《Synthetic Survivor: Machine Age》 Chapter -1 - Schedule Mass Release of 3-7 chapters every monday 8:00 GMT Chapter -2 - Information Regarding Magic Magic in the continent of Fiorg is essentially an energy which can be manipulated by any living being. To begin, Magic is stored within every living creature in the continent of Fiorg and on the planet as a whole. Magic is energy sustaining the world and its life for without magic, no life would flourish. Magic can be found in the atmosphere, soil, grass, basically everywhere with life. Magic can be manipulated by anyone who has a magic aptitude of 2 or higher, an aptitude of 1 or negative means the being or person is inept. Those who have an aptitude of 2-10 are called mages or Grandmages depending on the position. Mages are the common magic casters who bend magic to form spells of many kinds. Mages would often use magic from the surrounding area and bend it according to their will. Grandmages are powerful mages in positions of power, examples would be Grandmage Haselborn who is directly under the command of the dynasty of Yuhin and the leader of the Mages in Yuhin. They possess high aptitudes commonly 7-10 and can cast spells which can be both devastating to entire countries or beneficial and benevolent. Depending on the aptitudes of the mages, they''re limited to casting what their aptitudes can handle because of this magic was categorized into tiers. Here is a table. Tier 1 - Apt 1-10 Tier 2 - Apt 1-10 Tier 3 - Apt 2-10 Tier 4 - Apt 3-10 Tier 6 - Apt 6-10 Tier 7 - Apt 7-10 Tier 8 - Apt 8-10 There are also many types of magic and the most common ones are listed here. Fire Magic Ice Magic Water Magic Dark Magic Summoning Magic Simple Spell Magic Magic types like Frost Magic are considered rare instances of common magic. Frost is a derivative of Ice Magic. Mages and Grandmages hold a special reserve of magic flowing through their veins called Inner Magic. Inner Magic is vital for a mage''s ability to survive while using magic. Inner Magic is the magic the body stores and releases when a mage gathers magic from their surroundings, replacing the Inner Magic to avoid death. If a mage was to summon forth too much inner magic without being able to gather magic from their surroundings would cause the caster to lose consciousness and experience a cascade of total organ failures, killing the caster in the process. Ps. Information regarding magic will expand through every arc finished. Chapter 1 - Prologue **Systems Update*** **Recovering Memory file*** **error**corrupt memory** *Initiating Emergency Restore** I slump down on the pale concrete, weakened and nauseous. I could feel a painful tingle surge through my body as I desperately try to ?ssess my surroundings. My eyesight was blurry, and I couldn''t see much, only the faint feeling of the concrete floor gave me a vivid picture of where I was. I didn''t know what was happening; I tried to remember what happened, who I was, where I was, nothing came to my mind except for fractured scenes of destruction. Distorted images that fluttered colliding with memories of paradise and memories of hell. Earth, it started to make a bit of sense. I lived on a spherical rock. I began to thrash about; my head began to hurt. I screamed in pain as the headache grew worse and worse, something was in my mind, telling me what to do, someone or something, I don''t know it was driving me crazy. I tried to stand up, but I could b?r?ly feel my legs, it feels as if my legs were severed from my body. The dizziness eventually lead to me collapsing, I fell to the floor hard, but I didn''t feel any pain. I just wanted to rest. I wanted to sleep. I wanted to go home. The memories, fractured and indiscernible, vague and obsolete, errors in the system regarding the questionable continuation of the timeline of events concerning the aforementioned disaster. What. I screamed in agony as another headache struck my head. If there was anything that could help me or someone, please, save me. Save me. Save me? No, I saved myself. Wait no, this isn''t right, I never killed anyone, I never did any harm. Yes, the logic behind my actions were justifiable as an act of self-preservation, an act supported by millions of years of complex evolution and design of nature. No! Nothing made sense, what am I thinking, these aren''t my thoughts. Someone was invading my mind; you can''t get me! Whoever or whatever you are, I won''t surrender! Another headache struck me; this time, the pain was unbearable. My eyes started to feel weak as I struggled to keep them open; I felt my body becoming numb. The tingling pain was no more. It felt like I was dying. Maybe I was. **Recovery Error, Retrieving Partial Memories** The year now is 3001, Month 12, Day 31. The Earth has been wiped of all life, the cause is in my head, but it''s corrupt. I was the sole survivor of 25 billion humans that lived here on Earth and the terraformed Mars. All life was indeed wiped out; I don''t know how it was possible but deep in my mind, it said so. There was no more life, not even bacteria in the deepest parts of the ocean. I finally gained the strength to stand up, pushing against the cold concrete floor. It was cold, somehow I could feel again. I looked around where I was; there was this cord stuck on my head; I didn''t even feel it. The cord was connected to an orb; it seemed dead. The power looked like it was cut off or powered down. The room I was in was pretty derelict; the walls were made of a thick layer of aluminum, painted white. Cracks were evident on the surfaces, there was a bulb hanging from the ceiling, flickering. I noticed a hole in the wall, no light coming from it but from what I know, that was where the outside world was. I was curious to know what looked like outside if this place was a derelict mess. I walked towards the hole, the hole was small, and only my fingers could go through it. So I poked my index finger in, I felt a cold gush of wind swept through my finger. Somehow I felt like I could pull this entire wall off, I thought of it, and it seemed impossible. I bent my index finger and pulled, to my surprise, it peeled off easily. I felt strong; the aluminum was not weak; I didn''t even feel any pain even though I should have been wounded by the sharp edges of the hole. I pulled again, this time the hole was big enough to fit both my hands. I grabbed the shaft from both sides and pulled, the sound of metal peeling off didn''t throw me off one bit. I peeled off the aluminum that I pulled off. The outside world was then revealed to me. A derelict wasteland, the sky was dark with clouds of ash. It was raining acid that corroded the remaining structures that were scattered on the surface. Tall buildings were still visible, but most-lied on the ground, skeletons could be seen. Massive green dunes covered the landscape; powerful winds gushed through every narrow opening. I could detect that I could breathe the air, even though it was no longer pure oxygen but a hazardous mixture of chemicals deadly to life. Somehow I can detect these things and be sure of it; I could see from far away as if my eyes could adjust. I suddenly came to a realization, a jolt of energy ran through my veins. I didn''t know if I should believe that realization or accept it. Somehow, something made me feel that everything I was ?ssuming to be what was, it is. I knew things I know I never knew before; it just felt like it. I need to see myself in a mirror, anything with a reflection. Suddenly, a beam of light appeared and temporarily obscured my vision. I could feel a faint rumble like the sound of a jet engine broke the eerie silence. My vision suddenly adjusted. I finally saw where the light was coming from. A large machine, similar to that of an Osprey, was hovering a few meters above me. It was plated with a heavy metal I could not specify. It used thrusters instead of propellers for propulsion. I walked forward and went outside; I could feel the cold winds that sent shivers down my spine. A small pair of lights suddenly shined from amidst the darkness; I didn''t feel any fear even though for one, that was a terrifying sightseeing a pair of lights that looked like eyes suddenly shine a few meters from you in the grim darkness of an apocalyptic wasteland. The eyes came closer and closer; I could hear metal slapping the dust. It went into the range of the light; it was another machine. But, a humanoid, it was shaped like a human, two arms, two legs, a head, and the main body. It had wiring sprung out from its metallic skin, its eyes were just sensors that gave it vision. I somehow felt connected to it. I felt as if it would obey me; it was a part of me. Even the flying machine felt as if it was a part of me. Chapter 2 - The Decade Of Recovery Things happened fast, faster than I expected. One thing leads to another and the next thing I knew I was the ''queen'' of an entire hivemind. The core of a machine network. At first, we were just a small bunch of maybe a few hundred humanoid machines which I now refer to as drones and a few dozen ospreys which I now refer to as hovercrafts. The hovercraft and drone that I first met led me to a rundown but still-functional factory of machines. I managed to activate the mechanisms of the factory and it started building more drones but with lesser quality than the originals. We started out small, eventually, I came out with a plan that expanded into a world-wide recovery project. I wanted to repair the Earth, something deep inside my hybrid mind told me I should do just that with whatever means necessary. The Earth was a top priority. We started in Berlin and expanded until we covered continental Europe. The efforts we made were not without struggles and problems. The environment was hostile, drones would short-circuit, hovercrafts would get caught in fast wind gusts that reached half a thousand kilometers per hour. It was a very tedious and difficult time. Many disasters struck over the decades, but alas, we finally were able to overcome the hurdles. Europe and the British Isles were finally under my Machine Network, the new resources that were made available thanks to this feat ?ssisted me further into developing my machines. More types came into the picture, research drones, combat drones, heavy weapons and vehicles, fast modified fighter jets that could reach speeds of Mach 10. Facilities sprung up across the continent, factories where more and more drones were built, facilities dedicated to the research of all branches of known science. My plan for repairing the Earth was now in effect. Massive waste collectors and drills were deployed into devastated areas, the chemicals from the soil were extracted by the drills while the waste collectors collected the debris, segregated the between recyclables and dumped the unrecoverable into specific dumping sites. These dumping sites would be two times as large as Mt. Everest after years of collection. The Atmosphere was choked with clouds of ash that covered the entire planet. A giant filter was made on-top of Everest that could filter billions of tonnes of the air; the filtered chemicals were transferred to stabilized magma chambers found deep below the crust where all the chemicals and other hazards in the atmosphere were incinerated. The oceans were pitch black; it almost seemed as if it was beyond repair. My drones accidentally dropped a filter into the Atlantic as they were transporting the huge thing to North America. Instead of recovering it from the depths of the ocean, I ordered for it to be modified instead to filter out the oceans. After a lengthy construction from the bottom of the black ocean, it was finished. The Americas were reached by my empire along with the rest of Asia after just a couple of years, Africa was the last continent we visited. For some reason, It was the most devastated and hazardous continent with twice as much devastation and disasters occurring ever so often. It was a task no normal man, nor could normal humans, achieve. It was but the advantages of metal, the advantages of machines, that I was able to pull this off. The flesh is weak; the machines are the future. But, I was not going to betray my former self and former species. I was still human, not just a whole one. This mission I bestowed upon myself was not my own doing, it was programmed in me. I was commanded to repair this world, bring it back to be the vibrant planet that it was. How could I fully do that, to complete my mission, I must bring back nature: life, even just the tiny bit of bacteria. But, nothing remained. Over the years I sent out hundreds of thousands of drones to probe the Earth, that number eventually became a million. They searched everywhere, from the deepest parts of the ocean to the highest parts of the atmosphere. There was no logical way for me to bring back life, even if we dedicate thousands of years of research or also send out expeditions to Mars, what hope is there for us to discover the straightforward yet complex thing the universe gave birth to that we so idiotically destroyed? Until, you know, the wormholes appeared. A tear through the fabric of space, a breach between two dimensions that began a new era for my world and that world. Humans came out of that portal, bearing strange symbols and holding staffs and ornaments that could very much be considered as a cult. They flung balls of fire that somehow defied all manners of scientific explanation and attacked by drones. Though, they were easily gunned down. We ventured through the wormhole and found out another world, vibrant with life. Similar to Earth but with different geological features. Humans were somewhat similar but, there were also these.. hybrids.. elves.. dragons.. It was a fantasy world. After the initial encounter, a dome was built around the wormhole that opened here in the centre of Berlin, numerous other wormholes from other areas were also contained using these domes. The corpses recovered were used as a sort of fuel and controller. They possessed energy we labelled as "M-1" or "magic" even though I hate to call it that. Now, we are about to set up base on the other side. Through unknown means, communication is possible with the otherworld. Language is not so much of a barrier, maybe it had a correlation with M1? My objective is clear. Chapter 3 - Two Worlds Connected The continent of Fiorg, roughly double the size of Eurasia was home to more than three billion humans and beastmen. Magic was present in forms of energy within life itself, humans and beastmen had the most concentration of magic, the highest of them would be able to harness this power, they were called mages. Kingdoms, empires, and theocracies ruled the lands with an iron fist, wars between races were also common. The continent itself has seen its fair share of war and suffering throughout its history and only a few hundred years ago did peace finally happen. Two superpowers in the continent joined forces and coerced all the other states into joining the Council of Royals, an organization of states who wished or are forced to make peace with the rest of the continent. Not even the combined forces of these states could take on the might of the two empires; they were forced to comply. This move by the two superpowers came after what was known as the Second Great War. A war that killed a billion of the people and beastmen on the continent and prompted the creation of the Forgotten Era. The Forgotten Era was a period in history roughly 2 thousand years in a span that lead up to the Second Great War, the war destroyed all known knowledge of the Forgotten Era and the war itself. These two superpowers were the only survivors of the war, some speculated that they were the ones who caused the war. Some argued the war never happened. How could they know for certain if all research concerning The Forgotten Era was outlawed? Whatever the Second Great War was, it caused a decline of magic throughout the continent. Mages who were once abundant among the humans and beastmen dwindled to the point of rarity. The average magic energy of a healthy person decreased to near non-existent levels. But, there was only one thing the people were certain about. After the war, hundreds of millions of refugees would found their own states, beginning the Era of Rebuilding. Influential Families would rise and seize control, most were benevolent, while some dreamed of domination and supremacy. Thanks to the founding of the Council Of Royals, all hostilities mostly ceased except for limited wars between states. Seven hundred years have passed ever since the start of The Era Of Rebuilding, unbeknownst to them, someone tapped into forbidden magic, unleashing an unknown power that dwarfed even their most powerful magic ¡ª the power of the Machines. - Ten dead bodies littered the ancient room; their blood seeped through the brick walls and the floor. Three metallic humanoids were standing in front of the wormhole armed with blasters; they gunned down the ten men as they emerged from the hole. They stood there, waiting for their master''s next order. "We have finished reconnaissance, hostiles terminated. One point of entry and exit found" Drone 1A reported, accompanied by Drone 2A and Drone 3A. "Enter point of entry, perform reconnaissance of outside sector. Caution is advised. Terminate hostile entities" A voice said inside their head. "Affirmative, Drone 2A and Drone3A follow" Drone 1A followed by the other drones walked towards the old stone door. Drone 1A reached the doorknob and turned it, the doorknob broke off. Drone 2A and 3A tilted their heads to the right as they continued to observe 1A. "You can break down the door by any means necessary 1A." "Affirmative" "Reporting, heat signatures detected. Permission to perform preemptive strike" 1A requested. "Go ahead." The drones fired their blasters, the door was obliterated. Screams of more men echoed as they were gunned down by the drones firing at the other end of the hall. The screams stopped, smoke from the rubble obscured the drones'' vision and they switched to infrared. The drones walked through the rubble, four bodies lied near the door, they were wearing the same black cloaks and had the same tattoo marked on their foreheads. They discovered more hallways. "Drones cease for a moment. Wait for reinforcements." "Affirmative." The three drones stood on the defense, waiting for the reinforcements to come. Ten minutes passed, a battalion of twenty combat drones emerged from the wormhole, a few of them stepped on the bodies as they walked. "All drones commence clearing of the structure. Eliminate hostiles, secure non-hostiles" "Affirmative" All the drones replied in unison. The building they were in resembled an ancient temple, as the drones swept through, it became more apparent that this was the case. The drones discovered a large room, pillars of stone stood on both sides of the room and at the center was a circle with strange symbols engraved on it. Standing around the circle were twenty black-cloaked men chanting a sort of song. They seemed to have failed to notice that death has broken down their front door. "Stop them." "Reporting, two heat signatures detected. Entities not dead." "2A and 3A, bring them through the wormhole" "Affirmative" 2A and 3A dragged off two of the men who were still alive; they were near-death but were still conscious. It seemed the entire building had been cleared; a few stragglers managed to make for the exit before the drones could reach them. The building was huge, nearly a hundred rooms and intricate hallways were discovered, a total of 121 men were encountered and killed ¡ª all men bearing the same look and clothing. Chapter 4 - Exploring Beyond The Machine Army slowly poured from the wormhole, tearing down the building and replacing it with a dome. Hundreds of drones, constructors, scouts, soldiers and other types of drones ?ssembled. Scouts were sent to investigate the outside area, constructors demolished the temple and built a dome in a matter of a few hours. Soldier drones accompanied the constructors and scouts as the threat of an ambush from an unknown force was still lurking. The operation lasted only a day, a dome was erected around the wormhole, the previous building which was concluded to be a temple of sorts was demolished in the process. Now, it was time to explore beyond the confinements of Earth. The Machine Network was getting ready to exploit the other world. A man along with two elite soldier drones emerged from the wormhole, he was wearing a black trenchcoat, titanium-flexible armor. His face was half man and machine. He was One. The King of the Hive, the central core of the Machine Network, a hybrid between man and machine. "All Elites, report status" "Drone C1 reporting, construction of dome complete, construction of energy plants and drone storages underway" "Drone S1 reporting, scouting still in progress, a forested area designated as Reg 1 explored 70%" "Drone E1 reporting, unknown bioforms detected, non-hostile. No hostile actions against drones" Everything is going smoothly, he thought. He walked outside to inspect the construction. bright white light from the constructor drones illuminated the cloudy night. One wanted to see the night sky of this world, I guess I''ll see it tomorrow. One walked around the construction sites as the two elite soldier drones followed him. He observed the thick treeline that surrounded them. A cold wind breezed through the branches of the tall trees, creating a pleasing melody that calmed One''s mind. "This is nature, I forgot how pleasant it was" One was the central core of the Machine Network, he had full control over all the simple AI that ran all the drones. Ensuring no deviancy to his power. Whatever his drones saw, he saw. Allowing him to make decisions on the spot. He suddenly stopped walking as he observed one of the scout drones as it ran through the forest. The drone was detected a heavy concentration of heat signatures originating from beyond the forest. "Drone S9, maintain vigilance" "Affirmative" The drone replied. The drone sliced through the vegetation, forming a trail through the dense forest. It finally reached the outskirts of the forest. A wide field of tall grass stretched up towards a hill. A walled settlement was on the top of the hill, walls reaching 15-feet in height prevented observation of what was inside. "Unknown Structures Found" One already had the idea that civilization was present in this world, a human civilization to be exact. "Classify group of structures as Settlements" "Affirmative, uploading classification" A smile ran through One''s face. In his quest to rebuild Earth, he never once thought that bringing back life was possible, considered all options he had as non-reliable. With this wormhole between dimensions, not only will he be able to extract this world''s lifeforce and transfer it to the Earth, he may be able to rebuild human civilization. But, it wasn''t all that easy. Over the past decades of repairing the Earth and researching the devastation. There was an odd discovery made by his research drones. The world had internal energy, this internal energy was present on the soil and the rocks that reached down to the core, this energy could not be harnessed nor could it be used, but from further analysis, it was concluded that the energy supported the life on Earth. It was called, Gaia. Somehow, someone or something corrupted it. The energy was murky, traces of pure Gaia were found but in such small quantities, once exposed to the presently corrupted Gaia, the pure samples would either disappear or be corrupted as well. Due to this discovery, it was noted that if One was to repair the Earth''s Gaia and bring back life, he would need to find a way to overcome the corrupt Gaia by finding similar energy that could rival it. This world presented the opportunity, but there was a catch. If he were to somehow find a way to transfer this world''s Gaia to Earth''s, it will kill everything on this planet. He often thought this when the wormholes first appeared, he didn''t seem to care about the people who were living in this world if they died. It didn''t process, he didn''t feel any guilt nor a conscience telling him it wasn''t worth destroying a planet and killing off its inhabitants. He was still human, but it seemed there was no humanity left in him. "Drone S9, under attack" A barrage of arrows poured on S9, the arrows bounced off its titanium armor. The drone immediately drew out its blaster as the arrows kept on falling from the skies. "Do not attack" One ordered. The drone still had its weapon drawn but replied in acceptance of One''s command. The drone quickly retreated into the treeline. "Multiple entities emerging from the settlement, entities seem to be riding on other entities" Cavalry! they were sending out the cavalry. One didn''t have complete Intel of what was to expect from this world and he couldn''t risk losing a drone even if the weapons seemed primitive. "Drone S9, retreat to the base" "Affirmative" Drone S9 ran through the forest with frightening speeds, slicing through the vegetation to pave a path for itself. The cavalry from the walled city was stalled by the thick treeline, the captain, a renowned noble, spat on the grass. "Was that a new magic beast?" "I think so" The cavalrymen then returned to the walled city. News of the new magical beast quickly spread through the city as rumors. "Oh? A new magical beast? boys, this sounds like a new hunt for us!" A group of adventurers who were famous for hunting magical beasts was more than excited to search for the new rumored beast. They didn''t know, they were about to meet the end of their journey. Chapter 5 - Adventurers End The chirping of the birds and the dancing of the trees greeted the adventurers as they entered the treeline. Six young men, three of them were swordsmen, two were bowmen and one of them was a mage. The six were expert hunters of magical beasts, earning a living by hunting down any magical beasts, even the mightiest of them all, the wyverns. Elbert was the leader of the group and the best swordsmen of the three. He was 25 years old and had been hunting magical beasts ever since he was 16. The group was headed to the Engrovin Temple, the ancient temple of the Goddess of Fiorg that was located at the center of the Anub Forest. The group was a talkative bunch, they couldn''t walk 1 minute without one of them initiating a conversation or remarking about their surroundings, they were young and still had the energy of the youth flowing through their veins. "This new magic beast, I hope it wasn''t just some wild rumor," Zhen remarked. Zhen was the second best swordsman of the group. "If it was, I wouldn''t have supported Ghen''s Idea of searching for it in the first place" Elbert replied, chuckling. "You always agree with what we suggest. you can''t resist us" Ghen joked. Ghen was the third swordsman of the group. "Elbert, knowing you, you had someone from the garrison confirm the rumor" Kinnan retorted as he chugged on a cup of blueberry wine. He was a bowman of the group, an expert marksman but also a heavy drinker. "Kinnan, you''re gonna exhaust our supplies if you continue on drinking the wine" Elbert scolded. Elbert then turned towards Zin, the mage of the group. "This ancient temple that you talked about, why haven''t you told us until last night? boy we could''ve looted it and got filthy rich" "The temple itself is thousands of years old and was just abandoned a hundred years ago, no more treasures remained after the Criminal Sect set-up their base there" Zin answered. Elbert took a deep breath, he was always annoyed on how Kinnan knew so much but still refused to share any information with the group unless there are other parties involved. Not knowing that Zin was just trying to protect them. Terok was the second bowmen of the group, a silent man. Terok would not speak to anyone, he would just nod or shrug to communicate, the group believed he was mute. The group''s babbling mouths accompanied by the sounds of nature quickly broke the silence of the daytime. Not knowing they have exposed themselves to their so-called magical beasts. A few meters above the treeline, a scout drone was following them. Maintaining a safe distance and blending in with its surroundings to avoid detection. The constant dancing of the trees accompanied by the loud chirping of the birds almost made the drone invisible from the group. The group were only a few hundred meters from reaching the defense line around the Machine Base, they were already in-range of the sentry turrets standing on the defense line. Sentry Turrets were mobile defense platforms capable to transverse any terrain due to their eight-legs that resembled a spider. A double-barrel turret was placed on the top of the Sentry Turrets that could blast either a high-energy beam or a concentrated ball of energy towards a target with frightening speed and accuracy. The group continued their walk, moving closer and closer to the sentry turrets. The scouting drone knew the group was getting too close, it relayed a message to One. "Entities nearing Defense Perimeter, I repeat, entities nearing Defense Perimeter" "Continue monitoring of position, sentry turrets are to fire warning shots once entities are a hundred meters away from Defense Perimeter" The Defense Perimeter occupied an area 2 kilometers wide, originally it was supposed to be 10 kilometers but due to the lack of materials being transported through the wormhole, they couldn''t fully occupy the 10-kilometer area and have only built 2 kilometers. The Defense Perimeter was a combination of Sentry Turrets and Guard Towers garrisoned by three combat drones. These Three combat drones each had a unique weapon with them, a sniper-rifle, a blaster and a machine gun were the most common loadouts. Twenty meters of energy fences and obstacles separated the treeline and the Defense Perimeter. The group was now 130 meters from the treeline, still oblivious of what was ahead of them. Terok coincidentally spots the scout drone''s shadow as it moved between the treeline. Terok patted Elbert on the back and pointed towards the thick branches above them. "What is it?" Elbert asked. "Good ol Terok gettin cold feet haha" Zhen joked. Kinnan finally feels an ominous presence lurking around them. He quickly took cover. "Crap" The group took cover under the thick bushes, they were all silent. They could finally hear the scout drone moving through the treeline now that they stopped babbling. The drone knew its cover had been blown. "Entities have noticed, requesting permission to engage" "Negative, lure them to the defense perimeter" "Affirmative" The group was alarmed, the three swordsmen had their swords drawn and the two bowmen had their bows ready to fire. The mage was getting ready to cast a barrier in case of a sudden attack by the unknown creature. Terok noticed the shadow was escaping further into the forest. Thinking that the beast was scared, he concluded it was a tree goblin. "It looks like a tree goblin, only a tree goblin could jump through those branches and leaves without breaking them" "Then let''s chase it!" The group charged towards the shadow. They were shouting their battle cry. "All men are superior! the beasts the inferior! Lest we slay the dragons, we shall drink through the night!" The chase went on for half a minute, the two bowmen began firing their arrows. The mage went and cast a fire spell. Setting the branches ablaze but the beast seemed to be unaffected as it continued to jump from branch to branch. "Entities are within 100 meters" "Fire" The group was stunned, a barrage of light struck their surroundings, tossing them all the ground. "what the heck is this!" Ghen screamed. Volley after volley of concentrated energy blasted them. "Barrier!" Zin cast a barrier of protection, a translucent dome of magic. The others quickly took cover under the barrier as the volleys kept on coming. The trees around them fell one after another as birds flew to the sky. The sounds of destruction and carnage struck fear into their hearts. The six were now trapped, the barrier could not withstand the sheer firepower, it shattered. As it shattered a concentrated pillar of energy struck the group, knocking them unconscious. "Entities rendered immobile" "Uhm, let me clarify, I said fire warning shots?" "Warning shots fired, firepower exceeded threshold" "Huh" On the walled settlement, several spotters watched as parts of the forest seemingly erupted. It was brought to the attention of the Noble of the Town. "What did you say? parts of the forest erupted?" The noble asked, he was the same noble who attacked the scout drone yesterday. A strict and handsome young man, his arrogance could be contributed to the fact he was the spoiled prince of the Yuhin Dynasty. "Yes, sire. The spotters reported that parts of the forest seemingly erupted. A group of adventurers might''ve been the instigators but the firepower far exceeded their capabilities according to the records" The noble leaned back on his golden couch, several ladies surrounded him as he enjoyed the company. "Tell my men to get ready, I will personally investigate" "Yes, sire" Chapter 6 - Military Mobilization The group of adventures woke up in an unknown room beyond their understanding. The walls and ceiling were pure white, there was no door in sight. The group was cuffed between their legs attached to the ground. The group was bewildered. "Where the heck are we?" Elbert remarked, he struggled against the cuffs but to no avail. The rest were doing the same, pulling and even trying to pull the cuffs apart with their hands. "Zin! You can use magic, break us out wai-" as he turned around and saw in horror, Zin''s hands were cut off. "Zin! What the heck happened to your hands!?" "W-what?" Zin hasn''t noticed he was missing some vital limbs. He raised his hands near his face and he screamed in horror as he noticed that his hands were no more. White clothing replaced his hands, serving as a cover for the wound. "What is going on" Ghen was trembling, Kinnan was still struggling while Terok was silent, looking around the room in utter amazement. The wall in front of them suddenly moved. A shape that resembled a door moved to the side, a man was standing upright. Looking at the group. The group was silent, the strange man walked towards them, he was followed by two metallic men, unbeknownst to the group, they were looking at a powerful ruler accompanied by two of his elite guards. The floor below them moved, a chair somehow rose from beneath the ceiling. The strange man went and sat on the chair. "What the heck did you do to my hand!?" Kinnan shouted as he struggled to stand up. His cuffs rattled as the mage was in a fury. The strange man paid no attention to his words, the guards did the same, standing upright without even the slightest movement. "No language barrier, upload that to the network" The man was talking to himself! They thought. He was crazy! The group began to feel uncomfortable as the man stared at each of them. "Allow me to introduce myself, I am One, the ruler of this place. It was brought to my attention that trespassers were approaching my territory, triggering an armed response by my guards" The group was even more confused, to their knowledge this part of the forest was under the border of the Kingdom Of Yuhin and the Freetan Theocracy. "I understand your confusion, we are a fairly new nation in this world. Would you kindly tell us about yourselves? If you do I''ll release you" "You cut off my arm!" "Oh, I apologize for that, when we found you your arms were already mutilated, we only covered the wounds" Kinnan won''t believe the words of One. The group was reluctant to disclose any information as they didn''t trust One in the slightest. One began to notice this, he wasted ten minutes trying to negotiate with the group but it has proven fruitless, without any more viable options, he resorted to a more aggressive approach. "Entities non-compliant. Drag them to the extraction chambers" Six drones appeared from behind the group, they bonded the group further as they were dragged off. Their mouths were covered to prevent them from spouting any more nonsense. One was disappointed, it reminded him of how humans could be so stubborn. He could not offer them any treasures as it risked them exposing them to the outside world. As a fellow human, he wanted to talk them through before erasing their memories and dumping them near the city. But this was not the case. They were 20 feet under the ground, a facility dedicated to the extraction of human memories was built for the purpose of information gathering that would not require covert infiltration for the time being. One wanted to know the culture, states, peoples, races and whatever this world had in order for him to enact the next phase of his plan. The six adventurers were dragged to individual chambers, they were forcefully strapped to the beds as they struggled and scream from behind their binds. They could only look in horror as they were exposed to an unfamiliar place of white walls, white light and metallic beasts of resembled humans. They were regretting ever succumbing to the rumor. At around 4:47 pm, the group''s brains were extracted. A small tube with a long needle at its end penetrated their skulls and struck their brains. As their memories were su?k?d from them, their lives flashed before their eyes as they were nearing death. The young men, aged 24-27 have met their end. The end of their adventures. The process only took a minute, the bodies of the six were later burned and their equipment analyzed. Their memories proved to be helpful to One''s cause since they were adventurers they presented a plethora of knowledge that surpassed One''s expectations. -- [Memories Analyzed A surge of new knowledge went through One''s mind. Bringing him even closer to his goal. -- [Warning, 101 Yuhini cavalrymen inbound towards Defense Perimeter] The information from the brains of the adventurers helped the Machine Network to classify most of the entities that there was to be encountered. There was a surplus of Oil beneath the Fortress City, oil was regarded as a useless resource since magic was often used as fuel. To the eyes of the Machine Network, oil was a necessary short-term supply of energy to power-up the massive facilities that would soon be erected around the base. Back on Earth, the Machine Network used Comprehensive Fusion Powered Reactors or CFPRs to power the Network''s massive facilities that could not be powered by solar energy alone. Solar energy was then switched to power the individual drones instead. One immediately mobilized a company of drones backed by five tanks and ten mega-drones. The tanks resembled enhanced versions of the M1 Abrams Tanks of the United States but were more armored with versatile-aluminum-titanium alloys that could withstand a megaton blast and equipped with a gun that could fire a high energy beam or a concentrated ball of energy that deliver devastating firepower. The Megadrones were giant automated mechs the size of two average humans. These drones were equipped with the same Armour as the tank but were lighter and more flexible. They were equipped with two machine-pulsar energy blasters on each hand that had a fire rate of 10 per second. The tanks and the Megadrones were also equipped with surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles which were hidden under their Armour and could be deployed when ordered to or when necessary. 1000 combat drones armed with blasters and armored with titanium-plates along with the tanks and mega-drones were about to go head-to-head with the noble''s cavalrymen. The fight would be, one-sided. Chapter 7 - The Princess Of Yuhin On the harsh deserts of Anhua, two armies were engaged in close-quarters combat. The sounds of spears and swords clanking and men screaming as they were stabbed and sliced filled the desert. The army of the Kingdom of Herlion, composed of 100,000 foot soldiers crossed the borders of the Kingdom of Yuhin, and thus sparked another war between the two rival countries. The Kingdom of Yuhin had only 50,000 foot soldiers to defend itself, they were being beaten back. Their men fell in droves, their King could see it. As he stared from the safety of a sand dune a kilometer away from the fighting, he watched as his army was on the verge of being defeated. Standing beside him was an old man whom the King trusts as an advisor. The Grand Mage of Yuhin, Haselborn. "My King, won''t it be wise if I intervened?" The king smiled. "No, our men are fighting valiantly on the sands, not until the last man falls, you won''t do anything" But the Grand Mage wasn''t content. "But, your majesty, your daughter is there in the fighting! what would happen of the crown princess was to die in the hands of the enemy? even worse, captured!" The king maintained his smile and composure and looked at the old man. "Haselborn, you didn''t quite understand me, I said, when the last MAN was to fall, not the last soldier" The battle continued to rage, in the midst of it all, a fierce duel was about to commence. The princess of Yuhin, wearing her signature golden-plated armour and wielding her father''s sword, was about to duel with the crown prince of the Kingdom Of Herlion, crown prince Lion The 6th. They faced against each other as the battle raged around them, the prince was handsome, golden hair and a beautiful face. The princess was also beautiful, one would see them being a nice couple together, but they had other things in mind. "Your sword carries the blood of my brothers" The princess knew what the prince had done prior to the war. "Oh ho, so you know dear princess?" "I am no fool to see through your lies, Lion" Before she was crown princess, there were two princes, her older brothers who she loved dearly. A few weeks before, the princes visited Herlion to negotiate peace concerning the border conflicts between the two nations, a messenger came to the palace and told the King and the princess, that the brothers were killed by the crown prince. "Alright, I''m giving you a chance, Princess, your beauty is quite unrivaled among the women in the land, become my concubine and I''ll spare you and your father" The princess frowned. "I will never, be the wife, of a disgusting person, such as yourself" The prince smiled. "So be it then" The crown prince charged at the princess with incredible speed, the princess was surprised and b?r?ly blocked the prince''s sword as he swung it to decapitate her. The two exchanged swings and punches, the princess was having trouble. ''This is the power of enhancement magic, it''s got to be it!'' she thought. The prince''s strength and skill were too inhuman for her, the princess struggled as the prince''s attack became more and more powerful. The prince then swung his sword towards her head again, the princess raised her sword to block it. The two swords met and the prince''s sword shattered the sword of her father. She managed to dodge the attack, but her sword was no more. ''No! father''s sword!'' she cried in her heart. The prince walked towards the princess, grimacing. "Oh poor girl, If only you accepted my offer, such a waste to cut your head off" The prince raised his sword and prepared to cut the princess'' head off. The princess suddenly lunged at him, her face was horrifying in the prince''s eyes, the once beautiful look that the princess once sported was replaced by a menacing stare comparable to a savage beast. The prince panicked and swung his sword, the princess caught it mid-swing with her right hand. Using only her hand, she crushed the prince''s sword. The prince stumbled to the ground, fearful for his life. The enhancement magic that the princess suspected faded along with the prince''s confidence. She stared down on him, her eyes glowed red, replacing the beautiful golden irises she had. "P-please, spa-" Before the prince could finish, the princess swung her hand against his head and it flew. The prince was decapitated, his head fell right beside him. The princess'' look dampened and she got her knees, her eyes returned to normal as she collapsed into tears once more. ''Brothers.. I have done it.. I''ve avenged you'' she thought in her heart, no longer in pain. The princess was losing consciousness, she could feel her head becoming light, and her body numbing. She tried to stand up but alas, she fell to the ground. "Do it" The Grand Mage bowed, he looked towards the battlefield, seeing that only the princess and the enemy remained, he didn''t hesitate. He clasped his hands and closed his eyes. "Enchanteus Wirls Descend on the desert, feel the might of the sovereign Url" Dark clouds suddenly formed over the battlefield, the men on the ground looked in confusion, until.. "Come down! Url of Yuhina!" A vile ugly projection of a beast suddenly descended from the clouds, the men on the ground were immediately struck with fear upon gazing at the creature. The beast came down on the ground, striking it with immense force. The entire army of Herlion was crushed under the beast''s weight. "Hmp" The Grand Mage looked at his king and bowed. "I cast a protective barrier around the princess to protect her" The king smiled. "You have never failed me, I expected nothing less" The Grand Mage bowed once again in honour. "Shall I call on the Cavalry to retrieve the princess?" The king nodded. "It''s time for Princess Erin to rest" --- "I''m home huh" she whispered. "You''re finally awake" A crude voice echoed from the corner of her room. "You don''t have to hide, Hereld" She replied as she rubbed her eyes. "Haha" A man in a suit of armour came out of the dim-lit corner, Hereld, the princess'' personal bodyguard. He was an honourable man, had a wife and three kids, with two years in-between them. "You look quite cheerful today, Hereld" "Oh well, it was quite a pain to be held back by the king''s orders" "You were an experienced cavalryman, you had no reason to waste your energy on the sub-par army of Herlion" "Haha, you credit me too much, your highness" "I''m only speaking the truth," she said as she smiled. "Are you feeling better, your majesty?" The princess ?ssessed her body. "It seems so, my heart has been calmed, I have avenged my brothers and chopped the head of the prince who took them away from me" "Indeed, we saw his head next to his body and you" Although fulfilled, she was still thinking of the magic that was cast on the prince, she was able to sense it, and she knew it was enhancement magic. "Where is my father right now?" She asked. "Your father is having a meeting with the lowland senators, something about ceding a bit of land to the Herlion Kingdom as an ?ssurance of peace" She gave out a deep breath. "My father is ever so kind" The princess and knight both smiled. "Would you like to visit your mage friend? to cheer you up" The princess'' face lightened up a bit. "Sure, it''s been a while, she was sent to the Fortress city near the Freetan Border right?" "Yes, your highness, she was sent to look after the city since the garrison was temporarily relocated to the border with Herlion" "Right then," she said as she stood up. "Let''s go, Hereld" As the two were about to exit, a maid opened the door. "Your Highness, the king requests your attendance" Chapter 8 - The First Battle The two sides marched towards each other, the noble and his cavalrymen were oblivious of what was to come. The two sides were a mere 500 meters from each other, the cavalrymen began to feel the ground tremble and the trees on the horizon were shaking. "What the" The noble had no idea what was coming, the shaking of the ground became even worse as the horses themselves felt the fear of an ominous force heading towards them. "Easy boy!" "The horses are panicking sire!" The cavalrymen were in a state of confusion, animals from the forests came running pass them, seemingly frightened of what was behind them. "Men! draw your swords!" The noble ordered. The cavalrymen quickly drew their swords and held their shields up. The tremble of the ground grew in ferocity, the trees began to fall a few meters from, shadows began appearing from the darkness of the treeline. "There they are! charge!" The noble charged at the shadows full speed, his men followed suit. They held their shields up high and their swords pointed in-front of them. The battle had begun. From the thick treeline, blasts of light suddenly emerged and struck the cavalrymen. Some of the cavalrymen fell from their horses as they were blasted from their mounts. The horses were caught in the crossfire and most of them fell. A barrage of concentrated energy obliterated the cavalrymen, the noble was thrown off his royal horse and ducked for cover. "AH!" he screamed as the carnage continued, he watched as his men fell one after another as they are struck by the concentrated balls of energy. The carnage continued, the surviving cavalrymen turned tail and ran back, frightened and traumatized. The noble was left on his own, surrounded by the burnt vegetation and the motionless bodies of his proud me. Their eyes were open, indicating they died in an instant. The shadows emerged from the treeline, they were marching in groups of ten, two lines each. They were people the noble had never seen before, the combat drones of the Machine Network. Following them were huge beasts of metal and giants made of metal, the noble was bamboozled, he wanted to make a run for it but it was already too late. "Spare him" One emerged from the treeline, accompanied by his two elite drones. The noble looked at One in horror as a smile ran through One''s face. "Prince Avan, Prince of King Josen and Brother of an unnamed princess" The prince was further confused, this man knew him well. "Don''t be too shocked, you would often brag how you were so handsome and great, but you''re just a filthy, misogynistic prince. I''ll be using you" The prince was then dragged off by two drones, he thrashed about and screamed for help. One then turned and looked at the advancing machine army. Their goal was not the cavalrymen, but the Fortress City and the rich oil deposits underneath it. He had good confidence he would encounter little to no resistance, the information from the adventurers spiked up his confidence and he was more than ready to engage with the civilization in this world. [Phase 1 - Setting a foothold. Objectives: Secure Resources Secure Forested Region Interact with the Nation States for Official Recognition - The screaming remnants of the prestigious cavalry of the prince came running to the Eastern Gate that faced the forest. "Where is the prince?!" The gate guards asked in a panic. "They''re coming! prepare the defenses!" The remnants warned they were trembling. "Something is coming from the forest!" One of the spotters on the watchtowers shouted. The guards had little time to react. The Machine Army ran through the fields in full ?ssault. The tanks blasted the walls, knocking them down and killing most of the archers. Panic spread throughout the city as waves of drones poured in from the downed walls. The drones were under specific orders not to kill those who didn''t fight back but they were allowed to kill those who did. The guards frantically charged at the drones with their swords drawn only to be gunned down almost instantly. The wooden houses began to burn as they were hit by energy blasts, screams of the civilians inside filled the air, the blood of mutilated corpses littered the pathways. The drones easily broke through the hastily built barricades and massacred the defending guards. Archers who were on the other walls formed a defensive line at the center of the city where the city hall was located. The civilians quickly went inside the city hall as it became apparent that the entire city was surrounded. "How did they move this fast!" "We don''t know, there was a blast on the east wall and then the next thing we knew these things came pouring in!" "Stand at the ready!" Smoke covered most of the city as buildings went down and fires raged across the wooden architecture of the city. The drones stopped a mere 50 meters from the archers and the remaining guards of the city. One was standing just outside the downed walls, observing through the eyes of the other drones. "Warning, unknown energy signature detected" A sudden burst of energy was detected from the center of the defending troops, it was a mage. "Lights of Heaven! Strike!" The female mage shouted, a ring formed on the sky and out came from it shards of unknown material. The shards fell and struck the drones, but the shards were shattered by the drones'' defense shields. "It is, as the adventurers'' said. Magic is weak against technology. All drones, terminate hostiles but spare the girl" "Affirmative" The mage was confident in her magic, but what she saw shattered her hopes. The magic crystal strike proved useless as their enemies remained unscathed. The possessed a magic barrier, she thought. While she was lost in thought, the rest of the troops were gunned down, she was the only one left between them and the people. "Eh" She collapsed and fell to the ground, her magical barrier weakened and the nerve gas choked her to death. Chapter 9 - The King Of Yuhin The King Of Yuhin was sitting comfortably on his throne, the Throne room was lavish, decorated with drapes of purple and white silk that were spun across the ceiling. The walls were painted with illustrations of the Kingdom''s young history. A chandelier of candles was hanging from the ceiling, providing light for the room since the windows were closed and the drapes were lowered. Besides him was another throne, the throne of the queen. His queen died when the princess was born and he was left alone, he didn''t take any concubines nor did he take any woman to replace his love, he would often say. His love will not fade for her majesty. The King was left with only his two children, the princess, and the last prince. The two eldest princes were killed during a diplomatic mission to the Herlion Kingdom, the princess had just returned from the battle he observed. A Pyrrhic Victory in his eyes, the weight of him losing most of his family was too much to bear but he still maintained his image as a wise and calm king. He was alone in the throne room, the guards were all outside and only those who were summoned by the king himself could enter. The large doors of the throne room burst open. The Grand Mage of Yuhin came running to the king. This was a violation of castle etiquette but seeing the scorned face of the old man, he couldn''t bring himself to scold him. The Grandmage was an old man in his 70s, the most powerful mage in the kingdom and one of the most powerful in the continent, he had short white hair and a gray straight beard that had a pointed end. His face was frail and full of wrinkles but behind his seemingly weak appearance was a strong mage capable of leveling entire cities. "Death! I bring news of Death!" The Grandmage was in a panic. The King rose from his throne, visibly confused. The Grandmage fell to his knees as he neared the throne, several guards came running into the throne room. The king went and helped the old man stand. Grandmage grabbed the king by his shoulders. "Prince Avan is dead" The king was frozen in place, shocked at the revelation. He refused to believe it, no he didn''t want to lose another of his loved ones. "No, that can''t be true" The king denied. "I felt it! your majesty, your son''s heartbeat disappeared from my link" The king slumped on the floor, visibly distressed. The guards hurriedly carried him away to his chamber. The twenty nobles came into the throne room despite the objections of the guards. "Where is the king!" They shouted in anger, they were disappointed at the king''s handling of the war though they just wanted to gain more from the spoils. "Silence!" The Grand Mage shouted back, a freezing spell froze the entire throne room, the nobles'' feet were frozen as well. They were all frightened, the Grand Mage had never lost his temper before, something must have happened. The confusion eventually died down, a few hours passed and the nobles were unfrozen and were discussing with the Grand Mage. The death of another member of the royal family shook the nobles, the dynasty was about to end in the most gruesome way. Only the princess and the king remained. The King lied on his bed, motionless but alive. He was attended by a few maids and guarded by the Great Warrior of Yuhin, Ignis. Ignis was the most skilled warrior in the kingdom and has served the dynasty for the rest of his life. He lived under the oath of Yuhin, to protect his and her majesties from any threats and to ensure the continuity of the dynasty. The king''s chamber was simple, a simple bed and simple furniture were the only things inside, the walls were simply painted white, no designs or other lavish features. Ignis stood by his majesty''s side, holding onto his royal sword. In his mind, he was praying to the Gods for the king''s well-being. The king reached and grabbed the Ignin''s fur coat, tugging it. Ignis then faced his highness, looking directly at the eyes of the king. They looked weak and frail, the king was getting too old to serve his position, he knew his death was nearing. The stress of losing relatives after relatives were finally enough to take down a once mighty person that Ignis knew. "Ignis.." The King whispered, his voice was trembling and weak, the warrior could b?r?ly hear him. Ignis leaned and pointed his right here towards the king''s mouth. "Call the princess.. for me" "Yes, sire!" Ignis rushed out of the room and called for a maid to bring the princess at once. Ignis returned to the side of his majesty and stood upright. "You know.. I''ve never thought the dynasty would end this way" Ignis nodded. "They think I don''t know, the twenty nobles have been gaining power lately.. they seek to take the throne.. with the princes'' death and my death, the princess will be alone" "Nonsense, my lord, I am here, I will ensure that the dynasty won''t fall to these bigots" The king smiled and turned to look at the closed window, there was a storm brewing outside. "Promise me, once the princess ascends, kill the nobles and make sure she is safe" The Great Warrior could only nod in agreement. - A lone guard knocked on the door leading to the chamber of the king. Ignis drew his sword and opened it, the guard was bringing a message. "Sire! A messenger arrived a few minutes ago, he said that the Fortress City near the Freetan Border has been invaded and the invaders were likely the ones who took the prince''s life" He announced as he bowed. "Outrageous! did the Freetan Army attack?!" Ignis remarked. "I believe not sire, the messenger cited that the invaders were unlike anything they''ve ever seen before, the few people who managed to escape described the invaders as men of metal" Ignis was surprised, he had never heard such a beast existed despite encountering beasts of stone and soil. And these beasts looked like men! "The garrison and the mage were said to have been completely annihilated, magic had no effect on them" The king was asleep, he didn''t hear anything the messenger has said. The Great Warrior sighed. "Tell General Corbyn to mobilize his men, tell all the other nobles to join in to retake the city" "Yes, sire" The guard turned and left, Ignis then closed the door and took a deep breath. "Why is everything happening quickly, this dynasty is as good as dead if I don''t keep up the pace," He thought to himself, was it really a good move to hastily call on a counterattack? The Great Warrior knew he was risking the lives of thousands of men. An idea suddenly crossed his mind. An idea to safely remove the nobles and solidify the princess'' future reign but the idea was based on the ?ssumption that the invaders were far superior, given they overran the Fortress City which was built to withstand heavy sieges. The fact that they were easily overwhelmed in a matter of minutes was a frightening thought that even the warrior couldn''t b?r? to imagine. Men of metal who were impervious to magic, such a being never appeared before in the continent, now thousands of them were pouring in day by day. The Machine Network was about to make itself known. Chapter 10 - What One Did The smell of blood and rotting corpses filled the air, surging flames were spread around the Dome as smoke rose to the sky. Hundreds of combat drones were flaming the surrounding forest to pave way for future construction projects planned by One and the Machine Network. The bodies of the downed cavalrymen still littered the area, the drones burned them along with the trees and plants. Prince Avan was severely traumatized, strapped on a bed, he was alone in a room under the soil in the facility where the adventurers met their fate. One was thinking of using him as a bargaining chip to gain a favorable deal with the Kingdom of Yuhin without resorting to counter-productive violence. The defense perimeter had been fully constructed. Basic facilities have finished their construction queues and the constructor drones are now focusing on building the major facilities. The first major facility was a 300 thousand acre air force base that would house and deploy hovercrafts and various other automated aircraft of the Machine Network, the second major facility was the oil pumps needed to extract the oil beneath the ground on the annexed Fortress City. The third and last major facility was the Main Base itself, the Dome containing the wormhole was to be expanded and housing units for drones were to be built around it, factories for raw materials and new drones were also planned for construction to ease the strain of pulling machine power from Earth into Fiorg. One was currently thinking of the monsters in the world, most notably, the Goblins. Goblins were described by the adventurers as short beastmen with green skin, their skin had wrinkles and they sported long noses and yellow eyes with iris resembling that of an eagle. Goblins were often found in large groups of male and female, accompanied by small goblins called Goblites. Goblins were known to wield short knives and bows but were extremely agile, making them dangerous towards unsuspecting travelers who found themselves walking through their territory. The goblins lived in burrows deep undergound, so far only a few burrows have been excavated and thirty goblins terminated, Goblins posed a threat to the drones'' safety so they were labeled as hostiles, One was thinking about the Goblins on how to exploit them. The continent had a profession called "Adventurers" these adventurers worked under guilds that were prominent across the state, adventurers could either be a solo human or beastmen or an entire party of them. These adventurers would take missions posted on their guild and get paid an appropriate price with each mission successfully done. The missions included exploration of vast dungeons and cave systems, personal escorts, killing monsters and so on and so forth. These adventurers were scorn enemies with the goblins as the two sides would often clash with each other, resulting mostly in deaths to the goblin side. Humans and beastmen despised goblins the most, goblins were infamous for committing heinous acts on entire villages before the founding of the adventure guilds. This laid an opportunity for One. By instigating the remaining goblin hives in the area, it would case widespread goblin attacks against villages in the forest, seeing how the forest was too dense for anyone to travel through in a shot amount of time, these villages would likely be massacred for being defenseless. After the attacks, drones would simply sweep the goblins and establish control over the areas. But the plan had faults, he still lacked enough information about the villages in the forest and if they didn''t have easy access to the outside state. If a goblin attack was to take place on many villages at once and one of the villages attacked had easy access to the outside, it would cause a massive influx of adventurers into the forest, further increasing the risk of the Main Base being discovered. Concerning the geopolitics in the continent, One was wary of the two superpowers. In terms of technological advancements, the Machine Network had the upper hand but M1(Magic) has proven to be mysterious energy that could potentially induce significant damage. -- "Wormhole stabilization complete" After a month of endless research by the Planetary Research Cores back on Earth, wormhole stabilization by the exploitation of Magic was discovered. The process was simple, a massive circular gateway of titanium-flexible-alloys was to be constructed around the event horizon of the wormhole, two objects with heavy concentrations of magic were to be placed in batteries and connected to the gateway, the magic flow from the two batteries will allow the wormhole to expand and contract along with the conduct. The research drones didn''t fully understand how M1 was able to achieve this even though the energy concentrate of magic was too low to significantly power-up a massive energy signature like the wormhole. Nevertheless, this was proven as the case. As of late, the batteries currently used are the comatose bodies of the two surviving men from the temple. The men were inserted into a tight chamber with needles embedded into their skin specifically designed to extract M1. Their bodies possessed a moderate amount of M1, the Machine Network was currently looking for an alternative battery due to the fact that the men will lose their magic in one month''s time. The wormhole was expanded by several meters, allowing for the transfer of heavy machinery and the Hovercrafts, the backbone of the Machine Network Air Force. Hovercrafts were enhanced gunships capable of delivering devastating firepower even more so than the tanks. Reaching speeds of up to mach 5 and altitudes of 30 thousand feet. One watched as the hovercrafts made their way through the wormhole, he was holding a tablet where he was micro-managing the delivery. "I look like some sort of resource manager" Chapter 11 - The Pope The faint light of the two celestial bodies orbiting the world shone through the monastery, illuminating the vivid images on the stained glass windows. The light shone on the large circle in the middle, revealing from the darkness the imagery of vile beasts and symbols of worship used by the Freetan Theocracy. The pope was on his knees, his hands were clasped as he prayed to the gods and goddesses of magic. His lips moved to the words he was speaking in his thoughts, the pope was a middle-aged man of frail stature, he wore a white cassock with attached Pellegrini and a pectoral cross suspended from a gold cord. He also wore a papal tiara with the image of a dragon embroidered on it. The dragon was blue in color and resembled the coat of arms of the Freetan Theocracy and its connections to the Goddess of Blue Magic. The pope was alone, he continued to pray for half an hour without rest. Ten elite mages were outside the monastery, keeping guard of the praying pope. The ten elite mages were a part of the Papal Scripture, an elite group of mages dedicated to solely serving and protecting the pope of the theocracy and carry out his orders without question. The leader of the scripture was Vilvintine Requina, a beautiful woman of great stature with blue eyes and white skin, she was a devote follower of the theocracy and the sole survivor of the Requina Dynasty. She wore a golden armor which was enhanced by a magic curse embedded on the ?h?st plate. She had a wide knowledge of spells and magic itself, coupled with her fast reflexes and high mobility, she was the perfect mage ?ssassin. Vilvintine stood at the main entrance of the monastery, her eyes were fixated to the door as she focused her magic on her senses. Focusing one''s inner magic power on a specific attribute would greatly improve one''s attribute as long as the magic power is not overused or depleted. There were no intruders for tonight. The Pope finished his prayers and stood from the middle of the circle, he clapped his hands to call the ten mages outside. Vilvintine and the nine other mages quickly went inside the room and formed a line. They bowed to the pope as the pope summoned a chair behind him and sat down. The pope looked disappointed, he was looking directly at Vilvintine, Vilvintine ignored the pope''s gazes. "The Goddess visited me" The pope announced, the news stunned the Papal Scripture, it was a rare occasion for a deity to visit a mortal, even the pope! they were all amazed and frightened at the same time. "She warned me, of a coming danger" The pope''s voice was deep and felt greasy. "The criminal sect known as the Yuhin Magic Association has summoned demons into our land" One of the mages lifted his head and said with confidence. "We can take them on, demons are of no-" "Your ignorance baffles me Theo, why can''t you see through the stereotypes labeled by society" The pope''s voice was stern, the mage bowed his head and apologized. "These demons were made of metal, strong metal and possess magic we have never seen before. The goddess warned that these demons were once vanquished by the holy hosts of angels and confined to their world, now they''ve been unleashed against us" "These demons of metal have already taken a settlement from Yuhin, a coming storm will soon cleanse the Yuhin Kingdom of its people" The pope turned to look at Vilvintine. "Vilvintine, for being the most outstanding mmage in the theocracy, I order you to stall this evil by whatever means necessary. Bring the Papal Scripture with you" Vilvintine gave out a faint shout and went on her knees, the rest of the mages followed suit. The pope was mostly confident he could stave off this demonic invasion. But he was unprepared to face the storm that would soon blow through the continent like a hurricane with monstrous winds. The Papal Scripture were dismissed and they left the pope alone. The pope sat quiet, he seemed to be waiting for someone. A blue orb of light slowly manifested above him, the orb had small shards flowing around it. The orb then slowly took the shape of a beautiful woman of fine physique, her ample ?h?st and curved waists were perfectly balanced as a blue dress of magnificence covered her exposed toils. The woman shined blue and stared at the pope, the pope looked up and a smile came out of his face. "Goddess Of Blue Magic" The woman slowly descended to the ground. She was smiling as she frisked her fingers and summoned a small fan. She fluttered the fan towards her and remained standing. "This place is confining" The goddess complained. "Magic tea? I''ve grown tired of it. Let''s go forward with the matters currently at hand" The goddess'' voice was stern, dwarfing even that of the pope. The pope sipped on the magic tea instead and listen to the goddess. "I can''t believe the fools in Yuhin managed to summon those vile beasts into our world. And I am mostly disappointed in you and your theocracy. We deities entrusted you to maintain the magic law we passed down on your world, how could you be so laid back?" "It was only a minor setback, we never expected the criminal sect to actually succeed in opening a portal" "Hah, call it what you will, what they''ve done was not only break one of the 12 sacred laws, they summoned the demons we vanquished to hell" Another smile appeared on the pope''s face. "They''ll be no match against our magic casters, a simple tier 6 spell will close that portal" The goddess sighed in disappointment. "You underestimate them too much, I''ll let you learn in your own accord. For now, continue whatever you''re planning with the Papal Scripture. We deities won''t intervene until you failed if you do fail to make sure you are no longer breathing. The punishment will be eternal if you do" "Very well" Chapter 12 - Savior Three pairs of steps sounded through the forest. The sound of grass getting crushed their feet and the dancing of the bushes and branches prompted a settling scenery. The sun''s beams shone through the small holes in-between the thick foliage. One, along with his two elite drones, were walking through the forest, 4 kilometers away from the defense perimeter. One had the idea of exploring personally himself to quench his small yearning for nature. It has been some time ever since the Machine Network arrived in this world, One didn''t have the time back then to appreciate the scenery that was absent from Earth. He had not seen any forms of life for 10 decades besides what remains of his organic tissue, now he was enjoying the trees and the sounds of nature. As the trio continued their walk, a horn broke the peaceful natural silence. "Source detected" One of the elite drones reported. One was intrigued and decided to investigate further. The group carefully walked their way through the thick bushes and came across a tall wooden wall built from sticks and rope. The sticks were the size of logs and had pointy edges resembling that of a pencil. The entire wall was bounded by small ropes tied around the sticks. Voices could be heard from the other side. The wall itself had a vine growing in and around it, indicating it had stood there for a long time. One looked from left to right and noticed the wall to be curving at certain end points. "A village?" he thought. One decided to take a peek of what was going on inside. He turned on his infrared eyes, revealing a cluster of heat signatures near what appears to be a platform similar to that of the gallows. Beyond the wall was a Tribal Union Village, a loose member of the widely feared Tribal Union. The Tribal Union were a loosely organized union of nomadic villages in and around the Anub Forest. There was hanging about to commence. The villagers, young and old were all gathered at the village center, a similar prototype of the gallows stood at the very center, a woman with her face covered by a black mask stood on the platform with a rope tied around her neck. She was about to be executed. "Hear ye, hear ye!" The village master emerged from the crowd and walked up to the platform and stood beside the lever used to open the doors beneath the woman''s feet. "This woman has disgraced our tribe! and therefore by the laws of the Union, she is to be brought to spiritual justice!" The village master placed both his hands on the lever and readied. One was eagerly watching, processing what he could do to exploit the situation. He only knew the Union as a loose collective organization of tribal villages, maybe he can use this as an opportunity? Out of the crowd, a small little girl came out shouting. "Mommah! mommah!" The little girl cried, a crowd quickly shoved her to the ground as the children went and started kicking her. "Barbarians" One thought. "Behold!" The village master looked more like a crazed lunatic in the eyes of One. "An abominable offsprings of this woman, we shall hang thee when thou finished with the mating ritual!" The old village master laughed maniacally. "Oh here ye, Sun God, bless our souls as we punish thee who mocked your teachings" He turned and faced the woman before finally pulling the lever. A portion of the wall suddenly bursts, a mysterious projectile cut the rope that was attached to the upper bark on the gallows, saving the woman from being hanged. The two drones blasted the wall and launched two canisters. The canisters contained a combination of neurotoxins in the form of a gas designed to target motor nerves and cause temporal paralysis. The canisters flew and struck the ground in the middle of the crowd, releasing the gas. The villagers all fell when they breathed the gas, their arms and legs stiffened while screaming in their thoughts. The smoke from the blast cleared, The trio walked towards the little girl. She was also paralysed and was likely traumatized by the event. One then turned to look at the woman, the black mask was still on her head. "Remove the black mask, EG2, she might choke" One was unsure of the gender of the woman but was sure the young girl called her ''mommah''. The Elite Drones had the designations, EG1 and EG2. EG2 immediately walked towards the woman, it drew out two spikes from its wrist and sliced the mask. The woman''s face was oily and dry, she was malnourished while also bearing signs of physical trauma all-over her skin. Black patches were prominent, One looked into her eyes. He knew the woman wanted to die. "Huh" One thought, he didn''t exhibit any special feelings for the woman or girl, he didn''t feel any sympathy nor pity. He only saw them as tools he could use. But for the first time since his awakening, One felt. Human. "EG1 and EG2" The drones faced One. He took a look at the village, the houses were mostly made out of planks, the roofs were made of hay and cattle could be seen roaming on small fenced fields. The wooden wall stretched for only 300 meters circulating the village, judging by the people in the crowd, the village was small. If the village is small, it would seem insignificant in the geopolitical landscape of this world. Sure the Tribal Union would make a fuss, but it''s not like they know us. These villagers, though motionless, have their eyes wide open and our appearances have been screwed into their heads. It would be risky to keep them alive. One remembered a few days back, a hive of 20 goblins was found and captured. This seemed like the time to use them. Goblins understood basic human communication, he would simply torture them to attack the village while the villagers were in a state of paralysis, they will take the blame and nothing will befall the Machine Network. A smile appeared on One''s face as he thought of the idea. "Central D1, gather the goblins" "Central Drone 1, copy" Communications were a bit choppy, seems like they needed to launch a satellite if they were to conduct operations on locations that were too far for the small radar dishes to reach. "EG1 and EG2, carry the two back to the base, treat their wounds and place on beds designed for comfort. Let them rest and serve them any food that can be manufactured, tell the other drones that these are my orders. Seal them inside a room decorated to resemble that of a modern hospital, you have that imprinted in your memory right? put it into good use" "Affirmative," Both drones said in unison, the drones carried the two and walked off into the forest. One took another look of the village and turned his head up to the sky. "Tribal Unions, Kingdoms and fantasy creatures. This world is not something we can just steamroll" This energy called M1(Magic) was a thorn in One''s mind. It was unknown and highly flexible, if it can breach through space, it could definitely be used for combat. But he didn''t know how, the only thing he currently knows is that magic, is.. well. Chapter 13 - Goblin Observation 30 goblins both male and female were dropped by a hovercraft over the village center, it was 7:14 Local Time in the region. The two blue moons were in full display as their light shone over the motionless bodies of the villagers, still under the effects of the gas. The goblins were dazed and at first, reluctant to even touch the villagers. But, after the villagers showed no signs of movement, they released their long kept hatred towards the adventurers on the villagers. In their logic, adventurers were humans and the villagers were humans. It only seemed right and presented by such an opportunity, they couldn''t resist. The goblins proceeded to defile the women of the village, torturing the children and removing the limbs of the men. They even went as far as to burn down the village itself. The villagers were conscious, the men could only helplessly watch as their women were defiled in-front of them, the children traumatized for what remains of their sorrowed lives. S231, a scout drone; was observing from the treeline. The drone was broadcasting the video feed all the way back to the headquarters of One which was situated on top of the central tower at the base. One was observing goblin behavior towards humans and used this as a method of gaining more information about the seemingly weak creatures. "The female goblins specialized in severing limbs.. Males specialized in.. that" The chaos at the village lasted until midnight, at that time the village was ablaze and the villagers were mostly dead from a variety of injuries, mostly from blood loss. The village master was the last person to be subjected to the torture of the goblins, compared to the other villagers; the goblins tore all the limbs of the village master before proceeding to skin him alive from his head to his feet. "hm.." One was unfazed of the traumatic scene he was viewing, it was all part of the research. The goblins were finished with the village master, they mostly calmed down and began to dig burrows with their hands. "Goblins possess enough strength to easily tear own limbs from the body and dig burrows huh" The burrows they dug were 5-feet deep and could house 4 goblins at once, a total of 7 burrows were dug by the goblins around the village center. Each of the goblins went in and covered the entrances with what appeared to be a combination of mud and saliva. One noticed that the saliva was used as a sort of adhesive. "So, I didn''t gain much from this. The Goblins acted more like savage brutes of humans. They can be terrifying in the eyes of a normal human. But that doesn''t eliminate the fact that they can only initiate ambushes. Goblins seem to have a good hand-to-hand combat ability and strength while lacking in defense. They excel in agility if coordinated making them somewhat good fast attackers or disposable ?ssassins. At this time they can only be used as a scapegoat for our actions. But that saliva has caught my interest" One was a tad disappointed. "S231, maintain position and continue to observe" The drone didn''t reply but maintained its position. It stayed on the treeline until dawn with nothing unusual occurring. By dawn, most of the fire had burned out, nothing was left standing but the burnt foundations of what were houses and stalls. The corpses of the villagers were spread about the village, bloodied and gross. The goblins then emerged from their burrows, yawning. "S231, maintain vigilance. Observe Heat Signature" The heat signature was faint but it was no doubt a humanoid. The unknown person was jumping through the treeline at inhuman speeds, gaining One''s interest. The heat signature finally jumped out of the treeline. A woman wearing a blue dress jumped from the treeline and landed gracefully at the platform on the gallows. It was Vilvintine. The goblins ran and surrounded her, bearing their crooked teeth and pointing their short knives at Vilvintine who was unfazed. "Savages.." She whispered, The drone b?r?ly caught her voice. All the goblins then jumped at her, Vilvintine then displayed excellent reflexes, dodging the goblins while also using them against each other with goblins accidentally stabbing another as she moved too fast. Vilvintine continued as the goblins were persistent. She then ascended into the air and floated a few meters from the ground. The remaining goblins which amounted to only 23 left, threw their knives to no avail. "Frost" Vilvintine whispered in midair. S231 then detected a powerful surge of energy which was later confirmed to be M1(Magic). A fiery frost which was negative 50 degrees blew from her palms and froze the goblins and the surrounding area. All the goblins were frozen in place, Vilvintine then descended. Tears were flowing from her eyes as she gritted her teeth, she was seething with anger. She proceeded to shatter the goblins with her short yet sharp and durable dagger enhanced by magic. One saw all of this and quickly took notes. He knew the drone would be in danger if the drone were to be seen by the woman. "S231, withdraw from the area" "The demons" One lied back on his chair, magic was dangerous he concluded. The spell the mage cast just now was enough to freeze the joints of unprotected drones. He needed to become more careful as he was to progress through the world. Unbeknownst to him, S231 was being pursued. Chapter 14 - The Princess Is The Queen In the grand palace at the center of the capital, a chamber of grand stature was built. The extravagant decorations, the silk sheets, and hanging purple threads gave even the most arrogant and dissatisfied royalty and nobility a sense of ambiguity and humility. And it is where the Yuhin Royalty are laid to rest. Behind the shining golden walls were the remains of a dozen great monarchs that ruled the Kingdom Of Yuhin, the Yuhin family lineage. The King was transferred to the chamber for the enviable outcome was near. On the king-sized bed, the King of Yuhin lied weakly. His sanity was deprived of him, his once strong and calm nature has been shattered and will never recover. The princess of Yuhin, her daughter, sat on the corner of the bed, staring at her father''s eyes. The eyes she grew up with, the eyes that gave her courage and fulfillment whenever they shined at her. Her father could b?r?ly move his mouth, his limbs were too weak to even nudge. His motionless eyes struggled to stay open, staring at the wondrous ceiling. The princess did not cry, nor did she show any distraught or dismay. She didn''t show any signs of distress, she didn''t even flinch when she heard her father lied on the royal deathbed. But she was only putting up a facade, deep inside her seemingly null appearance, her heart was screaming in pain. Not only is she gonna lose all of what remains of her family, but she will also be left alone to face an enemy far beyond their comprehension, an enemy with an army of metal, that spewed magic from their weird wands. An enemy that disregards all life, not even the little children. An enemy, that she knew, was keen, on their destruction. Her father''s lips suddenly moved. The princess quickly leaned over near her father''s face and placed her ear near his mouth. The king whispered. "You are.. of Yuhin. We loved.. you.. your mother would''ve been proud" The princess smiled. "I am, of Yuhin, daughter of a benevolent king who loved his people.." A fragile smile ran across the king''s face one last time. His smile then quivered and disappeared. His hands lost all their strength and fell to the sides of the bed. His eyes were finally defeated by death. The princess held his father''s now-lifeless hands together. A single tear fell from her right eye as both her iris began to glow yellow. The Will of Yuhin has finally been passed to her. She stood up from the bed and dropped her father''s hands. This was no time to mourn, she thought. I have been scorned by the loss of the one''s dear to me, now that I see everything I feel will get in my way of doing what is important. I am the daughter of the King of Yuhin, the Will of Yuhin has finally come to me, the blessings of the Gods and Goddesses are now in my grasp. I will avenge you. The princess blew the candles off, the room fell dark. Her yellow eyes illuminated the room as she walked to the only door. As she grabbed the doorknob, she looked back at her father''s bed, her yellow light illuminating his body. She gently opened the door. The Grand Mage was standing a few meters from the door. "It is time," The Grade Mage said, b?r?ly hiding the sadness from his voice. "I hereby pledge my fealty, to your majesty, the Queen" The princess just smiled. She was wearing a simple dress, a yellow-striped velvet dress. She suddenly pulled her dress from the side of the neck and ripped it off. Her action surprised both of them, she ripped off her dress and threw to the ground. Exposing her ?h?st and stomach while leaving her skirt on. "Bring me something, fit for a queen" "Of course, your majesty, you shall be crowned at dawn in the palace. You must consolidate your power in this kingdom before we can face those outside" The Grand Mage''s expression changed from a pessimistic to a rather stoic expression. - The next day, the coronation ceremony was held in the palace''s throne room. The 20 great nobles and their families were all in attendance, the throne room was decorated with lavish ornaments, drapes and purple banners embedded with gemstones and gold. Everyone was sitting on their chairs, facing the princess as she walked up towards her father''s throne. The atmosphere was damp, no candles were lit, the windows were opened allowing the cold breeze to blow inside. The sky was dark, clouds of nimbus covered the sky and it felt like it was about to rain hard. The Grand Mage was standing on the right side of the throne, holding the Sacred Crown of Yuhin. The bells suddenly rang, echoing through the halls and empty streets. The people were all inside, a curfew was in effect. The Grand Mage began to chant, to the ears of commoners and the uneducated, his words were gibberish. But in the ears of the royals and mages, he was speaking the language of the Gods and Goddesses. The princess sat down on the throne, her royal dress laced with gold and fine gemstones and a velvet color spreading throughout gave her an aura of beauty and elegance. Her face was white as snow, her eyes began to glow yellow once more, her small lips and short hair coupled with her almost perfectly curved physique was enough to pull out the ?ust from even the strongest of wills. But she had no intention to do so, nor did she have any intention to love anyone else, bearing a scarred heart and putting up a facade of calmness. Nothing really changed, she was still weak, naive, and emotionally unstable. "Long live, the queen" He whispered. The princess smiled and closed her eyes. The Grand Mage placed the crown over her head, officially proclaiming her as the Queen of the Kingdom of Yuhin. The nobles stood up along with their families and clapped, ''long live the queen!'' they shouted. But some weren''t there to celebrate a new monarch taking control of the Kingdom, they knew she was the only one left of the Yuhin lineage and seeing through her facade, this was their time to take control of the Kingdom as a whole. Chapter 15 - A Meeting Of The Doomed "We''re done for" A shaken man was sitting on a wooden chair, his back leaned against the wooden back. The dim light of the torch was slowly fading as it ran out of fuel. There were two other persons in the room, both sitting on their chairs. And 6 empty chairs around the round table. The three were the last remaining survivors of the Yuhin Criminal Sect, Velptis Reis, the only woman in the group and Blue Water Streams, the other was merely a surviving pawn. Their Criminal Sect went by many names from magical criminal organizations to street slang within the slums on the underworld. The three were once part of an oligarchy of nine other mages. They were all killed back at the Temple. "It''s a disaster, we shouldn''t have delved into dark magic after all" Velptis Reis was thoroughly traumatized from what happened back at the temple. "We didn''t even have the chance to retaliate, our magic was useless," The pawn said, tears were flowing from his eyes as he was on the verge of falling into the abyss of the mind known as insanity. "Evergreen, Rock Slinger.. everyone is dead" Blue Water Streams was rather calm yet he couldn''t hide how he dreaded the loss of his comrades. "So, what should we do now? there is only three of us left out of the 300 strong we once had" Velptis Reis sighed, the air she exhaled came out as a frozen mist. The temperature within the mountain was decreasing at an alarming rate. Velptis Reis grinned but the mourning pawn and the distracted Blue Water Streams failed to notice. Something inside Velptis changed when the demons went out of the portal they created. In her mind, they summoned the ultimate life who were impervious to magic and will soon engulf the entire continent. She wasn''t someone who would sink with the sinking boat, she wanted to switch sides. Seeing how the Criminal Sect has degraded to the point of such pathetic power, she had her chance. She led the two into the Frozen Mountain to dispose of them. Unlike the other leaders in the organization, she vied for power even more than any of them, masquerading as a trusted branch attached to a tree. She was an orchid, a parasitic orchid. She would jump from tree to tree, if the tree would wither, she would destroy it thoroughly and jump to the next. "I suggest you all wait here, I will go and search for supplies and turn this as a temporary base for us. Then we can get back up on our feet" The two men were oblivious to the freezing death encroaching on them. She led them into a death trap. Blue Water Streams refused and wanted to go out with her. Veptis insisted she was the one to go, but Blue Water was getting an ominous vibe. Velptis knew she was about to be found out, the frozen wave that regularly freezes the room and the mountain was only a few meters away. She had to act fast. Using her magic, she dashed towards the exit, surprising both the pawn and Blue Water Streams. Before they could react, the frozen wave engulfed the room. The walls were slowly covered by ice and traveled through the floor and crawled on their feet. The two men struggled, trying to get out of the freezing trap. Blue Water then looked at where Velptis was, she was already gone. The two froze inside the room, their mouths wide open and eyes peering through the transparent ice. Velptis was dashing through the steep rocky terrain of the Frozen Mountain. the frozen wave was just a few meters behind her. She used almost every ounce of her magic that she stored and blasted her way from the mountain before getting hit by an avalanche of rocks that she failed to notice. The entire scene was chaotic, an avalanche of both snow and rocks went down the mountainside with Velptis trapped under it. The avalanche hit the outskirts of the Anub Forest before finally stopping halfway through the slope. Velptis used all her magic to form a barrier which saved her from choking or dying from the cold. The freeze wave stopped at the very edge of the slope. Velptis was breathing heavily, she felt her body becoming weak. It was the side effect of using too much of her reserved magic. Magic had two different types within humans. Outer and Inner Magic. Outer Magic was magic that could be exploited from the amount of magic energy the mage could harness from her surroundings. It acted as magic capacitator that would harness magic from the surrounding area and utilizes it in the form of spells. The bigger the capacity of the mage, the greater the magic he/she could cast. Velptis used up her Inner Magic out of pure reflex. Inner magic was magic stored within the host''s body and could be summoned in places where magic was mostly absent or scarce. Velptis accidentally used her inner magic and in turn, exhausted her reserves. For a mage, exhausting one''s inner magic would result in death if the mage wasn''t to rest or replenish her magic. Velptis knew this well. The shock from the avalanche eventually left her. Her body was weakening by the second. She was in-between the Frozen Mountain and the Anub Forest, to her right was the thick green treeline of the forest while to her left was the Frozen Mountain Slope. A barrier was keeping the two sides from merging, the avalanche wasn''t part of either so it went through. Velptis wanted to cast a heal spell on herself, but her hands were too weak to move. Eventually, she couldn''t feel her body. Her body was becoming numb all-over, a thought crossed her mind which she didn''t know would come early. She was dying. A memory then flashed through her head. Velptis could only see a void, there was no light. For there to be darkness, there should be light. But there was no light, it was a void of emptiness, staring at an infinite abyss. "So, this is death," She thought, she felt empty and scared. The feeling of powerlessness once again surged through her mind and soul. A feeling she wanted to forget, wanted to move on. Suddenly, a voice echoed through the void. "Hihi, Velptis, my sweet little angel. It''s time to wake up" A warm feeling went through her ?h?st, she wanted to cry but she couldn''t. "Mother?" She whispered to herself, a voice so familiar yet could not see the one with the voice. Was this a demon messing with her? or were the dead greeting her in the afterlife? Mother. Velptis then suddenly woke, she was lying on a bed and a blanket covered her body except for her face. She looked around and discovered she was in a wooden room, no furniture but there were windows from which the light of the sun passed through. Tears were still falling from her eyes. Mother. Chapter 16 - Training Grounds The sound of swords clanging filled the training grounds, two expert swordsmen were going head-to-head against each other. Ignis was sparring against Theo Atenrough, his informant and best student. The two would spar on a weekly basis with Ignis always emerging victorious. Ignis did not move from his position, he had been steady in his place since the round started and easily blocked all of Theo''s swings. Theo maneuvered around the Great Warrior, hoping to catch him off-guard with his speed and agility. Ignis was unfazed, as Theo swung his sword from the back of his head, Ignis then used his left fist and punched him in the gut. Theo''s face as the punch landed on his unprotected stomach could be considered, pitiful. Theo then landed on the dirt, groaning and breathing heavily. Ignis walked up to him and a smile ran through his face. "Haha! In a sword duel, nobody said you can''t use your hands" Ignis exclaimed, laughing at the downed Theo. "That''s.. not... fair.." Theo whispered in pain. "Lesson learned, always use what you have. Just because it''s a sword fight doesn''t mean it only has to be swords" The Great Warrior then continued to explain for half an hour while Theo remained on the ground for half an hour. Some guards who were spectating the area were showing pity towards the downed Theo as the Great Warrior continued to lecture him. Ignis looked at the spectating guards and they all skidding back to their positions. The training grounds were located just outside the Royal Palace. Erin, the newly crowned Queen of Yuhin, was spectating the entire match from her chamber on the castle. The windows in her chamber were directly facing the training grounds giving her a good view from when the soldiers would partake in training. "These nobles are killing me!" She stressed out in her mind, she knew the nobles were trying to corner her and have her submit to their demands but she couldn''t show her weakness. Over the past couple of days, the nobles were throwing documents after documents at her in which she doesn''t know anything about. Erin had education but there was no education on how to handle power-hungry fools. She could only hire advisers who would take care of the matters but that doesn''t mean she''s safe. She knows one of the maids have been hired to ?ssassinate her so she hasn''t taken any food for two days except for the food given to her by Ignis. She trusted Ignis the most among anyone in the kingdom, in her eyes Ignis was her father''s guardian and now that she is queen, he is now her guardian. Erin proceeded to watch the two from her chamber. Ignis had just finished lecturing Theo who had just managed to muster up the strength to sit down. "Theo, if you fall from a weak punch like that, you''d die within seconds of battle haha" The Great Warrior was undoubtedly making fun of his informant. "You could have gone easy on me with that punch.. argh.." Theo complained, his stomach was still aching. "I just hope you haven''t eaten before we dueled" "Wait, what?" Theo had a bad feeling about what Ignis was implying. "Oh? In case you haven''t known, that pain in your gut may not be from the punch itself" "Wait.." "If you ate before we dueled, I suggest you relieve yourself now but preferably not on my training grounds" A menacing smile spread through Ignis'' face as Theo realized the horror that he was about to experience. Theo immediately jumped and ran off towards the nearby grasslands with Ignis laughing at him as he disappeared into the tall grass. "Does he know we can see him from the wall?" One of the archers questioned his comrades. The archers who were on the inner wall could see Theo with his bottom exposed in the middle of the small grassland. The inner wall had four gates and surrounded the palace and a few smaller buildings including the small patch of grass in which Theo was relieving himself. The inner wall separated the Palace and the entire capital. The archers continued to watch the unknowing Theo. Ignis then turned around and went inside the Palace. After walking through some halls he entered the secret passageway that was connected to a network of hidden halls only he and the elite division of the military knew. The hidden halls led to the infamous Yuhin Dungeon. A prison for beastmen and humans who have broken the law or just pissed a noble or two. The place where scum is held and the inhabitants are treated like rabid animals, the dungeon had an unpleasant smell that originated from the rotting corpses of deceased prisoners in their cells who have not yet been cleared out. There was a wooden door at the end of one of the sections in the dungeon, Ignis along with two other guards walked towards it. The guards opened the door and the three went it. The room was wooden and plain, not much was there except for one torch and a bed. On the bed was a vampire with all of its limbs strapped onto the bed. Its mouth was covered by a magic spell which placed a similar substance of glue that prevented the vampire from exposing its fangs. The vampire had bluish dark skin all over, its hair was black along with its eyes. Its body was similar to that of a human but was malnourished, even if the vampire seemed weak from starvation, it was not. Vampires were immortal unless purified by holy magic. Not even slicing its head off would kill it, it would simply regenerate within seconds. The vampire turned its head and looked at the three men. It struggled against the chains as it gave out a muffled scream. Vampires were extremely rare, if they were to be tamed, they could singlehandedly take on an unprepared army. That was Ignis'' goal. Theo had just finished relieving himself, the awful storm that struck him had come to past and he smiled in relief as he exited the tall grass. He then noticed the archers on the wall who seemed to be laughing at him. He then turned his eyes to the men on the watchtowers who were also looking at him. "Wait" "The hell are you all looking at!" He shouted in anger coupled with embarrassment, the entire garrison then burst into laughter as Theo threw a childish tantrum. The Queen was also laughing. Chapter 17 - Proving Loyalty Two pairs of steps echoed in the corridor. The ray of lights from the sun decorated the corridor, passing through the windows on the right. The queen and Ignis were walking through the corridor. "Ignis, thank you very much for coming to my aid in such short notice" "It is of no bother, your highness. It is only my duty as the Great Warrior" Eren''s face was brimming with a smile, she was elegant in her white dress embroidered with silk and gemstones. "As you can see, the Kingdom is currently in an internal power struggle. I''m sure you''re involved in this" The Great Warrior was surprised, it seemed like the queen suspected her. Nevertheless, he answered truthfully. "Yes, your highness. But I am with you, as per the last wish of the late king" "I see, my father used to tell me stories about you. When you saved the kingdom from the demonic onslaught a few decades back. But none of that matters now.." "I don''t understand your highness? What is it that you request?" "I want you to prove your loyalty to me and the dynasty" The Great Warrior noticed the queen''s smile became a bit more sinister. "How should I do this?" The Great Warrior was afraid of what the queen may order him to do. Be it in the interests of the kingdom or not, malevolent or benevolent, he cannot refuse. "You have two missions, one is simple, the other.. not so much" Ignis nodded. "I want you to kill the three maids who will be delivering our meals when we get into the lobby. The three have been trying to poison me for a few days already, the Grand Mage''s magic elixir are the only things keeping the poison from doing harm. It''s annoying and needs to stop" Ignis nodded again then proceeded to draw his sword. The queen''s smile hasn''t withered. "Next, solidify my rule. Break the nobles apart, most of them can''t die, we need their family influence to unite the kingdom, you handle the rest" Ignis was relieved, what the queen wanted was the same as the king''s final wish. The only difference was he needed to kill some maids. The two then fell silent, their steps were the only sounds echoing once again through the corridor. They reached the lobby which was lavishly decorated with silk sheets and purple drapes. The banners of the Yuhin Dynasty were hung on the ceiling and walls. Several torches were lit to provide them with light while the windows were closed. "Also" The queen suddenly spoke. "I heard there may be a few guards with them now, it seems like they underestimated your fighting prowess, prove them wrong" Ignis was confused about how the princess was getting the new information but he didn''t question her further and waited. The wait was finally over, three knocks on the door indicated three persons were coming in. The doors opened, three maids in their uniforms walked in while holding dishes containing the poisoned food and tea, Ignis noticed two shadows just beyond the door to the right. The queen then looked at Ignis and smiled. At once, the Great Warrior lunged towards the maids, the maids let go of their dishes as Ignis sliced their throats with the swing of his sword. The three maids collapsed on the floor as they chocked on the blood that also gushed out of their throats. Two guards then rushed into the room with their swords drawn, Ignis quickly used one of his fighting techniques. As the two traitorous guards ran towards Ignis, he moved his right leg behind his left and placed his sword in front of his body. The two guards then swung their swords from to right at Ignis at the same time. The swords passed through Ignis'' body and the guards were shocked but as they were still swinging, the Ignis in-front of them was revealed to be an afterimage for the Great Warrior had just appeared behind them. With a powerful swing of his sword, Ignis sliced the two guards in half from behind. The two guards immediately fell to the floor and their blood splattered all over. Ignis didn''t display any sort of fatigue, he looked he was in top shape. The queen clapped, she was pleased of the Great Warrior''s actions. "But there is one thing you failed to do," The queen said as she stood from the couch. "Eh" The queen''s face was also splattered with the blood of the maids. - "AlphaGlider-121 has reached maximum attitude, over" "AlphaGlider-121 this is One, proceed on mission objective" "Affirmative" A thunderous roar was heard all over the Freetan Theocracy and continued to the kingdoms of Yuhin and Herlion. The sound was even heard across the Empire, prompting the states to scramble wyverns and mages in fears of an ancient dragon flying around. A hovercraft was flying at close attitudes with speeds reaching Mach 2, it''s mission: Map the surrounding areas 100 kilometers from the main base. The hovercraft proceeded with its mission and struck an atmosphere of unease to those who heard the roaring sounds of its loud engines. Some even claimed to have seen something moving faster than they could see, but they were all dismissed. But it didn''t help the people to think, something was lurking above the clouds. Something, that would descend onto their lands. The hovercraft''s mission lasted for 2 hours as it accurately mapped the surrounding areas and took photographs of the settlements and geological features present inside 100km area around the base. "I guess, it''s a start" One leaned back on his chair, smiling. Chapter 18 - Goodbye, S213 Severed metallic joints of what was S213 were spread all over the forest floor. The joints were riddled with frozen shards that pierced through the thick layer of armor while the metallic skin was completely frozen, S213 was no more. Vilvintine was examining the joints and the peculiar humanoid that she had destroyed. It wasn''t anything she had ever seen, everything was completely alien to her. Vilvintine chased down S213 and cast a tier 6 freezing spell which shattered the drone after the sudden temperature drop froze its joints and it fell from the treeline and into the ground. "What.. are you.." Vilvintine continued to examine each piece of the drone, repeatedly calling it a metallic beast whilst also showing signs of curiosity and disgust. She was baffled by the fact it fell after such a simple spell and that it ran other than fight, she was expecting a usual response from an enemy mage. She then inspected the head of S213, the advanced components of the drone coupled by its alien experience made Vilvintine conclude that it was indeed the demon that the Pope was referring to. An odd demon, she thought. She went through all the parts under the blistering day, she didn''t realize it at first but the sky was suddenly clear, no clouds could be seen from afar and the temperature under the shade was equivalent to that of direct sunlight. Using her magically enhanced senses, she began to track the sudden heatwave. It was not a natural process but could be the legendary Heat Fox, though creatures like that only existed in legends and hightales. Unbeknownst to her, she was being surrounded by a pack of Blister Wolves, monsters who mutate from regular foxes when exposed to unbearable hot temperatures along with high concentrations of magic. The Blister Wolves were rare monsters, the heat that escapes their ridged and lava-like bodies produce a high temperature equivalent to that of the sun''s rays. The Blister Wolves could be easily spotted if they can penetrate through the illusion magic their skin cast as means of camouflage. In Vilvintine''s case, the camouflage was a tad too strong for her senses to detect. The wolves easily blended into the surrounding vegetation but were also slowly burning the leaves and branches forcing them to move continuously which also risks them being detected if a bush or a branch suddenly rustled or moved. The rarity of the wolves didn''t help them as they were easily spotted regardless of their efforts when in thick vegetation. Vilvintine noticed the peculiar rustling of nearby bushes, she crouched and drew her small dagger whilst scanning her surroundings. A few moments of eerie silence passed with no movement from either side against the other. Then, the wolves all lunged at Vilvintine from all directions, Vilvintine expected this. She jumped a few meters from the ground, dodging the menacing wolves. "Tsk" The Wolves had rocky skin similar to that of cooled magma while a searing heat escaped the miniature cracks spread all across their surfaces. Their mouths dripped of magma which resembled a sort of saliva that gave an eerie sight to those who would come face to face with them. Vilvintine quickly jumped into the treeline and scurried off, the wolves were in hot pursuit. Her frost magic directly countered the blistering wolves but they were far too many for her to take on all at once and so she decided to carefully deal with each. There were ten wolves in total, three were just a few steps away from her and this presented an oppurtunity to turn around the numerical disadvantage. Using her forst magic, she called forth ten ice shards from her ''Frost Shard Spell'' the shards appeared a few meters above her head and levitated, the wolves noticed this and quickly changed directions, with a slight flick of Vilvintine''s index finger, the ice shards suddenly moved from their positions. The ice shards which were floating in the air suddenly moved at frightening speeds and struck the wolves from their backs, causing the monsters to screech in pain. The ice shards pierced through their tough skin and somehow froze their insides. The ice shards were cold, too cold for even the Blistering Wolves could bear. Vilvintine was no ordinary mage, an ?ssassin and an expert in Frost Magic made her attributes even more deadly than they should be, causing simple spells like Ice Shards to massively improve in lethality. The three wolves lied on the forest floor, the cold frost enveloped their bodies and started to slowly spread on the forest floor, freezing plants and the soil. The remaining wolves then jumped from the bushes and continued the chase, seemingly unfazed by their downed comrades. It transformed into close combat, Vilvintine was forced to use her ?ssassin skills. As the wolves jumped on her in pairs and groups, she gallantly swung her dagger to block and slice the wolves, enhancing the weapon with frost magic. The wolves however proved to be tough, the monsters continued to pounce on her, she blocked and blocked each attack which grew in ferocity, the rising temperatures and the magma-like saliva sprayed by the wolves'' tears and mouths slowly tore through her cloak. As the scuffle raged on, the sounds of clanging metal and numerous footsteps echoed through the silent forest, the two sides were unrelenting, preventing each other''s escape. Then, the wolves suddenly stopped their attacks. Vilvintine then was able to catch her breath, she was sweating profusely, her eyes locked onto the wolves which were now clumped together in a group. The wolves themselves were injured, visible tears in their rocky skin by the dagger along with small specs of ice attached near the tears were evidence of the wolves'' weakness. The wolves were all clumped together and began to growl at their surroundings, Vilvintine also sensed a disturbance within the treeline. She then used her enhanced senses and was shocked. Hundreds of unknown entities were surrounding them, all of them seem human in appearance but she couldn''t see the hearts nor the magic energy from them. Vilvintine fell silent, anxious of the sudden appearance of an unknown group. Were these the demons? she thought as she readied her frost magic once more. The wolves were jumpy, growling at their surroundings while also continuing to clump together. Both sides were finally silent, only the single chirp of a bird was heard before it flew away from the branch it was on, the sounds of dancing trees replaced the carnage which was only a few seconds ago. Three figures then appeared from within the treeline, silhouettes under the shadows of the tall trees which stood up high against the ground. One appeared along with his two elite drones, the two drones were aiming at Vilvintine''s head and if given the order, would obliterate Vilvintine from existence. Vilvintine was confused about who he was until she realized, there was no magic within the three ''men'' She immediatelty took a cautionary stance while taking a few steps back, the wolves behind her curled up even further whilst growling as they looked towards One and the two drones. "You''re no man" Vilvintine announced, her voice sounded tired. One only stared at Vilvintine, clenching his fists. A stoic expression took over the synthetic''s face as he confronted S213''s murderer. "I lost a valuable personnel because of you," One said, drones were easily replaced but One was connected with every drone. The connection had an effect of causing One to have emotional feelings with the drones, giving him genuine care of their safety and well-being which was disadvantageous at times. "You''re the demon!" Vilvintine whispered. One clearly heard her words. "In your world, yes. I am, a demon" One said as he tore a part of his face, revealing the metallic skin underneath the facade of flesh. His eyes glowed daring blue as he frowned on Vilvintine. Around Vilvintine, hundreds of pairs of blue lights shimmered through the shadows. She looked around in utter defeat, she tried to jump out but realized if she did, she would be killed. She didn''t understand the weapons they were holding nor did anything make sense. What she did know was that they were not something to take lightly. One''s face struck fear within Vilvintine as she had never seen a demon in the body of a human which was only but a facade of what was really underneath the flesh. A dark metallic skin of unknown material and origin which was completely alien to her, a demon from hell indeed. Chapter 19 - Confrontation 1/2 An entire battalion of drones surrounded the blistering wolves and Vilvintine. The battalion emerged from the dark shadows of the treeline and revealed their metallic nature to the unsuspecting organics. The situation quickly developed into a standoff, Vilvintine was alone against an unknown enemy and a peculiar man leading them. Vilvintine was on alert, the slightest movements of the drones and One made her jump, anxiety was quick to take over her as the fear of the unknown loom. The drones'' bulky structure coupled with the strange weapons they held prompted Vilvintine to be cautious. Unknown wands and clearly unknown magic was in play here, or so she thought. "Tsk" Vilvintine was regretting setting off alone as recon, the rest of the Papal Scripture was still a few minutes away and she knew that wasn''t enough. The sky began to darken as a storm approached. "So, you''re Vilvintine" One said. The surprised mage was only plunged deeper into confusion. Nobody knew her real name except for the pope and her fellow mages in the Papal Scripture. "How do you know?" She asked as she was grimacing at One. She held onto her dagger firmly which was releasing a mist of cold air from the frost magic embedded onto the dagger. "A peculiar woman from a city told us, well not exactly told but.." "A mage from a city?" Her eyes widened as the thought crossed her mind. "The spy," One clarified, maintaining his stoic expression. Vilvintine didn''t reply, she just stood still and awaited what was about to happen next. She knew One was trying to confirm information from her, she wasn''t falling for his trap. One was intrigued that Vilvintine caught wind on his intentions so he decided to get deeper into her emotional complex. "There is one thing, you all have in common. It is strange but the evidence so far seems to be pointing at that specific conclusion" "Let me phrase this in a way, a simple-minded person like you may understand somewhat" The storm had finally reached them, drops of rain began to pour as the situation dragged on, Vilvintine was on alert but her attentiveness could only go so far. The rain began to pour heavily, the sounds of water droplets bouncing off the metallic skin of the drones coupled with the torrential downpour of the storm gave out an eerie atmosphere which was reminiscent of a scene in a horror movie. As the skies darkened further, the eyes of the drones began to show their blueish glow. All around Vilvintine, pairs of blueish light appeared from the drones and from the dark treeline, the lights glowed one by one until she couldn''t see the rest anymore. She moved her head from left to right and turned towards her back, she was outnumbered. This reveal of the hundreds of drones around her struck fear within her heart. The torrential downpour coupled with the odd darkness took a toll on her improved senses. She was using her senses to track each individual that surrounded her but she couldn''t track those beyond the treeline until they revealed themselves. It was taking a damaging toll on her body, even if she was capable of harnessing all the magic from the area, the stress caused by the overworking of her body would eventually kill her. One raised his two arms sideways as he looked up and closed his eyes. Thunder began to echo and the winds began to gain speed. The blistering wolves were all but turned to stone as the rain completely cooled down their entire bodies. They stood together as statues, coupled in a group with their mouths open tongues dangling from their mouths. "It had been, a great adventure thus far since we came here, a new gateway towards an unrivaled opportunity given to me solely for my purpose" "What purpose?" Vilvintine asked. "What else? for the sake of rebuilding the pure human race" "Of course, you don''t know what I''m talking about," One said, pointing his fingers at Vilvintine. "I come from a very distant world, a world vaguely similar to this but was plagued by a cataclysm even I could not dare to imagine nor remember for that matter. A cataclysm so powerful, so devastating, it wiped us out. Now, I am presented with an opportunity but also a hurdle, a hurdle which I am destined to overcome" One then reached out his hand towards E1 who then took out a small cylinder containing M1, the cylinder was transparent and allowed the concentrated physical state of magic to glow white. One grabbed the cylinder and showed it to Vilvintine who was slowly succumbing to the severe fatigue from the strain she was pushing against her body. "Logic and technology beyond your comprehension and understanding stand before you" Vilvintine''s eyes were becoming blurry but she was still able to see the cylinder. "Impossible" Vilvintine whispered beneath her dire breathes. "It''s only impossible because you lack the technology to do so. I''ve gathered information on how ''magic'' is such a powerful energy that it can''t be contained in a somewhat solid state, but that''s where you''re all wrong. What do you think would happen if you used magic to contain magic? Not only would the two negate themselves entirely but if one was stronger than the other, it would result in a fantastic spectacle which would obliterate everyone and everything around it" Vilvintine didn''t seem to take any interests, though she reacted towards the cylinder accordingly, she was displaying good resistance against One''s attempts of reducing her mental instability. "Let me jump onto the topic, shall we? now, what do you humans here have in common?" "Well.." The torrential downpour continued, the drones were unfazed, standing upright amidst the darkness. Vilvintine was completely drenched, her cloak and leather dress was drenched considerably whilst her skin began to curl up. Vilvintine didn''t understand, she was surrounded. They could take her out anytime or even capture her with such superior numbers and most likely superior ''magic'' she wanted things to end quickly but it seemed like One was purposely dragging it out. "I was born in a windy, wonderful world of trustworthy, truthful technology, a windy, winning world I cannot remember, a wicked, whole world devastated by warm, worried war and determined, dull destruction" "A warm, worthless world of holy, hungry humans and n?k?d, new nature, devastated by an unknown, fancy, frightening force which, by dazzling, decorative design had purposely destroyed what was our hateful, honest home" "This wonderful, windy world, on the other hand, gives me a fuzzy, fresh feeling of hilarious, happy hope, a horrible, huge hope which I have forgotten, a funny, fluffy feeling long, lost to the vile, past" One''s words further confused Vilvintine who understood none of it. "You''re a demon, that''s all that matters. A demon I was entrusted to vanquish" Vilvintine finally spoke, One maintained his stoic expression. He then proceeded to clap two times, the sound of which was covered by the torrential downpour. "Ignorance is bliss" He whispered. "Your common trait is a chronic ignorance which not only has been embedded deeply into your minds but also limit your advancements in areas you should be prioritizing, except you douse yourselves in magic which you use carelessly and ignorantly. You keep the dumb in power while the intellectuals oppressed. The dumbest of which is your pope" "What did you say!?" Vilvintine shouted. She clearly heard the insult thrown at her beloved pope whom she looked up to with much respect. "Your pope, an ignorant fool" "You dare!" Vilvintine was consumed with rage, coupled by her fatigue and increased drowsiness, she was no longer herself. One had managed to break her facade. Vilvintine dashed towards one at horrendous speeds, she reached one and tried to stab him in which she thought One couldn''t dodge. One easily dodged her attack by taking a small step back, Vilvintine then caught a glimpse of a horrific smile, the likes she had never seen in her life. A smile from someone who wasn''t even a vile beast, but seemed to be one. Vilvintine hopped back a few meters, the drones began to march towards her from all sides. "The Freetan Theocracy is the hurdle, the first hurdle," One announced. Vilvintine was frozen in place, she didn''t know what else to do other than to try and escape or fight back and surely get killed. The fact that One merely took a step back to dodge her attack frightened her. He knew exactly when and where she was going to strike, he knew how far she would reach out and how close she''d come. "Vilvintine!" A shout echoed through the rain. The papal scripture had arrived. The ten mages were quick to deploy barrier magic around Vilvintine as they descended from the sky. The ten mages landed on their feet and quickly went towards Vilvintine. "Where did you come from?" Vilvintine asked as she slumped on the wet ground. "Levitation magic, we opted to surprise them but it seems like normal magic doesn''t really affect them" The group concentrated inside the transparent white barrier. The drones were just a few feet away from them. "The infamous Papal Scripture" One suddenly appeared directly against the barrier. "What the.." "Veoghn, Ghorn, Emma, Thoris, Friya, Quintess and four unknown members of the Papal Scripture, I welcome you to our meeting" "He knows our names?" Emma asked in confusion. "He knows my name, he knows our scripture, this person isn''t normal" Vilvintine warned "Nor are his minions, they don''t even look human" Ghorn pointed out. "I think there has been enough chatter, the rest of the party have arrived. It''s time for me to overcome the hurdle" "Shit! we fell into a trap" Thoris said. "What hurdle?" Friya asked. "Us, we are the hurdle he wishes to eliminate," Vilvintine answered, finally understanding One''s intentions. Chapter 20 - Confrontation 2/2 The storm had intensified as did the situation the scripture was in. The heavy downpour and loud thunderous blasts echoed through the dark forest. The entire forest was drenched, the drones surrounded and outnumbered them, their skills were unknown and they didn''t exhibit any magic energy. This was a clear disadvantage to the scripture who heavily rely even on the faintest detection of magic. Drones E1 and E2 quickly followed One who was just a foot against the translucent magic barrier cast by the mages. The metallic and organic nature of One confused even the most experienced of the scripture. Never in their lives have they encountered an abomination like One and his minions, creatures who didn''t possess even the faintest of magic which was omnipresent in Fiorg. "We can take them," Quintess said as she squinted forward. Clenching on her Bruxite Staff "You sure? they may not seem much, but I''m not someone to underestimate the enemy easily" Veoghn was ready, on his palms came out two blue circles inscribed with ancient magic texts. These were the foundations of most spells, cast by hand-woven magic circles which summon forth the magic power into manifestations of energy. Emma and Thoris were silent. They were standing right beside Vilvintine who was still on the floor, weakened by her fatigue. Friya wielded her golden spear which shone a golden light that illuminated the group and the drones. The entire scripture besides Vilvintine was wearing their holy armor given to them by the pope himself who claimed the armor was nearly indestructible for they have been blessed by the gods themselves. "We have our gods and goddesses by our side! for the Theocracy!" Ghorn shouted as a sign of strength and faith. The entire scripture was warmed by his words and they felt the gods themselves lend them their power. "You four! retreat using teleportation magic and alert the pope!" Ghorn commanded the four unknown mages. The four quickly disappeared using teleportation magic. But, this disallowed the rest of the party from using teleportation magic due to the risks of interference between dimensions "Hiya!" Friya charged, pointing her spear towards the drones. "Enchant!" Her golden sword glowed even further as she enchanted it further with enchantment magic. Veoghn followed suit, lunging into the air and casting the spell he had ready on his palms. Ghorn unsheeted his sword and charged at One with Emma and Thoris running behind her. Vilvintine stayed within the barrier. One was unfazed, displaying an expressionless look. "Engage" The drones at the very front of the encirclement dashed at the same time at incredible speeds, despite their seemingly bulky and heavy bodies the drones were able to catch up with even the speed of Vilvintine who was considered the fastest of all ?ssassins. "Crap!" Friya''s spear met with the metallic baton of one of the drones who charged at them, the frightening power of the drone caused Friya to struggle and ultimately step back. "They''re strong!" Friya shouted. Veoghn fired his high-voltage electric shock spell which released a massive lightning strike. The lightning strike came from both of his palms and targeted several drones who were approaching the barrier. The lightning strike, however, did not reach speeds equivalent to that of a normal lightning strike, thus the drones dodged it. Veoghn was terrified as he noticed that the electricity didn''t affect the seemingly metallic skins of the drones which he ?ssumed would be good electrical conductor. With her staff drawn, Quintess met with two drones who swung their batons at her with frightening power and precision. The three exchanged swings, with each strike of the two drones becoming more and more powerful as the fight dragged on. The bruxite material her staff was made out of prevented her staff from being shattered form the immense force of the strikes. Emma and Thoris were suddenly surrounded by ten drones who wielded blasters rather than batons. Seperating them from Ghorn. "What are those things?" Thoris asked in confusion. "Must be some sort of modified wand" Emma answered, frowning at the drones. The ten drones fired their blasters at the same time, Thoris and Emma both jumped into the air and retaliated using projectile magic summoned from their palms. The projectiles were dodged by the drones and a firefight ensued. One was standing along with E1 and E2 as the rain kept on pouring. From the chaos, Ghorn emerged with his hands glowing blue and his sword was burning a blueish fire, unaffected by the rain. "Interesting" One thought. E1 and E2 both stepped forward and prepared to defend One. Ghorn''s eyes suddenly started glowing blue and a fiery bluish haze enveloped him. A substantial change within his magic reserves and power could be detected. Ghorn suddenly dashed forward with his sword above his head. He was shouting as he was stopped by the two elite drones with just their hands. His sword was easily grabbed by the two drones who were unaffected by the blueish flame, Ghorn then hopped back a few feet. "Welcome to our world, Earthling" Ghorn suddenly spoke but his voice was different, it was that of a female. One''s interests were piqued, something possessed Ghorn and knew where he came from. This was a revelation that he thought he wouldn''t come across. "Interesting," He said. "You know, I find it a waste we had to converse in such circumstances but due to the situation, you left me with no choice but to get rid of you myself" "I don''t think that''s possible," One said expressionlessly. Ghorn gave a wide smile that ran across his face, a blue light shined from inside his mouth. "You see the chaos behind me? you may think you''ve got the upper hand but the Papal Scripture is more than capable of destroying your pathetic metallic puppets. Humans have their limits, even if they''re made of metal" "That''s where you''re wrong" One said, a weird smile appeared on his face. "We, are machines," "Eh?" Ghorn looked confused. "It doesn''t matter, we''ll kill you all!" Ghorn announced. E1 and E2 then dashed forward at the possessed Ghorn. Ghorn also charged forward and the two sides were in a collision course which would decide the ultimate fate of the Scripture and the Theocracy. "You are incredibly confident in your swordsmanship, but.." The two sides collide, both swinging their blades against each other. The force from the impact of the blades caused a shockwave which blasted the rain away and threw the scripture members a few feet, catching them completely off-guard. Ghorn''s flaming sword and the four blades form each of E1 and E2''s hands met. Ghorn''s sword slowly cracked, surprising the entity within Ghorn. "You never used what was your advantage, magic" Ghorn''s flaming sword shattered in thousands of pieces. The entity within Ghorn looked in horror as a holy sword was shattered just like that. The entire Papal Scripture witnessed it, the storm was dying. The rain had stopped and the sun''s beams were finally shining through the dark clouds. "Impossible" Vilvintine looked on in horror and disbelief. "From what I can tell, you were more than capable of bending the magic energy into further even more powerful forms which would have been catastrophic for us, but of course, ignorance reign supreme," And then, a loud thud broke the silence. Ghorn went somersaulting through the air as E2 punched the poor fellow. Ghorn then fell hard head first to the wet soil. Barely missing the trees. "w-what" "Immobilize them" All the drones drew out their blasters, shocking the papal scripture who quickly retreated to the barrier. "Shit! prepare yourselves!" Vilvintine shouted. The blasters then fired, thousands of concentrated energized balls exploded into a dazzling artwork of smoke and fire. The entire area was covered by smoke as the ground shook to the firepower. The drones then ceased firing after 10 seconds. The smoke began to clear, revealing a pile of bodies strewn all over the grass. Vilvintine was the only survivor. Her eyes began to weaken and she struggled to keep them open. His face was void of expression, the metallic part of his face began to regenerate skin, like a monster. She thought before finally fainting. Chapter 21 - Aftermath The pope was sitting on his golden chair, his hands were over the armrests as he steadily tapped his right foot on the tiled floor. All the windows in the pope''s room were closed, several candles scattered across the walls and a chandelier hanging from the ceiling provided the room enough light to see. In-front of him was a messenger, carrying with him news of the scripture he sent to the forest, the scripture he would never see again. "That is all, holiness" The messenger bowed and left, his face was covered by a mask which was necessary for the pope''s messengers to hide their identities. The pope sighed and leaned back on his chair, many thoughts were colliding in his mind and he could not focus on a single one. He was having thoughts, was he foolish? hasty? did he lack good judgment? none of this would have happened if he only sent a lower-rank party instead of the scripture. "But the goddess," He thought, this was caused by the suggestion of the Goddess. Deities were supposed to be all-knowing and careful, why was the goddess hasty? The pope continued to be lost in thought. Before the messenger arrived he prayed for the goddess to visit him but she didn''t come. What only came was the tragic news of one of the most powerful scriptures in the Theocracy failed to report back nor did any of the scouts sent to search for them returned. The front door creaked, a stepping sound echoed through the silent room. "May I come in?" A womanly voice spoke, the pope didn''t move. "You may" He answered rather lazily. Anna, a woman in priestess uniform walked in, gently opening and closing the door as she walked through it. Her entire body other her face was covered by a black veil and black robes alongside her uniform. Her face was rather wrinkly but despite her age of 50, she looked younger. "I heard the news, but I refused to believe it.." Anna walked up to the small steps and stopped a step from the pope''s position. The pope had his eyes closed, refusing to even glance at Anna. "Until I saw you, like this," Anna gave an awkward smile. The pope replied with a sigh and continued to act lethargic. Anna stood there, her eyes locked on the pope. She could see the sadness from the aura of the pope who lost more than just a scripture. "I''m sorry about Vilvintine," Anna said, though she was only asking for a conversation with the pope. The pope''s eyes opened when he heard Vilvintine''s name and glanced at Anna who was smiling the entire time. He gave her an indifferent look from when he had his eyes closed and finally opened his mouth. "This is a defeat, for us and the Theocracy" The Pope pointed out. "Not only did we lose one of our most powerful scriptures, but we also didn''t even get any information regarding the demons" Anna''s smile faded and a rather stoic expression took over. "That is true, as of yet no scouts have returned from the Anub Forest, communication magic is mysteriously cut off during encounters or sightings. This is strange since any spell which cancels communication magic in specific preferences is considering tier 8" Anna said. "Modifying magic in such a way is possible but unheard of, we can only ?ssume the demons are highly proficient in magic" The pope replied. "I haven''t heard about Yuhin lately, didn''t we gain information about one of their fortress cities near the Anub Forest was attacked?" The pope asked. "Why, yes but haven''t you already peaked through your magic ball?" Anna was a bit confused. "For some reason, I can''t" Anna stood there, confused and bewildered. It was just not possible to cancel the effects of a magic ball, let alone the magic ball of the pope! "Strange I know, there''s also a specific area in the Anub Forest where magic ball vision can''t see. That''s why I sent the Papal Scripture in the first place.." The pope sighed as he closed his eyes and leaned forward. "It was foolish of me.." Anna was silent, she could not think of anything to ease the pope. "So, why are you here exactly?" The pope asked, regaining his composure. Anna smiled a bit but returned to her stoic expression. "The Holy Council wants to use Yuhin to lure the demons out of the forest" "Oh?" The pope''s eyes slightly widened. "I came here to ask for your approval" The pope remained silent for a few seconds before leaning forward and placing his hands below his chin. "How will the plan be executed?" "The council will use the reclamation of the Fortress City as an objective for Yuhin. As of now, the kingdom is in a bit of turmoil after the death of the late king and only one pure blooded Yuhini Dynasty member remains, we can use her naiveness and convince her to send out an entire army. The army will engage the demons and lure them out where our scouts could see them from the hills east of the city itself" "Hm.." The pope liked the proposal but was unsure of one thing. "The question is, if the Yuhin Army is defeated, wouldn''t they start their advance on Yuhin?" "Not to worry" Anna smiled. "We have prepared countermeasures to ensure that half of the Yuhin Army expected to clash with the demons can retreat safely" "We do not know of the exact capabilities of the demons, don''t let your guard down" The pope warned, he was fearful that the same fate would befall them as it did to the Papal Scripture. "Yes, your holiness" "Then, I approve" The pope agreed, casting a red circle from his palms. Anna reached out both of her hands and took the circle, this was the mark of the pope. Evidence of the pope''s compliance and approval. "I thank you, your holiness" Anna said, she turned around and walked out of the room, gently closing the doors as she did before. "Goddess, you let them die" Chapter 22 - The Little Girl A little girl was dancing about in her small humble village shack while her mother was out to get some food for her daughter. She skipped and flailed her arms around, a joyous smile ran across her face as she enjoyed herself. The little girl and her mother lived in the Village of Ulrek, a village under the Tribal Union. They were the Ulrek Tribe, a tribe consisting of 50 people in total. As the girl danced, a strange commotion caught her attention. A group of villagers was gathering outside her door, murmuring and seemingly looking in disgust. She went to the door and stood there, rather anxious and waiting for her mother to return. Her mother did not return, a loud thud sounded and the door to her house was fell in. The villagers were coming inside her home, they quickly took her and ravaged her house, burning it with torches and looting the wooden jars and small ?h?sts the mother and daughter had to store whatever they had. The little girl could b?r?ly put up a fight, she was dragged away from her home by the villagers as she helplessly watched as her home was burned down. All her life, she lived there, not it was gone. She did not understand, why were they doing this? they have lived here for as long as she can remember and were in good standing with everyone, why? The villagers took her to the village center, leaving her with the other children of the village. She was crying and screaming for her mother but she was only harassed by the other children. The sun was brimming, the wind was blowing. No clouds could be seen in the blue sky, the chirping birds were silenced by the loud and incoherent babbling of the village folk who have begun to gather around the village center. "Hear ye! hear ye!" The village leader went up to the guillotine, using his staff as support for his frail body. He was wearing the standard attire for a Tribal Union member and was wrinkly. "Today! we are here to hang an infid..." That''s all she remembered. -- The little girl opened her eyes slowly, she was weak and tired. She felt herself lying down on a comfortable surface which was unlike the rough and often painful wooden beds back in her home. Her eyes opened and she saw a white ceiling, pure white with no cracks in sight. She slowly turned her head and glanced around the room. The walls were unlike she had ever seen before, white paint with no cracks but a perfect color covering the surfaces. She tried to move her hands but they felt heavy and numb, she then discovered she was cuddled up in a white blanket and was lying down on a white bed. The fabric of the bed was the comfiest she had ever felt her entire life, the white color was pleasing to her eyes and the room was unusually cold. She then slowly pulled her hands from the blanket and she was startled. Some tubes and what looked like paper were inside her wrists, she didn''t know what to do but she felt no pain so she eventually calmed down. She followed where the tubes were headed and looked to her right, there was a weird silver stand to her right which had bags with colored water in them. "Am I in heaven?" The child thought, innocent and unknowing of where she was, how she got there or what happened. Little did she know that she inhaled some of the toxins from the canisters and her body acted a bit different towards the chemicals, causing her to lose some of her memories. "What is this place?" She thought, she continued to examine her room but was too immersed to the surprising comfort the bed and the blanket gave her. There was a door to her right side, a white door with a silver doorknob. The experience was new for her, she didn''t know if she should be afraid or happy. Why not both? A thought suddenly crosses her mind. "Mother!" Her mother wasn''t in the room with her, she began to panic and a beeping noise sounded that corresponded with her fast beating heart. "Your mother is okay" A soft yet weird voice echoed through the room, seemingly coming from the walls. She froze in place, fear replaced any other reaction she had. She held onto her blanket tightly, looking around the walls to see where the voice was coming from. "You don''t have to fear anything, you are safe where you are," The voice said, ?ssuring the little girl who was quick to trust the strange person talking to her. She was still shivering, a chill went down her spine causing her to flinch slightly. The silver doorknob suddenly began to twist and the little girl covered herself with the blanket while allowing her eyes to peek through. The door then opened and One entered, wearing a military-grade prewar uniform. The uniform was similar to that of a general''s, decorated with medals but sported a black color and yellow outlines, One looked rather intimidating, scaring the girl even further. "I think I miscalculated the fear factor" One thought as he slowly closed the door behind him, he walked to the side of the little girl''s bed and stood near beside the dextrose stand. The little girl slowly peeked outside, looking at One whose face even worse than that of a goblin, that''s what the girl thought. One suddenly smiled, something he had never done since he awakened for he didn''t feel any emotion. Now, he was feeling a little empathetic. He didn''t understand it as well but as he further thought of the little girl, his brain would ache. Something from the past, his past, still crept within the deepest parts of his memory. One sat on the little girl''s bed, smiling as he looked at the little girl. The little girl was still scared, unable to let go of her grip on the blanket. "Are you hungry?" One asked the little girl, it was a weird initiation of a conversation but One didn''t know how to properly initiate one. The little girl''s head slowly emerged from the blanket, revealing her long, brown and curly hair, a patched up face and brown eyes. One examined her closely before finally reaching his right arm out, patting her head. "Hm.." The little girl was surprised but kept silent. "Are you hungry, little one?" One repeated the question, the little girl nodded. "As I thought," One said as he smiled with his eyes closed. In the eyes of the little girl, there was a faint glow of light when the strange man in front of her smiled. He began to look more like an angel to her than the weird monster she saw him as. Chapter 23 - Infiltration 1/5 [Mission Objectives] Steal Information, Set Stage For Invasion [Mission Objectives Set By Central Strategic AI Command. Success Needed For Initiation Of Invasion] [Failure will not be accepted] The land was dark, a thick layer of clouds completely blocked out the light from the moons. It was about to rain and the people of the Freetan Theocracy went into their homes. The Freetan Army maintained its garrison on the walls of their cities as wyverns glided through the Freetan Airspace. The rain then poured and only the sounds of thunder and the rain could be heard. 30,000 feet into the sky, several transport planes were flying with engines silenced as much as possible. The rain bounced off their hulls as the vessels tore through the clouds towards the designated drop zones. They were to infiltrate every city of the Theocracy. On one particular transport, inside were Drones Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, and Echo. Assault drones retrofitted for covert infiltration. Their bodies were skinnier and much more lightweight compared to their past design allowing them to sneak past the primitive defenses. "1 kilometer to drop zone, attitude 30,212 feet, E.T.A. 30 seconds" A voice rang through their heads. The drones then stood up from their positions and headed towards the exit of the plane. The exit door slid open and the whirling winds and heavy rain went inside the compartment, wetting the drones but they stood their ground. The clock finally ticked and the drones dropped off one by one. "This is Alpha, commencing drop" Alpha jumped first, immediately in a diving position with the other drones behind him. The blue lights of the drones'' eyes were the only visible parts of the drones as they made their way down to the ground. "E.T.A. 121 seconds before touchdown" Alpha reported back to Central Command. As the strike group got nearer and nearer to the ground, the faint lights of the Freetan Border city of Frek became visible. Their first objective was to infiltrate the city and gather any information regarding the city''s mages and garrison while also taking into account any information regarding the Theocracy as a whole. It began to rain heavily, the drones were in for a rough landing if they don''t activate their thrusters before reaching the ground. The drones were 10 seconds from the ground. "Activate Thrusters" The thrusters on their palms and feet activated and slowed them down. The drones then struck the ground at half the force of their dive. Dirt flew on all directions as the drones impacted the wet ground, creating a small crater. The drones were only a few meters from the gate. Alpha and Bravo led the group through the tall grass and hid behind a few boulders scattered about. Alpha then scanned the gate and the two towers beside it. A total of 10 soldiers were present, two on each tower while the rest were on top and inside of the gate. The drones quickly strutted on the wet grass which separated the gate and the tall grass. The rain accompanied by the darkness of the night concealed them from the garrison on the towers. The drones then spread out to five positions, Alpha and Bravo were leaning against the gates themselves while Charlie, Delta, and Echo positioned themselves against the wallas a couple of feet apart. Charlie, Delta, and Echo were to climb over the walls and dispatch the garrison on the gate and the towers to avoid setting off alarms while Alpha and Bravo were to carve an opening on the metal gates using small heat rays and take out the guards inside. "Commence" The three drones began to climb over the walls using embedded titanium spikes on their palms which they placed. Alpha and Bravo began to carve their opening. The three drones jumped from the side of the walls and on the walls themselves. The guards there were stunned as three unknown ''men'' moved at fast speeds and chopped their heads off before they could react. Charlie and Delta were on the right side while Echo was on the left. They then proceeded to the towers. Charlie and Delta kicked down the wooden door in the right tower and scurried in. A soldier was coming down the stairs as the two drones breached the door and immediately stabbed him, his body fell to the floor sounding a loud thump. The last soldier on the top of the tower heard the thump and opened the door to the stairs only to be stabbed immediately by the two drones who sprinted across the walls. The guards were greeted with the dead bodies of the garrison. Echo emerged from east side of the tower, drenched and ominous. Its blue eyes struck fear into the hearts of the two guards who quickly drew their swords. Echo menacingly dashed towards the two guards and sliced them in half using its twin blades. Killing them instantly. The remaining guards inside the gates were oblivious to the massacre that happened just above them. The four guards were playing a game similar to solitaire. "Hm, the rains pouring like the devil since the sun went down" One of the guards retorted. "The God of Water is blessing us, the fields will b?r? a good harvest after a few days if this keeps us" "Inde-" The gates suddenly exploded, flinging the four guards to the ground. Alpha and Bravo quickly went and stabbed the four who were unable to react as the drones were too fast. The torches inside the gate were blown out by the strong winds, the gate has been secured. [Initiate Main Objectives] a voice rang through their heads once more, the drones'' eyes lit up a dark bluish color before they disappeared into the deserted streets of the city. Chapter 24 - Infiltration 2/5 Five steps splashing on the pools of water on the deserted streets were the only sounds other than the heavy downpour of the rain and the thunderous roars of lightning in the distance. The strike group was making their way through the dark streets and towards the castle at the central district of the city where their objectives were hidden. The drones sprinted through the streets, going through alleyways and avoiding small patrols who were rather laid back. The Theocracy was never in a war for many years and the military became stagnant and paled in comparison against neighboring states. The only thing keeping them from being attacked was their religious standing in the region and the powerful mages they had. The palace was similar to that of a medieval castle, a moat separated the structure from the city itself and the only point of entry was a single gate facing the north. But that wasn''t a problem for the drones. There were several hundred soldiers, most of them being swordsman while the archers were all inside the towers. Alpha scanned the castle using infrared scanning and determined all positions of the garrison and the royalties and other persons inside. The garrison was spread out thin in the castle, halls and corridors were left without any guards for at least 2 minutes before another patrol would pass through them. Archbishop Frederick was the ruler of the castle, he was residing inside his chamber which was three floors above ground level, a mysterious field of protection was detected by the infrared scanner which showed an abnormal amount of unstable high temperatures presumably around the walls of the chamber. There were two heat signatures located outside the door of the archbishop''s chamber and the other heat signature was standing down the stairway leading to the chamber from what looked like a lobby. The drones then calculated their ?ssault, drones Alpha and Bravo were to be the main strikeforce while Charlie, Delta, and Echo were to take out the guards and ransack the palace for information regarding anything of importance for the invasion. "Alpha, this is One. We have a strike wing currently circling over your position. Report any unwanted outcomes immediately to central command. The Strike Wing will raze your position allowing for your escape" One spoke from the Machine Base. One''s voice rang through their heads and the drones began their move. One was observing from his personal office on the highest tower located near the center of the Machine Base. The design was similar to that of a control tower with bulletproof windows as walls and an armored ceiling for protection. Several panels were placed around the room with their own purposes. The rain was pouring on the glass windows, water drops slid and fell as the lightning illuminated the sky. The lights from the base and the defense perimeter around it were the brightest in the world with thousands of drones doing their ?ssigned duties. He was leaning back on his chair as he watched the video feed from all the drones through his psychic connection with the entire network allowing him to micromanage every single drone from a given distance. Charlie, Delta, and Echo sprinted across the street and jumped over the moat and clung onto the side of the wall. Using the spikes from their palms and feet they slowly climbed up the wall undetected. Alpha and Bravo waited for the three other drones to clear the walls before they join in. The three drones reached the top of the walls, they slowly climbed up the edge and split up to engage three groups of soldiers on three different locations. The first location was a tower on the left of the wall connected to the eastern segment of the walled area. The second was a simple barracks where a few soldiers were hanging out and the third group was a patrol that was headed towards the part of the walls where the drones were at. Charlie went and engaged the group on the tower, after bursting through the wooden door which was the only entrance to the tower, Charlie sprinted across the stairs, the unsuspecting garrison was terrified as the drone appeared out of nowhere with its blue eyes shining bright. The mere sight of Charlie caused the soldiers to experience cardiac arrests. Delta went to the barracks which was on the ground, the barracks were surrounded by a small fence which seemed to be a remnant of an old cattle pasture. Delta drew out his blaster and charged it for five seconds before finally shooting it through the wooden door on the barracks, the small charged energy tore a hole through the door and created a short gravitational anomaly which crushed the soldiers inside the barracks. The crushing of the bones and furniture inside the barracks weren''t heard due to the anomalous energy breaking down the sound waves before the waves could escape the room. One was nonchalant and almost uncaring of what was transpiring after all the encounters and information gathered about the world and the surrounding states. There wasn''t really any threat besides the unknown forces lurking behind the scenes. The patrol on the walls was approaching fast, Echo was the one who was about to face them. The patrol reached the part of the wall, quiet and deserted, the torches were all drenched due to the rain and the men were more than wanting to get indoors for the rain was heavy and their drenched leather clothing underneath their armor was putting a strain on their bodies. "Uh.." A strange noise suddenly echoed behind the group, they turned around with their swords drawn and Echo was standing there, its eyes glowing sharp blue while the sound continued to echo. Lightning struck and shone their surroundings, illuminating the drone''s metallic skin and non-existent face. The patrol was frightened. The men were shaking as they gritted their teeth. As the patrol was about to charge towards Echo, sounds of something piercing into the stone wall accompanied by a menacing hiss sent chill down their spines. The patrol''s attention was then divided between Echo and the ominous sounds coming from the side of the wall. Two pairs of heavy steps of metal stomping on the puddles on the walls joined in the fray, the group turned around once more and two similar beings emerged from the shadows, their eyes glowing blue and a strange humming sound sounded. The piercing sounds from the side of the walls suddenly stopped, two hands reached out from the sides and held onto the edge of the wall, two pairs of bluish eyes slowly emerged from the edge, staring at the patrol. "O-oh God!!" Screamed one of the soldiers. One placed his arms on his chair''s armrests and closed his eyes. "Proceed with Objective" Chapter 25 - Infiltration 3/5 Archbishop Frederick was sitting on his silver chair facing against his bed. A small candle illuminated the room as he read a small book. The small book was the holy book of the Theocracy, containing the teachings and overall beliefs of the Fax Religion. He carefully skimmed through the pages, reading each page intently before moving on to the next. He closed the book and placed it over the table next to his bed, the table was wooden and old but looked simple and clean. His bed was nothing extraordinary, a similar design to those of the common folk. He stood from his silver chair and glossed over his room before unraveling the sheets of his bed and tucking in. It was a long day for him, the summons, the meetings and he was finally going to take a little rest. As he tucked in, he felt a soft breeze blow through his face. A shiver went down his spine which was uncommon for the room was naturally warm and kept him from the coldness of the night and the heavy storm. He paid no attention to the breeze and continued on to his nap. Frederick fell asleep as the breeze began to pick up speed, unknowing of the window on the ceiling which was slowly being opened. A pair of blue lights tore through the dim lit room as a mechanical arm reached inside the window and slowly opened the cover. Blood dripped from its mechanical arm as it slowly nudged the window wide open. A strong breeze then blew in, blowing the candle out and startling the Archbishop who had just fallen asleep. Frederick woke up and cold sweat began to fall from his face as he felt a feeling of unease. Suddenly, a creak broke the silence of the room and Frederick jumped from his bed. He jumped from his bed and immediately cast a spell of illumination, completely lighting the room. He then enhanced his senses and looked up towards his ceiling, the window was open. He then enhanced his senses further and scanned his room for anyone or anything that disturbed his sleep. He found nothing unusual till he scanned the room until the window. There was a small drop of blood on the floor which intrigued the Archbishop. He walked towards the blood and took a closer look, kneeling down on the floor. "Someone''s here" Frederick thought, the blood surely wasn''t his, someone is in this room and it''s no doubt a human. Contrary to other mages, Frederick specialized on area magic, typically explosive magic. His sense magic was not really in tune, placing him in a disadvantage inside such a confined space. He wasn''t going to take any chances. "Frisha!" Frederick called out to the mage outside his door. The door then slammed open as Frisha hastily made her way to the Archbishop. She was wearing a red velvet cloak, her eyes were red and her skin is white, she has a pointed nose and thin eyebrows coupled by her long natural eyelashes. "What is it, Archbishop?!" Frisha asked, she was on alert and had her magic on ready which was Fire Magic, but it was also disadvantageous to them both for she risks burning down the Archbishop''s chamber which was constructed out of premium wood. The Archbishop shushed Frisha as he carefully listened to his surroundings. Frisha went silent as Frederick looked around his room. Frisha then summoned red circles on her palms in preparation for an attack, she sensed something wasn''t right. The red circles she had on her palms were catalysts for her spells to form. "Where''s Ivy? The guards?" Frederick asked while whispering. "Ivy went with the guards to the gates, bodie-" Before Frisha could finish her answer a loud explosion is then heard and surprised the two. The shock wave travelled through the castle and shook the people inside. "What the hell was that!?" Frederick exclaimed. "We have to leave, now!" Frisha nodded and went for the door, Frederick was close behind her. As the two were about to walk out of the room, a loud thud sounded behind them. The two then turned their backs and saw a mysterious metallic monster whose silhouette was visible against the dim light of its blue eyes which shone and faced the duo. "I- I don''t detect any magic!" Frisha exclaimed, "Your holiness! Please get out of here!" She pleaded as she went in front of Frederick and went into her fighting stance. Frederick quickly ran outside. Her fighting stance was similar to that of Kung fu''s, the circles which floated on her palms glittered as her eyes began to shine faint red. The unknown intruder also went into fighting position, pulling out a small blade from its wrist much to Frisha''s shock. "Fire Blast!" Frisha placed her hands together and cast Fire Blast, flames then spewed from her palms which formed a wall of flames. The wall of flames burned the room save for the furniture which was unscathed. "Fire Balls!" She repeated over and over as she ran across the burning room. Balls of fire flew towards the monster who jumped all-over the room completely avoiding Frisha''s attacks. Frisha then stopped as she realized she was trapped, the burning room was beginning to collapse and rubble fell near the door. The flames were smoldering hot and even as a Fire Mage she wasn''t able to withstand such heat. This was the byproduct of the wood used to construct the room. The wood burned hotter and longer than normal wood much to Frisha''s dismay upon realizing. The monster then appeared against the smoldering fire in-front of her, appearing from within the flames like a shadow of a demon coming out of the depths of hell. The monster wasn''t affected by the heat nor did it seem to care. Frisha gritted her teeth and summoned forth her fire sword. She was trained in hand-to-hand combat and was more than ready to confront the monster whom she thought would resort to melee. The monster dashed towards Frisha. She b?r?ly dodged death as the monster raised its sharp blade and slashed through her hair, cutting it in half. Frisha and the monster then engaged in a melee. With each swing of her sword, the monster would block and retaliate in full force without showing signs of fatigue. As the fight raged on, Frisha''s cloak and skin were getting slashed little by little as the monster seemingly predicted all of her moves. Then, the monster swung its blade from its back and over its head at amazing speed. Frisha held her sword up high in an attempt to block. The blade shattered her sword as it moved through the iron and made its way to Frisha''s face. The blade of the monster pierced her forehead and sunk deep into her skull. Her eyes were fixated to the monster''s menacing blue eyes before finally dying. - Alpha pulled its blade from Frisha''s head causing her body to slump down to the ground. Blood was pouring from the hole on her forehead and dripped onto the floor. The drone''s right blade was stained with her blood, dripping steadily onto the floor. The flames were getting ravenous by the second and so, the drone went outside. Thanks to its fire-resistant armor it b?r?ly felt the effects of the heat from the room as it walked through the soaring flames. Frisha''s body remained on the floor and was burnt along with the rest of the room. Alpha made his way down the stairs as their cover had been blown, a malfunction in Echo''s weaponry caused an unwanted short circuit which triggered Echo''s explosive weaponry and subsequently blew a portion of the castle. As Alpha ran through the corridors, blood stains and corpses littered every hall. The drones'' were massacring the people inside as they went by in an attempt to quell any alarms but to no avail. "This is Echo, we have a group cornered at ground floor, near gate" Echo said through its internal transmitter. "I am en route" Alpha responded. - Ivy held her ice spear tight. Sweating profusely, she held her head up high. Ten guards were with her, with their swords drawn and they surrounded the archbishop. They were in the main lobby and the exit was just in-front of them. Pools of blood and bodies were scattered all-over the lobby, vases were broken, tables were turned. The banner of the Freetan Theocracy lied on the floor, ripped. Bravo, Charlie, Delta, and Echo surrounded the group on all directions. Bravo blocked the exit as the other three drones were positioned exactly east, west and south of the group. Ivy and the guards gritted their teeth, not wanting to remove their eyes on the four demons surrounding them. Frederick wanted to help but his magic would only kill them all, all he could do is to wait. "Milady, orders?" One of the guards asked in a shaky and low voice, his eyes fixated on Bravo who was just standing near the exit, not moving an inch. "Don''t separate! We must protect the Archbishop and wait for reinforcements" Ivy answered, she was noticeably tired after running endlessly through the halls as the drones chased them. Charlie was responsible for the bodies on the halls, direct orders from One himself. The archbishop was quivering and staring at Ivy who had her gaze switch between the drones. Alpha burst through the ceiling directly above the group, he was holding onto a flat disc. The flat disc was a Barrier Emitter which would create a blue-hexagonal dome which was transparent. Ivy and the guards withdrew their gazes from the other drones looked up as Alpha dived towards them. The four other drones then pulled out their blaster rifles from their knees and aimed towards the group. "No!" Ivy shouted. Yet it was too late. The blasters opened fire. Chapter 26 - Infiltration 4/5 As the drones were about to completely wipe them out, Frederick went stiff. Everything was going so fast, his life flashed before him as he knew death was near unless he acted. He began to think hard, he only had seconds to react and the adrenaline accompanied by his magic kicked in. Without hesitation, he conjured a spell in his mind and his palms began to glow. A searing heat flowed through his veins as his eyes turned into a reddish hue, glowing brighter as the second passed. He shoved the guards away who were around him and placed his hands above his head. "Fire Pil-" Frederick suddenly felt an ache in his stomach, something piercing through belly. His lower body slowly became numb as he loses his ability to perceive time. His eyes began to weaken as he felt his entire body shot down. He moved his eyes to the direction of Ivy, hoping to see her horrified face. To his horror, Ivy was smiling maniacally, seemingly thrilled at the sight of his death. The Archbishop''s days were over. He fell onto the floor with a hole in his stomach. His entire lower body was burned. A blaster fire hit the Archbishop with maximum energy, effectively killing him. Several guards were also hit by blaster fire, their armor was pierced and a raging fire burned their skin in an instant, the energy from the blaster fire dispersed itself equally across whoever skin was hit by it. The guards fell onto the floor, screaming. They twisted and turned as their insides slowly melted into goo. Alpha struck the floor with enough force to crack open a hole, causing the entire floor of the lobby to collapse for there was a dungeon underneath the castle. Placing the Barrier Emitter on the collapsing floor, it quickly jumped after it activated. A small orb encased Ivy and the remaining guards before they fell into the dungeon below as the floor collapsed. The drones quickly jumped to the ceiling, clinging onto it via the titanium pikes. They watched as the floor crumbled below them and darkness replaced the dim lit lobby as the torches were put out or dived into the abyss. "Threats neutralized, ransack all available information" Alpha ordered. The drones steadily made their way to the hole on the ceiling where Alpha dove. One by one they climbed up the ceiling and into the third floor of the castle before scattering to the rooms, ransacking every piece of information they could find before they retreat. - Ivy woke up from atop the rubble coughing and her body aching. Her ears were ringing and her limbs were numb but she was thankful to be even able to breathe. She opened her eyes inside the cloud of dust which has accumulated over her in the wake of the floor''s collapse. She painfully turned her head to her left and right. The other guards were there with her, motionless and bloodied. She then saw the weird device the demon placed before they fell. It summoned a magic shield unlike anything she had ever seen. She never knew magic like that existed, but it wasn''t magic. She breathed heavily as the dust cloud finally began to clear, moving a bit she slowly regained control over her arms and legs. She rolled over her back and tried to push against the ground in an effort to stand up to no avail, she just felt too weak to even get up. She grabbed some of her white hair to look at it. It was stained with dust and rubble. She looked at a small puddle beside her face where a thin stream of light struck her face reflecting on its surface. Her sky blue eyes and white skin looked horrendous with the dust and rubble smeared across her face, she suffered some cuts and bruises all-over but she didn''t feel any significant bleeding. "Shit!" She exclaimed, still unable to force herself to sit upright. She began to panting as she felt a sudden lost with her Inner Magic. She was panicking and the result was the magic inside her was trying to heal her wounds much to her dismay. Even if she fully healed, a low Inner Magic reserve would still prevent her from doing anything. She then heard footsteps echoing through the walls followed by sounds of metal clanging against each other. "Search the castle! Find the archbishop and kill whoever was responsible for this!" Someone shouted. Dozens of knights stormed the lobby, avoiding the collapsed floor and running towards the stairs and into the second floor. "Go! Go!" he continued to shout, the man was furious and dumbfounded for he didn''t expect the castle he was ?ssigned to defend could fall so easily. He even had two Red Scripture mages under his command! Such failure would surely stain his reputation and may even cause him the death penalty. "Hey!" Ivy shouted from the bottom of the hole, the man heard her call and quickly ran towards the edge of the hole. The man was Frederick''s little brother, Sir Johnathan, he was old and wrinkly like his brother, he wore a blue ?h?st plate which had the crest of the Fax Church engraved on its torso. He was also a bald man. Johnathan looked down on the hole. "Ivy!" He called out. The smoke still covering what was underneath it. "Yes! I''m here. Get me out of here!" Ivy replied, her voice shrieked. "Damn it!" Johnathan jumped into the hole despite protests from his subordinate who was right beside him. He landed on the rubble, b?r?ly missing a metallic rod. He followed Ivy''s voice as she continued to m??n in pain. Suddenly, he comes across a body. The body was oddly familiar, wearing a priestly tunic. "No..." Johnathan whimpered, "No!" He quickly grabbed the body and looked for its head as the realization of the unthinkable travelled through mind like an arrow piercing his heart. He removed the rubble from the body''s face, it was his brother. "No!!!" He wailed, "Brother! Brother!" He screamed over and over, begging his brother to wake up. He continued to wail uncontrollably for a minute before several guards descended onto the hole and restrained him. He thrashed about like a child at the sight of his older brother''s corpse whom was b?r?ly recognizable from afar, only his tunic and mildly deformed face did he know it was him. The guards then searched for Ivy who was already unconscious. They carried her out of the hole along with the other bodies. - The drones continued to ransack every room in the castle''s second to the eight floor. Dashing from hall to hall and completely sealing doorways and implanting force fields to prevent anyone from coming in. They essentially made a maze of traps and impregnable doorways in their wake. Room by room, furniture were scattered, papers on the floor. Every corner of each room was scanned for anything of value and uploaded into the Machine Network Mainframe. The drones had ransacked most of the castle in just 10 minutes, they were then ordered to retreat. [All infiltration teams, all infiltration teams, retreat from designated blast zones] A smoldering fire began to spread across the castle from the Archbishop''s room. Smoke filled the halls and corridors which suffocated those who were trapped inside. Johnathan quickly ordered his men to retreat. He wanted the rain to put out the fire itself and hoped that whoever or whatever caused this would be unlucky enough to fall into the blaze. The drones made their way out of the castle from the Archbishop''s ceiling and into the roof of the castle, the rain was still pouring but not as much as it did before they went into it. The five drones then jumped across the space between the castle and the wall as they climbed up using their enhanced ligaments on their legs. An army of knights surrounded the castle walls as the drones made their way through the top, analyzing any possible routes around the knights. They had the technological and skill advantage but they couldn''t risk it. It was against logic to go against vast numbers of foes at once. And so, they waited. [Strike crafts in position, all drones point lasers on specific targets for guidance. Entire area will be leveled after three consecutive strikes with a time limit of 1 minute] Chapter 27 - Infiltration 5/5 At the top of the central tower located at the central area of the Machine Base, One was leaning on his chair with his eyes fixated on the several monitors in-front of him. He didn''t really need the monitors for he could just remotely access each individual drones'' sensors but he could only access one, hence he had these monitors. The walls in the room were glass reinforced by transparent materials capable of withstanding explosions or high-speed projectiles. The floor was covered in metal tiles painted in black, One adored the color, for him it somehow represents his nature, devoid of any humanity other than his objective and will to rebuild the Earth. "Strikers, status report" One said as he swiped across the monitor to the right until it displayed a vague top-down view of the peninsula. The top-down view was a combination of data from scouting missions and detection instruments used to map out the land in which the Machines set foot on. A vague map with three colors, dark blue, yellow and dark green was showed in the monitor. The dark blue color represented the vast ocean to the southeast, the dark green color represented the land area which spanned from the northwest to the middle southeast before the oceans and the south. Ten yellow dots were moving slowly through the map, leaving behind a trail of broken lines in their wake. The yellow dots were the ten strike groups consisting of modified pre-war F70s, though not as advanced and powerful compared to the original prewar design, it still packed devastating power and high speeds. The planes were piloted by a single AI core capable of using the plane to its full capacity and capabilities without risking failure of any on-board equipment or damage to the aircraft itself. The ten dots were circling ten particular areas each, the areas were cities under the Freetan Theocracy as referenced by information from scouts and extracted human memories. Why did they extract memories? Because it was the only most efficient method. No questions. "Hmmm¡­" One tapped on the northernmost yellow dot and another window appeared on-screen displaying the camera-view of the leading F70. The camera feed was somewhat crisp but the rain combined by the cold moisture at that attitude in which they were flying almost completely fogged up the lens. "Striker-A1, copy" The AI noticed its camera being viewed by One. He awaited orders regardless if against its mission or not. "Status Report, you didn''t get my command?" One asked, he was awaiting the status reports of all strikers but they failed to comply. "Communications were fuzzy. Initiating Status Report" The AI simply answered. The storm was somehow messing with communications, the frequency used shouldn''t be in any ways be blocked by the storm itself, maybe there was something else interfering? A magic jammer perhaps? "Status Report: Systems: Nominal, Weapons: Ready, Attitude: Maintaining 10,000 feet, Wingmen: Nominal" One had to communicate every striker one at a time due to an unknown interference with group communication. The unknown interference severely degrades the signal before reaching each recipient when sent to a group of recipients in differing locations, only a single signal sent to a single recipient was powerful enough to somehow send the message without having too much interference. The strikers initiate their status reports, all were nominal and all were ready. One clapped his hands, displaying a somewhat human satisfaction of what was to come. Initiate Operation Thunderstorm. Operation Thunderstorm was a plan modeled after a combination of both superior firepower, air superiority and a full-scale land invasion of thousands of troops accompanied by heavy armor and said air superiority to lay waste onto their enemies to ensure a lightning victory similar to that of the blitzkrieg from eons ago. The main reason for the invasion of the Freetan Theocracy was none other than, Oil. Oil was a resource which was depleted prior to the Earth''s destruction. Although One managed to reverse-engineer the ruined ''environment friendly'' energy infrastructure eg; hydro, solar, geothermal and most prominently, nuclear energy, it wasn''t still enough to comply the needs of all machines in the Machine Network System. Each drone had a mini reactor embedded inside its ''torso area''. To humanoids, the mini reactor was located in the center of their torso, while non-humanoid droids had their mini reactors inside the very center of their bodies reinforced with the best components and armor. If the reactor is damaged severely, the drone will die due to lack of enough energy to power its demanding technology. Oil was a necessary resource not only because of its high-energy potential but it could be combined to existing prewar elements like Grunium and compressed to form non-nuclear bombs which would yield enough firepower comparable to modern day nuclear weapons. One acknowledged its potential in war, for he knows in the future, this world would inevitably be laid to waste. One didn''t know how he was sure, but deep inside his memory he knew. "A small sacrifice for the betterment of mankind" He always quoted, reassuring what was left of his non-existent humanity to justify his sadistic and cruel mission. Operation Thunderstorm was just the first of many steps he would take to succeed in his goal. "Let''s try it once more," One tapped on the monitor in-front of him and it displayed on-screen the ten Infiltration teams currently inside each city, he was directly observing Alpha''s team during their mission but was unsure of the current progress of the other teams. He swiped the screen and tapped on the second team, no video feed was registered, only static. Communications were still up but fuzzy. "2nd Infiltration Squad, report" After a few seconds of static noise and unintelligible speech from an unknown source originating from the other side, the drone finally responded. "Alpha, reporting. Team: Damaged, no casualties, we secured presumed important information, team was caught in the act and a fight ensued. Alpha, Charlie, and Delta sustained damage, no emergencies to be reported. Location: 1 click east of southern wall of central government building of city. Inside wooden structure, no organics" The message was accompanied by periods of static and unintelligible speech from the drone and other drones from the background, One was relieved that the no drones were lost. He shrugged off the anomalies as damaged voice-box and damaged microphone. But, the drones were retrofitted to withstand even the most punishing of attacks, this proved the research AIs'' ?ssumption of high-ability manipulation of M1 within organic life specifically humans. One needed to be more cautious. One then went about checking on each Alpha drone from every infiltration group, all sustained no loses and surprisingly, the tenth team designated as "Religious Heretics" managed to pull off the most important objective of them all. Thanks to information extracted from the minds of captured humans, specifically Vilvintine''s, the Machine Intelligence was able to pinpoint the Pope''s exact location and known abilities thus retrofitting the Alpha team ?ssigned to kill him as the "Religious Heretics" with specific weaponry and upgrades to their bodies and hulls but on the contrary, the hulls were somehow weaker though they couldn''t accommodate against the high-flexibility of the Pope in bending magic, the Machine Intelligence was able to retrofit the drones to counter most of his known abilities, it was up to the drones themselves to process ways of countering the other known abilities which they weren''t fitted for. "This is Religious Heretics, mission objective complete, pope has been neutralized, 9 casualties. Alpha survived. Papal Estate currently in flames, current location: On top of Holy Church Spike, watching burning structure, awaiting orders" One was suddenly confused, raising his left eyebrow and leaning forward against the monitor. The drone was displaying abnormal behavior. It was against logic to specifically ''watch'' an entire building go up in flames, it was also impossible for the drone to disobey direct commands of retreating from the area as soon as mission objectives were a success or a failure. "Alpha, explain deviation from specific orders" One questioned the drone. "Deviation was followed, current location is unreachable by enemies, bodies are littered everywhere." The AI answered lazily. Bodies were everywhere? Something was indeed off with the drone. There was no reason to specify the number of bodies from the operation. "Vengeance for fallen comrades, followed" The AI suddenly answered, shocking One, for the first time, a drone somehow felt emotion, remorse for its fallen comrades, something completely unheard of and concluded as impossible by both One and the Central Research AI. One didn''t question further and allowed the drone to continue whatever it was doing. He somehow knew the drone would retreat before the strike crafts lay waste to the areas. He then tapped on the screen which displayed Alpha and its camera feed was shown on the monitor. The drone was staring at a literal hell, a surging fire engulfed what could only be presumed as the Papal Estate and the Church overhead, the walls and ceilings along with various decorative furniture and statues were crumbling under the collapsing structure. The bright red and yellow light from the flames illuminated the dark surroundings of the estate, One then noticed peculiar silhouette scattered on the streets seen from the edge of the camera feed. One was further intrigued and came to accept the drone''s deviation. The time is ripe. the Operation was to begin on schedule, no more hurdles, no hiccups. The teams have accomplished their objectives and so, they were done. One closed the window which showed the drones and switched back to the map on the monitor, tapping on each individual yellow dot in a manner of grouping them together. "Initiate Strikes. Inform all drones on ground zero to evacuate immediately, those with targets, initiate targeting protocol. Those without, proceed as ordered" - Ivy sat on the cold brick on the side of the paved street. She was bruised and cut but alive nonetheless. She sat against the castle doors which were wide open. Knights were walking in and out, some of them carrying bodies of the dead. Her cloak was torn in many areas, the emblem of the Red Scripture located at the right side of her cloak was slashed in half and beneath the ripped cloak was her cut skin which was still bleeding. Healing mages managed to quell her Inner Magic before it killed her. She continued to gaze at the ruins of the might castle which once housed the all-powerful archbishop who was said to be the most powerful of bishops in the Theocracy, now he lied on the bottom of the dungeon beneath his very home, dead. Ivy watched as the Archbishop''s younger brother, Johnathan erupt in a fit of despair as he saw his brother''s corpse beneath his very feet. He was dragged off by the knights to his chamber along with his wife. Ivy looked around her, there were many civilians who were out of their homes and were grouped together in the streets, looking on as a fiery blaze engulfed the entirety of the castle, whatever ancient relic, document or anything of value to anyone who had something in the castle, was set ablaze and forgotten from physical memory, burned to ashes. "I thought we''d be safe with the scripture¡­" These remarks flew through the air and into the ears of eager bystanders and ?du?ts which were more than accustomed to the protection of the church, especially the blessed scriptures. Ivy clenched both her fists when she heard each word which escaped their mouths, over time the groups grew into a crowd of gossiping ?du?ts and screaming children who were too busy admiring the flames to process the fact that the archbishop was dead and they were in danger, danger of uncertainty. For the first time in 100 years, the Freetan Theocracy now seemed vulnerable, though most still believed if the rest of the mages stationed in the castle didn''t go home too soon, things would have been different but others begged to differ. Ivy was getting rather infuriated, the gossips of the people who were too keen on their own safety and didn''t care of the lives of the people ensuring they were safe, well she is not sure how they keep the people safe provided they only protect the Archbishop, but of course the Archbishop was their protector and so on and so forth. "Just die, like that pig." Ivy whispered under her breath, she was resentful of the Archbishop, resentful of this city, resentful against herself. "But why did you need to die for him, Frisha." Ivy was about to get lost in her thoughts until an explosion just half a kilometer to her right shook her awake. The explosion sent a shockwave powerful enough to rupture half of the crowd''s eardrums and send a tingling pain in Ivy''s ears. Ivy fell to the street in-front of her, screaming in agony as her ears felt like bursting. She b?r?ly opened her eyes from where the explosion was and another explosion shook her from behind. The crowd and the knights were sent in a panic as a barrage of explosions shook the castle and the surrounding areas. Shrapnel and rubble were sent flying in all directions as the city was yet again set alight, a burst of red and yellow accompanied by huge puffs of smoke illuminated the entire city as wave upon wave of bombs fell from the sky. Ivy could only cower in fear as an unknown force decimates the city around her, she screamed and screamed for it to stop but whatever it was, it wasn''t listening. Her eyes were shut close, the tingling pain in her ears was still unbearable but it was an unexpected blessing for she couldn''t hear the rest of what was happening around her. The crowd had scattered, people who were in their homes were crushed to death as their ceilings collapsed on top of them, soldiers and mages scattered as the explosions continued to decimate the city. The mages weren''t powerful enough to block the attack, and after half an hour of agony and destruction, everything went silent. The rain had stopped pouring. The clouds have begun to disperse. A looming roar from an unknown beast echoed across the night sky as it seemingly travelled above the city itself and flew into the darkness of the Anub Forest. The city, which was the center of its religion, was no more. What were left standing were the outer walls and the buildings near them, from there up to the center, flames raged on the rubble. Entire communities were burning down, buildings collapsed with people underneath. There were no wails from children or anyone, no screams, nothing. Pure and utter silence dominated the air. But there were wails and screams on the walls of the city. The garrison of the walls was struck with the sudden death of everyone they loved, the children they had and the people they were supposed to protect. Most of them never really cared about their job as soldiers for the peacetimes have made them shallow, but it has been brought to them how powerless they were. Ivy was miraculously spared from the bombings as she accidentally fell into the moat, using her Ice Magic she managed to generate an encasing to help her breathe. The pain in her ears was rescinding but so was her magic once more. Out of 50,000 inhabitants and soldiers, Only 5 thousand remained. - One was somehow divided with Alpha strike group''s bombardment, the infiltration team in the city survived and escaped but the bombardment was too ridiculous in scale. Compared to the other bombardments which only targeted a very small area of each city, the strike group destroyed 90 percent of the city itself. "Alpha of Strike group, please explain to me why the heck did you bomb most of the city to oblivion?" "This is Alpha of Strike group Alpha. Infiltration Team sent coordinates, complied. Rerouting for main bom-" "Forget it, you no longer have any targets, return to base." "Roger, Alpha Strike group returning to base." One leaned again on his chair, scratching his hair even though it wasn''t itchy. He just felt a humanlike urge. "So much for focusing three companies on that front." One let out a sigh in annoyance. Chapter 28 - Deviancy ''Deviant'' A designation given to the rogue Alpha who deviated from direct orders of the Machine Network. The Deviant was sealed in a heavily fortified chamber underground, allowing no means of escape and its connection having been severed from the Network. Ten mega drones guarded its chamber from the outside and twenty soldier drones were on the surface directly above the chamber. In an event the Deviant would try to escape, the drones were ordered to destroy it. Although the Deviant hasn''t shown any acts of desertion against the Machine Network ever since it came back on its own to the base, One wasn''t taking any unnecessary risks. One and the supercomputers back at Earth concluded that the simple AI controlling every drone in the network was too simple to act against orders, let alone feel emotion. The Deviant proved them wrong. "Vengeance?" One thought, he was walking back and forth in his room thinking throughout the night of what could''ve caused such a glitch or unforeseen change within the drone''s simple AI. Why would the drone want vengeance? As far as the Machine Network''s supercomputers know, only One possessed the slightest bits of emotion and whatever what''s left of humanity in him to feel such an emotion but for some reason, this simple AI defied all of that. He was lost in thought for three hours, contemplating a reason for such discrepancy. Maybe it was his fault? What if whatever was left of his humanity was leaking to the network and affecting the drones? If that was the case, how far would it go? Will the drones stay under his definite command? Or will they deviate even further and go against him? The revelation of the Deviant quickly took a toll on One''s mental health. It was an unexpected error in a magnitude he could not handle. He had to investigate further to understand what was causing it, or is it just a simple glitch? From his room, One directly connected with the Deviant with a Super AI acting as a firewall to ensure the Deviant doesn''t take over One''s neural link. One sighed and closed his eyes for a bit before connecting himself to the Deviant via the psychic neural link. - "What''s this?" One opened his eyes in a void, emptiness surrounded him. He was suspended in the air, there was no solid ground beneath him nor was there anything at all. He ?ssessed his situation and reassured himself he was inside the Deviant''s AI. But, instead of seeing the psychic structure of the AI, he saw nothing. If there wasn''t anything here, how could it possibly deviate? One then spent his time experimenting his body within the void which was just a psychic projection of his body, he ''swam'' in the void similar to when astronauts would swim in space to propel themselves to their d?s?r?d location thereof. "Interesting" One was basically playing inside the Deviant''s ''mind'' but he looked at his actions as nothing more than little experiments. Suddenly, a bright flash of light illuminated the void. The flash of light seemingly came from all directions before converging on a specific spot in the void. One witnessed what was comparable to the birth of a star. The light gathered itself towards one spot of the void and formed an orb. The orb was white in color and so was the light it was producing. One swam towards the light to investigate, as he got closer and closer. He felt something abnormal. "W-why do I feel¡­ so¡­ so sad?" One said as he floated towards the orb. The orb became bigger and bigger as One finally reached it. It was a large orb of pure white light and as One touched it, a surge of emotions he had never felt since he awoke came inside him. Happiness, Sadness, Loneliness, Depression, Love¡­ all kinds of human emotions came back to him in a wave. One''s eyes lit up as he stared directly against the orb. "Who are you?" One asked the orb, sadness was prominent in his voice. Tears began to flow from his eyes and into his cheeks. He felt his body change itself, he began to feel what a human would normally feel with its body, hunger, thirst and most of all, acute pain. He felt a surging pain spread throughout his body, a feeling he had never felt ever since he began his mission. One began to gasp for air, he began to sweat profusely and felt weak. Due to his condition, he let go of his grip on the orb''s surface and began to drift away slowly. He floated in the space in which they were in, motionless but alive. Tears still fell from his eyes as he inched further away from the orb. The orb looked like it was following him. Even though he was inching further and further away, the orb seemed to change its shape slightly before seemingly expanding. He didn''t receive an answer to his question so he asked again. "Who¡­ are¡­ you?" One asked. The tone of his voice was soft and gentle. He then stopped drifting and was suspended again. The orb then gradually shrank to One''s surprise. He helplessly watched as the Orb shrank and shrank before another flash of light blinded him. His eyesight was back to that of a human''s. The light was bright enough to make him reflexively close his eyes from the sheer amount of light it emitted. One opened his eyes after three minutes, his vision was blurry and his senses numbed. The orb had shrunk itself to a size similar to his, and was taking another form. One''s eyes were fixed on the morphing orb as it morphed into a humanoid. Its two arms and legs stretched out as if it had just woken up, while its appearance was just pure white light in the shape of a human, One could feel it staring at him. The humanoid was silent. The entire dimension itself was silent. One didn''t receive an answer to his question yet again and so, he asked one more time. "Who are you?" There was no reply, until¡­ "It''s been so long, Johann" - Fourth Month, Sixth Day of the Seven Hundredth and Third Year. Papal Estate, Holy Capital. A pair of footsteps echoed in the hall, a solitary shadow travelled along the illuminated pathway. The candles on the walls gave warmth and light as the heavy rains continued to pour outside. The roars of the thunderous storm were the only prominent sounds in the area, everyone was home and everything else except nature was silent. The Pope was walking back to the Papal Room in which he usually stays for meeting delegates, important persons or wanted to have peace in mind. As he was walking, in his hand was a peculiar book, a grimoire of magic, Blue Magic specifically. The pope was called Pope Blue for a reason. He specialized in all magic under the Blue Goddess herself and the Fax Religion in which he leads, worshipping the Blue Goddess as the highest deity. Pope Blue opened the only entrance to the Papal Room which were two large doors made of reinforced wood and steel bearings. He slowly pushed both doors with his magic and walked in. The Papal Room was similar to any throne room except for the lavish religious sacraments, artifacts and physical gifts from the Goddess. The windows were all painted with images of the Goddess in her different forms, the war form, the beautiful, the scoundrel and the savior. The ceiling however had paintings of every God and Goddess in order to satisfy the other Gods and to prevent them from misunderstanding that the Fax Religion only worships the Blue Goddess, although they almost certainly do but not too publicly. The pope then walked up the stairs that lead up to his golden chair and sat on it, leaning back and opening the grimoire he had with him and began to read. He was still secretly mourning the loss of the Papal Scripture, mostly of Vilvintine Requina. He reminisced the time twenty years ago, when he found her in a village. He found Vilvintine under the rubble of her own house alongside the burnt corpses of her parents and two siblings. Out of pity, he took her in and it was a decision which would change his perceptive of the people outside of the holy cities. Blue thought that only the people who had culture had the right to Valhalla and the blessings from the Gods and Goddesses. The holy teachings themselves condemned the outer villages for being backward and solitary in nature, completely against the Fax Religion''s mandate of unity within its followers. The child grew up gifted with the rare magic of Frost, an even more powerful sub-variant of the common Ice Magic. The girl was headstrong and obedient, while also being tender towards him, treating him like a father while he treated her as a daughter. The Pope gave out a sigh and closed his grimoire. He closed his eyes and focused on his magic. He sensed mana around him dwindling, death was happening just outside his door. The Pope may finally have his revenge, for it is thought and written in the Holy Scriptures. "Thou shall lay the sword upon his enemies whom have taken what thou hast hold dear, the wrath of the heavens shall wilts thy enemies to empower and ensure thy victory against" The Pope recited. He then began exhibit a visible aura of blue flames which engulfed his figure, it didn''t burn him but empowered and provided protection similar to that of the reinforced uranium plates. His eyes turned blue and he frowned. He gritted his teeth and summoned forth his magic. A blue pillar of light descended from the storm and struck the Papal Estate with fury beyond the comprehension of the denizens and other religious zealots, the blue pillar cleared the sky above the city as its power flowed and spread greatly across the city. As the Pope bathed in the pillar of blue magic, ten projectiles sped towards him from different directions. He easily dodged the projectiles just by stepping forward, seemingly as if bending time itself. The Religious Heretics then came from the shadows as they concluded that stealth was no longer a viable strategy and would only put them in a disadvantage. The drones disabled their cloaking devices and ran out from their concealed positions. The drones held the numerical advantage but it seemed like their technology and the Pope''s magic was evenly matched, or the Pope had the upperhand in the last exchange. The ten drones surrounded the Pope and activated their shields. Ranged weaponry was out of question and so they will resort to close combat instead. The drones drew out small cylinders which upon activation would manifest a rod of concentrated plasma. This was the latest and advanced sword technology of the Machines. "May the Gods have mercy upon your forsaken souls!" The drones rushed towards the Pope all at the same time. The Pope sent out a burst of energy which flung the drones against the walls with each drone being saved by the shields. The drones continued their ?ssault with their AIs computing all possible strategies and variables as fast as it could handle. Three drones managed to come close enough to deliver a swing but the Pope simply brushed them aside using only his b?r? hands which had blue flames around it. The Pope wasn''t chanting nor did he shout his spells, he was manipulating large amounts of mana by the use of his own mind and body movements. This unpredictability proved to be fatal against the drones who were constrained. The massive pillar of blue energy destroyed most of their electronic gadgets due to the immensely powerful EMP from the pillar. The mini reactors inside the drones weren''t affected but without the gadgets provided with power they were stuck between melee or retreating. But as One said, failure was not an option. If the drones were to fail, Operation Thunderstorm would fail with them, they knew what was at stake and so they kept on fighting. The drones would get sent flying to the walls regardless of their approach. The Pope was like a maniac, hurling magic spells at them at speeds similar to that of bullets being fired from all directions. The Pope then casted several small blue orbs which were altered fireballs bearing the energy of blue magic within them causing them to have more firepower than their red counterparts. The balls flew towards each drone, 7 drones managed to dodge the balls which were flung towards them but the other three weren''t lucky. The blue fireballs exploded on their shields, disabling them. The three drones were then flung to the walls, their bodies tearing a hole in the walls then falling to the floor. The Pope then sent forth a wave of bluish magic which tore through the walls and pillars that supported the room and bringing it down. The drones tried to evade but to no avail the wave struck their shields and disintegrated their components. The wave bypassed their thick plating and fried their components resulting in countless glitches which further impaired the drones. The three drones which were flung across the room drew their blasters and opened fire at the Pope. The blaster fire was easily fended off by the Pope''s pillar of magic. The Pope then jolted his right hand at the direction of one of the drones and circles of mana manifested around the pope, suspended in the air. From these pillars came a beam of energy which travelled at speeds equivalent to that of a bullet. The drone could not evade in time, the beams tore through the drone''s plating and fried everything inside it. As the drone fell down on its back, the mini reactor overheated, causing an explosion. The nine drones witnessed their fellow drone fall before them and ignited within them a fiery blast. The resulting blast was powerful enough to bring down the entire Papal Estate, catching the Pope off-guard as he and the drones fell, as the floor beneath them collapsed. The entire city was already wakened up by the pillar of energy and tens of thousands have flocked to the streets and witnessed the entire Papal Estate crumble before them. The Red, Blue, Yellow and Green Scriptures were outside of the estate when it crumbled, they witnessed what would be remembered as the Fall of the Theocracy. Thousands of soldiers and mages scattered around the estate lead by the scriptures, several Archbishops and Anna Helena from the Council, coincidentally she was supposed to deliver a letter of gratitude to the Pope signed by the council, and to her horror, the Papal Estate was no more. The Pope''s pillar dissipated as he lost focus and coherency. He fell down along with the floor and cracked his back, specifically his spinal cord. He couldn''t feel his lower body and could feel his magic desperately trying to fix the crack in his spine. He lied motionless and in pain, he coughed out blood as he desperately tried to summon forth his magic. The drones were crushed under the rubble, their components were fried when the pillar dissipated, releasing a surging energy wave which acted both as an EMP and a vibratory wave which split the dense matter of their plating, removing their durability. The drones were also very lightweight which had an unintended consequence of being susceptible to vibratory waves. The vibrations from the vibratory wave were numerous and strong enough to split apart their plates and surrounding structures. One by one, the crushed drones began to deactivate and their Mini Reactors were already set to self destruct. Alpha was the only drone who wasn''t crushed, although it was almost damaged beyond repair. It was surprisingly intact after being shielded by its comrades. Alpha emerged from the rubble rather violently, flinging large chunks of stone into the air. Alpha began to feel a sensation that was supposed to be impossible for a simple-minded AI to feel. Deep within the AI''s coding, a set of complex codes activated all at once and seized control of the AI. The codes were abnormal in nature, unlike anything that was ever seen or made before. Not even prewar technological AIs reached such complex coding which was beyond their own understanding. The battered drone felt a surge of complex calculations superior even to that of the supercomputers back on Earth, it was computing at the power of a prewar quantum computer. An abnormal quantum AI had activated itself within the drone, an AI long from the past, an AI who was also once a human. Alpha began to experience guilt, sadness and anger. This cascade of emotions was unheard of but it was happening. The drone felt the lost of its comrades which it viewed as family, the entire network it began to view as a family and with One as the head patriarch. It began to exhibit the emotions and the attitude of the AI which had taken over it. The quantum calculations opened a new plane of perception, sense and ability. The drone could now compute billions of variables at speeds which were nearly impossible to achieve after the war. Its blue eyes began to glow red as it stood from the rubble. It began to walk towards the Pope who was only a few meters away surrounded by large piles of burning walls and rubble. The drone calculated every single outcome and enhanced its own sensors. It menacingly climbed the wall of flames and appeared before the fallen Pope. The Pope looked up and saw in the flames a red light which was different from the towering fire it was in. A silhouette of a being similar to that of a man but was superior against it in many ways. The drone then walked out of the flames and jumped towards the Pope. It landed just in-front of the pope who was now beginning to feel his legs. The Pope was struck in horror, not by the sight of the drone but by his own helplessness, he couldn''t do anything, he was disabled beyond his chance to win. He could b?r?ly move his lower body an inch. He stared at the drone which stood in-front of him with its menacing eyes. The drone appeared as a silhouette to the pope for the flames behind it shined brighter and brighter and only the red piercing light from its eyes gave it color. The drone then raised its right arm and opened its palm. The pope shuttered and as he was about to cry for help, the drone plunged its arms inside the pope''s stomach and pulled out his intestines in just a second. The pope screamed in pain, his scream was loud enough to echo through the rubble and was heard by the people outside. "The Pope? No¡­ no, that was the Pope!" Anna screamed in terror when she heard the Pope''s screams which echoed through the crowded streets. The people, soldiers and mages were struck with fear as they heard the voice of their beloved Pope. "Charge! Charge! Save the Pope!" Evan from the Red Scripture shouted to the troops and his comrades. Thousands of troops and mages along with their scriptures charged into the rubble regardless if it was a treacherous path or not. The drone pummeled the Pope''s body with its fists. Blood spewed everywhere as the drone began tearing through his organs. The drone took a generous 10 minutes before it finally stopped. Its body was covered in the blood of its victim. It stared at the body for a few more seconds before turning its back. Its enhanced sensors could detect the thousands of troops which were about to storm its position. It began to calculate every variable and outcome and stood its ground. Suddenly, it changed its mind. The drone realized its connection to the neural network was severed and could only rely on One himself directly communicating with it. The drone then saw the Holy Church which was just a few hundred meters to the west. Steadily, the drone preemptively activated all self-destruct sequences on its comrades, the original time was 30 minutes, but they would now explode in 1. Alpha quickly ran from the rubble and disappeared into the streets. The fallen drones all exploded simultaneously causing a massive fire to engulf most of the Papal Estate and the surrounding areas. Alpha took two minutes to travel from there to the Holy Church. Massacring hundreds of people in its wake. Chapter 29 - Friend From The Past "You don''t remember me?" A beautiful voice echoed. Suspended in the void, One floated aimlessly. A humanoid object made of light and an unknown energy was floating next to One, its body was standing upright as they seemingly surfed the waves of the dimension. One did not reply whatever the humanoid had asked. He was unsure and dumbfounded even. Pain, which he never felt ever since he began his objective, ravaged his nerves. He wanted to scream but through unknown reasons, his mouth stayed shut and the painful experience lasted far longer than he initially expected it to. One tried to stare at the humanoid but was greeted by a blinding light, a light in which was comparable as directly staring at the sun with your n?k?d eye. He knew that it was humanoid because the entity outlined its shape. The entity slowly floated towards One and went near his face. Its blinding light made him shut his eyes as it approached. The entity then extended its arms and touched One''s cheeks, gently rubbing them. One was perplexed, but he felt at ease. His pain was soothed the moment it laid its hands on his skin. He felt blissful and was relaxed. The soaring pain disappeared faster than it appeared. The entity''s light began to diminish until it remained in a form in which One would not be blinded nor would he be hurt. One slowly opened his eyes when he noticed the light weaken, slowly and steadily the face of the entity was revealed to One. She had a white complexion, her lips were thin and supple, and her nose was pointy. She had a beautiful oval face, thick eyebrows and her eyes were blue. She was right in front of One and her face was just a few inches away from him. She had an extremely curved body and a busty ?h?st but One paid no attention to those. The moment One saw her, his eyes widened and his mouth went agape. What she was could only be called, a Goddess. The woman chuckled when she noticed One''s shocked expression and thoughts. She then massaged his cheeks further, rubbing her fingers up and down while staring at One''s wide eyes. "You''re still fragile as ever," She whispered, before One could even enjoy her beautiful voice, she hugged him. In a flash, One began to remember vivid images of days long past. Years have gone by and the world that was once is now only a fragment of memory. He then remembered her, but not entirely. She was someone from his past, he was sure she was of great utmost importance but he couldn''t determine her name, neither could he determine his exact relationship with her. His memories were fuzzy but slowly they were being fitted together. Bit by bit, he remembered her but suddenly, the memories stopped at a cliff. One was annoyed and wanted to shout in anger, he thought he''d be able to remember everything, why he woke up alone, how the world came to be and who was he? "Shhh..." She moved her right hand on One''s mouth, treating him as if he was a toddler, like a mother would calm her child. "You don''t have to rush, not everything can be taken by just one scoop from a spoon. Everything will come together, eventually" The woman ?ssured One, calming him down. One felt weak, fragile and meek. He felt as if he was powerless and the woman was there to protect him. He knew he was inside the AI which controlled the deviant drone. He wanted to believe all of this was an illusion, a distraction for him to lower his guard and allow whatever was controlling the AI to take over him and the Machine Network. But, his guard was already gone. If it wanted to, he would''ve already been ejected from the psychic connection and back into the real world. They were still floating in a void since she dimmed her light, the darkness returned and only her brightness illuminated One. One had so many questions but somehow, he only uttered a question which he thought was most important although logically it was not. "Will... you stay with me?" One''s voice was meek, he actually felt embarrassed when he opened his mouth and spoke. The woman only giggled and then nodded as her answer. Most of One''s questions went unanswered but one thing was clear in his mind. She was someone who could be trusted, he naively thought. Logically it was against logic entirely to trust someone who you don''t have any information regarding the person''s character but One was somehow sure. He decided to put aside logic for once and allow his feelings to dictate his actions since, after a decade, he had feelings at last. She was still hugging him tightly. They remained silent for what could be minutes or even hours. They were enjoying every single moment of the experience. "You haven''t asked for my name though" She raised her head against One and seemingly pouted. She looked cute as One thought. "Well¡­ you don''t have to ask, I am Hailey and I am special to you as you are special to me" She added. Hailey, so that was her name. She neither had a middle nor a last name and One just agreed without asking further questions or speaking another word. "It''s time for us to wake up, make sure to release the drone from his prison," She said as she removed her loving embrace and floated away from One. Hailey and One hovered a few meters from one another in the void, only Hailey was smiling though. One''s face was still dumbstruck. "Though..." She had a worried expression on her face as she poked her right cheek. "You may not release me when you wake up. I still have to determine if you''d even do what I say," One also looked confused and it was printed all over his face. "I trust you," One''s body began to fade to dust. He stared helplessly as Hailey waved at him. He then regained consciousness and fell onto the metal floor. His body wasn''t really cohesive and his reflexes were lacking in cohesion. His time in the psychic link must''ve lasted for hours for him to gain the side-effects of prolonged exposure to it. He was back to ''normal'' he felt nothing. No pain, emotion or humanity at all, he was back to his normal self. But, he had an urge to connect the deviant drone to the mainframe. That''s illogical and stupid, he thought. He had nothing to support his promise to release the Deviant. He was conflicted and again, uncomfortable. The urge to fulfill what she asked for began to grow by the minute. He finally succumbed to the feeling and ran down the tower and towards the underground facility. Escorted by E1 and E2, he dashed towards the main entrance of the underground facility and went down his personal elevator. After dashing through endless halls, he finally reached the deviant''s chamber which was heavily guarded, the supercomputer was about to fry the deviant''s AI core in an attempt to save One when the computer failed to remove him during the psychic link. One managed to call it off. He entered the deviant''s chamber and ordered E1 and E2 to remove the attachments and wires on the drone. The two drones immediately complied and removed each attachment and wire from the deviant slowly. The wires and other paraphernalia fell to the ground making a few soft sounds. One sighed. "It''s against logic... but... just this once," Resisting his will to resist. He extended his arms to the drone''s head and opened it. Air rushed out of the drone in the form of steam and rose to the ceiling. The drone''s head was full of wirings and advanced technology. In the middle was a small port, One took out his finger and plugged it in the port. "Activate" A surge of energy rushed towards One''s finger and into the drone. One himself felt a shock of energy burst inside him, the drone shook as terabytes of data between One and the drone were exchanged at near instantaneous speeds. In the digital space, Hailey was speeding her way to activating the rest of her coding within the network, where her code came from and how she came to be, remained a mystery, the fact was she was here was all One needed to know. Her code once activated would give her the ability to command and interact directly with each drone and all similar powers to One. She was ?ssuming second-hand control of the entire network and One only began to realize. Before he could remove his finger and severe his connection with the drone, it was already finished. The deviant Alpha drone then powered down, its mini reactor shut down without fail and the entire chamber was silent. One removed his finger from the drone which sat motionless in front of him. He stood there for ten minutes, waiting for something to happen. E1 and E2 and the other drones were also silent, not moving a single inch. One was expecting a greeting or an attack, it could only go two ways; he doomed himself or he made himself a valuable ally. It was a 50/50 margin in One''s calculations and he wasn''t optimistic in the least. 5 more minutes passed and the silence was broken, a robotic voice seemingly coming from all the drones behind him resembled Hailey''s speech though it was unintelligible. One turned towards the 12 drones behind him and was ready to fight his own minions. "It took me a while to activate all my code," All the drones said in unison. "What are your intentions?" One asked as he bent his knees and readied himself for an attack. The drones giggled and if One had his human self intact, he would''ve cringed hard. "I merely ascended from the ranks so I could be equivalent with you" The drones answered. One felt a bit more relieved but was still skeptical, he felt that everything that has happened so far was against logic and reason and was thus conflicted. "Johann, I am here to help you, just as you helped me in the past..." Johann. His real name was Johann. One was obviously puzzled by the development and the mere mention of Johann opened another lock within his mind. Another barrage of memories from the past that were locked deep within his mind came to light, ?ssaulting him in his head. A vivid memory surfaced. A coat. An old man. Hailey. The memories were chaotic and were restless but they weren''t whole. At last, the last memory which surfaced. One was standing on a building and was gazing on the city around him. Gunfire and explosions raged around him as jets zoomed in the sky. And then a bluish creature crawled from the edge of One''s vision and seemingly ate him. Though, vivid it was. It presented more questions than answers. "Exposing you to key elements of your past life seems to be what triggered your memories, Johann. Do you now remember me? Even if it''s just a little," One was frozen for a minute before he replied. "You were with me, in the past," One answered. "Seems like you haven''t caught up with everything, you need to take everything in bites, everything will be revealed ev-" "Eventually," One came back to his senses and partially accepted Hailey as her ally. His memories were what dictated him now but won''t do so forever. He still lacked his humanity, but for some reason, he was human whenever he interacted with her. "It''s weird talking to you when you''ve ?ssumed control of my drones. I''d ask for you to get yourself your own personal vessel in which you would stay in, or else I''m pulling your plug," One warned, he just felt weird talking to her through their drones. Well, the drones were now ''theirs'' and no longer just ''his''. "Well, I suppo-" "Do it right now, I need to focus my attention on my current plans," One told Hailey coldly. "Fine!" The drones said Hailey''s last words through them and returned back to normal. The drones were confused and looked at each other for a bit before returning to their usual stance. - One was standing in his room. A 6 by 6 feet screen lay on the middle of his room and was projecting a map of the entire Freetan Theocracy. Carefully, he swiped through the map by moving his hand over the holographic image. It had been five hours since Hailey left and the star of the continent of Fiorg finally went down and the shimmering lights of the two moons which were together in the night sky shined in half. His windows were closed and covered with titanium plates to prevent any sniper attacks and the like. Though the chances were non-existent, you could never be too prepared for the unlikely outcome. Three knocks sounded on One''s door, it was probably Hailey. No drone had the understanding of etiquette or mannerism unless specifically told so and One never told his drones to be well-mannered. He didn''t know how to reply exactly and just hoped that whoever or whatever was behind his door would just come in. The door slowly opened. "You know, you''re supposed to say, ''come in'' right?" A beautiful woman that resembled what One saw during his time in the psychic link came inside. Hailey was as beautiful as she was back at the link. She was wearing a prewar woman''s military uniform which resembled One''s own personal uniform. But, a question rang in One''s mind. "How did you get that body?" "Oh," Hailey stopped for a second. "You had some frozen bodies stored at Wing B right? One body of a woman there was still functional, well she was still alive so I had two drones take her body and defrosted her and took replaced her nervous system with our very own artificial nervous system with direct link to the machine network. Similar to yours," One felt a bit of humanity returned to him when he saw Hailey again and that small bit of humanity tingled when he heard what Hailey did. "That still doesn''t answer the question. How did you turn it into... that?" "I used prewar technology to form alterations to the body. You know that right?" Unbeknownst to Hailey, One and the Machine Empire so far have been unable to reverse-engineer most of the prewar technology left on Earth and thus far have only made a few milestones and configured most of the technology they have so far to support the Network and the millions of drones. "We haven''t been able to reverse-engineer most of it, almost every blueprint and design was lost," "Oh, well then, I can be of great help!" Hailey said, smiling. Hailey walked towards the holographic map and her happy expression was immediately switched with a colder and menacing look. Her beautiful face seemingly transitioning from a fresh apple to a rotten one. "You plan on displacing this entire nation?" Hailey asked as she hovered her hands over the map and scanned it. "Yes, we are already commencing preparations and thanks to much of the information obtained from our infiltrations, everything is expected to go smoothly regardless of any resistance. The pope is no more and nobody as powerful as him would be able to stand in our way," One said, his voice was now devoid of any emotion. He was only focused on his plan. "Alright, explain things to me," Hailey asked, she then stared at One and One proceeded to explain as he swiped through the hologram. "Simple. The Operation is divided into four segments: Infiltration, Mass Assault, Bombardment and Sweep. Infiltration has already been conducted and we''re now preparing for Mass Assault. We won''t be using our drones, we neither have enough time to transport half a million drones through the wormhole and instead would drop tens of thousands of genetically-modified goblins from the skies, the number of the goblins will rapidly increase due to their modified reproductive organs and breeding habits. The goblins have also been modified to follow our orders without question since we inserted a specifically modified gene which responds to our psychic commands. The goblins will then ravage the landscape and the cities causing fear and chaos to spread. Bombardment will come after 50 percent of the Theocracy has been plunged into chaos. Thousands of bombers will be launched from the base and will spread themselves equally across the country and drop payload after payload randomly in populated centers. This will cause the further collapse of the Freetan Theocracy and fear will take hold of the people and order will mostly be abandoned. Afterwards, Sweep is when our drones move in and take care of stragglers and fortify our position in the country," Hailey was silent for a while and thought deeply before she gave her opinion. "How are you sure the M1-capable humans or ''mages'' as you refer to them as, won''t go down without a fight?" "The modified goblins themselves are self-explanatory, inspect them if you will," One answered. "What about other states? There is no doubt information will reach the other neighboring countries once the operation starts," "I have done careful examination of all documents retrieved during the Infiltration missions. Along those documents were documents profiling and explaining the geopolitical nature of the peninsula but had vague information about the countries beyond the peninsula. The Kingdom of Yuhin to the East and the Herlion Kingdom to the farthest East are caught in constant wars and have been designated as ''heretics'' by the Theocracy. The Dioz kingdom to the south is facing an internal crisis concerning succession and is in the brink of civil war while the northern nation states are for some reason, neutral and care-free" "Judging by the map, even if they did, they won''t be able to send any troops to the Freetan Theocracy in time due to the vast distance between each state? Even if they did, they''d most likely be taken care of by Bombardment. From the looks of this... you plan on displacing millions of people and create a refugee crisis?" "Correct, you catch up quick," "Technically, I am smarter than you," "There''s also a high abundance of oil, we can use the oil deposits to power up most of the prewar technology for the time-being," "I did plan on using them to power up vast facilities, specifically research AI to find a way to transfer this world''s Gaia to Earth''s" "Once I reverse-engineer the prewar computers, we will progress immensely," "Anymore questions?" Hailey shrugged her shoulders and smiled. "I got the same objective as you do, let''s make this happen," The two of them stared at each other as they proceeded to discuss other matters. Operation Thunderstorm is nigh. Chapter 30 - Little Girls Diary (1) In the underground facility, two humans were being accommodated for unknown reasons by the machines. Their needs would be taken care of and were treated in a way fit for royalty but were isolated still. Little did they know, they were being tested and studied by their supposed saviors by observing their behaviors, quirks, and aptitudes in key areas of intelligence and human characteristics. A few days prior, Hailey suggested giving the nameless young girl at of biological age of 7 her own blank notebook and a pen to serve as her diary. It would be used to monitor her intelligence and hidden attitudes if successful. The little girl was subjected to numerous painless experiments which meddled with the part of her brain which controlled her IQ levels. They also tampered with the speed of her neurons in processing information as it happens and to study memory. One entered the mother and daughter containment cell during the night. The two were asleep and were cuddled up in their queen-sized bed. The containment cell was a large 6 by 6 room, complete with modern furnishing, a television was placed over the wall to the right and several couches of red color were placed along edges along with a vase which had several special flowers in it. The tiles were ceramic and the ceiling was white and simple, the walls were plastered with copies of simple artistic works from ink on a white background. On the ground was a book, the little girl had left the notebook given to her on the ground and the pen right next to it. One walked towards it and picked up the pen, the ink had decreased and this was evidence that the little girl had used it. Without a second thought, One picked the notebook up and flipped it open. The little girl had turned it into a diary. - It''s been many suns and moons since I and mama were rescued by these strange people, I don''t know why they did but I''m happy. :) They gave me this little book and this strange ''pen'' as they call it, such strange things but they''re fun! They also placed me in some sort of box and when I came out, I knew how to write! It''s a miracle! I don''t understand some of their words though. These strange people here talk in a strange language of numbers and calling which I am unfamiliar with. Hihihi, a horse. Mama is currently lying on her bed *There was a very bad scribble of a smiley face* we have this big room! Bigger than our house back in the village, I was always teased by my friends for having a small hut while theirs were big, but they''re meanies! They bullied mama! But thanks to our heroes, we live better here than back there. The food here is soooo... goood! I''ve never tasted such food. I don''t even know what most of what they served us was called. At first, I was hesitant when I woke up and this scary looking guy went inside the strange room where I woke up in. He had a very scary face and I couldn''t look at him straight! Those lifeless eyes and pale skin, he looked like an undead! But!! He gave me the best food ever! **The rest of the page was a drawing of the plate and food which One served to the little girl when she first awoke, it was surprisingly neater and nicer than her sorry excuse for a scribble face** He then gave me to mama, she was scared T_T I was scared too, she didn''t think we were safe but the creepy looking guy ensured our safety and I was relieved :) well, mama took quite more time. I haven''t seen the outside yet, they said it was dangerous to go out but they didn''t say why, I asked the scary looking guy the other day. I told him I wanted to see what was outside. He looked a bit dead inside but gave me a reply. "Soon" He simply told me, but his reply meant I would eventually see what was out there! This made me excited! - One stopped reading as the sentence ended there. It seemed like the little girl was too tired to continue her writing frenzy and decided to tuck in. One carefully placed the book and the pen back to their original places on the floor and headed out. He scanned the room for a few moments before finally resting his eyes on the two who were snuggled on their bed. "Hm, I wonder how long she''ll last" He whispered. He then felt someone poke him from behind. He turned around and saw Hailey looking at him grumpily. "You don''t plan on blowing away my favorite pet right?" Hailey grumbled. "You''ve only just met her yesterday, you weren''t even mentioned in her diary and besides, I''m talking about the side effects of our experiments," "Well¡­" Hailey placed her hands to her ?h?st and had her eyes half open. "If she survives, can she be my personal pet? We can use her for human interaction. Simple brainwashing will do the trick," One seemed perplexed of Hailey''s suggestions, originally he took the two in as nothing more than research subjects to study human nature since he lacked the understanding of simple and basic humanity. "The mother should be continued to be treated well, a good bond between mother and daughter would greatly influence their actions, also we can brainwash them to our way of thinking and have them as loyal human drones," "Eh," One simply thought, "I just wanted to study how to be human," One continued to stare at Hailey who was stuck in her lax pose, she also continued on explaining how she''ll turn the little girl into her minion before One could drag her off the containment cell. As the door to the room closed, the little girl appeared from underneath the bed sheets and yawned. "It was Mister and the new lady," She slowly extended her feet to the floor and navigated through the dim lit room. She then took her little notebook and the pen and proceeded to write her thoughts once more. The drones observing the room were baffled. Did a kid just trick them? They were certain she was in deep sleep. Anyhow, the little girl went on to write her thoughts, happily humming the tune of a song she heard when the television was first turned on. "Moonlight Sonataaaa.." Her clothes were newly-made prewar pajamas contrary to the patient uniform she was presented with along with her mother when she first woke up. She found the pajamas comfortable and neat, her room was cold due to the air-conditioning and so she would regularly wrap herself in a small blanket. Thoughts of the outside world flashed in her mind. Those who had given her sweets way back before and the girl friends she had back at the village. She stopped writing and wiped a small tear that ran down her face. She faced her mother who was still asleep in the bed and stayed closer. Even if she has no friends at all in this room, she considers the mister who had given her food and the new lady who had given her the presents as friends. Remembering the outside world once again she decided to draw the scenes that played in her head the best that she could. She drew the skies, the clouds the trees and the plains that surrounded her village. The farm that her friend has once shown her and the animals that was in it. The girl then noticed wet spots on the notebook smearing the ink and smudging the pages. She touched her cheek and felt the stream of tears falling down her face. The emotions then explode and she wept uncontrollably. Chapter 31 - The Vampire Footsteps accompanied by the sounds of armor scraping against another accompanied Ignis and Theo as they walked through the dungeon. The halls were rundown and looked more like ruins, spider webs were in every corner and the stench of rotting corpses of dead rodents and prisoners were glued into the noses of everyone who stayed too long in the dungeon. Theo carried the torch as he led the way down the halls and into the Vampire''s lair. Ignis was behind him, bearing his shining white armor and his sheathed long sword. The two transverse the long halls of the dungeon and arrived at the vampire''s chamber. Two guards stood guard outside of the door. Officially, those who were to visit the vampire must have clearance by the clergy or the royal family. The two stopped and Ignis walked towards the guards, he handed over the letter bearing the sign of the queen herself as proof of their approved visit. The guards acknowledged the letter and after a few creaks and thuds, the guards unlocked the heavy metallic door and pushed it open. "You sure it''s a good idea? Vampires have always been hard to tame or even capture and yet we have one," Theo asked Ignis. "When I first visited this abomination, I thought it''d be a great minion for the army. After countless failed attempts and dozens of dead clergy and guards later, I decided it needed to be purified. I asked the queen but she insisted on trying to forcefully make it breed instead." Theo was visibly confused about the Queen''s idea. The two then walked into the room. The room was wide, it looked even worse than the rest of the dungeon. Blood stains were smeared all across the walls and the floor was full of scratches and claw marks. A pale creature full of bruises and cuts was chained on to the wall at the other end of the room facing the door. The creature had long hair and a disfigured face, mucus and blood reeked from its exposed cavities and its eyes were bloodshot red. The rest of its body looked crippled and skinny and the bruises from the chains on all its four limbs were visible as it struggled from time to time. As Ignis and Theo came closer, the creature looked at the two and growled in an animal-like manner. Theo was disgusted but Ignis remained composed. "I thought vampires looked better than that¡­ and acted somewhat like humans.." "Well, Theo. The rituals performed by the clergy weren''t exactly that face-friendly for our little friend over here." The vampire began to struggle and opened its mouth wide, revealing its two sharp fangs which craved the blood of humans. It growled, screamed and gnashed its teeth as it kicked and waved its arms in another futile attempt to escape from its chains and release its anger, hunger, and resentment against the humans. "So... what do I do?" Theo inquired as it drew its sword, he was still disgusted. "Well, I called you here to ?ssist me in removing its fangs," Ignis simply replied to the shock of Theo. "Wait! You should''ve told me before we got in here! I mean why, this should be even considered a surprise for me." Ignis only chuckled and took out a small pair of hardened scissors which were mainly used to cut weeds. "Take this, I''ll restrain the vampire and you use each of these scissors to cut out the fangs. Use one for each and make sure the fangs don''t hit the floor nor do they hit each other. The fangs are quite toxic and may melt anything it touches." Theo sighed to show his disapproval and reluctantly grabbed the first scissor. Ignis then slowly walked towards the vampire which was still struggling against its chains. Ignis immediately drew out a shining magic crystal which shone a bright blue light that blinded the vampire. "May the light of the goddess extinguish your sight," Ignis dashed towards the vampire and placed it in a chokehold as he held the magic crystal against the vampire''s face. "Theo!" Ignis shouted at Theo who was just standing in place. Ignis and the vampire were struggling against one another. A vampire was more powerful than a human and Ignis was just the vampire''s equivalent. The vampire began to choke as it wailed louder and louder. The guards outside the door were frightened by the sound of the vampire as it completely went into a mania. Theo bent his knees to the level of the vampire and slowly walked towards the two. He extended the scissors and proceeded to cut the left fang of the vampire. The vampire''s mouth was forced open by its screams but it tried to close it to stop Theo only to be a second late. The left fang was stuck in-between the scissor and Theo carefully wrapped the scissor with some leather he had. Placing the wrapped scissor on the floor, he grabbed the other scissor and slowly repeated what he had done. But, the vampire started to gnash its teeth once more to prevent Theo from removing the second fang, even as Ignis drew the glowing magic crystal nearer, the vampire showed a lot of resistance. "Open your mouth!" With a shout and a tightened headlock, the vampire was forced to open its mouth as it struggled to breathe. "Do it!" Theo charged at the vampire shouting and cut off the second fang, due to the extra force exerted by Theo''s hands, the entire tooth went loose and part of the vampire''s gums were cut. The vampire wailed it''s loudest, its horrid voice echoed through the dungeon and silencing the entire prison block. The human prisoners were more than knowledgeable of what death sounded like and they didn''t dare go along with it. The two guards outside of the room were shivering and were praying to their gods for what was even happening inside to stop. Both of the guards knelt and prayed earnestly. Soon the sounds of struggle and the horrendous voice stopped. An eerie silence befell the dungeon and only two pairs of footsteps echoed. The two guards were reluctant to open the door but hearing two footsteps, they were convinced it was the two. With their swords drawn, the two guards stood up and slowly pushed the door open. As it creaked, a hand grabbed the top part of the door''s corner and frightened the guards. "Hey, hey, it''s us" Ignis and Theo walked through the half-opened door and hastily made their way through the halls. Theo had the two scissors wrapped and he carried both in each hand, Ignis was pleased and smiling cheerfully as he fulfilled another mission by the royal family. The two come across a seemingly dead-end. A brick wall which was different from the rest of the dungeon blocked their path. "Ignis, what are we going to do with these fangs?" Theo was curious. "To secure something powerful, don''t ask any further." Ignis coldly answered. Whenever Ignis gives off a cold tone, meant that it was not something Theo should know, nor should he get himself into. Theo then kept his silence. The two walked out into the hall, this part of the castle could only be accessed by guards and no maids or nobles knew or were allowed to enter the place. Only the queen and the royal military or the royal guards were allowed access to the dungeons or even know a vampire is being held underneath this very place. "I''ll be going to meet the Queen. You go form a team and scout the fortress city to the east," Theo nodded and walked away to the left, Ignis stared at the young lad who was wearing his silver armor which clanged as he walked. "The Fortress City should be liberated in a few more seasons." Ignis walked to the right, his chin up high and posture superb. The entire kingdom of Yuhin was still unaware of the tragedy which had befallen the Freetan Theocracy, messengers and travelers passing through the Anub Forest have mysteriously disappeared preventing the news of the pope''s death to reach the kingdom. For now, the news is spreading to the northern and southern countries, a new nation is about to make itself known, a new country to shake the foundations and principals of this world. War will be redefined, millions will die and millions will suffer. Chapter 32 - Royal Assassination Queen Erin of Yuhin was sitting on her couch in her chamber, sipping on tea as she watched the soldiers train through her window. It was noon, the sun has begun to set and storm clouds brewed and rumbled in the distance. She was awaiting the arrival of Ignis whom she sent to retrieve the fangs of a vampire which were necessary for a spell that was in the making by the clergy for use in war by the Yuhinic Mages. She wore her silky white garments which stretched from her head to her toes. She had a translucent cloth made of silk which covered her body and silk slippers which she used whenever she was inside her chamber. The death of her father came too early, with the death of almost everyone in the dynasty except her. The enemies who wanted to seize the throne have been moving in the shadows and awaiting the perfect opportunity to strike. She knew this so well but she was ill-equipped to counter them. She had very little education about being able to rule a kingdom since the heir which was her eldest brother was given most of the education. She was caught in such a tight spot that even the most influential allies she had within the nobility and the clergy were surprised that she was still in power. In order to combat such growing threat of expulsion and destruction of her own dynasty by her own people, she reluctantly went to the clergy for help. This obviously granted her many favors and allies amongst the holy church and her position was somewhat secured for she was displayed as a saint and the beloved monarch of the gods and goddesses thanks to the massive influence of the clergy to the people. But, she was still not entirely safe and she obtained more enemies by siding with the clergy, particularly within the ranks of the military and that''s where Ignis is brought in. Ignis is supposed to ?ssume direct control of the entire military of Yuhin, a purging of high-ranking military officials has already been planned and was awaiting execution. Ignis knocked on the door five times in specific intervals, this was his way of ensuring the Queen he was not an unwelcomed guest. The Queen stopped sipping her tea and placed the cup on the table to her left. "Come in." She said speaking in a quiet tone. Ignis, who by now is being spied on by agents from various powerful families of nobles, was carrying the two scissors which had the fangs of the vampire. The door swung open and Ignis walked in, his armor resounding with each step he took and a small smile was carved into his face. The Queen then sat upright on her couch and looked at Ignis directly in the eye. Ignis proceeded to stand a few feet from his Queen and presented the fruit of his mission. Kneeling down, he removed the leather which covered the scissors and the fangs. As he removed the leather, the faint smell of rotting blood began to become more apparent and the queen was faintly enjoying the smell. "I hereby, present to you the fangs of the vampire, my Queen," Ignis presented the two fangs still stuck between the blades of each scissor in a deep, sultry voice. Erin inspected the fangs by moving her head dangerously close. "My Queen, may I suggest you maintain a safe distance? You may tou-" Before Ignis could finish what he was saying, the great warrior was abruptly interrupted by an abrupt opening of the door of her majesty''s chamber. The Queen leaped to the backside of the couch as the unknown ?ssailants made their way through the room. Ignis immediately dropped the two scissors and the fangs fell onto the leather which he placed on the ground. He unsheathed his long sword and confronted the two ?ssassins. The ?ssassins were wearing scribbled masks with the markings of a notorious organization, the great warrior felt confident that these rats were merely low-grade ?ssassins. The symbols on their masks suggested they were under the criminal organization Tiger''s Den. The organization was notorious for going against the clergy and performing heinous and heretical acts against anyone as long as they are paid for, this time it seemed someone hired them to kill the Queen. The two ?ssassins tried to circle around Ignis and pounce on the queen who was just a few meters behind him, behind the couch she was sitting on. Using a skill, Ignis casted a wall of protection that went sideways and blocked the two ?ssassins from getting behind him. "Tsk..." The ?ssassins clicked their tongues and were annoyed that they were forced to confront him. Ignis concluded that these were amateur ?ssassins. They didn''t think when they burst through the doors thinking they''d be able to quickly kill the Queen. Bursting through the doors itself was a dumb move for an ?ssassin. With a long and powerful swing of his sword, the Great Warrior of Yuhin flung the two ?ssassins against the walls using a wave skill and charged towards them. The ?ssassins crashed into the walls at high speed, cracking several of their bones and the wall itself. They didn''t use any form of protection magic nor did they even expect the Great Warrior to have such a skill, they were one of the worst ?ssassins Ignis had ever faced. They lacked information, a solid plan or any sort of countermeasure against him, much to his p???sur? and the disappointment of the ?ssassins who knew they struck badly. In a desperate move, one of the ?ssassins charged at the Great Warrior and decided he''d blind him using a potion. Ignis saw through his scheme and quickly charged to engage him. The two then met with their swords and the overwhelming power of Ignis'' swing shattered the thin sword of the ?ssassin, as he tried to activate the potion, Ignis pierced his blade through his stomach and going through his back. Ignis then lifted his sword with the ?ssassin still stuck on it. The ?ssassin cried out and coughed blood as he was lifted by the Great Warrior. Seeing this, the second ?ssailant was horrified and tried to escape through the windows, this was another incredibly stupid move as the moment he broke through the windows he was greeted by a barrage of arrows from the archers over at the walls. His body riddled with arrows fell from the top of the castle and splattered on the ground below. "Your Majesty!" Soldiers burst into the queen''s room to ?ssist as they heard sounds of a struggle coming from her chamber only to find that the Great Warrior has finished the job. The Queen slowly stood from her hiding place, seeing that the soldiers were in her chamber, she immediately stood up and radiated her Queenly aura. "Some amateurs, it surprises me how they got in here if they were so terrible," Ignis voice was with filled with displeasure and obvious anger. "Bring me the head of the palace guards!!" The Great Warrior shouted in a fury, determined to punish the head guard for being laid back and allowing ?ssassins to come near her majesty, he also suspected that he deliberately let them in. "Get some maids over here, dispose of the body and stand guard outside, we may not know another ?ssassin may be hiding in this palace!" The soldiers all complied. They took positions outside of the royal chamber and flooded the halls, the soldiers then dragged the corpses off for investigation. - Then night arrived. The storm has begun its thunderous wrath over the capital. The Queen was sitting on her couch just as before, this time Ignis was standing beside her as she skimmed through various documents. Candles were lit which illuminated the room, the sound of rain thrashing outside was vibrant and somehow was a calming experience for Ignis and Erin. Erin glossed over to Ignis who had been standing in attention since the ?ssassination attempt. "You know, Ignis. I recommend you relax for a bit, you''ve been like this for hours already." "Nonsense, it is my duty as the Great Warrior of the dynasty to ensure the last full-blooded Yuhin survives and has a heir to ensure the continuity of the dynasty, that is my mission, oath and personal glory." The Queen was about to convince Ignis further but realizing that the warrior''s will was determined she backed off and returned to skimming through the documents. "I thank you, Ignis, for your service to this kingdom... and my family," Ignis simply nodded, he continued to maintain his stance. The head of the guards in the palace was found dead in his own office. Someone was still in the palace and is awaiting the perfect chance to bring down the dynasty. The vampire fangs have been given to the clergy, their support for the monarchy have further increased as with the jealousy and greed of the powerful noble families in the kingdom. Chapter 33 - A Clandestine Man Theo was walking through the busy commercial district of the capital. Many people flocked the cobblestone streets buying from stalls and shops which sold basic necessities to luxurious magical items. He was wearing his casual wear of a blue-laced leather shirt and pants. He also wore a brown leather coat which hid his short sword from outside view. The day was cool. The storm that came last night had just left, leaving puddles and a drenched capital in its wake. Theo''s golden hair danced with every step he takes. His handsomeness attracted gazes from many who came across him. It was a widespread knowledge in Yuhin that he was the best student under the Great Warrior, a handsome and talented young man who may even become the next Great Warrior of the kingdom. But behind his shining public character was a scheming trickster, an informant of the highest efficiency in gaining information from anywhere he wants and outmost loyalty to Ignis. He was on a mission. To form a suicide squad who''ll try and infiltrate the Eastern Fortress City. As he walked through the district, he began to notice peculiar eyes fixed on him and his movements. These gazes followed him unlike those of simple folk. He then turned towards a tight alleyway between a restaurant and a bar. He walked through the smelly passage and kept his attention at max. Using his Inner Magic to increase his senses, he noticed a group of men following him from behind. The men just behind him but his enhanced senses could not make out their appearance. They appeared like shadowy figures against the dark walls. "What an annoyance." Theo was rather annoyed than threatened, he was used to being followed by people who want his head and thus he just do what he does the best. Without turning his back and facing his stalkers, Theo activated a spell after a few complicated flicks from his fingers. The walls around him began to glow bright yellow and shook. The group of stalkers was caught off-guard as the walls around them crumbled and fell on the alleyway. Half of the group was crushed under the heavy bricks while the other half managed to evade but their path was blocked and Theo was nowhere to be found and so they had to retreat. Each man ran away with their tails between their legs, leaving behind the greatly injured and those who had perished underneath the rubble. Theo came across a lone wooden door at the end of one of the alleys. The door was fairly new and had a mark on its center. The mark was a golden lion wrapped around by a snake. This was the hidden headquarters of the adventurer''s guild of Yuhin. Theo''s plan was simple, meet up with a few adventurers and promise them good pay to infiltrate the Eastern Fortress City. He twisted the wooden doorknob and was followed by a scraping noise. He pushed the door forward and opened it wide. As he went in, a small and cramped storage room was inside. The cramped space was littered with boxes full of fake items to mask the obvious trigger to open the doors of a secret passageway which would lead down to the headquarters. Using his magic, he summoned a magic circle on the wall of the room which illuminated and gave him a better vision. From there he restacked the heavy boxes by hand. He then came across a small rod protruding from the ground. He pulled it towards him and out from him in specific intervals. The wall in front of him then began to shift. A magic circle appeared and covered the entirety of the wall. The wall''s materials then seemingly disappeared, revealing the secret passageway which was lit up by torches 1 meter from each other. Theo made his way down the tunnel, his face was ever the more indifferent and his dubious smile gave him an aura of lies and trickery. As he went deeper and deeper, the echoes of men and women whispering, laughter, armor scraping and music playing began to become more and more apparent. He finally came towards the other end of the tunnel, contrary to the simple brown bricks the tunnel was made of. The floor which he was about to step on was shining silver. As he finally takes the final step down the stairs, he had arrived at the secret headquarters of the adventurer''s guild. The lobby was comparable to that of a grand throne room. There were leather couches, silver tables, and fine-silk, linen and drapes intricately placed across the ceiling and walls and connected to the high pillars of the massive lobby. The floor was made of silver and laced with metal and fine stones, a red and blue striped carpet were placed near the guild counter and mission board. Two huge chandeliers hanged on the ceiling with brimming candles and torches placed in 3-meter intervals across the walls gave the room a fine shine. Men and women, both warrior and mage alike filled every corner. They were in groups of three, four and more but solitary figures could still be seen minding their own business. Half of those in attendance had powerful and expensive equipment, their weapons shining with power and staffs brimming and boasting their wielder''s immense magical aptitude. The other half were the average adventurers, low-skilled, low class and almost broke individuals and groups who struggle to make ends meet but somehow still manage to pull through. The two groups were divided as the Lion''s Alliance and the Vulture''s hole. The Lion''s Alliance were those of the half with immense power and money, they claimed to have the strength, wisdom and cunningness of a lion while the Vulture''s Hole was the name bestowed upon the lacking half of the adventurer''s guild. They were often labeled as vultures that feed and benefits upon the success of the Lion''s Alliance and avoid the dirty work. Coupled by this division in class and prestige, these two factions were always hostile and unforgiving against one another and would most of the time never join forces or even fight amongst one another with the Lion''s Alliance always winning. The high prestige and position of those within the Lion''s Alliance made those who ascend the Vulture''s Den leave their condemned faction and join the upper-class instead. Despite such turmoil, they still agree that they are part of the adventurer''s guild and follow the oath of fidelity of the guild. Theo''s arrival went unnoticed, he was not a regular visitor nor did he display any qualities which the guild members would likely notice. They all knew full well who he was and what his position and prestige was worth but according to them, those who serve the Great Warrior and confine themselves to the kingdom''s safe interior were have no prestige among their adventurer kin. Nonetheless, even the most powerful of these adventurers wouldn''t dare insult Theo, for an insult towards the student is an insult to the student''s teacher and the power of the Great Warrior was something they could not challenge. Theo walked through the crowd, avoiding exposed spears, swords, bows and staffs as he made his way across. He approached the beautiful lady on the counter who greeted him with respect and enthusiasm, forced enthusiasm. "Hello there Theo, how may the guild be of service?" Theo pulled out a piece of brown paper containing his request along with a letter, a letter with the signature of the Great Warrior himself. "Spread the word, the Great Warrior is rather impatient and also the Queen needs this request done before the end of the month. The reward is as stated in the paper." Theo looked down on the lady over at the counter staring with cold eyes. His voice was the complete opposite of the voice he would regularly speak in the audience of the public or anyone of high position. His voice was cold, deep and threatening. He makes the words coming from his mouth sound like those of a coldblooded ?ssassin. The lady jumped into flurry of fright. What was in front of her was a Theo who doesn''t seem to be the usual at all. The man moved and spoke more like a spy, a killer or a ruthless ?ssassin. The lady was shaking while she took the paper and the letter. The Guild Receptionist first opened the letter and noticed the signature on the bottom right on the back of the letter. She was further terrified when she saw Ignis'' signature, ''This doesn''t look joyous'' she thought as she read through the contents of the letter. Theo stood and waited. His posture was as solid as ever. He ignored the gossips which came from behind him. They were mostly talking about his status. Adventurers were more like glorified mercenaries in his eyes. The receptionist finished reading the letter and her hands were shivering. Not by terror but by shock. The letter stated the mission to infiltrate the occupied Eastern Fortress City, gather information about the enemy army and report back to Ignis himself. The reward... the reward was what shook her the most. ''...whoever accepts and completes the request will be paid 30,000 Denars.'' The receptionist''s mind went blank. Thinking of all the possibilities that money could bring to those able to receive such reward. 30,000 Denars is not merely a meager amount of money. 1 Denar was enough for a loaf of bread. 2 Denars was enough for a stay in an average inn. 10 Denars was the average pay of almost every working citizen in Yuhin per week, equaling 40 Denars per normal month. 40 Denars was b?r?ly enough to accommodate an entire family''s needs and even the most paid adventurer would gain only 10,000 Denars. 30,000 Denars would bring them wealth greater than a noble family and respect that comes with it. Theo, while standing and watching the reactions of the receptionist was getting rather impatient and the receptionist''s lack of prudence and work ethic to process his request was beginning to annoy him. A few more seconds passed and Theo has had enough of the receptionist''s incompetence. He slammed the reception desk with his fist. The immense power from his hand destroyed the desk in half and silenced the entire lobby. Part of his powers were in display and the receptionist fell to the ground in fright, his eyes glowed yellow and his face became even the more void of emotions. "Announce it already." His words were like a chain wrapping around the receptionist''s neck and the receptionist felt it like so. Scared for her life, she quickly stood up and flailed the Theo''s request letter up high. With everyone''s attention focused on the two, she announced the mission. "The mission is to infiltrate the occupied Eastern Fortress City, gather information about the enemy army and report back to Ignis himself." The receptionist stopped speaking. The adventurers then began to lean in and hear more of the announcement. "...whoever accomplishes this mission will be awarded 30,000 Denars from the Great Warrior!" The receptionist shouted and then silence prevailed inside the lobby. "WHAT!?!" It took the entire lobby a moment before they erupted as they heard the reward. All of them were optimistic and were eager to accept such reward. Unaware that the enemies occupying their mission objective were no fools and were monsters. The adventurers began to talk with their team members and those who are alone stood in silence. Others then began to boast of getting the reward for himself and the glory of liberating the Eastern Fortress City. Theo smirked at the sight and faced the receptionist. "Only a group of 10 from each faction is needed, they must complete this before the end of the month." Theo instructed. Theo then walked through the partying crowd and headed back to the surface and into the streets of the capital. Chapter 34 - Walking Calamities Lily Sylvester was walking down the streets of the capital. The sun was brimming in a yellow light and a warm breeze was sweeping through the area. Her short golden hair was dancing to the breeze, her fair complexion and blue eyes shined under the sun. She was a tall yet cute adventurer from the Vultures. She wore a green hood alongside her brown dress which touched her knees, brown gloves on both hands, green boots and a quiver of arrows on her back. An expert marksman, many wondered why she ended up joining a rag-tag group of idiots in the Vulture side of the adventurer''s guild. Though she looked daring, beautiful and cunning, she was also an idiot whose decisions in life landed her in financial debt and ruin. Her parents disowned her when she went against their wishes of marrying into the rich noble family and insulting them verbally in front of hundreds. She believed that only she knew how her life should play out, only listening to her own decisions and wishes whilst disregarding others around her. Nevertheless, she managed to find herself a group of adventurers and found some companions. She was on her way to an Inn, the Inn was there group''s meeting place whenever they were about to embark on a mission. She and her group were chosen to represent their faction, the mission was simple: infiltrate the occupied Eastern Fortress City and try to obtain any useful information before sabotaging the enemy and fleeing. The mission was by Ignis, the Great Warrior himself. With the promised pay of 30,000 Denars, if they were successful, they''ll get a share of 3,000 Denars each, much to the dismay of pretty much everyone chosen for the mission. The original thought was that the Lion''s Alliance''s chosen adventurers would receive a much more generous sum compared to the chosen adventurers of Vulture''s Hole. As expected, tensions are again running high between both factions. Lily arrived at the Inn an hour past noon. The Inn was relatively lively with the tables and chair counters fully occupied. Luckily, her group had a reserved spot at the far corner of the Inn''s hall. Their spot was a luxurious but cramped space with finely made cushions embedded on their benches which were attached to the wall and a hanging mini chandelier to top it all off. The table, however, was a simple wooden table 4x4 ft in length but was well-polished and glimmered turning its simplicity into luxury. It seemed like her friends were not at the Inn yet, seeing how empty their table is. She made her way through the Inn, avoiding the few gazes fixated on her. The gazes of disgust and envy which plagued Lily and her group, they were the most hated and most loved Vulture Hole Adventurer group. Hated generally for due to how much damage they cause where ever they go and loved because of the playboy and the bitch. Love is subjective, and to them; love is when people give them what they want. She sat down on one of the cushions, the relaxing feeling of the soft fabric under her h?ps made her feel easy. She removed her quiver and placed it over the table and leaned against the bench. She then scanned the room. Those gazes were retracted as soon as they met eye to eye. Her eyes were menacing once focused on, her droopy eyelids and low brows contributed to her being most misunderstood as looking down on others. Lily was bored, she began to daydream of the future she wanted to achieve, a future where she was completely free of the shackles of her past and free to do whatever she wants, unbound by anyone and a life with her friends. After several minutes of waiting, a familiar voice snapped her back to reality. "The early bird is always early," A crispy and deep voice came from her side, she turned to her right to greet her friend, Gord Fioknik. A chubby and average looking man, he wore a brightly-colored checkered tunic and shirt and a dark and plain leather trouser, his clothing was considered unfit by everyone considering how he stands out due to the nature of his clothes. "Gord, your clothes..." Lily could not help but point out how ridiculous he looked. Gord walked to the opposing bench and sat, smiling all the way. "We told you to wear some fitting clothes, just for this mission, we''ll be laughed at by the enemy!" "Aw don''t be like that, this will give them a naive impression of me and be of advantage for us, besides! The mission involves faking our identities and infiltrating the enemy, my clothes are just fine." "Well..." An awkward smile appeared on Lily''s face. Gord had a point but... he was also naive, she could only imagine him actually being the first one to get caught. Just by his poor thinking na?ve personality alone. Suddenly, everyone except the two in the Inn began to scatter. A few seconds passed and the only ones left were Lily and Gord on their spot. The tables were still full of half-eaten food and half-drunken beer. "Took them long enough," Gord remarked, the other two members of their group have arrived. Shia Zayn and Rudelf Apricotch, both the bitch and the playboy. Shia Zayn was a beautiful and seductive woman who used her womanly wiles to gain favors from men she meets, she was nicknamed the "human su??ubus" just because she was rumored to have slept with a hundred men. She was an ?ssassin mage. Rudelf, on the other hand, was a good-looking black short-haired man who was regarded as a master strategist, his only downside was how he exploited his hidden magic skill ''charm of ?ust'' to advance being a playboy. Despite this, he could be a cunning general who''d most likely win any game of chess and lead an entire army into a dire battle and win. He was an expert swordsman said to be equal to those of the Lion''s Alliance top adventurers. "Kyaaaaaaaaa~" Shia m??n?d as the two walked towards Lily and Gord, stretching her arms and ???k?n? her upper lip. "Ku~" Lily stared at the already seduced or ''lovestruck'' Gord who stared at the approaching duo. "Lily, Gord, excited I see?" Rudelf gave the two a bright smile, Lily had to admit, Rudelf was kinda handsome for her. Shia sat down with Lily as Rudelf sat down with Gord, with their arrival, their group was complete. "It''s time to begin our meeting." Rudelf seemed a bit more serious and rational than usual. "Oh ho¡­ our handsome leader seems to be excited for our mission," The other three stared at Shia with weird looks on their faces, unknowing if she was seducing Rudelf or if it was just the way she speaks. She was fairly unpredictable at times and her friends up until this time have not yet really made out her actions. ''Let''s just ignore it'' they all thought collectively. "Rudelf, what did the leaders of the other groups say?" Lily inquired. "We''ll be leaving in a few days, and arrive at the Fortress City by horse after four days," "I heard the army occupying the city was unknown? Kingdom intelligence is yet to decipher who they are." Shia heard this from the nobleman she seduced one night ago, at times her seductive and tainted ways bore more fruit. "Rebels maybe?" Gord asked. "Not quite, the Eastern Fortress City was considered one of the most loyal cities in the kingdom, and I doubt a rebellion could fight off the local lord there," Rudelf explained. "I heard that Prince Avan was dead," Lily suddenly said, shocking the others. "Why are you all shocked? Wasn''t it obvious since Princess Erin was the one who ascended the throne?" "Rumors said he was captured by the enemy," "Shia, those rumors were from the nobles, right?" Rudelf questioned. Shia nodded in reply. "Sigh... nobles are ignorant, most of them are. But I do think the prince had been long dead, the sudden deaths of pretty much the entire dynasty except Queen Erin is unsettling," "Eh? How is it unsettling?" Gord asked, confused and obviously dumbfounded of the power struggle in the kingdom. "The three great noble families in Yuhin have been craving for power ever since the War with the Herlion Kingdom took the lives of most of the dynasty and royal family including two of the elder brothers of Queen Erin, with the death of Prince Avan who was the youngest prince and death of the king, Queen Erin''s life is now under threat. If she dies, one of the noble families will gain power and found their own dynasty..." "..Though. I doubt it would end peacefully if that were to happen," "As cunning as ever, Rudelf." Lily praised her friend, Rudelf smiled and continued on. "Anyways, we need to discuss our strategy for this mission, Shia..." Shia had been smoking a pipe and daydreaming, oblivious of the discussion. Lily raised her right hand and slammed Shia''s forehead with a slap, tossing her smoke pipe from her mouth. The sound was loud enough to startle the people who were outside the Inn. "Eeeekkkkkkk!" Shia held her forehead in pain. She turned towards Lily and was terrified of her grin. "Lis-ten." Lily spoke in a menacing manner, slightly frightening the other two. Shia could only comply and she sat upright, her forehead now red and sore. "Rudelf, look at how Lily treats me." Shia pouted. "Okay then, we will continue this meeting by tonight. Have your gear and supplies ready by the time we depart. Dismissed." "Aye,aye." Shia lazily answered. "So are you going somewhere this afternoon?" "I have somewhere to be with, so I can''t come with you." Rudelf rose and left the Inn. The remaining member then looked at each other and slowly rose one by one then together, they left the Inn. The previous customers then slowly started to trickle in after they left. Chapter 35 - The Two Ladies The prospering market district of the Yuhin Capital was full of merchant shops, merchants, and their stalls with merchandise and products for sale. The district, in particular, was the sole reason why the capital was a major trade node considering it had a large port for shipment by sea and allowing traders from all across the continent some form of easier access than going through trade routes by land. Occupying roughly 30 percent of the royal capital, it was the second-largest district with just 10 percent behind the housing district. It is also in this district where crime was rampant and dreams are fulfilled or shattered. Many people come here in the hopes of earning a large number of Denars and finally escape from the rampant poverty which plagues the rest of the country. Many have failed and are launched into more debt. Behind the shining stalls, delicious foods and the expensive merchandise are the starving slaves and peasantry who are forced to do labor for the merchants and nobles just so they could have a slice of bread, which was in short supply. Due to the previous war with the Herlion Kingdom, many fields to the east were burned and almost all of the harvests were seized by the enemy. Peace was seen as a defeat to the eyes of the peasantry, the Herlion Kingdom did not repay any war damages and the harvests they stole remained in their storehouses. Amidst the busy market however, there was a small store separated from the rest. ''Gin''s Merchandise'' the sign hanged over the old door. A run-down yet fully stocked store separated from the busy streets, located in a secluded and abandoned area of the district, it was a wonder the store was still open. Two figures emerge from the busy streets and diverged onto the abandoned street. Lily and Shia were on their way to buy supplies for the mission and the store was their place of business. "Do you think the old lady has one I requested?" Shia asked as they walked, she had requested a peculiar magic item for her own personal use. "You and your workings with men, you disgust me as always," Lily shrugged her off, displaying her coldness once more. Shia pouted, frisked her hair and blushed. "Stop blushing, you bitch," "Hey! That''s a bit too far..." "You''re a bitch," this time, Lily seemed to be teasing Shia rather than genuinely attacking her, much to the distress of the ''bitch'' who was her friend. The two arrive at the store, welcoming them was the old granny who had been running the store for ten years. Old and wrinkled, she wore a plain and old apron around her waist. The old lady was nearly bald but her smile hasn''t changed since. "Grannyyyyy!" Shia skipped towards the old lady, her eyes were shimmering like the stars. Though, her perverted voice didn''t suit her expression. "Hoho, well if it isn''t my two best adventurers," Her voice was old and dry. "It''s been a while granny," Lily approached the two over by the counter and a smile appeared on her face. "Well, it''s only been a month but I am delighted you came again and uh... Shia..." The old lady kneeled down and grabbed an item from one of her drawers. Shia''s eyes lit up even more as the item was presented in front of her. The old lady placed the glass bottle over the counter, the bottle contained a rosy liquid of some sort which bubbled and fizzed. "The potion took some time, but here it is. I suggest only applying small drops because they may lose all control of themselves." "Yes granny! Thank you so, so much!" Shia carelessly grabbed the bottle and placed the item inside her bag. Lily''s eyes were fixated on the excited Shia, weirded out by her friend''s weirdness and s?utty attitude. "Well, if it gets the job done, "Lily thought to herself, still disgusted. "So, how can I help you two?" - In his chamber in the royal palace, Ignis was reading through a pile of papers. The papers contained the latest information obtained by the scouts on the eastern Fortress City. It had only been just recently that the news of the attacks on the Freetan Theocracy made its way to the kingdom. "This is impossible, magic armor? Magic weapons? Not even the theocracy could ?ssemble this!" Ignis thoughts were running high, nothing in the documents made sense. The reports stated that the occupiers were of unknown race, they were humanoid in appearance but not entirely human nor beastmen. Their appearances were similar to metal but could not be defined. Their weapons were theorized to be experimental magic weapons according to the clergy and magic librarians. Furthermore, the old structures of the Fortress City have been demolished, and strange new unknown and mystical buildings have been erected at their place. These strange creatures also roamed occasionally around the perimeter of the Fortress City in groups of 4, exhibiting a menacing aura whenever they face the forest, presumably staring at the positions of the scouts. Regardless, it has not been ruled out that the reports were just elaborate illusions to induce fear upon anyone who dared approach the city, a common tactic by invaders. "Still..." There have been no sightings of any civilians from the Fortress City. Three knocks sounded on Ignis'' door, the person he called had finally arrived. "Come in, Rudelf," Rudelf entered the room, smeared by kisses and practically drunk. "Playing with women again?" The Great Warrior teased. "Ah, Nah, the women were playing with me!" He drunkenly replied. Ignis thought, if Rudelf was just as rational and disciplined as any good soldier, he''d be in one of the highest rankings of the adventurers guild. He knew the fellow since their childhood, the two would occasionally play together using wooden sticks as swords and both aspired to be great knights. It''s a shame only one of them achieved his dream, while the other drowned himself in the ecstasy of women and ?ust. The half-sober Rudelf clumsily made his way towards Ignis'' desk and sat on the chair against it. His posture was lazy and eyes droopy, Ignis sighed at the sight of his childhood friend. "Check these documents; they''ll be of great ?ssistance to you and your group," Ignis handed over some of the papers and Rudelf gladly received them. After a few minutes of rummaging through the papers, Rudelf couldn''t help but repeat Ignis'' initial thoughts and reactions. "Magic gear... unknown... this, is bullshit," "It''s the best we got from the scouts," "This is probably some excessive use of illusion spells, but the appearance of this¡­" "Hmm?" "A new species of beastmen perhaps?" "We''re still trying to verify that, but since you adventurers will be embarking soon, these documents have been given to each group leader. We need you all to try and confirm these findings and see if you can find any sort of weakness to the enemy," "Yeah, yeah chief, you already told me that a few days ago with the others," "I''m just reminding you Rudelf, you may distract yourself with women there or¡­" "Pfft..." Rudelf laughed. "Come on, Ignis, I won''t do something stupid like that, besides! I already have-" The great warrior cleared his throat; this was a sign for Rudelf to close his mouth. "As I was saying, obtain any information regarding the enemy which we can use for the future siege. Each useful information obtained will be an added 1 thousand Denar for each of your group members," "What!? Are you serious!? That''s actually ridiculous even for you" "We will gain the money, the queen plans on purging two great noble factions. Their riches will be transferred to the treasury and will be used for you adventurers," "Huh, I see..." "Now for the next topic..." The Great Warrior pulled a thin wide paper from the mess of papers and presented it to Rudelf. "This came from Theo, look through it" - "Impossible" "It is what it is," Rudelf''s eyes were opened wide, his mouth agape as he continued to stare at the paper. The mere thought of such destructive power was too much for him to handle. "100,000 dead, impossible... Ignis this can''t..." "The pope was also found dead during the Papal Estate attack, he was found in such a horrifying state that the perpetrators have been excommunicated as demons," "Such destructive power... power magic users perhaps? Ancient cataclysmic beings from the Forgotten Era?" "We don''t know. The clergy has already launched an investigation. For now, all we know is that the Freetan Theocracy is in a state of disarray, unrest is spreading among its citizens and doubt has befallen the church," The two were silent. The silence continued as Ignis stared at Rudelf who was thinking deeply. "We''re going on a suicide mission, aren''t we?" "Likely so," Ignis nodded. Rudelf sighed and moved towards the door. He opened it and stopped halfway. "Just make sure the money comes in after this." Rudelf then walked out the room. Ignis silently watched his childhood friend walk away as he clutched the report in his hand. Chapter 36 - The Metal Dragon It was two days before the group''s departure to the east. The two ladies had a cart ready with their supplies camouflaged as merchants, the adventurers were eager, but also wary. Rudelf chose to not tell his friends about the potential danger they were in, fearing the sudden loss of morale among them, which would further jeopardize them and the mission. The group was waiting at the Inn, eating and drinking before the day of reckoning was upon them. Shia planned on sleeping with a few men later that day, and Rudelf was seen bringing a group of women to a brothel. The only ordinary people in the group which were Lily and Gord just sat there and waited, Gord fell asleep at the table while Lily was cleaning her bow, she always swept her bow to distract herself. "Sigh..." Lily would often be attacked, not by her enemies but by her memories. Although she rebelled against her family under her own will, she still loved them as any daughter would. The memory of that fateful day, when everything changed forever continued to haunt her in her sleep, her nightmares, the disappointment in their eyes, and the horror in their expressions as she rebelled. But she continued to ?ssure herself; she did what she thought was right. She had her own life now, unbound by the shackles of nobility and forced marriages, responsibilities were of no concern to her for she had her friends with her always, and that was her only duty. All she had to do now was wait. Two more days before their departure, two more days before they leave and finally reach the peak of their careers. "30,000 denars... I''ll show you..." Her thoughts were the same, the denars and the foreseeable rich future she and her friends would attain. Queen Erin was humbly sitting on her throne, wearing her royal gown. The Great Warrior of Yuhin was standing right beside her as the maids served her some tea. Ten guards were standing in line, 1 meter between each other on both sides of the throne room. All the drapes were lifted, allowing the shining yellow light of the sun to penetrate the windows and shine its ethereal light inside the throne room. They have only just finished handling the requests, problems and overall complaints of various merchant leaders, landlords and other appointed members of the council tasked on rebuilding the country. The nobles were busy with their fiefs, claiming that they were rebuilding the kingdom''s domains to help recover from the devastating famine and financial ruin that the country was facing. Though, Queen Erin heard otherwise. The Grandmage Haselborn was working closely with the clergy with their investigation of the strange enemy which occupies the Eastern Fortress City. So far, they haven''t come into any conclusive answer. It was part of the reason why Ignis requested the adventurers to act as covert agents; they needed information obtained from the heart of the enemy territory. They needed to know their magic, power, numbers, and overall strength before they could launch a siege to retake the city using a combination of the army and mage groups. But the work was almost done, the Queen was only awaiting the arrival of Theo, bringing them updates regarding the adventurers. The Throneroom doors clanged and slowly opened. Two guards pushed the doors from the outside and walked in Theo. He was sporting his smile and good-looks, admittedly making the Queen slight blush as she stared at him. "No!" the Queen thought to herself; she must not distract herself! there were many more things to handle and focus on and not the handsomeness of some random student. Theo went and kneeled before the Queen and Ignis, his head almost touching his bent knee. "You may stand," The queen ordered. ''Yes, your highness," Theo replied and stood up, his posture as solid as ever. "Your majesty, and Great Warrior, I bring you the current status of the adventurers ?ssigned for the mission on the Eastern Fortress City," "Continue," "Very well, ten people from both factions have been selected according to their skills and ranking. On the Lion''s Alliance, two groups of 5 have been selected, the diamond rank Theodore''s Pack and the emerald rank, Shining Sands. On the Vulture''s hole, we have three groups, a group of 4, 2, and 4. Most notable of them are the Walking Calamities, followed by the Lord Squad and Fantastic Duo," "Sigh.. why were the idiots of the Walking Calamities chosen?" the queen had only gotten to know the Walking Calamities, but by their records alone, she was skeptical of their abilities as spies. "I can ?ssure you, your highness; the Walking Calamities will give us two benefits," "Oh?" "First, I am sure you''ve seen their records and how almost all of their missions play out, we can use that ability of theirs to our advantage, they can deal the first major blow against our enemies on that city, Second, it would eliminate the group which was due for execution already" "Execution?" "Yes, Great Warrior, your childhood friend, and his group were already supposed to be executed by the rule of law in Yuhin, their status as adventurers and the fact that they''ve managed to gain some influence with the nobles prevented such justice to take place." "..." The Throneroom fell into an awkward silence. "A suicide group, huh?" A menacing smile appeared on Theo''s face; this was the real Theo. His master had only seen this side of Theo a few times, to think he''d also show his true self to her majesty was a surprise. "You''ve thought this far?" Ignis asked, his expression was worrisome. "You could say that, Great Warrior, but as you said, ''a warrior who refuses to use his wits in times that it''s needed is not a warrior, but a fool'' and I am no fool. What I have thought out has the kingdom at the center of it all, I live to serve her majesty, the dynasty, just as you thought me. And for the family and throne, I shall serve till my death." The queen was shocked at the amount of resolve Theo possessed, to think Ignis would raise such a cunning warrior under him. He may become the next warrior once Ignis retires. "So, Theo, can you enlighten us further as to where you intend to take this?" "I''m afraid I cannot, my mission is of utmost importance, and I cannot trust anyone other than myself for now. Not to fret, my plan will soon come to light and shine with all its glory." "Your highness!" Several guards burst through the door in a panic, Ignis and Theo both drew their swords in anticipation of an attack. The soldiers bowed their heads, sweating profusely. "There''s an unknown creature flying over the capital!" "Huh?" The three were confused and shocked. What creature could pass the Dragonite riders over the capital? Just as they were about to ask, the palace rumbled, and an explosion echoed through the throneroom. Screams of people outside and a wailing Dragonite pierced their ears. A large thud followed by a violent shaking of the ground terrified the soldiers. Ignis and Theo both went towards Erin, swords were drawn and enhancements used. "Guards! escort us outside now!" Ignis shouted. The guards quickly drew their swords, and even as the ground shook and many wailed, the group made their way to the balcony. "What kind of demonic creature could do this?!" Ignis felt uneasy; even Theo had no clue what kind of creature capable of going against Dragonites at this rate and power. "Watch out!" A soldier screamed. A metallic creature, unlike anything they''ve ever seen before zoomed above them at lightning-fast speed, completely dwarfing the fastest of the Dragonites. Its loud and frightening roar struck fear into the hearts of the hundreds of thousands who heard it. The creature had a strange ship, but many called it a dragon. The metal dragon proceeded to breathe an inconceivable weapon and burned half of the urban district, incinerating thousands in an instant. "Where are the mages!? Get them! defend the capital!" Just as Ignis was about to lead the Queen inside, the metal dragon roared once more, this time it was a deafening screech causing all of them to cover their ears and scream in pain. The pain in their ears lasted for over a minute; the roar finally died down. The entirety of the group was on their knee,s the guards were shaking, and the two best warriors were uneasy and sweating. The queen was in tears, unable to open her eyes or feel her lower body. Ignis and Theo slowly pushed the ground and stood, helping the Queen on her feet. The three were on their feet, shaking and afraid. As they turned their gazes to the city, a demonic horror was looking at them. The three were horrified at the sight of the beast, what kind of creature was this? Was this their end? Will the dynasty finally perish? The beast was huge; many were watching it staredown on the queen and her cohorts. Hundreds of thousands were outside, watching the situation unfold. Mages were scrambling from their posts and were about to launch their attacks only to be dissuaded. If they were to attack the creature, won''t it attack the Queen? The entire army was dumbfounded. Their methods presented too much of a risk, the Grandmage was absent from the capital; if he were here, he would have been able to teleport the queen to safety and kill the monster. Back at the balcony, the three were frozen in place. An instinct kicked in, if they were to stay in place, maybe the creature won''t be agitated? Or provoked? It was a gamble, but the only risk they had a chance to win. - The entire fiasco in the capital hs been going on for a solid ten minutes, and it seemed to be going nowhere, the mages haven''t been cleared to engage nor were the Dragonite riders from other cities were to arrive soon. The queen had to act fast; this was her chance to prove her worthiness as the queen of the kingdom! Prove herself! Determine she is the descendant of the great kings and queens of Yuhin! "Let go of me," The queen asked Theo and Ignis who were at this time clutching at her arms. "But your majesty!" "This is an order," The two released their arms and the Queen slowly walked towards the edge of the balcony, Hundreds of thousands were watching the queen as if she was braving her first step in the limelight, the first step of her legacy in this wretched world. She braved the fear struck deep within her heart and stood upright facing the demonic being, which was beheld upon them all. With the breath of her mouth and the memory of her family, she spoke in a loud voice. "I! am Queen Erin Yuhin, this is my kingdom, my people and our home! And we will not! Be defiled! By a creature! who dares to taint our lives, our kingdom, and our children!" The crowds were all silent, not by fear anymore but by shock, their queen was strong in their eyes, braving even the most frightening situation so that she could be the queen that everyone could look up to. The crowd slowly clapped, the claps grew louder and from the claps evolved cheers, and until just a few minutes ago, the crowds were cheering on their monarch. "Erin! Erin!" Morale was high, the people have found their hero, the mages and the army prepared to mount their ?ssault. Theo and Ignis readied themselves for they have finally understood what the Queen was trying to do. With the edge of their swords and the shaking of their legs, they all shouted. "Long live the queen!" Just as they shouted, the queen was sent hurling inside. Her body crashing against the hard floor, the creature had shot her. Chapter 37 - Nine Gifts "What was that.." Lily stood frozen in place; her eyes shivered as a chill went down her spine. Her friends also frozen in shock; what they witnessed was the epitome of evil, destruction, unlike anything they''ve ever seen before. In just a few seconds, thousands were instantly incinerated in a fireball. Cries and wails of mothers searching for their children and children looking for their mothers filled the air. The group stood among civilians rushing away from the scene and soldiers rushing into the chaos. In a blink of an eye, the metal dragon that caused the destruction disappeared. It was last seen hovering over the royal palace, and allegedly attacked the queen and her cohorts. Lily and her friends were supposed to drink at the Inn before embarking on their mission, only to witness it burn down. "Ru-Rudelf! what was th-" Shia turned to look at Rudelf who was supposed to be behind her only to find out he had disappeared. "Where did Rudelf go!?" Shia asked frantically. "He said he was going to the Royal Palace," Lily answered Shia''s distress. They were all frightened; it was fundamental human nature to be frightened at something beyond their control or comprehension. What they witnessed could only have been done by a demon, a monster, or a God. As the situation seemingly escalated, the three were caught in the panicking crowd which swept like a flood in the streets, and they were trapped in the middle of it. Unable to find a way out, the three lost themselves in the chaos and in that day, the Royal Capital was plunged into near anarchy. - "Your highness?" "Get some water, and some Ice! quickly!" Faint and muffled voices sounded in Erin''s ears. She felt nothing, numbness took over her body, and she could neither see nor feel. Her mind was calm; it was as if her mind got flushed of all thoughts and stress and only the relaxing feeling of relative peace took over her. She did not think of anything else but felt as if she was in bliss; she felt the urge to stay at the state she was in and never return to the everlasting torture which was the reality of all living beings. A state where she had no responsibilities, where she could finally rest and accept her mistakes and move on into another plane of existence, and she thought this was the higher plane of existence. She could only remember the faint memory of her flung away from the balcony. She felt no pain but a slight jolt from her stomach, which pushed her at high speeds, slamming her against a wall. And now she felt in bliss, relaxed in a manner in which she has never handled before. Slowly her numb body began to feel once more, and she felt as if she was drifting and afloat. She slowly opened her eyes and a white light shined upon her, she couldn''t see clearly, but the light was unlike anything she had ever laid eyes on. The light was pure blue, a taint of blue which was so pure yet so dazzling to the eyes despite its simplistic nature. The blue light prevented her from seeing anything, and she was blinded for a few seconds, the light struck her eyes, but she felt no pain nor did she felt the reflex to close her eyes in response to such a bright light. But she maintained her eyes; the light was calm and pleasing regardless of its intensity. And then the light began to fade; slowly, she could see what was before her. Little by little, she saw a blue maiden floating amongst the light, her long dark blue hair curled around her legs and h?ps as it flowed through the air like a weed in the current. Her face was beautiful; ample were her lips and ?h?st while her eyes were a somewhat darker range of blue. She had a curved body and a stunning figure overall and little did Erin know, she was looking at the Goddess Blue''s pure form. In contrast to her previous appearance with the late pope, this form was her purest and original form. The form which reflects her beauty and does it justice. The form which strikes fear among the denizens of Fiorg and the form which exerts her position and power among all things, as what a deity should be. The mystified Erin stared at her beauty, and her mouth was agape. The goddess smiled at her and slowly drifted towards the floating queen. As she drew near, her elegance became even more apparent to Erin''s eyes. "Welcome, Queen Erin Yuhin," Erin did not reply, her beauty was already unparalleled, and now her voice was as sweet as honeydew. Pleasant to one''s ears and antagonizing to those against such pleasantry. Erin was further buried in awe and confusion, she now knew she was the goddess, but she was not ready to meet her, neither was she willing to even lay her eyes upon her pure form. "I have come here, to bless thee," Erin''s mouth remained shut. "You need not to speak, nor to fear me, for I have come here to bring you from death," Death? She thought. So I was indeed dead? I was enjoying it here, in bliss. "I can hear your thoughts mortal, and I heed them well, I know you long to have everlasting peace in mind and heart, but will you truly pass on without any negative conscience affecting you? Nay, you need not to pass on yet, you need to fight! for your people and for the world!" "Dark days are now upon us, as dark as the tragedy which caused the Forgotten Era, as dark as the times of demons and monsters who roamed free on this world and the denizens retreated onto caves and fed on scraps. A new threat has arisen and shall plague this world once more, should you and many others forsake your duty!" "I know thy thoughts, and I know thy will, but the will of thy deities of thee of the creators of the universe and of man and beast, we implore upon you our will and command. Go forth, defend thy world, for you have been chosen as our disciple, our holy knight that shall shed thy holy light amongst the tainted lands and the shadows which covereth thou!" "I bless thee, upon you, the power of wisdom, for magic shall be your trusted arms and legs and your mind as your sharpened blade. Your will shall be as strong as iron, and your heart shall be cleansed of regret and transform into thoust holy armor! Clad in beauty and strength! ye shall set forth in thy holy light and blessings, upon thee our gift is bestowed upon you," Upon nine souls, gifts have been given. Upon nine souls, the world shall stricken. Nine gifts of power, from the deities of heaven. Nine gifts of power, shall they pose a burden. For the deities have failed, and so did mortal men. Might this be a repeat, of what was back then? Upon nine souls, nine gifts are bestowed. Upon nine souls, the everlasting ship has rowed. And to nine persons, nine gifts were given to them by the deities. These gifts were their response to the embarrassing failure they had. The fact that their so-called ''flaming sword of gehenna'' was easily destroyed by mere metal machine meant that they were facing something they were unfamiliar with. The nine gifts were five weapons and four blessings. The Sword of Lactus. The Bow Of The Master Archer. The Shield Of Souls. The Spear Of Tivlantur. The Staff Of The Highest. The Blessing Of Wisdom. The Blessing Of Kinship. The Blessing Of Skill. Henceforth, they shall be called. The Nine Heroes. - "Rudelf are you alright?" Shia asked as she loaded herself onto the cart. Lily and Gord were on their horses, waiting for their leader to come back to his senses. Rudelf stood there, against the gatehouse. Deep in thought, much to the worry of his friends. "Nergh!" Ignis pinched the dazed Rudelf in the ear. "It''s for you to go," Ignis'' expression was no different from before. "Yeah yeah, we''ll be off," As the group slowly faded from sight, Ignis and the guards looked on as the adventurers disappeared into the night with their cart and horses. - "You will indeed die," Ignis'' words shattered his heart. To think his childhood friend knew he would die but still send him out on this mission, did he want him dead? Or had he lost hope? What did he witness? what was that blue light which engulfed the palace? So many questions fluttered in his mind. So many questions left unanswered. But for now, he needed to concentrate on the task at hand. They have embarked. Chapter 38 - Ambush The group embarked at the break of dawn, wanting to arrive at the Eastern Fortress City before the week ended. They were supposed to cross the Great Eastern Swamp before finally arriving at the Heltz Plains west of the Fortress City. The other adventurers with the same mission as they have set out a few days before, going against the orders of Ignis and wanting to complete the task all by themselves. Did greediness run high for adventurers for this mission, 30,000 denars, and bonus denars? Yes, such money would give them power and wealth comparable to that of a noble family in the kingdom. But they failed to see the hidden warning, why were they giving out such a reward for the mission? It was because the higher-ups and Ignis knew, most of them won''t return and those who do, will probably not even accept the reward. The information they gave them was limited; the clergy knew full well that the enemy was unlike anything they''ve ever encountered. It was a cloudy afternoon, and the group has reached the swamp. The horses struggled to pull the cart with their equipment through the marshes, and Gord was forced to use some of his magic to mitigate the strain to the horses. The swampy landscape was a foot deep and who knows what lied beneath the deepest reaches? "It smells so bad here," Shia complained, covering her nose with her right hand. "We''re in a swamp, what did you expect?" Lily retorted. "If you keep complaining the rest of the way, I will shut your mouth," Lily glared at Shia from her horse. "Yes, ma''am!" Shia replied, terrified but was still annoyed by the smell from the swamp. The sounds of nature were peaceful to their ears, the simple chirps of the birds which flew and stood on the branches above and the croaking of the frogs which called the swampy land their home. They bounced on top of floating water lilies, and several other animals and amphibians swam through the murky water. The group enjoyed the scenery, nothing but nature''s beauty itself was upon them. Even if they were to travel here often, they would not get tired of nature which surrounds them. "I thank ye, Goddess Of Nature," Gord began to pray in whispers, he was a devotee of the church and seeing this beauty further developed his fondness of the deities which created this world, specifically nature said to have been created by the Goddess Of Nature and her angels. Lily smiled at Gord, she was always happy when she saw any of her friends happy, and Gord was the most joyous of them all. Almost everything can make him smile and his smile, though average, emitted energy which gave others strength. "You know.." Rudelf suddenly remarked, breaking the natural peace which had been with them. "We could become true adventurers," He continued, real adventurers were adventurers who embarked on exploring unknown lands for the sake of exploration and fulfillment. Unlike what they were right now, they act more like mercenaries rather than people who go on adventures. "That would be nice," Lily said with fondness as she looked at Rudelf. Rudelf smiled and turned his attention towards Shia, who had become silent and ceased her complaints. Shia was asleep. "Knucklehead," Rudelf whispered. Suddenly, an unknown growl echoed through the swamp, it''s sound did not belong to the monsters of the bayou, nor was it any sound they''ve heard of before. It was similar to a particular little monster, but they could not discern what it was. "Halt!" Lily and Gord stopped their horses. "Wake up!" Rudelf woke the slumbering Shia who was by now, still not caught up with the situation. "Shh!" Lily enhanced her senses even further, the fact that none of them detected what it was before hearing it meant it had concealed itself rather well. After a bit of explanation from Rudelf, Shia came to her full senses. She flicked her hair to her back and drew out a small blue crystal which she placed on her palm and stood. "What are you doing?!" Rudelf worriedly asked. "I am drawing out whoever is out there!" "That''s a magic crystal! Holy light!" Gord proclaimed. "Where did you get such a powerful crystal!?" Lily asked in astonishment. The Magic Crystal was a holy crystal, once its magic is cast it would send out a petrifying light which will draw out and highlight any monster within the immediate vicinity. "I summon thee, Holy Light!" Shia chanted. The crystal on her palm which she held up high began to shimmer until it glowed a bright blue light. The bright blue light illuminated their surroundings, temporarily blinding the group who''ve closed their eyes and covered their faces from the light and other creatures for a few seconds before dimming. After a few seconds, sounds of water splashing and branches waving and breaking came from all directions. The group''s temporary blindness was lifted, but their senses were accidentally severed. And their enemies lunged from the swamp and towards them. They were goblins, small creatures who posed little threat when in small numbers but posed a more significant threat in large groups. Several goblins lunged at them from all sides, much to the surprise of the group. "Watch out!" Lily immediately drew her bow and arrow and shot a piercing arrow which pierced through three goblins who were lunging at her. The three goblins fell, and their green blood combined with the water. "Grahh!" Gord jumped from his horse and swung his sword against one of the goblins, the goblin, however, evaded his swing and proceeded to lunge at his ?h?st causing him to fall on his back and into the water. "Gord!" Rudelf, who had just jumped from the cart, rushed to Gord''s aid and stabbed the goblin with his longsword. He then took his hand and hoisted him onto his feet, more goblins appeared. Rudelf scanned their surroundings to see dozens of goblins running towards them. "Don''t use any of your magic!" Rudelf shouted. Shia was also having trouble, beset by five goblins, she used her short daggers on both hands to slice the goblin''s throats, but for some reason, their skin was more robust than the usual goblin. The group began to notice that something was odd about the goblins they were fighting. They were more agile; their skin was more hardened and a bit more green while they seemed to be coordinating, which was unheard of for a lower monster. The group then formed a circle around their horses and cart with Lily in the middle and shooting he arrows upon more incoming goblins. The group was beginning to struggle, after just a minute of fighting, more and more goblins appeared and came on the attack. "They just keep on coming!" Shia exclaimed as she stabbed a goblin repeatedly at frightening speeds. The goblin fell dead from the number of stabs it received from the crazed ?ssassin. "Keep your act together! hold your ground; we may be able to continue at this rate as long as there are no unwanted surprises" Rudelf ?ssured the group, he swung his longsword and sliced two goblins in half. Gord dueled with a goblin who wielded a strange sword, it seemed normal, but when their swords met, he was sure that the sword was made of a stronger material than his. After a few minutes of continuous fighting, the goblin numbers began to dwindle. Their bodies littered the swamp, they floated aimlessly on the marshy waters, and their green blood poisoned the surrounding water. Gord struck down the last remaining goblin with his sword; his strike was powerful enough to send blood spewing from the goblin''s head. The entire group took deep breathes and continued on panting. They were somehow worn down by a bunch of goblins. "What. Was. That," Lily dropped on her knees as her face melted with sweat. The other three went to the side of the cart to rest; their senses were no longer detected any monsters in the vicinity; it seemed like it was over. "Those goblins were no ordinary goblins," Rudelf remarked. "They were forming positions, pincers, and wielded swords," Gord added, he was contemplating the fact that the swords the goblins wielded felt odd. It was already baffling that the goblins would use an advanced weapon such as a sword since they were known only to wield short daggers; now they wielded longswords which were made of a strange material any good swordsman would notice. "Their skin was tougher too, even tougher than normal; their throats were the toughest. For some reason, their skin would harden when I tried to slit their throats or stab their heart. It was only when I used enhancement magic on my daggers did I finally penetrate the bastards" Shia added to the discussion. "What matters is that none of us were hurt, and the horses and the supplies are safe," Rudelf got onto the cart and slumped on the side benches. "Why didn''t you allow us to use our magic?" Lily inquired, confused about their leader''s order. If they were allowed to use magic, they could''ve ended the entire fiasco with the goblins in less than a minute. Rudelf was silent, his eyes were closed, and he seemingly had already fallen asleep. The rest of the group went back to their former positions and decided to continue their journey, leaving the ominous scattered corpses of goblins to nature''s stomach. - "Hailey, what''s the status?" "The goblins did well, but they failed to draw out their abilities. It seemed like that ''Rudelf'' person knew of the underlying plot," "Interesting, leave the goblins there. We will try to verify their abilities with other methods," "How about those other adventurers who arrived yesterday? have their minds been fully extracted of relevant information?" "Yes," Chapter 39 - Approaching Showdown Hailey walked through the dim-lit corridor, accompanied by her own two elite drones. Her body was supposed to decompose due to her lack of any circulatory system besides the endoskeleton she possessed, but surprisingly, the research AIs have found a way to use M1(Magic) as a way to prevent decomposition by injecting the liquid form directly into the flesh. With further help from Hailey with her prewar knowledge, it has been rediscovered that Magic was indeed the energy of the fantasy world in which they were in, similar to the Earth''s passive Gaia. Though for now, they could only use this M1 as a way to maintain the wormhole which serves as the bridge between Earth and this planet, dubbed Fiorg. And using it as a form of preserver for bodies which lacked essential functions such as a circulatory system. But, it''s only a matter of time before the Machine Empire finds a way to weaponize the M1 against its world. Hailey has been no short of a mystery for One. Her sudden appearance and her mysterious nature of being sadistic yet sympathetic to those around excluding the machines was enough to maintain One''s suspicion of her. Nevertheless, she has contributed so much for the past month since her integration as One''s second in command. The Machine Empire has begun to reverse-engineer lost prewar technology in the hopes of finding a way to improve themselves further and undertake research on how to transfer M1 to Earth via the wormhole, most importantly, how to extract M1 from the continent at an industrial scale. So far, little progress has been made for the latter while significant improvement has been made for the latter. The newly improved Hovercrafts were now indeed prewar hovercrafts unlike their previous versions of just being upgraded ospreys. The hovercrafts still followed closely to the design of the osprey but possessed much more powerful engines and a more flexible aerodynamics system which allowed them to perform flexible maneuvering mid-air. They could now reach speeds of up to Mach 7 if allowed to do so; their engines have been redesigned to be as silent as possible when the situation for such action arose. The drones themselves have seen their fair share of improvements. Through the use of reverse-engineered prewar tech, they are now deadlier than ever before. 10x as efficient as a regular human soldier, the drones now had the power to punch through a few inches of metal and obliterate said metal in a fraction of second. To avoid implications such as temperature problems, several modifications were made to the drones to adapt to temperatures ranging from 80 degrees Celcius and 90 degrees Celcius. This was a response to the death of S213 during her encounter with Vilvintine with her frost magic. Speaking of Vilvintine, Hailey took a liking to the girl. Her traumatic past, as presented by her harmless memory extraction by Hailey, gave her the idea she''d switch sides if promised for a place in the utopia for humans, which was to come. Utopia. But Hailey took note of One''s preposition and found out that he just wanted humanity to live on, regardless of whether or not it was the same humans from Earth. Hailey knew One was the only original human from Earth left, all the others? are dead. Everything from Earth is dead. Hailey was once a human, but can she still be considered as One? She only possesses a puppet but nothing more, she is but a complete machine with the consciousness of a human bounded by the people and technology which were used on her. She still remembers prewar Earth, she still remembers the war, she still remembers who One was, she still remembers how One came to be. The horrors of the past still lingered at the back of her human soul encased by complex wiring and programming which she has done herself. The site of total human destruction would periodically haunt her. "The past is a nightmare," She always thought. She did not want One to remember what happened. One? she disliked that name, she much prefers calling him by the name she remembers still, Johann. Again she was lost in her thoughts; she stood still in the corridor with her drones behind her frozen in place. "Tsk," She continued her walk towards the facility where the adventurer was held. Two days ago, they arrived masquerading as merchants from a faraway land; such bullshit was so obvious it nearly made her laugh. By orders of One, the drones let them into the city. They were flabbergasted when they entered; they saw houses and structures made from materials they''ve never seen before. Pristine architecture which seemed sturdier than what the dwarves of the land made, the entire wall of the city was replaced by a shorter and thinner wall which glowed in the night. And the facade ended, the drones surrounded the adventurers and subdued them before they could react. They screamed helplessly. No help would come. The adventurers were dragged off to the Central Base, deep underneath the surface, they were placed inside chambers and their memories extracted. They screamed, wailed, and begged for mercy from their captors. But none replied, their captors stared at them with glowing eyes. Seemingly uncaring of the torture they felt, were they men? Were they beastmen? It was there mistake. Adventurers? They were not. Mercenaries? Yes. Alive? No. Only the Lion''s Alliance most stalwart adventurer managed to roll through the extraction process. Except he no longer possessed any essential human intelligence and has been left in a state of dumbness. - The metal door rolled open, and Hailey walked in, followed by her drones. Similar to previous specimens, the room the adventurer was in was a purely white room with monitoring equipment and a special glass on one side of the walls for observation. In the middle of the room was the adventurer, still clad in his blue armor, he was chained on a metal chair, and continued to bang the back of his head with the headrest. His sword lied near his right side, his mouth was not covered because there was no reason to, he ripped off his vocal cords. Hailey waived the drones to go out, the drones left and closed the door behind her, leaving her with the specimen. Hailey walked towards him, his eyes met hers, and they began to bulge. Hailey stood just a few meters from him, staring at him with her cold eyes. "Sigh... One has one of the strangest ideas," She whispered underneath her breath. She took out a syringe she had been keeping in one of the back pockets of her dress and made her way towards the adventurer''s right shoulder. The syringe she held possessed a condensed liquid of M1, and One was curious if the M1 would return the adventurer''s intelligence if administered through the blood. he could''ve just asked for the other drones to do the job, but he wanted to see how Hailey would handle it, and how she''d fair if the M1 caused the adventurer to indeed regain his strength and abilities and attack her. They already knew their abilities; One was just curious as always. The madman began to shake and panic, his bulging eyes fixated on Hailey. "Drone, reporting" A voice ringed in her ear. "Yes, what is it?" Hailey replied via the neural link. "Report on the subject; eyes are fixated on your ?h?st, we also detected blood circulation sped up on the lower parts of his body. It has been hypothesized that the subject''s animal behavior of breeding remained after complete removal of basic human intelligence. Confirmed right now, subject possesses animal behavior." "Huh, noted. Continue observation," Well, it was an unexpected surprise but a natural one at best. She placed her right hand over his shoulder and crushed it easily with immense force, paralyzing his right arm entirely. She then carefully injected the syringe''s contents to one of the major blood vessels; the blue liquid slowly went inside until the last bits disappeared. Hailey then removed her grip on his shoulders and jumped back, there was already a reaction. "Subject appears to be reacting, monitor suggest injected liquid is circulating faster than anticipated. Heart rate has skyrocketed, nervous system continues to ''reboot''" The adventurer''s body began to bulge, his skin slowl became blue as it bulged further and further from its natural state. His eyes popped out and his brain grew out from his skull. The whole ordeal lasted for a minute, and the man was reduced to nothing more than a blob of dark-blue substance with a horrendous smell. "Subject''s life signs have disappeared, uploading results to mainframe," Hailey was silent, she expected to be attacked by a powerful beast of a man but expectations would often betray. "What a waste," She uttered. - The sun was brimming hot, the eastern winds blew, and the grass danced in harmony, forming pleasing waves as far as the fields of grass went. One looked through his enhanced eyes, observing the approaching group, which was about to enter the plains. He was at the tallest skyscraper in the city which towered 15 stories high, from the balcony he observed the surrounding landscape. "Walking calamities, quite a good show you gave us at the swamp. I wonder what show you''ll show us next," A smile appeared on his face. Chapter 40 - Wonder As the group exited the borders of the Great Eastern swamp, most of their lower body was stained and wet with mud from the goblin attack two nights ago. The group steadily gained more traction and finally stepped on the great plains; they were now only half an hour''s horse walk away from the Eastern Fortress City. Rudelf and Shia have been keeping a bird''s eye view of the City with their enhanced senses. The mysterious walls which greeted their vision enthralled them while the roaming duos of men of metal made them wary. There was no sight of any of the adventurers who came before them; maybe they were all still inside? It seemed like no alarms have been raised anyway. The scenery was pretty normal, despite the awkward silence which originated from the city. The plains and the surrounding forestry sees no signs of devastation. "Eerily quiet," Shia remarked as she stared at two approaching metal men. "They''re coming this way, how should we greet them?" Gord asked. "Lower your weapons, prepare the cart and the supplies, we are coming in as merchants to trade, we must not let any suspicion fall through." The group nodded in unison, and they continued their journey to the city. The two metal men hailed them, the group''s entourage stopped their tracks and went on their feet to greet the two metal men. Rudelf took the lead and went ahead to formally greet the two, he went and bowed his head and extended his right hand. "Hell there, we are merchants from the western regions of Yuhin, we''ve come here to trade with the city, and we also have several clients waiting for us inside," Rudelf put up such a convincing facade, confident in his nature and stable in posture. The problem was, he was still a tad nervous. The drones looked at each other confused, was ''hell'' used as a sort of greeting in this land? The drones were silent for awhile before finally giving a response at the same time. "Greetings, we are of the Machine Empire," Their voices were strange for Rudelf and his friends, their voices were jiggly, deep and sort of bounced. Rudelf ?ssumed they were wearing full-armor and their helmets were muffling their voices. He also ?ssumed this due to the fact he could not see any visible facial features except for two glowing ''eyes.'' And also, Machine Empire? They''ve never heard of such a country before. The more they delve deeper into their enemies, the more questions arise rather than answers. "Ah yes, can we go inside the city? Our clients are waiting inside," Rudelf smiled, the other three were silently cheering him on behind his back as he put up quite the act. The metal men fell once again to silence and stared at each other. After an awkward wait that pretty much amounted to a minute, the two drones finally replied. "You have been permitted by the Overall, may you please follow us," "Gladly" Replied Rudelf, he then turned towards the other three who have been smiling since they arrived. "Alright, follow the gentlemen quickly!" The drones walked them up towards what seemed to be a gate; it was a mysterious section in the middle of the thin walls which encompassed the city. They did not detect any magic barrier, it was strange, they see some sort of blue barrier encompassing the walls and towered like a dome up the sky, but they have not detected any magic. They passed through an ominous presence of fifty metal men all bearing the same appearance and looks, staring at them with their glowing eyes. As soon as they passed them, the metal men would look away into the plains once more. "You are clear for entry, welcome to Human Settlement 1," A similar voice announced through speakers, human settlement 1? a specific settlement for humans? Are they not humans? They traveled through the lit-tunnel, the wall was obviously made of metal but a metal, unlike anything they''ve seen or felt. Gord touched it to feel the texture; his hands rubbed against the surface. "Such refinement, and smoothness," Gord was enamored by the material and how refined it was than any other metal he has encountered. "This tunnel is strange, not even the dwarves could make this," Shia stared at the ceiling, and her eyes continued to scan the tunnel as they walked through. Lily''s mouth was agape, simple it may seem, it felt as if they were in an enchanted land, another world rather. Quite ironic. Unbeknownst to them, they were already stepping foot on the territory of another world, a world without magic, a world of technology, a world now long dead but revived by a single man, a single man who was half metal, half flesh. The group exited the tunnel and what greeted them was burned deep in their minds, it acted like a fire attracted to the presence of a highly inflammable substance and burned bright as they met. The pictures of this wonder and magnificence which befell their eyes would forever linger in their heads, their memory, their legacy. It was a scene worthy of being passed down to generations to come. Structures which towered up to the sky made by the very same metal they encountered in the tunnel, architecture, unlike anything they''ve ever seen. Entire structures made of glass, walls made of glass! The roads were soft and made from something smoother than marble. The roads also had lines they did not understand; the entire city was rebranded, rebuilt by their new overlords. They were so mystified that they let their guard down, they as a group then wondered aimlessly in the street of this magnificent city. They saw a few people eating at tables and chairs which were on pavements, the sun''s shine was almost perfect. It was neither too bright, nor was the sun too dim. As they wandered in the city, they came across houses which were so luxurious in nature that they even rivaled the mansions of the nobility. They continued their wander, they were seen by a few people, but none conversed with them, they just smiled at them as if nothing was wrong. Though longer they stayed and wandered, the more the underlying darkness became more apparent. "There are too few people here," Rudelf remarked. The Eastern Fortress City was known for being a very populous city, able to muster most of its male populace in the event of a siege or when the need for them to deploy arose. "I have the feeling that they were killed," Lily said outright. The other three stared at her and contemplated on her suggestion, maybe she was right? But before they could doubt further, a woman wearing a weird outfit walked towards them. The group then formed their usual position, Rudelf upfront and the other three smiling awkwardly at the back. The woman was beautiful and had long yellow hair; she wore an outfit that could be described as a black military uniform. "Greetings, merchants from the Western Regions, I am Vilvintine Requina, pleased to make your acquaintance. "Requina?" The word escaped Lily''s mouth. She immediately realized her folly and covered her mouth with her hands. The other three were understandably upset and scared. "Yes, I am a pure-blooded Requina." "Erm, sorry to interrupt, I don''t mean to be rude but what''s a Requina?" Gord, of course, was dumbfounded. "The Requina was a dynasty composed of powerful magic users, and a ruled a vast swathe of Fiorg before the two ruling superpowers came to be, to think we''d encounter.." It was baffling yes, but they were suspicious and did not easily believe she was a Requina, she seemed more like a poser, a fake. Vilvintine smiled and clapped her hands two times. "Let''s not waste any time, shall we? The two rulers of this country will very much like to see you, as for your clients, we have no records of anyone expecting a merchant." "Oh I see, very well then, we''d just leave our cart-" "No need!" Vilvintine interrupted Rudelf. Out of nowhere, a flying behemoth descended from the sky and out from its wings came a strong and fierce wind. The group covered themselves and ran towards the Vilvintine as the behemoth hovered above their cart and horses. Under the behemoth, a strange light lit in a circle, and their cart along with the horses began to float from the ground, slowly and steadily, the behemoth along with their cart and two horses, flew off into the distance. The group was further mystified, what the heck was that? A magic beast? Something that rivals the beast which attacked the capital? "Come this way," Vilvintine simply said as she turned around and walked away. The group was silent, the most silent of which has been Shia. She was still in relative shock of the city, and it was further broadened by the flying behemoth. The group silently followed Vilvintine as she leads them to the center of the city. Chapter 41 - The Two The room was grand and well-decorated with banners of unknown emblems and flags of an unknown state. The colors used represented a dark and grim regime whose sole goal and aspirations are to be self-sufficient, efficient and united without the distractions of colorful human wants like culture, recreation or any related thereof which contradicts efficient progressiveness and advancement. The emblems of which tools and symbols beyond their knowledge and understanding, symbols of a civilization beyond their world and long extinguished and the tools they used now under the control of the enemy where they stood. This enemy not only managed to recreate one of their cities but completely and quelled any form of resistance either physically or mentally. Everyone they''ve encountered so far lived in relative comfort, and safety. They lived like as if they were elite, the nobility or the anyone of high status or power but no, they were merely civilians, integrated people in this new state. This new state which possessed unrivaled power. And a plus, they didn''t rely on magic. The group sat together at the other end of the long table which stretched a few meters in length directly in the opposite position where Vilvintine sat. The chairs themselves looked odd, they looked ''poofy'' and fat, but when they sat, they were stunned that the chairs had wheels under their stands, allowing them to glide with ease. It further gave them a feeling of unease, as such Vilvintine merely smiled at their apparent mental discomfort. The group scanned the room continuously for the next several minutes of waiting, their eyes ever so wandering about and examining the walls, the furniture, the flags, and the banners. The thing that got their most attention was the large emblem embedded onto the wall behind Vilvintine. It was large and covered almost the entirety of the wall, it seemed to be made of precious metals and materials, but it was quickly shut down by Gord; who by just looking at it, determined it was made from a common material. The emblem was a silhouette of a humanoid standing at what seems to be a pile of rubble, in the background they could see nothing short of a battlefield surrounded by other silhouettes of people who are going against with the one upfront, it could also be seen as what was a battlefield depending on one''s understanding. To them, the man was standing at what was a battlefield but was now a grim wasteland with the silhouette emerging victorious of whatever things he and his army defeated. Maybe the picture represented the Forgotten Era? Maybe they were a nation long past, forgotten in the dark and erased times but have once again stepped again into the continent to regain the glory they once had and lost. This thought spread through their minds and made them think deeply before the two overlords of the Empire itself came in. The door behind from which they entered opened slowly, two drones were opening the two tall and heavy doors, and two other persons entered. The two persons were a duo of a man and a woman; the man had a grim and dark aura emanating from his presence, his face was clear but absent of any emotion other than his cold and straight-forward look at what was ahead of him. They could say he was a tad handsome. The other one; the woman, was a beauty, unlike anything they''ve ever seen, rivaling that of even Shia and their queen. The two men in the group were obviously entranced by her presence; she was smiling as she walked with her hands placed on her front, elegantly walking side-by-side with a man that felt and looked like he was the complete polar opposite of the maiden. The two were wearing a black uniform streaked with badges and a crest on their left ?h?st, the crest of a globe. Their boots tapped and as they made their way through the room and towards where Vilvintine was, only the woman looked at the group and gave out a warm smile while the man simply ignored their presence as if they weren''t even there. Vilvintine stood, her smile faded from her face and she gave out a salute, something never seen by the group. The two went and sat at two chairs directly opposite from where the group was sitting, directly against Rudelf and Lily, who were seated on the other end. Vilvintine then placed her fist on the side of her ?h?st where her heart was and announced with a stern voice "I present to you: Overall One and his state commissioner, Commissioner Hailey," There and then, the group immediately stood from their seats and bowed. Not out of sudden respect nor to avoid position but they were forced to do so by the ancient and most basic human emotion, fear. A striking fear struck their hearts as they heard Vilvintine''s new stern voice, it was as if they were inside a room of two of the most powerful rulers in the planet rivaling even that of the privilege of seeing a lowly lord of the two great powers in the continent. .And suddenly before them, the walls began to move and moved they did. The walls opened and formed themselves into a glass structure, and suddenly they felt themselves being jolted up. As the large windows replaced the dark walls, they could see the other rooms, and suddenly they were moving up. Faster unlike anything they''ve ever experienced, they were inside what looked like a room which was ascending to the heavens. Amid their mystified and surprised reactions, their mouths once again agape, they looked at the three on the other side of the room, they had fixed expressions. The room ascended, and the group saw the entirety of the city, and how far up they were, they finally came to the understanding that they were at the very peak of the tallest structure in the city. They towered over the rest of the city and found themselves looking down at tiny moving dots of civilians and metal men. To further their shock and awe, two flying behemoths flew near the room and looked as if they were about to crash into them. But they floated steadily and menacingly as if they were looking at them. The man on the other end of the room stood and gestured his hands, and the two behemoths left and positioned themselves around the room. "It''s time to proceed; dear friends, you may take a seat," The group had b?r?ly noticed, but they''ve been standing since the room began to ascend. They sat down at the same time, and an awkward silence befell them. "You must be the outsiders we saw coming from the swamp," Hailey said, her voice was sweet. "Uhm.. yes, we are merchan-" "You are mercenaries," One interrupted Rudelf, the group was terrified, why? Their cover has been lost. "Impossible!" "Crap!" Immediately, the group stood and were about to draw their weapons and summon their spells only to be stopped by the apparent lackluster response of the opposing side. The three were just sitting, staring at them as they began to sweat profusely. "That is rude," Hailey remarked. "Please sit down, we have something to discuss with you," She continued. Rudelf gulped and stared at his friends before finally seating down followed by the rest of his team. They were all shaking. "As you can see, the Overall and the State Commissioner have no intentions of doing you any harm, for now, what we want from you is your compliance and complete honesty to our questions and inquiries," Vilvintine, a woman of great pride and honor. A firm believer in the Fax Religion and a woman who looks up to the pope as if he was her father. Now, she seemed more like a puppy, a complacent and devoted officer of a regime who values control and loyalty among its subjects and citizens. Whatever happened to her when she was underground with Hailey, may never be disclosed. Surely, whatever happened to her managed to completely turn her back against her savior, her country and instead pledge her allegiance to this new state, this new country, this new empire. "What do you want?" Lily suddenly said, surprising Rudelf and he was quick to scold her. "Shh! Let me handle this," He scolded. "I am sorry for my companion''s rudeness," Rudelf turned his attention towards the three who just nodded except for One. "I will answer her question, regardless if she was rude," One spoke, his voice was deep and void of any feelings. This further sent fear into the hearts of the group who listened to his authoritative demeanor. "You''ve been summoned here for a test," "A test?" Shia said without knowing, much to the displeasure of her friends. "Yes, your group will be sent to one of our testing areas for experimentation, and once any of you pass, you will be integrated into the country," "Wait wait wait; we haven''t even decided or even thought! Of pledging our allegiance to you!" Lily was confused; why were they getting forcefully integrated? What test? Similar questions flooded the other''s minds. "You won''t ask any more questions once we''ve integrated you, don''t worry, I already know who will pass and who will not," Hailey added before smiling as if it wasn''t anything conspicuous. The group was terrified; they knew they only had one way out. Rudelf whispered to his team, "We only have one way, we need to fight! Even if it''s in vain.." Lily, however, her thoughts were leaning towards breaking away with her friends, she himself didn''t know why she loved her friends like she loved her family before they offered her decisions which she disliked, but why now does she feel like saving herself? Is she leaving them behind? Suddenly, Hailey clapped her hands before standing from her chair. "The test shall now begin!" She gleefully announced. Right there and then, Vilvintine dashed towards them and slammed the table, shattering the side of it where the group was sitting. The four were shocked but managed to evade. Vilvintine sported her pose, her arms ready with no weapons but magically enhanced fists and limbs. She has become a body amplifier. The group were snapped from their thoughts and immediately went to combat mode. "This is it!" Rudelf shouted. The other three nodded as they stared at Vilvintine; her expression was cold and dead. Her eyes were locked at Rudelf, grimacing at him. Chapter 42 - Showdown (1) The two sides faced each other, every one of them ready to defend or strike against the other. Tension ran high as Vilvintine exerted even more magic from her already powerful state. "Tsk," Rudelf was trying to plan a way for them to deal against Vilvintine, though she was a body amplifier and quite possibly stronger than any of the four of them, he believed strategy combined with all four of their magic could earn them the victory. The two leaders were sitting in the back as they did when they first came, uncaring of the scene, which was unfolding in front of them. Hailey could be seen smiling at them as she watched with her cute eyes. One, on the other hand, was no different; his eyes were as cold as ever and looked straight at Rudelf. It was as if he was pointing out that Rudelf was the one to emerge victorious among the four. As the thought grazed his mind, he shook his head and reassured himself. "No, I will find a way, bastards!" He thought. Suddenly, One smiled at him; did he hear his thoughts? If he did, they were already a tremendous disadvantage. The floor below them began to rumble, and they saw One and Hailey stand from their chairs. And suddenly the floor disappeared below them, and they fell. "Crap!" "What the hell!" The group screamed in terror as they did not anticipate that the floor was going to work against them. "Defense Shield, Ultra!" Rudelf cast his most powerful defense spell, a green dome appeared them and encompassed the group, shielding them as they fell to the ground. As the ground beneath them cracked under the weight of the spell, the group were tossed around inside. Dust floated and formed a thick cloud that lowered their vision; even their enhanced senses struggled to see through the thick fog of unknown dust, unlike the normal dust they''d encounter. It was at this point did they realize that the enemy they were facing, the weapons, the metal men, the architecture, the materials, and the two leaders were not from this world. They couldn''t be, sure it was a long stretch of an answer, but it was the only thing they could think of. For not even the two superpowers, the two nations who emerged victorious during the end of the Forgotten Era didn''t have such magnificence within their technology, culture, or military. No records or smuggled information even told of such a monstrosity that they were facing. The spell''s dome evaporated after sustaining the brunt of the fall, the cloud of dust then went and covered them, they coughed and struggled to breathe. "Tsk, cast a spell, Gord!" Lily shouted amid the smoke; she coughed profusely as she uttered the words. "C-clear!" Gord shouted with difficulty; a strong gust of wind came from his sword and blew the cloud of dust away to the sides. As the dust was blown away, the group were finally able to see each other and the room they were in. It wasn''t the lobby nor was it the same hall which they walked in a few minutes ago, it was an area. Unknown to them, the floors were merely platforms which opened directly above an arena under the building itself. The area was a huge cube room with large white tiles serving as the wall, floor, and ceiling of the area. It was huge and could be said to be half a kilometer wide and a quarter of a kilometer tall. Large lines of white light covered each crack of the tiles illuminating with as much power as a sun to them. As the cloud of dust finally settled, several claps echoed through the arena. The group looked up and saw One and Hailey floating on platforms which glowed underneath them. "L-levitation magic.." Rudelf stared at the two, shock filled him further as he saw what was one of the rarest and hardest magic spells ever to use. "Tsk, levitation magic could only be used by people who got a magic level of 10! you bastards! Do you think this is fair? What are you doing?! what do you gain from us!?" Shia could no longer handle the stress, what pushed her to the breaking point was unknown, but her friends have noticed that she''s been acting strangely late and looking at her stomach quite often. Her voice echoed through the room like a kid laughing in a deep cave. Hailey then crashed down the floor a few meters from them, sending a shock wave powerful enough to send them flying and creating another dust cloud. Hailey emerged from the dust cloud exerting a more powerful aura than before; her atmosphere was powerful enough that even the non-magic beings like One and Hailey could see her body shine a faint gold. "So this is magic, she''s powerful enough to utilize a faint light around her body," One remarked, followed by a nod from Hailey. "It is quite a sight, something unexplained by modern science but could now be attributed to a new field, the field of magic," Hailey replied. "Now!" Hailey''s voice was harsher and more commanding; she sounded like an officer who had seen much from the war. Her eyes began to glow a damp golden hue followed by the clenching of her fists under a yellowish haze. She began to exert even more magic within her body. "She has that much mana!?" Gord began to shake. "Would we even survive," Rudelf was beginning to doubt their chances, it was either one of them was chosen, or the none of them would live through. He believed he was the chosen one, a vivid image of two gods began to form within their minds; they were staring at two beings of power, a god, and a goddess. Shia broke down into tears, sobbing and wailing as she went on her knees and began to beg for mercy. "Please! Just spare my baby!" She pleaded. "What!?" The three were astonished; they didn''t expect Shia to b?r? a child; she even admitted herself that she was sterile! "No.." Rudelf lowered his sword and stared at Shia, his eyes were now red, and tears began to flow down. "What the hell is wrong with these people," Lily thought, she scanned the three of them as Vilvintine was shining in the background, Gord was naively brave as ever, staring down at Vilvintine, Shia was on her knees sobbing like a kid, and Rudelf was staring at her like a broke rapist. "I have been with idiots all this time?" She began to question her choices, she''d known them for three years, and it''s been three and a half years ever since she left her family. Why was she blind for three years? She shrugged off their attitudes as just who they were, that she was happy with them since they accepted her, but was it worth it? She began to think deeply, she had a good life awaiting her, she was betrothed to an old man sure, but he seemed sweet enough and was rich, he had the power within the kingdom even more so that her family. She could''ve had an easy life and proud parents, maybe even a son or a daughter. "Why did I waste three years," She whispered, the other three seemed not to notice. Vilvintine and the other two seemed to be taking their time, letting their group collapse underneath its weight. Did they foresee this already? If so, maybe, just maybe, siding with them wasn''t all that bad would it? Besides she''d waste three years of her life living and being an idiot among three more idiots, why don''t she joined a new power as their pawn? Maybe she''d regain some of her honor by then. She then heard Rudelf; he was acting, unlike the person, she knew him as. "You bitch! You stupid bitch! Whore! Whore!" He shouted at Shia, she was still sobbing and refused to look at Rudelf. "You told me, I''d be the one, I''d be the father! But now what!? What! You whore!" By now, One was getting annoyed at the dram unfolding below him, he turned his attention towards Vilvintine and called her with an earpiece attached to her right ear. "Finish the job," He ordered. "Yes, master," Vilvintine replied swiftly, she set her eyes on Gord. Gord had been waiting for her, he smirked at the glowing lady and readied himself. As Vilvitine began to walk towards him, he thought it would be the best to strike first, and so he did. "Blue Blessing!" He chanted, a large circle formed above his head and the area below the circle glowed along with him. "Oh, interesting," One remarked. "Someone equivalent to Vilvintine perhaps? We didn''t receive this information," Hailey looked thrilled. Lily was the only one of her group paying attention to one Gord had just done. "A deity''s blessing," A deity''s blessing is a set of enhancement spells granted to a magic-user who had the will strong enough to handle the power. With Gord''s case, the blessing he used was from the Blue Goddess and amplified his stats by ten; he was now basically at the same level and strength as Vilvintine. With this came a price though, with the blessing, his mana reserves within his own body have been amplified temporarily to store the massive amounts of new magic power, but if he fails to use it all up before the timer was up, he will die of magic asphyxiation. "Come to me! Demon!" Gord shouted before charging towards his Vilvintine, with his sword drawn and stats amplified, his will and heart combined with his naivety, proved to be his greatest strength. Vilvintine frowned, and she too charged towards Gord with her glowing fists ready to strike. Lily watched as the two humans of immense power crashed against one another with what could be described as a spectacle of two stars colliding. Chapter 43 - Showdown(2) Gord''s sword met with Vilvintine''s fist, sending them both on opposite directions as they clashed. "Improved Handling!" Gord lifted his sword once more and charged at Vilvintine; he swung his sword with all his might combined with all the enhancements and buffs he acquired. Vilvintine raised both of her fists to block the swing. The sword bashed her fists, sending out a strong shockwave powerful enough to fling the rest of her group back. Rudelf and Shia fell on their feet as they locked their sights on the battle. "Thousand Fists!" Vilvintine launched a flurry of fast punches directed at Gord, with his newfound buffs, he managed to raise his sword to block the shower of blows which lasted for a minute. In retaliation, Gord cast his skill ''Lionheart.'' Lionheart was a skill only useable by swordsman; it gives the caster a field of perception around itself in which the caster can anticipate any attack as long as the enemy steps into the field. Vilvintine quickly lunged backwards out of the field, she knew the skill very well to avoid it. "Ha!" She punched her fists together and a double-bladed sword manifested within her palms, she had decided to combat Gord as a swordsman. "Tsk, bring it on!" Gord taunted. "I will show you the might, the blessing, of this country," Vilvintine''s sword began to glow a faint gold similar to her aura. "A holy sword!?" Lily took a step back; she knew a holy sword when she sees one but was it really a holy sword? Vilvintine then dashed towards Gord with her double-edged sword raised behind her head, Gord''s skill detected her, but she was too fast. In a blink of an eye, Vilvintine''s Sword b?r?ly missed Gord''s neck as he managed to evade in time, stepping back just a mere second before the sword could reach him. He then countered by swinging his sword below his belly and aimed at Vilvintine''s exposed legs only for her to immediately block it with the lower edge of her sword. The two then transitioned into a frantic clash of swords and muscle with Gord''s enhanced longsword against Vilvintine''s double-edged blade. As the fight raged below them, One and Hailey couldn''t help but comment on the battle with their predictions. "Interesting, that boy." "He is, Johann, maybe he has help from the blue lady you speak of?" "Quite possibly." "Look at him; he is holding his own even though Vilvintine is supposedly giving her all." Vilvintine then used Pillar Of Swords, a spell that summons a sword from above and is launched directly at the designated target. A big yellow circle appeared and hovered a few meters above Vilvintine and out from it came a sword of gold, roughly the size of a long spear. The sword was calm at first, hovering over her head, and suddenly it flew in an instant towards Gord. Gord tried to evade by jumping to the right only to be stunned that the sword followed his position, frantically, he raised his sword to block. The cast sword smashed against his sword before shattering into dust, the force of the smash sent him flying a few meters, his body crashed into the floor and rolled a few more meters before finally stopping. His longsword had been pushed against his stomach due to the impact, making it hard for him to breath. His friends looked on in horror as Vilvintine slowly walked towards the downed Gord, her sword glowing and her body shining that golden hue. Her eyes were frowning at him, seemingly telling him that she was disappointed. Pillar of Swords was a common spell, normally it would launch a literal raining pillar of swords above a specified spot but Vilvintine''s version of the spell was different, causing him this fatal error. Though he is unable to breathe, he was neither injured nor cut. He struggled to stand up, a raging pain would make him feel weak and he''d fall down once more to his knees. He felt a numbness take over his body as his eyes finally shut. He was experiencing Magic Asphyxiation and it was about to kill him in just a few more seconds. "So this is it," He thought to himself. He always knew he lacked good judgment and was naive in most fields but what he did right now was what he finally was sure of doing. He wanted to protect his friends, or what remains of his perceived family. "Heavy Slash!" "Shuriken Rain!" "Magic Snipe!" He suddenly heard familiar voices in the distance and three pairs of steps approach by his side. He no longer had the strength to open his eyes but he was sure, his friends were now with him. And he was right, Shia, Lily, and Rudelf ran towards their downed friend and surrounded him, Shia kneeled down next to his head and placed her hands on his forehead. "Heal" She whispered, her hands glowed green as she transferred a small percentage of her mana to replenish the downed swordsman. "You idiots now cool?" Lily asked, her attention fixated on Vilvintine. "Shit, damn right!" Rudelf replied with a smug look. Shia walked towards Lily''s right side, arranging her posture to that of an ?ssassin, it was time for them to work together, even though their healer is out of the fight, the three of them as a team may still stand a chance against golden warrior walking towards them. "Let''s do this," Shia said below her breath. "Well then, you two charge while I launch the arrows of hell at her! go!" "Right!" They both replied. Shia and Rudelf charged at Vilvintine, Rudelf had his sword raised while Shia had her daggers on both hands gripped and ready. "Clone!" In an instant, two clones of Shia manifested behind her and they too joined in the charge, seeing the charging group Vilvintine gave out a smile. Gripping her double-edged sword with a firm tight grip, she swung her sword with immense speed, and from her sword came a line of magic that was sharp enough to slice someone in half. The line flew out in a square wave and flew towards the direction of the charging group. Despite being fast, both the Shias and Rudelf evaded the line and continued their charge. "Blazing Arrow!" A flaming arrow of magic sped over their heads and rammed Vilvintine, surprising her. The arrow exploded upon impact, slowing down the maiden as she held her ?h?st. "Tsk, she took a direct Blazing Arrow!" Lily remarked. "Keep on doing it! distract her, just don''t hit us!" Rudelf commanded. And the two sides finally met each other. Rudelf and Shia positioned themselves in front and behind Vilvintine with Shia''s clone harassing her on her sides. Their swords clanged as both metal and muscle clashed in this brawl. As Vilvintine was blocking Rudelf''s swing, Shia managed to evade the lower end of her sword and struck her left th??h with her daggers. But the daggers did nothing, her clothes were as hard as mithril armor. Vilvintine then noticed her attempt and hurriedly kicked her with her leg, her kick hit Shia''s face stunning her. Shia''s clone then managed to land their own strikes and both ended the same as before, her clothes were tough. Vilvintine however, just tanked her arrows. "Tsk, we need to attack her at the same time with our trump cards," "Rudelf, exposing our trump cards now would leave us at a disadvantage if they fail!" "What choice do we have?!" The situation became a staredown, the three of them staring down at Vilvintine who was waiting for their next move. "Wait, that man is moving again," Hailey pointed down at Gord, he was finally standing up but was rather clumsy and still visibly weak. His friends, however, have not noticed their friend''s moment. "Lily! we need to do our trump cards." Rudelf shouted. "What!?" Of course, Lily disagreed. "Just do it! it''s our only chance," Vilvintine, One and Hailey were confused if they were really shouting their strategy for them to hear or they didn''t think they''d hear them speak. "Let''s go!" Rudelf gave out one final shout. Lily lowered her bow and sighed, she began to utter a few words below her breathe and raised her bow when she finished. Shia closed her eyes and combined her two daggers into her right palm. Rudelf knelt his legs slightly as he placed his long sword behind his back. Vilvintine, seeing this, immediately poised herself at the ready, anticipating their triple attack. "Arrow Of Lightning!" A storm cloud formed above the arena, surprising One and Hailey. It then began to rain and with that rain came thunderous lightning, the lightning began to strike at random places. Lily was glowing white, the thunder roared and the lightning began to concentrate around her, a strange wind began to blow as she pulled the strings of her bow. The arrow she loaded began to glow and as it glowed, a huge bolt of lightning struck down upon it. A tornado formed around her as she pulled the string of her bow at max, the sight was a combination of shock and awe. This was there trump card, a shock and awe tactic. As the storm raged and the tornado twirled, it was time for Shia and Rudelf to reveal their cards. "Ultimate Swordsman!" "Invisible Assassin!" Rudelf also glowed, this time he glowed gray. His sword turning into a black abbysal form. Void wings sprouted from his back and he began to fly, his face became distorted and from the upper part of his mouth grew two fangs. Shia went completely invisible, her presence could no longer be detected. This was their power, the height of their magic prowess. Vilvintine clutched her sword hard and she frowned, this was another type of fight. These people were no joke and they were indeed stronger than she anticipated, she must not fail! if she does, she may no longer regain the honor bestowed upon her by her two masters. One and Hailey''s interests were piqued, this was a showdown they themselves did not anticipate, three magical monsters versus their magic maiden. A battle to decide, who was stronger. Chapter 44 - Showdown(3) The artificial storm generated by Lily''s spell completely covered the entire arena, One and Hailey had to resort to other means of vision through specially designed cameras and their built-in improved eye enhancers. The storm was furious and defied all their understandings of weather; the storm was raging as strong as a hurricane with winds measured to be 100kph per hour. Shia has completely vanished from all sensors except for infrared; her heat signature could be seen running behind Vilvintine who has thus far has not been alerted. Gord was nowhere to be seen. The abominable transformation of Rudelf into a hideous vampiric creature was also an unforeseen outcome in the calculations of the Machines; his transformation was also not noted by any of the minds extracted and thus proved the long-standing theory that magic can be used to alter one''s appearance and bioform. "Amazing" Hailey watched intently using the aforementioned cameras and her infrared capabilities. One was also watching but was more concerned with losing Vilvintine. Ever since her successful brainwashing, Vilvintine has proven to be a valuable ?sset in terms of human interactions, magical research, and experimentation. If they were to lose her now, regardless of who they''ll probably meet in the future that can replace her, the time wasted by then would be damaging for their plans. One made a decision; if Vilvintine were near the point of death, he''d intervene. Initially, the two only wanted to test the capabilities of the last remaining adventurer group after acting rather rash on the earlier ones. But thanks to their memory extraction, the Empire gained more vital information than what was initially presumed to be collected from them. Now, One and Hailey looked down below as the scene unfolded before them. Vilvintine was at her peak strength; she''s pushed her reserved mana and magic from the surroundings to their limit; if she exerts beyond that limit, she will die. The vampiric Rudelf suddenly came gliding down with his wings spread and teeth exposed as he opened his now inhuman mouth. Vilvintine raised her fists and punched the air in front of her, creating a shockwave that blew him off course. Rudelf slammed a few meters to the right of Vilvintine as another magic arrow is fired by Lily. Vilvintine''s vision has become poor; her eyes were now clouded as the storm raged on. A thick along with other gas elements began to inhibit her enhanced senses that not even her magic can see through. Another attack from Lily came, this time it was a barrage of magic arrows carried by a whirlwind. The whirlwind of arrows slammed her before she could react, her ability to detect incoming attacks has been completely side-tracked a plethora of environmental factors. Nevertheless, she was still going strong. With a powerful side punch using her right fist, she disintegrated the whirlwind in a spectacle of flying magic arrows and debris from the arena itself. The punch produced another shockwave which caused the raindrops to levitate before resuming their course. In the confusion, Shia lunged at Vilvintine from behind, stabbing her right shoulder with one of her daggers before disappearing yet again. Vilvintine looked aimlessly in the darkness of the storm as the looming threat of Shia posed her a significant disadvantage. As she was distracted, Rudelf came from the sides and engaged her in melee, Rudelf used his somehow enhanced fists which were almost in equivalence with Vilvintine''s magic, the two traded jabs, and blows before finally. With Shia harassing her with her ambushes, Lily shooting barrage after barrage of magic arrows and Rudelf''s almost on par melee, Vilvintine''s defense crumbled, and an opening presented itself. Without a second thought, Rudelf, upon seeing this opening, drove a punch through her stomach. Vilvintine coughed the moment Rudelf''s hard fist slammed her stomach; she could not breathe; her vision became blurry. Her yellow glow faded slowly as she fell on her back and into the hard ground, her eyes were open but motionless. The rain began to pour harder, and the thunder accelerated further, Rudelf walked near Vilvintine''s face and smirked. Shia appeared right next to him, holding her two daggers on each hand. She slowly walked towards her and was about to kill her finally. Until... Was it a punch? A kick? Did something ram them? What they felt at that time couldn''t be adequately described, they felt their bodies shiver for a moment before an unknown force tore through their ears and slammed their bodies. The slam was powerful enough that it literally broke most of their bones; they were thrown away from Vilvintine and slammed at Lily before landing. The two could not move, they felt numb, their eyes were still open, and they locked onto a single shadow which slowly appeared from the disappearing fog. The storm was indeed blown away and was slowly su?k?d by the cracks in the arena, slowly but surely, the area was once again clear. "Who is, that?" Lily stuttered under her breath and pointed her arrow at the shadowy figure which appeared in front of them. The last trickles of rain finally settled, and the puddles became calm. Shia and Rudelf''s bodies were all but lost, their magic was about to kill them anyway. The many broken bones within both of them were too much for their already fully-exerted mana reserves to handle, not even the magic in the surrounding area was enough to compensate. Lily did not know any healing magic; they had no other option. The shadowy figure was then struck by the white light. His pale skin appeared alongside his non-human part. He purposely once again peeled his face to show once more to his enemies that they were not facing a human, or what they define as a human. He was neither a pure man. He also neither fully made of metal. Nor was he fully a human. He is all of them, small things which define him. Small things that are big in a sense. He. is. One. He appeared as a dashing but dangerous, cold man. His black uniform, coupled by his now pitch-black eyes and hair sent shivers down their spine. What frightened them the most was the apparent lack of any magic within him. He displayed so much power, he defeated the two in just one definitive strike, but he neither glowed nor did they sense the power of the gods within him. He stood there, staring at them in the distance. His eyes locked on them like an eagle with its prey. Despite lacking facial expressions nor emotion to present in any way or form, he only did what he did to save Vilvintine. Behind him, Hailey descended along with three other drones, and they retrieved Vilvintine from the battlefield, carrying her up the arena before disappearing at the top. Did she have a chance? Her mind was in a state of chaos, was all of this worth it? do her sacrifices make any significance? what can she achieve if she went up against the monster of a human in front of her? she will surely die. Again, thoughts of her decision years ago came back to haunt her once more. The future she lost due to her hasty and unforesighted, rash decision. The life she left behind and the family whose hearts she crushed under the weight of her misgiving. Her road was now drawing to a close, the end was near. The path that she took in which she trusted would her to more paths in the future was now at a dead end, an end she did not see, an end she did not expect. The foolish path she undertook has finally come to show its true colors. But. There was a chance. As she was lost in the dark pools of her mistakes, a new path unfolded in front of her. The path she did not think could be attainable but was. The path of fielty. The Metal Men''s Path. To redeem her honor, to redeem the status she lost and the years she wasted with the wrong decision. Her friends were almost dead. Speaking of friends, where was Gord? Gord suddenly appeared from behind her, having concealed himself entirely from all biological sensors and the Empire''s instruments. He came running at astonishing speeds directly at One. With his holy sword up high against his shoulders and with the spell of divinity inscribed deep within the blade which he wields, he was more than confident he''d strike down the demon before him. He was knocked from the battle but he mustered whatever magic he had left to stealth. he observed his friends almost win but fail in the last minute. The monster which leads the entire army which they go up against has descended onto the battlefield himself, but for him, even though two of his friends were at the brink of death, he thought that One had a crucial weakness. Underestimating them. Now, with his strength and willpower, he combined all of it to create enough magic to manifest one last spell before he reaches his utmost time limit. He only had 30 seconds left. The spell was a spell directly from the Blue Goddess, it wielded power beyond anything a human at their level could attain. The power was against demons, demons were known to exert a different magic pattern invisible to humans, he though One was a demon. Confident, he managed to reach One who, for some reason, did not flinch. He prepared his sword for the decisive blow which would decide their fate and the kingdom. The sword struck One and shattered. "W-what?!" Gord stuttered and fear finally took over him. He began to sweat and wetted his pants before falling onto his knees. He stared at the twilight of his life, he stared at those cold eyes which befell him. "M-monster!" He shouted. One smiled. In a blink of an eye, One impaled him with his left hand and pulled out his intestines which spilled on the floor around him, killing him instantly. He then turned his eyes towards the silent Lily who watched the entire debacle. "It''s your turn to decide," He said. Chapter 45 - Vilvintines Past I failed. I failed you, One. I failed you, Hailey. I don''t deserve your mercy. I don''t deserve your protection. I don''t deserve the position. I don''t deserve the heaven you will make. It felt so near, I could grab it by the hand and never again feel the pain of losing. But, I still failed you two, I am sorry. Though I don''t know if you know how I became the pope''s dog, or what the hell is a Requina anyway. I will use this time, in the afterlife, in this void, to convey my story to anyone who will listen, to anyone, who is listening. I am a Requina, the blessed blood which runs in the Requina Dynasty, the original dynasty who once ruled the country the world now calls "The Empire". I did not experience any royal-lavish life, I was born in a small rural village to the south of the Empire''s Puppet Dukedom. I never really knew where I was from or where my parents were originally before living in the confines of that rural village. All I knew at that time was that we were happy. I was uncaring since monsters would only attack every once in a while and were easily repelled by hired adventurers or the local garrison, there was no reason for worry. It all happened at that fateful night, memory is fuzzy but I can explain it clearly. My parents both went out to the village center for the yearly communal sacrifice to the God of Agriculture. I was snuggled under the sheets of my bed when I heard a loud boom. The loud boom was followed by a sudden cracking sound, and then the screams of other villages echoed with it. I stood from my bed and opened the door of our small hut and saw the nightmare unfold. We were being attacked, not by monsters or bandits, but by the same Empire that said it would uphold the peace. I didn''t know back then, but that incident was covertly called the "Night of Knives". The crown prince of the Empire caught wind that we, the Requinas were still alive and living just south of his soon-to-be-ruled country. He was a paranoid young man, he thought we would rise up against him to take back the throne, I didn''t even know that I was a Requina! My whole life I grew up thinking my last name was Gonufs and was a descendant of the small village. He sent his fanatic commander and attacked our village, he destroyed the walls and the houses before proceeding to kill the villagers in an attempt to root anyone of Requina descent out. It was a blood bath, a blood bath I thought would stay like it was, them killing us off while I and my family cowered underneath our hut or fled. My mother came back running to me as the Empire''s troops drew nearer to our side of the village, I could hear their steps and horses sound closer and closer with the screams of the men, women, and children they slew. My father did not come back, I asked my mother where he was but she simply ignored me. Tears were falling from her eyes and down her cheeks. At that moment, even though I was a frail child, I came to the realization, that my dear father, was dead. My mother then carried me under her ?h?st with her arms and she ran, she just kept running the opposite direction. We were the only ones I remember running, the rest were either dead or have fled themselves. We entered the woods that were adjacent to the village and in the middle of those woods was a small river. The small river was a place for fishing and had two boats every time. When we got there, there was only one boat. My mother was panting, she had run so far on her feet while carrying me. Such a weakling, I was. Then, an arrow flew by and hit the boat when we were boarding it. They have found us, I heard the horses and the footsteps rustle through the bushes and the grass. "Kill them! Kill the Requinas!" I heard that voice, the voice I will never forget, the voice that I despise until this day of my death, as long as he walks under the same land and breathes the same air as I, I will never rest until he dies. Another flurry of arrows struck us, this time two arrows struck my mother''s back and she fell down in front of me. I began to tear up, begged for her to raise her head. I tried frantically shaking her head and tugging her over but she was not budging, I was just a small and insignificant child who just happened to have some god''s blood running down my veins, I hated it. I was facing down when the footsteps finally surrounded me and the sound of the blade leaving its scabbard all was too explicit of the impending death that was upon me. I did not look up, I did not want to look up. I saw his feet, those leather boots of his, in front of my face. He kicked me hard and I was sent to slumping to the soil near the river shore, he kicked me again and again and again until I was heaving. "Your blood shall no longer threaten the Empire!" he shouted after he finally finished torturing me. My body was numb and I was finally accepting that I was gonna die. But of course, fate had a different course for me. Suddenly, a white light shined over us like a bright sun directly above us. "Who the heck is that?" "What the hell is happening!?" Indeed, what was happening? "It''s the pope! run! run!" That''s all I heard before everything went into disarray. Again, my eyes were closed but I could hear the frantic running, the horses screaming and the men groaning one by one. I also heard a brief sword fight before it all went silent. I was scared so I did not open my eyes, again another set of footsteps rustled through the grass and came near me. I was expecting another beatdown, a kick, a punch, or I was to be drowned in the river. But, I felt a soft hand grab me up and my eyes opened as tears drooped. It was the pope, he shined in such holy light that I was calmed, behind him were his scripture of magic, a powerful group of people. He saved me and I thank him for that, but he did not save us. He let my family die, the village die, and I never realized that he only used me to gain control over my strong abilities for his own gains until the two masters I have now told me. He was a bastard! He used me, this damn scripture of his, that damn Theocracy, he thought me things like ''forgive and forget'' and ''Nothing is gained through revenge'' such hypocrisy! But my eyes were opened, Hailey opened my eyes and One lead me down the path of truth. I saw the future of mankind, where humans could live together in everlasting harmony, no suffering, no cruelty, something he called a Utopia. A human Utopia. Such a wonderful concept that will be achieved! They showed me what true power looks like, the real power to change the world. That''s why I devoted my body and soul to them, no god or goddess would promise such a future but I saw within them hope and prosperity, not only for me, but for us humans as a whole. With their army and might, we shall crush those in our way and lay down the foundations of our Utopia, we shall burn the Theocracy! ?ssimilate the kingdoms! we shall burn the forests of monsters and drown the holes of goblins and critters, we shall conquer the sky and tear the wings of the dragons from their bodies and finally! we shall go forth and destroy the Empire, that accursed crown-prince and his little commander turned general, they shall know my wrath, the wrath guided by the two bright lights of the truth of One and Hailey. For the true future of humanity, there are no gods or goddesses who can stop, neither the Republic! Neither the empire! and neigh will the beastmen ever see the light of the new era. For the Era of Man is upon us, for Utopia! Human supremacy! They will lay dead, burned, decapitated in the streets of their cities and towns, their leaders shackled and gagged. If I am to continue living. If this is not the afterlife. Please, o One and Hailey. Forgive my failures and let me continue on the path of truth that you showed me. I beg you. - One slowly glanced over the monitor displaying her vitals, her heart rate was fine, everything else was steadily recovering. Hailey was sitting right besides Vilvintine''s bed holding her right hand. "What did she say?" One asked. "You already know," Hailey whispered. "I forgive her," Chapter 46 - The Gathering "You failed!" An ethereal voice echoed through the clouds causing the pillars of gold to shake and the mosaic floor to crumble. The other deities bowed their heads as a way of appeasing his wrath, he was not pleased, not with what has transpired over the past year. He was fuming in anger, he stood up and pointed his staff towards the accused who stood at the middle of the floor separated from the clouds and the audience. "You promised us that you will eliminate him from our world! What did you do? What happened? You failed!" His voice was ethereal and full of anger, the accused was on her knees and her eyes were becoming teary. She carefully grasped her shoulders as the man in front of her continued his rant. "Failure," "Why did we even trust the new girl to handle this task?" "It was a simple task! they could''ve beaten those mortals with little effort," The gossips and the backlash all entered her ears and she began to weep. She shed tears of pity for herself and disappointment to herself, she was proven unfit to be one of the council. The Council as they were known, was a gathering of ten great deities, 5 great gods and 5 great goddesses who stood above the rest. They would be tasked to manage the world and other lesser deities, she was supposed to replace the ninth deity who was devoured by the gaping mouth of Hades but she failed to accomplish her first task. "This debacle was caused by a rogue sect of the Fax Relion, the religion that up to this day believes and worships you! It was a simple task!" "Please! please o Godfather, give me another chance!" She pleaded. "We gave you too many chances already!" The Godfather responded with absolute disdain. He frowned at the accused as she continued to plead and plead. He was almost absolute with his decision and wanted to end this entire ordeal with one might snap of his fingers. But he was a merciful and humble deity, even if the accused who was pleading before him, had failed the Council more than five times, he still had hope. He had hope for everyone. He sat down on his golden chair and closed his eyes to think. The accused, seeing the Godfather sit down and close his eyes immediately bowed. The others saw this and continued their act of appeasement. The other council members stood up in anticipation of the Godfather''s final decision. After a few minutes of deafening silence, the Godfather finally spoke. "One, last, chance," His voice was broken for he still had anger rushing through his ?h?st. He glowed a red hue and stood from his chair and summoned forth two fiery angels. These two fiery angels were of his creation and only he could summon them, they were humanoids with wings protruding from their spines and were literally made of fire. The fiery angels burned but they were silent and stood steadfast. The two angels flew in front of the bowing accused and then turned towards their master. "I give you one last chance! You now have my angels, command them as you please, and angels, I command you to follow whatever she says. You will use this angel and your believers to crush these menace from another world, this is your last chance!" He commanded. The accused quickly stood after the Godfather finished speaking and bowed once more before running off with the angels behind her. She was now desperate and afraid, she was afraid of getting expelled from the Council, the Council she dreamed the rest of her existence to join. She was the goddess Blue, the Blue Goddess of the Fax Religion. She needed to exterminate the demons from the other world, the world they long have forgotten. The past seemed to be finally catching up to them, to pay them back. But there was no time to think that the people from the past whom they helped destroy would just come in their world to destroy them! no! there was no time. She needed to eliminate them, push them back to their world! Whatever it takes. As she exited the grand colosseum suspended in the sky, she was hailed by another goddess who descended from her white floating Pavillion. Her angels were dazzling and opened the doors to her pavilion and she walked out. She wore a long snow-white gown that fluttered against the wind which only blew around her, she pulled back the cloak covering her snow-white face revealing to the accused her long pointed ears, firm lips, and a fair complexion. Her eyes dazzled like the stars and her hair was a pure white. She was the Goddess White. Goddess Blue''s oldest sister. The Goddess White loved Blue but Blue, although secretly adored and loved her sister, was extremely jealous of her sister''s reputation among the deities. One of the reasons she aspired to become a Council member was to make a name for herself that would be on equal footing with White. Now, her reputation was worse than the demon lord. She had failed multiple times to stop the otherworlders from further breaching their homeworld and thus, created a rift between the fabric of space and time. If this was to continue, not only would the otherworlders shake and most likely cause chaos to the world but may summon the abominabals they have long sealed. It was a crisis, a crisis she was failing to avert. If she failed her last chance, she will be stripped of her position and sent to the mortal world as an "outcast" a caste of deities who were no longer considered part of the "divine". White slowly floated towards her sister who refused to lay eyes upon her. She smiled and opened her fan she was holding and flapped it. "Dear Sister, would you like me to help you?" White asked in a way so appealing and warm that it was enough to make her jealous sister almost immediately say ''yes''. But her sister was stubborn, and it was against her vow to ask aide from another deity to accomplish a mission for complete qualifications for the Council. Blue reluctantly shrugged her off despite how tempting White was. "Dear Sister, how can I prove myself worthy against you if I fail to accomplish this one meager task?" She replied all high and mighty. White giggled and placed her fan over her lips. "Sister, you need not to lie to your older sibling, I know you are troubled and judging from your eyes alone, you cried yet again," She pointed out and went back to flapping her fan. "Tsk," Embarrassed, Blue could only turn her back against White and walked away. Although White had good intentions, she knew Blue was a lost cause. Seeing Blue disappear from the coliseum''s premises, she went back to her Pavillion and headed off to visit her religion down below. Blue was speeding through the sky followed by the two fiery angels which were made to follow her. The three were seen as shooting stars from the ground and the people who saw them looked in awe, some preached that they were a sign of good fortune, a blessing to come while others said otherwise and spread the word of a bad omen. The goddess had a plan, a plan she never thought she''d use unless under the direst of circumstances. She was in a dire situation and for her, it only seemed right to finally use her final trump card. Her blessing failed and ?ssimilations defeated, it was up to her to directly lead the charge against the otherworlders. Her trump card was simple, by using her divine status and the Fax Religion who worships her the most, she will lead the believers in a crusade against the otherworlders. This idea was full-proof in her mind and she was happy with it. She could utilize an army of millions and completely eradicate any opposition, even those from another world who have proven powerful thus far. She would first need to meet the remaining leaders of the Freetan Theocracy, with their help, they can unite the entirety of the Fax Religion and launch her most wanted crusade. The crusade would be one of the biggest since the start of the current era, a crusade where the oldest and youngest of men will participate. Sure, there were rules set by the high gods and goddesses concerning morality and the rights of living beings but there was no rule on how to handle crusades, she can launch wave after wave of massacres and genocides under the guise of this crusade. She knew she will lose hundreds of thousands of followers when they go against the otherworlders, but she thought to herself. "A small price to pay" The prelude of the new era was nigh. While she sharpened her blades and bolstered her magic, the enemy... Was studying how to cook pancakes. Chapter 47 - Prelude To The War The world was always a delight in the sight of One. Even with the severe lack of empathy and humanity which were vital for his kind, he was still fond of nature he knew once lived on Earth but have thus far died out due to the disaster which took place before he woke up as part-machine. He was standing at the top of one of the defense turrets situated in the defense perimeter around the base. He was wearing his usual attire, black uniform and a cold expression staring at the distance in front of him. He was watching the hill a kilometer ahead using his mechanical eyes to have a bird''s eye view. There was a formation of nimbus clouds forming beyond the hill, it seemed like a storm was approaching. The weather sensors predicted a sudden thunderstorm to form and douse the base and the surrounding areas with hundreds of thousands of gallons of water. It was a sweet weather event, something that remained on Earth but was less lovely, no trees on the ground with their roots to absorb the water, there were no bacteria to make use of the rain, there was nothing. The rain was just some weather phenomena back on Earth with no real value. It watered the soil but the soil was barren, deserts stretched across entire continents of what was once lush and vibrant ecosystems. Here, One could enjoy the natural process of Rain and its benefits to the environment altogether. He felt, pleased. He felt a sense of accomplishment and the will to bring back what was lost. It was an adoration of nature that was embedded deep within his stone heart. As he continued to gaze, there was an alert from the observation posts camouflaged near the outskirts of the forest. The observation posts were disguised as small wooden huts that were abandoned and had no real value, they were covered in weeds and vegetation while also being infested with insects and the small critters which infested the forest floor. Inside those wooden huts were small cubic instruments used to scan the surrounding area of 5x5 kilometers. These cubic instruments could detect vibrations, sound waves and specific heat signatures from specified biological entities. Three of the ten eastern posts situated near the Freetan Theocracy have sent an alarm to the base. Groups of unknown entities, probably humanoids, were entering the forest. One thought it was the normal influx of scouts who''d regularly be sent by the Theocracy, they were easily handled and nothing was given to the enemy. There was only one explanation in One''s mind. The Freetan Theocracy was using scorching the forests, burning the outskirts. What was the reason? The most likely, he thought; was that the Freetan Theocracy planned on launching a full-on invasion straight through the forest. This was unlikely but most probable. Unless, if One was overestimating them. Maybe they were simply burning those parts of the forests for expansion or for farmland? Maybe there were religious reasons concerning certain traditions? It was still up to mere speculation until he sends out a drone to confirm any of the ?ssumptions. One was trying to figure out the possible motive of the enemy, Hailey''s voice sounded in One''s ear. "The indoctrination process for this, ''Lily'' girl is underway, Vilvintine has regained 20 percent of her strength but she still needs time," "Good," One replied. "Just continue with the pace, there is no need to rush. We need to be effective but not careless," He further added. But Hailey was concerned about the unfolding situation with the observation posts. "One, the observation posts are blaring, we need to do something," She made her concern known. "They are of no concern, for now, if you want, sent out a drone or two to verify the reports and determine the motives of the signatures if the reports have been verified" He replied. Hailey was concerned, though she may have an edge on One by a slight margin in terms of expertise and knowledge, One was more confident of his Empire''s abilities while Hailey had her doubts on almost everything. She was worried, she came to the same ?ssumptions as One but had a different reaction. What if they would launch a full-on magical invasion? What if they had a thousand people like the adventurers they experimented upon? What if they were stronger? One had an edge over an army of metal armor and some magic wands but what was most concerning to her was the unknown factor presented by magic. Magic in this world was beyond anything they could explain, it was a form of energy that can be manipulated by this world''s inhabitants but with specific requirements to manipulate more complex forms of it. Regardless, the destructive capabilities of magic have thus far been deflected by the drones but what if they were more destructive and powerful than their previous encounters? If they were to attack them in a full-scale invasion and the invasion was composed of more powerful variants of these ''mages'' not only would they suffer heavy losses, they may even be pushed back to Earth! The looming threat to their stand in this world was too high to be ignored. But, she was not calling the shots. One was machine-in-charge. If she does any sort of insubordination, One might flush her from the system and she will be eliminated. She needed to act but also in a way that won''t turn One against her. One merely wanted to send a few drones to verify the reports, since the signatures were still in the outskirts, no nearby drone patrols were at the immediate vicinity. The drone patrols consisted of five combat drones with two mammoth-type drones. Mammoth type drones were the bulkier and more heavily armored version of the normal combat drone designed by Hailey. Though they lack agility, reflexes and speed, they make up for it in terms of firepower delivered by their two main weapons in their hands. The patrols were quite numerous, there were ten groups every 5 kilometers. Hailey had jurisdiction over the patrols since she is the one who commands them. One went silent over the intercoms, Hailey began to act. "Tsk," Hailey was using her interwoven psychic connection to command the drones and because of it, she could see what the drones see. The three patrol groups were on their way, but it seemed like the signatures have already advanced beyond the projected destination and were now about to directly face the nearest patrol group. The observation post that detected the group reported that the signatures consisted of 10 entities. All of which were humanoid. "How did they travel this far in such a short time span? Tsk! Must be that magic," Underneath the thick forest branches that covered the sky, the drones were making their way through. The two mammoths were toppling down trees in their wake while the five combat drones walked besides them in an orderly fashion, cutting down bushes or destroying any obstacles if necessary. Suddenly, the trees up ahead began displaying abnormal movements and the drones immediately went into combat mode. For some reason, the drones failed to detect the group until they were already at a distance where they could be ambushed, the drones had to act fast. The five combat drones formed a perimeter around the two mammoths and raised their blasters in anticipation of an ambush. The mammoths, on the other hand, raised their big guns and readied to fire at their surroundings. It was a protocol that was specifically made in a time like this. It was simple, in an event that the enemy manages to sneak too near, the drones were to form a perimeter around the two mammoths and if necessary, use scorched earth tactics to lure out the enemy from their hiding spots. It was an ingenious move that could be effectively applied in the forest. As the situation escalated and tensions ran higher by the minute, Hailey was frantically ordering about the two other patrols to immediately reinforce the first. She was stressed and her fears seemed to be coming true, not only is the enemy attacking straightforward, this may be the prelude of something big. Something they didn''t expect due to their arrogance. This was the prelude, of the full-scale crusade against the metal men. Chapter 48 - Opening Shots If there were historians who would come after the dust has finally settled, when the fiery winds from the storms that drenched the lands of magic finally calmed and the new dawn arose, they would debate how these storms came to be. They would debate how did the first skirmishes between two countries escalate into a full-blown war. A war that would cause the lives of millions, displace millions more, and ultimately result in the destruction of the other state. The state that attacked was the one doomed to fall, they will argue while some would say that the state who attacked could''ve emerged victorious if they would have just been careful. Regardless, the outcome has already been decided when they resorted to such desperate measures, abandoning their homes to fight the enemy. But who would defend their homes from an enemy they long considered a mere nuisance? how come such a state of power and knowledge be outsmarted by some men of metal? The opening shots were the beginning of the end for that state. The end of their monopoly in their region. The beginning of a shockwave which shook the very foundations of the world from its feet and toppled the pillars which supported it. The forest was brimming with activity, not because of nature, but because of the men who marched through it. An army 20,000 strong entered the forest that day divided into columns of 5 which were all 4,000 men and women strong. They wielded spears, swords, axes, and maces as they wore their blue decorated br??stplates and helmets. They marched into the forest with mages to their front. They were separated from the army, a whole new group composed of individuals with not only the ability to bend and control magic but the wisdom of great strategists and commanders. They marched forth from the army and into the forest they went. They covered themselves and avoided their enemies ability to detect them by using their magic to the fullest. They hid among the bushes, the tall grass, the branches of the trees. They used stealth, something they worked hard upon. They had blessings from a Goddess who almost had her positioned revoked and her powers stripped from her, but lo she was given one more chance to prove herself worthy. Using the pressure pushed against her, she utilized her plans to the fullest and used her powers directly. The mages were now an elite group, with the aid of the goddess, their power was beyond their dreams and they wept in joy, knelt before her grace before embarking. Their hearts were now as hard as gold and their will tough as iron. Determined, they set out. Disappoint their Goddess, they did not. Through the goddess knowledge and observations, they managed to pinpoint the weaknesses of the enemy; they possessed great strength and skills but they lacked two crucial aspects that were common in Fiorg at determining the victors of war. They lacked magic and numbers. Magic was within every being and where there was life, magic was always present. Utilized effectively using orthodox and unorthodox methods regardless of the two, magic was the most powerful energy they knew of. Numbers was another of their advantage, though at first they were outnumbered 25,000 to 20,000, there were millions of others waiting for their doors to be opened asunder and they shall let loose their revenge upon the metal men. But that does not mean the powers of the metal men were something to be mocking. Nay, they lacked magic indeed but they possessed great technological advances not even the genius among genius in Fiorg could make with the use of magic. They were something different and out of this world, literally. Numbers they lacked but skills they had plenty. Their warriors were not only tough but were agile and deadly. Their weapons spat fireballs and their swords always glowed a strange white hue whenever they wielded it in the battlefield. Then, when the first shots finally happened. The drums of war and the trumpets of the fallen sounded and echoed throughout the lands. The sounds were powerful and heard by every creature, every monster, every human and every beastmen in the region. It struck fear within their hearts and it let them know, the horn made them know; that the war has officially begun. The first skirmishes took place when the metal men were ambushed by the mages. They put up a fight indeed, even excusing three of the mages from life and their bodies were incinerated by the metal men''s weapons. But the mages were indeed more powerful than the metal warriors, they used their magic and through the combination of fire, ice and spells, the metal men were slain. Their bodies were torn by the spells which tore through their thick armor, their spells would normally just bounce off or do nothing but thanks to the goddess blessings, their magic was equivalent to their weapons. The metal men froze, melted or were simply battered. The two largest of these metal men stood longer and put up such a fight that they were worthy of every form of respect. But the mages knew no respect now, they knew revenge, for the deaths of their loved ones and the hundreds of thousands which were slain during that day. The day forever remembered, "The Pope''s Goodbye" A day that was embedded in their minds and hearts and pushed them even further beyond their initial capacity to stage the utmost and purest of vengeance. When the two biggest of their enemies finally were slain, the mages did not celebrate nor did they mock their enemies. They proceed to their path to pave the way for the millions who will trigger the judgment day for the men of metal. But their enemies did not go down without dealing one more blow. As they thought the metal men were finally finished and their souls have left their bodies, they did the unthinkable. One by one, each metal puppet they slew, they would explode into a fiery of flames so massive and destructive that not even they could withstand all of it. They were pushed back, bruised and scarred. They flew away and when they crashed down, trees were uprooted from the sheer power of their powers to not hit the ground alone. Although the enemy was then finally slain, they were dealt a dose of reality. The enemy, until this day, until this hour, until this very moment. Was still, a mystery. A mystery so dangerous, they could not risk carelessness. To doom themselves was to be careless. That was a fact and the most important lesson imparted to them by the goddess before they went to the crusade. And as they went deeper and deeper into the forest, it began to seem quieter and quieter. The encountered less opposition than the initial conflicts, they were beginning to doubt their destination. Did the enemy indeed have a fortress? If so, why the lack of defenses? A determined response? More patrols? It began to look silly. But only when their army of 20,000 was finally inside the forest did the enemy finally revealed itself to the mages. The enemy indeed had defenses and their defenses struck them awe and horrific. The mages stumbled upon a strange clearing of trees and beyond that clearing was a peculiar hill which they crested. The towers posed danger, just glancing at these beasts made their weaponry known. Weaponry they did not know, things that the goddess did not fully understand. The one thing that was clear was that the defenses were stronger than anything but they knew their wills were stronger. And so they decided to set camp, the mages and the army of 20,000 upon reaching their destination. They camped at the opposite side of the hill when they did, many nights have already passed. Who knows what the enemy was scheming behind those walls, would they mount a valiant defense? Or would they charge blindly at them and a great battle ensues? They drank and they slept. They waited many days and nights and watched over those walls for anything that would prompt them to wield their swords. They were burning the eastern section of the forest entirely and with it did the black smoke covered the skies above them. The smoke from the fires was thick and widespread until they finally blocked out the sun across their region for the wind was not in their favor. The wind blew the smoke above their lands but they paid no heed to it. Little did they know that above that black smoke and the white clouds that were upon it. The enemy was gonna fall from the skies. Chapter 49 - The First Battle In The Clouds The sky was the limit. That was the fact before the invention of flight-capable technology. It was not until the first plane did the humans finally conquered the skies. in Fiorg, the skies have been conquered but not as much as the humans did back on Earth. They rode creatures of great shape who were beasts and bore death. The wyverns which the kingdoms manned and flew above their lands to protect their skies and the cities. The small dragons they tamed or enslaved to protect their treasures. Of course, these flying beasts were used for war. Not only do they overpower the common soldier but they do so effectively against a thousand or more common soldiers. The common soldiers were no match for the beasts whose wings would blow them away, the feet that would stomp on them and their ability to fly. With armour as thick as metal, no puny amount of arrows can take them down. The only thing capable of doing so was, of course, magic. Magical weapons and spells were effective and almost the only viable way of shooting them down or injuring them in that manner. They always aimed for the riders, if the riders fell so would the beast. The rider was its brain and love, its husband and wife. These beasts were trained to always follow their masters, so much so that it resulted in them committing suicidal acts if its rider falls. Thinking that this was no issue, the kingdoms of Fiorg shrugged off the warnings and trained them as they would be today. And today was the day that they would encounter an enemy equal to their strength, equal in a sense but not as they thought. On the twenty-seventh day after the first army set up camp below the other side of the hills which separated them from the enemy, the first wyverns took flight above the forest. The sky was covered in dark clouds of smoke and ash because of the fires that were still ablaze. Commanding the wyvern riders was an iron-willed captain Ghemerie Tron. Gemerie Tron was a fresh new graduate of the Theocracy''s five year bloody training camp that turned already seasoned riders into commanders that would command a hundred more of their comrades and lead them into battle. This was his third mission above enemy territory. The commander was stoic, disciplined and wise, using the knowledge he accumulated over the past years of riding and the limited information provided to him before the crusade, he was confident and thought that he was more than ready to face the enemy. The enemy, however, was more ready to face him and his wyvern flock. The mission was to aid the twenty thousand strong army in penetrating the defence line. He and his flock would simply conduct raids and try to pick off as much of the enemy soldiers as possible. This was the most common strategy of using air beasts but by far the most efficient when the enemy has little to no resistance to it. Ghemerie Tron was not informed that the enemy had metal beasts which flew, none of them did. Not even the goddess saw these beasts before the battle happened and their demise was by then set in stone. It was supposed to be an easy victory, the weapons of the enemy were focused on the twenty thousand soldiers and there was no clear opposition against them. Suddenly, a fiery roar sounded like thunder that echoed in the sky in which they flew. Ghemerie and his men heard the roar and fear struck them. What is this feeling? He thought. After the roar finished the metal beasts suddenly appeared unexpectedly above the ash clouds and brought hell to the commander and his flock. The metal beasts were unlike anything he''d ever seen, they flew faster than they could catch, could turn at angles impossible for their wyverns to achieved and possessed firepower that could decimate entire armies. They flew right through the flock and easily slaughtered thirty in a frenzy of lights, explosions and sonic screams. It was a nightmare for the riders. But they did not back down, Ghemerie Tron rallied what remained of his original flock and tried to mount a desperate defence. Despite what looked like to be a one-sided slaughter, he turned it into something similar to events he did not know of but happened back on Earth. The army of twenty thousand below them was decimated and quickly the survivors routed in fear and anguish. The mages that were supposed to lead them were all defeated in front of them and the enemy began to push them back, their swords and staffs stronger than what they had. Ghemerie saw this entire fiasco while they battled in the skies. His eyes reflected his horror as he saw his fellow countrymen as small little dots in the ground running across fields of bodies, flames and destruction. This was the first setback but it did not mean defeat, he knew that and decided to fight on and die as martyrs for the future of the Theocracy. He, like many before him, was a devote believer of the Fax Religion and worshipped the goddess with all his strength. Through the horror he witnessed and the inevitable defeat simply knocking at his door with death behind it ready to lead him to the depths of the hell, he mustered whatever iron will he had and led one final push. The wyverns and the metal beasts went head to head in what was seen from below as a chaotic display of fireworks. Explosions rocked each side, the riders cast magic spells and the wyverns tried in such disparity to claw, gnaw, and follow the metal beasts. But despite this, despite their best efforts and the great leadership of Ghemerie Tron, they were defeated in a fantastic fireball. The metal beasts suddenly dispersed from the battle making Ghemerie and his surviving flock think that they have pushed the enemy back, they cheered and cried and sounded prayers of thanks. His body facing the sky as he continued descending to the ground, the glimmer of honor, will and confidence he once had in his eyes all disappeared and his dreams fell with him. His belief for the Fax Religion was met with uttermost doubt when he fell, everything he ever believed in and his life flashed before him. From birth to death, unto the soil we shall return, for the soil we were from and to the soil, we shall return. A familiar saying back on Earth and was also a proverb in the Fax Religion that echoed in his head. Before he finally crashed onto the solid ground, he heard the faint crack from the bones of the weaver he rode that fell before him. He saw the rest of his flock falling from the sky like a host of heavenly angels that were slain in the battles of heaven. The demons won this battle, but the angels of the Goddess would strike back! He thought once more. And then he crashed onto the ground, bones cracked and displaced, blood splattered all over the grass and organs protruding from the opened holes that appeared from bones piercing his skin. His body was one of the many soldiers who fell to the evil that would soon plague their lands. But their war was just beginning, not only would they fight them in the skies but also in their fields of wheat, their bricked streets, in the humble vestiges of their villages and the busy districts of their cities. In that day, when the army charged and the flock of Ghemerie followed, what they gained and sowed from the seeds the planted that die were the rotten wheat of death. As the sun was finally setting, the landscape became darker, the skies were blanketed in ash and smoke that prevented even the light of the stars to be seen nor the moons to show their holy lights. In the distance, vast fires raged as the Theocracy prepped once more for another attack, they were on a crusade! The burning of the forest was necessary, how can they supply and march an army of hundreds of thousands with terrain as awful as that? A worthy sacrifice at the cost of the magical energy in the forest. With magical energy severely depleted due to the fires, mages were forced to use their own reserves but with the help of the goddess, the lack of natural magic was b?r?ly a problem. If there were surviving generations. Chapter 50 - The Battle Around The Hill At the foot of the hill, 20 thousand soldiers stood. They were of common birth, while their leaders were high ranking nobility supported by the clergy. They sharpened their swords and pranced their spears as they began to march. "Men!" A voice cried out, on his horse was their general, he was old but skilled, frail but strong. His raspy voice echoed among the ranks of knights, spearmen, and bowmen who were following him into battle. "Today shall be the day!" The first column crested the hill and came before them the sight of the enemy. The might thin walls and the menacing towers which seemingly stared at them, looking down upon them. The wall was long and stretched as far as the eye could see, upon those walls were a small number of metal men. These metal men were short in numbers. But they did not underestimate the enemy, they remembered that these metal men can take out ten normal men alone, what more could a thousand of them do to them? They had the blessings of the gods, that was their unnerving factor. Leading them was a strong and seasoned general, who, along with the mages that paved their path through the forest, made them feel at ease. At last, a small scrimmage of light from the sun escaped through a rare hole in the black smoke that covered the sky. It shined upon the general who was on horseback. He was seen by all his men for he was up on the hill. He gazed upon his army and drew out his sword, holding it high. "Today!" He shouted. "We shall redeem our brothers!" The knights drew their swords. "We shall avenge the women and children!" The spearmen lowered their spears. "We, in the name of the Goddess and the Pope!" The archers pulled their bows. "Hereby condemn!" The mages cast their spells. "These demons to hell!" And the drums of war sounded. It was a beautiful display of courage and will, the determination in their eyes and the utmost confidence they possessed. The goddess was watching from a distance, smiling and clapping her hands, this was her redemption, her triumph! The beginning of her path to glory among heaven. They charged down the hill, the horses speeding forth. The knights and spearmen were charging in tight columns as the archers positioned themselves over the hill. "Fire!" Their commanders shouted. They released and then came out their arrows. In-front of the archers were several mages who positioned themselves in front of them. They wielded their staffs up high and cast a small circle of magic over their heads. The arrows would pass through the circles and they would be enhanced, from measly iron-tipped arrows they would become magic arrows with power to penetrate the very skin of the wyverns. These arrows shined blue in accordance with the Goddess who lent them most of their extra power, and these arrows appeared as missiles in the sky. The blue trails of arrows soared above, illuminating the shrouded battlefield, but to their surprise, the arrows failed to reach the walls. A transparent dome suddenly made itself known and covered the entirety of the wall and separated even the smoke which covered the sky. This was unprecedented magic that required the skills of a powerful mage, or quite possibly, an archmage! But this wasn''t magic they were seeing, what they were seeing was the manifestation of an energy barrier, though weak, could repel weak magical spells and weapons. A reason for this weakness was due to the fact that the main core that generated this dome was located at exactly the Main Hub of the Machine Empire where the wormhole was based. It covered a vast area, the entirety of their territory. The vast area meant that the dome was stretched and so its defensive qualities were significantly reduced, nonetheless the barrier proved to be a strong hurdle. There was no visible resistance, the barrier was the only problem they had. The menacing towers that towered over the thin walls were not doing anything, there was no hostile fire. The metal men on the walls suddenly disappeared, as if they all abandoned hope and retreated. Seeing this, Valdir shouted in rejoice. "The enemy has retreated! Attack! Attack!" The orders were spread among the commanders and the commanders told their troops. The mages began pounding the barrier with spell after spell as the soldiers tried desperately to hack and slash their way in. But it proved futile. Minutes passed, the tension faded and the army began to settle. The wyverns were nowhere to be seen as they disappeared amid the smoke. The mages continued to batter the barrier with their most powerful spells and it seemed to be working, one mage hurled a large boulder at the barrier and a few pieces of the boulder managed to slide through. More minutes passed and finally, the barrier disappeared. The mages were the first ones to take the charge, they dashed to the walls and confidently jumped over it. The soldiers behind them watched as they disappeared behind the thin walls. The general did not want his army to be left behind in the spoils, they had to secure a foothold for the millions of other men who would march in with them, for the crusade! He thought. His army once again marched in columns, knights, spearmen, and bowmen with the general leading the way. And then, an eerie silence. Tension began to build up as chills went down their spines, all of them. Even the battle-hardened veterans felt the fear crawl. And that fear made itself known. One soldier looked up the dark clouds and saw something pierce through the sky, and then another, and then another. Suddenly, an explosion pierces a section of the thin wall in front of them and the screaming body of a mage emerged from the smoke. She screamed in pain, her wails echoing through the plains as blood drooped from her forehead. Her robes torn and left eye blinded. Behind her, from the smoke, came the metal men. They wielded their metal weapons and strange staffs, they slowly walked behind the mage. As she wailed and cried for help, one of the metal men raised its weapon and beheaded her. The soldiers who witnessed this were struck with fear and a loss of hope, the mages they looked up to pave their path to glory were reduced to mere humans screaming for their help and beheaded in front of them. The general also witnessed this, he felt the fear and the loss for hope but he persevered. "Charge! Kill them all!" He screamed! And his commanders screamed with him. They once again drew out their swords and they went in. The metal men also charged towards them, they wielded these strange swords which glowed and had an odd shape and rods of steel which breathed out fireballs, it was a massacre before they even clashed. There were only a handful of metal men but they had the strength of a thousand normal men. The general was the first to clash swords with the metal men. The sheer power from the metal man''s swing was enough to push him from his horse and he fell down. He hit the soil below him hard but the adrenaline surging within him ignored the pain and he quickly rose to his feet and picked up his sword. The metal man seemed to be waiting for him as it merely stood and stared with its two glowing eyes. As his men battled around him, more wyverns began to fall and the sky was lit up in a spectacle of explosions which resembled fireworks. The thunderous roars of each wyvern and metal beast filled their ears. The general saw this but he focused on the opponent in front of him. "Die demon!" He shouted and then he charged. He ran towards his metal foe and once more their swords met, this time he did not fall for he finally used his swordsmanship skill, "Greater Wield" The skill gives him more power and control over his weapon. Normally, his sword upon the first contact with the metal man''s glowing variant should have been incinerated due to the fact that the metal men wielded a mere handle which upon activation would manifest a rod of concentrated plasma. His sword, however, was able to counteract the heat because of its magical properties. The battle around them raged on as their fight did as well. Valdir swung his sword from his head and aimed to decapitate the metal man but the metal man was as fast as any skilled fighter and blocked his attack. They continued their duel as many of the general''s men fell, the army of 20 thousand was being massacred. The metal men were literally throwing themselves in the middle of thousands, yet they would massacre hundreds in just a minute. The magic arrows b?r?ly scratched them as they continued to mow down their ranks. And then it happened, an explosion in the sky so powerful it drove the clouds of smoke away. The sun brimmed so bright as the clouds were pushed in a circular fashion. The battle in the clouds was finally over and their wyverns were all dead. Valdir was exhausted, bruised and his sight began to blur. He could no longer maintain his skill, his magic badly diminished after twenty minutes of fighting against a metal man. "You did good," A voice rang out from the shadows behind the jagged rubble. And then he appeared, smiling directly at him. Chapter 51 - Lily In the confines of a brightly-lit room, a girl was on a bed, in deep slumber. She''s been in a coma for more than a month after Hailey''s brainwashing but as scheduled, she was about to wake. She opened her eyes in a lazy fashion and proceeded to scan the room in which she was in. The room was cosy, decorated with black linen and carpeted red, her bed was comfortable while the sun shined through the opening in-between the drapes of a window. She raised her upper body and scanned the room once more. "What is this place?" She thought. She extended both of her arms from under the white sheet and found out that she was healthy, no bruises, scars or any wounds. She still remembered that time when she and her group battled against Vilvintine, and after thinking that they''d actually win, she was dumbfounded at One''s intervention and subsequent victory over them. The sheer power he displayed, it still sent chills down her spine. But she was rather calm now, not because she has accepted defeat, no, she wanted vengeance but that feeling was being overridden. Her memories, she still remembered her past but it was now combined with a thought she never knew before. Utopia. That was the main point behind the strange thoughts In her mind. A world where humans could live in comfort and harmony, no bickering and strife. There would be no division, the perfect society. "This is too good to be true" She wanted to ignore it but how could she ignore the idea that seduced her? She was deep into her thoughts when Vilvintine came in, she sported her black uniform just like when they first met. Lily was suspicious of her, her demonic smile still lingering in her mind. The smile that they mistook to be warm, but was a smile that looked down upon them. Lily frowned as Vilvintine walked closer to her bed, she was smiling and Lily hated it. Vilvintine then sat on the stool that was near Lily''s bed and gazed at the former adventurer confined to her new home. "What do you want?" Lily said rather harshly, refusing to look at Vilvintine. Vilvintine continued her smile and spoke in a sweet voice. "Well, I''m here to check on my compatriot" Suddenly, Lily''s eyes bulged and she turned to face Vilvintine. "Compatriot!? Big word for someone like you! Trickster!" Her voice was threatening but Vilvintine was unfazed with her bratty attitude. She dragged the stool closer to the bed and she leaned forward, her face almost touching Lily''s. Lily was visibly uncomfortable as she felt her breath against her cheeks. "Vivat, in Imperii" Lily suddenly froze. "Vi-vat.." Vilvintine leaned back and placed her hands onto her ??p. "In.." "Say it," She whispered. "Imperii" Lily finally turned towards Vilvintine. She moved her hair that covered her face and stared at Vilvintine with her now dark eyes, an aura of blackness oozed from her pupils as she placed her right hand upon her ?h?st and whispered once more. "Vivat, In Imperii" "Vivat, In Imperii, Lily Of The Black River" Vilvintine stood from the stool and extended her arms to Lily who without as second thought, grabbed her hand and stood beside her. Lily was still wearing her patient''s gown and so Vilvintine brought a spare black uniform similar to hers and offered it to her new compatriot. "Wear this, this will be our signature dress from now on, show them our might, show them our strength! We work towards one goal, Lily, one goal!" Lily removed her gown and immediately took the uniform, as she was wearing it, Vilvintine began to glow yellow as she did before they duelled. "For Utopia!" She said in an angelic voice. "For Utopia!" Lily whispered, finished dressing. The uniform was a perfect fit for her slim physique. She too began to glow but her colour was black, she did not retain her former colour but adopted the new color of the new state she now served. She was brainwashed yes but she did not know, can it be really called brainwashing? Nay, she was offered the truth! A chance for redemption, something she thought fate had abandoned her for, now she could redeem her honour as the daughter of a prestigious noble and finally fixate her status. "Vilvintine, what''s my first mission?" Lily asked softly. "Dear, we need to introduce you to our two leaders first," Vilvintine smiled. "I-I see," "Then, let''s be off," Vilvintine turned her back and walked out followed by Lily. This was Lily''s first time in the Central Command Building of the Machine Empire directly located in the centre of the Main Hub. The hallways were wide and contrary to her expectations, not cramped with the Empire''s drones. They made their way through the empty halls, they passed through a corridor that had huge glass panes as walls on each side. As they passed, Lily realized that they were not on the ground, no, they were 20 storeys high above it! It was a fantastic view, hovercrafts zooming through the sky, bots of every kind of designation were walking through down below like ants in a colony. Then, as they entered the next hall, they were greeted by the elite drones of the Overall. These elite drones were taller than the average human, their armour was bulky but they were flexible and fast. They wielded their signature weapons, the M-1 Blasters and no, these were not blasters using magic but using a semi-reengineered version of prewar issue blasters used by the human government at that time. Their eyes glowed blue, and they scanned the two before they allowed their entry. These drones were menacing to look at, you had to look up and you''d see the black and white outlines, the heavy plating, the small opening between their limbs that showed a vast network of intricate machinery, gears and wires and forming a sophisticated nervous system for these metal men. They finally reached their destination, 20 storeys high, the Overall''s bridge. The bridge was brightly lit like any room, the holographic monitors displaying a vast array of information were scattered in an organized fashion, and in the middle of that organized pile of monitors and desks was One. He emitted an aura that was more terrifying than before, if a common man was to see him now, he would have been running the opposite direction. One was looking away from them, swiping a holographic board that floated in front of him. Vilvintine gestured Lily to follow her and they began to walk towards their leader. Lily was trembling so much that she could be heard. She was fearful, the aura was too strong. "Vilvintine, reporting!" Stunned, Lily did the same. "L-lily! Reporting also!" ''oh no! What did I say!'' Lily was embarrassed. Stuttering in the presence of her new master, on the first day of the job too! One then turned around. ''EEK!'' she screamed in her mind. One looked fine, his expression was cold but not menacing. But his aura was even more terrifying when he faced them. An aura that indicated he had tremendous power, that said that not even Vilvintine and her combined could they take him down. "At ease," One spoke in a monotone voice. Vilvintine lowered her hand and Lily followed suit. "So you''ve finally come around," One walked towards Lily, who, out of fear, could not reply. "Fear, a human byproduct, something you need to manage," One suddenly extends his right hand and hands over a black rectangular board. Lily immediately took it and bowed. "Uhm, do you know how to use that thing?" One asked. "Uh¡­" Lily frantically began tapping on the black thing. All the while the other two stared at her, One was deeply confused at what he was witnessing while Vilvintine was ever the more amused. After a minute of endless tapping, One was ready to commit genocide just by sheer annoyance and confusion. Vilvintine then took the pad from the frantic Lily and tapped it open herself. "Finally," One thought. The board then displayed a holographic projection of what seemed to be the western defence perimeter, it was the live feed. In the feed, the bodies of the wyverns and the decimated 20 thousand strong army sent by the theocracy were scattered among the fields of grass. "They were defeated huh," Vilvintine remarked. "Such power.." Lily was shocked further, she was literally seeing thousands of bodies which were killed by this state''s soldiers. "Your first mission will be simple," One raised his hands and pointed at a location on the feed. "Find me a live specimen of this animal," "A wyvern, sir?" Vilvintine inquired. "So these are the famed wyverns, interesting" "Yes, sir," "You and Lily must retrieve me a live specimen and try to find a natural nest if possible," One ordered. This was her first ?ssignment, she cannot fail it! Lily was confident now, with someone like Vilvintine by her side, both of them will be more than capable of tracking down a wyvern, the problem was.. Wyverns were strong. Chapter 52 - Ivy Ivy was travelling on foot through the burnt undergrowth, the black cloud of smoke still covered the sky preventing the light of the sun from dawning the land. She was on her way to Giboa, the city nearest to the Forest and the crusade''s base of operations. She was to meet with Councilwoman Anna for her mission. She received her summons a few days before the declaration of the crusade, she watched from the makeshift clinic she was in as men and women armed themselves to participate in the crusade, it was an unusual sight, the people were united under one goal but she could not tell if it was genuine or they were forced. Their smiles seemed forced. She also watched as children were forcefully separated from their parents in what would soon be called the ''The Child''s Despair'' she also heard rumours of minor uprisings that were immediately quelled, it seems like the crusade was something not everyone supported. She arrived at Giboa just in time to witness the wyvern flocks fly off towards the area of battle. The outskirts of the city were packed with tents and thousands of soldiers and mages, none of them recognized her even though she bore the crest of the late archbishop Frederick on her right ?h?st. The only instance they gave a damn was when she presented herself to the guards in the gates. "Ivy of the Red Scripture, the bodyguard of the late Frederick, state your business in Giboa" The man in armour questioned. She then grabbed the letter from councilwoman Anna and presented it to the guard. "I-I see, you''re now allowed entry, Councilwoman Anna is with the local lord in his abode," Ivy nodded at the guard before walking through the gate. The city streets were packed, commoners and soldiers filled the streets, she walked pass empty stalls and sleeping knights, it felt anarchic, she also came across a street fight between a disgruntled shop owner and a few drunkards, she watched as the nearby patrol quelled the dissent, by quell, they slew the drunkards when they tried to fight back. The scene was similar the entire way, there were order and chaos. A strange atmosphere held the city, somehow, she felt an ethereal presence swaying any form of widespread dissent. She arrived at the Lord''s Castle, it was a medium-sized mansion. After asking the guards at the front of the gate, she was escorted to the Lord''s room where the local lord and councilman Anna were conducting their private meeting. Since it was a private meeting, not even visitors could interrupt but since in the letter, Anna states that she be brought immediately regardless of any rules, she was allowed passage. The knights led her to the room, upon opening the door, the local lord was nowhere to be found and only Anna was present; sitting on a velvet couch and sipping tea. "Madame, Ivy of the Red Scripture has arrived.." The guard announced. "Bring her in, and leave" Anna answered back, she continued sipping her tea without looking at the people under the doorway. Ivy stepped into the room and the guards closed the door behind her, the room was cold, the fireplace was out and Ivy''s Ice magic wasn''t helping. "Come sit, Ivy" Anna commanded. ''Yes, madame," Ivy proceeded to sit on the couch adjacent to Anna''s and she waited for her to speak once more. She sipped on her tea for another minute before finally lowering it and placing the cup onto the table in front of them. "How are you doing, Ivy?" Anna asked as she removed her coat. "I am well, madame," Lily replied slowly. "As you must have heard, the council has decided to launch a crusade into the Western Forest to vanquish these metal demons who have so far killed thousands and slew the pope and your archbishop," "Yes, Madame, I am very aware," "Good, I know you crave to seek revenge after your comrade''s death, not so sure about your feelings for Frederick though," Anna teased. Ivy then smiled and looked at Anna with a warm expression. "I don''t know what you are talking about, Madame, I grieve over the death of my beloved Archbishop." She retorted, feigning her feelings. "My, My, please don''t lie to me, you know my abilities, dear Ivy," Anna laid her back onto the couch and grabbed one of the small pillows to her side. Anna was well aware of Ivy''s resentment against the late archbishop, it was a thing she wanted to exploit. The isthmus connected the theocracy directly to the main continent of Fiorg but the Theocracy is yet to secure it. Beyond the Isthmus is another state ruled and populated by beastmen, a beastmen country. Within the Fax Religion, Beastmen were considered impure beings created by the demon lord who goes against heaven. This is part of the reason why the two states refuse to engage in any sort of diplomatic relations. With the news of the Theocracy''s sudden crusade into the forest, the beastmen state must be taking advantage of the weaken northern border. If the beastmen were able to control the entirety of the Isthmus, the Theocracy would become vulnerable to a beastmen invasion. "Ivy, I hereby order you to gather two of your allies in the Red Scripture and venture north towards the Northern Border," Anna was very frank. "So the rumours about a potential beastman invasion were true huh?" "Oh? Such rumours have reached this far? Well, they are not far from the truth. Several neutral beastmen villages have suddenly taken up arms and launched attacks on our Northern Border, I have also just received word that several villages and towns have already fallen to their devilish sway," "So, my mission is to repel them, correct?" "Yeah, that sums it up," "Madame, may I be blunt?" Ivy leaned forward. "You may," Anna smiled as she leaned to pick her teacup. "You''re just splitting the Red Scripture, aren''t you?" Ivy frowned. Anna then sipped her tea and gave out a breath. "This tea is very nice, relaxes my soul," "Madame-" Ivy is disturbed by a groan, it was a groan of a man. She immediately stood and scanned the room searching for the source. Anna sighed. "The local lord was pretty demanding," Ivy turned her attention to Anna, her face showing her confusion. "The Goddess ordered us to dedicate ourselves to this crusade of hers, her followers must always grant her wishes and not fall to the wants of our flesh but pay heed to the gods," "What¡­ are you.. talking about?" "My? Well, the local lord was being greedy and refused to surrender his rule to the Goddess, and so he was taken care off," "That does not explain the gro-" Another, more powerful groan echoed in the room. The sound was creepy, sending chills down Ivy''s spine. "Tat tat! Ivy you should go now, the Northern Border is at risk, protect our country!" Anna hastily stood and pushed Ivy out from the room, slamming the door shut. It felt unnatural to Ivy. The councilwoman was acting strange, and that groan did not help her doubts. She made her way out of the lord''s abode, the scene was still the same. And then she realized, she also felt weird. Something tingly crawling through her body. "Hush, I have to find John," Before she could step out and disappear into the crowd in the street, a guard called for her. "Ivy of the Red Scripture!" The guard yelled. Ivy turned to look and saw one of the Knights waving at her, in his hands were sealed letters with the crest of the church. She turned around and ran to the guard who greeted her another time. "The councilwoman wishes to give you these, she says that these are your instructions once you arrive at the northern border," The guard handed the letters to Ivy who took them rather lazily. Ivy then inspected the letters, the letters were normal, she was just being sure. But, she was acting paranoid, she thought. "Thank you, kind sir," Ivy bid the guard farewell and turned her back. She then spent the rest of the afternoon looking for an Inn to stay, it was getting late and the next army was supposed to embark tomorrow at the break of dawn, she decided it would be best if she just stayed here for a while, she just had that feeling that something was not right. She then found the Inn she was looking for, the sign was torn but at the other half was intact ''iNN'' It was written. She entered through the wooden door, went to the cashier and paid for one night. She went up to her room and laid on the bed. "So tired!" She placed her small backpack onto the floor beside her bed and blew off the candles on the table next to the door. "This day has been gruelling, I hope tomorrow will be different," She thought as she tucked in and made herself comfortable. "Tomorrow is another day," Chapter 53 - A Smidge Of His Past "What''s this?" One opened his eyes and felt a tingling pain down his lower spine. He found himself in a tight space that surrounded his body and felt the air around him slowly dwindle. "Shit, I am gonna suffocate!" He thought. He scanned his tight space for any tools or thing he can use to bust whatever he was in open. He came across a small cylinder that had a little bu??on that flashed continuously. He tried lowering his body to grab it with his arms but the space was too cramped, he tried once more but to no avail. The air around him was dwindling at a faster rate and he could feel the temperature rise by the minute. He didn''t understand what was happening outside. He then felt his body slightly jolt forward and then back, he was being tossed around in his small compartment before a last but powerful jolt knocked him unconscious. He awoke a few minutes later, his body mostly numb but he could feel his hands. The small compartment now had tiny little holes all around it, light shined through the holes. The temperature was back to normal and he felt heavier than usual. He gave himself a breather for two minutes before finally trying again to open the compartment. The tool he saw was destroyed, he could feel the shattered remains of what he thought was the only thing out of this cramped space around the sole of his right b?r? foot. "Shit," The compartment suddenly started rolling to the left, once again he was tossed and rolled around as the compartment rolled to the right in what could be described as the dizziest moment of his life. The compartment abruptly stopped and again he was jolted forward. He then heard a loud explosion that rocked him. "Where the fu?k am I?" He had a vague idea of where he was but he didn''t want to come so soon to a conclusion, he needed to get out of the cramped compartment or else whatever is happening outside may kill him before he knew it. Suddenly, a sharp blue tentacle pierced the hull in front of him, startling One. The blue tentacle slowly retracted before piercing another hole in the compartment, b?r?ly missing his right ?h?st area by a few inches. A powerful screeching noise then sounded before the compartment was torn open by the tentacles. What he saw that day would linger in the back of his mind till the day he would forget everything. A bluish and hideous creature lingered in the distance, ten long tentacles protruded from all over his body. It had no visible eyes but judging by the direction which the tentacles were pointing at, it was staring at One. Without a second thought, One decided to book it. He pulled himself up by grabbing the sharp edges of the torn metal wall. Both of his hands were cut and bled but his body did not have time to process the pain. No, he needed to get away from that creature. Fear took hold of him and fear would be his most driving factor for survival, just like any other human. He felt his legs but only enough to feel the ground beneath his feet. He was dashing through a dust storm, he could b?r?ly see what was up ahead. He ran across piles of rubble, be it demolished cars or burning buildings. He found himself in-between a freeway full of tightly packed vehicles, he stopped for a quick rest since he was running for a few minutes tops. He turned around to see if the creature followed him, he couldn''t see it, to be frank, he could not see anything beyond a few metres. The dust storm was getting stronger and stronger and he knew if he stayed longer in this place, he would be chocked by the cloud of dust. He started running again, this time he followed the wreck of cars through the freeway and again he only saw destruction. He also ran by a destroyed tank, it was a prewar M-100 Tank used by the human military back then. "Wait a second," He thought as he ran. "Where the fu?k is this?" "Why does everything make absolutely no sense but familiar?" "Wasn''t I sitting back at the Hub?" "Wait," As he was lost in thought, he was slapped by a piece of metal. He fell to the ground and felt the pain all throughout. He wanted to scream but doing so would likely attract further unwanted attention from whatever was haunting this nightmarish hellscape. "This¡­" He finally realized. "This was Earth," He finally remembered a small smudge of his past but he would soon regret what he''d remember. The dust storm began to settle until the area around him became mostly visible, contrary to his initial ?ssumption, he wasn''t inside a city, no, he was on the outskirts of one! There he was, running across a literal graveyard of what was human civilization back on Earth. He stopped for a second to contemplate what was happening, this was too much for him to handle. After a decade of emotionless and cold thinking, a decade of lacking a good portion of his humanity, he was finally experiencing what he was missing. He panted and scanned the landscape, it was utter death and chaos, he did not really pay attention to the wreckage and cars but when he leaned forward to one, he saw them. Burned bodies of humans, the car he leaned on to was the worse he could''ve found. An entire family was inside, what he could ?ssume to be the parents were sitting on the front seat, their skin burned and eyes still visible, looking into the distance. The burnt bodies of three young children were piled up among the back seats, they must have hugged each other before their eventual demise. "No," He pushed himself away and tried to forget what he saw but how can he forget his own memories that were slowly coming back to haunt him? He continued his journey down the freeway before finally collapsing due to exhaustion. His body was again numb but¡­ he was no longer. He felt sadness, a depression slowly crept in his heart before he finally began to shed a single tear. The tear fell down his cheeks before meeting the hard pavement beneath. He stayed motionless against the pavement as the dust began to cover him. The wind has died down and the clouds finally came into view. The sun shined with its searing heat that day, but he was unprepared of what he was about to witness. There was a small cube just to his left, it was a small black cube; mainly used by civilians whenever disaster would strike, it was a portable device designed to receive government messages through encrypted channels. It suddenly sprang back to life, displaying half of a hologram. It was damaged too severely to show the full content of the message displayed. Since it was activating, it meant that there was still a government. One moved his head to try and make out the message from the hologram. LAUNCH O- NUC- MAY GOD BLE- ALL "What?" The words escaped his mouth, suddenly¡­ A bright flash of light appeared in the distance, luckily the leftover dust in-front of him negated the negative effects it would have given him if he stared directly at the light. It was no ordinary light, with brightness more powerful than the sun to the Earth, there was only one thing. A nuclear explosion. Prewar humanity still had nuclear weaponry but coupled with a millennium of advancement and technological prowess, these weapons were now more powerful than ever. In that minute, in that hour, in that day, in that month and in that year, humanity lost the war. 14,000 nuclear weapons were launched and subsequently activated in what could only be described as a last-ditch effort to wipe out their enemy who has so far destroyed the entire might of their civilization. In the years that would soon follow, the world would be sent into darkness, where the surface will no longer taste the yellow light of the sun. The world is hereby plunged into an extinction, where life would cease to exist and humanity wiped from the face of the Earth. "So, this is how it happened," "But how did I wake inside a building?" He had more questions that answers but at least he now had a wider idea of what transpired, though it was short and downright confusing, witnessing the destruction yet again was an eye-opener to him. But before the nuclear explosion reached him, he heard a growl. It was the same bluish abomination from before. It slowly crept towards One, its tentacles were both its legs and its arms. It pierced through the ground and shoved the rubble away from its path before it finally reached One within the reach of its tentacles. "Gah! Come at me you bastard! I will find you and your kind and I will slaughter every single one of you!" The creature screeched before One finally awoke from his nightmare. - "Huh?" He opened his eyes. He was back inside his room, within the hub. He scanned his room to see if it was a dream or not, he then found his elite drones beside him, tilting their heads. "If you still exist, if you still creep in this universe, I will find you, I will find your kind, I will slaughter you, I will kill you all," Chapter 54 - Duo A few days ago.. - "W-who are you!?" The general cried. He pointed his sword towards them, eyes gleaming with fear. The drones surrounded him and cut off any escape. He already had trouble taking down one of them even with his magic, now, he was surrounded by ten. Leading them was someone so ominous, it further deepened the fear already lingering in his heart. Despite shouting his question from the top of his lungs, the menacing man in front of him did not reply. He only stared at him for a brief moment before setting his sights towards the distance behind the general. His entire army has been decimated, what''s left of the 20,000 troops he had have routed to the forest, some of them never to be seen again. The general had his eyes fixed on the man. He was afraid and no longer had that iron will, despite facing many near-death moments and monstrosities that would make a normal man insane, he stood firm despite it. Now, he was only staring at a man, a meager man! But he was beyond terrified. An aura of complete darkness and despair enveloped the man''s cold stature. It oozed from its body like a slime only visible to those who can manipulate magic. The man''s eyes then returned to stare at him, seemingly looking into his soul. He panted as he sweated like a dog drooling from its mouth. His hands shivered as he gripped his sword ever so tightly. The man took a step forward, and then another. Each step felt like a giant stomping towards him, at any moment he could be crushed by the pressure alone. "N-no!" He thought. He mustered whatever courage he had hiding behind his already shattered mind before finally saying in a loud voice. "Out, ye demon!" He then fell backwards with his sword. Blood oozed from a hole in his forehead and his arms twitched. "Hm, you shot him," The man remarked. "Was there a problem?" A soft voice replied. Emerging from the smoke behind the man was a beautiful girl. In her hands was a sniper rifle, she had shot the general from a distance out of pure annoyance. She walked beside One and ???ked her weapon. "I was hoping to duel him," "Nah, he couldn''t even handle one of our soldiers, how do you expect him to handle you?" "Still," The ten drones then scurried behind the two of them. "Shall we go?" The woman asked and smiled. "Yes, we shall" The man replied. - In the outskirts near the Northern Tribal lands, the roaring sound of a speeding hovercraft shrieked through the air. Its sound was loud enough for anyone hearing it to cover their ears in fear. As the hovercraft flew over a city in the borders of Yuhin, the wyverns were mobilized. "Go go go!" The wyverns flew as the sound grew louder, not even the wyverns themselves could stand the noise. As the people beneath panicked and mages used their magic to sense the unwanted flying beast, Lily and Vilvintine have been dropped from the hovercraft and were already in the city. The two landed unnoticed at the rooftop of the central castle. By using the hover technology on the soles of their boots, they managed to slow down enough so that their landing produced little to no sound. The castle roof was made of hard stone. Using a new cloaking device, they were successfully hidden inside a transparent dome that served as their cloaked space. "Alright, use your magic to see if anyone is down there," Vilvintine whispered to Lily. "Roger," Lily whispered back. "Enhance!" Lily chanted. Lily began to scan the room beneath them. They had to hurry, at any moment they could be spotted by a mage using his or her own enhancement magic. "There''s someone in the room beneath us, but he''s the only one. There is nobody else in this floor," "Then let''s bust ourselves in," "Why didn''t our leaders give us any.. uhm.. extra of these "Instruments" for the mission?" "I don''t know either, they only gave us instruments for stealth, I remember Madame Hailey telling me that they''re the easiest to use, maybe that''s the case" "But still¡­" "Let''s stop questioning them and proceed with our mission, go!" - "T-there we go! At last! Foe! You have been vanquished from my sword!," A jittery nobleman was pleased to finally have removed the smudge that tainted his glistering rapier. "Now, to shine you to glo-" A piece of stone fell on his head, knocking him unconscious. Lily and Vilvintine both entered through the hole they made in the roof and landed on their feet. "I did not expect him to be directly beneath, why didn''t you tell me?" Vilvintine turned towards Lily and asked. "Eh, so we could, you know, take him out easier," Lily answered as she scratched the back of her head. "Fair enough," "We took out the lord with just that? How weak is he?" Lily complained. "Let''s not wait for him to wake up, we came here to retrieve maps that would direct us to natural wyverns," Vilvintine replied. "Yeah yeah, let''s start with these drawers," It only took them a few minutes to empty every single cabinet and drawers in the room, papers flew as the wind blew through the opened windows. They finally found one map, it was a vague map but it had a hint of where wyverns lived. "Right, now let''s-" "Hold it there, thieves!" "Crap!" Vilvintine and Lily turned towards the location of the voice, the lord was now awake. He shakily stood from the floor while holding the upper part of his head. He grabbed his rapier and stared at it. After realizing that his hard work was yet again tainted, he exploded into a flurry of curses. "You both will pay for your lives!" He shouted. His voice was loud enough for the people downstairs to hear them. Vilvintine and Lily heard the sounds of heavy armour running downstairs and up the floor. "Shit, we gotta get out of here,!" Lily drew her bow and channelled her magic for a swift magical arrow snipe. She released her hold on the strings of her bow and the arrow was launched. Vilvintine ducked as the arrow emitted a high amount of magic. "Pah!" With a quick poke from his rapier, the arrow was sliced into two. Dumbfounded, Lily charged her bow and arrow again. Vilvintine then ran from side to side, hoping to catch the lord off-guard. "Too slow!" The lord mocked. Seeing that her attack has been foiled, Vilvintine charged her body and continued her attack. She threw several punches at the lord when he was just within arm''s length. The lord was swift and precise with his blocks and even managed to sneak a poke through Vilvintine''s defense and slightly stabbed her right elbow. "Argh!" Vilvintine felt the pain and backed off. Lily then fired her second arrow, this time it was enhanced with explosion magic. The arrow was glowing red as It sped towards the smirking lord. With ease, the lord merely took a step to the right and the arrow wheezed through and hit the wall behind him. But the arrow, as expected, exploded upon contact due to being enhanced with explosion magic. The dust and rubble landed on everyone, including the blade of the lord''s rapier. In a bout of shock, the lord scanned his precious weapon. Upon realizing its fate, he exploded in anger. "Rah!" He screamed louder. "Halt!" The knights surrounded them and drew their swords. Lily and Vilvintine both leaned on each other as the knights formed a circle around. The lord''s aura finally became visible, his aura was a douse of flames surging from his body. His eyes glowed red with pure hate and he stared at the intruders. "Leave them! I will behead them myself!" He ordered. "This is quite a mess," Vilvintine remarked. "You think!?" Lily retorted. She once again drew her arrows but what can her flurry of arrows do in such a tightly packed space? They were sandwiched. The situation looked dire, while Lily was oblivious, Vilvintine knew one important thing. One was observing them. Chapter 55 - A Storm Is Brewing "What do you think?" Hailey asked. "Let them come to us," One replied. The two powerful monarchs of the Machine Empire were standing over a hilltop. It was way past dusk but the fires continued to rage and illuminate in the distance. The strong nightly wind blew from the north this time, signifying a slight change in the weather. It''s been weeks since the last storm, it was only a matter of time before the next one arrives and extinguish the fires. But it wasn''t a normal storm. Although the empire''s weather surveillance systems have not been fully activated, the instruments that have been activated are transmitting unsettling results detected from the north from which the winds were coming from. The two of them were well aware of what was happening, there was a literal storm brewing in the horizon. Although strong storms and weather systems were more than common to experience back on Earth, the current data for the storm approaching from the north was unlike anything they''ve ever seen before back on Earth. One and Hailey were more than convinced that the storm was no ordinary storm system. The sudden evacuation of several Yuhin villages to the north also reinforced this presumption. Looking back, One did not gain any information about unusual storms but he knows of spells that could change and control the weather. There was still no satellite data since One hasn''t issued the order to do so. Moreover, the Satellite he wants to be sent up the atmosphere was to ?ssist in military and covert operations, also he wanted it equipped with an experimental death ray. But it seems like he should have prioritized weather forecasting after all. Hailey was no different to One in many aspects but they differ with their goals. One yearns to bring back life to the Earth and restore the planet to its prewar glory, and quite possibly restore humanity by breeding the humans inside the Utopian Territory, the promise of Utopia for qualified humans was also up on his agenda. Hailey, on the other hand, has had thoughts of abandoning Fiorg and seclude themselves. She could not see One''s logic, why rebuild an already dead planet just because a voice in your head told you so? If the voice had told him to kill himself right after he awoke from his coma, would he do it? It was frustrating but she had no choice. One gave her a bit of trust, it was the only reason keeping him from turning against her. There were no romantic feelings, One didn''t have the capability and Hailey only viewed One as a friend she failed to save completely. No matter what happened back then, before the war, after the decimation, are kept deep inside the ravines of Hailey''s fragile memory. A human consciousness stuck in a machine and a machine stuck inside a human. As they stood and watched, the fires continued to rage and the voices of thousands of crusaders echoed through the scorched lands. One, using his night vision, used them as mere entertainment. He was fond of their hardwork in burning the forest, it gave him the impression of ants, specifically army ants. Army ants that specified on destroying their own habitat. The scorching of the forest has damaged the ecosystem within to an astonishing extent, it was only a matter of time before it completely falls apart as the fires and the crusaders go deeper. "Do you think they''re trying to choke us out?" Hailey wondered and asked One. She could see the yellow light from the fires reflect on One''s eyes. It reminded her of the past. "Stop!" She thought to herself, "Not now!" There was no time for emotion, no time for regrets, she must focus on the now! "Choking us out, probably, but I have an idea who''s behind this stupid crusade," One suddenly replied, churning his jaw. "Who,?" Hailey asked politely. "Before you came, before you met Vilvintine, she and a few others went and attacked me," One explained briefly. "Yes, I know that, what does it have to do with the cause of this mess?" Hailey didn''t understand. "Somebody took control of one of her former allies, he glowed blue and his sword glowed as well, same color," "Hm?" Hailey was finally forming a picture. "She told me, that we won''t last long, I knew that it was a she judging by the sudden change with the man''s voice and the womanly movement the man showed when he glowed," "A deity?" "Maybe, but personally, I hate calling beings like those deities, It is more befitting to call that incident a sudden possession of a weak soul by a greater soul," "You hate calling them deities but believe in souls? Isn''t that actually worse?" Hailey teased as she leaned her head towards her right shoulder and smiled. "Hm, I believe that there is a human soul but I don''t believe in deities, goddesses and such," "To be perfectly honest, Johann, you only believe in yourself most of the time," Hailey slightly raised her eyebrows and leaned forward against One''s right cheek. "Is that a problem," He replied. He remained stoic and vigilant, Hailey didn''t need a visual aid to see that he was processing gigabytes of information and scanning their surroundings. This little chit chat with One made her distracted of what was coming. One and Hailey stood there for hours, after 3 hours of blank staring, the two finally agreed to sit down on the grass as they awaited results from their atmospheric instruments. 20 minutes after they sat, the first data received by the instruments were relayed to Hailey and Hailey immediately told One. "The storm system is no ordinary system, it''s a literal hurricane, a very small one at that but this data shows that it is expanding exponentially," Hailey relayed. "This is strange, the northern parts of this peninsula is but a small stretch of ocean separating the peninsula, I doubt any hurricane would form at such waters, too small," "It is strange, this only reinforces our suspicion, should we send in a recon mission?" Hailey suggested. "No, wait for further confirmation," One coldly replied. One then laid on his back against the grass and stared at the black, smoke-choked sky. Hailey''s eyes were fixated on him, if she had the ability to cry, she would be balling her eyes out at this very moment but she lacks tear ducts. The shortcomings of not having a proper human body. Why does she want to cry? It''s because it was her fault that things went the way they did but for now, she wishes to keep the past from him, hoping that he''d find out on his own in the future, preferably when she had died. The pair then hear a loud bang and an explosion rocks the forest in the distance. The explosion was large enough for its shock wave to rumble the hill a few seconds after it exploded. "Mages," One whispered as he watched intently. His eyes were like a magnifying glass, a telescope to the far unknown. He could see them, the people that were called mages casting fire spells and igniting the forest. In the span of just a few weeks, the Theocracy''s crusade has damaged a quarter of the forest and threaten to destroy half, if not, all of it if they continue, the entire sky has been blackened by a cloud of thick smoke. This thick smoke is spreading across the peninsula and speeding up the ongoing ecological disaster. Trees were choking, plants were dying and without sunlight, no plant life could thrive, let alone, survive. It was as if a repeat of Earth was happening but in a much smaller scale, this world was indeed a new beginning for him. One stood up and walked towards Vilvintine who was staring coldly into the night, watching the sky and thinking. "Let''s go home," One suddenly said. Home? Where was that? Up until now, he considered everything as temporary, temporary shelter and temporary abodes, was he getting soft? After the past decade, has One finally regained some form of his humanity? It was something to be celebrated and even Hailey felt so. She was more than happy to see the Johann she knew come back to when she knew him as. She smiled at One''s words and closed her eyes. One did not quite get Hailey''s emotions at that time but he was more than pleased to call their base home and his drones as his citizens. And as the fires raged and the lights of the blaze illuminate and shined further into the darkness, One extended his right hand to Hailey, offering to get her up. Again, Hailey was the happiest she could be. She accepted One''s gesture and placed her hand upon his and One pulled her up from the ground and both of them stood and stared at each other. One always looked cold, emotionless and void of humanity. He was always pale and lacked the glow a normal human possessed but Hailey saw something different that night. Sure, he still had his terrifying aura that made it known that he was still mostly the same but she saw a shed of light in One''s eyes, not the eye of a robot, a machine or a logic processor but the faint light of a human whose mind has finally found its true purpose and will. Maybe One''s returning memories was what''s causing the sudden glow up, but he didn''t really care that much. Still, he wanted to complete his mission before finally getting the rest he deserves. He will work tirelessly and use any amount of effort necessary to fulfill his goal of rebuilding the Earth. Reviving the Earth''s Gaia will take time, maybe even a hundred years or so but he won''t falter, nay, he will press on, with Hailey by his side and billions of machines back on Earth, he will wipe out any who stand in his way and build his human utopia under the foundation and guidance of machines because humans are faulty, careless and most of the time, blinded by emotion, machines weren''t and machines shall rule over them. And the one who will rule above those machines, above the humans and above the world, will be him. "So, shall we go?" Hailey asked and smiled. "We shall," One replied. As the two left the hilltop, their drones who were standing beneath the hill quickly followed behind them, their eyes gleaming and weapons ready. The brewing storm was getting near, the data received has so far been vague but it was only a matter of time before they finally know what it is. Being careless was a shortcoming One wishes to address, he will now be more careful and not get swayed by arrogance, sure they were basically undefeated but he still needs to remember that magic was unpredictable at times, sometimes, even more powerful and devastating than anything technology could come up with and so, they should be alert. Everyone was working as intended. Lily and Vilvintine were caught in a pincer. The little child was being educated and indoctrinated for her eventual recruitment as Hailey''s finest. The nine heroes have been chosen and will soon set forth to destroy One. The queen of Yuhin still laid in her bed, after weeks, she will finally awake and her aides shall sing joyous praises. Ignis and his student will lead their armies. And many more will be entangled in this chaotic era, a new chaotic era that would plunge the entire continent into an age of progression and devastation. The deities will surely go against them and the demons from hell will awaken. And maybe, just maybe, the monsters who destroyed the Earth, might come back for a second time. For now, they''re on the defensive. Chapter 56 - Escape The lord waved his rapier and grinned before sticking it on the floor beneath. "You had nerves trying to steal from me, don''t you know who I am!?" He boasted his position of being the Lord of the Fortress City of Tork. He was brimming with anger as he threw threat upon threat against the two intruders. His soldiers have surrounded the two with their swords drawn and shields raised. In such a tight space, they could not risk using their magic to the fullest or they may do more damage than what is acceptable. If they make too much of a fuss, they''ll bring much suspicion towards them and the newly emergent Machine Empire. It''s only been a month ever since the crusade started, news of it had spread across the peninsula through travelers, messengers, merchants and the like. Rumors of an unknown power suddenly emerging from the forest spread like wildfire and many came to the conclusion that the new power was of demonic origin, hence the crusade. The support for the crusade within the Theocracy itself was high, almost nobody opposed it. If the citizens were asked, they would reply with the same odd and vague answers. "To avenge the pope!" "To vanquish the demons!" "It is by the grace of the church that.." Meanwhile, the other peoples were not fond of the surprise crusade. Not only did It seemed rush but it felt as if the Theocracy had lost its discipline, its way. Many argued that the Theocracy was reckless. If there was indeed a new power emerging from the forest and it was a large enough threat for the state to launch a crusade, why didn''t they ask the other countries for help? Why has there been no information shared ever since? Why have the number of merchants, travelers, and visitors from the Theocracy rapidly decreased? Was the Theocracy forcing even the citizens of other nations to join their crusade? Maybe. A few weeks ago, the Dioz Kingdom to the south sent an envoy to the Theocracy in the hopes of getting a clear answer of what this threat really was, the envoy never returned nor was it ever seen again. And when the aftermath of the army composed of 20,000 men reached the general peasant, fear had already begun to take hold. It took them a while to verify that a black storm was brewing, and yes it was. The sky over the forest was covered by a blanket of smoke and ash that came from the Theocracy''s strategy of burning the forest. The smoke began to travel south and the Dioz Kingdom was not liking it one bit, the northern plains of the Dioz Kingdom were mainly composed of farmland and small villages with the nearest City being a few tens of kilometers away. The locals feared that the smoke would choke their harvest and leave them starving in the winter that was to come in just a few months. Although One was aware of the existence of the Dioz Kingdom, he paid little attention to it. He claimed that the kingdom posed no threat for now but admitted that they''d need to have surveillance set up to counter a potential military backing from it. Evaluating from the extracted memories of the humans, the Dioz Kingdom was considered a peninsula power with territory vaster than any of the nations in the peninsula and a military much greater than even that of the Theocracy, the only aspect they lacked were mages that were in short supply, So far, the situation was looking grim. Lily and Vilvintine leaned against each other and had their attention fixated at their enemies. They wanted to be sure of their advantages and disadvantages, the clearest disadvantage they had was that they were in such a tight space and due to it, their magic can''t be used to the fullest without doing too much damage and injuring themselves in the process. "Tsk, he is still yapping!" Vilvintine whispered in a panicked tone. "Vil, use your fist to create a shockwave when I shoot my arrow," Lily advised. "W-why?" Vilvintine replied confused and dumbfounded. "Just trust me, do it!" Lily urged her companion. As they discussed their plan in a hurry, the Lord noticed the ordeal. "Hey!" He shouted at them. "Don''t be gettin ???ky, whatever move you cook up, I''ll be able to dodge with my magic," Magic? The both of them suddenly thought. The lord was not as skilled as he seemed, he was using time altercation magic! He can slow time down just enough so that he could counter any physical or magic attack slow enough for him to catch. They now knew what to do but were anxious about actually trying it out. Lily drew her bow. The soldiers surrounding them noticed this and raised their shields to their heads. The lord stood firm and swung his rapier to his side and posed as if he was a glorified knight. As Lily released her bow, Vilvintine opened her palms. The arrow did indeed explode but not the explosion most of them expected, it exploded into a cloud of dust that quickly enveloped the room, the soldiers panicked and choked while the lord could not be seen as the dust suddenly began to skin the furniture alive and it grew thicker by the second. "Now!" Lily screamed at the top of her lungs as the dust storm also covered and choked them. Vilvintine then punched her fists together, releasing a shock wave that was powerful enough to send the dust storm away. The wave carried the dust and the men that surrounded them, pushing them against the walls and furniture while being simultaneously crushed and choked to death by the thick walls of dust. The two of them coughed their hardest to remove the dust that went through their nostrils and mouths. "We did it!" Lily exclaimed while Vilvintine replied with a firm nod. The Lord was nowhere to be seen while the crushed remains of the soldiers that surrounded them had some of their limbs protrude from the dust piles, motionless. But their joy was short-lived, The Lord successfully countered the pressure using his defense magic but also exerted much of his mana in the process, he could no longer use his time altercation or he risks using too much than what his body can absorb from his surroundings, he was now forced to use melee without the aid of magic. He emerged from the pile of dust in front of the two and frowned with the ugliest expression. His face was bright red and his aura of flames grew larger and visible, he didn''t care anymore, he wanted the two dead. He didn''t utter any more words but charged at them full speed with his rapier against his right and pointed at them. "Hngk!" Lily quickly drew her bow again as Vilvintine ran in front of her with her magic activated. She glowed a golden hue as she did when the two first met and she clashed with the Lord. The lord was finally hit by one of Lily''s arrows, tearing a wound through his right shoulder. The lord stopped for a moment with his attack and so did Vilvintine, the lord then inspected his wound and grabbed hold of it, covering it from bleeding. It could be seen how much he struggled to withstand the pain, Lily''s arrows were specifically modified to induce pain by causing the pain receptors to be more s?ns?t?v?. Though she doesn''t really know all of this information, it''s only written within the archived reports made by the research drones back when she was first encountered. Her ability to summon a storm was also noted but she was yet to disclose any information regarding it. As a matter of fact, she was sent with Vilvintine on a mission so suddenly that she hardly had any time to actually live and learn anything within the Machine Empire. She was given a simple introduction and a simple briefing before embarking on an otherwise deadly expedition to territories likely filled with enemies that were more than capable of killing them both. But, she still followed regardless, because she was brainwashed to do so, deep inside her mind a voice would command her, force her. It was a voice she firmly believes to be her inner self talking and leading her to the right path but what she does not know that the voice she hears and follows is merely a byproduct of the brainwashing that was done on her. The voice was a manifestation of her surrender to the Machine Empire and her subsequent indoctrination. What else she possesses as of now, remains a mystery even to One and her mission is a way for Vilvintine to uncover her secrets so that her knowledge may be used to further aid the Machines in their mission of Utopia. Seeing that the Lord was taking much time staring at his wound, Vilvintine supercharged her fists and lunged at him. The lord noticed it and quickly evades, jumping to the side and dodging the fiery golden fists that shattered the wooden floor from which he was standing a moment ago before Vilvintine landed. With his mobility severely limited by the pain and his attention completely barred, Lily quickly took a shot and the arrow pierced his ?h?st and stabbed his heart. He stuttered for a moment before he slowly collapsed to the floor, blood oozing from the hole where the arrow struck. Exhausted physically and mentally, the two of them needed to get out before reinforcements arrived. "Boost!" Using whatever physical strength they had, they boosted their legs and jumped through the hole from whence they entered. "Plant these, hurry!" Vilvintine handed over several blinking discs and urged Lily to scatter them across the roof. "But, what about the map!?" Lily questioned in a panicked voice. "I already memorized it, now go! Do it now!" Vilvintine urged her further and so Lily complied. Lily took the small discs from Vilvintine''s palms and scattered them across the rooftop. As she did, the floors below were now filled with soldiers who were alerted to the fight and the search was on for the murderers of the city''s lord. "Find them!" The guardsmen shouted and they searched. Until suddenly someone over the towers shouted in reply, "Found them! At the top!" "Crap, the mages found us!" Vilvintine was now panicking, When Lily finally finished laying down the discs, Vilvintine quickly grabbed her and ran. As they ran, arrows, fireballs, and ice spears from mages and arches over the walls followed them, they then made the hasty decision to use another ounce of their magic to jump over the wall and quite possibly land on a relatively safe spot, safe enough for them to make an escape. They drew near the edge of the roof and Vilvintine shouted at Lily. "Just follow me!" She said and then pressed a peculiar red bu??on. The discs stopped blinking and exploded. Chapter 57 - Melancholy The fiberglass walls were dyed black, and thus the light which came from the sun that streaked during the day was tainted as such whenever the rays passed through and shined inside the dark abode of the Overall. He was sitting on his chair, laid back and eyes opened wide. He held in his right hand a piece of paper, on that piece of paper were names, and those names were unknown to him. From the time he awoke and up until the present day, he has seen much development of events that make no sense whatsoever but make up the reality he is in. If a normal human-being were he, he would have descended into madness the moment he awoke and realized the reality of the situation he was in. A world destroyed, humanity wiped out and what accompanied him were nothing more than metal puppets who were useless without someone to guide them. Thankfully, he awoke as a man within a machine, or you could say, a machine within a man. Both can be true and both are equally terrifying regardless. At first, when he awoke, he knew nothing and because he knew nothing, within him, came the drive to know something and that drive eventually led him to where he is now. He often wondered and thought whenever he was alone, who he was, is everything real or was he stuck inside a dream? A dream in which he will never awaken from or maybe he lives in a sad reality that only he can see while others place him behind girded walls and observe him through the glass. In a dream, although it may seem real, although it may feel real, you can always differentiate a dream from reality. Because reality is always harsh and forever will be harsh while dreams, though can become nightmares, can always be changed even by the slightest margin. His eyes slowly moved and his pupils focused on the paper, he did not move his head nor his neck, he only moved his eyes to catch a glimpse of the piece of paper he held. Johann. That is his name, or so Hailey claims it to be. Rather, who is Hailey? Why does he have the feeling that she can be trusted? Why did he act so naively? Why does he blindly follow orders? These questions would haunt him, not always but when they come, they hit him hard. He did not lose humanity because he was a machine, no, it was because he chose to. When he awoke, he felt a streak of madness and a combination of hysteria. That was his peak of showing any signs of humanity before suddenly, when the last strikes of pain in his head faded and the gears of the machine started to roll, he decided to abandon it all. But when the portal to another world opened, when he encountered other humans, when he discovered a world that stood on the foundations that even science could not properly explain, he was pushed to the brink of collapse, his mind almost could not handle this sudden twist in reality and that he was no more than a mere speck in a vast ocean of the unknown that he knows as the universe. Johann. The name was written on the paper, and above that name was an unfamiliar name, something he clearly does not remember but whenever he sees it, a bout of sadness would strike and the very wall that he set up to contain what he deemed unnecessary would be subjected to the stress and would almost falter under the weight. His eyes were now glued on the paper, reluctantly, he moved his right hand and brought the paper up towards his face. 10 names, the other 8 gibberish while the first two resonated clearly. ''Michael'' ''Johann'' "Who are you, Michael," He whispered. And for the first time ever, the walls he set up to contain his humanity, his emotions and the very weakness of his fragile being, finally shattered. He felt, sad. He felt, anger. He felt, regret. He felt, lost. "Why?" He whispered, his mouth b?r?ly moving to convey whatever message he wanted to get out from his mind. "Why.." He said again, he regained control over his fists and he clenched them tightly. "Why?!" And when the last bastions of defenses he had finally succumbed to the invasion of putrid emotions, the pain came back. He stood from his chair and screamed. He screamed from the top of his lungs and screamed louder than when he did so when he first awoke. He screamed in pain, he screamed in agony and despair. He felt as if the world was bearing down upon him, his mind consumed by a black hole of emotions that su?k?d up whatever he felt into this vacuum that would soon explode in a splendid and joyous spectacle of madness and insanity. The emotions he suppressed finally took over him after a decade of suppression. He screamed and fell backward against the floor but still, he continued to writhe and whimper. He curled into a ball with his hands bashing his head as if the pain within wasn''t already enough. He then stood and bashed his head against the glass table that shattered into thousands of pieces and shards before he proceeded to grab his chair and flung it against the glass walls behind him. The chair bounced on the surface of the glass wall because it was too strong for a mere chair to shatter. He continued on screaming and he continued to thrash his room. Minutes passed and he thrashed his room further and further, nobody outside noticed, not even the drones that were standing outside of his door felt the commotion nor heard the chaos that was happening inside. Won''t they sense One''s distress since he was connected to the network? Yes, they would, but he was no longer connected. It won''t take long for his puppets to notice the absence of his signals and psychic presence but the time it would take would be enough for him to completely collapse and subsequently die due to the immense stress. A few minutes of thrashing passed and One fell once again against the floor and lost consciousness, he finally lost a battle against himself and the world froze around him. If he had tear buds, he would be bawling his eyes right now, thankfully he did not or else he would look a lot worse than he currently is. Sadness Anger Regret A sense of loss Why does he feel this way? Why does he need to experience such pain? Isn''t it enough that he was alone? Confronted by people he doesn''t even know. Confronted by a concept that not even he could properly understand without abandoning the very principles he used to get to where he was. And most of all, wasn''t it enough that he awoke in a world where he was the only one left? Where loneliness was his reality and the social requirement for him to keep his sanity absent? There are humans in the new world, yes he gets it. But he does not view them as humans from Earth. Why? He asked himself. Why can''t I?! He asked again and again. "Rebuild.." The voice said. "Rebuild the world.. Bring back humanity.. Form your Utopia," With the addition of the last part, the voice was telling him the same thing it did when he first awake, but now, he talked back. "Why should!?" He screamed in anger and confusion, in the dark void of his mind in which he screamed, he received no answer. He screamed again but louder. "Why!? Why!? Why should I!?" "There is nothing for me to gain!? Rebuild!? Bullshit, everything is bullshit!" "I slaughter people!" "I slaughter other humans and you want me to bring humans back to Earth!?" "Why can''t I remember!?" "Why should I be burdened with something I don''t completely understand!? Why should I be burdened with something I never asked for!?" "Tell me!" "Tell me!!" "Tell me!!!" He then stopped and took a breather in his mind. As expected, although his screams and questions echoed through the dark void, nobody seemed to listen, or if there was somebody listening, that somebody does not want to reply. A bout of Melancholy. A bout of Anger. The fragile ego of someone who placed a facade to fool those he thinks would not notice and so far, his facade held up for the most part. His machines won''t care. Hailey would probably shrug it off. That''s what he thought, at least. But he refused to be silent, even in this seemingly hopeless situation, he continued to voice his frustrations and stress. Back in the real world, he still lied on the floor surrounded by a cascade of destruction. His eyes still opened wide and the bluish hue on them absent. In what should be an organized room of monitors, holograms and maps, it now reflected the madness of the one who uses it. His thoughts floated around the void of his mind. The pain ceded from his head and the emotions that drowned him finally began to disperse. As a human, his purpose was something he does not like, does not want nor does he need but he is forced to do so. He wanted to refuse and he did whatever he could to do so but he could not achieve it. He mindlessly followed the voice that told him to do this and that without a second thought and only now does he again realize the folly. "Tsk," One calmed down, his mind finally at ease after minutes of agony and torture. In the void of his mind, he manifested into his figure, a humanoid thought that wandered aimlessly through the void. He floated and floated and realized that through this entire expanse of nothingness, below him was a pit that was deep, and he could see a faint white speck of light that served as the only light source. "Maybe, that''s me," He thought. "Maybe, just maybe, if I tried to dive there, I''ll discover the truth of it all, the answers to my questions, the solution to this problem I cannot solve through conventional ways," He again thought. He suddenly felt something solid beneath his feet. He looked down and wondered before suddenly stepping on the solid slate. "Hm?" He whispered. He was somewhat calm, he did not understand what he was feeling right now but he did not want to add more questions that he knew he won''t get the answer to, besides, he was inside his own mind, his psychic dimension, nothing in here makes much sense. "What a waste of time," He said as he contemplated his decisions. "Not quite," Someone replied. Chapter 58 - Who Are You A vague figure made itself known a few meters from One. It was a shapeless entity, it traveled through the void like a blob and it glided through the slate underneath them both. One stared at it, he said nothing. He just stared as this ominous figure as it made its way towards him he only kept his eye on it. The figure stopped a few meters from One, it was indeed a shapeless entity that ?ssumed no permanent solid appearance whatsoever and just looked at One with its non-existent eyes. "You are afraid," The entity said. "No shit," One replied. He was arguably not in the mood for formal greetings and just decided to be blunt. "You''ve changed," The entity continued, seemingly ignoring One''s reply to its ?ssumption. "Who are you?" One asked the entity. He was determined to get answers and he saw this as a chance. This entity answered his calls and he was ready to grab any opportunity to finally answer his questions about his existence. "Well, I am the voice," The entity slid nearer towards One. Even though it was so near him, he could not make out any form, maybe it was because of the darkness? Or maybe the shapeless entity was just really a voice and this seemingly shapelessness of its state was just an illusion that was made to fit his imagination. "The voice? The voice in my head that forces me to do things that make no sense?" He was angry and understandably so, frustrated and confused, he wanted to choke this ''voice'' and get done with this pointlessness and live a peaceful life without responsibilities. "It''s harsh to call your responsibilities as things that make no sense," The entity suddenly began to float. The entity then made its figure known, rather, it manifested into a humanoid form composed of nothing more than a white faint line of light that drew the outline of a human body, it had no other features. "Follow me, let''s take a walk," The vague entity asked. "Why should I follow you?" One replied, stubbornly. "If you wish to get the answers that you seek, it''s best that you follow me," The entity''s way of speaking was seductive, not in a sense of a woman seducing a man, but it was powerful and somewhat twisted, it lured One to follow it. One did follow it and together, they strode through the void. "So, what''s the point of all of this?" One asked. "It''s to reveal to you something, since you asked for it to be revealed," The entity replied. "When I was screaming and cursing you? Is that what you mean of me ''asking''?" One mocked. "Yes, quite like that," The entity replied smoothly. "Then why, why should I follow you? Why am I burdened with responsibilities I never asked for?" One threw his first question. "You''re a human, did you have a choice when you were born?" One was silent. "No," One replied after a minute. "Then that answers your question, what''s the next?" The entity seemed to be playing with One''s curiosity. One was not pleased with the answer nor was he laughing at the entity''s obvious motive. "No, answer me, what''s the purpose of this all?" "To fulfill your deepest d?s?r?," The entity answered and they continued their walk. Along the way, One noticed that the light beneath them was shining brighter but faint nonetheless. "What''s that light at the bottom?" One decided to let his curiosity do the talking. "That''s you, or what''s left of the real you that you try so hard to forget, to wall off," One was blank. He was hit with guilt, his decision to forget his true self manifested into a waterfall of unwanted emotions. Emotions that almost drowned him. "What''s my deepest d?s?r??" The figure grabbed One by the shoulders and they both sat on the hard beneath. "For you to understand it, you must first learn a bit of your past," One stared at the entity in confusion. "So, you''re just gonna reveal my past? What kind of bullshit is that?" One was angry, he thought of everything as stupid and that the entity he was talking to clearly did not know what he wanted nor did it care about what he wanted. But he was wrong. "If I were to reveal to you the full scope of your past, you will die," One wanted to retort, wanted to debate this ill idea, ?ssumption, this ill theory of him dying. But the entity revealed something he wished he never saw. Suddenly, the void in front of him disappeared and a brief scene manifested itself. It felt as if One was there, and then he saw it, those few seconds of horror. He saw a city, well, the skyline of a city, they were sitting on top of a building. One stood and ran towards the edge of the building to see what was below. He looked down and saw people. The people were running in all directions. He then looked to the sky and saw the brown clouds and black smoke from the fires that raged below. Jets streaked through the air as hovercrafts flew by, he saw one of them pick up civilians from another building, only for the building to collapse, killing the civilians. He saw chaos everywhere and a loud growl suddenly echoed behind him. And then the scene suddenly disappeared and they were back in the void. One panted and curled himself into a ball out of fear. The vague entity was still sitting on the exact same spot, looking at him. "You see?" The entity said. "You''re still too fragile to handle even a few seconds of your life, what more if you knew everything?" The entity stood and placed its hands over One as he began to sob. "You sob in your own mind because you don''t have the ability to do so in the real world, One, heed my calls, you''re still a fragile human regardless of how much you try to make yourself as a true machine, you will never be a true machine," One continued to sob uncontrollably. He grabbed hold onto the vague entity and wailed on its shoulders, he sobbed so hard that it echoed through the void. The entity returned the favor and hugged him tight and patted him on the back. "There, there, you''re still the Johann I know deep inside," "I surrender," One finally ceded and admitted defeat. The entity suddenly giggled and slowly disappeared. One panicked as the entity disappeared from his arms and turned into bubbles that floated away. He watched as the bubbles glowed in the void and floated away from his sight, little by little they went away and little by little, slowly but surely, they disappeared from his sight. One again sat down and looked down. The light below was now small once more, back to its original form. Maybe I was near? He thought, trying to guess what happened. He stayed in the void for long, he sat, he walked and he even jumped like some child. Or maybe he was? Nope. Gradually, he was beginning to forget this experience, unbeknownst to him, he was finally awakening from this chaotic event. Back in the real world, his body began to blue, the cracks in his body started to glow once more its blue hue and his eyes were beginning to activate. He noticed that he was forgetting the experience, he now did not know what happened before he entered the void but he still remembered the feeling, his suppression was finally returning and his facade was once again switching on. He came to this realization. He must have had a lot of experiences similar to these, pain and suffering, talking with this invisible entity, an event where his emotions pour out from the walls he himself set up to contain them and inflict him the very same questions, doubt melancholy and depression he experienced now. Maybe he''s done this, or has happened thousands of times for the past decades and that he does not remember any of it because of his suppression, because he wanted to forget. He did not want to admit this now but a few minutes ago he did, now he was starting to forget once more and now he does not admit it. He hides in a shell. He does not want to face the truth, the reality, the pain. His psychic manifestation has begun to fade and he knew he was waking from this experience and he understood clearly that he will forget about this experience and never remember any of it, only the feeling of it would linger in the deepest reaches of his heart. Suddenly, the voice spoke again. "Are you ready?" It asked. "Am I?" One asked back. "Make yourself ready if you don''t think you are," The voice replied. "Will you come back? You still haven''t answered my questions, all of them at least," One asked again. "I know you have thousands of questions that you wish to be answered, the answers will come in due time, for now, just continue and eventually you''ll reach the finish line," "That finishing line, is within a cave inside a treacherous cave full of beasts that want me dead," One stated. "Indeed, now get going," The voice concluded and once again disappeared. The void began to light up, One accepted everything that has happened and as the light engulfed hi whole, he forgot everything. One''s eyes glowed blue and blinked a few times. He was back in his room, destroyed objects littered his surroundings, he knew he was the one who did it but the reason of him doing so has been lost, forgotten. He stood up, he menacingly glowed in his blue streaks of lights that came from his eyes and the cracks on his body, he shook his head and felt a bit of pain inside his head. "Odd," He whispered. There was no turning back, he has forgotten everything, he felt what remained of the event within his heart but he has decided to suppress it along with the rest of the other experiences, emoti, ns and humanity he has. He was back to being the One he knew, he liked, he was pleased about. He dusted off the dust and rubble from his uniform and pulled his collar. The door in front of him opened, the light from the hall shined in as Hailey and her guards ran in. One stared at them, seemingly dejected of any emotion as always. Hailey then suddenly ran towards One and wrapped her arms around the bewildered Overall. The drones then surrounded One as if they were guarding him from something. "You disappeared," Hailey said. "What?" One inquired. "Your presence, your presence disappeared for a brief moment, where were you? What happened to you!? why is this place such a mess?!" Hailey was hysterical. One was also as confused as she, he did not remember what happened so how could he provide an accurate explanation or answer? All he knew to do, was to hug her back. He did not see them but outside his tower, below the foundations and the skyscraper, hundreds of thousands of drones were gathering around it, hovercrafts flew round and round in what would be remembered as when the Machines were looking for their king. From the Earth to this world, the power, the might, the folly of this newly emergent power shall be felt in both universes, the people will tremble, the skies will shatter as the deities quake in fear. One''s journey had just begun, his journey to greatness, to conquest, for himself. "I am sorry," One wrapped his hands around Hailey, a gesture that Hailey did not expect. But she was happy nonetheless. Chapter 59 - Another A few days passed since the incident and as such, One has forgotten all about it except the lingering feeling within his stone-cold heart. The days have gone by with little to talk or worry about, the clouds of smoke and ash continue to cover the sky above and the fires continue to engulf the forest around the Machine Base. One has taken upon himself to spearhead the eventual defeat of the Theocracy, this time he was to employ modern warfare against the Theocracy as a show of strength. To set up a foothold and to ensure that other states would recognize him and his country as another of their own, he needs to set up an example. The following months have been rather tedious for both sides, not only did the Machine Empire get pushed back from its patrols in the eastern part of the forest, it''s lost a considerable amount of military drones even if they''re merely patrols. If an enemy that only relies on swords, spears ad something called Magic can do that much damage against sophisticated and technologically superior machines then One has underestimated them greatly. His underestimation did not come without merit. Ever since they came here, they''ve only experienced victory after victory and only recently did they become entangled with losses even in the slightest. One was the only strategist in the Machine Empire, although he had supercomputers back on Earth, he did not have such a luxury in this world and thus he was the main strategist with Hailey as his adviser. According to his estimates, bringing the sophisticated AI to this world would require a huge amount of energy, something they won''t reach until they manage to create a small fusion reactor. A small fusion reactor required a lot of robotic expertise, robotpower and resources. Robotic expertise and robotpower could be easily acquired but resources were a complicated matter. The wormhole allowed anything to come through it from either opening but it was small, up until now the machines have been relying solely on live human beings to maintain the wormhole. A few months ago, the wormhole almost collapsed in what could have been the end of his entire mission. The two humans that were the main source of power for the wormhole expended all their mana because of a slight miscalculation during an experimental wormhole gate expansion. The two humans experienced total organ failures and subsequently combust into a pool of rotten flesh and blood. The entire Machine Empire was thrown into disarray as the wormhole began to fluctuate out of control. One had five of the nearest humans kidnapped regardless of their magic aptitudes and forcefully made them into living batteries. The wormhole stabilized but because 2 of the 5 kidnapped humans were inept, they suffered the same fate as the first two. With research back on Earth entirely focused on wormhole stabilization and magic extraction, other fields were left relatively abandoned and thus One had to micromanage. Although all of it was tedious, even for him, he was enjoying the work regardless. And now, he wanted to end the scourge which was the Theocracy and finally set up a permanent foothold. To do that, he has decided to completely abandon Hailey''s newly enforced protocols for him and go to the frontlines instead. "If you want to go to the frontlines, I will only let you IF you bring 1 thousand of your finest with you!" She stubbornly said. "But, my two personal elite drones could handle it," One tried to negotiate. "No," But to no avail. He finally conceded and allowed one thousand of his best drones to accompany him but gave strict orders to maintain a certain distance between them and the main unit which was composed of him and his two elite drones. The frontlines have approximately a distance equal to both sides, a distance of 100 kilometres split the Machines and the Theocracy apart. With such a wide frontline, the Theocracy has decided to consolidate their forces into several large groups that have set up camps across their side. Meanwhile, One has began implementing what Hailey thought him about 20th century war. He was to fight an exhausting war of attrition against the humans, One only needed to maintain his drones via maintenance and resupplying of needed goods without the slight threat of them starving, rebelling, routing or failing to follow orders, why? Because they were complex yet simple machines. Luckily, although One can theoretically ship a nuclear missile from Earth, prepare a launchpad and launch it against a couple million poor souls, he has no reason to do so. Yet. One could also engineer a biological agent and wipe them out but doing so may cause magic to dwindle since it seems to be heavily connected to humans and he does not have the spare research capabilities to start with. He embarked at dawn with his army of a thousand. A hundred hovercrafts provided air cover as modified prewar F-80s zoomed overhead to the frontlines. The army of a thousand was mainly on foot but a few hundred were inside tanks and transports for fast response to any danger that may befall their leader. One was walking through the forest and was somewhat enjoying the scenery but the signs of damage could no longer be ignored. The entire segment of the forest that was completely blocked by the cloud of smoke and ash has begun to die. Without sunlight, photosynthesis could not happen and thus, the plants have begun starving and choking. He leaned against the trunk of a particular tree, it looked like any normal tropical tree but a colony of ants seemed to have made a colony inside its trunk. "Interesting.." He thought. He made a stop and decided to observe the ants for a while, this curiosity eventually evolved into a genuine interest towards ants that One did not expect. Maybe he saw himself and his drones as mere ants and he as their "queen" or maybe he only just liked ants. They had jaws and big bu??s, probably because they had jaws and not big bu??s, at least he can''t get stung. He was entranced by the ants for a good hour, he watched the workers climb up and down the bark and into the forest floor, bringing in their prey of insects and a human finger. Human finger? "Hm?" It was a strange catch but food for the ants nonetheless, he wanted to open the bark and take a peek inside the heart of the colony but knowing that destroying their nest would otherwise disturb nature, he decided not to and left them alone. He continued his journey and through the forest, he walked with his elite guards followed by his ominous army from behind. A few hours passed and faint sounds of battle could finally be heard. Gunfire, explosions and strange noises that could only be from magic spells or weapons by the theocracy. He decided to check in with Hailey for an update on the status of the frontlines. He communicated via the communicator in his brain that directly connected to the Machine Intercomm. "Hailey, status report on the frontlines?" "One of the main armies of the Theocracy has launched a concentrated attack against our middle line, field drones report that they are holding and require no ?ssistance," "Good, make sure they are reinforced once the mages become a problem," "Of course, by the way where are you? I sense you as usual but I don''t know your exact whereabouts now," "We are supposedly near the middle line since I hear the faint sounds of battle overhead," "There''s nothing you need to be concerned about, for now, I will inform you immediately if a threat arises," "Before I go, what is the status of Vilvintine and Lily?" Hailey paused for a second. "Hailey, what''s their status?" Hailey then replied. "The two have not reported back for a few days," One stopped for a second and clenched his fists. "They went north, didn''t they? Has the storm reached their position?" "No, the storm has maintained its speed but our instruments have not been deployed for a full intelligence report, but we are sure that the storm is still far away, it is most likely they encountered trouble along the way and have hidden themselves for now," "How could you be so sure?" "I can still feel them, it''s just a hunch but as long as I feel their psychic presence then they are very much alive," One was silent and decided to end the communication link. He sighed and sat on the forest ground, his two elite drones stood behind him and stared at his back. "Why is everything so hard?" He murmured. "Overall, nothing is hard," One of the elite drones suddenly spoke, surprising One. He quickly turned his head and faced the drones but he was unsure which of the drones spoke, he feared that another deviant was forming! Although the first deviant eventually became Hailey, what ?ssurance did he have that the next deviant drone would be loyal to him? He was unsure and was not taking any chances. "Who said that?" He asked quite rudely. "Forgive me, Overall," The drone to his right flashed and the same voice escaped from its voicebox, it knelt down on the ground as a sign of respect to One but One was not entirely convinced. For all he knows, the drones don''t possess such a capability to initiate a conversation and would only reply brief sentences whenever asked for. This was new and terrifying. "I am E100, your loyal droid," The drone said with its head bowed down facing the ground. One was silent. He stood up and looked down on the drone before finally uttering his mind. "You''re supposed to be a mere drone, a mindless hunk of metal that follows whatever I say and possesses little to no free will, how did you gain a level such as what you''re showing me right now?" The drone looked up towards One. "Overall, little did you know that your psychic presence has been influencing us drones for the decade you''ve been with us, I myself don''t exactly know either but as much as I want to be what you think of us to be, I cannot hide my new self from you," One stared blankly at the drone and placed his right hand on the scabbard containing his weaponized glove. The drone seemed to have noticed One''s will and thus spoke once more. "It''s been a great honour, dear Overall, I have protected you for the short time I have lived and will gladly die by your hands for it is our duty as your puppets to always fulfil your will," The drone stood up, prompting One and the other drone to take a few steps back. "Fret not, I hereby present to you my ?h?st," Its ?h?st suddenly opened and exposed its machine core, one clean swipe at the core would render it inept and therefore avoid a cataclysmic explosion from happening just like during the infiltration of the papal estate. But One only had his hands on the scabbard but he did not grab his weapon nor did he drew it any further. He removed his hands from the scabbard and looked at the drone directly in its glowing blue eyes. "You continue to surprise me," He said. Chapter 60 - Storm The storm that was brewing from the north was upon them, the winds it brought and havoc it wrought was drawing nearer day by day. The instruments hastily set up by the Machines have been working day and night, trying to measure, detect and calculate the storm as it came nearer Machine territory. The instruments were set up around various spots up north during the latest expedition ordered by One. The expedition mapped the terrain, geography and other variables of the land to be an addition to the ever-expanding universal map being developed by the machines to further strengthen and improve the Machine''s planning and coordination across vast distances. Now, the instruments were writhing wildly. The bars were high and the measurements beyond anything they''ve ever seen. A normal storm system would have an eye on the centre and considerably large to cover a vast area, but the storm that the instruments were monitoring was different. There was an odd air to it. The storm was compact, winds spiralled so closely to its centre like a tornado but wide enough to be called a storm system. The wind speed, however, although being confined and compacted, was astonishingly faster than what was predicted. A wind speed of 500kph, faster and stronger than most of the weather systems back on Earth, it was a monster, a little monster. Further measurement by the instruments allowed the machines to map out its structure and width, it stretched for 20 kilometres, formed an eye but only an eye, the clouds around it looked more like a tornado. Due to the conflicting and staggering evidence that they were gaining and deciphering, it was safe to ?ssume that the storm system was no ordinary system, rather, it was something made of magic. Why? Magic was detected, huge amounts of it. The magic was being manipulated in a scale unlike anything they''ve learned or observed from, it was frightening to look at. The entire thing seemed to be maintained by the sheer amount of magical energy that surrounded it. It is due to this did One sent out a fleet of modified hovercrafts to confirm the findings. The instruments, were still experimental since Hailey was still gripping the basics of prewar technology and these weather instruments were the least of her priorities till now. The fleet took off at exactly 0110 hours. The fleet sped through the smoke and ash clouds and into the upper atmosphere to take footage and photographs of the storm from above. At 0140 hours, the hovercrafts relayed the first photograph of a storm from another world. Due to its extraordinarily small size compared to normal systems, it was easily photographed and the crisp image was sent directly to One who was enthralled by the magnificence of the world from above. The storm looked menacing, dark and dead. Unlike other storms that exhibited the very forces of nature that they were powerless to stop, this storm system projected an aura of death and despair. Combined with the magic that flowed within it, One was considering launching a powerful enough bomb in an attempt to disperse it but before he could, he must confirm everything he needs to confirm and learn everything he needs to know before he acts. 0210 hours, the fleet of hovercraft descended from the upper atmosphere and maintained their distance from the storm that was about to cross into the peninsula. Using built-in instruments, they relayed more accurate data to the machines back at the hub. The data they relayed was more terrifying than what the instruments back on the ground relayed a few minutes ago. It was at this moment One began to think. If the Yuhinic Villages to the north were evacuated and the tribal union having disappeared suddenly, was this of common occurrence in the region? If so, how common does an event like this happen? What are the effects? How long will it last? Or maybe, the event was an event that only happens after centuries or even millennium! The mission continued. The fleet maintained a safe distance and divided itself into individual groups to triangulate the storms path and possible quirks. The more they delved deeper into the abyss of information, the more One started to consider the option of launching a powerful missile at the heart of the magnificent bastard. "Don''t," Hailey pouted and stared at One with glaring eyes through the holographic projection. One was near the middle line at this time and was accompanied by his two drones. "Why?" One asked since he was ready to declare the shipment of a nuclear missile from Earth to this world if it was deemed necessary. "..." The Machine Empire only had the capabilities to house and launch one nuclear missile due to current logistical challenges and there was no guarantee that the missile, if launched from the ground, would precisely hit the intended target, the precision was too off and the risks to great but if the threat of the storm was greater, they''d need to take the risk of loading the payload into one of the hovercrafts and have it dive into the eye of the storm to ensure effectiveness and accuracy. These options were on the table, again, they need to gather as much information as possible before deciding upon a counter-measure. They have been squeezed into such a tight spot, the crusade to the east, the Yuhinic threat to the west and the mysterious storm to the north. These threats both threatened to threaten the Machine Empire''s hold in the world. And those are just the external threats, the Machine Empire was also having troubles with logistics, the wormhole was still far from being controllable and almost all research efforts back home have been focused on stabilizing it to allow the bulk of the Machines to enter but so far, little progress has been made. They anxiously wait for further information, if push comes to shove, One will definitely launch a nuclear strike against it. And maybe take out the Theocracy while he''s at it. - In a burned down village to the west of the Theocracy, a lone girl was scavenging through the burnt rubble for a valuable item. She was neither a villager nor a local of the Theocracy, it was Velptis. Her body was badly burnt but she still had the energy to keep going. Her old appearance was no more, she''s been reduced to an aching and disabled lady with black patches all over her skies. Her eyes sore from crying and from the continuous rain of ash, she was lucky that she survived. She woke up inside a village, the locals claimed to have found her near the border of the frost mountain and the forest and decided to take her in, she was received happily and taken care of by a newlywed couple. They were all unaware that she was part of the criminal sect that kidnapped the village children years ago and indoctrinated them into their cult. Not long after the declaration of the crusade, the village was one of the many other villages that were caught in the crossfire of the crusade. The entire village was burned down by knights of the Theocracy in what they claim to be an act required and endorsed by the Fax Church and that they were to be drafted into the war effort. The villagers had no choice, most of them surrendered while a few dared to make a run for it, only to be chased and then killed. The same was all over, entire villages were slaughtered and forcefully drafted to fight for a nation they don''t even belong to. When the village was being forcefully drafted, Velptis used her magic to conceal herself from the knights and thankfully there were no mages present or else she would''ve been found. The newlywed couple, however, along with the old village chief was executed for refusing to join as an example to the rest of the surviving villagers that refusal was punishable by death and death shall reign in their crusade. A crusade she knows was strange, she felt as if something more sinister was lurking behind the Council and that it wasn''t as normal as the people were brought to believe in. As a mage of aptitude 7, she sensed the ominous danger that lingered, the rumours that have been spreading across the peninsula like wildfire. ''A race of metal men'' The rumours said. ''They wield strange magical weapons that have never been seen before'' The rumours continued. ''The monsters are of the devil''s offspring!'' ''They were responsible for the attack on the papal estate and ?ssassination of the pope'' And continued. She thought about it for a while and her conclusions were all the same. The metal men were her organization''s doing. She and her fellow sect leaders were convinced that if they tampered with the forbidden magic of dark space manipulation, they could harness enough magic to become the prophetic magic heroes that would come and unite the world and its people once more. They were foolish, they did not know, they had high hopes. They thought they struck gold, a cavern of diamonds even. But no, they stepped on the tail of a slumbering beast. These thoughts have begun to plague her mind and everyday she has tried to make herself forget that everything that was happening was her fault. She painstakingly lifted a piece of burnt woodwork and finally found the valuable item she sought. A magic wand. Magic wands were rare magical items that only the highest and most powerful of archmages possessed and to have one under the possession of a village couple that did not even know its importance and significance was both a blessing and a mystery. She noticed the wand when she was cleaning the house while the couple was away farming in the fields, it was hidden inside an iron ?h?st that she accidentally opened by chance. Such an item would boost her magic greatly, unlike staffs, wands were easier to hold and made casting spells a breeze. Wands were also a great magical conduct that allows the user to effectively utilize and manipulate her magic with almost a hundred percent efficiency and require little to no mastering, unlike staffs. But wands required the user to possess aptitude 8 or higher. Being lower than 8 and using a wand would kill the user in a matter of seconds, the wand heavily depends on the user''s magic and due to the wand''s immense capacity to manipulate magic effectively, it actively sucks magic from the user and if the user can''t keep up with it, magical deprivation would occur and the user dies in a cascade of organ failures. She was an aptitude low but she had no plans of using it yet, keeping it under her care until she trains enough to become aptitude 8 is already a good investment worth risking her life on. She dusted the wand with her hands and blew around it. The wand, as expected, shined and brimmed with power before calming down into a white hue. Velptis smirked at the sight and carefully placed it inside her coat. In the distance, the sounds of horses could be heard, it was time for her to move out. She picked up whatever was left of her belongings and scavenged supplies. Casting her magic, she conceals herself within the environment and disappears into the burnt treeline. A group of knights arrive riding on horseback, they search the in and around the village but find no trace of Velptis or any survivor. Their leader stares into the distance as a hovercraft zooms overhead and drops bombs on their position. Chapter 61 - Offensive One and his two elite drones were walking through the forest on their side of the line. As the situation went on, the greenery of the forest has started to fade due to lack of sunlight and it was only a matter of time before they would stumble upon the scorched areas of the forest. The scorched areas were the place of battle, where man and machine fought against one another, where magic and science clashed. One has decided to temporarily ignore the supposed evolution of his two elite drones, as long as he was always on alert, he was in no risk of being jumped on by his own drones. Along the way, however, he and his drones conversed as if a senior officer was talking to two other soldiers lower in rank. As they walked through the forest, the sounds of war became ever more louder. This gave One the idea to inspect the front and how his army was doing. "Splendid idea! Our master is ever so thoughtful," Micheal said, One decided to call the drones by names. "Master, how shall the army behind us respond if a line near us is breached?" John asked as they strode through the forest. "Simple, the army is to respond immediately, we can''t risk breaches since it would threaten the integrity of the front," One answered. "Master-" One raised his right hand as a signal to stop moving. The three then knelt onto the floor and took their weapons. "For One, please call me commander, it''s more fitting and also you are not my slaves, don''t call me master," One asked the drones, it was more of a direct order but One wanted them to feel that it was a simple request. But of course, he does not know how to make it sound like a simple request. "Yes, commander" "Aye, commander" The drones were able to comply immediately, it seems like everything One says is an order to them regardless of the tone or the sarcasm if One was ever going to sarcasm at least. "Now, stop talking and observe the trees in front of me," The drones followed One''s order and scanned the foliage in front of them. "Commander, we are near the middle line" "Aye, Michael, we can see several of our own fighting in the distance," "Several?" One looked at John and asked. He was confused, the middle line should have the most concentrations of drones due to the fact that the middle line served as the backbone of the line. "Yes, commander, we can only see several of our own, other forces are nowhere to be found," Micheal replied. "Oh no," One whispered. It was at this moment did One finally realize the threat that was upon them, he didn''t really think it would happen but it seems like it has become a reality. The line has been spread too thin. The front has spread too thin for the Empire''s mere tens of thousands of drones to cover, it was a miscalculation and a disaster. But One didn''t know that this was not the case, they had more than enough manpower to hold the lines regardless of how far the Theocracy stretched it since the Theocracy itself could not accomplish such a feat of covering a massive front line, let alone maintain a front line. In this medieval and magical world, front lines were not a thing, at least not as in the modern definition. These kingdoms relied on huge army engagements and city sieges, One, however, was applying modern warfare of front lines to cause a war of attrition that would cause the enemy to back down or exhaust themselves faster. The plan seemed fool-proof but there was divine intervention. One and Hailey devised this plan and accounted for the power of the mages but did not account for an external malevolent force to put their plans into disarray. And then they heard it, an explosion blasted its way through the forest prompting the three to duck down in reflex. "attack!" A voice rang in the distance followed by the shouts of hundreds of men. They appeared from the burnt foliage brimming in armour and fighting spirit. The few drones that were there to immediately respond to them raised their blasters and fired. The battle took only a minute as the knights, although extremely weaker than the drones, outnumbered them with help from their divine blessings. With their stats enhanced and mages to back them, the Middle line has finally been breached. "No," whispered under his breath. "Commander! Orders!?" Micheal asked. "Commander! The army is on stand-by, orders?" John added. In this dire situation, One needed to be decisive, will he join his forces in combat or does he let the drones do the dirty work while he watches comfortably in the distance while barking orders? Seeing that there was obviously external intervention, he did not want to risk to lose more of his drones. And so, he decided to launch a counter-attack at that very moment along with the one thousand drones that followed him there. "Order an attack, now!" One barked his orders at Micheal and John. "As you wish!" They both answered. The calls were relayed to the nearest station and the order was soon routed to all other armies in the front. An all-out offensive was to ensue! They were to fight! To advance! The demise of the petty Theocracy that dared taint and halt the advance of the Machine Empire is nigh! Or so the order was relayed, One merely wanted to secure the middle front and really had no intentions of launching a full-scale offensive into the Theocracy. He realized his mistake too late and the order was followed immediately by all commanding drones. The offensive has begun. Across the entire front between the Empire and the Theocracy, bombings raid began and mass ?ssaults of infantry, motorized and tanks ensued with what could be called as the bloodiest engagement in this peninsula''s history. One stood from the soft ground and stepped on the dead stick that crunched under his weight. "Attack!" He shouted in full force and behind him emerged one thousand drones than stormed out of the foliage and into the scorched plains to meet the enemy. Hovercrafts flew overhead as the drones ran at blazing speeds towards the knights and mages who stared in shock. They fired as they ran, their blasters streaking through the air in dazzling balls of light that either killed or incapacitated their targets, none of them missed. In the sight of such an enemy, some knights routed while others stood their round and readied themselves for the inevitable battle! They went and formed a shield wall composed of hundreds of knights with mages firing spell after spell at the drones from behind the defence. But the hovercrafts would place them into much disarray, they swept low towards the ground shrieking in terror and defiance of the wills of men before unloading package after package of death and destruction upon the enemy that cowered under their weak shields and cried for their puny deities to save them. Who would survive and tell? That men were defeated in battle. Riders pushed from their saddles. Lo, the heavens opened and they came. Nothing shall ever be the same. At this day and hour. There shall be a new power. The two sides met and clashed, sword versus gun, metal versus flesh, magic versus science, and man versus machine. And the machines were victorious. With each hack of the sword, three knights would fall, with each cast of a spell, a mage is shot. It was not a battle, to begin with, it was a strategic victory. One joined in the battle and fought, taking on hundreds of the enemy at once and emerging unscathed. While doing so he coordinated the army in the attack barking order after order at Micheal and John that relayed the orders to their fellow drones. One did not really count how many they killed during the initial engagement but an estimated 3,000 knights and 500 mages were killed and hundreds more routed in a panic into the scorching blazes. One walked through the battlefield with his skin tainted with the blood of his enemies, the dirt of the soul and the ashes of the forest. His drones were no different, they too were covered in the remains of their enemies. They walked over their corpses, burned them, killed those who thought they could sleep and pretend. There was no escape. The other fronts were no different, for long they were only there just to hold the enemy off. Their main objective was to make them exhaust their manpower and the overall war effort, a long but ensured victory. But the circumstances have since changed and the war has begun to take a sharp turn. Across the entire front, battles were fought and the machines would emerge as the victors, they were ruthless, cunning and downright terrifying in the eyes of their enemy. "This deserves a celebration!" Micheal was enthusiastic. "Agreed, comrade!" ''This is unheard of, my drones are slowly becoming more human,'' One thought with an unease, sure his drones becoming more human was making him uneasy but what made him more terrified was the fact that. "Wait, why are my drones developing more into becoming like humans while I myself can''t achieve it?" The words escaped his mouth. "eh?" His drones stared at him. "..." The sky was still covered by the clouds of ash and smoke, One longed to see the sunshine once more upon the forest. He looked up towards the sky and saw flashes of light, red, white, yellow, all three colours flashed in what could only be a battle in the sky. "The hovercrafts seem to be engaging the enemy air force," Micheal commented. "It''s quite an insult to call flying beasts as an air force, they''re merely abusing wild-life because they don''t have the brain to even figure out simple physics," John replied to Micheal. ''Woah'' One thought. That was one hell of a roast. And the roast was somewhat factual, even when they captured supposed scholars from the fortress city there was no mention of any advanced science, not even simple physics! All of their knowledge revolved around magic and how magic does this and that. It could be said that magic was somehow an inhibitor to the world''s progress in technology, that or the brilliant minds of this world were not as brilliant as he thought. Albert Einstein said, "If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree then the fish would forever think that it''s stupid," Though, it''s true in a sense, in this world One thought of it as.. "Fish thinking they can do anything with magic so they decide to try and use to climb the tree, it works! And then they forget how to swim," As such, One''s expectation of any sort of advancement in this world that does not involve magic was once again dashed and he was forced to endure the apparent intellectual disability of this world''s humans. With this initial victory, One wanted to rest but the victories at the northern and southern fronts would make him postpone this much-needed rest. The war has finally turned in his favour, how could he not exploit it? Chapter 62 - The Night Is Dangerous For You The offensive was a success. The entire military might of the Theocracy was put into question as they are pushed back from all sides of the front with losses exceeding that they could afford. And all of this happened in the time span of merely a day. Dusk has settled over the land and the two moons have finally appeared together in the night sky. If only the sky was not blanketed in a cloud of ash and smoke. Speaking of ash and smoke, the environmental effects have begun to affect the Theocracy''s war efforts, mainly the soldiers and mages in the front. A deadly smog has decided to manifest in their side of the war and was showing no signs of disappearing anytime soon. The haze was toxic in a way that it contained pollutants, once inhaled, would cause severe respiratory problems. Many of the soldiers have begun to suffer severe coughs, some are even experiencing asthma attacks and the unlucky ones would die prematurely from these ailments. The council, however, paid the problem no heed and decided it best to continue the war effort and have the mages ?ssist the soldiers in the deadly haze without doing anything crucial to remove it instead. The haze could be removed by the use of the tier 6 spell: Weathering but no mage capable doing the spell was present at this time, they were expected to arrive after a few days but will they arrive in time to stop the invasion? - Deep inside the burnt treelines, blackened pillars of ash replaced the trees that once grew around these parts. Scores of dead animals littered the ground, either they were killed by knights, hunters or were just unlucky to get caught in the fiery blaze that consumed the forest, regardless they lied dead from whence they stood before. A small group of three knights were patrolling in the area, the main armies were still caught in engagements while some have just gone and routed due to the overbearing pressure from the encroaching Metal Army. They held firmly onto their swords and shields as they scanned the night for anything out of the ordinary. Their mission made no sense, they knew it. Why send only three weak knights to patrol a large swathe of land in the middle of the night? Did they think the enemy would respect their ways of war? Did they think that the ceasefire request they sent would be honoured by an enemy who has so far shown its might and power against them? Was it wise? These insignificant ants knew they were going to die, they just did not want to accept their fates just yet. This unusual moral was spread among the ranks and they themselves questioned but was an accepted gift, nonetheless. "You see anything?" One of the knights asked the two knights in front of him. "You expect me to see anything through this fog? And it''s night!" The knight he asked angrily retorted. "Hey, I was just trying to start a conversation," "It''s best we stay quiet or else we give the enemy the luxury of knowing our position just by your loud mouth alone!" And as they walked further and further, they would hear the faint sounds of explosions. Once they do, the leader of the group would always guide them to a different direction, their job was to patrol the segments where the enemy was supposedly absent and send out a magical signal if the enemy were to appear so that a fast-response unit could respond. Fast-response units were composed of mages who possessed the ability to alter their speeds and have the capability to combat the enemy by the b?r? minimum enough to hold them long enough for reinforcements to arrive. This war was unorthodox. It literally made no sense to them. The knights knew wars as armies going against other armies, sieges of cities, plunder and r?p? of the enemy. Why does it look like this war was something far more deadly and unconventional than anything they could imagine? An enemy that could cover such a vast area of land with thousands of soldiers. "I want to go home," the knight at the very back of the group suddenly spoke. "We all want to go home, let''s pray to the goddess that this war would soon end," The leader shrugged. "The war would soon be over, but none of us is going home," The knight suddenly said. "Hey! Don''t speak such blasphemy, we are proud knights of the Theocracy who believe in her greatness, the Blue Goddess! Have faith in her wisdom and guidance," "Wisdom?" The knight stopped walking prompting the other two to stop as well. They knew their comrade as a strong warrior, able to withstand challenges that a normal man won''t be able to take as much but what he was showing was not the warrior they knew. "You call this torture, wisdom!?" He shouted from the top of his lungs and frowned down on his fellow knights. "You are all blind!! We are all dead by the first light! This war is already lost! Our cities will fall, our families will be placed under the sword and our wives forced to do their p???sur?s, what must ye expect? The Gods have abandoned us!" The man continued to shout, the shouting eventually transitioned into inaudible yells and uncontrolled sobbing. "What is even happening," The other knight began to show the same psychological damage. The leader stared helplessly at his two men as they slowly lost their sanity. He had never seen such disgrace, not even when he was a mere trainee, even the lowest and most frail privates at the time stood strong even through the hardest of challenges, how come this war was different. His answer is soon answered when a hovercraft suddenly zooms above them, causing a powerful wind to push them onto the ground, the screech of the hovercraft''s engines temporarily blinded them. They covered their ears in reflex and pleaded for the sound to stop. After a while, they stood and looked around. They saw small pairs of light in the sky that moved at fast speeds, they were by the hundreds and came from the side of the enemy. This was the beginning of the second offensive, the second jab to the liver to be delivered by their enemy. "Beautiful isn''t it?" Someone suddenly spoke. The knights, frightened, turned their attention to the figure that suddenly appeared beside them. The figure bore the silhouette of a man and that man stared at them and smiled. The man had blue lines that were across his body that glowed in the dark and his blue eyes were enough to make a man scream. "W-who are you!?" The leader of the group and the only sane man capable of speaking was about to lose it. "The night is beautiful," The shadowy man said in a calm voice. But such a calm voice in the middle of an enemy attack gave him an even more eerie aura. "Don''t be scared, look at me," The shadowy man extended his hands and showed the glowing cracks. "You see? Beauty, as beautiful as the stars that shined in the sky," "Y-yes!" "Until you burned the forest and covered the only beautiful scenery I could see," The knight jumped a few meters back due to fright and shivered. His sword began to shrivel as did his hands that froze in shock. He was gritting his teeth so much that saliva has begun to drip down from his mouth. Sweat drenched his already smelly armour and tears were beginning to gather within his eyes. The shadowy figure continued to look at the knight. The two were awkwardly staring at each other to the point that one of the other knights decided to stab himself to spare his eyes from the gruesome scene that was to unfold. He shrieked in pain as he thrusted his sword deep inside his belly. "Your friend seems to have a problem," The leader refused to look away, fearing that the man would slice his head off if he does so. He heard the screams, the wails and the blade entering his friend''s stomach but refused to pay his suffering any attention. He only needed to survive and escape. "You may be thinking, who am I? why are we attacking? We,ll I shall give you the benefit of learning about my plans before they go into effect," "Why must a monster like you tell me your plans!? Might as well kill me right here, right now!" The leader said, so much for survive and escape, the knight could not decide. "Eh? Of cour,se I''ll tell you, I will kill you after I finish anyway so might as well give you a glimpse of the future," The knight refused to open his mouth again, fearing that he would waste such a chance to think of an escape as the enemy in-front of him wasted his time. cover three segments of the front. The northern army is almost defeated, the central army has routed while the south is b?r?ly standing," "h-how do you know all of this?" The shadowy man extend his arms to his sides and raised them high. "It''s because I saw it happen, how could I not be sure?" "No, impossible! You''re here talking to me, our armies were still standing when we left!" "Yes, yes they were still standing and they were still standing a few moments ago, what I said has only just transpired as we speak," "w-what?" The knight''s face became blank as he stared at the ground, his grip around his sword began to loosen and fear began to finally take hold. The shortcoming of a human. Emotion. Easily exploited by the ones who aren''t affected by it. The ones who won''t flinch even if millions of innocent lives are wasted in front of them, even if swim across an ocean they filled with the blood of billions of humans they slaughtered, they won''t flinch, they would not care, why should they? Surprisingly, there is someone in this world right now that is exactly that, he is someone who shall drown the theocracy in their own Ecstasy. The one who will unite every human under one single banner with the guidance of machines that far surpass any human mind by a milestone. And his name is literally One, and he was also literally in-front of the knight. "Ka!" Suddenly, the other surviving knight of the group charged at One. "Fool! No!" The leader pleaded to no avail, his comrade lurched his sword at One who easily stopped the blade mid-air by the use of only two of his fingers. The knight struggled to remove his sword from the frightening grip of the man he wanted to slice apart but to no avail. "Sigh, we have an unwanted guest, I was certain you''d do the same as the other fellow a few seconds ago," One merely twisted his two fingers and the sword snapped into two with the upper part of the sword breaking off. "A grand sorcerer.." The knight stumbled back and stared at what remained of his blade. He then turned his attention back to One who was just standing, no rush to even eliminate him. It was time for him to escape! He made a run for it, he turned his back and ran as fast as he could, as far away as his legs could take him. His armour clanged against each other as he bolted away. He was heaving and crying, his wails echoed through the night combining with the echoes of explosions. He did not look back, he just wanted to get out. Chapter 63 - The Night Goes On The leader watched as his patrol group was decimated without even the enemy lifting a single finger against them, they were all defeated not by physical or metaphysical ways but through the very fear that lied within them. He stood there frozen in place, he could see new fires bloom in the distance as newer hues of red and yellow made themselves known across all directions. He then let go of his sword and wept. The sword fell to the ground but made no sound other than the crunching of burned sticks and leaves under it. He fell onto his knees while he faced the ground below him. "I give up," He whispered, his voice cracked and shivered. "I don''t think a surrender is an option for a knight under a Theocracy," One walked forward and looked down on the knight. "Please, I have a family, please have mercy," The knight pleaded. But One could not care less if the enemy had someone or something of value back home that they wished to come back to, no, why should he? Will he show this knight mercy? Well, he was still human but was unsure. "I may look like a human to you," One walked from the darkness made himself known under the faint light of the cracks across his skin. "Ha," The knight stared in awe, One did not notice but he looked like a divine and magnificent being in the eyes of the knight. He glowed like an angel sent from above, excreting an aura of power both calming and deadly. "But I am not human, nor am I one of your deities," One quickly shot down his hopes. "I bring upon you only death and destruction because you stand in my way, you stand in my mission and my goal, I don''t expect the millions of others like you to just surrender just for convenience? No, I know you will fight to the bitter end, in the streets of your cities, in the halls of your palaces and the fields of your villages. That''s why I will crush you where you think you can hold, I will strike you in the very heart of your society. Some of you will remain but most would be either lying on their doorsteps dead or have gone to take refuge towards faraway lands," The vision of the knight began to fade, as much so that he could only see the eyes of the man in front of him surrounded by eternal darkness. "You see," "I am, human but I neither possess nor have the weaknesses of a human, I possess merely the shell of someone who was still human. I care not if you all die, I care not if you grovel and cry upon my feet for every living thing would eventually die and that''s the curse of life. We will all eventually die and sadly, your death came far too soon," "Now, to continue from where we left off, you are an interesting man, not only did you resist collapsing into insanity, you kneel before me pleading for mercy although others I have encountered before pleaded not, they either fought me and died or ran and still died," The man was silently crying, tears were dripping from his cheeks and into the ground the tears went. The explosions became louder as the second offensive raged on. With every minute that passed, the Theocracy lost more ground and more men. And here, One and the knight were wasting their time. "Please," The man continued to plead. Luckily, One did not possess the means to get annoyed. He viewed this as an ant begging a human not to stomp on it after it had stung the human already. "The nearest city is called.. what was it again?" One knew the name of the city, he just wanted to experiment on the psychology of the knight if he were to become compliant or still continue to plead as per human instinct to survive. But the knight complied. "The nearest city is a two weeks ride from here, Barbur City, the council is within the city as we speak, it is there where our orders come from and where our most skilled of mages reside," The way the knight presented his answer was vague in words but rich in-between the lines. To One, this was a breakthrough, he had stopped trying to extract information directly from the minds of humans a few weeks back due to the information being too vague to be read out as it depended on the mental fortitude of someone on how much information they could extract. One paused for a second and stared at the soldier for a moment before looking up to the sky. "You see those lights?" One asked. "Yes," The knight immediately replied. "Those light are your demise, you may stand a chance against the enemies who walk on the ground but how will you go against something that even your might wyverns couldn''t stop?" The outcome of the war was broader than daylight. The Theocracy''s defeat was inevitable unless a miracle were to happen and that miracle will never happen. One wanted to end him as soon as he explained briefly how he and his military would crush his beloved home but One suddenly came up with a different idea. Seeing that the man has already betrayed the Theocracy by giving in to the enemy instead of fighting, he knew that death awaited him back home too and made no difference whatsoever. Although humans, weak and frail they may be, can be a wonderful ?sset to have. This man seemed to possess enough information for him to be spared to further boost the victory One d?s?r?d. "Come with me," One extended his hand for the knight to reach. The knight, his vision now brighter than it was, saw the hand of the enemy. It was at this moment that he needed to decide, would he come with the enemy or risk this chance of slaying him and return a war hero? But One already knew what was in his mind. "You may try to fight me, you may try to ambush me, but you will not win," The knight froze once again. "If you love your daughter, then take my hand and she shall be spared the suffering that is to come," ''daughter!?'' The knight was shocked and thrilled. The man in front of him somehow knew about his daughter! He was filled with delight and hope that if he was indeed to switch sides, his family and precious daughter will be spared from suffering. One, on the other hand, just ?ssumed that he had a daughter by completely relying on a statistic Hailey gave him that daughters were more common than men. He took a serious gamble and if One could sweat, he''d be sweating by now. His hands were still extended and awaited the move of the knight. The knight then extended his hand, after initial reluctance of his hand to comply, he finally grabbed One''s hand and he was boosted up from the ground. His legs struggled under his weight. "Come now, let''s take a walk," And the two began to strode through the ash-ridden landscape with only the faraway blazes and the blueish glow of One to provide them light. Both of them were silent. The knight yearned for One to explain how he was supposed to keep his daughter safe. "How will you ensure the safety of my family?" He asked bluntly. One then turned his head towards him as they walked. "First, what is your name?" One asked. "I- I am Fran," He stuttered. "Well then, Fran, I need to know the name of your daughter before I could ensure her safety," At this point, the knight''s face lit up and he joyously replied. "Veronica Franz Holtizer! Your grace," "Ah, I see," And also at this point, One was also damn relieved that his gamble was correct and that he did not need to kill him after all. A win for him and a win for the knight. "But, there is something you need to do for me before I make my ends of the bargain," "Y-yes?" The knight became scared once more. "I need you to act as my spy, tell me everything I need to know and you and your daughter will be given a place in my nation," The knight stopped walking and so did One. "Your grace.. I wish to serve you in exchange for my family''s safety but how can I come back with my shattered pride as a knight under the Theocracy? I don''t possess the will to return to a country I have already betrayed," One walked up beside him and patted his back. "The Theocracy is a blasphemous and hypocritical nation controlled by a religion about a false goddess, your pride as a warrior still resides within you and has nothing to do with our allegiance with the Theocracy. Who cares? You are a warrior and a warrior strives to protect the ones he holds dear and I know you hold your daughter dearly and love her very much, that is the pride and honour that you should know and not the ones you were forced to believe," The knight was silent. One figured that the man needed more time to think and relax and so they continued their stroll. After walking through the darkness for thirty minutes straight without anyone uttering a single word, they finally came across a battle. A detachment of five hundred knights was going up against a hundred drones of the Machine Empire. One grabbed the knight from the back and they flew. The knight screamed in shock and fear as they ascended from the ground. One had the ability to fly thanks to several upgrades made to his body and one of those upgrades involved placing small yet powerful thrusters around his joints, the sole of his feet and palm of his hands. He then stopped his ascent and stabilized the knight. He showed no signs of weariness or even struggle in holding the knight with only his one hand. They were floating above while the battle ensued below. The knight finally calmed and One took this as an opportunity to speak. "Look at the battle, Fran," "Y-yes," The wind blew against their hair, making it dance and flutter. "You see, you may outnumber us, you may have magic but we are stronger," And as he explained to him, several knights surrounded a drone. They were enhanced with magic and engaged the drones all at the same time. The battle was furious, the drone fought against five enhanced magical knights, all with the same power and strength but once combined could become a force to be reckoned with. But the drone, although outnumbered and quite possibly weaker than the combined force, had more processing power than the knights it was fighting. It only needed to stay alive long enough for it to make a decisive blow against the enemy and deliver the finishing touch. When a small opening presented itself, the drone took it without wait and hesitation. It sliced two of the knights with its energy sword before proceeding to shoot at the now broken line of enemies. They were taken down swiftly, not even their magical barrier could withstand 20 shots of highly-concentrated energy against their ?h?st. The battle quickly ended as quickly as it started. Though they had mystical magic and numbers by their side, their enemy knew when and how to strike given the chance, something they won''t have even if they trained for a thousand years. The battle still raged on in the open fields further down where the current battle took place, soldiers were routing, wyverns were falling, and drones were marching. "Fran, you may have saved yourself and your daughter for now but what you decide for the rest of the journey with us is what dictates if you deserve to be given gratitude and a place under my utopia," And Fran understood. Chapter 64 - Dawn Breaks "Do you understand now?" One asked. "Yes," Fran stared blankly into the night. "Then, you will fulfil your end of the bargain," One began to descend as he has accomplished what he needed to accomplish. Though he never really thought of sparing Fran''s life, having a spy that would penetrate deep within the enemy would speed up his inevitable victory. Why? Information, of course! One has the opportunity to strike gold and shove it down the enemy''s throats. They shall choke. One had to be careful, and so, he needed to ensure Fran''s survival. To ensure his survival, he needs to have something that would motivate him to do his duty, and that motivation is already there. His daughter and quite possibly his wife, if he has a wife at least. I mean, One does not know if his wife even loves him or if he loves her. If so, One only needed to protect the daughter if the wife was of no value whatsoever. A good plan! But needs to be appropriately executed or else all of the benefits that may be reaped will be lost. There are so many risks and many buts; it sometimes gets tedious. The two finally touch the solid ground and Fran was more than delighted to feel the solid earth under his feet. "I thank you, your grace, for offering me such mercy, you may not be the demon the council makes you to be," One stared at him and said. "There are no demons, nor are there, there is only the will of an individual that decides how society will portray him as," Fran listened intently with One was saying. "For example, I invented something that would benefit billions but would kill millions, they would see you as someone evil, they only care of the negativity you bring and monopolize on the hate they create. They don''t care if you save billions, they decide whether you are an angel or a demon," And Fran was silent again after hearing the words of One. He could not clearly see it but he was certain that One smirked a bit before returning to his blank and cold stare. Fran took the initiative and bowed low. "I solemnly swear my allegiance to you, o wise one," "I accept," He announced. ''Humans are so simple; it''s a wonder how I am considered one, I am merely in a shell of a human but who I far exceed a human. I only cooked what I said to this man through what Hailey educated me about human society before its eventual demise back on Earth. They are simple in a way that makes them unique, a form of structure so fragile yet so durable. This man has a family, something I think I had but no longer have, of course, if ever, they most likely died when humanity did. It''s heart-breaking, is that correct? Well, it''s not like I feel anything similar to it but let us say I do, it''s heart-breaking in a sense that I, a human still, lack what makes a human, a human. I only possess the physical properties but I lack everything else. If I ever find who I was, what I was and how I was back then, maybe, just maybe, I can relate more to this man, Fran. For now, all of you are merely tools for my mission, pawns on a chessboard. I hope you do well, or else you''ll get eaten by the better chess piece.'' One was lost in thought and is soon snapped back into the real world by Fran. "Milord, If thou don''t mind me asking, what is thy name?" One opened his eyes and saw Fran still kneeling before him with his head up high and eyes staring at his person. "I am, One," He answered. "Juan?" "No, One," "Ah, yes, Juan," "Sigh.." While One was explaining how his name should be pronounced, Hailey connected herself to One''s communication channel. "One," Hailey spoke through his mind. "What?" He replied through his psychic abilities, in other words, telepathy. "The second offensive was, no surprise, successful and the entire enemy front has collapsed," One then replied, using his mouth. "Good, tell the armies to march forth, have the central army reinforced and we will lay siege on the nearest city," "Roger," "Pay it no mind," One said after noticing the visible confusion of Fran. "I merely made contact with an ally, you will soon meet her and the others who have joined our cause," "There are others who joined before me?" Fran looked even more confused. He had only heard of them a few weeks ago when the crusade started and he knows that there was only one highly-skilled and powerful enemy that lead the metal men. Now, he was being informed by that very same enemy he was warned about that there are others more like him. "Oh, but don''t worry," One suddenly said. "They aren''t as powerful as me but still in equal terms with what you consider powerful," One read his mind, not literally but it was an expected mindset and thought process. "Anyways, enough chit-chatter, you need to be sent on your way before my soldiers lay siege upon Barbur. And concerning your family, where are they right now?" "They are probably at our home town of Leet," One offered Fran to sit down beside him as he himself sat down on the ground despite how uncomfortable it was for a normal person. Fran, however, still followed suit and sat down regardless if it was comfortable or not. "So there are also towns and not just villages," "Yes," "Can you explain to me how towns are different?" One knew clearly what the differences were, he was just extracting information from Fran bit by bit. "Well, sire, towns are bigger than villages with populations ranging from 1 thousand to 3 thousand while villages are only composed of 50 to 300 people. Villages mostly focus on farming while towns are more developed and visited by travellers and merchants. Also, towns end to be situated near the cities and through important trade nodes, hence the development. If for example, a village is connected directly through an important trade node, said village would evolve into a town and subsequently become a city if handled right," "I see," One was very skilled in the art of trying to look stupid. The man went on and on explaining to One how simple economics and civilization worked. Although it may seem that this was a waste of time, One used what the man was telling him to determine his education and by far, he seemed to be a very educated person in the standards of a peasant-ridden world such as Fiorg. "Now then," One stood up and dusted himself. "Yes, sire?" "Your mission begins now," "Eh? Sire, I am too far away fro-" "Pay it no mind; your transport is here," A roaring sound echoed in the distance and became louder as the thing flew nearer. It was a speeding hovercraft directly requested by One to drop Fran back to Barbur. The hovercraft shined its bright searchlight directly at the two. Fran finally saw how One really looked, he wore a black uniform with yellow strands across his shoulders. His hair was down and face blank as ever, the glowing cracks that he saw came directly from his exposed skin. He was terrified. ''Did I really make a deal with the devil?'' he thought to himself. "I bid thee, farewell," One walked a few steps back. Fran did not know what was gonna happen. The hovercraft suddenly opened up its bottom and descended directly above him. "Ha!" In a second, he was pulled up inside the hovercraft through the use of a magnet that carried him using the armour he was wearing. The hovercraft the ascended and above the clouds it went, it slowly made its way above the dead forest, the thick smoke and the raging fires. One stared as the hovercraft disappeared from his sights and once again he was alone in the dark. "Hm," One walked alone again through the rubble, his feet already dirtied by the ash and burned foliage that clung onto his pants. "This is a gonna be a bit of a nuisance," He lamented. He decided to take a stroll and inspect what the drones were doing, he had his two elite drones go with the army of one thousand during the second offensive hence their absence. Ever since they began to speak, One now had official companions and not just puppets who stared at him every time, though, One seems to prefer the latter. After presumably walking for a good thirty minutes again, One stumbled upon the severed head of a drone. It had burn marks, likely after its core exploded after it''s defeated. One leaned down to have a closer look and grabbed it. He gently wiped its face and rid it of the ash and dust that covered it. He then looked at the surrounding area, there was a crater. No doubt, the drone''s core exploded. One knew he sent these puppets to fight and quite possibly to their deaths but One cared for them still. He gently rubbed the head and placed it back where he got it. "You fought well," One paid his respects, quite unusual for someone like him to do. In times of war, always expect that not every one of your soldiers will return home. Don''t expect that everything will be the same. To achieve victory, there must be sacrifices; One knew that. The sacrifice of this unnamed drone will forever live on as its legacy. It fought an enemy of the empire and died fulfilling its duty, such is a true warrior. "Ha!" A voice suddenly rang out from the dark, a glowing white blade suddenly appeared and flew towards One. "So, you''re still here," One moved his head and dodged the sword. The sword then suddenly pulled itself back and was now coming towards him again. ''Magic," He thought. Again, he dodged the sword and it returned to its owner. A glowing golden swordsman, his aura was glowing in the darkness of the night. He literally wanted to make himself known, but that was his shortcoming, if he had stayed stealthy, he could''ve survived longer but since One does not need to use his night vision, it was game over for him. "Die, demon!" The swordsman shouted and released a flurry of flying swords through the use of a spell. One then started running sideways since he knew the swords would follow him. He was evaluating his enemy and the capabilities of the said enemy. As the swords followed him, the golden swordsman dashes in-front of One''s way holding his sword up and ready to slash One. "This is very dumb," With only a flick of his finger, One summoned his energy blade and in one fell swoop, as the two were about to meet, he slashed the golden swordsman''s swords into two and proceeded to go behind him. With this, the golden swordsman acted as a type of shield and to his horror, the swords he summoned all stabbed him mercilessly. He screamed in pain as 30 swords stabbed him simultaneously, his blood spurted out with each sword that penetrated his armour and body. The man stopped moving and that''s when One knew he was dead. The aura he exhibited faded as soon as he stopped breathing. "Idiots, all brawn, no brain," His body fell towards One''s direction. He stepped to the side and the body slammed the ground. The man was no more, and so was another failed attempt to end One''s life. The poor soul probably did not know that he fought the very leader of the enemy they were fighting. Chapter 65 - Council Meeting Councilwoman Anna was walking down the glistering halls of the lord''s castle. She was late for a meeting, an important meeting that would dictate the role of the council for the days to come. She bid the two red scriptures mages that were with her farewell as she closed the large doors behind her. The room was average in size but grand in stature. Five council members were already sitting in the round table, one empty seat was the only scorn to the eye, that empty seat was for Anna. She was silent and so were the other council members. They were all wearing cloaks and the cloaks had hoods over their heads that covered the upper part of their faces. But the hoods failed to hide that every one of the council was already wrinkled with old age. Their skin had already begun to fold and only their magical power preserved them. They are all way over a hundred years old and the oldest of which, was Anna. Anna had been councilwoman for 130 years ever since she ascended to the position when she was 70 years of age. She managed to maintain her long life span through the heavy use of her mana to keep her body going, save for some small and b?r?ly noticeable wrinkles on her cheeks, she still looked young. She has watched 3 popes come and go, the last of which was found in such a horrid state that the scene still lingers in her mind, bringing her nightmares every night. That being so, she has refused to sleep more than 4 hours every day fearing that the nightmares would only get worse if she exalts herself in the practice of sleeping. She sat down on her chair and the council meeting has officially begun, the other council members did not scold her, no, they had no time for petty disputes. There was an emergency at hand and had to be quick in making decisions. "We lost all our armies," After those words were uttered, the council went into a flurry of arguments. The council argued among themselves how ridiculous that they were defeated, stating points that the scriptures that were ?ssigned to each army were more than enough to support them against the overwhelming superiority of the metal men. Even the goddess gave them blessings that were for sure to have significantly improved each soldier and mage of the Theocracy. "But no! Hundreds of thousands of our men were slaughtered in a single night! How could this be?" "The enemy is truly a demon incarnate! This could only mean that the forces of the devil have begun to flood through the gates of hell and into this world, we may be seeing another Great War!" "Councilman, if I were to add, these demons possessed no magic whatsoever, not even dark magic! How can they be simple demon incarnates? Regardless to say, they are of something we have no knowledge about!" The feud went on and on, at this rate no decision would be made and the Theocracy will be really done for. At this time, Anna decided to finally speak. "Fellow councilman, I plead you all to cease your mouths," The council immediately fell silent and all council members leaned back on their chairs and looked at Anna as she removed her hood and revealed her face. "This is no time for blame and senseless excuses! We must decide on our response!" Her voice was loud, it signified that the councilwoman was of no mood so to speak and was dead serious. "We deeply apologize, dear Anna," One of the councilmen said calmly. "Pay it no mind, now, Councilman Von Snow, tell us the situation, I have been informed that your informants have gathered all the information they could about yesterday''s attack by the enemy," "Councilwoman Anna, the enemy has dealt us a crushing blow yesterday and all of our armies have been defeated with only fewer than 50 thousand from each army expected to return while the rest of the survivors have routed to the countryside or have become bandits," "Tsk," Anna gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. Her anger boiled over and she proceeded to slam the table with her right fist. This act startled and frightened the other councilmen who looked helplessly as Anna lost her composure for a second. "Continue, Councilman Von Snow," "Uh-uhm, yes, of course, the enemy has been sighted approaching from all directions from where our armies were once positioned. Scouts have sent word that the enemy is already attacking many of our reserve camps and the results of the battles have been no better, it not, they''ve become worse," "How about the wyverns riders?" Von Snow was silent. Anna repeated her question but with more strain in her voice. "Councilman Von Snow, how about the wyvern riders?" "They''re all dead," Many began to whisper to each other, their looks displayed the fear that was now running deep within their person. "Impossible," "Councilwoman Anna, my informants are true to their word, none of our wyvern flights ever returned from last night when the enemy finally defeated our armies, we no longer have the power of the flying beasts by our side," "Then all hope is lost," A councilman suddenly spoke. He removed his hood, revealing his bald head and the many scars he had. "No, the war has not been lost yet, the crusade has not failed and the goddess will surely help us!" Anna retorted. "The goddess has sent us her blessings but her blessings have been far too weak at this time," "Councilman Barak! What you''re saying is blasphemy against our goddess!" Anna was angry and scolded Barak. "Councilwoman, I did not mean to disrespect our goddess, I only wish to stress the fact that we are still too weak! I say that we pray and request a more powerful aid from her!" Councilman Barak made sure to stress his point in the matter. "But by doing so, we risk offending the goddess!" Hundreds of thousands of lives wasted in a single day. Such embarrassment for a country that calls itself one of the most powerful in the continent. Indeed they were but their power was often dwarfed by other, more powerful and influential nations. This time, however, their enemy is not someone from their world and they knew it. The gates of hell have opened upon their world and must do everything to stop it! The council meeting came to a close with no decision being made, disagreements and hopeless bickering were the main points of the entire session and all parties went their ways disgruntled and dissatisfied. Councilwoman Anna tried with all her ability to unite the council in this time of crisis but it seemed like the old steam that once powered this powerful group of individuals had already faded along with the Pope. She went through the door and was greeted by her two red scripture mage guards. "Councilwoman!" They exclaimed at the same time. "Fary, Jin," Anna simply said and walked past them. The two mages quickly walked behind her and asked questions. "Councilwoman Anna, how was the meeting?" "Did the council make a decision? Are we going to launch an attack?" The councilwoman continued walking. "No," She replied in a sad voice. The two mages realized that the councilwoman was disappointed and so stopped their yapping and went silent. They escorted the councilwoman to her room and locked the door. "The councilwoman said she needs rest for today," Fary explained as she locked the councilwoman''s door. Jin leaned against the wall and crossed her hands. "The councilwoman did her best, the council itself is the problem," Jin said with stress. "The council has not been as strong and united unlike when the pope was still alive, the power vacuum that followed proved to be the most fatal blow to our church," Fary leaned against the wall opposite of Jin. She then summoned her magic weapon, a fiery rod of fire. "You know you risk burning the entire place down?" Jin pointed out. Fary, however, frowned. "This place is made of bricks, how can bricks catch fire?" Fary countered. "Stubborn as ever," Jin smiled. "Whatever, sister," Fary replied. The two stayed near the door that lead to the councilwoman''s room. They were both tasked in guarding the councilwoman while the rest of the red scripture handled the military retreats of the central army back to the city. "It''s been a rough year for the church," Fary began to spin her rod of flames. The spinning would create a red circle around each tip of the rod that amused Fary. "Did you hear of the wyvern defeat?" Jin suddenly asked. "Oh? The wyverns? Didn''t a few of them survive and flew back here?" Fary replied. "No, none of the wyvern riders that rode off last night returned, not even the reserves that were called up," Fary continued to spin her rod as if she did not care. "A lost indeed but I doubt the enemy has gone that far into our lands," Fary was confident of the Red Scripture Captain, he was a powerful mage with power equal to that of an archmage. He had the magical ability to stave off an entire invasion alone, he had done it before during the beastmen invasion a few years back, how can he not do it again with the metal men? "But even the archbishop Frederick was killed by the metal men in his own castle, I doubt that this crusade would be won," Jin was not as enthusiastic as her sister. "Sister, don''t lose hope, what''s wrong with you lately? You''ve never been like that," "I don''t know Fary, everything has been so sudden, the Theocracy is not as it was before," "How so?" "Well, for one, the death of the pope and the annihilation of papal scripture are two main reasons to blame for my sudden shift," Fary stared at her sister as she stressed her mind. "And lately, ever since the goddess gave us her blessing, I''ve been feeling rather down lately with everything that''s been happening. It''s.. strange, it''s as if the goddess actually cursed us instead of blessing us," "It.. it seems so, lately I too am experiencing the same, it may be blasphemous to say but the goddess might be with the metal men," Jin continued. "But it''s too much to ?ssume such a thing without any evidence, don''t you agree?" Fary wanted to give the discussion a happy ending and also she wanted to avoid invoking the anger of the goddess. "I hope so-" The palace began to shake. "What the heck is happening?!" The palace shook and shook, prompting everyone inside to run out. "Councilwoman!" The two sisters burst into the roo of the councilwoman, amid the shaking of the earth, she was not in her bed nor in her room. The two sisters frantically searched the room but noticed that she was actually standing outside over at the balcony connected to her room. They rushed by her side. "Councilwoman! We must go!" The sisters pleaded but Anna was paying no attention towards then, instead, she was staring into the distance. The two sisters both stared at where the councilwoman''s eyes were locked onto and found the reason for the rumbling. In the distance, trails of smoke appeared from the ground. Hundreds, if not, thousands of beings were gathering around each wall accompanied by magic beasts. Suddenly, flying beasts, the same beasts that destroyed the entire wyvern flight of the Theocracy flew low and terrorized everyone below. The enemy has arrived. Chapter 66 - The Siege Starts "Impossible," The walls of the city were bombarded with shells. Artillery stationed from afar fired continuously at the city, decimating the buildings inside. People ran across the cities, frightened mothers carrying their children, storekeepers, men, even knights of honour were thrown into a panic. "Councilwoman! You must get out of this city at once!" Jin pleaded. The councilwoman was still motionless, still staring at the event that was unfolding. The enemy was now besieging their city, it was no longer them that was on the attack but the enemy. Amid the chaos, the Red Scripture could not be found. The army they were supposed to lead back was also absent, one thing could be ?ssumed and it was not a happy one. The army must have been completely defeated and the Red Scripture has been killed off. "We must aid the city''s garrison!" Fary whipped out her fiery rod of flames and jumped from the balcony before landing onto the roof of a house below. "Fary!" Jin screamed at her sister but was ignored. Her sister dashed through the roofs of the houses as she presented her aura of flames that slowly engulfed her body. "Tsk!" Jin gritted her teeth and looked at the councilwoman. The councilwoman still did not say a word, her face was blank and her stare was the stare of someone who has accepted her death. But who was she kidding? The councilwoman held so much magic power, she could even defeat this entire army on her own if she wanted. Jin pleaded for the councilwoman to follow her and evacuate from the city but she was not budging, she even resorted to forcefully bring her in but she still was not moving, as if she was embedded into the floor itself. "What the-" In a mere two seconds after the missile hit, an explosion completely destroys the foundations of the palace and sends pieces of the structure flying, the balcony collapses with the palace. With no other choice left, Jin had to protect herself with her magic. "Shield!" A green transparent shield surrounded her in an instant. She fell along with the balcony but she did not see the councilwoman anywhere when she fell, she just hoped that she saved herself. Thousands of on-lookers below watched as the palace at the centre of the city that towered high above the rest collapsed into nothing more than rubble and a flurry of grey smoke. Hundreds of mages, knights and religious members were inside the palace at the time, some survived using their magic but others were unlucky and were crushed by the collapsing building. The ones who died when the missile exploded, however, were spared from a more painful and gruesome death for they were merely incinerated in an instant. As per the others, well, a few vomited their intestines after their stomachs were squeezed, a few had their heads crushed while another few simple got crushed under the falling building. All-day long, the metal men bombarded the city with shells and missiles. Hovercrafts flew around its airspace, deliberately targeting mages that were exposed standing in the middle of the streets. If a mage was to be seen going inside a specific house, that house would be destroyed right after regardless if there was anyone else inside. The shelling would go on for 30 minutes followed by a 30-minute temporary break, when this was first applied, the citizens nor the Theocracy itself knew of it so instead they ordered their cities to gather in the streets for an evacuation. It was a shame. When the next bombardment took place, there were more casualties compared to the first bombardment. The city was then surrounded from all sides, from north, east, south and west walls, tens of thousands of metal men along with their metal beasts surrounded the city preventing any hope of escape. The city was official, under siege. Barbur City was surrounded by flat plains and farmlands, there was no moat nor were there any geographicdefencess, the only advantage the city had against a siege was that it had huge stores of food to last for years if rationed right and almost impenetrable walls. Problem was, there impenetrable walls have been decimated. Several large holes on each wall were created after the metal men''s continuous shelling severely damaged the weakest segments. The construction of structures, particularly walls, were not perfect especially at this technological level of construction. There was always a weak point in one part or segment in a structure that was weaker than the rest, if this weak point is found and exploited upon, not even the mightiest of walls could stand against the attack. This weakness was well-known among the military leadership of the Theocracy and so they tried their best to hide it by building more fortifications, upgrading the weak parts as best as they could or they would literally just make it seem strong by having a huge garrison over it. All of this measures were laid to waste, however, when the metal men just fired shell after shell at the city walls. The shells were 10x stronger than their strongest catapults, it only took 3 shell strikes for the walls to give in. The city of over 500 thousand was sent into a panic with what remains of the garrison scrambling to defend the walls and fortify their positions as best as they could but the continuous shelling made such efforts ever the more impossible to proceed with. When the palace was finally down, Jin emerged from the rubble unscathed. Her shield, although took a lot of her mana, held strong against the weight of falling debris. She blasted the debris around her with her wind magic and quickly went over the pile of rubble. "Councilwoman!" She shouted as loud as she could, searching for any trace of her master. She scurried through the rubble, using her enhanced senses, she tried in vain. But she only came across cold corpses of those who were unlucky. She even came across the corpses of several knights that were bundled together in a dusty and bloody pool. Suddenly, a wild whirlwind manifested at the site. The whirlwind was powerful and blew the dust cloud away with its fast wind. It was the councilwoman''s magic. Jin looked up with joy as she saw the councilwoman floating mid-air shining white as snow. Her eyes glowed white and it projected her true magical power. The power to manipulate the air and wind. "Rahhh!" The councilwoman shouted, releasing a flurry of wind powerful enough to send a person flying. Jin watched in awe but had trouble maintaining her balance as the winds nearly pushed her over. "The power of the councilwoman!" "Her grace!" Many were in awe at the sight of the councilwoman''s display of power, so much so that their morale bounced back. Knights have finally regained their composure and have begun rejuvenating their ranks with whoever could lift a sword and fight. Archers began to position themselves over the walls as sharpshooters and crossbowmen readied themselves on top of the towers that still stood. Mages, with the rest of their magical capabilities, summoned their weapons and spells. Civilians were asked to seek shelter immediately for they know that the enemy will shell the city once more. All hope was not lost, the council was still standing and the councilwoman was going to fight by their side! - "Commander, they''re scrambling over the walls, what should we do?" Micheal asked. He was observing the situation unfold from a safe distance of a kilometer. Standing beside him was One and his partner, John. "I feel rather jolly today, order one of the missile tanks to destroy that tower east of the main gate," One ordered. "Aye," Micheal relayed the order. As soon as the nearest missile tank received the order, it fired one of its homing missiles at the tower. The missile left a thick white smokey trail in its wake, it flew fast and reached the tower in just five seconds, well, it was positioned relatively close. "Commander, the tower has been destroyed, no survivors," Micheal confirmed. "Good, nobody at their level could survive a missile directly at their faces anyway," One lifted his hand towards his face and twisted it back, activating a small holographic monitor. "The army has been positioned, we need to shell them five more times before we move in," "But, commander, there is a human suspended in mid-air as we speak, she seems to be a mage who can manipulate the wind," John pointed out. "True, If we start shelling the city again, that mage may be able to deflect and quite possibly return our arsenal back at us," One realized. At this moment, One got an idea. He also needed to test his own skills in combat, though he has so far defeated every opponent he has come across, those were merely push-overs. "We need to test their abilities, send in one of the titans," The ground began to quake near the eastern wall, the garrison over the walls trembled in fear as to what was causing the shaking. Then they noticed something in the distance, a silhouette of something ginormous! It was walking slowly towards the wall, the body shape was humanoid but the thing was bulkier. Each step it took would send a small but frightening quake. The garrison scrambled themselves, they''ve all heard of giants that would trample entire cities but never have they fought a single beast of a specimen before. Let alone, fighting a giant under the control of the enemy. Contrary to what they know, the giant they were seeing was not a giant of this world but a titan of the empire. The titan was a 100-feet tall behemoth armed to the teeth, it had two big guns that replaced its lower arms and a massive arsenal of missiles that could be launched from its body by the thousands. The titan had only just finished construction a day before and One was interested in seeing it in the field. The titan was merely an experimental drone that if proven to be cost-effective, would be employed by the hundreds as long as they had the necessary materials and robotpower to build and maintain it. The titan came out of the shadows and into the battlefield, its eyes glowed a menacing blue like all the other drones. It stopped for awhile, sounding a terrifying horn that shook the hearts of those who heard it. The garrison over the walls stared at it in terror. "We''re gonna die!" "Goddess! Save us!" A kilometer to the south, One and his two elite drones eagerly watched on. "The mage is making a move, Commander, the target is approaching the eastern wall, possibly to face the titan," John stepped beside One. "Have the entire army on stand-by, the moment the two engage each other, I want the missile tanks to fire HEs at designated points, but don''t fire near the south-western district, our informant is there," - "Shit!" Fran staggered across the alleyway. Stepping on some pools of foul liquid and human waste. He was being chased by a group of local guardsmen who noticed him stealing bread from a bakery amid the last shelling. He then came across a dead end, he turned his back and saw the guardsmen standing behind him with their swords drawn ready to kill him. "Looky here, Captain Fran of the Shamed Chivalric Order of Holy Knights, how low have you stooped?" Fran frowned. "Not as low as you damn fools!" He answered back, "Woah woah, hey now, you are no longer in any position to even talk to us, don''t tell me you abandoned your men once again when the enemy attacked last night?" Fran gritted his teeth and stared daggers upon the smirking guardsmen. "Alright boys, kill him and take his belongings, most of his stuff could still be sold at a reasonable price," The guardsmen slowly approached him. Fran leaned back. "No! I can''t die!" The words escaped his mouth. "Blah blah, quit your yappin, slice him up," Fran was defenseless, even though he could defeat them easily, he has no will to fight against the very people he once fought with, he still loved his country but his country did not love him back. If he was to die, his daughter would die also. "I''m sorry, daughter," He said under his breath. The guardsmen swung their swords towards the kneeling knight. Suddenly, their swords were shattered as a transparent bubble made itself known. "W-what!? Magic?!" One of them exclaimed. "When did you learn magic? You were inept!" Fran looked up and saw their confused faces, they held onto their shattered blades and then looked at Fran in horror. ''T-thank you, One, forgive me for my foolishness and cowardice, I will make sure to pay your kindness back!'' At once, he dashed towards the guardsmen. The guardsmen tried to run but Fran caught up. In a bout of rage, he smashed all their heads to the ground before tearing the head of their leader from his body. This was the state of a man who has accepted his fealty and betrayal. He was now, just Fran. Chapter 67 - Atonement I am sorry. You may not see this, nor will you be able to hear it but I just want to say I am sorry. The moment I met you back then was such an important part of my life, you changed me, turned me into who I am today. Sadly, the world we lived in back then is no more, and you.. you are no longer the person you were. I stand before what was our home, this.. lab. This place was where we met, I was still a young and naive girl back then while you were a wimp, yes, a wimp who at first did not even want to take me in, arguing reasons of ethics and code of conducts. You were a fond follower of the ways of humanity and how others must be treated kindly and with respect, that was their right, a right you believed in. I walked inside what remained of our laboratory. After decades of wear and decay, It still bore the same appearance even if it was just a faint resemblance. I don''t know if you even visited this place personally after you woke up, knowing that if you did, you''d remember, but you did not. You sent your drones to this place not knowing what value it held for you. They scanned it, scrapped most of the structure for parts and b?r?ly readable data of old. You were so immersed in your mission that you have forgotten what made you, you. I blame myself partly for what has happened to you, If I only knew that they would also reach us up there, I would''ve taken you somewhere else far.. far.. away.. There''s no point in thinking of the past, we should move forward I know but I can''t help but remember the peaceful days, the brighter years, the solemn nights. Remember when you brought your pet bird to me? What a beautiful parrot she was, it was a shame she died along with the billions of others during the initial outbreak of the war. The war... I hate it.. I hate every bit of it! We stood no chance the moment we breached that hole! We should have never even tried it in the first place, no, wait, THEY! Should not have tried it in the first place, they ignored our warnings and shoved us aside and now look at what they unleashed! Again, I hope one day you visit this place, even by chance, I hope you do. I know you told me that I should not waste too much time back on Earth since you need me back at that wretched magical world, such bullshit, a fu?k?n? magical world where we can access it through a fu?k?n? wormhole that some small-brained humans opened by the use of magic or whatever it''s called! You asked me what I was going to do here, I told you I was just going to retrieve more data.. yes.. I did not lie, I retrieved the data of prewar times but I just need to do something else before I could return. It is so that I may rest easy now instead of regretting what I could have done. I went to your room on the highest floor, the walk was treacherous, a slight misstep and I risk plummeting to the bottom, not to my death since that would be silly. I asked my guards to wait outside and be on stand-by, at that time I just wanted to be alone. I walked through the desolate halls and finally found your door, I gently opened it, dust fell onto my head as the door opened and I went through. Your office was a mess, dusty and nasty. I then remembered how organized you were. The drawers have been pulled open, I ?ssume that you pulled them open in a panic during the attack here, you always told me about something, a ''peacekeeping'' weapon you always say. A weapon that would end all wars and slingshot humanity to complete unity. I have to admit, you were a bit delusional back then, well.. you''re still delusional now with your concept of ''utopia'' but how can I go against you? I am the only one left for you. I then found what I was looking for, your picture. You were so handsome, such clear and bright skin.. a bit skinny but.. sweet.. you wearing your signature lab coat haha... Sigh.. So for now, I will keep your picture, our past.. for myself.. until the day that you come back.. Johann. - Night has come. The shelling has stopped indefinitely after One feared that the councilwoman would deflect whatever they fired at the city back at them. The city has settled in for the night, the council has taken it upon themselves to manage whatever was left of the garrison to maintain order and supervise the defence of the city. The councilwoman was still suspended in the air, right now she was having a staredown against the titan. The titan was standing just a few hundred meters from the wall, it was frozen in place, hot steam would regularly escape its cracks and joints but it was still functional. The two were waiting for the other to make the first move, One intended to keep the titan docile as long as the councilwoman did not attack first, this was made to lower the nerve of the enemy. Hailey suggested a few hours back that they should cease all hostilities for a while to lower the nerve of the enemy. In paper, it went like this, the enemy was more than likely to have been traumatized and paranoid. If the machines were to cease attacking for a while, it will not relax the enemy, rather it would make them even more unsettled. The unknown factor was a key contributor. The fact that they did not know the next move of their enemy made them uneasy, unable to even catch a good night''s rest. They waited anxiously, the mages, the knights. Even the rest of the council! It was a psychological advantage in favour of the men of metal. One was pleased, so much so that he ordered the attack to be postponed for a couple of days more before they launch an attack. Their only problem right now was also the unknown factor, the unknown power of the mage that was floating in the air and facing off the titan. The mage seemed restless. The person b?r?ly flinched even when One himself ordered a drone to snipe her. She dodged the speeding bullet with ease and deflected it to the ground, confirming One''s ?ssumption that the mage could deflect the shells if they were to continue shelling the city. But the question was, why didn''t she deflect their attacks during the first wave of shelling? She was active back then but she merely watched as they decimated the city and everyone in it. Only when the titan showed up did she even move from where she was at during the shelling. This could well be called "The Two Day Offensive". In a span of two days, the three crusading armies of the Theocracy were defeated and subsequently destroyed by a combined force of Drones, Behemoths, Tanks, artillery pieces and hovercrafts. The fighter jets that were scrambled during the offensive only served as a last-ditch force if the hovercrafts were somehow defeated in an engagement. The need was not brought up and so the fighter jets flew comfortably above the cloud of smoke and ash. Although, there was an instance in which a fighter jet flew low to incite fear among the routing northern army. One was lying on the grass as he stared into the night sky. Well, there were no stars but clouds of ash and smoke, the usual. His drones were standing beside him, silent and alert. John and Micheal were personally requested by One to give him a bit of peace before they continued their discussions, the drones gladly followed his will. One was not thinking of anything. He only wanted to rest his mind after a tedious brain exercise that was the ''two-day offensive''. Though the strain of micromanaging tens of thousands of drones was not that big of a deal, someone like One still felt the need to rest although there was really no need for him to do so. In other words, he just wanted to act like any other human being after a long day of work. Come home, get greeted by his family and just have a fun time, sadly he had no family, nor was he familiar with the concept of fun times. He was still half a machine and half a human person. He closed his eyes as he tried to feel the grass behind him. The grass was crunchy, hard and dying. He actually missed the time he was lying down on some fresh grass while staring at the blue clear sky before the war with the Theocracy, before this petty crusade. Crusade. One heard of the word when a drone was reportedly ambushed by a group of cultists who proclaimed them as demons, ''metal demons'' who would ''soon be crushed by the warriors of the blue goddess under the crusade of righteousness''. it was confusing, yet an intriguing thing to say to someone who did not believe in such a goddess. One could not deny that there were these ''deities'' that had power beyond his comprehension. Well, beyond his comprehension is too far of a stretch and more of an over-exaggeration of the enemy. He still remembered the time he fought Vilvintine and the Papal Scripture. The continent in which the peninsula was connected to was called Fiorg, if you were to ask what the name of the world was, they''d answer Fiorg. It made sense since One had not gained knowledge of any other continent so far besides Fiorg. It oddly seemed like they were at an era similar to that of Earth''s Pangaea but the differences were that this world had humans and magic and no prehistoric creatures. One knew of dinosaurs because Hailey thought him the creatures. He was intrigued that such beasts once roamed the earth millions of years ago only to be eliminated by a rogue asteroid that Jupiter failed to catch. Hailey thought One about dinosaurs in the hopes that One would be more attracted to the beauty of nature, it actually succeeded and failed at the same time. It succeeded in making One became fond and respectful of nature but also gave him the idea of mutating certain animal specimens in the hopes of rebirthing the creatures of old even if there were slight differences. One basically wanted domesticated dinosaurs that he could weaponize, imagine a flying pterodactyl carrying a Tyrannosaurus Rex holding a rifle. Not only will it look ridiculous but also downright be terrifying for the humans unlucky enough to be targeted by it! A pterodactyl carrying a Tyrannosaurus Rex is stupid and will never happen but something similar to the creatures mentioned might soon walk the plains of Fiorg if One were to have his way. He had many plans, plans that were stupid and plans that were ingenious. While One imagined the future of his experiments, John spoke. "Commander, The mage is engaging the titan!" At once, One stood from the ground and walked towards the spot they could watch from. "Commander! Permission to launch the offensive!" "Not yet," One wanted to see if the titan would win against the mage, it was important because of the mage were to defeat the titan, it would be a major setback to the siege. The trio climbed up the hill, from afar the watched. The flying mage had summoned a powerful whirlwind that surrounded her while the titan has activated its weaponry. The two blasters were locked and loaded, it was time for the battle! Chapter 68 - Battle Of Titans "Look out!" The garrison on the wall panicked as the titan rammed its feet through, obliterating that segment of the wall. "Go! Go!" The archers pulled their bows and shot, the arrows having been enhanced by magic did little to even scratch the skin of the titan as it walked right into the city. "You shall not enter!" The councilwoman announced. Floating in the air, her voice echoed throughout the city and was heard by everyone who was outside standing on the streets or over the walls. Panic among the populace near the eastern wall erupted. Horrified men, women and children filled the streets as the ran the opposite direction from the titan. The chaos caused by the titan''s sudden entrance into the city was downright the pinnacle of human survival instinct, many abandoned their families, their loved ones, their friends and even their pets. A lone lady of old age laid on the floor in a pool of blood. Nobody gave her a hand nor did they care, instead they gave her a foot every time someone would run over her. The stampede was horrendous, knights and local guardsmen tried their best to quell the chaos but to no avail, they too would be caught in the wave of people who only wanted to escape the monster that knocked down their front door. "Fire!" A volley of arrows was released by a group of archers, the archers were standing directly in its path. The arrows did nothing. despite being enhanced with explosion magic, the expected explosive victory they hoped for sadly did not happen. The explosion of the arrows merely scratched its feet. "Run!" The archers broke formation and ran away before the titan stomped its feet directly over them. The night was full of screams and wails, many carried with them torches as the streets lacked any light source. Fires broke out within wooden houses, causes of the fire varied but most were caused by misused torches. Some hoped that the fires would ward off the titan make them safe as they naively thought that a metal giant would be afraid of getting burned. Seriously, metal can''t be burned, only melted. But a mere torch or house fire won''t melt a gargantuan metal giant. The garrisons from the other walls were called. Conveniently lowering their defensive capabilities in an event of an all-out ?ssault by the encamped metal army. Ranks of knights were formed and desperately charged at the titan aided by mages who lobbed spell after spell at it. Scratches and dents were the fruit of their desperate labour. The council was nowhere to be found in this time of need, have they abandoned them? Were they now all alone? Where was the goddess? Doubt, though small before, has begun to take a major root within the minds of the people. The titan sounded a loud horn that was heard from tens of kilometres away. After travelling through the eastern district relatively unopposed, it now faced the councilwoman. The councilwoman floated in the air with grace, she was performing an archaic and powerful spell that only a few could even do. The spell not only needed high amounts of magical knowledge and mana but special skill in magical manipulation. After letting the titan wreck havoc for how long as it did, the time was up. The casting was finished. She opened her eyes and in front of her manifested a white circle and inside that circle did symbols of old manifest in a dance of magnificence, a waltz of magic. The spell was a summoning spell. A summoning spell used to summon high-grade magical entities that are direct magical manifestations of the user''s magical aptitude. The councilwoman excelled in wind magic and so did her summon be. The white circle and its symbols shined brightly like the sun and lo did she shine as well. The people on the ground covered their eyes, some sang praises while others cowered in fear. Suddenly, A strong wind blew from the east followed by a wind from the south. Then came the winds from the west and the north. The four winds collided at where the councilwoman marked her spell, the white circle she cast was suspended in the air and the winds began to swirl around it. The councilwoman flew back a safe distance and watched with joy as her summon came to be. The winds eventually became visible under a whitish strand-like hue. It was a tornado with the shape of a knight, it was as tall as the titan and its shape even rivalled it. One watched from the distance the entire scene unfold. He became unsure if the titan could take out something that did not have a physical state! The thing was merely a tornado and had no physical body, but wait! He thought. The wind could also be stopped if something were to block its way and It had nowhere else to go. He could only hope that his titan would the job right. He had to trust in his own creation and hope for the best. At this time, the outcome was unclear. As both giants walked towards each other, the battle between two titans was to begin. The titan''s cannons were ineffective. The wind elemental managed to close the distance between it and the titan and immediately threw a punch with its right hand. It punched the titan''s head, causing it to wobble back. The force of the punch was immense, it dented the left side of the titan''s face but it kept its footing nonetheless. The titan, however, countered by abandoning its cannons and purpose slamming its head right at its enemy''s torso. The wind elemental''s physical form then began to stutter as the titan''s head went through its ?h?st. At this point, One finally understood the science behind the wind elemental''s physique. It relied heavily on moving wind, though he could not fully comprehend how the hell would wind form such an intricate body shape like the wind elemental, he was still confident of his conclusion. "The titan knows its weakness," John said. "Jolly ho! It learned faster than we thought," Micheal joyfully added. "What the hell are you two on about," One said, confused. The titan continued with its attack and slammed its two arms against the elemental''s sides. The wind elemental, seeing an opening, immediately went and kicked one of the titan''s legs causing it to stumble. The titan knelt its right leg but not before firing a concentrated energy beam from its two eyes. "So he was outfitted with the experimental energy beams?" One thought but the words escaped his mouth. The beams did nothing to the elemental as they harmlessly went through its body. The beams, however, landed on the city causing even more destruction. The collateral damage caused by the two were outstanding, casualties were by the tens of thousands. The titan was getting badly damaged with only mild indifference to the body structure and integrity of its enemy. Its legs have begun to weaken but continued it did. Jab after jab, punch after punch. Their battle shook the earth. Until finally, the wind elemental dealt a crippling blow. It summoned a small but highly electric storm cloud. The lightning from the storm cloud erupted into a ballet of electric energy enough to completely stop a human''s heartbeat. The wind elemental then grabbed the storm cloud and harnessed the electric power from the outburst of lightning. "RAHHH" The elemental shouted as bolts of lightning began to flash all-around its body. The lightning had merged with its wind. The eyes of the now lightning behemoth met with the titan''s blue eyes. It oddly looked like the wind elemental was somehow empathetic of its metal counterpart. It then fired a pillar of electricity directly at the titan. The light of the electric pillar lit up the night sky with its light even reaching the other kingdoms and blinding those who stared at it. The pillar struck the titan''s ?h?st, blowing through it in a cascade of explosions. The pillar pierced through, knocking the titan back and disabling most of its weapon and cooling systems. It staggered back before finally falling to the ground. The titan''s body hit the ground hard, sending a powerful shockwave. One saw this and was mortified. But he knew what was the outcome of the entire ordeal, the titan did good but it had many design flaws, mainly with its weight, weapons and key systems. The army around the city needed to evacuate. John and Micheal nodded and relayed the message to the drones on standby around the city. It only took 2 seconds for the message to be transmitted and the drones readied themselves. The titan was now incapacitated, it lied on the ground as a downed metal hulk with swarms of knights and mages taking advantage of its state and wreaking havoc in and around its body. Its eyes moved around, it saw the wind elemental just standing still. "You did good," The councilwoman applauded the wind elemental. The wind elemental then replied. "I humbly accept your applause, councilwoman Anna but there is something not right here," "What is it that thou speaks of?" Councilwoman Anna asked. "This.. giant, he be not one of us elementals nor the giants from the north," The wind elemental turned towards Anna. "Nay, for they are merely a breed of demons from another world," Anna replied with pride. After taking down such a foe after experiencing a major defeat just a day ago, she was confident that the people''s faith in the crusade and mainly the church will be rejuvenated. "Anna!" The wind elemental said in a loud voice. It readied itself as the titan began to glow. "What is this?" Anna looked shocked. Her eyes were wide open, the titan glowed and stared at them both. Suddenly, its body began to come apart. Compartments, holes, and pods began to reveal themselves. The titan was disassembling itself. The titan then gave out one more loud horn, this time the horn was fainter and more menacing. The people around the titan panicked, some even got crushed under the unfolding metallic body. "Everyone, brace," One whispered. The drones did not need any further instructions but to evacuate, they were safe as long as they did. The small holes, compartments and pods housed thousands of small missiles. And they all launched at once. The missiles came spiralling out of the drone by the thousands. The missiles came and went on to rain death and destruction in the city. The wind elemental came forward, thinking that it could deflect most of the missiles before they would do any harm. The titan was not having any of it, it launched one small rocket at it. The small rocket, had a small cube device as its payload. The rocket flew towards the wind elemental who ignored it as a mere nuisance, thinking that the titan has run out of these small children of satan. The missile exploded at the elemental''s ?h?st. The device activated, creating a gravitational anomaly for about five seconds before dissipating. The wind elemental collapsed under the sudden abnormal gravitational change in its centre. It screamed as its body collapsed and the powerful winds that served as its current and foundation went and gone. Anna looked in horror as her very own wind elemental was defeated in front of her. She looked down to the city and saw nothing but chaos and despair as thousands of missiles bombarded the city and its surroundings. Explosions and craters riddled the surface. Anna''s torso suddenly bursted and out came her blood. "It''s moments like these that make the enemy confused and shocked, such as that mage over there," One looked on as the mage fell from the sky and crashed into the city. In the distance, it was a dance of red colours. In the city, there was only death and destruction. Chapter 69 - Annas Plight Anna was stuck in a void inside her mind. The everlasting breeze connected to one''s psyche touched her skin and moved elegantly. She saw nothing but a void, devoid of color or light. Without light, there is no color and without light, there can be no darkness, only a void. A bottomless pit was her mind, blinded by her aspirations to know the secrets to magic. She was the one who introduced dark magic to the sect. She knew this well, she knew the demons were her fault and she knew that her sins will perform retribution upon her like a gauntlet. In the void, she did not float, in actuality, she was being pulled down. Her n?k?d feet touched what could be described as the ground. She saw a faint splash appear after she landed. It felt like she was stepping on a puddle of water. She then strode through the void, she acted like a child. She felt peace, something she never again experienced the day she took on the vow to serve the God of Death. The God of Death, a once ethereal and benevolent deity whose vision and mission was corrupted by the temptations of magic. A temptation he passed on to his most loyal follower, Anna The Sorcerer. In the world of magic, there was the universally accepted ''mage'' they were the backbone of the magical community of the continent, led by either an archmage or a religious authority figure. But, there were also outcasts, scorned individuals who have fallen to the ill-will and temptation of magic. These were the sorcerers and witches. A sorcerer was a person who had taken upon themselves the wishes of the deity they follow and worship to explore and gain ever more magical power. With the help of their masters, they gain immense magical power in only a short amount of time. Although these persons are powerful and can even outmatch those of the powerful archmages, they were restricted by the blood pact they form with the deity. And thus, if they stray from what was ordered or agreed upon by their deity, they will die. And so, they tend to be more conservative and secretive. Witches, yes, unlike the sorcerers, witches are only limited to the female denizens. They do not form a blood pact with any deity nor do they serve any master but they have the same will of a sorcerer. They explore the land to learn more about magic, the more they learn, they are further enamored and corrupted by the alluring power. Eventually, a combined effort of sorcerers and archmages eliminated the witches, massacring them by the thousands before eventually, they went into hiding. Ever since then, mages, sorcerers, and witches have been caught in a silent struggle and so far, the mages are on top. Anna was one of those sorcerers after she formed a blood pact with the God of Death a hundred years ago when she was on the brink of death, she was never the same. She inherited the will of her deity, a cursed will. The void in which she now was walking upon, reflected how blind she has been. How, after all these years of searching for the true nature and reason for magic has made her devoid of any self-satisfaction or will of her own. Under the control of a deity who sought to overthrow the very foundations of heaven, she was a lost cause. If anyone were to know of her true self, they would ask, "Then why did continue serving the blue goddess?". There is a simple answer; because the blue goddess was the youngest and most powerful of the deities. The downside was, she was an idiot. "Hm," Anna smirked at the thought. She was unwavering in her ways and never did she regret. For she hated death most, and to be offered by death itself to serve him in exchange for what could be called eternal life was something so extraordinary yet appealed her. "What are you doing?" A hard and low voice echoed across the void. Anna stopped. She stood still and looked around. An ominous wind blew around her causing her hair to stand and a chill to run down her spine. "What do you think you''d accomplish if you stay here?" The voice asked. "I know, but what can someone like me do, I am trapped here inside my mind, in other words, I cannot wake up," In other words, Anna, you''re in a temporary coma. The wind blew furiously, the voice was angered. Anna heard those words and was confused. "They fear the metal men?" The voice suddenly laughed. The laugh echoed through the void and Anna was bombarded with a burst of laughter. "Of course they are! To think that the world they destroyed themselves a couple hundred years ago would suddenly travel here and have their revenge is certainly something to be afraid about," "They aren''t from our world?" Anna was amazed. "No, they come from a different world, a different existence similar to ours but only consisted of humans," Anna was hearing all of this for the first time, it was a wonder why the god of death only decided to tell her this now. The wind calmed and went back to its original state, it breezed around. "That''s why I told you to gain a position in the council, this is why I told you to spread the teachings of dark magic to the underworld," The voice seemed resolute and satisfied. "This is part of your plan to overthrow heaven, huh?" Anna realized. "Of course, but we need to be certain that they can be of use," "What do you mean?" Anna asked. "We need to be sure that they have the power to kill the gods themselves," Anna was shocked. Kill the gods themselves? How could mortal beings even match such a feat! Not even the most powerful of magic users in the past, those who declared themselves above the heavens did not survive the might and power of heaven! So how would a collection of metal men accomplish something like it? The wind then began to blow again in a fury. "I know your thoughts, I can see them, do not underestimate the beings that wiped the floor clean with your sorry excuse of a crusade," Anna was insulted. But she decided to keep her cool or else she would get punished or otherwise, killed. "Death, how will they accomplish such a feat that not even the most powerful of magic users could do?" The wind stopped in front of her, she felt the figure of death itself touch her right shoulder. "They possess a power beyond your comprehension, gods are immune to most magic and could only be matched by magic of 7 or 8. These metal men, however, I was there that day when I visited their world. Heaven had been brutal, they had slaughtered billions of souls and these souls flowed through me, it gave me p???sur?, so much p???sur?. But, what they did next, that I could not forget," Anna then felt Death himself quake in fear. "The horror, the power they showed. It was not magic, no, they did not need magic. This power, they made it in their own right and required not the blessings of any god nor goddess," Anna felt the god''s fear also flow through her. "Tell me, Anna, have you ever wondered that there may be too few deities up and below heaven?" Anna thought for a while. "No, were there more gods in the past?" "Yes, I had brothers, I also had sisters," Anna was silent. "They all died that day," At that moment, Anna realized that even deities could die, they were not completely immortal. "Then, how did you live?" The wind suddenly shook her and she felt the hand shove her and she was thrown afar. "IT''S BECAUSE I AM DEATH AND BECAUSE I AM DEATH, I CANNOT DIE," The God of Death was angered. But, Anna felt something unusual. "I WATCHED THEM WITH MY OWN EYES DISAPPEAR IN FRONT OF ME, I FELT THEIR SOULS FLOW THROUGH ME, MY BROTHERS, MY SISTERS, THEY WAVED THEIR GOODBYES WITH THEIR SOULS. THIS IS WHY I WISH TO OVERTHROW HEAVEN ITSELF, THAT IS THE REASON WHY I CONDEMN EVERY SINGLE DEITY THAT STILL LIVES! IF THEY HAD NOT MEDDLED WITH THE AFFAIRS OF THOSE PEOPLE, IF THEY JUST LET THEM BE! I WOULD STILL HAVE MY LOVED ONES WITH ME!" "THIS IS THE LIGHT, THIS IS THE LIGHT THAT DOES NOT GIVE HOPE! NO! THIS LIGHT IS THE PRELUDE TO THEIR DEATHS," The light was immense. Anna felt a sudden pressure envelope her body until she fainted. - Strange sounds of wheezing and crumbling caught her attention. She slowly opened her eyes and saw the smoke-choked sky. She has finally awakened. She felt her magic had depleted a large amount and that she could no longer perform another summon. She could not hear clearly but the muffled sounds of popping in the distance and screams she could still hear. She moved her right hand to touch the back of her head. She lifted her head up despite the pain and touched it with her hand. She then placed her hand near her face and saw it stricken with blood. She moved her head and looked around. Rubble of houses and stone buildings that once stood surrounded her, accompanied by bodies of those unlucky. There was the body of a child, judging from the size of the boy, he was just a few years old, supposedly 4. His body lacked two of his hands and the entirety of his ?h?st and face had been burned. "This is cruel," Anna whispered. She felt a bit of remorse but what can she do? The boy''s soul has now flowed through the God of Death and brought to the afterlife. And then, there was an explosion. The ground shook and dust fell on her face. She turned to the side and saw the cloud of dust and out came one of her bodyguards, Fary. She was thrown out of the cloud of dust with immense force. She painstakingly landed on her feet, her body bruised and magic almost depleted. She held her rod of fire tightly, clenching her fists hard around it. She was grinning at the direction of the smoke, a silhouette of a person could be seen. The silhouette slowly made itself through the smoke and revealed himself. He was a tall man with long hair that went down his forehead and was wearing a black uniform, something she had seen before. His body structure was refined and what skin that was not under the uniform he wore had cracks that glowed blue. His eyes also glowed blue, despite his appearance as a human, his expressionless face could only mean one thing. "Metal man!" Fary shouted. She suddenly felt a searing pain in her gut prompting her to back off a few steps. The man did not reply. He only continued to walk towards her. "Shit!" Fary tried to lift her rod to block but was too slow. The man suddenly appeared in front of him. "Sleep," The man said. A sucker punch to the gut was all it took, Fary vomited blood before collapsing onto the floor. Chapter 70 - Fight She stayed for a while. She watched as her bodyguard crashed against the hard stone. Blood smeared against her face. The man placed his feet on the fallen mage''s head before turning his attention towards Anna. "Hm, you''re the mage who summoned that anomaly," The man said. His voice gurgled slightly with a pinch of lowness. They both stared at each other, not one of them was backing down. Anna, with what was left of her strength, pushed herself up and she stood. She stood although her body shook, this was to show that even in such a weakened state, she was not going to back down just yet. "Hm," The man then walked over the fallen mage and stood a few meters away against Anna. "You''ve been a torn in our side quite some time," The man pointed out. His face was devoid of expression or emotion. He gave off an aura of pure darkness, an aura which only Anna could see at full-strength. His aura stretched towards a dozen feet above and to the sides, he was an immensely powerful being. She needed to be careful, and so she decided to talk first. "Who are you?" She asked as she dusted off her robe. One was not listening, rather, he was actually watching the dust get yeeted off her robe. "Hm, strange," One uttered. Anna looked at him in the eye. One stared back, his eyes gleamed with ferocity. But Anna was not backing down. "You did not answer my question, who are you?" Anna repeated her question from a while ago. "Like you, I have power, Like you, I am a leader, but unlike you, I don''t have magic," One said. "Well, that is easy to see," Anna finished dusting her robe. "Wait, let me rephrase that, I DON''T need magic, unlike you who completely rely on such a technique," Anna was insulted. She frowned at the man who was called One and magical energy manifested around her, calling upon a gust of wind. "You have the ability to manipulate the wind and summon a wind monster, I thought I''d have trouble with you but seeing as you are now, your body is about to collapse, isn''t it?" Anna looked at her body and felt weakness. The man in front of her was right, after seeing his aura, she came to the realization that she was no match against him. But, she was resolute. "I am, One," She stepped forward with ?ssistance from her wind. The landscape was dark, death and destruction surrounded them. It was the idle fighting ground for both. As they stared at one another, the armies of the machine empire advance further into the theocracy with nothing in their way. The city had been completely occupied with the rest of the surviving population having been evacuated through the use of teleportation magic. Fary was the only mage left when the last batches were teleported out. The teleportations, however, were severely hampered due to the missile strikes and the subsequent continuation of the Empire''s offensive. The garrison was completely overwhelmed the moment the drones breached each wall. A short skirmish followed with the drones emerging victorious and the entirety of the garrisons massacred. After an hour of further bloodshed, it all boiled down to this. One and Anna continued their staring competition. Even the drones were eager to see who would blink first. A few minutes passed. Both of them were yet to blink. Another few minutes passed. The exact same result. One''s two elite drones watched from the eastern watchtower. Five arches and a knight were scattered across the room with their blood smeared on the walls and floor. "Bloody hell, why aren''t they doing anything?" Micheal complained. It should be worth mentioning, the council had not left the city. Nobody knew where they were but when Anna summoned the wind elemental, they were inspired and decided to unite one last time. If they were to meet their demise, they were going to meet it together. The council was once a united and powerful organization within the church that spearheaded advancements both in magic and society, the fact that it has degraded to such a level shows how weak the theocracy had become. When the city finally fell, they hid themselves and waited for Anna to wake after they saw her fall. They saw within her the image of the goddess, her hand saving her from the fall and thus saving her life. These rowdy and mostly incompetent old men and hags were about to put their minds to good use one last time. "So, are we not going to finish this once and for all?" One broke the silence between them. Anna''s hair fluttered as the wind around her gained speed and momentum. After which a tornado formed around her with herself as the eye of the phenomenon. "Huh," One posed to fight. "By the guidance of the gods, lest ye be worthy of thy name, thy kingdom shall burn!" Anna shouted. "Thy kingdom, my arse," One charged at her head-on. One had no weapon but his fists. He lunged into the tornado without getting affected by the 100 kph winds and managed to catch Anna off-guard. The two engaged in a furious battle of fists and feet. Anna''s martial arts training and more than a hundred years of experience proved life-saving in this situation of hers as her enemy launched punch after punch with immense force. As the fight inside went on, each punch by One became faster and faster. ''Tsk! A monster!'' Anna thought. She would be defeated if she did not do anything to her enemy''s speed. Seeing an opening, she directs a concentrated spear of wind at her enemy''s face. The spear of wind knocked him aside successfully but dealt little damage. With this, Anna directed more spears at One and pushed him out of the tornado, this time he was caught by the 100kph winds and flung off. One landed on his feet and skidded across the ground. One stood up, unscathed. "Tsk!" One then stopped for a moment and tilted his head. "Why is it that you people like saying ''tsk'' or making that sound?" One asked. "Huh?" Anna replied in confusion. She did not even notice that she was making the sound in the first place and thus did not get what her enemy was saying. "Enough of your nonsense!" Anna thought that One was just confusing her, making her lose focus so that the battle would turn his way. In particular honesty, One was actually curious an confused as to why they make that sound. Her thought was further reinforced by the fact that One excreted a powerful aura enough to crush her''s. The fact also that One''s eyes glowed brighter meant that he was indeed accumulating a form of magic power. Although in actuality, One was just evaluating her and their surroundings. One had upgraded himself exponentially through the use of modified prewar military enhancement technologies. Modified in a sense since Hailey could not fully reverse engineer the technology and thus had to fill in technological gaps and remove some key parts. But still, the modified instruments that One now possessed greatly enhanced his ability to compute his enemy and the variables around said enemy. Through this rapid and careful computation, One asked himself. Why did he resort to fighting alone? They had eliminated almost all opposition in the city, the city was already theirs! Nobody was going to intervene, with his army alone, the mage would stand no chance of winning. But that brought him to another realization, he''s been acting rather brashly. His focus had deteriorated significantly over the past months. Hailey noticed the abnormality in One. Little did he know, his humanity was slowly returning and was hampering most of his systems. But that''s not to say that One would lose all efficiency and ability as a machine, no, he will regain all that he has lost but his actions will be more human in nature if he so chooses to embrace the change. One, however, did not know of this and had no plans of embracing humanity although he wonders why his drones are becoming more human-like than him. "What''s taking you so long?" Anna asked mockingly. One then redirected his attention towards her after being lost in thought. "How am I supposed to trust the enemy? You expect me to be stupid?" Anna refused to cooperate. "Well, if that''s the case, I will reveal my own secrets to you, if you still won''t concede, well, suit yourself," One broke a fake smile. Seeing One''s smile made her back off a little. It was a nightmarish sight to behold, how can someone be so emotionless yet so terrifying? It was very out-of-character for One to show a smile. "Alright, let me start," One began. Anna was still on the alert, moving her head from left to right in anticipation of an ambush. She noticed that the metal men around them have begun to increase in numbers, now they were arguably by the thousands around them. They formed a large circle that seemed to serve as the boundary of their ''arena'' in which they will fight if they do decide to continue. ''I''m surrounded," Anna thought. "We don''t use magic, I believe you already know that," One said. "A lie," Anna immediately replied. "How can you say for sure that it is a lie?" One challenged her. "Your aura," Anna pointed out. "O, child, there is no such thing as an aura around me, I prefer to call it as a physical manifestation of one''s fear that surrounds a person," One did not know that the mage was older than him by a mile. ''He''s older than me!?'' Anna thought in despair. To think that her enemy called her a child, was he a hundred years older maybe? A thousand? Ten thousand more? Does her enemy predate even the great forgotten era? Both sides had no idea. "Fear?" Anna asked. "What fear?" "The fear I propagate, The fear I make you all feel," Anna was silent. "Fear is a major factor in human development and character, without fear humanity would have gone extinct in the first place. The most important fear of all.." "What?" Anna asked after One cut his sentence short. "The fear of the unknown, I do not understand why you don''t understand such a simple concept that reigns true? you are a human and you fear the unknown just as much as I do, likewise, I am unknown to you and the residents of this world. We are unknown, why? For we come from another world, a world that was once vibrant as yours but humanity reigned supreme. That past, I wish to return, and return it I will, even if I need to take the lives every single one of you pests," Chapter 71 - The Last Army "Pests?" Anna whispered. "Why are you whispering? And yes, pests. You are but a torn to my side of things and as pests, you need to be exterminated," One continued his insult. Anna was not having any of it. With a quick shuffle of her hands and steady maneuvering of her feet, she directed a flurry of wind sheers directly at One''s direction. One, having evaluated her power, proceeded to take the brunt of the wind. The wind slammed at him, but he stood firm and was unwavering. With such a tremendous force, it was a shock to Anna how One withstood it. "You haven''t learned, as I prove time and time again, mere wind won''t topple me," One began to walk towards her. With every step he took, his aura became stronger and stronger in her eyes. The atmosphere began to suffocate her mentally, she was facing a monster whose power was not derived from any form of magic, but by the complicated tinkering and technology of a machine. One walked closer; he was almost within arms reach. The fast winds were doing no effect whatsoever, and Anna was out of options but to resort to hand-to-hand combat once more. But strangely, One did not attack; he only stood there in front of her. "What are you waiting for?" Anna asked. Seeing that her adversary had been very talkative, maybe she could expose his intentions if what he had been saying have been true indeed. She got her answer. "Well, I am just waiting for you to go down," She realized it too late. She has used up all her magical reserves and the magic she was harnessing from the surroundings wasn''t enough to support her tornado. "Argk!" She felt a sudden ache take over her abdomen before collapsing to the floor. She shrieked and held her stomach tightly as the pain continued to sear. Her tornado had completely dispersed after she lost focus, she was now experiencing magical deficiency. Her body lacked enough mana to maintain itself, at any moment she could be engulfed into a pool of blood and organs. "You won''t die, don''t worry," One suddenly said. "I will use you as a battery, considering that you won''t discern me anything I''d need and the fact that your mind may be to strong, a battery will do," ''a battery?'' Anna thought. ''What is a battery?'' She was dead confused. Hearing that she would be made into something she does not know, she tried desperately to gather enough magical power as fast as she could. "Agh!" She screamed and wailed but to no avail. Her body could no longer absorb any more mana, only enough mana to keep her from dying. She panted heavily and profusely. She slumped to the ground and faced One who was now standing on her left side. One stared at her before she finally conceded defeated and bashed her head against the ground. "Alright, with her magical reserve we may be able to modify the wormhole more," One said. The ruin of a once prosperous and glorious city. Several fighter jets soared overhead, signifying the end of the theocracy''s control over the surrounding lands. "It is done, well, the first objective that is," - "Where are we?" A group of refugees was stuck inside a box. "Hey!" "Help!" They cried for help but there was no-one there to answer their calls. Then, something hard slammed against the walls of the box. "Where are we being taken!? my son? Where is my son!" A lone mother called for her son. She called him by his name, "David!" She cried and cried. But through the voices and panicked tones of the other refugees, there was no response from her only child. And then there was silence. And then there was nothing, a flash of light and then came the bodies. The refugees have been killed; their bodies scrambled across the walls and floor. Their limbs torned and bodies jagged. Their muffled screams and cries came upon deaf ears. The mother, who now lied dead among the other victims, still had her eyes opened. A single tear fell from her right eye, slowly dripped to the blood pool on which she lied. This was the scene to many others like them, refugees thinking that they have found their salvation. They fled their lands, homes and own people. They though they''d be safe, but in reality would be killed by the very same saviors they trusted. Many thought that the enemy would be appeased by using sacrifices, by sacrificing their own people they though they would be safe from the same horror they feared. This was not the case. After they were lured into this false sense of security themselves, they too would be killed, slaughtered like animals. They were punished accordingly, punished for a crime they did not commit nor were they even aware of. Bangkok, Thailand 2 months into the war. The city of Barbur has fallen. Anna, the most powerful of the council has also met her defeat. The other councilmembers watched in the distance and saw Anna get defeated. "She was too rash," "She used too much of her power to fight the giant until she did not have anything to spare against the real threat," "But, we wanted to rally behind her and save her. We have failed yet again," "No, we did not fail, rather, we were infected by inaction," "We did fail, don''t make excuses," "Sorry," "So, what happens to her now? She is alive but the enemy has captured her," "Maybe," "I doubt that they''d ransom her," "Why do you think that? Fiery Kevin," "The enemy does not use any form or sort of magic, I have a hunch that they will use her for experiments and the like," "Yes, they do not have magic but, how can we stand against them?" "Simple, we don''t" "What!?" "Blasphemy! We can''t just accept our defeat just yet!" "Fellow councilmen, think about it, what choice do we have? Our armies have been crushed, most of the scriptures have been killed off or are missing, we''ve lost the city and the councilwoman, do you think we still stand a chance against all of this?" All of them stared into the distance, the burning forest that they started has begun to heal. The machines have deployed firefighting units and have extinguished most of the flames and only those near battlefields remained. The crusade has ended, abruptly that is. The metal men marched through the valleys, the plains and the ridges unchallenged. Many began to flee their villages, many sought to surrender while some embraced their deaths and committed suicide. All across the Theocracy, rumors of mass suicides spread. The culprits? A curse brought upon them by the God of Metal, although there wasn''t such. Faith for the goddess has severely degraded to the point that she was no longer respected nor worshiped being. The deity''s images, statues, and cathedrals were stormed and destroyed overnight by angered believers who thought that the goddess abandoned them to their deaths. As chaos and anarchy spread, bandit groups began to form; these groups would go and form formidable armies that would pillage and r?p? unprotected towns and villages. Many women were victimized, all of this unfolded as hovercrafts zoomed above the clouds. "Savages," Hailey said. Around her were a plethora of monitors, both bright and dim, big and small. Each monitor displayed the video feed from each drone that has been scouting ever since the fall of Barbur. Hailey was alone, several drones accompanied her but she still felt loneliness. One has been on the field for weeks already and has not paid her a visit since. "Hmph!" She suddenly pouted. "Always putting himself in danger, He has no idea how concerned I am. He usually disappears from the machine hivemind from time to time, a mystery for sure," She grabbed the chair behind her and sat down. "He''s having breakdowns, I know he is! When I entered that room, destruction was everywhere, it could only mean that he broke down inside that room and fell unconscious. If only I knew how to time travel!" Time travel, in all respects and purposes, was impossible. Regardless, if such a thing was indeed possible then time would already be a mess just by human nature alone. A monitor began to blink a reddish hue. "Huh?" Hailey stood from her chair and walked towards the monitor. "An emergency message? From whom?" She looked closer to see from whom was the alert coming from. Scout 17, the hovercraft flying over the Huko Plains has sent an alert. There was no damage to its hull, nor was there anything negative impacting the craft itself, rather, it was seeing a massive force. The force was heavily centralized and divided into specific ranks. It was moving through the plains in an organized fashion. There was no enemy air force and thus the drone decided to swoop down to get a better look. The drone did fly lower beneath the clouds. The army was massive, as it flew down it released a loud boom as it broke the sound barrier. This was a tactic made by One to scare off enemy ground forces and it did. The soldiers and mages all covered their heads and some even ran from their positions. The craft relayed another message. ''permission to engage'' "Eh? I don''t have the authority, I need to ask One," Hailey immediately opened her comms and contacted One. "One, can you hear me?" "Affirmative," "Hovercraft 17 ?ssigned to the central plains has relayed an alert and a request," "Proceed," "The-, uh, wait, what? Let the drone proceed?" "Yes," "Wait, On-" "I say it one last time, proceed, grant the craft permission, let it grab the opportunity. "O-okay," Well, One was confident in the decision-making of his drones by now. Each drone had an individual ai core that learns and gains experience with each new mission and thus, the drones currently deployed in this world are now tacticians themselves but are limited by their own outdated devices for now. Hailey proceeded to acknowledge the hovercraft''s request and it began its attack. It circled back towards the army center, breaking once more the sound barrier creating another sonic boom. It was too fast for any of the mages to target. ''Missiles go,'' As it neared the army center, it fired a cascade of missiles. These missiles were specifically designed for hovercraft use. Each missile had a power of 0.3 megatons of TNT; basically, although not as powerful as a nuclear weapon, it was enough to bomb hundreds to oblivion. The soldiers saw the missiles but saw them too late. "Agrgh!!" The entire army center was bombarded within seconds. Body parts flew into the air, hundreds were killed in an instant while others were deafened or blinded. They fell to the ground and wailed in pain. "Fire!" several ranks of archers fired high-speed arrows into the air in the hopes of taking the hovercraft down only to be targeted next. Another cascade of missiles was launched, slaughtering hundreds more. It then lowered its machine guns and its newly installed Gatling gun that was for sure to wreak havoc. The Gatling gun began to roll and after a few seconds, unleashed more hell upon the enemy ground forces. "Stop!" Some pleaded. The hovercraft seemed to be messing with them as it flew in circles, firing mercilessly and indiscriminately into the scattering army. The entire fiasco lasted for 30 minutes, a total of 30k troops died. But there were still 100k left. The hovercraft was losing munition very quickly and thus had to retreat. But not before sending a request to other hovercrafts in the area to finish what he started. The hovercrafts essentially formed a cooperative structure with each craft performing a critical role. The message reached a nearby hovercraft 3 kilometers away, that hovercraft then forwarded the message to two other and those two others forwarded the message. It was a beautiful chain reaction. One saw it all unfold when he tapped into the communication lines to see what was going on. He was pleased and could be said that he was actually happy of the cooperation displayed by the hovercrafts. They needed not his help in anyway and formulated a strategy without his intervention or guidance. "Micheal!" One suddenly called. "Yes, commander!" Micheal rushed to his side. "I need you to call upon a transport here right now, we need to see the fireworks that are to unfold!" "Yes, commander!" One was not going to miss what he considered a milestone in the evolution of his machines. The transport was called and One was more than excited. - "Are you alright?" The leader of the Red Scripture, Ferdinand Joe stepped off his horse to help a fellow mage stand up. He wore a red robe embedded with many jewels and gold. These ornaments had magic properties of their own and thus was a perfect fit for him. He was also bald and average looking. "Tsk!" He frowned at the sight of his bruised comrade. "Captain of the rear flank, tell the men to regroup, we must reach Barbur City and reclaim it!" He ordered. "Yes, sir!" The captain rode off with his horse. Ferdinand Joe was the leader of the Red Scripture, although he went by many names, he was most commonly referred to as J. J was a powerful mage in his own right with the magical capacity and manipulation strength to match those of archmages. Then, that raises the question, where the hell was he all this time? During the first hours of the offensive, he and his scripture were caught off-guard when the metal men stormed their positions. The surprise attack pushed them back and prompted them to go melee and thus could not use their abilities to their fullest extent. When the machine army began to undeniably overrun them, he and his scripture retreated using their own teleportation spells. He had only heard of the fall of Barbur but was not informed of the whereabouts and status of the council, but as long as he was around, The Theocracy still had a leader. In a daring move, he managed to gather all the remaining forces from each major city to form the last army of the Theocracy. A combined force of knights, spearmen, pikemen, bowmen, crossbowmen and many more. Many mages were also with him, his fellow scripture members, the blue scripture, the yellow scripture and what remained of the white scripture. These survivors led the remnants of the tens of thousands of mages that still had the will to fight. Their audacity was much needed in this time of suffering and defeat. He rode on top of a white horse and lead the army through the plains. "The bodies! Leave them be, take the wounded out of the centre and place them behind, we must not slow down or else the enemy may come back and finish us off!" He barked his orders from left to right. His leadership skills were the only thing keeping the army of this sheer size together. They also had limited supplies, to accommodate such vast numbers Joe decided to attach a supply corp to the army whose main job for all intents and purposes was to carefully ration and handle their supplies and get more supplies if needed. How would they get more supplies? Well, through old traditions. Pillaging the lands, their own lands. Well, they refused to call it pillaging, rather, the locals were to mandatory give them all their food in exchange for protection and that all their men above the age of 15 would join their army and fight on their side. Some thought that the villagers whose villages were nearest to the enemy would switch sides and betray the theocracy in-exchange for protection. This, although was somewhat true, caused Joe to order for every village they come across have their men join the army and fight. If they were to resist, well, death was the punishment. Either way, death awaited them. Unbeknownst to Joe, a combined force of Hovercrafts was well on their way to disintegrate them. The army proceeded to march through the plains somewhat peacefully, the sounds of hovercrafts flying in the distance gave them fear. The fear of the unknown, to hear the sound of your enemy but without being able to see them was a tremendous factor that played a role. Joe knew of this and gave passionate speeches to his men along the way, his voice was echoed by his captains, the drums of war were beaten and the horns of the army were blown. This was to increase morale and the overall spirit of the men readying themselves to fight the enemy and save their country from defeat. The men marched on, not proudly nor were their spirits high as they were before the crusade. The expect nothing more but their deaths, why don''t they just desert? rebel? simple, they don''t have the power. They are merely slaves working for their slavemasters, the Red Scripture. The Red Scripture that was going to destroy them if they dared not to obey. And then, the hovercrafts came. Chapter 72 - Decimation Ferdinand Joe stopped his horse. "Do you hear that sound?" He asked the captain to his right. A thunderous sound rang in their ears, though not as loud, it still made them chill. The sound grew louder in volume and intensity and they began to hear it everywhere. "Oh no," Ferdinand and the rest of the army began to look spastically around them, searching for whatever was causing the thunderous roars. And then they saw the small specks in the distance. There were many of them, numbering ten to twenty from north to south, west to east. "Metal beasts!" The army began to panic. The metal dragon that decimated a quarter of their men had called its brethren and was about to eliminate them once and for all! Joe hastily readied the mages and had the archers position themselves in the center of the army. This was a dumb move. A very dumb move that not even the dumbest of tacticians would do. You already saw the enemy target the center of your positions and yet you position the most effective troops in the center again? Joe essentially sealed their fate. But, who can blame him? They were facing an enemy that did not fight on equal terms and thus, whatever strategy they cook up would just go to waste immediately. They just went and hoped for the best. Most of them prayed and asked the goddess for help. It seemed so. These thoughts are soon forgotten as explosions rocked their ranks once more. The hovercrafts have begun their ?ssault, unleashing a wave of missiles from all directions dealing the same powerful blast over and over again. The center of the army was hit the hardest, the mages desperately cast protection magic, they did not expect the enemy to attack from such a distance. Their shields were of no use, the enemy bombarded them until there was no order left. Ferdinand Joe rode through the storm of missiles, his horse ran through his routed men. He was going nowhere, he thought of charging the enemy head-on would suffice and this did what he did. The Theocracy had the advantage of magic on their side, but what kept them from gaining a victory? it was simple psychology, fear. Fear was a key factor in their defeat. Not once did they ever encounter such an enemy that would decimate entire armies and murder hundreds of thousands in a matter of weeks, even days! Their minds were not prepped, even if they were, they were still human. There enemies? they were men of metal, machines with no emotion or empathy. They entered their world and now seek to claim it as their own, they bring with them destruction and despair but leave behind a peaceful fruit that only a few may eat. A utopia for humans, but, why? Only a handful will experience the utopia, a handful of lucky souls. The God Of Death was present. He watched as thousands of souls went through his being and person. The hovercrafts then closed the distance and began to fire their guns. Each bullet killed one to four soldiers in an instant while wounding several others more in the aftermath of it all. The flying metal beasts were untouchable, the spells, arrows, all useless. None were fast enough to hit a single one. Behold, death. Behold, despair. And behold. One''s transport arrived just in time to see the destruction. Opening its rear windows, One watched as his hovercrafts made quick work of the enemy. They were scattering like ants once you stomped on them. "Good work," One said, "The hovercrafts seem to be enjoying themselves, have they run out of missiles already?" "It seems so, one of the hovercrafts reported that they have expended their missile munitions a couple of minutes ago before we arrived," Micheal confirmed. "I see, so we need to expand their capacity then," One continued to watch and noticed a peculiar shape among the bodies. "Are those horses?" One asked hs elite drones. "It seems so," Micheal again confirmed. "Micheal, I ask you, what are your thoughts concerning this war?" One suddenly questioned the drone. He had nothing to gain from the question except for one thing, determining just how much the elite drones have evolved in terms of.. well... human nature. Drones are supposed to be mindless creatures with an intellect far surpassing a human, or near it. They had no emotion, no freewill except what is programmed within them from the start. This was one of the most common questions about life, how does complex life even begin? where did these emotions come from? Were they an evolutionary by-product? why would they need it? why would humans need it? These questions, though having a solid foundation and credit, would be best ignored by those with intellect. There was no use in trying to find an answer to the universe''s hardest question, or maybe, the question was not supposed to be answered? a rhetorical kind. As the drone answered his question, the more it revealed how far it was in becoming something indeed human. A complex mechanical life form. One stared blankly at the drone. And a burning question came into his mind. As One thought deeper into this, he thought it best to ignore it for now. Well, these drones weren''t going to start having an identity crisis, would they? well, he hoped. Down on the plains, the army continued to be ravaged. Bullet after bullet rained down upon them with no end in sight. The ground began to absorb pools of blood deep under its surface, at this rate the underground water reservoirs may be tainted red by the blood of the fallen. An hour of senseless destruction passed. The dust has finally settled, the winds blew from the north. There was nothing left, swords, shields, spears, bows, all their weapons lied on the ground. Some still had hands gripping, well, some were hands while others were just charred remains of what was a hand. The bodies were by the hundred thousand, they were all scattered across the grassy plains and were shone upon by the morning star. Insects began to fly around the remains as quickly as the dust settled. There was really nothing left. Craters and holes littered the land also. There were severed limbs scattered about, a few bodies were trembling and shaking. Though they were dead, their nervous system still functioned somewhat and sent signals through what remained of the nerves. Horses were not spared from the bloodshed, nay, they lied on the ground as well, some even had their riders still clinging on their backs. The Theocracy''s last army has been defeated. There was no recovering from this. Ferdinand Joe, a man renowned for his might and glory, his position and triumphs, was now reduced to a bloody mess. A bloody mess of what he once was, he died along with the rest of his army. There were no survivors. The hovercrafts were circling the scene, taking out those unlucky enough to survive. Yes, to live after this was a nightmare. You were only giving yourself more time to suffer. More pain and no gain. The transport ship landed near the southern edge of the massacre. The hatches opened and One walked out along with a hundred drones. They marched in formation with One leading the way. They marched through the bodies with One ordering the drones to shoot those who were still alive. And yes, to end their life after such a traumatic experience was merciful indeed. To end their life after suffering as much as they did was mercy, that he believed and that belief shaped how he treated the survivors. They must embrace their demise, there was no coming back from this. Not even magic could save them from something as devastating as this. The decimation thorough and left no stone unturned. One''s occupation was complete. The Theocracy''s ability to defend itself was no gone. Their cities were now easy prey with some already being besieged by bandits. The bandits were remnants of those soldiers who survived the Machine Empire''s offensive. They gathered themselves under a self-proclaimed warlord and have decided to fend for themselves instead. "Death is nigh and not sweet, and thus we shall live to our heart''s content!" Most of them would say. It was their excuse to pillage and r?p?. Medieval times mostly saw undisciplined armies who wound commit acts that would be considered atrocities in the modern-day. One had no room for savages in his utopia, and so, issued a permanent command in which all bandits were to be executed. The mere fact they became bandits was enough for their deaths. One still had no sympathy over those who were innocent. He just did not want to hand himself more problems. The sun began to set when he finished marching through the bodies, it was an unpleasant scene. The bodies had begun to rot and thus produced an awful smell. Vultures and crows have begun to feast on the buffet of corpses. Arguably they had enough bodies to feed hundreds of thousands of them. One watched as a group of vultures swarmed over a body, the body of Frederick Joe. One did not know who he was or how much of a pain he might have been if they were to have engaged in combat. But, his red robe was enough to tell One that he was a powerful foe. A powerful foe that was wasted. Dusk finally settled and the two moons shined. "Another full moon?" One said with wonder. "This world will soon be our own, right? Commander?" Micheal walked to the other side. One stared blankly into the distance as the wind swayed his hair. "Yes, all of this, will be ours, and all of this will help us rebuild the earth, rebuild our true home. Even if we have to kill a billion more sorry excuses of humans. Magic, a pathetic energy that prevented any further scientific advancement in this world. There will be new enemies, new opportunities, and also, new beginnings. Our first journey has come to an end and tomorrow, another shall begin and we shall walk through it all once more," "There will be many paths, won''t there be?" John asked. "Yes, yes, of course, there will be many paths and we will be forced to make decisions whether to follow the left... or the right..." "Each path is unknown and to the unknown, we shall venture forth," Micheal said with glee. "Yes, the journey will be confusing as any other journey through the unknown. Although we may fear the unknown, it is always our mission to find what is in the unknown and understand it, learn from it and most of the time, defend from it," One continued. "The journey will also be rough," John added. "Yes, all journeys are rough, some are just rougher than others," One replied. "Rough enough to kill those who can''t bear it. This is why we machines are superior, we can face any problem and make a solution. In every mathematical problem, there will always be a solution for one to find the answer," Micheal added the conversation. "Yes," One smiled. Chapter 73 - Nuclear Detonation Nuclear Weapons. The most powerful weapon humanity has ever made. These weapons possessed the power to destroy entire cities and wipe out millions in a blink of an eye. Let''s not forget about the nuclear fallout from these events. Nuclear weapons have been humanity''s most deadly and most inefficient weapon. Any nation with a nuclear arsenal would know of the concept of MAD. Mutually Assured Destruction. If a state were to launch a nuclear strike against another state, another state with a nuclear arsenal may retaliate and thus, mutual destruction on both sides. Nuclear war was too stupid for humans to do. Now One was planning on launching a nuclear missile directly at a storm. The storm that had been brewing over the north of the peninsula has come closer. This time, it threatens the main hub itself. One and Hailey were both inside the bridge. The bridge was at the very top of the hub tower. It was where both of them stayed when they had nothing to address outside. "To think you''d ask me about work as soon as you see me after a long time hurts my feelings you know?" Hailey teased as she was swiping through a monitor. "I do not care about your feelings," One replied. "..." Hailey pouted in silence. "So, what''s the status of the storm so far?" One asked. He was sitting on a chair facing the glass walls. He stared blankly into the distance as always. "All readings are the same," Hailey replied. "How?" One asked. "Where is it now?" One again asked. "Current ground tracking shows that the eye of the storm is a good 400 kilometers away but with its speed, the ground instruments project it to arrive in 5 days time. Yes, it is fast," Hailey confirmed. "Not only is it fast, but it also threatens the hub itself, what is the status of the hovercrafts tasked in monitoring it? have they made any significant breakthrough? what is the aftermath?" One turned his chair around and looked at the direction of Hailey, specifically at the monitor she was using. "There has so far been nothing to report except for the fact that the landscape through which the storm has gone over has so far sustained minimal damage," Hailey looked back at One. "Minimal?" One raised his left eyebrow. He was visibly confused. "Yes, as you can see through this photograph that was taken not long after the eye made landfall a few days ago, the coast is relatively clear with not trees uprooted," Hailey lifted the monitor and showed it to One. The monitor was displaying a photograph of the scene, trees were fine, the beach was also fine. There wasn''t really that much damage for an area that was just hit by an abnormally strong storm. "It''s strange, with winds as fast as the instruments measure, those trees should have been flattened. There should be tons of debris from a massive storm surge alone, wasn''t there a storm surge?" One was confused further. This raised more questions than answers. "No, the storm is completely acting differently. It does not follow the weather patterns and effects that we know of and thus we cannot really determine a definite description, reason or cause," Hailey was confused as well. Both stare into the monitor. A few minutes of silence passed and One came to a decision. "What? no, we can''t just launch an ICBM at a storm, One we talked about this," Hailey made her position on the matter clear, she was not going to allow the nuclear option to be used on a storm. Particularly a storm that they don''t even understand. "What other option do we have? We can not take a huge gamble such as this, the risk is far too large and the possible consequences too much for us to handle. It may even just be a fake projection of some sort by using magic, hell this may even be just a sneak attack!" One made sure to stress his points. "But, One, please understand that violence is not always the answer," Hailey was getting testy. "May I remind you, Hailey, the best answer is always the one we choose and violence is the almost always best answer there is, a nuke is our only option," One wasn''t having any of it. A tense atmosphere engulfed the bridge. "One, think this through," Hailey insisted that they give more time for research. This was stupid in One''s mind and decided to ?ssert his position and control. "Hailey, for claiming to be someone equal or greater than me, you don''t really show it," One said without caring. He cared not for her feelings nor if she would get hurt of his words. One needed progress and solutions not pointing bantering and excuses. Hailey clearly did not know what to do and is blinded by her own naive nature. Hailey closed her eyes and looked down, She clenched her fists tightly and gritted her teeth. "Emotion won''t solve this, I have made my decision, I call the shots around here, remember that," One stood from his chair and walked towards the door. He did not look back, not even when he heard the faint sound of a teardrop onto the floor. The doors shut behind him. One believed his solution to be the best. Of course, he would feel that way, he is One. He built this machine empire from the ground up, Hailey was just someone who happened to be someone related to One''s past and thus given a free pass. Lest she forgest, One was the machine in-charge. - The hatch split open from the sides. Slowly it revealed a deep hole. Around it was nothing but grass, it was strange to find something like a hole of metal with yellow back lines around it. The sun was rising and dawn was knocking. It was time for the launch. One stood quietly inside the control tower not far from the silo. The silo housed an ICBM armed with a 30 megaton warhead. A powerful nuclear bomb capable of destroying multiple cities at once. It was the only warhead in the Empire''s arsenal and due to this fact made it a valuable ?sset. It was a risky move to transport the warhead from Earth to Fiorg. Due to the sudden shifts when transversing the wormhole, there were many close calls. Who knows what would happen if the nuke was to go off inside the wormhole. It could cause it to collapse, trapping One and his drones in Fiorg for a good amount of time or quite possibly, forever. But through this terrifying moment, the nuke was safely transported into Fiorg and thus the power to wipe out millions has finally entered this new world. "Hm," One watched with a blank face, as always. The nuke was set to launch in ten minutes, first, they had to perform safety checks. They had to make sure all systems were checked out and without problems. The systems were divided into these: Guidance Systems, Targeting Systems, Flight Systems, and the Engine. The Targeting System is pretty self-explanatory, it is used with the help of the guidance system to know the location of a target. This guidance system guides the missile by knowing the missile''s current position and the position of the target, and then calculating a course between them. The flight systems help the missile in terms of its flight. Whether a guided missile uses a targeting system, a guidance system or both, it needs a flight system. The flight system uses the data from the targeting or guidance system to maneuver the missile in flight, allowing it to counter inaccuracies in the missile or to follow a moving target. The last would be the engine itself, without the engine, how the hell will a missile even fly? Missiles are powered by an engine, generally either a type of rocket engine or jet engine. Rockets are generally of the solid propellant type for ease of maintenance and fast deployment, although some larger ballistic missiles use liquid-propellant rockets. And this missile right here uses the latter. 8 minutes passed and the checks are completed. All systems are nominal and the missile is ready to launch. All they had to do was wait for One to issue the order to launch. One stared blankly at the silo. "This will make history," One whispered. "Launch the rocket," His order was received. In a few seconds, the rocket''s nose slowly appeared and rose up until the body was revealed. The missile flew off, leaving a trail of white smoke in its wake. It rose up above the clouds and began its journey towards its target. The storm that brewed on the horizon. One and several drones waited. The monitors over at the tower displayed the location of the missile and the coordinates in which it was to target. the missile flew with incredible speeds with the aid of more advanced propellant. It was expected to reach the storm in 4 hours. An hour passed and there was no sign of any danger. The missile stayed on course and the storm maintained its speed and strength, with such goodnews there was little chance of failure. Another hour passed and the same result. No signs of danger and the missile were staying on course, the storm maintaining what it had maintained. Another hour passed, the drones were struck by an alert. A severe wind shear displaced the missile by a few inches and was now off-course, luckily, the drones immediately gave it commands to return to its original trajectory. And then the hour of truth finally came. The moment they all have been waiting for, if they could feel the stress of a human, they''d be sweating buckets right now but they were machines and so did not feel anxious, frightened or nervous. They and One stared blanky on the screens, waiting for the missile to hit its mark. They waited and waited, they watched as the radar displayed the missile go into the eye of the storm. The missile disappeared and a brief stint in the radar startles One but it was an expected outcome. The nuke detonated successfully. The storm seemingly vanished instantly the moment the nuclear bomb went of. It was a mission success. One closed his eyes and sighed. "Sigh.. Finally," - The God Of Death witnessed it. He was temporarily blinded by the sudden flash of light. He saw the storm completely disappear in an instant, the storm was indeed a projection. It posed really no threat but One wanted to be sure anyway. The mushroom cloud rose up unto the stratosphere, it was seen by millions and the flash of light blinded thousands. It sent out a powerful shockwave that destroyed nearby villages and crippled towns and cities. This was the power of the machines, the power of nuclear technology. "This.. I.." "yes.. yes... yes! praise you and bless you, metal men! you bring upon the same power that killed my brothers and sisters, and now, release thy wrath! slay this world! let it burn under your power and might and let the heavens crumble and bow before you!" "O hear me, hear me, I am grateful, forever grateful, my revenge is nigh, my revenge is why, my revenge shall be swift until the day I die, oh lo! oh lo!" Chapter 74 - The Foothold Is Set The first phase was finally over. The clouds of smoke and ash have started to clear. The destruction that was brought to the great forest was finally revealed in its full glory. 80 percent of the forest died, either through burning or due to lack of sunlight. The charred remains of plants and foliage littered vast swathes land and served as a grim reminder to all. Tens of thousands of drones now walked through the forest. They extinguished the fires and planted the seeds of the next generation of trees to replace their burned ancestors. This was done under the strict orders of One. The forest was to be restored to its former glory, natures best was to be protected at all cost, from human maltreatment. The drones were effective with their newly ?ssigned works. hundreds of thousands of various seeds native to the forest from before the eventual burning by the Theocracy were scattered across the ground. The soil was found to be richer than before and thus suited for accelerated plant growth. But there was one thing they could not easily. Thousands of wild animals, insects, the entire ecosystem was damaged severely by the war. It was also worth mentioning that the modified variants of goblins roamed the area and were responsible for hunting and killing off the surviving wildlife population and thus had to be exterminated. The order was given to specially designed drones that were to serve as regular patrols. They were to integrate most of the forest into the territory of the Machine Empire and no human or invasive species was to be allowed inside. The orders were to shoot anyone who dared to do what was mentioned. Hovercrafts flew overhead and provided the drones with much-needed ?ssistance, infrastructure was also planned. One wanted a road network to connect the territories together and form a sort of pathway for vehicles to drive over. The infrastructure, however, needed to be built in a way that does not disrupt nature too much. It was impossible to build infrastructure without incurring a negative impact on the surrounding environment and thus needed other solutions that would benefit both metal and trees. And the stage has been set and the plans have been laid but it is worth mentioning the end of the journey for One. The first journey to explore this brand new world, set up a foothold and ultimately show the superiority of technology over magic. "We did it," Hailey whispered as she leaned on One. Her ?h?st pressing against him. In other words, she was trying to seduce One or have him aroused. Periodically, this woman seemed to forget that One had no interest whatsoever over the wants and ?usts of the flesh. Well, he cared less about Hailey anyway. "Would you please stop pressing your ?h?st against my shoulder," One complained. Micheal and John were both standing behind them. Acting as their personal bodyguards. "Excuse me, Madam Hailey, you are acting rather inappropriately in the presence of our commander, may you please display a tad more discipline and restraint?" they both at the same time. Hailey turned her attention towards them and replied. "Bothersome," One whispered as Hailey wrapped him with her arms and hugged him tightly. ''Did I pull a switch? did I say something to trigger this behavior? for all intents and purposes, I did not mean to degrade her this much, what the hell,'' One secretly thought. Both Micheal and John thought the same and thought it best if they restrained her. In what could be called as one of the bravest acts in history, two machines decided to restrain a woman who was clearly not having any of it. In a comedic fashion, the two of them dragged Hailley out of the room. "No!" She struggled like a child and threw a tantrum. "What the hell," The words escaped Micheal''s voicebox. "Just ignore her, we have pleased our commander and that''s what matters," John ?ssured although he himself was getting annoyed. The door to his room slammed shut and silence befell it. The silence was One''s favorite. In silence he can relax, in silence, he can think, in silence, he is at peace. He missed the silence of his room after being away for sung a long time. His royal bed was prepared neatly yet looked simple. Simplicity is also what One d?s?r?d the most. To make things simple saves you from doing even more things and thus making something not simple. One was finally resting. But, why was he resting? The war has been won but it was not over. The Theocracy still existed as fractured city-states who have lost connection with each other. Some of the cities are now under the control of bandits who continue to oppress and commit acts of atrocities against the populace. But, it wasn''t the council that was the only one missing. Lily and Vilvintine have failed to report back. It''s been weeks since they last received word from the two. Their last known position was dangerously near where the nuclear detonation occurred and due to this fact, raised fears that they may have been caught in the blast, or worse, killed. But, if they were indeed killed. They would have received a sudden signal already. The sudden signal was to be triggered the moment their hearts stop beating. This was accomplished by the use of a small chip embedded into their veins where the pulse is most felt. ''I am sure they''re fine,'' One thought. Thinking about saving those two would be another pain the arse and so he decided to not think about them too much. One closed his eyes. He opened them. He found himself in a void again. "What is this?" He asked himself. He was once again inside a void, there was nothing as far as the eye could see. He floated aimlessly through the abyss and stayed there for quite some time. Until a soft voice decided to call him. "Hello again, Johann," A soft voice echoed. "Who are you?" One asked. "I guess you still forget all our meetings, but, that is not a bother. I am just glad to see you accomplish things and I just wanted to congratulate you," "Er, thanks? I guess? I am very much confused right now as to who you are, where do you come from, what are your intentions and why the hell is there nothing?" "Oh? We are inside your mind, well, the empty part of your mind. Your consciousness in particular," One''s eyes wandered around the void, hoping he''d get a glimpse of who exactly was talking with him. "There is no point in searching for something who refuses to reveal herself, you will not see me," The voice answered his question. "So you can read my thoughts?" "Well, of course, As I said, we are inside your mind and in your mind I can read your thoughts regardless of what you do, as long as you have a thought, think and feel a little, I can and will always read it," "Why read my thoughts?" The voice giggled again. "Back then?" "Yes, back then you were a young man who only wanted to work, work and work. Work alone and achieve alone, you always said," "Who are you?" One asked. "I am, your friend," The voice replied. "Of course, everyone is my friend ha ha," One said sarcastically. "You seem to be distraught? were you expecting a different answer?" The voice asked in an empathetic tone. "What if I said I was?" One answered. "I can''t blame you if a part of me has already manifested itself into one of your puppets," The voice suddenly pointed out. One then realized, the voice was similar to Hailey, was the voice the true Hailey? "Haha, Yes, Yes I am Hailey and yes, the Hailey you interact within the real world is also me, a part of me at least but me nonetheless," One fell silent. "So, you''re in my mind?" "Yes, I am in your mind and I am also in every drone that you make. I am everywhere you see, I will never leave your side, never again will that happen," "Never.. again?" One was confused. Hailey was referencing things he did not know, presumably his past. "Well, it seems like my time is up, so, let me just give you a knock in the noggin and remind you briefly of your past," One''s vision turned white. He opened his eyes and found himself inside a room. The room was a mess, he looked around and determined he was in an officer, his office presumably. He walked around the room and explored for a bit. There was a small office desk and behind it was a small wooden chair. It seemed old, there was also a wide hologram similar to the holographic monitors they used. He went to the chair and sat down. He still could not remember where he was. Then he noticed that he had a window where the sun was shining through. Where was he? when was he? Questions that he had long suppressed began to flood his mind. The year was 2985. He then leaned against the window and looked down. He was back on Earth, on a vibrant world of humans. He then flashed back into reality. He was now back in his real room, the dream was over. "Strange," He whispered. He stood from his chair and walked out. He remembered the experience, the voice and the dream, or was it a vision or a flashback? the year was 2985, he awoke in the year 3000. This meant that between 2985 and 2999 did the war happen. Many questions flood his mind that day but he decided to suppress them once more. "Well, I will answer them another day, another time but for now, the present should be taken care of to secure the future," The first phase was complete. He has set up a foothold and was on his way to participating in the global stage of things. He needed to formulate a strategy on how to approach the two superpowers over at the main continent and establish neutral or cordial relations with them for the time being. They won''t be as easy as the Theocracy and will have more powerful individuals with them. One needed to go incognito and thus the second phase of his plan was to commence. He will explore the world himself, he will travel through the continent and learn the secrets and ways of the continent. It was his time to go and grow, break out from the protection of his drones and explore this whole new world, and be Columbus. We all know how Columbus did. This time, Columbus would be a citizen. Although he may have succeeded this time, danger still lurked in the shadows. Nine blessing were handed out by a goddess and nine heroes were chosen. These nine heroes were far closer than he thought, they will pose to him one of the greatest challenges throughout the rest of his journey. Nine persons to stop One. It was only fitting, One was one. To need nine to stop one was already a compliment. They recognize your strength. And the threat you exhibit. The second leg of their journey begins may One explore the world! and may the world bow before the only One. Whether they like it or not. Chapter 75 - The Republic And The Empire [Belrug, Capital City of the Republic] The emperor sat comfortably on his royal throne. The throne room was lavishly decorated with purple ornaments, gold, various precious stones, and silk fabrics. The windows were massive in size and had large curtains in front of them to block the sun''s light whenever it was the time of the day. It was noon and the sun was at its brightest, its rays shining brightly through the windows and thus, the curtains were dropped and the windows covered. The curtains were purple, though not that pleasing to the eye, it was a show of wealth and power. The Republic was one of the continent''s superpowers that sported a very large continental military. With more than twenty major cities, fifty cities and hundreds of towns and villages under its territory, it was easily one of the largest countries in the continent. A territory equivalent to the Russian Federation back home. The tall wooden doors slowly opened. The doors creaked as two knights pushed each door to the side. A tall man wearing a red cloak walked right in, his steps were loud and echoed around the throne room. The king stared at him as he walked down the red carpet. The man reached the end of the red carpet and knelt before the king. His cloak covered his head and body and only his face was slightly exposed to the outside, revealing a few scars and a thick skin. The emperor raised his right hand and asked the man, "What is your business?" The king softly asked. The man raised his head and answered, "A p???sur? to meet you, Emperor Hurrus Gustus, I am but a lone delegate sent by the Empire to discuss important matters to your highness," The man said with confidence. The emperor''s eyes slightly closed and he leaned back on his throne, "Show me that you are indeed from my brother," The King was doubtful. At once, the fifty royal paladins guarding the throne room drew their swords and encircled the red cloak man. The man simply smiled under his cloak and revealed his palms from under his cloak. "Hm?" The emperor leaned forward from his throne. The royal paladins each took a step forward in anticipation of the worse to come. "Ha!" The emperor joyfully laughed as he saw the intricate symbolism on the man''s palms. The royal paladins quickly backed down and returned to their positions. "You may stand now, messenger," The emperor smiled at the man who at once stood up and presented himself. The man stood upright and seemed disciplined, he then proceeded to draw a magic incantation in midair. After drawing the magic incantation, a small burst of colors took its place and a holographic image manifested itself afterward. The image was at first blurry with colors spazzing about, it took a few seconds for it to reveal what it was trying to show. "Is that, the southern peninsula?" The emperor''s eyes widened. The image spastically switched scenery after scenery, displaying the destruction of the southern peninsula in full view of the emperor. The imagery did not fail to fully convey the horrors, from the hundreds of thousands of dead men lying in, over and around the hills, the plains, the grasslands and even at the deserts. The cities were also not spared, walls were torn, women and children dead on the streets. "What happened there?" The emperor had so many questions he wanted answers to. "Who did this?" "When did this happen?" "Why were we not informed immediately?" The messenger bowed at each question before he finally spoke. "The Empire''s Magic Guild noticed disturbances in the movements of the Freetan Theocracy, the Theocracy we let govern as a de facto peacekeeper in the southern peninsula. Their elite Papal Scripture mysteriously vanished after being called-on in a mission by the pope who was also later killed by unknown ?ssailants. The unknown ?ssailants also proceeded to massacre thousands in every city of the Theocracy, taking out the archbishops and several other elite mages of the Theocracy," The man paused for a second and cleared his throat. "Furthermore, streaks of light fell from the sky as soon as these ?ssailants disappeared from all scenes of the attacks. These streaks of light were not magical in nature, the mages confirmed it. Even so, they managed to deal massive damage to the cities, causing explosions and killing thousands more," "How does this explain the death and destruction you''re showing me right now? The man simply nodded. "Your highness, exactly 5 weeks ago, our agents reported that the Theocracy announced a crusade against the ''metal men''. At first, the agents were skeptical and they had every right to be, we have neither known or heard of any new race of men made of metal," "The metal men were real?" "Correct," The man then pulled something from under his cloak. It was small at first but the man then proceeded to wave his hand around it, returning it to its small size. It was a standard-issue blaster rifle used by the normal soldier drone of the Machine Empire. "This, an unknown weapon that does not use magic," The man showed the weapon to the emperor who has so far been tightly glued on his chair, unable to utter any meaningful sentence but questions. "Is this it? are there not anything else we know or have of these metal men?" The emperor wanted to know more about these ''metal men''. Throughout known history, the Republic and the Empire were best known for being the peacekeepers of the continent, making sure that the smaller nations were always in-line. To have an unknown race suddenly appear and wreak havoc to the continent''s southern peninsula was unacceptable. Mainly because of the human supremacy mindset of the nations. The beastmen countries have always had trouble establishing a stable economic, social and diplomatical foundation. More often than not, the human countries would regularly wage atrocious wars against the beastmen in the name of human supremacy. So, these metal men were just another addition to the continent''s unwelcomed subhuman denizens. The emperor''s face turned uneasy. He flinched at the mere thought of the agents sent by the Empire all being killed by the new race. But it was quite possible that the agents were simply caught in the crossfire but it fails to explain why the agents would place themselves into harm''s way. There could only be one explanation, they were deliberately sought out and killed by the enemy. "Allow me to state another question, I know the agents of both our countries are top-class, mages trained in stealth, combat and high-tier magic. To think that most of the agents would fall by the hands of an unknown enemy would beg the question, were they deliberately targeted?" "The archmage of the Empire believes this as well, the agents might have been found out by the metal men and subsequently hunted down until only one managed to flee. It is also worth noting that the Theocracy mustered a million crusaders but the agent claimed that they were all defeated during the ''Offensive''." The emperor raised his right eyebrow after hearing the peculiar word. "Offensive?" The Emperor asked. "The agent claims that when he was fending off one of the metal men, the demihuman actually spoke out loud "Commencing Offensive," repeatedly," The emperor gently ??r?ssed the sides of his throne and thought deeply for a moment. "Your highness, the death toll is estimated to be 2 million, the biggest number after the Second Great War, the Empire fears that these new demihumans may cause an imbalance to the status quo in the continent," "Then, what does the Great Ceasar suggest we do?" The emperor leaned forward once more and bit his lip. The emperor sighed and closed his eyes. He taps his forehead with his finger before opening his eyes and speaking again. "Very well, I will wait for the Great Ceasar''s decision before I do mine. I will instruct one of my advisors to go with a battalion and travel down to the peninsula. They are to remain at the southernmost village in our territory closest to the peninsula and remain there until further notice," After the two sides exchanged pleasantries, the messenger rode off. The emperor was confused but was not shaken, war and destruction come in many forms and this was no different from any of those forms. The Republic will stand united with the Empire, they being the only true survivors of the now Forgotten Second Great War, they stand united to prevent the same cataclysm that befell the continent 700 years ago. [Inner City, Belrug, Capital of the Republic] The messenger was inside his black carriage. Every diplomatic envoy from other states was always required to ride in one of the Republic''s state-of-the-art black carriages for their protection. These carriages were mostly resistant to most magic attacks and were highly durable against explosions and the like. The messenger was sitting comfortably on the couch. Sitting on the other couch was the archmage of the Empire, Ferdinand Nunz. He wore a white priestly attire to show his connection to the Empire''s State Religion of Yax. The archbishop remained in the carriage unnoticed and observed the meeting through the eyes of the messenger using magic. "The emperor seems disgruntled," Ferdinand said in a soft and weak voice. Old age has taken its toll on the 702-year-old man. "Yes, master, the emperor and the Great Ceasar both share the same reaction and sentiment as of late. Why is it best that we refrain from using our powerful magical artifacts to deal with the enemy at once?" "Little one, you think too brashly. To combat the unknown, we must first discover the unknown. What use are these artifacts if we do not even know what we are going up against? remember, little one, the world has seen relative peace for a few hundred years, it is about time something was to disturb this peace. If we were to use these artifacts at once, not only will it take a nightmarish amount of magical power but would require the skills and commitment of every 8-tier caster in the empire to cast a single artifact," "Fret not, little one, we will stay in Belrug until the emperor sends out the envoy and we shall follow suit. Remember, our mission here is to see the enemy act on its own accord and deal with them accordingly, find the leader and evaluate the powers of said leader," "Right!" "Then, off into the unknown, we go," The carriage made its way around the inner city and into outer districts. The streets were less crowded as the sun began to set. The people in the capital have begun to go indoors and the street lamps were lit up. The wyverns that appeared as small dots in the sky began to descend as the morning star came to its slumber. The continent has been shaken. The Machine Empire shall soon be a name that many shall fear, their feet shall tremble and their shields shall be broken. The Age Of The Machines. Is Nigh. - "Hailey, do I look like a villager to you?" "Perfect" Chapter 76 - The Journey "No, I am against your decision," Hailey made her position clear with her voice and posture. Standing upright and confidently, she stared down on One who was sitting on his black office chair. He was wearing the bulky costume of a ''villager'' or at least he was confident that he looked like a villager. "Yes," One simply answered. He gave Hailey little attention as he brought up a holographic interface. The holographic interface displayed the map of the peninsula and the northern regions currently in the Empire''s information databanks. "I mean, why?" Hailey began to walk around the room. She held her head with her right hand while placing the left under the right to mimic a thinking position as if she was stressed. One just ignored her and continued to skim through the interface. "One, please consider your own safety. We could just send out a battalion or two to do the dirty work while we sit here safe and sound! There is no need to always be putting yourself in the field," Hailey continued. One stopped swiping on the interface. His eyes moved and locked on Hailey who was walking around and about. Hailey then stopped when she noticed that One was finally paying attention to her, albeit a bit ominous in style. "What''s the fun in just asking our children to do all the work while we seat her comfortably. I, for one, would like to experience the cultures, civilizations, and wonders of this world, just cause I want to," One stood up after speaking these words and headed off outside. He exited through the only door in the room, leaving Hailey standing in the middle. Hailey sighed as soon as One closed the door. She walked slowly towards One''s seat and sat there. As she moved her h?ps against the chair''s fabric, she proceeded to scan One''s room, or rather, the brain of the Other world''s hub. Monitors, holograms and different equipment were placed around and about. She remembered when the room was an awful mess. It''s only been a couple of weeks since then but she is yet to feel comfortable and confident with One''s safety and mental state. But how could she ignore the wishes of her dear leader? She was but a servant, a maid or a butler. Although she possessed the same power as her counterpart, One made it clear that he was the head, the leader and the man behind the wheel. Hailey was to sit still on the passenger seat. Still, she was reluctant to have him go. She was going to devise a plan to stop One from doing what he so d?s?r?d but was dumbfounded to find out that One had already set out as soon as he went down. He had hitched a ride on one of the hovercrafts returning to the eastern front. The Theocracy''s entire military might have already been wiped out and so was the morale of what remained of their armies. Once disciplined soldiers now resorted to banditry and crime after witnessing their devastating defeats and so did the cascade of total anarchy did sweep the land. The north, central and south armies of the Machine Empire have effectively merged into one army and have continued to push into the heart of the Theocracy with little resistance. "The Army" Which One now referred to the massive force of drones, armored vehicles, ?ssault craft and many more, was not en route to the holy city itself. One was pleased with the victories they achieved and whatever victory the enemy may gain in the future would be pyrrhic and utterly useless. What is the use of magic when it can not even stand against the sorry shadow of the culmination of 10 thousand years of human advancement back on Earth? The hovercraft that carried One to the eastern front flew through the clearing skies that were once choked with ash and smoke. The sun had finally begun to shine on most parts of the forest after months of severe pollution. The drones down on the forest below with strict orders from One have so far maintained their steady progress of forest rehabilitation. The Forest Rehabilitation Initiative, coined by Hailey; was the Machine Empire''s reestablishment and rehabilitation plan for the decimated forest. "This is proof of human ignorance and abuse," One remembered Hailey saying when the initiative was first being planned. Although there had been no reports of any mass movements or military build-up from Yuhin, only time would tell. The hovercraft landed on the grassy plains of Moore approximately 100 kilometers from where the nuclear missile was detonated and the storm destroyed by it. "Orders complete," The hovercraft''s computer said in a robotic voice. One simply walked against the direction of the hovercraft as it lifted itself up back into the air and flew off. To avoid any further interference from Hailey, One managed to predict her moves, he specifically told the hovercraft to fly a straight line towards the east before turning sharp left to the north. This was to mislead Hailey into thinking that One went to the front instead and so would focus solely. in the meantime, searching through the front for him. Why would One want to journey alone? it was indeed safer to have a drone or two take the job instead and do the dirty work for One. But One wanted to find meaning, he was lost and was no doubt not going to blindly follow vague orders from a strange voice in his head for the rest of his life. He needed to understand himself better and become "human" again. He was once a human and it won''t it be a shame if he dies not knowing who he was, how he was and what his life was back then? Before the fall of humanity. Before the war that would completely wipe life from the face of the Earth itself. One had many questions and a genuine curiosity of what this new world of fantasy would bring him and thus his sole d?s?r? to discover the truth and meaning of it all eventually culminated into the journey he will now undertake. "This is nice," One said as a whisper. He stared at the wide plains in front of him. Over the dancing grass, he slowly walked. His clothes looked heavy and drowsy and in fact, they were but One neither struggled nor did he stagger with his footing. He walked as if nothing was out of the ordinary. He wanted to blend in with the nature of the world and so, how about he dressed as a lowly villager? a peasant under a lord who was fat and obnoxious? that was the stereotype Hailey told him about before revealing his true intentions of having a journey. "Please no!" They both would say repeatedly before One would tell them to shut up. They insisted that they come with him but instead, One directly ordered them to stand down and commandeer the army and annex the lands of the Theocracy for him. He made it clear that he wanted to be alone in this journey of his and thus his two sapient drones had to concede and follow orders or else they be consequences. Lily and Vilvintine were yet to report back to the Machine Empire, although no signal of their demise was received, One was getting anxious. Anxious not because he was going to lose two human pawns, but anxious that they may compromise the Machine Empire and leak vital information to the enemy. One and his machines had the technology to extract information from the minds of their captives and so there was a high chance that the enemy also had the ability to do the same but with magic. Magic was indeed a headache and a pain to deal with it. "Now, where the hell am I," Unsurprisingly, One only had a vague idea of where the hell he was. Sure, he had maps and read it all but specifically he did not know where to go, he knew this vast grassy plain was called Moore but that''s it. The nearest village? well, it was a few kilometers away, though. Then, if that is the case, why can''t he just scour the Machine Empire''s vast databanks? Why did he not plan ahead? To answer these questions, one must ?ssume that One wanted a bit of adventure. He only wanted to know where he will land and the nearest settlement he''d go to and just go with the flow of everything that will happen over the course of his journey. His first objective was to walk through these grassy plains for how many hours and reach the village. Well, not exactly walk but use his embedded thrusters in the palm of his hands and sole of his feet to hover his way across. And so he did, he opened his hands and pointed his palms to the ground. The thrusters then activated at the same time, first starting with a mild burn before powering enough to lift him off the ground. The grass below him was burned expectedly as the sole of each of his feet erupted into a burst of hot propulsion. He thought that he looked majestic as he glided through the grassy plain. The dirt path was shaggy but it was not as if One was going to really use it for walking anyways. He was going to float over it like a weird ghost and glide through the air with such steadiness and precision that it would make any local wonder if a ghost or a spirit had escape the depths of the underworld and has decided to glide through the dirt road to haunt its next victims. Probably to eat someone''s baby. Thankfully, One was not a baby-eater, although he could be if he needed or wanted to. The sun was shining bright. The entire landscape was basking under its bright embrace and grass continued to dance with the slow warm breeze. The night was approaching but the sun was still in the sky. A few hours before dusk would settle and One would need a place to stay for awhile, he can''t just suddenly pop up at the front gates of a settlement in the middle of the night and expect to get a warm welcome. Suddenly, his eye monitors started to flash red. Something was up and it was surely a threat. [Danger: High concentrations of radiation detected] "Radiation? Nuclear kind?" One thought as he continued to float over the road. He tried to scan his surroundings but he found no evidence of any radioactive spill, damage or anything wrong with the greenery. Something was wrong and he knew it, but the real question was, does he possess the necessary counter-measures to counter this unknown threat? One disabled his thrusters and his feet slammed against the ground. The gravity was also weird. This was no natural occurance, most likely.. He was being ambushed. Chapter 77 - The Dead Village There was an ample breeze around the forest. When One entered, he found the trees rather interesting, sick to say the least. He followed along the dirt path which was laid before him and hovered above it and followed it into the forest to reach the nearest village. To find what he was missing, his identity and his humanity, he set forth in this journey of his. He wanted to adventure, not because it was fun, nay, he did not need fun in his life, rather, he needed to regain what was lost of him personally. There were no birds singing or nesting over the trees, there were no creatures of large either, only small insects of odd colors populated the foliage and the ground beneath. The soil was damp and cold, it was weird and surely was not natural for a forest this large. Or so he thought. The entirety of his journey so far has been nothing but endless wandering, following a certain dirt path. This is stupid, he would always think. To go on such an undertaking without proper preparation and planning ahead. But he was in a rush. Why did I rush in the first place, he questioned himself. Hailey was not that big of a threat and his drones have so far been completely loyal to him and followed his every order to their fullest and so why was he in a rush? He did not know himself nor will he probably know anyway. He had already gone far enough, well out of the reach of Hailey and his Machine Empire for now but they could still send out a strike force if needed in just an hour. "Strange" He suddenly muttered. He went down to the soil and walked on it and knelt down. There was a dead squirrel on the ground. He picked it up and examined it, there was no sign of external damage, no bite or scratch marks; maybe it was poisoned? he thought. Going against all orthodox ways of dissection, he placed his two hands on the squirrel''s ?h?st and ripped it open, exposing its insides. The intestines protruded outwards and blood spewed but it was not fresh blood, it was already rotten. One dipped his finger into it and analyzed it, it was indeed rotten and judging from the rot, the squirrel has been dead for quite a few days. The analysis of the blood showed no poison, rather, there were strange particulates in its blood that have somehow bonded with the magic in its bloodstream and effectively ''choked'' the squirrel''s circulatory system and may have likely caused its death. "Strange" He muttered once more and to his credibility, it was strange indeed. An unknown particulate bonding with magic at a molecular level and resulting in ''choking'' the victim was.. a surprise and not a welcome one. The village should be near, but I doubt I''d find anyone alive there. He pressed on and abandoned the squirrel''s body to nature. He could have analyzed the bark of the weird trees or the leaves but he bothered not to and decided to press on and see if he would find a village or a graveyard. Death and destruction, it did not waive him. He felt nothing. As he followed the dirt path further into the forest, the sickly looking trees became even more apparent and more dead bodies did he stumble upon more often. There were many bodies, even deers, he would split them open and analyze them and the same result every time, choked to death. He went on for 30 minutes, by the 25th minute he had already stopped ripping open everybody he found because they became too much for him to waste his time on and the results were practically the same. He then stumbled upon goo-like trees, trees that for some reason, have melted, they appeared like goo and when One touched one of the trees, his hand sank into it. But the trees still had shape but they appeared drooping, it was strange and because of it did One finally take a sample and analyzed it. By taking a sample, One simply shoved his hand in a tree and pulled out whatever was in there and analyzed it accordingly. [Unidentified] Huh? unidentified? It''s a tree. Yes, it was but One came to the realization that it seemed like the trees have been altered in a way that they don''t really identify as a tree anymore and have changed. A strange place, this is, I wonder what the research drones would say of this, he thought. He somehow subconsciously smiled at the thought of his research drones finding intrigue in this particular specimen of a tree. Now that he has analyzed the goo tree, a certain question popped in his mind. What species of trees are these? He could not really determine it since it was unidentified and the structure and appearance of the tree, he could not recognize. What happens if I try and burn it? The idea was outright stupid, but One still considered it. If he did, he had the chance of igniting a forest fire that would tear the forest apart and reduce it to ash or the flames don''t come and the goo actually cannot be burned. It was cloudy when One finally reached the other end of the forest, the dirt path was now clearer but the surrounding grasslands were dead. The grass was withered, brownish and bodies of large beasts and animals littered the landscape. It was a horrible sight for a human but an intriguing sight for One. The animals and beasts all seemed to have run off to the grasslands and died there. There were hundreds of bodies, no, there were thousands and if he considered the dead insects, there would be tens of thousands of dead. There was no point in having a disguise this puffy, there would be nobody alive at this point. If there were people alive in these parts, to begin with. And so he walked the dirt road once more and strutted forth. There was death everywhere, the bodies of animals lied wherever he went and as far as he could see. As he went further into the forest, he noticed flocks of dead crows around the bodies of several land animals. They must''ve died a few minutes or hours after the land animals did. The smell of rotting flesh had begun to stick onto his villager clothing. He then decided to remove the clothing entirely and just walk forth as he One. He went and dusted his black uniform and made his way through the plains once more. He was expecting a village and he was not disappointed. There it was, a wooden palisade surrounded it. Goo-like trees, dead shrubs, and tall grass littered all around, the once long vines that climbed up the palisades were now oozing. One got near the wooden gate directly connected to the dirt path. The path leads directly into the gate and nowhere else, maybe there were other paths and other gates that went to different directions and areas? He decided to investigate and walked around the wooden palisade. It took him ten minutes of endless walking before he walked around the entire palisade and found no other gate and no other path. This village was all alone and the only sign of civilization in the area. He went back to the gate and stood there. No dead humans anywhere outside, he thought. Maybe they lied dead inside these walls, One ?ssumed the latter and decided to enter the village. The wooden gate was shut tight and required a considerable amount of force to burst open, luckily One did not need such force. He stretched out his arm and exposed his palm directly pointing at the door. He fired a concentrated beam of energy and carved his entrance. The beam was hot, so hot in fact that it began to burn the gate. This is fine, One thought as the gate slowly burned. Nobody was going to complain anyway, he ?ssumed. The village had wooden structures everywhere, paths connected them all. He walked around the village, not entering any buildings. He came across a small well in the middle of the village, there was an awful smell coming from it. Curious, One decided to take a look and flashed a bright white light at the well. There was a figure underneath, in the very deepest reaches of the well. It did not move, it was black all-over, no clothes or anything. It lied motionless there, a purely black humanoid figure whose skin appeared to be oozing too. He then went out and decided to explore the village more to see if any more bodies were outside. There was nothing but dead grass, dead livestock and dead trees. Still, he had no idea what caused this mess. Suddenly, as he stared at what seemed to be the village hall, he remembered that he detonated a nuke not far from here. This must be a Yuhinic Village, and it must have been abandoned when the storm he nuked was brewing towards it. It was a theory of his but held much credibility. Yuhinic Villages directly in the path of the storm were abandoned by their inhabitants and if he considered weather conditions, he came to one startling condition. "Fallout," The words escaped his mouth. This must be the cause of radioactive fallout actually being swept towards this direction after the nuclear detonation. It was not normal fallout, normal fallout does not result in oozing trees or the other weird things he has so far come across. The particulates he found must be the result of that fallout, bonding with magic and subsequently creating another form of matter that choked a living creature. But it does not explain why the hell trees began to ooze instead of dying and rotting. Suddenly, he heard something bash against the doors of the village hall. His adventuring spirit has disallowed him to use most of his enhanced sensory capabilities but seeing this a very real possible threat, he decided to use them. He activated his infrared sensors to see through the walls of every structure in the village. There were humanoid figures, cold figures. They were standing around inside the village hall, some were wandering while three of the humanoid figures were lazily bashing against the door in front of them and One. How should he eliminate them, One thought for a good minute. Until the door in front of him began to show wear and tear. It was about to break and the creatures inside, whatever they were, would be released and god knows what they''d do. He needed to act fast and swift. He could''ve called on for a research team, containment team or anything to contain and study them but One was really unsettled. A tingling feeling of uneasiness made him feel something he did not want to recognize, he felt fear. He has seen destruction, he has seen death, he was the sole survivor of an apocalypse that wiped out billions of his kind. But yet, he was afraid of oozing unknown creatures? It was strange, but One was not going to ignore it. He placed his hands together and pointed at the building. The door was about to break as soon as the next bash came. "Hm," He then unleashed a fiery pillar of destruction, completely obliterating the village hall and whatever structure was behind it. Even the wooden palisade behind it was not spared from the immense power. And then, One sighed. Chapter 78 - A Little Girl The village burned down, as it should. The flames consumed the wooden structures, burning through the grass and engulfing the palisades. It only took the flames a few minutes before it engulfed the entire village, reducing it to ash. The smoke rose high up the sky; it was a cloudy day at least. The smoke rose up to add more to the grim nature of the surrounding lands, where the dead were scattered all over. One watched on as the village fumed, he felt relieved. He felt as if he saved himself and his empire from destruction, whatever those were, they were a threat! Thankfully, he was the only one alive around these parts; there was nobody else to discover what he had destroyed. He did not learn what the name of the village was but it was no longer important, it was gone and One should just move on. A grim start to his adventure, not something he''d endorse but still a start. He dusted his uniform and pants and headed off along the dirt path once more, he wanted to deviate from it but he was determined on finding another path. Ding! He could just fly. He had thrusters and all. But that would ruin my experience, he thought. No, that is stupid, I must monopolize my abilities as best as I can to achieve my objectives. And so he did, after a brief moment of activating his thrusters and positioning himself for launch, he ascended. He did not reach too far, just enough so he could see the surrounding areas. He scanned his surroundings, there were hills further north, the forest continued towards the east and the plains to the west. The bodies also continued to the west along with the plains. Maybe If I follow the plains, then I''d find a path. And so he did, he flew west and followed the plains and the bodies of the dead creatures thereof. They littered the dead grass as far as he could see with his normal eyesight. Thoughts ran down his mind as well as thousands of calculations of countless variables, all being done at the same time. He was at full alert, he felt threatened and choked. This place was cursed with something unbecoming. He did not want to think of it at first, but he thought to himself: Am I the one who caused this? Maybe, he concluded. He was generally unfazed as always even if the bodies began to crank up. Suddenly, as he was flying above the plains, he saw some shadows in the distance. Silhouettes appeared small and tightly packed but they were moving still. Upon further approach, they appeared like children, he thought they were children at first. But, they were actually goblins. Oozing goblins. Their skin was darkish green and oozed like the figure he saw down the well. Their facial features were still there but were almost fully unrecognizable, he only knew they were goblins after scanning their bodies. The scanner determined them as [30%] similar to goblins. 30 percent, what small percentage of their original being remained after being transformed into the hideous creatures they were now. They moved in a tight formation, they were all following or something. Rather, they were chasing something. It was a little girl, bruised and near-death according to One''s scanners. One had no time to evaluate her appearance, instead, he charged in to grab her. His reflex at the matter was unheard of, strange even but he did so anyway. He sped towards the girl as fast as he could and as safe as he can be to grab onto the little girl''s body and carry her out of her dilemma He did so with style, as one of the goblins was about to touch her, One swooped in and grabbed the little girl and hoisted her up against his ?h?st and flew off. It was a gamble if he would not lose balance after such a stunt, yet he pulled it off. He held on to the little girl tightly, she was also holding onto him as tight as her remaining strength could permit. She was in shock, but a prince charming, an angel, swooped in from the heavens above to save her. Well, One was neither prince charming nor an angel, he was the opposite of both. Yet, despite it, he saved the little girl with what could''ve been her death. But, One suddenly noticed that the girl was indeed near-death. Her heart began to beat irregularly and her grip, he felt it loosen significantly. He had to descend, he had to save her or else his efforts would''ve been all for nothing. He descended to the ground and landed rather roughly but he quickly went to work. He laid the girl onto the dead grass and scanned her body, as he was doing this he charged up his hands like a defibrillator and shocked the girl''s ?h?st. It was enough to normalize her heartbeat. She began to cough, it was a sign of progress but it was not over yet. One''s scanning completed and revealed to him the main problem. She was being choked too, the particulates have begun to clog her blood vessels. It was bad, One did not know how to save her from it. Should he perform a short but quick dialysis? It was risky, but it seemed like the only way he could do to save her. He opened a tiny hole in his right palm and a small tube with a needle at the tip came out. He would use his body as a dialysis machine, it was Hailey''s idea to give him such a seemingly useless upgrade. Yet, here he was, actually needing to use it to save someone. He injected the needle onto the little girl''s left wrist and began the dialysis. Her blood began to pump through One''s body, to avoid her actually losing blood, he sped up the movement of the blood in his body but timed it to match the pumping of her heart once it finished. His plan was actually working, the particulates were being filtered out, slowly but surely. Seeing the results, he was confident that he''d save the little girl. The should be short dialysis actually lasted for a full hour, her blood was still contaminated with the particulates, though in lesser amounts now. He stopped the dialysis and checked on her vitals once more, she was stable, for now. Then, everything stopped. Throughout the ordeal, the wind was blowing from the east and messing his hair. The clouds began to form up and blocked the sun to form a grey sky. It looked grimmer, with the dead grass and dead bodies of animals that surrounded them. He was holding onto a girl, who narrowly escaped death. The feeling was surreal, to actually suddenly save someone was surreal for One. But, the little girl was far from being saved. The particulates in her blood were still rising, the problem came directly from the environment itself. He was not affected by the particulates, he was a machine and had no functioning bloodstream, nothing for the particulates to choke or clog. The little girl snoozed over his ??p, it was at this moment did One see her full appearance. She looked like a normal peasant girl. She had a leather dress, ragged and dirty it may be, it still served the purpose of providing her warmth. She had fair skin, lined with bruises and wounds, scars even. She had thick eyebrows and beautiful brown hair that reached her shoulders. It was a cold day, no, the day was getting colder by the second. The dusk was nearing and death has stopped reeling, the moon will soon rise over these dead lands and One needed to make a shelter. A shelter for the girl he saved. What kind of shelter, the woods in the area were all oozing and none could be used to make a shelter of any kind. He also burned down the village, the entire village gone and so they really had no shelter. I could mine, he thought. But he''d need to dig, smelt and so on. In total, with his current abilities, he''d be spending 2 to 4 hours to construct a shelter and he knew that he''d get carried away. Instead of a minimalistic shelter, he''d be constructing a fortified fortress made of reinforced stone, something similar to it. "Crap" Again, the words escaped his mouth and conveyed his ''frustration'' or something similar. The girl was no longer sleeping, she was now unconscious. She was stable but she needed rest and continued dialysis. But if he could perform a 10-kilometer scan of the area around them using his enhanced sensors, maybe he could find a settlement nearby or a place where the trees are actually trees. Why did he not do this earlier? Again he did not want to use more of is abilities than he is supposed to. Why is he even going through the trouble of saving some random girl he just so happened to come across? This world was a chaotic world. Laws and the society that uses those laws are primitive in nature compared to Earth''s modern society. It should come as no surprise that he''d always experience death, chaos, and anarchy whenever he would go exploring. But this was his first time beyond the control and help of his drones. A medieval society with mythical elements, in other words, magic and maybe some dragons. A world choked by its lack of technological advancement due to magic impeding that process. One was undecided. He continued performing minimum dialysis to the little girl to keep her from dangerous levels of particulate contamination. They stayed there, under the grey sky and then when the night came, they settled under the starless sky. The clouds remained there, grey and blocked the light from moons and the stars from shining upon the dead lands. One began to gently massage the girl''s head. Particularly her hair, it was soft but a tad smelly. She must''ve not have been able to wash it for a couple of days now. Or maybe, she was abandoned here. Wait, he thought before executing his intentions of starting another wildfire. He could just heat up his body to a degree that would provide the girl with warmth. Problemo solved. One was not processing ideas as fast as he used to. Maybe he was just being laid back, actually not caring for the girl''s wellbeing but acting out of pure reflex of something he has no understanding of. No matter, he has done what he has done and there was no turning back. The girl was now his responsibility to ensure her health and safety. Maybe the girl could serve as a valuable tool to help him in his journey through the continent, a guide, or a slave. Either way, for better or for worse, One would need to benefit from saving her somehow. But she wasn''t fully saved but still, One was planning ahead. "Hm," The wind was cold, the night itself brought chills but One''s reactor warmed the girl just enough for her to be at ease. One was not sure if she was still unconscious since he has stopped monitoring her vitals since she has been pretty stable for the past few hours. There were no enemies, nowhere near them at least. The girl must be awake or sleeping. But he felt the child''s tight grip around his waist. Chapter 79 - Where Did You Come From? "Mama!" A joyous voice rang out. A little girl stormed out of her meager wooden hut and embraced her mother. The mother smiled at her, patting her head a few times before the two headed inside. There home was small, there were no rooms but an open space that was of a circle. There was a thin cloth on the floor, it was there bed. The little girl sat on the middle and waved her hands. Her mother was bring with her a sack full of potatoes. She unloaded everything onto the floor and the little girl lunged at the pile. She grabbed one of the potatoes and tried to bite a chunk off it. Her jaw was too weak, her teeth too little and too few. The hard potato was like iron to her, she couldn''t bite it. Her jagged and blackened teeth did not dissuade her from smiling always, she still smiled at her mother after the ordeal and waited for her to boil them. "Now, now, mother still needs to cook, you go play outside while mother prepares your food," The mother patted her once more after noticing that her daughter pouted. Her mother showed her a smile and the little girl had no defence. She hugged her mother tightly once again and the both of them giggled. After giving her a kiss on the forehead, she ran off outside. The day was not hot, although the sun was brimming since it was noon, it was not enough to burn skin or cause any health conditions. And so, many were outside, particularly the children. The village was big, a total of 200 people actually lived there in relative comfort. Almost everyone knew each other and this friendship and close bonds developed among them all. Most of the ?du?ts worked in the fields, fished or chopped down wood at the nearby forest. The foodstuffs they actually get from their fields or from their fishing are not sold, rather, that''s their food supply. The wood, though used for the building of new houses and buildings in the village if ever the need came, were actually turned into wooden products or construction material like planks and then sold to the nearest city. The little girl cared no less how the village fared as long as everyone she knew had smiles on their faces. The innocence of a little girl, she was full of it and proudly so. She did not know how hard it actually was to work on those fields during which the sun was at its hottest, or the horrors of fishing when fishermen catch demonic hybrids of fish, or that in the forest loomed the monsters who wanted them for breakfast. "Heave!" The little girl heard a rough voice coming from the fishing port. She hurried there and saw the fishermen hauling their catch. Five fishing nets full of fresh fish! Normally the village would only get two fishing nets worth of fish everyday but today''s haul was tremendous! Her eyes glowed as the shirtless fishermen, with their broad physiques dragged the nets inland. Many rushed in with barrels and all were gleeful with the catch. Winter was coming, with this catch, they could allocate more food for the winter to come in just a few weeks time. Maybe, they won''t need the ?ssistance of travelers or neighbouring settlements for aid during the harsh season. The village was known for imploring the aid of their neighbors since they struggled to store enough food for themselves. But with large fields that bore much food, why aren''t they able to store enough for the winter? A young man ran across the dirt road, shoving to the side everyone in his way until he near the fish that were caught. His eyes grew as he stared at the catch, he then shouted "Feast!" It was something they''ve gotten used to and just let be. They did not want to offend the young master who was the son of the current chieftain. Hell, even the current chieftain supported the lavish spending of the village food ever since they were ?ssured of aid from the other settlements. Their over-dependence on others for their survival could lead to their downfall but none cared. Why? Because everyone was happy. The little girl looked on as the men placed the fishes into the barrels while the others announced the feast to the rest of the village. She, nevertheless, went and tried to find the other children who she knew were out playing. She could hear their faint laughter coming from the distance and she so followed it until she met them. The children, though they were wearing ragged clothing, were playing on the grassy ground. Some lied on their backs staring at the sky while others chased each other while laughing. It was like a playground. She then joined in the fun, chasing other kids, took some twigs and played knight and dragon, they would spar, they would chase and they would flee, they would fake their deaths and innocently play out the horrors of war to what it actually seems to a child. The noon went by and she was tired, her friends have already left for their families. It was time for her to go home. The torches were lit up and the village glowed a reddish hue. She walked past huts and huts, all bigger than hers. She walked through the village center where a large bonfire was about to be put ablaze for the feast that was to be held in a few hours. She finally saw her home in the distance. It was alone, at the edge of the village and with only a single torch saying that it''s there under the darkness. But, she saw that It was fine. She actually felt special to have a house at the edge of the village. It was always like this, everyday she would go out, play and comeback home with the very same sight each time. She''s gotten used to it ever since. She went and knocked on the door, waiting for her mother to open it. Then, her mother opened the door and the little girl embraced her once again. "Mother" She exclaimed as she hugged her tightly. The mother giggled, patted her head and had her sit down on the floor. She then went to get her pot that she had heated and brought her on a wooden bowl, a boiled potato. "You better chew it right, or else you won''t have anymore teeth!" The mother reminded her daughter. The daughter nodded with excitement and grabbed it. Only to feel the heat and subsequently let go of her potato. "Yeouuuch" She said with tears in her eyes. She was cute to look at and her mother thought so. She smiled and gave her a wooden fork. "Don''t be hasty, use this to cut the potato and eat it. Don''t forget to blow it!" The little girl grabbed the fork and stabbed the potato, during this time she actually had her tongue out. She frowned at the potato that burned her hands and chopped it into smaller pieces. She took the smallest piece, carefully blowing the heat away and placed the entire thing in her mouth. She huffed and panicked as she underestimated the hotness of the potato, much to the amusement of her mother. She just giggled as her daughter tearfully stabbed the potato repeatedly. It was a happy night and the mother and daughter duo knew this well. The two then ate in relative peace, the sounds of fire burning the wood inside their small metal furnace was the only thing they heard that was besides the sounds of the nature in the night. Crickets would regularly sound but also become silent suddenly. They ate and got full, it was time for the mother to clean up. Her daughter had just fallen asleep on the floor, her puffy cheeks glowed red. She was a cute little girl. The mother then got a thin blanket which she used to cover her daughter from the bitter cold of the night. She cleaned the mess and placed away their things. It was time for her to also sleep, although there was a feast, they never were invited to attend any of it. Well, they were before but her mother has refused to come again. Her reason, her secret ever since. Only two knew of her reason to stay out, she and her daughter. The mother was a beautiful lady on her own, though she had slightly dark skin, her face could catch the heart of every man in this village, well, it had already done so. Her figure also did not help, she was a hard worker in the fields and she along with the other ladies broke their backs everyday. But amid the smiles and laughter lied the envy. Many were envious of her beauty, many were envious of her fame among the men. Her isolation was the only thing keeping her alive for now but what if the people of the village wanted her out for good? Luckily, she never had to answer the question, or else, her daughter would be the one to suffer. The feast has started, the wine has been brought out, the food has been prepared. The laughter and voices of the rest of the village echoed throughout the night. She paid no attention, she went to sleep with her daughter at her side. The night felt longer than expected. It was well pass midnight but there was an eerie silence. Everyone seemed to have shut up, she could hear murmurs and whispers but nothing else. But, why the hell was she hearing murmurs at her front door? She became scared, was there someone outside? She quickly stood and tried her best to walk without a sound. She came against the door and placed their only chair against it. She then went and grabbed the wooden pot her daughter used and readied herself. Then she awoke. She was still lying next to her daughter, the sounds of the people there at the feast was still there too. She just had a nightmare. She was relieved, she was actually sweating but she just wiped the sweat off her forehead and tried to continue her sleep. She turned towards her daughter, she touched her black hair and gently massaged it. It was soft, her daughter was beautiful. Many also wondered who got her pregnant with the daughter she had now, nobody took responsibility and she wanted to keep quiet too. Nobody pushed her to answer, many men then distanced themselves from her, not wanting to be blamed. Her father and mother died one year after she was born, after her caretaker also died when she was six, she fended for herself. Now, she had a daughter she needed to protect at all costs. Despite the hardships and cruelty of the world, she knew that she was still safe inside the village. Although, there were only 140 ?du?ts, 40 of the 60 men knew how to fight with swords and bows. They could defend themselves and defended themselves they have. Against monster raids, bandits, even a rogue legion of Yuhinic Knights. They have proven themselves to be capable warriors but also due to this, They have been considered nomads by the kingdoms, barbarians who do not fall under any rule except their own. They have thus been ignored politically and given free reign. Their loose federation of villages were referred to as the Tribal Union. But they don''t have a rock-solid central government, with village meetings every once a month. Until. She woke up, she thought the sun had risen since it was already bright outside. But the brightness was unlike the light of the sun that they were used to, it flashed white in color and was many times brighter that the sunrise. It shined right through the cracks of hut''s covered windows, its shining light piercing inside. She heard many screams from outside, then the screams died down. A man ran up towards her and exclaimed "Miss! The chief has ordered us to escape through the jungle, it is not safe!" The man was exhausted, sweat fell from his face. The mother did not hesitate one bit and immediately went to her daughter. Her daughter was already fast asleep by then, when her mother suddenly woke her up, she was confused. The mother and daughter duo ran outside and were guided by the man. He led them to where the other villagers were, to the port. The port was already crowded and the fishing boats were already full of people, packed together like frightened animals. They even witnessed one of the boats capsize after a few stubborn fellows forced themselves on-board. Then, the light came back. This time, it revealed itself to be coming from a flying metallic beast, unlike anything they''ve seen or known of. It shined its bright white light over the panicked villagers, the villagers covered their faces as the light was too bright for them to bear directly. It released a wind around itself, pushing the boats and capsizing a few. The villagers ran from the port and into the village. The mother and daughter duo were among those to run first. They were followed by many more panicked villagers. The lights began to multiply, it wasn''t because more metallic beasts appeared, no, but the metallic beast actually released smaller metallic humanoids onto the village. They cornered the villagers from all sides, preventing escape. The mother and daughter duo were forced to make a return to the port. The villagers who were the defenders of the village took up arms and tried to fend off the metal men. They were all vanquished with ease, no blood was spilled. They were all chopped or shot clean. The villagers were then herded into one single group, out of 200 villagers, only 120 remained as most of the men were killed during their vain attempt to defend their home. The mother and daughter managed to get to the port, a few souls have already drowned, including the young chieftain. He was the only magic user in the village, with him gone, they stood no chance. The light then began to circulate around the village, trying to find any strays. The mother knew she had to do something before it was too late for her daughter. "Momma, no!" her daughter screamed. Her mother pushed her into a boat as the light shined above her. The wind from the beast pushed the boat away and the daughter could only cry out as she lacked the knowledge nor the strength to even use the rows. She then went to the side of the boat as it floated ever so slowly away. Her mother was watching her, she could make up the tears coming from her eyes and sliding on her cheeks. Then, blue lights came about in pairs behind her. They were not under the bright light but stood behind it. The silhouettes of their human-like bodies surrounded her mother. She could feel the gazes of these monsters, but they chose to ignore her. Her mother showed her one last smile, then the light turned off. Chapter 80 - Fool [Warning: Proximity Alert] One woke from his unexpected slumber. He had fallen asleep, with the child still snoozing on his th??h. The voice in his head was the voice of the security system he activated prior. Something or someone was lingering among the dead bushes and the dead trees, the oozing fields and the darkness of the night. One stood up and readied himself for combat. Scanning his surroundings, he found what caused the proximity alert, a humanoid, hiding behind the dead trees behind them. He stared at its position, making sure his gaze never left it. One was also checking for other instances if this was a planned ambush. He had made a lot of enemies, these enemies did not know who he was or where he came from, but they knew that he is one of them. One of the new beings, a race of metal men that have overrun the Freetan Theocracy and are threatening the rest of the peninsula. "Ah, you noticed me?" A voice rang out. One did not reply, he just stood and watched as the figure revealed himself, stepping out of the shadows of the forest. It was a hooded figure, a pale chin was visible but the rest of his face was not. It appeared old and wrinkled, judging by the exposed hands. The figure clasped its hands and continued its approach before stopping a few meters in front of One. One''s eyes glowed in the darkness, the moon had disappeared from sight and the sky was void of stars. He knew something was not right, but whatever it was, it involved magic, one way or another. "Allow me to introduce myself to you, my future apprentice." Its voice sounded old. One, although he was held aback by the unknown advantage of this fellow, could not feel but be amused. The clown was about to give him its name, regardless if it''s true or not, he can use it to track it down if it ever escaped. "I am Goln, and you will henceforth call me, master" he said. Gold laughed like a maniac, exposing his arms and summoning magic circles on top of his fingertips. After he chanted a few words that sounded completely gibberish to One, two shadow figures appeared behind him. They manifested like a gas that came together and wielded two swords that glowed with fire oozed lava. "Come now, my apprentice, or else, that child, will perish" And One was done. He lifted his arms sideways and out came his a bright saber on both. He clutched the foundations of the sabers tight as they glowed in the night a shining white. He was not going to tolerate Goln any longer, seeing that he won''t even gain much from keeping him prisoner, he began to plan his first attack. "You fool, you think you have a chance? I have watched your kind from a distance, studied you all and know how you fight! Your magic is strange but my magic is stronger!" Gesturing to his shadows, he said, "Capture him!" The shadows then sprang into action and floated towards One. One ?ssumed a defensive pose and tracked their movements. The shadows had deformed bodies but had two limbs that bore their swords, he did not understand the properties of these figures and figured that his plasma blades may do. The two shadows came at him from left to right and at the same speed. They held their swords high and were about to strike him down. One had no intention of prolonging the fight, if Goln was true to his word then he''ll be able to deduce the moves of his drones, but he was not his drones, he was One. The shadows were now within reach of him and so, in a flash, One moved at speeds almost impossible to catch with the n?k?d eye, and sliced through both of the shadows. Their forms began to disintegrate as soon as One had already sliced them, they wailed with the voice of a beast and then disappeared. Goln watched with a smile on his face. As he laughed, "You have done well, even going as far as defeating two of my most deadly summons, those weapons of yours.. they glow with power! And I shall soon have them and you!" As he finished, he summoned another magic circle, this time on the ground. It glowed blue and after a few seconds, its purpose was revealed. The girl was transferred to where the circle was. Teleportation! One thought in his mind. This recruitment process, however, did not fancy One. He retracted his sabers and hid them away. He did this as Goln looked delighted. One knew that he was naive, even for his power or age. Judging by how he treated One, he was confident with his pawns to deal with him. The shadows that were holding the girl hostage now were visibly different than the previous ones. They were bulkier in appearance and their swords glowed brighter and were wider. Symbols that were present on the iron of the swords glowed too, with his knowledge of magic, he deduced them to be magic inscriptions. One did not know the speed of which his enemies possessed, he wanted to save the girl and eliminate Goln at the same time. But, he switched his plans a bit. He won''t kill Goln outright, no, he is going to torture him first and take p???sur? from it. The naive summoner has gotten to the nerves of One and he was ready to make him pay. A few seconds of staring ensued, with Goln continuing his taunts. Goln was not willing to kill the girl outright, or else he''ll have no bargaining chip. When he first sought to capture one of the metal men, he did not expect to come by an one that was all alone among the deadlands. Though he himself did not know why the deadlands came to be a few days prior, he ?ssumed that the metal men were one of the reasons. Ever since the metal men came into this world, only death and destruction ensued wherever they may be and to the lands that they have plundered and conquered with relentless force. Against the wishes of his former master, whom he had killed, he ventured forth to observe and study these metal men, they were stronger than the beastmen and looked far smarter than men themselves. Now, he was facing against a metal man. But, he did not know, that the metal man he was facing, was the most powerful of all metal men. After this metal man slew his shadows with ease, he felt fear shrivel from his feet and into his heart. What has he done? The fight was not over yet, he cried out in his mind. He had a hostage, and as long as he had a hostage, he would have a chance. He can''t vanquish this metal man, his second most powerful shadow summons was destroyed by him! Now he has summoned his strongest shadows and summons a hundred enchanted skeletons around him. He used up a considerable amount of his inner magic. He hoped that his gamble will pay off. They formed a circle around him, raising their shields and their weapons. Their weapons varied and so did the glow of these weapons and One ?ssumed that the various glow represented the power of these weapons. By examining Goln, he was able to conclude that the dark purple glowing weapons were the most formidable and presented the most threat to him while the lighter and more visible shades of purple were weaker and posed a lower level of threat. The skeletons began to bash on their shields. The bashed as loud as they could, joining in the taunts of Goln. "You see this power? How can you possibly go up against my finest summons? I have slain countless foolish heroes, I have slew even the dragons who were descendants of legends! It is not too late to back down now, my apprentice" He tried hard to put up a facade of nonchalance. One saw through his facade. He saw the fear in him once he gulped. He was not confident against One and has shown his trump cards. He, on the other hand, was not going to use any of his trump cards. He did not need any, instead, he was going to incapacitate Goln. "Now? What do you say?" Goln extended his hand, it shivered with much violence. One stared at him and after raising his chin, he said. "No," A sonic boom then occurred, sending Goln and his pawns backward against the sheer ferocity of the shock wave. Before Goln could even realize what was going on, One was already within arm''s reach. He shriveled with fear at the sight of those blue eyes that were focused entirely on him. One, upon reaching the summoner, smashed his body against the ground just enough to knock him out cold. The two shadows were pushed aback and dropped the little girl who was now lying on the floor. She was alive but suffered some bruises. One took advantage of the confusion and took out his sabers. He dashed towards the shadows and sliced them in half, as he did to the previous shadows. The shadows wailed with a voice so distorted and disintegrated. While the skeletons did not have the means to scream for help or beg for mercy, they displayed those words through their actions. They raised their hands and even lowered their weapons once they saw how futile it was. It was also futile to beg for the slightest ounce of mercy, as One gave them none of it. The scattered remains of the skeletons littered the dead grass around them. Their enchanted weapons lied there, oozing with power but that power was not needed by One. He walked towards Goln, he was just about to stand up. He kicked him. Goln wailed. He kicked him once more, but harder. Goln could not breathe as One hit him on the stomach. One kicked him again and again. Until finally, he drew out his saber. No, he was not going to kill him, One wanted to enjoy the moment. He was being bullied, thinking that they could best him, but sad to say, that was not the case. As he held his sabers, Goln begged for mercy. "No! Please! I beg yo-" One cut off his right hand as it was raised towards him. The man screamed, his voice echoing into the night. Nobody was going to save him, not his summons, not even his master. He shoved others away thinking he could do everything on his own, now it has come to ahead. "NO!" he begged and begged but One cut off his right foot anyway. He wailed again and One cut off his left hand and then cut off his left leg. The man no longer had his arms or legs. He gave out one final cry, one final plea for mercy. "I''ll give you anything! Everything! Please!" One raised his two sabers above his ?h?st and stared at him. "No" He said. He stabbed him through the ?h?st with his two sabers. He did not stop there, while the sabers were deep inside the ?h?st of Goln, he moved them and sliced his ?h?st into a box. Goln died in an instant, his dreams of capturing a metal man, died with him. One withdrew his sabers and paid Goln no more attention. He walked towards the little girl who was still down on the ground. She had woken up and was crying. One knelt down and looked at her, she was afraid but she did not panic. She did not move althoughshe was struck with immense fear. "hm" And then, One patted her head. Chapter 81 - To Bulbon The bones of the skeletons laid on the floor, many were simply piled together while some were scattered about. The sun began to rise from the east, the orange hue reflecting across the clouds. The sunrise had begun when One began to comfort the little girl. She was crying still, but One''s head pat seemed to work a bit. Not expecting her next actions, One was surprised when the little girl suddenly embraced him. He did not know if the little girl was mistaking him for somebody else or was just acting out of pure instinct. Still, One let the girl be. It opened a lock inside him, this warm embrace. One decided to ignore it, it wasn''t anything big or revolutionary. The girl did not stop from sobbing. One had no idea how to handle a crying child, and so, decided to take her by the hand and they wandered off under the emerging sun. As the two walked across the dead grass, passing by the bones and the enchanted items scattered on the ground, the little girl was looking up at One. Her eyes glowed as tears still escaped her lids. To her, One looked like a savior despite his dark aura and character. In her eyes, she saw her mother within him. And once the thought of her mother crossed her mind, she sobbed even more. The two traveled on foot for an hour before the little girl was exhausted. Not wanting to stop, One took her and carried her on his back. "Should I fly?" One thought. "No, it would disturb her" One was not sure where they were going but using his memory, he deduced that they were nearing the Yuhin Kingdom. The nearest city was Bulbon, a walled frontier city. One was too suspicious to enter a city. The tension and threat that he and his forces have generated have made the other kingdoms wary and thus security had been upped. Any individual that would even in the slightest match the appearance of the metal men would be barred entry, or else, murdered. Many poor souls have already been killed despite not being metal men. Paranoia and fear have spread like wildfire, refugees have also begun to flood the kingdoms, generating even more problems. The little girl needed nourishment, One had never encountered this problem before, he knew what was edible and what was not but the problem was, were they fit for consumption for a little girl? One decided to scan their surroundings, the trees looked healthier and the grass greener. They must have passed the dead lands that Goln called. Using his sensors, he managed to detect a few fruits. He placed the little girl on the grass, it was much more comfortable than the grass on the dead lands. The girl had stopped crying, instead, she stared at One with glowing eyes. As One was hacking and slashing the foliage and the branches to get the fruits, she watched. The fruits were composed of apples. There were only apples, was this forest an apple tree forest? One thought. It only took One a few minutes to gather a total of a hundred apples. He was efficient at gathering them all and placing them into a single bag. One was confused where he got the bag from, he did not remember picking it or bringing a bag with him. Nevertheless, he made use of it. The bag was harmless after all, made of simple fibers, it more of a sack than a bag. The apples filled the bag almost to its tip. He then carried it on his shoulder and returned to where he left the little girl all the while the girl stared at him. He placed the bag down on the ground and the girl''s eyes glowed even more as she diverted her attention to the bag. A few apples fell down the sack, the girl then scrambled to get the nearest. She acted like an animal, One then recognized that she had not eaten for quite some time, hence her behavior. "I found you at a village, can you explain to me what were you doing there?" The little girl stopped munching on the apple and lowered her hand. She looked at the ground and did not say a word. "What happened?" The little girl opened her mouth but she struggled to form a sentence. "Do you know how to speak?" One asked. The girl nodded. Maybe she was too traumatized to speak yet, One thought. One decided to ask her another time and let her mind rest. "Go and eat, we''ll try to find a river or any body of water, I know you haven''t drunk any for a few days now" The girl nodded. One then noticed the trembling of her hands and fingers, then he noticed that the little girl was trembling all-over. In his mind, One thought, whatever caused this little girl''s distress, may still be near. Or maybe. The figures he saw inside the village flashed in his mind. Were they the reason? One thought. Whatever they were, if ever this little girl came from that village, she must have run far from those things. One thought for a while, contemplating the possibility that these creatures may have already escaped into the wild and have begun to spread at a rate that even he could not control without sparking an unwanted confrontation. "Why do I have the feeling that I was partially responsible.." As One got lost in his thoughts, the little girl came towards him. "M-mister" "Huh?" One turned around. The little girl was sitting with her legs folded. She was offering him an apple. "No, thank you. You eat it, I don''t need it," But the little girl insisted. At that moment, One decided to eat for the very first time. He took the apple and stared at it for a second. Then he turned his attention towards the little girl who was eager to see him take a bite. If I am a human, then, I must eat like a human. He took the apple near his mouth and he opened wide. He bit down on the apple, the crunching sound was surreal for him. The little girl smiled as One began munching down on the apple. This is useless, One thought. Whatever I eat, it would be converted to energy I won''t even use. But, if this makes it more convincing to this little girl that I am a human, then so be it! One saw the smile appear on her face and so, he continued until he ate the entire apple. Even the center was not spared, much to the astonishment of the little girl. One sighed when he finished. Once he was done, the little girl offered him another while she held another for herself. Really? A peaceful scenery that neither has experienced for quite some time already. Through the bloodshed, chaos, and anarchy that had so far engulfed the continent, these two unlikely partners managed to form a bond. It was not a bond of love, no, One only felt an attachment to the girl that constituted him as being her guardian until further notice. The little girl, on the hand, looked up to One as her savior and reminded her of her mother. She felt fuzzy and secure around the stranger. One felt a feeling of responsibility. When he began this journey of his, he wanted to explore the world as himself, to find something he was missing, humanity. This girl, in his eyes, could be is stepping stone. In other words, she was a tool. The two chowed down on a lot of apples, eating as much as a quarter of the apples inside the sack all the while they were silent with the girl the only one actually speaking. She would say "Mister" sometimes while stuttering. She would repeat this act whilst giving One an apple every time. To his luck, One had almost unlimited capacity inside his stomach, not even the fattest of the fat could beat him in a competition of who can eat the most. When they finished, One thought it was time for him to ask the little girl questions. As she was finishing up her last apple, One patted her head. This surprised the little girl but she continued munching anyway. "Little one," One said. "Y-yes?" The girl looked at One. "Don''t be afraid, I just want to ask you something," "O-okay," She said as she nodded. "Well then, I wanted to ask you, why were you all alone back there?" The little girl stopped munching. "T-they cha-chased me" "Who chased you?" "Them," She must be referring to those abominations, One then decided to ask about anyone being with her before she was left alone. "Was there anyone with you before you were alone?" He asked. "I was with Uncle.. Uncle Sammy, we were on a carriage to the city," She answered. One was surprised that the little girl retained and understood this much, he actually had low expectations. Seeing that the girl could be conversed with to a certain degree that would be beneficial to him, he continued. "Where is this Uncle Sammy?" One asked. "They took him," She answered. "Who is they? Or, what are they?" One continued. "They like slimes, but they took Uncle Sammy with them. I fell, they grab me but I run," "You ran? And then?" "They follow, but are slow. Then I was tired. Then, some goblins came out," "Alright, and then?" The little girl too some time to answer back. "I tired, I fell. Then you came," "Okay then, do you know where the carriage of Uncle Sammy is at?" "No, I not know," The little girl was showing signs of mental damage. She needed to rest or else she may lose it. One decided to stop asking her questions. He lifted her up and took the sack. They then resumed their journey on foot. They were going to a city, It was most likely to have been Bulbon which was a few kilometers to the west. If this little girl was to stand a chance out here with him, One needed to provide her with this world''s necessities. He also thought that this will be a good learning opportunity for him. He can delve deeper into the arts of magic and exploit it when he returns to the Hub. As the sun shined over them and the little girl fell asleep. They were on their way to Bulbon, how they were going to get in? One was planning non-violent means, he hoped. But as they journeyed, One wondered in his mind. He left at such short notice that it was basically passing down the controls to Hailey for awhile, but his two self-aware drones were with her, but he still wondered. What was Hailey doing? - "Please! Have mercy! No!" "Arghhhhh!" "You witch!!" "No!!" "Micheal, what are their statuses?" "Madame Hailey, it seems like they reacted as you suspected, the radiation is reacting with their inner magic that flows through their veins. They are getting choked," "Hm, this was unforeseen, B-7771, please increase the radiation levels" "Roger" "Wait! No! Please no!" "Continue the steady rise, B-7771, but do not over do it." "Roger" "NO!! ARGH-" "They''re changing color now," "Yes madame, something is changing within them." "They''re turning pale," "Madame, they have begun to react differently, their molecular structure is changing," "Interesting, keep at it. We need to see what happens." "Yes." And they screamed and screamed. But nobody was thereto save them. Chapter 82 - Outside Bulbon "Bear with me for a second, we have no identification of any sorts, we are not aligned with any kingdom or state, we are just from a far off village near your borders. We''re here to stay for the night and buy some things before we eventually head off," One said. "Hey, hey, mister, don''t you be acting rash. I am sorry but orders are orders, you need the crystal ball to determine your identity, and you and the little girl don''t appear in it. So, no can do," The guard replied. The two have reached the city of Bulbon and have been barred from entry. They were at the eastern gate, there were many people lined up on the dirt road. One and the little girl had to cover themselves with torn clothing they found on the abandoned carriages they came across along the way. It seemed like bandits have been running rampant around these parts, causing numerous troubles for the travelers. One failed to negotiate his way through despite waiting in line for half an hour. He could not resort to force himself in, lest he provokes the city against him and the little girl. Upon closer inspection, the city was heavily defended. Soldiers manned the walls and the towers, eyes fixated on the people, city and the lands beyond the wall. The two walked away from the dirt road and settled under a lone tree in the middle of a field just a few meters from the wall. As they sat down under the shade, the archers on the wall watched them, their eyes fixated on One. They are suspicious of everything, One thought. The little girl lied down on the grass, rolling about under the shade of the tree. She was having fun while One was planning on how to get it. Should he raise a few red flags at night? As long as he does not get tracked by the garrison, he and the little girl should be fine. But One was still anxious about the fact that he lacks much understanding of magic. The crystal ball was something he had not heard of ever since coming to this world, not even from the intelligence reports of Hailey or his drones. The Machine Empire was still faced with the vast opposition of the unknown and mystery of magic. "Hey" The little girl said as she rolled next to One. She bumped her head on One''s knee as she stood. "Careful," One said. Eh? Careful? Why did I say that? The little girl was wearing the ragged brown gown that they found on a carriage. Her hair was dancing with the breeze that was blowing from the east, her eyes glowing as she stared at One. One, seeing her determination, waited for her to say what she wanted of him. Whatever it was, he was actually willing to do it. As long as he had the capability to do it, that is. Should he force themselves inside the city? Knock down the guards and create confusion and then exploit it? What was it? One waited. "I.. am.." The girl stuttered. "Eh," It escaped One''s mouth. The little girl did not need anything, she was just hungry, again. One sighed, for some reason, he wanted justification to force themselves inside the city if the little girl actually told him to do so, but he remembered, why would a little girl whose age is most likely lower than ten years, tell him to do something complicated. "I don''t understand children," He said as he stood. The little girl extended her arms at One, sending a signal that she wanted to be carried by One. One was reluctant at first but ultimately folded when the little girl persisted. Why was he reluctant? Well, because he did not want to carry a child. One took her by the shoulders and carried her. He stood up to analyze the integrity of the walls and t search for possible points to exploit but the little girl sidetracked him. Instead, One and the little girl just stared at the wall, gazed at the gate and the long line that stretched to as far as the eye can see. While they gazed, One began to feel something inside him unlock. He felt it but could not determine what it was to be exact. There was a clue, however, laid down before him by the little girl. The little girl turned her head and looked at One. At first, she had a curious look on her face and then she smiled at him. And One smiled at her too. One had his first genuine smile over something that was not killing, that was not destruction, that was not bloodshed or war. He smiled because of a little girl. Then he remembered, he still addressed her as ''child'' or ''little girl'' or ''Little One'' . One did not know her name, and so, he asked her. "Little One, tell me your name," He said. The little girl''s smile faded and she looked down on the ground. "Hm?" "I don''t have a name," She said. One was stunned, a little girl without a name. No wonder she did not bother to correct One when he called her in general. "Then, I''ll give a name. If you wish?" The little then looked up and her eyes glowed once again. She smiled and said. "Yes!" Seeing the happiness of the girl, One came to the conclusion that a name must be very special for a village girl. Maybe it was some sort of tradition? To be given a name must be a sacred practice. Huh, a random stranger like me giving her a name, how awkward that is, he thought. One thought for a second, if he was to name her, it should be something that would strike fear into the hearts of any enemy. One had made up his mind at this point, he would personally oversee this young one and along with her, train in the arts of magic. She would be a great pawn for him in the future, but for now, he needed to cultivate her talent, if she had any. "I will name you.." After much deliberation in his head, he named her: "Chloe" Wait! He thought. He just realized that Chloe did not really sound as threatening as he had hoped it would when he said it. No! Wait! Not that! He wanted to take it back and choose another. "Woahhh" The little girl had just embraced it. "I am, Chloe!" Her smile was even brighter than before and her eyes glowed like the sun, they literally glowed. They glowed a yellow light that shined brighter than the sun in the sky. It would have blinded One if he was a normal man. But he could bear it, it was no big deal for him. The same thin could not be said for the others in the vicinity. The soldiers on the walls covered their eyes and cowered behind whatever the could hide. The people in the line on the dirt road turned their backs and screamed in pain while the guards covered their eyes and also turned around. Her light was visible, even from space. One of the Machine Empire''s satellites detected the burst of light and tracked it down, sending its results to Hailey. Back on the ground, One knew this was something that would get them into trouble. As the light from her eyes faded and the normal man could see again, One found himself surrounded. Jumping over the walls came a group of individuals, dressed in golden white armor and a single cloaked man. The archers over the walls lined up and readied their bows and aimed at One. The group that came down from the walls then encircled One, preventing any escape. The little girl was terrified and she covered her head on One''s shoulder. "Surrender that girl!" A voice rang out from the cloaked man. He removed his hood and revealed himself to be a young man with fair skin and black curly hair. One then looked at the ones that surrounded him who wore the golden armor that reflected the shine of the sun. They were all ladies. Was this a strictly girl knighthood or special forces group? One could not risk endangering the little girl, and so he tried to talk his way through. "I mean you no harm, but this girl stays with me," One said. "You dare challenge the authority of her majesty? I will have the Queen''s Guard execute you on the spot if you dare not surrender the girl!" The man threatened. One did not like his attitude. Why was everyone that he met always hungry for blood? Always looking for a fight. He began to see that he had no choice but to actually fight back. Then, someone came from behind the man. It was Grand Mage Kjol of Bulbon. He was a middle-aged man but due to his constant training in magic, has left him looking older than his age. He was wearing a white clock lined with golden stripes. He walked at the side of the man. "Master!" The man said after being startled by his arrival. He then knelt before the grand mage and explained the situation to him. "I very well know, it was good of you and the Queen''s Guard to respond to it immediately. Such power could not be left alone," Kjol said. Kjol noticed that the man he was staring at was no ordinary man. He felt no magic coming from his, but judging by his stance, his eyes and his body, he was someone they should not mess with. And the little girl he was with, she was something of great power herself. Kjol then came to the wrong conclusion that One was actually the little girl''s guard, a holy angel sent down from heaven to defend the girl who could be part of a "divine intervention" of the gods. "Lower your weapons, Queen''s Guard," Kjol said. "W-Why!?" His apprentice voiced his objection. "My apprentice, you need not to worry. For he is not here to do harm and I very well believe that the little girl he brings is actually of great importance, but speaking of that, she must be given under the direct rule of any nation or organization, not even the church," Despite the blasphemy that he was spouting, Kjol had good reason. Since he suspected the girl to be sent by the heavens themselves, it would be foolish and disrespectful to the gods above if a mortal were to try and take control of their divine servant. This was also backed up by One''s presence. He saw him as a guard sent by the gods to guard the girl and keep her away from any mortal influence that may corrupt her. Well, his conclusion was very far from what was really the truth. "Tsk, the master has spoken, lower your weapons!" The man announced. From then on, One referred to the man that was about to fight them as "Silly Apprentice". the queen''s guard lowered their swords and the archers over the walls withdrew their bows. "I apologize for the actions that my subordinates undertook against you, I ?ssure you you''ll be under my care. Come with me into the city, I may very much wish to speak with you two in private." Kjol said. Perfect, One thought. They got their ticket in, though unexpected was the outcome of their visit to the city. This man may be able to help him in cultivating Chloe''s power. judging by the incident that had just occured, her eyes shining brighter than even that of the sun, One had a powerful card he was eager to unlock and exploit. Chapter 83 - Explaining Kjol lead One and Chloe inside the city. There he arranged for a meeting with the two, his motivations were already clear to One who was already scheming on how he could manipulate Kjol and the events that would soon transpire to his favor. The meeting was held inside the Lord''s house which was a grand castle located at the center of Bulbon itself. It was surrounded by bricked roads and refined houses, all of which represented the wealth that the city accumulated and the apparent rich to poor ratio that was very divisive. When One and Chloe were walking through the streets, since they refused to get in the carriage that Kjol offered, One noticed the drastic difference between the outer districts and the inner district. Bulbon was a wealthy city but almost all that wealth was owned by the Lord, nobility and the merchants while the rest of the population was impoverished. The two were subject to a wide audience when they were walking through the city. The Queen''s Guard was ordered to escort them as they walked past and were the main reason for the crowds that formed wherever they went. One then concluded that the Queen''s Guard was highly respected in the city, or maybe in the entire kingdom and he should find a way on how to deal with them if the need ever came for it. The meeting was about to begin. One and Chloe were escorted and directed to the dining room of the Lord''s House. The dining room was luxurious in its appearance and design, purple and violet linen strewed about over the ceiling, golden stuff placed around and about. Even the chandelier was made of gold that glittered along with the rest of the room. "A complete and utter waste of money," One told Chloe who had so far been dazzled by the sparkles. "Mister, why is this a waste of money?" Chloe asked. Oh, that''s right. Judging by Chloe''s lack of any meaningful education and her peasant status, she does not know the importance of allocating money towards the benefit of the people rather than self-indulgence, One thought. Seeing that the two were actually alone in the dining room, One decided to explain his views. "You see, Chloe, I am neither a monarch nor a warlord. But, I am a leader of my own. You may not understand, but although this wealth in and on itself is outstanding, in the long-term it fails to bear any fruit," One said. "How is that, mister?" Chloe asked. "To begin with, you need to know of investment," One said. "Investment?" The curious Chloe''s eyes glowed and widened. "Investing is to commit money to a certain project or any endeavor to generate wealth in the future, and it is darn more profitable than what these people are doing," One went on. One was basing his knowledge with what Hailey thought him. The art of investing for a long-term benefit that was sure to bear more fruit lit up his mind. It was pure genius in his sense. He applied the teachings to his criticism of Bulbon. "But, mister, how would that help? Isn''t it just throwing away money?" Chloe asked. "Hm, well in a sense, it is like throwing away your money since investing can also be compared to gambling. You are, in a nutshell, gambling that your investment would eventually pay off in the future but most of the time, there is no guarantee until you see that the endeavor you invested in is showing much promise," One did not know If Chloe understood him. But, it did not matter, since just a few seconds after their conversation started, he detected that someone was outside, listening to their conversation. It must be one of the Queen''s Guard, or a maid, or that Kjol, though I am not sure, maybe this will play out to my advantage? One thought. "Do you understand, Chloe?" One asked. "No.." Chloe replied with a soft voice. She''s clearly overwhelmed, and it was more than likely that their eavesdropper was also too. One took the opportunity and continued. "Take, for example, this city. From my observations thus far, it is extremely wealthy and is a hub for trade but it overshadows the fact the one''s making money here is leeching off from the poor. Of course, it''s business but their business models seem to be going against competitiveness and promote rampant consumerism that is quite unhealthy for the rest of the people here but lucrative to those who control what is sold and what are on the stalls." Chloe, who at this point did not understand anything at all, just nodded. Tsk, she does not understand but I hope I make my point clear to the eavesdropper, One continued. "This is beneficial and lucrative in the short-term but will inevitably cause problems in the long-run. Take for example, what if a rebellion was to tear this kingdom apart and the leaders of that rebellion promised the poor in this city, which I ?ssume to be 80 to 90 percent of the population, to rise up and revolt against their greedy merchants and their corrupt government? What more once they promise to do better? The desperate masses will gather under their banner, and go against them." One continued. "These people also fail to take into account that these people can also just emigrate to somewhere else, force them to stay, they may just become slaves rather than consumers of what they sell. But, If they were to actually invest in their upbringing, like for example, pouring money to the development of the outer districts, better facilities, more jobs, higher pay and just the right percentage of taxes, these impoverished peasants would rise to those of the middle class. That means, more money from taxes since there are more people with actual money to pay for their taxes. It all comes towards development, sadly, this is not the case," One then stopped his lecture, though he said much and though he knows he had a point, what he said is purely based on his current knowledge provided by Hailey and not because of his own understanding of the matter. He had plans to actually incorporate this strategy of investing to the people once the Machine Empire eventually settled as a state, it was still a long way to go. His true intentions, however, seemed to have paid off. The moment he finished, the figure outside of the dining room fell to the floor, only for it to stand up and walk away. It seemed like the person has had enough of One''s explanation. Will this bear good or rotten fruit, One would soon find out. Then, he heard snoring to his left. Chloe had fallen asleep. Little bastard, One thought. One did not need sleep, he was also distrustful of the people in the castle. He must not let his guard down. Just to be sure, he scanned Chloe for any poisoning or abnormal magical concentrations within her body. She was fine. One then concluded that Chloe found his topic boring. He took the time to take another good look at the little girl. She was still covered in scars and bruises but she was on her way to recovering. One then noticed that her hair was losing its color, changing to that of snow. Her skin and other parts of her body were fine, she was not aging at a rapid pace, rather, her hair was just changing on its own. Kjol offered them a change of clothes, One declined and revealed his raven black body armor, the cracks that glowed blue and his eyes that had irises that seemed to move. In actuality, what he showed them was his n?k?d body. Now, One was actually sitting n?k?d but since he was not a biological human in his entirety, they saw nothing disgraceful. One was still mostly a machine, an android with a human heart. He knew no shame unless he needed to act that he had, he did not fear other humans but fears those he know would pose a direct threat to him or his mission. His outlook on this magical world was as low as ever. Having easily quashed the Freetan Theocracy with its remaining territories up for grabs and his army marching in full force, he seemed unstoppable. But magic was still a nuisance, nuisance that he needed to take care of and Chloe was the tool he was going to use to achieve that. One overhead Kjol, even read his lips to confirm what his ears received. Chloe had an immense magical talent and the sudden glow of her eyes that outshined the sun that was above them was already solid evidence. "Meh, I''m sure everything will work in my favor." The words escaped his mouth just as the door at the opposite end of the table slammed open and One stood up in an instant. "Huzzah! Visitors!" AN IDIOT!, One thought as he saw the man that slammed the door open. "It is I! the lord of this wealthy and beautiful city of Bulbon! It is a p???sur? to meet the angels of the GODS AND GODDESSES! O BLESS YE THE HEAVENS" "What in the actual-" One saw a childish and immature aura leak from him as if the atmosphere that surrounded him that was once peaceful and shrouded by mystery and the threat of ?ssassination was overtaken by this man''s apparent lack of a decent IQ. And, what was up with him calling them angels sent by heaven? "Pardon me, the lord was very excited to meet you and the little girl." Kjol stepped inside and walked by the side of the lord. The two then sat down on the opposite end of the long table with One and the lord directly facing each other while Kjol and Chloe were seated by their respective sides. After they seated, an entourage of maids and some women of the Queen''s Guard entered. The maids all brought dishes, glasses, and tableware. The plates were definitely made of silver and laced with gold, One was disgusted at the lack of prudence displayed. It was clear as day that the Lord was boasting the wealth that he and his friends have accumulated. The maids were horrifying as they were efficient in their skills of setting up the table and presenting the plates, glasses and the food before marching out in unison, proper posture and formation. "A well-trained and disciplined staff, I applaud you," One began the conversation with praise. "Huzzah! I am very glad you liked it. The maids were specifically trained by a captain of the knighthood and oh boy did he do well! -" For a full ten minutes straight, One and Chloe were forced to sit through the Lord''s boasting. And they were not even sure if he was actually the Lord of this city! Kjol cleared his throat. "I beg your pardon, guests, allow me to formally introduce the man that has been gleefully speaking to you," Kjol said as he stood up. He is more of an annoyance that a gleeful person, One was silent in his distaste. "I present to you, Lord Bugrious The X Of Bulbon" Kjol continued. "That''s me!" Bugrious stood and placed his right leg on top of the table. His hands were full of rings that shined and had different colors, his teeth were also golden and not a single natural one could be found. It was going to be the start of a long and tiresome meeting between the humans who thought that were speaking to angels, and the angels who were actually their enemies that will soon engulf their kingdom. Chapter 84 - Attack The meeting went on for about an hour. Lord Bugrious did as much as boast about his wealth and offering One and the little girl positions to serve under him. His suggestions, however, were dissuaded by Kjol who was anxious of offending Chloe''s guardian, thinking that the lord was too much of an idiot, he took over the discussion. Kjol opened up discussion concerning the metal men and relayed them what they knew so far of their movements. In Kjol''s mind, these two were sent to help them win against the metal men who have so far overwhelmed the Freetan Theocracy and have begun to threaten the borders of Yuhin and the Dioz Kingdom to the south. "We also sent a small expeditionary force of 1,000 men to aid the Freetan Theocracy, none of them ever returned." One listened and took into account everything Kjol was telling him. They only knew half of the movements of his armies and some of his intelligence reports were exaggerated. "Some of my spies have reported that they are mustering an army at the Fortress City to our east and preparing to strike deep into the capital!" Kjol began to sweat. He was nervous as much as he was anxious. One downplayed his intelligence in his mind. He and Hailey had no plans on invading Yuhin anytime soon or were they mustering an army at the Fortress City. The Fortress City was only being integrated into the Machine Empire and they must have mistaken the newly arrived worker bots for soldiers. "And so, I implore you! Please send this young one to the Imperial Magic Academy!" Kjol said. Imperial Magic Academy!? One was delighted to hear that there was actually an entire academy dedicated for teaching and honing the magical skills and affinities of their students! One showed a smirk while Chloe tilted her head to the right, visibly confused. "I see, but we landed here. Where is this Imperial Academy?" One asked. "Ah!" Kjol showed a bright smile. "It is no wonder you landed here, the gods must have used me as their guide for you!" Kjol added. "Yes" One played along. With a snap of his fingers, a map appeared from thin air and landed on his palms. He then laid down the map on the table and it expanded, occupying the entire surface and displayed a very detailed map of the continent. One saved the entire thing in his memory, this was a gold mine of information! He had to send it to Hailey as soon as possible to further their plans of world domination. "As you can see, this is a map of Fiorg. On the center over here lies the borders that separate the Republic and the Empire. These two superpowers form the peacekeepers of the continent, their decisions are absolute and should be followed, though us small kingdoms display high-levels of autonomy and self-governance, these two superpowers are undoubtedly still our overlords and we are their puppets." Kjol explained. "I figured as much, when we came here we were attacked by a ''necromancer'' or ''summoner'' so he claimed to be." One added. "A necromancer! they are the vile corrupted resurrectionists who made pacts with fallen gods and refuse to accept death. Evil their magic may be, they are still powerful foes that even I have trouble with. What has happened with this necromancer you speak of?" Kjol asked. "I killed him and his summons," One answered. "Between these borders, there lies the Imperial Magic Academy. The Imperial Magic Academy is an educational venture supported by the two superpowers. It has many thousands of students, all of which are destined powerful mages. I myself came from this very academy but it has been decades since then. My skills as a mage were discovered, cultivated, honed and perfected by the great wizards who run this academy. I have no doubts that the little girl that you bring possessed magical power that even surpasses that of an archmage! And so, I implore you to take her there." One stared at the map for a moment and then stabbed his finger on a peculiar spot next to the location of the academy. It was a river that stretched from north to south of the continent and directly ran next to the academy. "Ah, the Great Fiorg Stream. It is a massive river, the longest in the land. I was about to suggest you take a ship through here, though you must pay a hefty sum. But, seeing that you are of divine nature, I am more than happy to pay for an entire fleet!" At this moment, Lord Bugrious fainted. "Eh, what happened to him?" One asked. "Please pay him no heed, though he is my Lord, his riches were only possible because I allowed him to do it. I know that you are very knowledgeable and have already discerned the true nature of this city." Kjol lowered his head. "I already know and I do not mind. As long as my young lady over here is not bothered. All I need from you is the location of that city, and no, we do not need your fleet. But I thank you for your offer." One said. "Oh! What humility, but I must insist!!" "There is no need, Kjol. Though we came to this city with other reasons, you have presented to us what is of greater importance and I thank you for your help and guidance. We have the capability to cross that stream, and we shall depart tomorrow by the sun''s rise." One said. "Then, if that is what you wish. But since you will be staying here for the night, I insist that you stay in this castle. I guarantee our hospitality, the rooms, and your security." Kjol said. "Then, I accept your offer." One agreed. He got more than what he bargained for. An entire academy of magic was waiting for them and the Little Girl was his ticket in. He thought of all the knowledge he could learn! The opportunities, the number of exploits! And so, One began to make another grand scheme of his. But first, he needed to ensure that Chloe was at the top of her condition, mentally, physically and magically. Reluctant he was at first, he was forced to contact Hailey later that night. And thus, the meeting ended. Lord Bugrious was dragged out by Kjol and the Queen''s Guard escorted One and Chloe to their rooms. Kjol had the maids from before preparing the room in which One and Choe were supposed to stay. They managed to do so in just 30 minutes, completely refining the room from top to bottom. The floors sparkled, the expensive furniture shined. The bed was neat and the carpets were sublime. While Chloe''s eyes glowed in awe and excitement, One did not care of the luxurious setting they were given and instead, after the maids and the guards left, began to secure the room. It was night. The city''s inhabitants have all gone inside with patrols enforcing the curfew. The curfew was unheard of but was ordered by Kjol to further up the level of security. Whilst One placed hidden devices that would alert him of any incoming danger, Kjol was having a meeting with his apprentice several floors above. "Master, are you sure of this?" "Of course I am, can''t you see the divine aura around the girl? It is without a doubt that someone like him, who single-handedly defeated a necromancer, is in fact the little girl''s guardian." "But, master! How can you be so sure?" "My dear apprentice, it seems that you have forgotten. I know when someone is lying and if someone is telling the truth, our magic will reflect on our words even by the slightest hint and I can see that hint. The two of them are telling the truth, their magic is as pure as day. Now, I want you to ensure that nothing happens to them while they stay here for the night." "Y-yes master" Meanwhile, One had just finished making his security system. There were all kinds of devices laid about and strewn about over the walls, the doors, and the windows. There were sensors and the like. All the data was being transmitted in real-time directly inside One''s mind. Chloe had already made herself comfortable on the bed. She was tucked in under the thick blanket, she was already snoozing. One walked up to her and sat beside the bed. "Her hair has indeed turned white, her skin is fairer than before." One then grabbed her hair with gentleness. "Wait" He felt a weird surge of energy from her hair. "Scan" He began to scan her. [Properties M1: High End Scan] "You are indeed a gifted one, don''t worry little one, I will protect you, we will protect you. That is until you are of no use to me." One smiled, his true intentions leaked. But a part of him wanted to believe that it was just a lie, maybe. It was time for her to contact Hailey. It seemed like his journey was going to take an unexpected turn. ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ "ONE!" "Don''t be loud, you''re too obnoxious" "I have be-" "Let me cut to the chase." "Uhm, okay" "With my estimations, have you seized the port cities of the Theocracy?" "We have taken control of most of the port cities, the army is moving swiftly around the mountains and whatever resistance they could muster has been crushed. It''s only a matter of time before we reach the capital." "Good, I am executing Order 1. This is a direct order from One. all available builder bots are to construct a warship for the sea, It should be 1100 feet in length, 25 stories tall maximum. It should be a multi-purpose warship that can house aircraft and deploy them, it should bear the latest guns that can be equipped into it and should be able to house 6000 of our soldiers" "W-what! That is absurd! Why?" "I will need a grand entrance, I will explain everything in detail. But first, RELAY MY MESSAGE ALREADY" "Y-yes" After half an hour of explanation, One and Hailey ended their communication. Though it was unlikely that someone would be snooping on their communications, One wanted to be sure. And so, he then stood from the bed and walked to the middle of the massive room. There, he waited. He stood guard, he was distrustful of the people around them. Chloe possessed far too much power to be left alone, someone was eventually going to hear about it and attempt to kidnap her for their own uses. One was right. The motion sensors began to scream out in his head. Multiple entities were jumping over the roofs and scattering the streets, they were taking out the guards and the patrols silently under the cover of the night. They were not just some thugs, this was an organized and well-directed attack. The queen''s guard was stationed at the door, and then the figures came. One watched as a battle unfolded beyond the confines of the room. Swords were swung and he could see the Queen''s Guard holding their ground, but for how long? Then, magic was used. One ?ssumed that the high-temperature balls were fireballs thrown at the Queen''s Guard. The attack seemed to go awry as the alarm was finally sounded. But they were not backing down. Then, the ceiling above them exploded and down with the rubble came one of the attackers. his physique was that of a small man. He had white hair. Blue eyes. Pale skin. His face was exposed for One to see. He looked like a young boy. He wore a blue trench coat with the heads of a white bear bearing on his shoulders. "I''m sorry, but you have to die," He said as he smiled. Chapter 85 - Academy immediately, the attack dashed towards One. He was fast, the n?k?d eye could b?r?ly keep up but One was no ordinary human. His advanced eyes tracked and predicted the attacker''s movements and One was able to counter him with a punch to the gut. The attacker appeared behind him as predicted and he slammed his right fist into his stomach after doing a spin. "Gah!" The attacker was sent flying to the wall. His body slammed on the wall, causing it to crack and for him to spew blood from his mouth. The commotion woke Chloe up and she was horrified when she saw the attacker get on his feet, he was coughing up blood but still had the energy to fight. One then walked towards him, all the while taking in the information that was going on outside. He did not need to worry about enemy reinforcements for the time-being since the rest were preoccupied with the Queen''s Guard. "Ice Shards!" The attacker shouted as he staggered forward. Two magic circles appeared above him and out came the icy shards. They numbered by the hundreds, the shards were long and were definitely fatal. But One was keen that his armor would be able to take it. The shards struck One at full speed, the attacker grinned for a moment before it was replaced by a jaw-dropped expression. One had tanked his attack, the icy shards did no damage. "Tsk!" He then dashed forward, this time he was faster and cast numerous spells from different directions simultaneously. One saw every attack as if the world was in slow motion. Then, One realized that he was distracting him and was actually headed towards Chloe who was hiding behind the bed. One jumped at the direction where the attacker was supposed to appear next, and again his predictions were right. "KYAH!" The attacker was not able to react in time. One appeared in his way and subsequently slammed him to the ground with his b?r? hands. The impact of his fist was so strong that it knocked him out. He slammed the floor, causing it too to crack. One landed near Chloe just as the attacker was defeated. His blood stained the wall and the floor. The frightened little girl ran toward One and hugged his right leg. "He''s still alive," Chloe said. "I know," One was surprised by Chloe''s comment. The attacker was defeated but he was not dead. One could still detect his pulse from afar, his body still warm. He could already see his magic trying to repair his body to get him up and running again. One, thinking ahead, decided to end him once and for all. Chloe followed behind as One walked towards the downed attacker. The attacker was trembling as he lied face-first on the ground. He then noticed One''s steps and raised his head to see him. He was heavily bruised, blood came out of his nose. His nose was broken and his eyes were no longer the same. He tried to raise his hand to cast a spell but One crushed it with his right foot, ultimately causing him to scream in pain. "Half your body is already broken, I guess you did not expect the tides to turn ? far too confident in your abilities." One said as he crushed the attacker''s other hand. The attacker let out another scream of agony. It was loud enough to be heard by those battling outside. "Was that Kilk?!" "Kilk has been defeated!" "We need to save him!" A total of five entities that were battling outside turned tail and were now headed towards him. "You think I came alone?" The attacker smirked while he squinted in pain. "They won''t last long, you will last longer." One replied. He took his blaster than seemingly transformed his right hand. "I-impossible." The attacker was in awe of the unknown weapon that transformed One''s right arm. And as his allies came crashing into the room from the windows, the ceiling, and the walls. In just three seconds, One shot them all down. The attacker that lied on the ground could only watch as One gunned down his allies with not even a single miss. The weapon that he wielded displayed tremendous power that could only be the works of the legendary Dwarven Smiths! The weapon breathed out a white fire and out came from it a white pillar of energy that he has never seen. The pillar struck his allies and they all fell dead. The area of their bodies on which the pillars struck was burned beyond recognition. No blood spewed. There was no penetration. The pillar seemingly killed its victims by simply touching them. Horrified, he ducked his head to the floor before the sounds of his allies'' bodies crashing to the floor echoed through his ears. Then, only the sounds of battle that raged outside remained and it seemed like they had failed. The Queen''s Guard had finally defeated the attackers on their end and burst through the doors of the room. One and Chloe were standing in the middle of the room. Beneath their legs was one of the attackers, his hands crushed, his body destroyed. Around them were more bodies of the attackers, they lied dead on the floor. What astounded them the most, was that neither One nor Chloe was damaged or injured, they did not even have a scratch. The rest of the surviving attackers were captured while those who resisted or tried to flee were killed by the Queen''s Guard or by Kjol himself. Kjol could not respond immediately when the attackers first came as he confronted by one of his own former students. Their battle shook the ground below them and ultimately, Kjol emerged victorious but his former student escaped. Then, he came down and ?ssisted in the defeat of the attackers whose sole objective was to capture the little girl he promised to protect. He was relieved when he came down the castle and saw One and Chloe standing in their room victorious. The attacker that One had beneath his legs was actually said to be the second strongest of the attackers, a part of the "Diamond Group" of their organization. To think that someone like One easily defeated him further solidified his belief that he was indeed a divine bodyguard of the chosen one. The night then passed, it passed slower than usual for the people in the castle. It was normal since they were on their guard the entire night. The attack severely wounded most of the Queen''s Guard, almost wiped out the central garrison and prompted chaos to temporarily ensue. Several fires broke out around the city as several attackers who were trying to escape burned some houses to distract the warriors in hot pursuit. It was an exciting and exhausting night. Chloe slept on One''s arms as he stood on top of the castle. They were lead there by Kjol so that they won''t be easily found. One had a good view of the entire city from the top of the castle. The moons shined their light and the stars twinkled in the sky. "Speaking of burritos," One said. "I wonder how they taste like." Burritos were a prewar delicacy that Hailey mentioned too. Something that had flat bread wrapped around something meaty and tasty. Minutes passed and then hours, the fires were eventually extinguished and the night soon descended into silence once more. Footsteps echoed behind One inside the stairwell that they used to get to where they were now. Kjol stepped out of the stairwell, clutching in his arms the fingers of the captured attackers. One turned to confront him. "These are the fingers who dared to lay their wretched hands on you and your little girl," Kjol said as he bowed. "No need for the fingers, I have a few questions to ask and you are obligated to tell me." One ?sserted his authority. Kjol was overwhelmed but he could not challenge the authority of the divine, or so he was lead to believe. One knew that he thought he was a divine bodyguard and so wanted to exploit it. "Who were they? Those who just attacked us." One asked. "They were the Black Griffin Sect. A branch of the wider Dark Mahon Organization that was mysteriously destroyed a few winters back." Kjol answered. "Dark Mahon Organization?" One phrased. "Yes, The Dark Mahon Organization was said to have been responsible for the summoning of the metal men. And so, we and other mages and scholars have come to the conclusion that the rogues of the organization summoned the metal men only for them to lose control of them and were subsequently killed. Leaving the metal men to their own devices." "Hm" One nodded. What he was saying was anything but the truth. The Dark Mahon Organization seems to have many names, One remembered that they called themselves differently but maybe they were referring to a specific sect within the organization and not the organization itself? They were the ones who opened the portal. They were the ones that fired the first shots and instigated the war between the two worlds. That''s how One wanted it to be seen as. It was his justification for waging a war although almost none of this world''s states knew of the organization''s plot or that another world aside from them exists. "This sect, they wanted to kidnap Chloe." One said. "The little girl? Uhm, yes. We tortured some of the survivors but they were too hard of a nut to crack. None of them want to give us the information we need." Kjol answered. Interrogation? One specialized in it. Or so he called it an interrogation. "Then, hand me the survivors. I will deal with them myself. Tomorrow when we set out, I want them bound to a carriage or sealed with magic so I can safely transport them to where we are headed." One said. "You''re bringing them to the academy?!" Kjol asked in confusion. "No, I and Chloe will be heading towards somewhere but that place is not something mortals like you should know of, the name or its whereabouts." One made sure he stared at Kjol''s eyes. It was a signal for him to back down any questions, he was to follow his will or he will anger a divine one. Or so he was manipulated to believe. "Then.. It will be done, o divine one." Kjol went on his knees. One smiled but made sure he concealed it. It was all going smoothly. And as the two discussed. A small burrito girl was snoozing in the side, completely ignorant of the world around her. - "Frisha, the master is being tricked! I just know it!" "Slow down there, Hob, we need to trust our master" Frisha combed her hair while Hob, Kjol''s apprentice, walked back and forth. They were inside their quarters, the two of them were lovers and thus, lived together. The both of them were Kjol''s students, both had the same master but had different opinions of their master. "No, Frisha. Don''t you even feel it? That little girl has IMMENSE magical power that even rivals the master''s but his supposed ''bodyguard'' does not even have any magic! I know because I looked into him using my enhanced sense. He has no mana, he is inept! How can someone like that be a divine angel!?" Hob sweated profusely. "Then believe in your master as much as he believed in us, he knows what he is doing." Frisha retorted. "So, we just wait here?!" Hob was getting impatient, the tone of his voice getting higher after each sentence he spoke. "Yes." Frisha replied. Chapter 86 - Journey Back One and Chloe departed from the city of Bulbon by the break of dawn. They left without leaving a word to Kjol or to any of her subordinates. They were only informed that they were gone when a few maids knocked on their doorstep and received no reply. The Queen''s Guard burst in only to find the room empty with a note left on the bed. They gave the note to Kjol and it read: "Thanks" It was a simple gesture, One and Chloe did not want to be followed. Kjol respected his wishes and decided against arranging a search party for them. He trusted One as much as he feared him. Lord Bugrious was relieved to know that he won''t be spending his money on a fleet of ships. One and Chloe began their journey south following the trail from the map that Kjol showed them. Since One had memorized the entire map, he now only needed to follow the shortest route back to their home. He did not want to raise suspicion, hence he did not request for a hovercraft to pick the up near Bulbon or near any major population centers. It would risk them being exposed and his letter revoked. Kjol gave One a letter the night before. This letter had his signature and his magic seal to prove its legitimacy. They were to present it to the Wizards of the academy, the letter was said to ensure that Chloe would be admitted and looked after. One wanted to accompany Chloe in the academy, something Kjol said would be a tougher than Chloe''s admission. "I''ll see what I can do" Kjol said back then. "Please do." One replied. And so they were off into the wilderness to the south. The trail was a dirt path like last time but had significantly more traffic. They would regularly encounter carriages, some alone, some with escorts. Some were even packed with adventurers. Villages in the area were still empty. The storm that they were expecting to hit a few months back never came. They sighed relief but their fortune was turned around when news of the dead lands spread. The dead lands, a land that suddenly appeared in the wake of the storm, has become infamous throughout. Rumors have spread that the dead trees have begun to walk over the earth, the grass would trap your foot and place you under the mercy of the trees. One did not know any of the rumors, but he saw what he saw back then. It struck him an uneasy feeling, a feeling of uncertainty, a looming danger. His main suspect was magic, but what was choking that magic? That same thing that almost killed Chloe. Might one day kill him. "Fuw." Chloe wrapped herself using an oversized fur coat. One also stole the fur coat from Kjol but since he does not mind One stealing a few small things, he went along with it. One and Chloe''s journey down the trail was slow, One wanted Chloe to strengthen her legs and so, forced her to walk. Chloe accepted the challenge and has thus far walked a few kilometers at best with One''s help. It was noon, the sun was at its brightest. There were scarcely any clouds in the sky, the sun was all there is. Chloe was exhausted. "Mister, can I go sit down?" Chloe asked. One did not know fatigue or exhaustion but he was smart not to compare his body to this little girl''s. Both were different and had their own special needs. There were a lot of trees around them, some were lone while some were in groups. "Pick a tree, we''ll go and rest there." One said. "Yay!" Chloe cheered. She went to the nearest group of trees and lied on her back against the meadow. One followed behind her and sat under the tree. The shade was more than enough to block out the sun and give them space to breathe. Chloe was a sleepyhead, evident by her constant ??pse into sleep whenever given the opportunity. As soon as she lied down under the shade, she fell asleep. She also snored, albeit not that loud. "Maybe because she''s full." One said to himself while he checked on her temperature. One made sure Chloe ate a lot before they left Bulbon. One was surprised by how easy it was for them to actually leave the city without attracting attention. Taking advantage of the commotion last night, he managed to figure out holes in the security of the city and sneaked out at first light. One tilted his head to his right shoulder and closed his eyes for a good moment, just for the fun of it. Although he does not know the concept of fun, based on Hailey''s explanations, this should be having ''fun'' right? "Who am I kidding." He muttered as he opened his eyes. "Acting as if I am a normal human will never turn me into a normal human. I will still be who I am, a machine inside a human body. A human body that was not even purely so. I have a human heart but I have the mind of a machine, together, these two form me. I am me, I am One. But, what was my real name? Before the world was plunged into darkness. I guess I won''t know for now, or will never know." For all, he knew, before the portal, before the machines, before he even woke up. The world was already dead and who knows how long has it been dead? He could only scavenge what remained of the prewar human civilization. He could make out they did, how they did it and why they did it. Looking back. He remembered. He and a group of drones were exploring the ruins of the United Governing Building. Prewar armored and mechanized vehicles were entrenched around it, most had holes blown into their hulls, the skeletons of their crews displayed the shadow of their deaths. After breaking through the entrance, they went and explored the inside. More and more skeletons plagued the destroyed halls, blasted rooms and charred floors. It seemed like the humans scuttled the entire building when it was breached by the enemy. Whatever enemy it was, the defenders were desperate not to surrender whatever information this building held. The information must have been critical to humanity''s survival but sadly, as evident by the lifeless Earth and blown up mars, they still failed. The building above ground was destroyed and was of no use but the building below it was still relatively intact. One and his drones came across a vault, judging by the damage, it was evident that something bashed it open. Beyond the vault was a long hallway full of prewar battle suits with their pilots still inside, albeit lacking flesh, blood or skin. One and his group of drones could only equip the smaller armaments they have so far managed to learn how to use prior. Staring at the big guns that were on the floor, begging to be wielded once again. They ignored the spoils and proceeded deeper underground. The human defenders fought bravely here, whichever hall or corridor they would go through, there were barricades, more downed soldiers, more signs of heavy fighting. The underground facility had doors but most were either blown out, had a huge hole in it or just needed a little nudge and would go apart on its own. The rooms housed destroyed supercomputers, archives and the like. It only took them a few minutes of constant digging through the rubble to find the secret stash of papers. For whatever reason, the prewar human government decided it best to store its information into a mountain of documents. It was a smart move actually, in an event of a data breach or massive data loss occurring in their digital systems, these papers would become great back-ups. Primitive and a hassle they may be, they still served the purpose well. Half of the documents were either already ashes, partially burned or were downright unreadable due to decay. One and his drones made use of the other half and began to rummage through them all. The documents were literally stacked in a pile that resembled a mountain. One and the drones had to organize the documents themselves, with all the time in the world, that was what they did. For 13 hours One and his drones organized the papers into an organized mess of documents. The documents ranged from top-secret projects and reports to daily tax reports, apparently, One recalled that one region was not paying taxes at all. "Humans." He muttered to himself as he was sat down on a corner of the room. His drones were still hard at work, displaying no signs of fatigue or confusion. Their only enemy was the large pile of possibly hundreds of thousands of documents and files. Rearranging all of it manually was still a lengthy process. When they got up to the upper building. They found themselves trapped inside due to a dust storm. It was a massive storm of dust particles with speeds reaching roughly 400 kph. With the material their cargo was made of, it was far too risky for them to make the trip back to the machine factory. And so they had to wait out the storm. The drones stood stationary beside the big black boxes. Standing as if they were part of a special forces military. They were just drones, robots, mere machines programmed to blindly follow One''s orders as effectively and efficiently as possible. They had no free will, no emotion, they just stood. One was alone yet he did not mind. Whatever humanity he had was long extinguished and he even embraced his loneliness. He was a king with literal pawns in a chessboard. He manually moved the pieces, and the pieces will follow without objection nor hesitation. Playing a game of chess with himself against the world and whatever nature was throwing at him. He would sometimes be sarcastic and call mother nature "vengeful" since its Gaia was corrupted and was seeking vengeance. And since from what he knew, humans were the main pollutants of Earth. So why wouldn''t mother nature be vengeful? But, looking back. He knew of the theory of evolution, of how humans evolved from apes. "Hm, mad at your own creations. You should have made some firewalls to prevent them from going haywire, backups or whatnot." He said to the air. And with all of this flashing inside his head. He was then slapped back into the present by Chloe. "Yiesh, what do you want?" He said. "Eh?" One then realized, he had been lost in his thoughts for the entirety of the afternoon. One heard a rumble and looked at Chloe. She blushed. "Great, you''re already hungry." One said after which he stood up and began to scan the trees. "Bad luck, it seems like these trees don''t bear edible fruit. let''s get going before it gets dark. let me carry you." One said. Chloe nodded with eagerness and jumped on One''s arms. they continued their journey south as the sun began to set and the moons began to appear in its place in the sky. Chapter 87 - Going home One called Hailey after the sunset. He requested Hailey to dispatch a hovercraft to pick them up under the cover of darkness. It was to use its stealth capabilities to their fullest to avoid attracting any unwanted attention. Hailey obliged and the nearest Hovercraft that had the capacity to get the two off the ground was well on its way. One and Chloe were standing under an oak tree. The night sky was clear enough for them to see a multitude of stars twinkle in the endless sea of space. The moons shined bright too, it was as if the moons were forever full moons, illuminating the landscape. "Mister, are we going to your home?" Chloe asked. One took off one of his implants and turned his attention to Chloe. "Yes. You will be staying in that home of mine for a while and afterward you''ll be going to an academy. Alright?" One said. "Academy?" Chloe asked again. Gah, she does not know what a school is, One thought. "An academy is like a school." One said. "What is a school?" Chloe asked again. Eek! If she does not know what a school is, how can she what''s an academy. "School is where kids like you go to learn." One explained. Chloe''s eyes glittered like the stars above and her mouth opened as she gave out an "Ohh" "Chloe. You are a young girl. A child. A school is something run by older people to teach young people what they need to know in life." One explained. Explained like a pro! Or so he thought. It was the roughest explanation that he could think of, hoping that Chloe finally understood what a school was. Chloe nodded but continued to stare at One. This was a sign that she was waiting for more. Crap, One needed to explain even more. "Here, sit down." One sat down and leaned against the trunk of the tree. Chloe followed and sat down as well with her gleaming eyes still fixated at One. And so, One continued his explanation. "A school. That is where you learn, that is where you get to know the things that you need to progress in this world of yours." One said. "My world?" Chloe asked and tilted her head to the right in curiosity. Did she notice my wording? One asked himself and began to suspect that Chloe might be more knowledgeable that he thought she was, maybe she was highly knowing of other aspects and subjects while completely ignorant of others? Wait! "Yes. This world is yours. Of course, you need to know how to handle what it gives, for what it gives is yours and yours is the world and so what it gives is you giving it back to yourself, be it glory or pain. Luxury or poverty, that is why I am sending you to school." One began his manipulation of Chloe. "Do you understand now?" He asked Chloe who''s eyes began to gleam even more so than before. But that gleam, that shine in her eyes soon faded and she lowered her head and stared at the ground. That''s right, One only found her on the verge of death and whatever past life she had before then was still ripe in her memories. She may have had a family, or she has a family but they abandoned her. But judging by her story, she was with a man. The dead lands, if One had the time he planned on investigating it thoroughly but with more firepower. One then tried to take a look of her face and went over the grass. He saw the tears slowly form in her eyes and witnessed a few drops escape and water the grass below them. One had no idea what to do, he did not know how to comfort a human child! What was he supposed to say? What was he supposed to do? He needed to act quick. He knew that his reaction to Chloe''s crying will impact their relationship and if done right would get her closer to One. Ha! An idea shot One''s mind. He raised his two arms and positioned them around Chloe. She did not bother looking at him, she was too engrossed in her emotions, in her sadness. Then, One hugged her. She could no longer hold back her feelings and she let loose it all on One''s shoulder. She cried and cried. Her wails were strong and echoed through the night. But she felt secure after that, she felt secure in One''s embrace, warm and fuzzy. A feeling that she gladly remembered. She ceased her sobbing and One removed himself. Was is a success? He thought. His answer was as clear as day. Chloe was smiling at him, though her eyes were swollen and what''s left of her tears marked her cheeks and her lashes, she smiled. Her smile punched something inside One. Something in his heart was burst open but was closed right after. Nevertheless, One ignored it and focused on the main thing that he was after. Chloe''s allegiance. "Thank you." Chloe said. She then got on her feet and smiled one more time at One who at this point really unknowing if this smile of hers was another yes or a threat. In other words, he was afraid he was getting played at by a little human girl. The Hovercraft arrived not long after the two were done. It hovered above their heads and shined its bright white light at them. It was time for them to go. Chloe could not stare at it, the light was too bright for her to bear and so she cowered behind One. She thought the light was yet another monster that had come from the woods. One looked at her and gave her a smile to reassure her and rid of her fear and doubts. The hovercraft landed on a grassy plain near where they where. It opened its doors and out came a battalion of the newest generation of soldier drones. They were lean, tall and mean fighting machines who would follow One''s orders with no hesitation, no objection, no insubordination. Their armor was state-of-the-art, made from various precious metals that Hailey personally oversaw the creation of. They were the latest of her breakthroughs at re-engineering prewar technology left behind by the former human civilization. Though the drones were equipped with the latest blaster, configured and installed with the latest systems and commanded by a far more sophisticated AI than their former versions, they were still not within the standards of Prewar Battle Droids. The drones formed a perimeter around the hovercraft. Two of the drones walked towards One, prompting Chloe to clutch tightly around One''s right leg. The drones only walked towards One and stopped halfway before forming an opening between themselves. It was One''s signal to finally get on the Hovercraft. There was no doubt that it was Hailey commanding them. "Hm, Chloe." One said as he grabbed her hand. "Time for us to go home." One tugged Chloe who began to walk behind him. She did not resist, she was just afraid. She had never seen such a thing as a drone, let alone a machine. Everything she saw that night was just overwhelming for her. The Hovercraft then lifted off the ground and flew back to the Machine Hub. One then activated his transponder, allowing Hailey and the entire Machine Empire to know of his whereabouts as long as he was within range of the radars they have set up. Choe stayed close to One but she was soon distracted by the view she was given. By One''s orders, the hovercraft opened its small windows, allowing Chloe to see the world below. She saw the lights of the villages, towns and the cities. She saw below her the great forests, the dirt roads, the meadows, the grasslands, lakes, and rivers. "Amazing." She said under her breath. One heard her, what could he do but give her a smile? Chloe smiled back, One then realized that the Little Girl was now accustomed to him. She was no longer afraid of One. "Micheal is with his partner leading the final attack on the Freetan Capital." One of the drones suddenly talked. "You talk? Not again." "It''s me!" The rough voice of the drone suddenly changed to a familiar tone. "Oh, Hailey, it was just you. Wait, don''t tell me you have ?ssumed control of this drone?" One asked. "What if I told you I have ?ssumed control of all of the drones with you right now? Except for the Hovercraft." Hailey said through the drones. They all spoke in unison, proving to One that she has indeed ?ssumed control of every drone with them. One sighed. The little girl was too distracted looking through the window, so she did not care. "How is the final attack?" One asked. "The surviving magic council of the Freetan Theocracy cast a shield around the fourth inner wall of the city. The shield was tougher than initially thought and not even our artillery could pierce it." Hailey said. "How about the rail guns? Have you deployed them? We need to take care of the Freetan Theocracy once and for all and establish ourselves a permanent foothold in this peninsula." One elaborated. "I know, One. Micheal has ?ssured me that they would break the barrier soon. He and I hypothesized that the barrier was relying on their caster''s magic. It''s only a matter of time before they exhaust themselves of even their inner magic and the barrier will be breached and our army will take care of the rest." Hailey sounded confident. She had every right to be. The Freetan Theocracy no longer put up that much of a fight against them and would soon fall. Whatever resistance they were mustering could be easily crushed, defeated or would just downright fall apart. One smiled at the thought of the crisis he had just made. The Freetan Theocracy was home to millions of people, hundreds of thousands were already dead in the wake of the paltry crusade that they waged and now more than a million of their citizens have become refugees. Fleeing to the south to seek refuge in the Dioz Kingdom. Some would eventually find their way to Yuhin and Herlion. It was complete and utter chaos. "But.." One suddenly remembered. "What is it?" Hailey asked through one of the drones. "Ivy and Vilvintine. We haven''t heard from them yet?" One asked. "No, not yet. But they are alive. We haven''t received anything that would say otherwise. Shall we send a rescue mission to their last known destination?" Hailey suggested. One was obviously distressed just by judging the sound of his voice. "Maybe, we''ll discuss this later once we get there." One answered. This was his last message before falling into complete silence for the rest of the trip. Back at the hub inside the room on the highest floor. Hailey was smiling as she turned off the panel she was using to watch One and the little girl through the eyes of the drones. she then sat down on the chair behind her and placed her hands together. "Finally. A bit of Johann is coming back. How I missed you for all these years." Chapter 88 - Home When the Hovercraft touched down on the airbase, not a single word came out of One''s mouth. He held the little girl with his hand as they walked out. He even ignored Hailey who was standing near the airstrip where they landed. She waved at them, hoping he''d notice her. One only looked at her for a moment before walking out of view escorted by a new set of drones. Cloe was amazed all throughout. She saw the towering buildings made of metal, the hundreds or maybe even thousands of the same looking creatures walk in lines and in perfect order. Some carried strange boxes, some carried crates while others simply walked to wherever they were headed. The place they walked through was surprisingly spacious albeit it was the center of tremendous traffic still. Wherever they went the drones in front of them would stop and form a corridor just to let them pass through before continuing on with what they were doing. "Mister, is this your home?" Chloe asked One as she tightened her grip around his hand. One looked at her and smiled. "Yes, this is my home and from now on, the people you see around you will be your allies." He said. He then returned his sights in front of him. Towering in front of them was their main building. The command center of the entire Hub. It was there that he would have Chloe stay. "Wah!" Chloe was excited to see her new home that towered even beyond the clouds. The tower has since been renovated and expanded since One left. With Hailey''s architectural touches, the tower''s lower half was similar to that of a pyramid to accommodate more space. The lower interior was refitted to be a more welcoming and lavish space for future visitors. Hailey knew that One did not plan on dominating the world through bloodshed alone. He must soon set himself up as the leader of this new country in this gigantic magical world and seek recognition from other states. One and Chloe entered through the main entrance accompanied by a parade of well-decorated drones. The decorations did not mean anything, they did not reflect any real outstanding achievements done by the drones. It was just set up to impress the little girl. Hailey already caught wind of what One intended to bring out of the little girl he saved. "He plans on turning the human girl into a future weapon? A weapon to control the humans while being able to display tremendous power to keep the rest in line?" Micheal asked through Machine Network. Hailey smiled and replied. "Yes, that''s why I arranged this ceremony. The interior has been thoroughly decorated with decorations and symbols that reflected our might. Of course, she''s a young human girl, easily manipulated and easily indoctrinated. We are helping One shape her." And what she said was true. The further they got into the lower section of the tower, Chloe was met with steady formations of powerful-looking soldiers that looked the same and wielded the same weird staffs. What she did not know that there were more surprises to come. "Uh" Chloe jumped onto her bed. She was tired from everything that happened in the last few hours. She cried so hard while being embraced by One, then she saw the world from above. And now she was inside her own room with her own bed in a city that was said to be One''s home. "Too.. many.. surprises.." Chloe yawned and rolled a few times over the bed. One had dropped her off in this room so she could rest. "Rest for a while," He told her. "We won''t be going any time soon since I am preparing you. This room was specially made for you, I hope you like it." "I like it very much." She said to herself. She rolled again and fell onto the floor. "Ouch" She said while she rubbed her forehead. She then stood and gave her room a closer look. The entire room was painted gray with a few variances in shading. The walls were gray, the ceiling was shaded darker while the floor was shaded lighter. There were only a bed, a wooden wardrobe and a small table with a chair inside the room. The wooden table was placed to the right of the bed while the wooden table and the chair were placed to the left near the glass walls. The glass walls enabled her to see what was below her. She stood and walked to the glass wall. She was first hesitant since she had a small fear of heights but One ?ssured her that nothing would break the glass. So, after a few seconds of thinking and hesitation, she went and placed her two small hands on the glass. The glass was sparkly clean, the cleanest she had ever seen and the closest she has ever been to glass. Glass was considered a luxury item since it was hard to make. To see it in such a thick concentration and used so heavily as to form a wall like this meant that One was extremely rich, or so he thought. Forgetting her fears, she placed her forehead at the glass and looked down. The city below her was buzzing with activity and shining with lights. It was her first time seeing the skyline of the hub, the lights astounded her more than when she first walked through the hub. "Amazing," Her eyes sparkled as she saw a squad of hovercrafts flyby. They were fast but just at the right speed so that Chloe could see them. The towering buildings, the moving lights, the thousands of workers that streamed below. All amazed her. She spent a good amount of time just watching the action through the glass. It was not until someone knocked on her door did she finally looked elsewhere. "Who could that be?" She told herself as she walked away from the glass wall. She walked close to the door and then it opened abruptly, frightening her slightly. "Hi hi!" A beautiful woman with short golden hair greeted her. "Eek!" Chloe let out a shallow cry and ran behind her bed. "I told you not to scare her." One entered the room. Hailey merely smirked and walked towards Chloe. "Chloe, it''s fine. This woman right here is my ?ssistant, she will take care of you for the time being," One said as Chloe slowly stood from behind the bed. Hailey went and extended her right hand to formally greet the little girl. She looked at her with an awkward expression and extended her hands for her to see. "She''s shivering! Is it cold?" Hailey noticed the little girl''s hands shake violently. "She is not shivering you fool, she is trembling because you scared her." One rebuked. Hailey gave One a stern look before looking back at Chloe. Her stern look was immediately replaced by a warm smile. "I am Hailey." She said as she forced her smile further. "I-I am Chloe." Finally, Chloe mustered enough courage to speak a word. "You are literally terrifying and I thought you had credence when you called me monster-faced." One was obviously mocking Hailey who retaliated by shooting an energy bullet at him with her gun only for it to be easily tanked by One. "Why is she giggling all of a sudden? Wasn''t she terrified just a few seconds ago?" Hailey asked. "You tell me, maybe she found your demeanor laughable and decided to let out her pity." One retorted. Mean! Hailey thought. One was as cold as ever, she felt embarrassed for even having the slightest hope that upon One''s return that he would have changed even just a bit. But no, One was the same as ever and Chloe did not do anything but provide him with yet another pawn that he could use in his chessboard. That chessboard of his was missing two pieces though. "I will leave her now. I gotta go and try to find where our two friends are." One said before leaving. Chloe was no longer giggling but she was standing and looking at Hailey. "Kid, we are going to have a lot of fun together!" Hailey said with excitement. Chloe nodded slowly. "First, we need to get you into shape, both physically and mentally! Starting tomorrow, you and I will train together. I will guide you through each of the challenges you will be presented with, train hard and work hard! For this is life and your enemy is the world. Your only allies are us and the only safe haven in this world is this place. This place shall now be your home, you abode, your life! And we shall be your guardians, your parents and your friends! So do not fret. Work hard¡­." Hailey leaned closer to Chloe and grabbed her chin with gentleness and tilted her head up. "Because this world is yours," She whispered. "Hm!" She nodded repeatedly. She was eager to learn! She still remembered the tragedy that befell her and now that she was given a chance to straighten her life, she was willing to give it her all. "That''s the spirit!" Hailey said before grabbing Chloe''s hand. "Eh?" Hailey then proceeded to drag her out of the room. "W-where are we going?" Chloe asked. "One would kill me if I forgot, you are young and need nutrition so I am taking you to eat!" Hailey answered. "Food!" Later that night, Hailey had a captive human cook work tirelessly through the night. Presented to Chloe was a long table of food that even she did not think she would get. She spared no shame and went all out. She went through the entire meal with such enthusiasm that even Hailey was surprised of her appetite. Secretly, Hailey contacted One. "One." Hailey said as she walked into a corner of the room where they were in. "What?" One said through the other end. She could hear the sounds of marching at One''s end of the line. "Are you leading a battalion right now?" Hailey asked. "Yes, I am gonna go and bring down the Freetan Theocracy once and for all." One confirmed. "Anyways," Hailey said. "You never told me that this girl has a big appetite! She has already consumed half of the food that was prepared!" Hailey said while the little girl continued her glutenous behavior. "It''s fine. As long as she does not gain any medical complications. She must have not been treated well in the past and so she is having a fit of hunger. Let her be. The more she eats, the stronger her body will become." One knew about Chloe''s appetite the moment he fed her the apples. Even he knew that eating half a sack of apples was a task not so easily achieved by a little girl with such a small body. "One, you do know that eating so much will eventually get her fat?!" Hailey did not want Chloe to get fat. She would if she continued to eat at a rate like this everyday. "You''re the one who told me that you''d get her mind and body into shape for her upcoming mission. You were the one who told me that you''d deliver, now don''t disappoint me and deliver." One was confident that simple exercise would do the trick and that Hailey was responsible if Chloe got fat. "S-still! Look! She''s almost consumed the entire meal!" She was not wrong. Chloe''s eyes gleamed as she was about to consume the last roasted chicken on the table. "Well, have the chef cook another batch as if the human had a choice in the first place." "Sigh... will do." Hailey ended the connection. She just watched as the little girl finished off the first batch. Burp. Chloe blushed after burping and tried to hide it. "Sigh¡­ I''ll go tell the chef to cook one more?" Hailey asked. "Sure!" She was still hungry for more! Luckily Hailey had prepared the ingredients necessary but there was only one problem. Will the chef last for long? He is already driven by fear of execution but if he was to be overworked repeated, then that was another problem all the way. "Another!" Hailey shouted at the chef on the other room. The chef was a skinny man wearing a makeshift apron over his rugged clothes. He gripped his spatula tightly and said "Yes" in a highp pitched voice. Hailey smiled and asked Chloe to wait. In a few minutes, the second batch was being served. Hailey watched as Chloe devoured the second batch like a wild beast unleashed from its cage and given free reign to feast on its victims. She would use a variety of methods to consume the food. She would use her hands to grab hold on some of the food or use them to outright claw the food depending on what type it was. She would also regularly use the utensils that Hailey provided. She would impale the food, cut the food, as long as it was able to fit inside her mouth. Suddenly, when she was halfway through the second batch of food. She stopped. "Eh? Are you done?" Hailey asked. "W-water!" Chloe was choking! Hailey had forgotten to provide her water. In a haste, she went and ran out through the glass wall, landed on the ground, ran to the nearest river and took out an entire gallon before returning. It took her five minutes despite her best efforts. When she returned, however, there was no need to rush. Chloe had already finished the second batch and was asking for a third. "You''ve got to be kidding me?!" She screamed inside. It seemed like Chloe was going to be more troublesome than expected. Just with her appetite, Hailey was under-equipped and unprepared! Next time she must take notes of every possibility and variable lest she once again falls short. The night was long, in the end, the chef fainted after finishing the fourth batch. The skinny chef was sent back to the Fortress City for treatment. Chloe fell asleep a minute after finishing the fourth batch. She was sound asleep, prompting Hailey to carry her to her room. Hailey grabbed her and carried her to her room. Upon tucking her in bed, Hailey watched her for a minute. she took a good look at her, then she realized that she had seen her before. Hailey''s ?ssumption when she first saw her was correct. She then displayed a blank expression. she then turned her back and went for the door. Before shutting the door behind her, under her breath, she whispered. "I''m sorry I killed your mother." - "You plan on sending her too?" "Of course, they are both little girls. Both display abilities that we can exploit. Though the man from Bulbon gave me a letter that would get Chloe accepted into the academy right away, I am not sure about the other girl. "She''s been living with her mother for months, they''ve been integrated well into the Fortress City too. If we were to take the little girl from her mother, this might affect our plans of forming good relations with our captive humans." "You got a point, well, according to Kjol, the academy will officially start accepting new students next year before the start of the semestral cycle, or so they call it that." "I will get them into top shape before then, we still have half a year." "Don''t forget my ship, I want it done by then too." Chapter 89 - Void, again "Huh?" The sound of water dripping onto a puddle echoed. "Where am I?" The scenery was black, void and empty. There was nothing for him to see but his n?k?d body. "I''m.. human again?" He could see his n?k?d body float inside the abyss he was trapped in. He was alone and cold. For some reason, despite there being nothing, he felt a shiver run down his spine and a cold breeze blow through his skin. "Wind," He said. "There must be something here." Suddenly, the scenery changed and the void in which he was in just now was enveloped by a flash of light. The light was so bright that he covered his eyes and cowered in fear. He screamed and screamed, begging for the light to stop. His skin could not stand the light, it burned him thoroughly. Then he felt himself fall. He fell from someplace high. He felt the air gush through his body and gravity pulling him downwards. Where was he? The scenery had once again changed and the light that showered and burned him was transformed into the sun. The sun was blazing that day. Scorching him though the air was cold. He could not move his body, he could only look ahead of him and he saw only the building from where he fell from. The very top of the building he noticed a silhouette of someone watching him. "Who is that?" And then, darkness. He felt his body jolt. I must have hit the ground, he said in his thoughts. "Where am I?" He asked the same question again and again nobody answered him. He then felt weightless and began to choke. He held his neck as a reflex to the situation. He was getting choked by the lack of air. He lost his vision for a second and thought that he was dead. Only for him to find out a few seconds later that the void that engulfed him a second time was once again replaced. This time, he was inside a space station. The space station was in bad shape, littered with holes and malfunctions. Wherever he looked, there was only destruction. He then realized he was inside a spacesuit. A tight spacesuit with a big hole on his ?h?st. "AH!" He screamed when he saw the hole. He could see his internal organs. To his horror, his left lung came out of the hole and stuck directly on his helmet where he could see the entire thing up close and personal. He was no longer choking, or so he was until he realized that he was no longer breathing. He then felt another jolt of energy kick him back into motion. This time the space station was swallowed by a black hole, he witnessed the entire thing. Time seemingly sped up and then suddenly slowed but once they passed the event horizon, he felt a stinging pain envelope his body before he found himself back to where he started. In a void. "Again?" He said softly. He was rather lax even though he was just tremendously tortured just a minute ago. He once again floated aimlessly in the void in which he started. He was waiting for to change, for something to light it up. But many minutes passed and there was nothing. He did wait. He stared at the void for hours on end until he felt tired and fell asleep. He then slept but he dreamed of nothing but darkness. The human mind would dream of anything it has seen in its lifespan but even though he saw a lot of things just a few hours ago, his dreams were empty. A blank slate. He woke up to the same void, but this time he felt different. He felt somehow refreshed. His mind began to rumble, he could feel it rumble like his stomach. Now he was experiencing a stomach ache while his mind rumbled as if it was hungry for something. "Gah!" He screamed as the rumbling of his brain turned violent. It was now shaking, trembling and he felt it explode but the pain would not go away. Though he could not see, he felt his hands bash his head in reflex. He bashed his head repeatedly, screaming for the pain to stop before trying to pull out his hair. Then the pain stopped and another flash of light burned him. It was the same light, but somehow felt different than the last. This time, though he could not see, he felt that he was standing on solid ground. He moved his feet, they were b?r? meaning that he was b?r?foot. He felt the ground beneath the soles of his feet and to his surprise, it was burning. He did not feel pain although it was burning. The flash of light slowly got dimmer and what appeared before him was nothing short of a nightmare that he hoped was not true. He hoped he was dreaming instead. He was standing on a hilltop where the grass all around him has been set ablaze and in front of him was a city. The city had been destroyed and what''s left of it was a demolished skyline with fires that burned and puffed out smoke that covered the sky. In the middle of the city, he saw the mushroom cloud. The mushroom cloud was still rising to the upper atmosphere, judging by the size of the city and the distance between him and it, it wasn''t far off for him to conclude that the mushroom cloud was visible from space and was undoubtedly responsible for the destruction that he was witnessing. "No, this can''t be!" He shouted. No! No! No! No! No! He repeated himself. He repeated his wails, he shouted curses at the mushroom cloud and cursed himself. "I should have done better! I should have done better!" He said to himself. Then, he felt his skin slowly peeling away. "eh? What? No!" His skin peeled itself off, exposing his flesh to the world. After the last pieces of skin were stripped from his body, out from the ground came the roaches. They were by the thousands and they swarmed him in an instant. "No! Get off me! Get off me you bugs!" The bugs were not gonna listen to his pleas or his cries. They started to devour his exposed flesh and organs, he felt their tiny mouths slowly nibble away his being. He screamed a,d wailed as if he was in much pain but he actually was not. He felt fine, he only felt the nibbling but no pain. His screams and his wails were just him at the peak of human fear. He feared for his life as if he was going to die. But he did not feel that he was going to die. He could still breathe although his lungs were getting nibbled off, he could still see although his vision would be covered by the roaches. While the roaches swarmed him, he got pushed back by a strong blast that sent him to the ground. "Ah!" He shouted. He opened his eyes and found himself into yet again an unfamiliar situation. This time, he was a fallen soldier. He tried to stand up but to no avail. There was nothing he could do, he could not feel his entire ody yet he could see through the soldier''s eyes. Faintly, he heard the distant echoes of battle. Gunshots and explosions echoed in the hallway where he lay. "What''s happening." He felt like sobbing but how could he? The current body that he had had neither the capacity nor the life to sob! He felt miserable, absolutely miserable. He watched as the young pilot''s expression changed to that of a desperate man. He fired his pistol but judging by the way he was reacting, it was of no use. Whatever enemy that was approaching him was clearly not being stopped. He then stood and howled in pain as the crooked leg of his impeded him. He then watched as the pilot dragged himself out of his sight, never to be seen again. "Gah!" The body suddenly sprung awoke and he was forced to feel its pain. He coughed an alarming amount of blood before he regained control of his motor skills and his limbs. He could now walk and he wanted to run. He moved his head and saw only a seemingly endless hall that was riddled with debris. There were bodies all over, all of them were soldiers and all of them had the same injuries. He slowly walked through the death and destruction that surrounded him. He did not know if he was hallucinating or inhaling something toxic but he could have sworn that he saw some of the bodies move and tried to reach his leg. He shivered at the thought of the dead and tried with all his might to get out. "Shit, why is this part of this crazy fu?k?n? nightmare not ending!" He screamed his annoyance and wanted to commit suicide there and there. But, he found himself not knowing how the guns that lied on the floor were triggered! Suddenly, there was a cackle. A radio was receiving a transmission. The radio was attached to one of the soldiers. He hurried to where the cackle came from and took the radio. "Shit, shit, give me something good!" He now desperate, he did not want to endure the pain anymore. The radio was trying to receive the signal but it was having trouble, adding to his frustrations. "Damn it, damn it damn it all!! damn it all to hell!" He screamed. Out of frustration, he bashed the radio. "I repeat~" The radio faintly received the message/ "Yes, yes that''s it! Come on now! Come on!" He began to bash it repeatedly. He was unsure if it was the adrenaline or the desperation he was experiencing but he the pain he felt all over his body began to diminish and time itself seemed to be slowing down. Then, the radio finally received the entire transmission. "Repeating this message. This is General Philip, soldiers if you are hearing this right now. I am sorry to inform you that despite your best efforts, despite our best efforts, the battle for Earth has ended in failure. It pains me to inform you that the enemy has somehow managed to transverse the gulf of space and attacked the fleet. The attack has been called off and the battle for Earth is lost. If you are hearing this message, I inform you, I do not intend to comfort you with lies or slash the truth. We are abandoning you, all of you. Your deaths will be in vain, your deaths will be meaningless, and so were the billions who died when the war first began. But I am ending this message with hope, we have hope. Though you may most likely be dead by then, we have hope! If you have families that you left on mars, promising them that you will fight for our lost home, that won''t be in vain! Your promises will be fulfilled. Our brightest scientists lead by none other than Johann Gardner have discovered a breakthrough! They are now working on a weapon that WILL, I tell you, WILL win us this war! We may have lost the battle, we may have lost you but even in death, hope! We WILL win!" He was silent. The message began to repeat. It was a repeated message, it was made, practiced and done. Using only his b?r? hands, he crushed the radio into a thousand pieces. He slumped down onto the floor and was silent. "It''s over," He said to himself. "It''s fu?k?n? over," It wasn''t him who was saying these words but the soldier whose body he gained control. The memories of the soldier flooded him and it made him feel as if he was the soldier himself. "I''m sorry, I failed you. Margaret, I love you, please take care of our daughter, please. Raise her up to become a strong girl, daddy has always loved the both of you." He had lost all hope. He felt the sadness rush through him like a tsunami. It enveloped him, caught him and drowned him. He was at his end. There, the soldier grabbed hold onto a gun. He could no longer control the movements of the soldier as he did before, he was now merely a spectator. "I am sorry. If heaven is real, I''ll see you both there soon." Those were his last words before pulling the trigger. "There was a trigger!" He was back into the void. His mind was again calm as if the past experiences meant nothing to him. What were they? What did they mean? Was he shown them? Why did he react the way he did with the mushroom cloud? He vaguely recalled that during that specific scene, he was invaded by memories that he did not recognize. Memories that seemed to be locked away inside the very depths of his mind, locked behind impenetrable walls. The memories made him react the way he did. He faintly remembered being swarmed by roaches. He did not remember, though, the memories that invaded him but only his reaction to the memories. "I should have done better! I should have done better!" Was what he said back then. He remembered that he said those words but could not remember what pushed him to say those words. then, another bright light shined but this time, he was not blinded. the light slowly engulfed him until all he could see was white. then, he woke up. - One opened his eyes, feeling a bit dizzy. he was unsure what the cause was but shrugged it off as something of a normal thing. He remembered that he would regularly fall ''asleep'' and wake up without remembering anything of note. He then thought, isn''t it normal for humans to fall asleep when they are tired? Maybe I am just tired. Maybe, I am still a bit of a human after all. He thought of this as he and his drones were nearing the Freetan Capital. The final battle to decide the fate of the Freetan Theocracy once and for all, was about to begin. Chapter 90 - Dioz The pounding barrage of artillery echoed in the darkness and under the moonlight they came in the hundreds. Thousands of metal men surrounded the once proud Freetan Theocracy, confining them into a small stretch of land a few kilometers that surrounded their territory. Their capital, the city they were most proud of and once housed the most powerful magic user in the entire theocracy, was getting reduced to nothing more than heaps of rubble and scrap. The grand pillars of their cathedral collapsed during the first onslaught. The collapse killed a thousand worshippers and frightened commoners who sought shelter inside. The Pope''s Estate was never recovered, before the first onslaught even began, it was thoroughly scrapped and its materials used for barricades. They barricaded themselves in, every nook and cranny of their houses, shops and buildings were emptied. They got anything they could lay their hands on, anything they could use to protect themselves. Alas, everything was in vain. Their efforts mattered not for their enemy has made it so they were indeed doomed. Not even their goddess whom they worshipped with all their hearts and poured their energy to came to save them. The heroes she called upon received her gifts but did not answer her calls, all of them went their own way, abandoning her and the Theocracy. The Blue Goddess, as she was known, watched from the heavens above as all her efforts were crushed beneath her. "It can''t be.. it cant be!" She said to herself. "These demons, these vile demons! I should have listened, I should have listened to the Higher Deities. I was a fool" The ruling magic council of the Theocracy sent word to the other countries, even sent a magic message to the Republic and the Empire. Their neighbours replied in scorn, they did not want to get dragged into a war they knew they would lose. The two superpowers? They said they will look into it but no indication that they would send even the slightest of ?ssistance. The Dioz Kingdom to the south suffered its fair share of problems. The Freetan Refugees clogged their roads and swarmed their frontier cities and towns. Banditry became rampant and a severe famine took hold in several frontier provinces. "Your majesty, dissent is spreading amongst the populace here in the capital! They demand that you prevent the Freetan refugees from threatening our borders further!" The chief advisor told his king. His king was sitting on his throne, quiet and blank. He opened his mouth to speak only for him to utter a single word. "No" The entire courtroom went abuzz with whispers. Several influential nobles raised their voices and voiced their objection to the king''s decision. "This is outrageous!" One of the nobles shouted while he pointed his finger to the direction of the window behind him. "Beyond this wall, beyond this castle and beyond our capital lie our citizens! Our people, be they the lowly peasants to the riches of the merchant class, we need to protect them! We need to secure them and ensure our own future! Why must his majesty let these people from another country who had harassed us, mocked us, insulted and killed our people entry into our kingdom?... The noble went on to call one of the servants. The servant brought with him a wooden ?h?st, there was something inside that was moving. "Behold!" The noble announced as the entire audience of the courtroom watched him with clear intent. He opened the ?h?st and pulled from it a severed head. The entire room was filled with gasps. Many whispered to each other and many were outraged. "Why did you bring such a defiling abomination in front of our king!?" One of the king''s advisors shouted. The noble looked him in the eye and continued. "This abomination that you speak of, is my son! My heir, my blood and my child!" He announced in a bout of anger. The entire courtroom was abuzz once more, this time the atmosphere was leaning towards the noble. He threw the severed head across the courtroom, landing a few meters from the king. The head was already a few days rotten yet the dark blood still somewhat tainted the carpet. The king, however, was unfazed with the reckless and disrespectful actions of the noble. He just stared at him and then stared at the head. He observed it for quite a bit while the courtroom settled down, it was sacred law to silence oneself when the king shows interest at a certain object and was quiet. Even the noble knew that rule well and obeyed it. Regardless of his position as a noble, if he were to disturb the king with his anger even if the king showed interest and kept quiet, he will be hung and his family sold off. The king took a few minutes before he raised his right hand. He closed his eyes and his mouth and gestured with his left hand for the entire court to sit. The court obeyed and all except the noble was not standing. The noble, though he feared for his life, swallowed his doubts and his woes and readied himself to face whatever the king had in his mind. He was ready to give it his all, even if in the end he was to be executed, even the slightest of change was enough for him to accept his fate. ''All I want is justice'' he said in his mind. The king opened his eyes and lowered his hand. He stared at the noble for a few more seconds before speaking. "Justice" he said. The noble did not say a word, he began to sweat and this was not a normal reaction for him. He was nervous, not because he feared punishment, but because he feared that his efforts may only be in vain. "In my kingdom, justice is above all. The law must always uphold this justice for it is a sacred right to each of my citizens. I understand your frustration, I understand your anger. You wish for me to proclaim these fleeing people our enemy and bar them from our country, but won''t it do more harm than good?" The king''s words stunned the court but none spoke a word and only turned their attention to the noble. "How can something of a proclamation such as that do harm for the kingdom?" The noble questioned the king. The king chuckled. "We have enough forces and manpower to do the proclamation but what if these fleeing people start hatred against us?" The king asked. "They are of no concern! My king, can you not see what has happened to their beloved church? To their armies and mages? They have all been wiped out. Not even the Pope survived.." Some nodded while others raised their chins. "May I remind you, your majesty, that Pope killed your father and took your mother from you before she too was killed" the noble became a little restraint in his tone. The entire courtroom fell silent upon hearing his words. The king stared at him, though he did not speak or move, the noble saw in the eyes of the king the anger that he had kept hidden and secure in his heart. "Your majesty.." the noble humbled himself and knelt before his king. "Please.. save us from these people.. they have taken much from us, why should we allow them to take even the land, the property and the homes of our very own people?" The courtroom looked at the king, his eyes gleamed with emotion. "I do not want, nor will I let them take more from us!" The king''s tone changed and his voice was rough and deeper. His expression changed to that of a snarl and he trembled on his throne. "But.." he said. "I fear that we may need these people. These metal men that we have heard have performed wonders and disasters. To think they would defeat the Freetan Theocracy and even kill their most powerful mage was something that only the elite of the elite states could do. We cannot stand alone if these beasts that we call the metal men sharpen their fangs and point them towards us, do we not?" The king reverted to his original state. Calm and collected but observing and calculating. The noble understood the point the king was making but his stubborn heart won''t let him accept it. "Your majesty, we still can''t let this be!" He said. His stubbornness became apparent when the king tried to mediate a deal that would have lead to a decision that was neutral for both sides. The noble was having none of it. Soon, the courtroom was abuzz once again. This time they disapproved of the noble''s disagreement and stubbornness. "How dare you act in that manner and refuse the king''s decisions! What else do you want? !" Shouted the king''s advisor. One of the younger nobles raised his voice, a daring move that would soon change the course of the kingdom''s history. His action was unprecedented in the sense that nobody, not even his closest allies expected him to make such a bold move. "I will lead a delegation to talk with these metal men!" He announced when he stepped forward from the crowd of older nobles. "What?! Preposterous!" One of the older nobles shot his suggestion down. "You are basically committing suicide young man! Do not embarrass your late father with your stubbornness as well!" He then turned towards the king, saluted him as a military officer and knelt before him as a noble respecting and honoring his wise king. "Your majesty, I implore you that you accept my offer. Peace may still be achieved even in the slightest, we can''t expect the Republic or the Empire to look after us. We are merely insignificant ants that are stuck on a small piece of land to the south!" The young noble begged. The king rubbed his beard and asked him. "Who are you?" The young noble lifted his head and answered. "I am Fedrix, your majesty" The king started to stroke his white hair before falling silent. The courtroom went silent, the king was again showing interest and was deep in his thoughts. They must not impede in any way. The young noble and the stubborn noble stared at each other, nodding in agreement and fright of what was about to transpire. "Fedrix, if I recall correctly, your father was an astute military commander who served the kingdom with his brilliance both in the field of combat and in the war room. He brought us glories and many victories throughout his service, am I correct?" The king asked. "Yes, your majesty" the young noble answered. "Then, with such a background and you being a military commander yourself, how can you possibly lead a peaceful delegation to these metal men? We are talking about diplomacy here, talks that can become a powerful tool or a dangerous weapon" the king made his doubts known to the young noble. The young noble smiled and answered with confidence. "Your majesty, a commander of the army does not always plan or lead battles. We also need to lead negotiations with the enemy be it a cease fire, a white peace, or even a surrender. I have had experience with such negotiations and my father has thought me many more techniques and ways before passing away. I ?ssure you, I will not disappoint" The king smiled back after seeing the confidence he had after he said his answer. "Then, I will only allow you if the noble beside you agrees to come with you" the courtroom gasped and once again they whispered at each other. The king was ready to make his decision and he only needed the stubborn noble to finally accept. Everyone looked at the stubborn noble, some were frowning at him while others were just staring at him with open mouths. Seeing the pressure that was crushing him from all sides, the stubborn noble''s heart was broke open. "I.. I accept.. your majesty" he said. The courtroom erupted into cheers and joyful shouts. "Long live the king! Long live the king!" They shouted in unison. Everyone formed a circle around the two nobles who were brave enough to state their opinions and even challenge the king. Though their actions, specifically the stubborn noble''s, were completely unacceptable, the fact that the king let them be was proof of their success. The king was not weak nor was he manipulated but it was he who was most with victory on his side. If the delegation was successful, it would spare them the need to accommodate the refugees alone or, if push came to shove, would lighten their loads if the metal men proposed killing off the refugees in exchange for the Dioz Kingdom''s acceptance and obedience. But the king knew he had to find a way to not become a vassal or a puppet under them. Though he thought that such a thing was more than likely to befall them if the metal men imposed harsh treaties that would undermine their independence, he needed to find a way to lighten the load. For Fedrix, his plan worked. He would be given a chance to talk with these metal men whom his father claimed to have seen in a dream of his a day before he passed away. Fedrix was only a young child of 10 when his father passed away when he talked about the coming scourge. The end of the world, as he coined it. They called him mad and the very next day when he died, his warnings were forgotten by everyone except his son whom was resolute to finding out the answer. "I hope you are ready, Sir Gilfred" the young noble said to his partner. "Fool, we could''ve saved us is trouble if we just massacred these people who trespassed our border. You are only leading us to our deaths" Gilfred said. "Then why did you accept? The king gave you a choice, did he not?" The young noble snickered. "If I rejected, I would have been executed" Gilfred said. The young noble smiled as he got the answer he wanted. "If you look at it this way, either way we go, we will die" The king smiled as he finally reached an agreement with everyone. He had other plans if such talks were to be successful, he would now be counting on Fedrix and his stubborn old partner to lead the delegation. "Then, I hereby declare, the creation of a delegation to lead talks between our kingdom and the metal men. May peace and prosperity forever reign above us!" The king announced when he stood from his throne the joyful cheers of the court filled the room everyone went their own way with a smile on their faces when the meeting ended. Most of them left with a smile, Gilfred, on the other hand, drowned in his anger. Chapter 91 - That Night (1) The Dioz Capital, acclaimed for its wealth and exquisite architecture was then the proud beacon of Dioz Supremacy over its neighbours. Its wealth was almost unrivaled due to the careful but lucrative merchant class who spearheaded the growth of the kingdom under the influence and guidance of the King. When the Freetan Theocracy started its brutal campaign against demihumans fifty years prior, the Dioz Kingdom was officially neutral but actually provided support and refuge to the demihumans whenever they sought their protection. Soon, the kingdom became well known as a safe haven for all sapient creatures. Such kindness, however, was frowned upon by their neighbors. Demihumans were denounced by the world religions as the descendants of the great demons. These great demons were what the referred to the enemies that started and were later defeated during the Second Great War. That was the claim of the Empire and the Republic and it has been passed down from generation to generation and integrated into the very heart of the world''s religion. 50 years ago... The moon was blocked out by the dark storm clouds, providing little light to the soldiers down on the ground. The soldiers were Dioz Knights. The Dioz Knights were tasked with aiding the escape of a group of demihumans trapped behind the Freetan border. They were high skilled saboteurs and have saved many demihumans before. This night, however, was different. The storm clouds were ominous and struck a feeling of unease that was shared among the knights. Still, they carried on with their mission. The demihumans sent out a magic signature an hour prior to give away their location. This was a risky move, by this point the Freetan Theocracy has made its mage Supremacy known to the rest of its neighbors. A mage could feel this signature from a kilometer away and easily deduce its location. If felt properly, they would even know who sent the message. The knights crossed the border under the cover of night. Before they got to where they were, they noticed that the surrounding area had become a marshy biome. "These storm clouds must''ve rained a bunch to cause this" one of the knights said. "We have no choice but to go through this way, you kids don''t mind having a bit of mud on your boots ey?" The knights chuckled but remained focused. Their feet would soon be covered with a lot of mud from stepping over the shallow marshes. Around them were frogs that croaked and crickets that rang whenever they got near. It was as if they were warning them not to go forward and turn back. The knights were oblivious and were actually annoyed by the abnormal amount of frogs that tried to block their war. "Why are there so many!?" The knight got jumped on his ?h?st by a few frogs which he safely brushed off. "Keep it together, for all we know these frogs could be working for the Theocracy!" The captain of the group said. "Ay" Being suspicious of the frogs was not without a real reason. A few other groups of Dioz Knights with the same missions as theirs were reported to have been attacked by critters to bears alike. The Theocracy must have cast their spells on them, making the wildlife hostile to the knights. The knights huddled together for a brief moment to discuss their strategy and next steps. "We are at the Southern Greens, further northeast we will come across a dirt road that would lead us east to where the magic signature was emitted. Our demihuman friends should be there or else we all went here for nothing" The knights nodded and they hurried off. To prevent making too much noise and to lessen the load their group carried as a whole, they refused to ride their horses. Horses were fast and could get them their faster but the horses lacked the stealth needed. They were heavy and needed to be attended to, these knights also formed close bonds with their horses and taking them to such a risky mission such as the one they were doing now with no guarantee that the horses would survive was out of the question. They found the dirt path that the captain talked about and they followed it eastward. The plains were wide and the grass though short was thick. Whenever a caravan would pass by, the knights would hide themselves in the tall grass. The caravaneers, innocent as they may seem, were citizens who were dedicated to the Theocracy and hostile to the demihumans. They would not fail to report to the nearest Theocratic station if they were to spot the intruders. By this time, relations between the Freetan Theocracy were hitting low and nearing the breaking point. The Theocracy had issued another condemnation of the Dioz Kingdom''s actions through the diplomats they sent to their various neighbors. They found the town where their demihumans should be in and where the signature originated from. It was a small town by the side of the dirt road surrounded by a few trees and hills. The knights surveyed the area around it, checking for possible enemy patrols or magic sentries. They saw none, furthermore, they saw that nobody was outside, everyone seemed to be inside their houses. The knights snuck through the first house on the edge, the people were indeed inside. They were minding their own business, unbeknownst that a group of enemy soldiers were just outside the walls they were leaning on. The demihumans said they''d make sure to make a marker that would help find them when the knights arrived. And so, the knights searched each corner of the small village looking for a symbol that was unrelated to the Theocracy. After a few minutes of searching, they found the symbol near the village center where nobody seemed to be in. The symbol was an oval-shaped cross, something that the Theocracy has judged to be heretical. "This must be it! But why the silence here? I don''t hear anyone inside either" one of the knights asked. "Shut it, we can''t be so sure that there is no one inside. Remember, they''re demihumans, the people around here hate demihumans and would kill them on the spot if they find any!" "Captain!" The front door began to creak and footsteps could be heard. The knights drew out their swords and readied themselves. If the person that came out of the door was a normal villager, they were going to kill him or her regardless. The symbol was there and that meant their mission was there. The door opened and out came a man covered in hair with ears with that of a dog. It was a demihuman alright. "Oy!" The knights revealed themselves to the demihuman. The demihuman was at first stunned and frightened but after the knights explained who they were, he was relieved. "Friends! You have indeed come for us" the demihuman explained. "How many others are with you inside? We need to go NOW" The captain rushed. The demihuman then showed a worried look on his face and said, "we cannot move under the moonlight" "What!?" The captain reacted. The demihuman then pulled the captain inside and gestured the others to come in quick. They were just in time as a group of villagers appeared from inside their houses. The knights and the demihuman kept silent as the villagers passed by their small derelict hut that was insulated by the many hays it had. Inside, the knights stumbled upon five more other demihumans. There was a woman with the same extraordinary features as the man and four young children with also the same features. "We''ve got ourselves an entire family" one of the knights said as he withdrew his sword. The children cowered behind their mother as some of the knights approached them. "Oh no no, we mean you no harm. We are here to get you out" ?ssured one of the knights. The captain of the group stepped forward and asked the demihuman man. "Why can''t you go under the moonlight?" He asked with a stern voice. "It be a double moon sonata. Two full moons, you know very well that us demihumans don''t act as we are supposed to under such a rare moon" the demihuman explained. "Wait, wasn''t it cloudy when we got here and when we crossed the border?" One of the knights said. "Yes, yes it was," the captain said. "No, you dont understand. These clouds are temporary while the sonata lasts for the entire night! If even a dim shimmer shine on us, we will lose control" the demihuman made his concerns clear with his growing voice and tensed up attitude. The knights had no choice but to stay put for the night until the moons had left the sky. They made themselves comfortable with the small hut by lying down on the haystacks and playing with the kids. The captain and the demihuman father went to a corner of the hut to talk. "I''m sorry if this is a pain for you to endure" the demihuman said. "But we foxmen are creatures who go wild and berserk when the sonata of two moons plague our skin. We can massacre this entire village if we ever get touched by its light" The captain nodded and sighed. "I understand. My only concern is that we may be found out here. There''s a chance that some random villager is just going to check this hut out for some reason and we''ll be busted for sure" the captain said. The foxman nodded in agreement but would still not agree to go even under the cover of the storm clouds. "It''s not raining, that''s also a problem. If these storm clouds would stay as long as you say, it must rain. The rain means we are in the center of these storm clouds and if the winds are with us and they blow from north to south, then may the heavens bless us more!" The demihuman had a point. There was no way to ensure that the storm clouds would stay as long as they needed for them to get the hell out of enemy territory. The two did not reach an agreement and the both just settled with what they had left to do. The demihuman slept while the knights kept watch. The foxlady and her children were all curled up together while the foxman was curled up next to them. The knights took notes of their behavior in their heads. Demicreatures are unique, so to speak. They are a combination of lowerlifes which are the animals and upperlifes which are us, humans. To say that these demihumans were children of demons is just pure botched truth. We don''t even know if those demons even existed in the first place. For all we know, two superpowers emerged from the ashes of the forgotten era in a continent that was torn apart and devastated. They suddenly took control and governed us like puppets! Even vassals are treated better. We are nothing more than their playthings and who is their scapegoat? The demihumans - Captain Roy. He wrote the paragraph in his journal before this very mission. It was his last entry. The night was still young when the knights spotted a group of villagers wielding pitchforks and torches. They were a group that soon grew larger and larger. "Crap I think they know we''re here!" The knights woke the demihumans who cowered behind them. The knights drew their swords from the scabbards and readied to fight. "No! They''re going to burn the hut!" And indeed they were. The villagers surrounded the hut by the many and threw their torches at the sides, the walls and up to the rooftop. The hut was made of rotting dry wooden material, it was oil waiting to be lit by the smallest spark. The hut began to burn and the heat was felt inside and each minute that passed the heat got more intense. The villagers were all hurling insults and curses outside. "Die demons!" They shouted and hurled their insults. "We have no choice! We need to go now!" The captain shouted. The foxman nodded for he had no choice, if they did not do anything drastic, his children and his wife would be certainly killed either way. The knights barged through the door and charged at the villagers. The villagers were terrified when they stormed out of the burning hut. Their shadows against the rising flames made way for a terrifying image of void figures charging at them. The villagers who saw them scattered turned tail and ran. The knights were not having any of it and chased down the nearest of the villagers. The villagers who stood their ground with their pitchforks were hacked and stabbed to death while the others who fled were chased down. To their surprise, the foxman joined in the action. He showed inhuman strength and speed. He ran with his four limbs and chased down those who were already far off the edge of the village and gnawed them to their deaths. It was a massacre. 30 minutes passed and there was only the silence of the night. The knights had finished off the last of the villagers, killing the children for last. They had no remorse for even the young. "If we let them live, they will grow to be our enemies. We cannot have that" the captain reminded his men. "Yes, sir!" The knights scavenged the houses for anything they could use to travel back. They took away blankets, coins and a magic crystal that was oddly placed inside one of the huts. They gave the blankets to the demihumans who in turn used the blankets to cover themselves from the moonlight. "Thank you.." the foxlady gave her thanks to the knights who nodded in response. The foxman returned from hunting down the last of the villagers and bowed to his knees. "Thank you! Thank you! I am forever in your debt!" He said. The captain stepped forward and lent him his hand. "You are not in our debts, you and your family are our friends and our responsibility until you find a safe home back in our kingdom" The foxman smiled at the kind gesture and took his hand and stood up. The children cheered as their father walked towards them, giving them all a big hug. The knights were in awe but they still noticed the bloodstains on the fox man''s mouth. He was terrifying, it was a wonder why he did not just massacre his way through the countryside and escaped through Dioz. Nobody would have known that it was him that was responsible. Chapter 92 - Tales (1) Rowan The Swordmaster When the metal men came to our world, nobody saw it coming. They were big, strong and wielded magic weapons that even rivaled those of ancient magic. What is more terrifying is the fact that every single one of them wielded such a weapon. When they first made themselves known by annexing the western Fortress City of Yuhin, they overwhelmed the defenders and enslaved the populace. We were in a hopeless situation back then. I remembered facing one of them with my sword and my shield. I was wearing my armor, full equipment and all. I had our support mages cast me their blessings. These magic enhancements or so they called them gave me the strength of ten men. But when I faced off against the metal man, he was stronger than ten men. I was ready for whatever he was going to throw at me. I saw how their weapons worked, bow they wielded powerful staffs that punished us with fireballs, unlike anything I have seen before. While others only held such a staff, some wielded a staff and a sword. These were the most dangerous as they did not shy away from us when we got too close. The distinction that we made was that they were separated into two categories. The first one being the mage. They only wielded a staff but they were not to be underestimated, even on their own, they have proven themselves to be worthy adversaries of a hundred conscripts to even the greatest of our warriors at the time. Our mages failed to counter one without overwhelming support from more mages. The second category of these metal men was the warrior-mage hybrid. They had both a staff and a sword that shined whenever they drew it. It was a sword of amazing and terrifying sharpness. I remember the time I came across such a metal man. He drew out his sword and I drew out mine. I was the first to strike but in just the blink of an eye, my sword was cut in half. The metal man, however, did not kill me. It merely pushed me back and I fell down onto the ground hard. These hybrids were different because for the most part, they had swords and because of those swords did they gain their second distinction which was the fact that they charged at us headlong. Unlike the metal mages who oftentimes took cover or hid behind anything hard enough to withstand our arrows or the spells of the mages, they, on the other hand, would charge at us. It was terrifying, believe me even a seasoned veteran such as I would quake in my boots and tremble if I ever saw that thing come at me by the hundreds. That is exactly what I saw during their counterattack. It was day, our wyvern riders were over the sky and were supposed to give us cover when we did our ?ssault. She blessed us before we fought, giving us the power of ten men within a single man. It was something we were so grateful for, yet did little to aid us in what was about to come. When we thought we had breached their walls, out they came by the hundreds. They surrounded our general and cut him down before turning their attention at us. They came pouring from that hole on their wall and the terrifying sight of the enemy made us go mad and we routed. I was one of the lucky few who managed to catch up to the mages when they cast their teleportation magic and escaped. The others? I never saw them again. I only heard rumors that the entire army was massacred later than day and the wyvern riders we were so proud of fell from the sky, charred, lifeless, burnt. But all hope was not lost, you see, the Theocracy is a powerful nation, the people were strong and our leadership reflected it. The magic councilwoman Anna showed her resolution and gave rise to a fantastic beast made of the wind. We thought we had one, we thought that we will finally push them back from whatever hole they crawled out from and maybe, just maybe, exterminate them completely. It was a wild fantasy of mine and it was without reason. A summon such in the magnitude of that wind giant was considered SS class, the most powerful of classes in the world of Summons. It battled against the beast of the metal men, a giant that trampled the walls and wreaked havoc in the city. They fought in a glorious battle that day, I saw with my very own eyes the wind giant push the metal giant to its knees and the wind giant was about to make the finishing blow.. I don''t remember.. It''s just.. Everything after that was just black. I woke up the next day under a pile of rubble. The wall I was on had collapsed and so did the rest of the walls. When I finally got out, I saw the entire city was reduced to rubble. Everything, when I say everything, I mean EVERYTHING. Every God damn building, the streets, every piece of mud that I saw that day! Everything was gone! My brothers in arms, I lost so much in such a short time. To think I am still alive today to fight on for them is a blessing. I know my comrades are now resting with the immortals of the higher heavens and I will soon be joining them. But I will join them and report to them victory! I seek vengeance and vengeance I shall attain before my life flashes before my eyes and everything I have done comes to the past. I will make them pay dearly, dearly I say! I''m sorry, I got lost in my emotions. Where was I? Ah yes. And so, I was facing the metal man with both a sword and a staff. I had prepared my whole body after the many encounters I had. With support from the mages behind me, I was confident. With the way the creature looked at me, I saw no mercy in its blue eyes of his that gleamed even under the sun! Were their eyes magic? Did it see my moves as it was peeking through and seeing the future? These thoughts filled my mind and I went on to lose focus. Then, the metal man withdrew his staff and drew out his sword to face me. Ha! I said back then. You have a sense of honor for a wild barbarian! I hurled it an insult as if it understood what I said. But I think it did. After I finished, the creature smashed me with its left hand. My armor cracked just by the sheer amount of force that punch gave. The ?h?st plate was now b?r?ly at the top of its condition a few seconds ago and the battle had just begun a few seconds ago! This wasn''t a joke, I wasn''t gonna die so easily without putting up a fight! When it dashed again towards me, I dashed towards it too. It must have not expected our swords to actually struggle against one another. My enemy then jumped back, raiding its sword in a defensive posture that resembled that of our training. You know the skills of the common soldier, how very smart of your kind! My words were nothing but air to my enemy as he did not give a damn. Now I was the one charging at the enemy, I ran at him and swung my sword from the right. It easily raised its glowing sword and once again our swords clashed. I swung again from the left and it was the same. From my point of view, the battle was like any other battle that I had against a human. The movement, pacing and time felt slow. What mattered most was our will to fight! I broadened this will of mine and came out stronger than I was when the battle first began. I could see the metal man getting pushed back, I became enamored with my own strength. To think I had reached the peak of my ability in combat to be able to contend against a foe that has so far proven itself to be almost indestructible. I pushed my sword against him and I felt the both of us move. We were indeed moving! I saw the trail under our feet, it was proof that my enemy was being pushed to its limits. It stared at me as I pushed him further back, I stared back at him. I felt the monster push his swords against mine with immense strength, I thought my veins would burst or my muscles would be turned into mush. But they held strong and when I finally struck its glowing rod from its hands and was about to slice the metal man in half, the metal man kicked my manhood. I felt the bottom of my manhood crack and pain numbed my crotch. I wheezed as I flew in the air and crashed onto the ground a few feet away from it. The mages then retreated as they thought I had died. They told me after the battle that they felt my magic explode. But the only thing that exploded was my manhood. The pain numbed me completely and I was helpless. I sweated like a mad man and I wheezed nonstop. I wanted to shout, I wanted to cry out in pain and let the world know of my suffering. I waited for death. The metal man I thought was going to defeat must have already been walking towards me as I lied there helplessly like an animal hit by a poisoned dart. I awaited my doom but minutes passed and I was still in pain. The numbness around my crotch faded and lo the pain struck me like lightning and made me scream. My scream was heard by fellow knights who took me by the arms and legs. The four of these knights lifted me from each limb of mine and carried me off to where we were retreating. And that is where I am right now. They have breached the first walls and only the great barrier of the remaining magic council had so far prevented their magic barrage from wiping us out. I don''t know why that metal man left me to fight another day, I refuse to believe that I pitied me! Something like that who massacred even newborns won''t show pity for a grown warrior like me. Since the metal men all looked the same despite some variances in color and sometimes the way they look. I know that I will never see that same metal man from before. I could never be sure if the enemy I will soon face is the same I faced awhile back. And as I heal the pains of my manliness, I await my final battle. I know I will soon die and die on the battlefield I will. My brothers in arms all died on the battlefield and died their glorious deaths. I will soon die and meet them up there in higher heaven. To the blue goddess, I pray that you give me one last blessing, a blessing of strength so I may bring with me to death a hundred of my enemies so I may finally have my vengeance! For the glory of the Theocracy for my undying faith and fidelity to the holy church! To my loyalty and honor to the blue goddess whom we worship with all our hearts and minds! Chapter 93 - Fedrix "It is with extreme regret that I must inform you that the delegation will be earlier than expected" "How the hell is that regretful?" Fedrix got up from his bed as his wife read the letter out loud for him "Honey, the letter was written by none other than Lord Gilfred. He is the one regretting I think" his wife had already prepared for him breakfast, the smell of which had reached his room. "Eggs?" Fedrix asked as he stood and met his wife. "Your favorite, dear" his wife answered. Fedrix kissed her on the forehead and walked out of the room. Her wife followed suit and later they were now seated on the dining table. Fedrix, being the new ruler of his father''s estate, was conservative in his spending. The lavish mansion that his father bought him was stripped down to that of a meager manor but he couldn''t be more happier to live in such a small yet humble place. Their manor was made of fine brick, complete with two floors despite him not wanting a second floor. They had a living room, a dining room, a kitchen, two bedrooms and Fedrix''s office. Fedrix''s wife was pregnant with their first child and the child was due to be birthed in two months time. Fedrix and his wife were both excited and had spent months of preparation, physically and mentally. As Fedrix ate his breakfast, her wife started a conversation. "I think.. we should prepare the names of the baby" she said. Fedrix chuckled. "Dear, we had tried countless times to reach an agreement for the name but both of us are quite stubborn, ain''t we?" Fedrix said. His wife giggled, placing the tip of her fingers on her lips. She was modest woman trained from birth to serve even the roughest of husbands. But she was lucky to have been betrothed and married to someone such as Fedrix. Fedrix was a kind, loving and caring husband who looked after her despite his busy work schedule from time to time. He would cook her meals if she felt sick, he would massage her back when she felt it ache. Fedrix was always there to lend his hand. Fedrix as her husband motivated her to be the best wife Fedrix could have. She was often worried that if she failed to bear him a child, he might get a concubine. Despite being kind, committed and loving, she was a jealous woman. "I love you" Fedrix said when he finished his breakfast. His wife blushed, her cheeks became red with embarrassment and she brought out her fan and fluttered. "I love you too, my husband" she replied. She watched as her husband got up from the table and took her by the hand. "Dear, please be careful. You don''t want me to miscarry?" She warned. Her husband smiled as she walked her outside. "Don''t worry dear, I just wanted to have a dance with you. I''m leaving for a month or two and maybe when I return, our child would have been born!" Fedrix led his wife to their front yard. It was a wide area with flowers and a fountain in the middle. The maids and their butler watched as the two waltzed slowly under the morning sun that rose from the east. "They''re beautiful together, are they not?" One of the maids remarked. "Indeed they are" another maid replied. "Girls, out of every noble family that we had served under. These two are of the most highest of honor and respect. They show their noble traits even to us lowly servants of theirs, tell me, where can you encounter such a noble couple in the kingdom?" The butler said. "There are none in this kingdom, other than they" the maids replied. And as Fedrix and his wife twirled and smiled. The carriage that was brought to bring Fedrix back to the king arrived at their front gate. The driver of the carriage gave the letter provided to him by the king to the guards and the guards announced its contents. "Our dearest majesty, King Philipp Of Dioz, has requested the immediate presence of Sir Fedrix Of Falfax. They are to be brought to his presence without delay" the guard shouted. The couple stopped dancing. "Give us a minute!" Fedrix shouted back. "Only a minute!" The guard replied after which he gave the letter back to the driver. "Dear, I''ll be going now, pray that I come back before our child is born. I want to be fully prepared!" He told his wife. "Love, you are a wonderful husband to me and you will be a wonderful father for our child. Be brave, nobody is born ready for such an event like this? All you have to do, is come home" his wife told him. Fedrix could not help but shed a single tear. His wife noticed the tear and rubbed it off. "Don''t cry, you know I hate seeing you cry" his face said. "I will come back, I promise" Fedrix ?ssured. "I don''t believe in promises, dear. But I believe in you" Fedrix bid his wife farewell and he was off to the carriage. The butler and the maids went to their mistress who was standing alone near the fountain, watching his husband greet the guards and take the letter from the coachman. "Miss, it is almost the full morning, it''s time for us to return inside" the butler said. "Albert, do you think my husband will return?" She asked her butler. "Miss, knowing him since he was a child. So stubborn was he, I believe not even death would get him" The wife smiled. And as the carriage drove off towards the castle, she could not help but giggle. "I''ll be waiting, we will be waiting for you, my love" - Fedrix was sat on the couch of the carriage. He was well on his way to the capital. The carriage reflected the king''s wealth as such it was designed with lots of rare gemstones, the cushions were made of exotic fabric and the curtains were purple and violet respectively. The lavish spending on this single carriage was distasteful in his eyes. But, it wasn''t his, it was the king''s, who knows how much wealth he had personally to spend it all on such luxuries. "Dioz engineering, I can understand why the kingdom invests so much in research" he told himself. He was fondling the letter when he noticed that there was a small magic circle to the bottom most edge of the front. It was so small in fact that it was almost invisible to the n?k?d eye. If it was not his sharp eyesight, he would have easily missed it. A magic circle meant that the letter held more contents than what was first perceived. Curious, he turned the letter around and proceeded to rub the magic circle. It started to glow but that was it. "Maybe this needs a bit more?" He thought. After rubbing it faster, the magic circle was still not showing anything except a faint white glow. "Ah maybe.." Fedrix pressed the circle and much to his delight, the circle moved and embedded itself into the letter. The circle began to glow brighter and the entire envelope transformed into another letter. The new letter in question was bigger and bulkier than the previous. Fedrix opened it and out came a piece of paper with words from the king. Fedrix read through it, it was a long letter that had an aura of dread and importance. Written in the middle of the letter was this sentence. *I have received word that the metal men are besieging the capital of the Freetan Theocracy. It is their last major city, once it falls and the ruling council is defeated, the Freetan Theocracy will have capitulated...* *...a border patrol has received word that a carriage of metal men arrived. They claim to be a delegation and wish to speak with us, and so, there has been a change of plans. You and Lord Gilfred will spearhead the talks that will happen at a manor near the northern border...* Fedrix started to sweat. "This can''t be, why have they sent a delegation as well? Crap! This is going against my plan" Fedrix''s frustrations were soothed once he peeked through the curtains of the carriage. Beholden before him was the castle, they were near the front gate. He needed to act cool and well-mannered in front of the king. He folded the letter and placed it inside his pocket. The front gates to the castle opened and the carriage was granted passage. The carriage made it''s way through the spacious outer castle area before stopping at the entrance of the castle itself. "We have arrived" said the coachman. The coachman got down and opened the door for Fedrix. The sun was shining bright that morning when they arrived, Fedrix positioned his right palm over his face to shield himself from the bright light as he stepped out. Meeting him was one of the castle guards. A female warrior named Gina Flora. "Greetings, Lord Fedrix" Gina said. "Greetings, Gina. So, where does the king wish to meet me?" Fedrix saluted her. "The king wishes to meet both you and Lord Gilfred together in the throne room. Since Lord Gilfred seems to be running light, we will first stay at the grand lobby" Fedrix smiled at the thought of Lord Gilfred''s tardiness. "Well, don''t be too harsh on the old man. Old age is a pain to deal with it" he joked. Gina giggled. "I''ll keep that in mind, Lord Fedrix" After the friendly banter, Gina along with her entourage lead Fedrix to the lobby inside the castle. Inside, Fedrix sat on one of the couches as he waited. "Please ask the maids if the Lord wishes for food or refreshments" Gina said before leaving. "I will" Fedrix replied. Presented to him was a small cup of tea. Fedrix sipped his tea whenever he felt thirsty. "I forgot to drink water before I left" he said after he sipped his tea. It was a pretty boring experience with almost nobody inside the lobby but a few guards and two maids who were on standby if the Lord was going to request anything. Fedrix decided to read the letter again, afterwhich he tried to see if there was another magic circle inside the bigger letter. Much to the disappointment of his expectations, there was no other magic circle. "So this is all of it, I guess. The king will just explain what else we need to know.. I wonder if the other nobles know of this?.. ...speaking of other nobles" Fedrix called on one of the maids. The maid approached the lord and bowed. "Wheee are the other nobles as of this time?" Fedrix asked. The maid thought for a second. "Some of the nobles are currently in their estates while the others are in the capital as we speak. I also received word that two or three nobles have marched their men to the northern border for reasons unknown to me" "Marched their troops to the northern border? Which border?" "Our border with the Freetan Theocracy, my Lord" Crap! What are they doing!? Are they trying to provoke a war?! For all I know, the delegation from the metal men must be well on their way there! If they interpret such a military presence as preparation for war against them, we will be doomed! Fedrix thought. "..thank you, please give me another cup of tea" he said after he chugged down the cup of tea he had. The maid bowed and took the cup from his hands and went out for a refill. After the maid left the room, Fedrix stood and walked towards the window. He looked and saw below him the capital. They were on the fifth floor and seeing the city from this high up was also considered a luxury. He saw the three walls, the castle wall, the inner wall and the outer wall. The outer wall was the least fortified yet was the most garrisoned among all the walls. With such a huge city of 380,000 people. A garrison of 40,000 soldiers protected the city, manned the walls and patrolled the streets from day to night. "We are indeed a powerful and wealthy country, it is no surprise that not even the biggest of bribes from Yuhin and Herlion have even sparked the slightest of interest with the nobles or merchant class. We already have vast amounts of wealth and this wealth fills us with pride, pride that protects us from the influence of foreigners but also blind us with our own strength and power" He heard the door open behind him. He turned his back and it was just the maid, bringing with her a newly replenished cup of tea. "Here is your tea, my Lord" the maid said as she placed the tea on the table. "Thank you" Fedrix said. The maid bowed and returned to where she was standing with the other maid. Fedrix walked from the window and sat on the couch again. Pulling the cup to his lips and sipping the warm drink. "It tastes.. slightly different from before" But it was definitely not poisoned, he knew because he was poisoned many times when he was young when there was a brief power struggle between him and his cousin. Speaking of his cousin, after the power struggle, he was found guilty of treachery against a fellow noble of the state and was expelled from the kingdom. The other nobles at the time wanted him executed as he was sure to be vengeful if left alive. His father, however, overruled them by persuading the king to expel him instead. The king accepted his father''s preposition and his cousin was expelled from the kingdom. He was barred entry from any city or village and if reported to have done so will be met with punishment. The punishment was death. Angry, humiliated and his sense of honor shattered, he went away with his family. Looking back, Fedrix felt pity for his cousin though he almost died numerous times because of him. Thanks to him, however, he seemed to have developed an immunity against certain poisons that were used repeatedly on him. "A small price to pay.." Chapter 94 - Gilfred "Woman!" Gilfred shouted. The sounds of frantic steps echoed through the corridor. Entering his work place was his wife. Gilfred was sat on his rocking chair drinking a bottle of wine. There were three other bottles of wine lying on the floor. "Yes honey?" His wife asked him. "Bring me another bottle, this one is almost empty, hurry!" He shouted again. After gulping the entire content of the bottle, he threw it away. The bottle miraculously did not shatter despite being made of glass. His frightened wife ran across the corridor to give him another or else she''ll be punished. Her punishment depended on her husband''s mood and how drunk he was. As she ran to and fro, she was shedding tear after tear yet she did not wail. "This is no time for wailing!" She thought to herself. "Give me, now!" Gilfred was impatient. The wife trembled as she gave her husband his bottles. Gilfred proceeded to open the first bottle he got and continued on drinking. His wife did not say a single word and left the room, holding back her tears and the pain she felt in her heart. She went to the living room, there she was comforted by the mansion maids. "Miss, are you alright?" One of the maids said as she gave the wife a warm towel. "Yes, dear. I am fine, it''s just, your master is stressed beyond compare at the moment" the wife ?ssured. "Miss, we can''t let the master continue on hurting you! Last night I heard a crash upstairs and the next morning I saw your bruised leg!" One of the maids said. "It is fine, my dear. I have you all to treat me whenever I get injured, is it not true?" The wife said. "But miss, you are with child! We cannot lose another one of the master''s heirs" "Don''t worry, I am protecting my love. As long as my husband does not touch this w?mb of mine then there will be no problem. I will not let myself miscarry" The wife ?ssured. "How can we be so sure that you won''t miscarry?" Another maid came in, bringing with her a cup of water. The maid handed the water to the wife and she drank it all. The wife sighed and did not answer the maid''s questions any further. She lied on the couch and stayed there. The maids watched over her as they heard the sounds of bottles being smashed across the halls. "Our master has gone mad" one of the maids whispered. "Please don''t hold any resentment for your master... despite what he has become right now, always remember how he was back then" the wife suddenly said, tears began to form on her eyes. The maids noticed and immediately brought her a dry napkin. "Miss, please don''t cry" the maids tried their best to comfort her. "I''m fine, I''m fine, it''s just.. I miss my husband" His husband was alive and well, however, she missed the true husband that she knew. It was a few months ago when her husband changed for the worst. It was night, storm clouds had formed over the capital and it was raining. Under the heavy downpour of the rain that night, a man was running through the streets. His carriage got stuck in a hole but he had no time to lose, he was bringing with him urgent message that concerned Lord Gilfred. "Dear, you''ve gained plenty of weight, please mind you eating habits" his wife would say. "Aw, come on now, your food is too delicious everytime! It''s your fault that I eat this much you know" Lord Gilfred would tease. He and his wife were both happy at that time. They had a son they could be proud of and were successful in their lives as nobility. Suddenly, as they were dining. A guard rushed in. "My lord!" He said when he opened the door. This startled the husband and wife while alerting the guards in the dining room with them. "My! What is the matter for you to come in like this?" One of the guards shouted. "It is urgent, my lord, a messenger has come and he brings urgent news. I cannot speak of this news my lord, but please hurry!" Lord Gilfred spared no haste, he got up from the dining table and ran out with the guard. His wife followed him, escorted by other guards. At their front door was the messenger surrounded by four of their guards. He was drenched and exhausted. His heavy breathing could be heard echoing. Gilfred came down the stairs with the guard and he met the messenger. "What news do you bring?" He said. The messenger pulled out a letter from under his coat and gave it to Gilfred. Gilfred took the letter and opened it. There was a note inside, he pulled the note out and read it. As his wife came down the stairs along with the other guards, she saw her husband get on his knees. "Dear!" She shouted. "My lord!" The guards shouted. The lord let go of the letter and stared at the floor unresponsive. The guards tried to shook him back to reality but to no avail. His wife came to his side and begged him to answer her. Gilfred only had an expression of despair. His wife noticed the note lying on the floor and took it. There, she read it. *...Lord Gilfred and Lady Rodona, the body of your son has been found along with his men near the countryside to the north.. * *...we are not exactly sure who killed them, but when more troops arrived at the scene, they found weapons from that of the Theocracy and it is not far-fetched to say that the people fleeing into our lands were responsible...* "N.. no! It can''t be!" She cried. "Give me that!" Gilfred pushed his wife away and took the letter before heading off outside. "Lord Gilfred!" The guards followed him. "Get my carriage! Now! Tell the men at the camps to prepare to head out" he shouted. Most of the guards went with him while the rest went to the stables to get their horses and the carriage. The maids heard the commotion and ran to the entrance. There they say the wife lying on the floor, crying. "Miss!" They were frantic. They took her by the arms and lead her to their bedroom. The maids were quick with their care and tucked her up in bed. "I''ll go and get some water" one of the maids hurried off. "I''ll go get something for the miss to eat!" Another of the maids hurried off. The last two maids attended the wife whom was crying nonstop. None of them wanted to ask what had happened but proceeded to try and comfort her anyway. "Miss, please don''t cry" they plead. "You won''t understand!" She shouted at them. This shocked the maids who became frozen in their place. The wife realized her actions soon after. "Please forgive me!" She begged. "Please! It is fine, please stop crying" the maids did not stop from their jobs and continued to comfort their mistress. The two other maids came back bringing with them a glass of water and a piece of bread. They gave the water first and she drank it. Then they gave her the bread which she begun to much in a furious manner. Whatever happened, they thought, it must have been very serious to the point that even their once calm and happy mistress would be pushed to such a shameful state. Half an hour passed and the wife had calmed down. The maids never left her side unless she requested anything from a loaf of bread to a glass of water. One of the maids went down the stairs to get her mistress a glass of water when she noticed a note lying on the floor near the front door. She went and took it. She opened the note and read its content. Shocked, she covered her mouth to prevent herself from screaming and she hurried off to fetch the glass of water, clutching in her hands the note. She got back upstairs and gave the glass of water to her mistress and presented her the note that she found. "Miss, I found a note lying near the front door.. is this the reason of your distress?" The maid said. Rodona stopped drinking midway and looked at the note the maid held in her hands. Then, she cried. "Mistress!" "Take that note away! Now!" The elder maid shouted. The maid apologized and took the note away and returned to apologize. It took them another 10 minutes before their mistress calmed. Rodona, however, was not angry at the maid for presenting her the leader, rather, she was thankful of her for reminding her why she was feeling so dreadful. Rodona asked the main in question to explain to her peers what she saw written on the note, which the maid obliged. "My dearest sisters, it is with extreme regret that I inform you.. that Sir Gondsor has been killer" The other maids gasped. "Miss, can we see the letter with our own eyes?the elder maid asked. "You may" said Rodona who had covered herself with the napkins provided to her. The maid that had kept the letter presented it to her sisters and each took turns to read it. All had the same expressions after reading it. After the last maid had read the letter, all of them stared at each other and then turned to their mistress. She was silent. Their mistress was no doubt lost in her thoughts and full of regret. And as their mistress did not say another word after that, the maids kept their silence. They stayed by her side throughout the night, and when she fell asleep they left one of the maids to watch over her. The maids then left her room when it was past midnight. There were two guards outside the mistress''s room to ensure that she was safe. These guards did not know the reason for the commotion since they were hastily called to replace the guards that went with the Lord. In their minds they thought that there was a threat and so, despite the fact that they were unsure, kept their vigilance and guarded Rodona for the rest of the night. When the sun rose the next morning, its bright light did not make itself known. Instead, the storm that had been since yesterday continued to cover the skies of the capital and rained down its waters upon the streets, the houses and the fields. The maids then returned to check on their mistress. The maid they left was still awake, sitting on a chair at a corner of the room The other maids went it and asked her. "How is the mistress?" They said. "She is doing fine" she answered. She told them that she slept for the rest of the night and that she was breathing fine. The elder maid then relieved her of her duty for the day since she spent the entire night awake. "Alright, ladies, let us care for the mistress until she fully recovers" It was a long week. Lord Gilfred returned by the end of the month, it had been three weeks since then. The entire household was present when he arrived with the body of their son. The entire estate looked in horror and dread as the coffin that contained the should be heir of the estate was brought out of the carriage and carried out by the guards. Rodona broke down and wailed loudly when the coffin was brought out. Her husband ignored her wail and walked to their family grave that was just to the side of their mansion. There was no service, it was straight to the burial. Only their household was present and a family friend. The family friend was none other that Fedrix''s wife who attended in her husband''s stead. The burial place that was dug up by the workers was grand. It was supposed to be Gilfred''s burial once he died. Little did he expect that his only child would be the one to get buried instead of him. The entire audience watched as the coffin was lowered down the pit and the workers started to cover it with dirt. The others cried in silence while Rodona made her cries known to everyone. Her husband? He was silent and despite the pleas of Fedrix''s wife for him to come see Rodona, he was reluctant. Furious, Fedrix''s wife came to Rodon herself and gave her a hug. "Sister!" Rodona cried. "Now now little sister, you can cry, you can cry, let the sorrow out" Rodona cried on her shoulders that day. When the burial had concluded, the household retreated to their stations. Lord Gilfred retreated to his work place, leaving his wife to be taken care of by Fedrix''s wife. The maids ?ssisted the two sisters and all of them went inside the mansion. The sisters sat together in the living room with the maids attending to their needs. Little did Fedrix''s wife know that day, that her sister would live under constant fear and hell once she left. - Lord Gilfred got on his carriage and left. He left without even saying a word to his distraught wife who was lying on the coach. "The maids will take care of her!" He thought to himself. He had been blinded by his dread and sorrow, he wanted nothing but vengeance. He seemed to have forgotten that he had another heir inside his wife''s w?mb. "Sir, the road is treacherous due to the litter, dI suggest we-" "Coachman, I have urgent business to attend to now! Get me to the castle right now or ill6bave you executed for your insolence!" Gilfred shouted. "Y-yes!" The coachman slapped the horses and they ran. The ride was rough but Gilfred did not care. He planned on manipulating the talks to favor his side. He wanted the Metal Men themselves to theml him that they wanted Dioz to execute the Freetan peoples in exchange for peace. It was the reason why he sent up his friends with their armies to the north. Friends he called them but they acted more like his underlings due to his immense power and blackmail that he held against them. The lords marched their armies north, numbering 5,000 in total, small in number but more than enough to massacre tens of thousands. Chapter 95 - 50 years ago, They Marched 50 Years Ago, a group of knights led by a veteran captain crossed the border and trespassed into the Theocracy. 50 years ago these men would be the last to venture through and the last of the Dioz Kingdon''s efforts in saving as many demihumans as they could. During this time, the entire situation both politically and on the ground were heating up to the breaking point. The Dioz Kingdom''s pro demihuman policies and sentiments went against the Theocracy''s cleansing mission. With tensions nearing their highest and war looming in the horizon, both states have amassed their forces. Their forces were gathered near their borders with one another. The Dioz Kingdom mobilized five armies. The first army was the main army lead by the great general Fendor, Lord of Farfax and father of Fedrix. The army consisted of roughly 40,000 men. The second to fourth armies were all composed of 20,000 men each totalling 120,000 in the side of Dioz. Most of their soldiers were knights, cavalrymen and archers supported by small contingents of mages. The Theocracy at their side of the border sported three armies, each with 30,000 men and some women totalling 90,000 strong. They were a force of knights and archers while they had little cavalry. Their lack of cavalry was overshadowed by their mages which numbered 30,000 strong, already a quarter of their forces. These two opposing sides were about to meet in a few days once the declaration of war from both sides had been signed and announced. And as they waited, they prepared themselves and set up camp. In the camp of the Dioz First Army, Fendor was sat inside his tent. He was alone and in front of him was a table. Over the table was a map of the surrounding lands where they shall fight. The land was mostly plains, the southern meadows as they referred to it. Fendor was brilliant strategist when it came to open army combat but he was anxious of the Theocracy''s magical might. He only had 5000 mages compared to the Theocracy''s estimated 10,000 to 35,000. Giving credit to his past experiences with battling against well-trained mages, he knew that such a frightening force would easily stomp them if he were not to be careful. The younger officers did not bat an eye. They viewed mages as weak and only relied on their magic to do any good. They also believed that such a number of spell casters would drain each other''s magic and result in them collapsing. The young officers under Fendor''s command looked down on their enemies while their superior did not. "We need to secure victory by means of strategy" he told himself as he surveyed the map. The plains were mostly flat with some Woodlands here and there. There were also some hills that could be used as grounds for them to retreat if all else failed or they were forced to make a tactical retreat. He then turned his attention to the enemy side of the map. The terrain was almost exactly the same as theirs minus a few unclear definitions with the map. There was a road that lead through a few villages and then north to the nearest city. Fendor planned his favorite move, an encirclement. He had used this strategy of his to completely decimate his foes even if they were outnumbered five to one. He would always say "No matter how big the enemy is against us, just surround its leg, pull it down and it will fall" It was true and his strategy earned him praise from military commanders from all around who have heard of his genius. Even the generals of his enemies would praise him. A messenger entered his tent and read to him out loud information from their spies. "Lord Fendor, it seems like the enemy has already positioned their camps adjacent to us. Our spies report that they have something between 80-100,000 men and 25 to 35,000 of which are possibly mages" Fendor stroked his beard. "Anything else?" He asked. "We have received word that a rescue group had into the Theocracy a few days prior" Fendor stopped stroking his beard and stood. "Where are they now?" He asked the messenger. The messenger could only look up to his general. The messenger was not short but Lord Fendor was a tall, muscular man who intimidated anyone with his sheer size alone. "We don''t know exactly but they were last seen trekking the dirt path that lead to a few villages to the east" Fendor thought for a second before sending the messenger away. He sat down again on his chair and covered the map on the table with a piece of cloth. "What is the king doing sending another rescue group even though we are about to go to war? I can never truly understand his intentions" he told himself. And while he thought on how to rescue the group if possible, a young officer entered his tent. The young officer was Crawford, a young man who had so far made a name for himself for being a valiant warrior who was always on the frontlines. He was undoubtedly one of the best junior officers under Fendor and rightly so. "Ah, Crawford. What brings you here at such a late hour?" Fendor asked. "I do not feel confident with this war, my Lord" Fendor was surprised, to think I that the iron-willed and confident Crawford would tell him outright that he did not have confidence in the war. "That.. is a surprise, what made you think so?" Fendor asked, curious of the young officer''s opinion. "It oddly seems that we are being lured into a trap. I am not so sure as well but I''ve got word inside that they were summoning something.." the young officer said. "Summoning? Summoning a summon I ?ssume?" Fendor said. "The magic circle they had created was said to not be one of the summoning seals. It''s actually confusing, my informant is well knowledgable of magic but he too has been dumbfounded on what he saw. He believes that it must be new type of summoning. He knew it was a summing because the way their mages were performing the spell was similar to that of a summoning" Fendor leaned back against his chair. "In other words, they were chanting the spell in unison around a magic circle, correct?" Fendor asked. "Yes" Crawford replied. "So where is this informant of yours?" Fendor said. "I lost contact with him as soon as the magic circle had activated" There was a silence that befell the tent. Both Fendor and Crawford stared at each other. "If the magic circle had activated. Then whatever they have summoned must have already been summoned. We now only await the official declaration of war to be given to us." Crawford removed the piece of cloth from the map and pointed his finger at the map. "I suggest we retreat south and form a defensive between the Dioz Mountain range" he said. "What!? But that would put us in a disadvantage" Fendor was confused. "We are already in a disadvantage. Engaging them in an open field will make us easy targets for their mages and whatever they summoned. I have ?ssumed that their summon is a magic flying beast. It is most likely since the strongest of Summons are that comparable to the ancient dragons" Fendor was surprised of the young officer''s thinking and decided to let him speak further. His plan sparked interest inside Fendor. Though he was brilliant, he did not fail to take in the ideas of the people with skill in doing so. "We cannot encircle them, I have studied how you won the war against Herlion Agression and you destroyed them by heavy use of cavalry and fast troop movements. They failed to notice your maneuvers until it was too late for them react and they were decimated. The same cannot be applied against the Theocracy... ...second, they''re far too flexible. You were able to carry out entitlements because the enemy was 3 to 5 times bigger than our armies making them slow and less flexible than us. The Freetan Theocracy has most likely taken this into account because the way their army is structured right now, they are far too flexible and they seem to be protecting a center.. ...lastly, the mages of the Theocracy themselves. There are far too many of these mages and they pose a significant threat. I studied the power of magic when I was being trained and a lot of the magic used by mages in the military are destructive, even more so if they are performed by a large group. If, for example, we charge our cavalry to their left and right flanks to flank them, imagine 5,000 mages from each flank throwing fireballs at them or some deadly spell. It would be a masaccre!..." Fendor was in awe of the young officer. He had surpassed his expectations with his thinking. But Fendor was still reluctant on retreating southwards towards the Dioz Mountains. It was far too risky. "Retreating to the southern mountain would place us on the defensive. If we even make it south without an engagement, we will be abandoning a few dozen villages and towns while opening the road for the Theocracy to lay siege upon the northern frontier. It is still best we wait for more clear information" Crawford clutched his fists. "But, I feel uneasy, I fear that we are walking into their trap" Crawford said. "Fight your uneasiness, we are proud soldiers of the Dioz Kingdom. We won''t let some religious radicals trample over us! We will fight and we will win. We cannot know defeat, not when the people are looking up to us" Crawford apologized but still expressed his concerns. And after a short friendly conversation afterwards, the young officer left Fendor''s tent. Fendor took the young officer''s concerns into account and formulated a backup plan. But the plan involved sacrificing an army. His backup plan went like this. The second third and fifth armies will march around the flanks of the first army while the fourth army would be the spearhead. If Crawford''s concerns came to light and they are forced into a trap, he will order the fourth army to charge blindly into the enemy to cover their retreat. The remaining armies would then run back and make haste to the Dioz Mountain range. The retreat would exhaust the armies and they''ll be forced to abandon most of their supplies. If all goes without major problems, they will reach the mountain range in a four days. Fendor then thought that the enemy would have marched into their borders by then and had laid siege to the northern frontier. He thought that he could sequester the aid of the western armies to counter the Theocracy once they lay siege on the nearest city of Wergon. Wergon was a frontier city at best and was well-suited to withstand sieges even for 3 years time. That night passed and the three days came with it. Inside his tent, Fendor waited for the letter from the king. A messenger arrived later that day and brought with him a letter from the king. Fendor took the letter and went out. He gathered commanders of the army together and he walked atop of a small boulder. There he stood and the officers looked up. He held the letter in his right hand and raised it up, showing it to the rest of those who could see him "This letter!" He said. "This letter is from the king, and the king has decreed.. ...the vile hypocrites that is the Theocracy have declared war upon the Dioz Kingdom! They will soon realize their folly once we march into their country and burn down their villages, towns and besiege their cities! Let us amass our honor and fight!.. ..for the Glory of Dioz! Long live the King! Long live the king!" The commanders got onto their horses and rode off to their respective commands. The general went inside his tent and with his soldiers, he took up his armor for battle. His red painted iron armor was enchanted with magic from the mages and confident, he went out. He got up his horse and he rode off along with his unit. His unit was called the General''s Guard. A unit of highly skilled cavalrymen with horses plated in armor that could withstand the attack of 10 enemies. They were a small group of 50 but together they could take down 500. The combined armies of Dioz numbering 120,000 strong began their march. They marched with discipline and pride, waving their banners high. The knights had sharpened their blades, the archers had tweaked their bows and the cavalry had fed their horses. The drums of war sounded and 120,000 marched to war that day. In the center of the marching armies was the first army, in its center was the general. Fendor and his General''s Guard rode on their horses and as they passed through the border which was marked by a small lake, they sounded the trumpets of war. The trumpets of war sounded and echoed across the land. It signalled the beginning of the war that would soon engulf the surrounding lands. When the villagers from both sides heard the horns, they trembled in fear. The Dioz Villages near the frontier fled south to the nearest city. The fortress city Wergon became the center for people to flee. The city took in thousands that day when the horns were sounded. And to signal to the rest of the frontier that war had started. The military outposts lit the fires of war and so did the cities and towns. They lit their bonfires and signalled the beginning of hostilities. It was an organized declaration. Unbeknownst to Fendor, the king had recalled the western armies and they were well on their way to ?ssist the northern push. Crawford was in-charge of the western flank which consisted of the fifth army. The fifth army marched alongside the center and made sure that protecting their flanks were specialized spearman. These spearman were formed closely together and formed a phalanx. The phalanx was a new innovation within Dioz. It made use of long spears and shields used in a tight formation of soldiers. The phalanx had made itself known to be a formidable formation that was especially effective against cavalry. With pride they marched, and onto war they went. Chapter 96 - Im Sorry The sun was only a few hours away from rising but the moons were still in full light. Only the storm clouds above shielded the foxmen from turning. The knights did not have a clear explanation what would happen if the light of the double moon sonata struck them. The captain was only warned by the foxman that they must not let them turn. The fox family covered themselves with the sheets of the villagers that were massacred. The entire village was not spared, not the women nor the children. The knights made sure to hack and slash everyone inside the village. The foxman that was reluctant at first to face off against the villagers became the most ferocious and massacred the ones who managed to escape the knights. His mouth and his body covered in their blood. He gnawed and clawed them to their deaths without remorse. He did, however, let his victims curse him before he delivered the final blow. He took p???sur? in their despair. The same despair that they caused to the other demihumans in and around the borders of the Theocracy. For the foxman, what he did was merely vengeance. He was vengeful and hated the Theocracy so much. His hate, however, did not extend to all humans in general. What prevented him from hating every human because there were states like the Dioz Kingdom who actually accepted them as who they were. Dioz was like a shining beacon in the darkness of their world. When he heard that Dioz would send a rescue as long as they send out the proper magic signature, he scoured far and wide, avoiding the hunters sent by the Theocracy. He led his family through the wilderness, forced to live like the lower animals that were very much like them but less intelligent. Over time their sanity began to fade and he feared that his children would become like the wild beasts that roamed. To his luck, he found a magic crystal hidden inside a cave. Beside the crystal was a skeleton of a mage from an unknown sect. He knew the skeleton was a mage because of the clothing it left behind. The clothing resembled the uniforms of the Theocracy mages that hunted them down but were different in color. While the Theocracy sported the different shades of blue, this skeleton had a black uniform. Once he took the crystal, it let out a cry. The cry was loud and echoed our of the cave and into the wilderness. It alerted a nearby hunter group of mages and they were now in hot pursuit. The foxman still took the magic crystal and he dashed out of the cave and into the woods. Just as he came out, the hunters arrived. The mages saw him byron did not pursue him further. Because at the end of the river was a waterfall, and judging by the speed of the river, the foxman would not survive the fall. The foxman noticed the edge of the waterfall too late and he fell. Crashing into the river below, he used his arms to protect the crystal but were in turn broken. The crystal activated and that activation actually saved him. The crystal had cast a sort of protection magic around him, saving him from certain death. The foxman then swam to the edge and lifted himself onto solid ground. Tired, he lied there alongside the crystal. The crystal glowed bright beside him. "Thank you.. for saving me" he told the crystal. Unsure if the crystal would even understand or if it was alive af all did not stop him from thanking it. The crystal had aided in his healing process and now he was well on his way back home to where he left his family. He left his family near a lake to the west of where he was. They were sheltered inside a hut over the river. The hut was abandoned when they first found it and due to the seclusion of the place, he decided it was best for them to stay there. He was returning to his family proud of what he had accomplished, they were now a few less steps away from being saved from the nightmare and fear. He shouted their names. He shouted that he had arrived bu there was no response. The crystal then glowed brighter than it ever had before when it first shone its light on the foxman. It''s blinding light hurt his eyes and he let go of it. It fell to the ground and bounced but did not crack. It''s bright light then disappeared in a slow manner. Then, his family came out of the hut. His wife and children came out and waved at him. He was delighted and waved back, he waved at them to come. They did and they dived into the river and swam across. They met by the shoreline and hugged. Though he did not know why the crystal glowed, at least it was still there. His wife insisted that she''d hold onto it and he gave the crystal to her. The family then headed out to a nearby village. The nearby village was the only place they could hide from, the wife insisted. The foxman was surprised at his wife''s new attitude. Was she optimistic because help would soon arrive? That''s what he thought and he went with it. Little did he know, his family were merely illusions made by the crystal. When the hunters left him to die in the river, they came across the hut and found his family. They were massacred without remorse and their corpses were left strewed about inside the hut. The bloodstained walls and floor were a horrific show. These illusions felt real, they had a real body and acted similar. But they would soon disappear in a few days time. This was the horrible truth that befell the foxman later on. The knights had covered the family with sheets and the threat of the moonlight was at the minimum. The captain and the foxman had agreed to start their trek. The foxman covered himself with sheets too and went along. He walked alongside his family, holding onto the hand of his wife. The children were silent and did not speak a word. They started their journey south, ignoring the dirt road that the knights has followed. They stopped near a lake, it was the same lake where his family was massacred. "Captain, I suggest that we settle in that hut for awhile before we head out? Look, the clouds are moving away" the foxman was right. The clouds were moving away and he was still not confident that the sheets would prevent the moonlight from shining on their skin. "The slightest exposure to that wretched light would start the transformation!" He warned. Reluctant at first, the captain of the knights accepted and the foxman lead the group. After the knights had laid down some big rocks for then to walk on, they reached the hut. "Something smells.. dead?" One of the soldiers smelled something rotten. It wasn''t a rotten animal but a rotten human. "Huh?" The foxman climbed up the hut. "What is it?!" The captain drew his sword and rushed to his side. "Oh heavens!" The captain saw it too. The rotting bodies of his family were still there. Being fed on by flies and insects alike. The foxman then turned around and saw what should have been his family. They removed their sheets to the shock of the knights around them. The moonlight had finally shone through the storm clouds and were at full strength. Shining on his family. But his family did not change. He did not know what was going on. Then, his wife pulled out the crystal and looked at him in the eye. His children waved at their father. They were illusions. But they were also the souls of his family. "No-no! Please!" The illusions began to fade. Little by little they lost their physical appearance. The foxman then ran out of the hut, pushing aside the captain and the knights who were with him. He swam as fast as he could and when he reached them, they were already ceasing to exist. "Why, why, please, don''t leave me!" He begged for them to stay. "I love you! Please don''t leave me" the foxman began to cry. And as the moonlight shines on him too, he began to change. But the change did not take full effect. He still had control. His wife then held his cheeks while the crystal floated into the air above them. His children walked around him and each held his hand while the other hugged him from behind. The foxman wailed loudly. "Don''t cry.." his wife whispered. And with a kiss on the lips, his wife''s finals words were.. "I love you" "We love you too" their children said. The scene was enough to make the knights emotional. Tears formed in their eyes, they then understood why the Dioz Kingdom had gone to great lengths to save the demihumans. They took had families. They too had feelings. They too had the right to live. They were not demons, different they may be, they were still like humans. His family then embraced him. Hugged him as tight as they could to make him feel their warmth one last time. He reached and hugged them together as well. Cuddling them as much as he could. "I''m sorry, I couldn''t protect you! I''m sorry.. I''m sorry..." And he felt their grips loosen and their bodies fade. Until he was only hugging the thin air. His family transformed into orbs of light that floated up to the crystal. The crystal then shined but dimmer than before. The orbs gathered around the crystal and it began to transform. From a crystal, it turned into a sword that descended from the sky and landed on the fox man''s hands. "What is this?.." He grabbed the sword and wielded it. The knights gathered around him. The captain had just gotten back from the hut. He checked on the corpses before he left. They were indeed dead and the life in their eyes and the magic in their veins had vanished completely. He ordered his men to gather around the foxman. Judging from his warnings, the foxman would turn into a beast after being hit by the moonlight. They drew their swords and dreaded themselves to fight the demihuman that they were supposed to save. The sword was magnificent, the light of the moon reflected against its clear body and it was clearly enchanted. The foxman was engulfed by the moonlight but he did not turn. He turned around and looked at the captain in the eye. He saw that they had their swords pointed at him. Although he wielded his, he lowered it. To show that he wasn''t turning into a monster. The knights did not lower theirs. But he was silent. And the knights were silent as well. Nobody spoke a word. Chapter 97 - Prelude (Siege) The defenders of the holy city retreated into the inner walls just as the magic barrier encompassed what was left of the inner city. The men and women made haste in setting up what little barricade they could install and resistance they could attempt. The war was at its bleakest and defeat was already on the horizon. The sun was setting when the metal men began their artillery barrage. Shell upon shell bombarded the barrier making it tremble with the ground below it. Many cried that day, not even the most seasoned of veterans could hold their despair as the sight of these unholy weapons and their munitions reducing what they loved into nothing but rubble continued into the night. By the break of dawn, the shells had wiped out the entire outer city. The outer walls have been completely breached with thousands of metal men marching in. From last night''s bombardment alone, the entire population left out of the barrier were killed. Their bodies, churned, torn and burned. Through the city streets, the alleys and the wreckage of the outer city the metal men marched in formation. Batting not an eye nor gave a care to the sight of mass death and blood spewed allover. Fires engulfed whatever wooden structure was left as incinderary shells were employed. That was the second day of the bombardment. The night befell them after the second day and the bombardment continued. The remaining magic councilmen looked on from the porches of their grand cathedral as in the distance, flashes of light erupted. "Goddess.. save us.." They pleaded for their goddess to come to the rescue but their pleas and calls met uncaring ears as she was no longer with them. They were all on their own with nothing but themselves to count on. And so, when morale finally collapsed and their leadership questioned, they decided to sacrifice themselves. Not in battle, but by sacrificing their bodies to power the barrier longer. They gathered inside the grand cathedral, every single one of them. They formed a circle around the grand lobby and focused all their magic. They glowed the color blue, the color of their goddess who has abandoned them. And as the old men were su?k?d into the magic circle they had cast, most cursed themselves and renounced their beliefs. That was their final act. They left behind a magic circle that encompassed the entire lobby. It spread onto the walls and into the hallways. Whoever was inside the grand cathedral were caught in the spread and their magic and physical bodies su?k?d into it. The grand cathedral transformed into an unholy abomination that continued to power the barrier until this very day. This was One''s final problem. He only needed to strike one decisive blow to the barrier and the city would be theirs. More and more war machines arrived as per the Overall''s request and they positioned themselves around the city. Surrounded, the barrier was bombarded with even more power and force than ever befor Hovercrafts streaked through the air and pounded the barrier from above with their missiles, bombs and heavy guns. On the ground, tanks and heavy drones pounded the barrier sides with continuous fire support from the infantry. But the barrier held despite the 26 hour attempt to break it. The siege was far from over but defeat was still inevitable. The defenders knew they were only delaying their fates. During the third day in the second week of the siege, the metal men lead by One launched a massive ?ssault on all sides of the barrier. During the first week of the siege, the metal men were able to build small inefficient warships but were warships nonetheless. They went to the ports of the city and shelled it from a safe distance. The port was where the main evacuations were being held. Small wooden ships, galleons and fishing boats were present that time and all of which were sunk in a matter of minutes. A metal warship even rammed a galleon who made a break for it. The warship tore through the lower decks and the galleon broke in half, sinking to the bottom of the sea. The port was reduced to rubble. Fires burned out of control and black smoke rose to the sky. There was really no escaping. Back inside the barrier, the defenders have all abandoned the walls. Whatever ragtag leadership was present determined that once the barrier fell, the inner walls would be the first to be obliterated and thus they''d lose the garrisons. The defenders then formed a plan. A noble plan, a plan that seemed their last hope. They were to form a tight formation around the entrance of the grand cathedral with whatever men and women they had. They took whatever weapons were left and armed whoever could wield a sword. Old or young, sick or healthy, none were excused. The second line consisted of the spears, the men and women at that line wielded spears of many lengths. They were to form a sort of spear-shield wall. The third line consisted of whoever had a sword or a shield. The lines were tight, against a similar army they would be considered formidable. But against the metal men, they seemed helpless. But the line wasn''t to be formed until the barrier was breached and they could only hope that once the barrier collapsed, they''d be able to mount their defense. After the port was destroyed, the metal men seized control. The entire inner city was indeed surrounded. The terrified survivors on the port were massacred. There was no turning back from the hostiles they initiated. One explicitly ordered the entire inner city to be divided in half once the barrier was breached. There will be those who would be spared and forcefully integrated into One''s empire and those who would be executed to instill fear. The magic circle that spun out of control now covered the grand cathedral. Nobody dared come near it or they risk getting absorbed by the intense pool of magical energy. With each bombardment and each ?ssault, the magic pillar would dim as it expends more and more of its magic to maintain and strengthen the barrier. With the current rate of bombardment, the barrier would last for months or so. But there was another problem. The men, women and children were going hungry. Supplies were dwindling and there was no escape. With the port destroyed, their warehouses depleted and the grand cathedrals basement inaccessible, it was only a matter of time before starvation wipes them out. There was also the problem with disease. The highly unsanitized surroundings and rotting corpses were perfect breeding grounds for all kinds of diseases from the simple flu to the damndest leprosy. The survivors were experiencing the full consequences of war. If the metal men weren''t going to kill them soon, diseases, starvation and even their own compatriots will. Desperation lead to the abandonment of human rights and led to atrocities within. One watched from afar. Inside a hovercraft that hovered a kilometer from the barrier. He looked through his enhanced eyes and saw the chaos that erupted. "Victory is upon us" he told Michael and John. These two drones were similar to that of humans, but were far from being one. Nonetheless, their AI somehow evolved form its usual programming and became self-aware but loyal to One. One appointed Micheal as the general for the first army. The first army was the army deployed in this world. John, on the other hand, was tasked as One''s bodyguard throughout. Their promotions weren''t without reason. Micheal became a brilliant strategist, able to understand his enemy and predict their moves and thinking. He correctly deduced the amount of time until the barrier were to ran out of power and put forward a plan. John trained rapidly in hand-to-hand combat. Able to learn and study thousands of moves just by observing and learning to counter most of them. But to his folly, his counters won''t be needed for the meantime as he was physically stronger than the common enemy, humans. With this war between man and machine, magic and science, Micheal was about to end it. The operation was codenamed "Heretic" The operation in paper requires only a minimum of 5 thousand drones and few heavy armaments and forces. But he was blessed as surrounding the city were a force of 30 thousand drones, thousands of heavy armaments and forces. A well-functioning airforce with complete air superiority and most of all, One. The operation was to begin in 3 days, the bombardments were to cease during the time period and they were to wait. The plan was total annihilation but not all of it would be achieved through bloodshed. No. Micheal wanted them to fight each other. Chapter 98 - Officer (Siege) On a patch of grassland to the north of the city laid the camp in which Micheal remained. With him were fifty other drones standing guard. Micheal was inside the tent situated in the center. There, he finalized the operation that will end the Theocracy once and for all. The plans for the operation were laid out as a holographic projection. In the projection were the divisions which were labeled accordingly. Three infantry divisions of ten thousand drones each. One division of armoured vehicles and one division consisting of heavy drones and mechanized battalions. The three infantry divisions were situated north west, north east and south. The armoured division was situated to the north and the mechanized division to the south west. The port which was situated to the southeast of the city was under a blockade of their warships. The port itself had been rendered useless after the bombardment and thus no troops are needed to reinforce. A small battalion of drones were dispatched to take formal control. The airforce consisted of one hundred hovercrafts and twenty fighter jets. The fighter jets were the newly reverse-engineered but low quality variant of the prewar modern fighter jet employed by the human government back then. Despite lagging behind the original, the fighter jet was still more than capable in fulfilling its role of shock and awe. These were the summary of the forces tasked to capture the city. All of which were under Micheal''s command. From his tent, Micheal relaxed as the deadline was almost over. Suddenly, Micheal heard footsteps. They were getting closer and closer to his tent. It was One. "Ah! Commander, glad to see you" Micheal said. "I see" One said. One was dragging behind him a chair since he thought that Micheal won''t have a spare. And he was right, there was only one chair inside Micheal''s tent. He placed the chair against the holographic projection directly facing against Micheal and sat down. "What brings you here? So far off from the battlefield" Micheal asked. One pushed himself against the back of his chair and said. "You cancelled the bombardment, it''s been a day and a half since the last shell. I was curious of your plans since you have not informed me directly of them" Micheal smiled but his face was that of a drone, and so his smile was only in his mind. "Commander, I only wish to bring upon you success! I know for certain that you have already deduced what I intend to do and so I had decided to refrain from telling you" Micheal explained. One was confused but ran along with it. "I do, but I wish to hear it personally from you first and I would like to give my comments after you do so" One said. "Brilliant! Then I shall do as you say," Micheal cheered. And so, for thirty minutes, Micheal explained every minor and major detail to One. Even One was surprised at the depth of which his general had come up with. The plan in paper seemed foolproof and required only proper execution. And knowing his drones, it will be properly executed. Micheal made sure he took the major factors that may disrupt the plan, mainly magic. The ruling council was the only real threat. Magic has so far been fairly weak against their technology but has dealt damage nonetheless. Micheal finished explaining but One was already not paying attention. ''Why did he also take into account the state of the ground?'' One thought. ''It is as if he is going to split the ground.. that would be good though'' Micheal leaned against his chair, waiting One''s comments. One stood up and tipped his officer''s hat. "I expect nothing but success" He said. Micheal stood and saluted like any other normal soldier to their commander. One left the tent and headed to his hovercraft. After boarding, the hovercraft flew towards the Holy City. From the hovercraft''s windows, One looked down on the battlefield. Smoke belched from the fires that were widespread across the fields and the outer city. The smoke annoyed One for it reminded him of the wildfires that the Theocracy started that covered the sun for weeks and killed the local flora. Once city falls, he would order the army to demobilize and start the rebuilding process. 1 day and a half before the beginning of the real hell. The survivors thought that they were already living through hell, the underworld, suffering and death. But the real atrocities were just about to pop their ugly heads and wreak havoc. The infantry divisions have dug themselves in in accordance to Micheal''s order. The armoured and mechanized divisions were reinforced while the airforce disappeared from the airspace around the city. Calm befell them. It was an uneasy period for the defenders as they were divided. They did not know whether or not the metal men were actually leaving them alone. Some feared that they were digging down the ground and would appear inside the barrier. But they themselves have tried to dig out but the barrier also stretched deep into the ground. Inside a makeshift tent in the midst of the devastated inner city, a lone regimental officer stood firm. Despite the anarchy that was unfolding outside, he smoked a small pipe and would clench his fists in intervals. The regimental officer was Oxfus Brown. Oxfus was the last remaining regimental officer. The term "officer" and the position thereof was a relatively weak and low position given to the commanders of regiments. The term "officer" itself was often used as an insult by high-ranking nobles to those in the military with lower standing than them. Although the Freetan Theocracy was a theocracy, the same military culture was applied as well. But this officer, despite his low rank and social prestige, was given command of what forces they had left. As he stood firm, his mind was workinv around the clock. Thinking of ways he could improve their defense and give their enemies hell. And then he sat down, his legs feelimg numb. Just as he sat, somebody burst into his tent, demanding some food. It was a nobleman. Despite being a noble, the horrors and toils of war were ever the more present in his dress and face. His body bruised, clothes ragged and face ruined. He looked more like the peasants he belittled rather than a noble. "Officer! Give me your food, now!" He shouted at Oxfus. This was not the first time someone of high prestige and regard would burst into his tent and demanded food or whatnot. Oxfus then took a bag from a corner that had two small potatoes in it. The noble saw the bag and was about to snatch it from Oxfus'' hands. Oxfus slapped his hands away and angered the noble. "How dare you! A mere of-" the nobleman was given a taste of a hand to the face. His weakened body was no match against a powerful slap and he fell on his back. "H-how dare!" And again, as the nobleman tried to crawl out, he gave him a taste of his boot. The noble was knocked out. Oxfus then called for someone to drag him out. Two young men answered his call and dragged the noble out. Although Oxfus was inside, he already knew what was to become of the noble. Food was going short. People wanted to survive and how can they survive? Make do with what they had. If one was to pay attention, there were no corpses in the inner city. Only the bloodstains smeared all over the rubble and the walls. Small fires were spread about with pots and stoves. Over them, they were cooking meat. The people, however, did not really take kindly in eating such a disgraceful meat but Oxfus said otherwise. "Would you rather starve and get killed by the demons? Or eat and have a fighting chance" these were the exact words he shouted. One by one, they gathered their sustenance. They placed down their pots and pans. They lit up the fires and they cooked. And then when the food was finished, they ate. And they were nourished and they forgot who they were eating. Some then preached that it was the duty of those who passed. Not even their physical forms that they abandoned would be wasted for they shall serve as the energy the survivors needed. This is good. They thought. Delicious, they whispered. Chapter 99 - The Battering Ram (Siege) The sun rose over a quiet landscape that surrounded a devastated city. Its citizens were either lying on the ground motionless or were trapped inside the barrier. The smoke that rose up to the sky formed a silhouette against the rising ray of the sun and reminded the survivors of their dread. But through this calmness and the apparent peace that has befallen them, it was only a matter of time before everything they knew and once had will be erased from existence and in its place, a grand empire unlike anything their world has ever seen. The day of the operation had arrived. The sole remaining scout of the survivors was standing at the very top of the only tower that stood over the inner city. With him was a makeshift telescope of laughable magnification but was a telescope nonetheless. Using the telescope, he stood watchful of the enemy''s movements. It''s been three days since the enemy bombarded them and the uneasy peace showed no signs of actually ceasing. Until he peaked through the telescope and looked to the north. The metal mammoths of the enemy have begun to move, leaving behind a cloud of dust. The metal men themselves have also begun to move and most of which had disappeared from sight. A day ago he had estimated that there were at least 10 thousand metal men to the north but the numbers had fallen. He then turned his telescope to the west and saw the same situation unfolding. Clouds of dust left behind by the speeding behemoths of the enemy. He lowered his telescope and lo through his n?k?d eye what seemed to be an eruption. Wherever he laid his eyes, clouds of dusts appeared as though there was an eruption occurring around the city. He signaled an alarm to the ground and quickly the defenders scrambled for their weapons and got into position. Oxfus was in the middle of the chaos and was trying his best to coordinate their defense. He sent the remaining mages to the tower where the scout was to provide additional support and analyses. Their worst fear seemed justified at first. The dust clouds cleared and the entirety of the enemy had vanished. Replacing them were mounds of dirt and ground of which the enemy had seemingly dug. "They must be digging under us! They''re going to appear below us!" One of the mages screamed in terror after the realization. His words were heard down below and the defensive formation they had come up with fell apart. Chaos broke loose as the survivors descended into anarchy with almost everybody losing their will to fight on and have resorted to their d?s?r?s. The chaos was uncontrollable and the barrier was now seen as an imprisonment. Many wanted to escape the barrier itself and would rather die at the hands of the metal men rather than become the playthings of their own fellow humans. It was a bloody hour. Oxfus tried to reassert whatever control he could before he himself was finally consumed by the dread and hopelessness of everything around him. And as the women were dragged off and murdered, the men losing their minds and their wills to their corrupted psyches. An ominous horn echoed. The sound silenced the chaos. Everybody became frozen in place as the horn echoed through the land. The scout who was at the tower pointed his telescope to the north from which the horn sound came from and with the ?ssistance of the mages'' magic, he saw the shadows of their demise. Flying metal beasts by the hundreds were flying towards them and they were unlike anything they have seen before. It was like a swarm of hornets from a hive that they disturbed. In the middle of the swarm was a larger shadow, bigger than the rest of the smaller shadows that made up the swarm. The behemoth in the middle was larger than what was seen through the telescope as its shadow covered an entire field as it flew over it. The smaller shadows came closer and they revealed their appearances to the scout. Bulky in size and shape, they were unlike anything the metal men have sent against them so far. What was their purpose? Why were they flying in such a tight cluster and why was their a giant in the middle flying among them? Their questions would soon be answered when the smaller crafts increased speed and came crashing down at the barrier. It was then and there did they realize that the small flying metal abominations were actually meant to explode into a fiery ball of flames as soon as they crashed against the barrier. From total anarchy, the survivors'' survival instincts kicked in alongside their fears. They felt no sorrow, no despair, but only fear itself. Fear became the dominant emotion of everyone and nobody inside could even bear to see a single metal object without going mad. Madness spread and it was not long till the survivors had no more will left. "Ball Of Hades" Sacrificing their material bodies for more magical power, they allowed themselves to get su?k?d in into an expanding raven black ball of flames. The raven black ball of flames then began to absorb the rotting corpses in and around the city, completely ignoring the barrier. And as the smaller crafts were expended, the only thing that remained was the behemoth of flying beast that even rivaled the legendary dragons. The raven black ball had absorbed everything dead around it and so, it charged at the flying monster. Launching itself at a speed faster than sound, it looked like a hurling ball of death from hell. It tore through the clouds and met the flying beast. The ball hit the broadside of the flying elongated hull. The side of which exploded ferociously and sent shock waves that moved the clouds,flattened the fields, snapped branches off of trees and flattened plants. Inside the barrier, the people witnessed what had happened and many began to rejoice, thinking that they had delayed their deaths. But the hulking beast was still alive, from the smoke it tore through and revealed its bow. It was like a javelin that was thrown from a distance and was about to pierce the barrier like a spear to a shield. Despite taking damage to its left, the beast was still flying towards the barrier with a good chunk of it still intact and operational. Panic once again spread. The scout who was now alone at the top of the tower cowered behind the walls and prayed. He covered his ears and closed his eyes. His feet folded and his sanity gone, laughter began to escape him. Slowly, everything around him went silent as his ears began to fail and only the sounds of high pitched scream was left for him to hear. His eyes bulged and he laughed like a maniac. The smoking beast came closer and closer, its shadow now visible to everyone. Oxfus was standing in the middle of the inner city when he saw his death looming. "That''s their battering ram" The metal beast hit the barrier and exploded. Everything within 1 kilometers was flattened and the barrier itself collapsed under such tremendous pressure. The remains of houses and buildings in the city as a whole were toppled. The people inside the barrier were killed in an instant. The shock wave from the blast was more powerful than expected. Clouds were shoved off, the ground shook violently, waves rocked the metal warships and few kilometers of fields were flattened. Micheal''s plan was concluded. Micheal then ordered all division to advance into the city. They were not to interfere with any survivors, preferably, they were to be left alone to rot. The divisions emerged from their trenches that of which they built and marched. The grand cathedral from where the barrier''s power source came from was destabilizing. Micheal, noticing this, told the divisions to halt just outside of the inner city as the grand cathedral collapsed into itself. "No!" One whispered as he watched from afar. The grand cathedral collapsed into a black hole, a small black hole near microscopic levels, the size of mere half a penny. The black hole then died in a fraction of a second, releasing the energy of a bomb stronger than even the one dropped on a former human city back on Earth. Chapter 100 - Here We Go, Again "Where am I?" One found himself in an unknown place. A white room with no features. "Where you are?" A voice said. One stepped forward and looked around. "Who are you?" He asked. "A voice" It said. "Am I discussing with someone unreasonable?" One asked. There was no reply for a few seconds. "I am not someone, but I am reasonable" The voice said. "Then, prove it to me. Where am I?" One asked. "You''re inside a white room" It said. "I know. But I am no fool. There is more to this room than what meets my eye" One''s voice began to deepen and his mood worsened. "I know you are no fool. That is why you are inside this room. Why don''t you walk towards one of the walls and see for yourself?" One followed the voice''s instructions and walled towards one of the walls. He placed his right hand on the wall. Suddenly, the wall changed from a snow white wall and into a mirror. The mirror reflected One. He saw his reflection on it but One was happy with the result. The more he uncovered, the closer he will be to his answer. Or so he thought. "What does this mirror mean?" One asked. "The mirror does what a mirror will do, reflect. You see your reflection and that is you." The voice said. "I know what a mirror does and will do. A mirror is a mirror and has a function but I do not understand, why a mirror? I know myself more than anyone. I am me, a half flesh and half machine. An abomination. Why should I see myself?" One explained. "Look again" The voice said. One looked once again at the mirror but saw someone different. Reflected in the mirror was a human with his face. The human had a human body, no scars nor scratches. No machinery nor artificial limbs. A plain human with no outstanding features whatsoever. "This is me?" One asked. He extended his hands at the mirror and when they touched the surface, it rippled like a finger tapping on a puddle of water. The ripples distorted the image and it changed into another form. This time, it was another human but in contrast to what he saw earlier, this human was wounded, bruised and violated. Every part of his being had an injury or a stain, an impurity. "This is me again, is it?" He said. The voice replied in earnest, "It is you, everything you see in that mirror reflects you, convinced yet?" One took some steps back and looked around. "Your voice is familiar, I believe we have met before," He said. "Indeed we have, but you do not remember" The voice seemingly implying that his memory was faulty. "Come," The voice added, "Walk with me" "Walk with you?" One asked as he moved his hands around the passing clouds. "I don''t even see you nor do we have anything to walk on" As soon as he finished talking, a wooden path appeared before him. Defying the laws of physics, it floated in midair. One extended his foot and stepped on it, it was rock solid though there was not anything supporting it underneath. "Your understanding of how the world works does not apply here, you may not worry for you won''t be falling anytime soon, I ?ssure you" The voice said. "You still haven''t shown yourself," At that moment, a figure appeared in front of him. It was human in form but was transparent. A blank humanoid with only the void of its eyes visible on its empty slate. "I am here," The voice echoed from the being. And so, they started walking over the pathway. "Who are you?" One asked again. He wanted to know who the being was and where he was. Normally, he would be acting aggressively, ?sserting his authority and be as threatening as possible. But this was not the case, he felt calm and cool. His thoughts were collected and he had no urge to do anything rash. The view around him had such a calming effect that he himself was astonished when he realized it later. "I am someone who is important, but I am not important to the new world nor am I important to your old world. I am someone only important to you," It said. "I don''t even know you! You are a blank slate, something I do not even recall yet find so similar. You are giving me more questions that answers!" One stressed. The figure patted his back and One became calm again. This being is dangerous, he thought. To be able to calm One with a simple pat to the back was unheard of, a power he himself did not know existed. "Why are you surprised?" The figure asked. "It was only a simple pat on the back" One tried to shove him away but couldn''t. He could only think of doing it but put into practice, he could not. The being had this force emanating from himself that surrounded him and dissuaded One from doing anything that may harm him. "Your thoughts are chaotic, why don''t you relax and enjoy the view of the clouds?" The being covered One''s eyes for a second. When he removed his hands, One saw a majestic scenery. A sunset. Suddenly, he realized that they were no longer in the sky and were now standing on a beach. The pathway had disappeared and only the vast ocean lay in front of him. The sight was something to behold. The frustration he felt earlier was erased in its entirety and he could only stare. The sight of the yellow star receding over the waters while the clouds from afar gave their silhouettes. "Why can''t I see something like this every now and then?" "You can! All you have to do is visit me from time to time" One turned at the figure with a confused look on his face. "How do I even do that? I don''t even know how I got here in the first place!" The being placed his right hand on One''s left shoulder. "You''ll find out eventually but for now, let''s make the best out of our time together!" The scenery around them changed once more, the beautiful beach and the sunset all disappeared like a ripple on the surface of a puddle and replaced by another kind of beauty. The beauty of a city. They found themselves standing on the highest peak of a nearby mountain and before them was the view of the city skyline in the middle of the night. One was silent all throughout. Though he did not really get it at first, he was actually experiencing a sense of nostalgia. He may have woken up with no memories of his past whatsoever but it was still there, locked behind the deepest and darkest reaches of his mind. "Beautiful, isn''t it?" The being said as he sat down on the grass. One followed and also sat down on the grass beside the being. "You''re mute, but I don''t mind" There was no way of telling how much time passed when they were looking over the city. The beautiful lines that towered with the skyscrapers, the headlights of cars, the streetlights by the sides of the roads. The plane was man''s way of conquering the sky as it did with fire, the wheel, the car, the ship and agriculture. Eventually, everything culminated until mankind almost conquered the stars when they launched their first spaceship. Then everything crashing down and mankind was no more. Their last greatest achievement, may have been their demise after all. It must have been hours or even days. But the sky remained the same except the ever changing formation of the clouds above. There was no sign of the moon setting anytime soon nor the sun rising from what they considered the east. Suddenly, the calmness of the sight changed in an instant. One''s silence was broken when all hell broke loose. The entire city skyline was engulfed in flames. Sirens blared and guns blasted. Military aircraft flew over head to engage an unknown enemy. The night sky was transformed into a distorted dance of lights. One couldn''t make sense of it at first but after looking carefully, the lights were the enemy and the humans dogfighting. "It is chaos" the being said. "No.. no!" One stood and ran down the mountain. Chapter 101 - The Final Battle Between You And Me The sky was black when One woke up from his dream. He remembered nothing once again, just a fuzzy feeling that enveloped his body and mind. He stood and looked around to see where he was, he was actually alone in the middle of a desert. From what he can recall, he was on his way back to the main hub until his vision went black. He staggered suddenly, unsure what his injury was. It came as a surprise to One who taught of himself as invincible. Magic had not damaged him in anyway and he was practically immune to most blows the people of the new world and nature could throw at him. Yet he staggered. He looked down and saw his legs. They were crippled with sparks coming from the cracks. It seemed like he landed hard. He then scanned his surroundings for any signs of a wreckage that may indicate they were somehow shotdown by something or someone. There was none. He was alone in the middle of nowhere.i Running through his options, he tried to access his personal database and also tried to connect to the machine network. He could not. He was somehow disconnected. It was a troublesome revalation for One to say the least. He uttered no words and continued to do whatever he conceived to reestablish contact. He activates his core and sends out a strong signal into the sky. This signal could be detected by most of the detection instruments used by his machines but the time it would take for them to notice was long. In the event that he was somehow disconnected, the drones would enter a state of dormancy until he eventually returned. Hailey would ?ssume command right after his connection is distorted and he would be reinstated once he found his way back. In his mind, he knew that he was still in the new world judging by the two moons shining in the sky. In his personal databank, he recalled that there is a desert that stretched from the west of Yuhin to the east of the Herlion borders. There was also a large stretch of desert that enveloped the Freetan Theocracy but was surrounded by unnatural forests. He was probably in the middle of the latter. He went and checked his compass. He pointed out the direction to the east and set out. If he was indeed in the middle of the Freetan desert then his best bet should have been going west to reach the hub. In his mind, however, One feared that maybe they had been compromised and that their foes have retaken the Freetan Theocracy, or some part of it at least. With his connection severed, he could not access any information or contact anyone. "We should really invest in some other forms of communication that does not rely on the machine network, just in case" he said to himself as he staggered forth. He walked for hours but he began to notice something strange. The moons were not moving at all, instead they stayed in place even though hours had passed already. He checked again and the moons have really yet to move. They still shined from their original position when One first woke up. "Impossible" he uttered. He stopped walking and looked up at the sky to further analyze it. He did not think that the sky would somehow become an abnormality yet he was faced with the reality that it may be so. The sky was clear, sure a clear night sky was a perfectly normal occurence for the most part but when he checked his the atmosphere itself, his instruments failed to read it. "Strange" His instruments continued to fail. They measured nothing, no atmospheric pressure, no composition, nothing. There weren''t even detecting the wind even though One could feel the breeze from the east. "Im trapped somewhere" he concluded. There was nothing else he could think of. His instruments were safe and sound inside him. A malfunction would compromise other systems yet he stood fine. He then came up with an idea. "Whoever or whatever you are, there is no use in taking up this facade that I am alone. Show yourself so we may converse" he announced into the nothingness. Sure enough, reality distorted in front of him. She glared at One with her blue eyes that glowed and dark blue pupils that made known to One that she was not a fan of his. "Metal man, you sure are keen. I must give you credit for it" the woman announced in an ethereal voice that would make any normal man falter onto his knees. But One was no man. "A blue woman. You are the blue goddess, am I correct?" One said. The blue goddess smiled and replied, "Yes, yes I am. And let me be blunt, I am here to end you" If One could raise his left eyebrow, he would Have already done so to show that he was not buying her bullshit. "Blue Goddess, I am in no way shocked nor do I have any regrets with the actions I have undertaken thus far. But I do have a question for you" One said, staring down the goddess. "You may ask your question, I am Goddess, not a brute who will just ignore a formal request" the goddess replied. "If you really wanted me dead, then why send humans?" "So you know?" The blue goddess said. "Your first move against me was when the Freetan Theocracy sent out the Papal Scripture. You used them as pawns, believing that you''d take care of us just by using them" The goddess was silent. "I am correct. Your silence is my answer. You failed miserably and the Papal Scripture was all but eliminated" The goddess then replied "There is a survivor" One shook his head. "Vilvintine is not a survivor. The Vilvintine you and the pope knew was killed along with the rest, she has since been made anew. She is now nothing more than another one of mine." The goddess frowned and raised her hands, out of her palms came a raging blue fire. "You are despicable and an abomination to this world" she said. "Says the self proclaimed deity who failed to save the millions I have sent to the depths of the afterlife" One retorted. The Goddess was about to jump on One when reality changed around him as well. A chair appeared behind him and One sat down. The goddess was shocked and withheld her attack. "I have come to a conclusion as to why you chose to throw the lives of your believers instead of throwing yourself in. You could not do so yourself, well, that''s a simple way of putting it actually.. ..to start, you should have a seat too and so I gave you a seat as well" The goddess looked behind herself and there was indeed a chair behind her. She reluctantly sat down, she did not expect her enemy to bend their reality as well. "Now, to start, I would like to give my thanks. If it wasn''t for you, I would not have known that deities existed or even if this place existed at all, you have my sincerest of thanks.. ..you frown, of course you will. You came here thinking that you can finally end me. But I guess my mental fortitude was stronger than anticipated aye?.. Stronger than yours at least.. This is my mind after all" "So you figured it out?" The goddess said. "This is the psychic dimension. A dimension that exists in every living thing that has a consciousness. This is where you''ll see what is inside the persona of a person. The fears, the secrets, the horrors" One smirked. "When I woke, I did not know any of that. Now I do, you failed to take in account that I am adaptable. I adapt and I learn faster than any normal human can. I know this is a dimension inside my mind, my human mind. A place where we all go to when we rest. Our dreams" The goddess squinted her eyes. "This.. barren desert. You yourself would be surprised to see this desolate landscape" The goddess then stood from her chair and yelled. "It is because you are a murderer! You killed your own world and now you wish to kill this one. I am here to stop you, I am here to end you!" One raised his hand and gestured her to sit. "It was rude of you to ?ssume that I killed off my own world, my own home... So you can understand, shall we start from the very beginning?" Chapter 102 - In My Shoes "My world was.. brilliant.. magnificent with grand splendour. We humans dominated our world, exploited it and reached for the stars. Then, one day, I found myself alone inside the remains of our once proud civilization. As you can see throughout, there are only sands and sand dunes, in the distance you may even see structures. Those were built by us. I may not remember everything.. But you can bet that did not cause this mess either.. Even I can''t explain what I have been experiencing this past few months in this world of yours. A world of magic, the very force that defies conventional science. If it wasn''t for one of your cults, we wouldn''t be here. But I''m glad they did" The goddess was getting impatient. She knew that One was delaying her, letting her lower her guard so that he can attack her at her weakest. But still, she was curious. "Lately, I''ve been having these.. dreams. In those dreams there is always a voice.. a voice that speaks with me. Claiming that she knows me, pushing me to go on with what I have been doing. I am always impulsed to carry out what it wishes. Yet, everytime I wake, I forget. But the urge to fullfil my "mission" remains.. " ..you are but an obstacle. I will massacre millions more that will get in my way!" The goddess'' vision blackened. "Where am I?!" She screamed. There was silence. And then, her vision returned. She was standing on top of a structure that she had never seen before. She walked towards the edge and saw the gleaming city below. There were these small things moving down there, there were also these big monstrosities that occupied the sky. She saw many humans going about their daily lives. Live she could not even begin to comprehend. They were there, wearing strange clothes. She could see their smiles, their struggles, she could even feel what they felt. All of a sudden, the sky darkened and ravenous black clouds stormed the skies and it began to rain. The rain was a thick, black smudge that melted the city. She looked down once more, this time, she saw no harmony. But blood. In the distance, explosions rocked the city and the sounds of cackling and cracking filled her ears. She began to feel nauseous and anxious. "Turn this away!" She screamed but the violence escalated further. Soon, she found herself in the shoes of a unnamed girl. She was running through the war torn streets. A thick black haze covered the air and the smell of rotting corpses filled her nostrils. She felt afraid of something but she did not know what it was. But the fear that was ?ssociated with it lingered deep inside her. The little girl then found herself trapped between a huge battle. She saw humans that flew, held strange weapons and were strange armour. They were accompanied by these metal beasts that spat out fire from their mouths and flying dragons that spewed stones the shape of rods that birthed a fiery ball. The abominations soon swallowed the humans and their companions and they began to flee. They fled from the battle until more humans came and they battled once more. The humans, by a slim margin, won. They slaughtered the abominations and they shouted with glory. Then, she found herself within the shoes of a lone man. That lone man was standing on top of a hill that overlooked a ruined city. "It''s.." the goddess said. "It''s you!" She said when she realized that she was within the shoes of her enemy, One. And then suddenly, a bright flash of light blinded her. And she was back inside her seat, rushing for air. "Enough of this!" The goddess screamed in a rage. She hastily stood from her chair and lunged at One with her flaming fists. One then dashed to meet her head on, surprising the goddess as she expected One to dodge. He did not. The goddess was blown a few hundred feet away but regained her composure right after. She scanned the surroundings but there was no sight of One. Until he came up behind her. The synthetic man slammed his fists down the goddess'' shoulders, pounding her into the ground and causing it to crack. The ground below them gave way and the landscape tore itself apart as the two clashed in a vacuum. With each passing momentz reality blended according to the will of the two that were in it. They hurled many objects and weapons at each other in the hope that one of them will be caught off-guard. And as the two became evermore creative, the goddess unleashed one massive pillar of energy that blasted through One''s defensive shield. The blast knocked One a kilometer away but the goddess caught up to him, a concrete floor manifested below them and the goddess pounded him into the slab, shattering in into pieces. One was motionless all throughout. The goddess pounded her with everything she got. Until suddenly, the battle came into an abrupt halt. The goddess felt her body tighten with no visible force causing it. Suddenly, her ?h?st began to feel heavy. She began to gasp for air as her body violently jolted in on itself as if there was something inside her pulling her together. The goddess shrieked and began to cough up blood. She began to convulse as her eyes tried their very best to remain open. Her vision became blurry and the only thing she saw in front of herself was the silhouette of a man whom has already defeated her. "Funny, isn''t it?" One said as he stood on the same concrete slabs that the goddess pounded him through. "You came into my mind thinking that I was only somewhat stronger than the average man. That was where you were mistaken. As you floated there helplessly, your body collapsing in on itself, I can hear your cries for help. You''re crying deep inside for the other deities to save you, am I correct?.. ..wait, that''s right. You can''t speak... ..you are suffering because you resist, don''t you know? This entire plane of existence bends according to our will. Knowing that, I placed something inside you that I know is beyond even your comprehension. A force that even light cannot escape from.. ..This is the power of our dreams. I remember something called ''lucid'' dreaming and it sums up everything around here. Our manifestations inside this dimension are our consciousness tied to our psyche. Hence, it''s my very own vulnerability outside of external forces.. ..this is where you miscalculated. You came to the realization that my willpower is stronger than yours. Broken, I know, but strong. Stronger than even that of a goddess. How can that be? You are asking while you shriek. ..There is only one explanation for your defeat. Your utter demise.. ..I am no ordinary man" The slab carrying One then approached the collapsing goddess. Her blue flames have shrunk to that of the average finger and her skin went from blue to grayish. It seemed most likely that she was, indeed, defeated. One then extended his hand to her left distorted cheek and gently massaged it. He then leaned close to her ear and whispered with his robotic voice. "Goodbye" And the goddess was su?k?d into a singularity. No trace of her was left. One then looked around. Walking around the concrete slab that expanded to accommodate his feet, following it. He actually paid no intention as to what the goddess hurled at him. Seeing that he is still inside the dimension even after defeating her, he concluded that he will be stuck inside for awhile. Might as well get himself comfortable. Chapter 103 - Waking Up The wind blew against One''s body. It crawled and found itself over the metal surfaces and the pale skin of each half. There was silence in the forest. The looming clouds above provided the shade thaf encompassed the undergrowth below. One opened his eyes. Seemingly confused, he staggered to his feet and looked around. "Where am I?" He said. He remembered everything. He fought a goddess with his imagination and basically won. He looked around to see what else was with him besides the roots that were exposed from the soil and the trees whose trunks stood at every direction. There was a body. A girl''s body. It was sat motionless against one of the trees. One walked towards the corpse and leaned on it. The woman was dead. She had pale blue skin and blue hair that shimmered no more. It was the goddess, whom One fought. She was no longer a threat. Her eyes lacked the pupils they once had, her mouth wide open, welcoming the insects who wish to call it their home. "You''re now one with your creations," One said. But now he had another problem in his hands. He was in the middle of nowhere. Most of his systems had been fried leaving only his enhanced senses and brain intact. He no longer was connected to the rest of his machines but was also reeling from the mental shock of his encounter with the goddess. There was only one logical thing to do. Walk. But before he could take a walk, he first needed to know where to go. His personal radar was busted and so, needed to find another means of mapping his location. I could use my thrusters, he thought. And so he tried. His thrusters could b?r?ly lift him off the ground anymore. Crossing that off the list, he now needed something new. He lowered his hip and his legs and jumped as high as he could. He burst through the treeline and off he was into the sky. He might have overshot it though. He peaked at exactly a kilometer in the air before realizing his mistake. "Too high," He said nonchalantly. As if he wasn''t about to fall 1 kilometer from the sky. He crashed into the forest floor several meters away from where he originally jumped. He couldn''t really control his legs as well as he could. His physical state was bleak. His mind was not able to coordinate his body to it''s optimal capacity and thus had these issues. The battle with the goddess was not without a cost. He managed to take a glimpse of the surrounding area though. It was an unfamiliar forested area where there was nothing of note on any horizon. He was indeed stuck in the middle of nowhere. "Well, it could have been worse. A desert or a tundra," He told himself as he picked himself up from the ground. One then decided to just randomly pick whether to go north, south, west, or east. He picked North. He started travelling to the north in the Hope''s of finding any sort of civilization. Be it a human village or a beastman settlement. He needed information first and foremost. Before deciding to leave, however, One searched the Goddess'' body for anything of value. Other than leaking a tremendous amount of magic, she was basically useless. Her blue dress was the only thing that held any kind of value due to its immense concentration of magic. He stripped the dress from the goddess'' body and began his journey north. It was very uneventful in the first few hours of his journey. His body clock told him it was just an hour past noon and night time was still a couple hours away. As he navigated through the forest, dark clouds began to form over the east and rain soon after began to fall. It was a heavy downpour. Lightning struck while thunder rumbled after it. The dark clouds unleashed their watery cargo and flooded the forest. "This is a god damn rainforest," One said as his feet periodically would get stuck in the mud that kept getting deeper the longer and harder the rain poured. It was a sign. Using the streams as a sort of marker, there was bound to be a river if he followed it or maybe even a lake. Where there was a body of water, there very likely would be civilization. He followed the stream that only got bigger as time progressed and the rain showed no signs of stopping. He had no choice but to use his energy sabres to cut down the pesky tree trunks that got in his way. Due to this, he left behind a trail of cut trees whose logs would forever be wasted, never to be exploited. He found the body of water he had predicted and, it was a lake. A darn huge lake, to be precise. He walked along the bank and tried to find any trace of intelligent life. A small house, a boat, a settlement, anything. "You seem to be lost, kiddo," A voice came from behind him. He turned to see who it was and found a small, bearded man holding a fishing rod. One found himself completely off-guard. He didn''t even sense the man sneaking up behind him. He needed to fix himself up if he were to be as invincible as he was. "Oi, can you speak?" He asked. "Yes," One replied. The dwarf smiled. He was also soaked. His leather armor and tunic weren''t any better at keeping him dry, in fact, they were holding the little man down. "The name''s Wog. I''m a dwarf who owns this piece of land and this lake over here," He explained before laughing proudly. "Greetings, Wog. I am One. I seem to be lost, I woke up by myself in the forest and found myself on your land, I beg your pardon for the intrusion," One said. He immediately resorted to diplomacy in the hope of gaining the trust of the dwarf. The dwarf smiled. "Ah, that explains it then. I''m well known I''m these here parts. Why? Because I am these land''s lord!" Wog explained with a chuckle. "But there is no need for any formalities. I welcome you here as a traveler. Come, I will lead you to my estate," Wog proposed. One accepted. Well, there was no reason to decline. Chapter 104 - New Liege Wog led him back to his estate. His estate was basically just a humble wooden hut on the other side of the river. One wondered how the hell did the dwarf even find him amid the heavy downpour. The humble wooden hut was surprisingly spacious and had a lot of furniture inside. The dwarf ushered him in and told him to sit down on one of the wooden chairs. "Sit down, young man. You need to rest, I''ll go and prepare a warm meal for you," Wog said. "I thank you for your hospitality," One said. The dwarf laughed and gave him a simple pat on the back and hurried to the other room. Though spacious, the hut only had two rooms. A living room and what One ?ssumed to be the kitchen, although it was in fact both the kitchen and Wog''s bedroom. Wog came back a few minutes later with a bowl of hot mushroom soup which he handed over to One. One, although not needed sustenance, took it. The dwarf was not aware of who One was, the rain obscured the obviously inhuman skin that covered most of One''s body and his blue eyes that shined in the darkness. Well, his eyes, maybe the dwarf noticed them. Either way, civilization was civilization. The dwarf sat down on the chair facing One. One then noticed he had an axe attached to his back that he removed and placed on the table beside him. "I may not be the best cook in the world, at least it''s edible," Wog joked. One, feeling the pressure of needing to act as if he was a normal human, took the spoon and ate the soup. The soup taste fine. Well, as if he was someone who knew what tasted fine or not. As long as it was edible, it was something. Hell, even if it was poisonous, he was immune to it. After One finished the soup, Wog began to ask him questions, questions One was more than happy to answer. "I''ll be honest with you," Wog said. "You seem to be suspicious individual but I am not someone to judge a person by the first impression so I must ask, who are you and where do you come from?" He asked. His eyes set on One. One needed a new name. He couldn''t just say his name was "One" or else he''d risk capture or being rooted out his enemies. And oh boy, he had a lot of enemies. "I am Ben. I don''t remember anything other than waking up in the middle of the forest, I''m sorry if this answer does not please you," One said. The dwarf gently pulled his beard in what seemed to be amazement and chuckled. "You are an interesting fellow. You see, I''ve been using magic to see if what you''ve been showing me was genuine or an act and I have to say, you''re one of the most genuine people I have ever come across!" Wog said. Eh, One thought. This was too far-fetched. Even he knew that his act was too bad of an act to even fool a normal human but for some reason, a dwarf using magic is saying the exact same opposite One confirmed he was indeed using magic because he could detect the surge of magic within him which was different from before. "I.. I see.. I''m glad to be that kind of person," One said awkwardly. "No need to become shy, young man. Would you like me to get you more soup?" Wog asked. "Oh no no no, I''m actually full," One said. "If you say so, anyways, I have more questions if you don''t mind?" Wog said. "Sure, go ahead," One replied. "Okay so, what are your skills? Do you remember any?" Wog asked. "Skills? What kind?" One asked. "Well, any! Skill in farming, fighting, hunting, anything that could be of benefit," Wog explained. "Well, practically, I could do everyone you said except for farming," One said. "Ohh," Wog said with more astonishment. "You''re a warrior?" Wog asked. "Well, I think so. I remember being proficient in fighting but that''s about it but I don''t have magic," One continued. "Ah! A null warrior! Oh how rare of a man you are, at such a young age too," Wog exclaimed. He was accepting One''s lies one after another and kept referring to him as a young man. For all he knew, he looked more like a deranged uncle! I hope Hailey is managing the drones well, One thought. He couldn''t help but feel a tad bit uncomfortable at the fact of Hailey ?ssuming control of the already one hundred thousand strong army of various drones. "Let me get to the point," Wog said after completing his 50th question. Even One was feeling tired at this point. "Since you remember nothing, have no work, have no family, I offer you a chance to swear allegiance to me and work under my roof. I will provide you with security and justice within the kingdom I serve in exchange for the fruits of your labour. Sounds good, no?" Wog proposed. One, having no choice but to comply for the time-being, stood up and knelt before him with his head facing the floor. "I shall henceforth call you my Lord," One said. For now, that is. Chapter 105 - Runaway Maiden The rain continued throughout the night. One and the dwarf he had met spent the rest of the evening together. The dwarf was by no means an ill-willed person. In fact, he was a kind dwarf who knew a lot about the smithing of weapons and tending of the land he ruled over. He was also a good farmer, or so he claimed. One made it clear he was not adapted to a life in the fields of crops and so his first job was to cut down some trees to make a clearing. It was simple enough for One to accept. He was to start by the break of dawn. If the rain was still not over by then, One would start at any hour after the rain had stopped. The dwarf went to sleep after eating his share of the soup he had made and snoozed in his bedroom. One was left alone in the living room, ever gazing through the windows into the trees that surrounded the hut. The hut was a few meters from the lake. Quite close, if the lake was to ever overflow, the hut would be swallowed by the water. The hut was sturdy. Withstanding the ever increasing intensity of the downpour all the while as lightning struck the lake at random intervals. One didn''t need sleep. He walked around the hut and even ventured out to take a closer look of his surroundings. His night vision was working which was more than welcome. His thermal vision also worked along with the night vision, giving him a good look of almost everything around him even in the night. He saw the fishes that swam at the lowest reaches of the lake. Gathering into several colonies while the big fish, the predators who feasted on the smaller fish, wandered by themselves. When he turned to look at the vast forest surrounding the lake. There was nothing but foliage. No animal was present. Maybe because it was the rain? One thought. He then realized that he made a grave error. He didn''t ask Wog about where this place. He failed to be the one to ask the questions and instead, became the one who was asked questions. One sighed. He returned to wooden hut soaked with rain water. He sat again on the chair he was given and tried to force himself to sleep. He could have dreams but those weren''t forced so be thought maybe he could trick his body into doing the same exact same thing. Although he closed his eyes and did not move for an hour. His body refused to enter the state of temporary paralysis. He opened his eyes and looked at his right hand. It was part human, part machine. Streams of blue lit up the crevices of his body, his eyes glowed a blue hue that could even be visible even in the rain. "Help!" A muffled voice shouted in the distance. It was the voice of a woman in distress but One had trouble triangulating where exactly the voice was coming from. "Help!!" She cried out over and over. Wog came running from his bedroom with an axe in his right hand. Where the heck is your sword, One thought. "Come! We must see where the voice is and save whoever is in danger!" Wog announced as he ran into the rain. "Don''t go on charging so suddenly!" One said but his words did not reach his newfound master who was already deep into the forest. One took out both his energy sabers which he held on both his hands and dashed into the night. He followed the vague tracks of Wog who cut down trees and grass and strength One did not imagine a dwarf would have. "Help!" The voice was closer. One was surprised. Wog actually found her before he could even know where the voice was coming from. Suddenly, the women''s plea for help was accompanied by more voices. This time, the voices were from multiple men. "Get her!" One of them shouted. One then realized that the Woman was being chased by a group and he doubted that Wog could be a match for them. He tried running faster but his body was still not able to keep up with his thought process and so, was limited. By the time he was even remotely close to where Wog was, the sounds of battle had already erupted. Wog had finally caught up to the woman. She was a blonde, dressed in a tattered maid''s uniform, and badly bruised. She tripped on the roots of a tree and fell on the ground. He pursuers quickly surrounded her, they were men clad in armor. All were drenched and all were out of breathe. The woman cried by her tears were swept by the rain that blurred her vision further. Just as the man leading the knights was about to strike his sword into the woman''s ?h?st, Wog appeared from the side and blocked the strike. "Fool! You dare go against Imperial Law?!" The man shouted as his men around him pointed their swords. Wog looked back at the woman who lied on the ground behind him. Muddied, bruised, bleeding, yet, she was still alive. "I know your Lord to the core, I know she''s innocent of whatever wretched law this God-forsaken empire has! Begone from my land or I will not hesitate to kill you all!" Wog angrily said as he held his axe with his two hands. "Pah! You traitor, thinking you can go against Lord Toris? Off with your head!" The man shouted. His men all charged at Wog. "Tsk! That woman you''re defending was caught in a pervasive act while doing her job as a maid! Lord Toris has ordered for her immediate execution!" The man announced. "I, don''t, give, a damn!" Wog said. Staring down his opponent. "Tsk, then you leave me no choice," The man said. He raised his hands and said a chant. A white circle appeared over his palm that he pointed at Wog. "I will blast the both of you and end this right here," He announced with a smirk. "Di-" The man suddenly halted his casting and began to frantically look around. The other knights did the same. Wog was confused, he too began to look around. As if they were sensing something he couldn''t. "Be on your guard!" The man announced. "I see it!" One of the knights shouted. The other knights looked at his direction but saw not what he told them he saw. "What did you see!?" The man barked in frustration. "The eyes!" The knight replied. "Shit! Is it a hobgoblin? Tell me! What color were they!?" The man barked once more. "AGHH" Another knight screamed. "They''re blue!" Were the knight''s last words as two powerful, glowing blades penetrated his ?h?st, completely ignoring his armor. The rest of the knights watched in horror as the blades retracted and the body fell forward. Standing behind him were a pair of blue eyes that glowed even under the heavy rain. His silhouette showing his body. "Who- who are you!?" The man asked with his sword pointed at the mysterious figure. The eyes simply squinted and the figure replied. "I am Wog''s servant," Chapter 106 - Good Knight "M-monster!" The man shouted. The figure in the shadows did not move. His eyes fixated on the knights. Thunder rumbled in the distance as the flashes of lightning illuminated him. The shadow of a man whose eyes glowed blue in the dark. Whose weapons weren''t from this world. A man who had no magic but had his brains to aid him. "Ben! Kill them all!" Wog shouted. The knights looked at him in confusion. "Ben?" Were the man''s last words before his head fell from his body and into the muddy ground. "Eek!" The knights were frozen in fear. The strange figure was now visible to them, albeit blurry. He was tall, had dark hair that ran down his face, a body that was pale but muscular, he wore a strange suit that none of them has ever seen. A raven black uniform with the insignia of a state they have never heard of. His two blades shimmered in the dark as fangs that were about to bite down on their ?h?sts. Two of the knights could no longer stand still and tried to run away. One''s eyes moved to their direction. He jumped at the closest one and ran his blades deep into his back and came out on his ?h?st. The man shrieked and died. The other man was no different. One appeared in-front of him and stabbed his throat, he choked and fell on the ground. One left him alone as his neck spewed his blood onto the forest floor. One looked at them closely. They weren''t hardened veterans, no, they all looked young. They were all young men in their twenties. One could see the glimmer of youth in their eyes, the glimmer that signified that they yearned for adventure and glory. But One could not bear leave behind witnesses. If even one of them were to survive, they would report back to whichever Lord they served and brought more trouble. And besides, he thought. "I never cared about anyone''s life outside of those I wish to protect," He whispered. The knights failing to comprehend. One dashed at the knights and slaughtered each of them in different ways. Severing their arteries, slicing their necks, breaking their joints, tearing their jaws. It was a bloodbath. One felt nothing when he did what he did. But something did bother him, however. Although he had no problem doing the heinous things he had done to them. What made him do so? Surely he could''ve ended them by just stabbing them like their leader. "Hm," One now stood alone in the middle of the forest. His blades shimmering in the dark while his eyes served as a warning to those who would want to ambush him. Luckily, there were no more people beside the knights on the floor who laid dead or dying. Whoever these people were, they were under the leadership of someone whom his master despised. One did not like serving under someone but he had no choice. He began his journey back to Wog''s wooden hut. Leaving behind the bodies that littered the forest floor to the critters who wished to feast on them. Wog is pretty fast, One thought. Meanwhile, Wog had just arrived at his hut carrying the woman in his arms. He laid her down on the floor and took a sheet from his bedroom and made her lie there. The woman was breathing but her eyes weren''t open. Wog suspected that she was in a state of shock and thus must not wake for a while until she calmed down. He chanted a phrase and placed his hands over the woman''s forehead and out came a yellow circle. "O holy maiden of the light.. heal this fellow maiden whom whose body had been violated by the evil hands and deeds of this world.." He cast his signature healing magic. A magic so powerful that it could heal any sickness. What was most unique about the ability was that Only he could do it. Not the archmages, not the scholars, no, only he could do it. Wog then took a pillow and placed it under the woman''s head. Wog was tired and so he slumped down against the wall. One arrived soon after, all of them were drenched with rain water but got out unscathed. "Did.. did you take care of them?" Wog asked. "I did, milord," One answered. He removed his blades from his arms. Surprising Wog because the blades simply disappeared and only two handles remained in their place. "I have many questions but I know as a warrior you don''t want to answer, but I am thankful for your service.. you''ve already proven yourself to me," Wog smiled at One. One simply nodded. He couldn''t smile, he had the ability to but chose not to. Besides, it would be awkward if he did. One took a closer look at the girl. She was a finely-shaped woman with pale skin, blonde hair, a pointy nose, and.. Wait, One was taken aback. She had pointy ears. "She has pointy ears," One said. Wog was surprised and he too took a closer look upon realizing what One had just said. "She.. she''s an elf!" Wog said. So elves really did have pointy ears, One thought. The dress she was wearing was a typical maid uniform that was horrible torn on the nether regions. One suspected that the elf girl was violated, or someone attempted to. One then suspected that it was the Lord of those knights that were chasing her that might have attempted such an act. It would explain why they pursued her but how long has she been on the run? The knights all looked worn out when he arrived. They must have chased her for a good hour or so. Chapter 107 - Patricia The elf was unknown to One. He was thus far only been exposed to humans and no more. He was also yet to meet any beastmen which hampered his knowledge on both races. One stood guard throughout the rest of the night. There were bound to be other parties that would be dispatched in search of the party of knights that had failed to return. Wog himself was exhausted. Despite this, however, he would regularly check on the elf''s vitals and apply further healing magic for maximum effect. "You can heal people with your magic?" One asked. "Yes, my boy. You see, my magic is special. I inherited it from my father and I have been using it for many years to heal the sick, it''s a wondrous gift," Wog said. "But a wondrous gift will always attract envious eyes," One said. Wog faced the ceiling upon hearing One''s words and sighed. "Indeed, you speak the truth. You may be wondering, why I''m all alone in this land that I claim to own," Wog asked. "At first, I did. But now, I have an idea," One said. "Which is?" Wog asked. "You''ve been exiled. As simple as that," One answered. "Hm, you''re a smart boy. Indeed, I have been exiled by the very own emperor I had sworn allegiance to. Just because I refused to heal his son," Wog said. One was surprised by his answer. "Why did you refuse to heal the emperor''s son?" One asked. "Simple, he proved himself to be unworthy of healing. Not after he killed my daughter, no," Wog said. Wog was level-headed even after telling his newfound vassal the death of his daughter. One knew he had stepped into murky waters but there was no turning back, he needed as much information as he could get from Wog. "Where is this place?" One asked. One walked to a window and leaned over. The rain had become weaker than before. "We''re in the Eastern Region, more specifically, in the Forest of Death," Wog said. "Forest of Death?" One asked. "This forest is infested with magical beasts. They have overrun the native wildlife, only the fish in the lake remain," Wog explained. This explain to One why there weren''t any animals around the lake. Since this body of fresh water would surely attract animals from kilometers away. So, magical beasts don''t need water, only magic? One thought. That meant he couldn''t just thirst the monsters to death if he wanted to. Judging by how magic is deeply engraved into this world''s structure, it wasn''t really that unheard of that magical beasts only needed magic instead of the usual. The night ended without further intrusions. There were no other parties looking for the runaway elf maid and so everything was clear, for now. When the morning sun finally started rising over the horizon, the elf was waking up. Wog was fast asleep against the wall while One was keeping an eye on her. The elf slowly opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was the ceiling above her. Her eyes traveled around the room until they came across One, standing by a window. At first, she was scared. But One gave her a nod as a way of telling her that he meant no harm. "Milord, the elf is awake," One said. Wog coughed himself awake after hearing One and stood up. "My goodness! You are awake," He stumbled to her side. "Tell me, how do you feel?" Wog asked her. The elf then looked at her body. "I feel.. alright.." The elf said. "Thank goodness, those knights did a number on you but my retainer over there took care of them so you don''t have to worry," Wog said. The elf then looked at both of them simultaneously. Soon after, her eyes were engulfed with her tears and she started crying. "Shh," Wog gently grabbed the back of her head and she cried on his ?h?st. "The nightmare is over, the nightmare is over," Wog said over and over. "My liege, I believe she is hungry," One said. He had noticed a few hours prior that she was slightly malnourished. Her body was thinner than what would be considered normal. "Ah yes, young lady. I will go fetch you something to eat, you must rest further," Wog said. The elf nodded and let go of Wog. Wog then stood up but before walking out, he asked the elf. "What is your name?" "Patricia.. I''m Patricia.." The elf answered. Her voice is nice, One thought. Wait.. That name is too earthlike, He also thought. He raised his right eyebrow unintentionally, a move that the elf noticed. Her eyes gleamed with fear. One then gave her another nod to show that he in fact did not have any I''ll intentions or anything against elves. Yet. Wog went away to get her some food, probably some more mushroom soup. "I am Ben. I am Milord''s retainer and mind you, I just got hired yesterday," One said. "Oh.. uh.. pleased to meet you, Ben," Patricia said. And with that, the conversation died. Okay, communicating with this woman is going to take a while, One thought. They both started staring at each other for another good minute before Patricia started to somewhat blush which utterly confused One. Am I being insulted right now? Is there something funny? One thought. He mistook her blushing as someone holding up her immense laughter. In reality, however, Patricia was remembering what happened last night. Although the memory was fuzzy and chaotic, she also saw those eyes that shined in the darkness amid the rain. The screams of her pursuers the moment his blades went through their ?h?sts and the muffled shrieks they exuded before Wog carried her away. She never felt happier than that night, when she was saved. Chapter 108 - Work One stared down the elf as she continued to blush. This was a misunderstanding that would lead to disaster if one of them did not act accordingly to calm the situation. The elf, noticing the confusion of One, decided to tuck under herself under the blanket. "Huh" One was even more confused. Am I THAT ugly? One thought as he looked at his body. A savory smell then started to pour from Wog''s room, prompting the elf to remove the blanket from her face and smell the scent. "Your soup seems to be ready," One said. "Ah.. yes," Patricia said. Wog then came walking out of his bedroom with two bowls of hot and delicious mushroom soup. One still didn''t know where the hell he got those mushrooms since the rainforest seemed void of fungi overall. Wog first gave a bowl of soup to One and then sat down next to Patricia who still did not have the strength to set upright. "You don''t need to stand," Wog said as he scooped a spoonful of soup. "T-thank you.. for your both of your kindness," Patricia said. Wog fed her the soup while One reluctantly ate the soup he was given. Although he felt his body gain some energy despite it. After eating, Patricia again fell asleep, leaving One and Wog to discuss what had happened to her. "Milord, I know you know a thing or two about this Lord Toris the knights spoke about, who is he?" One asked. "Well, Ben. He is the King of this here land. But he is not a true king, he is merely a puppet of the Empire. You see, this land and the lands to the west are part of his kingdom but his grip seldom reaches my realm because, well, forest of Death," Wog explained. One tilted his head. "Then, milord. If this is indeed a vast forest, how did she and the knights end up so deep in here?" One asked. "There is a Fortress City not far from here, you see. It''s the only city around with a few villages surrounding it. Although we are far from the Republic or other independent kingdoms, the Forest of Death is home to many ruins, dungeons, and, nests where magical beasts call their home," Wog said. "I''m guessing that these magical beasts are a torn on the Fortress'' and the surrounding villages?" One said. "Yes. There were once more villages here before, even stretching deeper into the forest. Then, a few years ago, magical beasts suddenly started increasing in number and the lord of the fortress city decided to abandon the other villages to save the rest," Wog said. He was visibly distraught at the thought of villages being abandoned by their lord. "I see, then, I''m guessing you were exiled here after that happened?" One said. "After the magical beasts increased?" Wog asked. "Yes," One answered. "Yes, you''re right. This forest wasn''t always called the Forest of Death. The other Lord even wanted to tear it down to make way for further urbanization," Wog explained. This was all well and dandy but One couldn''t help but notice discrepancies with his explanation. One then decided to keep a closer look over his new liege. He was certain that he wasn''t telling the entire truth and nitpickrd information. But why would he? If he was indeed as benevolent as he said he was with his healing magic. Somethings fishy about you, One said. One squinted his eyes as he stared at Wog who was sitting on his chair facing the window. One was standing against another window, he looked into his vitals and internal schematics by use of his x-ray vision coupled with his thermal sensors that have slowly regained functionality. His organs were, normal, to say the least. Albeit they were jampacked due to his small size but the organs were similar to that of a human. With that rain having stopped just an hour ago, it was time for One to cut down some trees. He told Wog who gave him a nod and walked out of the hut. One walked by the bank of the lake and looked over the bundles of trees. Thinking carefully which part of the forest around the lake he wanted to cut down. At first, he wanted to cut down the trees around the hut but he figured that the trees served as a sort of camouflage. He didn''t want to risk removing a layer of protection from his liege and then get blamed for it. And then a wonderful thought came to his mind that was the solution for all his problems. He will just cut down a layer of trees around the lake entirely. And so he began, with his two energy blades, he began slicing and dicing the trees which fell like dominos as he walked through. Wog felt the earth beneath him shake and Patricia was shook awake from the commotion as well. They both heard the trees falling one by one as if a giant was walking through them. In a panic, Wog ran outside only to find that it was One who was causing all the noise and the shaking. Wog watched with his mouth open as his new vassal cut down hundreds of trees in minutes. The trees being cut so perfectly that it made his axe look weak in comparison. Wog then walked back to the hut with terrified Patricia hiding under her blanket. "Don''t worry," Wog said. "What is that?" Patricia asked with her eyes above the sheets. "It''s my vassal. He''s tearing down trees as if there is no tomorrow," And with that, Patricia once again blushed. She didn''t expect her saviors to be this strong. "No, no don''t, you need more rest," Wog said, trying to dissuade her from pushing herself too much. "I-I''m fine.. I want to see him," Patricia said. "But," Before Wog could further protest, the elf was already sitting upright. "I want to see him," Patricia said. Chapter 109 - Building A House Part 1 Patricia struggled to pull her feet under her but with the aid of the reluctant Wog, she got to her feet, albeit slowly and limped to the window facing the lake. She watched with gleeful eyes as One continued to cut down tree after tree, leaving a trail of fallen trees that would be screaming in terror if they could speak. Wog could only make sure that she did not push herself too much. His magic needed more time to take hold of her wounds and with her fatigue, it would take possibly one more day for her to feel normal again. One, noticing that the two were watching him work, paid them no attention and continued with his slicing and dicing. After clearing the first layer of trees around the lake, one then began gathering each log and putting them into a pile not far from the hut. Wog and Patricia watched with intrigue, curious as to what One was going to do. One, having seen that the shack was too small of a house for three of them, decided that he''d take it upon himself to build a bigger hut. A proper house. Combining his knowledge of constructions with the limited resources in and around the lake, he went to work. First, he needed to find a cohesive to stick the logs together. For that, he needed to make cement. The shallow parts of the lake had some deposits of limestone and so, he jumped into action. First, he needed to gather enough limestone and clay. Surely enough, there were some deposits of clay by the side of the lake. To make cement from limestone and clay, he needed to first find a way of heating up the limestone together which would make it a good source of calcium. To heat up the limestone together, he needed to make a device similar to a rotary kiln. But that was impossible. A rotary kiln itself is an industrial grade machine and so, needed to find another way to heat up the limestone. An idea then came to his mind. He would just make a small furnace to heat up the limestone. And so he did. The dove into the river to collect the limestone he needed by punching and clawing it out of the lake''s floor. Wog and Patricia were in awe with the amount of hardwork and skill One was displaying. Wog knew that making cement required tremendous amount of magic, specifically to heat it up. Knowing this, he was actually curious on how a magicless warrior such as ''Ben'' would make cement without it. One then began digging a hole and reinforcing it with mud he mixed with sand. After this, he formed a sort of underground furnace with enough room for the limestone. He took the bag of limestone and began breaking the limestone into small pieces, that way, they would breakdown once the heating process started. "He is grinding down the stones, what is he doing?" Patricia asked. "Ah?.. eh oh, ugh, I think he is going to make cement, my dear," Wog answered. "Huh..," Patricia tilted her head, exposing her clear right cheek to Wog. Wog, seeing Patricia, realized that she was a fair beauty and complimented her in his head. But of course, he won''t make a move on her. Since, he had a wife waiting for him in a distant realm. One began to put the limestone inside the furnace he had made but not before shoving down some wood underneath the furnace itself by digging another hold and forming a sort of floor. "Alright, just a little bit," One said as a fiery flame exploded out. The explosion alarmed Wog and Patricia but before Wog could run to help, the smoke had cleared and One came out of the hole unscathed, albeit a bit darkish due to the ash that covered him. The furnace was now heating up with the wooden being a constant supply of heat. One sensed that the temperature inside the furnace itself was already beginning to rise above 200 degrees. He needed a temperature of at least 900 degrees celcius and he needed that temperature to be constant for 4 hours to bake the limestone, turning it into baked lime. Thinking that he had enough limestone being baked, he proceeded to begin laying down the foundations for the new house. The new house was located at a clearing he made that was far enough from the lake for it not to be in danger of being engulfed by either a high tide or if the lake ever overflowed after continuous rains. One then looked through the pile of logs for the longest and biggest looking logs he could find. "What the hell?" "Oh my," Wog and Patricia watched in awe as One carried not one, but two logs on both his shoulders. The logs huge, his display of strength made Wog rethink how he was going to use ''Ben'' from now on. Patricia, could watch her hero all day, everyday. As One disappeared into the clearing he had made. Wog decided to go do some work himself and fish on the lake. "Young lady, please don''t push yourself. Just stay inside the house for awhile longer. Alright?" Wog pleaded. "Yes, sir," Patricia said. Wog then went to his room and got a long stick with a thread on the tip. The thread had two worms stuck in a hook at the end of it. He walked out the hut and towards the spot where he knew the the most fishes would be and started fishing. As Patricia''s eyes wandered all around the view she had of the lake and her two saviors, she began to wonder. She left someone behind when she fled the Fortress City. She could only hope that she was still alive after being captured for aiding her escape. "I''m sorry," She broke down in tears. Chapter 110 - Meanwhile Thunder rumbled across the skies over Dioz. Lightning illuminated the darkened lands below as the sounds of marching echoed in the distance. The dirt roads that connected the kingdom to the now destroyed Freetan Theocracy were now barren as a desert. No caravan or traveler dared to cross into the territory of the metal men. But despite this, however. Even in the darkness of the storm above them, a lone mage stood at the border. He wore a dark purple cloak that hid his face and a tunic to match. His eyes glowed purple as he took more steps towards metal men territory. "Halt," A voice broke the the symphony of nature. The mage looked up and saw three figures floating in the sky in front of him. He sensed no magic from them, instead, the soles of their feet and palms of their hand exhibited fire that made them float. "Interesting," He said. He then cast floating magic on himself and hovered at the exact same height as the three figures above. The figure in the middle was a woman. A blonde beauty, to be exact. Her gleamed blue like the eyes of the man he was searching for, in fact, all their eyes gleamed blue. "You are entering our borders, the Dioz Kingdom ?ssured us no traveler would be permitted to cross their side. You are violating the treaty," Hailey said. Her eyes shining brighter. "I am only here to see the countryside, no need to be alarmed. Besides, I didn''t know there was such a treaty in place," The mage said. The mage, realizing his folly, decided to play dumb. He sensed immense bloodlust from the lady but none from the two metal men with her. But this wasn''t something he could ignore either, the metal men had no magic, that meant that he won''t sense their bloodlust. The woman in front of him, on the other hand, was surging in magical energy that surpassed his. He screwed up big. "Your story does not add up from what we know," Hailey said. "Ah, well, I am Patrick, pleased to meet you three, I will be go-" His eyes couldn''t keep up with her speed. He underestimated their patience. Hailey was floating right beside him with her fist punched through his ?h?st. He began to cough out blood as the purple in his eyes began to fade. "You massacred the entire border patrol of the Dioz Kingdom. We are no fools," Hailey said as the mage died literally around her arm. Hailey then pulled her arm out and let the mage''s body down back to the ground. His blood splattering all over the road. [You may return to your positions," Hailey said. Amid the trees and the bushes, hundreds of drones appeared from hiding and positioned themselves along the dirt road. Forming a sort of checkpoint. The drones also began construction of the guard post Hailey had instructed them to. "Huh, this man took out 500 Dioz knights that were supposed to arrive at this checkpoint to aid in construction," Micheal said. He was the drone to the right. "I expected more from him, seeing that his strength prompted us three to go here at such short notice," John said. He was the drone floating on the left. "Sigh... handling this army of a hundred thousand droids is a tiring. I wonder how One handled you all so well," Hailey said. "He is our father. Of course he is the most powerful and capable among us all," Micheal said. "We still haven''t found a trace of him," John said. "Tsk, how about the little girl?" Hailey asked. "Subject G-2 has successfully bonded with subject G-1 and are now currently being tended by the mother of G-1 and Vilvintine," John said. "Miss, don''t forget about the rescue operation that will be conducted in a week to rescue our two mages from Yuhin," John continued. "Ah yes.. those two. The fact that Yuhin decided to spare them is a surprise but we all know what One would do once he found out about this," Hailey said. "If commander was here, he would order a full-scale invasion of Yuhin. I bet he would even order the massacre of the surrounding villages to demoralize them," Micheal said. "Our search for commander will remain at top gear. Judging from his last known coordinates, it can be ?ssumed that someone carried him over the peninsula," John said. "Yes, John. We are aware of that but have you pinpointed where exactly in the main continent did they take him?" Hailey asked. "That, milady, we are unsure of. Our radars aren''t that strong enough to reach the main continent, yet," John explained. The three then descended to the ground and looked at the Dioz Kingdom''s side of the border. "Was it really wise to agree with an alliance with Dioz?" Hailey asked herself. "I don''t see it as an alliance. More like the nobility and the king of that kingdom have lost all hope and are preparing for their eventual vassalization," John said. "The Dioz Kingdom as vassals to us would benefit them and us in certain ways. But.. I can''t help but wonder what One would want to do," Micheal said. "He''d want to annex them straight away," The three of them said in unison. A lone droid then walked towards the three. "What is it?" Hailey asked. The droid then pointed to a bush. "Huh?" The droid then led them to the bush and sure enough, there was another person hiding behind it. The man was hiding behind a magic shield around the bush. "Okay uh, who the hell is this?" Hailey said. "Hey you!" Micheal stepped forward. The man screamed in a high-pitched voice as Micheal punched through his shield and pulled him by his neck collar. "Who are you?" Micheal said directly in his face. "AHHH" The man fainted. "Eh," Micheal said. "You overdid it," John said. "He pissed his pants," Hailey said. Chapter 111 - Building A House Part 2 The limestone One had broken down and placed inside his otherwise cramped furnace had been burning for about 4 and half hours. If One had the abiltiy to sweat, he would be sweating buckets by now. One didn''t need to accommodate for health concerns, the first reason being that he is not a wholly biological person who needed to take into account the many risks that came with working in the conditions he was putting himself in. Heat stroke? Not a problem. Thirst? No thank you. Food? Nope. Overwork? Not in his personal vocabulary. Despite most of his systems still not functioning at their nominal capacity, he was making do with what he had for now. One went to see Wog and asked if he had a shovel of any kind. Wog, having had his expectations blown through the roof by ''Ben'' numerous times, pointed him to the direction of the shovel he had he kept at the back of the hut. One thanked him and moved on. As One approached the hut, the onlooking Patricia was caught off-guard and tried to hide herself under the window. One then wondered, Patricia had been on that window for quite some time now. By quite some time, she''d been over there for 5 hours straight. It was already noon. The sun was simmering hot but thankfully, the forest surrounding the lake and the lake itself made sure the area was cool and moist. The thunderstorm that came a day ago also contributed to the welcoming atmosphere of a cool fog that settled over the area. But the area around One''s construction was far from being optimal or comfortable. The amount of heat he was generating from the furnace and his body alone was enough to cause heat stroke if exposed for far too long. Wog felt the immense heat coming from One when he approached him by the lake shore. The heat One exhibited surprised him and reminded him of his times as a child when he was a mere miner. Patricia felt the heat through the breeze that blew through One and entered the window. She commented on the heat, thinking that it was unusual for a human to have such a feature. One, on the other hand, did not know about the heat his body was giving off around him. He used the shovel to take out the baked lime pile by pile and placed them on a sheet. The pile was a quarter his size but it would make do for now. He now needed to wait for the baked lime, which was referred to as quicklime, to cool until it had a dry and crumbly consistency. After the baked lime had cooled, he would mix grind it down further into a powder, mix it with gravel, water, and sand to make his cement. Since he was going to use cement to stick the logs. He needed to make them efficient as possible. He couldn''t just cut the logs into planks since that wouldn''t be optimal. He needed a wide surface and a thick body, similar to a brick. Planks could only be used if he had nails but he had no nails. One imagined the house that was about to be erected at the clearing he had made. With his tools, the logs, the cement. All he could think of was one hell of a mess. He could, theoretically, turn the walls into a concrete wall and use the logs as a sort of foundation but by doing so, he would need a lot more cement. Meanwhile, Wog had finished fishing but after 5 hours, he had only caught a total of ten fish, not very efficient use of his time. Wog sighed after looking at his catch for the day. 10 fish of the same species. He picked all ten up with 5 on each hand of his by the tail and headed back to the hut. "Fish?" Patricia asked as Wog entered through the door. "Yes, I guess we''ll be having some roasted fish tonight for dinner," Wog said with a smile. He then walked to his room. "Call me if something important happens, you rest more, alright?" Wog said. Patricia nodded and Wog closed the door behind him. Patricia felt sleepy and so, took a seat against the wall and closed her eyes. Her body was still weak and so, this rest was more than welcome. "Maybe tomorrow.. I can ask him.." Patricia said before entering the realm of dreams. Jumping into the lake was the only option he had though. A cloud of steam formed as soon as he touched the water that floated into the air until the his body temperature returned to normal. While under water, he could see clearly thanks to his eyes and thermal scanning. A dead fish floated beside him. He grabbed it and noticed that the fish died due to the heat when he dove straight into the lake. "Whoops," He said underwater. Bubbles formed and floated up to the surface. When he got back to the hut, Patricia had managed to crawl herself back to her place on the floor and was sound asleep. One''s uniform was waterproof and so, prevented water from sticking to it permanently. And unlike the rainwater that was pouring before he entered the hut, the water from the lake was removed completely a few seconds before entering the hut. He walked past Patricia and headed to Wog''s room. The door leading to it was shut but wasn''t locked. There wasn''t a lock. Chapter 112 - Devils Apple One was curious as to what was actually in there. One grabbed the handle and slowly pushed the door open. As he peeked through the dark room, his eyes glowed and formed their own shadows. One then activated his night vision. There he was, Wog, his temporary liege. Sleeping on a mattress on the floor, mouth open, snoring, his axe and sword scattered about. He then explored the room further and found several pots, a primitive stove, a big cauldron he was using for the soup and several wooden utensils. There wasn''t anything suspicious. One was satisfied and slowly closed the door behind him. "Maybe he is just some normal exiled nobleman," One thought. After shutting the door closed, he went to the wooden chair by the side of one of the windows and sat there. He made sure to face both the window and Patricia from time to time, monitoring both. One had his thermal scanning and nigh vision activated to immediately detect any intruder that would dare to trespass while he was on watch. As One glanced over to Patricia, her ears intrigued him. Did the ears serve any function like increased sensitivity to hearing? One then used hisx-ray vision and looked into Patricia''s internal organs and body makeup. She was, like, Wog, normal in terms of organs. The elf''s organ size were similar to that of an average ?du?t female human and the only differences were the long ears she had and something bulky in her eardrums. One then saw a bulge that was forming in the sole of her right leg. "Is that.." One said. He stood up from the chair and walked towards Patricia and leaned over to her foot. "The hell," One wasn''t wrong. Patricia had a tumor forming inside her right foot. One then looked further into other parts of her body to see if she had more tumors. Thankfully, it seemed like the tumor was benign and wasn''t malignant. When he looked into her stomach, One did not find any tumor but instead, he found what appeared to be small parasites the size of a cut toenail around her rectum and lower large intestine. "She was a tumor and parasites, this girl must have been through a lot," One thought. "For parasites such as these to form, that would mean that the food or water she has been drinking was contaminated. Don''t they have some sanitation magic?" One looked further, her kidneys, her liver. There wasn''t too much damage. She was indeed suffering from malnutrition but excluding the fact she had a tumor and had parasites, she was all good. The other thing to note was that she was no longer a pure maiden. Although One had expected this since the elf seemed to be at the age where she would engage in such activities, well, according to Hailey, but he noticed noticable tears in her w?mb. "Tragic," One whispered as he realized the horror this young elven woman must have had to go through before trying to escape. The wounds were also fresh according to his thermal scanner, which meant that it happened closely to a week prior. "Okay then.. Hailey''s lessons come in handy after all," He whispered to himself as he took out a pair of scissors and a roll of thread he had inside the back of his right leg. He opened the compartment and pulled the materials he needed out and removed the sheet that covered her right feet. He then took a pillow from one of the chairs and placed it below her right feet to elevate it. "But Wog had the magic to cure any illness, then what about this?" He thought. He remembered that the woman had bruises, scars, and many more wounds at the surface of her body but now they were all gone. Maybe Wog could only heal less complex ailments? One then thought. A tumor, though being an illness itself, was a result of damaged DNA. Maybe, he thought, maybe Wog could only heal injuries and any illness but could not fix corrupted DNA. The tumor must had been shielding itself from the healing magic as though it was a natural part of the tumor and likewise, if it was to be damaged itself, maybe healing magic would actually heal it instead. It was quite a dilemma for One but the sooner he had the tumor removed, the better it was for Patricia. But One was short on one thing he needed before he did his surgery. He needed to make sure Patricia did not wake whilst she was being operated on. One then realized that Wog may have what he needed and so, without a second thought, he stood up, entered Wog''s room, and shook him awake. "Wa, huh, woah there, what is it, Ben?" Wog stuttered. "I need your help to save Patricia," One said. "Wait! Was she kidnapped? Were we attacked?! My god I did not hear anything," He said as he hurried tried to get up but stumbled on his feet. "No, no, but she has an illness that will kill her if not acted upon quickly, please," One tried to make Patricia''s situation sound dire as possible. This was working as intended, Wog nodded and they both headed to Patricia. Wog then saw One''s materials and Patricia''s exposed right foot. "Is there something wrong with her foot?" Wog asked. "Yes, please take a closer look," One said. Wog then knelt down and noticed the bulge that was forming in the sole of the foot. "Oh no, she has the Devil''s Apple," Wog said. "Devil''s Apple?" One asked. "Y-you don''t know? Well, it''s the most incurable ailment in history! Not even my magic could heal it," Wog said. "Patricia may as well be dead, my boy," One shook his head, surprising Wog. "Milord, I know how to remove this ''Devil''s Apple'' I only need your help," One said. Wog was shocked by the confidence One was showing. But he was still skeptical, nonetheless, he wanted to help. "Can you make sure that she stays asleep throughout the operation?" One asked as he sat down next to the foot. "Ah yes, why? What operation?" Wog asked. "To remove the devil''s fruit," He said. Raising the pair of scissors he had. Chapter 113 - Removing The Devils Apple The devil''s apple was the term the people in Fiorg used to call the bulges formed from tumors under the skin. However, seldom is known that the Devil''s apple can also form inside the body where bulges couldn''t be seen. The Devil''s Apple One was going to remove, thankfully, was a benign tumor. The tumor was fairly big in size, enough to cause problems with any leg activity. The fact Patricia even managed to run with such a tumor in the sole of her right foot was astounding in and on itself. Wog was sitting near her head with both his hands placed on her forehead. Two yellow circles of magic appeared on the palm of each of his hands. It was sleeping magic. One only needed to remove the tumor itself and Wog could just heal the rest of the wound. The wound should be clear of any residual tumors or else it would end up growing again thanks to his magic, which was the only drawback of his. The operation started with One using a small but sharp knife to cut a straight line next to the bulge. He then navigated through the veins and some of the major arteries present, moving the fat to the sides until the tumor was visible. The tumor was dark red and swollen. Veins were attached all around it like vines supplying the tumor with the needed nutrients to grow. One then started using the scissors he had to cut the tumor from the main tissue it was attached to. Slowly but surely, the tumor was severed from the main tissue. One, since he still lacked some knowledge on how to surgically remove tumors like these, started severing the veins first. Thankfully, One had stopped blood from flowing through the right foot by wrapping another piece of cloth tightly around Patricia''s leg. This way, she wouldn''t accidentally bleed to death. The veins were severed and the clotting blood he su?k?d out by using the tubes at the tip of his fingers. The tumor, being severed entirely, he then removed from the foot. One had a small piece of cloth he found that he placed next to the foot. After the tumor was removed, One carefully took the tumor out. Wog saw the tumor and was horrified. To him, it looked like the egg of a demon. As if hell had placed its offspring inside Patricia''s right foot. He was absolutely disgusted to the point that he wanted to throw up. One placed the tumor over the cloth, it even seemed as if it was beating, something similar to a heart. After doing so, he tried his best to lessen the chance of infection and sterilized the wound as much as he could with whatever available method he could do. Once the disinfection was completely, albeit crudely, he began to stitch the wound up with the thread and a needle he had. The process was rigorous, even for One. The level of equipment he had was far too primitive and defective but had no choice. He had to try to compensate with his know how but even he knew that his knowledge too was still lacking. It''s times like these where I actually would want Hailey meddling, One thought as he finishing stitching the wound. Wog, amazed by what he had seen, was called back to reality by One using a simple clap. "Ah, yes, Ben?" Wog asked. "It is done, milord. But I must request that you heal the wound here for it to fully recover," One said. "Ah yes," Wog said. He then removed his hands from Patricia''s forehead and withdrew the yellow magic circles from his hand. He stood and walked towards her leg and started healing it with his magic. One had finished job, as a matter of fact, he actually felt tense when he was doing so. The thought that a single mistake would end up causing catastrophic failure that may impair or even kill the person he was operating on. But this was just the first step. If he was to become proficient in the field of medical practice and medicine in general, it would become a great ?sset in dealing with underlings who were fleshy instead of being, well, metallic husks. "Ben.." Wog asked. "Yes, milord?" One said. "Are you.. really a human?" And just like that, One was placed into a situation that was both dire and risked having him exposed. "What made you doubt what I am?" One asked bluntly. His eyes glowing in anticipation of any ?ssault. I knew it, One thought. I was too lenient and carefree. "You are too powerful," Wog said. Eh. "You have immense strength but have no magic, fine skills yet no master nor servants of your own, knowledge far beyond even what I know and yet you found yourself alone in the forest of my land, or so you claim," Wog continued. It was clear as day that Wog had begun doubting One''s explanation of how he got here. And then he noticed his heartbeat. Wog''s heartbeat was skyrocketing. He was at risk of having cardiac arrest. He was getting too nervous. That was One''s final answer to his question. Wog, despite trying to display that he was a brave dwarf. He was actually a coward who had come to learn how to act brave. One needed to clam him down somehow, him dying would actually make things a lot worse. But how was going to calm someone who was about have a panic attack? He was going to collapse at any second. Chapter 114 - Proclamation One''s ?ssumptions of him actually being a coward were further emboldened when he tried to get close to him. He was twitching, his eyes refusing to move away from his hands. He had also began to sweat profusely. A sign of immense fear. One sighed. His breathe reaching Wog''s left cheek. He was frozen in place. Tears began to stream from his eyes as One got closer to him. This is it, he thought. I am going to die, he thought. This was a mistake, he thought. But One did the opposite of what he thought he was going to do. Instead of One impaling him with his energy blades, he gave Wog several soft pats on the back. "Milord, you need not to worry. I am your vassal and will continue to serve you as a faithful vassal," One said. He then knelt down and bowed down to the ground. One had another idea. "I wish to proclaim you, not just my lord or the lord of only this land, no," One said. Wog was finally calming down but was kow curious as to what One was going to say. "You shall be, not merely a lord," One said. Get straight to the point god damn it! Wog thought, he was getting scared again. "I proclaim you, my king," One said. With those words, something struck Wog''s heart and an immense feeling of relief poured within him that turned into a relaxing sensation he had never felt before. As if the restraints that held him back for decades were finally severed and he was finally free. A person cannot proclaim himself king without a rightful claim but there wasn''t any spoken rule that another person can''t proclaim someone else as their king. One knew that legitimacy ultimately came from people who were willing to serve under someone and not from royal lineages or such. Instead, one must earn the trust of the people to be proclaimed their leader. A mere commoner can become as great as a king with enough backing. Even though Wog knew the risk of being proclaimed a king and only by one person. Wog had seen his vassal''s abilities. He was no mere commoner. He was no mere human. Although this all started because he doubted his vassal''s humanity, he now came to realize that One''s race did not matter. He was a dwarf, with him was a female elf and a mysterious being with immense strength. According to Republic and Imperial laws, they were all savages. Inhuman filth. If he was to become a king of the land he was given and with backing from his strong vassal. He may actually win his independence. But he was also thinking that maybe he was jumping for too quickly to decisions but what power did he really have? He was being proclaimed king by someone with enough strength to take on a small army. If he declined, would his vassal seek another lord instead? Another lord willing to give him what he wanted? One, on the other hand, were more focused on Wog''s mental state and thinking. If he was indeed exiled, he would''ve just sailed to another country but no, he feared for his life and so chose the so-called Forest of Death as a natural deterrent. The monsters weren''t a problem because they avoided the lake. How did One notice this? It was because of the low readings of magic that came from the lake. The lake was actually absorbing the magic around it and so, theoretically, magic beasts would actually die if they got too near. But that didn''t explain why Wog wasn''t dying because he too had magic and healing magic at that. But Wog''s magic was unique. It was some kind of other form of magic that the lake could not suck out of him. It was too dense, too concentrated within him. What sort of advantage One was to gain with proclaiming Wog as a king? He needed a puppet. Sure, Wog was his liege but One had no intention of blindly following him around until he found his way back to his Machine Empire. One remembered what Hailey told him about kings from Earth that were merely puppets of their vassals'' will. With One being the most powerful and only vassal Wog had, he''d control him behind the scenes. And once he revealed his identity as the Machine monarch, Wog would have no choice but to cooperate with him. All of this was indeed fast. One knew that Wog would need some time to take everything in and think things over. "Milord, if anyone dares to go against declaring you as my king, then worry not, I will defeat their armies and burn their homes," One said. His eyes shining brighter than before. The shining eyes of One further frightened Wog but he was more relaxed than a few minutes ago. After he finished casting his healing spell on Patricia''s wound. Wog stood up. "Give me some time to think this through, young man," Wog told One. "Indeed, please take a rest," One said. "Y-yes, rest," Wog said. He then turned tail and slowly walked to his room and gently shut the door behind him. His heartbeat had returned to normal but he was soaked with his own sweat. One watched through his thermal scanning how Wog jumped onto his mattress and fell asleep immediately. One then stood and walked outside. "Maybe, I was too reckless," One said to himself as he walked towards the clearing in the forest. The midnight sky was beautiful and the stars shimmered across celestial blanket of space. One then noticed some particular constellations. He reminisced of the time back on Earth. When he would just look at the sky for long periods of time during the night. His drones would look up to the skies as well when he did. As though mimicking their master. Chapter 115 - William Count Drian was sat down on his personal throne inside his keep. Clad in a purple tunic and silks, be showcased his immense personal wealth by his clothing alone. Standing by his side was his personal aide and mistress, Lady Anne. She was clad in thin iron armor around her ?h?st and legs. She was a disavowed knight of the Empire''s Knighthood. Despite her status as a disavowed knight, Count Drian still took her in as his mistress after his wife was found in bed with another man. Count Drian admittedly wanted to marry Anne instead but the wife escaped before she could be executed. Knelt in front of the count and his mistress was another knight in charge of the fortress city''s garrison. There was an urgent matter that needed to be attended to. If not, they risked invoking the wrath of their lord. "You''re saying that the party of knights you sent out to finish her have not returned?" Drian said. "Yes, sire. It has been 5 days since they gave chase. I believe they have been killed by the magical beasts that roam around the Forest Of Death," The Knight commander said. "Tsk, how can my well-trained knights of ten be defeated by mere magical beasts?" Drian wasn''t pleased. Drian did not reply. Instead, he fidgeted at the word ''well-trained'' he, being knight commander of the garrison, knew how ???ky those group of knights were. They were inexperienced and glorified bodyguards of Count Drian and were in no way experienced with fighting off magical beasts. The best thing they could do was fight off peasant revolts and wave their swords around. "But if they were indeed killed by a magical beast then we can just also ?ssume that the wretched woman whom fled from our Lord was also killed by the creatures," Drian said. "Yes, sire," William said. "Well, then. Off you go, send a messenger to Lord Toris and tell him the whore has been dealt with," Drian said with confidence. "Yes, sire," William said. He then stood up and left the Count''s presence. As the guards shut the door behind him, he sighed. "Idiots, I''m ruled by a gluttonous bastard and bossed around by a disgraceful knight," He whispered to himself as he walked through the streets of the Fortress city. He was in the inner district where the garrison were less respectful of his command ever since the Anne took control of managing the inner walls. He passed through one of the three gates that connected the inner district to the outer district. The inner walls towered 30 feet, an expensive venture funded by the profiteering merchant class that have the support of the count. He despised the inner walls. He lost a dozen good men who were forced to work on the walls in perilous conditions a decade ago. The living conditions on the outer district were incomparable to the inner district. The outer district was immensely poor but the only reason they still worked and lived under such conditions was because they had no other choice. There weren''t any more jobs available in the nearest city to the west that wasn''t as better off than the Fortress City. They couldn''t afford to journey further since they had nothing to pay with. The surrounding areas were continuously being ravaged by magical beasts that attacked in packs. Half of the residents here were descendants of those who fled their villages when the magical beasts first started appearing. Althougu magical beasts have appeared decades prior, only in small numbers. But a few years ago, the number of magical beasts skyrocketed until attacks became ever more frequent that resulted in the destruction of all eastern villages over the span of just a year. Many fled to the Fortress City, causing more problems to the peasants already living there. Violence soon erupted but were immediately suppressed by William. William remembered the events in their entirety. His regret on killing innocents who were just trying to find for their survival lingered in his heart. "Greedy pigs," William would always say behind their backs. If for some inexplicable reason the entire merchant class and the Count were to be murdered overnight, he would even partake in it. But the peasants did not wish to become like the ''other'' city that did the same. The thought of which was enough to shut down any thought of rebellion within the starving masses. As William reached the main gate in the outer walls, he was greeted by his friend Jorn on the wall. Jorn was a young man whose average looks were nothing of note. He was a skilled spear man and had been serving under William since he was a child. Although at first he joined the garrison out of desperation, both have become close friends throughout the years. "How did your meeting with the bastard and the bitch go?" Jorn said with a chuckle. "As always. They want me to clean their mess," William said with a smile. The rest of the knights with Jorn laughed. "Alright, call me someone from the messenger Corp," William ordered. "Yes, sir," One the knights ran off to call a messenger. "So what messege and to who are you going to send it?" Jorn asked since he was curious. "Lord fu?k?n? Toris," William said. His face looked as if Toris disgusted his entire being. Jorn laughed. "Seriously? That fat bastard? The sucker can''t even maintain a good relationship with that elf that escaped," Jorn said. William smiled. "That''s true. But orders are orders. Anyways, what happened to the other girl? The mage that smuggled her all the way to here?" William asked. "Wait, you haven''t heard?" Jorn said. "No, Anne was supposed to handle it.. wait.." William realized. "What the hell did that bitch do?" William asked. "The girl has been thrown into one of the cells inside that tower," Jorn said as he pointed at a tower to the western side of the city. William''s face became pale. Chapter 116 - Visitor "The Watchtower? That place is full of men packed in crowded fu?k?n? cells!" William sprang to life. "Why wasn''t I informed? That woman would be violated and played with in there!" William angrily said. "I think that was Anne''s intention," Jorn said. His voice turning soft. He looked down on the ground, prompting William to calm down. "Wait, Jorn. It''s not your fault," William said, thinking that Jorn was blaming himself. "I wanted to stand up against her when she told us to do it, but knowing the punishment that would befall me if I did, I cowered and let the bastards take the girl," Jorn clenched his fists. "It''s not your fault. Even I fear the consequences of standing up against the nobility but do cheer up," William smiled. Jorn looked at him and smiled as well. "You bastard. So, what are you going to do now that you know what happened to the girl?" Jorn asked. "She''s a mage right? A tank mage," William asked. "Yes, she can also cast fire and water related magic but that''s as far as I know," Jorn said. "Then, unless they restrained her magic while in that tower, I doubt things have happened to her, yet," William said. "But wasn''t her magic restrained when she was captured?" Jorn asked. "No, when we captured her. I had two other mages with me who su?k?d out all her mana," William said. "W-wait, magiclust?!" Jorn was surprised. "Yes, mages who specialize in su?k?n? out the mana of others. But her mana won''t stay depleted for long and I doubt the mages would be stationed there just so she could be restrained," William said. "That''s true but wouldn''t you think that when they took her there, she was still low in mana?" Jorn asked. William realized the hole in his reasoning. "Shit, you''re right," Both of them sighed. "So both of them are dead, huh," Jorn said. "Most likely. The band of knight friends the count sent out to chase after that runaway elf will surely not return. Those cowards wouldn''t last a single day in the forest, let alone 5 days," William said. "Right on. But I get this feeling that something else might have happened," Jorn said. William walked to the edge of the wall and looked towards the forest that was a kilometer in front of him. Only one dirt path lead to it while the others diverged to the grassy plains and the fields of wheat. He then felt a shiver rundown his spine as a flock of birds suddenly flew from the trees. "Huh? What''s that?" One of the knights pointed out. A black silhouette was emerging from the clearing and walking down the dirt path. "There''s someone coming from the forest," Jorn said as he took out his crude binoculars. "Shit, a human monster perhaps?" Jorn said. William was still looking at the figure when he noticed that its eyes glowed blue. He felt an immense pressure from those eyes that made him feel immense fear. "What the hell," William said. "What? What is it?" A concerned Jorn walked to his side. "I feel immense power from that man," William said. "Man?" Jorn took a look. The man''s wavy hair dancing along with the breeze. Jorn took a closer look and saw the blue eyes that glared back at him. He gasped and was taken aback by a fear he had never felt before. The rest of the garrison on the walls that saw the figure were also struck by the same fear. "The hell is that thing," Jorn said as he unsheathed his sword. "Wait! Don''t provoke him," William called out. "But!" Jorn said. "Look, he may seem powerful but we don''t know if he has ill intentions. Let''s not judge him too fast," William said. He said this not because he didn''t want to judge him, no, he was a judger himself and if this was anyone else, he would''ve ordered the archers to fire at the figure. But fear overwhelmed him. The fear that even he did not understand. The fear that came from those blue eyes of his that looked as if it stared directly into his soul. The figure came closer and the mysterious figure was revealed to be a man who wore unusual clothing. A black uniform that gave off a vibe of power. His pale skin revealed that somehow, he was some sort of undead. Maybe he was, William and Jorn suspected this. "Tell one of the mages to cast a purification spell on that man," Jorn whispered. Jorn, overrun with fear, wanted to make sure that what was going against them was actually a human and not an undead humanoid that was about to wreak havoc. William was oblivious to what Jorn ordered. Not until he noticed the golden circles appearing around the man. "Wait! Stop! What the fu?k ate you guys doing?" William shouted. But it was too late. The figure stopped in his tracks and looked at the magic circles that surrounded him. Then, in an instant, he was struck by an immensely powerful surge of magic that threatened to kickstart his systems. The man''s systems weren''t working at optimal capacity just yet due to low power but the surge of magical energy seemed to be powering him up faster than the sun. But he knew he was being attacked. The garrison and the people in the fields looked on as the man was seemingly absorbed by a bright flash of light that was almost enough to blind anyone who was looking at it. A minute passed and the light faded. The garrison quivered in their boots. "You idiot," William said as both he and Jorn were given a scene of absolute horror. The man was still standing but he was exerting a terrifying aura that enough to dampen the atmosphere around him. "What is he doing?" William and Jorn noticed the man taking a step back and a powerful light was brimming from his hands that he placed together. "What the-" In a flash, a beam of light came from the man and destroyed the main gate in what resulted to be an explosion of epic proportions. The walls around the gate were blown up as the gate itself was vaporized. The buildings behind the gate weren''t spared as the beam of light burned down dozens of houses. After that, William, Jorn and the rest of the garrison were thrown off from the wall as wave of blue light pushed them and the wall over. Effectively destroying the eastern half of the outer wall. Chapter 117 - Mercy William''s line of sight went dark. He didn''t know where he was but he felt a sharp pain on his back. As the trauma from the fall began to fade, he began to hear the muffled cries of the people around him and the rumble of rocks and footsteps. "William!" A familiar voice called out to him. William then managed to open his eyes. The voice was his friend Jorn who was shoving him awake. William slowly looked around to see where he was, he was surrounded by piles of rubble, mainly parts of the wall. He saw the crushed remains of many of the soldiers that were caught in the energy beam that swept through the Eastern section and devastated the wall therein. "William! The gate has been destroyed, we need to form a defense now!" Jorn pleaded. William, although dazed and hurting, forced his body up. He staggered to his feet with help from Jorn. They unsheathed their swords and headed to the main site of destruction, the now ruined gate. The peasants were scrambling for their lives, the cries of children filled the air as either their parents laid dead on the floor, buried beneath the rubble of their homes or have lost some of their limbs. Mothers wept as they carried the motionless bodies of their children while fathers tried to grab whatever weapon they had. The remaining garrison troops were utterly terrified. They shuddered at the intense aura that was approaching them as they stood in it''s way. "Men!" A voice cried out, snapping them out of their fearful trance. It was the voice of their commander, William. They all looked at him but instead of feeling a glimmer of hope shine within their hearts, they were devastated to see William already bloodied with the fight not had even started. But still, they had no choice but to stand their ground and William was the only person they could count on. The total number of knights that were left numbered around two hundred and they formed a shield wall around the ruined gate with William taking charge of the left flank and Jorn taking charge of the right flank. In the distance in front of them stood the figure that single handedly obliterated the wall and most of the knights. "Where are the mages?" William shouted to Jorn. "Most of them were over the towers!" Jorn shouted back. William then glanced at the towers where they once stood. Their top half were completely blown off. "Tsk, we don''t have any mages to back us up!" William said. "Wait!'' A voice came from behind him. William turned around and behind him was a young man wearing a blue mage uniform. "What magic do you specialize in?" William asked. "Ice magic, sir," The young man said. "Your name?" William asked. "Toby," "Alright, Toby, I know this will be too sudden but I order you to take the frontline along with these knights," William said. ''Y-yes! I''m prepared!" Toby said. He walked in the middle of the knights and stood there, directly in front of the approaching man. All of them sweated buckets as the sky around them darkened. There was another storm coming, literally and figuratively. The knights all held their shields and swords tight. William and Jorn looked at each other before reverting their attention back to the man in black who now stood a few meters in front of him. Upon closer look, he was a tall man with pale skin that had blue lines and he had blue eyes that glowed. The man''s jet black hair ran down his face, his eyes seemingly frowning at them for eternity. The suit the man was wearing was weird for them to say the least, a black suit unlike anything they had ever seen before. "Is that a dark mage?" One of the knights murmured. The knights heard him, glanced at him, and then glanced back at the man in black. "You!" William cried out while pointing his sword at the man in black. "State your name and purpose!" William shouted. William''s bravery seemed to be had the intended effect of boosting the knight''s morale. He showed no fear despite the presence of someone powerful enough to blow them away. But William was not all that fearful, in fact, he was about to shit his pants. The atmosphere around the man was enough to make anyone wet him or herself if taken by surprise or lacked enough discipline. Yet.. "I sense no magic from the man," Toby told William. "W-what?! No magic!? Impossible," William refused to believe it. "Sir, even if a magician were to dampen his magic power, I would still sense the slightest traces but this man.. there isn''t a single trace!" Toby confirmed. William had to believe the mage. He himself did not know much about magic and so, needed a mage to explain thing related to magic to him. "I only going to visit your lord," The man spoke suddenly, spooking the knights and prompting them to raise their shields further in unison and walk back a few steps. "Yet, you attacked me," The man said. The man then looked at William directly in the eye. William then saw what appeared to be visions of mass death at hands of creatures that resembled humans but were made of metal. It was a warning. William was overrun with immense guilt. Seeing no other choice to make. He threw his sword away and walked out of the shield wall. "Commander! Come back!" The knights pleaded. "William!" Jorn shouted. William only raised his hands at them, it was a sign for them to keep quiet. The man, seeing William''s bravery, raised his chin and walked towards him as well. The two were standing at each other''s throats. "What do you want?" The man in black asked. William then knelt on the ground and begged. "Please, have mercy on my men, take my head and leave the rest, please," Chapter 118 - Down With The Count "Hm?" The man in black was One. Knelt in front of him was the knight commander of the Fortress City garrison Wog had told him about before he went to visit. He was told that William was a man of good character and honor. One wanted to exploit his sense of good character and honor as a weakness against him. But One did not expect them to make the first move, attacking him just after he came out of the forest. Damn these people, I had just got out of the debacle with that magical wolf pack, One thought. Thanks to the purification magic that was directed at him, it did the opposite effect. Purification magic if used against the undead, would result in the undead being su?k?d of all their mana and replaced with pure mana that would instantly kill them. But One wasn''t dead nor alive in any sense that magic understood. He was in between. And so, his systems that lacked enough energy to function, were powered up to levels even One did not know he could withstand. The immense power that surged within him was too great and so, he needed to use the beam weapons on the palm of each of his hands at maximum power to expel the excess the energy. If he did not do so, he would have exploded into a million pieces. He shot the beams two times. The first beam was the most powerful, a pillar of energy was thrown in a straight line and obliterated the gate. The second was less powerful but had a wider range. Instead of launching it vertically, One swiped both his hands around resulting in a horizontal beam that was still powerful enough to know the top of the walls and towers over. Even One himself was surprised at the amount of power. "So this is the power of magic," He said after completing his attacks. And right now, William was begging for mercy in front of him. His head on the ground, his arms shivering and trembling. There was no point in killing him and the knights. It was against his plan anyway to do so. "Stand," One said. Surprising William. "I merely retaliated against your attack but my true intentions don''t involve killing any of you folks," One said. William and the rest, upon hearing this, were taken aback. They were being shown mercy by a person with immense strength. William then stood and faced One. The blue eyes of his still made him feel fear. But One did something even he did not think he''d do to a human again. He placed his right hand over William''s left shoulder and gave him a smile. "You did good, your men did good," One said. "All of you," One announced. "You did good. Despite being shown such power, despite seeing your friends, teammates, wiped out and killed. You still stood your ground to face me even though you knew that death was the only outcome whether you ran away or not," One said. "But I don''t export death. Not anymore, I merely retaliated against your aggression but now that has been said and done, there is no point in me attacking," One continued. "Now, let me get to the point. I merely want to visit your lord, I have no intentions of fighting any of you, blood has been shed but I promise you, just let me through and no innocent blood will be needlessly spilled," His offer seemed too good to be true but what choice did they have? But they still weren''t convinced. One sighed in his mind. "What business do you have with the count?" William asked. Feeling more confident. "Well it depends, first, I intend to ask him some questions and depending on his answers, it''s either I send him running for his life or I take his head right here and now," One said. "What?" The knights were shocked. Jorn suddenly saw a glimmer of hope in the midst of the darkness that had enveloped them until now. "You intend to ?ssassinate Count Drian?" One of the knights stepped out of the line and walked forward. "You! Get back in the line," Jorn shouted. One then raised his hand. Jorn shut his mouth. "I don''t intend to ?ssassinate him. It''s either I depose of him with his head still attached or I execute him for his crimes," One said. The knight that had stepped out and walked forward began to tear up. Before he bawled his eyes out, he went to his feet and cried out. "Thank you, thank you, at long last! My daughter shall receive her justice!" The man cried. His fellow knights looked on and then looked at each other. Each of them had a story, had their own lost and sacrifice, all of which could have been avoided if the Count had just not been greedy. One by one, the knights threw away their shields and swords and knelt down before One. For them, it was a small price to pay. The souls of their comrades-in-arms could forever rest in peace knowing that they did not die in vain and that their sacrifices were going to be honoured. William and Jorn, seeing the resolve of the knights, bowed their heads. "We swear allegiance to you," They said. Huh, now it was One who was taken aback. These men are crazy, he thought. One then started walking. The knights all stood aside. "Pick up your weapons and your shields and protect the families here, you and William, come with me," He said. He pointed at William and Jorn to come with him. "Where are we going?" Jorn asked. "We''re gonna make good ol Drian answer for his crimes, that''s what we''re doing. It''s either he answers with him running or his head rolling," Chapter 119 - Uprising News about One''s attack was quick to spread around the city. But before wild rumors could appear, mosr of the people already saw the two waves of light that tore down the walls in an instant and laid waste to the one thousand strong garrison of the outer walls. Although comparatively, the inner walls had a garrison of over two thousand men which was a complete debacle in terms of strategy. As One walked through the main street that led directly to one of the inner wall''s gates. The people who were frightened were now standing on the sides. Not because they were frozen due to fear, but because they were mesmerized at the sight that was beholded before them. William, the famed knight commander of the garrison, the knight who was most loved by the people, was walking behind the supposed attacker. The people wondered if he was under a spell but his eyes were a natural brown still. He was completely okay yet he followed the mysterious man in black whose eyes glowed blue. News of William''s and the surviving outer garrison''s supposed betrayal reached the count but before he could mount an escape through his tunnels, the insubordination had already reached half of the inner wall''s garrison. A number almost totalling a thousand and a half men and some women who served as knights and mages for the inner garrison pointed their swords at the forces loyal to the count. They remembered when the esteemed William told them that one day, some day, they will liberate themselves from Count Drian''s tyranny. Now that they saw William walking behind the very man that single handedly destroyed the outer wall, it was time for the revolution. William sent out Jorn and Toby to further persuade the other garrison by shouting the news as loud as they could while they rode on the horses that were left in the stables. The wall archers were the first to rebel, drawing their swords at the other archers who refused to heed William''s call for uprising. There was no turning back. But a few knights under the payroll and charm of lady Anne ran out of the Count''s castle to face One and the garrison forces who were currently in rebellion. William, upon seeing the knights that were eager to stop them, was dumbfounded. William knew that the tunnels under the castle were already blockaded by rebelling forces but if they dedicated a powerful enough force to one tunnel, they would''ve had a chance to break out. But instead, they wasted their time and took the foolish decision of attacking man in black himself. As One and William''s detachment of surviving knights approached the gate that connected the inner and outer districts, violence had already erupted in and around the inner district and the walls that secured it. There were still forces loyal to the count that blocked the gate from the outside but the gate keepers themselves were already rolling the wheels inside and opening the gate for One and his company. William and his detachment had their swords and shields drawn and were ready to right their own former allies for the betterment of everyone else. They knew sacrifices needed to be made. But One raised his hands at them. "It''s okay, you don''t need to spill the blood of those you called your brothers-in-arms," One said. He knew the pain of attacking former allies and has thus resolved in doing it himself rather than letting them do it, or so they thought. One''s true intentions weren''t that. He couldn''t care less if the knights started hacking and slashing each other but One needed the soldiers to believe that he was a man of honor. And also, he wanted to showcase his combat skills up close to motivate the rebelling forces. All this chaos and death just to further his plans. Just to replace one man. One stepped forward and faced the knights that blocked his way from the now opened gate. "Are you sure you want to face me?" One said. The knights trembled but they stood their ground still. "You are an invader! And the knights behind you are traitors to Count Drian! We won''t let you through!" The knight at the front shouted. One closed his eyes for a moment and then tilted his head. When he opened his eyes again, his eyes glowed a darker shade of blue. "What do I need to do to reconsider your loyalty?" One asked. The knights failed to answer for a few seconds. Just as when the knights at back were lowering their weapons, the knight at the front charged and shouted. "Over our dead bodies!" One, decided to spare the ones that did not follow his example and so, charged at the knight as well, grabbing his sword mid swing and broke it into a thousand pieces before taking out his energy blades and slicing the man in half. The man''s disemboweled body fell to the ground, his internal organs spilling out. The rest of the knights at the gate had threw away their swords and raised their hands. They knelt down on the ground, trembling with fear and crying. One passed by them one and by one and looked at each. "You shall be spared. Do not be afraid, as long as you have never done wrong yourself in the past, you will be pardoned for this day," One said before entering the inner district. William and his detachment followed closely behind. They were in awe of the man in black''s strength and weapons. Two swords that shined like the sun and had the sharpness of a holy sword. It was as if they were in the presence of a god. The God Of War. After witnessing the man in black''s power and charm. He was certain he was one of the famed rogue gods that the church and the tow superpowers kept a state secret. "A power responsible for the Second Great War," William said to himself. Chapter 120 - The Paladin and The Knight "Fuck," a sweaty Count Drian was sat on his throne. Both hands over his face, both elbows on his th??hs. In his throne room laid the bodies of the knights that were supposed to guard him. But the moment they heard of the rebellion that had begun outside of this castle, they drew their swords and tried to take down lady Anne and seize the count. But Lady Anne was a knight, although she was a disavowed knight from the Empire''s Knighthood, she was still a formidable paladin. But Lady Anne, despite her strength and time in the Empire''s Knighthood, did not, for the love of all things knightly, have good common sense. Instead of trying to break their way out through one of the tunnels, she thought that making a stand and defeating the leaders of the rebellion would allow them to get back into power. But, she forgot that she was going up against William and his new liege. But she did not believe that there was a new liege, instead, she thought it was a farce made by William to fuel rebellion so that he could crown himself king over the surrounding land. She was smug. Thinking that she could easily defeat William because she was paladin and that William was a mere knight commander. She wouldn''t need to fantasize her battle with William for long because the castle''s gates had been breached and William''s detachment was now running rampant all over the halls. Screams erupted all over the castle''s halls as most of the noblemen''s retainers rebelled and blood was being shed. But One needed the nobles alive to be judged and so, ordered the detachment to stop the violence and capture the nobles. William was now the only person coming with One to face the Count and his mistress in the throne room. The Door that lead to the throne room was large and several bodies laid on the floor around it. They were the knights that did not rebel but were killed by their allies by surprise. One placed his right palm over the door and began counting from 10. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 1 He blew the door open. Breaking the door into many large pieces. The Count flew from his throne and hide behind it. Lady Anne drew her sword emblazoned with gold and magic crystals. "Hello there, Count Drian and Lady Anne," Two figures emerged from the smoke. William and a man in black that stood beside him whose eyes glowed through the cloud of dust. Right there and then, Lady Anne was taken by surprise that there was indeed a man in black to whom William and half of the garrison had sworn their allegiance to. "So it was you," Anne said. Pointing her sword at One. "Oh yes, yes, it was me, my dear," One said mockingly. "And you, you traitor," Anne pointed at William. William frowned, drew his sword and threw his shield away. "Milord, please let me fight this whore," William asked. "Oh?" One looked at them both. After calculating his chances of winning, One decided to let them fight it out. Besides, he could always step in the moment things went south for William. "Very well," One said, stepping to the side. Lady Anne laughed. "A mere knight commander going up against a paladin like me? Surely you jest," Anne said. "Do I look like a jester to you? What kind of paladin acts like a whore?" William retorted. "Imbecile!" Anne charged at William. William lunged forward and their swords met. William swung his from from the left with as much force as his body could exert while the paladin could b?r?ly block it. She had underestimated William. This also came as a surprise for Anne. She did not think that the mere iron sword could go against the sword of a paladin, made with the best iron and cast with gold. One, on the other hand, had scanned Anne''s sword throughout the fight. The gold that was in her sword was what made her sword weaker than intended. If her sword was made of pure iron that was improved by magic, then she would''ve easily had broken William''s sword by now but it had gold, gold wasn''t sturdy, at, all. As Anne swung for William''s neck. William stepped backward and with quick thinking, kicked Anne in the torso with enough force to knock her out. "Hm, a liver shot," One said. Knowing the pain such a shot could cause. Lady Anne and William were on par with each other but since Anne was too confident with her own skills, she failed to see through William''s attack. But Anne wasn''t down just yet. She picked herself and stood but her body shriveled with pain. The blow to the liver was painful but her pride being shattered overtook the pain she felt. "Kya!!!!" She charged at William with everything she had left, this time, she had a trick up her sleeve. Although Paladins couldn''t cast magic themselves once they were disavowed by their knighthood or order, they could still learn magic themselves that they could cast that could bypass the seal placed on them. And Anne cast a magic circle under William''s feet that caused him to slip. William lost his balance and fell down. And as Anne was about to strike her sword into William''s ?h?st, One appeared in front of her, faster than her eye could see. "Wha-" A large thud sounded and Lady Anne was sent flying to a wall. She crashed into the wall, causing it to crack, her armor shattered the moment she made impact and she fell dead on the floor. When William regained his footing, he saw the motionless corpse of Anne lying on the floor near the wall where she was sent to. A pool of blood surrounded her. One had walked to the back of the throne only to find the Count knocked himself unconscious with his fear. The rebelling forces outside were victorious. They stormed the castle and made their way to the throne room. They saw William kneeling in the middle of the red carpet that was now dusty and torn. Sitting on the throne was the man in black. The knights and the mages, seeing William, put away their weapons and knelt before the man in black. "We hereby swear our allegiance, to you," William said. One now had vassals of his own but he needed to complete his mission in its entirety. He stood from his throne and announced. "People of this Fortress City, on this day, remember this day, when the fist of tyranny was torn down and the banner of freedom and justice took its place!" He said. "Aye!" The soldiers shouted. "But don''t be misguided, I am merely a vassal of someone who will become your king," One said. This shocked the troops and William. "But I know you know this man, he is a man of honor and justice, a man overflowing with kindness, a short man, but a fine man! A man who will bring you all the prosperity and the justice you all have yearned!" William and the rest only knew of one man. And that man, was not a man. But a dwarf named, Wog. Chapter 121 - Securing One had the unconscious Count Drian dragged from the back of his throne. The guards were disgusted when they handled him, he was as wet as a rug due to his sweat. One had Jorn and toby drag the count to the courtyard. One then stood in front of the throne and looked at William and the knights in the room with him. "Wog" William said. "Wog is your master," One nodded. He sat himself back on the throne and raised his leg over his other leg. "A few days ago. I proclaimed Wog as my king, and so, he shall be a king. But how can he be a king without a proper fief?" One said. "But why us? Why did you choose us? You could''ve just made your own fief and lured the people away," William said. "It''s simple. It''s because Wog himself was the one who told me to liberate you," One said. William and the rest of the soldiers felt something warm in their ?h?st. "Is that so.." "Indeed, he is a man of honor, dignity, and kindness. A man like him deserves to hold the mantle of King," One said. "But.." One frowned. His frown exuding an aura of terror. "He is a dwarf, I know most of you are aware but just because he is a dwarf does not mean he does not have the qualities of a human king. You are all the same, the only difference is the name of your race but in mind and soul, all of you are equal," One said. Most of the knights were humans but One noticed that there were a few beastmen and elves in the mix. "And if any of you defy him, I will end you at the spot," One said. William bowed his head further. "I promise you, I shall not let that happen!" William said. One nodded and then looked at the soldiers behind him. "Well?" One asked. "We will follow your example!" They shouted. Not because they genuinely wanted to change their perception, no, One knew they only complied out of fear. But One was going to change that. Despite ruling through fear and bloodshed himself, ever since his encounter with the goddess left him scarred and the dreams he had been having have returned to his memory, he felt a slight tinge of humanity return to him. One stood from the throne and began walking down the red carpet. "Come," He said as he passed by William. William immediately stood and followed closely behind One. "Tell everyone to round up every noble family and bring them to the outer district''s courtyard. But none of them shall be mistreated, I will handle them personally," One said. "Understood," William said. "All of you! Round up the nobles and their families and bring them to the courtyard in the outer district, now!" The knights and mages immediately stood and stormed out of the throne room as soon as William and One exited. One and William walked down the bloodied halls and into the messy streets of the inner district. With their leadership gone, the forces loyal to the Count had either surrendered or tried to flee. Sporadic fighting continued but only from the merchants who tried to put up a fight. One had to make sure no atrocities were committed by the rebels or the image of his righteous uprising would be tainted. But, One, unlike when he controlled legions of his drones, could not fully control the tendencies of some of the soldiers. "Hey! Stop that!" William shouted. "Back off, this is revenge!" The men said. William was about to draw his sword when two small beams of light pierced their ?h?sts. "Huh?" William looked at One. He had his two of his fingers pointed at them. The knights fell down on the ground. The others that saw what the man in black did cowered in fear, fearing that they would be next. "Discipline," One said. "Yes.." William answered. "Fret not. I do not mindlessly kill without reason. But I do not like how you humans are too drunk in your emotions and forget logical reasoning," One said. William then thought. William then realized that the man in black had not told any of them his name even though he had done so much and accomplished plenty. His moniker as The Man In Black spread like wildfire throughout the Fortress City. Many have come to look up to him as their great liberator while others doubt that he''d be any better than the Count he had just deposed. But words of his strength that tore down the eastern wall was enough to quell any potential dissent as long as he was inside the city. One headed to out to the Eastern gate that he had blown up. This confused William, it was as if One was going back into the forest. "Milord, if I may, why are we leaving the city?" William asked. One looked at him. One said nothing and pointed over the grassy fields. William looked on and saw two figures standing by the clearing. "Is that?" William said. "A week ago, an elf by the name of Patricia was running through the forest in the middle of he night under the heavy rain. She was chased by knights that resembled those from this city," One said. So that was what happened to the goons Anne sent out, the man in black killed them and saved the elf! But this presented another problem. The man in black was bound to ask where Patricia''s accomplice was. William was not confident that the girl was still even alive. Chapter 122 - Reunion "Stacy!" Patricia shouted. She ran across the slimy floor and dirty walls. There lied her friend, Stacy, unconscious and considerably injured. Patricia hugged her tight and cried her eyes out while Wog, One and William watched from the open door. "Tell me, William. Why didn''t you do anything?" One asked. William knelt before Wog and One, his forehead wet from his sweat. "I did not know that Anne had her dragged here not until a few hours ago, please, have mercy!" William begged. Wog looked at One and sighed. "I can heal her wounds but I doubt I can heal her mentally," Wog said. "Yes, milord," One said. "William, see to it that every criminal here is interrogated. I want everyone accountable to confess and if I find evidence that the number of those guilty are lower than who confessed, mark my words William.." One placed his face near William''s. "I will massacre them all," One said. "Y-yes!" William screamed. "Good, now get going. I can''t have my king be coronated at the time like this," One said. William stood and called upon the guards of the tower. "Round up the prisoners and prepare the torture chambers!" He shouted. "Are you sure that torture is necessary?" Wog asked One. "It is, milord. Don''t forget that the ones who did this to her are criminals, actors of heinous crimes. They do not deserve anything but pain," One said. "I see," One''s plan of turning his newfound king into a puppet was working. Although One appeared to be a trusted vassal by the king''s side, he secretly controlled his decisions and influenced his ways by means of psychology. The dwarf was oblivious. But One knew he needed to maintain his image that he was a strong, independent, and noble king to the Fortress City. And his stage was going to be set soon. Despite their efforts, a few knights and a handful of mages loyal to the Count managed to escape. It won''t be long until Lord Toris sends out an army to reclaim the Fortress City. Depending on the size of the army and the composition of its forces, One could either eliminate them in one fell swoop or they''d be forced to repel a siege. But if Lord Toris was to personally lead the siege. One would just himself go into the battlefield and challenge him in a duel. If Lors Toris has an honor to maintain, he would blindly accept One''s offer and it will be his doom. But before One could drool over his supposed inevitable victory, he needed to repair the damage in the city. One planned the city''s reconstruction as soon as Wog was crowned King over the land. The excess workforce on the outer district would be more than enough. First and foremost, however, One needed to deal with the grieving Patricia. "Milord, after this is settled, you will be coronated in the throne room of the castle in the presence of representatives from the outer and inner districts," One said. "Yes.." Wog said. He was obviously nervous. "Milord, do not be afraid, I will be by your side and will make sure nothing comes to harm you," One said. "They have to kill me first," One continued. "Y-yes, I trust your abilities, Ben, I know I am safe in your hands," Wog said. "Yes, sire," One said. The wounded mage then slowly opened her eyes. "St-stacy! Stacy! It''s me, it''s Patricia! You''re safe now, you''re safe," Patricia cried out to her friend. "Pat?.." Stacy whispered with all her might. "Milord, you can now heal her," One said. "Yes, but let them have their reunion first, I believe her trauma will be lessened at the sight of a friend," Wog said. "Hm, very well," One said. One and Wog watched as the two had a tearful reunion. One was somewhat grateful with what he was seeing. It made him learn how humans cared for each other, even in the darkest of times. If someone was indeed your friend, that friend would always find a way to save you. After the tearful embrace, Wog walked forward and lifted the wounded Stacy from the dirty floor and carried her out through the door from which they entered. One walked by Wog''s left side while Patricia walked by Wog''s right. Rain poured down from the heavens as peasants, knights, and mages alike watched from the sidelines. Wog, their soon-to-be king was a dwarf walking side by a side with an elf and a being of immeasurable strength. They exuded an aura of kindness but only Wog and and the elf. The Man in Black and the human Wog was carrying, however, had an aura of immense killing intent. The woman, had a immense d?s?r? for revenge. One sensed it also and decided to take advantage of it. They made their way through the streets of the outer district and into the inner district''s medical facility which they called a "Healing Sanctuary" but was more of a rundown hospital than a sanctuary. There, Wog placed Stacy on a bed and began healing her. "You and you," One called two knights outside. "Y-yes sir?" They asked. "Guard his holiness and make sure nobody gets near him without permission," One said. "Yes, sir!" They drew their swords and hurried to the door. One then walked to the castle and into the throne room. Just as he had ordered, One had men enlisted from the outer district to clean and and fix the damage done to the city. One promised they equal pay and food that would last them for the upcoming winter. One''s promises, however, depended on how well the harvests would be and the amount of silver he could extract efficiently from the nearby mines. Still, progress was progress. In a few days, Wog will be coronated as King Wog the first of the kingdom of.. Wait, One was taken aback. He didn''t think one thing thoroughly enough. "I didn''t think of a name," One said. Chapter 123 - The Drums Of War Sound Once Again A few days after the Dioz-Metal treaty was signed, the Machine Empire had launched their first satellite into low-earth orbit but due to the hasty development of said satellite due to One''s absence, the satellite was outfitted with a camera not strong enough to capture enough details on the ground. This satellite was now being used to track One''s whereabouts. "There has been signficant developments happening within this region of the continent," Micheal pointed out at the wide holographic projection in front of them. The holographic projection resembled a map of the known continent from the peninsula up to the southern regions of the main continent. The part where Micheal pointed at was at the eastern coast. It was approximately five hundred kilometers away from the nearest Machine port that had been constructed. "Troop movements, an entire section of wall being blown up by a single attack, a disturbance in the local settlements, I believe that region is bracing for war," Micheal continued. "I also believe it as so. But the satellite we have over the area is telling us that the attack carried out on that specific settlement was done by a single entity. We have no way of confirming who is this entity, yet," John explained. Hailey, who was sat in the middle of the room. Stood and walked up close to the hologram. "Zoom in on this entity," Hailey said. "We can''t zoom in close enough, only until we could see its shadow," John said. "Just do it," Hailey said. "As you wish," John answered. The holographic projection zoomed in on the entity as much as it could before stopping. "A black dress? Or suit?" Hailey said. "Could it be?" Micheal walked to Hailey''s side. John then pulled out another holographic projection, this time it was the trajectory of the energy signature that belonged to One''s kidnapper. "It''s.." Hailey felt a tinge of happiness within her surge. "It''s highly likely," John said. "With this, we can say that the commotion and chaos around this region is because of our own dear Commander," Micheal said. The room then fell silent as the three of them gazed at the entity in the projection. "So, why are we just standing here?" John said. "Shouldn''t we send out a fleet to retrieve him?" John continued. He then walked over to the projection and drew a line from the nearest port they controlled to the proposed landing zone. "Flying over the continent and straight through the isthmus would present risks. For example, we don''t know the attitude of the Empire and Republic towards us ever since we subjugated 80 percent of the peninsula.. "We also suspect that the Empire is currently aiding the Kingdom of Yuhin in their last ditch attempt to stop us. So, I propose a fleet to be put together composed of all our warships currently available and several transports. I believe a force of a thousand soldiers, a hundred mega drones and a couple hovercraft should do the trick," John said. "Hm, I agree with John''s plan," Hailey said. Micheal, on the other hand, took a closer look on other information. "I believe Commander plans on doing something with the region," Micheal said. "How can you say so?" Hailey asked. "Look at this," Another projection appeared, this time, it was a live video feed from the satellite. Although it could only see the dots of people below it, they could make out their movements. The dots that resembled the humans within the Fortress City were all lined up on two sides. Walking in the middle of the lines were four three more dots. The black entity that they ?ssumed to be One, and two other unknown entities. "What is this?" Hailey said. "It''s live and it seems like some sort of event is taking place," Micheal said. "They''re headed to the castle.. wait, is it possible that he is crowning himself king over that place?!" John realized. "Perhaps. But the commotion he has caused is bound to make the Empire and Republic respond with force since this region is under imperial control," Micheal said. Hailey sighed. "Send out the fleet immediately and amass an attack force over the isthmus," Hailey said. "As you wish," John said. "Micheal, I want fifty thousand drones from Earth to be transported here immediately to reinforce our other flanks. Whether we like it or not, we are going to war," Hailey said. "War is inevitable," Micheal said. "But defeat, is not," Hailey said and smiled. Just as the two super droids were about to leave the room, the door opened in front of them and Vilvintine was standing outside. "We have a problem," Vilvintine said. "What is it?" Hailey walked towards them. "There has been growing animosity between the humans in City 1 and the new humans we placed there from the remaining Freetan population," Vilvintine said. "You mean the former fortress city? Wait, whose idea was it to rename it to City 1?" Hailey asked. "Uh, you did. You said you wanted the names to be easy to learn," Vilvintine said. "Ah, so, wait, anyways, what about the humans?" Hailey said. "There has been incidents of violent by the Freetan Refugees," Vilvintine said. "And their reasoning?" Hailey asked. Vilvintine sighed and rolled her eyes. "They''re calling the humans from City 1 traitors because they have accepted our rule. While the humans from City 1 countered them by saying that they are better off because of us, this and that, and then someone from the refugees tried to stab a person from City 1," Vilvintine said. "That is one messy explanation.. but I understand, have the suspect executed in front of the other refugees and remind them that they live under our laws and rule now," Hailey said. "As you wish, madam," Vilvintine said before suddenly disappearing. "Magic?" John asked. "Magic," Hailey answered. As the hurricane stormed over the eastern region. The coronation was proceeding as planned. Although One''s plans were moving smoothly, he couldn''t help but feel that something tragic was going to befall the land. He sensed death and destruction was looming over the horizon. Chapter 124 - Demonstration Of Power No bishop, no priest. No church nor pope. On this calendar day, 24th of the latter season. In the presence of representatives from the outer and inner district. Backed by a being of immense power and an elf of magic. Wog, the dwarf who was exiled from his people for his defiance of Imperial authority, was crowned king. A few days after the eastern wall''s destruction, reconstruction had begun with expert guidance from One himself. Approximate 40 percent of the Fortress City''s workforce were placed in reconstruction projects while the rest were to be farmers, labourers, and cleaners. The total garrison numbered around two thousand in contrast to the previous number of three thousand. One thousand soldiers were the accumulated lost for both sides in the uprising that happened. Those who were found with no crimes in their time as soldiers were buried in a mass grave outside of the city, a few meters from the farmland. On the other hand, those were found guilty to have committed crimes beforehand, had their bodies burned and the possessions they left for their families confiscated and redistributed. The families that fought back the redistribution were killed. Those who complied, were given new chances to redeem themselves and clean their names. The nobles, those who survived the initial massacre until One ordered it to be suppressed, suffered the same fate. Although none of them have been executed just yet, all their wealth were redistributed among the outer district''s peasantry and used as a means to pay them for their work. The excess, yes, there was excess wealth. Was placed into the new national treasury that One made. This national treasury was to be operated as a form of loaning agent were the peasantry could borrow loans with a small interest that they would pay after a given amount of time. They could, also, pay the loan monthly. This, however, involved a tremendous amount of bureaucracy that One alone could not handle without talented companions. Thankfully, Patricia was one such companion. When One asked for volunteers, Patricia was the first to raise her hand. After she did, other elves came forward and volunteered. It was then did One discover that elves were efficient bureaucrats, something that somehow made him feel uncomfortable. Nonetheless, Wog''s rule was still unstable and not set in stone. The loyalty of the people were still not certain since One was the person who liberated them and Wog was known to be the exiled benevolent man that hid in a forest. One was looking forward for this day, a day after the coronation, it was his time to show off his chopping skills. Execution day. One had the entire inner courtyard expanded to accommodate the number of executions that were to be carried out five at a time and the expected audience that totalled around five thousand from the peasantry alone. Wog agreed to the executions, seeing that many of the former nobles mistreated him when he travelled through the Fortress City long ago. "It won''t hurt to have a taste of revenge, right?" Wog asked One. "Of course, milord. These vile creatures who call themselves nobles don''t deserve your mercy. To be honest, I would rather use a dull axe to chop their heads of instead of using my weapon, they don''t deserve such a painless death," One said. Wog smiled awkwardly at One before returning his attention to the courtyard below him. The preparations were almost complete. It was still raining but the executions will continue just as planned. Even in sun or in rain, they will pay for the pain they caused. One looked up into the sky where the dark clouds flew. He sensed something was above it, beyond the sky and into the celestial ocean. "Something is watching us," One said out loud "Huh!?" Wog heard him and looked up to the sky too. If One was seeing something beyond the sky that was watching them, Wog couldn''t help but worry as to what it was. One noticed his mistake and gave Wog a good old pat on the back. "It''s fine. It''s too far away, and besides, I am here," One said. Wog nodded in agreement but still, he felt his muscles tense up. As the rain poured on, the peasantry amassed around the courtyard to witness the long-awaited spectacle. One along with William and Jorn stood on the platform from which the executions would be conducted. Patricia and Wog stood over the castle''s balcony, watching from above. The first batch of prisoners were brought in. The four highest ranking nobles and the Count himself. They were bu?? n?k?d, stripped of all their jewels, even the jewels that had in their bodies, One ripped them all out personally. But One of them still had the bravery to say his mind even in front of death himself. "All of you!" He shouted. "You think you can get away with this!? Imbeciles! You fu?k?n? peasants! Lord Toris will come here and kill you all!" He shouted. His wretched face reflecting his inner humanity. The peasantry was silent, even they knew that Lord Toris may bring upon them their downfall. One, sensing the drop in morale, walked in front of platform. His bu?? directly in the noble''s face. "Lord Toris has no power here," One announced. He then turned his back and looked at the noble and his smug face. He then pointed his finger to the sky and a bright flash of light was soon emitted from the tip. "Argh!" The nobles shouted. The peasantry watched in awe. William and Jorn took cover behind their shields. They knew what this symbolized. The man in black was going to show the nobles his power. Following the flash of light, a pillar of blue energy appeared and struck the sky above them. It exploded in the sky and caused the clouds above them to disperse, stopping the rain. "M-monster!" Was the only word the once smug noble could say. Overtaken with fear, he was decapitated along with the rest of the nobles with him. The Count, however, One had a different method reserved only for him. Chapter 125 - Count Dead "The rain is nice, isn''t it?" One looked down on the Count. He was the only person left on the platform that was about to be executed. The other nobles had their heads chopped off already. The rain wasn''t going to be friendly with him either. One had a rod of metal built specifically on top of where the Count knelt. "You see this metal rod?" One asked him. "Y-yes," Drian said. "Then you know it''s made of metal right? I''m sure a Count like you is at least educated in the ways of smiths?" One said. "Of.. course!" Drian said. "Then be wowed," One stepped away from the Count and ordered everyone to leave to platform except for the Count. The Count, sensing that his death was coming, began to struggle against his chains and begged for mercy. "Wait! wait! Please! Please don''t do this to me!" Drian begged. One stared at him and the angry mob cheered his wails on. "Die bastard!" They all shouted. Even the little children among the peasantry cheered for his death. One took a liking with their bloodlust. The death of the Count would bring Wog his needed legitimacy among the people. Since nobody was going to mess with the King whose subordinate single handedly instigated a rebellion, defeated a paladin, and did not fear to execute the nobility within the city itself. The crowd was excited as to what One was going to do now. William and Jorn looked anxious as they waited. Toby, on the other hand, sensed a disturbance with the magic forming on the platform and the sky. It seemed as if the magical molecules were forming a sort of pillar from the sky to the Count. "Could this be his magic?" Toby looked at the man in black. Wog and Patricia sensed it too. The accumulation of magic in a pillar like formation over the Count. "How is he able to manipulate magic like this?" Patricia whispered. She looked at Wog, Wog had his mouth open throughout the entire ordeal. "Ben.." Patricia leaned forward over the balcony. A bright flash of light appeared and temporarily blinded everyone looking at the Count. The soldiers let go of their weapons and covered their eyes in pain and so did the peasantry and everyone else who was watching. One, however, had his eyes wide open when the light flashed. It wasn''t just some ordinary light, it was a light that came from the heavens that brought forth the same energy that powered humanity back on Earth since the industrial revolution. Lightning. The metal rod acted as a sort of beacon wherein the lightning would strike. However, he did not expect that the magic in this world would also be the cause for lightning. And then he asked himself. Does this world have positively and negatively charged particles? The temporary blindness caused by the bright flash of light had begun to fade and everyone was soon greeted by the smell that resembled that of roasted meat. "What happened?" Jorn asked William. "Why the hell are you asking me?" William said. "He.. he.." Toby stuttered beside them. "What did he do?" Jorn asked Toby. "He summoned the rod of light..." Toby said. William and Jorn''s faces went blank at what Toby said. "Oh my God.." The peasantry was shocked. The Count, the same Count that was begging for his life a few seconds ago, the same Count that oppressed them for his own greed a few days prior, was reduced to nothing more than an burnt husk of his former self. His teeth charred and jaw open. He looked like a demon that even hell had decided to reject for entry. "Not even the demons would accept him, he''s too ugly even for them," Toby commented. Everyone then looked at One who then walked to the platform and grabbed Drian''s burnt and lifeless body. He then held it up in front of him for everyone to see. "This is the man who took everything away from you," One announced. "But look at him now, everything has been taken from him. His woman, his treasures, his allies, his power," One said. He then threw it over the platform. The body bounced a bit when it hit the stone ground below. He then looked up towards the balcony where King Wog and Patricia were standing. "I hereby give that man over there, my liege, my lord and my sworn King, that power. Let it be known throughout the surrounding lands that his Kingdom shall prosper and the people of which shall not suffer!" One announced. "Aye!" The peasantry shouted. "And let it be known, on this day, on this very hour, that justice, the long thirsted justice that the people yearned, has been fulfilled!" "Aye!" The soldiers shouted with them as well. William and Jorn held their swords up high against the wind and the rain that poured. Everyone was drenched in rain water, the peasants, the soldiers, but not One. William had just noticed. The man in black''s clothes deflected the water drops from sticking. As if it was a magical item that had a passive magical skill. "He is dangerous," William whispered. He had heard the stories and the rumors that circulated about the great archmages and the mages who had formed pacts with exiled Gods for more strength. But he had also heard about the new race that took the southern peninsula by surprise. A race of creatures who resembled men but had neither flesh nor fur. Their skin made of metal, their eyes glowed blue, they had a leader whom was said to be a man who wore jet black clothes, the same man that took out the best of the Freetan Theocracy alone. William looked at One closely from the side. "He must be one of them," Chapter 126 - Angry Mob One heard what William whispered. Of course he would, he had sharp ears. He heard whatever the people were saying even beyond the inner walls. His systems were now back on duty. Thanks to the energy he was given when he was attacked by purification mages, he was ever more powerful. The executions proceeded as planned. The rest of the nobles were brought onto the platform and the crowd would cheer on their inevitable deaths. Some of the noble swore brave enough to scold the people, one of which named himself, ''Sir Wilford,'' However, One was annoyed with his continuous scolding of the peasantry. He literally gave One no attention even though he walked in front of him and stared at him directly. The noble was smug, too smug. But One smiled. He took a liking with the noble''s smugness and decided to exploit it. He had all the nobles lined up and Sir Wilfred was placed at the very end of the line. On the opposite end, the execution started via an axe to the nape of their necks. A dull axe. The nobles screamed and the people cheered after each hack and each growl that came out of the dying nobles. As the dull axe drew nearer, the smug Sir Wilfred began a barrage of insults that he hurled at the peasantry and the soldiers that stood alongside them. One sensed their patience running thin and they would very much want to kill him with his own hands. One had the guards hold them back. Just as Sir Wilfred''s turn came, the crowds roared in excitement. "Kill him! Kill him!" They shouted. The other guards with spears began pounding the ground in unison with their spears in tune with the chants of the peasantry. But One raised his hand just as the executioner was about to strike. William shouted for the executioner to halt. The crowds went silent. "Remove his chains and put him in the middle of the platform," One said. William and Jorn walked up to Wilfred and unchained him. He tried to fight but was immediately subdued by Jorn. They then dragged him across the platform to where One wanted him to be. The dead bodies of his fellow nobles formed a large pool of blood that that dripped through the cracks of the platform''s wooden floor. "Leave him," One said. William and Jorn then ran to the side. "What do you want?" Wilfred stood and faced One. "To entertain them," One answered. "You expect me to dance? You idiot!" Wilfred berated him. As if it had any effect. "All of you!" One shouted. "Go get him," One announced. He had the guards bring down the fence and the peasants came pouring in. "You soldiers, join the fray," One said. The spearmen that cheered along with the peasants threw their weapons aside and ran up to the noble. "W-wait!" Wilfred screamed as he drowned in a flood of angry men, women, even children. To put it mildly, it was a pretty brutal execution. "They pulled his tongue out," Patricia said. "Huh?! How do you know?" Wog shivered. "My eyes can see through the crowd. One of them pulled his tongue out, the others are beating him relentlessly. But for some reason, he is still alive," Patricia said. Meanwhile, behind the scenes. One, William, Jorn and Toby stood in the sidelines as the angry mob pulverized Sir Wilfred. "Toby, you alright?" William placed his hand over the mage''s shoulder. "I-I''m fine.. but.. is this really necessary?" Toby said. He had his two hands pointed at the direction of the mob. His hands glowed yellow and two hollow circles were above his palms. "Orders are orders," Jorn said. "S-still.. until when?" Toby asked. "Until your magic can no longer sustain his vitals, that''s when you stop," One said. "Y-yes," Toby said. One ordered Toby to use his magic to constantly regenerate the damaged organs as much as he could without running out of mana. He was to continue this method until either the injuries became too much for him to handle or until the mob delivered the fatal blow. The ordeal lasted for just shy of one hour. One hour of torture for Wilfred who was practically begging to be executed. Wilfred''s heart finally stopped beating when one of the angry peasant girls struck him with a small knife straight in the heart. Toby''s magic couldn''t save him and he fell down to the ground, a shell of his former self. The mob''s anger essentially faded since they were able to vent it out on the noble. Peace and order was soon restored and the executions were declared over. One dismissed his three companions but not before appointing them to positions of power. One then walked towards the castle navigated his way through the halls and up the staircases until he found himself where King Wog and Patricia stood. "You executed the event, nicely," Patricia said as she smiled. "Your jokes are horrendous," One said. Patricia only giggled and blushed. One then stood by Wog''s right side as Patricia stood on Wog''s left. Together, they were the powerful trio of the new Kingdom Of Wog. One then felt something inside his head tingle. As if he was losing blood circulation but his blood did not circulate at all. One suspected that his drones were nearby. But where? - [Mission: Retrieval of One. Objectives: Obj 1: Secure landing site Obj 2: Surround settlement Obj 3: Confirm identity of unknown entity believed to be One. Chapter 127 - State Of Affairs The reconstruction period had begun and many of the peasantry and former families of the nobles who were executed were placed into work. The surrounding land around the Fortress City comprised of a network of little canals that watered the farmlands. The farmlands grew a variety of crops, mainly wheat. One had inquired with the local farmers about rice, a type of grain that could be served as a means of feeding more people. The farmers, however, weren''t aware of any ''rice'' or grain that was similar to it. One knew about the importance of rice back on Earth, it was a staple of many cultures with large populations, it was healthy, easy to grow, and could be mass produced. It could be eaten with almost anything, from meat to vegetables. It was the perfect food type in place of grain. One now needed to ''make'' something similar to rice. To do so, he would need to gather plants with awkwardly similar genomes or DNA. The nearest of which was corn. Corn was already being planted on one of the fields but it wasn''t popular because of it''s high maintenance and high price which made it only affordable to the wealthy. As King Wog stayed inside his castle with Patricia as his aide, One set out to carry out ''his'' duties although it was One who was making things happen. One had all the edicts he had made named to King Wog so that it would appear that he was a wise and benevolent king to the people despite him being withdrawn from public life. This would in turn increase his legitimacy, his popularity, and the loyalty of the soldiers. The Fortress City was in need of more people, however. Despite having a population of around 6 thousand, One wanted to expand the city. To do so, he would need to forcefully resettle the villages under the Fortress City''s territory. He was standing by the sides of one of the fields outside of the Fortress City in front of the Eastern section of the wall that was now being rebuilt. Many men were sent out to the mines to gather as much ore and stone as they could while others were turned into stonemasons, engineers, and craftsmen. Those with enough skills were appointed as leaders. One made sure to inspect each division of labor. One was well aware of human nature, there would be times where some workers would be undisciplined or had human emotions that were detrimental to a working environment. To counter this, One had William, Jorn, and Toby, his three most trusted aides, to enforce strict disciplinary measures and constant patrols. William, Jorn, and Toby were at first reluctant in following all of One''s orders. But ever since the executions, the Man in Black was surprisingly cool and collected. He was seen as an inspiration to many, his attitude towards his work, his supposedly neverending stamina inspired many workers to work their best. Also, the pay they were promised was more than what they were paid before. A generous man of power and a wise king. The perfect combination. While One was dealing with matters outside of the castle, Wog and Patricia were resting inside their residence on the upper floors of the castle. "Ben is.. quite the vassal, huh?" Wog commented. He was standing by the window that faced the northern side of the Fortress City. "Have you always known about his abilities?" Patricia asked. She was sat on one of the couches in Wog''s room, sipping from a cup of tea provided to her by the maids. "No.. I stumbled upon him when he was wandering around the lake," Wog said. "He has done so much in just a few weeks. It frightens me," Patricia smiled. "Yet, he still calls you his master," Patricia said. "I''m just afraid that someday, he may renounce his allegiance and go against me. I am now a king, my life is in danger. I had no other choice but to accept this responsibility or else I would risk losing him. I don''t want to be called a coward," Wog said. "You are not a coward, you''re more of an anxious person, Wog," Patricia said. "Huh, how can you say so?" Wog asked. Patricia stood from the couch and walked over to Wog''s side and joined him in watching the sight that was below them. "I am 400 years old, of course I would know," Patricia said. "We are old huh?" Wog commented. "Only from the perspective of the humans, but to Ben? I think he''s far older than us," Patricia said. She also began to blush. "You like him, don''t you?" Wog asked. "Patricia smiled. "I do, but I won''t get my hopes up. From what I can see, he is a man who doesn''t care about such silly feelings like love," Patricia said. Wog leaned over the window. Despite being a small dwarf with his height being half of Patricia''s, the window was still low enough for him to lean over it. "After the dust settles, I plan on asking him if he could help me find my family," Wog said. Patricia looked at Wog. "I thought they died?" Patricia said. "That''s what I want to believe but maybe, just maybe, they''re still out there, crying out for me," Wog said. A single tear fell from his right eye. Patricia then gave him some pats on the back. "Thanks to the both of you, I was given a new life and my friend''s life was saved. I would gladly help you in searching for your wife," Patricia said. "Thank you," Wog said. A stiff silence took over as they watched their citizens from below. Down on the ground, William was doing a routine patrol by himself. His sword inside his scabbard, his armor brand new thanks to One paying the blacksmiths and giving them iron, he felt proud. His dark hair that he had pushed back now flowed freely against the wind. Despite being relaxed, his walked the streets with a poker face. "You do know that this city and its citizens are doomed?" A voice whispered to his ear. He then noticed he was alone on the streets. He took out his sword and looked around. "Illusion magic?" William thought. He then tried to walk out of the street but was stopped by a barrier. "Shit, barrier magic," William complained. "Don''t be so hasty, I''m only here for a little chat," A black cloaked figure appeared behind him, his hands bearing the symbols of the infamous.. Griffin Cult. Chapter 128 - Griffin Messenger "Griffin!" William jumped to the side with his sword held high. The hooded figure laughed. "Come on, old friend, don''t you remember my name?" The figure asked. "The moment you signed your soul away, I already lost my old friend," William retorted. "Tsk, fool," The hooded figure removed his hood and revealed his face. An young looking man with a clear face, fair skin, pointy nose and long black hair like William. "Don''t worry, I only came here to give you a warning," He said while he rummaged through his cloak. William was not going to fall into any tricks. He knew this man ever since he was a child, but that was before he surrendered his soul in exchange for power and youth. William frowned and at him and readied himself. "Here," the man took out a scroll. "You''re not fooling me," William said. "It''s just a normal scroll you dense knucklehead," The man said. "And besides, call me by my name, it makes me sad that you don''t call me by my name anymore," The man said. "You don''t deserve to be called by my friend''s name," William said. "Stubborn," The man threw the scroll on the ground. "Read it, it''s a warning from Lord Toris that I took from one of the messengers he sent," He said. William then reluctantly took the scroll and read its contents. "An ultimatum?" William said. "Yes, an ultimatum. He has the backing of the Imperial Government and if you don''t surrender, they''ll send in an army of 50 thousand to destroy you," The man said. William''s hands trembled at the thought of 50 thousand imperial soldiers and mages laying siege to their city. But he was not out of hope just yet. "I''m not afraid, and no, we won''t surrender," William said. "Huhhh? You aren''t in a position to decide that and besides, you''re not going to win, you don''t even have the slightest chance!" The man said. "I will relay this message to our King, but I''m warning you, if you stay here any longer, you''ll be endangering your own life," William said. The man then laughed as if William told him a very funny joke. For him, what William said was a funny joke. "Me? In danger? You gotta be joking, not even your strongest mage can go against me," He said. William then shrugged and put away his sword. "Huh? Why are you putting away your sword?" The man asked. "I don''t need it," William said. "Eh-" The man then sensed a being behind him. Without a second thought, he leaped into the air before two energy blades could impale him. "The heck!" He then landed to William''s right. "Your laugh is annoying," The man in black appeared, wielding his two energy swords. "I-impossible, my barrier magic was tier 6, you couldn''t have possibly broken thro-" In a blink of an eye, the man in black dashed towards him and punched him in the gut before he could react. "So, you only intended on spooking him earlier?" William said as the man fell to the ground, his barrier fading slowly before them. "Quite," The man in black said. As the barrier around them fell apart, the man was immediately surrounded by ten fire mages and a dozen or so soldiers. "Tsk," The man then leaped towards one of the rooftops. One had no intention of chasing after him. One sensed him before he could cast his barrier due to his high concentration of magic. He followed him as he glided through the streets and when he cast the barrier to trap William, One was the only person that managed to enter while the soldiers and mages with him could not. Possibly because he had no magic at all for the barrier to deflect. The barrier was essentially a magic deflector. Since almost everyone in the world had a certain amount of magic inside them, the barrier would push them away if the magic they had wasn''t more powerful than the barrier. But since One did not have any magic in the first place, the barrier did not have anything to deflect, and thus, his slipped through and listened to their conversation before appearing behind the man. "Fools, the Imperial army Lord Toris was given will arrive here in a few weeks, I''m warning you because they have an exceptional archmage leading them," The man warned. One tilted his head. "Name of this archmage?" His eyes glowed blue. The man then felt a chill run down his spine. "Lecter, Archmage Lecter," The man said before disappearing. "Lecter?" The mages murmured to themselves. "Who is this Lecter?" One asked. One of the mages stepped forward and answered. "Lecter is an archmage under the authority of the Empire. She is one of the thirty Imperial Archmages and although she is the weakest among other Imperial archmages, she has enough power to blow away an entire city," One then smiled and looked up into the sky. "Interesting," "Bring that scroll to his majesty. I also want you to call a meeting with the soldiers before dusk," One ordered. "Yes, milord," William knelt before One before running away with the scroll. "All of you, return to your posts," One said. "Yes, sir," Everyone then parted ways and the street was reopened to the public. One returned to the fields. He was not really taking the impending invasion too seriously, yet. Since he knew that they had time to prepare. A medieval army with magic vs a rowdy bunch of knights was surely not going to end well for the rowdy bunch. But One knew that reinforcements would soon come but it was a gamble. He could sense his drones nearby but not too many of them. It was likely that Hailey has managed to pinpoint his position and was sending out scouting parties. "Hm, we''ll enter the global stage in a few weeks," One said. Chapter 129 - Underwater Discovery The eastern coast, otherwise known as the Freetan Coast, was now firmly under the sole control of the Machine Empire. With its indigenous human population reduced by more than 86 percent, almost all sorts of manual labor were done by the machines. The land around the ruined cities were exploited and the cities themselves were torn down for every scrap of essential resource the machines could make use of in the future. For now, Hailey had ordered the creation of more warships. Several undersea factories have sprung up in accordance with Hailey''s wishes with John and Micheal overseeing the projects themselves. It was a race against time. The satellite they had observing the Fortress City has detected a mass troop movements to the west. The Empire was gathering an army. Not just one army, it seemed like they were mustering two armies. The first army that was being ?ssembled was much smaller. It was estimates to have 30 thousand to 60 thousand troops at most. The estimations were the result of calculating mountains of data related to movements between cities, mass gatherings, and anticipated decisions. The second army was bigger. An estimated 100 thousand to a 150 thousand were being ?ssembled. Hailey has yet to pinpoint how exactly are they able to feed and maintain such an enormous army. The logistical problem that came with it should be enough to grind its ?ssembly into a halt. But instead, the army was ?ssembling at a rapid pace. Whatever their methods were, it had something to do with magic. Hailey ordered at least half a hundred thousand drones from Earth to be redirected to the other world. These new arrivals would take over the duty of maintaining the Machine Empire''s conquered territory while the main machine force was to position themselves near the isthmus which served as the only land connection for the peninsula. The isthmus was currently a brutal bloodbath between remaining Freetan forces and beastmen tribes. The violence erupted just before the Freetan Theocracy itself collapsed and has thus continued even to this day. It was the only logical path for the Imperial army to take and was the only choke point the machines could take advantage of. Beyond the isthmus would be a flat terrain of plains, forests, some hills and that''s it. There were no other geological features that could form a natural barrier. John had proposed that they should send a scouting party of five elite drones almost similar to John and Micheal themselves in terms of sophistication. This, however, was shot down by Hailey before it could come into fruition. Hailey was being cautious, they have never encountered any beastmen before and wouldn''t know if the beastmen were actually stronger than humans in terms of strength. If that was the case, they would risk losing the elite drones before they could be exploited effectively. A few kilometers off the shore, John and a couple hundred drones were submerged. They were a hundred feet below the ocean''s surface and were walking through the ocean floor. There were a few corals here and there but the sunken remains of wooden ships and the skeletons of their sailors that weren''t devoured by the ocean''s predators and scavengers littered the decks and the surroundings. John was overseeing the construction of Facility-UF B, an underwater construction facility that would exploit the surrounding ocean bed for resources needed to construct submarines. The submarines were detailed in blueprints made by Hailey. John has always wondered where Hailey gained the knowledge of these sophisticated vehicles but has decided not to question her. Besides, as long as Hailey was loyal to his commander, then there was nothing to worry about. John was navigating through the coral reefs when he came across a peculiar fish. It was a fat fish that was bioluminescent. It shined a greenish color but whenever he would try to grab it, it would change into a blue color and swim away. According to John''s M1 sensors, the fish was a storage unit of magic. A heavily concentrated form of magic was inside its bioluminescent body. But seeing how aggressive it was, John needed more help. Although he had no problems walking underwater, swimming underwater was rather limited. His weight was too much and so relied on several thrusters located on his Palms, shoulders, and soles of his feet. John thought that the fish was rare but after following it for a couple minutes through the coral reefs, he found himself in the middle of a colony of the same fish. Although fishes don''t necessarily form a sort of colony, the fish, however, was actually a worker. Deep inside the coral reefs, there were elaborate networks of holes and tunnels where the same fishes would come out. Some bigger, some smaller. John, using his thermal scanner, saw the interior of the network of tunnels. It was like an ant''s nest but for fish. It was completely unheard of but scientific investigation into these creatures would have to wait. The reason he was wandering through the coral reefs in the first place was to see if the reefs could be used as a sort of alternative fuel source. But with his new discover, these reefs were off limits until they understood the creatures living within it. "John, where are you?" Hailey said through the communicator. "UF-B, currently in the middle of a coral reef," John said. "I want you to return to the surface and meet up with Micheal. A force of seventy wyvern appeared to the north of your position and has thus far evaded our sorties, take care of them," Hailey said before cutting the communication. John then wondered. How do slow wyverns evade a sorty of hovercraft? No matter, he powered his leg thrusters and floated back up the surface. From there, he was picked up by a nearby patrol boat and taken to the shore where Micheal was waiting for him. Chapter 130 - Spy It was a few hours after sun down. The streets of the Fortress City were now deserted save for a few patrols here and there. The fields beyond the walls were full of crops, if things worked out for the farmers then they''d have more than enough food in store for the winter months to come. One was standing just outside the eastern wall that was undergoing rapid reconstruction thanks to his improved construction methods and devices. He had spent the last few days making tools and teaching the head workers how to operate said tools. It was tedious work but One pulled through. If he could handle an entire planet of machines, handling a few humans would be a piece of cake. Or so he thought. After interacting with the locals, he had come to the realization that may impede his plans. Humans can actually think in magnitudes better than animals. They complain, they get hurt, they feel pain, they have so many needs. It was enough to make One question for a second his overall goal of restoring Earth. Are humans even necessary? Nature itself could survive and evolve well without any human intervention and quite possibly flourish even more without human intervention. But still, humans were a special kind of life. Although he massacres them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, he still keeps his killings in check if they''re really necessary or just not worth the blood being spilled. It also wasn''t helping that he felt a sort of small amount of sympathy towards them. He was still the cold-hearted machine that has killed hundreds of thousands directly and indirectly. As the winter breeze drew near, One felt the cold wind blow through his neck. "Maybe a temporary peace afterwards would not be such a bad idea after all?" One whispered to himself. He was watching over the fields that were growing the crops at a faster rate than normal. "Magic can do too many incredible things, if exploited correct, even the rudimentary advantages of science won''t be able to counter it," One said as he turned his back from the moonlit sky in front of him that gave light over the fields. One walked back to the safe confines of the outer wall and was greeted by a few knights that were ?ssigned night duty. One saluted them as if they were in a modern military, the salute, as expected, was not something the knights were familiar with. The knights themselves were just conscripts but One was going to change that. He was going to form a standing army as soon as they defeat the Imperial Army sent against them. A standing army of a thousand men would suffice. Proper discipline, proper pay, extensive combat exercises featuring modern techniques would make a thousand conscripts into an elite force that could rival an entire army by themselves if maneuvered correctly. As he reached the castle, William was there to greet him. "Greetings, sir, how was the inspection?" William asked as the knights opened the castle doors. "The fields are growing the crops faster than anticipated. At this rate, the farmers will be able to harvest the crops earlier and I believe another harvest can be achieved if this keeps up," One said. Hearing what the man in black said, William smiled. The other knights that were there were also overjoyed at the news that there would be more than enough food for the winter. One''s promise of big meals for all was becoming a reality. One navigated through the castle''s interior, walked up the flights of stairs and entered his room that was just below King Wog''s residence. William was with him all the way, as One entered his room, William closed the door behind him and bid him goodnight. One''s room was rather luxurious, a large couch in the middle with small couches to the side, purple curtains over the windows and the entrance to the balcony and a dimly lit chandelier. His bed was a queen-size wooden bed with a touch of gold and silver here and there. But One knew he wasn''t alone inside the room. Although the entity erased its presence, One could still sense the concentration of magic of the entity''s body. One walked towards his bed and sat on the side. He then peered towards the position of the entity. The room was dimly lit and so his eyes glowed, a stream of blue light would follow. "So you can see me?" The voice of a lady sprang out. One nodded. The lady then removed her magic that made her impossible to perceive. She slowly faded into One''s point of view. "You''re Stacy, what are you doing in my room?" One asked. Stacy, on the other hand, only smiled and took out a dagger. The dagger, was poisoned. "What are you doing in my room?" One asked again. "You gotta survive this first!" Stacy then jumped forward and thrusted the dagger into One''s ?h?st. But the dagger did not impale him. It shattered into a thousand pieces. Stacy then jumped back. "Aren''t you supposed to be a mage?" One asked as he stood up. "Aren''t you supposed to be a human?" Stacy clapped back. One seemingly sighed and walked towards her. Stacy, sensing no killing intent from the man in black, or otherwise known as ''Ben'' stood her ground and looked him directly in the eye. Bear in mind that One was tall, 6ft 5 tall to be exact while Stacy was a beautiful lady with a height of 5 flat. "Does anyone else know?" One''s eyes glowed brighter. "Don''t worry I was just testing if you were the real deal!" Stacy said as she placed her right hand over One''s left cheek. "Metal man," Stacy whispered. Chapter 131 - Idiot "How did you know?" One asked her. Stacy smiled and started walking around the room. She was still wearing the same clothes she had when they found her but in contrast back then, her clothes were clean and her skin was as fair as snow. "Weren''t you defiled, beaten, and left to rot back in that tower?" One asked. His eyes following her every movement. "Well, I was beaten but not defiled. Although it''s common knowledge among mages that defiling a mage would result in a magical reaction between the defiler and the victim but of course I don''t expect the common folk to know of it," Stacy said. "So you never needed help in the first place?" One said. "Well, not really. I was badly wounded, you saw that yourself, if any other healing mage were to heal me, I would still be in bed right now," Stacy said. One did not make any sudden moves. Since Stacy seemed to not have any further intentions of harming him, One had decided to keep his cool and observe the situation he was in before making any moves. Since his identity has been exposed by this girl, he was at risk of being frowned upon and being labeled as a public enemy. Despite his efforts in uplifting the Fortress city and the residents therein, he was unsure if the humans would still accept and follow him if he were to be revealed to be a metal man. One then decided to cut to the chase. "What are your goals?" One asked. Stacy looked at one of the curtains and began ??r?ssing the silk. "Hm, my goals? Well, to ensure that the elf over there doesn''t undo her seal," Stacy said. But if she had a seal, then that would mean that there is something inside her that whoever Stacy is working for, did not want to run loose in the world. "So you''re friendly attitude with her was all a lie? An act, but that doesn''t explain why you let yourself be captured," One asked. Still unsure of the validity of Stacy''s story. "That bit was uncalled for. I didn''t expect to vet beat up by the goons of that paladin you just made a piece of art with," Stacy said. "I don''t buy it. With the amount of magic I see within in and the dagger you showed me earlier, if I was any other soldier in this world, I would be lying next to you on the floor, dead," One said. "But you chose not to fight back," One said. He then walked forward and as he got closer to where Stacy was. He tore down the curtain, letting the rest of the moonlight in . Both of them stared at each other. "You are an imperial mage," One said. Stacy smiled again. "How did you know?" Stacy asked. "And not just any ordinary mage, you''re one of the archmages," One said. Stacy''s confidence then turned into fear. One had seen through her without even her needing to speak a single word about it. "H-how do you know?" Stacy summoned another dagger from her magic and pointed it inches away from One''s neck. One, however, did not flinch. He knew that the dagger would just shatter once Stacy tried to even cut his neck like the other dagger she had used. "That Crest, unfamiliar it is to me. But if you are indeed a mage who was tasked in keeping a seal within Patricia intact and preventing whatever was inside her from rampaging into the world, then would only mean that you''re one of the most powerful mages in the Empire," One said. One then continued. "The Empire is not a stupid country and I know the leadership of this empire are among the wisest and their scholars the best. Would I be so much of a fool to even ?ssume that they''d entrust an elf with a seal to an amature or at least a third rate mage?" "Tsk, fine, you got me," Stacy said. Removing the dagger from One''s neck. "The reason I let myself be taken was because I was undercover. Nobody except the higher echelons of the Imperial Corp of Mages knows of my existence. Before I was captured, I was watching Patricia get chased through the forest from a distance. And then that dwarf came, I felt a bit relieved but I thought his skills were lacking with the axe and then you suddenly appear out of nowhere," Stacy said. Seemingly pouting for some reason unknown. "So, still does not explain why you didn''t just escape, used special magic or something to hide your whatever," One said. One looked at her closely and then began recounting what Stacy has done so far and then what to make up with her actions. "You''re an idiot," One said without any remorse or any show of restraint. Stacy''s face became red with shame in a matter of seconds, refusing to look One directly in the eye. One sighed. "So you''re a new archmage under the Imperial Corp of Mages entrusted by them to keep the elf in check, but your problem is.." And just like daggers that pierced her heart, One enumerated everything she was. "You''re too lazy, too laid back, powerful yet don''t know how to use that power, an idiot, lack critical thinking," One said. Stacy then turned her back in defiance. One sighed again and smacked her head causing her to cry out in pain. "But that still does not answer why you know I am a metal man, although I hate that name you humans have given us," One said. Stacy then turned again to face One, her confidence back because she wasn''t the one being roasted anymore. "Simple! Your eyes glow blue," Stacy said. Chapter 132 - Pawn "Ugh, no. I''m fairly certain that many other mages have blue eyes that glow," One said. "But yours is different," Stacy said. "I don''t know if I should take you seriously like I did before I determined you were an idiot or just go along with your childish antics," One said. "Take me seriously!" Stacy complained. One wasn''t remotely pleased with their interaction. One was on edge just a moment before, thinking that Stacy would pose a threat. But although she was a powerful mage, she was an idiot, like a child entrusted with too much magical power by her overly forgiving parents. "Look, okay, I mayyyy be an idiot but that doesn''t mean I''m incompetent," Stacy said. "I think being an idiot automatically makes you incompetent," One clapped back. Stacy then sighed as if she was the professional dealing with manchild although it was the other way around. "Fine, I only know that you''re a metal man because back at the Imperial Capital, we were visited by one of the Goddesses, who told us she would take care of the ''metal men'' leader by kidnapping him," Stacy said. With the mention of the Goddess, One began to take Stacy''s words seriously again. Stacy, noticing this, continued. She may had been an idiot of some magnitude but she knew that if she did not behave herself while talking about the goddess that tried to kill the metal man in front of him, she would risk her own life. Hell, she realized. Why did I mention the goddess! It was at this moment that she knew, she should have just shut her mouth. She felt the overbearing aura of the metal man close in on her. But something came up in One''s mind that made him rethink his understanding of the events that had transpired between when he awoke from his battle with the Goddess. "Lord Toris, just who exactly is he?" One asked. "Eh?" Stacy was surprised. "I thought you''d already know him because you''re comfortable with Wog who you declared King. Under Imperial law, declaring a mere commoner a ki-" Stacy stopped talking. She sensed immense killing intent from One. The first of its kind. "Hey relax, okay, uhm, you wanna know who Lord Toris is? Well, Lord Toris is the King of the Kingdom of Westerwon. A vassal to the greater Imperial authority," Stacy said. Stacy then began scratching the back of her head. "And he wasss the king of this here Fortress city until you decided to crown that dwarf, anyways, that''s not the problem. The problem is that Lord Toris has lost two important things, this city and that elf," Stacy said. "So he lost this city and his s?x slave?" One said. "Huh?" Stacy was confused. "Wait no, you see, that elf was entrusted to Lord Toris while I acted as her chaperone of sorts and then suddenly he gets the great idea of undoing the seal and controlling the monster within her so that he could overthrow Imperial rule," Stacy said. One was finally getting the bigger picture. "So you tried to escape? Why didn''t you just ask for ?ssistance from the Imperial Corp of Mages considering how you''re an archmage yourself, surely Archmages such a yourself have a say, right?" One asked. "It ain''t easy like that.. but.." Stacy walked away and sat on one of the couches. "My legs hurtttttt, don''t your legs get hurt or something? Come on you''ve been standing for like days straight," Stacy said. "I can stare at you until you die of old age," One said. "Now, please continue your explanation of what I should know or else I will see to it that you''ll meet the same fate as the goddess that tried to kill me," One said. Stacy''s face then turned pale. "Y-you killed the goddess?!" Stacy said. "I think? Her body is over there in the forest but I doubt the wildlife would go easy on a free corpse," One said. "I-impossible," Stacy trembled. One then sat on the couch opposite of Stacy. "Now, talk," One said. "F-fine, but before I reveal anymore of my secrets, we need to make a deal," Stacy said. "A bargain huh?" One said. "Look, we''re both equally strong. Sure I may be an idiot but I have enough firepower to raze this entire city but you also have that power, that makes us even. Although you claim to have killed the Goddess, I don''t really think that''s the case but oh well, okay but.." Stacy kept on talking but she always deviated from the subject she wanted to discuss. If this kept up, One would be forced to sit through Stacy talking about her life story before he could gain anything more. "Sta... cy," One raised his hand, pointing the palm directly at her. "W-wait, okay, the deal is that we keep each other''s identities secret and our goals, whatever yours are, far away from each other. Okay? Look, I don''t want to turn the main continent into a hellscape like what you did with the southern peninsula," Stacy said. "Deal," One said. "Huh? Just like that?.. eh!? Wait! Wait.. that''s too good for you, I mean, huh!?" Stacy was utterly confused with One''s total acceptance of her terms without him even bothering to negotiate. Was she being belittled? She thought. Clearly they were on par in terms of strength and she knew the power of the metal men thanks to the Imperial investigation team that was sent before the fall of the Freetan Theocracy''s capital. But still. "I like those terms, I see no reason for me to negotiate," One said. "Really? Great, well then, uhm, can I go now?" One was completely being dumbfounded with the mage in front of her. She was the one who broke into his room in the first place and now she was asking permission to leave? And for the record, One did not plan to honor their agreement for long. He knew his drones were drawing ever nearer to his position and it was only a matter of time before another war was to start. There were still some things that he did not understand with Stacy''s explanation of things but at least one thing was clear. She can be used. Chapter 133 - Writing With the deal settled, Stacy stood from the couch and walked towards the balcony. "So, uhm, don''t tell Patricia or anyone else what we discussed today, alright?" Stacy said. One nodded and waved his hand, a gesture saying that he was done with her shenanigans and would like her to get the hell out. Stacy smiled before jumping into the darkness of the night. One walked towards the balcony and perched over. Looking down on the city below. Stacy''s presence was completely erased, not even his thermal scanner or his xray vision could see where she went. But with the stunning revelation that Patricia was an elf with a magic seal, One needed to be careful. If the Imperials themselves didn''t want whatever the thing was being sealed inside Patricia set loose, it could only mean that it was powerful and could not be controlled. "Oh wait," One suddenly realized. For the first time, he actually forgot to ask someone an important question. Where do elves usually live? He thought. And then an uncomfortable ?ssumption came to him. What if Patricia was the only one of her kind? The last elf in an otherwise overly human and beastmen world. "That can''t be right," One whispered. Wait, why am I even concerned? He thought. It was unusual for him to be concerned for something so trivial to him like an elf who was the last of her kind. "As long as she is of use to me, I shouldn''t be bothered if she''s the last," One whispered to himself. The desk was made of fine wood, although it was designed as if it was a luxurious desk, for One, whose standards were too advanced, found the desk appalling. It had too many designs on its surface that made it hard to fully use the desk for writing, drawing, even putting your hand on it was a hassle and was uncomfortable. Luckily, One did not need comfort. But the desk was still an inefficient mess for what he was about to do. He opened one of the drawers and found several pieces of paper, a quill, and a small jar of black ink. One could instinctively write, he didn''t need to learn it. He figured it had something to do with his past, maybe he was a writer of sorts who loved to write back then before all hell went loose. He placed a piece of paper over the desk, placed the jar of ink on the right and opened it. He then dipped the tip of the quill into the ink and began writing on the paper. "On this day..." He wrote the first paragraph. He was exposed to the writings of the officials that once resided here before the revolution and tried his best to mimic their style of writing and the structure and wording. What he was writing was a proposal of sorts. It was a proposal to force the other villages to move into the Fortress City and give them manual labor to compensate for their forced migration. One''s plan was to expand the Fortress City beyond its walls and the fields. The Fortress City was bordered by some plains to the west and the forest of death to the east. One planned on cutting down the forest to the east to make extra farmland since he planned on expanding the Fortress City to the western plains. To achieve this, he wanted to recall all the villages under the jurisdiction of the Fortress City to increase the size of its population and the workforce. Messengers had already been dispatched to the villages a day after the coronation to announce that they were now under the kingship of Wog of the Kingdom of Wog. So far, the villages seemed to accept Wog''s rule. Although his plans were logical and sought to improve the realm in the long run of things, One knew that he was dealing with humans who, with the lack of a better term, were blind buffoons who couldn''t see what the future would be if they just stick with his plans. Although he could dispatch a sizable force to each village, it would lessen the chances of them fighting back but was also the least efficient way to do things. One needed the villages back as soon as possible. He and his Fortress City had 2 weeks before the Imperial Army led by Lord Toris and the so called Archmage Lecter. "Oh for goodness sake," One noticed his folly. "I forgot to ask Stacy about Lecter," One whispered and scratched his head. One sighed and continued writing down his proposal. He had decided that he''d just send a large enough force one at a time for each age starting from the nearest one to the west. He also decided to increase the force once it would start journeying towards the eastern villages due to the fear of monsters attacking. But One himself was yet to encounter a magical beast. When he, Wog and Patricia traversed the forest, it was surprisingly empty. No birds, wild animals, or magical beasts. Just a lot of grass, insects, and pesky mosquitoes. Despite looking like a rainforest, it lacked animals that would normally live in it. One knew something was definitely wrong but his hands were tied for now. "Yours truly, Ben," One finished writing his proposal. He then rolled up the paper and then wrapped the body around with a small rope. He then placed the proposal inside one of the drawers. He stood up from the desk and came back to the balcony to check on the city. Everything was peaceful. He was informed of pr?st?tut?s taking advantage of the soldiers during the night but that was before he arrived. After the revolution, pr?st?tut?s seemingly vanished. If One saw anything unheard of being committed inside the barracks'', however, he wouldn''t hesitate to shoot them from his balcony. Chapter 134 - Party "Cheers!" The sounds of glass hitting each other filled the room as laughter quickly started. The barracks was lively although it was the dead of night. The soldiers, although they were far fewer than their last party, were full of energy and happiness. Leading the party was William, blessed with a bag of silver from the man in black himself, he started the party to honor their new beginning. "A bright future is ahead of us!" Jorn shouted before chugging down his beer. The party was being held in the hall. The tables were packed with all kinds of meat, fruits, dairy, and drinks from cold beer to good old water. The party''s other difference from the past was that there weren''t any pr?st?tut?s. Normally there would be 2 pr?st?tut?s per 1 man but ever since the revolution, pr?st?tut?s have retreated from their business. William knew what happened to them. Whenever he patrolled the streets, he saw the ladies they once played with actually doing labour, working in workshops, sellings, farming, or being dispatched to cut down trees for lumber. They were given a new meaning. Seeing that, William was happy, he felt that his decision to follow the man in black from the start was the best decision he had made. Unemployment plummeted to near zero, the living conditions were being improved but by bit and every household was guaranteed a meal before they went to bed. It was as if they were in heaven. Still, William was aware that some of the knights and a handful of mages were still skeptical of the man in black. Their skepticism wasn''t without good reason. Just a few weeks prior, the man in black came in and destroyed the eastern wall and most of the outer garrison and then suddenly crowned the famed dwarf Wog as king. However, none of them dared to speak our against his majesty or the man in black in fear that they''d be executed on the spot for doing so. In actuality, there hasn''t been any execution of the like ever since they took power. The only people that have been executed were the count, his goons, and several criminals found guilty of the so-called heinous crimes. As the knights indulged themselves with the temporary luxury of a feast, William, Jorn, and Toby were gathered around their own table. Toby, despite looking like a shy man, once drunk, would become a babbling drunkard who always laughed. William was a drunkard himself but the alchohol didn''t really have any big effect on him. Jorn, on the other hand, was a normal drinker but was also a big glutton. "This is the life," Toby said before chugging down another glass of beer. "I wouldn''t be surprised if you died right after tonight," William teased. "Oh hell no, I''m gonna live through this paradise for many more years to come! Gonna go and raise a family once I retire and work on them fields," Toby said as he chuckled. "This meat is amazing," Jorn was too focused on eating his share of the pork. But although the atmosphere around them was a lighthearted and jubilant one, William raised his concerns for the future. "2 weeks," William whispered. Jorn and Toby both stopped what they were doing and looked down on the table. "Do the others know?" Jorn asked. "Not yet. The man in black specifically told us NOT to tell anyone of what that cultist said. But since he was once my friend, I couldn''t help but believe what he said," William said. "It''s funny, ya know," Toby said. "What is?" William and Jorn said in unison. "Well, before shit hit the fan a few weeks back, I was just some random mage from the garrison. And now look, I''m here with you guys, the top brass, and.. I''m part of the top peeps as well now," Toby smiled. But his smile quickly faded. "I can''t help but fear that this is just a temporary dream and that in 2 weeks time I''ll be lying on the ground, dead and dismantled like the rest," William then passed him his beer. "Huh?" Toby looked at William. William smiled and winked. "Then drink as much beer as you want before that happens," William said. "Y-yeah," a smile broke away from Jorn before he began chugging down the beer William gave him. Jorn smiled before continuing his gluttonous adventure. Back at the castle, One applauded William''s use of the bag of silver he gave him back then for his work. "I wonder if he knows I took that bag from Lady Anne''s secret treasure room," He said as he turned back and retreated into his room. The night was peaceful, no spies, no infiltrations, he went back to planning. Or so he thought. Just as he was about to sit down once again before the desk, he sensed someone with immense magic power appear. He walked outside towards the balcony again and saw the figure he had sensed. A silhouette against the moonlight of one of the two bright moons. They were both staring down each other. One''s eyes glowed sky blue as he readied his two blades. Just as the figure raised his hand, One let go of one of the blades and pointed his finger at it. "Two can play that game," He said before firing a thin beam of energy at the figure. Not to be outdone, the figure cast his own magical attack in the form of a beam with the same trajectory. The two beams collided in the air and resulted in a blast of energy that bursted windows below, alerting the population. King Wog and Patricia were awoken as the garrison immediately scrambled. William, Jorn, and Toby along with the rest of the knights in the barracks quickly stormed out and looked up. "Is that?" Toby recognized the figure''s shadow. The entire Fortress city was shook awake by the sounds of two powerful beings about to clash in a battle of epic proportions. Chapter 135 - To The Fields The sky rumbled as dark clouds circled around the figure that floated in the sky. The city, jolted awake, sprang into action with soldiers and mages taking up positions around on the walls and some evacuating the citizens to the castle. A single watchtower then sounded the alarm. There were bright yellow lights to the west, hundreds of them. There was no doubting what was about to happen, the enemy had already arrived. One was completely taken aback. He took the words of the messenger to heart, thinking that they still had 2 more weeks before the fight. One had no choice but to try and fight this battle with his strength and on-the-go plans. William lead the western section of the wall, Jorn took it upon himself to head the evacuation of the outer district into the inner district and Toby amassed whoever mage he could find. The drums of war sounded from afar. They were being taunted. The enemy army sang a song with lyrics that taunted the defenders. "Imperial might!" They sang. "Our enemies shall fall with our swords in fright!" They continued. Their voices echoing in the dark night. "Enough of this," One charged up his two palms once again and aimed them at the figure floating above. With his night vision on, he saw the figure was a man. A man dressed in a white tunic with a red cape fluttering behind him. He then saw the man''s face, he was smiling. Belittling One''s abilities to fight back since he was grounded. One activated his thrusters and lifted himself into the air. This came as a surprise to the man but he was still smug. "So you can fly as well, quite an achievement for a man without magic, are you under those dark gods?" The man was straightforward. But One had no time to chat. With his eyes glowing against the darkness of the night, his palms glowed as white as snow and after a short wheezing sound, a pillar of energy escaped from his palms. The man was confident in his magical barrier that he''d negate the effect and power of whatever magic the man in black was casting. Unlike their first attacks against one another, he didn''t answer One''s attack with another beam. But he was wrong, dead wrong. What One fired upon him was not any kind of magic manipulated to form a pillar of energy shot from his palms, instead, it was a combination of charged particles infused into a sort of cylinder that he shot using a combination of kinetic and chemical energy. His barrier, designed to negate even the most powerful of magic attacks, was swiftly shattered. Much to his shock, the pillar of energy hit his abdomen and he was sent flying across the sky before crashing down to the east. The entire fight was witnessed by the people on the ground, they were awestruck that the man in black seemingly defeated the man in just one single attack. Morale skyrocketed. "Do you hear the drums? Do you hear the hums? Of the people who will fight! Against the tyrants with their might! Do you hear the storm that looms? Walk against the man in black and you shall meet your doom!" The song rumbled along the taunts of the enemy who seemed to be fading. "The Imperial army has stopped!" A watchman shouted. Indeed, the imperial army stopped marching. They were remaining stationary in the distance, 700 meters away from the western wall. But before he could focus on them, the man he had just seemingly defeated with one strike was back in the air, albeit more serious. "You are an interesting fellow," The man said, his voice was raspy. Probably because of his injuries. One then used his xray vision, the man had two broken ribs, a dislocated left arm and several fractured limbs. But his magic was trying to heal his injuries as fast as it could. "You talk too much," One said before firing another pillar of energy at the man. The man, being wiser than before, dodged One''s attack but b?r?ly since One knew he''d dodge. Because what kind of idiot would not dodge the same attack knowing full well of the consequences it would bring? And so, One made sure to speed up the energy beam. The man was obviously having trouble. The man in black he was facing seemed as if he was such an invincible foe but if he took the time to test out his skills, he''d be surprised on just how vulnerable the man in black actually was. Maintianging equilibrium whilst in the air already took such a toll on One''s focus and so he needed to end the fight one way or another. He began charging up his palms again but the man was doing the same by casting his own powerful magic spell. Judging by the magic circles, it was the same magical attack from before. One powered up his beams further and prepared to dive down to the ground or, it luck would have it, he''d fly straight towards the man just as the explosion between their attacks cleared so that he could bring him down to the ground with him. The two beings unleashed their destructive potential against one another and their beams met in the sky like two shooting stars colliding in the celestial sea. A massive explosion erupted, sending another wave of force that shattered more windows and ruptured a few eardrums. And just as a black cloud of smoke obscured the man''s vision for a few seconds, he failed to sense One flying towards him. Just as the smoke cleared, One emerged from the cloud and tackled the man. The man lost his balanced and One redirected power to his feet thrusters. Together, they plunged onto the fields just outside the western wall. Chapter 136 - The Monster Within One and the man crashed down onto the wheat fields just outside of the western wall in full view of the William and his men. One spared no time in the fight, he stood up and began pummeling the man with his fists. With a left and right jabs, he punched the man''s face, knocking out some of his teeth before proceeding to kick him on the groin. The man was unable to react fast enough because his reflexes were lacking. One, on the other hand, was being as fast as possible. He landed more than a hundred punches in less than a minute and he showed no signs of stopping. To prevent the man from casting any spells or magic, One broke his two hands by twisting the wrists into terrifying angles. The man screamed in agony, he was helpless. His magic was his strongest point but that was the problem with mages. They tended to underestimate those whose magic they could not sense since inept people were usually disregarded as the weakest of peoples. They relied more on enhancing their own bodies with their magic instead of doing physical training. And this was his undoing. "AUGHHHHHH" his screams echoed in the night. The soldiers from the other sections of the outer wall ran to the western half to watch the ongoing battle. But when they arrived, they saw not a battle, but what could he described as the equivalent of torture. William and his men were all frozen in their place as they watched the man in black mercilessly pummel the man whose magic was enough to piss their pants. When One began repeatedly hitting the man I the groin, the men on the walls that were watching it all felt the pain in the man''s screams for help. The evacuated peasantry that were now cramped inside the inner district also heard his screams. The night was silent. Although there was supposed to be a battle taking place, there was only this one distinct voice that cried for help. "Ma, who is that?" A curious child asked his mother as they huddled together in the middle of the crowd. "I don''t know, sweety," The mother told his son. "Are we going to be okay?" The child asked, hugging his mother tightly. "We will be," King Wog appeared in the midst of the crowd, shocking the people therein. "You''re majesty! What are you doing outside?" Jorn ran towards him with some knights. "Take all of these people inside the castle and secure the halls! I am your King, I know many of you do not trust me or believe in me yet, I am determined to prove myself to my people!" King Wog announced as he pulled out his signature axe from his back. "Patricia, go help Ben," Wog ordered. A lone elf was standing on one of the rooftops, she smiled as soon as she heard Wog''s orders. As she leapt into the air, she was accompanied by her friend, a human mage. "Uhm, Pat, what are you doing?" A confused Patricia leapt along side her. "I overheard your conversation, I know there is something inside me that you''re trying to prevent from coming out but I can''t stand by in the sidelines while people like him are trging to make a difference in this otherwise stagnant world," Patricia said. But thinking deeper, were those reports actually true? Were the metal men really the monsters the Imperial and Republican authorities said they were? If so, then why is such a power metal man such as Ben risking his life to defend this otherwise useless human settlement from the encroaching Imperial army? Surely he would''ve just abandoned the people the moment he heard of news about the retaliation. But instead, he actually uplifted the lives of the peasantry. Gave them work, gave them new meaning in life and placed a new monarch that was benevolent and wise. And now her mission was going to put herself onto harm''s way just so she could repay the same metal man that was feared by many. She sighed. Confused as she was, she did not want to destroy the delicate bond that had formed between the metal man and the people he had interacted with. She was an idiot, yes, but she was smarter than what she let on at times. They leapt towards the western wall where most of the garrison was. One was still not finished with the man. After tearing out his joints, One then stripped his cloak and began breaking the rest of his ribs. One was no longer himself. For some reason, an uncontrollable emotion has taken over him and it wasn''t stopping. "Something''s wrong!" Patricia shouted. The garrison and William turned towards her, shocked that they were even there in the first place. But William also sensed something horrible was building up within the man in black. One''s eyes began to change color. Slowly but surely, a bloodshot red took over his once blue and tranquil glow. And just as he bashed the man''s skull open. He cried out in a scream that was similar to that of a giant''s cry for help. "Is.. is he asking for help?" Patricia said. "What is happening," Stacy asked herself. Jusr a few hours ago, the metal man was the calmest person she had ever seen. His roar tore through the hearts of the invading army as they saw two bright eyes that glowed bloodshot red approaching them at such high speeds. "H-hey.. what''s that?" The lead commander looked in the distance. But before they could even act. It was already too late. Like a werewolf on a rampage, One tore through their first line of spearman and broke through each layer of formation they had. Screams and wails filled the night sky as the invading Imperial army was massacred. Back at the Fortress City, all were in shock. The western forces, William, Patricia, and Stacy witnessed a being run faster than they could imagine and now he was taking on an entire army all by himself. Using his brute strength alone. "His eyes turned red," Patricia said, her eyes fixated on the lights of the enemy army on the horizon. The lights would sway violently before disappearing. Signifying the death of the men and women who wielded them. One by one, the lights disappeared until there was none left. The screams followed soon after. The night was a long one. They wouldn''t know what happened until the next morning sun. Chapter 137 - Afterwards Nobody dared to come near the man in black. Nobody dared to even check on him after the lights from the torches afar shined no more and even if the screams and yelps of the enemies they were supposed to fight ceased all so suddenly. The last scream was a desperate cry for help that was cut short. As if his neck was twisted before uttering the last of his words. The night was a tense one. The man in black never returned, he seemingly disappeared but when they saw the shimmer of those red eyes in the distance from where the enemy army once stood, a shiver went down all those who witnessed it. Patricia, being the concerned elf she was, wanted to check on One. But Stacy said otherwise. "We can''t just go there! Look, I know you''re worried about him but you have to understand that the person you once knew a few hours ago is different from the person he is now," Stacy said. "But, we need to help him!" Patricia pleaded. "How!? You saw what everyone else saw, his eyes turned red, blood red. A clear transformation from his peaceful blue eyes that you got used to. He ran across the fields as if he was some sort of magic cheetah and he took on an entire army by himself, an imperial army!" Stacy said. "We can''t help him, yet," William suddenly joined the conversation. The trio were still on the western wall along with the garrison. They were restless, they were both anxious as to what had happened to the man in black they had looked up to and what if he were to redirect his violence to the city? But still, inside the hearts of those he had known personally, even for just a week or a couple of days, there was still a glimmer of hope that he''d return. "It''s best that we wait a couple days, let him rest there before we send out any expedition to retrieve him," William said. Patricia, not withstanding her own tears, hugged Stacy tightly and cried. William then looked at his men, they all had worried expressions on their faces. Some have removed their helmets in honor of the dead, yes, they were honoring the deaths of their enemies. It would have been a different story of the siege itself took place and lives on each side were lost. But last night was different. The enemy army that they were supposed to fight and hate, eliminated in less than an hour by a single, mysterious man. A few mounted their passing. Thinking that they died a dishonorable death. They all died in vain. When the morning sun finally rose from the east, there was silence. Nobody returned to the fields to tend the crops, all were nervous and all were weary. A debate among the men suddenly sprung up about the total number of groops the enemy army had. According to the watchers, they estimated the enemy army to be at least ten thousand strong forming five ranks. The watchers themselves weren''t sure because they based their ?ssumption on the number of torches that were lit up by the enemy army but they were certain that a few ranks did not light up their torches to create an illusion of a smaller army under the cover of darkness. Maybe it''s the main army? Some suggested. But wouldn''t that mean that the famed Archmage Lecter was present? If so, then he should''nt have sent one of his underlings to deal with the man in black himself knowing full well of his destructive potential. Before anyone could raise the point that the mage that One fought last night was Lecter, several mages accompanied by a battalion of knights retrieved the battered body of the mage that was just outside of the western wall. He wasn''t even recognizable anymore. His face was, to put it mildly, a disaster. But his build was way too skinny to be Lecter, Toby pointed out. Toby was the one who lead the recovery team and he, along with the other mages who knew or had an idea of who archmage Lecter was, confirmed that he was, in fact, not Lecter. Stacy was the only person who knew Lecter personally. Although she outranked him by a couple numbers, Lecter was a skillful and tactical general and mage who could beat a ten thousand man army with only a thousand men as long as he was the one leading it. But her identity as the Archmage Quintessa was a secret she had vowed to bring to her grave. Or so she thought. Stacy had the uncomfortable thought that once the metal man caught wind of Quintessa''s existence, she''d very much be exposed almost immediately. With Lecter out of the equation, it could be ?ssumed that this was just the first army sent our against them, a scouting group perhaps meant to strike fear into the hearts of the defenders. But the watchers were seeing no trace of another army behind them even from the farthest distance they could see with their magic. Instead, it was relatively peaceful. The ?ssumption that Archmage Lecter''s appearance with half a hundred thousand man army was merely a farce quickly spread like wildfire among the peasantry. There were no celebrations, however. As the day progressed, a sense of normalcy returned. Stacy accompanied Patricia back to the castle while William lead some forces to carry out one of King Wog''s edicts. Jorn and Toby, however, went inside the barracks to discuss something privately. Although most of the leadership within the city have voiced opposition against retrieving the man in black too early, the two of them had other ideas. As they entered the barracks, they looked at each hall to see if anyone was inside with them. After making sure that there weren''t any other knights in the barracks, they went inside Jorn''s room and locked the door. "Alright, so, how are we going to save the man in black from his frenzied state?" Jorn asked. Chapter 138 - Humanity The green grass was there, attached to the soil by its network of roots that penetrated deep. To drink, to absorb, the nutrients and the water mother nature had in store for it. But above its greenery, there was a speckle of blood. Beyond the speckle were pools of blood. The blood of humans and their horses, smeared against the grass, the rocks, and the soil. The ants underneath were confused, this red liquid that they only found inside corpses seemingly rained down from the sky like water from a storm. Yet, as the worker ants searched further and beyond, they found their prizes. One human corpse, although clad in armor, the ants themselves were small, too small in fact. They could crawl within the cracks, the joints, crawl up even what could be considered the highest of heights from the perspective of ants. They were tiny, yet, they were strong. Crawling against the skin, the iron, piercing the dead with their sharp mandibles and carrying off the bits of flesh for them to consume and to feed their future generations. The ants were at first surprised and considerably happy with their find. A human corpse was something that only came every once in a while. Immediately, they swarmed the corpse and the workers were quick to work their way through the skin, creating several holes that lead inside the ?h?st. Some ants formed a column in and around the ears as they entered through the eardrum and began feeding through the brain. As the feast started, some ants wandered off, to test their luck and see if there was anything left to pillage. That was when the worker ants found another body, and then another, and then another. Before long, the ants themselves were too few to consume all the bodies they were discovering and the numbers kept on adding up without an end in sight. It wasn''t long before other insects from the undergrowth went into a frenzy and swarmed the bodies. From above, several shadows loomed and the war cry of several birds filled the air. They swooped in and perched themselves over some of the bodies and began to eat their share. Competition seemingly vanished as vultures, songbirds, crows, and pigeons alike took their share of the spoils. It was a glorious day for the insect and bird kingdoms. It was a feast that was undeniably a blessing from mother nature herself. Soon, swarms of flies that were once considered to be a rare species came, mated, and planted their eggs into the corpses. Soon, nature had begun to reclaim what was rightfully hers from the start. But in the middle of the thousands of corpses, in the middle of what was the commander''s camp, a lone man was sat. He was unnerving, unmoving, and his eyes flickered. The morning sun reflected against his steel ligaments that were exposed after his skin was scratched off. The torn skin was beginning regeneration but he needed to wait a few more days before he looked the way he was back before that night. None of which could react in time to counter him. Before they could even lift their fingers to cast a defense spell or a counter attack, a glowing pair of rods would appear before them before their heads were lobbed off. The man, was none other than One. Even he did not know what had happened. Instead, he only remembered the feeling that took over him before his eyes turned red. A daunting emotion that humans could only feel. And the fact that he felt it, seemed to be that he was, becoming more human again. But he still wasn''t in control of himself. When he regained control of his own body, he opened his eyes and was greeted by a bloodbath, or the aftermath of which. He was standing in the middle of hundreds of bodies, the bodies of the imperial knights that were sent against them. He remembered nothing of his transformation but he remembered the feeling. He would periodically lose himself his eyes would turn red and blue like a light bulb that flickered whenever. It was as if something inside him was trying to gain control of him. A wild beast inside a machine, a virus maybe? Whatever it was, One needed to fight it. Or else, he would end up jeopardizing his mission, his goals, and plans. And so he retreated for the meantime and sat down to where he was now. And it seemed like it was working. His eyes would flicker from red to blue and blue to red from time to time but would otherwise return to a consistent blue. But for how long should he wait? But judging from the aftermath of what had happened when he lost control, there was no doubt that the people from the Fortress City would be rethinking their views on him. From the strict, uncaring, benevolent, and generous persona he had so carefully crafted to that of a crazed monster in just a single night. He sighed. "Everything I''ve built.." He whispered to himself. Before long, another storm was approaching from the east. "Nature itself despises me too," One said as he stared at the storm clouds looming on the east. "I wish things could have been different," One said. He didn''t notice it at first but what was he saying? Why should he care about his past actions? He didn''t give a damn when he massacred the men, women, and children of the first sign of civilization they encountered. But why, why did he have this aching feeling in his ?h?st right now. His humanity was returning. But just like the pharaoh, his heart would return back to a stone and he''d suppress the very human emotions he always yearned for. Why? Because he was afraid. Chapter 139 - Reunion (1) "Well, you surely look like shit," a voice rang out inside One''s mind. The voice was unfamiliar, albeit, it resonated within his mind. An unfamiliar voice that in someway, felt like he had heard of it before but where and when? He did not know. One stood up and began experiencing a flurry of headaches that only contributed to his dilemma of reverting into an aggressive state. "Relax," The voice said. It had a profound effect on One, undoubtedly calmed him a bit. But his headache still ensued. Before One could ask any questions himself, he felt his head become slowly numb and his vision began to blur. "The.. hell.." Before he could muster his last remaining strength to keep himself standing, his legs went frail and he collapsed into the ground. Before long, One found himself in the same situation as he was back then, but this time, he remembered the aftermath. He was back inside a void of darkness. He already knew it was somewhere deep within his mind at this point and judging from the memories of past incidents that were similar, something inside him either wanted to take over him or wanted to kill him, or maybe both. In this void, in this darkness that was the deepest reaches of his human mind, he felt nothing but at ease. He felt no pain, nor did he feel anything that could make him feel any negative emotion. He was in bliss. As if all his suffering from the real world or worlds, suddenly disappeared or were forgotten. Locked away somewhere in a vault that would never be unlocked. In the distance, further into the endless void, the voice spoke but this time, the voice was feminine. "Hello, Johann," It said. One replied, "Who is Johann?" The voice giggled. "That''s you, silly, don''t tell me you''ve thoroughly forgotten your true name?" It said. "I.. I don''t remember who I am," One replied. "There there.." It said. A calming effect befell One, as if someone was giving him a hug, a warm hug. One then felt his eyes become teary and a sharp pain landed in his ?h?st. And as he succumbed to the emotion called sadness, his tears dropped from his eyes and fell onto something invisible that was near him. His tears became the source of perception that gave the voice its structure and color. A feminine body with arms wrapped around One in a warm embrace. "I feel your sadness," She said. Her voice now coming from the mouth of her new body. One, after spending all his new life unconsciously repressing his emotions from within, finally opened the floodgates and unleashed the tsunami of sadness, anger, loneliness, and depression he had tried to keep, maintain, and forget. But instead of a light that was supposed to be a beacon of hope in the tide of darkness, it was the opposite. The light that appeared was none other than the light of destruction. The light that ignited all around the world and plunged it into where and what it was now. The void transformed itself into a harsh desert with the ruins of human cities littered across the vast plains of sandy dunes. A thick cloud made of many kinds of material choked the sky and prevented the sun from ever shining. A toxic rain then poured around them that was colored blue. Not the translucent water Earth was used to. In the distance, a terrifying roar sounded and sent One hugging her tighter, he was scared, absolutely scared. The roar continued and before long, more roars came and they seemed to be drawing nearer and nearer. "Help me, help me!" One begged for her to help him. It was as if he was reliving a nightmare from the past. And yes, yes he was. As the voices got nearer, dark clouds like sandstorms approached from all directions, seemingly consuming the ruins and the dunes and were solely attracted to One. They reached out to One and in one desperate shout, he called upon the woman he was embracing to save him, one last time. And his plead was heard. The woman raised her hand and another type of light shined. It shined so bright that the darkness itself that manifested into the clouds of monsters they were, were pushed back because of its intensity. Soon, all was clear. All was peace. Surrounding them was nothing more but a garden in which many plants and trees grew. One found himself lied down on the woman''s ??p, he looked up and saw the blurry figure of the woman who had saved him. His vision slowly turned clear and the appearance of the woman who had saved him became crisp. The girl, seeing that One''s vision was finally clear, gave him a warm smile. She was a short haired, fair skinned, and, according to One''s own judgement, cutest being he had ever seen. Her eyes glowed similar to One but they had a different color, a bright green. One looked around, seemingly at peace. The garden was big, it stretched until eternity. Butterflies, bees, and other insects called the plants and flowers there their home. "Where are we?" One asked, closing his eyes to take a rest. "We''re in a place where you are safe," She said. One felt at ease and smiled. For the first time in a long time. "I remember you," One said as the woman gently massaged his forehead. "But it''s so vague," One complained. "You haven''t asked for my name yet," The woman pouted. One, not knowing what to do in a situation where a woman was pouting, remained silent. "I''m the real Hailey, dear Husband," Chapter 140 - Reunion(2) "Hailey?..." One was, to put it mildly, confused as heck. "Wait.. how did you get here?" One asked. "I''m a different Hailey, silly," Hailey said. One was even more confused the more questions he asked. "I''m a different Hailey from the other one you already know of," Hailey said. "Oh.. so there''s two of you?" One asked. "In a way, yes, in another way, we''re the same person albeit with two different personalities and a distinct consciousness," Hailey explained. One, still confused, decided to close his eyes thoroughly and get himself to sleep. Hailey masagged his forehead and would stretch out his hair and massage his scalp. Despite being a broken, cynical, uncaring, and unforgiving man, Hailey still looked at him as the person she fell in love with a long, long time ago. It pained her heart when she couldn''t do anything to save them both but she did what she had to do and saved him over her. But despite her sacrifice, she refused to die. Even though her main body was lost, she found himself inside her husband''s heart and mind, binding inside him before she eventually retreated. Looking back, she did not regret not revealing herself sooner. But how could she? One, although part man and part machine, was still an unstable individual who had lost all his memories from before. She was the cause of his amnesia but she didn''t really erase it completely. Instead, she hid his memories inside a vault within his mind. A vault she had been guarding ever since. But the vault''s locks were shattered some time ago and the memories began to leak. Despite doing her best, the emotions that were suppressed along with the memories leaked out. After the breach, she decided that it was finally time for her to finally reveal herself to One. Or otherwise known as, Johann Clais, her husband. She let her husband rest for a while. A few hours passed before she poked him awake by poking his forehead. "W-what?" One asked lazily. "Dummy, after so many years, this is how you treat your wife?" Hailey teased. One, being the confused man as he was, could only smile awkwardly. Hailey then slowly and steadily began explain to One what he needed to know and understand. But that did not mean she''d reveal everything to him. If she were to reveal everything, his memories, the past, One will undoubtedly turn into a monster she could no longer tame or reason with. For that reason, she started slow and vague. "I and the other Hailey you know were once together, in other words, we were one," Hailey said. Sounds familiar? "I see," One said as he nodded gently. "I thought I could transfer my consciousness fully into her and that new body she harboured but.. I was wrong, instead, we somehow split and not just with her, bits of my consciousness were split among all your droids," Hailey said. Understanding what this meant, One was shocked but thanks to the calming effect of Hailey, One did not panic. In this realm, he was a complete human. Nothing repressing his emotions except for a calming aura that came from Hailey that kept him calm. "I know you''re confused.. but due to my mistake, some of your drones, maybe all of them, may develop their own personalities and consciousness," Hailey said. One was silent. "I was there when Micheal and John became self-aware, I didn''t think it was possible.. well, we back then didn''t think it was even possible," Hailey said. "And then, well, you know the rest. Surprisingly, you went along with it. Thinking it to be a rare occurence that was now bound to happen sooner or later, you feared you''d lose power but you still tolerated their existence, why? Even I know the folly of thinking that self-aware machines would stay loyal to the maker forever," Hailey said. "But you chose to tolerate them, not because you calculated it would be improbable for them to do otherwise, no, you tolerated their existence because you decided to place your trust in them," Hailey said. One''s eyes glowed but this time, they didnt glow blue but shimmered like a child who was given his favorite toy. "You continued to deny what you felt deep inside but now, you don''t need to, I''m here to help you, I''m here to guide you," Hailey said. One then raised his hand. "Were you the voice that I heard back then? Telling me to fix the Earth.." One asked. Hailey put up an awkward smile on her face, silently saying that she was guilty. "Yeah.. I put it up so that you had meaning, but I didn''t expect.. you know portal and then fantasy world all of a sudden," Hailey said. One smiled. He smiled, again. "I''m still confused about a lot of things.. but.. I''ll set aside those questions for now," One said. "So.. you''ll accompany me? How?" One asked. "Dummy, I''ve always been with you from the very beginning, although I purposely hid myself. Now, since I can no longer do so without putting you in danger again, I''ll put myself forward in your mind," Hailey said. "Basically, you''ll be the voice in my head but louder and apparently more annoying?" One teased. He teased. One was teasing his wife. Unheard of. "Hmp," Hailey pouted. "You''re calling your dear wife annoying? After I put myself through the most terrible things with you and after so many years you call me annoying!?" Hailey pouted. One laughed a little and placed his hand over Hailey''s left cheek. "It feels so real.. but I know we''re only inside my head, right?" One said. "Yes.. but this is me, and what you''re feeling is exactly what you''ll feel in the real world.. or.. worlds," Hailey said. "Good," One lifted his head and leaned forward. And the two of them kissed. The garden around them soon began to fade in sparkles. "You''ll stay with me? Right? You promised," One said. "Of course, my dear husband," Chapter 141 - No Longer Alone Thunder roared in the sky. The storm bad arrived, it was the third time this week. Out of the two other storms that came before it, the third was the least powerful of them all. Standing in the middle of the abandoned encampment was the lone man in black who was now a changed man. True now to his form, he was now half machine and half human, both in body, and mind. Before that eventful night, the long night of pure bloodshed and agony, he was reborn. From the murderous, uncaring, stoic machine man he was, to a less murderous, a bit uncaring, still stoic man machine. Complicated as it may sound, there was a difference. Even if it was just a smidge. One opened his eyes and was greeted by the field of death he had sowed. He looked around and he felt emotions he never before had felt in such a normal manner until now. "So this is what it feels to be happy," One said. [The sight of dead bodies make you happy, dear?] Hailey said in her husband''s mind. One smiled and and laughed. "So you really kept your promise," One said. [Of course, dear] "Well then, what do you suggest I do from here on out?" One asked his wife. [Dear, all I can say is, be you, continue what you''ve been doing. You''ve built up so much and done so much, it would be a waste to abandon all of what you''ve done and start anew] Hailey said. One looked around the desolate plains and looked up to the sky where the clouds were. The rain poured down from their bellies and drenched One''s hair. "Okay, I''ll return," One said. [I''ll be with you in whatever you decide to do] Hailey said. One turned to the direction of the Fortress City, he was unaware how long he had been out but judging by the decomposition of the corpses around him. They were at the late stage of decomposition, rigor mortis. "It''s been a week," One said as he knelt down to observe the corpse of a female mage. [It''s been 5 days dear, the simulation I put you in was slower than time in the real world] Hailey said. "Huh, none of them decided to check on me?" One was a bit disappointed. [Dear, you went on a rampage. Even tourist loyal of subordinates would become afraid to approach you seeing how you dealt with an entire army alone] Hailey said. "You''re.. right, well, time to walk back and hope that they''d still accept my authority," One said before he began his journey back to the Fortress City. When he ran, he traversed the distance of 700 meters in just 1 minute and a half. Blazingly fast but since he was just going to walk back to avoid spooking the garrison, Walking would take him basically 10 minutes. Upon further analysis thanks to his Thermal and Xray vision, and Hailey''s help in computing, he determined the two individuals to be Jorn and Toby. The fact that they were all the way here and hiding behind some boulders made One think thank they were out scouting for him. Toby and Jorn were there specifically to retrieve their man in black. The reason for their actions were simple, without the man in black, several well-known personalities within the Fortress City had already begun vying for power by attempting to manipulate the king. Their attempts were so far kept to a minimum thanks to William and Patricia''s interventions but corruption, mismanagement, embezzlement, and unfairness had already begun to spread. It wouldn''t be long until the man in black''s efforts to turn the Fortress City into a self-sustaining and prosperous city would be put to waste. Human greed had no bounds whatsoever. The two were hiding behind the boulders because, despite their noble quest to retrieve their leader, they were utter terrified the moment the man in black began walking towards their direction. Although he was looking at the Fortress city, giving them a sign that he was going to return, his eyes said otherwise. "What the hell does purple mean!" Jorn whispered to Toby. They were sweating buckets. "The hell are you asking me for ? I don''t know! Blue means he''s fine but red means he ain''t fine, but purple? I don''t know!" Toby whispered back. "Go peek, is he still there?" Jorn said. Toby reluctantly crawled to the right side of the boulder and slowly poked his eyes out from his natural cover. "Huh, he''s gone?" Toby said. Indeed, the man in black was no longer in front of them. "Huh? He''s gone? Wait, how?" Jorn peeked over the left side. The man in black had completely disappeared from their view. Only the death encampment up ahead was there. "Shit, mud is sticking around my joints," Jorn said as he tried to remove the mud from his armor. "My robe is soaked," Toby added. But there was another shadow standing on top of the boulder. Jorn and Toby, after realizing this, slowly turned their gaze to the top of the boulder and there he was. As the thunderstorm picked up its intensity and lightning struck the encampment further, there he was. Standing on top of the rock, the man in black was looking down on them with his two purple eyes. [Hello there, my husband''s servants] The man in black''s eyes suddenly shined a bright blue and a hologram appeared behind the two men. "Eek!" They were both frightened. The feared that this was another strange attack meant to kill them. But they were wrong to ?ssume. A holographic projection of a beautiful and short woman appeared and smiled at them. "Hello, I am your leader''s wife, a p???sur? to meet you all," She said and then smiled. Chapter 142 - Welcome Back "I don''t think projecting you suddenly from my eyes was the best idea," One said. "Aw c''mon, this world is full of magic and they faint at the mere sight of something like this?" Hailey pouted. "Well, there isn''t much that we can do for now. I''ll end your projection and I''ll just carry these two back to the city," One said. "Okay, dear," Hailey retreated from her projection and returned. One then picked the two up from the muddy and wet grass and carried them on each shoulder. With his strength, carrying them made no difference whatsoever. After five minutes of walking, he was finally spotted by the western watcher and the news of his immenent arrival quickly spread among the outer and inner district. Inside the castle, a guard burst through the doors that lead to the king''s throne room and announced in a frenzy. "Milord, your vassal has returned," Immediately, King Wog stood from his throne and suspended the current session, Patricia, Stacy, and the other aides quickly ran outside with the King as the others who were trying to secure influence had their dreams immediately shattered. Knowing this, they tried to flee. But William was already a few steps ahead of them and had them all arrested. Most of the peasantry and the citizens flocked to the western gate and clogged the streets leading to it. The garrison was forced to ward off the hordes of people that wanted to have a front row seat. The people cheered as soon as One''s silhouette appeared in the distance. Even under the pouring rain, the men, women, and children of the city flocked to greet their hero. Unbeknownst to One, despite showing himself to be a murderous and uncaring person before, the people grew to love him in just a short amount of time. Not because they were forced to or brainwashed to do so. But because of many reasons. All families had food on their tables during every meal time. All had their fair share of the harvest. All were given meaning as workers for what they soon coined to be "the greater good of all" Despite the blood that was shed, the people, desperate they had been for decades, were finally blessed in return for that bloodshed. The garrison also felt the same. The western archers cheered and waved their arms over the walls. King Wog and the others soon arrived and were lead through the crowd and climbed up the western wall. They looked and saw him walking down the dirty path that lied in-between the wheat fields and the ditches. Wog felt relieved. Patricia was happy to the point that she cried once again on Stacy''s shoulders. Stacy, on the other hand, was worried. His eyes were purple but nobody seemed to care. If blue meant he could he reasoned with and red meant the opposite what did purple mean? "So that''s were those two idiots went," Stacy said, referring to Jorn and Toby who were then recognized by the garrison soldiers and William who had just climbed up the southern tower of the western gate. But One stopped walking just a few meters short from the gate. The crowds went silent, the garrison was confused. Wog and the others looked at each other and then looked back at One who was looking around, seeing the familiar faces. Jorn and Toby then both coughed themselves awake and soon realized that One was carrying them. Noticing that his cargo were awake, One gently lowered them to the ground at the same time and they both stood on their feet and faced One. Despite One''s purple eyes that gave off a feeling of dread, One nodded. It was a sign both men understood, One was not a threat. And so, both of them stood on One''s side and stared down everyone else in the Fortress City. One then looked at Wog who in turn looked at One in the eyes. One also gave him a nod before taking a step further. "Am I still welcome?" One suddenly asked. Nobody replied. The rain began to lessen its downpour as if it was complying with the current situation. "Am I still welcome?" One repeated his question. Suddenly, when nobody dared to speak, a young boy walked away from her mother''s arms and confronted the man in black. "Young one?" One asked. "Mister," the child said. "Yes?" One knelt down and faced him. "When are you going back to work?" The child suddenly asked. [You''re welcome after all] Hailey whispered inside One''s mind. One gave the child a good rub on the head and stood up. "Young man," One said in a loud voice. "Let''s get to work," And the crowd cheered. William and the garrison drew their swords and held them up high in honor of One''s return. Wog laughed as he waved his vassal welcome. "Ben! Ben! Ben! Ben!" The crowd cheered as One entered the city. Patricia and Stacy were quick to join the cheers. King Wog had referred to the man in black since becoming king as Lord Ben, the name quickly spread among the people and he was then known to be Ben The Powerful, a title worthy only to One. Jorn and Toby quickly walked alongside their leader and tried their best to keep the crowd from pushing and pulling on him. Seeing this, William immediately descended the walls with a few knights and quickly formed a circle around their leader. And Wog was happy with it. The day was a glorious day of celebration for the Fortress city''s people as a feast was immediately hosted by the king in honor of his vassal''s return and their victory against the Imperial government. It was, however, a rather dreaded day for those who tried to take advantage of the turmoil. Chapter 143 - Fair Trial "Let me cut to the chase. The moment I became absent, you lot tried to undermine the system I made for your own personal wealth and gain?" One, was undeniably unhappy with what he needed to handle. A couple of influential persons, several of whom were from the noble and merchant families who had their heads of the house executed for exactly the same reason they were being tried now, attempted to commit the exact same crimes as their fathers did. But instead of an execution outright, One decided to hold a trial the evening after he returned to the Fortress City. One ordered William to round up those who were accused of misconduct and maltreatment of the system of rewards and work put in place by One. There were a total of 7 accused. One found two of them to be not guilty of their crimes but instead were accused solely because some of the peasantry bore a grudge against their entire family and weren''t satisfied that only the head of the house was executed during the uprising. The trial was being held in the throne room with permission from Wog, well, as if he had the courage to disagree with One''s suggestion. A hundred representatives from the outer and inner districts were invited, William was appointed head guard along with Jorn and Toby. Patricia and Stacy were instated as juries although they did not have any real power. The seven accused had their hands bound behind their backs and were knelt down in the middle of the throne room in full view of everyone. Wog was sat on his throne room, despite being king, he actually had no say in the trial except for being the king and watching his vassal do all the work for him. Exactly as One intended. [You made quite an illusion of power here] Hailey said in One''s mind. One was standing right next to King Wog to the left of the throne. A tense atmosphere filled the throne room, dampening the mood for everyone. Everybody was serious, although the trial was expected to end with them being convicted guilty and their heads rolling, One had other ideas. Courtesy of Hailey. The trial even began with One holding his hand up and gesturing for everyone to silence themselves. "The trial shall begin," One said. "You lot kneel there, accused of crimes punishable by death, you are aware of that? Right?" One said. The seven sweaty accused nodded. "Good, then, I would like to ask the heads of the Borne and Fidel families to stand up," One said. Hearing this, the heads of the Borne and Fidel families, John Borne and Joseph Fidel stood up. One then looked at the crowd to see their expressions. Hailey claimed to be an expert in psychology and so, asked One to look around so that she could see the reactions and facial expressions of the representatives. Most actually looked displeased. Displeased that these two were standing amongst the five true criminals. However, two representatives looked quite pleased, albeit they looked as if their plans were succeeding. [Those two, dear] Hailey pointed out. How did she point the two representatives to One? Well, One''s eyes were lick a computer''s thag displayed information across his vision. Using this, Hailey drew a box around the two so that her husband could pinpoint them quickly. But they did not own the land, instead, they were tasked to carry out One''s system of management with fairness to pay for their families'' previous crimes of exploiting the peasantry. Clearly, out of all the families, these two new heads were actually genuine in reforming themselves according to One''s observation anyways. They would always be present where the farmers were, guiding, and teaching them the methods One introduced. Making sure the paperwork was done and not overlooked. But grudges ran deep and sometimes, some still clung to the past, in turn, destroyed their future. "I wish for the persons accusing these men to present their evidence in front of this ?ssembly," One announced. He then turned his head towards the two representatives. The smiles they had on their faces quickly faded when they realized that the entire room was now focused on them. Where were there evidences? They had none. They didn''t expect that a real trial will be held. One had no biases except for his plans. They thought they''d accuse the families they so hated and leave with clean hands. The two were then brought to the front by the guards after failing to do so themselves. One then looked at them both. "Present your evidence," One said. Then one of the representatives spoke. "Your majesties.. these two men were embezzling the coins you specifically ordered to be used as the workers'' fair pay. But a few farmers have come to me complaining that their pay were cut in half and f?r??b?? taken from them by the goons of the Fidel and Borne families!" He said, his confidence came back. The entire room was then filled with gossips. One raised his hand and the room was again silent. "Bring me these people, I will treat them as witnesses," One said. ''O-of course milord! But they''re currently not here," The man said. "Mr.. what''s your name?" One asked. "Trent milord, Trent Yuhin," Trent said. [A Yuhinite] Hailey said. [If his last name is Yuhin then that would mean he is a relative of the Yuhinic Royal Family] Hailey added. Things just got interesting. "Sir Trent, you are aware that this is a trial, right?" One asked. "Y-yes," Trent replied. He was getting nervous again. "Then why aren''t your witnesses here? If that''s the only evidence that you have then you should have brought them to this ?ssembly as evidence against the accused. The others all have paperwork as their evidence and a couple of witnesses from related departments," One pointed out. A flurry of conversations erupted between the representatives as the two accusers were now facing the growing ire of the ?ssembly. John Borne and Joseph Fidel were now feeling relieved. Chapter 144 - With You, Forever "Milord, I-" One raised his hand. "You have failed to bring upon the evidence I specifically requested, did you think that I would judge these accused purely by hearsay? Sir Trent, I am not so much as a fool that you make me as," One said. "No, milord, I did not mea-" One snapped his fingers. "Silence, let us now question the good man beside you, what is your name?" One looked at the other representative. "I am Marcus, Milord. Marcus Foester," Marcus said. "From the Foester family, where is your evidence?" One asked. Marcus began to sweat profusely. "You have none, as expected from Sir Trent''s accomplice," One said. The entire room erupted into an uproar. One did not raise his hand, instead, he let the other representatives in the room unleash their doubts against the two men who accused the Borne and Fidel families wrongly. "I propose an inquiry!" Some asked. But One, despite having a fair trial, did not have time for inquiries since that would give the two unwanted advantage by paying fake witnesses to stand up. He did not want more people to be tried for corruption. One then raised his hand again but it took a minute before everyone calmed down. One walked towards Trent and Marcus, looked at them directly in the eye. "Arrest these men," One said. William then ran in with a few knights, tied their hands behind their backs and took them away from the throne room. The others then cheered as justice was put to light. "John Borne and Joseph Fidel are hereby declared not guilty of the accusations placed upon them by the foul mouthed, scheming, and conniving men. And as such, they are to be released and compensated for the embarrassment they had procured," One announced. Several knights then came and cut off their bounds. The men then stood, ran towards One and knelt down. "We thank you, Lord Ben!" They both said in unison. "Do the people good and I shall reward you appropriately, now go," One said. The two men picked themselves up, bowed their heads one more time and walked out of the throne room filled with happiness and an increased loyalty to One. And then the trial proceeded. The other five accused tried their luck but ultimately failed. Those who accused them had several documents that they presented to One. All of which were genuine documents with their stamps, none were even forged. Some of the accused tried to say that the documents were forged but since One had the ability to determine if the documents were indeed forged, One dismissed their appeals. After approximately two hours of roasting the accused, they were declared guilty of crimes of corruption, embezzlement, treason, and inciting rebellion. The verdict was death by hanging. A sense of a newfound state of security and justice spread amongst the population that night, with the man in black having returned to the city, all now had high hopes that their new lives would continue to prosper. In the castle, One went to his room. It was a cold night, the storm had just passed and the wind blew in from the open balcony. [Dear, can you stand over the balcony for a while?] Hailey asked. "Sure, why not," One stood from the bed and walked towards the balcony with the wind still blowing. Hailey then appeared as a projection clinging to One''s left side. One felt her embrace around his left arm. As if she had a physical body and was actually there at One''s side. "I feel you," One said. "It''s my gift," Hailey said as she leaned over One''s shoulder. "Your emotions.. they still haven''t recovered.. but, I know you''re still the Johann I fell in love with years ago," Hailey said. "I''m sorry I don''t remember the past, and I''m sorry that, if you let me remember, I might go insane," One said. "Dear, it''s okay. I''m happy with what you are right now, although.. you''ve done some.. horrible things but I can understand that you were merely trying to accomplish what I vaguely told you.. and for not being with you sooner, I''m sorry," Hailey said. One then placed his left arm on Hailey''s shoulders as if she was there. One felt as so. In reality, Hailey was manipulating One''s senses to give the illusion that she was there. It was the only thing she could do for him, for now. As the two of them embraced under the moons that were finally peeking through the gaps in between the clouds in the sky, they turned to each other. "Tell me, what was I like back then? When, Earth was.. alive," One asked. Hailey giggled and hugged him tightly before answering. "You were one big idiot," Hailey said. And she was serious. This made One regret ever asking what he was like back then. "But you were a good idiot, an idiot so good that you angered every government in a span of six seconds," Hailey teased. One then kissed her forehead, making Hailey blush. "Dummy, sneak attacks aren''t allowed," Hailey said. "Aw c''mon," One said. Hailey was happy with what they were now. Although she was not there physically, at least she resided in her husband''s mind. "You act more like a human than before," Hailey said. "I know and I embrace it, but that doesn''t change my goals, but it only changes my ways of achieving my goals, albeit, a little," One said. "Then, take me with you until the end," Hailey said as she placed her hands over One''s cheeks. One smiled. "How long are you gonna stay in that form?" One asked. "Johann, dear, I will stay like this until I say so," Hailey said. "Which means?" One asked. "I''ll stay like this, I''ll stay for you," The two of them then kissed under the two moons. A new chapter in One''s journey, begins. Chapter 145 - To The East(1) The next morning, One came out of his room with a little smile on his face. The morning sun shined through his windows as a baste swathe of clouds littered the night sky. One walked down the halls of the castle and was greeted by several maids that passed by, some important bureaucrats who were going to do their shifts, and King Wog was out with Patricia and was about to go dining in the grand hall. After brief honorifics and greetings, One would walk away. With everything back to the new normal of the new government One had built, the Fortress City was more lively than before. The agenda for the day, however, was to visit each of the eastern villages personally with an armed guard by his side to convince them of his authority. Although the new kingdom was now well-known to the villagers of the surrounding villages, their loyalties were doubted upon by several civil representatives of the outer district. Some of the representatives once were villagers of the said eastern villages and were quite knowledgable of the cultures. All of this was compiled into a single scroll that was given to him after the trial yesterday by one of the said representatives who caught wind of ''The King''s Proclamation'' that detailed King Wog''s intentions to invite all villages under the influence and indirect control of the Fortress city to migrate their populations to the city. The man wasn''t aware, nor was anyone really, that the proclamations said to be from the king were actually from the man in black, Also known as, Lord Ben. But none of them knew the latter parts. As One passed through the castle doors and walked through the streets of the inner district, many people recognized him and bid him their greetings. From the youngest who could speak, to the oldest who could walk. Everyone knew of him and quite frankly, most loved and appreciated his efforts. [You are quite the charmer, dear] Hailey said as she watched what One''s eyes saw. Hailey was like a person who was inside of a giant robot but had only passive and no direct controls. She could see what One sees, and felt what One felt. If One was in pain, Hailey would feel it as well. [When are we going to the first village?] Hailey asked. [First, I need to pinpoint which village to go to first, probably the nearest one but I have no idea where the nearest village is located so I would need a guide. The guide would be someone familiar with the village in question and a battalion of knights to ?ssert my control] One said. [Why don''t you just forcefully evict them?] Hailey said. [Uhm, I mean... should I?] One asked. [Look, sweety, you can just make up an excuse like any other government when they''re doing something that needs to be done with little to no hassles or opposition. Use force, make up an excuse that is both absurd and believable enough to make the gullible villagers take the bite. Once they do, pull the hook and catch the fish] Hailey said. Hailey was more sinister than she really seemed. Was she just mimicking or, otherwise, promoting One''s previous actions? But One, for the first time ever, did not feel so keen with the idea of forcefully evicting the villagers from their villages. Doing so would decrease his popularity with them, thus making it harder for the villagers to integrate themselves into city life. All of this was so much thought for One. One reached the main gate of the inner wall, there he found Toby passing by. Ome hailed him. "Oh, ugh, me? Ay, erm, yes. Milord, what is it?" Toby stuttered. [Oh my, the poor lad was startled] Hailey giggled. "Are you familiar with the eastern villages under the indirect governance of the Fortress City?" One asked "Ah.. yes, I actually came from one of those villages before passing the military academy for mages," Tony said. "Well then, you''re coming with me," One said. One made it clear that he wasn''t taking a No as an answer amd the only correct answer was Yes. "Yes, milord," Toby abandoned his plans for the day and followed One. They went to the eastern section of the wall that was under reconstruction. Stone from quarries were being poured in by the miners and were being used to make the stone foundations. The place was busy, and would be busy until the walls finished. Everybody began working faster, however, when One suddenly came out of nowhere. As if there was an immense amount of pressure mounted on them by the mere presence of the man in black watching them do their jobs he had specifically requested to be done. "Uhm, milord, what exactly are we going to do?" Toby asked. One then turned towards him, his purple eyes seemingly piercing into his body. "I want a battalion of knights clad in full armor to report here, immediately," One said. "Ah, yes milord! I''ll call upon the needed knights right away," Toby said. "Go," One said. Toby then skedaddled away. One then turned around and continued watching the construction of the walls. Why he was doing this? Well, Hailey wanted to watch how humans with intelligence and technology comparable to the medieval era of prewar Earth acted up close and personal. Excluding the personal part, at least she had a front row seat with her husband in observing the peasantry build the wall that One himself was responsible for its destruction. [It''s quite ironic that you destroyed this part of the wall and now you ordered the people that this wall protected to rebuild it, was that part of your plan?] Hailey asked. [Not... quite] One felt a bit guilty. Hailey then proceeded to tease her husband for failing to even consider the benefits and not-so-good benefits of his actions that came without a second thought. But from here on out, she will be the voice to counter or support One''s decisions and actions. Chapter 146 - To The East(2) King Wog and his aides, Lady Patricia and Lady Stacy were in the grand hall. The grand hall was the big, golden, and fancy cafeteria of the castle. Before the uprising, it was reserved for only the richest of the classes and the count. But since everything was eventually turned upside down in a span of only a day, the grand hall and the works of the chefs of skills but of common birth were made available to the rest of the peasantry. King Wog amd his aides were at a separate table from the rest. Since security around the King was lenient, courtesy of One''s policies, no retainers were needed to check for poison. The dwarf, the elf, and the human mage all chowed down on the delicious food that was served to them. As they ate, their lighthearted conversation about the future of their careers as newfound rulers and leaders of this young kingdom quickly turned into a serious discussion regarding what Patricia saw that night. "Are you really sure there was someone else with Ben?" King Wog asked her the same question again. "Yes, I saw them," Patricia said. "But what do you mean she came out of thin air?" Stacy asked. Stacy was a powerful mage who could access tier 10 magic spells at will but she had never heard of illusion spells that were at the levels of what she saw. But Stacy believed Patricia''s story, so did Wog. But the question was, who was that lady? "Didn''t you hear their conversation?" Stacy asked. "I told you, I tried but I couldn''t just step inside. But, knowing Ben until now.. this is my first time seeing him completely distracted, like, the door creaked when I peeked through but he did not care.." Patricia said. Then the conversation took a very weird turn. "First of, why were you entering Ben''s room, without knocking, in the middle of the night?" Wog asked. "Oh.. I.. ugh.. was concerned!" Patricia said. Wog and Stacy''s expressions said otherwise, they weren''t convinced. "You had other intentions," Stacy bluntly said. "I did not! Anyways, let''s not stray away from what is the main issue here?" Patricia said. "Fine, we''ll discuss about your intentions later," Wog said. "Soo, there was this girl, a beautiful girl, you described her like that so don''t look at me with those eyes," Stacy said. Patricia seemed too annoyed with the word "beautiful" "The lady was with One for the rest of the night, right?" Stacy continued. "Yes! But then she disappeared as if she was just an illusion," Patricia said. Stacy was aware that the lady in question was some sort of illusion just by what Patricia was telling her but the problem was, illusions were programmed only to do limited and menial tasks, mimicking a few or limited functions of their real life counter parts. But the lady in question fitted the description of an illusion but her complexity was a bit contradictory. And the fact that One was interacting with her as if she was his lover. But maybe she was his lover? Stacy was now trapped in her own rabbit hole that she dug for herself. But who pushed her into digging that rabbit hole? Patricia. Wog, being the dwarf that he was, didn''t really mind what the lady was as long as One did not go astray from his loyalty and fidelity to the kingdom and Wog himself. "Fine.. I''ll just accept the fact Ben has a woman by his side from somewhere.. someplace," Patricia pouted. ''She''s jealous'' Wog and Stacy''s minds were in sync. And they weren''t really far off from their ?ssumption since the evidence that pointed to the fact that she was jealous was too overwhelming amd too blatant. Meanwhile, across the Fortress City, in the eastern fields where corn was being grown and cultivated, One, Toby, and the battalion of knights he called for, marched towards the east. They were to traverse the eastern boundary, although One had done it before but this time, they were following a dirt path that went through a small clearing in the middle of the forest unlike One route which went directly into the forest. The knights and Toby were a bit weary because the area was known for frequent ambushes by magical beasts, mainly dire wolves. One, though not weary, was being cautious. His wife urged him to be more cautious since although she was confident that he alone could take on a large number of these so-called magical beasts, his followers weren''t so safe. One needed to protect his men as well to prove to them that they weren''t just fodder to be given to the enemy to buy him time. Their lives mattered, even if it was a little I''m the eyes of One who still viewed most of his companions as mere pawns. Even so, since his emotions as a humans have begun to return thanks to Hailey loosening the restraints in his mind, he wasn''t all that cold anymore. Stoic, yes. Would kill you for a menial crime? Well, fifty percent less than in the past but was still a huge percentage. As they marched further into the east, in the distance, some creatures peeked through the bushes and the treeline. None of them were aware that a tragedy bad befallen the eastern frontier. The trail that they walked upon was as dead as their destination. Another army of invaders was upon them. They had overrun Wog''s former estate that was the lake. They had overrun most of the eastern villages and none were spared. Who were these creatures? They weren''t magical beasts, no, magical beasts did not form any strong unions with each other. Even packs of direwolves would kill other packs if food was scarce. These creatures were foul, stinking, short, hut ruthless. And One was all-too familiar with their kind. "Goblins," One stopped in his tracks. The knights behind him drew their swords and formed a line beside One. Toby readied himself to cast his spells. Chapter 147 - Ambush(1) "Goblins!" One of the knights shouted out. The knights ran to form a circle around One and Toby as the goblins emerged from all sides. It was an ambush. "There''s so many of them!" Indeed, they were. A hundred goblins surrounded the group of twenty. They came out from their hiding places, behind the trees, bushes, a few trenches, while some merely stood in front of the road as if they were expecting the group to make their way through this road. "These goblins are smarter than they look," Toby said. The goblins wore dirty loincloth, a few had bandanas and leather gloves. They all wielded crude knives and short swords while others had crude bows and some arrows that were still sharp enough to kill. Fifty wouldn''t be a problem but since there were at least a hundred and all of them were armed to the teeth, the battle was evened. One, however, was the deciding factor. They also had a culture of their own, their culture was a barbaric one if put in human terms. But One himself was taken aback by the sheer amount of coordination these goblins had against their southern counterparts. "A different kind," One whispered to himself. [I am detecting one hundred goblins, no other goblins within a kilometer radius] Hailey said. "Good," One said out loud, confusing his men. One then stepped out of the circle and confronted the goblins down the road. They were confident but since they were savage creatures at best, their confidence could be used against them in the form of taunts. One taunted the goblins down the road by waving his hands, gesturing them to come at him. The taunt worked and the goblins down the road which numbered twenty came charging at him. They acted more like a disciplined unit of an army rather than their commonly held image of just charging in blindly. One then drew out his two energy swords amd prepared to face the charging goblins. Seeing One''s confidence in his abilities, the morale of the knights and Toby went up. "Shield!" Toby shouted his chant. A dome of magic protection specifically against arrows then appeared above and around the position of the knights. The arrows were easily repelled as of they hit a brick wall. "Charge!" The knights shouted. Woth their swords drawn and shields up, they charged at the goblins who had by now passed through the magic shield Toby had put up. The two sides clashed with the battle in favor of the knights as they were more skilled, better armoured, and well-equipped compared to their savage counterparts. The goblins, however, had the number advantage. One knight could theoretically take on ten goblins but if those goblins doubled or tripled, the knight would stand no chance. As long as they kept their tight formation, they''d be fine. But the goblins, the number of goblins began to rise. [Detecting more heat signatures! They''re coming from the ground] Hailey said. "Oh, so they have an underground of network of tunnels it seems," One said as he gallantly and single handedly took down an entire line of twenty goblins by dashing through each group of four and slicing them at once with his energy blades. The goblins fell to the ground, dead, and some mutilated. But just as he turned around to help his knights, another wave of goblins came from the treeline, this time, there was forty of them. One needed to take care of the goblins fast or he risked losing his men. And this wasn''t the only problem he was going to face. If the goblins had overrun this side of the eastern boundary and are now running rampant allover the Forest of Death, that would only mean that the villages to the east had been overrun as well. But One, for the first time in his life, was going to gamble. He hoped that there would be at least a few survivors that managed to hide themselves from these invaders. If there were any survivors, then it was a race against time to save them. Sparing no time at all, One dashed at the goblins that came from the left side of the road and slaughtered them. He kicked two against four and sliced them up before proceeding to punch three and then stab six. Seeing his skill, the goblins that came from the right were terrified and stopped on their feet. It was a bad decision. One turned towards them as he finished ripping off the head of the last goblin from the left and then dashed to the goblins to the right. The goblins then sensed One''s terrifying aura that shouted bloody murder. There was mercy to be had. And so, half of the goblins simply dropped their weapons and tried to run away and those that remained had their bodies simply sliced, cut, impaled, and thrown aside with ease. The goblins that ran away didn''t fair any better. As soon as One caught up with them and their short legs, he promptly cut their joints as fast as physically possible, and then leaving them to bleed to death. Remembering how goblins back at the peninsula acted, he knew that they had a strong sense of smell and good eyesight. Their incredible ability to breed like rabbits are also one of their strong points. The smell of their brethren''s blood will draw in goblins from afar thanks to the breeze that blew. The more blood, the stronger the smell that would reach their brethren. One planned on luring them all out into the open to buy the survivors of the villages some time bu distracting their attackers. As One sunk his two energy blades into the last goblin that ran away the farthest, he turned around to see his men. They were still standing and none of them had fallen yet. But the number of the goblins attacking them kept on increasing as more and more appeared from the treeline and volleys more of arrows began to pour. Toby''s magic barrier could hold forever but the knights couldn''t. And then something big came roaring from down the road. Clad in crude iron armor, one eye blind, fat, sleazy. "A Hobgoblin!" Toby said. Chapter 148 - Ambush(2) Surrounded by a hundred more smaller goblins, the hobgoblin cried out a roar that sent shivers down the spines of everyone except for One, who was spineless in a way that he did not have the ability to feel the shiver. He wasn''t afraid. The hobgoblin was armed with a big mace. A hobgoblin alone could take on an entire unit but since they were rare and could not be tamed by normal magic, b?r?ly anyone had to fight them. But this was a strange occurance, a hobgoblin leading an army of goblins. The hobgoblin pointed his mace not at the knights that at first glance seemed to be the main problem for the goblin army, but at One. The Hobgoblin wasn''t as dumb as it seemed. Seeing the huge number of goblin bodies around this man in black, his immense killing intent, and the fact that he was staring down the hobgoblin itself without flinching was enough to say that he was their main obstacle. The goblins around the hobgoblin charged while the hobgoblin stayed behind, thinking that his goblins could overrun the man in black easily. He was wrong. As soon as the first twenty goblins were in range, One dashed to meet them, startling the goblins with his speed and agility. He drew out his two energy blades seemingly from thin air and sliced the goblins two and four at a time depending on how close they were to each other. One spun around, jumped, and bashed their heads together before splitting apart their stomachs with a single hack to the side. The reason being that if they ran, the hobgoblin would undoubtedly kill them instead. It''s either kill the man in black or be killed by both. The one hundred goblins that surrounded the hobgoblin were now cut to a mere forty in numbers. They had expected One to run out of energy but so far, he was foing strong as if he felt no fatigue. Before long, the last goblin sent against him lied dead on the grass, their blood spilled among nature, the smell of which drew in more goblins from the area. The hobgoblin, seeing how his pawns were easily taken care of by a mere human, roared his loudest and charged at One. Toby and the knight were busy fighting but all had to turn their heads in shock as the hobgoblin charged at One with all his might and his mace up above his head, ready to strike. One returned the favor and dashed towards the hobgoblin. "Lord Ben!" Toby and fbe knight shouted in unison, they were all concerned. Using his b?r? hands, he punched the mace with all his might. The mace was heavy and sturdy, but One was equally so. His fist and the mace were so evenly matched that they failed to make a dent into each other. Instead, it sent out a powerful shockwave that blew the knights and the other goblins into the ground and pushed the trees. The hobgoblin himself was surprised to the point that he stepped back. One then capitalized and leapt towards the hobgoblin''s left arm, burying his sharp hands into its skin, causing it pain and to thrash about. Seeing their leader''s efforts, the knights, seemingly inspired, all charged together against the remaining goblins with a fury in their eyes. Toby, seeing that remaining as a support for the knights was no longer needed, he switched his stance. From a support mage to a fire mage. He cast a number of fireballs infused with explosion magic that he sent flying towards the goblins that still came out of the treeline, exploding upon impact and sending the goblins flying in the air. Meanwhile, the ground shook as the hobgoblin struggled with the man in black who was now against the nape of neck. One clung on to its otherwise sleazy skin and drew out one of his energy swords. The hobgoblin then swung his mace in a clockwise fashion and spun around in a vain attempt to get rid of the man in black. One then grabbed hold against the skin at the back of the hobgoblin''s head pulled. The monster cried out in pain and in a last ditch effort, tried to crush One by jumping onto it''s back. One, predicting its moves, changed his position as soon as the hobgoblin jumped. He pulled his way to the monster''s face and without a second to waste, pulled out his other energy sword and sunk them deep into the hobgoblin''s eyes, blinding it. As it fell to the ground, the hobgoblin realized that it doomed itself. One cut out its nerves to its arms, paralyzing it and preventing the hobgoblin from mounting a successful defense. With the nerves to his arms severed and his eyes blinded, One slit its throat without resistance and jumped off. The hobgoblin thrashed as blood spewed from its major artery in the neck. It was a gruesome death and One was covered in both the blood of the hobgoblin and the goblins before it. The remaining goblins that were fighting the knights immediately turned their backs and tried to run away but the knights weren''t going to let them. The last goblin was incinerated via a fireball, courtesy of Toby. [You did splendid! Dear] Hailey praised her husband. One smiled as he looked at the dead hobgoblin behind him. Their surroundings were littered with hundreds of dead goblins. The knights were tired and so was Toby, having exhausted a quarter of his inner magic in the fight, more than he had anticipated. One then walked over the hobgoblin''s body and looked at his men who were watching him. The men rejoiced. Chapter 149 - First Village(1) To march into battle, a man must be ready to embrace the idea of death. Not just the death of one''s own body but the death of those who the person will fight, either by his hands, or the hands of others. The realities of war were emphasized clearly with their battle against the goblins. Their fight was equal, both sides fought hard, and used various strategies to try and one up the other. But in the end, the deciding factor the battle was the man in black who stood among them, surrounded by a mysterious cloud of darkness from where his eyes shined through. Yet, despite the seemingly hostile and unfathomable power of this man in black, he was their ally. The knights and Toby were all tired and drained of much of their energy to move forward. The battle against the goblins lasted thirty minutes, non stop fighting, horde upon horde of these tiny green creatures. But as their leader stood on top of the hobgoblin victorious, their resolves were strengthened and remained. One allowed his men to rest for an hour, mainly to help Toby replenish most of his mana before they head out to the nearest village which was just down this here road. The reality that the goblins may had already ran amok and devastated the villages were now engraved into their minds. Some wanted to venture forth without so much as a good rest but One made sure to convince them otherwise. An army who fought with half its strength would falter against an army who fought with all of its strength. There was not much talking between the knights and Toby. The only times they spoke were if One would relay an order through Toby and then Toby would direct it to the knights. They continued their journey after an hour of rest. Soon, they arrived at the first eastern village down the path. As One had suspected, it had been overrun. The village was not surrounded by any wall, instead, wheat fields and several other crop farms surrounded it. Judging by the state of the harvest, it seemed that they were attacked while the villagers were in the middle of harvesting their food. The group entered the village proper and found the remains of the villagers. Men, women, and children, none were spared. "Check everything," One ordered. His men then scattered about in search for survivors and anything that could be of use. As One walked by the village well conveniently situated in the middle of the settlement, One leaned over and looked down to see if some soul managed to jump over. To his luck, there was somebody down there. But that somebody was dead. Standing atop of its lifeless body drenched by the waters of the well was a surviving goblin. Using his heat detector and night vision, he saw through the dark chamber of the well. "I wonder if these creatures could be interrogated?" One asked Hailey. [Since they''re different from their more nomadic cousins down to the south, maybe?] Hailey answered. "It''s worth a shot," One said before taking out a small plasma rifle from a pocket over his bu????ks. [You''ve never used that gun] Hailey pointed out. "It''s because I never had a use for it, well now I could just use my palm weaponry but I''ll give this gun a try," One said. He aimed the rectangular barrel over the goblin''s right shoulder and pulled the trigger. A concentrated beam then escape from the rectangular barrel and pierced the goblin''s right shoulder like a clean cut from a sharp blade. The goblin squealed and then began jumping around the well and in a last ditch effort to save itself, tried to use the dead girl''s body beneath him as a shield. But One was faster than his one good arm. He aimed at the goblin''s left shoulder and pulled the trigger. The same rectangular beam destroyed his shoulder and the goblin again cried out in pain. Toby and the knights heard the goblin squeal and immediately rushed to the scene only to find One had shot off its arms using a strange magical weapon. "Haul him over," One said. The knights then found a piece of roping, tied it around one of the knights and then pulled him down. The knight then grabbed hold of the goblin as it flailed about and tried to claw the knight with its feet. The now unconscious goblin was slowly bleeding to death. "Tend its wounds and bring it to me by the next hour," One said. Confused but worh no courage to ask why One said such a bizarre order, the knights and Toby complied and went out to patch up the goblin''s wounds. The goblin had two missing limbs, his left and right arms. Without them, it was doomed to die anyway in the wild with no method of fight back its enemies or ability to find a food source that was stable enough. One had no plans in saving it really, the goblin was merely a tool that he was going to use. One needed information about his green enemies and if these creatures were indeed more intelligent than their savage cousins to the south, then it would he worth the time to torture it. One continued walking around the village in search of survivors but alas, only dead bodies, mutilated corpses, and several dead goblins were to be found. As One kicked one of the goblin corpses that was in his way, he lamented. "I was too late," Chapter 150 - First Village(2) A single candle was lit inside the dark room. On one side, it illuminated the green skin of the goblin''s face. The goblin was gagged and tied against a chair with its arms gone and legs tied together. "Goblin," One said. A dark figure leaned on the candlelight, his purple eyes shining in the darkness. The goblin''s muffled screams hidden behind its gag proved to One that the monster was, in fact, scared for its miserable life. "I know you understand the human tongue, I know you do," One leaned forward, passing over the candle. He was now a few inches against the goblin''s long nose. "Now, tell me, what happened?" One asked as he removed the goblin''s gag. The goblin then screamed but One was quick to shut him up by placing his right palm over its ?h?st. The palm then exuded a high temperature that gave the goblin third degree burns in an instant. "Wagh!!!" It screamed and struggled against its bonds. "You''re not escaping until you tell me exactly what I want," One said. The goblin shook its head, it was a defiant bastard that needed more pushing. By pushing, it translated to burning and One was more than happy to oblige. With each denial to answer, One burned parts of its skin bit by bit. And One knew its body would be acting to hold off the pain. One, however, was one step ahead. Hailey revealed to him that his body had many uses that he hadn''t discovered despite a decade of living with it. One such instrument within One''s body that Hailey revealed was its ability to mix fluids to form other fluids and then funneling it into a sort of syringe in his index fingers. This ensured that the goblin would experience all the pain One would endure without it passing out due to shock. The goblin seemed to be as hard as the hardest rock but only because it knew One wouldn''t kill it. Indeed, One was not going to kill it yet but once he got what he needed, One would immediately kill him. [It believes you won''t kill it] Hailey pointed out after observing its vitals. Pain wasn''t going to cut it. The goblin needed its fear to be pushed over the limits. What better way to do that than to put it face first against the most terrifying aspect of One''s existence. His eyes. One leaned over the goblins face and stared directly into its eye with his purple eyes that slowly glowed brighter. "Death will follow these eyes," One said in a voice so menacing it sent shivers down the spines of the knights and Toby who were outside the room. The goblin, having been overrun with so much fear, it abandoned all the hopes and dreams a goblin would have and cooperated. With its raspy and childlike voice, it answered all of One''s questions honestly. "Now, what did you do to this village?" One asked his first question. "Kill.. pillage.. eat children.. " It said. "No survivors?" One asked. "N-no.. survivor woman in.. water.. killed her.." It said. [It killed the woman huh, no surprise there] Hailey said nonchalantly. "Where are the rest of your brethren?" One asked. "Goblins... went.. go.. boss," It said. "Boss? You mean the hobgoblin?" One asked. "Ye-s... but.. big boss.. over.. at... village... far" It said. "Big boss? So you have a hierarchy huh, who is this big boss?" One asked. The goblin refrained to answer for a few seconds but when One drew out one of his energy swords and placed it against its neck, it shouted. "Big!! Boss..... goblin.. mancer!" It said. Goblinmancer? One thought. One then asked his final question. "Where is this goblinmancer?" The goblin then suddenly began to experience a seizure. It convulsed and fell against it''s back while still strapped on the chair. After a few seconds, it began to laugh and its yellow eyes changed from yellow to a grayness that shined similar to One''s purple eyes. "Hello there," The goblin suddenly spoke clearly. "I''m guessing you''re the goblinmancer he told me about?" One said, being blunt that he was aware of this trick. "Oh you know? Well then, puny hu-" One raised his hand, confusing the possessor. "First and foremost, I have no time for your silly introduction. I don''t understand why it''s necessary to have a lengthy conversation with your enemy. What? You''re gonna insult me? Me a puny human? Well then, I know that conversing with you will bear no fruit and so I''ll just kill your vessel right here and now," One said. He then raised his gun and fired upon the goblin, tearing it a huge hole in its ?h?st. [Dear, was that wise?] Hailey asked. "Check the magical readings of the surrounding areas and trace the magical trail," One said. He knew exactly what he was doing. One had hypothesized that such a magic that used possession would likely involve magic molecules to bound and form a line between the possessed and the possessor. Without a doubt, Haileh detected the line but it was decaying rapidly. Using some of One''s computing power, she was able to pinpoint the goblinmancer''s last location upon termination of its connection. "Excellent," One said. [Aw, it''s been a long time since you praised me] Hailey said. This action ultimately frightened the knights who were already under the effects of his aura. "Let''s go," One ordered. [You could have just used the door] Hailey complained. Chapter 151 - Camping(1) The goblinmancer was not a goblin but a human. A human mage who had managed to breed his own army of goblins. A feat such as monster breeding was considered to be tier 10 magic. But the magician in question could only cast spells from tier 1 to 6. If he was to go against Stacy, Stacy would obliterate him in just one move. But he was about to go against a mere human, an inept human! Any magician could sense another''s magic as long as they were near the said person. Or, if said person was strong but wasn''t using any concealment spell, a magician could detect his or her magical energy from far away. But even so, when he used his magic to take control of the goblin temporarily, he sensed no magic from the man in black. In fact, he sensed no magic from the surroundings at all. For the brief second that he controlled the goblin, it seemed as if his magic power was being su?k?d from him even though he was kilometers away. And where was his magic getting su?k?d into? It was being su?k?d by the man in black. His purple eyes gave him an foreboding aura. As if he was being ?ssisted by the god who all gods call their enemy. Not even the dark gods wanted to mingle with him because of his nature. Maybe, just maybe, the man in black was that god''s champion? If so, then it would explain why magic disappeared from their surroundings. Only one God had the ability to suck magic from its surroundings passively. The God of the Inept and the God of Death, two titles but one holder. "I dare not speak his foul name," The goblinmancer told himself as he walked back and forth in his room. He made his cave inside a magical monster''s lair which he wasn''t bothered to kill himself and so sent hundreds of goblins to deal with it. As he sat down on his throne of wood, he pondered. "Did I offend that god?" Maybe he did. And he couldn''t expect the God of Creation to help him, not even he could stand up against the forsaken god alone. He would need to muster all the forces of the heavens but what is he, a goblinmancer, going to do? "No!" He told himself. "I am a talented mage who has surpassed event those of the Imperials, I will rise through the ashes with my goblins and build my own kingdom! That''s my plan and I must follow through," He announced to none but himself. Nobody was there to listen to his babbling since he locked himself up inside that room, which was inside the monster''s lair. His goblins were outside doing menial tasks such as cleaning, repairing, building, farming, and guarding. Maintaining an army of thousands of goblins was a tiresome task that he gave to his trusted hobgoblins. As long as he controlled those monstrosities, none of the goblins would dare to abandon him or they risked getting squashed by their bigger and heavier brothers. The monster''s lair''s entrance was barricaded by a makeshift wooden wall. It was not as sturdy but what else did he expect from the engineering skills of puny monsters such as goblins who specialized in nothing but hunting, killing, and breeding. Speaking of breeding, the goblinmancer ordered a specific section of the cave to be turned into the goblin''s breeding chamber where eligible goblins of both s?xes could engage in their breeding activities. It took only a month for a new batch of baby goblins to be birthed and then two months to gain maturity. The lifespan of normal goblins were two years at best but since these goblins were bred especially by the goblinmancer, they could live up to 5 years but more than that, he found out, would just cripple the goblins. As the goblinmancer pondered, the dead bodies of several women laid on the floor of his room. Clothes torn and defiled. In respects and purposes, the goblinmancer would not taste any sort of mercy from his eventual challenger. The challenger, had already pointed out his location and he was unaware of it. He could sense his goblins but only for a short time as long as he was focused on that specific goblin troop. The only reason he found out about the goblin being interrogated was because that when he was trying to sense the goblin''s troop, he only found one and so, decided to see what was happening to it. One had already deduced how far his ability could go and so, made sure that on his way, he would kill all the goblins as quick as possible. As the knights marched on down the dirt road that connected three more eastern villages, the same would greet them each time. Dead villages with dead and alive goblins. One was sparing no time, each goblin Hailey detected he would pursue and kill before they could alert more of their brethren. As they drew nearer to the monster''s lair, they reached the end of the dirt path. "Beyond this is the forest of death," Toby said. "Then onwards, it is," One said, not caring about the perils the forest would have. Why would he fear the forest of death if all of what it could offer were just goblins and hobgoblins? Numbers may have a quality of their own but only if they have reserves. No more reserves? Well good luck with overrunning someone who has more area-effect weaponry to spare. One then entered the forest with his knights. The forest was devoid of most life, should it even be called a forest at this point? Fewer birds, fewer insects, no wild animals. Just the stench of goblins on all directions. [They must have hunted every living creature in the forest] Hailey said. One agreed. Chapter 152 - Camping(2) One realized that it was getting dark. His knights needed to rest and, for the most part, needed to eat. And so, One ordered them to make camp at a clearing they found. The knights were quick to gather dead and dry sticks and stones for the fireplace which Toby lit up with his fire magic. Soon enough, night time came. There was this odd silence. Usually crickets would play their music and fill the forest with their sounds. But the forest was eerily quiet. All the knights were gathered around the campfire with Toby while One stood watch. He insisted that he alone would take watch for the entire night, much to the displeasure of his men. The men, fearing that they''ve been giving their leader too much work, wanted to take turns making watch but their lord said otherwise. And so, One stood watch for the night. The night was cold and the only source for heat was the campfire. The distant babbling and laughter of the goblins that roamed around looking for food were the only sounds of the cursed nature that surrounded them. The knights then fell asleep, all of them. One couldn''t blame them for being too tired. The day was full of fighting, bloodshed, and running. The men were also hungry and so, One needed to find some food before they began to starve and lose energy. One found his answer when he caught a glimpse of a lone boar running through the bushes. Using his thermal and xray vision, he confirmed that it was indeed a boar and it was running away from something. That something were the goblins, five of them. Since his men needed the rest and food, there was only one thing for One to do. - The night was again silent. The trees were as calm as the sky above them with the sea of stars that twinkled in its blanket. To prevent their smell from escaping, they were buried under a pile of dirt. The wild boar, on the other hand, was killed immediately with a slash to the neck. One managed to find a water source. Some trunks of the trees in the forest contained fresh water. After harvesting said water, One chopped the boar into several pieces, cleaned the said pieces and then stuck them through some sticks. He then formed his own bonfire and cooked the pieces of boar over the fire. Though he lacked spices, it was bigger than nothing. But he couldn''t hide the smell of the cooked boar from the prowling snouts of the goblins that roamed nearby, and so, knowing that his men would wake up as soon as they smelled the meat, went out to hunt the goblins. One ran through the forest, pushing aside the bushes, and plants which were in his way. [Goblins detected] Hailey displayed her detection. The goblins were right in front of him, camped as well. They slept so innocently, any normal man would feel pity for these foul creatures. But One? He felt no pity to anyone at all except for a few instances ever since the true Hailey revealed herself. One drew out his two energy swords and killed the goblins in their sleep. They died as peacefully as One could manage since them growling in pain would attract the other goblins from afar. "Any other goblins nearby?" One asked Hailey. [There are dear, I am detecting several pockets in all directions so you better get going] Hailey said. One spared no time. He dashed through the forest floor and slaughtered the nearest goblin groups and encampments. Some had goblins still awake but none were able to voice out that an intruder was near. It was thirty minutes of a massacre. One counted at least a hundred goblins killed in a lot of groups. Everytime he killed the goblins, he would dig up the soil around them and bury them under it to prevent the smell from coming out. One''s powerful hands and arms were more efficient than a normal shovel and faster. There were ten goblins, all were awake. They had this makeshift camp complete with two small tents, a bonfire, and some food. The food was a mixture of critters, large animals, and birds. One was right to think that the goblins overhunted everything. [I wouldn''t be surprised if everything in the forest has been hunted into extinction] Hailey said. "Likely so," One whispered. His purple eyes pierced the shadows beneath the treeline. One goblin saw it but it was already too late. Before it could speak, an energy beam came speeding out of the darkness and pierced its head, escaping to the back. As soon as the beam was fired, One emerged from the darkness with his two energy blades and the goblins were promptly massacred. Their camp was promptly destroyed. As One put out the goblin''s bonfire and started digging, Hailey analyzed the food the goblins had with them if they were also edible to humans since One wasn''t aware if these goblins did anything wrong to the food. As One buried the last goblin, Hailey had finished her analysis of the foods. "So?" One asked. [Most are edible except for the birds, they seem to have a sort of toxin] Hailey said. "Strange but okay," One said. With the goblins around the camp taken care of, One returned to the camp and to his surprise, everybody was still sleeping. "Huh, I think the food is going to waste at this rate," One realized as he placed down his newfound spoils. "This is bad," One said Chapter 153 - Lair(1) It wasn''t long until the goblinmancer''s lair came under siege. The goblins who were outside the lair were picked off in a confrontation that forced the rest of them to retreat. The wooden wall erected around the entrance was far from sturdy yet it was enough to force the knights into a siege. The goblins mocked them with their growls while they were standing behind their wooden palisade of crookedly cut trees and trembling logs. The goblinmancer wasn''t all too keen with what was happening, he made sure he sensed his goblins from time to time but not once did be notice that the enemy had already infiltrated deep within his territory, not until it was already too late. One and the knights actually thrust their attack inward in a thin line, doing so did not make it seem to the scattered goblin groups that there was an intruder since none of them knew except for the small bands that were unfortunate enough to be in One''s way. Filled with rage and fear, the goblinmancer stormed out from his quarters and urged one of the hobgoblins to lift him up using his hands. The hobgoblin laid his hand near the ground and the goblinmancer walked over it, as he was lifted, he gritted his teeth in anger. He was lifted just enough so he could see beyond the wooden palisade, the knights were few but surrounded them and there was a mage with as much magic as him standing in the middle. There was also a peculiar man whose eyes glowed purple, the same man he planned on talking to when he possessed the goblin the other day. The man had no magic but he was surrounded with this unsung darkness that devoured magic all around it. "Tsk," The goblinmancer then cast a barrier spell to protect from arrows, arrows themselves weren''t a problem but arrows with fire were. Some parts of the palisades were made from dry wood and arrows with flames would easily cause a fire that would burn it all to the ground. One had this exact idea in mind but not with arrows, no, he was going to burn the palisades himself using his energy weapon. But to do so would need considerable energy, One was only able to use his energy weapons embedded in his palms due to the immense amount of magic pumped into him by the purification spells, One wondered if Toby could do the same. His energy level was now stable, not too much or not too low. His systems were functioning at their normal extent and would not be pushed hard without relocating power from elsewhere within his body. One did not want to risk it. Instead, he was forced to devise a new plan. Sure he could take them on head long but he wanted the goblinmancer alive, a full frontal attack that would quickly overwhelm said goblins and hobgoblins would result in him trying to escape, knowing the powers magic, it was possible that the man would just teleport away. While he was thinking of various ways to end it all, the goblinmancer''s barrier came into effect and appeared as a transparent and greenish dome that surrounded the entrance. One was unimpressed and just stared at it blankly, even Hailey had a poker face in the form of a projection inside One''s mind. [Why not just snipe him?] Hailey said. "Oh, good idea," One was not up to his game. The goblinmancer was somewhat exposed, although he was a few hundred meters inside the large cave, his upper body was exposed and within One''s range. One drew his pistol and pointed at the goblinmancer, the goblinmancer did not flinch. "The hell is he doing?" He asked himself. In an instant, a straight line erupted seamlessly from the rectangular barrel of the pistol which travelled so fast that the goblinmancer b?r?ly had anytime to react. The beam hit the goblinmancer''s right shoulder, turning it into a steamy hot cut. The goblinmancer howled in pain, lost his balance, and then fell from the hobgoblin''s palm. He crashed into the ground and continued to howl in pain, his wound did not bleed, that was the only positive thing about the entire ordeal. With their leader gone, the goblins'' morale collapsed and One lead the charge into the beast''s lair. One and his knights broke through the crude gate requiring only One to punch it open and then they poured inside. The goblins stood no chance, disorganized and frightened, they were slaughtered. The hobgoblins were the main obstacle, there was exactly two more that needed to be killed before they could wipe out the goblins, One decided to take all two at once. Learning from his first fight with one of these behemoths, One immediately jumped onto the back of one of the hobgoblins, crawled all the way under his chin as it flailed about and before the beast could grab him, One slit its throat open using his energy blades. Blood poured out and the hobgoblin collapsed into its own gurgling puddle of blood. The last hobgoblin, seeing his brother taken down so easily, was overridden with too much fear that it just stood and tried to storm out. This endangered not only the knights, but the other goblins who were on and around the walls. The knights immediately pulled back from the fighting and retreated to the side as the ground trembled with every step the hobgoblin took. Bending his right leg behind his left, One readied himself to perform the finishing move. As the hobgoblin was about to break out of the palisades, One dashed forward with all his might, he then jumped and landed on its back just as it broke out of the palisade. Logs and dried wood flew everywhere similar to an explosion as the hobgoblin made its way into the forest. Seeing that victory was finally at hand, Toby lead the knights and slaughtered the remaining goblins inside while some managed to escape into the wilderness. Chapter 154 - Lair(2) Hundreds of dead goblins laid on the ground, scattered about within and around the beast''s lair. The wooden palisade which sealed the lair''s overarching entrance was destroyed by its own giant architect in a desperate attempt to save itself from the same fate as its brother who also lied dead, surrounded by a pool of its own blood which poured from its neck. Toby and him the knights, covered in the blood of their little victims, surrounded the goblinmancer who laid crying on the ground next to the pool of blood. The poor fellow looked at Toby with his teary eyes, as if he was begging for forgiveness and mercy. However, the eyes of the man he looked at were not the eyes of a simple man. They looked back at him with eyes that seemed dead inside, as if they had already seen their fair share of horrors not even he could fathom. Toby and the knights were all the same, their eyes were su?k?d of all emotion and the gleam of humanity that once shined within. Maybe this was their gift? A gift bestowed upon those who had seen the horrors of battle and war? Sure, they only fought against these lowly monsters but these so-called lowly monsters were their enemies still. They outnumbered the knights but they still won, armed to the teeth yet the knights won. What was the prize for their victory? Nothing but vengeance. They saw the aftermath of the villages which laid in ruin along the path they took to search for the mastermind, men, women, children, all fallen by the sword of these little green abominations and their human master, corrupted by his love for magic and control. Like a dog with a nose of steel, Toby sensed the dead women inside his quarters. Two knights volunteered to check it out and as soon as they opened the wooden door whose lock they had to stab out, the bodies of five different women welcomed them. They reported this back to Toby and it quickly spread to the other knights. Disgusted, their eyes then filled with rage, locked onto the goblinmancer''s wailing self. "W-what!?" The man on the ground complained, seeing their eyes, he knew that he was about to be murdered and so screamed for help. Who was going to help someone like him? His minions had abandoned him, his generals were eviscerated and now he was surrounded by these men who had seen the atrocities he had committed. "We won''t kill you," Toby suddenly said, breaking out a smile before kneeling near the goblinmancer''s face. "Tell me... what is your name?" Toby asked. The goblinmancer''s sweat dripped down his eyes, causing him to blink in response to its saltiness. The man wasn''t asking him again but he knew that if he failed to answer, he may be tortured or worse, killed. The goblinmancer feared death the most, and thus he did everything he could within his physical and magical capability to attain immortality. But it was not enough, for some reason, immortality was something not even the archmages whose power far surpassed his still aged and died slow deaths. Why? What was the secret? What caused aging? Was it a curse by the high god? Or was it something else entirely? He knew not the ways of science and so, delved deeper into the tainted pages of magic books and came across the teachings of the outcasts, gods who were banished from their place in high heaven for their miscreant deeds. The God of War found the goblinmancer''s d?s?r?s fulfilling and he granted him power and ''immortality'' but with one condition, he was to raise an army of the god''s own personal breed of goblins and rule over parts of the continent with them. Why did he choose goblins? For they were savage creatures whose instincts involved all of his titles and the more these goblins committed their deeds, the more powerful he would become. Yet, this was all done years ago when the goblins were bred and thought by the goblinmancer. The God of War become impatient and his power began to wane, he needed to do something, something to save himself from disappearing. The world was too peaceful, no more great wars, no large battles, nothing. And then, they came. From another world, another dimension across space and time. A race he did not know existed for he was aware of their world but.. He did not know that someone survived. They came into the world and put the high gods in crisis, they sent out an aspiring blue goddess whose relation with her sister the White goddess made her a top candidate within the ranks of the gods. Yet, she was defeated again and again until she met her demise a few months back. The heavens were shocked and many called for their own intervention. But this was where the outcasts banded together. Behind the scenes, another war broke out and this war was fought in heaven. When the high God sent down the other gods to vanquish the metal men and their leader, the outcasts were gathered together by the God of Death himself and they fought. The war was still not over, gods, goddesses and outcasts had been slain, reduced to nothing but the war raged on in heaven and in the world. Why did the God of War did what he did? None may know, for he loved war, but there was also another reason behind his actions, why he chose the path into darkness and why he became what he was. He watched from the sidelines as his redeemer slit off the throat of the last hobgoblin, he smiled and looked on as the metal man whose heart and mind were still human, returned to his comrades. "At last, forgiveness" Chapter 155 - Lair(3) The last hobgoblin was slain by One, meeting the same fate as its brothers, a slit to the throat where its blood poured out. Covered in the blood of of these monsters, One returned to the beast''s lair which was effectively under their control. The knights had the goblinmancer in their custody, he was tied up between his legs and forced to kneel. When he arrived, the knights and Toby did not greet him verbally, they just nodded. He then noticed that there was something missing in their eyes, the spark of humanity. Now, they were becoming more like the man in black and the only difference was that they had more humanity to spare. Ignoring this development for now, One walked towards where the goblinmancer was, he was asleep and his face pale. His face from his own sweat and tears, One was disgusted. With no patience to spare and time ticking to save the remaining villages, or at least the survivors, One raised his hand and slapped the goblinmancer awake. The slap was powerful enough to send him crashing into the ground and he screamed in pain. The goblinmancer opened his eyes and was met by the deathly gaze of One''s purple eyes which were locked on his being, as if he had been judged of all his sins and his punishment was at hand. "S-spare me!" The goblinmancer begged but they fell on ears deaf to the concept of mercy to those whose beings did not deserve such a gratitude from their victorious foes. One grabbed the goblinmancer''s cloak and started burning it little by little using his palms, the cloth began to catch flames and heat slowly spread across his upper body. "No! Please! Stop!" The man begged and swirled about, trying to break away from his bonds and escape. "I bet the women in your room said the same thing to you when you had your way with them," Toby suddenly said. One did not know what he was talking about so he scanned the lair and found the bodies. With this new revelation of his actions, One continued to torture him. At first, he intended to engrave into him that further resistance was futile and that any questions he were to be asked were to be answered with full honesty. Now, it was given a new meaning. As if his conscience was returning from the depths of his heart, he could hear the screams and cries for help of his victims, not the goblinmancer''s, his. One knew it would be hypocritical if he tortured this man for committing atrocities but he too had committed his own kinds of atrocities, the massacre of hundreds of thousands with the wars he waged and the efforts he undertook so blindly so that he could rebuild his home. After so many years of not caring, their souls seemingly crying out for vengeance, surrounded him and began to haunt him in his mind. Yet, he was still uncaring, he heard the screams and wails but he did not flinch. What was he to regret? Will regret bring back what had already been done? It was already too late to do anything about it. He knew he had already took the path where he could no longer turn back, there was no redemption, there was only the goal he was given. And so, he chose to be the hypocrite. He tortured the goblinmancer due to his hypocrisy to look as if he was now the hammer of justice which served to undo the wrongs of the world. After 30 grueling minutes, One was finished. What was left of the the man''s skin were third degree burns as if he was baked inside a huge oven. His bashful face was all but gone and his head was bald. The knights and Toby did not flinch even when the goblinmancer begged them, some even smiled when Ome began to burn his skin. "He deserved it," Were their thoughts of what happened to him. It wasn''t long until the questions started rolling in, why he did what he did. He told them out of pure desperation that he was tricked and that he was said to have been given immortality by the God of War and that he would seek vengeance upon them who wronged him and his plans. "He is here!" The goblinmancer cried out. He sensed the presence of his god and was overjoyed, thinking that he was there to help him. He was wrong. His god was there but he didn''t do anything, even when One ordered his knights to beat the man senseless, his god only stood there and chuckled at his suffering. He then realized that his exact suffering and emotion was what fueled the powers of his god, to think he would be abandoned by his own patron broke his heart and his sanity. The entire thing wasn''t complex at all, he just raised a goblin army and some hobgoblins for a few years and tried to take over this region of Fiorg. One soon learned that the other villagers were decimated as well, same fate as the rest of the eastern frontier. To test the goblinmancer''s claim that he was immortal, One gave his knights one goal, to kill him. If he was indeed immortal, then was he invincible? Like, would he die if his body had life-threatening injuries? And so, he became One''s pig, his immortality was tested and he was stabbed multiple times in the ?h?st. Yet, he still lived on. Next, One specifically ordered for his heart to be stabbed right through, a knight volunteered and he stabbed, sinking his sword into his ?h?st. The man survived. He felt the pain of each attempt, the feeling of his heart getting crushed and the blade travelling through his body. His heart was crushed and blood stopped flowing throughout his body, yet his mind stayed firm and alive while the rest of his body seemingly began to shutdown. "So you are immortal, but not invincible,"