Sorry for the long wait guys. Been really busy, especially because i've taken up bboying on my own. Many thanks those who reviewed, enjoy reading and remember to review!
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Chapter 2: A troublesome errand
Razor coughed once, putting the Zombie Lupin out of its misery by blowing out its rotting brains. The poor creature collapsed onto the ground, gaping hole in its forehead and all, before promptly dissipating into a pile of cobalt dust and leaving behind a tiny doll. Tuore's left arm expertly swept up the cursed doll, immediately stuffing it into his backpack.
Thrusting his arm into the tiny pouch that hung on his belt, a swish of his arm sent half a dozen rounds of bullets scattering into the air, in the formation of a circle. Tuore spun into action, his thumb forcefully flicking the reloading chamber open. He vigorously swung Razor backwards, resulting in the ejection of the spent shells. Tuore narrowed his eyes, the immense concentration temporarily shutting off any external disruptions. Now! He lashed out with his left arm at the spray of bullets that were dangling in the air, his right clutching onto Razor such that the revolver was firmly facing downwards at ninety degrees.
Tuore's left arm snapped up, dexterous fingers clasping around a single bullet, before withdrawing his arm; briskly inserting the bullet into an empty chamber. Without hesitation, Tuore continued this flashy feat with mechanical precision, rapidly reloading Razor.
All went well until the fifth and sixth bullet slipped out of his grasp, softly falling onto the padded grass-covered surface of Ellinia. A frown materialized on Tuore's lips. He seemed to have collided with a glass ceiling- the only way he could properly master the technique was with greater speed. His movements and timing were close to perfect, but the lack of speed was an issue. Tuore took a couple of seconds to practice the snapping motion of his left elbow.
"Aoeahoeah…" A Zombie Lupin slurred, saliva drooping out of its gaping jaw as it hopped towards Tuore. Zombie Lupins were the result of necromancer arts- the forbidden dark techniques- put into actual practice. Lupins, who were cheeky monkeys with nastier bark than their bite, were desecrated with the darkness energy that Necromancers wielded. They were killed by the necromancers, before being resurrected as Zombie Lupins with the corrupted darkness energy. The corrupted Lupin bore a similar appearance to the original Lupin, except that its skin colour paled in comparison- like the colours had been drained- and for dark humour, a glowing halo gravitated above. The irony served as a grim reminder that the Lupins' soul was being held captive within the unholy body, doomed until they were released from their pain. Thankfully, they could be re-killed easily, by causing enough damage to the body.
Scooping up the pair of bullets on the ground with ease, Tuore finished reloading Razor in a matter of seconds.
He angled Razor towards the surprisingly agile Zombie Lupin and held his aim for a split-second, his mind racing to estimate its path of motion. A greater concentration of arcane energy from within Tuore's body rushed to his eyes and limbs; It was a passive skill of the pirate's.
Dubbed "Bullet Time", it was an apt name. The surge in arcane energy helped to boost further refine Tuore's already sharpened reflexes by significantly improving hand-eye coordination. The signals sent by the brain were greatly bolstered by the arcane energy acting as a catalyst, allowing for precision and accuracy with weapons and boosted reflexes.
Dash! Tuore activated the skill, mirroring the Zombie Lupin's movement by drastically exploding towards his left. Looking closely, he could see that it was actually flanked by two other Zombie Lupins, travelling closely together. He had just the tool for the job at hand.
"Invisible Shot!" Tuore fired repeatedly, sending six bullets whizzing towards their invisible shot skill bestowed upon him the ability to fire bullets at multiple targets in a relatively short amount of time, while of course preserving the deadly accuracy that made pirates second only to bowmen.
The bullets peppered the pitiful Zombie Lupins, head shots each searing holes in their undead flesh. There was a short pause of suspenseful silence, before Tuore heard three "thumps", signifying that three bodies had crashed onto the ground. Tuore smirked, savouring what little self induced conceitedness that he could muster from his minor victory.
Reloading Razor, Tuore made his way over to the dusty remnants of the Zombie Lupins. He started collecting the three cursed dolls lying on the ground, only to hear a high-pitched "Hey!" emitted nearby. Tuore looked around, only to see a female dressed in cleric robes hurriedly making her way towards him.
"That's never happened before. Usually, when they die, they stay quiet." Tuore remarked to no one in particular, keen to dismiss the fact that he now had a responsibility to engage her in a conversation.
"May I inquire where the training ground of Zombie Lupins lies?" She approached him carelessly. She had an air of sophistication surrounding her, like a princess of sorts.
Tuore glanced at her, carefully inspecting her appearance. The Blue Moonlight overall which embraced her slender figure was clean. In fact, it was too clean, not even a single speck of dirt or stain could be found on it. This meant that she was either a hygiene-freak, or had just purchased it. Tuore suspected that both qualities rang true.
"Hey! I was talking to you!" She harassed Tuore, her hands on her hips.
"Don't get your underwear in a knot, princess." Tuore finished packing the dolls into his backpack, rising to his feet. He reluctantly turned to face her.
"You're standing on it right now." He held back the temptation to deride her. It was ironic that she was blind to what she was looking for.
"That's nonsense!" She yelled irately, her face flashing a dangerous red. "If the training ground were here, wouldn't I have noticed Zombie Lupins in the vicinity?"
"Quiet!" Tuore snarled with authority. "You're going to attract them in packs!"
"Attract who?" The female cleric raised her voice even higher. "There aren't any Zombie Lupins here!" She shouted exasperatedly.
"Aoeahoeah…" The dreaded moaning of the Zombie Lupins sounded out in the dense forests of Ellinia. Tuore swore, unholstering Razor.
"What's going on?" The fury that had previously manifested itself in the female cleric had dissipated, replaced by a growing sense of dread.
"We-ll, princess. You've just attracted the attention of several packs of Zombie Lupins. Nothing much really." Tuore's voice dripped with sarcasm, as he expertly checked his equipment. At least everything was in order. His supply of Mighty Bullets- bullets that were superior to the ordinary bullets that he was currently using- lay in a secret compartment of his waist pouch, to be used in severely dangerous situations.
"What do I do? I can't handle several packs of Zombie Lupins! I'm only level forty-four!" The female cleric began breaking down, suddenly storming about in a circle.
Tuore watched with faint amusement. Where had that confidence, that air of superiority gone to?
"Just heal me. And if possible, release a couple of Holy Arrows- undead creatures like Zombie Lupins are vulnerable to holy magic. If all goes well, you'll live through this, princess." Tuore frolicked around, spinning Razor around his thumb.
"And if it doesn't?"
"That's a nice attempt at a joke, princess."
"I'm Syelle."
The horrid moans of the undead surrounded them, the stench of rotting flesh permeating the air. Tuore and Syelle melded into the back-to-back formation, each covering each other's blind spots; Tuore following any sudden movements by tracing them with Razor, and Syelle timidly holding out her Fairy Wand.
Tuore's senses were well into overdrive, any sudden movements- be it a rustle in the bushes, the crackling of dry leaves-, were immediately picked up. Without warning, Tuore's sixth sense of danger prickled violently.
"Break away!" Tuore shoved Syelle away from him while simultaneously utilising the Dash skill to explode in the opposite direction.
A split-second later, the area they were previously occupied was smashed to smithereens by a sudden barrage of projectiles. The projectiles were bananas, to be exact.
Comical as it may sound, the bananas that Zombie Lupins and ordinary Lupins used were completely different from normal bananas. The saliva of the Lupins hardened the normally soft flesh of the fruit, imbuing it with the hardened quality of stone. When Zombie Lupins arised, their saliva was even deadlier, thus making the bananas even more dangerous.
"Stay close and cover my six!" Tuore bellowed, dashing towards the origin of the attack.
"What?"
"Just follow me and cover my back damnit!"
Tuore grimaced. He was not skilled enough to fight efficiently while protecting the girl. He would just have to cross his fingers that Syelle could fend for herself.
"Invisible Shot!" Tuore leapt onto a branch, simultaneously squeezing the trigger multiple times, as Razor unloaded 3 bullets which rammed deep into the chest of a pair of Zombie Lupins, transforming it into ashes.
His bullet time bristled slightly, and Tuore took a flying leap off the branch that he previously stood. It exploded into shreds as bananas tore it apart mere moments later.
Riding his momentum, Tuore soared through the air, while consciously suppressing the animal instinct that radiated fear within him. Angling his body, he caught sight of a Zombie Lupin far away- high up in the canopy layer of trees-, raising its arm and getting ready to fling a banana at him.
"Double Shot!" It was without hesitation that Tuore unleashed two bullets imbued with arcane energy towards the Lupin. By injecting his arcane energy into the bullets – as he had previously done with Invisible Shot-, Tuore granted his bullets the additional power that was needed to tear through enemies with relative ease. Fusing technology with ancient arts of magic proved to have a more than satisfactory outcome- with elemental bullets for an example-, and various other perks.
The first bullet hit the Zombie Lupin's left wrist- the one that was holding onto the banana- with such force that the bones shattered. The second mercilessly blew its chin into gruesome bits of flesh and blood.
With slight room to breathe, Tuore dared to shoot a glance at Syelle.
"Holy…Arrow!" Her Fairy Wand sprouted strands of glowing white light that formed the general shape of a bow. A holy arrow materialized, nocked to the bow, strongly emanating power. Syelle's nimble fingers momentarily held the pent-up tension, before releasing it. The transient projectile ejected from the bow, spearing through the head of a Zombie Lupin.
Instead of stopping there, the holy arrow, assisted with the extra power Syelle had invested into it, actually riding its own momentum, passed through the hardened undead skull. It buried itself into the heart of a separate Zombie Lupin that was inches away from the arrow's first victim. Both creatures sprawled to the floor, death claiming them before they could make a single sound.
Satisfied with her performance, Tuore directed his attention to self-preservation.
A Zombie Lupin tried to spring a surprise on Tuore, emerging from behind him and vehemently flinging a banana at him.
Tuore saw the projectile, and tried to dodge it by using a quick dash to the side. However, he felt the sharp pain of contact as he felt the banana smash his right wrist- the one wielding Razor.
Razor was sent spiraling downwards, and Tuore allowed himself to fall off the branch in pursuit of it. His arms spread wide like an eagle, he plummeted towards the ground.
As he predicted, the Zombie Lupin chased him aggressively, mimicking his actions- diving down-, in order to finish Tuore off.
Without a trace of panic or fear, he calmly stretched out his left arm, grasping for Razor. Remaining serene in the face of a tumultuous situation was something that required immense self-discipline.
The Zombie Lupin was nearing. With his Bullet Time in overdrive, Tuore felt the creature's presence draw ever closer.
And then he saw the dreaded undead show up in his sights; it was sadistically grinning at him. At the same moment, Tuore's fingers hooked onto the trigger of Razor.
With a swift, precise motion, Tuore drew Razor up slightly, while still preserving its ninety degrees angle towards the ground. Simultaneously, Tuore locked his teeth in a painful grimace as his right arm shot out, grabbing the Zombie Lupin by the throat and shoving it right into the path of Razor.
"Recoil Shot." Tuore ordered without emotion, as the undead's delighted expression warped to one of shock.
A bullet packed with his innermost arcane energy erupted from the gun barrel of Razor, and shattered the Zombie Lupin's skull by going through the dead centre of its forehead.
Meanwhile, Tuore steadied himself. He knew what was going to come next.
The recoil of Recoil Shot was used as a tool to get out of unfavourable situations. In this case, Tuore had to solve the problem of plunging head-first towards the hard, unforgiving ground. The ground may have comprised of thick layers of grass, but Tuore wasn't taking any chances. He didn't care much for showy displays.
The recoil of the shot kicked violently against Razor, the raw energy feedback rapidly decreasing Tuore's downwards momentum. Holding on to his revolver for dear life, Tuore knew that Razor- like in so many situations before-, was his ticket to getting out alive.
By some incredible stroke of luck, the recoil proved to be a perfect foil to gravity- the opposing forces were just enough to cancel each other out completely. Tuore landed softly on the comfortable grass, his left arm carefully cradling his right wrist in order to minimise the impact.
This situation was rare- he was actually in pretty deep shit. It was one of the few times he had to rely on his ambidextrous-ity.
Looking down at his wrist, Tuore frowned in frustration- not from the pain, but from the inconvenience that his broken wrist would bring. The skin of the wrist bone had torn straight off, leaving a sharp splinter of bone sticking out of the flesh. Tuore concentrated his arcane energy on the wound, preparing to temporarily shut off his mind from the wringing pain, when green magic that bore an uncanny resemblance to the spell "Heal" splashed over his right wrist.
Tuore's normally composed mood skipped a beat as he saw, and felt, the soothing emerald green gently push his bones into place and efficiently stitching up the dozens of minor cuts and bleedings.
Looking up, he saw Syelle running towards him, wand outstretched.
"No time for thanks." The bubble of a thought surfaced in his mind, as Tuore noticed two Zombie Lupins darting dangerously close to Syelle.
Tuore flicked open the chamber of Razor, hastily emptying the empty rounds- letting them bounce softly on the soft grass.
He had barely finished reloading Razor, when the two Zombie Lupins exploded into flashes of holy light.
Tuore shot Syelle an approving nod, to which she smiled sheepishly in response.
The relaxing mood was forcefully blown apart by Tuore's Bullet Time sixth sense reverberating violently within him. Immediately, Tuore went back to back with Syelle.
Tuore jerked Razor from side to side, trying to survey the hidden dangers. "Come on…what could be so precarious that it registers a magnitude seven on the danger scale?" Tuore unknowingly muttered out loud, not taking his eyes off the environment.
And then he saw them. The Zombie Lupins were carefully camouflaged in dense greenery- leaves, shrubs, and bushes.
Something was amiss. They seemed to be hesitating.
"Syelle. Do you see them?"
"Yeah."
"How many on your side? I estimate I have about ten here."
"About seven."
Tuore gritted his teeth. He sensed more…many more. And among the numbers that he could not see, he sensed an enormous power that rivalled his own nearby. What made matters worse was that the power was full of malice…and life-force radiated strongly from it.
"Hey. Show yourself." Tuore demanded, his fingers beckoning in the general direction of the power he sensed.
There was a single cough, and Tuore swivelled to its origin; he found himself looking directly at the dark, shaded trunk of a tree.
He saw the air shimmer for a split second, and watched with amazement as it unveiled the lone figure of a woman dressed in a worn out mahogany cloak. It was like the air had peeled off to reveal her presence.
"Don't look so surprised hon. Even a child necromancer has the ability to meld into the darkness." The woman's voice was sweet and seductive.
"Who in the world are you?" Tuore continued unflinchingly.
"Esteyu Miner. Just call me Em. I'm your examiner for your unofficial performance evaluation. Have you been studying?" She giggled irritatingly, reminding Tuore of the whiny laughs of schoolgirls.
"Nonsense. I graduated from Maple Tech with top honours. In other words, I received TWO gold star stickers from my teacher-in-charge." Tuore retorted proudly.
Meanwhile, Syelle sighed at the inherent stupidity of the two characters.
"Jokes aside…" Tuore suddenly declared, warping the atmosphere back to a solemn one. "What is this performance evaluation you refer to?"
Em simply put her index finger to her lips- the universal sign for silence-, and allowed herself to be enveloped by the darkness, her body seemingly disintegrating into nothingness.
Anticipating the move, Tuore was already in action. Utilising "Double Shot", two bullets were whizzing through the air barely half a second after Em started disappearing from sight- their accuracy dead set towards Em's neck, their intention made clear by the killing intent Tuore infused in them in the form of his arcane energy.
"The Archlord's Rejection." Em's voice was barely a whisper, both of her arms fully extended, palms facing outwards towards Tuore.
A jet black shield appeared unexpectedly; an entire load of darkness energy sprouted out from Em's palms to form the materialised weapon.
Both sides watched as the two opposing forces clashed, the bullets impacted the shield and…promptly stopped their motion, peacefully imbedded in the perfectly oval shield.
Tuore was taken aback. The momentum of his offense was dispelled like it was a child's.
"My turn." Em flicked both index fingers of her hands, prompting a ripple to pass through the arcane shield- sending the two bullets rocketing towards Tuore.
Tuore forced his Bullet time into overdrive, as he steadily took aim. The feat he was about to perform demanded absolute accuracy and precision. "Invisible Shot!" He muttered with determination, as Razor's muzzle flashed thrice.
It was with a tiny "clang" that bullets from both sides met each other, the raw impact smashing each to pieces. A lone bullet, Tuore's third shot, travelled past the mayhem, swerving towards Em's left foot.
Spotting the threat, Em shifted her left arm- resulting in the dark mass of energy getting halved. While one half remained at its original spot, the other magically appeared where Em had shifted her arm to in order to protect against Tuore's attack. The bullet smashed against the shield before unspectacularly crashing onto the ground.
She focused her gaze unto Tuore, a huge grin spreading from the corner of her lips, expecting to see a look of frustration, or even bewilderment from the young man. Instead, she found herself looking straight into a young man with a ridiculously large grin plastered across his face.
"Check." Tuore chortled. "I see how your shield works now- you have a limited amount of surface area that your shield can cover doesn't it?"
Em remained silent, her face a complete mask, not betraying her inner emotions.
"Game on. Syelle." He turned to face the female cleric, who truthfully, had been feeling slightly left out. "I need you to enchant my bullets with your light elemental mana." To which she nodded eagerly.
"Tesla Lockage!" Tuore suddenly flooded Razor with his mana. The weapon surged with the sudden influx of arcane energy, before settling down, the revolver crackling with new-found power.
Tuore wasted no time in reloading. Tesla Lockage was a term he coined, using his arcane energy to kick Razor into overdrive. This meant that Razor now had a huge leap in terms of firing rate and projectile velocity.
However, Tesla Lockage could only be enabled while Tuore still had arcane energy to feed Razor. If he went "dry", then the enhanced Razor would be forced to revert back to its original form.
Syelle spent a few precious moments being enthralled by the stunning sight of the sizzling weapon, before snapping out of her trance. Forming a tiny holy arrow, she shot it directly into the cylinder of Razor.
Tuore brought his revolver to bear, straight at Em. The Mighty Bullets were fully locked and loaded.
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He hated the rain. Ranging from the light pitter-patter of gentle rain drops on grass to the furious assault of fast, hard impact against the concrete, he hated it all.
Whenever it rained, it dulled his senses- making him more vulnerable, more susceptible to attacks. That was never a good thing.
These meandering thoughts came to him as he walked down the empty hallway, blissfully sheltered from the pelting rain outside.
He stretched his long arms high in the air, enjoying the crisp feeling of his muscles tensing up. Out of habit, he touched the impressive Serpent's Tongue that hung onto his back in a sheath.
The spear was coloured a wicked scarlet red, like it had been dipped in the blood of animals and forged in hell. Its design was simple, yet striking- a simple handle with a crooked tip.
His spear always provided a sense of security for the Spearman. Even in the confines of the Coalition's headquarters, he certainly did not feel safe.
The Coalition was the de facto corporation in the world of Maple- its sphere of influence extended throughout almost every committee, groups and individuals. They operated through headquarters- the location was not revealed to the public.
The Coalition was a military government in charge of ensuring safety and order across the world. What used to be the responsibility of various governing bodies slowly became solely the Coalition's, as it expanded its political power aggressively, swallowing up the other corporations.
Unification of the country, they called it. Personally, he felt it was just a thinly veiled excuse to gain power.
However, he had to admit that The Coalition did a pretty good job of keeping the peace. The only threat to the security of the people, they claimed, was the rebels- the Outcasts. Which was coincidentally the reason why he had been summoned before the Board.
It wasn't as if he actually had a choice.
The Board, as the name suggested, consisted of a select few members. They were the ruling bodies of The Coalition, and held the highest rank.
They were called…The Elders. Below the Elders were various positions of power, followed by the Squad Leaders and the Administrators. While the Administrator's roles were self explanatory, the Squad Leaders each headed specific divisions of manpower.
Before long, he had reached his supervisor's office. He took a deep breath, pushing open the creamy brown maple door that had the sign "4th Squad Captain".
The all familiar decorations of the room welcomed him warmly, the boxes filled with various medals of accomplishment were set against the walls in addition to certificates of achievement, all seemed to proudly emanate glory.
"4th Squad 1st Seat Draco Tugar reporting for duty." Draco focused on his supervisor, who was merrily poking about the artificial fireplace.
"Good god. What took you so long, reptile?" The voice was distinctly female, sounding rather irritated, as she whirled about in her chair.
She was just as he had remembered her. Five foot six. A bright yellow ribbon clung in her long, smooth flowing cerulean hair, complementing the colour perfectly. A pair of tiny rimless spectacles, looking more of accessories to her style of fashion rather than being of actual use, sat snugly atop of her gentle button nose. A pout was plastered firmly on her chubby face, giving one the impression that she was just a small child throwing a tantrum.
However, her looks were a direct foil to her personality and raw talents. The apprentice to the Grendel's most promising student, she quickly made a name for herself by serving the cause of the Coalition. She headed her comrades in quelling uprisings, protecting the weak, keeping the land safe from dangerous monsters, and in the process, rose to become a captain.
Her name? Elywn Castro.
"Don't call me a reptile…" Draco muttered indignantly, his hands firmly in his pockets- a sign that he was upset.
"Well, its not my fault that Draco invokes pictures of dragons and lizards in my mind! Now sit down, please." Elywn gestured towards the empty seat across her desk.
Draco kindly declined with a swift gesture of his hand, choosing instead to stand, much to the annoyance of Elywn.
" Ever so formal aren't you… Never mind. I have called you here today in order to discuss a matter with you. The been much more…proactive in their campaigns against the Coalition lately."
"What would you have me do?"
"Take them down of course. You will be assigned a new partner."
"What!" The normally placid Draco slammed his fist against the hardwood desk. "I don't need a partner!"
"It's protocol." Her calm baby blues fixed themselves firmly onto Draco. "Not to mention, that I'm ordering you to."
"I said, I. Don't. Need. A. Partner." Draco growled, bringing his face close to his superior.
"I know Yoka's death affected you badly. I'm telling you now, deal with it." Instead of flinching, the gutsy Fire/ Poison magician narrowed the distance between them.
The outburst of emotions by Draco lingered for a few moments…before he grudgingly backed down. "My orders?"
"None so far. We will be matching you up with the most suitable candidate. Just sit tight and wait. You may go now."
Just as Draco opened the door to exit her office, Elwyn's voice startlingly interceded, "It wasn't your fault."
He paused for half a heartbeat, before lightly closing the door behind him.
He took a single step, the sound of his boots against marble reverberating.
"It was." He thought bitterly. "It was."
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Thats all for this time. I've really no idea when the next update will come, but stay tuned! Remember to review as it gives me inspiration haha.
See ya.
Ccw.