(TPOR) Chapter 182: Alternative Entrance

Zed stared down at what remained of the golem. He remained disappointed.

The creature looked like someone had taken an axe to a wall quite angrily. There were broken bricks and bent iron. It was scattered all over the ground in front of him. He stared down at it, unsure of what to do now.

Actually, he knew what to do. It was simply the lack of satisfaction that had him simply standing there, staring down.

After what felt like a long moment, he sighed.

Kid walked up beside him, dragging [Titan’s Axe] behind him like it was too heavy to lift. He came to a stop and stared down at what was left of the golem.

The number of force runes Zed had used on the mana beast had definitely not been nice to it.

Kid turned to look at Zed. “You sound… unhappy.”

Zed didn’t need to think about it. He knew exactly how he sounded and why he sounded that way.

“Not unhappy,” he said, still staring at his conquest. “Just dissatisfied.”

“Dissatisfied?”

Zed nodded. “Are Rukh rank monsters supposed to be this… uneventful?”

Kid kicked one of the broken bricks. This one had broken off a larger chunk on just laid there on the ground, on its own.

“Uneventful isn’t the word I would use,” Kid said slowly. “I’ve seen Beta mages lose their lives to Rukh rank monsters before.”

Zed gestured at the rubble. “This didn’t feel like much. It feels like anticipating a boss monster just to find out it was probably just a mini boss.”

“More like getting to the boss monster and realizing you’ve done too many side quests,” Kid muttered. “I guess rune mages are just built different.”

Zed wasn’t entirely sure that was it. It had taken a total of twelve force runes to reduce it to this mess. In fact, the only occasions he’d used [Sharp] was for no other reason than diversification. He’d learned the rune last night and had wanted to try it in combat.

But his victory had been… specialized.

He’d just spammed [Force] until there was no more golem to fight back. And the thing hadn’t even fought back.

Are you really complaining about not being in a life and death situation?

Zed paused at his mental scolding.

He was right. He shouldn’t be complaining. Instead, he should be celebrating that there had been no cause for worry or casualty.

“But a better fight would’ve helped my aptitudes,” he muttered to himself.

“What was that?” Kid asked.

Zed waved him down. “Nothing important. Just thought it would’ve taken more.”

Kid scoffed. “You have no idea, do you?”

“No idea about what?”

“Look at the thing.”

Kid gestured at the defeated creature and Zed looked. It wasn’t like there was anything new to look at.

“What am I looking at?”

“You said you thought it would’ve taken more,” Kid explained. “And it did. Do you have any idea how many times you used that your force rune?”

“Fifteen,” Zed answered easily.

“Oh.” Kid paused, surprised. “You were counting. But that’s not the point. You used only force runes to bring down a golem of rukh rank. Yes, it was one sided, but that’s because golems are weak to force attacks. A well placed force attack could destabilize one, and if they don’t have the best motor skills it could be hard to get them up.”

“So you’re saying it was simple because it was a bad match up for it.”

Zed wasn’t sure why that appeased him somehow. At least it meant fights against other rukh ranks would not be this… simple.

I’m sorry but am I having some kind of identity crisis right now?

Kid let out a tired sigh, the kind a person would make when they’ve done their best to explain and the other person just wasn’t getting it.

“I say you do your thing and we just go.”

He patted Zed on the shoulder and was about to walk away when he paused.

“Do you mind holding onto this?”

Zed looked at Kid and found him offering the handle for [Titan’s Axe] to him.

“I’m not too proud to admit your strength is definitely higher than mine,” Kid said. “There’s no way I’m logging this back to the motel.”

Zed took the weapon from him with a nod. “It’s really not that heavy once you get used to it.”

Kid looked skeptical but nodded. “I believe you.”

As he walked, making his way back to the path they had come through, Zed squatted and touched a hand to one of the broken parts of the golem.

Looking at it right now, he couldn’t even picture putting it together to look like a golem. The parts were just too many. And none of them looked like a part belonging to what he had just fought.

“Let’s just get this over with.”

Right now he felt like an employee who’d been waiting for his bonus only to be told he would be getting less than he’d expected. Then to make matters worse, when the bonus comes it, they find it heavily taxed and less than what they were even told.

Zed tried to dispel the disappointment as a notification flashed in front of him.

·       Would you like to use [Conqueror’s Touch] on [Golem (Rukh, category 1)]?

Zed nodded.

Every single debris burst into smoke and he watched the myriad of colors as they drew closer from every point the pieces of the golem had been scattered.

He took in a deep comforting breath, then let it out as everything came to a conclusion.

·       You have used [Conqueror’s touch] on [Golem (Rukh, category 1)].

·       You have gained [Mana stone (Golem (Rukh, category 1)].

·       You have gained +183 Exp.

·       Due to the unique trait [Mana blessed] you have gained extra rewards.

·       You have received [Blasto-ray canon].

·       You have received [Rune stone].

·       Exp to Rukh category 1: 1406/5000

Zed stared at the rewards in front of him when the dust had cleared. Staring at each one alleviated some of his disappointment. They were enough to make him smile.

“Now what do we have here?”

….

Ashh stared at the ceiling of her motel room. Her mind was occupied yet empty. There were things that had to be done, goals and decisions that had to be planned for. The problem was the planning.

She knew where she was and what the destination was supposed to be. The problem was what happened in between. Every time she thought of it, her mind came up blank.

Ash let out an annoyed groan. She hated not being able to come up with a plan.

“Three.”

She turned her head to find Oliver watching her. He was seated on the only chair in the room that was right next to the window.

“What’s three?” she asked.

“The number of times you’ve groaned,” he answered. “You’ve also sighed four times.”

Ash took a deep breath, only to pause.

Oliver grinned. “That would’ve been five.”

Ash turned on the bed suddenly so that she lay on her stomach. “We’ve really got to do something about this.”

“About what?” Oliver asked.

Ash gestured around them. “About this. Don’t forget the only reason we’re here is because we’re looking for mom and dad. We aren’t making our way to California to become VHF pawns.”

Oliver’s expression took up a look of disinterest. “You don’t have to tell me. But we still have to get to California. Besides, we’re already close enough. We might as well just get there and see what’s what.”

“That’s not how it works,” Ash answered. “You’ve seen the way the Olympians have been looking at Zed. There’s something they aren’t telling us. And then there are rumors.”

Oliver paused. “Rumors?”

“Rumors.” Ash nodded. “Just like every time some country gets a sudden boost in power throughout history there are always rumors. How do you think the VHF got so powerful?”

“I don’t know.” Oliver shrugged. “Years of secretly biding their time and doing research?”

“I don’t agree.” Ash turned and laid on her back. Her head hung low at the edge of the bed and she stared at Oliver. “They say to enter the place you’ve got to register and leave behind something called a mana ID.”

Oliver gave it some thought then shook his head. “No idea what that is.”

The door to their room swung open and Chris strolled in with a frown on her face.

“It’s just as the name says,” she said then closed the door behind her with her foot. “They have this device that takes note of what your mana signature is like. Your aura and all that. Then you are given a card.”

“Why?” Oliver asked.

“I guess it’s like an advanced form of social security number,” Ash offered. “Sounds… very precise.”

“It also helps track down magical crimes.” Chris sat on the arm-rest of the couch Oliver was on. “You commit a crime and the police just have to get your mana signature from the crime scene. If they succeed in getting that, then they have their suspects.”

“Sounds efficient,” Ash said, thoughtful.

Chris nodded. “It is.”

“Hold up,” Oliver slipped back into the conversation. “Back in town, we were technically the police force and the army. Ever wondered what the police force in a place like that will be like?”

“Probably a bunch of Olympians walking around in fancy armor and driving fancy cars.” Ash paused, then shook her head as if dispelling a thought. “Sounds stuffy already.”

Oliver laughed. “Look on the bright side. We already know Olympians so we might get a bit of leeway on the stuffy part.”

“Not really,” Chris said. “These guys don’t seem all too important for Olympians. It’s like meeting people from a different country and assuming life will be easier for you in that country just because you know them.”

“Oh.” Oliver looked away, crestfallen.

“Besides,” Chris continued. “They strike me as more of soldiers than police. I’ll bet the police are just the way they were before the Awakening; normal officers with magic. Hopefully the laws governing how the police conduct themselves would be update. You don’t want a trigger happy police officer with the power of mana at his finger tips.”

Oliver snorted. “I can already picture a police officer setting someone ablaze for resisting arrest.”

Chris cocked a brow at him.

“What?” he protested. “With magical powers they are just more dangerous, that’s all I’m saying.”

“Maybe, but you sounded a bit prejudiced there.”

“She has a point,” Ash agreed. “We were the unofficial police back in town and no one complained too much.”

“Well, we had Bruce,” Oliver said.

“Well, Bruce was more of a sleaze than any real threat.” Ash sat up on the bed. “The only real complains that ever came because of him were from people saying he slept with their girl or their wives.”

Chris shivered visibly. “Why a lady would intentionally go to bed with that guy is beyond me.”

“He had the power and all that, I’m guessing it was for the connection.” Oliver got up from the chair. He peeked out the window as if looking for something before returning his attention to them. “So how did your outing go, Chris?”

“Well enough,” she answered. “We found a town not too far away. But it was nothing of consequence. Just some people trying to do what they can to survive.”

“Did you talk to any of them?” Ash asked, interested. “Did you learn anything new?”

Chris shook her head. “They said anything to the east would be a problem since it’s infested with golems with a camouflage ability.”

“And they can’t hunt them down?” Oliver asked.

“They said they are Rukh ranks,” Chris answered. “So that’s an understandable no.”

“So they’ll just let the golems have that part of town.” Oliver shook his head. “I’ll bet even if the golems were Beta rank they would still let them be. I’m really tired of going everywhere and seeing no one on the path to at least being a Rukh. Everywhere we go its low level betas and awakened, it’s annoying. How the hell have they managed to survive this long?”

Chris moved to him and placed a calming hand on his shoulders.

“When problems arise, humans do what they do best,” she said. “They hide. And when they can’t hide, they run.”

Oliver frowned. “And what happens when they can’t run and they can’t hide?”

“They raise Olympians and hunters,” Ash said. “It’s a practice as old as time.”

Oliver shook his head. “It’s a pathetic practice.”

Chris took her hand from his shoulder. “It is. But there’s nothing we can do about it.”

Then she turned to Ash.

“There’s something I’ve wanted to tell you guys. Now that we are alone, I think it’s the best time to say it,” she said.

Ash looked skeptical. “We’re listening.”

“About us going to California. You do not want to have your mana signature taken.”

“Why not?”

“Because having your mana signature taken is like becoming a prisoner. You’ll need permission to leave if you do that. If you aren’t given permission, you can’t leave.”

Ash thought about it. She saw the problem with it, yet it felt eerily familiar. The United States was technically a shadow of itself. The VHF was trying to re-unite it, but most of it remained places without human habitation.

“You make it sound darker than it is,” she said after a while.

Chris’ jaw dropped.

“I make it sound darker than it is?” she asked, flabbergasted. “Once you join, you can’t leave without permission. And getting permission isn’t as easy as you might think. You’ll need to be vetted, among other things.”

“What you’re saying is that I need to go to a certain place,” Oliver said. “To present certain documentations, so I can get certain documentations to allow me leave. Am I correct?”

“Yes.”

Oliver shrugged. “I can’t say I really see what the problem is. All I heard you say was I have to go through some form of immigration.”

“No, no, no, no.” Chris shook her head in disagreement. “Immigration vets you to give you permission to enter another country. That was normal. This one vets you to give you permission to leave. That is wrong. Keeping someone out is different from keeping someone in. How don’t you get it?”

Ash sighed. “It’s just rules, Chris.”

She had bigger issues to worry about, like how they were going to get information about their parents. And in the event that their parents were not in California, which was more than likely, how would they resume their journey? And was Zed going to join them?

Ash knew he had his own plans, but she couldn’t help but wonder.

“Alright,” Oliver said, bringing Ash from her thoughts. “If we are not going to get our mana signatures taken, then how do you propose we get in? If I remember correctly, they take them at the entrance.”

At his words, Chris looked like a huge burden had been lifted off her shoulders.

“I’ve travelled from place to place since the second awakening,” she said. “And since I met you guys, there’s something I’ve always wanted to say.”

“What’s that?” Olive asked.

Chris gave a smile that reminded Ash of a particularly mischievous cat.

“I know a guy,” Chris answered.

“Why does that sound very sketchy, Chris?” Oliver asked.

Chris rolled her eyes. “Yes, there will be a little bit of illegality but it’s a good choice in exchange for being able to move in and out whenever you want.”

“Great,” Ash dropped her head in her hand. “We haven’t even entered the city and we’ve become planned felons.”

“No such thing as a planned felon, Ash,” Oliver said.

“Says the guy about to learn about how to smuggle himself into a city.” Ash looked at Chris. “I assume that’s what your guy does, right? Smuggle people.”

“And products,” Chris added. “But it’s completely safe.”

Ash snorted. “That’s what everyone says about things that aren’t safe.”

“Alright,” Chris said, ignoring Ash’s jab at her candor. She took a seat on the couch and looked at the both of them. “The guy I know is called Leto, but people like to call him the courier. He’s in charge of moving packages from one location to another within the city and without. If we talk to—”

A knock on the door interrupted her.

Ash and Oliver were quick to turn.

“Ash,” a voice called from outside.

“Is that…” Ash’s words trailed off as she looked at Oliver.

Oliver nodded.

“Yep,” he said. “That’s Zed. I know the voice anywhere.”

Chris groaned. “Me, too. It hunts my nightmares.”

Ash was already making her way for the door. She looked like she would’ve rather not gotten up from the bed. When she got to the door, she opened it. It tilted inward to reveal Zed in a position that left Ash truly confused.

Before her, Zed was down on one knee, back hunched and head down. He looked ceremonious.

“What is this all about?” she asked, checking their surrounding. She was pleased to find them alone.

“My queen,” Zed said, voice calm. “Your humble subject has brought you a tribute.”

She might not be Chris, but Ash was growing tired of Zed’s inability to take much of anything seriously. There was always a joke somewhere, be it the place and time or not.

“And what have you brought for me?”

Zed’s hand moved behind him and he jimmied something loose. When he brought his hand back, he held up something that brought a glint to Ash’s eyes and put a smile on her face.

Her hand twitched in anticipation but she kept herself as calm as she could.

“For you,” Zed said ceremoniously.

Ash didn’t need him to tell her. Even if he hadn’t presented it to her, she would’ve asked him for it if she had seen it.

In his outstretched hands was a shotgun. But it was clearly not just any shotgun. It was pure black with a surface that reminded Ash of concrete. The handle was stone grey and it had no glint even in the presence of the afternoon light.

Ash reached down and held the gun. The moment she touched it, she knew he had gotten it from his crafting skill.

Chris had gotten an oversized club once upon a time. Now she was getting a gun.

The moment her hand touched it, Ash felt a slight urge. The mana in her core twitched as if trying to reach out of her. She allowed it, channeling it all the way to her hand. The moment it made contact with the gun, she knew the weapon was ranked.

And powerful.

She could feel the strength and dexterity coursing through her veins. Then her vision dulled slightly… No. Her vision didn’t dull, her focus merely waned ever so slightly.

She’d heard of such things happening to people. When someone equipped a ranked weapon with criteria they didn’t meet, there were penalties. With how dull her vision was, accuracy was definitely going to be a problem.

But it was a shotgun. Anyone who used a shotgun knew you just had to point and shoot. Shotguns weren’t designed for accuracy.

Oliver stood beside her in a moment.

“Where’d you get this?” he asked Zed. “And please stand up. You’ve passed along your gift.”

Zed waited a few more seconds before getting up. He was smiling.

“Do you like it?” he asked Ash.

“Like it?” Ash smiled back. “I love it. I’ve been missing the one back in town. How did you even get it? I thought you’d only be able to craft things like knives and swords and… you know, close combat weapons.”

Zed shrugged and walked into the room. “Me, too,” he said. “I was really surprised to see a shotgun. It gives an increase to dexterity and endurance at the cost of speed and perception.”

“Sounds like a video game function.”

Zed turned to find Chris on the chair.

“I’ll be lying if I say I knew you were here, mean girl,” he said. “How was your little trip out?”

She looked at Ash and Oliver who had closed the door but were still admiring the gun. “Not as interesting as yours, I take it.”

“Clearly.”

“Where’s the Olympian you went with?”

“Kid?” Zed made a dismissive gesture. “He had to go report our findings to Daniel so I let him go.”

He looked around the room as if just noticing it.

“On another note,” he continued. “I get the feeling you guys were having an important question.”

“Don’t you mean conversation?” Oliver asked.

Zed shrugged. “I said what I said.”

“We were,” Oliver answered.

“Am I free to be a part of it?”

Chris shook her head.

Oliver said, “Of course. We’re a team.”

“Alright, then,” Zed said. “What did I miss.”

Oliver ignored Ash’s new gun and turned to him with an excitement Chris hadn’t seen when she had been pitching the idea.

“Get this,” Oliver told him. “We’re planning on how to smuggle ourselves into the city.”

Zed looked at Chris through narrowed lids. “When you have access to walk in through the front door?”

Chris nodded slowly.

“Well,” Zed folded his arms over his chest. “I don’t see why not. I’ve always wanted to be smuggled into a place before. Why don’t we find out how specifically this is going to work?”