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Chapter 10: Damn Rex
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The Anazon Forest is a large place. It's a pentagonal shaped forest with rivers entering dense plantations, the land was murky and muddy, the air smells of dung and wet moss, insects roam the place, animals and all their natural predators also lurks by.
Its size can be referenced to the real world Amazon but a little smaller, without tribes and little communities of men inside.
Anazon is a forest filled wit monsters. The weakest is "B" ranked ones while the commonly recorded ones were the "S" ranked ones with wings. Vicious, short tempered monsters, they will attack anything with the smell of food.
Anazon is abundant of nests of the dreadfully feared Lapis Lazuli. These monsters aren't like their smaller S-ranked cousins, they are all viciously strong as they are bigger than the norm.
Lapis monsters are aggressive, they will attack anyone that will enter their nose's smelling range.
That's one reason why they are feared by adventurers since only a select lucky few that was attacked do lived to tell the tale. In this forest, in the eastern horizon, a certain group of men, a guild size of around 50, arrived in the northern border. They are one of the very few lucky groups to have been attacked by the Lapis and run away with their tails behind their legs.
"We'll be on our way. Yes, thank you. Then see you all later after we succeed the quest."
The guy talking to his communicator seem like a man with eyes staring at nothingness. Only him can see who the person in the video link was unless he decides to share the video link to them.
He dropped the call and faced his men, all of which are high ranking players equipped with their own weapons of extreme devastation in a hologram screen that went up after his call.
"Men!" He shouted on their ship's bridge. There was a large stage and a chair in the middle and that's where he went to sit down.
Below in the cargo area are heavy armed men looking up on a hologram screen.
"I just made a call with an allied guild and they wished us luck in this endeavor."
Cheers exploded to the mention of the "allied guild" as it was a real blessing for the whole guild that their tall and blonde Guild Master was acquainted with a known and powerful guild.
"The Excalibur is our target. We failed last time only because we were caught unprepared by the enemy. But now is a different story! We are here! Our guild will claim that treasure. We will be recognized as worthy to stand side by side with the strong guilds out there with our heads held high."
""Ooohh!!""
"Men and women of Helium, this is our time. We will storm this forest and defeat that wretched evil standing between us and our treasure..."
The ship is a light armed warship, designed for space use without the flight wings. Its balance wasn't as good as those made with those with wings but put it into the outer space and this ship will be one of the fastest in there.
Its name is Burien, equipped with a Proton Collider [E] that fires off 5 bullets at a time. It's Sylphiadora's SS-Missouri with the same shielded knight design but it has a more obvious emphasis on movement than fire.
That's the reason why it was a light armed warship.
Still, even if it was a light armed warship, its one and only armament, the Proton Collider [E], is an S-Grade weapon that can be powered by 10 Fire-Element or any Projectile-Type ability specialized personnel.
In regards to the ship's fire power, Burien can also be considered a class on its own with the purpose of a sniper in the battlefield.
On the northern border, its imposing simple appearance hovered over the hills and shallow part of the forest's edges. Its shadow cast over the Predators who grouped up like cavemen, then stopped on top of a strategically placed hill that frightened the weak hearted beasts.
Inside the bridge, the commander of Helium Guild, the "Blood Sword" of the Northern Kingdom, Jack Stone, stood proudly and mightily with his men.
With a flick of his finger, he was engulfed in a spray of multilayered light, vanishing from the command bridge like a bubble popping up in midair. He soon appeared in the cargo bay together with his guild mates and faced them dignified while steadying his fluttering cape.
"This is our time!" He shouted and motioned, showing his men as he crushed an imaginary rock.
In his cape, an insignia appeared.
The emblem of a green colored fire surrounding an evaporating air ball like snake beaconed with the light.
From the head to his feet, his armor changed one by one like a predetermined effect. From plain white like fabric, it became a metallic hue of white gold. It was a scene of brilliance and elegant display.
"Today, we are heroes!"
""Ooh!!""
"Today, we are immortal!"
""Ooh!!""
"Today, we are the angels of Terroa and in this day we. Are. Conquering. This hell! CHARGE!"
""Oooooooohhhhh...""
With the roar of the 50+ spirited members of Helium, the ground shook with the sound of their feet. It came like thunder, frightening the weak hearted Predators, a storming, roaring, large group of hunters without fear of any form.
They rushed out the hangar as soon as it opened, the ground trembling beneath heir feet.
In the forest, a large roar can be heard screaming.
The trees creaked and cracked, one monster awakened from his slumber. Green scales, red eyes, a body of a black puma, with the hunger of a giant beast, the speed of a cheetah, the size of three elephants.
It run and roared, pushing the trees aside. And when it saw the first group of men from the Helium Guild, the fight to the death began with the bright magic flash.
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
***
Kathleen Brew had her left brow high.
FlowerLord's expression is set in "Alert" mode while the target of the question they heard was fidgeting like a lost teenager asked for a date for the first time.
In front of the three was a rather strikingly beautiful combat girl wearing desert themed full body suit.
She did not hide her primary weapons as most players did. She was an archer, a swordswoman, a mage, and right now, a gunslinger with dual guns on her thighs.
The .56 Cal "Gemini" is supposed to be a rifle-grade arms, but with the help of modern development in anti-recoil technologies, the Gemini had been modified to be a lethal anti-personnel weapon in the 22nd century.
The Gemini holstered on both Loni's thighs imposed a very serious atmosphere in the peace-loving Scion.
Adding the surprise she felt when she has suddenly been approached by such a person escorted by strong looking players, her expression from surprise became a pure look of puzzlement.
"Sorry to have surprised you. Please, let me rephrase my words. Esteemed Arch Mage Scion, 'Fairy Goddess of the Lake', I am Loni Lockshire from Tower of Sol Guild. If it's not much of your time, can we talk about some things regarding your destination?"
Even though the former statement "Excuse me, Hailed Arch Mage Scion," had been a shocking sentence by itself, the rephrased version she just said wasn't in any way less surprising than the first.
"Wait just a minute there," FlowerLord stepped up in front of her friend before any supplementary statement was actually given out. "What's the meaning of this? I know that mark in your hand. You're from TOS Guild in the Capital. What do you want with her?"
"If you'd allow me, this is not the proper place to talk about the matters of my intrusion."
"We're kind of busy, we can't waste anymore time in here. I'm sorry but we have to dec—"
"—it's about The Destroyer."
The three gasped when they heard the name, or rather, his self proclaimed title. It was already agreed between them that the three traveling companions were to set the matter of their travel a secret.
As women who agreed with common terms, it was an unspoken trust between them that they had never told a soul with their purpose. FlowerLord is undoubtedly on the side of her friend while Scion, or Amanda, is not the person to tell stories about her feelings to other people other than those close to her.
That said, the two also understood that Kathleen wasn't the type to tell tales about other people's business. For her, this adventure was a first and that she was also a woman who understood what Scion was going through.
So they gasped when they thought, 'how and why does this person knew who we are after?'
But,
"I get the feeling that that's just the coating."
Loni smiled to Kathleen's stout inquisitive abilities. It was a feat worthy of her experience being an anchor of the most famous RPG: Terroa TV Show in the world.
"You're right, it's just the teaser line. That's why I ask if you could at least spare a few moments for us to talk about him. I assure you, whatever reason you have to chase his trail, we also have more or less the same intensity of reasons to know his name. So?"
The three exchanged looks and dropped their guard. A lull came but didn't last long as FlowerLord raised a palm towards Loni.
"Sorry, but we have a different reason than the one you have against him. No matter your case, ours is personal and aren't as close as what you might be referring to as 'against him.' Rather, we have to decline your request for a talk because we are actually in a hurry."
Loni fell silent as FlowerLord tried to push forth in the semi closed wall Loni's group of women made. And before they could actually pass through, Loni recovered her bearing and spoke in a softer, pleading tone.
"Please, it's not gonna take long. We just wanted to tell you some important things. Including his whereabouts and the people he might be affiliated with."
The last words made Scion turn to her.
"The people he might be affiliated with?"
Though it was different from what Loni was told, instead of the impression of them chasing him because of FlowerLord's defeat, the person they thought was a backup for FlowerLord's revenge is actually shedding tears in front of Loni.
It was confusingly surprising that Loni was taken aback by the intensity of her feelings. As a woman herself, the worry coming from Scion's gaze wasn't something to be taken lightly.
"Please tell me! Who are these people he's affiliated with. I need to know. Please tell me..."
FlowerLord moved faster than Loni could think, she put a hand on her shoulders and pulled her back, easing her back, caressing her sobbing shoulders.
"I'm sorry, Loni of TOS, as I've said before, we have a different purpose why we are chasing him. We can't give you anything else than this but we'd actually be grateful if you'd just leave us alone."
Loni was dumbstruck. Two, three seconds passed by as the group of three made their way. She grit her teeth to brace herself, clenched her fists and turned to them. It was the first time she became speechless from shock, a feeling much more different than when she first saw the person she knew now as The Destroyer.
"Pl-Please wait! Alright, I... I will be brief. We came to see you because we needed your help. We are in a deep need of the strength the Fairy of the Lake have. A fight for Terroa is at hand and we believe that in the midst of it all, The Destroyer is moving at the center of this storm."
"Storm?" Kathleen, as the one at the rear side, turned to Loni as her reporter instincts picked up the signal of a major scoop.
"There's a conspiracy going on. RPG: Terroa may just be a game for you guys but for The Union of Seven Nations and the rest of the world's allied countries, this world is not just a game anymore. And we have reasons to say that The Destroyer might be involved deeply in this conspiracy that involved the New Countries."
Shocked, the three stopped and turned to face her. But it was Scion who had a pale face that, once again, made Loni almost lose her composure. She even disclosed classified information on complete strangers.
Maybe it was stupidity or just womanly instincts, but there was something in her that was ignited by the way Scion reacted with utterance of The Destroyer's name.
Or is it that she was becoming obsessed with him? He was, after all, the first man who made her weak to the knees that she trembled.
"The Union... of the Seven Nations?" Kathleen paled. "I can't... believe this. Is this some kind of joke?"
I can't go back now, Loni thought bitterly.
"No. This is serious matter. Haven't you realized the reason why the world agreed to include the Nanotech Weapons Design as the game's main feature? It was all because the countries are planning something behind the scenes and they are using this game as a medium to make that plan real."
Scion lost her strength and FlowerLord caught her. The tears in her eyes further made Loni's heart feel heavy.
No. In fact there might be something else called 'guilt' already forming there. She can't stop now, she already gone off and told them what shouldn't have been told.
She ignored the puzzled and concerned looks from the members of her team and good thing that they all knew what to be done so they minimized the people that can hear their conversation and moved off the crowd.
"Rex..." Scion uttered and cried. "What happened to you?" She cried to her friend's arms where the latter glared at Loni menacingly.
Loni also felt that something was amiss. There was a strong feeling that she was missing something very big and important here, and yet she can't put a finger as to what exactly was that 'something big' is.
She heard her sobs very clearly, even the wish and the question she posed to the air.
"What the hell are you trying to pull here? You want to invite her and use her? And what? So that you can do this and that, then prove what? Do you know what you are doing? Would you go as far as pull these strings just to get your hands on her?"
"No... I..." Loni tried to defend herself shakily.
"Alice."
"No, Amanda. Let me tell them what's wrong. It's..."
"Alice, please, let me talk to them."
FlowerLord felt the strong will backing up that short sentence. She looked at her friend and saw a resolve that she haven't seen for a very long time.
Perhaps the last time she saw that look is when Rex's bloody body first came into their care.
She remembered that scene then, he was a bloody mess and that they had to actually need 3 doctors working on him simultaneously just to save his life.
Broken arm, broken leg, damaged spine, dislocated jaw and fractured hips, liver almost to the point of bleeding him to death, blood loss, impaled throat, and bone deep wounds on the fingers... Rex on that day was also both a miracle of effort and strong will.
He shouldn't be alive and yet he survived. And on the second day when he was brought in, just a few minutes after his operations, he woke up and asked for Baron as the first things in his mind.
Even she herself couldn't help but cry. But if there was actually someone who was utterly affected by his show of unwavering spirit, it was Amanda who went the extra hundreds of miles to make sure he would survive and receive the best of cares.
Amanda at the time had the will of a person who had a heart of steel. She just couldn't believe that she'd see the same look in her eyes in a place like this.
Rex, for her, is an existence this big. It was another reason why she can't forgive that Rex for ever making her friend like this.
Leaving without saying anything... he'll get what he deserves when he gets back.
"Please, Miss Loni, tell me what you know about Re—about The Destroyer. I will listen to you so please, tell me everything you know."
The person called Loni took a few moment to recover her bearing. Being the receiver of such intense beauty, and gaze, even a girl herself would get flustered and blush out of confusion.
"E-Ehem... I... over... sigh... alright. I will tell you all the things you need to know about him. But in return, you will listen and consider my request."
"Okay."
"Alright. Now that that's settled, follow me to Crown Hotel, we'll be talking for a long time in there."
Unable to say a word, Loni escorted Scion off the area while Kathleen followed suit like a smiling cat. And when she was wordlessly about to follow too, she turns around and saw him.
"Ah...!!"