《Magikind [Original]》 Rewrite is officially here! Been quite the journey, hasn''t it? 9 months of rewriting this and finally finishing it. Instead of the 24 chapters I had in the original, it is now a whopping 35 chapter total! Emotions, characters, grammar etc. They''ve all been improved, or at least I hope they have. So, without further ado, here''s the link to the rewrite: RewriteUnauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. For all my current fans, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Without you guys, I wouldn''t be where I am today. I will now mark this original novel as "compltete" and I hope you enjoy the rewrite. Don''t forget to add a review to the rewrite if you have the time. See you soon! [Announcement] Rewrite will be posted soon! I know it''s taken longer than I first anticipated but I''m extremely happy with how much I''ve improved the story and whatnot. And now that I''m nearing the end of finishing this rewrite, I have set the date when I''ll start posting: 1st January 2019. To my current readers, thank you for being so patient with me. I hope to not let your expectations down. And for new potential readers, I hope you will enjoy reading as much as I have enjoyed writing it. So until the new year has passed, see you soon!This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. PS. if you want to rate or review atm, please hold off till I post the rewrite on rr. Don''t want people wondering why you said one thing or rated a certain way when nothing''s been posted except for the original (which I plan to remove as soon as I post the rewrite). [Sneak preview of the rewrite of the first novel] - Chapter 1: A Simple Test A Simple Test It was the first time this had happened. As she double-checked the documents, Maria Anasta sighed. She placed the papers on her desk and took a long, hard look at the man in front of her. Along with the documents he had given her, she was interested in his looks. It wasn¡¯t his tanned skin, nor his short stature, but rather the peculiar facial hair he possessed. It was trimmed, as if it was just for show. It didn¡¯t leave any impression that it could be used for an ability of sorts. However, she couldn¡¯t be sure due to the spiralling pattern his beard made around the cheekbones. ¡®Gin Julius Gale,¡¯ she addressed the man. ¡®In all the eighty years that I''ve been the colonel of squadron W, I have never seen an application as empty as this. Did you make a mistake somewhere?¡¯ The man leaned closer. He inspected the very documents he gave to Maria in the first place, rolling his eyes as he did so. He assessed his application again then leaned back in his chair, satisfied with what he had written on the pieces of paper. The silence that ensued prompted Maria to clarify. ¡®All you put down is your name and age,¡¯ she said. ¡®That is correct,¡¯ he confirmed without a hint of hesitation. ¡®So, your magi classification?¡¯ ¡®Technically doesn¡¯t apply to me.¡¯ ¡®Your magi rank?¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t have one.¡¯ ¡®Location of breeding.¡¯ ¡®Applicable if I was bred.¡¯ ¡®Right,¡¯ Maria concluded as she sifted through the application form once more. ¡®I get the feeling asking about the other questions would be pointless too.¡¯ ¡®But that doesn¡¯t matter in the end, right?¡¯ Gin spoke out. ¡®I was told squadron W was the only one that accepted people through a test, rather than their application.¡¯ ¡®That is true. With this sort of application, we¡¯re the only one you could go to. Which division did you want to apply to anyway? Your test will depend on that.¡¯ ¡®Offence,¡¯ Gin said, again without hesitation. ¡®What!?¡¯ Maria exclaimed before regaining her composure. ¡®You wrote down that your Date of Breeding is twenty-third March, forty-nine-hundred-and-thirty-nine. That means you¡¯re only twenty-nine. You shouldn¡¯t be any more than a child going through puberty. Are you sure you want to be on the frontlines?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m certain.¡¯ ¡®Stand up.¡¯ Gin stood up with the colonel following suit. She walked round the desk and inspected the mysterious applicant one more. She noted that she had a couple inches over him, forcing Gin to look up, his expression as calm as ever. ¡®Here I thought that I was short,¡¯ Maria commented. ¡®Then again, you said you¡¯re twenty-nine. You¡¯re still a child. You¡¯ve got several decades to grow.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m a fully-grown man, I¡¯ll have you know. I won¡¯t grow beyond my current six-feet-ten. So, about this test-¡¯ ¡®Follow me.¡¯ Maria led Gin out of her office, through several wooden corridors, carved out of the Rezah tree the whole of Squadron W lived in. The bark of the Rezah allowed for torches to be lined up on the sides without catching fire. They flickered, illuminating the path to the testing room. A few of them had run out of fuel but it wasn¡¯t too problematic, as the fire elementals would get round replacing it. ¡®Look,¡¯ Maria said at last, breaking the silence. ¡®I still don¡¯t want to involve a child. Do you know what the test is?¡¯ ¡®Yes. Just survive a one v one for a designated time period. Should be simple enough.¡¯ Maria rolled her eyes at Gin¡¯s brashness. She didn¡¯t like the tone he was using and decided to change her original plans. ¡®On second thought,¡¯ Maria pointed out. ¡®This way.¡¯ ¡®What? Don¡¯t know your way around your own home?¡¯ ¡®No. I just realised we got a special invigilator today. With our standard test, your chances of success is around seventy percent but I thought someone of your calibre would enjoy a challenge instead.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s fine with me, I guess. Shouldn¡¯t be that hard.¡¯¡¯ ¡®You have that much confidence? How do you plan to fight? You have no claws and you lack bulk or any other significant physical trait. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re a poison elemental type.¡¯ ¡®Let¡¯s just say my technique is a bit unorthodox compared to you mages.¡¯ ¡®Does it have anything to do with what¡¯s on your belt?¡¯ Maria said, indicating the cuboid-shaped objects on Gin¡¯s belts, a different coloured hue on each of them. ¡®You¡¯ll see,¡¯ Gin assured her. They entered a room that was split into two. A thin, see-through film separated the two sides. They were built the same way, with dirt flooring and tree bark walls, but differed in cleanliness. Bar the dust and branches merging from the ground, nothing noteworthy existed on the side Maria led Gin into. On the other hand, the opposing side was stained red, green, and brown. The stains were dry. At least most of them were. ¡®Looks like there¡¯s another test before us,¡¯ Maria whispered. ¡®You¡¯re quite fortunate, too. You get to see your opponent in action.¡¯ Three people entered the other side: two men and a woman. Of the three, Maria noticed Gin¡¯s gaze was fixated on his future opponent, the only person that looked more like a beast than a human. A ten-foot behemoth, wearing nothing but loose shorts. Brown hair sprouted out of every single part of his body. His nose looked more like a snout, elongated and rounded off with canine-like nostrils at the end. His eyes were fierce; one that showed experience in both killing and being on the brink of death. His legs were packed with muscle and, combined with their bent posture, were ready to pounce at any moment. On the top of this beast¡¯s head were dark black horns, a few centimetres in height. Three thousand years ago, he would have been called Lucifer; El Chupacabra; Evil incarnate; Satan. However, he was none of them, but rather a creation of mankind. He was a human being. ¡®Um, colonel?¡¯ Gin asked, a hint of fear in his voice. ¡®Yes, child?¡¯ Maria answered. ¡®Just how low is the success rate against that beast?¡¯ ¡®I see you have your eyes on Varunel,¡¯ Maria commented. ¡®He¡¯s one of the MBP¡¯s finest creations. He¡¯s been in Eurasia¡¯s service for nearly a hundred-and-forty years. Let¡¯s just say your chances have dropped significantly.¡¯ ¡®The Mage Breeding Programme, huh.¡¯ Gin replied in an inquisitive tone to mask his true emotions. ¡®They really do breed monsters there, don¡¯t they?¡¯ ¡®You have good taste, child.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m actually fascinated by all three. I can¡¯t tell if the other man will take the test though.¡¯ Gin referred to the one clad in heavy brown armour, even covering his mouth, that made him bulkier than he really was. He was chatting with the other two. The others nodded at whatever he was saying then, once done, he looked through the film and gave Maria a thumbs-up. ¡®No, he¡¯ll be invigilating the fight,¡¯ Maria cleared up. The man left the room, only to return to Maria¡¯s side. Maria nodded to the man. She watched the duel that was about to ensue while keeping Gin in her peripheral vision. He was attentive as well, leading to Maria changing her thought that he wasn¡¯t as reckless as he first appeared. The man told Maria and Gin to step back. He then reached to his side. There were several twigs that stuck to his armour. Each of them had red marks engraved on them. Despite the varying lengths of the twigs, the intervals the marks appeared were uniform. He picked out one of the small ones with five markings. ¡®Like I said, you have five minutes to survive, Whyte. Varunel, you have the same time to kill her. Is that clear?¡¯ he addressed the two, getting a nod from both of them. ¡®Once I light this, the test will begin. Once it is completely burnt up, the test is over.¡¯The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. He walked over to a torch and pressed one end of the twig into the flames. The twig caught fire. The test had begun. The woman¡¯s dark skin began to glisten. The liquid that formed rolled down onto the palms of her hands. It collected into a globule. Her middle finger and thumb coupled together. She clicked her fingers. The rough grooves on them rubbed together, creating a spark that fell on the globules on, lighting her hands into a fiery blaze. Varunel was unfazed. On the contrary, he was inviting Whyte on. His arms were relaxed, hanging by his sides. His face contained the widest grin. He kept himself wide open for an attack. Whyte didn¡¯t hesitate to take the initiative. She hurled the ball of fire. Her aim was perfect, hitting Varunel directly on his torso. Whyte smiled, as the fire began to spread, but it didn¡¯t last long. The fire fizzled out on Varunel¡¯s fur, until it was snuffed out without trace. Whyte¡¯s face turned into one of horror as she knew what it meant. In desperation, Whyte smothered her hands with more of the oily substance. However, Maria noticed the liquid had a different texture. It burned but, instead of the orange flames from before, it turned into thick, black smoke that impaired everyone¡¯s vision of the fight. A sharp shriek filled the room. ¡®How long did I take?¡¯ a gruff voice called out. ¡®Done already?¡¯ Maria replied. ¡®Yes.¡¯ ¡®Not your best time, but forty-seven seconds.¡¯ The smoke cleared via shafts in the ceiling. As they did, a conjoined figure formed. In the middle of room stood Whyte; her ribs broken; her lungs bleeding out; her mouth agape, unable to make a single sound; her heart destroyed and Varunel¡¯s fist in its place. ¡®Whyte has failed the test!¡¯ the man in armour announced, as he put out the fire on the twig. Varunel let go of Whyte. Her lifeless body made a thud as it hit the floor. By her leg, Varunel dragged her out of the room, smearing the pool of blood she left behind. ¡®You¡¯re next, child,¡¯ Maria said. ¡®You¡¯ve got thirty minutes, while the room is cleaned up. Please take your time preparing. After all, you might share the same fate as the girl.¡¯ Gin didn¡¯t respond. His thumb was propped under his upper teeth. He was mumbling something under his breath. Maria could see he was deep in thought. She listened to what he was saying, trying to understand his thought process. ¡®-which means that technique she used was a ¡®fireball¡¯. It¡¯s a common technique for fire elementals, so I shouldn¡¯t be surprised she could use it. But why didn¡¯t it work on Varunel? Hmm. Does Varunel¡¯s fur have fire-resistant properties? No wonder she looked distraught after her failed attack. He literally is the worst match up for those types of mages. But why didn¡¯t he finish her off earlier? What if ¨C Yes, If that¡¯s the case, then maybe I can-¡¯ ¡®Gin!¡¯ Maria called out, causing Gin to jump. She had enough of listening to his ramblings. ¡®Huh?¡¯ ¡®Time is up. Go to the other side. We¡¯re about to begin.¡¯ ¡®What?!¡¯ Gin exclaimed. ¡®You said I had thirty minutes. It¡¯s barely been five!¡¯ ¡®I lied. Please proceed to the testing room.¡¯ Gin¡¯s eyes widened. Maria knew that look he gave her. It was one of minimal battle experience. The look one had when they knew they were facing their death. It¡¯s what you deserve, Maria thought. She had no tolerance for those who act mighty, only to falter when faced with danger. ¡®Give me a minute more. I need more time to prepare,¡¯ Gin pleaded. ¡®When faced with someone much stronger, it is natural to feel afraid, to panic and to begin to beg. It¡¯s only human nature. I understand your sentiments, child, I really do. However, imagine you were allied with Whyte and a mage, on the power level of Varunel, attacks you. Given that she tells you she¡¯s going to stall, only to last for not even a minute, do you think the enemy will wait thirty minutes for you to prepare? I will repeat again. Your time is up. Please proceed to the testing room.¡¯ ¡®Guess there¡¯s nothing I can do to change your mind then,¡¯ Gin said with a shrug as he walked into the room with a swagger in his stride. ¡®Was your begging an act?¡¯ Maria asked, taken aback by his response. ¡®Who knows? I¡¯ve come up with a plan anyway.¡¯ Gin entered the testing room. Varunel joined him soon after. The bloodstain remained wet, but Maria¡¯s main focus wasn¡¯t on that. She watched Gin take off two of the cuboid-shaped objects he had on his belt ¨C one red, one green ¨C and wrapped his hands around them, one in each hand. His fingers entered holes in the cuboids. At first Maria thought they were just for grip, but then his index fingers moved further into the chambers. From the red cuboid erupted a thin, yet long, blade that was pointed at the end. From the green one emerged a circular plate that Gin held up in front of his chest. ¡®Is this the ¡®unorthodox technique¡¯ you were talking about before?¡¯ Maria questioned. ¡®Yep. Custom made by me.¡¯ ¡®AHAHA,¡¯ Varunel guffawed. ¡®What¡¯s so funny?¡¯ Gin queried. ¡®Something wrong with my sword and shield?¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re that weak that you rely on these objects?¡¯ ¡®Varunel!¡¯ Maria snapped. ¡®We don¡¯t have time for idle banter. Let¡¯s begin this test.¡¯ ¡®Yes, ma¡¯am,¡¯ Varunel obeyed. ¡®Are you both ready?¡¯ Maria asked, with Gin and Varunel both affirming. Another twig with five marks was lit up. The test had begun. Gin stepped closer towards Varunel, staying cautious. Their difference in size was apparent. Even with his hind legs bent, Varunel towered at least a metre over his opponent. But instead of making the first move, he kept himself open for an attack. The invitation wasn¡¯t taken though. Gin continued to tease an attack, only to withdraw. Snap! The one-minute mark had been reached. Neither side made a move in this strange dance. As the time went on, Varunel grew agitated. He growled, causing Gin to stop. A temporary truce was made. ¡®You do realise I am deliberately letting you get a direct attack on me, which is why I haven¡¯t killed you yet,¡¯ Varunel grunted. ¡®But you¡¯re wasting too much time now. Attack me before the two-minute mark or I¡¯ll end it.¡¯ Gin paused for a moment, looking at the twig that was burning. He kept a watch on it, biding his time until it hit the second mark. Right before the flames reached that point, Gin charged. Snap! He struck out with his sword, aiming for Varunel¡¯s heart. Varunel stuck true to his words and allowed the direct attack. The sword connected, piercing through his skin. The sword stopped moving. Gin couldn¡¯t go farther. Varunel looked at his opponent in the eyes. His grin showed an array of sharpened teeth as if the bleeding around his chest was irrelevant. His muscles tensed around the blade, nullifying any further threat from Gin¡¯s attack. He didn¡¯t act, allowing Gin to struggle. But Gin wasn¡¯t done yet. He pressed his middle finger through the second chamber of his sword, then into the third. The metal began to glisten then ignited into flames. The fire burned Varunel¡¯s insides, causing him to howl in pain. He had enough. Varunel sent a right hook at Gin. Gin raised his shield in response but it didn¡¯t help. He flew through the air, crashing into the wall behind him. His arm dislocated. He was winded. His legs refused to get up. He switched the shield to his working arm and raised it above him, pressing into the second chamber. In his rage, Varunel broke the blade in two. A piece of metal remained in his body, but the flames stopped. He chucked the other half to the side. He took deep forceful breaths as he took out the blade that remained. The wound began to close and Varunel¡¯s focus was on Gin once more. But his opponent had already made his move. Snap! A metallic dome surrounded the area where Gin lay. Varunel hurled a fist at the dome but all that did was make a clank upon impact. With two minutes left, he didn¡¯t have time to mess about. Fist after fist, punch after punch, he battered the dome. His knuckles bled from the constant flurry of attacks that was deflected. Each attack dented the dome but it wasn¡¯t enough. Snap! ¡®You¡¯ve got one minute left, Varunel,¡¯ Maria warned. ¡®Shut up!¡¯ The dent in the dome got larger. Varunel was getting through. Time was burning down. The constant clanking spurred him to go faster. Each dent made made him hit harder. Then he got his breakthrough. Varunel punched through the dome. He tore off the sides of the hole he created. He still had time. He didn¡¯t hesitate to pick out the prize inside, lifting Gin out of the dome. With his free hand, he smashed through Gin¡¯s chest, crushing his heart. Snap! The test was over. ¡®Finally!¡¯ Varunel gave a triumphant roar, dropping Gin¡¯s body onto the floor and turning towards Maria. ¡®That was more annoying than challenging.¡¯ ¡®His tactic was to waste time and hide in a corner all this time,¡¯ Maria commented. ¡®And here I thought he was going to show off his fighting prowess. Turned out he had none!¡¯ ¡®It almost worked in the end though.¡¯ ¡®So did I pass?¡¯ a familiar voice said. ¡®What?!¡¯ Varunel exclaimed, turning around to see Gin, lying in his own blood with a smile. ¡®How are you alive?!¡¯ ¡®Did you know that the human body can still function for a few minutes, even after the heart stops working?¡¯ Gin replied before continuing, ¡®It takes quite a lot of willpower, but one can even stay conscious for a bit as well. The task was to survive for five minutes and I managed to do that, so do I pass the test or not? Don¡¯t worry, I will still survive. Probably. Maybe. I hope.¡¯ Maria began laughing. What a peculiar person. She wouldn¡¯t mind having him in her squadron and technically he did pass the test, albeit without a heart (though she didn¡¯t know how he was going to survive). ¡®Yes, child, you pass. Welcome to squadron W.¡¯ Gin chuckled to himself. ¡®Good,¡¯ he said with his final breath before losing consciousness. ¡®You¡¯re dismissed too, Varunel. Oh, and leave Gin¡¯s body behind. I¡¯ll go get someone else to tend to him. If he lives, that is.¡¯ ¡®Tsk. Fine,¡¯ Varunel obeyed with reluctance. ¡®Maria,¡¯ the armoured man whispered. ¡®Mind if I take him under my wing?¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ Maria scoffed. ¡®You really believe he¡¯s going to survive without a heart?¡¯ ¡®Not really, but just in case.¡¯ ¡®He does use the same unusual fighting style as you. Alright. Permission granted.¡¯ ¡®Thank you. I¡¯ll be taking my leave then,¡¯ the man said before allowing Maria to be by herself. She scratched her head. Now for the troublesome part: Explaining to the higher-ups how she had admitted an unknown person into her squadron. *************** That''s the sneak peak done. If you want the rest of the rewrite, then it can be found in this discord server under bakernnouncements channel:https://discord.gg/z8jk9uV. I''ll post the rewrite on rrl when all of it''s done, so you can wait if you want if you don''t want to join the server, but that''s like a couple months away atm. Magikind Glossary and terminology [to help with reading the original manuscript] Magikind Glossary and terminology Elemental, Bestial and Utility types ¨C subclass of mages. Elementals often use the elements (fire, water etc.), bestials are usually those with superhuman (like strength, speed, stealth etc.), and utility is the miscellaneous that fit neither category. INS ¨C short for Integrated Nanobot System. Uses nanobots. Gin¡¯s main source of utility and weaponry. (also see Gin¡¯s notes #8) Lupim ¨C Descendants of the dog family. Bred to be used for battle. Mages ¨C Humans who evolved to be able to choose which genetic properties they passed onto their offspring.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Manush ¨C The descendants of the humans who weren¡¯t mages. MBP ¨C Stands for Mage Breeding Programme. Every mage of the 5th millennium comes from the MBP and are artificially bred. There are 3 seperate MBPs, one in Eurasia, one in the Afro-Australian Alliance and one in The Americas. They act as the government in their respective factions. (See Gin¡¯s notes #2) Rezah ¨C A type of large tree that mages use to live in. Tinoo ¨C Birds used as messengers and battle signals. Xernim ¨C Parasites that co-exist with some mages. Final Comments: The world is set in the late fifth millennia. The humans are evolved and so are taller, stronger etc. than that of our time. Therefore, a lot of the size differences and viewpoints are relative (like how 7ft is considered short). Chapter 1: A Simple Test A Simple Test Squadron W, a unit in the Eurasia¡¯s army, was commanded by Maria Anasta, A short woman standing at just under 7 feet but made up for that in a bulky appearance. Everyone knew her fighting capabilities. Everyone feared her. At the age of 97 she was offered the position of General but decided against it saying that she had more than half her life ahead of her and there was no point rushing things, only to take up the position ten years later. Now aged 151 she was staring at a man more than hundred years her junior, someone who should barely be out of adolescence and yet he seemed old. She had a quick read of his documentations before starting, ¡®Gin Gale, a name is all I have from you in this application form. In the section ¡®place of origin¡¯ you have put N/A; in ¡®magi category¡¯ you put N/A; in ¡®age¡¯ you put N/A. In fact, every section here, apart from your name is filled with ¡®N/A¡¯, even in what you hope to achieve from joining us. Mind telling me what this is about?¡¯ Gin knew something like this would happen. After all what she said was the truth. They had nothing on him and yet he still wanted to join the army. Normally he would be rejected straight away on the basis of poor conduct in his application but squadron W was different. All they require was that you pass a simple test and you are accepted straight away. ¡®Of course you would ask that but I do have my reasons, colonel. My place of origin? No longer exists. The category of Mage I belong in? That literally is not applicable to me. My age? You wouldn¡¯t believe me but I¡¯m thirty three¡¯ ¡®Thirty Three?! Child, I will admit you should be looking like you just hit puberty at that age, not someone who is about to reach their physical peak. Frankly, I sense nothing coming from you. Everyone I have encountered and will encounter has emitted some sort of aura but you provide nothing. Are you human?¡¯ Gin felt offended. The comment on his age was something he could understand; the lack of knowledge of his origin was expected but him not being human? That was absurd! He remained calm however, like how his mother had taught him to be, and responded: ¡®I assure you that I am probably the most humane being on this entire planet. I may not give out the same aura as most people but I am certain I could be of help to Eurasia. My methods may be unorthodox and you may not recognise the techniques I have but that doesn¡¯t matter, does it?¡¯ A puzzled look appeared on the General followed by a smile, ¡®Oh is that so? Yes you are right; whatever methods you use doesn¡¯t matter to join my squadron as long as you pass the initiation test. I¡¯m presuming you know what that is, am I right?¡¯ ¡®Yes ma¡¯am.¡¯ ¡®Good. Now follow me.¡¯ They both got up before Maria led Gin down a well lit corridor. The walls were full of moss like substances which were actually the roots of the Rezah plant, which never catch fire. It was a special measure against enemy fire mages that had managed to destroy several inhabitant and military buildings in the past. From the outside, the building looks like a large tree and due to its appearance several more Rezah trees have been made to camouflage the actual buildings in case future attacks were to happen. ¡®I won¡¯t deny that I am intrigued how a child like you can possibly help us. You do realise what waits if you fail our trial?¡¯ ¡®Yes I do know what the trial consists of. This is unique to squadron W only so it isn¡¯t surprising that its common knowledge amongst the army. I just have to fight in a one versus one combat against one of the best fighters in the squadron and hold out for a set period of time. If I do survive then I am enlisted into the squadron just like that.¡¯ Gin paused for a moment, letting out a sigh that indicated that he understood the gravity of the situation, ¡®however, this opponent I am facing will try to kill me. If he does then obviously I won¡¯t make it into the army or anything for that matter.¡¯ The General led them to a room consisting of two chambers. On one side of the room was nothing bar several seats but it was immaculately clean. Even the floor which was covered in dirt in nearly all the other facilities and rooms was spotless. It was a huge contrast to the other chamber. Separated by a see-through film which was sturdier than it looked, the other section seemed like it had travelled through the battle of Anthrax and back. The Rezah walls were scorched, wet and in places were red smears. Blood. Maria stopped, raising her hand to signal that Gin should do the same, she whispered, ¡®Guess you¡¯re lucky. Looks like someone else is taking the trial before you do. You get to see your opponent in combat.¡¯ Gin stared intently at what entered into the room or rather who entered. It was a man, Gin thought, of roughly 10 feet in height. Brown hair sprouted out of every single part of his body. His nose was more like a snout, elongated and rounded off with canine-like nostrils at the end. His eyes were fierce, one that showed experience in both killing and being on the brink of death. His legs were packed with muscle and combined with them being in a bent posture while walking, it seemed like he was ready to pounce at any moment. On the top of this beast¡¯s head were dark black horns, only a few centimetres in height. 3000 years ago he would have been called Lucifer, El Chupacabra, Evil incarnate, Satan, but he was none of them but rather a creation of mankind. ¡®That is Varunel, One of our best combat specialists. He¡¯s been in the service for 137 years, a true masterpiece and one that any nation would be jealous of!¡¯ The colonel gave a grin at that comment before continuing, ¡®Seems like the person hoping to join my squadron is about to enter now.¡¯ Just as she had finished speaking, somebody else came through the door. A dark skinned woman entered the chamber. She had short white hair and green eyes on her round face. She seemed to have an air of confidence around her. She then started become shiny under the light, as if a thin film enveloped her. ¡®So what do you think of the match up?¡¯ asked the colonel. Gin analysed the two before answering, ¡®It¡¯s very obvious that Varunel is a bestial type, I¡¯m guessing of the Juggernaut subclass. Bred to be extremely strong and agile, Juggernauts tend to have heightened senses which are pretty visible as he has a dog-like nose and I won¡¯t be surprised if the eyes, which are much more slit than average, compared to our ancestors, are those that can probably see great distances. His legs and arms are very muscular, his kicks and punches would cause fatal damage to those cannot defend. On the other hand, the girl is probably an elemental type, and judging by the shiny film that she covered herself with, she is a fire mage at that.¡¯ ¡®Oh what a very astute observation from you, child. How did you know?¡¯ Gin could tell that question was some kind of test. She was the colonel after all and so she probably had to assess those who potentially could join her squadron and what role they could take in future battles. ¡®As I said, I could tell by the film that she is covered in that she is a fire mage. I have done my research on the various categories and their sub-categories and can tell who is what, apart from a few cases such as you, colonel. If you want me to go further into the details of the average fire mage, I can.¡¯ ¡®Please do, child¡¯, she replied. This was definitely a test of some form, Gin concluded before continuing, ¡®To create fire, you need to create a reaction. See the girl¡¯s fingers? They are both dry and rough and the skin forms some sort of pattern. I assume she uses that to create some sort of ignition. But she needs some sort of fuel to keep a fire going which is why she is glistening. It is a flammable substance which she secretes from special glands in her skin similar how sweat is produced. In fact, her mechanism makes it so that the sweat itself is flammable and so provides several functions and is more efficient to having several different organs. The sweat of fire mages is called oil. Although fire can deal severe damage to most people, she is not hurt herself due to every single inch of her body being made up of flame-resistant cells which is why she is quite dark and has rough skin like.¡¯ The colonel gave a nod to say that was enough. She was ready to start the fight between the girl and Varunel. ¡®Whyte, you have to survive five minutes. Do that and you join my squadron. Varunel, your task is to kill her in that time. Are you both ready?¡¯ ¡®Ermm, why is it only five minutes? Thought it was normally one hour long,¡¯ asked the girl named Whyte. ¡®Yes you are right; normally it is one hour long. Today is special, though, as you are facing Varunel. He hates days off and asked me if he could do the test whenever he is free. Got to love his bloodlust! Five minutes is very generous if you ask me. Good luck, child!¡¯ Maria answered before saying under her breath, ¡®you¡¯ll need it¡¯.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Gin noticed what she said and felt a lump in his stomach. A test meant to be one hour long, reduced to five and even then the colonel thinks she will lose. Just how strong was that bestial type? A buzzer had rung which signified the start of the fight. Immediately, the girl created a globule of oil in both her hands before clicking her fingers. Immediately her hands went into a blaze of fire. She then hurled the fire at Varunel. The aim from Whyte was excellent. The burning fuel splashed across the torso of Varunel. Such a clean hit would lead to the fire spreading all across his body leading to the agony of being burnt alive. But the fire suddenly sizzled before coming to a stop. Not a single burn mark was found where the fireball hit. Gin now realised why she couldn¡¯t win. The girl became terrified. She realised too. From the top of his head to the tips of his toes, Varunel was covered with what must be fire resistant fur. It was so resistant that such an attack won¡¯t even burn the fur let alone the beast himself. Varunel grinned. He let the fireball hit him on purpose. Whyte then started doing something strange. She smothered her hand with more oil. However, Gin noticed the substance she secreted was different from before. She snapped her fingers once more and instead of the clean flame she was creating a few seconds ago, this time the room was being filled with black smoke. Gin thought that this was a great back up plan, after all, if she can¡¯t beat him, at least try to survive for five minutes. The whole chamber was filled with smoke. Gin couldn¡¯t see a thing but then suddenly a gruff voice came from the chamber, ¡®How long did I take?¡¯ ¡¯Twenty Seven seconds,¡¯ the colonel said. The smoke started being cleared via air shafts in the room and in the middle was Varunel holding Whyte; her ribs broken, hair tainted red, lungs bleeding out and her heart utterly destroyed and in its place was Varunel¡¯s fist. ¡®Whyte has failed the test!¡¯ the colonel confirmed as she gave orders for some people to clean up the mess before turning to Gin, ¡®You¡¯re next child. Your test will begin in thirty minutes, while the room is cleaned up. Please take your time preparing; after all, you might meet the same fate as that girl.¡¯ Gin stayed quiet. He was thinking about what had happened in that short period. The girl hurled a ¡®fireball¡¯ at Varunel. A common technique among fire elementals where the user creates fire in their hands using more fuel than usual, secreted from their body, they then ¡®throw the fire¡¯ at opponents. This was done by throwing the flammable substance and as the fire burns using the fuel that was thrown (the reason why they create so much fuel in the first place) it lands on the opponent and leaving the flammable substance burning on your opponent. A very effective method against those not bred to be fire resistant. However, Varunel was fire resistant due to his fur. He was the worst match up for fire mages of her level. Gin had very few fire based attacks so it didn¡¯t really matter to him but what had happened after that was what he was trying to figure out. The room was filled with smoke and yet he was able to aim for her heart with such precision. Does that mean he can still see or can he know his surroundings via other methods? For a bestial type, it isn¡¯t uncommon for them to able to be able to use sounds or heat detection. Maybe he could ---- ¡®Time¡¯s up! Please enter the room opposite and we will begin,¡¯ the colonel ordered ¡®What?! You said thirty minutes to prepare but it¡¯s only been two!¡¯ ¡®I lied. Please proceed into the testing room.¡¯ Gin¡¯s eyes widened. His battle experience was nothing compared to his Varunel¡¯s yet he definitely knew he couldn¡¯t face him in a battle of strength. He was panicking and he knew it. Varunel was able to see Gin¡¯s face from the other room and snorted at how terrified his opponent must feel. In a moment of panic Gin said, ¡®No, I need to prepare otherwise I won¡¯t stand a chance. Please give me a minute more!¡¯ ¡®When faced with an opponent that is much stronger than you, it is natural to feel afraid, to panic, and to begin to beg as it¡¯s human nature to do so. I understand your sentiments. I really do, child, but in a real fight, imagine both you and the girl were in a battalion on a mission and a bestial type of Varunel¡¯s calibre attacked you. Given that she told she was going to stall and only lasted twenty seven seconds, would you really think he will wait thirty minutes before coming after you? I will repeat once again. Time is up. Please go to the testing room,¡¯ the colonel said before ushering Gin into the room. Once you accept to take it on, there was no way out of it. On normal days the pass rate was roughly twenty five percent but when Varunel was the one to invigilate it, the pass rate was less than one, even with the survival time being shortened by so much. In fact no one has actually beaten him in a one on one fight. The one percent of those who pass are those who just barely managed to survive the five minutes. The test was about to begin. Five minutes. Just live. Such a simple task and yet it was so hard especially with the lack of time to come up with a proper strategy. Gin reached to his belt. On his belt were a few objects, all cuboid in shape but of various colours. They had intrigued both the colonel and Varunel since the beginning and Gin guessed that might be a factor in why the test was being taken so soon. Gin took out the red one before slotting his fingers through four holes in the cuboid. He pushed his index finger further through the whole and at the bottom laid a button which he pressed. A long metal beam erupted out of the cuboid, the process instant. Both the colonel and Varunel¡¯s curiosity grew further. They had never seen such a thing despite their many years of experience. Was the MBP able to breed someone with the ability to create weapons at will? No, the thing that just appeared didn¡¯t appear from Gin himself but rather from that object that Gin picked up from his belt. ¡®Is this the ¡®unorthodox technique¡¯ you were talking about before?¡¯ the colonel asked Gin. ¡®It might be.¡¯ ¡®Well, I am very interested in how you will fight. Shall we get started? The time limit is five minutes; your aim is to survive for that long. Varunel, your task is to kill him in that time. Are you both ready? Let¡¯s begin!¡¯ The buzzer blew and the timer had begun to countdown. Five minutes. Varunel just stood there, his eyes watching his opponent slowly edging closer to him. This was new to him. No point in killing him without gaining valuable experience, right? Just like the girl beforehand, he would let him attack first before finishing him off, after all he did have five minutes and killing him would barely take five seconds. Gin only had one plan, which was what his preparation time allowed him. As he stepped closer to the beast, it was very apparent how large he was. Even when his legs were bent in their natural position, ready to pounce at any moment, Varunel was at least a metre taller than Gin. However, despite how easy killing his opponent was, Varunel didn¡¯t attempt any movement. A small beeping sound echoed around the room, it signified that a minute was up. What was Varunel doing? Or rather the question was; why wasn¡¯t he doing anything? As the time ticked down, the second beeping sound echoed around the room. ¡®You know I am deliberately giving you an opportunity to attack me directly, that¡¯s why I haven¡¯t killed you yet,¡¯ Said Varunel in his gruff voice, ¡®However if you don¡¯t within the next ten seconds, I will end it now.¡¯ This was Gin¡¯s chance. If he managed to pierce Varunel¡¯s body, then he could win. This newfound hope allowed him to charge at the monster. Varunel did not react, he stuck true to his words, and allowed to strike to attack directly. Gin aimed right for his heart, and as his weapon slid right through Varunel¡¯s body, it suddenly stopped and so did Gin¡¯s grin. Had he hit a bone? No, his weapon was sharp enough to cut through them at a bare minimum. Was the blade stopped by the muscles Varunel were packed with? ¡®I¡¯m impressed, kid. You were close, I¡¯ll give you that, but you can¡¯t kill me that easily,¡¯ Varunel said, ¡®I am curious about something, however, mind telling me what that thing you are holding is called?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s a sword, custom made by me,¡¯ Gin replied. Varunel must still be confident to be talking while having the sword still in him. But this didn¡¯t faze Gin though as he pushed his finger through another hole in his sword¡¯s hilt to push a second button. Immediately the sword went ablaze. If the skin and the fur were fire resistant, then surely there was no need to have his innards fire resistant too. The plan had worked. The fire began burning the insides of Varunel and the pain was showing when he gave a grunt of discomfort. Varunel was getting mad. He had enough and began his attack. He hurtled a fist straight at Gin but Gin anticipated that and reacted in time to use another Cuboid, this time Green. Out emerged a shield made of the same metal that his sword was made of. It blocked the punch but the hit was so strong that Gin was flung into the wall, leaving a dent where his back had smashed into. The sword was still wedged in Varunel¡¯s torso but he didn¡¯t care as the fire stopped once Gin let go off it. Gin¡¯s attack actually did damage and this couldn¡¯t go unpunished. Gin was out of breath. The arm which was holding the shield probably had a broken bone or two as well; that¡¯s how strong the punch was. Another beeping sound rung around the room which meant that there was two minutes left. The options were limited for Gin. Varunel wasn¡¯t in a rush; in fact he was steadily walking towards the wall where Gin lay, barely able to stand. He was enjoying this. As he walked towards Gin, he noticed that Gin pushed his finger through a hole in the cuboid where the shield emerged from. If it was anything like the sword, then it must have a function too. In a panic, Varunel quickly broke off the sword that was in his torso in fear it would set on fire again but that wasn¡¯t what the hole was for. The shield expanded, surrounding Gin, enclosing him in a metallic dome. Varunel¡¯s eyes widened. Gin wasn¡¯t trying to attack but instead stall for time. Varunel¡¯s opponent was nothing but a coward! Varunel¡¯s disgust led to anger and lashed straight at the dome of metal that contained Gin. In his rage, Varunel didn¡¯t even notice how the sword crumbled when he broke it, leaving just the Cuboid. Instead he sent a fist at the dome. A large clanging sound emerged when his punch met the dome but there was no mark or dent in it. Varunel continued to punch the dome, each one stronger than the last. However, no sign of weakness, the metal stayed as strong as ever. Just what was it made of? The buzzer rang for the fourth time. This only made Varunel even angrier. He only had one minute left. The punches didn¡¯t stop. They hit the same place over and over again, applying more pressure on the point. He had to break through eventually. Then the breakthrough happened. One of Varunel¡¯s punches smashed through the metal. Compared to his previous punches, this one felt effortless, Varunel thought, but that didn¡¯t matter. What mattered was what was inside the dome. Without hesitation Varunel grabbed Gin by his neck and pulled him out of the dome. Gin looked was weak, one arm broken, out of breath, unable to do anything. In the same fashion as the fight against Whyte, Varunel penetrated Gin¡¯s chest, aiming for the heart before crushing it in his hands. Ten seconds later the fifth and final buzzer rang. The test was over. Chapter 2: Identities Identities ¡®Name?¡¯ ¡®Babacla, Tom.¡¯ ¡®Just wait a second, let me get them for you.¡¯ ¡®Oh, I¡¯m also picking up the rations for Yanus Temply. He¡¯s my roommate and he asked me to bring his rations.¡¯ ¡®Ah yes, I know Yanus. Always the lazy one, wasn¡¯t he? I almost didn¡¯t recognise you too, Tom. Your voice seems awfully deep.¡¯ Babacla chuckled at his comment, ¡®Well I wanted to try something different. I¡¯ve always wanted to have a deeper voice so I did a little DIY on myself and this is the result. Is it a bit too much?¡¯ ¡®Oh not at all, Tom! In fact I found your old voice quite annoying. This one suits you much better. Maybe I should do something similar.¡¯ A man emerged from the storage room carrying a handful of items, ranging from food to clothes. He laid them into two piles and pointed at them saying, ¡®This one is yours and this is for Yanus. That¡¯s all that you are allowed for today so come back tomorrow for more. Also tell Yanus I said hi.¡¯ ¡®Thanks and I will send my regards for Yanus, don¡¯t worry.¡¯ After collecting the items, Babacla headed for the stairs behind him. He had to climb up around a thousand steps before reaching a clay ceiling. After knocking on it, the ceiling gave way, opening up an entrance for him to climb out of. Once out, Babacla saw that the sky was black apart from the twinkling of the sky. It was night time already. He began walking in a certain direction. Unlike Eurasia where everyone worked and lived in trees, everything in Africa was done underground. It was too hot during the day and too cold at night to do anything productive above ground. However due to that, it was barren bar a few trees and the occasional wildlife. It was quite beautiful in its own way. The city was a few kilometres away from the ration depot. The time allowed him to think to himself for a moment. He had to look after several patients next week; he was a medic subclass after all. He wasn¡¯t looking forward to it. Luckily for him, in a week¡¯s time, he won¡¯t have to do that anymore and can go home for some rest if all goes well. Once he had arrived at the entrance, he knocked on the floor in front of him. The floor gave way, leaving stairs which led to the city. The area was vast, a hundred kilometres in length and width with several entrances and exits in it. All of the buildings were made by Earth Elementals and were so sturdy they could withstand a magnitude 7 earthquake without damage. The village was riddled with stairs and any newcomer would get lost easily. It was busy, with roughly two million living in the city, people were moving in and out of their earthen homes. Babacla eventually reached his own home. It was in a corner of the city but he had no problem with it. It was actually suited him quite nicely due to the lack of people here. The only problem was the person living with him. Babacla knocked on the door but no one answered. He knocked once more. There was no reply again. Unlike the other homes, which could be opened without doing anything, his one was done manually with a lock and key. Unfortunately he left the key inside the house thinking that his roommate might actually be of use for once. ¡®Hey Yanus, open up!¡¯ he shouted but to no avail. He took a deep breath, shouting, ¡®Esper, it¡¯s me. Just wake up already.¡¯ Still no one opened the door. ¡®I brought the food.¡¯ The door opened and a man appeared at the doorstep, all dreary eyed. The sheer look of boredom swept across his face. His blonde hair was a mess, his limbs and back seemed to droop and his normally pale skin looked even paler being in the darkness for so long. To be honest, he didn¡¯t want to get up but the thought of food gave him motivation. His eyes adjusted to the light provided by the torches outside the house. At last he recognised the person waiting to enter. ¡®Oh hey, Jack! What¡¯s up man? Heard someone got food,¡¯ he said. ¡®Yanus...¡¯ Babacla muttered ¡®Hmm? Who¡¯s Yanus?¡¯ ¡®Have you forgotten already, Esper? You are not to say my real name outside the house. ¡¯ ¡®Man, you are so annoying, you know that Jack? Why you calling me by my name anyway? Why don¡¯t I get a cool name?¡¯ ¡® ''cause you aren¡¯t responding to the name you are meant to be called: Yanus¡¯ ¡®Ooooooohhh, I get ya. Yanus, right? That¡¯s why you been calling me that lately, Jack. Oops, my bad.¡¯ ¡®Please tell me you¡¯ve at least done the thing I asked you to do?¡¯ the irritated Jack asked ¡®What thing?¡¯ Esper responded ¡®Why do I have to be paired up with such an imbecile?!¡¯ ¡®Whoa, chill man. I got you covered.¡¯ ¡®If you ruin everything...¡¯ ¡®I said chill! No need to worry about silly little things, let¡¯s just go inside.¡¯ They both walked into their home, firmly shutting the door behind them. The house had two bedrooms on the first floor with three rooms on the ground floor. The whole house was dark, not a single torch was lit. Just what was Esper doing all this time? Having lit up the house on the ground floor, Jack went upstairs to do the same up there. Esper on the other hand took the food and headed to the kitchen. He opened the bag they were contained in and emptied the contents on a table. Ten Numius fruits, some fuel for fire, some meat and some herbs. Despite his looks, Esper was an excellent cook. He prepared the meat, which were already cut up into slices, with the herbs. Just before he was about to cook it, he heard a shout, calling him from upstairs. It was Jack and he sounded angry. Esper left the food and rushed back upstairs. When Jack was mad, he was prone to leave you slightly deformed in the aftermath. Esper had been on the receiving end of a few of those himself. The shout came from the second floor. As he climbed up the stairs, an awful stench filled the air and it only got worse the further he climbed. It was at that moment that Esper realised why his roommate was angry at him. Esper began mumbling as he knew he was in trouble. When he reached the top of the second floor, which contained only one large room, he saw the frowning face of his roommate. ¡®You didn¡¯t get rid of the evidence like I told you to,¡¯ he said. A body lay on the floor. The horrid smell that came from the body made Esper shrivel his nose. He had a ginger afro, dark skin and several burn marks. The burn marks were not done by fire but rather electricity which had been the initial cause of the person¡¯s death. Esper looked at his roommate and said, putting on a wry smile,Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡®Ah sorry man, I just forgot.¡¯ ¡®Just Forgot?! You know how important our mission is. If any of the patrollers come by and find this, we will be executed or even worse, enslaved by the Africans.¡¯ ¡®Alright, alright. I¡¯ll do it now. Then there won¡¯t be any problem, right?¡¯ ¡®It took you a fortnight to kill him in the first place anyway. All you do is eat sleep and take my rations while having me do all the hard work! Why am I always paired up with the Xernims?¡¯ Jack answered furiously. ¡®Man. Jack. That¡¯s low. I am not a Parasite. Well at least not on the level of a Xernim. Actually, now that I that I think about it -¡® ¡®Just shut up and get rid of him. The smell is unbearable.¡¯ ¡®Fine.¡¯ Esper took out a small put containing the oil he was going to use for cooking. He poured it over the body, the distinct smell of the oil drowning out the stench coming from the body. He kneeled on the floor, next to the body and placed his hand just above it. A small spark of electricity, emitted from Esper¡¯s hand, hit the oil laden body, making it catch on fire. As the body burned, both Esper and Jack gazed upon the flames. The evidence of murder was melting away. Jack gave a sigh of relief. He wanted to back to Eurasia and he wasn¡¯t letting an electricity elemental ruin the mission they were assigned. Esper¡¯s ability to manipulate electricity was strong. If he wanted to, he could fill the whole house in his electricity, killing anything in it. However he can¡¯t control his bolts of electricity on such a scale so in a full on battle, he could easily hit allies along with the enemy. However on a much smaller level, he had perfect control and can kill anyone who weren¡¯t resistant to him. It was decided then he was best for operations such as assassinations that require single target focus rather than sending him off to fight in battles. ¡®By the way, you said you needed time to look like the guy we killed which is why I didn¡¯t kill him for a week. Don¡¯t pin everything on me man,¡¯ Esper said as the flames were dying down leaving burn marks some ash on the earthen floor. ¡®You took two weeks to kill him, something that should only have taken you a second. In the end he was almost dead from starvation anyway while he was held captive. You¡¯re lucky he was only a medic or he could have easily escaped and get us caught. Anyway changing my face and body to match my target only takes a day to do. You were just lazy like always and left it for two weeks,¡¯ Jack replied. ¡®Whatever. It¡¯s done now. I¡¯ll go prepare food with your oil ration instead. Used mine on this guy,¡¯ and at that Esper left to go back in the kitchen Jack Darius was a Stealth Bestial type. His skin can change colour to match his surroundings in less than a second without even thinking about it, giving him the ability to seem invisible, although it¡¯s mere camouflage. He also had this ability which allowed him to change his appearance to match another¡¯s to pinpoint accuracy. However, unlike his camouflage, this was a conscious act and takes around a day to do so but although his face, skin, hairstyle and any body markings are mirrored so that Jack looks like his target, he could not copy a person¡¯s height nor, to an extent, his body build. Therefore targets are chosen accordingly so that no suspicion could arise. He can also lower his heartbeat and his body temperature for a period of time so that he isn¡¯t noticed by his heat or the thumping of his heart, and along with his calm demeanour and quick thinking, he is the ultimate tool for espionage. Despite his strengths, he lacks any meaningful tool for an assignation of his own. As a result he was always paired up with someone who could do the killing for him. The man that was burnt was the original Tom Babacla, but having killed him, Jack Darius took his identity and his home. As the last bit of the body turned to ash, Jack went over his mission. The mission entrusted to the pair was to kill one of the leaders in the village, called Larry Ching. A water elemental that only visits the village, called Egypt, once a month to deliver a speech to the militants of the Egypt. His real home resides outside Egypt due to the fact he is entrusted to lead several villages beside this one but he had a temporary one held in Egypt just for these monthly meetings. His next visit to Egypt was scheduled for next week and in the meantime Jack and Esper have to make preparations to execute the assassination. Doing so would lead to a heavy demoralisation in the Afro-Australian Alliance. That could prove to be the thing that tips the tide in the upcoming battle between Eurasia and the Alliance, since Larry was also an excellent combatant as well. Having a plan to make sure the mission succeeds was pivotal and luckily, Jack had one. There was another reason why Tom Babacla was chosen to be killed, in order for his identity to be taken, apart from his physique matching Jack¡¯s. He was also a medic. Due to his abilities, Jack could also do the work of rank D medics which was why taking Tom¡¯s idea was a flawless idea. Not only that, the information medics hold was huge. They were allowed access to profiles of nearly everyone in an area and this allowed Jack to pick out his next target. Jack had only one chance to do it and it required Esper. After cleaning up the remains of the burnt body, Jack called Esper and explained his plan. ******* Lahel Bints. A man originating from the village of Sudan. He was part of the guard force there but due to unrest in the North of Africa, he was transferred to the Egyptian Forces instead in order to bolster the Alliance¡¯s defences in the North. He was strong and that was why he was chosen to be a guard in the upcoming visit of the Village Leader. It was time for Lahel¡¯s appointment. Everyone involved with a village leader¡¯s visits had to do it at before they arrived. It was only a check to see whether a person was fit enough to do their job. Lahel felt like it was a bit pointless but he didn¡¯t mind. He was excited to finally meet a village leader (something he wasn¡¯t able to do back in Sudan). Once he arrived at the clinic, an earthen building that was cubed in shape, he knocked on the entrance. The door slid open allowing Lahel to enter where he saw a room with one other person sitting down. ¡®Mr Temply,¡¯ a man shouted from down the corridor. Lahel guessed that the shout came from the medic himself, as being a C Rank medic or below often meant working alone. A man stood up and walked down the corridor. He was pale brown with dark hair that formed small spikes. Lahel didn¡¯t recognise him, which was strange as he knew everyone from the area, so he concluded that he was transferred from another village like he was. It wasn¡¯t long before Lahel was called. He walked along the corridor noticing how dark it was, with only a few torches placed. He eventually reached a door at the end. He knocked before hearing a voice come from beyond it. ¡®Ah you¡¯re just in time Mr. Bints. Let me open the door for you.¡¯ The door slid open, revealing the face of Lahel¡¯s medic. He had a ginger afro, dark skin, and was roughly eight feet tall. On the wall behind him, was a poster. As Lahel entered the room, he saw a door on the left, which was labelled ¡®exit¡¯, and a door on the right, labelled ¡®equipment¡¯. ¡®Please, Mr. Bints, sit down,¡¯ said Babacla. Lahel sat on the chair opposite the medic. He was tense as, despite knowing there was nothing wrong with him, he did not want to fail and miss his chance of meeting the Village Leader. ¡®I have your profile here. Aged: One hundred and fifty-two. Height: eight feet two Inches. Profession: Guard. You were transferred to Egypt last year, right?¡¯ asked the medic ¡®Yes,¡¯ Lahel replied ¡®And that you¡¯re a bestial juggernaut type, am I correct?¡¯ ¡®Yes.¡¯ ¡®Ha. You don¡¯t like it to be honest.¡¯ ¡®I may not look strong but that¡¯s where my speciality lies. I am very strong but I look average so people under estimate me. Mind a demonstration?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m intrigued. Go ahead.¡¯ Lahel walked towards the wall where the exit door lay. He retracted his right arm, before letting it fly into the wall. The heavy sound echoed from where Lahel had punched the wall. He freed his arm from the wall, and in its place a metre long hole gaped open, the sound of dust crumbling from it. ¡®Very impressive,¡¯ the medic remarked, ¡®and you received no injuries from that?¡¯ ¡®No. I have high regeneration so something like that won¡¯t hurt me¡¯ ¡®Interesting. The two attributes do complement each other quite well, as expected from a Juggernaut. Now I am going to do some body checks, if you please.¡¯ Lahel took off his shirt while the medic inspected, first his torso, then his arms and face before finally moving towards the back. Lahel looked at his shirt. It was made out of Rezah and Linsu plants, giving him resistances against most elements. It was fine embroidery and was very valuable as both plants were very hard to grow in Africa. In fact, this was a spoil of war when he took down several mages in a battle by himself that took place just ten years ago against Eurasia. It was his pride. Lahel felt a firm hand press against his back. A shock ran through his body that caused him to spasm for a second. ¡®Do you feel ill, Mr. Bints?¡¯ asked the medic. ¡®I don¡¯t know,¡¯ Lahel replied. ¡®Alright then, I will check again because you shouldn¡¯t have reacted like that.¡¯ ¡®OK.¡¯ Lahel felt a bit light headed. He was fine just minute ago. What could have happened? Maybe punching the wall wasn¡¯t the best idea. However, he couldn¡¯t say anything. His lips refused to move. He felt another shock through his body and his chest began to ache. His vision began to get blurred. The last thing he saw was the writing on the poster on the wall: Welcome to Tom Babacla¡¯s Medic Facility! Chapter 3: A New Home, A New Mentor A New Home, A New Mentor ¡®So, did I pass?¡¯ Varunel¡¯s eyes widened. He definitely crushed his heart. No way could he be alive. He turned around and as he turned around, his eyes widened further. There was Gin, sitting on the floor as if nothing happened. ¡®How are you alive?!¡¯ Varunel shouted. ¡®Did you know that the human brain can still function for a few minutes even after the heart stops working?¡¯ Gin replied before continuing, ¡®It takes quite a lot of willpower but one can even stay conscious for a bit as well. The task was to survive for five minutes and I managed to do that, so do I pass the test or not? Don¡¯t worry, I will still survive. Probably. Maybe. I hope.¡¯ Maria began laughing. What a peculiar person. She wouldn¡¯t mind having him in her squadron and technically he did pass the test, albeit without a heart (she couldn¡¯t think of how he would survive), so she said, ¡®Yes child, you pass. Welcome to squadron W.¡¯ That was all Gin needed to hear. He smiled then lay on the ground, right before losing consciousness. ******* Gin woke up. The brown wooden ceiling he saw beforehand had become a metallic grey and the dusty floor was replaced with a soft, comfy bed. He wasn¡¯t able to move however, all of his muscles refused to move. He sighed. A deep pain shot through his chest. The pain meant he was alive at least. He heard a door open behind him, someone was coming. ¡®Hello, I¡¯m your medic, Joan. It seems you have finally waked up. Funny thing is, I am a B rank Medic Utility type and yet I still can¡¯t tell what your body is doing. I want to talk about your condition for a bit. Can you speak?¡¯ The room stayed quiet. ¡®Can you hear me?¡¯ Gin¡¯s neck was stiff. He couldn¡¯t move it. His body must still be in a critical state. Instead of a nod he made a signal with his hand. OK. ¡®Guess you can but you are in no state to be answering my questions. Anyway, I will be giving you your daily injections.¡¯ Gin clenched his fists, the only part of his body still able to move. Mages need injections? From his knowledge, mages can act upon every single cell of their body, what was the point of injections? ¡®Afraid, are we? Sorry it is standard for those who have recently fainted to take them in case it was to happen again. You can¡¯t have full control over your body if you are unconscious so it¡¯s not easy to fight off disease as easily and this can prove fatal in extreme scenarios. It¡¯s just a precaution, don¡¯t worry.¡¯ Gin felt something pierce his arm. His head was tilted slightly and he managed to see a finger resting on his skin while someone¡¯s nail extended into his body. It must belong to Joan. She then injected something through her nails into Gin¡¯s veins before pulling out her finger. The place where she had stabbed him didn¡¯t bleed and clot. It was just a hole that refused to close due to a special sedative Joan had placed around the wound. Joan used the same place for the next three injections before saying, ¡®Normally that would be it. But someone came in soon after you fainted, asking us to inject you with something else. He said he was a friend of yours and was your medic before handing us something and told us to use if you still haven¡¯t woken up in a week¡¯s time. I don¡¯t know what it is but because you woke up for the first time today, so I¡¯m sure it¡¯s helping some way or another. After this, I will patch up the wound, don¡¯t worry.¡¯ Right after the final injection she circled the wound with her finger. The skin around the wound immediately enveloped it, leaving it as it was before the injections without any sign of damage. ¡®I¡¯ll head off now but I will come back tomorrow to see how you are doing and to give you your daily injections. Glad to see you are awake though. At one point I was a bit scared I might be vaccinating a dead body,¡¯ Joan said before leaving, shutting the door behind her. Has it seriously been one week since I passed my test? Gin thought, and who came by to give off a vaccine? There wasn¡¯t much time to think about those things as Gin fell asleep soon after. ******* Gin woke up, his head aching along with his body. He sat down in his bed and surveyed his surroundings. It was the first time he was able to do that even though it did hurt his whole body. The walls were made of mud and Rezah roots so he probably was still in the same building where he held his test, or at least in the same area. The room was small, consisting of his bed, a desk in the corner and a shelf with some books in it. On the desk was his belt with all of his weapons laid out in a line in their natural cuboid state. Gin got up and attempted to walk but it turned into more of a waddle. He moved towards the bookshelf and eyed what was on there. As he was glancing over the books, Gin murmured the names, ¡®Europe¡¯s invasion of Asia, Battle of Anthrax, Bestial Subclasses: A guide, Elemental subclasses: A guide, The war between The Americas and the ---¡® Gin¡¯s reading was cut short by the door bursting open. At the door was a brunette woman, slightly shorter than Gin, wearing a black shirt and trousers, carrying a tray full of liquids. ¡®Who are you?¡¯ Gin asked. ¡®Wow, I¡¯ve been attending to your bedside every day for the last week and you still don¡¯t know me! How can someone be so pathetic?¡¯ she replied. ¡®Oh. This is my first time seeing you. I was in a coma for a while now, sorry Joan.¡¯ ¡®Apology accepted but never mind that, you were unable to move just yesterday and now look at you standing on your own two legs! What was in that liquid I injected you with, for the past two days?¡¯ ¡®It still hurts to move around but from you¡¯ve been saying it is a great improvement. I have a hunch about what you injected me with as well. Mind telling me what the man who gave you it looked like?¡¯ Joan thought for a while before answering, ¡®Umm, he was tall, roughly eight feet. His skin was pale white but his hair was definitely whiter. He claimed to be your friend.¡¯ ¡®Yeah, I know who it is now. I pretty much know what was in the vaccine he gave you.¡¯ Joan¡¯s face lit up. She had tried to analyze what the vaccine but she couldn¡¯t understand what it was. She just had to ask Gin, ¡®Please tell me.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s probably a Nanobots booster.¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s kind of hard to explain as I might be a one of a kind when it comes to this. But basically I have little machines inside my body, billions of them in fact. In short, they enhance my bodily functions so that I have faster reactions, faster regeneration rates and I have an extraordinary stamina. Also in emergencies like when my heart got destroyed, it could replace some of my bodily functions as well. Although it did seem like my body went on a sort of ¡®stand-by¡¯ phase while the nanobots repaired, or should I say made, my heart and acted as my blood, delivering oxygen and nutrients to the rest of my body. The vaccine I was given was just a boost to the number of nanobots in my body so that they can focus on other functions in my body and so I am able to wake up and move a bit without putting myself in too much danger.¡¯ Gin put his palm to his chest. He felt something beat, although not in a regular rhythm. ¡®Judging by the fact some sort of heartbeat is present, and my arm no longer seems to be broken, I am almost fully recovered.¡¯ Joan was amazed. She had never heard of such a thing before. She had so many questions but she felt like it was best not to bombard her patient with them yet. ¡®I still don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on. This is all news to me. It¡¯s amazing what they manage to breed!¡¯ She said. ¡®Oh. I did this to myself, I¡¯m not bred,¡¯ Gin retorted. ¡®Not bred? But everyone has to be born and bred through the MBP. Any other way is strictly forbidden!¡¯ Gin leaned closer, whispering, ¡®That is true but then again I¡¯m not a mage so the rules don¡¯t apply to me.¡¯ Joan was as confused as ever. It led to the end of the conversation. How could she respond to that statement? Instead she gave Gin his injections as she had intended to do at the start. Not a single word was uttered during the process. There was too much to take in for Joan and not much else to say for Gin. But as Joan had finished up with the medication and was about to leave, Gin finally broke the silence, ¡®Is it possible to meet the guy who claimed to be my friend? I have quite a lot to discuss with him. Also, once I¡¯ve recovered, where do I go?¡¯ ¡®Unfortunately, I can¡¯t arrange any meeting but I will ask. About your second question, you¡¯re part of Squadron W so unless you have been allocated wrongly, you¡¯re going nowhere,¡¯ Joan said as she left the room. Gin didn¡¯t feel tired unlike the day before and his aches have been reduced after the sedative Joan gave. But the pain still forced him to a waddle as he decided to make his way to the bookshelf where he picked a book at random. The book was called ¡®The Early Mage¡¯. ¡®I¡¯ll start with this,¡¯ he said to himself as he walked towards his desk. He took out a piece of paper from a shelf above the desk and began writing: Gin¡¯s Notes #1 ¨C A brief history of mankind (the 3rd millennia) Gin had always wanted to write down his knowledge in order to go back to it in the future. The only problem was that, being an outsider, he never had any reliable way of keeping records intact. This was especially true ever since Gin¡¯s hometown was destroyed a few years ago, (the exact timing was something he didn¡¯t know for some reason), as collateral in the war. It led to the death of what he thought to be all but one of the remaining manush on Earth - the one being himself. Gin laid back in his chair. Thinking about his past was something he¡¯d rather not do. It wasn¡¯t the demise of his race that made him upset. He felt it was long overdue anyway due to how weak manush were (and their deaths was what Gin believed was proof of that). It was a miracle that they had gone undetected for thousands of years and it was only natural for the village to be seen as an enemy camp.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. What really annoyed Gin, however, was that almost all of his work was burnt, drenched or ripped to pieces by various enemy mages. He felt that if it didn¡¯t happen, he could have easily become an artificial mage by now. While cursing his luck, Gin didn¡¯t realise the knocking behind him. The door to his room opened and someone came in. ¡®I see that you¡¯ve gotten better,¡¯ the person said The voice startled Gin and he turned his head. He recognised the voice of the colonel and immediately stood up in respect. She was holding a chest that was large enough to require both hands to carry it. ¡®Very impressive indeed, child. Very impressive indeed. A broken arm and ribs and a heart missing, all repaired in just over a week!¡¯ said the colonel ¡®Well I¡¯m not fully recovered yes,¡¯ Gin replied. ¡®Even so your regeneration is truly top tier. Even Varunel is still in recovery after the burn marks you gave him.¡¯ ¡®Is that so?¡¯ At least the fight didn¡¯t feel like a complete loss now, Gin thought. ¡®However your fighting technique is severely lacking. Don¡¯t worry, though, I know someone who can help you.¡¯ ¡®No offense, colonel, but I doubt there is anyone who can help me with the way I fight,¡¯ said Gin. ¡®I thought so too until I remembered someone that uses the exact same weaponry as you. You¡¯d be surprised what the MBP come up with. He¡¯s also an A rank and his combat ability matches his rank too. I would like you to see him tomorrow at two. I will send someone to pick you up.¡¯ Gin thought about it and wanted to reject the offer. But he only just got admitted into the squadron and didn¡¯t want to disobey his superior. Reluctantly he replied, ¡®That¡¯s fine. I reckon my injuries would nearly be recovered by then as well.¡¯ ¡®Good. I will give you this chest. It¡¯s a welcome package. I have a habit of giving them out to new recruits in person.¡¯ ¡®Thank you, colonel.¡¯ ¡®Now that you are part of my squadron, you can drop the formalities too, child. I¡¯m Maria Anasta. Call me Maria.¡¯ ¡®Only if you call me Gin instead of child,¡¯ Gin retorted. ¡®Unfortunately for someone as young as you, I can¡¯t do that, child.¡¯ She left chuckling to herself, much to Gin¡¯s annoyance, leaving the chest on the desk that Gin was working on. Gin took off the cover and looked at what was inside. In it contained some food, a letter and a badge, in the shape of a Tinoo with a W on the bottom. It was the emblem of Eurasia and represented unity because the Tinoos were birds that were bred to deliver messages and although the distance between people may be far, the Tinoos brought people together as magikind¡¯s main source of communication. Of course Gin knew this was very primitive compared to what men were able to do two thousand years ago. In fact people were able to contact others within seconds on something called a ¡®phone¡¯, instead of the days it takes to message via the Tinoo bird. It would seem that the mages have forgotten about the age of technology that was so vital in the progress made in the 3rd millennia. This was mostly because of the Battle of Anthrax, in the year 4396, where so many lives were lost because of the reliance on machinery and electrical equipment. Those who lived were the ones who didn¡¯t need to rely on technology as much and so humanity diverted from relying on machines to relying on themselves. Gin thought it was funny how the more people evolved, the more primitive they became as well. Gin¡¯s body still ached a bit. Since he had to meet this so-called-trainer that Maria was talking about, he thought it was best to rest some more. He took out the letter and read it before going to sleep: Dear Gigi, Well done on making it to the squadron. I knew you could make it! How was the test? Not too hard was it? haha. Just kidding. I heard you lost your heart, but you seem to be making a recovery. That¡¯s great for your data, don¡¯t you think? The first time someone¡¯s ever survived without a heart, imagine that! The news is spreading like wildfire here in Squadron A. Also it seems the drugs I asked for you to take worked perfectly. Anyway I finished up with the Integrated Nanobot System that you asked, and I am really keen to try it out, so guess what? I¡¯m going to join Squadron W so that I can work with you! Yours Sincerely, WP Gin rose up in his bed, clutching his chest as his new artificial heart seemed to miss a beat. Must still be developing, Gin thought as he reread the letter. It was a letter from his friend and it confirmed that the nano booster was in fact from him. What concerned him the most was that he was applying to join Squadron W. Although he was his friend, Gin didn¡¯t want someone from Squadron A, the best squadron Eurasia had, to cause a commotion in what will be his new home. A pain shot up in Gin¡¯s chest once more but quickly settled down. It signalled that it would be best for Gin to stop worrying and go to sleep. He didn¡¯t know too many people and so his friend¡¯s arrival might not be so bad after all. The next day, Gin woke up to the sound of the all too familiar knocking on his door. After beckoning the person to enter, he noticed that it was someone that he hadn¡¯t seen before. She was a woman of short stature, roughly the same as the colonel at seven feet. She had short brown hair that leaned onto one side of her head with a white streak on the other side. She also had a pale complexion that shone golden in the light of the torches as if it was tanned artificially. ¡®And you are?¡¯ asked Gin. ¡®The name¡¯s Emsee. I came to pick you up,¡¯ she responded. Gin remembered that someone was meant to come. He started to get ready, picking up his weapons and placing them on his belt, before setting off with the woman. They went through a myriad of corridors before arriving at a staircase. There was only one staircase in the building that led to all 137 floors. The upper floors were designated for living while the middle levels were for training. The lowest levels were where all information is gathered and sent out. The floor Gin was led to was the 73rd floor. Emsee opened the door to a room just outside the stair¡¯s exit. The room was damp. The floor was covered with grass and reeds that were recently flooded out so that walking made a squelching sound. In the room, were also a few five-meter tall trees which made the room emulate a marshland. In the room was also a person, sitting down, looking at his arm. From a distance it seemed that the man was very large and probably obese. But mages don¡¯t get obese. They looked after themselves too well for that. Stocky maybe? Emsee indicated to Gin to go see him before leaving to go elsewhere. As Gin got closer he noticed that the man wasn¡¯t obese but rather the large outline was from the bulky armour that he was wearing. The armour itself was made from some kind of wood and there were intricate markings embedded in it as well. ¡®Hello?¡¯ Gin said. The man sat there as he looked at his armguards, looking for any dents in it. Gin waited a while longer but the man kept ignoring him. Gin couldn¡¯t even see his head as it was covered by his helmet, made of the same material as his armour. Gin began to feel impatient. ¡®Look. I came here under the colonel¡¯s orders. I don¡¯t know how you¡¯re going to help me nor do I think you can. I have a unique style that you probably have never seen! I think it¡¯s best if I just leave and do something more productive than just standing here, getting my feet wet.¡¯ The man looked up at Gin. The helmet covered all but the man¡¯s green eyes. Why was someone dressed up like that when he¡¯s just sitting down? Gin gave up and began walking back towards the door he came from. ¡®Do you want to spar?¡¯ said the man. ¡®Are you serious? How¡¯s that going to do any good when I¡¯m still recovering? Do you want to put be back in a coma?!¡¯ replied Gin. The man stood up saying, ¡®Well aren¡¯t you an arrogant little brat? This is not a request but an order.¡¯ ¡®Like I said, I have no intention of doing so as you will not be of any help to me.¡¯ ¡®Fight me.¡¯ Gin gave a sigh. It would seem he had to, especially because what the colonel said intrigued him. The same weaponry? Not Likely. Gin took out the red cuboid from his belt and slotted his fingers through holes in it. He pushed his index finger further into the cuboid, activating the switch which led to his sword to emerge. Gin called his line of weapons the Integrated Nanobot System, or INS for short. The metal was made of the same nanobots that were running in his body. It was Gin¡¯s creation and was one of the few things Gin takes pride in. Along with his sword were other devices that were programmed to produce different items like his shield. The INS was also colour coded so that Gin knew what was what. ¡®So it was true. Ha! Looks like I finally get a training partner!¡¯ the armoured man cried out as he stood up. He was the same height as Gin at six feet and eleven inches Even though he couldn¡¯t see it, Gin could tell that the man was smiling. The man reached to his right arm, with his left, and placed his hand over it. What Gin initially thought were natural markings, were in fact the outline of an object and Gin recognised instantly what it was. Out of the armour around his arm, the man pulled out a weapon. It was a sword made out of the very same wood as the armour. Now Gin understood why the colonel suggested meeting him. ¡®Y¡¯know. It is also the first time I saw someone use the very same object as I do. What do you call it?¡¯ asked the man. ¡®A sword. I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s different for you, am I right?¡¯ replied Gin. ¡®A sword? Hmmm. Not sure how you got that. I call it a wooden claw.¡¯ ¡®¡®Sword¡¯ is an old English term for this weapon.¡¯ ¡®Oh I see. Guess I can call you a knowledgeable brat.¡¯ ¡®That insult isn¡¯t really intimidating while you cover your face like that.¡¯ ¡®Guess you¡¯re still as arrogant as before.¡¯ ¡®Could we fight now? I got things to do.¡¯ ¡®Sure thing. I¡¯ll let you start first.¡¯ Gin didn¡¯t hesitate charging at the man. The splashing of water beneath him was heard with every step. Gin¡¯s sword was able to cut through reinforced steel. His opponent¡¯s sword shouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem, considering it was made of wood. As Gin swung his sword, the man went and tried to parry the attack, as expected. The meeting of the swords created a thudding sound. To Gin¡¯s surprise, the man¡¯s sword did not break nor showed any cut marks. Gin then sent out a flurry of attacks, but each attack was easily blocked by the man. It felt as if he wasn¡¯t even trying and this made Gin slightly tilted as he tried to make a breakthrough. Gin managed to get past the man¡¯s sword defence and had a chance to attack his body. But the man had other ideas and went to attack Gin. Gin ducked, narrowly avoiding the attack, and managed to get a strike on his opponent¡¯s armour. The strike left a mark on it but it wasn¡¯t enough to be dealing a winning blow just yet. The pace suddenly picked up as the man stopped going on the defensive. Gin was forced to take a few steps back as the man sent out few but deliberate strikes. After blocking a few more times, Gin felt the hardness of tree bark behind him. The man took the opportunity to swing his sword, aiming for Gin¡¯s neck. Luckily, Gin saw it in time and ducked and rolled away, his clothes now drenched. As Gin regained his balance, he heard a large sound. The tree that was behind Gin a while ago was now on the floor. There was a diagonal cut from where it had been severed from the trunk. In awe of what he had just witnessed, Gin only caught glimpse of the looming threat behind him. He turned around, grabbed the green INS and activated the shield. He was just in time as his opponent clanged against the shield, forcing Gin to stagger towards the floor. With his right arm trying to hold himself up, and his left blocking the man¡¯s sword, Gin didn¡¯t have too many options. The man raised his right arm and another outline emerged. Another sword! Unlike last time when he pulled out the sword, the sword on his right arm sprang out. As if he¡¯s done it a million times, the man caught the sword mid flight and swung it in one motion. Gin was not in the position to block and was forced to try to leapfrog backwards in an attempt to dodge. His movements weren¡¯t fast enough and the sword sliced through the skin on Gin¡¯s face. Red streaks ran down Gin¡¯s face as Gin fell flat on his back. The man didn¡¯t hesitate to knock Gin¡¯s sword away and placed his boot on Gin¡¯s chest. Gin had no hope of getting up now. ¡®You did well. But you¡¯re lacking. You¡¯re not particularly strong and your grip on your sword was weak. However, your reflexes are excellent. By the way, the name is Alder,¡¯ said the man. ¡®That was a good fight. I honestly felt like you were going to kill me at one point,¡¯ Gin replied wiping the blood off his face. ¡®I was.¡¯ ¡®Really?¡¯ ¡®Look brat. If I didn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t be able to see how you will cope under pressure. Based on that I can assess how I will train you. I noticed that your sword came from that thing, am I right?¡¯ Alder said pointing at the cuboid shaped object. ¡®It¡¯s called the Integrated Nanobot System or INS for short, but yes. That¡¯s where the sword came from and where my other weapons come from.¡¯ ¡®How does that work? It¡¯s just a block right now. Where does the sword come from?¡¯ Alder said, picking up the INS ¡®If I push my finger through the first hole in the cuboid, there¡¯s a button which I press. That will trigger a mechanism within the INS and it creates whatever it was programmed to make.¡¯ The armour around Alder¡¯s index finger began to recede, exposing the flesh. He put his finger through the first hole in the INS, feeling the metal at the bottom of the hole. Nothing happened. ¡®There¡¯s another chamber below what you think is the bottom of the hole. That¡¯s where the button lies. However, the entrance to that chamber doesn¡¯t open up for anyone but me as it is touch sensitive.¡¯ ¡®I see,¡¯ Alder said, thinking to himself before saying, ¡®How do you feel about having your sword permanently equipped?¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®Something so that when you are knocked down, you will still have your weapon with you. Also with your fast reactions, I think a certain style will suit you.¡¯ ¡®A certain style?¡¯ ¡®Yes. It doesn¡¯t require too much strength to be effective, nor will you lose your weapons as easily.¡¯ Gin thought for a while. It was true that, due to the fact he was a manush, he wasn¡¯t as strong as he would like to be. He also did have a problem with losing his sword after being hit by a large force. Alder was extremely skilled with the sword from what he displayed. Gin was also open to change and something like this might be beneficial. ¡®I¡¯ll take on the offer,¡¯ Gin said. ¡®Great! I think this style of fighting will suit you, brat.¡¯ With the colonel calling him ¡®child¡¯, he didn¡¯t need to be looked down upon by someone else. If he was going to change that, it had to be now. ¡®I¡¯m called Gin so you don¡¯t need to call me brat.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m not going to stop calling you brat till you stop with the arrogant way of talking, brat. No need to try to make me your equal. You¡¯re a hundred years young for that. But regardless, training will start in two days while I set things up.¡¯ Another lost cause, Gin thought. ¡®Fine. Call me whatever you want. However, I do want to know what we¡¯re doing, Alder.¡¯ ¡®Mmm. I¡¯d rather you wait, brat, but I can see you¡¯re an impatient one so I¡¯ll give you the bare minimum. It¡¯s called Blade Boxing.¡¯ Chapter 4: Wo Pim Wo Pim Alder watched Gin¡¯s movements. He had taken the INS from Gin, beforehand, leaving him defenceless. The only instructions he gave Gin was to dodge the onslaught of his strikes. The swings of his wooden claw weren¡¯t particularly fast but it was enough to make Gin sweat. It was preparation for the fighting technique he liked to call ¡®blade boxing¡¯, which only those agile with fast reactions can master. After their first spar, Alder felt like it would suit Gin quite well. Alder decided to up the pace to see how Gin would cope. To Alder¡¯s surprise, Gin was coping. He ducked and dodged every attack, but he was forced to move backwards in the process. Alder noticed a tree in front of him and formulated a plan. He lunged at Gin with frightening pace. However, Gin¡¯s reactions were on point and he managed to skip back. But despite the dodge, Gin landed awkwardly on a tree root that sprouted out of the ground. The opportunity showed itself and Alder hit Gin with enough force to knock him over. ¡®Dammit!¡¯ Gin exclaimed. Alder saw Gin¡¯s frustration and decided to console him. ¡®Cheer up, brat. Most can¡¯t even get past the ten minute mark against me. You achieving more than ten minutes on your first go is very commendable, and it¡¯s only getting better. You got fifteen minutes this time.¡¯ With his back wet from the marsh-like floor, and the fact all he had been doing for the past week was nothing but dodging exercises, Gin was in a bad mood. He didn''t say anything up till now but felt like he had to speak up or else he was going to achieve nothing. ¡®So when are you going to give me my weapons back? It¡¯s already been a week and all we¡¯ve been doing is the same thing day after day.¡¯ ¡®You need experience. Repetition enables your body to act instinctively allowing you to think up strategies while your body is in auto pilot. If the enemy can¡¯t touch you, you won¡¯t lose.¡¯ ¡®If I can¡¯t defeat the enemy, I can¡¯t win either. Your point?¡¯ ¡®Everything is being done according to plan.¡¯ ¡®A plan you¡¯ve never explained to me. You¡¯ve even taken me out of battalion training for some stupid reason of yours. If you really wanted me to improve, I should be joining them!¡¯ ¡®Impatient and arrogant as always, brat.¡¯ Alder felt like Gin was both a blessing and a curse. He had so much potential and yet he was so impatient. It reminded Alder of his younger self. Back then he was trained by the previous colonel of squadron W, now run by Maria. He was so desperate to fight, but his mentor wouldn¡¯t let him until he managed to do as he was asked. They had sparred often and he counted the score of his spars every time. As if this moment, the score was 1492 losses and 2 draws. Even then the draws were because Alder had lasted so long his mentor didn¡¯t have any more time and had to attend something urgent. She would have won had they fought for longer. With his mentor no longer around, there wasn¡¯t any chance of changing his losing streak. What would she do in his situation, Alder wondered. In the end Alder decided to not give a straight answer. It would buy time and keep Gin occupied for a while longer. ¡®One more lesson,¡¯ Alder said. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®One more lesson, in one week, and then I¡¯ll give you the liberty to decide if you want to quit training under me. Also the changes I¡¯ve made should be done by then. If you don¡¯t like them, I can remove the changes. My Xernim is helping me and I trust it much more than I trust you.¡¯ ¡®Oh. Great. Thanks for the support,¡¯ Gin replied sarcastically. Gin stopped and thought for a bit. He was annoyed at what Alder was trying to do to his INS but he was also curious. He was someone who wanted to be a mage. Although he made significant progress, in the past, he was stumped for the time being. This might be the thing he needed to boost his research. ¡®Fine,¡¯ Gin said at last. Gin got up from the floor and headed back to his room. Once again he needed a change of clothes. He didn¡¯t say anything to Alder on the way out. Alder, on the other hand, slumped to the floor. He had his battalion to train in an hour. His initial plan was to give Gin his INS back one once he could do the dodging exercise for an hour but Gin¡¯s impatience meant Alder had to speed it up. Blade boxing was a very rare style of fighting. Within the Eurasian army, there were only three that could do it. Out of the three, two of them were in squadron W, himself included. It was his favourite style of fighting but he wasn¡¯t that good at it. At least not compared to her, the one who taught Alder blade boxing in the first place. However, what Alder lacked in complete mastery, he made up for in versatility. He had learnt and trained, to an advanced level, over fifty different styles of fighting. He was a nature elemental. The Xernim - his armour - was born with him. Starting out as a small seed, at birth, and it had grown along with Alder. They co-existed as a single entity. The Xernim takes its source of energy from Alder¡¯s blood stream and at the same time Alder relies on the Xernim for protection. He didn¡¯t know how, but the Xernim seemed to understand what Alder was thinking. To a lesser extent, Alder seemed to know how the Xernim was feeling as well. In his thoughts, Alder didn¡¯t realise someone approaching him. It was the colonel. It always annoyed Alder that he could never notice Maria approaching. She wasn¡¯t even a stealth bestial, so it always intrigued him how she did it. ¡®Hello Alder,¡¯ Maria said. ¡®Oh. hello Maria. What brings you here?¡¯ ¡®I got a new recruit. He will join your training today. The way he fought, in the initiation exam, reminded me of a certain someone you¡¯re training. Speaking of him, how¡¯s Gin doing?¡¯ ¡®Gin might not be under my wing for long, Maria.¡¯ ¡®Did you try to make someone a blade boxer again?¡¯ Alder gave a wry smile under his mask, ¡®Haha. How did you know?¡¯ ¡®I really think you should give up. Blade boxing is never going to be a thing. It¡¯s neither popular nor does anyone have the speed and reflexes required to be good at it. You make everyone leave you.¡¯ ¡®But he can! I¡¯m sure of it.¡¯ ¡®As stubborn as ever. Well if it doesn¡¯t work out, don¡¯t get too depressed. Hate seeing you get upset after another failure in teaching Blade Boxing. Also don¡¯t put too much pressure on the child. I know what you¡¯re planning. I read the letter too.¡¯ ¡®I can¡¯t believe they¡¯re forcing me to do it after all this time. I will have to leave things with him. He¡¯s the best choice I believe.¡¯ ¡®When we need you the most, you will disappear. Are you sure you want to leave things to him? He only just joined us.¡¯ ¡®Yes I am sure. He¡¯s not that strong but he¡¯s smart. You¡¯ll see. He¡¯ll change how we run things in ways you couldn¡¯t imagine. He¡¯ll also take the opportunity with great strides and not complain too much. Or at least I hope so.¡¯ ¡®Can¡¯t wait to see it then. The child piqued my interest a while back too. Anyway, we¡¯ve side tracked a bit, but keep an eye out for the new recruit. He¡¯s a bit, how shall I say, important.¡¯ ¡®Hmm?¡¯If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡®He¡¯s a transfer from Squadron A.¡¯ ¡®What?! You''ve got to be Joking!¡¯ Maria gave a wink and smiled before heading off. Squadron A? Only the best of the best are in that. Said to be the highest ranking Squadron in all of Eurasia, with all members at least rank A and above. Their in-charge was also rumoured to be the highest rank of all; SSS. They got all the best privileges, so why would anyone like that want to join the Squadron W? Alder began meditating again. There was too much going on and he needed a breather. Maybe Maria was right. He was enforcing blade boxing onto Gin a bit. The problem was, in Alder¡¯s eyes, Gin was weak in every department, apart from reflexes. He wasn¡¯t even that fast. What¡¯s the point of reflexes if you can¡¯t move your body in time to dodge or block? That¡¯s why Alder was pressing Gin to focus on his movements, in the form of dodging. Gin was getting better, no doubt, but Alder was hardly fast himself, having to carry his armour with him all the time. Not to mention Gin¡¯s reliance on melee weapons. Anyone with range or speed could beat him. Gin¡¯s strength was also on a whole level of bad. Any mage with defensive qualities could ignore him and he still wouldn¡¯t be able to deal major damage. The problem proved too much for Alder to concentrate and he got up from his meditation. It was time for him to train his battalion anyway. **** The training facility was located on the 52nd floor. Alder could already hear the voices of his subordinates. He noticed an unfamiliar voice among the chatter, which Alder presumed was the transfer. He was talking to someone else, whom Alder recognised was Gin. ¡®I tried it out yesterday. It worked brilliantly!¡¯ ¡®Finally something good has happened today. Did you really win the initiation test with it?¡¯ ¡®What? Don¡¯t trust me, Gigi?¡¯ ¡®Considering it¡¯s you, no I don¡¯t. I don¡¯t understand why you help me so much. You especially didn¡¯t have to join me in Squadron W.¡¯ ¡®Everything¡¯s so boring; at least helping you test things out brings some enjoyment in my life. Everyone in S.A. is so full of themselves. You can¡¯t have a decent conversation.¡¯ Alder finally decided to step in the room. Unlike the marsh he normally worked in, this room was designed to emulate a desert. The floor was covered in sand and the temperature was thirty-five degrees Celsius. There were a lot of training rooms to emulate different landscapes. However, with their Rezah located in the Middle East, the most common landscape used was the desert. Upon seeing Alder, the hundred or so people hurried into five blocks of roughly twenty. The only exceptions to this were Gin and a white-haired man that accompanied him. ¡®Ah. There¡¯s the guy I was talking about,¡¯ Gin said, pointing at Alder. The person Gin was talking with began walking up to Alder. Alder stopped moving, as the man began circling Alder, analysing him as if it was actually Alder who was the new recruit. The man had pale white skin and was quite lanky. He had brown eyes and his white hair was long enough to cover his eyes, but it was held back using some clips. ¡®Ya sure this guy¡¯s been whooping your ass the past two weeks?¡¯ the man asked, looking back at Gin, pointing his finger right in front of Alder¡¯s face. ¡®Well, I wouldn¡¯t call it a whooping---¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t lie. You always get wrecked.¡¯ ¡®Please. Stop.¡¯ ¡®Awww. Does poor little Gigi feel embarrassed?¡¯ ¡®Come on! Not in front of everyone!¡¯ ¡®Ha! This is why you¡¯re so much better to be around. HEY EVERYONE!¡¯ the man shouted, catching the eyes and ears of everyone in the room, , ¡®You must know Gin, right? Your expressions say yes, I presume. Well, let me tell you his actual name, Gigi. Remember the accent! The two ¡®G¡¯s are pronounced with an ancient French accent, please take note.¡¯ Gin sighed while the room burst out in laughter. Alder found the conversation between the two entertaining. He has never seen Gin so flustered before. He did get annoyed during training but that was always due to his impatience. This humble side to him was new. Seeing him like this made him join in the laughter. When the room settled down, Alder decided to speak, ¡®Gigi, was it? I¡¯ll remember that. But first, you must be the new transfer. May I ask what your name is?¡¯ ¡®Where are my manners at? I am called Wontiferus Poxim,¡¯ said the man ¡®What kind of name is that?¡¯ Alder exclaimed. ¡®Just call him Wo Pim,¡¯ Gin intruded. ¡®No one asked you, Gigi,¡¯ Wo replied. ¡®Why are you always like this?¡¯ ¡®Listening to you two bicker like that has really cheered me up. You must be close friends, right?¡¯ Alder asked. It was Gin who answered, ¡®Well, I¡¯ve known him for thirty-three years. But I wouldn¡¯t exactly call him a close friend, to be honest.¡¯ ¡®Ouch. I am deeply hurt by that, especially when we haven¡¯t seen each other for ages. I thought I must come and see you,¡¯ Wo said sarcastically, to Alder¡¯s amusement. ¡®Is that so? I¡¯m sure you two have a lot of things to catch up on. However, I must take Wo with me. Must see what he¡¯s capable of first. Is that alright?¡¯ ¡®Take him,¡¯ Gin replied with hesitation. ¡®Everyone, you know the normal routine. Practise that for today. And you just sit out and watch carefully, brat like always.¡¯ ¡®Really? This again? Ugh. Fine.¡¯ Wo grinned and went with Alder. They were heading to the marsh room for some sparring. Seeing how Wo was from Squadron A, he must be a strong fighter, Alder thought. To see just how strong he was, was what Alder intended to find out. From Wo¡¯s appearance, he didn¡¯t show any hint of what type of mage he was. ¡®I heard you use a sword, just like Gigi,¡¯ Wo mentioned. ¡®That¡¯s what Gin called, wasn¡¯t it? I call it a wooden claw but it doesn¡¯t matter. It was a great shock to me when I found out too. By the way, is he really called Gigi?¡¯ ¡®Nah. Just some name I made up to annoy him.¡¯ Alder couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Wo wasn¡¯t what Alder expected. He thought someone from Squadron A would be more serious, probably even more beefy than Wo was. This man, however, was much more care-free. Whatever power he was hiding, he was doing a good job at it. ¡®We¡¯re here,¡¯ Alder said, guiding him into the room. Their feet squelched as they walked through the Marsh. Alder directed Wo to stand a few metres away from him. He then drew his wooden claw, and then asked if Wo was ready. Wo nodded and the fight began. Alder stayed cautious, not knowing what his opponent¡¯s abilities were, it was best not to get too close. Alder reached to a pocket in his armour and placed his right hand in it for a few seconds. Wo looked on and was surprised when Alder¡¯s emerged empty-handed. Alder raised his arm in the direction of Wo. Wo still didn¡¯t move, he wanted to see what Alder was trying to do. Suddenly an orb went flying towards Wo at an alarming speed. A direct hit would most definitely pierce an enemy and Wo did not have time to dodge it. Alder¡¯s eyes widened when the orb began to disintegrate when it reached Wo. Wo¡¯s smile on him turned into a grin. He just stood there with his hands in his trouser pockets as if nothing happened. Alder lowered his arm when Wo began laughing. ¡®What¡¯s so funny?¡¯ asked Alder. ¡®You are way too similar to Gin, not gonna lie.¡¯ Alder was confused. What did he mean by that? The continued silence prompted Wo to speak again. ¡®Well, Gin asked me to test a weapon design. He must have told you about the INS, right? Anyway, he asked me to test something out and it works exactly like what you did now.¡¯ Wo picked something out of his pocket. Alder recognised the cuboid shape and knew it was related to Gin, just as he said. Wo pushed his finger through one of the holes and the cuboid began to change shape. On one side, the cuboid began to elongate and narrow, leaving a circular hollow chamber in the end. On the other side, the INS began to curve downwards leaving three holes, where Wo had his fingers inserted in. ¡®What is that?¡¯ Alder asked ¡®Gin called it a ¡®gun¡¯. Look. If I press my finger in the second hole and aim at this tree...¡¯ A large banging sound echoed around the room. ¡®Did you manage to see that?¡¯ Wo inquired ¡®A small pellet came out of it, right?¡¯ Alder replied. ¡®That was a bullet. The reason I laughed earlier on was that it was so similar to your attack earlier on. The speed at which the bullet comes out is also faster than your wood pellet and is much more damaging. See the tree I shot at? Now there¡¯s a hole in it. I wonder though, did he get the idea for it from you?¡¯ ¡®No. I haven¡¯t shown that to him before. But the effects can be lethal, how on earth did you not get hurt from my shot?¡¯ ¡®Guess I can tell you, since you will be my in-charge soon. I¡¯m a utility category mage, type: medic.¡¯ ¡®But medics---¡® ¡®But medics can¡¯t do that, right? Well I am a sort of special medic. Although you can¡¯t see it, I am surrounded with a special type of microorganism. Much like your Xernim, I was bred to be born with it. It eats away at objects, both living and dead, at quite a quick pace. Your bullet was too slow to harm me. I can¡¯t do healing like some other medics but I do specialise in being an anti-poison/Xernim/virus type medic, so I do have my niche. It also allows me to be one of the few medics who can fight. Want a demonstration?¡¯ Alder didn¡¯t even answer when Wo began looking at Alder¡¯s sword. The weapon in his hand began rotting away, as if it was being consumed by some invisible force. Alder threw it away instinctively as the claw disappeared, leaving no trace of its existence. ¡®Unfortunately, I can¡¯t do that too far away, I do have my range, roughly thirty metres or so. Even then, the further away, the longer it takes.¡¯ ¡®Looks like you won this match. Can¡¯t fight without my wooden claw, you see.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s it? You¡¯re pretty bad. Not sure how Gin keeps losing to you.¡¯ ¡®I was just surprised at your abilities. Never come across something like that.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s not surprising. The microorganism is pretty gluttonous. If I¡¯m not careful, I could easily be eaten alive myself.¡¯ ¡®I see. Well, I have gotten what I wanted so you are free to go now.¡¯ Wo gave another smile, before leaving the room. How could anyone be so cheerful, knowing how close to death they were? It was nothing like his Xernim that takes only a little to sustain it. His ability was unique and something Alder decided to keep an eye on. ¡®One more thing. You¡¯re not really an A rank, are you?¡¯ Alder asked. Wo turned back, still wearing that wry smile of his. ¡®Neither are you, right?¡¯ They both burst into laughter. Lying about your true rank was common in squadron W. It was one of its unique qualities that was loved within the squadron but hated by everyone outside of it because of how unorganised the squadron seemed. ¡®You¡¯re right. I¡¯m actually an S rank. Mind if I ask what rank you are?¡¯ ¡®SS. But don¡¯t tell anyone.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll keep it between the two of us then.¡¯ Chapter 5: Escape Escape Lahel stood outside the entrance to the city patiently. He had been doing so for the past hour, waiting for the village leader to arrive. He didn¡¯t know what to expect or when to expect him. All he was tasked to do was wait. It wasn¡¯t until half an hour later when he saw a group of people in the distance, making their way towards him. There were several people huddling around a stout chubby man. They were saying something to him but the man raised his hand and the others backed off only for another group of people to surround him. Lahel guessed that the chubby man was the village leader he was waiting for. As he came closer he raised his hand once more. He then left his caravan of people and walked, or rather he waddled, his way over to Lahel. Lahel bowed, raising his head when asked then greeted, ¡®Welcome, Sir.¡¯ ¡®No need for formalities.¡¯ ¡®Forgive me, Mr Ching.¡¯ ¡®Just Larry is fine.¡¯ ¡®Oh, but you are a man of such a high status. I cannot possibly call you by your first name, sir.¡¯ ¡®You have earned the right to be my right hand man for today and just for that you have my respect.¡¯ ¡®Your words flatter me. I will do everything in my right to guide you and meet your expectations.¡¯ ¡®And I¡¯m sure you will Mister...er...¡¯ ¡®Lahel Bints¡¯ ¡®Yes. Now guide me to the barracks.¡¯ Lahel knocked on the floor three times before the ground gave way, showing a set of stairs. He led the village leader down them, followed closely by the people that accompanied him. The sound of several footsteps echoed all the way into the city, causing a small crowd to form at the bottom. A woman pushed his way on the staircase and ushered the crowd away. The others that came with the village leader must also have tedious jobs such as that, Lahel thought. The woman raised a hand signalling that they could carry on, to which the village leader nodded in gratitude. The barracks were only a few hundred metres away. However, it seemed like a chore as Lahel had to slow down to match the speed of the leader¡¯s waddle. He had noticed most water mages had his chubby physique, usually because they had to store water in their skin, but the waddle was unique. With that limited mobility, was he really an A rank? Lahel wondered. The greater the weakness, the stronger the strength must be, he concluded wary of the village leader. Upon arrival, Lahel showed a letter to the guard posted outside the barracks. He flicked through the letter and further documentations before nodding, opening a door completely made of stone and several metres tall. The guard made it seem effortless to open though, using just one hand to pull on the doorknob while using the other to shake hands with the VIPs. The halls were vast and spacious and bustling with soldiers. The village leader didn¡¯t show any emotion, however, as if to say this is nothing special. Lahel couldn¡¯t help but feel a hint of jealousy but hid it well by acting busy showing documentations to various individuals. The final person handed over a key. Lahel turned back to the village leader and his impatient entourage. He handed over the key to the leader. It was metallic but was brittle with rust. The village leader held it tightly before placing it in his back pocket. ¡®Shall we get on with the tour?¡¯ Lahel said. ¡®Let¡¯s hurry up, Mable,¡¯ he replied. ¡®Lahel...¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®Nothing.¡¯ The village leader made a hand gesture and half of the group that accompanied him dispersed. The others joined Lahel and the leader on the tour of the barracks. Most of them came with an air of boredom, sighing or yawning as they went along. It didn¡¯t faze Lahel, however, as his job was just to guide the village leader. He had no responsibility over the others. During the tour several rooms were shown ranging from the stables, where the mages that use a familiar was kept, to the bedrooms. Along each stage of the tour, one or two split off from the group. That stopped when there were roughly half a dozen people left. These stuck close to the village leader at all times, without sign of leaving. Lahel didn¡¯t like their presence but knew they were probably bodyguards. ¡®We¡¯re onto the last stage of the tour. For this part, can I ask for some privacy between us?¡¯ ¡®We can¡¯t allow that. We must go with him wherever he is,¡¯ a beefy man rejected. ¡®Even to his own bedroom?¡¯ The village leader raised his hands in response. ¡®It¡¯s fine. He has done a fine job guiding me around the barracks. Sending me to my room shouldn¡¯t be too troublesome. You can stand here while I go with Rachel.¡¯ ¡®Lahel...¡¯ Lahel murmured. ¡®Fine. We¡¯ll rush over if anything happens though.¡¯ ¡®As I should expect from you.¡¯ After leaving the bodyguards behind, Lahel and the village leader made their way down a long corridor. They reached a door that was unique to the building. Instead of the knocking system that opened doors automatically upon the right pattern knocked, this was one was manual. It had a lock which had to be opened by a key. Luckily, Lahel gave the key to the village leader beforehand who opened the door and the pair walked inside. ¡®Not bad Neal. The room is large enough and well cleaned. It¡¯s acceptable,¡¯ the village leader commented. ¡®I¡¯m glad it is to your liking,¡¯ Lahel replied. ¡®You will be resting for a long time here.¡¯ The door closed. The leader turned around. He felt a shocking sensation. His legs gave way. His eyes rolled. He saw two people. Was he hallucinating? No there was another. He panicked. He opened his mouth and fired pressurised water from it. He couldn¡¯t see straight. He randomly aimed. He heard a cry of pain. Words he didn¡¯t quite catch. Another shocking sensation. His mind went blank. His heartbeat stopped. ¡®You Idiot!¡¯ ¡®Calm down, man. I was just toying with him. No fun killing him straight away.¡¯ ¡®What is wrong with you?!¡¯ ¡®Chill, Jack. I killed him now and that¡¯s all we needed.¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s made so much noise just before he died, and you want me to ¡®chill¡¯?¡¯ ¡®We¡¯re far away from anyone. No one¡¯s gonna hear.¡¯ ¡®You underestimate of some of those bestials, Esper.¡¯ The sound of footsteps was heard by the pair and they were closing in. Jack cursed his luck. They had no time to hide the lifeless body of the village leader. The footsteps of the people coming grew louder. Their voices confirmed that the room, that Esper and Jack were in, was indeed their destination. ¡®We can take them on, Jack,¡¯ Esper said hesitantly, clutching his arm, the pain from the pressurised beam of water causing him to wince. ¡®There are three thousand people in the building. Even if we manage to beat his bodyguards, we will not survive everyone else,¡¯ Jack replied. ¡®So what? It¡¯s easy stuff.¡¯ ¡®We are not going to win!¡¯ The pursuers grew ever closer. Jack had no time to talk with an idiot like Esper, who lived only for excitement. There was no point in both of them dying right now. Their mission was completed after all. He lowered his heart beat and body temperature, matching the thirty degrees in the room, and entered into stealth. Esper¡¯s eyes widened as he realised what his partner was trying to do. ¡®Hey, Jack.¡¯ Jack didn¡¯t reply to his partner¡¯s call. He moved to the other side of the room, where the door was located. The sound of footsteps indicated that they were getting ever closer. Esper started to panic. He had no plan and he definitely didn¡¯t want to die now. In a last ditched effort, he tried calling out again, eyes fixated on the location where he last saw his partner. ¡®Jack! Jack! Hey! Man, you gotta be kidding me. Without me you wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything. This mission wouldn¡¯t have succeeded without me! Stop staying silent! If you leave me here, I will make sure you die with me! Jack, are you listening?!¡¯ Jack heard everything. He made his mind up. There was nothing Jack could do to save his partner anyway. Suddenly, the door burst open. A group of ten entered, all well built physically. They didn¡¯t look like they were the types that could be beat in a battle of brawn easily. They had a look at the floor, where the village leader laid, then at Esper who seemed to have frozen on the spot. A white man, with curly brown hair, the same one that tried to stop the village leader from leaving the bodyguards in the first place, stepped forward and began speaking. ¡®It seems like the leader was electrocuted. The guy over there must be a mage that can use electricity. Kabal. Ren. Pin down the suspect.¡¯If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Two men, who looked exactly like one another, with their leather like albino skin, and black eyes and hair, rushed at Esper. They floored him easily. Esper instinctively sent out a wave of electricity through the men holding him down. However, they didn¡¯t even flinch, as if it had no effect on them. Esper¡¯s mind snapped due to the helpless feeling he had, and the fact his partner abandoned him. He began laughing manically and began mumbling gibberish. ¡®What do we do now, boss?¡¯ asked one of the men, still pinning Esper down. ¡®Poor guy¡¯s gone mad. Did he try doing anything to you, Kabal?¡¯ ¡®He did try to electrocute me,¡¯ Kabal said. ¡®Same here,¡¯ added the other. ¡®Luckily I brought some Electricity resistant types with me. But that confirms it. He must be the culprit. Karma, what¡¯s the status?¡¯ A woman looked up. She was inspecting the body while Kabal and Ren were dealing with Esper. You could tell the news from her frowning face. Everyone in the room looked down, mourning the loss of their leader. Esper¡¯s laughing began to die down. However, this didn¡¯t shut him up. His eyes were those of a madman. He began shouting. Everyone ignored him. But the one that appeared to be the leader of the group picked up one something. ¡®What did you say?¡¯ he asked Esper. ¡®You¡¯re all idiots!¡¯ Esper shouted. ¡®Boss, why are you speaking with him? He¡¯s obviously crazy,¡¯ said Karma ¡®Hush. I think he knows something,¡¯ he replied before turning back to Esper, ¡®Why is that?¡¯ ¡®Did you really think I could kill him?!¡¯ ¡®All the evidence is there. I don¡¯t see who else it could. No you¡¯re right.¡¯ ¡®Boss?¡¯ ¡®Think about it. The leader was always with that guide. He was also the one who went with him to his room. I didn¡¯t see the guide leave though. On the other hand, I¡¯ve never seen this guy before. He couldn¡¯t have done this alone.¡¯ Esper burst into laughter again. The whole room knew their boss was right. Jack, who was standing there the whole time, began to make his move. He was foolish. He should have left as soon as possible, but he wanted to see if he could save his partner. Now he lost all that time that he could have used to flee. His partner was hopeless till the end and Jack¡¯s existence was sure to be found out soon. The building, a place where soldiers were called upon for meetings and announcements, was huge, containing over two thousand rooms, being several kilometres in length and width. It also served as a residency and a hub for social gatherings. The sheer size of the place made it impossible for Jack to escape in one go. To remain undetected, he has to constantly keep his breathing and heartbeat to a minimum. Over long distances, this proves troublesome as Jack¡¯s body starts to demand oxygen. Even if he were to catch his breath just for a moment, the sound of his heart beating could alert any nearby soldiers. It didn¡¯t help that everyone was gathered for the arrival of the village leader. Luckily Jack knew the building¡¯s layout. He made sure to memorise it beforehand. There was one safe room. One that no one would dare enter: The King¡¯s room. The room every village in the AAA had, dedicated to the king of the continent, in the rare case that he may one day visit. If Jack could get there, he could rest and then think about an escape route. He had to make sure to lurk in the shadows. Despite being camouflaged, he couldn¡¯t run out in open light. He would have cast a shadow regardless of being in stealth or not, and should anyone notice, his cover would easily be blown. As Jack glided his way past those on patrol, he overheard some of the conversations. As he predicted, word of his disappearance had been circulating around and soon almost everyone in the vicinity should know of him. However, it seemed so far that knowledge of him being a stealth bestial type hasn¡¯t been discovered. Everyone must be informed to look out for Lahel Bints, the man whose identity Jack had stolen. No one knew of the village leader¡¯s death from what Jack overheard. This was to not bring panic and chaos, Jack thought. As he meandered between the soldiers, corridors and rooms, he went through the events that led up to the present. Back in Eurasia, Jack was bred to be the ideal stealth bestial. However due to his inability to kill anyone, he was rejected by every single Squadron. He had to swallow his pride and apply to Squadron W. He was thoroughly surprised at how strong SW actually were. What he thought were the ¡®rejects of the MBP¡¯, were actually people who were in the same scenario as him. Bred with strong abilities, but due to one flaw or another, they weren¡¯t accepted into the army and were forced to join SW. One thing that Jack found strange was how hard the members trained. For people who weren¡¯t going to fight anytime soon, it was as if the enemy could be just outside. Jack, moved by the determination of everyone there, trained hard himself, perfecting his stealth and learning some new tricks which he wasn¡¯t intended to be able to do at birth. He thoroughly enjoyed being part of SW, having joined thirty two years ago, but he felt like he wasn¡¯t accomplishing anything. It wasn¡¯t a surprise when he leapt at the chance for a potential assassination mission. Jack still remembered the smile on Maria¡¯s face when he was told that he was chosen to do it. Jack was told that the target was a water elemental and was advised to bring someone suitable with him. Being the only electricity elemental in Squadron W, Jack felt like he was forced to bring Esper on the mission. Anyone else and either they would be too weak to carry out the assignment, or too large of a presence that they would be found out immediately. Everything was planned out before his infiltration in enemy grounds; who to target, how to move about, the layout of the city of Egypt. All the information was provided by Eurasian spies, situated in several locations in Africa, along with his experience working as a medic. It did come as a surprise how important his target really was. Jack would have taken the mission regardless, had he known anyway. The next step was infiltrating the building where the leader was going to stay. That was simple enough. Jack could say he was lucky at the role Lahel played, being assigned as an guide for the leader¡¯s arrival. The physique and assignment he, now a dead soldier, had been perfect for the mission. Jack had played the role perfectly, as well, biding his time to when he could be alone. Jack wasn¡¯t alone with the village leader, however, as Esper was always tailing them. The aura mages emit was something he could manipulate. No one knew how he could but it allowed Esper to remain unseen, or rather unnoticed. It required someone else to be nearby in order to divert the attention away from him, which was its only downside. Esper could easily make all eyes were set upon the leader and Jack with no one noticing Esper following them. The plan was going so perfectly, Jack thought. His expertise in espionage allowed Jack to never break character; to never arouse suspicion. Once Jack had gotten the leader isolated with just the three of them, he gave the signal. That¡¯s when everything went wrong. Instead of the swift assassination he was instructed to do, Esper just gave a mild shock to the leader. It paralysed the Leader¡¯s lower body, causing him to collapse. Jack had thought it was finished and congratulated his partner. However, Esper wasn¡¯t focused on the mission. He wanted to enjoy inflicting more pain on the victim, which is why he left him alive. Jack only realised when it was too late, once the body, which he thought was dead, began attacking them. Now he was forced to flee, abandoning Esper, and making his way to the King¡¯s room. Jack eventually reached an unlit corridor, knowing he was close. The building was filled with secret passageways that would have allowed the king to leave, in the case of a disaster that could jeopardise his safety. They were never used due to the unlikelihood of his visit. As a consequence, such corridors and passageways were kept unlit in order to save fuel and resources. With knowledge of them being scarce amongst the community as well, there was really no need to maintain them. Jack himself only found out about them recently from a reliable source. As Jack made his way down the corridor, he was feeling the wall along the way. His hands caught the soft tissue of insects that had clung onto the wall. It almost made Jack want to recoil in disgust. He ventured on, however, looking for something in particular. The lack of light made it difficult, but he found it: a thin line that went vertically on the wall. He dug his fingers into the line, a few inches in width, and began pulling. He had found the entrance to one of these passageways. Unlike the other doors, which work automatically, the doors that linked the passageways had to be opened manually. The building was old itself and so it came as to no surprise that the new invention, automatic doors, would not be installed on these old passageways that no one has used in ages. Jack looked into the passageway. He couldn¡¯t see anything. The black abyss, which was waiting in front of him, beckoned him to go forwards. Having closed the entrance behind him, Jack dropped his stealth and began to breathe. His body ached from the lack of oxygen in his body and he needed to lie down, heart beating furiously. Surely he was in a safe enough location to do so. Although he could keep hold his breathing and beating for much longer, the symptoms that came after such a feat took a toll on his body. He attempted it once but was unconscious for several days after that. He needed this time to rest. The surroundings produced almost no sound. Jack saw just pure darkness. At first, the lack of noise comforted him as it meant no one was around. Then he started hearing the beating of his heart, the pumping of blood through his veins and then the deep breaths of his lungs. At first he didn¡¯t think too much of it but after a few moments it got to him. He then heard a buzzing sound rang through his ears. He began to see images of animals, faces and at one point he thought he saw Esper. How long was he resting for? A minute? An hour? A day? Jack couldn¡¯t think straight. He knew that if he wanted to keep his sanity, he needed to get out of there. He made his way through the passageway, searching for a way out. Maybe Jack should have planned things out more. He should have predicted the possibility of something going wrong. He should have figured out more escape routes. Was the strain on his mental health worth taking this route? Caught in his train of thought, Jack didn¡¯t notice the wall opposite him, crashing into it. He stammered backwards, getting a sense of reality once again. He pushed at the wall and, after some effort, the door began to push forward. The seams of light above him brought joy to Jack. He clambered up some stairs to the source of that light. He opened up another door above him and suddenly the seams burst into rays of light, blinding Jack momentarily. Jack regained his eyesight and quickly made his way out of the darkness. The room he emerged in was much more lavish than he expected. The floors and walls were made out of marble, carved to perfection. They were shiny enough to see your reflection in them. The room itself was massive. The bed was king-sized, with soft feather mattresses. There was even enough space for a tap! Just how spoilt was the king?! Normal citizens would have to walk a mile or two to get their water supply, but he can get it straight from his room. This was also temporary accommodation. It made Jack wonder what the king¡¯s real home must be like. He lay on the bed, testing it out. Immediately a wave of exhaustion hit Jack. The physical toll of using his stealth, as well as the mental toll from being in the dark for so long, drained his energy to the point where he ran over to the bed and collapsed onto it, going into a deep sleep. Even during his sleep, Jack was constantly thinking of his next steps. He was always like that, never one to miss something and always blaming himself if something goes wrong. It was for that reason that he was chosen to carry out the mission. Even if he did die now, he succeeded and that¡¯s what mattered. Jack opened his eyes, still dreary from what he had experienced, as a beam of light hit him. As he lay on the bed, Jack realised where the light had came from. It wasn¡¯t from torches that everyone used; it actually came from the outside world. Directly above the bed was a shaft, or rather a hole connecting the outside to the king¡¯s room. Jack noticed that it had gotten dark outside, with the light from the moon hitting his face. The stars above mesmerised Jack and he felt a sense of serenity. He felt hungry though. He got up, looked around the room and went through all the cabinets and drawers in the room. He then stumbled across a small tree that had a few fruits on it. Jack didn¡¯t hesitate to eat them all. He was now thirsty. Jack remembered that the room contained a tap. He went over to the basin, admiring the fact that there was a mirror as well, before taking a few gulps of water. Jack then turned to see a box. It was unusual as it was made of glass and surrounded by plastic. What purpose did it serve? He walked closer to it and could see his reflection in the glass. However, through the glass showed a greyish darkness. The box was detached from everything and so it couldn¡¯t possibly be a window. Next to the box, Jack found a stick, made of the same plastic as the rim of the box but it had several buttons on. There were some numbers and symbols that Jack didn¡¯t recognise on it. He was drawn to a big red button when suddenly Jack couldn¡¯t feel his body. His knees buckled causing him to fall forwards towards the ground. Unable to cushion the impact with his arms, his chest collided with the side of the box, causing him to be winded. His eyes looked up towards the reflection in the box and saw hair in a spiky formation. ¡®Found you.¡¯ Chapter 6: Preparations for War Preparations for War Gin waited in the packed room. He estimated roughly two-thousand were either seated or standing up. They were all waiting on the colonel, who had called everyone for a briefing. The chattering that had gone on before died down as all eyes were on the colonel, who was making her way to the front of the room. She waited until the last of the chatter dissipated. Her voice was commanding and was able to be heard at the back of the room without aid. ¡®I am sure you know why I have called everyone here. We have been given the privilege of taking part in an upcoming battle!¡¯ she said, to which the whole room went into cheering. Gin found it strange that people would be happy to fight. Were those of Squadron W just fight junkies? Maria calmed everyone down and spoke once again, answering Gin¡¯s thoughts. ¡®For too long we have been looked down upon. They wouldn¡¯t even give us a chance, how impudent! We are seen as the worst Squadron in the whole of Eurasia, only accepting the ¡®rejects¡¯ of the MBP. But now, we are given a chance to show our worth. If we win flawlessly, we are sure to be promoted and get much larger rations, more bases and a stronger force.¡¯ The room erupted once more to the colonel¡¯s delight. It was true how the provisions, provided to each member of the squadron, were below what Gin had expected. Compared to the rumours of Squadron A members getting a whole tree to themselves, Gin¡¯s tiny little room in a tree housing two to three-thousand people was nothing. A chance to get promoted was something everyone in the room wanted. ¡®How did you do it?¡¯ someone shouted from amongst the crowd. Everyone went silent once more. It was a question on everyone¡¯s mind. ¡®Yes, it is true that we have been only given the worst jobs for the past few hundred years. Harvesting crops, surveillance works in essentially our own backyard, nothing that you can consider promotion worthy. But we have a new asset that has changed all this. I would like to call upon our newest recruit: Wo Pim.¡¯ All eyes set on the lanky pale skinned figure that walked between the people. He walked in a swagger that oozed confidence. Most people already knew where he transferred from and it led to mutterings amongst the crowd. Everyone wondered how such a weak looking figure could have come from Squadron A, but they still kept their distance, out of the unconscious fear they had of him. Wo then stood at the front, beside the colonel, back straight, and searched around the room. ¡®Yo! Gigi! Come on up!¡¯ he shouted, looking at where Gin was. Gin tried his best not to notice but unfortunately he was surrounded by his teammates in Alder¡¯s battalion. They knew exactly who Wo was talking about and began shoving Gin¡¯s back, pushing him towards the front. Everyone found it hilarious and either joined in, getting Gin towards the front or began chanting ¡®Gigi¡¯. Some aspects of human nature never change, Gin thought, feeling embarrassed. ¡®Gigi, set up the map like we discussed the other day,¡¯ Wo told Gin. ¡®Can you not call me Gigi in front of everyone,¡¯ Gin whispered to Wo. Ignoring Gin¡¯s request Wo turned to the crowd, ¡®Thanks to Gigi, We get to see something unlike anything we have witnessed in our lifetime. I will now hand it over to Gigi who will set things up.¡¯ Gin grabbed a silver coloured INS from his belt and activated the mechanism. The silver cuboid grew two rods, one on each side, which bent downwards. Gin placed the INS on the floor, with the rods acting as a stand, and pushed his finger into the second hole of the INS. A bright beam of light emerged from one end and shone on the wall opposite. Everyone stared in amazement. Right before them was the map of the world, with detailed labels of the cities, and three large labels for the continents: Eurasia; Afro-Australia; The Americas. How did something like that suddenly appear on the previously untainted wall? Gin turned to see even the colonel with a look of surprise. She then asked the question on everyone¡¯s minds, ¡®Child. What is that?¡¯ ¡®I thought you already saw my INS before,¡¯ Gin commented. ¡®Anyway, they aren¡¯t just for offence, but can be used for utility purposes too. This one in particular is my projector INS. I have to programme what I want to show on it beforehand but it¡¯s pretty useful for things such as presenting to a large audience.¡¯ ¡®Thank you Gigi,¡¯ Wo said, ¡®Ah, where are my manners? Haven¡¯t introduced myself, yet. I¡¯m Wontiferus Poxim. You may know this already but I am a transfer from Squadron A. Gigi, here, is a close friend of mine. Gigi is the creator of the contraption you see before you,¡¯ Wo said, emphasizing the name ¡®Gigi¡¯ at every opportunity, before continuing, ¡®As you can see, the whole world is now right in a map in front of you. We are here, just outside the city of Israel, in our little town of Jerusalem. From reliable sources, the AAA is planning on a little invasion from Egypt. We are told a small force of a thousand mages, from the city of Egypt, will move towards Eurasia. Due to unrest in the East, a possible breakout between Eurasia and The Americas, most of the Squadrons have been moved over to our bases in China and France. Along with my ties with Squadron A, We have managed to land the privilege of taking on the AAA¡¯s small army.¡¯ Gin was squatting beside his INS. At Wo¡¯s signals, he went through several pictures, including tactics, formations and zoomed in maps of the place of battle. Most battles between the Eurasia and Africa were fought over sea but this skirmish was on land. There was a small strip of land connecting the two continents, connecting the city of Jordon to the city of Egypt. It was, relatively, extremely close to where they were situated. This made Squadron W ideal to be dispatched for the mission, due to the small numbers the enemy threatened us with. ¡®But there is one catch,¡¯ Wo said, ¡®As you may know, Squadron W is in a rough spot. The government is just happy to let us be. We aren¡¯t given any meaningful missions that can alter our rank. It was a miracle they actually gave us this mission. We have to count ourselves lucky that The Americas made their move or Eurasia would have sent another Squadron to deal with the threat.¡¯ ¡®So what is the condition the government set us? We can¡¯t use Rank A or above mages. That means I, Maria and a few of our battalion leaders won¡¯t be able to attend. Today, the leaders, who can¡¯t join in the main battle, will appoint a temporary replacement. We will, however, situate ourselves in the town of Eilat, just outside Egypt. If anything goes wrong, we will come bring help. Oh but don¡¯t worry. We expect their forces to be pretty weak anyway. Probably a scouting division so we won¡¯t see high level mages most likely.¡¯ ¡®The whole of Eurasia sees us as the rejects of the MBP. The government don¡¯t see the AAA¡¯s invasion as a threat and so want to test us. They don¡¯t want the ¡®strong¡¯ winning the fight for us and want to see what these ¡®rejects¡¯ can accomplish by themselves. This is our only chance to prove ourselves. I don¡¯t want us to just pass this test of theirs. I want us to commit an act of perfection!¡¯ The room erupted by the rallying cry of Wo. They knew what was at stake. This was their chance to have a better life. This was what their years improving themselves were for. Everyone hated the mentality people had that you will never amount to anything, if you were not born talented enough. They wanted to show that it is hard work that can make someone surpass several ranks above their own. ¡®One more thing,¡¯ the colonel said, taking over again. ¡®To make sure our success rate is as high as possible, we dispatched two members of our squadron earlier on to assassinate one of their key figures. They succeeded in their task but we haven¡¯t heard back from them since. We will have to assume the worst. Their contribution has bought us a lot of time while the AAA sorts out a new plan. We can safely say we have at least a year to prepare for this upcoming battle. But remember, if it weren¡¯t for them, we wouldn¡¯t have had as much time to train. As a result, I would like for everyone to hold a minutes silence in their honor.¡¯ After the silence was over, the colonel dismissed everyone back to their rooms. The corridors were filled with the noise of the people chattering. They were excited for this battle. Gin, meanwhile, went back to his room to work on his INS. For a first time using the projector, it went smoothly. He was going through all the slides just to make sure it worked, as some weren¡¯t needed, when he felt a tap on his shoulders. Gin turned around, only to find Joan waiting for him. ¡®How¡¯d you get in here?¡¯ Gin thought out loud. ¡®Maria gave me this,¡¯ Joan said showing him a key exactly the same to Gin¡¯s room key. He let out a deep breath before saying, ¡®Do you need anything?¡¯ ¡®You really got to keep track of time, Gin. We have our daily check up right now, remember?¡¯ she replied. ¡®I told you already, I¡¯m fine. There¡¯s no need to do this after my heart was recreated.¡¯ If Gin turned around, he would have realised how annoyed Joan¡¯s face looked. But instead he continued his work, prompting Joan to speak up. ¡®Dealing with you is really frustrating, you know that? At least stand up and face when speaking to me, it¡¯s rude just sitting there toying about on your, erm, whatever it is.¡¯ Gin reluctantly got up, resetting the projector back to its cuboid shape and slotting it on his belt. ¡®First of all it¡¯s called an INS- Integrated Nanobot System- I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve told you already. Secondly, I don¡¯t need you looking after me.¡¯ ¡®Sheesh. Why must you be so hard to deal with? You do realise I am your medic?¡¯ ¡®I got Wo. Who asked for your help?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t like it either but Maria assigned me personally.¡¯ ¡®So it¡¯s the colonel? Just ask her to give you another task.¡¯ ¡®I did.¡¯ ¡®So?¡¯ ¡®The answer was no.¡¯ ¡®There¡¯s over a thousand mages that aren¡¯t medics. Why am I special enough to get a personal one?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m pretty sure the reason for that is that heart of yours¡¯ ¡®Ah, right. It did amaze me too that I managed to make a working one in the state I was in, too. Looks like there¡¯s nothing we can do. I¡¯ll talk to the colonel about it afterwards. For now, just get the examination over with.¡¯If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡®Oh look at me. I get special treatment but I¡¯m going to act ungrateful.¡¯ ¡®Ugh. It¡¯s not like that, Joan.¡¯ ¡®Haha. I was just teasing you.¡¯ ¡®Just get on with it!¡¯ Gin snapped. ¡®Sure thing, boss!¡¯ Gin took off his shirt for Joan to examine. She first took at his arm that had been broken a month ago. It still amazed her how it completely healed within the span of two weeks, but she made sure that was the case. Gin was hairy as always. Most mages opted out of having body hair, apart from the ones that have fire resistant fur. Even then, they grew it out like a coat of fur, rather than the thin strands that protruded out of Gin. He even had a beard. Who grows facial hair like that anyway? Joan then pierced his skin with her nails, into Gin¡¯s veins. It acted like a blood test. Her nails contained various chemicals that react to different compounds in the blood. Everything was normal, but she always had a strange feeling whenever she did the test. Gin told her that it was the nanobots reacting to her, but that didn¡¯t stop her feeling unnerved. Joan then turned towards the front where she saw the fresh scars on Gin¡¯s torso. ¡®Alder really likes cutting you up, doesn¡¯t he?¡¯ she said ¡®He doesn¡¯t even let me defend. ¡®Just dodge¡¯, he says. I am going to see him today soon. Hopefully it will be the last time I do.¡¯ ¡®Did something happen?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m just mad at how he¡¯s using my weaponry.¡¯ ¡®What¡¯s he done? I know you hold your INS with a sense of pride.¡¯ ¡®He...well, I don¡¯t know really but he¡¯s using his Xernim.¡¯ ¡®Why¡¯s that a problem?¡¯ Gin thought about before answering meekly, ¡®I guess it¡¯s because it¡¯s a Xernim.¡¯ ¡®It seems you don¡¯t actually know what he¡¯s doing and making half-assed excuses. Gin, Squadron W is based on the lack of prejudice we hold on one another. I¡¯m sure Alder wants the best for you. Just don¡¯t make any rash decisions when you see him, ok?¡¯ Gin sat there as Joan finished off the examination. He thought deeply about what Joan said. She was right. He didn¡¯t check what Alder was doing and just made assumptions that he was ruining everything. He should give Alder a chance to show what he plans and Gin was definitely interested in Blade Boxing. In these thoughts, Gin almost missed Joan leaving and called out to her, ¡®Hey, Joan.¡¯ ¡®What is it Gin?¡¯ she responded, turning round. ¡®It¡¯s not that you¡¯re a bad medic or anything, but having to do this daily is a pain. Talking with you isn¡¯t that bad, to be honest. Just please don¡¯t visit me every day at least. I¡¯m quite busy, you see.¡¯ ¡®Did you just compliment me, Gin? Didn¡¯t expect that from you.¡¯ ¡®You are the only one that calls me by my real name.¡¯ This put a smile on both of their faces as she left. Between the training with Alder, and the embarrassment caused Wo, Gin hadn¡¯t had much time to smile himself. Gin decided to finish on the creation of the INS that Alder asked for. He wanted a copy of the sword that Gin had already given him. With the preparations for the skirmish in Egypt ever looming closer, it was probably too late to deny Alder the chance to, at least, show him what he was doing. Gin finished the job and headed up to the marsh of a room where Alder often resided in. Gin had a firm idea of Alder¡¯s routine on the days he was to see him. Alder would often meditate and once Gin came, their training would begin. After that, the two would head over to the room that emulated a desert, joining the rest of Alder¡¯s battalion. At first Gin would join in with everyone as they carried out formations, tactics etc. but lately, Gin was excluded and was told just to watch and observe. He didn¡¯t understand why and it did frustrate him slightly. However, it did allow Gin to see the mages Alder¡¯s battalion was composed of. There were fire mages, some specialised in close combat, lighting their limbs aflame during fights. This would cause extra damage during grapples and if your resistance to fire was especially low, would cause problems to even come close to them. There were also those specialised in artillery. They would bombard the enemy with fireballs from a distance, range depending on the mage. Other elementals included the water types, who can fire highly pressurised streams of water, piercing the flesh of most mages; earth types, who carry stone on their body that they can make malleable, being able to shape them for certain purposes; nature types that utilise Xernims for various purposes. Amongst the Bestials were some juggernauts, beefy front-liners that can soak as much damage as they can deal; Defenders that act as a wall between the enemy and the back line and often are used to block enemy projectiles; Stealth who utilise their invisibility to assassinate targets in the chaos of battle; Familiar-users who use animals as their form of combat. To Gin, they seem like the closest to a manush such as him, but the animals only obey their chosen Familiar-user type. Gin didn¡¯t understand how that was possible. Yet these animals refuse to disobey their master nor did they listen to anyone else, so Gin hypothesised that it had something to do with the ¡®aura¡¯ mages possess. Unlike the nature elementals, Familiars can live independently from their master and so they are put in a separate category and typing. Overall the fire and bestial type mages made up for seventy percent of the battalion. Gin also didn¡¯t notice any utility mages and presumed that Alder¡¯s battalion were purely used for the offensive. Although he thought there were no utility mages, Joan and Wo were technically part of the battalion but they were there because of Gin. Where he went, so did the other two. Despite the way Gin sorted everyone in the battalion out, he could tell that everyone had their own unique style. It helped set oneself out from the rest, with personal strengths and weaknesses, allowing for different people to be useful in different scenarios. Since everyone was a misfit of Eurasia¡¯s MBP, it was expected. Once Gin arrived at his destination, he found that Alder was meditating, as usual, in the middle of the room. Gin, out of habit, joined him for a few minutes before being woken up. Alder was holding two gauntlets, both made of the same wood as his armour. Both gauntlets had two rectangular shaped holes engraved on them. In the gauntlet, meant for the right hand, was Gin¡¯s INS slotted neatly, slanting slightly at an angle out of the gauntlet. ¡®I turned off the touch sensitive mechanism from the INS, like you asked. Now what did you want me to do?¡¯ ¡®Put it on,¡¯ Alder said. Gin took the right-handed gauntlet and put it on. The wood was smooth and cold. Suddenly Gin began writing in pain as something sharp pierced his right arm. It was as if something was latching onto him. Several more points on his arms were puncture by needle-like wood. Gin felt weaker soon afterwards. His energy was being drained. What was going on? ¡®Wow. It really likes you, brat,¡¯ Alder commented. ¡®What?¡¯ Gin replied, still feeling pain in his arm. ¡®I guess being liked isn¡¯t normal for you.¡¯ ¡®Please tell me what¡¯s going on.¡¯ ¡®The Xernim is making you its host.¡¯ Gin was shocked. How did he not realise that he was going to be made into a host? The whole reason a Xernim is a Xernim is because they are parasitical entities! It¡¯s what they do. ¡®I didn¡¯t agree to this,¡¯ Gin said, clutching onto the gauntlet. ¡®You put it on. That¡¯s good enough consent for me, brat. Would you have changed your mind otherwise?¡¯ The pain became tolerable and allowed Gin to sort out his thought process. He was sweating and tired. There was no point in arguing. The way the Xernim planted itself into his arm probably meant that removal was equally as painful. It was done now, so he gave Alder a shake of the head and let him continue. ¡®Good. The Xernim is just ¡®setting its roots¡¯ into you. These roots connect to your blood stream and take the nutrients it needs from it, exactly like how my one works. The initial stages are painful but it will settle down in a day or two. You should feel two to five ¡®roots¡¯ in your arm.¡¯ ¡®Those needles that dug into me?¡¯ ¡®Yes.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s odd. I felt twelve.¡¯ Alder was in a state of shock. His whole armour was a Xernim but even then there were only twenty roots dotted around his body. How did Gin have twelve in just his arm? Was it because Gin was someone who wasn¡¯t bred to adapt to the Xernim? No, that can¡¯t be it. By using his Xernim as the ¡®parent¡¯, Alder was able to make replicas of it in the past and with a 100% success ratio. The mages that he gave the Xernim clones to reacted in the same manner as his one. So why did it act different for Gin? Alder felt a sense of unease. ¡®Alder, are you going to give me the other gauntlet or not?¡¯ ¡®I think we should let the pain go from the first gauntlet before going for the next.¡¯ ¡®The pain¡¯s gone.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re lying, brat. It should have taken a day minimum for that.¡¯ ¡®Look. I can move my arm freely. No problem¡¯ ¡®This really shouldn¡¯t be happening this soon. I need to check one last thing. Brat, first create a fist with your hand.¡¯ ¡®OK... Nothing¡¯s happened. Am I doing something wrong?¡¯ ¡®No. No. That¡¯s working as intended. This is the real test now. Think of the Xernim entering the first hole in your INS and activating the mechanism.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t understand.¡¯ ¡®Just do it.¡¯ Gin was confused but still carried out the order. As the thought entered Gin¡¯s mind, the gauntlet started to change. Thin branches weaved around the INS and entered the first chamber. To Gin¡¯s surprise, the branches managed to open the hatch that led to the button at the bottom of the chamber. It pressed it and immediately the sword was created. Gin looked to Alder who was equally shocked. ¡®This is amazing! How did the Xernim manage to read my thoughts, Alder?¡¯ ¡®To be honest, I¡¯m not sure myself. It¡¯s always been able to respond to what its host is thinking. It¡¯s how I managed to make it grow into my armour. Maybe magic?¡¯ ¡®Magic doesn¡¯t exist. You just haven¡¯t found an explanation yet.¡¯ ¡®Doesn¡¯t matter how it works, as long as it does. But thanks to you turning off the touch-sensitive part of your INS, the branches could open the hatch, which is why it managed to reach the bottom of the chamber.¡¯ ¡®OK then. Regardless of how this works, I need to shorten the sword length a bit. It feels too clunky as it is. How do I take the INS out of the gauntlet?¡¯ ¡®Like how you activated the switch, you just need to imagine the Xernim releasing the weapon and it will.¡¯ Gin pictured the release of the INS. The branches, which led into the chamber, began to degrade at a rapid pace. The lining of wood withdrew from the INS, allowing it to be plucked from the gauntlet. Gin was amazed at how fast the plant grew and degraded. Although the way it responded to Gin¡¯s thoughts was sketchy, as if it was used as a convenient plot device for a fictional book, Gin mused, but it was very useful. ¡®Alder, give me the other gauntlet.¡¯ ¡®Are you sure? You look tired. It might be a bit unsafe to have two parasites leeching off you so quickly.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m fine. Just hand it over.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t blame me if your impatience kills you, brat.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re a shitty mentor anyway,¡¯ Gin muttered while putting the left-handed gauntlet on. His mother always told him not to swear, and he normally listened to his mother. ¡®But that was just a slip of the tongue¡¯, Gin would have said to apologise to his mum, to which his mother would say ¡®she knows¡¯ and then kiss him on the forehead. ¡®¡®Shitty¡¯? I¡¯m sorry but I don¡¯t understand what that means.¡¯ ¡®Nothing you should concern yourself about. It¡¯s old English.¡¯ The ¡®setting of the roots¡¯ was less painful than before, and the number of roots embedded into Gin¡¯s left arm was relatively lower than his right, reaching eleven. The process was also much faster. His body was already adapting to being a host to two parasites. It wasn¡¯t a bad experience but it did leave Gin exhausted. ¡®How are you going to shorten that claw of yours anyway?¡¯ Alder asked. ¡®I was going to do it later but since you asked, I can do it now.¡¯ Gin put his finger to activate the mechanism in the 3rd chamber. The side opposite where the sword came out made a ¡®click¡¯ sound. Gin was then able to twist and remove a portion of the INS. There was a switch inside of that mostly hollow section which he flicked on. The section enlarged, both in length and width, and a screen popped up inside. ¡®This is what the people of the third millennia would have called a ¡®computer¡¯, Alder. This is what I use to programme all of my INS. The system then sends the programme to the main mechanism, which then sends an image, created by said programme, to ¡®print¡¯ it into a three dimensional object using stored nanobots as material. In this instance, it¡¯s my sword.¡¯ ¡®¡®Computer¡¯; ¡®nanobots¡¯; ¡®programme¡¯; ¡®print¡¯; ¡®mechanism¡¯. I¡¯m presuming it¡¯s more old English?¡¯ ¡®Yes.¡¯ ¡®How comes you know so much about the old tongue?¡¯ ¡®I guess it was how I was brought up.¡¯ ¡®We¡¯re all brought up the same, through the MBP.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s true,¡¯ Gin responded, he hadn¡¯t told Alder that he was a manush, ¡®guess education has slightly changed from when you were brought up,¡¯ he lied. ¡®Maybe,¡¯ Alder accepted. After some modifications, Gin downsized and fit the INS back together again. He plugged it back into the gauntlet and imagined the Xernim wrapping itself around the INS and activating the mechanism. The sword formed itself once more, but this time it was considerably shorter than before, allowing the gauntlet to be wielded much easier. ¡®You adapt quickly, brat. You didn¡¯t even ask how to put it back in and you did it as if it was natural for you.¡¯ ¡®I understood the way the Xernim works now. Still suspicious of how it works but anyway, I owe you an apology for how I behaved last time. This looks like and feels amazing. It¡¯s as if it¡¯s part of my arm. Guess I¡¯ll change the name of the sword to a blade to suit what I¡¯m about to carry out.¡¯ ¡®Apology accepted. But to be honest, I¡¯m a bit worried...¡¯ ¡®Hmm?¡¯ ¡®This is all too fast. It might be dangerous.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re telling me this now?¡¯ ¡®I didn¡¯t expect for you to adapt so quickly.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m the guy who can make a fully functional heart by being in a coma for a week. This shouldn¡¯t be all that surprising.¡¯ ¡®I suppose so. Anyway, the gauntlets were all I wanted to give to you today. I have imbedded the other sockets, above the ones designed for your claws, for your other INS like your shield. I hope it is to your liking. You seem to have grasped how to use them and so that will be all. Next time you will learn how to blade box, so make sure to come in two days time for your next lesson. I also have got a surprise for you next week. ¡¯ Surprise? Chapter 7: The Mentality of mages The Mentality of Society Gin created a mental picture while looking at his gauntlets. A small branch grew out of the gauntlets. It wrapped its way around the INS and entering the first chamber before hovering just above the button at the bottom. So far, so good. Blades, Gin said mentally. The branch continued growing, pressing the button. The mechanism activated and the blade formed itself in an instant. The silver shininess of the blade contrasted heavily with the darkness of the wood his gauntlets were made with. Despite the contrast, it had its own beauty and Gin couldn¡¯t help but admire. Once more Gin said the word ¡®blades¡¯ in his mind and the branch degraded back to its original position, just above the button. The blade seemed to disappear into thin air and having decided that the experiment was a success, Gin grew more branches that wrapped around and entered the INS. ¡®Woah. That¡¯s pretty cool.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m not sure. It¡¯s putting a large burden on him. I might need to make our appointments daily from now on.¡¯ Gin turned his head. Joan and Wo were looking keenly at what Gin was doing. They weren¡¯t invited as usual but he couldn¡¯t stop them from coming, especially when the colonel, for whatever reason, gave them both a spare key to his room. ¡®Why are you two even here?¡¯ Gin asked. ¡®When you decided to host a Xernim, I decided to have more frequent appointments,¡¯ Joan responded. ¡®Same here, Gigi,¡¯ Wo added. ¡®You¡¯re not even his medic!¡¯ Joan exclaimed ¡®But I am his very, very, VERY good childhood friend.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t listen to him, Joan. He¡¯s been torturing me ever since I was born,¡¯ Gin said. ¡®You can¡¯t really call those things ¡®torture¡¯,¡¯ Wo replied. ¡®Oh, really? Are you saying that almost letting me drown in a lake and telling my parents that I was ¡®learning to swim¡¯ not torture?¡¯ ¡®Nah. That was an educational experience. You managed to swim in the end so it was worth it.¡¯ ¡®What about that time when you left me on top of the roof of the town hall for a whole day?¡¯ ¡®It was to allow you to experience nature in all its beauty. The night sky is a wonderful sight, Gigi.¡¯ ¡®And the nickname ¡®Gigi¡¯ that annoys me to this very day?¡¯ ¡®Hehe. Gets you every time.¡¯ ¡®Ugh. Why are you like this? Just leave already.¡¯ ¡®Oh come on. Don¡¯t be so mad. No need for me to go, right Joan?¡¯ Wo said turning to Joan who just gave him a look of disgust in response. ¡®You are a horrible person, Wo. I¡¯m with Gin here. You should leave. I need to do his checkups anyway,¡¯ she said. ¡®Not you too,¡¯ Wo whined. ¡®Leave!¡¯ Joan and Gin said in unison. ¡®Alright. Alright. I¡¯m outta here.¡¯ With Wo closing the door behind him, Joan began preparing for the examination. She got the relevant medicines, pouring a few onto her fingers, absorbing them into the nails ready for injecting. With Gin not having the natural immunity to most diseases that mages did, she made sure that Gin was vaccinated regularly. ¡®From the samples I got last time I found out that your protein levels are lower than your average. Are you eating your rations?¡¯ Joan asked, piercing her nails through Gin¡¯s skin and injecting the vaccines. ¡®Everything apart from the meat,¡¯ Gin responded. ¡®What? Why?¡¯ ¡®It comes from mages.¡¯ ¡®So? Those mages shed their skin for everyone to eat. It¡¯s a very good source of protein and other essentials.¡¯ ¡®I guess I¡¯m the only one who sees a problem with eating human flesh.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s what they¡¯re bred to do. Their whole life¡¯s purpose is to feed the rest of us. They don¡¯t even die in the process and are willing to do it as well. Keeping humanity alive is a noble cause so of course there¡¯s no problem with eating mage meat.¡¯ ¡®But still...¡¯ ¡®But nothing! I¡¯m making you eat it whether you like it or not, Gin.¡¯ ¡®Can¡¯t. I gave all my meat rations to Wo.¡¯ ¡®Then I¡¯ll just have to give you some of my own,¡¯ she said with a mischievous grin. ¡®Oh and I¡¯m making sure you can¡¯t escape.¡¯ Gin felt a thin spike lodge into his lower back. His body began to freeze up and refused to move. He felt Joan positioning him onto his chair so that he couldn¡¯t fall and then he heard her footsteps as she left her room. It was a weird sensation. Gin tried to see if he could move anything or if he completely paralyzed by what Joan had done. He found out that the toes, fingers and head could move relatively easily but the rest of his body didn¡¯t budge. It seemed that he could do nothing until Joan came back and force fed him. The thought made him metaphorically shudder (as his body couldn¡¯t physically). Suddenly Gin thought of a plan. It was a bit of a stretch but he thought he could make it work. He was paralyzed but his Xernim wasn¡¯t. If he could make it grow around his body and reach for that spike, he could take it out. Gin took a deep breath and concentrated. He imagined the Xernim creating another branch. It was a success and a branch sprouted out of the Xernim, before wriggling its way around the side of Gin¡¯s body and reaching the back. It found something sticking out of his back and Gin thought of the branch wrapping around it. Just touching that spike in his back gave Gin intense pain. ¡®One. Two. Three,¡¯ he said to himself and started pulling the spike out. It hurt and Gin had to clench his teeth to bear the pain. Eventually the spike came out and with a single thought, the branch degraded; rotten bits of what remained fell to the floor. A few stretches later, Gin was able to move freely once more. He inspected the spike which turned out to be one of Joan¡¯s nails. Was she able to use her nails like that or did come up with it just to subdue me? Gin wondered. If it was the latter, she was more persistent in trying to do her job that he thought, much to Gin¡¯s annoyance. Before Joan came back, Gin thought that he should go see Alder. They weren¡¯t meant to see each other for another hour but Gin wasn¡¯t going to stay in his room and be forced to be a cannibal. Since when did it become morally acceptable to eat meat of your own species? If Joan didn¡¯t find it strange, the others wouldn¡¯t either and might try to make him eat it too, so Gin decided to keep that question to himself for the time being. Along the way, Gin saw a group of people being guided by Emsee, the woman who guided him to Alder when he regained consciousness. The squadron was getting busier ever since their first battle was announced. It was refreshing to see the hustle and bustle within the corridors, compared to the emptiness of before. It reminded Gin of the market places in his (now ruined) village. It also came to Gin¡¯s surprise when he found out Emsee was actually the colonel¡¯s second in command. Whenever Gin saw her, she was always guiding someone and so Gin just concluded that she was a messenger of some sort. The conclusion was further backed up by her appearance, which showed no evidence of being either an elemental type or the physique of a bestial type. It turned out she was a utility familiar type and her strength comes from her familiar: a giant Lupim that was taller than Gin even on all fours. When Gin arrived at the usual training room, he found Alder speaking with a man with red hair. He also had rough dark skin and a beefy build. Despite his build, he also seemed agile. Gin guessed that the man is a fire elemental and as he got closer he felt a strong but gentle aura about him. ¡®Ah! Brat, we were just talking about you,¡¯ Alder exclaimed. ¡®About what?¡¯ Gin asked. ¡®You¡¯re a bit early but we were discussing about the role you will take.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m Brim. Nice to meet you,¡¯ said the man extending a hand. ¡®Likewise. My name is Gin,¡¯ he replied, shaking Brim¡¯s hand. ¡®So what¡¯s this about my role?¡¯If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡®I was going to explain to you when we were meant to meet up but I¡¯ll tell you now. Essentially, I am going to retire?¡¯ ¡®You can retire?¡¯ ¡®Yes. The MBP has contacted me so that I can be used and to pass on my genetics to the next generation. I¡¯ve rejected them in the past but I¡¯ve now grown old. My two-hundredth birthday is next month.¡¯ ¡®Two-hundredth?!¡¯ ¡®Yes. Is something wrong with that age?¡¯ Yes for a manush whose average lifespan is expected to be ninety, Gin thought. ¡®No, you just look younger than that,¡¯ Gin lied. ¡®Haha. Thanks for the compliment brat. But as I am about to retire, I will need someone to take over the battalion.¡¯ ¡®And so you brought Brim over to be the next battalion leader?¡¯ ¡®No. That duty will be placed on you.¡¯ ¡®Thought so.¡¯ ¡®Not surprised, brat?¡¯ ¡®It was kind of obvious when you took me out of training sessions and only allowed me to observe. You also said you had a ¡®surprise¡¯ for me the next time we meet which is now and, along with the changes going on in the squadron due to the upcoming battle, it all made sense.¡¯ ¡®You really need to work on that arrogant tone of yours, brat.¡¯ ¡®But was I right?¡¯ Brim burst out in laughter. He was close friends with Alder and he had never seen him get so annoyed in his life. It was obvious the pair in front of him had mutual respect for one another, but it wasn¡¯t quite the master-disciple relationship one would have hoped for. This alternative wasn¡¯t that bad though, Brim thought. ¡®You might be wondering why I¡¯m here,¡¯ Brim said, calming down a bit. ¡®You¡¯re taking over my training that I normally have with Alder?¡¯ Gin replied. ¡®Damn. He¡¯s good.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t encourage the brat,¡¯ Alder ordered. ¡®But yes. I wanted him to train you which is why he transferred to Squadron W. He¡¯s a fire elemental that specialises in flame boxing which is very similar to blade boxing. The only difference is that you do piercing damage while he does delayed damage.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t quite follow,¡¯ Gin said. ¡®It¡¯s best if I show you,¡¯ Alder responded. Alder walked up to the nearest tree. He stood there and looked like he was concentrating. Branches began to form around Alder¡¯s arm. They twisted and turned, meeting at a point. It looked exactly the same as Gin¡¯s blades in both shape and sharpness. The only difference was Gin¡¯s blades were metallic while Alder¡¯s was made from the Xernim. He then took up a stance, left foot forwards while the right was at a forty-five degree angle. His hands were in front of his face, left in front of the right, guarding the head in the process. Alder indicated Gin do the same and, having brought out his own blades, Gin walked up to a different tree and copied the stance. Alder sent out a jab with his left arm, piercing the tree, before returning to his stance in one swift motion. The result was a visible clean hollow cut within the tree. Some sap oozed out of the cut which Gin thought was Alder¡¯s metaphor of blood coming out of an enemy. Gin was excited and mimicked the jab, only to have blade get stuck in the tree. ¡®The motion needs to be cleaner, brat. Otherwise it gets stuck like that, leaving you defenceless,¡¯ Alder instructed. ¡®Do it again.¡¯ Gin slowly slid the blade out and jabbed again in another spot. Once again, his blade got stuck before completing the jab. Alder showed no expression and asked for Gin to repeat once more until he managed to do it clean enough to consistently avoid getting it stuck. Alder then showed Gin a ¡®cross¡¯ which he remarked was just a jab with the right hand instead. Gin copied the technique regardless, and began perfecting it. This process of learning and practising continued for the next hour until Gin had learnt a myriad of moves that he could do cleanly. ¡®You¡¯re pretty much learnt the basics, brat. Combine the moves I taught you today with your dodging, which should now be second nature to you, and you will be able to blade box at a high level. For now, take a break. I need to talk to Maria so I¡¯ll be back in a bit.¡¯ Gin slumped down against the tree he was jabbing, slicing, cutting, upper-cutting and other moves. It was more holes than tree at this point and it was a miracle that it was still standing strong. He took a handful of water from the marsh below and drank it. It tasted earthy but he didn¡¯t mind after that session. Brim walked up to Gin, tapping on his shoulder. He had watched intently the whole time but was so quiet, Gin didn¡¯t realise he was there. Gin was tired too but Brim¡¯s face showed doubt. With a sigh of fatigue, he indicated for Brim to sit down who did just that. ¡®You need something?¡¯ Gin asked. ¡®Why do you do this?¡¯ Brim replied ¡®Do what?¡¯ ¡®All of this training.¡¯ ¡®Is there something wrong with my training?¡¯ ¡®No one does it. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen a squadron where everyone trains.¡¯ Gin was perplexed. The world was in war, right? Surely the mages would want to improve themselves to increase their battle proficiency, Gin thought. So why was this weird to Brim? ¡®If the other squadrons don¡¯t train, what do you do?¡¯ ¡®Eat, sleep, play and wait for orders to go to war.¡¯ ¡®We train to improve our abilities.¡¯ ¡®You can do that?!¡¯ ¡®What do you mean? Of course we can. Did you think that¡¯s impossible?¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s what we were taught. The adult body can¡¯t develop anymore and only deteriorates afterwards. We are all trained and developed during puberty. Those who couldn¡¯t keep up died in the process and those who could were ranked. What¡¯s the point of training more if your body can¡¯t develop further?¡¯ ¡®I see why you think the way you do,¡¯ Gin said. From what he understood, mages were and probably still are conditioned to believe they couldn¡¯t improve once they hit adulthood. ¡®However, it¡¯s not true what they say in the MBP,¡¯ Gin continued, ¡®because you can improve yourself even as an adult. Yeah, sure you don¡¯t have that growth or energy you did when you¡¯re younger but you can get valuable experience. They reside in your unconsciousness and help you when you need it. But you need to make those experiences happen in order to use them. Sometimes what we¡¯re taught by society could be wrong.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t believe you,¡¯ Brim said immediately. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect you to. You¡¯ve spent eighty years, in the MBP, being told otherwise. I think it¡¯s best if we spar.¡¯ ¡®Spar?¡¯ ¡®Just pretend I¡¯m an enemy.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m not sure why we have to.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s the whole point. I want to expel your doubts.¡¯ Brim reluctantly agreed and they both distanced themselves by ten metres. Gin activated his blades while Brim coated his arms with a greasy fluid he excreted that made them shine under the light of the torches. With a flick of his fingers, his arms went into a yellow-orange blaze. Both sides were now ready. Brim made the first move, charging at Gin before sending a low punch, aimed at Gin¡¯s stomach. Gin sidestepped the punch and sent a jab of his own but Brim pushed the arm so that it missed. Gin quickly got back into his stance and looked for an opening. Brim hurled a flurry at punches at frightening speed. There was no time to think. Gin had to use his instinct to dodge everything to perfection. But every time Gin tried a counter, Brim was equal to it and deflected it away. Brim¡¯s skills weren¡¯t in doubt. He would be a good replacement for Alder. Gin¡¯s face and body began to hurt. He didn¡¯t know why as he had been dodging every attack with relative ease. Then it dawned on Gin what Alder meant by Brim having delayed damage. The flames burnt Gin ever so slowly even if the punches don¡¯t hit. In the long run, the burns he would receive will do more damage than the punches themselves. Gin had to end this quickly or he would lose if he dragged it out. Gin sent a right hook in a desperate attempt but it was too telegraphed. Brim deflected the attack and used it as an opening, smashing Gin in the ribs, sending him to the ground. He looked unconscious with his back on the ground. That¡¯s that. It cemented Brim¡¯s thoughts that there was no need to train. The sparring was fun though. Did he go overboard? Suddenly Gin hurled some mud at Brim. Brim¡¯s reflexes made him deflect the mud and try get back into his stance but it was too late. Gin already had a blade at Brim¡¯s throat. Brim raised his arms above his head. It was Gin¡¯s victory. ¡®That was a disgusting move you played!¡¯ Brim exclaimed. ¡®I don¡¯t have honour. I got into this squadron by hiding in a shell for a few minutes. Using a distraction is nothing for me. Victory is what counts,¡¯ Gin replied, lowering his blade. ¡®I still don¡¯t get your point from earlier, though. Why did we need to spar?¡¯ ¡®During that fight, I realised that you always deflect attacks rather than dodge. So I feigned injury by letting you punch me. Then I sent some mud from the floor and as you deflect it, it gave me an opening.¡¯ ¡®You figured that out just through training?¡¯ ¡®Not quite. Through training, I have learnt how to block, how to attack and how to dodge. But coming up with a tactic to beat you was done during the fight itself. But thanks to that spar, I¡¯ve learnt another way mages could fight, with its strengths and weaknesses. I now also have another tactic up my sleev-, er, gauntlets now, even if it does seem cowardly.¡¯ Gin saw Brim¡¯s puzzled look. Brim didn¡¯t say anything as he processed what was said. In the end, Gin decided to rephrase what he said. ¡®Look. The point is that if I never took the steps and never took any action, I would never have learnt how to deal with potential problems until it is too late. What if I face another flame boxer on the battlefield? Now, because of our spar, I have found out that style of fighting¡¯s strength and weaknesses so I¡¯m better prepared for next time. Understand now?¡¯ ¡®I think I do. Thanks for making me understand. I need to improve myself so that I won¡¯t lose again. To be honest, you¡¯re very profound, Gin. It¡¯s very different from what I¡¯ve heard of you.¡¯ ¡®Let me guess. I¡¯ve been depicted as an arrogant, impatient brat by Alder, right?¡¯ Brim burst out in laughter. It was an infectious laugh and Gin joined in too. They had a mutual understanding and both were looking forward to working with one another. But their moment was cut short by a shout from across the room ¡®Gin!¡¯ ¡®Who¡¯s that?¡¯ Brim whispered to Gin. ¡®Just a crazy stalker of mine,¡¯ he replied. ¡®I go through all this trouble preparing your food and when I came back to your room, you¡¯re not even there!¡¯ ¡®See? She¡¯s even going to my room without permission.¡¯ ¡®I heard that!¡¯ Joan said as she walked towards them. Joan was carrying a box that had some steam coming out of it. Inside was some meat covered by some seasonings and fruit. The brownness of the roasted meat combined with the juice, dripping from the sliced fruits, made Gin salivate but the thought of that meat coming from flesh of mages also made him want to vomit. Despite the fact his body was telling him to eat, Gin decided to follow his mind and morality. ¡®Ah! Sorry Joan. I have to go. No time to eat!¡¯ ¡®Gin!¡¯ Gin made a dash for the exit. If he stayed, Joan would have made him eat it. He turned around waving goodbye at Brim and Joan. Brim waved back and Joan just gave an unimpressed expression. Doesn¡¯t matter, Gin thought. No way was he going to be forced to be a cannibal. That thought was cut short when he bumped into something. It was Alder who looked equally unimpressed as he blocked the exit. Next to him was the colonel and behind both was Wo Pim, who was grinning at Gin. ¡®Sorry Alder. Can you let me through?¡¯ Gin asked. ¡®We heard that you don¡¯t eat your meat rations, child,¡¯ the colonel said. ¡®I have my reasons.¡¯ ¡®Your warped morality isn¡¯t a good enough reason, brat. Your health comes first,¡¯ Alder said as he grabbed Gin by the arm and pinned him to the ground. ¡®Wo! Help me out here!¡¯ Gin shouted in desperation. Wo didn¡¯t say anything. He didn¡¯t do anything. He just stood there, grinning his face off, enjoying the spectacle. Of course he wouldn¡¯t help when he could enjoy Gin suffer! ¡®Brim! Help me open his mouth.¡¯ Joan explained the situation to Brim. He thought about it for a moment before agreeing to help. Joan already had prepared the cutlery, as if she knew this was how things were going to turn out and without mercy, the pair made their way to force feed Gin. ¡®No! Don¡¯t do this, Brim. I thought we¡¯ve established a beautiful friendship!¡¯ ¡®You are severely lacking in protein, Gin. If you¡¯re not allergic and it¡¯s just a problem of morality, then it should be fine,¡¯ Brim said. ¡®After all, you told me today that sometimes what we¡¯re taught by society could be wrong. Maybe this is one of things that you were misguided about.¡¯ Him being wrong? It¡¯s true that the mages do it voluntarily and they are treated well. It was also true that the mages who provide the meat were bred for this exact purpose. They don¡¯t even need to be slaughtered. But eating mage meat was still wrong, right? Cannibalism was still wrong, right? It didn¡¯t matter in the end, though. As Gin was force fed what Joan had prepared, one thought came to mind: mage meat tastes like veal. Chapter 8: Battalion training Battalion training The colonel¡¯s office was at the very top of the Rezah tree. Due to the limited space at the summit, hers was the only room on that level which made it very easy for Gin to find it. The journey to get there, however, was another matter. He had to climb over a hundred sets of stairs and he was exhausted by the end. Was it worth it? Gin let out a deep breath, got composed and knocked on the door to find out. ¡®Come in.¡¯ Gin opened the door and entered the room for the first time. For someone said to be the leader of a squadron, the room wasn¡¯t in the best conditions. The walls were thin and covered in untrimmed branches. The floor was covered in dust and had some dark marks, as if burnt by something. The ceiling wasn¡¯t really a ceiling either. It was just a mesh of the tree¡¯s branches that seemed to converge to create a makeshift roof. It had several holes in it and rain could easily drip through. ¡®The tree¡¯s still growing, child. In a few years, this floor will have much more room and another floor will be created above this one,¡¯ the colonel said. ¡®I see,¡¯ Gin murmured. ¡®Of course, we must hollow the floor out, cut down the inside of the trees and so on to make it habitable but we¡¯ve got a lot of time on our hands, don¡¯t we?¡¯ Gin didn¡¯t comment. Instead, he looked at the ceiling once more. The more he stared, the more he felt like the branches were moving, trying to cover the gaps by themselves. If it takes a few years to create a whole new floor, just how long did it take to grow the whole tree out? ¡®The MBP sure is amazing,¡¯ the colonel continued. ¡®They had this idea centuries ago and now all the Eurasian squadrons use the Rezah as their place of residence and work. It¡¯s only in the past two hundred years that their plan has come to fruition. You are definitely too young to know this, child, but we used to live under metal and wood roofs called ¡®houses¡¯. Even now the MBP uses its metal fortress in Russia to raise the next generation. But you¡¯re not here for this monologue, are you? Tell me what brings you to my office.¡¯ ¡®Thank you, colonel. I actually have two requests.¡¯ ¡®Ooooh? You become a battalion leader and now you¡¯re demanding so much. You¡¯re not getting too greedy, are you?¡¯ ¡®Apologies. But if you could hear me-¡¯ ¡®Ha! I was just joking, child. No need to be so formal. No need for this colonel nonsense,¡¯ Maria said with Gin laughing meekly in response. ¡®I don¡¯t feel right calling you by name, colonel. I came from a place where you can¡¯t really drop these honorifics, colonel.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s fine with me what you do so let¡¯s hear out these requests.¡¯ Gin took out the INS, that was used as a projector, from his belt. He activated it to show some handwritten documents, projecting them onto the colonel¡¯s desk. She looked through them and realised what they were. ¡®These are the documents I had sent out to all battalion leaders, right?¡¯ ¡®Yes. For my first request, I just wanted to go through a few things and give my opinions, if that¡¯s alright. If you need my INS, feel free to take it.¡¯ ¡®I know the documents off by heart. No need to show me.¡¯ ¡®So, is it true that we¡¯re now expected to face five-thousand?¡¯ ¡®Indeed. It seems that our assassination plan has somewhat backfired. Without a leader, they decided to opt for raw man-power rather than proper leadership. All information in the document is reliable, by the way.¡¯ ¡®Why is it taking so long, though? Their plan to attack through the path, connecting Eurasia and the AAA, was decided a couple months ago. Surely, they could have attacked us while we were unprepared.¡¯ ¡®You make it seem like travel is quick, child. Not everyone has ridable familiars! To call for reinforcements, after the death of their leader, would take several months at the minimum due to the slow pace of walking. This assassination has bought us a lot of time, but it did bring its downsides, admittedly.¡¯ Familiars? Who said anything about familiars? It became apparent to Gin that transport, such as cars or bicycles weren¡¯t used by mages. It was probably because of the fall of the age of science, Gin thought. Gin took those pieces of knowledge of the past world like that into account and kept it to himself. The problem was that he didn¡¯t know what he shouldn¡¯t know most of the time and made assumptions too eagerly. There was still so much to learn. ¡®If they don¡¯t have an experienced leader, they¡¯re pretty much all brawn now,¡¯ Gin said. ¡®We have less than two thousand combatants. With our numbers, we wouldn¡¯t stand a chance.¡¯ ¡®So, what are you proposing?¡¯ ¡®We¡¯re fighting on our home turf, basically. I would like to use that to our advantage. If the maps are correct, the plan should work, I think. I put everything on my projector. Go ahead and look through it. The relevant slides are at the end.¡¯ Gin handed the INS over to the colonel. She fumbled a bit with the technology but after some guidance, she got the hang of it. She flicked through Gin¡¯s slides and, although Gin¡¯s handwriting was on the brink of illegibility, she got a grasp on what he wanted to do. ¡®You want to use our non-combatants, child?¡¯ ¡®Yes. I¡¯ve gone through everyone¡¯s profiles and realised that most of our non-combatants are just people who haven¡¯t found a role in the squadron because of their lack of ability. But I think I can make use of them. Its success might bring our numbers to two-and-a-half-thousand. If you could send the names on the final slide to either my or Brim¡¯s battalion, that¡¯d be great.¡¯ ¡®Ha!¡¯ ¡®Something the matter, colonel?¡¯ ¡®No. It¡¯s just that you only just received the mantle of battalion leader from Alder a few days ago and you¡¯ve already showed this much composure. Guess he was right to pass it down to you. This plan of yours could work but I will have to make some amendments before it could be considered.¡¯ Gin smiled meekly and bowed down in gratitude. Although he showed humility to the colonel, he couldn¡¯t help but feel ecstatic from the praise. He was thrust into this alien world that he never knew existed until the attack on his village, but he was determined to conquer it. It¡¯s what his father would have wanted and what his mother would have watched with affection. Despite being an adult, Gin still had that child-like ambition. ¡®What was the other request?¡¯ the colonel asked. ¡®Oh, right,¡¯ Gin said, standing upright again. ¡®I need a lot of stone and wood and people who can create things using them.¡¯ ¡®I can grant that request since we have a lot in reserve. What do you need them for?¡¯ ¡®You¡¯ll see. I¡¯ve actually got quite a lot planned.¡¯ ¡®If that¡¯s the case, then I¡¯ll enjoy finding out what you have planned. Is that all for today?¡¯ ¡®Yes, ma¡¯am.¡¯ ¡®Then you are dismissed.¡¯ Gin bowed once more and Maria watched as he left the room. She enjoyed watching his progress from behind the scenes. She felt like she was his guardian and wanted to nudge him in the right direction but Gin had been doing that by himself, without any help. Even when Alder was leaving and Gin didn¡¯t come to see him off, it turned out that instead of sulking (like all adolescents would have upon losing a role model), he was busy drawing up plans for both the squadron and his battalion. Despite his rise in responsibilities seemed to be going too fast, Gin seemed to make rational decisions, acting calm and responsibly as if he was an experienced man. Maybe Gin wasn¡¯t in puberty and actually was an adult like he tries to tell her. But an adult at thirty-three? That¡¯s impossible! Maria couldn¡¯t convince herself, and continued her opinion of Gin being an immature child. ****This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Gin gathered his battalion together outside the Rezah. It was the first time in a while that he experienced the chill of the wind and the warmth of the air. The rooms used for training were very realistic, but they could never compare to feeling the actual thing. With only a few members yet to come, Gin decided to start. He ordered everyone to get into a standard block formation. With only a hundred at his disposal, he didn¡¯t have much flexibility in what formations he could create. The ten by ten block would have to do for now. Gin stood at the front and got everyone¡¯s attention. Their faces were filled with doubt and confusion, as they looked towards their new battalion leader. ¡®As you know, Alder has retired and he has made me his replacement,¡¯ Gin began. ¡®I can see from a few of you that you either disapprove or are uncertain of the decision. My aim is to change your minds and to gain your trust. I will say one thing, however, and that is that my methods will be different from what you¡¯ve experienced in the past. Everyone understand?¡¯ Gin saw a few nods and heard a few mumbled yeses. He wasn¡¯t sure what tone he should have spoken in. Should he have been harsh? Should he have been lax? Or maybe a more forceful approach would have been best. Instead he opted for a friendly manner of speech. ¡®I¡¯m presuming this is the first time you¡¯ve ever been brought outside for training, right?¡¯ Gin said followed by more disgruntled words of agreement. ¡®Well, I brought everyone here for some sparring training. After each spar, I would like you to go to over to the man over there.¡¯ Gin pointed to a man covered in stone. He had long dark hair and porous white skin that secreted an even whiter substance. He had a pen and paper in hand and nodded at Gin upon his introduction. ¡®His name is Michal. He¡¯s a stone elemental and will be in charge in making your armour. He will ask for measurements and what type of armour you need. But I think that¡¯s all for now so let¡¯s get started with the sparring!¡¯ The battalion began to talk amongst themselves. The main topic of interest was ¡®what is sparring?¡¯. Gin sighed a breath of annoyance. It seemed that, even within Squadron W, sparring was an uncommon practise. Why did Alder only spar with Gin and not teach it to the others in his battalion? Gin thought it was best to expel the confusion. ¡®It seems that no one knows what sparring is. I¡¯ll be honest with you here. I find it weird that training, sparring and any other form of improving one¡¯s battle prowess, apart from when you are raised in the MBP, is unknown to most. Are we not in times of war? If so, shouldn¡¯t we strive to be the best, even during adulthood? Of course, the MBP has told us that we can¡¯t improve once we hit adulthood. But with my relatively unorthodox methods, we will dispel that notion and reach new heights! But that¡¯s not what you want as an answer, I¡¯m sure. To explain what sparring is one thing, but to show its effects is another. Whether I liked it or not, you¡¯ve seen me on the side-lines each training session with Alder. I don¡¯t know why he did it, but I presumed it was to prepare for the moment I took over as battalion leader. I spent each session monitoring each and every one of you. I put together everyone¡¯s strengths and weaknesses in my mind. If we looked at the overall stats of everyone, I would lose to each of you. But I really want to show you why I support my methods. Therefore, I will fight everyone in a one v one. Sound impossible? Well, let¡¯s see. First on the list is Emily Blunt. Would you step forward.¡¯ A chubby woman stepped up. She had holes in the palm of her pale-skinned hands and the sags of skin seemed wobble with every step. She found it hard to walk, but Gin patiently waited for her to get to a large square-shaped open space he had set up as the arena. The boundaries were marked by engravings in the dust. The rest of the battalion gathered around while Gin and Emily faced each other. ¡®The rules are simple. Your aim is to knock me out, or even kill me. I, on the other hand, have to be in a position to assure my victory. You can¡¯t go out of the make-shift arena as well. Understand? Gin explained, with Emily nodding in agreement. ¡®Then let¡¯s begin. I¡¯ll have the rest look at learn.¡¯ Gin beckoned Emily to begin. He saw that she was nervous. It was probably her first time fighting someone so it was only natural. She was also an E ranked water elemental, so he didn¡¯t expect her to have much confidence in her abilities. But despite all that she raised her hands at aimed straight at Gin who just grinned in return. He knew what she wanted to do. He was just a melee ranged Xernim user, after all. How hard could beating him be? Shields. The branches grew and activated the shield INS. Gin used them to immediate effect as Emily fired a jet of water right at him. He deflected the water out of harm¡¯s way. If it hit him directly, a small hole in his stomach would have been expected. Gin then made his move, rushing at Emily. She panicked and aimed both her arms at him, firing piercing streams. Gin ran in a circle around her, avoiding the water in the process. His speed outpaced her aim and she couldn¡¯t keep up. Gin watched her as he ran. Her sags of flesh seemed to deplete and when they looked to be gone altogether, he changed directions and charged straight at her. Emily thought this was her chance and tried to send a large blast of water at him but it was futile. Barely anything came out of her hands. She had used all her water reserves and before she knew it, Gin had a blade at her neck. ¡®As you can see, I win that,¡¯ he said. ¡®Now here¡¯s the part where I tell you where you can improve, and use what I say to improve yourself in the future.¡¯ Emily was usually quiet anyway, but for some reason she felt especially speechless as Gin lowered the blade. The best she could do in response was nod again. ¡®I want everyone to listen up. It will help you in your future battles as well as give you ideas on your battle techniques,¡¯ Gin continued. ¡®Emily here is a water elemental. When facing her I realised that the bloated skin she had the beginning seemed to deflate during our spar. I figured this out ages ago but those sags of skin are probably her water supply, right? Once that seemed to run out, I went for the finishing move with success. I didn¡¯t rush things. If I did, I was sure to get hurt. Now Emily, my advice to you is that you need to be more conservative in your water usage. Use it when you¡¯re sure to do damage or if you aim to move them to a certain location. You just continued your assault while I just ran in circles. There was a lot of wastage. If in battle you run out of water, you become useless and a hinderance to us. Do I make myself clear?¡¯ She took everything into account, smiled meekly and nodded once more at Gin. It seemed that Gin got a loyal follower in his new ideas. One down, roughly a hundred to go, Gin thought. ¡®Now, the rest of you will probably still have doubts and thought that I fixed that. So, like I said, I will take the rest of you on. Emily, go to Michal. Next up is Samuel Smith.¡¯ Gin went through the same process again. Fight, win, and give advice at the end. With each fight, he gained another person who looked up to him. They were going to get stronger as a result and Gin was going to enjoy engineering that. By the thirtieth spar, Gin¡¯s large pool of stamina began to show signs of reaching its limit. His movements were slower. His reactions weren¡¯t as sharp as before. He started getting hit and as he won his sixtieth match, he was covered in cuts, bruises and maybe even a bone or two. But he soldiered on. The adrenaline that flowed through him carried him through the pain. His desire to make his battalion accept him allowed Gin to speak and give advice with a smile. With just less than twenty to go, his battalion stopped him from continuing. Their hearts were won by their new leader. They didn¡¯t want him to over exert himself, telling him to rest. Gin accepted gleefully and collapsed to the ground. He wondered what he was going to do for the next training session. **** Gin woke up to the sight of Joan. He was propped up on her lap, in a room he had never seen before. It was circular instead of the standard rectangular shape. Apart from that, and a few containers with fluids on the shelf, that Gin presumed were for medicinal purposes, the interior was similar to Gin¡¯s own room. He looked up once more to see that Joan had a needle in hand and was concentrating. Gin felt a sharp pain as the needle went through his face. ¡®Don¡¯t move. Don¡¯t talk,¡¯ Joan ordered, ¡®or you¡¯ll make me mess up.¡¯ Gin followed her instructions. He was too tired to do anything anyway. The feeling of lying on a person¡¯s lap felt nostalgic. The last time he did it was when he was a child on his mother¡¯s lap. It was nice; Apart from the pain of Joan¡¯s stitches. ¡®Ok. All done,¡¯ she said. Gin remained where he was. His eyes were closed and body relaxed. He didn¡¯t hear Joan and completely missed her look of annoyance. She waited a few more moments before giving up, and bashed him in the head with her fist. ¡®Ow! What was that for?¡¯ Gin exclaimed, getting up immediately. ¡®Everything.¡¯ ¡®Everything?¡¯ ¡®Everything.¡¯ ¡®Yeah¡­repeating the word doesn¡¯t help me understand, Joan.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re just an idiot, Gin.¡¯ ¡®Because I got injured again?¡¯ ¡®No! It¡¯s because you decide to get injured ¨C¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s what I just said.¡¯ ¡®Let me finish for goodness sake! You go and decide to do something that will obviously get yourself hurt AND you never tell me! I¡¯m your medic. You need me! Do. You. Understand. Now?¡¯ Joan shouted, tapping Gin¡¯s forehead on her final sentence. ¡®But -¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t give me the ¡®but I got Wo, I don¡¯t need you¡¯ nonsense. He does absolutely nothing. He wants you to suffer for the sake of his amusement.¡¯ Gin wanted to say something in defence, but the more he recalled his memories of Wo, the more he remembered of all the teasing, bullying and pranks he pulled on him. Even when he was being force fed mage meat, Wo stood there and enjoyed the scene. Gin realised that he couldn¡¯t defend Wo, especially to Joan¡¯s criticism. ¡®Look, Gin. What I was trying to get across to you, is that I want you to tell me what you plan to do. I know how stubborn you are. I know how much you strive for self-improvement. I know how annoying it must feel for you to not be a mage. Why else would you decide to get a Xernim? But I just want to be there when you overdo it. Yeah, I don¡¯t approve of half the things you do. I also have this feeling you just don¡¯t want me telling you not to do this or that. So, I won¡¯t. I will just be your support and when you get hurt, I will treat you on the spot, so you don¡¯t have to come to be bleeding like this time. Or any time for that matter.¡¯ ¡®How did I get here, wherever I am?¡¯ Gin asked, processing what Joan had just said. ¡®You¡¯re in my room. Some people from your battalion brought you here. I guess your self-abuse paid off this time. They seemed worried, wondering when you would be available for sparring again.¡¯ Gin breathed a sigh of relief. That confirmed their trust in him. They also wanted to spar again so they liked his new method of training. The only thing Gin had forgot to do was ask Michal how the armour was doing. He could do that later. For now, he wanted to rest. The training session took a greater toll than he had anticipated. The high he felt during it, crashed down into the draining low he had now. But before giving into his body¡¯s desire, he wanted to ascertain one more thing. ¡®Do you really mean it when you said you won¡¯t tell me what to do?¡¯ Gin asked. ¡®Mmm. Probably not. I¡¯ll show my frustration here and there, but I couldn¡¯t stop you even if I wanted to. Alder¡¯s gone too so I can¡¯t use him like last time. Remember to eat your meat rations!¡¯ ¡®Yes. Yes. I guess that¡¯s as good a deal as I¡¯ll get with you. Mind if I sleep now?¡¯ Gin asked as he lay down on the ground. ¡®Sure. Make sure you recover properly. I¡¯ll just go rest in your room. I have the keys.¡¯ ¡®Of course you do,¡¯ Gin remarked before going to sleep. Chapter 9: The Prisoner The Prisoner, the experimenter and the MBP The ship swayed from side to side, the waves crashed into the wooden hull of the vessel and the rain pattered on the deck. The wind roared the boat forwards while the sun¡¯s light failed to pierce the ship, leaving Jack to lie in pitch black. He had woken up a while ago and felt around in the darkness. The floor was covered with straw and above him was a low-lying ceiling. Surrounding him were metal bars, with gaps too small to escape through. He knew he was traveling on water as the nauseating he felt gave it away. The growls and brays of animals surrounded the room. Just where was he being taken? There were also some moans, a few screams and manic laughter. Jack felt something wet trickle beneath him. He moved to the back of the cage as, combined with the putrid smell that fill the room, he was sure it wasn¡¯t anything sanitary. ¡®Ugh. Another one? Damned Eurasian scum,¡¯ a voice said from above. Jack heard the footsteps from behind him. It grew in loudness until it stopped, right beside him. He saw the silhouette of a person feeling the floor. Jack could hear the faint splashing of a liquid followed by a slurping sound. ¡®Yep. Another one¡¯s gone. Oi! Come help carry him out,¡¯ the same voice said. Another pair of footsteps made its way beside Jack¡¯s cage. Jack listened, as the screeching of a metal cage being dragged along the boards, echoed across the room. The animals howled in response. Jack drowned the sound out instead. His body felt heavy. His mind was fatigued. He curled himself up into a ball. He didn¡¯t want to think about what was in store for him. As the day (or night; Jack couldn¡¯t tell) went on, Jack¡¯s eyesight adjusted to the darkness. It wasn¡¯t perfect, though. Half time the time, what Jack thought he saw was just his mind playing tricks on him. The mages looked like animals and the animals looked like mages. The treatment was the same, however, so in the end the distinction wasn¡¯t needed. All were covered in urine and faeces and all were slaves to the masters of the ship. Occasionally, these very masters would grace the prisoners with their presence. Jack could tell who they were by the greenish glow of their eyes. It was like a firefly dancing in the night, as the person bobbed up and down in his walk. The prisoners, Jack included, were like frogs staring at them. Rightfully so, as them being below deck only meant one thing: food. The food wasn¡¯t anything to be excited about. It came in small bowls, with a form of gruel slopped messily inside. It tasted horrible, but as the only source of nourishment, Jack forced it down with his bare hands. In his weakened state and without utensils, the gruel dripped to the floor whenever Jack ate. The stains never got cleaned nor did the bowl. This routine continued for weeks. At some point, the howls and moans coming from all the other prisoners were drowned out. Either that or the prisoners all died out. The shouts of ¡®another one gone¡¯ followed by the screeching of cages moving mingled with the other sounds. How many were there at the beginning? How many will remain? All Jack knew was that he was alive. That was what mattered. He had to survive. He didn¡¯t know why, but his desire to live was so strong that he had completely forgot about Esper. **** A loud clanging against the bars of the cages jolted Jack up. The animals chorused in response, while what¡¯s left of the other prisoners groaned. The source of the clanging came from several pairs of glowing eyes. Jack counted at least a dozen, more than double the usual amount. They separated into several sections of the floor, hitting the bars of the cages, making sure everyone was awake. ¡¯Fifty-two animals, twenty-seven humans,¡¯ Jack heard from one of the glowing eyes. ¡®Not bad of a turnout this time,¡¯ said another. It appeared they had finished their area and began a conversation. ¡®The one the boss wanted alive?¡¯ ¡®One of them, yes.¡¯ ¡®Which one?¡¯ ¡®The chameleon.¡¯ ¡®That weakling? Oh well. Just bring him out for transfer.¡¯ Jack acted as if he heard nothing as one of them stared into his cage. A jangling of keys, followed by the creaking of the cage opening, and the eyes edged closer to him. A smell Jack hadn¡¯t smelt for ages filled his nostrils. It was fresh; a delightful scent of tree bark and leaves. It reminded him of Eurasia. ¡®You¡¯re coming with me. Guard, make sure he doesn¡¯t escape¡¯ Jack said nothing in response but got suddenly pinned down. Some hard metal got wrapped around his wrists, binding the two hands together. He feebly tried to move his hands free, but the bindings only gripped tighter. Jack was weak. He always was, relying on others to help finish the job. An arm grabbed the nape of Jack¡¯s neck. It pulled him out of the cage, where another person gripped onto his arms, leading him towards a staircase. He tripped several times along the way. His legs didn¡¯t want to cooperate. It was like being a baby, learning how to take its first steps all over again. How many weeks was he sitting for, making his legs inactive in the process? Somebody tutted in disgust. By the tightening grip of his hold, Jack could tell that the guard was also restless at his uselessness. It took one more tumble to the floor before the guard roared angrily. He swept Jack off the floor and hurled him over his shoulders. Jack was too weak to tense his stomach, as the collision between him and the guard caused Jack to vomit. ¡®Oh, you got to kidding me!¡¯ complained the guard. ¡®Eurasians are the worst. I should have killed him while he was still in the cage.¡¯ ¡®You can¡¯t do that,¡¯ replied another, walking beside him. ¡®The boss wanted them alive but the other failed to make it. We¡¯d be used for one of the boss¡¯ experiments if we brought nothing.¡¯ ¡®Ugh. I hate it when you¡¯re right. Get the door for me.¡¯ The second guard took a few quick steps up the stairs and pushed against a wooden hatch. A stream of light burst through, blinding Jack momentarily. His head writhed in pain, his eyes felt like they were burning, his body hit by a wave of heat. Once his eyes adjusted the light, Jack surveyed his surroundings. His movements were impaired and vision limited, only able to see what was in front: a vast ocean without land in sight. The water sparkled in the sunlight, but what surprised Jack the most was how clear it was. The wildlife and seabed, beneath the surface of the ocean, were completely visible, as if he was looking at thin air. It was a huge contrast to the murky waters of Eurasia.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. As Jack moved, courtesy of the guard, the ship¡¯s top deck came into view. It felt out of place. The filthiness of the ship ruined the image Jack had a few moments ago. It had smears of red, black and yellow. The stench of the ship battled with the perfume-like smell of the ocean. It was a form of art, in its own way. ¡®Oh! That him?!¡¯ a man shouted in delight. ¡®Yes, boss.¡¯ ¡®Put him down. I want to inspect him. You can go get the others afterwards.¡¯ Jack was hurled to the deck of the ship. He felt something soft squelch beneath his head. Jack grimaced at the thought of what it was. His legs felt weak and arms were heavy. In his current state, he just wanted to bathe in the sunlight, so he just closed his eyes. ¡®You¡¯re not dying on me, are you?¡¯ Jack opened his eyes again to find a child, no older than fourty, looming over him. The boy had pale white skin, dark blonde shoulder-length hair and freckles on his face. What¡¯s he doing outside of the MBP? Jack wondered. ¡®Oi! Can you speak?¡¯ the boy asked. Jack didn¡¯t feel the need to reply to a child. He had lost interest anyway, so he closed his eyes once more. It didn¡¯t last long as he got slapped awake. The child looked angry this time. It wasn¡¯t intimidating in any shape or form. In fact, it actually looked quite cute with his plump cheeks that puffed out. Was Jack ever like that? Jack smiled at the thought. Oh, how eighty years changes the way you look! ¡®Not one to talk, are you? Were you like at birth or did you lose it along the way? Are you a bestial stealth type or a chameleon type? Oooo so many wonderful things to find out! Alfred, carry him!¡¯ ¡®Yes, sire,¡¯ a man in a black and white suit said, picking Jack up. It was the first time Jack saw this attire. What type of mage was he? Alfred¡¯s grey hair and wrinkled face didn¡¯t give anything away. He wrapped Jack around his shoulder just like the guard did. ¡®Alfred. Has my 4DS charged yet?¡¯ the boy asked. ¡®Yes. The PS8 is also ready¡¯ ¡®Finally! Do you know how fucking long the journey is? I need my FFVC and AC9, otherwise the trip goes to sh-¡¯ ¡®Please watch your language, sire. However, I concur that it was quite the trek.¡¯ ¡®All worth it now that I got several more beauties like this one!¡¯ the boy said tapping on Jack. ¡®Indeed, sire.'' ¡®Turn him around. I want to sit on his lap!¡¯ ¡®Certainly.¡¯ As Alfred flipped Jack into a sitting position on his shoulder like a ragdoll, Jack wondered what they were talking about. There were words he had never heard about. Their interactions were strange too. Surely there was no way that child was the grown man¡¯s superior, right? However, the respect the man gave the child, and the way the child ordered him, suggested that was the case. The fact that Alfred bent down, allowing the boy to clamber onto him and on Jack¡¯s lap, cemented the idea. ¡®Let¡¯s go already!¡¯ the boy shouted impatiently. Jack heard the gushing of water. The boat began to sink, along with the water level, to reveal an orange-yellow wall extending to as far as the eyes could see. It protected the continents from getting flooded, while acted as defence at the same time. Jack knew they existed in Eurasia, but did the continents have them too? Just where on Earth was he? The ship tilted forwards and began to move, along with the flow of the water, into the wall. The brightness quickly disappeared into darkness when they were inside. Jack braced for darkness but was shocked at how bright the insides were. Inside the walls was a tunnel, with a stream in the middle and pathways either side it. The walls were also lit up, not with torches that Jack was used to, but of glass and a glowing metal that shone a bright white. The new experiences didn¡¯t stop as someone handed the boy a metallic box. He opened it and pressed a button with a strange symbol on it. It looked like a ¡®U¡¯ with an ¡®I¡¯ in the middle. Immediately, some images popped out from the inside of the box. The images seemed to move, in accordance to the child¡¯s button pressing. The images took the appearance of a man in a white hooded jacket, killing others. Why was it doing that? Jack didn¡¯t understand. Was this the power of a new type of mage? Maybe, but Jack couldn¡¯t help but be mesmerised by it. His trance was broken when the ship halted to a stop. Jack heard an anchor being dropped into the stream as Alfred began to move, carrying both Jack and the boy in the process. They went down a plank that extended down to the pathway, beside the stream. There was a pad with numbered buttons on the walls. The child closed the box, handing it to Alfred, jumped down from Jack¡¯s lap, and pressed them in a certain order. A hidden door slid open, leading to an area where the walls, floor and ceilings was made of stainless steel. Compared to Squadron W¡¯s Rezah and the stone homes he used to live in, it all felt unnatural. Some guards carried cages containing animals and humans. These were the people Jack lived with the past few weeks. They looked filthy but it made Jack conscious of his own appearance. He was no better. His clothes were ragged, covered in blood and vomit, and his limbs looked like twigs. ¡®Hurry up, Alfred!¡¯ ¡®Yes, sire.¡¯ The child climbed onto Jack¡¯s lap once more and the trio headed down the metallic hallway. There were more glass lights but of several colours. They were placed over doors, but with no signs on them Jack couldn¡¯t tell what was behind them. In the end, they went through a door with a green light above it. Jack saw a lot of people, dressed in white coats, busy writing something down on paper. There were also several large glass cylinders, with people inside them. Some looked lie they were in pain while others stared blankly. They all had masks on and the bodies floated in liquids. Jack suddenly realised what was the earlier discussion was about. He felt fear. He squirmed and wriggled, trying to get free, but Alfred¡¯s grip was too tight and the bindings on his arms were too tough to break. He didn¡¯t want to be an experiment. He didn¡¯t want to go become a lifeless body at the mercy of these people. ¡®Place him in container LZ-one after preparations,¡¯ the child ordered. The boy jumped off, signalled to a few of the white coated men who prepared a few injections. They stabbed Jack with the needles, injecting some sort of serum into Jack¡¯s veins. His will to escape dropped and his body drooped as it became weaker than it was before. He couldn¡¯t move at all, which allowed the people to change his clothes into thin garments. If he looked pathetic before, he was a complete joke now. Alfred took Jack to one of the cylinders. After opening the glass door, Jack was placed inside with a mask, connected to a hollow tube, attached onto his face. Air funnelled through the tube, forcing him to take it in. It smelt fresh but Jack could tell something else was mixed within it. Alfred closed the door before activating a switch on the side. A greenish liquid began to flow into the cylinder. It was cold to touch. The garments began to absorb the liquid, making it bulge. As more of the liquid began to flow into the cylinder, Jack began to float, with the help of his new clothes. It wasn¡¯t long before the whole container was filled. Jack bobbed up and down within the liquid. He was now one of the others. He was one of those who stared blankly, as if his body was a lifeless vessel. He was helpless. All he was allowed to do was think and look at what was in front of him. ¡®Welcome to my Mage Breeding Programme a.k.a the MBP! I am Bastion East and I will be your supervisor. Please enjoy your stay because this will be your new home,¡¯ the boy said, grinning at Jack with enthusiastic eyes. He seemed to have an important role despite looking so young. Just what was he? Jack thought ¡®Now where shall we start?¡¯ Bastion continued. ¡®You¡¯re a special one. According to my sources, you can camouflage and change your appearances to an extent. Amazing capabilities you have there, but here¡¯s the catch! You¡¯re only an E rank. How is that possible? My ranking system is highly accurate. You should be able to do what you do, so what gives? Do you have a mutation that only occurs during adulthood? Or maybe there¡¯s a fault with the system? What makes you tick? Oh, there are so many questions to ask and so many answers to find out!¡¯ Bastion couldn¡¯t hold his excitement as he jumped up and down in delight. He mumbled some numbers off the tip of his tongue before nodding to himself. ¡®Oh, I know! Let¡¯s fix that speech disability you have. Elise! Come!¡¯ Bastion called. He was annoyingly loud, but no one dared to correct him. ¡®Yes sir?¡¯ a skinny woman with long dark hair answered. ¡®Carry experiment fifty-seven on this one.¡¯ ¡®Certainly.¡¯ The woman jotted something down, glancing up sometimes to make sure she got it down properly. ¡®Why are you still here?¡¯ Bastion asked. ¡®Shoo.¡¯ ¡®Oh, er, I was just putting down the test subject¡¯s number down.¡¯ ¡®Does it look like I give a damn what you¡¯re doing?¡¯ ¡®Excuse me?¡¯ ¡®Does. It. Look. Like. I. Give. A. Damn? Stupid woman.¡¯ Elise looked scared and scurried away. She didn¡¯t want to be victim of her boss¡¯ whims. Bastion, on the other hand, didn¡¯t care who¡¯s involved. As long as his curiosity is sated, the people he used didn¡¯t matter. That was his philosophy. That and the desire to entertain himself. ¡®That reminds me,¡¯ Bastion said, ¡®Is the Blu-ray ready, Alfred?¡¯ ¡®Yes. Which movie would you like to watch today?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m in the mood for the eleventh transformers movie.¡¯ ¡®I shall prepare it straight away, sire.¡¯ Bastion was ecstatic. Even more than usual. New experiments and a good movie to watch later on. What more could a guy wish for? Chapter 10: Making the Useless Useful Making the Useless Useful Gin pointed the gun at the tree. He made sure his aim was perfect, his hands steady. He wrapped his fingers around the ins and into the chambers. This time he was going to hit the mark. He slowly pressed the button inside the first chamber. Bang! The sound echoed around the room. Gin looked at the tree once more, only to feel dejected as it remained unscathed. ¡®Wow! How bad can you get?!¡¯ exclaimed an amused Wo. ¡®For fu-¡¯ ¡®Language, Gigi.¡¯ ¡®For Fudge sake then. I can aim all I like, but the moment I pull the trigger, the gun goes all over the place. The recoil hits too hard.¡¯ ¡®Or maybe you just suck.¡¯ Wo took the gun INS off Gin and aimed at the tree. He acted like he wasn¡¯t even trying as he activated the mechanism. The shot was perfect as the bullet hit the target right in the centre, piercing the tree. ¡®Screw you, Wo.¡¯ ¡®Get good.¡¯ ¡®Ugh. You never cease to annoy me,¡¯ Gin said, as he went to another tree and began making another target with his blades. ¡®It¡¯s fun. Anyway, you should stick to blade boxing. The gun''s not for you.¡¯ ¡®But I need to improve my arsenal. Can¡¯t rely on my blades all the time.¡¯ ¡®What happened to the fire mode you used to have on your old sword?¡¯ ¡®Ran out of oil. I haven¡¯t been back home in ages to pick up more¡¯ ¡®So? Just ask one of the fire elementals to give you some of theirs. It¡¯s not like they run out permanently.¡¯ Gin stopped, staring at Wo in surprise. It never occurred that there was an alternative right in front of him. Of course, he needed the right type of oil but, with the amount of fire elemental type mages in the squadron, it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult. The revelation put Gin¡¯s mind into overdrive. He had a sudden realisation that it didn¡¯t have to stop at fire elementals. He could use several different mages to advance his research; to widen his capabilities; to make him stronger. ¡®Not a bad idea, Wo. Guess you can be useful every once in a while.¡¯ ¡®¡®Every once in a while¡¯?¡¯ Wo replied, charging Gin and catching him off guard before he put him in a head lock. ¡®Go on. Tell me how great I am!¡¯ ¡®Ow! You¡¯re just a coward who needs his bacteria to fight,¡¯ Gin retorted. ¡®Says the xernim user!¡¯ The pair collapsed to the floor and began laughing. Despite the trouble he causes, Wo was a good friend in Gin¡¯s opinion. Maybe it wasn¡¯t so surprising considering how close Wo was with Gin¡¯s father too. Like father like son, Gin mused. The thought of his father made him want to go back to his village someday. But that train of thought got derailed when he heard someone call his name. ¡®Looks like you¡¯re needed, Gigi. I¡¯ll stay here while we wait for the nanobots to go back in the INS,¡¯ Wo said. ¡®Alright,¡¯ Gin replied. Waiting for the nanobots to dissipate and return to the INS was always a chore, especially for bullets. He left the gun with Wo and headed out to answer the call. It was a confused Brim. Gin could tell what he wanted. ¡®Ah! Gin! There you are,¡¯ he called.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡®What¡¯s wrong, Brim?¡¯ Gin answered. ¡®It¡¯s about the new members of our battalions.¡¯ ¡®Yeah. I had a feeling it was going to be something along those lines. What¡¯s the issue?¡¯ ¡®They¡¯re F ranks. They¡¯re the worst of the worst and you want them in our battalion!¡¯ ¡®They have their uses.¡¯ ¡®They¡¯re useful? Really? You didn¡¯t skip on eating your meat rations again, right?¡¯ ¡®I get the feeling it¡¯s the prejudice you gained from the MBP that¡¯s telling you this. Remember, we are a battalion. Not a group of individuals. And no, I don¡¯t miss out on my meat rations. Joan makes sure I have them.¡¯ ¡®I have no idea what you mean.¡¯ ¡®Maybe it¡¯s best if I show you.¡¯ Gin led Brim outside. It was hot like usual. The sun had just past its zenith and was overbearing. Gin looked at Brim¡¯s expression. It was obvious he wasn¡¯t an outdoor person. He even grunted in annoyance as sand blew into his eyes. Gin heard Brim murmuring, ¡®This better be worth it,¡¯ which confirmed the idea ¡®Look out!¡¯ The pair looked up. Hurtling towards was a massive ball of fire. They jumped out of the way but blobs of oil ended up splattered across the ground. The blobs were still burning even after crashing into the ground. Luckily neither of them got hurt. Gin looked over his shoulders to see Brim in utter disbelief. Another easy believer in the regime, Gin thought. ¡®What was that?!¡¯ Brim exclaimed. ¡®That, my friend is the power of the mages you called ¡®useless¡¯ a while ago.¡¯ ¡®No way! A fireball of that size? That¡¯s got to be a rank S fire elemental at least!¡¯ ¡®Can you see a group of people in the distance?¡¯ Gin asked. Brim squinted. Roughly one kilometre away were four mages, with one being significantly larger than the others. They seemed to be happy and were congratulating each other. Were they the ones that caused the fireball? No, that can¡¯t be right. What low ranked fire elemental had a range like that? ¡®The big one¡¯s the fire elemental that threw the fireball, right?¡¯ Brim said, still reluctant to believe the truth. ¡®Well, you¡¯re half right. Let¡¯s go over to them.¡¯ As Gin and Brim got closer, the group of people noticed them. They were brimming with excitement, and began running towards their leader. All except the big on, that is. He trudged along slowly. His size and notably large hands weighed him down, limiting his movements. ¡®Leader! Leader! Did you see that?¡¯ a woman with rough skin exclaimed excitedly. ¡®Yes. You almost hit us as well,¡¯ Gin responded. ¡®Oh, er Sorry,¡¯ a timid, man with slimy skin that glistened under the sun, said. ¡®yeah. Our bad. We didn¡¯t expect to go that far,¡¯ a different slimy skinned mage said. ¡®You see,¡¯ Gin commented, turning to Brim, ¡®all four of these mages, including the big guy, are F ranks yet they managed to produce such a powerful fireball. In a battlefield, they would be a great asset.¡¯ ¡®But they¡¯re F ranks!¡¯ Everyone looked unimpressed at Brim. He saw what they just did. He¡¯s seen Gin¡¯s other methods working. He knows the MBP isn¡¯t always right (Gin¡¯s victory over him in the spar was still fresh in Brim¡¯s memory). Yet, Brim still didn¡¯t trust Gin when he said the F ranks could be useful. ¡®Look,¡¯ Gin said at last. ¡®One of the slimy skinned can produce oil but can¡¯t light it up. The other one can do both but doesn¡¯t have fire resistant skin. He¡¯d burn up if he lit his hands up. The rough-skinned woman can light a fire without burning herself up. Finally, the big guy with large hands over there, that¡¯s slowly making his way to us, he¡¯s fire resistant and has incredible strength but is extremely slow. All of them are F ranks!¡¯ ¡®I still don¡¯t get it,¡¯ Brim responded, causing Gin to sigh in disbelief. ¡®Alone, they aren¡¯t useful to us but, as a group, they are a strength to our battalion. In short, the men pour oil into the big guy¡¯s hands, the woman lights it up and then the big guy flings it at the enemy. Larger sized and larger ranged fireballs than any individual could manage,¡¯ Gin explained with the group nodding in agreement. ¡®uh huh,¡¯ Brim said trying to process the idea. ¡®That¡¯s actually amazing. Guess when the MBP taught us that the low ranked were trash, we took it to heart.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been trying to tell you! Just like that we gained three-hundred or so more soldiers in our squadron. But anyway, good work you guys. Keep up with the practise.¡¯ ¡®Yes sir!¡¯ the group shouted in unison. Brim contemplated for a moment. His views of the world and other mages were slowly being torn apart. Although most of his factual knowledge still holds true, the subjective ideologies were in question. He could see why Alder spoke so highly of Gin. Maybe it was for the best. ¡®Hey, Gin.¡¯ ¡®What¡¯s wrong, Brim?¡¯ ¡®Mind if my battalion joins yours in training? I get the feeling we could learn a lot from yours.¡¯ ¡®Finally given up on your prejudice? Sure. The more the merrier. In return you need to give me some oil every now and then.¡¯ ''What for?'' ''I want to improve my blade boxing. I need some flammable material to do so though.'' ''I don''t understand what you''re planning but ok. I''ll prepare a batch soon.'' Suddenly, Gin heard someone calling for them. Brim heard it too, and they both turned to see Emsee riding a massive Lupim, bounding towards them. The canine had brown fur, with streaks of black. Its teeth were razor sharp, its muzzle rough. ¡®Didn¡¯t know you¡¯re a utility familiar type mage, Emsee,¡¯ Gin remarked. ¡®No time for that,¡¯ she replied. ¡®Emergency meeting. All battalion leaders need to attend.¡¯ ¡®Calm down,¡¯ Brim ordered. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ ¡®The AAA have started making their move.¡¯ Chapter 11: Meeting between Battalion Leaders Meeting between Battalion Leaders ¡®So then I have some water elementals instead of fire elementals. They would then form an anti-fireball team. Add some earth elementals and we could use stones as projectiles too! I can¡¯t wait to see how they will do in the battle, Brim.¡¯ ¡®No wonder Alder spoke so highly of you, Gin. If we succeed and get promoted, we could have other types of mages joining us.¡¯ ¡®Eh? There are other types of mages?¡¯ Gin asked in confusion, causing Brim to raise an eyebrow in suspicion. ¡®Have you been living under a rock or something?¡¯ ¡®I didn¡¯t learn about other mages, when I was growing up, and squadron W is the only squadron I¡¯ve been in. My only experiences of mages are the ones in this squadron,¡¯ Gin responded, choosing his words wisely. ¡®I see,¡¯ Brim replied, accepting the twisted truth. ¡®Well anyway, some types of mages are high ranked by default. You won¡¯t see an acid elemental, or at least a living one, that is ranked D or below for example.¡¯ ¡®Wow. That just makes me want to get promoted even more. Imagine marching on the battlefield, with no vision of the enemy, and a random blob of acid falls on top of you.¡¯ ¡®errr. Alright then,¡¯ Brim said, not knowing how to respond. ¡®Hey. Don¡¯t give me that. You¡¯ve got to be a little crazy to make progress. It¡¯s something my role model told me.¡¯ ¡®If you say so. We¡¯ve arrived at the room Emsee told us to go to by the way.¡¯ Gin opened a door, letting Brim to enter the room first. Inside was a large round table. It was surrounded by roughly twenty chairs and only one of them was being used. The occupant was a man covered in so much fur that you couldn¡¯t see any skin. He wore just a pair of shorts, long enough to reach his knees. It reminded Gin of his fight with Varunel. Like him, Varunel was covered in fur. However, the man in front of him did not have Varunel¡¯s horns, nor did he have an elongated snout. Instead, his nose was short and closer to Gin¡¯s in shape. Was the fur fire resistant too? Gin wondered. ¡®Hi!¡¯ Gin greeted. ¡®I¡¯ve never seen you before. My name is Gin Gale. What¡¯s yours?¡¯ The man didn¡¯t move at all. He just shifted his eyes towards Gin, grunted in a hostile manner, before averting his eyes and crossing his arms. Gin couldn¡¯t help but feel offended. Brim could see his annoyance, so he placed a hand on Gin¡¯s shoulder and shook his head shaking his head. It wasn¡¯t worth it. Gin and Brim sat down opposite to the man. For some reason, Gin felt like the man¡¯s eyes were fixated on him. Did Gin do something wrong? Was it the way he greeted? The Xernims? The INS on his belt? Whatever it was, it was unnerving. He tried avoiding eye contact instead. However, it didn¡¯t stop the glares he got and the tuts he heard whenever he tried to talk with Brim. ¡®Do you know who that is?¡¯ Gin whispered. ¡®No. First time seeing him too,¡¯ Brim replied. The man gave a threatening growl. The two decided to stop talking, returning the awkward silence. The more the silence went on, the more Gin got agitated. He wanted to talk about mages. He wanted to talk about tactics. The inner child told him to ignore the man, but the responsible adult told him to avoid unnecessary trouble. Luckily, the door to the room swung right open, dispelling the silence. Five people entered, three of whom Gin recognised. He knew Michal, Emsee and the colonel. The other two were new to Gin. Brim seemed to know them though, as he exchanged greetings with them. One of them had the same rough, dark skin as Brim. His hair was black and braided. The other looked like a manush. She had pale white skin, average proportions (neither looking too weak nor too strong), and no defining feature that hinted at an ability. Instead, she had a tinoo resting on her shoulders. A fire elemental and a utility familiar type respectively, Gin assumed. Everyone sat down apart from Emsee, who handed out some documents. They were very detailed. The first few pages contained hand-drawn maps of the supposed battlefield. The later ones were about the battle plan. Everyone took a few minutes to skim through it before the colonel called for everyone¡¯s attention. ¡®Is everyone ready?¡¯ she asked. Brim raised his hands in response. ¡®Aren¡¯t there more battalion leaders? Shouldn¡¯t we wait for them?¡¯ ¡®You¡¯ve probably haven¡¯t read that far into the plan, have you? Basically, we¡¯ve split into two main groups. I just had a meeting with that second group, which explains my lateness. The six of you will have a different role in the battle, so your briefing will be different to the other group.¡¯ ¡®Ah. I see,¡¯ Brim understood. ¡®Maria,¡¯ Emsee whispered. ¡®I don¡¯t think everyone knows each other.¡¯ ¡®Oh, right. An introduction is called for then. The red-haired fire elemental is Brim. He¡¯s transferred from Squadron L. Other transfers from squadron L are Jake, a fire elemental, and Syndra, the utility familiar,¡¯ the colonel introduced, gesturing towards Brim and the other two mages that he was friendly with. ¡®The hairy sasquatch bestial is Rob and the child with the Xernims on his arms is called Gin. The stone elemental is Michal. Of course, you should know my second-in-command, Emsee, and myself. Just call me Maria.¡¯ With the introductions done, everyone nodded to one another. Everyone except Rob, who glared at Gin. Just what was his problem? ¡®Any other questions? No? Let¡¯s begin then. Our intel says that the AAA will send a force of roughly five-thousand. We have four-thousand. Since we¡¯re splitting into two groups, the combined strength of your battalions is two-thousand-five-hundred.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s not nearly enough!¡¯ Jake complained. ¡®That¡¯s a suicide mission. Not to mention seventy percent of this squadron is rank D or below. We wouldn¡¯t stand a chance anyway. The best course of action is to have everyone on defence, not separate into two groups.¡¯ ¡®I understand what you¡¯re trying to say, Jake. I¡¯m sure everyone has the same concerns. However, our aim is not to beat the enemy in a battle of strength. Rather, we will win by outwitting them. I¡¯ll tell you how later on. But first, we will split your group into three small teams: utility, artillery and defence. Emsee and I can¡¯t join this battle. I am A rank while, even though Emsee is E rank herself, her lupim is S rank. The MBP said her lupim isn¡¯t allowed, so Emsee is pretty much useless. The rest of you meet the requirement of being B rank and below. The utility team is composed of Michal and Syndra, with Syndra being the overall in-charge of the team. Your role is to provide backup for the other two teams. Syndra, with the other utility familiar types, will send and receive information. I¡¯m sure everyone has memorised the signals by now. Michal, on the other hand, has recently been creating armour for Gin¡¯s battalion. He will be on maintenance duty. Any questions?¡¯ ¡®No ma¡¯am!¡¯ Syndra and Michal said in unison. ¡®Good. Now for the artillery team. That would be run by Brim and Jake, with Brim in charge of that team. You job is simple. Bombard the enemy with your fireballs, rocks etcetera. Whittle them down. Give our defence team protection with your waterballs. You guys are the support.¡¯ ¡®Looks like we¡¯re working together again,¡¯ Jake commented. ¡®Looking forward to it,¡¯ Brim replied.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡®The final team is Gin and Rob. As the defence team, you are the backbone of this operation. You cannot let the enemy pass through you. With the armour and the training going on, this should be manageable. Just hold your ground and we will have a good chance of victory. And the one leading this team will be-¡¯ The colonel turned to Emsee. They whispered something to one another. A mutual nod later and Maria faced the others once more. ¡®Yup. The one leading the defence team will be Gin.¡¯ ¡®What?!¡¯ Rob exclaimed, jumping out of his seat and slamming on the table. He had been silent throughout everything, looking grudgingly at Gin. His deep, rough voice contrasted heavily with the light, authoritative speech of the colonel. ¡®Is there a problem, Rob?¡¯ ¡®That man can¡¯t be leader. He definitely can¡¯t be in charge of me! He¡¯s a low ranked, weak, inexperienced, Xernim using piece of trash. Putting him in charge just confirms the loss!¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m a piece of trash?¡¯ Gin retorted, standing up to match Rob head on. ¡®I¡¯m weak, you say? I¡¯ve faced B ranks before and won. You¡¯re probably all talk too.¡¯ ¡®Enough! Stop. Both of you,¡¯ Maria ordered. The two standing up, sat back down, eyeing each other in anger. ¡®My choice was based on several things. First of all, Gin is your senior in this squadron, Rob. He¡¯s been here for almost a year while you transferred only two weeks ago. Secondly, he is a pupil of Alder. I trust his recommendations more than I trust you. According to Alder¡¯s and my observations, Gin is great at adapting to a situation. Gin wins duels in which he would lose head on. His methods are unorthodox but it gets the job done. He¡¯s constantly coming up with ideas. The armour Michal makes, the F ranks that can now be used in the battle, increasing our fighting force by five-hundred. He holds no prejudice to the other members, which is what our squadron is based upon. His battalion holds huge respect towards him. Even our battle plan came from an unpolished idea Gin came to my office to speak about. Compared to that, you reckon he isn¡¯t leadership worthy? How about we have a vote. See if the others have the same opinion. All in favour of Rob, raise your hands. Now all in favour of Gin, raise your hands.¡¯ The vote was completely one-sided. With a vote of seven to one, Gin won. Brim, Maria, Michal and Emsee put their hands up straight away, with Syndra and Jake following soon after. Even Gin, who wasn¡¯t sure whether he was worthy of the role or not, put his hand up, without hesitation, after hearing the colonel¡¯s opinion of him. The only vote against Gin came from Rob himself. ¡®Tch,¡¯ Rob tutted. ¡®Don¡¯t disrespect your superiors like that, Rob. That includes Gin,¡¯ the colonel snapped, with Rob looking away in response. ¡®Now that¡¯s settled, let¡¯s discuss the plan. Please go to page two.¡¯ Everyone turned the pages to find a map labelled ¡®The Path¡¯. The path began at Eilat, in Israel, and ended at Suez, a town in the city of Egypt. It was the strip of land that connected Eurasia to Africa. Either side of the path was the sea and in-between the land and the sea were walls supposedly several kilometres tall. In fact, all coastlines were surrounded by the same wall. Gin found it odd. In books of the past, Gin saw maps of the exact same area. The land that connected the two continents was more than five-hundred kilometres in width. The map in front of him showed that the path was only thirty kilometres wide instead. The area, that was once land, was now water. What happened in the past to cause that? Gin wondered. ¡®All your battalions will hold the defence in Eilat,¡¯ the colonel continued. ¡®It¡¯s a four-hundred-kilometre trek from our home in Jerusalem. The AAA¡¯s barracks, in Cairo, is more than five-hundred kilometres from Eilat. Along with the fact that their army is larger, it should take them two months to reach us. On the other hand, it should take us a month and a half to reach Eilat. We will depart in ten days, so be prepared by then.¡¯ ¡®What¡¯s the plan once we get there?¡¯ Syndra asked. ¡®Defend. Unfortunately, we don¡¯t have information on what type of mages you are facing. Just don¡¯t let them through and the other group will do their job. However, if you can¡¯t stand your ground, then it¡¯s all over. Winning is one thing, but not losing is another. That¡¯s why being outnumbered isn¡¯t as much of an issue.¡¯ ¡®Then what happens?¡¯ Brim asked. ¡®The other group will do what I assigned them to do. They¡¯re leaving tomorrow morning, so that they could be prepared on time.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re avoiding telling us what the other group is going to do, aren¡¯t you?¡¯ Rob pointed out. For someone who looked like he didn¡¯t care beforehand, he suddenly got curious, Gin noticed. ¡®Indeed,¡¯ the colonel confirmed. ¡®It¡¯s actually a request from someone. Not knowing what they¡¯re doing won¡¯t hinder you, so it¡¯s irrelevant information anyway. For now, finish any last-minute training, get your battalions prepared and we will rendezvous outside the tree in about ten days. Everyone understand? Good. You¡¯re all dismissed apart from Gin.¡¯ As everyone but him got up, Gin could feel the malice intent coming from Rob. The two obviously didn¡¯t like each other. However, what annoyed Gin the most was the fact that he had done nothing to make Rob despise him in the first place! This annoyance prompted Brim to pat Gin on the shoulder. It was a supportive don¡¯t-worry-everything-will-be-fine sort of hold. Gin thought it wasn¡¯t needed (why would he fear Rob?), but it was good to know someone trusted him. ¡®I¡¯ll be honest with you, child,¡¯ the colonel started, making sure everyone had left. ¡®Your luck is incredible.¡¯ ¡®Why are you saying this all of a sudden?¡¯ Gin asked. ¡®You were, supposedly, an unranked thirty-three-year-old man that looked like he was a hundred and thirty. You had no distinct abilities and used pieces of metal that I have never heard of as your way of fighting. You got trounced in the initiation test, but got through via a technicality. You should have died, but somehow lived without a heart. Your training with Alder was complete and utter shambles. Not once did you show any skill nor composure.¡¯ ¡®Alder said I was improving though,¡¯ Gin said in defence. ¡®Your improvement was comparable to an E rank going to rank D. You lacked speed, precision and strength. You could tell why I was sceptical, when Alder said he wanted to appoint you as his replacement. Do you know his reason as well?¡¯ Gin thought for a bit before saying, ¡®Because I had potential?¡¯ ¡®No. Although he had said that at one point, the real reason was different. It¡¯s actually nonsensical now that I think about it. He wanted to appoint you as the next leader of his battalion because you accepted the Xernim.¡¯ ¡®Wow. That really is bull-¡¯ Gin said, stopping himself from swearing. ¡®I guess it¡¯s not his fault. We were in the same squadron at one point and he was always bullied for being a Xernim user. They¡¯re sort of a hated bunch. The MBP conditioned everyone to believe that the successful are those who are strong by themselves. Those who rely on parasites to be their strength are considered weak by most, even if they are stronger in a one v one.¡¯ ¡®So, what does that have to do with me?¡¯ ¡®You treated him differently. You didn¡¯t see him as a Xernim user, but as a mentor to be respected. You accepted to use Xernims by your own accord. Even though you were arrogant and rash with him, he valued you highly. He sat you out of training so that you could observe everyone else. He was preparing you for the role. I, on the other hand, didn¡¯t like the appointment. In fact, I was about to demote you as the war was coming ever closer. But then you came to me. You had ideas. You presented them to me in my office. You used something I didn¡¯t expect anyone to use: their intellect.¡¯ Gin was confused. Was that something like that so strange? Well, it was a world where people are taught to be prejudice on rank, category and squadron, Gin concluded. ¡®Is using my brain really that strange?¡¯ ¡®Look, child. That question just shows your inexperience. But yes, it is strange. All the battles I¡¯ve been involved in were just a question of who were stronger. We didn¡¯t think about how to win efficiently, it was just a contest of who could kill the other faster.¡¯ ¡®Battles of brawn rather than wit.¡¯ ¡®Exactly. Alder, my predecessor and I thought there must have been a more efficient way of using resources, so we founded this squadron. However, the MBP wouldn¡¯t give us missions and, as a result, mages stopped applying to us. The only ones who did were the low-ranked. So, when you actually came up with battle plan, I looked into your other work. I was surprised, child. Your battalion members have improved drastically, most of them are at least a rank or two higher in ability. Your project with the F rankers has come to fruition. They will become a great asset to us, for sure. Your work is what squadron W is built upon. Not only that, Joan has been enjoying her time with you as well.¡¯ ¡®She has?¡¯ Gin said in a surprised tone. ¡®Yes, child. She was actually my medic before you, but she decided to become yours.¡¯ ¡®She used to be yours? And she voluntarily decided to become mine? This is news to me. Thought she hated babysitting me.¡¯ ¡®She didn¡¯t have to do anything when she was with me. I never got injured or did anything stupid. You, on the other hand, are rash and got hurt regularly. Although she isn¡¯t the type to say it, she enjoys helping you heal. It keeps her busy. She also found a passion in cooking. I¡¯m presuming that was because of you too?¡¯ ¡®Possibly,¡¯ Gin responded, thinking back to the mage-meat meals Joan make for him. ¡®I¡¯m side tracking a bit. Essentially, if you didn¡¯t apply to this squadron, you would never have gotten a chance to join. If you didn¡¯t face Varunel, you would never have peaked my interest. If you never had contacts with Wontiferus, we would probably never have gotten this mission. If you never met Alder, you would never have been a battalion leader. If I wasn¡¯t the way I am, I might not have been so lenient with your ideas. While the other leaders needed to be B rank and battle experience, you just happened to be in the right place at the right time, doing the right things. I¡¯ll re-iterate again. Your luck is incredible. It¡¯s like a super natural power, beyond our control, is governing your fate. However, whatever the reason for your rise in power was, you have my full support.¡¯ ¡®Was the point of keeping me behind to give me this pep talk?¡¯ Gin asked, buoyed by the encouragement. ¡®haha. No, child. I actually wanted to speak to you about something else, but I sort of spoke my mind to you.¡¯ ¡®A lot of people tell me how they feel. Don¡¯t know why though. Anyway, what did you want to talk about?¡¯ ¡®I actually believe that one of you should know what the other group doing. Having no one know might lead to doubt, and a loss in morality, when things get rough.¡¯ ¡®That makes sense. What are they going to do then?¡¯ ¡®Remember the abnormality you pointed out?¡¯ ¡®In the documents I gave you?¡¯ ¡®Yes.¡¯ ¡®Oh, we¡¯re actually going to use them?¡¯ ¡®Exactly. Now let me show you how.¡¯ Chapter 12: Departure Departure Gin didn¡¯t know how to react. On Gin¡¯s bed was a pile of boxes. Each and every one of them had the same, mage-meat-filled, premade meal. On top of it all was a letter, written by Joan. The handwriting was horrendous. The words were written like they are pronounced, rather than their correct spelling. It contained instructions and warnings, ranging from how to eat the food to, in her own words, ¡°Dont you dare get badly hert or I¡¯ll kill you insted¡±. So much for her enjoying healing Gin. The rest of letter was just as bad. Did the MBP not teach grammar, or even simple punctuation? Gin wondered. Granted Gin wasn¡¯t perfect, but at least it was miles above this atrocity. Joan didn¡¯t leave peacefully either. She argued with Gin, in front of his battalion, complaining about how much work he¡¯d made them do. ¡®They need to practise or we¡¯ll be outclassed,¡¯ he said at the time. ¡®We need them healthy. I.e. not in the pathetic state you leave them in after each session,¡¯ she snapped back. ¡®They won¡¯t be efficient if they ease up on the training.¡¯ ¡®They won¡¯t be efficient if they get injured pointlessly.¡¯ ¡®There¡¯s a point in practise!¡¯ ¡®There¡¯s a point in resting, too!¡¯ There was no chance of winning against her, so Gin conceded. He didn¡¯t believe he was wrong. It was just that Joan put out valid arguments. There¡¯s a difference. Almost all of the medics, Joan included, were part of the other group that left the day before, which made the decision final. It was only a matter of time till Gin¡¯s group left Jerusalem as well. Gin equipped his Xernims with blades and shields, loaded his belt with the INS, and put on the stone chest plate Michal made for him. It was surprisingly light despite its looks. There were heavier versions but Gin wanted his mobility, so opted out of those. Luckily Michal¡¯s battalion finished the armour on time. Each set was unique from individual to individual. The water elementals, for example, had flexible material on the inside to accommodate their stretching bodies. The fire elementals had various holes on their handguards to allow oil flow and to let their finger ignite the fuel. The bestials varied between light and heavy armour, depending on their strength, size and preference. Compared to what everyone wore before (leather and Rezah bark), the armour was a major improvement in terms of defence. ¡®You in there Gigi?¡¯ ¡®Yeah. Co-¡¯ Wo barged in without letting Gin finish. He carried two small capsules in his hands, giving both to Gin. They had a ¡®do not use unless emergency¡¯ label on them. Gin had a feeling he knew what they were but had to make sure. ¡®What are these?¡¯ he asked. ¡®The last of your nanobot-boosters.¡¯ ¡®Thought so. Are they really what¡¯s left?¡¯ ¡®We didn¡¯t bring that many when we fled the village. I had to use two when you were in a coma as well. We didn¡¯t even bring the machine that makes them with us. If something similar happens again, you¡¯ll only be able to recover once. Get another fatal injury after that and you probably won¡¯t live.¡¯ ¡®All the more reason for us to go back to my village.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll ask the colonel to allow a side mission once your battle is done.¡¯ ¡®Does she know?¡¯ ¡®That you¡¯re a manush? No. That¡¯s our secret. Everyone would hate you if they found out. Can¡¯t have that now, can we?¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re awfully serious today. I would have expected you to joke about telling everyone.¡¯ ¡®Gen would be rolling in his grave if I ever caused you serious harm.¡¯ ¡®Instead you send his son to war.¡¯ ¡®Meh. Better than dying of starvation and dehydration, in the desert.¡¯ ¡®Haha, maybe. Oh. I should get going. We need to do our final checks.¡¯ ¡®Good luck, Gigi. Win one for Eurasia, even if this is a low-level clash.¡¯ ¡®Will do. By the way, where¡¯s the colonel? Haven¡¯t seen her yet.¡¯ ¡®She went and took some of the A ranks and above towards Squadron M¡¯s base. She said she needed to get something.¡¯ ¡®Huh. I wanted to ask her about something.¡¯ ¡®Save it for after you¡¯ve won. You should be going anyway, Gigi.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s true. It was nice to have a decent conversation with you for once.¡¯ ¡®Hey. I¡¯m not that bad!¡¯ ¡®Sure you aren¡¯t,¡¯ Gin replied sarcastically. Gin placed the nano-boosters in an INS-sized container and fitted that on his belt. With that done, he was ready. All that¡¯s left was to make sure the others were in the same boat. The walk was relatively quiet. Half of the squadron had already left, while the rest were waiting outside. There were a few still inside, hurrying to get things ready. He saw new breeds of mage amongst those few. The general trait they had was that their skin looked layered and flaky, as if to fall off any moment. There was nothing to suggest any offensive capabilities nor any defensive ones.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The odd one out was a ¡®petite¡¯ man. ¡®Petite¡¯ as he was still taller than Gin, (who had now accustomed to judge mages relative to other mages, rather than his manush standards). It was just that he was small for a mage at seven feet. Despite his (relatively) small stature, he was covered a stone exoskeleton that stuck to her body, akin to Alder¡¯s Xernim, that made him sturdier than most. A new type of stone elemental? Why hadn¡¯t he seen these mages before? Those mages weren¡¯t the only firsts for Gin. Outside the rezah were several wooden carts and caravans, lined up and filled with food, water and material. Each was assigned a lupim; smaller that Emsee¡¯s but were packed with more muscle to carry the carts. Gin thought it was strange. The mages were so prideful in their own abilities that the thought of using vehicles, even if they¡¯re as basic as a cart, was something he didn¡¯t expect. Maybe mages thought using animals don¡¯t count, Gin thought. The way the mages used technology made it seem like anything made in the last three-thousand years didn¡¯t exist. It would have been a different story had Gin showed them the cars from his village. The mages probably would have rejected them straight away. There were tinoos flying overhead, going around in circles. All of them had red plumes, and eyes that that lit up under the dark before the dawn. Their formation signalled that everyone was to stay put. It was a matter of time before they change their flight pattern. ¡®Gin! You ready?¡¯ Brim called out, as he finished talking with members from his battalion. ¡®Yeah,¡¯ Gin replied. ¡®How long left till we leave?¡¯ ¡®Still a few more days. Most of the combatants are ready, though,¡¯ Brim said, indicating to the battalions standing in a half-hearted square formation. ¡®We¡¯re just getting our supplies loaded now. Want to help out?¡¯ ¡®Maybe later. My battalion is probably waiting for me.¡¯ ¡®Suit yourself. Your battalion is next to the caravans anyway. Might as well accompany me.¡¯ Gin nodded in agreement. After letting Brim have a few final words with his battalion, the headed towards the caravans. The usual items, like jugs of water, fruit, meat and tents, were loaded into them. However, what caught Gin¡¯s eyes were the same, flaky-skinned mages, whom he saw in the rezah, boarding them as well. Alongside them was another new type of mage Gin had never seen before. Their body was covered by some sort of shrubbery and branches. ¡®Who are they?¡¯ Gin asked. ¡®Those guys? Oh, they¡¯re our food,¡¯ brim replied. ¡®Eh?¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t seen the utility farmer types before?¡¯ ¡®They¡¯re the farmers?!¡¯ ¡®Why are you so surprised? Why did you expect?¡¯ ¡®People with a plot of land and tools,¡¯ Gin said, raising Brim¡¯s eyebrow. ¡®I don¡¯t even want to know where you get these ideas. But no. The flabby ones provide us with the meat, and the ones with the bushes grow fruits on their body.¡¯ The thought, that even the fruits were tainted by the mages, made Gin feel queasy. Did that count as cannibalism? He already tried to boycott the meat, but now he didn¡¯t know if the vegetarian food was safe to eat either. Both the meat and plants tasted amazing and he was assured they were good for his health too. There wasn¡¯t a reason not to eat them. Why did it still feel so wrong? Gin wondered. ¡®Alright. This is where we part ways,¡¯ Brim said. ¡®You¡¯re free to come and help out after you¡¯re done.¡¯ ¡®Sure,¡¯ Gin replied. ¡®Oh! Forgot to give you this.¡¯ Brim handed Gin over several cuboid-shaped stone containers. Gin opened one and smelt the distinct aroma of a mage¡¯s oil. Just what Gin had asked for! It was only a matter of time before he incorporated it into his blade boxing. ¡®Thanks! Can¡¯t wait to use them,¡¯ Gin said. ¡®No problem,¡¯ Brim responded as they said their final goodbyes. Once they noticed him, Gin¡¯s battalion immediately went into a block formation. It was a satisfying feeling. It also allowed an easy method of counting attendance. Three filled-out blocks of twenty-four by nine confirmed that everyone was there. The maths was simple, or at least it was for Gin. Joan¡¯s letter made him question whether the mages got any proper education in basic subjects like English and Mathematics. They all wore their new armour with pride. They looked stronger. They felt stronger. Their arrangements within the formation only sought to compliment each other, with the mid-ranged (long-ranged mages were part of the artillery team) in the rear and the beefy, melee-only, mages as front-liners. The agile, vulnerable mages acted as support in the middle. ¡®Um. Leader, sir?¡¯ Gin hadn¡¯t realised that he got lost in his admiration of his work. When he snapped out of it, he saw the new stone elemental. As he examined him, Gin realised that the mage¡¯s the stone exoskeleton acted like a mask. You couldn¡¯t see his face, or any body part for that matter, apart from his hazel-brown eyes. ¡®Do I know you?¡¯ Gin queried. ¡®Oh. No. I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯m Sam.¡¯ The voice was muffled through the mask but. It was still audible though, but had a rough sound. It still didn¡¯t help Gin remember who this person was. ¡®And you¡¯re here because?¡¯ ¡®Right. I was told to be your handyman. I help carry your stuff,¡¯ he said. ¡®Um. I don¡¯t have anything for you to carry. Did someone say I needed help?¡¯ ¡®No. I was in Rob¡¯s battalion. I watched you. I liked you. I asked for a transfer but I didn¡¯t know what I can do. I thought I could help carry stuff.¡¯ Gin felt slightly irked. He didn¡¯t know why. Was it his style of speaking or the stalker-like personality Sam seemed to have? Or maybe it was the fact that it felt like talking to a golem rather than a mage. ¡®Does leader not need me?¡¯ he asked, with a little sadness in the muffled voice. ¡®It¡¯s fine. The more I command, the stronger my battalion becomes. I¡¯ll find out your abilities later. How about you act as my messenger and help carry out my orders?¡¯ ¡®Mm. Ok!¡¯ Sam said excitedly. ¡®Oh. Why is leader here? Why aren¡¯t you in the caravan? Other leaders are sitting in the caravans. The Lupims will pull them to destination. Rest of us will walk.¡¯ ¡®Are they? Wow. Did we get that privilege?¡¯ ¡®Yes.¡¯ Gin thought about it for a moment. He didn¡¯t like the idea of walking for hundreds of kilometres, but he also wanted to gain the respect of his battalion even further. ¡®So that¡¯s why Brim left his battalion to go to the caravans. I don¡¯t blame him for his laziness though. I think will walk alongside my battalion.¡¯ ¡®Really?!¡¯ ¡®Yeah I guess.¡¯ ¡®Leader is amazing! You treat us E ranks like equals. I like you more now.¡¯ ¡®Thanks,¡¯ Gin replied, turning a little red from the praise. ¡®As my newly appointed messenger, mind relaying that to the other battalion members? They probably will try to make room for me.¡¯ ¡®Mm. Will do!¡¯ Sam accepted, scurrying off to tell the others. Gin went around talking to everyone in his battalion. As D, E and F ranks, they were just as inexperienced in war as Gin was. Their nervousness showed, but as the day went on, talking with their leader calmed them down. It was the least he could do. The chatter went on into the nights, as the mages camped outside the rezah as practise. Gin struggled setting up his tent. As a battalion leader, he was given one while the others had to sleep outside. It collapsed three times before he asked for help. How was he supposed to know that you were meant to stake down the corners first or where to put the wooden poles? His battalion laughed at his helplessness. It just meant that he was just like them; weak by himself, but his reliance on others made him strong. They discussed tactics the following day. It was different from the usual training sessions (Gin had to, otherwise he risked facing Joan¡¯s wrath). It got mixed opinions, from the downright bored, to those who stuck to him like a snail. Whatever Gin did, Sam was beside him watching eagerly. He acted like he was a child following his idol. Suddenly, everyone went quiet and their eyes were focused onto the skies. The tinoos above them screeched a deafening sound. They dived down, before soaring back to their original heights. Two more tinoos joined the original three as they changed their formation from the circle to a V-shaped arrowhead. Gin knew what that meant. ¡®Alright!¡¯ Gin ordered. ¡®Everyone into formation!¡¯ It was time to go. Chapter 13: The Journey The Journey Even with the high regeneration from his nanobots, every muscle in Gin¡¯s body ached. He regretted not taking the caravans; though he would regret not being with his battalion had he done so. It was a lose-lose situation in which he took the one with the greater reward. At least spending time with everyone made the journey go much quicker than it actually was. Two-hundred kilometres within five days was something Gin didn¡¯t expect he would do in his lifetime. His village was too small for anything more than the marathon events held every year. If he was like his brother, rather than the cyborg-like being he was now, he probably would have broken down by day one. The mages, on the other hand, were still raring to go. The only thing that forced them to stop were the slower mages. Gin had to split his half of Squadron W into two: those who could walk quickly and those who walked slowly. It also was partly due the fact that, if everyone walked at the slow group¡¯s speed, there was no time to stop except for sleep. It was also partly due to Gin¡¯s (slightly) selfish desire to have rest breaks. He was a manush after all. He had put Rob, along with his battalion, to supervise them. If something were to happen, no matter how unlikely it was for a surprise attack, they would need a line of defence. Of course, it annoyed Rob. He wanted to be at the forefront of the operation, not babysitting the slowpokes. Gin didn¡¯t care as it meant he was out of his sight. The two still resented each other ever since the battalion leader¡¯s meeting. ¡®How far is the other group from us?¡¯ Gin asked. ¡®A three-hour walking gap,¡¯ Sam responded diligently. ¡®Guess we¡¯ll stop by the rezah in the distance. Get the relevant utility familiars ready for extraction and relay the information to the others.¡¯ ¡®Will do, leader.¡¯ How did the rezahs live to grow so tall in this landscape? Gin wondered as he marvelled at the gigantic figure. They popped up every twenty or so kilometres. Surrounding each tree were acres of sand, blowing harmlessly in the wind. It meant they just stuck out like sore thumbs whenever they came into view. However, they made for good landmarks, along with providing shade against the glare of the sun. As they got closer, a few of the caravans pushed on, going past Gin¡¯s battalion. They parked themselves right beside the trunk of the tree. A couple utility familiar type mages hopped out of them. Behind them were their familiars: the moles; five brown-furred rodents that walked on all fours at knee height. On each of their four-fingered feet were claws. The rodents, after being given the order, burrowed their way underneath the tree. Their claws arced in such a manner that digging was made easy. Each swipe was more of a scoop that flung the sand behind them. It only took a few seconds before they were out of sight. While the moles did their job, the mages took out empty jugs and placed them beside the trunk. The two familiar types then lathered a sweet-smelling substance on the bark, right above the jugs. It didn¡¯t take long for the moles to dig their way out of the exact spot the substance was placed. They held onto the tree using their claws as they lapped up the substance. Behind them was the hole they made. From it flowed a stream of water that trickled into the jugs. Gin led everyone to an area of shade before heading for the water. He gulped down several handfuls, gaining the attention of several mages. Some looked eagerly, in case there was something to learn from their leader. Others had confused looks, as if he was doing something wrong. ¡®Quite the gluttonous one, aren¡¯t you?¡¯ Gin turned around to the sight of a smiling Brim. He decided to drink another handful of water, letting out a sigh of relief from a quenched thirst. ¡®Where did that come from?¡¯ Gin asked. ¡®Your eyes always wander towards the farmer types as well.¡¯ ¡®Hey. I just find them fascinating. Nothing else.¡¯ ¡®Oh really? Three meals a day and several drink breaks. Not sure what¡¯s going on in your body, but it¡¯s a bit much in my opinion. You sure you¡¯re not a really low ranked water elemental?¡¯ Gin paused for a moment. It occurred to him that the other mages ate one meal a day and drank considerably less water. It wasn¡¯t surprising that people would be wary of his habit. ¡®Is that why people are looking at me with estranged faces? Well it¡¯s not my fault my body isn¡¯t as efficient as the rest of you.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m glad it isn¡¯t,¡¯ Brim commented causing Gin to raise an eyebrow. ¡®Not sure what you¡¯re trying to say.¡¯ ¡®In the MBP, we went through gruelling exercises to build up stamina, strength and speed. Most of us couldn¡¯t keep up. The rate of mages reaching adulthood is roughly ten percent, so the majority of those that come out are mostly high ranked mages. The F ranks are basically those that have failed everything but survived the ordeal. They were immediately cast away and unused, despite survival being a major achievement in itself. War didn¡¯t need weaklings after all.¡¯ Gin saw Brim¡¯s smile fall into a frown. Even though Gin never brought the topic up, remembering his past must have been tough for Brim. Just what exactly happened, or still happens, in the MBP? Gin decided not to probe too far into it and saved the questions for later. ¡®What does that have to do with me?¡¯ he asked instead. ¡®I¡¯m assuming your muscles ache, your stamina dwindling and your will to carry on dropping since the first day.¡¯ ¡®Mm. yeah. You¡¯ve assumed correctly,¡¯ Gin replied, slightly embarrassed. ¡®Not sure if you¡¯ve noticed, but the others feel the same. They¡¯re probably more tired than you are, even if they don¡¯t want to admit it. But they¡¯re grateful that you¡¯ve allowed time to rest.¡¯ ¡®They are? Wow. Here I thought I was the only one struggling. Guess they were putting up a very convincing poker face.¡¯ ¡®So are you. They probably just want to impress you.¡¯ ¡®Being a role model is tough, haha. It¡¯s good to hear how they feel though. But let¡¯s keep the fact that the real reason for having rest breaks a secret.¡¯ ¡®Of course. Can¡¯t let them think their fearless leader is completely useless, now can we?¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s rich coming from you, Brim. I¡¯m not the one who¡¯s idling around in the caravans.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ve walked this sort of travel before. It¡¯s not that hard Not sure why you¡¯re struggling this much.¡¯Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡®I¡¯m sorry. Who won our sparring match?¡¯ Gin retorted cupping his hand around his ear. ¡®You cheated. That match didn¡¯t count.¡¯ ¡®If you say so. Want to have a rematch if we get back in one piece? Settle things once and for all.¡¯ ¡®For sure.¡¯ ¡®Haha. That¡¯s the spirit.¡¯ Brim had a look around. He frowned some more before turning back to Gin. ¡®Something wrong?¡¯ Gin queried. ¡®Everyone¡¯s still going to be tired even after the break, aren¡¯t they?¡¯ ¡®If their stamina and recovery rate are like mine, then yeah.¡¯ ¡®How long do you think it will take for you to be in peak form?¡¯ ¡®I reckon a day or two.¡¯ ¡®Hmm. I think I can make it work then.¡¯ ¡®Make what work?¡¯ ¡®We¡¯re just over a hundred and ten kilometres from our destination and we have roughly six days to do it in. We¡¯d want a day to be prepared on the battlefield, so if we travel sixty kilometres tomorrow, then we can rest for two days before making one final push.¡¯ ¡®Eh. Why sixty instead of our normal forty?¡¯ ¡®There¡¯s a forest at that point.¡¯ ¡®A forest in this desert?¡¯ ¡®Yeah. There¡¯s a massive oasis a few kilometres off of our path. I¡¯m sure the change of scenery will amaze you. I have a request though.¡¯ ¡®Hmm?¡¯ ¡®I want to stock up on some water at the oasis.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t we have enough water?¡¯ ¡®I was thinking of how you always used your brain instead of your strength. I tried to do the same and came up with an idea. Once they run out in battle, water elementals are useless. So why not have jugs of water as extra ammunition? Also, there¡¯s an area where the stone elementals can mine some materials.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s actually brilliant. But why aren¡¯t you collecting the water from the rezah like we¡¯re doing now?¡¯ ¡®That would either take too long, at the rate the water is pouring out now, or we will kill the tree if we take too much too quickly.¡¯ ¡®Huh. Didn¡¯t realise the mages took such care to preserve wildlife,¡¯ Gin commented out loud, thinking of how his ancestors would have done the complete opposite. ¡®Can the oasis take the stress of us taking its water?¡¯ ¡®Yes. It¡¯s massive. I¡¯ll take you one day, but you guys need your rest first.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s a shame. I guess it means we¡¯re splitting up further. Who do you need?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll take all of the artillery group as well half of the remaining caravans. I¡¯ll also take a few of the more able utility familiar types so we can message you. We can take the diminished rest period without problem. I¡¯ll leave those who can¡¯t with you. If you continue on the planned journey, there¡¯s a path that bisects the forest. We¡¯ll rendezvous there.¡¯ ¡®Do you need Michal¡¯s battalion?¡¯ ¡®Do you need them?¡¯ ¡®Not really.¡¯ ¡®Ok. I¡¯ll bring them along as well. It will make the mining process faster.¡¯ ¡®So that leaves me with just my battalion and a few others to travel to the rendezvous point. The slower group will join us a few hours later at their rate. I¡¯ll get someone to send a message to them, to notify them of the plan.¡¯ ¡®Yup. Oh, that reminds me. I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you this, but you didn¡¯t put Rob in charge of that group for ulterior motives, did you?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡¯ Gin replied, failing to hide his smirk. **** Gin didn¡¯t realise at what point the sand turned into soil, or when the horizon turned from a hazy blue to a luscious green. He also didn¡¯t expect the family of, what the textbooks from his village called, foxes that greeted his battalion before scampering back into the forest. Its trees were much shorter than a rezah. Their roots emerged out of the ground, making for interesting terrain. Brim was right. It did amaze Gin. The forest was unnaturally divided in half by a dirt path that spanned a few hundred metres in width, and several kilometres in length. However, It allowed the battalion to set up camp conveniently. As Gin looked on, the numbers felt unnervingly small. Of course, as promised, Brim took pretty much everyone, while Rob¡¯s battalion was yet to come. However, it unnerved him when he had to consider that they were the first and only line of defence against a supposed five-thousand. On the plus side, with fewer numbers to supervise, it allowed Gin to examine the area more easily. A few of the animals poked their heads out to see the aliens that had just invaded their territory. They all ran when Gin tried to get close, bar the unfortunate and slow. ¡®Oh! We never had this type of snail back in my village,¡¯ he muttered to himself. ¡®Now where did those foxes go? Need them for my note-¡¯ ¡®Leader not tired?¡¯ Gin jumped up, a little startled. He was so enthralled by the new scenery that he didn¡¯t notice Sam walk up to him. The mask continued to hide any expression and the muffled voice didn¡¯t help either. ¡®Ah. Sorry,¡¯ he apologised. ¡®No. I was just being absentminded. What¡¯s up?¡¯ ¡®Rob¡¯s group is arriving soon.¡¯ ¡®Ugh.¡¯ ¡®Um. I see how you act. Does leader not like Rob?¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ Gin said bluntly. During the early stages of the journey, Rob had been annoying, arrogant and abusive. The constant berating of Gin and his low-ranked followers got on everyone¡¯s nerves. Everyone but Rob¡¯s own battalion that is. Unsurprisingly enough, they had the same prejudiced mindset as their leader. It also didn¡¯t help that most of their members were C or B rank, while the majority of Gin¡¯s battalion were Ds, Es and Fs. Rob¡¯s battalion¡¯s only flaw was that they were relatively slow, but made up for that in raw stamina and strength. Reluctantly, Gin left his research and carried out the formalities of greeting them. He couldn¡¯t help but be concerned as he saw their fatigue. Instead of walking, it was closer to dragging themselves across the ground. Guess they¡¯re still human beings, Gin thought. The resting period was a much-needed activity. The only noticeable fit and healthy person was the man who sat comfortably in a caravan. Rob leapt out with a scowl. He stormed his way over to Gin. His expression got more and more crumpled the closer he got. Gin smirked, adding to Rob¡¯s anger, before preparing for what was about to ensue. Everyone else stopped in their tracks and spectated from afar. ¡®What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡¯ Rob howled. ¡®Greeting you of course!¡¯ Gin replied, putting on a fake smile. ¡®Your group has finally caught up. Enjoy your two-day rest.¡¯ ¡®Rest? Rest?! We don¡¯t have time for rest!¡¯ ¡®By Brim¡¯s and my calculations, we have plenty of time.¡¯ ¡®Are you kidding me?¡¯ ¡®No. I¡¯m dead serious. Everyone¡¯s tired and we need to recover.¡¯ ¡®Ahahahaha. You think we¡¯re tired? Shows how pathetic you are as a leader. We are not as weak as you and your fools. We can and will carry on, isn¡¯t that right?¡¯ Rob asked, turning to his battalion. Gin could see the fear in their eyes, and the tiredness in their faces, as they nodded wearily. Yet each and every one of them seemed to look down on Gin, as if what they¡¯re facing was the better alternative. He wasn¡¯t having any of it and played his trump card. ¡®As the in-charge of the offence group, you are forbidden from leaving without my permission,¡¯ he said, causing Rob to scrunch his face in anger ¡®Otherwise I¡¯ll strip your position of battalion leader.¡¯ ¡®Was that meant to be a threat? I¡¯ve seen more gall from the F ranks that cower in your shadow. How about you make the in-charge instead? You¡¯re clearly not suited for the job.¡¯ ¡®I gave you a chance and you immediately discarded it. You clearly don¡¯t care for your fellow battalion member nor have any respect for you superior. I hereby remove you from the role as battalion leader.¡¯ The crowd was in awe. Gin¡¯s group were shocked by how well he was handling the situation. Rob¡¯s group, on the other hand, were in amazement. No one had dared to go up against Rob in such a manner. Either way, Gin had the momentum. ¡®Ahah. Nice joke,¡¯ Rob said, forcing the laugh. ¡®I¡¯m not. I¡¯ll decide your replacement tomorrow,¡¯ Gin replied calmly. ¡®Grr.¡¯ In a blind rage, Rob hurled a fist. Gin expected Rob to resort to violence at some point and dodged the punch superbly. The others didn¡¯t want to get involved in the brawl. They were too wary of the two leader¡¯s abilities. They were too scared to intervene. All they could do was watch from the sides. Blades. Shields. Gin dodged a second punch by leaping backwards and readied for a strike of his own. He lunged forwards, sending out a jab. Rob sent a punch of his own. He thought he could equal it. He was the stronger of the two after all. A clash would lead to Gin coming off worse. At the last second, Gin changed direction, evading Rob¡¯s punch in the process. Rob¡¯s momentum allowed Gin to circle round to his opponent¡¯s exposed backside. Rob twisted his hips and flayed his arms, in a last ditched effort to defend, anticipating a punch. However, the attack didn¡¯t come from above, but rather below, as a low kick buckled Rob¡¯s leg. He collapsed to the ground. He tried to get up but it was too late. In one swift motion, Gin¡¯s blade was already at Rob¡¯s throat. ¡®Who was the weak one again?¡¯ Gin remarked, as he slowly let a shocked Rob go. Rob rose up slowly and lowered his head, avoiding any eye contact. He headed over to his battalion, a disgraced man. He wanted to hide in the caravan he jumped off from but Gin called out to him. ¡®You¡¯re no longer a battalion leader by the way. You don¡¯t have the right to use the caravans anymore.¡¯ The crowd resumed what they were doing beforehand, as if nothing happened. Gin beckoned the weary travellers to help set up camp, who were all still processing how such a ¡®low-ranked mage¡¯ managed to beat a B rank. But, though they wouldn¡¯t say it, they were relieved that they could finally rest for once. However, Gin was always scheming; always coming up with plans. This particular episode meant he could now start gaining the trust of those who once looked down on him. ¡®Guess I¡¯m getting even more followers,¡¯ Gin chuckled to himself. Chapter 14: Unseen Threat Unseen Threat To eat or not to eat, that was Gin¡¯s question. He stared down at the premade lunch, hating himself for salivating at it. It was a mish-mash of fruit, mage meat and, what seemed to be, rice. On the one hand, it was very well made. On the other hand, it made Gin question his moralities with every mouthful. If only he had his mother¡¯s cooking. He¡¯d have had no problems with that. In the end, he compromised his beliefs once more. With his right hand, he ate his food; with his left, he picked up a pen and paper and placed them on his lap. He began the start of another notes page. He wanted to do a short sketch of the journey, mapping out the key areas. In terms of his notes, this was the most productive he had been in a while. There was so much he learnt, in this short journey, that he was overflowing with ideas. The vision he had, where became a world-renowned source of knowledge, was always on his mind. ¡®Um. Leader called for me. Can I come in?¡¯ Gin put the notes and food to the side. He got up, tidied the insides of his tent, then drew the covers. ¡®Sam! I was expecting you. Come into my humble abode,¡¯ Gin greeted. ¡®Mm. Ok,¡¯ he said, entering the tent nervously. ¡®Brim¡¯s team coming. Will take six hours.¡¯ ¡®So diligent. I didn¡¯t ask and you gave the information I wanted.¡¯ Gin sat cross-legged, only to see Sam struggling to do the same. His armour hindered his flexibility and sitting down was a struggle. Now that Gin thought about it, Sam slept standing up or leaning against something. ¡®It¡¯s fine. You can stand,¡¯ Gin instructed. ¡®But leader sitting down. I don¡¯t want rudeness.¡¯ ¡®Then I¡¯ll stand up.¡¯ ¡®Ah. No. Don¡¯t. I¡¯m sorry. Stay seated leader.¡¯ Gin was puzzled. It was as if Sam was afraid of him. Gin didn¡¯t think it was because of anything he did, since Sam showed a scarily high level of admiration. Did something happen to his past? Brim was scarred by something from his past too. In fact, behind the smiles behind the members of squadron W, there seemed to be resentment, though Gin couldn¡¯t quite tell why. ¡®Why do you talk the way you do?¡¯ Gin asked, trying to divert the topic and see what made Sam look up to him. ¡®Mask makes breathing hard. I have to talk small. Sorry for talking strange.¡¯ ¡®I meant why you¡¯re so obedient and formal to me.¡¯ ¡®Oh. That¡¯s, er¡­¡¯ Sam averted his eyes, avoiding eye contact with Gin. With just his eyes being visible, it was difficult Gin to know what Sam was feeling. Shame? Guilt? Did Gin actually do something to Sam without his knowing? ¡®It¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t have to tell me. Let¡¯s change topic. You said breathing is hard because of your helmet, so why can¡¯t you take it off?¡¯ ¡®I can¡¯t. I¡¯m not allowed.¡¯ Now his eyes looked down as if he was upset by something. ¡®I see,¡¯ Gin said, cringing as he made the situation more awkward. ¡®So, I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s something like my gauntlets?¡¯ Sam perked up a bit before replying with an ¡®Mm.¡¯ ¡®Can¡¯t you at least manipulate the helmet to allow better air circulation? I can grow and degrade my Xernim to a certain extent. Actually, you definitely can. How on Earth have you been eating with just eye holes otherwise?¡¯ ¡®I. Um. Err.¡¯ ¡®Alright. Alright. You don¡¯t have to. Just a suggestion,¡¯ Gin said, ignoring the fact that Sam was definitely hiding something. ¡®Mmm. Is leader finished?¡¯ ¡®Oh. Before you leave, I want you to do one more thing.¡¯ Gin pondered for a bit. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but closed it once more. He thought some more before letting out a deep breath. Sam was confused by his actions and decided to question him. ¡®Leader?¡¯ ¡®Sam.¡¯ ¡®yes?¡¯ ¡®You know everyone from Rob¡¯s battalion, right?¡¯ ¡®Um. Yes. Most of them.¡¯ ¡®Alright. I¡¯ve made my decision. Would you mind if you took over Rob¡¯s position as battalion leader?¡¯ ¡®Eh. What? Why?¡¯ ¡®I was serious about stripping Rob of his role. I don¡¯t quite think he got the message though, so I needed to put someone I could trust as his replacement. It¡¯s also wise to put someone that his battalion is familiar with. I barely know anyone from their battalion which leaves you to be the perfect replacement.¡¯ ¡®But it¡¯s too soon. You barely know me.¡¯ ¡®Sure, it¡¯s been a week since I first met you knowingly, but I¡¯d like to think I¡¯m a good judge of character. Not to mention that my rise was relatively quick too, so I assumed that fast promotions was normal.¡¯ ¡®You sure? You want me in charge?¡¯ ¡®Yeah. I¡¯m sure about this. It¡¯s just until this battle is over anyway. Go ahead and tell the others about the changes. If anyone dislikes my decision or has any questions, tell them to speak to me directly. I¡¯ll be in my tent.¡¯ ¡®Mm. Ok!¡¯ Sam left the tent with a spring in his step. As he left, Gin felt guilty. In all honesty, Gin was using Sam for his own personal grudge against Rob. He didn¡¯t want to place the role onto Sam. He wanted to wait for Brim and the others to come back so that he could pick a more capable person. But the longer he left it, the longer Rob would regain control over his battalion. It¡¯s not like Sam was an incapable person or anything. During their short time together, he had shown the qualities of being a great pawn (though Gin wouldn¡¯t quite word it like that). If he could get Sam¡¯s ¨C Rob¡¯s old battalion ¨C on board with his regime, then it would only be a matter of time till everyone did the same. The other battalions had different types of mages after all. If he could get easy access to them, then he could conduct all sorts of experiments to test their limits. Just the thought of them raised Gin¡¯s pulse a little.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The following hour consisted of various people, mostly from Sam¡¯s battalion, that were either confirming Gin¡¯s orders or had complaints. Gin tried to talk things out with them, using explanations relating to the ¡®good of the squadron¡¯ wherever he could, to settle them down. Most fell for it, leaving contently, while the minority left scornfully. Gin didn¡¯t pay too much attention and let their dissatisfaction slide. It was only natural some people would disagree with his decisions. ¡®Gin! Leader!¡¯ someone shouted outside. ¡®If it¡¯s about Sam, then his appointment as leader is correct,¡¯ Gin misunderstood. ¡®No!¡¯ a man exclaimed as he burst into the tent. ¡®Sam¡¯s in danger!¡¯ Alarmed, Gin got up immediately and rushed out. He surveyed the campsite as everyone turned to face him. They were confused. They were in panic. They didn¡¯t know what to do. But most importantly, none of them were Sam. ¡®What happened?! Where¡¯s Sam?!¡¯ Gin snapped. ¡®Rob,¡¯ the man panted. ¡®He¡­he¡­¡¯ ¡®Spit it out!¡¯ ¡®Rob kidnapped Sam.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯ve got to be kidding me! Where did he take him? Don¡¯t stutter this time!¡¯ ¡®He ran into the forest.¡¯ ¡®Tsk.¡¯ Gin blamed himself. Why didn¡¯t he foresee this? Of course, Rob wouldn¡¯t take the idea, that his old lackey is now his superior, lightly. Of course, there would be conflict. Why didn¡¯t he do the announcement himself? No. There was no time to contemplate his mistakes. He had to sort everyone out and take control. That¡¯s why he was made a leader. He needed to prove that the trust in him wasn¡¯t misplaced. ¡®Everyone!¡¯ He ordered, bringing the others back into reality. ¡®We¡¯re going after Rob. Pick out twenty of the nimblest and follow me. The rest of you stand guard. The rest of you wait for the other battalions and report the situation to them. Get the utility types to assist with the search if we haven¡¯t found them by then. Rank doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯ After equipping his stone armour, Gin stormed out of the tent. The aura of urgency emanated out of him, forcing quick decisions to be made for who is joining him. Those who did were all relatively small but agile. None of them were above rank D which aggravated Gin. Why didn¡¯t they pick out the most able? He immediately regretted the thought, realising he was being a hypocrite to his own ideals. Without complaint, he pressed on. Gin was advised not to go himself but he insisted he had to go. Not only was he at fault for letting this happen, but he felt like the search party would be incompetent without a leader directing them. The fact that almost everyone stayed static until he shouted out orders proved that. The low numbers joining him was for ease of communication, along with the fact that not many, in either battalion, were able to be able to traverse the terrain. Gin¡¯s first command was to look for tracks. Although the reports suggested a general direction (the east side of the forest). A couple of the mages picked up on footprints, left by Rob, which started the search. They were clear at first, but as they got further into the forest, the shrubbery masked obvious marks. They marched on into the forest, jumping over the roots that emerged out of the ground. Traveling was easy at first but with the tree roots and branches entangling with one another, it became increasingly difficult to move as a group. The lack of tracks also reduced the efficiency of the search, so Gin decided to split up and search individually. ¡®Our key priority is finding Sam. If you find anything, give a shout,¡¯ he instructed. ¡®Mark trees with a double dash so that you can find your way back. Make sure you start leaving before it gets dark so that you can see your marks, otherwise you will get lost yourself. We¡¯ll meet up at the campsite by then. Everyone understand?¡¯ With a nod in agreement, the twenty mages (plus one manush) split up. By Gin¡¯s calculations, there was around two hours till sunset. He had to find Sam by then. After getting by one too many branches to the face, Gin activated his blades and started hacking them down. They tumbled to the ground, causing hidden bugs to scatter upon impact. If finding Sam wasn¡¯t the key objective, he would have easily become immersed with the wildlife. That didn¡¯t stop him taking note of the animals he saw along the way though. Most of the creatures were small and herbivorous, while the visible predators didn¡¯t pose a threat. However, the branches they broke and leaves they rustled, as they moved around, did annoy him. It meant he couldn¡¯t rely on sound to trace Rob and eventually Gin had to block the background sound out. Though Gin could identify most of the animals from the textbooks he had read before, the animals in the forest were different in one way or the other. The rabbits had longer legs, the birds had longer beaks and the foxes had more toes than the textbooks claimed. Gin concluded that his records must be outdated. As the sun began setting, it became even more difficult to find trails. The others didn¡¯t find anything either, or they had gone back. Just how good was Rob at covering up his tracks? Unless Gin was missing something, he didn¡¯t know how Rob managed to evade his pursuit. At that point, it was too late and too pointless to continue looking further, so he decided to head back. Maybe it was best to wait for the utility types before searching again. Surveillance was their speciality after all. Gin suddenly felt sharp needle-like objects pierce him. Before Gin reacted, they retracted just as quickly as they entered. Blades. Shields. Gin immediately took up a defensive stance, protecting his head and neck. What just happened? He felt a throbbing from his left arm. He glanced to see blood trickling from his five then wound marks that cut deep. They were too perfectly arranged to be a random branch. Was it the enemy or an animal? Gin leaned against a tree, covering the nape of his neck as best as he could. His eyes shifted from left to right, looking for any possible threats. There was nothing in sight, but Gin stayed in his position. He hadn¡¯t noticed the attacker the first time, there was no guarantee he would the second. The next attack was more of a rake. It tried to slash Gin in the chest, but his chest plate blocked the incoming damage. Gin¡¯s eyes widened. He felt the attack, but couldn¡¯t see the attacker. He began to doubt his senses. An invisible enemy? Was that even possible? No. He must be imagining things. Another slash against his chest shattered that assumption. There was definitely something there. Why couldn¡¯t he see it?! There had to be something, right? The following attacks were all aimed at his chest. However, his armour deflected all those attacks. Was it a dumb animal that only targeted one spot? Maybe he could use that to his advantage. Another slash triggered Gin¡¯s counter attack. He thrust his arm forwards, but only hit thin air. He regretted the attack as five claws swiped his face. No. They weren¡¯t claws. The attack was from a person¡¯s nails. A mage? Was it possible for mages to go invisible? Gin didn¡¯t have time to think. Another swipe above his temple snapped him back to his stance. He couldn¡¯t let the enemy get anymore hits. It didn¡¯t help though as the enemy had learnt to not aim for his chest. His exposed and legs and arms became the enemy¡¯s new targets. Gin howled in agony with every attack. A sense of panic spread through him. He couldn¡¯t stay being target practise. He couldn¡¯t last much longer. He needed to attack. He had to find Sam. He had to back to his battalion. He had to see all the different types of mages. He had to rise to the top. He had to make his deceased father and mother proud. He had to give them a reason for saving him back then. He had to live. In desperation he grabbed one of the cylinders and chucked it in the air. The invisible enemy cut through it like it was paper, spilling its liquid contents. Gin thrust his blade at that exact moment, at the expense of another swipe to the face. If he couldn¡¯t be precise in his attacks, he had to go for an area of an effect attack. He had to bet on this one strategy to survive. Flames. His Blades ignited the liquid. The flaming oil splashed onto the ground. Luckily, the trees weren¡¯t fireproof like the Rezah. Instead they were extremely flammable. It spread and spread and spread until it turned into a raging inferno, eating up anything in its path. Why did he do that? What did he expect? Did he think that the fire would ward off the enemy? Maybe. Gin had lost all rationality at that point. At least the attacks seemed to stop. Gin felt dizzy from the blood loss. His legs and arms finally gave way as he collapsed backwards, crashing against the tree. The fire edged ever closer to him, but he couldn¡¯t move away. His body didn¡¯t allow him. ¡®This idiot,¡¯ someone murmured. ¡®I¡¯m not getting caught up with this.¡¯ Gin looked up. He thought he heard something. One eye was blinded by blood; the other just saw a hazy blur. But for one moment, he though he saw something. A silhouette of some sort running away from the fire. Was he imagining things? He couldn¡¯t tell what was real or not. When the silhouette disappeared, Gin unequipped his right shield and held it above him. He manually pressed the second chamber. The shield expanded into a dome, surrounding him in the process. With his last ounce of strength, he unhooked an INS from his belt. He stabbed it into his bleeding arms and injected its contents into his veins. He wanted to use another nano-booster, but he couldn¡¯t muster the ability to do so. Gin could hear the crackle of the fire around him as he slowly lost consciousness. If his battalion saw what he had done, they would probably look down on him. It was just like his fight with Varunel. He couldn¡¯t beat his opponent so he acted cowardly and hid in a dome shell. It was the only thing he could do. He also started the beginning of the destruction of the forest. Was this the actions of a Eurasian soldier? Where was the honour? But there was no honour in survival, Gin thought. Surely, his battalion would understand their leader¡¯s actions. Right? Chapter 15: That Which Divides All That Which Divides All Perching on top of a branch, Rob waited eagerly for some news. His alias should have been making his way to the decided meeting point. However, Rob didn¡¯t know what was taking him so long. Did he succeed in the mission? The smoke that rose from the canopies of the trees was a cause for concern and doubt. Rob looked over his shoulder. Next him was an unconscious Sam. Every so often, he would slide, so Rob had to periodically check on him to prevent him from falling. If the plan failed, he would need to use Sam as a bargaining chip. Though he would like to avoid that any cost, for sake of his reputation, if the need arose, he would take any costs. Something knocked on the tree Rob sat in, causing him to breathe a sigh of relief. It was five slow knocks followed by two fast, then another three slow knocks. Other than Rob, only one other person knew the pattern. ¡®Oi! Wake up!¡¯ Rob instructed, slapping Sam a couple times. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Sam responded as he woke up drearily. Before Sam could get a grasp of the situation, he was swooped off his position by Rob. Rob leaped off his branch, landing perfectly on the ground below. The suddenness of it all shocked Sam into being fully awake, as he was put down. ¡®How much longer are you going to be hiding? Reveal yourself!¡¯ Rob commanded. Rob felt a tap on his shoulders. He turned around, only to find nothing. Another tap on his shoulder made him turn once more, this time in frustration, which quickly turned into shock as a man appeared out of nowhere. In appearance, his skin, hair and face were exactly the same as Gin¡¯s. The only differences were the lack of beard, long nails and the fact that this man was definitely taller than Gin. ¡®What¡¯s with that face?¡¯ he asked. ¡®Grr,¡¯ Rob responded, his face was seething in annoyance. ¡®You must really hate this guy, huh?¡¯ ¡®What made you think that?¡¯ Rob replied sarcastically. ¡®Nothing we can do about it. It takes half a day for me to change. I just thought I could practise making different types of faces. Now if only I can grow facial hair¡­¡¯ ¡®Enough of your rambling! What happened to your target?¡¯ ¡®Unlike my ex-colleague, I make sure to get the job done. The target is probably a pile of ash from the very inferno he created,¡¯ the man said with confidence. ¡®Good. Without him, there won¡¯t be anything to stop me.¡¯ The man paused for a moment. His eyes wandered off, admiring the scenery, before they fixed on Sam. ¡®By the way, is it wise to have the guy behind you listening to our conversation?¡¯ ¡®Who? Oh, Sam¡¯s harmless. I could finish him off in one hit if he tries anything.¡¯ ¡®If you say so. Though I¡¯ve recently taken a carefree approach to life, I¡¯m still a perfectionist at heart. Don¡¯t want anything to go wrong because of him.¡¯ ¡®Ha! Don¡¯t you worry.¡¯ ¡®The ex-colleague of mine didn¡¯t take these sorts of things into account either and screwed us both over because of it.¡¯ An awkward silence fell upon the two. Sam just stood there, too scared to say anything. Too many questions circled his mind. Who was this man? Where did he come from? Who was this target? ¡®My job¡¯s done anyway,¡¯ the stranger said, breaking the silence. ¡®The boss doesn¡¯t like it if I¡¯m gone too long.¡¯ Boss? ¡®Too bad. You don¡¯t get to see when I succeed.¡¯ ¡®If you succeed,¡¯ the man warned, before heading deeper into the forest. With a wave of goodbye, the man¡¯s skin changed colour. His long nails became transparent. The clothes he war began to blend into the surroundings. Within a few seconds, he was out of sight. The rustling of stepped-on fallen leaves suggested that he was nearby, but there was no way you could figure that out with just your sense of sight.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Rob turned to Sam, giving him a piercing glare and instructed, ¡®You. Come with me.¡¯ Upon signs of reluctance, Rob grabbed Sam¡¯s arms. His grip was tight, but small, unnoticeable spikes in Sam¡¯s armour prevented it being tighter. It didn¡¯t matter as Sam was too weak to do anything against a B rank. How was Gin able to do it? It was only then did Sam realise his location. Before waking up, the last thing he remembered was a hurtling sucker punch to the stomach. He knew the news of his appointment would have upset Rob, but he didn¡¯t expect a kidnapping. Wait. How long was he out for? The night sky peering through the gaps in the trees indicated that it must have been a few hours. The others must have began to worry. Was Gin looking for him? Rob¡¯s conversation suddenly clicked together. That stranger was outside the squadron. There was no one that was able to turn invisible like that within the squadron. Sam didn¡¯t know how or why Rob knew him, but that couldn¡¯t be a good sign. Judging from what they were saying, Rob wanted someone gone, and Sam had a good hunch as to who it was. It didn¡¯t take long for the pair to break through the forestry and into a clearing. They were met by looks of disgust, scorn and fear. They shouted, causing other squadron members to wake up and give the same treatment. Sam soon realised that they weren¡¯t directed at him, but at Rob who smirked in return. ¡®Now, now. No need for this, everyone,¡¯ Rob tried to reassure, letting go of Sam¡¯s arm in the process. ¡®Where is he?!¡¯ a couple of mages demanded. ¡®Oh. Gin hasn¡¯t returned yet?¡¯ Rob responded. More mages joined in with the questioning, saying a chorus of ¡°Stop messing about¡±, ¡°you know what we¡¯re talking about!¡± and ¡°What did you do to him?¡± A few of the mages grew increasingly agitated, poised to start a mob attack on the estranged battalion leader. Calmly and with an air of confidence, Rob bellowed, ¡®It goes to show much of a coward he is!¡¯ ¡®Huh?¡¯ the mages said in unison Some were confused by his comment. Gin? A coward? What did he mean by that? Others had enough of Rob¡¯s comments. One bestial juggernaut type in particular took action. He charged, bending his upper body for a headbutt, aiming to gore Rob with the horns on his head. But Rob was too fast for him. He throttled the man by the neck, stopping him in his tracks. With him winded, Rob raised the man above him then tossed him aside as if he was acting like a disobedient pet. The mood changed as the mages began to grow silent. They had lost their bravado. They were hit with the reality that Rob was indeed someone accustomed to fighting, unlike them. He wasn¡¯t a low ranked mage like the rest of them. ¡®At least let me finish before you start attacking,¡¯ Rob said, asserting his dominance. ¡®I will say this again. Gin is a coward! Did you think I kidnapped Sam because of spite? We planned it together, isn¡¯t that right?¡¯ he said, turning to Sam with a gentle yet threating smile. Sam wanted to speak out. He was gripped by fear. The things he had experienced by the hands of Rob made him quiet. That smile petrified Sam. He wanted to tell everyone what Rob said wasn¡¯t true, but the words wouldn¡¯t come out. If only he could show how he felt, but the armour hid his body language well. ¡®No,¡¯ Sam tried to say, but it turned into a whimper that no one heard. ¡®See?¡¯ Rob. ¡®Everyone, why would he be silent if I was wrong? I planned this from the start. I wanted to ascertain if he was worthy to lead us.¡¯ Everyone was fully silent now. The seed of doubt was planted in everyone¡¯s mind. All they wanted to do was listen to what Rob had to say. ¡®I hid in the trees, watching the search party from above. I care for you guys, after all. If anything were to happen, I would come and help. That¡¯s just the kind of guy I am,¡¯ Rob boasted, causing a few mutters amongst the crowd, deciding whether they believe his claims or not ¡®I watched all of your movements. I saw you guys marking the trees, I saw you heading back at dark. But! But then I saw what Gin did. He ran. He ran far and deep into the forest. I was shocked, so I went after him and guess what I saw? This so-called leader began burning the forest. He showed zero respect to the environment. Everyone saw the smoke in the distance, right?¡¯ Rob asked, with the battalions nodding in response. ''That was him.'' ¡®I was scared,'' Rob continued. ''I had to run. There was no way I could get involved with him. The man is crazy! I¡¯m sure all of you noticed it before. He¡¯s way too short and has facial hair with no functions. He makes all of you do things, that no one has ever done since their time in the MBP, and he willingly took in those Xernims. Do I need any more proof?¡¯ ¡®Huh?¡¯ Rob commented on the silence, after another pause. ¡®What happened to the mob mentality? Did I hit a nerve or two?¡¯ ¡®But what do we do?¡¯ someone called out, showing signs of instability. ¡®That¡¯s simple. Follow me and I will lead us to victory. Get ready. We will depart as soon as possible,¡¯ Rob instructed. Though reluctant, some of the mages began packing up. There wasn''t a single leader amongst them. Apart from fighting, acting like mindless sheep was what they did best. ¡®Shouldn¡¯t we wait for the other battalions?¡¯ Sam interrupted, stopping everyone in their tracks. He couldn¡¯t do anything to stop Rob but, at the very least, he could delay him. He just didn¡¯t want to believe Rob. He knew Gin for God knows how long. Yes, there was a forest fire recently, but this wasn¡¯t something Gin would do without a logical reason. If the other battalions, especially Brim¡¯s, could talk some sense into everyone, then they could look for Gin and find out the truth. Sam sighed a breath of relief as the others seemed to be in agreement. Thankfully, the other battalions were yet to arrive. Going alone, when they were so close to their destination, was a suicide mission. Seeing their reactions, Rob drew everyone¡¯s attention once more. He looked as composed and calm as ever before denying the notion. ¡®No. Gin has tainted their minds with his delusions. If they were to come, we would surely fail.¡¯ There were still doubt amongst the crowd. Gaining control was one thing, but asking everyone to ditch a thousand-large force was another. It was time to use his trump card. ¡®Still don¡¯t trust me? You¡¯d rather wait for people who he has gained full control over? Well, do you know why I¡¯ve hated him; why I¡¯ve had my doubts since the beginning? It¡¯s because I know what he is.¡¯ Sam¡¯s eyes widened. Did he mean that? Why does he know? If he told everyone that secret, all hope would have been lost for Gin. A sense of dread rose as Rob uttered the words, ¡®Gin is a-¡¯ ¡®No!¡¯ ¡®-Manush.¡¯ Chapter 16: Gins Resolve Gin¡¯s Resolve ¡®Is it over?¡¯ the boy asked as he fidgeted restlessly, waiting for an answer. His palms were sweaty, but he crossed his fingers, holding his breath as his father studied him with an inscrutable expression. ¡®Yeah. You¡¯re cured. You also don¡¯t need to wear glasses now.¡¯ ¡®Really?!¡¯ ¡®Yep. Read the chart across the room. What does it say?¡¯ Gin''s father gestured to the chart hanging on the wall, three meters away. Gin squinted at the chart, half-expecting the words to blur out like before, but to his delight, he could see them as clearly as if they were right in front of him. ¡®Um. Q. U. I. G. J. L. T. S. B. T. N-¡¯ ¡®Alright, you can stop. You weren¡¯t able to get past the fifth letter before.¡¯ The doctor nodded and cut the enthusiastically rambling child off before he could get carried away. The young boy perked up in delight. ¡®Wow! Thank you, father!¡¯ ¡®Now you can go outside and play with your friends.¡¯ The boy¡¯s father opened the door slightly and waved outside, as if almost impatient to shoo him out of the room. However, the boy didn''t seem to notice, his thoughts currently preoccupied by something else. ¡®Can I go see Jacob first?¡¯ he asked. ¡®Sorry. He¡¯s not ready yet.¡¯ ¡®Was something wrong with our operations?¡¯ The boy gulped and he began to fidget again. His father smiled reassuringly and placed a hand on his shoulder. ¡®Not for you. Your nanobots can and will recreate themselves, just like your ordinary cells. It¡¯s just that some minor problems have appeared for Jacob, which is why you can¡¯t see him at the moment.¡¯ ¡®Aww,'' the boy complained. ''I haven¡¯t seen him for a year now. When will he be healed?¡¯ ¡®Soon,¡¯ his father assured him with a strained smile. ¡®You said that last time.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t probe into the matter.¡¯ ¡®But I want to go see him now.¡¯ ¡®Go outside and play.¡¯ ¡®But father!¡¯ The doctor had lost his smile and his expression grew stern. ¡®Look. I understand you want to see your brother. I understand you¡¯re a smart kid that¡¯s interested in my work. I understand your concerns, but can¡¯t you act like a normal kid for once?¡¯ ¡®Mmm. Ok,¡¯ the boy said as his shoulders slumped. ¡®Thank you.¡¯ His father turned away, sighing in relief. The boy glanced at him for a second, and then obediently slid out of the room. Act like a normal kid? Yeah. He could do that. He¡¯s a normal boy now. No more illnesses. No more weaknesses. No more collapsing suddenly. His friends would accept the new him. If only that was what happened. **** Gin felt something pecking his arm. It was more of a tickle, but its consistency roused Gin up. He groaned as his body hurt with each movement, like pins constantly pricking his wounds. Waking up, after losing consciousness, was a familiar feeling for Gin. This time he was met but a sky that was not quite bright, nor was it too dark. The reddish hue indicated that it was about to be dawn. The only problem was that Gin had to figure out whether he was out for several hours or if he was gone for more than a day. As he sat up, Gin noticed how barren his surroundings were. The lush greenery of the forest was replaced by ash, decay and burnt up plants. Just the sight of it all made him wince in guilt. Luckily, the fire didn¡¯t seem to spread as far as Gin imagined it would. But it still left a bad taste, considering the damage that was done was all because of his selfish desire to survive. The pecking feeling still persisted, this time on his thigh, which prompted Gin to look down. What he saw was a bird no taller than the width of Gin¡¯s leg. It wasn¡¯t a tinoo as its feathers were jet black. The differences didn¡¯t stop there. It also had an elongated neck. On the end of it was a round head that was connected to a beak with teeth protruding out of it. As far as Gin recalled, the tinoos didn¡¯t have teeth of any kind. This bird was a whole new species. The bird tilted its head, staring at Gin. It squawked, revealing a very impressive array of teeth in the process. It then tried jumping onto Gin¡¯s legs but, due to the difference in size, it proved to be a difficult task. Gin let it struggle some more, laughing every time it fell helplessly on its back. It was feeble, small and weird-looking but Gin found solace with this temporary companion. He didn¡¯t see any resemblance to himself but discovering new things, even in his moment of weakness, was always exciting. After another failed attempt to climb, the bird decided to stare Gin in the eyes, as if it was pleading for help. ¡®What? You want help?¡¯ Gin said, with the bird squawking in response. Gin extended an arm for the bird to hop onto. As he did so, he noticed the gauntlets were at shoulder height. Gin was certain they were only reached the elbow beforehand. ¡®When did that happen?¡¯ Gin muttered to himself. The bird began waddling along Gin¡¯s leg. It stopped in front lined wound marks, which Gin had received the night before. It twisted its head, mesmerised by the shape and the colour. But then it pecked the area, drawing blood. Gin was about shoo it away, but decided against it. He was curious as a long spindly tongue began lapping up the blood, like a dog drinking water. It was probably the only time he¡¯d see such a strange species for a while, so instead of getting angry, Gin wanted to enjoy the moment. It didn¡¯t hurt and the reopened wound wasn¡¯t too serious, so it didn¡¯t bother him too much.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. After having its fill, the bird looked happily at its benefactor. It walked further up Gin¡¯s leg and nuzzled Gin when it got to his stomach. Its actions were strange but Gin assumed they were signs of gratitude. Did giving blood really warrant such affections? The world was a weird place, Gin thought. The moment was cut short when the bird suddenly turned its head to the sky. Using Gin¡¯s legs as a platform, it flapped its wings and flew off. Gin didn¡¯t realise why until he saw a flock of birds, similar in shape to it, soaring across the morning sky. Their size was still in question, as their height of flight didn¡¯t allow for an accurate observation. It was nice to know what that chick, as it made its way to the rest of the flock, was going to turn into though. ¡®I knew it!¡¯ a familiar voice shouted from behind. ¡®Ah. Michal. How are you?¡¯ Gin asked feebly. ¡®Gah. Don¡¯t worry about me,¡¯ Michal said as he put Gin over his shoulders. ¡®You¡¯re hurt.¡¯ ¡®My INS,¡¯ Gin instructed, pointing to two rectangular devices on the floor. One was the shield, the other was the unused nano-booster. After placing Gin down again, Michal collected the INS and slotted them into Gin¡¯s belt. They then began making their way to the campsite, with Gin using Michal as his support. They were silent for the first portion of the journey. It was only until Gin saw Michal¡¯s worried face, that he decided to break the deadlock. ¡®Where¡¯s everyone else?¡¯ ¡®We¡¯ve split up.¡¯ ¡®Oh. If you were searching for me, then tell everyone not to go alone.¡¯ ¡®Huh?¡¯ ¡®Let me ask you something first. Is it possible for mages to go invisible?¡¯ ¡®Um. There are stealth bestials types, yeah. They can blend in with their surroundings.¡¯ ¡®I think that confirms it. I got attacked last night. I couldn¡¯t see who did it. If it was a stealth bestial like you described, then we might be under threat.¡¯ Michal stopped for a moment. He looked at Gin funnily, processing what he had just said. An enemy this deep into Eurasian territory? Unless¡­ ¡®Rob was lying, wasn¡¯t he?¡¯ Michal muttered. ¡®Did something happen while I was gone?¡¯ ¡®It was probably someone under Rob¡¯s command. He took most of the offence group and left. Syndra took some of the utility types in order to chase him down.¡¯ ¡®What?! Ack.¡¯ Gin exclaimed, hurting himself in the process. The few hours of rest weren¡¯t enough to heal fully. ¡®Don¡¯t exert yourself.¡¯ ¡®yeah, sorry. But tell me everything that happened.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t entirely know what happened beforehand, as we came back after he had left, but those that stayed reported what happened.¡¯ ¡®Go on.¡¯ ¡®Rob supposedly manipulated the others into ditching us. He said you ran away and burnt down the forest. Of course, that¡¯s a blatant lie. You got attacked and couldn¡¯t make your way back.¡¯ ¡®I did cause the forest fire though.¡¯ ¡®Since when were you able to use fire?¡¯ Michal queried before retracting his question. ¡®Oh well. Doesn¡¯t matter. You were defending yourself, right?¡¯ ¡®Yeah,¡¯ Gin confirmed. ¡®Though that shouldn¡¯t make people turn against me.¡¯ ¡®Ah. Rob did claim you were a manush.¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®I know, right? Haha. Can¡¯t believe the others believed him. However, it does mean we¡¯re heavily short on man power. But, with you here, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure something out. That¡¯s your speciality.¡¯ Gin wasn¡¯t listening. His heart sank when he heard the news. The obvious questions formed in his mind. How did Rob know? What do the others think of him now? What happens to the battle formation? ¡®Wait. Are you actually a manush?¡¯ Michal asked, noticing Gin¡¯s silence. But before Gin could answer, they both emerged from the forest. It was just as Gin feared. The gazes were all too familiar: a mixture of disbelief and worry. Their whispers were meant to be overheard; each comment contained either Gin or manush. ¡®Don¡¯t mind them,¡¯ Michal tried to reassure, not knowing how to sort his own feelings out. From the crowd, one person made his way towards Gin. He the only one that was close enough and on equal terms with Gin. From the looks of things, Brim was the one who was most distraught over the revelations. Gin wanted to go back to how it was, before anyone knew anything about him. He wanted to find a way to make amends. He wanted to deny everything. But he had no faith in lying. Not after last time. **** ¡®Father! Please turn me back to normal!¡¯ Gin pleaded as he ran into his dad¡¯s office. Concerned by the sudden outburst, his father picked his son. Gin hid in the cover of his dad¡¯s lab coat, sobbing into his shirt. ¡®What happened?¡¯ Gin father asked, as he began stroking his hair to comfort him. ¡®I saved her and then I got hurt and then I¡¯m not hurt anymore but it was too quick and now everyone thinks I¡¯m a freak,¡¯ Gin clamoured, all in one breath. ¡®I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but you¡¯re definitely not a fr-¡¯ ¡®Look!¡¯ Gin interrupted, shoving his hand into his father¡¯s face. He inspected it, but saw nothing unusual. There were a few scratch marks, but surely that was normal for boisterous kids of his age. ¡®I don¡¯t see anything strange, Gin,¡¯ he admitted. ¡®Exactly! I want to go back to normal!¡¯ Gin pleaded, sobbing again. ¡®Woah. Woah. Woah. Slow down. Take a deep breath and tell me what happened.¡¯ ¡®James and John said I didn¡¯t need glasses because I wasn¡¯t human anymore. I told them I was still human. I thought they believed me. But I was wrong.¡¯ Gin¡¯s father wanted to speak up, but decided against it. Though he was distressed by what had happened, he knew simple name-calling wasn¡¯t something that would get Gin upset. There had to be something else, so he let him continue. ¡®They never believed me! They said monsters don¡¯t protect anyone, so they threw rocks at Samantha, but I blocked all of it. I thought I proved them wrong, but I didn¡¯t. My hand was bleeding but now my wound is gone. I healed too quickly. I really am a monster. Even the adults are looking at me funny.¡¯ So that was the reason. The sudden burst of inhuman power would scare most children. Gin¡¯s father had hoped to explain all the changes that happened to Gin¡¯s body during his operation, but this was too soon. ¡®You¡¯re not a monster or freak. That¡¯s only the regenerative properties of the-¡¯ ¡®Change me back! I hate this! I don¡¯t care if I¡¯m ill again! Please, father!¡¯ Gin exclaimed, his eyes now red from the crying. He wanted to reassure his son. He could easily prove that Gin was human, but against a child who was in no mood to change his mind, there wasn¡¯t anything that would work. Why must children be so illogical? Realistically, trying to reverse the procedure would bring more harm than good. Maybe he could turn down the effectiveness, but for now he had to stop Gin from bawling his eyes out. ¡®I¡¯ll see what I can do,¡¯ he said at last. ¡®In the meantime, do you want to see my latest invention, the Integrated Nanobot System?¡¯ ¡®Huh?¡¯ Gin sniffled. At least he stopped crying. ¡®Mm. Ok.¡¯ **** As Brim got closer, Gin had made his mind up. There was no point in hiding his identity. If he did, then what would happen if he had a bigger army? How was he going to manage deserters in the thousands rather than the hundreds? It was better to tell the truth now than suffer later. ¡®Is it true?¡¯ Brim asked sternly. ¡®Are you a manush?¡¯ ¡®So what if I¡¯m a manush?¡¯ Gin retorted. ¡®It just means I¡¯ve always have been and always will be weaker than you mages. I¡¯m worse than F ranks! It means I have to rely on my wits rather than my strengths. It¡¯s how I survived up to now and I will continue to survive because of it. What are you going to do about it?¡¯ ¡®Gin¡­¡¯ Michal murmured. ¡®Ha! You don¡¯t care what you do nor what you are. That¡¯s just like you, Gin,¡¯ Brim responded with a smile. ¡®That decides it. I¡¯ll continue to follow you.¡¯ ¡®Eh? That¡¯s how you react?¡¯ Gin said, with a puzzled look across his face. ¡®Were you expecting me to hate you all of a sudden?¡¯ ¡®Um. I guess so.¡¯ ¡®Gin. You made me overlook my initial prejudice of the low ranked. I think I can overlook you being a manush. It doesn¡¯t change much about you, does it? If you denied everything and I found out the truth, it would have been a different story. But you blatantly revealed yourself to everyone without fear. Like I said, that¡¯s just typical you.¡¯ ¡®I agree,¡¯ Michal added, pausing but couldn¡¯t say any more. He was still confused on what to think, though he was leaning towards Brim¡¯s opinion. ¡®Wow,¡¯ Gin said, taken aback by how well the two were taking it. He then glanced at the crowd behind Brim. If only they held the same sentiment. ¡®But I don¡¯t think the others feel same way, Brim. Wouldn¡¯t it be better if you took charge?¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t be an idiot, Gin. Ask me again after you¡¯ve taken the opinion of what¡¯s left of your battalion,¡¯ Brim said, pointing to where his depleted were resting. ¡®I¡¯ll talk to the artillery group, while Michal will talk to the utility group. You sort out your side of this mess.¡¯ ¡®Fine,¡¯ Gin conceded. He was in no position to argue. ¡®Michal, you can go. I can walk by myself.¡¯ ¡®Alright. I¡¯ll try my best to persuade everyone to listen to you again.¡¯ ¡®Thanks.¡¯ Compared to the thousand-strong battalion he left with, the hundred or so that remained felt like scraps. Their mental health was so broken that they didn¡¯t notice the return of their leader. They remained, not because of the odd chance that Rob was lying, but because they had given up. Gin had seen their smiles when he trained with them. Learning each other¡¯s abilities and coming up with strategies was enjoyable for all. But the expressions they showed now was as if they had never experienced that joy. It made Gin grit his teeth. He had made up his mind. He was going to make them smile once more. He was going to see this battle through and lead them to victory. Then he would gain back everyone''s trust and confidence in him once more. That was Gin¡¯s resolve. Chapter 17: To the battlefield To the battlefield Inside a caravan, that was trudging across the desert, sat Gin, Brim, Jake and Michal. With Brim opposite and Michal next to Gin, Jake was seated furthest away, at his diagonal. Even then, Jake was right next to the exit, eyeing the manush that had several wound marks on his legs and face. The Xernims, that now went up to Gin¡¯s shoulder, hid any more injuries from sight. ¡®Ugh. I shouldn¡¯t be sitting here,¡¯ Gin complained. ¡®I still haven¡¯t regained the trust of my battalion.¡¯ ¡®Have you had a look at yourself?¡¯ Brim pointed out. ¡®Even with your regeneration, you are in no state to walk about.¡¯ ¡®Just rest up,¡¯ Michal instructed, shifting closer to Gin prevent any last-minute dashes for the exit. Jake¡¯s staring unnerved Gin, as he remained silent, but he couldn¡¯t blame him for acting in such a manner. If it weren¡¯t for Brim being his superior, he might have been more vocal about Gin¡¯s position. But, for now, he continued to judge him silently. ¡®I guess we need to think of a strategy,¡¯ Gin said at last, breaking the silence. ¡®We still need to hold off the AAA somehow.¡¯ ¡®True,¡¯ Brim agreed. ¡®Our offence group had roughly a thousand troops. What are the remaining members like, Gin?¡¯ ¡®They¡¯re pretty much a shell of their former selves. In reality, I have a hundred members in the battalion but, unless something big happens to boost their morale, they¡¯re more like an army of ten. How is it on your side?¡¯ ¡®My battalion don¡¯t mind whether you¡¯re a manush or not,¡¯ Michal reassured. ¡®You gave us a purpose ¨C making and repairing armour - when we were completely useless otherwise. Can¡¯t say the same about Syndra¡¯s battalion. They barely know you to overlook things.¡¯ ¡®The artillery group is on board with your decisions, but I think that¡¯s because of their faith in me rather than you,¡¯ Brim said, giving Jake a piercing glance when he finished. Jake looked away in response. ¡®I guess this is better than what it was before,¡¯ Gin commented. ¡®I¡¯ll try and find a way to get my battalion battle ready by the time we arrive. Until then, like I said, we need to decide on a new battle strategy to cover the loss of a frontline.¡¯ ¡®I was never good at this stuff,¡¯ Michal admitted. ¡®I always just followed orders.¡¯ ¡®We could just meet them at the battleground,¡¯ Brim said. ¡®That was original plan and they probably wanted to get there first. They can¡¯t be stupid enough to advance further, surely?¡¯ ¡®I won¡¯t be too certain. I¡¯m suspicious of Rob. We have to brace for the worst-case scenario if they¡¯re not there.¡¯ ¡®True.¡¯ ¡®Yeah.¡¯ ¡®Tsk.¡¯ ¡®Jake!¡¯ Brim snapped. ¡®It¡¯s fine,¡¯ Gin said, holding his hand up to prevent Brim from taking action. ¡®Did you have something to say to me, Jake?¡¯ ¡®Can¡¯t believe this,¡¯ he muttered. ¡®I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t quite hear that,¡¯ Gin said in a taunting manner. ¡®Just because you¡¯re chummy with Michal and Brim, doesn¡¯t mean you could go around accusing others like this. You are the reason they left us. You deserted your battalion when it happened. If anything, Rob took control because of your actions. What right do you have to be suspicious of him? If anything, we should be suspicious of you! Damned manush!¡¯ ¡®You don¡¯t know what he¡¯s been through, Jake,¡¯ Michal defended. ¡®It¡¯s not his fault.¡¯ ¡®Oh, so the low-ranked mage decides to speak up for the lowly manush.¡¯ ¡®Enough!¡¯ Gin commanded. ¡®We¡¯re not going to get anywhere with in-fighting. Yes, I am a manush and yes, I wasn¡¯t there when Rob took control. However, I still want our defence to be successful. That doesn''t change no matter what I am. So, do you have any ideas, Jake?¡¯ ¡®Why are you asking me? You¡¯ve met so many important people,¡¯ Jake started, speaking in a cynical fashion. ¡®Maria, Alder and Brim to name a few. You would have thought that someone, special enough to be acknowledged by them, had some sort of aptitude for war. Or does being a manush exempt you from doing anything? Do you not have a plan?¡¯ ¡®I do,¡¯ Gin said bluntly. The immediacy of the reply caught Jake off-guard, preventing him to respond. His silence allowed others to take control of the discussion. ¡®You had a plan?¡¯ Michal asked. ¡®Why didn¡¯t you tell us sooner?¡¯ ¡®Because, at the moment, no one wants to listen to the me, a manush. But if a plan came from you guys, it would be more successful.¡¯If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡®But we haven¡¯t come up with anything.¡¯ ¡®unfortunately.¡¯ ¡®Might as well hear what your idea is then. We¡¯re not getting anywhere at this rate.¡¯ ¡®We currently have roughly hundred from the offence group, seven-hundred from the artillery group and two-hundred from utility, including Syndra¡¯s battalion, right?¡¯ ¡®Yes.¡¯ ¡®You might not like it, as this will lower the other groups'' numbers down, but reckon it¡¯ll be alright if we move around about four-hundred from artillery and a hundred from utility to the offence group?¡¯ ¡®Are you serious?!¡¯ Jake exclaimed. ¡®You want us to be front-liners?! Now I¡¯m sure you¡¯re crazy!¡¯ ¡®Shut it,¡¯ Brim asserted, causing Jake to go back to glaring at Gin silently. ¡®There¡¯s elements of truth in what Jake is saying though,¡¯ Michal commented. ¡®The mages in the utility group are definitely not suited up front.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ve noted that issue already. I think I came up with a decent solution to it. Can you make more full body armour?¡¯ ¡®Mm. We can do that.¡¯ ¡®Make a hundred more and give them to the hundred mages you decide to join me.¡¯ ¡®A hundred might be a bit much, but I think I can make it in time. Luckily, we mined the resources needed. What did you have in mind?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll have them be bait.¡¯ ¡®Bait?¡¯ ¡®Yep. I¡¯ve noticed barely anyone had any form of armour before I became a leader.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s pretty much unheard of to wear armour, apart from some Xernim users and the occasional stone elemental.¡¯ ¡®Well, I reckon that the enemy might be wary of seeing such unusual opposition. Either they target the fully-armoured mages or, at the very least, divide their attention, making it easier for the others to defend.¡¯ ¡®Oh, I understand now! But will the armour be enough?¡¯ ¡®I trust in your masonry. I¡¯ve seen it in action first-hand. The stealth bestial that attacked me went for my chest, but it couldn¡¯t make a breakthrough. This stone is sturdy stuff.¡¯ ¡®You just want us to hold out then?¡¯ ¡®You¡¯ve got it. Focus on defence rather than the ability to push the enemy back. Remember, we¡¯ve got another two-thousand mages as reinforcements. We¡¯ll be fine if we defend until they arrive.¡¯ ¡®I would like you to revamp the artillery mages¡¯ armour,¡¯ Brim spoke up after taking in the conversation, ¡®to be more suited for the frontline.¡¯ ¡®hmm. That hadn¡¯t crossed my mind. Good thinking, Brim,¡¯ Gin praised. ¡®You¡¯re ok with this too, right?¡¯ Brim asked Jake, in a way that made it like he didn¡¯t have a choice in the matter. ¡®Fine,¡¯ Jake responded. ¡®Then, unless we have any other ideas, shall we go for this plan for the time being?¡¯ Gin concluded. ¡®Yes.¡¯ ¡®Mhm.¡¯ ¡®Sure, whatever.¡¯ ¡®Good. Oh, one more thing. Make it seem like this wasn¡¯t my idea. It¡¯ll help with confidence to think that they had competent leaders that wasn¡¯t a manush,¡¯ Gin instructed. During the rest breaks, the whole of squadron W was busy. From creating armour to going over the battle tactics, it wasn¡¯t resting at all. In that time, Gin tried to cheer his battalion up, but to no avail. It proved to be an increasingly difficult task which he couldn¡¯t solve. Thankfully, the other battalions were having more luck and they had agreed to Gin¡¯s plan, even if they didn''t know it was his idea in the first place. As they got closer to the decided battlefield, squadron W had to stop abruptly. In front of them were the remaining members of the offence group. However, instead of the thousand that left them in the first place, only three-hundred remained. The most worrying fact was that Rob wasn¡¯t amongst them. As soon as they saw squadron W, they rushed over. They looked deflated, lost and apologetic. The first thing they asked for was to see Gin. There wasn¡¯t any malice intent, but there was urgency in their demands. They didn¡¯t even want to answer any questions until they got to see their leader. At the forefront of it all was Sam, who was almost in tears, waiting for Gin to come out of the caravan. When he heard about it, Gin immediately jumped off the caravan. Brim and Michal tried to stop him, telling him that he needed more rest, but he didn¡¯t listen. He wanted to know what happened to everyone else. ¡®Gin!¡¯ Sam cried out, embracing Gin without warning, resting his head against Gin¡¯s shoulders and began sobbing. ¡®I¡¯m so sorry. It¡¯s all my fault. It¡¯s all my fault. It¡¯s all my fault!¡¯ ¡®Calm down,¡¯ Gin said, pulling him away. The other leaders had followed Gin but, after seeing Sam¡¯s actions, they decided to spectate along with the other mages. ¡®Calm down and tell me everything. Where are the others?¡¯ ¡®With Rob.¡¯ ¡®Why aren¡¯t you with him then?¡¯ Gin asked, slightly concerned. ¡®He didn¡¯t listen. He wanted to go further. Not where we¡¯re meant to be.¡¯ ¡®Wait. You¡¯ve got to be kidding me. Did he actually press ahead?¡¯ ¡®Yes. He wanted to attack. He didn¡¯t want to defend.¡¯ ¡®That bastard!¡¯ Gin exclaimed, forgetting that the mages didn¡¯t know what the word meant. ¡®Ugh. Where¡¯s Syndra and her battalion?¡¯ ¡®She¡¯s at the rendezvous point. She couldn¡¯t find Rob.¡¯ ¡®Guess we¡¯ll have to meet her there then,¡¯ Gin said, contemplating the change in situation. ¡®So, you guys have now abandoned both us and Rob. Have all of you decided what you¡¯re going to do from this point onwards?¡¯ ¡®All of us know what we want. We¡¯re going to follow you.¡¯ ¡®You sure?¡¯ ¡®Yes, we¡¯re sure. Some don¡¯t like a manush leader. But we hate Rob even more. He said you ran away. You¡¯re here though. He lied to us. He even said to take off our armour,¡¯ Sam said, struggling with the longer sentences. That last comment shocked Gin. He looked up and finally noticed the breastplates, leg plates, and other pieces of armour, scattered around. Was Rob insane? Even if they didn¡¯t like Gin¡¯s leadership, they would have understood the logic behind the armour, surely. Or was their pride as mages preventing them from accepting any ideas from a manush? Sam noticed the Gin gritting his teeth in anger and, before he could say anything, Sam turned back towards the deserters. He discussed what had happened with some of them, getting nods from the majority. He then was handed a piece of paper, which he gave to Gin after returning to him. It was burnt, to the point that it was completely useless, but Gin knew what it was. ¡®This is my notes, right?¡¯ ¡®Yes. Rob burnt all of it. This is the only one we could save.¡¯ ¡®It was such a nice map I drew too,'' Gin sighed. ''Guess there¡¯s nothing we could do about it. Thanks for preserving it.¡¯ ¡®Sorry. We couldn¡¯t save more.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s fine. I can always write more later. Being loyal to me again and increasing our numbers is just what we need anyway. I should be grateful instead,¡¯ Gin comforted, trying to take away the blame Sam put on himself. He then addressed the others, giving out an order. ¡®Prepare to accommodate another three-hundred into the offence group!¡¯ The extra members were a great boost to the squadron¡¯s defences. However, it was nowhere close to when they were in peak condition. The morale was still low and the numbers were still sub-par. There was nothing that could be done about it. All squadron W could do was to continue the journey, hoping some sort of miracle happens. Chapter 18: Maiden Battle (Part 1) Maiden Battle Brim inspected Gin¡¯s wounds, or lack of them in this case. All that remained were scars that gave Gin a battle-hardened look. It wasn¡¯t long before Michal, Sam and even Jake had a look, annoying Gin in the process. ¡®Can you stop?¡¯ Gin demanded. ¡®But this regeneration is amazing,¡¯ Brim replied, with the others nodding in agreement. Gin raised an eyebrow in response. ¡®Is that what¡¯s so interesting?¡¯ ¡®It is. Even most S ranks don¡¯t regen this quickly.¡¯ ¡®Is that so? Thank my father for that.¡¯ ¡®Huh? Father? What¡¯s that?¡¯ Gin gave Brim a puzzled look. The others also gave curious gazes, as if he had said something completely alien to them. Were fathers not a thing for them? Were mothers a thing? Did mages even have parents? It was such a strange notion that Gin wanted to find out more, but the sudden sound of wind roaring above them diverted his attention. ¡®What was that?¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡¯ Brim said before he jumped out of the caravan. The others followed, with Gin coming out last. He noticed they were staring at the sky and another blast of wind made Gin look up too. Up above were low-flying birds. They had long necks, fangs that protruded out of their beaks and sleek black feathers all of their body. They were massive, twice the size of Gin or four times if you measured from wing tip to wing tip. Only one thing entered Gin¡¯s mind as they flew: That chick grows into that? He shuddered at the thought of an adult version wanting his blood. ¡®Guess the reports are true,¡¯ Michal said out loud. ¡®What¡¯s wrong?¡¯ Gin asked. ¡®The mage-eaters are heading in the same direction as us,¡¯ Brim commented. ¡®Mage-eaters?¡¯ Gin queried, alarmed by name given to them. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me they¡¯re going to attack us.¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ Brim reassured. ¡®They¡¯re scavengers that prey on dead corpses. They have no interest in the living.¡¯ ¡®Then that means-¡¯ ¡®A large number of people have died ahead, yeah.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t say that out loud!¡¯ Gin whispered in a shouting manner. ¡®Doesn¡¯t matter,¡¯ Jake interrupted. ¡®Everyone knows what¡¯s happened the moment they saw the mage-eaters.¡¯ ¡®Wait,¡¯ Gin said, suddenly realising something. ¡®Is Syndra and the others alright? Aren¡¯t they meant to be ahead of us?¡¯ ¡®She should be a kilometre in front,¡¯ Brim explained. ¡®The mage-eaters aren¡¯t stopping there, so I think they¡¯re fine.¡¯ ¡®Then the AAA have made contact with Rob¡¯s battalion.¡¯ ¡®It would seem so.¡¯ ¡®Can we find out how far away?¡¯ ¡®None of us can. That¡¯s Syndra¡¯s battalion¡¯s speciality.¡¯ ¡®We probably have time if they¡¯re that far away that we can¡¯t find out. Guess we need to meet up with Syndra and make sure we¡¯re in position first,¡¯ Gin ordered. ¡®Understood. I¡¯ll relay the information.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t long before the squadron resumed their journey. What had been an uneventful trek across the desert (bar Rob¡¯s mutiny) was finally coming to a close. After so much travel, it felt satisfying to reach the final destination, even it was going to be the place where blood will be shed. Nothing special had happened during these final stages, so the plans to utilise the remaining thirteen-hundred members were almost set in stone. The earlier feeling of awe died down as more mage-eaters flew over them. It didn¡¯t stop Gin noticing glimpses of fear from the mages, however, as they flinched with each passing. When you¡¯re no longer top of the food chain, you fear those above you, Gin thought. It was amazing how man had changed from the way they were described as fearless in books of the past. Half a kilometre later, Gin could see tinoos flying in a circular shape ahead of him. Below them were the remaining squadron members. Most of them were sitting down, waiting anxiously. One of the exceptions was Syndra who noticed the squadron first. She began storming towards them, meeting Gin¡¯s battalion halfway. Her expression created a serious aura around her. ¡®You¡¯ve heard what I am, right?¡¯ Gin said sternly, as he prepared to meet Syndra head on. He told the other leaders to let him handle it beforehand and to stay in the caravan. She probably wouldn¡¯t listen to anyone but the man who caused the mess in the first place. ¡®I don¡¯t care. What¡¯s our chances of winning?¡¯ She snapped, her mood indicating that a decision was going to be made based on Gin¡¯s response. It also surprised Gin at how quickly his question was brushed aside. ¡®We have thirteen-hundred combatants. I¡¯d say we dropped from a ninety percent to seventy percent chance of winning,¡¯ Gin lied. In reality, it was fifty-fifty at full strength. It was significantly lower now and was dependant on a lot of factors. Syndra sighed a sigh of relief. ¡®Good,¡¯ she said. It was as if Gin being a manush wasn¡¯t a factor in her decision making. A brief moment of silence prompted Gin to do his duty as leader, and get an information report from Syndra. ¡®How is the other group doing?¡¯ ¡®The second group is almost ready. We just need to hold out until then. It should take a day or so.¡¯ ¡®And do you have news of Rob?¡¯ ¡®My scouts have just returned. His battalion got wiped out, with no trace of Rob himself. The enemy suffered a few losses, but I wouldn¡¯t put our hopes into that fact. You¡¯ve seen the mage-eaters, right?¡¯ ¡®Yeah.¡¯ ¡®They stopped thirty kilometres from here. The enemy and Rob fought there. I couldn¡¯t reach them in time, unfortunately,¡¯ Syndra said, feelings of regret could be seen on her face. ¡®I sent my familiar to keep track of the enemy. When she returns, we need to be ready.¡¯Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡®I see,¡¯ Gin said, followed by another moment of awkward silence. ¡®You¡¯re not going to give a lecture on how we shouldn¡¯t have a manush leader?¡¯ Gin asked jokingly, though regretting raising the topic instantly. ¡®I don¡¯t have the liberty to start an argument at this point. It won¡¯t do anyone any good. I¡¯m running the moment things go against us though.¡¯ ¡®Fair enough,¡¯ Gin said. He could accept that response. He chuffed at the thought of how differently people reacted, despite being taught under the same system. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ Syndra queried. ¡®It¡¯s nothing,¡¯ Gin waved away. ¡®We should fill you in with our current plans. Join me in the caravan and we¡¯ll discuss it with the other leaders.¡¯ Syndra relayed the information to her battalion. Gin and the others went over them once more with theirs and with everyone filled in on the battle strategy, squadron W began their preparations. The non-combatants and caravans were placed at the very back of the formation, away from any potential harm. The only thing they could hope to do was make sure the others had a good meal before they fought. A couple hundred metres ahead of them was the artillery group, with the offence group at the forefront of it all. Each group was further divided into six by sixteen blocks. Dotted in between each block was a member from Syndra¡¯s battalion, acting as messengers for everyone. The formation was makeshift; the difference in ability, from one mage to their neighbour, was vast; the feelings towards their manush leader varied. The only thing that was uniform was that sense of unease. No one was confident. Was their training enough? Did they pick the right battle tactics? It was going to be decided within the next twenty-four hours. Eyes were either looking ahead, or above at the tinoos the circled above them. It was a sign of comfort as it meant the enemy wasn¡¯t close yet. But it also signalled the inevitable clash as the minutes turned into hours. The sky reddened as the sun began to set. It was only a matter of time. Gin felt anxious. He knew how nervous everyone was, yet he was unable to anything. His lack of battle experience, combined with his status as a manush, prevented any morale-boosting techniques using mere words. He also felt alone. The other leaders were in the other battalions behind him, and Sam was not even in the same block as him. He could feel the glares of those around him, as if he was an alien under examination. They expected him to do something, whether it was for good or for bad. To calm himself down, Gin had a glance of his surroundings. In front of him was sand that sloped upwards, just like the emulated rooms back in the squadron¡¯s Rezah. Either side of him were walls, over a hundred metres in height. They ran across the edges of The Path as far as the eyes could see. Their purpose was unknown to him. Gin made sure to make a mental note to find out once the battle was over (if he survives, that is). Gin already had the blades and shields activated in preparation. Inside the blades were a capsule of oil, courtesy of Brim, which Gin was eager to try out. He had already created a mental command for the Xernim to react to. But, if it didn¡¯t work, he could fall back on his normal blades. Without warning, the atmosphere got tenser than usual. Eyes were locked onto a single tinoo that flew towards them. It gave a piercing screech before it joined the other tinoos. When it did, the tinoos changed their flying formation from a circle to an ellipse. It meant only one thing. ¡®Enemies approaching!¡¯ Gin tensed up. The call amplified his nervousness. He didn¡¯t show it though. Even if he wasn¡¯t trusted, he was still everyone¡¯s battalion leader. Putting up a brave face was the bare minimum of the role. He needed to be fearless on the outside, even if his artificial heart jumped about in his chest, like a rabbit on caffeine. It wasn¡¯t quite fear. It wasn¡¯t quite excitement. It was a mixture of several emotions that blended into an unknown feeling. Gin began to make out figures in the distance. The gentle slope of the land stopped him spotting them earlier, but now there was no mistaking it. The enemy was here. He wasn¡¯t the only one who noticed as he could hear everyone¡¯s whispers. ¡®Concentrate!¡¯ Gin commanded. The silence of one caused his neighbour to fall quiet, eventually silencing everyone in a ripple-like effect. As the enemy got closer, Gin noticed they all had dark skin. Combined with the patterns on their skin, Gin had a good hunch on their classification. Whether they were ranged or melee was yet to be figured out, but Gin was cautious that no other type of mage was to be found. Was the AAA planning on fighting with just fire elementals? Their numbers also felt off. In the briefing, he was told to expect the AAA to send close to five-thousand, but it looked like only half of that turned up. Gin was confident his estimation, so what was he missing? Did Rob¡¯s battalion deal enough damage to reduce their numbers by this many? Gin could only hope that was the case. The enemy stopped just under a kilometre away. The setting sun created a glistening effect on their arms. That changed when, in unison, they lit their arms ablaze. Each and every one of them pulled their hands back and let go. The sky became filled with an orangey-yellow colour. Thousands of fireballs arced across it, heading towards squadron W. The distance they covered shocked Gin as he braced for impact. Was this the power of the higher ranked? The artillery group sent fireballs of their own, along with waterballs to counter the enemy¡¯s attack. However, it was futile. The enemy fire was too numerous. For every projectile squadron W sent, the amount they received was tenfold. Gin covered his head with his shields. The barrage of fireballs crashed into his armour and shields. He couldn¡¯t let up, else he risked receiving a fireball to the face. He had to grimace and hold on. The groans of his allies meant that they were doing the same. But then they let up. The fireballs had stopped for a brief moment, allowing Gin to survey the situation. The enemy no longer had flaming limbs. The battlefield was now covered in blobs of flaming oil, that slowly died out. His allies weren¡¯t hit - their armour prevented any major damage. But, even if their bodies weren¡¯t damaged, they had a defeatist mentality. There wasn¡¯t anything Gin could say to change that. The artillery group stopped attacking themselves, putting everyone in a stalemate. The pause felt out of place. Gin knew the squadron couldn¡¯t take initiative, but why did the AAA stop? The only thing Gin could think of was that the enemy was replenishing their oil reserves. But Gin still couldn¡¯t help feeling uneasy. His gut feeling denied that notion. He stared at the flames in front of him, searching for inspiration, revelations or divination. Anything will do! He searched the battlefield for anything out of the ordinary, getting nothing in return. Why couldn¡¯t he see what the enemy was planning? Or was he just overthinking things? Then it hit him. The flames were the answer. It was the reason the enemy had stopped attacking, or at least their fire elementals did. The truth was more alarming. They never stopped attacking. They were just making sure no one realised sooner. Gin turned to the messenger in his block and gave a single order. ¡®Tell everyone to stay where they are.¡¯ The offence group was too scared of the situation to move anyway. However, Gin wanted to make sure no one followed. He wanted everyone to see. A rogue member would draw the attention of both the squadron and the AAA. If words wouldn¡¯t work, then he would have to boost everyone¡¯s morale through his actions. Oil. Gin outstretched his right arm, his Xernim entering the second chamber of his blade¡¯s INS. The base of the INS spewed a clear liquid all over the blades with excess dripping to the floor. Ignite. The Xernims entered the third chamber and activated its mechanism. The blade burst into flames, using the liquid as fuel. ¡®Thought so,¡¯ Gin muttered to himself as he had a look ahead of him. Gin ignited his other blade and got into his battle stance. He took a few steps to the side. His concentration was at its peak. He then threw a hurtling jab. Everyone thought Gin had gone mad. There was nothing in front him! But it was as if time had stopped. Gin¡¯s punch into the nothingness connected. What he pierced was still to be figured out, but it definitely connected. Blood gushed onto his blades, like a river over a waterfall. It painted Gin¡¯s Xernims and armour red, causing Gin to smile manically. His expression was directed slightly above him, as he drove the blade further into the wound he created. A body began to materialise around it, starting with the torso which soon formed into a fully visible human being. ¡®Oh, I¡¯m sorry. Were you meant to be hidden?¡¯ Gin taunted. The enemy didn¡¯t respond. He was already dead, either from the shock of being attacked, or from the wound itself. Gin kicked his victim off the blade. The body collapsed to the ground, almost comically, like a ragdoll. Without looking back, within sight of both ally and enemy, Gin bellowed a single command. ¡®They have stealth bestials! Look for the shadows and attack accordingly!¡¯ Gin couldn¡¯t quite pinpoint the reason he knew there were stealth bestials. It was a feeling of familiarity, as if he knew fire was a counter to them. Maybe it was also because the enemy stopped throwing fireballs their way. It didn¡¯t matter in the end. It didn¡¯t matter that Gin was a manush. It didn¡¯t even matter that he was a Xernim user. What he had done was the undeniable fact that he had gotten first blood for the offence group; for squadron W; for Eurasia. A sense of vigour emanated from the squadron. It wasn¡¯t enough to dispel the nerves of the mages, but it was enough to give everyone a sense of belief. Their leader started it, and it was up to them to finish it. It was time for squadron W to show their worth. Chapter 19: Maiden Battle (part 2) Maiden Battle (part 2) What was that feeling? It wasn¡¯t quite excitement. It wasn¡¯t quite fear. It was the feeling of allies rushing past you; the feeling of fireballs flying through the air, illuminating the battlefield; the feeling of catching the enemy off-guard and piercing their heart with blades. Whatever that feeling was, Gin was relishing every moment of it. The battlefield was filled with squadron W¡¯s shouting. They were in unison, ordering one another to attack in a certain pattern. The moment another enemy was found, the offence group quickly finished them off. The was a beauty to watch, almost as if their numbers deficit was negligible. Even the armoured non-combatants played their part. They drew the attention of the stealth bestials, only to have their attacks blocked. The baits played the role perfectly. But Gin had to make sure he did his job too. At this point he knew his words wouldn¡¯t mean anything. He had to lead through example. For every mage Gin killed, his confidence grew. His attacks became more fluid. His body danced in the desert stage. The yellow sand reddened in the onslaught. The crimson of blood splattered around him. He was a spectacle to his allies; a demon to the enemy. Any doubt people had, prior to the battle, was now dispersed. Partly due to his killstreak. Partly due to the fact that they couldn¡¯t afford to have any otherwise. They had to focus on their own battles, and so did Gin. The enemy¡¯s bodies were frail. They didn¡¯t have armour; they weren¡¯t packed with muscle. Surprise attacks were all they could do. However, with each passing fireball, more hidden mages were revealed. Stealth was all they had. Now it was gone. That didn¡¯t stop them from coming though. Gin felt the scraping of nails on his chest plate. It was as if the only place the enemy could aim for was his heart. But that was protected. The attack was futile. It only revealed where the enemy was. Another dispatched foe. His blades were covered in blood that dripped onto the bodies they came from. He rushed further into the battlefield, dodging enemy fireballs and ally bodies alike. Then he culminated in striking another foe he spotted. How many has he killed now? Too many to count. Yet they kept on coming. Gin felt nails pierce his Xernim. They got stuck before they reached his shoulders. He used that moment to turn, putting the hidden enemy off-balance. A swift strike and the mage materialised. An ally took the opportunity to finish her off. ¡®Thanks. There¡¯s another one five metres ahead of you,¡¯ Gin ordered. ¡®Yes sir!¡¯ Gin touched the marks the enemy left on his Xernim. Was this why the Xernim grew? he wondered. No. Focus. One lapse in concentration could prove fatal. A fireball splashed just in front of him. It was a stark reminder that the threat was both above and in front of him. They continued to rain down from the mages in the distance. The squadron couldn¡¯t quite reach them. However, if they continued to dodge and block the fire, they were a non-factor. For now, the objective was to make sure the enemy mages didn¡¯t get past them. Suddenly, the sands began to shift beneath him. His footing was unstable. A fireball hurtled towards him. He couldn¡¯t dodge it in time. Gin held his shield above him to block, but someone held his hands back. He immediately twisted to and slashed down his saboteur. However, it wasn¡¯t fast enough. The fireball hit his back dead on. The armour blocked most of it, but the flaming oil splashed on impact. Some entered the gap between the armour and body. He writhed in agony, but refrained from screaming in pain. Crying out loud would only draw unwanted attention. Luckily the flames died out before they spread. However, left a scorch mark or two, with the remaining oil searing into his skin.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡®Leader! Are you Ok?¡¯ an ally asked, getting in front of him to cover. ¡®Get two more and cover for me,¡¯ Gin replied, grimacing as he did so. He deactivated the blade on his right arm and put his arm behind his shoulder. In the heat of the battle, he shouldn¡¯t pause for even a moment, but the burning oil prevented him from fighting properly. ¡®Enemy three metres at thirty degrees. Two more at two-seven-five,¡¯ Gin instructed. He needed to make sure his defenders noticed, as they deflected projectiles that was coming their way. ¡®We see them!¡¯ ¡®Good.¡¯ Gin¡¯s thoughts were conveyed to the Xernim. They grew a slender branch that twisted its way inside Gin¡¯s armour, stopping where the oil resided. The branch curved, wiping off the oil in the process. A sense of relief filled Gin as the pain stopped, albeit a bit of throbbing from the spots. ¡®I¡¯m fine now. Back to formation!¡¯ Gin¡¯s allies nodded and returned to their positions. They were just as covered in blood as Gin was. This was what they were trained for. It intrigued Gin how they showed no remorse for killing their magi brethren. They ripped through the enemy¡¯s chests like it was a cotton candy. That brief pause made Gin realise how tired he was. Sweat dripped from his forehead, mixing with the blood. He was conscious of his panting. Compared to the hundred one versus ones he fought, this was on a whole different level. This time his opponents didn¡¯t stop coming. For every one he had slain, he saw another two. If the reports were true, the combatants were outnumbered by at least three to one. Gin had already filled his quota but he knew he could do more. Gin steeled himself, degrading the grown branch and reactivating his blade. He let his unconscious take over, drowning out the fatigue he had but losing his basic senses in the process. All he could remember was the constant slicing, striking and dodging. He harboured no feelings for his victims. He couldn¡¯t even remember their faces. They all fitted into the same generic mould. He didn¡¯t know what drove him. He didn¡¯t know why his morality didn¡¯t stop him. He was killing another living being, yet he was enjoying himself. A manic smile spread across his face as he cut down his enemy. Was it him trying to prove a point to, the now dead, Rob? Or was it how his village got destroyed at the hands of the mages? Was this all just mindless revenge? Maybe the colonel was right. Maybe he really was childish. In his careless train of thought, Gin felt someone grab his shoulder. He immediately spun around, swinging his blade for the next kill. His attack aimed for the neck. ¡®Leader!¡¯ Gin¡¯s arm froze. It stuck to stone armour, cutting a few centimetres deep into it. His eyes widened as he realised who he almost decapitated. ¡®Ah,¡¯ the messenger whimpered. ¡®Sorry,¡¯ Gin meekly apologised, lowering his blade. He then turned to his block and bellowed, ¡®Formation three!¡¯ There was an echo of ¡®formation three¡¯s as his block repeated the order, making sure everyone heard. They moved around Gin, displacing him from the front line, moving him and the messenger towards the middle of the block. They were away from the front lines and safe from a sneak attack from the back. It was the safest place to be in their situation. Gin looked forwards, turning his back to the messenger and prepared to defend him, just in case a stray fireball was to fall towards them. ¡®Did a report come in?¡¯ Gin asked the messenger. ¡®Y-Yes,¡¯ he replied, still tense from his near-death experience. ¡®The utility group spotted a group of juggernauts bestials approaching.¡¯ ¡®How many?¡¯ ¡®Three-hundred B or above ranked mages.¡¯ ¡®That many?! We were told they were just a scouting army.¡¯ ¡®We didn¡¯t know they¡¯d have reinforcements.¡¯ ¡®How much longer till our reinforcements arrive?¡¯ ¡®Less than an hour.¡¯ ¡®Tsk,¡¯ Gin tutted, deflecting a fireball before he could continue. ¡®Your orders, leader?¡¯ the messenger asked. ¡®They¡¯re much stronger than us. We¡¯ll get decimated if we continue to be spread out like this. Execute group formation five.¡¯ ¡®Understood.¡¯ The messenger took off his helmet then put his fingers inside his mouth. He let out a piercing whistle that attracted the attention of a single tinoo. It perched on the messenger¡¯s shoulders, watching the messenger¡¯s myriad of hand signals. It nodded then took off into the sky, shrieking at the cluster of tinoos that flew above everyone. Then the tinoos changed formation, flying in a pentagon, which everyone saw. Gin had gotten accustomed to constant shouting. There was consistent communication. Everyone knew what they had to do and made sure their neighbours did too. The offence group began to track back. The several blocks meshed into a singular compact one, arcing in front of the artillery group. A sea of bodies laid in front of them. Beyond that, the enemy fire elementals looked on in horror as their surprise attack had been so easily dealt with. By low-ranked mages no less! Gin watched their movements. They split down the middle, allowing room for their reinforcements to arrive. Three-hundred tall, beefy mages marched their way towards squadron W. This was their last attack. This was squadron W¡¯s last stand. Chapter 20: Maiden Battle (part 3) Maiden Battle (part 3) Brim wet the palm of his hands with his flammable sweat. He left his middle finger and thumb dry, rubbing them together in a quick motion. From the roughness, a spark flashed, lighting the oil ablaze. He looked around, checking that everyone else had done the same. ¡®Enemy estimated four-hundred metres ahead of us!¡¯ He bellowed, making sure he was heard in the chaos. ¡®Ready?! Aim! Fire!¡¯ The artillery group flung a flurry of fireballs over the battlefield. They arced through the air, crashing into at their desired location. Upon impact, Brim turned to his designated messenger. ¡®Damage report,¡¯ he ordered. The messenger whistled, calling a tinoo to arrive with a rolled-up letter in its talons. He unravelled it and read its contents. ¡®Eighty percent of the fireballs hit the enemy and,¡¯ the messenger said, stopping before sighing. ¡®And?¡¯ ¡®Barely any damage to the opposition. The flames hit them, but they died down too quickly. They seem to have mild resistance to fire.¡¯ ¡®We¡¯re practically useless offensively now,¡¯ Brim complained. ¡®How are our water reserves?¡¯ ¡®Fifty percent of it has been used up.¡¯ ¡®Good enough. Tell the rest to focus fully on defence. Make sure the offence group suffer from as little enemy fire as possible. The fire elementals will have to go on stand-by for now.¡¯ ¡®Yes, sir!¡¯ Brim felt dejected. Gin and his battalion fighting for their lives, while he stood there under their protection. He felt beyond useless as this new wave of mages made his battalion redundant. What else could he do? What would Gin do in his situation? Knowing him, he would try to think his way out of it. ¡®Think, Brim, think,¡¯ he muttered to himself, adopting a similar approach. ¡®Leader!¡¯ someone called out before Brim could come up with anything. Brim howled in annoyance. How did Gin manage think on the spot so well? ¡®What?!¡¯ he shouted, a bit too forcefully. Walking towards him was a giant of a man. He had the same, rough texture in his skin as Brim did. But his defining feature were his massive hands that weighed him down. ¡®Leader, use us,¡¯ he said referring to the other mages that had similar features. ¡®You¡¯re part of that experimental team Gin came up with, right?¡¯ ¡®Yes. You¡¯ve seen our capabilities before, but you kept us on standby because we didn¡¯t have time to set ourselves up. Surely, we can be of use now? We just have to deal with the juggernauts, right?¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s it!¡¯ brim exclaimed. His frown turned into a grin. ¡®Leader?¡¯ the mage questioned, taken back by Brim¡¯s outburst. ¡®Sorry. Just realised that the enemy only had mild resistance to fire. Our tiny fireballs won¡¯t hurt them, but you guys might do it with your larger artillery.¡¯ ¡®Then the request is accepted?¡¯ ¡®Yes. Go set yourselves up. Launch fire as soon as possible.¡¯ ¡®We won¡¯t let your trust down!¡¯ Brim dismissed the mage then called for his messenger once more. He told him to relay the new plan. Just like before, he whistled for his tinoo. But this time the tinoo flew in a frantic fashion. It almost crashed into its owner¡¯s shoulders as it squawked and fluttered its wings. ¡®What¡¯s wrong?¡¯ Brim demanded. ¡®I don¡¯t know,¡¯ the messenger responded, trying to calm the bird down. ¡®Wait. This isn¡¯t my tinoo.¡¯The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡®You can tell the difference? They all look the same to me.¡¯ ¡®Yep. This is definitely not mine. Hold on.¡¯ There was a letter attached to its talon. The messenger unravelled the letter, read its contents then gave Brim a brief summary. The bird continued to make noise but it looked calmer, as if it was trying to say something. Unfortunately, neither Brim nor the messenger could understand it. ¡®The letter says the enemy juggernauts are a hundred metres from clashing with the offence group,¡¯ the messenger began. ¡®Also, there¡¯s a side note reporting Syndra¡¯s battalion¡¯s situation.¡¯ ¡®Did something happen?¡¯ Brim asked, concerned by the need to report what¡¯s happening on their side. ¡®Don¡¯t think it¡¯s anything to me alarmed by. Just that all the animals are making noise. ¡°constant growling, squawking etc.¡± They¡¯re trying to calm them down but can¡¯t. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be anything to worry about. We got it under control but thought you should know what¡¯s going on, in case our role gets delayed,¡± is what they¡¯re saying.¡¯ ¡®So, it isn¡¯t just this particular tinoo,¡¯ Brim mumbled to himself. Suddenly his heart sank. ¡®Are we certain the enemy just has juggernauts and fire elementals? We took care of everyone else, right?¡¯ ¡®No reports to confirm that yet.¡¯ ¡®Get all the free fire elementals that can fight in melee combat now. Tell them to head straight over to the utility group asap.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t under-¡¯ ¡®Now!¡¯ ¡®Yes sir!¡¯ Brim had already turned around and began sprinting towards the utility group. His hands were set ablaze. He hoped he wasn¡¯t too late. **** The skies were a hectic mess. Mage-eaters flocked from the horizon, joining the Eurasian tinoos in their air-space. They paid no attention to their avian brethren, as they circled over the battlefield, eyeing their next meal. It disrupted the tinoos formation, forcing all of them to climb further into the sky. All but one, that is. That exception flapped its fiery-red wings, swooping towards its owner, landing on her shoulder. ¡®What¡¯s the status?¡¯ Syndra called out. The tinoo did a form of dance. It moved its wing in a methodical pattern, with Syndra nodding to it. Once it was done, she gave hand signals in return. The bird shook its head, then danced some more. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Syndra said, confused by what the bird was trying to say. ¡®We already know about the juggernauts.¡¯ It was obvious the tinoo couldn¡¯t convey its message properly, annoying both owner and familiar alike. The tinoo squawked in frustration. Along with the chorus of animal noises behind her, Syndra couldn¡¯t help but feel equally frustrated. ¡®Not you too,¡¯ she complained. ¡®The other animals are driving me crazy, so can you please be obedient instead. Just because we¡¯re defended by the other groups, doesn¡¯t mean we can relax. The others need our information.¡¯ The bird stayed stubborn. It turned around and pointed its wings towards the artillery group ahead of them. A battalion member approached Syndra, whom she concluded was what her tinoo was pointing at. ¡®People are approaching,¡¯ she reported. ¡®What?¡¯ Syndra replied, looking at her tinoo, who just tilted its head. ¡®Have the enemy broken through?¡¯ ¡®No. It¡¯s the artillery group¡¯s leader and a few others.¡¯ ¡®Brim? He¡¯s got his messenger. Why does he need to see us in person?¡¯ The battalion member shrugged, prompting Syndra to go check the situation out for herself. She stood at the front of the battalion, her tinoo still resting on her shoulder. She stared at the sprinting Brim, whose hands was alight, wondering what was going on. Syndra¡¯s tinoo began squawking again. She gave it a light tap on the head, but that only aggravated it instead. It went wild, fluttering its wings right in Syndra¡¯s face. She stumbled backwards, tripping on the shifting sands. Syndra felt pins and needles from her shoulders. She had a look and saw blood pouring out of three lined marks. Then the pain hit her like a lupim crashing into you. Her mind was a mess. She refused to believe what she was seeing. Blood was floating in the air, dripping onto the ground. The other battalion members froze, equally suspended in disbelief. The only one that moved was Syndra¡¯s tinoo. It attacked the air, preventing the floating blood to get closer to its owner. Syndra was paralysed. She watched as her tinoo fought against this unknown threat. She watched as its bravery was punished. She watched as her partner and friend was slashed into pieces by the floating blood. She quivered at the claws that formed, drenched from its latest victim. They were now aimed at her. Brim charged at the unseen entity, landing a direct hit onto it. The sands parted where the enemy landed, allowing Brim to grab hold of him. The enemy struck out in retaliation, but it only scratched his armour. The flames spread, burning the enemy. It was turning into ash, to the point that you couldn¡¯t tell whether it was a man or a woman. Brim finished the stealth bestial off, ripping its heart out and letting the rest of the body to burn. ¡®Alert everyone! Stealth bestials are attacking! Light up torches and watch for the shadows! Report the situation to ally fire elementals when they arrive and have them defend,¡¯ brim ordered, sparking the utility group to move into action. But Syndra stayed motionless. She cradled her lifeless partner in her arms, caressing its head, hoping it would wake up. She paid no attention to Brim or anyone around her. ¡®Syndra!¡¯ Brim bellowed. ¡®Huh?¡¯ she said, finally coming to. ¡®Get your head straight. Your battalion is danger and you¡¯re just sitting there!¡¯ ¡®B-but-¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t give a damn about your bird. The juggernauts were just a distraction. They sent stealth bestials to attack the utility group. I¡¯ve ordered my men to come and defend. Now get up and do your duty as leader!¡¯ Syndra remained where she was. Tears flowed from her eyes, as she clutched her bleeding shoulder. She was visibly torn by what had happened. If she didn¡¯t move, she was going to be an easy target. Brim tutted and put out his flames. He then flung her around her back and began running towards Michal¡¯s battalion. They were most at risk. They didn¡¯t have the animals to warn them. ¡®Please tell me they haven¡¯t reached you yet,¡¯ he said to himself. Chapter 21: Maiden Battle (Part 4) Maiden Battle (part 4) The enemy juggernauts caused the first major test for squadron W. Despite the armour they possessed, one critical hit from the enemy could shatter bones and cause internal bleeding. There was no room for complacency. Sam knew this more than anyone. An E ranked mage stood no chance of surviving against his opponent alone. But this time it was different. He didn¡¯t have to worry about being to sole target. The offence group still outnumbered the enemy juggernauts. His current target swung her hairy arm at him, but an ally jabbed her hip, causing the enemy to jerk awkwardly and fluffing the blow. Sam took the opportunity to land a hook square in the face, putting the mage in a brief daze. It was only a delay tactic. Sam knew he didn¡¯t have the means to finish the juggernaut off. She backed off, going back into formation. The sun had completely set but the fireballs illuminated the battlefield in short bursts. It proved difficult as one moment Sam could see everything; the next and he relied on his instincts. The only source of vision came from ally fireballs. The enemy had stopped firing for a while. They knew that the juggernauts were better equipped for a nocturnal battle. The sky lit up again. A new barrage of fireballs crashed into the enemy. They were massive yet less numerous compared to before. Instead of hitting multiple targets, this only hit a few. But this several times more effective. They couldn¡¯t shrug it off like before. It burnt though the fur of the enemy. They howled in pain as the flames seared into their flesh. Sam was entranced by this new spark of hope. Maybe they could actually defeat the juggernauts. Maybe they didn¡¯t need reinforcements in the end. Maybe holding out wasn¡¯t the only win condition. Careless thoughts. A fist smashed into his backside. He tumbled a couple metres into his allies. He could taste the metallic taste of blood. It trickled onto the inside of his helmet. He tried to get up, but a sharp pain from his back caused him to collapse once again. The defence the stealth bestials drained him. Now he was meant to win against those several ranks ahead of him? How foolish he was. Sam¡¯s senses dulled. The shouts surrounding Sam got drowned out by the frantic beating of his heart. It was the only thing that decided to function properly. He could make out was his allies moving around him, filling in the gap he left behind. Even then he wasn¡¯t sure. Then his body began to move. It wasn¡¯t on his own accord though. Someone picked him up and wrapped Sam¡¯s arm around his shoulders. That person groaned. Sam¡¯s armour dug into him, but there was nothing he could do about it. It was strangely nostalgic. ¡®Gin? That y-¡¯ Sam coughed blood before he could finish. ¡®Huh?¡¯ the person replied. It wasn¡¯t Gin, to Sam¡¯s disappointment. ¡®I¡¯m just a messenger taking you over to the artillery group. You¡¯ll be safe there. Hey! You still alive?¡¯ A few coughs and heavy breathing confirmed his current condition: unresponsive but alive. **** Michal pointed towards where all the torches should be placed. He didn¡¯t understand the sudden need for them. Brim just said it was urgent then went off to the leader¡¯s caravan, carrying Syndra on his back. A few moments later and some fire mages from his battalion joined the utility group. ¡®That¡¯s the last of the them,¡¯ he said, as he guided the last fire elemental. ¡®Oh. One last thing. Did Brim tell you anything? Why are you here?¡¯ ¡®He didn¡¯t tell us,¡¯ the man replied, pausing to prepare the final torch. ¡®However, I did hear from others that some stealth bestials have infiltrated us¡¯This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡®What?!¡¯ ¡®Apparently our leader had already dealt with one. Think their target is Syndra¡¯s battalion. Most of us were sent there.¡¯ ¡®Is that why Brim was carrying Syndra? Did she get attacked?¡¯ ¡®I believe so.¡¯ ¡®I should check on them then. Good work on the torches,¡¯ Michal praised. ¡®Thank you, sir,¡¯ the mage replied. Michal did a few final checks before heading towards the caravan. His nerves made him conscious of his surroundings. He looked around, checking for shadows that didn¡¯t belong to anything visible. It looked like there was no immediate danger. As he reached the caravan, Michal saw Brim exiting. He had a stern expression but there was a hint of anger, as if he was annoyed at something. ¡®What happened?¡¯ Michal asked. ¡®She¡¯s completely out of it,¡¯ Brim grumbled. ¡®Syndra?¡¯ ¡®Her stupid bird got killed. Now she¡¯s completely out of it.¡¯ ¡®That condescending tone probably didn¡¯t help.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t care. We¡¯ve been breached and she¡¯s gone and begun moping! If we fail because of this, it¡¯ll be my fault for not noticing earlier.¡¯ ¡®Brim! Calm down. You¡¯re rushing too much. You haven¡¯t told anyone anything. We¡¯re all confused because of it. Take your time. Make sure everyone is informed of the situation and give orders accordingly. Then go back to your battalion. You just left them without warning.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re right,¡¯ Brim said, sighing after calming down a bit. ¡®Heh. Didn¡¯t expect this level of calmness from you.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ve been so paranoid of being completely useless this war, I thought being anxious would turn me into a burden instead. I¡¯m a harmless creator of armour after all. I would like a way to fight though.¡¯ ¡®I think I¡¯ve calmed down now thanks to you. I think you should talk to Syndra though. See if you can do anything. I need to go to her battalion. That¡¯s where they¡¯ve attacked.¡¯ ¡®Better get to it then.¡¯ Brim headed towards Syndra¡¯s battalion, while Michal entered the caravan. Inside was a distraught Syndra, who was clutching onto a tinoo. She was so fixated on the dead creature that she didn¡¯t notice Michal enter the caravan. ¡®Syndra?¡¯ Michal called, but a quick glance was all he got. ¡®Not going to talk, eh? No problem. I was brought up as a stone elemental, so I never got to know how the MBP brought up utility familiar types. I heard they bred the familiars along with the mages themselves. The familiars would then grow along side their partner. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve developed a great bond with your tinoo. I might feel the same in your position.¡¯ Syndra remained silent. It unnerved Michal. He tried sympathising with her, while Brim scolded her. Neither of the two could get to her. Michal didn¡¯t know what else he could do, so he decided to give up for the time being. He uncovered a slab of rock within the caravan. It was broad on one side and narrowed as you went along it. The end of it was still blunt. Michal secreted a foamy liquid and lathered it on the end, causing the rock to liquify. He then used his fingers to prune the end, sharpening it in the process. ¡®What are you doing?¡¯ The voice schocked Michal. He turned to see Syndra watching him through the corner of her eyes. Did his small monologue actually have some effect on her? Or were his actions that unusual that one would take notice? ¡®Gin¡¯s a manush, isn¡¯t he?¡¯ he commented. ¡®So?¡¯ She said, giving a muffled response. She gave the impression that she didn¡¯t care yet was interested. Michal didn¡¯t look too deeply into it and continued. ¡®He has no strength himself. He doesn¡¯t even care for how we view people relying on anything but their own strength. His INS and gauntlets are proof of that. So, I was thinking, ¡°why not do the same?¡± I can¡¯t do anything this battle since I have no means to fight the enemy. I can¡¯t even do surveillance like you familiar types. I¡¯m just deadweight. I was only useful in the build-up, but nothing more.¡¯ ¡®Which leads you to whatever it is you¡¯re doing,¡¯ she heckled. ¡®I¡¯m just trying to recreate Gin¡¯s weaponry. If I can, then I could learn how to fight, right? I plan on showing this to him and hopefully get him to train me.¡¯ ¡®Huh.¡¯ Michal did a few finishing touches to the stone ¡®blade¡¯. He put it down, letting it to dry. It still wasn¡¯t sharp enough at the end, but he planned to rectify that later. He then looked at Syndra who was still cradling the tinoo, like a mother to her child. Michal felt disheartened by the sight, but he was glad she spoke, even if it was for a few words. ¡®Alright. I¡¯ll go check on how everyone¡¯s holding out.¡¯ ¡®Mm. OK.¡¯ Still conscious of stealth bestials, Michal had eyes focused on the ground, looking for any anomalies. Sudden shouts startled him, diverting his gaze to the side they originated from. A small crowd had gathered over there. As he came closer, someone broke off from the crowd. It was the same fire elemental he had seen setting the torches up. He had blood stains on his body but looked healthy enough. ¡®What¡¯s with the crowd?¡¯ Michal queried. ¡®We found a stealth bestial and dealt with it.¡¯ ¡®Thought as much.¡¯ In the centre was the charred remains of a mage. Parts of it disappeared and reappeared, as the enemy¡¯s bodily functions spasmed in death. They had to thank Brim for his quick thinking. It provided a sense of relief for the utility group, knowing they were under his battalion¡¯s protection. The utility group didn¡¯t expect to see death right in front of them, unless it was all over squadron W. Even Michal didn¡¯t expect the current turn of events. He didn¡¯t expect to lower his guard. He didn¡¯t expect the ownerless shadow that broke off the crowd¡¯s massive shadow. He didn¡¯t expect claws pierce through his chest. Chapter 22: Maiden Battle (part 5) Maiden Battle (part 5) Gin scooped sand with his blade and hurled it at his target¡¯s face. The enemy deflected the attempt but it bought enough time. An ally grabbed the foe by his arms, leaving an opening for Gin. He took the opportunity, using a fallen body as leverage, piercing the mage¡¯s chest. But the enemy¡¯s muscles were packed. They clenched onto Gin¡¯s blades, preventing the strike to go further. The enemy elbowed the allied mage, breaking free from his hold. Gin retracted his blade with difficulty. If it weren¡¯t for all his training, to land a clean strike on a tree, Gin would have been open for a counterattack. The enemy turned his back on Gin. After that feeble attack, he was no longer considered a threat. He focused on dealing with the ally that held him down. Gin just smirked in response. Perfect. Gin detached an INS from his belt. He activated the mechanism, then aimed it right at the mage¡¯s heart. He pressed the mechanism in the second chamber. The mage collapsed with a spherical hole through him. ¡®Thanks,¡¯ the ally said. Gin didn¡¯t respond. His focus was on the next foe. With their numbers advantage, the offence group worked in packs. Gin was the outlier, helping the packs one by one. But, even with the numbers advantage, it still wasn¡¯t enough. The juggernauts¡¯ strength came from squadron¡¯s W inability to deal a finishing blow. Even Gin had to rely on his gun INS. An ally flew into Gin, causing both to tumble. Gin collected himself only to see a mage running at him. He barrel-rolled out of the first punch. But the target wasn¡¯t him. A new plot of land was stained red. Gin watched as his ally got crushed under the blow. That could have easily been him. Now the mage¡¯s attention was on Gin. His allies were occupied and couldn¡¯t come to help. He had to handle it alone. Gin took out the gun INS once more, activating the mechanism and aiming at the mage. He fired but missed his target. The recoil was still too much. He then gripped the gun with both hands, making sure not to falter this time. The enemy charged at Gin, making himself a bigger target. Gin fired, landing the bullet straight through him, but the mage continued his attack. Gin sidestepped then duck, dodging a right hook in the process. He skipped backwards, building some distance between the two. He aimed for another shot, clicked the mechanism and ¨C nothing. ¡®Tsk. Out of ammo,¡¯ Gin mumbled to himself. Gin took a few more steps backwards, assessing the damage he dealt. The enemy was at a stand-still. He didn¡¯t move from his position. Blood trickled from the hole his opponent¡¯s chest. It continued to flow until a silver pellet dropped from the wound. Gin¡¯s eyes widened. The same bullet that killed the previous juggernaut was stopped entirely and ejected as if it was nothing. Just how much have humans evolved to shrug off such an attack?! The mage closed the wound then attacked Gin once more. He dodged the first strike; deflected the second with his shield. The deflection echoed through his arm. Pain It was almost as strong as Varunel¡¯s punch, that shattered his bones. Gin knew he couldn¡¯t take any direct hits. He leapt to the side, keeping his distance, looking for an opportunity.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Water grazed Gin¡¯s thigh. He knew where it came from and cursed his naivet¨¦. He was so focused on his opponent, he forgot to be wary of friendly fire. The area throbbed but the adrenaline soon nullified the pain. He decided on his next plan. Gin took the initiative. He used his inferior height to duck out of another swing. He struck out, jabbing the enemy¡¯s hip. Before the enemy could react, Gin retreated a few metres and out of range. The wound he inflicted was slowly closing. Gin went in for another attack. He aimed for the torso this time. The opponent lashed but Gin was too quick. He dodged the hook, side-stepped into position then uppercut the mage, piercing the chest area and retracting in one clean motion. Gin retreated to a safe distance then attacked once more. He leaned back, avoiding a roundhouse kick by millimetres. The enemy was off-balance. Gin took his chance and sent a flurry of stabs in return. The process continued. Retreat. Dodge. Attack. Repeat. Gin slowly built up the damage to the point that the enemy¡¯s regeneration couldn¡¯t keep up. He infuriated the enemy, like a mosquito that could never be caught. Gin had no means to deal a finishing blow on a conscious enemy, but the mage collapsed from the constant loss of blood. Gin walked up to the enemy and sliced the neck, making sure there was no chance of recovery. Gin looked around. Somehow no one had him as an immediate target. It allowed a rare chance to take a deep breath. Both ally and enemy forces were in a deadlock. Fire, water and fists collided in this bloodbath. Neither side gave the other the chance to take the advantage. The allies were holding out but the juggernauts weren¡¯t falling down. But what irked Gin was the lack of enemy fire. The ground shook, taking everyone by surprise. Thunderous sounds echoed across the battlefield. The foolish turned to look. The lapse in concentration from the enemy only lead to their demise. The ally forces started to push the enemy back. The offence group¡¯s first chance at winning boosted everyone¡¯s morale. They gained an extra burst of strength. But that died down as quickly as it rose. ¡®Enemy reinforcements incoming! Two-thousand strong!¡¯ The shout sent a shiver down everyone¡¯s spine. They were beating the enemy by the skin of their teeth. They struggled with three-hundred and now they had to face another two-thousand? Was the enemy fire elementals finally joining the fray in melee combat? Out of fear, the offence group backed off, inviting the enemy forwards. They were losing ground. Gin looked up and saw the change in the tinoo¡¯s formation. Reinforcements had arrived. But instead of cowering, he just grinned a manic grin; the same one he put on when he dealt the first blow onto that unsuspecting stealth bestial. He was excited. He could sense his group¡¯s urge to run, but that soon changed when the first screams were heard. The enemy juggernauts were as equally fooled. They neglected the weakness that almost everyone possessed: their exposed back. Without mercy, they were cut down by those they believed as their allies. They believed in their squadron W¡¯s cries of terror. Everything changed. The enemy had twice as many mages to deal with. They couldn¡¯t cover all their weak points. Their attention was split between even more foes. It was perfect for squadron W. Gin weaved in and out, slicing the juggernauts one by one. The stabs weakened the enemy. His allies handled the rest. On the contrary, there was no teamwork from the enemy; only a bunch of individuals that lost to those weaker than them. The enemy fell like flies. As they died, the offence group¡¯s forces freed up more and more. Outnumbered and outclassed, the AAA¡¯s forces depleted until none of them remained alive. Gin dusted off the sand that had mixed with the blood around his eyes. He stared in front of him. He knew what happened. It was according to plan after all. The slope that the battlefield began with no longer existed. Instead there was a massive chasm. As he walked closer, he saw that inside was a mountain of bodies where the enemy fire elementals once stood. Gin, with a few other allies that had joined him, peered further into the hole. Beyond the corpses, he saw several tunnels, just like he saw in the maps. From them, mages emerged, waving to their fellow squadron members above. An emphatic victory would have been an overstatement. They struggled, fought and some even died. In the end, that didn¡¯t matter. It was still Squadron W¡¯s win. Chapter 23: Aftermath Aftermath The sun rose over the remains of the battlefield. The eastern walls left a giant shadow across it, providing shade from the desert heat. The long-awaited battle had come to a close. All that was left was to stock food for the return trip, clean up the area of the thousands that had died, and treat the injured. ¡®Hey, Gin?¡¯ a worried Joan said. ¡®Mm?¡¯ Gin responded. It was an empty reply; void of any positive emotion. ¡®Does-¡¯ she paused, figuring out how to bring up the topic. ¡®Did Michal¡¯s death- ¡¯ A finger placed on her mouth stopped her from continuing. She gave up and joined Gin in staring at the line of lifeless bodies laid in front of them. She tended to a gash on Gin¡¯s leg, injecting a substance to aid with the healing through her nails. Afterwards, she got Gin to take off his armour to inspect his back. There were several burn marks and bruises which she prepared to treat. ¡®I know what you wanted to say,¡¯ Gin said at last. ¡®And no. I¡¯m just counting our losses. I have to write a report to send to the colonel, no? Death is natural and expected, especially in battle. We just have to go onto the next mission.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s a little harsh.¡¯ ¡®Meh. They couldn¡¯t defend themselves and died in the process. I did my best to train them, but it looks like they couldn¡¯t use that. They didn¡¯t anticipate a sneak attack and this is what happens. No point brooding over the grunts of the operation.¡¯ ¡®Gin! All of them looked up to you and this is how you treat them now they¡¯re dead? Do you not feel anything?¡¯ ¡®Why should I? I¡¯ve seen worse.¡¯ A few people stopped with what they were doing to watch the spectacle. The interactions between the pair, as they got on each other¡¯s nerves, was infamous in the squadron. They all waited for the next phase: Joan¡¯s sarcasm. ¡®Really? Glad to know that, if I get killed, you wouldn¡¯t care at all. Is this a trait the manush have? It¡¯s not like people can feel emotional pain when a friend or ally dies. But do I know? Being cold and emotionless must be the best attitude to have since you¡¯re doing it. Gin turned around to face Joan. His eyes were red and there were streaks in the blood stains on his face. ¡®I know, Joan. I know. No need to rub it in,¡¯ he said. His voice said the bare minimum, but his body showed the truth. ¡®Ah. Sorry. Looks like you¡¯re not completely heartless after all. You know you could be more open with me. Remember that promise?¡¯ Gin went into a whisper. ¡®Damn. This is exactly why I didn¡¯t want to say anything.¡¯ ¡®Huh?¡¯ ¡®Listen,¡¯ he continued to whisper. Without making it obvious, Joan listened to everyone around her. It was then that she realised the people that crowded around them were mostly from the group she arrived with. She felt the he tempers rising as she heard the gossip that was going on. ¡®So that¡¯s a manush, huh?¡¯ ¡®Wow. Is he crying?¡¯ ¡®He knows he¡¯s pathetic.¡¯ ¡®Can¡¯t believe Maria chose him to be leader.¡¯ ¡®Because of him we lost over a thousand men.¡¯ ¡®Really?¡¯ ¡®yeah, I heard he drove Rob¡¯s battalion out because they didn¡¯t listen to him. We could have had a flawless victory of Rob was in charge.¡¯ ¡®No way.¡¯ ¡®Wow.¡¯ ¡®Thought so.¡¯ ¡®Oh, will you shut up! We¡¯re still not done so stop gawking and get back to work! Move! That¡¯s an order.¡¯ The crowd scattered. Jake, the cause of that, squatted beside Gin and Joan. In his hand was a letter which he gave to Gin. ¡®Since when did you start defending me?¡¯ Gin remarked. ¡®I hate idlers. Nothing else.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m sure that¡¯s the case.¡¯ ¡®You two seem close,¡¯ Joan commented. ¡®We¡¯re really not,¡¯ Gin corrected.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡®I don¡¯t like him,¡¯ Jake added. ¡®Though you did well. I can¡¯t say I hate you either. Anyway, I should go back to dumping the bodies for the mage-eaters to take from. Read the report then write something to send back to Maria.¡¯ ¡®ugh. Aftermath reports. The books never mention the tedious duties of a leader,¡¯ Gin said, scratching his head. He read the report, then scrunched up his face in confusion. ¡®Jake!¡¯ ¡®Hey, hold on. I¡¯m not done yet,¡¯ Joan said, holding Gin down to resume treatment. Jake already had a body in his arms when Gin called. He handed the corpse to another person then went back. ¡®What¡¯s wrong?¡¯ he asked, equally puzzled. ¡®We¡¯re dumping the ally bodies too?¡¯ Gin responded. Another crowd began to form, but a piercing glare prevented any further progress. ¡®Yeah. We¡¯re going to feed them to the mage-eaters too. What else are we meant to do?¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t we bury allies?¡¯ ¡®Why should we? The desert isn¡¯t going to benefit from decaying bodies. The mage-eaters would make better use of their corpses.¡¯ ¡®I see. Makes sense.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re acting strange.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m fine. Carry on with your job.¡¯ ¡®Alright,¡¯ Jake said as he picked up Michal¡¯s body. He was still confused as to what that conversation was about. In his year living with squadron W, Gin realised that how much the mages prioritised in natural efficiency. They cared more for the environment than their own kind. They didn¡¯t have the symbolism of tradition and Gin knew he would have been in the wrong to try and impose any of that onto the mages. He found tradition tedious and unnecessary regardless, so he adopted the mages¡¯ stance on the matter. ¡®Did you want to bury our dead?¡¯ Joan asked, unsure whether she should have raised the question. ¡®No. I just wanted to see what a mage thinks. You guys are still very alien to me after all. Not that it¡¯s a bad thing. I¡¯m fascinated by the variety of mages there are and want to figure out how everyone works.¡¯ ¡®Hehe. I¡¯m sure people will be interested in you too now that your secret is out. Though you probably didn¡¯t care since you didn¡¯t try to hide that when we first met. I¡¯m done by the way. I¡¯ll handle the scars when we get back home.¡¯ ¡®Finally! Go help treat the others. I¡¯ll go help clearing the bodies.¡¯ ¡®You should rest. You¡¯ve suffered a lot.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll be fine ¨C Ow!¡¯ Gin exclaimed as he tried to get up. His thigh and back stung as the treatments fizzled into the wounds. ¡®Told you.¡¯ ¡®I just need to walk this off.¡¯ ¡®Suit yourself.¡¯ ¡®I told you. I¡¯m fine. A little stinging sensation won¡¯t kill me. Anyway, I suggest you go treat Sam first. I heard his armour got crushed so bad that it¡¯s digging into his flesh. I want someone I trust handling that.¡¯ ¡®Yeah, I¡¯ll get on top of that,¡¯ Joan said. She couldn¡¯t help but smile at Gin¡¯s last comment and followed obediently. ¡®Don¡¯t overexert yourself though.¡¯ ¡®¡®K.¡¯ After putting on his clothes again, Gin called someone to help him with the lifting. The dead mage was a couple feet taller than him and doing it alone would have been too difficult. They placed the body on a piece of cloth and picked it up from the edges. It was a small trek to the chasm where the bodies were being dumped. As they got closer, Gin could see the mage-eaters in their full view. They perched on the edges, anticipating the next drop. Their neck and head, which were disproportionally small, made their wings and chest larger than they really were (though it was nothing to be scoffed about). Some had a small red crest while others were brown. Small featherless chicks rested beside the adults, watching with anticipation at what their parents will do. As Gin and the mage threw the body into the chasm, a single mage-eater swooped down. It made Gin¡¯s partner flinch. It was no surprise. Gin¡¯s heart skipped a beat at its magnificence too. The beast caught the body mid-air with its beak. The body flailed as it was taken back to the flock of birds. The chicks huddled in one spot for the adult to drop the mage below. It crashed into the ground, met by the ravenous teethed beaks of the young mage-eaters. They shred the body, eating both flesh and bone alike. ¡®Sir?¡¯ ¡®Hm?¡¯ Gin didn¡¯t even turn his head. He was mesmerised by the scene. ¡®I feel uncomfortable. Can I leave?¡¯ ¡®Sure. I think I¡¯m going to stay for a bit.¡¯ The mage left, but not before mumbling, ¡°Strange guy¡±. Gin paid no mind to it though and continued watching the process of bodies flung into the pit, only to be caught by an adult mage-eater. A hand clasped onto Gin¡¯s shoulder. ¡®There you are!¡¯ Gin turned around to see a smiling Brim. His skin contrasted heavily with the blood stains on his body. It made him upset once more, but Gin decided to pick up the mood instead. ¡®Looks like you need a shower,¡¯ he joked, replying with a fake smile. ¡®You¡¯re one to talk. You¡¯re more red than brown,¡¯ Brim retorted. ¡®I could really use a shower,¡¯ Gin said, inspecting himself. ¡®That¡¯ll have to wait. We can bathe in that lake by the forest. We need to conserve our water for now.¡¯ ¡®So, we¡¯re just going to walking around with blood on our faces for over fifty kilometres then?¡¯ ¡®Unless it rains, then yeah.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s a pain.¡¯ ¡®What were you doing anyway?¡¯ ¡®Oh.¡¯ Gin pointed towards the feasting birds. ¡®Watching nature at its best.¡¯ ¡®So, you¡¯re ok with gore but the get touchy when eating mage meat, huh? Nice morale compass you got there.¡¯ ¡®I-I can¡¯t defend that.¡¯ Gin lowered his gaze. Maybe it was his bloodlust in the heat of the moment that was the problem. ¡®It¡¯s possible that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t realise the AAA planned a sneak attack. I was too into the battle to notice.¡¯ Brim placed his arm around Gin and pulled him closer. ¡®That¡¯s just down to your inexperience. You didn¡¯t even know what a stealth bestial was a week ago. If anything, I should have known something was up sooner. I figured out their plan too late and a lot of people were affected badly,¡¯ Brim paused, thinking of how Syndra was almost a shell after the loss of her tinoo. ¡®But we have to use that to know for next time. Build our experiences up until we can beat anyone and everyone in our way. Also, it didn¡¯t help that Rob betrayed us. With nine-hundred more fighters, we could have had some defending the utility group.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re right,¡¯ Gin sighed. ¡®Agree to the fact that we both should have done better and not blame ourselves alone in self-hatred? We are a squadron after all.¡¯ ¡®Agreed.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s the spirit. Have you done your report by the way?¡¯ ¡®No, I haven¡¯t. What about you?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ve already done mine,¡¯ Brim said with a smirk. ¡®What? When?¡¯ Gin responded as if he was betrayed. ¡®Before I went to look for you. You¡¯re still a first-timer at being a battalion leader, so let¡¯s go back to our caravan and I¡¯ll help you with the formalities.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll take you up on the offer,¡¯ Gin said. There was still a lot to learn. Just when Gin thought he had everything figured out, something else gets in the way. It didn¡¯t matter how much he read about historical war battles, tactics and their consequences. Reality was different. It always ended in thoughts of ¡®what could have been¡¯. As he walked towards the caravan, Gin¡¯s emotions almost got the better of him, but he tried to put on his usual calm demeanour instead. He put aside the negatives and thought on the silver linings. Unlike when the mages attacked his village, he wasn¡¯t the only survivor after this skirmish with the AAA. For that, he was glad. A light smile ran across his face. This time, it was genuine. Chapter 24: Just the Beginning [First novel End] Just the Beginning Maria placed her palm on the touchpad. Lights whirred around her hand before making an affirming beep. She let go and then placed her eye in front of the scanner. The touchpad beeped once more, opening the door connecting to it. Beyond it was a rocky corridor laced with wires that connected to bulbs. They shone on signs that had names of cities on them. Each of the signs were placed on side paths, that diverged from the main corridor. Maria turned at the side-path that was labelled ¡°Berlin; Warsaw; Minsk; Moscow¡±. It was similar to the main path. The only exception was that the wall on Maria¡¯s right didn¡¯t exist. In its place was a trench with metallic tracks at the bottom. Further down those tracks were pods. She placed her palm on another touchpad and the door to one of the pods slid open. They had room for a maximum of four people, but it wasn¡¯t necessary, as Maria went alone. A voice echoed as soon as she stepped in. ¡®Welcome to the direct line. Which destination would you like to go to?¡¯ it said. ¡®Warsaw please,¡¯ Maria responded. ¡®Order received.¡¯ The door shut and the pod began to float. It veered along the tracks, turning into a tunnel. It was dark bar the light inside the pod. Maria turned that off then laid pack into her seat. She shut her eyes and went into sleep. With the journey time, she needed to burn off the hours somehow. **** ¡®Welcome to Warsaw. Thank you for traveling with us.¡¯ ¡®Looks like they haven¡¯t changed that annoying voice,¡¯ Maria as she winked her way out of slumber. A rapping on the door caused Maria to turn her head. She saw a bald man with holes on his arms and face. His expression was cold and one that showed that he was doing his job out of necessity rather than choice. ¡®You¡¯re going to get out or not?¡¯ the man grumbled. ¡®Yes, yes. Coming,¡¯ Maria responded as she opened the pod and stepped out. ¡®This thing is so convenient. Everyone should have access to it.¡¯ ¡®Maria, you know full well why we can¡¯t let this get into public knowledge.¡¯ ¡®I know. I¡¯ve heard it thousands of times. Still stupid though.¡¯ ¡®Just accept that it¡¯s the way it is.¡¯ ¡®And if it¡¯s a tedious affair that is powered by greed and something I don¡¯t want to accept?¡¯ ¡®You have no choice in that.¡¯ ¡®Just take me to the meeting. I¡¯m not in the mood to start a debate.¡¯ ¡®I was thinking the same thing. Right this way.¡¯ The man Maria called Dan led the pair through another corridor. All of the walls had metal coating. The sight of them sickened Maria as they all looked the same. There was no diversity. Though the MBP liked their uniformness and conciseness, so she couldn¡¯t argue against it. Along the way, people in white coats walked past Maria, nodding in acknowledgement. She nodded back, recognising a few. She hadn¡¯t been in a while and most of the faces were either unfamiliar or she had forgotten. However, she never forgot the strange devices they carried, that created images that hovered in the air and moved with a flick of their fingers.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡®Over here,¡¯ Dan said, pointing to a metallic door. ¡®You ready to meet him?¡¯ ¡®No. you know what he¡¯s like. I just want to get this over with. Please tell me the other squadron leaders are here too.¡¯ ¡®Heh. Unfortunately, everyone else is preoccupied. It¡¯s for your own squadron, so it¡¯s obvious no one would be bothered to come over.¡¯ He took a card out of his shirt pocket and swiped it against a slit in the door. It slid upwards, revealing a darkened room apart from a blue light radiated from one corner that created a silhouette of a chair. That changed when Dan clapped his hands and the room lit up a bright yellow. ¡®What was that for?!¡¯ someone shouted from the same corner. ¡®My king, we are ready for the meeting.¡¯ ¡®Wait! She¡¯s here? Danotello, I got more pressing issues!¡¯ ¡®Oh, great,¡¯ Maria mumbled as she braced for the usual chain of events that was about to happen. The blond man leapt from his chair and walked, with a cheerful grin, towards Maria. He was smaller than her, but that didn¡¯t deter him, as he placed his ivory-white fingers on her chin. ¡®Maria,¡¯ he said with an air of confidence. ¡®Yes Arthur?¡¯ ¡®Marry me.¡¯ Arthur collapsed under a jab in the stomach. Maria¡¯s actions spoke for her and she had enough of the usual. ¡®Can we get to the meeting?¡¯ Maria demanded. ¡®So,¡¯ Arthur said, trying to recollect himself. ¡®Was that a yes or-¡¯ A kick in the groin sent the message Maria tried to get across. She knew it wouldn¡¯t stop him, but it stopped him from speaking any further. ¡®No restraint,¡¯ Dan commented. ¡®He forbids all of the magikind from having relationships, so that the MBP can run, yet he wants to have one with me. Hypocritical much?¡¯ Maria complained. ¡®Well, he is the king.¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s an idiot.¡¯ ¡®Ouch. We¡¯re stuck with him though. Shall we begin while he recovers?¡¯ ¡®Thank goodness!¡¯ Dan walked to one end of the room and pulled out a few seats for Maria to sit in. They were placed around a glass table in the centre of the room. Dan waved his hand over the table and a screen popped up, showing a video of people relaxing and bathing in a lake. ¡®Someone in my squadron has tech similar to this,¡¯ Maria said. ¡®The manush, right?¡¯ Arthur replied, as he dragged himself into his seat. ¡®You recovered fast.¡¯ ¡®The power of love and friendship can-¡¯ ¡®Oh, shut up, will ya? ¡®Yes, ma¡¯am.¡¯ ¡®Back onto the topic at hand,¡¯ Dan interrupted. ¡®Your squadron somehow managed to win despite their numbers and skill disadvantage. You do realise what that means?¡¯ ¡®I have an idea, yes.¡¯ ¡®If word gets inside the MBP, that it is possible to do so, they¡¯ll start to question our methods.¡¯ ¡®We just used our terrain to our advantage. We found an underground tunnel and made it collapse, right under the enemy¡¯s feet, then went for a flank. Nothing to do with skill, to be honest,¡¯ Maria assured. ¡®The strong will remain strong on an individual basis.¡¯ ¡®So, no intention of rebellion, I see,¡¯ Dan joked. ¡®That goes without saying,¡¯ maria responded in a serious fashion ''What about the manush? What¡¯s his intentions? Which village did he come from? The same one as the one we burned down several years ago?¡¯ Maria pondered for a moment then replied, ¡®I don¡¯t know about his origins. He looks like he¡¯s just curious. He¡¯s fascinated by us mages and how we work though. I think I did overhear him talk about his village, but he doesn¡¯t look like one going after revenge.¡¯ ¡®Really?¡¯ Arthur intruded. ¡®Not after everything that we did to him and his relatives. You know how relationships are different for them.¡¯ ¡®You did that on a whim. We could have left them alone!¡¯ Dan exclaimed. ¡®Hey. I wanted their technology and I did. Well, whatever. If he¡¯s not going to be a problem for us, then there¡¯s no point in worry now. Which one is he anyway?¡¯ Maria used her finger to move around the video on the table. She zoomed in and out until she spotted the only man with Xernim gauntlets. He was on the side of the lake, half naked, writing down something on a piece of paper. Beside him was brim, who was also half naked, giving him orders. ¡®Did- are those Xernims on his arms?¡¯ Dan questioned. ¡®Yes,¡¯ Maria confirmed. ¡®What a weird person,¡¯ Arthur added. ¡®He looks harmless enough. Let¡¯s just monitor him for the time being.¡¯ ¡®Agreed,¡¯ the other two said simultaneously before Maria picked up the conversation. ¡®What about the rest of my squadron?¡¯ ¡®Do you want to fill my future wife in on our plans, Danotello?¡¯ Arthur said, only to receive a piercing glare from Maria, silencing the king of Eurasia. ¡®Ahem,¡¯ Dan cleared his throat. ¡®You won¡¯t get a promotion in your squadron¡¯s ranks, but we acknowledge their feat. Therefore, we will give them some more benefits and resources, along with more missions.¡¯ ¡®What sort of benefits and missions?¡¯ Maria questioned. Dan waved his hand over the table and a new screen showed. It contained a list of all the plans they were talking about. Maria smiled after reading it. It wasn¡¯t anything extraordinary, but it was a start. It was the opportunity she was waiting for several decades and she was determined to take it. End of Novel One Some concept art drawn (very poorly) by me Here we have a basic model of Gin''s weaponry: the Integrated Nanobot System, or INS for short. One side contains stored nanobots (and if you twist it off, you can open up a control panel to programme what the INS does). The middle contains the mechanism and the other end is where the whole thing comes out.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. This is basically an illustration of how Gin uses the INS on his xernim gauntlets (introduced in the last 2 chapters) How the battle played out (and other artwork by me) Legend: Red = AAA forces. Green = Squadron W''s forces. Oval = projectile based group. Squares = squadron W''s melee infantry. Pentagons = Squadron W''s utility group. Triangles = Stealth Bestials. Star = Juggernauts. Black star = Chasm. NB. Numbers and sizes are not to scale. 1) How the start of the battle looked like. That red dot is where Gin got the first kill. As you can see, lots of stealth bestials. They outnumbered sW by about 2.5 to 1 Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. 2) The offence group spread out to intercept the many stealth types, but some manage to sneak through. Juggernauts start making their way through. 3) Offence group handles most of the stealth types and begin to condense to intercept the juggernauts. Brim realises the stealth types'' plan of attacking and brings some forces to intercept. Though some casualities still occured due to his lateness. 4) The ground shakes, and squadron W''s reinforcements have arrived. The enemy fire elementals collapse into the chasm and the reinforcements climb out of it, flanking the enemy juggernauts. Squadron W win as a result. The map of both the AAA''s and Squadron W''s pathing. As you can see, it''s slightly modified from our current world''s map. The Gun INS. The writing is difficult to see, so starting from far left: activates transformation; useless for now, saved for future use; fires bullet; chamber for bullet. Finally, a poorly drawn Gin, donning his xernim gauntlets and INS on his belt. Inanimate objects are easier for me, but this one turned alright (relatively) Future Plans / Q&A session With the first novel finally done, I plan on discussing what I intend to do and the future of magikind. 1. First of all, I will begin my rewrite. Over the chapters, I have gotten valuable feedback and will now use them to improve the story (especially the earlier chapters). The main intention is to make it less reliant on the notes, and reduce confusion, while retaining some of the wonder of a strange society and people. 2. I will keep the notes. There will be some minor edits to add more comedy (Wo will play a big part) but they''re here to stay.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. 3. I will post some artwork sometime soon, so be looking forward to that! 4. I will go on hiatus as I do the edit, however, so sorry for the future delay. I have taken the pledge, so I will pick it up after the rewrite. 5. I am doing a collab and will post that story soon. I hope it''ll be an enjoyable read as well. 6. Join my discord: https://discord.gg/z8jk9uV 7. Feel free to review or rate. It goes into my decision making during the rewrite when I have more feedback. Now if you have any other questions regarding anything from the story to myself as a person, feel free to ask and I will respond as soon as possible. Disclaimer about the notes I''ve had a few complaints and comments on the notes. Most of them were about the notes reading like a textbook. They make me both happy and upset at the same time. Sad because some people don''t like it. I understand that''s a matter of preference, and I did say that people are free to skip the notes as they don''t add much to the story, but I still want to address these things.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Happy because that''s the intention, or at least in the early chapters. Since it is written in the perspective of Gin, he wants to write like the textbooks he studied back in the village. Therefore, it''s meant to be that way in the early notes. But for those who immediately dropped the notes, thinking that all of them will be similiar, be rest assured. Gin will slowly open up to the readers, especially after Wo Pim''s introduction and entries, which I hope is evident if you decide to soldier on through all of them. Gin’s Notes #1 – A brief history of mankind (the 3rd millennia) Gin¡¯s Notes #1 ¨C A brief history of mankind (the 3rd millennia) 23rd March 4972 Magic has never existed. It is just the weakness of mankind to fear the unknown, to call it whatever they see fit, be it a miracle, the work of the devil or just plain magic and let that be a good enough explanation in itself. That is not true nor will it ever be the case. This notion of fearing the unknown was how the term ¡®mage¡¯ was coined in the 25th century. Although the actual feats accomplished by these so called mages were very minor; (creating a match sized fire with just a finger; Being able to change the direction of small amounts of water flow (obviously this is nothing for modern mages)) People were still somehow afraid of them. How they came about? I don¡¯t know. Edit: I have formulated some theories after some research (See Gin¡¯s notes #3) ¡®How are they doing this? They must be contained!¡¯ was what most authorities thought and that¡¯s exactly what they did. Having created an Island, of location I have yet to find out, the governments of the world forced the emigration of the mages to their new home.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. As more and more mages emerged and the increase in diversity in terms of what the mages could do (ranging from improving fertility in soil to minor manipulation of electricity), the governments gradually accepted them. However, mages had other traits that only they knew about. It seems that they had full control over what characteristics they passed down to their children that manush, the term given to those that weren¡¯t mages, still were never able to master. The mages still resented the manush for their century long imprisonment but they were smart. Their children were smarter so what did they do? Instead of needless fighting, they became integral in society due to their abilities and not only that, it seemed that mages could have offspring with manush! Due to the ability to control what genetic properties the mages had, their children were made sure to be mages. The result two centuries down the line, now the 29th century, was that 99.999% of mankind were mages of varying abilities. The remaining 0.001% was a rare trait, only consisting of the stubborn and idiotic, of manush who refused to have relationships with mages for fear of damaging the ¡®purity¡¯ of their bloodline (pitiful excuse in my opinion). Nowadays mankind, or shall I say magikind (the mages still sometimes refer to themselves as humans), believes that manush are now extinct. However, that is not true. How do I know this? Unfortunately, my ancestors were manush and so am I. Gin’s Notes #2 Mages/The MBP Gin¡¯s Notes #2 Mages/The MBP Descriptions are always subjective. Saying someone is ¡®short¡¯ today is actually tall in the year 2000. Being ¡®weak¡¯ today would mean you could easily defeat anyone in the year 2000. However with all the differences between us and our ancestors, there are some things that never change. An example of this would be our dependency on a heart. For some reason, no matter how much we have evolved over the past three thousand years, everyone still has one at least. The mages have tried, they even created the Mage Breeding Programme (MBP) when the wars started between each other, to create the ultimate being but can you really get rid of something that took millions of years to develop in a mere few centuries? We do, however, have changes to the heart ranging from the massive ones found in aquatic bestial types to the miniature ones of the stealth sub-class of the bestial types. Edit: Often when referring to their class, you say X Y type or Y X type where X denotes their subclass and Y denotes their main class. Both are interchangeable by the X Y format is more common. For Example you would say Stealth Bestial type but Bestial Stealth type is equally acceptable. However, one key aspect about mages that differs to manush is that mages could tell whether someone was a mage or not but the manush couldn¡¯t at first glance. Much more relevant in the past than now but it is why others perceive me as strange. Another thing about mages that I am curious about is how they view the world. From a friend¡¯s experience, who knows I am a manush, he describes it as being more aware of everything around him to the smallest of details. He says he can tell how a single cell out of trillions in his body is doing, every single bacteria or virus that enter his systems and to an extent his surroundings. How can you not go insane with all this knowledge, I won¡¯t know. My guess is that it must be unconscious thinking which he can then make conscious like how I don¡¯t notice my breathing but can control it if I concentrate. Understanding Mages is difficult but I would still like to in an attempt to become one, if done artificially.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. From my knowledge of the MBP there seems to be two major things the mages running it do. The first is to determine whether an individual is deemed worthy to be picked by the MBP. This is done through how a person performs in their specific job. The best of them are then picked and are assigned a partner. The second thing Mages do in the MBP is decide which characteristics to choose from both the paternal and maternal sides in order for their child to be able to help evolve magikind to a greater extent. Unlike manush the passing on of genes was and still not random and as a consequence this was possible. As the partners are chosen, the chances are that their child will be even better in terms of abilities than their parents. Side note: The right to have a child does not exist in this day and age, you must be chosen by the MBP. Any evidence of this law being violated can lead to the death of both you and your child. You are normally chosen near the end of your life (mages don¡¯t seem to suffer from what manush call a ¡®menopause¡¯ where the women fail to be able to reproduce.) but there are exceptions. The early stages of magikind (the term ¡®mages¡¯ and ¡®magi¡¯ mean the same thing), what I believe is the case, was that at first they became physically stronger; Stronger bones and joint stength, which in turn allowed for humans to have taller physiques, longer lives etc. It isn¡¯t a surprise then that Mages are without disease as a consequence as they could stop incoming diseases before they acted. Later on Mages could develop other traits like being able to manipulate nature along with being capable of being eight feet or taller, living several centuries and having insane recovery times. It is quite interesting how we categorise ourselves as well, or at least, how they categorise themselves because the mages needed to sort themselves out in order to maximise the potential mages being bred in the MBP. They are firstly sorted out by the three major classes; Elemental, Bestial and Utility. Each major class is then divided into sub-classes such as fire and earth elementals, aquatic and stealth sub-class, as I have mentioned before; farmers and medics in utility (very different to those of the early 3rd millennia). I don¡¯t fit into any category as I am not a mage myself but, if anything, I am close to the utility category. Edit: One thing I may have failed to mention, or it wasn¡¯t clear enough, was that the MBP basically is, what people of the past might call, a government. Somewhere along the way, they gained control over the world. Strangely there¡¯s an MBP in all three continents, (Eurasia, The Afro-Australian Alliance and The Americas), and all three are the ruling authorities on each of their respective continent. The reason why it happened, I might cover later on but basically what I¡¯m trying to say is that the MBP is both making all the decisions and that they are the creators (through selectively breeding) of new mages. This selective breeding has gone on for almost two thousand years which is why we see such a vast variety of mages. Gin’s Notes #3 – Theories on how Mages came to be Gin¡¯s Notes #3 ¨C Theories on how Mages came to be How Mages came to be has always been a mystery. From mankind¡¯s perspective, they just popped into thin air. Below I have listed what are the possible origins of Magikind. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. That¡¯s all I can think of for now but I might add more later on. However, dear readers, please don¡¯t take this page seriously as I cannot confirm anything to be true and am just theorising possible reasons. I could be completely wrong in the end. Gin’s Notes #4 – A few notable Flora and Fauna of fifth Millennia C.E. Earth Gin¡¯s Notes #4 ¨C A few notable Flora and Fauna of fifth Millennia C.E. Earth It isn¡¯t only humans that evolve. Along with the evolving of mages, animals and plants were being modified through selective breeding (and later on through genetic modification). This isn¡¯t anything new, however. Humans were tinkering with nature for nearly 10000 years and possibly even longer. They would selectively breed in order to get the best out of the next generation: more meat in livestock; more grain in crops; faster, stronger and more loyal hunting beasts and so on. In similar fashion, the mages are doing the same thing today. The only difference is the efficiency of the process. What would have taken a hundred years of progress, in the past, will only take less than ten nowadays. Such species today would most definitely not have come through nature alone. A few of the notable species are the Numius fruits, Tinoo bird, Lupim and Xernims. I think I will start with Numius fruits. They are said to be the ¡®Wonder Fruits¡¯ as they give you a bit of everything that your body needs. In fact, apart from a few bodily essentials, such as protein, you could just eat this and you can survive until you die of old age. It also tastes incredible! Up till now, there appears to be no significant side effects of continued consumption of the Numius fruit as well. The Tinoo are a species of bird that is mostly used for message delivery. They excel at speed, consistently achieving 200 kilometres an hour and at full speed, they can reach 300 kilometres an hour. They are very streamlined but are strong for their size so that they can carry letters and other small objects. We have other animals made for communication but the Tinoo as by far the most efficient. One thing I would like to mention is that they are very widespread. They live on all continents and their numbers are vast, more so than mages. This makes communication across borders especially hard to track and destroy. Only about a fiftieth of enemy messages are found. The three MBPs ,(remember, all three countries have one), is desperate in breeding mages that can spot wild from tame Tinoos, and the first to do so will be at a serious advantage in the war. Side Note: Their meat is very tasty.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. The Lupim are animals specialised for battle. They are evolved canines. They have fire resistant fur; (it¡¯s amazing how mages evolved so many things to be resistant to fire). Some have fangs that inject a poison into enemies. Others are bred to fight in packs. Others still, are used for detection of stealth bestial type mages. There are other breeds of Lupim as well and they are truly a great asset in battle. Finally the last species I mentioned were the Xernims. They are basically another word for parasites. One of the basic forms are the plant Xernims. They take nutrients from their hosts through their bloodstream. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes the plant coexists with its host and both parties gain mutual benefits. My mentor, for example, has a Xernim on him. As I later found out, his whole armour is the Xernim itself, which is why he is never seen without his armour. Not only that, he can give ¡®instructions¡¯ to the parasite in terms of how to grow. This is how he was able to create his sword and the slots in his armour, in which he can place it in. His Xernim itself has a remarkable growth rate if Alder wanted it to and this helps with the maintenance of his armour, even mid-combat. Unfortunately wildlife isn¡¯t really my speciality and so I don¡¯t truly know several species. Maybe if I get to know an expert in the field, I can write more on the animal and plants of the world. Wontiferus’ Notes #1-The ranking system Wontiferus¡¯ Notes #1-The ranking system Hey. This is Wontiferus Poxim writing. Gigi asked me to do something for his book and I said, ¡®why not¡¯. He gave me a list of things he didn¡¯t understand. Like Gigi, I am not an expert in certain areas so I said I will just do what I can for the time being. One thing I am quite familiar with is the ranking system in Eurasia. First of all is the individual rank. Once someone is born, they are entered into a kind of nursery within the MBP. During childhood and adolescence, (when they reach puberty at around the age of 40), they are monitored. During this period, several subtle tests are carried out. When someone reaches what Eurasia deems as adulthood, at the age of 80, they are given a rank based on the outcomes. A person¡¯s rank is relative to others in your mage category. An SSS utility farmer type would be the best farmer type that there is. However, it will most likely be much weaker than a C class fire elemental for example. Likewise, my rank is dependent on the other medics in Eurasia. Being one that can be used for offence and defence puts me at quite a high rank. The ranks are, in ascending order: F, E, D, C, B, A, S, SS and SSS. There is also one rank above all: rank R, standing for Regal. This is the supreme ruler of Eurasia. He makes the final call in decisions but in reality he just nods as his underlings do all the hard work. A person¡¯s rank carries with them their whole life. It does not change no matter what. That¡¯s what they say though. Being in Squadron A allowed me get some extra information. Your rank has pretty much been decided at birth. It turns out that these tests don''t mean much in the grand scheme of things.They only change your rank if you develop something during puberty, and even then you only go up or down a rank or two at most. So basically, it depends on how you¡¯re bred in the first place. Get it good and you¡¯re sorted for life. Get it bad and you¡¯re stuck with it for the rest of your life, sort of like Gigi¡¯s face. Gin¡¯s Edit: 1) could you stop calling me Gigi? And 2) is it possible to not mock me in my own book? Wo¡¯s Edit: 1) No 2) No I personally am rank SS. I just say I¡¯m rank A so that people don¡¯t get too intimidated by me. One of the worst feelings is people avoiding you cuz they either are scared of you, as you¡¯re a higher rank, or they ignore you for being one rank lower than them, you get me? It gets so boring, I just asked for a transfer. All mainstream Squadrons are like that. Only SW went and accepted me, although I took the precautions of lying about my rank first. Anyway, I¡¯ll resume on the topic at hand or Gigi will get mad again. How this continent works is that you need to be enlisted into a Squadron, no matter who you are. All food produce and facilities are provided by these squadrons. The Squadrons receive their resources from the government, which are just the supreme ruler¡¯s lackeys. The government is at the top of the system in Eurasia. All resources that are produced, whether it is food, infrastructure, land etc, are given to the government. They are then distributed between the several Squadrons. Trying to live outside the Squadron system for long is near impossible and believe me, I¡¯ve tried. If I didn¡¯t happen to wander into Gigi¡¯s secret village all those years ago, I might have died.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Anyway, moving on. The thing that all Squadrons in Eurasia look at is a person¡¯s rank. Amongst the 23 ranks, 22 of them are ¡®legitimate¡¯ as the MBP likes to call them. You apply for a position and they judge whether you are accepted or not. They make it look like, in the interview, that they take the other details into account but in reality they just look at your rank. Even worse, the lowly Squadrons, will probably not accept you if you are rank E or F. Your rank will take you to your grave living the high life or dying from starvation. The ¡®illegitimate¡¯ Squadron would be Squadron W. They don¡¯t care if you are rank F, you just need to complete the initiation test and you¡¯re in. Essentially, everyone looks down on squadron W. They are seen as the rejects, partly ¡®cause they accept Es and Fs, but mostly ¡®cause of how individual Squadrons are ranked. The Squadrons are named based on their rankings. Squadron A is the highest while Squadron W is the lowest. Squadrons can move in rank between the letters, based on achievements. The higher a Squadron is in rank, the more resources and privileges they receive from the government. Hence why Squadron W looks like the worst one. I¡¯m actually surprised they could fit 2000 people in a single Rezah tree. I was given a Rezah home all to myself back in Squadron A. SA¡¯s land is also vast, spanning over several cities. SW on the other hand probably doesn¡¯t own land beyond their tree. They are most likely in the middle of someone else¡¯s property. Finally, one privilege Squadron¡¯s get is the ability to go to war. Small skirmishes are often assigned to the lower ranked Squadrons while full blown out battles are dealt with by the higher ones. Squadron W doesn¡¯t seem to get that privilege, even to do the smallest of skirmishes. This just leads to a cycle where, ¡®cause they haven¡¯t done anything, they don¡¯t get promoted and because they can¡¯t get promoted, they haven¡¯t been given the chance to do anything promotion worthy. However, I believe I can do something to change that. But for now, I think I¡¯ve covered everything I know on ranks within Eurasia. The other Continents may differ. Gin¡¯s Edit: Thank you Wo for your input, I appreciate it. It would seem that the MBP¡¯s focuses on nature rather than nurture. It¡¯s such a shame that someone with potential will never be recognised by the government. Whatever rank they are given is final, and it¡¯s unlikely they can prove otherwise. I¡¯ve actually met with some really strong people and it came to a surprise that they were labelled as an ¡®E¡¯ or an ¡®F¡¯. I guess I was also fortunate that SW exists, or I might have just died since no one else would¡¯ve accepted me. I would like to add that within Squadron W, we have our own ranking system. We don¡¯t discriminate on official rank. We give each other a title, based on the army system originating from the late 2nd millennia Europe (fyi Eurasia used to be two continents: Europe and Asia). The lowest rank is the recruit while the colonel is the highest official member of Squadron W. However, everyone is friendly enough and just call each other by name rather than rank. There are higher ranks but they are sort of given to the government who ultimately decide what happens to us. We are also separated into battalions with one person being assigned the battalion leader. My battalion¡¯s leader is Alder. Depending on the mission, a battalion is selected and the battalion leader decides the participant. Or at least that¡¯s the theory. We¡¯ve never been given a mission as Wo has stated before and so ultimately, everything we do might just be a pointless farce. But I guess having some sort of system, in the off chance we get one, is welcome. It keeps everyone busy at least. Gin’s Notes #5- The language of the modern day Gin¡¯s Notes #5- The language of the modern day Now you may be wondering, ¡®Gin. Why do we need to do a piece on the language of the world?¡¯ and you are right. Every single human being on this planet speaks English and, at least in Eurasia, close to the British English of the 3rd millennia. But, I am taking into account that my notes may get passed down through the generations and the future language may be completely different to what it is now. Therefore, doing a note on language may be beneficial to my future readers. First of all, I want to talk about why everyone speaks English. The reason is that during the unification of the mages, the common spoken language was indeed English. Now remember that the first few mages that got exiled on an island were really smart. They probably thought that, by having a single language, you reduce inefficiencies such as language barriers. So when they got released from their century long imprisonment, their plan was set in motion. The unification of mages helped greatly. It allowed consistent education for all, (basically English was taught as the only language to all), and eventually due to the lack of need for others, English remained as the only viable language.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Although everyone speaks and understands the same thing, there are slight differences between everyone. Some have a certain dialect, a certain accent, maybe even be more likely to use certain phrases over others. The point is that despite the uniformed language, no one is the same in how they speak. I guess even if the government wanted clone-like mages in terms of their mentality, morality and dialect, it¡¯s near impossible to do so (even if you can get very close). These slight differences may lead to diversification in language in the future. No matter how hard you try to keep things constant, no one can predict what will happen in the distant future for any one item of discussion. Basically change, it would seem, is the only certainty. Gin¡¯s Edit: One final thing. I¡¯ve noticed that mages don¡¯t tend to use the swear words of the 3rd millennia. In case you don¡¯t know, they are offensive words that often are used to show strong emotions and often belittle to another. This removal of such words was most probably a part of the education system so that the youth of their times would never know of them, and rightly so. I realised this when I accidently swore at Alder the other day and he had no clue what it meant. How do I know about them? Well the adults and other kids from my village knew them well. I occasionally do swear myself as well. But not much since, when I was little, my mother would always shout at me whenever I did. Thanks to her, I wasn¡¯t that bad-mouthed in my childhood. Wo¡¯s Edit: Don¡¯t lie. You swore all the time when you were little. Gin¡¯s edit: Wo, please. I don¡¯t want my readers to think badly of me. Note to self: need to find a way to rub out ink. Gin’s Notes #6 – a brief history of the 4th millennia Gin¡¯s Notes #6 ¨C a brief history of the 4th millennia The 3rd millennium was mostly known for its technological breakthroughs. It was also known as the age of science. We could communicate through our pockets, travel in metallic worms and birds, harnessing power from the water, wind and light (although a few mages can do that now) etc. It¡¯s a shame I wasn¡¯t born in that era as, unfortunately, most of the knowledge has disappeared and I have only recovered just mere fragments of the past for my own use. With the ever increasing numbers of mages and dwindling number of manush in the late 3rd millennium, the plan to unify the world was under way. It was in the early 4th millennium where that was realised under the ¡®treaty of the mages¡¯. What was conflict for thousands of years amongst various countries, turned into a period of peace under the notion, ¡®we are all mages¡¯. There was no reason to fight at all and so there was no harm in making an official document (although there really wasn¡¯t any valid reason to fight in age of manush anyway). The unity of mages worldwide allowed for technology to advance at a remarkable rate. However, the field that was growing the most was human genetics. Like me, the people of their time wanted to find out about their origin of how the mages came to be. They also wanted to improve themselves. In other words, have more variety amongst the mages (which they actually achieved). The mages enjoyed several centuries in peace and in the year 3477, the formation of the MBP was found. There were three main headquarters, in Europe, North America and Australia (some of the old continents of the world). From my knowledge, at first, they would use only volunteers. This changed during the thousand plus year war that still persists to the present day, where it became compulsory for all mages to be born from the MBP. Gin¡¯s edit: just realised I haven¡¯t put in a date of when I write my notes apart from the first one...Oh well. Keeping track of time is too tedious anyway.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. I reckon things went downhill since the formation of the MBP. I believe that there were three major people running it (one in each location). You could tell the continents without one would be quite jealous and so alliances were made between continents without an MBP headquarter and those with one. This is what led to the formation of modern day Eurasia (EA), The Americas (TA) and the Afro-Australian Alliance (AAA). The first few stages in division in the world were now in place. Eventually a dispute must have happened between the three continents, (I have yet to find out definite proof of this or the cause), and leading to the thousand-year we are currently in. At the start of this note I was talking about the scientific breakthroughs the mages had managed. So what happened to all of that? To answer that, we have to look at the differences of the three continents of the 4th millennia. The AAA was heavily focused on mechanical science. This was due to the fact that most of the technological breakthroughs were pioneered by them. On the other hand both EA and TA were more focused on human science. EA were more focused on enhancing the strengths of humans and TA were researching on powers that humans weren¡¯t able to use before which, as you can probably guess, is the origin of Bestial and Elemental types respectively. Utility type is basically the miscellaneous mages that fit neither category. Gin¡¯s Edit: Wo pointed something out. It might be my integration with mages in Squadron W, but I¡¯ve been referring to them as humans instead of mages. The two are interchangeable for them but I want to keep them distinct as two different species. Or it might not matter, as two separate species of birds can still be grouped as birds. Maybe if I want a distinction, I will make sure to call them mages and my kind as manush. Then the AAA sent an army against EA. The reasons were unknown, especially after such a long period of peace. However, EA were prepared. It was as if they knew this was going to happen and had a secret counter measure. The Eurasian army at the time consisted of mainly electric elementals (or so I¡¯ve read). They were able to manipulate the electricity within the weaponry and equipment the AAA had. It was a slaughter. The AAA army were annihilated by the very weapons they made. It was after the battle of Anthrax that everyone decided to divert away from technology and focus on human science. You couldn¡¯t trust anything other than yourselves and several more battles cemented this idea; the effectiveness of using machinery was near to nothing. This only meant the MBPs in each continent grew in power. Eventually TA had to get involved and so disputes amongst all three continents led to the three-way stalemate that we have today. Gin’s Notes #7- Nanobots Part 1: The nanobots in my body Gin¡¯s Notes #7- Nanobots Part 1: The nanobots in my body When I decided to write about nanobots, I realised there was so much to go through. Where did they come from? How do they work? How do I use them? So many questions to answer and so I decided to split up the topic up into several parts and as you can see from the title, this ¡®notes¡¯ will be about the nanobots that reside in my body. I¡¯ll be honest with you. I don¡¯t know how my father did it. I was used as one of his experiments which turned out to be a success. I don¡¯t hate him though. After losing my older brother, he didn¡¯t want me dying to the same disease (he never told me what disease it was though). He was also a genius and if anyone was to make the nanobots experiment a success, it would have been him. But that¡¯s enough about my past. Let¡¯s get into the informative part of the notes. Firstly, the nanobots have the ability to replicate themselves, much like cells in the body. Instead of protein, it uses various metals in the body to build itself anew. It means I need to eat a lot more iron, zinc and other various metals in order to sustain the nanobots in my body. But don¡¯t ask me how they replicate themselves, I don¡¯t understand either. I¡¯m just the builder, not the architect.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. But what is the purpose of the nanobot, you may ask. Well, the ones in my body act as a substitute to my normal bodily functions. As a result, my regeneration is higher than average and, in times of critical condition, it can repair damaged organs. I¡¯ve only seen this happen once, when my heart got crushed and the nanobots acted as its alternative while I was in a coma. According to Joan, cells started to form around my mechanical heart. At the moment, my heart is ten percent normal cells, ninety percent nanobots. But as time goes on, I predict that I could have a heart made up of ordinary cells once more. The human body is really amazing, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯m rambling on again but I¡¯ll end this notes with what else the nanobots in my body help out with. It helps me with improved eyesight, faster reaction speeds and slightly improved strength (not as strong as most mages though). One extra thing that it probably does is that it reduces the effects of male pattern baldness. I basically have the same set of hair as I did when I was young so that¡¯s a nice bonus too. They probably have more roles but I have yet to find out. One of my guesses is that I will have an above average lifespan (relative to manush of course). The nanobots are amazing and I don¡¯t regret having them! Gin’s notes #7.5 – A late introduction Gin¡¯s notes #7.5 ¨C About myself Ok. I messed up with the order of the notes. I should have done this at the beginning, and it¡¯s a bit late now. You might be confused reading this, and once again, I apologise dear readers for this blunder. ¡®But what blunder?¡¯ you may ask. Well, embarrassing as it is, I forgot to introduce myself. Me. The damned author of these notes (and as you may have guessed from the title of the notes, my name is Gin). Well, better late than never. Here¡¯s a few of the basic details to start you off: Name: Gin Julius Gale Date of Birth: 23rd February 4939 (I¡¯m 33 at the time of writing this) Place of Birth: A (now non-existent) hidden village outside the city of IraqStolen novel; please report. Height: 6¡¯ 10¡¯¡¯ (tall for a manush, short for a mage) Skin colour: Light Brown Hair colour: Black Eye Colour: Brown Species: Manush Skills (relative to the average mage): Nothing special from genetics (typical of a manush); adept swordsmanship; fast reactions; above average eyesight; high stamina and regeneration rates; above average speed and agility; low strength. Most of these are thanks to the nanobot operation I had as a child. Now for the ambiguous stuff. In terms of personality, I guess I am smart, ambitious and very unorganised. Of course, I try to stay humble as well. Others have called me arrogant, childish, stubborn, selfish and other negative traits too, but I don¡¯t take too much notice to them. I do what I think is best. However, often what I think is best doesn¡¯t align with what others think. I am a soldier in the Eurasian army, using my blade boxing fighting style. I am also a nanobot scientist. Not on the level of my father, though. He was a true genius in the field. I am also a part-time author (well, that¡¯s a given considering you¡¯re reading my work right now!). These notes will hopefully be passed down from generation to generation as a guide to the late fifth millennia Earth. I always wonder what others will think of me when they read my work. Gin’s Notes #8- Nanobots part 2: The INS Gin¡¯s Notes #8- Nanobots part 2: The INS Where do I begin with this one? I think it¡¯s best to tell a story. One from my childhood. It¡¯s a bit different from previous notes, but the way I¡¯ve been doing things so far seemed a bit robotic (do they still exist? I need to find out). So I decided to tell a true story to demonstrate what the INS are. I think I was eight at the time. My father was working in his workshop as always. He was the leading researcher in the fields of nanobots. It was an important job. The whole village depended on them, from toys to being our source of energy. Without them, our branch of manush, if there are any other manush left, might have been wiped out. It was actually a weekday. I had just finished school and my mother picked me up. She led me to my dad¡¯s workshop, saying that he had a surprise for me. I was always excited whenever that happened, because he would show me all the cool new ideas and creations he had come up with. The workshop was located in a the village¡¯s factory. I remember the exact number of his room: B2GG which stood for ¡®Basement 2nd floor Gen Gale¡¯ (Gen being my father¡¯s name). It was a large room but, with all the equipment and desks in it, it looked quite small. I knocked on the door eagerly. My father opened the door. He looked tired, but when he saw me, he put on the brightest smile. He always smiled when he saw me. Mother always said that I was the light that lit up his mood. I enjoyed making my parents happy and felt guilt when I made them angry. It¡¯s one of those things you feel as a child. I¡¯m beginning to digress, so back to the story!Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. My mother had gone home after dropping me off, but my father picked me up and carried me to a corner, where he sat me down, on top of one of his desks. He then brought out a series of cuboid shaped objects. Each of them had a set of holes drilled into them. These were the initial prototypes of the INS, the Integrated Nanobot System. He told me to put my index finger inside the first chamber. There was a tiny button at the bottom. I pressed it and a tiny knife popped out of one end. I pressed it again and the knife disappeared. I kept on pressing, letting the knife disappear and reappear again and again, until it stopped. I was scared because I thought I broke it. It¡¯s only natural as a child. However, instead of getting angry, my father calmed me down and explained that, when I make the knife disappear, the nanobots dissipate from its solid structure. Basically, they float in the air as individuals instead of combining together to form the structure it was programmed to make. He told me to wait a few minutes, as the nanobots were slowly making their way to the storage compartment in the INS. They had a homing system (how my father managed to do that, I have no idea). Some nanobots got lost, of course, but most came back for future use. Nothing is a hundred percent efficient, though. So, I was shown how to line strips of, metal inside the INS, for more nanobot to be made. I was taught how to programme various objects (there¡¯s an expandable screen hidden in the storage). As I grew older, I experimented with various designs and came up with the shield, sword and other contraptions, which I use to this very date. Thus, I conclude the story. Not that interesting, I know, but I thought it was fitting to explain the INS. I may need to go back to my village to see if anything remained from my father¡¯s work. If he left a notebook of his ideas, I believe I could adapt it to my own. Until that day arrives, I will have to continue with my limited resources. Wontiferus’ Notes #1.5 – Wo’s Profile Wontiferus¡¯ Notes #2 about myself #1.5 ¨C Wo¡¯s Profile Hey! Wo back with another one of Gigi¡¯s requests. He actually wanted me to do something on clothes but I can¡¯t be asked so I¡¯ll just steal one of his ideas and do some facts about me. Name: Wontiferus Poxim Date of Birth: 31st January 4845 Place of Birth: Eurasian MBP, Russia Height: 7¡¯ 9¡¯¡¯ Skin colour: Pale/Yellowish Hair colour: White Eye Colour: Black Species: Utility medic type mage Skills: I was bred with a certain type of bacteria surrounding me. They can eat almost anything. I use them to eat away at toxic or viral material that may have entered another person¡¯s body. I can¡¯t do normal healing though. It also allows me to have very good close combat skills (just let the bacteria eat my opponent. Easy win).Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Too lazy to write more so keep this a secret from Gigi, readers (I¡¯m starting to talk like Gigi now with this 4th wall breaking¡­I should stop before he changes me even more). Gin¡¯s Edit: Why do I even bother with him? He doesn¡¯t even give a little detail of his past. Oh well, this is better than usual (been pestering him to do more notes for weeks). I¡¯ll have to make him do a proper notes next time. For now, I think I¡¯ll talk a bit about his relation to me. Basically, he was my dad¡¯s best friend. Apparently, he stumbled across the village by accident. My father found him and took him in. I think my father was around ten at the time while Wo was eighty but, due to the difference time has on manush versus mages, Wo would have looked around twenty in manush years. They quickly grew to become close friends. Wo found all of our manush customs and technology weird but adapted quickly. He witnessed my parent¡¯s marriage, my brother¡¯s death and my birth. He was there for everything, even when the mages attacked our village. Despite the amount of bullying he did to me, he saved me on that day and got me enrol in the Eurasian army. I don¡¯t know Wo¡¯s past very well (what happened before he met my father or why he got me to enrol in the Eurasian army). However, I still admire him for his enthusiasm, his optimism. That¡¯s not mentioning the fact that, when things got serious, he was always looking out for me. So, I¡¯ll let him off for doing a half-hearted attempt at a notes page for now. Sorry if this was just a waste of time, dear readers. I¡¯ll make sure to get him to do something more informative next time! Gin’s Notes #9 – Xernims Gin¡¯s Notes #9 ¨C Xernims Since I own two of them, I thought I should talk about Xernims for a bit. My knowledge is limited, (once again), so I¡¯m just doing this based on both Alder¡¯s example and a few other Xernim users in the Squadron. A Xernim is the term for a parasitical entity that survives by taking in nutrients provided by its host. In return, the Xernim would respond to what the host needs, as long as it¡¯s within its capabilities. Xernims are split into two groups: plant and animal. The two should be self-explanatory. My Xernims belong to the plant group. The Xernims are a result of centuries of selective breeding and co-breeding. Co-breeding is where you selectively breed two species, in this case the Xernim and the mage, so that they are dependant on each other. This is why Xernim users tend to be born with their parasite. The host and the Xernim coexist and cannot live without each other. This isn¡¯t even an exaggeration. Sometimes, the pair¡¯s lives are so intertwined that even if the parasite itself dies, so does the host. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case for me though (I hope). A Xernim and its host seem to have a telepathic bond so that whatever the host thinks, the Xernims aims to act upon the host¡¯s wish. However, According to Joan, it isn¡¯t the thoughts, but the chemical changes in your body that the Xernim picks up on. For example, in a situation where you are threatened and need protection, you expect to see more adrenaline in your body. Since the Xernim is constantly extracting nutrients from your body, it should pick up on the rise of such things and act in a way to protect its host.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Of course, adrenaline isn¡¯t the only chemical in one¡¯s body. The different combinations of chemicals in your body can be limitless. The better the Xernim is at reading the subtle changes, that occur when you want something to happen, the more reactive it can be. But this may backfire. If your mind is telling you no, but your body is telling you yes, the Xernim will act to what your body wants. Disclaimer: this is just a theory crafted by Joan, so it might not be true. Wontiferus'' edit: Woooow, Gigi. You were doing so well with the stories in the latest couple of notes as well. Gin¡¯s Edit: What¡¯s wrong with this one? Wo¡¯s edit: It¡¯s so boring, like reading one of your dad¡¯s textbooks. The stories in the last couple of notes were interesting at least. Gin¡¯s Edit: I just used stories of my past to help illustrate what I¡¯m trying to convey. This isn¡¯t about my life, though. The point of the notes is to tell the readers about the world I live in. Wo: This block of information? The only people who would be interested in reading this are nerds like you. Gin¡¯s edit: That¡¯s low, even for you. You still need to do a proper notes page as well. W: Oh, I got to go now! Bye-bye, Gin¡¯s readers. (I was joking about you guys being nerds. I know I¡¯m your favourite). Gin¡¯s edit: This guy. Can¡¯t believe he got so lazy that he even kept shortening ¡®Wontiferus¡¯ edit¡¯. Where¡¯s the consistency?! I guess I need to chase him down so that he does the note he''s meant to do. Damn. Just realised half of this note is now this little dialogue between me and Wo. My quest to find a way to erase ink still continues¡­ The Gin archives #1: A Christmas special The Gin archives: A Christmas special You know what? I actually enjoy writing. The only problem I had was how boring Gin wanted my notes to be. Where¡¯s the engagement with the readers? Where¡¯s the flexibility of not caring for quality or accuracy? I¡¯ll write because I want to. I got time now too, since I can¡¯t participate in the battle. ''What will I be writing about?'' you may ask. Well, I had this idea for a while now, but I reckon that, if Gin ever makes it big, people will want to know about his backstory. What better way than for me to tell of all his little secrets and history I¡¯ve had with him? Since December was a month ago, I¡¯ll start with a little Christmas story. Don¡¯t know what Christmas is? I¡¯m just as confused as you are. Ask Gin for more details. The story happens thirty years ago. I was staring at a small tree, roughly my height. It was green. It was prickly. It was in the house for some reason. It was always a one-off thing as well. Every December, Gen would bring it in, decorate it with some spheres and leave it there until the 25th is over. Every. Single. Year. Here¡¯s a little dialogue I had: ¡®What¡¯s the point, Gen?¡¯ I once asked. (Oh. I forgot to mention this but Gen is Gin¡¯s dad.) ¡®Tradition,¡¯ he responded.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡®Tradition?¡¯ ¡®Yeah. My father did it, and so did his and so on.¡¯ ¡®But why?¡¯ ¡®I honestly don¡¯t know. Apparently a baby was born in a pig sty a long time ago. As a result Santa, some big fat dude in a red suit, comes and gives presents. The meaning behind celebrating Christmas has been lost in history by now.¡¯ ¡®The big fat man with a red suit never comes though.¡¯ ¡®Well, yeah. It¡¯s actually me who buys the presents, not Santa.¡¯ ¡®Santa¡¯s doesn¡¯t visit us?¡¯ a squeaky voice called out. Gen and I turned around. Standing at the doorway was a three-year-old Gin, holding a plate of cookies. Elizabeth (Gin¡¯s mum) made them, then Jacob (Gin¡¯s brother) and Gin would gleefully leave them on a table for ¡®Santa¡¯. In the end, Gen and I were the ones who ate them every year. They were a-mazing and I would love to have them again. Unfortunately, Gin is an awful cook and can¡¯t recreate the heavenly goodness that was Liz¡¯s cookies. But anyway, I looked at Gin. His eyes were full of confusion. His delusions were being shattered. All it would take was one more sentence to tip him overboard. I looked back at Gen, who gave me a don¡¯t-you-dare stare. I gave him a grin in return. I turned back to Gin. ¡®No. That¡¯s not the case, little Gigi,¡¯ I said, pausing and allowing Gen to breathe a sigh of relief. ¡®Your father told me the truth. Santa never existed in the first place.¡¯ ¡®You son of a bitch!¡¯ Gen exclaimed. ¡®Mummy! Big Bro! Daddy said Santa isn¡¯t real!¡¯ little baby Gin cried, running off to wherever Liz or Jacob were. ¡®But I didn¡¯t do anyth¨C ugh. I¡¯ll get you for this, Wontiferus,¡¯ Gen said as he ran after Gin. Annoying the Gale family was, and still is, such an enjoyable pastime. -Wontiferus Poxim Wontiferus’ Notes #2 – How the world is divided up Wontiferus¡¯ Notes #2 ¨C How the world is divided up Gin has been pestering me to do this. I have nothing better to do, so might as well. Now what topic shall I choose? Oh. I know. Let¡¯s go with an easy one. The world is divided into three continents: Eurasia, the Afro-Australian Alliance and The Americans. These in turn are divided into countries. Eurasia into Europe and Asia, the AAA into Africa and Australia and TA into North and South America. The next band are the cities. They include Egypt, Russia etc. Finally, the towns which includes Squadron W¡¯s home of Jerusalem. That¡¯s pretty much it. Nice and concise. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Gin¡¯s edit: What? That barely counts as a notes page. Wo: I¡¯m sorry. I was just following your style of boring and lacklustre. Gin¡¯s edit: Wo¡­ Alright fine. What else could I talk about? Maybe how people live. Us Eurasians live in huge trees called the Rezah. We hollow them out, while not killing the tree, for living uses. We then can create specialist rooms using the natural abilities the Rezah has. We can redirect channels in the tree, so that we can get water to certain places. We can also make places hotter than others by the way the tree bark is arranged. There¡¯s lots of things we could do, though I¡¯m no expert in the field. The AAA apparently live in underground caverns, created by stone elementals, while TA supposedly live in both Rezah and underwater homes. The details are beyond me so don¡¯t ask. Is this good enough now, Gigi? Gin¡¯s Edit: Better but still not good enough. I¡¯ll let you off the hook this time. Wo: Oh, thank you, gracious master! Wontiferus is free! Wontiferus is happy! Gin¡¯s Edit: ¡­ Pretty sure I''ve talked about most of the topics he covered in this notes. I''ll have to get him to do something serious next time. Gin’s notes #18 – End of the notes Gin¡¯s Notes #17 - Map of our journey As squadron W and I continued to march to Eilat, I have been very productive with the notes (8 notes in ten days. A new record!). Last time I talked about the battle plans and what the other group is doing. This time I drew a basic map so that you readers can understand our journey more. Here it is:This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Gin¡¯s notes #18 ¨C End of the notes I¡¯m an idiot. Why didn¡¯t I save the notes in time? I don¡¯t think I can carry on. All that''s left is a burnt up map. Everything¡¯s a mess now. I don¡¯t have time to redo all of them. The squadron¡¯s morale is at an all time low. I need to focus on raising that. The mages don¡¯t deserve the knowledge I wanted to share. If you ever find this, loyal reader, I¡¯m sorry. This is the last of the notes.