ACC Chapter 42 A New Path

The sky overhead rumbled with thunder, lightning bolts that even gave a man as powerful as me the shivers, snaked through the dark clouds that had taken up residence above the city.

The dragon had been smarter than I had given it credit for, having turned tail and ran upon noticing my arrival. And with it, all the water that was supposed to have been the lake, a large depression was left behind. The river was still flowing into the basin. Though, with the volume deficit, it would take a few months before it would be filled.

Hours had passed, and I was here, waiting for my symbiote to evolve, while also acting as a guard for any other menacing existences that could show up. Though, I was gleeful of the fact that I wasn't the citylord, who was now having to deal with the people and the paperwork. I had already told him the Federation's intent to evacuate all the people to Defiant, so he was making preparations for said move.

Honestly, I was dead tired. The battles I had fought had already taken a toll on me, but I couldn't afford to slack off here. The symbiote was about to evolve and I didn't know whether it would be friend or foe upon its emergence.

That was why, I was seated on the plain wooden root acting as a desk, with Lily, who was in the middle of directing energy towards the muscle fibres of her left leg, regenerating it.

Within kilometers around us, the soil had become arid, with everything from nutrients to water, to even microorganisms having been sucked out to act as nutrients for the rampaging plant.

"Boss, what are your plans for the future?" Asked Lily. I had started to get a little uncomfortable in the silence even with the tiresomeness weighing on me. My body was physically okay, but the problem was my soul.

"That's what I want to plan out with you. The world as you can see, has changed. Only 30% of my factories have managed to make it into orbit. The sects have run off with a quarter of the population, and many more have lost their lives. So far, 7 cities have been annihilated... Either by Demons, or these nature spirits."

"My years of work and planning have been undone. And I don't think Livia will allow anyone joining Defiant to once again set up a clan. Decades of work... All simply ended by just a planet's evolution. Was I wrong in my choices? Should I have simply pursued personal strength?"

I looked towards Lily, whose gaze was down onto the ground as she spoke, with liquid droplets falling down into the soil from where her face was masked with her steely grey hair.

For a brief moment I panicked, but ultimately chose to simply listen. I was certain that it was what she wanted.

"I took out a loan and bought farming robots, I fought demons to get that piece of land. I farmed rice on that land. And the clan grew wealthy on that land. Yet, here I am, left with nothing! I don't even know how I am going to reassure the clan members. How are we going to live?"

A heavy sigh escaped my lips as I tilted my head skyward to gaze into the dark clouds above, wishing that I could say some comforting words.

"You are so lucky to be alone. With nothing to tie you down to anything, boss. Right now, I am starting to wish I were you."

"But you can't be like me. You chose to shoulder that burden because you love your clan members, right? Maybe if I had a family, I would have become like you, but I am an orphan. But maybe, I could help you out?"

"Is your offer, out of pity?"

Her question brought my eyes back to her, only for my heart to skip a beat when I found her glaring at me. I had never seen her this weak, this beaten, this...vulnerable.

Her eyes alone almost caused me to embrace her right there, but I held myself in check, instead giving her the most serious expression I could muster and said...

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"...I have come up with a skeleton of a future plan. I want to become someone relevant in the wider world-not just in our solar system, but in the greater universe. I want to create legends."

"Is this your idea of cheering me up?" She pouted.

"No, I am dead serious, Lily. And for that, I will need to absolve myself of administrative duties, or anything that will have me bound to a desk. I formally invite you to become the CEO of my company. Though, even now I still haven't come up with a proper name. Auto-Cul technologies isn't going to cut it anymore."

"Are you serious?!" Her eyes widened in incredulity. She hadn't expected this. Even her regeneration slowed down for a moment.

"Yes. I want to start gathering a team. So if you could take over immediately after everything settles down, it would be much appreciated."

"So...you have finally decided to man up."

"I have always been a man, thank you!"

She chuckled at that. And it was genuine laughter.

"I want in."

"Congratulations, you are now CE-"

"No, I want to be part of your team." She said, her gaze a searing beam on my face.

"Why? I don't peg you as an adventurer, or someone keen on the spotlight." I was genuinely puzzled.

"We all have to start somewhere. Besides, I have a feeling that if I choose the position, you will leave me far in the dust."

"Then...how are your clan members going to fare?"

"Mawar will take my position if you're still offering. She lacks some experience, but otherwise has a good head on her shoulders. And I will be there to guide her."

I mulled over her words, turning them over within my mind. My first impression of Lily's sister had been one of someone I didn't think I could get along with. She had a bubbly personality. And her mouth and feet weren't ones that craved to stay quiet for a minute or standing in place for any duration.

Though, she was one not overly scheming. She was perfect. She lacked ambition. If I had wanted to grow my company to the levels of the Golden Merchant, someone like Lily would have sufficed. But I simply wanted to use the proceeds to fund my other endeavors.

"I will take your word on this." Eventually, I capitulated.

"Have you come up with a plan on how to recruit people?" Asked Lily, having switched her expression into a serious one.

"I want people with the spirit of adventuring. The mavericks that would dare to go places others would want to run away from. Also, it will be better if we search for them without announcing anything."

"Mmmm.. I can understand that. We can't have moochers joining us, yet bailing at critical moments. Do you have any targets in mind?"

"I have. Though..."

"What?"

"I don't think that some are the kind you would get along with, or even approve of."

"...We shall circle back to that after settling down. So, what would you like to call the group? And think carefully about the name, boss. I won't accept lame suggestions."

There was a twinkle within her eyes as she gazed at me intensely, waiting for me to answer.

"I already have one, 'Legends Guild.'"

"I can accept that."

"Don't look at me with such dubious eyes. I came up with that name!"

I spat defensively, upon which a chuckle escaped her lips. Though I hated her teasing, it was still great when she smiled. Had she become more carefree now that she had less burdens?

A drop of liquid the size of a thumbnail dropped down, chipping the wood and attracting both of our attentions towards the impact location, which was right in our midst.

That...hadn't been normal. I frowned a little while raising a green ward over my body and looking upwards into the dark clouds with lightning snaking within them.

Droplets had started to fall, and they weren't normal ones. Swiftly, the defensive ward over the entire city which had been let down was reactivated.

"Do you want to go back into the city?" I asked Lily while still seated upon the root bench. Its two legs had dug into the soil with both of us occupying an edge each.

"No. I will stay. This is a great chance to have a perfect gentleman protect a damsel in distress. Is it not?" She smiled at me, not even raising any defensive ward. Her regenerating muscle fibres had finally reached the ankle of her foot.

"I am now tempted to get a peek into your soul aura. You have become more playful than before to the point that I can't tell what is going through your mind."

While speaking, green shoots grew out of the soil in a square around us, with the bench in the middle, intertwining into three wooden walls before joining up above us to form a roof over the new room, which was now glowing a subtle green because I was dispersing energy within the contruct.

The side without any wall was facing directly towards my evolving symbiote.

"Wow. It sure is convenient to have a wooden core."

"You can easily do this with your steel too."

"But I would waste more energy than you in maintaining the construct unless there had already been some steel in place."

Before our conversation could continue though, the pitter patter of rain drops on the roof entered our ears before a waterfall of raindrops fell just before our eyes.

"This planet simply loves reminding us about how different it has now become." Muttered Lily as she cradled her face in the palm of one hand.