Chapter 14:

“Hey everyone still alive~?!” Yue Fei Shouted his voice alone seemed to cause the air to vibrate as he and his crew flew through the sky. Having jumped the last hurdle to their destination he saw the state of the current of situation. Luo Feng’s original crew was holding their ground fairly well seemly not in any dangerous position. He had seen the same situation, time and time again for the last few weeks, had everyone become so accustomed to such a scene.

Like Yue Fei there were members of Luo Feng’s crew form his own school in mid-air having jumped from the ground, and into the air like himself. Striking at the source of their aggressors, looking upward to the sky and around him Yue Fei could see them. For a second, he almost wished he hadn’t seen them, in the air and around him there were humongous butterflies flying around in the sky. Each individual creature’s size ranges from two meters from head to their rear, their wing spans stretched outward nearly 17 feet. The larger one was nearly three times the size and their wingspans was five times the smaller one.

Many would think and react of how beautiful they were by the bright colorful patterns on their wings and if they were smaller, but when it just some happens that they are over 6 feet tall where one can see their true appearance that people usually can’t see because of their small structure. one can’t really say that they look very pretty with the massive sphere-like eyes made of hexagon, long stick-legs and its big furry body.

Not a sight one would call pretty at least not by human standards.

“Ew, gross. I think I liked them better when they were smaller.” Yue Fei couldn’t help but mummer to himself as he fell to the ground. Landing with a hard thud the earth shoke under his boot, and echoed in the air. His hand gripped on his sword handle drawing it out as he spung on his heel, while thumbing the activation stub the sword crackled into life. His sword connecting with head of one of the massive bugs that was flying straight towards him, bisecting the creature from head to groin as the creature flew through the blade.

Like a hot knife through butter, the blade slide through the bugs body before the two halves flopped onto the ground twitching as if in a seizure. Ignoring the corpse Yue Fei braced for the next opponent, the sight no longer causing him to flinch due to the amount of death he has already inflicted in the last few weeks. Unlike the first few instants of combat that he has experienced, where after the effects of adrenaline has worn off. Did the reality of what has occurred really hit him like a tidal wave, overwhelming at first but gradually he learned to whether it better.

Another massive bug came from another angle though he knew of it, he could truly react to it in time due to the distance between the two. Thus, Yue Fei could only take the only course action he could take. Defend, so he braced himself against the assault. The butterfly came rushing head first, with its sharp talon legs spread outward, the sharp tips aimed to skewer him.

Such would have been his fate, if it weren’t for his armor. The legs upon clashing against the armor plates of his suit, bent and fold before crumbling. Before shattering like glass upon the surface the effect followed through the rest of the creature’s body as the creature unable to halt its charge slammed itself against him. Splattering itself into smears of gore against Yue Fei’s armor plates, recoloring his armor in tints of its own green blood. The impact barely even registering to Yue Fei, he barely even felt the impact. Overlooking his form wiping the slick gore clinging onto him, the scenario baffled him.

This was but another factor that surprised and shocked Yue Fei, when he noticed this fact. Theoretically that should have done more than just splatter over him, but his plates barely seemed crack or dented. Was it because the cobalt steel was too strong? However, that theory made no sense to him after all everyone knows that cobalt steel despite being three times stronger than Tungsten Titanium alloy, it was a relatively cheap metal. However, playing his memories back to the first combat in his armor, and then comparing it to another stream of memories in his mind after the events later he noticed it. In the first battle the reason why, their armors cracked and broke wasn’t because of the force and impacts of the creatures. Of course, that did contribute to that fact but the main factor was because of the rushed imperfected welding techniques thus it broke off at the seams where the welding was done.

Now after many trials and errors, they have refined a truly concentrated multilayer dense cobalt steel armor suit, he was truly untouchable. Well at least he felt that way to an extent. During this time of contemplation, he failed to register the threat of another butterfly creature this time coming up from the rear. This one however, before it could reach him was smashed into paste along the ground by a set of armored boots. Crashing down into it, spraying its ichor into the air like geysers before falling like showers of rain drops around the area. Spinning on his heels Yue Fei weapon held out ready to strike but held back, seeing the armored figure of

Other figures soon landed beside Yue Fei landing with hard thuds against the soil it was his own crew. Forming into a defensive formation surrounding Yue Fei, having him at the center. Weapons draw and at the ready, all around them dust clouds were forming from the impacts of their rough landing, as well as several body parts of the massive butterfly creatures. And several sprays of green fluid mostly the creature’s blood, falling over the group.

“Damn if I knew today was going to rain, I would have packed an umbrella.” Yue Fei said sarcastically at the situation. This earned a sharp side glance from Yue Yang’s helmet, though his face was covered he could imagine the sheer disdain for the words that was just spoken.

“Shut up with the lame jokes! Your sense of humor is shit you know that buddy.” Yue Yang’s voice barked thorough his helm, loud and clear. Despite the surrounding noise around them.

“Oh, so you got something better huh, well let’s hear it then, eh smartass.” Yue Fei retorted back, at the side Kim-Sing’s helm head shoke slightly from side to side. Clearly fed up with the bickering happening between the duo. “Enough…. we need to focus on the task at hand, though these bugs seem familiar somehow why?”

“Well~, that’s because they resemble Papilio Maackii butterflies back home.” An unfamiliar voice cut in through the air.

“A what now? What-what the hells a “Papilio Maackii?” Everyone’s head in response to words of the newcomer as more armored figures landed near them joining in on the circle. As some members of Yue Fei moved in to cover them, weapons swiping at the incoming creatures to keep them away.

“A Papilio Maackii, these Butterfly resemble the ones back home that is known as “Papilio Maackii” at least that’s what they call it. The type that was said to originate from the lands known as Central Asia form places that were called Japan, China and South Korea supposedly.” The figure removed his helmet, revealing his face to Yue Fei, a youthful face with a dark-dirty brownish hair along with emblem-colored eyes, before extending his free hand towards him. “Names Alex thanks for coming to our aid, but where’s Luo Feng?” receiving his hand in kind Yue Fei shoke his hand.

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“He’s right behind us we went on ahead of him.” Was Yue Fei responded but before he could elaborate any further. As if on cue several figures landed near them, at the head was the man in question Luo Feng.

“We’re here Alex now let’s clean up this infestation we have a schedule to keep.”

Far away from the group, in another part in the world there were several figures sitting around a table enjoying a meal together. Then the eldest figure of the group ceased in his action then spoke.

“Ravus, Sam I have something I must speak to you boys about.” The elderly figure spoke softly putting down his dinner utility. His eyes gazing towards the two smaller figures among the group.

“Yes, grandpa Merlin?” Ravus responded as Sam whom had lost his voice could only nod at the old man’s words and return the gaze. “I know this might be a bit sudden, but I managed to pull strings through my connections, I have arranged for the two of you to attend Spirit Hall.”

The two showed signs of surprise and awe, switching their sight form the old man to each other, but held their discipline not to show it so openly on their face. The news was of that importance, this was the Spirit Hall, the most prestige academy of the entire world. Put together through the efforts of the Covenant Alliance, the place where genius are raise, but not all or many were capable of entering.

“Grandpa how-” Ravus started but was halted with a single gesture from the elderly man.

“Do not worry yourself about that, we’ve taken care of everything on our part go, learn and develop into the man that your father would have been proud of and don’t worry you won’t be alone. Your other brothers are already attending within Spirt Hall and brother Julius will accompany you there.

The other older figure among the table spoke, this one younger than Merlin.

“Thank Uncle Matthew.” Ravus said as Sam nodded his head towards the man. “Now let’s finish up, the foods getting cold and you both have a long day ahead of you.” So, the group finished their meals the two young lads said their last words to their elderly, before retreating to their quarters to begin the process of packing.

The duo grownups stayed behind at first not saying a word, before Matthew addressed his father. “Do you really believe they will safe there who knows what they might experience in there? It not like the Covenant Alliance would intervene should something happens given tier late actions of late.”

“No.” his father answered in response. The expression on the old man’s face tightened just slightly. “But it will at least give him a fighting chance how has things been on your side? How as the shadows been?”

At this Matthew face dropped and his face seemed to have grower darker at the mention of the main topic. “They ae getting bolder, with each passing day they just keep sending in more on the prince’s life, its honestly getting harder to even cover up the tracks that they’ve left behind. That lad is no fool, I’m sure he suspects the assassination attempts to be the real reason for his departure from the house.”

“That I’m also aware.” Merlin solemnly said letting out a sigh before his expression turned fierce showing none of the weakness of an old man of his age. “I’m counting on you to get them there in one piece my son.”

At that Matthew simply replied back to his father, in a voice of confidence. “We both know that will not be a problem for me.”

Back to Yue Fei’s crew; the battle had long since finished the bodies of the creatures were piled up and burned the fire lighting up the encroaching darkness around them. The sun was beginning its decent over the horizon, the battle was over long before then night even came. The sounds of rocks being smashed and soil being shifted resonated in the air, along with the soft thuds of armored boots.

“Hey I have another crate here ready for delivery here!” Yue Fei’s boomed echoing off the rock walls around him. “Yeah, I’m coming~!” another voice answered his call echoing down the path.

Yue Fei looked down at his hull, the large crates that the Luo Feng’s group had found among the still operation working factory. Or rather factories, for there was more than just one, the factory was a mesh-mashed abomination of multiple factories somehow mended into one. The crate or crates he had filled to the absolute brim was filled with shining stones. Stones with a semi-transparent form like crystal completed with a light bioluminescence glow that pulsed just slightly every second or so. The others had actual crystal formations in them, the size range greatly between each piece, these too like the other had a glow to them.

He didn’t know what these were and he wasn’t in the mood to enjoy it. How could he? He and the others around him, all of whom were swing pick axes and heavy mallets. Crack and crushing massive blunders that just spilled more of these beautiful ores, at first, they were excited but soon the excitement turned to boredom. What were they to do with these ores? He could help but wonder to himself, sure they look beautiful but that was about it. There was nothing more they could do with it other than pile seemly increased more and more taking up a whole storage within one of the factories that they were dumping the ores within.

Then just ahead of him Yue Yang, Qin Xa, and Mou-ming with a swing of the massive mallets as one broke the rock surface in front of their group. The rock cracked then all at once like a rumbling wall it fell apart gust of wind carrying the clouds dust particles swipe all of them like a tidal wave. This force everyone to look away and to close their eyes, Yue Fei felt every prink of dirt against his exposed face, having removed his helmet once they started this labor. After a moment it all settled down and the dust started to clear away as light seemed to shine through gaping hole that has appeared in front of them.

Releasing them back into the outside world once again. This startled Yue Fei as he rushed forward with Ying Zheng and Mengya at his side the other rushed to aid in Yue Yangs and the other recovery. Sure, enough once outside Yue Fei looked and could see the mountain that they were digging into, at least form the other side now, they had dug straight thorough the mountain. The sight baffled the trio as they stood stupefied at what they were witnessing.

Others joined them and found themselves in the same predicament. Then for the next few minutes, they rushed back and forth from one end of the gaping tunnel entrance to the other. Using the industrial equipment that they had acquired from the factory, running test and estimates. Though they could truly understand the equipment they were using they understood them just enough for their theories. That was all they need and what they found shocked the group.

“That can’t be right check again Han Xin.” Luo Feng said to his friend.

“We did six times; this is as close as we can get, this is correct.” The one named Han Xin replied also sounding like he was offended by the statement.

“Seven kilometers, we dug a tunnel as long as nearly seven kilometers long through a mountain with just our hands?”

The statement swipe over everyone listening to this, however this was the fact, but that was also not the only extreme discovery, this Yue Fei realized looking at his watch. It was near seven when they had left the academy grounds, now it was four but closer to five in the afternoon. This couldn’t be right it just couldn’t, it defied all logic.

“Wait-wait-wait are you telling me, that we dug seven kilometers straight down to the bed rocks in just over eight hours with just our blood, sweat and shovels?” Han Zhuo repeated, exclaiming out loud. Baffled at the revelation the shovel in his hand gripped tightly. No one reacted to his outburst, as all were shock to the core at this news as well.

How was this even be humanly possible? This only hammered the weird feeling that Yue Fei was force to recognized once again, the abnormality of the situation, of themselves.

“Wow, so we really dung straight through the mountain just like that, for a total of eight hours now I think we’ve just set a new world record or something.” Yue Fei almost wanted to retort to Yue Yang about that, just as he had with his jokes but found his lips sealed. Eight hours, eight hours was all it took for them with just pure muscles and the help of their powered armored suits to crave a path through the base of a mountain.

“Did we even need the machines?” Mi Liu asked dumbfoundedly at the side. All faces fell at that, that was the whole purpose of this digging effort to begin with in the first place. They had been looking for fuel to operate the machines but all they found were just useless ores that were of no value to them.

“Let’s just call it a day.” Kim-sing simply said none rebuke his works and so the group picked themselves up and started to walk down the tunnel that they had dung through. Along the way the group was talking among themselves.

“So, what do we do with all the dirt?”

“Keep them nearby we’re going to need to refill back up the holes afterward.”

“Let’s just fill it up not much else we can do with that.”

“That can wait for another time there’s no point in refilling up the place just yet.”

Such was the conversations happening.

However, Yue Fei was not partied to either of these conversations as he walked in silence, in contemplation by himself of the scenario around him. When sudden something entered his view of sight. Something that he and the others hadn't seen before, a weird stone was sticking out from the surface of the wall. He had not noticed it before so he casually walked toward it. He brushed away at the soil revealing more of the surface of the substance, whatever it was it certainly was not natural almost man-made, judging from the alien runes that decorated the surface. Seeing this Yue Fei turned his head around calling his people to him.

“Hey guys come check this out I think we found something.”