《The legend of Paul J. Raizer》 Prologue Prologue A figure in jet black armour with a crimson finish draped in a glossy black cape with a crimson interior approached a young boy facing a hologram in the main tent, clad in the same armour yet his emitted a faint glow, giving off an awe-inspiring radiance and his cape had a golden finish at the edges. The young boy, without turning around to face his new visitor voiced out in a calm voice. ¡°Tribunus Selena, how goes the setting of the camp?¡± The figure kneels down on one knee bringing her right hand to her left chest in a salute with her face facing the ground. ¡°Most of the troops have already begun to prep their weapons for battle milord.¡± She said with utmost reverence. ¡°Have the centurions oversee the routine patrols of the camp and I want everyone battle ready within the hour.¡± ¡°This one hears and obey!¡± She replied before exiting the tent in a graceful manner. This young boy is one of the 13 Legion Masters commanding over the Imperial Reapers, supersoldiers of the Great Arcadian Empire which is currently at war with the rest of the galaxy while beset on all sides by world-devouring Xenos. The Imperial Troopers, the backbone of the empire prove no match for these Xenos so these Imperial Reapers are the only thing that stands between the horrors lying in wait in this unforgiving galaxy and the Great Arcadian Empire. Selena Alveraz who holds the rank of Tribunus is his second in command and loyal aid. Just as the youth began to ponder deep in thought about the upcoming battle,sounds of gunfire followed by several explosions echoed over the sands some distance away from the camp. The youth startled, exits the camp immediately to assess the situation. He finds Selena rushing to his position before coming to a position of attention followed by the rest of the camp as they were now in the presence of their Legion Master. ¡°Disperse with the formalities.¡± The youth said in a clear tone just as Selena was about to salute him. ¡°As you wish milord. Our scouts inform us of a battle raging on 50 Khins North of our position sir!¡± ( Authors note: 1 Khin = 1 Kilometer ) ¡°What?! The Ravager hive should not have arrived so soon¡­ It can¡¯t be them. That just leaves¡­ THOSE FOOLS!¡± He exclaimed in fury with his fists clenched. Selena along with the rest of the camp flinched from the sudden outburst of anger from their Legion Master. ¡°Tribunus Selena!¡± ¡°Sir!¡± ¡°Deploy the men post-haste and meet me there!¡± The youth orders in a loud voice as he runs off into the distance. ¡°REAPERS OF THE BLACK LEGION! Move out!¡± Selena¡¯s voice booms across the camp. ¡°Aye, Lord Tribunus!¡± The voices of the men echoed back as one throughout the camp. *** What happens when 12 legions of the Imperial Reapers each 12,000 men strong composed solely of genetically enhanced supersoldiers outfitted with the best weapons and armour the empire could offer if they were to engage in a massive free for all? The answer would be, a complete bloodbath. 50 Khins from the Black Legion¡¯s camp. 12 factions with 12,000 men from each side currently clashing in a massive free for all. Limbs flying in the air followed by fountains of blood as they engage in a massive pit of close quarters combat dying all in the vicinity a deep crimson with the blood of their comrades. Those in the rear ranks provided support by spraying hails of bullets out of their X-9 Gunblades, tearing through any poor soul found on the receiving end. Magus¡¯ from all sides wrecking havoc, instantly reducing tens and hundreds of men to airborne chunks of flesh and blood by using spells that cause the air to combust and explode. At the heart of the battle, Legion Masters easily cut down men by the dozens with each swing of their weapons.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. The youth swiftly dashed to the scene with his sword drawn out beside him using the momentum to leap across thousands of men, deep into the heart of the battle. ¡°ENOUGH!¡± The voice of the youth boomed out to every corner of the battlefield as he slammed his sword into the ground as he lands, hollowing out a crater half a Khin wide and creating a shockwave that sent men from all sides flying back into the crowd, as the bodies of their comrades cushioned their fall. As a result of the impact, the surrounding area became shrouded in dust. As a result of the sudden intrusion, everyone halted their actions and prepared for the worst from this unknown aggressor. The men from all sides made way for the Legion Masters as they rushed to the scene. The floating dust gradually settled to reveal a figure with an overwhelming presence in the middle of the crater, a presence that seemed completely mismatched with the cute face of a young boy no older than 16. The face of the boy was filled with fury directed at the Legion Masters that stood before him. ¡°Legion Master Paul Julius Raizer of the Black Legion, what is the meaning of this?¡± Jeremiah Gearing, Legion Master of the Silver Moon inquired the youth in a cautious tone. He knows all too well, that the youth that stood before him was not one to be trifled with. At this moment, the Reapers of the Black Legion arrive on scene as well, to find that their supreme commander had already put a halt to this bloodbath. ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± ¡°WHAT is the meaning of THIS?!¡± The youth exclaimed in anger referring to the current state of the 12 legions. ¡°WHY ARE THE LOT OF YOU, BASHING EACH OTHERS¡¯ BRAINS OUT IN THE EVE OF BATTLE?! Be it your twisted senses of rivalry or your long histories of grievances, this has gone far enough!¡± ¡°Let these words be forever etched down in history, echoing throughout the deepest parts of the galaxy! I, Paul Julius Raizer! Lay claim on the title Legatus pro Praetore of the 13 legions, Imperial Reapers of the Great Arcadian Empire! Let he who dares challenge my claim come forth and let his name be known!¡± Paul declared, pushing his power to the limits, infusing it into his words in the hopes of it reaching the ends of this battlefield. Paul¡¯s aura in this very moment filled the entire battlefield and brought every men to their knees in submission. Men regardless of their power knelt before him unable to defy the power forcing them down. Unbeknownst to him, every being throughout the galaxy could hear his words ringing in their heads while every being within 10,000 planetary systems of the planet were brought to their knees, be it human or Xeno, emperors, kings, queens and beasts alike, all were brought to their knees, baffled at what was happening. Only a scarce few were able to remain standing¡­ The once chaotic battlefield now eerily silent as not even the breaths of the men could be heard. ¡°Now fall in line, or fall by my blade. What say you?¡± ¡°We the Silver Scars,1st legion of Imperial Reapers of the Great Arcadian Empire! Pledge our lives and swear in the name of the Great Arcadian Empire to that we shall faithfully execute all that the Legatus pro Praetore commands nor seek to avoid death for the Great Arcadian Empire!¡± Now being able to breathe, the voices of the Legion Masters echoed out one by one followed by the rest of their legions as they placed their right hands on their chest in salute. The sky above them slowly becomes engulfed in darkness and the sounds of cannons firing could be heard from space. The Ravagers, had come. The invasion, had begun. ¡°Imperial Reapers of the 13 legions, rally on me!¡± Paul ordered in an absolute tone as he heads out to the front of the army. The Imperial Reapers formed up behind him with such discipline that would leave on in awe, with their Legion Masters at the head of their ranks. The Imperial Reapers formed a battle ready army within seconds. An Imperial Battlecruiser came crashing down from orbit engulfed in flames and exploded over the horizon. Debris from the remains of destroyed Imperial ships came raining down on the battlefield, dragged into the planet¡¯s atmosphere as the battle raged on in space. Spores from the main hive began falling into the atmosphere and embedding themselves into the terrain of the ground below. ¡°WE! THE IMPERIAL REAPERS OF THE GREAT ARCADIAN EMPIRE SHALL NO LONGER STAND DIVIDED AS THE 13 LEGIONS BUT AS ONE ARMY ONCE MORE! A POWER ONCE FRACTURED NOW WHOLE! DESPAIR, THOSE WHO STAND BEFORE US AS OUR ENEMY FOR TOGETHER WE ARE THE HARBRINGERS OF DEATH ITSELF! DEATH TO THE ENEMIES OF THE EMPIRE!¡± ¡°DEATH TO THE ENEMIES OF THE EMPIRE!¡± The ground shook as the war cry of 156,000 men rang out. ¡°Now dye these sands black with the blood of these wretched Xenos!¡± ¡°CHAARGE!¡± A dragon roared out from behind them and took to the skies, moving out ahead of the army. And the ground trembled beneath the charge of 156,000 Reapers. This is the beginning of the legend of Paul Julius Raizer, Legatus pro Praetore of the 13 Legions, Legion Master of the Black Legion, and saviour of the Great Arcadian Empire in it¡¯s darkest hour. Every legend must have a beginning and an end, and his... is only beginning. Read on to uncover the past of Paul J. Raizer and the story of how a boy, became a living legend. Extra notes: 1 Khin = 1 Kilometer Extra scene: While the once divided Legions now finally acting as one, somewhere else in another galaxy far far away... Chapter 1 - Awakening Chapter 1 - Awakening In a research facility hidden somewhere on the barren desert surface of the planet Tyrios¡­ In a dark chamber with several large cryotubes containing sleeping youths¡­ There is a teenage boy no older than 16, in a cryotube filled with liquid, sleeping¡­ Suddenly, one of his finger twitches¡­ And he slowly gains consciousness¡­ He slowly opens his eyes¡­ The door to the chambers opened, letting the bright light of the corridor in. Instead of flinching and closing his eyes in response to the bright light, his eyes which had never witnessed light before instantly adapts, allowing him to see a person slowly walking in. He listens to the muffled footsteps clearly through the vibration of the fluid and he slowly observes this new found feeling of his senses as well as keeping his eyes trained on the person entering. ¡°Good evening Doctor Ava, specimen 1128 is awake.¡± A robotic voice resounded through the room. ¡°Awake? That shouldn¡¯t be possible¡­¡± a female voice replied in turn. Doctor Ava approaches the panel next to the boy¡¯s cryotube and examines the settings. ¡°With the current dose of anaesthetic at level 4, there is no reason how can he still be awake, it¡¯s enough to put a class E magus to sleep for good. Cyrus, it would seem we have a special one on our hands, keep an eye on him and increase his dosage should he show signs of waking. Now is too soon for him to wake.¡± Magus are beings that can wield and bend the forces of magic to their will. They are proven to possess far superior will and mentality than that of normal beings. This allows them to be especially resilient to anaesthetic through sheer will alone. ¡°Affirmative doctor.¡± The A.I replies. Cyrus the A.I increases the anaesthetic dose by a level. The boy tries to fight against the drowsiness that begins seeping into him. ¡°Still able to fight it, quite an interesting one you are indeed.¡± Cyrus increases the dosage by another level again, up to level 8 and the boy slowly drifts into a quiet sleep. *** Several days after the event Doctor Ava enters the cryotube chambers again. ¡°Cyrus, what¡¯s the status of specimen 1128?¡± ¡°Doctor Ava, specimen 1128 showed signs of waking 12 times, I increased the dosage by one level each time as instructed. Current dosage levels are at level 16.¡± ¡°Level 16?! That¡¯s enough to put a peak A class magus to sleep. Although he is a genetically enhanced being but still¡­¡± ¡®Even among genetically enhanced superhumans, the total amount of A class magus in the entire galaxy is only a handful... For him to be on par with those monsters¡­ I have high hopes for you, my little monster¡­¡¯ ** Several years later The boy opens his eyes once more. Finding himself once more awake in the cryotube. This time the room lights were on, lighting up the completely white and pristine room. The liquid in the cryotubes drain and the cryotubes slowly open. Every child in the room starts to crawl out of their cryotube and fall flat on the floor in a coughing fit, trying to dispel the remaining liquid in their lungs and unfamiliar with their new senses and surroundings. The boy falls to the ground on all fours and starts coughing out the remaining liquid out of his lungs. ¡°Please exit the room and proceed to the main hall.¡± A robotic voice said and the doors opened automatically. The youthslook around for the source of the voice except for the boy as it is a voice that he is familiar with so he proceeds to examine his surroundings and examined other boys and girls.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Please exit the room and proceed to the main hall,¡± Cyrus repeated. He then stumbles out of the room and down the corridor leaving the rest of the confused teenagers behind. He slowly gains his balance and walks uneasily into the corridor. He sees a door at the end of the corridor and walks towards it. Upon reaching the door down the corridor, it opens automatically to reveal a large white hall. The boy enters it and quickly took notice of the glass window near the top. The ceiling of the hall is 10 stories high. His eyes could make out a silhouette standing behind the glass. He then looks around him and notices that there seemed to be long tables arranged side by side to the left of the hall with several long wooden staffs on top of them. He walks over and grabs a staff, trying to get used to the feeling of it. He could hear the rest of the youngsters entering the hall from the sound of their footsteps and it would seem that they too can walk properly. Some of them glanced at him and proceeded to grab the staff from the long tables wondering what to do with it. The others started wondering about the room. Throughout the entire time, not a single word was uttered. CRACK! The sound of stick hitting stick resounded through the hall. All eyes turned to see two boys with dark hair locking staffs staring each other down dead in the eye. Everyone turned on each other so quickly within a split second. Boys and girls alike started to attack the ones next to them and the entire hall turned into a roughhouse. He continued to watch this violent scene until a staff appeared right in front of his face and his instincts kicked in, everything else seemed to slow down to slow motion. He casually swatted the staff aside with his then spun his body around, using the momentum to bring his staff crashing into the side of the blonde girl attacking him. He picked up the sound of bones breaking as his staff came into contact with her ribcage and she grunted out with pain. The impact sent her flying into the air as she recovered mid-air and landed on top of the long table, squatting down and clutching onto her side. She glares at him seething with hatred and charges at him hoping to return the favour. ** Meanwhile behind the glass window¡­ ¡®What on Tyrios is going on? Why are those idiots fighting each other?! The first thing that comes to their minds is to beat each other up with the weapons?! Not what I had in mind at first but oh well, let''s just get this show on the road.¡¯ Dr Ava thinks while rubbing her temples. ¡°Cyrus, open the concealed blast door." *** Everybody in the hall stood stock still and stared to the far east end of the room. Some on top of each other grappling sticks, some wrestling with others, but regardless of what they were doing, everyone froze. Their instincts screaming at them that something was coming. SOMETHING was coming from the far east end of the room. What seemed to be an unsuspicious wall gradually slides upwards to reveal a dark passageway. He lowered himself into a bracing stance at the other end of the room slowly backing himself towards the wall, with one hand holding his staff behind him. The girl next to him follow suit. The situation in the room was tense, he unconsciously tightens his grip on the staff. It¡¯s coming. A gush of wind rushes through the door and a black blur flashed before their eyes. The boy with red hair that was closest to the open door dodges to the side with inhuman speed, moving purely on instinct while the other boy with red hair behind him was torn to shreds, his innards sent flying across the hall, dying it crimson. They could see it now. A pitch black creature on two legs with fangs the size of a large kitchen knife, protruding out of its jaws. It had no eyes and had sharp talons instead of fingers, now dripping with blood and what seemed to be what¡¯s left of the boy. When the smell of blood wafted into its nostrils, it released an ear-piercing shriek. Yet none of them was running or screaming in fear, they just observed the scene that played out in front of them calmly. When the warm blood splattered onto their faces they started to leap into action. Some of them charged towards the monster with frightening speed unbefitting that of a human and swung their staffs towards it. Those that were unarmed retreated back to the west end of the room in the hopes of retrieving a staff. The creature simply swatted them aside with blinding speed in response, only some were fast enough to react and attempted to redirect their course but was only able to mitigate some of the impact and were sent flying. Those that weren¡¯t fast enough exploded into meat paste sending chunks of meat and blood everywhere. The creature then disappears into a blur once more and some of the retreating youngsters exploded into blood and gore while another was missing a head, with blood spurting out of her neck like a fountain. Despite the carnage unfolding before him, he closed his eyes knowing full well that they were undependable and brought the rest of his senses into focus. Then he could feel it, everything slowing down once more, the girl that was next to him rolling away to the side in slow motion and in his mind he could sense it clearly. It was right before him with its jaws wide open. Moving at the very last millisecond with a speed too fast for even the creature to react, he lodged the end of his staff onto the corner of the wall behind him with the other end pointed towards the creature. The creature impaled itself on the staff with its jaws open wide intending to devour the youth that stood before it. Before it could shriek out and struggle in pain, the boy broke his staff in half, grabbed hold of both ends, one to hold the creature in place and stabs the other into the creature¡¯s skull which gave way with a crunch. Its blood came oozing out, covering the boy with its black juices. This seemed to kill the creature as all its movements came to a halt and it¡¯s arms hung limply at its sides. The boy simply threw its corpse aside nonchalantly. Completely covered with the blood of the creature, the boy glances across the hall to see the walls and almost everyone else had been painted red with blood. Of the 30 of them that entered this hall, there were only 14 left standing. The rest of them stared at him with gazes filled with awe, respect, some with indifference and even some with envy. The girl next to him still seemed to have a bone to pick with him, still holding a gaze filled with anger albeit watered down after recovering from current events. A few moments passed and another hidden door opened. This time it revealed a slim brunette with a ponytail in a white lab coat slowly walking into the hall while clapping her hands in a slow and pompous manner. ¡°Good evening children, I am Dr Ava. Welcome, quite a splendid show that was. Fascinating isn¡¯t it? What genetically enhanced beings like yourselves can do relying on your raw instincts alone. Congratulations, on passing the first test.¡± Chapter 2 - Upbringing Chapter 2 - Upbringing Pov: MC I closed my eyes as I relished the feeling of water droplets hitting my skin in the shower. I could feel my tense muscles aching as I relaxed them, many cuts and bruises could be seen on my skin. The past few months had proven to be complete hell, pushing our bodies and minds to their absolute limit. After killing that creature and meeting Dr.Ava for the first time, we were all isolated from each other and stayed in individual cells. Everyday with barely any rest, information were drilled into our heads and we came to know exactly what we are. Through extreme genetic enhancements, we seemed to be able to process information at seemingly impossible speeds compared to normal humans, we learned in one day what it would take a normal person months yet our minds seem to hungrily devour all the information fed to us. The rate of which the information were thrown at us increased constantly and our minds were pushed to the very limit, constantly adapting to keep up with the amount of information coming in. The moment I could talk and write, I was given a name, Zero. Even with our minds developing at an amazing speed, according to a brief explanation on what we are, we could never physically age. We had superhuman strength and agility yet it would prove insufficient against the horrors of what the galaxy holds in store for us and I was constantly reminded of this every single day after the education phase. Thrown out into the barren desert to fend for myself and make my way back to the facility. Aside from having the fend off against the harsh environment of sub-zero temperatures during the night or blazing heat during the day with nothing but the thin clothes on my back, there were creatures that roam this barren dessert as well, swimming beneath the scorching sand. Relying on my senses alone they were impossible to spot but my instincts were always right. I went days without food and water yet barely feeling thirst or hunger. When I finally made it back to the facility, I was guided back to my cell, where I could take a short much needed rest. I turned off the water and stepped out of the shower where I was instantly blow dried. I dressed myself into a gray suit and lay down on the bed, ready to let sleep take me. ¡°Zero please head to section C for your next exercise.¡± Cyrus¡¯s robotic voice came once again, just as I was about to lay my head down on the extremely inviting pillow. ¡°Affirmative, heading there now.¡± Sigh, ¡®Is a minute of shut eye too much to ask?¡¯ I followed Cyrus¡¯s guidance to section C and proceeded to enter the door designated by him. I entered the pitch black room, standing at the edge of where the light from the corridor could reach. The door then closed behind me, leaving me alone in this dark room. I bring the back of my hand into ¡°view¡±. ¡°Figures, visibility is zero.¡± I walked forward only to come in contact into a wall to my front and left, so I turned right only to meet another wall further down but this time, there were no walls to my sides within reach.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°A maze huh¡­¡± I softly mutter under my breath. The maze feels cold, devoid of life, yet my instincts tell me otherwise. My instincts screamed at me and I shifted quickly to the side. I was greeted by a touch of acid eating into my shoulder as I managed to dodge to the side in the nick of time, sensing that something struck the place where I stood soon after the acid came into contact with my shoulder. Had I been a little bit slower, the acid would¡¯ve probably ate into my face, rendering me a perfect victim for it. Whatever it was, it¡¯s fast. But I¡¯m faster, I responded with a roundhouse kick in mid air, crushing whatever it was with a crunch. A scream echoed through the maze and it came from quite ahead of me. I could sense the thing next to me being retracted back, so whatever I just crushed, was an extension of the real thing. ¡®This thing¡­ It has one hell of a long reach.¡¯ This creature seems familiar to a May¡¯lek, a dark green bipedal creature that inhabits temperate worlds and is a nocturnal hunter. It uses it¡¯s keen sight to hunt in the dark, spurting acid from a sack beneath it¡¯s eyes followed by shooting out a long sharp tongue with barbs which anchors onto its prey from its shoulders to reel it in. I mentally shut out the intense pain eating into my right shoulder and prepared myself for it¡¯s next strike. ¡°Bring it on¡± I taunted. As if it could understand me, it struck out once more but this time I was ready for it. I crouched under as I felt acid fly pass above me, following by a rush of wind and I grabbed whatever was above me and yanked with all my might. I tore off the extension of itself but not before it sent the creature flying towards me. A short lived scream resounded in my ears as I shot my leg outwards with enough force to send the organs of the creature exploding out it¡¯s back. But I could not afford to relax even for a second. It¡¯s scream seemed to attract everything else in this maze as my senses picked up countless dangers approaching me. I gently closed my eyes in the darkness, slowing down the world around me. With each time I bring myself into intense focus, everything tends to become much slower than in the previous time. I let out a small grin¡­ Let the slaughter begin. *** 2 days later ¡°Damn, haa¡­ haa¡­ These guys just don¡¯t let up do they.¡± I said as I stomped the skull of whatever the hell it was that attacked me. It gave way easily, letting out a light crunch and squelch as it¡¯s brain matter oozes out. They kept coming one after the other as I continued to advance through the maze with barely any intervals in between. ¡°Cut me some slack already¡­¡± I clutched onto my left arm which hung limply on my side. It broke some time ago trying to shield myself from an impact I never saw coming until it was too late. I took a deep breath and continued to walk forward. Finally, in the darkness something slides upwards to let light in which my eyes quickly adjusted to. I quickly moved towards the light. I finally made it out of the damn maze. I looked around the white mess hall to see the youths I¡¯ve met when I first woke up staring at me. A group of boys to the far end of the room started snickering at the current condition I¡¯m in. Among them I spotted a familiar face, belonging to the blonde girl who used to stare at me with hatred, aaaand she¡¯s still starring daggers at me. ¡®Hey you attacked me first.¡¯ A boy with dark hair walks up to me. ¡°Hey dude, you look pretty banged up. What the hell happened?¡± ¡®What the hell happened?! Try getting through a bloody maze PITCH BLACK might I add, with creatures trying to eat you keep popping up in your face every 3 seconds or so.¡¯ I just stare at him coldly in the eyes. And the guy just chuckles and pats my back anyway. ¡°Come on guys, nothing to see here. Hi, I¡¯m Seven but you can call me Sven. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡­ ¡®Is this guy serious? Haa¡­ What a pain, perhaps he¡¯ll go away if I ignore him. I just want to sleeeep~¡¯ ¡°A man of few words I see, no matter I shall call you pepp- Gufuu!¡± He collapses after a tall girl with short dark hair karate chops him in the head. ¡°I apologize for my friend¡¯s disgraceful behaviour.¡± She said with a slight bow then drags him away by the collar. ¡®What on Tyrios just happened?¡¯ I shrugged it off with indifference then proceeded down to the medical bay to get patched up, I¡¯m too tired to give a crap about anything anymore. I blacked out the moment I touched the bed in the medical bay. Chapter 3 - Friends? Chapter 3 - Friends I woke up groggily and slowly used one hand to prop myself up to the side of the medical bed. ¡°Ugh¡­ How long was I out for?¡± I said as I clutched my head with both hands. ¡°Hmm?¡± I rotated my left arm in its socket and checked all my vitals. All systems green, aside from the lingering pain everything else is just peachy. I looked towards the inactive sphere quietly sitting on one of the docks next to the medical cabinet. ¡°These medical bots sure work fast, although I¡¯ve never managed to catch one in action¡­¡± I forced myself to my feet and walked out of the med bay. Tucking my hands into my pockets as I walked out I noticed a presence to the left of the doorway and noticed an idiot dozing off while leaning against it. He looked so comfortable and defenceless sleeping there to the point where picturing a bubble slowly growing out of his nose would not even feel out of place. Somehow watching this idiot sleeping so soundly pisses me off. Seriously how is this guy even a superhuman, isn¡¯t he just an idiot? I looked at him and released some bloodlust. ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡± He screams and stumbles to his feet. ¡°Oh! It¡¯s you, my friend! That¡¯s no way to wake a brother up now is it? Well, don¡¯t worry too much about it.¡± He says with a smile as he slaps my back playfully. ¡®This guy¡­¡¯ ¡®Although he acts like a complete buffoon but there¡¯s no mistaking it. For a split second there when his eyes first shot open, was the look of a bloodthirsty monster ever ready to strike, teeth bared and all.¡¯ ¡°So where to now buddy?¡± I just couldn¡¯t be bothered with this idiot anymore so I walked off coldly. He just tags along behind me casually with his arms tucked behind his head. Can¡¯t he take a hint or is he deliberately trying to get on my nerves or something? ¡°Stop¡­ Following me¡­¡± I said as coldly as I could. ¡°OH MY GOD! HE SPEAKS! HE SPEAKS! For awhile there I was beginning to worry that you were mute Lil¡¯ Peppy.¡± Veins started popping out of my head as I quickened my pace. ¡®Little¡­Peppy?¡¯ ¡®Now that I think about it, I¡¯m the shortest one of them all aren¡¯t I¡­¡¯ ¡°Righto, now that you¡¯re on your feet Lil¡¯ Peppy - ¡± ¡®Don¡¯t simply call me whatever you like!¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s Zero.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you Zero! Took you long enough, why do you have to play so hard to get? Oh oh! Are you secretly a girl by chance?¡± Sven says with a wink and reaches for my pants. Whoosh! I shot out my right leg aimed at his head. ¡°Whoah there! Are you trying to kill me?!¡± He exclaims as he ducks underneath to avoid it. ¡°Tsk.¡± ¡®Although I kind of held back, can¡¯t you just shut up, and take it like a man?!¡¯ I further increased my pace to get as far away from him as I could without breaking into a run, and as expected this idiot just seems all the more insistent to tag along. Blabbering all the way. ¡®Why me¡­¡¯ After what seemed to take forever, I finally reached my chambers where I quickly dashed in with superhuman speed and shut the doors behind me faster than Sven could comprehend what just happened as the doors slammed shut in his face.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Okie dokie, see you tomorrow homie!¡± ¡­ ¡®Somebody kill me¡¯ *** The next day I entered the hangar bay as instructed by Cyrus. Looks like I¡¯m heading back out into the desert again. There I find waiting are the youths gathered together in their own groups, happily chattering away. I swiftly moved to a corner hoping not to get spotted. But much to my dismay, Sven caught sight of me and starts waving at me with a big smile on his face. ¡° ZERO!¡± He shouts at the top of his lungs, still waving his arm frantically. Sigh¡­ I walked over with heavy steps. ¡°Hey Zero, I would like you to meet my hot friend, Six! Six, Zero. Zero, Six.¡± ¡°Hi Zero, as always I apologize for my friend¡¯s extremely outgoing attitude but he¡¯s a nice guy once you get to know him.¡± Six says in a cool and composed manner. ¡°Though there are times when I want to strangle him to death myself¡­¡± Six quietly mumbles under her breath but I was able to pick it up with my sharp hearing. I¡¯m pretty sure Sven heard that too but as usual, doesn¡¯t give a hoot. Everyone quiets down as Dr.Ava¡¯s voice echoed throughout the hangar from the intercoms. ¡°Good afternoon children. For today, you will be pairing up with one another to go out into the wilderness once more but this time, you will not be permitted to enter within 10 Khin of the facilities compound for a week, I suggest the lot of you better get a move on.¡± ¡°Sorry Six, looks like you¡¯ve gotta find another partner. Of course Zero and I will be going to brave the harsh cruel world awaiting us out there together.¡± ¡®DON¡¯T GO DECIDING THINGS BY YOURSELF! Since when did I ever, EVER agree to partnering with you?!¡¯ Six merely nods then walked off to find another partner. I tried to look around for help but it would seem that everyone else had already paired up except for one girl standing alone. I approached her quickly to avoid the dreadful fate that lay before me. But before I could get a word out, she turned around to look at me and the words that I wanted to say got stuck in my throat. It was the girl whose ribs I broke and she¡¯s still glaring daggers at me. Ok~ Slowly back off from the tiger¡¯s den¡­ Six, on the other hand approaches her casually and pairs up together. As I backed off slowly, somebody placed their hand on my shoulder as I resigned myself to my fate. ¡°Where ya going buddy?¡± Looks like I¡¯m spending an entire week, out there with this buffoon¡­ *** Several hours later... ¡°FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!¡± I screamed at the top of my lungs, running as fast as my feet could carry me. ¡°SHIIIIIIIIIIT!¡± Sven screamed alongside me. "GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWRR!" An ear splitting roar of a beast echoes out across the sands. ¡®How in the hell did we end up in this situation?!¡¯ This all happened after Sven insisted on a short break underneath a weird looking tree and upped and disappeared on me, running down the sands and out of view. He came back running at full speed screaming ¡®RUN!¡¯ as he ran past me. I just looked at him dubiously until an earthshaking roar shook me to the core. The roar sent all hidden presences laying in wait underneath the sand, stalking us for the past hour scattering off in all directions. Only then I ran towards Sven as fast as I could. ¡®Now that I think about it¡­ What is that large white object that bastard¡¯s carrying?¡¯ ¡°Oi Sven! What the hell is that in your arms?!¡± ¡°Oh this huge thing? It¡¯s dinner of course! Hmm¡­ I wonder how a Grimdock¡¯s egg tastes like, I bet it¡¯s delicious!¡± ¡®Just what the hell is going through that idiot¡¯s head right now?! Does this look like the time to think about dinner?! Wait¡­ Grimdock? Did he just say Grimdock?!¡¯ Grimdocks are blind worm-like creatures with 8 legs that usually sleep underneath the sand, only coming out at night, awaiting prey where one might mistake them as a small mountain of sand due to low visibility at night, and unknowingly walk straight into the gaping maw of this creature. They normally grow to a height of 45 feet and 100 feet long. ¡°YOU IDIOT! YOU STOLE! A GRIMDOCK¡¯S EGG?!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t steal it! I just uhhh, found it! Right, found it lying on the sands just waiting for somebody to take it!¡± I could feel my instincts screaming at me the get the fuck away from here. Sven turned his head to look behind us. ¡°Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit! It¡¯s getting bigger!!!¡± ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s getting bigger?!¡± I screamed back as I turned my head back as well. ¡®Oh shit! It¡¯s getting closer! WHAT THE FUCK! It¡¯s gotta be at least the size of an Ivanni dropship!¡¯ ¡°SVEN! If we make it out of this alive! I will fucking kill you myself!¡± I yelled as I began to let out bloodlust. ¡°AAAAAAAAHHH!¡± Sven screams and runs even faster than before. This guy will be the bloody death of me. Notes 1 Khin = 1 Kilometer Ivanni dropships = Ivanni dropships are about the size of an entire 5-story high school block or about 52 feet high. Used by the Ivanni, a militaristic squidlike species of Xenos in planetary invasions. Grimdock = Grimdocks are blind worm-like creatures with 8 legs that usually sleep underneath the sand, only coming out at night, awaiting prey where one might mistake them as a small mountain of sand due to low visibility at night, and unknowingly approach the gaping maw of this creature. They normally grow to a height of 45 feet and 100 feet long. A little heads up Hey guys! Sorry but this is not a chapter. I''ve roughly decided the course I''m going to take this story so I will be making changes to the synopsis and title, perhaps even add in an additional prologue which will give you a glimpse of the future that I have in store for this =) Might add in a harem tag but expect a very slow build in the harem as I will be slowly adding them in one by one to allow more room for character development. Recently a tad bit busy so please bear with me, I''m only a potato QAQIf you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Anywho, by adding in an additional prologue I will increment all previous chapters by 1 whereby prologue - Awakening will be changed to Chapter 1- Awakening and so on. Potato out~ Chapter 4 - Dreams and uhhh drugs?! Chapter 4 - Dreams and uhhh drugs?! POV : 3rd person Zero tries to clear his mind as he continued to walk quite the distance away from where he last left Sven in order to get some much-needed peace and quiet. By the time they managed to lose the furious Grimdock it had already been nightfall, all thanks to that idiot¡­ He felt the blistering cold wind that blew against his face as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, savoring the cold air as it filled his lungs. Compared to the scorching heat of the day this is indeed a change for the better, ignoring the multiple presences that are lurking beneath the sand, stalking him from a safe distance away. He turned and decided it was time to head back, who knows what that idiot might do when left to his own devices. To his surprise, he spotted a bright glow in the dark which came from Sven¡¯s direction. ¡®What is that idiot up to now?!¡¯ Zero slowly walks back to Sven, mentally preparing himself for whatever that lay in wait for him back there. After several minutes of walking, Zero came back quite the bizarre scene where Sven is just huddled close to a fire and the Grimdock¡¯s egg lay in two halves cooking above it. With no equipment or virtually anything that could start a fire in sight, how did Sven even manage to get a fire going?! ¡°Hey Sven?¡± ¡°Sup dude!¡± ¡°How did you get a fire going?¡± Zero asked with a puzzled look on his face. ¡°Haha! Well, the most astonishing thing happened while you were gone man! Do you remember those grey patches of sand we found from time to time?¡± ¡°Well, yeah?¡± ¡°Apparently they combust into flames upon contact with liquid, like Phoom!¡± ¡°Wait huh? Where did you even find any liq-¡± Zero¡¯s voice trailed off at the sight of Sven attempting to whistle innocently, trying his best to avoid Zero¡¯s inquiring gaze. ¡­ Zero¡¯s gaze changed from an inquisitive one to one of disgust. ¡°Come on man! When a guy¡¯s gotta go, a guy¡¯s gotta go!¡± Sven frantically defended himself. ¡°And you¡¯re cooking the egg which we painstakingly got, on a fire which you started with your¡­piss¡­¡± At this point, Zero was glaring daggers at Sven. If glares alone could kill someone, Sven would¡¯ve already died a thousand times over. Sven felt a chill run down his spine. ¡°Chill man chill! If you have a better idea on how to start a fire out here, I¡¯m all ears. In the meantime, improvise. Adapt. Overcome!¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Zero once more found himself at a loss for words to Sven¡¯s retort. He plopped himself down onto the sand next to Sven, close to the crackling fire. Still, the thought of being so close to a fire started by Sven¡¯s pee somewhat unnerves him but the fire is the only source of warmth in the cold dark night, Zero decided to just no longer give a crap. The fire produced from the grey sand emitted a chemical reaction beneath it, scaring away their stalkers beneath the sand that threaten to strike the moment when they let their guard down. Taking the chance to relax, both Zero and Sven lay down on the cold sand, gazing at the stars. ¡°Hey, Zero?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Do you ever wonder what¡¯s out there? I mean, back there all they teach us is about things that could eat us and how to kill them but do you ever imagine how it would feel like to travel between the stars, seeing the vast world out there, meeting all kinds of weird beings. I bet there¡¯s bound to be an alien that doesn¡¯t want to eat us right? Ooh ooh, or even one with a ball sack for a head!¡± Sven said as he burst into laughter. Zero just shrugs in response while letting out a small chuckle, slowly taking in the breathtaking sight that lay before him. ¡°Let¡¯s say, just for a second you manage to get off this godforsaken planet, what do you wanna do?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know Sven, never really thought about it¡­¡± ¡°Seriously dude? You¡¯ve gotta learn how to dream man, else life just ain¡¯t worth living for. Well I know what I want to do, I want to be an Imperial Reaper. Those guys are seriously bad ass! Going where no one else dares to go, killing whoever and whatever stands in their way. The standard issue X-9 Gunblade! It¡¯s like both a gun and a sword but in one! How cool is that?!¡± Sven tattered on like a kid bragging about his favourite action hero. ¡°Uhh, Sven I think the eggs are done.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, they are¡± Sven juggled the two halves of the egg in the air immediately after removing them from the fire. ¡°HOT! HOT! HOT!¡± ¡°You idiot, of course it¡¯s hot! Put it down and let it cool off in the sand first.¡± After waiting for them to cool down, Sven gobbled his down, using the egg shell as a bowl after handing the other half to Zero. ¡°Dude, that¡¯s some good stuff right there. Hey, you gonna eat yours?¡± Sven asked as he reached over to grab Zero¡¯s half of the egg. ¡°Hey! Keep your hands off mine, you already had yours!¡± Zero exclaimed while holding off Sven with his right foot. Zero immediately resorted to defensive eating, strategically consuming food for the sole purpose of preventing others from getting it. ¡°By the way Zero, is it just me or have you been a lot more chatty recently?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just your imagination,¡± Zero said coldly, to which Sven just responds with a heartwarming smile. The both of them lay back down on the cold sand once more, enjoying the warmth of the fire. Zero closes his eyes as he rubbed his stomach, feeling satisfied after the meal. The egg was indeed tasty, hitting all the right spots after that hell of a day. ¡°Erm Zero? Why is the sky all wavy and like really really bright?¡± ¡°Huh? Wavy and bright?¡± Zero opens his eyes to look at the night sky. ¡°I don¡¯t see anything.¡± ¡°Stop pulling my leg maaan, it¡¯s likee really reeaallyy briiight maaaan,¡± Sven said as his words dragged on really slowly and began slurring a little at the end. ¡±Wait a minute¡­ Everything looks, really colourful. Was the sky always this colouuur? Huuuuh? Everything feels, reaaaally waavyyy.¡± ¡°Coloouurful? I¡¯m liiike heaaring colours maaan¡­¡± Grimdocks¡¯ eggs contain an extremely potent natural hallucinogen, a drug in other words. But it was never recorded down as nobody was dumb enough to steal one much less eat one. And thus, the two boys pass their first night, high as a kite. ** In a planetary system not too far from the planet Tyrios¡­ Two figures stand in a dark regal military office, one staring out the window as the moonlight shone on his face, revealing an old face with a battle scar on his right eye while the other stood at attention. ¡°So, the smuggler finally decided to talk after much ¡°persuading¡±.¡± ¡°Yes Major Horvath, we have finally located her position, she''s on planet Tyrios, a barren desert planet in a system not too far from here.¡± The captain replied as he recalled a dismembered figure strapped to a chair in a dark cell. ¡°But still, to be hiding on such a barren planet, relying on a smuggler to constantly smuggle her supplies¡­ Hahaha! To make such a foolish mistake, has losing her mind finally fried her brain? No matter. Captain King Langley, ready your fleet and strike force at once. Bring her back, alive.¡± ¡°Yes sir! We will leave this instant. We will bring her back to answer for her crimes against the empire without fail.¡± The captain left with a salute. With no one else left in the dark room, the Major whispered in a grim tone that only he could hear. ¡°You will pay this time¡­ Dr Ava¡­¡± Chapter 5 - Magus Chapter 5 - Magus ¡°Ugh, my head hurts,¡± Zero woke up with a pounding headache. ¡°Dude, that was wicked!¡± Sven yelled out, completely elated from last night¡¯s experience. Zero shook his head in response, wondering where does Sven even get all that energy from. He looked up and felt the scorching heat from the sun on his face as he shaded his eyes from the intense sunlight. ¡®We¡¯ve been out for the whole night?¡¯ He then scanned his surroundings and found that the grey sand no longer produced a fire but now a line of grey smoke in its stead. ¡°Sven, the fire¡¯s out.¡± ¡°Yeah, by the looks of it not too long ago.¡± The boys just woke up after coming down from a whole new high, they failed to grasp just how dire their current situation was. Zero¡¯s instincts immediately kicked in and he shoved Sven out of the way. In that moment everything slowed down as Zero watched a white worm fly right past his eyes and dived right back into the sand. ¡°Shit! We let our guard down!¡± The many creatures that waited patiently beneath the sand finally found the opportunity to strike at their prey. One after the other shot out of the sand like bullets out of a gun albeit slightly slower but their great numbers make them all the more deadly. Zero and Sven frantically dodged the vicious attacks from these sandworms but they were too many and ended up getting grazed by the jaws of these creatures. ¡°Damn it! For some puny worms they sure have sharp fangs! These things sting like a bitch!¡± Sven vented his frustration as they were forced completely into the defensive. Zero leapt backwards in an arc, dodging several worms from all directions, landing on his hands and pushed off into a reverse aerial cartwheel dodging several more. Zero started to tense up as the realization dawned on him that the both of them can only keep this up for so long. Zero looked over to Sven to see how his friend was holding up, this split second distraction proved a near fatal mistake as a worm shot out and used it¡¯s jaws to latch onto his shoulder. Zero let out a scream as it tried to bury itself into his flesh. He yanked it out, tearing off a part of his flesh along with it and he ripped the squirming worm in half. Several more worms shot out and dug into his flesh as Zero tried to shake them off but to no avail. ¡°Ahh!¡± A female voice echoed out from beside him as a figure slammed her fist into the ground. The shockwave sent all the worms flying as well as Zero and Sven. The sandworms wriggled back into the sands and disappeared, swimming off in a panic.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Zero stood up, dusting the dust off his clothes while inspecting the many injuries he was covered in. ¡°You okay Zero?¡± Sven asked worriedly as he noticed Zero seemed to be in quite a bad shape. Sven was also bleeding from several places as well but he was more concerned about Zero rather than his own wounds. ¡°I¡¯m fine, thanks Sven. Whoever you are, we were in a tight situation back there, so uhh thanks.¡± Zero replied and thanked the blonde female crouching where they were a moment ago, with her fist planted in the sand. ¡®Wait a cotton picking second, I know that hair!¡¯ The figure looked up towards Zero with an angry face. ¡®SHIT! It¡¯s the crazy girl!¡¯ Zero ducked as a fist swung over his head sending out a shockwave behind him. ¡°Are you crazy?!¡± ¡®It¡¯s just one shit after another ain¡¯t it¡¯ ¡°What the hell¡¯s your problem?!¡± She doesn¡¯t reply and just grunted in anger as she swung another fist at him. Zero being as nimble as always doesn¡¯t allow a single punch to land, but seeing how each punch hollowed out the ground behind him, one punch is all it would take. ¡°Just stand still and take it like a man!¡± She yelled out in frustration. ¡°Like hell I would!¡± ¡®There¡¯s no way normal punches could produce such a force¡­ Could it be?! She¡¯s a magus?! But by the way she¡¯s just manifesting her mana out of her fists, she¡¯s an amateur? An experienced magus could make explosions out of thin air but the way she is now is dangerous enough, can¡¯t spot an opening in between her punches, not without endangering myself.¡¯ ¡°Hey Sven! Little help here!¡± ¡°Sorry Zero, but I make it a habit not to interfere in the love affairs between a couple, just man up and take a punch!¡± Sven said with a thumbs up and a wide smile. ¡®Love affair?! In what rotten part of your brain does this resemble a love affair?! And who in their right mind would be a couple with this crazy bitch?!¡¯ Tired of the current stalemate, she forced out her remaining mana in a short burst hoping to knock him off his feet once and for all. The sudden burst of mana blew out the surrounding sand and threw Zero into the air. Zero struggles to regain his balance mid-air but was caught by blondy and thrown down into the sand. The impact knocked the wind out of him and before he knew it, something struck the side of his ribs with great force, snapping a few of them with a loud crack. Zero coughed out a mouthful of blood and tried to recover. The girl mounted him and lifted his torso by the collar, bringing him face to face with her. The look in her eyes no longer contained any anger and was replaced with a look of satisfaction. He was close enough to feel her breath and can¡¯t help but notice that up close, she looked amazing. Her beautiful azure eyes that captivated anyone who gazes into it, her pink ample lips and a tinge of red on her cheeks. ¡®Wait, she¡¯s blushing?¡¯ ¡°Now we¡¯re even,¡± She said coldly as she released his collar and stood up. ¡®What the fuck just happened?¡¯ Zero thought to himself as he sat himself up. He looked towards Sven who just smiled back mischievously. ¡°I was wondering where you ran off to.¡± Zero turned around to face the familiar voice and saw Six slowly walking into view. ¡°Oh! I bet she must have run with all her might the moment she heard lover boy over there scream out in pain!¡± Sven said in a mischievous tone, teasing the blonde girl, to which she responds with a punch to the face. ¡°Gubuu!¡± A comical sound escaped Sven¡¯s lips as he was sent flying across the sand. Zero caught a glimpse of her face which was now as red as a tomato. She turned around with an angry face with her long hair waving behind her and he immediately denied seeing or hearing anything while waving his hands in front of him. She turned back around with a hmph and stomped away. Six merely smiled wryly and followed slowly behind her, ignoring Sven whose leg is sticking out of the sand, twitching.