《The One Luna》 First Blood January 13, 2090. Bacolod City, known as the City of Smiles, was a bustling metropolis located in the Philippines. In SM Megamall, Luna was finishing up his grocery shopping, "Hey Boni, be at my house in 30 minutes, alright?" "Sure bro, make sure you buy enough supplies, alright? We''re not leaving your house for a month!" replied a voice from the other line. It was currently 9:03PM, both of them had reserved the next month to no-life "Fused Worlds Online," one of the most anticipated MMORPGs which was set to have Global servers and promised no launch day hiccups when it launched at 3:00AM (GMT+8). --------------- 2:59 AM Luna and Boni were preparing themselves and had their log-in credentials ready, there was 30 seconds left before the game officially launched when they both heard a booming voice in their heads as time seemed to have stopped. "My children, of the myriad worlds in existence, you all have evolved the least, existing comfortably as the apex predators of Earth. All of that ends today, you must fight, struggle, and evolve! Only then will the human race survive what is to come." and then the voice disappeared as suddenly as it had come. Information suddenly flooded Luna''s mind. ----------------------------- Name: Luna HP: 100 MP: 50 Strength: 1 Agility: 1Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Dexterity: 1 Intelligence: 1 Vitality: 1 Stats Available: 30 Skills: None Available skill points: 1 Weight Capacity: 0035/1000 Currency: 0 Vis ----------------------------- "Are we in.. an MMORPG?" he thought as he looked around, only to notice that him and Boni were still in his room. "Sooo, the MMORPG came to us?" Asked Boni, in a bewildered tone. "I''ve read stories about this before, but it was always people getting transported into another world, but whatever the case, allocate your stat points first." Luna urged Boni, he had a very bad feeling about what was to come. "Alright bro, I put 10 in Strength, 10 in Dexterity, and 10 in Vitality for now." Boni replied, he was used to playing the stalwart defender in MMORPGs, so he opted to put the last 10 in Vitality for now. "Sounds good, I''ll do the same but put the last 10 in Agility for now, that way we know how much of a difference 10 stat points makes in terms of speed." as they both rummaged through their "inventory" they found an intro manual, and a wooden club. ----------------------------- Item: Intro Manual Read this, to become aware of how the current world has changed, and the rules that govern it. Weight: 5 ----------------------------- Item: Wooden Club A regular wooden club. Attack DMG: 1 Weight: 30 ----------------------------- *DING* Summoning Commencing. Right after hearing that announcement in their heads, two zombies spawned right beside them, Boni, caught by surprise could only hold up his weapon and stop it from getting closer. Luna, on the other hand, whether due to him being gifted in terms of mechanics, or him raising his Agility stat, reacted fast and swung his wooden club and hit the zombie right on the temple, knocking it down, as he continued to smash his club on it''s head four more times. When the zombie died, it seemed to have turned into black dust, and faded, then a lingering wisp entered Luna''s body, raising his EXP, as well as something that looked like a coin with the word "VIS" on top and the number "1" in the middle got absorbed as well, which increased his counter by 1. *FIRST BLOOD* Another message popped up in Luna''s mind, "Congratulations, you are the first person to eliminate an opponent in this new world, as such you will receive a reward given only to you who has adapted the fastest." Right after receiving that message, Luna got a notification that something appeared in his inventory, it was a purple chest. ----------------------------- Item: First Blood Reward Chest A reward exclusively given to the person who was the fastest to adapt to the new world. ----------------------------- Companion Little did Luna know, that he was only half a second faster than the other person who would have gotten the reward, just that, that guy actually put 10 stats in Strength and 20 in Agility, he ended up hitting the zombie''s shoulder instead of it''s head, twice, which does very little towards killing a zombie. After taking care of the zombie attacking Boni, Luna actually reached level 2, but Boni didn''t. They figured it was due to Luna getting first blood and must have received bonus exp due to that. "Bro, you mentioned you received a reward box? What is it?" Boni was really curious especially after finding out that it was described as a unique reward. "I don''t know yet, I''ll open it now." taking out the box out of his inventory right away, he proceeded to open it. A bright flash resulted from his actions, as the box disappeared and on the floor in front of them was what looked like an aged red book. ----------------------------- Active Skill: Summon Asura Summons an Asura to fight by your side at the cost of 30 MP. Consumes 1 Skill point. Companion Tab is unlocked upon learning this skill. Summoned companion will receive the same EXP for every kill the caster makes and vice-versa. Stats will mirror the caster''s, but due to the Asura race''s innate talent, stats are 10% more than caster. New skill will be learned every 10 levels, and previous skills will be upgraded subsequently. ----------------------------- "Bro, what the hell?! That sounds OP!" Boni reacted as Luna finished reading out the skill description. Luna proceeded to learn the skill as he noticed a Companion window appear in his consciousness. "Summon Asura!" A flash of light appeared as a lithe, athletically slim, and proud figure appeared, kneeling on one knee. "Greetings master!" "Luna... she''s the most beautiful woman I''ve ever seen in my life. Is she single?" Boni shamelessly asked, as he couldn''t even stop staring. "Shut your mouth!" Luna quickly replied as he elbowed Boni on the ribs. "Ow ow ow! Kidding! Kidding!" pretending to be hurt. "You may stand..." right after the female Asura stood up, he asked "What is your name?" "Answering master''s question, I have no name as of yet, that would be up to you." her limpid eyes stared back at him as if they could pierce his very soul, as her jet black hair flowed naturally down just before reaching the middle of her back, she truly was an otherworldly beauty, one that could cause the downfall of an Empire. Her features were definitely oriental, but he couldn''t quite figure out if she was more Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Filipina, or a mix of all four.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. She was only wearing cloth wraps to cover her A-Cup chests, the same with the rest of her body, so Luna quickly got her a shirt, a hoodie, and a pair of sweatpants, as well as a pair of shoes that he had outgrown, since she was a size smaller than him. Somehow this new get-up made her look even more beautiful. "Master, what would you like to call me?" she asked as Luna and Boni seemed to be distracted. "Ah! Do you have anything you would prefer?" "Mmm... Sura." "Wow, next level naming." Boni couldn''t help but comment. Luna smacked Boni upside the head as he replied, "Alright, Sura it is then." The next 30 minutes, Luna spent reading the intro manual and checking Sura''s stats and skills out, thus he managed to learn a few things. Firstly that every level would add a +1 to all stats, besides the stats that a person allocates. Every point in Strength added 1 to melee Physical attack, every total of 10 points would give an extra 5 physical attack. This was before any mitigation was applied. Of course, even though these were game elements, there were still elements which the unknown entity wanted everyone to figure out for themselves. Agility boosted a person''s overall speed, but would tire them out faster, if their Vitality stat was too low. Dexterity affected your accuracy, this was assuming it was a non-moving target, so a person with high Agility could still give someone who invested a lot of points into DEX a run for his money. Luna assumed that If the difference was too huge, the person would probably just miss completely, this would need more testing. Of course, if your accuracy was high and you hit your mark, like say, a zombie''s head, based on the rules of real life, you''d do more damage. Intelligence boosts your magic attack, your MP regeneration rate per 30 seconds, your total MP pool, and your defense against magic related attacks. Basically a stat for casters, which Luna thought would be at a huge disadvantage this early, assuming everybody only got a wooden club and no skills to start off with. Vitality affected your total HP, every point increases your HP by 50, your physical damage mitigation, resistances to any form of status effects, including zombie infection by 1% per point of VIT. Most importantly, VIT affected your endurance. You could be incredibly strong with high STR, but if you had low VIT, you''d tire easily. With this in mind, Luna and Boni decided that the best route was to have balanced stats. A hybrid build, basically. Leveling up to level 2, gave Luna 1 more stat point to allocate, but no skill points. He opted to put a point in Vitality for now, he wanted to get this stat to 10, so he can at least fight extended battles without worrying too much. "Time to check Sura''s skills." All he had to do was will it, and he''d be able to view Sura''s stats in his consciousness, the same way he would when he wanted check his own information. ----------------------------- Sura''s Skills Passive: Sword Mastery Increases attack damage(only applies to total weapon damage) by 10% per sword equipped and increases attack speed by 10% per sword equipped. Maximum of 60% when using <6-armed Asura Mode>(Skill not yet learned.) This bonus only applies to recognized equipment. ----------------------------- Passive: Innate Talent Asura''s potential is the highest out of every race in general. 10% additional stats based off of the caster''s base stats. ----------------------------- "With this, we shouldn''t have too much of a problem surviving for now, but that doesn''t mean we can slack off. That entity wanted us to evolve and become strong, my guess is that eventually the zombies will evolve, possibly animals as well." Luna had a worried look on his face, as he glanced at Sura, and then Boni. "It''s full on chaos out there, Luna. It''s all over the internet." "I know... but our first goal is to get stronger, then we can worry about helping others, and potentially set up a base, but none of that will be possible if we''re too weak." Luna looked at Sura and said "Let''s go, it''s not exactly the MMORPG we were hoping for, but it''s do or die." Grinding Levels *Grinding is a term mostly used by gamers to describe an act of killing monsters to get gains such as EXP, materials, equipment etc. Not to be confused with gyrating. ------------------------------------------------- Luna''s house was something he inherited from his parents before they passed away, rather than calling it a house, it might as well be called a fortress. High walls, along with a towering gate, with metal spikes jutting out from the top, a design quite common in houses in the Philippines, just that his was on a larger scale, he had no maids in his house, as he was used to taking care of himself back when he lived in the USA, with him only having a cleaning lady come once a week to maintain the huge abode''s cleanliness. The party of 3 cleared the whole house of any spawned zombies before cleaning up the mess and heading out, Boni also reached level 2 within this time. "Sura, tell me more about yourself. If we''re going to work together, it''s best if I know your capabilities." "I am from the Asura race, in your world we would be known as a warrior race. In the ancient times, we had worked together with humans, but it''s been so long that your race probably only has vague records, if any, left of us." Luna had a thinking expression before he replied "Yes, even with what knowledge we have left of your race, you had always been associated with combat, even in video games." "Video games?" "Ah, never mind. Anyway, what world did you come from? Weren''t you surprised when I summoned you out of nowhere?" Luna eyed her, looking for any type of expression resembling resentment. After all, if anybody was forcefully summoned, they would not be so pleased, so he was surprised she was so obedient. "The entity that you call God, him and his allies have different worshipers in your world. Their purpose, it''s best that you don''t concern yourself with it for now, as it will not do you any good." "That''s... " both Luna and Boni had surprised expressions on their faces, as this information might very well shake every religion in the world. "All you need to know is that I was aware I was going to be summoned, my father, the leader of our race, sent me and informed me that I will be following someone. My soul is now bound to you, so if you die, I will cease to exist."This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "But, what''s in this for you, Sura?" Boni couldn''t help but ask. "Evolution. These monsters, they were not created by your Gods, they are from somewhere else, a place that would usually not be able to enter any of the myriad worlds, but your Gods have allowed them to, while they may only seek to devour you all, to evolve themselves, you can kill them as well, but using only equipment that is provided by the ." "You mean, like these wooden clubs?" "Yes." Luna pondered some more, eventually figuring out that since this new had a similar to MMORPGs, probably to give a more solid representation of how far one has evolved through stats, items would drop from mobs as well. As the group was walking towards the next block, 5 zombies came into view, Luna wanted to use this opportunity to see how well they''d do against multiple zombies, that way they could somehow use this as a basis on what fights they should or shouldn''t take in the future. Much to their surprise, Sura actually took care of 3 of them before Luna and Boni killed theirs, but knowing that she wasn''t using a weapon, but instead dual-wielding two Katanas that Luna owned, she only cut them in half, leaving the last hit for Luna. "Master, please kill these three." "Oh, right.. Thank you." After killing another 4 zombies, Luna felt a surge of energy enter his body, he had reached level 3, gaining +1 to all his stats, and an extra stat point, which he appointed to VIT. His main goal for going hybrid this early, which he usually wouldn''t do in a regular MMORPG, was due to the fact that he wanted to hit that "sweet spot" for having enough VIT to regenerate enough endurance where he can continuously fight zombies without getting too tired, too quickly, he assumed 20 VIT would probably meet his needs. It wasn''t a surprise that they didn''t see any other regular person out in the streets, besides the zombies that probably spawned, when this apocalypse started. They proceeded normally with Boni usually handling 1 zombie, Luna handling 2, and Sura usually handling the rest, slicing them in half and offering them to Luna. Along the way, they would overhear screams from other houses, to which they rushed to help out, but they would always be too late, in the end, they could only save a pair of siblings to whom they sincerely offered advice of mourning the loss of their parents who defended them from the zombies but to quickly adapt to this new world, and evolve, or die and make their parent''s sacrifices be in vain. By the time they got to the grocery store Luna and Sura were already level 5, with Boni being level 4 after grinding zombies along the way. Luna noticed that he had gained another skill point he continued to pump points into VIT, while Boni did the same as well. At this point, Boni already had 19 points in VIT, and observed that he didn''t feel tired after fighting with a zombie at all, and even after fending off more than one zombie in a short amount of time, he''d feel some form of tiredness, but it would disappear within the next 30 seconds or so. Something they had noticed as well, was that while it only took a few zombies to level up in the early levels, it seems that the amount needed would grow exponentially. This grind was about to get harder. Evolved Zombie Reaching the grocery store, Luna realized he was right on the money, 20 VIT seemed to be a sweet spot before they can start investing in other stats. All of a sudden, Luna pulled Boni behind a kiosk, and whispered "What''s that?" pointing towards the store entrance they noticed a zombie that would have looked like the rest, except for the fact that, after looking closer, it''s muscles seemed more defined, less damaged. Taking this into consideration, Luna knew he had to treat this as he would a boss fight or a mini-boss fight, even if it wasn''t, it was still better to be safe than sorry. After cooking up a plan, it was decided that Luna was going to lead the charge and aggro the monster, while Sura and Boni would take care of both flanks. Originally, Boni wanted to be the one to draw aggro due to his high VIT, but after much consideration, Luna said it would be safer if he went, due to the fact that if the zombie was too fast for Boni who had lesser Agility, he might get hit, and even with his 19 total VIT, he only had a 19% resistance against infection, also, they didn''t know if levels or maybe just the evolved zombie''s own innate skill, had any type of penetration against resistances. Luna was confident that he wouldn''t have have too much of an issue with his endurance against one foe. "Alright, let''s go, I''ll walk towards him, the moment I say go, be ready to flank him." The moment Luna fell within the creature''s vision, it suddenly crouched down, looked at him, and screeched as it ran towards him, sending one claw hurtling towards his head, parrying this attack with his wooden club, Luna quickly realized that his creature''s strength far surpassed his own. He was using both hands when he parried that swipe, yet he felt as if his arms were going numb. Quickly, he signaled for the other two to come out, but Sura had been quicker than him, the moment she felt within her soul that Luna was in grave danger, she had already acted. "Don''t take it''s attacks head on!" Luna gave a quick warning, hearing this Sura dodged the monster''s swipe, landed behind it, and slashed towards it''s arm. Much to her surprise, it only went halfway in, Boni caught up at this time, as he swung his wooden club from behind the zombie''s feet, sweeping it, and having it land hard on it''s back. This obviously angered the zombie, as it did a kick-up while swiping it''s claws towards the front, attempting to hit Luna, but before it could even get completely up, Luna was already in mid-swing as if he was trying to hit a home run, which made the zombie''s head cave in, even after this, it was still not dead, but barely able to move after it''s brain suffered from quite the hit, Luna then proceeded to smash his wooden club on it''s head with it''s arms shaking with every hit, until it faded to black dust, to nothing, signaling that it had died.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. This time, instead of a wisp, it was an orb of experience that went into Luna''s body as he instantly went from level 5 to level 7. On the ground was a chest covered by a glowing, golden membrane, a skill book, and a VIS coin with the number 100 on it, which automatically went to his inventory. "Luna, let''s see what''s inside the chest!" Boni said as he reached to open the chest, he was already burning with curiosity as to what rare item it held, but to his surprise, the moment his reached within the vicinity of the golden membrane, he couldn''t go further. With an awkward look on his face, he looked towards Luna "Uhh, bro, why don''t you try?" Sure enough, as Luna reached towards the chest, the golden membrane dispersed naturally as he opened it up allowing a pair of blades to float towards Luna. He checked the description on both, and they were basically the same. ----------------------------- Item: Itak Tagalog* Once a bladed tool designed for cracking coconuts and harvesting root crops, this modern version has been evolved to become a deadly weapon with an increased sharpness, length, and size. Attack DMG: 30 Weight: 50 Bonus stats if used as a set: Strength + 5 Agility +3 ----------------------------- Luna tossed them both towards Sura. "Out of the three of us you''re the only one without a weapon, also, you''re the one who benefits the most from using sword type weapons." Sura caught the pair of swords and gave Luna a meaningful glance "Thank you, Master. I will make good use of this gift." "Oh, and stop it with the whole master thing, it feels awkward. I want you to treat me as an equal and call me Luna." "Yes, M--- Luna. Thank you." it seemed like it was something that would take some getting used to. "Don''t sweat it, the stronger we are as a team, the higher our chances of survival. Speaking of which, Boni, catch!" Luna took out the skill book he received and tossed it over to Boni as he instinctively caught the book. "Seems like this new world has improved your reflexes quite a bit." "Every level nourishes the body and strengthens it on a fundamental level. It''s only normal. Hehe." Boni read the description on the book. ----------------------------- Active Skill: Holy Aura Increases physical and magical damage mitigation against the undead/evil by 10%. Generates 50% more enmity from undead/evil property monsters. Immunity to zombie infection when skill is active. MP Cost: 50 Skill will persist unless toggled off, turning this skill back on will cost another 50 MP. ----------------------------- "BRO! You really love me! This skill was made for tank classes like me!" Boni was almost in tears with how happy he was. "It''s not a problem. It seems this world has no specific classes, just how you build yourself. At least now, you can aggro monsters in fights more effectively without having to fear getting infected. Now, let''s go and gather supplies. We need to hot wire a truck to carry all the goods right after." The group proceeded to head into the grocery store after spotting a truck they''d load the supplies into. Picking Up The Two Siblings After picking up all the supplies they needed, the group luckily found the keys for the parked truck outside, after breaking into the security booth. With Sura''s new weapons, slicing the door open wasn''t too much of an issue. One of the things that Luna wanted to do, was to try and find survivors, including the siblings he saw earlier. The main reason he didn''t want to bring them with him was because they were in a state where their emotional stability would be a liability, that and Luna did not have the luxury of protecting someone while fighting zombies. "Bro, after we spot some survivors, we should try and contact some of our friends." Boni suggested. The reason why they didn''t do it earlier, was because they had felt the utmost urgency to strengthen themselves. As long time MMORPG players, they knew that the beginning of an MMORPG, was where you should go hard in leveling and collecting resources. Those who fall behind would usually fall prey to any player-killers, which in this new world, would mean permanent death. This was real life, after all, even if it now had the leveling system, death was still death... or rather, death meant zombification. "We''re here, this is the house those two were in earlier." Luna slowed down the truck to a halt and stopped in front of a small blue gate. Sura and Boni stayed behind to keep watch outside, while Luna went to check on the two siblings. They had calmed down some, after moving to the living room, unable to look at the two dead zombies that were once their parents. Luna noticed this detail, and figured out that the spawned zombies, when killed, would fade away, while the people who were infected, wouldn''t. Luna offered the two the opportunity to follow him to his stronghold, to which they agreed. "Thank you Manong*, we''ll pack our things and we''ll be set to leave." ------------------------- Meanwhile, outside, Boni and Sura were talking. "Boni?" Sura asked in a gentle tone, something she usually wouldn''t do, if it weren''t for the fact that she knew Boni was Luna''s best friend. "Sura?" Surprised that Sura would initiate a conversation, Boni was caught off-guard a bit, but still manage to reply. "Why aren''t you guys looking for your parents? I noticed there wasn''t anybody else in Luna''s house earlier."Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. "Ah.. Luna, he.. he lost his parents in a plane crash, some people speculated it was a plot, but there wasn''t enough proof." "What about his relatives?" Sura became even more curious. It seems like Luna''s family issues might were far more complicated at first glance. "They''re not any better. When Luna''s parents died when he was young, they all scrambled to compete for their property, in the guise of being Luna''s guardian." Boni clenched his fist, he knew that despite all that''s happened in his life, Luna was still a kind individual to those he knew deserved it, but he was no fool either, he knew how to scheme when needed, and he knew how to spot a scheme or when someone wasn''t sincere towards him. "So how did he manage to keep everything?" Sura was even more curious about Luna now, how could a young kid not lose everything to such malicious family members? She knew she wouldn''t have been able to do the same, the Asura as a race was straightforward and focused on getting stronger to obtain more benefits. Sura was one of the few who actually set aside time to study the new world she was going to be summoned into, during her free time. "Hehe. Those who underestimate Luna, will surely meet an ugly end." Boni wore a proud smile on his face, which showed his admiration for his friend. "He didn''t go too far into detail as he doesn''t like to brag, but in the end, his relatives were left with nothing, even losing much of their wealth in the process." "Alright guys, let''s head out!" Just as the two were deep in conversation, Luna and the two siblings were appeared by the gate, and were heading towards the truck. "This is Mabini, and his little sister Apple, their father was Mr. Linario, our professor in college." he introduced the two. "I''m sorry for your loss. I''m Boni, this is Sura" Boni gave them his condolences and introduced themselves as well. "Thank you, nice to meet you." they replied, as they were stunned for a moment after seeing Sura, who would have known that one of the people that saved them was such a stunning beauty, they just didn''t notice her earlier due to the situation they were in. After arriving back at Luna''s place, they drove the truck into his huge driveway and started unloading the supplies. Boni then proceeded to explain what they''ve learned so far on top of what was in the intro manual, to the two siblings. "Apple''s a real genius. Even during High School, she was already studying to be a lawyer, on top of being a national champion in Chess!" Mabini couldn''t help but be enthusiastic when talking about his little sister''s achievement. "Manong! You''re embarrassing me!" Apple on the other hand, couldn''t help but cover her face as she blushed. "Hahaha! You should be happy to have such a supportive older brother!" Boni couldn''t help but appreciate the closeness of these two siblings. As they were talking to each other, they heard Luna and Sura coming down from upstairs. "Luna, did you find anything out?" Boni''s countenance changed to a more serious one. "It''s bad, I have the current events pulled up on my PC. All of you, follow me to my gaming room, you''ll have to see this for yourselves." Luna turned around as the other three followed. They knew that all these strange things that they''ve witnessed so far, was just the beginning. When the they saw all the reports Luna had pulled up on all six of his monitors, their mouths couldn''t help but drop. The World Changes ---------------------------------- All over the world, new land masses have appeared. ---------------------------------- Zombies appearing out of nowhere take everyone by surprise. ---------------------------------- "We were attacked by an unknown species while out camping, it looked like a Deer, but it was way too big and way too aggressive. It''s horn were unnatural. I''m the only one who survived. My family, they''re all gone!" ---------------------------------- Evacuation sites have been designated for every city in the Philippines. ---------------------------------- Religious leader claims that he predicted the end of the world would happen! Urges people to ignore the fact that his predictions were wrong the past 23 times. ---------------------------------- Reports of planes getting attacked by giant birds. ---------------------------------- "It''s worse than we thought. So it''s not just zombies?" Apple held his brother''s arm with a worried look on her face. "From what that God told us, it seems he wants us all to evolve. As for what end, I don''t know. What we do know, however, is that if we want to survive, we need get stronger. Anything else is 2nd priority." Luna had solemn look on his face. "The evolved zombie we faced earlier, I have a feeling that wasn''t some sort of boss or even a mini-boss. It was a tough fight, but that might have just been because we were low leveled, if more of those appear, we''ll die for sure. Apple, Mabini, I know you two are exhausted, so if you want to rest, go ahead. Sura, Boni, we need to value this daylight and go hunt for EXP, we can sleep later tonight." After leveling up and increasing their stats, especially their VIT, despite being awake even before 3:00AM, staying up to hunt some more zombies wouldn''t be a problem. They had no idea what the time table was for the zombie evolution, so they had to get stronger as soon as possible. "We don''t mind!" Mabini replied. "If what you say is true, then we don''t have the luxury of sleeping right now. We''d like to kill zombies with you, if you''ll allow us to." "I agree with my brother, also, some of our friend''s houses are on the way.. maybe they survived." Apple was hopeful, but they knew the zombies spawning took everyone by surprise. "Alright. So, the plan is to try and pick up some of our friends I managed to contact, while we clear zombies along the way. I don''t want to attract too much attention, so we''re gonna have to go by foot, saves us from having to get out of the car every single time." with that said, Luna packed his bag with a couple bottles of water and enough food for the journey. Bacolod City was a relatively small city when compared to places like New York City or Guangzhou, so it wasn''t too much of an issue. Luckily, their friends Maria and Clara were sisters living in the same house. They were both head-turners wherever they went, even back in high school and college, but what made Luna admire them was their proficiency in Filipino Martial Arts, whether it be in hand-to-hand combat or weaponry, these two were fit to be called the Dragon sisters. Back in College, Luna actually tried to save them from a group of men harassing them, but before he could even try to help out, they were already on the floor. The two sisters realized what he was trying to do and had a good impression of him, coupled with the fact that they had a couple classes together, they became friends.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The sisters lived in the Capitolville Subdivision. Luna had to pass by the University of St. La Salle, one of the biggest schools in the City, where they had grade school, high school, and college students alike. The schools in the city were relatively close to each other, and their walls and gates have always been fortified, which made Luna consider taking over these schools in the future, when he had the manpower to clear them out. ---------------------------------- (Author''s note: Use this image if you want a clearer idea of how close the schools are: https://imgur.com/a/tBYB1zE) ---------------------------------- Much to his surprise, after seeing through the metal grates there was actually hordes of zombies in the school. Nobody should have been there at all last night, so it must have been the spawned zombies, luckily the metal grates were too sturdy for he zombies to even get anywhere close to taking them down. He wanted to kill them by stabbing through the spaces in between, but he opted not to. Along the way, they had already killed a lot of zombies, including 7 evolved ones on separate encounters, they were easily dispatched by Sura, especially with her new weapons. She and Luna were now level 9, and were 1 evolved zombie away from hitting level 10. Boni hit level 8, and the two siblings, with help from the trio, were now each level 5. 3 out of the 7 zombies had dropped new equipment, 2 of them dropped skill books, and the last one didn''t drop anything. With this they found out that items had a certain drop rate. Two pairs of Itak Tagalogs similar to the one Sura had, was equipped by Luna and Mabini, these drops don''t seem to be too rare from the evolved zombies. A one-handed Mace, equipped by Boni. ----------------------------- Item: Flanged Mace A bludgeoning weapon used in medieval times. Attack DMG: 40 Weight: 50 Vitality + 5 ----------------------------- Apple''s competence showed, when beforehand, after seeing that there was an Intelligence stat, predicted that spell books would eventually drop. Luna was impressed by this, and allowed her to not distribute her points earlier, which paid off when the evolved zombies dropped 2 skill books with one of them being fit for a caster like her. ----------------------------- Active Skill: Chain Lightning Chains to a maximum of 5 targets dealing 15 damage per tick, with damage lowering by 10% after per bounce after the first target hit. Staggers targets hit. Automatically bounces to another target if current target dies, if willed by the user. Damage scales with Intelligence stat. MP Cost: 10 MP per cast and an additional 2 MP per tick. Cast time: None. ----------------------------- The other one was used by Luna, while Apple pumped all her stats into INT. ----------------------------- Active Skill: Stealth Render yourself invisible. Deactivates upon attacking or upon detection. Can be detected by targets significantly higher level than you. MP Cost: 10 ----------------------------- With that, the team started heading to their destination. Luna was trying to get used to his new weapons. Although he owned a pair of Katanas, they were more for display. He was more accustomed to weapons like a Spear, Guandao, or Naginata. When they got back to his place, he was thinking of retrofitting the two Itak Tagalogs he had, to resemble more like a Naginata on both ends, and if he was still able to equip it, and retain the stat bonuses, that would be good. If not, then he''ll have to suck it up until he got a weapon drop of his liking. A little while later, they finally got to Clara and Maria''s house. They didn''t meet anymore evolved zombies along the way, so most of the regular zombie kills were given to Mabini and Apple, since even Boni would now need to kill at least over 100 regular zombies to hit level 9. Due to this, Apple and Mabini managed to hit level 6. Baptism of Blood Right as they got up to the gate, they noticed it was cracked open a bit, when they suddenly heard a commotion inside. "C''mon, don''t make this any harder than it has to be. There''s ten of us level 5 players versus two of you. We all know how this is going to end." an unknown male started yelling in an urging tone. It didn''t take a lot to guess what intentions these men had. Luna signaled for the group to stay quiet, as they started to slowly sneak in. The house had a long driveway, with hedges on the sides leading towards the front door. As they were hiding behind the bushes, Luna activated his stealth skill. Although these men were obviously here with no good intentions, he didn''t feel as if that was reason enough to start massacring them. Although he had never never killed anyone before, he knew that in this new world, when it came to it, he would have to kill or be killed. "Yeah, I promise, just the tip!" Chimed in a bald guy. Luna recognized these guys, they lived around this neighborhood, and were in the same group of friends, he''d notice their eyes always following the two sisters when they were in College, especially when they walked past them in the hallways, those guys would be sitting on the floor, their eyes would be homed in on the two''s behind. At one point, even being as daring as grabbing Clara''s rear end and yelling "WORTH IT!" as he was getting beaten up. Luna also noticed another guy in the middle whom he''d never seen before. Listening in, he quickly found out who he was. The bald guy pointed to the guy in the middle and said, "You see, my brother here just got out of jail, and despite being a bigger pervert than me, he hasn''t tasted a woman that whole time." Mara and Clara gripped their Itak Tagalogs tighter, fully knowing that a fight was inevitable. Like hell they''d give in to these guys. The guy in the middle stepped forward, "My name is Eduardo, as you can probably assume, I''m not a very patient man. If you both continue to refuse to strip for your daddy here, I''ll rape one of you while these 9 rape the other one, and you can both see each other get your virginity taken in front of each other. So what do you say? Or else you''ll end up like this dumb security guard of yours." Eduardo pointed his Itak Tagalog at a corpse on the ground. This man was called "Manong Jimmy," he had been a loyal security guard for the De Los Santos family for decades, and was considered as a second father by both Maria and Clara. This man acted as a father figure to the two, and was the one who introduced them to Filipino Martial Arts. Maria who was the most hot-headed of the two couldn''t take it anymore. She gave her sister a look and Clara immediately understood. The very next second, they both charged forward, from the front door, down the steps, towards the group of men, intending to fight to the death. Eduardo had a smirk on his face, as this was within his calculations. He knew of the sisters'' fiery temper. If they went inside, it would take much more effort, as the huge front door seemed sturdy, and the windows had ornate metal bars on the outer end, they would have to expend more energy that way. If they caught the attention of some zombies or passing evolved zombies, that would waste even more of their energy, possibly losing a person even.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. As Sura and the rest were already behind the shrubbery closest to the group of men, they charged out as well. Luna hit Eduardo in the back of the neck with the butt of his Itak Tagalog, knocking him out. "CHAIN LIGHTNING!" Apple didn''t hesitate as well, as someone who invested majority of her points to INT, as well as being higher leveled, she easily took down 5 of the men, only stopping after leaving them with a sliver of HP, not enough to kill them, but enough to incapacitate them. Sura and Mabini took the other two by surprise and knocked them out as well. Boni, with his lack of AGI didn''t even get to throw out an attack at all. "Luna!" The Dragon sisters exclaimed after recovering from their initial shock. After getting excited for a moment, they were quickly reminded of a grim truth, "Manong Jimmy he... Even as they were about to kill him he still begged for them to have mercy on us and let us go." Luna gave them both a hug as they started sobbing as they hugged him back tightly. No matter how aloof they seemed on the outside, towards the people they cared for, they would show a warmth that was a sharp contrast to how they were to the rest. "They deserve to die! Those bastards deserve to die!" Luna hugged them tighter as he rubbed their backs trying to comfort them, as he looked at the tied up thugs with eyes that showed no mercy and only replied with two words, "I know." Sura noticed his expression, and couldn''t help but think in her head that she was lucky to have been summoned by Luna and not anyone else. Quick to adapt, valued his relationships with his friends highly, kind, yet to the people who deserved it, he could show such resolute eyes. She knew these thugs were done for, she just didn''t expect how Luna was about to do it. As the group of ten men started to wake up, they couldn''t help but show fear in their eyes, one way or another, their ending was not going to be good. Luna looked at his party, and especially made eye contact with everybody but Sura. "One way or another, I''m sure you somehow guess it would come to his. In this new world, humanity''s darkest side, some far more disgusting than what these men have shown is bound to pop up all over the place." The rest couldn''t help but grip their weapons tightly, as Apple clenched her fists and tried to even our her breathing as Luna continued, "See, even the most vile of monsters would look pitiful when they get caught by people stronger than them. The more cunning ones would try to play off of your sense of pity, and when you let them go, they''ll come back to either kill you, or kill those close to you." Hearing this, the group of thugs started shaking their heads and pleading with their eyes. "I''m not going to force you guys to kill, but if you can''t show m--" but before he could finish his speech, Luna was suddenly interrupted. "CHAIN LIGHTNING!" Apple suddenly sent an arc of electricity that chained to 5 of the thugs tied up, one tick of damage was enough to kill the five, then she stopped before it chained to the rest, leaving five charred corpses. "Apple, you.." the gang was shocked as it all happened too fast. Apple bowed slightly as she said, "I will not hesitate. I will not take the risk of possibly losing my brother or my new friends. I promise I won''t be a liability, but an asset to our survival in this new world. I promise I won''t bully the innocent no matter how strong I get, but I won''t be so naive either. " Luna couldn''t help but walk up to Apple, put his hand on her shoulder, and nodded in approval. The rest followed suit, Luna, Sura, Mabini, and Boni who borrowed an Itak Tagalog, beheaded the other four. They made their deaths quick and painless. Maria and Clara walked towards Eduardo, crossed their blades by his neck, and after looking at the panic and tears in his eyes, sliced his head right off. The whole team had blood sprayed over them. It was like a baptism of blood into the new world. The System After cleaning up and getting a change of clothes, they went around the neighbor hood looking for survivors, including the houses of friends and acquaintances in the area, only to find them as zombies. During this time, they gave the regular zombie kills to Mabini, Apple, Maria, and Clara, boosting them to level 7 each. They found 5 more evolved zombies, but this time they weren''t separated, they were actually in the same vicinity. Luna figured this would be a good opportunity to practice team fighting. Boni took the lead, his made the evolved zombies instinctively want to get rid of him, leading them to tunnel vision towards him. Boni also wanted to take this opportunity to test just how sturdy he is. With his 26 base VIT and +5 Bonus from his Mace, along with the 10% mitigation from his passive, each hit still took 3% of his health. Luna told Mabini to guard Apple from any surprise attacks, as she was channeling doing periodical damage to all 5 zombies, as they were staggered, Maria and Clara each went for one. Clara got the last hit on hers, but Apple''s managed to get the kill on Maria''s target. Luna and Sura both killed the last three, both master and summon shared exp, resulting in them leveling up to 10. Clara and Apple got level 7 only a few zombies back, so they were still short of the next level. After reaching level 10, Luna got a flood of new information, he was curious and excited at the same time, but considering that they were out in the open, he opted to wait until they got back to his place before sharing it with everyone. "Let''s head back. Reaching level 10 has given me, or rather us, some exciting new benefits!" The moment they got back home, they were so excited that they decided to put off sleep for another few minutes to hear the good news from Luna. "Alright, bear with me, I haven''t quite looked over all the info yet, but I''ll tell you guys the ones that benefit you first." Luna collected his thoughts before continuing, "First and foremost, reaching level 10 has introduced the system. It''s similar to a Guild system, with a few key differences. Do you guys wanna hear the pros first, or the cons?" Luna looked at everybody, waiting for their opinion. "You know I like my desserts first. PROS!" Boni enthusiastically replied. The rest of the team couldn''t help but giggle at his reply. Luna couldn''t help but give Boni a look of disbelief. Was this guy so tired he''s hyper? But he has the highest VIT in this room! "Alright well, the good news is, anybody within the same can opt to evenly share Exp on kills with whoever they want to, at any given time, as long as they are within a mile of each other. This makes it so we don''t worry too much about who to give EXP to, and allows us to cover more ground, and grind EXP more efficiently, but exp can only be shared by at most, 1000 people at a time, with the ability to name a certain group."This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. He allowed the rest to take in this new information before continuing. "There is also no member limit. I''m not sure what the goal is with this system, but if it works like a regular Guild system in an MMORPG, it was built to encourage competition. The fact that there is no member limit, means that enough people can join to raise armies, with an efficient means of leveling them up enough to defend themselves as a squad." Luna cleared his throat before continuing as the others quietly waited for him to proceed. "Each kill also taxes the members of their VIS Coins and puts it into the only accessible to the Leader. When killing zombies that only drop 1 coin, it takes every other coin. If you have two or more members in your even EXP share group, it gives the first coin to member A, then the , then member B so on and so forth. We don''t know what these coins are for, but I have a feeling that we''ll unlock whatever it is in the later levels. Now, for the Cons." "Yikes. Now we''re about to get the Veggies." Boni commented. The rest of the group didn''t know whether to laugh or cry at this guy, can he think of anything other than food? What''s he gonna tell us next? That zombies look appetizing? As everybody was thinking the same thing, Boni, right on queue spoke the unspeakable "I wonder if you ate sterilized zombies, would you get more EXP since you''re digesting them naturally?" Simultaneous facepalming sounds resounded across the living room. This guy. "Boni, you... nevermind FOCUS BONI!" Luna was filled with disbelief at this guy, he definitely needed some sleep, so Luna continued right away just so he could get it over with. "The only Con, depending on how you look at it, is that if someone kills the leader, that person''s current he is affiliated with, absorbs all currency. If the killer doesn''t belong to a the currency is absorbed into his personal inventory." Hearing this, the room tensed up a bit, being the leader of a , if somebody found out, basically puts a huge target on your back. "We need to consider this more after a good night''s sleep. This isn''t something we can rush." Apple suggested, the rest of the team nodded in agreement. "Very well. The personal advantages of reaching level 10, is that you get 10 more stat points to distribute, instead of the usual 1." surprised and excited expressions rang across the room, it was evident that reaching level 10 was quite a huge power spike. "Alright, that''s it for now, we''ll discuss distribution regarding the skill books we got earlier, tomorrow. Everyone get some much needed rest, security systems are online, so if anything or anyone even tries to get inside this house, the blaring alarms will wake us all up." Everyone was exhausted after today, especially after everything that''s happened. Despite all that, the best thing to come out of this whole situation wasn''t, besides Luna hitting level 10, was that this whole team now felt like family. Especially Apple and Mabini, who were mere strangers who had lost their parents before, now felt a renewed sense of purpose. They were all going to become as strong as they possibly could, and set up a foundation no one could destroy. The pain of losing loved ones, each and every one of these people now knew how it felt. They would never let that happen ever again. Meanwhile, when everybody was sleeping, unbeknownst to everybody, including himself, Luna''s body was glowing black with another red outer glow. Sensing this, Sura, who was sleeping on Luna''s bed, suddenly woke up, and silently snuggled beside him on the sofa, as the glow now enveloped them both. As if nothing strange happened, she comfortably fell right back to sleep. Blessed by Apolaki and Blessed by Mayari Luna suddenly found himself on a different place. "Is this a dream?" He was aware that just a moment ago, he had fallen asleep on the sofa, because he let Sura have his bed. He recognized this place, he went here before as a kid. Mount Kanlaon*, an active volcano south east of Bacolod City. The situation he was in was quite peculiar, as he wasn''t really standing on anything, as a matter of fact, he was right above the crater. But for some reason he felt as if he was standing on solid ground, the scene before him was even more strange. It was as if the place was cut in half, one side was night, the other, day. Just as he was observing his surroundings, a man, seemingly coming from the Sun was headed towards him, and on the other side, a woman, seemingly coming from the Moon arrived in front of him at the same time as the man. Looking at the two who were meeting each other''s gazes, Luna could feel the warmth they felt towards each other. At the same time, Luna could see guilt in the eyes of the man. The woman, with all her charm and beauty, was missing one eye. "Dear brother, why do you still blame yourself?" The man, with his fists clenched replied "Mayari.. How could I not? If it weren''t for me." Before he could finish, the woman, Mayari, interrupted him "Hush now, we have a guest, you see? A descendant of the people who used to follow us. What is your name, child?" "My name is Luna. Are you Mayari? The Goddess of War, Revolution, the right to equal rule, and of the Moon? And you, sir, are you Apolaki? The God of Wisdom, Strategy, the Chief patron of warriors, and of the Sun?" Luna could not help but stare in awe. He had read about them, they were labeled as myths, the son and daughter of Bathala, the supreme God of being in Philippine mythology. "Correct. It is good to know that we are not completely forgotten, but.." Mayari had a solemn look as she continued, "without faith, without people who believe in us, Gods cannot continue to exist for long. At least, not us who haven''t broken the shackles and elevate ourselves higher, but you are far off from worrying about that, what is important now, is that you inherit our blessing." Apolaki followed up on her statement, mirroring the solemn expression on Mayari''s face, "Kid, we were able to stay this long, due to help from the other Gods who still have a lot of people believing in them, but something has happened, and they can no longer do so, neither can they stop what is about to come into our beloved Earth, they can only offer some help. With your permission, we would like to give you our blessing. You stand to gain more than you could currently hope for, but there is a very high chance that your soul will not be able to handle it, and perish, leaving your physical husk of a body where you last slept. Are you willing to take this risk?" Luna pondered for a while, weighing the pros and cons. Even without the blessing, he was confident he could continue to grind out levels and survive. On the other hand, was survival really all he could hope for? They keep speaking about a great danger that even the currently existing Gods, whoever they are, are having trouble handling. With that in mind, who knows what would come next? It''s only been over a day, but they had already encountered many zombies that a regular human being could never hope to win against. As such, Luna steeled his resolve. "I am willing."The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. BOOM! Almost instantly, moonlight energy containing her essence starting siphoning out of Mayari, and into his soul, Apolaki followed soon after, as sunlight energy containing his essence. Luna felt as if his soul was like a balloon being filled with water, trying to contain it, getting closer and closer to bursting, but as his soul was on the verge of breaking apart, he felt a warmth in front of him. Looking down, he saw Sura hugging him, as she looked up at him, "My soul is bound to yours, let me carry some of your burden. After all, if you die, I die, if you grow stronger, I grow stronger. You''re the only human who was deemed fit for me to follow, after all." ----------------------------- Inherited Passive Skill: Mayari''s Blessing Inherited Passive Skill: Apolaki''s Blessing With the blessing of both Mayari and Apolaki, your overall potential has exceeded human limitations. Your body has been refined by Apolaki''s sunlight essence. Your soul has been refined by Mayari''s moonlight essence. Both essences will be provided the more capable your current body and soul can handle at safe parameters. ----------------------------- They could both feel that there was still a lot of remaining essence yet to be digested by their bodies, they would need to level up further until they received all of it. Even so, the improvement on their bodies alone, meant that they had far surpassed the capabilities of people around their level. The scary thing about this is, that it would not show up in their stats, the same way the game does not quantify the difference of Maria and Clara''s athletic bodies when compared to Boni''s more sturdy build. So in the future, even if someone was capable of scanning their levels, if they based this duo''s combat capability on that alone, the enemy would have caused themselves the most severe misinformation. Even with Sura''s help, the two of them were still only barely able to contain the energy they inherited, they both woke up in the morning, both sweating and gasping for breath, facing each other, while under the covers and only their heads showing, and right at this moment, "Luna, Sura, breakfast is rea----" Boni wanted to invite the two of them to have breakfast with the squad and the door was unlocked so he went ahead and opened it, only to hear panting and the two laying together on the sofa, goodness knows what ran through his mind as he quickly closed the door and ran downstairs, yelling "I CAME AT A BAD TIME! I''M DEAD! I''M DEAD! I''M FOR SURE DEAD THIS TIME!" Luna felt a severe migraine coming as he knew he had to clear up whatever assumptions Boni came up with in his head somehow. Sura couldn''t help but snicker as she looked at Luna with a wide smile, showing her perfectly white teeth and her eyes almost disappearing and said, "I could get used to days like these. I didn''t think I''d ever have so much fun." Luna was stunned at how beautiful this girl was, although he had never done it before, he leaned forward and gave Sura a kiss on the forehead, it felt strange, but right to him, even more so because he had never been one to date before, as he found it hard to trust anyone with his heart before. To his surprise, he was met with a stunned look, thinking it might have been wrong to do what he just did, he was prepared to apologize when Sura interrupted him, "How did you know?" Seeing her eyes opened wide in shock, all he could say was, "Eh?" "We''re laying together, and you kissed me on the forehead after we spent the night in one bed together. You just did a traditional Asuran style of proposing for marriage. How did you know?" She was still staring at him wide-eyed and looking for an answer. "Wha--at?" As if Boni wasn''t enough of a headache to start this day off with, now he went ahead and caused himself an even greater one. The After explaining to the group that it was all an accident, Boni could only slouch on his chair, seeming to have lost his appetite. Just then, he felt two hands patting him on the shoulder. He immediately sat up straight, as he felt someone get closer to his ear, then he heard a sweet feminine voice whisper in his ear, "Did you like what you saw?" Luna couldn''t help but look appreciate the scene of Sura joking around like that, it seems that the short, but trying times they spent together, has already made her feel a sense of belonging. Sura felt Luna''s sentiment in her soul, as she shot him a smile. Boni immediately stood up, bowed down as low as he could and apologized profusely, while trying to defend himself. "I''m sorry! I didn''t mean to interrupt you two! In my defense, maybe it was a good thing, since getting pregnant in the apocalypse wouldn''t be the smartest idea!" Maria couldn''t help but tease the two, "My my, you two only met not so long ago, and you''re already doing the deed?" "Now now, sister, what they do behind closed doors is none of our business." Clara added. Apple''s face couldn''t help but flush red while Mabini laughed lightly on the side. This really did sound like teasing between family members. "You guys, please, don''t misunderstand, we weren''t doing what Boni thought we were doing." Luna decided to stop it before it got out of hand, as he explained everything that happened that night. Even Luna himself wasn''t so sure what benefits that encounter would bring, so he decided that the only thing he could do, was to get stronger. Sura, after eating breakfast, headed out on her own, informing Luna that she was going out to test something, while the rest of the team discussed the prospect of starting a . After much deliberation, and with Luna expressing his willingness to take the risk, they decided to go through with it. They didn''t want to be like the people who could do nothing but find one shelter after another. They would continue to grow stronger until they wouldn''t have to worry about fighting for survival, but fighting to grow a territory and save their fellow people. There was no official meeting or any fancy processions, it was just a group of friends, during an apocalypse in Luna''s living room. "As of today, with the blessing of Apolaki and Mayari, the has begun it''s existence. Our goal is to obtain the strength necessary to liberate our country from these invaders." Their biggest challenge, was due to the fact that these zombies kept spawning. Luckily, besides the beginning of the apocalypse, they wouldn''t spawn close to people anymore, which was why they could afford to sleep at night. Just as Luna was pondering what their next plan was going to be, an option popped up in his consciousness. , you have unlocked the subjugation option. You may choose to subjugate predetermined areas, and mark them as a territory of your Conditions for subjugating an area. 1.) Clear out the desired area. 2.) Activate subjugation option. 3.) Prepare to defend area from an onslaught of zombies relative to the size of the area. You may choose to subjugate a City little by little, or you could directly challenge the that might differ from every city, located in the City''s center. Should every area in the city be subjugated before beating it, the will naturally disperse, along with the potential item drops it possesses.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Subjugated areas will not have random spawns within it, but can still be attacked by outside forces.] just as Luna finished reviewing this new information, he received a message from Sura. "Luna? Can you hear me?" Luna was startled for a second, before replying. "Sura? How are you contacting me?" "The moment you summoned me, we actually had this ability already, just that we never actually had a need to use it. But nevermind that, focus for a bit and tell me if you see feel. " Luna then closed his eyes as he felt as if a wisp of energy entered his body. 1, then 2, then 3, then 5 all at once, sometimes it was like a wisp from a regular zombie, which he could barely feel, but sometimes it would feel the same as the one from an evolved zombie. "Sura, are you... killing zombies?" "Yes! I''m currently about 2 miles away from you, after finding out about shared EXP within a ''s members, I wanted to find out if ours exceeded that. Alright, I''m heading back now, but I''m killing everything on the way back." "Alright, get back safe." Luna went to the gaming room, which was now aptly renamed to Intelligence Room, where the others were gathered. They didn''t know how long the internet was going to be up, so Boni was already starting to archive all the information available online at the moment. Apparently among the reported landmasses appearing all over the Earth, one of the bigger ones appeared in the Sulu Sea*. A couple decades ago, the most ambitious program in the Philippines, was finally finished. Which was building bridges and subways, to connect all of the islands. Luckily, none have been reported to appear near any of the infrastructure, so none of them were destroyed. It seems the military was hit hard. Even Manila, the Capital of the Philippines, was just now starting to stabilize their evacuation centers. Some criminals have manage to fend off the zombies and made the secure prisons their fortress, with the country in turmoil, no resources could be spared to handle them. Bacolod City''s officials had also let out an announcement on their website, although majority of them were dead, which explained why there was currently an acting Mayor by the name of Felipe Buencamino. They were currently urging survivors to proceed to the the city''s Government Center, which they have barricaded and reinforced. They had teams in charge of killing the surrounding zombies as well, but no mention of a , so it seems as if no one has reached level 10 yet. Just as they were reading all this, Luna suddenly felt a surge of power, his whole body felt itchy, as impurities were leaving his pores, it was apparent that he reached level 11, and the essences have refined his body slowly in the process, after he clenched his fist, he could feel the power hidden within them. He couldn''t help but smile and sent Sura a quick "Thank you." Five minutes later she arrived back at his house. Reporting to everybody about spotting a bunch of men dragging women and some beaten up men into a compound. "The ugly side of humanity sure loves to rear it''s head. This whole event is basically the best thing they could ever hope for." Mabini commented on the side. Sura glanced at him, then looked at Luna, "Should we do something about it?" "I''m no Saint, but if I can do something about it, I will." Luna had a resolute look on his face. "It''s better if we don''t move together, a big group would be easily noticed. I''ll go check it out. Everybody else, head out and grind out some levels, we absolutely cannot fall behind in our progress. Oh, and Mabini." Luna tossed a skill book towards him, he looked at it, and noticed that it was the same skill Boni had, . "Protect your sister well." "Thank you! Thank you, Luna!" Mabini bowed towards him and expressed his gratitude. Apple did the same, the more she stayed by Luna''s side, the more she found out that towards the people he cares about and the people he sees worthy, he''ll do his best to care for them. Luna nodded towards him as he said "All of you, try to get level 10 today, if you can. EXP should effortlessly managed now that you can share it evenly." He was referring of course, to the system''s perk of even EXP sharing. "If you guys hit level 10, we''ll try to give this option a try as it seems my house is enough to be considered a territory. Although, it shouldn''t be considered big enough to warrant a horde that we can''t handle, but it''s better to be safe than sorry." He was right, nobody knew the all the specific rules of this new world, they could only learn them as they go or speculate. One thing was for sure, if they wanted to take back control of the City, and regain some semblance of society, they would need to territories so their can have a safe place to stay. His plan was to take over the schools, due to the fact that they were built like fortresses, and were a lot easier to defend. With that thought, Luna headed out to the place Sura described. She merely had to tell him the street name, and he automatically knew the place she meant, he knew his beloved city like the back of his hand. Invading the Compound Luna reached the compound Sura was describing within a few minutes. Even he was surprised with how fast he traveled, yet somehow he didn''t even feel tired yet. His stealth was already activated the whole time, he decided to skip out on killing zombies. To him, every second was precious, who knows what those scum would do to those men and women. He vaulted over the gate and quietly landed on the other side, he quickly proceeded to what seemed to be the main house, and heard laughter inside. Peeping in through a window, he didn''t see any of the men that Sura talked about. However, he already noticed one of the women, she looked to be around 19 years old, a Korean girl, possibly an exchange student, tied up as a man was in the process of taking his belt off. Luna suddenly heard muffled screams coming from the second floor. The guy taking his belt off looked up and started laughing as he said "Looks like someone''s starting much faster than we are, baby. Don''t you worry, you won''t be disappointed. The things I''ll do to you, I''m sure you''ve never experienced from your little boyfriend." Hearing the muffled screams and this guy''s perverted speech, Luna was seething. He quickly sneaked into the house, and rushed into the room, before the guy could even ask who barged in, his head was already sliced clean off. Luna looked at the Korean girl and said "I''ll be back to get you." then quickly rushed to the other rooms, killing the men who thought they were about to have a good time having their way with the women. Running upstairs, to save the last girl, who already had her underwear off, he knew he made it just in time. Lopping the last man''s head off, he quickly untied her, reassuring her with a "You''re safe now. Get dressed and meet me downstairs with the rest." after which, he proceeded to untie the women. There were a total of five of them, foreigners from what it looked like. There were three Korean girls, an American girl with blonde hair, and a Japanese girl. The Korean girl who introduced herself as Yu-jin, begged Luna to help find her boyfriend. They found him in one of the rooms, tied up. After everyone was set free, Luna gave them some time to collect themselves, while asking them some questions to get to know their situation. They all came from abroad, and stayed at an apartment complex normally reserved for foreigners who come to the Philippines to study. The blonde American girl, Elise, lived with her father, but a few days before the zombie apocalypse, he had to leave for the south, to do a joint training with the Philippine military. She opted to stay behind, and since Yu-jin and the rest were already good friends with her, they invited her to stay with them at their apartment. They were fully awake when the zombies spawned that night, since they were also waiting for Fused Worlds Online to launch, Sang-hwa, was there as well. Afterwards they actually killed zombies together, and actually reached level 3-4.Stolen story; please report. They were hardcore MMORPG gamers as well, so they understood the need to progress as fast as possible, while they were out hunting, the men from earlier who weren''t that much stronger than them, ambushed them, and after managing to grab Yu-jin, threatened to kill her. They then beat the hell out of Sang-hwa and told them that if they didn''t come, they''d kill him, that was when Sura saw them. "We need to thank your friend Sura when we see her. If it wasn''t for her, we might have..." They all shivered at the thought. Sang-hwa had his fists clenched, blaming himself for not being stronger. "Alright, well, you have two choices. You can go on your separate way, or you can join our ." Luna then proceeded to describe to them the pros and cons of being a part of the . After talking about it as a group, they unanimously agreed to join. Luna was, after all, their savior. They felt that they not only owed him their life, but their dignity as well. The rest introduced themselves, as So-hee, Seo-hyeon, the Japanese girl introduced herself as a Hana, she was skilled with a Naginata, but unfortunately she was stuck with a wooden club. Luna had quite bit of spare Itak Tagalogs with him due to the amount of evolved zombies they had killed, so he gave them all a pair, which made them incredibly happy. They felt that joining Luna was the best decision they''ve made in this apocalypse. Along the way back, he let them kill the zombies, and occasionally helped out when it seemed like they were about to be overwhelmed by evolved zombies. By the time they got back to the base, the group had already reached level 7, they distributed their stats accordingly after Luna gave them some advice. Within this time, Luna reached level 12 as well, which was a good sign, since this meant that Sura and the rest had killed a lot of zombies. A little while after, Sura and the rest got back as well. Everybody had reached level 10. They would have killed more, but they had to go back and store the spare Itak Tagalogs they had farmed. They didn''t get a lot of skill books, apparently they only got really lucky before, but what made up for it, was that they got a skill book, which Apple used. She then proceeded to heal Sang-hwa''s wounds. Everybody introduced themselves, and got to know each other. Yu-jin''s group couldn''t help but take several glances at Sura after they finished thanking her. They had never seen someone so beautiful before. Meanwhile, Luna was on the side, disassembling one of his Guandao, he was trying to find a way of retro-fitting his Itak Tagalog to replace the blade. He wanted to find out, if he somehow managed to attach the blade, and used it to kill zombies, would he still get EXP for it? If it ended up working, he could do the same for Hana, and build her something similar, so it would feel more like the Naginata she was more proficient in. This would, after all, be an increase in their combat power. Nothing was set in this new world, this wasn''t like an actual MMORPG where you couldn''t do stuff like this. He was fairly confident it would work out, and if he was correct, the possibilities it would open up, would be endless. The Shop Luna was still playing around with the shaft of his Guandao and another shaft from his Spear collection, but he couldn''t find a way to connect the weapons together. The main problem was that he just couldn''t find a way to modify the Itak Tagalogs in any way. He could disassemble his weapons, but not the equipment. As he was pondering on a solution, Hana walked over to him and sat in front of him and the set of equipment he had laid out on the ground. "What do you plan on doing?" "I''m trying to see if I can somehow retrofit these weapons, if I could straighten the handle and somehow attach an extended handle onto it, I could somehow turn it into something that more resembles a Naginata, with the blade being heavier than a traditional Naginata. With that, I believe your combat prowess would rise. Similarly, I''d like to make mine similar to a Guandao." Luna shared his thoughts while continuing to ponder. Hana was quite surprised. "I had merely mentioned my preferred weapon type in passing, but to think he actually picked up on that and remembered it, this man is worth following." She thought to herself. Luna then proceeded to continue sharing his theory, "I believe that you might prefer the heavier blade, actually. It would make slicing off zombie heads relatively easier." he knew for a fact, that the tougher fights against zombies, would be when they would have to eventually face hordes of them. To him, having something similar to a Guandao with his newfound strength, would be perfect when mowing down the horde. This modernized Itak Tagalog''s length and weight were perfect for his plans. Seeing as there wasn''t much he could do, he returned the two Itak Tagalogs into his inventory. He was looking at them and was still trying to figure out a solution, when he suddenly remembered something. Whenever he wanted to equip the weapons, he would will them to come to him, and they would always leave his inventory, so he wondered if he could move them around while they were still in there. First attempt, he willed it, and the blades flew up. He instructed them with his mind to disassemble. Luna couldn''t help but be surprised, he did fail, yes, but he received new information from this. That statement proves that while these Itak Tagalogs couldn''t be disassembled, some equipment in the future would be able to. Hana noticed the change in his expression and asked "Did you figure something out?" "I think so. Give me some time. Nobody disturb me for a bit." As soon as he gave out those instructions, Luna went back into his consciousness, and decided to try something different. He focused on the two blades again and issued a command, "Upgrade." a notice suddenly appeared in front of him. His smile couldn''t help but get wider. Everybody couldn''t help but notice this, but they didn''t dare to disturb him. Boni who was conversing with Elise, noticed this smile, "He only usually has that huge smile on his face if he discovers something absolutely game changing. Looks like Luna''s gonna have good news for us soon. " Elise nodded in agreement. After all, any good news for Luna, would be good news for them as a whole, whether directly or indirectly. For now, everybody decided to check out the current information they all had about the world events. Sharing opinions, possible plans and ideas that they''d bring up to Luna later on. There was never really any formal vote or agreement, even before Luna created the everybody just naturally saw him as the Leader.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. -------------------------------------------- 1.) - Combine two of the same type, pay VIS Coins, or a lower cost of both combined to further strengthen weapon damage and bonuses or armor defense and bonus stats. Requirement: Purchase Rank 1 Upgrading Station from the shop. Would you like to do this now? Y/N 2.) - Modify specifications on desired equipment or add allowed components. Requirement: Purchase Rank 1 Equipment Modification Station from the shop. Would you like to do this now? Y/N -------------------------------------------- "It looks like progression in this new world is heavily tied to the system. What do these Gods have in store for us? Never mind that for now." Luna chose the option and it automatically brought out a futuristic looking table that was labeled . Luna chose the option to pull up more info. -------------------------------------------- Item: Has the ability upgrade items up to 3 times. Can only be installed within a territory owned by your You may purchase more than one. Price: 1,000 VIS -------------------------------------------- He checked the one for adjusting equipment, and it was basically the same price and the same conditions. The good news was that it was relatively cheap to buy one. He went ahead and checked the other stuff in the shop, it had a myriad of things that would help him setup their defenses, such as automated turrets, barricades, wooden walls, stone walls, metal walls. One could either start off by buying metal walls, or start with wooden walls, and upgrade from there. He noticed that there were a lot of grayed out areas as well. It seems these items were locked, it seemed they required more VIS Coins to open. As for offense related things like tanks, there were no categories for those. Luna decided to stop here for now, there wasn''t much he could do without owning a territory yet. After he was done, he called everybody over and explained what he just discovered. Everybody was excited, but the next topic was regarding conquering a territory. Nobody knew how tough the challenge would be. At first, Luna felt that if the rest of them somehow got to level 10, he would have confidence in dealing with it easily. But while he was looking over the shop, everybody was bouncing ideas off of each other, and the question that had stumped them was "What is the basis for the difficulty besides territory size?" Good question. Did the game set the difficulty to be for level 10 players? If it did, how many level 10 players was it difficult for? Usually they would love a concept like this, where they could discover and learn things for themselves, in an actual MMORPG. But this was real life. Albeit, with a system similar to MMORPGs added to it. If they somehow miscalculated and it cost them the lives of their friends, it would be too late for regret. Luna could feel a headache coming, when he felt someone grab his arm and put their on his shoulders. He looked over to find out that it was Sura, "Whatever your decision, I''ll support it." "Yeah, me too!" A couple others chimed in. "Luna-dono, you''ve saved not only my life, but my dignity as well. I am at your disposal." Hana added as she stood up and slightly bowed. "I came here to kick ass and chew bubble gum! And I''m all out of bubble gum!" Elise enthusiastically added. "Hey, I know that movie reference! Oh, and needless to say, I''ll support you all the way bro!" Boni replied. Yu-jin and the rest nodded in approval. Luna couldn''t help but smile, it was always a good feeling to know that people are willing to have your back. He then gave an extra meaningful look at Boni. It seems this guy just might have found love in the apocalypse. Which reminded him, he still had to talk to Sura about his "accidental proposal." He thought back to the awkward moment they both had, and couldn''t help but laugh bitterly in his mind. Sura had never showed even an ounce of anger towards him, as a matter of fact, the next day she even went out and experimented on something that would not only end up benefiting him, but saved lives as well. "Alright then. Everybody rest up for now. I acknowledge your trust in me, which is why I won''t risk your lives unnecessarily. Tomorrow is grind time, so sleep well tonight." Tomorrow, his goal was to reach level 20, and look for more survivors. Matters of the Heart As the night went on, everybody started settling into their rooms. Luna''s house had a number of unused, but well maintained guest rooms and multipurpose rooms. Not to mention that if needed he had additional housing around the property that was normally reserved for servants. Within Luna''s room. "Sura, I wanted to apologize about last night. It was thoughtless of me to do that in the heat of the moment." Sura gave him a meaningful look as she gave out a gentle smile and said "It was also my fault. There was no way you''d possibly know of our traditions. I was just surprised, is all. Although, I am curious. Have you ever been with anybody before?" "Would you believe me if I said that in my more than 27 years of life, I have never been in a relationship?" Luna gave her a self-depreciating smile as he gave his honest reply. "Forgive me if I say that I find that hard to believe. You''re a charismatic guy. So obviously that''s not the issue. So I can only assume that it was by choice." Sura furrowed her eyebrows, awaiting Luna''s confirmation of her assumption. He could only laugh bitterly as he replied "Indeed. But don''t get me wrong, Sura. You''re the first woman I''ve actually felt warmth from. The so called ''potential'' partners I rejected before, it all seemed fake. It was either "I think you''re handsome" or "I like your personality" when they have never even seen who I really am. It''s like when people start dating someone they find attractive, they go through 3 months of bliss, and the remaining time after that, they spend picking apart what they like and don''t like about a person, trying to change them into something that they deem perfect." "Or when they try to force upon you a different fighting style, because it''s more popular, when you''re perfectly comfortable in the one you''ve chosen to train in. Mn, I understand." Sura nodded in agreement. "Uhm.. I gu-- Yes. Absolutely." Luna didn''t know whether he wanted to laugh or cry. He was amused a bit, but realized that, that statement seemed fitting, coming from someone who belonged to the Asuran race. And after thinking about it for a couple more seconds, he thought it was absolutely adorable. "How about you, Sura? Have you ever been with somebody?" Luna was a bit hesitant at first, since Sura was basically the first girl he had ever had any semblance of romantic feelings for. Whether it was her straightforwardness or hypothetically, the fact that their souls were bound, or both. "None. I''ve never met anybody worthy. It''s always ''Hey Sura, learn this, it''s more fitting for girls'' ugh... Majority of Asuran men are in the running for the most dense and misogynistic out of the myriad races. That''s why we''ve never been united as a race in any large scale. It''s always just tribes." Sura seemed very passionate about the discussion, which made her even more adorable in Luna''s eyes. "Sura.. why is it that you''d bind your soul so willingly to mine? Is your tribe in such danger that you''d give up so much just to grow stronger?" "That.. partly, yes. Before you even summoned me, I already got to feel your soul. I felt comfortable, secure, at peace. The Gods were not lying when they said I would be summoned by somebody worthy. If it was somebody I didn''t deem worthy, the spell would have just failed and dissipated." Giving a light giggle as she explained, she looked at Luna with enamored eyes. It had only been less than half a week, and yet it felt as if she had known him for years. Such was the magic of being connected through the soul. There were no secrets. Personality, feelings, almost everything short of actual visuals of past memories, would be felt on a deep level.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. She continued describing it "Normally, it would be impossible to have someone be bound to a soul without permission, but the creatures of this Earth, are currently at the weakest, in terms of overall power. I hope you can forgive me for that." Luna smiled at her, sensing her sincerity through her soul, "Gaining someone I know I can trust with my own life, I don''t see how that''s anything to apologize for." giving her a rare smile, filled with warmth, Sura couldn''t help but blush. "Then you don''t mind if I sleep beside you tonight?" "Not at all. Besides, I feel as if the closer we are when we sleep, the more effectively Apolaki''s and Mayari''s blessing integrates with my body, I''m sure it''s the same for you." "Mn..." Unbeknownst to the two, this was something done by Apolaki. In the past, due to their struggle for power, when the fight had broken out between him and Mayari, he had injured her, leading to her losing one of her eyes. Wracked by guilt because of how foolish the whole fight had been to begin with, Apolaki had never truly forgiven himself. What he wished for, was that the person who inherited their blessings, would make sure to never bring harm to the woman closest to him. Whether that be a lover, or a family member. While it was unsure if this was done on purpose, or a result of the essence of his very being, with Luna and Sura both inheriting it and with their current situation of being fond of one another, it could only benefit them both. While the two were laying in bed together, Luna leaned over to kiss her on the forehead. She didn''t need to ask what he meant by that. She felt it within her very being, that this time around, he knew exactly what he was doing, and he meant it. ------------------- Meanwhile, sitting by the pool, outside Elise was dipping her feet into the water, seemingly in deep thought, with her weapons by her side. Hearing someone walking towards her from behind, she quickly turned around after grabbing both the blades by her side. "It''s just me! I''m sorry I startled you." Boni quickly raised his arms as if he was surrendering. "Oh, my bad, I''m just a bit on edge. You know? After everything that''s happened with the zombie apocalypse, then scumbags trying to rape me." letting her guard down and staring at the water, Elise was taking this time before the next day to collect herself. "It''s fine, I understand. I guess that''s something similar we both have." Boni stated. "What? You almost got raped too?" Elise asked with quite the surprised expression. "Pft! No no no!" Boni couldn''t help but facepalm, "I meant being saved by Luna." The two continued to converse with each other through the night, before Elise decided to find a room to sleep in. Yu-jin and Sang-hwa were sharing a room, so were So-hee and Seo-hyeon. Hana was passed out on the couch. Elise didn''t feel too comfortable sleeping alone, so after hesitating for a bit, she asked if Boni could sleep in the same room as her. Sharing a room together would definitely give the both of them an equal feeling of security. This made Elise even more fond of Boni, a straightforward guy, with no ill intentions. Offering his bed to her while situating himself on the couch, she felt a tug on his shirt. "I actually meant.. in the same bed. If that''s okay." Elise was completely red at this point, and Boni felt like he just got hit in the head with his own mace. He was already fond of Elise''s bubbly personality since earlier, and with how open she was towards him, so to say that Boni didn''t look forward to being in the same bed with such a girl, would be a lie. As much as he tried to be smooth about it, all he could do was lay down on the bed, straight and stiff as an arrow. Elise fell asleep and ended up rolling towards him, using him as a body pillow. He didn''t want to make her think he was taking advantage of her, but after seeing her comfortable expression, Boni finally relaxed and fell asleep as well. Search for Survivors The following morning, everybody was getting ready, Apple and Mabini finished cooking breakfast for everyone. Everything else seemed normal as everybody grabbed their food, besides Boni who had a huge smile on his face, with Elise seemingly stopping herself from smiling, and was blushing the whole time. In the midst of everybody wondering, someone very nonchalantly commented, "Elise-chan, Boni-dono, it seems like you both ''got lucky'' last night." "Pft!!!" "Khahack!!!!@#@%#" "EW YOU SPIT YOUR FOOD ON ME!" "WATER! I''M CHOKING, SOMEBODY GET ME WATER!" Whether it was the fact that somebody who had such a stoic expression on her face, or the fact that nobody would have expected Hana of all people to make such a sudden comment of that sort, everybody was caught off-guard. Regardless, it was enough to uplift everyone''s mood, as if the apocalypse wasn''t going on all around them and they were just a bunch of friends having fun. "Oh, by the way, Elise. You mentioned that your father is in the military, correct?" Luna inquired. "Yes. I never actually spoke about the specifics, but we were actually originally from Belgium. He retired as a General, in order to better take care of me, and moved to America, where I was actually born. It''s a long story, but, what with such a predicted long-term peace, after my mom passed away, he dropped everything for me." Elise had a proud expression on her face, seemingly confident of his father''s capabilities. "Mn, I see. What was his name?" "Gerard Mathieu Leman. He was responsible for the military education of King Albert III, of Belgium. He was contracted by the Philippines to help train the troops, and gain more experience on modern guerrilla tactics as well. I knew he was passionate about it, so I encouraged him to take the offer and I told him I''d like to enjoy the beaches here as well." She added. "I understand. Boni, keep a lookout for that name, and put out a notice for Elise as well, along with welcoming survivors that are farther from the government evacuation site. A lot of people don''t trust Buencamino, so they might welcome the option of coming to us instead." "You got, bro. I''ll put it out now so we can have it up before we leave." Boni patted his chest to assure that the task would be carried out completely. After all that was done, the group headed out in the direction of the schools. Specifically towards the USLS and CSA campus*. His goal wasn''t necessarily the schools themselves, but because the area is full of local businesses, that would have iron gates to close down shop after every business day. That would give people some sense of security, along with enough food in the storage, which would be more likely of a hiding place that some scared survivors would go for.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. With that, the group set out. The plan was simple, Luna still felt that leveling should be his priority, but he didn''t want everybody to fall behind either. With his current body''s constitution, it wouldn''t be an issue for Sura and himself to take turns murdering zombies and evolved zombies all day long. Boni lead the rest of the group to look for survivors, while hunting down zombies, and looking for more supplies, since more wouldn''t necessarily hurt. Meanwhile, Luna set the EXP he got, to be evenly shared between the group. Although Boni and the rest were killing zombies as well, it wouldn''t nearly be as fast as the Luna-Sura duo mowing down zombies with their capabilities. The goal was simple, Luna didn''t want to baby sit them all the time, so he wanted the rest of the team to hit level 10 as soon as possible. This would help decrease the chances of anyone dying or getting infected, drastically. The plan was going smoothly, they had found survivors, and after explaining to the general state of the world, and about the system and what would be required of them, the survivors knew this was the best, if not the only way for survival. Although Luna''s home was quite large, it was not enough to accommodate more than 30 people. By the end of the day, their group went up to 25 people. It was still quite worrisome, it seems the Philippines really got hit hard, with the apocalypse starting at 3AM in the morning, even with the booming voice heralding the arrival of the zombies, people who were asleep and got woken up, were still groggy, thus reducing the amount of inital survivors even more. As for the other reason, it was most likely because they had already flocked to the Government Center evacuation area. They went ahead and leveled the new members of the to 10, in anticipation of the fight for their . Once that was taken care of, Luna switched his EXP sharing back to just him, and proceeded to keep grinding. After several hours of grinding, it was starting to get late, but just as he was planning to leave, he noticed a man and woman wearing a lab coat, making a break for it and running towards them, "Help! Please help us!". Right behind them, there was a hulking zombie, twice the height and body mass of an evolved zombie. It didn''t take a rocket scientist to guess that this was probably a new, further evolved variant. "Perfect." Luna said, he had been itching to really find out the capabilities of his new body, as even the evolved zombies posed no threat to him anymore. "You two! Stay with her!" Pointing to Sura, the two immediately followed his instructions. Gripping his blades tightly, Luna tapped his feet once and immediately disappeared from the spot he was in. The two people wearing lab coats were stunned. Where did he go? They looked towards the hulking zombie variant and noticed Luna had already appeared beneath it, and slashed at it''s legs. With how thick it was, Luna honestly only expected him and his newfound strength to cut at most, halfway through it''s thick calves, he had targeted this spot specifically because it was to test his strength, or else slashing behind the knee would be more effective. Much to his surprise, he cut through it cleanly. The variant lost it''s balance and fell over, what was more shocking, was that the muscle fibers were like worms, as if looking for the lost part that got. Luna didn''t give it any more chances to recover, going straight for it''s head, with that zombie dead, an orb which was visibly more dense, entered Luna''s body. After receiving that notification, new information flooded in Luna''s mind. As he quickly skimmed through them, a huge smile started forming on his face. The Difference Between Levels Despite the good news he just received, Luna calmed himself down, he looked at the two people they just saved and noticed that they both had name tags on. The woman looked like she was half Filipina and half Caucasian, her male counterpart had healthy brown skin. "Dr. Torre." Noticing that they both had the same last name he could only guess that they were a couple. "Yes, sir. Thank you for saving our lives, we''re forever in your debt." They both slightly bowed as a sign of gratitude. Gesturing for that there was no need for such formalities Luna replied "There''s no need for that, you two. Everybody in the Philippines knows of the family behind one of the Philippines'' best hospital. Were you two in there all this time?" The Riverside Hospital, also responsible for the Riverside College, were owned by the Torre family. "Yes. During the night of the attack, we were still working, we managed to kill the zombies that spawned beside us, but.. when we saw the people we were taking care of running towards us, we didn''t quite have it in us to ''kill'' them. So we cleared the rooftop, and brought whatever supplies we could, with us. We saw you tearing through those zombies, and we knew it was our only chance. I apologize, we didn''t mean to lure that behemoth towards you." "No issue. He ended up as nourishment in the end." Luna assured them. He then gave them a choice, they could either stay with him and journey to the Government evacuation area when it was safe, or join his . After having their lives saved, the two felt grateful, and decided to join the . Luna then proceeded to power-level them to level 10. He believed that level 10 would be the minimum requirement for survival in this new world, very soon. Luna hadn''t known it yet, but the two he saved today, would pave the way for a huge majority of the future Doctors within his , more after that, they would later become famous as the Combat Doctors of the Healing the injured, and eliminating the infection known as the zombie apocalypse. After giving the two of them, their pair of Itak Tagalogs, Luna signaled everyone to start falling back to their home base. Sura excused herself, knowing that Luna had to do his duties as a leader, she continued her slaughter. This way, they would be constantly progressing. If the Hulking Variant zombie today was any proof, was that they should always be a step or several steps ahead in terms of evolution. As soon as Luna got back, he especially arranged for the the two Doctors to have their own room. The rest were to either share the remaining rooms, find a spot in the living room, or take the rooms reserved for the servants nearby the surroundings of the main house. It wasn''t the best of accommodations, but it felt like paradise compared to the nights they had beforehand. Luna briefed everybody regarding what he knew, including the system. Giving others a choice on whether to participate or not. Everybody decided to participate, even the younger children, which Luna decided he would place in the back line once the fighting started. While they were enthusiastic and level 10, an actual fight would still affect those mentally not prepared for it. Seeing an actual fight in front of them would be the change in perspective they would need to find out if they were cut out for it or not. As everybody was getting ready to rest, the rest of the original team decided to go out while there was still some sunlight out to get some Exp. The higher their levels got, the higher their Vitality would be, which means they would need less time sleeping to recover their energy. They didn''t want to sit around while they had so much energy remaining and there was still some sunlight out.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. As Luna was observing his once empty house, now being filled with people, he dreamed of the day his would be a larger safe haven for even more survivors. With that thought in mind, he went back into his room, to go through the new information he received earlier, in more detail. -------------------------- You''ve gained 20 extra stat points to distribute. From this point on, you will receive 2 stats per level. You have gained the passive - this ability enhances your overall vision. Vision during nighttime has been improved. This skill enhances automatically every 10 levels. You have gained the passive - Enable your body to regenerate from injuries faster. This skill scales off of your VIT stat. This skill enhances automatically every 10 levels. -------------------------- "Amazing. I thought the difference in levels was huge beforehand, but this.. A level 20 player could basically dominate a group of level 10 players with ease." He started to think about what getting level 30 would get him, but he quickly snapped out of it. Regular zombies basically gave him next to nothing now, in terms of EXP. Evolved zombies, he would need to kill a thousand of them. After reaching level 20, the EXP needed to gain even a single level rose exponentially. Regardless of that fact, it only filled Luna with an even more burning desire to level up. A thousand evolved zombies? Fifty or even a hundred of those new variants? It didn''t matter. The Negros Occidental/Oriental islands along has a population of over 5 million people now. He highly doubted that even 100,000 people in total survived. That would leave around 4.9 million zombies, not counting the spawned zombies. The reason for Luna''s urgency to expand, besides the fact that he needed a territory, was because he wanted to establish a sizable territory as soon as possible. If he could be the first one to liberate a city, with majority of it''s citizens being dead, leaving a lot of vacant housing. It would be a huge rallying point for survivors. Survivors which would be the crucial manpower he would need to maintain a nation. Especially for the lucky families that managed to survive, having a safe haven for their family to stay, they would have even more of a reason. A person wouldn''t mind fighting if it meant their kids could have a safe place to stay. There was also the issue of being able to feed his people. Eventually the grocery stores will be emptied out, if they only relied on those. Luckily, the Negros Islands had the capacity to eventually feed such a huge population. Not to mention it was by the sea, which meant that although it would be susceptible to attacks from the evolved aquatic life forms, they would also provide even better nutrition than before. But that was a plan reserved for the future, as of right now, the only ones by the ports are the spawned zombies, he obviously wouldn''t mind if those guys sustained the fish. The next day, Luna would instruct everybody to set up a defensive line around the perimeter of what was deemed as part of their in preparation for the invasion when they claimed it. Setting up a perimeter was simple, the remaining time Luna, Maria, Clara, Sura, and Hana tried to teach some simple fighting techniques to the rest of the survivors, they were highly doubtful it would prove to be highly useful in such a short time, but learning some easy techniques that they didn''t know before, definitely gave the rest a boost in morale. It was the same way when a coach would tell a fighter what to do prior to a match. Having a game plan in mind, would better prepare someone for a fight. After all the preparations were set, everybody got into their positions. They didn''t know where the enemy would come from, so they formed a circle. The original group took their places on the outer perimeters, the newer survivors were behind them in case any zombies got through, while the two Doctors, the children, along with Apple were in the middle. Her role was to be the immediate assistance to whichever side would be struggling. "It''s time." Luna said, while pulling up the option in his consciousness. Would you like to claim this Territory? Y/N "Yes." The Difficulty of Fighting for a Territory Just then, a mound appeared on the Luna''s lawn, in front of them, on top of it, was a sapling. for a resource boon> Despite the initial surprise, Luna was quick to think. The appearance of this bonus objective might prove crucial to their survival. If there was one thing that he first learned about this new world, was that it rewarded those who were the fast ones to adapt. It may not have been mentioned, but there was a very high chance that this was a one-time thing. If they lost this sapling, they might not get another opportunity, at least not with another similar sized territory. This new world was quite cruel. It was a good thing that Luna wanted his people to only use recognized equipment. Because what was never mentioned, was that during this "challenge" when claiming a territory, it would open rifts, which was where the zombies for this invasion would basically come from. The reason for this, was that the limiters that existed intrinsically in the surroundings, would gather in the area of the being fought for. This was how a would be secured. The cause of the invasion, was that with the limiters in the surrounding focused on sealing the possibility of rifts opening, would not be present where they usually would be. Until the has been secured, those energies would not go back to their usual places. This was why the invasion would be based on the size of the being claimed by a . Simply put: The larger the the larger the energies required to seal the area. There was still the option of fighting the in the center of the city. This was pretty much an impossible feat as of right now. Should a trigger that option, that would activate any unclaimed within the city. Essentially, unless you either have enough people, at a high enough level, to defend while having people strong enough to fight the at the same time, you might as well be asking to die. The easiest option was to claim them one by one, and make the disappear, but this would mean the loss of potential EXP and loot. At least, this was what Luna calculated in his head, for now. Right now he had more things to worry about. After instructing everybody to quickly move the closest concrete barricades to encircle the mound, screams coming from zombies started filling everyone''s ears. The level 10 players were inside the barricade, while those meant to be in the inner circle, were on the mound encircling the sapling, along with Apple. With the rest of the original team on the outer perimeter to trim the numbers down a bit, the ones behind the barricade weren''t as stressed out. The first wave consisted of regular zombies, they were easily dealt with. The second wave, was more than twice the amount of zombies, still relatively easy to deal with. The third wave however, consisted of even more regular zombies, and evolved zombies. Each person, besides Luna and Sura, were reinforced by another level 10 person. Everytime they leveled, Luna told them to add points to VIT, that was also one of the main reasons why, when he hit level 20, he put all 20 stat points into VIT, was because he expected this siege to last for quite a while. The other reason being, that his passives, like , and the of the two Gods, scaled off of his body''s current overall capability and life force. With merely these regular zombies and evolved zombies, Luna and Sura were harvesting them like wheat. Wheat, might actually be a compliment to these things at this point. Everybody saw this, and boosted their morale. "Sir Luna is strong.. too strong!" Said one kid who was in the middle. "That''s LORD Luna, it''s best you pay him the respect he deserves. We wouldn''t even be alive, much less reach level 10 without his helping us out." The kid beside him quickly rebuked him, as if calling Luna a "Sir", and not "Lord" was the same as insulting his own ancestors. Apple couldn''t help but be amused at these kids, as she added "Mn, I was saved by Lord Luna as well. Me and my brother. When everything was like Hell on Earth, he not only saved our lives, he also gave us purpose, beyond just surviving." "Exactly! I apologize for my mistake! He works hard, and we''re here receiving EXP for free. I definitely have to repay his kindness! I''ll increase my strength, so one day I could be of use to Lord Luna." The kid who initially called Luna "sir" quickly declared. "What are your names?" Apple smiled as she asked. The second kid replied "Ah! I''m sorry for not introducing myself earlier, Lady Apple, my name is Crispin. That rude one is Basilio, we''re both brothers! Thankfully, we were awake when the zombies came, we were making Sampaguita necklaces to sell later in the day."If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Apple couldn''t help but giggle, finding these two young boys adorable "You can call me Apple. I look forward to seeing you two fulfill your full potential." despite talking this whole time, she never took her eyes off the battlefield for a second. "Mn! We want to grow strong and look for our mother as soon as we can!" Apple gave them a smile then suddenly, "Chain Lightning!" seeing that one area was starting to struggle a bit, she quickly relieved the pressure by killing some regular zombies instantly. With how high Apple''s INT stat was, she could actually keep up the skill for quite some time due to her naturally high Mana regeneration, only that nobody knew how long this siege was going to last. Apple''s strength garnered adoring gazes from the kids beside her. Seeing that electricity arc towards zombies, killing regular zombies in the initial tick of damage, killing evolved zombies in two ticks of damage, almost being able to kill them in one, even Luna was surprised. In the future, he definitely needed to build at least a Mage Battalion. So whenever she would see zombies starting to climb across the the outer barricades, she would help out. At this point, they were already at the 10th wave, the Agility focused people like Maria, Clara, and Hana, were running low on their stamina. It was a good thing that they gained a couple levels within this time, and added the stats to VIT. The people in the back line, finally had to go forward, they were scared at first, but with Apple supporting them from behind, they quickly found that they had nothing to worry about, as long as they didn''t slack off. After several hours of defense, the final wave finally came. There were no regular zombies or evolved zombies. There were 3 of the new variant, surprisingly they came from outside, and almost effortlessly destroyed the walls blocking their way. "Apple! Keep hitting them with your Chain Lightning! Maria, Clara, Hana, Boni! Handle the one on the far left! If you can''t beat it, have Boni delay it for as long as possible and kite it around. Sura, you take the one on the far right." Luna quickly barked out orders as he charged towards the one in the middle. He was completely aware, that the reason why he could handle these new variants, was not just because of his higher level, but it was mostly thanks to Mayari and Apolaki''s blessing. The reason why he sounded so urgent, was because it would still take him and Sura a few seconds to kill each one, he didn''t want the 3rd one to charge towards the sapling and harming the others while trying to get to it. Sure enough, while they were able to harm it, they couldn''t quite cut it down as easily as the Luna-Sura duo. They could however, slow it down pretty well with Boni''s distraction and Apple''s staggering the variant. After the other two were dispatched, Luna, who was the closest, quickly took it down, giving everyone vast amounts of EXP. As soon as the last one dissipated. -------------------------- CONGRATULATIONS! has officially conquered the becoming the very first to officially conquer a territory! The rest of the world needs to catch up! 100,000 VIS! First Owner Bonus: Life Tree - sustenance for your First Owner Bonus - 1,000,000 VIS! Adamantium Walls to surround your territory Basic Automated Turrets x 8 Basic Dome-shaped Force Field -------------------------- Everybody started cheering loudly, these bonuses essentially meant that their territory would be impenetrable! While everyone was cheering, the only people who were frowning were Luna, and Sura who sensed his worry. "The rest of the world needs to catch up." Luna finally said. At first, some people thought Luna was talking smack to the rest of the world, but the original group noticed that there was not a happy expression on his face, and quickly knew something was up. "Luna-dono... why did you quote that part specifically?" Hana already knew what it meant, but she was aware the rest weren''t. Apple suddenly spoke up out of nowhere "The rest of the world needs to--- Why would the need to say that if... It can''t be, right? But no, it makes sense." she suddenly lost all color on her face. "Indeed. This new world started because we were to be pushed to evolve. What would push the rest of the world to start acting like the rest of us have? To grind out levels at the speed that we have." Benefits. The world is run by benefits. What would be a greater motivation for the world than to tell them "Hey, these guys are ahead of everybody else, and because of that, they''re gaining major advantages." It''s not that it was only Luna''s team that rushed to gain a territory, as a matter of fact, way more people around the world tried before them. But if this night was proof of anything else, it was the fact that trying to claim a territory was no joke. Unbeknownst to everybody, that due to the whole concept of the "limiters" a lot of people actually thought they were clever, and used guns, and all sorts of non armaments. Without the capability of absorbing the EXP, also known as the Life Force of their kills, it would just return to where it came from, and reform again. With that in mind, with the limiters not being in place, the reformed zombies would just step out of the void and attack again, until eventually they would run out of ammo, and succumb to the invasion. If it weren''t for Luna''s mindset making every kill count as EXP, perhaps they would have fallen into that trap as well. "But Lord Luna, since this sapling is said to give us resources, I''m guessing it''s gonna be fruit, right? And look, as soon as we won the territory, the mound inverted, the sapling is growing at a visible rate and while it hasn''t bore any fruit yet, the hollow part in the middle started pouring out water. It even stops as soon as it fills it to the brim, and adds more when you drink from it. We basically have no worries in here, right?" Basilio pointed out. "Indeed. But that doesn''t mean we can slack off. If we just stay in here, sure we''ll be able to live peacefully for some time. But what happens when they find a way to destroy the force field? We gained basic turrets, but what if they build even better versions? What if they surround us and keep us in here, unable to level, until they eventually get strong enough to just jump in here and massacre us?" Luna answered back. He could have chosen to ignore it, but he knew that he cannot let anyone in this group slack off for even a second. This new world was made to push people to evolve. Those who slack off are only waiting for death. Until he had enough strength to protect everyone from zombies or humans, he would not relent. While he didn''t have to worry too much about the rest of the world, there were still those who were close enough to threaten his territory. Distributing The Spoils Sure enough, Luna didn''t slack off one bit. While everybody was either resting or discussing, he proceeded to setup the defenses. It was quite the mystical experience, as long as he willed it, the walls would be placed to his exact specifications. He surrounded the outermost areas of his territory with the Adamantite walls, then instead of connecting them with the a gate, he actually set up the last two walls to go inward, creating a choke point. He would have much preferred to have it outward, but unfortunately, beyond that was not considered his yet. Regardless, the difference wasn''t too much. Luna''s plan was simple: Occupy more territory to house more survivors who were willing to be subject to his rules of constantly evolving. If a family were to come, then whoever is combat ready must work hard in the Army. Additionally, they must work extra to level their family up in their spare time. He would eventually setup schools for kids once he recovered the schools and could provide them with enough protection. Military training would be part of the curriculum. Education, after all, could not be neglected. The initial part of his plan was inspired by the United States of America. Almost every household in the U.S. had guns. This made it so, in the hypothetical scenario of their army losing, foreign invaders would find it night impossible to conquer the mainland, what with almost every citizen being combat ready. His plan was similar to that, but in this case, it was towards evolution. If every citizen in his was strong, any outside force would have to think twice if they''re willing to shoulder the casualties an invasion would bring. Of course, he couldn''t neglect that families would need to spend time too. Which was why he was planning on work weeks being shorter. With an unlimited source of water, he could continue to provide that for free. As for food, he wasn''t sure what the Life Tree would bring yet and in what abundance, so the evolved land animals and fish would more than suffice, assuming they were already strong enough to fight against them and come out unscathed somehow. He was starting to plan out everything in his head as the walls and the gate he had placed down finished building. Sura and Him were making rounds around the territory this whole time, since the had warned them beforehand that the installation of any structures couldn''t be interrupted. Should zombies start attacking them, they would dissipate after reaching a certain threshold of damage. While it was highly doubtful that anything around their area at the moment would be able to deal enough damage to make these Adamantite walls dissipate, it was better to be safe than sorry. Quickly after they had finished building, he placed the in strategic positions to cover the entire area. He then spent 200,000 VIS to purchase and placed them on the both sides of the outer walls leading to the inner metal gate, afterwards, proceeding to place another metal outer gate. His intention was simple. There was a zombie defense game in the year 2017, called "They Are Billions" that released their 4th version of the game in VR that became a huge hit, redeeming themselves after their 3rd version was riddled with in-game bugs and flopped. After playing this game, when expecting to mount a defense, having a a secondary gate or wall to trim the numbers before it went down, was crucial. This was why he decided to invest 200K VIS for two additional turrets. These turrets didn''t need ammunition in the conventional sense. The "ammo" they fired out was formed from atmospheric energy they absorbed. After running out, they would need to recharge. The had a higher ammo capacity, and shorter recharge time, which ensured that when the basic ones were recharging, the intermediate ones would keep firing, and when they ran out of ammo, a few seconds later, the basic ones would have charged up completely. Luna had calculated this in advance, after all, what he was about to do, in an outsider''s eyes, would give justice to the phrase: Batshit Crazy. After everything was set, the Luna-Sura duo went out to massacre some zombies for a bit before going back to finally rest.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Night or day, it didn''t matter to these two anymore, with the passive they had no issues seeing at night, with their current high amount of VIT, they needed very little rest as well, capable of staying awake for days on end before their motor-capabilities dropped. Unfortunately, sleep was still important to keep a sharp mind, which was why they preferred to sleep daily. The next day. "Everyone, well done on the defense last night. As you all know, we had quite a bit of spoils. As the members that were here before we even owned a territory, I value you all highly. You fought valiantly, and you didn''t run away." Luna then looked to the children, "I hope you all learned from that night and have been inspired to grow stronger." "Yes! Lord Luna, we''d like to participate this time around in the next defense." Basilio declared, while patting his chest. "Very well." after saying that, Luna took out several items and placed them on the table before him. "Those of you who built as tanks, take a passive skillbook, and a and a ." -------------------------- Item: A light-weight, but durable shield inspired from the Igorot War Shield. Vit + 5 Increases damage mitigation by an additional 5% -------------------------- The War Shield was initially an uncommon drop from the evolved zombies, but with the sheer amount of numbers that they killed off a stroke of good RNG* they managed to procure enough for their tanks and a few extra. "Those of you who are more agility based, go ahead and grab a and a skill book if you''re willing to use your current skill points to learn them." Everyone besides the original group who Luna already gave the skill books to as he got them, went forward to receive them. These were dropped skill books, they cost skill points to learn and to level. As opposed to any inherited skills, or skills naturally learned through evolution, which didn''t cost skill points to learn and would grow stronger as the person leveled further. Prime example being: Sura. -------------------- Passive Skill: Increases Movement speed by 10% Increased movement speed does not consume extra stamina. -------------------- Passive Skill: Increase Attack Speed by 10% Attack speed increase caused by this skill does not consume additional stamina. -------------------- "Apple, these are for you." Luna beckoned her to come forward as he handed her a piece of equipment and two skill books. -------------------- Item: Lightning Knuckles A pair of knuckles that increase the effectiveness of Lightning skills while offering fast, effective, and lightning imbued melee strikes. Attack DMG: 25 Increase damage of Lightning related skills by 20% -------------------- Active Skill: Lighting Cloud Summon a Lightning cloud on a designated location. All enemies enveloped by the cloud will be subject to damage from the lightning strikes within. Cloud does not stop enemies from leaving the area of effect. MP Cost: 100 Duration: 10 Seconds - Channeled skill - Skill will cancel if interrupted or personally cancelled by the caster. -------------------- Passive Skill: Lightning Armor.(Can be toggled on and off by caster) Allows threads of lightning to cover a thin layer all over the caster''s body which immediately strike out to any incoming attackers. Lightning infused body becomes much faster, but drains more Stamina. -------------------- An even more pleasant surprise, was that after learning both lightning related skills, Apple suddenly got a notification. -------------------- Your affinity with the lightning element has earned the favor of the lightning elementals. Active Skill: Summon Lightning Elemental Summon an elemental to fight beside you. HP scales off of caster''s max health.(Current: 100%) Attack damage scales off of caster''s amount of lighting related skills x10 + level of learned lightning skills x 10 (Current DMG: 40 + 20% from Lightning Knuckles) -------------------- This meant that Luna had gained even more knowledge of this world. It seems that when a Mage, or at the very least, in this case, a Lightning Mage learned 3 skill of the same element, they would gain an elemental summon pertaining to their elemental affinity. This was indeed great news! Luna had more questions, like: What if I had let her learn the skill? Would that have lessened her Lightning affinity? Would she then require 4 lightning skills to get the summon, or would the Lightning elementals be so displeased that she would have lost the right to summon them? These were questions Luna had to consider in the future. Regardless, he was happy for Apple. Who would have guessed, that this young girl who started out like a scared little puppy, would eventually be known as the Lightning Goddess of the , Apple Linario. Luna couldn''t help but smile. Her and Mabini''s father, Professor Linario was a passionate teacher who always looked out for his students. He would most definitely be proud. Right after everybody had learned their skills, Luna proceeded to the next part of the plan, as he pulled up the . "With much harder endeavors, comes the need to much stronger weaponry." He smiled to himself. This was going to be a very welcome surprise for everybody. Preparing for the Expansion After finally installing the two stations, Luna welcome everyone to upgrade their weapons to make necessary adjustments. Everyone was pretty much required to upgrade their weapons, to which they gladly agreed to. With the current Rank 1 Upgrade Station, they could enhance up to maximum of three times, which increased the weapon''s overall damage, durability, and stat bonuses. Luna managed to modify his Itak Tagalogs, what resulted was pretty much the two being combined together, which made the blade sharper, a bit heavier, and the handle, longer and sturdier. If a regular human were to try and lift this thing now, they would only be able to lift it and not swing it. "Hana, go ahead and craft a Naginata to your specifications." Luna urged her as he finished making his weapon, swinging it around to get used to the feel and the weight of it. "Thank you, Luna-dono." She bowed slightly as she proceeded to take her turn. After she was done, she proceeded to test out her new weapon as well. Everybody was in awe, it almost seemed like she was dancing with how graceful her movements were, but when she struck, she was firm, the conviction in her strikes was apparent to everybody''s eyes. Seeing as everybody was happy, Luna felt satisfied. The Doctor couple went up to him, noticing their approach, Luna looked towards their direction and smile, beckoning them to come over. "You two look like you have something on your mind. Don''t hesitate to speak up." "Lord Luna, in the beginning, when we got level 10, we kind of put our stats towards combat. But, after level 10, we haven''t spent any of them." They looked at each other before continuing, "We didn''t know that there was such a thing as a skill, you see, as Doctors, we kind of wanted to veer towards the path of a healer. So Lord Luna, we wanted to ask for your advice." Luna couldn''t help but smile. The Torre family, for generations, they have dedicated themselves to the good of the people in this City. Not just through being Doctors, but also with how charitable they were. "Absolutely. You get +1 to all stats whenever you level, and later on, you''ll get even more. Having a tiny bit of offensive stats from pre-level 10 won''t hurt you. Go ahead and invest them to INT, and here, take this." tossing the both of them a skill book each, the two of them gladly accepted it. To Doctors like them, having such a skill to help out the injured resounded with their calling in life. Not to mention that having more healers will always be welcome. The two expressed their gratitude and went off to experiment on the applications of the skill. "Everyone, gather around." Not long after, everyone had gathered in front of him. "As you all know, everyone, whether near or far has heard of us. I wouldn''t be surprised if those who are still capable of doing it, have already set their satellites on to us." People instinctively looked up at the mention of that, as Luna continued, "Our next aim, is to conquer the surrounding territories. If we want to become a force to be reckoned with, we need to have the necessary force, but in order incentivize people to join us, the best thing would be to have a safe haven for them to stay in. I''m pretty sure at this point, people are tired of having to worry about getting attacked when they sleep."The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. "Lord Luna, what''s our timeline for this initial expansion?" Apple couldn''t help but ask. "We''ll conquer all of the surrounding area.. by tomorrow." "T-tomorrow? But wouldn''t that mean we''d have to issue the challenge all at once?" Boni couldn''t help but be shocked. He knew Luna wanted have it done as soon as possible, but even he didn''t expect him to want it done this fast. "Correct. The reason we can, is all around you." as he pointed to the Adamantite walls that look as if they were the futuristic version of the Great Wall of China, then finally pointing to the where the metal gates were, "and lastly because of that." "The gates?" another survivor asked. Majority of the people were still confused, how could a gate possibly help besides delay the invasion a little bit? "I see." Elise suddenly spoke up, "You built the walls that way for a reason. You wanted a choke point. That explains why you have two pairs of turrets there. You want to drastically drop the effectiveness of the horde''s numbers. Like in the Battle of Thermopylae.*" "Correct." Luna gave Elise a meaningful look. The daughter of a General definitely knows a thing or two about warfare. After that explanation, everybody started feeling more confident about the plan. They knew Luna wouldn''t do something so big without a plan. "Boni, send out the notice that we''re recruiting and the benefits we''re offering, along with out conditions. Tell them that they can start coming over to apply for citizenship 30 hours from now. No less." "I''m on it bro. Leave it to the Bonmeister!" Boni quickly stood up and jogged over towards the house, Elise stood up and followed after him as well. Seeing the two lovebirds pretty much getting along so well, he couldn''t help but look at Sura with a warmth that nobody else could see him giving towards any other woman. Seeing Luna''s expression, Maria and Clara couldn''t help themselves and said "First Luna and Sura find love in the apocalypse, now Boni and Elise.. When is our turn?" "Sis Maria, Sis Clara, my brother''s still single, you know." Apple suddenly mentioned out of nowhere. She couldn''t help but laugh evilly. She was truly the definition of a sibling being a wingman. "You... sigh. Please don''t take my sister seriously, this Lightning brat loves to joke around too much." Mabini scratched his head while playfully attempting to put Apple into a choke hold. Maria looked at Mabini and then towards Clara as she jokingly suggested, "Clara, do you wanna share him, or do you want him all for yourself?" Mabini looked as if he just lost his soul, "Eh?" The rest of the group jokingly chimed in "Oh no, my virgin ears." "Man, is it just me or did the Philippines just get hotter? I need to get me some Life Tree water." Some of the kids commented "I don''t... I don''t think I should have heard those lines until I''m at least 18." Luna couldn''t help but appreciate this moment where everybody was enjoying themselves. This was exactly why he couldn''t slack off. Moments like this were for sure an incredibly rare sight if compared to the rest of the world. But here they were, having these moments exactly, all because they could afford to. They weren''t like majority of the survivors out there, hiding out in some house, perpetually afraid of a zombie wandering to where they were resting. This was why Luna wanted to expand as soon as possible. He was confident that with his invitation, people would flock to his territory and become a citizen of the and fight for this exact privilege. The cards were now in his hands, and he was going to play it masterfully. "Alright everyone, make sure you finish your preparations. After I''m done setting up the final defenses, I will begin the briefing for our defense. Soon after that.. the expansion commences." Everybody got up immediately, and started their preparations. Some people started warming up by stretching, preparing for this upcoming marathon. Some filled up everybody''s tumblers with water to take a sip out of during whatever quick break they''re going to get. Meanwhile, Luna started installing the last of the defenses. Taking A Risk As Luna was looking at the defenses, he was deep in thought. Sura could sense he was deep in thought, as Apple was walking towards him from above the walls. Apple was surprised, as he saw the defenses outside the gate, she recalled that initially Luna only planned on using wooden spikes to slow down the horde a bit. Looking at it now, she noticed that Luna used the much higher quality metal spikes. Instead of two gates, he now had three. Additionally, there were two extra . The last detail bewildered her even more. Those turrets weren''t exactly cheap, even without them, although this next operation was gonna test their stamina, it wasn''t what they deemed as "hard" after setting up this choke point and with multiple lines to fall back on. He''s someone who, due to his perfect balance of a sense of urgency and caution, has earned them a lot of benefits in this new world. Apple decided to stop thinking about it for now, since everyone was starting to gather, he was about to start briefing them. "Everyone is here. Good. I''ll get straight to the point. This defense isn''t going to be just the immediate territories surrounding us. I''m sure you''ve noticed that the defenses setup would be overkill for just that. That''s exactly because along with those territories, I''m also challenging the medium territory behind us." Luna''s serious expression was all they needed to see that he wasn''t kidding at all. "L-lord Luna. Isn''t that too reckless? That means we''ll probably be constantly fighting for around 20 hours probably. But of course, I give you my word, I''ll still fight to the end if you ask me to." said one survivor. "I''m glad to hear that. Know that your trust in me is not for naught. The game plan is simple, everybody else but myself and Sura, will stand back for as long as you all can hold. This is so you all can have some more combat experience and do well, even without my help. You will start behind the spikes and the barricades and kill zombies from behind it, with the turrets assisting you." Luna continued to share with them his game plan, after hearing his plan, the rest of the members couldn''t help but admire their leader even more. As soon as everyone was in their positions quickly ran from each territory to the next, and triggered the challenges. Then quickly sprinted back to base. Situating himself on top of the wall, beside Sura and Apple. Everybody else was on the ground, in their posts, including Apple''s Lightning Elemental, whom she lovingly named Sparky. To say that he wasn''t a bit worried would be a lie, Luna knew that the reason why they got their territory and not ending up dead, was because of his caution. This risk was just based on his calculations from the first defense they pulled off. It was to test the limits of his members and his and Sura''s own as well. As soon as the zombies hit the spikes, the team proceeded to attack them from behind, Sparky was shooting lightning from both of it''s arms as well, chaining it to multiple zombies per shot. Around this time, the zombies that spawned from the medium territory finally reached the barricades, some of them were shot down on the way since they ran along the western wall, to reach the area where the gates are, just as they were about to start going on the barricades, Apple finally acted. "Lightning Cloud!" right away, a cloud start forming and flashes of lightning could be seen inside, the zombies that mindlessly went inside were massacred. The members who weren''t level 20 yet from the previous challenge, started gaining levels, pumping their stats to VIT, so they could last as long as possible. Once the ones in front lost 20% of their stamina, the ones behind would sub in while they recovered back to 100%. Apple during this time, could have released another cloud, but instead she meditated to try and regenerate back to max MP before she cast another spell. She continued to do this cycle over and over. The horde seemed never ending, the first wave alone was already more than all the waves of the first territory challenge was.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. But it shouldn''t be forgotten as well, that the original group reached level 20 from that last challenge, all the way from level 16. Above the walls, Luna was observing everything, closely paying attention to everyone. Once he deemed that the members were starting to get tired, he and Sura would sub in. In all honesty, he never would have even thought of attempting this had Boni and the rest not reached level 20. If they didn''t have Adamantite walls, this plan would have been impossible. The metal walls, while sturdy in their own right, would have eventually fallen, and there would be a hole in their defenses that they did not have enough people to handle. But with the Adamantite walls, the zombies that do futilely try to stick around and attack it, would eventually just be picked off by the turrets in place without leaving so much as a scratch. This was also why Luna decided to go with this plan, because if he didn''t, he would have lost the opportunity to do so. He would have needed to recruit more people, train them, and come up with a more complicated plan. Not to mention, he would risk having someone else beat him to conquering the first official medium sized . With that in mind, Luna decisively took this risk. As for what the risk was, it was the fact that he didn''t know what the end-wave of a medium sized territory. A wave would spawn every hour, regardless if the previous waves were all killed or not. As soon as they were 8 hours in, things were getting tough, despite the perfectly times subbing in of people, everybody besides the high VIT people like Boni were starting to get exhausted. The notable superstar of this line-up however was Hana. With her modernized Naginata, each swing took out multiple zombies, there were no wasted movements, thus spending her stamina efficiently. Even then, it wouldn''t be long until she started struggling like the rest. Luna decided to make his move, heading down along with Sura, he issued his first order during this whole operation, "Everyone, fall back! Go rest! We''ll buy you 6 hours of respite." everybody listened without hesitation, they know they had to make use of this time to recover. Everything was going a bit better than planned so far, initially the plan was for them to resist for 7 hours, but if they could go for longer, then they would go ahead and do that. So far the people who were level 20, hit level 22. Luna and Sura were already infinitely close to 22 to begin with, were now level 23, in a few hours of non-stop grinding, they would hit level 24. The rest who weren''t level 20 yet, were already level 19, not long after, they would hit level 20 as well. With this in mind, Luna decided to sub in so they could rest for 6 hours. While the Luna-Sura duo could definitely go for much longer than this, they wanted to stay in top shape for the end-wave. With the 16 small territories that would mean 48 of the variant zombie they had aptly named the . As for what the medium territory would bring, that was still a mystery. Things went as planned, and before the 6 hours was up the duo flipped over the barricades, and started clearing the zombies in droves. As soon as the time was up, and noticing that Boni and the rest might get overwhelmed, Luna decided to have them wait behind the first gate instead. With that command, the first line was destined to fall. All was still according to plan. The moment the zombies were rushing to attack the first gate, Apple started casting Lightning Cloud on cooldown until she dropped down to 10% mana, before she sat down to recover again. Sparky, who wasn''t limited by stamina, kept shooting at the zombies. Hour 19. All the waves have long spawned at this point, everybody at this point was level 20 or higher, which made the defense incredibly easier. Everybody was happy, despite being pushed back to the innermost gate, and even with all the , they weren''t too worried, as long as they had Luna and Sura on their side. They were almost there, it took some kiting but eventually, they took everything down. has officially conquered XXXX> the same notice rang out 16 times, congratulating them for conquering a small territory with the corresponding territory''s name on it. Luna received a total of 1,600,000 VIS. received a total of 3,200,000 VIS Everybody started cheering. Until Luna suddenly spoke up. "Wait.. we got the notice for the small territories. We never got anything for the Medium one." Everybody was surprised, not knowing what to say, when Apple suddenly spotted a little girl about to turn the corner towards the base from where the first gate used to be. Boni who had his back turned didn''t notice her in time. "BONI WATCH OUT!" Apple shouted out the moment she saw the little girl do a mad sprint towards Boni, but the girl was too fast. A WHAT?! Luna dashed towards Boni as fast as he could, but couldn''t get to him in time. Boni couldn''t dodge in time either, despite the girl being meters away from him when he heard the Apple''s warning. Raising his shield to meet the girl''s fist, it actually formed a slight dent before he was sent flying. Fear and shock was apparent in everyone''s eyes, if even Boni, one of their strongest tanks was sent flying, wouldn''t that mean instant death for the Agility based people? After seeing her punch not kill someone instantly, the girl raised her head and screamed. There was nothing particularly special about it, it just seemed like a normal girl screaming, but what followed next were zombies slowly appearing from the distance, exiting from a rift. On Luna''s command, Sura, Boni, Mabini, and himself, surrounded the girl as Luna sent out an order, "The rest of you, intercept the incoming zombies!" The moment the girl was done screaming, she looked towards Luna, sensing that this man seemed to be the leader. "How could such an adorable little girl be so fierce?" Apple couldn''t help but comment from the top. The next second, the girl charged straight at Luna. Slashing at her from the side, leaped and twisted her body mid-air, narrowly dodging the attack. After she landed, instead of dashing forward, the girl finally showed a hint of fear in her eyes. Noticing this, Luna couldn''t help but think that this girl might be reasoned with if she can show such a human expression. But he quickly removed that idea from his head, this child was, after all, the last opponent to claim the . After recovering from the initial surprise, the girl dashed towards Luna again, this time, she actually grabbed his weapon by the opposite side of the blade and started pulling "GRR!!" she ''growled'', baring her teeth, as she kept attempting to pull it from him. Luna with his one hand on the weapon actually struggled, before he started using both hands as he thought to himself "You have got to be kidding me. She''s actually trying to steal my weapon?!" He didn''t know whether to laugh or cry, the rest also saw her futile attempts to steal Luna''s weapon and thought it was the most adorable scene ever. If it weren''t for the fact that she almost obliterated Boni in one hit, that is. In response to her attempts, Luna swiftly swing the weapon, carrying the girl with it, and slammed her on the Adamantite walls at full force, visibly damaging her as she bounced off of it, only to be slammed back by a shot from a turret. Sensing that she was fighting a losing fight, the little girl actually made a run for it. This action made Luna''s eye twitch in frustration, black marks appearing on his forehead expressing his agitation. This was a fight that could possibly end up in people dying, but due to the fact that their enemy had an appearance of a little girl, it felt a bit comical.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. "Pursue her!" Luna barked as they gave chase, the girl ran the opposite direction of where the zombies were, attempting to jump into the neighboring houses to flee. Reaching the northern edge of the she sprinted even faster, with Luna and Sura being the closest behind her. Right as she was about to leave the vicinity. BONK! "Eh?" Luna was surprised. "N-no way..." Boni added. "This isn''t how a boss fight is supposed to go... right? Is that the queue for her rage mode?" Mabini suggested. Looking at the situation, Luna immediately found out what was going on. It seems that once you challenge a territory, it would form a force shield to lock down that territory. Their home base being beside it must have been the only reason why it was included in the designated area. But wasn''t this a bit too comical? Then Luna suddenly had an idea in mind. Walking up to the little girl, he pointed his weapon at her and slowly drew closer, when it was a couple inches away from her, something suddenly stopped him from going forward as a notice popped in front of him. After seeing that same line again, everyone in the knew, that the whole world would hear their name again. Soon after, Luna received the bonuses he was expecting ---------------------------- Leader Bonus: 1,000,000 VIS! First Owner Bonus 10,000,000 VIS! Adamantium Walls to surround your territory! Intermediate Automated Turrets x 16 Intermediate Dome-shaped Force Field ---------------------------- The bonuses were almost the same, albeit on a larger scale, besides the armor he received, which he opted to investigate after things have settled down. The new force field would be large enough to protect the territory, with enough turrets to cover defend the territory properly. With this new, nearly impenetrable fortress to the North of his , Luna could begin plans to expand towards the South, where his new targets would be the schools he had been eyeing beforehand. Right after the territory bonuses were received, the one for the objective reward came right after. or The decision didn''t take much thought. EXP he could always grind for, and VIS to come along with it. But the Bonus objective reward, like the Life Tree, would bring unimaginable benefits! "Claim bonus objective reward!" to your soul!> As soon as he read those last lines, the little girl suddenly woke up and dove towards him. After getting surprised by the notice, Luna couldn''t react in time. But the vicious assault he was expecting didn''t come. Instead it was a warm embrace, and out of nowhere he heard, "Fa...ther." Whether it was for another reason or the fact that Sura''s soul was also bound to Luna''s, the little girl looked at her with her bright eyes, pointed at her, and said, "Mo...ther?" Right around this time, the rest of the members finally caught up to them, noticing that the adorable demon child from earlier was embracing Luna so lovingly, everyone was confused. Elise went up to Boni as she asked the question everybody wanted to know the answer to, "Boni, what''s going on?" Boni turned to look at Elise and the rest with a confused smile on his face as he pointed towards Luna''s direction. "I-it seems as if, Luna and Sura just found a daughter." Everyone had a blank expression on their face for a second then they all yelled in unison. "A WHAT?!" Draconic Armor "Similar to the Life Tree, she''s the ''bonus objective'' for conquering a small objective." Everyone understood right away. They were all wondering what wondrous benefits a child could give? Especially when thinking about the Life Tree. Essentially unlimited amounts of the cleanest water on this Earth, that had miraculous effects in long-term drinking that was amazing for one''s overall health. Not to mention what fruits it might bear. Some people wanted to ask, but they were aware that if Luna knew and wanted to tell them, he would. If not, then that is decision of their leader. Everybody was aware of the haven this man was about to bring countless others. They would rather curb their curiosity, than try to inquire about something they shouldn''t. Regardless, they had now conquered a pretty decent amount of territory. Luna''s next target was St. Scholastica''s Academy directly to their South. There was only one issue: It was considered a Large territory. What if there was another type opponent like the Daughter of the Earth. What then? If he wasn''t strong enough, then everything he worked for would go down in flames. The answer was simple: Occupy all the surrounding territories first, that way the rifts are forced to open within the territory, invest in turrets to place on the walls surrounding the school, then trigger the challenge. After the recent challenge, Boni and those around his level reached level 25. They had only gained 5 levels despite the grueling massacre they just did. This was because EXP was shared with everyone, including the decent EXP bonus everyone got for conquering territories. Luna and Sura had reached level 29, mainly because of the massive EXP bonus he personally got from defeating the , bringing him much closer to hitting level 30. He had invested the points he gained into VIT, bringing his total vitality to 66. This was mainly because his AGI stat was at a comfortable level and due to the fact that a lot of his passives scaled off of VIT. Sura had also told him that her 3 heads and 6 arms form skill''s duration scaled off of the same stat as well. STR was largely ignored after the initial 10 stats people put on it in the beginning, as they relied on their upgraded weapons for the most part. After all, what''s the use of hitting hard if you hit slow, or you get taken down after a farts in your direction. Of course, initially some people wanted to invest stats into strength, because the idea of doing a lot of damage appealed to them. Thankfully, for his group, Luna prioritized explaining about stat builds early on. What Luna wanted everyone to rest first. He also wanted to check out the bonus items he got. The , which made him curious, since it says it was armor, but it looked like a cube in his inventory. He didn''t doubt it was valuable, since he could feel the power emanating from it. The text on it was blue as well, which meant that it was indeed considered a "rare" item at first glance.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Soon, everybody headed back to rest, since in less than 10 hours, they would be expecting survivors to start arriving. In Luna''s room. The little spider monkey was still enjoying her little piggyback ride on Luna. "Go to your.... mother first." Luna still felt a bit awkward, after all, he hadn''t even thought of the prospect of having a kid even before the new world, how much more now that they were in the apocalypse. But, like any wise man would say: If you''re gonna have a daughter, at least have one that can send a full VIT level 20 tank flying, in a single punch. She got off of Luna and embraced Sura, to which her mother replied told her "Little one, let''s go take a bath first. I''m sure your.. father will have a lot to talk to you about later." "Yes, mother!" As soon as the two left the room, Luna focused on the dark cube in front of him as he analyzed it. After reading the description he came to find out that it was actually a life form, but it had no will, no soul. It basically needed someone to wear it in order to take form. It would the imbue the user with power befitting their current strength and evolve with the user as well. It was similar to Apolaki and Mayari''s blessing, with the exception that it was an actual piece of equipment. Which meant that Sura couldn''t inherit the benefits from this one. After equipping it, it would bind itself to the user, and forge their body anew, eliminating any impurities, forging your bones, muscles, increase the vitality in one''s blood, allowing you to surpass the human potential, to closely resemble that of a True Dragon in whatever form the one who equipped the armor had, whether you''re humanoid or even an evolved beast. One could hide it all, and the hard layers would be beneath their skin, and when the user willed it, he could reveal the armor''s true form, increasing his defensive and offensive capabilities. Essentially, it would become a part of the user''s body under their full control. This armor was incredibly beneficial and convenient as well, seeing as it''s capabilities scaled with it''s owner. Such were the rewards of being the first to occupy a medium territory. But what about a large one? What about being the first one to kill the ? There wouldn''t be rewards for occupying a City, since it''s just a collection of territories, but the , what drops would he have and what bonus drops would the new world give for being the first one to take one of them down? Only time will tell. "Equip Draconic Armor." "Yes." As soon as he confirmed it, the cube dispersed into countless threads and penetrated into his skin, through his muscles, into his bones. He felt as if his whole body was being stabbed by countless knives, the only comforting thing was that in the midst of all the pain, he felt the incredible amount of power his body muscles were radiating, his bones started to feel like they were getting heavier, tougher. Luna gritted his teeth through all this, all he could do was breathe heavily while on his hands and knees. By the time the process was done, he could only observe himself as he felt power course through his body. He then looked around at the mess around him, especially with the impurities that vacated his body, he definitely had to clean up before Sura gets back. Maxene Alexandria When Sura got back, she was shocked to see Luna who was in the middle of testing out the armor. When he willed it, dragon scales would form another layer on his skin, protecting it. He could cover his whole body with it, or partially, as long as he willed it, horns would form from the side of his head and protrude towards the front of his head. If he willed it, a tail would form, not too thin, and not too thick, it would be perfect in battle to catch an unsuspecting enemy off guard. "Whoaaaah! Father! Can I ride on your shoulders and use your horns as handles?" The little kid immediately jumped on top of him as if he was her mount. He could only look at Sura helplessly. Now that this kid wasn''t trying to punch a whole through them, she was even more adorable. "Luna?" "Yes, Sura?" Blushing, she continuted "Our uhm... dauuu--- daughter. She wants a name and she said she wants you to give her one." Luna scratched his head, "Don''t you have any ideas?" Sura coughed before she continued "I tried to name her Dirt." "Dirt?" Luna couldn''t have a more bewildered look on his face. "Father, Mother said it was because I was the Daughter of the Earth, but I don''t like that name at all." "I''m sorry, I thought it was poetic at the time." she reluctantly replied. Luna burst out laughing while Sura couldn''t stop blushing in embarrassment. "Alright. Hmm... What about Maxene Alexandria. We''ll call you Max for short." Luna suggested. "Yes! I like that name, father!" Max clapped for joy. Sura looked as if she was in deep thought "Why that name? I like it, I''m just curious." "Ah, well, you see Maxene or Max originated from the name Maximilian, which in Latin means ''Greatest. Alexandria is the female version of the name Alexander, meaning ''defender of men.''" After hearing the explanation, Max was even happier than before. Sura couldn''t help but smile, "Mn, it''s a great name." Luna proceeded to lift Max off his shoulders and sat her down on the couch and asked her, "Max, I know you''re very strong. But is there anything else you''re capable of that you''d like to tell us?" "Yes, father, I uhm.. I don''t need to kill to get stronger, the planet naturally provides me with energy, but killing makes me stronger even faster. I was dormant for a very long time, and I wouldn''t have surfaced for another million years, but the planet suddenly got supplied with so much natural energy, that I felt everything evolve, and I gained enough strength to surface too." she explained while doing hand gestures as she told her story in a very animated way.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Her parents couldn''t help but be shocked, does this mean Max had already existed for such a long time? "Oh, and I can also sense naturally formed treasures. I can tell the direction where they are, and the feeling gets stronger as I get closer. Oh, I also sense that a lot of natural treasures appeared in a lot of the islands surrounding us, including the one we''re on before I got ejected from the womb I was in." she added, as if it wasn''t too big of a deal. "Natural treasures?" "Yes. Some aren''t too hidden, some are, but I felt that they''re not done growing yet. They''re evolving with the world, just like me." This made sense. With the advent of the new world, the planet as a whole is evolving. Plants, animals, insects, everything. It would also make sense that a lot of natural treasures would appear in the Philippines, seeing as the "womb" that Max came from released her around his area. All that natural energy converging to speed up her growth definitely would have stimulated the growth of such treasures. This was definitely a good thing, but something that''s reserved for the future. Let alone the fact that they weren''t done evolving, he needed to expand his territory and quick. He needed to focus on what he had in front of him for now. Since a bonus was basically in his front yard. For now, everybody had to rest, especially after that struggle they all just went through. After resting for the next 4 hours, Luna proceeded to place walls all along the territories, leaving much space for people to live in. Maxene was with him, practicing the Guandao Luna made for her, she seemed to really idolize how her father wielded this weapon, so she kept begging for one until Luna gave in. Sura was out killing zombies in the vicinity, and so were the others. Only a few others who were assigned to register the new citizens that would come over. After setting up the walls and the turrets, it truly did look very imposing. Once the survivors heading over saw this setup, the sight of it alone would make them feel a sense of security. As soon as the appointed hour arrived, some of the members who were out grinding for EXP actually met some survivors along the way and escorted them to the base. There were actually some who were actually level 10, but for the most part, it was a bunch of people who had been hiding for a while. Some of them had access to a computer beforehand and saw the notice, some were people that those who knew met along the way and invited over. The process was smooth, the first task for these survivors was to head over to the place they were supposed to stay and clean it up so they were comfortable with how the houses were. Some had broken windows, broken doors, some were even going to require people to do quite a bit of repairs. Also, there were a lot of houses where the zombies that were killed in it, were actual humans that got infected and had to be carried out. Thankfully there were some who were Carpenters and Architects to help with that. There were also Engineers, Teachers, even Nurses the two Doctors knew, so they were assigned to them. It was a good thing Bacolod City was pretty much a hub for professionals, enough that some of them survived. Majority were students who either came with their parents or all alone. The survivors who were living in Luna''s house also cleaned up some of the houses so they could live there. This place was about to become their leader''s household, after all. Not to mention Boni and Elise, the post-apocalyptic lovers, with Boni''s high VIT made too much noise at night. Luna proceeded to assign those who didn''t have any specialization to the Army. Despite the fact that he didn''t have that much of a population yet, it was better to train people in advance. As it was starting to get around noon, Boni actually came back, bringing a quite a few people who looked like they''ve been through hell. "Luna! These guys were from the evacuation area, they need healers as soon as possible! Buencamino, that bastard!" He could somewhat guess what happened, but he let the survivors get healed up first and gave them some food and water, before asking them what happened. Hans Garcia As soon as the man who was leading the injured survivors got something to eat and drink, stood up and bowed towards Luna, thanked him and proceeded to share his story, "Lord Luna, I''m First Lieutenant Hans Garcia. Buencamino, that man is corrupt to his very core. At first, we were following protocol, but the moment he got the message from Manila that majority of our Government officials including our President and Vice President died and that we were basically on our own, he didn''t hesitate to show his true nature." Luna furrowed his brows, he was aware of how corrupt Buencamino was, but that was only in terms of money. Money that no longer had any value in this new world. Despite that fact, he knew the evils humanity was capable of, especially in this new world. The calamity that almost befell Maria and Clara was proof of that. "Basically this info was shared to the police officers under his payroll. After the struggle we went through to clear out an area for people to evacuate to, there wasn''t a lot of us left. The evolved zombies slaughtered us because we weren''t leveled. After all, why would we use a wooden club when we were armed, right?" "You cannot be blamed for thinking that." Luna consoled Hans. After all, he cannot expect everybody to adapt as quickly as he did. Hans could only smile bitterly as he continued, "Those bastards, knowing that we would never agree to their heinous acts, setup a trap for me and my men. I was lucky, I wasn''t there. After learning my lesson, I worked hard to level myself up, yesterday while I was out trying to get level 15, I met some survivors who heard about your notice, calling for survivors. I was beyond happy that we finally had another place to go to, besides being under Buencamino. A few people in the evacuation area also heard about it and were planning to head over here." "Why didn''t Buencamino kill you when you got back to your base?" Apple on the side couldn''t help but ask. She wasn''t the type to believe someone right away just because they had a sob story. After all, the people she cared about were in this home base. "They basically knew that I wouldn''t be as easy of a target due to my higher level. They made up some story as to why all my brothers in arms all perished. Only an idiot would believe that, of course, but there was nothing I could do to them. All I could do was try to lead as many people to come here as I can, but a bunch of his thugs managed to spot us and rang the alarm." "How many of you died?" "One." Hans then looked towards a woman on the side who already had her fists clenched, with tears rolling down her face, as she tried her best so speak in between sobs, "Lord Luna, my name is Gabriela Silang. My wife, Diego Silang sacrificed his life so we could all escape. Buencamino''s thugs are at least level 10, my husband was barely level 5, there wasn''t anything he could do. He knew that Hans was the only one who was high leveled enough to lead us here, so he delayed for as long as he could before they shot him in the back."Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. She had the look of someone who had strengthened her resolve before she took a deep breath and said, "Lord Luna, if you promise to help me get revenge for my husband, from this day forward, my life is yours to do with as you please." Luna waved her off before saying "Very well then. I''ll help you, but, your life is yours. Your husband would not have wanted you to give away the life he saved. What I require of you is the same as everyone else. If you follow me, all I ask of you is to be loyal to me and do your part. What you gain will be based on what you give. Hans, I will put you under Boni''s command, you will help him train the troops. I''ll take care of Buencamino." After making sure that his core members were assigned different tasks, everybody got to work on rebuilding their safe haven. Even the unoccupied houses would be cleaned out and fixed. Luna had also inquired about the most efficient way to "harvest" the water to distribute to everyone regularly. People in training were brought out to get used to killing and fighting zombies, with some high level people supervising them along the way as they headed out to get more supplies. The Carpenters, Engineers, Architects, while there weren''t a lot of them, started getting to work as well. Luna had already implemented a set-up for these individuals, as they''re going to be one of the vital members of his . Everyone was required to do some form of training. The best way to survive in this new world was to at least have the minimum requirement to have a chance at survival, which was at least level 10. He would train everybody who was capable, it was pretty much a requirement. The stronger his ''s average strength, the harder it would be for them to fall. Of course, he would especially assign strong members to safeguard these key figures. Very soon, he won''t even need to be there for small territorial challenges. His plan was to be the first to conquer a large territory, then he''d be able to comfortable venture out to search for natural treasures and just largely focus on strengthening himself once the proper system was in place. He also assigned Hana, Yu-jin, Elise and Sang-hwa along with his core members as squad leaders, leading 10-man squads. This was to show that he did not care about your race. To him, the concept of race would only lead to divide. As long as you showed that you were deemed trustworthy, you would be rewarded for it. As of right now they barely had enough people to form a Battalion of 300 soldiers, which was to be lead by Boni. As of right now, this was mainly for conquering territories, which they would start doing as soon as every member was at least level 10. After everything was settled, Luna set out to pay Buencamino a little visit. Sura and Maxene insisted on going with him, so there was nothing he could do. As they headed towards the Government Center, they looked like just any ordinary family of three. To Protect and Serve The Luna family were strolling casually towards Buencamino''s camp, casually reaping the life force from the zombies, when they noticed a group of people killing zombies. When one of the men noticed the trio, he tapped his friend''s shoulder and gestured over to Luna. "Yo, Pedro, check that woman out over there." These men were the very same people under Buencamino''s payroll. Another man, known to the group as Scully, had his eyes set on Maxene, "You guys can do what you want with the woman, that kid is mine." This man was a pedophile who raped and filmed young children and sold the videos to a global pedophile ring. Even Buencamino and his men were disgusted by this man. If it weren''t for the fact that he was level 20, had no ambitions about leading his own , and promised to work for Buencamino as long as he had priority on little kids, they''d have killed this guy the moment they found out who he was. The rest of the men started leering at Sura without restraint. Little did they know that despite being a block away, the three could hear them clearly. Maxene herself was already looking towards Luna, as if asking for permission to slaughter these men. "Control your killing intent for now. Pretend to not know anything, we''ll have a much easier time making sure we kill them all when we''re in their territory." the two girls seemed to understand his plan, as they smiled inwardly. They already hid their weapons in advance. "Hey! You three! Are you headed to the evacuation area?" One of the men walked up to Luna. "Ah, yes sir, it took us a while to get here, since we had to avoid the zombies on the way. Are you members the protectors of the area?" Luna pretended to give a relieved smile. "Yes, you''re lucky we found you, else it wouldn''t be so easy to get in there. There''s a lot of zombies wandering in the front gate. Come follow us, we''ll lead you through the back entrance, there''s way less zombies over there." The man named Pedro suggested. "Ah! Thank you! We would have walked right into that deathtrap if it weren''t for you guys. You have my gratitude!" "Of course, that is our duty as policemen, to protect and serve the people!" The men were smiling inwardly, this was almost too easy. The reason they wanted to sneak them in, was because a lot of the people in the evacuation area was aware that Buencamino was the one behind of the disappearances of some women. This was due to the fact that the majority of the women they targeted were ones who weren''t with anybody. That way, with their disappearance, not a lot of people would question it and it could just be attributed to them leaving on their own to look for their loved ones. Hans'' desertion was also labeled as him and his men trying to stage a coup.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ---------------------- While this was all happening, some modified military vehicles were on their way to the evacuation center as well. Easily tearing through the regular zombies and outrunning the tank variants while some of the men were eliminating the evolved zombies that managed to jump on top of the vehicle, with their Itak Tagalogs. These man had badges that had red borders on them, with a knife pointing up, and at the bottom, the words "WE STRIKE" were written. These men were the Philippine''s Scout Rangers*. Their training camp was located about an hour and a half away to the South, towards Mt. Kanlaon. They were initially intending to level up some more, but when the zombie assault was combined with attacks from beasts at night, especially the Giant Bats that were already pretty big prior to the apocalypse, they were forced to vacate the army base. Proceeding to the closest evacuation center to reinforce it''s defenses. Among these men, there was a Caucasian man, with his last name attached to his uniform: Leman. ---------------------- As the Luna trio were being lead through the backdoor, he noticed armed men standing guard everywhere. He also heard sounds of moaning, screaming and cursing that not even people above level 20 like Boni would be able to hear. He could tell it came from underground. The man named Pedro stopped in front of a room, "Mr. Luna, you three wait in this room for a moment while I inform Mr. Buencamino and process you three, alright? Make sure you don''t leave, as I can''t guarantee you won''t be shot at if you do anything funny." "We understand. We''re just glad to finally be safe." Luna directed a friendly smile towards his way. "That you are." closing the room, Pedro walked away, licking his lips. He proceeded downstairs to the basement area, where a group of men were having their way with women in chains. They had two dog bowls for each one, with food and water in them, as if they were dogs. Some even had degrading names carved on them. After walking past these men, he entered what seemed to be a more private room with windows that made it so one could see from the inside, but not from the outside. Inside was a man who was taking advantage of a woman who had fair skin and beautiful features. People knew her as the Masskara*** Festival pageant winner from a few years ago, in front of her was a man beaten black and blue and in chains, which was her boyfriend that she came with to this evacuation center just yesterday. Apparently Buencamino finally couldn''t resist, so he just decided to abduct them both, so no one would look for either one. "Sir, we have new goods." Pedro reported. "Alright, alright, I''ll check later, don''t disturb me for now." He replied, seemingly annoyed that his fantasy was being disturbed. "Sir, I think you might wanna see this one." as he said that, Pedro switched one of the mounted monitors on the wall, showing the room that Luna, Sura, and Max were in. Buencamino was stunned. "Ohoho! Mr. Pedro, you''ve done me a huge service." Pulling his member out, he slapped the woman''s rear end, and said, "Release the knockout gas, you can enjoy this woman here while I wait. Go ahead!" "Yes sir!" Pedro laughed maniacally, he went to school with this woman and he had always admired her from afar. Now she was at his mercy. After releasing the knockout gas, he hurriedly had his way with his prize, looking as if her screams were music to his ears. As Buencamino had his eyes locked on Sura, he watched them slowly getting dizzy until the three passed out, as he called for one of his men, "Chain up those two women in soundproof room 2-A." A voice answered back, "What about the guy, sir?" "Throw him in the zombie pits. Oh and call Scully, he can have his prize." Sisa The moment he gave the command, four men bringing 3 sets of chains, went inside the room, after chaining down Sura and Max, the person chaining down Sura couldn''t help but comment, "Why does such a beautiful woman have such rough hands? I guess you can''t have everything, her boobs are smaller than that Pageant Queen the boss got." Right after saying that, with their job done, the man turn around to leave, only to hear chains breaking. Before he could even turn back to check, a blade had already pierced the back of his head, exiting through the front. The other three had time to turn their heads before it got lopped off. "You didn''t have to die so soon, but you just had to run your mouth." Sura, with a furious expression on her face before turning to Luna and saying, "I apologize, it seems I sped up your plans a bit." Luna could only give out a "It''s not an issue" comment, since the man who gave out that comment, while not knowing that they were merely pretending to have fainted, was basically asking for death. Buencamino who was watching the whole thing happen was in shock, even his eyes couldn''t follow how it all happened so quick. Panicking, he called for all his thugs, "EVERYONE! Eliminate the three in soundproof room 2-A! Kill them!" right after issuing the command, he grabbed Pedro as he kicked him out of the room "Damn you, Pedro! You''ve invited Wolves into our house! Go! Eliminate them!" Pedro, who was feeling the utmost pleasure a second ago, felt as if he was woken up from drunken stupor, pulling his pants up as he ran upstairs. The moment he got close to the room where the trio were in, he saw his men already pointing their guns at the three who were already outside of the room. "What are you guys waiting for?! Shoot!" His ass was already on the line, so he wanted to resolve this as soon as possible. Everyone started shooting at Luna first, but even after emptying their clips, they could only stare in shock as the only thing they managed to damage was Luna''s clothes. Sura and Max hid behind Luna, not because they were afraid of bullets, but because they were afraid their clothes might get ruined. "Is it my turn?" Not even taking out his weapon, Luna suddenly appeared in front one of the men, grabbing his head before crushing it. The rest tried to run for their lives, but Sura and Max didn''t give them the opportunity to. Pedro watched all of this happen as his knees buckled, before he heard footsteps behind him. Looking to see who it was, he saw that it was Scully, feeling as if he just saw his savior, he started bowing towards him, "Scully! No! Lord Scully! Sir Buencamino said that the kid is all yours!" Scully frowned towards him, "Don''t think that I''m so stupid. I''m confident in facing them one on one, but not all three. You''re on your own." as soon as he said that, he turned back, not holding back at all, and started to sprint towards the opposite direction. "I don''t remember allowing you to leave, Mister." just as he was running, he heard an adorable sounding voice in front of him. He looked down only to see Max. He grinned, thinking that Luna and Sura were far enough, he could snatch the little girl. Despite being a smart man, his lust made him forget that this little girl literally just appeared in front of him, as proof of how fast she was. Reaching towards her, he had a wide grin on his face, before he felt as if he just got hit on the stomach with a sledgehammer.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. As he got knocked on his back, holding his stomach he felt a foot step on his member. "How many children has this vile thing taken advantage of?" Sura looked at him as if he was more disgusting than the zombies. And then, *CRUNCH* "AAAAAGHHHH!!!!!" Scully screamed so hard it seemed as if his eyes were about to pop out of their sockets, but it didn''t matter as the next second, his head was cut in half. Just as they were about to be done, a bunch of men in military gear suddenly burst through the front door, with a man with the name "Leman" on his chest being among them. Seeing all the corpses, they were on guard. One of the men walked forward and asked, "Good afternoon, sir. My name is Paco Roman, we''re soldiers from the Philippine Army. May I ask what is going on here? Why have you murdered these men?" Pedro knew this was his only chance to save his hide. It didn''t matter if they found Buencamino''s hideout, as long as he could get out of here, he''d just run away, but before he could say anything else, his head already left his body. Luna knew how shameless these low lives can be. He wasn''t about to waste time listening to his drivel. The shocked the soldiers even more. This man was actually so ruthless, not to mention, that even with some of them, especially Paco, being level 20, they couldn''t even follow his movements. "If you all want to find answers, come with me." Luna kept his weapon as he walked towards the basement''s direction. After opening the entrance, everyone was in shock. Women were all chained like dogs, completely naked. He had already expected it, but Luna was still surprised. It was one thing to know the evils of humanity, but it was another thing to witness it for yourself. Walking over to where the private room was, he noticed a woman in particular hugging her knees, saying to herself, "Crispin, Basilio, my sons. Where are you?" repetitively. Hearing this, he looked towards Sura, this was Sisa, the mother of the two children. Luna knelt down on one knee in front of her, and asked her "Is your name Sisa?" the woman flinched when he got close, a sign that she had been abused to a great extent, so Luna didn''t mind her actions. "You''re the mother of Crispin and Basilio, correct?" Hearing this, her eyes widened, "You, you, you know where my sons are? Quickly, please tell me, where are my sons? My dear Crispin, my sweet Basilio, are they safe?" "Mn, rest assured. Not only are they safe, but they are much stronger as well. If you would like, you can come with us. They''ve been wanting to search for you as well." Luna wanted to pat her shoulder to assure her, but he knew that having physical contact with someone who has suffered so much abuse, this soon, might not be what she needed. After releasing her and the rest of the women, they followed Sura upstairs to get a change of clothes, while Luna dragged Buencamino by his neck. He wanted to kill the guy right then and there, but he knew that the women he had abused would want to have some justice for themselves. It was also a way that he could gain people''s trust, when they see him as someone who obtained justice for these innocent women. After all, what he needed the most was manpower if he wanted his to flourish. As soon as the women were dressed, he brought Buencamino out in front of the people, while instructing some men to call everyone over. As he was waiting for everyone, Luna approached the old Caucasian man from earlier, "Are you Gerard Mathieu Leman?" The old man, along with the soldiers beside him were all surprised. "How did you know my name?" "I noticed you were looking around. I know you must be wondering, but Elise isn''t here." Luna informed him. "Elise, my daughter, do you know where she is?! Is she safe?" "General Leman, you have my guarantee. Not only is she safe, but at this point, she''s already stronger than you or any of your men. Once my business here is done, I''ll take you to her." After giving him his guarantee, Luna went back over as people were almost done gathering. As he saw Buencamino looking as if he had lost his soul, he knew that this man was aware that he was about to receive his reckoning. Returning Home The moment everybody saw Buencamino on the ground and the women who were thought to have left on their own accord, glaring at him like they wanted to rip his throat out, everybody already had an idea as to what happened. Luna walked up in front of the crowd, then he spoke. "Everyone, my name is Luna. You might not have heard of me before, but I''m sure you''ve heard of the I''ve founded. The ." The moment he mentioned that, everyone, including the soldiers looked at him with shock. During the past few days, they had all received the notification of a that has been blazing through this new world. To think that they would see the leader of that very same nation here. Some found it hard to believe. "Yesterday, some of your fellow evacuees made their way to our territory. A certain Hans Garcia and a woman by the name of Gabriela Silang. The wife of Diego Silang, who was murdered by Buencamino''s men." "Diego? I thought he left with his wife? He''s dead?" "Hans, isn''t that one of the soldiers who tried to stage a coup d''etat?" "Are you all stupid? Look in front of you, those are the very same women who disappeared! Use a bit of common sense and you''ll figure out that scumbag Buencamino has been lying to us this whole time!" Luna signaled for everyone to quiet down, then pointed towards the women who were sexually abused. "Correct, these women were found, in chains, while Buencamino and his men abused them on a daily basis." Looking towards the women, Luna nodded his head, after which, Sura handed each and every one of them a pair of Itak Tagalogs. "The justice you seek is in your hands." Buencamino, seeing his fate tried to beg for his life, to no avail. "No no no! Please! I was wrong! Forgive me! NO! AUGHH!!!" The women were planning to butcher him until he was unrecognizable. As his life was ebbing away, Luna went up and dealt the killing blow. He could always use more VIS after all, the more his nation had, the more he can invest in their safety. Most of the people in the crowd couldn''t handle it and started puking. There were a few who endured it, especially since some of these women were the ones they admired as well, they were filled with hatred. Even when Buencamino was already dead, some of them kept hacking at him still. Luna stepped in and stopped them. "Enough." hearing this, the women finally came back to their senses. "You are all welcome to join the , as long as you abide by our rules and our requirements. If you want to stay here, that''s up to you as well. We leave by the next morning. Let this all be a lesson to everyone. This new world is unforgiving, pretty soon these walls alone will not do anything. The reason why Buencamino thought he could get away with his deeds, was because the Philippine Government has collapsed. There will be no one coming to save you after this day. Only you can control your fate now."Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. One of the victims stepped forward and knelt down towards Luna. "Lord Luna, you''ve saved this life of mine, if you''d allow it, I''d like to join you. I wish to become strong, so that no one, man or woman can ever control my fate ever again." With that said the rest of them swore their allegiance. After all, besides Luna having saved their lives, they were all still incredibly weak. Being chained in that basement, they had no opportunity to level themselves. "Very well. As long as you remain loyal to me I will treat you well." After explaining his requirements of his citizens, Luna formally invited them into the . One of the soldiers couldn''t help but speak up. "Excuse me, sir Luna, but isn''t what you''re doing basically going against the Philippine government? Creating a nation on Philippine soil?" Luna walked up to the soldiers, causing them to be wary. "What is your name?" "Eduardo Rusca, sir." The man was quick to respond. "Mr. Rusca, I see. Which Government do you speak of? The one who abused these women? Or the one who abandoned these people, which resulted in Buencamino abusing these women?" "This..." He didn''t quite know how to answer, so he looked towards his comrades for an answer, but they didn''t have anything to say either. Seeing that these men didn''t have any answer, he continued. "Those officials of yours might have abandoned these people, leading them to suffer, but I will not. You can make for Manila, if you wish, assuming you can get that far or you could protect the people that are here now. If you decide to join me, then come talk to me by tomorrow." after saying that, Luna walked away, knowing that they would need to talk among themselves. The only person he was sure would join, was General Leman. The next day, everybody finished preparing their things. Boni, whom Luna messaged through communications, which was only possible when one purchased a communication center through the shop for 1,000,000 VIS, which fortunately was self-maintained. This allowed members to use something similar to the system in MMORPGs where you could either use voice comms with people, add them to your contacts, send them a message in text form, or if you were either the leader, like Luna, or high enough ranked, you could contact people within your nation immediately. The only way to contact someone outside your nation using this system, is if you were officially allied with their nation and they had a communication center installed. Boni, along with the other elites despite being in civilian outfits, looked imposing. Even the soldiers were stunned. Truth is, the shop had a lot of things in it that one could purchase, as long as you had the money for it. One of them was basic armor, which could also be upgraded. It''s just that Luna knew that time was of the essence, so he went to take care of Buencamino first, thus saving the women, and at the same time achieving vengeance for those who wanted it, making them more inclined to serve him, as well as earning the trust of everybody in the evacuation center. Elise was with them as well, Boni had informed her that Luna met her father already. She ran towards her father at full speed, recounting her experiences and how she and her friends were saved. Elise was very mindful as well, she made sure to speak loud enough so the soldiers nearby could hear. This would inevitably affect their decision of wanting to join the or not. As soon as everybody got in the vehicles, it was time to return home. Building Infrastructures As the vehicles were filled up, they started to head back to base. At first, they needed to make several trips, but after much deliberation, seeing as the Philippine Army Rangers were here, they would have enough people to guard their rear and both flanks, Luna, Sura, and Max went ahead of everyone else to clear the area in advance. This was also where the importance of leveling the survivors from earlier came to play. Without all these factors together, transporting thousands of people would not have been possible at all. They moved slow, but ultimately saved more time. This was only possible due to Bacolod City not being that big of a place to begin with. Although the Rangers were hesitant at first, they finally decided they would check out the base before they decided. A while later, they finally arrived, and what greeted them were the imposing metal walls, and automated turrets on top of them. This was more impressive than the stone walls the other camp had that didn''t even have any turrets. When they got finally got to the base, they were impressed. Although the repairs needed haven''t been finished yet, but when compared to the little shanty houses and tents from before, this place almost seemed like how it was prior to the apocalypse. Even the soldiers understood why Elise spoke so highly about Luna. The fact that someone could adapt so quickly and make all of this possible, was definitely worth following. Everyone was registered and formally became citizens of the . No time was wasted, as soon as everyone was assigned a living area, Luna proceeded back to his house. There was too many people, the houses in this area would not be enough to accommodate these people. Including the ones from the evacuation area, people still kept pouring in, numbering up to 10,000+ already, but the current didn''t have options for housing. While quite a bit of the houses were easily repairable, a lot more were beyond that already. They also had no reliable way to get the raw materials needed to build enough houses, nor the equipment. This was why Luna assigned Boni and Elise to take care of the soldiers for now. He had to find a solution. When he hit 1,000 population, he could upgrade his to rank 2, it then offered infrastructure that would help them out with power. Excellent! But this was still not the answer to his problems. Rank 3 at 5,000 population, it now offered more upgrade options and training equipment for soldiers, including advanced armor sets that were lightweight, and would greatly help avoiding infection, the best part, was that they could also be upgraded, at a higher cost than weapons. Finally, Rank 4 at 10,000 population, his prayers were answered! A more futuristic version of a perfect size for a family and it was relatively cheap, at just 3,000 VIS Coins each. They could be upgraded to have more space, but would only expand vertically. Whether the family or people living in these houses would want to do that, that was up to them to spend their own currency.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. After spending 2,000,000 VIS to purchase something that resembled a much smaller power plant, it actually identified his territories and provided power miraculously. Seeing this, Luna could only ponder as to what they could be up against in the future or how behind Earth truly was, this thing would be enough to power the whole City of Bacolod when he finally managed to conquer it. Soon after, he prioritized setting up the housing on the empty lots first, while he ordered the demolition of the irreparable houses. While this was all happening, he had already queued up the production of the advanced armor sets, each one going for 1,000 VIS each. Next up, in the middle of the settlement he planted a and a for everybody''s use. Here, citizens and soldiers alike could spend their hard earned VIS to upgrade their equipment. Next up, he set up metal walls appropriately around the territories surrounding St. Scholastica''s Academy. This was in preparation for when they challenged it. The school itself wasn''t actually bigger than the medium territory they conquered already, but it must have been due to the structures already in place, this was what Luna assumed, at least, as there was no point worrying about it too much. As soon as the armor sets were done, they were distributed to the people drafted into the military. This was one of Luna''s conditions, so nobody objected. Not that they wanted to, after seeing how weakness can only doom them, everybody jumped at the opportunity of having the gear to level with. Now they truly did look like a proper Army, although they would still need to do some leveling, which was a daily requirement. Luna was experienced in MMORPGs, one of the main reasons why top guilds would stay at the top, is because they would never relent. From day one, it would be hardcore grinding. If there were valuable resources, they would be monopolized. Even if some of their members were less skilled, they would be so ahead in levels and gear that they''ll stomp on players more skilled them. Prime example being: Luna. While he is a special case, one still can''t help but compare. If he were to go up against the Rangers right now, with all their years of training and hard work, they would probably be demoralized when they find out that the only thing they can damage are his clothes. Not to mention that the ones who haven''t leveled yet, were actually perfect. They would be the foundation on the eventual formation of the Mage Corps. And the person who will eventually lead them? The one everyone came to know as the Lightning Goddess, and eventually, the Lightning General Apple Linario. Just as Luna was finishing up with everything, he received a message from Boni. "Bro, the Rangers are asking if they could see you. They say it''s regarding about them wanting to join the Sovereign Nation." "Alright, I''ll head there now." Luna couldn''t help but be hopeful. While his core members were much stronger, it would be quite a boon to have these experienced soldiers who weren''t necessarily weak, with their group being around level 20, join him. After all, if they did, that means conquering a Large territory would be that much easier, along with their knowledge, training an army properly would be an added benefit. Taming System As soon as Luna arrived, everyone stood up to greet him. Paco then stepped forward and said, "Lord Luna, thank you for coming. We''ve come to a decision." "It really does feel a bit awkward when people call me that, I''ll admit. Just call me Luna, Paco." Luna knew people called him "Lord" out of respect and reverence, but that honestly wasn''t his thing. It felt even more awkward when someone of a Ranger''s caliber was saying it. "As you wish. We wanted to tell you that we''re willing to follow you in order to protect the people. On one condition: If the Philippine government still does exist, we will not commit to fighting them." Paco earnestly said. He was after all, a soldier who was trained to listen to orders from the higher ups. "That won''t be an issue. As long as you abide by our rules and do your part, you are welcome here." Luna replied, it didn''t matter if they left in the future, the most important thing was that he could make use of their experience to help train his own soldiers. Just as they were about to finish, Luna suddenly received a voice comm request from one of his men. Accepting it, he received a message from the other end of the line. "Lord Luna! I''m sorry to disturb you, but there''s a problem in the Eastern wall. It looks like a giant Crocodile!" Luna was quite surprised, there shouldn''t be any crocodiles naturally living in that area. Unless.. There were two Zoos in the City, one was farther down south, but the one located towards the east was about 3 to 4 miles away. It wasn''t a surprise that one of the animals would manage to wander here. "There seems to be some trouble on the Eastern wall, excuse me, gentlemen." After excusing himself, Luna turned around and dashed towards the eastern side, it was lucky that the walls over there were the Adamantite ones. Elise who was with Boni after finally introducing him to her father, exchanged looks as they excused themselves and went towards the same direction as well. Seeing them leave so quickly, Leman and the rest followed suit. When they got close to the wall, they already heard banging, the giant crocodile was probably around 30 meters long, weighing several tons the intermediate automated turrets didn''t seem to do much, other than piss it off even more. This was normal, the basic automated turrets were built for regular zombies, and the intermediate ones were built more for AoE blasts and evolved zombies. If it couldn''t quite injure the tank variants, it definitely wouldn''t affect the mutant crocodile''s thick carapace. While everybody was visibly shaken, Luna couldn''t help but be excited. So far, there haven''t really been that many challenges he''d faced, even the tank variants quickly became a joke, he couldn''t wait for the zombies to evolve. Even with Sura and Max now both going out to massacre zombies, it still didn''t allow him to hit level 30. But now, with these mutant beasts who were naturally powerful, he felt as if he finally got the sparring partner he''d always wanted, with the amount of power they had, it was obvious how much life force these beasts had. Not long after, Boni and Elise arrived behind him. Looking at the Crocodile whose noise making attracted some zombies, including a tank variant, then just gobbled them up, Boni spoke up and suggested something. "Bro, should we call Apple over to electrocute that thing from up here?"Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Looking at Boni, Luna just smiled. "No need." Leman and the Rangers got there just in time to see Luna jump off of the high walls, something that even they, even being at level 20 would not come out uninjured. They all looked over to see Luna slam his Guandao onto the Mutated Croc''s back and actually crushing it''s scales, with blood gushing out. Crying out in pain, it initiated it''s signature move, the death roll. In truth, he could have waited till the Croc''s more vulnerable belly was exposes and finished it off, but that would defeat his main purpose. The mutant croc was quite fond of using it''s incredibly long and powerful tail, Luna competed with it by deflecting it with his Guandao, trying to gauge his strength. As expected it''s strength along with the momentum of swinging it''s tail was indeed able to match Luna''s, albeit, it did have one flaw, which was the fact that it did full swings, so it''s attack speed was not able to match Luna''s in the slightest. This was also before he utilized the Draconic armor. He was pretty satisfied with this test so far, not only was he able to test his strength, it was also a morale booster for the troops to know that their leader could take out such a huge target. The Rangers now felt even moreso that following this man was the correct choice. These men didn''t know about the fact that Luna had Apolaki and Mayari''s blessing, nor did the fact that his body was renewed by his armor. Paco along with the rest, had their mouths opened. The sight of a small human going up against such a giant and coming out ahead was beyond their comprehension. "I''m glad nobody overreacted when we saw him slaughtering Buencamino''s men." The rest of the Rangers could only nod in agreement. Boni and Elise tried their best to hold in their excitement as well, pretending as if this was something they would normally expect from their leader. Right after he finished running his tests, Luna disappeared, only to reappear by the side of the Croc, sending and upward swing, slashing open the side, knocking it halfway to it''s back, and with it''s belly exposed, stabbed the soft spot closest to the tail and ran all the way up to the head. With it''s innards spilling out, Luna noticed a small orb fall out along with 1,000 VIS automatically going into his inventory along with a skill book. As soon as he received the life force for his kill. ---------------------------------- You have gained 30 stat points to distribute! increased to rank 2 has now become You have gained the active skill - Using this skill allows you to see the level of the monsters in your current field of vision as long as it isn''t 10 level higher than yours. Cannot scan opponents under the effect of the skill. ---------------------------------- All 30 points were pumped into VIT. After reaching level 30, Sura finally gained access to her <3-Headed 6-Armed Mode>, the signature skill of the Asuran Race. Afterwards, Luna examined the small orb he picked up. ----------------------------------- Rank 3 Mutant Beast Core A rare drop that has a chance of dropping from level 30-39 mutant beasts. Can be used to Tame mutant beasts below level 40 at a 10% base chance. Base chance decreases to 1% for beasts at level 40-49 Chance increases the more damage the beast has taken. ----------------------------------- Multiple ideas instantly came into Luna''s head. What if he had his soldiers farm mutant beasts as well? Couldn''t he potentially have a sizable cavalry unit? He quickly put that thought at the back of his head for now, after all, it was considered a rare drop, it wasn''t reliable enough at the moment unless they farmed enough mutant beasts. Looking towards the others at the top he yelled out. "Get this thing inside the base. We''re having Crocodile for dinner tonight!" Anito System As soon as they brought in the beast, everybody couldn''t help but be amazed. This thing was at least 3 times as large as the biggest crocodile on record prior to the new world. The croc was cooked in multiple ways, and handed out to those who actually wanted to eat it. The ones who didn''t have the appetite, later regretted it, as people said that it was the best tasting meat they''ve ever had, and they could feel it nourishing their body to a noticeable degree. After finally having the time to sit down and rest, Luna decided it was time to upgrade his weapons. Just as he pulled up his inventory, he noticed his armor had a glowing border around it. After selecting it, it opened up an option for him: "Yes." Of course! He had been so busy that he forgot that this armor actually grew stronger along with him. The current scaly armor was now starting to transform, that part where the shoulder pads were, started forming a dragon head, with it''s maw in full view. The chest area looked as if it was a breastplate, but every time he breathed, the little unique gaps in the middle looked as if there was dragon fire inside of them. It was all very interesting to see it transform like that. He could somehow start to hear a dragon''s spirit within the armor itself. What was even more surprising was that this spirit actually nourished his soul ever so slightly, which made him look forward to see how far this armor''s growth would go in the future. Next up, he proceeded to upgrade his Guandao, after the new upgrading and modification stations were installed, he could now upgrade his weapon 3 more times. The good part about upgrading in this new world, was that it wasn''t RNG-based. One only needed to spend VIS until the upgrade bar was filled up and it would automatically increase. +4! +5! +6! ---------------------------- Different items within the world have spirits that lay dormant within them. Upgrading weapons and armor is only one way of awakening these spirits. The most basic effect of Anitos is to strengthen your weapon further than +6 Weapon and armor all gain a spirit gauge at +6, in order to get any higher, one must equip the weapon or armor while eliminating mobs** to fill up the gauge before you are able to continue strengthening it. ---------------------------- "Interesting. I wonder what Anito my weapon has and what extra effects it might have?" Luna wondered. He was curious if it would have it''s own will an actually be able to communicate with it''s owner. After finding out this information, he relayed it to the rest of his core members to share with their respective regiments. He''d later share this information with his soldiers as well, but as of right now, there wasn''t much point. They wouldn''t be able to afford anything beyond +3 at the moment anyway. +4 alone cost 100,000 VIS. +5 cost 200,000 while +6 cost 300,000. That''s only for one piece of equipment. This was still a good thing, as it would encourage grinding mobs even more. He called Boni, Elise, Maria, Clara, Mabini, Apple, Hana, Yu-jin, Sang-hwa, So-hee, and Seo-hyeon over. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.These were the first 11 people he had on his team and he had a very good impression of all of them thus far. "I''ve called you all here so I can help you upgrade your weapons to +6, as for your armor, that''ll be up to you." Luna was willing to spend the ''s currency to strengthen their combat power, but he knew that the higher their population gets, the more access to new structures he would have. He would need to save up even more currency the bigger his territory increases. This was normal. Survivors were still pouring in daily, which lead to the next thing he wanted to discuss with his core members. "First off, good job on occupying the area around the school. I brought you guys here because I want us to occupy a large territory as soon as possible. With the current amount of troops we have, not to mention with more Mages wielding different elements, it should be relatively easier this time around. Our main objective will be just to fight in the open areas. Try not to destroy too many structures." Luna had a solemn look on his face before turning to Apple. "Apple, how is the Mage training going?" Apple opened up a folder and handed Luna a piece of paper detailing the name of each Mage, what element they mainly had, and what skills they learned. "Mabini and I personally made sure to train them. All of the women you saved signed up. They all seemed very eager to get stronger, so we stayed out to grind with them even after their required time was up. I''m confident that by tomorrow, they could possibly reach level 15. Besides that, we also had quite a few sign up. At the very least we have enough to form a company, a couple hundred more and we''ll have enough to form our first Mage Battalion." Everybody was quite impressed. Not even a week ago they were all wondering how they were going to survive, or if they were even going to live another day. But they all knew, that it was due to Luna''s planning, quick thinking, and leadership that they''ve managed to start this small but strong Nation, that has become a bastion of hope for them and the survivors that are starting to pour in. Luna nodded in approval as Apple finished her report. "Impressive stuff you two. Besides that I also wanted to talk to you guys regarding food. While we can rely on the granaries for food for now, eventually we''ll have to hunt. My plan is to expand and at least surround the foot of Mt. Kanlaon so we can eventually hunt the mutant beasts there for food, along with working our way towards the coast as well, to hunt the seafood there. If mutant beasts are as nutritious as that Crocodile, that may strengthen our Nation''s overall strength and morale as well." "Luna-sama." Hana stood up. She had changed the honorific she used for Luna from -dono to -sama, signifying the change in the amount of respect and admiration he had for him. "Bacolod has two different Zoos, the smaller one closer to us, and the larger one by the Provincial Capital Lagoon. I suggest that after we take over the school, we work our way towards there. The Lagoon has thousands of Tilapia. If we could take it, that''s basically a free fish farm to feed our population." Luna''s eyes couldn''t help but widen in surprise. "Of course! Hana, you genius! How didn''t I think of that before. Very well. Boni, Elise when you take out your regiment to grind, tomorrow, try to whittle down the population in that direction a bit, so there won''t be as much resistance by the time we work our way through there. The spawned zombies won''t be too much of an issue. Hunt any Mutant Beast that you find, and if you can''t handle it, call for me immediately." Boni patted his chest as he replied. "You got it, bro! I''ll send scouts in advance, just in case. Hehe. General Leman has been teaching me some tricks, I asked him if he could teach you too, and he said he''d be glad to." Luna smiled, thinking that it was a load off of Boni''s shoulders to have his father-in-law''s approval. "Alright, I''ll be sure to give him a visit tomorrow." After the plans were set, for tomorrow, everyone dispersed and went about their duties. Luna would then head out and grind some more, while heading a bit towards the East to see if he could spot any of the mutant beasts that escaped the Zoo, but just as he was about to leave, he suddenly felt a large amount of life force enter his system along with a soul message from Maxene. "Father! Father! I just killed a giant eagle with Mother! It tried to eat me but I bashed it in it''s head! But, well, you see..." Luna could feel some slight hesitation from her before she continued. "it has babies. Can I keep it?" If it weren''t for the fact that she just talked about bashing a mutant beast''s head in, this would have been like a perfectly normal scenario prior to the new world, where a daughter would ask her parents if she could have a pet. Luna found this quite amusing, then sent his reply. "Wait for me there, I have something that can tame one of them." Emergency Food, World Destroyer, and Spot Luna went ahead and dashed towards Maxene''s location. Apparently, the moment she heard about the mutant beasts that posed more of a challenge than the current zombies. On his way there, he actually received large amounts of life force, allowing him to hit level 31. Having Sura and Max was truly a huge advantage for him. Sometimes the two would go out to hunt as a duo, and sometimes they would exchange shifts, making sure that Luna would have a steady stream of EXP while he takes care of the ''s progress. When he got there, besides the Eagle, he also saw a dead male and female Lion, which explained the other wave of EXP he absorbed earlier. The Eagle itself hadn''t gotten too large yet, but seeing the pair of Lions, they looked like the size of tractor trucks. After using he saw that the Eagle was only at level 20, the Lions were at 39 for the male and 35 for the female. Luna was quite surprised, if it were normal people, even 5 people at level 30, it would have been impossible to come out unscathed. Maxene''s eyes lit up as soon as she saw Luna arrive. "Father! These mutant beasts sure were scary, but once Mother got serious, they looked as if all they wanted was to run away!" Luna couldn''t help but be happy that he had such a reliable daughter, but what shocked him more was that behind her was a baby Eagle, a Lion cub, and a Cheetah cub which was weird because he didn''t see Cheetah''s parent''s corpses around. What was even more shocking was that they looked at Max as if she was their master. "Ah! Father, these are my new pets. I can keep them, right?" Max had an expectant look on her face. It was like a little girl asking her parents if she could have a dog or a cat. Except these "cats" would probably grow to be even bigger than a tank, and these birds would probably eat fighter jets for breakfast. Sura who knew at this point what Luna was wondering decided to answer the question in his mind for him. Petting Max''s head she smiled towards Luna and she said. "When she reached level 30, apparently an innate skill exclusive to the was awakened inside her. Which is the ability. Currently she can tame up to five a day, so she chose to kill the adult ones to give you EXP, unfortunately the Cheetah was eaten by the Lions, while the little ones that are level 5 and below she tamed so they can grow up and help you out. You have quite the thoughtful daughter." Max seemed to enjoy the compliments she was receiving from her parents, then she quickly remembered to introduce her new pets to Luna. "Alright you three, line up for father so I can introduce you!" The baby eagle and the two cubs lined up like proper soldiers as Max introduced them one by one. "This little bird here is a bit of a scaredy cat, so I decided to name him Emergency Food, which is what he will be if he doesn''t prove to be useful." hearing that, Emergency Food''s eyes widened in fear as he looked towards Luna as if begging for help, while Max continued. "This one here is pretty tough, you can tell he''s pretty domineering even tried to attack us before I tamed him, I decided to call him World Destroyer, which I think is a pretty cool name, oh and this little one right here, his Mother got eaten by World Destroyer''s dad, I named him Spot, because he has lots of it." Sura was covering her mouth as she tried her best to hold her laughter in as she saw Luna''s stunned expression. Luna regained his composure as he said, "Good job, Max. Keep up the good work, okay? If you can, tame five a day, do so, but don''t go too far out of your way for it. Also, don''t bully Emergency Food, he will be quite valuable especially as a scout in the future." He still couldn''t quite get over the naming process for these guys. One would think that with how much thought he put into Max''s name, that she would pay it forward towards her pets. Hearing this, Emergency Food looked at Luna with utmost gratitude. These three would be quite useful in the future, Spot and Emergency Food would proof useful for reconnaissance missions, while World Destroyer seemed to have more value being in the front line.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Thinking back to it now, he wondered what other advantages Max had in terms of utility. When he first received the Life Tree he assumed that every territory first bonus would have some utility on a wide scale. Max, while an asset due to her combat capability and innate potential, didn''t seem to have much utility on that scale. Until she reached level 30, that is. What other skills might she learn in the future? Regardless, her ability to tame mutant beasts, even just the newborns would prove vital in the long run. Taming items were considered rare by the system, and that''s not accounting for the chance it might have to fail, which made it harder, if not impossible to mass tame mutant beasts. While this wouldn''t help his individual strength much, it would indeed be extremely helpful when conquering territories. Who knows what kind of mutations these beasts would have in the future? That would only bring more advantages. He now had another layer of plans to his previous ones, which was that after surrounding the mountain and rain forest areas, he would regulate the hunting done in those areas, so the population doesn''t dwindle too low, while still proving to be good places to hunt for food, tame beasts, and train soldiers. With this piece of good news, he was looking forward even more to conquering the first ever large territory. What advantages would it bring towards his ? Would there be something similar to the Draconic Armor in there as well? It seems he had to fast forward his plans a bit. While he had huge advantages in the beginning that caused him to conquer the first small and medium territories, what if there was an insane group of people out there? He wasn''t wrong, while the rest of the world didn''t have the same advantages he had, that doesn''t mean they were just going to lay down and give up, especially when it meant so much to their survival. Luna wasn''t willing to take any chances, he would initiate the challenge at first light tomorrow. He was willing to invest in more turrets to surround the area, seeing as it was going to be a key area for training and educating the young anyway. The reason why he wanted to use it for both was simple, if the kids would see how strong and reliable the soldiers were, they would look up to them. In the same vein, he would encourage the soldiers to be examples for the children as well. Kind of like how the Spartan or the Viking children would look up to the adults who were strong and willingly wanted to get stronger to fight like them in the future. Of course, not everyone was suited to be a Warrior, some were better fitted to be Mages. Some unique geniuses who were fit to be Tacticians or fit two or more roles would receive more resources than usual. Luna had read a lot of stories, whether non-fiction or fiction where he noticed things that he thought could have been done better, and he was adapting what he learned. Learning from the mistakes of great men and women could only help you, after all. While everybody else was concerned about the large territory challenge, he was already thinking about the next steps. Which was not only expanding territory, where to expand first, but also one of the problems that were right under their noses. Rats and Roaches. He''d read stories before about rat tides and how fatal they can be. He''d never read about Roach tides, but they weren''t outside the realm of possibilities. If those two would kill each other in the sewers, that would be amazing, but that was too much wishful thinking. This was also one of the reasons why he spent the extra currency for the system housing right away instead of spending more time collecting money and making people pay for it themselves, because they had built-in disposal systems that disintegrated any type of waste that made it so they wouldn''t have to worry about waste that would attract pests, or relying on a sewage system, which would have been a free entrance for such pests. With that said, the tall walls they have wouldn''t help much during a rat or a roach tide. He had to figure out a plan to counter them. It should also be known that the Philippines is a haven for spiders as well. Prior to the new world, it was a hobby for a lot of kids to catch spiders for spider fights, especially since they were incredibly easy to find, which was a testament to how common they were in areas with a lot of vegetation. Thinking about these things gave Luna a headache. It was a good thing that the mutation for these things haven''t gone out of control yet. Keeping those in mind, he continued to join to grind for EXP with Sura and Max. With his current VIT being at 108, unless he was pushed beyond his limits, he wouldn''t need that much sleep to be in top condition. After all, while these three would find it hard to find their match, the reason for that was because they never slacked off from the get-go, which lead to the advantages they had today. Although they didn''t gain another level today, they still made some progress before they had to head back to rest. Large Territory The next day, every available regiment that wasn''t on guard duty on the outer perimeters was gathered inside the school, with the mages on top of the walls surrounding it with their elementals. The lowest level among these Mages was level 10. The women Luna saved beforehand were among them, they stood tall at level 15. Someone volunteered before to test if someone would gain an elemental if they had different elements, and turns out that they wouldn''t. That person was handed other spells of his choosing to continue his path as a hybrid elemental Mage. Luna had instructed his soldiers to clear the school beforehand and move out things like desks, blackboards, and other school related materials. Thinking about it now, he was probably too naive to think that there might be a chance he could preserve some of the structures, but at least with this, he won''t have to worry about school equipment as much. As soon as everything was set, and the additional turrets he installed were ready, he pulled up the prompt. "Yes." Just as they were bracing themselves, the middle part of the biggest field in the school sprouted 4 saplings in a square formation, each one on top of a mound, this was four and in the middle of them all was an egg, engraved on it were ancient Filipino characters called Baybayin* that literally translated to "Sealed by Bathala**: Egg of the Bakunawa***." "Damn it!" This sudden mix up just ruined their whole plan, truth be told he was sort of expecting something similar to a Life Tree, but the issue with this is, this school is so large and had different areas, as oppose to the barren medium territory from before, that there was no way they''d possibly know where it would spawn. Thus, Luna was hoping that wouldn''t be the case. Alas, luck was not on his side in that regard. "Boni, take your regiment and surround those life trees! Apple, take four Mage squads and come with me and Boni! Rangers, protect those Life Trees at all costs!" Luna sent out a slew of orders as he dashed to the Life Trees himself with Maxene and Sura by his side. He had to make sure they gained these Life Trees at all costs. This would be a major source of water for their if they ended up having five in total. They were still unsure what fruit these trees would bear as the first one hasn''t grown any just yet, but the water alone was more than enough to fight with their lives on the line. With less than 1 minute left, everyone was in formation, surrounding the saplings. "SHIELD WALL!" The moment the command was given, all the higher level VIT-based soldiers who were in front planted the bottom part of their War Shields on the ground. This was much more effective than the previous concrete barricades they used. As soon as the rifts all over the area spawned, there were no Evolved Zombies or Regular Zombies, they were all Tank Variants. Even still, everyone forming the shield wall was at least level 20, with more similarly leveled people prepared to switch with them during this siege. The first part where the zombies were attracted to the abundant life force the Life Trees gave, was as expected. It was similar to how it was the first time around. As the tank variants were dashing towards them, the Mages and their Elemental summons already started firing a barrage of spells. Each Mage squad composed of ten Mages, two of each had the same element: Fire, Earth, Ice/Water, and Wind, and the other two having Lightning. Earth Mages deployed their skill in advance, constantly producing more, wounding the incoming horde, but more importantly slowing them down. Fire Mages would bombard them with while maintaining a , far enough from the front line, so the horde would be weakened a bit when they passed through it.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Ice/Water Mages would freeze the ground a decent distance enough behind the Fire Walls catching the zombies off-guard and lose their footing and fall onto the earthen spikes. Wind Mages would help out with their if the zombies got too close, but their most potent skill was their skill that, despite having a 5 minute cooldown, when used in conjunction with the Fire Mage''s skill, would produce Fire whirls that spun outwards towards the incoming horde, inflicting massive damage. The lives of the ones in the front lines were pretty relaxed, as the Mages exchanged shifts when they needed to regenerate their MP. At this point, Luna could care less about the damage they caused to the school, none of that was in their control now. Around the 9th wave, as they were observing everything, some people started noticing something peculiar that they didn''t pay much mind to before. The Tank Variants seemed as if they were more resilient. Luna used his ability and notice something that made his spine shiver. - Level 20 Seeing this, he could only laugh bitterly. It was one thing after another. Then he remembered that this was how it was since the beginning, you had to adapt to the most sudden of changes. He didn''t receive any reports of these evolved tank variants before, he assumed that they would start spawning in the open world after they finish this "instanced version." That is until. It was Hana. "Luna-sama! Our walls are under attack by hordes of tank variants, but these ones seem a lot stronger than what we''re used to. I''ve deployed the second regiment and all our available Mage squads to defend as a precaution. Do you have any other orders?" Damn it all. He just had to run his mouth about "one thing after another" didn''t he? "Defend those walls at all costs, Hana! I''m counting on you, report to me if anything major happens." Despite his frustrations, he didn''t show it. He knew that the moment people saw him being weak, morale would drop. "Understood!" Hana acknowledged his order and then proceeded to focus on the defense. It was quite lucky that he only took 4 Mage squads here, or else they would be in even deeper trouble. Once those evolved tank variants got through those walls, it would be a disaster for his citizens. Just like any zombie defense game, once they all get through, it''s game over. If it wasn''t for the fact that part of his conditions for joining the was mandatory training, his nation would have fallen today for sure. Even then, they still weren''t safe. He didn''t know how long this fight would last. On the bright side, they were all getting a ton of EXP. (Author''s note, from now on, I''ll call these Evolved Tank Variant/Zombies: ETZ/ETZs, so it''s not a mouthful every single time. ETV sounds too similar to ATV, so.) These ETZs were all level 20, after all. After 8 hours of non-stop casting, even with their perfectly timed switches, the Mages were exhausted. They needed time to rest, so the next few hours would be up to the front line. Everyone enjoyed a huge boost in EXP during this whole time, Luna himself managed to reach level 35 so far, it goes without saying that those who were at around level 20 or higher managed to reach at least level 29 if not level 30-31. This made it so they fared better as the ETZ, while at level 20, were naturally much stronger. Those who didn''t reach level 30 yet were told to switch with those who were, after a level 29 tried to fend off an ETZ, only to be sent flying and died soon after he landed back to the ground. Apple saw the front liners struggle, so she proceeded to ask Luna. "Luna, should we have the Mages help out now?" even the Mages that were resting after all their hard work felt some form of guilt once they saw people die, they wanted to keep fighting. "No. We''re not sure how long this siege is going to last. I have to account for the possibility of more advanced zombies showing up. Rest for now, it''s only going to get tougher. I''ll go out and alleviate some of the pressure for now." Luna disappeared from his position and appeared outside of their melee defense line, brandishing his Guandao, he started reaping the lives of the ETZs with ease. Maxene and Sura joined in on the fun as well. Sura danced about like a sword deity, while Maxene took out her own Guandao, which was actually about twice her height. Seeing the three of them dancing about the battlefield and giving the soldiers some breathing room, they couldn''t help but cheer. Their morale, boosted. Boni used this opportunity to further boost morale. "If our leader is willing to swim through an ocean of zombies to alleviate the pressure for us, then who are we to complain! Do not give up! Fight!" "UOOOHHHHHH!!!!!" Everyone started cheering, even the ones on top of the walls fighting heard them and were filled with the desire to fight, despite having a much easier time defending. This was going to be a long battle with unknown variables. If he could, Luna would keep fighting till the end, but he had to account for the possibility that there might be some sort of boss fight at the end of all of this. This is why he was only going to fight for another 8 hours. Enough time for the Mages to recover and fight so he can rest until he reaches his peak again. What comes after that, is something he can only hope that everybody is ready for, if not, everything they worked hard to build will go up in smokes. Kapre Right around the 24th hour. The Mages that have been fighting since the 16th hour had to regenerate mana and rest again. Some soldiers slipped up within this time and some of the ETZs managed to break through and wreak havoc for a short time. Thankfully Luna reacted in time and eliminated it, proceeding to defend while the rest reformed their lines. Just as this wave was done, they didn''t seem to notice more spawning. Was it over? Skeptical, they all looked towards Luna for answers. "It''s not over yet. Not until we get the notice. Stay alert!" Luna replied to their silent question. Just as everybody was observing their surroundings, a loud wailing suddenly echoed throughout the area, sending chills down everyone''s spines. "I''ve never heard any of them sounding like that before. Prepare for a much tougher fight than before! This is probably the final wave!" Luna knew that this could possibly be newer variants. If it was, along with the fact that they just now came out, there was a high possibility of them being stronger as well. Adding on to the previous command, the Mages that had been resting received a new command from him. "Mages, set those Fire Cyclones heading forward! Earth spikes on the ready! I want the ground frozen ASAP! Everyone, brace yourselves!" Some people were still confused, even though this was the final wave, they had level 30 or higher members, right? They just needed to expend a little extra effort for this final push. Or so they thought. What followed next caught everyone by surprise. Around a hundred zombies, with looks similar to the initial evolved zombies, with striking differences. These ones seemed way more resilient, albeit not as much as the ETZs, but they were more than three times as fast, with long claws instead of regular hands. These things were definitely made to be hunters, as opposed to the ETZs who were more for sieges and front lining. He would have to find ways to counter this variant when his soldiers go out to train in the future. He opted to call these things HVZ from now on, which stood for Hunter Variant Zombies. They actually managed to break free from the cyclone''s pull before they took enough damage to die. Despite them actually taking some damage, they managed kept running towards the soldiers. "" Luna analyzed these and found out that these were actually level 30 variants of the evolved zombies. Thankfully, throughout this whole siege, everybody was either level 30 or higher, Luna himself managed to reach level 38 due to him, Sura, and Maxene eliminating majority of the ETZs in their respective areas.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. The moment they reached the front line, the HVZs actually leaped over the front line. It was apparent their target were the Mages. If these monsters got to them, they would be annihilated. Good thing was that Luna, Sura, and Max were in the inner area with the Mages, and so were the Elementals. Even then, is too close for comfort. The HVZs, as if sensing the three absolute monsters in front of them defending the Mages, opted to turn back and swipe the soldiers they jumped over. Immediately, the level 30 ones that couldn''t react in time were wounded, due to their high VIT, they didn''t die from it right away, but unfortunately, there were still at least 30 people who were unlucky and got infected when they were scratched somewhere their armor wasn''t protecting. Luna was filled with rage after seeing this. These were men with families and friends after all, not to mention they were level 30 or higher as well. Sura and Max, feeling the unbridled fury from Luna, dashed forward and massacred the HVZs before they could do more damage. The Mages who were initially shocked fought back as well. These were their comrades as well, people they''ve shared life and death with. Some of these men were even the ones who guarded them when they were weak and power leveled them. How could they be anything less than shaking in anger? With tears running down their faces, they exacted vengeance on these monsters. When they finally killed every last one, they immediately went to their friends who were already in the process of zombification. These soldiers knew their fate was sealed. They were not prepared to die at all. After all, it hasn''t even been a week since they seriously trained. They were all happy to be a part of this defense since they were able to gain levels fast, but who knew it would end this way for them? Even though they could only blame themselves for not defending fast enough, mainly due to their inexperience in battle and exhaustion, it was still hard to accept. They weren''t like the Rangers who were honed in mind, body, and spirit through the inhuman training they went through prior to the new world. The soldiers gave their last goodbyes and parting messages for their comrades and their family. The Mages who had the skill even tried to use it, expecting a miracle that it could somehow detoxify the zombie virus, but to no avail. In the end, the brave men and women chose to die with their humanity intact before they turned. As the soldiers were grieving, Luna managed to regain his composure, noticing a very important detail: There was still no notice! Morale was definitely not high anymore, if they had to endure another wave, they would definitely incur more losses. Just as he was waiting, a giant rift suddenly appeared from a distance, but it was so big that they saw it clearly from where they were. A gigantic monster with some similarities to the ETZ, except it had hair covering every inch of it''s body, it was much taller, and the most ridiculous thing was that this thing was actually smoking a huge cigar, not to mention it had a peculiar smell that was quite nauseating. Luna remembered stories about something similar to this creature: The Kapre!* Sure enough, as soon as he used to verify his assumption, he was stunned. But that wasn''t the part that shocked him, right next to it''s name was: Level ??? Slaying the Kapre A monster having question marks as it''s level after the usage of meant that it was at the very least 10 levels higher. Right at this moment, Luna felt as if they had quite possibly rushed this a bit too soon. He was currently at level 39, so the Kapre was at least level 50. This was fight was something the rest was qualified to be in. Luna looked towards Sura and Max as he said, "It''s going to be up to the three of us." Looking back at all the soldiers, he issued one last command. "Protect these trees at all costs!" As he said that, he finally, for the first time, used his Draconic Armor in full force. Sura initiated her 3-Heads and 6-Arms Mode, surprising everyone. "Whoah, is this leader''s final form?" "Lord Luna didn''t use this form when fighting against that huge Croc last time. It seems he was holding back quite a lot." commented one of the Rangers. "They''re finally letting loose." Apple declared. The usually calm duo she knew were finally letting loose. "Let''s go." As soon as he said that, Luna, Sura, and Max dashed towards the gigantic Kapre. Luna used a full force swing on it''s leg, slicing it open a little bit before he couldn''t go in any further. The worse part is, as soon as he inflicted a wound, it started visibly healing in front of him. "We can''t fight here, I''ll risk damaging the trees too much. Follow me!" Luna gave out a command towards the people on top of the southernmost walls for everyone to clear the area. His plan was simple, it was to lure the Kapre out of this vicinity and more outside towards his territory. Although he''d have to sacrifice a portion of the south wall, it could easily be defended by the soldiers. He would have asked Boni to rebuild it as soon as he lured the Kapre away, but unfortunately, building wasn''t allowed during a challenge or if someone was too close to the vicinity. This was so people couldn''t just continuously build walls to fight off any opposition. The trio ran up the walls and looked towards the Kapre, as if taunting it even more before heading towards the other side. Unexpectedly, it didn''t destroy the wall, and merely jumped over it. Commanding the rest of them to guard the tree, Apple took the level 30+ Mages to station on top of the walls. She was prepared to lay siege on the Kapre should Luna ask for it. Meanwhile, the trio were already locked in a battle against the Kapre. They were aware that should they lose here, everybody would inevitably go down with them. The good part was that the Kapre was relatively slow for it''s level, albeit, it almost matched Luna''s speed even with his current constitution with the Draconic armor fully activated. The bad part was that this thing was definitely mostly VIT-based, even with the trio''s constant attacks, it would barely take damage due to the fact that it''s rate of regeneration matched the current damage output they had. There was the option that he could have the Mages rain down spells on this thing, but if it suddenly turned on them, they would all inevitably die. Even if Boni himself tried to fight this thing, he would die in a few hits as well. The only reason Luna could afford to fight this thing was due to his ability to dodge it''s attacks. But how long could he keep it up? The Kapre had more VIT than them by a long shot, so trying to have a battle of attrition against it is a guaranteed slow loss. He had to think fast, but thinking while keeping yourself alive against this thing was easier said than done. After fighting intensely for a few hours, Luna was starting to feel more worried. Expending the most effort with every second of fighting this thing was more tiring than reaping the other zombies with one swing of his weapon. As he was fighting Apple sent him a message. "Luna, that thing isn''t going to die before you exhaust yourself. Please allow us to help you!" "No, I can''t risk your lives." Luna replied back. "At least let us cast Lightning Cloud and Fire Wall at it, something that it can''t visibly see where it''s coming from." Apple urged. He knew that Luna was fighting a losing battle, and she didn''t want harm to come to him. Just as Apple mentioned "Lightning Cloud" an idea finally popped in Luna''s head. "Apple, take all the Lightning Mages with you and take one of your most skilled Earth Mages and follow us from close behind. Take some soldiers to guard yourselves as well!"Stolen novel; please report. "I''m on it!" As soon as she received the orders, Apple was incredibly efficient. As she was doing this, she noticed Luna running directly west. "He seems to be running directly west... but that''s the BREDCO Port, that''s a dead end? Is that why..." Apple quickly realized his plan, hastening everybody else, while the ones remaining continued to defend on the walls. Some of the people from the first regiment went over to help as well, leaving just enough people by the Life Trees in case some zombies still managed to spawn. Luna was incredibly tense until he finally reached the port and the Kapre was still hot on his tail. Heaving a sigh of relief, he was incredibly afraid of this Kapre having a leash range not far enough to reach this area. He was hoping this thing wouldn''t have it at all, actually. (Author''s note: Leash range in MMORPGs is basically when a monster stops following you and runs back to the area where he spawned.) The moment they got there, he proceeded to kite around the Kapre until Apple and the rest got there. Not long after he got her message. "Luna, we''re here. Where''s the Earth Mage?" "I''m here, Lord Luna." It was Gabriela Silang, the woman whose husband died at the hands of Buencamino''s thug. He didn''t notice it, but she was the hardest working Mages, even surprising Apple at times, adding on to that, she was naturally talented in combat. "Alright, listen up. Gabriela, I''m going to do my best to knock this guy towards the water, I need you to accurately use your to try and help me push him over. Lightning Mages, as soon as that thing hits the water, I want every single one of you to cast on it and channel on it non-stop. The rest of you soldiers, prevent any interruptions, I want two squads on clearing duty to prevent any mishaps. Understood?" "YES, LORD LUNA!" they all acknowledged. As soon as he found a spot where there weren''t any boats nearby that the Kapre could possibly hold on to, he proceeded to lure him closer. Just as he was getting ready, a pair of tentacles suddenly shot out from the murky waters, and grabbed on to his leg. Luckily, he reacted fast enough and sliced them up. When he looked over, he could barely make out the silhouettes of countless mutated sea creatures, as the Kapre was dashing towards him, Luna jumped out of the way. It stopped just as it was about to fall off, when Gabriela instantly conjured up multiple ones long enough to hit the back of it''s knee, some conjured up from directly beneath it''s feet, almost pushing the Kapre over towards the water, but it was still not enough. Not even a second later, another one got conjured up, accurately zipping towards the Kapre''s rear end, targeting it''s sacred exit hole. While this wasn''t exactly what Luna was expecting, nonetheless, it was incredibly effective, as it finally pushed the Kapre over. The moment that it landed on the water, all the mutated sea creatures instantly attacked it. Luna looked over to see it getting feasted on. "You''re not stealing that EXP from us." Right away, multiple stacked Lightning Clouds approached from above, landing on the water, followed by multiple chain lightnings. The EXP was shared at this time, mainly because Luna wanted to hit level 40 from these kills, and sure enough, after receiving the life force from the mutant sea creatures. ---------------------------------- You have gained 40 stat points to distribute! increased to rank 2 has now become can now be effective no monsters up to 15 levels higher than you! ---------------------------------- Seeing as his stats now had a healthy balance, Luna knew that despite Apolaki and Mayari''s blessings, despite the Draconic Armor, the higher the levels went, the bigger the difference. If it weren''t for these advantages he currently had, he would not have been able to match up against the Kapre at all, but if he had more strength, that means he would have actually done enough damage to wittle it down. Thus, he appointed all 40 stat points to STR bringing his total base strength to 95. Sura and Maxene also felt themselves grow stronger, Maxene was actually closer to 41 than the both of them, due to her constantly absorbing energy even when she wasn''t fighting, with that energy being a bit faster now that she reached level 40. The Lightning Mages were still channeling chain lightning at this point, after all, a level 50 VIT-based monster was not something even Luna could underestimate, what more them? Even Apple who was closing in at level 38 and appointed a huge majority of her points to INT, did not fully trust that her damage would be enough with just this amount of time. They kept it going for a few minutes until Luna signaled for them to stop. A few seconds after they did, he still didn''t receive a notice, which could only mean one thing. Sure enough, a giant arm leaned on the side of the port, as the Kapre, struggling as it may be, tried to get out of the water. Of course, Luna wouldn''t give it the chance to. With their current strength, Luna, Sura, and Maxene dashed forward. Luna struck the left side of it''s neck, while Maxene got the right side, Sura who was still in her 3-Heads 6-Armed Mode stabbed both it''s eyes, both it''s ears, and two towards it''s mouth. Lopping it''s head off, the Kapre was finally slain. Instantly everyone got the notice, people jumped in levels by a huge amount, the people like Apple who were already at level 38, instantly jumped to level 41. Luna who was already at 40, jumped to level 43 with Sura, while Maxene hit level 43. Conquering a large territory, along with the bonus EXP from being the first to conquer a large territory and clearing the objective brought amazing results indeed. Luna then proceeded to check what bonuses he received after this whole ordeal. The Difficulty of Being a Leader ----------------------- Leader Bonus: 20,000,000 VIS Bathala''s Primordial Flame - The very first and strongest flame created by Bathala himself. However, while he could retract the primordial flames, even he could not extinguish them completely. It has formed a spirit over the countless years of it''s existence, that will adapt itself to the user''s current strength as a precaution. for weapons. ----------------------- The only existing egg remaining of the legendary Bakunawa. Leave it in the located in the small island in the middle of the four it spawned with for 7 days until it hatches. The owner of this egg should stay with it for the full 7 days at all times in order for it to familiarize itself with your soul, recognizing you as it''s master. ----------------------- Large Territory Bonus: Adamantium Walls to surround your territory! to protect your new territory. x32 First Owner Bonus 100,000,000 VIS! x4 ----------------------- A cradle created by the roots of at least four that increases the innate potential of Infants or Eggs placed within it for seven days. Eggs take much less time to hatch when placed within. Legendary class eggs can only be hatched by placing it within the cradle. ----------------------- Luna was pretty happy about these new gains they just received, but only for a moment. When he remembered the cost of such gains, he had a solemn look on his face. When the soldiers noticed his demeanor, they too shared a moment of silence. "Let''s head back for now. We need to bury our dead." As he gave out the command, they all headed back to base. Everybody knew that from this point on, the previous minimum requirement of level 10, will now be raised to at least level 20, even then one could only run away from ETZs, and pray they don''t get seen by EHZs. It was quite bittersweet for everybody. They gained a lot and they appreciated that they had a leader that cared for them, but at the same time, they lost their comrades, along with the fact that those who had a family, would now be left without a father or mother.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Apple saw how heavily it weighed on Luna''s shoulders, as she put her hand on his shoulders. "If you''d like I can take care of it. You have a lot of things to worry about as it is, Luna." He showed a smile filled with appreciation towards Apple''s thoughtfulness. "Thank you, Apple, but I have to do this." She could only nod as she watched him walk forward while all she could do was stare at his back before Mabini patted her on the shoulder and walked back to the base with her. As soon as they all got back to the base, the corpses of the men and women who died were all lined up on the ground. Wives, Husbands, Children, all were mourning the death of their loved ones. Luna had a heavy expression on his face as he spread his gaze towards every single crying family member and towards every single corpse, committing all of it to memory. Vowing even more so than before, that he would do everything he can to strengthen his people. To stay ahead in terms of evolution. Even when he knew that there was no way he could protect them all. Such were the hardships of being a leader. You always wanted the best for your people, but that wasn''t always possible. How could it be that easy, after all? Especially in this new world where the theme is to be pushed to the limits in order to evolve further? "Lord Luna, why did you let my father die?" "Lord Luna, why did you let my husband die?" "Lord Luna, why did you let my wife die?" In their grief, some lost sight of reason and threw the blame solely on him. Some of the soldiers wanted to reprimand them, but Luna stopped them. When they saw Luna walking up to them, they were scared. They realized that they had spoken out of turn. Kneeling down on one knee, he said. "My fault was that I didn''t push your loved ones to be more stronger than they were. Had they been a second faster, had they been faster to react, they would still be alive, but I made the mistake of thinking that hovering around the minimum requirements to survive was enough for a regular soldier." After saying that, the rest could only contemplate on the meaning behind those words. Luna stood back up, his gaze commanding everyone''s attention. "Everyone. Tonight we all saw how sudden these monsters can evolve. How easily we can be caught by surprise, how fragile our lives are! Our people have ALWAYS adapted to any circumstance! No matter what form of adversity, we have always smiled through it and trudged on. In this new world, it isn''t any different. Especially in OUR City! Whether you''re Filipino, American, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, or Indian. Once you live in the City of Smiles, that very way of life has been infused in you." pointing towards the corpses, he continued. "Commit these very men and women to memory. For they sacrificed their lives to remind us all of a valuable lesson." Just as he said that, one of the little boys who were grieving grabbed his father''s Itak Tagalogs. In between sobs, he forced himself to speak. "Lord Luna, I may be young, but I know that this new world doesn''t care about that. I would like to grow stronger. Stronger than my Mother, so I can avenge her by reaping the lives of these zombies with a smile on my face." The rest of the people who were mourning stood up and pledged similar oaths as well. No one would have ever guessed, that the death of these men and women, would ignite an inextinguishable fire within everyone else who survived. The very next day¡­. With the 100,000,000 VIS that the gained, Luna proceeded to spend a huge sum of it to upgrade his army''s current armor, even upgrading and modifying it so the soldiers would now gain protection on their faces in the form of masks. From the inside, everything was transparent, so it didn''t affect their vision, but on the outside, it was a mask that could be modified to change it''s appearance. They were all modified by their respective owners to have the appearances resemble the different smiling masks, reminiscient of the Masskarra Festival. Even Hana, Elise, Yu-jin, Sang-hwa, and the rest modified their masks to have smiles on them, but designed uniquely to fit their style based on their own culture as well. All of this didn''t take much time, as the customization on the masks themselves only had to be willed by their users to form the design they wanted. Not long after, they all moved out. Their goal was simple: If the minimum requirement to survive was 20, theirs would be 40. If it was 30, theirs would be at least 50. Thus, the army that would later on become famous as "The Smiling Immortals" began their path to greater evolution. New Developments It had been seven days and the was still busy strengthening their members and bolstering their numbers even further while new developments were happening around the world as well. In America, were starting to pop up everywhere. The was currently the largest, followed by the , and then the formed by New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Each one, while still working towards clearing up their own states, had plans on creeping towards the middle of the nation for more territory. While Central America was struggling as well. Not to mention that prisons were now a stronghold for criminals. In China, the Government had turned from having evacuation areas, to evacuation fortresses, similar to the . University students that managed to survive also occupied their respective universities and expanded from there. With everybody struggling to survive since the beginning, even the world''s governments didn''t have any means to stop people from creating their own factions. Especially with guarding every City and zombies spawning in areas that haven''t been challenged yet no matter how many of them you kill, there was no means for anybody to expand fast enough this early on. Similar situations were happening all around the world. Perhaps, this was exactly what the Gods wanted. Previous powers meant very little, only the ones with the most potential can emerge. The problem with the bigger countries was that their huge population was now more of a liability than an advantage. Meanwhile, the Philippines as an island nation, was only connected through bridges. Which made the threat of an over 1 million-sized horde, almost impossible. Even if they did, as long as it was detected and they were fought on the bridges, it wouldn''t be too much of an issue, especially with Luna''s plan of building walls and a gate to secure the area further. ***** Meanwhile, in the Southern Philippines, Mindanao, in the small island of Basilan. "Commander, we''ve finished rounding up the remaining survivors here." "Good. What about that damned woman, Josie Rizal?" "She... got away, sir." BANG! The man was instantly shot dead. "Incompetent! You can''t even catch ONE woman! Send the trackers to hunt her down! She CANNOT relay the information about us to the !" "Yes, Commander!" This was Omar Maute, the only surviving leader of the Maute terrorist group now known as the , after the new world. After being beat back by the Philippine military, they managed to fight back after taking advantage of the chaos on the onset of the apocalypse. Right now they were gathering survivors and their families, conscripting the men, and placing their loved ones in concentration camps so they don''t run away. The woman they mentioned earlier, was a level 30 survivor. They all knew of the and Omar did not want anybody to leak information regarding his group''s occupancy, at least not until they gained a much better foothold. More specifically the bridge connecting Mindanao and the Negros Island.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ***** The domes surrounding the landmasses that appeared on the onset of the new world was slowly but surely dimming by the day. Inside the one that spawned on the Sulu Sea. "Father, will we be alright?" A young girl with pointy ears and long blonde hair looked towards a middle-aged man with similar features. "I don''t know yet, child. I hope we will be. I hope our people don''t make the same mistake as before." This was the Elven race. A race determined as the loser in the planet where they came from. The ones inside this particular dome were weak compared to their strongest warriors that died in the war. Clearly they were the survivors that were being protected as their warriors fought. Just as the two were talking, an older Elf walked out from inside their house on top of the trees. "Indeed our race was foolish. Our foolish pride lead to our demise. Waging war, refusing alliances with the Dark Elves with no reason other than the fact that we deemed them as evil for their skin color, and the times where someone from their race committed huge crimes. Yet we were fools, thinking we were smart to use those as excuses to wage war against them." The old Elf had a face filled with regret when he remembered the atrocities they had committed veiled as righteousness. "Indeed. In the end, when the King of the Dark Elves became a Rank 10 evolved being, becoming a Demi God, killing our King who was at the cusp of reaching that same rank. None of it mattered, both of our races, refusing to work together, succumbed to the Void races. As to whether the Void races or the Human race won after that, we don''t even have the qualifications to know. So many things we could have done right. At the very least, in this world, I hope we''re given that chance." The middle-aged Elf replied. The young Elf listened attentively to the two. The Elven race was blessed with their affinity to the elements, giving them a natural advantage with magic, which meant that even their warriors were well-versed with using magic along with swordplay. This naturally made the Elven race look down upon the others. They didn''t know which world they ended up in. They could only hope they didn''t land in a world ruled by the demon race, or any other bloodthirsty races. If they did, they''d have an even lesser chance of survival. Unbeknownst to everybody, the landmasses, controlled by Godly energies, started to inch a bit closer to the who had the strongest evolved being. The one in the Sulu Sea in particular, gravitated toward the Negros Island. ***** Meanwhile, after a whole week of almost non-stop grinding, the got much closer to level 40 on average. Their target initially, was level 50, but those who reached level 40, found out just how exponentially difficult it was to level past that point. In MMORPGs this would be known as a soft cap. There wasn''t much else they could do about it, except continuing to expand their territories. With this being the case, Luna finally had some breathing room. He headed over to the area where St. Scholastica''s Academy used to stand. He originally intended for this place to be a school, but after that challenge, not much of it was left. On the bright side, the four combined turned half of the area into a Lake. In the middle of it was a small island with the in it. This place was now considered as Holy Ground, access to it was restricted as there was only a contraption used to constantly siphon water for everyone to use. There was a bridge formed by the roots of the trees leading to it. Luna was greeted by Emergency Food, World Destroyer, and Spot were by the shore along with Sura as they all greeted Luna. These three had actually grown quite a bit, they were already almost the same size as regular adults of the species prior to the new world. Just as Luna arrived by the bridge. *Crack* The egg inside the crib was starting to hatch, beside it, was Maxene. It turns out that the was given to her. When they turned level 40, she ended up learning a new skill: Beast Master. Decompress (Part 1) ----------------------- Passive Skill: Beast Master Strengthen''s beasts tamed by the user by 10%. ----------------------- The Bakunawa roared as the upper half of it''s egg was shattered. It would have been quite grand if it weren''t for the fact that it was only half of Maxene''s size and it''s "roar" was more like a squeak. One noticeable trait was that it''s maw was quite huge, it''s cyan scales were quite a sight to behold. He couldn''t wait for this serpent-like dragon to finally grow big enough to fit it''s legendary description of "Moon Eating Dragon." Just as it was beginning to "roar" again, Maxene grabbed it with one hand, running towards the shore, while it tried to wriggle free. "Father! Look, the little brat finally got out of his egg! He keeps roaring, like an angry baby. Ah! That''s right, from now on, your name will be The Angry Bakunawa!" She declared, while petting the poor thing and rubbing it against her cheek. To be fair, the Bakunawa was most likely just trying to communicate, but it still hadn''t learned how to word it''s intentions despite having the capability of soul communication. Just as Luna and Sura were exchanging looks of disbelief with their daughter''s consistently horrible naming sense, he received a message from Boni. "Bro, we''ve finally finished capturing most of the territories in the City, we''ve left the central area with the in it for now." "God job, Boni. We''ve all earned some rest. I''m in the area with Sura and Maxene, why don''t you invite the rest over to the Capitol Lagoon, I heard Hana killed a Mutant Boar we could cook lechon* style." "You got it. Oh and Elise was wondering if Father-in... General Leman could come too." "Of course, have the others come if they don''t have any other business to attend to." With that, their first ever chance to get a nice break. It was a good opportunity to decompress a bit, since everyone has been so hard at work. He also wanted to speak with General Leman whom he appointed to work with Boni to lead the troops. Not to mention, Luna himself learned much from him, he was a great teacher in the art of war indeed, incredibly skilled in defense, but can take the offensive once he saw an opportunity. *** "Spit-roasted Mutant Boar tastes so gooooood!" Boni couldn''t help but enthusiastically yell. These mutant beasts were indeed more flavorful, with a lot more nourishment. The air had a festive mood about it tonight, one of the few times thus far where people could relax a bit. While Luna was always focused on staying ahead, he knew that life needed a little bit more than just surviving. These last few weeks weren''t without casualties. A few overconfident men perished when they underestimated a pack of EHZs after seeing their squad leader dispatch them so easily. There were several bonfires with people gathered around each one. Some kids were feeding the overgrown Tilapias in the Lagoon. Fortunately, while these guys did indeed grow bigger, they didn''t develop anything that would pose a threat. As the night died down a bit, deeper conversations began setting in. "Who would have guessed that we''d conquer the City, huh?" Yu-jin said as she took a sip of her tea. "Some of us luckier than others, finding love in the apocalypse." Maria and Clara, both commented while pretending to be envious of Luna and Boni. "I think Luna one-upped us. He''s a father now." Elise couldn''t help but snicker as she said that. "Speaking of which, O'' fearless leader. We''ve all been so busy securing our territory, we all don''t know a lot about each other. So how about this, why don''t we all play spin-the-bottle, and whoever gets chosen has to answer a question honestly and thoroughly. No vague answers! Of course someone has to start it off, so why don''t we have Luna answer a question first?" So-hee and Seo-hyeon suggested while giving a meaningful glance towards Hana who could only blush. Luna was quite surprised, So-hee and Seo-hyeon were both the shy types, so for them to suggest an activity was quite surprising. Little did he know that the two have always been secretly crushing on him the day he saved them, the same with Hana, but she felt respect more than anything towards Luna, but who could possibly fault a young maiden''s heart for having some romantic thoughts? The mood was quite right, the Capitol Lagoon was a popular spot for joggers and couples to go on dates prior to the new world, it also had speakers that used to play music at night. Boni and Elise made use of these speakers to play music beforehand as well. As the night got deeper they turned to more relaxing music to set the mood just right. A song considered to be a classic, "Huling Sayaw" was playing in the background.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. **************** (Author''s note: The song can be found here(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffnzHRiBV28) if you''re interested. The title literally means "Last Dance." Feel free to listen to it, if you''re into having background music while you read.) **************** "Uh, I guess. Who''s gonna ask first?" Luna decided to go along with it after seeing how eager everyone was. Besides, this was also a good opportunity to get to know everybody on a much deeper level. Maxene seemed curious as well, so she listened in while laying her head on World Destroyer. Spot snuggled beside her, while Emergency Food was staring at the roasted Mutant Boar as if he was foreshadowing his own demise before Sura beckoned him to come over as she pet his head to relax him a bit. Emergency Food gave her a look of gratitude as he nuzzled her hand. Angry Bakunawa was off to the side, taunting the Tilapias, right below him, there were empty bottles of booze. "If I may." Hana raised her hand before continuing. "Luna-sama, how were you prior to the apocalypse? How did it influence you in being the one to achieve all these firsts during the new world? I remember when everything started, we were so scared to even peek outside at first, but you actually went outside to start grinding mobs, it''s hard to believe and yet, what the has achieved today is definitely a result of that." Luna took a moment to collect his thought before responding. "Having Sura definitely made it easier. As a matter of fact, Boni and I might have died that same night when we had what would be considered an extremely rare encounter at that time with a regular evolved zombie that same night." Luna shot an appreciative look towards Sura who was still petting Emergency Food''s head. "I highly doubt that. You were calm regardless." Luna smiled before he continued. "Maybe it was the fact that the spawned zombies dispersed after death, which made it easier to accept for me. What lead me to go out and hunt that night, was my experience with MMORPGs, to be honest I wasn''t sure if I was just dreaming, but I went with it. In any new MMORPG launch, hardcore guilds would usually reserve a week or a month to play the game. The most hardcore of people would play the first 24 hours straight, to get way ahead. But one person alone can only do so much, which is why prior to a game starting, they would recruit like-minded people. As long as they stay ahead and monopolize important resources, in our case being the first territory conquering rewards, there won''t be that many that are able to take us on, unless we''re severely outnumbered. I rushed to become strong, because unlike Hana, Maria, Clara, Sura, I have no extensive battle experience. I dabbled with the Guandao the most, dabbled a bit with dual wielding a Katana and a Wakizashi and some Kali, but that''s about it, I had to make up for that gap somehow. Mastering a weapon takes time, but it can be done slowly while leveling fast by killing zombies. Once I found out about the system and when everybody was on board with it, I made it my goal to become the strongest , so neither Man, Beast, nor Zombie could ever stand against us. Having our comrades die the previous week only reinforced that goal even more." Luna took a sip of Life Tree water before continuing. "As to why I could adapt so fast, is because I''ve been adapting all my life to sudden situations. Adapting when my parents died in an accident when I was young, adapting when my relatives who were once so friendly towards my family suddenly turned on me, adapting when they schemed to take my inheritance from me, even adapting by taking even more precautions when they tried to have me killed." "Yet you trusted us?" Elise asked as a follow up question. "You have that man beside you to thank." Luna smiled. "This fatty?" Elise asked as she pointed towards Boni. "Hey hey hey, I''m skibby. Or was, anyway." Boni defended himself. "Skibby?" Hana asked, confused. "Yeah, the middle ground between skinny and chubby. Although I am light-years more fit than before, want me to take my armor off?" "We should let Luna finish his story." Elise said as she kneaded her temples as if suffering from a headache. "Yes, I''d like to preserve my virgin eyes." Apple said, as Mabini beside her couldn''t help but guffaw. Luna laughed along with them before continuing. "Well, as one might guess, the deception didn''t end with my relatives. When people know you have money, they pretend to be your friend to take advantage of you. One day, while I was hanging out with said fake friends, I pretended to confess that I was going to lose everything even asked for money to rent an apartment to make it convincing. At first they were all concerned, telling me that they''ll always be there for me, but gradually, pretending to be friends without anything to gain from me became too much for them to keep up, so they chose to gradually ignore me. Even the women who showed interest in and almost started to fall for ignored me. Except for the Bonmeister, of course, he called them out on being hypocrites in front of the whole College. Hahahaha! It was a glorious day." "Ah... yes, that was one of my most embarrassing moments. They were furious too, being called out as fakes like that. People who know they''re fake convince themselves that they aren''t, so when you call them out on it, they become even more defensive and offended. But hey! Now you have Sura! Speaking of which, are you two... official?" Boni recounted his experience with a red face. Elise held on to his arm even tighter, appreciating this straightforward man even more. "One question at a time, cheater. At least now I have all of you, life and death brothers and sisters as well." Luna vaguely answered Boni''s question and ended his answer on that note. "Thank you for answering honestly and thoroughly, Luna-sama." Hana smiled in a way that captivated all the other soldiers who were listening in. Luna then spun the bottle as it landed on Hana. One of soldiers in Boni''s regiment couldn''t help it as he stood up, bowed, and said "Hana-chan! Are you single? Please answer thoroughly!" Boni suddenly appeared beside him and smacked him back down. "CHAN my glorious rear end! Don''t get too familiar! It''s Luna bro''s turn to ask!" "Sorry!" The poor soldier was embarrassed while his squad mates couldn''t help but laugh. Luna thought for a second and couldn''t think of a good question, so he asked something more open-ended. "I''d like to know everything you''re willing to tell us. Your life before the new world your goals, hopes, and dreams." Hana was quite surprised at the question, as she thought deeply. Truth be told, not even Yu-jin and the rest knew all that much about her, but with how honest Luna had been with her question, she knew she had to do the same. Decompress (Part 2) The next song slowly started playing quietly in the background, it was Rivermaya''s You''ll Be Safe Here*, another classic. Hana took a moment to collect her thoughts, before she shared her story. She felt a certain resonance with the song''s lyrics. "I was born in Fukushima. My family comes from a long line of warriors who fought together with Nakano Takeko, and were taught by her as well. She was a famous onna-bugeisha**, who was legendary for her skill with the Naginata, the very same weapon I wield. You must be curious as to why someone with such deep roots in Japan would move to the Philippines. I was cast out by my family." Every one was quite surprised. How could such a dignified woman like Hana be cast out? "We understand, Hana. You don''t have to go further." Mabini went to her side and comforted her, giving the impression that he already knew the story behind it. It seems these two have gotten quite close. "It''s fine. That was then, and there''s no point in letting it bother me any further." Hana took a deep breath before continuing. "A young and naive me fell in love with the wrong guy. An older guy, he tried so hard to convince me that he was the right one and I should give myself to him. One day we went into a love hotel. I had second thoughts when we were inside, but his eyes already seemed so rabid, he didn''t listen to me, so I beat him up and ran out. What I didn''t know was that, he already had someone take photos of us as we were going in." As she was trying to tell her story, one could hear the soldiers cracking their fists as they were gritting their teeth. At the same time heaving a sigh of relief that their Goddess beat the crap out of that guy. "Nothing happened, but those photos made it look pretty bad. They blackmailed me using those photos, but I knew if I gave in to their demands, they would just record it and have more things to blackmail me with, so I refused. The photos were leaked and posted all over town. Our family all lived in a huge compound, so there has always been competition among relatives. Suffice to say, my relatives used that incident to take me out of the picture. All I had was my Naginata and what clothes I could fit on my bag. All I wanted was to start a new life somewhere far, forget everything, and I remembered researching about the beaches in the Philippines, and since a friend of mine told me about this City, I decided to go to college here. Everybody knows how to speak English here so it didn''t make communicating hard for me. After the onset of the new world, I couldn''t contact my family. That''s my story so far." Life was funny like that sometimes, had she stayed, who knows if she would have survived. But because she was, now she''s currently in a leadership position in a that''s arguably the strongest in the world at the moment. At the very least, they were strong enough to have nights like these. The bottles were spun, and for the most part, the others lived regular lives. Apple and Mabini were both studying, their father, Mr. Linario was a college professor. Maria and Clara grew up learning Filipino Martial Arts and were the school belles. Yu-jin and Sang-hwa actually only met after moving to Bacolod for school. Funnily enough, Yu-jin''s parents moved her to the Philippines partly so she would stop seeing a guy her parents disliked. Sang-hwa wasn''t a particularly attractive guy, he was like a gentle bear at first glance, but Yu-jin fell in love with his humor and how easy it was to get along with him.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Elise and General Leman recounted their experiences moving around after he gave up his position. He had to chug a few mugs of liquor during the duration of Elise telling her story of how she and Boni met. Sisa, Basilio, and Crispin were thankful for their lives, especially after being reunited and the fact that their abusive. alcoholic patriarch was no longer in the picture. The bottle finally pointed towards Sura. One of the most mysterious and most powerful out of everyone here. In one on one combat, even Luna might not necessarily stand a chance. Sura looked towards Luna not quite sure what to do. This turned from a one question game to a "share what you''re willing to share" game. Something which turned out to be for the better, with everyone feeling a deeper sense of relationship with the others. "It''s fine." Luna said as he held her hand, reassuring her that despite being from an alien race, nobody here would doubt that she is on their side. "Alright." Everyone had their ears perked as even the music''s volume was lowered a bit more. Everyone was curious about the origins of this otherworldly beauty. "I come from an alien race." everybody had an idea, especially after seeing her use her 3-Heads and 6-Arms skill to fight against the Kapre a week ago. Hearing her admit it, only made them more curious. "We are called the Asura, a warrior race. We are all composed of tribes, never united. My father has always been outspoken in his intentions to work with other races, set up alliances, learn from others. Something which he had received a lot of criticism for, to the point where the other ignorant tribes worked together to indirectly harass ours. They were pressuring him to have me marry one of their sons, but my father would never agree to it, neither would any of our tribesmen. It''s because we''re so united that they haven''t been able to get rid of us." Sura held on to Luna''s hand even tighter as she continued. "Coming to this world was a huge risk. If I slip up early, I would die, but if I continue this rate of evolution, I could get strong enough to silence all those opposing tribes with but a wave of my hand. I''ve enjoyed my time here so far, although I miss my family, seeing how you all accept each other regardless of race, makes it a lot easier." "Mabuhay***, Lady Sura!" "MABUHAY!!!" Everyone cheered. No one really cared what race she was from, she was one of the people that saved them so respect was given where it is due. This was also something that Luna has ingrained towards people''s minds and one of the reason why he put Hana and the rest in leadership positions. Of course the other reason was because they were actually competent. It didn''t matter what one''s race was, as long as they proved to be capable and loyal. This was a lesson that Luna learned from studying America. How did they reach such a height of power? Because of immigrants. If you developed geniuses in your nation, you''d be taking it from that pool, that would be a given. But if you refused somebody that would benefit your nation, just based on the fact that they were a different race? That would be the epitome of idiocy. And when that genius that you were racist against and refused, works for another nation, you would only suffer losses and no gains. These were one of the virtues that Sura wanted everyone to embody. Especially in this critical stage of the . It would be much easier to influence people to go in that direction now, as they would influence any newcomers later on as well. Just as everything was starting to die down, Luna received a report from the south wall. "Lord Luna, there''s a woman here who wants to speak to you. She''s saying there''s an imminent threat to our south." After receiving that report, Luna excused himself as he went over to check it out, with Sura following closely behind him as everyone else was preparing to turn in for the night. As he got to the south gate, there was a woman waiting for him there. Sensing an aura more intimidating that any she''s experienced before, she automatically assumed that this was the leader of the . Bowing, she introduced herself. "Are you Lord Luna?! My name is Josie Rizal. LODI****, it''s such an honor to meet the leader of the Sovereign Nation!" Despite her haggard appearance, it was surprising how this woman was still so energetic when greeting Luna. Approaching Landmass "Miss Josie, how can I help you?" Luna asked as he ordered the guard to go get her some water and food. "Thank you, Lord Luna for hearing me ou---" Just as she was about to finish what she was going to say, she passed out and almost fell to the ground before Luna caught her. "Lord Luna, should we call the Doctor in?" One of the guards hurriedly asked. Lune pulled out his Guandao and positioned the blade by Josie''s throat. "No need. There''s no cure for bad acting." She opened one of her eyes only to see a blade at her throat. "Ah. Ahahaha! I''m sorry, Lord Luna, I was merely testing you." she could only let out a nervous laughter as she tried to explain herself. "You ask me for help then test me? Are you looking to die?" "No, no not at all. Please don''t misunderstand! Allow me to explain!" "Make it quick, Miss Josie. If that''s even your real name." "I didn''t lie to you! I was just trying to see if I could trust you. This new world has been extra hard for women, you see." She bowed her head apologetically. Luna understood what she meant. Especially with the Buencamino incident, all sorts of dark desires come out of people in this new world, and with no law enforcement, people can do as they please with little to no consequence as long as someone like Luna doesn''t catch them. Josie was probably trying to test what Luna would do with a vulnerable woman in front of him, and should he or anybody try to do anything, she''d kill them and flee. "The Maute group, now known as the have taken over Basilan. They attacked when the army was barely holding off against a horde. While they haven''t challenged the territories yet, they basically already have control of the island, save for the , just not on an official level that''s recognized by the system." Josie explained. "I see. You went all the way from Basilan to here? How long ago?" "About a week ago. I lead my own , we were called the . We were composed of just women. We banded together after witnessing the atrocities that you men have wrought upon us when the world went to hell." Josie clenched her fists. "If all men commit such atrocities towards women, then why come to me?" "Ah, I didn''t mean to say that. I apologize!" Realizing what she had just said, she bowed as she apologized. After all, she was the one who needed help, if Luna refuses to help her, then there would be nothing she could do. So she continued her story. "There were some of us that survived, we split up and agreed to meet here, but they took the long way, since I had to lure the Maute away. They should be here by tomorrow, I hope you can help us. In return, I promise we''ll fight for you.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. "Alright. I can take you all in, but you must abide by our rules. You also have to disband your nation and join ours. Your people will be distributed to different squads as well. Those conditions are non-negotiable." Josie thought for a second, and decided she didn''t have much of a choice. The was her best chance at getting revenge for her fallen comrades. "Alright, I agree." "We''ll take care of the Maute eventually. As of right now, my focus remains on taking over the Negros Island." If injustices were right in front of him, he definitely would not stand idly by. But as of right now, his priorities were here. There was still the problem of not having enough soldiers to guard the coastline once they take over the whole island. The main difference between now and prior to the new world, was that before, defending a coastline against an enemy nation, majority of defenses are normally focused at a port or harbor, since any invading nation would would need to conquer those in order to mount a sustainable offense. However, it was much different now. Some aquatic life forms gained the capability of walking on land. He needed people to constantly be on top of the walls by the BREDCO port, with mages raining down spells on them. It wasn''t too much of a big deal now, since in other areas of the island, when the creatures went up, they would fight with the zombies. But if Luna rushed to conquer the island without enough manpower to defend the coastlines and invasions from land at the same time, it could only mean disaster. The only current solution would be to invest a huge amount of resources to purchase advanced turrets, that way he wouldn''t need to position too many people, but that was incredibly expensive. Which is partially why he had requirements for soldiers to train every day, so he would have continuous resources pouring in to support expansion. "Ah, Lord Luna, there are also a lot of smaller territories that I passed through on the way here. If they could be absorbed into the , that would make expansion easier." Josie suggested. "I see. Alright, once I take over this whole city, I''ll look into that. For now, I''ll set up a home for you and your people. Speaking of which, how many of you are there?" "We numbered over 200. As for how many can make it here. I''m not quite sure." "Alright." Luna sent Josie on her way to her assigned house. Just as he was about to head off to rest, he received a message from Paco, one of the Rangers who was still out hunting with his Battalion, which was part of the 3rd Regiment. "Lord Luna, this is Paco, we managed to reach the central part of the island so far, my company was tasked with surveying the western coast from here, and we found quite a lot of survivors, so we''ve sent them your way for now, but.. do you remember that landmass that appeared in the Sulu Sea?" "I remember. What about it?" "It is visibly MUCH closer than before. It looks as if it''s hovering above the water as it moves." "Alright, I''ll head there now." "Roger that." Luna could feel a headache coming. If that landmass ends up scaring the aquatic life forms towards the other direction, that means it would go their direction. Contacting Boni, he immediately issues the order. "Boni, have your regiment position themselves to fend off an attack by sea. Fortify the ports defenses, and invest a few extra advanced turrets if necessary." "You got it, bro. What''s going on?" "That landmass in the Sulu Sea is headed towards our general direction, it''s most definitely going to scare some of the sea creatures towards us." After explaining the situation and instructing the 3rd regiment to form a defense line by the west coast, Luna, Sura, and Maxene who didn''t want to get left behind, set off towards Paco''s position. Elven Race As soon as they got to location, Luna was still shocked. Despite the fact that it was mentioned before, it was still quite a sight to see a huge mass of land moving like that. As if sensing Luna''s arrival, it accelerated even further. If Luna stayed north, it would have taken much longer for it to move closer, but being so close, it was as if it was a lost ship, finally seeing the beacon it had been searching for. It stopped just before the shoreline, before thick tree roots popped out from underneath, startling the soldiers, and causing them to be even more wary despite already being in defensive positions. Luna stepped forward to investigate getting a feel of the roots, which surprisingly enough, were much harder than most metals he has seen before, similar to the adamantite walls. Just then, a silhouette appeared on the other side of the force field covering the landmass. It was the Elf Elder. Casting a spell that would help him communicate through his intent, the Elder began speaking. "Greetings. My name is Aran. May I ask for a bit of your time? I promise you that we come in peace and only have intentions of working with each other." Luna was pretty wary, especially after using on the old man and seeing that his level was unknown. Luna was already level 49, so this meant that the old man was at least level 65. So why would this old monster need his help? Regardless, if he wanted to harm him, the best he could probably do is flee, so he might as well find out what he wanted. "Very well then. My name is Luna, the leader of this nation, where shall we talk?" Sura and Maxene were concerned, as they received the message from Luna to run should he call for it. "Thank you. Now give me just a second. This thing should be weak enough now." Right after saying that, he stretched his arm with two fingers pointing forward, as a tiny ball of what seemed like concentrated lightning formed on the tip of his fingers slowly moved forwards the force field. What followed next was an explosion as it cracked the dome open, what was revealed after was a sight to see. There were tall, thick trees that had tree houses that looked like they came straight out of a fantasy book. It was a huge contrast the gloomy atmosphere that surrounded them. Right on top of the houses were Elves, they all looked astoundingly beautiful. Each and every one of them despite the Elder could have been the previous world''s top model. Even then, one could tell the the Elder must have been incredibly good looking in his prime. The Elven Elder, Aran looked towards Luna, but was shocked when she saw the woman and the child beside him. He flew down and landed a few meters in front of Luna. "I would never have expected that I''d meet a legendary Asura in this world. My apologies for not noticing you any sooner. " Looking at Maxene he asked as well "You are the daughter of his planet, yes? It is an honor to meet you as well."Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. The Elder was so surprised that he''d meet such individuals right after leaving the dome that he almost forgot about Luna''s presence. Sensing his mistake, he quickly apologized. "My apologies, Lord Luna, it wasn''t my intention to be rude, it''s just that..." "There''s no need to apologize." Just as he was about to continue, he received a message from Boni. "Luna, bro, we might need you to come help. I need your help asap! Not much time to explain. Come back quick!" "I have something to attend to, so if you would like to come with us so we can talk after our business is taken care of." Without saying another word, he made a mad dash towards the port. It should be known that Boni was already at level 44. After putting the 40 points he gained at level 40 to Strength, there wasn''t many that could match him in strength, much less have him experience a sense of urgency despite him having 185 base points in VIT. True enough, as soon as he got there, Boni and Mabini were both struggling to defend against what looked like a giant Metoposaurus, that somehow got over the walls. Every time it struck with it''s tail Boni and Mabini had to support each other. In normal circumstances, they could have taken care of this creature with help from Apple, Maria, and Clara, but the three were doing their best to hold off the other sea creatures. It would have boggled his mind prior to the new world to see so many familiar mainly aquatic creatures turning amphibious. But in this new world, very few things made sense. Just as Luna was about to charge in, he heard the Elder''s voice from beside him. He was quite shocked, this old man definitely appeared out of nowhere. He was already trying to think up of solutions in case this old man turns on them. "These creatures getting scared is our fault. You have my apologies, Lord Luna. Allow me." After reciting an incantation, numerous tiny sparks of electricity appeared above the water and above the two Metoposaurus that Boni and Mabini were fighting. "Boni! Mabini! Get down!" After seeing how the Elder destroyed the dome, he knew how strong a blast those seemingly weak sparks could make. But, the explosion he expected did not come, the moment it hit the two amphibians, their bodies immediately got electrocuted but there was no explosion. Soon after, they fell over. Dead. No other creatures crawled out of the water as well. "Lightning is indeed extremely volatile, but as long as someone has the correct degree of control. Even lightning can be controlled to some degree." Aran gave a wizened smile befitting that of an Elder, towards Luna. "You have my thanks, Elder Aran. Shall we talk?" "Of course, Lord Luna." After some time, Elder Aran called over the same young lady and middle-aged looking man that he spoke to previously. "Ah, Lord Luna, Lady Sura, this is my Son, Arbane, and his daughter, Alea. We are the Qibalar family. We have been our tribe''s leaders for generations." "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Lord Luna and Lady Sura. I can''t believe I''m actually in the presence of someone from the Asuran race." Alea greeted them, as Arbane gave a simple greeting as well. "We''re glad to have you as well. Come, let''s head to our residence, so we can talk peacefully there." The moment the gates for Luna''s residence opened, the three elves gasped. Elder Aran was pointing forward with his whole body shaking. Arbane and Alea had shocked expressions on their faces as well. "Life... L-life Tree. That, please tell me that is a Life Tree, Lord Luna!" After managing to get the words out of his mouth, Elder Aran dropped to his knees as tears started pouring from his eyes. Luna, similarly shocked as well, but towards their reactions on the Life Tree could only answer their question. "Indeed it is." What was the secret behind the Life Tree? Why did this Elder who was extremely powerful, burst into tears at the mere sight of it? Secrets of the Life Tree "Lord Luna, does this Life Tree belong to you?" "It does." After hearing that, Elder Aran suddenly knelt down on both knees. After seeing this sight, Arbane and Alea didn''t even stop him, but proceeded to kneel down as well. Luna couldn''t make heads or tails of this. Weirdly enough, not even Sura had any idea. Noticing their confusion, Elder Aran stood up and explained. "Lord Luna, Lady Sura, what I''m about to tell you both is the most closely guarded secret of the Elves. I hope you consider this as a sign of good faith." Elder Aran had a solemn expression on his face. Arbane and Alea seemed a bit unsure, but eventually nodded towards the Elder, expressing their agreement. "Lord Luna, this tree belongs to you on the level of a soul connection, correct?" "Indeed. It lives and dies by the . Should I die, so will all of it." "All of it?" "Yes. Including this one, we have five in total." "Eh?!" The three Elves yelled out in unison. It took them a minute to recover from their shock. "Five!?" "Yes. One, two, three, four, five. Five." Luna specified. Tears started falling uncontrollably from the Elves as Elder Aran spoke again. "When our Race was awaiting to be released from that dome, even the most miraculous of situations we could have hoped for, was only limited to meeting a ''ONE'' candidate that could be reasoned with, at least. But to actually have five life trees. Lord Luna, I originality came here to negotiate with you, but now.. Please allow our Elven race to serve you faithfully! In exchange, allow us to be the caretakers of the Life Tree!" Luna was wondering what a "ONE candidate" was, but even more surprising to him, was when Elder Aran mentioned the word "serve." This old monster whose level is unknown even to him, wanted to SERVE him? "Elder Aran, for someone as powerful as you, why would you wish to serve me when we can just be allies? What is a ''ONE'' candidate?" Elder Aran composed himself again before continuing. "You must not have known yet, neither will Lady Sura. After all, the Asuran race has always been above and beyond the rest, exempting them from these matters. ONE stands for Overlord of the Next Eon. In every onset of this new world, there are numerous ''ONE'' candidates. More specifically, they are the leaders of a , big or small. Did you know that in every world, it always starts out as one super-continent? Eventually they are all broken apart, because they are to made use of as a stage for candidates, in the event of the new world starting on that planet, albeit, something seems off about yours, you mentioned it has only been a few weeks, yet I''m seeing creatures from the void that didn''t show up in ours until months later." "It''s because something has happened that has even the Gods that we know of, to be in a panic." Sura answered. "I see. That would seem to be the best and only explanation I could think of. There''s no point in worrying about it too much. Even if we knew what''s happening to them right now, we wouldn''t be able to help."Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. "Right. Elder Aran, you were going to share with us the secret of the Life Tree?" "Ah, yes. Lord Luna, I hope you don''t tell even your most closest confidantes about this. If you could give me your word about this, I promise our race will forever be in your service." "You have my word, Elder Aran. I can promise you that my people and yours will be as one. As such, we will treat each others as equals." Arbane and Alea could only smile bitterly. Prior to the onset of the new world on their planets, the Elves were head and shoulders above the rest. Their general population look at disdain towards the Dark Elves, and even more so towards the human race. When the war started on their planet, the human race was beat back quite easily, but they quickly adapted and occupied the mountains, resorting in guerilla tactics, until one day, an expert emerged from the human''s side, eliminating everyone who blocked his path. It was quite the humbling experience for the Elves who suffered a humiliating defeat. This has always been the advantage of the human race. They could be considered as the weakest race individually, but they multiply so fast that eventually someone pops up and just takes the world by storm. They believed that this person in front of them, Luna, was one such person. There was no way a Life Tree would be born naturally in such a low level planet, so it could have only been rewarded to him through preset conditions made by the Gods. The fact that he had five in total, speaks volumes to his capability. Not to mention, when Luna was wary of them earlier, they also felt the aura of a True Dragon emanating from him, as well as the fact that he was being considered as the father of the daughter of this planet along with his seemingly close relationship to an Asura. "Thank you, Lord Luna. This Life Tree, the reason why it hasn''t produced any ''fruit'' as of yet, is due to two things. One, it has to be cultivated through a technique known to us Elves. Two, the so called ''fruit'' you were expecting, isn''t exactly fruit. Us Elves are born through the Life Tree." "Eh?" Not only Luna, even Sura was taken aback. Good thing this tree didn''t produce any "fruit" that hey would have plucked and eaten, or else they would have actually ended up munching on Elf fetus. "It''s true, Lord Luna. Actually, five is the magic number for Life Trees. If you''ll allow me to, I can relocate the trees to be in close proximity of each other. Usually it should be one on each corner, than a fifth one in the middle. If only we had a it would help with the speed of growth of the infants so they can actually be of help, but even still, with five Life Trees, I can promise you that we''ll have enough people to defend this island." Luna was debating on whether he should drop another bomb worth of news at this Elder, but after thinking about it, he did so anyway. "Ah, about that. We also do have a cradle." "Ha... Haha. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! The Gods have truly left us a way out! We are no longer going to be the last of our kind! Lord Luna, it is my honor so serve you now more than ever. Please accept my oath of fealty!" Elder Aran knelt down once more. "So be it. Elder Aran. As of today, I''m officially announcing you as a member of the ." "Yes! From this day forth, we Elves will fight by your side. The over one hundred thousand of us remaining, and the ones that will be born!" Luna and Elder Aran shook hands. What was supposed to be a talk regarding a possible alliance, ended up in the humbled Elven race to swear their loyalty to Luna. With this, the issue of fully conquering the Negros Island while having enough defenses to secure it, was resolved. "By the way, Elder Aran, you mean to say that Elves cannot procreate without the Life Tree, correct?" "Yes and No. The next thing I''m about to tell you is the second secret of the Life Tree." This day was definitely full of surprises. Luna thought that while the four were incredibly valuable, it couldn''t compare to the military advantage that Maxene would eventually bring with her taming. But who would have thought that this thing had so many secrets? The Gods truly left no information. He could only keep on striving for more as fast as he can. Had someone beat him to the punch, and received those Life Trees instead, they would not have the necessary foundation. With the advantages they have now, they could finally start expanding and securing this Island. "Elder Aran, the life tree has another secret, you say?" He could only ask and wait in anticipation as the smile on the Elder''s face indicated that he was glad to be the one to share this good news with Luna. Knowledge of the Elves "Indeed it does. There are basically two classifications of Elves. Low-born and High-born. Although it eventually became a status symbol, that''s not why those terms were made in the beginning. Low-born Elves can be conceive through sexual intercourse, but with extremely low chances. A single life tree can birth at least one hundred a year. These Elves usually make up majority of the work force and regular citizens. High-born Elves or High Elves, like myself, are born solely through the ." "What''s the major difference between the two? Potential?" "Indeed. Low-born Elves, while still being more proficient in magic on average when compared to humans, have limited potential. Of course, although it is extremely rare, there can be exceptions. High Elves are even more loved by the elements. Not only do we find it easier to comprehend the secrets of the elements, we also naturally have a higher mana pool, faster mana regeneration rate, higher magic defense. Our glaring weakness as Elves, which even High Elves suffer from, is our susceptibility to physical damage, which is made up for by our exponentially longer life span compared to humans." "I see. Thank your for your candor, Elder Aran. May I ask, how old are you?" Luna asked out of curiosity. Elder Aran definitely fits the description of an Elder, but with their long life span, how old is he now? "I have lived for 8,000 years. Only because I''ve reached the level that I''m currently at, which is level 65. Arbane here is currently level 40, at 500 years of age, is my biological son. Alea is a High Elf adopted by us and despite being only 120 years old, is already at level 50." This girl that looks about the same age as Maxene, is 120 years old?! At first, Luna was shocked, but after remembering all the weird stuff that''s happened thus far, this one more shouldn''t be a big deal. Nonetheless, it was still amazing that this little girl could be over a century old. "That is the second secret of the Life Tree. The capability to give birth to High-born Elves. We Elves know how to cultivate it. One Life Tree can give birth to one High Elf every year. With five of them working together, it goes up to around ten a year, possibly 11. This is due to the Cradle of Evolution expediting the growth of the High-born Elves instead of them growing one by one on each tree at a slower pace." "Alright. I''ll leave it to you then, Elder Aran. Also, along with your people, we''ve reached close to over 150,000 in population. I''d like to request your help in dealing with the so we can completely start expanding more aggressively. I''d also like to integrate the Elven people with humans with close monitoring. This is a critical period and I''d like for everyone to get used to working together." "Your wish is my command, Lord Luna." Elder Aran left to share the good news with the rest. It was a joyous occasion for the Elves. They all witnessed the collapse of their power on their own planet, not only because of their incapability to defeat their enemies, but mostly because of their pride. This was a lesson that Elder Aran had reminded them all time and time again, which made these survivors more willing to integrate with the human race. Luna wanted to closely monitor this integration because he anticipated how sensitive this was going to be in the early stages of integration. His plan was to make use of the soldiers to help monitor everything while they were within the City, and to prevent any disputes or at least report it to their superiors. The Elves would go out to hunt with the soldiers as well, and in their spare time, help out the Human Mages in order to help them with their understanding of the elements. The deeper one''s understanding of it, the more potent their skills were. This was separate from actually putting in skill points into the skills. Take for example Luna''s passives, like the Blessings of Apolaki and Mayari. The enhancement they provided to his overall constitution was not present as a numerical enhancement in the form of stats. The same way the Rangers had much more grit than most people. It didn''t appear as a skill, but it was there. The same way there was no "Steal" or "Pickpocket" skill, but someone who was good at it to begin with, could do it better than others. This was the intricacy of this new world that had MMORPG elements. They didn''t quite know what made this possible, but with the teachings of the Elven people, everybody started to understand just how crucial these things were. Understanding that, one would come to know why Elves were naturally more potent Mages. Of course, this wasn''t reserved for just Mages. Luna himself, after enchanting his weapon with the Anito, found out he could start comprehending the laws of fire as well. Apparently, skill books were just an easy way to familiarize oneself with these elements, in terms of Mage skills. In truth, everybody was capable of doing so. The same way with body enhancing skills like , , and . Unfortunately, the humans of this world didn''t know enough to teach the Elves. The Elves themselves were not proficient in body enhancement as the races that specialized in it back in their own planet, refused to teach them any further than what they''ve learned from skill books.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! *** Meanwhile, in some places all over the world, similar things were happening. The Giant race was welcomed by someone who was a University student prior to the new world, the current strongest ONE candidate in China, and they shared their body enhancement techniques with them to help enhance their strength which added even more pressure towards the Chinese Government. In the United States of America, the Dark Elves shared their body enhancing techniques relating more towards speed as opposed to the Giants'' more Strength and Vitality oriented skills with the . After learning of this, the , , and the recently formed reached out to each other in advance in order to form an alliance to prepare for the aggression they expected Texas to display in the future, and against the possibility of the smaller nations forming up in Canada to the North as well. In India, a humanoid-elephant race, seemingly made in the image of Ganesha*, they had a technique similar to the Asura, but with four arms instead of six, and three eyes instead of three heads. Australia was currently being overrun by mutant beasts. It became even more complete chaos when the landmass near them revealed the Demon race. It was a brutal fight that eventually lead the Demons getting beat back and go on the defensive. The introduction of this race lead to a huge amount of pressure off of the Aussies as the mutant beasts focused on their new neighbors. A race calling themselves "Seraph," winged, armored beings emitting holy energy, worked with the Israeli people. Individually these beings were quite strong offensively, but their population was quite small. Nevertheless, after allying with the people from Israel, they managed to finally gain their footing. **** "There are ten ranks in every element. 1 to 3 are considered beginner, 4 to 6 are intermediate, 7 to 9 are advanced, and finally, the rank not even the strongest High Elf in our history has reached, the Legend Rank. Rank 10, absolute mastery." Elder Aran was currently teaching the human Mages along with Luna. "Every rank you master not only increases the potency of your element, whether through a spell or an element provided by the system, such as , increases your proficiency with Energy, Mana, Chakra or however you may want to call it. What this brings is a rise in your overall power, separate from your stats. Increased elemental damage, increased mana pool, increased mana regeneration, and along with all of that, increased physical damage mitigation with the help of mana acting as an extra layer of armor on our skin. We Elves might be more susceptible to physical damage, but the only reason as to why that''s our biggest weakness, is because we have such high magical damage mitigation." Elder Aran looked around to make sure everybody was on the same page before clearing his throat and continuing. "Not only that, if your comprehension of the laws is a whole Tier above your opponent, example being your opponent being in the beginner category, and yourself being in the intermediate category, your spell, after colliding with theirs, will merely crush theirs and continue it''s trajectory towards them, albeit, being weakened a bit. Then, there''s the case of the both of you having the same element, but with you being a Tier higher. Let me show you." Turning towards Apple, Elder Aran smiled and asked. "Miss Apple, would you be so kind as to cast your strongest skill on me?" "Eh? Elder Aran, are you sure?" She was aware that the Elder was definitely strong, but she clearly knew how devastating spells could be, especially with her focusing majority of her stats to INT. "You don''t need to be worried, Lady Apple." Elder Aran smiled. "Very well then. !" A familiar looking cloud appeared above Elder Aran, but before it could even completely manifest, it dissipated as if nothing happened. "As you can see, Lady Apple, once the difference is big enough, what might seemingly be a complex spell to a beginner, can be easily dismantled by a master, rendering it completely useless, and a waste of mana." Everyone was in awe. The was the most devastating area-of-effect skill in a Lightning Mage''s arsenal, but it was rendered useless just like that. "Amazing!" "Thank you Elder Aran for the lesson!" Everyone was quite grateful to this Elder for taking the time widen show them that they have been frogs in a well. Right after the lesson, he assigned Elves to each human Mage that were especially proficient in their respective elements. Luna noticed a trend as they were being assigned. Elder Aran had assigned male Elves to the female Mages and female Elves to the male Mages. He didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. Was this old geezer actually trying to play matchmaker? After thinking about it for a bit, Luna decided it would be for the better if relationships could blossom from these pairs. The smoother the integration of both races, the better. Luna went over to Elder Aran''s side and spoke. "Hopefully the integration of both our races goes smoothly for majority of the process. Elder Aran, I''d like to assign some Elves to work with Humans in organizing an event to showcase and show our cultures. It would be crucial in removing any ignorance towards each other brought by not knowing each other''s culture and history." "Ah! A splendid plan, Lord Luna! I''ll get on that right away!" Elder Aran was all smiles. He was quite thankful that this human that he pledged his service to was not racist and was actively making sure the integration of both races was as smooth as possible. In all honesty, Luna was itching to start the conquest of the whole Island, but he knew that a solid foundation was paramount to his Nation''s success. If they were all united and not separated as humans or elves, they would be a force to be reckoned with. Conversely, should they not be united there was a possibility of them causing each other''s demise. This is why it was imperative that this integration went smoothly. A Cause for Celebration The next day, a whole Brigade of Mages composed mostly of Elves surrounded the . Noticing so many people, it looked up. It narrowed it''s eyes as soon as it saw Luna. Apparently he was aware how much of a threat this human was. However, as soon as he looked to the left, he saw Elder Aran, then his eyes widened in disbelief. "They actually have such an old monster by their side? Why even bring this many people? They could have just asked me to surrender!" The Titan thought to himself. Not even a couple seconds later, the Titan turned around and ran the opposite direction. "I don''t think so." Elder Aran sent an arc of lightning that hit just a few feet in front of the . In truth, he definitely had a chance to run. The next moment however, sealed his fate. "I challenge this ." As soon as Luna said that, the knew it''s fate had been sealed. Even if he tried to run now, he wouldn''t be able to. Not that he had a chance before. He could only accept his fate. It didn''t even take long, with Elder Aran and the other Mages bombarding him with spells, Luna managed to lop off it''s head. The rest of the zombie spawns were negligible as well, as even the EHZs that managed to get close were quickly dispatched by the front line. In a matter of 24 hours, Bacolod City was was fully liberated. This victory was used by Luna as an excuse to take a whole day to celebrate and roll out the plan he formed the day before. It took a whole day of preparation and hunting down mutant beasts before everything was ready. The Elves played their music, and brought out things unique to their world and culture, folk dances, even things that would Elves would consider offensive or a compliment. The humans did the same as well. The most amazing thing that people witnessed was the innate ability of Elves to cultivate plants due to their affinity with nature. The humans celebrated further when they found out that they too would be capable of such feats once their understanding of the elements Everything was going according to plan. The good fellowship among races this day was a symbol and a reminder that race is never a basis for how well people should get along. It was also a way to eliminate ignorance towards each other, removing unnecessary conflict. Of course, conflict will always exist, but this way, it will be kept to a minimum where it''s easily manageable. After the festivities were over, Luna who managed to get level 50, gained more improvements on his pre-existing skills. Level 50 was a mark that someone was halfway towards becoming a Demi God. After pumping all 50 stats to VIT. Sura herself learned the passive skill which the Asura were also well known for. The reason why Sura didn''t have any body techniques was because her body would automatically evolve to such a point as long as she kept leveling up, surpassing even the techniques that the Giant race had. As such, it belonged to the category of skills where it didn''t show up as a stat, but took effect regardless.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. **** Meanwhile. North of the Philippines, Cavite. In a fortified stronghold to the West of the New Bilibid Prison. "Emil, we''ve received reports that the so called has fully conquered Bacolod City. Although we don''t know how they managed to do it yet." This was Emil Aguinaldo, the current standing President of the Philippines. The man who addressed him so casually was the leader of the prisoners, Tomas Mascardo. Recently appointed as a Philippine General in charge of the prisoners. Beside him, were the foreign ambassadors and investors that all lived in the same neighborhood as Emil did prior to the new world, they were all people that had some form of influence around the world. "Send them a message. Tell them that the current President of the Philippines deems his act as treasonous!" He was obviously enraged. "Oh? Does that mean I am a traitor as well, Mr. President?" Tomas had a smirk on his face. "Of course not. In this chaos you''ve pledged to help out, so your conquest of a mere prison is something that I can allow." "Are you sure it''s smart to provoke him, Mr. President? He did conquer a whole city after all. We''ve merely conquered the New Bilibid Prison and a few territories. Our forces in Manila have only recently gotten some breathing room as well." "Fine. Extend an invitation to him to have a summit with the remaining leaders. Tell him to work with us in order to save the Filipino people, make it sound urgent. Then we''ll find a way to bait him into fighting that monster in Taal Lake*." "Fine. I''ll have somebody take care of it." After saying that, Tomas bid them goodbye. The man beside him, an American ambassador and retired General, Douglas MacArthur couldn''t help but speak up. "Mr. President, are you sure this is a wise choice?" "Yes. We must eliminate potential enemies. Someone as capable as that ''s leader must be dealt with in order to cripple them." "You do realize, that the fact that he''s able liberate Bacolod City in such a short time, is proof of either his personal strength, leadership skills, or both. If you fail in this assassination attempt of yours, you might very well be pitting yourself against the most capable General in this country." "That''s exactly why he has to die." Emil had a very dark and conniving expression on his face. The rest of the people in the room were quite tense. They understood the reason why Emil wanted to assassinate the ''s leader, but they had absolutely no information about that person. *** "Lord Luna, the integration has gone smoothly with only minor issues that were resolved right away. We''re ready to start Operation: Island Conqueror as soon as the rest of the preparations are ready." "Good work, Hans. I''ll be done with the installation of the new infrastructure. I''ll announce it as soon as I''m done, so everyone can upgrade their equipment further." "Yes, Lord Luna." Hans, who was now a Colonel in the Sovereign Army, gave a salute before taking his leave. "Sigh. I told them to stop calling me a ''Lord'' but they keep doing it anyway." Luna felt helpless, but there was nothing he could do. He could only keep viewing the and choosing which infrastructures to spend their VIS on. He had to make sure the Elves were provided for as well, since all their equipment were practically confiscated before they were transported to this world. Elves were proficient with wielding blades as well, so they were handed out that his soldiers had farmed enormous amounts of, before he could find access to projectile weapons which the Low-born Elves preferred. Gunblade While everybody was preparing, Luna utilized this time to install Rank 3 Upgrading Stations and Rank 3 Equipment Modification Stations. As long as people had the money for it, they could upgrade and modify their weapons. Rank 3 modification brought something that Luna had been keeping out an eye for: Guns. Technically it was a modification to the Itak Tagalog. It looked like how it regularly would, but with a a gun barrel going along the top part of the blade, about three-fourths of the way. It looked natural, but the thing that confused Luna was the fact that he didn''t see any magazine. What type of bullets does it use? Where is the trigger? Can a scope be modified onto it? After reading the description, he found out that it worked exactly the same as the automated turrets. It also had the same reloading mechanic as the turrets. There was no trigger because it responded to the person holding the weapon''s thoughts. It was similar to how the nervous system would send a message to move parts of your body. A scope could be installed as well, the effective range was around 900 meters, and it could fire 10 rounds before needing to recharge for 30 seconds. As long as one dual-wielded these things, they practically wouldn''t have to worry about too much downtime between reload times. Most importantly, it had a safety as well. It did however, cost 5,000 VIS per weapon. 10,000 VIS total if you''re doing both blades. Luna definitely did not have the funds to arm the 20,000 active human soldiers and the 40,000 active Elven soldiers. Not to mention the rest of the 30,000 humans in reserve and the rest of the 60,000 Elves in reserve, seeing as every citizen in the is pretty much required to grind out levels, essentially making their whole population a part of the Army. This has been Luna''s goal from the beginning. Nevertheless, he still had funds to spare to build 1,000 pairs which cost him a total of 20 million VIS. As soon as production started, he called Hans over. "Lord Luna, you called for me?" "Ah, Hans. Good, you''re here." As he said that, Luna tossed over a pair of Gunblades to him. "How good of a shot are you?" "Top of my class, Lord Luna." "Haha! I knew you had potential, but this is even more impressive. Col. Hans Garica, I have a proposal for you." "Yes, Lord Luna!" "I want you to hand pick a team of 25 of the most elite. These men will be your personal guard, they will be known as the Black Guard. You will then choose the remaining 975 of the best sharpshooters in order to complete your regiment which will be under my direct command. I hope you accept this offer. Daunting as the responsibility may be, you''ve shown to be quite capable so far. I don''t doubt that you''ll be able to handle it." "It is my honor, sir! I gladly accept! I just have one request, Lord Luna." "What is it?" "That we may have the privilege of naming ourselves ''The Luna Sharpshooters'' as our motivation to stay the best of the best, sir!" "This... Alright." If it was indeed awkward being called a Lord before, it was even more awkward for him to have a whole regiment dedicated to his name. Overtime, Luna has began to accept these things and could only hope that he lives up to being the Lord Luna that the people respect. "Thank you, Lord Luna!" After taking his leave, Hans did not hesitate to put the plan into motion. He was loved by the soldiers and was familiar with almost all of them, so picking out the men that he believed to be worthy was not too hard of a job. The men who were picked out were ecstatic, especially when they found out that they would be part of such an elite force directly under Luna''s command. This was also motivation to the rest of the soldiers. The people who skipped out on grinding extra hours for levels could only feel regret. After all, the concept of receiving free Gunblade upgrades before everybody else was quite enticing. They weren''t entirely expensive, but when you put in the cost of upgrading your weapons and armor, paying even more for modification was quite expensive.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Once these Gunblades manifested their , not only would the blades inflict more damage or additional effects, so would the bullets. This would include but are not limited to explosive fire bullets, wind reinforced piercing bullets, or even the much rarer bullets that, while not as physically damaging as the rest, would cause damage on the level of the soul. While not exactly lethal, but when fighting someone during a melee fight, having someone lose consciousness for even a second would be fatal. After all, physical and magical defense, while they could mitigate damage from other bullet types, were entirely useless against these bullets. Of course, there was the question of grinding enough with the weapon to activate it''s , and in order to further upgrade it, the amount of grinding required would go up exponentially, and so would the cost. After announcing that people could now upgrade their equipment further, the ones who could afford it started lining up. These machines weren''t exactly cheap, so Luna couldn''t just install too many of them, at least not yet. Afterwards, he called for the Elder Aran who had been given a leadership position as well. After a while, he heard a knock on his door. It was the Elder. "Lord Luna, you called for me?" "Ah, yes, Elder Aran. I wanted to make an announcement of sorts, but I wanted you to be a part of it. A broadcast of sorts." "I will gladly oblige, Lord Luna. How may this old man be of service to you?" "It has already started." Luna smiled. This was something that he wanted to be transparent with because he wanted everyone to hear his reasoning behind his actions. "I know you explained to be the concept of Low-born and High-born Elves before. I didn''t think to question it when it was first mentioned, because, as we both know, you came from another world, another culture altogether, so I didn''t wish to impose my own concept of what is ''offensive'' to you." "I understand." "During the celebrations however, I noticed that anytime ''Low-born'' was mentioned I immediately noticed a subtle change in expression from the face of the so-called ''Low-born'' Elves. With this in mind, I came to find that your world and mine isn''t much different after all. As such, I would like to abolish that as a whole." "You mean to call every one of us as Elves and eliminate the prefix of ''Low'' or ''High'', correct?" "No and Yes. No because you will not be formally known as Elves. Yes, because the concept of ''Low'' or ''High'' will be eliminated." "Lord Luna, what do you mean?" "Different classifications of race divides us, Elder Aran. It always has, but only when there is malice in it. Unfortunately, having different classifications " "Indeed. We Elves would know. After all, it''s what caused us our demise." Elder Aran finally figured out where Luna was going with this. He couldn''t help but praise this young man. He felt blessed to have ended up in this man''s territory out of everywhere else. "Which is why from now on, there will be no such thing as ''Low-born'' or ''High-born'' Elves. For humans there will be no ''Low-class'' or ''High-class'' humans. You get what you earn. Which is why from this point on, we will all collectively be known as the Sovereign People! There will be zero tolerance for discrimination." "HEAR HEAR!" Elder Aran couldn''t help but be ecstatic. This was one of his fears. That they could all be friendly now, but eventually, down the line, and Elf would still be called an Elf, and a Human would still be called a Human. He had witnessed it all, where certain arguments in between races would include insults like "Dirt Elf!" or "Dirty Human!" with no other basis besides the other person being of a different race. Or worse, when Elves practically alienated Dark Elves, primarily only because of their skin color, the same with humans. Where has that brought them? Irreversible mistakes being made due to animosity between their world leaders who put in zero effort to understand the other side, and yet already had preconceived notions about them just because they were different. Alliances made impossible due to that. This whole time, everybody was tuned into their consciousness, as if watching the news on a Television set. Just as this was happening, Alea who was waiting on the other side of the door couldn''t help but contribute to the conversation. "Yes, this is indeed a new beginning. We were given a new chance in this world, and if we mess it up this time around due to the same mistakes, that would be too unfortunate." She had suffered from this as well, despite being classified before as a ''High Elf''. She had tried to make friends with the others, but the moment they found out she was ''High-born,'' whether they wanted to admit it or not, their behavior towards her would change. Always showing a slight hint of fear no matter how hard they tried to hide it. As soon as she said that, everybody in the entire started cheering. The Humans and Elves who had already started making friendships brought out the alcohol they had been keeping and started toasting to celebrate. "WE ARE SOVEREIGN!" People yelled out in unison. "SOVEREIGN BABY YEAAAAAH!!!!" Boni yelled out from on top of the walls lifting up Elise who was by his side. "UUOOHHHHH!!!!!!!" People erupted into cheers after hearing that. Morale was at an all time high. Luna had hammered this time and time again, and people had embraced it, including the Elves. The were united as a people. It was apparent that in the future, should a Dark Elf, or a Giant wish to join them, they would be welcomed with open arms. Meanwhile, the rest of the world wasn''t having such a smooth transition. The Value of Unity "IDIOTS! ALL OF THEM!" This man was Apollo Creed, an African-American man who was currently the strongest individual in Texas. The person talking to him was "Apollo, there''s not much that can be done. There''s not way we could have known they''d react so violently." "Oh really?! You think that a whole race who has suffered through racism their whole lives in their previous world will tolerate the same treatment?! Those Dark Elves now control the coast by Galveston! Do you understand what that means, Goose?" "I do." The stocky man dressed in body armor named Goose Alvarado who was Apollo''s closest subordinate had a look of regret on his face. This whole thing wasn''t really his fault. It''s just that he blamed himself for not reacting faster. Five days ago, while the Dark Elves were in the middle of settling themselves in, they were raided by a racist party. It should be known that these guys were a very small minority. Unfortunately for Apollo and the rest, this was enough to bring back painful memories for the Dark Elves who also suffered blatant racism in the previous world from the other races. This was the goal of the racists, to destroy the alliance while it was still fragile. Unfortunately for them as well, the Dark Elves who were superior, found out that their base of operations were located in Galveston, by the coast. They were massacred by the Dark Elves, whom, while they recognized that it wasn''t Apollo''s doing, were more wary now more than ever. This meant that they wouldn''t be sharing the advanced versions of their body enhancing techniques. Apollo could only extend his sincerest apologies, and while he didn''t believe that the Dark Elves would become his enemy, there was still the potential. Not to mention they had access to such an easily defensible area and access to an aquatic mutant creature hunting ground just south of them. *** Xiamen, China. The Giants maintained a healthy transition with the previously Chinese University Student and now Leader, Jian Zihao. He had extended an offer to the Government to work together, but when they required him hand over half the Giant population, he refused. After all, he was aware that they had to maintain good relationships. The only issue was that, when one of the giants got wounded during a territory challenge, it''s blood fell onto a person. This person automatically felt the magical properties of this blood. After finding this out, the Giant asked him to keep it a secret. After saying that he would, the Giant, being the straightforward and honest race that they are, believed him. Not a day later, the man was already blackmailing the Giant from before for more blood. After Jian Zihao found out about his exploitation, he had him hunted down while the man fled to the Government''s territory. In exchange for benefits and a good life, he exposed this information to them, giving them an even stronger sense of urgency. "We need to find a way to stop that brat, now!" "Did you see how much stronger that man''s body was? It hasn''t even been more than a week!"This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "Exactly! Why don''t we just Nuke them!" "That''s impossible. When the new world began, all of our Nuclear weapons disappeared. The reports were that they were swallowed up by a spatial crack. We can only assume that the same happened everywhere else." "Then what do we do?" "We wait for now, I don''t believe that Jian Zihao will start massacring his own people." *** Meanwhile, back in the Philippines. "Lord Luna, the preparations are ready." "Commence!" While parts of the world were struggling, Luna was currently commencing the take over of the Negros Island. The Mage Corps in conjunction with the rest of the Infantry began taking over territory by territory. The Titans who would drop 1,000,000 VIS on death, and random equipment, some of which had green text, indicating the it was , valuable to regular soldiers, but couldn''t quite pique Luna''s curiosity. At this point, personal strength was more important for him, if it wasn''t something that was at least he would only give it a glance. Thanks to he had quickly risen up to the rank 3 in his mastery of the Anito of Fire, and thus, he was more focused on reaching rank 4. For the next month, the was fully focused on occupying the whole island. With their numbers, it was only a matter of time. Everything except for the area around Mt. Kanlaon was occupied. Luna had intended for this area''s Mutant Beasts to continue breeding for his Beast army, courtesy of Maxene and as a training ground for his troops as well. Mutant Beasts were definitely not to be underestimated. Sura had shared stories about them before, where a Mutant Beast, after reaching the status of a Rank 10 and officially becoming a Demi God, they would gain the ability to take humanoid form and the speak like a regular person. The main difference however, was that even in humanoid form, they would still retain some of their features. For example, a Lion or Lion-hybrid would still retain his mane and fur on most or some of it''s body, differing from each individual. This way, even if they were to just stay on this island, there would always be a place to train and hunt for food. This was possible due to the Negros Island being a relatively huge island, boasting a land area of 13,309.60 km2 even more so now with the landmass that the Elves were riding on had connected with the island. Coastal defense was all around, covered by two layers of walls. The first one was called "Wall Primera" while the inner layer was called "Wall Segunda." * With the island secured, Luna could finally start thinking about whether he wanted to expand to the South, East, or the North islands. During this time, if they weren''t out hunting, Sura or Luna would continue their comprehension of the Anito of Fire. Maxene would as well, but she was too focused on looking for more beasts to tame. During this time, Emergency Food, World Destroyer, Spot, and Angry Bakunawa had grown quite large. Angry Bakunawa who was born later than the three had actually exceeded them in size. His current length was equivalent to three Ceres** buses combined. Emergency Food and Angry Bakunawa would make for excellent modes of transportation. Especially Angry Bakunawa who actually had the innate gift of space comprehension. The reason why he was named as the "Moon Eater" in the legends, wasn''t because he literally can swallow the moon, but it was more because he had a separate dimension within his body. This meant that besides riding on top of him, one can actually be inside the pocket dimension during travel. Maxene was able bring furniture inside and make the place more relaxing. Of course, this meant that she gave Bakunawa explicit instructions not to swallow anything into the pocket dimension. An added effect being that this place was perfect to comprehend the Anito of Space, albeit, as Space goes, it was much harder to comprehend, since one wouldn''t know where to begin with. "Luna bro! Are you busy?" "Boni? No. Why, what''s up?" "We just got some guys who claim that they came from Bohol. They seem really distressed, something about incredibly muscular Tarsiers*** running rampant all over the island." "Huh? Tarsiers? Hold on, I''ll be right there." Luna couldn''t help but have trouble associating Tarsiers, those incredibly shy and tiny creatures, to be called "muscular," let alone go on a rampage. Then again, with the new world, anything was possible. Not worrying about it too much, Luna stepped out of his home and headed towards the East wall, where the bridge connected to Cebu, which was in the middle of Negros and Bohol, was located. The State of Cebu and Bohol Island As soon as Luna got to the eastern walls, he was met by a small group of four, haggard looking individuals whose eyes widened as they saw him. When they first got here, they were shocked at how imposing the guards were and the beauty of the Elven people. To them, it felt like they went from a land of nightmares, to a fantasy land. Something like this was to be expected, after all, along with their natural beauty, their aura normally exuded a calming effect similar to when you''re on top of a mountain and overlooking a great, awesome view. "What''s going on here? What happened to you guys?" "You must be Lord Luna. It is an honor to meet you, sir." The one in front was a middle-aged man with a stocky build. "Get these people something to eat and drink. You four may sit. Tell me why you''ve come here." The four looked incredibly grateful at the mention of food and drink. The leader introduced himself and the rest of his crew. "My name is Ricardo, this is my girlfriend Astrid, my brother Alfred, and his wife Jean. We''re one of the lucky ones that escaped Bohol before... before everything went to hell, more than it already was." "You mentioned something about the Tarsiers?" Right around this time, their food and water had arrived. They all took a sip from the Life Tree''s water and were speechless for a moment. "You may eat first if you''d like." Luna offered them. Looking towards his three companions, Ricardo urged them to eat first. "You three, go on ahead. Lord Luna, thank you, I won''t waste your time so I''ll tell you everything first. We came from one of the more fortified bases in Bohol. We actually heard about your accomplishments and had wanted to come here, but when the EHZs and ETZs emerged, we felt that we were too low leveled, so we wanted to get stronger first." "That makes sense." "Yes. As caretakers of the Tarsiers prior to the new world, they had somehow recognized us still, and as long as we didn''t provoke them, they were just comfortable fortifying their base against the zombies in the Bilar Man-Made Forest.* Ferdinand, the leader of the from Cebu, who was beat back by the leader from Mactan island. A man by the name of Cilapu. Ferdinand was getting beat back until his friend, Miguel Legazpi, a politician came to his aid. They set up their base in Bohol, since they were afraid of defending themselves from Cilapu and a possible attack from you." (Author''s Note: Here''s a Google maps link so you have some idea: https://goo.gl/qrDRV2) "Before you continue, I''m curious. You got here in a span of a day, basically. You''re level 30, your companions are at level 25. There''s no way you could have gotten here this quick." Luna inquired. There was no way these four could have gotten here without a scratch. Much more all of them surviving. Astrid who was just finishing up her meal, answered Luna''s question. "About that, Lord Luna, we met a Sword-wielding, stoic-faced Goddess! She helped clear the way here for us and said she would be finishing something up before she handed us over to Lord Boni''s care." "A sword-wielding, stoic-faced Goddess?" Luna could only think of one person in his mind that fit that description. "Ah! That''s her! Goddess, you''re back!" Astrid suddenly stood up and bowed down to the person behind Luna who had just arrived. "Sura?" True enough, the only person who was fitting enough to be called a "Sword Goddess" was indeed Sura.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! "I was out hunting zombies and looking for more survivors when I found these four." "We were being chased by a pack of EHZs when the Sword Goddess saved us. The whole dozen of them chasing after us were beheaded before we could even look back to see why they weren''t making any noises anymore!" Astrid enthusiastically told the story. "You can just call me Sura." When she saw Luna winking at her and giving her a thumbs up, she blushed while looking down as she held onto Luna''s sleeve. When she saw Luna winking at her and giving her a thumbs up. It was a sight even more beautiful than a million Elves. "Yes, Lady Sura!" The four took a bow before Ricardo continued his story. "Continuing our story, They basically wanted to take over Bohol, so Miguel merged his with Ferdinand''s. They took notice to the fast growth of the Tarsiers and despite them minding their own business and even helping out humans who were surrounded by zombies, Ferdinand attacked them by surprise." Sura couldn''t help but see the huge flaw in Ferdinand''s actions. "So he went to Bohol to prevent a possible pincer attack, only to piss off the Tarsiers? This man is not very smart." "Indeed, Lady Sura. All he is, is a man of greed disguised as a public servant. Much like most politicians in the Philippines." The woman called Jean expressed her agreement. "What''s their current situation? How many men do they have?" "They''re currently at a standstill. The Tarsiers, for some reason they evolved much faster than the most mutant beasts. Despite the one million and five hundred thousand population of Bohol only being down to one hundred thousand, at least with what was present in Ferdinand''s city, it still wasn''t something the Tarsiers could overwhelm, with them being only over a thousand in population." This made sense. Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental which made up the Negros Island, who had quadruple Bohol''s population only had a total of around one million left after the took over the whole island, rescued the survivors and absorbed the other nations. Save from the ones who didn''t want to give up their power and the ones who were found to have raped and murdered people, everybody else got to live a much comfortable life compared to before. Especially when they found out they would be provided with free electricity, water, and housing. The funds used for the housing and electricity were taken from the absorbed nations, of course. "Alright. You have my gratitude. If you wish to join us, you''ll be briefed regarding our rules and what we require of you." "Lord Luna, are you planning on going to Bohol?" Ricardo asked. "Yes. The Tarsiers are apparently not evil. The fact that they helped out humans before is proof of that. That''s right, how did you manage to communicate with them?" "About that. You might find it hard to believe, Lord Luna, but.... They were actually capable of speech." "Speech? You didn''t think to tell me this before?" "Ah, no! I was going to, it''s just that I wanted to tell you that I wished to go with you first. They were capable of some words, just enough to express what they want. We wanted to go with you so we could maybe help. They''re familiar with us, you see." "Alright. We''ll leave by tomorrow." Looking towards some of the soldiers, Luna ordered them. "See to it that they receive accommodations." "Yes, Lord Luna!" After receiving his order, the man beckoned the group of four. "Come with me, please. We''ll have to process you first before you can receive your invitation to the , if you agree to our rules, then you''ll be a part of us." "With pleasure, sir!" The four unanimously agreed. "Ah, don''t call me sir, I''m just a Private." After they all left, Boni was curious about Luna''s intentions. "Bro, you''re thinking of taking the Tarsiers in?" "Yes. If it''s possible, of course." "What if it isn''t?" Sura inquired. "Then I''ll have to work some sort of deal out with them. They are not evil, after all. I cannot just murder them when they were the ones who were slighted by humans to begin with." Sura gave out a dazzling smile. "That''s my hus--- erm... I''m proud of you." "Ah.. that''s probably my cue to leave." Boni snuck out as fast as he could. "You know, even though we''re not officially married, we''re still soul bound. If everything goes well, we should take a day off." "Pft! If that''s you asking me out on a date, then yes, I would love to go sightseeing on some muscular Tarsiers. Mr. Accidental Proposal Man." "Ah... That''s not fair, the second one wasn''t an accident at all!" "Sure, sure. You should be more direct next time. If you want to spend time with me, then you only need to ask." Sura had an intriguing look on her face. This was definitely not the stoic expression that people were used to. Only with the people closest to her could she be this carefree. "Haha.. Alright. You''ll need to bear with me. My first official relationship went straight to two proposals after all." Maxene who was back at the Life Tree area felt the mushiness of her parents, playfully pretended to vomit in disgust as she went into Angry Bakunawa''s pocket dimension to design her new hangout place. The poor beast of legends could only open his mouth as Maxene tossed furniture in it. Hana and Maxene Walking out of a residence modified to have a more zen, oriental feel was a Japanese beauty. This woman was the one known as the Demon Flower. Derived from her name, Hana, which means flower and the fact that once in battle, she dances around like a possessed demon, harvesting even EHZs and ETZs like wheat. So-hee, who was just about to head of somewhere as well, spotted her and asked. "Hana, headed somewhere?" "Mn. I''m heading south to Siquijor island. I heard the inhabitants of that island were requesting for help, and Lord Luna wanted to secure that island in case the terrorists to the South take over and use it as a launch pad to attack us. Boni and Elise are heading North to Iloilo City in Panay Island as well to look for more survivors and supplies." "Yes, I''m actually headed North together with Yu-jin, Sang-hwa, and the rest. Will you be alright?" So-hee was considering asking Boni if he could accompany Hana should she ask for it. "It''ll be fine, Siquijor is a tiny island anyway, I shouldn''t take long." Noticing her good intentions, Hana gave out a rare smile. The people in the streets who saw it couldn''t help but stare. Suddenly, as if a huge, wriggling cloud blocked out the Sun, an adorable voice could be heard from above. "Hohoho! Worry not, I shall accompany Tita Hana!*" Suddenly a small figure jumped down from the Dragon-serpent from around four stories high, landing with style, on a half kneeling position, her head down, and both arms stretched upwards, forming a "V", as if she was a bird about to take flight. "Maxene is here!" after her introduction, Dragon-serpent from above roared too, as if to introduce himself as well as he flew down and curled around Maxene, blocking the whole road. "Oh yeah, there''s this guy too." Angry Bakunawa looked at Maxene as if aggrieved that he was called "this guy." Hana, So-hee and the people around were staring at disbelief at this little lady. Did she really have to do such a grand entrance? How long as she been practicing that? Who taught her this? As soon as they asked that last question in their head, the image of Boni grinning doing a ''thumbs up'' appeared in their heads. "M-Maxene-dono. Are you sure you don''t mind?" "Not at all! Besides, if you travel via land it''ll take hours, but if we ride my ''luxury suite'' boy here, it''ll only take 30 minutes!" "Luxury... suite?" So-hee was confused. This was normal, after all, not a lot of people knew about the pocket dimension inside Angry Bakunawa. It wasn''t because it was top-secret, rather it was because it was only recently discovered. "Yes!" Looking towards Angry Bakunawa, Maxene cleared his throat. "Ahem. OPEN SESAME!" A groan could be heard from the Dragon-serpent as it reluctantly opened it''s mouth as a huge spatial gate opened as he willed it. "See? Let''s go! We''re off to an adventure!" "Thank you, Maxene-dono." Hana bowed as she offered her gratitude. This would cut their travel time a lot shorter. "No problem! I was headed to Mt. Kanlaon to tame some more beasts anyway. I''m sure Siquijor has some as well. Let''s go!" Hana slightly bowed towards So-hee. "Ittekimasu!"Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. "Safe travels, Hana, Maxene." So-hee waved as the two entered the spatial gate. Inside... Hana was quite surprised the moment she got to see what was inside. Besides the lounge area the space in side was farther than what her eyes could see. Although it might not be big enough to fit the whole Moon in it, she had no doubt that it would once Angry Bakunawa evolved further. Maxene''s setup here was basically fancier than any airline. This was basically a house, complete with all the amenities, from what would be considered basic to luxury in an airline. If one didn''t need or want to comprehend the space through the spatial linings within this dimension, it could be transformed into a 360 degree vision of the outside world. It was truly a sight to behold. The same small power plant used to power each city was in there as well, indicating that this pocket dimension was considered a by the . "This is quite the place you have here, Maxene-dono." "Mn! I spent quite a bit of my VIS for this place. Good thing being the only reliable Beast tamer in the nation pays well!" She gave Hana a thumbs up with a wide grin on her face. This made sense. Including the fact that Maxene was constantly out and about, taming more and more Mutant Beasts, she was farming zombies with her tamed beasts even more. This gave her a lot more individual currency than most. Her and Luna''s goal was simple. They would eventually pair up soldiers with their own Mutant Beast to work and level with. It was a win-win situation. It was the most efficient way to level all the tamed beasts, while helping minimize casualties even more. Of course, should the soldier decide to betray the , the beasts would end there life on the spot. They were, after all, still bound to Maxene and could relay crucial information to her via soul communication. This trip was quite relaxing. Emergency Food, World Destroyer and Spot were pretty well behaved as well. When they passed by Mt. Kanlaon, the flying-type mutant beasts weren''t at a high enough level to not be afraid of Angry Bakunawa. They could only hide, lest this Dragon-serpent decided it wanted a quick snack. "Tita Hana." "Y-you can just call me Hana, Maxene-dono. I''m only in my early twenties." Hana couldn''t help but feel awkward being called that. While it is respectful to call someone that, it was usually towards someone much older. "Oh... Okay!" Maxene didn''t mind whatever she wanted to be called, she only used that term because Luna taught her the proper honorifics. "Did you want to ask me something?" "Do you like Father?" She suddenly asked. "Pft!" Hana who was taking a sip of water lost her usual composure. Evidently the question caught her by surprise. "Fufufu! I knew it!" Maxene had a devilish grin on her face. "Maxene-dono, it''s not like that. I mean.." "It''s okay, it''s okay. I knew because you looked at him the same way my Mother looks at him. Although... Recently that gaze has diverted from my father to Tito Mabini! Speaking of which, we should have invited him to come with us. Does he know?" Maxene said as she was rubbing her chin, as if she was in deep thought. "That..." Hana didn''t know what to say. What was this little girl up to? "Oh? You haven''t told him yet?" Maxene''s smile grew even wider. Emergency Food hopped over to Hana''s side, patting her back with his wing as if to console her. If he could actually speak he would be saying. "I know that expression on master''s face, good luck with what''s to come." World Destroyer and Spot looked at each other, then towards Hana as they shook their heads, apparently they were aware of that expression as well. "ANGRY BAKUNAWA! Turn back! We''re picking up Tito Mabini!" Out of nowhere, Maxene suddenly ordered. Responding instantaneously to her command, Angry Bakunawa made a U-Turn. "EH?!?!" Hana lost all color on her face. Much like Sura, she usually wore a stoic expression on her face, quite the opposite to Yu-jin, So-hee, and Seo-hyeon''s who consistently wore a smile on their face. Right now she only had the look of utter shock on her face. It was like when you were in High School and your friends told you they were exposing you to the person you had a crush on and trapping you two in a room. "This little girl.. since when did she start wanting to play matchmaker?" Hana thought in her head. If only she knew that Maxene, in her own innocent little way, was actually looking out for her. She definitely felt how mushy her parents were, and while the mushiness disgusted her, she knew that it meant that the two were happy. Thus, she wanted the same thing for the unsuspecting Hana. Letter Mabini was just about to set out himself to do his daily grind with his men when Angry Bakunawa landed in front of him and opened it''s mouth. Him and his men were startled and immediately got into defensive positions. After all, they were not aware about the pocket dimension either. Seconds later, the gate appeared and Maxene stepped out of it. "Hello there, dear Uncle!" "Maxene? What are you doing here?" Mabini asked, bewildered. "I have an emergency and it requires your immediate attention! Follow me, quick!" Grabbing Mabini''s hand, she pulled him towards the gate. "Wait, what about my men?" "Fufufu, an audience is good, makes it more official with more witnesses. They can come too! Hurry up all of you!" Mabini''s regiment didn''t have any assignments today, so they were just going out to grind some levels. Usually they would be out towards the North as well, but thankfully Boni and the rest had that covered today. Inside the pocket dimension. All the soldiers had awkward looks on their faces. In front of them were three people, Mabini, their leader who was one of the few people who could actually match Boni. The second one was the one famously known as the Demon Flower of the Sovereign Nation. The third one was the most mysterious, despite being the bubbliest, Lady Maxene, daughter of Lord Luna and Lady Sura. Hana currently had her head down, blushing and sweating bullets. "This little girl, I swear I''m gonna kill her!" she was currently panicking in her head. She was in disbelief that not only did Maxene turn around to pick up Mabini, she actually picked up his whole regiment! "Maxene, what''s going on?" Mabini asked. Based on Hana''s current actions, he had some idea of what was about to happen, but he was hoping that his hunch was wrong. "Ahem, ahem! I now pronounce you, husband and wife!" "EH?!?" Everybody had the same reaction. What drugs was this little girl on? "Ah.. Maxene, what are you doing?" Mabini kept his composure and asked calmly. "Oh, I married you two." with her hands clasped together and the innocent smile on her face, Maxene gave the impression that she was quite pleased with her handiwork. "M-Maxene, that''s now how it works." Tilting her head to the side with a bewildered expression on her face, she replied. "Oh? That''s how it worked for my Mother and Father. Tito Boni said that someone usually recites those lines and you two kiss and then you''re married." "Uhm.. Your Mother and Father are a special case, you see. Usually it takes some time." Mabini tried his best to explain, but didn''t have much experience with this either. "So you''re saying it''ll take some time before you start liking Hana?" "It''s not that I don''t like her." "So you do like her." "Well, yes." The soldiers who wore surprised expressions before suddenly felt as if they were watching a reality TV Show. Some of them started whispering at this new development. They were aware that Hana and Mabini were fond of each other, but they''ve never really shown much endearment in public, if at all. Just that they preferred to go on missions together, and Mabini''s sister, Apple, seemed to be supportive of it.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "Do you like her a looooot?" Maxene''s voice went higher in pitch as she extended the word "lot". Mabini knew there was definitely no way out of this. This little girl will not stop until she gets the truth out, so he might as well admit it. "Yes, a lot." Hana who was shaking in embarrassment a moment ago suddenly went still and slowly raised her head to look towards Mabini. "Oh my. Is this what''s supposed to happen when I find my future husband as well?" Maxene thought. Truthfully, she quite liked this. She just didn''t like her parents being mushy, because, well, who actually likes seeing their parents being mushy in front of them? Other people on the other hand, it was quite pleasant. Especially in a time where relationships were more valued, since everybody was aware that with the onset of the new world, there wasn''t that many "fish in the sea" so-to-speak. Well there were, just that majority of them are either infected or dead. Her next question made Hana''s soul almost leave her body. "What about you, Hana?" At this point Maxene was already incredibly intrigued with this development. She had her sofa chair turned around, with the back part facing the future couple as she was kneeling on it. This made it so it looked like she was peeking from it, and all they could see were her smiling eyes. Everybody could tell that she was enjoying this. Hana knew there was no running away from this. They were still about twenty-five minutes away from their destination, and there was no way to stall, so she did something she had never done in her life before. Much to everybody''s surprise, she didn''t say anything. She stood up, walked towards Mabini, pulled out an envelope with a cat sticker sealing it. Holding it with two hands, she extended it towards him, as her face turned an even deeper red, especially her cheeks. The soldiers couldn''t help but whisper among each other. "Wait, is that, a love letter?" "Hooo boy, this is like a confession you make in High School." "Will we have another power couple?" "Shh! Let''s see what Col. Mabini does." Mabini was still in shock, but he had enough awareness to know what this meant. "Was she planning this with Maxene? No, that''s not Hana''s style, so it''s definitely a coincidence." He thought. Thinking this, he quickly stood up and received the letter. "Well, well, well, as much as I''d like to see what''s going to happen next, I think you two need to enjoy the rest of this trip." After saying that, she actually laid down wooden walls that were cheaper and only took two seconds to install. Then she modified so it''s not too high, but just high enough so the two could have their time together without any eyes watching them. "Shoo! All of you, go all the way to the back!" Maxene wasn''t going to allow these soldiers to eavesdrop, of course. Only she could do that. She was way too curious to not listen in. *** Meanwhile. A man garbed in camouflage gear, spying on a large group of soldiers dressed in unfamiliar gear, wearing masks. This was one of the scouts President Emil sent. Just as he was about to leave and report what he saw he felt a blade on his neck. "I wouldn''t move if I were you." a man suddenly spoke from behind him. "Please don''t kill me! My name is Genesis. I come with a message from the President of the Philippines. I need to speak to your leader." He knew he would die if he couldn''t justify why he was here. "Well then, Genesis, why the need to spy on us?" He heard a female voice in front of him but couldn''t see where it came from. Just then, a girl with blonde hair came out of stealth. The man was quite surprised, this woman has to be a high ranking Officer. He was aware of how rare the Stealth skill was, it could drop from zombies, but the drop rate was so abysmal, that you''d have to be an RNG God to get one to drop. In their whole army in the North, only one person had one, the prisoner turned General, Tomas Mascardo. This was true, even with Luna''s incredibly efficient way of farming, they only had a few. What surprised him was the fact that he had no idea despite her being right in front of him. This meant that she vastly surpassed him in levels. As a matter of fact, he felt that each and every one of those soldiers were much stronger than him. "Just taking precautions, Ma''am. I didn''t mean to offend. I just need to speak with your leader." "He''s busy right now. You''re going to have to wait." A man behind him spoke. It was Boni. "Yes, of course." Genesis quickly replied. Waiting was definitely better than having his head lopped off. "In a cell." Boni finished his sentence. "You..." While this man did claim to be a representative, it couldn''t be deny that his previous actions were pretty shady. The couldn''t care less where he was from or who he represented. The safety of the came first. Suras Growth While the events in the Southern and Northern walls were taking place, a small party was making their way through Cebu. "Lord Luna and Lady Sura sure are amazing. We struggled so much and almost lost our lives trying to travel for even a mile, and now it feels like we''re just taking a casual stroll." Astrid still couldn''t help but admire the two, especially Sura who saved their lives. "It''s only to be expected. The might have a huge army, but they didn''t start out with that." Ricardo replied. After joining, he managed to walk around the town by the Eastern walls. It almost felt like it was never affected by the apocalypse. "Bro, you noticed it too, right? Every single person in that town, even the children, they were all strong." Alfred, Ricardo''s brother was aware of it as well. Out of their group, only his brother was on even levels with the Sovereign Nation''s weakest member. "I did. I think that in time, Lord Luna will conquer all of the Philippines. Joining his nation was definitely the best choice." The other three couldn''t help but nod in agreement. Little did they know that every word they said could be heard by both Luna and Sura. These two weren''t normal, after all. In addition to the fact that they were far more evolved, they also had endowments that gave them even more of an advantage. They kept journeying for most of the day, hoping to find more survivors, without much luck. They were currently in Toledo City on the Western shores of Cebu. They had to journey all the way through to Mactan island in Lapu-Lapu City where the bridge connecting to Bohol was located. "Luna, it''s weird, don''t you think? It''s been over a month and the zombies don''t seem to have evolved further. At this rate it''s going to take months to even get level 51." Sura asked. "According to Elder Aran, the EHZs and ETZs weren''t supposed to appear this early. Apparently our rapid conquests of small, medium, and large territories are what triggered it. If the rest of the world knew we were responsible, they''d probably use that as an excuse to fight against us." Luna recalled Elder Aran''s words. These EHZs and ETZs were like slightly larger ants to him. This wasn''t just because he was currently level 50, a regular level 50 would still be at risk of getting overwhelmed. They would also tire much easily due to expending more energy. Mayari and Apolaki''s blessing made it so the two had unnatural advantages when compared to a regular person. Their bodies were refined by the sunlight and moonlight essence, making them even stronger. The more their body''s capability increased the more it the essences could give them. If it had given it all to them too early, even Sura''s body would have exploded. Luna also had the Draconic armor as well, but besides that, the rest of his growth was much like regular humans. Sura however, was different, while her advantages didn''t show much in the beginning, the more levels she got, the more it showed why the Asura, as a race, were considered as the strongest. True to her description, every 10 levels she would learn a skill. The preceding skills also got a boost. Her innate potential had doubled since the beginning, giving her 20% more of Luna''s stats. This advantage was only going to get more and more obvious the higher level she got. Her 3-head and 6-arms mode, made it so she had no blind spot, and had enough arms to cover all her weaknesses. Albeit, she didn''t like using this mode too much unless she had to get serious. She personally didn''t like the aesthetic of it too much. She had also picked up a skill when she hit level 40, although she didn''t face a situation where she had to use it yet. It was called "Asura''s Wrath." ------------------------------- Active Skill: Asura''s Wrath An Asura and their blade count as one. Imbue your weapons with the wrath of the Asura, igniting it to deliver a more potent attack, that not only has increased physical damage, but additionally sends out a mental attack. ------------------------------- She remembered this skill. Against weak-willed individuals, she wouldn''t even need to physically hit them. As long as this skill was activated, the moment her blades touched theirs, a mental attack would pass through the blades and into the wielder''s body, straight to their mind. Her passive skill was stronger as well. ------------------------------- Passive Skill: Sword Mastery Increases attack damage(only applies to total weapon damage) by 15% per sword equipped and increases attack speed by 15% per sword equipped. Maximum of 90% more when using <6-Armed Asura Mode> This bonus only applies to recognized equipment. ------------------------------- It was much stronger than before, highlighted even further when she used her 3-heads and 6-arms mode. Her skill, could whittle down even the most resilient of foes.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ------------------------------- Passive Skill: Armor Break Attacking a target, weakens it''s defense by 5% per hit, stacking up to a maximum of 25% ------------------------------- Furthermore, besides her most recently learned skill which, coupled with Mayari and Apolaki''s blessing, truly made her a force to be reckoned with. Lastly, another passive skill of hers was . ------------------------------- Passive Skill: Berserk Staying in combat increases attack speed by 2% per second, capping out at 10%. Bonuses fall off when out of combat for more than 5 seconds. ------------------------------- This proved that Sura was truly an anomaly in this world and that the title of "The Strongest Race" was not just for show. The advantages these two had, made it so when compared to a similarly leveled human, they were able to last much longer. Besides their endurance, their normal strikes could already be compared to a full force strike from a human of the same level who went hybrid. Their attack power would be the same as a person who got to level 50 and only put all of his stat points in STR. In this world, these two were truly Overlords. Neither of them could have expected this. Regardless, they knew the volatility of this new world. Even when they had such advantages, they would relentlessly seek to grow stronger. Luna was aware that he could not get overconfident either. He would never make the mistake of underestimating his foes. When people as weak as Ricardo came looking for help, he didn''t look at them in disdain, instead he helped them. This was more necessary than what it appeared. While it was true that partially Luna wanted to help, he also knew that this was a way of earning the people''s respect. As the saying goes: People shouldn''t be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people. This was even more true for the . While Luna was not afraid, everyone within the Nation was strong. If he abused them and they rebelled, he could only retreat and defend in Bacolod City, his main base. This was a risk he knew he had to take in the beginning. He was not willing to keep his citizens weak, just so he could easily threaten them. Instead, he earned their respect. Even if someone were to try and start propaganda against him, the citizens would not believe a single word of it. They might even kill the perpetrator themselves. After all, to the , Luna might as well be their God. This was also why Luna and Sura had another nickname among the citizens. Something that they themselves were surprised when they heard of it: God King Luna and God Queen Sura. This was a double-edged sword and also why they never stopped trying to get stronger. The moment they were defeated by another individual, whether in 1-on-1 combat or through something more covert, the whole Nation''s morale would collapse. "Lord Luna, why don''t you expand to all the surrounding islands?" Ricardo and the rest who finally caught up, couldn''t help but ask. With his current force, Luna could easily trample over the other Nations. Luna smiled. He asked something similar to General Leman before during one of his lessons, while he was considered a shot caller during raids in MMORPGs, it was a far cry from actually being a leader of a force this large. "Ricardo." He acknowledged his inquiry. "Yes, Lord Luna! I apologize for asking carelessly!" Astrid punched him from behind, signaling that he shouldn''t pry. "Do you know much about World War 2, Ricardo?" "Not much, sir. I only know that it was a war Germany started, and the alliance they formed with Italy and Japan, the Axis powers were eventually defeated by the Allied forces." "Indeed. Germany was technologically more advanced when compared to Europe and the USA. When a German Tiger tank went up against an American Sherman tank, operationally, the more advanced Tiger tank would obliterate it''s opposition, correct?" "Indeed, sir." "With such an advantage, why did the Germans lose?" "Isn''t because they foolishly attacked the Soviet Union?" "Hitler may have been an disgusting human being, but him and his Generals were no fools." "Then why did they, sir?" Astrid asked, it seems she was even more intrigued. "A few things, leading to more things." Luna smiled as he continued. "The Tiger tanks were far more superior, yes, but the Germans only had about 1,300 of them. The USA had 49,000 Sherman tanks. Similarly, we have a lot of very strong individuals. Survivors from the 6 million or so population in the Negros Islands. Do you know how much Luzon to the North has?" "How much?" Ricardo asked. "Over 60 million. While they might be more spread out and the numbers have definitely been reduced due to the onset of the new world, but they have one thing over us: The Philippine Government. To the survivors at the beginning of the apocalypse that was the most and only attractive rallying point. They only needed to say that a certain location was safe, and people would flock to it. One can only imagine how much they surpass us in numbers." "I see. So while we''re much stronger in general, but for every person we lose, it hurts us more and it''s harder to replace them. Whereas they have so many people, losing one of us for 100 of them would hurt us more, while for them, that''s 100 less mouths to feed." Ricardo and the rest finally understood. "Indeed. Adding on to that, are the supplies. Germany invaded the Soviet Union, not because they were fools. It was because they had no choice. They were low on resources. Most importantly, they were critically low on food. Mutant beasts are abundant for us, yes, but for a regular soldier, hunting them still carries higher risks than even an EHZ or ETZ. While we won''t have much issues on food, we still need the proper logistics. Not to mention that it also means we''d be spreading our forces too thin, just like they did." This was true. While the zombies have remained stagnant for now, the marine life have been constantly evolving, eventually they would become amphibious. They were also more numerous than the humans prior to the apocalypse, even more so now when the human population has dropped so low. Defending on top of the walls was easy, but what about the soldiers who were the middle of expanding? What if they were caught off-guard? The had no lack of strength, but this was no reason for them to get cocky and be careless. It was only due to the help of the Elves that coastal defense became manageable. Until their population increased, they could only expand once they were sure they could defend from attacks on all sides from zombies, humans, and mutant beasts from the land, air, and sea. Fortunately for everyone on land, while the Oceans weren''t invaded by the zombies, the marine life were in a civil war of their own. Pests "We''re almost at the bridge to Mactan island." Ricardo said as they were walking through the same streets they passed by when they retreated. Besides the houses that were destroyed, even the main roads didn''t have as many abandoned cars as one would expect during an catastrophe like this. It didn''t fit how an apocalypse would usually look like, thematically. Of course, that was based on television shows. In other parts of the world however, that was indeed the case. It was only because the Philippines was attacked at such a weird hour, much like other countries with similar time zones. Just as they were getting close, Luna and Sura suddenly stopped, holding up a finger to his lips, signaling for the others to be quiet. "Do you hear that?" He was looking towards Sura, of course. He didn''t expect the others to hear something he could only faintly hear. "Chirping? No, squeaking. Stay here, I''ll scout the area." Not giving Luna any time to reply, Sura took off. "Lord Luna, what''s going on?" Astrid asked. "We may have a rat problem in our hands." Luna had a serious expression on his face. He wasn''t afraid of ETZs or EHZs, he wasn''t even that as afraid of facing off against other mutant beasts. The rats however, while a few of them were negligible, but a group of rats, a whole mischief of rats was a another problem. This was also why Luna wanted to conquer the whole of Negros island. How expansion worked in this new world, was that it removed the need for a sewage system. Even the simple were equipped with disposal systems that made sewage systems obsolete. Or any other type of disposal for that matter. It removed any preexisting sewers underground, the walls extended underground as well, to where the part you see above ground was only considered the tip of the iceberg. The more you expanded, the farther the underground pests got pushed away automatically. The rats and roaches took notice of this when the structures were being built, and fled instinctively. When Luna noticed this, he expanded even faster after taking over Bacolod City. After swiftly taking over the whole island, the rats and the roaches scrambled to flee. They had grown in size and power, but they were still weak enough that the numerous Mages made short work of shepherding them away from the territories. Some of them battled it out with the mutant beasts in Mt. Kanlaon and were eventually devoured, some of them became sustenance for the marine life lying in wait, while a huge majority of them fled past the bridges and settled in the sewers of the yet to be conquered and developed lands. "Luna." Sura communicated back as soon as she got a visual. "Sura, what''s going on over there?" "You''re not gonna believe this. It looks like the rats are having some type of... tournament?" "A tournament?" Even with his heightened sense of hearing, Luna was still unsure if heard it right. "Lord Luna." Astrid interjected. As a caretaker of a species as sensitive as the Tarsiers, she was an experienced Biologist in all branches, while Ricardo, Alfred, and Jean were more specialized as Zoologists. "The rats must be determining an Alpha male." "An alpha?" "Yes. When rats encounter each other for the first time, they have to determine their pecking orders and figure out who is alpha. I usually wouldn''t exactly call it as organized as a ''tournament'' but if Lady Sura actually says it is, then it has to be. We can only attribute this to their evolution."This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. "So you''re telling me all of the surviving rats are about to get more organized? How come you didn''t encounter them before?" "Unfortunately, yes. As for your second question, I honestly have no clue." Astrid regretfully answered. "Lord Luna, I have a guess as to why they''re all above ground, and near the Mactan bridge at that." Jean who was usually the shy, quiet type, finally spoke up. "Speak." After hesitating for a moment, she spoke. "I have a feeling that whatever caused the Tarsiers to evolve faster than regular mutant beasts is what''s attracting them towards that general direction." "That seems logical. Or else we''d have received reports of this in the North and South as well. Regardless, this is bad news. We need to get to whatever that source is before they do." He truly regretted not bringing Emergency Food or Angry Bakunawa with him now. He wanted to be inconspicuous, but with these new developments, that wasn''t an option any longer. "Sura, keep a close watch on those rats for now." Right after saying that, he contacted Maxene immediately. "Max, where are you right now?" "FATHER! Father you''ll never guess what I did! Hana and Mabini? They''re officially a couple now! I was gonna help them with the Siquijor island subjugation in the South. Why? Do you need me, father?" Maxene on the other end of the line was even more enthusiastic than she usually was. So much so that despite the urgency, Luna couldn''t bear to cut her off. Regardless, her story only took a few seconds, so it wasn''t a big deal. These days, Luna was finding out more and more why Fathers usually end up spoiling their daughters. "Yes, I need you as soon as possible. It''s imperative that you arrive at my location as soon as possible. Can you do that for me, Max?" "Yes, father! I''m on my way now!" Right after that she barked out orders to the three tamed beasts "World Destroyer, Spot! Help out the lovebirds for now, okay? Emergency Food come with me! We have to go help father. Okay, bye!" Running towards Angry Bakunawa, she turned around, look towards Hana and Mabini and gave them a devilish grin. "Bye lovebirds!" she then ran towards the spatial gate, as they left right away. Hana could only look down in embarrassment while Mabini scratched his head. "This little girl.." Right after the mischievous little cupid left, Hana regained her composure and asked. "What could possibly make Lord Luna require help with?" "Whatever it is, it''s probably way over our heads. We should focus on Siquijor for now, the sooner we can secure it, the less we have to worry about any offensive from the South." Mabini replied as he ushered Hana to go with him and finish preparations. Back in Cebu. "Sura, Max is on her way, she should be here in around 30 minutes or less. Are there any new developments?" "None yet. They don''t seem to be finishing anytime soon. I have a question for you guys." Sura was now in open communication with the rest of the party. "What about the cockroaches you were talking about earlier?" "This.. We don''t quite know, some animal and insect behaviors are consistent with how they were prior to the new world, but some change faster than others. There''s no way we could predict what would happen. But if I were to guess, the roaches must be gathered in certain locations. They''re not usually aggressive, but that could change very quickly." This was the main issue with the new world. Nobody knew how much beasts, insects, and arachnids would evolve. There were too many factors that didn''t appear in the stories, movies, or comics about this. *** In the municipality of Medellin, Northern Cebu. The whole area was like a living nightmare made of webs. Countless cocoons were everywhere, some were still squirming, as spiders with legs up to 5-feet long were wrapping up the the rest of the town''s remaining survivors. A man was hugging his daughter as half of their bodies were already wrapped up in silk. "We should have left with the others. We should have left! Now my daughter has to die because of my idiocy. We should have left with the others... we should have." He didn''t have time to speak as the rest of their bodies were wrapped up, and the spider administered a lethal injection through it''s fangs. This man was the leader of a small territory. He didn''t want to give up his position of power even when most of the people in his community left to join the . Without a solid base of power, things like this could happen to territories like his at any given time. Mactan Island On top of the wall blocking the entrance of the bridge towards Mactan island. "This is probably one of the few fight events where I''m glad I don''t have a front seat." A man wearing a Kevlar vest was shaking his head while looking at the rat tournament right below them. Just as he was watching this spectacle, a man dressed in mutant beast fur and leather came to join them. Seeing this man, the man equipped with a Kevlar vest greeted him. "Cilapu, have you come to watch the show?" "I wish I could be as carefree as you, Carlos." The man named Cilapu knitted his eyebrows the moment he looked down at the rats. Carlos shrugged his shoulders as he replied. "Not much else to do. Escaping through boat is suicide. Ferdinand has already walled off the bridge to Bohol on the other side, so I hope you memorized a few prayers. That''s about the only thing we can do right now." "The guys is complete garbage for a fighter, but I have to admit he made a good decision in retreating to Bohol." "Unfortunately, yes." Carlos could only agree. There was no way for them to know that Ferdinand was also being surrounded by the Tarsiers. Should Mactan island fall to the rats, Ferdinand and his nation would be next. *** Sura received the news from Maxene that she was only a few minutes away, so she decided to head back to Luna''s location. As soon as she got back. "Mother!" A small figure dove towards her direction with arms wide open. This was obviously Maxene. Sura caught her and smiled warmly towards her. "I''m glad you got here safe, Max." "Of course I did, the regular flying beasts seem to be afraid of Angry Bakunawa, so we didn''t meet any resistance on our way here. I did notice something on our way here which might not be good news." Hearing this, Sura couldn''t help but furrow her eyebrows as she looked towards Luna before kneeling on one knee, getting down to Max''s height. "What did you see, Max?" "Uhm. It looked like giant cockroaches, but they were weird, there was so many of them, but it looked like they were eating each other." "Things just got even worse." Luna said as he could feel a huge headache coming. "What do you mean?" Ricardo asked. "Of course." Astrid seemed to come to a realization of what was happening. "What do we do to get stronger?" Alfred quickly answered. "Kill zombies and mutant beasts?" "Exactly." Their eyes grew wider as their jaws dropped once they realized what was happening. Cockroaches were extremely abundant, even if they ate their brethren, they could always give birth to more.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The same with the rats and any other species that could multiply at a rapid rate. Luna interrupted their internal struggle. "That''s not the biggest issue. The Tarsiers don''t have that capability, even then they''ve become formidable. If those rats get to whatever it is the Tarsiers have, or worse, the cockroaches, with their ability to fly, get to it first. We''re in a huge amount of trouble." "Let''s get to it then." Sura nodded in his direction as they all ran towards Angry Bakunawa''s pocket dimension. With that said, they all left towards Mactan island, avoiding the location of the rat army. While they were on their way there, Luna was communicating with the high-ranking officers of the . "Cockroaches, Lord Luna? Ah yes, I''ve read about them in your books, those pests." Elder Aran was still by the Life Tree as they were all communicating on the same channel. "Exactly, Elder Aran. There''s a huge swarm of them in southern part of Cebu. Maxene reported that they still had their wings, so there''s a possibility of an attack by air." Boni, Hana, Apple and the rest had shivers run down their spine. What was worse than a cockroach? A cockroach that thinks it''s a butterfly. Sometimes even the manliest man would run away from one, what more a giant cockroach? "I''ll add more scouts to be on watch around the clock, I''ll assign all of our available Mages to be on guard as well. I''ll contact you when I have an update." Apple maintained her composure and proceeded to implement the plan right away. Everyone else was preparing for every possible scenario. After all, a single breach could very well ruin a lot of their hard work. Five minutes later, a Dragon descended on top of Mactan island. Cilapu''s eyes widened and immediately ordered his men to get into defensive positions when Luna walked out of the Dragon''s maw. "Greetings, I am Luna. Leader of the ." Cilapu and Carlos looked at each other in shock. It was quite hard to believe that the leader of the current strongest nation would come out here of his own accord. But who else could afford such a grand entrance? Not to mention the aura this man in front of them was exuding. They instinctively felt the urge to run. Should this man wish to eliminate them, there wasn''t anything they could do. "Greetings, Lord Luna. How can our small nation be of service?" Cilapu asked. Cilapu and Carlos were practitioners of Kali for many years. Skilled enough to compete and consistently meet each other in the finals of almost every tournament they both joined if they didn''t face each other too early. That''s why they got along despite Cilapu being from Mactan, and Carlos being from Cebu. They would never back down from a fight. Except this one. Just as they were waiting for a response, they saw someone exit Angry Bakunawa''s maw again. "Beautiful.." Carlos said the first thing that came to mind as he saw an otherworldly beauty walk up to Luna''s side. Cilapu elbowed his side, urgently warning him through their nation''s comms. "Relax, Carlos. We don''t know his temperament. If he thinks you''re hitting on someone that''s obviously his woman, he might kill us both." "I wouldn''t worry about him killing us, this woman has the same aura as him. She''s just as, if not more dangerous than him." Sura noticed the two were sweating bullets so she decided to ease the tension. Albeit, she still had a stoic expression in her face, she assured them. "Gentlemen, I am Sura and I''ve come to make you an offer." "We''d love to hear it, Lady Sura." Carlos replied while bowing, hoping that his comment earlier could be ignored if he showed a respectful gesture. "You''re aware that the rats in front of you are in the process of deciding who their Alpha male is going to be, right?" "This.. we''re not that knowledgeable when it comes to science, but I''m glad Lady Sura enlightened us." Cilapu replied. "Are you aware that once they find an alpha, you''re going to be next on the menu?" "This.. We''ve considered it to be a possibility." "Look closer. They''re already trying to find a way in, if they don''t, then they''re simply going to pile up on each other and scale these walls. Luna here has a proposal for you." "We''d love to hear it!" The two instantly replied in unison. This action gave Luna the information he needed as leverage for negotiations: That he was their only option for escape. Recruitment Luna breathed deeply and looked at each of them in the eye and presented his offer. "I''m offering you a chance to join the ." Cilapu and Carlos looked at each other before replying. "We''d like to know what''s the catch." Luna smiled. "It''s simple. You abide by our rules and you won''t be treated unfairly." "Will we receive a position upon joining?" "Absolutely not. Not unless you prove yourselves. Gentlemen, you''ll find that I am not one to discriminate regarding a person''s origins. If you''re trustworthy and you show that you''re deserving of a certain position within my Nation, you will have earned it." The two hesitated for a moment. They knew nothing of Luna except that his nation was quite possibly the most powerful, seeing as he had been recognized by the system three times, publicly. What if they put in a lot of effort and he chooses not to recognize it? He knew that the two of them were leaders of a decent sized nation. If he was too suspicious or afraid that the two of them might possibly stage a coup d''¨¦tat, then they''d stay as bottom feeders forever. One thing that they weren''t aware of, was that Luna knew that personal strength was what counted the most. Not only that, but his people were incredibly loyal to him, especially the Elves. Even more so, the Elves that had the shackling title of "low-born" removed from their names. If these two even attempted any type of rebellion, Maxene alone could probably send her tamed beasts to eat them as a snack. "Lord Luna, can you give us some time to think?" Carlos asked respectfully. "I have some business to do in Bohol, so make up your minds by the time I get back." Luna then glanced towards where the rats were. "Although, I don''t know how much time you have. Let''s hope I make it back in time. If you and your people decide to join me then have them all gather in the center of the island. I''ll look for your then." Luna turned around and left with Sura, finally heading to where the Tarsier base was located. *** "Cilapu, what do you think? Should we accept his offer?" "We don''t exactly have much of a choice. The as a whole did well. But what business do we have trying to maintain a nation we can''t even protect?" Cilapu clenched his fists. He hated the feeling of being weak. "If he treats our people well, then we''ll serve him faithfully. If not.." Carlos breathed deeply. "Forget it. I''ll gather everyone then I''ll join you on top of the walls to observe the rats. If they attack, we need to defend for as long as we can." *** Inside Angry Bakunawa. Emergency Food was enjoying having his head being caressed by his newfound friend, Astrid. She looked up towards Luna and asked "Lord Luna, do you think they''ll join?" Luna who was at the front looking at their surroundings, replied. "If they don''t, then I wouldn''t want men who would sacrifice their people to cling to a nonexistent seat of power anyway." A few minutes later. "Right down there, Lord Luna. That''s where the Tarsier leader was staying in last time." Ricardo pointed to a statue of a Tarsier below. "That''s the entrance to the Tarsier sanctuary."Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. The surroundings were quite beautiful. Over the years this area maintained lush greenery, especially now, the trees were abnormally tall. This area being left alone, meant that nature was starting to take over again. Angry Bakunawa hovered over the canopy as everyone scanned the area below them. Luna, Sura, and Maxene''s visual acuity was beyond the rest. This was even more so for Emergency Food. Not even the trio''s advantages could surpass an Eagle''s eyesight. It only took Emergency Food a second before he signaled the others. "Good job, Emergency Food!" Maxene patted him on the head. The poor bird was not used to being praised by Max, so he was stunned for a second before he showed a happy expression. As Angry Bakunawa landed on the area a 20 feet away from the Tarsier leader, a dozen or so of them came out of the woods, standing in front of him and were obviously wary of this Dragon that came out of nowhere. "Lord Luna, let the four of us go out there first. If they see familiar faces, they''ll be more likely to hear reason." Ricardo suggested. "Are you sure? If it doesn''t work out, they can rip you to shreds in seconds. I just scanned them, and they''re all at level 40." Luna warned them. "We''re sure. Consider it as our ''thank you'' for taking us in." Alfred added. "Alright. Just be careful." Luna felt a warmth in his heart. In this new world, for someone you just met to repay a favor by risking their lives was unexpected. He had to remember to take good care of these four in the future. As the four stepped our of the spatial gate, the hostility in the eyes of the Tarsiers diminished a little bit, albeit, they were still wary. Seeing these four, the Tarsier leader stepped forward. Ricardo''s party was quite surprised. These guys were now taller than them, their muscles were more defined. "Ricardo? Astrid? Alfred? Jean? Why have you come back? Are those evil humans with you?" The leader spoke up. It could be seen from his eyes that he obviously had some fond memories of these four, the dozen Tarsiers also had the same expression. After all, while Ferdinand''s men were seen by these majestic animals as evil, their previous caretakers had nothing to do with it. It''s just that these four were aware of how volatile animal behavior can be. Just like how a Lion and their caretaker could be best buddies for years, then the caretaker suddenly becomes dinner. Jean who was the closest to the Tarsier leader prior to the new world stepped forward. "Jax? You still remember us?" "Of course I do. We all do. We tried to look for you before." "I''m sorry, we were stuck in Ferdinand''s base for a while, but luckily we managed to leave and we joined Lord Luna." "Who is this Lord Luna?" "He''s someone who took us in and protected us. He wants to meet with you." "Jean, as you know we''ve had less and less reasons to trust humans. We''ll meet with him, but if he tries anything funny, I hope you forgive us for what comes next." "I can promise you he won''t do anything." Jean then signaled towards Luna that it was okay to come out. Luna exited through the spatial gate with Sura, Maxene, and Emergency Food. That Tarsier''s already large eyes, widened a bit more when they saw Luna step out. "He bears the aura of the ancient one." The Tarsier beside Jax said. Jax nodded. "Indeed. Here I thought that this Bakunawa in front of us was ancient enough as it is." He looked towards Jean and asked. "Jean are you sure that man and those women are human?" "Yes. Why, Jax? Is there something wrong?" Jean was even more confused now. "None." Ricardo, Astrid, Jean, and Alfred looked at each other with questioning eyes. Lord Luna had an ancient aura? What did he mean? Was he trying to say that Luna needed to take a shower? Did he mean to say that Lord Luna smelled ancient? The four were pretty confused as they communicated with each other secretly. They had no way of knowing that not only was Luna''s body blessed by Gods themselves, but he also inherited the Draconic armor from a True Dragon. They couldn''t be blamed for their confusion at all. Jax then walked forward to greet Luna and the rest. He could sense that this man was incredibly powerful. The Tarsiers might not be the strongest of mutant beasts, but they were definitely ahead in intelligence. Although it was still unknown if it was due to the same object that made them evolve faster than the rest, their own innate talent, or both. "Greetings. I am Jax, leader of the Tarsiers. You are Lord Luna, yes? State your business." Luna smiled, obviously impressed by the Tarsier''s straightforwardness. "Straight to the point. I can appreciate that. Very well then, I won''t beat around the bush either." He looked at Jax straight in the eye and said. "I''ve come to recruit you." The Tarsiers Join The Sovereign Nation "Recruit us?" Jax was quite taken aback. It wasn''t the statement, but the confidence behind the words spoken from this man in front of him. It felt more of a command than a question. "You''ve heard correctly." "Forgive me for my confusion, but why would we join you? What''s in it for us? More importantly, what''s in it for you?" Jax held his staff tighter. Not because he was getting ready for a fight, but because he felt nervous. Even Astrid and the rest felt nervous, they were surprised with how domineering the aura Luna was currently emitting. Noticing this, Luna decided to comfort him before they assume anything bad. "Because you''re either about to be swarmed by rats, or you''re about to be invaded by Ferdinand''s nation and then swarmed by rats." "Rats? We''ve received some aggression from the surrounding mutant beasts and small groups of rats, but nothing we can''t handle. Are you trying to scare us? That man Ferdinand, even with his army, we''ll slaughter him when he comes to our domain." As soon as Jax said that, the trees around them grew branches that twirled around and hovered on top of them, as if they were tentacles. This was obviously a show of power, to show that as long as they were surrounded by trees, they can fend off any army. "That''s a pretty neat trick!" Maxene walked forward all of a sudden. When she did, the branches twirled towards her as she caressed them with her hands. "But your command over them, is far too weak." "This..." The Tarsiers had a look of disbelief on their faces. Maxene already had an advantage when it came to the elements, when she was trained personally by Alea, they found out that she was even more beloved by the elements than a High Elf. Her control over earth, flora, and her command over fauna through her taming, meant that she was in a league of her own. "I see now." Luna patted Max on her head, to which she gave a pleased expression. "The reason why your evolution wasn''t because it was sped up directly by the item in your possession. It was because that item gave you insight on wood element, which influenced every facet of your evolution. Hence why you''ve become intelligent enough to communicate." Seeing as they''ve been found out and their trump card rendered useless, the Tarsiers became even more anxious. "Lord Luna, what is it that you really want from us?" Even Elder Jax had finally used the title of ''Lord.'' "Like I said, I want to recruit you. That and I also want the treasure you possess." "We can''t do that! This treasure is the only reason why we''ve been able to defend ourselves. Please, Lord Luna, anything but that!" Jax walked forward and went down on both knees. "Elder Jax, please don''t! We''ll fight him to the death!" The younger Tarsiers couldn''t bear seeing their leader almost prostrate himself before a human. "Silence!" He screamed at them. He was more aware than anyone, that if this human in front of him was as cruel as Ferdinand, they''d all be done for. Fight? He felt that they might put up a struggle for a little bit, but they''d eventually get annihilated. More importantly, the treasure was inside one of the caves they built. If they went in to retrieve it, they''d have lead themselves into a dead end anyway.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Elder Jax, do not misunderstand. Based on the fact that the treasure you possess has attracted mutant beasts, proves that it works in a certain area, and that it''s definitely not a one-time use, correct?" "That is correct indeed. It''s most effective in a 30-meter radius, and it''s effect weakens beyond that, and it further weakens when it meets obstacles. It''s quite surprising how the rats could detect it from such a distance. Their senses must be quite excellent." Jax replied. "The only reason why they haven''t prioritized charging over here is probably because it was already quite weak at that distance. But how come I can''t sense it?" Luna looked behind him and saw that Angry Bakunawa didn''t seem to be influenced either, but when he looked towards Emergency Food, he was surprised to see that the wind was ever so silently revolving around him. "I see. It seems it only works with regular mutant beasts. That''s why a legendary beast like the Bakunawa, or the True Dragon within me doesn''t seem particularly in tune with it." "So it''s not much use to you Lord Luna." Jax was relieved. Maybe now he won''t have any desires towards their treasure, right? "Not to me, but to my army of Mutant Beasts, it will be. Elder Jax, if I promise you that you''ll remain the caretaker of that treasure, in exchange for the benefits that come with being a citizen of the , will you join me?" Elder Jax had a weary look in his eyes as he replied. "We''ll just be discriminated against. Even when we helped out the humans, they still killed us." "You judge the rest of us based on the actions of some? Some humans are evil, yes, but what about Jean, Ricardo, Alfred, and Astrid? There are many more people like them in the ." The world was like this even before the new world. It was the same way when Muslim extremists terrorized people, all of a sudden people discriminated against even the innocent Muslims. Stereotyping was an ignorant and lazy way of thinking. "This.." Elder Jax had a look of realization in his eyes. "I understand. Lord Luna, will my people have the same advantages and rights as the humans in your nation?" "My nation cares not if you''re Human, Beast, or Elf. Everyone will have the same opportunity." Elder Jax stood up, his big, round eyes maintaining eye contact with Luna, as he extended his hand. "Then we will join you." The rest of the Tarsiers looked at each other before nodding, signaling that they all agreed. It seemed that they completely trusted their Elder''s decision. Elder Jax''s actions earlier was proof enough that his decisions, even if it meant throwing away his pride to kneel, was for the good of all of them. "Can you show me the treasure?" Luna asked. "Of course, Lord Luna. Come with me." Elder Jax then walked towards the inner part of their base. "I''m coming too, father!" Max jumped up and rode on Luna''s shoulders. Everyone, including the other Tarsiers breathed a sigh of relief. Luckily, something that could have been a bloodbath was resolved easily. They were thankful that Luna wasn''t as unreasonable and cruel as that man called Ferdinand. The Tarsiers built quite an impressive underground base. It was mostly done so they could weaken the effect of their treasure as much as they could without compromising the effect it had on them. "There it is, Lord Luna." Elder Jax pointed towards a staff stuck on the ground, what was more peculiar was some type of amulet, or a charm. A wooden tablet that had ornate engravings around it, with a picture of a tree, surrounded by all sorts of beasts in the middle, on top of the tree, there were turquoise gems embedded that made them look like they were the fruits of the tree. Luna walked up to it when a menu popped up in front of him. *. It is currently in use but has not been claimed by a . Would you like to claim this?> "Agimat? This thing doesn''t exactly look like what a normal Agimat would look like." Luna pondered. Then he remembered that while an Agimat usually come in the form of a necklace-like item, it''s also depicted as an enchanted stone that came from the sky, or what people would say is a "pangil ng kidlat" or "the lightning''s fang." Noticing the "fruits" on the tree, these turquoise gems must be it. Running his fingers on the three embedded gems, they actually felt warm to the touch. Suddenly, the wood actually turned into Gold. Surprised, yet fascinated, Luna removed his hands, and it turned back into wood again as new information entered his mind. ----------------------------------------- Contains knowledge of up to Rank 3 in the Wood and Wind elements. The catalyst for the is made from Piedras Platas,* a tree where the Ibong Adarna* loved to sing it''s songs. Embedded in it are gems formed from the Adarna''s excrement, which before drying up and turning into a priceless gem, was actually capable of turning anything it lands on into stone. One can only access the Rank 3 knowledge once it belongs to a . Prior to that, only Rank 2 can be accessed. The can only then be used by citizens of that . ----------------------------------------- "Great. It''s literally a legendary piece of shit. Can only access Rank 2 knowledge, huh? Maxene is currently at Rank 3, Elder Jax, if you were at Rank 2, then your wood element couldn''t have been rendered completely useless. Why was it?" With the Agimat in his hand, he looked at Elder Jax inquisitively. "Ah, yes, this is quite embarrassing but, we''ve only comprehended up to the uppermost limit of Rank 1." Elder Jax scratched his head a bit. "I see. That explains why you had a degree of control on the Wood element instead of just a set skill." This made perfect sense. They still haven''t reached the threshold of Rank 2, which explains why Maxene''s Rank 3 comprehension completely negated theirs. The could give them a map, but they still had to make sense of it to get to the "treasure" which is comprehending the . At first, Luna thought that the was just a type of add-on one could put on their equipment. Now it makes more sense that it was similar to how the spell books were. It brought with it a minimal understanding of what it represented, whether it be an element of some other object. For example currently they saw that it contained a Rank 4 comprehension of the . That doesn''t mean that Luna would automatically have a Rank 4 comprehension, what it meant was that he had a reference towards learning it and that the weapon would be endowed with fire that had the strength of a Rank 4 Flame. After attempting to stash it in his inventory, he found that it was impossible. Luna knew that when he took the with him outside, it would definitely rile up the mutant beasts. It was like playing "Capture the Flag" mode, all the mutant beasts would know where he is. "Elder Jax, recall all of the Tarsiers. Have them go inside the spatial gate, Maxene will guide you." "Yes, Lord Luna." *** In Ferdinand''s base, on top of the walls, soldiers with binoculars were constantly monitoring Tarsier activity surrounding their base. "What''s going on with the Tarsiers?" asked one man. "What do you mean?"Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. "They just started leaving all at the same time. Should we report it?" "Don''t mind it. They probably just got tired of observing us. It''s about damn time. I was starting to get permanent circular marks around my eyes from using those binoculars." *** Sura walked into the cave, "Luna, the Tarsiers have been evacuated. We''re ready to leave at any time." "Alright." Then he gave Sura a peculiar look. "You know you could have just messaged me, right?" "I know. I just try to get as much alone time as I can with you, since you''re always busy and all." Sura added as she held Luna''s hand, as she showed a fake "innocent" expression she would never have shown in front of anybody. *** Inside Angry Bakunawa''s inner world. Maxene was currently being her usual energetic and playful self "Alright! Everybody''s settled! Welcome to Angry Bakunawa Airlines! Get comfortable and behave, or I''ll toss you out! Understand my Tarsier friendos?" "Yes Lady Maxene!" The Tarsiers all responded immediately. They all looked at her with eyes filled with respect. Apparently the news of her rendering their comprehension of Wood useless had already spread among the Tarsiers. At first it was met with skepticism, that is until Elder Jax himself confirmed it. "Good! Hmm, I wonder where Mother and Father are right now. Although I can sense that they''re both currently really happy, but I can also sense ferocity in the mix." Maxene could sense vague fluctuations from their souls. It would never be anything specific, mostly it was either sad or extremely sad. Happy or extremely happy. Angry or extremely angry. The only distinct one she felt so far was the extremely happy feeling she felt to the point where it felt mushy. Right now, it was extremely happy with a bit of anger, the same feeling she got when her parents would be fighting a strong beast. "Well, whatever, they probably found a mutant beast worth killing and are having fun fighting with it. Although I do wish they''d hurry." An hour later, Luna and Sura exited the cave and tossed the through the spatial gate before it could emit it''s aura for too long outside. Sura who was still blushing a bit, looked at Angry Bakunawa who had an awkward expression on his face. Giving him a fierce look, Sura said. "You heard nothing." to which the poor Dragon could only nod it''s head. "Father! Mother!" As soon as the two got inside, Maxene greeted them. "What happened? Mother your hair''s a bit messy. It seems I guessed correctly as to what you two were up to." Max had an evil smile on her face. Luna and Sura exchanged awkward glances at each other, before they asked. "Oh? What were we doing?" Pointing towards her parents she confidently declared. "You guys were fighting a mutant beast, weren''t you? A strong one at that!" The couple let out a sigh of relief. Luna gave her a thumbs up. "Oh man, I can''t keep anything from you, now can I?" "I knew it! What beast was it?! Why didn''t you guys ask me for help? We could have weakened it and I could have tamed it!" Max expressed at what she thought was poor decision making by her parents. "Oh it was a big snake, more like a dragon. It was something I''ve never seen before, but when it was defeated, it grew smaller again, so your father and I felt bad and we just let it go." Sura hurriedly explained. "Oh.. Okay, I guess. At least we can leave now! Go go go Angry Bakunawa!" Seemingly satisfied with the answer she received, she went to relax on her sofa. The couple heaved a sigh of relief yet again. It was still gonna be a little bit before they got back to Mactan island, so Luna looked up further information on the . ------------------------ An by itself is considered weak. Only when it is placed within a that owns it will the effects be spread out to it''s citizens. The effect will still be the same unless upgraded with currency. Wherever an that has been claimed by a is placed, a small temple will be erected around it. Invaders can destroy this temple and steal the located inside in order to claim it for themselves. ------------------------ "I see. It seems like these things are like specific buffs. The fact that they can be raided by another nation. It seems the Gods really want to pit us all against each other. This one is fairly useless for the other nations, but due to Max''s taming skill, it''s definitely a huge boon for us." Luna thought to himself as he caressed Sura''s head as she was laying down on his lap, as he sat on the sofa where she was laying down on. "Angry Bakunawa, full speed ahead to Mactan Island. I reckon they''ll probably be begging to join us at this point." Luna commanded. *** Mactan Island. "Cilapu, we can''t defend this wall for much longer! We''ve lost too much men!" Carlos yelled, his voice contained a hint if desperation. "We need to hold out for as long as we can, until Lord Luna gets back!" Cilapu replied. "Damn it, we should have been more decisive! If only we joined right away, he would have taken us with him right then and there, for sure!" "No time for regrets, Carlos! Slowly retreat! Set the area on fire as we retreat! Slow these damn rats down as much as you can, we need to buy more time!" Ferdinands Folly The people of Mactan island were panicking, but they had nowhere left to go. Some people went in advance to knock on the doors of Ferdinand''s gates, only to be denied entry on his orders. Despite the constant urging of his men, he still refused them. "Sir, with all due respect, these are human beings. Our people!" A higher ranking soldier protested. "Do you see any rats, soldier?! Rat tide my ass! If those people end up being spies, will you take responsibility?! Even if there are, so what? Let those goons Cilapu and Carlos hold it back! That way they''re easy pickings for us. Don''t question my decision ever again!" Miguel was sitting on one side contemplating the situation. "It is a bit suspicious, but a rat tide? Can someone actually make that up? Even if it was made up, those people who came to our walls can''t possibly be actors, right? Because their pleas seemed so genuine." "Not as genuine as the knife they''re going to be stabbing your back with!" Ferdinand was absolutely against letting the people of Mactan island through. Anytime someone even tried to bring up the possibility of letting them through, even if it was Miguel, he would only get more furious. Suddenly, a scantily clad woman came in, bringing a report from one of their sentries. The soldier that Ferdinand was talking to, left the room right away. This woman was Ferdinand''s personal assistant, and everybody knew what they did behind closed doors. There were even rumors that he intentionally got his wife killed by zombies just so he could keep his image of being a loyal husband to the end. This did end up working out for him in the short-run as seeing him "get up and lead the people even after a huge loss" was a good slogan. "Sir, we received reports of a Dragon flying over our base. We''re not sure why, but mutant beasts suddenly appeared and have since then started attacking our Eastern walls." Unfortunately for them, the lingering aura from the was enough to give the mutant beasts a cardinal direction to head towards their base. *** Mactan island. "Cilapu, we can hold off for about another 30 minutes or so, if Lord Luna doesn''t arrive so--" Just as they were starting to worry, a Dragon''s roar could be heard from above. Even the Rat tide was stunned for a moment, which caused them to stumble on each other, slowing them down a bit more. As Angry Bakunawa landed, the people were deathly scared, especially when he opened his mouth. It was only until Luna stepped out with Sura and explained that they have a choice of joining him if they''d like. Cilapu and Carlos arrived soon after they burned everything on their way here. Hoping that all the fire and the walls in between them and the rats would be enough to stop them for a bit longer. "Lord Luna, I formally dissolve and hereby merge our and fully submit to the ! Even if I have to die, please save my people!" Cilapu wasn''t ignorant. If he was taken in, "He actually dissolved it right away. A decisive man. I think we''ll get along quite nicely." Luna thought to himself before speaking. "Everyone, welcome to the ! You will all be briefed about what it is expected of you, but for now, enter the spatial gate!" Pointing towards Angry Bakunawa he ushered everyone to make haste. Everyone was scared at first, but Cilapu ran towards the gate "You either get in, or you get nibbled on by rats and die a slow and painful death!" as if they received the "GO" signal everyone started moving.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Even if this thing ate them, it was still more honorable to get eaten by a Dragon than get munched on by rats. Much to their relief, the inside was just like another world. As if it was it''s own island. They hesitated again when they saw the Tarsiers in one corner. Cilapu looked at everyone and said. "How many times in a day are you going to get scared? Pick a damn place and sit down! Anywhere except Lady Maxene''s place." he pointed to the little setup Maxene had, indicating that it was off-limits. As soon as the rat tide overcame the final wall, they launched. Luna made sure they got a view of all of this by switching to the 360-degree view of their surroundings. It was a psychological move. You could save people, but most would tend to forget eventually. It was human nature. But when they saw the stunning visual of the rat tide from up above, and their homes burning to the ground, it was all burned into their memories. Cilapu walked up to Luna. "Lord Luna, are we heading back to the ?" "No. We''re about to watch a good show. One that you''ll probably enjoy. Angry Bakunawa, head East, back to that base we saw earlier." As they were flying, the bird-type mutant beasts that were close to or lower than Angry Bakunawa in levels steered clear of him. On the way, Luna asked Cilapu about Ferdinand. "He was someone of ill-gotten wealth from his parents who use to be career politicians. He himself was always recognized by the people since he would always be there during his campaigns. He also had a stint as an actor, thanks to his wealth, which added a bit to his fame. But he had always been vain, something his fans would passionately defend, saying he deserved it because it''s his money. If only they knew." Cilapu laughed weakly. "Maybe they did. People can be as blind as they want to be when they''re obsessed with someone." "I see. If he was a good man, I would have considered leaving him alone. But this makes it much easier." Luna smiled. Angry Bakunawa stopped suddenly. "It seems we''re here." Luna said. Everyone looked down. It seemed a bit unclear at first, since the structures below looked so small from up high. Luna had to make sure that they were semi-hidden in the clouds. Just enough to be able to see, but just enough so that the obstruction and the height made it impossible for those below to even spot them. "What are you planning to do, Lord Luna?" Cilapu asked. "Showing the people that Ferdinand is not fit to lead." Luna replied. He then walked towards the front and opened the spatial gate, exposing the to the outside world, which riled up the mutant beasts in Bohol, and even the rats that were starting to calm down and lick their wounds moved forward again. "Lord Luna, what if the innocent die!" Cilapu cried out. Luna looked back at Cilapu and grinned. "''O ye, of little faith." Right after he brought the back in, he gave the command for Angry Bakunawa to head down. "Land on the South wall. Prepare to have people evacuate." The Dragon nodded and obeyed the command. When they landed, the guards on the South wall were so scared that they couldn''t even move. They were already afraid of the incoming mutant beasts and this Dragon was definitely something they couldn''t fend off with their current numbers, or maybe even with more people they still couldn''t. Luna stepped out and looked at one of them who was dressed more formally than the rest. "Are you the Commanding Officer?" "Y-yes sir." "Good. Your base is about to be overwhelmed, where is your leader?" "I''m trying to contact him right now, sir, but he''s not taking in any messages." "Give out the command for everyone to evacuate to this area. I will take them to safety." *** Meanwhile, outside Ferdinand''s room, soldiers were banging on the door to no avail. Besides the room from earlier, he had actually made a hole onto the room next door which he only covered up. It was like a bootleg version of a secret room. If anyone was in the regular room, they would hear the loud moans from this room for sure. This was obviously where he and the lady from before would mess around all the time. A quick transition from room to room. Currently, Himself and Miguel were taking their turns on the woman. There were no doors except for the hole they made as it had been sealed beforehand and then surrounded with modified metal walls. She was originally one of the previous pageant winners from Bohol, someone that Ferdinand and Miguel had a huge crush on for many years. She rejected them every time. Not only because she wasn''t interested, but it would ruin her image if she was caught with married men. Unfortunately for her, these men had only grown more and more despotic the further they were into the new world. "Damn it. Where are they?! We''re under siege! They''re not accepting any messages either!" The soldiers were still panicking. "Just break down the door!" Another one urged. "Why don''t you try breaking down this metal door! I''d like to see you break your foot trying, only to get beheaded by Mr. Ferdinand! Idiot!" They were truly panicking. They had no protocol for an invasion this large. *** Meanwhile, the people who were being shepherded into evacuation were still confused. They still listened nonetheless. When people have no idea what to do during a calamity, the word "evacuation" was a sure way of getting them to move where you want them to. They didn''t even question the Dragon staying completely still. They just saw the spatial door, and people going inside and figured it was much better than waiting to be ripped to shreds by the beasts. Good Riddance There were still quite a number of people who were too afraid. They were frozen in place from fear. Nobody could be bothered with trying to convince them any longer, as the rampaging mutant beasts will be reason enough sooner or later. *** "Grandma, please! We have to leave!" A young woman was crying, as she had been trying her best to convince her Grandmother to leave with her. On a bed was an old woman with wheat brown skin. She didn''t have the look of a person who was sickly, on the contrary, she looked healthy on the outside. "There, there, my sweet Sora. I''ve lived in this house all my life, including my mother and father before me. I don''t have much to live for, and if possible, I''d like for this to be my final resting place." She patted her on the head, caressing her jet black hair, then stroking her cheek. "You look just like your mother." She recalled all her past memories, up the point where her husband passed away. Even the time where her daughter and son-in-law died defending her and Sora. Only to helplessly watch as this 18 year old girl not only had to witness her parents dying, but having to kill them again as zombies right after. "But Grandma, we can continue to level you! You can add more Vitality and be even healthier than before, right?!" Sora interrupted her reminiscing. "My organs have been failing, my dear. Not even this new world''s system can help me live past a few months from now." At first, she was quite hopeful. An increase in Vitality would increase her life force, right? It did, but even the passive regeneration she received from being painstakingly leeched by Sora until level 30 was not enough to keep up with the damage she received from her failing organs. At this rate, she would only last, at most, possibly 3 months. Her diet didn''t help at all. All they had were what they got from the grocery stores. They weren''t like the Sovereign Nation where they basically have Mt. Kanlaon as a constant source of Mutant Beast meat or the staggering amount of Mages that could constantly electrocute mutant beasts by the coast in order to bring back for food. "Grandma, please! Do it for me! You''re the only one I have left. If you die here, then I''m dying with you." Her resolve could be seen through her eyes. The only reason she stayed strong was because of her grandmother. "Sigh. Such a hard-headed child. Alright, let''s go. But you have to promise to leave me when it comes to a choice of my life or yours." "Alright!" She then transferred her Grandmother to her wheelchair and strapped her in. This wheelchair was electric. It could be charged normally or it could be charged through solar energy. It was a bit reckless, but they both moved at maximum speed. "We''ll make it Grandma! We''re gonna take the ramp by Ferdinand''s compound. I heard the evacuation vehicle is up there. Maybe they finally got a plane, yeah?" Sora tried to be as positive as she could be. She was aware that even the most advanced aircraft that had the capability of vertically landing on top of the wall, couldn''t possibly fit everyone.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. *** Inside Ferdinand''s compound. "Where is Ferdinand?" Luna asked one of the guards. Cilapu and Sura were right behind him. "Who are you? Cilapu?! What are you doing here?!" Noticing Cilapu who was right behind, the guards drew their weapons. "You''d go after me when Lord Luna, the leader of the Sovereign Nation is before you? Only Ferdinand would put idiots on guard duty." Cilapu could care less. If these idiots wanted to die, they could go ahead and do so. "Sovereign.. You mean THE Sovereign Nation? As if! Nice bluff! Cut these fools dow--" But before he could even finish his sentence, he suddenly felt as if the world went upside down and back again. Only to find out that it was actually his head spinning in mid-air. He had been beheaded without even knowing how. "I''ll ask one more time. Where is Ferdinand?" The soldiers were still stunned. Before they could answer, Luna heard someone from inside the metal door. "One more round, baby!" It was Ferdinand. Apparently before Luna got here they were done fornicating and were resting for a bit. Luna''s hearing was definitely not to be underestimated. Only he actually heard their voices from outside. He stepped forward and sent a fist hurtling towards the door, sending it flying. The guards mouths were agape, even Cilapu''s eyes went wide. Truth be told, if he found out that Luna merely got lucky with his possessions,, and there was a way to stage a coup d''etat and lead him to a trap, he would do so. How could he possibly know just how strong Luna was, let alone the Sovereign Nation as a whole? He had a slab of metal just like the door, he would use it to take advantage of his regenerative capabilities and use it as a punching bag to create more micro-fractures in his bones. This was using the concept explained by Elder Aran, which was body training. It didn''t show in stat form, but it was there. But no matter how many times he trained on the same slab, he at most dented it. Luna actually sent it flying off it''s hinges in one punch! "This guy can''t possibly be human!" he thought to himself. Meanwhile, Luna already tossed aside the ''entrance'' to the Ferdinand''s secret room. Seeing the naked trio inside, he grabbed Ferdinand and Miguel, tossing them in front of Cilapu. "Would you like to have the pleasure?" Cilapu hesitated. It''s true that he and Ferdinand had come to blows, but even when their men fought, the hesitation to kill was still there. At most they injured each other before Ferdinand would decide to flee. "Lord Luna, this.. I, I''ve never actually killed a man before." "Oh? I heard this man ignored your people when they were begging to be saved from the rat tide." Luna knew of Cilapu''s fighting prowess, but he didn''t think the man was incapable of killing. Truth be told, he already felt sick when he cut flesh of another human being. He couldn''t be blamed, even Luna admittedly felt a bit nauseous during his first time. Just that he knew, that as someone looked up to as the leader, he couldn''t show any sign of weakness. "Oh well, this makes things easier." He contacted Elder Jax who was standing guard outside. "Elder Jax, this is the man responsible for killing some of your brothers." No one could tell by Elder Jax''s expression how angry he was. But upon looking at his eyes, the red veins were more than enough of an indicator. "Please, no! No! I deserve a fair trial!" Miguel started screaming. Ferdinand to the side looked as if he had already lost all of his energy. His face was pale, his head was tilted to the side, and there was a puddle of liquid, right beneath him. Apparently he had already pissed himself. BOOM! Elder Jax''s punch connected onto Miguel''s abdomen. sending him flying towards one of the concrete walls opposite of Ferdinand''s metal walled secret room. Webs of cracks spread everywhere as he slid down, and breathed his last. "As much as I want to savor the moment, I value Lord Luna''s time." He then stepped forward towards Ferdinand, placed his foot behind his head, and stomped down on it. Bones cracking could be heard as the guards, even Cilapu started puking on the spot. Ferdinand now looked as if he was orally pleasing himself. A shameful way of dying indeed. Crouching Roaches, Hidden Spiders A notice popped up in Luna''s consciousness. Along with the currency, the Guild bank also received countless pairs of Itak Tagalogs and a few Skill books. "It seems the skill books are becoming more and more rare these days. It''s a good thing we stockpiled on them in advance. Who knows how rare the current rare ones will be later on. It''s possible they won''t even drop anymore at all." Luna pondered for a bit. Then he looked towards the remaining guards. "We''re moving out. If you wish to join the Sovereign Nation, then I''ll allow you to. But try anything funny, and you''ll end up like him." Pointing towards Ferdinand, the guards started shaking no matter how much they tried to stop it. "Yes, Lord Luna!" They went down on their knees. It seems that this guy could be reasoned with, but should they try to even attempt to cross him once. He would end them brutally, to set an example. They walked out of Ferdinand''s residence and made their way up to the walls when one of the guards spotted a speeding wheelchair on the main road. "That''s Grandma Melchora! Look! That''s Sora with her!" Sora and her family had quite the good reputation in this area even before the new world. "You know them?" Luna asked. "Yes, Lord Luna! Melchora Aquino, she''s one of the most charitable people we know! She has a nickname, ''Tandang Sora*,'''' that''s where her daughter got the name ''Sora'' for her granddaughter. Please, Lord Luna! They are good people. If you can save them, then not only myself, all of our people will serve you loyally!" "I''ll hold you to your word." Luna nodded. He was going to save them regardless. He quite admired that she wouldn''t just leave her grandmother when it was obvious that it would only be a death wish. "All of you, go ahead and get in the spatial gate." *** "We''re almost there, grandma!" Just then, a huge explosion could be heard from the Eastern and Western walls, shaking the ground, tilting the speeding Wheelchair knocking it to the side. "Hold on grandma!" Sora extended her foot to the side the wheelchair was falling, and prevented it from toppling over. The Mutant Beasts to the East were rampaging towards the center where they were, and the Rat tide was coming from the West as well. "Sora, leave me! We''re not going to make it in time!" Her grandmother was begging her. "I can''t! If you die, I die!" Sora''s eyes were flooded with tears, to the point where it even blurred her vision. Her grandmother was the only person holding her together. As if fate was playing with their lives, the Wheelchair indicated the the battery was empty. The solar panels on it weren''t enough to keep it going! "DAMN! DAMN! DAMN!" Sora thought about just lifting her grandmother, but with her current state, that would aggravate her injuries even further. The wheelchair was their optimal choice, due to it''s built in shock absorbers. She hugged her grandmother, as they were being surrounded from all sides. BOOM!!!! She felt something land behind her. A second later, she felt the temperature rise. They both looked up, only to see that in front of them was a man wielding a fiery Guandao, with the blade in front resembling that of much thicker Itak Tagalog. It was quite the sight to see. He was spinning it, and as it spun, fire would follow it''s path, like a whip. They were now in a circle of fire, which the mutant beasts tried to avoid.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "That''s all my Mana." The man said. "Today is not the day you die." "Please be gentle with my grandmother, her organs are not functioning correctly anymore." Sora knew it was asking too much when Luna was already saving them, but her concern overpowered her shame. Much to her disbelief, the annoyed expression she expected didn''t show. Instead, Luna smiled at her. "Your grandmother is quite lucky to have you. You don''t have to worry, the might still be able to save her." it would always warm his heart to know that more people like Sora still existed in this world. "Thank you! THANK YOU!" Sora fell on her knees, tears still falling down from her eyes. It felt as if she was sinking into the abyss, and then Luna came and pulled her out of it. "Max, pick us up." Melchora and Sora looked up as a Angry Bakunawa descended from above, curling itself around their proximity, just within the circle of fire. He opened his mouth and revealed the spatial gate. "Go in, quick! The fire won''t last much longer!" Luna carried Melchora as Sora lead the way. *** Meanwhile, on the Eastern walls of the Sovereign Nation. Elder Aran was giving out his lessons as he was stationed here to guard just in case. "Elder Aran, we''ve detected strands of silk attached to our northeastern walls!" Knitting his eyebrows, the Elder responded. "Strands of silk? Take me there! Swiftly!" When they got there, strands of silk were indeed attached to the walls. They were barely visible, they were incredibly tough as well, and it took quite a bit for others to reach down and continuously chop them off. Even then, they would just keep swaying in mid-air, and eventually they would reattach themselves again. It was as if no matter how many times they were cut off, they''d grow longer again. Although, when some of them were cut, they would fall into the water, as if something was weighing them down. *** Municipality of Medellin. The spiders were still expanding. They were either devouring their kin to further evolve or hunting down zombies. The ETZs were easy pickings for them, they would just blanket them with silk, wrap them up, inject their venom, and devour their prey. The EHZs however were another story. If they were caught, they''d be easy pickings as well, but when they caught the spiders by surprise, it only took one claw attack to rip them to shreds. It was a stalemate between the two. This was what prevented the spiders from converging onto Bohol. They were however trying to use a certain technique, along the coast, spiders had their rear ends pointing outwards towards the sea, releasing silk. Some of them would be snatched up by the sea creatures, something that they quickly countered by laying down web traps. These strands of silk would float about, extending gradually, until they feel it attach itself onto something. This was how they were able to join the fight in Bohol after Luna left. The Negros island was quite far, so while the spiders were crawling on their webs, as fast as they did, they would fall into the water, becoming food for the sea life. *** Southern Cebu, Moalboal Municipality. The Cockroaches were breeding nonstop. They were relatively weak despite their larger size. The largest one of them being almost half the size of a mini-cooper. Unlike the spiders, the roaches didn''t have as much tools to fend off predators. What they relied on were sheer numbers. With increased size, meant that their choice of prey also increased. They constantly multiplied at a rate far surpassing the spiders. Their legs were filled with spikes, capable of piercing even an ETZ, albeit, it was too shallow to actually kill. On the eastern perimeter of their territory, some ETZs were running rampant and devouring them. They had a lot of life force, and were easy pickings, which made them the ideal prey. The leader of the cockroaches watched as it''s head tilted to the side, shaking uncontrollably, his wings were flickering a bit as well. Slowly, he actually stood up. It was a frightening scene. Imagine seeing a cockroach as big as you, and it suddenly stood up on both legs. It wasn''t even the sight of it''s brethren being slaughtered, it was livid that this zombie would disturb it''s meal. Right below him was a man holding a modified Itak Tagalog with a much longer handle, it was customized to be more of a piercing weapon than a slashing weapon. He was still barely alive, clinging to his spear. Right beside him were his friends, their minds were already broken from fear and from the sight of him getting eaten alive. It was inevitable that they would be next on the menu. The cockroach leader gave his weapon a peculiar look, then it bit his arm off. He screamed his last then his face was stomped down on, crushing his head. The leader picked up his spear, awkwardly holding it with four of it''s six legs before it finally was somewhat able to hold it steady. It crouched down and crawled slowly towards the ETZs. As soon as it was a few meters from it, it dug in it''s two hind legs onto the ground, bent it''s ''knees'' and launched itself toward the ETZ, with spear in hand, intending to pierce the ETZ. Unfortunately, it''s awkward grip failed it, as soon as it made contact, the spear was actually flung off of it''s legs as the zombie grabbed it''s head and chomped down on it. The Most Overpowered Agimat The moment the ETZ bit off it''s head, the cockroach leaders body fell to the ground. He proceeded to hunt the for more. What he didn''t expect was that the leader wasn''t quite dead yet. Even with it''s head cut off, the cockroach leader still struggled, swiping it''s legs uncontrollably, sweeping the ETZ off-balance before finally dying. The rest of the roaches swarmed the ETZ on the ground and devoured him. Finally, one roach dealt the killing blow, evolving further, making itself even stronger, more advanced. It proceeded to devour the previous leader. Just as it was celebrating it''s meal, another ETZ went straight towards it. The other roaches stood in front of their new leader, but before the ETZ could even get to them, a branch grew out of a tree and shot towards it''s head. It was something nobody would ever expect, and it caught even the hulking zombie off-guard, impaling it''s head. Apparently, their new leader was an adventurous little roach, while everybody was gathered here, he had gone exploring, using his ability to fly, to avoid the zombies on the ground. He had flown over to Bohol, and managed to get close enough to study up to rank 1 of the Wood element. Getting the previous leader was all a part of his plan. He stood up on two legs, spread his wings to make himself look bigger as he held the spear from before on his hand. "I.... am the.... leader... now!" *** Negros Island, Base. "Lord Luna." and elderly man greeted as Luna exited the spatial gate. Luna had a gentle smile on his face as he greeted back. "Elder Aran, thank you for your fast action regarding the spider webs." "Not a problem at all. We had a few Mage battalions there to begin with after your previous order, so the ones specializing on Fire have been making short work of them." He reported. "That''s good. The Mutant beasts are having a civil war among themselves at the moment. They''re only being held back by themselves and the zombies." Luna explained. Noticing the relic being held by Luna, Elder Aran''s finally couldn''t help but ask after he already finished his report. "My granddaughter is tending to the right now, so my hands are free. I''ll keep an extra eye on the Eastern walls. But, Lord Luna, if I may ask. Is that possibly an Agimat on your hands?" "I figured you''d know what it is. Yes, indeed it is. Although it only affects Mutant Beasts." "I see. I''m guessing you''re going to plant in our territory soon, yes?" "Correct." Luna raised an eyebrow. It seems the Elder definitely knew something, which isn''t surprising. "Then in that case, we better pull back all the troops we have on the outer perimeters." "Pull them all back?" "Yes, Lord Luna. If you''ve noticed, some of the zombies have been slightly getting stronger, yes?" "I have. Isn''t that because they''ve been killing mutant beasts as well?" Luna asked. He already somewhat figured out where this was headed.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "That''s partly true. But you have to know that some of them grow stronger, but they also inevitably die to another mutant beast. They''re not like us, they don''t know when to pull back or how to slowly and safely increase their strength." "So you''re saying someone, somewhere on Earth has already installed an Agimat?" "Indeed. But the fact that the evolution of the zombies are inconsistent could only mean one thing." Remembering the explanation Sura gave him before, about how the Gods couldn''t spare anymore energy to keep the portals from the void completely closed. It was the main reason why the regular zombies from before could spawn in their world, but only limited to the weaker ones at first. Until they started capturing the first territories which prompted the arrival of stronger invaders. Elder Aran compounded on this statement as well, saying that once the first small territory was conquered, the energy was provided and readied for all of the remaining small territories. The same goes for the medium and large ones. Thankfully, the energy needed for each individual territory wasn''t that much in the grand scheme of things. If the stronger monsters from the void were released, they would all be done for. "So you''re saying that after they planted the Agimat, they were invaded on all sides. The reason for the inconsistency in zombie evolution, was that they probably failed. Thus the Agimat ceased to belong to any nation again. Correct?" "Indeed." "It seems I''ve been too careless. Thank you, Elder Aran." "Not a problem, Lord Luna." "Oh, by the way, one more thing. If you remember that after I got the Agimat, I sent out an order that if someone was to find one, resembling an Agimat, to not touch it and report it to me." "I received that order as well, Lord Luna. The reward for a set of gear upgraded to +6 and having their homes upgraded three times is quite appealing." Elder Aran replied. "It seems they finally found the one hidden in Mt. Kanlaon." "Good news! Hopefully we get a good one." Elder Aran clapped his hands together. The more Agimats, or Relics as they called them in his world a nation had, the stronger they would be for the final phase. Luna was stroking his chin. As he pondered on what the Elder just said. "Do you know what kind of Agimats there are?" Elder Aran smiled. He had much knowledge to share, but overloading people with it won''t do much good, unless it was something crucial to the current situation. "The one you''re holding emits a certain amount of knowledge, once that can be expanded on if you invest currency in it." "Oh? So it can be upgraded?" "Indeed, yes, but the amount needed increases at a staggering amount. There''s always a chance that a relic, erm, excuse me, an Agimat would come upgraded. The ones that contain elemental knowledge start off at rank 1 knowledge." "This one is up to rank 3." After calling for Elder Jax, he asked him. "Did you upgrade the Agimat beforehand?" "Yes, Lord Luna. We didn''t know about the system, you see, or at least, we weren''t evolved enough to even comprehend or remember it when it was announced. So all of our VIS currencies went to the Agimat. But in order for it to reach rank 4 knowledge, I''m afraid.." Elder Jax scratched his head. "It costs 1 Billion Vis and it has a 10% chance of failing." "Oh." Luna was stumped. Even their own national treasury barely had half of that amount. Especially since they constantly spent their Vis as well. Otherwise they definitely would have enough to do one attempt. Elder Aran continued. "As I said, it goes up by quite a lot. You''ll also need to decide on which ones are worth upgrading. The most highly valued ones are the EXP Agimats, it played quite the part in helping the Dark Elves'' leader attain Demi God rank before our own." "It just increases the amount of EXP per kill?" "Oh it does more than that. After a certain point, relying on kills to get stronger becomes exponentially harder, unless you kill someone just as strong if not stronger than yourself. What the EXP Agimat does is more in-depth. It helps you digest all that you''ve learned thus far. Comprehension of Anitos or Elements, and comprehending what you learned overall in battle. It increases your comprehension at a certain rate." "That does seem quite overpowered." Luna commented. Elder Aran added another crucial detail. "One thing to note is that it raises your current comprehension ability. So those with higher comprehension would benefit from it more than others." "What about the other ones?" Luna asked. "We might need to sit down for this one." Elder Aran replied. The Other Types of Agimat "So these Agimats, they are used as sort of buffs for the Nation they belong to." "That is mostly true, Lord Luna." Elder Aran replied. He remembered just how intense and bloody the fights were for these relics. How many loved ones had he lost? Regaining his composure, he continued. "As you can see, it took effect on the Tarsiers, even attracted numerous Mutant Beasts. It''s effect can still be quite potent, albeit, it applies to whomever it can, in it''s surroundings. Some work differently, take the EXP Agimat, for example. If not applied to a nation, it won''t spread out as much, as a matter of fact, a single mutant beast, zombie, or human can monopolize it if they wanted to. Of course, that''s assuming they were capable of eliminating all challengers." "Is this how the leader of the Dark Elves became a Demigod before yours?" "Not quite. This is why we regret it so much. Why did we look down on the Dark Elves? Why did we keep on instigating them? The leader of the Dark Elves was obviously a magnanimous man. He didn''t use the excuse of ''doing it for the race'' and monopolized the EXP relic, he strengthened his whole nation. Just like you are, Lord Luna. So many things you could monopolize to make yourself stronger and make yourself unstoppable with the world''s current state. The Elven people know this, and this is why we are loyal to you." Despite the praise he received, Luna didn''t feel flattered at all. It only fueled the urge to learn further about the mistakes the other races made, and learn from them. "I don''t mean to play myself off as some hero. Because truth be told, I need the Sovereign Nation to have strong men and women. Because if that weren''t the case, there is no way I could protect everyone even if I were five times as strong as I am now." Elder Aran smiled. He was still quite happy about his choice of pledging allegiance to Luna. "That is why we trust that you have our well-being as one of your priorities as well, Lord Luna. Now, where were we." taking a second to organize his thoughts, he continued. "Ah, yes. When you think of how it could have been. If we worked together with the Dark Elves, we wouldn''t have depleted our resources and our armies, only to be done in, in the end. One can only imagine, what if our leader and the Dark Elf leader shared knowledge with each other. Two Demigods, oh my. And if our races shared knowledge with each other." Elder Aran had a hopeful look in his eyes. "Masterful in both body enhancement techniques and elements." Truth be told, Sura could definitely teach them. Just that it was taboo for her to do so and the fact that there would be many casualties due to how brutal the Asuran techniques were. She was definitely willing to ignore the rules and teach Luna as well, but for some reason, after much speculation, they deemed that the Draconic armor''s reinforcement on Luna''s body far surpassed even the techniques owned by the Asura. Even better, it completely fit him.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. This was the case with cultivating one''s body. You had to choose a technique that fit you as close to perfection as can be. There was the option of creating your own, but that was way too hard to even be an option for most. The same could be said for elements. Even the Elves, individually, would feel more attuned to a certain element compared to the rest. Everyone protected their specialty. Even when they were tortured, nobody would give in. Majority had means to kill themselves upon capture. They would not allow a monster who mastered both types of techniques to appear from an enemy race. It was as simple as that. "I see. You don''t have to worry, Elder Aran. You''ve taught us a great deal, and for that I am grateful. When the time comes, I will be sure to try and find a suitable body enhancement technique for everyone." "Thank you, Lord Luna. Now, back to the topic of Agimats or Relics. The next tier below the EXP relics, are as you might have guessed. The Elemental comprehension and the Body enhancement comprehension Agimats. As you can tell, they are very specialized, but despite that, less potent than the EXP Agimat." "If we obtain the Body enhancement comprehension Agimat, will you be able to learn one that fits your constitution?" Luna inquired. "I''m afraid not. While the Dark Elves got the EXP relic, a few weeks later, we got the body enhancement relic. We were so happy. Even if the Dark Elf leader became a Demigod, but if our leader who was at the cusp of it as well, learned a suitable body enhancement technique, we would have had nothing to fear. Much to our disappointment, it did nothing for us." Elder Aran shook his head. He remembered how joyous they were, only to be faced with complete and utter disappointment. They even tried to trick the Dark Elves into trading, but the leader caught on to their scheme and denied the trade. "The next ones in the same tier, are the Magic attack, Physical attack, Magic defense, and Physical defense. Pretty self explanatory, but there''s another detail to them. The magic attack Agimat is in the form of an elemental knuckle, much like the one Apple has, but much stronger, and can adapt to whatever the user''s elemental affinity is." "Oh? I''m guessing the physical attack one is in the form of a sword or something?" Luna was definitely curious. "It can be." Elder Aran replied. "It can be?" "Yes. The physical attack Agimat can take the form of any sword, shield, spear, or any weapon you please. Non-projectile, of course. It does however, start off with the appearance of a sword." The last line dashed Luna''s hopes. "Damn. I was too naive, it seems. How I wish it could turn into an rocket launcher." Luna laughed. He knew it was wishful thinking to begin with. "Well, speaking of projectiles, any non-magic weapons produced by the will be enhanced if the relic is applied to the whole nation. That includes the bullets the automated turrets produce after gathering atmospheric energy." Luna laughed even louder. "Hahaha! Good, good! The sharpshooters will definitely be happy to hear about this." "L-lord Luna? You''re talking as if you already have it." Elder Aran was confused. Yes, Maxene definitely sensed that the Philippines had quite a number of treasures which might very well be the Agimats. But how was Luna so sure that he would get the Physical attack one? "Almost, Elder Aran. Come with me, we''re going to Siquijor. That hard-headed couple, Hana and Mabini stayed despite my order to retreat because they received reports of a possible treasure. Can you guess what it looks like?" Luna had a huge grin on his face. "Oh my, what luck!" Elder Aran was incredibly happy as well. "Very well then, Lord Luna, allow this old one to accompany you! We''ll talk about the other Agimats on the way!" The Soul Inside Angry Bakunawa''s inner world. Luna, Sura, Maxene, and Elder Aran were currently seated as they headed to the island of Siquijor. "Elder, the magic defense and physical defense Agimat. They can be worn as well, I''m guessing?" "Yes, of course." Elder Aran replied. "Do they come in the form of heavy armor and like a robe, per se?" Luna was speaking from his MMORPG experience and to him, if this was the case, it would make sense. "Not quite. They don''t really come in the form of traditional armor. They''re like.. how do I put this." Elder Aran took a second to think of the best way to describe it. "They sort of act as an additional layer. For example, Lord Luna, in your Draconic armor''s full form, they could add an additional layer on top of that. It may be thin, but it provides the protection you would expect from it. It works like that for both of them. One additional detail, and this is the one reason why a nation''s leader would choose to equip the magic defense Agimat, is that it has the added effect of soul protection." Luna looked towards Sura. He was aware that she had a skill that could rattle the soul, and in cases where someone had a weak or exposed soul, she could actually eliminate them on the spot. "Soul attacks seem to be incredibly hard to defend against, why isn''t it higher on the tier list?" Luna inquired. "That''s because there aren''t many who can utilize soul attacks. Those that dabble in it aren''t proficient enough to actually use it in battle." Sura answered his question. "Don''t the Asura know how to?" Luna was quite confused. "Not really, no. That''s one of the reasons why the other tribes try to bully mine. On our home planet, there are many dangerous areas that even our strongest warriors could possibly die. One of the tribes that wanted me to marry their leader''s son, said that they would stop pressuring us if I entered one of those places for a week and came out alive." Luna smiled. Evidently, from Sura''s story, she survived. "And you did." "Mn. Their leader meant it as a joke. Basically saying ''you might as well marry my son, or die.''" "Haha! That''s my Sura." Who wouldn''t be proud to have such a badass wife? But his next statement still expressed his care for her. "But it must have been hard. For an area deemed as dangerous by the Asura. I can''t even begin to imagine what you must have went through." "Indeed. That place, we didn''t really know what it was originally called, but we gave it a proper name." breathing deeply, she continued. "The Torture Chamber." Elder Aran scratched his head. "Aptly named indeed, it seems." "It got it''s name because every person that ventured in there, could only be heard screaming until they eventually just stop. When they''re ejected from that area, their body is deathly pale. No signs of magic or physical damage. Their eyes would also be wide open, and blood red. A sign of their struggle." "And no one knows why they died?" Luna asked. "Not until me, that is. The place is not meant for torture. It''s meant as a training ground for the soul that rewards the ones who pass it''s tests. The more you pass the more rewards you get. Most people train purely in magic or purely body enhancement. Infinitely rare cases are the ones who not only train on both, a lot of people attempt that to some degree, but would never achieve much in both, thus wasting their whole life and potential. The scary ones are the ones that train and are way beyond average on both, reaching high levels. Those are the true monsters." "I see your point. After knowing that, who would actually have the time to train soul techniques? It just wouldn''t make much sense. Mastering the various Anito and Elements means that you have a high offensive advantage and high magic defense, especially when you outclass your opponent by a lot. Mastering body enhancement techniques, means that you have overwhelmingly strong physical power, and overall physical and magical defense. The soul however." Luna tried to ponder as much as he could to try and find more pros for it, but to no avail. Sura continued his line of thought. "Not only are there very little to no techniques available for it, what does training soul techniques actually do for you? Yes, it''s an unexpected attack that not many can defend against, and it does strengthen the blow physically to a degree, but body enhancement can do that as well. Like my skill that I named Asura''s Wrath, you must have confused it as a staple skill for our race, but that''s just the name I gave the skill I learned from that place." Sura shared her opinion.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Luna was in deep thought. He was sure there was more to it than that. Besides Sura''s soul-attack skill, there was another one! "The soul bind!" Luna suddenly said. "Ah! Yes, that. Unfortunately that''s something that the Gods did, none of us really know how to do it." Sura replied. "No, no. We don''t really need to know how it works right off the bat. We just need to learn how it affects us to learn what it''s capable of." Luna suggested. Elder Aran was intrigued by this. Elves would usually prefer to focus on their magic, because it''s what they''re good at. He never even thought about it. Maxene suddenly spoke up. "The soul, father? Oh like how we''re bound as a family, right? I have some knowledge about it." Shock was plastered all over their faces. That''s right, besides Luna''s Draconic armor, which originated from a True Dragon from the legends, Maxene was absolutely the most mysterious one here. The Daughter of the Earth! Technically she''s lived longer than all of them. Just that majority of her life was spent on absorbing energy provided by the planet. Who is to say that she doesn''t have knowledge about ancient secrets? Earth used to be a battleground in ancient times as well, right? "Mn! I don''t quite know much about it, but the person who created the Earth made sure to leave me with some knowledge that gradually comes to me as I grow stronger." Maxene said. With her personality, she wouldn''t care much for ancient knowledge, she just wanted to have fun. But seeing as what she knows will help her Father and Mother, she jumped at the opportunity. "Max, would you mind telling us what you know?" Luna patted her on the head, to which she smiled to the point where her eyes were closed, she looked like a happy cat. "Of course, father! Ahem!" She pretended as if she was a teacher that about to lecture her whole class. "Alright! Listen up, bitches!" "Maxene Alexandria!" Luna and Sura both said in unison. "Yes?" Sura spoke first. "Even I know that, that is derogatory language. Who taught you that?" Despite his initial surprise, Luna already knew where she got it from. Facepalming, he said "Boni. It''s got to be Boni." even the intonation was a carbon copy of how Boni would say it. "Mhm! Uncle Boni took down several mutant beasts one time, and he suck ''Suck it, bitches!'' as he stood tall and pointed at them. I thought it was pretty cool." Maxene explained. "Hahaha! It''s warms the heart quite well, to see a family act normally in times like these." Elder Aran said. He was right. In a world where killing was a constant and accepted thing, essentially the end of the world. A mother and a father still trying to be good parents in such a natural fashion, could only bode well. Although "normal" was subjective, since not all families usually discussed soul techniques. "Elder Aran has a point. Sigh. It is what it is." Realizing that it was indeed quite ridiculous to reprimand their daughter for cursing in a world where she would be killing other people eventually, Luna could only let it go. "Hehe!" Maxene was grinning from ear to ear. Any child would feel smug about being victorious over their parents. "Ah, right! The benefits of the soul. It''s actually incredibly simple, although it does seem that nobody has any way of proving it, which explains your confusion earlier. The soul''s strength, not the techniques, but the soul itself, when strengthened, improves your overall potential and the strength of your soul-type techniques. Not counting treasures, of course, like Father''s Draconic armor. Father, you might not notice it, but that armor has been gradually strengthening your soul." "This.. How come I can''t feel it?" Luna wondered. "I didn''t feel it either, but now that you mention it." Even Sura was surprised. "Mn! From what I know, the last remaining True Dragon was the mount of the person who made Earth." "You mean the God whose voice spoke to us?" Luna asked. "No, I don''t have all the details. At least not yet, but I know for a fact that person was way stronger than the Gods you all know of." Maxene''s voice had a hint of reverence in it. A being that far surpassed the Gods? Someone strong enough to have a True Dragon as a mount? While they didn''t know just how strong a True Dragon was, but the name alone suggests it''s supremacy. This being, created the Earth? Then why were the humans of Earth so weak? Why weren''t they the strongest race? So many questions that didn''t have any answers to them yet. "If this armor that bring so many benefits and came from a True Dragon, then why don''t the Gods use it themselves?" Luna was confused. This armor seemed to have so much potential. They surely would have some use for it, right? "That''s because the armor is in it''s infancy stage. When it died, the creator, whom they called ''Mother,'' had no way to revive someone as strong as that Dragon. The only person that could equip it, is someone who was still considered weak. If the Gods equipped it, their energy would kill it. If someone much stronger than you when you first got it, father, and equipped it, it would be a waste. What it needs is someone to grow with, and father was the perfect candidate. It can''t overwhelm your soul either, so that''s why it''s been strengthening it very slowly." "This all seems so catered. So thought out." Sura said. The being stronger than all the Gods was news to her as well. "I only have blurry memories about that, but it seems that the Earth is destined for something called a ''last phase.'' whatever that means. Apparently I''m supposed to play a big role! That''s why I was born here! Making me extra special!" Maxene proudly said as she grinned. "That you are, Max." Luna smiled, hugging her. Despite Maxene''s enthusiastic tone. Luna had a worried look in his eyes as he made eye contact with Sura and Elder Aran who wore the same expression. A few minutes later, they finally landed in Siquijor, where Hana and Mabini, along with their troops were currently gathered. "We''ll discuss this at length later." Luna said. Sura and Elder Aran nodded in agreement. One thing was for sure: They had to grow stronger! There were so many unknown factors in this world, including all the evolving creatures. Especially the creatures from the void. He refused to believe that these things just mindlessly came here. There had to have been a hand guiding them, and whoever that was, they were at the very least on par with all the Gods combined. The fact that they can afford to invade so many worlds only speaks to their power. What a scary thought indeed. Siquijor Siquijor island. This island was infamous in the Philippines for it''s hexes, spells, and all sorts of malicious sorcery. From unexplained swelling of one''s belly to insects coming out of your mouth among many other things. On the other hand, it was also where spiritual healers gathered. There has never been a science to it, but there have always been people, even executives that would make the annual trek up the mountains to visit their healers. They would always swear by it. The majority would probably laugh at it, but after everything that has happened thus far, who knows? This island, which was known as the home to Aswangs* was also an island of beauty. Surrounded by turquoise waters and lush greenery. In the temporary camp setup by both Hana and Mabini''s respective troops. Apple had already joined up with her Mage Corps, indicating how valued Agimats are. Exiting out of the Bakunawa''s inner world, everyone had a look of reverence towards the four most powerful beings in the Sovereign Nation. Especially towards Luna, their leader. Hana came up to them and greeted them. "I''m glad you four made it here in such short notice. I''m sorry to inconvenience you, I know you already had quite the situation in Bohol." "Hana, you worry too much. The situation there might have been intense, but it wasn''t enough to tire us out." Luna replied. Indeed it was true. With his current stamina, and the fact that the most ''tiring'' fight he had was with Sura inside the cave, he had easily recovered by now. "If you would all follow me, Apple is currently analyzing the Agimat." "Lead the way." The Agimat was found in the San Juan municipality. It was just as described, it had the form of a sword, impaled into the ground. The most peculiar thing about the scene is that there was purple mist flowing out of the cracks around it. This was why they called for Luna instead of just taking it. If it unleashed something of great consequence, it would be too late for regrets. When they arrived at the scene, the happiness on Apple and Mabini''s faces were apparent. "Luna, Sura, Max, Elder! Thank goodness you guys are here, we haven''t been able to make heads or tails out of this thing, and we don''t dare to make rash decisions." Apple stated. Trying to scan the mist, Luna ended up with no results as well. "I''m just as stumped as your guys are, unfortunately." Looking towards her last hope, Apple turned to the Elder for some answers. "Elder Aran, are you familiar with this?" "It seems that the Agimat is acting as a seal to whatever is underneath. While I''m not sure what it may be, these factors are quite random, you see. There''s no way of knowing. We can only pull it out and hope for the best." Elder Aran shared his insight on the situation. "Alright. We don''t quite know what the consequences will be, but if it''s some kind of Area-of-Effect, it will endanger the troops as well. Apple, have the troops to fall back into the Negros islands for now." Luna said.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. "Will do, but Lord Lu- erm, I mean, Luna, are what do you plan on doing?" Apple who was still in the middle of getting used to just calling him ''Luna'' as he asked her to before, was quite curious. What kind of genius plan will their fearless leader have this time? She thought. Only to be stunned at the answer he gave them all. "We''re gonna grab it, and make a run for it." Luna replied "This..." Everyone was stunned. This was his master plan? But when they thought about it, this seemed to be the safest option. If this seal summoned monsters, that would be fine. They could eliminate them as they got out, easily. But if it released some sort of poison gas, they would lose way too many men soldiers, even the Agimat would not be worth all these trained soldiers in value alone. Let alone that these were considered their brothers and sisters in arms. They couldn''t do anything while the troops were still returning back to their base, so they killed zombies and mutant beasts to pass the time. Luna tried his best to search for any survivors, but to no avail. It was like everyone just up and left. The sun was starting to set by the time the troops got back to base. Angry Bakunawa had the spatial gate ready just in case they needed to make a quick run for it. "Alright, everyone be on your guard." Luna warned. "Preparations are ready, Lord Luna, if anything comes out within 20 meters of that rift, we''ll be ready for it." Elder Aran assured. "Father, Emergency Food is currently scouting from the skies as well. He''ll send out a signal if he sees anything we can''t." Maxene had finished her preparations along with Emergency Food as well, they made sure no other factors were in the vicinity to cause any extra complications. Luna, Sura, and Mabini cleared out any zombies and mutant beasts Emergency Food spotted. It was finally time. Looking at the sword, it looked like an ordinary brand new Longsword. The only noticeable part of it was it''s guard, it''s color was gold, and it curved upwards and it had ornate patterns etched onto and on the blade as well. "Here goes nothing." Luna grabbed the hilt of the sword and just as he attempted to pull it up a menu popped up in front of him. --------------------------------------- ** When applied claimed by a , it provides an additional 10% physical damage to all it''s citizens and it''s defenses, including Mutant Beasts. It can also take the form of any weapon if the user wishes to do so. A sword forged by the Blacksmith Flavio from a mysterious meteorite. Originally, the meteorite was only enough to forge a Balaraw(Dagger), but once the dagger was pointed towards the sky, it gathered atmospheric energy which causes it to magically take the form of a sword. The sword, which now contains Flavio''s spirit allows it to live on as a blade that will help humanity to cut down evil creatures. --------------------------------------- "YES!" Luna commanded. The sword was instantly pulled out, and he could feel the power radiating from it. He wanted to get this done, as it was already starting to get dark. Moments later, rifts started to appear around them. As all sorts of monsters known to have appeared in the Philippines before, crawled out of them. "Father! Emergency Food is reporting that rifts are appearing around a 2-mile radius around us!" Maxene reported, as he told Emergency Food to head back to them, for his own safety. "Retreat! We''re getting out of here!" Luna made the call instantly. As they were retreating, he had already issued the command to have the troops on the walls be ready for a tough defense. Thankfully, they were prepared for the area around them, which gave them enough time to fall back into Angry Bakunawa''s inner world. He immediately turned around and rapidly flew back towards the base. A swarm of Manananggals*** came out of the rifts. These winged monsters were pretty tough to kill. Their upper bodies would separate from their lower body to fly and hunt for prey. According to the legends, the only way to kill them was to find their lower bodies and pour salt on it or burn it, which makes it so they can''t reattach themselves. If they''re still not back to their lower halves by the next day. One thing was for sure: If you were going to be on the defensive against these monsters the whole time. You''re going to lose that battle of attrition. A Beautiful Deception "Defend at all costs! Keep them at bay until morning!" Luna commanded all the troops stationed on top of the southeastern walls. Thanks to all the Mages, they at least were able to fend off these winged monsters. The main thing about these Manananggals was their long tongue and incredibly strong wings. Even stronger than what the legends described them. They would blow strong gusts of wind with their wings, and the moment someone was caught off-balance they would strike with their long tongues that they primarily used for sucking the blood out of their victims. Thankfully, every Mage was usually paired up with a VIT-based soldier. It was thanks to this that the Manananggals were not able to find an opening. But the soldiers were worried. Once they were injured, these winged monsters would just back off and regenerate quickly while more would come forward. Luna was on top of Angry Bakunawa as he decimated these monsters. He would burn them until they were nothing but ash, right after he''d cleave them in one swing, but he didn''t get any EXP. "Luna, I''m not getting any EXP, they''re not truly dying, it seems." Sura noticed this fact as well, so she was wondering why he was still trying to kill so many when the soldiers were more than enough to fend them off. "Don''t worry, it''s all part of the plan." He simply replied. Sura nodded, knowing that Luna would never do things for no reason. That statement alone was enough to Even Elder Aran was quite confused. As a Mage, he was decimating these monsters even more efficiently than Luna. He also noticed that he wasn''t receiving any EXP, but he still follow Luna''s command and killed as many as he could. "What could Lord Luna be thinking?" He asked. Mabini, Hana, and Apple were stumped as well. But the three of them had the same attitude as Sura. "Luna-sama would not do such things if it was meaningless." Hana said, as she continued to stab out towards the ones that got too close. The battle continued until it was almost daytime. The Manananggals, sensing this, all swiftly retreated. All the troops finally heaved a sigh of relief, looking forward to being able to sleep. Despite their high levels, even the VIT-based soldiers were feeling tired. The stronger you got, the more energy you''d consume. Even someone who invested in pure VIT, if he kept fighting at full strength the whole time would feel exhausted. Not to mention being buffeted by the strong winds caused by the Manananggal''s wings. Not to mention that those things were much stronger than the current ETZs and EHZs yet they got no EXP from them, which made it even more depressing. Just as they were preparing to rest. "EVERYONE, MOVE OUT! To hell with formations, make haste to the Lazi Municipality!" Luna suddenly barked out his orders. "What?" That was the question almost everybody instinctively asked in their heads. Regardless of their confusion, they obeyed right away. This was a sign of how much respect they held towards Luna. With that said, everybody besides the injured ones, moved out. Siquijor wasn''t a big island when compared to the Negros, Cebu, or Bohol islands, but it wasn''t tiny either. It took them nearly an hour to get to their destination. The Lazi Municipality was located on the southeastern end of Siquijor. Luckily the troops were used to this. The soldiers stationed on the southeastern walls would go out to this island to train all the time. Right as they got near. "Surround the whole municipality." Luna gave his next command. Everyone was about to start spreading out, when they heard someone call out.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "Look! A survivor!" One of the soldiers said. It was a woman who had beautiful features. She looked like she could be one of those cute Asian girls that you''d see in stock photos. She was tall, slim, and lithe. Her appearance was even made more enticing due to her shirt being wet. This made the male soldiers absolutely enamored towards her. She looked absolutely out of place in this new world. Why would a woman this beautiful be out here? "Miss, are you a survivor? Where did you come from?" One of the squad captains asked. "I... I just came from Cambugahay falls." Her soft, soothing voice could melt one''s heart. Cambugahay falls was an absolutely beautiful sigh to see. It was also a popular spot where people would take baths in it''s crystal clear waters. Prior to the new world, it was one of the top tourist spots in the Philippines, and it was beautifully maintained. "We''re from the Sovereign Nation, you should come with us! It''s the safest place to be. We''ll take care of you there." The squad captain promised. Just as he was trying to convince the woman to go with them, Luna suddenly walked towards her. Luna held her face and looked at her in the eyes. "Damn! It seems Lord Luna wants this woman. In that case, I can only give up on her. Sigh, I wanted to take her out on dates too." The squad captain thought. Just then, Luna grabbed the woman''s shirt, and ripped it off. "L-lord Luna! You can''t! You said that''s against the rules! Punishable by death!" The squad captain who was already depressed after losing his potential future wife, was infuriated. How could Lord Luna do this?! He''s always been so respectful towards women! He never even took in multiple women and only ever had Lady Sura in his eyes. So why would he strip another woman right in front of not only her, but everybody else? As if that wasn''t infuriating enough, he saw Luna''s hands go towards the woman''s waist area, feeling it slowly with his fingertips. "Your rate of healing truly is astounding." Luna said. "Eh?" "Rate of healing?" "What does Lord Luna mean when he said that?" Everyone was quite confused. Sura, Apple, Hana, Mabini, Elder Aran, and some of the higher ranking officials already caught on to the reasoning behind Luna''s actions. This was also an indicator that he did indeed promote only the most capable people. "Only level 30. You''re much weaker in the day." Luna added. The woman''s eyes widened, as she tried to struggle free. Unfortunately for her, Luna''s arm didn''t even budge. She started banging on his chest as she begged the squad captain from earlier. "Please! Help me! He''s going to defile my body! Please! I''ll be your woman, just save me from this man!" Her pitiful expression could make almost anybody want to save her. "This.. Lord Luna, please, she''s an innocent woman!" The squad captain begged for her. He wanted to save her, but what the hell can he do against Luna? Going against him was a death wish. Luna looked at the squad captain as he then held her waist with both hands, raised her up for all to see, as she struggled and kept banging on his arms. Frowning, he said. "What a beautiful deception." CRUNCH! One could hear bones breaking. As soon as he applied force, she split her in half. As her upper body was falling, he grabbed her by the mouth before she could recover from her shock and scream and crushed it as well. Her upper body wriggled as her form changed, wings sprouted out, only to start burning. Her lower body was started to walk away as it started burning as well. "This..." The squad captain from earlier and the other soldiers started vomiting. Not just from the gore, but the fact that the woman they were all so enamored with was actually one of the grotesque Manananggals they were fighting last night. Pointing towards the squad captain''s head, Luna said "Next time, think with this head and not with the small head down there." Luna reprimanded him. The squad leader, along with the other soldiers were quite ashamed. They actually got boners from the woman being stripped earlier as a natural reaction to seeing her perfect, naked body. Only for it to instantly disappear the moment they saw her squirming as a winged monster with a sharp, bloodsucking tongue. If one was to think about it, what would a beautiful woman be doing alone out here? Especially with the Manananggal invasion last night. Not all of them were at the walls, some of them spread out as well. Whoever was still alive in this town before, died last night, for sure. "Surround the Municipality!" After the live demonstration, everyone was even more wary. They definitely would not fall for such trickery again. Unbeknownst to most, the reason Luna killed so many despite not getting EXP, was so he could tell where they were coming from. Even when you killed the upper half, as long as the lower half was still alive, they would regenerate at astonishing speeds as long as they weren''t exposed to the sun. Luna noticed that despite how many he killed, he would notice the amount he would kill would equal the amount of reinforcements coming from one direction. Sending Emergency Food to fly above the clouds, he scouted and eventually found out where they were coming from. Fallen Angels Screams from countless women could be heard across the town, attracting Mutant Beasts and Zombies which were dispatched by the soldiers on sight. They were just as gorgeous as the one Luna killed earlier, and majority of them were still naked. Apparently they were all bathing, cleaning off all the dirt and blood. It seems these Manananggals were quite conscious of their appearance in the daytime. Some were wandering around the town looking for clothes for the group, while majority of them were taking turns bathing in the area around the Cambugahay falls. This is also the place where they were all eventually corralled. It was quite weird how the ones wandering around the other areas chose to run away and hide elsewhere, instead of allowing themselves to be stuck here. The Lightning Mages, including Apple and Elder Aran, had their spells ready. These Manananggals were obviously terrified, but they couldn''t do anything. They were all completely surrounded. Luna had mobilized a whole army just to make sure that they wouldn''t be able to escape their encirclement. Even if they all tried to charge at one spot to try and breakthrough, it would be futile when they''re in their weaker form during the day. Once the Mages released Lightning spells into the water, the ones in currently in it would perish. "It boggles my mind why they would all choose to retreat near this area." Mabini said. Apple added on to his statement, while furrowing her eyebrows. "Indeed. They definitely saw from last night that we were capable of Lightning spells." "Even if there are thousands of them here, the ground is wet enough that we''d still make short work of them. Interesting indeed." Elder Aran mused. He was correct, after all. They could fire out their spells at will, it wouldn''t harm their allies. Even Chain Lightning would never bounce towards their allies. Just then, a voice from the middle of the pack spoke up. "Please! Hear us out first!" All the women looked towards the source of the voice, then they gave way as she walked forward. "Mistress.." They called out to her. They had worried looks on their faces. One could guess that this woman was the reason why they flocked here instead of trying to have a better chance of escaping. This woman was evidently their leader. She walked forward and knelt down, despite being completely naked. "Before you decide to massacre us, I''d like to speak to your leader. Please give me a chance to offer my proposal!" The soldiers went from being almost bewitched by her beauty, despite knowing her true form, into being flabbergasted by the leader of this bunch kneeling down in front of them without a single piece of clothing on her. "You have 5 minutes. Make it count." Luna spoke, as he stepped forward. The Manananggal''s Mistress felt the pressure weigh down on her, not just because the next minutes would decide their fate, but also because of the pressure Luna naturally gave out, which made her speechless for a few seconds. "Miss, it''s best if you start speaking soon. Lord Luna is a reasonable man, but he doesn''t like having his time wasted." Elder Aran felt bad for the woman. When the rifts opened, he sensed that all of them came out of it, and none stayed behind. This may very well be the last of their race. He of all people knew how that felt. Else why would this woman humiliate herself, just to cling to the tiniest chance of survival. How could she know that Luna was a reasonable fellow? All she knew was that this man had the survival of her people at his fingertips. Not to mention that this all happened in the span of less than 24 hours. "Lord Luna, my name is Clemencia. The leader of what you call ''Manananggals.''" "Oh? You seem to imply that, that''s not what you all are?" Luna couldn''t help but notice the nuance behind her statement. "Don''t worry. Answer my questions, and I''ll extend the time you have."This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. "Yes, Lord Luna. Truth be told, we are cursed. Formerly, we were Angels in heaven, victims of our curiosity and naivety." She explained. "Fallen Angels? You''d have me believe that despite your grotesque appearances?" Luna replied. Her head drooped a bit after hearing Luna''s harsh words. "Indeed. Heaven is not the perfect place that you all were made to believe. It has it''s own politics as well, and with it, comes a lot of happenings behind the scenes. Me and all these women, we were all Angels once. But to be honest, we were probably more like fools than anything else." "Hello Clemencia, my name is Sura. May I ask, what did you all do that caused you to be cast out?" Sura asked. She had some knowledge of how cutthroat the so called "Heaven" was. She turned towards Luna and nodded. "At the very least, she''s telling the truth about Heaven." Clemencia stared at Sura with eyes of gratitude. "Lady Sura.. have you heard of the Light-bringer''s Rebellion?" "Who hasn''t? Although we don''t know the complete details." Sura answered. "Lucifer?" Luna raised his eyebrow. The soldiers now listened more intently as well, getting to hear about Heaven from people who actually know about it? Anyone would be curious. "Indeed, Lord Luna. He sought knowledge and was seduced by it. He had good intentions, that Lucifer. Else why would we have participated in his rebellion? But that doesn''t change the fact that his actions destroyed countless lives and countless worlds with it, that is his sin. Our involvement was minor, which is why we were cursed. It was also part of the reason why we were given a chance." "A chance for what exactly?" Luna asked. "Redemption. Lord Luna, I wholeheartedly and sincerely apologize for attacking you all last night, but once we''re in that form we are slaves to it''s bloodthirstiness. But the reason why we were sealed by the Agimat in your possession, was because we were meant to be captured by a . If the ones that pulled it out were weak, they would have been devoured if they did it near nighttime or during. If it were in the day, we would have advised them to leave before nightfall." Clemencia explained. "You''re saying it would have been different if we released you during the day?" Luna asked. "That''s where the chance at redemption comes, Lord Luna. If you let us live, as gratitude for finally releasing us, we will serve you wholeheartedly. As long as you welcome us to your , we will serve you faithfully. As long as the other half of our bodies stay safe within your base, we can head out and hunt for you. Even when we retain our Angelic forms, if that happens, we will still continue to serve you." Clemencia offered. "There was a woman earlier, near the outskirts of town. She had enough time to tell me about the story you just told me, so why didn''t she? Even when I crushed her in half. If you can''t explain that, then your story would have a pretty huge flaw in it. If you really were intending to serve me, then why not come to me and instead stay here? Choose your next words carefully, Clemencia." Luna stared her down. Their offer was enticing, a full air force like these Manananggals would prove to be crucial in the road ahead. "Inanna, the insane. Even before we were cursed, she was confident that the Light-bringer would have her as a woman. But, much like all of us, she was just another pawn. She fancied herself as a deceiver. I''ll bet she tried to seduce you or your men as well and up until she died, she still felt as if she could enchant at least one of you." She explained. Her story definitely made perfect sense, then she continued to answer the latter question. "As to why we''re staying here is, well.." Clemencia blushed a little bit, seemingly embarrassed. "We were going to present ourselves to you, but you see, it''s been quite a while since we''ve taken a nice, relaxing bath. We wanted to enjoy it first, and then head over to your base and explain ourselves after we were more presentable, but who would have known that you not only pinpointed our location, you acted so fast as well. This fact helped cement our decision to join you even more." Elder Aran secretly communicated with Luna. After hearing what he had to say, Luna''s expression shifted as if he just had an epiphany. "Alright, come with us to our base first. We''ll discuss it there. You''ll have to tell me about the rest of your story as well." Luna said. "Lord Luna! But they''re Manananggals! Monsters!" "Who knows if they''ll eat us in our sleep?" Some of the soldiers were obviously a bit scared. These were the "monsters" they grew up hearing about from their parents, after all. It was not easy for them to shake it off just like that. "Idiots! Do you take Lord Luna for a fool?! You think he would allow them to even harm a single hair of our citizens?" "Bunch of morons ruled by their fear from childhood stories!" But of course, there were more men who were absolutely loyal to him. It was insulting even to them, that there were some who would think that this man who had lead them this far, would make such an obvious blunder. The ones complaining could only lower their heads after realizing how badly they messed up. Luna didn''t blame them, after all, even he had a hard time justifying taking in these women at first. But as a leader, he knew that he had to keep an open mind. If these women could truly be allies, then their contributions would be invaluable. Not to mention, the knowledge that they had. What did the Light-bringer do that destroyed countless lives and worlds? He had a hunch that what the Light-bringer did, played a major part in the world''s current state. Tabula Rasa - Part 1 After returning to the base, the soldiers were strictly forbidden to speak about what happened. If Luna thinks that taking in the Manananggals would be a good choice, then he would announce it. If not, then he would simply execute them. The soldiers obediently followed their orders. They were aware of their leader''s wisdom. Besides that, there was no point in causing a panic. So when they were asked by their friends, they merely said that Luna will soon have an important announcement. It was almost noon when Angry Bakunawa arrived. When Maxene gave him the order to head here, his eyes brightened from the excitement. The life energy here was abundant, which made it very comforting for anybody who stayed here. Clemencia and the rest had no idea where they were headed. When they stepped out, they automatically notice the five towering . Apparently it had already grown quite a bit. "The Life Trees from the Garden of Eden!" Clemencia exclaimed. "Garden of Eden?" Luna was taken aback. These trees came from the Garden of Eden? "Yes! That was where they were grown. But, I thought Lucifer had burned it all down?" She said. "Not all of them." Elder Aran spoke up. "In our world, they were handed down for generations, a reward given to us by the Gods for the merits that our ancestors contributed. It was what gave birth to Elves that had higher potential than the norm." She giggled as soon as he made his statement. "What''s so funny?" Luna asked. Clemencia immediately cleared her throat and wiped the smile off her face. She almost forgot how precarious her situation was. "Part of the knowledge that Lucifer wanted to obtain was the location of the Garden of Eden. He was always curious about the ancient times." She looked towards Sura. "Lady Sura, your Asura race should still know about way back when your race worked together with the other races, especially the human race, right?" "That''s right." Sura replied. She took a glance at Luna and continued. "Lord Luna is a special case. But humanity as a whole, is far too weak. So why would the proud Asura even see them as people worthy enough to fight beside with?" "Does it have something to do with the Life Trees?" Luna took a guess.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. "Indeed. Although five is nowhere near enough to bring back that Golden Age, there is now another factor being brought in." "And that is?" Luna asked. "They call it the Agimat of Attribute. It''s what gave you your ''stats'' as you call it. You call it that because that''s what''s familiar to you. It resembles something that was made, which was inspired from something that inherently exists within everyone. The Agimat of Attribute gives those who are considered the ''Tabula Rasa,'' or ''Blank Slates'' the ability to evolve, as you can already tell. Lady Sura, you weren''t fully aware of this Agimat, but even you knew you had to start all over in order to evolve, right?" Clemencia continued to explain. "Correct." Sura nodded. "God didn''t tell you why you had to lose all your progress and start at level 1?" "No. I was just told by my father that I would be able to evolve much further. To the point where I can rise above every Asura." "The Asura are the strongest race, but the caveat is that you all aren''t Tabula Rasa. That is why you had to be reverted to becoming a blank slate. The Gods are all being kept busy, they can''t afford to reset one of their own. You must have felt the urgency in his voice, no?" "That''s right. He left us a pretty vague message. ''Fight, struggle, and evolve, he said. Only then will we survive what is to come,'' or something along those lines." Luna replied. Clemencia''s eyes betrayed the feeling of guilt that was eating at her. "It''s all our fault. Lucifer''s thirst for forbidden knowledge. Our infatuation towards him and his ''cause.''" "What was it that he wanted?" Elder Aran asked. This conversation alone opened up endless questions for him. "The Agimat of Attribute and the Life Trees to create an army." Clemencia had a solemn look on her face as she spoke the truth. "I don''t get it. Why didn''t he just do it sooner? Why now? Why were you sealed on Earth and not elsewhere? There''s so many inconsistencies." Luna now understood why Sura, even though her knowledge was much more limited than Clemencia, didn''t want to share it all at once. This was world-shaking news! "Fear. Fear that their sovereignty would be threatened. That was one thing that Lucifer was right about. He hated that they feared, but who could blame them? Would an Emperor allow a peasant to usurp his throne? We were sealed on Earth because this planet was designated as the last bastion of hope. It was made by a being that far surpassed the Gods we know. It was that same being who found the Agimat of Attribute. The Light-bringer made a grave mistake when he unknowingly exposed the fact that the Gods of our worlds had it in their possession." Luna''s hunch was correct. The Light-bringer, Lucifer, was indeed the one who ironically brought this darkness into the world. "What is the void?" Luna asked. "The void is a race. These zombies you see are equivalent to the bacteria of your world. That is why they can threaten so many worlds and spawn as if they are never ending. The only thing stopping them is a formation built by the same being who created Earth, the Gods have to take turns injecting energy into it, while their soldiers fight the ones that get through. They cannot be disturbed or else the formation''s barrier goes down with them. They prioritized the Earth''s protection due to that Being''s instructions." "Very well. You''ll have to answer all my questions by tonight, in return, I can tell that the Life Tree can help you in some way. As long as you do not do harm towards it, I will help you." Luna offered. He had a lot of questions yes, but these women had the answers that even Sura didn''t have. If they know what they''re up against, then they can have the advantage they need to see all of this through. Tabula Rasa - Part 2 "Thank you, Lord Luna!" As soon as Clemencia expressed her gratitude, the rest followed as well. It was a good thing that the area was large enough to fit thousands of them. After the five were merged, a huge majority of the area was basically turned into a lake. It was to the point that Luna was forced to abandon making this area into an Academy, and expanding the area a bit. While the decision wasn''t made lightly, he eventually decided that it would benefit everyone the most. The was a very mysterious tree that seemingly defied all laws that humankind had learned beforehand. Clemencia and the others stood by the shores while the others waited behind them. "The trees that Lucifer burned and caused our exile. To think it would be the same tree that would rid us of that form." After her soliloquy, Clemencia who was given clothes beforehand, undressed yet again, and slowly walked towards the water. Luna was prepared to stop her, but Elder Aran and Sura told him not to. He was afraid the water would be contaminated, but they assured him that the water from the wasn''t the type of water to get contaminated, it was the type that could at the very least, purify anything from their world. Even if a filthy animal or person swam in these waters, it wouldn''t change the quality of the water negatively, in the slightest. In fact, it would eliminate the bad and the life tree would personally absorb the good, all without changing the taste, so unless you knew, you wouldn''t even suspect that anything happened. There wasn''t much use trying to figure out why it was that way, so they just decided to accept it for now. Of course, this information couldn''t be made public. It didn''t matter how miraculous the properties of this water was, if you had the knowledge that someone bathed or took a dump on your drinking water, you''d probably be hard-pressed to accept that fact. As they all started to dip themselves into the water, each person would be surrounded by two, as they proceeded to recite an incantation before they put their palms on top of the person''s head and slowly submerged them. This was very similar to people were baptized in the Bible, with the difference being the incantation, it actually triggered some activity with the water. As they were underwater, the roots of the shot forward, impaling them in the middle of their chests, and raising them above the water. What was even more surprising to Luna and the others, was that the expression of pain didn''t appear on the Manananggal''s faces. What appeared was a peaceful expression, and a gentle smile on their faces. Tears flowed down the faces of the ones that were being held up by the tree''s roots. The dense energy in the area became even more rich. It seems that the were absorbing even more energy from the atmosphere. One could see the energy being injected into the women, and after nearly five minutes, they were let down. Joy could be seen on their faces, and the ones who hadn''t gone through the ceremony, became even more excited. Clemencia put her clothes on, and walked towards Luna and knelt down on one knee. With her fist on her left chest, she saluted and said. "Lord Luna, we will never forget the grace you''ve given us today. You''ve rid us of the fetters of our curse, and we can once again walk proudly. We might never be welcomed by any of the Gods, but even if we were, we will still honor our pledge of allegiance towards you."Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "I never really quite know exactly what to do in these situations, but I''m glad you''re on my side." Luna replied. "Miss Clemencia, you have become a Blank Slate?" Elder Aran suddenly said. After scanning them, Luna noticed they were level 1 as well. "Mn. Before, I''m sure you could see our level, so you thought we gained the same powers of evolution as you did. Truth be told, you could do that for anything, but that doesn''t mean we were blessed by the Agimat of Attribute as well. But now, thanks to your grace, we have gained the ability to evolve endlessly like you, as well." She explained. "Good! I''ll assign some men to help power level you until you''re at least capable of leveling yourselves. As you are now, a single ETZ could breathe on you and you''d die." Luna said. "Oh, and here, Lord Luna." Clemencia placed her palm on her chest, as a bright light shone and then disappeared. She held out her palm and and a crystal, shining with divine light, floated towards Luna. "What is this?" He asked. "My heart." "This... I''m sorry, but, as you can see, I''m quite taken." He replied as he pointed with his thumb, behind him, indicating that him and Sura were together. "Pft! Hahahaha!" Sura couldn''t help but break out in laughter. She obviously understood that a proposal wasn''t Clemencia''s request, but she forgot that on Earth, offering to figuratively "give someone your heart" was considered a confession of love. It was normal for him to be caught off-guard in such a situation. Especially when "L-lord Luna, I.. This heart is for you to claim so I can officially recognize you as my master. As long as it''s alive, I can keep coming back even if my body dies. The caveat is that anything we die with, gets left behind, like equipment for example. If you wish to end our lives, you merely have to crush it. We usually leave it in a safe place so we can resurrect, but during our time as Manananggals," Clemencia explained. "Oh..." Realizing his mistake, he accepted her heart. "I appreciate your sincerity. What about your previous forms?" "We can go back to our Seraphic forms now." Clemencia said as six wings sprouted from her back. "Seraph? You''re a Seraph?!" Luna was shocked. From what he knew, Seraphs were the highest ranked of all Angels. Now that there was no more cap in their evolution, just how far can these beings go? "As of right now, just in form." Clemencia replied. "Hopefully we can some day get back to, if not surpass our previous strength. Inanna from before was also a Seraph. The rest of the women here are Cherubim." "I see. How many of you are there, exactly?" Luna asked. "A little over 5,000." She replied. "An Air Force of over 5,000. Not bad." "We also don''t have to wait until nighttime anymore, and we''ve rid ourselves of our previous forms. As soon as we''re able, Lord Luna, we''ll individually share our EXP with you, so half of it always goes to you without taking anything from your own kills." Clemencia promised. It was something they agreed upon earlier, and now, with the gift of continued evolution and being rid of their previously shackled forms, they were more than glad to fulfill their end of the bargain. "I appreciate your sincerity, but before I assign some men to help you level, I still have some questions I wanted to clarify from before." "If I know the answer, Lord Luna, I''ll be sure to tell you everything I know." "Alright. Everyone follow me to my home. We''ll let the rest of the Cherubim finish their rites. This will be broadcast throughout the whole Nation. The people have a right to know." Luna said. Apple who had been quiet the whole time, spoke up. "It''ll be good motivation for everyone to keep evolving as well. Lately I feel as if the soldiers have been too complacent and careless. Just because they''ve stayed ahead, some of them think they''re invincible. If they know the truth, then they''ll finally be aware of how lacking they truly are." With that said, the officials who were with them, and the others who weren''t there, were summoned to Luna''s residence for an official meeting. Sovereign Air Force At Luna''s residence. This was still, by far, the most fortified home in all of the . Protected by a force field from above, and surrounded by tall Adamantite walls and now lined with advanced automated turrets. Everyone already returned to the base, thanks to Luna''s previous orders, so the leaders converged quite fast. As they all started pouring in, they couldn''t help but notice Clemencia, who had already reverted back to her human form. They knew Luna wasn''t the type to have more than one lover, so could this woman be the reason why they were called in? What was so special about her? In the end, they didn''t voice out their opinions. General Leman, Paco, and Hans were the last to arrive. Noticing Clemencia by Luna''s side, they were wondering who she was as well. "Now that we''re all here, we can begin," Luna said. He proceeded to announce the start of the discussion to everyone in the . He wanted to keep everything transparent. Not just because it was the right thing to do, but also because he had to. Besides the fact that gaining an Air Force comprised of actual Angels, would boost morale, the other information would jolt the soldiers that have become complacent, into receiving a grim reminder that the security they all had right now was still fragile. Once enough Agimats were in place, he would need to prepare for a massive defense. "Attention, Sovereign Nation, this is Luna speaking." He intentionally didn''t introduce himself as ''the leader'' and instead, used his first name. "Today, we have a story of redemption and a backstory to all of what''s happened so far. I choose to be transparent with you all because I do not wish to keep you in the dark. That will not serve our nation well. Today, I introduce to you, Clemencia. She was formerly what we would call, a Manananggal." As soon as he said that, everybody reacted right away. Some, of the more ignorant ones already made their assumptions. "Lord Luna, he brought one of those monsters in? Why?!" Thankfully, due to how the foundations of the Sovereign Nation were set, there were more open-minded people than the ignorant ones. "Hush! Lord Luna doesn''t do things for no reason. Or do you think you can lead this nation better than him?" As the discussion was ongoing, Luna who couldn''t hear any of it, continued. "We have discovered that the creatures we once thought were mere monsters, are in actuality, the Fallen Angels of God." This piece of news was even more shocking than the previous one. This prompted even more discussion. "Due to certain circumstances, they have now been redeemed. Their leader, Clemencia, has vowed to follow me, and as a result, she, a Seraph, and over 5000 other Cherubim have agreed to become a part of the Sovereign Nation''s Air Force." People erupted in cheers. The news of actual Angels joining, to them, was an incredibly good omen. They worshipped Luna even more than before, and even some who had been a skeptic before finally started believing completely. It didn''t matter if they didn''t see the Angels yet, because common sense told them that there would be no way Luna would make such a huge announcement with nothing to show for it. "She will brief you all on the origins of these events, and what we have to look forward to." Luna looked towards Clemencia and nodded towards her, signaling that it was her turn to speak. "Greetings Sovereign Nation, I am Clemencia..." After introducing herself, she proceeded to tell everyone what she told Luna beforehand.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. A lot of people didn''t quite know what to do with the information they''ve known. Especially the ones that have been complacent. Luna knowing that a lot of people would feel lost took the opportunity to serve as a guiding hand. "If you''re all wondering what this means, it means that we do what we''ve always done. We do not get complacent, because there is no room for it. We all have a chance to surpass even those we call Gods. Only then can we contribute towards the survival of our world. I hope that none of you take that responsibility lightly. Once we install the Agimats Clemencia mentioned earlier, you can expect the further evolution of these zombies. We will play it safe and stay in our base while we observe them and what they''re capable of. But before that, the new minimum level will be raised to 45. I will give you all a couple of months to reach it." Truthfully, most of the soldiers were already 45. Those that weren''t, were close to reaching it. It''s just that the new allies they have the Angels and the newly tamed Mutant Beasts needed some catching up. One of the most important details to why his plan gave them so much time, was that he intended to journey North. Boni had told him about the soldier that they arrested, and he finally received his message. Luna could care less about the corrupt officials, but he was aware that there still millions of his countrymen up there and they might not all be ready for the next phase. This was also why he wanted to send an army towards the South to save as many survivors as they could. While just moving on to the next phase would be an effective way to cripple any possible opposition, Luna would not allow innocent lives to be murdered. He was, after all, aware that the prerequisite to defeating the invaders from the Void was that they would all be united. Their real enemies had armies big enough to launch a full-scale invasion on multiple worlds. Despite that, he wasn''t naive. He knew that the Government had kept the citizens weak and their soldiers strong. This was something that they naturally did even prior to the new world. It was out of fear of an uprising. This was also why the Gods didn''t use the Agimat of Attribute because they were afraid. They even delayed using it on Earth because they were hoping that the previous worlds would be enough to stop the invasion. If the leaders cooperated with him, he would welcome them, albeit, still silently observe them. If they plotted against him, however, he would summarily execute them on the spot. This was proof that Luna still had morals, but he would not tolerate any schemes either. After the meeting, they discussed their next course of action. He was transparent with the knowledge he obtained, but he wasn''t going to spread out their battle plans too soon either. "Paco, Eduardo, you two are going to accompany me towards the North. Sura, would you mind accompanying me as well?" It was evident that Luna didn''t see Sura as someone under his command, but as a partner, and an equal. "I''ll come too, father! It''ll be a good opportunity for me to tame beasts on the way!" Maxene volunteered herself. In truth, she just wanted to see different sights. "Alright." He agreed. "Clemencia, you''ll come with me as well, we''ll power-level you on the way there." "Yes, Lord Luna." She immediately agreed. She knew that Luna would prioritize her leveling on the way there. It probably wouldn''t take more than three weeks of power-leveling for her to reach the new minimum. After which, it''ll be her and the Cherubim''s turn to return the favor and power-level him back. After everyone had left, Luna was still deep in thought. Not too long ago, he also gave out the order for an army to accompany him along the way. They would remain inside Angry Bakunawa''s inner world, and the moment the Government faction tried anything funny, he would unleash Hell on Earth unto them. This was not only a countermeasure to any plot they might have in mind, but also as a show of power. Something that he didn''t want to expose too much of. Although the man named Genesis already had somewhat of an idea, he didn''t know too much, since he was imprisoned for the majority of his stay. The next day, the Cherubim were assigned to different areas. This was to space out the area where they would be power-leveled in to avoid oversaturation. But besides that, it was a way to show the people that Angels truly were on their side. Despite the revelation, last night, everyone''s morale was higher than ever. The Angels had more potential than regular people, receiving a bit more EXP per kill. Something that came as a pleasant surprise, since they themselves didn''t know what their body''s and skill''s specific parameters were before being blessed by the Agimat of Attribute. An even more pleasant surprise was that it was applicable to the whole party. This meant that partying with an Angel wouldn''t necessarily cut your EXP earned in half. Something that came as great news to Luna, who was going to eventually be on the receiving end of this benefit. The Sovereign Nation Mobilizes The Sovereign Nation mobilized as soon as they could. Due to the mutant beast hordes being collectively towards the East in the islands of Cebu and Bohol, Luna told everyone to avoid that area for now. This was all part of his plan. Once the next phase happens, having the mutant beast hordes deal with each other and the future newly evolved zombies as well, would ease their burden a bit. This meant that due to their fast transport with Angry Bakunawa, as long as the Eastern walls aren''t too busy, some of the men stationed there can reinforce the others without jeopardizing their position, if need be. Everyone finally finished their preparations by the next day. It''s very possible that this endeavor would have casualties, but as long as they don''t get their heads blasted apart, or some type of instantaneous death or infection, the healers could either heal their wounds or if it was serious, at least stabilize them. This way, their natural recovery would be enough to bring them back to full health as long as they had enough time. If only the had some way of curing an infection. Unfortunately, it''s properties did not cater to the properties of the void. At least, not for now. One thing about this world was that anything was possible. That was why Luna had assigned Astrid, the Torre Doctors and other survivors that had some background in Biology, to research its properties. There was a science to everything, and so it was crucial that they find out what it was. It could very well be the key to their overall victory. The Southern Army''s goal was to clear as much ground as they could and challenge as many territories as they could. They didn''t necessarily need to keep it, but just the VIS bonus from it was valuable enough. Not to mention, that it would allow them to set up camp without the fear of zombies spawning nearby. Along with that, it meant that they could set up defenses there, and if it fell, it wouldn''t matter as they would have more walls to fall back into. It was the most cost-effective plan they could have as of right now. But the main goal of this expansion was to find any hidden Agimats or natural treasures, the second one was to eliminate the terrorists from the South after entering the deeper areas of Mindanao. They would sweep all available Agimats, which Maxene had said that there were quite a lot in the Philippines. This was to ensure that they had the greatest advantage possible, prior to the next phase. "Hana-chan! I''m glad we get to work together again!" Seo-Hyeon ran towards Hana and hugged her. The Southern Army was assigned to General Leman. Accompanying him were Apple, Mabini, Boni, Elise, Seo-hyeon, So-hee, Yu-jin, and Sang-hwa. Hana hugged her back. "Mn! Let''s take this time to get as many advantages as we can get." "Exactly. No one quite knows how strong the zombies will be in the next phase. Even Elder Aran doesn''t." Mabini added as he clasped hands with Sang-hwa in a way that almost looked like they were about to arm wrestle. "That''s right. Our world is evolving much faster, so it''s as expected." Yu-jin added. "I''m not too worried. Luna''s plan is pretty solid." Elise said as she stuck by Boni''s side. "His calmness almost makes me feel as if he thinks he''s just playing another MMORPG. Although I can''t complain, everything he''s done has been very effective so far." So-hee said. She giggled as she was quite amused at how actions made by hardcore players would work so well in this new world. Apple finally caught up to them soon after she finished her special arrangements for the Mages. "Alright guys, we''re about to move out. General Leman has mapped out our route so hopefully, everything goes as planned." Under Apple were the women they saved from Buencamino''s camp. They were squad leaders themselves. Seeing them now, you wouldn''t have been able to guess that they were the same people from the beginning of the new world. Their auras alone were quite domineering, the regular soldiers were even intimidated by them. Sisa who was on the verge of losing her mind completely was now standing tall with her two boys. Her ordeal combined with the thought of losing her two beloved sons made her even fiercer than the others. It was as if something clicked in her mind that made her incredibly tenacious, along with Crispin and Basilio, which earned them the right the be a part of the Luna''s Sharpshooters. The Sharpshooters themselves had more numbers now. Half of them were with the Army heading South, and the other half were together with Luna. The Angels were to be power leveled until they reached a comfortable enough level, as per Luna''s orders. Due to the lack of ranged based weapons, the terrorists would be quite susceptible to aerial attacks. Once the Angels were level 40 or higher, if they built minimal VIT, even a .50 caliber wouldn''t be able to pierce their skin. The only effective long-ranged options were the Gunblades. Something that Luna had invested much in equipping the Angels with. After all, what was the point of having an Air Force if they couldn''t shower the enemy with death from above? Finally, the Tarsiers were tasked to accompany them as well. This was because Tarsiers could also be found in Basilan, it was quite obvious that they wouldn''t be as strong as Elder Jax and the others. After asking Luna to join the Army headed South, their request was granted. *** Meanwhile, the terrorist group, the Nation was also being kept busy. Basilan island wasn''t that much bigger than Siquijor island, but it was far more fortified. Despite all of that, they were constantly assaulted by sea creatures on all sides. They obviously didn''t have as many soldiers as the Sovereign Nation and so, even with Basilan''s much smaller size, they were barely able to defend on a daily basis. The mutant beasts on land were either to the islands to their south or still within Basilan. In Zamboanga to the North, another was holding the fort down. It was mostly due to escapees warning the other nations of their group, who in turn, banded together. The Nation''s biggest mistake was that they treated the new world as a playground. They raped, pillaged, and tortured as they pleased. Had they recognized the current situation of the new world, they would realize that making enemies of other humans when you''re already surrounded by a myriad of things that want to devour you is, simply put, a big mistake.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. *** To the North, President Emil and everyone else was faring much better. Albeit, they still maintained the weakness of majority of their citizens. They assured them that everything was fine, even if they weren''t sure. Just like what you''d expect from the Government. Despite that, the citizens were kept strong enough to at least handle ETZs, EHZs, and Mutant Beasts as long as they hunted in Platoons. The main difference between them and the Sovereign Nation was that they hunted to eat and just to stay alive. This comparison was like a casual gamer versus a hardcore gamer that no-lifes any MMORPG he plays, especially in the beginning stages of the game, and during the beginning of any expansion. This reflected in how far ahead Luna was since the beginning and with the anticipation of the next phase, he was planning on doing the same. The only difference this time was that he had to be completely cautious. Not just himself, but he had to instill that same caution unto his soldiers. There were no resurrections or respawns. Even getting infected by zombies meant certain death or at least a lost limb. Especially since they had no idea how strong the next wave of invaders would be. So far, it seemed as if the Sovereign Nation was treating this new world as if it was a joke. Truth be told, it was like observing the top guild in an MMORPG and complaining about how the content seems so easy. When in fact they weren''t a good example of how hard it truly is. This was why Luna and the other officials decided it was best to go slow instead of riding Angry Bakunawa to Luzon. Recruiting as many people as they could, thus saving those people''s lives that were sure to be doomed when the next phase arrives. Besides the Army within Angry Bakunawa''s inner world, another batch was also following them from behind, double checking for survivors and searching for any Agimat they might find. After all, Agimats wouldn''t just be laying around randomly. President Emil was enjoying his glass of wine among his comrades when he received the news from the soldier he sent last time. "Genesis is finally heading back." He said. "Oh? They finally released him?" Tomas Mascardo asked. "Yes, and it seems like their leader is coming to meet us. Hahaha! Idiot! Does he go by the name Luna? Just like the legendary General Luna? SUBARASHII! He''ll be assassinated just like him! Did he get cocky because his Nation is considered the strongest?! Did he forget that we only need to kill him to gain control of his Nation''s treasury?! Hahaha!" The ex-prisoner turned General, Tomas Mascardo''s eyes started twitching after hearing Emil''s soliloquy. "Did this fuck face of a President just say ''Subarashii?'' Weeb! The current President of the Philippines is a fucking weeb! Sigh. I need to get the fuck out of this mess, but where to?" He thought to himself as he couldn''t help but plant his face onto his palm. Mascardo himself was actually a fan of anime as well, even watching it in his home while in prison.* But he would never be caught dead being as cringey as Emil who thought himself fancy when he used one or two words from other languages. He wasn''t always like this, but all the power has gone to his head. He actually thought everything he said was cool and edgy. Any normal person would see that there was something wrong with him. This was why they would ''take care'' of things for him and let him live his relaxed life. If he went outside now and someone ticked him off, he''d probably kill them on the spot. This would incite dissatisfaction among the citizens and it would impact them as well. Emil was still by far the highest level among them all, with constant power leveling being given to him by his die-hard fans that he somehow managed to convince that making him stronger makes the nation more secure and stronger as well. Heavy investment into his gear via their Nation''s bank was also part of his corrupt activities. The other high ranking members that weren''t present were concerned as well when they heard of Emil''s plans. Unfortunately, he was the face that the people trusted the most, thanks to his popularity prior to the new world and how fast he worked to gain the support of the survivors. He would always be present when new survivors came in. It was safe to say that he was quite proficient at marketing himself. "President Emil, we shouldn''t underestimate him. There''s no way he would expose himself without a plan. I say we try to work with him instead of against him." Another official suggested. "Work with him? He''s a traitor to the nation! He''s the perfect candidate we have to set an example to any would-be usurpers! This might very well be the only chance we have to get rid of him for sure. If we don''t take this chance and he gets even stronger, we''ll be done for!" "This... I understand." Truth be told, he didn''t agree with Emil. He just acquiesced to his reasoning because he didn''t want to provoke his ire. One thing was for sure, they all thought that Emil''s personality was getting more and more eccentric. But as long as he was doing his job, they wouldn''t oppose him for now. Meanwhile, one of Tomas Mascardo''s trusted men swiftly left their base at the Prison and headed South. *** Guimaras Island. This island was connected to the Negros Island before via bridge. But thanks to the landmass that Elder Aran and the others were on, the Guimaras Strait was no more. In the Municipality of Sibunag. Everyone was spread out and clearing as much of the area as they could, and searching meticulously for any Agimats. This island was one of their hunting grounds, but they never quite searched it as thoroughly. This was because it would violate their safety protocols. Even if there was a chance that there would be treasure, it wasn''t worth losing the lives of their brothers and sisters in arms. This time, however, it was different. The emergence of Agimats had completely changed the game. Along with their upgraded gear, they could afford to take some risks. The search was slow, but this was all according to Luna''s plans. As he going through the map of the Philippines and marking the spots they''ve searched, Paco approached from behind. "Lord Luna, we''ve intentionally leaked the news you instructed us to, to that man called Genesis. Their leader should be expecting you to arrive soon. Without a doubt, he''s already reported it to his superiors." The whole time Genesis was locked up, he was still able to communicate within his Nation, after all. Luna smiled after hearing the news. "Good. Let him wait his ass off. The more impatient he gets, the more he''s prone to making dumb mistakes. Continue feeding that man random useless information. Give him wrong locations and wrong ETAs of our time of arrival." "Yes, Lord Luna." Paco saluted and left after nodding towards Sura, Maxene, and Elder Aran who were all behind Luna. "Father''s so mischievous!" Maxene was the first to speak up. She was snickering the whole time Paco gave his report as she held onto her favorite weapon. This was the smaller version of Luna''s weapon that he gifted to her. "It''s quite the amazing plan if I say so myself." Elder Aran rubbed his beard. "So this is what you meant when you said that ''All warfare is based on deception.''" Sura said. She told herself that she would borrow the book that Luna took this quote from. "Sun Tzu''s: The Art of War." He smiled. "I''d like to borrow it if you don''t mind." She said as she walked up to him and held his arm. She quite admired his man, and couldn''t help but praise herself for making the right decision in choosing him as her partner. He held her hand as he replied. "Of course." He said as he took it out of his inventory and handed it to her. "Blech! I hate it when they get mushy." Maxene complained as she stabbed the handle of her Guandao onto the ground, making it so the blade was in front of her, covering her eyes. Then she used her hands to cover her ears, to no avail, as her hearing was too good. "Hahaha! There, there, dear Maxene. One day you''ll learn about the mysteries of love as well. Then you''ll understand why it makes you Father and you Mother stronger." Elder Aran imparted words of wisdom towards the little girl. "Sigh." She knew what he meant, but she was still reluctant. "I doubt I''d find a boy worthy enough. If that day does come, I DOUBT IT, but if it does! He has to be at least as good and as strong as my father! Or else... hmph!" "Well, when you do, it seems as if it''s not gonna be anytime soon then. Hahaha!" Elder Aran couldn''t help but be amused at this little girl. Who was stronger than Luna right now? Even he himself wasn''t confident of his chances if he and Luna were to go into a life and death battle. Panay Island One month later, the Sovereign Nation''s Armies had swept the Panay Island. They had moved from Guimaras Island to Iloilo City in the Southern part of Panay. Afterward, the first Army lead by Luna spread out and cleared out the Cities and the Mountains on the far East, West, and North. These were the areas that they didn''t tackle earlier when they were still strengthening themselves. Eight hours a day of grinding was mandatory. But even with that, after reaching level 40, the EXP needed shot up exponentially. Even Luna who had the support of Sura, Maxene, and the Mutant Beasts she tamed that were high enough level to go out and fight, was only at level 53. Thus far they have found a Physical Defense Agimat, while the Southern Army found another Physical Attack Relic. "We haven''t found as many Agimats as I expected, but I guess two is better than one," Luna said as he was equipping the Physical Defense Agimat for now. It was in the form of a necklace, carved in wood that when equipped, actually wraps your body in an invisible layer that adheres to you, making it so you won''t even notice it''s there. It increased his natural physical resistance by 100%. While it was pretty good, it couldn''t compare to increasing the whole Nation''s defense by 10%. People, houses, walls, turrets, everything under the Sovereign Nation would be more resilient to physical damage. "As of right now, this is probably the most valuable Agimat. Not counting the EXP Agimat, of course," Luna said. "Indeed it is. It''s the only effective way of increasing the maximum cap of all the walls, built or unbuilt." Elder Aran agreed. Prior to receiving this Agimat, the only way to strengthen the walls was to kill Mutant Beasts and use their skin and infuse it into the walls. Doing this applied to all walls directly, which is also one of the reasons why they didn''t expand just yet. The goal was to ensure the Negros Island''s security first. Bigger territory didn''t always mean better if you couldn''t defend it. *** Agimats weren''t as abundant in other countries that had bigger landmass. One key reason was that the Agimats produced were more abundant thanks to Luna''s activities. It was apparent at this point that those who had more potential were rewarded more. Along with that theme, it was also done on purpose, due to the fact that the Philippines was much harder to conquer and more susceptible. All the islands made it so any island you occupied could be attacked by the aquatic mutant beasts. Travel from island to island was also harder unless it was a situation like the arrival of the Elves. Nevertheless, Agimats were still present in other countries. The for example already found two. They knew that installing them would count towards the triggering of the next phase so they held off on it for now. The had one, while the got one as well after discovering that one of the Nations in Central America had one, and then proceeded to steal it. This event finally triggered all the central states to unite. They adapted the Nation''s previous name, naming themselves the . Claiming themselves as the true essence of what the USA stood for. *** China as a whole got 4 Agimats, only one of them belonging to their ONE candidate Jian Zihao. The rest were spread out among the other factions, with two belonging to the Government faction. One they found, and the other one they got wind of and managed to steal it before Jian Zihao got there. This was especially infuriating for him. He promised that he would take revenge for his Giant friends, but the Chinese government ended up gaining an Agimat over him. "It seems I''ve been too lax." He said. True enough, after he hit the soft cap of level 50, he wanted to wait for the next phase to get a lead again. It was like playing an MMORPG that didn''t quite have a level cap, but it gets to a point where gaining a level took insane amounts of effort until the next patch. *** Israel was going along fine, especially when the group of Seraph was helping them out. It was still indeterminate as to why they were there when they could probably of some help to the Gods at the moment. One thing was for sure, there was something important in Israel that the Gods would send such high ranking Angels here. *** Africa had a lot of different Nations. But one stood out among the rest. In the town of Gurara, in the area surrounding the Gurara falls, a man by the name of Mustapha who had managed to create a with just him in it and survive, actually killed the leader of Nigeria''s top , a man who went by the name Abdullahi Suleiman. The main reason was due to the fact that he had actually obtained two Agimats! One of physical defense, and another of magic defense. It was mostly the Physical Defense Agimat that did the work, as besides the , not a lot of Nations had such an abundance in Mages. *** The people of Australia and the Demon race finally decided to work together, albeit, reluctantly. It turns out that the Mutant Beasts, lead by the Mutant Kangaroo race managed to obtain Agimats that helped their mastery of the elements. The Human and Demon race leaders had to convene and find a way to cooperate better. The Demon race noticed that the Humans kept repeating a word that started with the letter "C" and after asking what it meant, out of curiosity, they came to find it''s true meaning. They ended up loving the word and at the very least, it became a somewhat strange, yet effective starting point for their cooperation.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. *** "Lord Luna, the initial sweep of Panay Island has been finished except for some places in the North-Western area," Paco reported. "Good job, Paco. What of the caves?" Luna replied. "Out of the three, we have only investigated the Negra Cave.* As for the Biana and Palje caves... we''ve come across some problems." "That''s fine. The Biana and Palje caves are categorized as Class I caves. If they were dangerous before the new world, they''re even more dangerous now." The objective of classifying caves was to conserve, protect, and manage the natural wealth and heritage of the caves. But it was also a way to protect threatened species that thrive in it, along with natural dangers that might be considered extremely dangerous prior to the new world. Negra Cave is classified as a "Class II" ---------------------- Class II: Caves with areas or portions which have hazardous conditions and contain sensitive geological, archeological, cultural, historical and biological values or high-quality ecosystem. It may be necessary to close sections of these caves seasonally or permanently. It is open to experienced cavers or guided educational tours/ visits. ----------------------- A Class I cave, however, was much more restrictive, often prohibiting tourists altogether. ------------------------ Class I: Caves with delicate and fragile geological formations, threatened species, archeological and paleontological values and extremely hazardous conditions. Allowable activities are limited to mapping, photography, educational and scientific purposes and closed for ecotourism activities -------------------------- "It''s not just that, Lord Luna. It seems these caves have turned into some type of dungeons. One of our men almost died when he was ambushed by a giant water bug. He''s stable now, but he was nearly crushed together with his armor. The impact from its bite alone was enough to damage a level 40 soldier to the point of extreme pain." Paco knew that some of the men had a fear of water bugs as well. He overheard a few soldiers talking about how they got bitten on their toes as a kid and how much it hurt. The thought of a Mutant giant water bug was enough to give them nightmares. "No worries, I''ll be careful. I''m not afraid of the water bugs, it''s whatever protected species are in those caves." Although he was worried, Luna was more excited about the possible resources. He was sure that there was going to be an Agimat in those caves. He just wasn''t sure which one. "Father, if we find one of those giant water bugs, can you boil the water that it''s staying in with your Fire Anito?" Maxene asked. A few days ago she actually managed to catch a giant crab, and after boiling it, she found out that it tasted much better than she anticipated. This made her want to eat more boiled crustaceans. "I don''t think those bugs taste as good, Max." Luna laughed bitterly. The thought of eating a giant water bug was not a pleasant thought to him. "Maybe if you make your special sauce? If not can I go find some more crabs?" She insisted. The special sauce she was talking about wasn''t actually all that special. It was something commonly done, wherein you would take some soy sauce and mix it with either calamansi/calamondin* or lemon. The saltiness of the soy sauce would be perfectly complemented by the bitterness of either citrus fruit. "I''m surprised you liked it so much. It''s not hard to do, I''ll teach you during dinner. I promise I''ll try to find more mutant crabs for you, okay?" Luna replied. He couldn''t quite resist this daughter of his, despite the fact that he and Sura were forcefully turned into parents. It also couldn''t be denied that they got much closer thanks to Maxene. "YES!!!! Let''s go conquer that dungeon quick!" Maxene grabbed her weapon and jumped up as she exhibited a fighting stance, froze for a few seconds, and then hopped along excitedly. Sura was lightly covering her mouth with one hand as she giggled. "The great Lord Luna delegated to being a cook." She jokingly teased him. Ever since Maxene came along, Sura had been smiling more. Luna would always be enraptured whenever her usual stoic expression would turn into a smile or a laugh. "Shush it, or I''ll give you my other special sauce." He teased back. "Ah!" Her mouth opened in shock and her eyes widened as well. "Ah? Saying ''Ahh'' already?" Luna continued to tease. "You!" Her whole face was blushing even more than before as she quickly put on her smiling mask. "You hush! Before someone hears!" She then stood up and hurriedly walked away as she yelled out to Max in the distance, "Max, wait for me! I''ll help you hunt for more crabs!" Luna had a victorious look on his face as he quietly said, "Stoic girl 0, Luna 1." He only took a few seconds before his face turned serious again. Speaking into his comms he said, "Have the second Army initiate the secondary sweep on the island. Integrate those who joined us into the second Army as well, and have their family members get situated and comfortable back at base." "Yes, Lord Luna." Several voices replied. After saying that, he did a Nation-wide announcement, "The deadline has been extended another six months." Initially, he just wanted to do a sweep of territories along the way, but after much consideration, he felt as if he might as well sweep the other surrounding areas. And while he was at it, he would circle around the territory occupied by Emil, and search the other areas further up North for more Agimats. Emil, who was expecting Luna to just journey straight to his territory, thought he would arrive in a week. But instead, all he got was a confused Genesis who didn''t know anything besides what Luna wanted him to hear. He didn''t have a choice, as he would have to report anything he heard. He was afraid that a lack of consistent reports might get him in more trouble. *** Emil slammed his fist on his desk, breaking it in half. "DAMN THAT LUNA! He thinks he can just keep me waiting?! NEIN! I will make sure I torture him until he begs me to kill him!" He brandished his Itak Tagalogs, doing a heroic pose as an evil grin filled with anticipation appeared on his face. Duwendes and Engkantos Advanced scouts were sent to the caves. They were instructed to keep a certain safety margin and see what they could discover without taking unnecessary risks. These were direct orders from Luna. Anybody who was reported to be too rash and ended up endangering their fellow soldiers needlessly would be severely punished. It was because of rules like this that made the soldiers feel that Luna truly cared for their well-being. In almost all of the battles, he never used the excuse of "if I die, we lose our currency" or anything like that to leave them to shoulder all the risks. Something which a lot of leaders would usually do. *** Inside the caves, a squad of soldiers who were specially trained for reconnaissance missions was carefully exploring Palje Cave. The caves were absolutely gorgeous. After reaching a certain depth, luminescent crystals were forming everywhere. Even bioluminescent creatures were appearing as if to adapt to the cave environment. Unfortunately, their beauty only doomed them to be easily spotted by other predators. They would hide within the crystals, which were incredibly sturdy. A soldier swung at it with his Itak Tagalog to retrieve a piece, only to find out that all he was getting was barely a scratch and his arm hurting. "What the hell, why is it so tough?!" He complained. In the first place, he was part of this mission due to him already being level 45. "Well, you tried to mine it with a sword, idiot." His friends teased him as they laughed. "Still, it''s pretty tough. But I should have tried the gentle approach first." He was mature enough to admit that it was a pretty dumb mistake. "Let me see if we can get a description from it." Walking towards a cluster of crystals, he reached out to it. As soon as he tapped it, the tiny, bioluminescent critters that were hiding in the crystal scampered away. A description popped up. ------------------------ Used to upgrade walls and gives them the effect, which can be toggled on/off by those with the authority to do so. ------------------------ Seeing as the word was highlighted, the squad leader focused on it, and it brought up a description for it. ------------------------ An ability gained by upgrading using . Enables upgraded walls to emit light. Effective for illumination at night. Can trigger Active skill: Trigger a burst of the Luminous'' highest potential to incapacitate opponents. Directly kills opponents lower than level 30. Harmful effects do not affect allies. ------------------------ "This.. this is an amazing discovery!" After reading the description, he sent in a contact request to one of the higher-ups, which sent in a communication request to Luna as well. Just as they were celebrating their find, they heard the sound of something being dragged, coming from deeper into the cave. The squad captain signaled for his men to stay quiet and hide. Soon a small creature came into view, it was dragging a child''s corpse with it. The child''s belly had been ripped open, and the creature was munching on his intestines. His lifeless eyes were open wide, with obvious signs of torture before he died. "Duwende!"* *munch munch munch* Even though everybody was used to killing zombies both the ones from the void, infected humans, and even actual humans themselves, seeing a child who apparently went through a great deal of torture only to have his corpse dragged around and be devoured slowly, still made their stomachs turn a bit.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "Hrm?!" As soon as the Duwende passed by their hiding place, it noticed something weird. It turned to look behind him, only to see the squad captain sending a blade straight towards his neck. The Duwende raised the little kid to use him as a shield, but unfortunately for it, the little kid''s body to a level 45 was like paper. It did nothing to stop the blade, it cut through the unfortunate boy''s body and didn''t slow down until it lopped the Duwende''s head off. It''s ugly head, which reminded them of a Goblin, Knowing that he needed to report this right away, he did so promptly. He also gave them a quick reminder. "Warn the team in Biana cave as well! We only managed to kill it quickly because we caught if off-guard, but I can tell, these critters are fast and strong. Equivalent to at least a level 40." *** Luna was already headed to the caves. As soon as he heard the news he sped up even more. "Elder Aran, please head to the Biana cave. They''re going to need your help." "I''m on my way, Lord Luna." Elder Aran replied. He was much closer to Biana, so he ended up getting there earlier than Luna arrived at Palje cave. Not wasting any time, they would each head inside the moment they got to their respective locations. "Thank you. I''ll send Maxene to help you as well." *** Maxene who had just managed to catch a giant Crab with Sura was pretty unwilling to leave without being able to eat it. "Mr. Soldier! Guard my crab! Kill anyone who tries to steal it! I have to go do an errand!" After ordering some of the soldiers stationed nearby, she left with Sura. The group of men stared at each other before surrounding the giant Crab. "Everyone, guard it with your lives! We have to give Lady Maxene a good impression. Maybe she''ll assign us really strong mutant beasts to be our partners." One of them shouted. To them, personally, this was their most important mission yet. *** Soon, Sura got to the Palje cave entrance, and Maxene reached the Biana entrance as well. They were told that Luna and Elder Aran already entered first to meet up with the reconnaissance teams. As soon as they caught up with each team, they proceeded to move forward with even more caution than before. The deeper they went, the more they found and the more mystical the whole dungeon was. Killing any creatures that barred their way. Soon, they saw a huge open space in front of them, with another pathway on the other side. As they kept walking, Luna suddenly stopped. He communicated telepathically to his team, "I hear footsteps going this way. Everybody stay still and minimize your breathing." Everybody stood as still as possible. Just then, a few figures appeared in front of them. The group came from the other side of the wall. Apparently, there was another pathway that paralleled the one they were on. Luna who was initially prepared to ambush the group stopped. "Elder Aran? Max?" He said. The group turned around immediately. "Father! Mother!" Maxene happily greeted. The soldiers on Luna''s side greeted Maxene and Elder Aran and the soldiers on Elder Aran''s side greeted him and Sura. It seemed that both the Palje and Biana Cave dungeon eventually converged into this spot. But the moment Max made noise, the ground started to shake, and huge mounds popped up from the open space in front of them. Duwendes started to pop out and ran towards them, clawing at them with their sharp claws. Fortunately, with Luna, Sura, Maxene, and Elder Aran here, they made short work of them. It was like when an over-leveled character entered a dungeon that didn''t scale them down. "These monsters are around 40 to 45 and they give really good EXP. Don''t be shy, kill as much as you can." Luna told the soldiers behind them. "Ah, yes, our apologies!" Due to how big the Sovereign Nation currently was, not everybody got a chance to personally see these four in combat. The reason why the soldiers didn''t fight right away was that of how shocked they were. Sura coming from the Asura race was understandable. Everybody knows the legends of that race. Elder Aran was the leader of the Elven race''s survivors, and the Elves were gifted. That made it acceptable as well. Maxene, as the it somehow made sense to them as well. But Luna, he was a human being was he not?! "Then why does he seem like he''s more formidable than these three?!" The other two squads discussed with each other telepathically as they fought. With every swing of his Guandao, he would kill several Duwendes and the wind generated by his swings would launch sand towards the ones running towards his direction. It was a massacre. This massacre lasted for more than an hour before the Duwende''s finally stopped running forward. By this time, Luna had already reached level 55, Maxene reached 56, Elder Aran was infinitely closer to level 66. The EXP wasn''t shared with the soldiers, but even they managed to hit level 47. "So much EXP in just an hour." One soldier commented. "Yeah, but these monsters are really strong. Damn near cut my neck off. If we were by ourselves, we would have been the ones massacred." another one replied. "No wonder Lord Luna''s trying to get as many advantages as he can for this next phase. If the monsters would be as strong as these Duwendes, then we would all die a miserable death." "Yeah, remind me to smack anyone who questions him ever again." One said as he sat on the ground. The fight just now obviously tired them out as they were using every ounce of strength they had. Just then a voice rang out from the pathway that was on the other side of the area. "That you would dare to invade an Engkanto''s** territory. You sure have guts." Engkanto A figure walked out from the pathway. He had devilishly good looks and was aesthetically pleasing to the eyes, much like the Elves were. The biggest difference was the malevolence in his eyes and the suffocatingly evil aura surrounding him. "Engkanto?" Luna raised an eyebrow. Of all the types of people he hated to fight for the first time the most, it was definitely spellcasters. You never knew what techniques they had up their sleeves. If it ended up being something that completely countered you, you''d be in a lot of trouble. That was the beauty of mastering Anitos. The Filipino soldiers were taken aback. "Engkanto? No way..." All of them had been told stories about Engkantos growing up. It was mostly to scare little kids into behaving but to actually see one in the flesh. With the psychological effect of those stories growing up, and the malevolent aura surrounding him, it would be a lie if one were to say that these soldiers weren''t at least a tiny bit scared. Luna quickly sent a message to the two squads on their flanks, "You guys fall back. Support us when you see an opening, but for the most part, stay back and keep a close watch on your surroundings." Hearing this, they slowly inched back. If Luna said that someone was dangerous, they definitely wouldn''t play around with their lives. They also paid attention to the latter half of his message as well. Engkantos were known to have many tricks up their sleeves to use on humans. The Engkanto finally stopped in the middle of the open space. "Well? Are you going to beg for forgiveness? Or do I need to force you to go down on your knees?" He gazed at everyone in front of him, and his expression changed a bit. "My, my, you have quite the variety here," he said, as his gaze stopped in front of Elder Aran, "You seem familiar, but I doubt I''d know anybody so... unfabulous." His eyes landed on Sura. This man had a lascivious gaze, but to everybody''s shock, that gaze didn''t show when his eyes landed on Sura. It showed when it landed on Maxene. Licking his lips, he said, "You! You have an interesting aura. If you become my wife, I''ll let the others go." "Stranger danger," Maxene said as she hid behind Sura. "Cough! Pedophile! Cough!" Luna could only say one word to describe this man. "What? No! She''s technically older than everyone in this room combined!" The Engkanto defended himself. "Says every lolicon ever," Luna replied. "YOU WILL NOT BESMIRCH MY NAME!" The Engkanto roared. "You didn''t even tell us your name." Luna retorted. "Oh.. My name is Juan." The Engkanto replied. "Juan the Engkanto?" "Si. I mean, yes." "Was that...?" "Spanish, yes. A man can get pretty bored after living for a few thousand years. Learning a few languages isn''t a big deal. I just happened to finally be learning Spanish not too long ago." The Engkanto replied. "Despite your name being Juan?"This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. "Well, I''m more of a Filipino Juan than a Spanish Juan. You get what I mean?" "I see. But you''re still not laying a single finger on my daughter." As he said that, Luna initiated the transformation into the Draconic armor''s final form. Obviously readying himself for a fight. Just because the conversation he just had with this Engkanto was quite peculiar, doesn''t mean he had let his guard down. "The descendant of a True Dragon? No, it can''t be." Sura activated her 3-heads and 6-arms mode as well. "Asura?" Juan "Yes. One who is very protective of her daughter." "For crying out loud, she''s technically been alive for as long as the Earth is alive! She''s the Daughter of the Earth! Every ancient creature of the Earth would know that aura!" Juan continued to defend himself. Alas, even he knew that someone like him, even though he only looked like he would be in his mid-twenties, would look really bad trying to say he wanted to have someone that looks like a little girl as his lover. What he really wanted was Maxene''s essence. He wasn''t considered a Tabula Rasa, so he had been stuck at the same level for an incredibly long time. "Forget it! I''ll just kill all of you first." Luna and Sura stepped forward while Elder Aran prepared to back them up. He summoned his Lightning elemental as well, someone he entered a contract with after reaching a certain mastery with the Anito of lightning before he dabbled in other elements. Luna and Sura weren''t holding back, and he knew he shouldn''t as well. Seeing this, even Juan who was level 75 and initially very confident of his chances, felt fear. Something he hadn''t felt for a very long time. Nobody wanted to make the first move as they each side stared each other down. Luna actually readied both his Itak Tagalogs sheathed on his waist. He was prepared to utilize them should he need to. Especially if he needs to utilize their Gunblade mode. The soldiers behind them were even more tense than before. As if any sudden movement could start this fight at any time. *BOOM* Luna disappeared from his current location. He appeared in front of Juan and slashed downwards, cutting him in half. Instead of being happy, he became even more worried. True enough, the Juan that was cut in half, turned into wood. "At the very least you''re quite familiar with the Anito of Wood," Luna said. "Hahaha! That was but a mere parlor trick." Juan''s voice rang out. He was sweating pretty hard. If it wasn''t for his huge level lead, he actually almost didn''t make it in time. Trees shaped like humans began sprouting from the ground and took Juan''s form. It was impossible to differentiate which one was real and which one was fake. "Now it''s time to get a little more serious," He said. "K" Luna with just a simple ''K'' as he brandished his weapon and slashed horizontally, cutting one of the wood clones in half. "Hahaha! You''re pretty cocky for a weakling, aren''t you? These clones cost next to nothing for me to make, but it takes you a full-force swing like that just to cut one down," Juan gloated. "Not quite," Luna replied. As soon as he said that, flames ignited out of nowhere from the ground, setting the wood clones on fire. Truth be told, despite his high level, Juan''s mastery of wood was only Rank 3. Which is why he tried to bluff his way to getting Maxene. As he believed that devouring the Daughter of the Earth would help raise his innate strength. Despite his lascivious gaze earlier, he actually wasn''t sexually interested in Maxene, he was lusting towards the prospect of gaining strength with little to no effort. He didn''t want to work for anything at all. If as an Engkanto, he wasn''t a descendant of a lesser God, he wouldn''t even have been as "strong" as he was right now. The only reason why he would equal a level 75 was that, as a descendant of such beings, he would reach the equivalent of a level 75 upon maturity. The same with his mastery on the Anito of wood. If he expended just a little bit more effort, he would be at least the equivalent of a Demi-God, and he''d be able to dispatch of Luna''s group with ease. Alas. That''s why he also had another name: Juan Tamad.* "Damn it! Fire! Why did it have to be fire! Wood elemental, go!" Backing off to the other end of the room, he sent his Elemental to fight for him as he summoned more trees to surround himself. "I need to rest, so I can recover," he told himself. He barely used any of his energy, but he just wanted to be lazy even in the middle of such a fight. This lazy Engkanto actually wanted to surround himself in trees just so he could postpone having to expend the effort to be in a fight. He sensed their low levels before, that''s why he was so arrogant. He expected this to be an easy fight that he could deal with in seconds. Baited and Outsmarted Juan was still lazing around as his Elemental struggled to fight against Luna''s group. Wood elementals were meant for group fights, but that was as a support. They could extend multiple branches and ensnare people. They could use their branches to impale people, but that was mostly for opponents much weaker than them. They would usually be very tanky as well, but against the Anito of Fire, he could only buy time. But due to his owner''s laziness, buying time was pointless. He could only allow himself to get pummeled and burned. Eventually, his energy couldn''t keep up with the damage being done to him, and he faded away. He didn''t necessarily die, he just needed to go back to his world and recuperate. Juan would not be able to summon him for at least another 30 days. If he was stronger, it would take longer, unless Juan used an item to help him recover faster. Unfortunately, such items were incredibly rare. Luna looked towards the direction Juan was at, "Juan, your elemental has been defeated. You can either fight us, or I slowly cook you in there." Despite speaking as if he was giving him a chance, Luna had actually started to surround him with flames. Nobody in Luna''s crew could quite understand why Juan started hiding. Of course, if they knew that this guy was just extremely lazy, nobody would take him seriously. But to everyone, this guy was much higher leveled than them. There was only one thing they needed to do, and that was to kill him. "Please! I''m harmless! Let me go and I won''t hurt you! I''m really too lazy to fight, I won''t kill you if you leave now, okay?" He begged. He was truly too lazy to fight. But that didn''t mean he wouldn''t kill. Luna knew this fact and knew that if they gave this guy a single inch, he would take a mile. There was no mercy to be had in this situation, as somebody as high level as Juan could kill them all if they held back. "Sure," Luna replied. "Smart man! Let me know when you guys leave, and I''ll leave the other way afterward," he said. He was hoping that his genuineness about his laziness was enough to convince the others that he was just too lazy to fight. Even as they were talking he was already sending branches underground. Unfortunately for him, Luna was surrounding him with fire, Maxene would counteract his wood element since they both had the same mastery, and Elder Aran was charging up a lightning cloud above his canopy. The lightning was converging into a singular point, this made it so it would deal destructive damage to a single opponent. "Sure, just let us rest for a bit. Fighting with someone who is such a high level like yourself was pretty tiring for us," Luna said. "Sure, sure. I''ll be right here, all caged up and harmless." Juan was celebrating inside. The longer they stayed, the more time he would have to prepare. He made sure to have all the branches thin and stay low enough underground so nobody would sense it. Unfortunately for him, Maxene was more than ready for him. Truth be told, at his level, it would have worked out better for him if he was more towards a physical attack-type of fighter. Unfortunately, Engkantos were spellcasters. Very potent spellcasters, historically. But that was because they focused solely on that. Juan was too lazy to comprehend the Anito of any element. On the plus side, his physical body was definitely strong, but not stronger than Luna''s. If he fought Armies of lower level players, he would be able to slaughter them all single-handedly, due to his naturally vast mana pool. He was careless because prior to the new world, nobody was a threat to him. Sometimes life worked like that. The son of a rich businessman would sometimes fail in life despite the headstart they have. Whereas the son or daughter of an immigrant who started from nothing would grow up and become a billionaire. Perspective would always play a part in how much a person can achieve. Juan had everything handed to him and had always felt as if he didn''t need to work for anything in life. He was still inside his canopy of really sturdy wood. He had sealed it so tight that even the smoke from outside couldn''t seep in. It would have been the absolute defense if it weren''t for the fact that his mastery with Wood was Rank 3, and Luna''s mastery of Fire was Rank 3. Wood element would lose out to fire even if fire was one rank lower. Unless the Wood Anito user was in the next Tier. Like if Juan would have been Rank 4 while Luna was at Rank 3. This was not counting for the fact that Luna''s flames were stronger than the ones in the same rank, solely because it was Bathala himself who created the Anito with special materials.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Not even 3 minutes later, Juan finally started feeling the heat. "W-w-what are you doing?!" He started panicking. "We''re just resting," Luna replied nonchalantly. "Don''t mess with me! You don''t think I can''t feel that?!" "Feel what?" He continued to feign ignorance. "You''re trying to burn me alive!" "You''re imagining things," Luna replied. Curious, Juan opened up a tiny slit to see what was happening outside. The moment he did, smoke started to go through. "I knew it! You fucking liar! You''re really trying to test my patience! I am still much stronger than you!" Seeing that his empty threats weren''t working, he had to come up with a plan. He couldn''t just charge out, as an ambush might be waiting for him on all sides. "I''ll dig my way out!" Juan thought. He dug through the ground, only to find out that after a certain depth, he was caged in by the same wood element he used. This was obviously Maxene''s doing. "Father, I just felt him dig down. He should be in my cage now, no? Unfortunately, I can''t seal him in. He has control of the wood on the top side." Maxene explained. "It''s okay, Max. We got him where we want him. Open it up a little bit for me, and make sure to add more layers in case he wants to punch his way out." Luna smiled. Manipulating his flames, he made them go inside Max''s cage. Seeing this, Juan was hysterical. "Damn you! Damn you! I''m going to kill you all!" More empty threats. Seeing that he couldn''t get out from either side and if he stayed below, he''d be cooked alive, his only option was to go up. "I can only charge out from the top. I can create a platform to boost me up faster, then I can dig my way upwards out of this damned cave! If they all get buried in it, that would the best case scenario." He thought. After running this plan inside his head, he thought he would surround himself with wooden pillars as he charged upwards, so it could deflect some incoming attacks, giving him time to escape. "Here goes nothing!" Juan charged up according to plan, he opened the top part of the wooden dome of the canopy he created and launched himself upwards. Even Luna and the rest were startled by how fast he was. Unfortunately. "NO!" Juan''s eyes widened. Right above him, Elder Aran''s lightning cloud, which had been charging this whole time awaited him with its loving embrace. Even though Elder Aran didn''t have time to launch the attack, it didn''t matter if Juan dove straight into it himself. *BOOM* Electricity invaded his whole body. Smoke covered his body as he was launched to the far side of the room. Surprisingly enough, he was still alive. Mostly due to his high magic defense. If it were a person focused more on body enhancement, they would have been charred black. "You crafty sons of bitches. Y-" Before he could finish, he was already met by Luna, Sura, Maxene, and Elder Aran''s assault. *BOOM* He smashed back down as he tried to get up. "AHHHHHH!!!!!" Luna''s attack barely cut through, thanks to his advantage in levels, but it should be remembered, that Juan had never experienced pain in his life. There was virtually nothing that could even remotely threaten him prior to the new world. This amplified the pain he felt even more. "This is the difference in levels. My full force attack towards him, a Mage type, couldn''t even cut him in half when he''s already injured. He''s not even wearing any protective gear." Luna thought. Sura''s attack followed through, stabbing with two in the upper back, two on the lower back, and two on both of his legs. As if that wasn''t enough, she pulled the trigger on her weapons as the bullets pierced Juan''s skin, albeit shallow, it was enough to send him on a world of pain. His body started spazzing from the pain. It was truly too much all at once for someone who had never experienced pain before. "Maybe in the next life, I won''t be so lazy..." He thought, as his consciousness was fading. Yet his last thoughts were, "Nah, fuck that, laziness will always be my way of life." Making sure that he was dead, Luna used the parts of Juan''s body that were pierced and invaded his insides with flames, burning even his organs as the smell of burnt skin permeated the air, ensuring his death. Elder Aran and Maxene didn''t even get to chip in. Surprisingly, despite everything that happened, the Cave showed no signs of collapsing. This could be attributed to its change in status from a regular cave, to an actual dungeon. A huge wisp of EXP entered Luna''s body as he felt an enormous surge of power within him. ------------------------------------- You''ve gained 60 extra stat points to distribute. From this point on, you will receive 6 stats per level. has become has become ------------------------------------- "Seven levels! I''m level 60 now!" Luna gasped. "This dungeon EXP sure is something else!" He was incredibly happy. Who would have known that he would reach level 60 prior to the next phase! He was even more confident now in dealing with whatever trap Emil had set up for him. "Congratulations, Lord Luna! Congratulations Lady Sura! Congratulations Lady Maxene!" Elder Aran and the two squads congratulated him. They felt a bit envious because they didn''t expect so much EXP from the Engkanto as well. "Congratulations Father! Congratulations Mother!" The advantages her parents got would inevitably benefit her as well, along with her genuine happiness, Maxene was ecstatic. Gains Even though getting all those levels was the biggest gain he received, he managed to receive the loot for killing Juan as well. ------------------------------- You''ve obtained x 200 ------------------------------- He wasn''t quite sure just how much 200 chunks of , but it sure as hell wasn''t a bad thing. ------------------------------- You''ve obtained x 800. ------------------------------- The next pieces he received were something new. While the had a deep blue color to it, looked almost like crystalized blood, but it was just as tough as it''s counterpart. ------------------------------- Used to upgrade Armor. Using more increases the chances of success. The chance to succeed drastically goes down after +6. Equipment will not be damaged when failing towards +7 and +8 but will consume materials. Going to +9 and higher carries the risk of damaging equipment. The user must then pay the appropriate amount of currency to repair the damaged piece of equipment. Upgrading stations are not needed in order to use these materials or to repair armor after failed attempts towards +9 or higher. ------------------------------- After seeing the description, even Luna was tempted. He pressed one of the small, round, crystal pieces onto a +6 upper body armor piece that he had in his inventory until he eventually inserted five. The armor piece glowed red. The red glow, which was actually the crystal changing form to surround the armor, started to glow brighter gradually, it seemed as if it was reaching its climax when all of a sudden, it shattered. Luna heard what sounded like a gem that just got split in half. The "crystal" covering the armor piece split in half, fell, and then like dust, scattered into the wind. Evidently, it cost five Luzonium per attempt going to +7. He kept trying again and again. On the 6th attempt, a different scene played out. Instead of the crystal breaking and scattering like dust, it hardened even more, and it slowly seeped into the armor piece. SUCCESS! After failing 5 times, it finally succeeded on the 6th try. There was no fanfare like in an actual MMORPG, but the notification that it succeeded more than satisfying enough. The defense increase at +7 surpassed even that of the bonus given from +4 to +6 combined. This was definitely a huge gain. But. "Here, you guys deserve this." He tossed it over to the two squads and Elder Aran. He already gained much from this trip, he wouldn''t be so greedy as to leave the everyone else with nothing. "You guys can decide on who gets that armor piece. As for these remaining , there are 770 left, divide it amongst yourselves." The soldiers and even Elder Aran were ecstatic. Weapons were definitely great, but the added protection from armor meant better chances of survival. What was the point of being able to kill fast if you died faster, after all? "Lord Luna, are you sure? Out of everyone here, either you, Lady Sura, Lady Maxene, or Elder Aran would make the best use of this." One of the Squad Captains said.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. "Do you see me as someone who thinks himself as a God and thinks of you all as ants? That I would only prioritize myself and leave you all less capable?" He replied. "N-no, I didn''t mean it like that, Lord Luna. I apologize." He replied. "Don''t apologize. You''ve contributed, so naturally, you should receive the spoils as well, isn''t that right?" Luna smiled. He wasn''t really offended by their words, he just wanted to say it in a way that would impact them. "Yes." "Never think that any of your comrade''s survival is more important than yours or less important than yours. That includes me. You worked hard for it, and so you received what belongs to you." "We understand, Lord Luna. Thank you!" They all replied. They were truly grateful. Such a valuable resource was given to them, after all. Even the +7 armor was given to them. Even better, it was upper body armor, the most valuable piece, albeit, not by a long shot, when compared to the arm, leg, glove, and head pieces. "Alright, use it wisely. Get every armor piece to +7 first before you spend more going to +8." Luna said as he took out another item from his inventory. "It seems we''ve gained yet another Agimat." ------------------------------- A Crown belonging to Princess Tarhata Kiram, the Westernized Filipina Princess. She was known as a woman who was ahead of her time. She went to the University of Illinois but would leave after two years to return to her people. What was unknown was that she had ended up finding an artifact, a crown from ancient times which gave her the additional advantage, along with the knowledge she gained in the West, to come back home. With all of this at her disposal, she would eventually oust her eventual husband''s three other rivals from their home. She would eventually pass away and the crown would be passed along as it continued to absorb atmospheric energy. A capability that was possible due to Tarhata''s help. One of the reasons she headed back home, was because one of the materials the Crown needed could only be found in the Philippines. Unfortunately, during her lifetime, the Crown would recover too little to give her any overwhelming advantages. Fortunately enough as well, she was considered Tabula Rasa like every human on Earth. If not, then she wouldn''t have gained any sort of advantage from it, nor even have the chance to be chosen by it. Agimat: Increases Magic Attack by 10% to the whole once installed. Can be equipped to increase Magic attack by 50%. ------------------------------- "A Crown? Elder Aran, isn''t it supposed to be in the form of a pair of elemental knuckles like you said?" Luna asked. He recalled the Elder''s description of the different types of Agimat. ------------------------------- Flashback: "The Magic attack Agimat is in the form of an elemental knuckle, much like the one Apple has, but much stronger, and can adapt to whatever the user''s elemental affinity is." ------------------------------- But this one was in the form of a Crown. In the front, it was inlaid with three gems, a large sapphire gem in the middle, and a pair of diamonds that were half the size, each placed on both sides of the sapphire. The diamonds were both pear-shaped, and the sapphire was circular. "Ah, this... I''ve seen multiple and it has always been in the form of a knuckle." He was a bit embarrassed. He didn''t want it to seem as if he was a fake, but he didn''t really know how to explain himself. "Could it be possible that there were more Agimats than I thought?" "It''s possible that the Agimats from the other worlds have been spread out across this planet. Maybe this one wasn''t from your world?" Sura shared her thoughts. "That must be why." Elder Aran agreed. He truly wasn''t lying before. This reasoning was acceptable as well, due to the fact that the situation on Earth could not be compared to the previous worlds. "Whatever the case, Elder Aran, you should wear it for now." Luna passed it over to him. "Right. If we come across any more high-level beings like Juan, at least we''ll be more equipped." He replied. "Let''s not be greedy. We''ve gained quite a lot already. Let''s harvest all the we came across first. I''ll have weapons modified into Pickaxes manufactured. Our priority is still the same. We need to conquer this island and build our defenses. Negros, Panay, Guimaras, and Elf island will be our main territory." Luna replied. If there was a being even stronger and more competent than Juan, they would end up dying needlessly. Once this whole island was conquered, and they got stronger, they could always go back. But for now, the vast amounts of was their priority.