Though¡­ His brows narrowed again¡­ There was blood all around the mechanism.


    The blood was not dried yet¡ªdespite the distance between the fridge and him, Rain could see that much¡ªso he knew that it was fresh. And that brought him to a realization which made his face squeeze erratically, his nose wrung up to boot.


    He turned his head rather toyishly to look at the Jaguar sleeping at an arm¡¯s reach from him, and a bitter taste welled up in his tongue.


    You¡­ Did you hide the rest of the body in the fridge? Isn¡¯t that like a serial killer tendency? Then his eyebrows raised again. A fridge? Doesn¡¯t that mean food and water?


    Rain looked at the fridge in longing, and instantly he forgot all about not wanting to wake the Jaguar up since he shot up from the bed and bolted towards the fridge. However, when he pulled it open all he was met with was a putrid smell emanating from the gorily dismembered wharf rat.


    His hands went limp as he huffed out a low, long sigh. He turned and looked at the Jaguar, and, surprisingly, it was still asleep.


    Rain clicked his tongue with a scoff while shaking his head. What a predator. Your parents won¡¯t be proud, you know.


    Suddenly recalling that he had missed out on something important because he had fallen asleep, tacked on with his newfound lack of energy, Rain closed the fridge, sat on it, and called upon the Plexus and whatever messages it had for him.


    [Bestowed Reward(s)]


    +2 Experience Points (Assignable).


    A Companion.


    [Proceed to assign?]¡­


    A Companion? It only took a second for Rain to recall the last message he had received from the Plexus just before he¡¯d given in to hunger and tiredness. Oh my goodness, is that why¡­? He looked at the Jaguar and folded his lips together. Is paws-for-brains going to be following me around or something now? Rain was not sure how exactly to feel about it.


    Sure, having a Jaguar as a companion was something that should benefit him greatly. For one it could scare off other weaker beasts that might want to mess with him.


    But that was where his problem arose.


    Paws-for-brains was as dehydrated as he was; it was a large cat that couldn¡¯t even successfully hunt a weakened human, and worse, its senses seemed dull. It had not even noticed that Rain had gotten off the bed despite it wrapping its tail around his ankle.


    Wouldn¡¯t it be more of a burden than help?


    Rain heaved out an exhale. That¡¯s your reward for choosing to keep it alive; live with it. And besides, it¡¯s not like you were given an option to accept or reject.


    He refocused his attention on the other reward he had been offered, which he recalled to have come from his battle with the wharf rat.


    Experience points, huh¡­? Alright, let¡¯s see what this is about. Proceed.


    With his reply the words shimmered and shifted, blue mixing with purple in an ethereal embrace. And at the end of their breathtaking dance emerged a section of texts Rain had obviously never seen before. But instead of his usual frustration of having to engage in the daring task of reading, his eyes widened and his mouth slackened as he fell into astonishment.


    [Attributes]


    Strength: 006.


    Speed: 014 (Boosted).


    Agility: 007.


    Perception: 005.


    Durability: 005.


    Stamina: 005.


    Experience Points: 02.


    Oho. What is this? Rain knew what it was; his memories of games were well active in his head now. He just hadn¡¯t thought that his likening of his situation to a game was going to be this accurate. Crazy. This can¡¯t be real. He read through the words and chuckled. Well, there¡¯s no point in trying to make sense of it. Let¡¯s just go with the flow as usual.


    Firstly, he wondered why his Speed had been boosted, but knowing that the answer wasn¡¯t going to be attainable he went ahead to form an understanding on what the experience points he had been offered were for. And that was nothing more than to increase his Attributes.


    The problem now is: What Attribute do I increase? Rain thought to himself. The base value is five, and with the number of zeroes before it, it seems like the maximum threshold for the increase of the Attributes are in the hundreds. So to have a decent holding on an Attribute I should have at least double the base value in it, right?


    Well, it¡¯s not like I know the exact maximum threshold for the abilities, but what I do know is that having one integer value in the zeroes is better than having two.


    He fell silent for a moment. Mmm¡­ Maybe? But what if the maximum threshold¡¯s in the five hundreds range? The double digits nonsense won¡¯t make any difference in that regard. Ugh! This is why thinking too deep about things isn¡¯t favorable all the time; now I¡¯m no longer certain.


    I¡¯ll go with that for now, either way; it¡¯s better to have something to look forward to than nothing at all.


    Moving on, Perception, Durability, and Stamina are my weakest. It should be normal for me to want to increase one of them, no? My Speed is already boosted, whatever that is, so that¡¯s good. As for my Agility and Strength¡­ if I¡¯m to select between them both I¡¯d lean towards Agility, even though Strength is a point lower. I recall I was classified as a Lightweight, I should probably increase the Attributes favorable to me in battle first.


    Really?


    Nah; it would make for good unpredictability when a Lightweight has a good value for Strength; it would also increase my diversity in battle, and I won¡¯t turn out to be a one trick pony like that wharf rat. But, unlike my Skill, I should probably focus on the present for my Attributes. And if that¡¯s the case, then Strength is not what I need currently, maybe even for a while.


    Any tussle I wander into from now on I definitely won¡¯t get as lucky as I did with the wharf rat, I¡¯m most likely going to be damaged a lot, and so¡­ He looked at the ¡®Durability¡¯ Attribute¡­ This is what I need the most for now.


    [Assign 02 Experience Points to Durability?]...


    As though at his beck and call while reading his mind, the Plexus instantly brought new words before Rain¡¯s eyes.


    Quite handy. A smile appeared on his face. Assign.


    The same tingling sensation as that which he had been graced with after his Skill selection whooshed over his body, and with it subsiding returned his Attributes'' interface.


    [Attributes]


    Strength: 006.


    Speed: 014 (Boosted).


    Agility: 007.


    Perception: 005.


    Durability: 007.


    Stamina: 005.


    Experience Points: 00.


    Great. Rain was satisfied. But he was not done with the Plexus yet. There were some things in the Plexus¡¯s Interface he was yet to touch upon. Although, a similar screech to the one he had heard earlier changed the focus of his attention.


    He put his business with the Plexus on hold and rushed to the window.


    Grabbing hold of the blue curtains, which were a slit apart, he pulled them aside, allowing the light of day to pour into the room with a great intensity. It blinded him for a moment, but his eyes quickly adjusted. And as they did Rain¡¯s heartbeat went from a trod to a gallop.


    What¡­ What is all this?


    He was flabbergasted, left speechless at what he saw, his mind nearly blank while his hands shook.


    The sky was filled with things everyone would term abnormal, things the wharf rat¡¯s mutation could not compete against.


    In fact¡­


    This is more than just Physical Mutation!


    What seemed to have been the tiny little birds of the sky were no longer just birds, they were now beasts¡ªbeasts that would tower over a bungalow if they ever landed close to one¡ªbeasts that had grown to have irritating, distinguishing features from each other; features the words of Rain¡¯s mouth could not define, or rather, do justice to at the moment. And these beasts were definitely not of a number considered low. They were a flock.


    Howbeit, that wasn¡¯t the worst of it all.


    His room was apparently on a high floor, and because of that he could vividly view a wide enough span of the world below¡ªthe world beyond the hospital¡ªand it was not something he would term fascinating or normal; the latter his brain against to a high degree.


    Rain couldn¡¯t believe it. He had been having his suspicions, but he had not been expecting the world to have turned out the way he was seeing it now.


    It was all in ruins. Everything. Every single thing.


    This¡­ The world has ended.

 CHAPTER 13-THE ROAD AHEAD

    A great big orb, which was actually the eye of one of the Mutated birds, flashed toward Rain¡¯s direction, and out of reflex he quickly shut the curtains. This time they no longer had even a narrow gap for the light of morning to make its way in, and in return the room dimmed considerably.


    But that was the least of Rain¡¯s worries where he had frozen solid with his teeth biting into his lower lip. His mind was in a panic. His heart was in his mouth, its intensified pounding sounds invading his ears as though they were timers counting down to the arrival of an explosion.


    If that bird came for him he was definitely a goner.


    It didn¡¯t see me, did it?


    None of the silhouettes beyond the closed curtains were approaching, but Rain did not consider relaxing just yet. After all, for everything he was going to be doing from now on, he had decided to always factor unpredictability into it.


    The bird could just be taking its time like a predator did with its prey¡ªsimilar to how paws-for-brains had acted when they¡¯d first encountered each other. So when it felt like enough time had passed for its prey to let its guard down it would then attack.


    But when seconds turned into minutes, and the minutes stretched out, the pounding of Rain¡¯s heart naturally calmed, and the fog clouding his thoughts were instantly blown away.


    If the bird was on its way to attack him he would have received a warning from the Plexus already.


    The monstrosity hadn¡¯t seen him.


    That realization released all that was left of the tension holding Rain¡¯s body hostage, causing his posture to slump as he staggered backward. His knees weren¡¯t free from the aftermath of the fear he had been feeling as well. They had become weak, giving off a sensation that made him feel as though they would buckle under his weight if he didn¡¯t give them ample time to rejuvenate themselves soon.


    Rain was not of the desire to crumble to the floor when there was a soft, cushiony bed behind him, so he turned away from the window. But just as he did his breathing was suspended for a split second, his heart almost jumping out through his mouth as he was met with a golden-yellow gaze.


    He exhaled instantly, though, a heavy one accompanied by his shoulders drooping. Then he frowned, his nose wrung up.


    ¡°I forgot about you for a moment,¡± Rain said to the now-awakened Jaguar as he plopped back-first horizontally onto the bed just beside it. He closed his eyes and fell into his thoughts while he placed his hands over his face. ¡°How am I going to find my memories in this situation?¡±


    Maybe taking hold of the initiative as a means to worsen his mood, his stomach growled, reminding him of another of his troubles. Just before Rain could react to it, a smooth but firm object touched his cheek. It had a cool sensation that tingled his mind, and in return he wasted no time turning his gaze to his right to be pleasantly surprised.


    He shot up into a sitting position immediately.


    ¡°Wh-What is this?!¡± On the bed, just between him and his newfound companion was a transparent small sized bottle half filled with water.


    Rain scratched his eyes, pinched his cheeks, and even muttered continuous gibberish in order to free himself from his apparent hallucination, but nothing worked. He looked at the Jaguar and the yellow coated and black spotted beast turned its face away from him with something he felt was a hmph!


    Usually, Rain would have had a look of derision for the Jaguar¡¯s action, but not at this moment. His face was brightened so much that he felt his cheeks heating up.


    ¡°Did you get this for me? Where did you find it? Food. What about food? Are there some somewhere here?¡± He paused. ¡°...That isn¡¯t rotten, perhaps?¡± It was all questions upon questions. But then he recalled that the Jaguar couldn¡¯t speak, and instantly his hand was at the back of his neck, rubbing it in something close to embarrassment. ¡°Ah, forgive me. I just became too excited.¡±


    He then picked up the bottle using his left hand, and with a wide smile that lit up his face, gently stroked his right along the back of the Jaguar¡¯s own neck, eliciting a soft but unexpected purr from the wild cat.


    ¡°Thanks so much for this,¡± Rain said with a chuckle while gesturing the bottle of water at the Jaguar even though it still wasn¡¯t looking at him. ¡°I was not even able to find anything edible in the dining lounge so I thought nothing good remained in this hospital. You must have searched a lot to find this.¡±


    The Jaguar still didn¡¯t spare him a glance. It was acting smug. But Rain didn¡¯t mind. He had been thirsty for so long that all he could think about was gulping down the water before him.


    Undoing the bottle¡¯s cap, Rain poured down its contents into his mouth in one fell swoop, not giving himself a moment to enjoy whatever reinvigoration usually came with quaffing down water.


    Maybe that was for the best, since as soon as he was done drinking his tongue was left with a musty aftertaste that spoke of the water¡¯s age and stagnance.


    His first taste of water in a while was not a pleasant experience, but it was still one that left him feeling refreshed and, to make things even better, uplifted his mood.


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    ¡°Now,¡± Rain started as he threw the empty plastic bottle to the floor, ¡°what is our next move?¡±


    The Jaguar turned to him and his hazel eyes and its amber eyes met. He pointed to the window then.


    ¡°The world has ended, but you must have known that since you most likely came from outside. Or did you magically wake up here?¡± There was no response from the beast, just the usual incredulous look it had. ¡°Anyways, my goal is to regain my memories, and to do that it seems my best shot is to seek out the things I¡¯ve seen before to trigger their return. In other words, I have to find my family, my relatives, anyone who knows even a tiny bit about me. In other, other words, I can¡¯t stay here. I have to leave the hospital.¡±


    He put down his finger.


    ¡°Why am I telling you this? Apparently, we¡¯ve become companions, and from what I saw moments ago it¡¯s obvious that this hospital might be the safest place we¡¯ll ever be, so once we step out of its walls there might be hell to pay. I¡¯m definitely going to go, but that does not mean you have to come with me. Because the Plexus tags us as companions does not mean we have to sacrifice our lives and well beings for each other. We can both make our own choices; I suggest you make yours, one that will be best for you.¡±


    Rain stood up and the Jaguar¡¯s eyes followed him.


    ¡°The road ahead won¡¯t be nice, but it¡¯s my choice to embark on it, I don¡¯t expect to drag you into my own troubles.¡± He cleared his throat and smiled. ¡°Well, that is all. I have a destination in mind already; I¡¯m going to head to my house first, even though my family may no longer be there, pictures or something that would trigger a bit of my memories or lead me to them should be. But for that I¡¯ll need the address and a map. The address I should be able to find in the records room of this hospital, then I¡¯ll leave and head to the nearest store to grab a map. I have a photographic memory, so I¡¯ll definitely do fine¡ªI hope. With that said, despite how we met, it was nice meeting you.¡±


    He had talked a lot, but those words were the last Rain offered the silent Jaguar before he picked up his knife and left the hospital room.


    ###


    His expedition to retrieve his home address was quite the tedious work.


    Luckily, finding the Medical Records Storage Room housing the files that bore such an information hadn¡¯t been much of a hassle. It was located in a separate restricted wing on the same floor as his patient¡¯s room, but finding it had only taken Rain a couple of minutes. The major roadblock had stemmed from getting the respective doors open.


    He¡¯d had to return to the dining lounge to get the fire extinguisher he had left there¡ªwhile fearful of encountering anything that would plunge him into a battle¡ªand countlessly smash it against the password encoded handles of all the doors keeping him away from the record he sought out.


    Well, his efforts were fruitful. He was within the dim, disarrayed room bearing the record he was seeking, and at long last¡ªafter combing through every shelf containing the brown files registered under various patients¡¯ names¡ªhe had gotten to the one with his name, Rain Leclair, boldly engraved on its metallic label holder.


    With a smile followed by a sigh, Rain patted off the clouds of dust blanketing his file then sat down on the floor in the midst of the cobweb layered room as he flipped it open. Although, that action caused what minute joy he had to vanish in an instant.


    Oh, for fuck¡¯s sake¡­ Rain felt all his energy siphon away at the sight of the brittle and mold infested papers making up his file. They¡¯re almost all unreadable.


    Honestly, he had been expecting what he¡¯d come across. It had been five whole years. But still he had been hoping for some miracle or something. He had met none of that, by the way. And what was worse was that the file looked like it had more than enough information than he could have asked for; in other words, it was a whole book of triggers.


    Now, it¡¯s just useless, though. I doubt I can get anything tangible from it. Rain leaned backward and looked up at the ceiling; then after a while of silence he slapped his cheeks. No. Because it¡¯s mold infested and the ink is faded does not mean it¡¯s useless; I just have to fill in the gaps myself over time. He looked back into the file and heaved out a low breath. It¡¯s actually going to take some time to fill in the gaps for every single word in here, right? And there¡¯s no guarantee of its effect. Pictures work faster than words to regain memories, don¡¯t they? Words can be ineffective. I should prioritize my plan to go home; that would definitely have the most effect considering my options.


    After weighing his choices and settling on the one he believed was best, Rain flayed his eyes over the mildly available words in his file. And as he came upon one that leaned towards the term ¡®address¡¯ when compared to its counterparts, he increased his focus and took his time completing the strokes of faded letters while filling in the gaps with whichever was missing.


    A considerable amount of time passed, Rain felt it, but it was worth it since his efforts were not for naught.


    21 Ravelston Dykes¡­ he sang to himself with a smile as he pictured, in his head, the words appearing in the place of the faded ones.


    With his destination now confirmed, Rain rose to his feet, scooped up his file and his weapon, and took the first step toward accomplishing his goal.


    But just as he arrived outside the Medical Records Storage Room he was met with a rather fascinating spectacle that caused his breath to hitch. In front of the door was the Jaguar he had told to go on its own lying in wait, presumably for him.


    His face squeezed into a rather serious expression as his eyes and that of the beast met.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Rain asked in a gentle but stern tone.


    His actions had long gone past the childish reason of trying to push the beast away because it seemed like it would burden him more than help him; he just didn¡¯t want to be responsible for the life of another at present. He was not even sure of his own survival, despite his hardheadedness, and he was definitely not strong enough to protect or look out for another.


    He did not want the Jaguar to die because it had decided to journey with him.


    Rain heaved out an exhale then jerked a thumb at the room he¡¯d just left. ¡°You must have some business inside. Well, I¡¯ll leave you to it. I hope we never see each other again.¡±


    He said all that, but as soon as he arrived on the first floor of the hospital through the emergency stairs, the beast was behind him.


    It was obvious what its choice was.


    Rain sighed while shaking his head. ¡°I doubt there¡¯s anything I can say that¡¯ll make you turn back,¡± he spoke plaintively, then turned halfway around to look at the Jaguar with a slackened expression, ¡°so I¡¯ll just mention one thing. I don¡¯t intend to die, you should not too.¡±

 CHAPTER 14-A GLIMPSE OF THE FUTURE

    [Side Plot]


    Mutated Coyotes have appeared, and they hold animosity towards you and your Companion. Survive.


    ###


    Considering the current state of the world and what roamed about it, an expedition out of a confined space such as a hospital would have been better done at night. However, that was if the person venturing wasn¡¯t Rain.


    The amnesia-stricken teenage boy had weighed the pros and cons¡ªlike he always did¡ªof beginning his adventure when the sun was high up in the sky and when it was nowhere to be seen, and he had decided that his current decision was the best. After all, it didn¡¯t matter if it was daytime or nighttime, the danger of being preyed upon by mutated beasts still existed.


    Yes, for one, most birds were diurnal, but there were still nocturnal birds as well. Furthermore, the predators of land, at least the ones with the most ferocity like the big cats, were nocturnal. While he¡­ He wasn¡¯t.


    If he had chosen to journey at night, it would have brought forth anything but a good outcome.


    He couldn¡¯t see in the darkness, but the beasts roaming the earth could, and keenly to boot; it would have proven exponentially hard to escape from their claws and fangs, as well as find his way around the vile ruins of primitivity earth had become. And worse, the cold he felt was due to the coming of winter would be at a higher degree with the arrival of the moon. Even the walls of the hospital had not kept him completely safe from it, so he did not want to find out what would happen if he willingly exposed himself to it.


    All in all, there was no way he¡¯d made a mistake with his decision¡­


    At least that had been his train of thought like an hour ago. His current ones were a lot unpleasant, but he was quite exhausted and had bruised his feet from running barefooted so that he was too tired to even dwell on them.


    J¡ªas he had named his newfound companion¡ªwas pouring out a guttural growl from within its throat, its body leaning forward as its tensed muscles trembled, seemingly with readiness to pounce or retreat.


    Rain looked at it from where he was seated at its back, his hazel eyes pale with realization that the only reason J was still within this claustrophobic alleyway made from the sides of crumbling and dilapidated, vine-stricken, ramshackled buildings was him.


    He could not fathom why the Jaguar was fixated on remaining with him. Was it seeing him as some sort of emergency food supply? Maybe. Surely it wasn¡¯t just because of the Plexus, and it couldn¡¯t be because he had fed it a meal, right? He had even warned it of its death if it went with him and it had followed either way.


    Now look at what had happened. It was in danger.


    But¡­ Rain couldn¡¯t bring himself to say that it was the Jaguar¡¯s fault for not listening to him, and it would be its fault if it died here. He kept feeling like it was his fault.


    If only he had not taken the road he had taken. If only he had not been so fixated on avoiding the birds in the sky that he did not focus much on the predators roaming the lands. If only he knew how to navigate in a ruined world. If only¡­ If only¡­ If only¡­


    Rain turned his gaze towards the end of the alleyway to his left where one of the trio of the Mutated Coyotes on his and J¡¯s trail was.


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    If it hadn¡¯t been for the Plexus¡¯s survival message he wouldn¡¯t have known what the animal he was looking at was or used to be. It had the ambience of a monster now. And the more he gazed at it with each passing second, Rain was happy that it was J he had encountered at the hospital in his moment of weakness. He would have been long dead if it had been any other animal.


    The Mutated Coyote, just like other two that made up their little hunting group of three, was quite tall and had lean, muscular front legs triple the length of a human¡¯s hands. While on its narrow and pointed face, in the middle of its long pointed ears, protruded a black horn which seemed to shine in an ecstatic manner that made it look like a jewel of some sort. It seemed different from the one Rain had seen on the wharf rat, but at the same time similar.


    Its fangs, on the other hand, could no longer be kept hidden within its muzzle. That was not because its lips were curled back into an annoying smile of mischief, but due to how its fangs were now longer than what Rain felt were the norms for the canine species, and furthermore, they were curved.


    Am I really going to keep encountering more of these? Rain thought back to the wharf rat he had fought in the hospital and the flock of birds roaming the sky then sighed. What complete differences in the Physical Mutations of animals.


    All of a sudden he smiled. A soft, furtive smile.


    ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s enough rest,¡± Rain muttered as he stretched his hand and took hold of the hilt of his knife, the words of survival from the Plexus shifting immediately.


    [Active Skill, Blade Saint (Low Level), activated]...


    He looked at the Mutated Coyote again, and this time its body was riddled with bright red lights with varying intensity.


    In an instant Rain decided his mode of attack from the scenes which had flashed through his head; he picked the one he felt possessed the most surefire route to victory.


    He had no knowledge of fighting¡ªmaybe he did before, but he didn¡¯t now. And the Coyotes were too big of a threat to compare with the wharf rat. Still¡­ He was now responsible for a life, and he wouldn¡¯t sit his dehydrated buttocks down and watch it vanish before his eyes.


    This was a part of his responsibility.


    ¡°Pardon, beasts,¡± Rain began as he pushed himself up, the arrival of his voice putting a hold on J¡¯s growling. ¡°I already didn¡¯t intend to die before, but now I¡¯m even more pumped to stay alive. You see, I¡¯ve been given a rather daunting responsibility to tack on with my purpose.¡± His smile was a lot wider now, almost fully blossomed into a grin. ¡°I hope you all can understand, even though you¡¯ve sacrificed wits for physicality.¡±


    The cats of the wild were still smart beasts naturally, so despite indirectly saying his opponents had no brain cells, Rain knew they had quite a few to make use of.


    He turned his back to J¡¯s back.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he resumed, this time in a softer tone directed at his companion. ¡°Do you think you can hold out for a minute? There¡¯s no need for you to attack, that will only endanger you. Just remain on the defensive by scaring them, pouncing around, or doing whatever you cats do to stall for time. Can you?¡±


    There was a brief silence. But as the Mutated Coyotes began to inch forward like the predators they currently were, a low breathy puffing sound escaped J¡¯s nostrils, and Rain took that as his answer.


    He rolled his lips together. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to be quick. Be careful.¡±


    Yes. This is just a glimpse of what I¡¯m going to experience further down the line¡­ This is just a glimpse of the future to come. And if J¡¯s going to be with me all the way, then I have to fend for it no matter what.


    Rain turned back to the singular Coyote he had chosen as his test subject and narrowed his gaze into fiery slits.


    His plan was to use it as an experiment. If his mode of attack was successful, killing the other two would pose little to no problems. He just had to make sure it was effective first.


    After settling on his action, Rain placed his right foot forward, leaned into his chest, and raised his knife into an attacking stance.


    The Coyote seemed to notice what was coming next, and so it readied itself as it opened its mouth and brought forth an unwarranted howl that increased in pitch as its peers joined in with it.


    Rain gnashed his teeth together in stifled annoyance, knowing that he had to stop the beast from foolishly drawing attention to their current location and jeopardizing his and J¡¯s safety even more.


    As such, he peeled his determined gaze away from the face of the Coyote, placed them on its two over-the-top-elongated front legs, and dashed forward.

 CHAPTER 15-A WELL NEEDED EXPERIENCE

    Rain was uncertain about how fast he might have been before his amnesia, or the Plexus taking control of his body, but from his battle with the wharf rat he noticed that when he moved he seemed to glide past things a tad more easily than he felt would be expected from humans¡ªat least the dehydrated and unathletic ones such as he. And this in particular was what he based the whole success of his plan on; him being able to fully take control of his best and boosted Attribute, his speed.


    However it turned out to be anything but as easy as he¡¯d hoped. After all, he had not taken one crucial thing into high consideration, and that was his opponent possessing an abnormal speed as well.


    ¡­15. 16. 17.


    Rain counted down as he leapt to his side, away from the latest of the downward claw-swipes the Mutated Coyote he was engaged with rained down on him.


    Immediately after that, he pounced a few steps back as the Coyote sent another attack in an arc towards his midsection, not giving him a moment to catch his breath.


    He had already been low on stamina from all the prior sneaking and running he and J had been engaged in to avoid the beasts prowling the earth, but now his exhaustion was visibly planted on his face. Sweat escaped every pore, despite the cold air, and his mien was extremely pale.


    Still, he kept his gaze anchored and focused on his opponent. The beast would not get the better of him. Not now, and most definitely not ever.


    A moan of pain rushed into Rain¡¯s ears at that moment, causing his knife-sharp gaze to falter and a sense of worry to tug at his heart strings.


    It was J¡¯s.


    But he could not turn. If he shifted his concentration now when he was in battle it would prove fatal. He had to remain focused no matter what.


    ¡­20. He counted down again. Just hang on for 40 more seconds.


    And with that Rain was upon the Mutated Coyote before him once more, though this time with surety of his victory.


    The past twenty seconds had been him mapping out how the beast attacked, and it had in fact only taken that long because he was trying to find a loophole in its defenses where he would be able to deliver a killing blow to it without him getting injured. Alas, there was no such possibility of that occurring¡ªat least quickly. And since wasting any more time would cause J to lose its life, he decided to tweak his attack pattern. After all, this was the whole reason why he had invested his Experience Points into the Durability Attribute.


    Another swing came, and as he had done twenty-three seconds ago now, Rain sidestepped away from it. But this time with so much precision that a window of opening appeared for a second, one he did not hesitate to take as he jabbed his knife at the red speck of low intensity pulsing just above the joint of the Coyote¡¯s right arm.


    The beast howled in pain as the muscles surrounding the attacked area spasmed, forcing its hand to droop to the ground.


    ¡­30.


    Without a moment to spare, Rain lunged forward as another opening appeared for him; the beast noticed what was coming and instantly tried to swing its other hand in an attempt, seemingly, to behead Rain in an act of defense. But the shrunken, amnesia-stricken teenager on the onslaught ducked beneath the attack just in time, and brought himself face to face with the beast.


    This was it.


    He did not know how Coyotes¡¯ attacked before they¡¯d been physically mutated, but in their current state, Rain had deciphered from their elongated arms that they were possibly long ranged fighters. And as such, it was common sense that the best way possible to break the defenses of long ranged fighters was to shorten the distance¡ªno, cut it off completely so that their vital points would be exposed for assault.


    That was what he¡¯d done now. The Coyote could no longer make use of its long arms at this range.


    Rain quickly switched his knife between hands, throwing it from his right to his left.


    ¡­But that wasn¡¯t all. He¡¯d taken one more thing into consideration¡­


    At that moment the curved fangs of the Mutated Coyote towering before him bit into his right shoulder, piercing into his flesh with a mind boggling agony that almost ran Rain mad.


    ¡­The fangs of the beast. And it was because of his well thought out plan that he had been able to shift his neck aside just in time to avoid his head being taken apart.


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    The pain, on the other hand, was greater than he¡¯d thought it would be. But he held on regardless. He had already resolved his heart and mind for this situation, so he did not falter.


    ¡°¡­45 seconds,¡± Rain uttered through a clenched jaw as he tensed the muscles in his hand and stabbed his knife into the side neck of the Mutated Coyote, the point with the highest intensity of the red specks all over the beast''s body.


    Instantly he was freed from the clutches of the Mutated Coyote¡¯s fangs as a result of the guttural howl of pain the beast released from its lungs. He could not let it continue screaming though, so he immediately dug his knife into a few of the other red specks visible on the Coyote¡¯s body until they all vanished as its life was snuffed out of it.


    ¡­60 seconds.


    Bloodied from both his blood and that which had spurted out of the dead Coyote, Rain turned around and changed his locations in a second, moving away from the blissful scenery of his victory and into the tense air of the ongoing battle which had been ensuing behind him.


    The Coyotes had traded extra brains for brawn, but they still weren¡¯t completely fools.


    They had noticed the death of their comrade, and were obviously frightened from the probability of theirs coming into fruition too. Rain took advantage of that shock of theirs, as well as his Companion drawing their attention. And besides, a single mode of attack was what the extent of the beasts¡¯ wits would allow them to compose on the spot; now that he knew how to bypass that¡ªcoupled with the other elements in play¡ªhe could take them out swiftly.


    This was his plan all along.


    With that, Rain shot past J, not sparing its obviously injured body a glance at the moment as his mind was fully focused on fending off the adversaries before them first.


    Then, replicating the same move he had used to take down his first Coyote¡ªjust this time without him being bitten¡ªRain forced blood to gush forth from the necks of the two Coyotes left, one from the front and the other from behind. He had done so with such quickness that they¡¯d had no chance to react. And it was only when they were on the ground with no traces of life left in them did he finally breathe out a big huff of exhale.


    [Side Plot: Completed]


    Side Character Rain Leclair, and his Companion, have successfully eliminated their adversaries.


    All the tension in Rain¡¯s body released at the sight of those words, and before he knew it he was seated on the ground with his head leaning back.


    [Bestowed Reward(s)]


    +7 Experience Points (Assignable).


    [Proceed to assign?]¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s over,¡± Rain wheezed and winced in pain due to the fiery burn in his shoulder, then he turned to look at J seated beside him while licking the blood on its paws, confirming that, as he¡¯d expected, his Companion was riddled with a varying amount of scratches.


    He recalled how he¡¯d thought of the Jaguar being more of a burden than help and wanted to slap himself for it, but apparently he was too tired for even that.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said instead, drawing J¡¯s attention to him. ¡°I took too long.¡± J had the same incredulous look it always had, and Rain found himself smiling at last. ¡°High five?¡± he added with his right palm raised up. A few seconds later J placed its paw on his palm and his smile turned into a grin.


    Suddenly, Rain¡¯s throat burned. It was probably noon already, and his newfound thirst from all his scampering about since dawn was at its peak now. His neck was burning, itching, almost like it had been filled with the sands of a desert. He could take it no more. Anything would do for a drink. Anything. And at that moment of desperation, Rain¡¯s eyes fell upon the blood oozing out of the necks of the dead Coyotes.


    He swallowed hard. Something he had once thought irritating now seemed to be the only option he had left.


    If he decided to wait until he came across a bottle of water, who knew when that would be? With how thirsty he was currently, continuing his journey would feel more of a chore than it already was.


    As if to make sure his mind did not win over his body, Rain¡¯s eyes blurred for a moment as a wave of dizziness engulfed him.


    It had been brief, but¡­ that had been enough. Rain was now without control of his humane senses.


    Driven purely by his desires, Rain left J behind him and proceeded to kneel before one of his kills. He then cupped his hands together and scooped up the blood oozing out of its neck, tainting his lips red as he drank voraciously.


    The taste was a little too displeasing and metallic¡ªsalty, to be even more precise¡ªbut it was not for the taste he was gulping the red, dense liquid down, so he did not let that stop him from quenching his thirst.


    It was not until he had drunk his fill did his eyes grow to have life once again and his senses return.


    His belly knotted then as a pained expression took over his face.


    He slowly turned around in an attempt to look at J, regarding what sort of face the Jaguar had on for his actions, and it was then that he noticed it. His shoulder was completely healed, the burning pain that had once been there no longer existing. If not for the bite mark on his patient¡¯s gown, as well as the traces of blood around that spot, it would have been impossible to believe that he had been bitten.


    Rain¡¯s mien transformed from the pained and shameful one it was into a dazed one.


    What is this?!


    That question he quickly found the answer to though. And as a result he turned his gaze from his shoulder to the corpses of the Mutated Coyotes before him.


    It can¡¯t be.


    His thoughts weren¡¯t far fetched; in a world where animals could become physically mutated, grow limbs longer than humans, grow horns their species had never once had, and could also become as wise as humans, his thoughts were definitely not far fetched.


    And that was why he now sharply turned to J once again, looking past its listless gaze as he perused the fresh battle marks littered all over its body.


    It was licking its own blood before but its wounds are not not yet healed¡­ Does that mean?


    ¡°J!¡± Rain screamed, visibly startling the youth Jaguar. ¡°Come now.¡± He gestured at the dead Coyotes. ¡°Come drink, right this instant.¡±

 CHAPTER 16-PIT STOP

    Rain was a hundred percent sure of the origins of his new wave of energy. It was, undoubtedly, from his uncanny discovery of his vampire-ish traits a while back.


    It had been disgusting at the time of realization; but now, his morose look was as a result of his incapability to store as much of the metallic liquid he had drunk for future purposes.


    As it turned out, the blood of physically mutated beasts were medicinal herbs. Well¡­ Rain turned his gaze towards J¡­ At least for him.


    He had invited his Companion to share in his feast of blood, but no matter how much J drank its body did not heal the same way Rain¡¯s did.


    Of course, Rain knew he would be unable to get the answer to why such had occurred from solely relying on his mental capacity, so he decided to keep it under wraps by giving his brain closure with the words: ¡°Maybe animals can¡¯t be healed from drinking the blood of their kin.¡±


    Rain undoubtedly left that made-up realization in his head so as to not give J any ideas. After all, those words could be translated into: ¡°To be healed you have to drink the blood of a human¡ªprobably.¡±


    All in all, it was quite the shame¡ªa shame to leave such fine products wasting away. If only he¡¯d had the time to spare to find plastic bottles and fill them with as much blood as he could from the Coyotes he had killed.


    What a shame it truly was.


    Well, there was nothing he could do now.


    A single moment spared in that alleyway was a single moment some predator drew closer to the inviting scent of blood lingering there. That was why, in consideration for the future, he¡¯d decided to add a backpack to the list of the things he was seeking out. He would need that to store his file, his weapon, and most of all, the bottles of the blood he would siphon from his next enemies¡ªthe ones who dared to cross him, that is.


    After all, he was not a maniac. If he could avoid killing beasts for the fun of it, then he would; especially those who were mentally mutated like J.


    It was apparent that he¡¯d grown to have a tiny bit of affection for animals whose mutations leaned that way. They could think and reason like humans, so why should he have to keep viewing them as mere wild beasts who could not contain their palette of ripping flesh apart? If he killed such animals with little to no remorse then there was no difference between him and someone who kicked around their dog or cat.


    Although, like he¡¯d told himself, that point of reasoning would only come into play if his survival was guaranteed.


    His lucky ruse with J was not he considered would be always efficient with whatever mentally mutated animal he might come across down the line. Most would probably back-claw him. Rain knew he had to be extremely careful going forward.


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    Besides, his whole purpose was to find his family and retrieve his memories, not befriend the animals of the universe.


    J was more than enough.


    He looked at the Jaguar once more at that moment, his gaze frankly assessing the slow strides of his Companion. And then, as though emotionally drained, closed his eyes with a sigh. J¡¯s exhaustion was all thanks to the unwarranted setback they had come across as soon as they¡¯d escaped the surroundings of their starting location, the hospital that went by the name: Western General Hospital.


    It had been based purely on his guts, but Rain felt that the best way possible for him to navigate this ruined world he was within was to make sure to stay on the major roads, avoiding detours that could get one lost and wandering into dangerous places.


    Yes, the sky was littered with flocks of mutated birds sometimes, and being on the main roads meant hiding from them would prove difficult. There was even the possibility of meeting various carnivores out in the open. Although, it was easier to avoid what you could see than what you could not. Taking detours meant that the idea of where a person would end up was an alien thought, especially for someone like him who had amnesia. That was why a main road was his best bet.


    But the appearance of the Coyotes had sent him scurrying into those alien areas as a means to escape a fight with them.


    Well, escaping had failed, and worse, he had gotten lost. It was only due to the acute senses of J that he had found himself once again on a main road, one which he figured out to be named ¡®Telford¡¯ by the first street sign he¡¯d seen. At least the birds roaming the sky had changed locations a while back; the road so far was free of predators.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a break over there,¡± Rain put an end to the deafening silence clouding his environment with words directed at his Companion.


    He was pointing to his left, at a place he felt was a fast food restaurant based on its outlook. Although, now, it was albeit filled with the same air as every other building in the area; one of desertion and ruins. Even the word that made up its signage was no longer complete, it appeared to be missing a letter, leaving it as: ¡®M Donald¡¯s.¡¯


    Missing a letter or not, he should have recalled what restaurant he was looking at either way. And since he couldn¡¯t, that meant¡­


    Even food restaurants are out of it as well? It baffled him, he wouldn¡¯t lie. But all that didn¡¯t matter; the ambience of the restaurant included.


    Rain moved then, leading J through the restaurant¡¯s broken storefront windows and into the damp, putrid air that made up its interior.


    There were signs of looting everywhere; chairs and tables were broken, and traces of dried blood could be seen on the floor. This sight made it obvious to Rain that there would be no food or drink to find within the walls of this restaurant.


    Granted, he had not come in here thinking about that, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt a man to hope, would it? It was good that he¡¯d resolved to switch to his primal nature a while back.


    You are injured, paws-for-brains. You should be resting! Those were the words he¡¯d wanted to pour out upon J as his gaze found the Jaguar perambulating from one corner to the other for no good reason whatsoever, but he thought against it, letting the animal have its fun¡ªif that could be considered one.


    He, on the other hand, went to hide himself in a corner, placing his knife and information file on the round table there as he sat away from exposure while still allowing himself enough leeway to be able to view an approach if one ever came to be.


    After an inhale and exhale, relieving himself from the stress that had accumulated in his body the past few minutes, Rain willed the appearance of his Plexus Interface. There was something he was yet to do.

 CHAPTER 17-SAFE HAVEN

    [Bestowed Reward(s)]


    +7 Experience Points (Assignable).


    [Proceed to assign?]¡­


    As requested, the Plexus brought forth the message Rain had chosen to put aside in the heat of his moment of thirst after his defeat of the Coyotes. It was a message that was now seeming to leave a sweet tinge on his tongue. After all, it served as a testament to his survival in the face of death, it was only right that he was smiling as he was now.


    However, as the curious little rascal that he was, he began to wonder about how the Experience Points were assigned.


    The wharf rat had given him two Experience Points, but now three Coyotes had given him seven.


    ¡®Seven¡¯ was not a whole number, so dividing it by three was not going to produce something tangible enough to work with. Putting two and two together, that meant he had received more Experience Points from one Coyote compared to the rest.


    Going with that, he knew which Coyote had given him the bulk of his Experience Points.


    Honestly, not even because I want to just avoid wasting my time seeking answers, but this train of thought makes sense. I killed a Coyote without any external help, so I received three Experience Points from it. As for the other two, J was involved in their deaths, with I only delivering the final blow, therefore I received only two Experience Points each from them, while J probably received the remainder.


    Well, it¡¯s only natural that it got rewarded too. After all, its life had been on the line as well.


    Rain exhaled as he arrived at a satisfactory conclusion, then answered the message the Plexus had asked him with: Proceed.


    Old words shimmered and warped, and new but familiar words appeared¡ªa whole section of them.


    [Attributes]


    Strength: 006.


    Speed: 014 (Boosted).


    Agility: 007.


    Perception: 005.


    Durability: 007.


    Stamina: 005.


    Experience Points: 07.


    Considering all the thinking he had done at the hospital during his first process of assigning his Experience Points, Rain knew that his current hesitation was something he was not glad to welcome. He was considering heaving half of his points into something else beside his Durability, but¡­


    No. That will definitely be a mistake.


    His battle with the Coyotes had gone so smoothly because of his Durability and Speed. The Durability had enabled him to withstand the pains his body had been waddling within along with the maddening bite that had torn into his shoulder, while his Speed had helped him get past the defenses of the mutated animals.


    Judging from the sequences he had used in that battle, it was obvious what his strengths were.


    His current Speed was seemingly able to break a distance of at most five steps in an instant with a short burst, and Rain believed that that was well enough to tip him into a winning favor if he encountered any mutated beast on similar levels as those Coyotes.


    Also, it was not like he was going to be seeking out something extraordinarily strong. If he ever encountered such he would just run. How much his Speed would help with that though he was not quite sure. Short bursts and long distance running weren¡¯t comparable after all.


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    I¡¯ll just have to test that out with J sometime soon.


    His Durability, on the other hand, was not at a point he was in any way pleased with. If he was to give a definitive value on how much he could withstand, he would say being stabbed in his abdomen five times in quick succession.


    Of course, this was just based on his own intuition on how his body felt to him. To actually quantify, he would have to test that theory out, but he was not willing to put himself in any danger. He could die doing that.


    All in all, it was obvious what Attribute needed his fullest attention now. It was the one that would enable him to withstand more pain.


    The Plexus was listening; and as soon as it felt that Rain had made his choice, a new message replaced the Attributes Interface.


    [Assign 07 Experience Points to Durability?]


    Assign, Rain answered without delay.


    An invisible wave of a mixture of distinct warm and cool energies swept over his psyche then, causing him to moan in pleasure as he leaned backward on the wooden chair he was sitting on.


    This feeling, he couldn¡¯t get enough of it.


    [Attributes]


    Strength: 006.


    Speed: 014 (Boosted).


    Agility: 007.


    Perception: 005.


    Durability: 014.


    Stamina: 005.


    Experience Points: 00.


    Rain studied his Attributes Interface while his mind played a tape of the sort of things he had seen, which included the state the world was in.


    He was exponentially weak, that much was obvious. And it almost made him think that maybe he should just focus every atom of his being on raising his Attribute points as much as possible; after all, he wouldn¡¯t be able to survive in this ruined world if he was not strong enough, right?


    But to do that he would have to put a hold, or better still, cancel his current plans and begin an expedition to hunt down mutated beasts as a means of farming the Experience Points they would provide him.


    That was not something he wanted to do, though.


    He was fine sneaking about, hiding from the beasts with just enough power to protect himself from any that wills it upon itself to attack him. He was fine with that. Besides, it was not like he was seeking the thrills that came with hunting. All he wanted was to find his family and regain his memories¡­


    Something sparked inside Rain¡¯s head then, causing his breath to hitch for a moment before he sighed.


    If the cities all over earth were in the same manner as his current location¡ªwhich he¡¯d recalled the initial messages of the Plexus had referred to as Edinburgh¡ªthen finding his family and memories wouldn¡¯t put an end to his journey, would it? He would still need a safe place to call home; a place free from the threats of the mutated beasts roaming the earth¡ªat least the bloodlusted ones.


    That said, though¡­ Rain turned his gaze towards the despondent atmosphere shrouding the street outside the restaurant¡­ I¡¯m yet to see a single human besides myself, even the mutated birds and animals are of a scant number, how am I supposed to find such a place?


    In all honesty, he felt that was a far-fetched dream.


    A safe haven, huh? When he thought of the uncanny things he had experienced in the short span of his awakening he almost scoffed at the notion.


    But he knew better than to do that.


    He was going to find his family, regain his memories, and he sure as hell was not planning on wandering this ruin earth had become for all eternity.


    If there was no such place then he would create it from scratch with his own two hands. Brick by brick he would raise walls high enough to keep him, his family, and his Companion safe.


    Something nudged Rain¡¯s thigh at that moment, snapping him from his rather enthusiastic thoughts.


    It was J.


    The large, lean cat still had the same incredulous look it always had, but this time it seemed as though it had something to say.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Rain asked. ¡°Do you want me to pet you and congratulate you for not resting and instead moving around with your injured body?¡± he added in a tone filled with sarcasm. ¡°I won¡¯t do that just so you know.¡±


    ###


    Minutes later, he was doing just that. No. He was doing much more, hugging the yellow furred cat.


    J¡¯s sudden appearance had been to lead Rain to a storage room at the back where a rather fascinating thing was lodged.


    Maybe the cat bore some sort of telepathic powers, Rain couldn¡¯t know. What he did know, though, was that his Companion had taken him right to one of the most important things he had been hoping to see while on his journey; a thing that had made up the bulk of his curiosity way before he¡¯d pulled up the Plexus Interface:


    A pod.

 CHAPTER 18-A BREWING STORM

    Of course, Rain wasn¡¯t certain that what he was staring at was a pod, but what else could be a beautiful but grotesque piece of large seemingly rumpled flesh?


    It definitely was a pod; that was what his intuition told him.


    And just like the color the Plexus¡¯s messages had, the pod was also of a combination of a blue and purple-ish hue. It was not translucent, but an energy of light could be made out swirling gently within its walls. Lastly, it was beating¡ªpulsing, to be more precise¡ªlike it was a heart.


    Rain was utterly amazed beyond words, so much that he could almost hear the sound of his blood rushing.


    Surely this euphoria he was drowned within was natural, right? This was how a person felt when they came across something that was fascinating beyond comprehension, right?


    Right?


    His hug with J had long been put to an end now, the Jaguar¡¯s breathy puffs with it. And that meant there was nothing stopping Rain from fully embracing the new spark of desires he was having. In fact, he was already inching closer to the beautiful lump of flesh before him with his right hand outstretched.


    The attraction between a metal and a magnet, that was what the scene could be likened to. Rain the former, as he was the one being pulled towards the pod in such a slow manner that anyone seeing him would instantly figure out that he was in a trance.


    It seemed J was not an exception. The big cat suddenly bit Rain¡¯s leg in a rather gentle-like but suspiciously hostile manner as probably a means to pull him free from whatever it felt was holding him hostage.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Rain snapped awake due to the unwarranted pain which had shot up from his leg to his brain. ¡°What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing, paws-for-brains?!¡± His words had come out stiffly, since they had been uttered with gritted teeth.


    He looked down at his right leg, at the spot where his Companion had bitten, and his face squeezed. The blood had taken its time, but it was trickling out now.


    This little kitty. Rain sighed in an exaggerated manner, releasing the tension in his muscles while slowing down his racing pulse. He believed that there was no point in wasting what little energy he had on berating the Jaguar. Tsk. Puncturing my body when I don¡¯t have any medicinal blood with me; what a jerk¡ª


    All of a sudden, he realized something. And instantly his gaze shifted from the blood swimming out of his calf to the injuries all over J¡¯s body.


    Rain was met with disappointment. The injuries were still there.


    Does that mean taking my blood won¡¯t heal it? Rain looked back at his calf, then clicked his tongue as he locked his hazel eyes with the ambers of J¡¯s. Too little, I suppose.


    ¡°Come drink,¡± he said nonchalantly as he shifted his leg toward his Companion. J always looked incredulous, but now it was rather evident. Rain sighed. ¡°You better hurry up before I change my mind. Since drinking the blood of those Coyotes didn¡¯t heal you, then maybe mine will. You¡¯ve bitten me already so it won¡¯t hurt trying.¡±


    J hesitated, but Rain stomping his feet drove the nail into the coffin. The Jaguar began to lick, and as though Rain¡¯s blood had some sort of excess sugar, the cat didn¡¯t stop licking until there was almost nothing trickling out again. At that point Rain was almost afraid the Jaguar would go the extra length and rip his leg off. It didn¡¯t though; it merely shifted back.


    I guess it was hungry. Maybe I should have given it time to feast on those Coyotes. Nah, that would have been risky. I made the right choice; we can hunt for food later on, the easy ones.


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    Rain was using those thoughts of his to pass time as he anticipated the healing of J¡¯s wounds. But now that it was nearing the half a minute mark, he was beginning to think that his notion was wrong. J seemed to have caught on too. Its face twitched before crumpling for a moment there.


    Is it that only humans can heal from drinking the blood of other species? Rain decided to settle on that. What a shame. He felt bad for J, but there was nothing he could do. It was obvious that the Plexus was biased to humans; and honestly, rightly so.


    It was only because of J that he was even thinking otherwise. After all, those beasts could turn themselves into monsters larger than houses; that was a big enough trade for the healing factor he had found out human¡¯s possessed.


    Still, he wished J was at least an exception.


    With a sigh, Rain turned to his side and tore a piece of a rag lying on the floor there, wrapping it around the place where J¡¯s fangs had dug into his skin.


    He was just turning his attention back to the pod behind him when suddenly he noticed a rather bright but silent expression plastered on J¡¯s face. It was one of ecstasy which was obviously brought forth from the fact that its body had been completely healed.


    Rain, despite all his prior thoughts on inequality between man and beast, was no different.


    ¡°You¡¯re all healed!¡± he voiced as he sprung at his Companion, moving all around it while carefully scrutinizing every part of its body. Then he gently scooted over with a wide smile and sparkling eyes and grabbed J by its jaw. ¡°You¡¯re all healed. I¡¯m glad.¡± J purred deeply at those words, its eyes closing for a moment.


    Rain stood up after a few seconds, placed his hands on his waist and heaved out a relaxing exhale.


    ¡°Now,¡± he paused, then shot a bone chilling gaze at J, causing the Jaguar to shiver visibly. ¡°You listen here carefully. I¡¯m going to turn around to quell my curiosity, so you better stand back. Do you understand?¡± J chuffed, recalling Rain¡¯s lessons on how it must always reply to his questions.


    He knew why J had stopped him¡ªor rather, realized after his brief tantrum. The pod had been pulling him without his consent; in other words, it was dangerous.


    That was why he was going to be mentally sound this time and fight against its pull.


    He couldn¡¯t pass on catching a better sight at what made up the pod; he needed that image implanted in his head at all cost. At the end of the day, information was one of the most important assets one could have in a ruined world.


    The beautiful, grotesque ball of flesh came before Rain¡¯s hazel eyes again, and as soon as it did he felt the same magnetic pull he had felt the first time he¡¯d let his eyes linger on it for more than a couple of seconds.


    It was strong but calm. Wicked but kind. Savage but gentle. The pull was both good and evil.


    Rain knew there was only one way he would be able to stop himself from succumbing to his desires to approach the pod, and that was to focus on the cons of approaching such a thing.


    He instantly thought up countless scenarios that would leave him dead, and before he knew it his psyche was no longer bound by the oldest and most powerful ur-emotion of man.


    Though he knew such a state wouldn¡¯t last long.


    With widened eyes Rain quickly inspected the pod as much as he could. And then a few moments later he swirled on his feet, turning his back to it before huffing out a deep exhale.


    ¡°That was tough,¡± he said while smiling at J as he wiped off his sweat.


    Undoubtedly, he had questions. But Rain knew better than to bring them to center stage at this moment, since that could rekindle his curiosity for the pod, causing him to once again put himself in harm¡¯s way. He sealed those questions.


    Well, at least one thing was answered, and that was the pod not being a trigger for any of his lost memories.


    At that moment a low rumbling sound shook the building of the restaurant, startling Rain into looking at the ceiling of the store room he and J were in.


    ¡°What was that?¡± It was merely a second¡¯s wonder, since as soon as those words left his lips he was back in the serving area of the restaurant. There, he stood, staring through its broken storefront glasses at a blue sky, which had once had the sun, on the verge of being tainted by darkness.


    ¡°A storm is coming.¡±


    What an abrupt occurrence. It was still in the distance, but Rain could hear the sharp whistles of the approaching wind rising in intensity. And the more he listened, the more the quivers in his stomach worsened.


    He whirled around, taking a long look at the place he had chosen for a resting spot, and after a while, he frowned.


    ¡°J,¡± Rain called to his Companion as he turned back to stare up at the cloudy sky worsening quicker and quicker with each second. ¡°We have to move to a safer location.¡±

 CHAPTER 19-HUMANS

    The fast food restaurant was not a good base for them to hold out a storm. This was the thought that compelled Rain to take J and wander back into the heart of the brewing storm.


    To the eyes of others it would seem like he was making a heck of a mistake. Something dangerously harsh was coming and he had left the comforts of a building under the context that it was not enough to keep him and J safe? That he needed more?


    If that wasn¡¯t madness then what was?


    But he did not just come to that conclusion without thinking. He took a couple of important things into consideration. For one, the restaurant had no protection from the outside world, which meant that the probability of some prowling savage beast, or beasts, coming into it sooner or later to seek shade from the storm was extremely high. And Rain wanted to avoid any unnecessary battle that could cost him his life at any means.


    Secondly, it would be too damn cold.


    A storm was something no one had any surety on how long it would span, so it was better to look for a safer place with a lot more warmth to cuddle in than waste precious time and regret later on when things turned out bad.


    All in all, the cons outweighed the pros, and it went against his nature to settle for less.


    Hmm¡­ He didn¡¯t know that before. That was another characteristic unlocked then.


    A chill ran up Rain¡¯s back suddenly, shivering him stiff for a moment as a brush of harsh wind swept past him from his rear.


    He turned around and looked up at the sky; a few ways back the clouds were a lot more thick and dark, and within them flashed jagged bolts of lightning.


    There were no sounds of thunder yet, even distant ones, so he felt that the storm was yet to begin. But it was sure as hell very close now.


    Rain tugged at the sling pouch he had made from a tablecloth at the restaurant, which now held his file and knife. There was not much time left on this road.


    It was hard, though, finding a good spot. Buildings were everywhere, no doubt, houses and stores alike, but they were mostly tiny ones on the verge of collapsing and either completely locked or widely open to everything.


    None was suitable.


    If the intensity of the brewing storm turned out to be an extremely high one, a building on the verge of collapsing would most likely come crashing down; if he was inside when that happened then the next thing he would be seeing was going to be a pearly gate.


    The locked buildings were not even places he thought to bother with.


    Sure, he could break their windows and take shade in them, but with locked doors his escape route would be limited if anything ensued within their walls. Large cats weren¡¯t the only things to be afraid of. If birds could be mutated, then that meant things like snakes, lizards, and even insects could have been mutated too. Those things loved damp buildings where little to no light existed; it was risky.


    Now that struck him weirdly; how come he was yet to see a mutated insect? Those things were as much as humans, so why¡­


    Rain shook his head. Useless thoughts, they were.


    He looked to his side and saw another terribly cracked two-story building, this one possessing a door held from falling by a single hinge.


    With a moody sigh, Rain continued forward. He had just left a building because of its accessibility; he was not planning on entering anything too similar. His goal was to find one that was not on the verge of collapsing, that wasn¡¯t locked, and at the same time not completely accessible to any and everything.


    J was his responsibility, he was not planning on putting the cat¡¯s life at risk, and so he would not settle for anything else.


    It was for those reasons that Rain, despite his steps being continually dragged back by the blowing wind, pushed forth through its sharp, piercing screeches.


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    And then, a few minutes or so later, he finally stumbled upon a spot that seemed to give him a glimmer of hope at the prospect of a safe haven in the upcoming storm.


    Just like every other building, it was as well abandoned and weathered, filled with moss and cracks snaking along its grime covered walls, but it seemed to stand more erect than any other in the vicinity.


    Rain looked up from the wide parking lot ridden with damaged cars rusted beyond satisfactory repair, past the human-height weeds painting the scenery in a rather ugly but beautiful primitive scenery, and up at the glass facade of the building. It was all covered in vines, but unlike the fast food restaurant long abandoned, the words of its signage could be made out. It read: ¡®M&S.¡¯


    He didn¡¯t recall this place as well, but that was fine. It seemed he had made the right choice to leave Telford road and make a curve onto Groathill Ave.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± with a smile, Rain asked his Companion while rubbing the back of its head. J chuffed as a response and Rain nodded his head. ¡°I know, right?¡± He looked at J and grinned while pointing a thumb at himself. ¡°I¡¯m apparently a good scout.¡±


    ###


    ¡°This! This is really good!¡± Rain exclaimed with wide, sparkling eyes filled with life as he munched on a bag of salty chips he had found. ¡°How come this place is still filled with food?¡± Talking while eating caused him to choke, so he hurriedly picked up the can of apple juice that he had popped open and gulped it down.


    As for his question, he knew the answer to that.


    The store was a rather huge one. And from his deduction on how humans were stuck in the pods and each person was released at different times it made sense that the snacks here had not been completely looted.


    Something bothered him though. Looting and leaving wasn¡¯t necessary in a place like this? Why should anyone leave? They could have just taken this place as a base, safeguard it well enough, and live happily with all the items in the store.


    Although, when he thought about it, that question was hypocritical. He was going to leave as well, and most likely won¡¯t return.


    Compared to how it might have been five years ago, it was no longer safe for an extended period of living. Vines were slowly cracking its glasses, give them a bit more time and they would break them completely. Also, cutting them down was not a job a person who had just been released from a pod could do on their own.


    Furthermore, its front doors were lockable from within, but its vicinity was not really that protected. Normally, it would have been hard for beasts to sneak in, but since ones like J, who could reason like humans, now existed, even if it took a while, it wasn¡¯t far-fetched for them to be able to find a way in from some other section in the store one day.


    All in all, for short term its pros outweighed its cons, but when long term came into consideration, its cons were over the pros.


    Rain finished his meal after a while, which came to a total of four bags of chips and ten cans of apple juice. He exhaled in satisfaction as he stared up at the high ceiling of the building, his eyes occasionally darting between the sections on the upper floors.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting dark,¡± he mumbled in notice of the storm being a lot closer now.


    At this point the rumbling of thunder could even be heard, so he knew droplets were already pouring down. Those, though, were like an appetizer; the real meal would soon arrive.


    ¡°You better eat it,¡± Rain said to J. The Jaguar kept sniffing at the bag of chips he had opened for it. ¡°Whether it suits your palette or not you have to put something in your belly. We have a long journey ahead of us after the storm passes. I don¡¯t want you fainting.¡± He rose to his feet then with a grunt and looked around. ¡°Or do you sense the presence of anything you could hunt?¡± There was no reply. ¡°Well, I¡¯m off to look for a map. You know how to find me.¡±


    And he left; but not to find a map.


    ¡°This is nice! This too! They¡¯re all nice! I wonder what my size is?¡± He paused, then grinned. ¡°No questions Rain, just test them all.¡±


    Rain was in the clothing section, rummaging through every piece of attire he could find. They were all stiff and blanketed by dust, but he didn¡¯t mind. Anything was better than his patient¡¯s gown. Anything at all.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try this combination!¡±


    With excitement, Rain picked out a black hoodie and a gray cargo trouser, putting them on as soon as he¡¯d taken off the most recent of the outfits he¡¯d tested, a vintage shirt and a jean shorts.


    ¡°They do fit well!¡±


    He was still relishing in the spectacle of his outlook when, all of a sudden, he heard a low pitched scream.


    A fluttery feeling instantly took hold of his belly, prompting him to turn his head to his side with his brows nudged downwards.


    What was that? He knew what it was. I must have heard wrong, right?


    The adrenaline coursing through his body did not let him put it off though.


    Leaving his patient¡¯s gown on the floor, Rain picked up the black crossbody bag of leather he had found¡ªwhich now contained his file and knife¡ªthrew it over his shoulders, and dashed towards the location he felt was the origin of the scream.


    Upon getting there he was met with a rather shocking scene, one which stunned him but at the same time baptized his heart with a stream of relief.


    In the midst of the utilities section was J and two other beings who were softly drenched in what seemed to be the waters of the sky.


    Rain¡¯s mouth almost fell open at the sight of them as the roar of thunder reverberated across the room. Those beings; they were¡­


    Humans¡­

 CHAPTER 20-ALICE HALL

    No matter how shocked he was, Rain knew he had to snap himself back immediately. The scene before his eyes could very well develop quickly into a rather gory spectacle if he didn¡¯t step in now.


    Why? Because it looked to be that J had gone ahead to cause some trouble while he had been away.


    How had he arrived at that notion? Well, one of the two humans he had surprisingly come across was a boy seemingly no older than twelve or thirteen, and this boy was currently hiding behind the other human present with a frightened look on his face.


    It was his scream, Rain instantly realized.


    As for the other person, they were a woman who looked to be double his age, and one quite intimidating as well. The sort of air around her was stiffening and the type to act as a human repellant.


    Rain couldn¡¯t afford to be repelled at the moment though. He raised his arms up high and shouted, ¡°Wait!¡± Then he approached slowly, the attention of both the humans and his dear, once-growling J now drawn to him. ¡°Let¡¯s all take a second to calm down, shall we?¡± he added as he came to stand side by side with his Companion.


    There was a moment of shock on the woman¡¯s face due to his appearance, and Rain decided to use that short span to carefully choose his words in order to bring down the heat flaring up around them. And to do that he needed to understand those standing across from him to a substantial extent.


    Rain studied the young boy, who was almost the same height as J, to a greater degree first.


    He had brown chestnut hair, and was dressed in a white sweatshirt, brown pants, and black canvas shoes. His skin was pale, but not too pale, and his cheeks had a little tinge of red, which meant that he had been crying. However, it had been a while since he¡¯d stopped; in other words, it was not J that had caused the boy to cry. Furthermore, looking past the way he was drenched, his clothes did not have the stiff look of abandonment, and only had a little bit of dirt on them; his hair was the same as well.


    Considering all that, Rain came to a strong enough conclusion on the boy. Timid, but somewhat fervid. Looks like he can keep a secret too. He also just got released from his pod; most likely today or yesterday.


    Rain shifted his gaze to the woman next.


    She had dark skin and shared no similarities with the boy hiding behind her. Her hair was made up of long loc braids tied into a bun, and her clothes, which were a combination of a red jacket and jeans, looked even more ragged than Rain¡¯s patient gown. The blood stains on them were also quite evident.


    Although, that was not what caught Rain¡¯s attention the most. That praise was given to the piece of weaponry she was pointing at his and J¡¯s direction.


    The weapon was no doubt of the same blade class as his kitchen knife, just, it was like five times longer and possessed a glimmering blue luster.


    It was a sword, Rain still knew that much, only he didn¡¯t realize that they had always been as blue colored as the ocean.


    That aside, he could see that the woman wasn¡¯t a newbie in this ruined world. She had undoubtedly been released from her pod for a while. Unlike the boy she seemed to be protecting, her number count in this desolate earth definitely spanned between months to years. And that made the adult and child duo association even weird.


    Unless¡­


    The boy stumbled upon her immediately after being released from his pod? That would explain how he was still alive. Rain sighed inwardly, contemplating on the duality of life. One person had come upon a human in their early moments, while another a Jaguar. What a great stroke of luck! For himself, obviously. Definitely not that boy.


    ¡°You!¡± Rain refocused once again on the matter at hand. The catalyst? The adult woman¡¯s strong voice. ¡°She yours?¡±


    She? Rain was confused for a moment, then suddenly his brows shot up as his eyes widened in understanding. He threw his gaze on the defensively poised J, almost slapping his forehead. You¡¯re a female, huh? Forgive me for referring to you as ¡®it¡¯ all this while; I¡¯ve been too focused on other things to think about your gender.


    He then exhaled a puff of air and looked back at the adult woman. His hazel eyes were placed on her tightly knitted face, as well as the bags she had under her eyes, as he nodded.


    It seemed his honest answer didn¡¯t help things though, since the woman¡¯s eyebrows narrowed even further.


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    Instinctively, he knew he had to take the reins here. The tension in the air had to be dispelled at all cost, and what better way to do that than creating a sense of familiarity between one another?


    ¡°I¡¯m Rain Leclair¡ª¡±


    ¡°I never asked for your name,¡± the woman interjected without batting an eye or wasting a second. The sheer speed baffled Rain so much that the rest of the words he had planned to utter hung in his throat. ¡°How long since you¡¯ve been awake?¡±


    Awake? Released from the pod, you mean¡­


    Rain cleared his throat and answered with his arms still raised up, ¡°Less than a day.¡± She obviously did not seem to believe him, so Rain did not stop there. ¡°I was released from the pod at Western General Hospital a few miles away from here¡ª¡±


    ¡°Your Companion, mentally mutated, isn¡¯t she?¡± the woman asked. ¡°They¡¯re always the most dangerous ones.¡± Her following words were muttered in some sort of whisper that made Rain feel like he was not supposed to hear them, but he had, either way, and he had been cut off¡ªagain. Although, he wasn¡¯t angry. After all, the cons of allowing anger cloud his mind outweighed the pros.


    As for the woman herself, he¡¯d made up his mind, he needed to get her to become an ally of his. It was obvious that she knew a lot, and had lived in this ruined world far longer than he. She would undoubtedly be of great help to him.


    The fact that she had a clear face devoid of anything akin to haste was a deciding factor for that thought of his. Someone who didn¡¯t know anything about this world would have acted impulsively the way he had done at the hospital, fearful of the beast before them and engaging in battle immediately.


    But the woman wasn¡¯t afraid, nor did she seem to want to engage in battle, Rain was able to tell due to a certain message not arriving yet. She knew that not all beasts attacked humans for the pleasure of it, and was contemplating the possibility of J being one of those kinds, despite her claim of them being the most dangerous ones.


    He understood why she had said that and was wary and on guard though. Just like he¡¯d thought too, they were practically unpredictable since they could think like humans.


    But not J. She wasn¡¯t dangerous.


    ¡°I doubt that,¡± Rain said to the woman with a soft smile. ¡°I¡¯m her Companion, and I can tell you surely that she isn¡¯t that way. Although, if you plan to attack her that means you¡¯ll have to deal with me as well. But since I¡¯m not receiving any animosity message from the Plexus regarding you, I take it you¡¯re not leaning that way.¡±


    Rain had come to a conclusion that the animosity message from the Plexus only appeared when there was killing intent. So if the intent was to run or shoo an attacker away, it wouldn¡¯t appear.


    ¡°And I¡¯m quite sure that you did not receive any due to my beloved kitty here,¡± he added, and the woman¡¯s brows softened. ¡°I¡¯m a testament to the fact that J here does not like human meat. If she¡¯d wanted to attack any of you the Plexus would have told you by now; if you¡¯ve not, you can also ask the little boy if he¡¯s received any. His answer should put your mind at ease.¡±


    He had said all that, but how was he to know if the woman and the boy, or either one of them, had not received a message of survival?


    His words were a gamble, but he chose to trust that J¡¯s moment of contemplation with him hadn¡¯t merely been a fluke.


    The woman asked the boy as Rain had proposed, and he shook his head in reply.


    Rain¡¯s tensed heart relaxed then, after which he took it upon himself to continue talking when a few seconds of silence had passed, ¡°I and my Companion are just here to seek shelter from the storm, the same as you, I suppose. We don¡¯t want to cause any trouble.¡±


    Any other person would have stopped there, but not him.


    ¡°Although, I do wish to know about what you¡¯ve experienced up to this point, if you don¡¯t mind, that is. Like I said, I just woke up not too long ago, so I don¡¯t know much, and since my journey towards here had not been what you¡¯d call pleasant, I¡¯m of the mind to seek any assistance that would make the subsequent ones easier. You¡¯re also the first human I¡¯ve met, I¡¯m sure you can see that much. What I¡¯m getting at is: Shouldn¡¯t we help one another in a time of crisis like this?¡± Yeah, but unlike the woman he didn¡¯t have anything to offer. Whatever he knew, she obviously already did. That didn¡¯t stop him though. ¡°So what do you say? Will you have a chat with me while we all wait out the storm?¡±


    The woman¡¯s stiffened expression had all loosened now, her sword, on the other hand, was yet to be lowered.


    ¡°How old are you?¡± It had taken a while, but her next words had come, and they were ones Rain hadn¡¯t been expecting.


    He did not think too much of it anyway, and simply answered truthfully, at least based on what he remembered and what was on the Plexus Interface, ¡°Seventeen.¡±


    The woman mumbled something as her shoulders slumped indistinctly. Then she took short gazes between J and the boy behind her before looking back at Rain.


    ¡°She must be far away from him at all times,¡± the woman said, referring to J and the young boy.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Rain answered with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure she is.¡±


    The woman¡¯s sword finally came down then, and the stifling tension filling the air simmered into oblivion.


    The boy who had been hiding seemed to notice this and took advantage of it to remove himself from behind the woman¡¯s back.


    Now that J was no longer seen as dangerous as she had been seconds ago, his gaze was placed on her, the expression of thrill-seeking written all over his face. Rain saw that, and instantly he realized what was running through the youngin¡¯s mind.


    Now, now. No playing with wild cats without the permission of your guardian, Rain said sarcastically within himself. Then he turned back to the adult woman who had just finished concealing her sword within the sheath around her waist.


    ¡°Do you mind if I ask a question?¡± The woman took her eyes, which seemed to be laced with tiredness, towards him. She nodded. Now that she had indirectly agreed to engage him the repelling air around her was no longer as dense as it was prior. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    It took a few seconds, but she finally answered in a low tone, ¡°Alice. Alice Hall.¡±

 CHAPTER 21-BEASTS

    Rain also found out the young boy¡¯s name; it was Sean Gallagher. The bulk of his story, though, he was yet to hear. And that was why he was gathering a bunch of snacks and drinks in order to set up an atmosphere that would trigger a relaxed conversation between them all¡ªexcluding J who couldn¡¯t talk, of course.


    Adding a bag of peanut chips with the gathered edibles in the polythene nylon bag he¡¯d found, Rain turned to J who seemed to have something he would refer to as a pout on her face.


    She was always either dazed or incredulous, but now she was pouting too? What next? Smiling? Laughing? The thought of the last one caused him to shiver discreetly. A Jaguar laughing couldn¡¯t be a pretty sight, could it?


    ¡°Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you,¡± Rain told his Companion. ¡°It¡¯s either chips or nothing. Or do you prefer biscuits?¡± J was silent, her pouting intensifying. ¡°What? It¡¯s easier to eat expired snacks than anything else. Do you want to eat rotten meat? I¡¯m sure we can find some in the butchery or the frozen foods section, if that pleases you of course. But don¡¯t come complaining to me later when you begin shitting blood, or some weird things. Even without my memories I can still deduce right from wrong.¡±


    He said all those in a hurry, so he took a moment to catch his breath.


    ¡°Let me tell you, we were lucky to find that rat in the hospital,¡± ¡®he was lucky¡¯, he meant. ¡°As you can see, there¡¯s none here. However, you can be my guest and roam about until you find one. I¡¯ll leave one more bag of chips for you here to eat when you return from your expedition, just in case. As for me, I¡¯m off to enlighten myself on what exactly is going on in this world. I finally have humans to talk to. And, man, do I have a lot I want to talk about.¡±


    With all that said, Rain heaved out an exhale as though a load was taken off his chest. Then he went on each knee of his in intervals as he put on the black combat boots of leather he¡¯d found.


    He had been caught in both minds between his current choice and a pair of sneakers. But, as usual, he weighed the pros and cons of both, and realized that, at the end of the day, no one would care about fashion with the state the world was in.


    Any selection he made had to regard efficiency to be greater than presentability. The combat boots won in that regard. They provided durability, an attribute he seemed to love the most, and were designed to endure rough terrain, harsh weathers, and, most of all, stability.


    His choice was affirmed as soon as he was done putting the boots on. They cushioned his feet ever so perfectly.


    The darkness associated with the storm now raging outside had already infiltrated the entirety of the M&S store, but compared to what Rain had experienced while he was in the hospital, this was nothing. He could see perfectly fine.


    After opening one extra bag of chips to add to the other J was yet to touch, as he had said, Rain picked up the polythene bag of snacks he had gathered. He then took one last glance at J. She was now lying on her chest while facing the opposite direction of where he stood.


    She¡¯s acting like a spoiled child. He sighed, and with that left the snack and chips aisle to head back to the utilities section where Alice and Sean had taken as their own spot.


    ###


    ¡°A candle?¡± Rain said as he walked up to Alice who appeared to have gone ¡®shopping¡¯, and was arranging the items she had found, the most notable of them was a bundle of rope. He wondered what she needed such for.


    Well, I guess it¡¯s better to be over prepared than underprepared¡­


    He threw a chocolate bar at the Sean kid before crossing his legs as he sat down in their midst, completing an arc around the candlelight illuminating the spot.


    ¡°Do you have scented ones too?¡± he asked, half-jokingly and half-curiously. After all, scented candles helped with sleep, that much he could recall, so it would be nice if she did have some. And besides, even though making small talks wasn¡¯t something he felt he knew how to do, he had to try regardless. He couldn¡¯t just go straight to the point with the main things he wanted to inquire about now, could he?


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    ¡°Thank you,¡± Sean was the one who spoke though, and with a beam to boot as he opened the chocolate bar he had been given.


    ¡°No need to thank me. I didn¡¯t buy it.¡± Rain put down the polythene bag of snacks beside Sean. ¡°There¡¯s more in there if you want. Enjoy yourself.¡±


    Alice was watching them both through the side of her eyes, seemingly still cautious of Rain. But she couldn¡¯t deny a boy from eating so she did not talk. At least that was what Rain interpreted. He took a chocolate bar too and began to eat, hoping that his actions would relax the woman¡¯s mind.


    And it seemed it did. She went on with putting the equipment she had gathered into the backpack she¡¯d found.


    Honestly, he didn¡¯t see the point of her caution towards him; J, he could understand, but why was she acting like he¡¯d poisoned the snacks or something of the like.


    Was that even possible? Where would he find the poison? What could he possibly gain from attempting to kill anyone?


    It was somewhat laughable. But, at the end of the day, he didn¡¯t really care too much for it to bother him and disrupt his plans or thoughts.


    ¡°You should leave some space for food,¡± Rain said to Alice as he swallowed the chocolate bar he was eating, a stale, bland, and bitter aftertaste left on the surface of his tongue and at the back of his throat in return. It made his face squeeze.


    Thing tastes worse than expired apple juice and chips combined. That¡¯s it! No more chocolate. He retorted. Sean, on the other hand, was already opening another chocolate bar. The boy¡¯s taste bud had obviously been ruined by the end of the world.


    ¡°I will,¡± Alice replied. And then the dominance of silence descended upon them.


    Rain broke it immediately though, by asking, ¡°How long has it been since you were released from the pod?¡±


    ¡°A year and six months,¡± Alice answered in a heartbeat without even as much as sparing her questioner a glance.


    Rain was slightly flustered both because of the duration of Alice¡¯s stay on this ruined earth, and how he¡¯d received a quick response.


    He had thought that the woman would not want to engage him on such topics that had an air of privacy about them. Maybe he had just been thinking too much on what was and wasn¡¯t acceptable in a conversation between strangers. The world was no longer the same, so he shouldn¡¯t hold back.


    ¡°That¡¯s a while,¡± he said, and at that moment noticed Alice pausing her packing for a second before carrying on once again.


    ¡°It has,¡± she replied in a somewhat despondent tone.


    Rain¡¯s plan to not hold back with his questions crumbled down in an instant. It looked like he would touch deep wounds if kept on threading his current path of inquisition. And so, as a result, he decided to shift his focus out of consideration and respect for another¡¯s privacy.


    ¡°Have you been here, in this city, ever since?¡± he asked as he took a can of apple juice and opened it. His throat was feeling somewhat parched.


    ¡°No.¡± Alice sighed, closed her bag and pushed it aside. Then she turned to face Rain with a plain look on her face.


    It was obvious that she was yet to have concluded her packing as there were still a few things on the floor, so the thought that her putting a stop to what she was doing was as a result of him being a nuisance caused Rain¡¯s heart to palpitate.


    ¡°Wh-What is it?¡± he mumbled anxiously.


    ¡°Rain Leclair, is it?¡± Alice questioned in a manner that made it seem as though she was not seeking an answer but expected one.


    Rain complied. ¡°Yes. Rain Leclair, it is.¡±


    ¡°You said you just woke up, right?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then what do you understand about what¡¯s going on?¡±


    He was not really sure what that question was implying, regardless, he knew he had to answer. And the first words that came to his mind were, ¡°I¡¯ve likened it to a game, to keep my sanity.¡±


    Alice frowned instantly. ¡°This isn¡¯t a game,¡± she said strongly, inciting Rain to inhale heavily. ¡°Likening it to one is understandable, but keep that up for more than a day or two days and you will keep your sanity but bite the dust. Now, do you want to bite the dust, young man?¡±


    Of course he didn¡¯t. What sort of question was that?


    ¡°No,¡± Rain answered with a soft shake of his head, his can of half drunk apple juice placed on the floor.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a very trusting person, but¡­¡± Alice took a moment¡¯s pause. ¡°But just in the off chance that you are who you say you are, I''m not willing to have any other person¡¯s death on my conscience, so I¡¯ll engage you.¡± She took a deep breath in and out. ¡°The world we all knew ended five years ago, we are in a completely different world now. And in this world there are beasts everywhere.¡±


    I know that¡­


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t,¡± Alice said suddenly as though she had read Rain¡¯s mind, causing him to flinch in befuddlement. ¡°I didn¡¯t read your thoughts, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking; maybe someone somewhere has such a power, but I, personally, do not. I am just good at deciphering what a person¡¯s thinking depending on the topic and situation.¡± Rain was visibly relieved. ¡°Anyways, what I¡¯m saying is, the beasts you should be the most scared of aren¡¯t mutated birds or animals.¡± She raised a finger, pointed it at Rain, then at herself, and finally at the chocolate-munching Sean. ¡°The beasts you should be the most scared of are humans.¡±

 CHAPTER 22-PERSONAL SURVIVAL

    Humans? Rain was confused. He couldn¡¯t seem to understand the reasoning behind those words.


    The world was in ruins, why should he have to be scared of his own kind¡ªof the only ones who could accept him and be of the most help to him? No offense to J. It didn¡¯t make any sense.


    Was it that the woman wasn¡¯t alright in the head? If humans feared each other and avoided each other, then how would one overcome this adversity that had plagued the world? How would one learn how to survive in this ruined world?


    There was a particular saying Rain didn¡¯t recall clearly, but it went something like: ¡°two heads are better than one.¡± He really did believe that was true.


    But even with all the thoughts of confusion raging like a violent sea in his mind, Rain was unable to open his mouth to ask Alice of her reasons. All he did was knit his brows in a frown while anchoring his gaze on the adult woman¡¯s stoic face. She seemed to be aware of his thoughts, so he chose to wait for her to explain what she meant herself.


    Alice put down her finger. ¡°I understand. What I¡¯m saying sounds like nonsense, after all, the world has turned to shit so why am I telling you to avoid the only people you can rely on.¡± Rain remained silent, now proceeding to fold his arms. ¡°But that¡¯s exactly the reason I¡¯m saying this¡­ because the world has gone to shit.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± Rain couldn¡¯t help himself.


    ¡°In a state of panic caused by something unknown, what do you think the natural response of humans is?¡±


    ¡°Survival.¡± Rain did not even need to think about the answer to that question. It was well placed at the forefront of his brain¡ªas the human that he was.


    ¡°Just survival?¡± Alice inquired, her words inciting a twitch of Rain¡¯s right eye and a sudden moment of silence that was only disturbed by the rattling sounds of the rain pouring down upon the ceiling of the store. A shuffling sound joined in soon later, though. It was Sean seeking another chocolate bar. That seemed to tug on Alice¡¯s nerves. ¡°Sean, you listen too!¡± She scolded the boy, causing him to shiver and instinctively draw closer to Rain.


    It was a conventional reaction. The whole situation was not something a little child could take in immediately, and they were definitely going to be frightened instantly if anything made their heart jump, even if they were words from someone they had come to depend on.


    That thing with J too spanned from this.


    Kids were little adventurous rascals, and Sean was no different. Of course, coming across something as large and imposing as a Jaguar would naturally spark fear in any child, but their first response wouldn¡¯t definitely be to shout.


    And, furthermore, when that Jaguar does not attack, their fear would turn into curiosity and awe. This was what Rain saw in Sean¡¯s eyes after the tension in the air during their initial meeting settled down. The boy¡¯s first response, on the other hand, had been wrong. Unless¡­ he was traumatized.


    Obviously it was impossible for Sean to have met Alice as soon as he¡¯d left the pod, and as such, during the time it took before they crossed each other¡¯s paths, he would have been crying for his parents or for help while running away from whatever beast was on his trail. That experience had tainted his pure heart to now instinctively call or seek for the protection of another no matter the situation. The curiosity of a child was no longer at center stage for this boy. Seeking protection was.


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    Rain sighed and patted Sean¡¯s hair, letting the boy lean on him. ¡°What do you mean by your question?¡± He continued the conversation, pulling Alice¡¯s attention back to him from Sean, and for a moment noticing the restrained emotion that was plastered on her face. For some reason, it looked familiar.


    ¡°Pass me a juice, will you?¡± Alice requested with an exhale.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Rain was about to toss her the orange juice he¡¯d taken from the bag when he paused. ¡°Which do you prefer? There¡¯s orange, peach, apple¡ª¡±


    ¡°Any is fine,¡± Alice cut him off. And at that a can of orange juice was tossed in her direction. She caught it, drank it in one go, and took a deep breath. ¡°You¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll listen,¡± it was Sean who¡¯d done the cutting off now. Rain and Alice looked at the boy who straightened himself. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not listening. I¡¯ll make sure to always listen.¡±


    Rain took a peek at Alice and found her slightly agape, almost like her brain ceased to function just before she could say what she¡¯d wanted to say.


    He knew what was running through her mind. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have snapped at him.¡± ¡°I made a mistake.¡± ¡°He¡¯s just a child.¡± Things like that.


    He didn¡¯t like the silence, but at this moment he knew he had to let it linger on, until Alice let her words out. She was the one who had saved the boy, she was the one who needed to reassure him.


    It took a few seconds, but finally she said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Sean wanted to speak, but she stopped him. ¡°No. Let me. I shouldn¡¯t have snapped at you. I was just scared.¡± Rain tilted his head indistinctly at those words; they had come as a surprise considering how her face was always so calm. ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to go through that same thing. Listening will prepare you for this world. It¡¯ll help you, even if I¡¯m not there. Do you understand, Sean?¡±


    ¡°I-I do.¡± He smiled.


    Rain took advantage of that moment. ¡°So, how did you both meet?¡±


    Alice looked at him, her expression of indifference having already returned. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Rain was taken aback. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s obvious that both of you aren¡¯t family members, isn¡¯t it?¡± He didn¡¯t mean that in an offensive manner, but now that he thought about it maybe he should have worded it in a different way, like: ¡°it¡¯s obvious you guys haven¡¯t known each other for long.¡±


    Alice didn¡¯t mind though, it seemed. ¡°We¡¯re not. But my question was based on you trying to move away from the conversation we were having.¡± Rain was now the one on the receiving end of a scolding. She felt like a mother.


    Honestly, he didn¡¯t want to change the conversation topic, but Sean was still downcasted. In his state, the subsequent discussion would enter through one of the boy¡¯s ears and leave through the other.


    First, the mood had to loosen. And for that, Alice had to be on board.


    He mouthed his intentions at her hoping she would come to understand.


    Well, after a couple times of Rain repeating the same actions, as well as gesturing at Sean with his head, Alice¡¯s posture seemed to sag. She had come to understand¡ªthankfully.


    ¡°At the Comely Bank down at Craigleith Ave.¡± Sean¡¯s gaze rose from the floor he was staring at. ¡°Sean was in a car, surrounded by a pack of coyotes.¡±


    Coyotes again? Is Edinburgh like their domain or what?


    ¡°Ten of them, and she killed them all,¡± Sean began to say with a shadow of a smile on his face.


    Ten?! Isn¡¯t that a bit too much for a boy of twelve? Those damned coyotes!


    While having those thoughts, Rain leaned closer to the boy. ¡°Oho. How? Did she look like a hero? Her red jacket must have looked like a red cape, huh?¡±


    Sean¡¯s smile fully bloomed now, and while exaggeratingly raising his arms up in the air, he corrected Rain, ¡°No. Not like a hero. Like¡­ Like an Angel of Death.¡±


    Now that¡¯s weird. Why are you smiling like that while describing someone looking like an Angel of Death? Rain jerked backward impulsively. Also, why were you in a car? Did your pod let go of you there, or did you escape to it yourself?


    Rain was about to ask when Alice voiced, ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough.¡± She was such a killjoy. ¡°You¡¯ve heard of how we met; now back to the matter at hand.¡± Rain did not object this time. Sean was already smiling, the boy had no reason not to listen anymore. ¡°Like you said, in a state of panic the natural response of humans is survival. The thing, though, is, survival comes in different forms. In a state of panic, the response of humans isn¡¯t just survival, it¡¯s personal survival.¡±

 CHAPTER 23-GEF

    ¡°No one wants the luggage of another while they¡¯re vying for their own life,¡± Alice said, her words annoyingly sincere and without filter for the child she¡¯d taken into her custody. Rain listened carefully, though, quickly grasping what the adult woman meant. Despite how it sounded, she was right. ¡°Let¡¯s take up an example. I¡¯m being chased by a beast, and while I¡¯m trying to defend myself I come across someone else who is in a losing tussle with a beast of their own. If I was in my right senses would I risk my life to help that person and have two beasts after me?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Rain answered. She was rubbing off on him with this explicit sincerity of hers.


    ¡°Of course.¡± She shot a glare at Rain then. ¡°So that nonsense you did with me, saying you would like to know of my journey, try it with some other person and you¡¯ll regret not keeping your mouth shut. You¡¯re basically giving yourself up to be manipulated. Don¡¯t go around hoping on another for your own survival. They can leave at any time. And that ¡®leave¡¯ would not be in a pleasing manner.¡±


    ¡®Try it with some other person¡¯? Am I to take that as: ¡®Thank your lucky stars that I¡¯m different¡¯?


    Rain sighed exasperatedly. ¡°Now, it''s not that I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying, but¡­ Do you think of all humans this way?¡± Alice didn¡¯t say anything. Rain nodded in return. ¡°I thought so. For one, you are a human, aren¡¯t you? And Sean is alive because you took on his own beasts. Your actions contradict your words.¡±


    Alice narrowed her eyes with a pinched expression. She turned away from Rain and Sean and unzipped her bag to resume her equipment sorting. ¡°Sean¡¯s a child. If it had been you in that car I would have left you there.¡±


    That hurts, but a valid response. Rain felt a tender hand touch his knee cap then, and he turned to his side to see a pair of wide brown eyes looking up at him.


    ¡°I would save you,¡± Sean whispered with a smile, and Rain couldn¡¯t resist ruffling the boy¡¯s hair in a giddy manner.


    ¡°You¡¯re my hero,¡± he responded before turning back to the indifferent Alice. ¡°So, where are you headed from here?¡±


    ¡°Back,¡± she answered after two seconds.


    ¡°Back?¡± Rain¡¯s eyebrows squished together. It was at this moment that he recalled previously asking her if she¡¯d been in this city all this while, and she had responded with ¡°No¡±. He had not been able to find out where she¡¯d come from then, since she had shifted the discussion, but now he had a chance. ¡°Back to where?¡±


    ¡°GEF.¡± After answering, Alice paused what she was doing and turned around to look at Rain who had a befuddled expression. She had answered in such a manner when she knew he was not yet informed of anything substantial. With a sigh, she added, ¡°The Great European Faction.¡± Faction?! ¡°It¡¯s basically a place most people would refer to as a safe haven; the biggest in the world currently.¡±


    Safe haven?! Rain¡¯s face softened at those words.


    ¡°Wait. There¡¯s a place like that?¡±


    Alice raised a brow. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t there be?¡±


    Rain was beyond overjoyed. His heart was beating so fast that he felt like he could faint. Finding a safe haven was one of the things on his to-do list, and he had just now heard about one? Although, he put his joy on pause a second later.


    A faction meant humans were present, in large numbers, that is; with all Alice said, why is she talking about going to a faction?


    ¡°You¡­ Didn¡¯t you say to avoid humans?¡± Rain questioned. ¡°Why are you heading to a faction then?¡±


    Alice did not turn back this time. ¡°Well, because I¡¯m a part of that faction.¡±


    Rain¡¯s brows fell. ¡°You¡¯re in a faction but you ask me to avoid humans?¡±


    Alice made a tsk sound. ¡°When did I ever tell you to avoid humans?¡± Huh? ¡°I told you not to go hoping on another for your own survival, I never said ¡®avoid humans¡¯. Travel with another for all I care. Join a faction for all I care. But the day you think someone is obligated to save your life is the day you will lose that life.¡±


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    Rain¡¯s frown disappeared. He had apparently misunderstood her earlier. Now, he was sure of what she meant.


    ¡°In other words,¡± he began, ¡°make use of others, but do not let others make use of you.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s how you interpreted it, then live like that.¡±


    Wariness was good, he would always be wary of another from now on due to all Alice had told him. But making use of others for his own benefit? He wouldn¡¯t do that. He still wanted to trust people, and if one could prove that they could be trusted, then he would try to trust them.


    ¡°Alright.¡± There was no point arguing, so he just went with the flow as usual. After which he turned to Sean and whispered to the boy, ¡°Don¡¯t live in such a way.¡± They both smiled at each other.


    Rain gulped down the rest of his apple juice to prepare his throat to continue engaging in the task of talking.


    ¡°Where is this GEF located?¡±


    The candle illuminating the spot occupied by Alice, Rain, and Sean was now melted halfway, but it seemed like Alice was already done with her packing. Although, she left one thing away from the confinements of her bag. A second glance at it caused Rain¡¯s brows to shoot up. It was a map.


    He was yet to go scavenging for one, but it seemed like that wasn¡¯t necessary any longer. All he needed was a good enough look at it and his Photographic Memory would do the rest.


    ¡°Manchester,¡± Alice answered as she spread the map on the floor. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Rain moved in closer to her with a smile that made him look no different from Sean. Funnily, the boy had leaned in too at the same time as Rain. ¡°What are the both of you doing?¡±


    ¡°Looking at the map?¡± Rain answered.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Because I¡¯m coming with you to Manchester, of course.¡±


    Alice tipped her head to the side as though trying to get a better look at Rain¡¯s face. ¡°With me?¡±


    Rain jerked backward. ¡°Yes? How else am I supposed to get there?¡±


    ¡°Did all I say just fly over your head?¡± Alice was evidently bamboozled.


    ¡°Not really,¡± Rain said. ¡°Just think of it as me using you.¡±


    Alice¡¯s eyes widened for the first time; then after a while she scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re a weird one.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a compliment.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t, Rain knew. He had also thought of himself as weird, and it was not for a good reason. After all, how many people would come across a Jaguar intending to take their life, and instead of killing it, they feed it and release it? Oh, and that was not the end. Then they went and became companions.


    This thought of Rain¡¯s caused his attention to shift from the map he was looking at and into the darkness clouding the store.


    That J, has she eaten the chips? She does not really intend to starve herself does she?


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Alice¡¯s flat voice snapped him back, though, not fully.


    ¡°You said you were coming to Manchester, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes-Yes,¡± he stuttered, his mind still divided between where he currently was and his previous location.


    ¡°Then listen. I¡¯m going over the route I¡¯m going to take.¡±


    Rain couldn¡¯t take it any longer. ¡°Go on without me. I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m only going over it because you claimed to be joining in,¡± Alice said; her words didn¡¯t stop Rain from rising to his feet though.


    With a stiff neck, Rain added, ¡°Please put a pause on it then; I have to check on J.¡±


    ¡°J? Your Companion?¡± Alice asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Did something happen to her?¡± Sean inquired, his voice full of concern.


    ¡°No. No. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t you worry.¡± There was a smile on Rain¡¯s face, but it was a fake one with no warmth behind it.


    At that, Rain hurried away from the midst of Alice and Sean, and a minute or so later arrived at the snack and chips aisle.


    Upon getting there, his eyes shot up and his speed increased.


    J was still at the same spot where he¡¯d left her, but this time not lying on her chest but on her side. The sight caused an ominous feeling to douche his body, and it only worsened when he knelt down in front of his Companion.


    ¡°Hey, J,¡± he called out gently to her, not knowing where to touch to check her pulse or the like. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡ª¡± He stole a glance at the bag of chips he had opened, and they were still untouched. ¡°You bloody fool! Why did you not just eat the fucking chips?!¡±


    Rain was not sure what to do, so after a few seconds of frantic worrying he decided to do the only thing he felt he could.


    He opened his crossbody bag and pulled out his knife. Since his blood had regenerative abilities then it should be able to serve as a bit of hunger repellent, right? Even if for a little while.


    Placing the knife in the middle of his left palm, Rain looked at his Companion, clicked his tongue, and bit down on his lower lip. ¡°This better work.¡±

 CHAPTER 24-VET

    ¡°Wait!¡± Rain was on the verge of slicing open his palm when Alice¡¯s firm voice rang out, forcing him to halt instinctively and look up. A few steps away from where he was there she stood with Sean beside her and the fingers of her right hand smeared with the wax of the half melted candle she held. ¡°What do you think you are doing?¡±


    The question was simple, but Rain seemed to be at a loss for words. He was not sure how to combine and articulate what was running through his head. Or rather, he was not sure what exactly to tell Alice.


    Was it that J had fainted out of hunger? Or was it that¡­


    Rain gritted his teeth, brushed his eyes over his Companion¡¯s body very quickly, then muttered, ¡°She was hungry when I left her here. I think she¡¯s¡­ I¡¯m not sure, but¡­ Tch.¡±


    ¡°You think she¡¯s dead¡­ out of hunger?¡± As usual Alice was blunt. Rain looked up at her and nodded; Sean, on the other hand, had an expression of concern. It was as though he was only holding back from approaching J because Alice was present. ¡°You just woke up yesterday, right? So you met her between yesterday and today.¡±


    ¡°I met her yesterday,¡± Rain answered, even though it had not been a question.


    Alice shifted her gaze from Rain to the Jaguar lying on her side on the floor, and heaved out a sigh.


    ¡°One, a Jaguar can survive without food for two weeks.¡± Rain¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Two, that Jaguar is one of the healthiest beasts I¡¯ve ever seen throughout my life on this earth, including before the apocalypse came. Three, look closely, focus on her chest.¡±


    Rain was confused. One of the healthiest beasts she had ever seen? J? The same Jaguar that shared the same dehydration as he? It sounded like complete bullshit. But he was curious as to why Alice had said all that, so without talking back he heeded her words and focused his gaze on J¡¯s chest, examining with as clear of a mind as he could have. And to his utmost surprise, it was rising and falling in a rhythmic and steady manner that both cut out the notion of the Jaguar having lost her life or fainted.


    Furthermore, her ribcage wasn''t exposed the way they had been at the hospital. It was almost like she had added weight. Had she? Only one reason came to Rain¡¯s mind for such a development. His blood. Then¡­ Rain took a second to check out his arms and he noticed they too weren¡¯t as shrunken as they once were. The Coyotes blood had not only fixed his wounds but his health?


    ¡°She¡¯s just asleep,¡± Alice added then, and Rain¡¯s focus shifted.


    Damn you, J! You almost gave me a heart attack. How come you didn¡¯t open your eyes with all my calls? Work on your sensitivity as a wild cat, you paws-for-brains Companion!


    A sudden lightness hit Rain at his core, causing him to drop his knife and go from squatting to sitting with his legs outstretched.


    ¡°Two weeks,¡± he muttered in relief after a couple of seconds. ¡°That¡¯s good. That¡¯s very good.¡±


    Alice scoffed and shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re quite a rash one, aren¡¯t you? A moment of carefully analyzing your Companion¡¯s breathing pattern would have told you all that you needed to know.¡±


    Analyzing, huh? Rain¡¯s eyes were raised up to the ceiling while he leaned backward.


    Truthfully¡ªat least considering how he¡¯d gotten through almost a day in this ruined world¡ªhe did analyze a lot. This whole situation with J had just caught him by surprise¡ªfor some reason.


    From the first instance he had begun to think about her wellbeing his mind had brought up the worst case scenario. And when he¡¯d arrived on the scene, his immediate intuition had not been to consider what exactly was wrong with her, but to quickly help her in the best way he could.


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    Looking at it from a rational point of view, Alice was completely right, he had been rash. But deep down Rain didn¡¯t seem to be troubled. He felt like he had done well; he felt satisfied.


    At least everything turned out okay. And I learned something useful too. Rain smiled.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be heading back.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± Rain stopped Alice and Sean. He didn¡¯t want to leave J all by herself here again, so he wanted to find out everything he could now and prepare himself as required. But first¡­ ¡°How did you know? I¡¯m sure not just anyone would know how a Jaguar¡¯s body system works.¡±


    Alice did not hesitate to reply, ¡°I am a VET. Well, at least before the world turned to what it is now.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Rain downturned his lips while nodding.


    ¡°Is that all?¡± She sounded impatient.


    ¡°No,¡± Rain said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave her here all alone, so I¡¯m not planning on returning to the utility aisle. Do you mind telling me of the plans made? I want to prepare myself accordingly.¡±


    Alice was silent for a moment, glancing between Rain and his Companion. ¡°I understand,¡± she said with a sigh. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about the route we¡¯ll follow then, I¡¯ll be the one leading, after all. And we can just go through that later on. As for the time of leaving¡­¡± She listened for the rain. ¡°Early dawn tomorrow morning.¡±


    Rain folded his arms and bobbed his head up and down. ¡°Mmm-mmh. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    ¡°One more thing,¡± Alice was already turning around when he halted her steps. Her lips pursed as a result. ¡°Pardon,¡± Rain apologized first. ¡°The map, can I borrow it?¡± He had not seen enough yet, and now he could not go to seek out a map and leave J all alone.


    Alice raised a brow. ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°I have somewhere to head first. I want to confirm where that is on the map and which path I should take.¡±


    Rain was well aware that in hindsight he sounded like someone who had some sort of ulterior motive. And for the sort of person Alice was, with all her ¡®don¡¯t trust humans¡¯ talk, he was sure she thought he did have one, even if for a moment.


    Well, she proved his thoughts right soon after. ¡°How are you going to get it?¡±


    Huh? Wait, what? She didn¡¯t prove his thoughts right?


    Rain was befuddled so much that it leaked out and contaminated his face.


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Alice asked.


    Rain waved his hands around. ¡°No. No. It¡¯s just that. You¡¯re not suspicious of anything?¡±


    Alice upturned her brows. ¡°It¡¯s just a map; I can always just get another one in this store. Also,¡± she looked at J, ¡°you said you didn¡¯t want to leave her alone, which means you can¡¯t go and get your own map yourself.¡±


    In all honesty, Rain couldn¡¯t believe his ears. He couldn¡¯t believe this was the same hard hearted woman who was giving him a speech on not allowing others to make use of him. Was she not giving up herself to be made use of now?


    He couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Why, thank you,¡± he said in a jolly manner. ¡°You¡¯re really a kind person, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t my place to ask, but where are you planning on going?¡± Alice changed the subject.


    ¡°My home,¡± Rain answered without a moment¡¯s hesitation.


    She seemed to mutter something under her breath before saying, ¡°Your home is most likely gone.¡± Again, she was blunt.


    ¡°I know. But I have to go there.¡± Rain¡¯s joyful mood dwindled somewhat as he rubbed his hand on his forehead. ¡°There might be something there that¡­¡± He paused and sighed. ¡°I just have to go there. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be leaving once the rain stops, that way I won¡¯t waste your time tomorrow.¡±


    Alice frowned at those words. Rain didn¡¯t know why, but he saw something akin to fear in her eyes.


    ¡°You,¡± she said. ¡°Do you know what time it is?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a watch, so¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s at least four p.m. at the moment,¡± her voice was no longer as firm but it was still authoritative. ¡°By the time the rain stops it would have clocked seven or eight; you shouldn¡¯t be out at that time.¡±


    A chill climbed up Rain¡¯s spine and invaded his skull as the taste of fear touched his tongue. Suddenly he was scared of going out when the storm that had descended upon Edinburgh came to its final stop.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Rain asked, his tone low and hasty and expectant for an answer.


    ¡°Unless¡­¡± Alice narrowed her eyes into slits. ¡°Do you have a Benefactor?¡±

 CHAPTER 25-FACELESS MASK

    ¡°Benefactor?¡± Rain asked with an uncertain tone.


    He was grimacing, and just a second away from having a skull-splitting headache reminiscent of the one he had been having while studying the Plexus back at the hospital. This was related to that damned thing, surely.


    The edges of Alice¡¯s brows almost touched each other at that moment. ¡°You don¡¯t have one, do you? How much have you been able to figure out about the Plexus?¡±


    Called it!


    Rain exhaled then rubbed his chin. ¡°I¡¯d say about¡­ eighty percent.¡± Skepticism kicked in. ¡°I doubt that though. Because everytime I find out something, there¡¯s always something else popping up from the one I just discovered. I guess I¡¯ll shove my estimate down to fifty percent. In fact, I know nothing at all.¡±


    Alice¡¯s expression pinched¡ªNo. It had pinched all through Rain¡¯s blabbering. ¡°Anyways, I¡¯d personally put it at fifty percent. Considering our conversation and the fact that you¡¯re still alive despite being on your own, it¡¯s obvious you aren¡¯t entirely clueless.¡±


    Rain had not been listening for a moment there. His gaze was placed on the candle Alice held and how it was painting her fingers with its wax.


    That has to hurt.


    He quickly disputed that thought of his, though. She had been in this world for a year plus longer than he, that meant her Attributes were way higher than his; in other words, her Durability was well past the stage where mere things such as wax would deal her any pain.


    With that in mind, Rain didn¡¯t bother telling her to just put it down and have her seat.


    It¡¯s not like she would listen to me, anyway. He was beginning to understand her character more.


    ¡°That aside,¡± Alice continued, ¡°a Benefactor¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Rain interjected, adamant to bring out what had reared its head in his mind before he lost the chance to. ¡°A moment, please.¡±


    ¡°A moment?¡± Alice¡¯s eyes narrowed, her focus wildly intense. Rain knew why. This was not the first time, after all. ¡°You enjoy interrupting, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s important.¡± He didn¡¯t back down. ¡°I came to a notion that a decent number of humanity are still trapped in those things called ¡®pods¡¯. Am I right?¡±


    Alice¡¯s tensed shoulders dropped, seemingly because Rain had asked a reasonable question which was good enough to cancel out the annoyance that usually came with being interrupted.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she answered, the frown on her face softening.


    ¡°But,¡± Rain¡¯s tone strained, ¡°that doesn¡¯t explain why this city is so desolate. A good number of people should be roaming about it. Remember, I told you you¡¯re the first human I¡¯ve met ever since being released from the pod, and I wasn¡¯t lying. Secondly, this store is still so filled with a lot of things¡ªlike a fucking lot. This isn¡¯t right, is it?¡±


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


    Alice opened her mouth to answer, but at that moment Sean tugged at the hem of her jacket¡¯s sleeve. ¡°My legs are hurting,¡± he muttered. ¡°Can I sit?¡±


    Rain could visualize the heaviness that fell upon Alice¡¯s body due to Sean¡¯s words. She had a pensive expression now too, being unsure of how to answer and all. Again, Rain knew why.


    She could easily just forget about the lessons she wanted to give him and head back to the utilities aisle, but like she¡¯d told him, she didn¡¯t want anyone¡¯s death on her conscience. Her indifferent and cold outlook was just a charade; she was warm deep down. If he had really been the one in the car Sean had been in, she would not have abandoned him.


    And that brought up the second option Rain felt was running through Alice¡¯s mind: ¡®Have Sean sit down here.¡¯ But¡­ they were too close to J, and she was afraid of the Jaguar¡¯s unpredictability. This was where he had to reassure her.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lotta space here for him to sit,¡± Rain said, tapping the floor beside him. Alice narrowed her eyes at him, her gaze drifting to J for a moment. ¡°We¡¯re going to be traveling together, why the cautiousness towards your to-be traveling partner?¡± Rain turned to Sean. ¡°Are you afraid of this cute, sleeping large cat, huh, Sean?¡±


    The boy shook his head with a smile. ¡°No.¡±


    Rain looked at Alice next whose neck had visibly stiffened. ¡°She doesn¡¯t bite,¡± he said. Then added, ¡°At least humans.¡±


    Alice turned to Sean, who was staring at her in anticipation with widened eyes, then at Rain, who was smiling smugly, and at last the sleeping Jaguar. Then after a long, low sigh as her chin lowered slightly to her chest, she nodded.


    Jackpot¡­


    Rain exhaled a puff of smoke out of his nose as Sean gave a big yelp of ¡°Thanks¡± to Alice, and rushed to Rain¡¯s side.


    ¡°You can sit too, you know?¡± Rain added, but as he knew already, that attempt of his would definitely end in failure.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s just get this over with.¡± Of course. ¡°As you said, it is unusual. The way it is, it feels like more than half of humanity is still trapped with the pods. But that is not the case.¡±


    Rain¡¯s eyebrows squished as his heart seemed to stop beating for a second there. He could perceive the direction this was headed, and he couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡±


    Alice took a moment to close her eyes and breathe in deeply. ¡°I am. The Faction Leader of the GEF was among the first batch of humans to be released from the pod, and in the last five years he has been gathering the data. This is our world now, and nothing less than seventy percent of humanity is gone. Those pods do not let everyone out. Most vanished with them, off the face of the earth; not even animals and insects were spared. We, and whatever few may or may not be able to make it out of the pods, are what¡¯s left.¡±


    The body heat that served as a testament to Rain¡¯s life force suddenly spiraled out of control, almost to the point that he felt as though he would soon catch on fire. Tears grew beneath his eyelids and his body shivered.


    It was not because half of humanity was gone. No. No. It was because the probability of him finding his family had been nudged so far down the probability scale that he felt like he had been tied to a rock and was dumped into a shark-infested ocean.


    No. He would not lose hope. His memories had been taken from him, he would not let whatever had happened to this world take away the only thing he had left. No way in hell.


    Rain drew a deep breath in, calmed himself, and forced a smile¡ªa fake, despondent smile that even Alice could see was nothing but a thin arc drawn across a faceless mask.


    Her indifferent expression changed into one of thoughtfulness. He had mentioned going home, after all, now she was telling him that whatever he was searching for there was long gone. It was only normal that she looked at him with that expression of sympathy.


    Although, she didn¡¯t need to. He didn¡¯t need it. They were alive¡ªobviously. There was no way they were dead, killed by the pods.


    ¡°Understood,¡± Rain said immediately. His goal? To change the subject back to what was important¡ªto what would not make him question the survival of his family. ¡°So, what¡¯s a Benefactor?¡±

 CHAPTER 26-BENEFACTORS AND WRAITHS

    Alice adhered to Rain¡¯s wants. She wiped away her mien of sympathy, replacing it with her usual stoic outlook as she proceeded to say, ¡°No one knows exactly who or what the Benefactors are. Only that they offer great power beyond what the Plexus offers us.¡±


    Rain¡¯s eyes narrowed, his smile long faded from his face and his hand gently stroking Sean¡¯s hair as the boy leaned into him. ¡°Great power?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Alice nodded. ¡°It¡¯s referred to as a Privilege. And I know I said ¡®us¡¯, but not all of humanity has the ability to catch the interests of the Benefactors. Revelation has been rigged in the favor of some over others.¡±


    Revelation. Rain recalled that from the opening Plexus message he¡¯d seen¡ªit had even been the first thing. It was apparently the name given to the occurring scenario, from the look of things.


    He, as well, remembered that the Benefactor thingy was also amongst the messages. It had said no Benefactor was currently interested in him.


    The way that message was composed stood out to him now that he was in a conversation focused on it. And it was not in a good way.


    ¡°These Benefactors¡­ are they sort of human-like?¡± Rain asked, his mind whirling through various forms of conspiracies that were all quite far-fetched as his chest tightened.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Alice answered, and Rain sensed something bubbling within him slowly. He was not sure what it was yet, but he was sure of the ¡®Benefactors¡¯ being the trigger. ¡°Faction Leader¡­ of the GEF, likens them to higher entities¡­¡±


    ¡°Gods~¡± Sean chimed in with a mellow tone. Rain¡¯s stroking of his hair paused for a moment then, but resumed quickly. The boy¡¯s word had made him realize what sort of feeling he was having towards these Benefactors. It was despise.


    Higher entities that could grant humans powers? It was obvious that they had a hand in the ruins the earth had become. Now that he knew what they were, he hoped they would never take an interest in him¡ªever.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± said Alice. ¡°Maybe not. Like I said, no one knows who or what they are. Anything you hear is merely speculation.¡±


    ¡°You said some humans are favored with powers from the Benefactors over others, what did you mean?¡±


    The candle Alice held was almost at its life¡¯s end now. She glanced at it and Rain saw on her face that she was thinking of the time she¡¯d wasted here bringing out her words bit by bit.


    With the way the world was currently, everything was in low amounts, so wasting resources wasn¡¯t the best of options. She was also yet to mark the route they would follow to Manchester, and now she would have to light another candle for it. That was even if she had another. Rain had no doubt she did though.


    All of a sudden, a question wandered into his head, causing him to widen his eyes slightly.


    Wait, Manchester? How did she end up here from her faction in Manchester alone? He wanted to ask, but out of consideration for her resources he decided to save it for later.


    ¡°You received a Role from the Plexus, didn¡¯t you?¡± Alice answered the question Rain had posed to her. When he nodded, she continued, ¡°I¡¯m not going to ask what your Role is, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Side Character,¡± Rain blurted, dazing Alice in return.


    ¡°You can¡¯t just say that,¡± she said with a pensive expression.


    He knew why she was complaining. She had told him not to trust others after all. And the way their conversation was going, it was obvious that a person¡¯s Plexus could not be seen by someone else; if that was possible, Alice¡¯s warnings would have been different¡ªthe way she worded her words too. But he had chosen to trust her. And besides¡­


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I?¡± Rain said, nudging a brow down. ¡°We¡¯re going to be traveling together, right? Then wouldn¡¯t it be good to know a little bit of one another? How are we going to survive in a battle if we do not at least know the extent of each other¡¯s strengths?¡±


    Her expression changed slightly. She knew he was right.


    Alice sighed, and was about to talk when Sean¡¯s voice overshadowed hers. ¡°I¡¯m a Protagonist!¡±


    ¡°Sean!¡± Alice roared, and the boy shivered.


    Rain chuckled, caressing the boy¡¯s hair. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t say that to just anyone, you know?¡± Hypocrite. ¡°Your guardian doesn¡¯t like it either.¡±


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°But I think you¡¯re trustworthy,¡± said Sean with an expression of lost vigor.


    ¡°Kids are always right,¡± Rain consoled. ¡°But the guardians are righter.¡± He winked and Sean smiled. Then he turned back to see Alice with a shut eyes, apparently trying to calm herself down. ¡°So, how are the favored ones chosen? You mentioned the Roles after, so I guess it¡¯s from there, right?¡±


    Alice opened her eyes, a substantial amount of her fury had dwindled out, but the gaze she directed at Rain made it seem as though she no longer wanted to answer his questions. Rain wasn¡¯t bothered though; he was sure she would answer.


    And she did. ¡°Protagonists and Deuteragonists.¡±


    Rain blinked. ¡°They¡¯re the only ones that can be favored by these Benefactors?¡± Alice nodded, and instantly Rain¡¯s eyes shifted towards Sean. ¡°You¡¯re favored?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Sean looked dumbfounded. He seemed to glance at Alice before muttering, ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not,¡± Alice answered in the boy¡¯s stead.


    ¡°Why?¡± Rain asked. ¡°He¡¯s a Protagonist, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Alice. ¡°But he just woke up. Benefactors don¡¯t go after those who have not proven their resilience in this world.¡±


    Rain was not having it though. If those Benefactors were really human-like then that meant they were unpredictable. One could have seen something in this boy and, just like an investment, bestowed him with their Privilege.


    ¡°How are you so sure?¡± Rain chose to voice his opinion on the matter. ¡°He could be a special case. Or do the Benefactors have anything to lose by giving their Privileges early to someone?¡±


    This was the only reason Rain could think of that could prevent the Benefactors from granting a person their Privileges. But if there was nothing to lose¡­


    ¡°No; I doubt they do,¡± Alice answered somewhat hesitantly, and all Rain¡¯s face muscles relaxed.


    ¡°Then all the more reason that it¡¯s possible he¡¯s a chosen one or something.¡±


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s not,¡± Alice shot back. ¡°He said it himself that the Benefactor and Privilege sections are blank.¡±


    Alice looked at Sean, and Rain did too. The boy nodded stiffly.


    Rain¡¯s eyes narrowed at that for a moment, after which he relaxed, accepting that he¡¯d lost that little tussle of words.


    I guess you¡¯ve already lectured him on the Plexus, then; well, that¡¯s good.


    In the end, his whole back and forth with Alice was simply because he felt inclined to win the argument, nothing more. It was not like if Sean actually possessed a Privilege he could lend its powers or something. He didn¡¯t even want to.


    Alice continued in something of a hurry, ¡°Anyways, back to my initial warning. Going out into the dark of night without a Benefactor is suicide. Even those with Benefactors are not advised to.¡± The latter words felt like they were precisely for Sean.


    As for Rain, none of what she¡¯d said was convincing enough for him¡ªyet.


    ¡°What comes out in the dark?¡± His question was direct, but rightfully so.


    What ruled the current version of earth were mutated monsters, which meant only something worse than them could strike such fear in the hearts of humans.


    Alice, on the other hand, had already called to Sean for them to return back to their side of the store, the utilities section, when Rain paused her movement with his question. She decided to answer him.


    ¡°The fog, and with it: Wraiths,¡± she said, ¡°mysterious beings that attack in droves and have no physical body that can be harmed directly. Without a Benefactor and their Privilege you cannot fight or escape from them unscathed, no matter how powerful your Attributes are. And once you have been cut, even if a tiny bit, your life will surely end. Their fangs and claws are poisonous, nothing can save anyone who has been infected.


    ¡°Furthermore, the fog that announces the arrival of the Wraiths deals a significant blow to a person¡¯s sense of sight, smell, and hearing. That is why those who have Benefactors are as well not advised to venture into the night, despite their immense power. After all, how do you fight something you can¡¯t see, smell, or hear?¡±


    Rain¡¯s stomach turned rock hard at Alice¡¯s explanation.


    They were truly very dangerous beings. No. It was not only the Wraiths, the fog too. The night in its whole was truly dangerous. The Durability he prided himself on would be useless before the Wraiths; and what¡¯s more, he could not attack them. It was crazy.


    He recalled how the moonlight making it into his hospital room had been dulled by something mist-like. This was the reason. The fog.


    Man, thank goodness my body was weak; I would have left the hospital otherwise.


    Still, that was not enough to keep him from venturing to his home.


    Simply asking Alice to hold on for him when morning came would have been the best thing to do, but, first of all, he did not want to be a burden and slow down the progress of others for his own sake; and secondly, he was not sure how long he would take. He had to factor unpredictability to everything he was doing.


    At the end of the day he had only one option left. Ride the storm to his home.


    With a smile Rain said to Alice and Sean who were already on the verge of heading back to the utilities aisle, ¡°Do not forget the map, please. And thank you for your piece of advice; because of it I now know the dangers of night, so I intend to make it back before then.¡±


    Alice was silent for a second, then she turned around, concern all over her face. Although, it was only for a moment, as curiosity washed over it a second later. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I have a question.¡±


    ¡°Shoot,¡± Rain replied.


    ¡°What purpose do you hope to achieve by going to a place that¡¯s obviously empty and in ruins?¡±


    Rain didn¡¯t think about an answer to that question since he already had one which had never once wavered or become shadowed by something else. Instantly he told Alice, ¡°My purpose? It¡¯s honestly nothing quite grand. I just want myself back.¡±

 CHAPTER 27-HOME

    Sean was the one who brought the map to Rain, and with him came one more warning from Alice: ¡°If you are unable to return before nightfall, find a place without broken windows or doors and lock yourself in. No matter what you hear, do not open them. No matter what you hear. I¡¯ll only wait until seven.¡±


    It was a cryptic message, but Rain understood it at once. Basically, the Wraiths had the power of deception.


    Rain smiled. One, because his prior decision to avoid overtly derelict buildings now turned out to be a choice that would save his life. And secondly, because Alice really was a kind person.


    He¡¯d stubbornly decided to head to his home despite her continuous warnings, so taking the time to remind him of another important point that would determine his survival on the journey he was about to embark on was not something that was required of her.


    Of course, Rain had never believed Alice¡¯s claim of not caring about others, but now he was sure. It was all just an act. And this realization of his made him even more curious as to what her background was than he¡¯d been at first; why she was the way she was, trying to push herself away from others, and, ultimately, if she had any family of hers.


    In all honesty, his first request of wanting to know about her had not been as a form of curiosity, it had all just been because he wanted to be able to chat with a human just like him. Now, though, it was different. He wanted to bond with her. And Sean.


    Thinking about the boy brought his playful giggles into Rain¡¯s ears.


    He looked up from the paper marking the route to his home which he¡¯d drawn out from the actual map Alice had sent his way.


    This action of his wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t trust his Photographic Memory as he¡¯d claimed to some moments ago, it was just as some sort of precaution emanating from his desire to factor unpredictability into any and everything. This was also because taking the map with himself wasn¡¯t an option.


    In all honesty, he could, but it would put a dent on the trust he was trying to build between himself and Alice, despite how she¡¯d claimed not returning the map was no big deal.


    There was also the option of seeking out his own map now that J was awake, but he did not have the time for all that. Nightfall was fast approaching.


    ¡°Sean,¡± Rain called as he rolled up the actual map.


    The chestnut haired boy had been engaged in a game of ¡®catch¡¯ with J, but he immediately abandoned that and ran towards Rain. J followed as well, briskly, as though she was out of breath.


    Rain had decided to wake his Jaguar up since he would soon be taking a risky journey to his home. He could not just leave while his Companion was sleeping; that was why even though it had been a hassle, he had done all he could to wake J up, and it was undoubtedly a lot.


    What a weird Jaguar she was. But a fascinating one regardless.


    ¡°Sean here!¡± The boy, who Rain had confirmed to be twelve years old, saluted while panting. He seemed to have really enjoyed his plays with J. After all, the baseball he¡¯d found was still tightly clutched in his left hand, showing that he would like to carry on if possible.


    This was the reason Sean had requested to be the one to bring the map. Rain figured that out as soon as the boy had asked Alice before they¡¯d left; and if he had been able to see it, then Alice had undoubtedly seen it too. Her letting him come alone was as a sign of her choosing to consider Rain and J as her future allies.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite energetic, aren¡¯t you?¡± Rain applauded and Sean grinned. ¡°Thank you for the pencil and paper once again; the map too.¡±


    Before Alice and Sean had left the snacks and chips aisle, Rain had asked two more questions, one was if they could help with a pencil and paper so he could draw out the section of the map he needed. While the second¡­


    ¡°Here you go.¡± As Sean was about to receive the map and pencil, Rain pulled his hand back, startling the boy for a brief second. ¡°Now listen here, Lieutenant Sean Gallagher.¡± Sean had his grin return. ¡°This is a top secret mission with importance. You¡¯re to return from this aisle to the utilities aisle with our little kitty here. And when you get there pass this information to Ma¡¯am Alice¡­¡± Rain could feel his Companion¡¯s gaze piercing into him from his side, in a manner that if turned into words they would be: ¡°what is he talking about?¡± but he acted oblivious. ¡°If I do not return before the expected leaving time, kindly take my Companion into your care and give her a good life filled with meat at the GEF. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡­The second question he had asked Alice was if the GEF also had Beast Companions like his.


    Rain noticed that Alice had not really been surprised at his and J¡¯s bonding, which meant that she¡¯d already seen quite a few of something similar. And she confirmed that by answering ¡®yes¡¯ to his question, even though it had taken a few seconds of seeming deliberation.


    He was also sure she knew why he had asked, so the mission he was now handing over to Sean would not come as a shock when it was delivered.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°What?¡± Rain asked Sean as he noticed the boy¡¯s hesitance to take back the map and pencil he had brought.


    ¡°Do you really have to go?¡± Sean was staring at the floor, his eyebrows drawn together.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Rain answered bluntly. Sean looked up with a pinched expression.


    ¡°B-But with what Alice said it sounds really dangerous. You may die.¡±


    May, huh? Thanks for not making it ¡®will¡¯...


    Rain sighed. ¡°Come closer, I want to let you in on a secret.¡± Sean blinked rapidly and leaned in. ¡°The truth is¡­ I¡¯m actually stronger than Alice,¡± Rain whispered and Sean gasped, a dazed look on his face. Rain nodded with a smile, then widened it into a grin. ¡°Alice was cool, right, when she sliced and diced those Coyotes? Well, I¡¯m cooler. I¡¯ve killed Coyotes too. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± He was not lying. The smile on Rain¡¯s face vanished then. ¡°So, you have to trust me, huh? If you don''t, who will?¡±


    He meant those words. They¡¯d only known each other for a few hours, but the boy was truly the only human he¡¯d bonded with to a considerable degree at present.


    Sean wasn¡¯t convinced, that much was well printed on his face, but he took the map and pencil regardless. ¡°Alright.¡± He nodded, his mien morose.


    Now¡­ Rain turned his neck around slowly, almost as though he was a broken toy. Can you stop, please?


    J was no longer at a considerable distance away from him, she was now nothing farther than a finger¡¯s length.


    Her breath was horrible, but that wasn¡¯t why Rain¡¯s face rumpled in mitigated fright. It was because of the rage burning in her eyes and the visibility of her fangs as the growls she had been pouring out for almost a minute now ransacked the atmosphere.


    Honestly, if not for the Plexus not bringing forth an animosity message, Rain would have considered the possibility of her ripping him apart. And rightfully so. This hadn¡¯t been their deal. She¡¯d made her choice back at the hospital, so why was he trying to push her onto another human she didn¡¯t care about?


    Rain understood whatever anger she was feeling, so he hoped she would understand him as well. He was not the best person for her to travel with at the end of the day. He was weak, couldn¡¯t provide her food, and, most of all, his goal was not a linear one; in other words, it was a bit too rough around the edges.


    With Alice, J would have a strong Companion that could protect her, and a definite destination where there was an abundance of meat and animals similar to her.


    What could be better than that?


    Rain raised his hands, putting them in between J and himself, as he forced a nervous smile. ¡°Now. Now. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m saying this is what will happen, you know? I¡¯m definitely planning on returning before the departure time. It¡¯s just in case there¡¯s any unprecedented outcome.¡± His words were true. He was not planning on dying, although he was not sure if he would be able to make it back in time.


    Alice had estimated like an hour ago that it was already about four p.m., give or take to be exact. Seven p.m. towards eight p.m. was the time the fog and its Wraiths arrived, which meant he had about like an hour or less to go to his home and return.


    Granted, he estimated his journey to his home to be about a twenty minutes walk, but that was if nothing happened. Still, even if nothing occurred on his way there, no guarantee existed that on his way back, or even at his home, nothing would ensue.


    Factoring all this, he was most likely not going to be back in the mall until morning; Alice seemed to have guessed that too, hence her message of only waiting till seven in the morning. And there was also no way he was going to bring J on such a dangerous mission after all he¡¯d been told.


    He had to take precautions for his absence.


    Rain exhaled and sat up straight, peering right into J¡¯s eyes with a gaze of determination filling his own hazel eyes. His Companion shrank back instinctively, her growl simmering down as a result. Rain gently stretched his arms forward, took hold of her cheeks, and placed his forehead on hers.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back for you. For sure. All you have to do is just wait for me. Here or at the GEF.¡±


    There was a soft purr from the large cat and a tender smile from Rain.


    ###


    The drizzling rain of the long subdued storm soaked him completely, but he was not one bit sad. After all, in exchange for wet clothes he¡¯d avoided every single beast of both the land and sky during his jog all the way here.


    It was not like the storm was still as bad as it had been at the start, its lightning and the thunder rumbles that came after it vanished to God knows where, but still, the beasts were yet to leave their shelters. Maybe they loved the warmth, or maybe they hated the rain, whatever the case, Rain was relieved.


    As for his journey home, it just came to an end. He had not even needed to use his drawn map.


    Before him was a sign that read: ¡®21 Ravelston Dykes.¡¯ And beyond the sign was a desolate estate overrun by decay, uncontrolled thick and tangled shrubs and trees, and a white colored house on the verge of total collapse.


    It looked like it had once been an expensive and exotic place to behold¡ªsolidifying Rain¡¯s previous notion that he might have hailed from a rich family¡ªbut now it was all just so gloomy, dark and empty.


    Rain was smiling at first, but not anymore. It felt as though he was looking at himself.


    Well, if that¡¯s the case then that means there must be something inside that will spark my memories back to life¡­ He found a lifeline of hope within the sudden emptiness that shrouded his heart. All in all, this is good. I did not spend up to twenty minutes on the road; if things keep going the way they are now, then I¡¯ll most likely be able to make it back before nightfall. Yes. This is good.


    At that, he ventured forward onto the weed infested driveway of broken bricks. It was a winding ramp that led upwards, and walking on it through the constant backward pull or push of the wind, as well as the strain on the muscles of his legs, made it a rather excruciating journey than the one he took to come here.


    But that was not enough to stop him from moving forward. And the more he did, the more a wider view of his home came into his sight. Until¡­ he caught a glimpse of a silhouette in the distance that froze him still.


    As if waiting for that moment, a nostalgic feeling of tension and suspense swarmed Rain¡¯s body as the Plexus arrived without his calling, bearing a message he was not one bit fascinated to see.


    [Side Plot]


    A Chimera Anaconda has appeared, and it holds animosity towards you. Survive.


    Chimera? What in the world is it now?!

 CHAPTER 28-CHIMERA

    Rain was afraid, terrified even, and he was ever so right to be.


    An Anaconda was a snake known for its size. And even though he did not know precisely what the ¡®Chimera¡¯ tag was supposed to mean yet, it was quite obvious that the current Anaconda he was being warned of by the Plexus wasn¡¯t the same as the ones earth used to have. Despite the distance between them, and the blur the downpour caused to his view, it seemed to be twice the size of what he remembered an Anaconda was supposed to look like.


    Rain closed his eyes and sighed exasperatedly. That took priority at the moment. After all, he had to cure himself of the hope sickness that had plagued him.


    Yes. Hope sickness.


    Somewhere along the way, despite him never once discarding unpredictability, some seed of hope had sprouted deep down within him that he might just be able to complete his mission without any such thing as a hitch.


    So much for that.


    [Side Plot]


    A Chimera Anaconda has appeared, and it holds animosity towards you. Survive.


    Rain opened his eyes and into his view came the message that served as a countdown to another battle of his. It had only been a day and he¡¯d been involved in so much that it had begun to feel like a week.


    He sighed three more times in subsequent intervals; after which he shifted his crossbody bag to his front and dug his hand into the front most section of it where he kept the kitchen knife serving as his weapon.


    But just as he was about to bring it out, a heavy and slow primal voice reverberated in his head, pausing his actions and widening his eyes where he stood with his forehead buried underneath the hood of his hoodie.


    The guttural voice had not passed through his ears. No. It was as though it had always been within his skull all this time, ancient and buried in a tomb somewhere there. Like a mist shadowing the forest of his mind, it echoed in an hypnotic manner, forcefully pulling his attention.


    What was that?


    Rain looked up, befuddled in that instant, and¡­ his blood turned cold¡ªfrozen within his veins.


    For a moment there he couldn¡¯t breath. His heart took notice of that and pumped blood faster, but despite its efforts they didn¡¯t flow. Or maybe they did, but Rain couldn¡¯t know that, could he? After all, his life was flashing before his eyes.


    Usually, the sort of scenes he would be seeing at this point in time were ways on how he could defeat whatever beast was before him and survive. That was not the case now. The ones he saw were those depicting the various ways his life would end here.


    Wh-What the hell is this? He instinctively staggered backwards.


    Rain had seen the Anaconda¡¯s silhouette already while it had still been on the ground between the large trees surrounding the area, but now¡ªnow that it was perked up¡ªhis previous view had deceived him.


    This¡­ This was more than just twice the size of anything.


    The beast stretched into the clouds above; and even if that wasn¡¯t quite true, it was well above Rain¡¯s home¡ªlarger than the burly trees too. It was a castle, a skyscraper, a giant, a¡­ god.


    Rain¡¯s hood fell off his head, plunging his face into the harsh rain, as he tried to look up at the Anaconda towering over him¡ªtowering over the small span of area he believed to be his home.


    It had glistening scales of green that looked like the gems of an exquisite armor, four eyes¡ªa pair on each side¡ªand a thick black mane that flew down its back almost like a horse''s own. Also, just like the Coyotes and the wharf rat, on its forehead was a great glowing black horn which looked like it had been crafted from the most exotic of jewels to ever grace the history of earth.


    The sight was both beautiful and terrifying.


    Whatever the Plexus meant by calling this monstrosity a Chimera, Rain believed it made the right choice. Tagging it with the mere ¡®mutated¡¯ word as the wharf rat and Coyotes would have been basically sacrilege. After all, those ones had not filled him with the dread he was feeling now.


    There was no way he stood a chance here. Thank goodness he was yet to bring out his knife. He had to run¡ªright now.


    Rain was about to discard his whole purpose of coming to his home when the voice he¡¯d completely forgotten about slithered its way into his head once again, rooting him to the spot.


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    <A question was asked. Who dares trespass into my territory?>


    It can speak¡­? Rain thought in fright. Anyone would. But this was not the time to be scared. He had to calm down and act as he¡¯d always done to survive until this point. By weighing the pros and cons of any action he might take. And as he did, he realized that running away was a bad idea.


    Firstly, turning his back to a beast of such a caliber was definitely stupid. He was to it what an ant was to a human. No matter how fast it might think it could run, all that needed to be done was to decipher its next movement and drop a foot there in time, crushing it.


    That was precisely the way he would end up, just different in that he would most likely be eaten after it all.


    In that regard, the best thing to do was¡­


    Rain raised up his hands as a means of showing that he meant no harm; he only hoped that when he tried picking up his knife the Anaconda had not been alerted of him holding any animosity towards it. He did not seem to have a good friendship with that thing called ¡®hope¡¯ though.


    Well, it was not like that was the crux of his plan.


    The fact that the Anaconda could communicate with him meant that it had wits, just like J. In other words, he could try communicating with it and possibly get it to allow him to gather a few memory triggers from his own home and leave after.


    ¡°Rain Leclair!¡± Rain voiced through the downpour.


    <I do not care for your name, human!>


    Then why did you ask?


    Rain¡¯s eyes narrowed then blinked fervently as his face was bathed with the water from the sky. He wanted to wipe his face, but that would mean putting down his hands; he did not want any problems so he remained the way he was.


    Also, he was quite surprised that the Anaconda¡¯s English was good despite being a reptile.


    I wonder why J can¡¯t speak? Is it this ¡®Chimera¡¯ tag?


    Rain didn¡¯t dwell on that thought for a second more due to its irrelevance to his current situation. He refocused.


    ¡°And I do not want to cause any troubles!¡± Rain said. He then gestured with his chin at the house the Anaconda towered over. ¡°That over there is¡ª¡± Rain paused. He had wanted to call his home his ¡®home¡¯, like it was, but he thought against it. The Anaconda had referred to the whole area as its territory, it wouldn¡¯t be wise to do that. ¡°I have something to take inside that house. I just need a moment. I really don¡¯t want any problems!¡±


    One of the Anaconda¡¯s four eyes blinked, and Rain¡¯s brows nudged downwards.


    Is that?


    <What then have you brought?>


    Huh? Rain was confused at what the Anaconda meant, but only for a moment. He quickly figured out the only thing words composed like that could be hinting at. An offering. It really thinks it¡¯s a god¡­ Well , I thought that too, but still¡­ Where could it have gotten such thinking from? Rain clenched his jaw. This is a problem, though. I have nothing to offer.


    With his hands still raised, Rain heaved out an exhale and said the only thing he could, ¡°I don¡¯t have an offering here with me¡­ But! But if you give me a moment I will quickly go and bring something back.¡±


    The Anaconda slithered slightly in the air, another eye of its blinking as it rose up even higher with a loud hissing sound.


    Its answer was obvious from that action. There was no way it was letting Rain leave here.


    <A fool you take me for, human?>


    Definitely not. Paranoid, though, I do. Rain heaved out a low sigh as his posture sagged.


    The Anaconda apparently thought he was really trying to run away when he actually wasn¡¯t. He really did wanna risk seeking a beast out and hunting it with what little time he had left before nightfall, then he would come back and offer its carcass at daybreak. But that was certainly an impossibility now.


    Still on the topic, Rain''s mind wandered to something else for a moment.


    Considering the Anaconda¡¯s body size, it was obvious that it would be out during nightfall; was it that the Wraiths didn¡¯t attack beasts and only humans?


    It would have been nice if the Wraiths did attack beasts, though he doubted that after careful consideration.


    Still, even if that was the case, the Anaconda would not let him hide while it was devoured by the Wraiths. It would make sure to eat him first.


    He looked at the Anaconda shifting further forward, its posture of one poised to attack as soon as possible.


    ¡°I really do not want any trouble! Like I said, if you give me a moment I¡¯ll bring an offering back for you.¡± Rain tried once again, but only a hissing sound answered him. He realized then that any further conversation was pointless. Not every creature was J. And if he couldn¡¯t get it to understand him, then¡­


    I only have one option left, huh?


    Rain dropped his hands, the fear gripping his heart forced to surrender to his determination as he pulled out his knife from his crossbody bag.


    [Active Skill, Blade Saint (Low Level), activated]...


    The Anaconda hissed even more ferociously then, but Rain didn¡¯t mind any longer. It had left him with barely any choice. Since he couldn¡¯t leave, then the only way was forward. And he was definitely not thinking about dying¡ªnot to it, and not to the Wraiths¡ªno matter what.


    <You dare?!>


    ¡°I guess,¡± Rain mumbled with a shrug and dashed towards the beast.

 CHAPTER 29-MARK

    There was no opening. No space he could exploit. And the worst thing of all was the damned durability of the Anaconda¡¯s freaking scales. They were too tough for his knife to pierce, and the more he tried, the more the edges of the only weapon he had chipped.


    He¡¯d long realized that he was fighting a losing battle. And, therefore, he changed his approach.


    Panting as he hid behind a tree within trees, Rain glanced toward his crumbling home in longing as a sequence of strategies he could use to sneak past the monstrosity with a god-complex and into it played rapidly in his head.


    That was all he could do. If he remained adamant on trying to kill something as huge as that he would just get his life snuffed out. His priority was the memory triggers in his home. All he had to do was sneak in, get them, and hope he could escape without getting squashed and eaten.


    Like hell I will. Rain wiped off the excess rain water on his face which had mingled with his sweat to cloud his face. And stop shouting in my head, will you? Your way of speaking is weird too.


    He was glad that the beast could only speak into his mind, not the other way around. If not, he would have been found out by now.


    Well, truthfully, that was only a matter of time. He had to move soon.


    Rain looked at his deteriorating knife and a feeling of hopelessness almost hit him hard.


    Despite its attack potency, his Skill was utterly useless against the Anaconda. It was not that he couldn¡¯t see those red dots indicating the critical points of the monstrosity of a snake, it was just that they were very few¡ªat most of the number five¡ªand they were located very close to its head. Trying to strike them would be tantamount to him giving up himself to be devoured.


    He had definitely chosen the best option possible at the moment. And as soon as he saw an opening he dashed out of his hiding spot, not letting even a single second slip from his grasp.


    However, things didn''t turn out the way he had expected.


    While still locked in his scurry towards the derelict house that was his home, Rain was struck with an intuition to look up at the Anaconda. It was an action he was both glad for and regretted. The former because he could retreat quickly, and the latter because the Anaconda had an eye peering down at him. This was why it had four¡ªa view of all angles of the scenery at the same time.


    He had been outsmarted.


    For a moment there, Rain even thought he saw a smirk on the beast¡¯s face. Gosh, he hoped that was him hallucinating.


    Twisting his right ankle west, Rain stopped his running instantly. He had been moving at such a neck breaking pace that he almost felt like he would dislocate it with that abrupt stop of his. Maybe it was due to his Durability, but the pain from that action of his was brief, and it had been only that.


    Knowing he couldn¡¯t continue his charge onward towards his home, and, at the same time, couldn¡¯t turn his back to the Anaconda in order to escape from this vicinity, Rain decided to retreat back into the trees.


    All he had to do was go back into hiding. What could go wrong?


    Well, the Anaconda had other ideas.


    <You puny human!>


    It was ironic. Humans used to be at the top of the food chain, now one was being called puny.


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    To be honest, Rain couldn¡¯t argue against the Anaconda¡¯s stand at this instant, after all, it went on to prove that he was actually puny after that remark of its.


    The cluster of trees Rain had been planning to hide within was swept away by the tail of the Anaconda like dirt by a broom. This made him frown.


    Why had it not done that before? Was this all just a game to it? And¡­


    How the hell is it so agile with that size?!


    Rain gritted his teeth and nimbly avoided the scattered debris and trees the snake swept in the air towards him. Then, just as he landed in a safe spot, the Anaconda¡¯s tail whipped at him, but he immediately dug his heels into the soaked earth below his feet and jumped as far away as he could to avoid taking the brunt of the strike.


    He had not been expecting to get away unscathed. Not at all. No one with their wits about them would have expected to fully avoid the strike of something with such a width as the Anaconda. And that was why even though he was thrown into a tree by the snake¡¯s follow up, creating a crater within its bark, he was not one bit surprised of the outcome he found himself in.


    Rain poured out a mouthful of blood with a cough, staining his teeth and his hoodie red. Then he shifted his gaze towards his broken right hand and the knife he held, which had finally shattered.


    A bitter smile appeared on his face.


    Merely saying ¡®I don¡¯t intend to die¡¯ won¡¯t cut it, huh?


    He could feel blood finding its way to his throat, seeking an outlet, and whatever little energy he had left being siphoned away by some unknown force. His eyes were growing dim, his ears deaf, and his mind blanked to the point that the blabbering of the Anaconda dulled to a point of no understanding.


    It had just been one hit, a half-baked one in fact, but it shattered almost all his ribs, broke his right hand, and seemingly ruptured some of his veins. There was no vigor left in his legs either. They were not broken, but they sure felt like it.


    I really am going to die, aren¡¯t I? So much for investing all my Experience Points into Durability. Rain thought to himself as he took his gaze up, allowing the rain to pour down on his face in such a wild manner that he was almost blinded by it. The smug look the Anaconda had appeared before his blurred view then. It was drawing closer to him as though taking its time to savor the fear it had imbued in its prey. Rain sighed. I wonder, shouldn¡¯t I at least get back my memories before I die? Am I really never going to recall who my parents are, my siblings, if I have one, my friends too? Am I really going to die without all my memories?


    At this point, he couldn¡¯t even feel the pain that was shrouding his body any longer. He had grown numb to it.


    Let¡¯s look at the bright side, shall we? Maybe this is all a dream, and when I die I¡¯ll wake up. Tsk. Dream? Like hell it is.


    At that moment, his mind flew to the mysterious beings referred to as ¡®Benefactors¡¯, but he couldn¡¯t even get angry.


    Why should he be angry at them, though? If anything, it was the Anaconda he should direct his fuming at. It was what was about to end his life.


    Well, that train of thought was not Rain¡¯s.


    While Alice had been giving her insight on who or what the Benefactors were, Rain had come to a notion that figuring the Benefactors out would shed some light on what exactly had happened to earth. In other words, they had a hand, if not more, in earth¡¯s desolation, which was equivalent to having a hand in the fact that he was about to die.


    At this moment, Rain became sure of one thing. He really hated those Benefactors, whoever they were.


    I¡¯m sorry J, the figure of his Companion appeared in his head, I won¡¯t be making it back.


    Those were the last of his thoughts as an overbearing darkness engulfed him in an instant, plunging him into a warm but damp world that seemed to tear into his skin and disintegrate every cell in his body as it approached his bones.


    Then, in that sinking darkness, something unprecedented appeared¡­


    [Side Character Rain Leclair has met the conditions for receiving a Mark]...


    [Met Conditions: First human to feast on the border between humanity and beasthood]...


    [DNA Alignment originated from fulfilling the required condition was successful]...


    [Side Character Rain Leclair is now eternally tainted with the Mark of Caduceus]...


    [Bestowed Epithet: Shadow of Asklepios]...


    ¡­


    [Side Character Rain Leclair has found himself in a moment of despair. The seal on the Mark of Caduceus has been undone of its own will]...


    ¡­


    [Side Character Rain Leclair has become the Shadow of Asklepios]...

 CHAPTER 30-SHADOW OF ASKLEPIOS

    The world was frightfully stagnant, and, most of all, dark. It was to the point that Rain felt as though he was trapped in a void, a black abysmal realm where no borders, walls, or any form of tangibility existed.


    Still, even though its nature was different to what he had experienced moments before he¡¯d woken up to this desolate world, a sense of nostalgia was present within this bleakness.


    He was dying but he was at peace.


    It seemed to be that death was only painful at the beginning. Down the line it got progressively silent and bittersweet. The worries of life vanished, and a cloak of warmth was draped over the one being pulled to the afterlife.


    This was the stage he¡¯d found himself in; no worries, no struggles to stay alive, no agony.


    Although, a sense of regret lingered. His memories. He really wanted them.


    It was at that moment that they appeared, a bunch of words combined to pass across messages he had never seen before. They filled his view one at a time, each with the blue and purple hue that was significant to this mysterious thing that was termed ¡®the Plexus¡¯.


    That was¡­ until the last one.


    [Side Character Rain Leclair has become the Shadow of Asklepios]...


    Rain wasn¡¯t sure of the expression he had currently, if his eyes were widened or narrowed. He had since lost control over his body for a while now. What he was sure about, though, was that the message before him was unusual. After all, it was not of the usual blue and purple color the other messages from the Plexus had had. It was a deep red. Not the kind that was significant to water colors, but the thick, intense one of blood.


    What is this? Even in death, Rain seemed to still have a significant hold on his thoughts compared to the other aspects of his being, and of course he made use of them. What¡¯s going on?


    That question of his was directed at two things; one, the way his eyes seemed to have grown a heart of theirs. They were pulsing, causing the red colored message before his view to expand and contract in accordance. He might be dead, but that did not stop him from feeling nauseated. As for the second thing his question was for, it was the sentence: ¡®Shadow of Asklepios¡¯.


    Rain couldn¡¯t understand. Was that some sort of title given to those transitioning to the other world? Asklepios? Who or what was that? A higher being like the Benefactors, or the actual name of one?


    No. No. Finding answers to his current thoughts were necessary, but he had to rein himself back from focusing too much on them. Their answers weren¡¯t something he could figure out just by thinking, that was obvious, and if he let himself get sucked into the search for one he would lose sight of what was currently more important. And that was the fact that his consciousness was slowly returning to him; he could once again feel the rhythmic pounding of his heart in his chest.


    It can¡¯t be¡­


    Rain tried to mystify what was happening, but his brain told him that his thoughts were absolutely right. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    He let his mind wander towards the messages that had led up to the current one pulsing before his eyes, and he settled on the last one¡­


    [Side Character Rain Leclair has found himself in a moment of despair. The seal on the Mark of Caduceus has been undone of its own will]...


    Despair? Mark? My aid?


    He did not need it spelled out to him. He was alive.


    Seconds passed. Minutes followed¡ªor so Rain thought. Whatever the case, time passed and he noticed the bleak darkness surrounding him change its form. There was still darkness all around, no doubt, it was just no longer void-like and more of a shut-in-a-room type.


    Then returned his senses one after the other. First was his touch, and with that the oppressive pressure originating from the stifling heat clouding the domain that was surely the Anaconda¡¯s stomach. His mind was abruptly bombarded with a grotesque feeling of fright for a brief moment there.


    The next was his full hearing. Sounds both distant and close appeared out of the blue. He made them out one by one. There was the rhythmic squelching of the Anaconda¡¯s stomach contracting, the gurgling sound of the digestive juices he seemed to be dipped within, and in the far, far distance, the occasional thuds of a beating heart that was not his.


    He was weirdly attracted to that in particular for some reason beyond his mental capacity.


    His sense of smell came back then too. And at that moment he realized that the sensation he was feeling due to his eyes pulsing was too weak to be tagged as nauseating. What little air was within this stomach was filled with a pungent stench of decayed matter so powerful that Rain toppled over in the sea of digestive juices and wretched uncontrollably. Now that was nauseating.


    What the hell?!


    Despite not understanding what was going on, Rain decided then and there that he couldn¡¯t remain one more minute inside the Anaconda¡¯s stomach. And to do that he had to force it to spit him out.


    There was only one thing he could do in that regard. Luckily, he had held onto his lifesaver even in the face of imminent death.


    Relying on his instinct, Rain pushed through the dense liquid reaching up to his knee and arrived at a section of the wall of the Anaconda¡¯s stomach. Upon getting there, he tightened his grip on the hilt of his broken knife and stabbed what was left of it into the fleshy wall before him.


    There was a rumble. But since it was not enough to drop him to his buttocks he felt like he had not done enough yet.


    After stabbing five or so more times, each succeeding one with a greater force than the last, Rain finally fell down as his surroundings reverberated. As soon as he did, the liquid beneath him rose, and as though they had been filled with vigor of theirs, whooshed aggressively, carrying Rain from the stifling compartment he was stuck within and out into the desolate earth he had never once thought he would miss so much.


    Through the loud hisses pouring out from high over his head, Rain sucked in a breath of the fresh, earthy, and revitalizing air that made up the world beyond the Anaconda¡¯s stomach and rose to his feet from the swamp of the gooey fluid spread out beneath him.


    He noticed it then, his vision had truly changed.


    It was not the Plexus¡¯s message that had the thick red color of blood, it was his sight as a whole.


    His view of the world, of the varying colors it used to be, was no longer the same. Everything was now pulsing and dyed red.


    Although¡ªuncannily, to be precise¡ªit all felt natural, like he had always been this way. And of course it did not stop him from seeing the disgusting things like half-decayed flesh, organs, and bones that were on the ground around his feet¡ªthere were stones and tree stumps as well.


    But these were not why Rain froze while staring down.


    Through the heavy pattering of the rain cleansing him as much as it could of the sticky liquid smeared over his body, Rain saw what little skin that remained on his face squirming and twisting, each one stretching and reaching out for the other as they slowly covered the white of the bone that made up his skull.


    For a moment there he had been without flesh.

 CHAPTER 31-PRIDE COMES BEFORE A FALL

    Rain knew nothing of the digestive systems of animals or reptiles¡ªor even his own, to be honest; but what he did know was that an abnormally fast digestion rate wasn¡¯t the norm.


    The fact that the world was not yet filled with the fog and its Wraiths meant that it had not been that long since he¡¯d been gobbled up, and that was why he was completely surprised.


    Well, not exactly. There was something else. And that was what his features appeared to be from the liquid on the ground.


    Rain Leclair was no longer a fair teenager with blonde short hair, he now possessed a pale skin and red-blood hair that fell down to his shoulders.


    He¡¯d first of all thought that his hair¡¯s color was as a result of his changed eyesight, but no other thing in his line of sight had such a tinge. His hair was definitely red. Furthermore, his hazel pupils had turned predatory, his teeth had turned into fangs that felt weirdly natural and not out of place in his mouth, and¡­ He looked at his hands¡­ His nails were longer too; they¡¯d become claws.


    It¡¯s like¡­ I¡¯m some sort of human beast.


    His heart was pounding quickly, but even through that he was still able to calmly rationalize his situation, and that was why he recalled a single message that seemingly held the answer to what had happened to him¡ªto why he was suddenly immortal.


    [Met Conditions: First human to feast on the border between humanity and beasthood]...


    There was only one scenario Rain deemed close enough to this Met Condition for receiving whatever this Mark was. And that was when he drank the blood of the Mutated Coyotes he¡¯d killed.


    Is that really it?


    Rain shook slightly.


    First human to feast on the border between humanity and beasthood? What he had done seemed eerily close enough. He was a human but he had acted like a beast, drinking the blood of his kill in the same way a predator did to their prey.


    That¡¯s why I was turned into a half-human half-beast? Wait! Does that mean¡­ The healing powers of my blood, it isn¡¯t something all humans can do? I see¡­ I think I get it now. This absurd healing power came from drinking the blood of those Coyotes, which means the Coyotes¡¯, no, all animals and human blood in themselves do not have healing abilities. It¡¯s no wonder J could only heal from drinking my blood.


    Rain was not sure how to feel. Happy that he was alive, or someway else.


    First human? So there¡¯s no one else like me? Shit! How am I going to connect with other people when I look like this? I can¡¯t go back to Alice, Sean, and J this way. I can¡¯t¡­ seek my family while looking like this.


    There had to be a way for him to revert back to his human form, surely.


    With that in mind Rain pulled up the Plexus Interface, shifting the ¡®Shadow of Asklepios¡¯ message aside, so as to check for a way to fix his situation there.


    [Plexus Interface]


    Player: Rain Leclair.


    Role: Side Character.


    Class: Lightweight.


    Division: Saint.


    Active Skill: Blade Saint (Low Level).


    Passive Skill: Aura. Photographic Memory.


    Mark: Caduceus


    Epithet: [Shadow of Asklepios]


    Benefactor: None.


    Privilege: None.


    Golden Points: 00


    [Entertainment Level]   [Attributes]


    The Plexus heeding Rain¡¯s request did not offer him a way to free himself from the ghastly form he had assumed, but he did notice that his Interface had changed; rather, two new things had been added.


    Well, they aren¡¯t exactly new now, are they?


    He had already seen those words some few seconds back, so he wasn¡¯t stunned at the sight of them. And besides, he had come to understand the gist of what was happening to him. His body had apparently been tainted by the Mark of Caduceus, and in return he became the Shadow of Asklepios.


    Whatever Caduceus and Asklepios were, he didn¡¯t know and really didn¡¯t care at the moment¡ªthat went for their Mark and Shadow as well. All he wanted to figure out now was how to get himself back. After all, the rest of his journey¡ªno, his life¡ªdepended on that. But, alas, the Plexus was not so explanatory that he would figure that out by staring at its Interface.


    Rain sighed exasperatedly, then all of a sudden his focus was drawn towards a section on the Plexus Interface that had been skipping his mind all this while.


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    <You puny human! How are you still breathing?!>


    Rain shut his eyes in a moment of respite as those words crawled into his head with an overwhelming rage behind the voice that had generated them. He shifted the Plexus back to his peripheral vision in return. There was no way he had forgotten about the Anaconda, he had just been waiting for it to finish all its thrashing about in the air. It was all done now.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know myself,¡± Rain told the Chimera in a surprisingly calm manner. ¡°But it is nice to be alive, though. Now I don¡¯t want to die even more.¡±


    The Anaconda hissed. <A say in that you do not have. I decide if you live or die!>


    It was right for the snake to think that way, after all, just a few minutes ago he¡¯d been in its belly. But seeing as the thing was yet to notice the physical change he had undergone it seemed like it wasn¡¯t very bright.


    <And why do you look so different, human?>


    Okay, I take that back.


    All in all, Rain felt very differently from how he¡¯d been a moment ago. If he had to use a situation to quantify his change, he would compare his first interaction with this Anaconda to his first with J, and his current one with his interaction with the wharf rat. In the former he¡¯d felt like a prey, but in the latter he knew he was the predator.


    Yes, it was weird, but for some reason he could not just seem to be frightened anymore of the prideful monster towering over him. And what¡¯s more was that his Blade Saint Skill had long deactivated in the absence of a blade-type weapon, but he could still see a critical point to deal this monster a fatal blow. In the sea of red that painted his vision, there was an even deeper red pulsing slightly below the snake¡¯s neck region. It was obvious that it was the location of its heart.


    At this moment, Rain felt he could reach it. No. He felt he could rip it out.


    It¡¯s all too weird that I¡¯m feeling this way, but if it¡¯ll help me survive then I¡¯ll gladly accept it for now.


    <A question was asked!>


    ¡°Pride comes before a fall,¡± Rain looked at the claws he had grown as he whispered to himself. Then he turned back to the Anaconda. ¡°I have a question.¡±


    The Anaconda hissed in distaste. <What impudence. You gloss over mine and proceed to soil the air with such words? What impudence, I say.>


    Rain acted like he didn¡¯t hear what the snake was saying and went on to ask either way, ¡°How come you speak good English? This is a language for humans; a language that even some humans can¡¯t speak, so how come you¡ª¡±


    <Enough!> The Anaconda raged. <How dare you compare my intellect with the likes of you?>


    With that, Rain deemed that he had heard enough. Night was nearing, he could see the sky¡¯s color turning darker than it already was. He did not have the time to spare with this proud snake any longer.


    Saying no more words, he bolted forward. The Anaconda responded with a hiss and a swipe of its exaggeratedly large tail.


    For a moment there, Rain¡¯s heart palpitated as a notion that he had been way over his head sprung up in his mind, but it had been swift¡ªfar too swift that it was almost comical.


    As though he was the most athletic man in the world, as though his Agility had been doubled¡ªno, tripled¡ªRain hoisted himself onto the Anaconda and sprinted up its body with an unfathomable speed that bamboozled him. In a few seconds he arrived at the beast¡¯s nape. Then, using a strand of the thick black hair that made up its mane, he swung himself downwards like a monkey to where its heart was located.


    The Anaconda seethed in realization of what was happening. <You¡­>


    It was unable to complete its sentence though, because Rain plunged his claws through its glimmering armor-like scales, as though it were a piece of paper, and dug out its heart just in time to prevent himself from hearing anymore of the snake¡¯s bullshit.


    It happened in a flash.


    The earth shook as the Anaconda¡¯s lifeless body dropped to the ground like a rope thrown down from a high location. It had avoided smashing the house beneath its body, though, and for that Rain was grateful.


    [Side Plot: Completed]


    Side Character, Rain Leclair, has successfully eliminated his adversary.


    [Bestowed Reward(s)]


    +5 Experience Points (Assignable).


    Chimera Anaconda¡¯s heart.


    A feeling of euphoria caressed Rain¡¯s body at the sight of the Plexus¡¯s message while he bathed beneath the drizzles pouring down from the sky. It was a battle he was surprised he won, but as long as he survived then he was happy.


    Despite that way of feeling, though, he was still curious about something. What had happened to his Attributes? Weren¡¯t they bound to the numbers they possessed. What were they reading now with his mysterious spike in power?


    He pulled up his Attributes Interface in that regard. And with its appearance came shock.


    [Attributes]


    Strength: ??.


    Speed: ??.


    Agility: ??.


    Perception: ??.


    Durability: ??.


    Stamina: ??.


    Experience Points: 05.


    Question marks? Why are they in question marks?


    At that moment, something unprecedented happened. The messages before his view crackled and changed into new words that further deepened the expression on his face.


    [The Mark of Caduceus has fulfilled its purpose]...


    [Asklepios seeks an offering in return]...


    [Offering has been decided]¡­


    [Side Character Rain Leclair is to feast on the heart he has obtained immediately]...


    [Failure to do so will result in Side Character Rain Leclair losing the Mark of Caduceus]...


    The message shifted once again. Like it had been a mistake, it was scratched off eerily, and in its place appeared new words.


    [Failure to do so will result in Side Character Rain Leclair losing his life]...


    Rain fell into a daze filled with terror, but that did not make the words before his eyes change into anything else.


    He really would lose his life if he didn¡¯t eat the Anaconda¡¯s heart?


    Am I being slowly converted into a beast?


    Whatever it was, he couldn¡¯t stop to think deeply about it at the moment. His life was at stake.


    All I have to do is eat the heart, right? Rain swallowed a big gulp as he stared at the lump of flesh he held.


    A second of hesitation, that was all he had¡­ and that was all he took. As soon as it clocked a new second, Rain sent his newly grown fangs into the squishy organ in his hand and tore it apart like a savage wildling.


    Goddammit!

 CHAPTER 32-TORN PICTURE

    It was blissful for a while, then a second later, it no longer was.


    The sounds were distant, but at the same time close enough that they forced him into realizing what was beyond this peaceful world of his. They were the cooing of chickens, soft and rhythmic, but at the same time sharp enough to slice through the blanket of darkness he was swaying within.


    His slumber began to fade.


    A second went by, then another, then the third, and so on and so forth. Maybe minutes passed, he didn¡¯t know, but after a while his eyes fluttered open heavily. And like a newborn baby, he was almost completely blinded by the sudden bright rays of light that rained down upon him, coercing him to shut his eyes once again.


    He remained still on the bed he was laying on for a while, keeping himself in a watered down darkness that constantly had light sneaking in to taint it, and after a minute or so realized that his body had some problems with it.


    His legs and hands were extremely heavy, almost to the point that it felt like they did not exist. His breathing was a bit too shallow, while the scent of early morning making it into his nostrils of the feeling that they were too little to sustain his life. Furthermore, he couldn¡¯t seem to recall anything.


    Why?


    He opened his eyes again, this time they adjusted to the bright light of his surroundings, bringing to his view what was around him.


    The first thing he saw were the wooden beams above him. They were quite weathered¡ªalmost too weathered¡ªbut they hung on strongly, preventing the ceiling from crashing down. He shifted his gaze from it as soon as he¡¯d seen enough, and they¡¯d only moved a bit before he figured out that he was in a bedroom.


    With walls and a door of rough-hewn wood, as well as floorboards and furniture of the same category, the room gave off a rustic vibe; although, at the same time, it was simple and cozy.


    Where am I?


    He turned his head to his side, and there was the only window in the room, a small one opened just wide enough to let in shafts of early morning light.


    The earthy smell of soil he was breathing in was stronger from this direction, and he could see the reason why.


    On the other side of the window were the things that had served as an alarm clock from nature for him: Chickens.


    His brows narrowed in displeasure at the sight. The chickens, their figures did not look natural. They were larger and robust, their beaks seemingly sharper and their claws longer. Furthermore, from their forehead protruded a black gem-like horn.


    However, his feelings of uneasiness directed at the livestocks quickly dissipated as something obviously more important took center stage in his head.


    How come I feel like I know what these are, but I can¡¯t seem to remember anything about myself? What¡¯s my name?


    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± The sudden arrival of a voice snapped him out of his reverie. But his reaction was stifled by the heaviness of his body, causing his eyes to turn towards the direction of the room¡¯s door before his head could follow. ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± the person repeated, their voice almost too flat to be considered one with any form of pitch in them. They had dark skin and a clean haircut with a really sharp style; their hair was fuller on top but barely visible at the sides and back. They were dressed in a black sweater and blue jeans, and in their hands were a set of clothes.


    He did not intend to frown at this teenage boy standing across from him, but he did regardless. ¡°Who am I?¡± Also, that was not the question he had intended to ask, but it was what was rampaging violently in his head so he had blurted it out subconsciously.


    Correcting himself did not cross his mind, though. He did want to know who he was and what had happened to him.


    ¡°Sam,¡± the teenage boy replied quite nonchalantly, almost as though he did not find the question weird. Maybe he didn¡¯t? ¡°At least that was what was written on the picture.¡±


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    The teenage boy walked further into the room and placed the set of clothes he had brought on the table near the bedside window. He then took out a picture from the table¡¯s drawer. It was ripped at its right, causing a photograph that should have revealed the faces of five people to reveal that of only the two to its right.


    One was a young beautiful woman with blonde hair and hazel eyes. While the second, a teenage boy of seemingly the same age as the one holding the picture. He had a mole on the left of his hazel eyes, and similar blonde hair as the woman, just his was cut clean and uniformly in an extremely close manner to his scalp, making the texture of his hair barely noticeable.


    Me? Is my name really Sam?


    He felt a strong connection with the person in the picture. Even though he was yet to see his actual self in a mirror, he truly believed that that was him. And a second later, he came around to believing that the name written on the body of the ¡®him¡¯ in the picture was his as well.


    Then¡­ Sam looked at the woman standing beside him with her hand on his shoulder. Is that my mother? He shifted his gaze towards the torn part of the picture, unable to see their faces but able to make out their build. One seemed like an adult man, while the two figures in front of him looked to be those of teenagers just like Sam¡ªa boy and a girl. Who are those? The same way Sam¡¯s name was written on his body, the other two teenagers had theirs written as well. Sam frowned. Eleanor? Rain?


    At that moment a loud yawn broke the silence in the room, and, of course, startled Sam. It had come from his right, after all, and he had not noticed that someone was so close to him all this while.


    He turned his head to see a man sitting down on a reclining chair beside him with a book placed over his face and a boat shaped hat on his lap. The man removed the book to reveal his facial features then, and Sam¡¯s heart galloped ferociously.


    They were broad, well chiseled, and surrounded by a rough but charming stubble. His hair was a slicked back beauty of brownish gray. And his build was nearly so muscular that his jean shirt looked like they would rip. Maybe it was for that reason that the man rolled up his sleeves, exposing the thick strands of hair sweeping over his veiny forearms.


    He was just one of the many masculine men that existed, but Sam doubted the possibility of the existence of anyone better.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± The teenage boy returned the picture he had brought out to show Sam back into the drawer. ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡±


    Why not just say it once? Sam kept his criticism of the boy to himself.


    ¡°Oh, Richie!¡± the awakened man hooted; his voice had a tinge of roughness to it, and there was a local accent there as well. ¡°You¡¯re here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m always here, Old man,¡± Richie replied with a flat tone. ¡°The boy you brought back is awake too.¡± He gestured at Sam with his thumb, and the masculine man looked in that direction.


    Sam was still unable to move, bound to the bed by an invisible chain. The man smiled at him.


    ¡°I¡¯m Hunter. Jim Hunter,¡± he said. ¡°The picture we found with you points to your name being Sam. That right?¡±


    Sam¡¯s expression pinched. Why did he not just directly ask for my name instead of putting it that way? That Richie also did not seem to find my question weird. It¡¯s almost like they know I have amnesia.


    He remained silent.


    ¡°I see,¡± Jim nodded. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll take it your name¡¯s Sam, since you probably don¡¯t remember.¡±


    ¡°Why would you think that?¡± Sam asked with an unpleasant tone.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ve got a good doc, and she¡¯d told us the possibility of you waking up without any of your memories was high.¡± He flayed his eyes over Sam. ¡°And that it¡¯d take you some time to get used to your body.¡±


    A doctor? Well, that makes sense.


    ¡°How long was I asleep for? What happened to me?¡± A minute or so later, Sam cut in on a conversation between Jim and Richie which apparently involved a bottle of whiskey.


    Jim looked at Sam for a moment before standing up from the reclining chair he was sitting on. Hat in one hand and book in the other, he said, ¡°A week or so.¡± Sam blinked. ¡°As for what happened to you, it¡¯s still kind of early for that conversation, don¡¯t you think? When you get your feet kicking, come meet me in the sitting room.¡± Jim grinned. ¡°The morning after it rains is always the best for drinking. I¡¯m gonna go have a bottle of whiskey. Get him a cup of water, Richie.¡±


    In other words, you¡¯ll only tell me what¡¯s happening here after you¡¯re done swiping a whole bottle of alcohol? You alcoholic!


    Sam didn¡¯t push it, though. He didn¡¯t know who they were, so he had to proceed cautiously.


    With that, Jim left the room while whistling a tune. Richie, on the other hand, remained with Sam, despite being told to bring him a cup of water.


    ¡°And you, what¡¯s the deal with you?¡± Sam asked, his question for Richie, but the boy remained silent. ¡°Why do you keep looking at me that way?¡±


    He would not have been disturbed by the boy looking at him if only his eyes were not of the weird kind. They were without vigor, dead even, and deep down seemed to hold a frightening desire fueled by impulse and violent anger seeking to erupt at any given chance. They were the kind of eyes that would force people into keeping their distance from him. Sam was considering that.


    Richie shook his head. ¡°No reason in particular.¡± He then turned around and headed for the door. On his way out, he muttered one last thing, ¡°You just have the same eyes as me.¡±

 CHAPTER 33-TO MANCHESTER!

    Henceforth, waking up may never feel as good as it felt now to Rain for the most part of his life.


    The crisp view of the blue horizon. The sharp earthy scent of dampened soil due to the rain that had fallen on the day past. The caws of the mutated birds roaming the skies. Everything just felt¡­ refreshing. And of course that was all because of where he had spent the night.


    After his carnivorous act of ripping into the heart of the Anaconda he killed¡ªthe flavor of nothing to write home about, obviously¡ªthe Plexus blessed Rain with messages which eased the two fears that originated from his possession of the mysterious Mark of Caduceus.


    [Asklepios accepts your offering]...


    [Side Character Rain Leclair will not be punished]¡­


    Phew¡­ With his lips stained by the thickness of blood, and his tongue caressed by a metallic undertone of uncooked flesh, Rain sighed in relief at the confirmation of his life¡¯s safety.


    [The seal of the Mark of Caduceus has been reinstated]...


    [Side Character Rain Leclair has reverted back to his original form]¡­


    The appearance of the rest of the Plexus¡¯s messages made the first sense of relief Rain felt to pale in comparison to his current one.


    Of course he was glad to have survived an ordeal so baffling that it determined if he would live or die; but¡­ having to live on in a half-human half-beast form would have been quite the peril.


    That, though, was resolved now. He was back to who he was¡ªto who he used to be. Well, without his memories, actually.


    It was at that moment of visible joy and scrutinizing of his body that Rain saw the dark color painting the clouds dim into a more darker tone. Though, that was not all. The sky was slowly overshadowed by something grayish and thick.


    The fog¡­


    He realized at once. Although, its arrival was unusual.


    Rain could not recall how exactly he knew, but he felt like the coming of fogs usually began from the horizons and slowly spread out, filling more areas until they had covered every nook and cranny possible¡ªwell, as far as they could reach.


    But this fog was not acting that way.


    Just like the raindrops falling from the sky, so did the fog descend. It did not come from the edges of the earth as it was probably inclined to, but as though it was a thick, ethereal blanket thrown over earth by a giant more massive than the world itself, it poured down quickly by the second from above.


    Each moment something vanished. Spires, poles, houses, something somewhere just vanished. And Rain knew that if he remained where he was gaping, he too would vanish, and not just into the fog, but away from life.


    Although, there was a problem. There was no shade for him to take cover in.


    His house was riddled with holes and broken windows, he could not go in there. The parking garage and a few other sheds he could glimpse some ways ahead were in the same state too. If there was a place that could accommodate and keep him safe, it would have to be one that wasn¡¯t within his home¡¯s boundaries. But there was no guarantee that he had enough time to find those.


    Since it came down to that, he had only one option left.


    Rain looked at the prideful Anaconda he had killed, its enormously large body sprawled across the wreckage of a ground like a fallen elastic tower with curves for a body; then his gaze shifted towards the hole he had opened up in its neck. There was no fleshy muscle separating its innermost system from the outside world.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Damn it!


    Rain gritted his teeth and stuffed just enough broken debris from the driveway into the hole in the snake¡¯s body so that there was no inlet for the fog to make its way in. After which he pulled open its mouth and jumped into it, shutting himself within the suffocating smell and darkness there. At least it was not as bad as when he had been in its stomach, so he could endure it. Now, all that was left was for the night to pass without any problems.


    And, thankfully, it did.


    Rain had not heard the human voices Alice had talked about, and the Anaconda that had served as his shelter was not eaten.


    He¡¯d spent most of the night on high alert, uneasy that his notion on beasts being safe from the Wraiths would be proven untrue. But down the line he¡¯d fallen asleep without his own consent.


    Well, whether it was because his notion was correct, or maybe because the Anaconda was dead, nothing had happened, so it was alright.


    On the other hand, his goal to trigger his memories through his house failed woefully.


    There had not been a single thing of substance in the building. Besides the furniture and appliances, which had all been overrun by desolation, there were no pictures or books or monuments that linked towards a family having lived in the home. He further went to ransack the garage and the rest of the buildings in the vicinity, but it was the same no matter where he searched.


    Why was his home so empty? Had he come to the wrong address? Surely not. He wasn¡¯t so foolish that he¡¯d misread the map and missed his way. He had come to the right place, certainly.


    Being smacked square in the face by failure momentarily left Rain in a daze.


    If his own house couldn¡¯t provide him with what he sought, then how would he regain his memories? Where else would he be able to find anything so strong to trigger his recollection of the past?


    There was only one answer to that. His family. If he could find his family he would surely get himself back. And the best place to start his searching was obviously the apparent biggest faction in the world, the GEF. Even if his family members weren¡¯t there, clues to where they were might be. In the meantime, he would keep trying his best to decipher the information in his medical file. Something as well may be lying there in secret.


    His whole reasoning was now based on the hope he disliked¡ªhope that he might find his family in the GEF; hope that he might find clues; hope that he might find anything¡­ anything at all. It was either that or he gave up, and there was no way in hell he was giving up on getting himself back.


    The world was already fucking him in the ass, he would not let his amnesia do that to him too.


    That train of thought was what spurred Rain to return quickly back to the M&S mall which served as his shade for most of the already ended storm.


    The brightness of the clouds told him it was not yet seven a.m. In other words, there would still be people expecting his arrival at the store. After such a perilous short journey, he would definitely be received warmly¡­


    ¡°...You¡¯re crazy.¡±


    Or not.


    ¡°Rain, you stink!¡± Rain¡¯s eyes twitched.


    While pinching his nose, Sean was the second one to drive a wedge into his heart upon his arrival at the store; of course, Alice was the first.


    Then there was J, his Companion who had been so annoyed at him leaving without her. She was¡­ circling around his legs?


    Why? Rain had a confused look on his face.


    Weren¡¯t wild cats in possession of sensitive noses? If humans like him were keeping their distances, then a Jaguar should be even farther away.


    Rain didn¡¯t think too much on the details, though. She was the only one not running away from him, so he had to show his appreciation.


    Smiling, Rain squatted, hugged his Companion, and rubbed her chin, inciting a purr from her. After that, he looked at Alice and Sean, they were already fully packed and about to leave. He had made it back in the nick of time.


    Sighing, Rain said, ¡°Can you give me a second to change into new clothes? It won''t take long.¡±


    The beating he¡¯d received, as well as the digestive acids in the Anaconda¡¯s stomach, had dealt a great damage to his clothes. He was of the mind to select something similar, though. The hoodie was perfect against the rain, and the cargo trouser was quite free and good for complicated movement¡ªthose he¡¯d tested firsthand. As for his combat boots¡­ as expected, they were fine.


    ¡°The smell on your body will ruin the new set of clothes too.¡± Rain frowned at Alice¡¯s words, but he was happy. On her and Sean¡¯s faces there were obvious signs of relief due to him returning alive.


    She really wasn¡¯t as bad as she was trying to make herself seem.


    Taking her jab at him for a yes, Rain stood up and proceeded to the clothes aisle with J in tow. It was then that Sean opened his mouth to let free what seemed to have been swirling about in his head all this while.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you came back, Rain!¡± the boy voiced. ¡°I¡¯ll hug you when you take a bath, in return can you tell me what happened? You had a great adventure, right?¡±


    A hug for a story? That¡¯s not an equivalent exchange, is it? Are you trying to scam me, you little¡­?


    Rain looked over his shoulder and curled up his lips regardless of his thoughts on Sean¡¯s deal. ¡°Sure. On the way to Manchester.¡±

 CHAPTER 34-THE REAL ME

    As soon as Richie left the room, Sam made sure to get his legs moving as quickly as he could.


    A few hours was what it had taken him at most¡ªno more than three to be precise¡ªbut even that had been too long for him. Initially, he¡¯d wanted it not to exceed the span of minutes, however, his body had had other ideas, and bending to his will was not one of them.


    Well, all that had long passed now. The feeling that originated from that was bittersweet though, because Sam had been of the mind to cure his curiosity as fast as possible, but since it had not happened the way he¡¯d wanted it made his skin tingle.


    Alright, truthfully, that was not all that made him annoyed. He¡¯d also wanted to cut short that alcoholic¡¯s drinking session. And he¡¯d failed¡ªwoefully. Maybe this was what incited his anger the most.


    ¡°Tsk!¡± Sam¡¯s expression worsened as he recalled the look on Jim¡¯s face when he¡¯d finally made it to the parlor. The burly man had been on his second bottle of whiskey with a one-sided smile. It had felt like he was being mocked for being too slow.


    Maybe I don¡¯t like not having my way? Sam sighed, choosing to come up with a deduction on why he was so annoyed. He then turned his hazel eyes to the side mirror of the passenger¡¯s seat of the truck he was within. There, in its broken convex mirror, was a face perfectly similar to the teenage boy in the torn picture he had been shown.


    He¡¯d already seen himself while he was changing from his patient¡¯s gown into the brown sweatshirt and black varsity trouser Richie had offered him, but looking into this mirror made it feel new all over again. There was no doubting it; he really was Sam. And¡­ He put his gaze back onto the roadside and the utter destruction that painted its scenery¡­ Earth had turned to shit.


    After Sam¡¯s whole struggle to get his muscles functioning the way he¡¯d wanted them to, Jim had lectured him as much as his alcohol induced state could allow on the state of the world, as well as what the pulsing blue and purple hued light¡ªwhich was known as a Plexus¡ªto his lateral vision and the information it contained was.


    Apparently, five years ago, every human on earth fell into a deep slumber at the same moment, each one sucked into a flesh-like thing called a pod. But it was not just the humans, even the animals and birds and fishes too¡ªthe insects as well. Only the plants were seemingly left out. And then, at different moments, the beings sucked into the pods were released, wildlife and humans alike, some far away from where they knew as home. As for the insects, the consensus arrived at was that they had not survived, and this was because despite being the most numerous species on earth, any was yet to be seen.


    Sam believed he belonged to the category of those who had been thrown far away from home. He had been in a patient¡¯s gown, but instead of a hospital, Jim claimed to have picked him up at a thrift store in Belfast, Northern Ireland. In other words, information about where his home was located was long gone too.


    Was it even possible to get back his memories at this rate?


    That aside, the species that weren¡¯t humans were mutated to dangerous heights, some mentally and most physically, while the humans were granted a system of power similar to that found in role playing games. They were able to increase the values of their Attributes by hunting and killing the mutated beasts. Put differently, power was dependent on the hunt.


    More still remained, though.


    There were the mysterious higher entities known as Benefactors, who were able to grant unfathomable powers to those who had the Protagonist and Deuteragonist Roles. And, furthermore, the Entertainment Level subsection that showed how much a person was entertaining in this world.


    This part irked Sam, but at the same time interested him.


    The possibility of your Role changing for good or bad depending on how fun you were was a sickening though fascinating thing. After all, when a person fell down to the lowest Role, which was the Background Character Role, that person would not only lose their Division and Skills but also die. However, that also meant that someone who started out as a Background Character could become a Protagonist and stand atop of this world with the greatest powers attainable.


    Sam could not stop a soft smile from forming on his face. It seemed he enjoyed thrills.


    Then there were the Glades humans were tasked with clearing at all costs. Jim said that those were basically portals leading to other fantastical worlds that looked to be out of a fictional exploration series. They were of three types: Low Class, Intermediate Class, and Supreme Class, each one filled with uncanny and chimerical monsters that despite how strong a person was were almost impossible to hunt alone. And of course the higher the Glade, the stronger the monsters they housed.


    Venturing into them was basically a suicide mission, but the Plexus had made it a must for them to be journeyed into, unless the beasts within would make their way onto earth through a process referred to as ¡®Melding¡¯.


    That statement coming from Jim was funny, though, since he had also said only Protagonists could activate a Glade; and this faction that had taken him in¡ªthe Hunters Faction by name¡ªwas comically filled with just Deuteragonists and the rest.


    Sam snorted self deprecatingly. He was also one.


    All in all, from all I¡¯ve heard, this seems like a game being played by those Benefactors, and we¡¯re the characters. The truck went up a bump and down, and Sam finally glimpsed a few children playing in an alley. Nothing less than seventy percent of humanity was gone, they were amongst the few that remained.


    ¡°No monsters or Glades here, huh?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Richie answered with that flat tone of his, prompting Sam to turn to him. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°You don¡¯t talk much, do you?¡± Sam asked, his voice as well without excitement.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like talking.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you while driving?¡±


    The problem was not that Richie was talking while driving, it was just that Sam had come to realize that he was probably not someone who enjoyed conversing with others that much. He¡¯d rather avoid it if nothing beneficial would come out of it.


    Steering the wheel in his hands to his left to avoid the stump of a tree as he drove the truck onto a free road where buildings didn¡¯t exist, Richie said, ¡°Because Old man Hunter told me to answer all your questions.¡±


    Sam narrowed his brows. ¡°You don¡¯t seem like someone who enjoys taking orders. Are you scared of him?¡±


    Richie spared him a glance. ¡°He¡¯s second only to the faction leader.¡±


    Sam was visibly surprised; his eyes widened indistinctly. He had not expected an alcoholic to hold such a high standard in the faction. It was not only that, though. That second-in-command was living on a farm, looking after subdued mutated chickens and cattles and goats when the faction had the whole Isle of Man to themselves. This was enough to surprise anyone.


    ¡°I see,¡± Sam said as if unbothered. ¡°Then I have a few questions to ask you.¡± Richie said nothing, but Sam continued either way. ¡°The world is ruined but you guys seem to be doing fairly well. For one, how do you get the gas to power this truck?¡±


    ¡°Monster cores,¡± Richie answered cryptically.


    Sam scoffed. ¡°Monster cores? Of the monsters in the Glades you guys can¡¯t enter?¡± He couldn¡¯t believe it. How could they get their hands on cores when they couldn¡¯t enter the places that had them?


    ¡°We have our ways,¡± Richie answered¡ªagain, cryptically. It annoyed Sam. If the boy was to answer his questions, then he should answer them well.


    Regardless of his thoughts, Sam stayed quiet for the rest of their drive. He was being taken to somewhere called the Point of Ayre to see the faction leader. He would ask that person all the questions he had instead. They should be able to give him better answers than a mere lackey could.


    ###


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Richie-boy!¡± A wiry man with sunburnt skin and an absence of hair on his head approached the truck from a shed to the side of the gate. ¡°Whatcha doing here? Oho. Is that the coma-boy?¡± He had a sharp tongue. Sam decided. He didn¡¯t like him.


    ¡°The faction leader. Is he in?¡± Richie asked.


    ¡°What¡¯s ya name, coma-boy?¡± The man acted as though he had not heard Richie¡¯s words and leaned on the driver¡¯s door. His back was strapped with a rifle of some sort, so he was obviously a dangerous person to ignore¡ªat least at this moment. Sam chose not to do that then.


    ¡°Sam.¡±


    ¡°Sam, huh? Eh. Coma-boy¡¯s better. I¡¯m gonna be calling ya that from now on. Make sure ya reply me, eh?¡± Sam nodded reluctantly, then the man turned his gaze back to Richie. ¡°Gotta learn how to greet ya elders, Richie-boy. Don¡¯t make me take out a day to teach ya.¡± Richie didn¡¯t reply, instead he looked forward stiffly, like he was preventing something from erupting within himself. ¡°Faction leader¡¯s at the winkie. Ya know ya way. Now be off with it.¡±


    The sunburnt man hit the car as he turned and walked back to his shed, and of course Richie¡¯s face shivered with emotions leaning closer to insanity than lucidity.


    He¡¯s a crazy one, alright. Sam analyzed Richie. But he was beginning to feel like that was everyone in this faction.


    It took a second before the emotion oozing out of Richie calmed down, after which he exhaled, seemingly to relax himself. Then he ignited the truck once again, turning the red machinery away from the wire-meshed gate and fences surrounding the lighthouse serving as the faction leader¡¯s main base of operations, and onto the pebbled shore line beside it.


    A few moments later, the sight of a miniature lighthouse with a red tower and a black domed top came into view, and with it a couple of people, three kneeling with their hands behind their heads, while two stood, one of those a man with a great height and width that made him seem enormously large. He was wearing a paper bag mask on his head and holding a slim sword which seemed more like a scythe that did not complement his form.


    Sam wondered what was going on at first, but his curiosity was put at ease soon later.


    ¡°Good afternoon, faction leader,¡± Richie greeted with a bow as soon as they alighted the truck and came up before the one who was in control of the Hunters Faction. Sam did the same. This person was the first in command, it was only normal that he showed his respects, right?


    Wrong. It wasn¡¯t something as simple as that.


    He was yet to see the faction leader¡¯s features completely, but that did not stop the overwhelming pressure oozing out of the man from weighing down on him, causing his eyes to shiver as sweat trickled down his spine.


    This person was definitely a monster, incomparable to anyone Sam was yet to see¡­ besides¡­


    Sam¡¯s brows squished together.


    Was it because of that alcoholic¡¯s outgoing nature that he had not noticed it until now?


    Yes. This was not the first time his heart had palpitated crazily at the sight of someone. He¡¯d felt this exact same way when he saw Jim¡ªhe had not just noticed it.


    Richie wasn¡¯t joking¡­


    Now that Sam had met the first-in-command, he knew¡­ Jim was truly second only to him.


    ¡°Ah, hello, Richie.¡± The faction leader turned to them amidst the pleas of the people kneeling, whom consisted of two men and a woman. ¡°And you are?¡±


    ¡°Sam. As for my last name, I do not know,¡± Sam replied as he raised his head creakily¡ªalmost like a broken toy¡ªand took a closer look at the faction leader.


    The man was quite young, no older than twenty-five, probably. He had sharp features, tacked on with brown glossy hair, and was dressed in a vest and suspenders, making him look quite classy and refined. His thin lips were pushed slightly to the sides to reveal a wry smile. And behind his round glasses lay a pair of keen eyes which solidified the ambience he had of someone who was fit to be a leader.


    Of course, Sam had no argument there. The most powerful was who should lead. And that sort of power was basically leaking out of this young man, after all.


    ¡°Ah. The one Jimmy brought, huh?¡± He also had an accent of some sort, causing his words to seem somewhat unbearable to listen to. ¡°Then, shall we head to the Ayre to talk better? This is not a good place for having a discussion.¡±


    Sam knew why the faction leader had said that, and that was confirmed as soon as they joined him to leave. The cries of the ones kneeling faded away in an instant.


    Needless to say his deduction was not based purely on his intuition, since he had turned back slightly to glimpse the giant of a man wielding a sword cleanly taking off three heads with a single swing.


    Despite that, though, Sam¡¯s thoughts weren¡¯t one of what had caused the death of those three or how sickening it was to see people die. Instead, he wondered why his expression was one of subdued delight? Why he had an indistinct smile on his face? And most of all, if Richie¡¯s words were true.


    He had been thinking about it ever since. Did they both really share the same type of eyes? Did he truly share the same deranged characteristics as the lot who made up this faction?


    Sam heaved out an exhale, silently.


    I wonder¡­ Who is the real me?

 CHAPTER 35-PERCEPTION

    Alice pulled her blue-lustered sword out of the lifeless body of the Mutated Wolverine she had killed before casting her indifferent gaze, now filled with malice, onto the other one hiding behind a tree some steps away.


    It had seemingly been waiting for its dead pal to do all the hunting, after which it would pounce out and compete with its weakened state over the carcasses of its hunt.


    That plan, though, had failed, and all because of a single lady.


    In return, fear was the only emotion visible on the hiding Mutated Wolverine¡¯s face, and, probably with visions of its death flashing before its eyes, the beast scurried back into the bushes, leaving the grassy path of the spiteful humans who didn¡¯t want to be eaten once again peaceful.


    Well, even Rain had grown to be somewhat frightened of Alice after watching her in action¡ªSean was not exaggerating when he¡¯d called her an Angel of Death¡ªso it would have been shocking if the Mutated Wolverine wasn¡¯t too.


    Although¡­


    Is it really alright to let it go? He posed a question to himself as he watched Alice, who did not seem keen on chasing down the Wolverine.


    Of course, deep within himself, he had a couple of guesses as to why she was not going after it. For one, it was dangerous; no one knew what sort of monstrosity they would meet in the bushes while hunting down one measly animal. It was not a fair trade. And secondly¡­ He looked up at the sky¡­ It was drawing closer.


    Their planned journey from Edinburgh to Manchester was being cut short ten hours in. The sun was already setting, leaving in its wake only glimpses of what remained of its beautiful orange hue on the horizon as a sign of the coming night.


    Usually this would be a refreshing and pretty sight to behold, but because of the terrifying fog and its Wraiths, it was anything but that. It was a sight of warning, similar to that of smoke or horn signals used in medieval battles to announce the arrival of enemies.


    It was time to camp for the night, Rain deduced. They had tried their best for today, considering what the world had turned to.


    Due to Alice¡¯s great survival skills, avoiding most of the land beasts, as well as the sky ones, had proven rather easy. Rain had learned a lot in that regard; he felt that if his current self was the one who¡¯d left the hospital he would have never come across the Coyotes, and, in return, wouldn¡¯t have been both blessed and cursed with the mysterious Mark he now possessed.


    ¡­He recalled the scene of him eating the Chimera Anaconda¡¯s heart and shook his head in repulsion¡­


    Apparently, one could read the signs of the scenery to decipher if a beast was nearby or homing in on a location. The ground ones always left traces about, such as snapped twigs, drools, blood, strips of flesh, broken claws, even urine and feces; the mentally mutated ones enjoyed marking territories.


    As for the sky-based ones¡­ That was why the Perception Attribute existed. Give it high enough Experience Points and one would be able to pinpoint the exact position of the beasts coming close to his location; even the ground-based beasts were not spared from the brilliance of the Perception Attribute. Tack that on with the skill to read the scenery, he would never come across danger ever again.


    Although, the way he was currently, that was a far fetched dream. But at least he now knew which Attributes to prioritize and in what order.


    His Durability was still first, next came his Speed, then his Perception, followed by his Agility and Stamina. The last was Strength, despite his whole notion on unpredictability.


    He could not recall where he had heard the saying, but he was sure it went like this: ¡°I do not fear the man who has practiced ten thousand kicks once, but the man who has practiced one kick ten thousand times.¡±


    In other words, sticking to one¡¯s strengths was the best choice. And watching Alice navigate and fight made Rain realize that that was what he needed the most in this world based on his goal. After all, she had a similar fighting style to him, so he¡¯d come to believe that she was a Lightweight as well.


    To confirm that, though, he would need to ask her, but he was yet to find the right time; and there was also the possibility of her still being secretive towards him.


    All in all, she was the best and only mentor for him at the moment.


    Sure, with her visible experience, the values of her Attributes were definitely four or five times his, but that did not mean he couldn¡¯t grab a lot of survival tactics just by standing behind her with Sean on his back like he was doing now. In due time he would be just as good, maybe even better, if he wanted to feel himself up some more. But, for certain, he knew his growth was only upward from here on.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get a move on. A house we can pass the night in should be nearby.¡± Alice¡¯s authoritative voice snapped Rain back from his reverie of astonishment, inciting a nod from him. She then nudged the dead Mutated Wolverine with her foot as she said, ¡°This will be tonight¡¯s meal.¡±


    They had packed a lot of snacks and canned drinks from the M&S mall, but their nutrient values would be doomed if they kept relying on expired chips and drinks. Rain was sure that was the reason Alice had said what she¡¯d said.


    ¡°J. Go pick up the carcass, would you?¡± J heeded her Companion and took up the dead Mutated Wolverine with her fangs.


    ¡°I wonder if it¡¯ll taste good,¡± Sean spoke from behind Rain. They had covered the distance between Gogar, Newbridge, Broxburn, Uphall, and had arrived at Dechmont, it was then that his legs gave out, causing Rain to have to piggyback him.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    For a child, he did well. He¡¯s not even as frightened as he was yesterday, Rain thought to himself. He¡¯s adapted very quickly.


    ¡°With stories of my adventure, it¡¯ll taste like a heavenly meal. Meat is always good around a fire.¡± Of course, he didn¡¯t recall how he knew that, but it seemed like something he had experienced firsthand.


    Maybe my family and I went camping a lot?


    Probably, but since thinking about it would only raise his anxiety instead of providing answers, Rain put his thoughts at the back of his mind.


    ¡°Then I can¡¯t wait!¡± Sean tightened his arms around Rain¡¯s neck. And with that they were off to seek a house good enough for them to wait out the foggy night.


    That did not take too long. Half an hour later they¡¯d found one. A small bungalow situated a bit near the Dechmont hill.


    Maybe it was because of its seclusion that it seemed to be a lot more intact than the ones within the main area of the town. Since it was so far away from the main road no one found out about it, so it was not vandalized by savage looters.


    Anyways, it was a good spot.


    Alice sliced off the vines that had snaked around the bungalow¡¯s door while Rain watched in awe. The vines seemed pretty thick, so her being able to cut them off was nothing short of awesome.


    Was it her Attributes or her sword? Rain was curious.


    She sheathed her sword in the scabbard strapped around her hip, and was about to open the door of the house when she abruptly paused and turned around as though something had caught her attention.


    Rain¡¯s eyebrows squished together at that, and he too turned around to maybe see what Alice had seen. But there was nothing besides a green expanse and a view of the clustered houses in town. He turned back to her to find her eyes still darting about as if searching for something or someone.


    What did her Perception pick up?


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Rain asked, his question bringing Alice back to him. He was beginning to feel stumped due to how his Perception was basically unusable. It was probably because it was extremely low, but still it had five points allocated to it. How come it couldn¡¯t pick up anything? Even J, who had been so close to him at the hospital, had been unnoticeable.


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡± That was Alice¡¯s answer to Rain¡¯s question. ¡°I¡¯ll scout the vicinity; you check out the house.¡±


    She really did pick up something.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Rain didn''t query further and Alice moved, vanishing into the trees that loomed about the area with her hand on her sword¡¯s hilt. Sean just watched in silence, seemingly of the mind not to trouble the adults more than necessary. Rain turned back to J then. ¡°Do you smell anything within the house? Snakes or the like?¡± J chuffed, using her nose to respond since her mouth was occupied, and he nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s go in.¡±


    ###


    The bungalow had a parlor, two bedrooms each with their own toilets, and a kitchen. Rain¡¯s surveys brought him to choose the parlor as a suitable location for their rest. It had curtains for its windows, was more spacious, and, most of all, had a furnace. They could cook the meat there and warm themselves at the same time.


    It was perfect.


    Sean was seated on a couch opposite the table where the Mutated Wolverine¡¯s carcass was kept, while nibbling on a bag of chips Rain had offered him when his stomach grumbled.


    Rain, on the other hand, was rummaging through the drawers in the kitchen trying to fish out any spice or ingredient that was not yet destroyed by fungi¡ªhe was not sure if he knew anything about cooking, but he believed that spiced meat was better than the opposite.


    It was at that moment the front door opened and closed swiftly¡ªalmost too quickly, in fact.


    Rain believed it to be Alice who had returned so he did not bother putting a stop to what he was doing. Although, his actions were grounded to a halt as soon as a ferocious growl reverberated through the weed infested bungalow.


    Worry took over Rain¡¯s face. J? What happened?


    His Perception was currently useless, but his instinct wasn¡¯t.


    Bolting out of the kitchen, Rain emerged into the corridor of the bungalow, and there, not one step further away from the entrance door, stood a complete stranger.


    It was a man of average height with a lot of skin width, or rather, meat, in a ripped black round neck and baggy pants. He was sweating profusely, and in his hand was a wooden stick sharpened erratically at its tip. There was malice in his eyes, and it was so profound that Rain instinctively found himself glancing at the parlor situated beside the entrance door.


    Sean was in there. Whoever this was he was definitely not a friend. He could not let the man notice the boy.


    At least he¡¯s not made a sound yet. He must have caught on and hidden himself. Good. Smart boy.


    With that as his thought, Rain decided to make sure Sean remained protected by drawing all the attention of the obese man to himself, and as such he opened his mouth, ¡°Who are¡ª¡±


    [Side Plot]


    A Player you have no knowledge of has appeared, and he holds animosity towards you. Survive.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± the man cut him off with some rather crazy words that Rain could not seem to understand.


    Kill me? What the hell did I do? No. Not even that. When the fuck did I have the chance to do anything that could warrant someone to come after me? Rain had a dazed expression; J, on the other hand, increased her growling at those words. If the man moved a spot from where he stood, she would definitely attack him, Rain could see that.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± the man continued on regardless, his fiery eyes solidly fixed on Rain.


    That was good but at the same time bad. It was like the man couldn¡¯t even see J, and that made Rain shiver.


    Was he really so strong that a Jaguar was rather insignificant before him? Or¡­


    Has he gone completely mad?


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you! I¡¯ll kill you! I¡¯ll have my revenge!¡±


    ¡°Revenge?¡± Rain blurted out subconsciously, unable to remain silent any longer at the man¡¯s nonsense. ¡°What in the world are you talking about, man? I¡¯ve only been awake for two days, how could I possibly be an object of your revenge? Also¡­¡± His face squeezed in something akin to aversion. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you before in my fucking life.¡±


    Well, as for that, he wasn¡¯t quite sure.

 CHAPTER 36-A MADMAN’S REVENGE

    It was definitely gibberish. There was no way it wasn¡¯t. This was the first time they were meeting each other, and what, revenge? Rain scoffed inwardly. He would have done it outwardly, but he was aligned with his senses well enough to know that a person who was already in such a state of madness should not be angered further.


    He¡¯s obviously mistaken me for someone else. There has to be a way for me to reason with him.


    The problem was: How the hell would he find that mysterious way?


    With the madman¡¯s current conduct, it was any moment now. The sort of rage seething out of his eyes made it quite clear that he was on the verge of attacking soon, and Rain¡¯s bones, as well as his muscles, did not hesitate to relay that message to him in shivers. It was now or never, he had to do something.


    Subdue¡­ I should subdue him. Then I can find out what in the world he¡¯s talking about.


    Rain was barely a second in his thoughts when an idea bulb flicked to life atop his head.


    Knockout! I have to knock him out. Tsk. He¡¯s most definitely stronger than me, though, even if it might not be by a large margin. But Alice¡­ She should be able to handle him comfortably. Where is she? Still scouting? Goddammit! Shouldn¡¯t she have returned by now?


    No. No. Relax. Breathe. You shouldn¡¯t be relying on another for your own survival.


    With that thought, Rain was able to slow down his racing heart.


    He carefully looked around the corridor, seeking anything he could use to his advantage. His crossbody bag was in the parlor, and in it was the mildly rusted kitchen knife he had taken from the M&S mall as his new weapon. It was way better than his first, but now he couldn¡¯t even put it to use as a tool to make himself seem more threatening.


    At that moment, Rain recalled the existence of the kitchen slightly behind him.


    Maybe he should rush in and grab a knife? No. That was too risky. Taking his eyes off the man wouldn¡¯t be a good move.


    Sure, J could keep the man occupied while he armed himself, but that was purely wishful thinking. Rain didn¡¯t know how much Experience Points this person had allocated to their Attributes. If they had enough in Agility and Speed, being obese wouldn¡¯t stop them from swiftly avoiding J and stabbing the stake they held into his back.


    In other words, my Skill is useless at this point¡­ Rain tsked in realization. But he didn¡¯t give up.


    While the madness stricken man kept shouting, he grit his teeth and kept on thinking. And finally¡­ the only plausible ideas he could put into action sprung up.


    The first was to summon the powers of his Mark, but he quickly shelved that idea.


    He could not use that ghastly form here. And besides, there was the sacrifice thingy. What if he was asked to do something unreasonable, what then?


    The powers of the Mark were good and all, but if possible, he wanted to refrain from having to use them. He didn¡¯t want to have his life saved and then threatened by what had saved him.


    That left him with the second idea, which he was more inclined to put into action.


    Of course it was just as risky as every other of his plans, up to the point that he considered turning his back and bolting into the kitchen to arm himself instead. However¡­ his thoughts from before remained. It would be unwise to show his back to his opponent.


    His decision was made, and as such he called to the Plexus. His Interface appeared as a result.


    [Plexus Interface]


    Player: Rain Leclair.


    Role: Side Character.


    Class: Lightweight.


    Division: Saint.


    Active Skill: Blade Saint (Low Level).


    Passive Skill: Aura. Photographic Memory. Navigator.


    Mark: Caduceus


    Epithet: [Shadow of Asklepios]The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Benefactor: None.


    Privilege: None.


    Golden Points: 00


    [Entertainment Level]   [Attributes]


    Rain instantly focused on his ¡®Attributes¡¯ section, his mind pushing every other thing aside.


    This was his aim.


    He had five unassigned Experience Points from his battle with the Chimera Anaconda. Even though he felt he had been cheated, since three Coyotes that could not stand face to face with the Chimera Anaconda had given him seven Experience Points, he couldn¡¯t really complain, could he?


    The only explanation was that using his Mark had offset the quantity of Experience Points he would have received if he¡¯d killed the Anaconda with his base strength alone.


    This thought of his made him more inclined not to use the Mark. The reward was too low for what he would have to offer in return.


    Rain glimpsed the madman finally inch forward heavily as though his feet were bound by large chains tied to a massive boulder. Needless to say J did the same, but if the madman was really as strong as Rain had thought, he could not let J get in harm¡¯s way. She was his responsibility after all.


    He shouted then, ¡°Wait!¡± The madman halted, his face still a mess of anger and sweat, but Rain had nothing to say. He had only spoken to buy himself a quick second. And he used it.


    [Attributes]


    Strength: 006.


    Speed: 014 (Boosted).


    Agility: 007.


    Perception: 005.


    Durability: 014.


    Stamina: 005.


    Experience Points: 05.


    Rain thought about what he wanted, and the Plexus did not disappoint.


    [Assign 05 Experience Points to Speed?]...


    Yes¡­


    In an instant, Rain felt his legs lighten considerably as the usual soothing feeling significant to him assigning points to his Attributes came over his body. He looked at his Speed Attribute. As requested, it had increased.


    [Attributes]


    Strength: 006.


    Speed: 019 (Boosted).


    Agility: 007.


    Perception: 005.


    Durability: 014.


    Stamina: 005.


    Experience Points: 00.


    This was the first time he¡¯d put any Experience Points into his Speed, and, unlike his Durability Attribute, he could quantify how much he¡¯d progressed.


    It was ten steps now. Before it had been five. But now he could cover ten wide steps in a flash. It was more than enough¡ªto stun his opponent and freeze their thoughts.


    The Plexus vanished from his sight. Then, as if linked to him, J put an end to her growling and turned around to lock her amber eyes with Rain¡¯s hazel; it only took a second, and she understood.


    Rain smiled as his Companion leapt out of the way. He had been blessed with a smart one.


    The madman seemed to notice that something was going on as well, since his anger smeared face took on an expression of obliviousness for a moment¡­ But it was too late. The distance between them both was only seven wide steps, which meant Rain could cover it even faster.


    And that he did.


    Rain¡¯s figure blurred and appeared before the madman¡¯s in an instant, causing visible shock to appear on his face. Rain¡¯s lips curled even wider.


    With haste he took hold of the madman¡¯s stake, and as he¡¯d hoped¡­


    [Active Skill, Blade Saint (Low Level), activated]...


    ¡­The Plexus regarded it as a blade-type weapon.


    Rain¡¯s pounding heart relaxed somewhat. He had risked the protection his distance offered him just for this; although, the ecstasy was worth it. The knowledge too. Now he was certain that anything that could be used in the same way as a blade was classified as a blade-type weapon by the Plexus. After all, blades, as known now, had not existed in the primal era, so obviously the Plexus would take that into consideration.


    Rain was satisfied, and, with that, refocused on ending his battle swiftly.


    He was unable to drag the stake out of the madman¡¯s grip, seemingly because his Strength was so low and possibly incomparable to that of the madman¡¯s, but that had not been his intention either way. His fighting style relied on his speed, it was not at this moment that it would change.


    ¡°You! You dare?!¡± Rain¡¯s smile vanished and his brows fell down at the utterance of those words. Though quite different, the madman¡¯s way of speech was uncannily similar to that of the Chimera Anaconda¡¯s. What was this feeling? ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    Tsk. It¡¯s not the time to be worrying about speech patterns, Rain, you fool!


    Forcing himself to regain his senses, Rain glanced over all the red spots of varying intensity which had appeared on the madman¡¯s body, seeking the best one to attack to knock him out. A second later, he made his choice.


    Rain folded his fist as tightly as he could and tensed his arm¡¯s muscle. Then, with as much force as possible, sent a blow to the side of the madman¡¯s neck, an area just below the jawline and a little bit forward of the ear, where an intense circle of red lay. The strike snapped the madman¡¯s neck slightly to the side, painting his face with a dazed expression as spit spattered across the room. Rain huffed and smiled at that.


    It was any moment now. The man would fall to his knees. And since that was the case, Rain decided to release his own hold of the madman¡¯s stake.


    But just before he could do that, his own wrist was grabbed¡ªthat of the hand which he¡¯d used to deliver his punch.


    His eyes widened and his muscles turned rigid as he put his attention on the solid, clamp-like grip imprisoning his hand.


    ¡°I told you,¡± Wearing an incredulous expression, Rain turned his gaze towards the obese man who was just an inch taller than him. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you.¡± He was grinning¡ªthe corners of his lips pushed up to reveal a glimpse of the psychotic creature that seemed to exist beneath this facade of a human.


    No effect? He had seemingly underestimated the madman¡¯s Durability. Rain turned dizzy for a moment there. Then he smiled again, this time, though, it was one quite shaky. Damn it.

 CHAPTER 37-FAILED HUNTER

    The world blurred in an instant and Rain¡¯s eyesight lost the wide range it had possessed a second ago.


    This was it? Really?


    What about all the points he¡¯d assigned to his Durability Attribute? How come they had just vanished like a candle flame in the midst of a tornado?


    It was only a headbutt¡­ That was all it was. A headbutt. And it felt as though he had run as fast as he could face-first into a mountain.


    Was that how much his and the values of the madman¡¯s Physical Attributes differed? Were they really worlds apart?


    Gosh, it was annoying. If only he could feel his lips, he would have made them part, allowing the harrowing scream of agony brewing up within his esophagus to escape. A rather understandable one too, since, surely, there was blood gushing out of his forehead and nose. Maybe the latter was even broken. The sensation of a pulsing sting lay there.


    Shit. A broken nose was not a good thing, was it?


    Maybe he would heal? He had the Mark, right?


    Did it work that way, though?


    His injuries had disappeared when he¡¯d drunk the blood of the Mutated Coyotes, but that was probably because he was, at the time, ticking the condition for achieving the Mark of Caduceus. During his fight with the Anaconda, his injuries had not healed in any way until he¡¯d turned into the Shadow of Asklepios.


    All in all, that meant that his first healing had been like a bonus for taking a step into the unknown.


    On the other hand, his blood could seemingly cure others, as seen with J, but if he wanted to cure his own wounds, he most likely would have to grab hold of the Mark¡¯s power.


    Rain would have taken into consideration drinking his own blood, but he was already technically doing that. His mouth had been busted, and as such his tongue was filled with the metallic tinge of his own blood. So he¡¯d already been gulping down his blood for a while now, and nothing was yet to change. It was obvious that it was futile. His only option was calling for the Mark.


    But¡­ He couldn¡¯t do that.


    What sacrifice would he have to offer? Whose heart would he have to eat? Would it be J¡¯s, since she was the only animal here? Tsk. There was no way he would ever do that.


    Ah. I seem to be losing my hearing now too.


    His sense of pain was still there; after all, his brain was transmitting the one filling his head well enough to him, so he knew, considering that he¡¯d died once already, that he was not on the verge of death. In other words, the madman¡¯s stake was yet to be plunged into him.


    Is it because of J? Rain wondered, countless stars in his view as he gazed up into the darkness infested ceiling. It can only be J. If not I would most likely be dead by now. She¡¯s doing something, isn¡¯t she?


    He suddenly wheezed with laughter¡ªhe was not sure if that made it to the outside world, though.


    One hit. Shit. I¡¯m losing my consciousness over one hit? How pathetic, Rain. This is the whole Chimera Anaconda fight over again. No. This is way worse. I don¡¯t even know this guy, so why am I in this situation? At least I went to the Anaconda myself, I take full responsibility for what had happened, but what is this? This is so comical it¡¯s annoying.


    This guy isn¡¯t even half as strong as the Anaconda, but he¡¯s able to deal you this much damage? How are you going to find your family, your memories, this way? At this rate you¡¯ll die before you even get far enough to achieve anything substantial.


    Dammit. That whole talk about being satisfied with just avoiding danger seems to have come around to bite me in the ass. Even my Attributes¡­ This is a wake up call, isn¡¯t it? Each of my Attributes complements the other, whether my fighting style relies on my Speed Attribute or not. If only I had enough point value in my Strength Attribute, then I might have been able to knock him out with that attack. Or at least dealt him some damage.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Each Attribute is just as important as the other, and so is retrieving my memory dependent on my survival, which is also dependent on my abilities. Nothing should be undervalued. Let that stick, Rain. Let that stick.


    Maybe it was because he had come to a bit of an enlightenment, but for a moment there Rain thought he saw J sidle upon him with relief on her face, as though everything had been settled and he would be safe. Perhaps he was hallucinating. Considering the part of his body that had been hit, that wasn¡¯t so far fetched now, was it?


    Rain was unable to fully understand what was happening, and a heartbeat later his senses shut down entirely so that he was unable to see even the faintest thing any longer¡ªbesides a screen of darkness that seemed to stretch on forever. At least that was until his brain flicked its switch completely off too.


    ###


    J had perked up her senses ever since she¡¯d smelled the scent of someone unusual walking in through the door of the bungalow. And when she¡¯d found out that the person was someone who seemed to bear ill intentions towards her Companion, naturally, she poised herself to attack him. She had sworn to herself to protect Rain no matter what, even if it cost her life. After all, it was only because of him that she still had a life to hold on to. There was no way she was letting anyone take him away from her.


    Although, at the moment she¡¯d set herself to get on with it, a sensation crept upon her spine from behind. She turned in response, and found an expression of determination lying on Rain¡¯s face.


    He wants to do it himself, J told herself. He has a plan.


    And as such, she did not think twice before leaping out of the way, opening a path to victory for the man she owed her life to.


    But¡­ There was something wrong. Rain had successfully attacked the man and was smiling, but it felt like he had been trapped. Could it be¡­?


    In that instant, the uninvited malice-filled stranger sent his head into Rain¡¯s, causing his body to lean backwards limply as though devoid of life; the only thing that kept him from falling to the dusty, weed infested floor was the fact that his hands were being held tightly.


    That scene did not provide J with delight, and she made sure to let her feelings be known.


    The hairs on her skin stood erect, her ears perked up, her tail stiffened, and her fangs and claws exposed themselves. A second later she pounced towards the malice-filled stranger, her sharp blades gifted to her by nature itself aiming for the man¡¯s chest. He had no choice but to release Rain from his grip and retreat backwards to avoid the slash.


    J was satisfied with that for now. As long as Rain wasn¡¯t close to that man she was fine with that.


    The malice on the man¡¯s face intensified. ¡°You mongrel!¡± She wasn¡¯t. ¡°I do not have the time to engage you. Begone!¡± J remained¡ªgrowling. ¡°Are your ears of no use?¡± The man pointed his stake towards Rain who was lying halfway unconscious on the floor. ¡°I only wish to take his life. Leave and I shall spare yours despite your insolence.¡±


    Of course J had no intention of listening to that nonsense, even though it was basically suicide.


    Growing up, she had never for once been good at hunting. The only things she could catch were falling leaves. After all, her senses were far duller than those of the average Jaguar.


    Unlike her brothers and sisters, who developed dominance and aggressiveness in the art, she grew more and more passive and timid as time passed and more failures piled up. And before she knew it her paws no longer moved her body towards the hunting grounds. At the end of the day, her life was only sustained by what little affection her mother and siblings had for her by leaving some flesh of their hunts whenever they could.


    Then the Plexus came, taking her far away from her family and putting her in a foreign zone, but in return offering her two ways to become better than her current self: Mental Mutation or Physical Mutation.


    She went with Mental, all because of her belief that it would grant her a greater hold on her senses¡ªit was what she lacked after all.


    And it did.


    Being Mentally Mutated made her smarter and blessed her with the ability to effectively decipher an animal¡¯s pattern of movements a lot more quickly than before. What it did not do, though, was offset her fear for the hunting grounds. Her constant failure had seeped so deep into her bones that she feared failing more than hunting. So whenever she came across an animal, she ran instead.


    Days went by in hunger, and in her quest for seeking any carcass that had been left about, she stumbled upon Rain.


    He saved her.


    The hunting grounds still feared her, but if venturing into it was what she had to do to protect the one who had fed her and kept her alive, then she would venture into as many as possible, even if it would cost her life.


    She crept forward.


    The malice-filled man gnashed his teeth. ¡°Blame your foolishness for your death!¡±


    Although, just before anything ensued, a figure slowly materialized out of the man¡¯s shadow. It was first pitch black, then it had a shape¡ªa lady¡¯s one¡ªand, lastly, Alice came into view.


    Noticing this, the man tried to turn around quickly, but before his body could respond to his desires Alice sent a chop into his neck, causing his eyes to roll into the back of his head as his large body dropped to the floor¡ªknee first.


    Instantly, J swerved around and hurried to Rain¡¯s side. His eyes had still been open then, but a second after her appearance it closed.


    He wore an expression of relief, and that incited a purr from J as she stuck out her tongue and licked off the blood that had ruined his handsome face.

 CHAPTER 38-THE BEST COOK

    A scene composed of a fuzzy mess of bright, blinding colors of orange and yellow unfurled before Rain¡¯s eyes, and within it vague, distorted shapes that felt all so familiar yet hauntingly alien.


    What was this?


    He wanted to touch upon his curiosity, and, in return, seek out answers as would be natural of him. But since his brain was apparently unable to perform its most basic of duties at this moment, Rain was left stranded, watching the peculiar but familiar scene as though through a misted window. At least until he was finally able to make out something.


    A mysterious figure was staring down at him from above his line of sight.


    Unlike the rest of the ethereal or chunky shapes around, this somewhat warped figure possessed a face, making Rain certain that they were human. And not only that, but female as well¡ªthe long and bright golden hair she had was proof of that.


    All of a sudden, an excited flutter swept into his belly, and with it came an unhealthy desire to stretch both his hands and touch this person¡¯s face, even though he couldn¡¯t quite recall who they were.


    He had to have known them. He definitely had to have known who this person was.


    Despite being unable to see her lips, he was sure she was smiling. Despite being unable to see her eyes, he was sure they were bright and calming. Despite being unable to touch her, he was sure that her embrace would be warm. Despite being¡ª


    ¡°Happy birthday¡­¡±


    Huh?


    At that moment, spiderwebbed cracks appeared over the scene in an abrupt manner as though it was a fragile glass and a large rock had been thrown into it. The already distorted images became even more deformed, and a second later they exploded into countless shards, disappearing into nonexistence.


    Rain¡¯s eyes snapped open instantly then, his whole experience just now fading away as quickly as the darkness of night when morning arrived, while his distorted senses slowly returned back to him.


    For a moment there he felt empty and lost, until the vines crawling over the beams of a ceiling came into view¡ªa ceiling he most definitely remembered¡ªand a message from the Plexus.


    [Side Plot Completed]


    Side Character Rain Leclair has successfully survived against his adversary.


    Rain¡¯s heart raced and his eyes widened as he recalled what he had been engaged in before he became unconscious.


    He wanted to jump up from the couch he was lying on, but the sharp pang that struck his head at that thought kept him still, and forced him to rationalize his situation instead of causing a ruckus.


    His gaze first found Alice and Sean.


    Alice was using a stake to roast the Mutated Wolverine in the parlor¡¯s furnace, and beside her were two transparent bottles with handwritten labels of pepper and curry spice on them.


    The origin of the tantalizing smoky smell that filled the air was confirmed.


    Sean was kneeling beside Alice, watching with curiosity and evident salivation as she twirled the Mutated Wolverine over the fire.


    As for J, she was lying down in close proximity to the couch he was upon.


    Alice had cut a portion of the Mutated Wolverine for her, but she was seemingly yet to dig her fangs into it, and instead just held it down with her paws.


    Rain was not sure why, but he smiled. At the very least, he was glad to still be alive. And the fact that he was, meant that J had kept him safe from being stabbed to death just in time for Alice to come back and rescue them from their tribulations. J did not seem to have attained any injuries, so Rain felt his deduction was on point. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    I¡¯m sure you knew you couldn¡¯t beat that madman, so jumping in and risking your life must have been hard. Thank you.


    ¡°Oh! Rain¡¯s awake!¡± The voice was Sean¡¯s, and with its arrival came a low growl from J as she rose up and turned to face the couch.


    Rain softly caressed his Companion¡¯s fur, before shifting his gaze over to Sean who had hurried over to him. The boy had a wide tranquil smile on his face. That smile, though, disappeared a second later and was replaced by a look of puzzlement.


    ¡°You¡¯re-You¡¯re crying.¡±


    Huh?


    Rain touched his cheeks and found out that Sean wasn¡¯t joking.


    He really was crying. Why?


    His thoughts froze as he was unable to figure out why that could be. Had he been hit so hard that he was crying while unconscious? If that was true, then, damn, that was one crazy hit.


    What had Alice even done to the man?


    Rain wiped his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he said to Sean. ¡°I probably just had a bad dream or something.¡± His eyes narrowed slightly then. He did have a dream, didn¡¯t he?


    Then why can¡¯t I recall anything?


    Alice sighed in a way that leaned more towards exasperation than relief, or maybe Rain was just overthinking it.


    ¡°If you¡¯re all better now, come and eat,¡± she said as she took off the roasted meat from the fire and placed it on the table at the center of the parlor. ¡°Or is this the part where you claim that you aren¡¯t hungry?¡± She looked over her shoulder.


    Rain chuckled. ¡°As if.¡±


    He was already standing up when she added, ¡°You¡¯re not going to ask what happened?¡±


    ¡°I have a broken nose,¡± Rain answered sarcastically. ¡°I kind of get the gist.¡± Alice didn¡¯t reply, so Rain decided to ask the question currently bothering him the most. ¡°What about the man?¡±


    Alice still didn¡¯t say anything, but this time she nudged her chin towards the sitting room¡¯s door. Rain turned towards that direction, and there, leaning on the door¡¯s frame, was the madman who had been both bark and bite some moments ago now all peacefully unconscious. Plus, he was tied in a manner that made him look as though he was a hostage¡­


    ¡­Ah. So that¡¯s the use of the rope you packed?


    ¡­Considering it was Alice, Rain did not discredit the possibility of that. Was she planning to feed him to the next mutant they come across in exchange for their free passage?


    He turned to her with a scrutinizing gaze. She held a kitchen knife with a better curvature than his and was cutting strips of flesh of the roasted meat and placing them on flat plastic plates¡ªthree, they were. But her being engaged did not stop him from speaking up.


    ¡°What do you intend to do with the man?¡±


    She replied without glancing at him, ¡°Would you rather I throw him out into the fog?¡±


    Rain fell silent.


    Good point.


    Tying him up was the only way to keep him here with them and free from the onslaught of the fog.


    But how tough was the rope? If the man had enough Strength points wouldn¡¯t he be able to rip it? Also, with all she¡¯d told him at the store, wouldn¡¯t throwing him into the fog be the go-to?


    Rain wondered as he took his seat on the floor before the table. He was finally about to make known his thoughts when Alice opened her mouth first. ¡°We have something to remove from him once we¡¯re done eating, so hurry up. We have to do it before he wakes up.¡±


    Curiosity became evident on both Rain and Sean¡¯s face as they were about to dig into the slices of meat they had been offered¡ªJ was already noisily ripping into hers, her concern not on the current discussion.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Rain asked.


    ¡°You¡¯ll find out when you¡¯re done eating.¡± Alice said nothing else, clasped her hands together in prayers, and after, ate.


    Rain decided not to bother her. That was basic table manners. He turned to Sean, who was seated beside him, and grinned. ¡°Let¡¯s find out how good Alice¡¯s cooking is, shall we?¡± he whispered jokingly, and Sean nodded, smiling.


    ¡°I can hear you,¡± Alice said, her words somewhat muffled.


    Rain acted as though he had not heard her speak. He then cleared his throat, and, as she had done, clasped his hands together.


    He was not sure how he¡¯d lived previously, but as for now he was learning how to live in a ruined world, and Alice was his mentor in that regard¡ªknown only to him, though. In other words, he would try to emulate her as much as he could. The good characteristics, to be more precise.


    ¡°Thank you for the food,¡± Rain muttered the first words that came to his mind and picked up a piece of neatly sliced meat.


    As he dipped it into his mouth he heard Sean utter the same words as he, maybe the boy had even clasped his hands as well, but that was not what made him moan in delight.


    A warm blend of the curry and pepper spices used to roast the Mutated Wolverine¡¯s meat had exploded in Rain¡¯s tongue and tingled his lips. Their bold flavors, which had seeped into every nook and cranny of the meat, made sure his mouth watered for more despite its toughness. It was a delectable experience.


    Rain turned to Alice with widened eyes, and even though she was acting oblivious to his gaze, he still went ahead to raise a thumb at her as he chewed.


    The best cook!

 CHAPTER 39-BRAIN-EATERS

    For Rain, his unexpectedly delicious meal was pushed down by a can of apple juice, while Sean and Alice each used a can of orange juice¡ªJ, sadly, had nothing to drink.


    It was not like Rain hadn¡¯t offered her a can of juice, though, she was the one who wasn¡¯t interested.


    Her similarity to humans seemed to stop in her brain, her tastebuds were still leaning towards her jungle side, and unlike Rain, she wasn¡¯t willing to switch sides because of her thirst. At least that was what he understood from her actions.


    Rain sighed and returned into Alice¡¯s bag the cans of peach and apple juice he had brought to J for her to make a choice.


    That there should have been the end of anything concerning food, but Sean had other ideas. He went for dessert, chowing down on a bar of chocolate.


    Alice didn¡¯t like that, but she gave up soon enough. After all, what good was stopping Sean when he¡¯d already begun to nibble on the bar of chocolate? It would just be a waste then. At the end of the day, it was better to let him eat it than to throw it away, or wrap it back up. The latter was not considered because the chocolate bar was already expired, letting air get into it would ruin it, rendering it abjectly useless.


    She warned him, though. This was the last time she would allow it. Rain was certain it wasn¡¯t.


    As for the rest of the Mutated Wolverine¡¯s roasted meat, Alice wrapped it up in a foil wrap she had taken from the M&S mall¡ªone of the many goods she¡¯d looted¡ªand stored it in her bag.


    Since it was roasted it wouldn¡¯t spoil anytime soon. They had a meal to last them for a while now as long as it was rationed well.


    Sure, they could just hunt down another beast once their current stock was exhausted, but that would slow them down. It was best to avoid any and every beast and plow forward to the GEF.


    Delay wasn¡¯t good considering what the world had turned into. Especially when things like that Chimera Anaconda and the Wraiths existed. The more time they wasted on their travels, the easier it would be for unforeseen things to happen. And those were rarely good. An example was the man Alice and Rain were standing over now.


    ¡°Can I hit him once¡ªbreak his nose like he did mine, perhaps?¡± Rain murmured, maybe to himself, but he was not the only one who¡¯d heard.


    ¡°If you wish,¡± Alice answered nonchalantly.


    ¡°Tch. Let¡¯s just get on with what we¡¯re doing.¡± He paused suddenly and blinked two times. ¡°What even is that?¡±


    Alice delayed for a second. ¡°I told you already. We have to get something out of him.¡±


    ¡°And that is?¡± Rain was extremely curious now.


    ¡°A brain-eater.¡± Alice tightened her grip on the candle she was holding, the fire atop it swaying softly. Rain was about to speak when she cut him off by continuing, ¡°Don¡¯t ask. It¡¯d be faster to show you.¡± He kept his lips together at that. She was right. Nothing beat having visuals, and it was not like she would not still explain then. ¡°Hold him steady and tip his head to his side.¡± Alice¡¯s instructions came, and Rain moved.


    He bent down, held the still unconscious man by his shoulder, and tipped his head at an angle that was not too low or high. Alice then squatted beside him and positioned the candle she held underneath the man¡¯s ear.


    Even though Rain was somewhat frightened of the various scenarios that could possibly arise from putting something as dangerous as fire close to a person, he kept his words well down his throat.


    Alice knew what she was doing. She always did.


    It was only a few seconds later before both Rain¡¯s curiosity and fright were banished from his mind. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Something came out of the madman¡¯s ear¡ªsomething worm-like. And, of course, Alice did not hesitate to instantly grab it with her forefingers and pull it out completely. She then quenched the candle¡¯s flame while stretching the thing at Rain.


    ¡°Brain-eater?¡± Rain murmured as he watched it wiggle in a futile attempt to escape from Alice¡¯s hold.


    It had glistening black skin that was stained by patches of ear wax and bits of blood, and on the place that seemed to be its head was a tiny claw-like appendage¡ªpresumably a pincer¡ªsnapping violently.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Alice said. ¡°This is a brain-eater.¡± Rain simply gulped as he let go of his grip on the madman, who Alice now turned her gaze to. There was blood trickling out of his ear. ¡°It¡¯s a parasite that invades a human¡¯s or animal¡¯s body and slowly takes control of their minds.¡± She turned back to Rain who was watching her silently. ¡°Then it makes their emotions spiral out of control and pushes them to their early death so that it can eat their brains.¡±


    ¡°Wh¡ª¡± Rain almost exclaimed, but he was able to stop himself in the nick of time; he did not want to wake up Sean and J who were already fast asleep.


    Alice nodded. ¡°I know. It seems crazy. But that¡¯s not the worst of it all.¡± She stood up, walked to the fireplace, and threw the wiggling brain-eater into it. Slowly it shrunk, and before long turned into ashes. ¡°Brain-eaters do not feed on brains because they¡¯re hungry, they feed on it to reproduce.¡± Rain¡¯s brows narrowed. ¡°Once a brain-eater feasts on a brain it dies after leaving its host''s body, then the nutrients its body absorbs will fertilize the eggs in its body and more brain-eaters will be produced.¡±


    A shaky one-sided smile appeared on Rain¡¯s face. ¡°What the hell?¡±


    ¡°Yes. One brain-eater produces four. If you ever feel like you¡¯ve begun to act irrationally, get a fire and get the thing out of your body. Also¡­¡±


    Rain understood where Alice was going with this. ¡°If I come across someone who seems to be infested by a brain-eater I should make sure not to kill them, right?¡±


    ¡°Any that pleases you.¡± Then she fell silent for a while. A few seconds later she added, ¡°You can kill them, but once the brain-eater leaves their body you make sure to burn it before it reproduces.¡±


    Rain was surprised, however he did not let it show on his face.


    He had considered the option Alice proposed a possibility, but he had not been expecting her to actually bring it up.


    Had he mischaracterized her? Was it not all a mask and she actually was not the kind woman he thought she was?


    Because he did not want to start doubting his choice of wanting her as an ally, Rain decided to take his mind away from such disheartening thoughts.


    ¡°Why did you not suspect me to be infested by a brain-eater at the mall?¡±


    ¡°I just told you. Emotions spiral out of control. You acted rationally at the mall; someone infested by a brain-eater would try to get into a fight as soon as they see a chance to.¡±


    I see¡­ Rain recalled when his emotions had gotten the better of him with J, but slicing open his palm would obviously have not led to his death. There was also his journey into the storm, though Alice would have reasoned that the fact he came back alive meant he was not suicidal.


    Yeah. Everything pointed to him being free of the suicidal chains of the brain-eaters.


    ¡°Hello¡­¡± Rain¡¯s gaze shot towards the curtained window of the parlor. He had just heard a voice come from there¡ªan old lady¡¯s. ¡°Could any of you young ones open the door for me? It¡¯s so dark out here, and an old lady can only walk around in it for so long.¡±


    Rain¡¯s face tightened. ¡°A Wraith, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Alice answered. ¡°Ignore it. It¡¯ll leave when it gets no answer.¡±


    At that moment Rain¡¯s mind flew to his stay at the hospital and he shuddered.


    Why had no Wraith appeared to deceive him then, giving that it would have most likely worked? Was it because he was on the upper floor, and it would be unrealistic if a person was asking to be let in from that height? That seemed reasonable. For the Wraiths to be able to mimic humans, it meant that they were smart beings.


    He exhaled, calming his thoughts down.


    ¡°Take the first watch,¡± Alice said as she spread a sheet over the floor and lay down. ¡°Wake me up when you¡¯re feeling sleepy.¡±


    Rain looked at her and smiled. ¡°Sure.¡± Then he stood up, took his medical records file out of his bag, as well as a pen he had picked up from the mall, and sat on the floor, near the couch beside J.


    He had a ton of questions to ask Alice, most he would have already put forth during their journey, but because she had been extremely focused on avoiding dangers as much as she could, he¡¯d decided to save them for later. Now he would have to do the same once more. She looked really tired.


    ¡°Young one, you¡¯re awake, aren¡¯t you? Would you open the door? I have a child here with me,¡± the old woman Wraith continued. ¡°It¡¯s quite cold out here too.¡±


    Why did you not mention the child sooner?!


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there in a moment. Give me a second,¡± Rain muttered as he flipped open his file and began to work on the faded words within it.

 CHAPTER 40-FREEDOM

    The snoring was growing louder and louder with each passing second, and it had gotten to the point where Rain was no longer able to hold back his displeasure.


    Should he just get up and smack the madman once or twice¡ªto get him to shut up, of course?


    Rain sighed, deciding not to do that. He had pulled through the deceitful pleas of the Wraiths all through the night, what was a mere few minutes of snoring?


    He yawned as he rolled his shoulders, a dull ache accompanied by small cracks due to his joints shifting back into place surfacing in return.


    They were stiff from him staying awake trying to recompose the faded words in his file, and despite the results not being as good as he¡¯d wanted, it was at least a start. He had completed the section bearing his personal information, and now knew that he had been born on the 17th of August, 2007. The rest of the information yet to be recomposed would have to wait until another time.


    Rain closed his file, his pen tucked within its pages, then he turned his attention towards something he had been meaning to get to for a while now; the Plexus Interface.


    [Plexus Interface]


    Player: Rain Leclair.


    Role: Side Character.


    Class: Lightweight.


    Division: Saint.


    Active Skill: Blade Saint (Low Level).


    Passive Skill: Aura. Photographic Memory. Navigator.


    Mark: Caduceus


    Epithet: [Shadow of Asklepios]


    Benefactor: None.


    Privilege: None.


    Golden Points: 00


    [Entertainment Level]         [Attributes]


    Huh? Navigator? Rain¡¯s eyes caught sight of an alien Passive Skill within the shimmering blue and purple words hovering before his view. But he was only confused for a moment before he had an understanding of its origins and why it was suddenly part of his arsenal.


    I see¡­ It must be because I was watching Alice all those times. The Plexus recognized me learning how to navigate¡­ This feels nice.


    Rain yawned again, this time scratching his eyes while at it. After which, he dragged his focus way down to the end of his Plexus Interface and stopped them on the section that read: [Entertainment Level].


    It had been a while now since he¡¯d been wondering what exactly this was, but there was barely any time for him to check it out.


    However, looking at it now brought some sort of eerie feeling upon his body.


    Entertainment¡­? It couldn¡¯t be, could it?


    Focusing on that section triggered something, since the Plexus Interface suddenly warped and swapped itself with a different set of words.


    [Side Character Rain Leclair¡¯s Entertainment growth is still dormant]...


    Immediately heat rose beneath Rain¡¯s eyelids as his body tensed and his muscles quivered.


    His thoughts had been right. He¡¯d sort of still been pushing it aside as far-fetched before, but now¡­ Those Benefactors Alice was talking about at the M&S mall, they really were some sort of higher beings who had turned earth to their playground. This message before his eyes was enough proof of that; and considering all he¡¯d seen already, it would be weird if he didn¡¯t believe in the existence of beings such as that.


    Rain gnashed his teeth and looked up at the ceiling. My family better be safe and well, you damned¡ª


    ¡°Rain,¡± Sean¡¯s voice called from his side, cutting off his thoughts abruptly. ¡°What are you doing?¡± The boy was still rubbing his eyes. Rain smiled and invited him to come sit.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Rain said. Sean picked up his file as he sat down beside him.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°My medical records,¡± Rain answered while ruffling Sean¡¯s hair.


    ¡°Huh? Medical?¡± Sean thought for a moment. ¡°Were you sick?¡±


    I think it was worse than that¡­


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Rain answered. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    Sean tilted his head at an angle. ¡°Why not?¡±


    Rain pursed his lips.


    The question threw him into silence because there was only one answer he could present for it, and, for some reason, he did not feel comfortable talking about his amnesia. He had been fine doing it with J for some reason, though.


    Anyways, he decided to change the subject, and he had the perfect one to bring up.


    Rain leaned in closer and whispered, ¡°Do you know anything about the Entertainment Level, Sean?¡±


    The words were self-explanatory, so of course he had a basic understanding of what they meant, but he liked to confirm if his thoughts were right or wrong.


    ¡°Entertainment Level?¡± Sean¡¯s folded expression, which stemmed from his curiosity for what Rain¡¯s predicament used to be, faltered and then relaxed.


    Rain nodded. ¡°Alice must have taught you about it, right?¡± Sean nodded as well, though somewhat stiffly. ¡°Great. Then, can you tell me about it?¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not a good teacher; shouldn¡¯t you ask Alice instead?¡± Sean dropped Rain¡¯s medical file back on the floor. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Rain looked at Alice who was silently lying on her side like she didn¡¯t exist within the walls of the parlor, and then back at Sean. ¡°She¡¯s sleeping. And I don¡¯t want to disturb her.¡±


    Sean glanced over there too and sighed. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll try then.¡± All of a sudden, he took on a different mien, one so startling that Rain nudged backwards instinctively. The boy narrowed his eyes and raised a finger like he was a lecturer with decades of experience. Did he learn that from Alice? ¡°Listen carefully. The Entertainment Level section is one that determines how a person is performing in Revelation¡­¡±


    Rain¡¯s brows pulled in. I thought you couldn¡¯t teach?


    ¡°...When it¡¯s no longer dormant, a vertical bar which is split from its base into sections of red, yellow, and green will appear. Red means warning, that a person is underperforming. Yellow means their performance is manageable. And green means it¡¯s perfect.¡±


    Rain already found out that his was dormant. As for Sean¡¯s and Alice¡¯s, he was obviously curious; although, he knew better than to pry. So he decided to ask something else, ¡°What happens to a person for each section, and what if theirs is still dormant?¡±


    ¡°Shhh¡­¡± Sean placed his finger on his mouth. ¡°Your job is to listen, I do the teaching. And I was getting to that.¡±


    The corners of Rain¡¯s lips twitched. Aren¡¯t you taking this a bit too seriously?


    ¡°When someone¡¯s Entertainment Level is still dormant, it means that they¡¯ve not done enough fun things to unlock the bar.¡±


    Fun things? What about what is happening is fun? Rain felt the spite within himself intensify.


    ¡°Is yours still dormant, Rain?¡± Sean seemed to have noticed his unusual expression; he quickly brought out a smile.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Heh. There¡¯s no need to be worried. As long as it¡¯s still dormant you¡¯re safe from the bad side.¡±


    ¡°The bad side?¡±


    ¡°Yup. When a person is entertaining enough, and their Level is in the green zone, they¡¯re able to change their Role from what they currently have to a new one¡ªa better one. Heh, the Protagonists can¡¯t do that, though, since that Role is the highest. But if it drops to the red zone, a Protagonist will become a Deuteragonist, a Deuteragonist will become a Side Character, and a Side Character will become a Background Character.¡±


    The way he worded the first half is different from the second half¡­


    ¡°In other words, you can choose to change your Role to a higher one if you¡¯re in the green zone or not, but you will definitely drop down if you¡¯re in the red zone?¡± Rain asked.


    Sean nodded, using that instance to take a pause.


    Rain knew that there was more. Nothing about what the boy had just told him seemed fitting for the words ¡®the bad side¡¯. At least, enough to make him worry.


    ¡°And?¡±


    Sean snapped back. ¡°And¡­ A Background Character dies if they drop to the red zone.¡±


    Rain¡¯s breath hitched.


    This was utter nonsense. Why did earth have to become an entertainment source for those Benefactors, and why did people have to die if they were boring? It was bullshit.


    His eyes turned towards the sleeping J, his mind full of wonder if the same rule applied to the other species as well.


    Sean continued, ¡°That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s why when your Entertainment Level unlocks you should try to be fun. You¡¯re a Side Character; you can easily fall down to the Background Character Role, and¡­ and¡­¡± Sean lowered his head and Rain placed his hand on it.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he ruffled the boy¡¯s chestnut hair, ¡°Do you think Alice can die?¡±


    ¡°Huh? No~¡±


    ¡°Then why would I? Like I said before, I¡¯m stronger and cooler than Alice. Also, if you don¡¯t trust me, who will?¡± The boy was silent. ¡°I obviously won¡¯t let those shitty Benefactors kill me just because they are bored. Since they want entertainment, I¡¯ll give them as much as they want.¡±


    Sean looked up. ¡°How?¡±


    Rain put a finger over his mouth. ¡°That¡¯s a secret.¡±


    The boy smiled, then he pursed his lips as if hesitating to say what was on his mind. A moment later he seemed to have come to a decision.


    ¡°Rain, I¡­ I have something to tell you.¡± Huh? ¡°I¡­ I have a¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sean,¡± Alice¡¯s voice appeared out of nowhere, still as firm as ever. And even though it did not carry any harshness, it did well to startle Sean and keep whatever words he had been trying to let out within his esophagus.


    Rain turned to see her sitting up, then he took a glance at Sean.


    I see¡­ It¡¯s one of ¡®em secrets, huh?


    Rain dropped his hand from Sean¡¯s head and smiled at Alice. ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wake me up?¡± She had a fierce look on her face. Shouldn¡¯t she be glad she had slept to her satisfaction?


    ¡°Because I wasn¡¯t tired.¡± Her brows narrowed at his reply, and her eyes scrutinized him.


    It was that obvious?


    Alice turned to Sean. ¡°Pack up. It¡¯s time to leave.¡± Sean stood up at those words and went on with his duty. Then she shifted her attention towards the now-silently snoring madman by the door. ¡°What should we do with him?¡± Rain was taken aback by that question that he was unable to come up with a reply. She looked at him. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Rain cleared his throat. ¡°Nothing.¡± The truth? He had not been expecting her to ask for his input. ¡°We should leave him here.¡±


    Alice had barely taken him in with her, she was obviously not going to add another person to her crew, so he did not waste his time to pose it as an option.


    And as if to prove his point, she nodded without hesitation; after which, she rose to her feet.


    It was now.


    ¡°I want you to be my mentor,¡± Rain spoke firmly, and his words halted whatever Alice had been intending to do as she turned to him with a dazed look. Sean was no different.


    ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    Rain spared a glance at her scabbard where her sword was tucked within. ¡°I want you to be my mentor. I want you to teach me how to survive. Lots of thoughts made it into my head through the night, one was the possibility of increasing my Attribute points by training. I¡¯m sure you already know what I mean.¡±


    He had called forth his Attribute Interface a while back, and he¡¯d noticed that his Stamina had increased by a single point. This was one of the reasons why he¡¯d pushed his body past its limits to last until daybreak.


    On the other hand, he was not sure why this had not happened until now. Maybe it was because every other time he¡¯d been involved in a battle so it had been offset by him gaining Experience Points instead.


    Well, the important thing was he¡¯d confirmed that he could grow his Attributes without having to rely on only killing beasts. And, of course, he had to. His fight with the madman had taught him a valuable lesson. Running away wouldn¡¯t work in this world. He had to be strong enough to fight¡ªto fend for himself. Alice was his lifeline in that regard.


    ¡°And?¡± Alice queried. ¡°Why should I cut out my time to train you?¡±


    It was only right that she said that. Him journeying with her was not her idea, and her only priority was Sean and getting to the GEF as quickly as possible. He would have to talk her into accepting, one way or another.


    ¡°Freedom,¡± Rain answered.


    ¡°Freedom?¡± Alice¡¯s eyes narrowed. Her expression was one of bewilderment. ¡°Not because you want to survive?¡±


    Rain smiled warmly.


    ¡°Survival is just a perk of freedom,¡± he said. ¡°You told me that you did not want the burden of someone¡¯s death on your conscience; well, I am the same. The stronger I am, the freer I¡¯ll be. I won¡¯t have to worry about my survival, or that of my loved ones; after all, I would be strong enough to protect anything and anyone I hold dearly. Not having anything weighing down on your conscience because you couldn¡¯t do this or that in time, or due to some other circumstances, if that is not freedom, then what is?¡±


    It came slowly. First there were puffs, then suddenly Alice laughed. It was a quiet one.


    Rain was shocked¡ªSean too. It had only been two days since they¡¯d been together, but it felt like he had not seen her laugh in a millennium.


    His cheeks and the tip of his ears turned red. Was what he¡¯d said so funny?


    ¡°I see. Freedom, huh?¡± Alice began. ¡°I¡¯m amused. Alright.¡± Rain beamed and was about to thank her when she added, ¡°Although, I wonder how long it will take you¡ªmmh, maybe a year or two¡ªto realize that there¡¯s no such thing as freedom. Most especially not in this current world.¡±


    Maybe some other time those words would have put a dent on Rain¡¯s motivations, but right now, the sheer prospect of him being able to grow and cater for himself in the long run was unwavering. His smile remained as J let out a deep, expansive yawn that seemed to shake the bungalow.


    The madman woke up.

 CHAPTER 41-EXPEDITION

    Sam watched as the young woman who introduced herself as Hande Yilmaz picked out a matchstick from its matchbox and lit a candle seated upon a miniature silver stand.


    She had pale skin, long curly silver hair, and green eyes. These features combined together made her so mesmerizingly beautiful that even though she was approaching with something as dangerous as fire he couldn¡¯t pull his eyes away from her blood red thin lips that were curved into a smile.


    His heart was pounding crazily. What was this feeling?


    ¡°Tilt your head to the side,¡± Hande said as she pulled a stool over and sat directly before Sam.


    She was of Turkish origin and so had an accent when she spoke. But even that was pretty to the ear. At least, Sam was not bothered. Maybe he couldn¡¯t even be. They were in a clinic, and just staring at her face caused the thick smell of medicine in the air to be lost to him.


    He did not like this, but he did not want it to stop.


    Sam obliged and tilted his head, and Hande leaned in closer, her breath pouring on his face in return. The tip of his ears reddened, and it was definitely not because of the fire placed underneath his right one.


    Hande caught him staring then, and her smile widened.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible, you know?¡±


    Sam¡¯s gaze shifted from her neck to her emerald eyes. He gulped. ¡°What is?¡±


    ¡°Us.¡± She chuckled at Sam¡¯s expression. ¡°Keep your head stable. We don¡¯t want the fire burning you, now, do we?¡±


    Sam blinked twice. ¡°What do you mean ¡®us¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Well. For one, I¡¯m thirty and you¡¯re seventeen.¡± Sam¡¯s gaze remained stoic. ¡°And I have a boyfriend.¡± Now they faltered, only just.


    A boyfriend? Why should I care? The age difference didn¡¯t even bother him.


    Although, he didn¡¯t speak out his thoughts. Instead, he just sighed and said, ¡°I understand.¡±


    Hande smiled at that reply, oblivious to the fact that Sam was not insinuating he would put a stop to his supposed crush on her.


    Regardless of what went on in each of their minds, the room fell silent then, with only the occasional sounds of people outside breaking it in intervals.


    Sam came to realize from the discussion he¡¯d had with the faction leader, Luca Belluci, the day past that the Hunter¡¯s Faction consisted of a whopping sum of at least two hundred people.


    He had wondered why he had not gotten the exact head count but did not bother pushing it with the faction leader. The man had a pleasant face, but the sort of aura he emitted gave Sam the chills. And that was why he answered truthfully when he was asked about the Role he had received from the Plexus.


    Sam did not need it spelled out to him.


    A faction with over two-hundred people had not even a single Protagonist, and the presence of one meant a Glade could spawn at random moments. It was obvious why. And since he¡¯d confirmed that he wasn¡¯t one, he saw no use in lying.


    Besides, what good would come from building distrust between himself and the faction leader?


    Their conversation continued on with the faction leader spelling out what and what was not acceptable in the faction¡ªat least after he¡¯d made sure Jim had already told Sam the basics of what was going on in the world, as well as how he¡¯d wound up in this faction. Out of all the things Sam had heard, the one which stood out to him the most was the rule towards ¡®deserters¡¯.


    Attempting to leave the faction meant that the person was a deserter, and a deserter was someone who was a spy from another faction, or who wanted to trade the secrets of their faction to another, or even build their own faction with those secrets as a base. There were more reasons as to why deserters were subjected to being punished by execution, but Sam already got the gist, so the faction leader did not bother. It was then that Sam also came to understand that the three people who had been beheaded at the shore were deserters.


    Well, he did not recall anything about himself so where would he go?


    Granted, it was only natural that he should seek out his family considering the situation, but he had no base ground to work with. Furthermore, they could be dead already. Wouldn¡¯t he just be putting himself in harm¡¯s way unnecessarily if he chose to traverse the ruins earth had become with no particular aim in mind? He would rather stay in the Hunter¡¯s Faction considering all that. Here, he could learn how to survive, how to protect himself, and possibly, be thrilled beyond reason.


    For that last thought, a chance was presented to him when the bald, wiry man he¡¯d met at the gate of the lighthouse came into the faction leader¡¯s office bearing news from a scout on the appearance of a Glade.


    Of course, Sam had been sent back to the farmstead then, so he had been unable to hear anything further, although he''d gotten the gist by then. An expedition was coming up. In other words, monsters were going to present.


    Despite being perturbed about how they were going to activate the Glade since they had no Protagonists in the faction, from then, up until now, there had been only one thought plaguing him: He had to join in.


    Sam had wanted to bring it up to Jim, since he was the second in command, but he¡¯d decided to put it on hold until after he was successfully cleared from being infested by a brain-eater and he¡¯d selected his Division and Skill. After all, as the faction leader had told him, those two things had to be cleared out of the way before he would be allowed to engage in any major activities in the faction.


    He¡¯d already made his choice on what Division he wanted after carefully scrutinizing each all through the night until this morning¡ªthe damned Wraiths had bothered him, but he¡¯d easily been able to block out their pleas soon later. The only reason he was yet to make known his decision to the Plexus was because he had been busy ever since. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Jim had made him clean, even though he was yet to have breakfast¡ªthat alcoholic was an animal. And now he was making sure his medical records were clean.


    ¡°You¡¯re all good.¡± The warmth surrounding Sam¡¯s ear subsided as Hande pulled away from him and stood up, the lab coat she wore swaying as she turned around. ¡°No brain-eater.¡±


    Sam straightened his neck. ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Hande dropped the candle stand on the table, then turned around and leaned on it. Her blood red lips were still in a graceful smile. Sam was confused why, considering how she¡¯d put him off early on.


    ¡°So, how are you feeling?¡±


    Sam¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Fine¡­ I guess.¡±


    ¡°Have anything you want to talk about?¡±


    Where¡¯s this coming from?


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Sam asked.


    ¡°Well, you look like you have a lot on your mind,¡± Hande said. ¡°It¡¯s not good to keep things buried in, you know?¡±


    I see where this is going.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who checked me out when I was brought in, I suppose?¡± Hande nodded with downturned lips. ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry. I¡¯m perfectly fine. My loss of memories isn¡¯t troubling me in any way. But of course, if it gets to that stage, I¡¯ll make sure to let you know.¡±


    Hande repeated her previous action. Then she picked up a medical record folder and penned something inside. ¡°Rest up. I¡¯ll get Richie.¡± She patted his shoulder as she left the room.


    It would most likely take a bit of time for Richie to get here, depending on where he was, so Sam decided to just get his Division and Skill selection over with. As soon as they got back to the farmstead he was going to lay bare his claim to that alcoholic. Hopefully the man would not already be drunk by then.


    How come there was so much alcohol, by the way?


    Sam summoned the Plexus, and it brought forth the words he had last engaged with before pushing them aside.


    [Divisions available for Deuteragonist Sam Leclair as a Lightweight]:


    [Elementalist Division]: The elements of the world are all controllable, but that depends on if you want to hold their reins.


    [Rogue Division]: Stealth and trickery entices you, a world where you are no longer the prey but the predator. Such a world exists, and it awaits you.


    [Saint Division]: Extravagance is rarely your forte, but perfection is. A fighter you believe you are? Then skills fit for such are yours for the taking.


    [Make your choice Deuteragonist Sam Leclair]...


    Rogue Division¡­ Since he¡¯d already thought it out long before now, he did not hesitate one bit.


    In fact, why had he even considered choosing anything else? The simple words ¡°you are no longer the prey but the predator¡± should have been enough to convince him right from the start. Taking into consideration what the world had turned to, none of the other Divisions would probably be able to lace the boots of the Rogue Division. This was the perfect Division for survival, and, most of all, thrills.


    [Division selected]...


    [Assigning Rogue Division to Deuteragonist Sam Leclair]...


    [Assignment successful]...


    [Selected Division cannot be changed]...


    [Proceeding]...


    [Skill selection has been unsealed]...


    [Proceed to select Skill?]...


    Proceed¡­


    [Rogue Division]


    [Shadow Walker]: A Skill that plunges its user into a world of stealth. As long as shadows exist, traversing them is a feat.


    [Shadow Panther]: A Skill which grants its user the pinnacle of nocturnal abilities. Darkness is home to the Panther of Shadows.


    [Shadowmancer]: Stealth has been exchanged for Trickery. This Skill grants its user the ability to manipulate shadows into whichever state they feel pleasant.


    [Shadow Clones]:Two heads are better than one? How about five or more? This Skill grants its user the ability to create clones from shadows.


    [Make your choice Deuteragonist Sam Leclair]...


    If a person wasn¡¯t sure of their goals, then deciding on a particular Skill would surely put them in some sort of dilemma. Not Sam though. He knew what he wanted, and the best Skill that would provide him that was none other than¡­


    Shadowmancer¡­


    [Skill selected]...


    [Assigning Shadowmancer to Deuteragonist Sam Leclair]...


    [Assignment successful]...


    [Selected Skill cannot be changed]...


    [Proceed to Plexus Interface?]...


    Those words appeared as soon as the fleeting ethereal tingle which had caressed Sam¡¯s body subsided. It was then, just before he could respond to the latest question he had been asked, that Richie spoke from behind him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Sam turned around to see the apathetic teenage individual already walking off.


    It seemed he had not been that far away from the clinic after all.


    Sam then exhaled and stood up, prompting the messages to revert back to the pulsing blue and purple light in his peripheral vision.


    ###


    The drive back to the farmstead was all silence. Most of the time Sam and Richie spent together was.


    Of course, Sam was not particularly interested in conversing with the boy that much, but it still felt stiffening.


    Was this the ¡®opposite poles attract¡¯ kind of thing? Maybe. Since they both didn¡¯t enjoy talking or long conversations they were not compatible.


    Well, that was the least of his concerns at the moment. The one at the top of his list was getting that alcoholic to help him join in whatever expedition was going to happen.


    Sam was just about to bring that up as soon as he walked into the cabin, though he stopped himself when he saw that Jim wasn¡¯t drunk but setting up the dining table with an apron around his waist. He wrinkled his brows at the sight.


    I¡¯m not hallucinating, am I¡­?


    ¡°Ah. You boys are back.¡± Jim pulled off his mittens. ¡°Made potatoe porridge. It¡¯s gonna be a bit spicy, but you¡¯ll manage.¡±


    ¡°You cooked?¡± Sam had to confirm his suspicions, while Richie simply walked into the kitchen and brought out a mug of water.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the tone, boy?¡± The burly cowboy took off his apron then too.


    Sam watched as Richie quietly began serving the porridge into the bowls that had been set and he shook his head as a reply to Jim¡¯s question. ¡°Nothing. By the way, I have something to discuss with you.¡±


    Richie had told him that the reason both of them were living with Jim was because he was the one who had saved them both. It was one of the rules in the faction. Saving an individual meant it became a duty to cater for their needs.


    Although, that was obviously not the topic of what he wanted to talk about.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Jim pulled out a bottle of whiskey from a cabinet and Sam frowned slightly. What had he been expecting? ¡°That¡¯d be after breakfast, boy. Talking while eating causes constipation. Now sit.¡±


    Sam did not talk back and simply took his seat. Richie put a bowl of porridge before him.


    Breakfast was served.

 CHAPTER 42-FOUR QUESTIONS

    Alice was a crazy woman.


    Rain had come to that realization after watching her knockout the madman not long after he¡¯d woken up, not even giving him a moment to collect most of his thoughts.


    All Rain had wanted to figure out was what the madman¡¯s ravings had been about, how he can to know him, and why his emotions of revenge towards him had been heightened, but the man had given him nothing to work with.


    As it turned out, he¡¯d never seen Rain before.


    Alice had told him then that the actions a person took when a brain-eater was in them was catered to lead them to death, so it never made sense; worse was that it was forgotten as soon as they¡¯d gotten themselves back. This was the main reason for her knocking the man out since she was not interested in engaging in his blabbering.


    Imagine not wanting to give a confused person answers?


    Well, if that had been too little for him to consider her crazy, he now had a more solid reason.


    When he¡¯d asked her to be his mentor, he had not been expecting to be turned into a battle slave in return.


    During his request he¡¯d made sure to place emphasis on his realization of the feasibility of gaining Experience Points through normal physical training, so why¡­ Why in the world was she doing this to him?


    [Side Plot: Completed]


    Side Character Rain Leclair has successfully eliminated his adversary.


    [Bestowed Reward(s)]


    +2 Experience Points (Assignable).


    [Proceed to assign?]¡­


    With a tired grunt, Rain pulled his knife out of the deceased Mutated Badger sprawled on the ground.


    This was the fourth one already since they¡¯d arrived at Bathgate from Dechmont, and they were yet to be five hours into their journey. He couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    Just like the wharf rat at the hospital, badgers relied on their agility, making his tussle with them quite hectic.


    Due to the mutation they¡¯d undergone, their bodies had become more pronounced, their claws longer and sharper, and their spiky furs needle-like sharp. Furthermore, their squat bodies made it easy for them to break his defenses in a single move, even faster than the wharf rat at the hospital.


    It was only for two Attributes and a singular reason that he had not died to their onslaughts, and those were his Durability and Speed Attribute and the fact that he only fought a single badger at a time. Unlike the Coyotes, they did not attack in packs, and for that Rain was glad.


    Also, no matter how much they slashed at him, their claws could not seem to do any significant damage to his skin. The cuts were always so shallow. Despite this, he did not enjoy being cut, so he always tried to evade their attacks whenever he could by timing his steps correctly and pushing himself back when an attack came at him.


    His battles with the badgers made him realize that he had been neglecting his Agility. If there was enough points assigned to them maybe he would have been able to dodge every attack that was thrown his way, possibly even the madman¡¯s headbutt.


    Now, if only Alice would let him do what he needed to do to improve his capabilities.


    Was she trying to kill him?Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    Rain turned around while panting. Alice was seated on a log of wood with her legs crossed while reading a book. Sean was beside her, and J¡­


    The Jaguar raised its head from the languid position it had been in and locked eyes with Rain for a moment. Then it yawned and turned away. Steam rose from Rain¡¯s head.


    Damn Jaguar! Don¡¯t just eat my kills, help!


    He exhaled and approached. ¡°It¡¯s getting harder. I¡¯m exhausted.¡± Rain¡¯s words were directed at Alice, and she knew it.


    ¡°Sean, pass him a can of juice, would you?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Sean leaned over and dug his hand into Alice¡¯s backpack, bringing a peach one and tossing it at Rain.


    He gulped greedily, emptying the can before throwing it away. ¡°Can I not assign my points to my Attributes yet?¡±


    ¡°Is that your question?¡± Alice looked up from the book she was reading, her eyes peeking from the upper rims of her rectangular glasses.


    Rain had not been expecting her to be someone who read with glasses, so he had been surprised when she¡¯d first brought it out along with a book. In all honesty, maybe his surprise had come from her nudging him to fight alone when they¡¯d come across the first badger he¡¯d slain. All in all, he was used to seeing her with glasses now. Not like he had a choice in the first place.


    ¡°No,¡± he replied with a shake of his head.


    They had made a deal. For every beast he killed, he would get to ask her a question. This was because she did not let him assign his Experience Points to his Attributes, forcing him to continually fight in his current version even though he could make himself stronger.


    Of course he could just assign his points in secret and she wouldn¡¯t notice, right?


    Wrong.


    There was an Attribute called Perception within the Plexus; he was not going to risk losing his mentor out of stubborness. If only she would tell him the reason why she was forcing him to fight the way he was instead of teaching him the ins and outs of handling a blade. It was for that particular reason he had asked her to be his mentor.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s your question?¡± Alice closed her book and took off her glasses, putting them both back into her backpack. ¡°Hurry up. We don¡¯t have the time to be dawdling about here.¡±


    This was a chance for him to find out why Alice was doing this to him under the pretext of training, but just like the prior three times before now, Rain did not bring it up. Instead, he focused on clearing the saved up questions he¡¯d been itching to ask for two days now. And he¡¯d already gotten answers to three from them.


    The first question of his was why exactly she had chosen the route they were following currently. He had seen on the map that passing through Newcastle would have been quicker than through Edinburgh, and so he had been confused on why she¡¯d chosen the longer one. The answer? The path through Newcastle was filled with more beasts than the path through Edinburgh. This was apparently confirmed by a survey done at the GEF.


    It seemed that those guys did a lot of surveys. Well, they were the biggest faction, right?


    His second question was on how she¡¯d gotten to Edinburgh from the GEF. Precisely what brought her there in the first place. This question had been seemingly hard for her to answer, but she¡¯d finally given a vague reply that she had wound up there during an expedition. Rain had felt like he shouldn¡¯t push further, so he¡¯d stopped.


    Why her sword was blue lustered had been his third question, and her answer was one that fascinated him. It had been made from the core of a monster from a Glade.


    This short answer changed the whole narrative of the question he had had ready for his fourth.


    His initial intention had been to push his luck and ask Alice what her Division and Skill was. She¡¯d promised to answer any of his questions, after all. But now, he wanted to know about this Glade of a thing. In fact, it was something he should have asked about long before now. It was one of the first things the Plexus had shown to him. Why had he forgotten to put something so important first?


    ¡°The Glades,¡± Rain said without hesitation. ¡°Tell me about the Glades.¡±


    Alice uncrossed her legs and looked up at the sky as she pondered. Rain could see the same pensive expression she¡¯d had when he¡¯d asked her how she¡¯d come to be in Edinburgh from the GEF.


    The expedition, it¡¯s related to the Glade, isn¡¯t it?


    He¡¯d come to realize that most of the time his thoughts were always right, so he had a bit of surety that he was also correct about this too. And that made him sigh.


    Seeing Alice¡¯s usual stoic expression waver tugged at his heartstrings more than he could imagine. If the answer to his question would be at the price of her emotional state, then he would rather put a hold on receiving that answer. Or rather, he would just wait until they got to the GEF. There he could ask someone about it. The fact that Alice herself had not brought up the Glade meant that it would not pose any troubles to them on this journey. He had no reason to rush it¡ªwell, besides the urgency the Plexus had tagged it with. But that was a problem for later.


    ¡°There''s no need to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Portals to other worlds,¡± Alice interjected. Rain nudged a brow up, and she looked down from the sky and at him. ¡°They are simply portals to other worlds.¡±

 CHAPTER 43-GLADES

    There was a snapped twig. Alice bent down and examined it for a moment, then she glanced at J, and Rain gestured for her to assist. She strode there, sniffed the twig, and purred.


    ¡°More badgers?¡± Rain asked with pursed lips. At this point maybe the whole of Bathgate was theirs.


    Alice was silent at first, then her gaze traced something along the ground before she nodded. Rain looked over at the direction where her eyes had stopped and saw a large hole dug into the ground. His heart stiffened. He was not in the mood to fight now.


    Luckily for him, Alice seemingly did not feel like forcing him to seek out the badger and fight it either.


    Well, he knew why.


    This was as a result of the question he¡¯d brought up on the Glades¡ªmaybe even a culmination of all his questions since they were all related. Alice¡¯s mood had gloomed ever since.


    She brought out the map from her backpack, scrutinized it, and pointed in a direction to her right. ¡°Let¡¯s go that way. We¡¯ll circle around and get back on track.¡±


    Rain frowned. ¡°Why? We can just silently continue on and not alert the badger.¡±


    ¡°This badger is mentally mutated.¡± Rain¡¯s expression worsened. ¡°See these leaves¡­ They stretch a long way. It¡¯s marked this area as its territory. If we step inside, it¡¯ll be alerted of our presence.¡±


    Rain understood. It was just like what had happened with the Chimera Anaconda. Alice had already explained to him that mentally mutated beasts were alerted once an alien presence wandered into their territory. And obviously they were the worst types of beasts to battle because of their wits. Strength does not equate to victory against them, especially in a surrounding they were the more familiar with.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he said with a nod.


    They continued on with Alice in the lead. It was not until after a few minutes of walking did she finally decide to bring back up the conversation she had paused.


    ¡°So¡­ Where was I?¡±


    ¡°Portals to other worlds,¡± Rain answered.


    After she¡¯d told him that, she had said that she would continue the conversation on the way so as not to waste time and get caught outside when night came. Rain had not pressured her to talk since because of what he felt was her emotional status. He let her take it at her own pace. Now that she seemed ready, he would not object.


    ¡°Do you recall what the Plexus said about them? Watch your feet, Sean.¡±


    Rain followed after Alice, Sean, and J, as they climbed over the extremely large fallen tree in their path. ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°Spawned Glades are to be ventured into within 48 hours. Repercussion for failure? Melding will occur.¡±


    Alice looked back with a bit of amusement on her face. ¡°I don¡¯t recall how exactly it was written, but why did what you say seem so¡­¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Because that¡¯s exactly how it was written¡­ Rain smiled indistinctly as Alice returned her gaze to her front.


    ¡°Anyways, like I said, the Glades are portals to various other worlds. And these worlds are filled with beasts of different kinds. And no, not the mutated animals kind on earth. These ones are much more dangerous and frightening.¡± Rain listened attentively, his nearly invisible Adam''s apple bobbing up and down as he reflexively swallowed occasionally. ¡°No one knows when they¡¯ll spawn, but what has been figured out is the criteria for a Glade to appear. And it is that at least five people have to be gathered together, with a Protagonist among them.¡±


    Rain¡¯s mind instinctively shifted towards their number, not sure whether to include J as a person or not; but even if he did, their headcount was four. They were safe. No. They were lucky. A Glade could have spawned the night past, and from how the Plexus had composed the message regarding this, it seemed like they could not just change their location if one appeared.


    ¡°They can¡¯t be avoided too,¡± Alice added, and if Rain had been in possession of any doubts, they were eradicated now.


    He also realized why a Protagonist had to be amongst the people gathered, and that was because they were the only ones with the ability to activate a Glade.


    ¡°Because of the Melding, huh?¡± Rain asked as he leaned over and picked up a thin tree branch to scratch his back.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Alice answered.


    ¡°What is the Melding?¡± Sean was the one to speak, and because he¡¯d turned around to do so, he¡¯d almost stumbled over. J was quick enough to put her back in the way and catch him. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said after the mild scare.


    Alice sighed. ¡°Well, it has yet to happen, but from what the word means, it¡¯s been denoted to be when a world beyond a Glade merges with our own. In other words, the beasts on the other side will come into earth.¡±


    Sean visibly shuddered, Rain was no different.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be good,¡± Rain said.


    ¡°Obviously.¡±


    ¡°These worlds beyond the Glades, are they like¡­ you know¡­¡±


    Alice glanced at him. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯ve only been to¡ª¡± She cut herself off and Rain realized he had gone down the path he had not wanted to cross.


    It was her first, and it ended badly¡­


    He was about to change the subject when she continued, ¡°I¡¯ve only been to one. That¡¯s the expedition that brought me to Edinburgh.¡±


    I was right. Rain silently exhaled. He decided not to ask anymore questions, leaving Alice to say what she wanted to say when she wanted to say them.


    ¡°We were ten that went in,¡± Alice began, a morose look on her face. ¡°You know, these Glades are classified into three types by the Plexus, Low Class, Intermediate Class, and Supreme Class.¡± Rain looked at her in silence as they walked through the woods. She never talked this much. ¡°We only find out which type spawned when it is activated and there¡¯s no choice left but to go into it. This is why the Plexus gives forty-eight hours for preparation.¡±


    She fell silent for a moment.


    ¡°Well, the preparation didn¡¯t help much in the grand scheme of things. It was a Low Class Glade, no doubt, and we all had sufficient training and enough points to our Attributes.¡± She looked at Rain, grabbed the hilt of her sword and unsheathed it halfway, revealing its blue luster. ¡°We all had this too. First Class grade weapons made from the cores of minion monsters of previously cleared Intermediate Level Glades.¡± She re-sheathed it. ¡°They were supposed to be able to harm even the boss monsters of an Intermediate Level Glade.¡±


    She was speaking as though Rain knew what minions and boss monsters of the Glades were, but he did not bother her. And besides, he got the gist even if she didn¡¯t expatiate on her words.


    ¡°But they didn¡¯t help one bit,¡± Alice added with a stiff voice. ¡°Funnily, it was a Low Class Glade, but still, we were helpless against the boss monster. Everyone was wiped out, every single one except me. It was¡­ It was¡­¡± She paused after those words, and never continued.

 CHAPTER 44-SEA TERMINAL

    The rumbling sound of sea waves hitting against the quay fought its way through the rowdy noise of those who had gathered to watch the members of the Raiding Division set off from the Isle of Man¡¯s sea terminal in Douglas. Sam was among those who were chosen, or rather, he had forced his way in.


    It had not been easy convincing Jim to vouch for him to join. And it was for two very big reasons. One was that he had no experience engaging in such things¡ªhe had only just woken up from his coma after all. The second was that those going on the expedition were set to leave soon.


    At the time, which was immediately after his breakfast, that had shocked Sam. He had not been expecting the expedition to begin so soon. It had just been yesterday, during the arrival of sunset that the news of a Glade appearing had gotten to the faction leader¡¯s ears, so his shock was justified.


    It was Richie who had quelled his confusion in place of Jim who gulped down his whiskey directly from its bottle. He said, ¡°Glades have 48 hours before they initiate a cooldown.¡± The boy of little words had stopped there, so Sam had no choice but to force more words out of him. ¡°Cooldown is when the Glade shuts down and disappears until it spawns again.¡±


    Richie had to learn now to expatiate on certain things; this infuriated Sam so much that he had to take in a deep breath to calm himself. As he did that, Jim decided to entertain him.


    ¡°After a Glade spawns randomly and a batch of Players activate it and enter, it changes its location¡­¡±


    Sam already knew the reason why that happened. Well, not exactly. What he knew was that walking into a Glade in one location did not equal walking out back to that location. A Low Level Glade changes its location between cities or villages in close proximity. An Intermediate Glade changes between countries. And a Supreme Glade was between continents.


    ¡°...The Glade remains in the new location, barring its access to anyone else until the batch of Players inside come out, either after clearing the Glade or running away, or they¡¯re locked inside, as Richie said¡­ Cooldown.¡± Jim paused and gulped down hard on his whiskey. Sam decided to wait. The alcoholic took his breaks, but when he talked, he made more things known than Richie ever could. ¡°The Glade spawned in Bull bay. That¡¯s on the northern coast of Wales. Close to Amlwch. It takes at least 20 hours on the ferry to get there. You can imagine why departure is set for noon now, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Sam still didn¡¯t understand a few things about the Glades, especially how they were going to access the one they were going on this expedition for, considering everything that had been said, but he realized that this wasn¡¯t the time to start asking questions about it. In fact, he would possibly learn better at Bull bay. Visuals were greater than words, after all. His priority for now was hurrying to be added to the Raiding Division.


    He rose up from his chair as Richie packed up the dishes and headed to the kitchen.


    ¡°I have to go on this expedition.¡± There was a fierce look on his face. ¡°Recommend me. The faction leader will listen to you.¡±


    Jim eyed him. ¡°He would. But I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    Jim looked at his empty whisky bottle, tsked, then stood up and went to lie down on a couch in the sitting room. ¡°Because you don¡¯t have any training. You trying to kill yourself?¡±


    ¡°The world has gone to shit!¡± Sam flared. ¡°What do you mean training? If I¡¯m to survive I can¡¯t just sit down here where everything is cozy, I have to see what exactly is going on for myself. Recommend me.¡±


    Jim was still not having it. He pointed at Sam. ¡°No one will have the chance to be looking after you there, boy. They won¡¯t care. I saved you, I have the right to choose how you die.¡±


    Fucker! Sam¡¯s chin stiffened for a moment. ¡°I don¡¯t intend to die.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you go on this expedition the way you are without any protection, you will.¡±


    Without any protection? Sam had an idea.


    ¡°Richie can come with me.¡±


    Instantly, Richie looked out of the kitchen and shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna go.¡±


    Sam glared at Jim. ¡°I don¡¯t see this as some sort of child¡¯s play if that¡¯s what you think. Like I said, I don¡¯t intend to die. This is my way of surviving. No one knows what the future holds, the faster I can learn to be independent, the better.¡± Jim was silent. ¡°It¡¯s either Richie comes with me, or I find a way to go on my own.¡±


    ¡°Go on your own, goddammit.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Jim said, then rose from the couch. ¡°Leave the dishes, Richie. Pack up, both of you. Let¡¯s go meet Luca.¡±


    It had been four hours since then, but the bloodlust flowing out of Richie had not calmed down one bit. At this rate maybe Richie would be the one to kill him once they had arrived at Bull bay.


    Sam sighed and lowered his head. ¡°Don¡¯t hate me.¡±


    ¡°Too late.¡± This was the first time Richie spoke so quickly.


    ¡°If I could have convinced him to let me go alone, I would have. You witnessed it yourself.¡±


    Richie was silent for a second. ¡°I ain¡¯t gonna die just because I¡¯m looking after you. Letting you know now.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry,¡± Sam said. ¡°Look after yourself and I¡¯ll look after me.¡±


    He was already gearing himself up for that. A weapon would have been nice, but the faction leader, under Jim¡¯s instruction, had strictly ordered him to only observe and not engage. Depending how things went, maybe he would do that. But he still had to be ready.


    That was why he was somewhat hurt as he stared at the words hovering before his eyes. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    [Attributes]


    Strength: 005.


    Speed: 020 (Boosted).


    Agility: 008.


    Perception: 007.


    Durability: 007.


    Stamina: 007.


    Experience Points: 00.


    I knew I was weak, but this looks abysmally bad. Sam chuckled self-deprecatingly within himself. Speed, huh? Well, I¡¯ve seen the Attribute I should take the most advantage of.


    That and¡­


    His focus shifted from his Attributes Interface to the thick black smoke swirling out of his shadow and the shadows of everyone around.


    Ever since he¡¯d chosen his Division and Skill, he had begun to see this smoke. He knew it was related to his Skill, the problem lay in how to use the supposed ability he was granted.


    Was he to just dip his hands into the visible smoke and think about what he wanted? His ability was manipulating shadows, after all.


    His gaze turned towards Richie who was seated with his eyes closed on the same low platform as he¡ªprecisely, his shadow and the smoke swirling out of it.


    Can I manipulate those of others too?


    Gah! He really wanted to test his abilities out, but this wasn¡¯t the time. The faction leader and Jim, even Richie, had not asked him what he¡¯d chosen, so he preferred to keep it a secret for now, unless a dire situation called for it.


    When he was alone, he would practice. Until then¡­


    ¡°?Y qui¨¦n es este guapo aqu¨ª?¡± That voice¡ªthose words¡ªstood out in the sea of the many filling the area. And what¡¯s more, it was a tad too close. Sam turned his head to the direction it came from, the Plexus disappearing from his sight.


    It was a lady who had spoken. She had black hair¡ªwhich was tied into a ponytail¡ªwith bangs that fell over her forehead like a waterfall. Her eyes were arctic blue, and her attire, though not in any way exposing, was a rather sultry one. Pressing tightly to her lithe body was a black turtleneck, which was complemented by black leather gloves and leggings of the same color, as well as a pink pleated mini skirt. Her feet were covered in high boots, and a double-gun holster rested on her shoulders; they were also not empty.


    Spanish? Sam was not sure, his memories were fuzzy, but that was the first language that entered his mind, so he instinctively felt correct. Also¡­ Was she talking to him?


    With a flirtatious smile embedded on her face, the lady approached and squatted before Sam. He narrowed his eyes at her, but before he could say a word she raised his chin upward with a finger.


    ¡°Eh. Nice neck muscles you have, guapo.¡±


    Sam forced himself away from the lady. Was that a neck fetish?


    ¡°Who are you? What do you want?¡±


    The lady simply smiled and shifted her gaze to Richie. ¡°Hello, Ri-Ri.¡± Richie opened his eyes and stared at the lady for a while as though he did not recognize her. She pouted in a teasing manner. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Diva?¡± Richie said. ¡°Diva.¡±


    Say it once, damn it. Sam took a breath in.


    ¡°Who¡¯s this guapo, Ri-Ri?¡± She pointed a thumb at Sam. ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem very jovial.¡±


    I¡¯m right here. Sam frowned.


    ¡°He¡¯s right here,¡± said Richie, like he¡¯d read Sam¡¯s mind. Then he closed his eyes once again.


    Diva turned back to Sam with a smile while jerking a thumb at Richie. ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem very jovial.¡±


    Why are you telling me that?


    ¡°The name¡¯s Sam,¡± he replied after sighing. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. I just like cute guys. I see one, I approach.¡± Sam tilted his head sideways with an incredulous look. ¡°Where¡¯d you come from? Never seen you before.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m new,¡± he answered.


    ¡°New?¡± Diva fell into her thoughts for a moment. ¡°Ah! The comatosed one, eh?¡± Sam shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m Diva. Pleasure meeting you, guapo.¡±


    Guapo? What¡¯s the meaning of that?


    Sam was about to ask when a whistle diverted his attention; it was more of a coquettish one than a call-to-attention one.


    ¡°Is that Mamacita Senorita I see?¡± It was the familiar voice of an even familiar person. Sam¡¯s face squeezed when he saw the bald wiry man¡¯s approach. He¡¯d come to find out the man went by the name Douglas, but he had a nickname he hated being called: Dougy. ¡°?Cu¨¢ndo me llamar¨¢s papi, Senorita?¡± Unlike Diva, his Spanish was crude, just like his tongue. But that did not stop the men behind him from chortling. Sam was hating this man more by the day. Thankfully, it seemed he was not the only one.


    ¡°Te voy a arrancar las pelotas muy pronto, puta.¡± Her middle finger was raised at Douglas and his men who were mocking her. She then smiled at Sam and said before standing up and walking away, ¡°See you on the ferry, guapo.¡± There was a wink too.


    Unfortunately, her leaving exposed him to his newfound enemy.


    ¡°Coma-boy,¡± Douglas hooted as he approached. ¡°And Richie-boy. Where¡¯s ya greetings both of ya?¡±


    Sam closed his eyes with an exhale. It was no good causing trouble here. ¡°Hello.¡± He then nudged Richie at his elbow causing him to do the same, though hesitantly.


    Douglas smiled. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t ya be on the other side, coma-boy? What¡¯d ya think ya doing here, and talking to Diva for that matter?¡±


    She came to me, not the other way around.


    Sam answered, ¡°I¡¯m a member of the Raiding division.¡±


    Douglas guffawed. ¡°You?¡± He¡¯d first seriously thought it to be a joke, but soon his expression changed once he realized that it wasn¡¯t. He became repulsed. ¡°What¡¯s ya plan, huh? Whatch¡¯ ya say to the faction leader?¡±


    Plan? Sam was a bit confused. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    Douglas leaned in closer for a brief moment, his voice turning into a whisper. ¡°Ya trying to run away, aren¡¯t ya?¡± Sam¡¯s face squeezed. ¡°Ya try that nonsense and I¡¯m gonna behead ya myself.¡± He looked at Richie. ¡°And ya rude friend that¡¯ll help ya.¡±


    Sam watched Douglas leave after those words and slowly felt more and more strange. It was almost like¡­


    ¡°We stay away from him. He won¡¯t hesitate to kill us,¡± Richie said it first. And he was right. But the fact that he had not received any animosity message meant that Douglas was suppressing his killing intent¡ªat least, for now.


    I wonder, the Rogue Division¡¯s schtick is stealth and trickery, does that mean any animosity I bear towards someone will be kept a secret from them?


    ¡°Is he very strong?¡± Sam asked, putting his thoughts on hold. Richie nodded. ¡°How strong?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the head of the guards.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Sam said nothing more. The rest remained as thoughts as he turned his gaze back to the smoke swirling out of his shadow.


    Then I don¡¯t have much time, and no room for error. I¡¯ll kill him before he kills me.


    An hour later they met the raid leader, Emine, a tall and muscular lady with green eyes and extremely short white hair. She was an engineer, who had modified the ferry transporting them to run on batteries charged by solar energy. What¡¯s more, she was the elder sister of Hande.


    It was not until after her speech and warnings did the members of the Raid division board the ferry and depart from the Isle of Man, heading for Bull bay. She¡¯d said there were dangers at sea, Sam was about to find out.

 CHAPTER 45-AN HYPOCRITE’S TANTRUMS

    For the past two days now a stifling silence was what had filled the air, and because of that Rain had begun to think that maybe bringing up the conversation on the Glades had not been the best of ideas.


    Of course he knew that Alice was not one to talk unless necessary, but now it felt like it was even worse. Rain hated it and because of that couldn¡¯t concentrate.


    A sharp throaty growl whooshed through the air swirling about the woods, and as a result snapped him back to the matter at hand.


    His eyes had not been taken off the Tibetan fox across from him all this while, his gaze had just been passing through it. Well, now he saw it clearly again. Its soft but thick red fur with a gray undercoat; its long, bushy tail with a white tip; and most of all, its belly which was slightly rounded and distended.


    This fox was not physically mutated. But that was not what bore the brunt of his hesitancy to attack it.


    Rain bit down on his lower lip.


    The fact that he¡¯d noticed that this fox was pregnant meant that Alice had noticed it way before him, so why had she pushed him into battle with it either way?


    His grip tightened on the hilt of his knife.


    With vigilance explicitly etched on the fox¡¯s face, she strode to her side, each step a cautious one that was impacted by her gait being affected by the physical changes that came with pregnancy. When she noticed that her actions did little to affect Rain¡¯s stance, she went further to bare her fangs once again at him with a guttural growl like she had done at the start of their standoff.


    There was anxiety in her tiny narrow eyes, he could see it. His Perception had not been assigned any points yet, but his gut feeling was still as sharp as ever. There was no way he could do it.


    ¡°Alice,¡± Rain voiced as soon as he¡¯d resigned himself to follow his thoughts. ¡°I can¡¯t do it.¡± His hands dropped to his side as he straightened up with an exhale.


    There was silence for a moment, even from the fox, before Alice asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    He wanted to turn back to glare at her for that question, but he would not expose his rear to a wild animal that was not subdued, pregnant and mentally mutated or not.


    ¡°She¡¯s pregnant,¡± he answered with a clenched jaw. ¡°And mentally mutated.¡±


    ¡°And so?¡±


    The arrival of those words made him feel like his heart had been thrown into a blending machine and turned into a smoothie. He almost couldn¡¯t hear his own breaths, and heat rose beneath his eyelids. But despite his boiling rage, he had nothing to say.


    ¡°You want to let her go?¡± Alice added.


    Rain replied stiffly, ¡°Yes.¡± And before any other words were spoken, he raised his hands up the same way he had done with the Chimera Anaconda, and as a sign of showing his unwillingness to fight, threw his knife to the ground. The fox¡¯s gaze followed it. ¡°You heard me,¡± he said. ¡°Leave now.¡±


    The fox inched backward, but she didn¡¯t leave. She obviously felt like she was being deceived. Rain couldn¡¯t blame her, so he tried something different.


    ¡°J!¡± he called, and a second later his Companion was beside him. ¡°You know what to do.¡±


    J purred, went in front of him, and vocalized a weak roar that did the push to send the fox scurrying away as fast as it could.


    [Side Plot Completed]


    Side Character Rain Leclair has successfully survived against his adversary.


    Rain picked up his knife, inhaled and exhaled, and shot a piercing stare at Alice. Although, she wasn¡¯t looking at him as she had gone ahead to pack up her things. Sean could seemingly feel the tension in the air¡ªit was all over his face¡ªtherefore he remained silent. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Rain voiced.


    ¡°What was what?¡± Alice asked.


    ¡°You saw her first; you knew she was pregnant, so why did you ask me to hunt her?¡± He was unable to mask the tinge of rage in his tone. In fact, he didn¡¯t want to.


    Alice slammed her hand on her bag, startling Sean who was standing beside her. Did she even have the right to be angry at this moment? ¡°What does it matter if she was pregnant?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    She glared at Rain. ¡°I asked a question.¡±


    ¡°What does it matter? I-I don¡¯t know. But she¡¯s mentally mutated.¡±


    ¡°So if she was not it wouldn¡¯t have been a problem then?¡±


    Rain¡¯s mind blanked, and in return he became mute. For the first time since he¡¯d woken up to this desolate world, he had no answer, not even a made up one, to a question asked.


    ¡°What?¡± Alice continued. ¡°Do you know how many points you just let waddle back into the woods? If killing a single beast gives you three points, how many do you think killing a pregnant one would?¡±


    What the fuck?


    Rain¡¯s stomach gurgled as his lips shook. ¡°You¡¯re a VET. How could you say¡ª¡±


    ¡°Was,¡± she corrected him. ¡°The world has long gone to shit, all that is in the past. And, honestly, I¡¯m beginning to wonder if you¡¯re serious.¡±


    His eyes narrowed. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Alice picked up her bag and threw its straps over her shoulders, then she approached him and whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll say it again, I do not want someone¡¯s death on my shoulders. Keep your hypocrisy elsewhere. If you want to survive, then focus on surviving.¡± She glanced at J who barely had her fangs out in aggression. ¡°Your ruse with your Companion was just mere luck. Keep trying that everytime and you¡¯ll definitely end up dead. If that¡¯s the freedom you¡¯re seeking, then have fun.¡± Sean was who she looked at next. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Rain watched blankly as Alice continued on and Sean followed silently behind her with a downcasted expression. He was not sure how to feel at this moment because, even though hurtful, she was right. But he also didn¡¯t want to bend on his ideals. He wished he could do as she¡¯d said, but he knew he couldn¡¯t.


    There was no way he could harm what meant him no harm.


    And also, why was she talking this way? He recalled her confirming the existence of Mentally Mutated animals at the GEF, so why was she so harsh towards every she came across? What exactly was going through her head?


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, J,¡± he finally said as he bent down, picked his crossbody bag and dropped his knife back inside.


    It did not matter what she was thinking, his tantrums were pointless and unwise. He should apologize to her once he¡¯d gotten the chance.


    ###


    Apologizing was easier said than done when the tension between two people was high. He had resolved himself to not be angry any longer, but Alice, on the other hand, he couldn¡¯t know if she was feeling the same way.


    So, he thought of the best way to apologize.


    The first thing was to start up a conversation that would interest them both. And there was nothing better than letting her know he had come to understand her intentions for plunging him into ten battles with beasts.


    Yes, during his ninth tussle with a mutated hare, just before they¡¯d come across the Tibetan fox, Rain had realized that despite him not having put any Experience Points into his Attributes, he had become better at fighting. In other words, he¡¯d grown naturally.


    Now he wasn¡¯t completely sure how this worked, but he got the basics down flat. He still had the same Attribute stats as three days ago, but his inherent abilities had improved, which meant that the more he grew naturally, the stronger he would be when he finally put in his unassigned Experience Points into his Attributes.


    Honestly, it was crazy, considering his Experience Points now amounted to twenty.


    The only other thing he was confused about was why his Attribute Points were not yet increasing on their own. Was it that during all his fights he had not surpassed his limits once? This would prove problematic if that was the case.


    Rain looked at Alice who was ahead of him.


    She has all the answers¡­


    As he sighed, Rain saw a road sign that read ¡°Cumbernauld Rd.¡± He¡¯d seen it on the map the night past. It was the road that led into Glasgow, one of the major cities in the United Kingdom.


    He was only starting to feel a tad bit good due to the length of their journey to the GEF shortening further, when Alice suddenly stopped.


    ¡°Wh-What is it?¡± Sean asked with unease in his voice.


    Alice didn¡¯t answer. Rain realized. Her Perception was acting up again. This was the same way she¡¯d behaved before the madman had appeared. Something was close. Something unpleasant.


    And as if to affirm his thoughts, a loud rumbling sound, which was a mixture of a deafening roar and thuds, shook both the earth and heavens. It first started in the far distance to their side, then slowly it drew closer and closer, the trees that rose up with nothing to restrain them to their roots, falling like bodies being bulldozed by a bull.


    Rain¡¯s heartbeat raced as Sean hurried to his side. J poised herself to act. And then Alice opened her mouth as she unsheathed her sword while a drop of sweat rolled down her cheeks, ¡°Run!¡±

 CHAPTER 46-FLASHY BATTLE

    He could not move.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me?!¡± Alice snapped.


    Whatever was coming was drawing closer. And taking into consideration the way the ground shook and trees fell, Rain had an idea of what it was.


    A Chimera.


    Had they wandered into its territory unknowingly? Rain glanced over the scenery of a derelict roadside with a mix of fallen houses and over-the-top forestry. He doubted it. Even though his Navigator Skill was still obviously of a low level, Alice¡¯s wasn¡¯t. There was no way she would have blindly thrown herself into harm. There was also the fact that there was no notification from the Plexus regarding the incoming beast¡¯s animosity. In other words, their presence was not yet known to the Chimera.


    So why was it hastily drawing closer¡­


    Wait! Is it running away from something? What could possibly make it do that?


    His thoughts, though, were not the reason for him standing still.


    There was the option of them all running away, but if his thoughts were wrong and the Chimera was really coming for them, then there was only so much distance that they could cover before it caught and trampled them. The best thing was to kill it here and now to prevent future troubles.


    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving you to it alone,¡± Rain voiced through the hectic pounding of his heart. Then he turned to Sean and pointed at J. ¡°Get on her back and get out of here. Hurry!¡±


    Alice grabbed him by the scruff of his neck. ¡°What the fuck in hell are you saying? Have you lost your mind, boy?¡±


    His face remained plain. ¡°Maybe. But I¡¯m not leaving you here to fight whatever is coming alone. If push comes to shove I can just¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare,¡± Alice interjected. She pushed him back as she released the collar of his hoodie. ¡°You¡¯ll leave with Sean. That¡¯s final.¡±


    Rain said nothing but simply looked at the shivering boy. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me? Leave¡­ Now.¡±


    Sean¡¯s forehead wrinkled as he began to look from side to side, his gaze a frantic rollercoaster of emotions. Then they froze, after which they sharpened. ¡°No.¡±


    Huh? Rain narrowed his eyes with a grimace. ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    ¡°Shut it, both of you!¡± Alice was fuming now. Rain began to reconsider. ¡°You guys are going to be a hindrance to me. Get out of here now, so I can fight without worrying about protecting you guys!¡±


    When she put it that way, Rain¡¯s previous conclusion had no choice but to change. He¡¯d thought she was telling them to leave so as to sacrifice herself so that they could escape. If it had been that, he would have remained adamant. But from her gaze and words, she really did feel confident in defeating the approaching Chimera.


    This was good. And besides, she was right. The only way he could stand toe to toe with a Chimera was by summoning the Mark of Caduceus, and there was no way he could do that.


    ¡°Fine.¡± As the hindrance that he was, Rain squatted and gestured for Sean to climb onto his back. This here was now the problem.


    ¡°No,¡± Sean refused. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving Alice here alone.¡± Traces of tears appeared within his lower eyelids. His timidity had intertwined with his fervidness. And this was a bad time for that.


    ¡°Sean¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sean,¡± Rain was who had been about to talk, but Alice was faster. Her voice was gentle too. Maybe she realized that harshness wouldn¡¯t work well for tense situations. ¡°I¡¯m not telling you to leave me here, I¡¯m just asking you to go with Rain and hide. Remember what you called me: the Angel of Death. I¡¯ll kill it in a flash and follow behind you.¡±


    Rain took advantage of Alice¡¯s words and held Sean by the shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ll not let Alice fight it alone, you know?¡± Liar! ¡°I¡¯ll get you somewhere safe and come back for her.¡± At the utterance of those words Rain felt a piercing chill stab into his back. He knew of its origin.


    Sean sniffed, nodded, and climbed onto Rain¡¯s back. But just as they were about to scurry into the forest on the opposite side, all the trees that had been blocking their view of what sort of Chimera was running riot fell to the ground, and from their boundary emerged a freak of nature that should have never once existed¡ªat least in such a manner.


    Rain fell agape as cold sweats rushed out of his pores. The Chimera pounding onto the main road of Cumbernauld was even mightier than the Anaconda he¡¯d slain. The beast was a formidable and bulkier version of what its natural form might have been. It had pure white fur, from its stocky cheeks emanated a pair of canines in the form of pincers, and on its forehead was the same black jewel of a horn every physically mutated animal possessed.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Sean shivered at the sight, while J pounced in front of Rain instinctively despite the dim glow in her eyes.


    Rain could see that his Companion was scared, he too was no different, but his responsibility was to protect her, so he could not let her do the protecting. And furthermore¡­ He looked at Alice, her chin was shivering¡­ His previous thoughts had been wrong. Maybe if it was the Anaconda it would have been different, but this bear before them¡­ there was no way Alice could handle it alone.


    With a sigh, he looked over his shoulder. ¡°Sean, do you understand now?¡± The boy said nothing, just staring blankly ahead. Rain took him off his back and placed him on J¡¯s, inciting her to turn to him. He caressed her head and said, ¡°Get out of here¡ªas far as possible.¡± She purred, hesitant to leave. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I promise.¡± One last purr and she moved towards the woods; Sean remained silent as though trying to process the situation.


    Rain was not sure why the Plexus had not thrown any animosity message his way even now, but no way in hell was he taking any chances.


    He had tripled his weaponry at the bungalow they¡¯d stayed at in Dechmont after considering future mishaps, that was why he could dip his hand into his crossbody bag and bring out two knives.


    At that moment he recalled Alice¡¯s words and he could no longer deny it. He really was a hypocrite.


    [Active Skill, Blade Saint (Low Level), activated]...


    ###


    Alice had already inched forward after the Chimera bear¡¯s appearance supposedly with a mind that Rain would take Sean and run, so when she turned to her side and saw him standing beside her with two little kitchen knives held firmly in his grasp it was only normal that anger flashed in her eyes.


    ¡°You!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no time to argue. I know this wasn¡¯t the plan, but I¡¯ll throw half each of all my saved Experience Points into Speed and Agility, so let¡¯s hunt down the beast together. Please.¡±


    There was so much genuineness in Rain¡¯s eyes that Alice was unable to fight back. She grit her teeth and nodded. Hopefully, their days of travels together would touch well upon their teamwork.


    But just as Alice was about to dash forward, Rain¡¯s thoughts on why he was yet to receive an animosity message for the Chimera were put at ease.


    The beast wasn¡¯t hunting, it was being hunted.


    Alice was bamboozled, her eyes widening the biggest Rain had ever seen. ¡°What the fuck is happening here?¡±


    The shouts were low pitched¡ªthe shouts of children¡ªbut the little figures dressed in hooded robes of black and gold barely acted their age.


    Rain counted them as some soared through the air and others sprinted through the ground. They were nine.


    They had emerged from the places that still had trees, and in their hands were varying pitch black weapons swirling about in a flickering manner that seemed as though painted from faint, misty ink.


    What the hell was with the kids? Where did they come from? Their movements were so slick¡ªso quick¡ªthat he could barely keep track of what they were doing. And furthermore, they did not move like people who were scared of a Chimera; they faced it head on, inciting fear in such an apex predator.


    The painful thing about this was the realization he came upon as he watched these strange children. Each of them were stronger than he was.


    Dammit!


    It was then, during his slight disappointment in himself that Rain saw it. Various red splotches painted the underbelly of the beast, and they were not the pulsing red of his Skill.


    Don¡¯t tell me¡­


    ¡°Mei Mei! You needa stab it in deeper, you klutz!¡± One of the children landed on the bear¡¯s back as he screamed, and his words caused another on the ground to stop and bow as if to apologize. ¡°Stop bowing and get a move on it!¡± She did.


    ¡°Formation, quickly!¡± Another child shouted. This one stood in front of the bear without a hint of fright in his eyes. At that moment the shadowy sword in his hand shifted its form, transforming into a black ball of flame that kept growing with each second.


    The bear whimpered loudly at the sight and tried to scurry in another direction where none of the children were, but a large, imposing wall of shadow suddenly appeared, halting its movement and keeping it in place.


    One of the children had flashed to that position in an instant, faster than Rain could ever imagine.


    ¡°Nice work, El!¡± The boy on the back of the bear, who had blonde hair, praised. ¡°Klein, we¡¯re all set!¡±


    Klein, who was the kid with the roaring black flame in his right hand, surveyed his surroundings and nodded quite nonchalantly. Then he pounced backward, and, as though he had changed his mind, the fireball in his palm condensed quickly into a tiny orb that nestled at the tip of his index finger. With a deep inhale, he shot it at one of the bear¡¯s eyes.


    The beast howled in pain, swinging its head violently; although, the blonde haired boy on its back did not let that go on for long. He stretched his hands out, causing the shadow club he had been holding to vanish, and then from the bear¡¯s shadow grew large hands which wrapped itself around its neck like a rope, subduing it.


    ¡°I can¡¯t hold it for too long! Hurry up, guys!¡±


    The remainder of the children on the ground moved at those words. Each one manipulated the black of their shadows or the bear¡¯s or those of trees and stones, and, like they were dancing to the symphony of an orchestra, swiftly struck at different spots which Rain confirmed to be places that would end the bear¡¯s life.


    After a couple of seconds, the cries of the Chimera bear faded as it dropped heavily to the ground, blood spewing out of its body in various locations.


    ¡°What in the world did I just witness?¡± Rain muttered with a dazed look as he watched the children gather around themselves in a playful manner after their successful kill.


    ¡°That was a training drill.¡±


    The answer was for his question, but the voice was not a familiar one.


    With a quiver instantly taking over his stomach, Rain swirled around to see a figure he had never seen before standing curtly behind him.

 CHAPTER 47-A NUN AND KIDS

    The figure was that of a lean lady dressed in a nun¡¯s robe with black hair peeking out of her veil. And on her face nestled a wry smile.


    When did she¡­?!


    Before Rain could even process his thoughts to a reasonable degree, Alice had already dashed towards the lady and set her sword on her neck.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± she asked with a tone that was more unfriendly than indifferent.


    ¡°A nun,¡± the lady replied sarcastically while using her eyes to gesture at her outfit. ¡°One who looked after your little boy.¡±


    Alice¡¯s eyes narrowed, and so did Rain¡¯s. J and Sean came out of the woods at that moment, and he instantly understood what she meant.


    This nun was obviously with the robed children, and the fact that she had bypassed Alice¡¯s perception, gotten behind them, and came in contact with J and Sean meant that she was not on their level. If she meant them any harm, they would already be dead.


    Alice knew that too, but her personality still kept her sword up.


    ¡°She¡¯s not a bad person,¡± Sean said as soon as his little naive self appeared.


    ¡°And how do you know that?¡± Alice asked. ¡°Do you think things like that are written on a person¡¯s face?¡±


    A little too harsh, Miss Alice.


    ¡°Uhm¡­ She told us that the bear will die and you will live.¡±


    Alice¡¯s eyes narrowed; she fell into thought for a moment there, and Rain could guess which. ¡°And how does that not make her a bad person?¡± Sean remained silent.


    ¡°But I¡¯m not a bad person,¡± the nun spoke. ¡°The Plexus would have let you know if I was.¡±


    Alice scoffed. ¡°Do I look like a newbie?¡± The nun¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°You¡¯re with those children, and their Skills are obviously those of the Rogue Division. I¡¯m ninety-nine percent certain yours are too. In other words, I can never know if you have any animosity towards me.¡±


    Up went Rain¡¯s brows.


    The nun smiled. ¡°Is that so? I doubt that. You can know if I have any animosity towards you, your Perception just has to be high enough.¡± Alice frowned. It was obvious that those words were a jab at her below par skills when placed side by side with the nun¡¯s. ¡°Still, I do not bear any animosity towards you.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t believe you.¡±


    ¡°Nun Cathleen!¡± It was a feminine voice from one of the children. Rain turned around to see them all approaching. ¡°Who are they?¡±


    ¡°Friends,¡± Cathleen answered.


    ¡°We¡¯re not friends,¡± Alice refuted.


    ¡°Do you want the children to see you doing this? Threatening someone, moreover, their guardian, I mean?¡± Cathleen asked. Alice remained silent.


    Rain had come to realize that Alice had a soft spot for children. She would not want any of them to see her as a threat even in the state the world was in. The reasons, though, were known only to her.


    ¡°And besides, how long are you going to carry on with this?¡± Cathleen looked up at the sky, Alice and Rain did too. ¡°Night is coming.¡± Cathleen returned her gaze to them. ¡°Put the sword down. I can provide you with shelter.¡±


    At that moment, the children got to where they were, and with them came mutters mostly involving J and Sean who were together to the side of the one-sided heated exchange between Alice and the nun. All except one person.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Rain turned to see the blonde haired boy with a wrung up nose. ¡°What in the camel¡¯s arse do you think you¡¯re doing Missus?! You tryna pick a fight?!¡±


    He stretched out his hand, and his shadow rippled like a pond a stone had been cast into. Rain watched in awe as he saw droplets of black rise and swirl, coalescing as they began to form something. Though that was cut off halfway.


    ¡°Now, now. Relax, Ray.¡± The nun kept smiling. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since a human crossed this path, we don¡¯t wanna fight or make enemies of them now, do we?¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°She¡¯s right, Ray.¡± The girl who had been called a klutz, Mei Mei, was the one to talk. She had on round glasses and pink hair tied into twin ponytails. Although, it seemed her speaking only angered Ray more.


    ¡°Shut it, klutz!¡± Ray spat. It was then that the boy who went by Klein grabbed his hand.


    ¡°Nun Cathleen says to stop it,¡± he said with a flat tone.


    Ray hesitated for a moment, tsked, and finally let his ability die down.


    The ability of the Rogue Division¡­ It¡¯s fricking cool¡­ I wonder which Skill these children are using? They all seem to be in possession of the same thing. Rain lowered his brows. Why, though?


    ¡°No, thanks,¡± Alice¡¯s reply was for the nun¡¯s offer, and for a moment there Rain was dazed by her words. They needed the shelter, what was she saying? But a second later, he understood why she had replied in that manner. She didn¡¯t trust them, and also¡­ Their number had increased. In other words, a Glade could spawn at any moment, after all, there was a Protagonist in their midst.


    Although, because he did understand her did not mean her decision making at this moment was right. Since the nun was offering help, they should take it; a Glade spawning was the least of their problems now. If they did not find shelter soon, the fog would kill them before a Glade would.


    Rain decided to take matters into his own hands. ¡°If you will, please.¡±


    Alice drilled him with an angry gaze. ¡°Are you out of your mind? No, we won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°This city is even more rundown than Dechmont, how long do you think it would take for us to find a suitable spot to stay? There¡¯s no guarantee that we even will,¡± Rain argued. ¡°And moreover¡­¡± He stole a glance at Sean, the boy was gawking at the rest of the kids. ¡°We have a child with us.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± the nun said. ¡°You should make the right choice quickly, we don¡¯t have all day.¡±


    Rain peeked at the nun. He was also suspicious, rather, uneasy. The fact that she was the one who had offered them shelter left a bad taste on his tongue; they should have been the one to have requested for one.


    Well, he could look at it from another perspective that it was because Alice was holding a sword to her neck, but no¡­ She was clearly stronger than Alice and him both. Subduing them should barely be a task for her. And she had those weirdly battle oriented children too.


    Was she the one who had trained them? In what way?


    All in all, it was pointless rejecting her offer. If she wanted to harm them, they could do nothing. The best thing for now was to follow her quietly, find out if she had an ulterior motive, and if that was the case, then down the line, give her the slip. And besides, it would be easier to deal with a human that meant them harm than the Wraiths.


    Alice seemed to have come to this realization too, despite her obvious seething at him for not supporting her. The rage in her eyes cleared, but her skepticism remained.


    ¡°What¡¯s your Skill?¡± she asked bluntly, eliciting a frown from the nurse and an incredulous look from Rain.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Your Skill? What is it?¡± Alice pressed. ¡°I have to have something to trust you with. In exchange¡­¡± she gestured at Rain. ¡°He¡¯ll tell you his.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Rain jerked backward. ¡°Why?¡±


    Alice frowned at him. ¡°You¡¯re the one who wants us to go with them, it¡¯s only right you¡¯re the one who surrenders something in exchange.¡±


    J growled fiercely, seemingly understanding that Rain had been put on the spot. Alice glared at her, but she didn¡¯t stop. In fact, she intensified it.


    Rain was about to speak when Nun Cathleen interrupted, ¡°This is funny. I offer you shelter and I get this in return?¡±


    Alice scoffed. ¡°So? You won¡¯t answer? Should I take that as ¡®I have ulterior motives for offering you help¡¯?¡±


    ¡°And what if I lie? How would you know?¡±


    ¡°Why would a nun lie? Isn¡¯t that against the teachings of the doctrine?¡±


    Nun Cathleen chuckled. ¡°Fine. But I do not want the handsome boy¡¯s Skill in return.¡± Rain breathed a sigh of relief. He was already weaker than a couple of kids, exposing his greatest card was setting him up for failure. But if she did not want his, then¡­ ¡°I want to know the child¡¯s Role.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Alice¡¯s face blanked, Rain¡¯s gaze narrowed as well. She stole a glance at Sean who was seemingly confused too. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t lie now, would you?¡± The nun wiggled away from the question she had been asked.


    Rain looked up at the sky and slowly became worried. The sun was already almost gone. Even though he was sort of iffy as to why Sean¡¯s Role was being sought out, simply saying it wouldn¡¯t cause any problems, right? It was not like she could figure out if he had a Benefactor or his Skills just from that.


    Alice having her suspicions was good and all, but right now she had to change her priorities.


    ¡°Fine.¡± She made up her mind. ¡°Speak.¡±


    Nun Cathleen smiled, her thin lips widening to the side as she said, ¡°Shadowmancer.¡±


    Alice downturned her lips. It was obvious that she was now more wary of the nun than even before. Was the Skill that strong?


    ¡°So you and the kids really possess the same Skills? Is that coincidental?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I was hoping for? You¡¯re to tell me what the boy¡¯s Role is now, you know?¡± Nun Cathleen narrowed her eyes, giving it the sharpness of a feline beast. Her visage sent shivers down Rain¡¯s spine so much that he considered changing his mind to go with her. ¡°Liars go to hell too.¡±


    ¡°Pfft. Earth has already become hell.¡± Alice removed her sword from the nun¡¯s neck and sheathed it. ¡°Deuteragonist.¡±

 CHAPTER 48-RAGING SEA

    10 hours after departing from the Isle of Man¡¯s sea terminal in Douglas; less than two days before the events of the past three chapters.


    The ferry was a medium sized one, and because the members of the Raiding Division only totalled fifteen in number, each person got a room to themselves.


    It was all Sam could have asked for, after all, he¡¯d been able to get a hang on his ability because of that. Although, it was way past twenty minutes now since that had happened, and his joy had been cut short because something had attacked the ferry.


    Sam was seated to the back despite the array of exquisite couches decorating the lounge, and beside him sat Richie. His face was as plaintive as ever, but his eyes showed that he was not glad to be sitting down beside Sam. He was most likely doing it because Jim had told him to be by Sam¡¯s side all the time. Well, at least their rooms were different.


    The ferry shook again at that moment, but no one was surprised. It was like the fifth or sixth time now.


    ¡°Lion¡¯s mane jellyfish?¡± a young man asked. He seemed to be in his early twenties, and it was obvious that this was his first raiding mission as well. Sam could deduce that from the way his arms were folded and his eyes constantly shifted between the raid leader standing before them and the windows which were now clouded by fog.


    ¡°He looks like he¡¯ll die early,¡± Sam muttered subconsciously. Richie glanced at him and he shrugged in response.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the raid leader, Emine, answered.


    Despite her great build, her voice was quite soft. She also gave off the impression of a jovial person, though simply based on her burly outlook others might not realize this. Sam had come to find out that he possessed a rather fascinating Passive Skill called Observer. Maybe it was because of it that he could notice such little things about others.


    ¡°How do you know that?¡± the anxious man questioned further, his tone a little spiked.


    ¡°Shut it!¡± Douglas growled irritatedly, but he was not the only one feeling that way. His mere presence caused Sam¡¯s heart to rage with spite, talk less of his voice tainting the air. ¡°No one¡¯s got the time to explain it all to ya. Ya wanna find out how she knows, get off ya butt and head into the fog then.¡±


    The anxious man pressed his teeth together and shot to his feet. ¡°You don¡¯t get to tell me to shut up!¡±


    Douglas legs were crossed. ¡°Oh, yes I do. Now ya gonna sit down like the whiny little child you are and keep those lips shut.¡± He caressed the base of his rifle which was placed across his lap as some form of threat. ¡°No one¡¯s gonna miss whiny-boy once he¡¯s gone, I tell ya.¡±


    Anxiety was just a prelude to rash decision making, so Sam was not surprised when a blast of hot red energy burst forth from the anxious man, turning the lounge into an oven as his palms became engulfed with angry flames.


    From this act alone, it was obvious what this person¡¯s Division was, but that did not make it any less unpleasant. Sam hated it. However, it was not his place to settle a fight between two idiots.


    He stole a glance at Diva who was seated on a stool, leaning on the frame of the bar top with a glass of crudely made wine in hand. It was one of the things the Hunters Faction had developed itself to have, an alcohol factory, that was why that alcoholic never ran out of whiskey to ingest; Sam had figured that out after listening in on two men¡¯s conversations just before they¡¯d left the Isle of Man on the ferry.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Diva noticed his stare and winked at him. Sam sighed in exasperation. He wondered what she¡¯d do once she found out his age; she would probably push him aside the same way Hande had done; he would honestly appreciate that.


    Pulling his gaze away from her and scrutinizing the rest of the members of the division, he noticed that no one made an attempt to calm the anxious man down. Even the instigator, Douglas, remained seated with a smug smile on his face.


    It seemed everyone was waiting for that person to act. And she did.


    A deep breath in and out, and all of a sudden the heat in the lounge abruptly vanished as a chilling air overshadowed it, signifying its dominance.


    The anxious man¡¯s ability was instantly turned off¡ªwillingly or unwillingly, it didn¡¯t matter¡ªas he plunged knee-first to the floor. His eyes widened and his breathing hastened as though the air in his lungs had been cut off.


    Sam knew that if only this overwhelming force had not been singularly directed at the anxious man, it would be everyone in the lounge on their knees; but since that was the case, they were all let off with only cold sweats running down their spines¡ªat least, he was.


    This was the aura of the fifth strongest in the Hunters Faction.


    Richie had briefed him on who to avoid angering in the faction. Douglas was one, but they were well past that stage now. And even though the man was strong, he was not half the level of Emine. It was possible to kill him if he played his cards right.


    There was one thing that bothered Sam though. He already knew the first in the faction was the faction leader, the second was the alcoholic, the third was apparently the faction leader¡¯s cousin who was currently away on a mission. Since Emine was the fifth, then who was the fourth?


    ¡°Enough!¡± Emine¡¯s voice rang out. And then she reined in herself, allowing the anxious man to gasp for breath. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing Douglas?¡± The spiteful head of guards remained quiet. ¡°And you, Phineas, are you out of your mind?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m-I¡¯m sorry.¡± Phineas struggled to speak.


    ¡°Have your seat.¡± Emine put her hands on her waist with an exhale as she watched him heed slowly. ¡°I¡¯ve briefed you all on what exactly is going on, and that is in fact the gist of it. I, Diva, and Douglas will head out to kill the Lion¡¯s mane jellyfish; the air should be as peaceful as this once we return. As for you, Phineas, I¡¯ll explain how I knew it was a jellyfish once we¡¯ve returned.¡±


    Sam knew what the selection was based on. The only ones who could head out into the fog filled with Wraiths were those who had the Privileges of the Benefactors.


    Something bothered him though. How would they see in all the darkness?


    Diva exhaled, gulped the rest of her drink, and along with Douglas, walked up to Emine. They were handed them something then.


    ¡°Googles?¡±


    ¡°Infrared ones,¡± Richie was the one who replied. Sam got the gist. With that they would be able to see in the dark.


    Sam watched as the three of them approached the door to the ferry¡¯s dock before halting.


    ¡°A minute,¡± Emine said, but Sam realized that her words were only meant for those who were heading out into battle with her. ¡°All we have is a minute. Let¡¯s do this right.¡±


    At that moment calm waves of energy, each different from the other, cloaked their bodies, and with its appearance manifested symbols behind them.


    Diva was in an ethereal embrace of sparkling flowing water, her symbol the depiction of a mermaid as blue as the sea with long, flowing hair and a golden crown, holding a goblet. Douglas, on the other hand, was covered in a dark blue energy a lot more violent than Diva¡¯s, and his symbol was that of a merman riding a shark while gripping its fin.


    As for Emine, she was shrouded in a fiery but warm orange vibrancy that accentuated her role as a leader; and behind her was the image of a figure in a red robe wielding a wooden staff with a glowing orb at the top while seated confidently upon a majestic tiger.


    These were their Privileges, and the sight of them was nothing short of beautiful.

 CHAPTER 49-BATTLE AT BULL BAY

    The battle with the Lion¡¯s mane jellyfish had lasted no longer than a minute as Emine had requested. Although, the exact details of what exactly had happened on the deck of the ferry were unknown to those who had remained within the protection of the lounge¡¯s walls.


    Well, at least due to Phineas getting his reply from Emine they were able to see what the Lion¡¯s mane jellyfish looked like. It was not physically mutated but mentally, and as such there were no weird features added to its milky colored bell-shaped body and hair-like tentacles.


    That aside, after having seen the radiant energy that covered the three Privileged members of the Raiding Division, Sam wished he could have seen how they¡¯d used the powers in battle. The fog was thick, so all that he had been able to make out were indistinct glows and flashes.


    Maybe I¡¯ll get to see it during the raid¡­ He hoped to himself.


    Richie had come to enlighten him on what exactly the whole journey would entail at their destination. It was at Sam¡¯s request, obviously. After all, he needed to know how they were going to waltz into the Glade he was staring at now with narrowed eyes. And, surprisingly, it was rather simple. They were not here at Bull bay to clear a Glade, they were here to take the loot from those who had cleared the Glade.


    Sam¡¯s nonchalance at the utterance of those words had made him realize one thing; he was not a normal human¡ªmentally and emotionally.


    Any other person, even if they came around to participating in the barbaric act, would first of all think against it. But not him. As long as it was a thrilling endeavor, he did not mind partaking in it.


    He was already a bit sad that he was not able to fight a beast when one had attacked, but he could blame that on no one but himself. He lacked the strength, after all.


    But that was all in the past now. Forty-eight hours were almost up, which meant that any moment from now the Glade adventurers would come out.


    It had been two hours since the Raiding Division of the Hunters faction had made all the necessary engagements for their ambush. This was why he was staring so keenly at the Glade¡¯s gate. His job was to announce the arrival of their victims.


    ¡°So,¡± it was Richie¡¯s voice. They had both been assigned to the stakeout; of course, Richie was only here because he was tasked with looking after the new recruit. ¡°What did you want to talk to me about?¡±


    Sam tapped his fingers on the wall of the house he was leaning against. ¡°I¡¯m reconsidering.¡±


    ¡°Reconsidering?¡± Richie asked. He was talking quite much now compared to before, so Sam became visibly surprised for a moment there. But he understood. Those who talked too little were the most curious of all. There was no way Richie would have been any different.


    ¡°You know what I¡¯m talking about.¡±


    Richie paused. ¡°I see.¡± He said nothing more for a few seconds, then¡­ ¡°The fact that you wanted to talk to me about it means I¡¯m crucial to the plan, no?¡±


    Sam nodded. ¡°You are. But I don¡¯t trust you.¡±


    There was silence again. ¡°Trust? Does that matter?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Sam insisted. ¡°I could let you in on my plan now and, for all I know, you could proceed to rat me out.¡±


    Of course, he did not believe this. Richie would never rat him out, because they both felt the same hatred towards Douglas.


    No. That was wrong. Richie¡¯s was far worse.


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Richie refuted. ¡°But if you insist.¡±


    Great¡­ Those first words were all Sam had needed to hear.


    He truly did not trust Richie, but that was not something that would cause a problem for the upcoming task. In fact, that was good. Because of it he would have no choice but to prepare for any unprecedented outcome.


    ¡°Alright then,¡± said Sam. ¡°This is how it¡¯ll go¡­¡±


    ###


    The Glade¡¯s gate was like a stagnant ethereal waterfall, peaceful but energetic. Although, that peace was finally disturbed as another hour passed.


    ¡°A ripple. It has been activated,¡± Sam voiced with a deep breath, and in that instant cupped his fingers, dipped them into his mouth, and blew a whistle as Diva had taught him to.


    As soon as he got a reply back, he rose to his feet, and he and Richie moved on to the next phase. Although, this did not fully involve what they had been told to do by Emine. After all, they had been ordered not to step into the heat of the battle, and that was because Sam had joined in on the raid on the prerequisite of being a mere spectator. Richie became one too in that regard, despite him already having a bit of experience under his belt. Sam was not sure how much, and he did not care, but from the mien Richie had, it was obvious that it was equivalent to at least three raids.


    Sam glanced back before he¡¯d fully evacuated the area he¡¯d taken for his stakeout spot, and he saw the ones who had ventured into the Glade. Seven, they were, five guys and two ladies. They were visibly exhausted, and their attires were on the verge of completely crumbling.


    From their demeanor Sam could deduce the sort of loss they had undergone in the Glade, and also that they had cleared it and not run away from it. After all, their strides were slow, not hasty.


    It was most likely a Low Class Glade¡­ He said to himself before sighing. Too bad for them, they were not going to rest.


    ###


    The ambush commenced less than a minute later, as soon as the Glade had vanished without a trace.


    Obviously, the adventurers were shocked by the sudden development, but they adapted quickly¡ªin fact, almost too quickly that it seemed as though they had been prepared to be ambushed.


    Sam was somewhat confused at the sight because the information brought by the scout to camp was that the adventurers were new Players who had just banded together.


    He was not sure how that sort of information was figured out, but that was hardly the point at the moment.


    All in all, even though the adventurers were quite exhausted, they were still holding their grounds. They had cleared a Glade, after all, and from what he¡¯d inferred through all the conversations he¡¯d been in, the monsters on earth paled in comparison to those beyond the ethereal waterfall of energy. In other words, they might be new and inexperienced, but they were not weak.


    A spear of ice flew into a house, lodging itself into its wall with an electrifying speed that was nigh destructive. Sam¡¯s heart palpitated for a brief moment as he watched a third of the wall freeze. He was hiding in there, watching the battle discreetly. Had he been noticed? No. He would have gotten an animosity message if that was the case.


    He looked through the window down at the scene of battle flashing with varying powers on display, his gaze planted on the one who had produced the ice spear. It was a lady, her hands emitting a great deal of chilly smoke, and the one engaging her was Emine.


    Is she the strongest of the adventurers? Sam wondered. She was really powerful, he could feel it. However, he was not one bit worried about the Raiding Division losing. After all, they were the ones with the advantage. They had set up traps and they had a larger number. He subconsciously wondered if he would get to see the powers of the Privileges on display, but no one, not those he was with or the opponents, showed any signs of activating it.


    A scream pierced through the sound of battle staining the air, and Sam shifted his gaze to see someone fall to the ground, their face burning with a raging flame. He was not surprised since he had predicted this happening. It was Phineas.


    Ironic, he¡¯s a flame Elementalist but he¡¯s dying by fire¡­Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    The man who had kicked Phineas¡¯ bucket was killed a few moments later by Diva. She was like a lightning bolt, her speed completely unfathomable, which had made it hard for the man to keep track of her until a bullet was embedded within his skull.


    Of course the hectic battle going on was not just for some measly loots alone; the main prizes were the Cores gotten from the monsters within the Glade.


    Sam had found out from Richie, in a destroyed world, those things were their life source. It was both a fertilizer for their farms and a material for their weaponry. That was why despite not being able to activate Glades, they needed to be able to access the Cores within it.


    Cores also made up the crux of the plan he had cooked up with Richie. And now¡­ He saw the guy who had been tagged as his guardian being pushed into a secluded spot by his opponent¡­ It was time.


    Sam flayed his eyes through the battle scenery first, then as soon as he caught sight of Douglas, he jumped through the window and rolled behind a tree to keep himself hidden.


    He kept on watching. A minute. Two minutes. It was then.


    Douglas finally overwhelmed his opponent, grabbed her by her neck as blood swept down from her forehead to her neck. With a disgusting look in his eyes he licked his lips as if savoring a meal before digging into it, and even though the lady was knocking on death¡¯s door it still irritated her to the point that she spat on him. There was a frown and then there was a gunshot through the heart. That battle came to a close.


    Sam sprung out then.


    ¡°Hey!¡± he shouted through the ruckus, drawing Douglas¡¯s attention from the dead lady to him.


    ¡°Hey?¡± There was anger in the head of the guard¡¯s voice, and he further made known his wrath by pointing his rifle at Sam. ¡°Respect¡¯s far from ya, huh, Coma-boy?¡±


    Sam raised his hands. ¡°There¡¯s a problem.¡±


    ¡°The only problem here is ya lack of respect,¡± Douglas spat with a wrung up nose. ¡°I should kill ya and dump ya body in a ditch somewhere.¡±


    [Side Plot]


    A Player holds animosity towards you. Survive.


    Tsk. The battle was almost ending now, Sam knew he had to be quick.


    ¡°Forgive my mistake,¡± Sam apologized. ¡°But we have a bigger problem now. Richie¡­ He¡¯s fighting someone with a Core. If he kills Richie he¡¯ll escape, and we cannot lose the Core.¡±


    Douglas narrowed his eyes for a moment before pulling the nozzle of his gun away from Sam¡¯s face.


    This was it¡ªthis was why he had waited for Douglas to end his battle and brought up the Core. If Douglas had been engaged, he would not have answered him. And if there was nothing important to gain out of heading to Richie¡¯s rescue, he would also not have been obliged to help. He would have sent him towards another person; at this moment, though, everyone else was occupied. Sam had made sure any alternatives were impossible.


    ¡°What¡¯s ya Division?¡± Douglas asked.


    Sam tightened his brows. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Tell me. No. Show me.¡±


    Insurance, huh?


    Sam feigned hesitance for a second or two, then he dipped his hands into his shadow and created a dagger.


    Douglas smiled. ¡°Now listen here, you little shit, if you try anything funny I will know. My Perception is high enough to bypass whatever stealth the Rogue Division has given ya.¡±


    I see¡­ So my animosity will be kept secret by default unless the person has a high enough Perception. Great. It was really the right idea to practice that¡­


    ¡°Lead the way,¡± Douglas added, and Sam moved on to the last phase of the plan.


    It was a minute¡¯s walk before they arrived at the spot that Sam and Richie had chosen for the execution ground. It was a bungalow with no roof.


    Although, something was weird. It was too silent.


    Don¡¯t tell me¡­ Is Richie dead?


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Sam was snapped away from his thoughts at Douglas¡¯s words.


    The head of the guards aimed his rifle at him again. ¡°Where the hell¡¯s the battle, Coma-boy?¡±


    Sam was without words. But he did not let silence linger for too long. It would make the situation tense and arouse further suspicions on Douglas¡¯s part. He couldn¡¯t let that be. Nothing had changed, he just had to tweak his plan to accommodate what he had not taken into consideration.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go in and check,¡± Sam proposed. He then tightened his face as though he was sad. ¡°But¡­ I think¡­ Richie might be dead if it¡¯s this silent.¡±


    Douglas nudged his back with the nozzle of the rifle. ¡°Like I care. Get in there and confirm the situation.¡±


    Sam sniffled and moved forward. He was almost at the doorstep of the house when a crash was heard from within it. His eyes widened as he froze in his tracks and he immediately turned towards Douglas. The head of guards joined Sam where he was. Another crash was heard then, and that prompted them both to head into the house.


    It was good that Richie wasn¡¯t dead, but that was hardly what concerned Sam the most. It was Richie¡¯s abilities. He had tried to get Douglas here quickly after Richie¡¯s departure, but the man¡¯s battle and convincing had drawn out longer than he¡¯d expected. So for Richie to have kept the battle going on for so long meant that his opponent was dancing around his palm.


    Was his opponent that weak, or was Richie just that strong?


    The answer to that became more bleak as Sam and Douglas arrived in the sitting room of the house. There on the moss filled carpet was the head of a middle aged man separated from his body, and standing above it was a blood covered Richie. Although, the blood wasn¡¯t his, as there were no wounds inflicted on his body.


    Sam was shook.


    He had told Richie to bait one of the adventurers to this house and try to survive until Douglas arrived, but he had not been expecting this.


    Now that he thought about it, the way Richie had brought the adventurer to the house seemed quite easy. Back then he had not looked like he had been struggling at all.


    Does he have high Attributes like Emine or Diva? Is it his Skill? What is it? What exactly happened here?


    Sam¡¯s attention shifted to what Richie was holding. It was a palm sized smoky gemstone, spherical in nature and pulsing with an ethereal green glow. It was a Minion Monster¡¯s Core, its description matching what he had been told. The sight of it was so breathtaking that Sam had almost forgotten his purpose of coming here. He shook his head immediately and locked eyes with Richie unobtrusively.


    ¡°Oho,¡± Douglas had a smile on his face. ¡°Richie-boy painted this scene fantastically¡ª¡± He cut himself off as he pointed his rifle at Richie. ¡°What the fuck do ya think ya doing?!¡±


    Sam knew what had happened. Douglas had received an animosity message.


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


    ¡°Don¡¯t fuck with me!¡± Douglas moved forward, subconsciously putting Sam behind him. ¡°Get on ya knees and beg this instant, and maybe I¡¯ll spare ya life.¡±


    Richie¡¯s gaze tightened. ¡°Spare my life?¡± He paused for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ve always wondered¡­ What ever made you think you were stronger than I am?¡±


    This was all part of the plan, taunting.


    Sam had deciphered Douglas to be someone who let his emotions take over his reasoning; once they got under his skin, he would lose his ability to rationalize, then¡­


    But, what was going on here? The sort of aura Richie was giving off. It felt like he wasn¡¯t bluffing.


    A cold sweat ran down Sam¡¯s back, and it seemed it did for Douglas too.


    ¡°What the hell¡¯re ya talking about?¡± Douglas¡¯s tone had become a bit more strained.


    ¡°What the hell am I talking about, huh?¡± Richie tightened his grip on the Core he held, almost like he wanted to shatter it, but his muscles didn¡¯t tense up to a point for such to happen. ¡°Get on your knees and beg, then maybe I¡¯ll spare your life.¡±


    ¡°You bastard! Yer dead now, I tell ya!¡± Douglas¡¯s nose flared and his neck corded as he released the hammer of his rifle; his rage was completely evident. It was now or never.


    Sam dipped his hands into the smoke rising out of his shadow, fantasized about the sharpest and thinnest sword his mind could conjure up, and it manifested in his palm.


    Likening how the Plexus sent an animosity message to be similar to how a lie detector worked, he had practiced and practiced all through the night on the ferry on ways to keep maximum control over his psyche. His heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, skin conductivity, these spiked when a person lost control of their emotions, so controlling their responses meant that his emotions wouldn¡¯t leak out of him¡ªat least, he hoped. And seeing how Douglas was yet to notice what was happening behind him, he seemed to have succeeded.


    Sam gripped the shadow sword and was about to lunge it through Douglas¡¯s back when a shocking scene played before his eyes.


    Out of his own shadow a black hazy figure manifested and reacted far quicker than him.


    Douglas was about to pull the trigger of his rifle when the hazy figure swiped its hand across his neck and a clean line appeared on it. A moment later his head was separated from the rest of his body as a fountain of blood gushed out.


    Sam froze as a tremor took over his chest while he openly stared at Douglas¡¯s body drop down like a bag of cement thrown to the floor.


    His reading was wrong. No. It wasn¡¯t something as simple as that. He was a fool.


    This whole schtick to kill Douglas was just him making a fool of himself.


    How could he not have noticed? The way Richie talked. The way Richie acted. The way Richie looked. Everything was laid out to him, how could he not have seen it?


    Granted, if Douglas didn¡¯t know it seemed like not everyone knew as well. But he was different. He had the Skill and he was always with this person, if everyone in the world missed it, he should not have missed it.


    Now I understand why Emine¡¯s the fifth strongest in the faction. It¡¯s because¡­


    He looked up at his appointed guardian who was standing across the room with the green Core glowing in his hand.


    Richie¡¯s the fourth¡­

 CHAPTER 50-GLASGOW CATHEDRAL

    ¡°Where exactly is this shelter?¡± Alice asked as they moved through the marred roads of Glasgow. It was a city that looked to be a tad bit smaller in area compared to Edinburgh, but that did not make the winds of desolation about it any less.


    Although, that was not what made Rain¡¯s face squeeze. They had journeyed through more than five or so towns and villages to get to Glasgow, and the more their legs moved the greater the emptiness left in their wake. A part of himself had been hoping the GEF¡¯s faction leader¡¯s surveys were wrong, but he was beginning to feel differently.


    It was crazy. Once, a person could not cover a kilometer without coming across a single person, now they were covering cities.


    ¡°In Glasgow,¡± Nun Cathleen answered with a subtle sarcasm in her tone. Alice frowned, and the nun chuckled. They were walking side by side at the head of the crew. ¡°It¡¯s Glasgow¡¯s cathedral. Be rest assured, it¡¯s safe there. It always is.¡±


    Alice scoffed at those words, but she said nothing else.


    Rain, on the other hand, just watched in silence from behind them with Sean on his back and J matching his stride.


    At that moment a familiar voice called from his side. ¡°Mister,¡± the person had said, and he turned around to see the pink-haired girl, Mei Mei, strolling beside him. He smiled at her and she took it as an initiative to continue. ¡°What¡¯s up with that?¡± Her gaze was on J. Rain understood.


    From their mutters some moments ago, Rain had realized that the children only knew how to hunt beasts, not make them Companions. It was only because they had seen humans so close to it that they had not followed their instincts and ambushed it. Now that they were sure the beast was actually journeying with humans, their curiosity was heightened.


    Rain discreetly looked over his shoulder. The rest of the children walking behind him were murmuring, only the meek Mei Mei had the courage to ask.


    How am I meant to interpret this now? The fact that these kids are so strong means that they¡¯ve fought quite a lot of beasts, in other words, they¡¯ve been out of the pod far longer than I was; the nun must have been the one to see them through it all. Did she not tell them about everything that was possible in this world? Rain wondered. The nun not attacking J means that she knows of the whole Companion schtick, so why keep it a secret from the kids?


    Trying to understand it seemed somewhat impossible without posing questions to both Nun Cathleen and the kids; but was dragging this out that necessary? Nah. It wasn¡¯t important. If the kids didn¡¯t know about animals becoming human Companions, then they could just find out now regardless of past reasons. At least, they were the ones curious, he was not forcing the knowledge on them.


    ¡°My Companion,¡± Rain answered, and Mei Mei¡¯s face turned incredulous. ¡°Her name¡¯s J.¡±


    ¡°Companion?¡± Mei Mei asked. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Rain was about to speak when Ray cut in from behind, ¡°It means they are friends, klutz!¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Mei Mei glanced at Ray and nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to introduce you?¡± Rain chimed in.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    It was understandable that Mei Mei was confused about what that meant. If all the children had known since the world had gone to shit was hunting mutated beasts, then it would be weird to suddenly become friends with one.


    Rain smiled and turned to his Companion. ¡°J, this is Mei Mei.¡± The Chinese girl blinked frantically. ¡°And Mei Mei, this is J.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Ah. Nice to meet you!¡± Mei Mei seemed lost at first, then she bowed at J, who purred in reply a second later.


    ¡°I¡¯m Ella,¡± Rain turned to see another of the children walking beside J. She had ginger hair in a pull through braid, doe red eyes, and pale skin. He recalled her. She was the one who had thrown up the shadow wall that prevented the Chimera bear from escaping. She gave a particular aura different from that of Mei Mei¡¯s and only similar to one other amongst the children. The one called Klein. But even then hers still differed a bit from his. It was somewhat¡­ Rain narrowed his eyes for a moment. ¡°Nice to meet you, J.¡±


    At that, more and more of the children surrounded J, introducing themselves as they engaged in conversations that did little to quell their curiosity but spike their fun. Rain saw his Companion looking at him with eyes that spelled ¡°save me¡±. He wheezed silently in laughter, but didn¡¯t help her.


    Sean spoke then from his back, ¡°How long left?¡± His tone was a bit gloomy, Rain realized. Why, though?The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Just a few minutes more,¡± Rain said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it and just keep sleeping.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sleeping,¡±said Sean.


    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± Rain was not sure if he was particularly good with kids, but when a person was feeling down it was obvious. ¡°You know you can tell me anything, right?¡±


    Sean was silent for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Like hell it is. If you won¡¯t talk of your own will, then I¡¯ll have to threaten you.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll put you down.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Rain gritted his teeth. This boy.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t talk, I¡¯ll tell J to stop playing catch with you.¡±


    Sean fell mute, his arms squeezing around Rain¡¯s neck.


    Are you trying to choke me?!


    The pressure reduced and the boy opened his mouth, ¡°I-I can¡¯t socialize.¡±


    Huh? Rain¡¯s expression slacked. Is that all? He would have chuckled but he knew that would be disrespectful to the kid, so instead he sighed silently.


    ¡°You want to play with the children too, huh?¡±


    ¡°Mmm-hmm.¡±


    He whispered into Sean¡¯s ear, ¡°That¡¯s easy, you know? Just talk to one of them; starting a conversation is the easiest thing to do in this world.¡± Especially between kids.


    ¡°How do I do that, though? I feel like they¡¯ll ignore me.¡±


    This was not something that would be easy for the boy, Rain understood that. It was obvious that Sean had not had a lot of friends before the apocalypse¡ªmaybe one or two max. Anyways, that had to change now that a chance to do so had been presented.


    ¡°It¡¯s all about timing,¡± Rain told Sean, ¡°and shared interests. It always feels awkward trying to start a conversation with a stranger, but all that stuff vanishes if there¡¯s something you both like. Naturally, you begin to talk about it, and it¡¯s easier to talk about too. In this case, you have J. You¡¯ve played with J already, you know J better than they do, so you can use that as a base for conversing with them¡ª¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Sean voiced in a tense manner as his arms tightened around Rain once again.


    Rain¡¯s brows pulled in. ¡°What? Why ¡®no¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­ I don¡¯t want to now~¡±


    Rain took in a deep breath and exhaled. ¡°I understand.¡±


    You just don¡¯t want to come down and walk, you little¡­


    About thirty minutes later, they walked into Glasgow cathedral.


    Neither Nun Cathleen nor the children had needed to announce that it was what it was because its design made that much as obvious as a needle not hidden in a haystack.


    Glasgow cathedral was a grand gothic architecture with a tall central spire rising above intricate stone architecture, which featured a fa?ade bearing a large, ornate arched window, that was filled with stained glass in a circular rose pattern, at its center.


    It was surprising that despite the utter ruins filling the rest of the world, the cathedral retained its beauty and history. There was barely any stain of greenery on its weathered stones, and even the surroundings which made up its paved plaza was not completely dominated by trees and shrubs with exaggerated growth sprouts. It looked like most of them had been burnt or cut down.


    Of course, Rain wasn¡¯t the only one who was awed at the sight.


    ¡°Why is it so neat?¡± Sean asked in a low voice.


    ¡°I wonder,¡± Rain answered¡ªif that could even be called an answer.


    His gaze was then planted on a stone pedestal that seemed to have held a statue some time back.


    The statue was nowhere to be found now, though, all that was left was a name imprinted on the pedestal¡­


    David Livingstone¡­


    All of a sudden, Rain felt a stifling pressure clutching his heart. He looked away from the statue instantly to see Alice having halted her steps with her right hand tightly gripping the hilt of her sword.


    This shouldn¡¯t have been a special sight since she had been clutching it all through their walk here, only this time it felt a bit too different. For one, neither the nun nor the children, even J, seemed to have sensed what he did. They kept moving forward. His Perception, which was never triggered due to its low level, had been the only one aroused by Alice¡¯s abrupt halt.


    Why was he the only one who could sense her agitation? No, that wasn¡¯t what was the most important. What exactly was wrong? What had she noticed?


    Rain traced the line of her sight and then he saw what she saw.


    Beneath one of the neatly trimmed trees in the plaza was a reclining chair and a figure seated upon it. At the sight of this figure, Rain suddenly felt a cold chill run down his spine. But he knew, instinctively, this sensation wasn¡¯t his. It was Alice¡¯s.


    ¡°Rain, what¡¯s wrong with Alice? I¡¯m scared.¡±


    Huh?


    Those words drew Rain¡¯s attention away from the figure on the reclining chair to the arms wrapped around his neck. They were shivering rather wildly though discreetly.


    Don¡¯t tell me¡­ Is he feeling the same thing too? Why? How come we both can feel what Alice is feeling?


    Rain¡¯s questions were answered a second later as the familiar Plexus brought forth its blue and purple hue before his eyes, only this time with words he had never seen before¡­


    [Side Character Rain Leclair¡¯s cognizance of the Player, Alice, has been heightened]...

 CHAPTER 51-ARCHBISHOP JUDE BALE

    [Side Character Rain Leclair¡¯s cognizance of the Player, Alice, has been heightened]...


    One look was all Rain needed to understand what the Plexus meant.


    His Perception had not magically grown to a higher level, his connection to Alice as a person had just become a bit high enough to the point that the Plexus automatically made him feel what she was feeling in important moments.


    The fact that it was happening to Sean too was enough proof of that. Amongst every person present, they were the only ones close to Alice.


    There was one thing that bogged Rain at that realization, though, and it was if what he was feeling through Alice would be transported to J who had a connection to him.


    He looked at his Companion who had since stopped following the children and was now peering at him. There was no look of anxiety on her face, rather, she was wearing her usual incredulous expression.


    Rain sighed at that. If J became agitated it wouldn¡¯t produce any pleasant outcome. Whatever Alice was feeling right now had to be kept under wraps. If it was let out, it wouldn¡¯t be good.


    With those thoughts, he approached her.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Alice flinched at his question, almost too aggressively. When she noticed it was him, she calmed down with an exhale, then asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Rain was not sure if he should tell her about the Plexus¡¯s notification, so instead he just said, ¡°You stopped walking. And your hand is on your hilt.¡±


    Alice looked at her sword and closed her eyes for a moment. ¡°I told you we shouldn¡¯t come here,¡± she said with a stern expression. ¡°They are dangerous. We have to leave.¡±


    Rain understood her worries, after all, he¡¯d felt what she¡¯d felt, but still¡­ His decision stood.


    ¡°That would be stupid of us.¡± Alice shot him a sharp gaze. He didn¡¯t retreat though. His eyes were serious too so she would know he was not joking. ¡°I mean it. I did not say this before because I was sure you would understand me, but I¡¯ll say it now. What¡¯s the point of leaving? I can see well enough that they are stronger than us. If they want to harm us, it doesn¡¯t matter if we¡¯re here or somewhere else, we¡¯ll be harmed.¡±


    ¡°We will definitely be harmed if we stay here,¡± Alice stated.


    ¡°I get why you think that, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that as long as we are in Glasgow we will be harmed by them if they want to. Also, do we really have the time to start seeking out a place to stay at the moment?¡± Rain nudged his chin at the sky. There was obviously less than an hour left until the fog came. Alice remained silent. Rain looked at the nun and the children who had just now arrived before the figure seated on the reclining chair. ¡°As long as we do not give them a cause to worry, they¡¯ll think they have the upper hand, since we¡¯re at their place, and so they¡¯ll try to take things slowly. We just have to make them believe that until morning, and then we can leave. Although, if you have a way for us to get out of Glasgow in the next thirty minutes, then I¡¯m all ears.¡±


    Of course, if there was such a way they would have been in Manchester already.


    This situation was not in favor of them in any way. There was nothing they could do but bend to the will of these people¡ªat least, pretend to. That was why he was already coming up with a plan to safely get them out of here when morning came. They just had to get through the night.


    Alice peered at Rain for a while before freeing her sword from her tightened grip and running her hand through her hair. ¡°I don¡¯t have such a way,¡± she said, ¡°but surviving through the night should be feasible. And then we will leave in the morning.¡±


    Great¡­ Come up with your plan and I¡¯ll come up with mine. Rain turned his gaze to where the nun and the children were and they were all looking at his crew. Telling each other of whatever plans we have would be bad, especially with that nun around.


    ¡°I¡¯ll trust you.¡± Rain smiled at Alice, and she nodded.


    A few seconds later they arrived at the tree Nun Cathleen and the kids were gathered around. Rain saw the figure on the reclining chair visibly now. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    He was a bald middle aged man dressed in a black clergyman robe, and on the bridge of his nose rested rectangular glasses. On his lap was a Bible, while on his face, a smile.


    The sort of feeling the man gave off was not particularly suppressive, so for a moment Rain almost questioned why Alice had felt the way she¡¯d felt, but he then blamed it on his Perception. After all, if the children and Nun Cathleen were that strong, undoubtedly this man was on another level.


    Nun Cathleen smiled and opened her lips while gesturing at the man, ¡°This here is Archbishop Jude Bale.¡±


    Sean¡¯s arms tightened across Rain, but he acted oblivious to it and bowed. ¡°I¡¯m Rain Leclair. Thank you for¡ª¡±


    ¡°What questions do you have to ask? Ask away.¡±


    Rain closed his eyes with a deep inhale. Alice was the one who had cut him off, so it had struck him weird considering how they had already agreed to pretend so as to survive until morning. Or was this part of her plan?


    Nun Cathleen was the one who spoke, ¡°Archbishop Jude¡ª¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Alice cut her off too. ¡°My question was for the Archbishop, not you. Or is he mute?¡±


    Rain noticed the slight fury that appeared on the nun¡¯s face, which made his heartbeat hasten for a moment. It wasn¡¯t only her too, the child, Ray, had his nose wrung up.


    What in the world was she doing?


    Archbishop Jude laughed at that moment. He then closed the Bible he was reading and rose to his feet. ¡°Now. Now. Everyone relax. I understand how you feel, young lady¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a young lady¡ª¡±


    ¡°...But let¡¯s have this conversation inside, shall we?¡± He pointed to the sky. ¡°Night is upon us.¡±


    ###


    The interior of the cathedral was just as magnificent as its exterior. No. It was far better. Simply stepping onto the anachronistic stone tiled floor in the nave brought them within a breathtaking display of high, vaulted ceilings supported by rows of massive stone pillars, stunning windows with vibrant colors, and stained glass depicting biblical stories.


    Rain was so absorbed in the sight that he didn¡¯t realize his mouth was slightly open. Mei Mei was the one who had alerted him to it with a nudge, and for that he was thankful.


    It seemed Sean had been lost in the display too, if not he would have been the one to have called him back.


    Alice, on the other hand, did not seem awed by the cathedral¡¯s intricacies. She had probably seen better, after all, she had not lost her memories unlike Rain. And if her prayers at meals were to be considered it was possible that she was even be religious. The latter, though, did not make her any less wary of the Archbishop and nun.


    Rain kind of understood why. Besides the fact that she was an overly cautious person, anyone could have dressed up as an Archbishop and a nun to cause others to let down their guards around them. Being religious did not stop her from thinking that.


    ¡°Is this where you all stay?¡± Alice asked after glancing around for a bit.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Archbishop Jude replied.


    ¡°There are various buildings around, why limit yourself to just the cathedral?¡± Her eyes were filled with scrutiny. If there were awards for being the most unbelieving person, she would be the one handing them out.


    The Archbishop chuckled while nudging his glasses. ¡°Our numbers are little. Separating ourselves can prove very bad.¡± They had walked all the way to the sanctuary of the cathedral now, and there he sat on the stairs. He turned to Nun Cathleen. ¡°You should take the children to the crypt. I¡¯ll keep on discussing with our guests. Oh. Meal hasn¡¯t been served yet, right?¡±


    Nun Cathleen nodded. ¡°Yes, Archbishop.¡±


    ¡°Alright, for tonight they¡¯ll eat in the crypt.¡± The children gasped in joy and thanked the Archbishop for his seemingly kind words, and then the nun began leading them in the direction of the choir area. Alice¡¯s eyebrows furrowed and released as she watched them. The Archbishop continued then, ¡°Your little boy seems tired. He should go with them. Nun Cathleen is going to serve dinner any moment now¡ª¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alice voiced in a rather tense manner as though a sudden jolt of electricity had struck her body. It had been so loud that the children walking to the crypt stopped and turned around.


    Rain sighed. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he said, causing Alice to glare at him. ¡°I¡¯ll go with him. He should rest.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll rest with us,¡± Alice argued.


    ¡°You¡¯re in a discussion with the Archbishop. That¡¯s not ideal.¡± She was silent. ¡°I¡¯ll be with him.¡± Rain noticed the Archbishop staring at J. He added, ¡°Can she come with me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But that will frighten the kids. She should remain here in the nave, with the adults.¡±


    Rain smiled. ¡°Funny. They were all around her on the way here. I doubt they¡¯re afraid of her.¡± He decided to make sure the Archbishop couldn¡¯t refute even further. ¡°Sean, is J dangerous?¡± Sean shook his head with a silent mutter of ¡°no¡±. ¡°See.¡±


    Archbishop Jude was quiet for a second, then he exhaled. ¡°Then that¡¯s fine.¡± He turned to Nun Cathleen. ¡°Ella¡¯s the only one not paired, right? The boy should pair with her.¡±


    Rain turned to the Ella girl. She was staring his way with a nigh unnoticeable distant look on her face. He smiled.


    It was perfect.

 CHAPTER 52-A NIGHT OF PLANS

    As soon as Rain, Sean, and J vanished into the crypt along with the children and the weird nun, Alice turned back to Archbishop Jude Bale with quite a ferocious look, one that was designed to peel off his hide and reveal what sort of snake he was within.


    She was not sure why she was feeling this way, but her instincts had never been proven wrong before. This man was a scam, down to his very bones. He was not sheltering them from the good of his heart, and as such she would not let herself fall for his petty tricks.


    ¡°You find it so hard to believe that in a ruined world good people exist, don¡¯t you?¡± Archbishop Jude said, but Alice¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t falter.


    ¡°I don¡¯t find it hard to believe. I just pick my poison carefully.¡± Alice sat down at the edge of the frontmost pew with her hand still well placed on the hilt of her sword. ¡°As you can see. I¡¯m traveling with two people and a beast. I wouldn¡¯t be if I wasn¡¯t somewhat trusting, right?¡±


    Archbishop Jude nodded. ¡°I suppose that is true.¡± He dropped the Bible on his lap on the stair he was sitting on. ¡°And I understand why you are wary. But I assure you, I¡¯m one of the good ones.¡±


    A good person wouldn¡¯t be so adamant on proving that they are a good person¡­


    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that,¡± she said. ¡°That aside, I¡¯m sure you know that bigger factions exist, don¡¯t you? So why are you subjecting those children to a stifling life?¡±


    Archbishop Jude narrowed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I do not follow.¡±


    Alice scoffed. ¡°I know you do,¡± she whispered to herself. ¡°I don¡¯t know what sort of training you¡¯ve dished out to those kids, but they are not fit for this life. Let them go and live peacefully in a faction where there are competent adults. They should be playing games, not fighting Chimera beasts.¡±


    ¡°Are you insinuating that Nun Cathleen and I are incompetent?¡± Archbishop Jude had a smile on his face, but the fact that he had to close his eyes to produce such an expression meant that the sort of gaze he had most likely did not align with the demeanor he was passing across.


    Alice reciprocated with a smile of her own. ¡°I never said that. After all, you both should be in a faction as well, not living on your own in a city that barely sees a person.¡± She heaved out an exhale. ¡°As thanks for deciding to shelter me and my friends through the night, I''ll give you a piece of advice. Children see, hear, and understand a lot more than you might think. They pay love with love, and they no doubt repay aggression with aggression. It might take a while, but it does happen later on.¡±


    There was a lot more that she wanted to say, but this was enough. After all, this was the crux of her plan.


    Alice believed that Archbishop Jude was a pretentious psychopath. Despite her knowing nothing of the thinking processes of such individuals, she was sure of one thing: They were calm and rational until provoked.


    If he had really been pushing the kids through hellish training sessions to turn them into the battle monsters they had become, then the seed of doubt she had planted within him for the kids would grow, making him so afraid that he would become rather cautious of them.


    Honestly, she wanted to take the kids away from him, but for that she needed the strength of the GEF. As of now, there was no way that was possible. That was why she hoped that this action of hers would significantly reduce the way he pushed them into death-ridden situations, at least until she came back for them.


    As for her intention of surviving through the night and leaving in the morning, this was why she had riled him up.


    If he had wanted to slowly take his time before harming them in any way, now he would be fuming up to the point that he would want to do just that immediately. And as such, whatever plans he had made would be rearranged to fit his current emotional state.


    There was not scarier than someone with full control over a situation.


    Well, as for her plan, it was already set in place in the case that she was attacked in the middle of the night.


    Even if the Archbishop and the nun were both stronger than her, they wouldn¡¯t be able to kill her in an instant. She was not that weak. And, furthermore, she had an inkling that they both, and the children as well, were yet to explore the world beyond the Glades.


    This thought of hers was because of the kids.


    Although they were quite strong for earth¡¯s standards, that strength was nothing in the faces of the beasts in the Glades. In other words, they would have all been wiped out if they had ventured into a Glade.


    The thing now was: How had they been able to avoid adventuring into a Glade with their number? It was impossible that they had no Protagonist. Was it luck, or had she just misinterpreted it all?


    She knew the answers to that wouldn¡¯t be available to her, though. And, of course, asking the Archbishop wouldn''t change that. So she decided to focus on what was important at the moment. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Now, there was just one more thing she had to say to drive the nail into the coffin.


    ¡°I¡¯ll sleep here.¡± She meant the nave. ¡°And also¡­ We¡¯ll be leaving early in the morning. Maybe even before the sun has risen. I hope you can understand if you wake up after we¡¯re gone.¡±


    Archbishop Jude finally opened his eyes, his smile still vividly etched on his face. ¡°Of course. It¡¯s not like you and your friends are hostages. You are free to leave whenever you want.¡±


    ###


    The crypt was divided into various sections, each one bearing different chapels. The children were paired in each space¡ªRain couldn¡¯t understand why since there was more than enough for each person¡ªand Sean was sharing one with Ella. He and J were there as well.


    ¡°You must be strong, Mister?¡± Ella said, her voice low and quiet. She had just taken the last bite of the sloth meat she had been served for dinner, which also spelled the end of Rain¡¯s exaggerated storytelling involving his battle with the Chimera Anaconda.


    Of course he had left out his Mark and the part where his flesh had sewed itself back, which made it seem like he had killed the beast all on his own. But, eh, he had had no choice.


    Rain glanced at Sean, who was still nibbling on the food he had been served in silence, and sighed. It would have struck him weird that the boy was quiet if he had not already been told of his social awkwardness.


    Sean had been so pressed to know what had happened during his adventure home, so he had hoped that would bring him into a discussion with Ella, hence, releasing him from his shy state, but it had not worked. Funny thing was that Ella seemed to be the same way as Sean. They had just introduced themselves, and it had ended there. The atmosphere was weird, and it was not favorable for the plan he was cooking up.


    Well, if the Anaconda story didn¡¯t work, then he had another idea.


    Rain rubbed J¡¯s neck as she licked his wrist, then with a smile he said, ¡°Do you have a favorite superhero, Ella?¡±


    The girl had been drinking a cup of water when he asked, which was why she took a moment before she answered, ¡°Nightwing.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Rain widened his eyes. ¡°Not Daredevil?¡± He felt Sean¡¯s gaze on him, but he acted oblivious. Sean had told him a while back of his best superhero, now was the time to make use of that information. ¡°I thought the ladies preferred Daredevil?¡±


    Ella shook her head. She seemed like the quiet type, but her eyes suddenly had a different look to it after Rain¡¯s words. ¡°No. I think we all prefer Nightwing.¡±


    Rain had no knowledge on how long had passed since the kids had awoken from their pods, so it was possible that, unlike Sean, their mental prowess had since developed into a more mature one. Still, they were inherently children. Comic characters still enticed them. And thank goodness Sean didn¡¯t remain quiet this time.


    ¡°Nightwing? I wonder what girls see in him?¡± the boy scoffed with a mouth full of meat.


    Rain had not denied the food given to Sean out of fear of it being poisoned because he had already come to realize something that guaranteed the boy¡¯s survival.


    He, on the other hand, rejected his food, and J, who had been feasting continuously for the past three days, obviously didn¡¯t need any, so she skipped as well.


    Ella was silent for a moment, which made Rain a tad scared that his social anxiety dispeling plan would fall into failure again, but it turned out that she was just thinking of a reply to give to Sean.


    ¡°He¡¯s more handsome.¡±


    That answer seemed to rile Sean up more, causing him to abandon his food and engage in a wave of silent bickering with Ella.


    It brought a smile on Rain¡¯s face, but it vanished in an instant when he noticed that J was no longer licking his wrist.


    He rubbed her head and whispered, ¡°Is she gone?¡± J purred and he nodded.


    Rain recalled that the Rogue Division was one that blessed its user with the abilities of stealth and trickery. He also recalled that Nun Cathleen had such an ability, and that she had used it back in Cumbernauld. Since he knew that his Perception was too low to decipher if he was being watched or not, he¡¯d decided to rely on J¡¯s keen senses.


    Her licking of his wrist was a signal to tell him that he was being watched, and stopping was to tell him otherwise.


    Honestly, he had not been particularly expectant of anything considering how she had been behaving all this while, but she proved him wrong.


    He had begged her to push herself, and apparently when she did her Perception was even better than Alice¡¯s.


    Now he could kick his plan underway.


    ¡°So,¡± Rain started, cutting in on the two kids¡¯ little argument. ¡°How did you meet the nun and the Archbishop, Ella.¡±


    The girl¡¯s eyes reverted back to the indistinct grimness Rain had noticed from the moment he had seen her.


    She hesitated for a few seconds before opening her lips, ¡°They saved me. They saved us.¡±


    A simple answer¡­ Well, I expected that. Still, someone who was saved shouldn¡¯t be looking the way you¡¯re looking. What exactly are you afraid of?


    Rain peered at Ella, her doe eyes looking straight back at him. ¡°You don¡¯t like it here?¡± The girl gasped inaudibly as her eyes widened and her gaze faltered. She glanced around as though searching for someone. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he said in an attempt to put her at ease. ¡°No one¡¯s watching.¡±


    Ella focused her attention back on him. ¡°H-How are you sure? It¡¯s impossible to¡ª¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as impossible.¡± Rain saw the girl hold her hands tightly. He felt bad for trying to use her to make it out of here alive, but he had no choice. This was the only way, and he needed her answer for that to happen. He asked again, ¡°Do you like it here?¡±


    Ella bit down on her lower lip and lowered her head. ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡±


    This is going nowhere. That nun can come back at any moment. I should change my approach to something decisive.


    ¡°Hey.¡± Ella looked up at Rain and her furrowed brows loosened at the placid smile he had resting on his face. ¡°Do you want to get the hell out of here?¡±

 CHAPTER 53-6 A.M. IN GLASGOW

    Rain rolled his neck and shoulders, relieving them from the stiffness that had plagued them. Everything had been set in place, now it was time for the final act.


    He looked around the chapel, where he was the only one seated, and sighed. If possible, he didn¡¯t want this whole thing to escalate into something destructive.


    Rain had come to realize that the person amongst his group the Archbishop and nun sought out was Sean after carefully analyzing various reasons as to why people with an aura so frightening it shook Alice would offer them a place to pass the night. Without asking for anything in return to boot. He only came upon one answer: Archbishop Jude Bale was building a faction with the children as its foothold.


    Although he could not figure out the reason why, one thing became certain from that realization of his, and it was that the man was gathering children together whenever he could under the pretense of saving them and then plunging them through rigorous training regimes to become battle oriented.


    After all, why were there only two adults and nine children? There was no way other adults hadn¡¯t passed through here and tried to join them. There was no way.


    That also explained why there was no animosity message from the Plexus regarding the Archbishop and Nun Cathleen towards them. It was because attacking them before Sean would destroy that pretense of ¡®saving the children¡¯ he was upholding.


    Kids tended to be stubborn and possessed high desires for revenge if someone they loved was harmed; if he and Alice were killed before Sean, it would only make the boy more inclined not to bend to their will.


    But what if¡­ What if he was abandoned? Now that would make the whole providing them shelter make sense.


    It was a simple tactic. When Sean woke up he would not see Alice, Rain, and J, and then the Archbishop would claim that he was abandoned because he was a burden¡ªbecause he was weak. In that instance, Sean would be filled with either anger and betrayal, or helplessness. Regardless of which emotions would plague him, he would want to become stronger, and he would lean on the Archbishop to help him. That was a simple way to achieve victory.


    The only problem with this tactic was how to get Alice and Rain away from the boy. One option was to separate them and convince them to leave him behind, but from Alice¡¯s interactions Rain was sure the Archbishop knew better than to believe that would work. Which brought about the second option. Separate them from the boy and kill them.


    All in all, those psychopaths were going to try whatever they could to take Sean away from them.


    Rain had sent a note detailing this realization of his through J to Alice at the break of dawn, after which he had sent her away with Ella and Sean.


    Surprisingly she had heeded quicker than when they had been at the mall. She seemed to realize that this was a dire situation.


    Using the ability of her Skill, Shadowmancer, Ella had turned her shadow into a cloak of invisibility for her and Sean, and during Nun Cathleen¡¯s morning prayer time, escaped out of the Cathedral through a spot known to only her and the rest of the children. Apparently, the Skill could only handle hiding one other person besides its user, so J had to rely on her keen senses to keep up.


    It was almost thirty minutes since then, which meant Nun Cathleen¡¯s 5:30 a.m. praying time would be over soon, and the children¡¯s would start. Ella and Sean being missing would be figured out then.


    In all honesty, Rain wished he could get the rest of the children out of here too, but he knew he didn¡¯t have either the abilities or luxury for that, which was why he had chosen Ella, who was apparently the most vulnerable of the kids.


    One look at her back at Cumbernauld had told him all he¡¯d needed to know. Even if she didn¡¯t answer when he asked her about what was happening at the Cathedral out of fear that she was being watched, he had been able to read her eyes to get an idea.


    That little girl knew that they were being manipulated; and, Rain wasn¡¯t sure how he knew, but her eyes were those of someone who had watched a person dear to her die right before their eyes. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    She had said she did not want to leave, but decided to help Sean escape instead.


    Rain was not satisfied with that, so when he got to the meeting spot, he would try to convince her again. As for now, he had to make sure Nun Cathleen didn¡¯t come after them¡ªthis was also part of the reason he had not yet left.


    ¡°Good morning.¡±


    Rain turned sharply to his side to see Nun Cathleen standing there with a smile on her face.


    It¡¯s that bad, huh? I didn¡¯t even notice her coming.


    He reciprocated. ¡°Good morning.¡±


    ¡°I hope you slept well?¡± He nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good. Well, I came here to wake the children up, but it seems we have a situation. Do you have any idea where they might have gone?¡±


    The children? Isn¡¯t it only Ella who should be woken up for the prayer, or are you already lumping Sean in with the kids under you?


    Rain kept his thoughts to himself and said, ¡°They went to ease themselves. I sent my Companion to escort them, so they¡¯ll be fine. If that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about.¡±


    ¡°Oh. No. I¡¯m not worried about them. They can take care of themselves well enough. It¡¯s just funny that they all went to ease themselves at the same time. It¡¯s even funnier that Mei Mei went as well.¡±


    Rain frowned, a look of confusion painted on his face.


    All? Mei Mei? Surely, it can¡¯t be¡­


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± He decided to confirm as he rose to his feet.


    Nun Cathleen gestured outside of the chapel they were in and at the wide space of the crypt. ¡°There¡¯s no one here besides you.¡±


    ###


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing, El?!¡± Ella turned around to see Ray with a tightness in his eyes. He was not the only one. The rest of the children were present; they had all followed her secretly. ¡°Have you lost your mind? Has Mei Mei infected you?¡±


    ¡°I-I had no hand in this, Ray. Even I wouldn¡¯t dare¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut it, klutz!¡± Ray voiced and Mei Mei squealed herself into silence. He turned back to Ella and the boy, Sean. The Jaguar was there as well, simply watching in silence. ¡°Explain yourself. Where are you going with them?¡±


    Ella bit down on her lower lip before saying, ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡­¡±


    ¡°Why are you out here during prayer time?¡± It was Geraldine who¡¯d opened her mouth.


    She rarely talked, so whenever she did the rest of the children placed importance on the situation that had caused it. And as such, Meera, Timothy, Tit, and Jan began to question Ella. Only one of them was silent. It was Klein. He just stood to the back like a quiet sentinel¡ªlike he didn¡¯t exist¡ªobserving. Ella caught his lucid azure eyes and her lips tightened even further than it had already been.


    ¡°Say something, dammit!¡± Ray roared. ¡°What in the world do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    She hesitated. After all, what could she say? That she was helping Sean escape from Archbishop Jude and Nun Cathleen? They would ask her ¡®why¡¯, because to them they weren¡¯t bad people. They didn¡¯t know what had happened, and she couldn¡¯t tell them. She didn¡¯t want to be the devil who ruined the peace of others, that was why she hesitated.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Ella lowered her head and tried to speak, but her words weren¡¯t coming. Her vision was slowly becoming blurry. ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you want to leave?¡±


    Her eyes shot up at those words¡ªat that voice. It was Klein¡¯s. His arms were still folded and he was still behind the rest of the kids.


    That was right, besides her, he was the only one who knew what had happened. If she explained the situation to him he would understand.


    ¡°Huh?!¡± Ray¡¯s face squeezed. ¡°Why are you asking her such a foolish question? We can¡¯t let her leave. No. That¡¯s wrong. Why would she even be trying to leave? Where would she go? She¡¯s gonna die out in the world all by herself.¡±


    Klein ignored him. ¡°So, do you?¡± Ella pursed her lips, and after a few seconds of deliberation decided to take Klein to the side and explain it all to him separately. But before she could say anything, he added, ¡°Don¡¯t. The boy too. Both of you can¡¯t go anywhere¡­¡±


    At that moment, the Jaguar who had been silent all this time suddenly bared its fangs and pounced in front of Ella and Sean, startling the rest of the children¡ªall besides Klein, whose lucid eyes now had a glint of ferocity to them.


    ¡°Wh-What did you say?¡± Ella asked in a shaken manner as her expression collapsed. She quickly grabbed Sean¡¯s hand and held it tightly.


    ¡°Exactly what you heard,¡± Klein replied in a petulant tone. ¡°It¡¯s simple, really. I¡¯m asking you not to leave. There¡¯s no place out there better than here. But, of course, if you¡¯re adamant on trying to, then you leave me no choice. I¡¯ll have to kill you both myself.¡±

 CHAPTER 54-ESCALATION OF EVENTS

    Rain and Nun Cathleen came up from the crypt.


    It struck him weird how the lady seemed a little too composed despite the kids all being missing. He had been expecting her to panic, but her gaze was completely placid. And that was not even the worst of it all, her words down in the crypt had been quite astonishing.


    She had simply said in a plaintive tone after his look of shock concerning the situation, ¡°Oh. You didn¡¯t know about them leaving then? I¡¯ll have to report this to the Archbishop. We should head up.¡±


    And in the nave they now were. But the Archbishop was nowhere to be seen. Alice, on the other hand, was seated at the edge of the frontmost pew, her gaze, despite being shadowed by eyebags, as vigilant as ever. Her hand was well placed on the hilt of her sword sprawled across her lap.


    She barely got to sleep last night? I wonder what her plan was, but at least we survived through the night. Rain took a discreet glance at Nun Cathleen. Now we just need to get the hell out of here before anything happens.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go and report the situation to the Archbishop,¡± Nun Cathleen said. ¡°Breakfast will be served soon.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡± Alice rose up, strapping her sword to her waist and picking up her bag. ¡°We¡¯ll not be having breakfast as we will be leaving now. Our journey¡¯s a long one, after all. A single second wasted is night coming faster.¡±


    Nun Cathleen gave off a faint smile. ¡°Oh. I see. That is understandable¡­ But haven¡¯t you noticed that your little boy isn¡¯t with us?¡±


    Alice narrowed her eyes as though she knew nothing of it. Rain decided to take the initiative.


    Since he had already made his plan known to Alice prior, he was not afraid that she wouldn¡¯t know what words to spew out after he¡¯d talked. The problem was with the rest of the kids vanishing. She didn¡¯t know about that and it was going to put a dent on it all, surely.


    ¡°He said he wanted to ease himself. So I had J go with him.¡±


    Alice nodded with a slightly twisted expression. ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s fine. How long now?¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­ It should be clocking about twenty to thirty minutes already.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then he should be on his way back. We¡¯ll intercept him.¡± She turned to the nun. ¡°Thank you for your hospitality, but that¡¯s that. We¡¯ll be leaving now.¡±


    Nun Cathleen pursed her lips. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I¡¯d like to accompany you.¡±


    Alice frowned. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. We can take care of ourselves just fine.¡± She picked up her bag and wore it over her shoulders, completing her preparations.


    Nun Cathleen chuckled. ¡°You¡¯ve got the wrong idea. I¡¯m only accompanying you because my kids have gone missing.¡±


    ¡°Your kids?¡± Alice¡¯s expression slacked. She stole a glance at Rain and noticed his visage had twisted. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Exactly as you¡¯ve heard,¡± Nun Cathleen replied. ¡°I think they must have gone with your kid.¡±


    Alice sighed, taking a brief moment to think. ¡°I see¡­ Well, I think you should stay back and prepare breakfast for the children. I¡¯ll make sure to relay to them to come back if I come across them. It seems the Archbishop is still asleep, you shouldn¡¯t leave the cathedral just like that.¡±


    ¡°Ah, but I¡¯m wide awake.¡± The voice was the Archbishop¡¯s. They all turned at the same time to see him appear onto the sanctuary with his hands tucked behind his back. He stopped just behind the altar, peering down at them from there. ¡°What¡¯s with the early morning noise?¡±


    A mien of displeasure appeared on Alice¡¯s face. She did not even make a single attempt to hide it. Rain remained silent, watching. He was already sure that things would escalate so he was trying his best to come up with various means to guarantee his people¡¯s safety.


    It was easier said than done, though.


    His plan had been to remove Nun Cathleen¡¯s focus from Ella and Sean and have her focus on the rest of the children as a result of their morning prayer. But, that plan was down the drain now. The way things were moving, if the Archbishop was really adamant on keeping Sean, then a battle would be unavoidable. Considering he and Alice were weaker, it wouldn¡¯t bode well.


    ¡°Good morning, Archbishop.¡± Nun Cathleen bowed at the middle aged man. ¡°The children have gone missing. But not to worry, I¡¯ll go out and bring them back. They must be playing nearby,¡±The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Archbishop Jude Bale nodded. ¡°Do just that.¡± He then turned to Alice who was visibly seething at him and smiled. ¡°I thought you would have left by now.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re about to.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Very good. At least now you can see that we bear no hostility towards you.¡± She scoffed. The Archbishop ignored it. ¡°No breakfast?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not interested,¡± Alice responded. ¡°Thank you for your hospitality. Rain, let¡¯s go.¡±


    This is not good¡­ If this nun follows us what are we going to do? What can I do? Rain tugged on his backpack¡¯s strap as he closed the distance between him and Alice. But as they were about to walk on out of the cathedral, Archbishop Jude called out to them.


    ¡°I have a request,¡± he¡¯d said, prompting Alice and Rain to turn around.


    ¡°I doubt it¡¯ll be doable, but I¡¯ll hear you out,¡± Alice replied.


    Archbishop Jude smiled. ¡°The boy, Sean, leave him here.¡±


    Rain had already figured out that this was their goal, but hearing it come out of the Archbishop¡¯s mouth made it feel as though a nail was hammered into his chest. He wondered if his body tensing up in preparation for battle had caused an animosity message of his to be produced, but he did not care too much at this moment for it to be bothersome. What he was waiting for now were those of the nun and the Archbishop.


    ¡°Heh,¡± Alice grinned. ¡°You devilish bastard. I knew you were a crackhead all along.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, I do not wish you any harm. You just have to give the boy up to us.¡± His smile vanished. ¡°Or we¡¯ll have no choice but to take him by force.¡±


    Alice instantly drew out her sword at that moment, exposing its blue luster to the early morning sunlight making it into the cathedral. And as it shimmered beautifully, the message Rain had been anxiously awaiting appeared¡­


    [Side Plot]


    Players Jude Bale and Cathleen hold animosity towards you and Player Alice. Survive.


    Shit¡­ Rain spat, unsure of which action he should take.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Alice barked. ¡°Snap out of it!¡± She took off her bag and threw it at him. He caught it with a hug. ¡°Get out of here and go get Sean. I¡¯ll hold them back.¡±


    Rain¡¯s breathing hitched for a moment there, his heart forcing his lips into parting but his brain stopping him from telling Alice that what she was planning on doing was basically suicide.


    But of course she knew that. She did. That was why she had given him her bag. And that was why he knew her plan wasn¡¯t to win against these guys but to keep Sean away from them.


    At that moment, words he had never seen before took his view hostage.


    [Player Alice has transferred 10 Golden Points to you]


    Golden points?


    Before Rain could fully process what those words meant, Alice added in a morose tone, ¡°Give those to Sean¡­ He¡¯ll understand.¡±


    At those words, Rain bit down on his lower lip and turned around.


    The points were for Sean, not for him. Whatever their purpose was, now was not the time to dwell on attaining answers¡ªeven though this could well be the last time he would talk to Alice.


    Saying nothing, he immediately dashed out of the cathedral, making his way as fast as he could towards the meeting location he and Ella had agreed upon.


    ¡­


    Archbishop Jude smiled as he watched Rain vanish from his sight. ¡°Quite noble of you. But do you think you can take us both on?¡±


    Alice scoffed. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about me now. I¡¯m tougher than you might think.¡±


    That was baseless. Only one of them was considerably stronger than her; taking on two was a death sentence.


    The plans she had made prior at night to defeat them in battle was now futile, considering it had been conjured while taking into consideration the horrors that came with the fog.


    Her plan had never been to fight the Archbishop and the nun head on if she had been attacked at night. It was to get the fog and the Wraiths into the cathedral¡¯s nave, plunging them both into its horrors while she escaped into the crypt to keep herself safe from whatever would happen.


    Well, that would never come to be now. Alice knew that. There was also nothing she could come up with here that could save her. A human was weaker in physicality than a beast of a Glade, but they were still the hardest beings to defeat.


    Since it had come to this¡­


    Then I should at least buy enough time for Rain and Sean¡­ I should at least do that much.


    The situation was somewhat laughable. After all she¡¯d told the children, she had come around to putting herself in harm¡¯s way for them. This action of hers went against all her words, but for some reason she was glad Rain had not questioned her about it.


    He was a smart boy. He could definitely survive on his own. Sean would be safe with him.


    A faint smile appeared on Alice¡¯s face. I¡¯m doing well, aren¡¯t I, Rachel?


    Archbishop Jude opened his mouth then, replying to her initial claim, ¡°Yes. Yes. I do agree that you are tough. And that is why I have decided to honor your resolve by taking you on myself.¡± Alice frowned. ¡°Cathleen, go after the boy.¡±


    Nun Cathleen nodded. ¡°Yes, Archbishop.¡±


    In that instant, her shadow rose from the ground, and like a cloak, she wore it over her body. Bit by bit her figure vanished, until she was nowhere to be seen anymore.


    Alice felt an ominous sensation come over her body as her stomach tied a knot; it was like she had been bathed with a bucket of ice cold water dug out of a frozen lake. But¡­ There was nothing she could do.


    ¡°Now,¡± Archbishop Jude called her attention back to him. ¡°Shall we get on with it, then?¡± In his hands had come to rest an Ak47.

 CHAPTER 55-FRIEND IN NEED

    ¡°What are you talking about, Klein?¡± Ella asked, her voice cursed with a quiver that she could not seem to subside.


    Klein gave no words of reply. Instead, he inched closer, the ferocity in his eyes not faltering for even a second. It was quite obvious. He meant business. The other children could see this too¡ªRay in particular.


    ¡°Hey! What¡¯s this talk about killing El, Klein?¡± Ray jumped in front of the oldest of them, a grimace painted on his face. ¡°Explain yourself before I lose it!¡±


    Klein looked at the loud mouthed blonde haired boy. ¡°And what if you do? What can you do about it?¡±


    Ray shivered. He narrowed his eyes. ¡°Like hell I¡¯ll let you kill Ella! What are you even talking about?! I don¡¯t understand anything about what¡¯s going on. We should be having morning prayers now!¡± He tightened his grips as he spoke, but Ella could see how frightened he was due to standing before Klein.


    It was not unusual; Klein was not only the oldest of them all, he had lived in the Cathedral before they had all come running along, and most of all, he was far more experienced and stronger when it came to their Attributes, that was why he was their leader. Even if the rest of the children ganged up against him they would stand no chance; the only way they would was if Ella also partook in that fight.


    After all, she was the only one whose Attributes came a bit close to Klein¡¯s, and she had a trump card. Her Active Skill was at Supreme Level, while his was at the Intermediate Level.


    Nun Cathleen had made sure they knew such information about themselves so they knew how to act around each other¡ªespecially around Klein and Ella when they relayed her instructions.


    Then why? Why was Klein suddenly provoking Ray despite knowing he wouldn¡¯t be able to fight all of them at once with her being involved?


    Of course, Ella didn¡¯t want to fight, but if the other option was losing her life, then she would be left with no choice.


    What was she to do?


    Sean¡¯s hand tightened around hers and her pensive expression lightened as she saw his smiling face.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be alright,¡± he mouthed to her before taking his hand away from hers and stepping forward to stand beside J. ¡°There¡¯s no need to fight,¡± he voiced, and as he¡¯d intended the children turned their attention towards him.


    Klein¡¯s eyes were still lucid, while Ray¡¯s was quite heated. It was obvious that he blamed the boy for all of this. After all, his arrival had thrown the home he¡¯d lived in into disarray in less than a day.


    ¡°I just want to leave and continue on my journey,¡± Sean resumed with tightened fists. The gazes of the kids were eating into him. ¡°It was not like I ever intended to stay. We were just offered to spend the night and since the night is over isn¡¯t it only natural that I don¡¯t overstay my welcome?¡±


    Ray¡¯s gaze softened and he turned back to Klein. ¡°The rascal¡¯s right, Klein. Why are you trying to stop him from leaving even to the point of wanting to fight Ella? It makes no sense.¡±


    Klein stared at Sean for a while before turning to Ella. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    They were the only three who knew what exactly was going on here¡ªwhy Sean wasn¡¯t allowed to leave.


    ¡°You can¡¯t,¡± Klein said to Sean. ¡°Stay here. This place is safer.¡±


    ¡°I already have people I¡¯m traveling with,¡± Sean replied, resting his hand on J in return.


    Klein seemed to hesitate for a moment. Then he said, ¡°They¡¯ll leave you.¡±


    J growled even fiercer than before. It was almost to the point that it felt like she would pounce at Klein any second now. Although, he obviously wasn¡¯t frightened. In fact, he paid her no mind. And rightfully so. J was a mentally mutated beast, but her abilities were definitely not enough to cause him any worries.


    Sean rubbed his hand across J¡¯s back, relaxing her temper as much as he could. He also tried to keep a stoic face. ¡°They won¡¯t. Rain¡¯s coming. Any moment now he will be here.¡±


    Klein¡¯s expression hardened for the first time. ¡°That¡­ I doubt that.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Ray¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Why would you doubt that?¡±


    Before any other words could leave Ray¡¯s lips, Klein shoved him aside, and in an instant appeared before Ella.


    A loud gasp echoed from the children around, although they were barely able to react before Klein and Ella¡¯s figures blurred and resurfaced a considerable distance away.


    In a one on one, none of them could match Klein¡¯s speed.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Ray and Sean shouted at the same time. J was not silent to what had occurred as well.


    ¡°Stay back!¡± Klein voiced as he conjured a flaming knife from his shadow. ¡°Come any closer and I really will stab it into her.¡±


    Everyone paused at that declaration. The tension in the air was palpable.


    ¡°Are you really going to kill me?¡± Ella asked with a strained voice. Sean also had greater points assigned to his Strength than her, which was why he could hold her collar and she could not wriggle free. ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to stay, Klein. Why do we have to force him to?¡±


    Klein kept his attention on the children he had successfully chained back, but still gave enough to Ella. ¡°That was not the question I asked,¡± he said.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I asked if you wanted to leave?¡± Ella remained silent. ¡°After what happened to Kelvin, I do not blame you. But you know they¡¯ll come after you if you leave.¡± Their voices were in a whisper to keep the details of their discussion away from the other kids. To them, they were protecting their friends.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going,¡± Ella said after a few seconds. ¡°I just don¡¯t want that boy to be forced to stay here. Since he¡¯s not yet one of us, if he manages to escape on time they won¡¯t chase after him. His guardians have a plan. They¡¯re on their way. So, please, just go back and stop Nun Cathleen from coming here.¡±


    The knife in Klein¡¯s hand vanished, causing dazed expressions to paint the rest of the kids¡¯ face. They seemingly forgot to rush to Ella¡¯s rescue as they had been intending to do.


    He sighed. ¡°No. I won¡¯t let you do this alone. I¡¯ll help you¡­ If you want to leave too.¡± Ella was surprised. His actions now were contradicting the words he had spewed out earlier on. What was this? Klein noticed and added, ¡°That was a farce. I wanted to take you away from the rest of them and talk, but I could not think of any other effective method.¡± He let go of her collar.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°And besides. I think it¡¯s already too late. What the boy should be doing now isn¡¯t waiting but running. We should help him and the Jaguar get somewhere far away. Since the boy¡¯s guardians aren¡¯t yet here, that means only one thing: They are either dead or have already abandoned him; in other words, Nun Cathleen should already be on her way.¡±


    ¡°Smart boy~¡±


    Klein and Ella flinched and pounced backward a considerable distance at the appearance of a voice they knew all too well. And then, at that moment, the figure bearing the voice slowly manifested where they had been standing a while back.


    Nun Cathleen, with a smile on her face.


    ¡°What I don¡¯t understand, though, is why you know such things? What did I miss, Klein, Ella?¡±

 CHAPTER 56-A PLAY WORTH WATCHING

    Rain¡¯s Speed was still limited to short bursts no more than ten steps; he wasn¡¯t fast enough, he knew that much. What he hadn¡¯t taken note of was his stamina.


    For a person who was tainted with a Mark that turned his blood into a healing juice, his own body was rather weak and not reaping any of its benefits.


    Still¡­ He couldn¡¯t stop. Sean¡¯s life and freedom depended on him. He would not let anything happen to the boy. Especially not after Alice¡¯s¡­


    Tsk.


    At that moment he arrived at the location he and Ella had chosen for their meeting spot, but the sight he came across was not something that filled him with relaxation.


    Rain tensed up immediately and dug out his knives from his crossbody bag, the Plexus announcing the activation of his Skill as he the Plexus announcing the activation of his Skill as he dual wielded them and bolted past the cluster of the gathered children and into the center where Nun Cathleen stood looking down upon Ella and Sean with a wry smile on her face.


    ¡°You came faster than expected,¡± she voiced an unwarranted opinion Rain was not one bit excited to hear. ¡°I applaud you for that.¡±


    Panting, Rain asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± A painful sensation suddenly twirled around his heart like a vine. Surely Alice wasn¡¯t already¡­ ¡°What happened to¡­ Why are you here?!¡±


    ¡°Rain,¡± Sean called from behind him, where he was standing beside the whimpering J. ¡°Where¡¯s Alice?¡±


    Rain avoided looking back to see the boy¡¯s face. Instead, he bit down on his lips while withholding the only reply that could be given to the boy.


    Perhaps amused by the situation as a whole, Nun Cathleen chuckled ecstatically. ¡°Honestly, this is more fun than anything Archbishop Jude and I could have planned. Thank you, handsome boy. Although, shouldn¡¯t you be telling the kid what he wants to know?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your concern.¡± Rain displayed his knives for the nun to see while taking a stance.


    ¡°Hey! What are you doing?!¡± Ray shouted. ¡°Put those down! How dare you point that at those who took you in?!¡±


    Rain wasn¡¯t surprised. He had prepared himself for this reception while on his way here. To the kids, the nun and Archbishop were their lifesavers, anyone would rage if someone those lifesavers saved from dying brandished weapons at them. What they were oblivious to was the actual intentions of those lifesavers. That was why the only way he could stop the kids from butting in was by leaving that work to someone who could communicate with them and also knew what was beneath the mask of the lifesavers.


    ¡°Ella,¡± Rain whispered. ¡°How long are you going to keep them in the dark?¡±


    He was directly standing before Nun Cathleen, and as such couldn¡¯t make out the expression of the girl, but that was hardly important. He already knew how she felt even though he didn¡¯t know why she felt that way. Archbishop Jude and Nun Cathleen were no longer lifesavers in her eyes. They were monsters. And what they had done would undoubtedly make them monsters in the other childrens¡¯ eyes as well, once they knew about it.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Ella hesitated. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    Of course it was hard, Rain knew that. Her words would destroy the home the children¡ªher friends¡ªknew. She didn¡¯t want to be the one to bring down the bomb. So it was hard.


    But Sean¡¯s life going forward depended on her.


    Nun Cathleen just stood, saying nothing. Her overconfidence was oozing out of her. She wanted to watch the current play completely before taking any action. And Rain had figured out the reason: Just like him, she did not know what Ella knew about her and the Archbishop, and was confused as to what the girl was doing. This whole act was as a means for her to find out what the little girl knew.


    That was another reason why Ella had to speak up before Nun Cathleen subdued her. Because if it turned out that way, she would be interrogated in secret, and dealing with her would prove easy. On the other hand, if all the kids knew of the Archbishop and Nun Cathleen¡¯s exploits right here and now, such things would prove cumbersome. After all, was she going to kill each and every child here? Rain doubted that. And in the instance where her mind had shifted to clearing the doubts of the kids, a chance would open up for him to escape with Sean. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    It was selfish of him, but since he was certain that they wouldn¡¯t be killed, after all the nun and Archbishop had invested a lot in them, he was going to come back for them with the help of the GEF.


    As for now, he had to prepare for battle in case things went awry.


    ¡°Are you a fool?¡± Rain voiced as he pulled up his Attribute¡¯s Interface in secret. ¡°What you are doing isn¡¯t the right thing. If you love your friends you will tell them the truth. They deserve to know the truth. This world is already shitty enough, imagine having to live under the same roof as people who are just as shitty? You have to tell them the truth.¡±


    Nun Cathleen¡¯s eyes narrowed at those words. It seemed like she now had an idea of what Ella knew about. This was why Rain had pulled up his Interface beforehand. It was not going to be enough, but it should at least help him a bit.


    [Assign 08 Experience Points to Agility and 10 Experience Points to Speed?]


    Yes¡­


    [Records of persistent battling without assigning Experience Points has been taken into consideration]¡­


    Here it was. The fruit of Alice¡¯s battle-slave training.


    He had not been expecting it to come in this manner, but of course he had never once stopped believing that something would happen.


    Humans were adaptive beings, and restricting their bodies to mere stats wouldn¡¯t stop such from happening. Rain¡¯s body had long adapted without him assigning his points, so now that he was using them¡­


    [Assigned Experience Points have been doubled]¡­


    ¡­


    [Attributes]


    Strength: 006.


    Speed: 039 (Boosted).


    Agility: 023.


    Perception: 005.


    Durability: 014.


    Stamina: 006.


    Experience Points: 00.


    ¡­He was being rewarded.


    Rain felt a cool sensation bathe his body, and of course Nun Cathleen¡¯s brows furrowed even further. She had noticed that he¡¯d assigned points to his Attributes, and in return poised herself to take action immediately, which was shutting Ella up.


    He knew he wasn¡¯t faster than Nun Cathleen. Taking her build into consideration, it was obvious that she was a Lightweight just like he was, and so, recalling what Alice had told him about how a single Attribute was ¡®boosted¡¯ depending on the person¡¯s weight class, it was obvious that her Speed would be off the roof compared to his.


    But that didn¡¯t matter. Not now. He was closer to Ella, and the steps between both of them were barely seven steps not to talk of the fifteen he felt he could now cover in an instant.


    With that he moved first, closing the gap between Ella and him in a blurry flash just in time to put his face before Nun Cathleen¡¯s.


    She growled at him, but he was not yet done. Since she was quicker than he was, it would prove futile to try to attack her only after they¡¯d come face to face, which was why he had already swung his knife in an arc before he¡¯d even moved to protect Ella.


    Nun Cathleen was fast, she could easily get around him before he could notice; but humans were humans at the end of the day. In the face of unexpected danger, even if it was one that could be easily subdued, their first instinct was to retreat for a moment.


    Ray saw this and barked from behind, ¡°Hey! What the hell?! Klein, why are you just watching?¡± Even though he was far away, Rain could hear the boy¡¯s heavy puffs. He was going to try to attack any moment now.


    ¡°Stop!¡± It wasn¡¯t Ella¡¯s voice, and because of that Rain almost turned around. ¡°Stop it, Ray. The nun and the Archbishop aren¡¯t who you think they are.¡±


    Rain¡¯s heart pounded rapidly as he forced himself not to blink. Who would have thought? It wasn¡¯t only Ella who knew about what had happened?


    ¡°Wh-What are you talking about, Klein?¡± the childrens¡¯ voices cracked.


    Nun Cathleen had a stony expression. ¡°Klein, darling. You should not say nasty things that would require you to be punished.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Yes,¡± Ray, who had been silent, found his voice. ¡°Stop saying such nasty things, Klein.¡±


    ¡°I am fully aware of what I¡¯m saying, Nun,¡± Klein went on. ¡°If you want to keep me from speaking, then try to stop me.¡±


    Wait¡­ What is he saying?! She¡¯ll kill¡ªHuh?


    Nun Cathleen remained still.


    What was going on here? Why was she not moving? She definitely had better overall Attributes, so Klein shouldn¡¯t be a threat to her. Right?


    Was it a Benefactor? Rain doubted that. After all, Alice had told him that Privileges could only be used through Golden Points, and those could only be gotten from monster Cores in the Glades. Compared to Alice, these children did not bear the mien of those who had ventured into the Glades. So what was it that made Klein so confident¡ª


    Huh? Golden Points¡­ Privileges¡­ Rain¡¯s attention shifted for a brief moment there. Why did Alice ask me to give Sean those Golden Points?


    ¡­


    Sean has a Benefactor?

 CHAPTER 57-TRUE NATURE

    No, wait. Why was Alice in possession of Golden Points? Rain¡¯s thoughts ran amok. Did she take it from her teammates in the Glades? Why?


    As usual, the answers were not laid bare to him. In that regard he didn¡¯t dwell on the thoughts for too long. A dangerous person was only a few steps away from him, he couldn¡¯t afford to be distracted.


    Although, now that he was reminded of the Golden Points in his possession, he decided to do what he had been asked to do.


    [Transfer 10 Golden Points to Player Sean?]


    Yes¡­


    And with his words of reply, Rain could feel something¡ªa minuscule part of himself¡ªleaving his body. He didn¡¯t need to pull up his Plexus Interface to know that the section for Golden Points now only possessed zeroes.


    ¡°Rain?¡± Sean spoke from behind him, seemingly already having received his gift and maybe the silent message that it came with.


    He did not spare the boy a glance, though. He simply remained silent. It was not like there was anything he could say currently. His whole plan had turned to shit. Despite that, he still had to make sure Sean survived this, it was her wish.


    Klein continued his talk then, surprisingly undisturbed by Nun Cathleen who now had a scowl on her face. He pointed at her, his words directed at the rest of the oblivious children. ¡°She killed Kelvin.¡± Breaths were drawn. ¡°Her and the Archbishop; so¡­ Please, you guys, stop seeing her the way you see her.¡±


    There was a deafening silence at those words, one so bad that Rain thought he could hear the sound of his own sweat trickling down the side of his face.


    She killed a child?


    He¡¯d wanted this to happen¡ªfor the secret to be spilled¡ªbut now that he knew what the secret was, he felt bad for the children. His chest tightened, his tongue parched, and his heart struck by a sharp pang. At the same time, he was brimming with an overbearing contempt for the nun and Archbishop and curiosity as to why they had done something like that to a child.


    ¡°Sh-Shut your mouth, Klein!¡± Rain heard a grunt from behind him, one muffled out from the pounding of his heart. ¡°I told you not to say such nasty things! Kelvin died by his mistake during a battle against a Chimera, so stop talking out of your behind.¡±


    ¡°Do you really believe that, Ray?¡± Klein asked, his tone no longer as agitated as it had been earlier on. ¡°Do all of you really believe that Kelvin, who was even stronger and smarter than me, could lose his life to a Chimera by mistake? He was smarter than that, and you all know it. He would have run away if he knew he didn¡¯t stand a chance.¡±


    It was quiet for a second. This was the chance Rain had been seeking.


    Nun Cathleen was gazing at the children with narrowed eyes, still unmoving; her mind was obviously occupied. This was his chance to take Sean and escape. But for some reason, he couldn¡¯t move his legs.


    No. He knew the reason. He could not risk taking the chance because of the kids.


    The nun had already killed one of them once, what was the guarantee that she wouldn¡¯t kill what was left of them now? His plan to come back to them would vanish into thin air because there would be no one to come back to. There was no way his conscience would let him be if he abandoned the lot of them to die.


    Alice wouldn¡¯t be happy with him either. The right thing was¡­The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Yes.


    He was going to protect them by all means necessary¡­ Even if he had to rely on it.


    ¡°And¡­¡± Klein continued, ¡°Ella was there as well. We both saw it all. There was something blue, like a portal; Nun Cathleen killed Kelvin under the orders of the Archbishop before it. After that it vanished.¡±


    Rain¡¯s eyebrows dropped.


    Portal? Wait¡­ Was it a Glade¡¯s gate? Then¡­


    He came to a realization then and there, courtesy of him recalling the exchange of information Alice and Nun Cathleen had made.


    The reason Nun Cathleen asked for Sean¡¯s Role was because¡­ The tightness around his forehead loosened¡­ All the children are Deuteragonists or below. They are trying to avoid going into Glades by making sure no Protagonist child was among them? I see. Kelvin was a Protagonist, and killing him made the Glade that had appeared vanish. Then, if I reveal Sean¡¯s Role now, they won¡¯t have any reason for keeping us here¡­ Alice, I would be able to save Alice.


    I would be able to¡ª


    ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± Ray¡¯s voice was loud but it had a flicker to it. ¡°Say you¡¯re lying right now! Say it!¡± Klein¡¯s voice was not heard. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything, Nun Cathleen? Why aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Rain bit down on his lips and was about to make a decision when Nun Cathleen¡¯s face tightened as she relieved the tension around her neck. ¡°You¡¯re loud.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you already believe it?¡± she added. ¡°Trying to change your minds is pointless. Ah, fuck. The Archbishop won¡¯t like this development. But I guess we can just start all over again. Fuck. Starting over again isn¡¯t as easy as it sounds, you know? Klein, darling, you just had to go and ruin everything, you little shit.¡± Her gaze shifted to Rain, who perked up as J instantly pounced in front of him snarling. ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re even worse.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying, Nun?!¡± the children roared, but she simply raised her hand towards them keeping their lips shut with that simple gesture.


    Rain said, ¡°You¡¯re a brazen one, aren¡¯t you? Simply trying to convince the children that you are not who they think you are, or giving them a good enough reason for why you did what you did would have sufficed, but instead you reveal your true nature.¡±


    His initial thoughts were lost. He really wanted to save Alice, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to leave the kids here alone with such a psycho. And besides¡­


    ¡°Pfft. A waste of time,¡± Nun Cathleen replied. ¡°They¡¯ll always remember what was said here even if I tried to change their thoughts. Look at the rascal the words came out of; he¡¯s their fucking leader.¡±


    ¡°So, what now?¡± Rain asked, his neck tensed up to the point that it felt as though his veins were about to pop out of them. ¡°You¡¯re going to kill them all?¡±


    ¡°Eh, I guess.¡± Gasps resonated through the opening surrounded by trees and shrubs where they stood. ¡°Tsk. Shut it, all of you. If you¡¯d just gone to morning prayers like you were meant to, everything would have proceeded fine like it used to, but you all chose to be stupid.¡± She downturned her lips with a slight shrug. ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t blame you totally, that¡¯s why I¡¯ll make sure the one who caused you to take such actions will join you as well. In fact, they¡¯ll go first.¡±


    Rain wasn¡¯t surprised at those words. In fact, he had been expecting it. This woman had crossed the line; she was not letting any of them leave here alive, most especially not him or Sean.


    ¡°You know,¡± she continued as she approached. ¡°I used to think you were quite the handsome young lad; now, though, eh, I just want to rip out your eyeballs. We could have avoided all this mess. You should have just left the boy and disappeared along with that crazy lady like ghosts at night. Everything would have been fine.¡± She suddenly bared her teeth as her face contorted into a rumple of fury. ¡°Now you¡¯re making me kill more children! Do you know how hard it was to gather them all and train them?!¡±


    Rain tensed up, but his response was too slow.


    Nun Cathleen appeared before him, a dagger of smoke she had not been wielding before visible in her hand. She lunged it towards his abdomen, a grin relishing in an ecstasy, brought about from her apparent precognition which displayed him bleeding out and turning pale and cold, evident on her face.


    ¡°Now die!¡±

 CHAPTER 58-UNEXPECTED DEVELOPMENT

    Rain¡¯s voice caught in his gullet as he watched, for what felt like a long time, a streak of blood flash across his eyes. A pain so unbearable he felt like he would puke out his whole internal organs smeared his body, although its origin hadn¡¯t been one he had been expecting.


    Nun Cathleen danced a few steps backward with an incredulous look on her face as though she had no idea of what she had just done, but Rain could see it deep within her eyes, she was enjoying this.


    There was a loud gasp from the children behind him as he fell to the ground and placed his palm over J¡¯s stomach, trying his best to hold back the rest of her blood from gushing out as her chest rose and fell slowly.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ You¡¯re quite the spectacle, handsome boy,¡± Nun Cathleen spoke, but this time her words had some sort of anger inducing drug in them, one catered solely to spike the rage in Rain. He wondered if she knew that and had tuned her voice that way, or she was oblivious. ¡°A beast sacrificing its life for yours? Now that¡¯s something I didn¡¯t expect to witness. Maybe it really is worth bonding with them. They¡¯d make good shields.¡±


    Rain glared at the nun, his breathing a lot more noisy than he would have expected them to be.


    J wasn¡¯t going to lose her life here. The cut was deep but somewhat shallow, and there was his blood. He just needed the right cover to make use of its ability. Regardless, for the first time, a deep well had been dug within him, one overflowing with a desire to kill. He wanted to rip that incredulous look from her face forever.


    ¡°Awww¡­ Don¡¯t look at me like that,¡± she clicked her tongue with a little jerk of her head backward. ¡°What were you expecting? That you¡¯d just get to leave without suffering any casualties, after all you¡¯ve done? That¡¯s quite selfish of you, don¡¯t you think?¡± Rain said nothing. Nun Cathleen¡¯s face blanked in response, her grip tightening on the shadow knife she held. ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s enough chit chatting.¡±


    Leaving one hand of his on J¡¯s wound, Rain scooped up his knife and was about to repeat his previous defensive action of swiping his weapon in advance to Nun Cathleen¡¯s attack, when Ella flashed into his view. She took a solid stance before him while grabbing hold of the shield and spear that had popped out of her shadow.


    ¡°Wh-What are you doing?¡± Rain asked, surprise evident on his face while Nun Cathleen tilted her head.


    Ella¡¯s black cloak billowed as she kept her gaze forward. ¡°I-I¡¯ll hold her back. Take Sean and go.¡± Her voice was quivering. No one needed to tell Rain, the girl was afraid, and would probably die if she fought the nun.


    He was not the only one.


    ¡°El, get back here!¡± Ray shouted. ¡°Are you out of your mind? She¡¯ll kill you!¡± Silence took over his voice for a moment. ¡°She¡¯ll kill all of us¡­¡±


    ¡°Then all the more reason to fight,¡± Ella proclaimed. ¡°Since we¡¯re going to die either way.¡±


    It was all too much for the children, that was why Rain couldn¡¯t blame them for freezing in their steps. The world they had known all their life had crumbled, and now the people who had rescued them from traversing the ruins all by themselves had turned out to be different than they¡¯d expected; what¡¯s more, one of those people was threatening to kill them now. This was the sort of thing that required a few days to process.


    But¡­ they did not have such a luxury. And because they didn¡¯t, Rain decided to give them that luxury.


    Using Ella as a cover, he discreetly cut his palm and let his blood flow into J¡¯s mouth. In an instant her wound healed and her breathing was reinvigorated. Then familiar but unexpected words appeared before his view, their bodies shaded with a blue and purple hue.


    [Side Character Rain Leclair¡¯s cognizance of the mentally mutated beast, J, has been heightened]...


    Rain¡¯s eyebrows furrowed at the sight of the words, but only for an instant.


    J purred as she regained what strength she had lost a few seconds ago, and each wave out of her mouth resonated at a more deeper level with Rain than he¡¯d felt before. It was like he could understand her intentions more clearly now, even far more than how it had been with Alice.


    ¡°Stay,¡± he whispered as he wiped the blood on his palm over J¡¯s fur where her wound had once been. ¡°Do not move an inch until I give the signal.¡±


    Whether Nun Cathleen already knew of what had happened to J due to her Perception, Rain wasn¡¯t sure, but he had no time to be concerned with such. Therefore, he just focused on what he could do to make sure the children survived.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Bold of you, Ella,¡± Nun Cathleen said, and Rain took that moment to steal a glance at Sean from over his shoulder. The boy met his gaze and approached him. ¡°But quite stupid as well. Don¡¯t be too arrogant for your own good, that¡¯s not how I trained you to survive.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to survive in such a way.¡±


    ¡°By sacrificing others to live?¡± Nun Cathleen scoffed. ¡°What better way is there to survive?¡±


    ¡°Even if I run away as you try to kill the others, you¡¯ll still come after me at the end of the day. Then, I¡¯ll die with too much guilt. I don¡¯t want to live or die that way,¡± Ella argued. ¡°I¡¯ll fight. You always said ¡®humans are the hardest beings to defeat since our Attributes weren''t all there was to victory¡¯, then maybe I have a chance of coming out on top.¡±


    Nun Cathleen burst out into a hearty laughter. ¡°You really are bright, child. Alright. Let¡¯s see how well your statements bode for you.¡± She was about to attack when Klein joined Ella in her stance. ¡°Oh, you as well, Klein, darling. Shouldn¡¯t you be smarter than this?¡±


    Her words had barely escaped her lips totally when her face squeezed, the ecstasy on it switching into one of repulsive bewilderment at the appearance of the rest of the children taking their stances as well.


    Rain had called Sean to let him in on what the plan he had cooked up entailed, but he had been nothing more than three words in when the little boy had told him while holding his arm, ¡°You¡¯re not going at it alone.¡±


    It was weird. They were the words of a child, but they gave him so much hope that his face loosened. And now he could see why. The cloaks of nine children swaying in the wind before him.


    They didn¡¯t need the time to process betrayal; after all, they were no longer mere kids. They knew danger when they saw one, and they knew what to do to survive. He was the one who needed to grow up.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ A nice view,¡± Nun Cathleen jested, but her voice did not have much of the mocking tone it had prior to now.


    ¡°You know, I desperately wanted to believe that it was a lie,¡± Ray said. ¡°You saved us, trained us, and fed us, after all. But¡­ I am not so stupid that I can¡¯t see what you really are. And, there¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting you kill El.¡±


    Nun Cathleen smiled. ¡°Little Ray¡¯s all grown up now, I see.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re no longer in the nave, sucker. Now can it and come at us.¡±


    Nun Cathleen scowled. ¡°As you wish.¡±


    She had only taken a step forward when the children dashed at her, each one possessing varying weaponry that was well attuned with their build and fighting style. They did not want to give her the upper hand.


    The nun had trained them, so she was well aware of their teamwork¡ªheck, even though Rain had only watched their battle with the Chimera bear, he was well aware of it. And, of course, the kids didn¡¯t disappoint.


    Each one made up for the lapses of the other.


    Mei Mei was a tad clumsy in the heat of battle, so she retreated to the rear and pointed out Nun Cathleen¡¯s movements to the rest. Whenever she was threatened, Klein would come to her rescue, Ella in tow.


    Rain realized at the sight that Klein¡¯s Attributes weren¡¯t too far off from that of the nun¡¯s. He was a child, but he was quite strong.


    That was why she didn¡¯t move then¡­


    Sean tugged on his sleeve, dragging his attention away from the battle. J had sat up despite his instruction, but he didn¡¯t mind. He had told her to ¡®stay¡¯ because of the nun, but it did not look like the crazy woman had the time to notice anything at the moment.


    ¡°I have a Benefactor,¡± the boy said, prompting Rain to jerk backward at the abrupt revelation. He¡¯d already considered the possibility, but it still came as a shock. ¡°Sorry, I wanted to tell you earlier, but Alice¡­ She¡­¡±


    Rain put his hand on the boy¡¯s head. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± He had not told Sean anything about Alice staying back to sacrifice herself, but the boy wasn¡¯t dumb, so it was obvious that he would have long realized what was going on by now.


    ¡°The Golden Points is for that,¡± Sean continued. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how it works, but I can help. My Benefactor calls himself the King of Wands, and his Privilege is Ruler. It says it¡¯ll show me the best sequence of actions to take to defeat my opponents every ten seconds. And, also, I can share the view with a person.¡±


    Rain blinked, unable to say anything at first. ¡°You talked to your Benefactor?¡± Since he¡¯d likened them to higher beings, he did not put away that possibility.


    Sean shook his head. ¡°No. The Plexus showed me what I needed to know, I guess. Oh. It can only last for a minute for each Golden Point usage.¡±


    Rain pursed his lips. ¡°So you have ten minutes.¡± He turned his attention back to the children and how weared out they were beginning to look in less than a minute. They¡¯d barely done much damage to Nun Cathleen herself, since their heavy hitter was quite busy protecting Mei Mei, and of course they were not without injuries. ¡°Let¡¯s do it in one. Those points are too precious to be wasted in a single battle.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Sean nodded, beatific.


    ¡°And what are the drawbacks?¡± Abruptly, Rain asked, suspecting that no power of such caliber came free, especially since they were offered by the shitty beings who he suspected had turned earth into the ruins it was.


    Sean answered, almost hesitant, ¡°Once I share the visuals with you, I¡¯m going to go blind.¡±

 CHAPTER 59-RULER

    Rain turned back sharply to Sean while fighting the urge to scream into his ears for even offering such an ability up as help. Thankfully the boy stopped him before he could.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not what you think,¡± Sean said with haste. ¡°It¡¯s only for that moment while you¡¯re connected. As soon as the ability stops, my eyesight will be restored. Just think of it as me lending you my eyes.¡±


    Rain was not having it, but there was no time for dilly-dallying. He would have to trust that Sean was really not putting himself at risk just so as to be of help. Children could be quite irrational sometimes.


    ¡°J, take Sean and hide behind one of the trees,¡± Rain ordered as he took off the bag Alice had given him and tightened his grips on his knives.


    ¡°Why?¡± Sean queried. ¡°I just told you, I want to help.¡±


    ¡°You will. Behind a tree,¡± Rain told the boy. ¡°Once you get there, activate your ability and you can share the visuals with me. This will keep you away from the heat of battle and being targeted in the vulnerable state you¡¯ll be in.¡±


    Sean seemed to understand where he was coming from after his elaboration, so the boy did not refute.


    The boy nodded, and after a soft purr from J to Rain as her head was caressed, they both bolted into the surrounding greenery, taking cover.


    Once he¡¯d confirmed that Sean and J were well hidden beyond eyesight, Rain pursed his lips and took in deep breaths, trying to calm his raging heart.


    The children were all ridden with cuts, even Mei Mei wasn¡¯t spared, regardless, they had done quite well. Nun Cathleen was visibly seething now; somehow Mei Mei could figure out her position even while she was invisible, and that was quite an incredible feat.


    Then it came. A burning sensation smeared his eyes, causing him to groan in pain as the veins in his neck bulged. It was almost like they were being gouged out by a hand coated with fire. He did well to hold back the screams trying to fight their way out of his esophagus, and a few seconds later he was rewarded. The pain died down in a split second, but the abrupt change of the composition of his visuals caused him to stumble a few steps backward.


    He was not particularly new to having his eyesight tampered with, which was why it only took a moment for him to regain his composure. Although, his current state was a lot different to his experience in his Shadow of Asklepios form. Then, the world was the same, only doused in a shade of blood red. But now, aside from its color being a golden fiery one, every single thing before his view had doubled, each moving independently of the other.


    It was disorienting.


    And then there was his own double, moving in ways and taking actions he had never once thought of.


    The ¡®sequence¡¯... Rain blinked once.


    All of a sudden, the view of the doubles before him changed, causing the edges of his head to be struck by a brief but intense pain. He knew at once, the ten seconds Sean had told him about had elapsed.


    There¡¯s no time to take all these in, Rain turned the points of his knife towards the direction where the children were engaged with Nun Cathleen, it¡¯s not even my abilty to begin with¡­


    The sequence showed him a surefire way to victory, so as long as he danced to its tune perfectly, he would be fine.


    Rain was about to take the first step in that regard when he suddenly froze. His gaze shifted from the movement of hisself entranced in the sequence towards the children.


    Mei Mei fell to the ground, panting, while tightly holding her chest. At long last, she¡¯d run out of stamina. Klein immediately rushed to her side, using the rapier he had conjured to lightly deflect Nun Cathleen¡¯s blade from stabbing into the girl¡¯s back.


    The nun jumped away and quickly vanished.


    ¡°Behind me!¡± Ella screamed at the top of her lungs in that instant, rushing to Klein and Mei Mei and using her shadow to create a ball of energy to protect herself and the rest of the kids from whatever Nun Cathleen was planning.


    The sequence had only shown Rain how he had won his victory, so the children hiding behind the ball of energy weren¡¯t present in the view. The weird thing about it was that he and Nun Cathleen weren¡¯t still the only beings present.


    ¡°Ray, what are you doing?!¡± Ella voiced with a tone full of worry, and she was not the only one. ¡°Hurry back here, now!¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to die at this rate,¡± Ray said as he wrapped his neck with layers upon layers of thick shadows, his eyes cautiously scanning his surroundings while he seemingly prepped the multitude of hands growing out of the shadows surrounding him to hold down Nun Cathleen once she attacked. ¡°You guys will know what to do soon enough.¡± He looked towards the ball of energy with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t delay.¡±


    ¡°Cocky, boy.¡± Nun Cathleen manifested discreetly behind him and, without wasting a single moment, lunged the sword of shadow in her hand towards him.


    Despite his intentions and visions of grandeur, Ray was too slow to react now that he was all alone and without Mei Mei¡¯s directions. He had underestimated Nun Cathleen, and that was why all he could do was grit his teeth as he watched the crackling sword of shadow she held draw closer to his heart.


    At that moment, Rain suddenly blurred into view on one knee within the wiggling shadow hands hemming in around him as though they were a circle of trees surrounding a clearing. He took hold of Ray¡¯s shoulders, causing the boy¡¯s vacant eyes to sparkle in utter obliviousness as he shifted him to his left.


    A searing pain shot into the muscles of his right shoulder, as if a molten iron had been poured into them, its heat radiating outward in a sharp and relenting manner that rendered his right hand useless.


    Rain smiled at Ray despite the pain and nodded.


    The boy snapped himself back from his bewilderment, and as a scream splintered by agony and betrayal clawed its way out of his throat, tears rolling down his dust-smudged cheeks, he quickly sent his squirming shadow hands towards Nun Cathleen before her composure was fully restored at the unexpected development.


    She shifted back, dancing away from the hands that sought her embrace in a swift and elegant manner


    Rain peeked over his shoulder, watching the exchange. The speed of Ray¡¯s Skill was reliant on his personal Speed, and so it did not turn out as he¡¯d thought.


    The sides of his head were hurting even more than before, and Sean¡¯s Skill had been forcefully deactivated. He¡¯d already arrived at a conclusion on why.


    This proceeding of his had not been what the sequence had presented to him. In the original, Ray had died, and because of that he had been able to plunge his knives into Nun Cathleen¡¯s neck as the boy managed to hold her with his shadows in his final moments.


    Rain had no idea if the healing powers of his Mark could resuscitate a person so close to death, and as such did not want to risk it; in that regard, he put himself in harm¡¯s way instead, taking the blow on Ray¡¯s behalf.


    It was wishful thinking of him to think he could go against what the sequence presented to him and still come out on top, though.


    His mind shifted to Sean, hoping that nothing had happened to him due to his actions. But before he could even settle on those thoughts, the air suddenly warped. The trees shook violently, and a warm breeze that had showed no signs of existing a second ago blew on everyone present.


    Nun Cathleen got distracted at the weird occurrence, a frightened and confused look on her face. Maybe she¡¯d thought it was wise to turn her attention away for a brief second because Ray had exhausted his stamina and was now spewing out saliva in between coughs, but that was a mistake.


    Klein flew out from the ball of energy Ella had shielded him and the others within, taking advantage of everyone else¡¯s daze to sneak upon Nun Cathleen where she had spaced out.


    Regardless, she still noticed him.


    With a clenched chin, she swiped an arc of shadow flames over where Klein was standing behind her. The boy quickly ducked down and pressed his hands firmly on her shadow, surprisingly holding it back from cloaking her and turning her invisible.


    Rain could see why the boy was the children¡¯s leader.


    Nun Cathleen growled at the turn of events, and most of all, the child who had sparked it.


    It seemed like she couldn¡¯t move.


    ¡°You little shit! I saved you from that fire, took you in, fed you, trained you, and this how you fucking repay me?!¡± She was seething so much compared to before that Rain almost felt like she would unleash some kind of power that she had yet to use. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you! I¡¯ll rip out your eyes, your gullet, your stomach, I¡¯ll rip out everything from your body I saved from burning to ashes in that fire.¡± She turned to the rest of the children who were approaching. ¡°All of you fucking rats too. I¡¯ll make sure to show you hell.¡± Then she lastly turned to Rain, and her hatred for him was so much that she couldn¡¯t even say anything.


    Despite her threats, Klein gave her no reply, his lucid azure eyes only stared at her as if filled with remorse. Then her shadows swirled chaotically and countless hands sprung out from it, grabbed her by her shoulders, forcing her to her knees, and wrapped around her until only her head could be seen. Finally, her mouth was sealed shut.


    ¡°Hey, Ray. Are you alright?!¡± Mei Mei rushed to her friend¡¯s side, who was seated on the ground with his eyes widened while panting. His silence was the most normal response for anyone in his situation. He had almost died.


    ¡°Why would you do that?¡± Ella queried, her lips tightening. ¡°Why would you?¡± Ray still gave no reply. She squatted and hugged him as tears rolled down her face. ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose another friend. I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    Rain sighed, gripping his right shoulder with a frown plastered on his face.


    He was on the verge of rising to his feet when he recalled the presence of the warm air which everyone else seemed to have forgotten due to the tension of the situation.


    His gaze moved around the scenery for a while, and then he got his answer to the origin of the weird air, his chest contracting in response.


    A few steps close to where Sean and J had taken as their shelter was a swirling cascade of blue energy, rippling like an ethereal waterfall. He did not need any further descriptions to know what it was.


    A Glade¡­

 CHAPTER 60-BLOOD AND SACRIFICE

    Blood fell down to the floor from Alice¡¯s forehead, each one contributing to creating the growing puddle of red that she was staring at with a blurry vision. Her left shoulder, stomach, and right thigh had been pumped with holes, rendering her attempts at motion agonizing, while her right hand had been burnt to an extent that even holding the hilt of her sword transferred waves of extreme pain to her brain.


    Alice had no idea how short or long her fight had gone on for, or if Rain had succeeded in getting to Sean and escaping, but what she did know was that she was on her last line. She couldn¡¯t take anymore; although that didn¡¯t mean she intended to stop.


    Her eyes rose with shuddering breaths as she watched Archbishop Jude walk slowly towards her, the gun in his hands in complete dissonance with his cassock and the demeanor he was normally meant to possess in return.


    I have to at least land a hit¡­


    ¡°I commend your resilience,¡± the Archbishop opened his mouth. ¡°But even I can see that you¡¯re a lost cause. Beg for mercy and I¡¯ll make your death much less painful than I had intended.¡±


    Alice scoffed, her lips shifting to the side to reveal a smile of derision. ¡°You suggesting crucifixion? No, thanks. I¡¯ll pass.¡±


    The Archbishop frowned. ¡°Hmm¡­ Jokes. Rather unwise.¡±


    ¡°I used to get that a lot. And honestly, I think I¡¯ve grown to like it.¡± Alice coughed up blood, her breaths heavier with each second passing by. ¡°Can I ask you a question? It¡¯s a dying woman¡¯s last wish.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± The Archbishop was silent for a moment. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Are you cosplaying? Because I can¡¯t seem to understand what sick person couldn¡¯t see through your farce all through seminary school. They must have been blind in their right eye and partially blind in their left.¡±


    Archbishop Jude Bale nudged his glasses from its rims back onto the bridge of his nose. ¡°Is that your question, Ms. Alice?¡±


    ¡°Depends. You got an answer?¡±


    The Archbishop smiled as he watched her cough up more blood after her jape. ¡°Now that you¡¯re on the verge of death you¡¯ve begun to talk a lot.¡±


    Alice snickered gently. ¡°You talk like you know me.¡±


    ¡°You personally, no. But in my years as a Man of  the Cloth I¡¯ve met a lot of people like you, listened to a lot of people like you, advised a lot of people like you¡ª¡±


    ¡°And that makes you understand me as a person, how?¡± Alice interrupted.


    ¡°People are distinct, but characters overlap,¡± the Archbishop said. ¡°I do not try to understand a person, I try to understand a character.¡± Alice frowned. ¡°Your smile has disappeared, good. You are now listening. You see, people like you who tend to throw themselves into flames like moths so others can survive have dealt with loss before and are afraid of dealing with it again.¡± Alice¡¯s eyebrows dropped deeper. ¡°Who was the first? Boyfriend or husband? Father or mother? I doubt that would have turned you this way, since it¡¯s something every child grows to understand will happen sooner than others. Was it a friend?¡± The Archbishop paused and smiled. ¡°Son or daughter?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s begun to talk a lot,¡± said Alice, her tone strained.


    ¡°So it was a child. A daughter, if I¡¯m allowed to guess¡ª¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°You¡¯re not.¡±


    ¡°When did she die? At birth? High school? College?¡±


    Alice said nothing in reply, trying her best to rein in her pounding heart.


    Archbishop Jude crossed the nave to meet her where she was down on her knees to the back of the now-ramshackled Cathedral, the golden light of the rising sun spewing in from the open doors, painting her body.


    ¡°Is that why you¡¯re so adamant on protecting those boys? Hmph¡­ Tell me, why did you think acting like a mother to children who aren¡¯t yours was a wise choice, especially in the current state of the world? Did you think it would make your dead child proud of you or the sort? Or is it something deeper like making amends¡­¡± He leaned into her¡­ ¡°because you blame yourself for your child¡¯s death?¡±


    In that instant, as if waiting for those words, scenes of her daughter flashed within Alice¡¯s head, causing her to grind her teeth instinctively.


    She saw Rachel¡¯s face, bright as she always was, in the lawn, watering the plants. Her beautiful teenage girl getting her braid locs done in preparation for high school. And then how she¡¯d received an emergency call for a guard dog that had been brought in to her workplace.


    If only she hadn¡¯t sent Rachel off alone that day¡ªher first day of high school¡ªand had driven her there like the mother she was, the accident would never have happened.


    It was her fault. She was to blame. Her daughter was dead because of a choice she¡¯d made.


    Noticing her fallen expression, Archbishop Jude offered Alice a deep sigh.


    ¡°It was fun,¡± he said, perhaps suddenly bored. ¡°Our little battle made me understand you more than I¡¯d thought I would, and now I can see why the children care for you.¡± He retreated a few steps back, placed the Ak47 he was holding on a pew, and conjured fire from the sweat on his palm.


    Alice looked at him, understanding what the man was about to do.


    For a long while she¡¯d been afraid of death. No matter how bad her life felt, or how much she sought it, she always ended up whimpering out from going onto the train of the afterlife. But now, it all seemed different. She wanted to leave. Pass on. Be with Rachel. She was tired.


    Scenes of her short travel with Sean and Rain and J flashed through Alice¡¯s mind at that moment, each one painted with the most clear and vibrant colors she had ever seen.


    They were her first ties ever since her daughter¡¯s death, as a result of her distancing herself from people¡ªthe world as a whole.


    Her fear of losing whoever came into her life had kept her away, to the extent that she did not even form bonds with her companions in the GEF.


    Somehow, she had still managed to get herself entangled in the webs she had been running from.


    Alice¡¯s lips parted into a smile from a scoff, revealing blood stained teeth.


    Although, she wasn¡¯t sad. She was happy; her heartbeats raced not in fear but relief.


    She realized it now; it was Rachel who had been keeping her from dying. Her daughter had not wanted to reunite with her the way she was. She wanted the woman she knew; the loving and caring lady who had nursed her.


    Finally, they could both be happy again.


    Alice closed her eyes for a second as she took in a deep breath. She then took hold of her sword, propping herself up slightly with it. Its blue luster shimmered before her eyes, but since her vision was a blurry mess she was disabled from taking in the beauty of her weapon.


    ¡°Oh. You really are very resilient, Ms. Alice,¡± the Archbishop said. ¡°Again, I commend you for that attribute of yours. But it¡¯s unwise for you to keep fighting.¡±


    Alice chuckled as she staggered to her feet, her stance in utter shambles. ¡°What can I say? I promised myself to at least land a hit. If I can¡¯t do something as simple as that, then what sort of mother, guardian, and mentor would I be?¡±


    The Archbishop guffawed in a suppressed manner. ¡°Simple? Crazy bitch. I¡¯ve finally come to have enough of your nonsense.¡± The flame burning on his palm danced, its form shifting until it transformed into a crossbow possessing a dozen arrows.


    His plan was obvious. He was going to burn her to ashes in the most painful way possible, here and now.


    Alice smiled at the sight. ¡°It¡¯s not frightening, cookie. We¡¯ll be together soon. Mama¡¯s on her way.¡±

 CHAPTER 61-RECKONING

    Rain¡¯s attention was swallowed whole by the sight of the Glade up that he almost didn¡¯t notice how the children had come to stand behind him¡ªall besides Klein who was busy keeping Nun Cathleen imprisoned.


    ¡°Is that?¡± Meera was the one who asked, her Indian accent bleeding out of her words. She was holding her waist; it seemed the most painful of her cuts resided there.


    Rain decided to take the time to heal them all once everything was settled.


    ¡°It is,¡± Ella answered. ¡°This was the same thing I saw the day Kelvin died.¡±


    ¡°I-Is this bad?¡± Mei Mei asked, Ray resting on her¡¯s and Geraldine¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I feel like it is. Nun Cathleen killed Kelvin because of it, didn¡¯t she? What do we do?¡±


    Ray remained silent, his usual act of shooting Mei Mei down nowhere to be found. His gaze was completely pinned on the ethereal waterfall, as though he had lost himself staring into an abyss.


    Ella said, ¡°I really don¡¯t know, Mei. But it probably is bad.¡±


    Those words of hers caused a gloomy feeling to fall over the children, each one of their shoulders tensing in return. As for Rain, his mind was occupied with laying bare all the information he had about how the Glades functioned.


    From what he knew, a Glade could only be left unattended to for forty-eight hours, maximum, if not Melding would occur. It also couldn¡¯t be avoided, as Alice¡­ He sighed¡­ As Alice had told him. Once a Glade appeared, it was mandatory that people ventured into it and cleared it.


    Any other person in his current situation might have panicked, but he couldn¡¯t find any reason to, after all, he already had an idea on how to avoid this situation from escalating.


    He discreetly glanced over his shoulder at the imprisoned Nun and nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine,¡± he said, causing the children to shift their gazes towards him.


    ¡°How do you know that?¡± Tit questioned. The Russian boy of fourteen with silver hair was the one closest to Rain and the Glade amongst the kids, and it was evident on his face that he was the most frightened.


    It was to be expected. He had just fought his guardian, who¡¯d turned out to be a psychopath, and now he had to deal with something he was yet to explore but had incited so much fear in Nun Cathleen and Archbishop Jude to push them both into killing a child.


    No one would blame him if he didn¡¯t want to find out what was on the other side of the Glade.


    ¡°Because he said it will.¡± Rain turned to his left to see Sean arrive with J as his ride. The boy was caressing his forehead as though a nasty headache was bothering him. He looked at Rain. ¡°What happened with you?¡±


    Rain closed his eyes and heaved out an exhale as Sean came down from J and his Companion began to circle around him while rubbing her face against his thigh.


    Initially he had wanted to rush into the woods to find Sean after Nun Cathleen was settled with, but the sudden appearance of the Glade had shifted his focus. He was glad to know the boy was alright.


    Sean continued, ¡°You did something right, Rain? I-I suddenly had a nasty headache and fell asleep. What happened? I thought you had died.¡±


    Rain smiled. Sean not running into his arms first before seeking out answers was a change he was part happy and part sad to see.


    ¡°Why are you smiling¡ª¡±


    ¡°Asleep?¡± Tit had a scowl on his face. ¡°While we were fighting for our lives because of a mess you caused, you were asleep?¡±


    ¡°Tit, stop it,¡± Ella chimed in. ¡°You know it¡¯s not his fault.¡±


    The Russian boy glanced at Ella, then glared at Sean before grinding his teeth together. In situations like this, some coped by blaming others for their plight, it seemed Tit was among that crew.


    ¡°He did his part,¡± Rain said, him considering whether to involve himself in the arguments of the kids shoved aside. ¡°Ray wouldn¡¯t be alive without his help.¡± There was confusion on the faces of the children, but none was comparable to Ray¡¯s. ¡°And now he¡¯s about to help out again.¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Sean blinked rapidly. ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡±


    Rain turned around to face Klein who, unlike the other kids, had a blank expression. ¡°Hey, Sean¡¯s going to activate the Glade, once he does, I want you to hoist her into it.¡± He pointed at Nun Cathleen, and even though half of her face was covered in black, writhing shadows, he could make out the unease his words had set into her.


    It was palpable that it was unmissable.


    Now she knew that the boy she had risked everything to bring into the little cult she and the Archbishop had been forming was actually the cause of her downfall in every way possible.


    Rain was so glad Alice had lied back on Cumbernauld.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Klein nodded without questions; Rain liked the boy.


    ¡°Um,¡± Sean interrupted. ¡°I don¡¯t understand, Rain.¡±


    Same here¡­ Rain retorted within himself.


    Sean was a Protagonist, they were the only ones who could activate Glades; that was all he knew. How the boy would activate it, he wasn¡¯t sure, but they had no choice but to figure that out now.


    Rain exhaled and jerked a thumb at the Glade. ¡°I want you to activate it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to do that, though.¡±


    Rain put his hands on Sean¡¯s shoulders. ¡°When has that ever stopped you?¡± The boy pursed his lips. ¡°We need your help. You know what will happen if we don¡¯t do something about this Glade.¡±


    Sean was silent for a while before taking in a deep breath and exhaling. He then nodded and moved towards the Glade.


    Rain turned to J. ¡°Be near him. If you sense anything off, pull him away from the thing.¡±


    J purred and went with Sean.


    As soon as she left, Ella took her place.


    ¡°He¡¯s a Protagonist?¡± the girl asked; Rain nodded. ¡°So it was a lie back at Cumbernauld.¡± Rain nodded again. The girl fell silent for a moment. ¡°What about the lady?¡± Rain said nothing, but the message was more than passed across. ¡°What are we going to do about the Archbishop?¡±


    ¡°Simple,¡± Rain said. ¡°You all leave with me.¡±


    Ella¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s impossible.¡±


    Rain turned away from watching Sean who had closed his eyes and placed both his palms on the surface of the Glade to look at her. ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°Where are we going to go?¡±


    Rain smiled. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ve been travelling without a destination?¡±


    Ella looked at him before immediately averting her gaze. ¡°Still, it¡¯s¡ª¡±


    Rain frowned. ¡°What exactly is the problem?¡±


    She bit on her lower lip. ¡°There¡¯s no way we can come with you. The Archbishop will come after us. He¡¯ll hunt us down.¡±


    ¡°What will you do instead?¡±


    Ella paused. ¡°We¡¯ll go back and pretend like we got all our injuries from you, and you killed Nun Cathleen. That way we can convince the Archbishop to leave you alone because you¡¯re dangerous. We have no other choice but to do that.¡±


    ¡°No can do,¡± Rain started after a sigh. ¡°I¡¯ll just have to kill him.¡±


    Ella stared at him incredulously, which was an acceptable reaction.


    They had struggled against Nun Cathleen, there was no way he alone stood a chance against Archbishop Jude. Not even all of them did.


    Although, Rain had made up his mind. He was not going to let the kids back into the life he had pulled them out of, and if it meant he would have to trade a part of his humanity for that, then he would.


    Besides, if anything really had happened to Alice, then he would be killing two birds with one stone. It was too sweet a deal to pass over.


    Before Ella could voice whatever opinion she had bubbling within her voice box, a gust of warm wind blew upon them, forcing their gazes away from each other and onto the Glade.


    The ethereal blue was no longer peaceful; it was now ridden with ripples and shimmering with a violent energy.


    As soon as Klein noticed this, he understood the assignment.


    J scooped up Sean, who had been staring at the Glade in a daze, and leapt out of the way. In that instant, Nun Cathleen, still covered all the way from her mouth down in black, flew through the air, leaving an intense, fevered stare for Rain in her wake as she disappeared into the blue waterfall.


    Rain was glad Klein had kept her mouth covered through it all; because of that he had heard no wailing of unwarranted death threats.


    It was her reckoning, it was only normal that she was silent and took it like a good ¡®Daughter of the Veil¡¯.


    ¡°Barricade it!¡± he said to Ella, recalling that the Glade wouldn¡¯t vanish until a full minute had passed.


    Ella heeded with haste. A similar ball of energy she had used to protect herself and the children a few moments ago appeared around the Glade, completely drowning out its blue with a sinking black.


    A minute later, the Glade vanished and Nun Cathleen with it.

 CHAPTER 62-THE DEVIL [END OF VOLUME 1]

    Rain arrived at the Cathedral, his heart pounding in utter riot within his rib cage.


    He halted his steps as he got close to the gothic sensation of a building, his muscles quivering and twitching in return.


    There was no shortage of guarantee of his survival against the Archbishop, the problem he was having stemmed from what he might see as soon as he walked into the building.


    Rain squeezed his hands, tightening them so hard that if only his fingernails were left untrimmed they would have dug into his skin and carved their presence into his flesh.


    He took in a deep breath and exhaled.


    What was the point of giving in to nervousness now?


    When he took the first step out of the Cathedral back then he had long settled his mind on the possibility of such, there was no point in letting that stopping him from advancing now. Alice would not have wanted her death to be a shackle on him; she¡¯d sacrificed herself for his and Sean¡¯s survival, he should not let that go to waste.


    Rain went up the stairs of the Cathedral, and walked into its open doors.


    It only took a second, as soon as his steps carried him into a ravaged nave, for his pulse to elevate and a pounding that seemed to muffle out every sound around him to storm his ears.


    No matter how many times he¡¯d told himself that he was ready, nothing could have prepared him for what appeared before his eyes.


    Alice stood motionless, frozen, in complete, haunting defiance with the flames that engulfed her body. She was blackened beyond belief, and from her body the acrid stench of death and burnt flesh filled the air. Her hands tightly gripped her sword, refusing to let it go even though she was crumbling; and as though the sword itself was in denial of its master¡¯s death, it fought back the flames from coiling onto its body as its blue luster glowed faintly but angrily in the heat.


    Rain¡¯s vision clouded; though, even with his ability to see and think clearly being impaired, as the firelight flickered around Alice, one thing became certain to him. She was a beacon, and the perfect example of a mother.


    Finally noticing her resilience even in death brought him back to his senses; and even though his anger did not simmer into inexistence, his vision was no longer in its tunnel-like state.


    Rain looked away from Alice and the Archbishop came into view.


    The devil of a man was seated on the stairs of the sanctuary, his eyes dull and heavy, and his breathing a labored and uneven mess. But most of all, he looked like he had seen a ghost.


    Rain instantly deduced why the man looked so out of it. After all, his left forearm was no longer a part of his body.


    ¡°You¡­ Why are you here?¡± Archbishop Jude asked with a shaken voice, his black cassock dyed here and there with the stain of blood. He held a cusp of flame over where his left arm now stopped, using it as a means to stop the blood that was gushing out of his arm.


    The more Rain looked at the man, the more he wanted to make his death slow and painful.


    ¡°Why do you think?¡± Rain said, his voice carrying as little enthusiasm as possible.


    Archbishop Jude frowned. ¡°Impossible,¡± he said, suddenly more shaken. ¡°What did you do?¡±


    Rain had not come here to engage the man in a battle of words, so he gave no further reply.


    He looked at Alice one more time, and that single glance of his contributed to shoving out what was left of his hesitance out of his mind and heart, prompting him to immediately move on with his plan.


    At that moment a message arrived from the Plexus. But as it had been the first time something similar had appeared before him, it was covered in a different hue from the purple and blue and significant to the Plexus. The message before his eyes was of a blood red shade.


    [Does Side Character Rain Leclair Wish to undo the Seal on his Mark?]...


    Rain gave no vocal reply, the anger in his heart did that for him.


    [The Seal on the Mark of Caduceus has been undone]...


    A familiar sensation caressed his body in that instant. The wound on his right shoulder vanished as his muscles and flesh writhed, reaching for each other in a rather uncanny manner. His skin turned pale. The blonde of his hair, which had stretched out until they fell below his shoulders, became a lost dream as it transformed into a blood red color. His nails turned into claws, fangs grew from his teeth, and the circle of his pupils became a vertical slit as everything before his eyes became a pulsing mishmash of red.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    [Side Character Rain Leclair has become the Shadow of Asklepios]...


    Rain looked down at his hands as a surge of power whooshed into his body, and at the same time, an unsettling sense of guilt.


    Maybe he should have used this power right from the start, Rain bit into himself. Maybe he should have. If he had, perhaps Alice would have still been alive now.


    He closed his eyes and sighed. That was impossible. It was for the same reason that he had kept the kids and J from coming back to the Cathedral with him that he had restricted from using this power all this while.


    There was no way he could have convinced Alice to let him fight the Archbishop and the Nun alone. She would have never agreed. So what if he had used it with her present and she was the one who Asklepios sought as an offering after it all?


    What if he¡¯d had to kill Alice himself?


    ¡°You! What in the world are you?!¡± Archbishop Jude screamed, the sound of shots firing following swiftly after.


    Rain looked up, snapped away from his thoughts.


    It seemed like the world had come to a standstill, but the bullets that had been fired were still moving towards him, only with a lot less speed than they were usually meant to.


    Like the wind, he shifted out of the way and the bullets embedded themselves in the Cathedral¡¯s pews.


    Archbishop Jude gritted his teeth at his failure to settle things in an instant. ¡°Damn it!¡±


    He threw the AK47 away and conjured a crude similarity with his flames. But before he could fire any of its shots, Rain blurred into view before him and put out the flames he had conjured with a single swipe of his hand.


    Archbishop Jude¡¯s face turned ashen; he opened his mouth in preparation to say something, but his words were drowned out by his own screams as Rain ripped out his other forearm from his elbow.


    The Archbishop fell to the floor, tears of blood streaming out of his eyes as he stared at what was left of his arms.


    At first, the only sounds out of his lips were croaks, but when he seemed to realize the inevitability of his death and the various gruesome ways it was bound to happen, he began to mutter in quick succession, ¡°The Devil! The Devil! The Devil!¡±


    Rain did not mind that the one who actually shared the most likeness to that being between both of them was calling him the Devil, and of course he did not try to refute it.


    If anything, he was glad. This way, as the Archbishop drew his last breath¡ªeven in death¡ªhe would remember him as the horrific entity who had shown him the greatest terror earth had had to offer.


    Rain grabbed a hold of the man¡¯s head, forcing the distant gaze wrought from dilated pupils he now possessed to stare up at him as his lips shuddered in unrelenting mutters.


    There was a sense of calmness even at the sight, and Rain knew very well that this wasn¡¯t because of the anger he possessed.


    No. Since he¡¯d taken this form, he had not been angry for even a moment. What he was doing now wasn¡¯t out of revenge or spite, it all just felt natural, as though this was who he truly was.


    Maybe he really was the Devil.


    The intense pounding of Archbishop Jude¡¯s heart stole their way into Rain¡¯s ears, and he took a moment to glance at the standout shade of red in the man¡¯s chest area.


    A certain urge to dig his claws into it and rip out the heart hiding there embraced his body, but he¡¯d already made up his mind on how to end the man¡¯s life.


    Rain reined in his desires, and with a gaze as gentle as the ocean, wrenched Archbishop¡¯s Jude head back, the sickening crunch of bone echoing as the man¡¯s neck twisted barbarically and its muscles shredded to produce a morbid arc of blood.


    Archbishop Jude¡¯s lifeless body plopped to the floor, and over it stood Rain, his face painted gruesomely with blood, while in his hand, like a trophy, the head he had torn free still in embrace with the spine connected to it in a grotesque chain of vertebrae, dripping with crimson.


    Despite completing what he had come to do, emptiness was all that was left within Rain. His emotions were nowhere to be found.


    He threw the head to the floor and walked up to Alice. There, he stood for a moment, watching the flame around her slowly trickle out, revealing her charred being.


    Rain closed his eyes, heaved out a long, low breath, and completely put out the fire. Then he relieved her hands from the burden of still gripping her sword, taking it for himself, as he fell to his knees and placed it across his thighs.


    The tears did not come¡ªno; he didn¡¯t want them to.


    He was to protect the kids now, make sure they got to the GEF, every single one of them. That mantle was now his, and, like Alice, he was not allowed to show even a single moment of weakness. That was unbecoming of the person at the forefront.


    Alice¡¯s sword shimmered, its blue luster now relaxing as though relieved that Rain was the one who had taken it.


    ¡°Sleep tight, Alice Hall.¡±


    Rain reverted back to his human form, picked up the sword, sheathed it, and left the Cathedral.


    ¡­


    [The Mark of Caduceus has fulfilled its purpose]...


    [Asklepios seeks an offering in return]...


    [Offering has been decided]¡­


    [A portion of Side Character Rain Leclair¡¯s lifespan has been taken]...


    ###


    END OF VOLUME 1: THE CHARIOT

 CHAPTER 63-A WEEK LATER

    Trees were swept off the ground, some with their roots dancing within the dust and debris in the air, while others without their lower half. The more aggressive of the Siamang gibbon pair had swiped its long, muscular arm at Rain, and in return wreaked havoc to the surrounding.


    This was not the first time he had engaged a Chimera beast in a similar setting, especially with this tactic of attack. He also definitely was not interested in having his ribs being broken by the same method again.


    Rain gently removed himself from the path of the fragments of trees in the air. He reworked his steps during his battle with the Mutated Coyotes and closed the distance between him and the gibbon in a flash.


    The arboreal, black-furred beast boomed in what seemed to be surprise, its throat sac glowing. But Rain was not feeling obligated to engage it in any conversation.


    His gaze remained sharp and his lips flat. He tightened his grip on Alice¡¯s hilt and dug his feet firmly into the soil, the veins in his arm and leg popping as though they were about to burst.


    There was not a single shred of doubt in him that he needed this much strength if he was to do any damage to a Chimera beast.


    Alice shimmered, her blue luster an ethereal beauty, as Rain cut a deep, jagged trail into the gibbon¡¯s wrist. Each strike landed in rapid succession, connecting red dot after red dot, until he felt the gibbon lose function of its arm.


    Immediately after, he rolled into the gap between the beast¡¯s legs as it howled, then further pounced backward to a safe enough distance. A scream catapulted out of his lungs at that moment, ¡°Klein!¡±


    ¡°Roger,¡± there was an instant, tepid reply from a boy in a sweatshirt and jean jacket as he leapt out of a tree. His azure eyes fixed on the gibbon while his brown hair danced in the wind.


    A hoverboard materialized from the shadow of the tree Klein had jumped from, and he landed faultlessly on it as it carried him towards the gibbon.


    The beast noticed the boy¡¯s approach, and tried to swing its dominant arm to defend itself, but, alas, it was limp and non responding.


    It cried out and fell to the ground on its buttocks while it swung its other arm. Klein, though, nimbly avoided every bit of danger coming his way. It was almost like he was an expert at hoverboarding. As soon as he got within attacking range of the gibbon, he jumped off the hoverboard, prompting the shadow that formed it to turn into a manriki-gusari and restrain the beast.


    The throat sac of the gibbon pulsed slowly, but no sound came out of the beast any longer. It was almost as though it had lost its voice.


    Although, Rain could see that the beast had simply accepted its defeat and nigh-death. For reasons obvious to only him, ever since his battle against Archbishop Jude, he¡¯d come to understand the characteristics of beasts more. A portion of his lifespan was gone, and with it some of his humanity.


    Klein landed on the gibbon''s shoulder. And without wasting a single moment, he extended his arm. His thumb hooked upward, mimicking the hammer of a gun cocking back. The rest of his fingers curled into his hand to touch his palm. Then a blob of shadow condensed on the tip of his index finger.


    A second later the condensed shadow shot forward like a brilliant beam of light, blinding brightness replaced by a deep darkness, as it passed through the gibbon¡¯s skull in a precise manner.


    The beast fell to the ground with nothing as much as a quiver as Klein vanished from its shoulder and appeared beside Rain.


    ¡°Good work,¡± Rain said almost immediately. Klein nodded.


    A rumble shook the woods, and the boy of little words turned his gaze to his left. ¡°Should we help them?¡±


    Rain was still staring at the gibbon they had hunted, precisely where its heart was located. A certain urge was building within him as he began to salivate.


    He closed his eyes and clenched his chin in battle against his desires. But as it had been for a while now, it was hard.


    ¡°Rain?¡±


    ¡°No. There¡¯s no need. They need it; precisely Sean and J.¡±


    Rain was not sure how much of his lifespan was gone, since whoever this Asklepios was had chosen to make his life a living hell of constant thoughts. One filled with the expectancy of his sudden death due to the cryptic message he had received. Therefore, he¡¯d decided to make sure to grow the children to a height where they would be able to live comfortably. He could not have them being exploited by elders like Archbishop Jude and Nun Cathleen down the line when he was gone.


    Which was why for the past week he had been training Sean and had given the boy every experience points he had earned in battle. Sadly, him holding back to the points before transferring them to Sean did not trigger the multiplying effect for the boy. The Plexus realized that it was not Sean¡¯s achievements.


    As for Rain himself, besides the little trickle of points his Attributes got from him exerting himself in battle, he had not grown significantly. And since he could not keep giving points to Sean forever, the boy needed to start earning points for himself.


    His teaming up with J and the rest of the kids, besides Mei Mei and Jan, was the start of that.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering,¡± Klein cut off Rain¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Is J getting stronger?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Rain knew what the boy meant, he just wanted him to expatiate. After all, strength could mean different things; Alice had taught him that.


    Klein was silent for a moment. ¡°Uhm¡­ I¡¯m not sure how to put this, but I guess I¡¯ll try. What I mean is, does she have the Plexus like we do, with the Attributes and all?¡±


    ¡°You know, I never thought to ask her if she had the Attributes Interface. What I asked her was if she was mentally mutated. She said yes, by the way.¡± Klein listened intently. ¡°Anyways, I think she does receive experience points too, though what she does with it, I¡¯m not sure.¡±Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    His cognizance with J, tacked on with the growing beast nature in him, gave him a subtle feeling of what was going on with his Companion. She was getting stronger, but she was not spending the experience points she was receiving; it was like they were being stored, and once she got to a certain number she would evolve. It was fleeting but he could feel it.


    ¡°You can talk to her?¡± Klein asked. ¡°How?¡±


    Rain smiled. ¡°We used syringes.¡±


    At that moment a loud thud shook the whole scenery, and with it came playful chatters, as well as a message from the Plexus¡­


    [Side Plot: Completed]


    Side Character Rain Leclair, and his allies, have successfully eliminated their adversaries.


    [Bestowed Reward(s)]


    +6 Experience Points (Assignable).


    [Proceed to assign?]¡­


    Rain almost frowned. He recalled the Chimera Anaconda giving him five experience points, and he¡¯d thought that was because he had used his Mark. It seemed like the Chimeras didn¡¯t give double digit points.


    It was nonsense, in truth.


    ¡°They¡¯re done,¡± Rain said as he sheathed Alice. ¡°Let¡¯s meet with them.¡±


    ¡°What about its meat?¡± Klein asked, gesturing at the body of the gibbon sprawled on the ground with brain juice oozing out of its head.


    ¡°Eh, let¡¯s leave this one to die in peace,¡± replied Rain. ¡°It¡¯s not like we can eat or store all the meat. We still have the rabbit J brought back too. Food¡¯s aplenty.¡±


    Klein shrugged. ¡°I guess.¡±


    Less than a minute later they crept upon a group they were familiar with, working together to extract the soft and preservable meats of their kill.


    Ray was barfing out orders from atop the gibbon¡¯s head in a hoodie and cargo pants similar to Rain¡¯s, only his wasn¡¯t black but gray. While Ella had a soft but sharp gaze as she peered down at Sean who was seated languidly while huffing and puffing.


    Rain went to where Ella and Sean were, while Klein moved in the opposite direction.


    ¡°I told you, ¡°stay in the rear¡±,¡± Ella complained.


    Sean was staring at the sky, his expression painted with a solemn tiredness that it almost seemed like he would ignore Ella.


    ¡°Staying in the rear won¡¯t make me strong,¡± Sean rebuked. ¡°Do you want me to remain weak forever?¡±


    Ella folded her lips. ¡°My goodness, Sean. You¡¯re an Elementalist, a Water Warlock, you aren¡¯t meant for the frontlines.¡±


    ¡°This is not fiction, Ella. Those ¡®mages stay in the rear¡¯ crap isn¡¯t feasible. What if something happens and I¡¯m all alone? Who¡¯ll be in the vanguard then?¡±


    Wow¡­ Big words¡­ When did he learn to speak like he¡¯s an adult?


    Rain was amused. In fact, he¡¯d always been. He¡¯d guessed from the start that the boy could be special, a prodigy, and Sean had not disappointed.


    At the time they¡¯d left Glasgow, Sean had still been a Low Level Water Warlock. It had only taken the boy four days to move to the Intermediate Level. While he¡­ He was still a Low Level Blade Saint.


    Granted, from what the kids had taught him, even though the concept to advance was the same for every Division and Skill, the practicality wasn¡¯t.


    Sean had needed to build his insight on what ways a Water Warlock could become powerful. He¡¯d done so by breaking the restraints his Low Level put on him, which was the requirement of the presence of water.


    Sean had stumbled upon the knowledge of extracting water from living things in his surroundings through his creativity, and the Plexus approved of this knowledge as the next step to the Intermediate Level. Then, all it had taken the boy was a day of practice for him to learn how to extract water from even the atmosphere itself. Although, it drained his Stamina quite excessively. He needed more points in that Attribute.


    On the other hand, despite the fact that Rain had achieved his insight on what he needed to advance to the Intermediate Level of his Skill, he was unable to put it into practice. After all, how was he expected to cut through every and anything that had tangibility? There were stuff like metal and diamonds among them.


    Now that he thought about it, maybe he really deserved his Side Character Role. Although, that was hardly the reason why he didn¡¯t feel inclined to move up his Role despite suddenly having the opportunity.


    [Side Character Rain Leclair has achieved the required Level to Advance a Role]¡­


    [A Voting Poll has been triggered]¡­


    [Side Character Rain Leclair has been offered a Role change]¡­


    [New Role: Deuteragonist]¡­


    [Accept Role change?]¡­


    The Plexus had brought up the message as soon as he¡¯d left the Cathedral back at Glasgow, but he¡¯d quickly swiped it away.


    It might seem childish, but he loathed the thought of having someone decide what he was and wasn¡¯t; what¡¯s worse was that the ones doing that were those who had turned his life into an unpleasant turmoil. If him remaining as a Side Character despite their wishes to make him a Deuteragonist would spite them, then he was glad to remain as one till his lifespan ran out.


    He just hoped that he would have achieved his goals before then. But hope had never been much friends with him.


    ¡°I will,¡± Rain interrupted the children, bringing their gazes towards him. Ella¡¯s lit up, almost unnoticeably. Sean frowned. ¡°Why are you thinking up bad things? What do you mean ¡°who¡¯ll be in the vanguard¡±?¡±


    The boy looked away. ¡°It¡¯s the truth.¡±


    Rain understood. It would have been stupid of him not to. Alice was dead; that was a hard pill for Sean to swallow. And now the boy had taken into consideration his too¡ªwhich was rather eminent.


    ¡°Are you going to make me repeat myself, Sean?¡±


    Sean grumbled. ¡°I know. I know. I have to believe in you, right?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Rain smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t die. I¡¯m not leaving any of you behind.¡±


    Sean took in a deep breath. ¡°Fine! Gloominess vanished.¡± He swiped his palm over his face and revealed his teeth. ¡°There.¡±


    Ella held back laughter. ¡°Stop.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Sean asked. ¡°You don¡¯t like my smile?¡±


    ¡°Just close your mouth. Please.¡±


    Rain felt relieved, and as such he turned his attention to the scuffle of words two boys were engaged in. Ray and Klein. The former pointing at the latter.


    ¡°Where the hell is the meat from your hunt, you nonchalant bastard?!¡±


    ¡°Rain said to leave it since we have enough.¡±


    Ray¡¯s face squeezed so much veins appeared at the sides of his head. ¡°Huh?! Why would you listen to that Unc?¡±


    Rain¡¯s eyebrows twitched.


    This brat¡­


    He was seventeen. Well, technically twenty-two, considering he¡¯d spent five years in the pod. That was besides the point though.


    ¡°Shut it, both of you,¡± Geraldine interrupted, then turned to Rain¡¯s direction. ¡°It¡¯s almost dusk. We should be heading back, no?¡±


    Rain nodded. With that they all packed up, leaving the rest of their hunts to be nothing more than carcasses.

 CHAPTER 64-STRANGERS ON BOTH SIDES

    ¡°Outta my way, Klutz!¡± Ray growled while pushing Mei Mei aside.


    She had opened the door to welcome them back upon their arrival, but had instead been met with a palm to her face.


    Her reaction was still all smiles though. Which was understandable. They had been gone all day, and Jan wasn¡¯t the best person to keep another company.


    The boy was so deep in his Polish descent that despite living with children who all spoke the English language he was still unable to speak it in a satisfactory manner. It was no surprise that Mei Mei had been bored out of her wits.


    Ray, on the other hand, didn¡¯t care.


    At least they¡¯d guarded the base well.


    As expected, by the way. Rain had picked them both to stay behind because they complemented each other¡ªin battle, to be precise.


    Each of the kids had their strong suit regarding their Attributes.


    Mei Mei was a Perception goddess. It was why she had been able to constantly point out Nun Cathleen¡¯s sneaky movements in their battle at Glasgow.


    Apparently, she¡¯d thrown majority of her Experience Points into Perception, spiraling it to at least a hundred digits. She believed finding out about an enemy before they attacked was the best skill to possess; of course so she could run away, not fight.


    It would have seemed cowardly at first, but because of her they had been able to hold their grounds against Nun Cathleen. Otherwise, every single one of them would have been killed without knowing where she was attacking from. Klein was no exception.


    Only J could have been an alternative to Mei Mei, and the Jaguar couldn¡¯t communicate.


    Incidentally, Rain had come to learn something from Mei Mei¡¯s actions. And it was that having a Perception with a hundred points and above meant that the stealth of a Rogue was perceivable.


    It was a good knowledge to possess.


    As for Jan, he was what the kids had come to call ¡®the ultimate sniper¡¯.


    Closed ranged battles weren¡¯t his forte. But once he knew about a danger, and could pinpoint their location, he was guaranteed to take them out.


    Sadly, he¡¯d not had a chance to use his prowess against Nun Cathleen. For one, she had been too strong an opponent for a single one of them to even think about retreating. And secondly, his mind had been clouded. He believed he would have missed his shot and put the others at risk. That was what he¡¯d told Rain.


    Rain shifted to the side and watched the children chatting as they made their way into the house. Once they were all in, he nestled on the porch¡¯s balustrade, planting his gaze on the scenery that spread out in front of him.


    He had no memories of how the Camelot Holiday Park had once been¡ªor if he had even ever been here. But what he was sure of was that the wild forestry it now possessed was not it.


    Although, that was not what was bothering him. Or rather, J.


    ¡°How far away is the person?¡± Rain asked his Companion. J turned her gaze to him and chuffed. ¡°No wonder Mei Mei couldn¡¯t pick up their presence.¡±


    When it came down to it, even the perception goddess¡¯ singular enhanced skill still paled in comparison to that of a predator. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    Rain looked over his shoulder at the softness of the words thrown in his direction. Timothy was behind him, peeking out of the open door.


    He had once considered Sean shy, but since traveling with the children from Glasgow, when it came to Timothy, Sean¡¯s was acceptable. The boy¡¯s shyness could be considered unhealthy. It was to the point of him being unnoticeable even among his peers.


    At least, it was good that such didn¡¯t happen in battles.


    Although, Rain hadn¡¯t found out why yet, the boy liked talking to him.


    Rain smiled. ¡°Just getting some fresh air.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Timothy paused. ¡°Geraldine¡¯s roasting the meat.¡±


    ¡°Is she?¡± The boy nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be in soon.¡±


    Timothy didn¡¯t leave despite those words. His brown eyes were relentless in gazing at Rain. It was as though he was waiting for something.


    Whatever it was though, now was not the time.


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Rain asked again, with a tighter strain to his voice. Timothy shook his head. Rain retreated from the balustrade and approached the door. ¡°Then go in. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± He shut the door.


    J growled at the exchange, a low one.


    Rain sighed. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. He¡¯ll just feel lonely for a while.¡±


    The Jaguar snarled as though angry at Rain¡¯s nonchalant attitude to how he had chased the boy inside.


    ¡°What? There was no other way.¡± Rain scratched his head when J¡¯s gaze remained sharp. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll apologize later. For now, let¡¯s pay our stalkers a visit.¡±


    ###


    There were two outcomes to leaving whoever was stalking them undisturbed. The first was them retreating since dusk was near. And the second was them taking whatever action they already had in mind.


    Rain would have gladly left the strangers alone if he had any surety of the first being what they would choose. But since he had none of that, he could not let the second be the outcome.


    Enemies or friends, there was no way they were getting near the kids without passing by him first.


    And that was why his hand was firmly placed on Alice¡¯s hilt as he followed behind J.


    ¡­


    A soft, golden glow was what illuminated the forestry they were traversing. Shadows stretched long beneath trees. And the cool air carried the faint aroma of earth and foliage. It was a tranquil ambience that was draped over the woods, one perfect for a night of camping.


    But despite the trees holding their breaths in patience for the night to unfold, Rain¡¯s ears perked up in dire anticipation for a sound¡ªany sound.


    All of a sudden, J stopped.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Rain asked, startled.


    The Jaguar snorted. Then it bared its fangs as its snarling slowly intensified until it disrupted the quiet woods and stretched out for miles.


    Rain drew Alice and took a stance. His gaze flashed around his surroundings, but nothing aside from the overgrown trees came into his vision.


    They were here, though. That he was sure of. He could feel it¡ªthrough J.


    A cold sweat rolled down his spine.


    Was he to call out to them? Ascertain his dominance and show he was not scared? What action was he to take now? The fact that they could mask their presence meant they were no motley crew.


    What was he to do? What¡ª


    Rain drew in a sharp breath suddenly.


    Without wasting a single second, he twisted Alice¡¯s hilt and dropped the blade to his waist¡¯s height, pivoting it with near-perfect precision as he swung it in a tight arc behind him. Then he took a glance at the shiny steel settled less than an inch from his neck.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Rain asked, his stance remaining poised.


    Now was not the time for him to make any unnecessary movements. He¡¯d already gauged the enemy¡¯s strength in their brief altercation. There was not even a shred of doubt in him that his head would be off his neck in an instant if he tried anything more than he already had.


    Just like him, J kept snarling but didn¡¯t move an inch from her position. She was brave, not stupid. Although, her ferocity wasn¡¯t directed at whoever was standing behind Rain. It was to her anterior.


    ¡°That depends.¡± Rain looked away from the steel near his neck, sending it forward at the arrival of that voice. ¡°You our enemies?¡±

 CHAPTER 65-JIN AND KARINA

    From behind a tree emerged a figure. A boy, to be precise. One who looked like he was the same age as Rain.


    He was dressed in a black hoodie, had dark skin, cornrows dyed white for his hair, and a smile that pushed forth joviality in the most amiable way possible.


    Rain, though, had grown to be weary of people who approached with a smile after a certain unforgettable encounter. Maybe if the boy had emerged with a frown he would have been less wary. Now, the severity of his raised guard was multiplied, despite not having received an animosity message from the Plexus.


    Oblivious of Rain¡¯s inner mood, the boy stranger dipped his hands into the pockets of his ripped jeans with a tilt of his head. ¡°What¡¯s with the frown, lil man?¡±


    Rain raised a brow. Lil man? Absurd. Why were jabs being thrown at his age today?


    ¡°You haven¡¯t answered my question,¡± Rain said, still cautious about the one who he was yet to see standing behind him.


    ¡°Ah,¡± the boy stranger tugged on the bandanna tied around his neck. ¡°Well, it¡¯s kinda hard for us to have a civilized conversation when your Jaguar friend is ferocious towards me, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Rain scoffed. ¡°Really? You must be barbarians then. Seeing as I have a sword aimed at my neck.¡±


    The boy stranger smiled. ¡°I like him, Karina.¡± Then he made some gestures with his hand and the sword around Rain¡¯s neck was pulled away¡ªslowly.


    Without even taking the time to register that what the boy stranger had done was sign language, Rain turned around, dug his heels into the ground, and pushed himself away from the midst of the two strangers. Needless to say, J joined him.


    ¡°That was unnecessary, you know? We¡¯re not here to harm you,¡± the boy stranger said. ¡°And why¡¯s the Jaguar still ferocious? We¡¯re no longer barbarians.¡±


    ¡°Name¡¯s J,¡± Rain corrected.


    He was displeased with J being referred to as ¡®the Jaguar¡¯. It made it seem like she was just some savage animal. Some beast.


    ¡°Got it,¡± the boy stranger did not stress on the matter. ¡°Now, can we talk like civilized individuals?¡±


    Rain¡¯s gaze shifted to the one who had snuck up on him. Karina, she had been called. Her hair was black and rough, and she had a flat expression that made her look unapproachable. Although, beneath that expression, Rain could sense some faint shyness there. But he was not certain.


    She was older than him, that was for sure¡ªperhaps in her mid-twenties¡ªattractive too. And it was obvious that she was Asian.


    ¡°As you heard, her name¡¯s Karina,¡± the boy stranger introduced the overly silent lady. Rain¡¯s gaze remained on her as her¡¯s remained on the leaf at her feet. It was almost like she had no sense of awareness for her surroundings. And she was yet to sheathe her sword. ¡°While me¡­ I¡¯m Jin.¡±


    Both of Rain¡¯s eyebrows jumped up. He involuntarily turned to look at the smiling boy.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look Asian,¡± he scrutinized.


    ¡°What does being Asian have to do with my name?¡± Jin asked.


    Everything¡­ Rain retorted. There¡¯s no way your parents named you that. So is this some kind of fiction infatuation thing? Don¡¯t tell me I¡¯ve come across another psycho?


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Rain did not press on it. Jin was still smiling, but he could never know what was going to piss the boy off. It was better safe than sorry.


    ¡°Your Jaguar¡¯s still snarling,¡± Jin announced.


    ¡°She¡¯ll stop once she no longer deems you a threat.¡±


    Jin jerked his head backward before cocking it sideways. ¡°That wasn¡¯t the deal though.¡±


    Rain felt like he had made him angry. However, he was not planning on backing down. He wasn¡¯t relaxing easy until he¡¯d had their intentions all figured out¡ªif ever.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°It¡¯s only right we¡¯re cautious,¡± Rain said. ¡°You were stalking us.¡±


    Jin¡¯s expression relaxed. ¡°Oh!¡± He chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s a misconception, feisty.¡± Feisty?! ¡°We only came to hunt the gibbons.¡±


    The tension gripping Rain¡¯s shoulders eased for a moment there. ¡°Expatiate.¡±


    Jin laughed. ¡°What¡¯s there to expatiate? Isn¡¯t it obvious already?¡±


    ¡°Not one bit.¡± Rain raised his sword higher.


    Jin leaned back into a tree, removed his hands from his pockets, and folded them. Karina, on the other hand, finally became tired of staring at the leaf at her feet and stood beside Jin.


    ¡°We¡¯re part of an alliance in Carlisle,¡± Jin continued. ¡°Our scouts found out about the gibbons, and Karina and I were the ones tasked with eliminating them. Nothing¡¯s better than eliminating Chimeras before they raid your base. But, you see, you beat us to it. In a more casual than awe-inspiring way, by the way. Which is why we decided to watch from afar and conclude if you guys were friend or foe. A boy my age, a group of children, and a mentally mutated Jaguar. Hah! That¡¯s one crazy combination.¡±


    ¡°Alliance?¡± Rain focused on that singular word, throwing the rest of what the amiable-looking boy had said into a dumpster. ¡°Like a Faction?¡±


    ¡°Eh,¡± Jin shrugged. ¡°Not exactly. We¡¯re a lot smaller. Like a lot.¡±


    Rain¡¯s mind kept trying to discern signs of any possible danger he might have missed with the appearance of the stranger. It all felt oddly similar to his encounter with Nun Cathleen.


    He was really trying his best to keep himself from instantly writing others off as enemies because of his experiences, but he did not have the liberty to make mistakes any longer. They proved costly.


    ¡°What¡¯s the headcount?¡± Rain asked, his tone a bit too direct, but the situation called for it.


    ¡°I dunno if I should be telling you that, you know?¡± Jin rubbed his chin. Rain remained silent. ¡°Eh, fuck it. We¡¯re in the thirties.¡±


    Rain¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°That¡¯s a large number.¡±


    Jin raised his shoulders. ¡°Said the same.¡± Rain kept silent. Jin looked up at the sky, the sun already vanishing into the horizon. ¡°So, what¡¯s it gonna be, drumstick? Gonna offer us a place to crash?¡±


    Rain cocked his head to the side. ¡°That depends,¡± Jin scoffed. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you guys in a Faction?¡±


    ¡°Whatever do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m asking what your aim is for not being in a Faction and creating your own little alliance?¡±


    He¡¯d never come to find out what Archbishop Jude and Nun Cathleen¡¯s goals had been for training the kids to such a degree, but never again. Also, from the boy¡¯s answer, whether he lied or not, he would get a feel of what sort of environment that alliance possessed. In other words, he would find out a thing or two about the people before him.


    Jin sighed and placed his arm on Karina¡¯s shoulder. She was taller than him, so he¡¯d had to stretch.


    ¡°First of all, I did not create the alliance.¡± He waved a finger. ¡°Second of all, not everyone enjoys being under military rule. Some of us just want to live in peace without being told when to eat, shit, and sleep, you know?¡±


    Rain¡¯s expression loosened, internally.


    It was not an extravagant answer, which meant that it hadn¡¯t been tailored to deceive him or the sort.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± But that was not enough. ¡°I can¡¯t offer you a place to crash. There¡¯s still a bit more time, so find your own crib.¡±


    Rain sheathed his sword and turned around.


    In the past, he would not have thought twice before offering them a spot in the shelter he and the kids had secured; now, though, he had to be certain he wouldn¡¯t be screwed over.


    He began to walk away while communicating discreetly to J to watch his back for any hostile actions.


    Him not cooperating would push the strangers¡¯ hands to either turn antagonistic, return in peace, or¡­


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    Instantly, Rain grabbed Alice¡¯s hilt.


    ¡­Reveal their true intentions.


    ¡°I have no idea of how your journey has panned out until now,¡± Jin said. ¡°But from our conversation I can tell you really want to avoid putting those kids in danger.¡±


    Rain¡¯s grip on Alice loosened; the words making their way into his ears weren¡¯t the ones he had been expecting.


    ¡°If you told me there was no Protagonist among your crew, I¡¯d call you a liar. And even though yours and the children¡¯s fighting prowess is superb, it¡¯s quite obvious that you have yet to venture into a Glade,¡± Jin continued. ¡°So, my question is: How long do you think you can avoid that?¡±


    Rain unsheathed Alice, taking a stance that sparked Karina to take one too. J bared her fangs and growled.


    ¡°If you touch a single hair on the children¡¯s head, I promise that I¡¯ll kill both of you myself.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re strong, I¡¯ll give you that,¡± Jin said. ¡°But not that strong, drumstick. Also, how did you come to that conclusion? When did my question imply that I meant any harm to the children?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Rain said. ¡°I¡¯ll avoid it for as long as I can. That¡¯s my answer to your question.¡±


    Jin shook his head. ¡°Nah. You¡¯re going to lead the children to their death. That should have been your answer to my question.¡± Rain frowned. But, deep down, he knew the boy was right. ¡°Which is why I want to offer you a different option.¡± Jin stretched out a hand with a smile. ¡°Join the Carlisle alliance.¡±

 CHAPTER 66-CARLISLE ALLIANCE

    Rain hadn¡¯t realized until now, but, apparently, Jan knew sign language.


    The boy was completely and utterly engaged with Karina, engrossed in a conversation that had erupted out of nothingness. If one hadn¡¯t interacted with either of them before, they would think the two had known each other for a long time. Rain was even almost starting to believe they did. They were perfect for each other. After all, the lady who had possessed a flat expression a few moments ago now had a genial mien and was smiling wholeheartedly.


    As for the rest of the children¡­ They were flocking around Jin, Mei Mei the brightest of them all. Even Ray looked like he was enjoying himself, flaunting his biceps and all. And then there was Timothy, no longer invisible.


    Rain wouldn¡¯t lie. It somewhat made him jealous. The boy stranger had more charisma than him, it seemed. But that was down on the list of what had made him sit to the edge of the living room, away from the racket.


    One was the strange way the children were all welcoming of the strangers despite their experiences. It made it seem like he was being petty just a while back. Second was the boy stranger¡¯s offer. And third was¡­


    Rain sighed and stood up. Then, without drawing attention to himself, he left the living room and made his way to a bedroom.


    You¡¯re going to lead the children to their death¡­


    Those words echoed very loudly in his head as he plopped down back-first on the bed in the room, gazing up at the cobwebbed ceiling.


    How long do you think you can avoid the appearance of a Glade?


    Did that guy think he hadn¡¯t thought about it? He had been getting through the past week scared out of his wits because he kept anticipating a Glade¡¯s arrival. He¡¯d been occupied day and night trying to find ways to avoid an outcome that would involve the children venturing into it.


    But¡­ There was nothing. He was unable to find anything¡ªanything besides sacrificing himself.


    However, that too had a fault.


    If he set forth into the Glade alone, who was going to look after the children?


    Sure, they now knew the path to take to the GEF. They also had grown past their age mentally. Still, they were children. No matter what, they were children. Alice would kill him if he left them to fend for themselves.


    Although, it was different now. With the arrival of Jin and Karina, it had all become different.


    The conversation with the boy stranger had flown in a way that gave Rain the idea the Carlisle alliance wasn¡¯t one to shy away from clearing a Glade. And from the sort of aura the strangers radiated, it was obvious they had been in more explorations than Alice¡¯s single one. They were stronger than the children, that was for sure, and that meant the Carlisle alliance would offer the kids far more protection than he could ever imagine.


    One single thing about the Glade still bothered him though¡­ As well as the Chimeras¡­


    ¡°Hey, drumstick.¡± Rain turned towards the door, his thoughts disrupted by an unwelcome interference. Jin was leaning on its frame with his arms folded. ¡°What¡¯s with you so deep in thought?¡±


    ¡°Drumstick, huh?¡± Rain scoffed as he gazed back at the ceiling, his arms sprawled languidly on the bed. ¡°What about me looks like a drumstick?¡±


    ¡°Wrong question,¡± Jin smiled. ¡°Why do I look like a drumstick? Is what you should have asked.¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­ Very funny.¡±


    Jin came in and sat on the edge of the bed. ¡°So, you gonna let it out?¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Rain snorted. ¡°Quit acting like we¡¯re close enough to be talking about our private thoughts.¡±


    ¡°Eh? I thought inviting someone into your home meant you were interested in them?¡±


    Rain shook his head and rolled onto his side, turning away from the boy stranger. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in men.¡±


    ¡°You never know.¡±


    ¡°I do know.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯re yet to have your awakening.¡±


    ¡°Have you had yours?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Jin paused. ¡°And it seems I like women.¡±


    Rain sighed, saying nothing more. That was until the silence bit into him.


    ¡°The Glades,¡± he began. ¡°Why do you think none is yet to appear?¡±


    Rain¡¯s question was a direct one. A stranger to him would find it hard to answer such on a normal basis. But that was where Jin differed. The boy stranger had already heard about the crux of their journey from the children, so he knew enough of the situation surrounding him and the kids to give a valid answer.


    ¡°That what¡¯s on your mind?¡± Jin asked. Rain gave no reply. ¡°Well, whatever answer you have in your head is probably far fetched and wrong, so I¡¯ll help you out.¡± Rain clicked his tongue. ¡°The reason why one is yet to give you and the kids a run for your money is rather simple. There¡¯s a two week cooldown period for each Protagonist.¡±


    A two week cooldown period? I see¡­ Which means one will appear soon¡­ Rain bit his lower lip and dragged himself together.


    What was the best course of action for him now? Did he really have no choice but to accept the alliance¡¯s proposal?


    ¡°Accept it,¡± Jin said at that moment, as if he had read Rain¡¯s mind. ¡°I understand your caution, but you know that it¡¯ll be impossible on your own. And I give you my word; the Carlisle alliance has no ulterior motive.¡±


    Rain remained silent for a good minute. ¡°One more question,¡± he resumed. ¡°You know a bit about Chimeras, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Jin answered. ¡°Fought quite a few. If you¡¯re thinking about comparing their strengths with that of the beasts in the Glades, don¡¯t. They are not on the same level.¡±


    Rain scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m not stupid. That much is obvious.¡±


    He had heard all about what transpired in a Glade from Alice already. The real bane of humanity wasn¡¯t the mutated beasts on earth, they were the ones on the other sides. If the Glades managed to merge with earth, humanity was fucked. And the Plexus knew it. Sometimes he wondered if this was fun to the beings that had turned earth into their playground. Obviously, it was.


    ¡°My question is about the intelligence of the Chimeras.¡± He turned around to face Jin who was staring at him incredulously. ¡°Have you ever heard any of them speak?¡±


    The boy stranger¡¯s expression changed. ¡°You heard one speak?¡±


    Rain got his answer. He rolled back onto his side. ¡°No. I was just curious if that was a possibility.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Jin said as though convinced, but Rain could hear the underlying doubt in his tone.


    The boy wasn¡¯t going to push it, obviously, so it didn¡¯t matter. What was more important now was the fact that a Chimera had spoken to him. He¡¯d initially thought that it was a Skill all beasts of that level possessed; but since then he¡¯d encountered two more Chimera beasts and none had uttered even a single word.


    What was different about that snake¡­ and that man who spoke in the same manner as it?


    Rain sighed. He had not changed much since he¡¯d woken up in that hospital in Edinburgh. Some answers were still unreachable for him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind,¡± he said, sitting up and staring at his palms. ¡°I¡¯ll join the Carlisle alliance.¡±


    ###


    The morning dew was still spread out above the surroundings when they packed up and left the house. It was the best time to move from one location to another since most prowling beasts would still be resting.


    They could take on any threat that arrived, undoubtedly, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Battles were unpredictable.


    After his decision, Rain had been battered with questions left and right from the kids. He¡¯d told them about his thought process and why he had come to such a decision. After all, they deserved to know. Thankfully, his answers had seemed to satisfy them, Jin and Karina being such likable people playing a role in that.


    He did keep one thing from them though, an action he had made up his mind to take, and he knew that the children would chew him out for it when the time came for them to find out. But if he was to grow and be a more dependable shoulder for them to lean on, it was a hill he had to cross.


    He was going to venture into a Glade.