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Volume 4
Chapter 24: Yearning Hearts
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Four hours left until the deadline of the mission grant time, Siva sat down on a bench. As he felt like his dirty outfit was standing out, he decided to spend the time waiting to the Comfort Room and change.
Thankfully, he had a few spare time from the hangar port area on the way to the library so he bought a new cloak and a few helpful items in the street shops.
A white plain cloak versus the dark grey one he was on right now. The Destroyer preferred dark colors because he mostly worked during the night so it helps more to hide his silhouette in the darkness. A white version of his current cloak was luckily in the stalls and from the moment he laid eyes on it, there was this inkling that he absolutely must have that for his second form.
So he went to the Comfort Room to change.
Of course, he disengaged the current equipment setting and just focused as a pure gunslinger under the cloak.
No, in fact it’s even an understatement to call it a cloak because it’s more like a poncho specifically made for gunslingers like him.
Like a blanket with a hole for the head, it was covering his arms all the way trough his knees on both front and back sides. There was a slit for the hands up front, the adjoining layers fastened into his left shoulder using a one-press lock.
In first glance, it could hide his arms even when he purposely lowers them. It’s a perfect partner when in a cold place traveling alone.
His guns were fixed at his thighs, wrapped tightly with a leather strap. His black palm gloves with finger holes complimented the white sleeve and the white cloak, the skull mask under the hood looked like real.
In fact, if he were to be wearing this outfit during the night, he’d easily be mistaken for a ghost.
What’s missing now is just scythe.
But as he looked himself in the mirror, “Not bad.” his taste of clothes agreed.
Not intimidating but absolutely complimented his skin tone. The black smoke skin fingers actually looked like part of the gloves and as he made poses as if an old western cowboy with white cloak and a skull mask, he drew out a smile as he felt satisfied.
“This is good.”
But then the smile vanished. The purpose of this very action is the fact that he had to disguise his identity. He must put a distinctive line between Siva default, Siva “The Gunslinger”, and Siva “The Destroyer”.
“This way, I will survive longer.”
What he was avoiding to happen is that he was still in his cursed state. He was able to slip through the curse’s effects in Loire thanks to his cleverness but he knew it well enough that cleverness without a cause will, some way or another, come back biting him in the ass.
So he had to be careful when telling a white lie and to be cautious of his words and actions. He had to plan all his activities and make sure that his identities’ covers will not be thwarted and discovered that easily.
So that leaves him asking, “Why did I even trusted that Cassiopeia?”
Knowing her and her inability to read circumstances around her, she was bound to slip her tongue in more ways than he thought.
“But I need her right now to find them.”
True enough, he had no one to rely on in search of the Excalibur. In fact, Siva would have let it go. But when he recall the betrayal of his good intentions in Anazon Forest, his blood boils in anger.
But Siva knew better than to let his emotions get the better hold of him. He had messed up real bad for so many times because of his inability to manage it.
Like for example how he lost to his temper last night in the Hotel Room. There were rumors and blogs, articles, and even NEWS of countless people angry and mad at him for causing that chaos.
Businesses were ruined, pets and tamed monsters died with some players even dying themselves.
Traffic accidents were scattered and his third name had made it into the Wanted List. The Destroyer is now an E-class wanted criminal in Loire and all the cities that is under the jurisdiction and protection of the Knight Order of the Seven Pillars.
So, more than ever, he needed someone ‘free’ to go and search for the members of Helium Guild for him.
And he also knew that The Illuminati info network can also be used as the Helium Guild is once part of it. So perhaps the reason why Helium Guild quit the circle is because they knew that he will be searching for them.
He was lucky, in fact, that Helium Guild knew him and Cassiopeia’s Boys are in bad standing so he did not miss the opportunity to use that fact to his advantage.
Siva used the change on Cassiopeia’s attitude towards him as a means to deploy her as her personal search engine. Well, it has its own merits as well as demerits.
“One final testing.”
With apathetic anticipation, Siva materialized the dark metallic Dragunov under his cloak, and disintegrated it as soon as it appeared.
With the current [Locked] effect of Malevolent Aura, the free and aimless dark particles evaporated on his shoulder over his cloak like smoke.
“Like a real ghost.” He murmured.
Siva raised his skull mask and he stared at his image in the mirror. With the addition of dark aura vaporizing on his shoulders, the impression of a dark-elemental astral-type monster was staring at him from the mirror.
“Cool.”
Before vanity starting to take root, Siva cancelled the Dragunov’s disintegration and dematerialized it whole at the next moment.
He had no use for it on his current chosen fighting style because the only use he had left for the Dragunov is a close ranged Stun Shield. Anything that he touches or touches him will be stunned.
But being a «Gunslinger» at that, the Dragunov is just a useless shield when in the offensive.
He went out of the CR with high spirits but then he saw a large man blocking the door.
“Uh, excuse me.” The gruff voice rang.
Siva raised his head and felt surprised, that’s Cramer, no doubt about it. He silently made way for him and he entered the CR when Siva tried to recover from shock while slowly walking away.
But then Cramer came running out holding a dark grey clothing on hand, and when he saw him, Siva gasped.
“Hey!” —shit, am I discovered?— “You forgot this. It is a useless piece of clothing when worn like this but in the darkness and cold, cloaks are good protection. You should look behind you when leaving places like this.”
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Siva took the grey cloak and stored in on his inventory.
“Th-Thank you…”
“Just don’t forget about your things.”
Siva, seeing as Cramer was such a good guy, felt a bit of pinch as he felt the same pressure he had on and off the battlefield. It just shows that Cramer wasn’t a weak player. He even wondered how he was able to defeat such a strong player that can give out that kind of vibe.
He felt really intimidated by Cramer that he sank in his lowest spirits as he looked back.
And just then, he heard him talking with his companion that also entered the CR.
“I really wanted to see that guy again. I wonder how strong he is now. I want to fight him again.”
“Nah, I’m not interested in him one bit. What I want to know is Cassiopeia’s sizes.”
“You imbecile! You’re already a father of two kids on two different mothers and yet you still want to chase skirts of other girls.”
“Hmp. Look who’s talking. I bet you get hard thinking about that girl who can use Dark Spear.”
“Oh, hehehe… I only acknowledge strong women…”
Siva immediately darted off on the corner of the CR that oversees the library’s entrance. He saw a large group of players gathering in there and saw in shock that Volt and Amanda was there.
“Shit.”
He put his back on the wall as he tried his best to not get attention. His ears guarded from the direction of the CR and he sneaked a peak to the gathered group.
Then he saw the girl he fought together with Cramer in the War of Two Powers, and she was with Cassiopeia, the latter anchored between two female guards.
“Damn it. I knew she’s gonna screw up.”
“Come on, call him.” Ordered FlowerLord and Siva saw Amanda scowl at FlowerLord who made a “hmp” as she turned around.
“Please, don’t treat her badly.” Amanda told the female guards and the two nodded as they let go of her arms.
“Wh-Who are you?” Cassiopeia asked her warily.
“My name is Amanda, I’m sorry that they are treating you that way. I apologize. But we really have to find him because it is really urgent and important.”
Cassiopeia frowned at her. “And why would I let my master be captivated by another woman? I won’t help you even if you hurt me.”
Siva saw Amanda almost cry with that reply and her genuinely hurt expression made FlowerLord yell.
“Hey! I don’t plan to play along with your master and slave antiques but if you plan to fucking play the role of a loyal slave, ten be it. I shall make you puke blood right here and now.”
Cassiopeia was being intimidated and Amanda was the one who was protecting her from FloerLord.
Siva couldn’t believe what he was seeing as Cassiopeia really looked weak and fragile that way.
“Please, Alice, don’t resort to violence!”
—Alice?! She’s Alice? From the hospital? I do recall her being a gamer but Amanda… I see now. She was dragged here.
“Amanda. We’ve come a long way here now. Why are you just letting it go like that?”
“But it’s not the right way!”
“Right or not, if she insists of playing slavery, then I’ll give her the slavery she wants!”
“Arch Mage” at that moment, Siva saw another female player that looks familiar to him stepped forth. “She’s right. We’ve wasted enough time here and who knows if he already noticed our presences here. Every minute we waste here is another minute gained by the Dark Group. We can’t let them meet him first before us.”
—Dark Group? What’s that?
From behind Siva, he heard sounds of laughter.
His heart rate increased and if it could only be visible behind his mask, the beads of sweat could also be said forming into a river.
He almost forgot that he was surrounded in two fronts and Siva looked back to see the shadows of Cramer with his companion going out to his direction.
“Shit, this is bad.”
Looking around, he was looking for an escape.
If he walks out and run towards the shelves in the mid part of the dome, the group in the entrance will see him without a doubt. But if he stays here, Cramer will see him and notice that he’s hiding form the group that was in the entrance.
It’s not like he was actually trying to avoid a fight against him, but remembering how angry Augustus was that he caused a commotion in the Hotel District last night, was enough to make Siva shiver.
He can’t risk dragging people into his mess.
He already made Augustus wary of his secret talks with Faust and his secret dealings in the internet, he can’t afford hiding more secrets to him than he had now.
The deal was to work alone. Just imagining what an angry Augustus will do to him or Baron he…
“Che.”
Siva clicked his tongue as he looked up in despair. He was trapped, there was no escaping.
—or maybe there is.
He looked behind him and saw Cramer laughing off as he and his companion was about to turn. He threw a Plasma Grenade to him and two more at the direction of the entrance. And while the grenades were in midair, he equipped his Flight Armor and prepared to flee.
When the grenades exploded and scattered the white colored tasteless, odorless, cold smoke screen, all the people that was meant to be the target of the surprise attack all froze on their feet.
“What the…?!” Cramer jumped back and stumbled with his companion.
“Is this an attack?” FlowerLord hugged Amanda who pulled Cassiopeia to a corner.
“No! This is…” Volt knew what it was as he had seen it twice already.
An explosion occurred in the library and the patrons and other innocent bystanders inside broke into a chaos and run away.
“It’s him!” Volt screamed! “It’s Dex!”
“Dex?! Whose that?” Asked Loni.
“The Destroyer is here!”
The smoke screen scattered in all directions and filled the entire library. The people inside were engulfed in a chaotic spree. People began to block the entrance and Volt and the others had no choice but to escape outside.
“He’s there!” Screamed a male voice.
“I won’t let you!” FlowerLord roared as she stretched her hand in a flurry of signs in reaction.
Dark Spears formed like arrows, ten dark pointed spike hovering in the air was shot towards the direction of the lower left.
CLANG! CLANG!
“What the fuck?!” A male voice echoed angrily and the attacking FlowerLord beamed out a victory cry.
“I got him!”
“Yeah you fucking got me!” Brushing the black arrows from his golden brown armor, Cramer angrily pointed at the purple octagonal prompts with the words [Immortal Object] on his left shoulder. “You fucking did alright.”
“E-Ehem… I thought you were him.”
“And you don’t even apologize.”
“What? It was your fault you were there in the first place. If your large ugly face wasn’t there, I would have gotten him!”
“Idiot!” Cramer cried and pointed towards the top of the inner library. “I saw someone fly up there and broke the glass ceiling of the library. He’s the one who yelled at you, dimwit!”
“Who you’re calling a dimwit, you bald gorilla?!” FlowerLord croaked.
“I’m calling you a dimwit, dimwitted shrimp!”
As the two were bickering, Loni slammed a fist on the wall of the entrance.
“Fuck! We’ve been had!”
And at that moment, “Master? Yes. Yes I understand.”
Eyes pointed at Cassiopeia, she looked at Amanda and gave her the ear piece she was using. At that moment, all noises went silent as Amanda shakily put the ear piece on her left ear.
“Rex…?”
““Rex?”” Loni’s and Volt’s group’s reactions echoed at the same time. The group was of surprise, but the other was of utter shock.
“Rex please come back…”
With the sound of the wind brushing the mic, Siva’s voice replied clearly on Amanda’s ear.
[I’m sorry I can’t go back. Not yet.]
Tears flowed down Amanda’s cheeks and Agatha was the one who walked in first to support her. The short sobs that echoed from her made Siva’s face behind the mask contort in agony, if it was even visible.
He wondered just how the sound of her sobs could make his heart clench in pain.
“Rex…” The yearning in that call made Siva stop in the middle of his flight and he looked back to the side of the east horizon where he came. “Rex, pleeeease…”
Amanda broke into heavy cries and Siva could only bite his own lips to stop himself from breaking down.
[Amanda.. I-I can’t go back yet. Baron still needs me. I have to save him. I have to find him!]
“We can look for him together!”
[It’s not that easy. If you’re together with Volt, then you guys should know what kind of circumstances I have. Please understand…. I have to do this.]
“Rex! Rex, please don’t do this… please don’t leave me again…”
With tears flowing from his eyes, Siva realized just now what kind of yearning he had in his heart.
He only spent a small time with her but he knew that she had made a special place in his heart. It wasn’t that Amanda was beautiful nor sweet, no, Rex had already met several women with far better qualities than her.
But Amanda was different. She was different in many ways unexplainable even on his own words.
And the way she was different form the other women out there was what made him think of her in times he was lonely. In times he was sad or when he was in pain, Amanda’s smile, her gentle touch, her caring voice, he could hear them in his sleep telling him stories to make him sleep and feel at ease.
She was his sanctuary.
He may not remember it well, but he felt Amanda’s heart from her gentle hands.
Rex is in love with her, as stupid a way or reason that may be. He loves her. But as much as it makes him the happiest man alive to have such affection from a girl like her, he had a mission to fulfill and that takes priority over everything else.
Baron is his baby brother. He must save him no matter what. Even if it means gathering enemies and leaving behind the people he loves.
[Amanda, don’t look for me.]
—because he might hurt you if he doesn’t get what he wants.
The fear in his heart won over and Siva ended the call.
He kicked the air and faced the west, finding the Magus Archive will happen another city. For now, with the sunset colored horizon dying his white cloak, he steeled his resolve to save the one treasure he will kill just to make sure alive.
“Rex! Please, don’t do this to me!” Amanda broke into a cry as she knelt down on the library entrance. Friends, both new and old, could only try to ease her heart.
Her cries resounded like a pouring rain, echoing on the hearts of those who felt just how she was feeling.
Cassiopeia bit her lips as she recalled the words Siva told her earlier.
[I’m sorry, please endure it. No matter what happens, no matter what they do to you, don’t tell them where I will be going. Someday, I promise, I’ll pay you back.]
Her eyes cast down on Amanda, Cassiopeia accepted the sad fact that she will always be, helplessly, a slave to her womanly desires with Siva.
—Yes, yes master… I understand.