《Arcana》 Introduction Introduction The modern world as we see wouldn''t exist without us. From the most common appliances and gadgets to the more complicated machineries and systems which kept the whole world revolving. With our absence it wouldn''t be any surprise if the current technology would still comprise of tools made of stone and wood. We we¡¯re that important according to a certain someone who taught me everything I know. The Field of Medicine which focused solely on regenerative technology, cultivating lab grown tissues and organs from individual cells recovered from the patient''s body. And of course the ever so controversial research on antiviral medicine for notorious strains of viruses like the Human Immunodeficiency virus. Developing hybrid crops by engineering the genotype of a plant sample, effectively enhancing the resilience and rate of growth. Consequently yielding more profits and providing a whole lot more nutrients for those who are in need. Extremely durable alloys and conductors made from unlikely materials that we wouldn''t consider useful. Developing them further until they¡¯re standards were satisfied, the field of industrial research. And lastly the most profitable of them all, warfare technology. Funded by the most powerful countries in the world, researchers would go through thick and thin in order to develop the most deadly and the most destructive creations of mankind. Be it automatic rifles for the infantry or weapons of mass destruction capable of reducing a nation into dust with only the push of a button. Nothing would stop them since achieving with the creation of a single approvable one would give them the freedom pass, making it possible for them to pack up their luggage full of money and leave this stressing place be. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. But was it really that simple? One would undoubtedly ask. From learning the basics up until the formulation of a new theory, the journey of a human pursuing such a career would surely be bumpy. A road full of rugged rocks and ditches that impedes the smooth trip from the starting point up to the finish line. Years after years, one could remain stuck in the middle of the journey while others couldn¡¯t even leave the starting line. People might think that our lives were quite dull, our daily schedules only consisting of mealtimes, bedtimes and time allocated for testing prototypes. Nevertheless, entering this institution was a blessing among all blessings. For I who was always fascinated by the unknown, being a member of the major league would surely satisfy my greatest desires. The unending days of coming up with an outrageous but hypothetical idea, confirming the possibilities theoretically and implementing them in real life models for further testing. Such peaceful days I would trade anything for it to continue forever. But nothing was permanent, everything would always be subjected to change. And this change wasn''t a common one, for it greatly altered how I viewed things. Seth Alberts Apprentice researcher Meteorology Division Chapter 1 "Bee-dee-dee-deep! Bee-dee-dee-deep!" The familiar sound of an alarm, ever so annoying for anyone who was within its area of effect. Even if I was the one who set it up last night, I couldn''t help but furrow my brows in frustration as I wanted to continue with my slumber. ¡°Where is it?.. where is it¡­?¡± Wishing to put a stop on it as soon as possible, I searched for it frantically. Without the aid of my eyesight, I tried to locate the source using my hands. Blindlessly touching the ground where I am currently lying down as I was certain that it was nearby. But it seemed that my assumption was wrong as I found nothing after repeating the same course actions twice. Soon enough my patience was spent up as I lifted my head abruptly. ¡°Bang!¡± My head hit something hard, extremely hard, but the expected stimuli from my body didn''t quite follow. Maybe it was due to the fact that I was sleep deprived these past few days, the condition of my body was deteriorating. ¡°Ouc--!..¡± There it was, a good wake up call, more efficient than an alarm. Nevertheless, the drawback was that my head experienced an excruciating amount of pain that I inadvertently bit my own tongue. The pair of emerald eyes that was previously shut tight opened immediately, a bit of tears welling up from the side. What I saw was the bottom of a machine. Various wirings and contraptions tightly packed within this confined space. A nightmare for an electronic engineer as all components were clumsily arranged, not even considering the fact that if this thing was broken, the chances repairing it were slim, almost nil. But I couldn''t do anything about it, after all i''m only an apprentice and my knowledge about this field was only from books, imagining how it works and not really particular as to how it looks. Not too long after that, all of my senses were woken up at last. Adding to the previous pain I received, my whole body ached. My sleeping posture wasn¡¯t that bad and I had no habits of excessive movement during sleep. The only thing that could cause this was the fact that I was sleeping on nothing but hard, cold pavement. ¡°Auu¡­ Damn it!¡± I complained to myself as I crawled out of this hell hole, enduring the muscles that were screaming in pain. It felt like I was a soldier trainee who was crawling under those barbed wire obstacles seen in military training. Heck who am I kidding im too weak for that! Maybe I need to exercise more, stretching only I mean. I just want to continue with this project without a care about anything at all. ¡°Sigh at last¡­¡± I heaved a sigh of relief as soon as I saw the light. Experiencing such things first thing in the morning made me a bit more delusional compared to usual and the only thing that was in my mind was the comfortable sensation of lying on top of a luxurious bed. However, even before I managed to stood up from this awkward position, another annoying sound reached through my ears. ¡°Attention! Professor Sanders presentation about his latest project will commence within 2 hours. All researchers please proceed to the conference room as soon as possible.¡± Numerous full-range speakers were installed throughout strategic points within the premises of the island, usually placed inside a member¡¯s designated workplace in order to convey announcements with much more ease. And unfortunately, my planned rest day was interrupted by this sudden announcement which came from one of those speakers. It felt like my body ,that was already feeling heavy, carried another 10 kilogram load of laziness. After starting the day in such a bad way it was only natural for me to feel this way. But still, work was still work. It would be bad for my mentor when other members found out that his one and only apprentice was slacking off from his duties. ¡°Haaa¡­¡± As I lifted my body up completely, a large yawn that sounded like a sigh escaped from my mouth that opened subconsciously. The dimly lit room which reeked of the smell of rubber and metal came into view. Filled with various kinds of machines, this warehouse served as the storage for all the island¡¯s surplus machinery and equipment. Some dating back to the technology used in the cold war and some of the latest approved ones were also present here. Industrial machineries, automated instruments used in medicine and even some discarded weapons used in warfare were lying here and there. But it seemed that only a small percentage of them still works, as they were just left there to rot. If these machines were alive, they would surely be sad since their creators had forgotten them completely. ¡°Such a waste..¡± I muttered to myself as I surveyed the whole place once again. Almost all of them filled with dust and some rusted too badly. One would surely not imagine that this place would be a research laboratory, but yes it was true. For one to be accepted in the Order of the Phantom, a doctorate degree was the most important requirement. And me, who only learned through a certain professor and not even managed to attend either highschool or college, was the first exemption to this rule. Simply put, I was scouted by the Order itself. It certainly sounded like I am special. A teenage kid from an orphanage, possessing superior intelligence even among geniuses. Indeed it was true, however not everyone agreed with the idea of me joining the order. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Its time for work again huh.. I thought as I dusted off my laboratory coat while wearing a bit of a tired expression. The sound of the alarm that was drowned with that unexpected annunciation of one of the renowned scientist of the Order, Dr. William Sanders, presenting his work that was praised even among the senior researchers. A fully functional anti-matter weapon system which boasted the destructive power of about 1,000 thermonuclear bombs. Such a weapon ,a hypothetical device that used an antimatter as a power source, finally entered its approval stage. As far as I know, antimatter could only be produced using particle accelerators. Enormous devices that uses electromagnetic fields to propel charged particles to high speeds and to contain them in well-defined beams. Moreover, obtaining a significant amount of antimatter was unimaginably difficult that all particle physicists who observed his project were left with their mouths agape. Even so, for him to achieve this breakthrough, Dr. Sanders spent about half a century in trying to find out this new way of utilizing the laws of physics in developing a weapon that could undoubtedly change the definition of the words ¡®mass destruction¡¯. The Order certainly lives up to its reputation of being the most advanced research institute in the world, with its prestigious line up of geniuses that stood at the pinnacle of Science itself. Simply amazing¡­ Both my hands were subconsciously balled into fists, feeling proud of myself that I managed to enter this institution at such a young age. "Bee-dee-dee-deep! Bee-dee-dee-deep!" After being immersed in such an overwhelming feeling, I eventually regained my senses. The annoying electronic sound of the alarm beeping, once again irritated my ear drums. It seemed that I¡¯ve been distracted by that announcement too much that I forgot my first objective. Without further ado, I walked towards the wall in an irritated manner. The familiar electronic clock that was attached to the silver colored wall, blinking lights as if it were christmas lights. The numbers telling that it was currently 9:45 in the morning, emphasized as the lights continued to flash. I stretched my arms immediately and pressed the off button with a brisk movement of the hand. *Click* With that as a cue, the wailing of the clock instantly halted, allowing the ear shattering silence to reclaim its rightful place. Desolation ,befitting for a setting of a horror movie, that would certainly make one¡¯s hair stand on end. Nevertheless, I stood with my back ramrod straight. Unperturbed as I was already used to this kind of environment. Still unmoving from my current position, I was in a daze. My line of sight, focused on the machine which I crawled out of. A device straight out of a movie as it exuded a futuristic aura. Supported by a metal frame on its bottom, an invention which resembled an oval mirror frame. There was no mirror attached of course but peculiar wirings were visible even from afar and a computer terminal was attached to one of its sides. The base ,which supports the whole machine, was especially thick. Enclosing the main power supply and the main system that made the whole thing functional. Someday, I too will obtain success. I promised to myself while looking at my opened hands. Covered with grease and oil it was dirty. The skin which softness was once comparable to that of a girl, was now full of callouses. After working non stop from mornings until midnight, my current project has entered its testing phase. Based on the theory of relativity of Mr. Einstein, this machine was supposedly a machine which creates miniaturized wormholes. Simply put, it was a teleportation machine. Forming bridges to connect two points in space time, theoretically creating a shortcut that could reduce travel time and distance. For me ,who was only taught quantum physics for roughly five years, achieving this certainly looked like a pipe dream only. Building it from scratch, using salvaged parts found inside the warehouse and materials sent by mentor. Liters of blood and sweat were spent but still this project was far from being completed, not even at the middle. The main problem was the power source. For it to create a functional wormhole, a colossal amount of electrical energy was needed. Not one, two or even three cold fusion reactors could supply its minimum energy requirement that I had no idea on how to get this machine operational. Even if I use the island¡¯s main power grid it would only lead to a serious power shut down and that would certainly get me into trouble. Even so I persevered, searching through every nook and cranny for a possible alternative. But right now, what I needed to do was obvious. Take a nice and thorough bath as my current appearance would only cause commotion if I go there right now. Furthermore, my mentor who was outrageously obsessed when it comes to tidiness would surely be present there and being scolded right in front of my other colleagues would certainly be embarrassing for me. Chapter 1.5 The refreshing feeling of warm water pouring against my body, as if washing not only the filth but also the exhaustion. A thin cloud of steam enveloping the whole bathroom as I showered. I wasn''t sure when was the last time I took a bath. After all, being busy with work had greatly altered my biological, that I lost track of time. As I closed my eyes in thought, my mind was still full of equations, ideas, predictions and questions about the project I was working with. Will it work? If so, how and when? Even the time for relaxation was being invaded by these thoughts that I could only heave a tired sigh. From a reliable study, I remembered, unwinding every now and then was essential for a person to organize his thoughts. About the organizing part I already verified. But then with each passing second, new thoughts kept on surfacing one after another which requires another session of organizing. This unending cycle, for how long would it continue? In order to break free from this deadlock, I opened my eyes. Wanting to occupy myself with something in order to not return inside that endless process, my vision fell on the mirror that was installed on the wall in front of me. The steam which carried that relaxing warmth fogged up the mirror. As if symbolizing the path that I was taking, unclear and was full of mystery. But if there''s a will, there''s a way! Immediately wiping it clear with a hand, the image became clearer. Caused by the friction of my skin against the mirror, squeaking sounds were made. Certainly, those sounds made were unpleasant to the ears that I reflexively gritted my teeth. Nonetheless I continued with that action until the reflection was crystal clear. From a single glance, one would definitely mistake him for a girl due to his small stature. Though when you look closely it was the other way around. Silver white hair reaching his shoulders that were noticeably wider than a female¡¯s. Deep emerald eyes coupled with an androgynous face, quite a bewitching look indeed. But then, the Adam¡¯s apple which protruded from his neck and the chest that was flat as a board, unanimously revealed his gender. Seth Alberts, a 15 year old researcher, a member of the Order of the Phantom. Assigned as an apprentice in the meteorology division and had stayed here for the past 5 years. I admit it, I am not in possession of an aura befitting of an intelligent being. Instead, an atmosphere filled with innocence surrounded me ever since I was a kid. Noticing that I''ve spent quite some time bathing, I hurriedly turned the water supply off. For if I continued to do so, I would certainly catch a cold and that would be very bad. Getting sick was a scientist¡¯s most feared occurrence as it would greatly impede their progress. Anyways, as I quickly dried myself with a towel, I hurriedly went inside my room in order to get a new set of clothes. Opening the wardrobe carefully, the contents were revealed to me. If a normal citizen was to see the clothes stored inside the wardrobe, they would surely be bewildered as to how could a civilized human being be so unfashionable. Only one type of attire could be seen. A plain black t-shirt, matching trousers and of course a pure white laboratory coat. Numerous sets of the same combination of clothes were carefully arranged and hanged properly inside the wardrobe. And with swift and experienced movements, I immediately chose a set and wore it straightaway. From what I¡¯ve heard from the announcement the presentation would be held at exactly 11 AM. A splendid scheduling indeed as it may be done up until noon, considering that we¡¯re already inside the main facility an extravagant lunch would certainly be presented for every attendee. Mmn.. just thinking about it made me hungry. Eating only instant and canned foods, my tummy craved for something freshly cooked. Attending a conference with only food in mind, I may sound like a glutton but then, great minds need some great nourishment too or so I thought. After making sure that I look at least presentable, I exited my room. Ending up inside the testing area, I glanced at my machine once again. Hnnng! I wanted to do some more tests! I didnt want to leave him alone here! As if a child throwing a tantrum, my mind refused to leave this place be. But then, I got my duties to fulfill and my job was on the line here. Sigh, Why am I making this more complicated? Let¡¯s get this over with! Shaking my head as to let go off anymore thoughts that would slow me down, I trudged through the concrete floor. However, before I managed to exit from the warehouse, I glanced at the familiar electronic clock and took note of the time. 10:15 AM Guh! Im going to be late! With that as another push, the pace of my walking hastened. And sooner that expected I arrived in front of the only door which connected the inside of the warehouse to the outside world. Seriously though, I had to catch my breath as the warehouse¡¯s interior was nothing to laugh at, for it was almost the size of a football field. Leaving the complaints aside, I quickly opened the door. It wasn¡¯t state of the art like most things you could find within the island. Just a normal door which used the common security system of padlock and keys. As I stepped out from the darkened inside of the warehouse, a scene that I could never feel tired of seeing welcomed me. Luscious trees which spanned out from both my left and right, completely filling my field of vision. It was quite unusual to find an enormous warehouse in the middle of a forest. Moreover, considering that most facilities within the island possessed advanced technology, a decrepit warehouse such as this shouldn''t had existed. Even so, I was assigned to make this my own research lab. For me, who was discriminated due to my age and educational background, the higher ups decided to place me here. Truthfully, I was very thankful for that decision. Instead of working under those belittling eyes of my seniors, I would rather enjoy freedom and solitude. Anyhow, I continued to walk away, traversing one particular direction. No roads or trails were in sight, but still I was not afraid of getting lost. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. The shade of the trees provided little amount light as I proceeded through this maze-like wonder of nature. Walking in circles was inevitable, one would certainly think if they were to find themselves here. Nevertheless, my destination eventually came in sight, as I saw a conspicuous looking building erected in the middle of nowhere. A pure white structure with the shape of a box, at least 3 meters tall and 2 meters wide. Installed on its front was a fully automatic door and beside it, a biometrics machine was attached. *Beep* *beep* *beep* *beep* *clink* ¡°Please position your eye in front of the camera.¡± After inputting the four digit identification number on the keypad that was present on the machine, an electronically produced voice urged me to direct my eyes in front of the retinal scanner. And without a single hesitation, I obeyed and placed my eye on the designated position. A red colored horizontal beam started its work, scanning every individual blood vessel within my eyeball. Those flashing lights were rather unpleasant to the optic nerves that It took me a full week to get used to it, back then. ¡°Authorization complete, have a nice day Mr. Alberts.¡± *Foooosh* The sound of the hydraulics system opening the door drowned the voice of that artificial intelligence. Awaiting inside the room was a capsule, much like a cockpit of an aircraft without the controls and navigation system. Instead it looked like a semi-transparent egg that floated from the ground, disregarding the presence of gravity. As to how did this thing work, I had no idea. But according to my mentor, he was the one who proposed its principle. Utilizing an artificially created element to eliminate the gravitational pull of the planet or so they said. I stepped inside the capsule while wearing an uninterested face as I was already used to it. ¡°Destination: Main headquarters.¡± Uttering those words in motone, the system recognized my voice. The capsule¡¯s opened door responded by closing it automatically and the whole capsule started to move. Still levitating, it moved sidewards until the vehicle was inside a more peculiar structure. A tunnel made of fully transparent, tempered glass. Big enough for the capsule to pass through, stretching up to the horizon it was outrageously long. Serving as the main transportation within the island, the anti-gravity transit was considered a stepping stone in the development of aircraft that uses the same principle in order to gain lift. Moreover, the awe inspiring scenery outside was showcased as the journey through the tunnels continued smoothly. The sun peeking from the clouds, the trees swaying against the morning breeze. As if I was experiencing a safari trip, all kinds of wildlife were present. Untouched and preserved, science co-existing with nature. Whenever I passed through here, I couldn''t help but smile. If the whole planet shared the same state I think the world would absolutely be a better place. *Fooosh* ¡°Destination reached¡­..¡± Being immersed in such a breath-taking scenery, I lost track of time. Spacing out as always, I managed to recover my senses as I heard that electronic voice yet again. But even before I got out from the capsule, something interrupted my entrance. ¡°1 New voice message from professor Alberts, would you like to hear it now?¡± Not only did the capsule served as transportation, it was connected to the main intranet. Enabling functions similar to a mobile phone, it was certainly convenient. ¡°Yes¡­¡± I answered right away, for him to send a message personally it must''ve been something urgent. ¡°Come to my office after the conference, I have something to discuss with you..¡± The low pitched voice of a middle aged old man was heard. It was familiar alright, as it was from my one and only teacher Hansen Alberts. It may sound weird that we had the same surname, but then, there was a big reason for that. Professor Alberts, supervising the recruitment of all new members of the Order, decided to perform a simple experiment. Using a certain website in the internet, he posted a series of mathematical puzzles. Intending to scout intelligent individuals, the difficulty of the puzzles required prerequisite knowledge in post-graduate mathematics, quantum physics and computer algorithms. And by pure chance, I stumbled upon it when I was surfing the net, seeking amusement by using the one and only computer inside the orphanage. Fascinated by such complicated problems, I strived to break the code. Having internet connection meant that I could access electronic books about those advance prerequisite subjects. Even if they were advanced, I continued to read and read. And sooner or later, I managed to answer one after another. Such a feeling of satisfaction, I could never get enough of. Possessing an abnormal intelligence compared to my peers I isolated myself from mingling with kids of my age. My life¡¯s story was quite tragic as I grew without a single parent. Well, not that it affected me that much, at such a young age I learned to accept reality. Crying, despairing, no matter what I do there was no way of bringing them back. Not a single memory of them, their faces, their voices, I was completely clueless. For the me back then, they were non-existent so I dedicated all of my time solely on discovering the unknown. And not long after I answered the third puzzle, the anonymous user contacted me and notified me that I passed the screening. I was overjoyed! Everyone deemed me unusual, an abnormal that everyone kept their distance for me. But then, I certainly felt that I¡¯ve achieved something, that someone acknowledged my worth. Professor Hansen hastily arrived inside the orphanage after that day and signed the adoption papers so that I could finally be free from this facility. Starting from that day, my name was changed into Seth Alberts and my new life as a member of the Order began. Chapter 2 I stepped out from the capsule after hearing the message with a spaced out look. A bit nostalgic about my past experiences, I was once again lost in thought. The room which I entered after exiting the vehicle was virtually identical to the other room that I first entered. A confined space full of nothing but endless white. For all claustrophobic people this would surely bring them nightmares. But even so, once you come across such a room repetitively, becoming tolerant to its suffocating interior was only natural¡­. at least from my experience. *Welcome back Mr. Alberts, please proceed to the second terminal for further verification.* Urging me to undergo another biometrics scanning, the electronic voice resounded throughout the cramped room. The security was unbelievably strict within the headquarters. Considering the fact that all the organization¡¯s archives were stored within its walls, it was only necessary to implement such stern measures. Not wasting anymore time, I approached the second biometrics machine. In comparison with the first one, this machine was in many levels, more complicated. Requiring fingerprints from all individual fingers, voice recognition, and lastly, DNA verification using a drop of blood. *Toot* ...*toot* ...*toot* ...*toot* ...*toot* ...*toot* ...*toot* ...*toot* ...*toot* ...*toot* ¡°Fingerprint verification complete, switching to voice recognition mode.¡± Tedious work from the very beginning, it was quite frustrating. For every time I needed to attend a seminar or whenever I¡¯m summoned by the higher ups, I had to do this correctly with every step of the way. ¡°Identification number 21217211697, Apprentice researcher Seth Alberts is here to serve the phantom.¡± Reciting the same old line surely was embarrassing. Back then, it certainly sounded cool to my young self. Feeling as if I was a superhero of some sort, announcing his secret password in order to gain access inside his secret base. But for the teenage me right now, I couldn''t help but think that it was absolutely childish. Come to think of it, even older members undergo the same process. I couldn''t help but laugh inside my head, imagining those obstinate seniors uttering such cringeworthy phrases. ¡°Voice verification complete, please insert a finger inside the chamber located on the midmost part of the machine.¡± The only part where I could never get used to, the DNA analysis. Stinging pain to the fingertips was always inflicted. Due to the fact that the skin of my fingers were thicker ,because of the consistent friction when working, the puncturing apparatus exerts greater force compared to normal. ¡°Ack!¡± ¡°Sample acquisition completed, PCR will be performed for the next 3 minutes. Please wait patiently.¡± The polymerase chain reaction continued its process for a short while. Amplifying the DNA material within my blood cells into several copies, in order to quantify the numbers of each individual bases that builds up my whole genome. It was the most accurate way of identifying a particular person and could even trace their lineage. ¡°Identity verification complete, Apprentice researcher, Mr. Seth Alberts. ID No. 21217211697, please proceed to the lobby.¡± At last! It was done! Those uneventful minutes finally ended. I may sound a little bit overreacting, but then it was certainly boring. *Foooosh* As if on cue, the door which separated me from the interior of the headquarters, opened dramatically. Hydraulic systems lifted the barrier with ease, connecting the inside of the room with the lobby of the main headquarters. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A complete opposite from the natural world which I traversed earlier, the interior of the main headquarters. The hustle and bustle of all other members filled the entire place. Making their entrance from their respective claustrophobia inducing parking lots, crowds made of researchers were formed in the blink of an eye. Usually clustering with their fellow co-workers from the same division, well segregated groups strode through the shiny black marble floors. Prioritizing practicality, few decorations were seen. And instead of being only a decoration, they possessed unexpected functions that improved the indoor atmosphere. For example, the biologically engineered ornamental plants that emit increased amounts of pure oxygen, in contrast to their native versions. Rows of state of the art chairs with its own built in computer system. Providing not only comfort but also connection to the main intranet, it allows video calls, electronic messaging and browsing of newly published articles within the premises of the island. The whole building itself occupied approximately 5 hectares of land and has a total floor area estimated at 253,435 square meters. About 100 floors, separated in accordance to their uses, made it look like a skyscraper from above. Due to its enormous size, a sophisticated network of elevators and escalators were built, in order to direct each members more conveniently to their appropriate destinations. Located in the lobby was yet another structure that would make any person sigh in admiration. A 29.9 metre wide by 12.33 metre high holographic projection, hovering above the center of the room. Mainly used in broadcasting different announcement and news about the outside world, it served as the only connection of us researchers isolated within this island. On the far left corner of the projection, a real-time clock was placed. 10:45 AM 15 minutes left! Confirming it not once, not twice, but thrice, I grew more frantic. For me to reach the conference room with so few time, I needed to at least board an elevator that leads to floor 55. Countless number of elevator were installed all around the lobby, but since I had once attended a conference before, finding the correct door was easy peasy, or so I thought. Why the hell are there so many people here? I was bewildered, seeing that the waves of crowd never seemed to diminish. And for me to arrive in time, there was only one way to go! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Worn out and tattered, words perfect to describe my current state. Clashing against the crowd with an unyielding spirit, I am victorious! Damages were inevitable but still I was successful with my mission. I boarded the correct elevator shortly after that and smoothly made my journey towards floor 55. If I was to estimate the time elapsed, I would probably say about 7 minutes. And now here I was, walking unsteadily through the corridor as I searched for the entrance line. Fufufu, I am 100% certain that I will arrive in time now! Celebrating prematurely, I walked leisurely while puffing my chest proudly. Thinking that I would reach the entrance before the closing time, all traces of skepticism vanished into thin air. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Eh? Halting my steps abruptly, I stared at another huge crowd blocking the entrance which led to the main conference room. As if the one doing the presentation was a celebrity, many scientist wished to hear Professor Sander¡¯s lecture first hand. Well yes, he reallywasno doubta celebrity. Representing the whole weaponry division, it was only natural to attract this much attention right? Getting lost in thought as to how popular that Professor could be, for a moment I forgot my main objective. But seriously though, the line was nowhere to be found thanks to those members that wanted to enter no matter what the cost. As a law abiding citizen which prioritizes order more than anything, I couldn''t help but furrow my brows in vexation after seeing such disarray. The previous joy that I¡¯ve brought with me here instantly disappeared as I stood at the back of the non-existent line with my shoulders drooping. Well, the only thing that I could do right now was to wait patiently for the line to move forward. Not wanting to associate themselves with a newbie such as me, the surrounding members treated my existence like air. They would occasionally whisper to themselves after sneaking glances at me, but still I was unfazed. Not forgetting that huge topic back then of letting a kid join the order, they still thought it was unfair. Even if most of them were like that, some of the members treated me kindly. Like for example, my mentor Professor Hansen, Professor Quinn at the genetic engineering division, fellow apprentice researcher Edward assigned as a helper for the anti-gravity project, and many many more!... Optimistic as always, one of my notable traits. But then, people around started to stare at me for some reason. Unconscious that my face showed a smug expression, I was obliviousabout them laughing behind my back. But then as the minutes passed I eventually got bored. Wanting to pass the time even a bit faster than normal, I began to look around. Middle aged members, members on their 20s, elder ones and even people who looked as if they were already centenarians. The amount of stress caused by work was the foremost reason I could think of, for the inhabitants of the island to age much more quickly, appearance-wise. Moreover, the male to female ratio of the people inside the organizations was a staggering 23:1, respectively. Well, it seemed that males tend to be more dedicating, considering that they traded their normal lives just to pursue their dreams. Im not saying that males were better than females, i''m just saying this based on established facts! And I am not a sexist either! Setting those aside, I continued to survey my entire surroundings. From another¡¯s perspective, I may look like a patient who suffers from OCD. But then, I at least need to occupy myself with something for the meantime in order to ignore those obstinate seniors of mine. Yet something immediately caught my interest as I did another 180 degree turn of the head. A little girl standing in a daze, she stood out like a sore thumb among the sea of people clad in white lab coats. Wearing a pale yellow summer dress that complemented her sun kissed blonde hair tied into twin tails. Judging based on her height, probably she was at least 7 years old. As if she was in a big predicament, her lips were curved into a frown. Her large azure colored pupils, looking down on the floor and occasionally threw glances at the crowd. It was quite surprising to see that not a single person even bothered to approach the little girl. Instead they focused more on not getting thrown off the line. Since it was definitely an unusual occurrence, maybe the people were unsure on how to resolve it. Well I too, wanted to keep my position in line but my conscience says otherwise. For now let¡¯s just try in seizing her attention. ¡°Psst¡­ psst¡­¡± Attracting her attention surreptitiously, I continued in doing so until I saw her line of sight falling upon me. Following that action, I did a beckoning sign in front of her, telling her to come over. I admit it, what I¡¯m doing here made me look more and more suspicious!... !!? Nevertheless, it was proven to be effective for it caused a response from the girl. Glaring at me intensely with her eyebrows furrowing. This was to be expected¡­ I guess. Alright then! Time for me to take it up a notch! Not backing down even for a bit, I devised another strategy for her to consider me as someone trustworthy. Come to think of it, during my time as an orphan, I was frequently asked to entertain younger kids. Well, in exchange for that I was given permission to use the computer that I mentioned before. Mainly specializing in hand puppetry and the word guessing game, Charades. However, since I am currently not in possession of a hand puppet, so doing charades was the only way to go. Okay! Let¡¯s try something funny! Overly enthusiastic about acting, I immediately started. Impersonating a kung-fu artist, more specifically I began to copy the different animal styles that I saw from a certain action movie. The ferocious tiger! The stillness of the crane! The deceptiveness of the snake! The strong and efficient leopard! And lastly the unpredictable dragon! Haah.. Such shameless behavior! I certainly felt their burning gazes on my back! No matter how you put it, I looked like a mental institution escapee. Nevertheless, I was immersed in my own delusions that I certainly looked cool! Meanwhile¡­. *Tap* *tap* *tap* The sound of her doll shoes tapping against the polished marble floor resounded throughout the area. Noticing her approach, I swiftly ended the act and stood upright with arms akimbo. Still thinking that my performance was exceptional, I welcomed her with an attitude full of airs. ¡°Umm...Excuse me.¡± She called, her childish voice filled with innocence made my ears perk up. Thinking that I had broken the ice finally, my lips curved into a satisfied grin. Seemingly not done with talking, sheopened her tinymouth once againwith her azure eyes staring upwards at my own. ¡°Are you perhaps¡­..Mentally disabled?¡± EHHH!? That arrogant and condescending smile of mine, instantly crumbled into pieces as soon I heard that line. For her to say such a thing while wearing a straight face, this kid was certainly more than meets the eye. Chapter 2.5 The chatter of those white robed people completely filled the hall as soon as I arrived. As if they were a colony of ants, devouring anyone that comes their way. Even so, I think it''s a bit wrong to call them ants, after all they¡¯re not small like me. I had to look up every time I wanted to see their faces, those faces showing a diverse amount of emotions that I couldn''t understand. Adults were surely amazing, they constantly exuded an aura full of wisdom and maturity. They could do anything they want without needing permission from parents and guardians. Unbound by the rules made by their fellow adults, it certainly looked like they possessed absolute freedom. I want to be an adult. Repeating those words inside my head, as if chanting a wish in the midst of a shooting star. I wanted to be free, to pursue through the path that I want. Without those adults dictating my every move, I could then be considered an adult too. For father to acknowledge me, I had to grow up fast so that he could smile again like in the past. To be proud that he has a daughter like me, to forget those things that broke his heart. Ever since mother left us, the cheerful and caring father that I knew disappeared. Why did mother do that? Was it because father was always away due to work? Whenever father comes home he would immediately shower me with hugs and kisses, making those days when he was gone, easily forgettable. Moreover, all kinds of luxury were within our reach because of father, that money ceased to be a problem. As to why did it all happen, I was completely clueless. If I could turn back the time and change the past, I would certainly be overjoyed. For those warm and happy moments with my family, I would trade anything, I would do anything. But as a child, those things were nothing but fantasies. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Standing still while in a daze. For the past few minutes, I kept the same position without moving even for a bit. ¡°So Professor Sanders has finally done it huh..¡± ¡°To develop such a weapon within a century, simply amazing..¡± ¡°UN will surely be worried if they caught wind of this.¡± Chattering to themselves without a care if those around them could overhear their conversation. The scene of adults in white lab coats flooding the hall was surely overwhelming. Kind of similar to the scene of housewives flocking around clothing shops during sales. What is amazing? Is father that amazing? To hear such praises and comments about father, more and more his image within my head became more vague. But then, the curiosity that was kept hidden inside me grew stronger. What kind of work does father have? Even though he told me repeatedly that I should stay within his room, I disobeyed and made my way here, all alone. As to how did I manage, it was fairly simple. Televisions, radios and people I come across, all of them spoke of the current hot topic. Professor Hansen ,my father, has successfully developed an antimatter weapon and was going to unveil it today at exactly 11:00 AM. About that ¡®anti-matter¡¯ part, I didn''t know a thing. It sounded like stuff my science teacher from school would talk about. Nevertheless, the way they spoke enthusiastically about it meant that it was truly something amazing. Surprisingly, this place was pretty similar to shopping malls that I frequented with my mother. Elevators and escalators could be seen here and there, with accessible maps so that getting lost was nearly impossible. Those maps weren''t¡¯ just normal ones. Installed inside touchscreen terminals, it could conveniently tell you the best way to reach your destination. Luckily, it also announced the place where father was right now, highlighting the place called ¡®The conference room¡¯. Due to those fortunate events, I safely arrived in front of that place, searching for a way to get inside. The adults that I met along the way were certainly unusual. Not caring about seeing a child running around by herself. They would occasionally stare at me for a moment and immediately shrug off my existence, thinking that associating themselves with a little child would only bring them trouble. Even so, it was quite convenient for me. Hmmm? Noticing something different, I tilted my head to the side. The surrounding crowd¡¯s hustle and bustle became even more louder than before. Not knowing the cause such a change, a large question mark floated above my head. However, my current state of confusion instantly disappeared as soon as my gaze full upon someone. ¡­..? Compared to those tall adults, a person that was only a head taller than me. Silver white hair and sharp eyes that showed high intelligence. My eyes widened for a moment as I continued to stare at the person. Upon closer look, a face quite similar to those celebrities seen in television. As to what was the person¡¯s gender, it was difficult to discern. Neither muscular nor thin, but his chest did not show any lump. Mother said that when girls grow up their chests too will grow. So it was only natural to categorize him as a boy. Even so, not all grownup girls have bulging chests as far as I know. It was possible for him to be a her, maybe it was one of those unfortunate cases. Worried about the future, I inadvertently stared at my own chest. No lumps either, but mother certainly had a pair. Thinking about possessing those, wouldn''t it be just a hindrance? This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. After being deep in thought I shifted my gaze to the boyish girl once again. Seeing that she wore a white coat like the rest of those adults, there''s a high possibility that she was one of them. It wasn''t absolute, seeing those adults around her not interacting with her in anyway. Is she in the same situation as me? Her well formed face undoubtedly showed an expression of loneliness. But all of a sudden her lips curved into a grin. A slight shiver crept up to my body as I continued to at that smile that reeked of something uncomfortable. Not looking anywhere in particular, she continued to do so. And after awhile, her head began to move. As if searching for something, she turned her head from left to right. Not noticing that she had spotted me, I kept on staring at her until¡­.Out of nowhere, her green emerald eyes fell upon me !!? In response to that, I hurriedly returned to what I was doing earlier, staring at the shiny floor while in a daze. In spite of that, my heart began to throb all of a sudden. Like when you¡¯re playing hide and seek with your friends, the suspense of getting found crept up. ¡°Psst¡­ psst¡­¡± Catching her attention even though I was sure that no one would even bother with me. And without warning, she tried in attracting my attention in a somewhat rude way that I reflexively glared and frowned at her. But instead of giving up, her ways of getting attention became even more appalling. As if she was a terrible stand-up comedian, she began in imitating some kind of martial art. Martial arts were supposed to look intimidating and fierce, but no matter how I looked at her act it was still the opposite. Imitating animals, throwing kicks and punches awkwardly. Even though she did something so embarrassing in front of a such a huge crowd, she was still unfazed. In fact, I was the one who felt embarrassed for her, such actions were unbefitting for a lady. Or maybe he was not a girl in the first place. But more importantly, I need to stop her pronto! ¡°Umm...Excuse me.¡± After approaching her nervously, I managed to at least say this line. Nevertheless, I couldn''t help but be disturbed to see her smirking face in such close proximity, that I unintentionally blurted out my thoughts. ¡°Are you perhaps¡­..Mentally disabled?¡± Saying it like it was nothing, my face was rather calm and didn¡¯t show any noticeable emotion. Yet my hands felt sweaty and my feet was cold. For saying such a thing in front of an adult, getting scolded was only natural so without further ado I readied myself to hear her sermons. ¡°........¡± Anyhow, the lecturing that I was expecting never took place. Instead of being angry, she hanged her head dejectedly with her previous smile vanishing in existence. It felt like something pricked my chest after seeing such a sorrowful expression, but it seems like my worries were unneeded after hearing her voice for the first time. ¡°N-No! I''m not mentally disabled! In fact, I passed the psychological tests with flying colors!¡± Exclaiming to be mentally healthy with her arms akimbo, her change of mood was so fast that I subconsciously blinked my eyes in surprise. But then, something was peculiar about her voice. ¡°It seems like you want to enter the conference room. If you want help with that then do not hesitate in asking me.¡± Hearing it for the second time, my suspicions were immediately verified. A low pitched voice carrying not a hint of femininity, escaped from her small mouth. Right now I was completely convinced that she was undoubtedly a he. ¡°............¡± ¡°Hello! Anyone there?¡± I was speechless that I failed to respond in front of his proposal. But after awhile I regained my composure by shaking my head repeatedly, snapping out of the trance caused by this person in front of me. How can such a person exist!? ¡°T-thank you very much! I¡¯ll gladly accept that offer!¡± ¡°Alright! Then quickly line up beside me.¡± Growing a bit frantic, I almost stuttered at my words. Setting those things aside, was it alright to approach a stranger like him? Moreover, skipping in line would clearly make those people ,who painstakingly waited, angry. ¡°You have nothing to worry about! Right guys?¡± Noticing my reluctance, the boy spoke of reassuring words and promptly glanced at those who were waiting behind him. But instead of receiving support from them, the adults showered him with glares full of malice. Nevertheless, the boy didn''t react at the slightest while still wearing a bright smile. ¡°Okay¡­¡± Being obedient all of a sudden, I nodded my head meekly. After seeing the boy¡¯s heartwarming smile almost all traces of distrust had wholly dissipated. Lining up beside him took a considerable amount of courage, after all those adults also included me as a target of their hostility. But having him beside me, for some reason, made my heart at ease. Was this the feeling of having an elder brother? A reliable and protective brother who would always be there to help you. Even so, those random smirks never ceased to make me uncomfortable. Chapter 3 ¡°What do you mean we can''t enter?¡± My eyebrows furrowed in irritation as I repeated the same question for the second time. After waiting for quite awhile now, it was now our turn to enter the conference room. But it seems that the guard who was stationed at the entrance, wasn''t so cooperative as he looks to be. Contrary to that kind face that he wore almost all of the time while receiving members who are interested in hearing the professor''s lecture, he greeted us with an expression that was devoid of emotion. ¡°I''m very sorry Mr. Alberts, but bringing kids inside is prohibited. Besides, this is a conference and not a musical play for children to watch.¡± He replied in complete monotone, with those unyielding eyes staring straight back at mine. It was quite intimidating that I subconsciously took a step back, feeling that oppressive aura that made breathing considerably more difficult. ¡°...........¡± I didn''t dare to press on further, noticing that the previous emotionless face began to distort in annoyance. The guard was also a member of the order, more specifically the Self-defense task force. A division of the order assigned to maintain peace and order within the island. From a newcomer¡¯s perspective, they looked like normal security force. All members wearing full black from top to bottom, bearing much resemblance to those people who protects the president of the world¡¯s most powerful country. But beneath those finely tailored suits, a dark history was buried deep within. They would do anything necessary just to make sure that no one dares to break their sworn oaths. Brainwashing, torturing and even as far as using defectors as lab rats for their own experiments. As to how did I know these things, it was only common knowledge inside the order. During all orientations of newcomers, the consequences of betrayal would always be repeatedly emphasized. For a secret organization to ensure its safety, such measures was only natural and all members knew the reasons very well. Setting those things aside, it seems that entering was impossible with the little girl beside me in tow. ¡°Umm.. you...see¡± It felt difficult to speak any further for I didn''t want to disappoint the girl¡¯s expectation. Turning my head meekly to the side, I once again saw her little eyes staring up at me. Judging by her reaction, it was safe to say that she understood the man¡¯s words entirely. In response, her face showed sorrow and loneliness. After travelling from wherever she came from, only to end up failing her objective. It pains me to say it myself, that she needs to stay back outside. As if noticing my current predicament, her pair of orbs looked down dejectedly with her hands grasping the hem of my coat tightly and her shoulders trembling in dismal. ¡­.!? My face grew stiff in response, causing me to fail in relaying those words that I wanted to say. Gah! This is unfair! To show such a look in front of me! Of course I would feel considerable regret after seeing that face! Following that, I repeatedly questioned myself if I am that vulnerable with such psychologic attacks. Well, even if she didn¡¯t do that I would still stay with her indefinitely. After all, I still carried the morals that I¡¯ve learned from my previous home. Noticing that the crowd at the back were starting to get rowdy, I hurriedly walked a considerable distance from the line with the girl in tow. It was too disappointing that I felt lethargic all of a sudden. If ever my teacher found out about this, I would certainly be lectured for yet another act of tardiness. Well enough of that, let¡¯s just focus with the problem in hand. ¡°Ehmm¡­ You see¡­ It seems that children are forbidden from entering there¡­¡± After steeling my resolve for quite some time, I finally managed to say it in front of her. Speaking in a fairly soft tone with the volume of my voice getting weaker with each word that was spoken. I tried my best to at least weaken the effects of those words by saying it not too forcefully. ¡°........¡± And then, an ear-shattering silence befell between the both of us. After, hearing the news personally from me, her previous miserable look took a turn for the worse. Her shoulders drooped in gloom and tears welled up from her eyes. ¡°Le-let¡¯s just forget about that okay!....Those old timers too will surely be angry if they saw kids going in there so I think it will be the best for us to go elsewhere!... Ehmm.. let¡¯s see!¡­.. I know a much more fun place!...Rather than that conference room which is too boring even for me!¡± I waved both arms frantically and my face showed noticeable signs of panic. Thinking that I was the primary cause of her worsened mood, I hurriedly tried to calm her down by shouting the first thing that crossed my mind, barraging her with words as if I was a professional rapper. If by chance her weeping turned into wailing, I would surely be in trouble. The people around us would certainly misinterpret this scene with me being the culprit, in case that happened. ¡°....¡± But surprisingly, my tactics were proven to be effective as I saw her eyes looking up to me and her ears twitching at the same time. Phew! Thank god I avoided the worst case scenario, but it seemed that the things that I blurted out caught her interest. Maybe the word ¡®fun¡¯ dealt the most effect. But seriously though, this place wasn''t for children to roam around in the first place. ¡°Fun¡­.¡± ¡°..!!?¡± ¡°Fun¡­¡± ¡°..!!?¡± ¡°Fun¡­¡± ¡°..!!?¡± Wanting to verify my theory on a whim, I intentionally spouted the same word over and over again and was taken aback by her reaction. Whenever I uttered that single word, she would always perk her ears up, wanting to know what kind of fun I was talking about. And at the same time, her pupils would dilate with her head tilted slightly. Haah.. this is too much fun~... No matter how you looked at her, she resembled a tiny little cute animal whose interest was piqued. I was so entertained by this that I unintentionally continued in doing it until the girl had finally realized. She puffed her cheeks in frustration and glared at me with sharp eyes, as a result of me making fun of her. Who could blame me? If I were to post a video of this scene in the internet, It would undoubtedly receive a million views within a day! Setting those things aside, now that I stopped her from crying, what I needed to do now was to at least show her this ¡®fun¡¯ place I was talking about. Even if this island only catered scientists with an unimaginable amount of information pertaining to their different fields of expertise, I think normal citizens could have fun here too. Come to think of it, educational television programs always described science as something fun. And yes, they were darn right about that! The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Yes.. There¡¯s a place here where you can have fun¡­¡± After recovering from that previous farce, I proceeded with the matter at hand seriously but couldn''t help but grin occasionally. ¡°So where is this place?¡± She replied in a meek voice that carried a hint of curiosity while showing that same reaction all over again. Well by the looks of it, it seems that it was a habit of some sort? But the alarming thing was with what I¡¯m doing right now. Whichever way you look at it, this sort of development usually lead to people abducting little children. Not that I would do that too! However, I couldn''t help but be worried about this girl¡¯s well being if she was this simple minded. Not needing anymore words, I turned my back at her, waved a hand telling her to follow, and started to walk to the direction where I previously came in. Thinking that if I was to speak any further, I would look more and more like a kidnapper. I immediately made my decision of at least walk a considerable distance from her, in order to not raise any more suspicions from her and those people that were staring at us since the start. After hearing her footsteps resounding from behind me, I took the lead and started our journey to that fun place I was talking about. ____________________________________________________________________________ I was standing frozen in front of a huge door with Mr. Alberts beside me, flabbergasted by its sheer size and the silver shine exuded by it. After hearing those people address him as Mr. Alberts, I too started to call him that within my mind. He was different or maybe way too different from those adults that I¡¯ve met here so far. Always smiling and grinning, even if those people scorned him behind his back. That kind of smile was the one wanted father to show me once more. Even if he looked creepy from the start, his cheerful and happy-go lucky attitude told me otherwise. After failing to enter the conference room ,where father was currently at, I didn''t know what to do. It was father¡¯s most important lecture and his only daughter failed to make an appearance. I was worried and scared at the same time, thinking that he would scold and abandon me if he caught wind of this. Never did he say that I was to stay away from that lecture, so I naively thought that I needed to attend it no matter what happened. A man who was guarding the entrance prevented us from entering. And said that children like me were forbidden to enter, but I refused to believe it. Even so, after hearing it from Mr. Alberts¡¯ own mouth, all hope was immediately lost. The fear of being hated crept deep inside my heart. Mother already left us for another man, leaving only the two of us in the family. If father was to leave me alone, what would happen to me? Noticing my despair, Mr. Alberts immediately spoke words of reassurance. Saying that if children were to enter that room, the adults inside would surely be angry. If that was true, then father wouldn''t abandon me. Instead he would praise me for being well-behaved. That single thought managed to calm down my mind that was filled with unease. For now, I believed Mr. Alberts¡¯ words. He was also an adult after all! Moreover the fun place he spoke of peaked my interest. And since I had nothing to do right now and father wouldn''t be back for a while, I might as well visit this fun place. Back then, mother would repeatedly remind me not to talk or follow strangers. But here I am, with one beside me. I was certain that if Mr. Alberts was to try something funny, I could defend myself easily. That can of spray used to make those bad people go away was always hidden inside my dress whenever I go out. Furthermore, Mr. Alberts didn¡¯t look strong enough to be much of a threat. His shoulders were thin and his long arms showed no signs masculinity. If I were to fight him one on one, I¡¯m sure I could win by myself. ¡°Who goes there!¡± A large and deep voice suddenly erupted from the door which made me cup my ears using both my hands and jump in surprise at the same time. It felt like a giant was behind this door, and that thought terrified me to an extent that I felt my knees shaking. As for Mr. Alberts, he kept his calm in the midst of such a loud sound. ¡°Professor Harper, it''s me Seth¡­¡± Replying as if he knew the one behind the door, Mr. Alberts familiarly spoke of two names. One seemed to belong to the one who bellowed earlier and the other was his own. Seth Alberts I repeatedly recited his name within my head, not wanting to forget the name of this seemingly odd adult. ¡°Ah Seth! Of course! Of course! It¡¯s been awhile since your last visit!¡± In response to his reply, the giant happily exclaimed. Although his voice was still scary, his previous tone eventually softened after hearing Seth¡¯s words. Fooooooosh And as if on cue, the enormous door opened slowly. The thick steel barrier that separated us from the giant disappeared in a flash with white smoke enshrouding the whole entrance. A silhouette of a human could be seen in the midst of that man made fog. But it wasn''t just a normal figure, it was so tall that its head nearly reached the highest point of the entrance. I hurriedly hid myself behind Seth¡¯s¡¯ back in impulse. Scared to meet the giant for the first time, my heart throbbed violently in fear with my trembling hands tightly grasping the hem of his lab coat. But soon all my worries were bound to be dispelled after the mist completely cleared up. ¡°Welcome!..welcome..to my prehistoric paradise Hahaha!¡± A loud and cheerful voice followed by a hearty laugh, immediately lightened up that previous atmosphere that was filled with suspense. As the fog completely dissipated, another adult clad in white coat could be seen. Sporting a finely grown beard and a moustache with a friendly smile showing from his face. You wouldn''t think of him as someone scary, in fact he looked much like my uncle that lived in the countryside. But then, his height was almost double of Seth and under one of his arms was some sort of bird-like creature. ¡°Well it seems that you¡¯re not alone! What is your name little missy?¡± He casually approached us with his lips still curved into a wide smile. The professor knelt in front of me in order to match my line of sight and proceeded to ask me for my name. But all this time, I was focused on the appearance of that animal that was carried beneath his right arm. I think I saw it somewhere before. Was it science class or history class? A small, plump, gray feathered bird with small wings at both sides. Its legs were thick and its feet possessed black claws. But the thing that stood out the most was its large beak. Chapter 4 ¡°My name is Lily¡­¡­. Lily Sanders.¡± Her childish voice could clearly be heard beside me, responding at Professor Harper¡¯s question without a hint of panic. But for some reason, her gaze wasn''t directed at the one she was talking to. She was eyeing the bird that was under the professor¡¯s arm, as if she had seen a ghost. Well that¡¯s to be expected! One of the most popular extinct specie of birds, the Dodo bird, was right in front of her very eyes. But wait! Sanders huh¡­ Do I know someone with that surname? Hmm¡­ I can''t seem to remember. The dodo bird inhabited a certain island within the Indian ocean where it lived undisturbed for so long that it lost its need to fly. They lived a happy carefree life since not a mammal existed inside their home, leaving them with no competition for food. But all of their happy days soon came to an end as the first humans took step in that isolated paradise. Considering that they were heavy packed with meat and were easy to hunt, the humans and their tag-along animals easily decimated their population until they were wiped to extinction. Such a tragic end for a defenseless and innocent bird. But then, who could blame them! Those thick legs and that fat body could certainly provide for at least 4 to 5 people. If only those foolish sailors didn''t took things for granted, maybe dodos would still be in the market today. ¡°Oh! It seems you are interested with Dionysus! But before that allow to introduce myself!¡± Still that bizarre naming sense huh. A name befitting of a bird brimming with elegance and nobility. But no matter how you look at it, that bird did not possess elegance nor nobility. That stupid look on its eyes was irritating! The bird was capable of winning any staring contest using its big round eyes that could see through any being¡¯s soul, quite the demonic being in my opinion. ¡°I am Professor Ellius D. Harper, head of the genetics department. But you guys can call mo Eli for short.¡± Contrary to his terrifying appearance, resembling those professional wrestlers you see on TV, Professor Harper was always this friendly when it comes to guests. However, that friendliness could also backfire as it usually puts off people. He insisted that I call him with that nickname too, but I flatly refused him every time. For me to call a department head like that was too much even for me! ¡°Alrighty! I will be the tour guide for today so please enjoy the trip hahaha!¡± ¡°Umm, Professor Harper aren''t you working right now? I think I can show her around mysel--!!? *Slap!* ¡°Guh!¡± ¡°What are you talking about now Seth my boy! Of course I¡¯m not ¡®busy¡¯ so rest assured!¡± After receiving a back-breaking slap behind me ,which rendered me unable to continue talking, and that creepy smile from the Professor, I yielded without any more objections. Scary!! No one knew or maybe no one lived to tell the tale of the Professor¡¯s true anger. So let¡¯s just trust him with this one shall we? I don¡¯t think I''m ready to die right now! ¡°Come in! Come in! Miss Lucy and Seth! Be dazzled by the wonders of nature!¡± ¡°Ye-yes! Thank you very much Mr. Eli!¡± Lily ,who had been blinking her eyes in surprise for quite some time now, regained her composure and replied to the professor¡¯s words with great vigor while bowing her upper body repeatedly as a sign of politeness. I could say this girl was brought up well by her parents after seeing such manners toward the elderly. As for me, a wry smile was plastered on my face and could only nod in response to the professor¡¯s welcoming words. Eh wait! Why are you calling him with ¡®that¡¯ nickname!? Don''t just go complying to his every single word! Hearing someone utter his self-proclaimed nickname, the professor¡¯s lips curved into an even wider smile than before with his ears twitching in delight. Really now! are you sure you guys aren¡¯t father and daughter? Setting those trivial things aside, we proceeded to enter Professor Harper¡¯s experimental ground. Located within an enormous biosphere that covered at least one fourth of the island''s land area. A closed ecological system divided into multiple biomes, in order to recreate the same environmental settings of the earth thousands of years ago. All kinds of plants, whether rare common or even extinct, which were used for research in different departments and also to supply our food stockpile. Land dwelling animals, consisting primarily of extinct species like the Moas, Sabre tooth tigers, the Quaggas, Tasmanian tigers, Aurochs, the Irish deer, and many more. These animals roamed freely within this carefully adjusted manmade ecosystem and participated in the simulated survival of the fittest scenario. For now they possessed samples only limited to land based species but soon they would establish a marine biosphere, according to the professor himself. Standing inside the dome wasn''t any different with standing outside the warehouse where I was currently assigned to. It wouldn''t be any surprise for the inhabitants to think that this place was all natural. But then, something completely out of place could be noticed as soon as you lift your head up high. Made out of thousands of tempered glass panes, arranged together in rows and columns to form a huge contained space. The light which came from the sun was already weakened when it reached the surface of the grassland, making it look more dimmer than usual. By the way, a barrier made of polymethylmethacrylate several meters across, separated us from the wildlife. And a tunnel-like transparent structure made of the same material ran through that barrier. Much more like those passages you usually see in large public aquariums, it was intended to provide ease of observation for those researchers who were currently assigned here. ¡°Amazing!.¡± Lily sighed in admiration as soon as she entered the place. Her eyes opened to its limit and her cheeks slightly dyed pink. If I remember correctly, children frequently ask their parents to take them to the zoo right? Well this one isn''t just a normal zoo for it is a state of the art experiment that strives to resurrect long gone species of animals. ¡°Let¡¯s start the tour now, shall we?¡± Grinning ear to ear as always, the professor urged us to follow him through the tunnel so that we could view the wildlife in close proximity. Whichever way you look at him, he was definitely enjoying this. Well, seeing that both Professor Harper and Lily were having fun, I might as well enjoy this tour. ____________________________________________________________________________ ¡°So there aren''t any dinosaurs?¡± ¡°Hoho, quite the observer ain¡¯t we? ..Unfortunately, Lily we don''t have dinosaurs in here. We wouldn''t want to end up like that certain park...right Seth? ¡°Ha-ha Yes...dinosaurs are too troublesome to contain.¡± A series of light hearted conversations were made between the three of us as we traversed through that completely transparent tunnel. Come to think of it, I always thought that professor Harper would be good in handling children but did not expect for him to be this good. Even so, I don''t think the girl understands your references professor! Meanwhile, I did my best to enjoy it but could only force a few laughs and blandly participate in their friendly banter. Sigh, it was the first time for me to see the Professor act like that and the effects were still at work even now. Anyways, it seemed that we were already nearing the end of the passageway. Time passed by quickly with the trio immersed in sight seeing and occasional chats. ¡°The first part of the tour is nearing its end! Perfect for an afternoon snack hahaha!¡± Growl~ ¡°Hoho¡­ it seems that both your tummies are agreeing with me. Come!.. come!.. the next part of the tour will surely satisfy your appetites.¡± Walking around the whole day without eating breakfast had finally backfired at me. Well, not for me alone but also for Lily too, as both our bellies growled in unison. ____________________________________________________________________________ A paradise much alike to that one we saw earlier but was devoid of dangerous animals. Fields for agriculture lined up beside a lush and healthy forest that covered almost the entire part of the biosphere. Nothing unusual once you saw it from afar, but after we approached the produce rich fields, something bizarre that one might only think that such a scene was only existent in fairy tales. Lily, who was a first-timer here, repeatedly blinked hers eyes in bafflement. Enormous versions of your well-known vegetables and fruits grew in each plot of land. Corns that were as thick and long as an adult''s arm, Cabbages the size of huge watermelons, Pineapples the size of a human¡¯s torso and many many more. There were just too much crops here that I am completely overwhelmed. Back when I last visited, they were only testing prototypes but now they¡¯ve successfully cultivated these genetically engineered plants. ¡°Professor are you the only one left here?¡± I asked curiously while munching on a cob of boiled sweet corn. The juices were so sweet and scrumptious that I couldn''t get enough of it. Considering its enormous size, I think a single cob could last me for a whole day. ¡°Indeed, all of my subordinates went to see that lecture. I don''t really get it why a weapon for destruction gets so much attention.¡± ¡°Uh-huh..¡± Nom nom nom nom Apparently, all members were interested in it too with the special exception of the Professor. As far as I know, he detested the idea of destroying nature and its inhabitants so it''s understandable that he didn''t want to associate himself with it. But then, what¡¯s up with that annoying sound! It''s been going on for awhile now and it''s starting to bug me out! Devouring an apple that was as big as her head, Lily produced such unladylike sounds while eating. Who could blame her! That apple just looked so tasty with its shiny crimson brilliance. She resembled a tiny squirrel nibbling on her newly harvested nut. Quite adorable ain''t it? But then, after using only her mouth instead of cutting it into small slices first, Lily¡¯s face became sticky and messy due of the juices. Such a peaceful afternoon with us currently sitting on a picnic blanket that was draped over the grassy ground while eating samples of the fruits and vegetables brought by the professor, A perfect time to enjoy the setting of the sun. Not until-- If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Attention to Mr. Seth Alberts, Professor Hansen wishes to see you in his office immediately..¡± Without any warnings, an announcement from a nearby full-range speaker resounded throughout this part of the dome. The electronic voice ,synthesized by a computer program, instructed me to go to my teacher¡¯s office pronto. Something urgent must''ve happened for him to call me at such timing. ¡°Im very sorry Professor Harper, it seems that we¡¯ve got to go now..¡± The old man''s face turned grim as soon as he heard this, which in turn made me flinch subconsciously. As for Lily, it seems that she was too preoccupied with the apple right now that she didn''t have the time to listen to her surroundings. ¡°I understand¡­¡­¡­¡­. Please do visit again okay!¡± The dispirited reply that came out from his mouth was followed by an eerie pause before resuming his words. In contrast to his previous cheerful demeanor, his current smiles were noticeably forced. Making it hard to say farewell to this kind and friendly professor. ¡°Of course Professor. We¡¯ll visit sometime again, right Lily?¡± ¡°.....¡± I immediately provided encouraging words for the professor to at least lessen his worries. But instead of following my example, Lily just nodded her head in silence. Still not done? Unfortunately, yes she was still munching on the fruit. Now I am starting to get worried since there were no nearby toilets here. In order to prevent that worst case scenario, I think we need to get out of here ASAP! After deciding that talking some sense to the apple drunk Lily wouldn''t do any effect, I immediately picked her up as if she was luggage by carrying her beneath my arm. Well, it seemed that she didn''t mind too much as she continued munching without a care. I just hope that she wouldn''t vomit out of nowhere! ¡°We¡¯re leaving now professor!¡± I waved towards the professor while bidding farewell and Lily too managed to perform a short wave at him, which made the old man smile from the bottom of his heart, once again. ____________________________________________________________________________ *Knock* *knock* *knock* I restlessly knocked on the door made out of varnished mahogany and waited for permission to get inside. In contrast to the automatic doors which were common inside the island, the one that I was knocking right now looked rather old and antique. High ranking members had the privilege of designing their own office to their own tastes, and Professor Hansen was in fact an avid antique collector. ¡°Come in..¡± A cold and deep voice penetrated the wooden door and successfully travelled into my ears, which in turn, caused a shiver to ran down my spine. After sprinting for the past few minutes, Lily and I had successfully arrived in front of Professor Hansen¡¯s¡¯ office. And instead of me being exhausted, she was the one who looked lethargic. As if she was suffering from a hangover, Lily¡¯s only way of standing right now was to support herself by clinging on the hem of my laboratory coat. One would easily feel sympathy if they saw her current state. But I say! A glutton deserves such a consequence. I just hope she learned her lesson though. *Click* Followed by the turning of the knob, the door opened smoothly, revealing the interior of the room. Whenever I enter this room, I always felt that I had travelled back in time. The whole chamber was lit by lamps ,that still used oil, arranged in an orderly manner. Covering most of the floor area was an antique carpet that possessed intricate designs and was made of a finely woven material. Several book shelves were set up on both the left and right wall of the room, organizing collections of old rare books. Situated at the middle of the office was a replica of the Resolute desk and further behind it was a series of interconnected windows that served as the northern wall of the office. Everything was the same as before except there were two people inside the office. An bespectacled elderly man whose face showed fine wrinkles and his disheveled hair had traces of both black and white, befitting of a man full of wisdom. It was undoubtedly Professor Hansen with only a single glance, but beside him was another member. A middle aged man with natural ash blonde hair. His face showed a fierce look, as if he invariably wants to pick a fight with whoever he meets. ¡°Seth come here¡­¡± With a gesture of a hand, Professor Hansen urged me to approach them closer. And as an obedient student, I obeyed without a single word of complaint. As I drew closer, that scary looking man glared at me intensely that I consciously felt cold sweat dripping down my neck. Not only me, Lily too was affected by his appearance that her body wouldn¡¯t stop shaking from fear. ¡°Umm.. Father..¡± She spoke quietly with her moist eyes looking up at the middle aged man. ¡°Lily.. Where have you been?¡± The man inquired, his eyebrows furrowed and his lips curving into a frown. It was obvious that the man wasn¡¯t pleased with Lily as his eyes became even sharper than before. Err... wait?! This man is Lily¡¯s father? No matter how you look at them they were the complete opposite! An innocent and beautiful little angel whose father was a terrifying demon. ¡°I wanted to see your lecture father¡­ But the guards didn''t let me in so¡­.. big brother Seth showed me around.¡± ¡°Hooh is that right?¡± Lily¡¯s voice became quieter and quieter with each words spoken. Under the intense glare of her father, the little girl¡¯s innocent heart was covered in terror. And in response to her story that took a lot of courage to tell, the father just shrugged her off and turned to stare at me in close proximity. ¡°Well, it''s only natural for kids to get along with other kids right?¡± He said in a provoking manner while looking at me with eyes of belittlement. Grrr why you little!? Not wanting to disgrace the honor of my mentor, I suppressed my anger completely. To instill my rage to this extent, this man was undoubtedly one of those people who were perfect to be villain in movies. ¡°Thank you very much Professor Hansen for your time. My next schedule is nearing so we¡¯ll be going now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very most welcome Professor Sanders, I wish you good luck with your project.¡± With that simple exchange, the both of them bid farewell from each other. They had this atmosphere around them that they were long time friends. Well, not that it concerns me¡­. but! Lily is the daughter of that Professor! Why hadn¡¯t I thought of that? They had the same surname right, but seriously though they had nothing alike in terms of appearance or personality. I was so immersed in comparing their similarities within my mind, if ever they existed, that when I glanced at their previous positions, they were already gone. ¡°Hmm¡­ Getting along with him can be tough don¡¯t you think?..¡± The professor chuckled in amusement, after seeing the whole spectacle with his very own eyes. Who the hell would want to get along with that guy? I could tell from a single glance that befriending such a person would never be worth it! Even so, I think I need to calm down here. Anger would just cloud my judgement and concluding based on mere assumptions wasn''t my way of thinking. ¡°Um¡­ professor you called me for something right¡­?¡± ¡°Ah yes, I have something for you.¡± I immediately changed the topic as I didn''t want to continue discussing more about that arrogant man. And after hearing my question, the professor replied happily while flashing a bright smile in front of me. Hmm something for me? For the professor to give me something, I couldn''t remember anything that I¡¯ve done that deserves a present. And I was sure that this was the first time he¡¯s giving me something, causing me to be even more confused. A silver colored attache case ,that exuded a peculiar aura around it, was brought in front of me by the professor. To be encased in such a finely secured container, the item must¡¯ve been of considerable importance. The first item that crossed my mind was of course money, but money wasn¡¯t useful within the island. Establishments where you could spend money was non-existent in this place which was built solely for researching. ¡°This is¡­.?¡± ¡°Seth.. you¡¯ve been under my guidance for such a long time now.¡± Wanting to be enlightened more, I looked up to him with eyes that showed uncertainty. But instead of receiving a direct answer, the professor replied with a totally unrelated matter. A warm feeling was directly transmitted to me as his hand began to ruffle my unkempt hair. For the strict professor to show such actions, I couldn''t help but widen my eyes in surprise. ¡°It''s not really much, but I think this could help with your current project.¡± He spoke in a cheerful and soft tone with that wide smile still radiating from his face. ¡°¡­ Happy birthday..¡± Eh? My birthday? Being immersed in researching must¡¯ve really affected my perception of time that I forgot my birthday. But there were no memories of me celebrating birthdays after I joined the order. Moreover, I was an orphan, so how come the professor knows my exact birth date. These thoughts kept circling within my head which regrettably worsened my confusion even more. Even so, something inside me was telling me not to think anymore. To let the heart take over for at least today. Interlude 1 Connecting to ECHELON Mainframe¡­. Loading¡­. Establishing secure connection¡­ Initializing signal encryption¡­. Loading¡­. Successfully connected to ECHELON Mainframe¡­ Loading¡­. Level 4 Encryption successfully achieved¡­ Opening line to main headquarters¡­. ¡­¡­ ¡­ .. . ¡°Five eyes, this is Thanatos speaking. Requesting another scan before resuming operation over.¡± ¡°Affirmative Thanatos, another scan will be done within the next 15 minutes over.¡± ¡°The whole platoon will cut any form of communication before entering the net so please terminate any signals after the scan to avoid detection over.¡± ¡°Affirmative Thanatos, the scanned area will be linked to each individual terminals before termination of connection. And one last thing Thanatos..over.¡± ¡°I''m all ears five eyes.. over¡± ¡°Minimize damages and please try not to kill anyone there.. over.¡± ¡°Hahaha! Copy that five eyes.. we¡¯ll wrangle them safely...Thanatos out..¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.Initializing satellite scanning sector 7-7¡­. Scanning in progress¡­ ¡­¡­ ¡­.. ¡­. ¡­ .. . Scanning complete... Enhancing image¡­. ¡­ .. . Sending image to Thanatos... ¡­ .. . Sending image complete.. Terminating all connections¡­ ¡­ .. . . . Chapter 5 Initializing power conversion from source... Converting electrical energy¡­ Converting¡­. Desired input voltage achieved¡­. Regulating constant current¡­ Power level 60%.... Power level 74%.... Power level 81%.... Satisfactory power level is achieved¡­. Sweat trickled down my forehead and my breathing became all ragged as I watched the monitor intently. With every flash from the screen, a small glimmer of hope was seen. The dream that I¡¯ve always thought was impossible, was now within arm''s reach. *Vzooooommm* My creation buzzed and hummed as if it was coming to life. Never had I made this far before, for I always tripped upon taking this single step. The most important part for every invention that was made, the driving force or what we may usually call a power supply. That single obstacle ,that impeded with my progress in this research, was now cleared at last. Such a huge problem, solved by something so tiny. An old rusted medallion which was enclosed inside an attache case made out of high quality insulators. Continuously emitting electromagnetic waves, it was tricky to handle, and the amount of energy it posessed was unimaginable. A perfect source of power for the machine that was hungry for pure high quality energy. Utilizing the artifact was quite easy, for I only needed to attach a couple of wires on it and connect the other ends of the said wires into an electronic voltage regulator. As the raw energy was converted efficiently and constantly, numerous high voltage wires transfer it into the machine. It was running smoothly and the whole system was fully responsive. No technical and theoretical problems so far, which made the previous all-nighter worth it. A step closer to success! I shouted within my head with a victorious smile surfacing from my lips. Never had I felt this way before, my palms getting all sweaty and my heart throbbing in excitement. If the next tests were to progress as smoothly like this time, teleporting something inanimate would most likely be possible. Maybe a ball of crumpled paper transported somewhere within the globe. Assigning specific coordinates was currently impossible since that feature was still on its creation phase. Even so, just achieving with the teleportation part would undoubtedly become a major breakthrough in the field of quantum physics. As if reading the text message of my crush, I was so immersed in reading. With each line that pops out from the monitor, my heart never ceased to race subconsciously. Well, I certainly had crushes back in the mainland, but now the only girl that occupied my attention was the one in front of me, or so I thought. You have received mail! My eyebrows furrowed instantly as another program tab appeared out of nowhere, blocking the window I was so fond of watching. What now? I¡¯ll be entrusting Lily in your care for today. Come to the reception area immediately after receiving this message. From: Prof. William Sanders Huh? I was dumbfounded after reading the contents of the electronic mail. For that obstinate old man to rely on me, sure was surprising to know. Has he finally realized my greatness? That thought was the first one to came into my mind, but as I pondered about it more I soon realized myself. There was a high possibility of him just wanting to evade his responsibilities about his daughter. Using me as a scapegoat, he could continue with whatever he was busy of. Furthermore, I was currently in a position where I couldn''t refuse. He was a senior member and I am just a mere apprentice. Even so, if another apprentice was to receive such a favor from him, they would surely be delighted. But for me ,who witnessed his demeanor firsthand, it felt quite annoying. Sigh.. Let¡¯s just get this over with. I heaved a tired sigh before setting the main computer into standby mode. Who knows what this day has in store for me, but one thing was for sure. I Seth Alberts apprentice researcher was now a babysitter as well. ____________________________________________________________________________ "Big brother Seth! Over here!" She called out cheerfully, amongst the bustling crowd. Her sweet and young voice stood out as she yelled in a somewhat forceful way, probably to catch the attention of the spaced out me. Ever since I left the lab, my mind has been filled with nothing but things pertaining to my project. I was so immersed that I didn''t paid much attention to my surroundings and absentmindedly followed the source of the voice. "Good morning!" The little girl greeted me with a dazzling smile so bright that it began to hurt my sleep deprived eyes. Anyone would surely be reinvigorated after seeing such a heartwarming welcome, but all I could manage to do was force out a wry smile in front of the cheerful Lily. ¡°Y-yeah.. Good morning.¡± But then, after I set my eyes upon her attire, I couldn''t help but be taken aback. As if she was going on a field trip, Lily wore a plain t-shirt and a pair of comfortable pants, a combination that prioritizes comfort. Her previously sandal-clad feet were now covered by bright colored sneakers and a floral print backpack was hung on her back. ¡°Umm.. Are you going somewhere?¡± I asked out of the blue, curious as to where she intended to go while wearing such an attire. ¡°Yes! We¡¯ll be searching for more fun places today.¡± She replied enthusiastically with her cheeks slightly pink. No matter how you look at it, Lily¡¯s demeanor was completely opposite to her father. The cute little girl and the grumpy old father, quite the combination if I may say. Wait a minute! wait a minute! What do you by mean ¡®we¡¯? My eyebrows furrowed in vexation at that thought. All wanted to do for today was to sleep undisturbed. I was so tired, I think could sleep on cold pavement without much difficulty. Besides, wouldn''t it be better for her to be with her father instead of me? Nevertheless, I don¡¯t think that old timer knows anything about fun and I was the one who told her about those fun places in the beginning. I pondered for awhile that I forgot Lily was waiting for a reply. Looking up at me with wide eyes full of expectations, another one of those psychological attacks used to persuade those older people. She used this tactic frequently that I began to doubt if she was a normal girl at all. Maybe a secret agent sent by some secret organization to infiltrate the facilities of the order. This is bad! My thought process was continuously deteriorating that I began thinking of such ludicrous ideas. If I were to continue through this day in this state, I wouldn''t be surprised if I was to commit serious acts of idiocy. ¡°Haa¡­ alright follow me¡­¡± Regardless of my unmotivated manner of replying, Lily¡¯s face brightened up in response. For her to easily change her mood just like that, it was really fascinating. Well, such a trait was quite usual for children so I shouldn''t be surprised. But then, seeing children within the island was in itself rare. As I turned my back at Lily, she immediately walked beside me and waited for me to lead the way. Seeing this, I could safely say that she grew more comfortable of me compared to before. Its an achievement alright! But first thing first, we shouldn''t waste more time and proceed to our destination as soon as possible. A lot places could be considered fun here but I had already decided within my mind. ____________________________________________________________________________ The weightlessness of my body, the absence of the force called gravity. Soaring through the air as if I was a bird but did not have wings. A feeling that could only be felt by those people whose work was to live outside the world we call earth. Was it unpleasant? The body that was built for land now deprived of gravity. My sense of balance going haywire as balance didn¡¯t matter here. If one was to undergo such environment for the first time, experiencing dizziness and nausea was inevitable. Even so, Lily tried maneuvered her tiny body through the room by doing some swimming techniques. It was impossible to obtain propulsion even if she continued with it, I wanted to tell her, but her delighted face stopped me from doing so. She was clearly having fun and was not showing any signs of dizziness¡­. weird. As for me, I allowed my body to rest as it floated aimlessly. The oval shaped room was neither hot or cold, pure white walls, ceiling and floor. Just the perfect place to enter deep slumber. Not being a first-timer at this, the feeling was rather pleasant to me. I was literally sleeping in air, an authentic out of this world experience. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. I yawned as if it was the last for me, limbs outstretched my stiffened muscles began to relax. It was all for the best, choosing the facilities of the anti-gravity project as our destination for today. Furthermore, my mentor was the one who supervises this project so acquiring access was quite easy. The researchers assigned here were nice too. After whispering to them that Lily was Professor Sander¡¯s daughter, they became cooperative all of a sudden. Ingenious indeed! Using his reputation for our own advantage! But it was the truth so there was nothing wrong with it right? Setting those things aside, what I needed to do right now was to get some shut-eye. Clear the mind of anything and just let the darkness takeover. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. ¡­¡­... ¡­. BOOOOOM! A deafening noise reverberated throughout the room, even if it was clearly shut tight. I, who was on the brink of falling asleep was awoken spontaneously. My previously drowsiness wiped out completely and was now on high alert. For such a sound to reach the interior of the lab, the source must¡¯ve been near. If I were to guess, maybe a failed experiment caused a huge explosion. But then, the island has its own testing facility for projects that involved highly explosive substances and if I remember correctly, it was separated from the main island. From these thoughts, I began to worry. What could be the cause of this? I repeatedly questioned myself. But even before I arrived at a conclusion, a sudden announcement partially explained the current situation. DANGER! DANGER! LEVEL 4 Security breach is detected! All members are advised to relocate inside the underground containment facilities immediately! The usual monotone electronic voice was heard but was in a higher volume compared to before. Sirens were continuously sounded along with it, notifying the members of the order about the situation at hand. A level 4 breach... The gravest of all emergencies had befell upon us. For the location that was hailed to be the most difficult to detect and the system that was the most secure out of all the places in earth, it seemed that some people had the capability to detect our presences and consequently invade. It was unthinkable that anyone actually managed to infiltrate it. A terrorist group? No. There¡¯s a high possibility that an advance military force was behind this. Maybe one of the world¡¯s military superpower. A mere terrorist group wouldn¡¯t dare to disturb the order but if it was a whole country then that¡¯s another story. About their motives, I am unsure. But the vast information about the latest technologies could be the most probable reason. Acquiring it for their own use to boost their country¡¯s economy or even employ the newly developed weapons for national defence. Nevertheless, what we needed to do right now was to follow the instructions relayed by the announcement. If we were to idle longer, who knows what might happen to us. Not long after the announcement, the force that allowed the anti-gravity chamber to be operational, was cut off abruptly. Causing the relaxed me ,who was floating just moments ago, to fall on my back. I didn¡¯t even had the time to react to the pain and immediately checked Lily¡¯s current condition. Fortunate enough, she had landed safely on both her feet but clear confusion could be seen from her young face. If I would guess, such an expression could certainly be what i''m showing now myself. ¡°Let¡¯s go back now¡­¡± I spoke in a serious tone after managing to stand up from my fall. And in response to that, Lily just nodded her head meekly, seemingly conscious of the seriousness of the present situation. With that, I silently walked in front of the door, which automatically opened after sensing my presence. Revealing the spectacle of all researchers, assigned to this project, in a state of unrest. Confusion, fear, excitement and curiosity. Different faces showed different expressions. The hallway full of people was now in a state of chaos. Numerous voices mixed in together, forming an irritating discord. Some were shouting in excitement, some were trembling in fear. Others debating on what might be the cause of this incident, others just quietly obeyed the order. Such disorder was in itself dangerous. I was unsure if we could safely arrive at the destination, especially since Lily was with me right now. ¡°Hold my hand and never let go, Okay!¡± Thus, I decided. Shouting in a volume high enough for her to hear but not too much to hurt her ears, I notified Lily. At the same time, I offered a hand in front of her, waiting for her to accept voluntarily. Upon hearing my voice, Lily nodded her head vigorously with eyes that showed unwavering determination. Alright that¡¯s the spirit! It seemed that this girl was a brave one as well. Holding the outstretched hand firmly, she clasped it with a strong grip that I flinched in reaction. But then, her soft hand certainly felt cold. Maybe sweat? No it''s obviously sweat. There were still traces of fright, but she prevented it from showing off by putting up a strong front. It was quite amusing to me. Which made my tensed body to loosen up a bit and show a wry smile momentarily. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry now!¡± I exclaimed, before clashing with the sea of crowd with Lily in tow. Forming a path on our own, as if I was an icebreaker and Lily, a following ship. Shoulders colliding and bodies crashing to each other. Not concerned if they were to inflict harm to others, the waves continued to flow with only one direction in mind. Find the nearest elevator! A chant that was inaudible but was clear among all of them. The underground containment facilities were only accessible through elevators because of security purposes. I myself had never seen it before but the seniors said that it was the most secure place of all the structures within the island. Soon enough, a row of elevators were finally in sight. As it was not that far from where we¡¯ve been just moments ago, only 5 minutes or so was elapsed in our journey. Around it, a crowd that was thicker by several levels from before, gathered. Since this room connected many different divisions and was the only place where we could find elevators, it was as I expected it to be. Extreme physical contact such as intentional pushing and pulling of fellow members, wanting to save themselves above others. There was no such thing as a sense of camaraderie. Well, not all exhibited that kind of demeanor but the majority was the former. Me and Lily were in smaller in terms of size so we somewhat managed to slip off through the gaps of people. If this continued to proceed smoothly, we were bound to reach an elevator sooner or later. Securing the safety of the both of us, I was relieved by that thought that I pulled Lily much more faster and shoved aside those who were obstructing our way. Just a little bit more! I gritted my teeth in endurance for I had seen a glimpse of the door that would take us underground, away from the danger that might befall upon us. But as I drew closer the layers of people increased. Consequently, the gaps that were our only salvation shrunk in size as well. Oh no you don''t! In spite of that, I persevered. Squeezing my body through forcibly, I didn''t care if those people were to get angry at me. My efforts were not in vain as i¡¯m already in front of the opening, just a few steps away from safety. I was overjoyed! It could be said that this was another kind of accomplishment. Nevertheless, I immediately felt something was wrong, the hand that should¡¯ve been clasping the hand of Lily was currently empty. ¡°Lily!¡± I shouted in reflex, panic noticeable from my tone. Hoping to hear a response or even find Lily amongst the crowd, I sharpened my senses. I did everything that may possibly notify her of my current location and locate her position as well. Frustration crept up inside me as I didn''t hear anything but the crowd¡¯s hustle and bustle. Damn it! I had no choice. Retreating was the only way to go right now. I couldn''t possibly think of leaving Lily here! Using the way to get here, I began to retreat. Contrary to my previous countenance, I was enraged at the moment. Nose flared up with heavy steps, I clashed against the horde. My prior endeavor was all for nothing. Shortly after that, I reached the outermost layer of the crowd, where only a few softhearted ones had remained. Standing there, I continued to search frantically. But it seemed that I lost her while in the middle of the crowd as I still failed to see any signs of her. Sigh... There was nothing I could do at this point but to wait. Wait for the cluster of members to disperse. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ For those who are wondering when will be the transportation take place, it will be in the next chapter so stay tuned :) Chapter 6 Soon enough the thick crowd dissipated as the series of elevators completed roundtrips from the surface into the underground and back. Not even minding even if they collided with anyone, they kept pursuing the doors that would inevitably bring them to safety. ¡°LILY!!!¡± Seth shouted from the top of his lungs, forcing every bit of air to make the loudest voice possible. Frustration crept within his heart as he searched for her small figure, the calm and collected demeanor was nowhere to be found. The island possessed the latest technology in almost all fields of Science, therefore erasing its existence from the globe wasn¡¯t impossible if one would think about it. But then, the unthinkable happened. Everyone felt nothing but hostility from those bombarding explosions. After getting lost within his thoughts, Seth shook his head as to reaffirm the present situation. The sea of panicking white coats was eventually reduced to a number that can be counted in one hand. And there, a bit further away from where Seth stopped his tracks, the little girl that seemed out of place was squatted on the floor. Quiet sobs reached his ears as he approached the girl that was trembling from fear. ¡°Lily¡­¡± He muttered in a voice that was only loud enough for her to hear. As if it was a switch, the trembling of the girl stopped. Her face, that was hidden by both her tear drenched arms, meekly peered at the boy. ¡°Can you walk?¡± Lily shook her head in response. Unsteadily, she tried to stand from her current posture. Her form noticeably unstable after Seth saw her left feet, not fully planted on the tiled floor. He grimaced in front of the sight that resulted from his carelessness but quickly shifted his gears for more important matters. ¡°I¡¯ll carry you. ¡° He said after kneeling with his back facing Lily, urging her to ride on his back. A smile that carried not a hint of irritation or frustration appeared on his face. Even though he only knew Lily for quite a short time, it felt like years worth of memories had already been made. Lily moved here at such a young age. Surrounded by adults, without someone to play or relate with, she lived through the days by quickly adapting from her surroundings. It''s quite similar to Seth¡¯s situation when he came here after he was adopted. He quickly learned many difficult things so that he could at least carry himself around with dignity. As he was spacing out yet again, Seth was taken aback by the warm feeling that was transmitted on his back. ¡°Alright, we need to hurry now.¡± ¡°-yeah.¡± After affirming that Lily was properly secured, Seth stood up steadily, a bit thankful that she was light enough for him to carry around. ¡°Hold on tight okay.¡± ¡°......... ¡° Seth didn''t heard a response but didn''t mind it since she complied, tightening the arms around his neck. Lily was beet red as she did that but later recovered as she entrusted herself to this reliable back. ____________________________________ All elevators were closed tightly as soon as the two of them reached their destination. Electronic panels that were situated beside each door indicated that the trip down to the shelter was still ongoing. All they could do right now was wait for one to return. As each nerve wracking seconds passed, unease grew within Seth bit by bit. Who knows what might happen to them if they were delayed even further. Even so, they had no choice but to wait. ¡°Come to think of it, why did Lily come here?¡± He asked a question, wanting to dispel the tension in the air. Lily on the other hand blinked in confusion for a few seconds but soon realized what he meant to say. ¡°So I can be with Daddy.¡± She answered briefly without a hint of hesitation. ¡°To be with family huh..¡± A somewhat sad look was reflected on his eyes as he stared at the door in wonder. The only family he could think of was only the Professor. Not even knowing where he came from, Seth had no memories of his biological parents. He brooded over this fact for a long time during his childhood days but it soon became a needless worry as soon as he was adopted. Gaining access to this island must¡¯ve required a lot of connections. Professor William really did something unbelievable, acquiring permission for his daughter to enter this top secret facility. ¡­.!!! Their idle talk soon came to a close when they felt the ground shaking. Unnatural tremors occurred at repeated intervals, as if it was orchestrated with the loud explosions that still continued even now. ¡°Open the damn door! ¡± ¡°I don''t want to die!!¡± ¡°Shit! Shit! Shit!!¡± Cries of despair resounded and throughout the hall as the people left began to panic. Some were hopelessly crying some showed violent behavior by repeatedly banging the steel doors with their bare hands. The lights that illuminate the place then began to flicker and soon lost their shine as the explosions continued to wreak havoc. Fear swallowed the remaining white coats, causing them to fall on their knees. ¡°......¡± Nevertheless, Seth remained unfazed as he closed his eyes while deep in thought. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. The both of them would surely meet their demise if they end up like the others. A calm mind even in the midst of chaos, an important trait of an ideal Scientist, his father always told. Lucky for him the Professor hammered this to his brain ever since he started living here. He was almost invulnerable from provocations or anything of that sort. But then, Lily was not the same. Her arms that was wrapped around his neck tightened, her body trembled nonstop. ¡°Don''t worry.¡± Emergency lights began to illuminate the hall, revealing the sorry state of those who were left. ¡°I will bring you to safety, I promise!¡± He declared while beaming a sincere smile that was not visible to Alice, unfortunately. Nonetheless it definitely had its effect, Lily calmed down to some extent. Seth heaved a breath of relief as she loosened the hug. He certainly needed a lot more room for air as he dashed and kicked the floor with all his might. ______________________________________________________________________________ Crimson eyes that seemed to belong to a nocturnal beast. A pure black body that resembled the form of a human being. As if it was the incarnation of the devil, it trudged through the tiled floor, leaving not a single sound from its footsteps. Wielding a sort of weapon that resembled rifles but differs in a way that it was large enough to be mistaken as a 50 calibre sniper rifle. The monster-esque entity was not alone, it moved in groups of 5 while carrying those guns effortlessly. Not a single voice could be heard mouths but they seemed to have a form of communication as they moved in perfect coordination. Under the guise of the darkness only the pair of glowing orbs were visible to the naked eye. Not a single thing could stop their advance, demolishing through anything that stood their way. The island¡¯s main defense system composed mostly of humanoid robots but most of them were left nonfunctional due to the explosions that occurred earlier. Remnants eventually found the intruders but never stood a chance against them. The weapon held by the enemy whirled as electricity flowed from their suits. Faint light could clearly be seen within the gaps of the metal that made up the unusual gun. With a pull of the trigger, the state of the art security bots were demolished, leaving a huge hole that hollowed the torso of the machine. The attack didn¡¯t emit any kind of sound but the sound of metal hitting the walls did. Chunks of metal made loud clattering noises but the group were unperturbed. They kept advancing, albeit slowly, as if time was not really an issue. And soon enough, the eyes that held not a hint of life was laid on the figures of the white coats, despairing on a hall lined with elevators that were shut tightly. ¡°Have Mercy!!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do anything! Please don''t kill me!!¡± They begged shamelessly and threw away all the pride left from their once proud selves. Snot mixed with tears covered their unsightly faces as they prostrated in front of the intruders. But then, not all of them shared the same trail of judgement. A lone white coat, who was situated at a corner that was far from the others, readied himself. Possessing a fairly muscular body, he was quite confident that he could escape from the intruding party. The hall was wide enough for around a hundred of people, the enemy which only numbered five couldn''t possibly block his way that easily. Even though he clearly saw their unusual weapons, his guts told him that death was the only thing waiting for him here. Luckily, he wasn''t just the one who thought of these. As soon as the enemy noticed their bawling colleagues, another white coat took a run for it. Now!! Adrenaline was pumped into his system as soon as he kicked against the tiled floor. Not a shred of hesitation could be seen from his form as he dashed with all his might. It was his only chance to break through he thought. The other one who ran a bit earlier than him may very well be considered as a diversion for his escape. I can make it! I can make it! He chanted over and over again as he neared the exit of the hall, not noticing the faint light that flashed behind him. **************************************************** Seth sped through the dimly lit halls frantically while carrying Lily on his back. Instead of competing with those who wanted to enter the elevators, he decided an abrupt change of plan. His senses, even though a little rusty after being secluded for a while, told him to do so. He felt they needed to move continuously or else they would be in serious trouble. ¡­¡­.. Only silence could be heard with those occasional explosions that came from the outside as he traversed through the dark maze without even coming across a single soul. It was as expected since almost of all of the people we''re waiting in line to be transported to the underground facility. But for both Seth and Lily, their destination was changed not long ago. It was the detached research facility that Seth managed ever since he came here. It may sound idiotic to seek shelter in such a lowly secured place, but his intuition told him the opposite. ¡°Almost there.¡± He chanted, wanting to forget the burden that he was currently experiencing. Seth¡¯s physical capabilities was undoubtedly below average but due to the fact that their lives were on the line, he needn''t concern himself with the fatigue. Luckily, as if his luck was at its peak today, he didn''t come across any danger as he dashed and walked, conserving energy as much as possible. ¡°huff...huff...huff¡± After retracing the path he took before, he finally reached his objective. Even though he was panting quite heavily, his hands deftly accessed the terminal that was installed outside the shell like barrier, containing the transport pod. Outgoing transport requests were not that strict since he only needed a password and a quick Iris scan before gaining access. [Access is granted to Mr. Seth Alberts. ID No. 21217211697. Have a safe trip.] Seth didn''t even let the synthetic voice finish its farewell as he quickly entered an available pod. ¡°Lily you can sit there for now.¡± He urged, as his legs were about to give up. In response, Lily meekly removed her arms that was wrapped around his neck and obediently sat at the only available chair inside the transport. Not long after that, the capsule moved automatically and immediately sped through the transparent tunnel, showing the chaos that was happening outside the headquarters. A sea of fire enveloped almost half of the forest that covered the whole island. The experimental animals running rampant here and there, trees that flourished through the years of his stay we''re being incinerated. Instead of fear as to who had caused all of this, only rage dominated his heart. It was his only home, and now it was being destroyed within a matter of hours. He felt powerless as he stood there, clenching his fists in vexation. Lily on the other hand, watched the scene in a daze. Not entirely believing what''s happening right now. **************************************************** Soon enough, the transport pod reached its destination. The lush green forests that surrounded his research laboratory was left untouched since it was situated at the northernmost edge of the island. Judging from the smoke that could be seen even from their location, almost all of the attacks were concentrated at the headquarters. Seth immediately carried Lily on his back yet again, right after the door of the pod popped open. Even though he stood throughout the trip, his legs were once again filled with energy after witnessing the destruction that would undoubtedly find its way to them. Not wanting to waste any time, he dashed straight while facing north. Lily kept her silence ever since she was carried. Her face buried at Seth''s back, not wanting to witness anymore devastation. And not long after that, the sight of his prided home came into view. It was still the same with no signs of destruction anywhere. Seth was convinced that the intruders still hadn''t found this place which he made it more safer than staying at the headquarters. He fished out a key from one of his pockets as he approached the door that was locked in an old fashion way. Seth unlocked the doors skillfully and made his way inside the facility. The door was then locked from the inside, with the same security that was seen from the outside. ¡°It''s already safe, you can let go now.¡± He urged Lily as he knelt, making it easy for her to get off his back. ¡°Ok.¡± She muttered timidly while loosening her arms that were wrapped around his neck. Right after breaking free, Seth scanned the area briefly. The interior was sufficiently lit since the power source of this facility is independent from the main power grid of the island. Standing out from the rest of the machines that were scattered here and there was his current project. The teleportation machine, albeit a prototype, boasted an unimaginable potential now that he had acquired a compatible and sustainable power source which was the mysterious medallion. It was their only hope of getting out of this island even though using it had a lot of dangers of its own. Nevertheless, it gave a percentage of success and that was enough for Seth. ¡°Success rate should be 50% at best. ¡° He proclaimed as he began to access the terminal that was attached to the machine. His fingers tapped on the keyboard at an extraordinary speed while his pupils moved in sync with the data that was displayed on the monitor. ¡°The destination should be the nearest body of land.¡± A virtual map was projected inside his mind as he kept on inputting information into the machine. The coordinates of the nearest landmass were added to his inputs without even the slightest doubt of his own knowledge of the world''s geography. Seth was in full work mode and Lily, who sat at a nearby chair, couldn''t help but blink her eyes in surprise. It was as if Seth was a completely different person. But things don''t really go as planned all of the time. [INTRUDER ALERT!] [INTRUDER ALERT!] Even though the security of the door was quite mediocre, a security net that surrounded the vicinity of the facility was installed to make up for it. And now something or someone triggered the alarm. Damn it! I need more time! Frustration crept inside him as he increased his speed further. He didn''t have the leisure to check for the intruder as he focused all of his attention on the screen in from of him. As if responding to his demands, the machine which was warming up for quite some time, began to vibrate erratically. The medallion that was harnessed to the machine started to shine and emit sparks. Lily was confused as to where she was supposed to look, the machine or the door where the both of them came in. There was something ominous at the other side of that door that she couldn''t help but stare at it intently. ¡°This is it! Finally!¡± Seth exclaimed in pure bliss. Even though it was not the appropriate time to celebrate, he couldn''t help but be overjoyed now that his greatest creation was coming to life. The part of the machine, that resembled a large mirror frame, began to emit light. The light filled the frame but it didn''t end there, the blinding brilliance continued to increase without any signs of stopping. ¡°What the-.¡± He muttered, his emerald pupils constricting in response to the light that was drowning his vision. Chapter 7 Everything was white then there was darkness. The pupils that were once constricted began to dilate in response to the pitch black surrounding. He couldn''t move his body due to an inexplicable fatigue that assailed every part of him. But still, Seth knew he was alive. His breathing was normal and his heart still beating. It was just his body that refused to obey his commands. He was probably lying down on the ground, his back pressed on a surface that was both hard and cold. There was nothing he could do at this point. A lot of questions surfaced in his mind but he didn''t have the energy to think. It was only a matter of time until he succumbed into the darkness and entered deep slumber. **************************************************** He opened his eyes, revealing his emerald pupils that were somewhat exhausted. Rather than the extreme fatigue that he felt before, Seth could feel something coursing through his veins. He felt energized but it was quite different from being energized by a good and long sleep. Something extraordinary happened to his body but being the realist that he was, Seth dismissed it as something trivial. What he needed to do right now was to find out what happened to them and respond to the situation accordingly. The interior of the facility was quite dark but the window panes, installed at the topmost part of some of the walls, provided enough lighting that Seth could more or less see what was in front of him. It was a failure huh¡­ He sighed dejectedly. The very first teleportation attempt yielded no results. The machines that were sprawled around the floor, the bundles of wires and cables, the slightly rusted roof, everything was still the same. It was a 50% chance of success, but still he had high hopes for it. ¡°I guess, I''m back to zero again.¡± Seth couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly. The line that was uttered for so many times that it may soon become his official catchphrase, escaped from his lips. For him that focused solely on experimental researches, failure in almost every prototype runs were inevitable so he needn''t brood over it. Most importantly, what he needed to do right now was to analyze the situation at hand. He narrowed his eyes, allowing him to view his surroundings more clearly, and saw the one he was supposed to take care of. It was Lily lying on the ground in a somewhat awkward position. She was lying face down with her behind, a little bit elevated than the rest of her body. ¡°Uhmm¡­ Lily are you okay? Seth inquired as he approached Lily, occasionally snickering. It was quite a weird transition from her original sitting position. No answer was heard which made him worried but as soon as he was right beside the sprawled Lily, a soft sound of sleeping tickled his ears. A wry smile escaped from his lips amidst that spectacle. She was sleeping so peacefully even though positioned in an unusual way, nevertheless Seth knew that letting her sleep on the ground wouldn''t end well. So without further ado, he princess carried her, careful not to wake her up in the process. Everything seems so peaceful. He thought as he was making his way to his room, his eyebrows furrowing in reflex. Not a single sound of explosion could be heard. Even though an intruder was supposed to be outside the facility, only the calming sound of silence prevailed. But those thoughts momentarily faded away as he arrived inside his room. He made his way in front of the bed and carefully lowered Lily¡¯s sleeping body. Her face was quite dirty, as it was planted on the ground not long ago. Nevertheless, it was so peaceful that it made Seth forget the tension as he covered her small body with a comfy blanket. However, as soon as he stepped outside the room, his mind was flooded with thoughts about their current predicament. Everything was so peaceful that he was convinced that the Order had successfully defended the island from its intruders. But judging from the firepower of the said intruders, it wouldn''t be that easy. It would take at least days to completely reclaim the island and it felt like only a few hours had passed since the start of the chaos. Instinctively, his eyes fell upon the electronic clock attached on the wall and was baffled by its content. 8:88:88 AM PM, Jan. 8, 8888 It was undoubtedly broken, displaying such nonsense time and date. Seth was quick to think that maybe the light that engulfed the whole place was the cause. An electromagnetic pulse-esque phenomenon made by the failed run. With the addition of the fact that not a single electronic equipment beside the clock was functioning, he considered it as an established fact. That was one question answered, but still a lot remain unresolved. What he needed to do right now was to view the world outside in order to enlighten his thoughts even for a bit. The only way for that now was to go out physically since all of his monitoring equipments were unavailable for the meantime.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. So Seth decided to at least take a peek cautiously, not forgetting that an intruder was supposedly still on the loose. But first and foremost, he needed something to defend himself with. He walked towards the front door with a serious expression plastered on his face. A gun rack that was inconspicuously placed beside the door, held the only weapon that could be found inside his home. Seemingly made out of a simple system of tubes, a tranquilizer gun that resembled the form of a sniper rifle. Beside it was a belt, filled with darts with different labels attached. Seth unhesitatingly picked up both the weapon and the belt. The gun wasn''t that heavy at all since it could be held easily with one hand and the belt was perfectly fitted onto his waist. A holographic sight was attached to the gun which made aiming a little bit easier for Seth, nonetheless shooting wasn¡¯t his cup of tea. Numerous darts, tipped with hypodermic needles, with varying degree of lethality were installed to the belt. Allowing quick reloading, considering that the gun could only fire once every reload. ¡°I need something that can kill.¡± He muttered in an indifferent tone, as he fished out the darts from his belt one at a time. A sedative, a paralyzing and a comatosing dose were the ones used commonly. But since this is a special occasion, Seth reluctantly picked a homemade dart. It contained the most acutely lethal toxin known to man, the botulinum toxin. The dart was made by him impulsively as soon as he got his hands on the tranquilizer gun. He didn''t really consider the possibility that he would it someday, but now was the perfect time. He loaded the dart into the gun and proceeded to unlock the old fashioned locks that secured the door. With every single click of the locks, Seth¡¯s heartbeat felt like it doubled in speed. It was nerve wracking but he steeled his resolve to fight back if needed. Pushing back the door with his left hand while aiming the gun at the other, he cautiously opened it. Sunlight slowly creeped through the gap of the opening door, momentarily blinding his sight. But soon enough, his eyes adapted to the radiance and proceeded to view his surroundings with utmost focus. As expected, a steady line of trees surrounded the facility but something was eerily different about it. These trees are enormous! Towering at about a hundred meters, the humongous trees overshadowed his house. Even so, the sunlight wasn¡¯t blocked at all since it was currently positioned above. ¡°It¡¯s like an entirely different place.¡± He concluded, but still couldn¡¯t believe himself. Forest critters, that one would normally consider harmless, could be found here and there. But upon closer inspection, their sizes were five times bigger than normal. The nearest one was a butterfly nestled on a tree branch whose wingspan was comparable to a parrot¡¯s. It was like he was dreaming while still awake. Most probably, these were delusions caused by the aftereffects of that light that swallowed him. Overwhelmed by the outrageous things he witnessed all at once, Seth was left stupefied. His thoughts were in shambles but something immediately pulled him out of confusion. The unpleasant scent of iron wafted into his nostrils which made him wince in reflex. The ground where he was standing at was smeared with fresh blood and something unusual was left in the middle of that mess. A futuristic weapon that Seth was quite familiar with. ¡°A plasma gun huh.¡± Its length was as long as his tranquilizer gun except for the fact that it was bulky, with plates of thermal resistant alloys making up most of its body. The weapon was originally made by the order so he had seen it before. But seeing it here made him realize that the invaders were somewhat related to a country''s government since these weapons weren''t mass produced and was exclusive for special defense forces. Seth meekly picked up the weapon that had hints of blood around its surface and was surprised to how light it was. But now wasn''t the right time to be immersed in it so he shifted his line of sight back to the bloodied ground. A dried puddle of blood was concentrated on the front of the door but it didn''t end just there. A trail of blood continued until it entered the forest. It was easily visible to Seth because there was a clearing around the facility that was devoid of any kinds of vegetation. Beyond that was the forest that seemed untouched. Seth was sure that the one who bled profusely here was the intruder. He was undoubtedly attacked by something very dangerous and consequently, suffered a gruesome defeat. The weapon that was his only way to fight back was left here, further escalating the probability that the intruder was killed and was dragged back into the forest. ¡°This place is too abnormal.¡± He concluded with an anguished look. Thoughts about the dangers that might be lurking just beyond this clearing made his spine shiver. *rustle* ¡­.. *rustle* *rustle* His ears twitched in reflex as a suspicious rustling sound was heard somewhere in front of him. *rustle* *rustle* *rustle* The sound continued, its frequency increasing with every passing second. *rustle* *rustle* *rustle* *rustle* Seth dropped the plasma gun and assumed an aiming position with his tranquilizer gun. As much as he wanted to use the futuristic gun, he didn''t really know how to operate it so he still chose his original weapon. A bush that was almost out of his view, shook uncontrollably and eventually showed the thing that was coming towards Seth. A pitch black wolf that was three heads taller than Seth albeit standing on fours. Muscles that bulged at a degree that it was clearly visible even if its fur was quite thick. The both of them paused as soon as they saw through each other''s eyes. The raging color of crimson and the ever so tranquil emerald stared at each other. And the one who made the first move was-. ¡°Oh no you don''t!¡± He shouted in distress as the wolf began to lunge towards him. It was full of hostility right off the bat so Seth readied his counterattack. His heart felt like it would burst anytime now, as adrenaline was pumped into his system continuously. The dot sight was aimed straight at the incoming beast with Seth''s trigger finger waiting for just the right timing to fire. The desire to survive overshadowed his fear of the enemy. Making his form as steady as a rock and his eyes focused to the limit. Fire!! Seth pulled the trigger, the compressed gas released. Propelling the aerodynamic dart that was armed with the biochemical weapon. It flew silently while spinning at regular intervals, allowing it to overcome the drag caused by external factors such as wind. ¡­!!! And it was an accurate shot. The dart was embedded on the forehead of the wolf. Injecting its contents through the hypodermic needle, Seth was satisfied with his aim. Since it landed on its head, the poison would act more quickly. But still¡­¡­. That thing is not slowing down! The wolf kept its speed even if the toxin had entered its system. It''s pair of crimson orbs still locked on its prey. What the hell is that thing made off?!! Seth tossed the tranquilizer gun and picked up the plasma gun. His original weapon could only be fired once so taking the other one would probably raise his survivability even for a bit. ¡°Work! Work you piece of trash!¡± He aimed the plasma gun unsteadily and repeatedly pulled the trigger, while cursing out of frustration. Even so, the gun didn''t respond in any way. And eventually the wolf that was supposed to be running towards him was nowhere in sight. Oh shit!!! The beast, intending to pounce on Seth, jumped out of his vision. And Seth, out of pure survival instincts, jumped and rolled to his side, in an attempt to escape from certain doom. BAAAM!! A deafening sound reverberated into his eardrums, bits and pieces of rubble were dispersed from the point of impact. Seth, close to the source of the sound, felt his ears ringing and was disoriented for a few seconds while lying on the ground. ¡°Ughh, that was close. ¡° He slowly stood up with a hand gently massaging his head that received such a shock. However, another shock was on his way as soon as he got up. A cloud of dust momentarily obscured his vision but as it dissipated bit by bit, the aftermath became as clear as the day. The part of the facility, where the door was supposed to be, was caved in. Inside of it was the beast, slumped lifelessly on the floor. ¡°So it was effective.¡± He muttered interestedly while approaching the center of the destruction. Upon closer inspection, the body of the wolf was triple the size of a grown thoroughbred horse. It had such a massive body that the toxins¡¯ effect slowed down to such a degree that it could and even jump that high. ¡°Not so tough now ain''t ya?¡± Seth snorted at it arrogantly and began to throw kicks at its exposed belly repeatedly. Not knowing that the toxin hadn''t exerted its full effect yet. RROOOAARRR!! ¡°Eek!¡± It gave a last cry of struggle, its body jerking uncontrollably, which made Seth whimper embarrassingly after doing such a childish move. But after a minute or two, it ceased to move once again. Leaving a massive carcass that took up at least a fifth of the interior of his home. Chapter 8 Seth scratched his head, clueless on how to move this monster of a wolf that gouged out a hole so big, a truck could easily pass through it. He was hesitant on touching it again, but Seth knew that leaving the carcass here would inevitably invite more danger to him and Lily. It''s too heavy for me and I don''t have any heavy equipment to move it. He pondered for a while, his unpigmented eyebrows furrowed, and soon came to a standstill with his thoughts. ¡°I''ll figure something out.¡± A sigh escaped from his mouth, lamenting about the fact that even if his brain has extraordinary processing capabilities, he couldn''t do much in this situation. In order to maximize their survivability in this treacherous jungle, Seth needed something to defend their home against outside threats. Judging by the level of danger the wolf imposed, it''s only a matter of time before beasts, as ferocious or even more, would come this way. But first things first, a basic survival strategy would always include the most basic necessities needed for survival. Food, water, fire, shelter and clothes and a way to defend oneself. He nodded in affirmation to his own thoughts. ¡°It''s time to work!¡± Seth pumped his fist into the air while shouting full of vigor. ____________________________________ A barrel shaped body metal that was twice as tall as an adult human was enclosed in a small room. Situated at the middlemost past of the facility, it was one of the Order''s creation that led to its success. Harnessing the elements, fusing them, and consequently produce clean and sustainable energy. Hum¡­. ..Hum.. ¡­.Hum The so called nuclear fusion reactor that outclassed the use of nuclear fission. And within that barrel shaped reactor, there was Seth humming in a repetitive tone. Holding a wrench in one hand and a flashlight on the other, he carefully examined the machine, without minding the oil and grease. ¡°Everything seems intact.¡± He announced delightedly after seeing the interior of the reactor. All wirings, tubings, and magnets were good as new. No damage was received from the EMP-like phenomenon that engulfed the whole facility. ¡°Yep! It''s good to go.¡± Seth rejoiced and began to crawl his way out of the reactor. Through a passage that was only enough to fit his body, he wiggled his way out, relieved that he needn''t repairs for the power source. As soon as he got out, he quickly approached a terminal that was positioned at about ten steps away from the reactor. Initializing system¡­.. Loading¡­. Loading¡­. Loading¡­. Initializing preliminary cycle Estimated time of completion: 2 hours 30 minutes 7 seconds He accessed the terminal and initiated the startup of the reactor. ¡°Alright. Objective one complete.¡± Satisfaction was radiating from his face as soon as he saw the machine responding to his every command. It''s startup needed quite a lot of time, but it was as expected since it needed to heat up plasma at around one hundred million degrees Celsius. ____________________________________ The white haired boy stood lazily, his back a little bit hunched, both hands placed on his hips. With only natural lighting that came from some of the windows, he could at least see what was in front of him. But then, he had a flashlight with him so tripping on something was out of the question. Seth was again experiencing another set back to his objectives. But compared to the first one, it didn''t need any kind of scientific intervention, nevertheless it was one of the most important factors for survival. ¡°There''s no water!¡± He shouted in dismay as he stood in front of the kitchen sink. With his clothes dirtied from working inside the reactor, Seth really wanted to take a bath. Nonetheless, the faucet installed on the sink didn''t dispense any water no matter how many times he turned the knob. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°The piping system must''ve been cut.¡± Seth muttered dejectedly, but soon accepted the fact that it was the inevitable outcome. The teleportation was so successful, it transported the whole facility, consequently cutting all of its connections. Even so, just thinking about it made his throat feel dry. ¡°Objective two will be put in hold.¡± There was nothing he could do right now even if it''s a crucial part survival. The best chance he could somehow get would be to find a body of water and use it as a source for clean, potable water. ¡°Next is food¡­.¡± Seth turned his back to the sink and proceeded to check through the contents of his refrigerator. It was a simple and practical refrigerator that one would easily find in modern homes. ¡°It''ll probably last us for a week.¡° Preserved pre-flavored meat that only requires trying, instant noodles, canned sardines, canned beans, and more unhealthy foods were packed inside the refrigerator. All of them were somewhat slightly chilled, which told Seth that the power inside the facility hadn''t been cut off for a long time. One would probably be surprised that Seth hadn''t gained a lot of weight from eating such food daily. ¡°Thank God there''s water!¡± He cheered delightedly as soon as his source of light illuminated a compartment inside the refrigerator that was full of bottles of drinking water. Gulp¡­.gulp¡­.gulp Without hesitation, he drank one bottle in one go. A cold sensation flowed into his throat and quenched his thirst. Not minding the fact that their supply of it was rather low. ¡°Guah! I can''t believe water tastes so delicious.¡± Satisfied with it, Seth began to chuckle to himself but immediately turned serious as he counted the number of remaining bottles. ¡°We''re down to seven bottles, it may last us for two days at best.¡± That was his rough estimate but there''s more water if he counted the distilled water he uses for some of his biological experiments. It''s potable alright but Seth could only think of it as their last resort. He needed to find a stable source of water, food and a defense system that could ward off monsters as soon as possible. Exploring and quickly adapting to this place was his only chance for survival if they were to stay here for a long period of time. Seth calmly recollected his thoughts and imagined the future that''s in store for both him Lily. ____________________________________ He spent all of his time inspecting every nook and cranny of the facility, trying to find something useful that could help him with his predicaments. Seth couldn''t do much without electricity and anything that could help them for the sake of survival was indispensable. Fortunately, he did found something. And as soon as he collected all the things that he deemed useful, the whole facility lightened up. ..!! Seth reflexively covered his eyes due to the lights suddenly turning on. And as soon as it adjusted to the brightness, his vision fell upon the things he had collected that were placed on the floor. A weather balloon. A weird looking camera. A futuristic looking goggles. And an exoskeleton. It was a great haul that made Seth beam a triumphant smile and gave him an urge to do a victory pose. The first that caught his eyes was the exoskeleton prototype. It was the base for the mass produced supportive exoskeleton that boosts the physique of its wearer. Exclusively issued to government agencies, quite similar to the plasma gun. But it''s still a prototype. His father sent it to him for modification as a means of training Seth with synthetic tissue modification. Surprisingly, he failed at it. Instead of increasing both strength and dexterity, Seth had increased its strength to a monstrous level in expense of dexterity, making it a failure. And it still needed a wire for constant supply of electricity. Even so, it had its uses for moving heavy things. Moving that thing will be a piece of cake~ The next item was the goggles. Three lenses with varying sizes were installed unevenly on the goggles. Allowing night, infrared, thermal vision respectively. It wasn''t a prototype this time since he occasionally uses it for spotting stray animals during the night. It looks cool but still a bit too bulky. Next was the 3D mapping device that looks like a ball made up of hundreds of lenses. About the size of a basketball, it was a standard equipment for the meteorological division. It could map at least a few kilometers of land and accurately replicate the terrain in a computer generated 3D model. It''s been awhile since I''ve use one of these. The meteorological division didn''t have Seth as it''s only member. It''s members were scattered evenly within the island and usually work alone. And last but not the least was the weather balloon. As anticlimactic as it was, the balloon didn''t possess anything advance. It was a normal and simple balloon used in carrying weather instruments up into the air. ¡°I could pick more but these will do for now.¡± He announced satisfyingly while thinking of the things he could do with them. But is this really the right choice? Even though everything was still going as planned, Seth felt conflicted. He could probably work something out with the teleportation machine but it had its own risks. As it didn''t properly transport them to the coordinates he painstakingly inputted, using it right now was a gamble. There was a high possibility that it could take them to a more dangerous place so he dismissed that idea. ¡°The only clue we have now is that mysterious medallion.¡± His feet subconsciously brought him in front of the teleportation machine while he was busy recollecting his thoughts. ¡°Something so small could do something unimaginable.¡± Seth fished out the medallion that was instead inside the machine and began to examine its appearance. It was filled with mysterious marking that were indecipherable to Seth. Uncovering it''s mysterious would undoubtedly help him with going back home. Setting those things aside, something kept on bugging him as soon as he held the medallion on his left hand. I''m not getting electrocuted or anything¡­ His brows were furrowed in confusion as the medallion that was supposed to contain unimaginable amount of energy didn''t harm his hand in any way. Instead, something he couldn''t believe happened before his eyes. What the hell? The medallion sunk into his hands, as if it dissolved right through it. It startled Seth to an extent that his mouth went agape in bewilderment. It didn''t trigger any pain at all, which made him even more confused. ¡°There goes our only ticket in getting back home.¡± He laughed at the midst of the confusion and soon found something peculiar with his left hand. ¡°Do I get some sort of power now?¡± The markings that was carved into the medallion was now marked at the back of his hand. It certainly was befitting of a scene where the protagonist of a story that would get powers from an ancient artifact. However, for the realist Seth, he had difficulties in accepting that theory. ¡°Alright, let''s test it out.¡± As to prove this theory, he readied himself and took a lifting pose in front of the machine. ¡°Heave-ho!¡± Shouting that as a cue, he exerted his full strength, and tried on lifting the machine that weighed at least half a ton. He gnashed his teeth as fatigue began seep into his muscles that were contracted to its limits. But to no avail, it didn''t even budge in the slightest. ¡°No good huh.¡± He sighed dejectedly while retracting his arms that ached from over exertion. ¡°How about magic?¡± Seth enthusiastically held his left arm in front of him and imagined a fireball forming at the surface of his marked hand. ¡°I can feel it! I can feel it! Uooh!¡± He shouted as if fire would really come out from his palm. Nonetheless, he was clearly playing around as usual, seeing that nothing had happened at all. Who am I kidding here? Something fishy as having superhuman strength and magic was a thing of fairy tales. And Seth who expected something out of that bizarre medallion could only ridicule himself. The giant wolf must''ve been a product of superior evolution so it all made sense. ¡°This place is like a parallel world where evolution of all living things took a different path, hence their gigantic sizes makes sense.¡± That was his conclusion based on scientific facts, dismissing the truth that this world was in fact filled with mysteries that was beyond science that encompasses only natural phenomenon. ¡°Okay! Let''s get back to work.¡± As he regained his senses from his so called delusions, Seth began to install the exoskeleton on his body. Bundles of synthetic tissues that were connected by a frame that was made of a lightweight but super durable metal. The general outline of the device was that of a spine with two arms and legs. A neural translation device sat on top of Seth''s head, allowing him to control the exoskeleton as if it was his own. And the power cable that was attached at the bottom of the spine. ¡°Everything seems to fit perfectly.¡± Since the exoskeleton was already adjusted to his body frame, Seth''s appearance wasn''t too bad. If he was to look in front of a mirror while wearing clothes, a slightly buffed up him would be seen. ¡°Alright! Let''s move that thing out of here.¡± He puffed out his chest as he felt stronger than before. And began on marching towards the door while the cable, that was supposed to supply the exoskeleton power, followed behind. ____________________________________ A cold and chilling aura filled the room that was made up of stone. Damp and dark, moss covered the ceiling and most of the walls. The only place where light could enter was through tiny crevices on the ceiling that formed throughout the centuries of weathering it had endured. And within that room there was something or someone that had awaken from its long slumber. ¡°You''re back at last~.¡± A sweet voice echoed within the room that was filled with nothingness. Chapter 9 Seth was left flabbergasted right after arriving at the wreckage site. ¡°And now it''s gone.¡± The giant wolf that was supposed to be blocking the hole it had created was mysteriously gone. He was sure that the poison had kicked in its system but seeing that it had moved elsewhere, Seth couldn''t help but be worried. As much as he wanted to think that ¡®things do sort themselves out¡¯, his predicament became much much worse. ¡°I need to cover this hole immediately.¡± The walls of the facility was their only safe haven and seeing such a huge hole on it, brought a premonition of danger to Seth. I need something more durable. After witnessing the destruction of the concrete wall that was tens of inches thick, covering it with something half-assed would probably cost them their lives. Hmmm, that''ll probably do. Seth''s gaze fell upon several stacks of freight containers that were neatly arranged on one side of the facility''s main hall. Not only prototypes but also defective products were sent in here for storage. These 12 meters long steel containers were used for transporting consumer-ready products to several countries throughout the world. ¡°Heave-ho!¡± Equipped with the state of the art exoskeleton that was built solely for strength, Seth positioned himself in front of a stack of three and began to lift it effortlessly albeit very slow. The massive weight and mass of the two container at the top coupled with the force exerted by the exoskeleton below, caused the bottommost one to creak in stress. ¡°One¡­ two¡­.one¡­.two.¡± Seth rhythmically carried the stack with his two arms that weren''t experiencing any kind of load, provided that the customizing he had done with the exoskeleton was enough so that he could lift a modern tank above his head easily. ¡°Almost there!¡± The scene was jaw-dropping indeed but quite anticlimactic in a sense that Seth moved as slow as a snail. Being slow was fine since he needed to balance it very carefully so he needn''t mind it. ¡°Al¡­...most!¡± Several minutes later, he was finally halfway there. ¡°.............¡± It was at that point where he truly believed that he wouldn''t be surprised if the wolf surely pounces on him. ¡°At last!¡± And after several more minutes, Seth had finally arrived at his destination and slowly and carefully lowered the stack onto an area that was clear of concrete fragments. What he needed to do first was to remove the larger pieces of concrete that were scattered here and there. Only a few was of considerable size so Seth finished the task in a jiffy. ¡°Just a few more pushes.¡± Seth enthusiastically positioned himself again and began to push the stack towards the hole. The strain to the synthetic tissue wasn''t the same as when he lifted the stacks. Scattered pieces of concrete that were on his way, crushed into fine particles, smoke and dust consequently blew in all directions. It obscured his vision by a bit but still he pushed until the stack of metal struck the solid wall. Since he couldn''t push further than that, Seth let go of the metal containers and dashed back to where he came from. A few more minutes later, he returned while holding some tools that he believed were necessary for strengthening the stack. Several large bolts and nuts, an electric drill, and a retractable ladder that would let him climb to the topmost container. ¡°Just to make sure that it''ll hold up against any tremendous force.¡± He bolted each four corners of the bottom container onto the ground by using the drill to puncture a small hole, and brute force by pushing the bolt with his bare hands. He repeated the process with the side of the container that was facing the wall. The same happened to the middle and the topmost box which made the stack a lot more sturdy. ¡°I can probably make it more sturdy by lining up more containers but this''ll do for now.¡± Seth satisfyingly declared as he stared at the finished work. Protection from outside dangers was momentarily achieved but he knew that if creatures that possess more strength would come their way, this metal barrier wouldn''t be much of a challenge to break through.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ____________________________________ Deafening noise resounded throughout the whole place but Lily, who was currently lying on top of the bed, didn''t have the energy to get up. Her petite body felt lethargic but her consciousness was wide awake. The last moment she''d remembered was when Seth began with fiddling with some sort of device that she couldn''t understand. Shortly after that was the blinding light that swallowed her whole surroundings. And right now she was inside an unfamiliar room and on top of a bed at that. She was alarmed, remembering her father''s warning about strangers abducting children. Big Brother Seth! She wanted to call for his name but her voice didn''t come out of her mouth. Seth was the last person she was with and the only one she could trust within this island, but he was nowhere to be found. Even if it was hard, she knew that she had to assess the current situation, or else her life could be in jeopardy. ¡°Auuu.¡± She groaned exhaustively as she lifted her body up and proceeded to get out of the bed. Lily trod slowly and carefully while supporting herself against the wall. And soon enough, she exited from the plain room and found herself wandering around the interior of the testing facility. ¡°Huh?¡± As she was searching for Seth, a big question marked floated above her head after noticing something outrageous. Seth, who didn''t possess any prowess in strength, was lifting a tower made up of stacked metal boxes using only his bare hands. !!? Lily wanted to shout and call out for his name but her voice didn''t come out. Her body was still sluggish coupled with the fact that she had just witnessed quite a spectacle. She gave up immediately and just stood there and watched Seth''s work attentively. There was a huge hole in the wall and Seth worked hard to cover that hole using tools and brute strength that Lily couldn''t fathom where it had come from. He was as strong as those superheroes Lily had seen in movies but there was something odd with his movement. But why is he so slow? Seth was as slow as a snail but he didn''t seem to show any signs of struggle with lifting the huge load. Every step he took was full of suspense for Lily but after awhile, she grew bored of it and unknowingly dozed off while watching. ¡­.. ¡­. ¡­ .. . ¡°You shouldn''t sleep here Lily.¡± His voice tickled her ears while she was sprawled on the cold floor, sleeping peacefully. Seth lowered his voice to a degree where only Lily could hear it but it did manage to wake her up since she wasn''t in a deep sleep. ¡°Still tired? Maybe hungry?¡± He inquired in a caring tone while smiling brightly at her. Even though Lily was quite rude during their first meeting, Seth grew fond of her. A sense of camaraderie mixed with nostalgia developed in him as he was reminded of his orphanage days whenever he took care of her. ¡°Yawn~. ¡° Lily on the other hand, was busy yawning and rubbing her still sleepy eyes, responded with a few cute nods. ____________________________________ A sweet, savory smell wafted throughout the small kitchen while Lily, who was seated in front of a small wooden table, waited curiously. Occasionally sneaking a few peeks at the back of the person who was causing that mouth watering aroma, Lily couldn''t help but be in a state of confusion. A simple yet colorful apron adorned his androgynous frame. His silver white hair that reached his shoulders, which was in the way of his cooking, was bundled into a ponytail. No matter how many times Lily peeked at his back, she could only imagine a big sister cooking a meal for her younger sibling. Contrary to his usual unkempt appearance, Seth possessed enough feminine traits that he could possibly be mistaken as a girl, if not examined thoroughly. ¡°Bon App¨¦tit~.¡± Hunger that was amplified by the scent of the meal that was packed with processed umami, pulled Lily out of her daze. ¡°Mmm¡­ delicious!¡± She exclaimed with a few bits of food stuck on her cheeks. It certainly was delicious that it reminded Lily of a mother''s cooking, which further convince her that Seth was better of a sister instead of a brother. Until¡­ Nom..nom...nom¡­ As if the meal was his last, Seth devoured his share of food. Showing not a hint of table manners, he wolfed down his meal in just a few moments. ¡°.............¡± That scene completely shattered Lily''s image and left her speechless. Everything was almost perfect but deep inside the androgynous Seth, a normal consciousness of a boy resided. Seemingly oblivious of Lily whose mouth went agape, he drank from a newly opened water bottle. ¡°Be sure to eat as much as you can, we''ll need all the energy we can get.¡± Seth declared to Lily in a serious tone while she was busy with the meal. There was a lot to be done for just today and to Seth, any kind of help would be welcomed. Lily was the only one who could support him with his present objectives. Even so, considering that she was still a child, only light and easy chores would be assigned to her. Taken aback by his unusual seriousness, Lily could only nod her head in affirmation. ____________________________________ ¡°Wow!¡± Her eyes were filled with fascination as soon as she saw the gigantic forest for the first time. After their meal, Seth explained the whole circumstance that they were in at the present. That this place wasn''t normal and was full of life threatening dangers. Nevertheless, curiosity urge her to know more, just like when they toured the facility of Professor Harper. ¡°Uuum, can I go out too?¡± Lily, who was assigned to keep watch of the surrounding area was currently seated inside the surveillance room where dozens of screens were installed. Multiple cameras installed outside the facility showed the scenery that stirred her adventurous heart. Seth specifically instructed her to notify him of any suspicious entities through the intercom so that he could retreat if necessary. ¡°No.¡± Even so, instead of supporting him attentively, Lily kept on insisting that she wanted to go outside as well. But regardless of her constant pestering, Seth flatly refused everytime and Lily could only sulk in disappointment. ¡°Is the scene clear?¡± Seth, who was currently equipped with the exoskeleton and the high-tech goggles, inquired through the intercom that was connected with the inside of the surveillance room. ¡°Yes.¡± The image of him wearing his work clothes on top of the exoskeleton and the bulky goggles that almost doubled the size of his head wasn''t befitting of the serious atmosphere he possessed right now. That made Lily, who was unable to read the atmosphere, snicker in joy whenever he talks to the intercom. ¡°Setting up the mapping device.¡± He ignored Lily who was making fun of him and decided to exert his full attention on the activity at hand. ¡°Injecting helium to the ballon.¡± Seth was currently outside of the facility, busy installing the mapping device on the weather balloon that he found not too long ago. The intercom connected to his goggles allowed him to conveniently communicate with Lily. ¡°Fifty percent helium capacity achieved.¡± A hose that ran from the inside of the facility was presently attached to the balloon that slowly took its inflated form. ¡°Balloon fully inflated.¡± A white, sphere shaped balloon began to float upwards but Seth stopped it from continuing. The hose that supplied helium, was removed. And finally, the opening of the balloon was sealed with a simple knot. There was a lot of trees with long branches that could stop the balloon from ascending to its maximum altitude so he needed to find a clearing. The sun, shining at its brightest, was directly above him. Nonetheless, his goggles automatically adjusted the brightness that could reach his eyes. ¡°Launching in 3¡­.2¡­.1¡± It took him a few minutes to find a suitable ascending path for the balloon and immediately let go of it. Slowly it began to float. A white colored balloon pulled the instrument, that was connected with high quality nylon ropes, upwards. And in the middle of the balloon and the mapping device, a parachute was installed, which made it possible to retrieve it again for future use. ¡°Launching success!¡± As soon as the balloon ascended above the trees, Seth yelled satisfyingly and immediately went back inside the facility. Chapter 10 Seth keenly observed the video feed, that was currently being sent by the mapping device, on one of the numerous monitors that were embedded on the walls of the surveillance room. ¡°These trees are about the same size as giant sequioa trees.¡± The majority of the forest¡¯s canopy was formed by it alone. And as the mapping device gained enough altitude above the forest, it became known to Seth and Lily how vast the jungle was. ¡°Where are we now?¡± A bit confused about what she saw just now, Lily looked back at his eyes with her eyebrows furrowed. ¡°It¡¯s either we¡¯ve travelled back in time, or just transported into an artificially enhanced environment.¡± After hearing his words that carried a lot of weight, she was not sure on how to react. If they did travel back in time, she could witness all sort of things that could never be found in the present day earth. But unfortunately they didn''t have the capabilities to go back to the present, and that means she could never see his father for a long time or maybe even a lifetime. Lily hoped that the second possibility was the one they were in or else all the hard work she had exerted just to be with her father would only be wasted. ¡°It¡¯s too early for conclusions, we¡¯ll need to gather more information.¡± Seth clearly saw her sullen expression and immediately tried to clear Lily of her worries about the future. He then continued viewing the live video feed and was quite troubled by what he saw. As the balloon ascended by at least 4000 meters above sea level, several tens of kilometers of land was now being reproduced digitally. The whole forest was shaped almost like a circle and was approximately 15 kilometers in radius. Encircling it was a mountain range that was 3200 meters above sea level. Not a single sign of civilization could be found but there were remnants of it in some isolated parts of the land. And at the center of that forest, a single clearing of vegetation was located. We''re exactly at the center. Seth thought that their location was quite convenient since there were numerous bodies of water around it. With only one or two kilometers of distance, installing a water line would be possible. The mapping device stayed afloat for about half an hour now and began to work its wonders. Penetrating the thick canopy with state of the art imaging technology, it could surveil almost any kind of living thing from above the air. Numerous heat signatures were scattered throughout the map but none were found near the facility. Despite the fact that it was capable of such features, the instrument could only discern the living from the non living. ¡°We should let it scan the area overnight. ¡° In order to maximize its scanning capabilities, Seth decided to let it run through the night. Postponing the hunt for a stable and clean water supply for tomorrow, he should be able to make the necessary preparations. Lily''s eyes on the other hand was still glued on the screen which projected the ongoing processing of the 3D model. A bit perplexed about the situation but still surprised from all the cool things Seth showcased. ____________________________________ Rock music blared throughout the part of the warehouse Seth was currently in. Mixed with it was the humming of the machine he was working with right now. ¡°Hmmm. The design needs to look cool.¡± Deep in thought while listening to such kinds of music, Seth wanted this project to at least be of satisfactory level when it comes to aesthetics. With every idea that pops out of his head, the machine made exact models. Since he was planning on venturing outside, Seth deemed it necessary to at least have some sort of protection and also a weapon aside the tranquilizer gun. The idea he came up with was to 3D print an armor and a weapon he could use. ¡°Alright! Time to work! ¡° Thousands of linked layers of fluorographene placed under pressure, which was the strongest and lightest material available,was used to build the base of the armor. Not only it was only five percent the density of steel it was also ten times stronger than it. The only downside to it was that it could conduct heat so well, Seth decided to sandwich aerogels right in the middle of the layers to avoid any chances of him being fried inside it. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Piece by piece, the machine which was gigantic compared to a usual 3D printing machine, whirled energetically. With each stroke of its probe, the models that were somewhat rushed came into existence. It was originally used by Seth for making base frames and parts for his inventions but it had greater potential in making all sort of things. This doesn''t look good. An exact plastic model of his body which served as the mold for the printing showed something that might hinder him in making the coolest armor he could think of. It''s nearly transparent¡­. The armor that he envisioned to be on par with those from ancient mythologies in terms of aesthetics was transparent up to a certain degree that no one would notice that he would be wearing armor unless it was viewed closely. ¡°I guess I''ll just paint it then.¡± After printing the all parts individually, which took a gruesome 3 hour session, Seth decided to paint them all in the darkest shade of black he could possibly make with all the materials available to him. With every spray of the paint, the form of the armor slowly became visible. ¡°I call this masterpiece the ¡®Abyssal Armor¡¯.¡± As dark as the deepest parts of the ocean, it didn''t exhibit any sort of luster. Any light that hit the armor was absorbed by its deep black hue. It possessed horns on its helmet and spikes that were protruding from both its shoulders, which gave Seth the nightmarish impression of a demonic knight that brings doom to all of his enemies. Every inch of it was painted black except for the helmet. The part of the helmet ,where an opening for the face was usually located, was still covered with several layers of fluorographene but wasn¡¯t painted in order to provide vision. Ventilation holes were strategically located on it so Seth wouldn¡¯t suffocate just by wearing it. The helmet was also customized so that the high-tech goggles could be firmly attached onto it. He was delighted with the final product that he began to imagine all sorts of scenes of him, fighting foes as the dark knight he wishes to be. Everything was perfect except one thing. It can''t be helped that it''s a bit small. Seth sulked at the fact that him, having a small stature, would be in the way with achieving his dreams. ¡°Enough of that! Next is the shield and the main weapon!¡± As if to free himself from that shortcoming, Seth pumped himself up and continued to design 3D models for both the shield and the weapon he would be using. Since weight is not a problem a tower shield should be possible. A hundred thousand layers of fluorographene were linked to each other. In between each two layers, aerogel was again sandwiched for better heat insulation. He was undoubtedly going overboard with the construction of these articles but Seth had this premonition that he would need all types of protection he could get. Fire was one of those external dangers that he might encounter so it was better safe than sorry. Eventually, the nearly transparent tower shield was finished within the chamber where the actual printing was happening. Seth thought for a minute that leaving it like this would be much more cooler. Kind of like an impervious, invisible shield that would protect the black knight from all sorts of attack. But soon dismissed the idea since the probability of it being lost or forgotten was high as well as it was cool. ¡°Let¡¯s paint it black again before I forgot where I put it.¡± Just like before, he retrieved the finished model and blasted it with the pitch black coating. The rectangular shield eventually showed its large profile that was as tall as him. Just like what he did with the helmet, Seth left a circle shaped semi-transparent area for added vision when using it. ¡°Last but certainly not the least!¡± A weapon was clearly essential here since he already had all the armor set and shield. But then, he was quite unsure of what he want. A sword was the best fit for the set but making swords using a 3D printer and fluorographene would be impossible. It would be very brittle and could probably shatter at first impact. And first of all, I don''t really know how to forge swords. The only weapon Seth could think of right now was a war hammer. He could utilize the not so perfect superhuman strength of the exoskeleton to deliver devastating blows using brute force. ¡°I¡¯ll just use a carbon steel alloy of the highest grade.¡± The 3D printer ,that could utilize almost any known element to man, began to work its wonders once again by first creating a heat resistant mold of the weapon. Molten steel infused with pure carbon was then poured by the probe inside the mould. Since I don¡¯t know any smithing techniques at all, this one should do for now. The final product was comparable to a work of an amateur but possessed the highest grade of material. Not really that visually appealing as it only looked like a huge chunk of metal with a handle. Even so, to Seth¡¯s imagination it was no doubt a two handed war hammer he could use in crushing his opponents. ____________________________________ ¡°Can we eat breakfast now?¡± The familiar voice of Lily snapped out Seth from being so immersed in his work. Adjusting and enhancing the joints of the armor, adding more mass to the hammer, testing the durability of the shield. He was stuck inside this endless loop where he wouldn¡¯t stop unless he was satisfied with the final product. ¡°Oh right, breakfast.¡± Already half a day had passed since he started his work and it was supposedly morning right now. It was his usual pace so it didn¡¯t bother him that much. Even so, bags under his eyes were clearly visible to Lily. His once immaculate appearance had transformed into a zombie-like one. On the other hand, Lily was full of energy even if it was still early in the morning. Sluggishly, he led the way to the kitchen and made some breakfast with the little supply that they have. Lily, just like before, was delighted with the homemade cooking. And Seth who was still spacing out, ate food absentmindedly. ¡°I¡¯m going to explore the woods today.¡± After finishing both their meal, Seth suddenly talked in a rather serious manner that Lily couldn¡¯t help but stiffen in response. ¡°And I made this super cool armor! You should check it out!¡± Then his manner of speaking took a three hundred sixty turn when the topic of his armor was suddenly brought up. And before Lily knew what was going on, he disappeared in no time and came back in the kitchen after a few minutes. Wearing the pitch black set of armor that was perfectly fitted to his stature, the tower shield attached to his back, and also the war hammer holstered with it. ¡°Wow!¡± Lily¡¯s eyes sparkled in fascination, immediately after seeing the form of Seth carrying such a gallant piece of armor that wasn¡¯t bulky at all and looked very sleek. Seth flexed and took different poses, with every transition in angle Lily¡¯s surprise voice followed through everytime. He thought that it was nice that someone was admiring his masterpiece, not like before where he only worked in seclusion. ____________________________________________________________________________ Mapping hourly report [Session No.6] Scanned lifeforms: 1056 Actively moving entities: 354 Terrain: Flat, Mostly covered in vegetation Man Made structures: 5 Estimated map area: 16.7 km Altitude: 1052 meters above sea level Underground caverns: 3 Bodies of water: 25 Chapter 11 Seth was baffled after viewing the 6th report transmitted by the mapping device. The 6th scanning session started right after the sun had set, when the darkness began to take over. ¡°1056 scanned life forms and 354 moving entities during the night.¡± Such numbers weren''t really that special, considering that a functioning forest of this size should contain at least a thousand or more animals in order to maintain the ecosystem. ¡°Majority of life forms were clustered around one of the scanned man made structure.¡± A recording of the session showed that about seventy five percent of scanned living entities were concentrated around one of the ruins during the dead of the night. Not a single one of them moved and just stood there as if on standby. Nevertheless, it was only the first of all the reports that showed significant findings. ¡°The 12th scanning session showed only 102 lifeforms with only 54 actively moving.¡± Showing a decreased number of hits, the 12th session started when the sun had already risen. One would definitely conclude that nocturnal animals were the majority of those entities, explaining the fact that they were active at night, but not during the day. But then, they didn''t behave like animals at all. ¡°A discoloration?¡± As soon as Seth viewed the current session which was already at the 14th, something else bothered him. The trees surrounding that structure, where the nocturnal entities stood by, started to wither. Something dangerous must be residing there. A shiver ran through his spine as he thought of the possibility of that. ¡°We need to first focus on surviving.¡± Overthinking wouldn''t help at all, Seth reassured himself and decided to direct all of his focus on things that would increase their chances of survival. Their first objective for today was to find a water reservoir and tap onto it for a continuous supply of water. Since the nearest body of water was only half a kilometer away from the facility, Seth¡¯s plan was to travel on foot with a kilometer long industrial hose in tow. Connected directly to a standard suction machine, it could easily siphon a day''s worth of water. While donning the 3D printed full body armor, he repeatedly checked his loadout for the mission, careful as to not forget anything vital. ¡°I should use the gun more discreetly.¡± As he recounted the remaining darts in his disposal, Seth had to conserve more since he didn¡¯t have the capacity of producing more ammos at the moment. Eight sedative, three paralytic and one comatosing dart were the only ones he could find. He would be bringing all twelve darts for an increased variety of offensive tactics. It¡¯ll be more convenient if that plasma gun works. That plasma gun was not overlooked at all, even if he didn¡¯t put much time on it. It was unfortunately, beyond broken. Seth repeatedly tried to charge it with high voltage electricity, nevertheless the current wasn¡¯t going where it was supposed to go. Attached to his back, was the tower shield that was as light as a feather. With it being so light, Seth began to question it¡¯s blocking capabilities. Even so, he was sure that it was indestructible albeit theoretically. It was also modified so that the tranquilizer gun could be strapped inside it, as for its ammo, a pouch was simply tied to the armor¡¯s waist. His other weapon, named the ¡®crude warhammer¡¯, would be his primary weapon for the mission. Heavy as it may look, Seth could raise the two handed hammer using one hand with considerable ease. The strength supporting system of the exoskeleton made it possible of course. Speaking of the exoskeleton, I have no choice but to go with this. Since the exoskeleton didn¡¯t possess any kind of portable power source, a kilometers length of power cable would be attached to Seth while doing this mission. ¡°It looks lame.¡± Lily laughed at him mockingly after seeing the cable which made it look like the armor sported a tail of some sort. Seth wanted to retort back but stopped after seeing Lily¡¯s carefree attitude despite the situation they were in. ¡°I will be needing your support for this mission Lily so be sure to keep your eyes peeled at all times.¡± She stiffened immediately after hearing that her role for this mission was of great importance. As if she was a nervous private who was being directed personally by the commander, her body was tensed all over. Seth couldn¡¯t help but snicker at that comeback. Utilizing the mapping device that was still conducting scans, Lily would serve as the reconnaissance officer for today¡¯s objective. The coordinates of all scanned life forms reported by the device would be reported to Seth in real time through the intercoms. ¡°That¡¯s all for today¡¯s mission briefing. Salute!¡± Wanting erase the building up tension, Seth jokingly took the Commander¡¯s role and requested a salute from Private Lily. ¡°Sir, yes sir!¡± Lily unexpectedly followed through with his command, saluting clumsily with her azure eyes showing an unwavering flame of determination. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ____________________________________________________________________________ This is it. At the northern side of the clearing that surrounded the facility, Seth firmly stood straight. Facing the uncharted wood that held so much mystery, he took a deep breath in order to relax himself and maximize his focus. ¡°Latest update before I venture in.¡± The voice that reached the intercom sounded composed but carried a hint of nervousness. ¡°Umm¡­ There''s no blinking dots inside the path. ¡± Lily, who reported the minimal information required by Seth, was nervous as well but couldn''t help but be excited with the mission. Viewing the black knight from above the sky and directing him to the easiest way to the objective was quite similar to playing an RPG game. ¡°Alright, I''m going in.¡± The path Lily was talking about was a pre-planned path Seth deemed to be the shortest and the safest among all the possible routes. He felt as if he entered a whole different world as soon as he took the first step inside the forest. The giant trees shaded the forest floor with its enormous crown, only allowing a few rays of light to enter. Surprisingly, the ground was only scantily covered with bushes and grasses of varying height, mostly flat and rich in humus with a few moderately sized rocks scattered here and there. Wildlife was scarce with only a few of those supersized insects. Grasshoppers, butterflies, ants,spiders and other common jungle arthropods of varying sizes, with the minimum being five times their normal size in terms of Earth¡¯s standard. As for mammals and other animal classes, not a single one were seen which was quite disappointing and relieving at the same time for Seth. This isn¡¯t the time for sightseeing. Curiosity and fascination got the best of him as Seth was immediately absorbed. Analysing and identifying several parts of the ecosystem, his walking pace had greatly declined. Certainly useful for the long run, but too risky for his current mission, he snapped himself out and began to walk briskly towards the objective. ¡°The vegetation here seems a bit more thicker.¡± According to the map shown by the interface of the goggles, Seth had already traversed half of the set path. Up until now, everything about the path seemed correct. A dirt path that was convenient and vital for his mission of installing a heavy duty water line. With the hose having a fairly limited length, a straight line from the facility that leads to the water source was the ideal setting. But it seems that going along with this plan had its share of risks. In front of him was a path filled with moderately tall grass that stretched for at least meters. Judging from his position, the average height of the grass was only barely above his waist. It didn¡¯t look that dangerous but Seth had this premonition that something might pounce on him if he was to walk through it carelessly. ¡°Scan update.¡± Seth voiced a command through the intercom and immediately got a response from the reconnaissance officer. ¡°Still no red dots.¡± A brief response that was straight to the point although sounding a bit lazy. Seth didn¡¯t mind it that much considering that Lily might¡¯ve been a bit bored by now. The map scan was always a great help but shouldn¡¯t be relied on too much since it had its own limits. It could detect warm blooded beings with at least seventy percent accuracy but not those hiding in thick cover and also cold blooded ones. On the other hand, taking a slight detour would be a good choice but after briefly surveying the surrounding area, that possibility was shot down instantly. Every direction except the one in front of him was littered with thick tree trunks and tall bushes that obscured almost all of his vision. There¡¯s no choice then. Seth switched the goggles into thermal vision and began to cross through the grass path by striding in a quick pace. A small range between the colors blue and green with very few hints of yellow and orange were spotted as he focused his view on the grass in front of him. The usual thermal profile of plants that received meager amount of sunlight. I guess I¡¯m just being a bit too paranoid here. He laughed at himself as he was nearing the end of the path, and switched off the thermal vision of his goggles while breathing a sigh of relief. Entirely clueless that something did pounce on him, just before exiting the grass covered ground. ¡°..............¡± An unusual looking critter quite similar to pandas but the color scheme of the fur was somehow inverted. Cute round eyes surrounded by a small patch of white fur, its whole face and belly almost filled with blackish brown hair. There it was, hugging his left leg while chewing on a piece of bark. Judging from its tiny body,that was being supported by his leg that he considered short, it was still a cub. Even if he tried wiggle it off, it didn¡¯t show any intention of letting go. It¡¯s just there, chewing with an uninterested look. ¡°Time to let go now buddy.¡± Seth grew impatient, seeing that the cub wouldn¡¯t let go of him at all. If it was still a baby, its mother should be nearby. And if the mother sees their current situation, it would undoubtedly conclude that he was trying to cause harm to the cub. ¡°Off you go!¡± At wit¡¯s end, he decided to exert a bit more force and peeled off the cub that clearly showed an annoyed expression to him. This is bad! It did come off but as soon as it let go of his leg, the bear cub growled in distress. A high pitched sound that was so loud, Seth reflexively cupped his ears using both his hands, even though it was enclosed inside the helmet. Inevitably letting go of the cub that was held by him. Yet after touching the ground by falling on its butt, the cub picked up a nearby tree bark and resumed with its unenthusiastic way of feeding. ¡°Such a troublesome-.¡± SKREEEEEK! An ear piercing sound of nails scraping metal assaulted Seth¡¯s eardrums before he could he even finish his sentence. Coming from his back that was supposed to be free of any danger, a menacing figure managed to take the initiative of attacking without him even noticing. ¡°Big brother Seth behind you!¡± His eardrums suffered yet another attack but it was Lily this time, shouting at the top of her voice thru the intercoms. From that moment, Seth knew that soundproofing was of utmost importance. ¡°Alright I get it already!¡± The black knight immediately let go of the industrial hose, since it would definitely hinder his movements, and performed evasive maneuvers. He jumped forward with the support of the exoskeleton, and managed to at least widen the distance between him and the threat. Following his retreat was the power cable that was durable enough to endure any forceful pulling. Luckily, the line landed somewhere far from the enemy¡¯s position. ¡°So you¡¯re the mama bear.¡± ROOOAAARRRRRR! Towering by at least ten foot while standing up in two legs, the mother of the inverted baby panda leaked bloodlust that was clearly directed at the one who had hurt its offspring. Sharp claws that exuded a dark luster and a pair of maxillary canine teeth that extended from the mouth. It¡¯s an adult version of the cub with additional features that focused on killing prey. ¡°I¡¯ll take you on!¡± Instead of being overcome by fear, Seth¡¯s heart was filled with excitement. Exemplifying the true meaning of being a black knight, he didn¡¯t falter and immediately switched into battle mode. He raised the tower shield and noticed that a large part of the black paint was torn off, a claw mark that should¡¯ve bisected the shield but endured. ROOOAAARRRRRR! Noticing Seth¡¯s enthusiasm, the beast charged with all its might, intending to use its massive body as a battering ram. Thundering noises erupted from the ground with each step taken by the bear that was running on all fours. ¡°Come at me!¡± In response to the bear¡¯s actions, the black knight assumed a defensive position by taking a shielding stance. A single hand held the shield in front while the other was holding the hammer, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike a counterattack. With the command of his mind, the exoskeleton also braced itself from impact by stretching the majority of its artificial muscle fibers. BBOOOOOOOMMM! If people were to witness the battle right now, they would certainly lose their minds. The tiny knight and his shield successfully repelled the rushing monstrosity. Instead of only receiving the full impact, the tower shield that was made of fluorographene, sent the majority of the kinetic energy back to the bear while the remaining scattered around their surroundings. The residual energy produced a shockwave enough to cause the nearby trees to sway erratically. At the same time, a cloud of dust filled the area where the point of impact was made, obscuring the vision of the beast but not Seth as he switched to thermal vision immediately after making contact. ¡°My turn!¡± Seth could clearly see the reddish thermal signature of the bear and was sure that it was stunned by the collision. Not wanting to waste the given opportunity, he switched into offensive by tossing the shield away and proceeding to hold the warhammer with both hands. ¡°Whirlwind hammer finishing combo!¡± Using the warhammer¡¯s head as counterweight, the black knight spun repeatedly as if creating an actual whirlwind. With every rotation, the hammer would hit the stunned bear¡¯s body. Not only twice or thrice, the whirlwind continued to mercilessly pound the beast¡¯s body. The stunned state was prolonged with each strike and after completing about twenty rotations, the black knight decided to give the finishing blow. ¡°Uoooooooo!¡± A warcry escaped from his lips as he held the warhammer over his head using both hands.The artificial muscle fibers on his arms contracted to its limit, collecting enough power to maximize its killing potential. And as if pulling the trigger, Seth transferred the energy from the handle up to the hammerhead and swung it down with all his might. BAAAAM! An impact ,that was several levels above all the ones he had made, exploded on the bear¡¯s head. The beast staggered but still managed to take the blow without exploding into smithereens, as it remained standing albeit unsteadily. ¡°It broke.¡± It seems that not only the bear¡¯s head suffered from the impact. The head of the hammer separated from the handle almost instantly after making contact. Creating an amusing spectacle of a black knight holding a headless hammer with its waist covered with several meters of cable wire. Chapter 12 ¡°That''s enough fighting for today, I guess.¡± Seeing that the bear had already received enough punishment, Seth subconsciously scratched his head that was encased inside the helmet. He wanted to finish the battle once and for all but it seems that he suddenly lost the desire to continue. Despaired after seeing its mother being beaten to an extent that it couldn''t move any further, the bear cub cried non-stop. It nudged the unmoving mother with its little nose, wanting to receive a response but to no avail, only heavy panting that reflected its pain was heard. Seth didn''t want to destroy a family especially if it''s avoidable. He very well knew the feeling of being alone, not having a family or even a distant relative. Killing the mother that had no ability to fight back was pointless. It was only protecting the cub that was unfortunate enough to be encountered by Seth. ¡°Then I''ll consider this a win.¡± As he picked up the shield that was thrown away before the start of the battle, Seth smiled wryly. He then withdrew the gun that was strapped inside it and proceeded to load it with a sedative dart. ¡°Sleep well.¡± A voice, that was devoid of malice but was filled with longing, resounded from the demonic looking helmet. The scene of the cub, still trying to wake up the mother, was reflected into his eyes that was looking through the holographic crosshair. ..!! With a pull of the trigger, the sound of the air being sliced through was heard. Following an uninterrupted straight path of flight, the dart landed right at the center of the mother''s left arm. Possessing a dose that would probably put it into slumber for about five hours, it took at least a minute or two for the drug to kick in. Eventually, the mother that stood as tall as a tree, fell onto the ground with a large thud. Seeing that its mother had already been beaten to a point where it couldn¡¯t stand anymore, the cub desperately tried to wake her up. To think that its mother would be defeated so easily, the cub clearly underestimated the creature it latched onto. A threat that could effortlessly end both their lives. ¡­? But before it could notice, the black knight that carried an aura of mysteriousness had disappeared. Without even making any sort of noise while carrying such enormous articles of war, Seth left the scene while being followed by the outrageously long tail that was already unfurled. ____________________________________________________________________________ Crystal clear water with an abundance of aquatic life, the two most important quality Seth was looking for when it comes to a safe water reservoir. Not only it could sustain their everyday hydration and sanitation, it could also serve as another way of acquiring food. At last! And as if answering his wishes, the sight of the lake came into view. With an estimated surface area of three squared kilometers based on the images from the mapping device, the lake was in the smaller side but was the biggest among the lakes this forest possessed. Judging from the height of water that it presently accommodates, the land wasn¡¯t blessed with much rain during the current season. A few meters of deforested land surrounded the oval shaped lake, allowing Seth to witness the first signs of a healthy ecosystem. Serving as a watering hole for most of the scarce critters within the forest, Seth saw several mammalian-like animals replenishing their thirst with the spotless freshwater. Deer-like creatures that were several meters tall and a few of the canine subfamily that resembled foxes. Their appearance was almost the same as those found normally in earth except for the fact that they are doubled or even tripled in size. ¡°The objective has been reached.¡± Still attentively reporting every step that he took, Seth transmitted a relieved voice through the intercoms. Even after such an unexpected encounter, he safely arrived in one piece. If not for the armor and weapons he painstakingly made, he would surely be dead by now. Fortunately, after finishing the fight with the mother bear, Seth didn¡¯t encounter any kind of obstruction and followed the straight path as planned. Not wanting to waste any time, Seth started to dig using the headless hammer, striking the soft and lush soil. Wanting to make a trench for the hose to be buried in, he repeatedly stabbed the ground in a straight line that leads to the lake. The metal rod easily sank with the help of his monstrous strength, followed by an upward stroke the ground instantly deepened by at least a meter. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°This¡¯ll do it.¡± Seth embedded the suction hose into the crudely made trench and proceeded to fill it up with the soil he dug up earlier. Followed with a few jumps on the freshly covered soil, the ground was compressed to its limit, ensuring that it wouldn¡¯t form any cavities in the near future. ¡°Mission accomplished!¡± Seeing that the end of the hose was properly submerged in the crystal clear water, Seth rejoiced triumphantly and suddenly had the urge to at least wash his face. Feeling irked of the sweat and dirt that had accumulated on his body, a quick cleaning wouldn''t hurt at all. He removed his helmet but decided to keep the goggles on for a certain amount of precaution if by chance something lurks beneath the lake. It possessed resistance to water albeit limited, so he deemed it safe to be submerged for just a bit. Shriveled and stinky, his once snow white hair exuded an ashen shade. Even his pale skin showed a few patches of grease, Seth felt repulsed by his appearance that was reflected on the water. Cold! Not waiting any longer, he dipped his whole head and felt as if his brain had been frozen solid. Nevertheless, Seth felt refreshed. His mind that was exhausted due to the lack of sleep was forcibly woken up. It was completely unexpected, considering that the forest critters didn''t even flinch from that coldness that''s enough to cause the tongue to go numb. !!? A monochromatic world welcomed him as soon as he withdrew his head from the lake. An exact replica of the forest he was in but was completely devoid of life no matter where he looked. Pitch black miasma spreading from the middle of the lake that was once spotlessly clean. Unholy screams and shrieks of agony filled the world that was bereft of color. Completely devoured by the filth, the lake exuded demonic presence. Rotten limbs, mutilated faces and desiccated corpses exhibiting vigor that transcends death itself. Seth wanted to throw up but was unable to, his whole body numbed due to sheer terror and not from the temperature of the water. His goggles automatically scanning every nook and cranny of his current vision, showing an abomination that he deemed impossible to exist. Is this the end? Reacting to every little change in the scenery, the goggles did a full zoom. Seth couldn¡¯t move a single muscle but the artificial intelligence integrated into the goggles compensated for it. Bit by bit, something more ominous than all the things he had witnessed began to surface from the middle of the lake. As if being pushed afloat by the corpses, a head covered in black hair was displayed by the goggles. Deep crimson eyes that carried a glint of fearlessness and mystery, a face showing limitless beauty that could easily enthrall anyone. Wearing a pitch black dress that showed very little of its ghostly pale skin. Hair that reached its waist exhibited a mesmerizing luster, showing that it had been cared for. And a perfect body that would stir the lust of men and the envy of women. Despite the fact that she surfaced from the lake, not a single part of her was wet. Every little detail was crystal clear to Seth which made him quite restless. Right after fully surfacing from the water, the lady in black began to walk towards him. As if supporting their master, the chopped up limbs formed a straight line. Her bare feet being held by the grotesque hands with each graceful step she took, slowly she made her way to him. Seth wanted to back off and retreat but there¡¯s a part of him that wanted to stay. An alluring aura that exuded from the lady began to envelop him. ¡°I¡¯ve waited for so long.¡± A sweet voiced escaped from her blood red lips that stood out from her almost lifeless skin tone. She smiled as if wanting to see Seth for a long time, an indescribable longing reflecting from her eyes. Who the hell is she! Even after racking his brain out, trying to remember if he did met the lady, there wasn''t anything to recall at all. His senses telling him that interacting with this woman would undoubtedly cause his demise. ¡°Have you forgotten about me already?¡± After finishing her dramatic walk across the lake, the lady disappointingly asked the frozen Seth, his spine shivering in response to her every gesture. ¡°That¡¯s a pity.¡± For a moment, a sad expression was reflected on her face that reeked of perfection. The crimson and emerald orbs stared intently at each other. Bending her back a little to match Seth¡¯s line of sight, the Lady carried on with her monologue. ¡°We were supposed to be with each other for eternity, but you suddenly disappeared.¡± Being in such close proximity, Seth couldn¡¯t even think of a retort in his mind. Her aura that was once alluring now reeks of death. As if the miasma was slowly creeping through his lungs, he felt suffocated and disoriented. ¡°You promised that you would never leave me.¡± Her fingers that were as cold as winter caressed his disheveled hair. Darkened nails that lost its vitality traced a path from his head down to his chin. Caressing him affectionately as if wanting to express her love. But instead of experiencing a warm and fuzzy feeling, Seth felt an unbearable coldness from her actions. ¡°But in the end, you''ve betrayed me.¡± Her demeanor suddenly took a sudden changed as she said that line that contained nothing but hatred. She strangled Seth with enough force to crush his windpipe while maintaining her beautiful smile. ¡°I''ll forgive you this time.¡± She released her grip that made marks on his neck. His skin bruised and wounded by the nails that possessed considerable sharpness. Not only his body was frozen, but also his mind ceased to function. As if watching a scene from a TV drama, he had no way of interfering with the event. ¡°The prophecy of the two of us being united as one seems plausible, now that you''ve come back.¡± Seth¡¯s previous trail of thought convinced him that all the lady had spoken of were all nonsense. He had been so narrow minded because of all the terror that struck him out of nowhere. The lady in front of him was the first piece of the puzzle, he concluded. Not only was she the first human inhabitant of this world he had met, she also seemed to know something about himself that he was completely unaware of. ¡°WE WILL BE TOGETHER FOREVER!¡± Her once beautiful smile that was full of serenity was replaced with nothing but malice. The crimson orbs that reflected warmth became hidden inside a pair of slits. The luscious lips that could stimulate a man''s fantasy was nowhere to be found. As if a snake that wanted to swallow its prey whole, her once tiny mouth expanded to its limit and even exceeded it. Big enough to devour him whole with rows of razor sharp teeth, enough to grind him into a meat pulp. Seth could only watch in shock as the monstrosity had bitten his head cleanly, a fountain of blood emerged from his headless torso. His last memory was tragic indeed, swimming inside a sea of teeth that shredded his head effortlessly. ¡­¡­ ¡­.. ¡­. ¡­ .. . ¡°Kuakh!¡± Seth forcefully regurgitated the last meal he ate as soon as he retrieved his head that was submerged into the water, dyeing the clear water with gastric juice mixed with chyle. It''s acidic content made him nauseous, but it was nothing compared to what he had experienced before. Wanting to make sure that everything was back to normal, he chose a different spot. Eventually, he settled for an area that wasn''t far from his original place. Reflecting an image of a boy that had his head intact, Seth was relieved. But not everything had came back to the way it was. Across his neck, that should''ve separated from his body, there were ominous markings. Seven black bars lined up in a straight line, as if indicating the bitten part of his neck. Chapter 13 A sensation that enveloped his whole body that ached due to fatigue. Warm and relaxing, he wished to stay here for the whole day but a lot of things prevented him from doing so. With the water that was heated at just the right temperature, mist shrouded the whole bathroom. A special place where he would always be lost in thought, his last resort whenever he was in a slump. Water flowed throughout his body, removing dirt and grease that accumulated ever since he came here. His fair skin that was always covered with sweat, refreshed and ridded of filth. The hair that was envied and despised at the same time, cleansed deeply with shampoo. Despite knowing that cleaning products were limited and should be used discreetly, Seth made an exception for today. Lathering every nook and cranny, he scrubbed every part with great attention. Especially his neck, as he scrubbed it with enough force to inflame the skin due to friction. But no matter how long or forceful he tried to scrape off the markings, it didn¡¯t fade in the slightest. Soon enough, he gave up and finished his bathing. The steam that obscured his vision receded shortly after he turned the knob counterclockwise, ending the shower of warmth that filled his heart with security. ¡°Is it love or hatred?¡± Brooding over the words of the lady who supposedly killed him, questions began to multiply instead of being answered. She showed affection at first but eventually hatred took over. As if knowing him for a very long time, she spoke so familiarly to him. Is it because of that medallion? His only connection to this place was the medallion that he used as a power source for the teleportation machine. As it had already integrated itself into his hand, there was a high possibility that the lady in black mistook him for the original owner. Seth nodded in affirmation at this conclusion but was still left with a mountain of mysteries to be solved. Everything seems too unnatural. The immense power possessed by the medallion was the first, followed by the attack he had experienced that he could only identify as an hallucination, and now the markings that came out of nowhere. Such phenomena that were unexplainable by natural science could only be classified as supernatural. The sensation of being decapitated still lingered inside his nerves. Occasionally he would subconsciously massage his neck, trying to ease the nonexistent pain. ¡°So that lady gave me this.¡± He wiped the fogged up mirror with his hand, showing an unsettling image of him. Stress, fatigue and sleeplessness worsened the bags under his eyes. Bloodshot eyes that looked as if it would spurt out blood if not taken care of. And lastly, the ominous horizontal bars that ran across his neck. It looks like one is much shorter than before somehow. As he viewed his neck from up close, he finally noticed. The rightmost bar was half the length of the remaining six. ____________________________________________________________________________ !!? A bone chilling breeze swept away her sleepiness. The sound wooden wheels traversing through a rocky pathway, accompanied by occasional neighing of horses. Only a shred of light escaped through the curtain¡¯s slit, as if signifying their hope of being free. With the meager clothing she was wearing, only the warmth of her fellow prisoners kept her from her demise. Sharing the same fate as her, they wanted to at least comfort each other before the day of sacrifice. The number of prisoners was six, including her and Geraint. Most of them were females but a male was mixed in the group.Elves, dwarves, beastmen and humans at the peak of their youth. Prisoners of different races packed inside a small cart, only dressed with thin ragged clothes. Without any room for large movements, they were entangled to each other, desperate for a body''s warmth. Except for the sole male that was huddled at a corner, all of them seemed so close to each other. ¡°Geraint I need to pee.¡± She told the male that was shivering from the cold. Even if the interior was almost in darkness, the male nodded in affirmation to the ever-so familiar voice. Without further ado, he opened the curtain that separated them from the outside, allowing the chilling cold to enter inside. Immediately, the girls flinched and quivered harmoniously, in response to the sudden drop of temperature. As the sun showered him with enough light, his appearance became as clear as the day. A young man with bountiful blonde hair he was. Facial features that could be considered fairly above average and a body that was quite thin for a male inhabitant of this world. Azure eyes with a slightly darker shade, one could easily tell that he was of noble birth. ¡°Umm¡­Meeteeso doh mee doh.¡± Geraint, not wanting to further worsen the situation, made contact to the nearest guard using the language of the demons. Being the bookworm that he was, he was quite surprised that he would be in such a situation where his profound knowledge of different languages would be put to use, especially of the demonic kind. ¡°Solamee, La latee tee sotee meesotee.¡± An orcish guard abruptly spoke to him with an irritated voice. As if on cue with his reply, the cart stopped in its tracks. Wearing a full plate armor that exuded a crude brilliance, the orc carried a dignified posture contrary to his appearance that reeked of ugliness. A head of a pig placed above a burly body that was full of muscles, orcs were one of the demonic species that inhabited this world. For a moment, it caught a glimpse of the inside of the cart. Squirming while being entangled with one another, females that exuded a dizzying amount of sexual appeal flocked together. But instead of being captivated, the orc snorted in disinterest and told Geraint that it would give them a few minutes to relieve themselves. ¡°I got the permission your highness, you should take anyone who needs to do the same with you.¡± Relaying the news in such a courteous manner, Geraint looked towards one of the girls that was particularly buried underneath the pile of femininity. As if reacting to his words, she attempted to stand up but struggled due to the other girls being intertwined so firmly. Nevertheless, she managed to lift a portion using her brute strength and achieved freedom at last. ¡°If any of you needs to take a pee, come with me.¡± Illuminated by the light that came from outside, her form was visible to everybody. Fire red hair that was shortened just below her shoulders, a rare color to come by. A figure that was neither thin nor plump, mostly comprised of muscles but was covered with silky smooth skin. Covered only by a thin piece of cloth, her curves and appropriately sized chest were a sight for sore eyes. And lastly, a face adorned with orbs that were similarly colored to her hair, reminiscent of a spoiled child but exuded beauty that was fit for a royalty.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. In human tongue, she tried to communicate to the others but failed. Since all of them beside her and Geraint weren''t humans, a language barrier separated them. Even so, it wasn¡¯t the first time they had encountered it, so she compensated with body language that would be considered as universal. After noticing her somewhat obnoxious gestures, one of the girls got up and slowly moved towards her. A tiny cat-eared beastwoman with pitch black hair, she was an innocent girl that was made aware of the harsh reality of this world. She was noticeably good looking as well with a smile that beamed with happiness even though they were bound to be sacrificed. Her name was Ranxa, Geraint told her highness himself since he was the only one who could effectively communicate with everyone. ¡°Alright Ranxa will come with me.¡± She laughed cheerfully after seeing the tiny Ranxa as if she was a small animal. Picking her up by her collar, her highness carried Ranxa in an unladylike manner that made her look brutish compared to the other girls. The moment she got out of the cart with Ranxa, the cold that assailed them for quite some time now, disappeared without a trace. She was quite sure that they were passing through an ice covered land but not a single drop of snow was seen. Green pasture welcomed her when she stepped out, as if spring replaced winter in such a short time. But then, her questions were immediately answered as soon as she looked afar. ¡°The summit of Amantes.¡± A forlorn smile radiated from her lips as she whispered their destination. The summit of beginnings it was commonly called. Legends told that Ivreus and Adia, the first man and woman, resided within its peaks. Being the first creations of the God Nymus, the both of them were inseparable, not even time could bring them apart. They were considered gods themselves as they helped Nymus in the creation of the different races. The demonic races created by Adia, and the human skinned humanoid races by Ivreus. Her highness was excited to reach such a place where no common folks or even experienced adventurers would dare to venture. The warmth of the sunlight that they had not felt for so long, enveloped the guards and the prisoners. Noticing such a change, the rest of the captives peeked from inside of the cart. Showing their faces that were on par with her highness¡¯ beauty, an image was formed befitting of a gorgeous painting. Everything was perfect but if one would closer, the girl¡¯s neck and even Geraint¡¯s showed something ominous. An inch thick black line that encircled both the front and back of their necks, as if signifying a collar that bounds them into place. ____________________________________________________________________________ They were shrouded in darkness once again, the usual sound of the cart and horses resounding from the outside but with larger intervals. Since the horses were doing all the work, climbing to the top of the summit wasn¡¯t a problem for them. Even so,with only a couple of them, the horses didn¡¯t seem to be exhausted at all. Being a subspecies of the demonic race, they possessed superior strength and endurance compared to human bred horses.The center of gravity shifted as they continued to traverse through the steep trail. ¡°Geraint.¡± ¡°Yes your highness.¡± Her highness was unusually active during this time of the day, peeking outside through the small holes scattered throughout the cart¡¯s tent. With a single call of his name, Geraint immediately responded to her highness. ¡°Does this place feel strange to you?¡± Geraint was convinced that the thinning of the air was what her highness was talking about. As their altitude increases, naturally it would be more difficult to breathe. But there was something peculiar about it that her highness ,who was quite knowledgeable herself ,was particularly concerned about it. ¡°Nothing seems unusual your highness.¡± He responded based on his logical reasoning but her highness was still unconvinced. Peeking through the holes, she continued and watched the disciplined march of the orcish guards that surrounded them. A dozen fully armored warriors, half of them brandishing spears and shields and the other swords and bows. Serving as the coach was an orcish mage, donning a magical robe and a battle staff as its primary weapon. If confronted in battle, such a group could easily destroy a high ranking adventurer party. Possessing both experience and skill, they managed to safely escort the prisoners through dangerous lands without a single casualty. In addition, contrary to their savage appearance, they carried a strong aura of dignity and would never treat the prisoners wrongly. As if precious goods that were needed to be delivered in their best quality, they were cared for in every step of the way. The march continued unhindered and it took about an hour before the center of gravity shifted once again. With the steepness finally gone, the convoy assumed its original pace. Determined to watch their journey to the top, her highness didn¡¯t move from her position. All she could see now were trees. Wherever hole she peeked through, only thick vegetation welcomed her. Geraint on other hand, could finally discern what her highness was talking about earlier. ¡°The air reeks of death.¡± Geraint perfectly described it in one sentence.The other prisoners who were loafing around sensed it as well. Grim expressions befell on their beautiful faces, even her highness who was the bravest of them all, shuddered in fright. ¡°Ray meetee so raysotee sosi do!¡± The orc mage shouted with all his might, chanting something that only Geraint could understand. ¡°Mee kee sotee laso ray teesodi la tee teelamee!¡± Whenever it spouted another sentence, Geraint¡¯s face became paler. Everyone grew confused and could only look at Geraint for answers. The meager light that entered the cart wasn¡¯t enough for his face to be visible to the girls but Ranxa could very well see him amidst the darkness. Despite that, Ranxa herself was still confused, unaware of what was happening outside. ¡°Tee soray teedoh mee tee ray sofalatee!¡± Reaching the highest pitch it could possibly reach, the orc mage stood up with both its arms raised up into the air. ¡°EVERYONE GET DOWN!¡± Finally comprehending the graveness of the situation, Geraint also did the loudest shout he could muster. At the same time, he threw himself towards the girls and forcefully lowered their heads onto the cart¡¯s ground. Her highness, who already noticed the danger ahead of Geraint, assumed a prone position. SHIIIIIING! A sound that was similar to a sword being drawn from its sheath assailed their eardrums. Within a split second the cart that enclosed them from the outside was bisected horizontally. Being positioned at the trajectory of the attack, the mage and the horses were bisected as well. Emerald colored blood spurted in all directions, spreading an iron stench that made most of the prisoners nauseous. Light flooded the cart that was now roofless, momentarily blinding the eyes of the Geraint and the others. ¡°Sosotee so teedohla meelaso!¡± The one who seemed to be the captain of the guards, relayed a distressed command to its subordinates. Completely unprepared of such trail of events, it took awhile before the others regained their senses. Displaying their experience and discipline in combat, the orcs nimbly assumed a defensive formation. The spearmen shielded the front while the swordsmen switched to their bows, preparing to unleash long range attacks. SCREEEEECH! Yet again, it produced another disorienting sound but the guards were unshaken. Showing its true form, the monster boasted its gigantic body while nestling on a similarly gigantic bark. Jet black carapace armed with blade-sharp scythes, an insect type of monster that possessed a set of wings that boosted its maneuverability. Its small head was connected to an outrageously long neck, a pair of antennas sitting on top of it. ¡°Soteela teeso mee someefa!¡± In response to the captain¡¯s next command, the archers aimed nocked arrows on their bows and simultaneously fired at the monster¡¯s location. Bows made from monster horn and arrow tips from sharpened monster bones, boasting enough penetrative power to cleanly enter a full plate armor. SCREEEEEEEEEEECH! Not expecting a fast response from the enemy, the insect monster endured the attack. Its carapace successfully deflected the arrowtips, leaving only small dent on its naturally grown armor. ¡°Geraint we need to get out of here!¡± Recovering first from the shock, her highness immediately commanded Geraint. But for a few second he paused, contemplating about the curse that was casted upon them. Never could they leave the cart for a long time since they were bound to it by magic. ¡°The curse has already been lifted, hurry!¡± Her highness was certainly the calmest of them all, noticing at first glance that the curse mark on their necks had already disappeared. Since the orc mage ,who was the one who cursed them, died so suddenly. The curse was lifted without any hardships on their side. Using the battle between the orcs and the insect monster as diversion, the prisoners began to regroup. With Geraint as the one in command, the dumbstrucked prisoners regained their senses and prepared to escape. The fight became even more fierce with the monster retaliating back. But it was none of their concern right now, they need to quickly get out of this chaotic place. ¡°Stick together everyone! Don¡¯t let anyone separate from the group!¡± Her highness then took over, issuing commands to the girls using her natural charisma. They still couldn¡¯t understand her words but Geraint acted as the translator as usual. With the way she carried herself, the other prisoners felt a significant amount of security in their hearts. Walking briskly at a constant pace while barefooted, the group traversed through the forest that was filled with gigantic trees and littered with bushes of variable sizes. The sound of battle quieted down as they made considerable distance. Their hands firmly grasped with one another, not letting anyone wander off the group. Rustling sound of leaves and the occasional calls of critters were the only thing they could hear. Unnerving as it was, the group refused to budge. Already sharing a special bond with each other, the group became mentally strong as a whole. Nevertheless, they were unable to tell the flow of time and just kept on walking forward without any further plans. With the forest being so dimly lit, the position of the sun was hard to discern. ¡°Wait.¡± Her highness suddenly raised her right arm, signalling for the group to stop. Noticing something peculiar at the ground, she knelt and examined it. This is definitely manmade. A tube so long, her highness couldn¡¯t see its end. Without any plans at all, this finding could very well be their last chance of surviving. Along the tube, there were two sets of footprints that overlapped each other. The depression on the ground was quite prominent which made it easy to spot. Going at opposing directions, the one who made them seemed to have travelled to a certain area of the forest and came back using the same path. ¡°Everyone, this way.¡± Her highness made the decision that would either lead to their survival or demise. Following the direction of the set of footprints that appeared to be much recent than the other, the group continued with their escape. Chapter 14 The pace they had started with, was now long gone. Fatigue and stress accumulated rapidly within their bodies. Blisters began to surface on their bare feet after walking without any breaks, through such an undeveloped terrain. Even so, they didn¡¯t lose hope since her highness and Geraint was with them. The both of them would always give them encouragement whenever they felt down, consequently maintaining a steady level of morale. ¡°We¡¯re near.¡± As the leader announced the words they were all waiting for, their expressions lightened up almost at the same time. Nonetheless, it was too early to celebrate. Her highness and Geraint, instead of being relieved, had their faces became even more tensed. Catching a glimpse of it even though they were still quite far away from it, her highness could feel her heartbeat ran amok. An unusual looking house or maybe a mansion due to its sheer size, located so deep within the forest. Both its walls and roof were ivory white in color. Windows were non existent and only a door could be seen from the outside. As they neared the building, the cluster of trees became thinner which allowed others to see the building much more clearly. ¡°Geraint and I will go first, everyone else should stay here.¡± Her highness, who saw that the land surrounding the building couldn¡¯t possibly provide them any sort of cover, decided to halt the march at a safe distance. A circle of land unreached by the forest¡¯s influence, her highness could easily imagine that something dangerous had caused it. And considering that only her highness and Geraint had the capability to fight back, the other members of the group should just hide and wait for the outcome. ¡°Be ready to cast a spell if the owner is hostile.¡± Nervous tension erupted between the two as they discussed the plan. Straightforward but dangerous, her highness would be the one to make contact while Geraint would quietly chant an offensive magic spell. ¡°Yes your highness.¡± After being bound by a curse that not only shackled them into place but also prevented any use of magic, Geraint was worried that his skills had already rusted. Even so, since her highness had entrusted him with such an important task, he accepted the plan with the maximum amount of confidence he could muster right now. ¡°.......¡± Silence prevailed as they walked side by side, suspense intensified with each step they took. The land around the structure was surprisingly comfortable to the surface of their feet. Soft and sandy, not a single piece of rock could be felt. With only a few steps remaining, the both of them looked eye to eye. Her highness nodded at Geraint, signalling him to start the process of chanting. Geraint responded to her expectations by choosing the deadliest spell he could possibly cast. His mouth began to move, chanting verses without any audible noise. Knock knock knock¡­.. She knocked on the door in a relaxed manner but exerted enough strength to create a powerful sound that reverberated throughout the inside of the building. ¡°Is anybody home?!¡± Forcing out all the air inside her lungs, her highness shouted at the top her voice. ¡°..........................¡± Nevertheless, only silence answered her inquiry that was full of desperation. Knock knock knock knock knock knock¡­..¡­.. She became impatient and started to knock on the door more forcefully. Her highness repeatedly banged the door that was made of reinforced metal, not giving any care for her hands that reddened with each impact. ¡°Please open the door!¡± Once again she wrung all the energy she could muster and made another desperate plead. ¡°Coming!¡± As if answering her prayers, a voice came from the inside of the house. A high pitched voice that was definitely produced by a female. ¡°...........¡± They were thrown into confusion as they began to imagine the appearance of the owner. With the voice being feminine and youthful at the same time, a little girl was the only thing they could picture. Clink¡­¡­...clunk¡­¡­..rattle The sound of keys and locks clattering together was audible to the outsiders which made them tense involuntarily. Slowly and gently, the door that was double their height began to open. ¡°Who are you people?¡± The owner of the voice was revealed, a child with blonde hair similar to Geraint, a little girl with eyes full of suspicions. She peeeked from the door that was opened just enough for her small head to fit through. ¡°.........................¡± The both of them were speechless, unable to react to the child who threw a question at them. Afer seeing the girl with their own eyes, they could never imagine her as someone hostile. ¡°Err¡­I am Catherine Alders Montcroix third princess of the Alteria Kingdom.¡± Catherine, being the first one to recover, introduced herself in a courteous manner. Not minding the fact that she was a member of a royal family. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Geraint Holmes, Princess Catherine¡¯s loyal attendant.¡± Geraint, who had already forgotten to recite the next verse of his spell, managed to go with the flow and introduced himself with a well mannered bow. ¡°Hmmmm¡­.¡± But it seemed that their introductions had dealt an opposite effect to the girl. Her eyes that were originally half closed, narrowed even further. Which made both the princess and her attendant to sweat profusely. ¡°We would like to request for your assistance since we¡¯ve been lost in the forest for quite some time now.¡± Wanting to break the tension that began to form between both sides, her highness continued with her appeal to the girl that seemed so young to be the owner of the house. An enlightened expression surfaced on the little girl''s as soon as she heard Catherine''s call for help. Intending to reply, she opened her tiny mouth. ¡°Mmmmffmm!¡± Not a single word was formed as a hand suddenly pacified the girl''s attempt to talk back. Obviously, a hand that didn''t belong to the child as it easily covered her mouth along with the half of her face. ¡°...............¡± Once again, the pair was stupefied and before they knew it, the hand which silenced the little girl had already managed to pull her back inside. BAM! Followed by a large sound of the door being slammed shut. A long pause was made between the two as it took them quite some time to digest the current situation. The little girl was without a doubt, a resident of the house. She looked perfectly healthy and didn''t seem to harbor any emotional disability. And the hand that pulled her back was probably the real owner of the house. For a moment, Catherine thought that the child was being held captive. But then, she and Geraint certainly looked suspicious themselves. It was normal for the owner to be wary of them, hence not wanting its child to make contact with them. ¡°For now, we need to earn the trust of the owner.¡± It was the only option they have right now, Catherine concluded. Even if they failed at first, knowing that the owner wasn''t hostile to them, their chances of survival had already increased significantly. ____________________________________ After that first encounter, the residents never made contact with them again. Not a single noise could be heard from the inside of the large house as the inhabitants grew wary of their presence. And as they waited and waited, time rapidly passed by. The sun that shone so brightly was eventually replaced by the soft radiance of the moon. ¡°We should make camp here.¡± Catherine had decided for the sake of the group. It was much better for them to reside next to the house, instead of being stuck inside the wilderness. If by chance danger came their way, the residents of the house might possibly took pity on them and decide to at least provide help. ¡°Geraint, go fetch the others.¡± ¡°Yes your highness.¡± Geraint obediently went to the hiding place of the girls, that was just a few steps beyond the cleared land. The girls were all resting together peacefully, their backs leaned on the trunk of a single gigantic tree. As much as he hated to disturb them, staying at the vicinity of the forest could still pose a threat to their lives. He embarrassingly tapped their bare shoulders and whispered, in their corresponding languages, that it was already the time to move. They stretched their limbs at first and let out sleepy yawns. Still, they were amenable to their instructions as they obediently marched towards the place where Catherine was at. The moment they reached the designated area, Catherine had already started with the camp. Even if she did say that they would make camp, only a bonfire was possible with their current resources. With only the assistance of the moonlight, Catherine managed to collect a pile of dried twigs from the nearby trees. Geraint, who already knew what he needed to do, chanted one of his few offensive spells. "Akula qaziem moipar tasarak tagolann!¡± ¡°[Flame whip]!¡± An incantation made from an extinct language. For every word he uttered, a corresponding symbol must be imagined in his mind. The first two words symbolized heat while the third and fourth represented the breath of life. Lastly, tagolann represented fuel, the most important word in the incantation. If all five could be recited in succession, a chain reaction would instantaneously occur. Mana began to leak from his core, through his veins they travelled to the location where the magic was intended to manifest. Geraint extended one of his arms and pointed it at the direction of the pile. From his opened hand, a yellow colored flame was born. Moulded by the concept of the magician, it changed in form and became a whip. In complete control of his magic, Geraint made the whip touch the pile of twigs. ¡°Wow!¡± As if seeing something amazing, Ranxa clapped in admiration. Geraint couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly after seeing such an innocent reaction. Beast folks had the lowest aptitude in magic so it wouldn¡¯t be a surprise if some of them had never seen magic before. On the other hand, the other members of the group didn¡¯t react much after seeing such a spectacle. The fire slowly devoured the wood and gave birth to light that illuminated their surroundings. For the first time, all of them sat face to face. Only Ranxa, Geraint and Catherine actively interacted with each other, while the other three stubbornly refused any sort of bonding throughout the span of their travel. ¡°It''s the perfect time to introduce ourselves.¡± Catherine suddenly proposed, wanting to break the tension inside the group. With Geraint serving as the bridge, the language barrier wouldn¡¯t be an issue right now. ¡°My name is Catherine Alders Montcroix, third princess of the Alteria Kingdom.¡± Since she was the initiator, Catherine introduced herself first. Every words she spoke of, except her actual name, was translated by Geraint. Which allowed the girls to understand how important her title was. Eyebrows were either raised or pulled together. The former being the reaction of the dwarven girl and Ranxa while the two elven girls, had done the latter. Catherine not minding the mixed reaction, puffed out her chest proudly. ¡°I am Geraint Holmes, Princess Catherine¡¯s loyal attendant.¡± Geraint made a courteous bow while introducing himself. A tad bit shy being in the limelight, especially in front of such beautiful maidens. The reactions of the audiences were quite dull, except for Ranxa who looked up to him with glittering eyes. ¡°Ranxa!¡± Ranxa¡¯s introduction was brief yet overflowing in energy. Always in full smile, the half feline girl successfully lightened the mood. As the first three showed clear enthusiasm in their introductions, the other three reluctantly followed. ¡°Nalmibella Shatterthane.¡± A dwarven girl who was only a head taller than Ranxa. Dwarven folks usually sported long moustaches and possessed short burly arms. Despite that, Nalmibella exhibited youthful features and was far from the typical dwarven look. Short black hair, that made her look boyish, and an androgynous face that frequently made others confused. With her pointy ears being the only trait that separated her from humans, Nalmibella¡¯s appearance could definitely be considered a rarity. ¡°I am Ilyana Ermaris.¡± ¡°Teryani Ermaris.¡± Two introductions in quick successions, the elves made their names known. As if signifying their closeness with nature, both Ilyana and Teryani had lush green hair that reached their buttocks. Their faces possessed supernatural beauty that could capture the hearts of any known living being. They were the tallest of the group, with alluring bodies that carried minimal fat. Compared to Catherine¡¯s somewhat unripe beauty, both elves carried enough maturity to stir a man¡¯s desire to reproduce. The both of them were almost identical except for the fact that Ilyana¡¯s hair was curled while Teryani¡¯s was straight. It was supposed to be the first step in filling the gaps between their hearts but it seemed that after finishing all of their introductions, a deafening silence prevailed. In just a single day, a lot of things had happened. Everyone was tired, fatigue clearly showing on everyone¡¯s faces. ¡°Geraint and I will take turns with guard duty, everyone else should go to sleep.¡± Noticing the exhausted state of the group, Catherine once again volunteered herself and Geraint. They were the only dependable members of the group, she thought. Despite the fact that Ilyana and Teryani¡¯s race was known to be guardians of the forest, the both of them seemed lacking in terms of fighting capability. ¡°I¡¯ll keep watch first, go get some sleep.¡± Geraint initially disagreed, but as the princess kept on insisting he soon gave up. He was not in a position to refuse since Catherine was much stronger and experienced compared to him. Even though he was supposed to be the one doing the protecting, Geraint could only cast a few spells and was a complete beginner in combat. ¡°Please be careful your highness.¡± As much as he hated being weak, Catherine¡¯s decisions were always on point. The earlier he could get sufficient rest, the earlier he could replace the princess in guard duty. Geraint entrusted his back to the soft and sandy ground. Surprisingly, it was softer than the cart¡¯s floor. A star studded night sky welcomed him as he looked up, filling his heart with a strong sense of freedom. Everyone encircled the flickering fire while sleeping in peace. Except for Catherine who was quite sleepy herself, all of them were fast asleep. She would occasionally doze off but was kept awake by pinching her own cheeks. ¡°I need to find more wood.¡± Catherine noticed that the bonfire was gradually losing its flames. She needed to find more fuel or else others might wake up from being cold. The princess stood up and began to do stretches. After being seated for quite some time, her legs felt numb. If she was to venture inside the forest again, Catherine needed her body in its battle-ready state. ¡°Come to think of it, there¡¯s not a single monster at this part of the forest.¡± Staying near the house was the best decision she had made for the group. Even if they were outside, the building provided enough security for them to be free of monster attacks. Once again, she surveyed the mysterious building under the moonlight. To be located at such an isolated place with its enormous size, a mystery Catherine wanted to uncover. ¡°Huh?¡± For a moment, something came inside her view while observing the top part of the building. A tiny red light that was hard to notice at first. But after focusing on it for a few minutes, her vision adapted to the darkness. !!? A silhouette of a person and a red light glowing on its head, the last moment she could remember before being devoured by the darkness. Chapter 15 An intense pain radiated from her head as she slowly regained her consciousness. Grogginess that she had never felt before assailed her whole body. Catherine slowly opened her eyelids that felt so heavy and was welcomed with nothing but a hazy image of her surroundings. Only light was distinguishable with her current state. ¡°Uggh.¡± She wanted to puke but was unable to, due to her stomach that lacked nourishment. Catherine could faintly recall that whenever a party was held at the castle she once lived at, people who drank too much would suffer the same consequences she was enduring right now. But then, she had never drank alcohol or even any kind of beverage that could contain liquor. ¡°You¡¯re awake at last.¡± Feeling as if a bucket of cold water was splashed onto her face, Catherine shuddered at the voice that suddenly came out of nowhere. Being in the deepest tone she could possibly imagine, the words conveyed by the voice sounded full of malice. Her body that felt woozy was forcibly woken up, her senses alarmed every part of her body that danger was imminent. Even so, any command she sent to her body had failed to move it. Her arms and legs were impossible to move, as if it was tightly anchored to something. Catherine¡¯s felt her body was in a seated position and was unable to get out of it. Additionally, some areas of her chest and head felt ice cold. ¡°It¡¯s alright, take your time princess.¡± The deep voice, as if mocking her helplessness, casually called her a princess. It seemed that the one who spoke was familiar with her, which made her more curious of his identity. ¡°Who are you?¡± Catherine inquired calmly even though her vision was still blurry. Whichever direction she turned to, a bright source of light greeted her. Similar to the light, the voice resounded in all directions which made it difficult to determine where the speaker was at. ¡°I am the owner of the land you people had trespassed into.¡± The speaker identified itself without any hesitation. Annoyance and hostility, clear from his manner of speaking. Catherine¡¯s shaky state was forcefully blown away right after hearing that line. Her muddled thoughts became clear as well, allowing her to successfully recall the events that took place. ¡°We just want to ask for help.¡± She pleaded to the owner with a voice that was full of desperation. Her vision that was fuzzy became clear all of a sudden which made her aware of the situation she was currently in. !!? Multiple windows ,that could unnaturally emit light, encircled her inside a dimly lit room. Even though the windows were numerous enough to fill the whole room, only a single figure was shown in each and everyone of them. A face hidden behind a mask that looked similar to a jester¡¯s face. The false face that smiled maniacally with its pearly white teeth fully visible. Red pupils imprisoned within two slits that looked as if it was mocking everyone it sees. And lastly, covering the entirety of the mask was an ivory white paint that made it look pale and lifeless. ¡°I¡¯ll give help of course, but before that.¡± A head that was covered in a disturbing mask which emitted a voice so deep, one might mistake it for a demonic entity. It playfully weaved every word it spouted and hinted to Catherine that something must be done before any assistance could be provided. ¡°I want to play a game.¡± Subconsciously, she swallowed a mouthful of saliva after hearing the condition. The masked entity laughed amusingly at them, glad that he could find a source of entertainment. Terror struck Catherine¡¯s mind, a premonition of her being reduced to a mere plaything of the owner filled her still murky head. ¡°I will ask five questions which the both of you should answer honestly.¡± Hearing the word ¡®both¡¯, Catherine realized the she wasn¡¯t alone in this room. Experiencing the same fate as her, Geraint was also seated in the same manner behind her. Not a single word was uttered by the attendant, his eyes contained nothing but despair. ¡°Those things attached to your chest and head will notify me if you are lying or not.¡± Connected to their skins were numerous circular patches that felt terrifyingly cold. Attached to the patches were wires that flowed to a certain part of the room. Catherine wasn''t sure if the owner was bluffing, saying that this device could detect if a person was lying. Such a sophisticated magical tool ,that could be used in the interrogation of criminals and the likes, was totally unheard of for the princess. Nevertheless, she hesitantly believed it for the sake of winning the game. ¡°With every question you fail to answer correctly and every lie you tell, toxic gas will be released inside the room.¡± Geraint and Catherine stiffened after hearing the game they were supposed to take part in. Failure would result to their death, the owner implied. Nevertheless, Catherine didn¡¯t lose hope and just quietly listened to the explanation. On the other hand, Geraint didn¡¯t move an inch from his original position as if he was petrified into a statue. ¡°Only three errors are permitted, with the third one resulting in a gruesome death. A pitiable end indeed.¡± The speaker¡¯s mocking tone changed into one that expressed pity. It didn¡¯t want its newly found playthings to be sent to the afterlife that easily. ¡°Each question should be answered by the both of you or else it will be counted as a failure.¡± It continued to explain the rules of the game in a manner that seemed to be enjoying their ordeal. With each sentence it told, hope became smaller for the both of them. Sweat profusely dripped through their skins that was littered with goosebumps. ¡°Enough with the explanations, let the game begin!¡± Seemingly bored of giving such long explanations, the owner cut to the chase and shouted enthusiastically. The atmosphere felt heavy, their heartbeats began to pound wildly. Feeling as if they were marching towards the gallows, waiting for the moment they cease to breathe. ¡°For the first question-.¡± For a short moment, Catherine forgot to breathe. Even though their survival was being treated as mere entertainment, she couldn¡¯t do anything about it. Their only way out here was to answer the questions correctly. No one knows if the questions would be answerable at all with their current knowledge. ¡°What are your names?¡± Catherine''s despairing face immediately lightened up after as soon as she heard the question. If only basic questions similar to these were asked, a win would definitely be within their reach. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Catherine Alders Montcroix.¡± She answered without hesitation, not wanting to waste any time at all with such an easy question. But then, Geraint seemed to be unusually quiet even though he was unmistakably conscious. Since they needed to both answer correctly in order to pass the question, Catherine grew anxious with every second that had passed. ¡°What are you doing Geraint! Answer it!¡± She yelled frustratingly at her attendant who didn¡¯t seem to be at his top form. The princess lost her composure at such a crucial time but the owner wasn¡¯t minding it at all. The windows that filled the walls showed the image of him waiting patiently, occasionally fiddling with the mask he was wearing out of boredom. ¡°Err....Geraint¡­¡­ Umm¡­.Geraint¡­¡­.. Holmes.¡± The answer he told was fragmented, his voice decreasing in volume with every syllable he pronounced. Nonetheless, his full name was successfully relayed to the owner. ¡°Good, your answers are correct.¡± Catherine took a breath of relief as they barely managed to pass the first question that was supposed to be easy. Luckily, the owner was quite lax with the rules of the game and didn¡¯t pressure them with the time limit, as if it was keen on hearing their answers. ¡°Let¡¯s move on to the next question.¡± Seemingly bored with the direction the game was going at, the owner monotonously announced the next stage of the game. With its every gesture being displayed in such a conspicuous way, one could clearly tell that the owner wasn¡¯t entertained in the slightest bit. ¡°Where are you from?¡± Catherine could feel her hope rising up after hearing the second question that was quite similar to the first in terms of difficulty. Even though the owner had managed to create such a dreadful atmosphere inside the room, it sorely failed with the creation of the game itself. Everything felt a bit too easy, the princess thought. Nevertheless, she couldn¡¯t afford to let her guard down. ¡°Whitstone castle, Alteria kingdom.¡± She told the owner confidently, her home that was countries away from here. Catherine had a distant look in her eye, inadvertently reminiscing of the memories she had with that place. The things she could¡¯ve done to preserve her simple but fulfilling life within those walls, she was deep in thought for a moment but immediately regained her focus. ¡°.........¡± Once again, silence was Geraint¡¯s answer to the question which made Catherine extremely worried. Probably experiencing something worse compared to what Catherine had felt, Geraint couldn¡¯t properly respond with the situation they were currently in. ¡°Snap out of it!¡± Resorting to violence whenever she was in a pinch, Catherine frustratingly striked Geraint¡¯s head using her own. !!? Being struck forcefully on his head, Geraint could feel an immense amount pain at the point of impact. After his brain was vigorously shaken, his senses were awakened from the trance he was lost in. ¡°Whit.....stone¡­....castle¡­¡­.....Al¡­¡­¡­¡­...te¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­...ria.¡± The interval between each word and syllables he uttered exponentially increased. But still, he managed to repeat what the princess had said before him. Slowly his consciousness ,that was barely awake, began to sink even deeper. Starting from the tips of his fingers and toes, a numbing sensation flowed throughout his whole body. Followed by the loss of sensation with both his lips and tongue. Geraint was sure that it was a ploy orchestrated by the owner. Their demise was already set into stone the moment they came in contact with that strange house. ¡°Splendid! Another correct answer.¡± After hearing yet another right answer from the players, the owner gave a standing applause. But instead feeling proud of themselves, Catherine and Geraint didn¡¯t react in any way. Something sinister loomed around the owner¡¯s actions which made them shudder in fear. ¡°Next question.¡± The owner¡¯s joyous display was suddenly interrupted by his own voice. Invading almost the whole diameter of the window with his masked face, the owner had already abandoned his original position. As if waiting for something interesting, his visible pupils quivered in delight. ¡°Where is this place?¡± Another basic question was relayed which made the owner sound ignorant of the basic knowledge of this world. He annoyingly placed his head in front of the window and made a gesture of wanting to hear something intriguing by placing a hand behind his ear. ¡°Summit of Amantes, located inside the demonic continent of Uzira.¡± Catherine, who had received high class education ever since she was a child, effortlessly answered the question. Nonetheless, the hope that had piled up after correctly answering the first two questions felt nonexistent by now. Gloom quickly filled the entire room which worsened the already stuffy atmosphere. ¡°..................¡± Yet again, her answer was followed by an eerie silence. Geraint who was supposed to follow up an answer of his own, kept quiet for the second time. ¡°What are you doing!¡± Catherine blew her fuse again, her patience that was already short was alarmingly halved in response to the situation. Another strike to his head was the only thing she could do, Catherine thought. She flexed her head forward to gain momentum and immediately pulled the trigger, intending to cause more pain compared to the first blow. ¡°Aaugh!¡± Nothing was hit even though she exerted an increased amount of force, thus overextending her neck muscles. The pain that she wanted to deliver had backfired. A lashing pain radiated from her nape which made her cry in agony. Geraint had already succumbed to the numbing sensation. His head that was in an upright position was now bent forward, not allowing Catherine¡¯s blow to land on its designated target. During that moment, Catherine realized that they were already doomed from the beginning. Dancing on top of the owner¡¯s palm, pointlessly struggling from the future that was already definite. The only thing she could do was wait, wait until their time in this world was over. ¡°Time¡¯s up! Too bad! Your friend seems tired from the long journey.¡± The owner mockingly laughed at their utter hopelessness. He deliberately made it look like the game was winnable. But as soon as the players could see the light of hope, he would brutally demolish their morale in a single swoop. You demon! Catherine gnashed her teeth in vexation after hearing the owner¡¯s distasteful way of speaking. Even so, her rage didn¡¯t last long. Her tongue tasted something sweet even though nothing was inside her mouth. It was probably the toxic gas that the owner had mentioned before. Such a delightful taste began to diffuse into the tightly sealed air that they breathe in. It felt like candies were flowing freely into their mouths, truly a sweet but pitiable ending. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! The both of you won¡¯t die with just this. It will take at least three canisters~.¡± Voluntarily, the owner reassured them that they wouldn¡¯t die that easily. However, Catherine had already refused to believe him. Every word that came out from his mouth couldn¡¯t be trusted at all. Gradually, she could feel the effects of the supposedly toxic gas. Her brain slowly drowned in a state of euphoria, contrary to that feeble constitution she had experienced before. Instead of being drained of energy, Catherine felt energized. Her senses heightened to its limit, not only the beating of her heart but even the flow of the blood through her veins was clearly felt. ¡°Let¡¯s carry on with the next question.¡± Satisfied with the events that unfolded in front of his eyes, the owner enthusiastically resumed the game. It was all but mere entertainment for him, not even a little bit of remorse was showed from his actions. ¡°How did you get here?¡± At last, the owner inquired about something that was much more complicated. Among the prisoners, only Geraint and Catherine were aware of the real purpose of their journey. The others believed that they would only be used as slaves for pleasure and manual labor, but the truth was far more sinister. ¡°We-.¡± Catherine ,who was about to give her answer, decided to stop. They were already done for, answering wouldn¡¯t get them anywhere. Further compliance with the owner wouldn¡¯t bring them any benefits at all. It would be the best if she stayed silent, thereby impeding the owner¡¯s ulterior motives. ¡°Alright, let''s make a compromise. If you answer all the questions correctly even if you''re alone, I¡¯ll let you go okay!¡± As if reading her exact thoughts, the owner made a deal with Catherine. With her being so unusually silent, he knew that the game wouldn¡¯t reach its conclusion. It certainly was deserving of a climactic ending. Having a few adjustments wouldn¡¯t hurt at all, the owner implied. ¡°We were taken as slaves by the highland orcs.¡± She made it look like she was swayed and had already lost completely to his tricks, but in reality Catherine refused to budge. The princess fed an incomplete information to the owner that was curiously thrusting his head onto the window. Originally, they believed it was only the case, thus Catherine was far from lying. She refused to explain the whole truth and only stated an easily known fact. ¡°Hmmmm¡­¡­¡± Seemingly unsatisfied with her short answer, the owner contemplated with his decision. Unsure if it was correct or wrong, he rubbed the hideous mask¡¯s chin while in deep thought. ¡°Wrong!¡± Bzzzzzt Bzzzzt Accompanied by his final decision was a series of buzzing sound that was straight out of a TV game show. A strong taste of iron replaced the sweetness in Catherine¡¯s taste buds after hearing the owner¡¯s judgement. Seeing that the owner was well aware of her very thoughts, she bit her own lips out of extreme frustration. She winced from the agonizing pain she had caused to herself. Not knowing that her sense of pain heightened as well, she didn¡¯t expect it to be this painful. Even so, that pain didn¡¯t stay for long. The sweetness that was replaced with the rusty taste had dominated her mouth once again. Feeling as if her senses were separating from her body, her euphoria reached its peak. Her sense of touch felt nonexistent, every inch of her skin felt as if it was floating in space. Catherine could certainly feel that another error could easily end her life. ¡°At last! The final question.¡± Enjoying til the very end, the owner excitedly announced the climax of the game. He looked like a child that was expecting a christmas gift from Santa. His body erratically shook in joy, happy that his playthings would finally meet their maker. ¡°What is your final wish before you die?¡± Asking a question that was befitting of an executioner, Catherine had already expected such an outcome. Despite that, she couldn¡¯t help but feel enraged at the owner for making fun of them. The princess wanted to break free and mercilessly punch him in the face repeatedly until his eyes were devoid of light. ¡°Oops, before I forget. Don¡¯t worry about the other girls-¡± Out of nowhere, the owner reassured Catherine of the whereabouts of Ranxa and the others but stopped with his sentence midway. ¡°-they¡¯ll make fine specimens.¡± He continued to ridicule without a shred of guilt from his voice, followed by a laugh that mocked every bit of her dignity. YOUUU IMBECILEEE!!! Fueled by the piled up rage she felt for that demonic entity, Catherine could feel her blood boil. The numbing sensation ceased to exist, her body that felt lethargic was now brimming with vitality. Her hair that looked normal at first glance, began to shimmer with a scarlet radiance. It felt as if she exert it her all, the restraints wouldn¡¯t hold up to her sheer strength. However, something completely unexpected happened before she could even muster enough energy to escape. ¡°Big brother Seth! The heater isn''t working!¡± A familiar voice resounded from the window that displayed a somewhat confused owner. Youthful and feminine, the girl who Catherine and Geraint had met before was the only one who came into mind. In response to that voice, the owner acted meek all of a sudden. Which made Catherine, who was about to unleash her power, greatly confused. ¡°Yes! I¡¯m coming!¡± The voice that replied to the girl was different from the deep toned voice the owner used to confront them. A male¡¯s youthful voice that sounded more natural and was leagues away from sounding demonic. The owner was eventually lost in sight as he pitter-pattered away from the window, inadvertently showing his real size to Catherine. A young boy was toying with us. Too short to be considered an adult male, the owner seemed to be younger than the princess herself. To be so fearful and cunning at such a young age, Catherine could only shudder in fear albeit feeling annoyed at the same time. A normal room was now displayed through the window. It looked high class and was filled with premium looking furnitures that Catherine hadn¡¯t seen before. Currently, no one was inside but after a few minutes, a familiar figure emerged from the window. It¡¯s that girl again. The blonde haired girl whom they had met before made an appearance. With her body covered in a fluffy looking towel, it looked as if she was about to take a bath. Curiously, she made her way in front of the window that served as the connection between the prison ,where Geraint and Catherine was held at, and the room where the owner had mercilessly tormented them. ¡°Hello, Are you guys alright?¡± Seemingly concerned about their well-being, the girl asked the tied up princess. She looked perfectly normal compared to that young owner that possessed quite a twisted personality. Furthermore, her concern looked genuine enough to Catherine. ¡°Please, help us get out of here!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The plead Catherine had made to the girl was immediately answered positively. For a moment Catherine feared that her personality might be affected by the owner¡¯s after spending her daily life with him under one roof. Despite that, she looked like a honest kid that was also pure and innocent. Not wanting to waste anymore time, the girl left the room with large strides with only a towel covering her tiny body. Catherine was already prepared for her death but it seemed that her destiny wasn¡¯t so tragic after all. Completely unexpected, an angel had managed to stop the ploy of the devil and even graciously offered a helping hand for their escape. Chapter 16 ¡°My bad, I think I got a little carried away there.¡± I troublingly blurted out to Lily while entrusting my back on the wall outside my living quarters. Behind the hideous mask that was supposed to strike terror upon the prisoners, almost all of my facial muscles ached after laughing for so many many times. Even though acting was out of my expertise, the role unexpectedly suited me well which made me think that I had potential in villainous roles. ¡°You''re scary good Big Brother Seth! Your acting was perfect!¡± Lily highly praised me but her face showed a subtle hint of fear. Nevertheless, she beamed a radiant smile and raised a big thumbs up at my performance. Being covered with only a towel, I was worried about her being cold despite the fact that the temperature regulator inside the facility was running well. ¡°Is that so.¡± Unsure if I''m going to be happy after receiving a high evilness rating, I let out a troubled laugh at Lily who seemed to be quite experienced with drama plays. ¡°But it''s still not over so don''t forget your lines okay. ¡° ¡°Alright, I''ll do my best.¡± The act hadn''t reached its ending it seems, Lily reminded me. Direct confrontation with that self proclaimed princess and her underling was the next scene in this orchestrated play. Lily, their angelic savior, would magnificently help the prisoners from the evil clutches of the psychopathic house owner. A typical story that would usually end up with the victims, voluntarily giving their unwavering trust to their savior. The good cop and bad cop interrogation tactic was ingeniously adapted in this routine as suggested by the acting and writing prodigy, Lily. Not wanting to further delay the series of pre-planned events, she briskly walked towards the direction of the surveillance room which was temporarily used as an interrogation room. The hem of the towel fluttered as if it was the cape of the heroic Lily She''s undeniably better than me when it comes to human interactions. I readily admitted my defeat to Lily who was far more superior in this field. Being cooped up inside this warehouse after so many years negatively affected my communicating skills. In addition, the discrimination of most of my colleagues limits my interaction with other people. Lily on the other hand, seemed quite used to it and could easily think of scenarios that could benefit us. This place is dangerous. After confronting both the monstrous bear and that illusionary psychopath of a lady, I could safely say that dying in this place wouldn''t be unusual at all. Every living being inside this forest should be considered dangerous until proven safe. Falling easily into that category was the princess and her band of slaves. She suspiciously proclaimed herself to be a princess and also invaded the grounds near the warehouse without permission. If we made contact with them without the necessary precautions, our position would certainly be at a disadvantage. ¡°We need more information.¡± I calmly declared to myself the best solution for our problem but still couldn''t help but be worried about the future. It wasn''t an easy task especially with the place we were currently at. Nonetheless, there''s a high probability that these outsiders could provide the necessary information. After waiting for a few minutes I also walked towards the direction Lily went. Contemplating with each step I took, I slowly made my way. The surveillance room wasn¡¯t that far from my room but I took my time, allowing Lily to do her part. Now it¡¯s my turn. I readied myself once I saw the fully opened door that emitted a sweet aroma that tickled my nose. The toxic gas that was pumped in the room wasn¡¯t deadly but could put a person in a state of euphoria and eventually unconsciousness if continuously inhaled. Lily battled the colorless fumes of the chemical compound Nitrous oxide, and made her way into the center of the room. I should¡¯ve cleared the room first. Brave enough to enter the room without even a single olfactory protection, Lily¡¯s gait soon became wobbly. An amusing spectacle that made me chuckle while under the face of a clown that was similarly expressing its joy with its creepy smile. ¡°I¡¯ll remove the restraints so please don¡¯t move.¡± Lily gallantly said to the princess that was helplessly strapped into a chair. She repeatedly fiddled with the locks that kept the straps in place but failed to even unlock one. An excessive amount of effort was purposely showed to Catherine, but it was all in vain. ¡°Behind you!¡± The princess alarmingly exclaimed to Lily after seeing me enter the room. Her crimson hair that was previously glowing was now back to its original state but her eyes still showed an undying blaze. For some inexplicable reasons the princess appeared to be unaffected even after inhaling laughing gas in hazardous quantities. Is it some kind of bioluminescence? That phenomena certainly looked like bioluminescence. But to think that a human could exhibit a trait that only animals could normally possess, a different path of evolution must''ve taken place. Furthermore, the trick performed by her attendant was also mind boggling. To control fire in such a sophisticated way, a complex process must be behind it. All in all, both of them weren''t normal humans despite the fact that they looked the part. Even though the part of room, where I was at, was poorly lit. My hand instinctively searched the wall where the switch of the exhaust fan was installed. With a flip of the switch, the suffocating air that carried a mouth watering sweetness was flushed out and replaced by fresh forest air. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Well, well, well. What do we have here?¡± A line that could be considered a standard in an antagonist¡¯s script came out from my mouth. While being supported by the voice alteration feature of the mask, a frighteningly deep voice was made artificially. A homemade villain was created from scratch but it should safely pass the minimum requirements for an average bad guy. With each slow step, I neared both Lily and Catherine. Consequently showing my whole body that didn¡¯t look intimidating at all. My usual work clothes beneath a pure white laboratory gown were shown to the savior and the captive. The mask completely covered my head, concealing every inch of my skin and the conspicuous color of my hair. Only a pair of diagonal slits, which was intended to look like delighted eyes that were narrowed to their limit, aided my vision. ¡°If you intend to hurt them, you¡¯ll have to get through me first!" Lily protectively spread her arms wide, showing her firm resolve to save the princess and her attendant from the evil me. Her expression felt so genuine that I inadvertently clapped my hands in admiration. Even though my real motive was to praise her, my actions further convinced the audience that I am really an authentic scoundrel. *Sigh* Let''s get this over with. It certainly felt that if I continue with this act, things would be much more troublesome. Besides, I am already tired and had to do a lot of other things. Ending it as early as possible would be the best choice for now. I stopped my advance in front of Lily and proceeded to stretch my left arm towards her. It looked as if I¡¯m going to strangle her neck which made Catherine furious. Flared nose with her face reddened in fury, the princess definitely didn¡¯t look like a princess to me. She kept on hurling unknown words at me while wearing an annoying face, trying her best to insult me through bad mouthing phrases that I couldn¡¯t even comprehend. !!? I didn¡¯t paid much attention to the flailing princess in distress and continued with my next move. While being dangerously close to Lily, my hand was opened to its limit. Exaggerating it as much as possible in order to increase drama, I clenched my fist without any warning. But as soon as the hand descended on Lily¡¯s head, an anticlimactic pat to the head was done. ¡°Alright, if Lily says so.¡± Even though my voice was frighteningly deep, it carried an inexplicable heartwarming feeling. Which made Catherine, who was on the verge of exploding in anger, utterly confused. Lily on the other hand, blissfully squinted her eyes at the gesture that carried positive energy. As for me, I unknowingly formed a warm smile beneath the mask. Not only did Lily showed an exceptional performance but also perfectly executed each scenes with me as a supporting actor. Although deep inside, I¡¯m the gladdest to know that this stressful play had already closed its curtains. ____________________________________________________________________________ The usually quiet and empty kitchen felt cramped and stuffy all of a sudden. Previously used by only me and Lily, it only had a small table, two metal chairs, one sink, a row of elevated cabinets, a stove, one refrigerator, and counters that contained appliances that were common in modern households. Once spacious enough to let Lily run around it freely, the floor area narrowed due to the increased amount of people. Replacing the small table was a rectangular work table that I moved here to accommodate the uninvited guests. Presently, seven chairs were lined up near the table with me positioned at one of the short ends. Lily was seated beside me while the captives were at the far opposite end of the table. Catherine, being the leader of their group, was given a seat that directly faced me. It looked as if we were having a business meeting with our side clearly holding a more dominant position. ¡°I¡¯ll be starting the discussion regarding the future of both parties.¡± I formally announced, through my normal voice, the agenda for today¡¯s meeting. Further alteration of my voice wouldn¡¯t do me any good especially since this was a negotiation that was supposed to be peaceful. During that entire time I was wearing the battle armor that I painstakingly made. Being covered fully by the armor gave me enough confidence to confront the intruders that were obviously unrestrained. Originally, I opposed the idea of making contact with outsiders but after my encounter with the princess and her attendant, I could safely say that they were normal living beings. The lie detection device that I purposely attached to them was in fact a medical instrument to measure both the brain waves and the flow of blood from the heart. Although unsophisticated, It could safely determine if the both of them were really human beings. In addition to the emotional swings they showed during the trial, the instrument¡¯s findings showed normal results. Even though there were some peculiar differences between them and a normal control, I was convinced that they were indeed human beings and not supernatural creatures that only wear human skin. ¡°The things attached to your necks will discharge electricity if any of you tries to disobey or attack me.¡± In place of the bindings that previously shackled them into place, eye catching collars were fitted on their necks. They were shock collars that could be remotely triggered whenever a captive presents a threat to both Lily and I. ¡°............¡± The opposing party began to notice the significance of the collars after hearing my words. Despite the fact that they should only know the language of their respective races, their gestures signified that they understood every word I said. Truly an unusual band of individuals, seeing that everyone of them had unique characteristics that wasn¡¯t short of fascinating. Their names and races were already known to me since they carelessly divulged information right in front of the warehouse. Elves, dwarves, and beastmen. Races that were commonly heard in old fantasy novels and role playing games. At first, it sounded ridiculous to me but after seeing them in such close proximity, I was convinced that they weren¡¯t lying. ¡°Don¡¯t yank it too much or else-¡± ¡°Eeeeeeek!¡± . . . . ¡°-that¡¯ll happen.¡± The princess impatiently pulled the collar that looked fragile enough to be forcibly removed and was electrocuted as a result. Her whole body shivered due to the nerve impulse created by the electricity but still she remained conscious. Wanting to snap out of its aftereffects, she shook her head vigorously and proceeded to fiercely glare at me. Is she really a princess? Or maybe she¡¯s barbarian princess of some sort. She probably still hadn¡¯t moved on from the tormenting that I subjected her into, justifying her inextinguishable hostility towards me Surprisingly, her body endured such a high voltage shock as if it was just mere static electricity. It certainly looked like the princess possessed a body that was strong against physical harm but was weak against mental attacks. Contrary to the princess¡¯ rash behavior, the other slaves were timid in a sense that they would just glance at the collar without touching it. Since they didn¡¯t suffer any form of tormenting from me, their behaviors weren¡¯t extreme except for the attendant of the princess. ¡°DON''T KILL ME PLEASE!¡± He panted heavily and would shout the same line over and over as if he was a broken record. Easily shattered into pieces with only a few nudge, his willpower was as fragile as a thin sheet of ice. He cupped both his ears tightly, refusing to listen to the words that came out from my mouth. ¡°Get yourself together Geraint!¡± The princess, who shouted at a similar volume, attempted to pacify the wailing attendant. Even though it sounded like they were just shouting mindlessly at each other, the attendant whimpered in response and eventually quietened down like a puppy who was obeying his owner¡¯s order. I really need a noise cancellation feature in this thing. The excessively loud exchange, between the princess and her attendant, suddenly reminded me of something that became even more important by now. Even though the meeting was held in order to start negotiations between the two parties, not a tad bit of progress was made whatsoever. ¡°The princess told me that all of you were brought here as slaves, was that correct?¡± Wanting to return the meeting back to its original track, I cut straight to the point and told everyone the question in a very serious tone. Troublesome as it may look, extracting information without the use of force would yield the largest amount of data and could also gains us companions that could be relied on the future. But if by chance they weren''t creatures that had sane reasoning, I wouldn''t hesitate in formulating a torture routine that could kill if necessary. ¡°............................¡± Although silence was the first to answer, their differently shaped ears were noticeably perked up. Finally, the meeting had started to progress even a little after seeing that the majority of them were seemingly interested on what I said just now. GROWL~ Short lived the silence was, replaced by a thundering sound of stomachs rumbling in unison. Being deprived of food while on a long journey was a usual case for slaves if one would think about it. Not having energy to answer back, the slaves uncooperative behavior was understandable. A foreseeable predicament that could easily be resolved. In front of that realization, I couldn¡¯t help but facepalm in frustration. While Lily, who was quietly listening to us, chuckled in amusement. Chapter 17 A large portion of frozen meat and instant noodles were taken out from the refrigerator and was neatly arranged on the countertop. They were on its way of being transformed into a meal that wouldn''t tarnish my reputation as a homemade cook. ¡°A beef noodle soup seems possible with these.¡± The pre flavored meat was in fact beef and wouldn''t need further saut¨¦ing. A broth mixture was also included inside the pack of instant noodles, allowing the meal to be cooked in less than fifteen minutes. But before that- I''ll take off the gauntlets first. Cooking while donning a full body armor was clearly unsanitary so I took it off without much effort, showing my pale white hands that were riddled with calluses and scars. In addition to that, I also wore a white apron over the pure black armor which created quite a contrast. Oops I almost forgot. Good sanitation was the first step in cooking something delicious so I immediately washed my hand using the faucet that was installed on the sink. Freezing water that came from the lake showered my skin but instead of shivering due to the cold, I felt revitalized. The fatigue dissipated quickly, as if a cooling energy was forcibly pumped into my nerves. ¡°Can I help?¡± Out of nowhere, Lily adorably offered help while wearing an oversized plain white T shirt. Since she didn''t have any extra clothes, I lent her some of mine. Enough to cover the skin until above her knees which further proved that our height wasn¡¯t too far from each other. ¡°Of course, you can peel off the plastic wrappings.¡± Welcoming her assistance with wide arms, I instructed Lily to peel off the plastic that covered the frozen meat. It was quite difficult since the meat was frozen solid but Lily persevered to accomplish the task. ¡°You should warm it up first with water.¡± Seeing that Lily was unnecessarily using her strength for naught, I reluctantly gave her a hint. She must¡¯ve been unfamiliar with household chores especially while living with a doting father like Professor Sanders. Nonetheless, she did her best and eventually managed to completely peel off a piece. But it seems that Lily wasn¡¯t the only one doing her best. ¡°Mmmm¡­¡± A pair of black ears that belonged to a cat was peeking barely at the edge of the counter where Lily was working at. Whenever Lily finishes a piece and puts it on a plate beside the pile of meat, the ear twitched in response. It was the beast girl named Ranxa if I remembered it correctly. Even if she was dangerously close to Lily, Ranxa didn¡¯t try to attack her and for some reason Lily didn¡¯t mind her that much. It looked like she only wanted to catch a whiff of the meat but as soon as I started to boil the noodles, her ears twitched erratically. Ranxa was trying her best not to give in to her temptations. While waiting for the noodles to cook, I chopped up the already peeled pieces of meat and threw them inside the pot. An appetizing aroma wafted throughout the kitchen with every piece of meat I put in. Ranxa immediately gave up her battle against hunger as she frantically tried to jump on top of the counter. Probably because her energy was almost depleted, she failed to jump high enough to reach the remaining pile of meat. ¡°It''s almost finished so please go back to your seat.¡± I instructed Ranxa, who was dangerously eyeing the direction of the delicious smell, with a serious tone. Surprisingly, she obediently nodded her head and went back to her seat with her black tail wiggling in delight. Despite the fact that I was wearing quite an intimidating armor, she didn¡¯t seem to harbor any sort of negative feelings toward me. ¡°Lily, go fetch spoons and bowls for each of them including us.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Lily obediently followed my order and hurriedly went to the cupboard, which was located beside the refrigerator, and deftly picked up a handful of bowls. She then arranged the dishes in front of the guests while wearing a bright smile, perfectly showing to them that she wasn¡¯t hostile in any way. As for me, I picked up the large pot of steaming soup with both hands and brought it on top of the table. All of them had their eyes dilated, eyeing the contents hidden inside the pot. With the source right in front of their noses, the appetizing aroma was the only thing in their heads. My mouth began to salivate as well since I was also hungry myself. Lily was calm as usual but Ranxa openly licked her lips, anticipating for the food that would eventually fill her stomach. On the other hand, the princess and the others somehow kept their composure. ¡°I¡¯ll be distributing the food so hand me your bowls.¡± Reluctantly, they stood up from their seats and lined up in front of me. Not hesitating at all, Ranxa hurriedly approached me and held her bowl high. Such an innocent child who readily approved of me even though I was a complete stranger to her. Ranxa¡¯s future was worrying indeed. ¡°Be sure to eat a lot.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Suddenly a surge of nostalgia filled my head, remembering the days at the orphanage. Unintentionally, I blurted out a phrase that was filled with warmth and care. In response to that, she gladly expressed her gratitude with her tail and ears quivering in joy. Ranxa resembled most of the kids I¡¯ve taken care of back then.Using a ladle, I scooped plenty and filled Ranxa¡¯s bowl. Since the soup was still hot, she frantically went back to her seat after receiving the food. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Following Ranxa was the dwarf Nalmibella. She didn¡¯t act irrationally in front of the soup but occasionally sneaked glances at me, specifically my armor. Usually focused on smithing, the dwarves depicted in tales and fantasy games. I guess it¡¯s normal that she would be interested in my armor, even though it was clearly not forged. Next was the pair of elven ladies. At first, they carried a mysterious vibe but as soon as they smelled the fragrance of the soup, their desires took over. Their beautiful eyes glittered whenever I pour soup inside their bowl. Lastly, the princess and her attendant stood in front of me. Still, she was glaring at me fiercely. The attendant seemed to have calmed as he meekly followed Catherine¡¯s back. Regardless of their horrifying experience that was dealt by me, the both of them were composed enough to offer the bowl in front of me. Nevertheless, they scurried back to their seats like small critters after receiving the bowls of soup. ¡°We¡¯ll resume the talks after the meal.¡± With that being said, everyone started to eat in varying ways. Ranxa was devouring the soup without a shred of manner, Nalmibella was eating normally, the elves were quite meticulous on how they take a spoonful of soup into their mouths, and the royalty duo exhibited exceptional table manners. Seeing that all of them were enjoying it, I poured servings for me and Lily who was already seated beside me. I need to take off the helmet. Eating anything was impossible since the helmet didn¡¯t have any openings except for the tiny ventilation holes. Taking it off right now shouldn¡¯t do me any harm seeing that all of them had already calmed down and was currently immersed in eating. Using both hands, I lifted the almost weightless helmet upwards and consequently revealed my face to them. Due to sweat, both my hair and skin felt sticky. As I got it off completely, a refreshing breeze brushed against my head. This is bliss. For a moment, I unknowingly closed my eyes. Feeling the comfort that was non-existent inside the armor, I savored the momentary bliss. But as soon as I opened my eyes, everyone started to act weirdly. ¡°Is there something on my face?¡± All of them, except Ranxa who was still busy eating, were looking at me with widened eyes as if something unusual was plastered on my face. I instinctively touched every nook and cranny, confused as to why they were staring intently at me. Nonetheless, there was nothing at all. I was a bit sweaty but that¡¯s it, my face was the same as usual. ¡°A¡­...F-firstborn!¡± Suddenly, Geraint the scaredy attendant shouted at the top of his lungs with his index finger pointing at me. Everyone nodded at the attendant¡¯s words and proceeded to keenly stare at me. Fascination and fear mixed in together, even the usually calm elves were taken aback by my appearance. However, Ranxa wasn¡¯t fazed in the slightest and continued to swallow food with her tiny mouth. On the other hand, Lily was eagerly watching from the sidelines. A firstborn? ¡°Is it some kind of monster?¡± The first question that came into my mind was that. To cause such a reaction, this ¡®firstborn¡¯ seemed to be someone or something dangerous. I was teased and made fun because of my appearance, but I was sure that I don¡¯t look like a monster. ¡°Firstborns are the most powerful species of vampires.¡± Geraint was briefly confused by my question yet he still answered it. He shivered uncontrollably at the thought of me being a firstborn. Out of nowhere, a heavy atmosphere befell upon the whole kitchen. Even so, Ranxa was completely oblivious with everything that happened and was busy rubbing her belly in satisfaction. ¡°How can you be sure that I am a firstborn?¡± Once again, I prompted him to spout out more information about it. To be mistaken for something so frightening, there should be something I have in common. Furthermore, a vital clue, as to why we were transported here, might be uncovered once I fully understood this vampire species. ¡°That white hair. Only a firstborn possess such a hair color.¡± Instead of Geraint, Catherine was the one who answered my question. Contrary to her usual hot-headed countenance, she appeared scared and was trying her best not to meet eyes with me. ¡°Hmm¡­a vampire huh. I don¡¯t have fangs though.¡± Wanting to clear the confusion, I opened my mouth wide enough so they could see my canine teeth. It was normal of course and I was proud that it was always taken care of. Breaths of relief was followed by that action and successfully lightened up the atmosphere inside the room. ¡°Lily and I aren¡¯t inhabitants of this place.¡± Striking while the iron was hot, I blurted out a line that sounded outrageous. It was the truth for both Lily and I, but I purposely made it sound convincing in order to garner responses from the seemingly informative guests. ¡°.........................¡± Silence enveloped the kitchen after that proclamation. As if having a hard time processing yet another incomprehensible thought, not a single answer was made even after a few minutes had passed. ¡°It makes sense.¡± Geraint broke the ice as he mumbled something audible enough to cause the others to focus at him. Sounding like he had come up with a realization, he stood from his seat and directed his passionate gaze at me and Lily. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to build a house this big inside the forest of beginnings. If the two of you are really alius, then it all makes sense. It will take an enormous amount of mana to transport such a large structure but it''s still possible theoretically.¡± The usually meek Geraint began to talk loudly. As if expressing his thoughts loudly could rapidly change his character, the attendant didn¡¯t mind the atmosphere and continued to freely discuss his deductions. Alius and mana. Two consecutive terms, that peaked my interest, came out from Geraint¡¯s mouth. Alius seemed to be another term for foreigners and mana was a common term in games that determined the amount of magic power a player possess. Come to think of it, Geraint performed something quite similar to magic back then. According to Geraint¡¯s conclusion, mana was the thing that transported us here. Moreover, Alius were foreigners who were transported through mana. ¡°Yes, we were forcibly transported here and we wanted to go back if possible.¡± The attendant surely knew a lot of things and was openly divulging information about our circumstance. As a follow up, I told him our main objective, hoping to know if it was possible to return. ¡°It is possible. But we need access to a level four magic circle.¡± Hope bloomed inside my heart right after hearing Geraint¡¯s answer. Even if I had no clue on how to get access to that magic circle, just knowing that there''s a way, filled me with determination. Lily''s expression had noticeably brightened as well, glad to hear that returning back home to her father wasn''t impossible at all. ¡°Where can we find a level four magic circle?¡± Appearing to have struck a treasure chest of knowledge, there''s no way that I would let this opportunity pass. Especially since the attendant didn''t seem suspicious of us at all. ¡°Level four magic circles are considered relics within each kingdoms. There are currently seven of them at the present, the nearest one is located at the Alteria Kingdom where I and her highness came from.¡± The barrage of information was continued by the enthusiastic Geraint. Coincidentally, the level four magic circle he was talking about was found in their homeland. Even though there was a chance that he was manipulating the information in order receive our assistance, believing in him wouldn''t¡¯ hurt at all. Having positive relations with a somewhat reliable source like Geraint was in itself greatly beneficial for us, considering that we were totally clueless about this place. ¡°Do you know the way back to this ¡®Alteria kingdom¡¯?¡± ¡°Yes! I perfectly remembered the path we¡¯ve taken to arrive here.¡± Geraint openly presented the first lead we had despite all the tormenting I had subjected onto him. I certainly felt bad about it and wanted to apologize but maintaining our standing right now was more important. ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal.¡± Already catching a glimpse of what would happen from now on, I decided to close the negotiations with a deal that was equally beneficial for both parties. Fortunately, our goals had intersected with one another and we needed each other to fulfill them. ¡°We¡¯ll help you get back home, in exchange we require your assistance in getting access to that magic circle.¡± It was mentioned that those circles were considered relics in each kingdoms. Naturally, relics should be guarded by an organization that possessed high authority. If the princess was indeed a genuine member of the royal family, she could probably get us closer to that magic circle. If that didn¡¯t work out, we could still force our way in. ¡°........................¡± As expected, the other party was deep in thought after hearing my conditions. Catherine, who acted as the leader, showed an intellectual expression. Even though Geraint was the one who initiated the talks, the last decision should still be made by the princess. ¡°I¡¯ll accept the deal.¡± The rising tension was immediately brought down by her words. Seemingly not done with her answer, she imposingly stood up with her arms crossed and directed a serious gaze at my direction. ¡°But before that, it looks like there¡¯s a problem you need to solve first.¡± The princess self importantly announced while wearing an arrogant smirk on her face. Her line of sight clearly directed at my neck instead of my face. Chapter 18 ¡°A delayed curse.¡± While holding a handheld multi-functional tool, that was a fusion of everything needed for disassembling creations, I suddenly recalled what Geraint explained earlier. In front of me was the plasma gun placed on top of the work table, begging to be repaired. But no matter how hard I focused, my hands would always stop whenever that thought surfaced. Even though the talks were aimed to lighten our worries about the future, a bombshell was shockingly dropped just before the end of it. Supposedly, a curse was casted on me but the effects of the said curse was delayed until the designated time limit. Geraint certainly proved that he was quite the expert when it came to things about magic but still, he failed to identify the contents of the curse. I¡¯m pretty sure that the lady before was the one who casted this curse. Shortly after my encounter with that monstrosity, the curse marks appeared on my neck. Fortunately, the princess quickly noticed it and she immediately brought up the issue. Geraint, being the most knowledgeable person in the group, followed it up with his own speculations. And I¡¯m also pretty sure that she wants to kill me. As explained by the attendant, curses that results in the death would usually manifest as a line that runs across the neck of the victim. If by chance the curse was triggered, the line would disappear alongside the life of the cursed individual. Seeing that the line on my neck was slowly disappearing with the passing of time, I was convinced that death was the resulting end. But still, there was a possibility that it wasn¡¯t the case, Geraint had optimistically reminded me. ¡°So the one who¡¯ll die is either me or her.¡± Killing the one who casted the curse was one of the two ways to lift the curse and also had the highest probability of being successful. The alternative was to let the caster undo the spell of her own accord. But who am I kidding here, there''s no way that psychopath would voluntarily lift the curse if I asked her politely. The only possible option left was to kill her in order to survive. ¡°Survival of the fittest.¡± My will to survive fueled my mind and body. The hands that were constantly stopping, began to move deftly. Bit by bit, the state of the art weapon became a pile of metal alloys and wires. Supporting this feat was the disassembling tool and a large computer screen that was installed on the wall in front of me.
Alpha plasma rifle code: 0XRE97
Automatic and semi-automatic mode supported Power storage: IX9D nanowire batteries Weight: 3.5 kilograms Rate of fire: Maximum 1 shot per second (Semi-automatic) Maximum 5 shots per second (Automatic) Number of rounds per fully charged battery: 2250 Effective range: up to 500 meters Ammunition: None Aim support: Only for generation two and above exosuits Note: Firing continuously for 5 minutes in automatic mode will result in overheating. Immediately replace power storage for further use.
All specifications of the gun and even its own 3D model was displayed on the wide screen. It was undoubtedly a product of the Phantom Industries if the code resulted in a positive search. Despite the easy find, this record of information was still top secret and could only be accessed by the higher ups. Luckily, father gave me minor administrative privileges in the island¡¯s intranet. Allowing me to keep offline records of every single creations that were given approval for release. Most of the members didn¡¯t like that idea at all which resulted in me being outcasted. Even so, father¡¯s decisions were absolute and he kept on believing that I would bring great results if I was given the necessary support. ¡°The battery is most likely busted.¡± Almost derailing from the subject at hand, the last line of the description gave enough clue to bring me back on track. Using only my bare hands I fished out the part that the record identified as the nano battery. A cube, that was small enough to fit on my hand, was subjected to an electric current using a high voltage tester. As expected, the current couldn¡¯t freely flow inside the power storage and was emitting an odor similar to a burned out capacitor. ¡°Hmmm¡­nano batteries are quite common nowadays.¡± The whole warehouse was littered with creations that utilizes different versions nano batteries. With that being said, I got up from my seat and hastily went to the main storage area. Since the main work area was right next to it, it didn''t took much time for me to arrive. ¡°If my memory serves me right, the 3D printer uses nano batteries as emergency power supply.¡± Inside the storage room were numerous metal cabinets that reached the ceiling. Arranged alphabetically from top to bottom with each column designated for a single letter, the parts needed for various projects were conveniently stored. A complete opposite of the main work area that was always frustratingly disordered no matter how many times I tried tidying it up. ¡°Lets see here¡­..Nano¡­¡­¡­...Nano.¡± I scanned the column which was designated for parts that start with letter ¡®N¡¯. My line of sight naturally went up, considering that the second letter was ¡®a¡¯. But before reaching the cabinet that I was looking for, an excruciating pain radiated from my eyes up until the top of my head. Instinctively, I tried to mend the sensation by massaging my temples with both hands but it was all for naught. Is this the mechanism of the curse? To kill me from sleep deprivation? I had already lost count of the hours where I was wide awake. Despite all the work that I did, my body refuses to sleep. The exhaustion and fatigue, that accumulated ever since we came here, were certainly exerting their effects. There also came a point where I resorted in using strong sedatives. Nevertheless, my desire to rest was non existent. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°I just need to kill her as soon as possible.¡± I gritted my teeth in the midst of the agony and proceeded with the retrieval of the required part. As much as I feared the possibility of me falling, I stubbornly used the ladder I always used when retrieving items from upper cabinets. Frustration served as my driving force. The feeling of powerlessness against such an unfair opponent gave birth to a special kind of frustration that made my aching head feel refreshed.
Mapping hourly report [Session No.56]
Mapping hourly report [Session No.56] Scanned lifeforms: 5231 Actively moving entities: 4230 Terrain: Flat, Mostly covered in vegetation Man Made structures: 5 Estimated map area: 16.7 km Altitude: 1052 meters above sea level Underground caverns: 3 Bodies of water: 25 Notable Changes: Sector from A-1 to F-16 showed substantial withering of vegetation.
¡°Everything seems functional.¡± I satisfyingly concluded while aiming the rifle at a makeshift metal target that was placed on one of the walls of the working area. Connected to the rifle were wires that measured current flow inside the electrical system. The status panel, located at the right side of the butt stock, glowed brightly and showed an increase in digits that represented the energy levels that were stored inside the newly installed battery. Since the nano battery version I had used was more sophisticated than the previous one, the number of shots per fully charged battery had most likely doubled in number. A spare red dot sight replaced the default iron sight, further increasing the accuracy of the weapon. ¡°Firing in 3¡­.2¡­.1¡± Right after I pulled the trigger, a steady stream of light came out of the barrel and intersected with the point where the red dot was aimed. It melted through the metal without much effort and didn¡¯t stop there. Slowly it turned the concrete wall into vapor and even managed to get through it, consequently showing the evening scenery of the forest through a hole that was as big as a quarter coin. ¡°One hundred rounds in twenty seconds can do this much.¡± I had no idea if that performance was an upgrade from its original build but it was certainly surprising to see that a portable plasma source could penetrate an object with high density and melting point. If used on a living creature, it could pretty much result in a one hit kill if I aim at an unprotected fatal point, like the bare head of a human being for example. ¡°This one can be considered as a success, onto the next one.¡± Satisfied with the result, I placed back the rifle at a makeshift charging port and shifted my sight onto the screen which previously showed the blueprints of the plasma gun. Displayed on it was a status screen that showed the ongoing process of my next project.
Initializing the installation of Phantom OS build 98XD¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Found main processing hardware Quantum Core version 9.0¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Found main storage device Atomic Data Chip build U7B1¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. The storage device currently has 12.3 petabytes of data¡­¡­¡­¡­ 1.1 terabyte will be allocated for the Phantom OS¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Beginning installation¡­.. Estimated time of completion: 15 seconds¡­. Installation complete¡­.
With only a brief period of time, the latest version of the phantom operating system was installed on the latest hardware I could procure. My goal was to create a portable computer that could rival a quantum computer in terms of processing power in order to accomodate yet another top secret technology that I got my hands on from a year ago. The processing hardware was a trial version of a miniature quantum processor that was envisioned to replicate the processing power of a quantum computer. While being at a size similar to an extra thick credit card, it could process unimaginable amounts of information without overheating since its surface was made from a heat resistant material. About the same size as the processor, the futuristic storage device could store a maximum of one hundred petabytes of data. Using this technology, a byte of data could be written and read on one atom. Currently, a single version of the world wide web was stored inside it. ¡°Moving on to the next phase.¡± Seeing that everything had gone perfectly, I fished out something from my pocket. A USB thumb drive that could be considered outdated after all the futuristic state of the art technologies I showcased. It only had one terabyte of storage capacity. Nevertheless, it was the most important part of the project. ¡°Project Codex.¡± The name that was written on the thumb drive naturally came out from my mouth. At the same time, my legs gradually brought me to the 3D printing station where I made my armor a while back. On the platform, where the actual printing was done, a figure of a human stood tall. ¡°You will become my knight.¡± When I neared the platform, the figure became more clear. It wasn¡¯t a human but an exact plastic replica of my body. Previously used as a mold for the Abyssal Armor, again it would serve its purpose. It wore the goggles and exoskeleton, bundles of wire ran throughout its surface. Placed on both its shoulder blades, where the majority of the wires converge, was the Quantum processor and the Atomic data chip. Another notable part was the flat black box that was placed directly on its back. A power pack that could supply the system with a day¡¯s worth of electricity, positioned conveniently so that it wouldn¡¯t impede movement. I plugged in the thumb drive inside one of the ports of the Quantum processor and slowly backed off from the testing site. The large screen, that was still visible from this part of the working area, continued to project the progress. Even though the system didn¡¯t emit any sort of heat and sound, the Project Codex was undeniably being injected inside the OS.
Installing PROJECT CODEX¡­¡­ Estimated time of completion: 1 minute¡­¡­ Estimated time of completion: 30 seconds¡­¡­. Estimated time of completion: 5 seconds¡­¡­. Installation completed¡­¡­.. PROJECT CODEX will assimilate all stored information¡­¡­ Estimated time of completion: 10 minutes¡­¡­ Estimated time of completion: 6 minutes¡­¡­ Estimated time of completion: 3 minutes¡­¡­ Estimated time of completion: 45 seconds¡­¡­ Data assimilation completed¡­.... All data about warfare, martial arts and marksmanship will be moved in the High Priority bracket.
There wasn¡¯t a time when the Project Codex became functional until now. It required tremendous amount of processing power in order to become functional. Unfortunately, the Quantum Core and the Atomic Data chip wasn¡¯t invented when the Project Codex achieved its trial phase. Instead of accumulating information throughout the year it only collected dust. An artificial intelligence that was ahead of its time, scrapped before even entering the production phase. ¡°I wonder if I can improve the design.¡± The last phase was the printing of the armor. Even though I wanted to use the Abyssal Armor, inserting the system inside an already made armor would be difficult and time consuming. Printing another armor on top of the arranged system components was the most practical choice. Instead of being printed piece by piece, the armor will be molded as a whole. The limbs and helmet would be permanently attached to the main body. Freely movable joints were made possible by printing a structure of fluorographene that was more flexible but still possessed immense durability. ¡°Soundproofing, waterproofing, shock proofing, and a built in cooling system.¡± Already taken a seat in front of the 3D printer¡¯s main computer, I reviewed the already made model for my first exosuit. By filling unnecessary gaps in the design, soundproofing and waterproofing was quite easy. On the other hand, shock proofing could be achieved by adding a few more layers of loose fluorographene. As for the cooling system, a portable air conditioner inside the suit would do. ¡°Just a few more modifications here and there.¡± With the fusion of the exoskeleton and goggles into the suit, a wider selection of cosmetics were now possible. To cover my face fully, I modified the front part of the helmet. Previously semi-transparent, it was now molded into a solid surface. A horned helmet that looked like a skull with two pairs of overgrown canine teeth, boosting the demonic-esque vibe of the already terrifying armor. ¡°That¡¯s better.¡± Content with what I saw from the screen, I initiated the process to start. The machine whirled in response with the probe doing its job magnificently. Bit by bit the armor began to materialize. As if weaving cloth, the printing machine started from the top of the model and continued to the bottom. While in a speed that was hard to follow with the naked eye, the probe circled around the model. For every rotation, a micrometer of armor was given life. It would take double the amount of time compared to the creation of the Abyssal armor since it¡¯s a one piece construction. There were numerous blueprints of commercially released exosuits inside the database but I didn¡¯t have the required resources to build one from scratch. Moreover, making a custom build would be much more fun. ¡°My time isn¡¯t over yet.¡± To create a machine that could flawlessly defeat the enemy, I have fused different technologies into one. Normally, I wouldn¡¯t bother myself with projects that had anything to do with warfare. But now, my life was on the line. I wouldn¡¯t hesitate in bringing out all of my cards if it meant that I could live a long and fulfilling life. Chapter 19 Darkness that could effortlessly devour light, an appearance that would struck terror upon the heart¡¯s of its enemies. A knight worthy of being my first creation, a warrior that looked badass enough to make my palms sweaty. Standing tall in front of me, the skull head smiled with its sharp teeth, as if glad of being born. Even though it possessed quite an intimidating appearance at first glance, unfortunately its size was anticlimactic. Only five inches taller than me, it looked like a kid¡¯s halloween costume. ¡°Open.¡± With a short and simple command, the Abyssal knight responded to its master. Its back, which was separated into numerous panels that were connected by a series of small robotic arms, opened outwards. Considering that the exosuit was a one piece construction, this feature was necessary. As if stretching its wings, the panels were separated into two groups. Opening just enough to fit my short stature, it showed the outside world it¡¯s deepest secrets. ¡°The A.I. is taking care of everything.¡± Previously, the system didn¡¯t possess any voice commanding feature. The artificial intelligence was given only given simple inputs and somehow it automatically made a program on its own. I wanted to feel happy about this but instead I became worried about the future. An A.I. that could take over the world sounds plausible now. Without further ado, I walked towards its back and was fascinated by the result of the fusion. Inside its body was a system that was futuristic enough to be featured in a sci-fi movie. A single system connected the goggles, exoskeleton, and the quantum computer while being supervised by an artificial intelligence. Despite that, the piloting would still be my task and the Codex would just act as a support. ¡°In we go.¡± Enthusiastically, I entered the suit while feeling a bit nervous. The very first thing that I noticed was the cool temperature inside the suit. The internal atmosphere was controlled by a mini air conditioner so the heat wouldn¡¯t bother me now. Instead of showing a plain image, the goggles now featured a head-up display that made it possible for the A.I. to support and communicate with me by manipulating pixels into figures and texts. Previously attached directly to my skin, the whole exoskeleton was now embedded into the suit. Nevertheless, the neural translation device was still connected to my head. As the system sensed that I was already inside, it automatically closed its back. ¡°Next is the preliminary testing.¡±
Requesting permission to access main system of the facility.
A message suddenly popped out from the HUD without any warnings. Thinking a few steps ahead, the Codex requested permission to access the main system of the warehouse. Probably through the connection of the goggles with the surveillance room, it wanted to get a hold of more information. ¡°Permission granted.¡± The Codex was finding its on ways to help me it seemed. Since the first inputs were about helping me with everything, it was just doing its designated job. Even if the A.I.¡¯s thought pattern was currently unpredictable, going with its decisions would be the best choice for now.
Received information from Scanning Camera 8XDE. An optimal testing ground is found in sector D-8. Estimated time of arrival is 10 minutes using the full capabilities of the suit. An interactive map will be displayed with the shortest route highlighted. The dot in the middle designates our current position.
¡°This is too convenient.¡± That was my honest opinion after seeing the capabilities of an A.I. that learned everything through the world wide web. In addition, the exoskeleton felt suspiciously different than before. Whenever I tried to move my limbs, the skeleton anticipates the desired action and would automatically move them for me. This modification wasn¡¯t my doing at all and would only make sense if the A.I. did it. ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s kick some monster butts!¡± With that being said, I picked up the plasma rifle from the charging port and strapped it on my back. It would replace the tranquilizer gun that had a number of bullets that could be counted in one hand. Since the objectives included a durability test, the shield would also be left behind. Moreover, it would impede the maximum movement potential of the suit as suggested by the Codex. Lastly, the newly repaired hammer would be put into use once again.
Suspicious movement detected inside the room. Entity currently positioned behind shelf 5-C near the main entrance.
Out of nowhere, the Codex warned me of someone infiltrating the main work area. Even though it was currently midnight, someone dared to make a visit while I am currently at work. After finishing their meals, all of them proceeded to sleep inside my room. Of course I dismissed that idea but Lily insisted in doing so. Being at the stage of growth that required a lot of sleep, Lily hadn''t woken up even once during the middle of the night. Most probably, one of the guests wishes to watch me work. ¡°Who could it be?¡± As I''ve said that, I casually turned at the direction where the intruder was positioned and stood straight, unmoving. Immediately the goggles, that was integrated into suit, automatically zoomed in. The part of the room where the intruder was positioned was dark enough to cover its figure. Nevertheless, the Codex changed the mode into night vision without even consulting me. ¡°It''s the princess.¡± Through the assistance of the goggles, her face became clear enough for me to easily identify her. Adventurous and stubborn, my first impression of Catherine, the self proclaimed princess. Probably still suspicious of me, she organized her own reconnaissance mission and bravely spied on the person who tortured them. ¡°If she insists on tailing us, let us show her something good.¡±
Opening roll up door in 5 seconds. Automatic closing will be suspended for 2 minutes.
Since she wanted to know more about me, I intend to let her see what she desired. Without needing any verbal commands, the Codex understood my idea through the neural translation device. The cargo roll up door, which was used for transporting steel containers inside and outside the warehouse, was remotely controlled to open and close at a given interval. It was conveniently located inside the storage area, opposite the main entrance where Catherine was at. ¡°It¡¯s time to depart.¡± I turned my back at the sneaky princess and slowly walked towards the storage area. Right in front of her was a scenario, purposely made to invite her along. Luckily, it looked like she took the bait. For every five steps that I took Catherine would stealthily move through the part of the room, that was dimly lit, in order to follow me. She would keep a considerable distance from me in order to not get seen. Nonetheless, she was already spotted the moment she walked inside. ¡°If she goes out of the door, close it immediately.¡±
Understood.
I reminded the Codex even though I was convinced that it would do the same thing without my orders. Despite the fact that it could do things on its own, I should always make my authority clear. Especially since the Project Codex was only on its trial phase, the possibility of bugs in its system was high. The moment I stepped inside the storage room, the roll up door steadily raised its iron curtains. There¡¯s nothing extraordinary about it except for the robot controlled hoist that automatically raises the door. Gradually, the evening forest showed its bizarre form. Showered by the moonlight was a scenery untouched by man. Fireflies the size of bees danced around the bushes and trees. As if wanting to show the way, they would carelessly hover towards me and eventually fly back into the forest. Some trees had glowing orbs that were hanging on their branches, as if bearing fruits that exhibits bioluminescence. Aside from those things, everything was shrouded in darkness. ¡°Mark her location in the map if she fails to catch up.¡±
Affirmative.
It¡¯s already the start of the test, the moment I walked out of the door. And for the princess who wanted to follow me, effort is necessary if she truly desired to see me in action. ¡°Here we go!¡± With first the step I took, an unimaginable amount of energy was transferred from my leg onto the ground. Easily, my armored body was propelled by several meters with just a single kick on the sandy soil, creating a fairly large cloud of dust behind me. ¡°This is too awesome!¡± Elated by the outstanding performance of my personal exosuit, I shouted in pure joy. Immediately, I was immersed with the refined movement of the exoskeleton. Not wanting to end with just that, I continued with the first step by repeatedly chaining the same movement over and over again. Left¡­..right¡­¡­¡­...Left¡­¡­¡­¡­..right. With both my legs alternating the same action repeatedly, the sandy soil beneath my feet was eventually replaced by the rocky soil of the forest.Conveniently enough, the Codex changed the mode into night vision as soon as I entered the forest zone.
Highlighting recommended stepping areas on the ground for maximum surface contact.
Using the HUD of the goggles, the Codex continued to give its full support by marking areas of the ground, that gives stable foothold, in real time. A clever use of augmented reality in order to maximize efficiency. With the help of the goggles, the areas were clear as if they were under daylight, allowing me to increase my speed even further.
Maximum calculated speed is 67.6 kph. Current speed is 41.1 kph.
Connecting with the highlighted areas didn¡¯t even require much effort in my part. By just imagining the movement that I wanted to perform, the Codex would answer back by adjusting the exoskeleton in order to make that movement possible. Achieving speed that was almost as fast as the world record, I could hear the cool evening wind clashing against my armor covered body.
Incoming obstacles highlighted.
The route that the Codex have chosen was a straight path towards the target location. As expected, obstacles made by the nature itself were randomly scattered all over the place. Large rocks, tall bushes, dead tree trunks, isolated ponds and even holes on the ground. All of them were marked by the Codex, enabling me to effortlessly take the best course of actions. ¡°One¡­..two¡­¡­...three¡­...jump¡­.skip¡­..jump.¡± Sounding like a dancer following practicing a routine, I performed consecutive movements that were impossible for my old configuration. Skip high, jump far and even use tree trunks as foothold in order to propel myself much farther. A combo of such movements allowed me to easily cut my way through the series of natural obstacles.
Arriving at destination within five minutes.
Knowing that I was halfway there, I lowered my speed and casually took a peek at the interactive map display. After maintaining such a fast speed, Catherine was inevitably left behind and was consequently marked by the Codex. Another dot beside the dot in the middle that represents me. ¡°Huh?¡± I was dumbfounded with what I saw. The second dot was only a few meters behind me. Catherine, who looked like a bratty sheltered princess, was surprisingly keeping up with me. While using only her body¡¯s prowess, she could almost attain the same speed as me, especially through such a hard terrain. ¡°This princess isn¡¯t a pushover.¡± She survived through this dangerous forest and even made her way at the centermost area where the warehouse was located. Moreover, she possessed enough leadership skills in order to bring a whole group with her. Catherine wasn¡¯t someone to be taken lightly, even though I¡¯ve captured her quite easily. But still, it was shocking to see her match the speed of the physically enhanced me. Not wanting to lose against her, I exponentially increased my speed by decreasing the interval between each executions. Run, jump, skip and dash. All movements were greatly increased in terms of rapidity. Intending to push the capabilities of the exosuit to its limit, I forcibly harnessed all the brain power I could get in spite of the splitting headache that still remained.
Maximum calculated speed is 67.6 kph. Current speed is 61.4 kph. Arriving at destination within one minute.
Steadily, the second dot fell behind the middle one which made me smile contently. Taking pride in my own creations was natural for an inventor like me. Even though my opponent was a princess that looked fragile at first glance, I was happy with result nonetheless. ¡°There it is.¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Before I knew it, the set destination inside sector D-8 was already within my range of vision. The goggles did a full zoom through the gaps of the gigantic trees, showing me an initial glimpse of the designated testing ground. A large area full of freshly made stumps which made it look like someone had the leisure to cut those gigantic trees. As I neared the place, I was further convinced that something big did happen here. ¡°Corpses of humanoid pigs.¡± A foul stench assailed my nostrils immediately after I stepped inside the clearing. Probably dead by at least a full day, some of the corpses still retained their original form.The majority were either bisected in half or had their heads separated from their body. If reattached once again, I could easily imagine a picture of a burly and muscular bodied creature with a head similar to swine. ¡°Even though they wore metal armor, to be sliced so cleanly¡­..¡± Undoubtedly they were civilized creatures, seeing that they were donning armor of all kinds. Full plate armor, chain mails, breastplates and even ceremonial robes. The goggles identified all the things scattered throughout the area with ease and could even provide brief explanations for each and everyone of them. ¡°They seemed to have desperately fought a losing battle.¡± Alongside the armors were weapons of different kinds. They were genuinely forged and not artificially printed like mine. The first weapon the Codex identified was the two handed sword, that was almost the same height as mine. Second were the extra long spears with metal heads and shafts made with wood. Next were bows made with some kind of horn, near them were quivers partially full with arrows. And lastly, a staff with a crystal embedded inside one of its ends. ¡°I can probably reuse some of them.¡± Having an edged weapon or even something with large range like the spear, could considerably widen my fighting capabilities. Instead of only relying on pure impact, I could possibly use techniques that require less energy during execution. But then, I was still unsure if they were at least usable after experiencing such a heated battle. ¡°And there¡¯s that.¡± The thing that stood out the most was something that looked like a cart. Bisected horizontally with something incredibly sharp, the top half was clearly missing. Luckily, there were no bodies of working animals like horses, found inside the area despite the fact that the yoke was separated from the cart.
Target positioned at 325 degrees northwest. Approximated distance: 23 meters.
Once again, the Codex relayed another set of information through the HUD of the goggles. It notified me of the position of a target that would serve as the first trial of the exposition. Fortunately, a dynamic compass popped up inside the interactive map after the report, which made the search a lot easier. Immediately, the night vision mode was switched into thermal vision mode by the Codex itself which allowed me to see the figure of the target. ¡°There it is.¡± At the direction where the Codex pointed out, there was something that stood tall on top of a tree branch, unmoving. Radiating a color between yellow and orange, it was large enough to fully occupy the gigantic branch of the tree. It''s form was oddly reminiscent of a certain type of insect. ¡°Then I''ll be the one who will make the first move.¡± After noticing that it wasn''t moving and was steady as a rock, I had no choice but to initiate the fight. But before that, I briefly glanced at the interactive map once again in order to check where Catherine was. The second dot was several meters from the testing ground. A distance that was more or less safe from any stray attacks that might erupt from the upcoming battle. ¡°Let''s begin the test.¡± After making sure that everything was ready, I eagerly retrieved the rifle behind my back and carefully assumed a sniping position while standing. I possessed enough proficiency to aim a rifle properly, since I''ve used the tranquilizer gun for quite a long time, so I didn''t need any sort of assistance from the Codex. Instinctively, I wielded the firearm at the direction of the target. Almost weightless because of my artificial strength, holding the rifle for a long period of time wasn''t tiring to the muscles.
Projecting optimal bullet pathway. Switching to automatic mode is recommended.
Whenever the rifle was charged, it would automatically switch to the default manual mode. With the press of a button, which was located at the left side of the receiver, the setting was easily changed into the desired mode. As I peeked through the red dot sight, the HUD projected a series of three dimensional lines with different origins but intersected at the same point. ¡°It feels like I''m inside a tutorial.¡± Even at this point, the Codex didn''t slack off with its support. The series of lines were supposed to help me aim more accurately by following the recommended pathway which ultimately led to the target. Since this is a test for the exosuit, I guess I''ll go along with it. With that being said, I unhesitatingly pulled the trigger of the rifle. The gun spewed beams of plasma towards the pathway that I''ve chosen. Particularly bright under the night sky, the lines of light created a mesmerizing view. Beautiful as it was deadly, it bombarded the body that was nestled on top of the tree branch. SCREEEEEEECH!
Warning! Incoming attacks will connect within 5.7 seconds. Highlighting areas with the highest probability of receiving the attack.
A defeating noise, that resembled the sound of metal rubbing against another metal, reverberated from the point where the streams of plasma hit. Luckily, the inside of the exosuit was soundproofed and instead utilized the microphone of the goggles for auditory functions. If the decibels would reach a certain point where it could cause harm to my ears, the system would automatically lower down the volume for protection. Almost at the same time as that painful sound, the Codex issued a warning that something was coming our way. Furthermore it highlighted certain parts of the ground in red, signifying that danger would be met if I prolong my stay in those locations. Five red circles clustered, with the center circle directly beneath my feet. I hadn''t got the time to think as to what kind of attack it was, so I immediately jumped back without hesitation. BOOOM! Five crescent shaped projectiles, that looked like they were made of light, created a single explosion after reaching their target almost at the same time. It created a dust cloud that could momentarily obscure normal vision but for the thermal vision it wasn''t anything concerning.
Target already mobile. Projecting dynamic bullet pathways for the moving target.
The insect like creature began to move from its original position. Specifically, it was flying with its concealed wings now fully expanded. It flapped vigorously which produced a quiet buzzing sound. It''s large body separated from the branch and began to fly towards me. Without the codex, I think I would''ve perished there. Certainly, it was the truth but dwelling on that while in the middle of battle was a bad idea. The Codex, still not done with its predictions, projected a series of lines once again but instead of intersecting at a single point, they traced a predicted pathway where the creature might move into. ¡°Alright! Let''s do this!¡± Not wanting to waste time any further, I squeezed the trigger of the rifle at the direction of the very first line. Since the lines were tightly packed with each other, I continued in the squeezing of the trigger and waved the barrel of the rifle along the given pattern. A torrent of plasma continuously spewed out of the rifle. Rapidly, the number displayed on the status panel decreased. After carefully following the instructions of the Codex, almost every shot connected. SCREEEEEEEEEEEECH!
Warning! Incoming attacks will connect within 4.5 seconds. Performing evasive maneuvers is recommended. Probability of evading is 2.66%. Highlighting possible safe areas.
Finally, the creature had enough of the plasma bursts and proceeded to counterattack fiercely. Scarlet colored circles riddled every single area within the clearing. The safe areas the Codex mentioned were located outside the deforested battlefield and was too far to reach within the given time. As much as I hated it, the probability it gave was most likely accurate. ¡°I just need to trust the armor!¡± I was left with one choice, to defend myself from the attacks using the might of the armor alone. Instantaneously, I returned the rifle to my back and assumed a blocking stance by crossing both my arms in front of my face. BOOOOOOOOOOM!! ¡°Uaaaaaah!¡± Impact was met almost instantly, along with the defeating sound of a much bigger explosion compared to the one before. There was no resistance at all. My body, that stood against that colossal force, was thrown around like a ragdoll. A dizzying video feed from the goggles, that automatically switched to the default mode, was the only thing that I could see. While inside the obscuring clouds of dust, I was like a ball that bounced for quite some time. Nevertheless, the armor miraculously kept me alive even though my headache was worsened.
Asking permission for override mode. Asking permission for override mode. Asking permission for override mode. Asking permission for override mode.
My vision became blurry after repeatedly crashing onto the ground but still I was conscious. Not only did the armor withstood the attack it also absorbed the impact of being thrown all over the place. The durability test was passed with flying colors even though I was reduced into this state. As soon as I regained a clear view, the Codex intentionally flooded the whole HUD with a message that was quite confusing. ¡°Override mode?¡±
Probability of winning the battle in override mode is 100%.
The Codex sounded like it was boasting, considering the state that we were in. Battered and beaten, the exosuit that held me was currently lying on the ground. Thankfully, I didn¡¯t receive any injuries from the attack but still I was distraught by the clear difference in power. Despite that, the A.I. didn¡¯t lose hope. I didn¡¯t have any valid reason to refuse since the Codex had magnificently done its job. It was just me who was weak. ¡°Permission granted.¡±
Permission acquired. Entering override mode. The codex will take full control of the exosuit. Just sit back and enjoy the show.
I voiced out my decision to the Codex and it surprisingly replied arrogantly, as if it was slowly forming its own personality. Instead of having an A.I. with me, it felt like a real human being supported my back. There was nothing I could do right now but to entrust the battle to the Codex. ¡°.......¡± As if some mysterious force was controlling my limbs, slowly my body got up on its own. Right after the dust clouds have cleared up, I was already standing on my feet. Riddled with numerous holes that were at least one feet deep, the battlefield was further devastated. The cart, corpses, weapons and even the scattered tree stumps, everything was obliterated. The devastation it caused clearly showed how powerful it was. Despite that, a much more unsettling event was happening before my very eyes. ¡°Take this!¡± While brandishing a sword clad in flames, the princess bravely attacked the insect creature that clearly looked like a gigantic praying mantis. While wielding a pair of oversized scythes that was clearly disproportionate to its whole body, it was surprisingly stationary, as if it was resting. After being peppered by hundreds of shots of plasma, it¡¯s jet black carapace was filled with countless holes. Despite being disheartened just awhile ago, it seemed that the earlier exchange resulted in a draw. And the princess, seeing that as an opportunity to attack, courageously threw herself at the mantis in order to save me. SCREECH! Noticing that it¡¯s belly was carelessly unguarded, the princess performed a slashing attack using the unnatural looking weapon. Flames that wouldn¡¯t die even if she waved it rapidly, the sword dealt large amounts of damage as the flames migrated from the sword and into the slashed area on its belly. Slowly it began to eat through its flesh, causing the mantis to shriek in pain. But still, it wasn''t enough to kill it. Eventually seeing Catherine as a threat, the mantis assumed an attacking position by raising one of its scythes high up in the air. SCREEEEEECH! Before finishing its attempted retaliation at the princess, it was interrupted by a short burst of plasma gunfire which was accurately aimed at its head, causing it to issue yet another cry of pain. Greyish smoke erupted from the point of impact but still it was alive and kicking. ¡°What is that girl thinking?¡± Wearing only her tattered clothes while wielding a sword that she randomly picked up, Catherine was impulsive as I¡¯ve imagined her to be. She put herself in danger in order to help me, a noble action for someone who was supposedly a member of the royalty, but idiotic from my perspective. If I wasn¡¯t here, she would¡¯ve died with only a single swipe of that scythe. As for me I could take a lot of beating while wearing the exosuit. ¡°It¡¯s coming way.¡± After sustaining damage from me yet again, the mantis turned to my direction and began to expand its wings. Gusts of wind formed behind it as it rapidly flapped its semi transparent wings. With only a few seconds it created enough force in order to lift its gigantic body. Only a few inches from the ground, it hovered stably. And without any warnings, it flew like a bullet towards me. ¡°This is bad!¡± Currently, I didn¡¯t have the control over my body. After entering this so called ¡®override mode¡¯ the Codex had completely taken over. As to what might happen next, I was clueless. Especially since the Codex was still unfinished, I was particularly nervous. ¡°Eh?¡± I unconsciously blurted out a dumbfounded sound after seeing the move it made. I was running, running away from the enemy. Abandoning the princess without even a shred of guilt, the Codex chose to retreat. Running as fast as I could, I barely matched the speed of the incoming mantis. And without taking much time, I neared the edge of clearing. Mindlessly, I ran without any concern of what was in front of me. A gigantic tree with an exceptionally wide trunk was coming my way, but still my speed didn¡¯t decrease. The Codex, after flawlessly supporting me through battle, should¡¯ve considered this tree as a danger. Maybe it was bugged like I anticipated it to be. But it seemed that it had something in mind after all. ¡°Tree inbound!¡± Before colliding with it, I jumped high enough in order to plant one of my soles on the surface of the tree. The other sole followed right after and as soon as enough grip was attained, I continued to run upwards. Planned within a short period of time, the Codex achieved something that ninja¡¯s in movies could do. BAAAAAAAAM! Not expecting me to perform such a feat, the mantis speedily collided with the massive trunk. Followed by the thundering sound, bits and pieces of wood scattered throughout the vicinity. Probably stunned from the forceful impact, it was unmoving once again. A perfect opportunity for me to attack. ¡°Attack!¡± As if I was watching a POV action movie in real time, the only thing that I could do was cheer. After receiving such a massive impact from the collision, the tree was shaken vigorously which left me no choice but to separate with it. Looking as if it was still within calculation, my body did something that was quite similar to a wall flip. In the midst of such fast movements that were executed consecutively, the video feed was dizzying and exhilarating at the same time. And while in the middle of the flip, my arm casually grabbed the handle of the hammer that was attached on my back. The flip was gracefully performed, followed by my descent on to the ground. But instead of just falling normally, the Codex had something different in mind. I adopted a sideward swinging position while in mid air and as soon as the body of the mantis was within range, the artificial muscles of the exoskeleton contracted to their limits and instantaneously released a mighty blow. SCREE-! BOOOM! It¡¯s attempt to cry in pain was interrupted by the head of the hammer which forcefully connected to its body. As if it was a golf ball that was hit by a club, the whole mantis flew sideward without any resistance at all. It covered several meters of distance before flopping onto the ground lifelessly. ¡°Is it over?¡±
The enemy is still alive.
It certainly looked like the mantis was finally killed, but immediately the Codex denied my assumptions. Not wanting to let it recover, I dashed towards the area where the mantis was lying down defenselessly. Since no one knows what it would do next, killing it as early as possible was the best move. ¡°This is what I was talking about!¡± And as I¡¯ve predicted, it did something sneaky while playing dead. One of its scythes emitted a bright light and almost at the same time, a crescent shaped projectile flew towards a different direction. Not mine but the princess¡¯ direction, it headed in a fast speed. ¡°Watch out!¡± I shouted frantically at the princess even though I was aware that it wouldn¡¯t reach her. Considering that the Codex¡¯s main input was to only protect me, it wouldn¡¯t recklessly use my body in order to help others. Right now, the only thing that I could do was to warn her. . . . . . . . .
Input received.
Miraculously, it heard my prayers. Selflessly, it threw my body towards the trajectory of the attack. Luckily, the direction of the princess wasn¡¯t that far from my position. My legs flexed to their limits and extended almost instantaneously, consequently launching me forward at breakneck speed. Knowing that impact was imminent, I braced myself for another series of ragdoll routine. I¡¯ve already felt it so I was braver than before and I know the Codex wouldn¡¯t let me down. ¡°Uoooh!¡± Just like before, I was easily lifted off of my feet. But instead of bouncing around randomly, I was carried by the force of the attack and flew towards the place where Catherine was at. While flying at a parabola, the time I spent in the air was quite long and I could clearly see the stars in the evening sky. Eventually, I found myself landing just below the scantily dressed Catherine, unintentionally seeing something that I shouldn¡¯t see. ¡°It¡¯s escaping you perverted idiot!¡± Angrily, she stomped on my face repeatedly while saying that line. Instead of resolving the issue, she was making it worse. With every stomp of her foot, her tattered skirt would dangerously flutter. Repeatedly showing a view that would forever be burned in my mind. ¡°This is bad for my heart.¡± Using that line as a cue, the Codex promptly brought my body up and performed the same feat yet again. Flex and stretch, followed by another flex and another stretch. The maximum potential of the pair of strengthened legs were utilized by performing consecutive long jumps towards the direction of the fleeing mantis. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t show much vigor compared to before as it slowly ascended through the treetops, using its slightly shriveled pair of wings. It allowed me to catch up, even after being thrown away. SCREECH! Seeing that I was nearing its position, it frantically speeded up the frequency of the flapping of its wings. But still, it wasn¡¯t enough. Compared to the speed of my jumps, the rate at which it was gaining elevation was clearly much slower. Nevertheless, when I reached the area where it ascended, the mantis was already too high to reach. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to reach that hi-........err......nevermind.¡± As soon as I blurted out my opinion, the Codex readily denied it by doing yet another feat that was impossible for me to replicate. First, the Codex brought my body in between two trunks that were parallel to each other. I was quite confused at first, but as soon as my body performed a jump towards one of the tree trunks and proceeded to kick onto it in order to propel myself towards the other one, I was convinced that I have seen this move once in a video game. For every kick I did against one of the tree trunk, I climbed by about two meters. Gradually, I neared the level where the mantis was at. ¡°Almost there!¡± The moment when I caught up to it, the mantis was almost on top of the tree line. For the last bit of trunk that I could use as a stepping platform, I flexed my legs to its limit and launched myself towards the cowardly insect. Using the trusty hammer, which didn¡¯t leave my hand even after being thrown around, I assumed an overhead swinging posture while flying in midair. Ten meters, the distance between me and the mantis, shrinked in a blink of an eye. With all the strength the Codex and the exoskeleton could muster, the hammer was swung down with an unimaginable amount of force. Achieving enough speed for its head to blur momentarily, the weapon instantaneously connected to the body of the mantis. BOOOOOOOOM! Due to the sheer weight it received at a single point, its body distorted into a V shape. Flicked downward like a lifeless doll, its massive body caused an ear-splitting reverberation after making contact with the solid ground. Embedded deep into the forest soil, it didn¡¯t show signs of life. Nonetheless, the Codex wasn¡¯t done with its attack. Once again, I assumed an overhead swinging position but now gravity was on my side. Intending to use the momentum of the descent and the maximum strength of both my arms, the sure-kill final blow was about to be delivered. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM! Squished like a bug and transformed into a pile of mashed insect meat. Cloudy white liquid splattered all over my armor as soon as the hammerhead landed on the helpless body of the mantis. But still, it didn¡¯t end there. From the point of impact, large cracks on the ground surfaced and continued to run along a random pattern. Chapter 20
Exiting override mode.
Certain that the battle had already met its end, the Codex displayed a message that allowed me to take a breather. My heart raced wildly even though I was only watching. Exhilarating and suspenseful, the fight that was worthy enough to be included in a movie. To be watching and feeling it first hand was an experience I would never forget. ¡°We won.¡± A large difference in skill and power, conquered using a technology that wasn¡¯t even complete. Unbelievable at first, the Codex proved itself worthy of being called the most advanced A.I. in the world. Considering that it flawlessly utilized fighting techniques and skills that were freshly implemented inside its memory, it was safe to say that we¡¯re undefeatable if confronted by an enemy with the same skill and power level. Furthermore, it was still at its first phase of learning. There were endless possibilities with the passage of time. ¡°If only it is possible to mass produce exosuits with this A.I. onboard, I¡¯m pretty sure world domination will not be impossible.¡± It was an idea that I could probably put into work but it would take a large amount of time. Spending a couple of decades creating factories that could autonomously produce robotic soldiers. A familiar setting that had its own risks. However, if I was left with no other choice, I could seriously consider this option in order to get back home. ¡°Though I need to stay alive for that.¡± I jokingly said, a forlorn smile appearing on my chapped lips. It was fun thinking of new ideas, exploring possibilities and implementing them in real life. But all of those didn¡¯t matter if this life was cut short. It was pitiful indeed but I wasn¡¯t scared. Somehow, it felt like death wasn¡¯t new to me. Enough with that! What¡¯s more important here is that the test is a success! Feeling optimistic while being covered by the fluids and innards of the mantis, I lifted the hammer that was embedded into its disfigured body. Quite similar to the state of the insect, the hammer¡¯s head was facing the wrong direction, but still the it didn¡¯t separate from the handle. Making it clear that the hammer was far from being a long term weapon. ¡°Hmm¡­.maybe the Codex can help me with forging.¡± I muttered as I stepped out of the depression on the ground where the insect lied to rest. Forged metal instead of the casted metal I conjured using the printer. Even though the printer could create a wide range of materials quite easily, forging was impossible with it. Disappointing as it was, forging metals required technique and was hard to replicate using robots. That¡¯s when the Codex comes in. With its vast knowledge in almost everything, I could probably make a weapon that would last longer. ¡°What are you?¡± The moment I got out from the hole, a blade engulfed in flames welcomed my armored face. Along with a question that I had expected to hear from her eventually, the princess intimidatingly pointed the fiery weapon at me. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I wanted to ask you as well.¡± Through the built in microphone and waterproof speakers of the exosuit, my voice was relayed to the Princess without much difficulty. Unperturbed by her display of hostility, I nonchalantly closened the distance between the two of us. ¡°A normal human doesn¡¯t have glowing hair or have the ability to set a sword in fire.¡± ¡°To have survived a bombardment from a [Midnight Winged Reaper] and even defeating it without using mana, surely you¡¯re the abnormal one here.¡± She firmly stood her ground and continued to aim the point at my head. Without even blinking once, her crimson eyes stared daggers at the one who was supposed to be her savior. It was through technological superiority and not innate fighting skill and strength that I managed to defeat that monstrosity. Her accusation of me being abnormal was in a sense, explainable. As for Catherine¡¯s weird capabilities, they were hard to discern. ¡°If you are indeed a firstborn, such a feat won¡¯t be impossible.¡± Once again, that word was brought up by the Princess which further peaked my curiosity as to what kind of creature a firstborn really was. Was it someone so powerful and frightening that she would just point a sword at it regardless of the fact that it had just saved her from danger? ¡°You must have planned to make us your slaves and suck our blood for your daily meals. I know that blood of virgin maidens are irresistible for vampires like you!¡± Really now.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Suddenly, I got an urge to bang my head onto a wall after hearing her delusions. Without even hearing my side of things, Catherine just kept on forcing her own interpretations to me. ¡°I already told you that I am not a vampire! I don¡¯t have fangs, I can walk under sunlight and I don¡¯t suck blood! Is it that hard to believe me?!¡± ¡°Then prove it to me! I won¡¯t believe you until I see it with my own eyes!¡± In front of the obstinate princess, I inevitably blew a fuse. Instead of talking things out in a relaxed manner it became a shoutfest. No matter how I look at it, this conversation wouldn¡¯t get us anywhere and it''s only making my headache worse. ¡°Suit yourself, I¡¯m going back home.¡± Fed up with all the useless chatter, I decided to end the stagnant conversation. With so much things left to do, idling for so long could inevitably lessen my chances of surviving through this ordeal. The princess was free to voice out her own opinions but now was not the right time to discuss such things. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid or else you¡¯ll regret it.¡± As I turned my back at her, I issued a warning that was filled to the brim with hostility. We had already compromised on an agreement that I would escort them back to their kingdom in exchange for clues on returning back home. Anything more than that wasn¡¯t my concern at all, unless it would help us with our journey. Not wanting to delay things any further, I kicked the ground beneath me, propelling my armored body towards the direction of the warehouse. After considering her threats as mere nonsense, I left Catherine who was probably enraged by my nonchalant behavior. It didn¡¯t take long before the distance between me and the Princess widened to an extent that her dot wasn¡¯t displayed anymore in the interactive map. And for some inexplicable reason, my head felt better after that argument. Like being submerged in a tub of water that was refreshingly cold, the pain unusually disappeared just like that. I wanted to know the cause but I think I should just be thankful for this instead of worrying ____________________________________________________________________________ ¡°That stupid little! Ughh! I¡¯ll slice you into pieces once I found out that you¡¯re really a vampire!¡± While performing a combo of sword slashes that cut nothing but air, Catherine irritatingly complained about the annoyance she suffered from that white haired boy. Everything about him seemed fitting of a vampire no matter how many times she viewed him. He had hair that was as white as the snow that covered all the vampire kingdoms they had passed by during their journey. Seth also had pale skin which somehow made him look lifeless. As for the fangs, he showed that his teeth were indeed normal but vampires should have one or two tricks on hiding those sharp canines. He possessed terrifying strength and agility that was beyond human capabilities, as witnessed from the battle just now. Lastly, she felt an unimaginable amount of mana contained within his body. The princess felt that he was making fun of them despite of all these evidences that she had found out. For sure he was abnormal but still Catherine wanted to show him that she wouldn¡¯t falter whatsoever. Nevertheless, he disinterestedly denied her accusations and just walked away like that. She felt irritated and relieved at the same time since there was a chance that he might get rid of her if he was proven guilty. ¡°If only my sword and armor was with me, I could probably fight him as an equal.¡± Equipment that were considered as relics, passed down through several generations of royalty in the Alteria kingdom. Enchanted with high level magic, it could bestow its wearer superhuman strength and mana. Catherine, who was next in line to the throne, donned that armor and wielded that sword through numerous battlefields ever since she was announced as the crown princess. Considering that it could amplify her fighting capabilities by at least three-fold, taking Seth down was possible. But still his maximum power was still undetermined since he didn¡¯t use even a tad bit of mana from the battle earlier. ¡°For a [Reaper] to be reduced into this state¡­.¡± Exaggeratingly bent at an acute angle and had a large hole on its jet black carapace, the mantis¡¯ body was left in shambles. Catherine took a peek inside the hole where the monster was embedded. Possessing high magical damage and magical defense, the [Midnight Winged Reaper] was a monster that could be classified between rank A and rank S depending on the size it had attained. The one that Seth had defeated was clearly an adult rank S that could bombard a large area with magical attacks with just a single swipe of both its scythes. He must¡¯ve exerted a colossal amount of brute force for its carapace to be wrecked, especially with only a few hits from that hammer. ¡°A mana core should be somewhere here.¡± Monsters above rank D should always leave a mana core behind if it was defeated in battle. They were spheres of solidified mana with varying sizes, depending on the rank of the monster. Used for crafting magical tools and enchantments, adventurers could earn a living by hunting monsters and selling the cores they drop. ¡°There it is.¡± Deep within the hole on its body, detectable amounts of mana leaked even though the monster was clearly dead. For someone who had studied magic under the guidance of high ranking court magicians at a young age, Catherine acquired the ability to detect mana at a certain degree. Sensitive enough to identify a source within a five meter radius, the Princess could be classified as a genius among people of the same age as her. ¡°Ughh..¡± While wearing a face that was full of disgust, the princess inserted both her arms inside the hole, trying to fish out the core which would definitely come in handy once they''ve arrive inside a town. The body didn''t smell that much since it was dead only for a short amount of time. But still, the feeling of warm guts touching her bare skin made Catherine exceedingly uncomfortable. ¡°Got it.¡± Catherine relievedly muttered as her hands got a hold of something round and cold. She could feel the density of mana from the surface of her palms and as soon as the sphere left the body where it belonged to, the whole body of the monster disintegrated into countless particles that illuminated the entirety of her surroundings. They were like fireflies but their light was azure. Bit by bit, the gigantic body was turned into small spheres of blinding fluorescence. Swirling and whirling, thousands or even a million, the core sucked in every last bit of them as if reclaiming what rightfully belonged to it. ¡°Amazing¡­.¡± Held between her hands was a jade colored sphere that was as big as a basketball. Its green hue represents the attribute of the monster where it came from. In this case, wind was the magical attribute. Catherine could feel a bit of mana, that was leaking from the sphere, course through her skin and flow into her system. It was cold and relaxing, the wind attributes¡¯ innate characteristic. Nevertheless, the mana she spent just a while ago wasn''t replenished since her attribute was fire and not wind. ¡°Eh?¡± The princess couldn¡¯t help but emit a dumbfounded sound as soon as she saw something unusual happen to the core. Without even lasting for a few minutes it disintegrated again into fine particles. Dispersing in all directions at a single time, like fireworks exploding in mid air. Catherine reflexively squinted both her eyes amidst the radiance that was much more brighter than before. But it didn¡¯t last for long as the spheres, instead of swirling like before, began to move at a specific direction which made it look like something or someone was commanding them. ¡°Mana cores don¡¯t break that easily.¡± Everything that she had learned about magic from books and through lessons of her teachers, Catherine was sure that mana cores weren¡¯t supposed to disappear just like that. Exerting greater amounts of magic that exceeds its capacity, mana overflow was the only possible way to destroy a core. But then, it happened in front of her eyes without even doing anything to it. ¡°Firstborn.¡± She muttered grimly while observing the path the spherical particles took. Further solidifying her accusations of Seth, the particles flew at the direction where he left. Fast enough to probably caught up to him, they zigzagged through the natural maze of the forest. Fascinatingly, they looked as if they were alive. Even though they left quickly, Catherine caught a glimpse of those spheres clustering together before they flew away. Firstborns had bizarre skills that made them forbiddable in any type of battlefield. Shapeshifting, conjuring legendary familiars, casting spells that could wipe a city, enslaving people with mental magic, all sorts of abilities that could potentially wipe a kingdom. Information about them were scarce but there was a high possibility that Seth had something similar, Catherine thought. Chapter 21
Mapping hourly report [Session No.62] Scanned lifeforms: 7500 Actively moving entities: 6221 Terrain: Flat, Mostly covered in vegetation Man Made structures: 5 Estimated map area: 16.7 km Altitude: 789 meters above sea level Underground caverns: 3 Bodies of water: 25 Notable Changes: Sector from A-1 to J-10 showed substantial withering of vegetation.
With the weather balloon being made of latex, the contained helium inside gradually escaped through microscopic pores and eventually couldn¡¯t lift the fairly heavy device any longer. After staying afloat above the skies for a couple of days, the camera issued its last report while slowly descending onto the forest ground. As designed by its manufacturer, the balloon now acted as a parachute. Usually carrying expensive weather instruments that were not easy to replace if they were left broken by the landing, Seth expected that the camera would also be kept safe by this seemingly primitive but useful technology. But then, the location where it was falling into wasn¡¯t exactly where Seth intended it to land. The troposphere wasn¡¯t kind enough to just let the balloon stay at the same place as winds of considerable speed clashed against its surface, moving it at the direction where the weather desired it to go. Currently, it plummeted at an area further north the moment the sun had risen. A part of the forest that was once filled with lush vegetation and now was a place devoid of any form of flora. Unnaturally, all the trees were rotten and withered after just a few days. As if something was forcibly killing the ecosystem, not a single form of an animal could be identified. Nonetheless, there were thousands of life forms that freely moved within the vicinity. Bomp..!! After a few minutes, the camera dived into a sea of gigantic leafless branches. Followed by the balloon and rope it was attached to, it barely managed to cut through the wooden obstacles. Considering that the branches had large gaps between one another, it was easy to get through. But then, the sound it made when it landed wasn¡¯t exactly how anyone would expect it to be. ¡°Uuhh¡­..hurt¡­.uhh...head.¡± After feeling that something had hit its head out of nowhere, the creature attempted to bellow but instead reacted rather uninterestedly while using an exceedingly deep voice. Towering by at least fours meters, it made the gigantic trees look normal. Dark grey skin filled with a thin layer of hair, the entirety of its exaggeratedly muscular body was blended into its surrounding. A disproportionately big head with an even more disproportionately big nose. A pair of pointed ears that quivered from even the slightest sound of its surroundings. Clearly carnivorous as the majority of its teeth were pointed and were protruding from its mouth. Like a newborn baby, its whole body was naked except for its groin which was covered by a dirty piece of loin cloth. Lastly, it owned a pair of dark ferocious eyes that was undoubtedly hungry for blood. ¡°Oooh...shiny.¡± Not minding the fact that something just hit its head, the creature squatted and curiously looked at the thing that was sparkling brightly beneath the morning sun. The refraction of the sunlight through its multiple lenses made it look like a disco ball. For someone that didn''t seem to possess high intelligence, seeing something so unusual could surely pique its interest. Without waiting any longer it stretched one of its burly arms over the thingamajig that was lying on the ground. It didn¡¯t matter to it if it was dangerous or not, anything that was unknown to it should always be felt first by touch. Contrary to its savage appearance, it grabbed the shiny ball with utmost care. Smaller than the width of its pinky finger, the camera was pinched with the minimum amount of strength it could possibly muster. ¡°Pretty¡­¡± As it was raised up high in the air, the entirety of its lenses glowed much brighter. Serrated teeth that yellowed, due to the nonexistence of hygiene, were fully uncovered from its wide mouth. Clearly elated by this discovery, its dark pupils dilated to its maximum which further worsened its already horrific appearance. But then, it wasn¡¯t the only one who was interested in it. Like a gust of wind, a figure sped through the lifeless forest soil. With every step it took, small clouds of dust surfaces from the ground. Nimble and agile, its appearance was hard to determine as it moved towards the creature that was almost a hundred times bigger. When their distance between each other was shortened to a meter, it jumped high and managed to land on its slightly hunched back. Still it didn¡¯t stop, using its shoulder and arm as a bridge, it neared the prize which was right before its eyes. ¡°Give me that!¡± As easy as taking candy from a baby, it snatched the sparkling ball from the clutches of the insensitive brute. It shouted mockingly, through a tiny voice that was befitting of its small body. Not minding the height where it was previously held, it jumped off unhesitatingly. Using a large piece of cloth that was as dirty as the loincloth it wore, it glided through the air like a paratrooper and landed just in front of the still unaware goliath. ¡°Her majesty will surely praise me for this!¡± It repeatedly jumped in joy as it adoringly held the camera. A mini version of the gigantic brute it was. Dark skinned, muscular body and a head full of black hair. With its height similar to a child¡¯s, it didn¡¯t look as intimidating as the brute. Even so, it overcame this deficit with its clearly higher level of intelligence which allowed it to use tools and formulate tactics in battle. ¡°Hey!¡­..shiny thing¡­. mine!¡± The brute bellowed, its gigantic nose flared. Large drops of saliva escaped from its mouth as it angrily shouted at the tiny thief. ¡°I¡¯ll give it back if you can catch me!¡± Openly, it mocked the brute while laughing at its sloth-like reaction. It wasn¡¯t afraid that the brute could just easily squish it flat and continued a belittling act before scurrying away. It wanted to continue ridiculing the brute but the desire for the reward completely overshadowed its mischievous tendencies. As fast as it came to rob the brute, the thief dashed towards the direction where the Queen was currently at.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Uhhh¡­..¡± The brute was undoubtedly disappointed but it didn¡¯t show any sign of malice. Except for its useless attempt to verbally apprehend the thief, the brute was more or less passive when it came to disputes. After a few scratches on the head it ceased to dwell on the fact that it was robbed off of its chance to make the queen happy.
Elegant and seductive, the lady in the black dress possessed an appearance that could make anyone breathless from just a single glance. Even so, her mannerism wasn¡¯t exactly as graceful as her beauty. With her alluring body being sprawled inside a throne made of polished obsidian, she didn¡¯t care how others think of her except for her beloved who she cherished the most. Boredom was clear from her crimson eyes as she stared at the faraway throne room door. ¡°Your majesty, one of the minions seemed to have found something interesting.¡± A monotonous voice, that was devoid of any sort of emotion, resounded from someone standing beside the throne. Someone who wore something quite similar to a maid outfit from the Victorian era. A long white apron that covered a similarly long black dress with floral laced cuffs and collars. On top of her head full of silver colored hair, which was tied into a ponytail, a white mob cap rested. Even though the clothes were made to cover skin as much as possible, her healthy curves were still visible. Contrary to her healthy figure, the meager skin that was visible from the outfit possessed a ghostly paleness. The maid''s beauty was somewhat comparable to the one she called her majesty except for the fact that a part of her face was brutally mutilated. Her pearly white teeth and dark colored gums were completely visible after the skin that covered them was somehow forcibly ripped. ¡°Let it in.¡± Without even questioning the maid on how she managed to obtain such information despite the fact the she was always beside her, the queen readily gave her permission. The maid nodded at her master''s decision and proceeded to mumble something. With her sets of teeth that were always showing, it was easy to discern that she was trying to speak of something. Her brown pupils dilated as she stared at the shiny black door that almost reached the ceiling. ¡°Digas ast norn.¡± Despite the fact that it was several tons heavy, the obsidian door slowly opened from the outside. With only a few words under her breath, it vertically separated into two equal parts without even emitting any sort of sound. Undoubtedly, it was being handled by something supernatural. ¡°..........¡± An ear shattering silence filled the whole room as the figure that was outside the door became visible. Holding something up in the air with its tiny arms, the minion who had been confident with its find became stiff amidst the intimidating atmosphere inside the throne room. Overwhelming power that could overwhelm an army of elites, the minion certainly felt that it was the case for the individuals currently residing within this room. And seeing that all of them were focusing their attention towards it, the minion became exceedingly nervous. ¡°Come here at once.¡± The queen beckoned the minion with a voice that possessed enough sweetness to put one into a trance. Unconsciously, it could feel its legs stepping inside the crimson carpet that was laid down on the polished obsidian floor, towards the throne where the queen was seated comfortably. Even though the minion was scared of all the people besides the queen, its greedy nature that was worsened by the queen¡¯s presence momentarily overshadowed its fears. !!? Ten sets of ivory colored armor, which didn¡¯t suit the motif of the throne room, were evenly placed on both sides of the carpet. Just below the steps that elevated the throne, they imposingly stood still with their swords constantly saluting. It certainly looked as if they were statues that were only used for decorations, but the minion could easily tell that within those metal plates, fearsome warriors resided. The minion couldn¡¯t help but wince as soon as he passed by the first set of armor. It was nerve wracking and heart pounding, nevertheless the minion proceeded to make its way towards the queen who interestingly stared at its direction. ¡°Urk¡­.¡± It believed that it had already endured the worst but as soon as the minion arrived beneath the steps, it became frozen due to shock. At the queen¡¯s left, a maid that reeked of death stood lifelessly and at the other side, a knight in pitch black armor. With auras that could whittle down life force, the minion felt that it would easily die if it was to approach them carelessly. ¡°Give me that.¡± Impatiently, the queen gestured for the thing that looked like a ball which was evenly studded with gems she hadn¡¯t seen before. For someone who had lived for countless years and had witnessed the course of history with her very own eyes, the queen was fascinated towards the unusualness of the article. It looked like a magical tool but it wasn''t. Not a single bit of mana could be felt from the thing that looked so intricately made. Slowly, the minion nervously climbed the steps beneath the throne. If it wasn¡¯t for the favorable reaction of the queen, it would¡¯ve immediately ran away for its life. A generous reward should entail this rare discovery, the minion thought. As soon as the thing was within arms reach, the queen snatched it from the minion and proceeded to examine it much more closely. Almost the same size as her head, a ball that sparkled whenever light was showered onto it. Embedded into circle shaped holes, the materials that looked like gems looked as if they were alive. Whenever the queen held it close, the interior of the gems would retract and if she held it far from her face, it would then extend its sparkling core. She had never seen something so lifelike while being devoid of any residue of mana, making the queen somewhat convinced that this thing was some sort of a relic. ¡°Err¡­.your majesty, shouldn¡¯t this be deserving of a reward?¡± While wearing an anxious smile, it rubbed both its dirty hands together. The minion mustered every bit of courage it had and shamelessly asked the queen for a suitable reward. ¡°A reward you say?¡± The lady in black couldn¡¯t help but raise an eyebrow towards the minion¡¯s attitude even though she knew that its kind was intrinsically greedy. The queen deemed the minion to be disrespectful despite the fact that it really did a great job of finding such a rare item. She would never tolerate such arrogance from someone who reeked of ugliness and inferiority. ¡°My knight will bestow you a suitable reward.¡± She smiled warmly towards the expectant minion while gesturing the knight in full black armor to grant the ¡®suitable¡¯ reward she talked about just now. ¡°I am forever grateful to you my queen!¡± It bowed exaggeratedly toward its queen, hiding its hideous face that was full of ecstacy. The minion licked its dark colored lips, its long serpentine-like tongue briefly peeking from its mouth. Surprisingly, everything had been going according to the minion¡¯s plan. It could never imagine that the queen it had served was in fact a kind and generous ruler that would treat a lowly subordinate righteously. The minion had heard from its fellow comrades that the queen would usually give blessings which would enhance the body. Not only physically but also mentally, minions would evolve up until a point where it could possess a body and mind that was similar to human-like humanoid species. At last, my dreams of copulating with beautiful ladies will come true! Its strong desire for reproduction overshadowed everything else inside its head. Besides the fact that female minions were scarce, alpha males monopolized them, leaving other males to fend for themselves. Further worsening the situation, males had high urges to mate all year around. The majority of them could only endure and hope that they could capture human-like humanoid species so that they could somehow relieve their pent up lust. To acquire a new body meant that his future would be changed greatly, especially since he could interact with other races with an equal standing. The minion was aware that he was ugly and weak. Making it impossible for his dream of bedding human, elven or even dwarven females to be fulfilled. ¡°Eh?¡± Finally snapping out from its delusions, the minion let out a dumbfounded sound as it realized the meaning behind the queen¡¯s words. Instead of the queen, the knight would present the reward. For the knight who was shrouded with an aura of death, a curse would probably be bestowed instead of a blessing. The minion wanted to run away at this instance but couldn¡¯t do so. As if his feet were rooted firmly onto the pitch black floor, all he could do was wait for the outcome of this ordeal. Soon enough, a large shadow was casted upon his tiny body. The air that was originally refreshing became heavy and suffocating. Cold sweat dripped from every nook and cranny, every part of him frozen solid. ¡°Khuaaahk!!¡± The last shriek he managed tospatwas full of frustration and annoyance before something sharp hadrobbed him of the ability of producing any sort of sound. From the minion¡¯s skull until its pelvis, dark blood splattered like a fountain as his body was cleanly bisected into two. Througha crimson greatsword, that was as tall as the knight who wielded it, it''s pitiable life was ended horrendously. ¡°Splendid! For such a foul looking being to be transformed into something beautiful.¡± The queen laughed maniacally amidst the fountain of blood that was high enough to splash onto her elegant dress and some of her exposed pale white skin.Even so,she didn¡¯t mind at all and just basked in the iron rich shower. For her, blood was something beautiful and elegant that she wouldn¡¯t mind bathing in a pool full of it. ¡°Your majesty, the location of the king had already been reached by your influence.¡± The queen¡¯s blissful moment was suddenly interrupted by the emotionless maid who didn¡¯t even bat an eyelid in front of such horrific events. Still sounding monotonous and unconcerned, she delivered the news her majesty had been wanting to hear the most. Despite seeing the wrath of the queen towards someone disrespectful, she still carried an indifferent attitude. ¡°AT LAST!!!¡± Without any warnings, the queen shouted at the top of her lungs while embracing affectionately the ball that was studded with gems. Her crimson pupils dilating and her breath becoming rugged, the queen couldn''t hide the excitement that suddenly struck her heart. She couldn''t wait anymore. To be with her beloved, she would even cross the rocky forest floor on her bare feet. The wait that took a few millennia challenged her patience but it seemed that they were still destined to be with each other no matter what happened. Immediately, she stood up from her seat and proceeded to carefully place the ball on the well cushioned throne. Not minding the pieces of meat that stood her way, the queen swiftly walked down the carpet covered steps. The train of her long dress soon followed and eventually passed over the blood soaked remains of the minion. ¡°I''m sure that he''s also anxious to meet me.¡± She licked her luscious lips as she imagined the face of the youthful king. The puddle of blood and meat mysteriously disappearing as the dark colored cloth passed its way upon it.