“Here!”
Before I could ask or say anything, Lyressa fey Suntear thrusted a fancy-looking pastry-box into my filthy hands. Wait, I knew the brand. In every article titled “Top 10 Places You Should Visit in Ordo!”, this bakery was the first picture you’d see. As a result, it became a pain in the ass for actual locals—not that I was a local myself—to get a heavy box like this.
Lyressa sheepishly pressed her fingers together, creating a triangle-gap, and smiled. Hard not to like a smile like that. “It’s been quite some time since we last met, Alexander. I thought I’d mark our reunion with something sweet.”
I peeked through the clear plastic, seeing delicious treats waiting for me (really, waiting for the whole team). “You didn’t have to bother yourself with this, SH. We just talked in [PMs]—”
“But have we met since the Scare? No. Though…” Her pointy ears pointed downward. “I suppose it’s my fault for not reaching out, but it’s August now. I’m sure you will regale me with countless stories.”
I nervously chuckled, finger tapping against the box. “‘Will’?”
Lyressa puffed her cheeks and crossed her arms. “Absolutely. When you accepted my gift, you also signed away a few hours of your time to me.”
“I never signed a contract.”
“Foolish corpo, realize you don’t have a say in the matter.”
She was surprisingly forward… I recalled our last physical meeting, which was back in June believe it or not. “Here I thought we were bitter rivals. What happened to that?”
“Heh.” A tinge of rekindled flame awakened in her mesmerizing eyes. “You’re asking for constant conflict, aren’t you? Fine, fine. Consider this ‘invitation’ as a way to gain sensitive intel on you. Such as, for example, your favorite foods, the date of your birthday, any drama and gossip, and so on.”
Got no choice, do I? I said, "It's a date, then."
“‘Date’—?!” Scarlet badly burned her ears and those eyes widened into something big. She quickly recomposed herself. “Ahem. Don’t tease like that. I’d rather not have unsavory rumors going around again. This is a…long-awaited engagement between friends. That’s it. Thus, if I catch any unsavory whisperings, you’ll have the conflict you seek.”
It was difficult to take her threat seriously with how potent her embarrassment was. This… This was definitely one of the rarest and most envious sights in Ordo: having the blushing, flustered elven queen in my company. Stranger stuff happened to me.
“Whatever the case, I’ll see you then. Whenever that’ll be. I’m sure our schedules will match up, unless your men fuck with us."
“Don’t worry. They know better than to pick with Seraph and Rector’s chosen. I—” A blue-screen appeared next to Lyressa. “Never mind, I’m being called for a meeting. We’ll speak again later, either in-person or [PMs].”
“Roger.”
After waving goodbye, I had a box of fresh pastries for myself.
Until someone slapped my shoulders with both hands. “What the hell was that?!” Althea intruded with the subtlety of an internet troll. “I thought you made up with Silverhonor—also gimme—” (She snatched the box from me.) “—but you’re kissy-kissy with her! When did it start?!”
I rolled my eyes as my sister browsed the delectable selection. “There’s nothing between us. We’re friends—”
“Like how we’re friends?” The worst murim-in in the world appeared out of the blue and stood beside Thea. Fuckers were eavesdropping. “We’re pretty close, aren’t we?”
Thea loudly gasped. “My brother’s a two-timing bastard!”
I wanted to slap them both but I held my scandalous hand in. “I’m dating nobody.”
She gasped again. “My brother’s a forever virgin!”
“I hate you so much.”
“I can imagine it now.” Leo waved her hand as if highlighting a news headline. “‘A love affair amongst the Big Four? A martial princess and an otherworldly elf caught in a dramatic love triangle with Ordo’s No.1 asshole! Stay tuned for more!’”
Althea added onto the headline, “‘Who will be Althea Shen’s sister-in-law? Or will her brother die a miserable and lonely death?! And in other news, these pastries are fucking delicious!’”
I mocked them, “‘Breaking news: two bodies discovered in the harbor.’”
The girls’ expression darkened.
Thea hugged the pastry-box while having a half-eaten apple strudel sitting on top. “This is ours now.”
Sarcastically, I said, “Guess I’ll ask my elven girlfriend for more—”
“I KNEW IT, MOTHERFUCKER!”
***
[You have entered World Hollow Wasteland]
“...I refuse.”
“Guild Master Sophos—”
“I refuse! I absolutely refuse! I won’t be bullied out of this expedition! This involves research that’ll affect the world at large! I—Conqueror, you understand, don’t you?! Defend me against this rusty rifle!”
I really hate my luck. After hearing Sophos had barged into the exped, I took every action possible to avoid her: purposefully hanging back in the barracks, going on missions, and so on. My antisocial behavior had to eventually bite me in the ass, though. The one time I decided to check up on Overseer, this witch was in the tent, ready to transform this D-Rank exped into an SSS-Rank.
“That ‘rusty rifle’ is my commander who also happens to be my uncle,” I told her.
Sophos keeled over the table dramatically. “Nepotism wins again, dammit!” She’s not wrong.
Overseer sighed and pushed his glasses up. “Sophos, I’m not doing this to be rude, but this is an Angels-owned and operated exped. You technically are trespassing, and I’m reluctant to approve your presence because your missions have a habit of ‘going off-the-rails.’”
“But I have valuable research to conduct!” insisted the trespasser. “What happened to our professional relationship? We’re allies! How can you kick out your biggest supporter like she’s a dirty dog?”
I asked out of morbid curiosity, “What’s your research in the first place?”
Sophos proudly explained, “Spoiling my adorable and diligent student, obviously! It’ll take approximately twenty-four hours of intense observation and interaction!”
“So that’s why…” Overseer sounded disappointed, not in Sophos—because I doubt he had high expectations in the first place—but more in himself for not deducing her motives sooner. “If you wanted to see Sage that badly, then why did you burst through the portal and immediately cause structural damage to the roads?”
“Because I walk the pace of giants and your flimsy roads simply couldn’t handle my presence.”
“Why did you ask Uprise to fetch you tea and ‘the corpse of an owlbear’?”
“That’s her name? She’s the first Slayer I found—wait, she’s the esper, right? The one with the SS-Rank [Skill]? Now I have to—!”
Overseer moved on, “More importantly, why did you blow up an entire hill about ten klicks west of basecamp?”
Sophos paused for a second. “I had to impress the younglings.”
This was sounding more and more like a mental break, but who was I to judge the esoteric mind of one of the greatest mages in the world? My uncle did. With three questions, his mood soured to a concerning degree. Although she was our greatest ally, her status meant nothing to him. Really, he didn’t give a shit about anybody’s reputation which made him even more perfect for the position.
Overseer clicked his tongue and leered down at her. “My team cannot be preoccupied with your proclivities, Sophos. If I have to, I’ll contact Rector or Mystic so they can escort you themselves—”
“Hello?” That voice belonged to the worst possible person for our conversation. Of all times to complete her scouting mission, it had to be now. “I heard Sophos was—”
“CHIE!”
Chie was nearly tackled off her feet as Sophos clung on like a liferaft. She yelped, death-gripping the tent-flaps for support; however, her “mentor” was trying to drag both of them down to the underworld.
“They’re trying to kick me out!” Sophos moaned, giving my uncle the stink-eye. “There are enemies everywhere, Chie!”
“O-Okay?!” The poor girl didn’t know what to do. “Please get off—!”
Sophos climbed to her feet and firmly clapped her student’s shoulders. “Listen, Chie. I think it’s time.” (“Time for what—?!”) “You have to abandon these pigeons and join me in Wisdom! The STF is too much of a hostile environment to work in! You’ll grow wrinkles and gray hair when you’re twenty!” (“I am twenty!”) “Exactly, you don’t have much time left! Please, Chie, please—!”
While she continued to beg, I shuffled to Overseer. “So,” I whispered to him, “what’s the game-plan? I can knock her out. Probably. I wouldn’t bet on it.”
Overseer scratched his eyebrows. “I must admit: Sophos is one of the most difficult high-rankers I’ve met. Don’t worry, I’ll find a way to get rid of her.”
“—release your [Yokais] and show Ordo true fear!”
I whispered again, “She’s planning on overthrowing the Ordoian government.”
Overseer cracked a chuckle. “Don’t convince me to join Wisdom too.”
***
[You have entered World Squirrely Groves]
“I’m so glad this expedition is over…” Kotone sighed from the utter bliss of being free from responsibility. Lazy ass. “I get to go home, stuff myself full of rice, and sleep in a warm bed…”
Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
The airhead was about to sleep standing up. I could tap her shoulder and she’d topple over harder than a tower of bricks. Honestly, that was a pretty good idea, but a menacing glare was burning holes in my [Combat Suit]. After being on the receiving end of those eyes for years, I could identify her glare as though footsteps.
Chunhua politely tapped her roommate’s arm to wake her up. “Don’t fall asleep right in front of us. You’re asking to be violated.”
That got Kotone awake. “I’m going to be violated?!”
“You might. You never know who wields a permanent marker.”
So that’s what she meant. I was second-guessing her intentions myself.
Kotone sighed from utter bliss knowing she wouldn’t be violated in her sleep. She shut her eyes, tempting fate, then tempted fate again. Trying to act as naturally as possible—meaning, she didn’t—she rested her head on the pretty cultivator’s shoulder.
Her sleep lasted literally two seconds before she got snapped back to reality. By that, Chunhua shoved her off.
“Wah!” a strange, high-pitched sound left the stupid esper. Fortunately, as clumsy as she was, she avoided tripping on the cots and bags inside the tent. “I’ve been violated by a cultivator! Someone call the cops!”
Whatever she grabbed under there, it wasn’t normal.
Kotone jumped toward her cot, hand extended, and exclaimed, “Wait, don’t pull that bag out—!”
For the first time in forever, Chunhua listened and didn’t pull the bag out.
Because the bag pulled itself out instead. Kicked itself out to be more specific. It thwacked against Chunhua’s legs, causing her to jump backwards and nearly fall over Rei’s cot. She adorably screamed like a scared little girl. The bag—or whatever the hell was inside the bag—pushed itself into the center walkway by kicking and punching at the thick material.
Yeah, no, fuck that!
I leapt away, arms raised. “What the ungodly fuck is that—?!”
Kotone screamed, “Calm down! Calm down! Don’t be angry with me—!”
Chunhua shouted from Rei’s cot, “You’re telling us to ‘calm down’?! What in heaven’s name is in your bag?!”
Kotone pointed at her bag. “No, I’m telling him to calm down—!” An unholy noise came from the bag. “Oh, he’s not calm! He’s not calm!”
The creature was actively clawing from inside the bag, hellbent on breaking free and making pasta out of our innards. That thing wasn’t just angry; it had the literal concept of fury baked into its genetics.
And speaking of, it lurched toward me and I almost pissed myself.
Alright then.
[Memento Recollection - Nightingale Pistol]
“NO!” Kotone used both arms to restrain me from pulling the trigger. “Don’t hurt him! He still has a long and happy life!”
“What are you even smuggling in the first place?!” Chunhua demanded as she carefully scooted toward us.
As the creature let out another unholy noise, Kotone gulped because this piece-of-shit only sounded cute to sadists and someone’s grandma. “It’s, uh, it’s a dog-thing.”
[Leaves of Maolin - Spear Blossom]
“NO!” Kotone grabbed both of our weapon-hands. “Don’t kill him, please! He’s a lot cuter than he sounds!”
“I know cute!” Chunhua snarled. “You’re cute at times, puppies are adorable, kittens are even cuter! That devil-spawn does not invoke that same feeling!”
“C’mon guys, I found him so frail and pathetic—!”
The dog-rat-hybrid thing screeched like an actual demon.
“That…” I began shaking my head. “That can be many things, but a dog is not fucking one of them.”
“Just hear me out—!”
“What the hell is goin’ on here?” Aiden entered the tent and immediately froze at the sight: I had a [Pistol] drawn, Chunhua had her spear equipped, and Kotone had a hand holding onto our wrists. Then his eyes trickled downward toward the bag, spasming from within like an angry baby trapped inside its mother’s womb.
He opened his mouth and wagged his finger at the bag, but no words came out. After deeply inhaling, he said barely above a whisper, “What is that.”
Kotone sniffled, on the verge of tears. “My child.”
Her child roared.
[Signature Trigger: Jiroku]
“I’m burnin’ your child.”
“NOOO!”
***
[You have entered World Open Farewell]
“It’s been a long two months…” Overseer said in front of the grand bonfire, a can of hard seltzer growing wet in his hand, as he faced tables of his favorite Slayers. “We had many challenges, or as my nephew would elegantly say, ‘Too many fucking problems.’”
Everyone laughed, and at my table, Vic playfully shoved me. Asshole. I would powerbomb him through the table if it was socially-acceptable.
Once the laughter died down, Overseer took the mic again, “Alex isn’t the only joke tonight. Should we forget about Kotone and her little incident?”
Kotone hid her face with her long inky hair.
“Or when Rei was almost swallowed by a giant toad after breaking [Hyakken] on its thigh?”
Rei shuddered. “Its tongue was slimy…”
“Or the many times Aiden nearly got himself into a fight, and the one time he bloodied his hands?”
“He was asking for it.”
“What about Morgan attempting to smuggle a thousand books across the breach? Twice.”
“I had my reasons.”
“Should I go on? I have every expedition on file, and I can recall—in detail—the excruciating amount of time spent on dealing with the aftermath.” Despite how terrible that sounded, Overseer smiled and tapped his finger against the can. “In this career, you think you’ve seen it all, experienced it all, but the world keeps surprising you. Months ago, I never thought I’d be in charge of a team of kids, some literally.”
Morgan rolled his eyes and sipped his juice—no alcohol for the child.
Overseer laughed at his own joke and continued, “I know I’ve pushed you hard. Most of you resent me, but from the bottom of my heart, thank you for allowing me to be your commander. All of you should be proud of the work you’ve done in the past two months. You’ll make fine Slayers, and I genuinely mean that.”
Everyone started to clap, but Overseer raised his free-hand. “But this doesn’t mean your training’s done. You have a long way to go.”
Cue the groans.
Training never stops. Not even for my uncle, who had to learn to be a commander after being a soldier for his whole life.
Overseer let the groans and jeers roll off him. “I look forward to your progress, but that’s enough from me. The food’s getting cold. Make sure you eat as much as you can; there’s a surprising amount of paperwork required to have catering delivered to a Worldline.”
“Finally!” Victor exclaimed and raced to the food-table. Already, he was fighting with Kotone and Aiden for first-dibs.
Savages, we were a bunch of savages.
After a normal amount of chaos, we fixed our plates and settled down. We sat at the most luxurious plastic tables, stood around and shared jokes in-between every delicious bite of barbeque, and gathered around the bonfire to have a pretty fire to stare at. We talked and we laughed, going on about how fast two months had passed.
This expedition marked an end to our intense training. No more leaving an exped only to enter another eight hours later. No more absurd schedules or brutal training sessions. While many of us still had our existing projects—like [Zhenlong School] or Victor’s time at the hospital—Overseer was easing off the gas and giving us a well-deserved reprieve.
Until the next time he decides to go crazy, of course.
We had the future to look forward to.
I was looking forward to what life had.
Well, that was a lie.
Tonight also marked the end of something else.
Althea had separated herself from the rest of the group, standing there in the grass and admiring the night sky. Although civilization had long since been a footnote in the grand history of existence, the stars and constellations were still alive, adamantly, stubbornly, twinkling. The cosmic plane seemed so wide and vast that in our small vision, the material world shrunk and became fish-eyed, and we saw the horizon, the curve of the planet, and lastly the rolling carpet of everything glitter traveling in all ways eternity.
I watched with her, I watched her, the sights flashing through her silver eyes that resembled mine.
“Taking it in before you leave?” I asked my sister. “This is your last few days as an Angel, Dorothea Zhang.”
“...It doesn’t feel real,” she said toward the sky. “It was July a few days ago. By the end of the week, I’m gonna be rubbing shoulders with rich kids and eating as much kimchi as I want.”
I softly exhaled. “Yeah, it… it doesn’t feel real to me either. It’ll be weird without you in the house.”
“It’s gonna be so weird waking up without smelling breakfast.”
“Looks like we both have to adjust.” I laughed but nothing about what I said was funny. “What am I going to do without my harshest critic?”
“You got Leo.”
“Leo loves everything I cook. She’s not a critic, she’s a yes-man.”
“Either way, you gotta get used to cooking for three, not four.”
I gulped, my saliva doing nothing to wet my throat. “Yeah. Yeah… Are you, uh, are you nervous? About the operation? I am. I haven’t stopped thinking about it for the past few days.”
“Alex, it’s been on my mind since I started training.” Althea began counting the stars with her eyes: the number of tasks she had to perform. “Study names, histories, practice, train, then train some more. But I am happy ‘bout one thing.”
I smiled to amuse her. “That you’ll be talking to K-pop stars in Baekyong?”
Althea finally looked down from the night sky and smugly pointed at me. “That you couldn’t learn any [Zhenlong School] techniques.”
“Newsflash, idiot, we couldn’t learn [Dual Dragoneyes]. We both lost.” Unfortunately, our two months of researching the [Zhenlong School] manual didn’t return a profit, but this was the expected outcome. “Not like you need them.”
Thea shortly laughed. “I mean, it’d be nice. As it stands, I’m not sure if my skills can beat the best of the best at Baekyong, but we’re gonna find out.”
“Don’t kid yourself—” (“Have you seen these guys?”) “—you’re stronger than you think. We were raised to be supersoldiers. I doubt those chaebol kids at Baekyong has the same level of training as us.”
Thea dismissively shrugged. “You never know for sure. Freaks exist everywhere, not just in Ordo.”
“That doesn’t matter. You got this.” I tried to pat her shoulder as a gesture of support, but I wasn’t the best at these things. “You can handle anything Baekyong throws at you; hell, you can get revenge for Leo on her behalf. Tear shit up. Stir some chaos. Burn a few buildings. No one will cry.”
Thea laughed at my absurd suggestions. “Careful what you ask for, dumbass. I might pull an Aiden, but fortunately for Korea, I have to befriend the black sheep of Taeyang. Or who knows? He might just fall in love with me.”
This whole thing sounded like a plot to a bad K-drama, but life was often stranger than fiction. I said, “With our charisma? We’ll have to seek companionship in a dog before we ever find one in a person.”
“No, just you. You're either gonna fuck or fuck up Silverhonor or Leo.” (“Don’t joke about that.”) “Uh huh, I’m watchin’ you.”
I didn’t know if I wanted to cry or slap her, but moving on: “Whatever. It doesn’t matter. Can I ask one thing, though? No bullshit?”
Thea smirked, already planning a witty, sarcastic answer in her head. “Shoot.”
“Was the last two months memorable at least? I know it was sweat and tears half the time, but…?”
My sister looked up at the stars again, the same stars found in many of the other Worldlines we’d traveled through, sort of like mementos of fond memories. Throughout the past two months, we fucked around, got hurt, bitched and slept together, but here we were: at the end of the beginning.
“Yeah,” Althea said with a satisfied, yet sad smile. “I had fun.”
I had the same smile. “Yeah, and you know something? You never came up with a proper codename. I know it’s pointless because you’re going undercover, but hypothetically…”
Althea’s smile grew wider. “I mean, Dad never gave me a good nickname, but maybe I’ll take a lesson from Rei: make a name for myself. I’m ready for it. I’m gonna do my job. I’m gonna take down the biggest fuckin’ chaebol in Korea, and the whole world’s gonna know who I am.”
She stepped forward and embraced the stars. “You hear that, fuckers?! You guys have no idea who’s coming! I’m a girl on a mission, and no one’s gonna stop me!”
That’s right.
My sister was unstoppable.
Despite my brotherly instincts, I had to let her escape the birdcage and fly with her own wings.
Go and get them, Althea.