ã€ŠHALF: Dead nor Aliveã€‹


 Chapter 1

    ¡°I have back to my sense again, but where am I?¡± He asked in his mind.

    The loud clicking sound in his head was enough to stop him from questioning. The sound of his stomach rumbled because he hasn¡¯t eaten anything, or to be precise he hasn¡¯t eaten something normal for a human being.

    His body moved on its own because of the thing inside him that slowly took over his body. He wanted to die, he wanted to end his life, he wanted to rip his whole body apart and crush his own heart with his own hands but he couldn¡¯t do anything but watch his body slowly rotting away. He couldn¡¯t move any muscle in his body even his eyes were controlled by that thing inside him.

    ¡°Why are you doing this to me?¡± He asked that question so many times even though he knew he won¡¯t get any answer from it.

    All he could do was watch what the thing did to his body and all those disgusting things he put into his mouth. He could still feel pain, exhaustion, hunger, thirst, every inch of his body and he could still smell everything but he couldn¡¯t control them anymore.

    ¡°God¡­ not again¡­¡± He looked, felt, and tasted at the flesh of a decayed creature with maggots on the flesh that the thing inside his body that forced him to eat it that he was going to puke.

    His trembled hands were feeding his mouth with that disgusting rotten flesh, the pungent smell, and the soft, chewy, cold, and watery rotten flesh was getting chewed by his teeth. He couldn¡¯t handle the taste, the smell, and the texture of the flesh but his tongue and his throat were forcing him to swallow it.

    Whenever he tried to throw everything up, his stomach clenched and his guts were preventing him from doing so. His mouth was always tightly closed and so was his throat, all he could do was cry and hope that this will end soon because he couldn¡¯t take this anymore.

    There was a moment where he could gain a part of his body, his mouth, his voice, his eyes and that was it. It happened whenever the thing inside his body is resting. He kept screaming and shouting hoping there was someone or something that would take him off from this torture but it was all futile.

    He didn¡¯t remember what day, what time, where he was, or what he had become. Everything that had happened to him felt so slow and a day felt like a week. He didn¡¯t know what was happening to him but if only he knew what it feels like to be consumed by these parasites, then he wish he could kill himself before this thing took control of his body.

    He thought it was time to believe, but he was nervous that the answer was right in front of him, that he would be like one of them.

    He looked at his surroundings filled with decayed bodies of these monstrous creatures and the wall of rocks that were blocking the sky. He didn¡¯t know what he should do, he didn¡¯t know what he could do, he was scared and he was alone with that damned thing in his head that took over all his memories and erased all of those memories he treasured his whole life.

    ¡°Any¡­ anyone out there¡­ help me¡­¡± He slowly tried to open his mouth and looked up at the wall of rocks, tears came out of his eyes while he was trying to speak. ¡°Please¡­ kill me¡­¡± He was sobbing and his eyes went blurry because the tears were blocking his vision and he couldn¡¯t wipe them off.

    He gulped and he could taste rotten fleshes he had consumed the whole day that was still sticking on his gums and between his teeth. He didn¡¯t want to puke them out because it would wake that thing up.

    He tried his best to move the tip of his fingers but he couldn¡¯t. He took a deep breath while he was holding his tears.

    ¡°Kill me! Anyone or anything that can hear me! Kill me! I know that you all can hear me! Come at me and devour me! Please!¡± He glared at the ceiling of this place and screamed his lungs out with his voice echoing.

    He heard roars, growls, screams, screeches, and bangs coming from all around him but none of them were coming toward him as if they were all mocking him and letting him suffer.

    Immediately he couldn¡¯t control his body anymore, tears were falling down his cheeks while he was staring at nothing in front of him. His eyes rolled up and everything immediately went dark.

    Deep down he knew what was going to happen to him and to be honest, this was the only time he could enjoy himself, the memory that he could watch and soon would be erased from his brain.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, everyone, I forgot all of your names and faces but I still can remember your voices. I can¡¯t even remember my own face since it has been forever since the last time I saw my own face.¡± He talked to himself in his head, then a screen appeared in front of him like a projector screen.

    ¡°Archie! Hey! Are you even listening to me?¡± A woman¡¯s voice, the voice that tingled his stomach and heart whenever he heard it. A blurry image of her was the only thing he wish he could erase so he could see her face, she seemed important to him.

    ¡°Oh, you were calling me? Sorry I was lost in thought.¡± Archie stood up and turned his head to look at her.

    The woman sighed and shook her head, she sat down next to him and stared at the massive see-through glass. Earth, he was staring at earth.

    ¡°Ahh¡­ how beautiful earth was,¡± Archie said to himself while he was staring at his own memory.

    ¡°So? What¡¯s the score of your Virtual Survival Test? Come on, tell me, I have been waiting for weeks for this!¡± The woman gently slammed her shoulder to his, he looked and tilted his head, the woman seemed to be smiling at him.

    ¡°Virtual Survival Test or VST, I remembered that I took the test whenever they updated the machine and the complexity of the survival test. I forgot how naive I was back then and how stupid I was to believe that I would be able to be like them.¡± Archie said to himself in his head and slowly remembered everything from his past.

    ¡°My score? Well, I aced it as always.¡± He crossed his arms and smirked arrogantly.

    The woman clapped her hands with joy and excitement, she wrapped her arm around him and they both were staring at the earth from above.

    ¡°Right, I was up there, huh?¡± Archie remembered that he used to live in one of the stations that were created so people could live in peace and away from danger.

    Stations that were built above the sky but not high enough to leave the earth¡¯s atmosphere nailed to the deepest of the earth as the foundation and connected one to each other made it look like a ring of a planet from outer space. A place for millions of lives to live peacefully, and it was created hundreds of years ago if he remembered correctly.

    Hundreds of years after the gigantic meteor hit the earth and destroyed half of the earth leaving a third of the earth with a huge chunk that anyone from up the station could see a small part of the core of the earth or so what they told him.

    ¡°Are you really going to do this, Archie?¡± She sighed and looked down for a moment.

    ¡°She looked so sad and worried so suddenly, what happened to her?¡± Archie raised his eyebrow and questioned himself while he kept staring at his own memory.

    ¡°Archie! So this is where you are! We have been looking for you everywhere.¡±A manly voice was calling his name.

    They both looked in the direction where the voice was coming from. A tall man approached him and waved at him.

    He remembered this manly voice, a voice that always gave him pain in his heart. He couldn¡¯t remember anything about this person but it must be someone important to him as well.

    ¡°Oh, and congratulations on your test! All of them were talking about you right now, you should see their faces. They want to treat you with a bottle of beer, come on! They¡¯re all waiting for you!¡± The guy wrapped his arm around Archie and dragged him all the way to the end of the hallway leaving the woman alone back there.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t see her expression, I don¡¯t know why I left her on her own and why I followed this guy rather than spending my time with her.¡± Archie felt an unbearable pain inside him as if thousands of needles stabbed him in the heart.

    ¡°It¡¯s a blessing and a curse to be able to watch my memories but it¡¯s not always good and most of them are the things that I regret.¡± Archie kept staring at the screen of memory in front of him and said it to himself.

    Archie sat down and was surrounded by dozens of people, they were all cheering for him. He could tell that he was happy back then. A half-emptied bottle of beer in his hand and stared at them singing the song that he kind of remembered.

    ¡°If I remember correctly it was a song about despair turning into hope and dream.¡± Archie listened to the song through his memory.

    ¡°I remember these people, I want to be like them, they¡¯re the Axis Humans, the people that evolved after they were making contact and infected by the parasite. Well, they¡¯re not exactly got infected by the parasite, but their ancestors were and so all of their descendants inherited their superpower and strength from them.¡± Archie comforted himself by hugging his own body in this dark empty place with only a screen of memories in front of him.

    Axis Humans have the superpower to a great extent that¡¯s able to fight those parasites while those ordinary humans have nothing but their lives to help the Axis Humans during their expedition and exploration to exterminate the parasite beyond the walls.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, I think this memory was when I was about to be enrolled and become their helper for my first exploration with them. I was just an ordinary human with no power, but thanks to the VST I took so many times I managed to be a part of them and that was enough for me¡­¡± Archie looked at his own hands.

    As he walked toward the screen, Archie pressed his chest with confusion, ¡°But why my heart is pounding really fast right now and it feels like I¡¯m getting stabbed by thousands of needles when remembering that memory?¡±

 Chapter 2

    ¡°Archie Lancaster? Is Archie Lancaster in here?¡± An old man¡¯s voice seemed to be calling his name, he stood up while he was still holding my beer. Everyone looked at Archie and they were all pointing at him and telling the old man that he was here with them.

    ¡°Archie Lancaster, the professor is looking for you.¡± The old man entered the cafeteria and approached him.

    Everyone gently tapped their hands on Archie¡¯s back as they congratulated him.

    Archie had no idea what was going on in this memory but Archie in his memory seemed happy about it.

    Archie followed the old man and left the cafeteria, the old man looked at him but he couldn¡¯t see his face but he was talking about the course that he should take before he enrolled in the big expedition. He was excited and smiled widely when he was talking with this old man.

    They were at the end of the hallway, and they both stood in front of a mechanic steel door that suddenly slid open. They both entered the room that looked like a study room and there was a man in a lab coat.

    The Professor looked at Archie and nodded up while he was raising his hand at him, he approached Archie with a clipboard in his hand. He looked at Archie from top to bottom judgingly as if he was examining his body.

    ¡°Archie Lancaster, before you¡¯re going to go on the biggest expedition of the four nations, I would like you to take a few courses. I know that you know a lot about parasites, but I want to know how far and how good are you in this field. So please take a seat.¡± The Professor crossed his arms as he walked to his desk.

    The old man left the room leaving Archie with the Professor.

    Archie sat down on one of the chairs and looked at the map hung on the wall, he remembered that map, it was the map of the current map that the humans can live in while the rest of the world were inhabitants for them since there was too much danger coming in from all directions. That was why they built walls separating them from those monsters and parasites and protecting the walls all day, for weeks, months, and years.

    ¡°The four nations¡­¡± Archie said to himself while he stared at the map in his memory.

    The four nations are the northern nation or it used to be Indonesia up to Russia but only half of Russia is a part of the northern nation.

    The western nation used to be the European nations. The eastern nation used to be half of the United States, Canada, and Mexico the rest of them are inhabitants.

    Unfortunately, for the eastern nation, because they were way apart from the rest of the nations, they had to survive on their own but the rest of the nations kept sending human resources to them to help defend themselves.

    The southern nation used to be Australia, and unlike the eastern nation, Australia was still reachable for them and it was easy to give them support.

    The African Continent was gone because of the meteor strike and had become the place for the parasites and those monsters to breed, they called the African Continent was the Fallen Continent One or FalCon-1, and the reason why they called it one was because it was the most dangerous place on earth. Nobody survived in the last few hundred years once they set foot in there, so it would be best to not go there unless it was necessary.

    The South American Continent was also gone and has the same fate as the FalCon-1, they called it the FalCon-3 and it was the second most dangerous place on earth. North America all the way to East Russia was also gone and had the same fate as the other two continents, they called it the FalCon-2.

    The east side of America and Canada is FalCon-4 and they had to sacrifice their territory and build a wall to protect themselves from those parasites.

    ¡°These fucking parasites¡­¡± Archie clenched his teeth and fists while he was glaring at his surroundings hoping that the parasite inside his body could hear him.

    It all began on an ordinary sunny day in the year 2011, four hundred years ago when people went to work, hang out, and just went for walk was where the beginning of the apocalypse. People thought that it was a hot ordinary day, but what they didn¡¯t realize was a meteorite was about to hit the earth.

    There was no warning in some areas and people just lived their lives as usual, and then the meteor struck the earth, on the south Atlantic ocean and destroyed almost half of the earth. Because of that, the earth had a big chunk and the sea level drastically went lower to fill that big hole.

    There was a warning, but only to realize that it was too late and people didn¡¯t even have the chance to save themselves. Billions of lives were taken that day, and those who didn¡¯t survive must have accepted their death, and nobody would be able to imagine how terrifying it was if anyone was in their shoes.

    After the meteor struck the earth, so many disasters happened around the world and those who were unfortunate died from the disaster. The sea flooded so many cities, eruptions melted so many cities, the storm wiped so many cities, and earthquakes swallowed the cities. People lost their friends, family, and loved ones, they lost almost everything that was important to them, but when a human lost their hope was when they lost everything.

    After a hundred years of suffering and struggling, humankind was finally able to stand on their own two feet and rebuilt everything so those who already lost their hope could still have a second chance, that was what made them humans different from any other species.

    They lost so many lives, but they kept moving forward. They thought that they could start a new life after the meteor struck the earth, but that thought disappeared immediately when the scientists discovered that the meteor brought something else with it, something that shouldn¡¯t belong there on earth.

    The scientists made some discoveries when they brought one of those things, they tested it, they bred it, and they did something that they shouldn¡¯t have done. They finally gave them a name, they called it the Extrateresterrial Parasite or the ExTP.

    The scientists took their time and they got something from the ExTP, they realized that the ExTP was harmless and they ate what the scientists gave them. That was the worst decision that they have ever made and realized that they made a horrible and life-threatening mistake.

    They learned the hard way and they admitted that they shouldn¡¯t have brought the ExTP to a place where it could grow and adapt in a perfect environment like earth. The ExTP started to infect anything that live and mutated into something that was brought from the depth of hell, and those scientists were the ones who made those ExTP healthy and alive.

    Archie answered all the questions that the professor asked him, and he showed him slides of images on the wall from the projector.

    Photos of types of parasite, there were three of them originally, they called them the ExTP-0 or the parasites generation zero that those scientists brought back to life. The first one looked like fiber or a web, the second one looked like a liquid, and the last one looked like a slug. Those parasites were harmless if they didn¡¯t make any contact with living beings but as soon as they host those living beings, they started to grow and mutate into something terrifying.

    That was what happened to Archie, he was hopeless and helpless, He didn¡¯t want to be like those monsters around him.

    Once the parasites host living beings and mutated into different things based on the host¡¯s body and muscle structures, they become ExTP-1. That was when those scientists that fed those ExTP-0 have become, they killed them, humans, tearing other people¡¯s bodies in half and feeding on their flesh making them stronger and stronger.

    They were desperate because bullets didn¡¯t affect them at all since they were able to regenerate their body immediately. They thought only bombs that could kill them, so they decided to use nuclear bombs to exterminate those parasites, but again, they were making a huge mistake.

    The parasite grew and bred like crazy, not just that, but the nuclear bombs only made them stronger and more terrifying. It was hell and in the end, they lost the war and decided to run away and hide from those parasites.

    They were on the brink of extinction but then a miracle came at the perfect time, people that they thought had died or lost to the parasite came back with a superpower.

    The scientist examined those people and discovered that some people who were infected and no longer being hosted by the parasite had a chance to evolve into superhumans or what they called Axis Humans. They thought they have hope to fight those parasites back with the power of those Axis Humans, but what they didn¡¯t know was that those Axis Humans weren¡¯t untouchable by the parasite.

    One of the Axis Humans was surrounded by those parasites and it was a beautiful lie to think that they could fight the parasite because once the parasite hosted the Axis Humans, they become one of them and stronger with very high intelligence than the other parasites. In the end, they decided to build those walls to protect themselves and researched how to defeat those parasites.

    A hundred years later, they built those stations above the ground so they could find a way to defeat those parasites while the Axis Humans protected the walls and what was left for them on earth until now and the ordinary humans could live peacefully in the station.

    ¡°It seems that you know about everything already, then it¡¯s time for your examination test.¡± The Professor looked at Archie and nodded with understanding.

    The professor lowered his head while he stared at Archie, ¡°Now, let us test your immune system and your blood, shall we?¡±

 Chapter 3

    ¡°It won¡¯t hurt, we just need your blood sample.¡± As the Professor stabbed Archie¡¯s finger with a needle and took a tiny amount of his blood.

    Archie stared at the Professor walked toward a machine and dropped his blood into a test tube. The Professor reached the drawer above him and grabbed a small steel chest with a digital lock and fingerprint scanner on it.

    The Professor grabbed a tube and Archie could see a black liquid that seemed to be alive tried to climb up the tube but as soon as the Professor put the tube and got exposed to some kind of ultraviolet light it stopped moving and seemed to be weakened by it.

    ¡°Is that a parasite, Professor?¡± Archie looked at the tube while he was pressing his finger with cotton.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, this is an ExTP-1 type parasite which is very rare nowadays because it¡¯s very hard to preserve them.¡± The Professor slowly extracted a tiny bit of the parasite from the tube.

    Archie looked at the Professor putting the parasite into the tube where his blood was. The Professor immediately sealed the tube so the parasite couldn¡¯t get out of the tube since it would be dangerous for both of them.

    The Professor put the test tube into the machinery, removed his latex gloves, and threw it in a trash bin.

    ¡°Now, we need to wait for 5 minutes until we can get the result.¡± The professor stared at the data on the screen of the machine while he crossed his arms.

    Archie looked at the Professor then threw the cotton into the trash bin, ¡°Is this necessary, Professor?¡± Archie jumped down from the nursing bed and approached him.

    The Professor ignored him because he was too focused on reading the data on the screen. Archie decided to not bother and looked around the lab room he was in, there were so many skeletons that used to be mutated parasites. Archie approached one of them and looked at it, it was written on the bottom that the skeleton belonged to an ExTP-2 Variation-3.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch that, or at least until I get the data from your blood test.¡± The Professor knew that Archie was about to touch it even though he kept his eyes on the data on the screen.

    Archie walked away from the skeleton and stayed put.

    Archie was bored of waiting but there was nothing he could do but wait, he walked around the lab once more and saw all the tests on the walls and some kind of formulas that had been overwritten over and over on a whiteboard. Archie decided to sit on the chair and rest his head on his fist, he tapped his fingers on the table and kept staring at the Professor.

    The machine stopped and made a beeping sound, the Professor kept staring at the data with his eyebrows furrowed, ¡°This is weird¡­¡± He muttered to himself.

    Archie jolted from his seat and walked toward the Professor because he was curious about the result, ¡°How was it, Professor? Did I pass the test?¡±

    The Professor printed the result and grabbed the test tube from the machine, he looked at Archie with his index finger pointed at him, ¡°Don¡¯t move anywhere, and wait here for a moment. I will be back shortly.¡± The professor rushedly left the lab and Archie could tell that the professor was running in the hallway.

    Out of curiosity, Archie walked to the skeleton again and decided to touch it but then he retract his hand immediately because he felt a sting on the tip of his fingers. Blood came out from all four of his fingers, he looked around and grabbed cotton to stop the bleeding. He realized that the bones were different from any bones that he knew, he leaned his head closer so he could see the bone clearly and he noticed that all the surfaces of the bones were sharp and it was impossible for anyone to touch them with their bare hands.

    ¡°Sorry, it took so long.¡± The Professor barged into the lab and Archie immediately hid his hands because he didn¡¯t want the Professor to notice what he was doing.

    The Professor sat on his desk and stared at nothing, then Archie sat on the chair in front of him and raised his eyebrows, ¡°So? Did I pass the test, or¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, the Professor interrupted him, ¡°There¡¯s something I would like to tell you about the result.¡± The Professor tossed the result on the desk and gently slid it toward Archie.

    Archie looked at the result and everything seemed fine, it was written there that his immune system could handle the parasite and the environment beyond the wall. What he didn¡¯t understand was why the Professor acted like that as if something went wrong with the result.

    ¡°Everything seems fine, is there something wrong with it?¡± Archie put the result back on the desk and looked so confused at the Professor.

    ¡°Everything is great, in fact, your result is more than qualified to go beyond the wall. The problem is right here, Archie¡­¡± The Professor pointed and tapped at the result.

    Archie tilted his head and read the result once more and specifically at what the Professor was pointing. It said in the result that it was a negative and when he read what it was all about, he realized that his immune system couldn¡¯t resist the parasite and making it hard for him to survive once a parasite hosted his body.

    ¡°I have sent the result to the Marshall because I need his opinion about this.¡± The Professor stared at the result while he was crossing his arms.

    ¡°But that¡¯s fine, right? I mean, I aced VST all the time and there won¡¯t be a problem since I can survive on my own and will be able to get myself out of trouble.¡± Archie furrowed his forehead as if he wanted to convince the Professor to let him pass.

    The Professor sighed and rubbed his eyebrow, ¡°You do know the protocol when you made a mistake, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I do know that, Professor¡­¡± Archie gulped and the atmosphere suddenly went heavy.

    They both were staring at each other without saying a word, then the Professor¡¯s phone vibrated. He looked at his phone and immediately left the room to pick up the phone.

    Archie stared at the wall and his heart started to pound really fast because he knew what kind of mistake the Professor meant. The mistake that he mentioned earlier was about once a human or Axis Humans were surrounded by parasites or mutated ones and there was zero chance of surviving, they had to kill themselves by blowing their bodies using a bomb.

    Once Axis Humans and those who went out of the wall made a mistake and didn¡¯t blow themselves up, they would become Ex-Axis Humans. They had to blow themselves up and made sure there was nothing left behind or those parasites could do anything to the rest of the body if they just killed themselves by stopping their hearts or blowing their heads off. If the parasite that hosted their body was type 3 or above, then there would be no humans or anything that could stop them from destroying the wall and humans that are living behind it.

    Archie looked at the skeleton that he touched, that skeleton belonged to an ExTP-2 Variation-3 and that thing was hard to kill. They sacrificed dozens of Axis Humans to defeat that thing and that thing was the scariest and hardest mutated parasite to kill back then. The latest intel they received was that there was a sighting of an ExTP-4 Variation-1 that roamed in FalCon-2, so it made Archie a bit nervous and scared.

    ¡°This is madness.¡± The Professor came back as he put his phone in his pocket, Archie could tell that the Professor looked worried.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Professor?¡± Archie leaned his body forward out of curiosity.

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing that you should be worried about¡­ or at least not yet¡­¡± The Professor rubbed his chin and stared at the result.

    Archie furrowed his forehead but before he could ask him what happened, the Professor¡¯s phone vibrated again. This time, the Professor¡¯s eyes were wide open, he hurriedly left the room again and picked up the phone.

    A few minutes later, the Professor came back inside but this time he didn¡¯t walk back to his desk, instead, he stood at the door and stared at Archie, ¡°So, do you have a lot of stuff in your room?¡±

    ¡°What? No, I don¡¯t have a lot of things in my room, why, Professor?¡± Archie tilted his head and looked at him.

    ¡°Well, it seems that the Marshall wants to see you¡± The Professor crossed his arms and leaned on the wall.

    Archie jolted from his seat with his eyes and mouth wide opened, ¡°What?! The Marshall wants to see me?!¡±

    The Professor nodded and stood straight, ¡°That¡¯s right, the Marshall wants to see you in person. Now you have to pack your things and we both will be going down to earth.¡±

    Archie hurriedly went back to his room and pack as many clothes as he could because he knew that it was time for him to become useful to humanity and of course, it was his dream to be one of them.

    Archie and the Professor stood in front of a huge door with four guards stood in front of it. The moment the door slid open, Archie could see everything from up there because he was surrounded by windows. It was a lift so people who lived in the station could go back down to earth but there were no reasons for them to go back down and only the Axis Humans would go back and forth from the station to the earth.

    ¡°When was the last time you go down there, Archie?¡± The Professor stared at Archie.

    Archie leaned on the window and stared at the whole nation getting closer and closer to him, ¡°I don¡¯t remember, Professor, maybe more than a decade¡­¡±

 Chapter 4

    ¡°We will be arriving in 30 seconds, please don¡¯t forget your belongings, and welcome back to earth.¡± The sound of a soothing robotic woman came from the speakers.

    ¡°You¡¯re still 18 years old, Archie, why don¡¯t you be like the others and work in the Sky Station then find a wife to reproduce? Why would you choose a dangerous job that might kill you one day?¡± The Professor looked at Archie from the corner of his eyes.

    Archie smirked and scoffed as he looked at the Professor, ¡°I don¡¯t even remember who my parents are since I was abandoned when I was six. Thanks to them, I was able to live happily in the Sky Station until now and so I decided to go back here and repay their kindness.¡±

    The Professor hummed and nodded with understanding, ¡°I almost forgot that they adopted you. Anyway, do you want to see their graves before you meet the Marshall?¡±

    Archie shook his head and chuckled as he leaned his body back and forth, ¡°Well, it¡¯s just a tombstone and nothing under it since they died out there so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary.¡±

    Both Archie and the Professor stood in front of the door and Archie seemed to be a bit nervous because that would be his first time seeing the earth after more than 12 years of living in the Sky Station. Compared to the Professor who went back and forth from Sky Station to earth because he had to investigate the environment around the walls with the help of Axis Humans, it was a normal activity for him.

    The door opened and it shook the floor because it slid so slowly as if they didn¡¯t have time to maintain the door. They both left the lift and so many people were gathering there waiting for the lift and they all went inside it after they greeted Archie and the Professor. They were all Axis Humans and everybody knew Archie since he was quite famous because of his skills in VST.

    ¡°Well, welcome back to earth, Archie.¡± The Professor smiled at him and pointed his hand at the exit.

    Archie smiled and walked past him, he opened the door and see the beautiful city. For him, old houses and buildings made from woods and zink and very thin metal were something exotic that he would never see up in the Sky Station. The trees grew very tall and he saw so many kids and people walking around peacefully, the wild grass, the soil, and the chill natural wind were enough to make him so excited because there were none of them up in the Sky Station.

    Everything down there used solar and wind energy because the rest of the energies were used for the Sky Stations up in the sky. Even without enough energy, the people who lived down here were happy enough and didn¡¯t bother much about it. Those who stayed on earth weren¡¯t only the Axis Humans, but also those who prefer to stay there rather than in the Sky Station.

    Archie and the Professor went straight to the military base, Archie looked around and listened to violin, guitar, and bodhran instrument playing that came from the radio. He felt like he belonged there and missed everything down there even though he didn¡¯t remember anything from his childhood.

    They entered the military base where tanks, choppers, horses, camels, soldiers with guns in their hands were training. They used living animals as a mount because they didn¡¯t have enough resources to build artillery, gas, and oil were hard to find. All the military in the four nations used the same method and it was proven that it was very efficient.

    Archie stared at the huge and tall building in front of him, the only sturdy and tall building in the nation since they demolished all the tall buildings from centuries ago to be used for walls and other things.

    ¡°Come one, Archie, the Marshall is waiting for you.¡± The Professor looked at Archie who stood behind him.

    ¡°Oh, yeah, sorry¡­¡± Archie followed the Professor from behind.

    They entered the building and were immediately escorted by the soldiers since they were ordered by the Marshall.

    They both entered the Marshall¡¯s office and the Professor immediately introduced Archie to the Marshall. He looked at Archie for quite a while from his desk then he stood up and approached him.

    ¡°Archie Lancaster, 18 years old with unbelievable talent. I heard a lot about you from the others and I want to see you in person if what they said is true.¡± The Marshall walked around Archie with his hands on his back.

    The Marshall observed Archie from top to bottom, ¡°Hmm, your physical body is in great shape.¡±

    ¡°You want to join the expedition, Archie?¡± The Marshall stood in front of Archie, he was taller than Archie that he could only see his chest and had to lift his head to look at him. The Marshall was 7 feet tall while Archie is 5.8 feet tall.

    Archie nodded nervously, ¡°Yes, Sir! I want to join the expedition.¡±

    The Marshall¡¯s eyes were glaring at Archie and it was enough to make Archie scared of the Marshall.

    ¡°Based on the data on his test, we should put him on the list, Professor.¡± The Marshall walked away and went back to his desk.

    The Professor¡¯s eyes were wide open and he approached the Marshall nervously, ¡°With all due respect, Sir, I¡¯m still not sure if the theory is right, I don¡¯t want to put anyone¡¯s life in danger.¡±

    ¡°I promise you, once they¡¯re all back from the expedition, I will have the answer and the result that you wanted.¡± The Professor begged the Marshall as if he was scared of something.

    Archie just stood there listening to their conversation.

    The Marshall stared at Archie while he was resting his hands on his stomach, ¡°Fine, I will be waiting for the good news, Professor.¡±

    The Marshall grabbed a piece of paper from the drawer and stamped the paper. He looked at it for a moment then put it back on the desk. He stared at Archie and slid the paper on the other side of the desk, ¡°Take this paper with you. You have been approved, Archie Lancaster. You will be joining the expedition tomorrow, the soldier will lead you to your barrack and get some rest because you will be leaving early tomorrow.¡±

    Archie was surprised when he heard that the expedition is tomorrow, he raised his hand nervously while he looked at the Marshall, ¡°To-tomorrow, Sir?¡± The Marshall glared at him, ¡°Is there a problem, soldier? We moved the schedule because we don¡¯t have time to waste. If you don¡¯t want to join, then give me back the document.¡± Archie shook his head repeatedly, ¡°No, Sir! I will join the expedition, Sir!¡±

    The Marshal smiled and tilted his head to the door, ¡°Okay, go out there and meet your comrade, soldier!¡± Archie smiled with excitement and nodded with understanding, ¡°Yes, Sir! Thank you, Sir!¡± Archie saluted him with a big grin on his face and since he was dismissed, he left the office leaving the Professor and the Marshall alone.

    Archie left the building and looked around once more, he couldn¡¯t believe that the moment that he has been waiting for his entire life was right in front of him.

    ¡°Archie Lancaster?¡± A muscular tall guy wearing a green shirt and a dog tag hanging on his neck, he waved his hand at Archie.

    ¡°Yes?¡± Archie looked at the tall friendly-looking guy.

    The muscular guy chuckled and wrapped his arm around Archie¡¯s neck, ¡°So, which division are you in for tomorrow¡¯s expedition?¡±

    Archie check the document he brought with him and looked at the information in it, ¡°I¡¯m in Division 3, Sir.¡±

    The muscular guy smiled while he was chewing gum, ¡°Perfect! You will be under my command, Archie, now follow me and I will introduce you to my friends that soon to be your friends as well.¡±

    Archie followed him from behind and the muscular guy looked back at him and tilted his head, ¡°You know, I asked my father to let you be in my division because we might need your skill, Archie.¡±

    ¡°Your father? Is your father is the Marshall, Sir?¡± Archie furrowed his forehead and stared at the muscular guy while he tried to catch up on the guy¡¯s walking speed.

    The muscular guy nodded and raised his eyebrows repeatedly, ¡°Yeah, pops is the Marshall of the Western Nation.¡± The muscular guy chewed the bubblegum while he looked around, ¡°Anyway, those people over there will be in my division as well, so come on let¡¯s introduce you to them.¡± The muscular guy pointed his finger at a group of people in a courtyard while they were working out.

    The muscular guy introduced Archie to his friends, all of them were Axis Humans and they showed what kind of ability they have. Most of them had the same ability which was a superstrength since it was the most common ability for the Axis Human, some of them even had a super hearing and were able to look from a mile away, some could see in the dark, some had a super instinct like an animal. The muscular guy had all of them and another ability which was a super perception that he could see things in slow motion.

    Archie spent the evening talking with them, he managed to get to know them better. All of them were friendly and didn¡¯t discriminate against ordinary humans and it really made him happy to be able to be placed with them.

    ¡°Look at the time, boys. We need to get some rest because we will be leaving early tomorrow.¡± The muscular guy looked at his wristwatch.

    One of his friends scoffed and smirked at him, ¡°Nah, your pops will be giving a long speech anyway so we should be able to get more sleep until the speech is over.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right but he would beat us up if he saw us still sleeping. So don¡¯t do something stupid around him or you will regret it.¡± The muscular guy shook his arm because the wristwatch was about to run out of battery.

    All of them laughed and nodded in agreement, they all walked together and were on their way to the barrack. Archie kept staring at the night sky, he still couldn¡¯t believe it and thought it was all just a dream.

    ¡°Yo, Archie? Come on, let¡¯s put your stuff in the barrack and get some sleep!¡± The muscular guy and his friends looked at Archie and waited for him.

    ¡°I¡¯m coming!¡± Archie smiled and caught up with them.

 Chapter 5

    ¡°Yo, Archie, wake up!¡±

    Archie groaned and tried to open his eyes.

    ¡°Come on, kid. Wake up or the Marshall will drag you down the street.¡±

    Archie opened his eyes and saw everyone already in their attire, Archie then jolted from his bed and tried to find his bag. The muscular guy tapped him on the back and he saw his bag in the muscular guy¡¯s hand, ¡°Looking for this? Archie?¡±.

    Archie smiled and nodded while he was grabbing the bag from his hand, ¡°Thank you, Sir.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so formal with me, Archie, just call me¡­¡±

    A ringing sound hurt Archie¡¯s ears, ¡°Every time a name is mentioned in my memory it gives me a headache.¡± Archie held his head while he was staring at his own memory.

    Archie ran with the muscular guy and his friends, he looked around and saw so many people running in the same direction as him. All of them were Axis Humans and that was the first time he saw hundreds of them at the same place wearing their attire.

    Everyone was lining up and staring at the Marshall who stood in front of them with his hands on his back.

    ¡°At ease, boys¡­¡± His voice was echoed throughout the field, the Marshall smiled at every single one of them.

    Archie looked around and the sun wasn¡¯t even up yet and the cold was enough to give him a chill straight to his bones, the grass was wet because of the morning dew and it smelled quite nice.

    ¡°Good morning, boys. How was your sleep?¡± The Marshall walked side to side and stared at everyone.

    ¡°Best night we ever had, Sir!¡± All of them shouted the same answer that made Archie startled.

    ¡°Good! Good! So all of you should be ready for the expedition, right?¡± The Marshall scoffed and smirked.

    ¡°Sir, yes, Sir!¡± Everyone stood straight and stared at the Marshall.

    The Marshall crossed his arms and stared at everyone for quite a while, everyone just stood there and stared at him in silence.

    ¡°You all will be deployed outside the south wall, and I just want to remind you, boys, that you all will be entering the Fallen Continent One.¡± The Marshall walked closer to them as he raised his shoulders because of the cold.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have to remind you that you put your life on the line for this mission. We don¡¯t have enough intel about FalCon-1, but we all do know that everything in that continent is dangerous so make sure don¡¯t play around on this mission, do you understand?¡± The Marshall raised his eyebrow with his hands on his back.

    ¡°Sir, yes, Sir!¡± Archie answered with the rest of them.

    The Marshall looked at his son who stood in front of him, ¡°Don¡¯t let me down, kid¡­¡±

    The muscular guy saluted him, ¡°Sir, yes, Sir!¡±

    The Marshall walked back and turned around, ¡°Your job is simple, bring one of those Ex-Humans with you and you all can go back as soon as you secured your objective. The details will be explained by your division leader, so listen to them carefully.¡±

    Ex-Humans were like the Axis Humans but they sacrificed their humanity and became one with the parasites. They could control their own bodies and minds but they were hostile and aggressive toward any living being that was not hosted by parasites.

    There were rumors about those Ex-Humans, they said that they somehow still looked like human beings and they disguised themselves as if they were stranded humans then as soon as they made a contact with a living being, they would kill them immediately and ate their flesh.

    The Marshall gave a short speech then everyone was dismissed and went to their own division for a briefing.

    They went back to their barrack and the muscular guy stood in front of them with his arms crossed, ¡°You all know that we have no data or information related to the Ex-Humans, and I don¡¯t think those rumors about them were true so don¡¯t believe what you heard about them. Those Ex-Humans aren¡¯t that different from those ExTP so I want you guys to be careful and don¡¯t hesitate to take them down when you see one.¡±

    Archie raised his hand and the muscular guy nodded up and raised his eyebrows, ¡°Yes, Archie?¡±

    ¡°Why do we want to capture the Ex-Human? Is there a reason behind it?¡± Archie looked at him while he was furrowing his forehead.

    Everyone nodded and hummed in agreement since they were all curious about it as well.

    The muscular guy sighed and leaned on the frame of the bunk bed, ¡°To be honest, pops didn¡¯t tell me anything about it as well when I asked him. What I believe is that they want to examine them and maybe to turn them back and help us fight against those parasites since we kept losing so many Axis Humans for the past few decades.¡±

    The muscular guy stared at his wristwatch and shook his arm, ¡°Alright, we have 10 minutes to prepare everything. Grab your weapons and tools then let¡¯s meet up at the south wall. Everyone dismissed!¡±

    All of them scattered and went to their own bed to grab their things, Archie just stood there staring at them since he didn¡¯t have anything else to prepare.

    ¡°Come with me, Archie, I want you to do me a favor.¡± The muscular guy wrapped his hand around Archie¡¯s neck and dragged him outside.

    Everyone around them was busy preparing their stuff like what the others did in the barrack, the muscular guy looked at Archie while he was tapping his hand on Archie¡¯s shoulder gently, ¡°The reason why I chose you to be in my division is that we need your amazing talent, Archie.¡±

    Archie looked at the muscular guy and furrowed his eyebrows, ¡°My talent? But I¡¯m only good at surviving and that¡¯s only inside a virtual reality.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why you¡¯re here right now, Archie.¡± The muscular guy crossed his arms.

    ¡°The reason why we got this mission is that you aced all the VST exams. We were planning to find an individual that able to pass those exams for the past few years. For the last two years, you were the only one who managed to pass the exam and you aced all of them so easily. As soon as we heard that you aced the last two exams, pops gave it a go of this expedition. So it was all because of you, Archie.¡± The muscular guy patted Archie¡¯s back and smirked proudly.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean you guys put all your worries onto my shoulders? I don¡¯t think I would be able to lead you all because I have never gone outside the wall. Even though I aced all the exams, it would be different in the real world, so I don¡¯t think I will be confident with my talent.¡± Archie looked nervous and pale.

    The muscular guy put his hands on Archie¡¯s shoulder and glared at him while he shook Archie gently, ¡°It will be fine, you will be my adviser and when we are both on the same ground, I will make the call so everyone will follow my lead. How is that, Archie? You don¡¯t have to do anything but be my adviser, and you will be protected by everyone since you¡¯re a very very important asset to us. No, not just us but to all the four nations.¡±

    Archie was so happy to hear that he was very important not just to everyone around him but also to all four nations that he didn¡¯t realize that the muscular guy led him to the south wall. When he noticed that he was in front of a building that look like a bunker, Archie looked at the muscular guy entering the building.

    Archie followed him inside and he realized that this place is the station where all the Axis Humans or anyone go to the Fallen Continent. They dug a tunnel around the world and then built rails in it so the trains could go everywhere without a problem or danger.

    The muscular guy grabbed his black sword and put it on his waist then grabbed his handgun then put it on his back, the soldiers provided everything that he needed.

    The muscular guy took a handgun holder and a gun in it then gave it to Archie, ¡°You will need this, Archie. You need to be able to protect yourself if in the worst-case scenario that nobody could protect you.¡±

    Archie grabbed it and wrapped the holder around his waist.

    ¡°It¡¯s time¡­ everyone should be here any minute¡­¡± The muscular guy stared at his wristwatch.

    In less than a minute, people came into the building with swords, axes, spears, and guns on their waist and back, all of them looked at Archie and they were all smiling and nodding up at him. Those who knew him greeted him and they were all grateful to have him in the expedition.

    Archie followed them into the lift and went deep down into the earth and when he reached the bottom, he saw a long bullet train and everyone stood in front of the entrance.

    Each division stood in front of a different railway carriage and there were a total of 12 carriages. All the leaders stood in front of each of their teammates while the rest of them checked each other¡¯s equipment for one last time.

    ¡°Alright, boys, are you guys ready?¡± The muscular guy looked at everyone.

    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± Everyone looked and saluted at him.

    The muscular guy nodded with understanding, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s roll out!¡±

 Chapter 6

    ¡°Goddamn! You both are hot as fuck!¡± Said a guy who sat next to Archie who was staring at two ladies kissing each other in front of them.

    ¡°Can you fuck off and look the other way?¡± The woman glared at the guy while she wiped the saliva on her partner¡¯s lips.

    The guy giggled pervertedly then he tilted his head with a big grin on his face, ¡°You know that we are trying to repopulate the earth, right? How about you guys spend the night after we are done with the mission? Huh? Interested?¡±

    The woman stood up and was about to approach him but then the muscular guy stopped them both, ¡°Alright, cut it out, both of you.¡±

    The woman and the guy looked at the muscular guy and immediately raised their hands to show him respect.

    ¡°Let them be, and let them enjoy the time they have left before we arrived at the FalCon-1. You too, you know he likes to tease people so don¡¯t take it personally, okay? He was joking.¡± The muscular guy looked at them both while he was holding the handle so he won¡¯t fall down.

    The woman nodded with understanding, ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±

    The guy giggled and then looked at Archie, ¡°You nervous, Archie?¡±

    Archie looked at him and nodded, ¡°Yeah, my hands are cold and tingling because I¡¯m nervous right now.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think about it too much, okay? You know, The world is fucked up right now but it will get worse when you entered the Fallen Continent so try to overcome your fear and brace yourself for that.¡± The guy wrapped his hand around Archie¡¯s shoulder and patted him to comfort him a bit.

    Archie nodded and smiled nervously, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll try¡­¡±

    Everyone was listening to the guy¡¯s words and all of them went quiet immediately because they all thought the same thing.

    Archie looked at his surroundings with his heart pounding really fast that his eyes started throbbing. The dark tunnel, the echoed sound of the rails, and the cold because they were under the sea weren¡¯t helping at all, he tried to calm himself down but the more he thought about what the guy said, the more nervous he was.

    Based on the muscular guy¡¯s word, it would take them at least 12 hours to reach the FalCon-1 because they were departing from the western nation down to the FalCon-1. They already spent 11 hours on the train and the smile and laughter that were filling the train were gone, everyone was busy cleaning and checking all their equipment to waste the time and trying to remove their nervousness from their heads.

    The LED lights above them suddenly turned red and that indicated that they were about to arrive at FalCon-1. Everyone stared at the red light and everyone gulped their saliva even though there was no more saliva inside their mouth. Every single one of them was nervous and scared because this mission was the second time they step their foot in FalCon-1.

    ¡°Alright boys, get ready¡­¡± The muscular guys exhaled deeply while he stared at them.

    All of them nodded and stood up, Archie followed them and looked at the door with heavy breathing.

    The train slowed down and the muscular guy checked everyone¡¯s equipment for one last time from front to the back.

    He cleared his throat, ¡°No more funny business, boys. I want your eyes and ears wide open because if we make a mistake, you know the drill and I don¡¯t want that to happen in this mission. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°Sir, yes, Sir!¡± Everyone screamed their lungs out to overcome their nervousness.

    The muscular guy walked to the front and then tapped on Archie¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Come with me to the front, I will need your assistance, and stay by my side all the time, do you understand?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± Archie nodded while he gulped his saliva.

    Archie and the muscular guy stood at the front and they both looked at the rest of them.

    ¡°Do you guys remember our motto?!¡± The muscular guy smirked while he nodded his head up.

    ¡°If we were to fail, we have no regrets!¡± All of them screamed and stared at the muscular guy.

    ¡°If we were to fail, we have no regrets¡­¡± Archie mumbled as he stared at his memory.

    The train stopped and the door slid open.

    Everyone left the train and Archie saw everyone leaving from the other rail carriages, they were all looking nervous and scared. He saw some of them wiggling and clenching their hands because they felt the same thing as him, their hands went cold and the tingling feeling won¡¯t leave them alone.

    Archie looked at the sturdy wall in front of him and a huge steel gate in the middle, the muscular guy walked toward it and Archie followed him since he told him to stay by his side and he took it really seriously.

    Archie looked back and the train left to the safe spot so when bad things happened, the train won¡¯t be jeopardized and he knew that there was no going back from now on.

    The muscular guy operated the machine and the huge gate opened so slowly.

    ¡°We need to get back to the others, Archie, let¡¯s go!¡± The muscular guy tapped on Archie¡¯s shoulder.

    Turned out the steel gate was just the first layer and then another layer opened then another.

    Everyone was on guard and grabbed their gun out, Archie also grabbed his gun out and pointed it at the gate.

    The last layer opened and nothing in it, everyone immediately put their gun down while they sighed with relief. The muscular guy ordered everyone to get in and so all of them walked into the lift.

    They all went up and it took them more than 15 minutes to reach the top, everyone grabbed their weapons out while the muscular guy operated the machine to open the gate in front of them.

    This time the layer opened from the inside first, and when all the gates were opened, Archie was surprised to look at the tall trees surrounding him. He realized that they were all in the middle of the jungle and he couldn¡¯t see anything but trees and tall wild grass.

    The sound of the crickets made him more nervous because there were no other sounds than the crickets. Everything was dark and he barely could see anything because it was nighttime already in there.

    The muscular guy led all the division forward, and Archie followed him from behind with the rest of them. Archie looked at the others and they were all sweating like crazy already, and he realized that he was the only one who couldn¡¯t see in the dark so he felt lonely since he was the only one who was scared of the darkness.

    More than half of the divisions went their separate ways because they had to secure the parameter for them to rest for the night. The rest of them built the tent and camp for everyone, Archie helped them and tried his best to be useful to them.

    After all the camp has been set up, Archie and the muscular guy with all the division leaders were inside the camp. They were all staring at the map and discussed the intel they received about Ex-Humans, so they drew circles around the map and they believed that those areas could be where those Ex-humans lived.

    ¡°So my division will go to the deepest part while the rest of you can take one each.¡± The muscular guy tapped his index finger at the map while he stared at the other leaders.

    All of them were discussing which area they were going to take while Archie looked at them from the side.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that there was a sighting of an ExTP-4 Gen 1 in the FalCon-2 and I don¡¯t want to jinx it but there must be one in FalCon-1 as well so I want you guys to be cautious. If you encountered that, I want you to immediately run away and gave the signal to the other divisions. We are here to capture an Ex-Human not to deal with those parasites, and our priority is our own safety than our objective, do you guys understand?¡± The muscular guy looked at them so seriously.

    One of the leaders pointed at the map that the muscular guy will investigate, ¡°Are you sure that you will be going there? Isn¡¯t that close to that thing?¡±

    ¡°I know, that¡¯s why I will go there since it¡¯s the most dangerous place in FalCon-1. I¡¯ll be fine because we have Archie here to help me make the decision and I believe in him that we will be safe with his experience in the VST exams that we all failed miserably.¡± The muscular guy looked at Archie and smiled with confidence.

    All of them looked at Archie and nodded with understanding.

    After they were done discussing their plan, everyone left the camp and went to their own division to give a short briefing leaving Archie and the muscular guy alone in the camp.

    Archie approached him and scratched the back of his neck nervously, ¡°Are you sure that I will be able to do it?¡±

    ¡°You will and we all believe in you. Now you should get some rest because we will be moving in the middle of the night and we should reach this area before the sun is rising.¡± The muscular guy looked at Archie while he pointed his finger at the map.

    Archie exhaled deeply and nodded with understanding, ¡°Okay, I will do my best¡­¡±

    Archie left the camp leaving the muscular guy on his own in the camp while he stared at the map.

    ¡°I hope nothing happened to us¡­¡± The muscular guy sighed.

 Chapter 7

    The silent and cold night came, everyone had packed all their stuff and was ready to leave. Each division took a short briefing, Archie with his division were the ones to leave the camp first because they had to go to the furthest area before the sunrise.

    The sound of cicadas and crickets was accompanying them throughout the night, it made them feel a bit at ease and at peace. They would rather have those bugs around them than those parasites, and because of those bugs around them, the parasites wouldn¡¯t be able to detect them because of the sound and the living beings surrounding Archie and the others.

    The scent of the wild grass and damp trunks were so overwhelming that they couldn¡¯t smell anything else. During the night, the parasites were less active compared to the daylight, but that didn¡¯t mean those parasites won¡¯t be able to ambush them.

    The muscular guy raised and clenched his right fist, ¡°Hold¡­¡± as he put his left index finger in front of his mouth.

    Everyone didn¡¯t move a muscle as they stared at the muscular guy.

    ¡°We have got company, boys¡­¡± As the muscular guy whispered and sharpened his gaze toward something beyond the darkness in front of him.

    ¡°Two? No, three? No¡­ there are so many of them¡­¡± A woman spoke under her breath while she glared at her surroundings and she swung her axe.

    The muscular guy looked at everyone from the corner of his eyes, ¡°You guys know what to do, try not to make a lot of sounds, and don¡¯t use the gun.¡±

    All of them nodded and immediately spread out, Archie looked at them all and they all swallowed into the darkness.

    ¡°Stay close to me, Archie¡­¡± The muscular guy and a few of his friends guarded him while they looked at their surroundings.

    As they were guarding Archie, they couldn¡¯t hear anything but the screams, roars, and growls of the monsters around them. They could hear the blades cutting the flesh, the sound of bone cracking, the sound of liquid splattered on the ground and trees.

    The screams and groans from those monsters couldn¡¯t be heard anymore, then dozens of footsteps came out from the shadows. All of them came back unscathed only blood covered their weapons and armors.

    ¡°Is it done?¡± The muscular guy stared at them.

    All of them nodded while they were wiping their armor and weapons from the blood of those monsters.

    Archie was so confused because everyone looked so at ease even though those monsters were making loud noises. He looked at the muscular guy and tilted his head, ¡°Aren¡¯t we supposed to hide or at least get out of this area as soon as possible?¡±

    The muscular guy kept walking forward and stared at the distance, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. You were misled by the VST because of a reason. the truth is the parasites are territorial creatures, they often fought each other because they hate each other. Every area in Fallen Continents, there¡¯s always one that ruled each area and so as long as we didn¡¯t scream or use guns, they will ignore the screams and groans of those monsters.¡±

    Archie thought to himself that he didn¡¯t know about that and he started to think that his skill might not be able to help them since he only know much about those parasites and behaviors from the test.

    The sky was still dark and they were standing in front of a path that they had to choose. The muscular guy was hesitant to choose because of the intel he received from the scout he sent earlier.

    ¡°The left path seems to be the safest route even though it took a lot longer to reach our destination.¡± The muscular guy rubbed his chin while he crossed his arms.

    ¡°What do you think, Archie?¡± The muscular guy stared at him.

    Archie checked his surroundings and realized that something was off about the left path, ¡°Can you give me a moment to check?¡±

    Everyone looked at Archie and they all followed the muscular guy¡¯s decision.

    ¡°Okay, take your time, we still have enough time to reach our destination.¡± As the muscular guy walked toward the tree and leaned on it.

    Archie looked at the environment on the left path as he kept walking further, he realized that there were no signs of the parasites that walked through this path. No claw marks, no salivas, or any liquids that the parasites produced. Everything from where he stood and in front of him had no marks or any kind of signs.

    Archie walked back and he looked so unease about this, he looked at the muscular guy, ¡°I don¡¯t think we should go there because there are no signs of the parasites coming or going to that path. It¡¯s a sign that something or anything beyond this path is dangerous even for those parasites. I would recommend taking the right path and fighting those parasites since we know what types of the parasites that roaming there.¡±

    The muscular guy crossed his arms while he stared at his teammates, ¡°Do you think we can fight those parasites?¡±

    One of the guys nodded, ¡°We could, but it might take quite a lot of time.¡±

    ¡°We should follow Archie¡¯s suggestion since he knows more than us.¡± One of the guys looked at the muscular guy.

    The muscular guy rubbed his chin while he looked at the ground, ¡°Go and check the left path once more and this time goes as further as you can and come back here in 10 minutes.¡±

    The scout teams nodded and immediately left to check the left path.

    Archie wasn¡¯t pleased with the muscular guy¡¯s decision and he wanted to question his decision but he was too scared to do so, then the woman who kissed another woman on the train looked at the muscular guy, ¡°What¡¯s the purpose of doing that? Are you still going to take the left route?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to discard Archie¡¯s opinion, it¡¯s just that we are going to find those Ex-Humans. We don¡¯t know how strong they¡¯re and we only know that they¡¯re dangerous. If we wasted a lot of our energy by killing those parasites, we won¡¯t know what will happen to us if those Ex-Humans might ambush us later.¡± As the muscular guy walked to the middle and stared at Archie.

    ¡°I can feel your concern, Archie, but our job here is to capture those Ex-Humans. We need to avoid any encounter with those parasites as much as possible, and I hope you understand that.¡± The muscular guy patted his shoulder.

    The scout team came back and they were all confident that the left path has no sign of any kind of threat. The muscular guy looked at everyone and they all already knew the answer, so the muscular guy ordered them to take the left path because he believed it was safer than the right path.

    As they walked deeper into the jungle they all felt something was off with this path except for the muscular guy. He was the leader and he didn¡¯t want to show any regret as his motto had been carved into his chest.

    They stopped and stared at the huge mouth cave in front of them because there was no other way to walk past the jungle, and the cold wind that came from inside the cave made all of them tremble.

    ¡°I beg you, we need to go back! I don¡¯t know what¡¯s inside this cave but whatever it is, I know for sure why the parasites didn¡¯t want to go here.¡± Archie pointed his hand at the mouth of the cave while he stared at the muscular guy.

    Everyone looked at the muscular guy and waited for his response.

    ¡°Scout team, can you check what¡¯s inside?¡± The muscular guy looked at the people next to him.

    They didn¡¯t question his order and immediately went inside without hesitation.

    Ten minutes passed and there was no sign of the scout team but everyone waited for them.

    Another ten minutes passed and the scout team was still inside but this time everyone started to get worried.

    ¡°Do you think we should check them out? They have been in there for 20 minutes now.¡± One of the guys looked at the muscular guy.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s move.¡± The muscular guy unsheathed his sword and Archie looked at the black sword that looked like a claymore.

    Everyone went inside and they started to search for the scout team but after a long time of searching, they didn¡¯t find them anywhere. Everyone started to panic but the muscular guy kept walking at the front to lead the way. Deep down he knew that he just dangered some of his men because of his selfishness but it was necessary for him and his team.

    They heard a footstep come from in front of them and everyone immediately ran toward it while Archie couldn¡¯t see anything so he followed them from behind. As soon as Archie caught up with the other, he saw one of the scout team members laying down with only one leg attached with his arms missing. His mouth tore apart and his jaw barely hanging, his eyes were filled with fear as he looked at his friends.

    Before the muscular guy could ask about what happened, everyone heard a roar come from far ahead, they all looked at what was in front of them.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± The muscular guy¡¯s eyes were wide open as if he saw something that he couldn¡¯t believe.

 Chapter 8

    ¡°After all, we are still scared of death, huh?¡± One of the guys looked at Axis Human which became mutated into a monster that has become an Ex-Axis Human.

    A tall human-look-like parasite with massive muscles in his arms but only had six fingers in total. Glared at them with its deformed face and sharp teeth like a shark covered with saliva.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, we must kill it before it breeds filthy and foul monsters.¡± As the muscular guy readied his stance with his black sword in his right hand.

    The muscular guy looked at Archie, ¡°Stay back, we don¡¯t want to lose you here. If you¡¯re dead we¡¯re dead.¡±

    Without hesitation, Archie went further back and hid in between rocks as he watched the fight between them and the Ex-Axis Human since his eyes finally adapted to the darkness.

    The muscular guy charged toward the Ex-Axis Human with his sword readied to thrust its body, but he didn¡¯t expect the Ex-Axis Human would be able to block the blade with its gigantic hand.

    Each one of them went in and helped him by shooting their guns at its head. Bullets¡¯ shells were falling down and the flashes made Archie stand there in awe when he saw the muscular guy who was bigger than him could move swiftly as if he saw a video game character where each frame showed him a different move.

    The muscular guy¡¯s swordplay was amazing that he almost looked like he was having a one-on-one fight with an Ex-Axis Human which was impossible for anyone to do. It was all thanks to his super perception that he could see things ten times slower than any other Axis Humans.

    In Archie¡¯s perspective, it was an even match between the muscular guy and the Ex-Axis Human until the Ex-Axis Human disappeared in a blink of an eye. He looked around and couldn¡¯t find the Ex-Axis Human¡¯s whereabouts but then the muscular guy and all of his teammates shot their guns at the ceiling of the cave. The Ex-Axis Human could walk and climb the flat surfaces of the ceiling by penetrating the surface with its fingers.

    Archie realized that the Ex-Axis Human was faster and immune to bullets because of the muscles in its body.

    Archie¡¯s eyes met with the Ex-Axis Human¡¯s eyes and at that moment, he felt like all of his blood were running up to his head and knew that the Ex-Axis Human wanted him dead first. It pounced at Archie but he managed to roll over and dodged it but he knew that he won¡¯t be alive before he could even stand up.

    Archie looked back and the Ex-Axis Human was about to crush his head with its fingers but then the muscular guy blocked him.

    ¡°Archie! Run to the outside! We are going to fight this thing in the open!¡± As the muscular guy used all his strength to push the Ex-Axis Human away from Archie with his sword.

    Archie ran toward the entrance but then his whole body froze as he saw the dead body of the scout member being eaten by something terrifying. A one-armed Ex-Axis Human swallowed half of the body of the scout member whole.

    The one-armed Ex-Axis Human looked at Archie with his tongue hung down to his crotch. Archie¡¯s whole body trembled and he felt like he was suffocating because he was panicking. Arche didn¡¯t speak nor move a muscle, not because he couldn¡¯t but deep down, he wanted to believe if he didn¡¯t move, the one-armed Ex-Axis Human won¡¯t notice him.

    As soon as the one-armed Ex-Axis Human growled at him, he immediately turned around and ran back to where the others were. He ran as fast as he could while he took a deep breath, ¡°There¡¯s another one at the entrance!¡± As Archie pointed his finger behind him.

    Everyone was too busy handling the Ex-Axis Human, and they couldn¡¯t hear Archie¡¯s voice because of the gunshots. Archie had no other choice but to grab his gun and turned around to aim at the one-armed Ex-Axis Human.

    Archie emptied the magazine in less than five seconds, and it didn¡¯t do anything to the one-armed Ex-Axis Human. Not a single scratch on its body because it absorbed the bullet into its body while he kept chasing him.

    The muscular guy and the others noticed the gunshot and their eyes were wide open when they saw another Ex-Axis Human.

    ¡°You two go and protect Archie!¡± The muscular guy yelled at his teammates that the veins on his neck popped out.

    The lesbian couple ran toward Archie as they were reloading their guns.

    Archie heard a growl coming from behind him and so he turned his head to see the one-armed Ex-Axis Human. The one-armed Ex-Axis Human was choking on something that tried to get it out and then it open its mouth then heard something solid being spitted out. Bullets that Archie shot toward the one-armed Ex-Axis Human earlier were being shot back to those two but they both could dodge the bullets with ease while they both kept running toward Archie.

    They ran past Archie and immediately shot their guns toward the one-armed Ex-Axis Human even though they knew that it could spit the bullets back at them. A few others ran past Archie and helped the lesbian couple because Archie was their top priority.

    As soon as the one-armed Ex-Axis Human felt like he was being threatened, it jumped from side to side. They tried to shoot at him and not a single bullet hit him, they all knew immediately that this one couldn¡¯t handle the bullet like the other one. They emptied their magazines and decided to not use the gun anymore, they all unsheathed their weapons and charged at it.

    The lesbian couple was at the front but then the one-armed Ex-Axis Human stuck out its tongue, faster than a bullet, and hit one of the women right on her right shoulder. The tongue penetrated through her skin, flesh, and bone as if its tongue was made of sturdy steel.

    The woman screamed in pain and they all could see that the wound slowly got bigger as if the saliva on that Ex-Axis Human melted her skin, flesh, and bone.

    Everyone was shocked and stared at her but without them noticing, the one-armed Ex-Axis Human jumped at her, luckily the guy who sat next to Archie on the train punched the one-armed Ex-Axis Human¡¯s face so hard that the one-armed Ex-Axis Human was thrown away to the wall.

    ¡°What are you guys doing?! Stay focused!¡± The guy glared at them while he pointed his axe at the one-armed Ex-Axis Human.

    The guy looked at the woman with concern, ¡°You both need to leave and protect Archie safely to the outside! There must be an exit on the other side! Go!¡±

    Without hesitation, the woman grabbed Archie¡¯s arm and dragged him to the other side of the cave with her partner holding her shoulder in pain.

    The three of them walked past the muscular guy and the other teammates. The muscular guy looked at the three of them and decided to follow them outside because they were at a disadvantage if they had to fight in the cramped cave.

    Archie looked back and everyone was safe and managed to leave the cafe with two of Ex-Axis Humans chasing them.

    ¡°Are we not going to help them?¡± Archie looked at the women in front of them.

    ¡°Help them? You have no power, she¡¯s handicapped, do you want us to be a burden for them? Just keep running and we need to get as far as possible from the battle! My only job right now is your safety!¡± The woman kept pulling Archie¡¯s arm and glared at him.

    An hour passed and the three of them were in the middle of nowhere, with no clues on what things around them that could kill them or ambush them. They kept running and Archie was already out of breath until he fell down and couldn¡¯t move his leg muscles anymore.

    ¡°We should be safe here¡­¡± As the woman kept holding her shoulder with tears in her eyes because of the unbearable pain.

    ¡°I think we can catch a breather for a moment here.¡± The other woman looked around making sure that they were safe.

    It was still dark there and there were no more sounds of cicadas or crickets around them. The silence didn¡¯t bother them anymore because the real threat was already far behind them until they saw a red flare-up in the sky. The three of them stared at it and their eyes were wide open, their hearts pounded really fast.

    The red flare means that they have failed and their mission is compromised, and not just that, it also means that there¡¯s no hope for them to get some help. The other two are yellow flare and green flare. The yellow flare is a bit similar to the red flare but they want to get some help since there¡¯s a high chance they would be able to survive the situation. The green flare means that they achieved the mission and wanted the other to come and escort them back safely.

    ¡°Do you know what that means, Archie?¡± As the woman walked and stood in front of Archie while she was blocking the red flare light from Archie. He couldn¡¯t see what kind of expression she was making but he knew that she must be terrified.

    Archie just nodded and couldn¡¯t believe they used the red flare instead of the other two colors.

    ¡°We¡¯re on our own now, we¡¯re abandoned and no one will come to help us. Do you understand? We must survive and go back to safety on our own.¡± The woman glared at Archie with fear written all over her face.

    Archie gulped as he nodded with understanding, ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±

 Chapter 9

    Archie understood the situation, he thought he would be safe as long as these two Axis Humans were with him. When the woman wanted to help him get up, she suddenly walked back with her eyes wide open. Her whole body went red and she immediately caught on fire and they could hear her scream in agony, her skin melted, and her eyeballs melted.

    Her partner looked at her with disbelief, ¡°Archie, we should leave! Now!¡±

    Archie jolted and ran with the woman who couldn¡¯t even balance her body anymore because of the wound on her shoulder. They both left the woman on fire and they both knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to survive that.

    ¡°Well¡­ well¡­ well¡­ it seems that we got a fresh meat¡­¡± A soothing woman¡¯s voice came from above them.

    They both looked up and see a woman barely naked and glared down at them, ¡°You¡¯re¡­ an Ex-Human¡­¡± As the woman looked at the woman who stood on a tree branch above her.

    A chuckle came from behind them and there was another woman who approached them as she dragged the burnt body, ¡°We will be having a feast, it seems, sister¡­¡±

    The woman looked at Archie and pulled the gun and pointed it at Archie¡¯s head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, kid¡­ you know what will happen to us if we don¡¯t die here¡­¡± She whispered with her hand trembling.

    Before she could pull the trigger, her head fell off in front of Archie because a twig swung at her in a blink of an eye.

    Archie¡¯s eyes were focused on the head of the woman rolling toward him, he couldn¡¯t scream and his whole body suddenly became weak that he couldn¡¯t stand anymore and fell to the ground because of fear.

    ¡°Ahh¡­ sister¡­ look at what you have done. The body is stiff now and we can¡¯t enjoy it if the muscle stiff like that¡­¡± Archie looked at the woman who stood on the tree branch while she stared at the huge tree.

    The woman jumped and landed on the ground, she grabbed the stiff headless body and lifted it up. The blood fell down like a stream from its neck, and then he heard a loud cracking sound and when he looked to his right, the woman was eating the head of the burnt woman as if she was eating a chicken¡¯s head. Archie immediately went sick after he saw it and threw up all over his hands and the ground.

    They were ignoring him and thought maybe he had a chance to escape from his death. After he tried to calm himself out, he slowly crawled away from those Ex-Humans while they were busy eating those dead bodies. He couldn¡¯t take his eyes away from those two because he thought if he did that, they might pounce on him and decapitate him.

    The moment Archie thought he was safe, he turned around and ran off for his life. The two sisters stopped eating and then they both looked at each other for a moment, ¡°Do you think he will be fine on his own out here?¡± As the woman ate the burnt neck of the woman. ¡°It gave us a warning to not hurt him, so as long as he¡¯s not dead because of us, it¡¯s none of our business, sister.¡± As the other woman tried to fold the arm of the headless body.

    Archie ran as fast as he could and then he heard an explosion coming from far ahead of him. He ran in that direction because that could be a sign that the rest of the team was there, but when he managed to get close to the commotion, he realized that the muscular guy was on his own while the rest of his teammates had already blown themselves up. His whole body was covered with blood and so many open wounds all over his body that a gentle touch might be enough to make him fall.

    The Ex-Axis Human was in a bad condition as well, with so many holes in its body but managed to survive all that. When compared to the muscular guy, it could say that they both were in similar conditions, both of them were dying.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?!¡± As Archie hid behind the bushes while he stared at the muscular guy fought the six fingers Ex-Axis Human.

    Archie looked around and tried to find something that could help the muscular guy fight the Ex-Axis Human. He looked at a gun laying on the ground not far from him, and when he tried to grab it, he jumped back with his eyes wide open. It wasn¡¯t just a gun, but there was a hand still holding the gun, he was too scared to grab it but the more time he wasted, the less chance the muscular guy would be able to survive on his own.

    Archie took a deep breath and exhaled deeply then made up his mind, he slowly walked toward the gun and forcefully removed the hand from the gun¡¯s handle. He looked at the magazine and there were still quite a lot of bullets in there, he then went to the safest spot he could find and started aiming at the Ex-Axis Human.

    Archie shot all the bullets that were in the magazine and hit all of them on the back. The muscular guy scoffed and smirked as he was happy to see Archie still alive, but then he looked around Archie and didn¡¯t see anyone else with him. He knew that the lesbian couple was already dead but he didn¡¯t care about that at that moment because he thought he could survive with Archie on his side.

    The Ex-Axis Human turned around to look at Archie and when it was about to crouch and take a leap, the muscular guy stealthily jumped and stabbed his sword on its back. The Ex-Axis Human screamed so loud that it could be heard from miles away. The muscular guy used the opportunity by grabbing his gun and blowing its head into pieces. The moment the muscular guy removed his sword from its back, something crawled out and tried to escape but then it got slashed in half and burned with a flare by the muscular guy that was enough to kill it.

    ¡°It¡¯s over¡­¡± As the muscular guy caught his breath.

    ¡°Sir, where are the others? What happened to the other Ex-Axis Human?¡± As Archie ran toward him and looked around.

    ¡°There¡¯s just me, and the other Ex-Axis Human has been defeated but with the cost of our teammates¡¯ lives¡­¡± The muscular guy fell to the ground because he was so exhausted and couldn¡¯t believe he managed to defeat not just one but two Ex-Axis Humans.

    ¡°Did they die, Archie?¡± The muscular guy looked at Archie with his eyes barely opened.

    Archie looked at the muscular guy and grabbed his hand while he pointed his finger in the direction he came from, ¡°The Ex-Humans! We encountered them!¡±

    Archie thought that the muscular guy would be happy or curious about it, but the muscular guy just smiled while he kept breathing so heavily. It was just silence other than the sound of the muscular¡¯s breathing that fill the silence.

    ¡°So you met them¡­ is that why you came back here and on your own?¡± The muscular guy hid his face by looking at the ground with his left arm resting on top of his left knee and covering his face.

    Archie nodded as he gulped his saliva, ¡°Yes, the couple died and are now being eaten by them¡­¡±

    Archie stood up and reached his hand at the muscular guy, ¡°We have to leave or those Ex-Humans will find us!¡±

    ¡°I think this will be the end of me, Archie, I¡¯m sorry but I can¡¯t move at all. There¡¯s no hope for me anyway¡­¡± As the muscular guy shook his head and muttered with a depressed expression.

    ¡°No, Sir! We can leave since we have all the time! We can rest for a few days until your wound heal, and with my skill of survival, we can reach back to the station in two days at least!¡± Archie pressed his chest as he tried to convince the muscular guy to follow his plan.

    The muscular guys scoffed, ¡°I Should have listened to you, Archie¡­¡± he muttered to himself.

    Archie couldn¡¯t hear what he was saying and when he was about to ask him a question, he heard roars coming from all directions. The muscular guy tried to clench his fists but he had no more strength to do so.

    ¡°The master of this territory is dead, the new competitors will try to take this territory and you know what that means, right?¡± The muscular guy kept his head down as he asked that question.

    ¡°Yeah, there will be hordes of monsters that will try to conquer this place.¡± Archie looked around while he was panicking.

    ¡°Can you grab something from my back pocket?¡± As the muscular guy slowly lifted his head and pointed his right thumb on his back.

    Archie immediately went to the guy¡¯s back and he opened the velcro, there was a syringe and it was already filled with something.

    ¡°You found it?¡± The muscular guy slowly turned his head and looked at Archie from the corner of his eyes.

    Archie showed the syringe at the muscular guy and the muscular guy offered his wrist at Archie, ¡°Inject it here, Archie.¡±

    Archie was hesitant but then he followed the muscular guy¡¯s order then he injected that liquid into the guy¡¯s wrist. In just a few seconds, the muscular guy managed to clench his fists and he stood up as if he regained all of his strength back.

    Archie looked so confused but he could see that the muscular guy was smiling and chuckling with excitement and disbelief.

    The muscular guy grabbed his black sword and looked at Archie, ¡°This claymore was made of the fragment of the meteorite that strike the earth. This sword could cut everything in half like butter, and the most important thing about this sword, it will get things done. This sword has been passed down from generation to generation and this thing won¡¯t break no matter what happens.¡±

    Archie looked at the muscular guy swinging his sword, ¡°Are we going to fight those monsters?¡±

    The muscular guy smirked, ¡°Not we, just me. You run and find the others and leave this goddamn hell hole. I will catch up with you and I promise you, I will be there because I feel a lot stronger than I have ever been.¡±

    Archie wanted to help and before he could say what was in his mind, the muscular guy glared at him and it made Archie scared, ¡°That¡¯s an order, now leave¡­¡±

    Without having a second thought, Archie left him alone and ran into the forest and went into the cave.

    Archie was so scared that he didn¡¯t dare to look back, and when he ran while panicking something stabbed him in the neck from the right. His whole body was paralyzed because a tongue penetrated through his neck. He slowly looked to his right and realized the one-armed Ex-Axis Human was still alive and not dead. The Ex-Axis Human ripped Archie¡¯s body apart and threw Archie onto the walls.

    Archie fell down to the ground and when the one-armed Ex-Axis Human was about to eat him, something black covered the Ex-Axis Human¡¯s face. Although Archie couldn¡¯t do anything, he could hear his surroundings and he heard a very loud cracking sound. He felt sleepy and couldn¡¯t resist but close his eyes.

    That was the last memory that he had, the screen went blank as his last memory was being erased.

    ¡°So I¡¯m already dead, huh¡­?¡± Archie looked at his own hands.

    ¡°So that was the last time I would be able to control my own body, huh? All this time, it was thanks to my consciousness that I was still able to try to resist. Now that everything is gone, I think I will be living in this dark empty space¡­¡± As he walked into the endless and vast dark space then disappeared into the darkness.

 Chapter 10

    The birds chirped and roosted on the roof of the houses, it was a quiet and peaceful morning in the city until a static sound came from the speaker around the city. Everyone looked at the speaker on top of the pole and those who were inside the house came out to listen. The radio was making the same sound and it mean that something happened or something will be announced.

    An old man¡¯s voice came from the speaker, ¡°Good morning, western nation, my name is Flavius AnGust. Some of you may know me but for those who don¡¯t know who I am, I¡¯m the 44th Marshal of the Western Nation. You may have heard about the expedition of the four nations that happened a month ago.¡± Flavius cleared his throat and continued, ¡°Without wasting your time, the latest information we got about the expedition¡­ it failed and none of them are going to come back home.¡±

    Everyone murmured and looked at each other with a shocked expression. It was a shock for everyone to hear that the expedition failed, but it wasn¡¯t because of the failure, it was because none of the participants who joined the expedition survived.

    ¡°With this broadcast, I will announce my resignation as the 44th Marshal of the Western Nation. The reason I want to step down from my position is that I will personally go to the Fallen Continent One to retrieve my son¡¯s dead body.¡± Flavius¡¯ voice trembled as if he held his emotion in.

    It was a surprise to hear and it was so sudden that Flavius AnGust, the one who defeated ExTP-3 Var-11 stepped down from his position but at the same time they understood his reasoning. Everyone stared at the speakers while they were all waiting for Matthew to say something else.

    Flavius exhaled in front of the mic, ¡°Before I leave my position as the Marshal of the Western Nation, I want to tell everyone who¡¯s listening to this broadcast. We have discovered and achieved something that our ancestors couldn¡¯t from the past hundreds of years.¡± Flavius cleared his throat and continued, ¡°We have finally found a way to create Axis Human from a normal human body.¡±

    It was a shock for the people of the Western Nation to hear something that felt like a dream come true. But, they didn¡¯t think it would come without a price so they waited until Flavius to say more about it.

    ¡°You who want to make a change and achieve something that nobody dares to take the risk for it. No matter who you are, how old you are, or whether you¡¯re a father, a mother, a son, a daughter, a brother, or a sister, you are all invited to make that change. I will say that there¡¯s a small chance you would become a parasite and so I¡¯m not persuading you nor asking you to be a part of this experiment. Those who want to take a risk can come to the military base 3 days from now and I will be waiting.¡±

    Everyone was staring at the speakers in silence and thought about it, some of them left and brushed the announcement because they weren¡¯t interested in that.

    The day came and thousands of citizens were entering the military base, the soldiers were guiding them to the open field. Since the military base wasn¡¯t meant to be visited by citizens, they were surprised to see the artilleries and the military forces that the Western Nation has. Horses were expensive and only a few people were allowed to have them, and those who breed horses were basically the richest people in the nation.

    All those who wanted to make a change in their lives have gathered on the field and they could see Flavius standing on the podium with the rest of the generals and majors standing behind him. Flavius stared at each one of them, he saw from 50 years old to 15 years old kids stood in line, he didn¡¯t show any expression but deep down he was grateful for their sacrifice because they risked their lives for the experiment.

    The cold breeze because of the cloudy weather in the morning made all of them a bit nervous because of the atmosphere and the silence.

    Flavius glared at them and tapped on the mic, ¡°Good morning to all of you, I¡¯m grateful and glad that so many of you are coming here to volunteer on the experiment. As I said on the broadcast a few days ago, the experiment will have a chance that you won¡¯t become an Axis Human, instead, you will become a parasite and we will kill you when we have the chance.¡± Flavius paused for a moment and continued, ¡°We haven¡¯t tested it on a human yet but we have tested it on animals. The chance of the success is 34% and that alone isn¡¯t good enough because the moment it succeeds, you will suffer for the next few days, and only 42% survived the second phase.¡±

    Everyone looked at each other and started to doubt their decision, but a few of them kept glaring at Flavius and were ready for the risk.

    Flavius knew that some of them were scared and so he walked away from the podium and stood in front of it while he put his hands on his back, ¡°Before I asked you if you¡¯re willing to risk your life for the experiment, there¡¯s something I would like to confess.¡± Flavius closed his eyes for a moment then he opened them again, ¡°It was the morning like today when I sent my son, the son that I¡¯m so proud of to the FalCon-1. I thought to myself that I have raised my son so proudly and when he became a man, I lived my days with pride.¡±

    Flavius took a deep breath and exhaled deeply while he stared at the sky, ¡°All the badges and medals that I¡¯m wearing right now are the proof of my courage and bravery, but also because of my hard work. These badges and medals couldn¡¯t be compared when I saw my son go outside the wall and came back with outstanding results.¡± Flavius put his right hand on his chest, ¡°That carved the badge in my heart and a proof that I raised him finely, but now, this badge is hurting me. The pin pokes me every night and it keeps me awake and hurting me ever since I heard that my son failed and died on a mission.¡±

    Flavius walked down the podium and stood in front of them, ¡°If I could take the experiment with you, I would because the pain that I¡¯m feeling right now is so unbearable that I would take all the physical pain than this¡­¡± Flavius walked past them and looked at each one of them, ¡°I had enough sitting behind my desk, I¡¯m resigning from my position so I can go out there and take back what¡¯s left from my son. This is the reason why I want to make a change because I¡¯m sick of doing nothing while I had to send my son to his death.¡±

    ¡°I will be there when you¡¯re ongoing on the experiment, I will be there to see if you succeed or not, and I will be there to end your life if you turn into a parasite.¡± Flavius turned around while he stared at the podium and the generals and majors stood on the podium.

    ¡°I will bear your burden, I will bear your pain¡­¡± Flavius turned around once again and looked at them, ¡°I will bear your life, death, and sin because that¡¯s the only thing I can do for you.¡± He walked back up to the podium and took a deep breath, ¡°So, I will ask you one last time, are you going to take a chance and change the world with me?¡±

    Because of Flavius¡¯ speech, they made up their minds and so they nodded in agreement. Flavius smiled while he nodded, ¡°Thank you, and good luck because that¡¯s all it is to it.¡±

    Flavius came down from the podium and the soldiers were leading all the volunteers to the laboratory for the experiment. Flavius and all the majors were following them from behind because they wanted to see the process and how many of them that will succeed in the experiment.

    The experiment proceed without delay, Flavius and all the majors watched every single one of them from the other side of the mirror. A guy came into the room and stood next to Flavius with his lab coat and clipboard in his hand, ¡°These are the last ones, Marshal.¡±

    Flavius hummed with understanding without letting his gaze away from the volunteers on the bed. ¡°How many so far have shown the sign, Prof?¡± As Flavius stared at the professor from the corner of his eyes.

    ¡°21% so far, Marshal¡­¡± The professor removed his glasses and then massaged his nose bridge. Flavius took a deep breath while he raised his shoulders because of the news, ¡°It¡¯s better than none, but how can it be so low?¡± Flavius turned his body toward the professor while he exhaled deeply.

    The professor sat down at the table behind Flavius, he looked at his hands while he raised his eyebrows, ¡°Because we don¡¯t have the sample of the ExTP-0, it¡¯s hard to modify the sample of ExTP-1 type on Archie¡¯s blood¡­¡±

    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand that at all, Professor, please explain it simply to all of us so we can understand.¡± Flavius leaned on the big see-through glass behind him and crossed his arms.

    The Professor looked at him while he tilted his head and raised his eyebrows, ¡°First, let¡¯s compared it to the immune system of the Axis human. The Axis human¡¯s immune system is extraordinarily strong that they can kill the parasite inside their body. It¡¯s like injecting our body with a vaccine and their immune system attack the parasite and kills them and takes the power from the parasite that¡¯s left from the parasite and makes it theirs.¡±

    The Professor flipped his hand and looked at Flavius, ¡°On the other hand, Archie¡¯s immune system is unbelievably rare that when a parasite attacked his body, his immune system adapts and lives with it. The parasite on the other hand can¡¯t modify and pass his immune system no matter how strong the parasite is.¡±

    The professor rested both of his arms on the table, ¡°After observing his blood sample, Archie¡¯s immune system actually took over the parasite very slowly. Instead of attacking and killing the parasite, it prevents the parasite from leaving his body and it trapped the parasite while slowly devouring it into one. Unfortunately, the stronger the parasite the longer it takes for him to devour the parasite. If we are talking about the first-gen parasite, it will take him at least 10 years to devour it entirely.¡±

    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± Flavius squinted his eyes while he stared at the professor.

    The professor stood up and looked at the volunteer behind the glass, ¡°It means that Archie¡¯s immune system will take control of the whole parasite inside his body. His immune system could handle more than one parasite in his body based on the test I ran. Unfortunately, because of his very little blood sample, I couldn¡¯t do much of a test on it and the parasite we have is quite strong so even if his blood sample could handle the parasite and suppress it from taking over, once it¡¯s injected into someone else¡¯s body, their immune system will try to fight Archie¡¯s genes because of that.¡±

    ¡°Are you telling me that Archie is still alive now?¡± Flavius stood straight and approached the professor.

    ¡°I guarantee that he¡¯s still alive as we speak.¡± As the professor nodded at Flavius.

    ¡°Excuse me, Professor Larse! You said that Archie is still alive?!¡± A guy who guarded the door behind him looked at Larse with his eyes widened.

    Flavius tilted his head and looked at the guy, ¡°Oh right, you know him very well. Isn¡¯t that right, Aster? Speaking of which, you came here with a woman and I believe she volunteered in this experiment as well. Is she your partner?¡±

    Aster shook his head, ¡°No, Sir, she¡¯s Archie¡¯s friend, her name is Faye. She volunteered because she wants to find Archie.¡±

    Flavius hummed with understanding but then Larse looked at his clipboard and raised his eyebrows with a shocked expression, ¡°Faye¡­ Elendra Faye?¡± as he looked at Aster.

    Aster nodded repeatedly. ¡°Yes, Elendra Faye, what¡¯s wrong professor? Is she-¡±

    Before Aster could finish his sentence, Larse chuckled with disbelief while he kept staring at the clipboard, ¡°No, she took it quite easily and she is currently the only one that¡¯s guaranteed to evolve into Axis Human.¡±

    Both Flavius and Aster were shocked by Lerse¡¯s statement.

 Chapter 11

    ¡°You know I can still feel pain, right? Why don¡¯t you just keep quiet and don¡¯t bother me anymore with all this pain that I have been feeling, like forever¡­¡± Archie mumbled as he hugged himself in a pitch-black room with no exit.

    Archie never knew how long he has been in that condition but it affected the way he think and how he expressed his emotion. He knew that he would be in that condition for eternity which made him hopeless and started to have scary and terrifying thoughts.

    Archie¡¯s ears rang and it made him so uncomfortable and this was the first time he felt that. He looked around in a pitch-black room as if he was hoping that he could see at least something.

    ¡°It hurts¡­ stop it¡­¡± As Archie covered his ears and pressed them with all his strength.

    The ringing in his ears won¡¯t stop and he started to scream and shout as he tried to endure the pain, but then the ringing sound disappeared and he heard something faintly. He tried to close his eyes to concentrate to hear it again while he tilted his head, ¡°Io¡­ han¡­¡± Archie tilted his head more and started to furrow his forehead, ¡°Iohann¡­¡±

    Archie furrowed his forehead and looked down to his right as he tried to say what he heard, ¡°Iohann?¡±

    The projector screen suddenly appeared in front of Archie, it slowly lightened up and he saw a man talking to him. He had no idea who that person is, a muscular guy with red-brown hair wearing a uniform with a sword on his back. Archie stared at him for quite a while and still had no idea who that person is, but then the image changed, this time he saw a hand holding a dog tag with a name carved on it, Iohann AnGust.

    The projector screen disappeared and immediately the whole room went bright white, Archie¡¯s pupils shrunk as he remembered everything. Iohann AnGust, Elendra Faye, Flavius AnGust, Aster Falier, Professor Larsen, and other names that he knew. His body was getting sucked out by some kind of force while his chest felt a heavy pressure that he felt like he was about to blow up into pieces.

    Archie was out of breath but the pressure on his chest was getting heavier and heavier that he almost passed out. Suddenly he felt a breeze wind coming from around him, he slowly opened his eyes and see the scenery around him. The tall and sharp grasses were surrounding him, he looked around and realized that he was in the middle of the jungle. He remembered the last moment that happened to him and when he tried to clench his fist, something blocked his palm from clenching it.

    ¡°Iohann¡­¡± Archie looked at the name tag on his palm.

    Archie knew that this wasn¡¯t a dream and he finally gained his body back, he fell to his knees while he cried because he remembered everything and how they died. He wiped the endless tears that came out of his eyes as he sobbed hysterically because he was saddened and relieved at the same time.

    As he cried out loud he heard roars coming from behind him, Archie immediately frozen solid as he slowly turned his eyes toward the roars that came from. He couldn¡¯t tell what are coming toward him but he knew for sure there are 5 parasites coming toward him.

    ¡°I should run away from this place as soon as possible¡­¡± As Archie ran away as fast as he could into the trees to avoid encountering the parasites. Every time he pushed his hand onto the tree trunks, it bent, every time he grabbed them, it crushed. He ran faster than those parasites that were chasing him. He didn¡¯t realize that he has now become as strong as the Axis human, his strength alone could handle parasites on his own.

    Archie looked back and checked on his surroundings, he didn¡¯t get exhausted or even out of breath after he sprinted for 15 minutes straight.

    ¡°Why? Why now?!¡± As he realized that he made a huge mistake by running to a new area. He knew about this because of years of training with the VST and the knowledge that Iohann told him. As he expected, he just entered a different territory where dozens of parasites lurked around him.

    Archie stealthily walked backward to hug the tree but his nape felt a chill and noticed something hid and stared at him waiting for an opening. He glared from the corner of his eyes and see a long and thick tongue wrapped around the tree trunk with the trunk covered with saliva. Archie slowly looked up and see a pair of glowing yellow eyes focused on him.

    A long-nosed parasite like a wolf with two pairs of arms and legs leaped at him with its long claws ready to stab his head. Archie rolled over and managed to avoid his death, he ran without looking back because there was no time for him to look at the parasite¡¯s appearance.

    Archie¡¯s pupils shrunk as he kept sprinting forward but then suddenly his eyes throbbed and something big appeared in front of his face. He tried to block it with both of his hands but he got thrown away and hit the tree. He fell down and he couldn¡¯t feel his body after that hit, he looked around and saw another parasite walking toward him, a gigantic deformed human being with two left arms, ¡°Ex-Axis Human?! No¡­ it¡¯s just a normal parasite, I can still make it out¡­¡±

    Before Archie could stand up, something hit him from behind. The tree that he was leaning on got destroyed and he was thrown away again. The gigantic human punched him down to the ground while he was still in the air.

    Archie crushed his landing and he couldn¡¯t move this time. He looked at the long-tongue parasite that looked like a werewolf in the fairy tale he read in the famous very old book. He knew that those two parasites weren¡¯t planning on eating him, they were threatened by his presence as if he was a part of them as parasites. Parasites would do a turf war when a parasite went to one or the other territory. He knew but at the same time, he didn¡¯t want to believe that he has become one like them.

    Archie tried to move his right arm but realized that his right arm bent to the other side and all his fingers broke. He didn¡¯t know when his right arm and fingers broke, but when he looked at his left arm, it was in the same condition as well, ¡°This must be because I blocked that attack from earlier.¡± As he felt shocked when he looked at his condition those two parasites already stood next to him and started to tear him apart.

    One thing that Archie realized was that he was used to the pain, and on the other hand, his body was strong and sturdy enough to not tear apart from those parasites¡¯ attacks. He pulled both of his arms from those parasites and tried to fix both of his arms and fingers. The tingling feeling that he felt from fixing his bones was quite an experience, then once he thought he fixed them up enough, he started to fight back.

    Archie climbed to the human parasite¡¯s back and tried to punch his face with his bare fists. The other parasite pounced at him but Archie jumped off of the human parasite¡¯s back and made those two tackle each other. With that opportunity, Archie ran away into the deep of the jungle while those two parasites fought each other.

    When Archie thought he was safe, something cold and wet touched his shoulder. He looked up and saw a parasite hanging down, a gecko looked-like parasite with saliva fell down and stared down at him then tried to pounce on him. He rolled over and dodged the parasite, but when he tried to get up on his feet, the parasite wrapped him with its tongue. The parasite started making a clicking sound, informing the other parasites to come toward it.

    As Archie tried to free himself from the parasite, he looked around and see a sword stabbed into the tree trunk. An old rusty sword that might not be able to pierce or cut anything with that condition, but he decided to walk over there to grab it.

    The parasite tried to pull Archie toward it but Archie¡¯s lower strength matched or was even stronger than the parasite¡¯s tongue. Unfortunately, the grip was so strong that he couldn¡¯t even move his upper body. He looked down at the rotten tongue and gulped with a disgusted expression, ¡°There¡¯s no other way¡­ right?¡± Archie then bit the tongue and ripped a small chunk of the tongue, the parasite loosened its grip and he used the chance to free himself from its tongue.

    Archie ran toward the sword and pulled it out, ¡°Come here you fuck!¡± As Archie swung the sword and glared at the parasite in front of him.

 Chapter 12

    Archie slashed the sword and cut the tongue so easily like butter even though the sword was rusty. He was surprised that it was so easy but he couldn¡¯t care less to think more about it and immediately charged at the parasite. He tried to swing his sword at the parasite but the parasite immediately crawled away from him and climbed up to the tall tree.

    ¡°Fucking coward!¡± Archie glared at the parasite with his hand gripped the sword so tightly. As he glared at the parasite he could hear growls and roars coming from all directions, he decided to leave the dangerous area and kept running away in hope of not being chased by those parasites anymore.

    As he ran away deep into the forest, something crashed onto him and he was thrown away and could feel something biting him deep into his right ribs. He looked down and saw the same werewolf trying to crush his torso with its sharp teeth and fangs.

    Archie screamed in pain as he tried to free himself from the werewolf, he was still holding the sword and he clenched his fist and raised his arm which was quite hard to do because the muscles under his armpit and on his back were being crushed by the teeth and fangs. He finally managed to lift his hand and immediately impaled the sword onto the werewolf¡¯s skull as he scream in pain and anger.

    The werewolf laid down with Archie¡¯s body in its mouth, Archie still couldn¡¯t free himself from it and something was charging at him, something big that made him feel scared and threatened. A huge lioness with its mouth opened four ways and the long front legs charged at him. The lioness opened its mouth wide open enough to swallow Archie¡¯s half body in a single bite, but Archie pulled out the sword and pointed it at the lioness.

    *Crack*

    *Splat*

    Archie¡¯s vision went blurry for a moment as he caught his breath rapidly, he looked panicked and slowly inverted his eyes and looked at his right arm that was already gone because of the lioness. He turned around as he looked at the lioness was choking because the sword pierced through its throat and the blade came out from the back of its neck.

    Archie wiggled his body and tried to pull out the teeth and fangs of the werewolf from his chest. He finally managed to free himself and slowly stood up, still in disbelief of what just happened to him. He slowly approached the lioness who was still struggling with the sword that pierced through its mouth, he then went up and onto the lioness¡¯s body and gouged the lioness¡¯s eyes with his bare hand.

    ¡°Give me back my arm!¡± As Archie tried to fight the lioness.

    While he was trying to kill the lioness and making the cut wider on the lioness¡¯s head with the blade on the back of the lioness¡¯s neck, he felt a very irresistible itch coming from his right arm. He looked at it and could see a black gooey liquid coming out from inside his body, he was shocked and backed away while he glared at that thing. He didn¡¯t bleed blood, but he bleed that black gooey liquid, he shook his head repeatedly in disbelief, ¡°What¡¯s this?!¡±

    The lioness died because of the sword and Archie didn¡¯t realize that since he was too focused on the black blood that came out from his body. The itch was getting worse and he was too scared to touch the wound but because of the itch, he decided to scratch it. It relieved the itch feeling but realized that the wound was getting worse because of that, and he decided to stop doing that and grabbed the sword from the mouth of the lioness.

    Archie was catching his breath not because he was tired but because he was trying to calm himself down, and while he was doing that, he heard something slimy crawling away. He looked around and saw a lump of black slimy parasite just coming out from the mouth of the werewolf. His body felt like it was trying to move and approached the slimy parasite, but he resisted it, and when that happened, his body felt an immeasurable pain.

    ¡°What¡­ is¡­ happening¡­¡± As Archie collapsed to the ground while he crawled.

    Without him realizing it, he was crawling toward the parasite and he couldn¡¯t move his own body because of the pain in his whole body. ¡°Stop controlling my body!¡± Archie shouted as if he wanted to address that to something inside him, but his body didn¡¯t stop moving and was getting closer to reaching the slimy parasite.

    His hand slowly reached to the slimy parasite that was harmless, he grabbed the parasite and his hand slowly moved toward his mouth. ¡°No! What are you doing?!¡± Archie shook his head and tried to resist but then his mouth slowly opened and took a huge chunk of the parasite. As soon as he forcefully chewed the parasite, he could feel something was moving inside his mouth and something was trying to come out from his mouth but his mouth was tightly closed.

    It happened again, he could taste the most disgusting thing in his mouth while he only could watch and listen to it.

    Archie felt tired after he was forcefully consuming the parasite, not just one but two of them because the parasite from the lioness came out as well. He felt dizzy and so he decided to walk and find a place to hide to stay low and undetected by the parasite.

    He found a very tall tree and there was a small hole underneath that tree, he crawled inside and dug up more so he could fit in there. After he fit inside, he closed his eyes with a fever that made his whole body feel hot and his eyes warm.

    The bird chirped and he slowly opened his eyes, his throat was dry and it hurt to swallow his own saliva. He looked at the hole above him, he saw the sun was up, he decided to get out and find a water source to satisfy his thirst.

    Hours had passed, and he still couldn¡¯t find a river or a lake, but then he could hear water flowing from afar. He followed the sound of water while quietly and stealthily running around the trees, he looked around and there was no sign of parasites. By the look of the surroundings, he was confident the area where he was is a safe place because no marks or anything that indicate a parasite went to that area.

    Archie dipped his head into the river and sucked the water, he never felt so happy just by drinking water. He decided to dip all of his body into the river and washed, he brushed his right arm and left arm, ¡°Wait¡­¡± He looked at his right side where he lost his arm during the battle, but now it was there and it shocked him deeply.

    ¡°This is¡­ this is my hand! This is my arm! This is my fingers! Everything is here!¡± He chuckled nervously with disbelief as he lifted his right arm onto the sunlight, he was happy and terrified at the same time knowing that he grew his arm back.

    Knowing that he could grow back his whole arm, he looked down and all the wounds that he had now disappeared and healed completely. He was terrific by the fact that he could heal everything, ¡°How could I heal everything?¡± He asked himself, ¡°Could it be¡­¡± As he deep in thought, he realized that it was all might be because he consumed the parasites.

    ¡°Am I have become a parasite now?¡± He was scared by the fact he was no longer a human being.

    He took his time to think about who was he or what he had become, but then he heard a cracking sound coming from afar. He looked around and slowly walked toward the other side of the river and climbed up to avoid an encounter with the parasite. He didn¡¯t realize that the cracking sound he heard was a few hundreds meter away from him, and the sound of the river when he heard it was also a kilometer away from him.

    Archie walked for hours and still had no idea where he was, but he believed if he kept walking in the same direction, he would end up somewhere.

    Days had passed, and he was still inside a forest, he started to think that either he was just circling around the forest or the forest actually a big and vast jungle.

    Archie stood still as he remembered the place he was standing, he remembered the scenery of this forest. He looked around and remembered that this place was when the lesbian couple got eaten by the Ex-Humans, he then ran toward the place where he left Iohann alone.

    As he ran through the forest, he immediately stopped and glared at something that slowly brought his tears down to his chin. He saw Iohann from behind or used to be Iohann, a very tall and muscular human that just stood there and stared at nothing. Iohann¡¯s muscles were bulkier than what he remembered, a tree might get crushed if Iohann decided to punch it.

    ¡°You were scared of death, huh, Iohann?¡± Archie chuckled while he sniffled and wiped his tears.

 Chapter 13

    ¡°Iohann¡­ Sir?¡± Archie slowly approached him even though he knew that he was no longer a human.

    Iohann slowly turned around and Archie could see the deformed face that used to be his leader. Iohann¡¯s face seemed to have been crushed or chewed so many times and Archie could see Iohann¡¯s cheeks were gone the decayed face made Archie regretted on calling his name then he roared so loudly that it made Archie¡¯s ears hurt.

    Archie opened his eyes and realized Iohann was running toward him and he immediately rolled over before Iohann landed a massive punch to the ground. He looked at the result of the punch that Iohann threw and saw a big chunk of the ground around it. If he wasn¡¯t being careful, he might be dead by a single punch.

    ¡°I can¡¯t let you suffer like this, Iohann¡­¡± Archie clenched the sword in his hand so tightly and glared at Iohann.

    He knew that deep down every single one of the parasites still have their consciousness deep inside and was trapped there like how he felt. He didn¡¯t want anyone else to experience that horror of being unable to do anything but at the same time having to live in a dark empty space forever. He convinced himself that no matter what, he had to kill every parasite that invested inside a human body.

    Archie charged at Iohann and dodged every rock that Iohann threw at him, and when he got close to Iohann, he jumped and he was surprised that he went so high up in the air that he could jump over Iohann¡¯s gigantic body. He landed behind Iohann because he miscalculated his own strength, he finally realized that he had super strength, super speed, super hearing, and very high stamina.

    Without wasting his chance, he dashed toward Iohann who was still searching for Archie¡¯s whereabouts. Archie thrust the back of Iohann but a cracking sound was made and the sword shattered into pieces. He was shocked and there was nothing left but the handle, and he was too focused on what was left on the sword that he didn¡¯t realize a big elbow was being swung at him and hit right into his face.

    Archie was thrown away a hundred meters from Iohann and landed in an empty space. He tried to stand up but his whole body was so weak that even he barely could open his eyes. The sunlight was so warm because there were no trees around him, he could smell a very gentle sweet scent coming from around him. A small garden of wildflowers and he was surrounded by them, it made him calm at the same time gave him the strength to stand up.

    As he stood up with injuries all over his body, he saw something in the middle of the garden of wildflowers. He caught his breath weakly while he squinted his eyes, ¡°A sword?¡± As he saw a sword was stabbed on the ground and something was hung on the handle.

    He slowly approached with his blurry vision and when got close, he noticed that it was Iohann¡¯s sword and the thing that was hung on the handle was his watch. There was also a piece of paper stabbed by the sword, he decided to grab the watch and pull out the sword.

    Archie grabbed the piece of paper and decided to read it later after he was done dealing with Iohann. Whatever was written on the paper, Archie thought it must be Iohann¡¯s last will and he planned to bring all of Iohann¡¯s belonging back to his father, Flavius.

    While Archie was deep in thought, he could feel the ground shaking, he turned around and saw Iohann was running toward him. Archie was still dizzy from the hit and hadn¡¯t recovered fully but shook his head repeatedly while groaning, ¡°I need to focus! Get a hold of yourself, Archie!¡± Even though he took a critical hit, his injuries were rapidly healing themselves and he could feel that.

    Archie swung his sword and then ran toward Iohann while he screamed his lungs out, ¡°Iohann! I will save you from misery!¡±

    Iohann punched him but he dodged it by sliding down and immediately stood up and turned the other way. He leaped at Iohann¡¯s back but then Iohann threw his elbow at him again, this time Archie used the sword and tried to cut Iohann¡¯s tricep. The sword cut Iohann¡¯s skin and flesh so easily, it was either the sword was so sharp or it was also his strength that made it look easy.

    Archie stabbed the sword onto Iohann¡¯s back and rode him for a moment, he then pulled out the sword and jumped off in front of Iohann while he stabbed Iohann¡¯s collarbone with the sword. He pulled down the sword as hard as he could and he could hear bone cracking coming from Iohann¡¯s torso. When he wanted to see the wound he made, Iohann kneed him right onto his gut and made him throw up the black gooey blood while he flew and hit the tree.

    Archie¡¯s eyes were wide open while he tried to breathe, he couldn¡¯t inhale the air and he was suffocating because of that. He looked down and saw his ribcages break and came out from his skin, his chest bent inward and squeezed his lungs. While he tried to get some air, Iohann jumped and smashed him once more on the chest and made him buried down on the ground.

    His eyes were covered by dirt while Iohann kept smashing him, he couldn¡¯t anything because he was powerless and there was nothing he could do but endure it. Iohann then stopped smashing him and pulled him out from the ground, he grabbed Archie¡¯s right arm with his left hand and grabbed Archie¡¯s waist with his right hand. Iohann tried to pull it off but Archie used everything he had left to resist, ¡°I will not lose!¡± Archie glared at Iohann with his own blood covering his face.

    For some reason, Archie outmatched Iohann¡¯s strength and slowly pointed the sword toward Iohann¡¯s deformed face. He slowly pushed his hand toward Iohann¡¯s face while he screamed and blood spurted out from his mouth, ¡°You¡­ have¡­ to¡­ die!¡± Archie freed his hand from Iohann¡¯s grip and thrust the sword right onto Iohann¡¯s skull.

    Iohann¡¯s whole body was frozen and slowly he lost his strength and removed his right hand from Archie¡¯s waist. They both collapsed and none of them were moving, not even a muscle, but Archie was conscious and he just stared at the bright blue sky. He heard a growl come from below him, he closed his eyes while he sighed, ¡°You¡¯re supposed to die from that¡­¡±

    Archie had no idea that his body from the neck below was crushed from the fight but he didn¡¯t feel any pain at all and he couldn¡¯t lift his head to check his condition as well. He saw Iohann¡¯s body slowly standing straight with a hole on his forehead, Archie could only glare at him because there was nothing else he could do. He looked at his right hand and he tried to move it but it felt so heavy that he had to use whatever was left to lift his fingers.

    Archie closed his eyes and accepted his fate, but suddenly his whole body felt like being electrocuted and he could move his body again. He was startled and confused at the same time but it wasn¡¯t the right time for him to think about it so he stood up with his limp and broken legs. He glared at Iohann who just stood there and glared at him, ¡°Let¡¯s end this¡­ either I die here, or you die here¡­¡±

    As he walked toward Iohann he could see a grenade hung on the ripped vest on Iohann¡¯s body, he knew what to do and decide to use that grenade to kill him. Archie approached him and he was so confused that Iohann didn¡¯t move a muscle and just glared at him. Archie didn¡¯t care at all because he had nothing to lose anymore, ¡°If I die, at least I wouldn¡¯t be miserable like last time¡­¡± As Archie stood in front of Iohann and grabbed the grenade from Iohann¡¯s vest.

    Archie climbed up onto Iohann¡¯s body and hung his arm around Iohann¡¯s neck, he saw Iohann¡¯s face up close and the pungent smell struck his nose. ¡°A¡­¡± Iohann seemed to let out a voice that made Archie freeze and glare at him with fear. ¡°Ach¡­e¡­¡± Iohann moved his mouth as if he was calling for Archie¡¯s name, and Archie looked into his eyes and saw tears come out from his right eye.

    ¡°Iohann? Sir?¡± Archie¡¯s eyes were watering because he could tell that Iohann was there and staring at him.

    ¡°Ill¡­ m¡­e¡­¡± Iohann stared into Archies eyes, ¡°Y-yes, sir¡­¡± Archie nodded with understanding.

    Archie wiped his tears and bit the pin on the grenade then shoved it into Iohann¡¯s skull, he then pushed himself away from Iohann and fell to the ground. He looked at Iohann who just stood still there, then Iohann¡¯s head and torso blew into pieces, finally, Iohann could rest in peace forever.

    Archie laid down there all day and realized that it was nighttime when he decided to get up. He grabbed the piece of paper that Iohann left, and he read it under the moonlight.

    [To whoever found this, that means I¡¯m already dead, and please immediately leave this place before my body decided to find you. My name is Iohann AnGust, the 67th Commander of the Third Division of the Western Nation, I¡¯m an Axis Human and that means I have become an Ex-Axis-Human. If you find this letter, the sword, and the watch I left, please bring them back to my father, Flavius AnGust. I¡¯m too afraid to die, so please don¡¯t tell my father that I was a coward because that might make him sad.]

    [If you managed to leave this place safely, can you find Archie Lancaster for me? He was a bright and smart kid, he has brown hair and a cheerful smile on him. Tell him that I¡¯m sorry for not listening to him and that everything could be avoided if I listened to his suggestion. I have lost all the soldiers, my teammates, and my friends, because of my decision, I want you to tell him that I¡¯m fine somewhere far away from this hell.]

    Archie chuckled with tears falling onto the letter, ¡°Do you think I would be able to survive on my own, Sir? You had a very high expectation for me, and yet I couldn¡¯t even survive for a minute after I left.¡±

    Archie looked at another grenade that he grabbed from Iohann¡¯s vest, he looked at it for quite a while and pulled the pin. He put the grenade right in front of his chest while he was sobbing, he couldn¡¯t do it and decided to throw the grenade away and made a huge explosion.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be like this¡­¡± Archie collapsed and clenched his fist while he punched the ground.

    ¡°Now that I have a new mission to bring your belongings back to your father, I can¡¯t die¡­ at least not now¡­¡± Archie wiped his tears as he tried to get back up and heard roars and growls coming from all around him.

    The death of the Ex-Axis-Human and the master of this territory made the rest of the parasites try to take the territory for themselves.

    Archie had recovered fully and he wore the watch that Iohann left, he grabbed the sword and swung it around, ¡°Whoever dares to come here, I will kill every single one of you¡­¡±

 Chapter 14

    Piles of corpse of the parasites that came to take over the territory covered the beautiful garden into a graveyard. Archie stood there silently with his left arm missing, his middle and pinky fingers of his right hand missing as well. The sword was still wet from the black blood of the parasites and painted the wildflowers below it black.

    ¡°It always get the job done¡­¡± Archie lifted his trembled hand while he stared at the black sword. ¡°Thank you for leaving his behind, Iohann, I will bring this weapon back to Marshal¡­¡± Archie slightly smiled and saw his own reflection on the blade. He furrowed his forehead as he just realized that his hair has turned white and his face changed into someone else that he didn¡¯t recognize, ¡°So this is me now¡­¡± Archie smirked and scoffed weakly.

    Archie decided to go to the cave where he and the others came from, but then a chill wind blew his face, ¡°Don¡¯t leave¡­¡±

    Archie heard a faint voice, a soothing and comforting voice. ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡± Archie looked around while he tried to grip the sword.

    ¡°Come¡­¡± As the wind hit his face again, he noticed that the voice came from the wind and he still couldn¡¯t believe that the wind spoke to him.

    ¡°Am I imagining things because I¡¯m dying?¡± As Archie dragged the sword while he looked around.

    ¡°Come, we are waiting¡­¡± The voice was clearer and it convinced Archie that it wasn¡¯t his imagination but the wind was actually calling for him. He decided to follow the voice and went the other way away from the cave.

    The wind guided him deeper into the forest and he wasn¡¯t suspicious about the wind at all, there were no parasites as well while he was following the wind. The voice kept telling him to follow her even though he already followed the wind without questioning her.

    After an hour of being guided by the wind, the wind suddenly disappeared and he just realized that he stood in the middle of the forest and that he didn¡¯t remember how he got there as if he was being hypnotized by the voice. ¡°Where am I?¡± Archie asked himself while he rested his shoulder on the tree because the wounds on his body started to itch.

    Since it was nighttime already, Archie couldn¡¯t resist closing his eyes and fell asleep under the big tree.

    ¡°He was different from the last time we saw him.¡± A woman¡¯s voice could be heard in front of Archie.

    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s him, sister?¡± Another woman¡¯s voice seemed to be coming from next to Archie.

    ¡°Well, she knows better than both of us so I think he¡¯s the right one.¡± The first woman seemed to be talking with the woman next to her.

    Archie was awoken by the voices and he slowly opened his eyes and was startled by the presence of two women staring at him up close.

    ¡°Who are you?!¡± As Archie jolted from the ground and hugged the tree behind him. His arm and fingers had fully regenerated and he glared at two women in front of him.

    ¡°Wait¡­ I know you! You are the Ex-Humans that killed them!¡± Archie pointed his finger at the grey-haired woman in front of her.

    The white-haired woman giggled and looked at the red-haired woman next to her, ¡°I told you, sister won¡¯t make a mistake since she could hear the voice.¡±

    Archie seemed to be ignored by those women, and while he was being ignored, he used the chance to grab the sword next to him. When he tried to reach the sword he realized that the sword wasn¡¯t there, he panicked as he looked around for the sword.

    ¡°Looking for this?¡± As the red-haired woman shook the sword in her hand.

    ¡°Give it back to me!¡± Archie raised his voice as he glared at the red-haired woman. The red-haired woman chuckled wickedly and then bursted into laughter that made Archie a bit scared of her.

    ¡°Here, take it,¡± The red-haired woman smiled mischievously then offered the sword to Archie,

    As Archie tried to grab the sword from the woman¡¯s hand, a fierce flame came out from her hand and slowly melted the sword.

    ¡°Do you think I would be stupid enough to give you this dangerous weapon?¡± As the woman stared at Archie while the flame on her hand devoured the sword.

    Archie was furious when he saw Iohann¡¯s sword was being devoured by the flame.

    ¡°Give it back!¡± Archie¡¯s hand reached out to what was left to the sword and when he touched the flame, his hand felt an unbearable pain that the heat reached to his shoulder and down to his chest.

    He retracted his hand while he frowned his eyebrows. ¡°Give it back, please!¡±

    The red-haired woman just stared at him and didn¡¯t say a word until there was nothing left on her hand. She put out the flame and then she squinted her eyes, ¡°This sword doesn¡¯t belong to humans, this sword belongs to us. It was the source of power to the parasites, to us. We are not going to let a human possess this material because it¡¯s very dangerous to us.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you used to be a human?! You still look like a human! Why are you pretending that you¡¯re not a human?!¡± Archie screamed at her with anger.

    ¡°We are no longer a human, and so do you. You have become one of us now, and there¡¯s nothing you can do about it. You were chosen, just like us,¡± The red-haired woman weirdly looked at Archie.

    Archie scoffed with disbelief. ¡°Chosen? I¡¯m chosen? Do you think this is something that I want? This is a curse! I have been suffering for¡­ god knows for how long!¡± Archie couldn¡¯t hold his anger and frustration anymore.

    The grey-haired woman looked at Archie while she smiled at him, ¡°Don¡¯t you think your life is easier with that power you have now? You were decapitated a few hours ago, and now look at you, your wounds healed, your body regrows.¡±

    Archie looked down and looked away while he scoffed. ¡°Easier? Yeah, sure, but I don¡¯t want this kind of life¡­ I¡¯m a monster¡­¡±

    ¡°Even if you¡¯re a monster, do you think that you¡¯re that different from a human?¡± The grey-haired woman tilted her head while she tried to look into Archie¡¯s eyes. ¡°The only difference between us and humans is that we are invincible. Even if you still don¡¯t like that, there¡¯s nothing you can do, it can¡¯t be undone.¡± The grey-haired woman carefully touched Archie¡¯s shoulder to comfort him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡± Archie removed the woman¡¯s hand from his shoulder. ¡°You know that we are not that different from humans, but you acted like you¡¯re a parasite, you ate them. I saw you both ate them, you have no right to say that¡­¡± Archie showed his sour smile at her while he looked at her with disgust.

    The red-haired woman chuckled while she rested her head on the grey-haired woman¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You will understand, eventually. You will experience it yourself, and we are not going to ruin your fun.¡±

    Archie looked at her with a cynical expression and didn¡¯t know what to say because it sounded like she was giving him a warning.

    The wind blew so strongly and the three of them looked up into the sky. ¡°It wants to see him¡­¡±

    The same voice came back and then the grey-haired woman looked at Archie. ¡°There¡¯s someone waiting for you beyond this place.¡±

    Archie looked at her with his eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Someone? Who?¡±

    The grey-haired woman smiled at him. ¡°You will see it for yourself because we can¡¯t describe it to you.¡±

    Archie was so confused and since they didn¡¯t know the person who wanted to see him, he decided to not ask anymore.

    The red-haired woman was still staring at the sky. ¡°Could you guide him there, sister?¡±

    ¡°I will guide him¡­¡± As the wind blew.

    ¡°You called the wind, your sister? Is she a ghost?¡± Archie looked at the grey-haired woman with curiosity.

    The white-haired woman smiled while she shook her head. ¡°No, she could control the wind and become one with the wind. Her body no longer exists and she¡¯s now one with the wind. It¡¯s a bit hard to explain.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s another sister, she¡¯s now around here with us as we speak.¡± The red-haired woman looked at Archie while she raised her eyebrow.

    Archie looked around but he couldn¡¯t see anyone around, then the red-haired woman chuckled and pat the tree behind Archie. ¡°This is her¡­¡± Then she turned around and spread her arms, ¡°Every tree in this forest is her¡­¡±

    ¡°So, she has become one with trees?¡± Archie is confused and then looked at the grey-haired woman.

    ¡°No, her body is buried inside the ground, and she could use the trees to communicate with us. She even can control the ground if she wants to.¡± The grey-haired woman shook her head.

    Archie was speechless because it was something he couldn¡¯t believe that something like that exist or even possible. He was skeptical at first until the tree behind him slowly leaned toward him and the branches started moving as if it was waving at him. Then he remembered when the woman who escorted him was decapitated by a tree branch, and now he believed and was convinced that the grey-haired woman wasn¡¯t lying about it.

    ¡°So, one can control the wind, the other one can control the trees and ground, and she can control fire, then what about you?¡± Archie looked at the grey-haired woman with curiosity.

    ¡°I can become one with water, and I can control the water as well.¡± The grey-haired woman smiled.

    Archie couldn¡¯t believe that the Ex-Humans were far stronger than Axis-Humans, and now he knew that there was no chance for him and Iohann to be able to bring them and only death await him and the others.

    ¡°Come¡­¡± The wind blows.

    Archie looked at the sky and nodded with understanding then he started to move and follow the wind.

    ¡°Hey, we are the only ones in this place, so if you feel like you don¡¯t belong with the humans, you can come to us. Our sister will guide you here,¡± The grey-haired woman looked at Archie as if she was worried about him.

    ¡°Thanks for the offer, but I still don¡¯t like you guys,¡± Archie mockingly smiled as he looked at her from the corner of his eyes.

    Those two women were waving at him even though knowing that Archie hated them so much for what they did.

    Archie followed the wind and ended up in a vast field with something floating in the middle, something that nobody could describe as what the woman said earlier. An unworldly being that looked like rings stacked into each other with flames surrounding it, hundreds of eyes could be seen and they were staring at Archie.

    The light was blinding him and it felt like his eyes were burning by just staring at it.

    ¡°Do not be afraid¡­¡±

 Chapter 15

    Archie trembled as he heard the voice and his whole body was tingling because of it as if he wasn¡¯t the only one who was scared of that being, but the parasite inside him was also fear the being.

    ¡°Do not be afraid¡­¡± As the being glared at him and Archie glared at the ground while he nervously caught his breath. ¡°Come forth¡­¡± The sound of the rings rotating, the unfamiliar sounds were ringing in Archie¡¯s ears.

    Archie slowly walked toward the being that he didn¡¯t know but he knew that it didn¡¯t intend to harm him.

    Archie slowly lifted his head after he gathered his courage, he looked at the being and he immediately had a chill from his toes up to his hair. The being was glaring down at him, a being that was so big yet seemed so small from the distance.

    ¡°Y-you were the one wh-who wanted to see me?¡± Archie nervously stuttered because every word he said was enough to take him out of breath. The rings spun really fast that his eyes couldn¡¯t catch them.

    ¡°You who did not know of our existence, we have waited.¡± The being replied with its flames fiercely expanding around the rings.

    Archie had no idea if the being was furious at him because he didn¡¯t come sooner or if it was just the way that being showed its expression.

    ¡°Wh-who, are you?¡± Archie kept stuttering no matter how many times he tried not to.

    ¡°We, Throne, Holder of Knowledge of the God!¡± The rings spun again and this time they tilted toward Archie as if it was trying to make it clear. ¡°Humans used to call us as a part of the angels.¡± Throne spun its rings but this time it was spinning slowly.

    ¡°Th-throne?! Angels?! You were sent by God?¡± Archie¡¯s eyes were wide open while he gulped with disbelief because a being that he didn¡¯t know exist was standing right in front of him.

    Archie wasn¡¯t a believer nor did the people that lived in the Sky Station or everyone in general because there wasn¡¯t that much information about religions since they had lost all the records about god, angels, and anything related to them.

    ¡°We are.¡± As the angel kept glaring down at Archie. Archie gulped,

    ¡°Is there a reason why you wanted to see me, angel?¡± Archie just stared at it still in disbelief as Throne was slowly ascending, then the whole surrounding area was being sucked into the rings and everything was black.

    Slowly the flames around Throne were expanding and created images around Archie.

    ¡°We have seen and we have been watching the earth from the beginning of time,¡± Throne said as it aligned the rings horizontally.

    The images turned into a vast sea and they both slowly descended into the sea and went deeper. Archie saw so many weird creatures swimming in the sea, they looked like insects that live under the sea.

    ¡°This was the first life that the He created, the first ones that roamed the earth.¡± Throne¡¯s eyes were staring at everything around it.

    The event turned by the temperatures plummeting and huge glaciers forming, which caused sea levels to drop dramatically. This was followed by a period of rapid warming and many of those creatures died out.

    ¡°This was the first extinction that lead into a new life¡± Throne glared at Archie with the rings kept spinning.

    The sea level turned back to normal and Archie could see creatures that looked like fish swimming in the sea.

    ¡°This was the second life that He created, the life that will lead to another.¡± Throne was staring at the creatures as if it was amazed by God¡¯s work.

    Before Archie could admire everything, the sea level changed again, it was different from the last time, the sea level changed rapidly as if it was trying to adjust itself. Many of those fishes died because of that, and he watched millions of fishes float.

    Everything went back to normal again but this time Throne showed Archie a creature that looked like a salamander that walked out from the sea. It breed and changed into a creature that he knew, Triassic. Archie smiled the entire time as he was amazed at how he could see the events with his own eyes that he could tell it wasn¡¯t an illusion, but he was going back in time with the power of Throne.

    As Archie watched those creatures roam the earth, the event changed into a catastrophe where the volcano burst its lava up into the sky and covered the sky with smoke. The eruption killed almost everything on earth, Archie was shocked by the event and saw one of the creatures try to survive but ended up dying because of the acid. It broke his heart because everything always comes to an end, he almost cried when he watched all the lives that Throne had shown him.

    ¡°Do not be afraid.¡± Throne glared down at Archie who was saddened by the event.

    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid, I¡¯m sad because of the event¡­¡± Archie slightly smiled while he shook his head.

    ¡°You are afraid, you who know our existence. You are afraid that the humans will have the same fate as those living beings,¡± Throne kept glaring at him.

    Archie just nodded while he frowned because it was what he truly felt at that moment.

    While Archie mourned the earth went back to normal and those creatures that survived started to roam the earth again and evolved into Triassic. Archie immediately wiped his eyes and watched the life of the Triassic that he admired his whole life. He knew every name of the creatures that he saw and he had already forgotten about the past events that he witnessed. It ended up getting wiped out again because of the eruption, he knew about the end of the Triassic era so it didn¡¯t affect him that much, but it still made him sad to see it in the person of the event.

    The Triassic evolved and became the cretaceous era, where dinosaurs that everyone knew about their existence. He watched them roam the earth with excitement and he could see how massive those creatures were and how magnificent every single one of them was. Unfortunately, the asteroid came into the earth and hit it really hard which wiped out the whole dinosaurs. Archie just stood there with goosebumps all over his body, he couldn¡¯t bear to see how brutal they were all killed by the explosion and the result of the asteroid hitting the earth.

    The images were being sucked into the ring again and now they both were in the void. In a blink of an eye, Archie went back to where he was, in the middle of vast land in the middle of the forest. He looked around and he was still so confused and overwhelmed by everything that just happened.

    ¡°You have seen the five extinction events that killed millions of lives. The earth is currently on its way to extinction, the human will be replaced by new life, a new life that will roam the earth for the seventh time.¡± Throne spun its rings while glaring at Archie.

    Archie looked at Throne and he could tell that it could read his mind without having him have to say anything.

    ¡°So, the humans will extinct?¡± Archie looked at the eyes on the rings which confused him on which eye he had to stare at.

    ¡°Yes, that is His will,¡± Throne answered without hesitation and it made Archie so uncomfortable.

    It was just silence and Archie was still trying to process everything, he might know the answers to all the questions in his head.

    ¡°But every extinction event that you showed me, there¡¯s always that survive, right? So that means not every human will perish from this event, right?¡± Archie tried to convince himself that humankind will continue while hoping Throne to agree with his question.

    ¡°Do you know a story about Adam and Eve, you who know of our existence?¡± Throne tilted the rings while he glared at Archie.

    Archie knew little about Adam and Eve, so he nodded. ¡°I do. They were the first human that roamed the earth based on what I heard.¡±

    Throne was glaring at him for quite a while then it tilted down toward Archie. ¡°Adam and Eve were the first beings that are called a human. A being with a soul that sent down to earth and to live in it.¡±

    Archie seemed to be confused with what Throne said but his confusion couldn¡¯t be expressed or asked because of the answer he couldn¡¯t comprehend.

    ¡°What about them? Why are you asking me about Adam and Eve?¡± Archie looked a bit nervous because he might not be ready for the answer he was asking.

    Throne rotated the rings rapidly then it stopped entirely. ¡°Because you the one who knows of our existence will be the next Adam on earth.¡±

    Archie¡¯s eyes were wide open while he took a few steps back, ¡°What?!¡±

 Chapter 16

    ¡°You want me to become Adam? What¡¯s that supposed to mean, Angel?¡± Archie pressed his chest and clenched his fist on his shirt.

    ¡°You will be the first Drautnir that will take over the earth from humankind.¡± Throne ascended and looked down at Archie.

    ¡°Draunir? Is that the name of who I am right now?¡± Archie asked and pointed himself with his index finger while he raised his eyebrows and looked at Throne.

    ¡°Yes, you are Drautnir and you have seen other beings like you.¡± Throne descended and stared at something behind the trees.

    Throne mentioned the same beings as Archie and the only thought he had in mind was the parasites.

    ¡°You mean those monsters that live in the forest?¡± Archie looked at Throne while he pointed his finger at the forest next to him.

    ¡°Those are the lost soul, they were soulless and their only purpose here is to bring humankind to its end. Drautnir is the being that you spoke with.¡± Throne rotated its rings so slowly.

    ¡°The ladies that I spoke with? The one that can control the fire, wind, water, and earth?¡± Archie raised his eyebrows with confusion.

    ¡°Indeed, those are Drautnir that protected the forest and the lost soul from humankind as He ordered.¡± Throne¡¯s rings were expanding and Archie had to take a few steps back to make some distance between him and Throne.

    ¡°If their mission is to protect the forest, then what is my purpose?¡± Archie nervously asked Throne while he gulped.

    ¡°Your first task is to find your Eve, Drautnir¡­¡± Throne glared down at Archie.

    ¡°My Eve?¡± Archie questioned Throne with confusion.

    ¡°Your Eve is waiting, but you are not the only one who is seeking for Eve.¡± Throne turned itself upside down.

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean? Are the humans also looking for her?¡± Without him realizing it, he put himself out from the humans.

    ¡°There are 7 other Adam that is seeking for Eve as we speak, Drautnir¡­¡± Throne rotated itself so slowly that made Archie dizzy.

    Archie was shocked when he heard that there are more than 7 Adam excluding himself.

    ¡°Why there are so many Adam? Is there a reason why for that?¡± Archie furrowed his forehead while he shook his head with confusion.

    ¡°Every one of us chose the Adams from different places, and we, Thrones chose you as the Adam.¡± Throne kept rotating itself and Archie finally gave up on looking at Throne directly.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that there are other angels that are not the same as you? You¡¯re Throne, and what the other 7?¡± Archie took a glimpse at Throne then looked at the ground.

    ¡°There are more than us, Thrones. Seraphim, Cherubim, Dominions, Virtues, Powers, Principalities, Archangels, and lastly Angels. Every one of us chose a human to become Drautnir that will roam the earth.¡± Throne¡¯s flame was blazing and it startled Archie.

    ¡°You mentioned 8 names of the beings, but why there¡¯s only 7 Adams?¡± Archie finally could see Throne in the eyes again after it stopped rotating itself.

    ¡°Cherubim is protecting the Eve from harm, that is the only task that He ordered.¡± Throne aligned the rings horizontally.

    Archie covered his mouth with his hand while he was thinking and rubbing the bottom of his nose.

    ¡°Are you trying to say that we have to compete with each other to see who¡¯s worthy to be with the Eve?¡± Archie looked up at Throne¡¯s flame that was still blazing which was so beautiful to look at.

    ¡°Indeed, you are intelligent, Dautrica¡­¡± Throne started to move the rings again.

    Archie thought if he could get information about Eve¡¯s whereabouts he could just go straight to meet her. He looked at Throne who was still glaring down at him, and he knew that Throne could read his mind so that meant it was ready to answer it.

    ¡°Do you know where Eve is at, Throne?¡± Archie gulped as he looked at one of the eyes.

    ¡°We do not know, Cherubim hide her from all of us. You must find her on your own. During your journey to find Eve, you might encounter the other Adams, and you could tell by a glance if they are the same as you or not. If you encounter them, submit them.¡± Throne¡¯s flame was blazing again.

    Before Archie could ask a question, a very loud sound was being sounded from the sky. An eerie sound that made Archie tremble in fear as he looked at the sky, his eyes trembled and his heart was pounding really fast. Throne was glaring at the sky and the flame was raging and it burst around it, and suddenly it ascended and disappeared for a moment then came back down in a blink of an eye.

    ¡°The time has come, the last Adam has been chosen. Your journey is starting from now on as Drautnir, you who know of our existence.¡± Throne glared down at Archie.

    ¡°Should I leave now and go back to where I came from, Throne?¡± Archie was still in fear from the sound he heard that came from the sky.

    ¡°No, your journey will not start from here. Before we go, you should speak to other Drautnir that you met.¡± Throne spun the rings rapidly.

    Archie nodded and then left and went back to meet those women.

    (Somewhere inside the cave.)

    A woman was drenched in some kind of gooey blood that fell down right to her, then something fell on top of her head. She grabbed that thing and ate it whole, she smiled as she bathed in that black blood. She opened her eyes and looked up, a creature like a dragon was dead on top of her with the creature¡¯s throat slit open.

    ¡°The trumpet has been sounded, the last Adam has been chosen¡­¡± A being with wings covered its own body looked at the woman who was bathing in the blood.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± The woman seemed to be aroused by the information that is given to her. ¡°My Adam, my last Adam is finally here¡­¡± The woman continued and smiled and her eyes were sharp enough to intimidate anything that she looked at.

    ¡°Eve, you are supposed to offer yourself to Adam.¡± The being looked at Eve with a blank expression.

    ¡°Those Adams were weak, and thanks to them I have become stronger and feel like I¡¯m more special than anything in this world¡± The woman walked toward Cherubim and came out of the cave revealing herself to the sunlight.

    A beautiful woman with silver hair looked Cherubim in the eye. ¡°Even if I¡¯m supposed to do that, at least I have the right to choose my Adam, right? That¡¯s what you said to me back then¡­¡±

    ¡°Promise me that you do not eat the rest of them or we would punish you for your action.¡± Cherubim spreads its wings and it inflicted fear on Eve.

    ¡°I promise¡­¡± As Eve bowed her head to hide her excitement and smile.

    Archie¡¯s heart was still racing and he felt uncomfortable even though the sound disappeared already.

    The wind hit his face. ¡°Come, we are waiting¡­¡± The soothing voice of the woman calmed him down a bit and so he followed the wind to meet with all the women.

    ¡°It seems that you have seen it.¡± A Red-haired woman leaned on the tree and was staring at Archie.

    ¡°Yes, it was something I couldn¡¯t describe¡­¡± Archie was zooming out for a moment while he tried to remember the presence he saw earlier.

    ¡°How lucky, we weren¡¯t able to see it because we are forbidden to enter that area.¡± The Red-haired woman crossed her arms while she looked in the direction that Archie came from.

    ¡°Do you now know about the situation?¡± The grey-haired woman peeked her head behind the tree while she looked at Archie.

    ¡°Yes, I know everything and I still can¡¯t believe it even though I have experienced everything myself¡­¡± Archie was blankly staring at the tree while the two of them stared at Archie with a weird look.

    They had no idea what was Archie talking about because they had no idea about Adam, Eve, and the angels.

    ¡°So, what are you going to do now?¡± The grey-haired woman looked at Archie with her eyebrows raised.

    ¡°I have to find someone, someone that seems to be important to me.¡± Archie looked at the grey-haired woman with a bit smile on his face.

    ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s time for you to leave then?¡± The red-haired woman looked at Archie while she tilted her head.

    Archie furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°How do you know that I have to go soon?¡±.

    ¡°I heard it from our other sisters¡­¡± The wind blew.

    Archie looked around and was confused by her statement.

    ¡°Other sisters?¡± Archie looked at the two women in front of him.

    ¡°Right, we didn¡¯t tell you, huh?¡± The red-haired woman stood straight while she kept crossing her arms. ¡°Each Fallen Continent that the humans called, every one of them has a protector, Ex-Humans. You should already know about our job and why we are here in this place. Our other sisters were looking for the ones like you, and that was our job as well so we have heard the same stories 7 times about this quite a long time ago.¡± The red-haired woman rested her left hand on her waist while she swung the other hand.

    Archie was shocked when he heard that there were more of them in each of the Fallen Continent. Now that he heard from them that there were the same events that happened in the past 7 times, he believed that those Adams were chosen long before him.

    An ambient sound came and Archie looked around confused but it seemed that he was the only one who could hear it, ¡°Your time is up, it is time for you to leave, Drautnir.¡± The voice of Throne was calling him.

    ¡°Leaving already?¡± The red-haired woman looked at Archie who walked toward the voice.

    ¡°It¡¯s calling me¡­ and yes, it¡¯s time for me to leave.¡± Archie turned around to look at them.

    ¡°I never have the chance to ask your name, all of you.¡± Archie stopped and turned around to look at them.

    ¡°You can just call us witches, the four witches of this place. We will introduce ourselves properly when the opportunity allows us to meet again.¡± The grey-haired woman smiled while she looked at Archie.

    ¡°We will meet again.¡± Archie slightly smiled at them then went to meet Throne.

    ¡°Are you ready to leave, Drautnir?¡± Throne glared down at Archie.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m ready¡­¡± Archie nodded as he clenched his fists.

 Chapter 17

    Throne ascended and it spun the rings rapidly that Archie couldn¡¯t see the rings anymore. He was mesmerized by it and suddenly the scenery changed drastically, he looked around and realized that he wasn¡¯t in the same place where he was standing. The forest was different and the air felt different as well, he had no idea how he ended up there but one thing he knew was that he got teleported to this place by Throne¡¯s power.

    ¡°Drautnir¡­¡± Throne descended as he glared down at Archie. ¡°You are no longer a human, you will start to lose your understanding and interest in them. You are a higher being than those humans now and you can do what you want to them, as He has abandoned them.¡± Throne spun itself and the tone of its voice was something that a father would say to his son.

    ¡°God has abandoned the humans?¡± Archie¡¯s eyes were shaking as he looked at Throne with disbelief.

    ¡°He has chosen you and the other Drautnir, you can guide them, abandon them, or you can take them as your servants.¡± Throne glared at Archie with the rings aligned horizontally.

    Archie stared at nothing and was dumbfounded by the fact that humans were abandoned by God. He wanted to protest Throne and God but knowing how small he was and how powerless he was, he didn¡¯t dare to do so since he was chosen by them and it was something that nobody could achieve no matter how hard they tried.

    ¡°Drautnir, your journey starts now. Find your Eve and we will come back to give you your next task.¡± Throne slowly ascended into the sky.

    ¡°Where should I go? I don¡¯t know where Eve is at.¡± Archie lifted his head to look at Throne.

    ¡°All the decisions and paths you take will lead you to somewhere new. Your path decides your fate as Drautnir, become something that the earth needs, and do not be afraid, Drautnir¡­¡± Throne kept ascending and then disappeared into thin air.

    Archie was left alone with nothing on him but the watch that belong to Iohann, he started to look around and find a way out of the forest.

    (5 days later.)

    Archie ripped the head of the parasite with his bare hands, he was covered with injuries and broken bones all over his body. He was too weak to fight those parasites since he had nothing on him, but thanks to his regeneration from eating the parasite¡¯s true form inside the body of the parasite.

    ¡°How long have I been walking?¡± Archie groaned as he leaned on the tree trunk while he looked at his wounds. Archie looked up and saw the sunlight. ¡°I feel like I have been walking through the forest for almost a week now¡­¡± Archie yawned and closed his eyes then immediately fell asleep.

    Ravens were gurgling croaks around Archie and it startled him, he opened his eyes and saw dozens of ravens eating the remains of the parasites that he killed. He stood up and looked at all his wounds that already fully healed.

    ¡°You guys are hungry, huh?¡± Archie looked at the ravens who were ignoring him while they kept munching the flesh.

    Archie continued his journey until he ended up in a vast river in front of him, he dipped himself in the river to take a bath since he hadn¡¯t bathed for a very long time.

    As he washed his face, he looked at his reflection in the water, he still couldn¡¯t believe that the face didn¡¯t belong to him but at the same time, he could still resemble his old face to the new one. ¡°Whose face is this, and why did the parasite change my face?¡± As Archie rubbed his cheeks and stared at his own reflection.

    While he was staring at his own face, he noticed something in the reflection, he turned around immediately and his eyes were wide open. ¡°Isn¡¯t that?¡± Archie walked through the river to make sure that he didn¡¯t imagine it. A Sky Station could be seen from where he stood, he smiled happily and chuckled with disbelief then he immediately got out of the river and ran toward it.

    Archie ran as fast as he could with a big smile on his face, he kept running and dodged every obstacle in front of him. When he reached the end of the forest, he stopped and looked up, his smile disappeared immediately as he saw the long bridge that connect each station was destroyed.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Archie walked so slowly toward the field as he looked up at the broken bridge in the sky.

    ¡°Why the bridge is like that? Isn¡¯t the bridge supposed to be unbreakable?¡± Archie stood there while he caught his breath. ¡°Wait¡­ it¡¯s only a one-way bridge and the bridge is on the left side of the Sky Station. Could it be that I¡¯m in the Eastern Nation?¡± Archie looked at the Sky Station and the bridge that lead to somewhere hidden in the thick clouds.

    Archie decided to find the entrance to the Eastern Nation since he could see buildings in the distance.

    After a half-day of running, he reached an abandoned town, he looked around at the remains of the buildings. He decided to stop by every building he found because he needed a new pair of clothes to wear since he barely have anything to cover his body. He found a grey sleeveless hoodie and white shirt in the wardrobe, he immediately put them on and found ripped black skinny jeans hung behind the door and sneaker shoes behind the door.

    Archie was looking for food but he couldn¡¯t find any, so he decided to find something that he could use as a weapon but he ended up not finding anything as well. He sighed while he sat on the window and looked at the abandoned city. The wind was so cold and he immediately hid his hands in the hoodie¡¯s pockets. ¡°The wind, is it fall already?¡± Archie looked at the trees that grew wild around the city.

    *Bang*

    *Bang*

    *Bang*

    *Bang*

    *Bang*

    *Bang*

    *Bang*

    Archie immediately turned his head to the right where the gunshot came from, he immediately jumped off of the three-story building and ran toward it as fast as he could.

    A guy on the ground while he tried to crawl away with a handgun in his hand, his hand trembled in fear because a parasite in front of him crawled at him and tried to bite his foot. Archie immediately looked around to find something that he could use as a weapon, but all he could find were bricks on the road. He grabbed one and threw it as hard as he could at the parasite, it hit the parasite¡¯s face and the brick broke its face.

    The guy lifted his head to look at the person who threw the brick to save him, but then he was startled by Archie¡¯s presence already next to him and leaped toward the parasite. Archie grabbed the parasite by the head and cracked its head then pulled it off like plucking wild grass. Archie was surprised that the parasite was so easy to kill compared to the parasites he fought in the forest.

    ¡°Who are you?! I mean, thank you for saving my life¡­¡± The old man glared at Archie with his gun and was still pointing at the parasite that was already dead.

    ¡°Yeah, no problem¡­ I¡¯m glad that you¡¯re safe, Sir¡­¡± Archie nodded while he was still holding the head of the parasite.

    Archie looked to his right and heard footsteps, a group of people ran out of the corner with guns in their hands and vest and melee weapons on their backs.

    ¡°Major! What happened?!¡± A woman with short brown hair ran toward the old man and checked his body thoroughly.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ it was all thanks to that young man over there¡­¡± The old man smiled and slowly put his handgun down.

    All of them looked at Archie and then looked at his hands that were holding the head of the parasite. The woman stood up and approached Archie while looking at him from top to bottom.

    ¡°Thank you, for saving the major, we owe you one for this.¡± The woman offered her hand for a handshake.

    ¡°My hands are dirty¡­¡± Archie dropped the head and showed the blood on his hands.

    The woman scoffed and grabbed his hand and forced a handshake. ¡°It¡¯s just blood, no need to worry about that.¡± The woman smirked while she kept staring Archie in the eye.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± The woman raised her eyebrows as she pulled her hand from Archie¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Archie¡­ Archie Lancaster¡­¡± Archie looked at the woman¡¯s hand that still covered with blood.

    ¡°Lancaster? That¡¯s a name that doesn¡¯t belong to the Eastern Nation, you¡¯re from the Western Nation? Archie?¡± The woman pointed her index finger at Archie and then crossed her arms.

    ¡°Yeah, I came from the Western Nation,¡± Archie replied with a smile on his face.

 Chapter 18

    ¡°My name is Ruby, nice to meet you, Archie.¡± The brown-haired woman grabbed a pistol and offered it to Archie.

    ¡°For me?¡± Archie slightly lowered his head as he stared at Ruby with his eyebrows raised.

    ¡°I see you don¡¯t have anything on you so I will lend you my baby.¡± Ruby wiggled the pistol in her hand.

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± As Archie grabbed the pistol and checked the safety and the magazine.

    Ruby turned around and see her group was helping the old man stand up very carefully. ¡°He¡¯s clear? Tom?¡± Ruby asked the guy with a machete on his back.

    ¡°Yep! He¡¯s clear, the major is free from bites and scars!¡± Tom replied while he looked at the old man¡¯s back.

    ¡°Alright, we should go back now, the sun is about to set and we are far from home.¡± Ruby grabbed the sub-machine gun carried on her shoulder.

    ¡°We should move or the parasites will come and hunt us.¡± Ruby looked at Archie while she fixed her gloves.

    ¡°Okay, I will be walking in the back and watch you guys¡¯ back.¡± Archie pointed his thumb on his back.

    ¡°That¡¯s a very nice vintage watch you have there, Archie.¡± Ruby pointed at Iohann¡¯s watch.

    ¡°Oh? This?¡± Archie showed them the watch.

    ¡°Yo-you¡¯re a commander?!¡± A guy with glasses looked at Archie with his eyes wide open. All of them immediately stood straight and saluted Archie including the old man while Archie just stood there and stared at them with confusion.

    ¡°What makes you think that I¡¯m a commander?¡± Archie furrowed his forehead while staring at them still in confusion.

    ¡°Because of the black and red stripes on the watch, Sir!¡± The guy with glasses looked directly at the watch that Archie wore. Archie looked at the watch and saw black and red stripes on it as the guy with glasses said.

    ¡°Oh, this watch isn¡¯t mine¡­ it was a friend of mine¡­¡± Archie showed a sour smile and they were all just staring at Archie and immediately understood.

    ¡°Come on Bub, we need to move.¡± A guy with a scar on his left eyebrow stood next to the old man while he was holding an assault rifle and staring at Ruby.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s move and protect the major.¡± Ruby nodded and looked at them seriously.

    They walked the empty road while they were watching their surroundings, Archie was on the back with the guy with a scar. Archie looked up and stared at the broken bridge, he wanted to ask about it but knowing the situation, he rather not since everyone was so focused on protecting the old man.

    After 4 hours of walking, they finally reached the wall, Archie looked at the wall and still couldn¡¯t believe that humans made those giant and massive walls. They entered the gate and Archie was so confused seeing the gate was slightly open and nobody was watching the gate.

    ¡°Where are the guards?¡± Archie asked while he looked for the guards that were supposed to be guarding the walls.

    All of them turned their heads and looked at Archie weirdly. ¡°Don¡¯t you know about the incident that happened 5 years ago, Archie?¡± Ruby furrowed her forehead and stared at Archie with confusion while she kept walking forward.

    ¡°5 years ago? What happened?¡± Archie squinted his eyes while he furrowed his forehead.

    Ruby and the others were looking at each other silently, ¡°It¡¯s all over the news, everybody knows about that, Archie,¡± Ruby replied as she slowly shook her head in disbelief.

    Archie was so confused at that moment because he never heard of any incident 5 years ago that broke the bridge. He was confident that 5 years ago, the bridge was still there and nothing happened to it.

    Archie immediately stopped walking as he just realized something. ¡°5 years¡­¡± Archie muttered and stared at nothing while he quietly scoffed and smiled with disbelief. The guy with a scar just stared at Archie from the corner of his eyes.

    ¡°I don¡¯t where you were living that you didn¡¯t know about this, but it happened 5 years ago.¡± Ruby turned around and looked at Archie who was still in disbelief.

    ¡°A parasite destroyed the pillars on the north pacific ocean. We still have no idea what kind of parasite but it was big enough to destroy the pillars.¡± Ruby sighed as she tried to remember the incident. ¡°Because of that, the bridge collapsed and now the Eastern Nation is isolated from the other nations.¡± Ruby gripped her hand on the gun¡¯s handle. ¡°Since we don¡¯t have enough food resources and materials, we decided to abandon the walls and made a new one, a smaller one.¡± Ruby looked at Archie who was staring at her with a shocked expression.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it later once we are back, we still need to walk for another few hours.¡± The guy with a scar looked at Ruby.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s move..¡± Ruby turned around and lead the way.

    Ruby kept stealing glances at Archie without him knowing while they kept walking in the middle of the abandoned city.

    They finally reached the wall that Ruby mentioned, Archie looked at how badly built the wall was and how weak it looked from the outside. Archie looked at the pillar and he saw how dark the pillar was, they built platforms and small houses around it.

    ¡°Is that where people live?¡± Archie asked while he kept staring at the houses on the pillars.

    ¡°Yes, since we don¡¯t have much space, we decided to use the pillar as a place to live.¡± Ruby looked at the houses while she waved at the guards who guarded the wall.

    They entered the gate and the soldiers saluted Ruby and the others, ¡°Captain! Welcome back!¡± The soldier stared at Ruby respectfully.

    ¡°At ease¡­¡± Ruby replied as she walked past them.

    ¡°Dan, could you bring Archie to the pub? We are going to report our mission to Marshall.¡± Ruby looked at the guy with glasses.

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± The guy with glasses saluted her.

    ¡°Come on, Sir, I will show you the pub.¡± Dan looked at Archie while he smiled with excitement.

    ¡°Okay, lead the way.¡± Archie slightly smiled while he looked at Ruby and the others went to the alleyway.

    ¡°So, what were you guys doing outside the wall?¡± Archie looked around the city that looked similar to the one in the Western Nation.

    ¡°We were looking for woods, Sir.¡± Dan looked back at Archie.

    ¡°Woods? You have a lot of trees around here, why would you go out there to find woods?¡± Archie furrowed his forehead while he raised his eyebrow.

    ¡°Yes, we needed a specific wood, a wood that¡¯s sturdy enough because we are going to make another ship,¡± Dan replied as he nodded.

    ¡°Here¡¯s the pub, Sir, this is where we usually hang out to relief the stress!¡± Dan pointed his left hand at the door.

    They both entered the pub and there was nobody inside, only the bartender who smoked his cigarette and listened to the radio.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re back, Dan? Where¡¯s the captain and the others?¡± The bartender puffed the smoke as he stared at Dan.

    ¡°Oh, the captain is reporting the mission, Frank. She and the others should be here soon.¡± Dan closed the door behind him and guided Archie to the counter.

    ¡°And who¡¯s this strong-looking guy over here? Is someone new? I never saw him around here before.¡± Frank smoked his cigarette and puffed it at the ceiling.

    ¡°Oh, he saved the major while we were on a mission earlier, so the captain brought him here as gratitude for saving his life.¡± Dan grabbed a glass and poured water on it.

    ¡°Huh? He saved the major you say? Well then, as a gratitude, I will pour you the best alcohol we have!¡± Frank grabbed a shot glass and a bottle and then poured the alcohol into the glass. ¡°Here, this one is in the house!¡± Frank passed the glass to Archie.

    Archie drank the alcohol as if he was drinking water, and it was exactly how he felt, it wasn¡¯t strong at all, and his throat didn¡¯t even react to it.

    Both Frank and Dan stared at Archie with their mouths wide open. ¡°Wow! You¡¯re good at drinking alcohol, I see!¡± Frank slapped the counters twice as he stared at Archie.

    ¡°What? This should be a strong one?¡± Archie raised the glass while he looked at Frank with confusion.

    ¡°Huh? You try it, Dan!¡± Frank poured the alcohol into another shot glass and then tossed it to Dan.

    Dan drank it and he immediately spitted it out. ¡°Holy shit! It¡¯s so strong!¡±

    Frank bursted out laughing while Archie just chuckled and shook his head. Dan was wiping his tongue with his sleeve while he groaned and screamed in pain.

    While both of them were enjoying making fun of Dan, the door opened. ¡°Oh? You guys having fun without me?¡± Ruby entered the pub with the guy with a scar. They both sat next to Dan then Ruby ordered a whiskey for everyone.

    ¡°This one is for you, Archie.¡± Ruby slid the glass toward Archie.

    ¡°Thank you, Ruby.¡± Archie grabbed the glass and then smelled it for a second.

    ¡°For surviving outside the wall and for saving the major, cheers!¡± Ruby raised the glass.

    ¡°Cheers!¡± All of them raised the glass while Archie just stared at them.

 Chapter 19

    Dan was already drunk from drinking whiskey and Frank with Tom had to deal with the nonsense that Dan said while the guy with a scar was talking with Ruby about the mission. The pub was empty, there was no one else but them, Archie couldn¡¯t enjoy his drink because he couldn¡¯t taste the alcohol at all.

    ¡°Wow, you really can handle your alcohol, huh?¡± Ruby leaned her head back to see Archie who was staring at the empty glass in his hand.

    ¡°Hmm? Oh, yeah¡­¡± Archie smiled as he looked at Ruby.

    Ruby, Tom, and the guy with a scar stared at each other and didn¡¯t say anything to each other.

    ¡°Frank, can you bring us the food already? We are starving over here.¡± Ruby rested her head on her hand while she tapped the counter with her other hand.

    ¡°Ah? You guys didn¡¯t say anything about food! Hold on a moment, I will ask my wife to cook you guys something.¡± Frank replied as he wiped the glasses on the counter and then left to the back door.

    ¡°So, I heard you guys are planning on making a ship? Are you guys trying to go across the sea to the Northern Nation?¡± Archie rested his right hand on the counter while he looked at the three of them.

    ¡°Yeah, we are trying to make a more fast, sturdy, and big ship than before¡­¡± Ruby stared at nothing at the counter while she raised her eyebrows.

    ¡°They succeeded in crossing the sea?¡± Archie tilted his head while he kept staring at Ruby.

    ¡°It went horribly¡­¡± Ruby smiled for a second while she played with the shot glass.

    ¡°Anyway! I forgot to introduce ourselves to you yet, I mean you already know who I am, but not these two.¡± Ruby stood up and walked toward Dan.

    ¡°This guy over here is Daniel, he¡¯s still a cadet in the army. He just enrolled 3 months ago and he¡¯s in my division so he¡¯s still new.¡± Ruby was patting Dan¡¯s back while Dan stared at nothing with his eyes barely opened. ¡°That guy over there is Vincent, his rank is captain, same as me.¡± Ruby leaned on the counter while she nodded up at Vincent. ¡°Lastly, that guy next to Vincent is Tommy, he¡¯s a lieutenant in my division as well.¡± Ruby pointed at Tommy with the glass in her hand.

    ¡°So, what actually happened 5 years ago?¡± Archie looked at Ruby while he took a deep breath.

    ¡°You know about those small islands between the Western Nation and the Northern Nation?¡± Ruby poured a bottle of whiskey into her glass.

    ¡°You mean the islands near the Bering Sea?¡± Archie furrowed his forehead while he sat straight. ¡°Exactly¡­¡± Ruby nodded in agreement then she drank the whole glass of whiskey.

    ¡°We tried to go to the Northern Nation through those islands since it¡¯s impossible to cross the sea without stopping¡­¡± Ruby sat down and tried to reach the ice bucket behind the counter. ¡°On their way to those islands, not even a few miles from the shore, the ship was dragged down to the deep sea and nobody survived.¡± Ruby dropped 3 ice cubes into her glass and then poured another glass of whiskey. ¡°As you know, the sea is as dangerous as the FalCon so it was impossible for anyone to cross the sea, especially with a frail ship that was made from wood.¡± Ruby took a shot and clenched her face.

    ¡°Even after knowing that you guys still planning on crossing the sea using a ship?¡± Archie furrowed his forehead with confusion.

    ¡°We have no other choice, we are slowly dying in this place because of the very limited resources we have here. Sooner or later there will be nothing left but old buildings¡­¡± Ruby looked down as she chewed the ice cubes.

    ¡°You guys should have a better plan after that incident, right?¡± Archie raised his eyebrows while he stared at Ruby.

    ¡°We do, we are planning on making a bigger ship then we will sail near the shore up to the north and cross the sea then dock on St. Lawrence island.¡± Ruby looked at Archie as she took a deep breath and nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Food is ready!¡± Frank came back with five plates.

    He put each plate in front of everybody, Archie looked at the food and it was just mashed potato and peas on the side. Archie spooned a spoonful of the mashed potato and put it in his mouth, he chewed at it and it taste like what he imagined. As he swallowed the potatoes, he noticed that he was still hungry, he took another bite and then another until the plate was empty and nothing was left on the plate.

    ¡°You¡¯re still hungry? Sorry, but we can¡¯t serve more than one plate because we are trying to save up food.¡± Frank looked at Archie who seemed to be staring at the empty plate in front of him.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m good, it was delicious, and thank you for the food.¡± Archie lifted his head and looked at Frank.

    ¡°So, we are curious about you, Archie. Where do you live all this time and how could you not know about the incident that happened 5 years ago?¡± Ruby looked at Archie while Vincent and Tommy took a glance at Archie who sat next to Ruby.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember, to be honest¡­¡± Archie shook his head as he sighed.

    Ruby, Vincent, Tommy, and Frank were looking at each other silently.

    ¡°So, you said you¡¯re from the Western Nation, right? And you said the watch belongs to your friend, do you want to tell your story to us?¡± As Ruby took a bite of the mashed potato.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing much I can tell you to be honest¡­¡± Archie slightly smirked and showed a sad expression.

    ¡°What division were you in?¡± Ruby seemed curious since Archie didn¡¯t give them the answer they want.

    ¡°I was in the third division of the Western Nation.¡± Archie looked at Ruby over his shoulder.

    The four of them were surprised when they heard that Archie used to be in the third division.

    ¡°The third division?!¡± Ruby¡¯s eyes widened with disbelief.

    ¡°Yeah, I was¡­¡± Archie smiled as he remembered the day he joined Iohann¡¯s team.

    ¡°Wait, if you¡¯re from the third division, why are you here? The third division is elite amongst the elite of Axis Humans! Are you here on some kind of a mission? Wait, don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re here to help us?!¡± Frank grabbed the counter while he leaned forward and looked Archie in the eye.

    ¡°No, unfortunately, I¡¯m not here because of that since I¡¯m the only one left from the third division¡­¡± Archie showed a sour smile while he kept his head down.

    It was just silence in the room, Archie looked at Iohann¡¯s watch and he suddenly smiled.

    ¡°If we were to fail, we have no regret. That was our slogan and we really had no regret even though in the end everyone blew themselves up after we encountered with Ex-Axis Humans during our mission¡± Archie rotated the glass while he slowly shook his head.

    ¡°We know that slogan since it was quite famous among Axis Humans, the one who made that slogan was Iohann AnGust. It was a shame that he was killed in action¡­¡± Vincent drank the whiskey while he looked at Archie.

    ¡°He was a great guy, he was a great leader as well¡­¡± Archie slightly smiled while he nodded in agreement.

    ¡°You knew him personally, Archie?¡± Ruby leaned on Vincent¡¯s right shoulder while she looked at Archie.

    ¡°Of course, I was with him when we went to the expedition to find the Ex-Humans.¡± Archie nodded as he drank the whiskey.

    The four of them immediately went silent, Ruby stole a glance at both Frank, Vincent, and Tommy.

    ¡°It¡¯s your call, Bub¡­¡± Vincent whispered into Ruby¡¯s ear.

    Ruby looked at Frank and tilted her head a bit.

    ¡°I-i will check the kitchen, be right back¡­¡± Frank left hurriedly to the back room while Archie watched him leave the room.

    Because of the silence in the room, Archie had been listening to the heartbeats that he could hear loud and clear from the five of them. Because he had been listening to their heartbeats, he could tell that their hearts started racing after he said that.

    ¡°I almost forgot to give you back your pistol, Ruby¡­¡± Archie slowly reached the pistol on his waist, but before he could reach the pistol, Ruby, Vincent, and Tommy jolted from their seat and pointed their guns at Archie.

    ¡°The expedition happened 6 years ago, Iohann and the whole divisions that were assigned in the expedition have been confirmed that every single one of them are killed in action. If you were a part of them, you shouldn¡¯t be here now.¡± Ruby pointed her submachine gun at Archie¡¯s head.

    ¡°Who exactly are you?¡± As Ruby put her index finger on the trigger.

 Chapter 20

    ¡°Archie Lancaster, a brown-haired 18 years old kid from the Western Nation went to FalCon-1 for the expedition. Do you think we didn¡¯t know? We went to the headquarters and asked about Archie Lancaster, they gave us complete information about Archie Lancaster and his face. You¡¯re not Archie Lancaster.¡± Ruby tilted her head as she aimed at the back of Archie¡¯s head.

    ¡°I will ask you, one last time, who are you?¡± Ruby readied to pull the trigger as she kept staring at Archie.

    ¡°Even if I tell you the truth, you won¡¯t believe me¡­¡± Archie shook his head while he kept staring down at the counter.

    ¡°We have all night, you can start to talk or we will blow your head off.¡± Ruby didn¡¯t move a muscle.

    ¡°If you want to listen, can you put your gun down first? It makes me a bit nervous¡­¡± Archie poured himself a glass of whiskey. ¡°And don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t do anything funny.¡± Archie drank the whole glass calmly.

    ¡°We are not bargaining here, you can start talking now.¡± Ruby took a deep breath and exhaled deeply.

    ¡°It happened, 6 years ago as you said even though it felt like yesterday to me¡­¡± Archie slowly turned around and looked at them. ¡°I¡¯m Archie Lancaster, the 18 years old kid that joined the expedition and helped the first division since I¡¯m the only one who aced all the VST.¡± Archie slouched on the chair while he held the glass in his hand.

    ¡°And you want us to believe that?¡± Ruby squinted her eyes as she looked at Archie with suspicion.

    ¡°It¡¯s all up to you if you want to believe my story or not, but the only proof that I have with me is this watch that belongs to Iohann and this letter that he wrote¡­¡± Archie lifted his left hand to show the watch and the letter he took from his pocket.

    Ruby, Vincent, and Tommy stared at each other, and then Ruby looked at Tommy and tilted her head toward the letter in Archie¡¯s hand. Tommy slowly walked toward Archie with the assault rifle in his hands.

    ¡°Just take it, I won¡¯t do anything.¡± Archie stared at him and put the letter in between his index and middle fingers.

    Tommy reached his hand out and grabbed the letter from Archie¡¯s hand, he immediately walked back and gave the letter to Ruby.

    Ruby put down her gun and read the letter thoroughly, Archie could see her eyes moving from left to right rapidly.

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t prove anything, there¡¯s a chance you found this letter near the beach or shore with the watch. Archie Lancaster was mentioned in the letter and you could take his identity for this opportunity.¡± Ruby looked at Archie as she slowly pointed the gun at him again.

    ¡°Well then, there¡¯s nothing else I can prove to you but my past.¡± Archie looked at Ruby seriously.

    ¡°Start talking¡­¡± Ruby calmly asked.

    ¡°My name is Archie Lancaster, my parents abandoned me and I was adopted by Cassius Lancaster and his wife Agnes Lancaster. I was 18 when I joined the expedition, I was examined by Professor Larse himself and he brought me to Marhsall Flavius AnGust. I was enrolled in the first division and Iohann personally asked his father to assign me to his division.¡± Archie kept talking as he stared at the wooden floor while he had to relive the nightmare.

    Archie didn¡¯t stop talking while the three of them stared and listened to everything Archie said. All of them imagined themselves in his shoe but they couldn¡¯t because they weren¡¯t there and they hadn¡¯t experienced what Archie experienced in FalCon-1.

    ¡°I left Iohann on his own after he ordered me to, and that was when I entered hell¡­¡± Archie raised his eyebrows with a blank expression and stared at nothing.

    The three of them could see the emptiness in his eyes.

    ¡°You said that none of the team came back from the expedition? Did everyone die?¡± Archie looked at Ruby with sadness while he rubbed his thumb on the glass.

    ¡°Nobody came back and nobody knows what happened to them.¡± Ruby shook her head while she put the gun down.

    ¡°I see, so I¡¯m the only one that survived¡­¡± Archie sighed and closed his eyes.

    ¡°You said that you entered hell, what¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Ruby kept her hands on the gun while she furrowed her forehead with curiosity.

    ¡°Before I tell you guys about it, do you believe me now that I¡¯m Archie Lancaster?¡± Archie looked at them while he raised his eyebrows.

    The three of them looked at each other. ¡°We will believe your story, for now¡­¡± Ruby looked at Archie while she removes his hands from the gun. ¡°So, tell us what happened to you and why your appearance is so different from the data we have about you?¡± Ruby sat down at the table with Tommy and Vincent next to her.

    ¡°Have you seen an Ex-Human before, Ruby?¡± Archie leaned forward as he rested his elbows on his thighs.

    ¡°No, we have not¡­¡± Ruby paused before she finished her sentence. ¡°Nobody is brave enough to go beyond the wall at the moment, especially knowing that the biggest expedition was a total failure.¡± Ruby crossed her arms and clenched her fists so tightly.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re looking at one right now.¡± Archie stared at Ruby with a blank expression.

    The three of them stared at Archie with disbelief and then slowly put their hands on their guns.

    ¡°As I said, I¡¯m not going to hurt anyone because I¡¯m not someone or something that you think I am.¡± Archie said calmly as he kept staring at them.

    ¡°You have become an Ex-Human? How is that possible?¡± Tommy looked at Archie with curiosity.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you want to hear it since it was torture and nothing else.¡± Archie took a deep breath as he looked at Tommy.

    ¡°Tell us, what makes you different from us, Axis Humans. We are curious because we have no information about them.¡± Ruby immediately replied.

    Archie looked at them and then stood up, he approached them because he wanted to show them what made him different from humans. The three of them grabbed their guns and readied to shoot him if Archie tried to harm them but Archie immediately raised his hands to show them that he was harmless.

    ¡°Can I borrow your knife?¡± Archie asked Vincent who was glaring at him.

    Vincent looked at Ruby and Ruby just nodded, he then pulled his knife on his waist and gave it to Archie.

    Archie immediately slammed his left arm on the table and cut it open with the knife. He put the knife down and lifted his hand as the black gooey blood ran down to his elbow.

    ¡°This is the difference between me and you. I¡¯m no longer a human¡­¡± Archie clenched his left fist with the black blood kept running down to his elbow.

    The three of them glared at the wound that slowly healed on its own, they couldn¡¯t believe how fast the wound healed.

    ¡°You can heal your wounds?! How far it can heal your wound?¡± Ruby looked up as she glared at Archie with curiosity.

    ¡°After experiencing it myself, I can regrow a missing limb in a single night.¡± Archie wiped the blood on his arms with a cloth that used to be his shirt.

    ¡°How is that even possible?¡± Vincent who always kept his cool finally snapped and was curious about Archie¡¯s power.

    ¡°This power isn¡¯t as beautiful as you see. Behind this power, I have sacrificed my humanity, I have to eat other parasites so I can heal myself.¡± Archie sat down on the chair in front of him and sat together with them.

    ¡°You ate parasites? What does it taste like?¡± Ruby stared at Archie uncomfortably.

    ¡°It tastes like rotten food but raw¡­¡± Archie squinted his eyes as he said that.

    ¡°Captain Ruby!¡± A guy slammed the door open while he breathe heavily.

    ¡°What is it this time? I told you that I¡¯m taking a night off for today.¡± Ruby looked at the guy over her shoulder.

    ¡°The watchers saw a lot of movement near the wall. There¡¯s a possibility that an ExTP-3 type is guiding them here.¡± The guy kept standing in front of the door while he tried to catch his breath.

    Ruby and Vincent looked at each other and they both nodded at the same time.

    ¡°Tom, wake Dan up, we are going to hunt!¡± Ruby stood up while she pointed at Dan who was still sleeping on the counter.

    ¡°Dan! Wake up! We have an emergency!¡± Tom shook Dan¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Huh? Okay¡­ give me 5 minutes¡­¡± Daniel mumbled as he wiped his mouth.

    Ruby stared at him and grabbed the ice bucket behind the counter and poured them on Daniel¡¯s head. ¡°Wake up, Soldier!¡±

    Daniel¡¯s eyes widely opened and jolted from his seat, he looked around so confused and Tommy explained to him the situation.

    Ruby asked the guy about the current situation while she put on her jacket.

    ¡°You forget your pistol, Ruby.¡± Archie reached out his hand with the pistol in his hand.

    ¡°What are you talking about? You¡¯re going to need that because you¡¯re coming with us since we might need your help.¡± Ruby put on her vest while she checked every gun she had.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Ruby nodded up at Archie.

    ¡°Yeah, just lead the way.¡± Archie nodded as he cocked the pistol.

 Chapter 21

    ¡°Archie, just follow my lead and keep close to us because I¡¯m going to need you on my side.¡± Ruby looked back at Archie while she ran to the gate with the rest of her team.

    ¡°Capt, are we really going to go outside of the wall? It¡¯s nighttime and they¡¯re not supposed to be moving at this hour.¡± One of the soldiers looked at Ruby with an assault rifle in his hands.

    ¡°What? Are you telling me the watchers lied to us? Just keep quiet and keep up your pace!¡± Ruby glared at him as she gave a signal to the watchers above the wall to open the gate.

    ¡°Open the gate! Capt. Ruby from the 102nd Division and Capt. Vincent from the 111th Division are going to do a clean-up!¡± The soldier shouted to the guys who were operating the gate.

    ¡°Capt, Who¡¯s that guy with the 102nd Division over there? Is he a new recruit?¡± A soldier looked at Vincent while he tilted his head toward Archie.

    ¡°Don¡¯t waste your time asking a question, we have more important things to do.¡± Vincent kept his eyes on the road and his surroundings.

    ¡°That guy will end up dead anyway if he¡¯s with her¡­¡± The soldier scoffed as he kept running and following Vincent from behind.

    ¡°We are going to have a conversation after we are done here, Martin.¡± Vincent glared at Martin and made Martin go quiet and looked away.

    ¡°You got what you deserve, Martin¡­¡± A soldier laughed as he ran next to him.

    Ruby stopped running and raised her left hand while she clenched it, everyone stopped and immediately walked so slowly and quietly. Archie looked at the far right and he could sense a parasite over there and he just kept staring that way silently.

    ¡°It¡¯s here, but I can¡¯t tell where¡­¡± Ruby looked at Vincent.

    ¡°Split up?¡± Vincent looked at Ruby while he raised his eyebrow.

    ¡°Alright, you take the right side and I will take the left side.¡± Ruby nodded in agreement.

    As soon as Vincent and his team went to the right side, a gunshot could be heard. Archie already knew that it would happen while Ruby and her team turned around to check on them.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Ruby ran past Archie but then Archie sensed a dangerous presence hiding behind the wall.

    ¡°Watch out!¡± Archie ran toward Ruby and grabbed her arm then pulled her toward him.

    The wall broke and a skinless deformed human-like parasite appeared, Archie looked at it and he could tell that something is off with that parasite.

    Archie looked to his right and immediately a guy shot a fire toward the parasite then followed by the others. Archie slowly backed away and saw the bullets travel in front of him, it was quite a view because it traveled slowly in his perspective.

    The parasite took all the bullets and it seemed that the bullets didn¡¯t affect the parasite at all. It looked at the soldiers and immediately jumped toward the wall and bounced to another. It pounced on one of the soldiers but he managed to dodge it and he grabbed his sword from his back and then slashed the parasite with it.

    *Clank!*

    ¡°What?!¡± The soldier was shocked as his hands bounced back.

    Since he was still in shock, he stood there for a second, and then the parasite swung its hand at him and tear open his gut.

    ¡°Huh? Argh!¡± The guy fell to the ground as he tried to close the wound on his stomach.

    ¡°Fucking hell! Everyone get back!¡± Ruby walked past Archie and pointed her submachine gun at the parasite.

    She aimed at the eyes of the parasite and both of its eyes exploded from the bullets, she then put her gun on her back and grabbed her sword on the back of her waist. She swung the sword as hard as she could but then her sword shattered into pieces.

    The parasite screeched at her and pounced at her but Archie suddenly appeared in front of her and grabbed the parasite on the neck. He pushed the parasite back and threw it at the wall, he immediately walked toward the parasite and grabbed its arm then pulled it off so easily. The parasite bit Archie¡¯s right arm and tear it apart but Archie didn¡¯t even flinch and immediately wrapped his right arm around its neck then he broke its neck.

    Archie looked at the flesh hung on his arm then he tried to put it back to where it belong while Ruby and the others were just staring at him in silence.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Ruby looked at Archie with concern.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m good¡­¡± Archie nodded as he leaned on the wall while he kept holding the flesh on his arm.

    ¡°Will it¡­¡± Ruby looked at Archie¡¯s arm and pointed at it.

    ¡°Yeah, it will but it will take time.¡± Archie nodded as he looked at the others who were still staring at him.

    ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s check on 111th Division and help them out! Let¡¯s move!¡± Ruby grabbed her gun from her back.

    ¡°You should¡­ you know, do your thing?¡± Ruby looked at Archie then looked at the dead parasite below him.

    Archie just stared at the dead parasite and nodded with understanding then Ruby ordered some of his team to carry the injured soldier back to behind the wall. She and her division ran toward the gunshots that came from Vincent¡¯s team.

    Archie couldn¡¯t stop staring at the parasite as he swallowed the saliva that kept coming out. He looked at it as if he was staring at a delicious steak, but he shook his head while he took a deep breath.

    ¡°I should stop eating them since I can get proper food here¡­¡± Archie stood up and walked away even though he couldn¡¯t resist taking a bite of the parasite.

    Archie watched them fought dozens of parasites and they kept coming toward them because of the gunshots, screeches, and screams. He watched some of them were injured during the fight and he just stared at them with a blank expression. He didn¡¯t feel sad or sympathetic with those who were injured because he thought to himself of how weak they were and that they kind of deserved that for not being careful.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the other? Why it¡¯s just us out here?!¡± Ruby looked around and didn¡¯t find any reinforcement coming from the wall.

    ¡°Just hold them off, Bub, we are fine here since we can still handle them.¡± Vincent kicked the parasite and pulled his dagger from its neck.

    ¡°Captain! More is coming! A lot of them!¡± Daniel stood on top of a building while he looked down at Ruby.

    ¡°Understood!¡± Ruby bullseye-d every bullet she shot at the parasites.

    ¡°Everyone move! We need to fight in a bigger space!¡± As Ruby lured some of the parasites to the road.

    Some of Vincent¡¯s team climbed up the buildings and held their position to give support from above with their guns while the rest of them followed Ruby to the big road. Archie shot the parasites but he couldn¡¯t hit their heads since he wasn¡¯t experienced enough with shooting a gun. He gave up on using a pistol and decided to use his bare hands to fight the parasite since it was easier for him.

    Even though there were only 26 of them, they could fight dozens of parasites, it was also thanks to Archie who killed the strongest parasites amongst the rest. His hunger raised as he stared at the corpses of parasites but he tried to ignore it by killing parasites. The more blood he smelt the more he couldn¡¯t resist his hunger, he looked at his hand covered with blood and decided to lick his thumb when nobody looked at him. It made his hunger skyrocketing and he regretted his decision immediately.

    A roar could be heard from the distance, and the roar was so loud and deep that it made the parasites crawl away in fear.

    ¡°What the fuck was that?!¡± Martin looked in the direction where the roar came from.

    ¡°Whatever it is, it seemed to scare these parasites and that¡¯s not a good sign neither for us nor the parasites,¡± Vincent said as he reloaded his assault rifle.

    The sound of the gate opening made them turn around to look at the gate. A group of people came out from the gate with the same uniform, Archie looked at them and he felt something off with those people. They were walking in line as they walked toward Ruby and Vincent, there was a guy who walked at the front with black hair that seemed to be the leader of the group.

    ¡°Captain Vincent, Captain Ruby, we will handle this from here on out.¡± The black-haired guy said.

    Ruby and Vincent stared at him and then looked at the people behind him.

    ¡°You sure about that, Prince? There¡¯s a possibility that there¡¯s an ExTP-3 here, so we should work together to fight that.¡± Ruby asked while she massaged her neck and shoulder.

    ¡°You guys have fought well and you all seemed exhausted already. You were out for a mission earlier, right? We will be fine and just get some rest,¡± Prince replied as he looked at Ruby with a worried expression.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go back boys, the elites will handle them from now on,¡± Ruby looked at the others as she walked backward. None of them complained and followed Ruby happily, Archie then followed them while he stole a glance at Prince and the rest of them.

    ¡°Who are those people?¡± Archie walked next to Ruby while he held his arm.

    ¡°They¡¯re basically monsters in a human shell, they¡¯re Axis Human from the result of the experiment,¡± Ruby replied while she checked her gun.

 Chapter 22

    Archie looked at his right arm being stitched by Ruby, the reason why she did that was that she didn¡¯t want to put suspicion on the others with that kind of injury on Archie¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Do you still feel pain?¡± Ruby carefully stabbed the needle into his skin.

    ¡°I do. I know it sounds weird but I¡¯m used to the pain that the moment I feel that feelings, I don¡¯t even bother anymore since I already know it¡¯s going to heal.¡± Archie looked at the flesh hung on his arm that was slowly being put back to where it belonged.

    ¡°You said earlier about those guys out there that they¡¯re the result of an experiment? What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Archie tilted his head so he could see Ruby¡¯s face.

    ¡°This is going to shock you¡­¡± Ruby stopped stitching and looked at Archie for quite a while.

    ¡°The experiment happened a few weeks after the expedition after former Marshall Flavius AnGust found out that his son is dead.¡± Ruby tilted her head while she tried to remember. ¡°I heard rumors that Professor Larse used your blood sample as the main ingredient in the serum they used for the experiment.¡± Ruby looked at Archie while she rubbed her upper teeth with her tongue.

    ¡°My blood? What are they doing with my blood?¡± Archie squinted his eyes and stared at Ruby with curiosity but at the same time, it scared her.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know the details since it¡¯s classified for someone like me who¡¯s just, you know, a replaceable tool.¡± Ruby looked away as she started to stitch the wound.

    ¡°So now everyone has become Axis Humans?¡± Archie raised his eyebrow as he leaned toward Ruby.

    ¡°It would be a miracle if everyone becomes an Axis Human. So, no, the experiment has a less than 20% success rate and the rest will become parasites and they will kill them as soon as the experiment failed.¡± Ruby kept her head down and focused on stitching the wound.

    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s done¡­ I know it looks horrible, but it will do the work.¡± Ruby sighed as she carefully removed her hands from Archie¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Thank you, Ruby.¡± Archie smiled as he looked at how neat the stitches were.

    Archie stood up and Ruby stretched her arms around, they both then regroup with the rest of her team with Vincent and his division. Archie looked at Vincent who was talking with Martin, he squinted his eyes as he tried to sharpen his hearing.

    ¡°Do you have a problem with Captain Ruby, Martin? Do you still think that it was her fault that her previous team was killed in the mission?¡± Vincent crossed his arms with a cigarette in between his fingers. ¡°If you dare to say that, you should experience it yourself, how about that? I will ask the major to send you on a mission to the FalCon-3 very soon.¡± Vincent looked down at Martin as he smoked his cigarette.

    Archie was curious about their conversation, especially when they mentioned Ruby and the incident that happened in FalCon-3 as Vincent said. He wanted to know more but he thought that it wasn¡¯t the right time to ask about it since he had so many questions in his mind already.

    ¡°How is your injury?¡± Daniel looked at Archie¡¯s arm while he tried to stay awake after he got drunk and fought parasites afterward.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it will heal, eventually.¡± Archie smiled as he covered his arm.

    Ruby checked on everyone and asked about their condition because she wanted to make sure that nobody was harmed during the defense.

    ¡°Ruby, you said that those experimented people out there are monsters in a human shell, what¡¯s that mean?¡± Archie looked at Ruby who was sitting on the ground while she drank a cup of coffee.

    Everyone stared at Ruby silently as if they wanted to hear it from her as well.

    ¡°Those who survived the experiment had some kind of trauma that changed them completely.¡± Ruby stood up as she groaned. ¡°All they do was just eat, kill, sleep and repeat. They barely talked, they barely showed any expression, they lived to follow orders.¡± Ruby looked at the closed gate far behind her. ¡°You can ask the other if I¡¯m telling the truth or not¡­¡± Ruby sipped her coffee while she stared at Archie.

    Everyone started to say the same thing to Archie that those Axis Humans were not human beings anymore, only a very small portion of them that were still could be called a human based on what they said. He then knew that those who survived the experiment were stronger compared to those Axis Humans who got their power or ability from their ancestors.

    Archie tried to remember what Professor Larse said about his immune system and realized that Marshall Flavius did say something about putting Archie on the list. Knowing that his body was precious for the experiment, he started to think that it was dangerous for him to reveal himself as Archie Lancaster. Thanks to his new appearance, he could easily make a fake identity and kept on living without having to worry about getting caught by them.

    As he thought about that he looked at Ruby, Daniel, Tommy, and Vincent and glared at them for quite a while. He started to have a thought of killing them to keep his identity safe, but then he was shocked by the thought he just had and immediately removed those thoughts from his head.

    ¡°Ruby, can I have a moment?¡± Archie looked at Ruby and tilted his head to an empty spot. Ruby looked at Archie with confusion and nodded in agreement then she followed him to the side.

    ¡°Those experiments, did Professor Larse say something about me?¡± Archie rested his hands on his waist.

    ¡°He did, he said that you might be still alive and that was when former Marshall Flavius AnGust went to the FalCon-1 with those experimented Axis Humans to find you and to retrieve his son¡¯s body.¡± As Ruby looked Archie in the eyes.

    ¡°So basically what he needed from me is my body, is that correct?¡± Archie raised his eyebrow as he crossed his arms.

    ¡°I believe so, yes.¡± Ruby nodded in agreement. ¡°Why?¡± Ruby continued as she tilted her head and furrowed her eyebrows.

    ¡°Do you agree with his method of using my blood to let those humans become an Axis Human?¡± Archie stared at her and tried to listen to her heartbeat.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think knowing that there¡¯s a very high risk of killing them even though knowing that we are slowly undergoing extinction is crazy.¡± Ruby squinted her eyes and said that with confidence.

    Archie could tell that she really hate the idea of using human beings as experiments.

    ¡°I see, then could I ask you a favor to not introduce me as Archie Lancaster? I think it¡¯s better for me to make a new identity so I don¡¯t have to deal with this,¡± Archie asked as frowned his eyebrows.

    ¡°Okay, I think I can agree with that since only me, Tommy, and Vincent know about you.¡± Ruby crossed her arms as she nodded in agreement.

    ¡°But in return¡­¡± Ruby grabbed Archie¡¯s arm and tilted her head to look at Archie¡¯s face. ¡°We might need your help since you¡¯re way stronger than us in all aspects. If you agree to this, we will be in debt¡­¡± Ruby continued as she kept holding Archie¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Sure, what can I help you guys with?¡± Archie asked as he looked at Ruby¡¯s hands on his arm.

    Before Ruby could open her mouth, the gate opened and everyone immediately looked at it.

    Prince was the first one to enter and then followed by the others, they weren¡¯t injured nor even had a scratch on their bodies. Archie then looked at a parasite as tall as a tree being dragged by them into the city. A parasite that looked like a very thin human but with a leg like a grasshopper and a mouth was wide open that could fit a human inside.

    ¡°Captain Ruby, Captain Vincent, we must inform the Marshall about the situation. It seems that it¡¯s going to be a lot worse in the future because of this discovery¡­¡± Prince looked at Ruby and Vincent while the rest of his team kept walking and dragged the parasite with them.

    ¡°Is that-¡± Ruby looked at the parasite.

    ¡°I believe that¡¯s a Gen 4¡­¡± Prince replied before Ruby could finish her sentence.

    Both Vincent and Ruby looked at each other and then they both nodded.

    ¡°We will have this conversation later after we are done with this. Just wait for us in the pub, okay?¡± Ruby looked back as she walked with Vincent and Prince.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wait¡­¡± Archie nodded with understanding and was left alone in the city.

    ¡°Who is he?¡± Prince looked at Ruby who walked next to him.

    ¡°That¡¯s Lance, the guy who helped us.¡± Ruby kept looking straight while Vincent looked at her with confusion but then he just furrowed his mouth and closed his eyes with understanding.

 Chapter 23

    ¡°Marshall, the problem has arisen.¡± Prince stood at ease as he looked at an old man with black shiny hair.

    ¡°I see, our prediction came true¡­¡± The Marshall smoked his cigar as he crossed his hands and stared at the report that Prince made before he, Ruby, and Vincent came to his office.

    ¡°Captain Ruby, I heard from Bill that someone saved him during your mission. Who¡¯s he?¡± The Marshal stared at Ruby judgingly.

    ¡°His name is Lance, Sir, he came from the Western Nation.¡± Ruby answered without hesitation.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The Marshall nodded with understanding and then he looked at Prince while he slightly tilted his head.

    Prince grabbed Ruby¡¯s shoulder and immediately grabbed her arms then put them on the cuff.

    ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this, Sir?!¡± Ruby was shocked but she didn¡¯t resist when Prince put her on the cuff.

    ¡°You lied about this did you not? I heard it from Bill himself that the kid that came here with you is Archie Lancaster. You should have known that we are all been looking for him for years, but now that you found him, you hide it from us.¡± The Marshall stood up as he smoked his cigar and glared at Ruby.

    ¡°Of course, I know, Sir, but what makes you think he¡¯s the real Archie Lancaster? He looks different from the photo we have. There¡¯s no way for him to be in the Eastern Nation when he was there in FalCon-1.¡± Ruby tried to convince the Marshall.

    ¡°It¡¯s not for you to decide, just bring that kid here and we will decide if he¡¯s really Archie Lancaster or not.¡± The Marshall looked at the documents on his table.

    ¡°Captain Vincent, would you do the honor to pick our guest?¡± The Marshall glanced at Vincent with a serious expression.

    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± Vincent saluted the Marshall and left the room.

    Vincent took a short glance at Ruby and she nodded slightly at him.

    ¡°Take her away, let Resse interrogate her.¡± The Marshall looked at Prince as he sat down on his chair.

    Prince nodded with understanding and then left the room with Ruby walking in front of him.

    ¡°You already know about this?¡± Ruby turned her head and looked at Prince from the corner of her eyes.

    ¡°I do, that¡¯s why I came late to aid you earlier.¡± Prince calmly answered.

    ¡°Do you believe that the person you saw earlier is really Archie, Prince?¡± Ruby kept staring at him from the corner of her eyes.

    ¡°That¡¯s not me to decide, I¡¯m just following orders, Ruby.¡± Prince kept his head straight as he brought her to the interrogation room.

    Ruby scoffed and shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re not one of them, Prince, you¡¯re still one of us¡­ don¡¯t be like them¡­¡± Ruby looked down as she clenched her fists.

    Archie sat down in the corner of the room in the pub with a glass of water in his hand, he stared at the lantern and thought about his mission. The door opened and he saw Vincent looking around, he noticed that Vincent looked panicking.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Ruby?¡± Archie asked as he came out from the shadow.

    ¡°You need to come with me.¡± Vincent stared at him with his heart pounding really fast that Archie could hear from where he stood.

    Without asking anything to Vincent, he nodded with understanding and followed Vincent.

    ¡°Something happened to her and it¡¯s because of me, isn¡¯t it?¡± Archie walked behind Vincent and looked at his ear.

    ¡°Yes, the Marshall scuffed her and Prince should be bringing her to the interrogation room right now.¡± Vincent didn¡¯t look back as he answered.

    ¡°What do you want me to do? Should I tell them the truth?¡± Archie looked around and saw people lazing around and talking to each other.

    ¡°If you tell the truth, Ruby might in danger.¡± Vincent slightly turned his head to look at Archie.

    ¡°You love her, don¡¯t you?¡± Archie looked at Vincent¡¯s back with his heart pounding really fast.

    ¡°I care about her,¡± Vincent answered immediately but his heart started to pound faster.

    ¡°Then I can promise you that I will help her out.¡± Archie closed his eyes while he kept listening to Vincent¡¯s heart.

    ¡°Bring me to where she¡¯s being interrogated and I will do what I can.¡± Archie slowly caught up with Vincent and walked next to him.

    ¡°What are you going to do? Even if you¡¯re stronger than us, you won¡¯t be able to win against Prince and his division. They¡¯re different from us and it will only make things worse.¡± Vincent glared at Archie from the corner of his eyes.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not going to do something like that, just put me in the next room where she¡¯s being interrogated because I have a very sharp hearing that I can even hear your heart pounding really fast right now.¡± Archie looked straight as he thought about his plan.

    Vincent looked at Archie weirdly, ¡°Is that so? I will bring you there then¡­¡± Vincent believed what Archie said without even questioning him.

    ¡°Thank you, I will do my best.¡± Archie slightly smiled and nodded.

    The headquarters looked similar to the one in the Western Nation, and then he was stopped by a group of soldiers.

    ¡°Hold!¡± One of the soldiers reached out his hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m bringing this person to Marshall Marlon, do you want to waste his time by checking his identity?¡± Vincent crossed his arms as he glared at the soldier.

    ¡°Oh? You may pass then¡­¡± The soldier let them past and entered the building.

    Vincent asked the soldiers if they saw Ruby, and they told him that she was sent to the interrogation room as he expected. They both went there immediately but when they were on their way there, a guy with a fully badged suit appeared.

    ¡°Captain Vincent? Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± The guy with shiny black hair looked at Vincent with suspicion.

    ¡°Marshall! I thought you wanted to interrogate him so I took the initiative to bring him immediately there.¡± Vincent calmly answered.

    Marlon smiled and nodded. ¡°I know I can count on you, Vince. It¡¯s a shame that you have to deal with that woman, should I move you to a different division so you can be in a different mission?¡± Marlon smoked his cigar and looked at Vincent.

    Archie could hear his heart pounding really fast but this time it was different from earlier as if he was furious with Marlon.

    ¡°No, Sir, thank you for the offer but I¡¯m comfortable with my current division.¡± Vincent forced his smile.

    ¡°Is that so? Alright then,¡± Marlon hummed with understanding. ¡°So this is him?¡± Marlon continued.

    ¡°Yes, Sir. Should we bring him to the interrogation room?¡± Vincent asked as he kept staring at Marlon.

    ¡°Yes, please bring him there, I will make myself a coffee.¡± Marlon nodded as he walked past them both.

    As Vincent brought him to the hallway where there were so many doors on the sides, he stopped and looked at a woman who came out from one of the doors.

    ¡°Resse?¡± Vincent seemed surprised to see that woman.

    ¡°Ah, Vince, you came here to see Ruby?¡± Resse leaned on the door while she crossed her legs and stared at Vincent.

    ¡°No, I came here to bring this guy in.¡± Vincent put his hand on Archie¡¯s back.

    ¡°Ah, so this is the guy¡­¡± Resse squinted her eyes as she smirked.

    ¡°The next room is empty?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°Hmm? Oh, Yeah, you can put him there.¡± Resse looked back at the room.

    Vincent nodded with understanding and gently pushed Archie and brought him inside the room. Archie sat down at the table and looked around, there was nothing inside other than a pair of chairs and a table.

    ¡°Just sit here and wait.¡± Vincent leaned on the wall next to the door.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡± Archie smiled.

    ¡°You looked surprised when you saw that woman, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Archie asked while he furrowed his eyebrows.

    ¡°That woman, Resse Barret, she¡¯s one of the experimented Axis Humans and she¡¯s ruthless compared to the others. I¡¯m worried that Resse might hurt her during her interrogation and I can¡¯t stop thinking about her¡­¡± Vincent looked at the wall to the next room with a worried expression.

    ¡°It seems that there are quite a lot of people who don¡¯t like her and I overheard your conversation with your team about Ruby, what happened to her and her previous team?¡± Archie put his hands on the table and looked at Vincent.

    Vincent was shocked and immediately looked down, he went quiet as he kept looking at the floor.

    ¡°It happened a year ago, it was a massacre and it wasn¡¯t her fault because the previous major was a fool,¡± Vincent replied as he crossed his legs and wiggled his foot.

    ¡°It was an expedition of a small group that was led by the previous major to FalCon-2, they were trying to find an Ex-Human and the only one who survived the expedition was Ruby.¡± Vincent looked at his nails while he shook his head. ¡°During her interrogation, nobody believed what she said and blamed her for being a coward and left the other to their death.¡± Vincent clenched his teeth.

    ¡°What did she say?¡± Archie asked as he furrowed his forehead.

    ¡°She was warned to leave FalCon-2 by an Ex-Human.¡± Vincent looked Archie in the eye.

 Chapter 24

    ¡°What? Didn¡¯t she say that she hadn¡¯t met one before? Was that a lie?¡± Archie tilted his head as he furrowed his eyebrows.

    ¡°She was called a liar, a disgrace, you name it. Nobody believed her and it affected her and she started to pretend that she has never met one. She would rather be called a coward than a liar.¡± Vincent looked at Archie with his arms crossed.

    ¡°Even the expedition was erased from history so nobody would know about it, only those soldiers who were there that knew about it.¡± Vincent sighed as he continued talking.

    Archie nodded with understanding but then he squinted his eyes and looked to his right. He heard a door slam from the other side and he could hear Ruby¡¯s voice coming from there.

    ¡°She¡¯s being interrogated right now¡­¡± Archie said as he kept staring at the wall.

    ¡°You really can hear them from here?¡± Vincent was surprised and couldn¡¯t believe that Archie was telling the truth.

    The door opened next to Vincent and it startled him a bit, Marlon looked at Archie while he kept holding the door¡¯s handle, ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Marlon looked at Archie judgingly.

    ¡°You¡¯re still here, Captain Vincent?¡± Marlon looked at Vincent who stood straight and at ease.

    ¡°I¡¯m making sure that he¡¯s not running away, Sir.¡± Vincent kept his eyes looking forward.

    ¡°Alright, you can leave us now¡­¡± Marlon opened the door wide open.

    Vincent walked toward the door but then he stopped and turned around. ¡°Sir, may I go to check on Captain Ruby?¡± Vincent looked at Marlon.

    ¡°Is there a reason why I should allow you to bother Resse during her work?¡± As Marlon held the door¡¯s handle and readied to close it.

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why, Sir. I¡¯m afraid that Resse would go overboard knowing that Ruby is stubborn and not a good listener.¡± Vincent kept staring Marlon in the eyes.

    ¡°Alright, you may go but don¡¯t bother her if it¡¯s not necessary.¡± Marlon sighed as he slowly closed the door in front of him.

    ¡°Thank you, Sir!¡± Vincent saluted Marlon as the door closed in front of him.

    ¡°Now, where should we start¡­¡± Marlon read the documents that he brought with him. ¡°Archie Lancaster, the missing boy who¡¯s everyone been looking for¡­¡± As Marlon sat down on the chair in front of Archie.

    Marlon stared at Archie for quite a while to show dominance but Archie just stared back at him with a resting face.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name, kid?¡± Marlon kept the eye contact battle.

    ¡°My name is Lance.¡± Archie confidently replied without hesitation.

    ¡°Is that the name you¡¯re going to use from now on?¡± Marlon looked at the document as he smirked. ¡°Alright, I will play your game, Lance¡­¡± Marlon smiled as he kept reading the documents.

    (On the other side of the room.)

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Resse looked at Vincent who just entered the room while Ruby was surprised to see him there with her.

    ¡°I¡¯m here as a precaution since you would often go overboard and harm people.¡± Vincent stared at Resse with a blank expression.

    ¡°I don¡¯t-¡± Resse tried to kick him out.

    ¡°I got permission from Marshall Marlon, so you can¡¯t kick me out of the room,¡± Vincent said before Resse could finish her sentence.

    ¡°Fine, just stay there and don¡¯t bother me.¡± Resse glared at Vincent then sat down on the chair.

    Vincent and Ruby stared at each other and then Vincent lifted his hand and rubbed his right ear while he moved his eyes to the wall on his right. Ruby looked to her left in a split second and nodded with understanding but Resse noticed that and slowly turned her head and stared at Vincent from the corner of her eyes.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not waste anyone¡¯s time¡­ the guy that helped you, what was his name when he introduced himself?¡± Resse crossed her hands and put them in front of her mouth.

    ¡°He introduced himself as Archie Lancaster,¡± Ruby replied without hesitation as she stared at Resse.

    ¡°Knowing that he¡¯s Archie Lancaster, why don¡¯t you bring him here immediately?¡± Resse cracked her fingers¡¯ joints.

    ¡°At first, I don¡¯t recall that name, neither Vincent, Tommy, Daniel, nor the major because we are not like you who have access to everything.¡± Ruby wasn¡¯t scared even though Resse stared at her as if she wanted to tear her face apart.

    ¡°You brought him here then you were looking for information about Archie Lancaster then you realized that he was the one who we are looking for?¡± Resse raised her eyebrow.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I did.¡± Ruby nodded.

    ¡°Then after knowing that, you didn¡¯t bring him here, why?¡± Resse¡¯s murderous gaze came out and it made Ruby a bit uncomfortable.

    ¡°Because I wanted to make sure if he¡¯s really Archie Lancaster because the photo is totally different in person so I thought he was lying about it.¡± Ruby cleared her throat as she fixed her seating to comfort herself.

    ¡°Then you confronted him and he confessed that he was lying to you?¡± Resse grabbed her dagger and put it on the table.

    ¡°Yes, I confronted him and said that Archie Lancaster shouldn¡¯t be here since he went to FalCon-1 which is a continent away from here. He confessed that he found the watch and letter on the shore.¡± Ruby replied as she looked at the dagger that was huge enough to cut her head in half.

    ¡°He told you his real name after that?¡± Resse spun the dagger as she stared at Ruby.

    ¡°Yes, he revealed his real identity. His name is Lance, Lance Richer.¡± Ruby stared at Resse as she gulped nervously.

    ¡°And? You¡¯re not curious about his appearance that appeared so suddenly outside the wall?¡± Resse grabbed the dagger¡¯s handle and pointed it at Ruby.

    ¡°I was, I asked him and he said that he has been living outside the wall on his own after both his parents and younger sister died because of the parasite. He became an Axis Human long after the bridge incident happened.¡± Ruby replied without hesitation.

    ¡°Do you know what his power is?¡± Resse asked as she threw the daggers up repeatedly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but he has unbelievable strength,¡± Ruby replied as she kept making eye contact with Resse.

    ¡°Do you know where he lives?¡± Resse scratched her cheek with the dagger.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I didn¡¯t ask,¡± Ruby replied and took a deep breath nervously.

    ¡°How old is he?¡± Resse tilted her head.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I didn¡¯t ask,¡± Ruby replied with the same answer.

    ¡°You said that he got the watch and the letter on the shore, but we both know the shore was quite far away that it¡¯s a part of FalCon-2. So you¡¯re saying that he lives out there on his own?¡± Resse squinted her eyes.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I didn¡¯t ask for the details,¡± Ruby kept her calm and didn¡¯t show any fear to Resse.

    (At the same time in the other room.)

    Marlon sighed and leaned on the chair while staring at Archie for quite a while. He looked at the note that he wrote during his interrogation. He was still skeptical about all of his answers but based on the information he got, he doubted that he was Archie Lancaster and just someone who used Archie¡¯s identity to avoid questions.

    ¡°Your name is Lance Richer, 23 years old, used to live in the wall but after the bridge incident and your family got killed, you wandered outside the wall after you became an Axis Human.¡± Marlon looked at the note as he looked back and forth from his note to Archie. ¡°You found Commander Iohann¡¯s watch and letter from the shore while you were wandering around the FalCon-2. You became strong because you spent years outside the wall and didn¡¯t come back because you have no reason to?¡± Marlon raised his eyebrow as he stared at Archie.

    ¡°That¡¯s correct, Sir.¡± Archie replied calmly.

    Marlon threw the note on the table and then rested his head on his fist as he took a long sigh.

    ¡°Sir, may I speak?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Go on¡­¡± Marlon rubbed his nose bridge.

    ¡°I heard from Captain Ruby that she went on a mission to find a specific wood to make a ship. If I may, I would be able to help find those woods since I know the terrain around the FalCon-2 like the back of my hand.¡± Archie tried to change the subject while at the same time trying to convince Marlon that he really lived near FalCon-2 for years.

    Marlon hummed and before he could open his mouth, they heard a loud banging come from the wall. They both stood up and Marlon immediately left the room after the banging became louder. Archie followed him from behind and then Marlon opened the door in front of him and saw Resse standing in front of Ruby that lay down on the floor with blood coming out from her nose and mouth. Vincent fell unconscious with blood behind his head, Marlon was shocked and glared at Resse¡¯s hands which were covered with blood.

    ¡°Captain Resse Barret!¡± Marlon shouted at Resse.

    Resse turned around and looked at Marlon who glared at her furiously.

    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Marlon asked as he approached Vincent to check his condition.

    ¡°She was lying, Sir¡­ She made everything up¡­¡± Resse looked at Marlon.

    ¡°That guy, he¡¯s suspicious.¡± Resse pointed the dagger at Archie while Archie just stared at her without showing any expression.

    ¡°Lie? What makes you think she¡¯s lying?¡± Marlon walked past her to check on Ruby¡¯s condition which looked bad.

    ¡°She said that his name is Lance Richer, a guy who lived outside the wall, that¡¯s a total bullshit, Sir!¡± Resse kept pointing the dagger at Archie while she looked at Marlon who was checking on Ruby¡¯s injuries.

    ¡°You said she was lying because you didn¡¯t get the answer you wanted? Take this and read it!¡± Marlon glared at Resse and shoved the note he took during the interrogation.

    Resse grabbed the note and then read it with the blood on her hands dirtied the note.

    ¡°This is¡­ this is impossible¡­ they must be conspiring with each other before this happened!¡± Resse denied the note he took.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that I¡¯m a fool? Is that what you meant, Captain Resse Barret?¡± Marlon glared at Resse. ¡°Now leave and call the medic to treat them!¡± Marlon pointed his finger at the opened door.

    Resse clenched her teeth and fists but she immediately walked away and went outside.

    When she walked past Archie, her whole body went cold and her whole body felt goosebumps, her heart pounded really fast. She looked at Archie who glared down at her and it made her scared shitless that she might die from that gaze.

    ¡°What are you doing standing still over there?! Called the medic!¡± Marlon yelled and glared at Resse. Resse immediately ran while Archie kept staring at her with a resting face.

 Chapter 25

    ¡°My head¡­¡± Ruby groaned as her hand slowly rubbed her head.

    Both Ruby and Vincent were brought to the hospital because their injuries were bad, the doctor had to stitches on the back of their heads.

    ¡°You finally wake up, Bub¡­¡± Vincent sat on the chair next to Ruby¡¯s bed. Ruby saw the bandages around Vincent¡¯s head and it looked back from her perspective.

    ¡°Are you alright, Vince?¡± Ruby slowly lifted her hand and pointed at his head.

    ¡°This is nothing, it¡¯s nothing compared to what you have been through. You have been unconscious for 3 days.¡± Vincent crossed his arms while he stared at Ruby with a worried expression.

    ¡°3 days?¡± Ruby replied with a weak voice.

    ¡°Yeah, and thanks to that incident, Resse is getting punishment and she¡¯s now patrolling outside the wall,¡± Vince said with a smile on his face.

    ¡°What about him? Where¡¯s he now?¡± Ruby slowly looked around to see if Archie was around.

    ¡°He¡¯s living in one of the barracks in the headquarters,¡± Vincent replied with his thumb pointed at his back.

    ¡°A lot of things happened when you were unconscious, Bub¡­¡± Vincent continued as he slowly lifted the chair closer to the bed.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Ruby asked with her eyebrows furrowed.

    (3 days ago)

    ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere, you¡¯re coming with me to my office.¡± Marlon walked out of the room and stared at Archie.

    Archie looked at the medics carefully carrying both Ruby and Vincent out of the room and decided to follow Marlon after Ruby and Vincent were safely out of the building.

    Archie followed Marlon to the next building, a building where the trucks were parked in line. He looked at the people who came in and out of the building, he noticed that every single one of them was wearing a lab coat. Archie looked at Marlon and he knew where he was taking him and what was he planning to do. Archie was a bit nervous as he kept following Marlon from behind because if they took his blood, he would know that he was Archie Lancaster.

    ¡°We are going to the lab and take your blood sample,¡± Marlon said as he turned his head and looked at Archie.

    ¡°Yes, Sir¡­¡± Archie replied without hesitation but he was so nervous about it.

    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe you survive on your own out there, you¡¯re really good at surviving and we are in need of someone like you, Lance.¡± Marlon walked into the building while he greeted the people around.

    ¡°I had no other choice, Sir¡­¡± Archie replied as he kept following him in the hallway.

    ¡°What a great answer, I wish half of the soldiers have the same thinking as you are.¡± Marlon laughed as he opened the door in front of him.

    ¡°Professor, do you have time?¡± Marlon removed his cap and fixed his hair.

    ¡°Marshall Marlon?! What can I do for you?¡± The professor was surprised and stopped reading the book in his hand.

    ¡°Can you take this kid¡¯s blood? We found a newly born Axis Human with a natural way over here.¡± Marlon patted his hand on Archie¡¯s back.

    The professor stared at Archie with disbelief and he immediately nodded with understanding and guided Archie to the chair.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t hurt.¡± The professor said but then Archie chuckled unconsciously because he had a deja vu.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was chuckling because I¡¯m nervous.¡± Archie smiled and cleared his throat while the professor was smiling at him and nodding with understanding.

    The professor checked the needle and then he pressed the syringe into Archie¡¯s skin but he was so confused that the needle won¡¯t penetrate his skin. He added more pressure on the syringe but the needle couldn¡¯t pass through his skin and it bent to the side. The professor was shocked and showed the bent needle to Marlon, Marlon just scoffed while he shook his head with disbelief.

    ¡°You better bring a bigger needle, professor,¡± Marlon said as he watched from behind Archie.

    ¡°Yes, I will bring a new one right away¡­¡± The professor checked the cupboard next to his desk.

    ¡°So you have a very tough skin, huh?¡± Marlon stared down at Archie.

    ¡°Yes, I do, it was convenient because when a parasite tried to bite my hand or scratch my skin, sometimes they couldn¡¯t tear it open because of how tough my skin is.¡± Archie looked at his right arm and flipped it around.

    ¡°I know this syringe looks scary, but I guess this should work¡­¡± The professor grabbed a bigger syringe and Archie looked at it with disbelief.

    Archie gulped and put his arm on the table again so the professor can start his work.

    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s in¡­¡± The professor sighed as he managed to put the needle into Archie¡¯s skin.

    He started to pull out the blood inside Archie while Archie nervously watched the tube because he knew that his blood was no longer red, but black. While the professor carefully sucked the blood out, the three of them were surprised when they saw how dark-red Archie¡¯s blood was. Archie was so confused that his blood shouldn¡¯t be red but pitch black like tar.

    ¡°I will run a few tests now.¡± The professor looked at Archie¡¯s blood and slid his chair to the other side of the room.

    ¡°How long does it take?¡± Marlon crossed his arms and looked at the professor who was already busy putting Archie¡¯s blood into different tubes.

    ¡°I can give the result in a few hours, Marshall. I will give the result as soon as I have it in my hand.¡± The professor carefully dripped the blood on a tube.

    ¡°Before you run those tests, could you try to test his DNA with Archie¡¯s DNA, professor?¡± Marlon glared down at Archie who stood in front of him.

    The professor¡¯s hands stopped moving and he turned his head to look at Archie and Marlon back and forth. ¡°Sure¡­.¡± The professor looked at Archie as if he was curious about him.

    Archie was so nervous that he didn¡¯t want to move a muscle as he watched the professor put his blood into a test tube and put it inside a machine.

    ¡°Send me the result in my office when you¡¯re done running the test.¡± Marlon stared at the professor.

    ¡°Yes, I can give the result in 3 hours, Marshall.¡± The professor looked at him in fear.

    ¡°Come with me, Lance, we will talk about other things in my office,¡± Marlon said as he walked toward the door.

    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± Archie gulped and stood up then follow Marlon to his office.

    Archie couldn¡¯t feel at ease knowing that his blood was being observed, not to mention that the result only took a few hours. He was thinking about running away but with the current situation he was in, he would endanger Ruby¡¯s life.

    They both sat at the table while Marlon wrote a document for him since he accepted Archie¡¯s offer about him knowing the terrains outside the wall compared to the others. Marlon looked at the document he wrote and then he looked up to see the clock on the wall. Archie just sat there did nothing and listened to the clock ticking.

    ¡°I¡¯m done with the document, all you have to do is to sign it down here.¡± Marlon tapped on the document on the table.

    Archie tried to grab it but Marlon¡¯s fingers prevented him from taking it away from him. Archie looked at Marlon who was staring at him with suspicion.

    ¡°Is there a problem, Sir?¡± Archie calmly asked.

    ¡°How about we wait for a little longer until the professor comes with the result?¡± Marlon smiled as he kept staring at Archie.

    Archie tried his best to not panic and looked at the time on Iohann¡¯s watch. 3 hours had passed since he came to Marlon¡¯s office which also meant that the professor was on his way there.

    (At the same time in the laboratory)

    ¡°This is?!¡± The professor checked the result on the screen. ¡°I have to immediately report this to Marshall Marlon!¡± The professor clicked on the screen to print the result.

    ¡°Professor?¡± A soldier came into his room that startled the professor.

    ¡°You scared the hell out of me! What do you want?¡± The professor looked at the soldier.

    ¡°We have a problem, prof.¡± The soldier approached the professor suspiciously.

    ¡°What kind of-¡± The professor stopped in the middle of his sentence as his eyes were glaring wide open.

    The professor¡¯s head fell from his head as the soldier wiped his sword in his hand.

    ¡°Human curiosity is dangerous¡­¡± The soldier stared at the professor¡¯s head rolled on the floor.

    (Back to Marlon¡¯s office)

    They both waited and there was no sign of the professor until someone knocked on his door. Archie¡¯s heart stopped pounding for a split second, and they both looked at the door.

    ¡°Come in¡­¡± Marlon stood up and when he realized that the person who knocked on the door wasn¡¯t the professor, he furrowed his head with confusion.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Marlon asked with a bit of disappointment written on his face.

    ¡°The laboratory is on fire, Sir!¡± The soldier replied while he caught his breath.

    ¡°What?!¡± Marlon¡¯s eyes were wide open with disbelief.

    (Back to the present)

    ¡°So yeah, that happened and we lost a lot of people in that incident.¡± Vincent raised his eyebrows while he stared at nothing.

    ¡°Did they find out who did that?¡± Ruby asked.

    ¡°No, there was no trace on the culprit behind that incident.¡± Vincent looked at Ruby while he shook his head.

 Chapter 26

    ¡°I need you¡­ to find¡­ the culprit!¡± Marlon yelled at Prince and Resse in his office with his eyes glaring at them.

    ¡°Sir, we have been checking the lab dozens of times and we don¡¯t see anything suspicious,¡± Prince replied with a bit of frustration.

    ¡°Then do it another dozen times until you find something!¡± Marlon slammed his hand on his desk.

    Both Prince and Resse just stared at each other while they exhaled deeply.

    ¡°Understood, Sir¡­¡± Prince replied and then they both left his office.

    ¡°I need to know, I need the result!¡± Marlon clenched his fist as he stared at his desk.

    Archie got up from the bunk bed and left the tent, he looked at the blue sky in the morning while all the soldiers were busy saving things from the laboratory. Archie was shocked when he heard the whole laboratory was swallowed by flames, something didn¡¯t feel right but whatever the cause, it saved him.

    Archie went for a walk around the huge training field as he enjoyed the morning breeze, but then the wind stopped blowing and the commotion disappeared in a blink of an eye. He looked around and noticed that everyone stopped moving, the birds were floating still as if everyone was frozen in time.

    ¡°Drautnir¡­¡± A familiar voice called Archie.

    Archie turned around and see a soldier who stood behind him and stared at him blankly.

    ¡°You are-¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is us¡­¡± The soldier replied before Archie could ask his question.

    ¡°What happened? Why are you here? I thought you won¡¯t interfere and let me do what I want to do?¡± Archie asked as he looked at the soldier with confusion.

    ¡°We are, but the human curiosity is endangering your existence, Drautnir.¡± The soldier replied.

    ¡°So it was you who did that?¡± Archie asked as he furrowed his forehead and squinted his eyes.

    ¡°With His will, we are eliminating the humans who are playing with His creation.¡± The soldier replied as he glared at Archie.

    ¡°Then what? Are you going to kill every human that tried to interfere with His plan?¡± Archie asked as shook his head with disbelief.

    ¡°Drautnir, do not speak a word you could not handle the consequence.¡± The soldier said as he raised his voice a bit which was enough to make Archie tremble in fear.

    Archie gulped and lower his head in fear as his heart pounded really fast.

    ¡°Your existence as Archie Lancaster is a problem to you and to all of us.¡± The soldier calmly said.

    Archie looked up and furrowed his forehead with confusion. ¡°My existence is a problem? So you¡¯re going to kill me now?¡± Archie asked with fear in his eyes.

    ¡°No, we are going to change the past so you could live as you wish as Drautnir.¡± The soldier replied and shook his head slowly.

    ¡°Change the past?¡± Archie asked and tilted his head.

    ¡°Archie Lancaster will be forgotten, your existence will be replaced with another human being,¡± The soldier replied.

    ¡°What?! My existence will be forgotten? So all the past that I have until now, everyone will forget about me and replace their memories of me with someone else?¡± Archie pressed his chest as he glared at the soldier.

    ¡°Your existence has been forgotten as we speak, Drautnir.¡± The soldier blankly stared at Archie. ¡°Nobody will know who you are, your past, everything that you told them about yourself, they will forget about them.¡± The soldier continued as he slowly walked back.

    ¡°Why are you doing this now?! Why not when you sent me out here?!¡± Archie couldn¡¯t believe that they decided to do things without his approval or consent.

    The soldier lifted his head and looked at the sky, he stared at it for quite a while while he ignored Archie.

    Archie took a step back as he tried to breathe and tried to process what was happening to him.

    ¡°Give us names. Names that will still remember who you are.¡± The soldier asked.

    Archie smiled with excitement. ¡°Then I want-¡±

    ¡°We only allowed the names that you have spoken to recently, the humans that you spoke with after we sent you here.¡± The soldier said as he tried to remind Archie that he couldn¡¯t pick the names of the people in his past.

    Archie scoffed as he fell to his knees. ¡°If I can¡¯t choose the names of the people that are important in my life, what¡¯s the point of giving me that false hope?¡± Archie frowned as he looked at the soldier.

    ¡°You will not choose a single name, Drautnir?¡± The soldier looked down at Archie.

    Archie smiled and shook his head slowly. ¡°No, I will not¡­¡± Archie sighed as he closed his eyes and accept his fate.

    ¡°Very well then, farewell, Drautnir.¡± The soldier turned around and disappeared.

    The wind blew Archie¡¯s hair and the commotion appeared again, he was still on his knees in the middle of the open field while everyone was staring at him weirdly. Archie took a deep breath and stood up, he turned around and walked toward the exit.

    ¡°Hey you, where are you going?¡± A soldier looked at Archie with an assault rifle in his hands.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to go get some fresh air¡­¡± Archie replied with devastation.

    ¡°Are you a new kid? Where¡¯s your ID?¡± The soldier reached out his hand at Archie.

    Archie remembered that he signed the document, he checked all his pockets and grabbed the folded document in his jeans pocket. He gave the document to the soldier and the soldier read the document that Marlon made for him.

    The soldier scoffed as he read the document. ¡°So you¡¯re in her division, huh? Tough luck¡­¡± The soldier looked at Archie with pity.

    Archie just smiled and ignored the soldier.

    ¡°Wait, your name is Archie Lancaster?¡± The soldier stopped Archie from leaving with his hand on Archie¡¯s chest.

    Archie gulped nervously and looked at the soldier. ¡°Yes? Is there a problem?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just weird to see a Western name in this nation.¡± The soldier replied as he shook his head.

    Archie was confused and immediately checked the document, he noticed the name wasn¡¯t Lance Richer but Archie Lancaster. He smiled and shook his head with disbelief and then put the document into his pocket.

    ¡°Oh, can you tell me where Captain Ruby is at?¡±

    The soldier hummed as he turned around to look at Archie. ¡°Captain Ruby should be in the hospital over there. You can ask the nurse if you want to know where¡¯s she staying.¡±

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Archie smiled as he left the headquarters.

    Archie went to the hospital and looked around for a nurse, he asked one of the nurses about Ruby. She guided him to her room which was on top of the floor, and while Archie followed the nurse he looked at the hospital that looked advanced compared to the other buildings around it.

    ¡°She¡¯s in here but can you keep it quiet because she had a head trauma so a loud noise is enough to give her a headache.¡± The nurse looked at Archie as she smiled at him.

    ¡°Okay, I will keep my voice down. Thank you, nurse.¡± Archie smiled and nodded with understanding.

    The nurse left and Archie stood in front of the door but when he wanted to open it, he could hear Vincent¡¯s voice coming from the room. He decided to lean on the wall to eavesdrop on their conversation first.

    ¡°How can there¡¯s no trace of the accident? We are talking about the laboratory inside the headquarters, the most safest and secure place in the Eastern Nation.¡± Ruby was shocked in disbelief.

    ¡°It¡¯s the truth, Prince and Resse are the ones who checked everything dozens of times. If they couldn¡¯t find anything then that means there¡¯s nothing in there. Maybe it really was just an accident, nothing more.¡± Vincent replied as if he tried to convince Ruby.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to believe that it was an accident, there must be something going on in there, something that they wanted to hide. Could it be the rebellion did this?¡± Ruby asked as she lowered her voice so nobody could listen to her words.

    ¡°Are you serious? I don¡¯t think they¡¯re real. It¡¯s just a rumor that has been going on for the past few months and it has been proven that there was no such a thing as the rebellion.¡± Vincent replied and scoffed at Ruby¡¯s words as if she was making a joke.

    Archie heard enough and he decided to open the door in front of him. As he entered the room, both Ruby and Vincent looked at him with confusion.

    ¡°Can I help you?¡± Vincent looked at Archie with suspicion.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m bothering your resting time, but I just wanted to check on Captain Ruby since I¡¯m assigned to be in her division from now on,¡± Archie replied as he looked at both of them.

    ¡°Oh, a new guy? What¡¯s your name?¡± Ruby raised her eyebrows with a smile on her face.

    ¡°My name is Archie, Archie Lancaster¡­¡± Archie replied without hesitation.

    ¡°Archie Lancaster? Nice to meet you, Archie. Welcome to the 102nd Division and I will take care of you from now on.¡± Ruby squinted her eyes to look at Archie¡¯s face.

    Archie smiled as he bowed his head a bit. ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡±

 Chapter 27

    ¡°Good morning, everyone,¡± Ruby greeted as she put on her gloves.

    ¡°Morning, Capt.¡± Everyone replied.

    The sun wasn¡¯t even up but the 102nd Division was already gathering in the headquarters. Archie who had no idea what was going on just stood there and listened to Ruby.

    ¡°Sorry that I have to bother your sleep this early in the morning. The reason why I gathered everyone here is that you have heard and seen the discovery of ExTP-4 that Prince brought a few days ago, right?¡± Ruby stared at each one of them while she rested her hands on her waist. ¡°From today onwards, we might encounter a lot of them and because of that, we should start training and sharpen our skill and body.¡± Ruby crossed her arms as she explained that.

    ¡°Captain, the prediction is really happening?¡± Daniel asked as he raised his hand.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s happening right now and we have seen it ourselves that those parasites are starting to leave the FalCon-2. Their population grows unbelievably fast and we have been letting them breed for whole 7 years now. No more place for them in there and now they¡¯re starting to extend their territory outside the FalCon-2.¡± Ruby replied with a serious face.

    Everyone looked at each other with a worried expression while Archie just stared at them and didn¡¯t bother about that.

    Ruby looked at Archie and she slightly smiled. ¡°Oh, I almost forgot. We have a new recruit in the division that was picked directly by Marshall Marlon himself. Why don¡¯t you come to the front and introduce yourself?¡± Ruby looked at Archie as she nodded at him.

    Everyone looked at Archie as he walked forward, they didn¡¯t know that they have a new recruit in the division until Ruby mentioned it.

    Archie stood next to Ruby and he looked at Tommy and Daniel who were at the front. ¡°My name is Archie Lancaster, you guys might not know me or haven¡¯t seen me anywhere in the city, but I came from the Western Nation and I came here for a reason. I specifically was picked by Marshall Marlon because of my ability and my skill of survival. I think that¡¯s all I can say right now, and nice to meet you all.¡±

    Everyone nodded and introduced themselves to Archie while Ruby was staring at him from behind.

    Ruby clapped her hands as they were still talking with Archie. ¡°Alright, no more wasting time and let¡¯s train until the sun is down!¡±

    ¡°Huh? The sun is not even up yet!¡± Tommy whined.

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I said that,¡± Ruby replied as she smirked at him.

    Archie ran around the whole city with the others and it was nice for him to be able to see every district of the city. He saw so many people but most of them were living in fear and worry because of their current situation. He didn¡¯t feel any sympathy for them as he kept running with Ruby and the others.

    Hours had passed and the sun was about to set, they were back to the headquarters and everyone was exhausted. Archie didn¡¯t even out of breath as he saw them laying down on the ground, and Ruby was fine as well and didn¡¯t out of breath from the training.

    ¡°Come on, stand up. The training isn¡¯t even started yet.¡± Ruby looked at them as she clapped her hands.

    Archie looked at Ruby with a surprised expression while the rest of them were complaining about it.

    ¡°If you¡¯re complaining about this, why don¡¯t you move to another division that only focused on guarding the walls?¡± Ruby stared at every one of them. ¡°The 102nd division isn¡¯t for people who would whine over anything, and I heard all your whines about them who got their power from the experiment and how unfair it was for you that they have more power than us.¡± Ruby crossed her arms and said that mockingly.

    ¡°But Capt, that¡¯s the fact and we won¡¯t even be able to reach their levels.¡± One of the soldiers raised his hand and looked at Ruby.

    ¡°Fact? You¡¯re saying a fact as if it can¡¯t be changed and you¡¯re not even trying to get better than them, you¡¯re just accepting your inferiority toward them like a crybaby,¡± Ruby looked down at him and she looked angry. ¡°If you want to beat them, you have to try harder. They risked their lives to obtain that power, while you¡¯re all just taking the power for granted,¡± Ruby squinted her eyes as she shook her head with disbelief.

    Everyone looked down in silence.

    ¡°You guys should be ashamed of yourself if you think that this world we are living in is going to give a pitying look at you. The world will devour you if you¡¯re not strong enough and when that happened you¡¯re making things worse for the people around you,¡± Ruby said as she furrowed her eyebrows with concern. ¡°Don¡¯t do that to yourself, be strong and be the savior of the people who can¡¯t even lift a weapon. That¡¯s our responsibility as Axis Humans and you have to wake up and see the reality around you,¡± Ruby continued with her hands on her back clenched.

    All of them nodded with understanding and slowly stood up then walked toward Ruby.

    ¡°Don¡¯t lower yourself and become the best of the best, do you guys understand?¡± Ruby asked.

    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am!¡± Everyone replied as they looked at Ruby.

    ¡°Alright, now is the time for the spar,¡± Ruby said as she walked toward the middle of the field.

    Archie stood next to Tommy and Daniel as Ruby called two names for a spar.

    Archie watched them throw punches at each other and slammed each other to the ground with blood on their face and fists. Everyone was fired up because of Ruby¡¯s speech and they went all out in the training.

    ¡°Alright, Archie, now is your turn.¡± Ruby looked at Archie with her hands on her back.

    Archie walked forward and stood in front of Ruby.

    ¡°Since you were chosen by Marshall Marlon himself, how about I give you a more challenge in this training?¡± Ruby asked and looked at Archie.

    ¡°I¡¯m down for anything, Ma¡¯am.¡± Archie looked at Ruby over his shoulder.

    ¡°Now that¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about!¡± Ruby smiled as she patted Archie on the shoulder. ¡°Alright, the first 5 people who raised their hands will be his opponent. Now, who wants to beat this guy up and show them what we are made of?¡± Ruby asked as she nodded up at them.

    Tommy raised his hand immediately and then followed by the others.

    ¡°Alright, Tommy, Aiden, Ryan, Josh, and Nick. You guys come forward and start whenever you guys are ready.¡± Ruby pointed at each one of them and then walked back.

    Archie looked at them and clenched his fists then readied his stance. Tommy looked at Aiden and Ryan, he then tilted his head to his left and they both nodded with understanding. Tommy looked at Josh and Nick while he nodded at them, they both nodded with understanding and stood next to him.

    Aiden and Ryan ran toward Archie and moved to the sides, Archie looked at them both back and forth calmly. Aiden dashed toward him and as soon as Archie pointed his body toward him, Ryan swiftly dashed toward Archie from Archie¡¯s right and threw a punch at Archie¡¯s face. Archie leaned his head back and elbowed Ryan on the chest with enough strength to push him back. Aiden caught him off guard and punched him in the face really hard but Archie didn¡¯t even flinch and immediately grabbed Aiden¡¯s hand and slammed him to the ground.

    Tommy, Josh, and Nick ran toward Archie and the 5 of them started to surround him. Archie put his hands next to his face to cover his face while he kept looking for every movement that they made. The 5 of them moved at the same time and it was impossible for Archie to dodge them all, and he decided to dash forward and pulled his fist toward Tommy. Archie threw a punch at Tommy that he couldn¡¯t dodge and he ate Archie¡¯s fist on the face and knocked him down.

    The 4 of them stopped and looked at Tommy who was knocked down by a single punch with disbelief. Tommy coughed as he tried to stand up, he was still stunned from the punch and he covered his mouth with his hand. He spat the blood from his mouth and his lips were covered with his own blood.

    ¡°Shit, Capt, he¡¯s a beast. No wonder Marshall Marlon personally picked him.¡± Tommy looked at Ruby while he shook his head to recover from the punch.

    Ruby scoffed and smirked. ¡°Is that so? This is interesting.¡±

    Ruby was amazed by Archie¡¯s strength because Tommy was the second-in-command of the 102nd division and there¡¯s a reason for it. Tommy was the strongest compared to the others physically and he obtained himself a title, a ¡°Tank-Man¡±. Tommy was so strong that even a heavy steel bat that was thrown at him at high speed wasn¡¯t even enough to knock him down, but knowing that he got knocked down with a single punch was really surprising for everyone.

    Ruby removed her gloves and cracked her fingers and knuckles. ¡°How about I joined the fight as well?¡±

 Chapter 28

    ¡°You¡¯re not kidding about this guy, Tom, this guy really is a beast,¡± Ruby said as she scoffed and wiped the blood on her nose.

    ¡°We need more men, I suppose? Never mind that we need everyone to beat this guy up.¡± Tommy replied as he tried to fix his shoulder that was dislocated because of Archie¡¯s punch.

    ¡°Boys! Come here and show him that there¡¯s no such a thing as a fair fight!¡± Ruby shouted at the others who were watching from the side.

    Archie backed away and watched everyone from the 102nd division were walking toward Ruby.

    They all stood behind her and smiled with excitement, Archie took a deep breath as he readied his stance. Ruby and Tommy knew that Archie had no experience in a fistfight because the way he moved, punched, and kicked was like someone who had no idea what he was doing.

    ¡°You know what we are going to do to an opponent that¡¯s stronger and bigger than us?¡± Ruby asked as she looked at them over her shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s right, we are going to use formation 4 for this. Let¡¯s go!¡± Ruby tilted her head toward Archie as she looked at them.

    Ruby ran toward Archie on her own, Archie immediately threw a punch at her but she dodged it easily. She grabbed Archie¡¯s hand and pulled him toward her then she kneed him on the chin so hard. Both of them were in pain because Ruby¡¯s kneecap got dislocated from kneeing his chin.

    ¡°Fucking hell¡­¡± Ruby said under her breath.

    Archie was stunned for a second but the moment he gained his consciousness back, he was already surrounded by Tommy and the others. Suddenly his knees felt weak and realized that some of them kicked his knees from the back. He fell to his knees and Tommy punched him in the face so hard that Archie finally fell down to the ground for the first time.

    Tommy sat on top of Archie and bombarded him with punches while Archie covered his face with his arms.

    ¡°Come on, Archie! Get up and fight!¡± Ruby yelled at Archie to encourage him.

    Archie tried to free himself but then both his hands and legs were being held by the others so he couldn¡¯t do anything but took all the punches that Tommy threw at him.

    ¡°Come on, Archie! You¡¯re going to die out there if you can¡¯t rely on your strength!¡± Ruby yelled and looked down at Archie who was beaten by Tommy.

    Archie couldn¡¯t see clearly and the only thing he could see was fists that came toward his face.

    ¡°Is this the best you can do? Do you think this is unfair, Archie? The world doesn¡¯t care about fairness, it only cares about killing or being killed!¡± Ruby clapped her hands as if she wanted Archie to focus on her words.

    Archie tried to lift his arms but realized that each arm was being held down by 4 people, and it was the same on his legs.

    ¡°Show me what you got, Archie. Come on!¡± Tommy said under his breath as he kept punching him.

    Archie started to feel annoyed by the sting and the pain he started to take a deep breath and exhaled deeply. He glared at Tommy without even flinching and it started to make Tommy feel uncomfortable with his glare. Archie used the strength that he had been holding back and removed all the hands that held him down.

    Archie pushed Tommy from his body and stood up, he punched Tommy in the gut and Tommy immediately coughed blood. Archie threw a right hook at him that threw him away and dragged him to the ground for quite a distance. Tommy wasn¡¯t moving and just stayed there laying on the ground, everyone was shocked and looked at Archie with fear.

    They all saw the veins in his eyes start to visible and it was dark red and purple that it looked like he was being possessed by a parasite. Ruby furrowed her forehead with confusion and then she immediately ran toward him and threw a punch but Archie dodged it easily. Ruby then turned around and climbed up onto Archie¡¯s back and pulled him down with her but Archie¡¯s footing was solid that he won¡¯t budge no matter how hard she tried to pull him down.

    Ruby immediately choke Archie between her forearm and bicep. ¡°Archie?! Calm down!¡±

    Archie grabbed her nape and slammed her down to the ground with just one hand. When Archie wanted to grab her head, Ruby grabbed a knife hidden in her boot and pointed at Archie¡¯s eye and Archie managed to stop before the blade stab his eye.

    ¡°Enough!¡± Ruby screamed at Archie.

    Everyone was frozen as they watched them both.

    Archie¡¯s eyes went back to normal and realized what he had just done. He slowly backed away and looked at Ruby who was scared of him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Capt¡­¡±

    Ruby stood up and put the knife in her boot. ¡°That¡¯s okay, you showed me enough that you¡¯re capable and that¡¯s a good thing.¡±

    Archie looked at Tommy who was still laying on the ground and hadn¡¯t moved a muscle. Ruby looked at Tommy as well and immediately checked on him with Archie.

    ¡°You okay, Tom?¡± Ruby asked as she patted Tommy¡¯s back.

    They heard a groan and Ruby immediately turned him over, she saw Tommy was closing his eyes as he groaned in pain.

    ¡°I think I broke all my fingers, Capt.¡± Tommy weakly replied as he slowly lifted his hands to show his broken fingers to Ruby.

    Ruby scoffed and helped him get up. ¡°What happened?¡± Ruby jokingly asked.

    ¡°Heh¡­ I punched a fucking wall.¡± Tommy weakly replied as he pointed at Archie with a smile on his face.

    Both Archie and Ruby were laughing at him.

    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough for today, you all can rest for the rest of the day. But remember, we are going to train again tomorrow!¡± Ruby said as she carried Tommy on her shoulder.

    Everyone was laughing with disbelief as they left and went back to their own home.

    ¡°Archie, could you carry him? I can¡¯t walk properly because I dislocated my kneecap¡­¡± Ruby asked as she started to feel the sting on her knee.

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am¡­¡± Archie replied as he grabbed Tommy from Ruby¡¯s shoulder and then carried him on the back.

    ¡°Just call me Captain, for now, I¡¯m not that old¡­ in fact, I¡¯m only a year older than you,¡± Ruby said as she groaned in pain.

    ¡°Yes, Capt,¡± Archie nodded with understanding.

    They both went to the hospital to treat Tommy¡¯s broken fingers and Ruby¡¯s knee.

    After Ruby got her treatment, she went to where Tommy was being treated. On her way to his room, she looked at Archie who was sitting on the chair, and stared at the floor.

    ¡°You¡¯re still here?¡± Ruby asked as she approached him.

    ¡°Oh? Yeah, I just feel bad for Tommy.¡± Archie replied as he sat straight and looked at her.

    ¡°Why? You don¡¯t have to. He beat you up pretty badly back there as well.¡± Ruby sat down next to Archie and looked at him, but then she furrowed her forehead with confusion. ¡°How can you have no bruises nor blood after you got punched in the face dozens of times?¡± Ruby asked as she swirled her index finger around Archie¡¯s face.

    ¡°I just built different, that¡¯s all,¡± Archie replied jokingly.

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Ruby replied as she laughed at him.

    It was just silence afterward and it felt so awkward for Archie.

    ¡°Archie, what I said earlier during the training, you have to keep that in mind that the world won¡¯t pity you,¡± Ruby said as she stared at the wall in front of her. ¡°If there¡¯s a moment where you have the chance to survive, you do it, no matter what.¡± Ruby continued with her trembling voice.

    Archie looked at her from the corner of his eyes. He knew about what happened in her past, and he thought that it was a way for her to justify her action in the past.

    ¡°I have been living for the past 7 years trying to survive, Capt. I know how it feels and I will do what I must do to survive,¡± Archie replied as he rested his arms on his thighs.

    Ruby looked at Archie who stared at the floor again and then she leaned on the chair and crossed her legs. ¡°For someone who doesn¡¯t know how to fight, you sure know how to survive, huh? That¡¯s really interesting and weird at the same time.¡± Ruby squinted her eyes as she kept staring at Archie.

    ¡°Out there, it doesn¡¯t matter what you know and what you don¡¯t know. Everything will take you by surprise and the only thing that will keep you alive is your instinct and will to live, that¡¯s what matters.¡± Archie replied as he smirked and kept staring at the floor.

    Ruby was squinting her eyes and staring at Archie with curiosity. ¡°I heard you stayed in the barrack, how about you stay in my place and sleep there? I have plenty of beds because all my friends sometimes sleep in my house.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Capt. The barrack is comfy enough for me,¡± Archie looked at Ruby over his shoulder.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I want to hear your story more so come to my place,¡± Ruby said as she tapped on Archie¡¯s shoulder and got up.

    Archie was staring at Ruby who walked past him and didn¡¯t move a muscle.

    Ruby stopped and turned around, she then crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow. ¡°Come on, that¡¯s an order from your Captain.¡±

    Archie slightly smiled and nodded with understanding. ¡°Yes, Capt.¡±

 Chapter 29

    ¡°You live up here, Capt?¡± Archie asked as he looked down at the ground a hundred meters below him.

    ¡°Of course, everyone lives up here since there¡¯s no more place down there,¡± Ruby replied as she looked back at Archie. ¡°The Sky Station is still operating but sooner or later it will lose its power so, in the end, everyone has to abandon the station and live down here with the rest of us.¡± Ruby continued as she looked up into the night sky.

    Archie looked up and could hear the loud noises coming from behind the steel pillar. It would be impossible for anyone to sleep with the loud noises around them.

    ¡°This is my house, I made it myself and it¡¯s quite cozy compared to the others.¡± Ruby pointed her finger at the quite big wooden house.

    They both entered the house and Ruby tilted her head as she saw the lantern was on.

    ¡°Is anyone home?¡± Ruby asked as she put her jacket on the hanger.

    ¡°Bubby? You¡¯re home?¡± A woman¡¯s voice could be heard from one of the rooms.

    A woman wearing hot pants and a tank top came out of the room as she leaned on the door and scratched her back. A brown-haired woman that looked older and taller than Ruby looked at Ruby and Archie.

    ¡°Who¡¯s that guy?¡± The brown-haired woman asked and furrowed her eyebrows.

    ¡°This is Archie Lancaster, a new recruit that Marshall Marlon personally picked,¡± Ruby replied as she looked at Archie.

    ¡°Wow, really?¡± The woman came out of the room and walked toward Ruby. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, you brought him here because you offered him to stay overnight?¡± The woman wrapped her arm around Ruby¡¯s neck.

    ¡°Yes, and because I want to hear his story,¡± Ruby replied as she nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Oh? A story? Can I join you guys? I will make you guys something to eat in exchange.¡± The woman rubbed her cheek on Ruby¡¯s cheek to bribe her.

    ¡°Sure.¡± Ruby smiled as she tried to lean her head away from the woman. ¡°Oh, she¡¯s Julia Ares, she¡¯s a lieutenant from the 108th Division.¡± Ruby pointed her finger at Julia as she looked at Archie.

    ¡°Just call me Julia, I¡¯m not as conceited as this woman over here that you have to call her rank.¡± Julia giggled mischievously as she walked away to the kitchen.

    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her, I¡¯m not that kind of person,¡± Ruby said as she pointed her finger. ¡°Anyway, just help yourself out while I¡¯m going to make some coffee and help Julia in the kitchen. I will be right back.¡± Ruby continued as she walked toward the kitchen.

    Archie looked around and noticed dog tags were hung up on the wall. He decided to go and check them out, he grabbed one and looked at the name that was carved on it. There were a total of 47 dog tags with 47 different names, he was so confused on why there were so many of them.

    Archie sat down and leaned on the wooden chair as he closed his eyes and listened to the noises.

    ¡°You tired?¡± Ruby asked as she came out of the kitchen with two cups of coffee.

    ¡°Ah, no, I¡¯m just listening to the noises,¡± Archie replied and grabbed the cup of coffee from Ruby¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ you will get used to it eventually,¡± Ruby replied as she looked at the pillar from the window.

    ¡°Food is ready!¡± Julia came with a plate of meat. She sat next to Ruby and put the plate on the table.

    Archie looked at the meat and it looked like something that he had never seen before.

    ¡°This is rabbit¡¯s feet, my favorite food,¡± Julia said as she grabbed one and ate it.

    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry,¡± Archie said as he kept staring at them.

    ¡°So, Archie, how did you end up here in the Eastern Nation?¡± Ruby asked as she ate the rabbit¡¯s foot.

    Archie looked at the food and thought about what to say and what kind of lie he had to make. He then thought that it was unnecessary for him to make up a story so he could tell Ruby the truth.

    ¡°I¡¯m an Ex-Human,¡± Archie said and looked at them both seriously.

    Both of them stopped eating the rabbit¡¯s foot and their eyes were focused on Archie.

    Julia chuckled and snorted then bursted out laughing. ¡°You got me!¡±

    Ruby couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as well. ¡°You¡¯re funny, Archie.¡±

    Archie slightly smiles and looked at the small knife on the plate, he grabbed it and stabbed it onto his arm then pulled it wide open. The two of them were shocked and Ruby immediately grabbed the fork from his hand.

    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Ruby asked as she yelled at Archie.

    ¡°Just wait and see¡­¡± Archie stared at the wound on his arm.

    Those two were staring at the wound and nothing happened. Archie was so confused that the wound didn¡¯t heal, and then Ruby had enough and ripped her sleeve and covered the wound with it.

    ¡°Are you out of your mind?!¡± Ruby yelled as she wrapped the cloth on Archie¡¯s wound.

    ¡°No, this is not right¡­¡± Archie mumbled as he pulled his arm away from Ruby. ¡°I-i have to leave¡­¡± Archie said as he looked panicked that his wound didn¡¯t heal.

    Archie ran out of the house while both Ruby and Julia just stared at him with confusion.

    ¡°Uhh¡­ you sure that he¡¯s right in his head? Such a shame, he looks handsome but he has a screw loose in his head.¡± Julia scoffed as she looked at Ruby.

    Ruby kept staring at the door with the cloth in her hand, she then looked at the cloth that was covered with Archie¡¯s blood. She realized that the blood wasn¡¯t red but pitch black and gooey.

    ¡°Do you think this is blood?¡± Ruby asked as she looked at Julia and showed the cloth in her hand.

    ¡°What¡­ is that¡­¡± Julia said as she grabbed the cloth and looked at Archie¡¯s blood closely.

    They both stared at it for quite a while and then they started to think that Archie might have told them the truth. Julia and Ruby immediately grabbed their gears and left the house to catch up with Archie.

    Archie walked down the stairs hurriedly and ignored the people he bumped. He stared at the wound that wouldn¡¯t heal, he was so confused because it should be healed immediately since it was just a scratch to him.

    As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he ran in the direction of the headquarters. On his way to the headquarters, he stopped running and he smelt something familiar. He looked around and stared at the wall where the smell came from, he immediately ran toward the wall and approached the smell.

    Archie ended up outside the wall, he looked around as the smell became stronger. He ran and followed the scent that came from one of the buildings.

    He ran as fast as he could and then saw a parasite who was eating a deer. Turned out, that what he smelt was the smell of a parasite, and the stronger the smell, the more hungry he became. Archie without hesitation tear the parasite and killed it, the smell of the blood starved him.

    ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t want to eat this thing anymore¡­¡± Archie mumbled as he closed his eyes and shook his head.

    As Archie tried to resist, he heard rustling sounds that came all around him. He opened his eyes and realized there was a dozen parasite staring at him and readied to pounce at him.

    ¡°Why¡­ why are you tempting me¡­¡± Archie said as he stared at them pitifully.

    (At the same time inside the wall.)

    ¡°Have you seen a white-haired guy go this way?!¡± Ruby asked the soldier who was guarding his outpost.

    ¡°I think he went that way,¡± The soldier replied as he pointed toward the wall.

    ¡°He went outside the wall?¡± Julia asked as she looked at the wall.

    ¡°We must hurry!¡± Ruby ran as she said that.

    Both Ruby and Julia went outside the wall that was weirdly unguarded by anyone. They looked around and decided to went further to find Archie.

    As they ran around, they heard screeching noises coming from their right. They both looked at each other and nodded then ran toward the noises.

    As they arrived, they saw Archie on his knees surrounded by corpses of parasites. Ruby slowly walked toward Archie with the pistol in her hand.

    ¡°Archie?¡± Ruby whispered so her voice won¡¯t attract the parasite. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Ruby asked as she pulled the safety off.

    Archie turned his head and looked at Ruby from the corner of his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m alright, Capt¡­¡± Archie weakly answered.

    Archie slowly stood up and turned around. His whole body was covered with blood and his hands were still dripping parasite¡¯s blood. He tried to wipe his mouth with his bloody hand but it only made it worse.

    ¡°His wound is gone, Bub¡­¡± Julia whispered as she gently bumped her elbow at Ruby.

    Ruby looked at Archie¡¯s arm and the wound disappeared as Julia said. She gulped and looked at Archie in fear, she then put her finger on the trigger.

    ¡°Who are you?!¡± Ruby asked as she pointed the pistol at Archie¡¯s head.

 Chapter 30

    ¡°I have told you, Capt, I¡¯m an Ex-Human,¡± Archie stared at Ruby with a resting face.

    ¡°How? How is that even possible?¡± Ruby squinted her eyes as she kept aiming at Archie¡¯s head.

    Archie scoffed and looked down, he smiled and shook his head with disbelief. ¡°We have been through this conversation before¡­¡± Archie quietly replied.

    Julia grabbed Ruby¡¯s shoulder and slowly reached out her hand then pushed her hand down gently. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary for you to point a gun at him after knowing that he wasn¡¯t trying to hurt you back there,¡± Julia looked at Ruby and raised her eyebrows to convince her.

    Ruby lowered her hands and then looked at Archie. ¡°So you¡¯re not lying about it¡­¡±

    Archie shook his head while he kept looking down. ¡°There¡¯s no reason for me to lie to you, Capt.¡±

    Before Ruby could ask anything else, they heard a loud growl came not far from them. Both Ruby and Julia looked at each other and grabbed their bigger gun, but before they could go and check, Archie blocked their way and stared at them.

    ¡°You¡¯re not strong enough to handle that thing over there,¡± Archie said as he kept blocking their pat with his arm.

    ¡°How do you know that? Have you checked what¡¯s in there?¡± Ruby asked as she gripped her submachine gun tightly.

    ¡°I could feel it, I have been dealing with this kind of thing in the forest¡­¡± Archie replied as he looked in the direction of the parasite.

    ¡°We should tell Prince that there¡¯s another one outside the wall,¡± Julia said as she leaned her head toward Ruby.

    ¡°It¡¯s not necessary, I can handle this on my own,¡± Archie said as he lowered his arm.

    ¡°You? You won¡¯t be able to fight that thing over there. It must be a Gen 3 or even 4 so we must inform the elites about this before it¡¯s too late.¡± Ruby said as she glared at him.

    ¡°It¡¯s better if we stay quiet, Bub¡­ I think it already notices us and if we make a move, there¡¯s nothing that can save us¡­¡± Julia said as she held Ruby¡¯s arm. ¡°You said that you can deal with it, Archie?¡± Julia asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be messy but I can handle this,¡± Archie replied as he kept staring at the wall.

    ¡°Are you sure? What makes you so confident that you can deal with it?¡± Julia asked as she squinted her eyes and looked at Archie.

    Archie turned his head and looked at them, he slightly smiled. ¡°Because now I¡¯m full.¡±

    Julia scoffed and smirked. ¡°Go get em¡¯, Archie.¡±

    Archie nodded and stealthily walked toward the sound.

    Not even a minute since Archie walked toward the sound, both Ruby and Julia heard a loud banging coming from that direction. Without thinking twice they both ran toward the sound and check what happened over there.

    They both came out from the corner and saw Archie using his bare hands to fight a parasite that was 10 meters tall. The parasite looked like a goat but stood with two legs and the head was just a big mouth and nothing else.

    Archie dodged and climbed up the parasite¡¯s arm and grabbed the bottom of its mouth then slammed it to the ground. He looked for an eye but that parasite had no soft spot other than inside of its mouth. Ruby who watched him fought the parasite immediately ran toward him and grabbed the sword on her back.

    ¡°Archie! Catch!¡± Ruby screamed as she threw the sword toward Archie.

    Archie looked at the flying sword and grabbed it on the blade, his hand bleed but he didn¡¯t even bother about it and immediately grabbed the handle. He swung the sword and stabbed it on the top of the parasite¡¯s head, but the sword broke in half because of how thick and sturdy the skin was.

    ¡°I knew this would happen¡­¡± Archie mumbled as he saw the sword.

    A hand slapped Archie and he fell from the top of the head of the parasite. He was thrown away from the house and broke everything in his way, and before he could stand up, the parasite ran toward him and took a bite at his left arm. The parasite wiggled its head with Archie hung in its mouth, he tried to free himself but the parasite was too big for him to handle.

    *SPLAT!*

    Archie was thrown to the road and dragged all the way to where Ruby and Julia stood. Both of them were covering their mouth as they saw Archie¡¯s left arm gone eaten by the parasite.

    ¡°Archie?!¡± Ruby screamed as she ran toward him.

    Archie stood up and groaned. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± As he said that while the blood came out like a waterfall from his left shoulder. ¡°Give me another sword¡­¡± Archie turned around and looked at Julia.

    Julia who was shocked grabbed the sword on her back and gave it to him without saying a single word.

    Archie swung the sword and looked at how the sword was similar to the one that Ruby had. He sighed and nodded then immediately run toward the parasite who was busy chewing on his arm.

    ¡°Open your mouth, you ugly bastard!¡± Archie screamed at the parasite as he swung the sword.

    The parasite looked at Archie and crawled toward him with its mouth wide open. Archie dashed and jumped into its mouth without hesitation. Both Ruby and Julia were watching as he was swallowed by the parasite.

    They could see Archie going down to its throat as the parasite tried to digest him but then the sword came out from its throat. He kept pushing the sword down its throat and down to its chest, Archie then crawled out from the parasite with saliva covering his whole body. Julia grabbed her assault rifle and started shooting at the open wound then Ruby grabbed her submachine gun and shot the same target as Julia.

    ¡°Archie!¡± Julia shouted.

    Archie stood up and looked at Julia.

    ¡°Use these!¡± Julia threw a grenade at Archie and then another one.

    Ruby looked at Julia with a surprised expression.

    Julia scoffed and looked at Ruby from the corner of her eyes. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? I came prepared and I don¡¯t want to be a parasite.¡± Julia said as she kept shooting at the parasite.

    Archie stabbed the sword on the ground then grabbed the grenades and pulled the pin. He ran toward the parasite who was trying to block the bullets then he jumped as high as he could and then put his hand into the parasite¡¯s chest.

    *BOOM!*

    Archie was thrown away from the explosion and fell on top of the house then buried in it.

    The parasite exploded into tiny pieces, and both Ruby and Julia ran toward where Archie landed to check on him.

    As they ran toward the house, Archie could be seen walking out of the house. They both couldn¡¯t believe that a person could still stand up after all that and not to mention that he lost his whole arm as if it was nothing to him.

    ¡°Archie¡­¡± Ruby looked at Archie with a worried expression.

    Archie ignored her call and kept walking toward what remained from the parasite. He looked around while Ruby and Julia watched him, he then saw the small parasite that tried to crawl away. He grabbed it and looked at it for a moment then he bit it and swallowed it in two bites.

    Both Ruby and Julia covered their mouth as they saw Archie eating the parasite like it was a rabbit¡¯s foot.

    ¡°Sorry that you both have to see that, but it¡¯s for a greater good or that parasite will possess something else,¡± Archie said as he looked at Ruby and Julia who were staring at him with disbelief. Archie looked at the distance and squinted his eyes. ¡°It seems that they have noticed that something is going on out here, they¡¯re on their way here,¡± Archie said as he walked toward Ruby and Julia.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about them, I¡¯m more concerned about your condition! What¡¯s going to happen to you with that condition?!¡± Ruby asked as she pointed her hand at Archie¡¯s missing arm.

    ¡°I will be fine, it will regrow overnight after I consumed quite a lot of parasites tonight.¡± Archie looked at his shoulder that already closed the wound. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be seen like this or they would be suspicious after seeing my arm grows back tomorrow.¡± Archie continued as he looked at both of them.

    ¡°Then where are you going for tonight?¡± Ruby asked since she was still worried about him.

    ¡°I will find a place to sleep for tonight. I won¡¯t die and I have been on my own for a long time so this won¡¯t be a problem,¡± Archie replied as he sighed. ¡°I told you, Capt, I know how to survive,¡± Archie slightly smiled at her. ¡°I guess, I should get going now, they¡¯re getting close.¡± Archie continued as he looked at the distance.

    Archie walked the road while he held his shoulder.

    ¡°Archie, don¡¯t forget that you have training tomorrow morning. Don¡¯t be late!¡± Ruby said.

    ¡°Roger that, Capt. I will be there.¡± Archie replied as he turned his head to look at Ruby.

 Chapter 31

    ¡°In the end, he didn¡¯t come back,¡± Ruby said as she stared at the ceiling.

    ¡°Are you seriously still thinking about him, Bub?¡± Julia asked while she laid down on the bed next to Ruby.

    ¡°It¡¯s been 3 days, Julia, I still can¡¯t believe what I saw that day and the moment I want to see him again to know the truth, he disappeared,¡± Ruby replied as she turned around to look at Julia. ¡°Was that my fault that he left and won¡¯t come back?¡± Ruby frowned her forehead while she kept staring at Julia.

    ¡°You should think about what¡¯s currently in front of us, Bub. That parasite that he fought on his own was a Gen 6, and a Gen 6 is the first-ever been seen in the world or at least in the Eastern Nation. You should think about the task that Marshall Marlon assigned you to do, Bub, we have to quickly evacuate and leave this continent,¡± Julia said as she closed her eyes to try to get some sleep.

    ¡°I can¡¯t sleep like this,¡± Ruby sat up as she said that and looked at the night sky from the window.

    ¡°Bub, please, let¡¯s sleep and talk about when we wake up¡­¡± Julia replied weakly.

    Ruby sighed as she rubbed her face and hair then slammed her body on the bed.

    The morning came and Ruby was already on her way to the headquarter with Julia as Julia promised. Ruby planned on bringing Archie back to her division but she needed Marlon¡¯s permission first before she could send her team outside the wall.

    ¡°Good morning, Marshall Marlon,¡± Ruby said as she saluted Marlon that came out of his office.

    ¡°Captain Ruby? Lieutenant Julia? It¡¯s rare to see you both here early in the morning. Is there a matter that you want to discuss with me?¡± Marlon asked as he closed the door behind him with a document in his hand.

    ¡°Sir, can I have your time just for a minute?¡± Ruby asked.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Marlon looked at his watch. ¡°Sure, get into the office.¡± Marlon continued as he opened the door behind him.

    Marlon sat down and put the document on his desk. ¡°So? What can I help you with, Captain Ruby?¡± Marlon asked as he crossed his hands together.

    ¡°Sir, may I ask for permission to go on a scouting mission outside the south wall?¡± Ruby replied immediately.

    ¡°South wall? I think we all agreed on this 2 days ago that the south wall is off the limit,¡± Marlon asked as he looked at Ruby with confusion.

    ¡°I know, Sir, but we can¡¯t just ignore it after knowing that there was a Gen 6 parasite out there. I need to make sure that we are safe before we can evacuate from this continent.¡± Ruby said as she tried to convince Marlon.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can do that, Captain Ruby. The danger and the risk are too high out there, I will not let anyone leave or enter the south wall.¡± Marlon replied as he shook his head.

    Ruby closed her eyes as she looked down but then Julia raised her hand and looked at Marlon. ¡°Sir, may I speak?¡± Julia asked.

    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Marlon replied as he leaned on his chair.

    ¡°I believe there¡¯s more danger out there in the south than we imagine and it¡¯s not wrong if we put a precaution before we are going to block the south wall since we might know what kind of danger we are going to deal with,¡± Julia explained. ¡°That¡¯s why I would ask your permission so I can join the 102nd Division to go on a scouting mission. I will personally supervise the 102nd Division, Sir.¡± Julia continued with a serious expression.

    Marlon looked at Julia for quite a while then he took a deep breath and leaned toward his desk. ¡°Lieutenant Julia, I offered you a position as Major in the army but you declined and decided to stay in your current rank. Back then I accepted your reasoning and granted you your wish and that also means that you¡¯re just a Lieutenant, Lieutenant Julia.¡± Marlon said as he shook his head in disagreement.

    Julia stood at ease and looked Marlon in the eyes. ¡°Sir, we both defeated the Gen 6 parasite 3 days ago, and allow me to request a promotion, Sir. I would like to replace Major Bill¡¯s position as the Major of the 102nd Division,¡± Julia said as she kept her eyes on Marlon.

    Ruby was surprised and looked at Julia with disbelief while Marlon sat there and tapped his fingers on his desk thinking about it.

    ¡°Alright, you¡¯re promoted as the Major of the 102nd Division, Major Julia,¡± Marlon said as he grabbed the golden oak leaf insignia under his desk. ¡°As for Captain Ruby¡¯s request, I will grant you the permission but I will only allow you to go out there today until 10 P.M. then it will be off the limit for everyone without exception.¡± Marlon continued as he put the insignia on the desk.

    ¡°Thank you, Sir!¡± Julia said as she saluted Marlon.

    Julia grabbed the badge and removed her captain¡¯s badge on her collar then she put it on the desk.

    ¡°Is there something else you want? Major Julia, Captain Ruby?¡± Marlon asked.

    ¡°No, Sir!¡± Both of them replied at the same time.

    ¡°Alright, you¡¯re dismissed,¡± Marlon said as he nodded up at the door behind them.

    Both of them left Marlon¡¯s office and walked the hallway.

    ¡°Thank you, Julia¡­¡± Ruby looked at Julia who didn¡¯t seem happy with her promotion.

    ¡°You owe me one, and I will ask something in return and you have to accept it no matter what,¡± Julia replied as she walked next to Ruby and stared at the hallway.

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± Ruby said as she nodded her head.

    The sun was at its peak and the 102nd Division was gathered by Julia and Ruby. Everyone was surprised and happy at the same time when they saw and heard that Julia replaced Bill¡¯s position as the Major of the 102nd Division.

    ¡°Alright, since everyone is here already, I will tell you why I asked this mission to Marshall Marlon,¡± Ruby said as she looked at Tommy and Daniel. ¡°As you know that Archie disappeared 3 days ago and there¡¯s a high possibility that he¡¯s outside the south wall.¡± Ruby continued but the soldiers were looking at each other a bit anxious. ¡°I know that you might think that it¡¯s pointless, but there¡¯s a reason why I want to find him and bring him back. I want you all to trust me on this one and I promise you that I won¡¯t let anything harm you,¡± Ruby tried to convince her soldiers.

    ¡°You heard your Captain speaking so you have to understand that it¡¯s really important to her and that also means that it¡¯s important to all of us here since we are one. Do you guys understand?¡± Julia said as she looked at them.

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± All of them replied and saluted Julia.

    Ruby looked at Julia and Julia just smirked and shook her head slightly.

    ¡°Bub!¡± Vincent said as he walked toward Ruby from the distance.

    Everyone looked at Vincent and then Ruby tilted her head and looked at him.

    ¡°What is it, Vince?¡± Ruby asked.

    ¡°I heard you¡¯re going to go on a scouting mission. Are you going to go outside the south wall along with your division?¡± Vincent asked as he looked at the others.

    ¡°Yes, it will be fine since Julia is here with us,¡± Ruby replied as she pointed her thumb at Julia.

    ¡°Oh, I heard about your promotion, Julia. Congratulation on the promotion,¡± Vincent said as he nodded his head to show respect to Julia.

    Julia just waved her hand and brushed it off as if it was nothing.

    ¡°Is there something you want to say, Vince, since you came all the way here?¡± Ruby asked as she checked on her weapons.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Vincent replied and nodded his head. ¡°We came to join you for the scouting mission,¡± Vincent continued.

    Ruby looked at Vincent with her eyebrows furrowed. ¡°We?¡±

    Before Vincent could say anything his whole division appeared from the corner fully equipped. Ruby and the others were surprised when they all came to join since it wasn¡¯t easy for them to get permission from Marlon.

    ¡°You got your permission from Marshall Marlon?¡± Ruby asked.

    ¡°Well¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Vincent nervously replied.

    ¡°What? You can¡¯t join us or you will be punished by Marshall Marlon!¡± Ruby raised her voice to warn him.

    ¡°What¡¯s the problem with that? Let them join if that¡¯s what they want.¡± Julia said as she ate an apple in her hand. ¡°I¡¯m a major now, and I can take responsibility for all of this. So even if I will get a punishment, I will ask for a demotion and I can go back to being a lieutenant.¡± Julia continued as she chewed the apple.

    ¡°But¡­¡± Ruby looked at Julia with concern.

    ¡°No buts! Is everyone ready? We should start moving now since we don¡¯t have much time left.¡± Julia jumped down from the table she was sitting on.

    ¡°Our mission is simple,¡± Julia checked the ammo in the magazine. ¡°Find Archie Lancaster then we go back,¡± Julia put the magazine in her rifle. ¡°If we don¡¯t find him after 9 P.M. we are going to back and stop the searching. Do you guys understand?¡± Julia continued as she put the assault rifle on her back.

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± Everyone replied.

    ¡°Good! Let¡¯s move,¡± Julia said and nodded as she cocked her pistol.

 Chapter 32

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible to find him in this massive city¡­¡± Daniel said as he sat down to rest his legs after walking for 5 hours straight.

    Everyone was tired of walking around the city that was abandoned and everyone from the 111th Division started to think that Ruby was crazy in the head but they couldn¡¯t say it out loud. Her unreasonable mission only made her reputation worse but that was something she didn¡¯t care about the most.

    ¡°Have you noticed?¡± Julia asked as she looked at Ruby.

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s too quiet here and there¡¯s no sign of any parasite ever since we left the wall,¡± Ruby replied as she opened a bottle of water. ¡°It¡¯s as if he cleared the whole city on his own the past 3 days¡­¡± Ruby continued as she played with the bottle cap.

    ¡°I heard that Tommy was beaten by that guy, is that true?¡± Vincent asked as he leaned on the wall.

    ¡°Not only that, he was fine after we beat him up quite roughly. Tommy¡¯s fingers were all broken after that fight because of how tough Archie¡¯s skull is.¡± Ruby replied as she put the bottle into the bag.

    Vincent looked at Ruby with disbelief and then he looked at Julia for confirmation while Julia just nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Capt, we can¡¯t keep going on like this. We are just wasting our time out here and there was no sign of him and it¡¯s impossible to find him in a single in this massive city,¡± Tommy said as he walked toward Ruby.

    Ruby looked at the others who were resting on the road, she sighed and shook her head. ¡°I know,¡± Ruby replied with her head lowered. She looked at the red sky and then looked at Julia and Vincent, they both just stared back at her without showing any expression.

    ¡°It¡¯s your call, Bub. This is your mission, and I¡¯m just here to accompany you, not to supervise you guys,¡± Julia said as she checked her pistol.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s head back then,¡± Ruby said as she nodded and looked at Tommy.

    Tommy nodded and immediately left to inform the others.

    When they were planning to go back, all of them stopped moving as their eyes were staring at each other widely opened. They could hear a rumbling sound coming from the wall¡¯s direction toward their location, they all stood up and immediately grabbed their guns.

    Ruby cocked her submachine gun and pointed pulled the safety off. ¡°That was loud, how many of them do you think?¡± Ruby asked as she looked at Julia.

    ¡°Either a big one or dozens of them,¡± Julia replied as she grabbed her assault rifle on her back.

    Ruby looked at Daniel holding a sniper. ¡°Dan, give us vision,¡± Ruby said.

    ¡°Yes, Capt!¡± Daniel replied as he looked for a tall building.

    Everyone looked nervous because the noises were getting louder and louder.

    ¡°Capt! We are in luck!¡± Daniel shouted from the top of the building.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Ruby asked as she looked up.

    ¡°It¡¯s a turf war, they¡¯re not coming toward us, they¡¯re fighting each other!¡± Daniel replied as he kept his eye behind the scope.

    ¡°We need to move, we are in the middle of a clash and the commotion will only attract the others. We don¡¯t want to be in the middle of the clash or we won¡¯t be able to see the sun.¡± Julia said as she walked toward Ruby. ¡°Daniel, check your 3 and 9, which one is the safest,¡± Julia asked.

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Daniel responded as he looked to his left and right with his scope. ¡°Bad news, Major¡­¡± Daniel replied. ¡°Both sides are no good,¡± Daniel said as he looked down at Julia.

    ¡°How fortunate, we are going south then,¡± Julia said as she walked to the south.

    ¡°We are going south?¡± Ruby asked.

    ¡°I will take the lead from here, you just follow my order, do you understand, Bub?¡± Julia asked without even looking back at Ruby.

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Ruby answered.

    ¡°Everyone, follow my lead! Nobody is going to be left behind!¡± Julia shouted as she checked all her equipment.

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± Everyone replied.

    Julia led both divisions under her command and as she said earlier that they were in the middle of the clash, it happened. They were attacked by parasites but with Julia¡¯s command, everything was fine and nobody was injured.

    Julia ¡°The Sixth Sense¡± Ares was her nickname, and the reason why people called her that was because all the predictions and words she said were 90% came true. Her insight of the situation was on par with Archie¡¯s, and her combative skill could be compared to Iohann if only she was born in the same year as Iohann who was only 2 years apart. Both never met with each other but both of them acknowledge each other for their own achievements.

    Julia didn¡¯t like to work so she decided to stay in her previous rank since it was not too low and not too high. Everyone looked up to her even the people that had a higher rank than her, she achieved a lot at a young age but she stopped showing her capability after she lost her younger sister because of the decision she made that she thought she could change the outcome even though she knew it would be impossible.

    With Julia taking the command, everyone could feel at ease and had nothing to worry about. But it changed as soon as the parasites knew that there were humans among the parasite, and at that moment all the parasites decided to chase after them.

    Julia headshot all the parasites in front of her with her assault rifle then immediately switched to pistol and finished the rest. She made a path for everyone so they could follow her, she used her pistols, rifle, and sword to clear the path in front of her with zero fear. Her responsibility as a Major changed her way of thinking in a single snap and she became fierce and strict toward everyone including Ruby.

    ¡°Quick equipment check!¡± Julia said as she looked at the empty magazine in her hand.

    ¡°0-1¡±

    ¡°0-0¡±

    ¡°1-1¡±

    ¡°1-0¡±

    Everyone responded in order while Julia listened to all of them.

    ¡°Not good, everyone is out of bullets either on their primary or secondary guns, we have to go further to the south,¡± Julia said as she looked at Ruby and Vincent. ¡°Shot the flare, we need back up from the elites to pick us up. We won¡¯t be able to survive the night on our own in here,¡± Julia continued as she put her guns on her back.

    Ruby grabbed the flare gun and shot a yellow flare in the sky, everyone looked at the sky and it always gave them goosebumps whenever they saw a yellow flare.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope they could pick us up before the sun is rising¡­¡± Julia said while she wiped her sweat on her forehead. ¡°Let¡¯s move, we need to go into the forest and survive the night together.¡± Julia continued as she held a sword in her right hand and a dagger in her left hand.

    ¡°Why the forest?¡± Ruby asked.

    ¡°We don¡¯t want to stay here in the city, we will only be surrounded by parasites with nowhere to run. If we go to the forest, we have so many ways to go and we will know if the forest is safe or not based on the signs that we are going to find,¡± Julia explained.

    Without wasting any time they followed Julia into the forest which was only a few kilometers away from where they were.

    As they reached the entrance to the forest, Ruby squinted her eyes because he saw someone.

    ¡°Archie? Archie!¡± Ruby shouted at the person she saw.

    The person looked in their direction but immediately went into the forest so quickly.

    ¡°Bubby! Wait!¡± Julia yelled at Ruby who went after the person she saw.

    (At the same time in the middle of the forest.)

    Archie fought 2 parasites that were similar to the one he fought outside the wall. He fought them for hours and he couldn¡¯t kill them since he had no weapon on him.

    ¡°Why there are so many of them suddenly?¡± Archie said as he held a fang from one of the parasites.

    As he fought the parasites, he heard so many gunshots that it startled him and the parasites. He looked in the direction where the gunshots came from, he then decided to run toward it and checked who went deep into the forest at this hour. The parasites tried to chase after Archie but somehow their feet were tangled by roots.

    Archie ran as fast as he could but the gunshots were getting lesser and lesser until one last gunshot could be heard not far from where he was. He looked around and he smelt human scent, he ran toward it and checked what happened.

    Archie stopped running as he saw 3 women surrounding a woman who was laying on the ground with a pistol pointed at them.

    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Archie asked the 3 women.

    ¡°Ar¡­ chie?¡± The woman on the ground said with a very weak voice and looked at him.

    Archie looked at the woman and noticed that it was Julia, he immediately walked toward her.

    Julia who had lost both her legs and half of her left arm stared at Archie with a blank expression.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ really you¡­¡± Julia said as she coughed blood.

 Chapter 33

    ¡°What happened to her?¡± Archie asked the 3 women around Julia.

    ¡°She fought a parasite and she was left behind,¡± The black-haired woman replied.

    Archie looked at Julia¡¯s condition and there was no hope for her, he then went on his knee and grabbed Julia on the shoulder. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°She was looking for you¡­¡± Julia replied weakly as she tried to swallow the blood in her mouth. ¡°Who are they?¡± Julia asked as she looked at the 3 women standing in front of her.

    ¡°They¡¯re Ex-Humans, like me,¡± Archie replied.

    ¡°They helped me¡­¡± Julia looked at them with a slight smile on her face.

    Archie looked at them and they were just nodding in agreement.

    Archie was so confused about why they helped her because those Ex-Humans were no different from the ones he met in FalCon-1. They loved to eat Axis Human because they were delicious and gave them a lot of energy so they didn¡¯t have to eat for a whole month.

    Archie turned his head and heard footsteps running away from the forest. ¡°Why there are a lot of people out there?¡± Archie asked as he turned his head back to look at Julia.

    Julia shook her head because she didn¡¯t have the strength to speak anymore. She tried to reach for Archie¡¯s hand but she couldn¡¯t, Archie could hear her heartbeat slowly decreasing and he knew that she had not much time left.

    ¡°Ar¡­chie¡­¡± Julia said.

    Archie looked at Julia¡¯s right hand and tried to reach for something in her pocket, he then grabbed her hand and reached her pocket with his other hand. It looked like a small bomb, Archie looked at Julia and she nodded weakly but Archie suddenly lifted Julia up and carried her. Julia stared at Archie with confusion but she couldn¡¯t say anything anymore as she tried so hard to stay awake.

    ¡°Just go to sleep, I will protect you,¡± Archie said as he looked at Julia with an empty eye.

    Archie wasn¡¯t sure if Julia was listening to him or not but her eyes slowly but surely started to close. He kept walking as he listened to Julia¡¯s heartbeat until he couldn¡¯t anymore.

    Archie fell on his knees as his heart poundings really fast, he felt annoyed because a human just died for nothing. He was angry because Ruby brought Julia there to her death by abandoning her in a place like that.

    ¡°Archie,¡± A woman¡¯s voice came from behind him and a hand reached out to his shoulder.

    Archie glared at the black-haired woman from the corner of his eyes. ¡°What?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°What are you going to do with her body?¡± The woman asked as if she asked if Archie would allow her and her sisters to eat Julia¡¯s dead body.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare touch her¡­¡± Archie replied with his trembled voice as he tried to hold his anger.

    The woman walked forward and looked at Julia. ¡°Then what are you going to do with that body of her? Bury it? Then the parasites will dig into the ground and eat her corpse. Burn her? It will only attract the parasites and they will eat what remains from her,¡± The woman said as she stared at Archie.

    ¡°And what¡¯s your suggestion?¡± Archie asked as he glared at the woman.

    ¡°Eat her?¡± The woman replied without hesitation and have no guilt for what she said.

    Archie gritted his teeth as he glared at the black-haired woman but then the other 2 women grabbed Archie¡¯s shoulders from behind.

    ¡°It¡¯s for the best, either for you or for her, Archie,¡± The pale green-haired woman whispered gently into Archie¡¯s right ear.

    ¡°You won¡¯t feel hunger for months if you eat her,¡± The red-haired woman whispered gently into Archie¡¯s left ear.

    Archie hadn¡¯t eaten anything for the past 3 days and he fought all day and all night to exterminate the parasites that would endanger the Eastern Nation. He was starving and he tried so hard to not eat the parasites he killed, but at the same time, he needed them to replenish his strength and ability to heal.

    ¡°I will cover your eyes so you don¡¯t have to see what you eat¡­¡± The green-haired woman gently covered Archie¡¯s eyes so he couldn¡¯t see anything.

    ¡°I will feed you so you don¡¯t have to know what you eat¡­¡± The black-haired woman said as she approached Archie.

    ¡°I will cover your ears so you don¡¯t have to hear what you eat¡­¡± The red-haired woman gently covered Archie¡¯s ears so he couldn¡¯t hear anything.

    Archie could feel a hand grab his cheek gently and it wanted him to open his mouth. Archie who fell for the temptation opened his mouth and could feel something warm, soft, and juicy entered his mouth. He chewed it so slowly and he couldn¡¯t comprehend how tasty and tender the food was, he couldn¡¯t think about anything but to keep chewing and opening his mouth as the black-haired woman fed him.

    ¡°I want more¡­¡± Archie said quietly.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing more, Archie, you ate everything,¡± A woman whispered into his ear.

    Archie snapped back to reality and opened his eyes, he immediately removes the hands from his eyes and ears. He looked down and saw nothing left but the uniform that Julia wore and what remains from her body, his eyes trembled as he saw the red blood everywhere and the woman¡¯s hands were covered in blood. He just ate Julia with nothing left, he felt sick and tried to throw everything up but he couldn¡¯t for some reason while those women looked at Archie.

    ¡°You tricked me!¡± Archie yelled as he tried to get away from those women.

    ¡°We are not, we only want you to embrace it,¡± The red-haired woman replied.

    Archie had mixed feelings and he didn¡¯t know what to do but grunt and clenched his fists and teeth.

    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t want to¡­¡± Archie mumbled as he shook his head and held his head.

    Archie slowly walked away from them and then ran outside the forest.

    The black-haired woman stared at Archie from the distance as she licked the blood in her hands. ¡°He will experience it tonight, I hope that he won¡¯t have a problem afterward,¡± She said as she sucked her fingers.

    ¡°He should be fine, he¡¯s the chosen one and he will be fine either he wants it or not because he¡¯s not the one who steers the wheel,¡± The red-haired woman said as she looked at the bones that belong to Julia.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, sister,¡± The green-haired woman looked at the red-haired woman. ¡°He¡¯s different from the one we met back then,¡± The green-haired woman continued. ¡°He¡¯s way more attractive than that guy,¡± The green-haired woman said as she smiled and looked at Archie who was running away.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more, that guy was dead inside and I wonder where he is now,¡± The black-haired woman said as she stared at the sky.

    Archie kept running and finally, he left the forest, the bright stars brightened the night sky and the abandoned city. He walked into the city with the roars and screeches that came from the city, he wanted to join and killed every single one of them because that was the only way to redeem what he had just done.

    ¡°Capt¡­¡± Tommy called Ruby who was crying in the corner of the room.

    ¡°Let her be, don¡¯t bother her for now, and let her grieve for a moment,¡± Vincent said as he stopped Tommy from approaching Ruby.

    Ruby¡¯s cries were making everyone feel uncomfortable, not because of how noisy or annoying her cries were but because of how painful for them to hear someone cry like that. The pain could be felt by them, the pain of losing someone that was important in their lives, that was what everyone felt at that moment.

    Ruby kept sobbing until she suddenly heard something from the outside, she tried to breathe she tried to listen. She stood up and walked toward the opened window, everyone looked at her with confusion because she stopped crying. Suddenly everyone could hear it, a man¡¯s voice screamed in the middle of the clash between parasites.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Martin asked as he looked at Tommy.

    ¡°Ruby!¡± Vincent screamed as he saw Ruby jump out of the window and went to the road.

    Because of that, everyone grabbed everything and followed Ruby since they were all worried about her.

    Ruby could hear Archie¡¯s screams that were coming not far from where she was, she looked around and looked for Archie but he couldn¡¯t find him anywhere. She kept running and looked all the corners because she kept hearing his voice until she turned to the corner and saw Archie standing on top of a pile of parasites with a dagger in his left hand and a sword in his right hand.

    ¡°Archie!¡± Ruby screamed as she caught her breath.

    Archie turned around and Ruby could see tears on his cheeks but his expression changed in an instant as he saw Ruby.

    ¡°Ruby¡­¡± Archie said as he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.

 Chapter 34

    Ruby flinched as something just flew past her, her eyes throbbed when she noticed Archie just threw the dagger at her. She slowly touched her right cheek and she felt a sting from there, she looked at her hand and noticed the blood on it.

    ¡°You left her to death¡­¡± Archie said as he frowned his forehead and stared at Ruby with disbelief.

    Tears fell down Ruby¡¯s cheeks as she heard that Julia was gone, she fell to her knees as she started sobbing and wiped her eyes. Like the others, Archie heard her painful cry and it felt painful for him to hear it. All he could hear from her mouth was ¡°Sorry¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± were the only words that came out of her mouth.

    Archie was angry at Ruby but at the same time, he was angry with himself for what he did to Julia. He poured his anger on the parasites and Ruby, and then he realized that he shared the guilt and shouldn¡¯t blame Ruby for what happened.

    Vincent and the others came and were shocked when they saw Archie standing on top of the pile of parasites while Ruby was on her knees crying. Vincent immediately ran toward Ruby and helped her stand up but Ruby pushed him away as she kept crying.

    Archie walked down the pile and approached Ruby who couldn¡¯t stop crying, he wrapped his arms around her thighs and back then lifted her up. Oddly, Ruby didn¡¯t try to resist and just kept crying and it sting Vincent when he saw Ruby being lifted by Archie.

    ¡°Follow me, I will bring you guys back to the wall safety¡­¡± Archie said with a flat tone.

    Archie ran and the others decided to follow him from behind.

    Archie knew where the dangers were by the scents and the noises around him, he brought everyone to safety away from the clash. They were amazed about Archie¡¯s survival skills and it had proven it was true, everyone glad that they could rely on him after knowing Ruby was having a meltdown.

    After a few hours of walking, they hid in one of the abandoned buildings that Archie guaranteed was safe. They were waiting for the aid to come to pick them up or just to get some rest until the morning come. Ruby hadn¡¯t spoken a single word ever since Archie carried her, Vincent was so worried that he couldn¡¯t help but stay by her side while she rested on the bed and faced the wall.

    Archie couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the taste and the texture of her meat, he tried so hard to stop thinking about it but it kept popping out in his head. He decided to go to the room and rest for the night after knowing the situation around the building was safe enough for him to rest.

    ¡°Nadia, you ate lunch already?¡±

    ¡°Nadia, why you didn¡¯t tell me that you enrolled in the army?¡±

    Archie heard a voice that seemed to be coming from his mouth but it was a woman¡¯s voice. He opened his eyes and saw he was inside a neat and cozy room, it looked somehow familiar to him, and realized the futuristic objects around the room. He was inside the Sky Station, he looked at the woman who stood in front of him, a young woman of the same age as Elendra Faye in his memory.

    ¡°You¡¯re promoted to Lieutenant?! You¡¯re catching up on me!¡± The same voice shouted to the woman in front of Archie.

    The scenes he watched skipped very quickly that he had no idea what he was watching. One thing that he knew was that he seemed to be inside someone¡¯s memory but he didn¡¯t know who was memories that were.

    Archie could hear a loud explosion that came quite close to where he was, the body ran toward the hallway with the lights flickering and people screaming and running away. He was curious about what happened there and noticed the body he possessed staring at a screen on the wall. It was information about the condition of the Sky Station and he saw the bridge was blinking red.

    ¡°Is this when the bridge collapsed because of a parasite?¡± Archie thought to himself.

    The memory distorted and changed into a new one, and this time he was on the ground. The people started to build their own houses there because the Sky Station couldn¡¯t support that many people after it lost its power source.

    ¡°Nadia, I can¡¯t let you go to that mission, it¡¯s too dangerous,¡± The woman said with concern.

    ¡°I will be fine! It¡¯s not like we are going to make the same mistake as what the Western Nation did,¡± Nadia replied as she crossed her arms.

    The woman grabbed Nadia¡¯s shoulders so tightly. ¡°They didn¡¯t make a mistake, they just weren¡¯t ready for it and neither do you and those people who are going to go on an expedition to FalCon-2!¡± The woman said as she warned Nadia.

    ¡°Whatever! I don¡¯t want to hear a single word from you again!¡± Nadia yelled as she left the house.

    The scenery changed again and Archie was surprised to see her.

    ¡°Bubby, can you try to convince her to not go?¡± The woman asked Ruby who was eating her food.

    ¡°Why are you so against her decision to go? We will be fine and it¡¯s necessary for us to go out there because we need all resources to survive,¡± Ruby replied as she ate her oatmeal.

    The woman scoffed and shook her head. ¡°Do you think the major sent dozens of Divisions just to gather some resources?! He wanted something else, and I swear he received a secret mission from Marshall Marlon or something like that.¡± The woman said as she sighed.

    ¡°You¡¯re just being paranoid, Julia¡­¡± Ruby said as she looked at the woman.

    ¡°Wait, I¡¯m inside Julia¡¯s memories?!¡± Archie said to himself with confusion.

    The memory distorted and changed into a new one, Julia stood near the gate while she looked down. Archie could feel her anxiety and it really blew his mind that he could feel it as if it was his in the first place.

    ¡°Ruby? Ruby?!¡± Julia looked at Ruby who came back with injuries all over her body.

    Julia ran toward her and grabbed her body before she collapsed to the ground. ¡°Ruby?! What happened? Where are the others?!¡± Julia asked as she looked outside the wall with nobody out there.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Julia¡­ I¡¯m really sorry¡­¡± Ruby said as she tried to lift her hand.

    Julia heard clanking sounds of some kind of metal and realized Ruby was holding dozens of dog tags and one of them belonged to Nadia, Julia¡¯s little sister.

    ¡°No¡­ no¡­¡± Julia said as her vision went blurry because of her tears.

    It was quick but it was painful for Archie to watch.

    Julia stood in front of a headstone with Nadia¡¯s name carved on it, she stood there and stared at the name while she drank a bottle of whiskey. ¡°I tried your favorite food today, by the way¡­¡± Julia said to the headstone. ¡°It tastes really bad¡­ how could you eat rabbit feet like it was chicken meat?¡± Julia continued as she smiled and scoffed.

    Memories of Julia were flashing right in front of Archie, and he knew everything about her relationship with Ruby. She considered Ruby as her little sister and she would do anything so long as Ruby could feel wanted because she knew what happened to Ruby after that incident. She loved her as she loved her little sister so she would try her best to not lose her even if it cost her life.

    Archie was watching Julia leading the divisions into the forest, he knew it was the memory of her from a few hours ago.

    ¡°Alright, we are safe now¡­¡± Julia said as she wiped the sweats on her forehead. ¡°Bubby!¡± Julia yelled at Ruby who was looking around. ¡°I ordered you to follow my lead, and what you just did is enough to put all of us in danger, do you understand?¡± Julia glared at Ruby.

    ¡°But I saw some-¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t fucking care if you found a human, a parasite, or even a ghost! You do not go against my order!¡± Julia kept glaring at Ruby while Ruby lowered her head and looked at the ground. Julia sighed as she rubbed her nose bridge. ¡°Don¡¯t ever do that again, please?¡± Julia asked calmly.

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Ruby replied quietly.

    A deep growl could be heard from the deep of the forest, everyone immediately on guard and grabbed their melee weapons. Julia looked around and she didn¡¯t see any sign of marks so she thought that it was just a parasite taunting the other parasites who tried to invade its territory.

    The growl slowly but surely got closer and Julia realized that the area they were in had no owner for a reason. The area they were in was their hunting ground for those parasites and after she realized that, another growl could be heard from the sides.

    ¡°We need to leave, now!¡± Julia said as she turned around and pointed at the road.

    As soon as she said that, the ground shook and a parasite broke through the tree and hit Julia out of nowhere. Ruby and the others immediately pointed their guns at the parasite and emptied their magazines to save her from the parasite.

    Everyone tried to save her but Julia stopped them. ¡°Just leave! You¡¯re just wasting time trying to save me!¡± Julia said as she stood up. ¡°I will catch up with you guys after I have the chance to escape!¡± Julia continued as she dodged the attacks of the parasite. ¡°Go!¡± Julia yelled at them.

    Knowing Julia¡¯s capability, Vincent ordered everyone to leave the forest and dragged Ruby with him.

    ¡°Alright, now it¡¯s just the two of us, I will play with you,¡± Julia said as she swung her dagger.

    Julia really did play around with the parasite as she tried to leave but suddenly another parasite pounced at her from above and bit off half of her arm. The other parasite stomped both of her legs and pulled them off because it knew that her legs were the problem.

    Julia couldn¡¯t even do anything while the parasite toyed with her body until a bunch of roots entangled the parasites and squeezed them until they explode. Julia was shocked and she couldn¡¯t tell if she was dreaming, hallucinating, or it was real.

    A woman came out from one of the trees and approached her, she looked at Julia¡¯s condition with a pitiful look on her face. Another woman appeared and followed by another, Julia just stared at them and pointed her empty pistol at them until Archie came out of nowhere. Archie watched Julia¡¯s last moment when he carried her and it ended not long after that.

    Archie suddenly woke up and sat up as he tried to breathe. ¡°Was it a dream?¡± Archie held his head as he tried to remember what he saw. ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t a dream, it was real¡­¡± Archie whispered as he squinted his eyes.

 Chapter 35

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake?¡± A guy looked at Archie who just woke up from his realistic dream.

    ¡°Do you need something?¡± Archie asked as he stood up and looked at the dark sky.

    ¡°Yes, uhh¡­ Captain Prince and Captain Resse are looking for you outside,¡± The guy said nervously as he pointed his thumb at the outside.

    Archie turned around and looked at the guy with confusion. ¡°They came to pick us up?¡± Archie asked as he approached the guy.

    ¡°Well, yeah¡­¡± The guy replied with hesitation.

    Archie furrowed his forehead and looked at the guy as he walked out of the room and past the guy.

    Archie heard people talking outside of the building and he looked at the window where both Vincent and Ruby were being interrogated by Prince and Resse. They already knew about what happened, Ruby was still depressed about Julia¡¯s death but Resse didn¡¯t care about her feelings and kept asking her questions.

    Archie went outside and showed himself to Prince and Resse, they both immediately paid attention to Archie and ignored Ruby and Vincent.

    ¡°So you¡¯re Archie Lancaster, the guy that made all this mess,¡± Prince said as he stared at Archie.

    ¡°Do you have a problem with me?¡± Archie said as he glared back at Prince.

    Archie hated both of them, the reason why he hated them was that they used his blood to gain the power then they thought they were superior to the other Axis Humans. As far as Archie remembered, there was no such a thing as discrimination, but thanks to Professor Larse¡¯s discovery, everything changed.

    Everyone looked at Archie with a shocked expression except Ruby who stared at nothing with her red eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, soldier, did you just talk back to me?¡± Prince asked as he furrowed his forehead with an annoyed face.

    ¡°As I said, do you have a problem with me? I¡¯m tired and I¡¯m not in the mood for this bullshit,¡± Archie said as he sighed and rubbed his forehead and hair.

    A fist was thrown at Archie but Archie grabbed it without flinching and was unfazed about it. On the other hand, everyone was surprised that he blocked Prince¡¯s punch like it was nothing and it could be seen that Prince tried so hard to push his fist at Archie but Archie just held it like it was nothing.

    ¡°I warn you, I¡¯m tired and I can make you regret throwing a punch at me,¡± Archie said as he pushed Prince¡¯s hand away from his face. Archie then glared at Resse and it was enough to make her have a goosebump on her nape.

    ¡°Prince, we don¡¯t have time for this, we should go back now while the parasites are resting,¡± Vincent said as he grabbed Prince¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Remove your hand from my shoulder,¡± Prince said as he glanced at Vincent¡¯s hand from the corner of his eyes with a disgusted expression.

    Vincent removed his hand from him and raised his hands while he backed away.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go back and we will continue this back in the headquarters,¡± Prince said as he walked away from Archie.

    (2 weeks later.)

    Archie chopped off logs to help the old couple to survive the winter soon. Archie had been living in one of the houses that belonged to that old couple after he got discharged from the military for making such a huge mess and killing one of the best Axis Humans of the Eastern Nation. He was lucky enough that he didn¡¯t get heavy punishment because Ruby shared the punishment with him.

    Ruby got demoted to Lieutenant while Vincent only got a warning from Marlon. After her demotion, she had never been seen again and the only one who talked to Ruby was Vincent. Archie didn¡¯t bother to check on her because he was still mad at her since she killed Julia.

    ¡°Archie¡­¡± The old woman approached Archie with a bowl of soup and dry bread.

    ¡°Ah, Miss Marie, good morning,¡± Archie said as he stuck the axe on the ground.

    ¡°I know that it¡¯s not much, but I hope this is enough to fill your tummy¡­¡± The old woman offered the soup and the dry bread to Archie.

    ¡°Oh, thank you, Miss Marie, but I told you that you don¡¯t have to provide me with anything. I only need a place to rest and that¡¯s it, I can find my own food by working at other places,¡± Archie replied as he gently pushed the bowl back at Marie.

    Marie looked at Archie with a worried expression. ¡°You said that but I never saw you eat anything since you lived here, are you sure you have something to eat or were you lying to me this whole time?¡± Marie asked as she sat next to Archie on the bench.

    ¡°Okay, I will eat this just for this one time and I want you to eat it together with me, Miss Marie,¡± Archie replied while he smiled and grabbed the bowl from Marie¡¯s hand.

    Archie drank the soup and he couldn¡¯t taste anything, and it taste disgusting to him. In fact, everything tasted disgusting for him ever since he ate Julia¡¯s flesh. The only thing that was bearable to consume was alcohol but he couldn¡¯t get drunk because his body was immune to the alcohol.

    ¡°I hope you like it, I made this with fresh ingredients,¡± Marie said as she dipped the bread into the soup.

    ¡°Yes, this is delicious,¡± Archie replied as he ate the bread.

    ¡°For the past few days I have been watching the soldiers walking around the city, I saw so many injured soldiers were being carried from all over the place. I wonder if the day has finally come¡­¡± Marie said as she rested her hands on the bench.

    ¡°What is it, Miss Marie?¡± Archie asked as he tried to eat the soup.

    ¡°The end of this nation¡­¡± Marie said as she stared blankly at nothing.

    ¡°You worried too much, Miss Marie. Those soldiers are very strong and they won¡¯t let those parasites walk into that wall.¡± Archie said as he pointed at the wall in the distance.

    Marie giggled as she rubbed her hand. ¡°Young man, I have seen this scenery for decades, I know what happened in every corner of this city. I have never seen soldiers with fear written all over their faces but now I see it everywhere.¡± Marie said as she looked at Archie with a gentle smile. ¡°You used to be one, don¡¯t you? I remember that you were discharged for misconduct,¡± Marie asked.

    ¡°Yes, I was trying to protect humans from those parasites on my own but they punished me for endangering people¡¯s lives,¡± Archie replied as he put the empty bowl next to him.

    Marie scoffed mockingly as she grabbed the bowl. ¡°Hah, I¡¯m not surprised¡­¡± Marie said as she stood up and walked back to the house. ¡°You¡¯re a nice kid, Archie, you¡¯re a nice kid¡­¡± Marie continued and then entered the house.

    Archie looked up at the sun without squinting his eyes, he was thinking about the plan for his next move. He had nothing else to do in the Eastern Nation but at the same time, he needed that ship so he could go back to the Western Nation. He wanted to meet Faye and Aster at least for one last time because he missed them so much.

    Archie stood up and continued chopping the log.

    The sun went down and he didn¡¯t realize that he had been chopping the logs all day. He put down the axe and grabbed his bottle of water while he looked around. It was so quiet than usual, it was all because of the anxiety of the people of the Eastern Nation like what Marie had said earlier. Everyone knew that it won¡¯t be long until they had to evacuate and survive on their own.

    Archie touched his stomach and he hadn¡¯t felt hunger ever since that day, he started to believe what they said about not feeling hungry after eating an Axis Human was true. It was convenient for him and he had tested it himself by chopping off his hand and it regenerated faster than ever. It only took a few hours to fully healed a missing limb and it was all because he ate an Axis Human.

    Archie decided to go back to the house and rest for the night, and when he entered the house he could feel a presence in one of the rooms. ¡°Show yourself,¡± Archie said as he stared at his bedroom.

    A very weak footstep could be heard coming from his bedroom. ¡°Archie, can I talk to you?¡± Ruby asked as she peek at Archie.

    Ruby looked so thin and had dark circles under her eyes. She was totally different from the last time Archie saw her.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Archie asked her back.

    Ruby weakly walked toward Archie. ¡°I¡¯m scared¡­¡± Ruby said as her tears started to well up.

 Chapter 36

    ¡°I see them, I see dead people¡­¡± Ruby said as she blankly stared at nothing. ¡°They were screaming at me, yelled at me, they wanted me dead¡­¡± Ruby continued as her tears fell down from her cheeks.

    Archie just stared at her unfazed by her words and decided to walk past her and ignored her.

    Even after he ignored her, she kept mumblings the same words over and over that which started to annoy him. ¡°Can you just leave and bother someone else?¡± Archie said as he washed his face.

    Ruby ignored him this time and kept mumblings, Archie sighed and closed his eyes because he couldn¡¯t take it anymore.

    He approached Ruby and slammed her on the thin wall, he glared at her with his hand wrapped around her neck. ¡°Stop talking nonsense!¡± Archie yelled at her.

    The door suddenly banged open, Vincent looked at Archie and saw him choking Ruby. He ran and punched Archie in the face and immediately grabbed Ruby. ¡°Are you crazy?!¡± Vincent yelled at Archie who was on the ground.

    Archie groaned and sat on the floor while he stared at Ruby. ¡°If I¡¯m crazy, then what is she?¡± Archie said. ¡°She came to my house, she hid in my bedroom, then she approached me while she was crying and telling me about her nightmares?¡± Archie continued as he stood up. ¡°I don¡¯t want to deal with whatever she¡¯s having because it was her own fault that Julia died for nothing,¡± Archie said as he walked past them both and left his house.

    ¡°Archie, she said something about you that I don¡¯t believe she was making it up¡­¡± Vincent said while he looked at Archie.

    Archie stopped moving and immediately turned around to look at Vincent. ¡°What did she say?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°She said that you¡¯re not Axis Human, you¡¯re an Ex-Human,¡± Vincent answered.

    ¡°And you believe her?¡± Archie asked as he glared at Vincent.

    ¡°Knowing that she went to that extent to search for you even though it was dangerous and against Marshall Marlon¡¯s order, I believe she was telling the truth,¡± Vincent answered while he wrapped his arm around Ruby who was still mumblings and staring at nothing.

    ¡°Let¡¯s say that she¡¯s telling the truth, what are you going to do with that information?¡± Archie asked as he rubbed his fist.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to say anything to anyone about this. But, there¡¯s a favor that I would like to ask you, it¡¯s about the current situation around the wall.¡± Vincent said as he looked a bit worried.

    Archie looked away and scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re asking for my help? After you all agreed on discharging me back then?¡± Archie said as he pointed at himself and stared at Vincent.

    ¡°Have you not heard about what happened outside the wall?¡± Vincent asked and ignored Archie¡¯s question. ¡°Both Prince and Resse were in a coma right now after they encountered a Gen 7 ExTP,¡± Vincent continued. ¡°Without them both, sooner or later that parasite would come and destroy everyone here,¡± Vincent said with his fist clenched.

    Archie crossed his arms and furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Gen 7 ExTP? That¡¯s nonsense, there¡¯s no such a thing as Gen 7 ExTP when I lived out there for days, and even if there is, I would be able to notice its presence.¡± Archie explained as if he didn¡¯t believe him.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it was true that what they saw was Gen 7 or not, but what I¡¯m concerned about was the words they said before they fell unconscious,¡± Vincent said as he shook his head and kept holding Ruby. ¡°They said that they saw a human standing next to that parasite, and they both said the human seemed to be the one controlling the parasite,¡± Vincent continued as he gulped.

    ¡°A human?¡± Archie asked as he furrowed his forehead.

    ¡°Yes, they said that the guy spoke with the parasite,¡± Vincent answered.

    ¡°A man?¡± Archie asked while he squinted his eyes.

    Archie thought the human who ordered the parasite was one of the witches, but he knew that the witches couldn¡¯t control the parasite at all and only lived amongst them. Now that he heard that the human who controlled the parasite was a man, he got more confused because all those Ex-Humans that protected the forest were all women. The only men Ex-Humans he knew were the Adams that were chosen by those beings.

    ¡°Yes, a man,¡± Vincent answered as he nodded. ¡°They said, the man looked like a normal human being. They both believe that the person they saw was an Ex-Human.¡± Vincent continued as he walked toward Archie with Ruby in his arm.

    ¡°Alright, I will help you,¡± Archie replied after he thought about it.

    ¡°Do you know who that might be? Is he your friend? Or someone you know?¡± Vincent asked with curiosity.

    ¡°It¡¯s really complicated to explain and it¡¯s something that you can¡¯t comprehend, at least for now¡­¡± Archie said as he looked at Ruby who was still mumblings. ¡°Let¡¯s put her in her house, she has been like that for quite a while and I¡¯m starting to feel bad for her.¡± Archie continued as he nodded up at Ruby.

    Vincent agreed and they both then brought Ruby back to her house so she could rest.

    Archie sat on top of the wooden railing as he looked down at how high he was from the ground. The night wind was so cold that nobody dared to go out of their house. He was thinking about the appearance of Adam and thought about where that Adam came from and why he was there.

    ¡°Could it be that he¡¯s here to bring the end of humanity since that¡¯s what he chose to do?¡± Archie said to himself as he furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°So, everything that happened here was his doing in the first place or it was just a coincidence?¡± Archie continued to question everything.

    The wind hit Archie¡¯s face and he immediately looked up. ¡°You¡¯re here?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± A woman¡¯s voice could be heard as the wind blew but it wasn¡¯t just one voice, there were many voices overlapped from one with another.

    Archie stood up and followed the wind.

    ¡°Hello?¡± Archie said as the wind was coming from all four directions.

    ¡°So you¡¯re here¡­¡± The soothing woman¡¯s voice that he heard for the first time in FalCon-1 was talking with Archie.

    Archie could hear other voices and he was a bit confused. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why there are so many voices?¡± Archie asked as he tried to follow the voices.

    ¡°You need to leave¡­¡± The soothing woman¡¯s voice said.

    ¡°Leave? Can you tell me what¡¯s going on first?¡± Archie asked as he raised his voice a bit.

    ¡°We are the wind witches from every continent¡­¡± The soothing woman¡¯s voice answered. ¡°You have been discovered, you¡¯re in danger¡­¡± The soothing woman¡¯s voice continued.

    ¡°I know that he¡¯s here, but his plan is to get rid of me?¡± Archie asked as the wind started to wrap his head.

    ¡°Yes¡­ you must leave¡­¡± The woman answered.

    ¡°Why? Is he stronger than me? I don¡¯t think I should be scared of him because we are the same,¡± Archie said.

    ¡°He¡¯s stronger than you, he has been around way longer than you are and he killed two of our sisters on the north¡­¡± The woman said with a sorrowful voice.

    Archie was surprised because he knew that the witches were stronger than him because they were the guardian of the Fallen Continent. They were chosen and raised to be strong but after knowing this Adam managed to kill two of them, which meant he was way stronger than Archie as they said.

    Archie was thinking about it while the winds kept whispering to him to leave and run away as far as he could. Archie ignored those voices and looked to his right where the voices whispered in his right ear. ¡°I will not leave, if I leave now, everyone will die and without them, I can¡¯t get back to Western Nation,¡± Archie said with confidence. ¡°If he killed two of your sisters, I will take revenge for you because we are Drautnir and we should take care of each other.¡± Archie continued as he looked left and right.

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible¡­¡± Another woman¡¯s voice said.

    ¡°It¡¯s not impossible, and even if it is, are you going to let him roam and kill another sister of yours?¡± Archie asked. ¡°If he wasn¡¯t bothered to kill Drautnir, what makes you think he won¡¯t do that again?¡± Archie asked with his eyebrows raised. ¡°Help me kill him,¡± Archie continued as he gripped the railing tightly and stared at the wall.

    The wind was silent and Archie could feel they were talking to each other even though what he heard was the wind whistling quietly.

    ¡°We will help¡­¡± An unfamiliar woman¡¯s voice said. ¡°Come and follow us when the sun rises¡­¡± Another unfamiliar woman¡¯s voice said. ¡°We have something to show you¡­¡± The soothing woman¡¯s voice said. ¡°Something that might help you to find a way to kill him¡­¡± The other woman said.

    Archie nodded in agreement. ¡°Thank you. I will be there when the sun rises.¡±

    The wind suddenly dispersed and Archie could hear footsteps coming from behind.

    ¡°I never heard such wind could make a beautiful sound like that. This is the first time I have ever heard it as if they were whistling to each other,¡± Vincent said as he looked up into the sky with his hands hidden in his pocket.

    Archie turned around and looked at Vincent. ¡°They were whistling to each other.¡±

 Chapter 37

    Archie stared at the night sky until it turned blue, he jumped off of the railing and went down the long stairs. The cold breeze followed him wherever he goes, they whistled to each other while Archie listened to them.

    ¡°Why do you want me to follow you at dawn? Is there a reason?¡± Archie asked as he hurriedly walked down the stairs.

    ¡°It fears¡­ the dawn¡­¡± The soothing voice woman replied.

    ¡°What about him?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s resting after he had a feast last night¡­¡± A woman replied.

    ¡°So he has accepted himself as Drautnir and eats parasites like it was nothing,¡± Archie said as he scoffed.

    The wind went silent and Archie was confused why they suddenly went quiet.

    Archie went to the south wall but after that incident, they closed the south wall for good and it was heavily guarded by Axis Humans. Fortunately, the wind witches knew another way for Archie to go outside the south wall.

    Archie found a small hole in the wall, he could fit his hand inside and he started to break it so he could fit through the hole. He broke the wall silently and carefully and luckily the area around the wall was nothing but a scrapyard so nobody was around.

    Archie managed to fit through the wall he made and the wind witches immediately brought him to the place they want him to be. Archie walked through the empty abandoned city and there were no parasites around even though he was prepared to fight. He then reached into a big dome that he had never seen before, the witches wanted him to go inside the building and without asking any questions, he entered the building.

    ¡°What¡¯s this place?¡± Archie asked as he looked around and how spacious the inside of the dome was.

    ¡°This place used to be the laboratory and the place where they did the experiment on your blood¡­¡± The soothing woman¡¯s voice replied.

    Archie looked at the voice came from. ¡°Wait, you still remember about it? I thought they erased everyone¡¯s memory about my existence?¡± Archie asked with a bit of confusion.

    ¡°I believe it erased the humans¡¯ memories, not ours¡­¡± The soothing woman¡¯s voice replied.

    Archie felt a bit relieved that he was still recognized by someone.

    ¡°Hurry¡­¡± The other woman said.

    Archie nodded and followed the winds around him.

    Archie ended up in front of the doors that were chained and blocked by tables and chairs. He could feel danger coming from behind that doors, he clenched his fists and gulped as he moved the tables and chairs away.

    ¡°What¡¯s behind this door?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°The humans that failed in the experiment¡­ they were abandoned and forgotten¡­¡± The woman whispered into his ear was enough to send him a chill down his spine.

    Archie held the doors¡¯ handles as he heard the growls and screeches that came from behind the door. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath then he pulled the doors. The creaking sound of the doors was enough to attract their attention, he could hear dozens of footsteps coming toward him.

    As he stared into the dark hallway in front of him, he could feel the presence of those parasites.

    ¡°It¡¯s better for you to not fight them inside their nest¡­¡± The soothing woman¡¯s voice warned Archie.

    Archie nodded with understanding and slowly backed away so he could fight in a bigger space.

    One by one, the failed experiment subjects appeared from the darkness. Their appearance couldn¡¯t be called a human anymore because some of them already merged together. Their limbs multiplied and their size was ginormous that it would be dangerous for them to roam freely. If he knew what he was against, he would be surprised that every single one of them was equal to a Gen 7 ExTP.

    The sun was at its peak and the pungent smell of dried blood covered the whole building. Archie sat down and leaned on the wall as he stared at hundreds of corpses of those parasites. He lost a chunk of his right hand and lost his entire left arm after the fight, he never thought there were so many of them and he couldn¡¯t imagine how it felt to be the last person who endured the parasitification and was still conscious but had to be in the same place with those monsters.

    ¡°You¡¯re different from the others¡­¡± The unfamiliar woman¡¯s voice said.

    ¡°Yes, he is strong¡­¡± Another unfamiliar woman¡¯s voice said.

    Archie ignored them and stared at his arm and his fingers grew back rapidly.

    ¡°You need to hurry¡­¡± The woman said.

    ¡°I know¡­¡± Archie replied as he groaned and tried to stand up. ¡°What do you want me to find?¡± Archie asked as he walked into the dark hallway.

    ¡°Something that you can use to kill him¡­¡± The woman said.

    Archie furrowed his forehead as he glanced at the voice.

    They guided him deep into the building and they could see the remains of the flesh of those parasites laying on the ground. All the rooms were opened and there was nothing else but blood, skin, and flesh on the floor and on the walls. He saw a few dead parasites that seemed to be the weakest compared to the rest and they seemed to be the food for the other parasites but they didn¡¯t like it and let those rot on the floor.

    ¡°This way¡­¡± The winds blew strongly.

    Archie looked at another door that was made from steel with a security code on the wall. He was confused because the technology of that door was the same technology that the Sky Station had. He knew how to operate them and knew how to force them open without having to know the code.

    Archie punched the keypad and pulled it out, and he could see the sparks from the cables which meant that the building still had electricity. He tried to reach the deepest part of the inside of the wall and he could feel a button and he immediately pressed it.

    ¡°This should do it¡­¡± Archie said as he pulled his arm.

    The door opened and he was shocked that he saw a big spacious room inside with so many collections of parasites. One thing that he was so shocked about was that there was a huge boulder of pitch-black stone that looked like coal from the distance but it wasn¡¯t.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Archie asked as he approached the stone and touched it.

    ¡°Do you remember the sword that you used back then?¡± The soothing woman¡¯s voice asked.

    ¡°You mean Iohann¡¯s sword?¡± Archie replied.

    ¡°Yes, that sword was made from this, and this stone was one of the fragments from the meteor that struck the earth centuries ago.¡± The soothing woman¡¯s voice answered.

    ¡°You want me to use this and make a weapon from it?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Yes. This mineral is the strongest on earth and you can kill him with this¡­¡± The soothing woman¡¯s voice replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s too huge for me to bring it back to the city, how am I supposed to do with this then?¡± Archie asked as he tried to crush the stone with his grip but his hand couldn¡¯t even do that.

    ¡°Ask those humans to come to this place and ask them to make weapons for you from this¡­¡± The soothing woman¡¯s voice said.

    Archie looked at it and nodded with understanding.

    ¡°There¡¯s something else that we want you to see¡­¡± The soothing woman¡¯s voice said.

    ¡°Just lead the way,¡± Archie replied as he walked out of the room.

    Archie left the room and closed the door behind him so nobody could get inside.

    The witches guided him through another steel door but this time the door was slightly opened. He couldn¡¯t see the inside because it was too dark and suddenly something flew toward the gap from the inside and tried to reach Archie¡¯s face. Archie leaned his head back a bit as he looked at a very thin thing like a hair was trying to reach him.

    Archie touched it and turned out it was a Gen 0 parasite, the one that looked like a web. The parasite seemed to be friendly toward him and crawled around his neck and then up to his face. Suddenly the parasite entered his ear and Archie immediately fell down while he tried to remove the parasite from his ear.

    The unbearable pain inside his head and the sound of the parasite crawling and slipping through his skull were unpleasant. It reminded him of the past when he was invested by a parasite for the first time. Archie screamed and groaned in pain as he rolled over and over on the floor because he couldn¡¯t do anything.

    ¡°Are you sure he¡¯s going to be alright, sister?¡± The woman asked.

    ¡°I was ordered to bring him here and this was what it wants¡­¡± The soothing woman¡¯s voice replied. ¡°Our job here is done, there¡¯s nothing we can do about it.¡± The soothing woman¡¯s voice continued.

    The wind dispersed and left Archie on his own, in pain, in the dark.

 Chapter 38

    Archie groaned as his whole body felt the burning from the inside, he couldn¡¯t care less about his surroundings because he felt the most unbearable pain that he ever had. He clenched his fists and tried to grab anything he could, his grip was strong enough to bend the steel door next to him. His groans made the parasites that were sleeping to woke up, and he sensed it even though he was dealing with the pain. His whole body trembled as if every cell in his body tried to leave him.

    He heard screeches coming from both sides of the hallway, and they weren¡¯t that dangerous compared to the ones he fought back then. While he couldn¡¯t control his body, the parasites pounced at him and bit him, but his skin was so tough that it was hard for them to get their teeth through while Archie was still struggling to control his body with parasites on top of him.

    Archie¡¯s skin started to itch and the parasites managed to tear his skin open and then started to chew his flesh. At that moment he finally regained most of his body parts, but not his hands, his fingers suddenly expanded and his claws were sharpened. His hands moved on their own and slashed the parasites into halves, the rest of the parasites ran away in fear and immediately hid in the darkness.

    Archie felt all the bones in his hands break after that, he looked at his long fingers and claws while he slowly moved them and observed them. He then walked toward the steel door and scratched it with his claws, the steel wall was damaged from just a scratch.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening to me¡­¡± Archie said as he looked at his fingers.

    Archie felt the joints in his fingers were like a string that he could pull and release. He pulled the joints and his fingers slowly back to their normal size, then he tried to extend his fingers again and it became longer and longer until he started to feel unbearable pain.

    ¡°This power, is this belong to that parasite?¡± Archie asked as put his fingers back to normal.

    Archie decided to go back to where the fragment was, and tried his new ability to carve the meteorite with his claws.

    Archie looked at the meteorite and extended his claws, he then scratched the meteorite with his claws but not even a single scratch could be seen. He shook his head as he scoffed because of how sturdy and tough the meteorite was, he then decided to leave and go back to the city.

    When he got out of the laboratory, it was night already and he had been suffering for almost half a day. On his way back to the city, his heart suddenly pounded really fast and his vision was sharpened in an instant. He looked to his right and saw a person standing in the middle of the road staring at him, it was a guy and he knew that was the guy that Vincent mentioned yesterday.

    Archie gulped and stared back at the person who hid his face with a hoodie. He slowly clenched his fists and lightning came out of nowhere that distracted him, and when he looked back at the guy, he was already in front of him and kneed him in the gut really hard.

    Archie was thrown away and hit the buildings nonstop until he hit a concrete wall. For the first time after a while, Archie couldn¡¯t move his whole body by just a single hit and at that moment he knew he was no match for that guy.

    The guy walked toward Archie so casually and calmly as if he was playing with Archie. Archie stared at him as he rapidly recover from the hit, he then ran toward the guy and used the ability he just learned. The guy didn¡¯t bother and kept walking casually, and when Archie was in range, he extended his fingers and claws, then scratched the guy¡¯s hoodie.

    A jet-black hair guy with bright blue eyes was staring at Archie then he grabbed Archie¡¯s hand and cut it off with his hand transformed into a blade. Archie was shocked when he could do something like that, and while he was still in shock, the guy stabbed Archie in the chest with that hand of his.

    He pushed his arm all the way back to Archie¡¯s back, he lifted Archie up into the air with a smile on his face. ¡°We have finally met,¡± The guy said as he kept smiling with Archie¡¯s blood falling down to his face.

    Archie couldn¡¯t even open his mouth as he grimaced to endure the pain, he then decided to use his left hand to stab the guy¡¯s neck but the guy immediately threw him away before Archie could reach his hand to him.

    ¡°I knew that they were up for something, that¡¯s why I came all the way here to check what¡¯s going on,¡± The guy said with an assertive tone. ¡°How lucky that I found you as soon as I came here,¡± The guy continued as he walked toward Archie.

    Archie exhausted his ability to heal after everything that happened to him. He couldn¡¯t heal the big hole in his chest because of that, and it was hard for him to even breathe. All he could do was stare at the guy with his eyes half-opened.

    ¡°Why are you doing this¡­¡± Archie asked as he leaned on the wall.

    The guy tilted his head while he furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Why?¡± The guy said. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what they want? To get rid of all the competitors?¡± The guy said as he crouched in front of Archie.

    Archie weakly smiled and blinked his eyes. ¡°I know that already¡­¡± Archie said. ¡°What I¡¯m asking is why are you trying to kill the humans? They have nothing to do with this¡­¡± Archie continued as he started to feel dizzy and sleepy.

    ¡°Why not?!¡± The guy said as he grabbed Archie by the hair to keep him awake. ¡°As Drautnir, the humans¡¯ fate is in our hand and I can do whatever I want with them,¡± The guy continued as he banged Archie¡¯s head on the wall.

    Archie scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re sick¡­¡±

    ¡°Me? Don¡¯t you realize that the humans are now at the bottom of the food chain, they¡¯re just ants for us. Why are you still care about them? Living in coexistence with them? With those useless beings?¡± The guy said and shook his head with disbelief. ¡°They¡¯re nothing but trash that needs to get rid of, and if it¡¯s not us, sooner or later those parasites will do it for us. I¡¯m just making things go faster,¡± The guy continued.

    Archie couldn¡¯t keep his eyes open anymore and he started to lose consciousness, but then the guy choke on him and pushed his head onto the wall while his other hand went inside Archie¡¯s chest and pumped his heart. Because of that, Archie could open his eyes even though it was just a little bit but it was enough to keep him awake.

    ¡°I will spare your life this time because it was fun to kill a greenhorn like you.¡± The guy said as he tried to keep Archie awake. ¡°I will be coming back, seven days from tomorrow with all the parasites to destroy the city and the people in it.¡± The guy continued as he smiled. ¡°Until then, it¡¯s up to you to leave or to die¡­¡± The guy said as he removed both of his hands from Archie.

    The guy stood up and watched Archie fall unconscious then he left as the rain started to pour and washed all the blood on the ground.

    Archie was unconscious for almost two days, the red-haired witch came to check up on him after her sisters informed her about Archie¡¯s condition. She crouched next to Archie and looked at the hole in his body that hadn¡¯t healed, she put down a bag and fed him something.

    Archie chewed the meat and he slowly opened his eyes and looked at the red-haired witch. ¡°Where am I?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°You were unconscious for a day and a half, and your body couldn¡¯t heal because you almost starved to death.¡± The red-haired answered. ¡°Here, eat all of them, it will help you recover immediately.¡± The red-haired witch continued as she offered the meat in the bag.

    Archie tried to move his arms but he couldn¡¯t and so the red-haired witch fed him until he recovered.

    ¡°How could he be so strong?¡± Archie asked as he looked at the woman.

    ¡°He was chosen a long time ago¡­¡± The red-haired witch replied as she fed him. ¡°He has been living for almost a century now¡­¡± She continued as she looked at Archie.

    ¡°What? How¡¯s that possible?¡± Archie asked with disbelief.

    ¡°How¡¯s that possible? Is that what you really asking me right now?¡± The woman raised her eyebrow as she looked at Archie with disbelief. ¡°I think you don¡¯t know about us either, huh?¡± The woman continued. ¡°We, the witch sisters have lived ever since the meteor strike the earth. We have been living for centuries now. We are immortal as long as we have the parasite as our food, and that applies to you as well.¡± The woman said.

    Archie chuckled and coughed when he heard it. ¡°No wonder you sisters and that guy is so strong,¡± Archie said. ¡°So we are immortal, huh?¡± Archie asked as he looked at the sky.

    ¡°So? What are you going to do? Are you still going to fight him after knowing that you¡¯re no match for him?¡± The woman asked.

    Archie looked at her and smiled. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m going to fight him with everything I got even if that means I have to gain more power from eating parasites¡­¡±

    ¡°Then, how about we teach you how to become strong?¡± The woman asked.

    Archie smirked and nodded. ¡°That would be great.¡±

 Chapter 39

    ¡°Where have you been?¡± Vincent asked as he stood in front of Archie¡¯s house. ¡°I have been looking for you since yesterday.¡± Vincent continued.

    ¡°Why? Is there a problem?¡± Archie asked as he entered his house and Vincent followed him from behind.

    ¡°Not really, but Ruby is getting better after she took a medicine that the doctor gave me,¡± Vincent said as he kept looking at Archie. ¡°What happened to you by the way? You looked like shit¡­¡± Vincent continued as he saw Archie¡¯s torn shirt and jeans.

    Archie grabbed a shirt in the wardrobe and removed his shirt but Vincent suddenly grabbed his shoulder. ¡°What happened to your back?!¡± Vincent asked as he stared at Archie¡¯s back.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Archie asked as he tried to look at his back but he couldn¡¯t

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to explain¡­¡± Vincent replied with a bit of fear in his tone. ¡°I guess you should check it on the mirror.¡± Vincent continued.

    Since Archie¡¯s house didn¡¯t have a mirror he couldn¡¯t check it.

    ¡°I feel fine, so it must be nothing,¡± Archie said as he put on the shirt. ¡°Anyway, I have to go again and I don¡¯t know for how long until I get back to the city. One thing for sure is that I will be back five days from today.¡± Archie continued as he grabbed his bag.

    ¡°Wait, where are you going? What happened?¡± Vincent asked.

    Archie sighed and looked at Vincent. ¡°You said that Prince and Resse saw a guy, right?¡± Archie said while Vincent nodded. ¡°I met him two days ago, he almost killed me but he spared my life,¡± Archie said as he checked his bag. ¡°On the seventh day from that day, he will come back with parasites and kill you guys,¡± Archie explained as he looked at Vincent.

    ¡°Wait, what?!¡± Vincent looked at Archie with a surprised expression.

    ¡°I know, that¡¯s why I have to go and get stronger¡­¡± Archie said as he put the bag on his back. ¡°I have the Ex-Humans waiting for me so I can learn a few things from them,¡± Archie continued.

    ¡°So you¡¯re going to leave?¡± Vincent asked as he furrowed his eyebrows and stared at Archie.

    ¡°Of course, as I said, I need to become stronger before I can face him again,¡± Archie replied as he walked past Vincent and toward the door.

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re going to come back and not leave us to die?¡± Vincent asked as he squinted his eyes.

    Archie turned around and sighed. ¡°Talking with you is just going to waste my time, but I¡¯m going to tell you one thing,¡± Archie said as he approached Vincent. ¡°Before I become like this, I followed great people that I admired. They were the best of the best, and do you know what happened to them? They died because of their bravery. Bravery means nothing if you don¡¯t have the power to balance it. I won¡¯t make the same mistake as them.¡± Archie said as he glared at Vincent.

    Vincent just stood there in silence while Archie walked away.

    Archie went into the forest unnoticed, his sense was more accurate and he could detect danger from far away thanks to the new ability he possessed.

    The moment Archie got into the forest he was welcomed by parasites, he dropped the bag and extended his fingers and claws.

    ¡°I¡¯m no longer human, I¡¯m me and I will become stronger¡­¡± Archie said to himself as he glared at the parasites.

    He charged at them and scratched them like butter, he decapitated and mutilated those parasites without hesitation. After he killed every single one of them he looked at his fingers and was amazed by how powerful the ability he gained. He then looked at the parasites and ate them all up and left nothing.

    ¡°You¡¯re being serious about this, huh?¡± the black-haired witch appeared from behind the tree.

    ¡°What makes you think that I¡¯m joking?¡± Archie asked back at the woman.

    The black-haired woman shrugged and then tilted her head to the right. ¡°Come, follow me.¡±

    Archie followed the black-haired witch from behind.

    The black-haired witch ran so fast that it was hard for Archie to catch up with her. They both had been running for hours, the red sky he saw before he entered the forest already turned dark blue. He had been running and following the black-haired woman all night, he went deeper into the forest where the sky couldn¡¯t be seen anymore because of the tall giant trees around him.

    ¡°We are here¡­¡± The black-haired witch said as she looked back at Archie.

    Archie walked past the witch and saw a giant lake down below. ¡°Where are we?¡± Archie asked as he walked to the edge of the cliff.

    The witch stared at Archie and walked to Archie¡¯s back. ¡°It¡¯s time for you to meet her¡­¡± The witch whispered into Archie¡¯s ear.

    ¡°Meet wh-¡± Before Archie could finish his question, the witch pushed him off of the cliff.

    Archie was free falling and slammed his body into the lake, but it surprised him that the lake wasn¡¯t that deep. He could stand up with his head out of the water, he turned around and looked up at the witch. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?!¡± Archie shouted at the witch.

    ¡°You have just disturbed her slumber, and now you will see her!¡± The witch shouted back at Archie.

    Archie squinted his eyes and shook his head with confusion but then he could feel the ground shaking and he immediately felt a chill down to his spine. His eyes were sharpened and his whole body trembled, he turned around and saw something gigantic merged from the water.

    A formless parasite with a gigantic mouth appeared from the lake, Archie saw massive arms and legs all over its body. The formless parasite screamed and growled at the same time as if it had so many vocal cords that could produce voices at the same time. Its scream and growl were enough to create tidal waves around it and scared the birds.

    Archie was being washed up to the shore because of the tidal waves.

    ¡°That¡¯s the one I¡¯m talking about! You have to prove your strength and subdue her!¡± The witch shouted at Archie. ¡°But it won¡¯t be easy though!¡± The witch continued. ¡°Because all of her children will come and protect her!¡± The witch shouted as she smiled sinisterly at Archie.

    Before Archie could ask, his sense was sharpened and he immediately looked around the cliff, he saw dozens of parasites jumping down into the lake. From a very small parasite like a child up to a parasite that was as tall as a tree.

    ¡°Oh, I almost forgot!¡± The witch said. ¡°Some of those parasites were an Axis Human so you must fight them!¡± The witch continued as she sat down on the edge.

    Archie looked around him and he was already surrounded by parasites, he immediately extended his fingers and claws and charged at them.

    Archie was stronger than most of them but since he was outnumbered by a lot, it was hard for him to not take any lethal attack from them. Archie was cornered with injuries all over his body but his regeneration ability helped him to survive. He kept attacking relentlessly until a parasite managed to block his claws.

    ¡°Ahh, it seems that you have finally found your match¡­¡± The witch said as she looked down and watched Archie.

    Archie tried to push his fingers and claws toward the parasite but he was overpowered by the parasite¡¯s strength which pushed him back in return. As he was getting knocked back by the parasite, the other parasites grabbed him from behind and started to bite him while they pulled his arms from both sides.

    He couldn¡¯t do anything as he screamed in pain and was surrounded by the slushing sound of his flesh eaten by the parasite. Then a pair of claws pierced through his chest, the claw of the parasite that pushed him back. Archie looked at the parasite and glared at him with blood coming out of his mouth.

    Knowing that Archie was in a bad situation, the witch jumped off of the cliff to help him. She submerged from the lake as she walked toward Archie.

    ¡°I need your help sisters¡­¡± The witch said quietly.

    Archie who was cornered on the cliff and struggled with his life suddenly roots broke through the walls and smacked the giant parasites away from him. The wind blew and the smaller parasites were pushed away from him, then the witch closed her eyes and the water followed her from behind as if it was her limbs. She splashed the parasites and washed them away from Archie but the one that Archie couldn¡¯t beat was still there, standing in front of Archie with its claw in his chest.

    ¡°You one stubborn animal¡­¡± The witch stared at the parasite then grabbed its head and slammed the parasite down.

    Archie fell to the ground as he watched the witch single-handedly beat the parasite.

    The witch approached Archie with a smirk on her face. ¡°How was it? It¡¯s fun, right?¡±

    Archie chuckled as he coughed. ¡°What is that thing?¡±

    The witch turned around to look at that ginormous, disgusting, scary-looking parasite and rested her hands on her waist. ¡°We called her The Mother.¡±

 Chapter 40

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible¡­¡± Archie said as he walked past the black-haired witch.

    The black-haired witch smirked as her eyes kept following Archie. ¡°It¡¯s possible, you just have to unleash the power that you have.¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡± Archie asked as he turned around and looked at the witch. ¡°I have been here for 2 days, and fought them ever since! I used everything that I have and it wasn¡¯t enough.¡± Archie continued as he sighed.

    ¡°Give me your hand,¡± The witch said as she offered her hand at Archie.

    Archie looked at her hand while he sighed then he offered his hand to her. The witch grabbed his hand and Archie was surprised when he felt it, he retracted his hand from the witch¡¯s hand immediately.

    The witch smiled as she raised her eyebrow. ¡°Did you feel it?¡±

    ¡°What was that? Your hand, it doesn¡¯t feel like a hand at all¡­¡± Archie asked with a confused expression.

    The witch giggled mischievously. ¡°Now you know, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Archie squinted his eyes and weirdly stared at her.

    ¡°This body¡­¡± The witch said as she stared at her own hand. ¡°Isn¡¯t made from flesh and bone anymore¡­¡± The witch flipped her hand and lifted it up. ¡°My whole body has become one with the parasite that possessed my body and the reason why my hand is so cold and slimy is because of that.¡± The witch said as she looked at Archie.

    Archie shook his head with confusion. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Archie asked.

    The witch smirked as she leaned her body forward. ¡°Us, the sisters are not exactly the same as you are. Even if we are Drautnir, we are the first generation of it. We are not perfect like you, our existence is limited by this.¡± The witch said. ¡°We seem strong because we know what we are capable of and know exactly what¡¯s our limit since we have been living for centuries.¡± The witch sat down and leaned on the tree. ¡°But you¡¯re different, you have no limit to your power.¡± The witch continued as she pointed her finger at Archie.

    Archie sighed. ¡°Can you explain it to me simply so I can understand?¡±

    The witch sighed as she closed her eyes. ¡°When you became Drautnir for the very first time, were you able to kill the parasites?¡± The witch asked.

    ¡°I was but it was hard. I lost my arm and I felt like I was going to die at that moment.¡± Archie answered.

    The witch hummed with understanding and then she opened her right eye to look at Archie. ¡°What about now? I¡¯m talking about you before you got that power from the laboratory.¡± The witch asked.

    ¡°It was way easier because I¡¯m used to it,¡± Archie replied.

    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s just because you¡¯re getting used to it?¡± The witch asked with her eyebrow raised. ¡°I remember you said that it took you a day to regrow your arm, but now it only took hours.¡± The witch continued. ¡°So, what does that mean?¡± The witch asked.

    Archie looked at his hands and clenched them. ¡°I¡¯m getting stronger and because the parasite inside me is starting to become one with me¡­¡± Archie replied quietly.

    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re so smart.¡± The witch said sarcastically. ¡°But, you¡¯re right about it because when I became like this, I suffocated myself and I couldn¡¯t breathe because the parasite was slowly and painfully trying to adapt inside my body. It felt like I was drowning for decades.¡± The witch explained. ¡°It was the same to my other sisters. The one that could control the trees and the roots was unable to move for decades and she had to feel the pain of being crushed and her whole body grew with itches all over her body.¡± The witch said as she looked at the tree behind her.

    ¡°So, the one with fire ability, she felt like she was burning for decades?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡± The red-haired witch appeared from behind the tree. ¡°My whole body melted before I became one with the parasite.¡± The red-haired witch explained.

    ¡°What about the one that became wind?¡± Archie asked both of them.

    The wind blew and it whispered into Archie¡¯s ear. ¡°My body disintegrated and when it flew into the wind it was split into pieces and they flew around uncontrollably. It was painful whenever the wind splits because the more wind splits, I felt the pain on every part of my body.¡±

    ¡°So, all the witches from each continent felt the same thing?¡± Archie asked with his eyebrows furrowed.

    ¡°Yes, all of them,¡± The black-haired witch replied.

    Archie raised his eyebrows with a surprised expression.

    ¡°I told you, we are not the same because you didn¡¯t suffer like us, you were just being possessed, that¡¯s all.¡± The black-haired witch said. ¡°As I said, we are like the imperfect version of you because we can¡¯t handle the parasite for decades and we can only have one parasite in our body while you on the other hand has no limit.¡± The black-haired witch explained.

    Archie looked at his hand and then looked at the witches. ¡°So, all I have to do to become strong is to keep fighting with this power that I have?¡±

    Both of them smiled and nodded at him.

    ¡°There¡¯s a saying that a broken bone will heal stronger. It¡¯s not true but that¡¯s a phrase to tell them that once you¡¯re at your lowest, there¡¯s nothing that can break you anymore.¡± The black-haired witch said as she smirked.

    Archie slightly smiled and nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough of talking¡­¡± The black-haired witch said as she stood up. ¡°It¡¯s time for you to go down there and become strong.¡± The black-haired witch continued as she walked past Archie.

    Archie followed her with the red-haired witch walking next to him.

    They reached the edge of the cliff again, Archie looked down and looked at The Mother in the middle of the lake. ¡°What is that thing, and why you called her The Mother?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°We actually don¡¯t know much about The Mother,¡± The black-haired witch replied. ¡°But her calls affect us as well. Her calls always bring the parasite inside us and the rest of the parasites in this forest to heed her calls.¡± The black-haired witch explained as she crossed her arms.

    Archie was surprised by her explanation.

    The red-haired witch walked and stood next to Archie. ¡°We believe that she has been here long before us because we can¡¯t really resist her calls. That¡¯s why we called that parasite The Mother and we are her children.¡±

    ¡°So, she¡¯s basically the strongest parasite on this continent?¡± Archie asked as he kept staring at The Mother.

    The black-haired witch didn¡¯t say a word as she glanced at Archie with a smirk on her face while the red-haired witch just smiled at Archie and also didn¡¯t say anything.

    Archie knew that he wasn¡¯t strong enough to take her and the parasites around her on, but he thought to himself that he could defeat all those parasites around the lake.

    ¡°Now, go down there and push yourself to the limit until you can see the death door in front of you.¡± The black-haired witch said.

    Archie closed his eyes and took a deep breath then exhaled deeply. He opened his eyes and clenched his fist then jumped off of the cliff without hesitation.

    Archie dove into the lake and immediately lifted his body out of the water with his fingers and claws extended. He glared at those parasites that started to approach him from all directions. He slowly backed away to the shore so he didn¡¯t get surrounded from all directions.

    The witches sat down on the edge as they watched Archie from above.

    ¡°I almost laughed at his statement earlier,¡± The black-haired witch said as she giggled.

    The red-haired witch smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not time for him to know what¡¯s below this continent and what kind of living nightmares reside inside it.¡± The red-haired said as she plucked the grass next to her with very long and thick roots.

    Archie looked back and saw the wall was already on his back, he then looked at his left and right. Dozens of parasites were running toward him, he took a deep breath with a chill down his spine then started to run to his right to fight the easier parasites. He slashed and tear the parasites from left to the right with one objective to become strong in his mind.

    ¡°Archie!¡± The black-haired witch shouted at him.

    Archie decapitated the parasite in front of him then he looked up to see the witches sitting on the edge of the cliff.

    ¡°Remember! Your power is limitless!¡± The black-haired witch shouted. ¡°Keep that in mind and never forget that!¡± The black-haired continued.

    ¡°You should realize that already and you will start to be hungry for power and nothing will ever be enough!¡± The black-haired witch shouted with a smirk on her face.

    Archie scoffed and smirked as he tear the head of the parasite. ¡°You know that I know that already, so don¡¯t bother me with that motivational speech¡­¡± Archie said quietly as he got fired up from her words.

 Chapter 41

    Archie grinned as he tear the parasite that cornered him and made a hole in his chest. His hands were surprisingly strong compared to before because he now could control not only his bones but also his muscles. He gained as much muscle as he could and now there was nothing that could stop him from killing the parasite.

    His regeneration ability improved very significantly that it could immediately heal in a minute. He realized that as long as he had the regeneration ability, he could modify his body at will. He felt like he got some kind of revelation from fighting with the parasites for a whole day. He never felt so powerful and superior in his life, but now he felt like nothing could stop him.

    The veins that popped under Archie¡¯s skin on his forearms, hands, and fingers were gruesome to look at. The veins weren¡¯t actually his veins because of how hard they were and how stuff they were that it was difficult for him to move his hands and fingers. Those veins were belong to the parasite, it wrapped under his skin like a tissue to protect Archie¡¯s muscles, flesh, and bones from danger.

    Archie thought to himself that he might be able to fight The Mother, and so he decided to give it a try.

    The witches didn¡¯t move from their spot and watched him from above, they both were surprised when they saw Archie walk into the lake and approached The Mother.

    ¡°He¡¯s now overconfident about himself, I¡¯m afraid that I should go down there and be ready to save him before The Mother going to use him as a uterus for her children.¡± The black-haired witch said as she stood up.

    The red-haired witch nodded and saw the black-haired witch jump off of the cliff.

    Archie shoved his hand into the parasite¡¯s mouth and came out from the back of its head. His hands were in their original size because he realized that size didn¡¯t matter, what mattered was how sturdy and how jacked his hands were. It was easier for him to move around rather than he had to extend his fingers and claws.

    Archie walked all the way to the middle of the lake which took him an hour to reach there. He glared at The Mother who kept calling the parasites to come to her side. He kept moving forward as he butchered the parasites that blocked his way to The Mother until The Mother herself faced in his direction.

    Archie was frozen as The Mother faced him and started to scream and growl, then something came out from under the water. Something that looked like a tail came out from behind her, it kept going upward and it was higher than The Mother herself. Before he could think about what that thing was, another one appeared, then another until there were a dozen of them behind her.

    The Mother screamed and each tail started to spilt itself into three, Archie just realized that it wasn¡¯t a tail but it was a mouth because there were hundreds of sharp teeth inside each one of them. He started to regret his decision and immediately took a step back but then he realized that he was already surrounded by the parasites.

    Archie tried to break through the parasites by killing them until he felt something coming toward him from behind. He jumped as the mouth-like tail tried to stab him from the back, he came out from the water and saw the mouth-like tail pierce through the parasites and skewered them then tear them into pieces as the mouth-like tail itself up.

    Before Archie could properly stand, another mouth-like tail flew toward him and he immediately dove down into the lake. As he dove down, his whole body trembled and he looked to his left when he noticed another mouth-like tail was swimming toward him at high speed. Archie tried to block it with his both hands but it took him by surprise when it pierced through his hands like threading a needle and then pierced through his chest.

    Archie was brought up to the air as the mouth-like tail started to split itself. Archie couldn¡¯t do anything but bear the pain until he decided to pull his hands off of the mouth-like tail. Both of his hands were split into half but they regenerate immediately, he then tried to push himself out from it. He managed to free himself before the mouth-like tail open its mouth.

    ¡°That was close¡­¡± Archie said as he was falling down into the lake.

    Before he could touch the water, another one pierced through his body, then another one pierced from behind. Archie couldn¡¯t breathe as both of them started to spread its mouth, he clenched his teeth as he extended his hands and fingers then put both of his hands on each mouth to prevent them from opening.

    Archie grunted as he tried as hard as he could to prevent the mouths from opening. ¡°I can¡¯t hold them any longer¡­¡± Archie said as he gritted his teeth.

    The moment he slipped his hands from them, a wave of water appeared from below him and swallowed Archie whole. The mouth-like tails were forcefully pushed out from Archie¡¯s body, and then the water pulled him into the lake and was pulled so fast back to the shore.

    Archie was thrown to the wall as the black-haired witch came out from the water and walked toward him.

    ¡°I like your confidence but I never thought you would be that stupid to think you would be able to survive once you face her.¡± The witch said as she rested her hands on her waists.

    ¡°I¡¯m just testing how strong she was, but now I know why you called her The Mother¡­¡± Archie replied as he looked at his chest and stomach that was slowly regenerating themselves.

    ¡°Now she¡¯s going to be so pissed because of you¡­¡± The witch said as she shook her head and sighed.

    The moment the witch said that The Mother¡¯s scream and growl were so loud that they hurt Archie¡¯s ear. He covered his ears and closed his eyes, but then he noticed that the witch in front of him fell to the ground as if she was in pain. Archie opened his eyes and tried to grab her but the eerie scream and growl prevented him from removing his hands from his ears.

    Archie watch the witch in pain and then he saw the red-haired witch fall from the cliff as she screamed in pain. Archie was so confused and had no idea what to do but then suddenly dozens of roots pierced through the walls and grabbed them and pulled them into the wall. Archie was being wrapped by the roots and pulled into the wall as well.

    It was a unique experience as he watched the ground around him being pushed and dug by hundreds of roots around him. That power he witnessed was unbelievable because knowing that a single person could do so everything at the same exact time must be hard.

    Archie didn¡¯t know for how long he was dragged by the roots, but he knew it was at least more than an hour and the screams and growls from The Mother could no longer be heard. As he thought about it, his whole body clenched and stiffened while his heart pounded rapidly that it hurt his chest. He could feel an immense amount of danger that came from far down below him.

    Archie looked down where the soil was, and he couldn¡¯t stop looking down there as he started to hear loud banging and thumping from there. He never felt that kind of fear before, way much worse than the moment he faced The Mother. His mind was telling him that he need to get out of there as soon as possible but at the same time, he was curious about what lived below him.

    Archie was pulled up to the surface and was thrown away up into the air then landed on his feet.

    ¡°That was close, wasn¡¯t it?¡± The green-haired witch said as she came out from the tree¡¯s trunk and walked toward Archie.

    ¡°Yes, thank you for saving us,¡± Archie replied as he nodded. ¡°By the way¡­¡± Archie continued. ¡°What¡¯s down there? I felt an immense amount of danger that I was terrified by whatever that live down there.¡± Archie asked as he pointed at the ground.

    The green-haired witch looked down at the ground. ¡°That¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know what resides down there, Archie¡­¡± The black-haired witch said as she stood up and held her head. ¡°Whatever going on in your head, I suggest you ignore it and forget it because it¡¯s something that you don¡¯t want to know.¡± The black-haired witch said as she stared at Archie with a serious expression.

    The red-haired witch looked at Archie as she took a deep breath. ¡°We will tell you once you¡¯re ready, Archie.¡± The red-haired witch said. ¡°For now, just focus on killing that man because today¡¯s is the last day and you have to go back or the humans that you care about will be annihilated.¡± The red-haired witch continued.

    Archie looked at the sky and it was dawn already. ¡°It¡¯s been seven days already?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Here, you need to recover your power,¡± The green-haired witch said as the trees¡¯ branches offered him meats and other things on them.

    Archie grabbed one of them and looked at her. ¡°Thank you, I will eat all of them then I will go back to the city,¡± Archie said as he chewed the meat. ¡°I will kill him no matter what.¡± Archie continued as he glared at the abandoned city in front of him.

 Chapter 42

    Archie furrowed his forehead as he stared at nothing and chewed the meat, he then looked at the black-haired witch. ¡°Wait, didn¡¯t I suppose to use that meteorite fragment to fight him?¡± Archie asked.

    The black-haired witch took some of the meat on the tree branch. ¡°That was the plan before you encountered him and told you that you only have 7 days to prepare.¡± She said. ¡°After knowing that you only have 7 days, there¡¯s no way for a human to be able to process that fragment.¡± She continued as she chewed the meat.

    Archie hummed with understanding but then he looked at the red-haired witch and pointed at her. ¡°Isn¡¯t she able to melt the fragment with her power? I remember that the fire witch from where I came from abled to melt it with her fire.¡±

    The red-haired witch looked at Archie. ¡°I¡¯m not strong enough to melt the fragment like her, and the reason why is because I¡¯m the weakest compared to my other fire sisters. The one that you mentioned, she¡¯s the strongest fire sister so it¡¯s not a surprise that she is able to do that.¡±

    ¡°So? If each element has the strongest one, which one of you is the strongest compared to your own element?¡± Archie asked as he looked at the black-haired and green-haired witches.

    The green-haired witch raised her hand. ¡°That would be me, I¡¯m the strongest one compared to my other sisters. You can see that I have a body while the rest of my sisters don¡¯t, and I can control all the trees and roots in this land easily while the others can¡¯t.¡±

    Archie nodded with understanding as he stood up. ¡°Alright, I should get going now because the sun is about to rise.¡±

    The three witches nodded and Archie immediately ran to the forest edge.

    Archie looked around in the abandoned city and he couldn¡¯t feel a single parasite which was weird since today was the day that guy planned to attack the city. He kept looking and planned to reduce the threat and danger so the humans could handle the easier ones but he couldn¡¯t find any.

    He arrived in the city and went straight to his house, Marie was cleaning the ground and saw Archie in the alleyway.

    ¡°Ah! Where have you been? I haven¡¯t seen you for days!¡± Marie asked as she approached Archie.

    ¡°Oh, I was working on the other side of the city and I didn¡¯t have the time to go back because it¡¯s quite far from here.¡± Archie lied as he smiled at Marie.

    ¡°I see, well, I¡¯m glad that you¡¯re back,¡± Marie said. ¡°But¡­¡± Marie continued and her expression changed drastically. ¡°The situation around here is getting worse, Archie, the soldiers have been moving a lot lately. Not only that, I saw them bringing the tanks, apache helicopter, and the big guns to the south wall. Something must have happened and they prepared for something big there.¡± Marie said as she looked at the south wall with a worried expression.

    Archie noticed that on his way back to the city, he saw dozens of gatling guns and heavy machine guns installed on the walls. If they prepared all the heavy weapons there, that must mean they knew about the disaster that was going to happen soon.

    ¡°Did a friend of mine come here to look for me, Marie?¡± Archie asked.

    Marie nodded. ¡°Yes, a woman and a man were here last night, they asked me about you but I told them that I haven¡¯t seen you so they immediately leave after knowing that you¡¯re not home,¡± Marie replied. ¡°Oh, speaking of that, they left me something and they want me to give it to you,¡± Marie said as she tried to reach for something in her pocket. ¡°Here¡­¡± Marie said as she gave a piece of paper to Archie.

    Archie grabbed the paper and it was a pub where he spent the night with Ruby and the others.

    ¡°Thank you, Marie, I will go there right now,¡± Archie said then left to the pub.

    Archie arrived at the front door of the pub, he could hear a lot of people talking from inside, he then opened the door and saw Ruby, Tommy, Vincent, and Daniel on the counter. They turned their heads and looked at Archie with a surprised expression, then Ruby jolted from her seat and approached him.

    ¡°Archie¡­¡± Ruby said with a slight smile on her face.

    Archie looked around and there were only the 4 of them and Frank behind the counter. ¡°So, why do you want to see me here?¡± Archie asked Ruby.

    ¡°Come here, I will tell you the details,¡± Ruby said as she walked back to the counter. Archie followed her from behind and looked at Vincent who seemed glad to see him back.

    Archie sat down in between them and Frank offered him a drink, he then asked for a big glass of whiskey.

    ¡°A lot of things happened when you were gone,¡± Ruby said.

    ¡°Okay, tell me everything,¡± Archie replied.

    ¡°3 days ago, the same ExTP that made Prince and Resse in a comatose state appeared again. Marlon deployed the 11th up to 20th Divisions to defeat it, and as you know all of them are the product of the experiment. They managed to kill that parasite but lost dozens of them in the process. After that, Marlon sent a scout team to check the situation in the south, they found out there were hundreds of parasites that are Gen 4 up to Gen 6 in the abandoned city,¡± Marie said.

    ¡°One of the scouts was seen dead, and there was a piece of paper in his hand. It was a warning and said that today will be the day all the parasites will come and attack the city. It¡¯s as you said, Archie, they¡¯re really coming here to destroy the city.¡± Vincent said.

    Archie took a sip and looked at the bottles that were being displayed on the wall. ¡°What about him? Did he show himself or not?¡±

    Vincent shook his head while both Tommy and Frank were looking at each other with confusion. ¡°There¡¯s no sign of him, but you said that he will come here today as well, right? Then he should be around the abandoned city right now.¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t find him anywhere nor the parasites that you just said,¡± Archie said and looked at Vincent. ¡°There were no signs of them out there in the abandoned city,¡± Archie continued.

    Both Ruby and Vincent looked at each other and then Ruby grabbed Archie¡¯s arm. ¡°That¡¯s impossible because we all saw it with our own eyes with a telescope and thermal scope last night. There were dozens of them or even a hundred, there¡¯s no way that they¡¯re not out there now,¡± Ruby said with confidence.

    Archie furrowed his forehead and looked at his own reflection on the whiskey, and before he could say a word, he heard a siren was being rung outside. All of them immediately looked at the window and got up to check what that siren was about. The siren was long enough to tell everyone that it was an emergency situation.

    ¡°This is it?¡± Tommy asked as he stared through the window.

    ¡°Let¡¯s move!¡± Ruby said as she opened the door in front of her.

    Ruby and the others immediately got out of the pub and Archie followed them from behind.

    Ruby asked the soldiers around the pub but they had no idea what was the siren for. Ruby then decided to go to the south wall to check if it had something to do with the attack.

    Archie followed them from behind and suddenly he stopped moving because his right hand trembled. He started to sense the danger that came from outside the wall, he looked at the gate with confusion because he didn¡¯t feel anything earlier but for some reason, he now could feel the presence of the parasites.

    ¡°Archie! Come on!¡± Ruby yelled at Archie.

    Archie nodded and ran to catch up with them.

    Ruby looked up as the soldiers were running around and loaded the big guns. ¡°Hey! What¡¯s going on?!¡± Ruby shouted at the soldiers on the wall.

    One of the soldiers looked down and they could see the fear in his face. ¡°Th-they are here!¡± The soldier shouted with his voice cracked.

    ¡°How many?¡± Ruby asked.

    ¡°Hundreds of them! And some of them are gigantic!¡± The soldier replied.

    Ruby looked at Vincent, Tommy, Daniel, and Archie. ¡°Let¡¯s go up there and see it for ourselves.¡±

    All of them nodded and immediately took the stairs.

    Ruby was the first one to reach the top of the wall, she looked to her left and she suddenly stopped moving. Tommy and Vincent were next to reach the top and they both immediately covered their mouth and rubbed their cheek. Daniel and Archie were the last ones to reach the top, when they saw beyond the wall, Daniel gasped while Archie just furrowed his forehead.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t an attack, this is an annihilation,¡± Ruby said quietly as she saw hundreds of parasites walking toward the city while they were destroying the buildings around them.

 Chapter 43

    ¡°Open the gate for the 11th Division led by Captain Princeton and the 12th Division led by Captain Resse!¡± The soldier informed the gatekeepers.

    Archie and the others turned around and looked down the wall, they saw at least a hundred of them were standing in line with Prince and Resse at the front. They both were checking their gears and then they both looked up at Ruby, Resse just smirked and continued to tighten her gloves.

    Ruby walked down the stairs hurriedly. ¡°Prince, what are you planning to do to go out there?¡± Ruby asked as she stared at Prince.

    ¡°Marshall Marlon ordered us to take care of the parasites so the others can have time to prepare,¡± Prince said as he moved his right shoulder.

    ¡°What?! Only with 2 divisions? That¡¯s dangerous,¡± Ruby said.

    Prince just raised his eyebrows in agreement that his expression was telling her that there was nothing he could do but obey the order. Resse seemed don¡¯t care about any of that since she was different and she was a maniac that was why they called her ruthless.

    Ruby looked up and stared at Vincent but he just shrug and shook his head telling her that there was nothing they could do about it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about us, Ruby, because as you can see, this time everyone is prepared and they¡¯re bringing all the big guns. Even though we are going to be alone out there, we have hundreds of air supports.¡± Prince said as he held his assault rifle.

    The gates were opened and they started to march outside the wall while Ruby just watched them from the side with Vincent.

    ¡°What should we do now, Capt?¡± Tommy asked Ruby.

    ¡°I¡¯m not your captain anymore, we are the same rank now, so just call me by my name,¡± Ruby said as she turned around and walked up the stairs. ¡°And for your question, it¡¯s better to stay here until we receive an order from the higher-ups.¡± Ruby continued as she looked up.

    When they reached the top, Ruby noticed that Archie was nowhere to be found. She looked around, left, right, and down but he couldn¡¯t find him anywhere. ¡°Where¡¯s Archie?¡± Ruby asked Daniel who didn¡¯t follow them down the stairs.

    ¡°Oh, he said that he has some business to take care of,¡± Daniel replied as he pointed to the west side of the wall.

    Vincent immediately ran past Daniel and squinted his eyes to look for Archie.

    ¡°What is it, Vince?¡± Ruby asked while she furrowed her forehead with confusion.

    ¡°We need to go and find him! He¡¯s going to fight that Ex-Human!¡± Vincent explained to them.

    Ruby and the others were surprised and they immediately ran to where Archie went. The reason Archie left was that he couldn¡¯t feel the guy¡¯s presence at all amongst those parasites.

    Archie stood on the edge of the wall and he could sense the guy¡¯s presence not far from where he was. He looked around and noticed that he could feel him from the direction where he got beaten up. Archie then jumped off of the wall which was quite tall and dangerous but he used his claws and stuck them on the wall to slow him down.

    ¡°Archie!¡± Ruby shouted at him.

    Archie turned his head and looked up. ¡°What are you guys doing here?¡± Archie replied.

    Ruby ignored him and looked down, she saw the damage on the wall and used them to help her drop down from the wall. The others were surprised but they followed her anyway while Archie watched them with his eyebrows furrowed.

    All of them safely reached the bottom of the wall and immediately approached Archie.

    ¡°We are coming with you,¡± Ruby said.

    Archie glared at Ruby with no expression. ¡°It¡¯s not even a week since you recovered from the trauma, and now you want to join me and endanger the people behind you?¡± Archie said. ¡°If you can learn a thing or two, how about not sacrificing the people that care for you just for your own ego?¡± Archie continued as he kept glaring at Ruby who was shocked by what she just heard.

    Vincent couldn¡¯t put himself on Ruby¡¯s side this time because he was thinking the same thing as Archie but he didn¡¯t have the courage to tell her that. Archie said that not because he cared about her or the others, but it was because they would be a distraction and a burden for him.

    Ruby was frozen as Archie left them to be while Vincent, Tommy, and Daniel tried to comfort her. They knew it was the right thing to do and Archie was the one who reminded her after what she had experienced.

    ¡°Archie!¡± Ruby suddenly yelled at him while she glared at him. ¡°I don¡¯t fucking care anymore! If I die then I die!¡± Ruby continued as she ran toward Archie.

    Archie sighed and suddenly charged at Ruby and knocked her out by hitting the back of her head.

    The three of them were speechless because they were barely able to see Archie¡¯s movement. All they saw was Archie suddenly on Ruby¡¯s back and knocking her out with his hand.

    Archie looked at them as he held Ruby in his arms. ¡°Bring her back to the wall, I don¡¯t need you guys here and I¡¯m being serious.¡±

    Vincent approached him and grabbed Ruby from his hands, he then put Ruby on his back. ¡°We can¡¯t go back in since we are too far away from the west gate and there¡¯s nobody guarding the gate because everyone is on the south wall right now,¡± Vincent explained.

    Archie shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s none of my business but you have to leave this place right now,¡± Archie said but suddenly he turned around and stared at the road. ¡°It¡¯s too late¡­¡± Archie said and clicked his tongue.

    Vincent looked at Archie with confusion. ¡°What? What¡¯s too late?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s here and he sees us¡­¡± Archie said as he kept staring at the road. ¡°Vincent, do you know the old laboratory is? The one that looked like a dome?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°I do, why?¡± Vincent replied.

    ¡°Go there now, I cleaned the building a week ago so you should be safe there but there are still a few little ones that you guys can handle,¡± Archie said. ¡°Stay there and don¡¯t go out until I kill that man.¡± Archie continued.

    ¡°Are you sure you can kill him?¡± Vincent asked with a worried expression.

    ¡°Who knows, either I die or he dies, but one thing for sure is if one of us dies, then it will affect your future as humankind,¡± Archie said as he looked at Vincent.

    Vincent gulped nervously and nodded with understanding and then he told the others to follow him to the old laboratory to hide.

    Archie walked in the middle of the road and he could sense the guy¡¯s presence hiding somewhere and knew that he was watching him all this time.

    The guy came out from the corner and he stood in the middle of the road while he stared at Archie. He put his hand in his pockets taunt Archie by doing nothing and made himself look vulnerable. Archie stared at him and kept walking, he felt a bit nervous but he remember that he went through a lot for a week, and he was a bit confident about himself.

    The guy tilted his head and nodded up. ¡°You¡¯re not running away? That¡¯s a bit disappointing.¡±

    ¡°What makes you think that I would run away?¡± Archie asked.

    The guy shrugged. ¡°Because you¡¯re weak? I was hoping that you would abandon those humans and live for another day to become strong until we can meet again. But, knowing that you¡¯re here right now, I guess this will be the end of the 8th Adam, which is very anti-climactic.¡±

    Archie squinted his eyes and stared at the guy. ¡°How do you know that I was the last one?¡±

    The guy shrugged his mouth. ¡°By the look of how weak you are and of course because of the information that I received.¡±

    ¡°Information? So you¡¯re telling me that you came here because someone told you about my existence?¡± Archie asked with his eyebrows furrowed.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, I came here to kill you and I can¡¯t tell you how I got the information, maybe I will tell you before you die?¡± The guy said as he raised his eyebrows. ¡°Anyway, I saw you brought some humans with you, are they going to interfere in our battle?¡± The guy asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t involve them with our battle, they have nothing to do with it and I warned them to leave or they will die, so leave them alone,¡± Archie replied.

    ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t touch them since they¡¯re just human, they¡¯re nothing but a sore in the eye,¡± The guy said under his breath.

    The guy clapped his hands and then flips his hands. ¡°So? Are you ready to die?¡± The guy asked.

    Archie smirked and scoffed. ¡°Are you?¡±

 Chapter 44

    Archie ran toward the guy and quickly thrust his hand toward him, the guy was a bit surprised to see how fast Archie¡¯s movements were compared to last time. The guy smirked and immediately reformed his hand into a blade-like hand and slashed Archie on the chest. Archie took quite a deep cut from that but his regeneration ability rapidly healed the wound and closed it.

    ¡°For someone whose life was spared, you took me by surprise,¡± The guy said as he grabbed Archie¡¯s arm and threw him away to the side.

    Archie instantly went back up and charged at him without saying a single word.

    The fight between those two was something unbelievable to watch. Vincent and the others were watching them from the top of the dome since they didn¡¯t want to stay on the ground.

    ¡°Captain Vincent, what is going on?! Why Archie can do something like that?!¡± Tommy asked as he looked at Vincent with his eyes wide open.

    Vincent couldn¡¯t keep his eyes away from the battle. ¡°Archie isn¡¯t a human like us, he¡¯s an Ex-Human,¡± Vincent replied.

    ¡°What?!¡± Both Tommy and Daniel were shocked by it. ¡°Wait, does that means, all this time, he has been with us and you¡¯re fine with it?!¡± Tommy asked.

    ¡°I just know about that a week ago and it was Ruby who told me about it. I don¡¯t know when did Ruby know about Archie¡¯s true identity, but it seems like she had known about it ever since he was in your squad.¡± Vincent answered.

    Both of them looked at each other with disbelief.

    Archie already took a lot of hits and he landed zero hits on the guy but it didn¡¯t a problem for him. No matter how much damage he took, no matter how many times he got injured, his regeneration ability helped him back up. His regeneration ability got better thanks to the battle he had with The Mother and her children.

    ¡°Shame, you¡¯re going to die here,¡± The guy said as he tear Archie¡¯s left arm off.

    Archie ignored him and used the opportunity to thrust his hand at the guy¡¯s right ribs.

    Archie¡¯s hand was inside the guy¡¯s stomach and immediately made it deeper while he had the chance. The guy broke Archie¡¯s arm and kicked Archie away from him, then he looked at the hole in his stomach. He scoffed with disbelief and tried to stop the bleeding with both of his hands, Archie on the other hand watched the guy with confusion and realized the guy didn¡¯t have regeneration ability, or at least that was what he saw.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Archie asked as he smirked at the guy.

    The guy scoffed. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re the only one who can do that?¡± The guy said as removed his hands from his stomach. The wound was getting smaller but it didn¡¯t heal entirely and it seemed that it would take a long time until the wound completely healed.

    Archie thought to himself based on what the guy said earlier and the wound in his stomach that the guy didn¡¯t have the regeneration ability like him. Archie had a plan and that plan was to deal enough damage to the guy in a certain amount of time so the guy couldn¡¯t heal all the wounds at the same time. With that being said, he believed he would be able to kill him and all he had to do was to find an opportunity.

    Archie right arm healed and his left arm regenerated, he charged toward the guy without hesitation while the guy still had the hole in his stomach. As he fought him, he learned that he could modify his whole arms, not only his hands anymore.

    Archie modified his arms and strengthened them, both arms were covered with black veins as he fought the guy. The guy tried to break Archie¡¯s arm again but he was surprised that his hand couldn¡¯t break it, Archie used the opportunity to thrust him into the chest but the guy dodged it barely and his side was injured by Archie¡¯s claws.

    Knowing that he couldn¡¯t use the same strategy, he backed away and tried to recover the wounds on his body. Archie didn¡¯t let him breathe and kept pushing forward and threw attacks relentlessly. The guy couldn¡¯t make another mistake because he started to feel a bit threatened by Archie¡¯s capability and he had wounds that made him hard to move freely.

    The battle went on and on for hours, Ruby had regained her consciousness and watched the battle with the others. They were all silently watching those two fight in the middle of the night, they realized that they had no chance if they were the ones who had to deal with that guy. Ruby thought to herself and realized that Archie might be the savior of humanity, and with him around they had hope that they never thought they had.

    Archie started to feel confident and he believed that he could win against him until the guy suddenly laughed.

    ¡°I never thought I will be using this against someone like you,¡± The guy said as he breathe heavily.

    The guy¡¯s muscles were twitching and suddenly his whole skin was torn apart. He wrapped himself with his muscles that looked like tissue, his body became bigger and bigger and he was almost as tall as a two-story building. No face, no eyes, nothing, all Archie could see was muscles and the guy¡¯s arms that became blades.

    ¡°No more time to play¡­¡± The guy¡¯s voice was so deep that it trembled the ground around him.

    Even with that gigantic body of his, he moved even faster than his original form. Archie couldn¡¯t dodge them and he couldn¡¯t run away from him either, the only thing he could do was to endure and let his body heal itself.

    ¡°What are you going to do now?¡± The guy asked as he slammed Archie to the ground and threw him to the walls.

    Archie didn¡¯t know what he should do because at that moment, the guy was invincible and he couldn¡¯t even get close to him. He was thinking so hard about how to kill him, and he couldn¡¯t find any answers since he was being beaten up by the guy.

    Ruby and the others were stunned by what they saw, Ruby then turned around and looked at Vincent. ¡°We have to help him! He won¡¯t be able to make it if he keeps getting beaten up like that!¡± Ruby said.

    ¡°Help him? How? How are we going to help him against an Ex-Human that¡¯s as big as a building? We are going to die as soon as we step our foot there,¡± Vincent replied.

    ¡°I know that already! I¡¯m just telling you that there must be something that we can do to help him!¡± Ruby explained.

    They both were thinking so hard about how to help Archie, but then Daniel raised his hand. ¡°I think I have an idea.¡±

    Ruby approached him and grabbed his shoulders. ¡°Tell us!¡± She said.

    ¡°Since we are on top of the old laboratory, that means there¡¯s a chance that they have the serum to weaken the parasite. I¡¯m not sure if there¡¯s any left in here, but if there¡¯s none, with the material that they left behind, I might be able to make one that similar to that.¡± Daniel explained.

    ¡°Good! Let¡¯s move out and search the entire laboratory for the serum, and if you can¡¯t find any, find the ingredients to make a new one.¡± Ruby said as she looked at the others. ¡°Daniel, you know the ingredients, right? Tell us the ingredients and we will look it for you!¡± Ruby said as she shook Daniel¡¯s shoulders gently.

    ¡°I do, my mother is working in the laboratory so I learned a lot of things from her,¡± Daniel said as he nodded his head.

    ¡°Perfect! Let¡¯s move!¡± Ruby said as she jumped down from the building and entered the laboratory.

    Hours had passed, and Archie was like a doll being thrown away until he lost all his limbs and grew them all back over and over. On the other side, Ruby and the others were looking for the serum but they couldn¡¯t find any so they were looking for the ingredients in each room and corner of the laboratory while they had to deal with parasites themselves.

    ¡°Dan! Is this the one you¡¯re looking for?¡± Tommy said as he brought a container with green liquid inside it.

    Daniel grabbed it and opened the lid and smelt it, his eyes were wide open with a smile on his face.¡± Yes! This is the last ingredient that I¡¯m looking for! Now I can make the serum!¡± Daniel said and then ran to the room where all the equipment was left behind.

    ¡°First I need to put this¡­ then this¡­¡± Daniel mumbled to himself as he mixed some of the ingredients together. ¡°After that, I stir them until the color changes¡­¡± Daniel continued as he stirred the solution in the glass. ¡°Okay, the color seems right, now add this¡­¡± Daniel was so focused on the ingredients while the rest of them were guarding and keeping an eye on the door from the parasite.

    Ruby crossed her arms as she looked down and wiggled her foot, patiently waiting for Daniel to make the serum.

    ¡°I did it! I made the serum!¡± Daniel said as he held the serum in his hand and showed it to them.

    ¡°Excellent! Let¡¯s pour all the bullets in there and hope it works¡­¡± Ruby said.

    All of them nodded and immediately removed the bullets from the magazines.

    Ruby looked at the wall in front of her as she pulled out the bullet from the magazine. ¡°Archie, please wait for us, we will come to help you¡­¡±

 Chapter 45

    Archie¡¯s whole body was exhausted from bearing all the attacks and hits, his legs started to tremble and it was quite hard for him to stand properly. The guy, on the other hand, was still in his prime as if he didn¡¯t lose anything in exchange for using that form.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Had enough?¡± The guy said as he lifted Archie¡¯s arm and looked at Archie. ¡°Where¡¯s your confidence from earlier? Did I blow it away?¡± The guy continued as he slammed Archie to the ground.

    Archie groaned as he crawled on the road but the guy stepped his foot on Archie¡¯s back. He squeezed Archie like a paste, Archie coughed blood as he tried to free himself but it was no use because how the difference in size between those two.

    ¡°I had enough fun, I should kill you now,¡± The guy said as he grabbed Archie¡¯s head with his hand.

    Archie screamed as he tried to bite the guy¡¯s finger but it was so tough that his teeth broke the moment he tried to clench his teeth.

    When the guy was about to pop Archie¡¯s head off, a gunshot could be heard from the distance. The guy stopped squeezing Archie¡¯s head and immediately removed his hand from Archie. Archie gasped with his eyes going red and face covered with his own blood. Archie turned around and looked at the guy staring at something in the distance, Archie looked at where the guy was looking at and realized that it was where Ruby and the others were.

    ¡°It seems your little friends decided to join the fun, I guess I should greet them then.¡± The guy said as he removed his foot from Archie¡¯s body and then ran toward the laboratory.

    Archie couldn¡¯t move a muscle, he could only watch as he waited for his body to heal itself. He saw the guy charge at the building and destroyed them like it was nothing. Archie was grateful to Ruby and the others for saving his life but at the same time, he didn¡¯t want them to help him.

    Ruby and the others ran away the moment they saw the guy running toward them, they left the building and ran as fast as they could to their second checkpoint. Ruby had planned everything and this was something that she predicted as well so it wasn¡¯t really a problem.

    ¡°Hurry! Don¡¯t let him catch up to us!¡± Ruby said as she started to hear giant footsteps from behind her.

    As they ran they heard the Laboratory¡¯s entrance was being destroyed, they immediately ran much faster as their lives depend on it.

    ¡°Where are you, little humans!¡± The guy shouted while he broke the walls.

    He couldn¡¯t find them and he decided to use his ears to listen to their footsteps. He found where they were and immediately charged the walls in front of him, then he saw Daniel run to the corner. The guy smiled and broke the walls to use the shortcut, and when he broke the last wall, he saw the four of them pointing their guns at him. They fired and emptied their magazine at him, but unfortunately, his skin was so tough it bounced some of the bullets off.

    ¡°Run!¡± Ruby screamed.

    All of them ran their separate ways but Tommy was unfortunate because the guy threw a remnant of the wall at him and hit his back. Tommy was struck down by it and he couldn¡¯t move because he broke both of his legs and his spine. His scream could be heard by the others and they immediately turned around and fired their second magazine at the guy.

    ¡°Take Tommy away!¡± Ruby screamed as she shot the bullets in the guy¡¯s face.

    Without wasting any time, Daniel and Vincent dragged Tommy away and carried him to safety.

    Ruby kept shooting his submachine gun at the guy but all of her bullets were bounced off of him.

    ¡°How funny. Do you think a bullet will stop me?¡± The guy said as he stood in front of Ruby.

    Ruby emptied the magazine and threw her gun away, she then grabbed her pistol on her waist but the moment she pointed her gun at him, he flicked her hand and she lost her pistol.

    ¡°Stop trying, you¡¯re just wasting your time,¡± The guy said.

    Ruby looked at the bag on her left waist and removed the belt from it, she grabbed the bag and lifted it up. Before she could grab something from inside the bag, her left hand was grabbed by the guy and he lifted her up and tried to crush her whole hand. Ruby screamed in pain while the guy laughed at her, Ruby was trying so hard to free her hand but suddenly she laughed and made the guy look confused.

    Ruby stopped resisting and glared at the guy while he was hanging. ¡°You fell for my trap,¡± Ruby said as she smiled and endured the pain.

    The guy looked at his right hand where he crushed Ruby¡¯s left hand and suddenly his hand exploded. Ruby fell to the ground as she screamed her lungs out because she blew her hand off and lost half of her left arm.

    Vincent came back when he heard the explosion and saw Ruby laying on the ground with her missing hand and spurting blood. ¡°Bubby!¡± Vincent screamed at her as he ran toward her.

    The guy looked at his hand and he bleed but he noticed that there was some kind of liquid other than his blood. He looked at it for a moment but suddenly he staggered and started to feel the pain in his hand.

    The guy started to scream in pain because the serum started to kick in its effect, his hand was twitching as Vincent grabbed Ruby and carried her away. They both looked at the guy screaming and on his knees, they saw his body slowly shrinking and the muscles that wrapped his whole body started to twitch and went back to normal.

    Archie came and saw the guy was in pain then he saw Ruby and her missing hand. He was so confused about what happened in there but then Ruby pointed her hand at the guy. ¡°It¡¯s your chance to kill him¡­¡± Ruby said as she groaned in pain.

    Archie without hesitation ran toward the guy and saw an opening on the guy¡¯s back. He used all his strength and ability in his right hand and then thrust the guy¡¯s back. He managed to pierce through the guy¡¯s skin and immediately grabbed his spin and pulled it out. The guy screamed as his body kept shrinking until he was back to his normal size and form.

    The guy was laying on the ground with his whole body twitching, Archie was confused but at the same time, he didn¡¯t waste a single second by doing nothing. He tear the guy¡¯s whole limb apart and he could see the flesh in the guy¡¯s body was twitching like crazy. Finally, Archie pierced through the guy¡¯s heart and pulled it out while it was still beating.

    The guy¡¯s eyes were wide open as he tried to reach his heart from Archie¡¯s hand. Archie glared down at him and used his left hand to crush the guy¡¯s skull and squeezed his brain.

    Archie fell on his butt and with both of his hands held the guy¡¯s brain and heart. He looked at the guy who was no longer breathing or moving, and he could see the guy¡¯s whole body was still twitching uncontrollably.

    ¡°What happened to him?¡± Archie asked as he caught his breath.

    Vincent wrapped the open wound on Ruby¡¯s arm while Ruby looked at the dead body of the guy. ¡°We made a serum and it was for handling a parasite that we couldn¡¯t kill,¡± Ruby said as she groaned in pain.

    Archie turned around and Ruby¡¯s scream was getting louder and louder as if the pain worsened than before. Vincent looked so worried about Ruby¡¯s condition, and then Ruby grabbed Vincent¡¯s hand as she glared at him. ¡°Cut it off! Just cut it off! I got exposed to the serum and if you don¡¯t cut it, it will affect my whole body!¡±

    Vincent was hesitant but then Archie suddenly grabbed Ruby¡¯s hand and cut off Ruby¡¯s arm from the elbow down to her forearm. Ruby screamed and then sighed with relief as if the pain was slowly gone. She looked at Archie and smiled a bit. ¡°Thank you¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that serum? Why is it dangerous to you as well?¡± Archie asked.

    Ruby¡¯s lips trembled as she looked at Archie. ¡°It was the serum to kill the subject that failed in the experiment. The serum is the easiest way to kill a parasite inside our body so it¡¯s harmless if our skin touches it but it¡¯s extremely dangerous if it gets inside our body.¡± Ruby explained.

    Daniel came with Tommy on his back, Daniel was shocked when he saw that Ruby lost an arm while Tommy was unconscious.

    ¡°You guys should go back and treat your injury¡­¡± Archie said.

    Vincent carried Ruby on his shoulder. ¡°What about you?¡±

    Archie looked at the dead body of the guy. ¡°I will stay here for a moment and deal with this first¡­¡±

    ¡°Leave him be¡­ let¡¯s go back, I need immediate treatment before it gets worse¡­¡± Ruby said.

    Vincent nodded with understanding and then the four of them left Archie alone with the guy¡¯s dead body.

    Archie looked down and stared at the guy¡¯s dead body then a wind blew into his face. ¡°Eat him¡­¡±

    Archie looked up and noticed the wind witch was around him. ¡°Eat him? Why?¡± Archie asked.

    The wind blew onto his face again. ¡°You will gain his power, and it will make you stronger¡­¡±

 Chapter 46

    Archie chewed on the guy¡¯s heart, he was surprised that it taste weird but it wasn¡¯t disgusting since he had been eating something far worse. He kept eating what remains from the guy¡¯s body as the wind witch watched from above him. After eating everything up, he felt nauseated that he wanted to throw up but his stomach prevented him from doing so.

    His whole body felt warm and as if he had a very high fever that he could feel his eyelids so hot whenever he blinked. He stood up but his head spun like crazy that he collapsed immediately, his vision was blurry and it spun really fast that he decided to close his eyes.

    ¡°Rest up, Archie, we will protect you¡­¡± The wind blew and whispered into his ear.

    Archie let himself off and fell asleep immediately.

    Archie could feel cold on his forehead which made him awake, he then opened his eyes and saw the black-haired witch sitting next to him with her hand on his forehead.

    ¡°You have finally woken up, that took you long enough,¡± the witch said.

    ¡°How long did I sleep?¡± Archie asked as he realized that he was sleeping on the witch¡¯s lap and immediately sat up.

    ¡°You have been asleep for almost a week, how are you feeling?¡± The witch replied.

    Archie hummed and looked around, he noticed that he was inside the forest. He stood up and he felt something weird about his body, he looked down and he saw his body was a bit buffed and he felt like he could hug a tree and crush it.

    ¡°What happened to my body?¡± Archie asked as he looked at his arms and chest.

    ¡°Ah, you have attained his power. Now you¡¯re possessing all the abilities he had, but unfortunately, we don¡¯t know much about it. You should find out about it yourself.¡± The witch replied. ¡°By the way¡­¡± The witch said. ¡°You ate his brain, you should know about his past from his memories, right?¡± The witch asked.

    Archie turned around and nodded. ¡°I did, it was weird because most of the time, it was just voices,¡± Archie replied. ¡°I know for sure that his name was Gideon Armen and he was chosen in the year 2106 which was more than a hundred years ago¡­¡± Archie continued.

    ¡°What else did you find?¡± The witch asked as she stood up.

    ¡°He was the fifth¡­ He met the sixth and the seventh on his journey but he couldn¡¯t kill them since he wasn¡¯t strong enough back then,¡± Archie replied.

    The witch hummed with understanding. ¡°So, where did he originally from?¡± She asked.

    ¡°The Northern Nation, he was chosen but he didn¡¯t meet your sisters. He didn¡¯t know about your existence and after he knew that you guys exist, he decided to kill your sisters in the north,¡± Archie explained. ¡°One thing that I¡¯m so curious about is the person that informed him about the other¡¯s location. He knew about them in detail but unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t see or hear the person that gave him that information,¡± Archie continued.

    The witch nodded as she leaned on the tree. ¡°Well, let¡¯s skip on the details of the dream you had. How about you show me what kind of power he had? Can you do it?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Yeah, I can¡­¡± Archie said as he stared at his hands that were slowly transformed his fingers into blade-like claws. ¡°I watched and felt when he got this power¡­¡± Archie continued as he moved each finger that became a blade-like claw.

    Archie took a deep breath and closed his eyes, then his whole body felt sore as he opened his mouth to adjust his jaw. The witch was surprised when she saw Archie¡¯s whole body was covered with tissues, he looked like a mummy but it was black bandages. His whole skin turned dark grey and his eyes were pitch black and his hair turned black as well, only his pupils that glowed red.

    ¡°Wow, you look¡­ terrifying right now¡­¡± The witch said as she looked at Archie.

    ¡°Am I that scary?¡± Archie asked with his voice deepened and it shocked both of them.

    ¡°Well that¡¯s surprising,¡± The witch said and scoffed.

    Archie looked at his hands that turned dark grey like ashes then he looked at his blade-like fingers. He tried to use his power and modified it, he managed to extend his fingers and the muscles underneath the tissue that wrapped him up felt like they were trying to adapt to his new ability.

    Archie looked at the giant tree in front of him and decided to slash his fingers at it. The tree was cut in half so cleanly that there was barely any mark on it. He walked toward the tree trunk and gently scratched it with his fingers, it so sharp that he couldn¡¯t feel anything while the tree trunk was deeply carved with his fingers.

    Archie scoffed and looked at his hand. ¡°So this is how it feels like¡­¡± Archie said as he turned himself back to normal.

    ¡°So, are you going to challenge The Mother?¡± The witch asked.

    Archie smirked and shook his head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m still strong enough for that, am I right?¡± Archie replied as he looked at her.

    ¡°Maybe, unless you have mastered those abilities that you have, you might be able to defeat her.¡± The witch answered.

    Archie shook his head. ¡°You might be right, but I can¡¯t show myself like this in front of those humans. I don¡¯t want them to know who I truly am and I want to keep it that way for as long as I can.¡± Archie said. ¡°Also, I¡¯m going to use that meteorite fragment as my weapon so I don¡¯t have to rely on my ability so often since it hurts when I used them every time,¡± Archie continued as he looked at her.

    ¡°If you keep hiding your abilities, how can you become strong then? You said that Gideon was the fifth, and do you think you would be able to fight the fourth? The third? Or even the first chosen one?¡± The witch asked as she crossed her arms and looked at Archie.

    ¡°Just because I want to hide them, doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t want to train them. I will make myself strong and as you said back then, once I know that my power is limitless, I will start to hungry for power,¡± Archie said as he glanced at her.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s up to you since you managed to kill that guy and we are really grateful for avenging our sisters that he killed,¡± The witch said as she smiled at him. ¡°Also, you might want to check those humans, our sister said that it was pretty bad over there but they managed to repel the horde,¡± She continued.

    Archie raised his eyebrows and immediately looked at the outside of the forest. He saw smoke coming from the city up high in the sky, he then ran to the city to check on the condition.

    Archie walked in the middle of the abandoned city and saw so many dead parasites that were burned. He could see a lot of soldiers patrolling around to find the parasites that were hiding. Archie avoided them and used the wall he broke to enter the city, he felt a bit relieved that the city was safe only the south wall that was in ruin.

    The first place he went to was Marie¡¯s house, he sighed with relief when Marie was enjoying her time in front of her house. Archie approached her and waved at her, Marie seemed relieved and pressed her chest when she saw him.

    ¡°Archie! You¡¯re alright?¡± Marie asked as she grabbed Archie¡¯s hand.

    Archie nodded. ¡°I¡¯m fine, are you hurt? Were there any parasites that entered the city?¡± Archie asked.

    Marie shook her head. ¡°No, there were not a single people in the city that were hurt during the horde. But there were so many soldiers that were fallen during the defense and it made me so sad when those soldiers died from protecting the people like us and they didn¡¯t even have a proper burial. Not a single person in this city that mourned for them as if they were born and raised to die like this.¡± Marie said with a sorrowful expression.

    Archie slightly smiled. ¡°They¡¯re born to die for this, Marie, it¡¯s been like that for centuries and if it¡¯s not them, then you can¡¯t live peacefully like this,¡± Archie said.

    Marie nodded with understanding and then she looked at the city. ¡°I know that they sacrificed their lives so we can live peacefully, but that also means that we can still live like this by sacrificing their lives.¡±

    Archie just smiled and listened to her and then he looked to his right and saw Vincent, Ruby, Tommy, and Daniel walking toward him.

    ¡°You¡¯re finally back,¡± Ruby said as she smiled with her right arm wrapped with bandages.

    Archie smiled and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m back.¡±

 Chapter 47

    Archie lived a peaceful life for a whole week after the battle with Gideon, he trained his newly attained ability every night outside the wall where everyone was asleep. He believed that there must be other things he could do with all the abilities he had since those parasites inside his body could support each other and make something new. He had been experiencing those abilities but it didn¡¯t go as he wanted it to be, he thought that it might be better if he trained his abilities against The Mother since it was the only way he could get better when he was under pressure.

    Archie was staring at his hand and someone knocked on the door. ¡°Archie, are you home?¡± Ruby¡¯s voice could be heard from behind the door.

    Archie opened the door and saw Ruby with a prosthetic arm that they made for her. ¡°How¡¯s your arm? Getting used to it?¡± Archie asked.

    Ruby lifted her prosthetic arm and moved the hands and fingers very slowly. ¡°Not really, but I¡¯m getting better,¡± Ruby replied. ¡°Anyway, are you free?¡± Ruby asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m planning to help Marie helped cleaning her house, why?¡± Archie replied.

    Ruby crossed her arms and looked at Marie¡¯s house. ¡°If I help you clean her house, do you have time for me? I still haven¡¯t heard about your story and since you¡¯re in my division again and I¡¯m the major now, you have to obey my order,¡± Ruby answered as she smirked.

    Archie just smiled and nodded with understanding then they both went to Marie¡¯s house to help her clean the house.

    Ruby got promoted to Major because of her sacrifice and the report she made that the one who controlled the parasites was dead. Everyone didn¡¯t believe her at first but the parasites started to disorganize because Gideon died and it proved her words.

    She explained what she encountered to Marlon and since he was still skeptical about it, he sent a few people to check on the site where she fought him. They did see the wreckage of the area that looked fresh, with a lot of pool of blood everywhere. Fortunately, Archie was taken by the witch to the forest before they came so they didn¡¯t know him.

    Ruby somehow evolved the genes inside her body because of the exposure to the serum. She became a lot stronger which could be compared to the ones made from the experiment. Marlon and the scientist were shocked by that discovery and it was all thanks to the serum that Daniel made that was a bit different from the one they made. They started to do some research about the serum that Daniel made and tried to make it similar or safe to consume for the Axis Humans.

    Ruby stretched both of her arms outside of Marie¡¯s house. ¡°Ah¡­ I miss the cracking sound and the feel of it in my left arm,¡± Ruby said. ¡°Now, since we are done with the task, let¡¯s go to the pub and I will treat you to a drink,¡± Ruby continued as she looked at Archie.

    ¡°Sure, I¡¯m down for that,¡± Archie replied.

    They both walked side by side while Ruby told him about Tommy and Daniel knew about his identity as Ex-Human. Archie already knew about it by the look on their face whenever they looked at him. Ruby then said that those two and Vincent were waiting for them in the pub since they were all curious about him as well. Archie just nodded with understanding while he looked at the wall that was being rebuilt.

    ¡°Wow, you guys really are early for drinking today. I wonder if it¡¯s because of how peaceful the past few days were since you guys barely do anything at all, huh?¡± Frank said as he wiped the glass in his hands.

    Ruby smiled and sat at the counter with the others. ¡°Come on, Frank, it¡¯s the day that we all have been hoping for. A peaceful life without having to worry about parasites, we have been on the verge for the past few years and today we all can finally lie back a bit and enjoy life.¡±

    Frank chuckled and nodded in agreement. ¡°Alright, what do you want?¡±

    Ruby ordered a whole bottle of whiskey for all of them since it had been a while since they had a proper drink.

    ¡°So, are you ready to tell us your story?¡± Ruby said as she took a shot.

    Archie looked at Frank who was staring at him. ¡°Are you sure that it¡¯s fine for Frank to listen to our conversation?¡± Archie asked.

    Ruby looked at Frank then looked back at Archie while she nodded her head. ¡°Frank can keep a secret, he already knows about all of my secrets and these guys¡¯ secrets as well so it¡¯s fine since we trust him.¡±

    Archie just nodded with understanding.

    Archie thought for a moment since there was no reason for him to hide his past anymore but the problem was that the past that he knew and the past that they knew might be slightly different. He decided to tell them about the expedition he head to the FalCon-1 with Iohann and the moment he met Ex-Humans, then the moment he became an Ex-Human. He told them that he didn¡¯t know how he ended up in FalCon-2 and used the parasite¡¯s possession of his body as the answer for that.

    All of them were dumbfounded by Archie¡¯s story and looked at him with disbelief.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a hell of a story¡­¡± Frank said as he shook his head and raised his eyebrows.

    Archie nodded as took a shot. ¡°Yeah, ever since that, I have been living with those Ex-Humans that live in the FalCon-2.¡±

    Daniel stood up and looked a bit scared. ¡°What?! There are still more of them out there?! Aren¡¯t we still in danger then?!¡±

    Archie scoffed and smirked. ¡°No, they¡¯re not the same as the guy that you guys saw. They¡¯re the protector of the jungle and they don¡¯t care about humans as long as you guys didn¡¯t bother them in their territory.¡± Archie explained.

    ¡°You befriend them?¡± Ruby asked as she looked at Archie.

    ¡°Of course, since we are the same, there¡¯s no reason for me or them to not befriend each other,¡± Archie replied.

    Archie paused for a moment and then he looked at Ruby since he heard about her past that she encountered with one of the Ex-Humans from FalCon-3. ¡°Why? Have you met one of them before?¡±

    Ruby nodded as she stared at her glass. ¡°I did¡­¡±

    ¡°Which one? The red-haired one? The green-haired one? Or the black-haired one?¡± Archie asked.

    Ruby looked at Archie with a surprised expression. ¡°The green-haired one,¡± Ruby answered. ¡°Do you know their names?¡± Ruby asked.

    Archie shook his head. ¡°They preferred to be called the witch. The fire witch, the water witch, the wind witch, and the earth witch. There are four of them on each Fallen Continent, they¡¯re the guardian of the continent as I said earlier and I called them the four witches of the continent.¡± Archie replied.

    Ruby slightly smiled. ¡± The four witches, huh? That¡¯s really interesting¡­¡±

    Tommy, Daniel, Frank, and Vincent were looking at each other and they were sharing gazes and thinking the same thing.

    ¡°By the way, I still have no idea about whose blood they used for the experiment. Do you know the person¡¯s name?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°His name was Hendrick Fischer, he was from the Western Nation, like you. You must have heard about him since he was the only person who aced all the VSTs.¡± Vincent answered.

    Archie turned his head and looked at Vincent with confusion. ¡°Was? What happened to him?¡± Archie asked.

    Vincent shrugged his mouth and shoulders. ¡°We don¡¯t know, we only heard that he died from heart failure. There was a rumor that went around that he died for the sake of the experiment, but we don¡¯t know for sure. All we know is that everyone mourned his death and there¡¯s a monument of him in the capital city of the Western Nation.¡±

    Archie nodded as he stared at his own reflection on the whiskey. ¡°Yeah, I know him.¡±

    Ruby started to tell her story about what happened in that incident a few years ago that she had to abandon and go back alone after the expedition searching for an Ex-Human and after she got a warning from the witch. Everyone listened to her story for the second time, only Archie didn¡¯t know about it. She told about Julia¡¯s sister and it made her depressed knowing that she lost both of them and it was all because of her.

    ¡°Come on, Bub, don¡¯t shoulder those pain on your own, we are here to support you,¡± Frank said as he leaned toward her. ¡°Here, I have a give for you and maybe you can share it with Julia and her sister,¡± Frank continued and offered him an old bottle. ¡°This is a 10-years-old wine that me and my wife made, you should take it and drink it with them,¡± Frank said with a smile on his face.

    Ruby shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m okay, I just want to pour it all at once¡­¡±

    Vincent looked at her and raised his eyebrows. ¡°How about we all go there? It¡¯s been a while since we visited her grave.¡±

    Ruby looked at him and smiled while she nodded. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a good idea¡­¡±

    Frank slammed his hands on the counter startled all of them. ¡°Alright! You guys go and visit her while me and my wife will prepare a delicious meal for you guys? Just get back here at noon and the food will be ready.¡±

    Ruby chuckled and nodded with understanding. ¡°Okay, we will be back, and thank you, Frank.¡±

    Frank grinned as he saluted Ruby. ¡°No problem, Major!¡±

 Chapter 48

    ¡°Wow, Frank. This is the first time I taste something delicious since I live down here,¡± Ruby said as she leaned on the chair and turned her head at Frank.

    ¡°Heh! Of course! My wife is the best cook in the city and nobody can match her cooking. Just bring me ingredients and meat when you go out there in return. Maybe she will cook you something delicious again if she¡¯s happy with your catches.¡± Frank said as he leaned on the wall and crossed his arms.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Frank! We will bring as many ingredients and meat for you and your wife!¡± Tommy said as he eat the lamb chops.

    Archie just sat there watching everyone eating their foot since normal food didn¡¯t satisfy his hunger so he gave it to Frank so he can enjoy his wife¡¯s cooking.

    ¡°Are you guys free after this?¡± Archie asked as he rested his head on his left fist.

    Everyone looked at Ruby since she was the one who gave orders.

    ¡°We suppose, yeah, and I¡¯m planning to help those guys rebuild the wall. Why?¡± Ruby replied as she chewed the meat.

    ¡°If you guys are free, I want to show you guys something in the laboratory that you were hiding in back then,¡± Archie replied.

    Ruby ate her food as she kept staring at Archie, she then nodded with understanding. ¡°Okay, we can go out there and maybe hunt some food for Frank.¡±

    ¡°What is it? Vincent asked.

    Archie smiled and raised his eyebrows. ¡°You will see.¡±

    After they finished their food, the five of them left the pub and went outside the wall.

    On their way to the laboratory, everyone felt a bit uneasy because of something. Archie could tell that a parasite had been keeping an eye on them ever since they left the wall.

    Archie suddenly stopped and the others immediately stopped moving as well. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±

    Everyone just stared at each other while Archie looked to his left and kept his eyes on the wall. Suddenly a parasite jumped off of the wall and growled at them making Ruby and the others startled and grabbed their guns.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Archie said.

    Archie stared at the parasite and tilted his head while the parasite looked back at Archie. He felt something he hadn¡¯t felt before, a feeling that he could understand what the parasite was thinking. He then squinted his eyes and for an unknown reason, he said something in his mind and the parasite immediately ran away toward the forest.

    ¡°What the fuck was that?¡± Ruby asked as she grabbed Archie¡¯s shoulder.

    Archie looked at her with a smile on his face. ¡°For some reason, I could understand what the parasite is thinking and for some unknown reason I could order them to leave,¡± Archie replied.

    ¡°Right, you said you ate that Ex-Human and gained his power. Does that mean now you can control the parasites?¡± Ruby said.

    ¡°Yeah, I think so¡­¡± Archie replied.

    Ruby and Vincent looked at each other with surprised expressions.

    ¡°Alright, we should continue walking,¡± Archie said as he walked.

    They arrived at the entrance of the laboratory, unfortunately, the entrance was destroyed by Gideon and so they walked around it and used a different entrance. Archie guided them to the room where the meteor fragment was, he used the same method to open the steel door.

    As soon as the door was opened all of them were shocked when they saw so many things inside but mostly they were surprised about the fragment.

    ¡°This is what I want to show you guys,¡± Archie said as he pointed his hand at the fragment.

    ¡°This is?¡± Ruby asked as she walked toward the fragment.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the fragment of the meteor,¡± Archie answered.

    All of them were observing the fragment and touched it with their hands since it was the first time they saw it.

    Archie walked around them and looked at Ruby. ¡°Do you know a person who could process this thing? I need to make a sword from this,¡± Archie asked.

    Ruby looked at Archie with a surprised expression. ¡°You want to make a weapon from this? I know that this is the best material since the AnGust family had one and it has been proved it was the best weapon ever made,¡± Ruby said. ¡°But, the problem is that I don¡¯t think anyone could process this fragment anymore¡­¡± Ruby continued as she stared at the fragment.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s possible¡­¡± Vincent said as he looked at Ruby. ¡°Do you remember him? He used to make the best weapon until he left with the others.¡± Vincent explained.

    Ruby rubbed her mouth as she thought about it. ¡°Yeah, you might be right since he was the best blacksmith we ever had,¡± Ruby replied. ¡°If we want to see him, we have to go far up north but the problem is, the bridge might be filled with parasites by now and it¡¯s almost impossible to bring him back here.¡± Ruby continued as she leaned on the fragment.

    Archie approached her and crossed his arms. ¡°Just tell me his name and where he is, I will bring him back,¡± Archie said with confidence.

    ¡°Even if I want to tell you, you need permission to go up there and you won¡¯t be able to get that permission without Marlon¡¯s approval,¡± Ruby said as she stared at Archie. ¡°But, I could convince him and give us permission to go up there since we do still have a mission to bring her back to the city,¡± Ruby continued as she looked at Vincent while she nodded repeatedly.

    Archie didn¡¯t know what she was talking about but Vincent seemed to understand what Ruby meant.

    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s still our priority until now so I guess we can get permission to go up north from Marlon,¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°Well then, if we are going to the north, at least that blacksmith would want some kind of proof, right?¡± Archie said as he cracked his fingers.

    ¡°Yeah, but I don¡¯t think anyone would be able to break this thing without proper equipment,¡± Ruby replied.

    Archie smirked and looked at her. ¡°I want to test my new ability, anyway, so please stay back for a moment.¡±

    All of them were looking at each other and walking back at the same time.

    Archie pulled his sleeves and transformed his whole fingers into blade-like fingers and wrapped them with the black tissue. They were looking at Archie with their eyes and mouth wide open while Archie was focusing on making his both hands as strong and sharp as possible.

    Archie moved his fingers and then scratched them on the fragment, it made a spark as he dragged his hand. There were no scratch marks on the fragment and it didn¡¯t surprise him at all, he then pulled his arm back then thrust the fragment as fast as he could.

    The very loud banging sound could even be heard from the outside of the laboratory. Ruby and the others were covering their ears as Archie slashed his fingers at the fragment.

    *THUD!*

    Everyone looked down and saw a piece of the fragment fall onto the floor. Archie grabbed it and it was a big chunk of a piece of the fragment, he looked at Ruby with a smirk on his face. ¡°I got it.¡±

    Archie¡¯s hands went back to normal and then they approached him to look at the piece of the fragment.

    ¡°Your hand doesn¡¯t look good, Archie,¡± Tommy said as he pointed at Archie¡¯s broken fingers.

    ¡°Oh?¡± Archie said as he looked at his fingers. ¡°Hold on¡­¡± Archie said as he moved his fingers and it went back to its original position. ¡°There, it¡¯s fine now,¡± Archie said as he looked at Tommy who was watching it with disbelief.

    ¡°I wonder if I should be jealous or scared from watching that¡­¡± Tommy said with his eyebrows raised and his head tilted.

    ¡°I guess we are done here, and we can leave this place before anyone notices,¡± Archie said as he threw and caught the piece of the fragment in his hand.

    Ruby nodded in agreement. ¡°Yeah, we should leave and we can start hunting for food as we have promised to Frank that we are going back with our hands full.¡±

    All of them left the laboratory and Archie put the fragment in his bag, they went deeper into the abandoned city and looked for wild animals.

    As they were hunting for them, Archie was still curious about the blacksmith and the woman that Ruby mentioned earlier, so he decided to ask about it.

    ¡°You still haven¡¯t told me about the blacksmith¡¯s name,¡± Archie said as he walked next to Vincent and Ruby.

    ¡°Oh, right, his name is Antonio Newman, he was famous among us, Axis Humans because everyone would request a weapon from him. All the weapons he made, it¡¯s like a national treasure now so only a very few people can use them.¡± Ruby explained.

    Archie hummed. ¡°What about the woman that you mentioned earlier? You said that she¡¯s the main priority or something like that.¡± Archie asked.

    Ruby hesitated to reply but then she sighed and looked at Archie. ¡°She¡¯s Carolene, the shipwright that built the first ship, without her, we won¡¯t be able to make a proper ship so we need her skill for our plan of migration.¡±

    ¡°What happened? Why is she not here in the city?¡± Archie asked.

    Ruby looked down at the road. ¡°She was devastated when she heard that the people who board the ship were all dead, that includes her husband and children. She ran away with some of the people that felt like they didn¡¯t belong here with us anymore, including Antonio Newman.¡± She explained. ¡°We don¡¯t know exactly where they are but we got information from the scout team that they live in the mountain up north. We called them those people the Nomad, and Marlon wants them back since there are a few of those nomads that played a huge role in the city back then.¡± She continued.

    ¡°A nomad, huh?¡± Archie said under his breath.

 Chapter 49

    Archie put on his trench coat and gloves then he grabbed his bag and left the house. Ruby, Vincent, Tommy, and Daniel were waiting for him outside of his house.

    ¡°You¡¯re good to go?¡± Ruby asked as she trained her left arm.

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go,¡± Archie said as he nodded.

    Vincent tied his shoelace while he sighed. ¡°I¡¯m going to hate this mission¡­¡± Vincent said as he wiped his shoe. ¡°I mean, from all those people that are free, why those two in particular,¡± Vincent continued.

    Ruby just smiled and patted his shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s not really a bad thing having them with us though,¡±

    Vincent sighed again and just nodded his head and then they all went to the north gate.

    ¡°Wow, you guys are really taking your time, huh?¡± Resse said as she crossed her arms and chewed bubblegum with Prince standing in front of her.

    Ruby walked past her and stood in front of her while she looked at Prince. ¡°Got any information from Marlon about the nomad¡¯s whereabouts?¡± Ruby asked and ignored Resse on purpose which made Resse a bit annoyed.

    ¡°The last sighting of the nomad is near mount judge howay, and that information was a month ago so there¡¯s a high possibility that they¡¯re staying there at the moment,¡± Prince replied.

    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s going to take a while to get there. The base in Seattle is still operating right now so we can go there first and we can rest for a day there since it¡¯s going to take a week or so.¡± Ruby said as she stared at the north gate.

    ¡°Yes, Marlon also gave us the safest route to reach Seattle, and then we can get the safest route to Vancouver from the people in Seattle,¡± Prince said.

    Ruby nodded with understanding. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s move.¡±

    They walked past the north gate and followed the road.

    They had been walking for almost a day and everyone barely talked to each other since they had to focus on their surroundings. Archie could tell that Resse and Prince had been stealing gazes at him but they didn¡¯t say anything to him, he just ignored them since he had no business with them.

    ¡°Alright, we can stay here for the night,¡± Ruby said after she checked the area around the abandoned building.

    Everyone removed the bag from their back and put them on the floor. Archie was still checking the surroundings and he could feel the presence of the parasites around him from hundreds of meters away. He knew that those parasites were the weak ones so he didn¡¯t bother to take care of them since those parasites had no intention to attack them.

    ¡°Your name is Archie, right? Or at least that Ruby and the others called you,¡± Prince said as he stood near the door and looked at Archie.

    Archie turned around and stared at him uninterested. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s my name,¡± Archie replied.

    ¡°I heard a lot about you from Ruby, she said you¡¯re the best soldier in her Division. No, she said that you¡¯re the best in the Eastern Nation for an unknown reason, so I¡¯m a bit curious how can someone that¡¯s mysteriously appeared and became an Axis Human could be called the best.¡± Prince said as he approached him.

    Before Archie could say anything Resse suddenly landed next to Prince, Archie looked up from where she came from and she was on the third floor when she jumped down.

    ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who¡¯s curious about it, Prince,¡± Resse said as she wiped the dirt on her jeans. ¡°So, what¡¯s your ability?¡± Resse asked as she rested her arm on Prince¡¯s shoulder.

    Archie sighed and slowly walked toward them with a sharp gaze toward them. ¡°My ability?¡± Archie asked back. ¡°I could tear all of your limbs before you could feel them missing,¡± Archie calmly replied as he stared at both Prince and Resse¡¯s arms. ¡°I also have sensitive hearing that I can hear both of your hearts are starting to pound really fast from fear,¡± Archie continued and then left them.

    Both Prince and Resse were the bravest Axis Humans but for some reason, at that moment, they were terrified of Archie¡¯s words.

    The morning came and they continued their journey, both Prince and Resse were oddly quiet because they were so confused about what happened last night. They were confused about why they were so scared of Archie who they didn¡¯t even know what he was capable of as if they were hypnotized by Archie¡¯s words.

    After a week¡¯s journey, they finally arrived at the base in Seattle but Ruby changed her mind and planned to continue the journey after getting enough food for the two days journey to Vancouver. Prince and Resse didn¡¯t complain since they agreed that they didn¡¯t want to waste time resting because it would take a while before they could find the nomad in the mountain.

    Ruby, Vincent, Prince, and Resse were talking with the field officer about the nomad, he gave them the exact same information as what they heard from Marlon. They were convinced that the nomad was near the mount judge howay, then Ruby and the others left the base and went to Vancouver.

    Two days had passed since they left the base and they reached the base of the mountain, they looked at how dark and eerie the forest was. They didn¡¯t know what kind of parasites were inside the forest since it had been years since they abandoned that area, not to mention that the mountain was really close to FalCon-2.

    ¡°Prince, Resse, this is your first time in FalCon-2, right?¡± Ruby asked as she looked at them.

    Both of them nodded and then Ruby pointed at the top of the mountain. ¡°That mountain over there, it¡¯s the beginning of FalCon-2, so there¡¯s no reason for us to go there since the nomad wouldn¡¯t dare to live in the mountain inside the FalCon-2. We will go from here and go to the east, remember that or you would be in really big trouble.¡± Ruby said with a serious expression.

    ¡°Let¡¯s split into two teams, since we need to find them as soon as possible. The only one who knows about this terrain is me and Vincent, so I will bring Tommy and Archie with me while Vincent will be taking Daniel, Resse, and Daniel.¡± Ruby said. ¡°Is there any objection?¡± She asked.

    Everyone shook their heads and then Ruby looked at Vincent and nodded. ¡°You will go to the east while we will go to the north.¡±

    ¡°Okay, just keep your radio on so we can contact you when we found something,¡± Vincent said.

    Ruby nodded and then they went on their separate ways into the forest and up to the hill.

    Archie and Tommy followed Ruby from behind, she was so focused on the map that she drew. It was a map with marks on it, those marks indicate the habitable area around the mountain and that might help them find the nomad. Suddenly Archie stopped walking and his eyes were wide open, his pupils trembled. Archie grabbed Tommy¡¯s shoulder and pulled him forcefully and then he grabbed Ruby¡¯s arm and pulled her toward him.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?!¡± Ruby asked as she was getting pulled by Archie.

    ¡°It¡¯s not the right time to ask, we need to regroup with the others!¡± Archie said quietly which make them both look so confused and worried at the same time.

    Ruby spoke to Vincent through the radio but he didn¡¯t respond and only static sound came out from the radio. Archie knew what happened with them and so he told them to follow him to the east where Vincent and the others went. Ruby was so confused about what happened that made Archie suddenly lose his calm. The reason for his sudden act was because he felt the same feeling when he was dragged underneath the ground by the earth witch, he felt something terrifying living underneath them.

    They were running as fast as they could to catch up with Archie, but then suddenly Archie stopped running and hid behind the tree. He grabbed both of them and they just looked at each other in Archie¡¯s arms.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make a sound¡­¡± Archie whispered.

    Both of them took a peek at something that they were trying to hide from, then their whole body trembled as they saw something crawl out from the ground that they had never seen before, something that was enough to make their legs weak and their heart stopped beating for a moment. Archie looked down at Ruby and her eyes were filled up with tears, her whole body trembled and he had to support her body so she didn¡¯t fall to the ground. Tommy was the same but he still managed to stand on his own even though his whole body was shaking like crazy.

    Ruby looked at Archie with her lips trembling. ¡°What is that thing?¡±

    Archie shook his head slowly. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but that thing made the parasites inside my body terrified of it.¡±

 Chapter 50

    A lizard-like parasite with wings on its front legs covered its whole body with shiny scales. The parasite was so big but terrifyingly it didn¡¯t make any noise, it could walk silently and hide its presence. Both Tommy and Ruby were terrified when they saw it, the parasite itself didn¡¯t like any other parasites that look ugly and disgusting, but its presence was so overwhelming that it affected anyone near it.

    ¡°Can you run?¡± Archie whispered as he looked at Ruby.

    Ruby slowly looked at Archie. ¡°Run? Why?¡± Ruby whispered back.

    ¡°If we don¡¯t leave, we are going to die, just run on my signal,¡± Archie said. ¡°Are you two ready?¡± Archie asked and looked at Ruby and Tommy.

    They both nodded while they were taking a deep breath.

    ¡°Alright, go!¡± Archie said and pushed them both.

    Tommy and Ruby ran as fast as they could that they didn¡¯t realize Archie wasn¡¯t following them and stayed behind.

    The parasite turned its head toward Archie with a silent growl that trembled the ground. Archie looked at how big that thing was and the scale on its body looked so tough that he didn¡¯t think he could pierce through it. The parasite suddenly screeched at Archie and made a shockwave that crush all the trees around it, Archie on the other hand collapsed from that screech alone and fell unconscious because he felt like his soul was leaving his body.

    The parasite stared at Archie then spread its wings and flew away.

    Archie opened his eyes and immediately gasped, he stood up and looked around where the trees were shattered and laid on the ground. He caught his breath and couldn¡¯t believe that something like that existed.

    ¡°Archie!¡± Ruby screamed and ran toward him with Tommy next to her.

    Archie turned around and just stared at them silently.

    ¡°What was that?!¡± Tommy asked as he looked at the sky. ¡°That doesn¡¯t look like a parasite! That¡¯s a beast!¡± he continued.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what that thing was, we need to find Vincent and the others! They might be in danger if we don¡¯t find them!¡± Ruby said.

    Archie shook his head. ¡°No, they¡¯re going to be fine¡­¡± He said. ¡°That thing, it didn¡¯t prey on us like the other parasites,¡± he continued.

    ¡°We still have to find them because they¡¯re not responding on the radio,¡± Ruby said. ¡°Let¡¯s move!¡± she continued as she walked over the trunk on the ground.

    After walking almost a whole day, they couldn¡¯t find Vincent and the others. Ruby looked a bit worried because she didn¡¯t want to lose another person under her command. Tommy knew that she carried that burden on her own so he tried to cheer her up a bit and convinced her to get some rest before they continue searching for Vincent and the others.

    Archie was staying up while both Ruby and Tommy were asleep since they exhausted themselves. He wandered around the camp to see if that parasite was near because he was curious about that thing that made him unconscious with a single roar.

    As he walked around the forest, he felt a cold breeze hit his face, he immediately looked up. ¡°I know that you have been following me ever since I entered the forest,¡± he said.

    A small whirlwind could be seen in front of Archie, and it slowly reshaped itself into a human form. Archie was surprised to see it with his own eyes, and then the human-shaped wind approached him in a form of a woman.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to be able to see you again,¡± The wind witch said.

    ¡°You¡¯re the elder sister of the wind witch?¡± Archie asked.

    The witch tilted her head. ¡°How did you know?¡± she replied.

    ¡°Because you can do something like that that the other wind witches that I met couldn¡¯t do,¡± Archie explained.

    ¡°That¡¯s correct, I¡¯m the oldest one,¡± The witch said. ¡°Are you perhaps searching for that parasite that flew away this afternoon?¡± she asked.

    Before Archie could answer, the witch shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t, you will only bring chaos if you do that because your existence is a threat to them,¡± she explained.

    ¡°What is that thing?¡± Archie asked.

    The witch took a long pause before she answered. ¡°That¡¯s the parasite that lives in the deep, one of the many parasites that the human haven¡¯t discovered. They¡¯re the parasite that came from the center of the meteorite that struck the earth, they evolved, used, and combined the form of the extinct animals that roamed the earth millions of years ago that they saw and devoured the genes,¡± she answered.

    Archie squinted his eyes. ¡°So they¡¯re the strongest parasites?¡±

    The witch chuckled softly. ¡°They¡¯re not only the strongest but also the ones who reign over the parasites around the world, they¡¯re the ones with a crown on their head.¡±

    Archie was dumbfounded and shocked by the answer, he couldn¡¯t believe that there were so many things that were more terrifying than what he saw. He never thought that his existence was just one of the many that were insignificant to some.

    ¡°Don¡¯t ever think of going against them, their existence alone could make every living being suffer including us. They¡¯re not interested in what¡¯s happening on the surface, but once they decided to come out, we are done for,¡± The witch warned Archie.

    Archie looked at the stars and nodded with understanding. ¡°I will keep that in mind.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± The witch smiled.

    ¡°Before you go¡­¡± Archie said as he looked at her. ¡°Have you seen our companion that came here earlier? There are four of them,¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°They¡¯re hiding in the cave not far from here, you will be able to see the cave a few hours from here. All you need to do is to go north from here and you can see a giant cave down below the cliff.¡± The witch replied.

    Archie looked at the north. ¡°Why are they hiding?¡±

    ¡°The same reason why you¡¯re out here,¡± The witch said.

    Archie hummed with understanding. ¡°Can I ask you one more thing?¡± Archie asked and turned his head to look at the witch. ¡°Do you see humans that live in the mountain? There should be a lot of them.¡± he continued.

    The witch pointed her finger at the northeast. ¡°You see the mountain over there?¡± She said. ¡°They¡¯re over there, you will see an outpost on your way there and that means you¡¯re close to their village,¡± she continued.

    Archie looked where she pointed her finger at. ¡°Thank you, that helps me a lot of trouble.¡±

    The witch smiled and nodded. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I will leave and enjoy the night sky.¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± Archie said. ¡°You¡¯re quite far from where you belong, is there a reason why are you going all the way here so suddenly?¡± he asked.

    ¡°There¡¯s no more reason for me to be there anymore since I have lost two of my sisters. My other sister is also roaming around for fun and since we are not needed anymore.¡± The witch said.

    ¡°Not needed? Isn¡¯t there someone like me that came from the north? He might come back to see you, no?¡± Archie asked.

    The witch smiled and looked at the ground then she looked at Archie. ¡°You will know, eventually¡­¡± she answered. ¡°Goodbye, Archie, and I will see you again, someday,¡± she said as she started to disappear.

    Archie watched her fly and disappeared under the moonlight, he then looked at the north and decided to pick Vincent and the others up.

    After an hour of running through the forest, Archie reached the cliff that the witch mentioned. He looked down and saw the cave, he jumped down and used his claws on the wall to slow him down from the fall. He could feel a presence from the cave and heard them whispering to each other, he then entered the cave and saw the four of them on guard with their weapons in their hands when they saw Archie.

    ¡°Thank god it¡¯s just you¡­¡± Vincent said as he exhaled with relief.

    Archie looked at them and tilted his head toward the cave¡¯s mouth. ¡°Come on, Ruby and Tommy are looking for you guys,¡± Archie said as he put his glove on.

    On their way to Ruby and Tommy, Vincent and the others were looking around in fear. ¡°By the way, Archie¡­¡± Vincent said. ¡°Did you see it? That flying parasite?¡± he asked.

    Archie looked at them as he kept walking. ¡°We all did,¡± he answered.

    ¡°That¡¯s not a parasite, that¡¯s a dragon!¡± Daniel said as he looked at Vincent.

    ¡°You guys don¡¯t have to worry about that, that parasite doesn¡¯t care about a being like us,¡± Archie said.

    ¡°What makes you think that it¡¯s not dangerous?¡± Resse asked as she glared at Archie.

    ¡°Because I stood there in front of that thing and it left after it greeted me,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°Greeted you?¡± Prince asked.

    Archie looked at him from the corner of his eyes. ¡°Yes, it roared at me and it was enough to put me unconscious then it flew away.¡±

    All of them were shocked and looked at each other. ¡°What¡¯s that thing, Archie?¡± Vincent asked.

    Archie stopped and turned around. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about them, but it¡¯s the king who ruled over the parasite in this area,¡± he answered. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to scare you, but there¡¯s more of that thing around us,¡± he continued.

 Chapter 51

    ¡°You found them?¡± Ruby asked as she saw Archie come back with Vincent and the others. ¡°Where were you? I couldn¡¯t contact you with the radio,¡± she asked as she looked at Vincent.

    ¡°We were hiding inside a cave not far from here, we hid there and I think that was the reason why we can¡¯t communicate with the radio. The reason why we were hiding was to escape from the parasite that we saw. You saw it too, right? Archie said that you guys saw it up close,¡± Vincent replied.

    Ruby nodded and explained what happened to them earlier.

    ¡°So that thing is the king of parasites? Not to mention that there¡¯s more than one?¡± Ruby asked as he looked at Archie.

    ¡°As I said, I don¡¯t know the details but that¡¯s what I know so far,¡± Archie said. ¡°Anyway, we can¡¯t waste our time talking about this, we need to find the nomad. Fortunately, while I was looking for them, I saw some light that came from the northeast and I believe that¡¯s where they¡¯re staying,¡± he continued.

    ¡°Oh? That¡¯s convenient, let¡¯s head there now while the sun hasn¡¯t raised yet.¡± Ruby said to Vincent and the others.

    All of them nodded and followed Ruby and Archie from behind.

    After walking for hours, they found an outpost above the cliff and they saw a torch on each side. Ruby and the others were smiling happily and immediately went to find a way to go up there.

    Archie couldn¡¯t sense any parasite since the first time he entered the forest, he felt a bit unease with the peacefulness of the forest but at the same time, he was glad that he didn¡¯t have to fight them. He might know the reason why there were no parasites in the forest and that reason would be that dragon-like parasite.

    Ruby lifted her hand and clenched it. ¡°Hold¡­¡± She said and everyone stopped moving and looked at Ruby.

    ¡°There¡¯s a person guarding the tower outpost, let¡¯s walk casually and don¡¯t do anything suspicious,¡± she ordered.

    All of them nodded and walked on the narrow path up to the mountain.

    ¡°Hello?¡± Ruby said as she waved at the guy on the tower outpost.

    The guy pointed his flashlight at them, he furrowed his forehead and immediately grabbed his pistol then pointed at them. ¡°Who are you?¡± He asked calmly.

    Ruby covered her eyes with her left arm. ¡°We are from the capital city, we came here to look for you guys,¡± Ruby answered.

    The guy lowered his gun and walked toward the railing to see their faces. The torch made them able to see the guy¡¯s face, an old man with white hair and mustache and beard.

    ¡°Ruby?!¡± The old man said with a surprised expression.

    Ruby squinted her eyes and gasped. ¡°Colonel Fanheim!¡± She replied.

    Vincent, Daniel, and Tommy ran hurriedly and stood next to Ruby to see the Colonel¡¯s face. They knew him and they waved at him with a huge smile on their face while Prince and Resse just stood there and didn¡¯t say anything.

    Fanheim climbed down the stairs and approached them. ¡°Tommy, Daniel, Vincent? What are you guys doing here?!¡± He asked as he looked at them one by one. ¡°What happened to your arm?!¡± He asked as he looked at Ruby¡¯s prosthetic arm.

    ¡°A lot of things happened in the city, Colonel,¡± Ruby replied while she tried to hide her arm.

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Fanheim said with a sorrowful voice as he nodded with understanding. ¡°Come on, I will lead you to the village, you guys must be tired since you traveled quite far,¡± he continued as he waved at them and tilted his head on the road.

    As they walked in the dark with trees on the sides, Fanheim looked at Ruby. ¡°So, how¡¯s Julia? Is she still being carefree and living as she pleased?¡± he asked.

    Ruby lowered her head and went quiet, not just her but the others as well. Fanheim took a deep breath and exhaled deeply as he stared at the bright night sky. ¡°Nothing can be expected in this kind of life, huh?¡± he said. ¡°I know that you¡¯re blaming yourself, but it wasn¡¯t your fault. If she dies, then it was her decision, that was what I told you guys back then, remember? If you die, you can¡¯t blame anyone else but yourself for whatever reason.¡± he continued.

    Fanheim stopped and turned around. ¡°Welcome to the small village of ours, it¡¯s not much but we can¡¯t ask for more because we have been living here peacefully,¡± he said as he pointed his hand to the vast area behind him with so many small cabins there.

    The village was so dark with zero light and it was so quiet because everyone was asleep. Fanheim guided them into the village and brought them to his cabin and told them to sit down at the long table next to his cabin. He went inside his cabin and Ruby was following him to help him prepare coffee for everyone.

    ¡°Who¡¯s that old man?¡± Archie asked Vincent.

    ¡°As you heard, he¡¯s Colonel Fanheim or used to be,¡± Vincent replied. ¡°Colonel Fanheim used to be a close friend with Marshall Marlon before he decided to use the humans for the experiment. Colonel Fanheim didn¡¯t hate that they discovered a new way to make ordinary humans to be Axis humans. The problem was that Marshall Marlon treated those experimented Axis Humans better than us and created discrimination amongst ourselves including the ordinary humans.¡± he continued.

    Archie could tell by the way Prince and Resse separated themselves between them and Vincent, Tommy, and Daniel by sitting on the other side of the table.

    ¡°After that, the bridge collapsed and Colonel Fanehim decided to leave because he couldn¡¯t be in the same place with Marshall Marlon anymore. So, the moment he left, some of the Axis Humans followed him and left the rest of us in the city. He was like a father figure for all of us the Axis Humans, not for those that came from the experiment,¡± Vincent explained. ¡°Ruby and Julia were close to him but because of his request, they both stayed in the city and lead the rest of us because he believed in them,¡± Vincent said and sighed.

    (Inside Fanheim¡¯s cabin.)

    ¡°So, tell me about your story, Bubby¡­¡± Fanheim asked as he poured the hot water into the wooden cup. ¡°Oh, do they still call you Bubby?¡± Fanheim smiled as she looked at Ruby.

    ¡°They still do,¡± Ruby replied and scoffed while she smiled.

    ¡°Sorry that I made that name, it sounds like a kid¡¯s name but you¡¯re still a kid in my eyes though,¡± Fanheim said as he chuckled. ¡°So, what happened to your arm?¡± Fanheim asked.

    Ruby explained the things she wanted to tell him, and then the topic changed to the death of Julia and said that it was her fault. Fanheim listened to her as he stirred the cups of coffee, Ruby started to fill her eyes with tears and sniffled but Fanheim didn¡¯t comfort her and just kept listening. He wasn¡¯t pretending to not care but he wanted her to let all the weights on her shoulders disappear.

    ¡°Bub, it¡¯s so easy to make a mistake that you can do that without even realizing it,¡± Fanheim said. ¡°But you know what¡¯s easier than making a mistake? Doing nothing,¡± He explained as he looked at Ruby. ¡°It¡¯s better to make dozens of mistakes rather than doing nothing, do you know why?¡± he asked. ¡°Because you will learn and realize who you really are. You will understand that with every mistake you made, you become someone new by not making the same mistake again,¡± he answered.

    Ruby looked down and looked at the cup of coffee in her hands. ¡°But I made the same mistake twice now¡­¡± she said.

    ¡°Is it really?¡± Fanheim asked as he raised his eyebrows. ¡°You didn¡¯t let them die, you tried to convince them that it was dangerous but you weren¡¯t in charge of that expedition, it wasn¡¯t your fault but you think it was your fault,¡± Fanheim explained. ¡°And Julia¡¯s death, that one was indeed your fault but that wasn¡¯t the same as back then,¡± Fanheim said. ¡°Look at your arm now, you can interpret it as a redemption for your mistake, and trust me, losing someone¡¯s life under your command isn¡¯t something new or rare because I have killed hundreds of them because of my mistakes,¡± Fanheim rubbed Ruby¡¯s head gently.

    Fanheim took a sip as he looked outside the window. ¡°Look at you now, you became stronger, you¡¯re promoted to Major because you¡¯re capable. That¡¯s proof that the you now is made because of those mistakes,¡± he said. ¡°A hero never called themselves a hero, they knew that they survived because of the decision they made whether it was a mistake or a right one. In the end, there are only regrets and guilt for what they did or what they didn¡¯t do, and that makes both of us human with hearts, people tend to follow people with a good heart than people with good skills but with no heart. You have proven yourself by the people that are following you here, am I wrong?¡± Fanheim said.

    Ruby slightly smiled and nodded.

    ¡°Okay, I can give you another life lesson but for now, let¡¯s give these cups of coffee to them before they get cold, yeah?¡± Fanheim said.

    Ruby chuckled and nodded then brought them outside with Fanheim.

 Chapter 52

    Fanheim talked with them until dawn, and they decided to sleep in his cabin but not Archie. He was watching the forest from the edge of the mountain, he admired the night sky and not a single parasite could be seen. He heard footsteps coming toward him, he turned around and saw Fanheim was holding a new cup of coffee in his hand.

    ¡°So you¡¯re out here, young man,¡± Fanheim said as he stood next to Archie. ¡°Enjoying the view?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Not really, I have been living in this kind of environment for years so it¡¯s not really why I¡¯m standing here,¡± Archie replied as he kept looking at the forest down below.

    ¡°Right, you¡¯re not originally from the Eastern Nation,¡± Fanheim said as he took a sip of his coffee. ¡°So what are you doing up here on your own?¡± Fanheim asked.

    ¡°Something is off with this place, there are no parasites even though this place is close to FalCon-2,¡± Archie said. ¡°Does this has something to do with that dragon-like parasite that roams around the mountain?¡± he asked as he looked at Fanheim.

    Fanheim nodded. ¡°That¡¯s correct. We used to be living far east from here but there was no such a thing as a safe place. We survived for quite a long time and lost a few of our people but thankfully the ordinary humans that followed us are all safe here.¡± Fanheim explained. ¡°That parasite that you saw today, is the ruler of the mountains. It came out occasionally and hunt other parasites, we are not sure why it¡¯s eating parasites but it didn¡¯t bother us at all as if it allows us to live here as long as we don¡¯t bother his hunting ground,¡± he continued as he leaned on the wooden railing.

    ¡°And do you have any thoughts of why it does that?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°We have been living here for a whole year now and we still don¡¯t know the reason why it does that. But, for whatever reason it does that, it¡¯s giving us a new discovery that not all parasites are dangerous or at least not to us humans.¡± Fanheim replied. ¡°Maybe it tries to protect us from harm so we can live here peacefully, who knows,¡± he continued. ¡°Anyway, the sun is raising, I should get some sleep since I have to guard the outpost again tonight,¡± he said and went into the cabin.

    The morning came and the fog with chill wind covered the village. One by one people came out of the cabins and started to work, there were at least 200 people in the village. All of them were greeting each other and noticed Archie who sat at the table next to Fanheim¡¯s cabin. They were all whispering to each other and Archie could hear what they were whispering about, and then a guy with long brown hair approached him.

    ¡°Are you from the city?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Yes and there¡¯s more inside Colonel Fanheim¡¯s cabin,¡± Archie replied.

    Ruby came out of the cabin and the guy looked at her with a surprised expression. ¡°Bubby?!¡±

    ¡°Long time no see, Mason,¡± Ruby said as she smiled and walked toward him.

    Vincent and the others came out of the cabin and saw Mason, they approached him and hug him except for Prince and Resse. They seemed to know each other very well or even closer than just a friend, Archie just watched them at the table.

    ¡°Oh, this is Archie, our strongest soldier in the Eastern Nation,¡± Ruby said as she pointed her hand at Archie.

    ¡°Eh? Really? This is surprising,¡± Mason said. ¡°Where¡¯s Julia? Is she still sleeping in there?¡± Mason asked while he smiled.

    Ruby shook her head. ¡°She¡¯s gone,¡±

    Mason¡¯s smile disappeared. ¡°Oh, I see¡­¡± he said with sadness in his voice.

    Ruby nodded and took a deep breath. ¡°Anyway, is Newman here?¡±

    ¡°Newman? His cabin is up there, you will find him in front of his house chopping logs,¡± Mason said.

    Ruby nodded with understanding and then looked at Archie. ¡°You can go there on your own, we have another thing to do,¡±

    Archie nodded and left then walked up the mountain to look for Newman.

    Archie looked around and saw so many cabins up there, it looked like the village covered the whole mountain. He heard chopping sounds coming from his right, he saw a bald old man chopping the logs, he looked at him for a moment then decided to approach him.

    ¡°Are you Newman?¡± Archie asked.

    Newman squinted his eyes and furrowed his forehead. ¡°I have never seen you before, who are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Archie Lancaster, I came from the city,¡± Archie answered.

    Newman hummed. ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked.

    Archie pulled out his bag and grabbed the piece of the fragment then he showed it to Newman. Newman sighed and stuck the axe on the ground, he then approached Archie and looked at the fragment. He was shocked and grabbed it from Archie¡¯s hand, he looked at it thoroughly, back and forth.

    ¡°Where did you get this?!¡± Newman asked.

    ¡°In the old laboratory hidden behind a steel door in the abandoned city where hundreds of experimented humans turned into parasites,¡± Archie answered as he rested his hands on his waist.

    Newman kept looking at the fragment and then he looked at Archie. ¡°So? Why are you showing this to me?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I need your skill to make me a weapon from this,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°What makes you think I¡¯m able to process this thing?¡± Newman asked while he squinted his eyes.

    ¡°Ruby said that you¡¯re the best blacksmith in the Eastern Nation, or at least used to be,¡± Archie answered as he crossed his arms.

    Newman tried to swing the fragment up and down in his hand, he then shook his head as he shrugged his mouth. ¡°You want me to make a weapon from this? I can¡¯t do that because I don¡¯t have the equipment to process this. Also, this much isn¡¯t enough to make a proper weapon, all I can make from this is a dagger,¡± he explained.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that, there¡¯s at least a ton of it inside the laboratory. I only took a small chunk of it to show you in case you don¡¯t believe me,¡± Archie said.

    ¡°So you came all the way here just so you can ask me to make a weapon for you?¡± Newman asked. ¡°My answer to that is a no because I don¡¯t want to go back to the city since I have a new life here so you can go back to the city and ask the other blacksmiths to make it for you,¡± he said as he gave the fragment back to Archie.

    Archie just scoffed and smirked as he looked down.

    ¡°What¡¯s so funny about it?¡± Newman raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± Archie looked at Newman. ¡°If you think you¡¯re safe here, you¡¯re blind,¡± he continued.

    ¡°What the fuck is that supposed to mean you brat?!¡± Newman yelled at Archie. ¡°You know nothing about this place and you think you know better than us who has been living in this mountain for years?!¡± he kept yelling at him that starting to attract the people around the mountain.

    Ruby came and looked at Archie and Newman. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?!¡±

    Newman looked at Ruby then he pointed his finger at Archie. ¡°This brat thinks he knows everything about this place and threatened us by saying that this place is not safe?! What the fuck is this brat thinking?!¡± he yelled so that everyone could hear what he was saying.

    ¡°It¡¯s better for you to calm down, Newman, everyone could hear what you¡¯re saying and that¡¯s not good because you¡¯re only making them feel unease,¡± Ruby said as she tried to calm him down.

    Ruby looked at Archie as she furrowed her eyebrows and slightly shook her head questioning his words by saying that they were in danger. Archie just knew about it last night because the witch came and told him about the situation around the mountain.

    (A few hours ago.)

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Archie asked as he looked at the wind witch floated in front of him on the edge of the cliff.

    ¡°It ran out of food and it has been wandering around the mountain for hours now. Now that it saw you earlier, it has been tracking you ever since. Knowing that you¡¯re here with those humans, he¡¯s going to get here sooner or later to hunt for food,¡± The witch explained.

    ¡°So we are in danger?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Yes, you must leave this place before the sun raises or you all will end up being its food,¡± The witch answered. ¡°You only have a little time but it¡¯s all up to you whether you¡¯re going to warn them or let them see it for yourself,¡± she continued.

    ¡°I see, thank you for the warning,¡± Archie said and then the witch disappeared.

    (Back to present.)

    Fanheim and the others came and checked on what happened, they were all gathered while Newman was still mad for what Archie said earlier.

    ¡°Alright, you need to calm down, Anton,¡± Fanheim said. ¡°Archie, what do you mean that we are not safe here?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You said earlier this morning that the parasite that we were talking about was here to hunt parasites, right? But have you seen any parasites from the past few days?¡± Archie asked and Fanheim just furrowed his forehead with confusion. ¡°You haven¡¯t encountered them lately, isn¡¯t it? Do you know what happens when a predator is running out of food? It will hunt something new that lives in the mountain, and that means all of us will be its food next,¡± Archie explained.

    The ground suddenly trembled and everyone looked at the ground while they were panicking. A loud banging sound could be heard from the top of the mountain that echoed throughout the whole area. Everyone looked up and they couldn¡¯t see anything because the fog was blocking their vision.

    Archie sighed and put his hand on Ruby¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Bring everyone out to the safety as far as possible,¡± he said as he looked at Ruby. ¡°We only have little time and I can¡¯t hold that thing for more than 10 minutes, so make it count,¡± he continued.

    Ruby nodded and looked at Vincent and the others. ¡°Bring everyone out from the mountain! Now!¡± she yelled.

    Fanheim looked at Ruby and Vincent was panicking as they ran and told everyone to leave the mountain. ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s better for you to leave as well, Colonel,¡± Archie said as he removed his gloves. ¡°If we are lucky, you can still save half of the people here,¡± he said calmly and looked at Fanheim.

    A giant shadow was covering the sunlight from above the fogs, they were looking at the shape of the shadow and it looked like the parasite that they had seen before. The same roar could be heard and everyone was covering their ears because it hurts their eardrums while Archie tried to endure it and prepared himself to fight it.

    Everyone was running in panic and then Ruby came back and looked at Archie. ¡°We have gathered all the people!¡±

    Archie turned around and nodded. ¡°Okay, just go and I will catch up with you guys later,¡±

    Ruby nodded and then looked at Fanheim, Prince, and Resse. ¡°Come on, Colonel, Prince, Resse! We need to leave!¡±

    The three of them didn¡¯t want to leave and want to fight with Archie but Ruby denied it and told them to leave with her but they were so stubborn that they wanted to stay.

    ¡°Let them be, Ruby,¡± Archie said. ¡°It¡¯s a good time to show them the truth about this world and who I really am,¡± he continued as he looked at Ruby. ¡°You can go and don¡¯t look back, I will bring them with me safely so don¡¯t worry,¡± he said.

    Ruby was hesitant but then she left leaving the four of them on their own to fight the dragon-like parasite.

    ¡°Now, let me show you what this world has become,¡± Archie said as he walked to the front and looked at his hand.

 Chapter 53

    ¡°Hey?! What are you doing?¡± Resse yelled at Archie who removed his sword and guns from his back and waist.

    Archie removed the gloves from his hands, he turned around and looked at Resse. ¡°You used artillery and big guns to fight the 7th gen parasites that tried to destroy the city. What makes you think these weapons can stop that parasite?¡± he said. ¡°If you¡¯re changing your mind, it¡¯s not too late to join Ruby and the others,¡± he continued.

    ¡°So what? How about you? What the fuck are you thinking by not using any weapon to fight this thing!¡± Resse yelled at him still.

    Archie smirked and turned his right hand into blade-like fingers and wrapped them with tissues all the way up to his arm. ¡°With this,¡± Archie replied.

    The three of them were shocked and glared at Archie¡¯s hand with disbelief. ¡°What are you?!¡± Fanheim asked.

    ¡°Me? I¡¯m something that you called an Ex-Human,¡± Archie answered. ¡°If you¡¯re thinking of stabbing me on the back, I can kill the three of you first and tell the others that you all died from the battle,¡± Archie said calmly.

    A roar came from in front of them and it was enough to make the three of them kneel in fear. Archie covered his ears and heart with the tissues so he won¡¯t be affected by the roars for the second time.

    Giant footsteps were running toward them and Archie wrapped his whole body with his muscle tissues except for his head. He glanced at the dragon-like that was running toward him, he then looked at the three of them who were struggling to recover from the roar.

    ¡°This is the truth about the world you¡¯re living in,¡± Archie said and then he sharpened his claws and readied his stances. ¡°That the world is fine without you humans,¡± he said as he looked up at the dragon-like parasite with its mouth wide open ready to swallow him.

    Archie made his both hands bigger and used them to grab the parasite¡¯s giant mouth, he was struggling to hold the parasite away from him. The muscles that wrapped his arms tore quickly and the loud cracking sounds of his bones could be heard clearly. He then screamed as he pushed the parasite then threw it to the side.

    ¡°No matter how hard you try to survive, the end of humankind is coming and you can do nothing about it,¡± Archie said as his arms started to recover from the injuries.

    The dragon-like parasite crushed the cabins and rolled over flattening everything in its way. Fanheim, Prince, and Resse recovered from the roar, they were looking at Archie that had fully transformed his body and face like a mummy. They were shocked to see something like that for the first time in their lives, Archie¡¯s body became bigger to match the dragon-like parasite¡¯s body. Knowing that they were no match for the parasite, the three of them decided to watch from the side and let Archie handle it on his own.

    Archie ran and leaped toward the parasite with his claws ready to pierce its skin but the parasite used his tail to whip him away. He grabbed onto the parasite¡¯s tail and tried to stick his claws inside, he was surprised that it wasn¡¯t as hard as he expected, but then he noticed that he only pierced through the scales not the skin of the parasite. The parasite¡¯s skin was way tougher than the scale, and before he could try to pierce his claw into its skin, the parasite¡¯s head turned at him and bit half of his torso.

    The bite wasn¡¯t lethal since Archie¡¯s skin and muscle could prevent its sharp teeth from breaking his torso, but the problem arose when the breath of the parasite released extreme cold that made the right side of his body numb. Archie tried to free himself by opening the parasite¡¯s mouth with both hands but it won¡¯t budge since the parasite¡¯s strength outmatched his.

    Archie decided to put his whole arm inside the parasite¡¯s mouth and extended them like a jacking tool. Either his arm managed to open the parasite¡¯s mouth or pierced through its mouth, but either way, it gave him the advantage to deal with the parasite.

    The parasite tried to resist as he wiggled its head, then it used its tail to attack Archie from the other side. Archie used his left hand to deal with the raging tail of the parasite until the parasite pushed Archie¡¯s left arm away and pierced his body with its tail. The parasite¡¯s tail tore half of Archie¡¯s body while Archie was struggling to free himself.

    Archie¡¯s wounds healed themselves almost instantly so it wasn¡¯t a problem for him, he then decided to gouge the parasite¡¯s eye with his left hand. The parasite roared in pain and removed Archie from its mouth, Archie immediately backed away to recover. He looked down and half of his torso was frozen because of the cold breath and he couldn¡¯t regenerate since it was frozen so he decided to tear half of his torso with his left hand and removed the frozen part of his torso.

    Fanheim, Prince, and Resse were watching Archie with disbelief, they realized how weak they were compared to Archie and especially compared to the parasite. Reality struck them real hard that they were insignificant and nothing but a bottom feeder.

    Archie used his old method by going for the soft area of every parasite which was the eye. If the parasite couldn¡¯t see then there was nothing he should be worried about. He charged toward the parasite and dodged all the attacks of its tail and bites, he then went to the other side and gouged the right eye of the parasite.

    The parasite roared as it started to move randomly and whipped its tail to protect itself from threat. Suddenly it released a cold breath around its body and everything that was touched by its breath became frozen in an instant. Knowing that he couldn¡¯t get close to the parasite anymore he decided to transform back into his normal body.

    Archie walked away as he started to feel anxious because his guts were telling him that another one was about to come because of the loud roar of the dragon-like parasite. He grabbed the gloves that he threw earlier, he put them on as he looked at the three of them with fear written all over their faces.

    ¡°What are you doing? It¡¯s time to leave,¡± Archie said.

    The three of them looked at Archie and didn¡¯t respond to his words at all and then suddenly a loud banging sound could be heard from the peak of the mountain. All of them looked up and saw a giant creature coming out from inside the mountain and blocking the sunlight, it was so big that it couldn¡¯t be described by the shadow on the fog. It roared and trembled the whole mountain, the four of them immediately ran down the mountain but Archie looked to his left and saw the dragon-like parasite digging the ground as if it was scared of the creature that surfaced from the deep and tried to leave.

    Ruby and the others looked up at the mountain when they heard the roar, they were terrified because of it and she immediately ordered everyone to move faster.

    As they ran down the mountain, they saw dozens of parasites screeching as they ran for their lives. Ruby and the others immediately grabbed their weapons but the parasites ignored them and kept running down the mountain. They were confused because that was the first time they saw a parasite ignore them and not to mention they were running in fear.

    Archie and the others caught up with Ruby and the rest of them, they were running together down the mountain.

    ¡°What happened?!¡± Ruby asked as she ran beside Archie.

    ¡°I fought and I think the dragon-like parasite summoned that thing that just surfaced from the deep of the mountain. It was so big that we couldn¡¯t see the shape of its body by judging on the shadow in the fog, but whatever it was, it scared the parasite that I fought,¡± Archie replied.

    As Archie ran down the mountain, he felt a breeze hit his face, he stopped and looked around.

    ¡°What are you doing?! We need to leave this mountain as soon as possible!¡± Ruby screamed at him.

    ¡°You go ahead! I will catch up with you!¡± Archie replied.

    The wind witch appeared next to him and Ruby could see the witch standing next to Archie but since she had to keep running down the mountain, she turned around and focused on escorting the nomad safely out of the mountain.

    ¡°What have you done?¡± The witch asked. ¡°I told you once they came out from the deep, it will be over for you,¡± she said. ¡°There¡¯s not much time left, you must leave this continent or you will be dead,¡± she warned.

    ¡°How much time do I have left?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Less than a year, you have to leave this continent before the other kings came out and clash to fight for the land,¡± The witch answered.

    ¡°Half a year¡­¡± Archie said as he looked at the mountain.

    (At the same time in FalCon-3)

    The black-haired witch looked at the north while she leaned on the tree. ¡°What happened over there?¡±

    The green-haired witch appeared from the tree. ¡°A king has arisen.¡±

    The red-haired witch stood next to the black-haired witch. ¡°It has begun¡­ the clash of the kings.¡±

 Chapter 54

    ¡°What is going on?!¡± Newman yelled as he looked at Fanheim.

    Archie walked out of the forest and glanced at Fanheim who had been staring at him ever since he left the forest. Archie walked past them and went to the road since he had been sensing parasites all around him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Newman¡­¡± Fanheim shook his head. ¡°Whatever is happening right now, it¡¯s better for us to leave the mountain for good. The whole forest and mountains are inhabitable right now¡­¡± he explained.

    ¡°Then where are we going to live?! Our belongings are up there, we can¡¯t just start to live in another place with nothing on us,¡± Newman yelled as he pointed at the mountain.

    ¡°Newman, it¡¯s better for us to go back to the capital city¡­¡± Fanheim said heavyheartedly and looked down.

    ¡°Are you out of your mind?!¡± Newman kept yelling at him.

    ¡°Newman! Enough!¡± Fanheim yelled back at him and it surprised everyone because it was the first time Fanheim raised his voice. ¡°We are a fool to think that we can live peacefully¡­ we are so ignorant that we forgot about the reality of this world¡­¡± he said quietly as he clenched his fists.

    Everyone looked at him with confusion except for Prince and Resse because they were thinking the same thing after they saw what happened up there with their own two eyes.

    ¡°This is my selfish request, we have to go back to the city and warn the others about what happened in the mountain¡­¡± Fanheim said as he closed his eyes. ¡°With these two with us, I believe I can convince Marlon,¡± he continued as he looked at Prince and Resse.

    Ruby looked around and searched for Archie that gone missing, she then decided to look for him.

    Ruby could hear cracking sounds coming from behind the abandoned factory, she walked there and saw Archie ripping a parasite body into half with his bare hands. ¡°So you¡¯re here,¡± she said.

    ¡°There are dozens of parasites around here, I need to clean them up before they started to hunt for food,¡± Archie said as he threw the body of a parasite to the side.

    ¡°What happened up there?¡± Ruby asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s better to wait for Fanheim, Prince, and Resse to calm down a bit then I will tell you guys what really happened up there,¡± Archie said and looked at Ruby. ¡°For now, help me hunt these parasites,¡± he continued as he grabbed his sword from the wall.

    The sun rose and at its peak, everyone was resting in one of the abandoned factories. Fanheim convinced the nomad to come back to the city and they couldn¡¯t do anything but follow him. Fanheim, Tommy, Daniel, Vincent, Prince, Ruby, and Resse were in one of the rooms in the factory and quietly stared at Archie.

    ¡°You know the truth about him, Bub?¡± Fanheim asked Ruby.

    ¡°The four of us do,¡± Ruby answered as she pointed her hand around Tommy, Daniel, and Vincent.

    They look at the three of them and they just nodded and looked away.

    ¡°Could you tell us how did you end up like that so we can understand what¡¯s going on?¡± Fanheim asked.

    Archie sighed and leaned on the wall, he then started to explain about everything that happened to him simply to not waste time. Ruby and Vincent helped him and filled the blank in his story, they helped him answer some of the questions they had.

    ¡°Is there anything else you want to ask?¡± Archie asked and looked at the three of them.

    They shook their heads since they already got the big picture in their heads.

    ¡°So this king you mentioned earlier, is the one who ruled over the parasites on the surface? And you said that there were more of them underneath us?¡± Fanheim asked.

    ¡°Yes, and if you¡¯re asking me how many of them are there, I can¡¯t tell but I believe there are a lot of them based on the information that the wind witch told me,¡± Archie replied.

    ¡°The clash of the kings, that sounds terrifying, and to be honest, with less than a year, we might be able to leave the continent and proceed with the original plan,¡± Fanheim said as he looked at Ruby and Vincent.

    ¡°Can you persuade her, Colonel? We tried but it seems that she doesn¡¯t want to make the same mistake again,¡± Ruby said.

    Fanheim nodded. ¡°I will try to persuade her but that means we have to tell everyone about this situation so everyone will willingly help us build the ship because we can make at least three or four ships with the time that we have left,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Do you think that many ships will be enough to bring everyone out of the continent?¡± Prince asked.

    ¡°No, it won¡¯t be enough so we have to think how many ships are needed for everyone to leave the continent. By the moment those kings surfaced and we have three or four ships, we can safely send at least more than a half of the people out of this continent,¡± Fanheim answered without hesitation. ¡°Some of us will stay behind and keep making ships for ourselves then we can catch up with the rest,¡± he continued.

    ¡°That would be hard, isn¡¯t it? Leaving those people on their own?¡± Resse said.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why I¡¯m willing to be left behind and it¡¯s better to leave the Axis Humans behind rather than having the civilian to stay behind with me,¡± Fanheim said. ¡°You both should be board the first ship and lead the people on the sea because you¡¯re stronger than us to deal with whatever that you encounter in the sea,¡± he continued.

    Prince nodded in agreement. ¡°That was the plan to bring all the Axis Humans from the experiment will board the ship. Now that we are going to build more than one ship, I think it¡¯s nice to hear since there are a lot of us more and it will be no problem to protect the people,¡± he said.

    ¡°We are running out of time, and we have to start making progress on this plan. Every hour counts and the responsibility of the people¡¯s lives are in our hands, so we can¡¯t waste it by doing nothing,¡± Fanheim said. ¡°We have to start to move at night and hope that we can make it back to the city in less than a month knowing that we are bringing ordinary people with us,¡± he continued.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it better for some of us to go back to the capital first and convince Marshall Marlon to start gathering resources?¡± Ruby asked as she looked at everyone. ¡°Knowing that Marshall Marlon is favoring Prince and Resse, I think it¡¯s better for you both to go back first as soon as possible,¡± she said as she looked at both of them.

    Prince and Resse looked at each other and then Prince looked at Ruby as he nodded. ¡°We are fine with that, and I don¡¯t we are not really needed here after knowing what Archie is capable of,¡± he said.

    ¡°Yes, you both have to inform Marlon about what happened in the mountain and convince him no matter what,¡± Fanheim said as he looked at them.

    They both nodded and stood up, Archie looked at them as they walked toward the door. Prince stopped and looked back at Archie. ¡°We are not going to tell anyone about who you are, we can promise you that,¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine if you tell them about my secret, but don¡¯t hope that you will be able to see the sun again,¡± Archie said as he stared at both of them.

    ¡°We won¡¯t,¡± Prince said with fear written all over his face.

    After Prince and Resse left to the city, Fanheim told the nomad that they were going to leave when the night come. All of them were confused because it would take them a while to reach the city, and it would at least take them a month. Nobody was complaining after Fanheim explained the situation to them, they were all terrified by what they heard and decided to follow him.

    Archie was enjoying his alone time outside the building until Ruby approached him and stood next to him.

    ¡°What were you thinking?¡± Ruby asked.

    ¡°Nothing, just enjoying the weather here,¡± Archie replied.

    Ruby hummed with understanding and then she looked at Archie for quite a while. ¡°Can I ask you something?¡±

    Archie just looked at her and crossed his arms.

    ¡°You told me about your story and hearing all that makes me think that you¡¯re here not because you want to and it feels like you have a purpose as an Ex-Human after that fight with that guy back there,¡± Ruby said. ¡°Now that I think about it, what¡¯s your real goal as an Ex-Human?¡± she asked.

    Archie scoffed and smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re ready for that answer and you will understand eventually if you have seen enough.¡±

 Chapter 55

    After a whole three weeks journey from the north back to the city, they had finally reached the north wall of the city. They were looking at the wall and they were thinking that the wall hadn¡¯t changed at all ever since they left. Fanheim looked up and saw the same soldiers who were guarding on top of the walls, and when they saw the nomad from the walls, they rang the bell and opened the gate for them.

    All the Axis humans around the north gate immediately approached them and welcomed them. It was something that they hadn¡¯t done in a long time, welcoming people back to the city. Fanheim was surrounded by them and they were so happy to have him back in the city.

    While they were welcoming the nomad, a group of people walked toward the north gate, Archie saw Marshall Marlon with Prince and Ress walking toward them. Fanheim¡¯s smile disappeared the moment he saw Marlon and immediately put his serious expression.

    Marlon rested his hands on his waist as he looked at Fanheim. ¡°How long has it been? four years now?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been that long,¡± Fanheim replied as he nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Come on, we have so many things to discuss,¡± Marlon said and then he looked at Prince and Resse. ¡°I heard everything from them about what happened in the north, and I believe that we really need to evacuate and leave the continent as soon as possible,¡± he continued.

    Fanheim, Ruby, and Vincent followed Marlon to the headquarters leaving the rest behind under the soldier¡¯s care. Archie decide to go back to his house and rest for a bit because he barely had time to sleep since he had been taking care of the parasites all the way back to the city without them noticing.

    On his way back he heard footsteps that had been following him ever since he entered the city. Archie turned around and saw Newman was looking around the city and he kept staring at him until Newman noticed.

    ¡°What? This area used to be my home!¡± Newman said.

    Archie just raised his eyebrows and ignored him then continued walking back to his house.

    Even after Newman said that he kept following Archie but he was telling the truth because everyone who lived there was greeting him.

    ¡°Archie, you¡¯re back?¡± Marie said as she approached Archie, she then looked at him and patted his shoulder while she kept talking about her worries.

    ¡°Marie? You¡¯re still alive?¡± Newman asked.

    Marie looked at Newman and she immediately crossed her arms and furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°Newman? You old bastard, what are you doing here?¡± she replied.

    Archie was surprised when Marie suddenly went hostile toward Newman but by the look of it, they both seemed to be close friends or something.

    ¡°You abandoned us and now you came back here as if nothing happened? You have some balls to get back to this area,¡± Marie said as she walked toward him and started to smack him on the head a few times.

    ¡°Hey! You crazy old hag! Stop it!¡± Newman said as he protected his head with his hands.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to make you regret coming back here!¡± Marie yelled at him as she kept smacking his head.

    Archie decided to leave them and went to his house and rest for the day.

    The morning came and the sound of the roosters woke him up, he got up and washed his face, and left the house. Marie was enjoying the morning sun and then she looked at Archie. ¡°Good morning, you slept like a log yesterday,¡± she said.

    Archie raised his eyebrows. ¡°Really? Did you need me yesterday?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No, I was offering you dinner but you didn¡¯t respond so I thought you were sleeping,¡± Marie replied.

    ¡°Oh, I see, yeah, I¡¯m kind of exhausted from the journey,¡± Archie replied. ¡°By the way, Marie, are you and Newman close friends? I saw that you both were yelling at each other yesterday,¡± he said.

    ¡°Hah, that grumpy old man? He¡¯s just someone that I used to work with,¡± Marie replied.

    ¡°You work with him? Wasn¡¯t he used to be a blacksmith?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Oh, you know him? That¡¯s right, I used to work with him making weapons. We used to be working all day all night back then until he decided to leave and left us behind. He¡¯s a selfish old man that doesn¡¯t care about the people that are depending on his skill,¡± Marie answered.

    ¡°Wait, I didn¡¯t know that you¡¯re a blacksmith, Marie. Are you still making weapons?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not working anymore and enjoying my days now. It¡¯s not because I can¡¯t handle the heat anymore, it¡¯s just that I don¡¯t have the passion anymore after Newman left me because we used to be the best blacksmith in the Eastern Nation,¡± Marie said as she sat down and looked at the blue sky. ¡°Speaking of that old man, he said that he wants you to visit his house,¡± Marie said.

    ¡°Me? Why?¡± Archie asked as he tilted his head.

    ¡°He said that you have something that he¡¯s interested in,¡± Marie answered. ¡°Now that I think about it, what kind of item do you have that makes him interested in you? Can I see it?¡± Marie asked.

    ¡°Oh, hold on, I will grab it, it¡¯s in the house,¡± Archie said and went back to his house to grab the fragment. He came back and showed her the fragment in his hand. ¡°Here, you might be interested in this as well after you see it for yourself,¡± Archie said as he handed over the fragment.

    ¡°This is?!¡± Marie¡¯s eyes were wide open as she stared at the fragment.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the fragment that I took from the meteorite,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°Where did you get this?! This worth more than anything!¡± Marie was still shocked by the fragment.

    ¡°We found it in the abandoned laboratory on the west from here, there¡¯s still a boulder of this hidden in the laboratory. I¡¯m planning to make a sword from this but when I met Newman he declined and didn¡¯t want to help me,¡± Archie explained.

    ¡°What?! That stupid old man!¡± Marie said as she looked at Archie. ¡°Come with me! I will smack his head until he changes his mind,¡± Marie said as she grabbed Archie¡¯s arm and dragged him to the alleyway.

    Marie brought him all the way to the other side of the city and stood in front of a really big house. Marie banged on the door so loud that Archie felt a bit uncomfortable standing next to her while everyone was looking at them.

    ¡°Who is it?! Stop banging on the door!¡± Newman¡¯s voice could be heard from behind the door.

    The moment Newman opened the door, Marie smacked him with the fragment in her hand. ¡°That hurts!¡± Newman screamed. ¡°What the hell is wrong with you?! You came to my house, banged on the door, and hit me with that stone!¡± Newman said as he rubbed his head.

    ¡°I should be the one asking you! What¡¯s wrong with you by not helping him make a weapon from this!¡± Marie yelled back at him and showed the fragment in her hand.

    Newman looked at the fragment and grabbed it from her hand. ¡°I will take this from your hand! Do you even know how sturdy this thing is?!¡± Newman yelled at Marie.

    Newman looked at the fragment and flipped it around. ¡°I said that I didn¡¯t want to help you make a weapon back then, but now that I¡¯m back here, I change my mind. That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking this old hag to tell you to come here, but I never thought she would come here with you,¡± he said.

    ¡°So you¡¯re willing to help me now? But you said that it¡¯s not enough to make a sword with just that much fragment, should I bring you more so you can make a sword for me?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, this much isn¡¯t enough to make a sword but it¡¯s better for me to go there with you and see it for myself because I want to see how big the meteorite is,¡± Newman said.

    Archie raised his eyebrows and pointed his thumb behind his back. ¡°You want to go now?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Of course! I have prepared my gears over here, look!¡± Newman said as he pointed at the big backpack on the ground with so many tools inside it.

    ¡°I see, well then, let¡¯s get going because it¡¯s better to go there now since it¡¯s still morning,¡± Archie said.

    Newman nodded and grabbed the backpack, but before they both could leave the house, Marie grabbed Newman¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m going as well! I want to see the meteorite,¡± she said.

    ¡°What do you mean you¡¯re coming with us? You¡¯re getting old, you¡¯re just going to bother us!¡± Newman said.

    ¡°Hah?! What did you just say?!¡± Marie said as she pinched Newman¡¯s ear. ¡°I have been working with you for decades! I know you better than anyone that you¡¯re a messy person and if I¡¯m not there you¡¯re going to end up messing everything up!¡± Marie continued.

    Archie raised his eyebrows and looked at Marie. ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re going to help him make me a weapon?¡± he asked.

    Marie smiled and nodded. ¡°Of course! After seeing it for the first time, who doesn¡¯t get excited?¡±

 Chapter 56

    ¡°My goodness! This isn¡¯t just a piece! This is a big chunk of the meteorite!¡± Newman said as he glared at the meteorite in the room.

    ¡°This is unbelievable!¡± Marie said as she walked around the meteorite. ¡°How could they hide this thing from us?! We could make hundreds of weapons from this!¡± She continued as she touched the meteorite.

    Both Newman and Marie observed the meteorite for quite a while and then Newman squinted his eyes and pointed at the fresh cut on the edge. ¡°Did you make this cut?¡± Newman asked as he looked at Archie.

    ¡°Yes, I made that cut,¡± Archie replied.

    ¡°With what?¡± Newman asked.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how I made the cut because the tool that I used was shattered into pieces to get this piece,¡± Archie replied as he held the piece of the fragment. ¡°What I want to know, how are you going to cut it if this thing is stronger than anything?¡± Archie asked back to Newman.

    ¡°Do you know about the blacksmith who carved this thing?¡± Newman asked.

    ¡°No, but I do know that the AnGust family owned one and has been passed the weapon down from generation to generation,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°Such a shame, that we lost such a bright kid and the weapon he possessed. That was a great loss for everyone in the Western Nation,¡± Marie said as she blankly stared at the meteorite.

    ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t care about that, and let¡¯s get back to what we are talking about,¡± Newman said as he looked at Archie. ¡°The blacksmith¡¯s name was Koppel, he was a genius, he was the one who made the sword for the AnGust family. The secret of his method to carve the meteorite is gone but thankfully I had been researching about it and found a way to process this thing,¡± Newman said as he patted the meteorite.

    ¡°Okay? What are we going to do?¡± Archie asked as he crossed his arms.

    ¡°You see, the outer layer of this meteorite is not entirely necessary to be used for making a weapon,¡± Newman said. ¡°Come here, give me the piece of the fragment,¡± Newman said as he waved his hand.

    Archie and Marie approached him then Archie gave the fragment to Newman.

    ¡°You see this?¡± Newman said as he pointed at the outer part of the flat surface. ¡°You can see there are hundreds of layers inside that you can see here, and the outer layer is like a tree bark!¡± Newman explained.

    ¡°Okay? So what about it?¡± Marie asked.

    ¡°Now, do you see this?¡± Newman pointed at the inner layer of the fragment and the color was brighter than the outer layers. ¡°I believe and I¡¯m confident with my theory that the inner layer of this thing is the most indestructible material in this world. Koppel made the weapons from the outer layer of the meteorite, and I don¡¯t want to follow his steps, I want to make a name for myself!¡± Newman said with excitement. ¡°So! I made a chemical that would dissolve all the layers and will leave the inner layer intact so I can make the best weapon that humankind ever made!¡± Newman continued and clenched his fist then lifted it up in the air.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that would be a waste if you dissolve them?¡± Marie asked.

    ¡°No, even if I dissolved it, it will become a fine powder and we can use it to make a weapon for everyone!¡± Newman answered.

    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s good but the real question is, how are we going to dissolve this boulder of meteorite? We can¡¯t just pour the acid from top to bottom, we have to dip this giant rock into the chemical.¡± Marie asked.

    Newman giggled evilly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that, I have done my research from the information I got in the laboratory back then. I can just soak this big boy with the chemical and it will dissolve within days!¡± He answered. ¡°But there¡¯s a slight problem with that plan,¡± he continued while he rubbed his beard.

    ¡°And that it?¡± Archie asked as he stared at him.

    ¡°The chemical that can dissolve this meteorite requires a certain chemical that they use to dissolve the parasite body. So, it¡¯s something that we, the ordinary people can¡¯t have or possess,¡± Newman answered.

    ¡°What you¡¯re trying to say is either you want me to get it for you or steal it for you?¡± Archie asked as he leaned on the wall.

    Newman giggled evilly while he nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right! You¡¯re the only one who can have access to the laboratory in the headquarter. Maybe you can ask Ruby¡¯s help to get you the chemical from them,¡± he answered.

    Marie sighed and shook her head because she didn¡¯t bother to stop Newman from doing stupid things anymore.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see what I can do, but which chemical that you need to dissolve this meteorite?¡± Archie asked as he raised his eyebrow.

    ¡°Hydrofluoric acid,¡± Newman answered immediately.

    Archie closed his eyes and nodded with understanding. ¡°Alright, I can get it for you. How much do you need?¡± he asked.

    Newman hummed as he stared at the meteorite. ¡°Maybe a big drum of that? 55 gallon if you can,¡± he answered.

    ¡°Are you serious? You¡¯re going to need that much? It would be hard to get him a small a gallon of that from the laboratory, but you¡¯re asking for 55 gallons?¡± Marie asked as she glared at him with disbelief.

    ¡°I know, but if Ruby and her other friends know that we are going to need that to dissolve this thing, they would do it anyway because I¡¯m going to make them a weapon from this one-of-a-kind material!¡± Newman said.

    ¡°I hate to agree with Newman, Marie, but he¡¯s right. If Ruby and the others know that they would get a weapon from this, they would do it without hesitation,¡± Archie said as he looked at Marie with guilt.

    Marie sighed and nodded. ¡°Fine, but if you guys get into trouble, I¡¯m not going to help you,¡± she said.

    Archie nodded with understanding. ¡°Alright, I think that¡¯s it for today and we will come back here with the hydrofluoric acid so you can start working on it,¡± he said.

    ¡°Good for me, let¡¯s go back,¡± Newman said as he nodded in agreement.

    The three of them went back to the city and Archie went up to the pillar where Ruby¡¯s house was to tell her about his plan.

    ¡°Ruby are you home?¡± Archie asked as he knocked on the door because he could see the fan was on from the window but then he heard something else, he heard moans coming from inside the house and immediately walked back.

    Footsteps could be heard coming from inside and then Vincent came out of her house. Archie was surprised at first but he smiled as he looked at Vincent with no shirt and covered with sweat.

    Archie nodded with understanding as he smirked. ¡°Congrats,¡± he said out of nowhere.

    Vincent was so confused but he smiled happily. ¡°I don¡¯t know why are you saying that but thanks,¡± he replied. ¡°By the way, why are you here? Do you need something?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes, and it¡¯s perfect that you¡¯re here as well,¡± Archie said. ¡°But, it seems that I bothered you guys at the moment, you guys should continue whatever you¡¯re doing in there. I will be back in an hour,¡± he continued.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine, we are not really doing anything,¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°You know I really have sharp hearing, and I accidentally heard it so I will leave you guys for now. How about we meet at the pub once you guys are done?¡± Archie asked.

    Vincent¡¯s face turned red and cleared his throat nervously. ¡°Y-yeah, we will be there,¡± he answered.

    Archie nodded and left.

    An hour had passed and Ruby came to the pub with Vincent, they both avoided making eye contact with Archie because they were too shy after they knew that Archie heard them. Vincent pretended to be normal with Archie and sat next to him while Ruby was sitting next to Vincent and hid her presence.

    ¡°So, what do you want to talk about?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°Newman agreed on helping me make a weapon from the fragment,¡± Archie said as he looked at him.

    Vincent raised his eyebrows. ¡°That¡¯s good news, and do you need help with anything?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yeah, I might need both of your help for this one and in exchange, he will make you guys a weapon each,¡± Archie said as he nodded.

    Ruby took a peek with a surprised expression. ¡°Are you being real?¡± she asked.

    Archie nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m being serious, and to do that, he has a plan on processing the meteorite and his plan is to dissolve it with a chemical,¡± he answered. ¡°But the problem is that one of the ingredients for that chemical is hydrofluoric acid,¡± he continued.

    ¡°Okay, why is that a problem?¡± Ruby asked as she shook her head and raised her eyebrow.

    Archie furrowed his forehead and looked at her. ¡°Isn¡¯t it impossible for us to have that chemical? Also, Newman needs at least 55 gallons for that so I think it¡¯s a problem,¡± he explained.

    ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem because I can just ask to have them with Marlon¡¯s permission,¡± Ruby said.

    ¡°Oh? Well, that¡¯s nice. When do you think we can get a hand of that chemical?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°We can go right now and ask for it,¡± Ruby answered.

    ¡°Should we go now?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go,¡± Ruby answered with a smile on her face.

 Chapter 57

    Archie and the others went to the headquarters to ask Marlon¡¯s permission to get the chemical. Ruby said there were a lot of them in the laboratory and waited to be used, but after knowing they were going to abandon the continent, there were no reasons for them to use them anymore. Ruby believed that Marlon would give them to her since they would be thrown away sooner or later.

    On their way to the headquarters, they saw Fanheim was talking with the generals. He looked in Archie¡¯s direction and waved his hand at them, they decided to approach him and listened to what he had to say.

    ¡°Are you guys free?¡± Fanheim asked.

    ¡°We have something important ongoing, Sir, do you need help with something?¡± Ruby asked back.

    ¡°The three of you?¡± Fanheim asked as he pointed at them he then squinted his eyes and smiled. ¡°I can see that something is going on here, what are you guys up to?¡± he continued.

    ¡°We are going to ask Marshall Marlon¡¯s permission to get some chemicals in the laboratory,¡± Ruby answered.

    ¡°Oh? What a coincidence that I¡¯m also planning to go to the laboratory.¡± Fanheim said. ¡°After you guys have done getting that chemical from the laboratory, can you stop by to the second hall in the laboratory? There¡¯s something that I want to show you guys,¡± he asked.

    The three of them were looking at each other for a moment then Ruby nodded with understanding. ¡°We will be there when we are done, Sir,¡± she said.

    ¡°Perfect, I will be waiting,¡± Fanheim said with a smile on his face then went to the laboratory with the generals.

    ¡°What do you think that he wants to show us that it involved all the generals?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s something important because it¡¯s never good news if all the generals are involved,¡± Ruby answered. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s get going because we have to meet Fanheim in the laboratory,¡± she continued and then the three of them went inside the main building in the headquarters.

    Ruby went to Marlon¡¯s office to discuss the possession of the chemical, and it didn¡¯t take that long until Ruby got permission to grab 55 gallons of Hydrofluoric acid. The three of them immediately went to the laboratory to grab them and visited the second Hall to meet Fanheim.

    After getting the Hydrofluoric acid from the storage, Vincent pulled the drum with the manual forklift. Unfortunately, because the second hall of the laboratory was on the second floor they had to leave it downstairs.

    The three of them went upstairs and saw Prince and Resse standing in front of the generals. Ruby and Vincent looked at each other and they both had the same bad feeling about this. Archie looked around and could sense a living parasite on the second floor but the preset was so faint that he barely sensed it.

    ¡°You guys are here because of Colonel Fanheim?¡± Ruby asked as she looked at Prince and Resse.

    Prince looked at her and shook his head. ¡°No, we are summoned here by Marshall Marlon,¡±

    ¡°So, what¡¯s going on here? Do you guys know anything?¡± Ruby asked.

    Both of them shook their heads. ¡°We just got here as well, so we don¡¯t know yet and Marshall Marlon didn¡¯t tell us anything and just told us to go here,¡± Prince answered.

    ¡°Oh, you guys are here already?¡± Fanheim said as he walked the hallway. ¡°Come, follow me,¡± he continued and the generals were walking next to him then Archie and the others followed them from behind.

    They entered a big room with a giant square table in the middle, the walls were covered with skeletons of parasites. Fanheim sat down with the generals next to him, he then told Archie and the others to sit down in front of them.

    Fanheim had been holding a clasp envelope in his hand and then he put it on the table then slid it to the other side. Ruby grabbed it and looked at it for quite a while then she looked at the others with curiosity.

    ¡°It¡¯s a top-secret document that has been sitting in the drawer for decades, why don¡¯t you guys read it first and we will enlighten you about it after,¡± Fanheim said.

    Ruby opened the envelope and saw a few papers, she looked at them and the content was the same so she gave one each to the others. Archie looked at it and read the content, the content was about the landing site that they found in FalCon-3. A landing site that the witnesses saw during their investigation 60 years ago, and 2 years before that, they witnessed an unknown object coming down from the sky.

    The information in the document was so little that it was so hard to understand what it was about and what it was for. Ruby looked at Vincent then she looked at Prince and Resse who were confused by the document they read. She then looked at Archie who furrowed his forehead as he read the document as if he knew something about it. Of course, Archie had a hunch about what the unknown object was, and that might be the beings that came down after they chose a Drautnir.

    ¡°What is this, Sir?¡± Ruby asked as she flapped the document in her hand.

    ¡°That¡¯s something we believe that the landing site and whatever that object that landed there is something that doesn¡¯t belong to this world,¡± Fanheim said. ¡°At first, we thought that the landing site was nothing or something ancient but then we received information from other nations that on each Fallen Continent, there¡¯s one that looks similar to what we have here,¡± he continued.

    Ruby and the others were looking at each other with surprised expressions.

    ¡°As you can understand why the document is a top-secret, and with the current situation that we are having, we believe that this site might have a connection to this,¡± Fanheim said as he rested his hands on the table and looked at them with a serious expression. ¡°We don¡¯t know much about the landing site, but the witnesses who saw it, they killed themselves a week after the discovery. Not just the ones from here, but the witnesses from the other nations as well,¡± he continued.

    Ruby put down the document and looked at the generals and Fanheim. ¡°So you want us to investigate the landing site, Sir?¡± She asked and gulped nervously.

    Fanheim looked at the generals and they were all nodding in agreement. ¡°The landing site is quite far but we believe you guys can make it there since there hasn¡¯t been any activity in FalCon-3 ever since the horses attack the city,¡± One of the generals answered.

    ¡°I know that you guys are unwilling to go there because of the fact all of the witnesses killed themselves, but as I said earlier that this might have something to do with the current situation that we are having right now,¡± Fanheim said. ¡°Also, you don¡¯t have to worry because we are all going to enter FalCon-3 to gather resources for making the ship, so you guys are not alone in FalCon-3. While we are gathering the resources, the four of you will be doing the secret mission to investigate the landing site,¡± Fanheim explained.

    Ruby looked at the others and they all seemed okay with it because they don¡¯t believe in something superstition. ¡°I see, and when do you want us to go for this secret mission?¡± She asked.

    Fanheim leaned on the chair as he exhaled deeply. ¡°Two weeks from now,¡± he answered. ¡°Can you guys do it? We don¡¯t have anyone who is capable enough for this mission but the four of you and I believe that you guys can handle this after what you saw in the north,¡± he continued.

    Ruby looked at Archie and waited for his response, Archie looked at her and nodded slightly. Ruby nodded and looked at Fanheim. ¡°Understood, Sir, we will accept this mission,¡± she answered.

    Fanheim smiled with relief. ¡°Perfect! We will prepare everything that you need for the mission later. Now that we are done here, you guys are dismissed,¡± he said.

    All of them nodded and left the room and went downstairs.

    ¡°So, Archie. Do you know anything about this?¡± Ruby asked and the rest of them were staring at him with curiosity.

    ¡°I do, yeah, it¡¯s something that you might not believe,¡± Archie answered ambiguously.

    They were all looking at each other with confusion. ¡°Like what?¡± Resse finally asked as she glanced at Archie.

    ¡°I can¡¯t describe it with words, but one thing for sure is that whatever that we are going to see at the landing site, I hope that nothing bad is going to happen to all of you,¡± Archie said as he looked at them with a serious expression. ¡°So, prepare yourself because I can¡¯t do anything once we entered the landing site,¡± he continued as he looked forward.

 Chapter 58

    ¡°Are you sure this thing is safe? Newman?¡± Ruby asked as she watched Newman was about to pour the chemical from the top of the meteorite.

    ¡°It should be, just be careful not to get the splash from the chemical because it will melt your skin, flesh, and bone immediately!¡± Newman answered.

    Everyone immediately took a few steps back while Newman used the plastic bucket to pour the chemical from the top. The sizzling sounds were terrifying to hear and they immediately could see bubbles from the meteorite that got exposed to the acid. Everyone wore a mask because the gas was enough to harm their skin so they covered everything from the exposure.

    Since it was dangerous inside, they decided to leave Newman on his own because he knew what he was doing. Marie looked at the dark hallway and stared at the doors on the sides, she started to wander around on her own. Archie looked at her and decided to leave her alone because the whole laboratory was safe from parasites since Archie cleared the whole area beforehand.

    After waiting for an hour, Newman came out of the room and he immediately removed the gloves, the mask, and the boots. He was covered with sweat and immediately gasped for fresh air, he stretched his body and looked around. ¡°Where¡¯s Marie?¡± he asked.

    ¡°She¡¯s wandering around the laboratory, maybe she wants to check something,¡± Ruby answered.

    Newman hummed. ¡°Well, our job here is done, we can come back tomorrow morning and check the progress,¡± he said.

    ¡°You said that the chemical could dissolve the outer layers of the meteorite, but what makes you think that the inner layer of it won¡¯t get dissolve as well?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s simple because the inner layer of the meteorite should be crystallized or something similar and there¡¯s nothing that can melt that kind of sturdy iron,¡± Newman answered. ¡°I mean, if it dissolved by the chemical, at least it will make a fine powder as well so I can still process them,¡± he continued.

    ¡°So you can harvest the fine powders from the outer layers tomorrow?¡± Ruby asked.

    ¡°Yes, there should be plenty of them tomorrow and I can make a weapon from them while waiting for the outer layers to dissolve completely,¡± Newman answered.

    Ruby and Vincent looked so excited about it.

    ¡°How long do you think the chemical will take to get to the inner layer?¡± Archie asked.

    Newman turned around and looked at the meteorite. ¡°A few days, maybe two or three days depend on the materials of the outer layers since not everything can be dissolved easily,¡± he answered.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s done, Newman?¡± Marie asked as she walked toward them.

    ¡°Yes, all we can do now is wait until tomorrow to check on the progress,¡± Newman answered.

    Ruby got up and stretch her arm. ¡°Alright, we should go back now because we still have to chop off the trees to make a ship,¡± she said.

    ¡°Okay, I also have to prepare all the equipment and the forges in my house for tomorrow,¡± Newman said.

    They left and went their separate ways.

    The morning came and Ruby came to Archie¡¯s house with Vincent, they couldn¡¯t wait to check on the meteorite so the three of them decided to go to Newman¡¯s house.

    ¡°Newman, are you home?¡± Ruby asked as she looked at the window. ¡°He¡¯s not here?¡± she continued.

    Vincent walked back and pointed at the chimney with white smoke coming out from it. ¡°I think he¡¯s home, the chimney is emitting smokes so that means he¡¯s in his basement maybe?¡± he said.

    Ruby tried to open the door and it wasn¡¯t locked. ¡°Let¡¯s check the basement,¡± she said as she entered Newman¡¯s house, Vincent was surprised to see her walking in like it was her house.

    They decided to enter the house and went down the stairs, they heard Newman¡¯s voice and Marie¡¯s voice from down there. Ruby took a peek and saw them both were having a conversation and planning on the weapons they were going to make. ¡°Ah, you guys are down here, no wonder why you didn¡¯t hear us calling from upstairs,¡± she said as she walked toward them. ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± she asked.

    Marie raised her eyebrows and looked at them. ¡°Oh, you guys are ready to leave? We are just talking about the materials that are needed to make the perfect match for the iron from the meteorite,¡± she answered.

    Newman stood up as he groaned. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s check the meteorite because I can see it from your face that you have been waiting for this moment since yesterday,¡±

    Ruby smiled and nodded in agreement.

    They went straight to the abandoned laboratory but when Newman wanted to open the steel door, Archie stopped him from doing so. ¡°Hold on a second,¡± he said. ¡°Let me get in first,¡± he continued as he looked at Newman.

    Newman looked confused but Ruby immediately understand and pulled Newman back gently. ¡°Let him check the inside first,¡± she said.

    Archie faintly sensed a parasite coming from behind the steel door, and he knew that the parasite was hiding its presence because it knew that they were coming toward the room. Archie then opened the steel door and looked around, and when he looked up, a tiny parasite that looked like a liquid pounced at Archie¡¯s face but he immediately blocked it with his hand and grabbed the parasite.

    ¡°What is that?!¡± Newman asked as he took a step back.

    Archie looked at the behavior of the parasite and it was unidentifiable because it was the first time he saw this parasite. The parasite tried to free itself from Archie¡¯s grip, then he realized that the parasite seemed to be spreading wider and wider that his whole glove was covered by the parasite. His hand couldn¡¯t move and the glove seemed to become stiff then the parasite became one with the glove which was really surprising to see.

    ¡°Is that parasite just blending in with your glove?¡± Ruby asked.

    ¡°Yeah, I think so,¡± Archie answered as he lifted his hand and looked at his glove that had some kind of a weird pattern on it. ¡°I believe this is an ExTP-0 that came out from the meteorite over there,¡± he said. ¡°I have to go, you guys can go on without me,¡± he said that as he ran past the others while they were looking at him with confusion.

    ¡°Are you sure that you¡¯re going to let him with that parasite on him?¡± Marie asked Ruby and Vincent.

    ¡°He will be fine, he had been handling things like that and we both believe he¡¯s the only one who can handle that kind of stuff,¡± Ruby said as she looked at Archie who ran to the end of the hallway.

    Archie left the laboratory and went to the forest to ask the witches about the new discovery about the parasite on his hand. He needed their advice on what to do with the parasite, either he had to eat it or kill it because he knew nothing about that parasite.

    Archie entered the forest and immediately the green-haired witch came out from the tree. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Archie,¡± she said.

    ¡°Yes, it has,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± The witch hummed as she tilted her head and looked at Archie¡¯s glove. ¡°What is that thing that you brought with you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I came here, I need you to check on this parasite that I found inside the meteorite,¡± Archie answered.

    The wind blew and suddenly a woman appeared from the wind. ¡°That thing that you have on you is the same parasite that became the king of parasites that lives underneath the earth,¡± she said.

    Archie was surprised to see her all the way here since the last time he saw her was far north of the continent. ¡°This is the same parasite that I fought back then?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the same but this one is powerless and the reason why it blends itself with your glove is that it¡¯s too scared of the world and that¡¯s its only way to protect itself from threat,¡± The wind witch answered.

    ¡°So what I should do about this? If I eat this parasite, will I gain its power?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°It depends, but I think you should be fine to eat it,¡± The earth witch answered as she looked at the parasite on his glove.

    Archie tried to remove the parasite from his glove but it was impossible to do that because it had become one with his glove. He tried to pluck it out but it won¡¯t budge, the witches just watched him struggle, and then the wind witch sat down next to Archie and pointed at the parasite. ¡°You can¡¯t force it like that, you have to touch it with your bare skin,¡± she explained.

    ¡°Bare skin?¡± Archie asked as he looked at her. Archie removed his other glove and slowly touched the parasite with his bare skin as the wind witch explained. The parasite slowly but surely moved toward his skin and it changed its shape to its original form which was a liquid. Archie grabbed the parasite and lifted his hand up above his mouth.

    ¡°Here goes nothing,¡± Archie said then he swallowed the parasite whole.

 Chapter 59

    ¡°Archie?¡± A faint voice of a woman called him who fell unconscious the moment he put the parasite in his mouth. ¡°Can you see us?¡± she continued.

    Archie¡¯s vision was so blurry that he couldn¡¯t see anything else but colors, his ears were ringing and he could hear something sticky coming from all around him. His eyes started to readjust and focused, and he looked at all the witches standing around him. He tried to move but his body won¡¯t move, it felt like something was preventing him from moving not because his body had gone weak.

    Archie looked at the grass in front of his right eye and he saw something black was crawling so slowly. His eyes were wide open and immediately jolted from his sleep, he could hear something was being stretched, and then the sound of snapping was coming from behind his back. He turned around and saw black webbings that seemed to be made of some gooey liquid and it covered the area around where he laid down.

    ¡°What is that?!¡± Archie asked as he tried to remove the gooey liquid from all around his body.

    All the witches were just staring at him and didn¡¯t say a word and that made him so confused. ¡°What? Why are you guys looking at me like that?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I think that we should be the ones asking you that, Archie,¡± The black-haired witch said as she pointed at Archie¡¯s hand.

    Archie looked at his hand and something was moving out from every pore in his hands, it looked like thin hair but it moved. He kept looking at them and it went back inside then he could feel something was moving inside his body like water was flowing on his arm up to his shoulder and then spread around through his whole body.

    ¡°That thing inside your body, it came out uncontrollably when you were unconscious. It reached out to everything around your body, the ground, the grass, the leaves, everything,¡± The red-haired witch said.

    Archie kept looking at his hand and then walked toward the tree, he touched the tree with his right hand. He could feel the water flowed from his body to his right arm and to his right hand, the same black gooey liquid came out from his hand and spread out and covered the tree. He could feel the liquid crawling on the tree as if it was his own hand, he then removed his hand from the tree but it stuck, the same feeling he had earlier he then forcefully pulled his hand and it made a snapping sound.

    The liquid was slowly wrapping around the tree trunk and it stopped like it was a gel that dried up from the wind. While Archie was observing the thing that came out of his hand, the red-haired witch walked past him and punched the tree where the gel was. The trunk wasn¡¯t even taken any damage from her punch, and she tilted her head while raising her eyebrows. ¡°This is interesting, isn¡¯t it?¡± she said as she walked back and stood next to Archie.

    The black-haired witch stood next to Archie and pointed at the gel. ¡°Could you control it?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I can because the moment I snap it from my hand, I can¡¯t feel them anymore,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°Open your hand,¡± The black-haired witch said.

    Archie opened his hand and the witch put her index finger on his palm, the same liquid immediately came out and wrapped her finger so slowly. The witch tried to pull her finger but it got stuck and no matter how hard she tried, it won¡¯t snap. ¡°Can you help me out?¡± she asked as she kept trying to pull her finger.

    Archie looked at his hand and tried to pull the liquid back into his palm, it worked as intended but it moved so slowly. ¡°I need to learn how to control this,¡± he said as he kept focusing on removing the liquid from the witch¡¯s finger.

    ¡°Yes, you should,¡± the witch said as she pulled her finger from Archie¡¯s hand. ¡°I never thought it would be this strong, I mean, I could try to use all my strength but it might pull your whole arm off if you¡¯re not ready for it,¡± she continued.

    The earth witch walked toward the tree and touched the gel, it didn¡¯t react to her touch since it seemed dead because Archie removed it from his body. The witch touched the tree bark and closed her eyes, she then opened her eyes with a surprised expression. ¡± This is interesting, it didn¡¯t take any damage at all because the gel absorbed the damage,¡± she said.

    The fire witch torched the gel and it immediately melted and fell off the tree, all of them in fact. They were surprised by how weak the gel was to fire and it helped Archie learn about his new ability. She took the piece of the gel and tried to crush it with her fingers but it was still sturdy so she had to use a lot of strength to crush it.

    ¡°So this ability react to everything that I touch, it¡¯s a bit hard to control if it has its own will to move,¡± Archie said. ¡°I really have to control it or it might bring trouble for me,¡± he continued.

    ¡°For now, you have to keep wearing this then,¡± The black-haired witch threw his gloves at him. ¡°By wearing that you will learn to control it all the time,¡± she continued.

    Archie wore his gloves and he could feel that the inside of the gloved had been filled with that gooey liquid. He looked at his gloves as he tried to control them but it was so not that hard, but it felt like he was holding his sneeze, it was better to let go than hold it.

    ¡°How long did I fall unconscious?¡± Archie asked them.

    ¡°Only half a day, maybe it¡¯s because you¡¯re used to it or the parasite wasn¡¯t even trying to resist,¡± The black-haired witch answered.

    Archie hummed and then looked at the deep forest next to him. ¡°Do you guys know anything about the landing site?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Landing site? Are you referring to the place where it came down and met the chosen one?¡± The red-haired witch replied.

    ¡°Yes, where is it?¡± Archie asked as he looked at her.

    ¡°You have been there,¡± The red-haired witch answered.

    Archie was so confused that he tilted his head and furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°I have been there? When?¡±

    The black-haired witch rested her head on Archie¡¯s shoulder from behind and she smiled while she raised her eyebrows. ¡°Do you remember that lake? Where the mother is? That place used to be the place where the chosen Drautnir met with it,¡± she said. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± she asked as she kept staring at him.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s unfortunate¡­¡± Archie said as he sighed.

    ¡°Are the humans going to check on that site again?¡± The earth witch asked.

    Archie looked at her and raised his eyebrows. ¡°You know that the humans went there back then?¡±

    ¡°Of course, we were watching as they were mesmerized by the discovery and the excitement on their face made them don¡¯t realize that it brought them neverending nightmares,¡± she answered.

    ¡°Yes, they killed themselves a few weeks after they discovered the site. What happened back there? What made them kill themselves?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°You could say that the atmosphere back then was still thick that nothing dared to enter that area. We believe the humans got some kind of revelation or something and it made them realize how doomed humankind was at that time,¡± she answered. ¡°Who knows, but whatever they saw, their behaviors changed entirely when they went back to the city,¡± she continued.

    ¡°So it¡¯s safe now, right?¡± Archie asked as he looked at the earth witch.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you can call it safe when the Mother is there and keep breeding new species while we speak,¡± The black-haired witch answered. ¡°If you¡¯re going to bring those humans there, the only thing they will see is a nightmare,¡± she said. ¡°Unless you¡¯re planning to kill her then I guess it¡¯s about time for her to disappear,¡± she continued.

    ¡°I¡¯m planning to, before I leave this continent¡­¡± Archie said as he looked at the forest. ¡°I already have the blacksmith that can make me a weapon from the meteorite so it should be useful against her,¡± he continued and looked at the black-haired witch.

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re leaving? Is it because of the thing that you did in the north?¡± The red-haired witch asked.

    Archie nodded. ¡°Yes, I made a huge mistake by waking them up,¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not really your fault, it¡¯s going to happen sooner anyway, it¡¯s just that you¡¯re making it happen, that¡¯s all,¡± The red-haired witch explained.

    ¡°What about you guys? Are you going to stay here? Aren¡¯t you guys going to be in trouble because the kings are going to come out?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°We are all going to stay since this is the task that was given to us. Don¡¯t worry about us because they won¡¯t bother to kill us since we are not a threat to them,¡± The earth witch said.

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Archie said as he nodded his head. ¡°Well then, I have to go back and check on the meteorite. I will see you guys soon,¡± he continued and walked out the forest.

 Chapter 60

    Archie went back to the abandoned laboratory and he could hear their voices coming from the hallway. He went there and saw all of them were cheering for something, then he looked at a full bucket of pieces fragments covered with powders underneath. ¡°Is it a success?¡± he asked as he approached them.

    ¡°Archie! You¡¯re back?!¡± Ruby asked as she looked at him with a surprised expression.

    ¡°Yes, I took care of it already so I¡¯m back now,¡± Archie replied.

    Ruby grabbed the bucket and shoved it to Archie¡¯s face. ¡°Look! We got a lot of them!¡± she said with excitement. ¡°Newman said this is enough to make two swords at least and see if there¡¯s a leftover and if it does, he could make a dagger from it!¡± she continued as she kept staring at the inside of the bucket with a huge smile on her face.

    Archie looked at Vincent as he shook his head while Vincent was just smiling and shrugging back at him.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to check the meteorite now,¡± Archie said as he walked past Ruby.

    Archie entered the room and the smell was unbearable, Newman and Marie were shocked when they saw him enter the room without a mask. They both ran toward him and scolded him for not wearing protection while Newman threw him the mask at him. Archie immediately put on the mask and saw the meteorite that was slowly eroded by the chemical.

    Archie walked closer toward the meteorite and saw something shiny from a few sides of the meteorite. ¡°What¡¯s that shiny thing? Is that what you¡¯re looking for?¡± he asked as he pointed at the meteorite and looked at Newman.

    ¡°Yes! Do you see how beautiful that thing is?! I can¡¯t wait to see how big that shiny thing is inside that huge rock!¡± Newman answered as he mixed the chemicals in the bucket.

    ¡°How are you going to even process it if you can¡¯t dissolve it with chemicals? I¡¯m sure that there¡¯s nothing in this area that can break that thing up,¡± Archie asked as he kept staring at Newman.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about it!¡± Newman said as he lifted the bucket and walked toward the meteorite. ¡°I don¡¯t think there will be a huge chunk of it inside and I can carry it out back to my house and just try to melt it in my workshop,¡± he continued as he put down the bucket carefully.

    Archie just nodded with understanding and then Newman patted Archie¡¯s shoulder repeatedly while he giggled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, kid! I will make you the best weapon in the whole world!¡± he said.

    Newman continued to soak the meteorite with the chemical while Marie was watching him doing his word. Then after an hour of carefully layering the whole area of the meteorite with the chemical, they decided to go back into the city and start working on the metal and fine powder they got from the process of dissolving the meteorite.

    Since Ruby and Vincent couldn¡¯t hold their excitement, they wanted to help or at least watch the whole process. With that, the three of them including Marie decided to stay overnight in Newman¡¯s house to watch both of them work.

    Archie and those two were observing Maria and Newman melting the pieces of the fragment in the forge. He was fine with the heat but the parasite inside his body seemed to be uncomfortable with it that he could feel it move all the way to his back where the only spot his body didn¡¯t get exposed by the heat. He thought to himself that the parasite would be useless if one day he had to fight in a desert or place with high temperatures, so he was thinking of a way to make it heat resistant.

    Those two worked all night that none of them realized that the sun was rising already. It took them quite a while to melt all the pieces and Newman without wasting any time, decided to forge and make a sword from it. He already had the blueprint for the design of the sword with Marie¡¯s help, so they both put the melted metal and another metal to make an alloy. They started to work on shaping it into a long square glowing hot alloy then started to hammer it.

    The process was so long and they both were carefully shaped like it was some kind of artifact that they didn¡¯t want to ruin by accidentally bent it or breaking it. They kept repeating the same process repeatedly and observed it whenever they cooled it down. Once they were satisfied with the shape and the thickness and everything, they stopped working on it.

    ¡°That was intense¡­¡± Newman said as he wiped his sweat on his forehead.

    ¡°It seems that our skills are still sharp since we have been working for decades that our hands seem to be moving on their own,¡± Marie said as she sighed and sat on the chair.

    ¡°Thank you for the good work, both of you,¡± Ruby said as she approached them with two glasses of cold water.

    They both nodded as they drank the water in a single chug.

    ¡°Should we go and check the result of the second day?¡± Newman said as stand up and groan.

    ¡°I think we can handle that since we have been watching you taking care of it yesterday. It¡¯s better for you both to get some rest for today because you both deserve it,¡± Vincent said as he looked at them both.

    Newman raised his eyebrow. ¡°Are you sure you guys can handle it? The chemical is really dangerous so you have to be very cautious and careful when you¡¯re soaking the meteorite,¡± he said with a worried expression.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, I can do it with this hand of mine,¡± Ruby said as she raised her left hand. ¡°If I made a mistake, at least the prosthetic arm is replaceable, so don¡¯t worry, I will be very careful,¡± she continued with a grin on her face.

    ¡°Alright, you guys be careful out there and don¡¯t overdo it because you need to be patient and let the natural processing do its work. Do you guys hear me?¡± Newman said as he pointed his index finger at the three of them.

    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± Both Vincent and Ruby said at the same time.

    Newman scoffed and shook his head then the three of them went to the abandoned laboratory to gather the pieces of the meteorite.

    A week had passed, and they finally dissolved all the layers of the meteorite except the shiny silver one. They were admiring the mineral that didn¡¯t even leave a mark when they tried to scratch it. They could tell how sturdy that mineral was because when Newman dropped it on the steel floor, it bent the floor and nothing happened to the mineral.

    ¡°Look at how beautiful this thing is!¡± Newman said as he looked at the mineral on the floor. ¡°If anyone discovers this, they would bow their heads and kiss my feet and beg to me so they can have this,¡± he continued as he giggled.

    Newman grabbed the mineral that was as big as a newborn baby, even though it looked so small, it was ten times heavier than its size. They all decided to leave the abandoned laboratory with no leftovers from the meteorite. The sword that Newman and Marie had forged a week ago, they still hadn¡¯t finished it because they still had to make it the best weapon they ever made.

    ¡°We should finish that sword, Marie, it¡¯s time for that baby to have a hilt and a scabbard,¡± Newman said as he looked at her.

    ¡°We could still do a lot of things with that, we can still make it stronger and a bit thinner so its sharpness is going to be unmatched with all the weapons in the world!¡± Marie replied as she imagined the sword in her head.

    ¡°Well, now that we have finished dissolving the meteorite, we can have all the time to work on that sword now since these two guys have been waiting for the sword to be finished,¡± Newman said as he looked at Ruby and Vincent.

    ¡°Okay, we can finish it in a few days since we can still make an improvement on the blade,¡± Marie replied while she nodded with understanding.

    Three days had passed and Archie with Ruby and Vincent visited Newman¡¯s house because they heard the good news from Marie that they finished the sword. Ruby knocked on the door and they heard footsteps coming toward the door, Newman looked at them and tilted his head to his right, ¡°Come in,¡±

    The three of them went inside and Newman grabbed the sword in its scabbard and then showed it to the three of them. ¡°Here, take this,¡± he said.

    The scabbard was carved that looked like stars when it was exposed to the light, Ruby grabbed it from his hand and the three of them admired the sword from top to bottom. Ruby then unsheathed the sword and the sword was all black but it still could reflect anything on the blade. Ruby chuckled as she grinned widely and looked at the sword. ¡°This is magnificent!¡± she said.

    ¡°Well it¡¯s yours, so you should take good care of it since that¡¯s a masterpiece of my work!¡± Newman said.

    Ruby just nodded as she kept admiring the blade. ¡°Do you name it?¡±

    ¡°Of course! I name that sword Bachmut!¡± Newman answered while he nodded and crossed his arms.

    ¡°Bachmut¡­¡± Ruby said quietly. ¡°You¡¯re mine now,¡± she continued.

 Chapter 61

    ¡°How is this sword so good?!¡± Ruby said as she looked at it after she cut the tree in half with a single swoop. ¡°I don¡¯t even need a lot of strength to cut this tree down!¡± she continued while she giggled with disbelief.

    ¡°Man, I want that sword as well¡­¡± Tommy said as he looked at Ruby and the sword in her hand.

    ¡°You should ask Newman and maybe he will make one for you,¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible because there¡¯s no way he wants to make that masterpiece just for someone like me. You even got one, Capt, I¡¯m so envious¡­¡± Tommy replied while he sighed and looked at the sword sheathed on Vincent¡¯s waist.

    Vincent just shrugged his mouth and raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°What about you, Archie? Did you get one as well?¡± Daniel asked while he was wiping the sweat on his forehead.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t ask him because Newman is going to give him the best material from the meteorite. So, don¡¯t be so jealous when he got his sword from Newman,¡± Ruby said as she sheathed Bachmut sword.

    ¡°Seriously? Man¡­¡± Tommy said as he walked away and grabbed the axe and started chopping the tree.

    While they were busy chopping off trees, Prince came to visit and walked toward Ruby and Vincent.

    ¡°Marshall wants to know how many people you¡¯re going to bring in the mission,¡± Prince said.

    Ruby looked at Tommy and Daniel. ¡°I¡¯m not going to bring anyone with us, only me, Vince, and Archie,¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay, we are also not bringing anyone with us,¡± Prince said. ¡°By the way, it seems that we have gathered a lot of resources now and it¡¯s better than we expected,¡± he continued.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m glad that we are 40% faster than we expected and I heard that Carolene has started to build the ship,¡± Ruby said.

    ¡°She is, and she said that she¡¯s going to make it bigger and safer than before because of the overwhelming resources that we got. She didn¡¯t want to make the same mistake again, I guess,¡± Prince replied.

    ¡°Is she doing alright? I¡¯m not close with her so I do not dare to ask about her personal life,¡± Ruby asked.

    ¡°Me neither but she seemed to be working normally, I guess she has moved on. But still, losing her husband and child, I don¡¯t think anyone can move on from that, she¡¯s just strong enough to not show it to anyone,¡± Prince answered. ¡°Oh, by the way, Archie,¡± he said. ¡°Can we talk?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Talk? About what?¡± Archie replied.

    Prince looked around and people were listening to their conversation. ¡°I guess it¡¯s better to talk about it later, maybe someplace that is not crowded with people,¡± Prince said.

    ¡°You want to talk about that place?¡± Archie asked as he grabbed the axe.

    ¡°Yes, both Resse and I are still curious about it,¡± Prince answered while he nodded his head.

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s something that I want to tell you guys about it as well, so I guess we can go to the bar tonight and talk about it?¡± Archie said as he looked at the three of them.

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s meet up there tonight,¡± Ruby said and nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Okay, the bar that you used to hang out at, right?¡± Prince asked Ruby.

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s meet up at 7 how¡¯s that sound?¡± Ruby replied.

    ¡°Perfect, I will see you guys tonight,¡± Prince said and then left.

    After hours of chopping trees, the sun was set, and everyone stopped working and was done for the day. Everyone went back to the city and rest for the day since tomorrow everyone had to go to the FalCon-3 to gather more resources except for the three of them.

    Archie prepared his bag and grabbed a pair of shirts and jeans just in case he had to use his ability. He looked at his right hand and he managed to control the new ability he got but he had to keep focusing on holding it down.

    Archie left his house and locked the door.

    ¡°Eh? Where are you going?¡± Marie asked as she left her house.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m just preparing my stuff because tomorrow early in the morning we are going on a mission to the FalCon-3, so I¡¯m going to stay at the bar with Ruby and Vince until the morning comes,¡± Archie replied.

    ¡°Oh, I see, so when exactly are you going to leave tomorrow?¡± Marie asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure but I think at 6 in the morning,¡± Archie replied.

    ¡°Okay, I think we can make it in time,¡± Marie said.

    ¡°Make it in time?¡± Archie asked as he tilted his head.

    ¡°Oh, nothing. Anyway, I have to go now,¡± Marie replied and then left hurriedly.

    Archie went to the bar, Ruby and Vincent were already there enjoying their drink. He sat down next to them and grabbed himself a glass of water. Not long after he arrived, Prince and Resse came into the bar and sat at the table behind them.

    Ruby, Vincent, and Archie joined them after Ruby locked the entrance door so nobody could enter.

    ¡°Sorry that I always use your place for things like this, Frank,¡± Ruby said as she leaned her head back to look at Frank behind the counter.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡¯m a bit tired myself after helping you guys carry the logs,¡± Frank said while he yawned. ¡°I¡¯m going to leave you guys be, if you need a drink just grab one yourself, and don¡¯t forget to lock the door when you guys are done here,¡± Frank continued.

    ¡°We are going to stay here until the morning comes, so we are going to use this place all night,¡± Ruby said.

    ¡°Fine by me, well then, I¡¯m going to go to sleep with my wife, good night, guys,¡± Frank said as he walked to the door behind him.

    ¡°Good night, Frank,¡± They all said.

    Frank left the room and locked the door behind him.

    ¡°So, what do you want to talk about, Archie?¡± Ruby asked.

    Archie exhaled deeply and rested his arms on the table. ¡°It¡¯s about the Landing Site, there are a lot of things that I want to tell you guys about it,¡± he said. ¡°The good news is that I know where it is, but the problem is¡­¡± Archie sighed while the others were listening to him seriously. ¡°That place is now covered with parasites, and that¡¯s not the real problem, the real problem is that there¡¯s one parasite that¡¯s called The Mother,¡± he continued.

    ¡°The Mother? What is that?¡± Prince asked.

    ¡°She¡¯s basically the one who called and bred parasites, I tried to fight it but I was powerless against her. So, if we are going to the Landing Site, you guys are going to see it yourself and how terrifying that parasite is,¡± Archie answered. ¡°Now, that you guys know, are you guys still want to go there and check it out? Because, once we go there, the chance that you will survive is extremely small,¡± he continued as he looked at all of them.

    The four of them were looking at each other after they listened to Archie¡¯s story. They felt a bit intimidated by the story but at the same time, they were curious about The Mother Archie mentioned.

    ¡°Should we inform Marshall about this? If that¡¯s what we are going to deal with, why don¡¯t we bring everything we have and kill that thing?¡± Ruby asked.

    ¡°If you guys want to have another horde or another king raise from the deep of the earth, go ahead,¡± Archie said as he glared at them with a serious expression.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Ruby said as she slammed her hand on the table. ¡°What are we going to do? Should we just pretend to go there and come back after a few days of exploring the forest?¡± she asked.

    After discussing it all night, they decided and planned to go and check the Landing Site. They wanted to see it with their own two eyes and Archie said that he would ask the Ex-Humans for help if things went horrible.

    Everyone went to take a short nap since they still had three hours before going on a mission, Archie on the other hand was enjoying drinking whiskey while thinking of a way to defeat The Mother. While he was deep in thought, he heard a knock on the door from the entrance, he looked at the time and it was still early so he decided to go and check who came to the bar early in the morning.

    Archie opened the door and see Newman and Marie stood outside the bar. ¡°Newman? Marie? What are you guys doing out here?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I heard that you guys are going on a mission today so here, take it,¡± Newman said as he offered two swords in his hands.

    ¡°Is this?¡± Archie asked as he grabbed them from Newman¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Yes, we made it in time, they¡¯re yours so take care of it,¡± Newman answered.

    Archie unsheathed the left one and the blade was beautifully made with patterns in the middle of the blade. He moved it around and shocked how light the sword was but he knew that the sword would indestructible. He sheathed it back and unsheathed the right one, it looked and felt exactly the same but it was a tiny bit shorter from the other one.

    ¡°The left one was I who made it, I named it Erebos, then right one was Marie who made it and names it Nyx since they¡¯re siblings, like us,¡± Newman said.

    ¡°You guys are siblings?¡± Archie looked at both of them.

    ¡°We are half siblings, we have the same mother but different father,¡± Marie answered.

 Chapter 62

    The sun was about to rise, Archie and the others left the bar and Ruby locked the door then slid the key from the bottom of the door. They then went to the headquarters to get a briefing from Marlon and Fanheim.

    There was barely anyone around the city and the headquarters had gone quiet ever since no more activity from the parasite. They walked into the building and went to the meeting room where Marlon and Fanheim were.

    ¡°Good morning, Sir,¡± Ruby said and then followed by the others.

    ¡°Have a seat, soldier,¡± Marlon said.

    All of them nodded and sat at the round table.

    ¡°I see that you¡¯re nervous about the mission and I don¡¯t want to make it worse but we have something to show you,¡± Fanheim said. ¡°Here,¡± he continued as he passed the clasp envelope to each one of them.

    Archie opened the envelope and there were dozens of pictures, he looked at each one of them and he realized that the pictures were taken at the place where The Mother was. The difference was that it wasn¡¯t a lake in the pictures, it was a vast empty field that looked similar to when he met Throne.

    ¡°As you can see, in each picture there are different symbols on the ground and there are more than this. All the witnesses claimed there were at least hundreds of symbols on the site, so we want you guys to take pictures of the rest of them,¡± Fanheim said.

    ¡°This place is huge¡­¡± Vincent mumbled. ¡°Is there a reason why they didn¡¯t take pictures of all the symbols, Sir?¡± he continued.

    ¡°We actually don¡¯t really know and we have no idea why they only took a few pictures because there¡¯s not much information about the witnesses,¡± Fanheim answered.

    ¡°Could it be that it involved with the reason why they killed themselves?¡± Ruby asked while she looked at the pictures.

    ¡°It¡¯s possible because we thought about that as well,¡± Marlon answered.

    ¡°Sir, is this the only information we have?¡± Prince asked.

    ¡°Yes, this is the only information we have,¡± Marlon answered.

    ¡°After decades of the discovery, Sir? There was no second mission even though they were curious about it?¡± Resse asked as she looked at Marlon.

    ¡°It does sound suspicious, isn¡¯t it? We thought about it as well and we did some investigation,¡± Malon said as he tapped his fingers on the table. ¡°We found out there are surprisingly so many Axis Humans that were killed in action that we questioned the reason behind their death. We believe they were sent to investigate the Landing Site and ended up with the same fate as those who discovered that place,¡± Marlon continued.

    Archie finally understood the reason behind so many Ex-Axis Humans near the Landing Site. They were sent there to die and based on the time they were sent, they might have encountered The Mother and died to be her children.

    ¡°Since this is our first time to go back to the FalCon-3 after years not touching it, we believe there should be a lot of parasites and there could be a lot of Gen 6 out there. We will send everyone to make parameters in the forest and clear up half of the path for you guys,¡± Fanheim said as he sat straight and looked at them.

    ¡°It¡¯s unnecessary, Sir, we can handle things on our own,¡± Ruby replied. ¡°We have everything that we need and it¡¯s better to go there as soon as possible since the Landing Site is quite deep in the forest,¡± she continued as she looked at Archie.

    Fanheim looked at Archie and nodded with understanding. ¡°Are you guys really confident with this mission?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Yes, we are confident,¡± Ruby said as she looked at the other who nodded in agreement.

    Fanheim looked at Marlon and just raised his eyebrows, Marlon then nodded with understanding and looked at them. ¡°Alright, you guys may grab everything you need in the armory and you can start the mission whenever you¡¯re ready,¡± he said.

    All of them nodded and gave him a salutation. ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± All of them said.

    They left and went to the armory to grab enough magazines for the mission. Archie didn¡¯t bother to use guns because he wasn¡¯t good with the aim and he could really on his abilities and brute strength.

    ¡°You¡¯re not arming yourself, Archie?¡± Prince asked as he loaded the magazine.

    ¡°Oh, right, you¡¯re bad with the aim, huh? Do you want to learn how to use guns, Archie?¡± Ruby asked as she grabbed a few grenades.

    ¡°Sure, if you have the time to teach me,¡± Archie said as he looked at the guns that were hung on the walls.

    ¡°Seriously? Do you still want to use these unnecessary items even though you already have the power to kill parasites with your bare hands?¡± Resse said as she glanced at Archie.

    ¡°There will be times where I can¡¯t show my true self, so it¡¯s better to learn everything including martial arts to defend myself. It might be helpful for me to deal with parasites with those things,¡± Archie replied.

    Resse just shrugged her mouth because it made sense to her.

    ¡°Alright, is everyone ready?¡± Ruby said as she put her pistol on her thigh and Bachmut on her back.

    They all nodded and immediately went to the South gate.

    The sun rose as they entered the forest, Archie looked around and noticed the witches had been watching them. He stopped moving and looked at the tree in front of them. ¡°You guys can come out, if you want to,¡± he said.

    Ruby and the others immediately stopped moving and looked at Archie with confusion but then they armed themselves and aimed their guns at the trees. While they were checking their surroundings, the black-haired witch came out from behind the tree, all of them immediately aimed their guns at her but all of them were stunned because she barely had anything on her. The beautiful face of her mesmerized Vincent and Prince, and before they could snap back to reality, the red-haired witch landed on the ground next to Archie.

    ¡°Who are they?!¡± Resse asked as she pointed her assault rifle at them both back and forth.

    Archie turned around and looked at her. ¡°They¡¯re the Ex-Humans that you all have been looking for decades,¡±

    Ruby looked at the two witches stood next to Archie and then she heard a cracking sound from behind, she pointed her pistol and saw the green-haired witch just came out from the tree trunk. She was shocked to see that woman again, the Ex-Human who warned her and saved her life.

    ¡°You are¡­¡± Ruby said as she slowly lowered her pistol.

    ¡°We meet again, young lady,¡± The green-haired witch said with a gentle smile on her face.

    ¡°You know her, Ruby?¡± Prince asked as he kept aiming his gun on the witches in front of him and glanced at Ruby.

    ¡°Yes, she was the one who saved my life. She was the one that I mentioned in my story that an Ex-Human saved my life,¡± Ruby answered.

    Prince and Resss immediately turned their heads to look at the green-haired witch.

    ¡°You guys can lower your guns, they¡¯re my friends, they¡¯re the same as me so you can trust them as long as I¡¯m here with you guys,¡± Archie said.

    Vincent looked at Archie and Archie nodded as he looked back at him. Vincent lowered his gun and slid it to the back of his waist. ¡°I think we are good, Prince, Resse, you both should trust Archie,¡± he said.

    Prince and Resse looked at each other as they gulped, then they both nodded and lowered their gun at the same time. The black-haired witch looked at the four of them and raised her eyebrow as she rested her elbow on Archie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Are you sure that you¡¯re only bringing this many humans to kill The Mother?¡± She asked.

    ¡°What makes you think I brought them here to help me fight her?¡± Archie asked as he looked at the black-haired witch.

    ¡°Oh? Then are you going to fight her on your own again? Are you confident with strength now?¡± The black-haired witch replied.

    ¡°Yes, this is a part of my training and there¡¯s something that I want to try. Of course, since I have these with me, I think I can kill her,¡± Archie said as he unsheathed both of his swords from the back of his left shoulder.

    All the witches looked at it and they were surprised when they saw it. ¡°You really got yourself a really good weapon,¡± The black-haired witch said as she touched Nyx¡¯s blade. ¡°I think this should help you a lot to fight her,¡± she continued as she looked at Erebos in Archie¡¯s right hand.

    The red-haired witch looked at Archie with a smile on her face. ¡°So, shall we go and kill The Mother?¡±

    Archie sheathed the swords and nodded while he looked at Ruby and the others. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m ready for that,¡±

 Chapter 63

    ¡°So, those Ex-Humans from earlier, they do look like a human from the outside, huh?¡± Prince asked as he looked back and up into the dark sky.

    ¡°Why do you ask, Prince? Don¡¯t tell me you fall for one of them?¡± Resse said as she glanced at him.

    ¡°I mean, it took me by surprise when I saw them naked like that and not to mention that they¡¯re beautiful. As a man, I¡¯m sorry but can¡¯t help it, right, Vince?¡± Prince said as he looked at Vincent.

    Vincent looked at Ruby for a second and she was glaring at him without even showing any expression. ¡°Uh, please don¡¯t drag me into this,¡± he replied nervously.

    ¡°You know that if you don¡¯t give an answer nor deny a question, that means you feel guilty about it and you agree with it,¡± Ruby said as she kept glaring at Vincent.

    Archie smirked and held his laughter while he walked at the front. The four of them were so busy talking about the witches that they didn¡¯t realize that the witches were still stalking them.

    ¡°So, how far is it, the Landing Site?¡± Prince asked as he walked next to Archie.

    ¡°I had to run all day to reach the Landing Site, and at that time I was following one of the witches so it wasn¡¯t just a normal run. If we keep walking with this pace, we might reach it at least in five days,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°I see, then we have to keep up our pace since it¡¯s quite far away,¡± Ruby said.

    Three days had passed and they decided to rest for the night since they had been moving nonstop. Prince was making the tent while Vincent and Ruby were hunting for food. Resse just sat near the campfire and had been stealing glances at Archie that Archie could feel her gazes stabbing him.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Archie asked as he looked at Resse.

    Prince turned his head and looked at Resse and Archie. ¡°Nothing, I¡¯m just curious if I can be like you,¡± Resse answered.

    ¡°You want to be like me? An Ex-Human?¡± Archie asked and raised his eyebrows. ¡°You don¡¯t even know what I have suffered in the past few years. If you think becoming an Ex-Human is fun, you should at least try to eat human flesh first and see if you¡¯re able to endure the hunger,¡± he continued as he gathered twigs.

    ¡°You ate human flesh?¡± Prince stopped building the tent and asked Archie while he looked at him with a surprised expression.

    ¡°Yes, I ate human flesh once, an Axis Human¡¯s flesh,¡± Archie said with a serious expression as he stared at both of them. ¡°It was a while ago when the witches fed me that flesh and I can¡¯t remove that memory from my head because of how delicious the meat was,¡± he continued while Prince and Resse started to feel nervous and awkward.

    Archie chuckled and dropped the twigs next to the campfire. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry because I¡¯m not going to eat human flesh again, at least if there are plenty of parasites that I can eat,¡± he explained. ¡°By the way, I have never asked you guys about the experiment that you both had to experience. How was it? I heard it was painful based on the rumors that have been going on around the city,¡± he asked.

    Prince and Resse looked at each other and then Prince sat in front of the campfire. ¡°I think everyone had a different experience during the experiment because, for me, it felt like I was being tortured and every inch of my skin was getting peeled off. It was a nightmare that I don¡¯t want to experience ever again because it took me a whole week until I could fall asleep,¡± he answered.

    ¡°What about you, Resse?¡± Archie asked as he threw the twigs into the fire.

    ¡°For me, the moment they injected the blood into my body, I felt like every muscle in my body was being crushed. My heart pounded really fast that I couldn¡¯t see anything but pulses of the blood pumping. I started to hallucinate and people were holding me down and hitting me with hammers, it was unpleasant because at that time I wish I was dead but they prevented me from doing so. They had to tie me down in a bed while I was screaming in pain that I tore my vocal cord,¡± Resse answered while she stared at the fire. ¡°It was the worst feeling I have ever had,¡± she continued.

    Archie hummed with understanding and imagined if what they felt was similar to what he had experienced.

    ¡°Oh, but there¡¯s a woman who passes the experiment so easily that she didn¡¯t feel the torment of the experiment,¡± Prince said.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right, I heard about that as well,¡± Resse nodded in agreement.

    Archie furrowed his forehead and looked at them both. ¡°Who was it? Do you guys know?¡±

    Prince looked at the trees while he squinted his eyes. ¡°Who was it again? Fa¡­ Faya?¡± he answered as he looked at Resse.

    ¡°Not Faya, but Faye. Elendra Faye,¡± Resse answered.

    The moment Archie heard that name, he jolted from his sitting and looked at Resse with a surprised expression. ¡°Elendra Faye?! Are you sure that was her name?¡±

    They both were startled when they saw Archie surprised because it was the first time they saw him like that. ¡°Yes, we believe her name was Elendra Faye, she¡¯s from the Western Nation and I heard that she took the experiment with her own will because she didn¡¯t want to see her best friend¡¯s sacrifice gone for nothing,¡± Resse answered. ¡°Why? Do you know her?¡± she asked.

    Archie looked at Resse and nodded slowly. ¡°Yes, I know her, we used to be close,¡± he answered.

    ¡°Then you should be able to meet her when we leave this continent because we heard that she leads an international force that specifically deals with high gen parasites,¡± Prince said.

    Archie looked at him and nodded with understanding.

    Archie felt relieved when he heard her name again, and not to mention she became someone great that people depended on her. He couldn¡¯t wait to leave the continent and went back to the Western Nation to meet her and Aster, but he then remembered they didn¡¯t remember him anymore, their memories of Archie had been replaced by someone else.

    Ruby and Vincent came back with their games in their hands, they both looked at Archie with confusion. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Archie? You looked pale,¡± Ruby asked.

    Archie shook his head. ¡°Nothing, I was thinking about something,¡±

    They both just hummed and then they immediately made dinner for everyone.

    The morning came and they put everything back in the bag, Archie looked around and the witches weren¡¯t there with them anymore. He noticed that something felt different around him than last night, but he didn¡¯t know what so he ignored it and told the rest to start moving again.

    After two days of walking, they finally saw the cliff in front of them, Archie hadn¡¯t told them that the Landing Site was right in front of them. They walked to the edge of the cliff and they were mesmerized by the scenery and the lake in the middle.

    ¡°This is beautiful,¡± Ruby said as she sat down on the edge of the cliff. ¡°So, where¡¯s the Landing Site, Archie? We have been walking for two days and that means we are close right?¡± she asked.

    Archie nodded and pointed at the lake. ¡°We are not just close, we are here,¡± he answered.

    All of them were looking at Archie with confusion. ¡°Wait, this lake is the Landing Site?¡± Vincent asked.

    Archie nodded. ¡°Yes, the Landing Site is covered with water and underneath the lake is where the symbols that we are looking for,¡± he answered.

    ¡°Wait, if the symbols are at the bottom of the lake? How are we supposed to take a picture of them? It¡¯s impossible,¡± Ruby said as she looked at the lake.

    ¡°That¡¯s not the only problem, Ruby,¡± Archie said as he tightened his gloves. ¡°The Mother is also down there, remember?¡± he continued.

    ¡°Where is she? I can¡¯t see her at all,¡± Prince asked as he squinted his eyes and looked at the lake.

    ¡°You will see,¡± Archie said. ¡°Just enjoy the show and stay here, I will deal with her on my own,¡± he continued as he walked to the edge of the cliff.

    ¡°Wait, what are you doi-¡± Ruby said and before she could finish her sentences, Archie jumped off of the cliff and dove into the lake.

    All of them were looking down and saw a tiny splash, they could see how big the lake was by comparing it with Archie¡¯s body. While they were looking at him, the ground shook and the whirlpool appeared from the middle of the lake. They saw a big parasite surface from the lake, and they were speechless when they saw how big The Mother was, and they had a chill down their spine as they watch Archie walk toward her.

    Archie unsheathed his swords and smiled at her. ¡°We meet again and I will seek my revenge now,¡±

 Chapter 64

    Ruby and the others were shaken by the parasites that came out from the forest and jumped down the cliff. They saw so many Ex-Axis Humans like what Archie warned them, they were hiding behind the trees and hope those parasites didn¡¯t notice their presence. The hordes that they dealt with back then couldn¡¯t be compared to all these parasites.

    ¡°What should we do? Should we help Archie down there?¡± Vincent asked Ruby who had been staring at The Mother.

    ¡°Help him? It¡¯s better if we run away but it seems that the parasites are focused on Archie as if they¡¯re being ordered to fight Archie,¡± Ruby answered.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, The Mother controlled them all and she wants them to kill Archie,¡± The black-haired witch said as she leaned on the tree. ¡°You¡¯re all safe here, so don¡¯t worry about the parasites will hunt you down because you guys aren¡¯t her priority. So, enjoy the show while it lasts,¡± she continued with a smile on her face. With that being said, Ruby and the others walked back to the edge of the cliff and watched Archie fight against hundreds of parasites.

    They were looking at Archie that was slowly being surrounded by the parasites, they were worried that Archie wouldn¡¯t be able to fight them all until the parasites that were walking toward him stopped moving. The black-haired witch smirked and giggled mischievously which made Ruby and the others felt uncomfortable.

    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t you guys think it¡¯s weird?¡± Prince asked as he squinted his eyes and looked at the parasites around Archie. ¡°They¡¯re not attacking Archie and they¡¯re slowly changing their direction and walking toward The Mother,¡± he continued.

    ¡°He¡¯s controlling them,¡± The black-haired witch said as she sat down next to Ruby.

    Ruby looked at her and raised her eyebrows. ¡°You mean it¡¯s the same power that the guy that Archie fought had?¡±

    ¡°It is the guy¡¯s power, Archie took it from him since he consumed the guy¡¯s flesh, heart, and brain,¡± The black-haired witch answered. ¡°That¡¯s what makes Archie and us Ex-Humans different because he can get the ability that the other Ex-Human has,¡± she explained.

    They were listening to the witch¡¯s explanation while they were watching Archie walk toward The Mother with the parasites fighting each other. The Mother seemed to be furious that the parasites disobeyed her orders and killed some of the parasites with her tails.

    Archie watched the parasites around him were getting flattened by The Mother¡¯s tails, he didn¡¯t care about the parasites since they were just a decoy so he could get closer to her. The Mother was screeching and looked at Archie who was only a few meters away from each other. She showed her tails and immediately whipped them at Archie, but Archie sliced them like butter. The blood was spurting on Archie¡¯s body, he looked at the tails that were still twitching and suddenly they exploded like a ticking bomb.

    All the parasites¡¯ bodies melted because of the acid from the blood of The Mother. Archie looked around and he saw guts floating on the water, he looked down at his body and his body was still intact because the tissue under his skin prevented the acid from melting his body. He decided to transform his whole body and wrapped it with tissues while he was still holding his swords. Ruby and Vincent were shocked when they saw Archie¡¯s transformation for the first time, they couldn¡¯t believe what they saw because he became and looked exactly like the guy he fought back then but a lot bigger.

    Archie looked at his hands and the swords looked like toothpicks, they looked so small compared to his hands. He then noticed that his gloves were torn apart and the swords were touching his palm, the gooey liquid slowly covered the handle and crawled up to the blade of the swords. He looked at the pattern of the swords being filled with liquid and covered the whole blade. He watched the liquid shape itself into a sword and made a giant version of the swords in his hands.

    The Mother felt threatened by Archie¡¯s ability and her whole body was wobbling and a gigantic arm came out from her body. An arm with barely any flesh around it and the bone could be seen clearly started to swing around. Archie ran toward her and swung his swords at her but she blocked them with her arm, it shocked Archie that her arm was so sturdy that his swords couldn¡¯t cut it but it must be because of the sword-shaped liquid around his swords¡¯ sharpness couldn¡¯t be compared to the real thing.

    Archie kept swinging his swords relentlessly at her arm because it was the only thing that prevented him from killing her. He kept attacking but nothing really happened because of how sturdy her arm was until the crystallized liquid around his swords shattered into pieces. He was shocked and immediately felt all the muscles in his arms were being torn apart and his head was ringing which made him dizzy and almost lost consciousness. He didn¡¯t know that it would take a huge toll on his body when it breaks and it was painful, a pain that he hadn¡¯t felt in a very long time.

    Before Archie could recover from the pain, The Mother grabbed him on the neck and tried to crush him. Archie couldn¡¯t breathe as he tried to free himself from her grip. He tried to break her bone with his swords, but even though it was effective, he couldn¡¯t keep doing that since his head felt like it was about to explode. He decided to throw the swords away and used both of his hands to grab her fingers and loosen them, but his strength couldn¡¯t outmatch her at all.

    While he was struggling, he noticed the liquid in his hands came out and wrapped around her fingers. He immediately had an idea and decided to endure it a little bit longer while he let the liquid wrap around his fingers up to her hand. The grip was slowly weakened and he could free himself up, The Mother couldn¡¯t control her fingers and hand anymore because they were stiffened by the liquid around them.

    The Mother wiggled her arm and tried to throw Archie away but he was stuck like glue and she couldn¡¯t do anything about it. The liquid crawled toward her forearm and up to her elbow, she couldn¡¯t bend her elbow anymore and all she could do was wiggle it as hard as she could. Archie took over her whole arm and he could feel every part of her arm like it was his arm, and he could feel the joint of her arm and decided to cover the whole thing with the liquid.

    Archie used all his strength and pulled the arm, he chopped off her arm like it was nothing. The Mother was screeching and growling in pain while the blood spurted out from her body. Archie removed his hands from her arm and dove down the lake to grab his swords. As he dove down into the lake he noticed that The Mother wasn¡¯t actually living inside the lake, he saw a giant hole underneath her massive blob of a body.

    Archie went to the surface and saw The Mother was still screeching in pain and ignored everything around her. He looked around and the parasites she controlled stopped attacking the parasites that Archie controlled. He used the opportunity to take control of all of the parasites and ordered them to attack her. Even though some of them couldn¡¯t get past the water covered with her blood, some of them survived and started to attack her.

    Archie climbed up The Mother¡¯s body from behind and he saw the faces and the body parts of parasites on her body. It looked like a living nightmare as he kept climbing up to the top of her body. He covered his swords one more time and then stabbed her head and injected the liquid into her body slowly and painfully.

    Archie could feel every part of her mother from the head down to her neck, and it expanded all the way to her body. He could feel the body parts that she swallowed and stayed inside her body like an accessory. It was so uncomfortable to feel a body that didn¡¯t belong to him, and once all the liquid covered her whole body, he pulled his swords as hard as he could and The Mother¡¯s whole body exploded as he pulled out the crystallized liquid inside her body.

    Her body sank into the water and Archie slowly walked away from her and stood on the small island in the middle of the lake. He watched her body sink and followed by a huge whirlpool that sucked all the parasites down to the giant hole underneath. Ruby and the others were shocked when the whole lake was drained and saw the giant hole on the ground.

    They decided to climb down the cliff while the black-haired witch stared at nothing. ¡°Goodbye, Mother,¡± she said and then left.

    Ruby and the others ran toward Archie, but as soon as he turned back to normal, he collapsed and fell unconscious. ¡°Archie!¡± Ruby screamed.

 Chapter 65

    Ruby lifted Archie¡¯s body and it felt so heavy that it was impossible for her to lift it up on her own. Vincent helped her and put Archie on Ruby¡¯s lap, they were staring at Archie and saw the liquid was crawling on the ground like a snail. They were looking at it with curiosity but then the green-haired witch came out from one of the trees on the small island. ¡°Don¡¯t get too close to him, you will be in danger if it touches you,¡± she warned them. The witch sat next to Ruby and grabbed Archie from Ruby¡¯s lap and put him on her lap instead.

    ¡°What happened to him?¡± Prince asked as he avoided the liquid on the ground.

    ¡°Who knows,¡± The witch replied as she stared at Archie while she brushed Archie¡¯s hair. ¡°He might have exhausted his power. When was the last time he eat?¡± she asked as she looked at Ruby.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, it might be a month or so,¡± Ruby answered.

    The witch hummed with understanding. ¡°Well that answered the reason why he collapsed, he¡¯s starving and he used all the abilities he has to fight her,¡± she said.

    ¡°Is he going to be okay?¡± Ruby asked.

    ¡°He will be fine, he just needs some rest and he will be fine once he wakes up, but he might need food so I will gather some for him,¡± The witch said as she stared at Archie. ¡°Why don¡¯t you guys check around the area since you guys are here to gather some information related to the Landing Site,¡± she continued.

    All of them nodded and slid down to the bottom of the lake.

    They couldn¡¯t believe that the place where they stood used to be a lake and now the whole lake disappear because of that giant hole. They went to check the hole and stood on the edge, as soon as they looked down at the deep and the dark endless hole, they all got a chill down their spine. The wind breezed out from the hole and hit their faces as they carefully walked away from the hole.

    ¡°What do you think is down there?¡± Resse asked as she looked at the others.

    ¡°I don¡¯t even want to think about it, Resse, it¡¯s better for us to just focus on the symbols since we are here to take pictures of the symbols not investigate this hole,¡± Prince answered.

    All of them then started to investigate the ground and it wasn¡¯t pleasant for them because they had to cover their nose from the pungent smell of rotten flesh of the parasites and not to mention The Mother¡¯s blood that was spurting all over the lake. They were looking at the ground for the symbols but there was nothing else but mud on the ground.

    The green-haired witch was watching them with curiosity. ¡°What are you looking for?¡±

    They turned around and looked at the witch. ¡°We are looking for symbols. There used to be a lot of symbols on the ground, right? Before this whole area become a lake?¡± Ruby replied.

    The green-haired witch was staring at them for quite a while and then she started to giggle and covered her mouth. They were looking at each other with confusion and then the witch cleared her throat and closed her eyes with a smile that held her laughter. ¡°You know, I have met a few humans like you who came here and seek the same thing,¡± she said. ¡°But none of them could leave this place, do you know why?¡± she asked as she glared at them with a sinister smile.

    They immediately went on guard and prepared to grab their weapon on their waist and back. The witch giggled mischievously and shook her head. ¡°Why are you so wary of me so suddenly? Just because I said it doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m the one who did that,¡± she said. ¡°Don¡¯t set a foot in a place you don¡¯t want to be. Have you never heard that kind of phrase?¡± she continued.

    ¡°Could you blame us if we are curious? We are living in a world where humankind is endangered, and the truth is that there are humans like you who have become something that we can¡¯t explain. A parasite, and now we understood that there¡¯s more to what we know, do you think it¡¯s wrong for us to find an answer to all that?¡± Vincent explained.

    ¡°If what you¡¯re looking for is an answer,¡± The witch said and then switched her gaze at the giant hole. ¡°Why don¡¯t you guys go down there? I believe if an answer is what you seek, you might find it down there,¡± she continued as she glanced at them.

    All of them looked at the hole and it immediately gave them the chill again.

    ¡°If you look at that abyss, each one of you will see different things. The things that you fear, the things that you fear might be down inside that hole. Anything that running in your head, all of them might be living in that hole, and you never know until you jump down and get into that hole,¡± The witch said. ¡°It¡¯s the same as why you¡¯re all here, you might be curious but would you be able to handle the answer once you know everything? Will you be able to survive and stay alive and not kill yourself as soon as you got the answer like the other guys? Will you not regret it once you know the answer?¡± the witch continued and glared at them judgingly.

    All of them were gulping as they stared at the witch nervously.

    ¡°I will give you a small information about this area, but you have to do me a favor first,¡± The witch said. ¡°Take a long look at the hole, and tell me what you see,¡± the witch continued with a gentle smile on her face.

    Since they all wanted an answer they agreed to the witch request and decided to walk to the edge of the hole and stared down at it for quite a while.

    Everyone started to see things that they didn¡¯t want to see, they imagined the thing that they fear the most. For Ruby, she looked down and saw Julia and the people she abandoned in the past, they were screaming at her and asking her to save them. Vincent looked at Ruby in that hole, he saw Ruby was holding the grenade¡¯s pin while she was crying, she was so close to pulling it out but she hesitated. Resse on the other hand watched herself surrounded by parasites and ate her alive while she was screaming in pain with blood coming out of her mouth, nose, and eyes. It reminded her of the experiment she had and it terrified her fully. Prince saw the friends he had who joined the experiment, he saw them killing themselves over and over but they all came back to life while screaming with disbelief and in agony. All those friends he saw were the friends who didn¡¯t make it into the experiment and had to be killed before they turned themselves into parasites.

    Once they showed their fear to the abyss, that was the moment when the abyss stared back at them. A low and fierce growl could be heard coming from the deep of the hole, they were frozen in place and their whole body was shaken in fear. They were too scared to move while the abyss kept glaring at them, and their bodies started to move on their own, they were walking closer to the hole and ready to jump off. The witch stared at them with a smile on her face but then the roots appeared from the mud and rooted their bodies then threw them away from the hole.

    ¡°Now, do you understand why I asked you to stare at that hole?¡± The witch asked. ¡°Are you ready to get the answer that you¡¯re looking for? The answer that will haunt you for the rest of your life?¡± she continued as she questioned their decision.

    Tears were covering their eyes as they looked at the witch who was still sitting and letting Archie rest on her lap. ¡°What¡¯s happening?! Why are we seeing things?!¡± Resse asked.

    ¡°Why are you asking that question to me? You should ask that question to yourself,¡± The witch replied. ¡°You should know the answer, and the answer is fear. If you still have fear in your heart, you won¡¯t be able to handle the answer that I¡¯m going to give you,¡± she explained.

    The witch stood up as she carried Archie in her arms while she walked down and approached them. She smiled gently and stared at them then she leaned her head forward as the four of them were sitting on the mud and looked up at her. ¡°The answer you¡¯re looking for is¡­¡± the witch said but the moment she said that the four of them covered their ears with fear written all over their faces as they read the lips of the witch.

    Their bodies trembled in fear and tears fell down their cheeks the moment the witch gave the answer. ¡°You asked for it so don¡¯t regret it, humans,¡± she said as she walked past them.

 Chapter 66

    Archie opened his eyes weakly and saw the sunlight was blinding him, he slowly lifted his hand and covered his eyes. He sat up and noticed that he was nowhere near the lake, he looked around and saw nobody around him. He immediately stood up and look for the others, and before he could look for them, the green-haired witch came out from the tree with the branches of the tree behind her offered him meat.

    ¡°You seemed to be in a hurry? Are you looking for your friends?¡± The witch asked.

    Archie looked at the meat and grab one and immediately ate it. ¡°Yes, have you seen them?¡± he asked as he chewed the meat.

    The witch looked at the end of the forest and pointed her hand over there. ¡°They have left the forest and went back to the city,¡± she answered.

    Archie furrowed his eyebrows and looked at the witch with confusion. ¡°They left? How long did I fall unconscious?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that long, you only slept for four hours,¡± The witch answered.

    Archie squinted his eyes with suspicion. ¡°Then why are they leaving without me? Did something happen?¡±

    The witch looked at Archie and smiled gently at him with her eyes closed. ¡°Well, they were bugging me and asking me since they were curious about what¡¯s really happening. So, I just told them what I want to tell them,¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by telling them what you want to tell them?¡± Archie asked as he shook his head with confusion.

    The witch looked at the meat and grabbed one then put it in her mouth. ¡°That the humankind cannot be saved, their existence is leading to their extinction,¡± she answered.

    Archie just looked at her and thought to himself that she nor the other witches ever cared about the humans. He should have known that they would say whatever they want to the humans and make them miserable since they knew they were superior to the humans. He forgot that the only reason they didn¡¯t kill Ruby and the others was that they were obeying him as a superior race to them and because they were afraid of the being that chose us.

    ¡°Then what happened?¡± Archie asked as he grabbed his bag and pulled out his shirt and pants.

    ¡°They covered their ears and glared at me with really funny expressions, so I¡¯m not sure if they heard my words or not. Then, after I said that, I left them there, and not long after that, they ran and left the forest,¡± The witch answered.

    Archie hummed as he put on his shirt and jeans.

    ¡°Archie,¡± The witch called him quietly. Archie just glanced at her and waited for her to say whatever she wanted to say. ¡°The reason why we brought you to that lake and threw you down there was that we were told to do that by it,¡± The witch explained.

    Archie stopped putting his shoe on and immediately glared at the witch. ¡°Was it them who ordered you to guide me there?¡± he asked.

    The witch nodded. ¡°Yes, and the reason why we brought you to her was to test you as a Drautnir and as the chosen. It was a trial that they have prepared long before you were born, and the reason why there was only one parasite like The Mother of all the places in the continents was that because they had done it first and you¡¯re the last one to complete the trial,¡± she answered.

    Archie tied up his shoelaces and looked at the witch. ¡°A trial? For what?¡±

    The witch sat down and looked at Archie. ¡°A trial to attract her,¡±

    Archie glared at the witch from the corner of his eyes. ¡°What did you just say?¡± he asked. ¡°A trial to attract her? What do you know and why did you say it like you know what you¡¯re talking about?¡± he looked at her with suspicion.

    ¡°Because I have seen and heard it so many times that I understand the pattern,¡± The witch answered. ¡°The Drautnir that entered this forest and was chosen by it miraculously moved to the other side of the continent. He had achieved what you have achieved now, and he came back here but he changed drastically,¡± she continued.

    ¡°Changed?¡± Archie asked as he raised his eyebrow.

    ¡°He looked so obsessed at something, something that made us think that he had gone crazy. But, it wasn¡¯t really the case, he told us that he had met her, the woman that he had been looking for,¡± The witch said as she stared blankly at the ground. ¡°We were so confused at first because we had no idea what he was talking about until he explained everything to us,¡± she continued then she looked at Archie. ¡°That was the last time we saw him and we know that he died not long after he said that,¡±

    ¡°What happened to him?¡± Archie asked as he grabbed his swords and put them on his back.

    ¡°We believe he went to see that woman, Eve,¡± The witch answered. ¡°You¡¯re also looking for her, right? And all of you have the same mission to find her, right?¡± she asked as she looked up at Archie.

    Archie nodded as he kept staring her in the eyes. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what they told me. They want me to find her first then they will give me another mission once I met her,¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make the same mistake as him, Archie,¡± The witch said with a worried expression and grabbed Archie¡¯s hand so tightly.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Archie asked as he crouched and looked at her with confusion.

    ¡°We are a new race that¡¯s modified from a human body, and we are slowly changing our behavior that isn¡¯t a match for a human being anymore. You can feel it yourself, right? You¡¯re not attracted to the humans anymore and you¡¯re slowly losing your sympathy and empathy toward them,¡± The witch explained. ¡°You¡¯re not even attracted to us even though you¡¯re seeing us as the opposite sex of yours and clearly we don¡¯t have anything on us that for a human being will make them feel aroused or uncomfortable. Because deep down, you¡¯re looking at us as nothing but someone who¡¯s inferior to you and you¡¯re not attracted to us because we are like your servants,¡± she continued.

    Archie thought to himself and that was exactly how he saw the witches. He also realized how he found everything related to the humans uninteresting as what the witch said.

    ¡°I see what you mean, but what¡¯s the meaning behind of all that?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°What will happen to you once you see someone that¡¯s equal to you and you found that person attractive?¡± The witch asked. ¡°You would get closer to that person, right? But unfortunately, that person isn¡¯t someone who you think they are, what if that person is actually never interested in you in the first place? That person will lure you in and once you lower your guard that person pounce on you and chop your head off?¡± She continued as she looked at Archie while she was explaining it to him.

    Archie looked at her while he raised his eyebrows, then he started to chuckle while he shook his head with disbelief. ¡°You think it¡¯s funny and stupid isn¡¯t it?¡± The witch said seriously as she pulled his hand down. ¡°Archie, she¡¯s the only woman that they chose. If they want you to be with her, do you think you can resist her once you see her? She¡¯s a woman, and you have no idea what kind of thoughts a woman can have. Do you think she would be sane enough after living for hundreds of years?!¡± The witch explained.

    At that moment, Archie¡¯s smile and chuckle disappeared immediately because he realized if the first Adam was chosen after the meteor strike the earth, then that also means Eve was chosen before the first Adam was chosen. Nobody would stay sane after living for hundreds of years and it had been proven by the witches and Gideon Armen that he fought not long time ago.

    ¡°Do you understand now, Archie? That she¡¯s the same as you, she possesses unlimited growth and she¡¯s hungry for power like you are. What makes you think she would settle down after she¡¯s meeting with one of you? One of you fell into her honeypot and she won¡¯t stop and she would never be satisfied,¡± The witch asked. ¡°I believe that everything that you have achieved now is leading you to a new trial, and that trial is to meet her, Archie. You will be tested whether you pass or fail the trial and that means either you survive or die in her hand,¡± she continued.

    Archie looked at the witch that looked genuinely worried about him, he nodded with understanding as he slowly pulled his hand from her. ¡°I will keep that in mind,¡±

 Chapter 67

    Three months had passed since they investigated the Landing Site and ever since that day, Ruby, Vincent, Resse, and Prince started to change. They were acting weird that Frank, Tommy, and Daniel were so confused with their sudden changes, Marlon and Fanheim noticed that as well. They thought that the investigation went well but it affected the four of them.

    Archie lived his life and just focused on the task that was given to him but Ruby and Vincent were avoiding him ever since that day and the wall between them and Archie was getting wider and wider. Archie didn¡¯t bother about it at all since he didn¡¯t need anything from them and he didn¡¯t need to socialize with anyone in the first place.

    Archie went to the port where they built the ship because he heard the first three ships were ready to set sail. He looked at how big the ships were and they said a single ship was enough to bring at least 40.000 people inside. Three ships were ready and another three ships were being built, so a total of six ships were guaranteed to sail. With that many ships, they could bring at least forty percent of the population of the Western Nation.

    As Archie enjoyed the sunset on the cliff, he heard footsteps that came from behind him. He looked around and saw Daniel and Tommy were looking at him and waved at him.

    ¡°What are you guys doing here?¡± Archie asked as he took care of his swords.

    ¡°I know that it¡¯s a bit too late to ask, but what happened to Major Ruby and Captain Vincent, Arch?¡± Tommy asked as he sat down next to Archie.

    Archie rubbed his thumb on the blade and made a cut on his skin immediately. ¡°Why are you asking me? Shouldn¡¯t you ask about it to them?¡± Archie replied as he retracted his thumb from the blade and sucked on the blood.

    Both Tommy and Daniel were looking at each other and then Daniel looked at Archie. ¡°We did but they were ignoring us and they looked stressed out, or like a depressed person,¡± Daniel said.

    ¡°If that¡¯s what you saw, then you¡¯re not wrong about it,¡± Archie said as he sheathed Nyx. ¡°If they didn¡¯t want to talk about it, then I don¡¯t think I have the right to tell you guys what happened to them since the four of them already have been a hot gossip amongst the other soldiers, so I don¡¯t want to make rumors about them,¡± he continued as he looked at them.

    Tommy plucked the grass next to his thigh. ¡°Did something happen to them? Can you at least tell us that? Because we are so worried about them,¡±

    Archie sighed. ¡°Physically? No, nothing happened,¡± he answered. ¡°Mentally? Yes, they were bothered about something,¡± he continued as he cleaned up Erebos.

    The two of them started to think about the possibility that might had happen to Ruby and the others. Archie looked at them and decided to leave before they could ask more about it.

    Archie was busy checking the scabbards that he didn¡¯t pay attention to the road he was walking and he bumped onto someone. He lifted his head a bit and saw a woman fall to the ground because he bumped her. He looked at the woman and turned out it was Resse, her eyes looked empty. ¡°Sorry, I wasn¡¯t paying attention,¡± Resse said as she tried to stand up.

    Archie just stared at her until she finally realized that she just bumped into Archie, she was surprised at first and her empty eyes turned into fear and anger. Archie looked away and pretended that he didn¡¯t know her then he started to walk away.

    ¡°You know about it, don¡¯t you?¡± Resse asked quietly as she stared at Archie from behind.

    ¡°I do, but what makes you think it will make any difference if I told you about it?¡± Archie said as he turned his head a bit and stared at Resse from the corner of his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t start asking questions if you¡¯re scared of the answer. Isn¡¯t that what she told you guys back then?¡± he continued and then started to walk away leaving Resse on her own.

    Archie went back inside the wall and as soon as he entered the gate Fanheim approached him. ¡°Are you done checking the ships? Do you have anywhere to go now or are you free?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m free, Colonel,¡± Archie replied.

    ¡°Great, why don¡¯t you join me? I¡¯m going to have a drink,¡± Fanheim said with a smile on his face.

    Archie nodded with understanding and followed Fanheim from behind.

    They ended up on the other side of the city where the ¡°fun¡± stuff happened and to ¡°relieve¡± stress for some people. Fanheim led him to the bar that was quite fancy for them even though it wasn¡¯t that different compared to Frank¡¯s.

    ¡°Get yourself a drink, it¡¯s on me,¡± Fanheim said as he pointed at the bottles on the walls behind the counter.

    Archie looked around and there were so many escorts that were serving the customers. Fanheim looked at them and just smiled and shook his head because those customers were mostly the captain of the division in the army.

    ¡°Have you talked with Ruby, Vincent, Prince, and Resse lately, Archie?¡± Fanheim asked then he took a shot of the whiskey.

    ¡°No, they were avoiding me and I know the reason why they¡¯re doing that,¡± Archie answered. ¡°Oh, I just bumped into Resse back then and she¡¯s not looking great,¡± he continued.

    Fanheim looked at Archie while he was holding the glass. ¡°They still haven¡¯t told us what they saw in there, and I don¡¯t think they will ever share it with me or Marlon,¡± he said then took another shot.

    ¡°I can¡¯t blame them and I think they¡¯re being noble for not telling you guys about what they found,¡± Archie said as he pointed at the bottle of wine and looked at the bartender. ¡°To be exact, they¡¯re being generous for not telling you guys anything,¡± he continued as he looked at Fanheim.

    Fanheim looked at the empty glass for quite a while, then he looked at Archie. ¡°I know that you¡¯re not going to tell us anything about what happened back there, but can you at least give us something? Something that we can understand why every single one of the people that we or the previous Marshal sent to investigate the Landing Site always ended up like this?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re worried about the four of them, I think you shouldn¡¯t be worried about them because they can handle it since they have seen a lot of things and it helped them see it,¡± Archie said. ¡°If you want to know what happened, why don¡¯t you think about why the previous people that were sent to investigate the Landing Site ended up killing themselves?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Why did they kill themselves?¡± Fanheim asked with his eyebrows raised. ¡°If I think about it, maybe it¡¯s because they were haunted by something and couldn¡¯t take it anymore?¡± he continued.

    Archie smiled as he smelt the wine aroma in his glass. ¡°You¡¯re half right about it, they were haunted by something but that wasn¡¯t the reason they killed themselves,¡±

    ¡°Wait, so they killed themselves for a different reason?¡± Fanheim asked as he raised his eyebrow. ¡°Then, could it be they killed themselves because they have no more reason to live?¡± he asked again while Archie enjoyed his wine.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct but why did they think that they don¡¯t have any reason to live anymore?¡± Archie asked and put the glass on the counter.

    ¡°Because they were hopeless?¡± Fanheim answered with his forehead furrowed as he looked at Archie.

    Archie looked at Fanheim and nodded. ¡°Yes, because they know that there¡¯s no hope for humankind. Whatever they saw or heard during the investigation, it was similar to what those four found back there,¡±

    Fanheim looked at the ceiling and took a deep breath and exhaled deeply. ¡°My God¡­ They couldn¡¯t bear the burden on their own then decided to kill themselves rather than telling us that there¡¯s no hope for humankind,¡± he said as he closed his eyes. ¡°What kind of terrifying things that they found?¡± he mumbled to himself.

    ¡°Colonel, there¡¯s something that I want to tell you,¡± Archie said as he turned the chair toward Fanheim. ¡°I¡¯m not a human anymore and I¡¯m losing my emotions and feelings toward you guys. I¡¯m not worried about it because I can survive on my own and I¡¯m basically immortal as long as I can feed on parasites,¡± he explained. ¡°The peaceful moment that you have right now is just temporary. Either you all die or survive is none of my problems, so be ready before the calm turns into a storm,¡± he warned.

    Fanheim looked at Archie and chuckled softly. ¡°I will keep that in mind¡­¡± he said quietly. ¡°I might need a lot of drinks to think this over,¡± he continued as he smiled and looked at the empty glass in his hand.

    Archie nodded and stood up. ¡°I will leave you be then, Colonel, and thank you for the drink,¡± he said then left the bar.

 Chapter 68

    ¡°You want to go to the FalCon-4? On your own?¡± Marlon asked as he looked at Archie. ¡°Why are you suddenly want to go over there? And I won¡¯t give you the permission if you don¡¯t tell me the reason why,¡± he continued as he sat down at his desk and lit his cigar.

    ¡°I believe you already know the answer for that, Sir, because you said on each Fallen Continent, there¡¯s a Landing Site, so I want to go there and check it out. I also want to check the situation over there and make sure that there¡¯s no threat from there,¡± Archie answered while he stood at ease. ¡°Of course, I can¡¯t bring Major Ruby and the others because they¡¯re still struggling with that,¡± he continued.

    Marlon leaned on his chair and puffed the smoke onto the ceiling. ¡°Do you even know how far it is? It will take you at least a month to reach there. If you go back and forth, that¡¯s already two months and we don¡¯t have that much time,¡±

    Archie nodded with understanding. ¡°I know, Sir, but I can get there in less than a week,¡±

    Marlon looked at Archie and started to snicker then bursted out laughing while he slammed his left hand on the armrest. ¡°A week? Don¡¯t be silly! Even if you use a car, it will take you two days or even more. How can you be there in a week if you¡¯re going there on foot? Not to mention the time you¡¯re going to use to rest. There¡¯s no way for you to reach FalCon-4 in a week, Archie,¡±

    Archie smiled and lowered his head. ¡°But will you allow me if I take two weeks off for this, Sir? I will come back exactly on the fourteenth day and I will also bring pictures of the Landing Site in there,¡± he replied.

    Marlon stared at Archie and he could tell that Archie was being serious. ¡°You really think you can make it there in a week?¡± he asked with a serious expression.

    ¡°Yes, Sir,¡± Archie answered without hesitation.

    Marlon rested his hands on the desk and judgingly stared at Archie. ¡°Alright, you get my permission but this mission won¡¯t be recorded and you¡¯re on your own. If you fail there will be no consequences and if you succeed, then there will be no rewards as well,¡± he said.

    ¡°Understood, Sir,¡± Archie said as he saluted Marlon.

    ¡°You may leave and you may grab everything you need for the mission in the armory,¡± Marlon said.

    Archie nodded and then left the room.

    Since Archie didn¡¯t need anything, he immediately went to the East gate and told the guards to open the door for him. As soon as the gate was open, he started to jog his way out to the abandoned city.

    The moment he left the wall of the abandoned city, he removed his jacket and then put it in his bag. He transformed his body and made himself as big as he could so he could reach FalCon-4 faster with big legs.

    While he was busy transforming his body, the eldest wind witch appeared in from of him. ¡°I heard you¡¯re going to the East, may I accompany you?¡± she asked.

    Archie stared at the witch. ¡°Yes, I want to see where the Drautnir went to that might lead me to find that woman he met,¡±

    ¡°So you heard about it,¡± The witch said with a sad expression.

    ¡°He was under your care, right?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Yes, the moment we heard that he went missing, we believed that he was already dead,¡± The witch answered. ¡°There¡¯s no more reason for me to think about that because I have lost my sisters as well so it was all in the past now,¡± she said.

    Archie nodded and grabbed the tiny bag with his fingers then hold it in like a rock. ¡°Let¡¯s move, I don¡¯t have much time to investigate because I have to go back here as soon as I found what I¡¯m looking for,¡±

    The witch nodded and then she followed Archie who leaped from building to building.

    Archie¡¯s massive body could be seen from far away because he jumped over buildings and trampled on them like it was nothing to him. His presence was enough to make the parasites around him hide in fear. Archie looked around the area as he ran to check if there were any humans around, but all he could sense were animals and parasites around him.

    Days had passed, and he already reached the east side of the continent which was Newfoundland and Labrador. He was shocked when he saw the forest was flattened with no trees around, not just him but the witch was surprised by it as well. The witch said the area wasn¡¯t like this before, she was confused about what happened and so she decided to look for her sisters in FalCon-4.

    Archie turned back to his human form and looked around to see any sign of the living but he couldn¡¯t find anything, not even a parasite. He took pictures with his camera to show Marlon and Fanheim about the discovery since the human hadn¡¯t touched the east side of the continent for a very long time.

    As he walked through the remains of the forest, he could hear sobbing coming from up ahead. He decided to run and check who was crying and turned out it was the witch, and she was on her knees while she was holding a person in her hands.

    Archie approached her and saw a woman in the witch¡¯s arms, a red-haired woman that seemed to be the witch of the FalCon-4. He sat in front of her and he couldn¡¯t feel anything from the red-haired witch, she was already dead but he wasn¡¯t sure when exactly but her body was preserved as if she just died a few minutes ago.

    Archie didn¡¯t know what to say and just sat there and listened to the witch sobbing. While he was staring at the witch grieving for her sister¡¯s death, he thought that the red-haired witch shouldn¡¯t be the only one, the other might be dead as well by the look of the flattened forest. Suddenly a fierce wind struck his face and the witch suddenly looked up with tears in her eyes.

    ¡°Sister?¡± The witch asked as she carefully put down the red-haired witch on the ground.

    There was no response from the wind and the witch dispersed and became one with the wind. Archie just looked up in the air and heard the wind fiercely moving randomly as if those wind witches were communicating with each other in their own ways.

    ¡°Leave¡­¡± ¡°You have to leave¡­¡± A soothing woman¡¯s voice was whispering into Archie¡¯s ear.¡± Don¡¯t make the same mistake as him, leave and don¡¯t come back,¡± she whispered.

    ¡°Where is she?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look for her, you will regret it¡­¡± ¡°We made a mistake, and we have to bear the consequences,¡± she whispered with a sorrowful voice.

    ¡°Was she the one who did all this?¡± Archie asked with a surprised expression.

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s nothing like anything in this world¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s the embodiment of a calamity,¡± She whispered.

    ¡°Show me where is she, I want to see her,¡± Archie asked seriously.

    The wind dispersed and Archie could no longer feel the wind.

    The wind witch appeared in front of Archie and she looked stunned and blankly stared at nothing.

    ¡°What happened? What did she say?¡± Archie asked.

    The wind witch looked at Archie and pointed at the sea. ¡°Go to the cliff, you will see an island from there,¡±

    Archie without saying anything immediately ran to where the witch pointed at.

    After running for hours he finally reached the edge, he saw the island that the witch mentioned, the Newfoundland island. He squinted his eyes and saw something massive was laying on the island, he couldn¡¯t see clearly what it was but he knew it was big enough to use the whole island for itself.

    ¡°What is that thing?¡± Archie mumbled to himself.

    ¡°That¡¯s a king,¡± The witch said after she appeared next to Archie.

    Archie was shocked that a king could be that big, and if that thing decided to move, it would be enough to make the earth shake. He never thought a parasite could grow that big and unnoticed even if he worked together with all the Axis Humans in the world, they would stand no chance against it.

    The king parasite slowly moved its body and Archie could see the long neck of the parasite, but then he looked at another neck that came up. The parasite had two heads and they almost reached the sky, and the king suddenly roared so loud that the voice echoed throughout the sky like a rumbling thunder. The birds flew away as the king kept roaring in the sky, and Archie was amazed and terrified at the same time.

    ¡°Archie,¡± The witch called.

    Archie took a picture of the king and then turned around and looked at the witch who had been looking around. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Someone is watching us, and I don¡¯t think we should be here¡­¡± The witch answered.

    Archie immediately looked around and he didn¡¯t feel anything at all. ¡°I don¡¯t feel anything, and I came here to find the woman, so I will be here until at least I got any lead of what happened to the Drautnir that came here,¡± he said.

    The witch looked Archie in the eyes and pointed at the island. ¡°If you want to see what happened, you have to go there because my sister told me that he went there and never came back,¡±

    Archie looked at the island and nodded. ¡°Then I will go there and see it for myself,¡±

 Chapter 69

    ¡°What?! Are you out of your mind?!¡± The witch said as she glared at Archie with disbelief. ¡°You will die if you even get close to that island! What are you thinking?!¡± she continued as she floated in front of Archie.

    ¡°I need to know what¡¯s on that island, and you said that the guy went there, right? That means she¡¯s also in there or at least I could see where she went if she¡¯s not there,¡± Archie answered as he stretched his body.

    ¡°Then what? If you find her what are you going to do? She¡¯s out of your league!¡± The witch said with her eyes wide opened and glared at Archie.

    ¡°I will be fine, I don¡¯t think she will kill me immediately. If you want to go, then go, I can do this on my own and I never asked you to join me in the first place,¡± Archie said and then he jumped off of the cliff and dove into the ocean. The witch stared at Archie and immediately dispersed and became one with the wind then followed Archie.

    Archie swam toward the island and every time he stroked the water, he could feel something following him from the depth of the sea. He had so many opportunities to look down, but he decided not to because his guts were telling him that it was a bad idea.

    Archie reached the shore and the king was quite far from where he was but it didn¡¯t mean the king wouldn¡¯t notice him. He looked up and saw the two heads waving up in the air, the body was like a dinosaur but it didn¡¯t have legs nor arms. It had four limbs but it was all flippers like a seal, and the skin looked a bit rough like an elephant. Its body crawled like a snack and he could see the long and thick tail with four gigantic fins like a folding fan that could fold and expand at will.

    Archie snuck behind the hills and cliffs so the parasite couldn¡¯t see him. He made sure that he went further away from the parasite, but as he snuck behind a hill, he saw the tail was raising and he looked up in awe. The tail slowly fell onto the hill close to him and he had to move as fast as he could before the tail hit the ground. When the tail hit the hill, it made a huge earthquake and the fins touched the sea and made a massive tidal wave like a small tsunami toward the other island.

    ¡°Did it see me?¡± Archie talked to himself.

    ¡°It could feel your presence but it didn¡¯t care much about your existence so he¡¯s just messing with you,¡± The witch whispered into his ear and it startled him because he didn¡¯t think that the witch was going to follow him.

    ¡°Why are you here? I thought you hate the idea of going here,¡± Archie asked quietly.

    ¡°I hate the idea because you¡¯re putting yourself in danger, not because of me since I can be in this form and I will be fine no matter what happens,¡± The witch whispered.

    Archie just looked to his left and then decided to go on top of the hill to take a picture of the parasite from up close.

    When he reached the top of the cliff, he couldn¡¯t resist opening his mouth wide because he saw a massive hole in the middle of the island or more like a cave by the shape of the hole that didn¡¯t go straight down. The hold that he saw at the Landing Site couldn¡¯t be compared to this one because it looked so tiny. That huge hole might fit the king and that might be the reason why the hole was that big so that it could come out to the surface.

    Archie immediately grabbed the camera and took a picture of the hole and the parasite. ¡°This should be enough to warn everyone that fighting back is useless,¡± he said while he clicked the camera.

    ¡°Are you thinking of entering the hole?¡± The witch whispered.

    ¡°After seeing that I can come out from it, I guess I should go and check it out,¡± Archie said as he put the camera in his bag. ¡°Can you be my eyes? I might fall into the hole and can¡¯t get back up,¡± he asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t walk too fast and just follow my lead,¡± The witch whispered and the wind blew from Archie¡¯s nape.

    Archie slid down the hill while the parasite didn¡¯t pay any attention to him because it had been staring at the island with its two giants head. He looked around and saw debris that used to be houses and the roads were destroyed completely but he didn¡¯t sense any parasites or living beings from there and believed that it was just that big parasite that lived on the island.

    While Archie walked toward the hole stealthily and looked around, his heart suddenly started pounding really fast. He looked up and saw one of the heads was staring down at him from the sky and that made Archie freeze and couldn¡¯t move a muscle. He gulped as he stared back at the parasite and suddenly the other head started to growl into the sky with some kind of liquid coming out of its mouth.

    The liquid sprayed the sky and in less than a minute dark clouds formed and covered the other head of the parasite. Archie couldn¡¯t believe that a parasite could control the weather like that, and suddenly the heavy rains fell down and hit the ground really hard. The droplet wasn¡¯t made just water but it had something in it as well and it felt so cold that it burnt Archie¡¯s shirt and skin.

    Archie hid under the remains of a building as he checked his bag and hope that the camera was fine. He looked at his swords and the scabbards were damaged by the rains, he was so pissed but there was nothing he could do, and just accepted it. He looked up and could tell the ceiling won¡¯t last with the heavy rain and he decided to run into the hole with his arms and body protecting the bag from the rain.

    Archie ran as fast as he could but stumbled by a rock on the ground, he was rolled over into the hole and slid down to the hole deep enough that he started to fall into the abyss because of how slippery the surface was because of the rain. The steep surface made him unable to reach the walls and when he tried to expand his arms and hands, it was already too late because he already reached the bottom of the hole.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Archie groaned as he tried to stand up. He opened his eyes and looked at his surroundings where he was surrounded by walls. ¡°This isn¡¯t good¡­¡±

    ¡°Where am I?¡± Archie said as he kept looking around. ¡°This place¡­¡± he mumbled and seemed to be familiar with the place he was at and realized that the place was similar to when the parasite took over his body for years.

    Archie looked up and saw the hole, he could climb back up but it would take him a while to reach the surface. He decided to look around first before he leaves since he wanted to see if he would find Eve.

    ¡°Where are you going? You¡¯re not supposed to be in here,¡± The witch whispered.

    ¡°I know, I slipped and it wasn¡¯t my intention to be down here,¡± Archie replied. ¡°But since I¡¯m here, I should take a look around first before coming back up,¡± he continued as he started walking.

    Archie walked toward the danger based on the sense he felt in that dark and spacious tunnel. The further he went the more intense the feeling he had, and he started to hear growls and roars coming from in front of him.

    The long tunnel had finally come to an end and Archie walked to the edge of the cliff. He never thought that deep inside the earth, there would be an ecosystem like how it was on the surface. He saw mountains, hills, rivers, and a lake, but what terrified him was that there were hundreds of the same parasite that he fought in the north.

    ¡°Is this real?¡± Archie asked.

    The moment he said that he felt a strong wind hit his face and it was so loud as if the air was being torn apart. ¡°Archie, run!¡± The witch whispered into his ear and he then realized that the right side of his body was gone including his right arm.

    Archie looked at his blood dripping down to the ground and then he looked at the wall behind him. He saw a scale that was stuck on the wall with a few pieces of his flesh splattered onto the wall. He just got attacked that he didn¡¯t realize it took half of his body because of it, and he had no idea where it came from.

    Without thinking twice, Archie turned around and went back inside the tunnel and ran as fast as he could. While he was running, he heard growls coming from behind, and he was being chased by something and it was huge. Knowing that he couldn¡¯t outrun the parasite, he transformed himself and started to run faster that the parasite couldn¡¯t catch up with him anymore.

    As he ran for his life, he heard a loud cracking sound from behind but he couldn¡¯t care less and kept running. He didn¡¯t know that the parasite that was chasing him was killed by someone and it was Eve who killed that parasite.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare take my prey, you maggot!¡± Eve said as she tore the parasite in half with her bare hands.

    Eve saw Archie running for his life and she couldn¡¯t hold her excitement that she rubbed the blood of the parasite onto her cheeks and neck while she giggled mischievously. ¡°I will see you again, my Adam,¡± Eve said with her sinister gaze that looked like reptile eyes.

 Chapter 70

    ¡°Am I safe? I should be safe, right?¡± Archie asked as he climbed up the hole.

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk, keep climbing!¡± The witch replied.

    The witch used her human form as she helped Archie climb up the hole with the whirlwind that was strong enough to lift Archie¡¯s body. She kept looking down because she saw Eve and was terrified that Eve might pursue them. Fortunately, Archie was too focused on running for his life that he didn¡¯t notice Eve¡¯s presence or to be exact he didn¡¯t care about anything because he knew that a strong presence was near him.

    Archie climbed up and managed to reach the top, he immediately ran out of the mouth cave and saw the thunders strike the ground around him. He looked up and the king was the one who made the sudden change in the weather. The dark clouds and the thunderstorm were covering the whole continent, which was a bad sign for everyone.

    The sea was rampaging and Archie looked at it with confusion. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think! Just run back to the city because the other kings have responded to this king¡¯s taunt. You guys don¡¯t have much time left and you need to leave this continent as soon as possible!¡± The witch said as she pulled Archie to the cliff before he couldn¡¯t go back to the continent because of the waves.

    Archie dove into the rampaging sea and he barely managed to fight the waves, he kept swimming back to Newfoundland with the help of the witch by blocking the winds to calm the sea a bit. He kept swimming and his eyes were focused on swimming forward where the cliff was a few hundred meters away from him.

    The witch became one with the wind and she checked the island once more to see if Eve was following them. To her surprise, Eve really did follow them to the surface but the moment she wanted to follow Archie into the water, the parasite looked at her as if she was a huge threat to him.

    The king used his flippers and tail to attack Eve but Eve stopped them with her hands like it was nothing. The witch was shocked and couldn¡¯t believe what she witnessed, she knew how strong Eve was but she never thought she would be able to be a match with a king.

    Archie heard roars that came from the island but he didn¡¯t bother to look back, but on the other hand, the witch watched everything and saw Eve butchering the king with her nails. There was no logical explanation for how could a woman could fight a parasite that was as tall as a mountain on her own, with her bare hands.

    The guts of the parasite were spurting out and exploded into the sea, the parasite¡¯s body hit the ground really hard that it shook the entire island and the sea became wilder that Archie got pushed onto the cliff. It helped him and he immediately climbed up the cliff and then rested on the edge of the cliff while he caught his breath.

    ¡°Archie you need to keep moving, the real threat is here,¡± The witch whispered into his ear.

    Archie furrowed his forehead and turned his head toward the island. He squinted his eyes to see the parasite but then his eyes widened when he realized the king that he just ran away from half an hour ago was already dead with the heads decapitated.

    As Archie watched the dead body of the king, he saw a woman with very long silver hair that reflected the sun that had just uncovered from the dark clouds standing on top of the corpse of the king. She was waving her bloody hands at him with a mischievous smile on her face, Archie got a chill down his spine and immediately got up.

    ¡°Eve?¡± Archie said under his breath.

    Eve just smirked and then licked her fingers while kept staring at Archie.

    Archie immediately knew that something wasn¡¯t right about her, he thought that Eve would be normal like any woman he knew but she was nothing like what he imagined. He decided to run and left without looking back.

    ¡°You believe me now, Archie?¡± The witch asked as she followed him from the side.

    ¡°Did she kill the king?¡± Archie asked as he dodged and jumped over the obstacles in front of him.

    ¡°Killed it? She butchered the king with her bare hands! She took down the king like she was killing a fly!¡± The witch answered.

    Archie looked at the witch with disbelief but there was no reason for the witch to tell him a lie at this moment. He turned around and the island was no longer visible, he felt a bit relieved when knowing that Eve wasn¡¯t following them.

    ¡°The sky, is it going to be like that for a while?¡± Archie asked as he looked at the sky.

    ¡°Yes, and you can see that the dark clouds are forming from the south and north as well. They¡¯re all responding to the king¡¯s call but they don¡¯t know about the king¡¯s death, so this will be a big problem because now all of them will come to the surface,¡± The witch answered.

    Archie gritted his teeth and slowly transformed his body. ¡°I need to hurry and go back to warn everyone before it¡¯s too late,¡±

    (At the same time in Newfoundland Island.)

    Eve looked at the dark clouds as she sighed, she then walked down from the king¡¯s body and walked toward the cave. She heard growls and roars from the cave, she ignored them, and suddenly hundreds and thousands of the king-class parasites appeared from the hole. She glared at them and all of them immediately went to the side and tried not to get too close to her because they were scared of her presence.

    ¡°Brainless maggots¡­¡± Eve said as she walked deeper into the cave then grabbed one king-class parasite and sliced it into pieces with her claws. Eve¡¯s gaze was terrifying enough to make some of them decide to crawl back into the hole and hide.

    Eve jumped down into the hole and before she landed on the ground, a pair of wings made from her ribs, flesh, and skin came out from her back and slowed down her landing. She put the wings back into her back and then walked casually along the dark tunnel.

    As Eve walked in the forest, she couldn¡¯t stop thinking of Archie and his face, she couldn¡¯t stop giggling and smiling like a maniac. ¡°He¡¯s so cute,¡± Eve said as she kept smiling and resting her head on her palm. ¡°I should have followed him and seen where he was going, but since he went to the west, I think I know where he¡¯s going,¡± she continued as she looked to her left where another giant hole that lead to somewhere.

    Eve stood on top of the mountain underneath the earth and then entered the mouth of the mountain. She walked deeper into the mountain and saw the lava flowing below her, she kept walking and went deeper into the mountain.

    ¡°You¡¯re still alive?¡± Eve asked as she stared at a guy that was wrapped with flesh-like tissues. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re still alive, why don¡¯t you die already since I don¡¯t want to play with you anymore,¡± she continued as she crouched and glared at the guy in front of her.

    ¡°W-why¡­¡± The guy weakly asked with his eyes barely open. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be mine¡­ but why are you doing this, and why they allowed you to do this,¡± he continued and then coughed blood.

    Eve giggled then rubbed the guy¡¯s face gently. ¡°Who told you that I belong to anyone? They didn¡¯t tell you that, they only told you to find me,¡± she answered. ¡°You¡¯re not the first who thought that, and you won¡¯t be the last,¡± she continued as she rubbed the top of her teeth with her tongue.

    ¡°It should be like this¡­ you promised me that you will be mine¡­¡± the guy said with desperation in his voice.

    Eve sighed and slowly moved her index finger and middle finger toward the guy¡¯s eyes. She then gouged his eyes as the guy screamed in pain. ¡°You were no fun to play with compared to the first guy,¡± she said as she was enjoying torturing the guy with a straight face. ¡°I¡¯m bored of you, now just die and let me take your power,¡± she said and then tore the guy¡¯s face with her claws and tore the front half of the guy¡¯s body.

    Eve grabbed his heart and ate it so slowly, and she could feel the power flowing into her body immediately. The flesh-like tissue unwrapped itself from the remaining of the guy, Eve approached the tissue and it became one with her as if it belonged to her in the first place.

    ¡°Now, it¡¯s time to go and get my new plaything¡­¡± Eve said as she licked her fingers.

 Chapter 71

    Archie reached the wall and he could see smoke coming up into the sky from behind the wall. He transformed himself back to his human form, and the moment he entered the abandoned city, he saw the smoke coming from the city. He then started to run as fast as he could to find out what was happening in the city the moment he left.

    Archie heard people screaming from behind the wall, and he saw so many parasites laying on the ground dead. He looked at all of them and they were Gen 3 and above parasites which were still fine, but the problem was what Gen of parasites was inside the city.

    As soon as he entered the gate, he saw parasites jumping around and fighting the Axis Humans. Archie was shocked and immediately try to send them all back to where they belonged, but they didn¡¯t listen to his command at all.

    ¡°Archie!¡± A woman¡¯s voice was screaming his name. ¡°Over here!¡± she continued.

    Archie looked up and saw Ruby was covered with blood but she seemed fine. ¡°What¡¯s happening here?!¡± he asked but Ruby couldn¡¯t hear him so he unsheathed his swords and started to make his way up to the wall.

    Ruby decapitated the parasite and kicked it down the wall, she then looked at Archie and pointed at the south. ¡°Look over there!¡± she said.

    Archie stood next to her and saw hordes of parasites on their way to the city. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±

    ¡°It happened so suddenly, it happened three days ago when the huge storm hit the city,¡± Ruby answered as she wiped her mouth from the parasite¡¯s blood. ¡°At midnight, we were worried that the city might get wiped by the storm, but then this happen. Parasites came into the city with the storm and they seemed to be running away from the FalCon-3,¡± she explained.

    Archie looked at the hordes and then he looked down. ¡°I will take care of the hordes, you keep the city safe from the parasite,¡± he said.

    Ruby nodded with understanding. ¡°Please do, we need your help,¡±

    Archie jumped down from the wall and ran to the south where the hordes were. Ruby was watching him from the wall and she was glad that he came back at the right moment.

    ¡°Ruby!¡± A man¡¯s voice called her name.

    Ruby walked to the other side of the wall and looked down, she saw Resse looking up as she searched for ruby. ¡°What?¡± she answered.

    Resse looked at her and gulped. ¡°It¡¯s time! Marshal Marlon gave the orders and we are going to board the ship with the civils!¡± she said. ¡°We need you to protect the port!¡± she continued.

    Ruby nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m on my way there!¡±

    Ruby followed Resse and the situation in the city was a lot worse than she thought. The parasites had breached the whole city and there were so many innocent people died because they couldn¡¯t protect themselves.

    Vincent and the others were guarding the west gate against the parasite since the port was far on the west. He looked at Ruby who ran next to Resse, he immediately asked his team to move and escort the civils to the port.

    ¡°Bub, how¡¯s the situation in the south?¡± Vincent asked with a worried expression.

    Ruby shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s bad over there but Archie came back at the right moment, and now he¡¯s dealing with the hordes on the south,¡±

    Resse and Vincent looked at Ruby with surprised expressions. ¡°Wait, Archie came back already?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°That was fast, did he come back before he can reach FalCon-4? Resse asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know but I¡¯m glad that he¡¯s back because if he¡¯s not here, they will twice the casualty here,¡± Ruby answered. ¡°Let¡¯s escort more civils in the city, we got extra time because Archie is here and he can take care of all the parasites,¡± she continued.

    The two of them nodded with understanding and brought a few soldiers with them and went back to the city.

    ¡°Capt, are you sure we are going to do this? This is a terrible idea to go out here,¡± An Axis Human said to his captain. ¡°It¡¯s been raining for three whole days, and it¡¯s not just heavy run but also a thunderstorm, what¡¯s happening here,¡± he continued.

    ¡°It¡¯s an order from the major, and I honestly don¡¯t think we should be out here where the people in the city are betting on their lives to survive,¡± The captain answered.

    ¡°Why is the major sent a guy to deal with the horses anyway? Is she gone mad?¡± The other Axis Human asked.

    The other Axis Human clicked his tongue. ¡°You heard about the rumor don¡¯t you? Not just her but Captain Resse, Vincent, and Prince were acting the same. Something might have happened to them and now they¡¯re all crazy in the head,¡±

    The captain suddenly raised his hand and clenched it, everyone immediately stopped moving and looked at him quietly. The captain walked to the corner and his expression was priceless, the other soldiers came out from the corner and they were all making the same expression.

    Archie pulled his sword from the parasite¡¯s head and he turned his head and looked at the group of Axis Humans staring at him from the distance. He raised his eyebrow and looked at them with curiosity. ¡°What are you guys doing out here?¡±

    They were all ignoring Archie¡¯s question because they saw hundreds of parasites laying on the ground dead and they were all butchered with body parts all over the places.

    A gigantic parasite broke through the building and charged at Archie, he looked at it and swung his sword. He ran and jumped at it then decapitated the head in a single strike then cut the body in half with his other sword.

    ¡°Are you guys here to watch?¡± Archie asked as he cleaned the swords with his jacket.

    The captain shook his head. ¡°No, we came here to help¡­¡± he answered with a shock on his face.

    ¡°Help?¡± Archie asked but the heavy rain suddenly stopped for a moment then it started to rain again. They were all looking up and saw a massive dark silhouette of something that just flew by them in the dark clouds.

    ¡°What was that?!¡± The captain asked as he looked at the sky. ¡°I swear I saw something!¡± he continued while he was panicking.

    Archie could feel the presence of a king earlier, and that thing that just flew by them was a king. He looked at the sky and he could tell the parasite just flew around in the sky as if it was waiting for the other kings to appear.

    ¡°There¡¯s no time to waste,¡± Archie said. ¡°Let¡¯s go back and tell what we just saw, we need to warn them before it¡¯s too late,¡± he continued as he looked at the captain.

    The captain nodded in agreement. ¡°You¡¯re right, we need to inform Marshal Marlon about this! Let¡¯s go back!¡± he said.

    As Archie ran back to the city, he felt a very strong presence around him, he stopped walking and glanced to his right, and saw a person standing on top of a building. He turned his head to look at the figure again but it disappeared, he was sure that was a person and not his imagination. He looked around and he couldn¡¯t feel the presence again then decided to keep running and go back to the city.

    The situation in the city was a lot better than before, the soldiers were cleaning up the parasite that infiltrated the city. Archie looked around to look for Ruby but he couldn¡¯t find him anywhere, he then asked the soldiers around and told him that Ruby went to the west with Resse.

    Archie helped clean up the parasite and ended up in the center of the city, he looked around and everything was a mess. He went to his house and checked on Marie but he couldn¡¯t find her in her house.

    ¡°Archie!¡± Ruby said the moment she exited the alleyway with Vincent and Resse.

    ¡°What are you guys doing here?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°We are evacuating the civils out of the city and to the port,¡± Ruby answered. ¡°We are going to aboard the civils into the ships, Marlon gave it a go and that¡¯s why we are here,¡± she explained.

    ¡°Now? But that won¡¯t be enough to bring everyone into the ship,¡± Archie said.

    ¡°Yes, but we can¡¯t just wait here after knowing the situation we are in. We might have to leave some people behind and to answer that question, we will find out soon who will be staying,¡± Ruby said with a sorrowful voice.

    ¡°You guys don¡¯t have to worry about that,¡± Marie said as she came out from the back of her house.

    ¡°Marie?¡± Ruby asked.

    Marie sighed as she sat down on her wooden chair. ¡°We the old people decided to stay here because we have no use anywhere,¡± she said. ¡°Our time has finally come, and we all have been talking about this for quite a while so you guys don¡¯t have to worry about the old people because none of us are going to leave this city. You know that already, don¡¯t you, Ruby?¡± she continued.

    Ruby lowered her head and clenched her fist. ¡°Yes, we did, they said the same thing to us, earlier,¡±

    Marie smiled and nodded. ¡°Then what are you guys doing here? Go to the port and leave. Let us the old people take care of this situation on our own,¡±

 Chapter 72

    Two days had passed since Archie and the others evacuated the people in the city. Fanheim was devastated after knowing the old people planned on staying after knowing the situation.

    ¡°This is the last ship we are going to build, we don¡¯t have much time left,¡± Fanheim said as he looked at the small ship.

    Archie with the rest of the Axis Humans was defending the port from the parasite. They had been fighting for days nonstop and the storm made everything a lot worse.

    The shipwright crossed her arms and looked at the people building the ship. ¡°The ship will be ready tomorrow, do you think we can hold the parasite off until tomorrow?¡± She asked Fanheim.

    Fanheim turned around and looked at Archie and the others from the distance. ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem, we can have all the time before the kings decided to attack us. You don¡¯t have to worry about that, Brenda,¡± Fanheim answered as he looked at her. ¡°You¡¯re coming with us, right?¡± he asked as he looked at her with a worried expression.

    Brenda turned around and looked at the chaos. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary for me to come with you guys. I don¡¯t have no more purpose in life and I think I will accept my death here so I can meet with my family again,¡± she answered as she seemed to have her fate set in stone. ¡°You already have the blueprints for all the ships so if in the future you need to build a ship, you can use them and it¡¯s not necessary for me to be there,¡± she continued.

    Fanheim exhaled deeply as he kept staring at Brenda with a pitiful expression. ¡°I could have done better,¡±

    Brenda looked at him and put her hand on her back. ¡°You have done everything you can, Colonel. You have been doing what was the best for us and we are all grateful for all that,¡± she comforted him.

    Fanheim sighed and nodded with understanding. ¡°There¡¯s no time for me to think about that, let¡¯s focus on building the ship now,¡± he said as he looked at Brenda.

    Hours had passed and the storm started to get worse and everyone was exhausted from holding the port. Archie was the only one who could hold those parasites off, and he didn¡¯t mind taking everything on his own. Ruby and Vincent decided to rest and let Archie take control of the situation, they ordered everyone who couldn¡¯t fight anymore to rest and everyone took that opportunity to rest.

    Archie fought for another hour and the parasites kept coming at him like a wave, he knew that he couldn¡¯t control the parasites and they were all scared of the kings that made them follow their orders to clear all the obstacles.

    As he fought the parasites, the storm suddenly stopped, and it was still in the middle of the night. Everyone was shocked about it and decided to check out what happened, Archie on the other hand started to tremble as the king that he saw earlier decided to descend.

    ¡°My God¡­ what is that?¡± Fanheim said as he looked at the king descended from the sky. A parasite that looked like a bat with its massive wings attached to its arms with a head that looked like a lion.

    Everyone trembled in fear and awe at the same time, they watched the king land on the abandoned city in the south. It was the first time they saw a parasite that massive and they knew at that moment that there was no use in fighting anymore.

    ¡°Archie, what is that?!¡± Ruby asked as she ran toward him with Vincent, Tommy, and Daniel.

    Archie looked at them from the corner of his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s a king, that¡¯s a king that came from FalCon-3,¡± he replied calmly.

    ¡°What are we going to do now? Are we safe here?¡± Vincent asked as he looked at the king.

    ¡°Why do you ask me? Do you think I would know what it was thinking?¡± Archie asked back at him and he immediately went quiet. ¡°One thing that I know, it won¡¯t bother us as long as we stay low,¡± he answered. ¡°There¡¯s a slight problem though, the parasites seemed to follow the king¡¯s order, and knowing that the parasites had been coming toward us and attacking us, that means it knows that we are here,¡± he continued.

    ¡°Archie!¡± Fanheim shouted his name as he ran toward them. ¡°Is that what I think it is?¡± he asked as he looked at the king.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the king,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°Then what are we going to do now? Do you have something in mind?¡± Fanheim asked as he looked at Archie with a worried expression.

    ¡°I do, if the king has decided to descend that means the other king has shown its presence to this one. I¡¯m not sure for how long the other kings will show up, but we are not in a safe situation right now because if this king decides to annihilate us, it can easily do that,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°So what you¡¯re trying to tell us is-¡± Fanheim said.

    ¡°Yes, we need to distract it or it will come to us here and destroy everything,¡± Archie replied.

    They were looking at each other and Ruby suddenly chuckled with disbelief. ¡°We are going to distract that thing? I don¡¯t think we would be able to do that,¡± she said.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I can try to do it on my own but I can¡¯t guarantee that I would be alive but at least I can try and play safe,¡± Archie said as he looked at the king.

    ¡°Fuck it, let¡¯s do it,¡± Ruby said as she chuckled and shook her head. ¡°I might regret this but as long as I can die to protect the people then I can die in peace,¡± she continued as she showed her sour smile.

    Vincent, Tommy, and Daniel looked at each other and they weren¡¯t sure if they want to do it or not. Ruby looked at Fanheim and she smiled at him while Fanheim just nodded with understanding.

    ¡°Alright, we might need the flares to take the parasite¡¯s attention, and before we do that, we need to make a plan first,¡± Ruby said as she looked at Vincent and the others. ¡°Vince, Tom, Dan, if you guys don¡¯t want to do it, then you shouldn¡¯t come with us. I¡¯m doing this because this is my own call and my way to redeem the mistake I made in the past,¡± she continued as she patted them on the shoulder.

    Vincent shook his head. ¡°No, I¡¯m coming with you,¡±

    ¡°We will follow you, Major, you¡¯re our leader and we must follow wherever our leader goes,¡± Tommy said with a smile on his face while Daniel nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do this then, but we might need to go to the city and grab everything we need in the armory,¡± Ruby said as she looked at the magazines on her vest. ¡°We might need a lot of things,¡± she continued as she realized that she ran out of ammo.

    Fanheim crossed his arms and looked at Ruby. ¡°The whole armory is yours to take, get everything that¡¯s necessary to distract that monster. We are all depending on you guys because you¡¯re the only ones who are capable of doing this,¡± he said and then he looked at Archie while he patted his shoulder. ¡°Please, Archie, our fate as a human is in your hand and I know that you don¡¯t really care about it but at least do it so we can finish the ship and we all can leave this continent,¡± he continued.

    Archie nodded and then looked at Ruby. ¡°Let¡¯s move,¡±

    The five of them went back to the city where the old people stayed and lived in the bunker where the only safe place in the city. They immediately went to the headquarters and grabbed everything in the armory, or at least whatever that was left behind.

    While they were busy reloading everything, they heard loud noises that came from outside the armory. They were looking at each other and Ruby tilted her head at the exit. ¡°Archie, can you check it out?¡± she asked.

    Archie nodded and went outside, he looked around and noticed a person was wandering around the headquarters, looking for something. ¡°Newman? What are you doing out here?¡± Archie asked as he noticed that the person was Newman.

    ¡°Archie? What are you doing here? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be in the port right now?¡± Newman asked as he approached Archie.

    Archie nodded up and looked at the king. ¡°We are going to distract that thing away from the port and the city as well,¡±

    Newman looked at the king and he seemed to not be affected by its presence. ¡°You¡¯re going to do that? Do you have a death wish or something?¡±

    Archie shook his head as he exhaled deeply. ¡°I¡¯m not going to die, and I¡¯m not planning on dying today,¡±

 Chapter 73

    ¡°Is everything and everyone ready in the position?¡± Ruby asked through the radio.

    ¡°I¡¯m ready, Bub,¡± Vincent answered as he hid in the building near the wall with his sniper in his hands.

    ¡°Tommy and I are ready, Major,¡± Daniel answered as he looked at the king of parasites through the binoculars while Tommy looked at his surroundings.

    ¡°Archie, are you ready?¡± Ruby asked as she looked at the radio.

    ¡°I¡¯m in position, just give me the signal and I will move immediately,¡± Archie answered as he sat on top of a building and looked at the king that was close to him.

    ¡°Alright, send the flare, Vince,¡± Ruby said as she got ready to move with the sword in her hand.

    ¡°Roger¡­¡± Vincent answered then shot the flare into the sky to attract the king.

    Archie watched the red flare up high in the sky, he transformed himself into a parasite and then leaped from building to building. He was only a hundred meters away from the king as the king stared at the bright red light in the sky.

    ¡°Archie should be in the position now. Go and empty your magazine!¡± Ruby said as she ran toward the king from the front.

    Vincent, Tommy, and Daniel fired their snipers at the king¡¯s four eyes on his right side. The sound of loud gunshots could be heard from the city, Newman and Marie watched them from on top of the wall.

    ¡°Miss!¡±

    ¡°Miss!¡±

    ¡°Miss!¡±

    The three of them said the same thing repeatedly as they kept firing their snipers at the king. The bullets couldn¡¯t reach the eyes because of how tall the king was and it won¡¯t stop moving so it was hard for them to measure the range.

    Archie climbed up the king¡¯s tail, but the king immediately noticed his presence and immediately wiggled its tail. Archie stabbed the swords on its tail as he tried to hold them so he won¡¯t fall.

    The king roared and the bullets that traveled immediately got pushed by the soundwave and fell to the ground. Ruby covered her ears as hard as she could or her eardrums would explode from the roar even though she already plugged her ears.

    Archie started to climb with the swords, he climbed as fast as he could like a lizard on the wall. He didn¡¯t want to waste the chance and kept on climbing as he tried to cut the parasite with his swords at the same time.

    Ruby was busy dealing with parasites, but it wasn¡¯t a problem for her because of the Bachmut sword in her hand and her body that evolved from the serum. She tried her best to avoid encounters with the parasite but it wasn¡¯t possible because those small fries would stick around the king.

    ¡°Bub, we are waiting for your signal,¡± Vincent said as he looked around because the parasites started to notice his presence.

    ¡°Hold on! I¡¯m trying!¡± Ruby replied as she slashed the parasite in half.

    Ruby ran as fast as she could and finally she was directly under the king, she swung her sword and stabbed it at the king¡¯s foot. She was surprised that the Bachmut sword couldn¡¯t pierce through its skin.

    ¡°I can¡¯t cut it open!¡± Ruby said as she tried to stab the foot over and over.

    ¡°What?! That¡¯s impossible!¡± Vincent replied as he looked at the king. ¡°Archie¡¯s sword! He can pierce the skin with his swords! Ask him to lend you one of them!¡± He continued then he looked at the parasite that entered his building.

    Ruby heard gunshots and screeches from the radio. ¡°Vince?! Are you alright?!¡± She asked with a worried expression.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine! Just ask Archie to give you his sword!¡± Vincent replied as he shot the parasite in the head with his pistol.

    Ruby changed the channel and immediately looked up. ¡°Archie! I can¡¯t pierce the skin with my sword! I need your sword to do it!¡± She screamed so Archie could hear her.

    Archie looked down and saw Ruby was hiding in the building, he then looked at Nyx and removed it from his hand. He threw the sword down as hard as he could, and it landed right in front of the building where Ruby was at.

    Ruby grabbed the sword and immediately ran back toward the king¡¯s foot. She stabbed it as deep as she could then she made it wide enough so the bag on her back could fit inside it.

    ¡°I did it! I will do it now!¡± Ruby informed the others.

    Ruby pulled the pin of the grenade in her hand then she put it inside the bag. She pushed the bag inside the wound and immediately ran away as fast as possible.

    The bag exploded, the inside of the bag was the same serum that killed Gideon but the dosage was dozens of times bigger than before. She managed to go back to safety and it was the signal so Vincent, Tommy, and Daniel could regroup with Ruby.

    The three of them ran toward the meeting point and immediately protected Ruby from the parasites chasing her. She ran as bullets were passing her, she didn¡¯t want to make an unnecessary movement as she ran straight to the building where Vincent and the others were.

    The king roared and the whole sky was rumbling as if it replied to its voice, they were shocked and saw the heavy rain start to fall down. They saw the king spread its wings and immediately flew away up into the sky as it spun repeatedly.

    Archie started to lose his grip on the king since he only had one sword with him. He tried his best to hold onto it but he couldn¡¯t and decided to cut its back with his sword as he was free-falling from above the clouds. He hardened his skin, flesh, and bones on his back to prevent him from taking heavy damage from falling.

    Archie landed on the ground as if he was falling onto the sand, he didn¡¯t feel much pain from falling that high. He immediately grabbed his sword and looked up into the sky as the king disappeared above the dark clouds.

    ¡°Archie! Run!¡± Ruby screamed at him through the radio as she saw the king dove down toward Archie.

    Archie couldn¡¯t move a muscle as the rain stopped moving and float in the air around him. He looked at how bizarre it was when his body started to tremble and the droplets of water started to explode. His body was shaking like crazy and he started to feel his muscle and bones start to tear and break.

    All the buildings around him started to crumble and flattened to the ground, then he saw the king had been screaming at him with a silent scream. That was the reason why he couldn¡¯t move his body, the king landed on top of him and the whole area turned into a crater.

    ¡°Archie!¡± Ruby screamed as she looked at the destroyed ground where it landed.

    The king roared so loud that Archie started to see a triple vision with massive headache. He couldn¡¯t do anything and stayed down on the ground as his head was about to explode from the roar.

    The king looked down and glared at Archie, it looked at its leg that started to melt because of the serum. It lifted the leg and bit it off before it spread to its body, it knew that the thing inside its leg was dangerous so it prevented bad things to happen.

    Ruby and the others were covering their ears as they hid inside a building. They were far enough from the king but the roar was enough to make them suffer and almost made them unconscious.

    ¡°Bub! We can¡¯t stay here anymore! We need to move!¡± Vincent said as he screamed at Ruby.

    Ruby looked at him and nodded, then the four of them left the area and went back into the city.

    The reason why they abandoned Archie was because of Archie¡¯s decision, he warned them before they left the city. If bad things happened, he would rather be left alone and handle it himself because he had a higher chance of surviving compared to them. Ruby and the others agreed to it and they had no complaints after they saw how big and dangerous the king¡¯s presence was.

    Archie lifted his head as see things upside down, his eyes were barely open the moment he heard footsteps. The king kept roaring and didn¡¯t plan on stopping as it started to rage because of what happened to it.

    As Archie tried to stay awake, a gentle touch of cold hands covered his ears to prevent him from falling unconscious. He looked at a beautiful face that smiled at him with her hair touching his face, a silver-white hair that reflected the moon and made him feel safe.

    ¡°Eve?¡± Archie asked weakly.

    Eve smiled gently and leaned her head closer to him. ¡°I will not let you die, my Adam,¡± she whispered into his ear.

    Eve slowly lifted her head and glared at the king. ¡°He¡¯s mine, go away,¡± she said quietly but the king started to roar louder at her.

    Eve tilted her head as she exhaled deeply. ¡°All of you are the same, a brainless maggot. You all wouldn¡¯t listen to me anymore, huh?¡± she said as she stood up. ¡°Then someone must punish this disobedient maggot, to teach the other a lesson,¡± she continued as she showed her claws at the king.

 Chapter 74

    Eve spread her wings as Archie watched her fly away and kick the king¡¯s head like it was nothing to her. The king got knocked back by her kick and fell to the ground making a heavy earthquake that everyone at the port could feel the ground shaking.

    ¡°What was that?!¡± Ruby asked as she turned around and saw the king collapsed and Eve flying under the thunderstorm. ¡°What is that?!¡± she asked again as she pointed at the sky.

    A very long silver-white hair that was carried by the strong wind could be seen from the city. Vincent and the others were looking at it and they had no idea what was that or who was that.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go and check it out! Maybe it¡¯s Archie!¡± Ruby said as she started running back.

    Vincent and the others couldn¡¯t do anything to stop her so they were following her from behind.

    Eve descended and walked toward Archie, she was a bit surprised when she saw his power that could regenerate. She smirked as she covered her naked body with her wings and walked toward Archie who tried to stand up.

    ¡°That power,¡± Eve said as she kept staring at Archie.

    Archie stood up and stared back at Eve and at her wings. ¡°You¡¯re Eve, right?¡± he asked as he fixed the bones on his shoulder.

    Eve just smirked as she stared into his eyes and didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°What do you want from me?¡± Archie asked as he slowly walked back to make some distance between him and her.

    Eve tilted her head while raising her eyebrows. ¡°But you were the one who came to find me, is it not?¡± she asked back as she kept walking closer to Archie. ¡°So, shouldn¡¯t I be the one who asks you that question?¡± she continued as she kept getting closer.

    ¡°I was curious because I heard that you killed a Drautnir and I want to know if that¡¯s the truth,¡± Archie asked as he held his sword tightly.

    Eve suddenly extended her wings and put them behind Archie¡¯s back then she pushed him closer to her. Archie tried to push the wings away but they won¡¯t budge as if he was pushing a mountain. Eve then grabbed his cheeks with both of her hands while she kept staring him in the eyes.

    ¡°You want to know the truth?¡± Eve asked as she showed her claws at Archie. ¡°The truth is that I didn¡¯t kill a Drautnir, but I killed two of them,¡± she continued as she scratched Archie¡¯s cheek with her claw and it cut open like butter.

    Archie covered his torso with the tissue and the gel behind his skin while Eve was astonished by Archie¡¯s regeneration. Eve then noticed the parasites inside his body were trying to protect him from her, but she immediately stabbed her right hand into his chest like dipping her hand in the water.

    ¡°Do not be afraid, is what they told you didn¡¯t they?¡± Eve said as she glared at Archie with her nose touching his.

    Archie couldn¡¯t say anything as Eve squeezed his lungs, and all he could do was gasp for air that he couldn¡¯t get no matter how hard he tried. Eve saw his mouth wide open and immediately pulled out her tongue but before she could kiss Archie, Ruby came with the others.

    ¡°Archie?¡± Ruby asked as she saw Eve who glared at them from the corner of her eyes.

    The moment they realized that Archie was being held hostage by Eve, the four of them immediately pointed their guns at Eve. Eve chuckled and covered her mouth then started laughing at them because she found it funny that they used those to threaten her.

    ¡°Let him go,¡± Ruby said as she pointed her pistol at Eve¡¯s head.

    Eve tilted her head and pointed her fingers like a pistol at Ruby. ¡°Bang,¡± she said and pretended she just shot Ruby then Ruby¡¯s left shoulder suddenly got dislocated.

    Everyone looked at Eve with a shocked expression, including Archie because that didn¡¯t make any sense.

    Archie looked at Eve who seemed to be having fun and used the opportunity to swing his sword and cut Eve¡¯s wing with it. He used all his strength to swing his sword but he didn¡¯t expect her wing would be so sturdy that he almost failed to cut it off.

    Eve was shocked that her wing fell to the ground and Archie immediately ran away from her. ¡°Everyone, run!¡± Archie screamed his lungs out while Eve was still in shock from what just happened.

    Before Eve could chase them, the king¡¯s leg stomped on Eve and started to roar again as it stood up using its wings. Archie looked back as the king kept stomping its foot on the ground, he couldn¡¯t see Eve because the ground bent as the king stomped on it over and over.

    Archie couldn¡¯t care and kept running until the king stopped stomping its foot. The king faced its face to the north and it was staring at something for quite a while. An earthquake happened not long after that and they were looking at each other because the king didn¡¯t do anything and just stood there.

    ¡°I have a bad feeling about this,¡± Vincent said as he looked at Ruby.

    The moment he said that a howl could be heard coming from the far north, and they stopped moving and looked at the north. It was too dark to see because of the thunderstorm and it was still dawn. As soon as the lightning struck, they could see a parasite as big as the king slowly crawling toward the city.

    ¡°Did you guys see that?¡± Tommy whispered as he glanced at them.

    ¡°Yeah, it looks like a dog but it has two heads,¡± Daniel replied as he tried to look at it with his binoculars.

    ¡°We need to go back to the port now because if the other king showed itself, that means the parasites from the north are following it here,¡± Archie said as he looked at Ruby. Ruby nodded with understanding and the five of them went to the port.

    ¡°I just hope that they finished building the ship, or we all going to die here,¡± Vincent said as he looked back and saw the silhouette of the second king.

    They back to the port and the ship wasn¡¯t ready, they would still need at least a few hours or at least until sunrise. Fanheim and the others couldn¡¯t believe there was actually another king that came and it proved Archie¡¯s word about the clash of the kings.

    An hour had passed and as expected the parasites that came from the south were attacking them at the port. All the Axis Humans were fighting the hordes of parasites for the second time, but it was thanks to Archie and the others for giving them time to rest, that they recovered their energy to fight.

    ¡°Wait, is that thing coming toward us?¡± Tommy asked as he pointed at the second king.

    Ruby and the others looked up and saw the second king facing toward the port. ¡°No, I think it¡¯s going to the city,¡± Ruby answered.

    The second king set its foot inside the city and everyone could only watch as it trampled the buildings and the wall. They could only hope that everyone who decided to stay was safe inside an underground bunker. The second king then looked at the pillar and decided to bite it with its massive mouths.

    They saw the pillar collapse and the sky station fell with it, it was devastating for them to watch their home get destroyed. The station that used to be the thing they could see in the sky finally met its end.

    The sun rose and the parasites kept coming like water, there were no ends to it but Archie could handle them easily and he alone was enough to deal with it. Fanheim and the others almost finished the ship, but the clash between the kings made them distracted because of the earthquakes, smoke, and debris.

    ¡°The ship is finished!¡± Fanheim shouted to the Axis Humans who fought the parasites outside the port.

    Ruby who heard it immediately ordered everyone to fall back, but when they were running back to the port, they saw a woman in a coat and a hoodie. Archie saw a glimpse of silver-white hair from the hoodie.

    ¡°Everyone! Stop!¡± Archie screamed.

    Ruby and the others turned around to look at Archie but then some of the Axis Humans that ran next to them start to collapse and their heads exploded. Everyone was shocked and then Eve removed the coat from her body and spread wide her wings. Archie looked so confused because Eve had the same ability to regenerate her body.

    Eve smirked and walked toward Archie while the Axis Humans were stunned by her presence. One by one their body exploded for no reason, Archie couldn¡¯t believe what he saw because how could she so easily kill them without even touching them.

    The moment Eve looked at Ruby, Vincent, Tommy, and Daniel, Archie ran past them and then swung his sword at Eve. Eve grabbed the sword with her bare hand and she smiled sinisterly as she choke Archie with her other hand.

    ¡°How cute, my little Adam,¡± Eve said as she pulled Archie closer. ¡°You can¡¯t run from me because I have found my new toy,¡± she continued as she smirked then kissed Archie in the mouth.

 Chapter 75

    *Bang*

    Ruby shot her pistol at Eve, she didn¡¯t even bother to block it and just took the bullet with her wing like it was nothing to her. Archie who struggled to free himself suddenly looked at Eve¡¯s expression that turned drastically to confusion.

    ¡°You just made a mistake,¡± Ruby said as she kept pointing her pistol at Eve. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate a human because you never know what we are capable of,¡± she continued as she watched Eve¡¯s wing start to twitch.

    Eve looked at her right wing and it slowly melted like a block of ice in hot weather, she looked so confused but then she staggered and fell to her knees. Archie looked at her wing and turned out Ruby used the bullets that she had smeared with the serum.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time to waste, let¡¯s go!¡± Ruby said as she ran past Eve and she grabbed Archie¡¯s arm and then dragged him.

    Archie turned his head back to see Eve was struggling to control her body but she didn¡¯t seem to be in pain at all. She suddenly tore her wing after she noticed what was happening to her body, but it was a bit too late because the serum had spread all around her body.

    Nobody knew who that woman was but they knew that she was an Ex-Human, they never thought to see one and how terrifying she was. If they knew that she wasn¡¯t just an Ex-Human but also the one that would take over the earth, they might have killed her with the opportunity they got.

    ¡°Everyone aboard!¡± Fanheim said as he waved at Ruby and the others since they were the last ones to board the ship.

    They all climbed the rope and aboard the ship.

    ¡°Pull the anchor and set the sail!¡± Fanheim said as he hung on the rope and climbed up to the ship.

    Everyone was busy operating the ship while Ruby and Vincent were looking at Archie who just stood at the front of the ship. Archie saw Eve was staring at him at the port with her wing in her hand, she didn¡¯t make any expression as if she wasn¡¯t planning on chasing them.

    ¡°Who is she, Archie?¡± Ruby asked as she put her hand on his shoulder.

    ¡°She¡¯s like me, she¡¯s not just an Ex-Human like you were in the forest. She¡¯s here for a reason, and that reason is the same as mine,¡± Archie said as he kept staring at Eve.

    ¡°A reason?¡± Ruby asked as she looked at Archie with curiosity.

    Archie nodded and turned his head to look at Ruby. ¡°Yes, she¡¯s here to find me and that¡¯s the woman that I have been looking for. We both are meant to be together but as you can see, it doesn¡¯t look like that because she¡¯s different from what I imagined,¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by meant to be together? How do you know? Did you meet her before?¡± Ruby asked as she furrowed her forehead.

    ¡°It¡¯s more complicated than you think,¡± Archie said as he sighed. ¡°Do you believe in God, Ruby?¡± He asked as he looked at the sea.

    ¡°God? No, I don¡¯t believe God exists because if God really exists, he won¡¯t abandon us like this,¡± Ruby answered without hesitation.

    Archie smiled as he looked at Ruby. ¡°What if that¡¯s his plan? That humanity is no longer needed in this world,¡±

    Ruby looked at Archie with confusion and terrified at the same time. ¡°What do you mean by that? What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Do you know there are lives before humankind?¡± Archie asked and Ruby nodded with understanding. ¡°Now think about it, what happened to them?¡± he continued as he clenched his fist and looked at the kings clashing in the abandoned city.

    ¡°They went extinct because of a disaster,¡± Ruby answered as she looked at the chaos.

    ¡°Then what makes you think that it won¡¯t happen to humankind? Do you believe that we are miraculously here without a reason? We are here for a reason and that reason always has an end,¡± Archie said as he sat down and leaned on the rail.

    Ruby was speechless and started to think that the meteorite that struck the earth wasn¡¯t just a coincidence. With the parasites that roamed the earth, billions of lives died that day and realized that the parasites were the only dominant being on earth.

    ¡°You¡¯re telling me that all of this happened because of a reason and that reason was God¡¯s plan?¡± Ruby asked with fear written all over her face.

    ¡°I thought you don¡¯t believe in God, Ruby? Archie asked as he looked at her.

    ¡°No, I need to know, what makes you think that way? Why are you so confident that it was God¡¯s plan?¡± Ruby asked as she sat down and grabbed Archie¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Do you know the story about Adam and Eve, Ruby?¡± Archie asked.

    Ruby shook her head. ¡°No, I never heard of them,¡±

    ¡°They were the first human that roamed the earth, and God sent them down from heaven. They¡¯re the ones who made us who we are now,¡± Archie explained.

    ¡°That makes no sense, so now all those parasites will be the ones that roam the earth? I don¡¯t want to believe that bullshit,¡± Ruby replied as she shook her head in disagreement.

    ¡°No, the parasites are not the ones who will roam the earth, but me and the other Ex-Humans,¡± Archie answered. ¡°The woman you just saw earlier, she¡¯s Eve and I¡¯m the Adam. Do you understand what that means, Ruby? I was chosen by God and the angels were the ones who told me everything about it,¡± he continued as he stared at Ruby.

    Ruby was dumbfounded and she looked at Archie with disbelief, she then stood up and walked away slowly while she was shaking her head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to believe it. You must be making things up,¡± she said and then left hurriedly.

    Archie just watched Ruby leave and then he closed his eyes since he had fought for days and didn¡¯t rest for even a single second.

    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is,¡± A soothing woman¡¯s voice whispered into Archie¡¯s ear.

    Archie opened his eyes and the eldest wind witch was the one who whispered into his ear. ¡°So you were listening? Now you know why there are so many Drautnir like me,¡± he said quietly and looked at the people who were still busy controlling the ship.

    ¡°We have a hunch that it must be something similar to that, but we never thought it would be like that. It¡¯s still surprising even for me,¡± The witch replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m allowed to reveal it to a human, but realizing that nothing is happening right now, I think they¡¯re fine with it,¡± Archie said as he looked at the dark sky with bolts of lightning striking the sea.

    ¡°Colonel, we see the other ships!¡± An Axis Human screamed from the top of the mast.

    Archie stood up and checked the finger that the guy was pointing at, and they saw six ships waiting near the shore. Fanheim walked to the other side of the ship and used the binoculars to check and he was glad that they were doing fine.

    ¡°Let¡¯s regroup with them,¡± Fanheim said.

    All the ships were gathered and Marlon looked so glad that they managed to leave the port. Fanheim explained that there were so many people who decided to stay, Marlon understood the situation and then he asked about what they saw earlier. Fanheim couldn¡¯t explain much but he told him about the kings and that was one of them.

    ¡°Archie, have you seen Ruby? I haven¡¯t seen her since we got here,¡± Vincent asked.

    Archie shook his head. ¡°No, I haven¡¯t seen her either,¡±

    Vincent left to look for Ruby while Archie had been feeling weird ever since he left the port.

    Archie¡¯s body and the parasites that resided in his body were hard to control as if something made them feel unease. He tried to understand his own body but he couldn¡¯t find anything weird, it was that the parasites were the ones who acting weird.

    Archie started to feel weak and decided to go down and lay down on the hammock to get some sleep.

    Fanheim looked at the thunderstorm with no sign of ending, he looked at how crazy the sea was and they couldn¡¯t get through that kind of storm with the small ship he was on. Marlon agreed to wait until the sea calmed down since he didn¡¯t want to risk it and also because they were safe near the shore.

    After a day of waiting, the storm had finally calmed down, Marlon led the journey as the other ships followed from behind. They got enough food from hunting near the shore and it was enough for a week¡¯s journey.

    Fanheim looked at the sea and he felt a bit nervous about it. ¡°Let¡¯s hope nothing happen to us,¡±

 Chapter 76

    ¡°It¡¯s too calm, I don¡¯t like this,¡± Tommy said as he looked at the calm sea with no wind at all.

    Tommy wasn¡¯t the only one who thought of that because the sea was covered with fog and it looked like a dead sea with no sound. The only thing they could hear was rumbling thunders in the distance that came from the Eastern Nation and the sound of the ship sails.

    ¡°Just look at the sea, do you think that thing is hiding down there?¡± Daniel asked as he looked at Tommy.

    ¡°Dude, don¡¯t,¡± Tommy said as he shook his head and stared at Daniel from the corner of his eyes. ¡°Anyway, where¡¯s Major Ruby? We haven¡¯t seen her at all and Capt. Vincent has been looking for her for quite a while now,¡± he asked as he looked back and watched the people looking in the distance.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, the last time I saw her, she was on her way to the deck but Capt. Vincent said that she wasn¡¯t there,¡± Daniel answered as he looked at Fanheim standing next to the helm.

    Vincent looked around the ship but he couldn¡¯t find Ruby anywhere, he even went to the bottom of the ship but she wasn¡¯t there. He was so worried that something might have happened to her, and then he saw Ruby was coming down to the cabin.

    ¡°Bubby,¡± Vincent said as he approached Ruby. ¡°Hey, where have you been?¡± he asked as she looked at Ruby who just stared blankly at nothing.

    Ruby looked at him and raised her eyebrows. ¡°What do you mean? I have been watching the sea from the deck,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Huh? That¡¯s impossible. I have been wandering around the deck and I didn¡¯t see you anywhere,¡± Vincent looked at her with disbelief.

    Ruby only looked at him and shrugged her shoulder and went down to the cabin with Vincent following her.

    Ruby walked into the cabin and she saw Archie was sleeping, she looked at him weirdly and Vincent noticed that. He looked at Ruby with confusion but he didn¡¯t want to say anything since they weren¡¯t the only ones in the cabin, there were other people who were sleeping there.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go somewhere else,¡± Ruby said as she grabbed her bag from the floor.

    Before they could leave, Archie suddenly woke up before they could leave and jolted from his sleep startling them. Archie breathe heavily and looked at Vincent and Ruby staring at him weirdly, he then walked past them hurriedly and left the cabin. Out of curiosity, the two of them followed him to the deck.

    Archie went to where Fanheim was with Ruby and Vincent watching from down below.

    ¡°Archie? What with the face?¡± Fanheim asked as he looked at Archie¡¯s expression.

    ¡°Move the ship away, don¡¯t go straight from here. If can, just takes a long detour,¡± Archie said while pointing at the sea.

    Fanheim understood what he meant. ¡°There¡¯s a bit of problem if we want to take a detour. The other ships won¡¯t understand and it¡¯s impossible to tell them about it since they won¡¯t believe it, especially Marlon,¡±

    Archie sighed and looked at the sea. ¡°Go to the front, I will lure the king away from the ships,¡±

    ¡°A king?! Is it the same parasite that destroys the pillar and the reason why that ship sunk?¡± Fanheim asked with a surprised expression.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know but I can feel its presence and can tell how big that king is. It¡¯s big enough to be able to destroy the pillar, so there¡¯s a possibility it¡¯s the culprit behind the incident a few years ago,¡± Archie answered as he looked at the sea.

    Fanheim sighed and looked at the ships in front of them. ¡°Alright, I will bring the ship to the front but are you sure you can handle it on your own? We are in the middle of the sea, you won¡¯t be able to move freely and not to mention that you said the parasite is massive,¡± he said with his forehead furrowed.

    ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem and even if it¡¯s going to be an impossible fight, at least you guys can safely sail the sea. I have my own ways to survive,¡± Archie said as he put the gloves on.

    Fanheim nodded with understanding and told the others to set the sails all the way down to catch up with Marlon¡¯s ship.

    Archie walked down the stairs and saw Ruby and Vincent staring at him. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°I sense a presence of a king from below us and I¡¯m going to lure it away from the ships,¡± Archie answered as he checked his swords.

    ¡°A king? You¡¯re telling me there¡¯s one below us?¡± Vincent quietly asked as he looked around to check if anyone looked at them.

    Archie nodded. ¡°That parasite could be the one who destroyed the pillar,¡± he replied. ¡°There¡¯s not much time left, and the further we go, the more I can sense his presence,¡± he continued.

    ¡°Are you going to fight it alone?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°Do you want to help?¡± Archie asked back as he stared at Vincent. ¡°Yeah, I thought so too,¡± he continued as he looked at Vincent who was hesitating to answer.

    Fanheim walked down the stairs and looked at Archie. ¡°We are about to catch up on Marlon¡¯s ship, are you ready?¡±

    Archie looked at him and nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m ready, just immediately take a sharp turn and signal them to follow you around the moment I jump off of the ship,¡±

    Fanheim nodded with understanding and then walked to the helm and took the wheel while Archie walked to the edge of the ship and stood on top of the railing.

    Everyone was looking at Archie with confusion and they were asking about what he was doing to each other. Archie looked at Fanheim and he was waiting for Archie to jump off of the ship with his both hands ready to slam the wheel.

    Archie took a deep breath and then jumped off of the ship. Everyone was shocked but Fanheim immediately rang a bell to attract the other ships¡¯ attention. Marlon watched Archie swim on the sea and then he saw Fanheim¡¯s ship was going to the other side. Vincent waved the flag at them and they immediately follow Fanheim¡¯s ship without thinking twice about it.

    Prince and Resse walked to the edge of the ship and watched Archie swimming in the sea. Suddenly Archie dove into the sea and slowly the bubbles disappeared with no sign of him. Prince and Resse only looked at each other and then watched their ship slowly turning to the left.

    Archie dove deeper into the sea and he couldn¡¯t see anything with his eyes because of how dark the sea was. He could only sense the presence of the king that hadn¡¯t moved ever since he sensed the king.

    After Archie swam for ten minutes, his whole body trembled because the presence of a king was right down below him. Archie looked at the ships that slowly went further away from where he was, he looked at the sky and sensed the wind witch had been following him ever since.

    ¡°Can you help me?¡± Archie asked as he looked at the sky.

    The witch showed her human form and floated above Archie. ¡°I will help you, but what do you need from me?¡±

    Archie looked at her as he floated in the water. ¡°Do your worst, I need all the help I can get to fight this king,¡±

    The wind witch closed her eyes and suddenly Archie could a breeze from his back, he looked up and saw the clouds circling above him. He never saw all the witches¡¯ true power, and that was the first time he witnessed why they chose them and the reason why they were ordered to become the protector.

    Archie was slowly getting pushed by the wind and he started paddling to prevent himself from getting dragged by the winds. The wind became stronger and stronger that it felt like he was in the middle of a storm again.

    A whirlpool was created because of the wind that circled around the sea. The whirlpool slowly got bigger and bigger with the water started to get pulled up into the air. The wind produced a tornado above the water and it slowly descended into the middle of the whirlpool and sucked the water into it.

    Archie could sense the king was disturbed by the phenomenon and decided to swim to the surface to check. Archie dove into the water and that was when he saw it, four pairs of eyes glowed in the dark. It glared at the whirlpool and slowly he could see the shape of the king, it looked like an eel but it was so big that he couldn¡¯t see the end of its body.

    ¡°I have done what I can, you should be able to fight him in this arena that I made,¡± The wind witch said as she slowly disappeared into thin air.

 Chapter 77

    ¡°What¡¯s going on over there?!¡± Marlon asked as he walked to the right side of the ship and watched the whirlpool and tornado.

    Prince and Resse just looked at each other and didn¡¯t say anything. They didn¡¯t want to tell Marlon about what they saw earlier since it would blow Archie¡¯s identity.

    Everyone watched the whirlpool that slowly getting bigger and fiercer. The clouds were circling around the whirlpool and it was something amazing to watch.

    Their amazement turned into fear the moment they saw a massive parasite going to the surface with its gigantic mouth and long body. The waves that the parasite created pushed all the ships, and the moment its body hit the water, a giant wave was created.

    ¡°Everyone, hold onto something!¡± Marlon screamed as he looked at the deck.

    They wrapped their hands on the railing and on the mast as they watched the tidal waves that could swallow the ship easily. They were closing their eyes and prayed that they would make it, if not they would die the moment the waves swallowed them.

    Marlon looked at the tidal wave that was five times taller than the ship was only a hundred meters away from them. ¡°God, please help us,¡± he said with his eyes trembling.

    The ship slowly got pulled up by the wave and the ship was floating almost vertically and everyone was hanging onto whatever they were holding to. Screams could be heard as some of them fell down to the sea, they could do nothing but watch them get swallowed by the sea.

    One by one, the ships were pulled into the wave but the ships were strong enough to handle it. As they rode the wave, the second wave was coming and they were almost floating in the air and landed on the sea as they free falling and got pulled into the second wave immediately.

    Archie on the other hand was getting pulled down into the depth of the sea as he watched the king go to the surface. He watched its long body with no ends kept on coming up to the surface, he then swam toward it and stabbed his swords onto its scale.

    Archie managed to go back to the surface, he saw the waves around him and the whirlpool that sucked all the water in. He climbed up and as he transformed himself into a parasite then used the swords to break the scales to reach the parasite¡¯s skin.

    Its slippery scales made Archie struggle to stay on its body, he had to use the liquid gel so he didn¡¯t fall off. He spread the gel onto the king¡¯s body that it would take forever to cover its whole body, but it wasn¡¯t his goal, his goal was to put enough gel for him to stand on.

    The king was circling around the whirlpool and then went back into the sea with Archie on its back. He felt as if he was the one who controlled the king and it felt somehow amazing but then the king used a deafening sonar sound. Archie almost fell unconscious but fortunately, he had time to cover his ears with the gel.

    The king went back to the surface as Archie slowly but surely got closer to the king¡¯s head. As he was trying to climb, he saw at the sea surface, he saw hundreds of parasites coming toward them. The king just called them and he didn¡¯t what it was for until the parasites suddenly made a sudden turn and went toward where the ships were. Archie had no time to deal with those and let Ruby and the others handle them since they should be able to fight those parasites.

    ¡°Marshal Marlon!¡± An Axis Human screamed his name from on top of the mast.

    Marlon stood up since they survived the last giant wave, he looked up and saw the Axis Human was pointing at something in the sea. He ran to the back of the ship and looked at what the guy was pointing at and saw something swimming under the sea.

    ¡°Man! Ready your weapons! We have got company!¡± Marlon screamed as he looked at Prince and Resse.

    All the Axis Humans went to the cabin and grabbed their stuff while the ordinary humans went down to repair the damages.

    Marlon watched the parasites that swam around his ship, they didn¡¯t look like fish since they had very wide fins and legs. As he was watching them, a parasite went to the surface and flew high enough to board the ship. He grabbed his pistol and started shooting at it, but to his surprise, the scales were sturdy enough to deflect the bullets.

    The parasite looked at Marlon and it screeched at him with its expended mouth that was big enough to swallow a human body. Marlon immediately grabbed his sword and jumped down to the deck and kept shooting at the parasite with his left hand while he was looking for a weak spot on its body.

    Marlon found the weak spot which was around the parasite¡¯s gill, he charged at it and dodged its sharp claws then stabbed his sword at the parasite¡¯s gill then sliced its neck. The parasite struggled as it started to twitch and had a seizure, Marlon approached it and shot the parasite in the eye many times until it stopped moving.

    The moment the parasite died, dozens of them boarded the ship and the Axis Humans came back at the right time. Marlon pointed at the parasite¡¯s gill and told them its weaknesses, they all understood and charged at the parasites.

    It wasn¡¯t just Marlon¡¯s ship, all the ships were invaded by the parasites and they were struggling to fight them. On the other hand, Ruby and Vincent took care of most of the parasites that boarded the ship since they had the meteorite sword on them. They cut the parasite¡¯s scales, skin, and flesh like it was nothing,

    ¡°Colonel!¡± Ruby said as she ran to the middle of the deck and looked at Fanheim fighting the parasite near the helm.

    Fanheim shot the parasite through its mouth and killed it, he then turned around and looked at Ruby. ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Can you get us close to the other ship? I want to board their ship and help them fight those parasites! Our situation is better than the others, so I can help them with this,¡± Ruby asked as she showed her sword.

    ¡°Alright! Just get up here and cover me!¡± Fanheim said as he grabbed the helm and looked at the nearest ship on his right.

    Ruby climbed up and landed next to Fanheim, she helped the other Axis Humans and killed the parasites for them.

    Fanheim¡¯s ship slowly approached the nearest ship and he immediately rang the bell to give them a signal. The ship heard it and saw Fanheim¡¯s ship was getting closer to them and they slowly approached him as they kept fighting the parasites that had no ends to it.

    Ruby stood on top of the railing and waited for the ship to get close enough, then when the ship finally sailed next to each other she jumped and boarded the next ship. She immediately ran and decapitated the parasites from behind. Marlon saw those two ships and decided to join them as well since it would be easier for them to fight the parasites if they worked together.

    All the ships were sailing next to each other and they put planks in between so they could cross the ships easily without having to jump and risking their lives.

    Ruby and Vincent helped the other ships and they really made things easier for the rest of them. Prince and Resse with the experimented Axis Humans boarded the other ships as well since the parasites didn¡¯t board their ship anymore.

    An hour had passed since they fought the parasites, it finally ended, there were no more parasites. They did a great job and patted each other on the back since there were no casualties from the battle against them. Marlon decided to keep on sailing next to each other since it would be easier for them to communicate and deal with the parasites if it happen again.

    On the other side of the sea, Archie finally reached the top of the king¡¯s head, he looked at how fierce the mouth of the parasite was. He could tell that those sharp teeth could easily tear anything including the pillar. He looked at the ships and they looked safe and sound so he had no worries about them anymore.

    Archie slid down with his swords cutting the skins on his path then stabbed all the eyes as he kept sliding down. The moment he was about to fall into the king¡¯s mouth, he stopped for and took a deep breath. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you can deal with a threat from the inside,¡± he said as he jumped down right into the king¡¯s mouth.

 Chapter 78

    ¡°So this is how it looks from the inside,¡± Archie said as he looked at how spacious the inside of the king looked like a big tunnel.

    Archie was hanging on the king¡¯s throat with his swords stabbed into the walls. He then jumped down and walked deeper into the king¡¯s body in the dark.

    ¡°What¡¯s your plan now? Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know what you¡¯re going to do next?¡± The wind witch asked as she walked next to Archie.

    ¡°I do, I¡¯m looking for the source of the parasite that made this possible. There must be a place inside this giant body where the parasite resides,¡± Archie explained as he looked at the seawater being pushed out from the body.

    ¡°If that¡¯s what you¡¯re looking for, it should be deep inside the body and it will take a really long time to find it. You might end up getting dragged into the deep before you can kill it and you won¡¯t be able to survive because of the pressure,¡± The witch said and warned Archie.

    ¡°That¡¯s not the reason why I¡¯m looking at the parasite, I¡¯m thinking of taking it and seeing if I can get myself a new ability,¡± Archie explained as he went deeper into the body of the king.

    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to handle it,¡± The with said.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t I handle it?¡± Archie asked and stopped walking.

    ¡°This parasite has been living since it landed on earth, it has evolved more than hundreds of times. That¡¯s why the parasite can make this massive body in the first place, and if you eat it, it¡¯s either you become a part of this or you will become a mindless parasite,¡± The witch explained.

    ¡°Then how did Eve manage to become that strong? She fought a king like it was nothing to her,¡± Archie asked with confusion written all over his face.

    ¡°She has been living for hundreds of years, she might have been chosen the moment the meteorite came down to earth. She must have eaten hundreds of parasites and that¡¯s not something impossible. Not to mention she ate two of Drautnir and her power is beyond our imagination,¡± The witch answered.

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that I won¡¯t be able to fight her if she¡¯s coming for my life again?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone in this world can win against her no matter how hard they tried. She could destroy the whole world on her own if she wants to, but knowing that she didn¡¯t do that, she must have a reason for it, and that reason you must find it because it might save your life,¡± The witch answered.

    Archie went silent and thought about the reason why Eve had been hiding the whole time and didn¡¯t make a scene at all. He knew that Eve must have been informed that there were multiple Adams, so she might be looking for the right one for her and kill the rest. If that was what she planning, he thought to himself to avoid her no matter hard it would be because her eyes were already pointing at him.

    ¡°You should start thinking about killing the king, Archie, it seems that he¡¯s swimming toward the human ships,¡± The witch said.

    Archie snapped back to reality and immediately went back to find the king¡¯s brain.

    Ruby watched the calm sea since they had gone far enough from the whirlpool and thunderstorm. Everyone was resting inside the cabin because their journey was going to take at least a week to reach the island. She looked at the calm sea and she felt something was off, she then decided to go up the mast and check the area where the king showed up.

    Fanheim watched her climb the mast as he kept the helm steady with their course. He was a bit worried that Ruby had been acting very differently ever since he sent her to check the landing site and it got worsen the more he checked up on her. He knew half the truth from Archie already but it wasn¡¯t really affecting him at all and that reason might be because he was too old to worry about something he had no control over it and just accept or ignore it.

    The calm sea suddenly started to waver and both Fanheim and Ruby noticed. Fanheim ran to the back and saw the source of the waves that came from and he couldn¡¯t see it clearly because of the mist. Ruby watched the waves around the ship and everyone started to notice it as well then checked where they came from.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t good,¡± Fanheim said as he walked back to his position and rang the bell to notice all the people on the ship. ¡°Set the sail! Set the sail!¡± he shouted.

    Fanheim¡¯s voice and the rang of the bell made the other people from the other ships look at him. Marlon came out from the cabin and immediately checked what with the commotion until he saw for himself the abnormal waves that came from behind them.

    Before all the ships could set the sails entirely, the king went to the surface from the distance and made a deep eerie sound. They watched the king rose and dove with the massive waves it created, they were running around the ship and setting the sails before the same thing happened to them again.

    Archie cut his way through the walls of muscles and flesh of the parasite that looked like tissues of parasite that looked similar to his. The body structure of the parasite looked weird as if it combined dozens or even hundreds of species into one.

    Archie kept cutting the roof of the mouth of the king as the king himself struggled and tried to stop Archie from destroying the inside of its mouth. The seawater washed Archie¡¯s body as he tried to put himself inside of the roof of the mouth, and he managed to do so before the whole mouth was filled with water.

    ¡°Now what can you do, huh?¡± Archie said as he kept stabbing and cutting his way up to the head of the king.

    Ruby observed the king¡¯s behavior and looked a bit odd to her because the king was swimming toward them earlier but now he was just swimming around in a circle as if something had happened to him. She wasn¡¯t the only one who thought like that, Fanheim and Marlon were thinking the same thing.

    The waves were getting bigger and bigger but their ships could withstand them if those waves didn¡¯t become bigger than that since there was too much damage on the ship from the massive waves from back then. They watched the king start to swim away and went to the west really fast that Ruby and Fanheim started to think that Archie did something and prevented the king from approaching them.

    Archie was only a few feet away from reaching the brain of the king after he cut off all of the muscles behind his eyes. The king couldn¡¯t see a thing and it was the reason why it started to move randomly and in circles.

    ¡°There you are,¡± Archie said as he climbed into a small hole he made and looked at the brain of the king.

    Archie held both of his swords so tightly and then swung them at the massive brain of the king. He was thrown from side to side since the king shook his head because of the massive pain in his head. Archie kept slicing the brain open and jumped down in between the brain then started to cut them without even being bothered by the massive shaking.

    The king was unable to even move half of his body anymore then he was unable to use his mouth to call for help. His body was slowly diving down into the sea but the moment Archie cut a part of the king¡¯s brain, the king started to swim to the surface again.

    Archie gasped for air as he climbed up the slimy brain that looked like jelly. He looked around him and the brain looked like a wet macaroni in a bowl, he then cut his way out since the king had stopped moving for quite a while.

    Archie climbed up and finally, he could breathe fresh air after hours of smelling rotten and fishy flesh. He wiped his face with the shirt inside his trench coat so he could see clearly. The moment he opened his eyes he was surprised that the king was stranded on an island with half of his body on the land.

    Archie stood on top of the king and looked at the massive island in front of him. ¡°Is this the island that we are supposed to go to?¡± he asked.

    Archie slid down from the head of the king¡¯s head and could feel the soft grass again. He laid down as he stared at the sunrise and then he fell asleep with the dead body of the king next to him.

 Chapter 79

    A few days had passed since Archie killed a king and the body started to decay and Archie had been eating the flesh to replenish his strength. He wandered around the island and it was so big that he hadn¡¯t checked every part of the island. One thing that interested him was that there was a cave that led into the deep similar to the small island he went to.

    ¡°They¡¯re still not here?¡± Archie asked the wind witch.

    ¡°They¡¯re still far away from here, it might take them at least three days if the weather is on their side,¡± The witch answered as she stared at the sea. ¡°So, what are you going to do now while waiting for those humans?¡± the witch continued.

    ¡°I¡¯m going down there, I need to get stronger because right now I don¡¯t think I would be able to survive if I meet her again. I don¡¯t want to be ended up like the others two,¡± Archie said and then walked to the cliff where the cave was.

    (Somewhere in the middle of the sea)

    Fanheim stood in front of the ship with the other ships in front of his, they have been sailing for five days, and their food started to run low. He looked at everyone lazing on the deck with barely anything in their stomach, he worried that they won¡¯t make it if parasites decided to board the ship again.

    Ruby suddenly stood next to Fanheim and he was a bit surprised to see her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Bub? Can¡¯t get some sleep?¡± he asked as he stared at her.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m just thinking and decided to come here to get some peace of mind,¡± Ruby answered while she kept staring at the sea.

    ¡°Peace of mind? Does it has something to do with Archie, Bub?¡± Fanheim asked as he leaned his back on the railing and crossed his arms.

    Ruby looked at Fanheim because that was exactly what she was thinking, she then looked down and nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m thinking about him right now and I can¡¯t get him out of my head,¡± she answered quietly.

    ¡°Hmm? What are you thinking about him right now? Are you worried about him?¡± Fanheim asked and leaned his right side of his body on the railing and stared at her.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not worried about him at all,¡± Ruby answered as she shook her head. ¡°I was thinking about what he said to me,¡± she continued while she was holding the railing.

    ¡°What did he say?¡± Fanheim asked and faced the sea.

    ¡°It¡¯s better for you to not know about it, it¡¯s something that nobody can handle, even for me, it has been giving me nightmares,¡± Ruby answered.

    ¡°Was that a challenge?¡± Fanheim asked jokingly.

    ¡°I¡¯m not, Colonel,¡± Ruby said with a serious expression. ¡°It¡¯s something that I can¡¯t explain but it sure is making me feel uncomfortable and I can¡¯t get it out of my head,¡± she continued and sat down with her back leaned on the railing.

    ¡°Are you talking about the end of humanity, Bub?¡± Fanheim asked as he sat down next to Ruby.

    Ruby looked at him with a surprised expression and immediately nodded her head. ¡°Yes, did he tell you about it as well? The reason why he¡¯s here, all the parasites, and that woman?¡± she asked repeatedly and made Fanheim look at her with confusion.

    ¡°Not all of them, but he told me about the fate of humanity,¡± Fanheim answered as he stared at the red sky. ¡°So he told you everything? Do you want to share it with me? I¡¯m an old man, I don¡¯t think I can be bothered by the truth anymore and it¡¯s better for you to share that burden with someone else,¡± he continued and looked at Ruby.

    Ruby didn¡¯t want to share it but if she kept holding it by herself, she might go crazy. So she decided to share everything she heard from Archie with Fanheim because of her own wish to share the burden as Fanheim said.

    The moment that Fanheim knew the truth from Ruby, his expression changed and he reacted the same way as when Ruby heard everything from Archie. Fanheim couldn¡¯t withstand the truth but he was still sitting there with Ruby, and his face said it all that he regretted what he said earlier.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Colonel,¡± Ruby said as she looked down. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have told you about it,¡± she continued.

    Fanheim took a deep breath and exhaled deeply to calm himself down but it did nothing. ¡°It¡¯s fine Bub, we share the same burden now,¡± Fanheim replied as he shook his head. ¡°It seems that I need to have alone time to think about it, and you came here to have some peace, right? Let¡¯s do that then,¡± he said as he smiled.

    Ruby slightly smiled and nodded with understanding then Fanheim left to process everything that he heard.

    Three days had passed, and Fanheim still couldn¡¯t get that information out of his head. He had been musing and thought about it as if it tried to disturb his peace of mind.

    ¡°Colonel, I see the island!¡± The guy on top of the mast said.

    Everyone ran to the front of the deck to look at the distance and as the guy said, they saw the island where they wanted to go. All of them were cheering with excitement and hugging each other that they had made it safely.

    Fanheim smiled and sighed with relief. ¡°We made it, we reached our destination,¡± he said with everyone cheering behind him.

    The closer they were to the island, the more visible the island was, and they saw the king¡¯s body stranded on the island with his decayed body. Everyone was staring at it with disbelief and terrified at the same time that something like that existed under the sea. They had a chill down their spine but at the same time, they couldn¡¯t look away from it.

    All the ships docked on the island and put their anchor down. They all put their feet, body, and face on the grass the moment they set their feet on the island. Marlon and Fanheim immediately checked the corpse of the king and looked at it from up close with the others.

    ¡°Who did this? How can a parasite this big die with big chunks of flesh that went missing? Is there another one that lives around here?¡± Marlon asked as he looked at the body of the king that Archie had been consuming ever since he came to the island.

    Ruby and the others were glad to see the king died and that could only mean one thing, and that was Archie still alive and on the island.

    ¡°Let¡¯s be careful on the island, we don¡¯t know what lives on this island and how it is compared to the Eastern Nation¡¯s parasites,¡± Fanheim said as he looked at them.

    All of them nodded with understanding and regroup with the others. They went deeper into the island to find a perfect place to live for the next few weeks before they continue their journey to the Northern Nation.

    On their journey through the island, none of them could sense Archie¡¯s presence and he went to the back of the line and rejoined them as if nothing happened. He then walked past the crowds and casually walked to Vincent and the others.

    ¡°Why did it take you guys so long to come here?¡± Archie asked as he stood behind them.

    All of them turned around and looked at Archie who casually walked behind them with his hands in his pocket and swords on his back. ¡°Archie?!¡± Vincent quietly said and then the three of them were patting his back and checked his healthy body.

    ¡°Were you the one who killed that thing?¡± Vincent asked as he pointed in the direction where the king¡¯s corpse was.

    ¡°Yes, I did, it was quite an experience,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°Holy shit! How did you kill that beast?!¡± Tommy said quietly as he leaned his head toward Archie.

    Archie explained to them how he entered the king¡¯s mouth, traveled into the king¡¯s body then cut his way up to the king¡¯s brain. He explained it in a detailed manner so that they could imagine how thrilling the story was, and then he told them that he ended up here because of luck.

    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s unbelievable. I¡¯m glad that you¡¯re back here with us,¡± Vincent said as he patted Archie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°So you have been wandering through the island, right? Is it safe here?¡± he asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s safe, I have cleared the island while I was having my alone time and to waste time,¡± Archie answered.

    While they were talking with Archie about the island, Ruby suddenly appeared from the front and looked at Archie with disbelief. Archie looked at her and he gently smiled at her with his hand raised. ¡°Long time no see, Ruby,¡± he said.

 Chapter 80

    ¡°You made it,¡± Ruby said quietly and awkwardly as she stared at Archie. Vincent and the others were looking at each other with confusion.

    ¡°Yes, I made it but that¡¯s not something that you shoulder be thinking about right now,¡± Archie said. ¡°I need to speak with Fanheim,¡± he continued as he looked at Vincent.

    ¡°Colonel is up ahead with Marlon, come,¡± Vincent said and they both walked past Ruby.

    ¡°Colonel,¡± Vincent called Fanheim as he walked right behind him.

    Fanheim turned around and saw Archie, he looked so surprised but relieved at the same time. ¡°What is it, Vincent?¡± He asked as he moved to the side so he won¡¯t block the way for other people.

    Archie looked at his surroundings and made sure nobody was listening to them. ¡°There¡¯s a slight problem here on the island,¡± he said quietly.

    ¡°A problem? Is this about parasites or something else?¡± Fanheim asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s about parasites, but you don¡¯t have to worry about the surface of the island since I have dealt with them already,¡± Archie answered. ¡°It¡¯s something more troublesome,¡± he continued as he looked at Fanheim.

    ¡°Another king?¡± Fanheim asked.

    ¡°No, but there could be one underneath us,¡± Archie replied. ¡°I will show it to you once we found a place to stay since you guys seem exhausted from the journey,¡± he said.

    Fanheim nodded with understanding and then the three of them walked back to the group and find a place to stay on the island.

    After walking for almost half a day, they finally found a vast open field with cliffs surrounding the field. Marlon decided to use that place to stay while he ordered some of the Axis Humans to patrol on top of the cliff and observe the island from above.

    The nighttime came, and as they agreed, they met up outside the campsite. Of course, Ruby, Tommy, and Daniel came with Vincent since he told them about it.

    Archie led the way as Fanheim and the others followed him from behind. They went through the forest and ended up on the edge of the island after an hour of walking.

    ¡°Come, follow me,¡± Archie said as he carefully walked down the rocky hill with the sea right next to him.

    They followed Archie and reached the shore of the island, and they saw a giant cave on the cliff that didn¡¯t look natural. Archie led them to the mouth of the cave while they were lighting the mouth with a flashlight.

    ¡°This is the problem that I meant earlier,¡± Archie said. ¡°This hole is the same hole that you guys saw at the Landing Site. It leads to the inside of the earth where the same parasite that you saw in the north of the Eastern Nation.¡± He explained as he walked into the cave.

    ¡°This leads to the center of the earth?¡± Vincent asked as he looked at the ceiling of the cave.

    ¡°Yes, I have checked and there were at least hundreds of them inside,¡± Archie answered. ¡°I don¡¯t want to notify those parasites, but knowing there are a lot of people on the island, there¡¯s a chance they will come out and hunt them,¡± he continued.

    ¡°Then this island isn¡¯t safe, or even worse than when we live in the city,¡± Fanheim said as he looked at how big the mouth was.

    ¡°I suggest that we should stay on the opposite side of the island for your safety just in case those parasites decided to come out and hunt for food,¡± Archie said as he nodded in agreement.

    ¡°But there¡¯s no king inside this hole, right?¡± Tommy asked as he looked at Archie.

    ¡°So far, I haven¡¯t sensed a king¡¯s presence so I don¡¯t think there¡¯s one in there,¡± Archie answered as he looked at the dried skin and saliva on the walls of the cave.

    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t guarantee that there¡¯s no king inside the cave, right?¡± Tommy asked as he backed away from the cave and looked at his surroundings.

    ¡°Yes, there¡¯s a high chance that a king is indeed alive inside this cave,¡± Archie answered as he stared at Tommy.

    ¡°Should we close it? You should be able to bury this hole, right, Archie?¡± Daniel said.

    ¡°I can, but it¡¯s too risky since they might hear it,¡± Archie said as he touched the tissue of a parasite that was left behind.

    Fanheim turned around and looked at them. ¡°It¡¯s better to leave for now and tell Marlon about what we just discovered. We should be fine to rest for the night there and we can decide what are we going to do with this,¡±

    All of them nodded in agreement and left the shore then went back to the campsite.

    The morning came and Fanheim told about what they discovered last night, he went and checked it with Prince and Resse. They looked at the cave and could tell the danger that lay behind the dark and giant hole.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time to deal with this, so it¡¯s better we stay away from this hole,¡± Marlon said. ¡°Let¡¯s tell the others and start moving while we still have time,¡± he continued and looked at Fanheim.

    ¡°Yes, I believe that¡¯s the best option we have right now,¡± Fanheim replied and nodded in agreement.

    All of them went back to the campsite and Marlon ordered everyone to leave and start to find another place to stay. He wanted to stay on the opposite side of the island which would take them at least a whole day but since there were ordinary humans with them, it would take them at least three days.

    While they were in the middle of the island, Archie turned around and looked at the distance which made Vincent and the others felt anxious. ¡°What is it, Archie?¡± Vincent asked as looked in the direction where Archie was staring at.

    ¡°I feel like something has been following us ever since we left the cave but I don¡¯t know what it is since I faintly sense its presence,¡± Archie answered as he looked around behind him.

    Not long after Archie said that the scout team came back hurriedly, they looked at them and ran toward Marlon. Vincent knew what was going to happen and he didn¡¯t like it at all as he watched the scout team report something to Marlon. Prince and Resse walked into the forest with the scout team so the people won¡¯t panic.

    Fanheim walked toward Archie and the others, he looked anxious and they were ready to hear the bad news. ¡°It seems that you already know the gist of what¡¯s going on,¡± he said. ¡°The scout team saw a group of parasites has been following us ever since we left the campsite and those parasites didn¡¯t try to hunt for us, it¡¯s more like they¡¯re scouting our movement,¡± he explained.

    ¡°So what are we going to do now? Hunt them?¡± Ruby asked.

    Fanheim nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes, Marlon has ordered Prince and Resse to take care of it but I don¡¯t think those two can handle it on their own,¡± he answered. ¡°I want you guys to go and help them because if those parasites keep following us, we might not know what will be coming toward us later,¡± he continued as he rested his hands on his waist.

    Ruby nodded with understanding. ¡°Alright we got it, we will follow them,¡±

    Fanheim nodded then he went back to the front while Archie and the others went to where Prince and Resse went.

    Ruby and the others met up with Prince and Resse, Ruby told them that they came to help them. The scout team informed them that the group of parasites was seen only a few hundred meters away from them. Those parasites didn¡¯t look like any parasites they saw in the Eastern Nation, they looked like a lizard that moved really fast and silently.

    As they walked further away from the group, they finally saw it with their own two eyes. They did look like a lizard but it has six feet and a pair of arms, they could climb and run swiftly without making any sound. Ruby who had an opportunity to kill one of them decided to jump down from the tree and decapitated one of them.

    The other parasites were surprised with Ruby¡¯s sudden appearance and they immediately ran away and dug a hole that unbelievably fast. The rest of them tried to catch one of them but it was already too late because those parasites had run away.

    Not long after that, the birds started to fly away, and Archie immediately sensed hundreds of parasites not far from them. ¡°Those parasites weren¡¯t the only ones that follow us. There are many more and now they¡¯re coming toward us,¡± Archie said.

    Ruby sighed as she wiped the blood on the blade. ¡°There¡¯s no more place on earth for humankind,¡± she said as she held the sword with both hands.

 Chapter 81

    ¡°Why does it feel like I¡¯m having a deja vu here? Why every time we fight a parasite, there¡¯s always no end to it?!¡± Vincent said as he stabbed a parasite in the chest and then cut off its head.

    ¡°Ever since we discover that in the middle of the jungle, everything seems to try to kill us and I¡¯m so sick of this,¡± Resse said while shooting her rifle at the parasites¡¯ heads.

    The sun was setting and they fought the hordes of parasites for almost half a day. It wasn¡¯t really a problem since Archie dealt with most of them on his own while the rest of them took care of the easier ones. The problem was that they didn¡¯t know for how long they had to fight those parasites since they couldn¡¯t keep fighting all day.

    Ruby hadn¡¯t said a single word and focused on killing the parasites no matter how many of them pounced at her, she killed them immediately. Vincent looked at Ruby that had been acting weirdly and the looked on her expression was a face of a person with fear, but it didn¡¯t match with her action at all.

    ¡°We can¡¯t handle all of them forever, we are going to die here if we don¡¯t do something,¡± Prince said as he tried to catch his breath.

    Archie stopped attacking and he somehow felt something that hadn¡¯t felt before, the parasites started to ignore him and ran past him. He turned around and saw the parasites surroundings Ruby and the others, he then closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

    All the parasites stopped attacking and slowly backed away which made them so confused. Archie noticed that he had become one with the hordes, and he could feel their emotions, every single one of them. He could feel their hunger, anger, thirst, fear, and pain, and the most important part was that he could feel his superiority over those parasites and he finally could control all of them.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening? Why are the parasites just staring at us like this?¡± Tommy asked as he gulped and kept pointing his rifle at the parasites.

    ¡°Archie,¡± Ruby replied as she stared at Archie who stood still with his eyes closed.

    They looked at Archie who seemed to be troubled in his head by the look on his expression. The parasites slowly walked back and turned around to run away from them then stood behind Archie.

    Archie opened his eyes and everyone was watching him with disbelief. ¡°You should have done it way sooner, Archie,¡± Resse said while she sheathed her sword.

    Archie turned around and saw the parasites were just standing still behind him. He looked at each one of them, he touched one of the parasites in the head and it didn¡¯t even bother by his touch. He felt like he was the leader of the pack of stray dogs, and it somehow felt good because he had never once in his lifetime been seen as a leader.

    All the parasites ran back to the forest because Archie ordered them to. Knowing those parasites were the weakest compared to those parasites that lived underneath them, he decided to use them as a scout to keep an eye on if other parasites decided to come out from the hole.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about them anymore, I have taken control of them all and now they¡¯re going to be my eyes on the island,¡± Archie said as he walked past them and sheathed his swords.

    ¡°I have no complains,¡± Prince said as he followed Archie from behind, and then the others nodded in agreement.

    ¡°So, are we going to be safe from now on?¡± Daniel asked and stared at Archie.

    ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure but I can control those that you saw earlier, but if there¡¯s a parasite that¡¯s way stronger than them, I don¡¯t think I can control it. Let¡¯s just hope none of them appear,¡± Archie answered and looked at the night sky.

    ¡°If you could do something like that, why didn¡¯t you do it earlier or even better when we were holding the port?¡± Resse asked.

    ¡°I can¡¯t control them since they were controlled by the king himself, and I can¡¯t control them fully back then and can only be used to a few of them. I think ever since I killed a king that you saw on the shore, I believe those parasites started to look at me as something that more superior to them,¡± Archie explained.

    ¡°What about that woman, Archie?¡± Vincent asked as he looked at him.

    Prince and Resse looked at each other and then looked at Vincent with confusion. ¡°What woman? Did something happen after we left?¡± Prince asked Vincent.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a long story and we actually don¡¯t know the beginning on how that woman suddenly appeared,¡± Vincent answered.

    Prince and Resse listened to Vincent story and followed by Tommy and Daniel to fill the gap in the story. They couldn¡¯t believe that a woman could knocked out a king and they couldn¡¯t believe that she could kill a human without even had to touch them. No matter how much they tried to believe their stories, they couldn¡¯t imagine it but knowing that Vincent was the one telling the story, they couldn¡¯t help but to believe.

    ¡°So, this woman, who is she?¡± Resse asked as she walked next to Archie.

    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Ruby suddenly said and stared at Resse that confused everyone. ¡°It¡¯s better for you to not know about it,¡± she warned as she looked at Resse dead in the eye.

    ¡°Bub?¡± Vincent looked at Ruby weirdly. ¡°Is that why you have been so quietly lately and acting weird?¡± He asked, Tommy and Daniel looked at Ruby with curiosity.

    ¡°You can say whatever you want, Vince, but whatever that we saw or heard at the Landing Site, it can¡¯t be compared to this. I¡¯m warning you and I¡¯m not going to take any responsibility if you decided to do something stupid after hearing the whole truth,¡± Ruby answered and kept her eyes to the front.

    ¡°Tell us,¡± Resse said without hesitation while the others were looking at her with surprised expressions.

    All of them immediately went quiet after Archie told what he told to Ruby, they were staring blankly as they kept walking behind Archie.

    ¡°I warned you, didn¡¯t I? Now you won¡¯t be able to see things normally and this will haunt you forever,¡± Ruby said as she crossed her arms to comfort herself after hearing it twice.

    ¡°How could you be so calm when you heard that?¡± Prince asked Ruby.

    ¡°Calm? Sure if you¡¯re looking at my body and my expression, but not inside my head. Everyday I had thoughts of killing myself over and over but I couldn¡¯t do it. My fear of death is making me be able to get through this even though it only helped a little,¡± Ruby explained.

    Three days had passed since that day, every single one of them had been so quiet and isolated themselves from other people. Every single day, they couldn¡¯t do things properly and didn¡¯t eat for the past few days, Ruby on the other hand changed drastically, she felt a bit better after knowing that she wasn¡¯t the only one anymore.

    The island felt so peaceful that everyone started to feel comfortable with their surroundings. Unfortunately, the peaceful and relaxing life had to come to an end because soon enough, they were going to continue their journey to the Northern Nation.

    A week flew by and it was finally the time for them to leave the island after they completely repaired all the ships. Vincent and the others slowly acted like how they used to be, and Ruby had finally get a hold of herself.

    ¡°Is everyone ready? Anyone is still out there that we don¡¯t know?¡± Marlon asked as he watched everyone busy cleaning and preparing all their belongings.

    ¡°Everyone is here, we are ready to leave, Marlon,¡± Fanheim said as he approached him.

    ¡°We are halfway through and we must make it to the other side. We need to be cautious and we will be using the same formation like last time since it was effective,¡± Marlon said and looked at the people that seemed to be anxious.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know if there will be another king out there, but I hope that we don¡¯t encounter one again because we might not make it this time,¡± Fanheim said as he looked at his watch.

    ¡°I hope so too, we came so far and sacrificed thousands of lives for this to happen. We must survive no matter what,¡± Marlon replied as he looked at Fanheim.

    ¡°Let¡¯s pray to God and hope he heard our prayer because we have done what we can and now it¡¯s all up to him,¡± Fanheim said.

    ¡°Since when you believe in God, Fanheim?¡± Marlon asked as he looked at Fanheim weirdly.

    ¡°Just recently,¡± Fanheim answered as he looked at Archie in the distance.

 Chapter 82

    ¡°Look at that, how beautiful that thing is,¡± Tommy said as he sat on the railing and stared at the pillar and bridge of the Northern Nation. ¡°Every morning we see that building and it¡¯s slowly getting closer and closer, I can¡¯t wait to see what¡¯s happening on the other side of the world,¡± he continued with a smile on his face.

    Daniel leaned his body on the railing next to Tommy while staring at the blue sky. ¡°We have been isolated for seven years, and now we are so close to rejoining with them again,¡± he said as he leaned his head and closed his eyes to listen to the sea.

    ¡°Do you think they know about what we know?¡± Tommy asked as he looked at Daniel.

    ¡°If Archie said there are other five like him, there¡¯s a high possibility that one of them is in one of the nations,¡± Daniel replied. ¡°I don¡¯t think those Adams are like Archie who still cares about humans, so I don¡¯t think so,¡± he answered.

    ¡°Living for hundreds of years, I couldn¡¯t imagine how it feels. I kind of want to try but I¡¯m afraid that I will be lonely since I¡¯m immortal,¡± Tommy said as he sighed.

    ¡°But at least you¡¯re not in grave danger of extinction since you will be the one who roams the earth,¡± Daniel replied. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine how it feels to see those things for the first time, I bet Archie was shocked and terrified,¡± he continued while looking at Archie who stood on the front deck of the ship.

    ¡°I have decided,¡± Tommy paused as he looked at Daniel. ¡°I will learn more about this stuff once we reach the land,¡± he continued and nodded his head.

    ¡°Religion?¡± Daniel asked.

    ¡°Yeah, I think if we read those books, we can be saved,¡± Tommy answered.

    Vincent looked at those two who were lazing on the deck, he approached them and patted them on the shoulder. ¡°What are you guys doing here? Shouldn¡¯t you clean up the ship?¡±

    ¡°We already did, we are just resting here while enjoying the view, Capt,¡± Daniel answered as he pointed at the pillar in the distance.

    Vincent nodded. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s beautiful, isn¡¯t it? Only three days left until we can see that thing from up close,¡± he said while patting their shoulders. ¡°Now, since you guys are free, why don¡¯t you help me clean the cabin?¡± he asked with a smile on his face.

    ¡°No, please not the cabin¡­¡± Tommy replied while shaking his head, but Vincent grabbed them and dragged them into the cabin to clean the feces.

    Three days passed, and they finally saw the land of the Northern Nation, they couldn¡¯t help but to cry and hug each other. They saw an abandoned port that used to be a place where people went out to go fishing, but since there were no more fish in the sea, they didn¡¯t use the port anymore.

    The ships were docking at the port, and everyone immediately walked down the ship and checked the abandoned port. Archie stood at the back of the line as he watched people climbing down, he looked at the pillar above him and thought that he had finally come back after a long journey.

    Archie couldn¡¯t wait to see his friends, especially Aster and Faye, he wondered how those two were doing.

    ¡°Why are you just standing there?¡± Ruby asked as she approached Archie and looked at him with her eyebrows raised.

    Archie looked at Ruby and slightly smiled at her. ¡°I¡¯m just thinking about my life before I became like this,¡± he answered while staring at the pillar again.

    ¡°Right, you did say that you have friends in the Western Nation, huh?¡± Ruby said while staring at people waiting in line. ¡°So, what¡¯s your plan now since we are already here? Are you going to leave to the Western Nation?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the plan,¡± Archie answered. ¡°But I still have to make sure that you guys are safe until we enter the Northern Nation. So I will stick around and go to the Northern Nation with you guys,¡± he continued as he looked at Ruby.

    Ruby nodded with understanding. ¡°Fair enough and I¡¯m not complaining about that,¡± she replied. ¡°Well then, why don¡¯t you do your job now and make sure the port is safe? Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re still in my division,¡± She asked with her arms crossed.

    Archie chuckled softly. ¡°Loud and clear, Major,¡± he said and then jumped down the ship.

    After an hour of patrolling around the port with Vincent, Daniel, and Tomy, Archie saw no parasites. He believed that the parasites had long gone and gone to another place since the port had been abandoned for so long and nothing inside.

    Everyone made the whole port for themselves to stay for the night, they couldn¡¯t help but to get drunk. They enjoyed the night around the campfire, or at least for the ordinary humans because all the Axis Humans had to keep the port safe from parasites.

    ¡°I heard from her that you¡¯re going to leave the moment we enter the Northern Nation, is that true?¡± Vincent said as he sat around the campfire with the others next to him.

    ¡°Yes, and I don¡¯t think my service will be needed anymore here,¡± Archie answered. ¡°We all have been through a lot, especially you guys for surviving for more than seven years. I don¡¯t think anything can surprise you guys anymore after what we saw the past month,¡± he explained while staring at the fire.

    ¡°We have a hell lot of story to tell,¡± Tommy said while staring blankly. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe we are really out here on the other side of the world. So many people died just so we can be out here and I don¡¯t think I will be able to forget this moment, ever,¡± he continued.

    ¡°Nobody can, we are all here because of their sacrifice. Let¡¯s have this day and date to celebrate and to mourn those who have fallen,¡± Vincent said as he looked at them.

    ¡°I agree, let¡¯s do that,¡± Daniel said while nodding his head.

    ¡°November first, is the day we are going to celebrate and mourn,¡± Ruby said as she looked at the watch on her wrist.

    They were cheering for it and it attracted the other¡¯s attention. Fanheim and Marlon with Prince and Resse approached them with curiosity and joined them around the campfire.

    ¡°What were you guys cheering for?¡± Marlon asked as he crossed his arms and stood in between them.

    ¡°We are putting this day as the day to mourn those who sacrificed their lives and also to celebrate our achievement to reach the other side of the world, Sir,¡± Vincent answered.

    Marlon laughed and nodded with understanding. ¡°That¡¯s indeed a great idea but¡­¡± he paused. ¡°We also have to tell the world that the Eastern Nation is now gone,¡± he continued while looking to the east where the Eastern Nation was.

    ¡°We may have lost our home, but as long as we are still alive, anywhere can be called home and that¡¯s enough for us,¡± Marlon said as he looked at every one of them. They all looked at him and nodded in agreement. ¡°Life is so full of surprise, the problem is how are we going to deal with it and whatever choices you make, don¡¯t regret it. Those are the words that I always remember from the previous Marshal,¡± he continued.

    ¡°Live will find a way, and that alone is enough to say that we don¡¯t have a reason to give up,¡± Fanheim said as he looked at Ruby with a smile on his face.

    They looked at each other and agreed with Marlon and Fanheim¡¯s words.

    ¡°The night is short, don¡¯t stay awake for too long, we are going to leave early in the morning tomorrow,¡± Marlon said as he looked at them. ¡°Having a good night, all of you,¡± he continued then left with Fanheim.

    A week had passed, They had been traveling through the snow, forest, and mountain. After being through a lot, they finally saw the giant wall in front of them, the wall that looked exactly the same as the one in the Eastern Nation. They couldn¡¯t believe it at first until the giant gate opened in front of them, and dozens of soldiers came out and looked at all of them with disbelief.

    Marlon showed his badge and id card to them, they were shocked when they knew that Marlon and the others came from the Eastern Nation. A lieutenant came to check, and he was shocked when he gave a salutation to Marlon and Fanheim then followed by the other soldiers.

    They escorted Marlon and the others inside the wall while Archie watched them from behind. ¡°I guess this is it, huh?¡± Ruby asked as she looked at Archie with the others behind her.

    ¡°Yes, this is it,¡± Archie answered while looking at them. Vincent and the others approached him and gave him a very tight hug.

    Archie stood in the middle of the road and looked at the city as he took a deep breath and exhaled deeply. ¡°Goodbye,¡± he said as he looked at Ruby and the others.

    ¡°Goodbye, Archie,¡± Ruby said as she watched him leave on his own.

 Chapter 83

    ¡°What is this place, this looks totally different from the Western and Eastern Nations,¡± Archie talked to himself as he looked at the operating tall buildings and trains above the roads. ¡°How did they get all the energy to turn the city with this much electricity?¡± he continued as he looked at the city lights and the people walking on the sidewalk.

    Archie kept walking and was fascinated by the views that everything looked so peaceful that everyone could walk around the city like that. He watched restaurants on the side and people were eating something that he had never seen before, everyone looked so happy.

    ¡°Hey, you!¡± A black-haired guy with a bun leaned on the wall and called Archie. ¡°You look strong, want some easy money?¡± He asked as he looked at Archie from top to bottom.

    ¡°Easy money?¡± Archie asked as he looked at him.

    ¡°Yeah, do you need some money? By the look of the swords on your back, you¡¯re a rich guy, huh?¡± He asked back.

    ¡°Not really, someone made it for me,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°Hmm, so? Do you need some money or not?¡± The guy asked again.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Archie replied since he didn¡¯t have money on him and the Eastern Nation didn¡¯t even have a money system so everyone used a trading system.

    ¡°Hah! I knew that I¡¯m going to find the right person for this job,¡± The guy said as he stood straight and offered his hand for a handshake. ¡°My name is Ivan, nice to meet you,¡± he continued.

    ¡°Archie,¡± Archie said as he shook Ivan¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Huh? I see that you¡¯re not from around here,¡± Ivan said as he looked at Archie¡¯s face. ¡°Anyway, come on, I will show you what kind of job that you have to do,¡± he said as he waved his hand and walked into the dark alley behind him.

    Archie followed Ivan from behind and looked at all the neon lights on the walls or in front of the doors. ¡°So, how do you guys get electricity?¡±

    Ivan turned around and looked at Archie weirdly. ¡°Are you being serious right now?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m being serious, how did you get all this electricity?¡± Archie asked as he pointed at the neon lights. ¡°I mean, I know that we can get electricity from the sun, wind, and river, but that won¡¯t be enough to light everything in this city if you guys just using that,¡± he continued as he looked back at the city.

    ¡°What are you talking about, Archie? We don¡¯t use those anymore, we found a way to get electricity faster than those. All those methods that you said, we didn¡¯t use them anymore since, I don¡¯t know, five years maybe?¡± Ivan replied as he looked dumbfounded by Archie¡¯s words.

    ¡°I see, sorry, I just got here so I don¡¯t know and it surprised me how things have changed,¡± Archie explained while he looked at Ivan.

    ¡°Huh? What are you? A caveman? Where do you come from then if you don¡¯t know that things have changed?¡± Ivan asked while he kept staring at Archie weirdly.

    ¡°Eastern Nation,¡± Archie answered.

    Ivan stared at him for quite a while and then snicker and then bursted out laughing. ¡°You¡¯re fucking with me, right? There¡¯s no way you came from the Eastern Nation!¡± he said while kept laughing.

    Archie just stared at him with a straight face and then Ivan cleared his throat and looked at him with a serious expression. ¡°You¡¯re being serious? How did you get here? Don¡¯t you lose access to the bridge a long time ago?¡± he asked.

    ¡°We use ships to get here, we docked at the abandoned port far in the northeast,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°Holy shit! You¡¯re not joking, right? Did you guys encounter that thing?¡± Ivan asked with curiosity written all over his face.

    ¡°What thing?¡± Archie asked with his eyebrows furrowed.

    ¡°This thing,¡± Ivan said as he grabbed something from his pocket that looked like a phone. ¡°Here, look at this, they discovered this like the moment before the bridge collapsed,¡± Ivan said as he showed footage of the king that he fought wrapping his body on the bridge and then crushing it.

    ¡°Oh, that, yeah we did fight with it. I killed it,¡± Archie answered with a straight face.

    Ivan bursted out laughing again. ¡°You¡¯re so funny, Archie, I like your sense of humor!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not joking, you can see the corpse on the shore at Saint Lawrence Island,¡± Archie answered.

    Ivan stopped laughing and gulped while staring at Archie. ¡°Shit, what the fuck is happening right now?¡± he asked while scratching his nape. ¡°So, are you like, superhuman or something? I mean, you must be an Axis Human if you can deal with that, but, are you some kind like a warrior that specifically hunts parasites?¡± he continued as he looked at Archie with confusion.

    ¡°What are you talking about, I¡¯m just a normal Axis Human, like any other Axis Human,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°But, you¡¯re from the Easter Nation, right? You must be living in hell since you¡¯re isolated by waters and three fucking Fallen Continents!¡± Ivan said while staring at Archie with disbelief. ¡°Anyway! Let¡¯s just go and you¡¯re perfect for this job then,¡± Ivan continued as he waved at Archie and started walking.

    Ivan brought Archie to the basement and he looked around where people walked past him with multiple sacks that they carried in a wheelbarrow. He looked so confused why there were so many people who brought those heavy-looking sacks with an unpleasant smell from it.

    ¡°You were asking me how we got all this electricity, right? The answer is in those sacks,¡± Ivan said while pointing at the sacks in front of him.

    ¡°What¡¯s inside those sacks?¡± Archie asked with his eyebrows furrowed.

    ¡°Feces,¡± Ivan answered without hesitation.

    ¡°Feces? That¡¯s really interesting. How does it work?¡± Archie asked as he looked at those feces.

    ¡°You know that feces produced unpleasant smells, right? That¡¯s because of methane, and we discovered that we can used feces to produce electricity from that. Isn¡¯t that awesome?!¡± Ivan answered with his arms open wide.

    ¡°I see, so you want me to collect feces?¡± Archie looked at Ivan with disbelief.

    ¡°Oh, no, that spot is already full since it¡¯s the easiest job here. You¡¯re going to do the hardest job here,¡± Ivan answered. ¡°You know that human feces is not enough to run a whole city, right? So we also use feces from different things,¡± he continued while grimacing.

    Archie hummed with understanding because he had been suspicious about sense he felt ever since he came down there. He felt dozens of parasites inside the building and they all seemed to be in a same place.

    ¡°You use parasites feces,¡± Archie said before Ivan could say it.

    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re so smart and not to mention you¡¯re not even surprised by it,¡± Ivan said while grinning at Archie.

    ¡°So what do you want me to do?¡± Archie asked as they both entered a room.

    ¡°Well, do you see that parasite over there?¡± Ivan asked as he pointed at something in the dark behind the see through glass wall.

    Archie hummed and saw a big parasite that had been glaring at them ever since they entered the room.

    ¡°You see, we had someone for this job, but an accident happened. You know the answer by the shoe that you see in there, he got eaten by that parasite and ever since that day, this parasite didn¡¯t leave his spot at all and we can¡¯t get his feces,¡± Ivan explained while scratching his eyebrow. ¡°So, do you think you can do it? We will pay you plentifully,¡± he asked.

    ¡°Sure, just get me in there,¡± Archie answered without hesitation.

    ¡°Uhh you just go up the stairs, and you can see the flat surface once you reached the top. In the middle, you will see a hatch that you can open and it will lead you into that room,¡± Ivan explained with his fingers pointed at the entrance on the ceiling. ¡°To be honest, we don¡¯t really need that parasite anymore since we already got a new one that can produce more feces than this guy,¡± he continued while looking at Archie.

    ¡°So you want me to kill it?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°If you can, sure, but that guy is massive and we have been sending at least a dozen of Axis Humans in there but the results are always the same,¡± Ivan answered.

    ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem,¡± Archie said as he climbed the ladder and then went inside the room with the parasite through the hatch.

    Archie stared at the parasite and the parasite immediately stood up and walked towards him. He looked at the parasite and then swung his sword at the it, he cut the parasite in half and it made Ivan shocked.

    ¡°Holy shit! This guy is the real deal!¡± Ivan said to himself as he watched Archie climbed up the hatch.

 Chapter 84

    ¡°Hey, how did you do that?! You just stood there and stared at the parasite and it didn¡¯t even attack you. Not to mention that you just cut him in half with just a single swing!¡± Ivan asked as he shook Archie¡¯s shoulder with disbelief.

    ¡°I have been dealing far worse than that parasite, so looking at that thing is like looking at a toddler,¡± Archie answered as he wiped the blood from the blade.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you really killed that thing?¡± Ivan asked as he looked at Archie with curiosity.

    ¡°It¡¯s up to you if you¡¯re going to believe me or not because I¡¯m not going to try to convince you,¡± Archie replied and sheathed the sword on his back.

    ¡°Alright, fair enough. By the way, here, your payment for killing that parasite,¡± Ivan said as he grabbed something from his pocket that he was troubled to get it out. ¡°Here you go, 5,000 Nomac,¡± he said as he have the money to Archie.

    Archie looked at the paper money and it looked so weird because it didn¡¯t look like the money that he used to use for buying stuff up in the station. ¡°Is this new money? I have never seen one like this,¡±

    ¡°Ah right, you were gone for seven years, huh? Well, the world has changed and every Nation is using this currency that the Central Nation made,¡± Ivan explained as he rested his hands on his waist. ¡°That much is enough for you to live for a week if you spent it on fancy food. If you just eat the street food, it will last for three weeks or a month,¡± he continued as he pointed at the money.

    ¡°I see, I guess this much is more than enough,¡± Archie said as he put the money in his pocket.

    ¡°Huh? Are you being serious? With your skill, I can make you at least 50,000 Nomac in a day!¡± Ivan replied while tapped on Archie¡¯s chest gently.¡± I tell you what, I will give you a tour around the city and I will tell you everything that you want to know while I¡¯m going to get you more money. How¡¯s that sound?¡± he asked with his eyebrows raised.

    ¡°Okay, sure,¡± Archie answered while nodding his head.

    They both went back up and walked on the sidewalk.

    ¡°So, what did I miss? Something that really important that I need to know,¡± Archie asked as he looked at the people that walked past by.

    ¡°As you can see, the city is fully developed and now people don¡¯t need to live in the station anymore. Now the station is for rich people so they can sleep at night without all of these commotions,¡± Ivan answered as he waved at his friends on the other side of the road.

    ¡°What else?¡± Archie asked as he looked at the people that Ivan just waved.

    ¡°We have developed weapons to deal with high gen parasites that can instantly kill them. The last time they used it was when they encountered a Gen 5 parasite and it worked like a charm, so all the Axis Humans are not really needed anymore but for hunting parasites for their feces,¡± Ivan answered as he checked his phone.

    ¡°Only gen 5? That¡¯s not going to be enough to fight gen 9 or gen 0 with the latest variant,¡± Archie said with his hands in his pockets.

    ¡°Wait, what?! Gen 9?! You fought a Gen 9 parasite?! We don¡¯t even see a Gen 7 for the past few months,¡± Ivan asked with his eyes wide open.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it was Gen 9 or not because we were too busy surviving that we didn¡¯t care about what Gen the parasites we fought since what mattered the most were how to survive. But, yeah, I believe they were Gen 9 or even Gen 10,¡± Archie explained as he looked at Ivan who was dumbfounded by his words.

    ¡°Holy fuck! That¡¯s brutal!¡± Ivan said as he stared blankly. ¡°Anyway, we are here. My friend needs your help,¡± Ivan said as he stood in front of a small restaurant. ¡°Come, we might get free lunch,¡± he said as he entered the restaurant.

    ¡°Yo, Madliv, I brought the guy I mentioned in my message, he¡¯s a fucking beast I tell you that!¡± Ivan said as he looked at a skinny guy with black messy hair.

    ¡°Really? Can he do it then?¡± Madliv asked as he looked at Archie who was checking the restaurant.

    ¡°Of course!¡± Ivan answered. ¡°Archie, he¡¯s my friend, his name is Madliv. Madliv, he¡¯s Archie and you might need his service from now on,¡± Ivan continued as he introduced them to each other.

    ¡°Alright, I trust you, can you follow me, Archie?¡± Madliv asked as he removed his gloves.

    Archie looked at Ivan and he just nodded then the three of them went to the basement.

    ¡°So now every building has its own source of energy?¡± Archie asked as he looked at the basement which looked exactly the same as if it was the standard to confine parasites.

    ¡°Yeah, everyone can produce their own electricity now but the risk of getting killed is higher because you have to do it your own. If you don¡¯t want to take a risk the government will provide you the energy and of course, they¡¯re going to charge you quite a lot of money compared to making your own energy,¡± Ivan answered as he walked next to Madliv.

    ¡°So basically the Axis Humans are now doing this kind of job to get money?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Mostly, yeah, some are still out there to hunt parasites so they can sell them to us since the money is really good compared to this,¡± Ivan answered. Archie hummed and nodded with understanding.

    ¡°We are here, as you can see the feces are everywhere in there, but I can¡¯t get them because those parasites are in the room,¡± Madliv said as he pointed at parasites that were walking in the room.

    ¡°What do you want me to do? Kill them?¡± Archie asked while raising his eyebrows.

    ¡°No! Please don¡¯t! I don¡¯t have enough money to buy a new one, so I want you to put them in a different room over there so I can peacefully collect the feces,¡± Madliv answered while pointing at the open room next to the parasite room.

    ¡°Okay, that won¡¯t be a problem,¡± Archie said as he climbed up the ladder.

    Archie entered the room and the parasites immediately charged at him but he just kicked them away from him. Ivan and Madliv were shocked that Archie just casually kicked them and didn¡¯t even flinch when the parasites charged at him.

    The parasites glared at Archie as they screeched but Archie glared back at them and the parasites immediately lowered their heads. Archie walked to the next room by walking backward to make sure the parasites were following him.

    Archie closed the door behind him and the parasites were just standing in front of the door and looked at him and didn¡¯t do anything. Archie looked at Madliv and pointed at the feces on the ground as he leaned on the door.

    ¡°What did I tell you, huh? This guy is a beast!¡± Ivan said as he elbowed Madliv with a grin on his face.

    ¡°Where did you get this guy?¡± Madliv asked as he unlocked the door in front of him.

    ¡°Man, you won¡¯t believe me even if I told you,¡± Ivan replied as he walked into the room and helped Madliv collect the feces.

    Madliv was asking so many questions to Archie, the same questions that Ivan had been asking him. Archie answered him with the simplest answers since he didn¡¯t want anyone to know too much about him.

    ¡°Alright, we are done! Holy shit, that¡¯s a lot of shit,¡± Ivan said as he wiped the sweat on his forehead. ¡°When was the last time you collect these? It¡¯s a bit too much if it was a week ago,¡± he asked as he looked at Madliv.

    ¡°Around three weeks, the people that used to do this job for me stopped doing this kind of job because of the risk and not to mention the money isn¡¯t that good compared to selling parasites,¡± Madliv answered as he shoved the feces in the big sack.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about that, sooner or later they will come back since almost half of the city already have its own source of energy. The business of selling parasites will come to an end eventually,¡± Ivan said as he removed the gloves and threw them on the table next to him.

    Madliv nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Anyway, since we are done here, here¡¯s your payment,¡± Madliv said as he gave 5,000 Nomac to Archie. Archie took it and put it in his pocket, he never knew it would be that easy to get money. ¡°Are you guys hungry? I can make you guys something if you want to,¡± he asked as he looked at Ivan and Archie.

    ¡°Sure, that¡¯s why we are here in the first place, to get free food,¡± Ivan answered with a big smile on his face. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Archie,¡± he said as he patted Archie on the back.

 Chapter 85

    ¡°So? Where do you want to go next? You got a lot of money, your stomach is full, what else do you want?¡± Ivan asked as he burped and rubbed his stomach.

    ¡°Drink, I need to get a drink,¡± Archie answered because he saw a bottle sign in the distance.

    ¡°A drink? In the middle of the day? Sure, why not, come on,¡± Ivan said as he walked past Archie. ¡°Oh, I think I know a place where you can get more money without having to deal with parasites. Are you interested?¡± He said as he turned his head to look at Archie.

    ¡°Like what?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Have you ever fought another Axis Humans? I mean, you must have done it before but here you can get money if you win a fight,¡± Ivan answered as he stretched his arms.

    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in that stuff, I don¡¯t want to hurt people for fun,¡± Archie answered as he looked at Ivan.

    ¡°Really? I guess you already had parasites to kill out there but here, people can¡¯t do that anymore so they decided to use their power for entertainment and of course, to feel superior to the others,¡± Ivan replied with his hands behind his head.

    ¡°I guess that makes sense, but I think it would be fine to watch them while having a drink,¡± Archie said while he looked at the bright sky with no clouds.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go there now then,¡± Ivan said with excitement.

    It took them 30 minutes to reach their destination, and Archie looked at the building that looked quite big. They both entered the building and were immediately welcomed by the screams of people cheering at something.

    Archie looked at two people inside a caged ring and they were punching each other with their faces covered with blood. He smiled and shook his head as he followed Ivan from behind to the counter.

    ¡°Yo, Ivan!¡± A guy with purple hair and weird glasses and a shirt called Ivan from the corner of the room.

    ¡°Yo!¡± Ivan shouted back at him. ¡°Come on, he¡¯s the owner of this place, he¡¯s one of my customers if they needed energy for the electricity,¡± he grabbed Archie¡¯s arm and dragged him to the guy.

    ¡°What are you doing here at this hour? Do you have some kind of business? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re planning to charge more money for the energy?¡± The guy asked with his eyebrows furrowed.

    ¡°No, I wouldn¡¯t rise the price for that or at least to my loyal customer. I¡¯m here for a drink with this new friend of mine, his name is Archie and he¡¯s a beast!¡± Ivan replied as he pointed at Archie.

    The guy lowered his glasses and stared at Archie with his eyebrows furrowed. ¡°You can call me Tarkov,¡± he said as he offered his hand for a handshake.

    ¡°Archie,¡± Archie replied as he shook Tarkov¡¯s hand but he didn¡¯t want to let go as if he was testing, Archie¡¯s strength.

    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re not lying, this guy¡¯s hand is like a fucking rock!¡± Tarkov said as he removed his hand from Archie¡¯s hand. ¡°Are you interested to get in that cage, Archie? If you win, you will get plenty of money,¡± he asked as he nodded up at Archie.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m here just for a drink and to watch the fight,¡± Archie answered as he watched one of the guys get knocked out.

    ¡°Ah, fuck! My guy just got knocked out again,¡± Tarkov said as he slapped his knee. ¡°Anyway, enjoy your drink, if you need anything just come to me,¡± he said as he lit his cigar.

    Ivan and Archie went to the counter and grabbed themselves a drink.

    ¡°What the fuck? Did you just drink it all in a single gulp?¡± Ivan asked as he looked at Archie with disbelief.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m thirsty and it has been a while since I have a drink,¡± Archie answered as he asked the bartender for a refill.

    ¡°No shit,¡± Ivan said as he kept staring at Archie and sill in disbelief.

    They both were enjoying the show until a drunk guy walked past them and blocked their view. Ivan stared at him and kicked him in the butt, the guy fell off and that was enough to make Ivan bursted out laughing, but his laughter disappeared the moment he saw a tattoo on the guy¡¯s back.

    ¡°Oh fuck! Archie, I¡¯m sorry but I have to go to the toilet! Be right back!¡± Ivan ran as fast as he could and Archie thought Ivan couldn¡¯t hold his bladder anymore.

    ¡°Who the fuck kicked me?!¡± The guy stood up as he turned around and saw only Archie behind him. ¡°You! Do you have a death wish or something?!¡± He said as he pointed his finger at Archie.

    Archie just raised his eyebrows and looked at the drunk guy.

    The guy pulled his hand and clenched it at Archie then threw it at him but Archie dodged it and the guy hit his face on the counter. It was enough to take everyone¡¯s attention and they were looking at the guy¡¯s tattoo on the back and immediately didn¡¯t want to get involved in the mess.

    ¡°Hey! What¡¯s with the commotion?!¡± Tarkov asked as he walked through the crowds, but then he saw the guy with a tattoo laying on the ground. ¡°Tsk, not again. Did you do something to him?¡± he asked as he rested his hands on his waist.

    ¡°Why would I mess around with people who I don¡¯t know?¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°I believe you, you don¡¯t seem like that kind of a guy,¡± Tarkov replied as he walked toward the tattoo guy. ¡°Come on, get up you useless piece of shit,¡± Tarkov said as he pulled the guy up.

    ¡°Tarkov, what¡¯s happening here?¡± A tall guy asked with a tattoo on his neck as he looked at the guy.

    ¡°This¡­ fucking guy¡­ just kicked me,¡± the drunk guy said as he pointed at Archie.

    ¡°Hey! Hey!¡± Tarkov said with his arm trying to block the neck tattoo guy from approaching Archie.

    Archie just stared at the guy with his hand clenched, Archie couldn¡¯t tell if the guy was an Axis Human or not because it should be impossible for any ordinary human to act superior to that Axis Human. The guy threw a straight punch while Archie was thinking about him but Archie dodged it so easily, and then the guy threw a jab at him.

    Archie grabbed the guy¡¯s hand and he could tell how strong his punch was and confident that he was an Axis Human. Archie threw a left hook on the guy¡¯s ribs and then slammed his head to the floor and his head bounced once before he got knocked out.

    Tarkov¡¯s eyes were wide open as he saw the guy laying on the ground unconscious, and then he looked at Archie with disbelief. ¡°Did you just really knock this guy out with less than a second?!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I didn¡¯t count the time,¡± Archie said as he sat down and grabbed his drink.

    ¡°You know, I¡¯m kind of impressed but I think you just chose the wrong opponent because you just got yourself a trouble for this,¡± Tarkov said as he looked at the tattoo guy on the ground. ¡°It¡¯s better for you to stay low for a month so these guys won¡¯t come at you,¡± he warned Archie with a bit of worried expression.

    ¡°Who are these guys? I know for sure they¡¯re Axis Humans, but why are they acting like this?¡± Archie asked as he looked at the guy on the ground.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you don¡¯t know about them, but they¡¯re the one who runs the city, and these guys used to be the best Axis Humans back in the days. After the city was rebuilt, they contributed the most so it made them the owner of this city if that¡¯s what you want to hear,¡± Tarkov explained.

    ¡°Since when are the Axis Humans acting like a prick? The last time I remember the Axis Humans lives to serve the people, but what is this?¡± Archie asked with his eyebrows furrowed.

    ¡°The time has passed, Archie, everything has changed, we are just nothing but walking money to them,¡± Tarkov answered as he sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not the right time for you to chit-chat because sooner or later the rest will come and if they see you, you will be in big trouble, Archie,¡± he continued.

    ¡°Really? Then I will be waiting here and waiting for them. I don¡¯t like when people act superior to others especially Axis Humans. Let them come and I will give them a lesson no matter how many of them,¡± Archie said and then emptied the glass as he stood up.

    ¡°Well, if you want to do that, can you do it outside? I don¡¯t want any mess in my place,¡± Tarkov said.

    ¡°Just give me their base location, I will go straight to them,¡± Archie said as he tightened his gloves.

 Chapter 86

    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s the place?¡± Archie asked as he looked at Tarkov after he told Archie about their base.

    ¡°Of course, why would I lie to you? But don¡¯t blame me if you regret it because I don¡¯t want to get involved in whatever you¡¯re going to deal with,¡± Tarkov answered as he passed the drunk guy to the guard.

    ¡°I see, can I just get inside and see whoever the leader is?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°You wish, the whole place is guarded by these guys, you will be lucky if you can set your foot in there without an invitation or permission,¡± Tarkov said as he smoke his cigar. ¡°If you want to go there, just make sure that you don¡¯t bring my name into this. You¡¯re on your own,¡± he continued as he looked at Archie.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t say a word,¡± Archie answered as he looked at the guy on the floor.

    Ivan took a peek and slowly walked back. ¡°Uh, sorry about that,¡± he said as he looked at Archie.

    ¡°I see so it was you who kicked that guy, huh?¡± Tarkov asked as he stared at Ivan with a straight face. ¡°Look what you did, now your friend is in big trouble now because of you,¡± he said as he smacked Ivan on the head.

    Ivan looked down and he was shocked because he thought the guy who was on the floor was the same guy he kicked. He looked at the tattoo on the guy¡¯s neck and his eyes were wide open in disbelief.

    ¡°Oh, shit¡­¡± Ivan said as he scratched the back of his head.

    ¡°Yeah, now you¡¯re responsible for your friend¡¯s life because if I see him dead in the middle of the road tomorrow, you¡¯re the one to blame,¡± Tarkov said as he shook his head.

    ¡°But this is good though, we have someone that can protect us, no? I don¡¯t think Archie could make Gartner knocked out like this,¡± Ivan said as he tried to shake the guy¡¯s body.

    ¡°Protect us? Don¡¯t be stupid, Ivan. Do you think he can fight them all? Once Archie is dead, who¡¯s next do you think they will look for? You, and then you¡¯re going to die as well,¡± Tarkov replied as he looked down at Ivan.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to fight them, right, Archie?¡± Ivan asked as he stood up.

    ¡°That¡¯s the plan, yes,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°Alright then, I will take responsibility for your life because I will show you where they at,¡± Ivan said as he drank his drink on the counter. ¡°Tarkov, let¡¯s make a bet, I will bet 100,000 Nomac that Archie will kick their ass,¡± Ivan said as he looked at Tarkov.

    ¡°Sure, you¡¯re going to die anyway,¡± Tarkov said as he smoked his cigar with a smirk on his face.

    ¡°Alright, I take your words, Tarkov,¡± Ivan said as he rubbed his hands together with excitement. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Archie, I will give you half the money if we won,¡± he said as he walked to the exit.

    Archie went to the location that Tarkov gave him with Ivan, and he ended up in the middle of the city where people walked around more frequently. He looked around and there were so many Axis Humans with tattoos on their bodies on the street, and he knew immediately he was in the right place.

    ¡°Well, we are here and that building at the end of the road is where you want to go,¡± Ivan said with his hands in his pockets. ¡°I can¡¯t come with you since I don¡¯t want to put myself in trouble,¡± he continued as he leaned on the wall and looked at those Axis Humans on the sidewalk.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I can handle this on my own,¡± Archie said but then a sword was pointed at Ivan from behind the corner.

    ¡°What¡¯s this am I hearing?¡± A woman¡¯s voice could be heard from behind the corner and then she sword herself with her red ponytail hair and red eyes. ¡°I knew it, it was you, Ivan,¡± she said as she kept pointing her sword at him.

    ¡°Oh, hi, Nova¡­¡± Ivan said with his hands in the air and looked at the sword under his chin.

    ¡°So? What are you doing here? Are you plotting something?¡± Nova asked as she lifted her sword and made Ivan lift his chin.

    ¡°Nothing!¡± Ivan immediately answered as he looked at her.

    ¡°Hmm? Who¡¯s this guy? I have never seen him around the city,¡± Nova asked as she put her sword down and looked at Archie. ¡°You look strong, why are you playing with this scumbag?¡± She asked as she sheathed her sword.

    Archie ignored her and looked at Ivan as he pointed at Nova. ¡°Is she one of them?¡± He asked. Nova raised her eyebrows and looked at both of them.

    ¡°No, she¡¯s not part of them, she¡¯s working solely for the government. She¡¯s like an untamed beast because she¡¯s the reason why those guys only dare to show face to people like me,¡± Ivan explained as he looked at Nova. ¡°She¡¯s the one who prevented anyone or anything to harm the city,¡± he continued.

    ¡°Hmm? Are you guys talking about those scumbags?¡± Nova asked as she nodded up at the Axis Humans on the side of the road.

    ¡°But those scumbags used to be your subordinates though, doesn¡¯t that means you¡¯re also one?¡± Ivan said as he stayed away from Nova.

    ¡°Say that one more time or I will cut your tongue, Ivan,¡± Nova stared at Ivan with a serious expression, Ivan immediately hid behind Archie¡¯s back. ¡°Anyway, who¡¯s this guy? You haven¡¯t answered my question,¡± Nova asked.

    ¡°His name is Archie, he works for me,¡± Ivan answered.

    ¡°He works for you? Like what? Gathering feces?¡± Nova asked back.

    ¡°No, he¡¯s taking care of the parasites for me,¡± Ivan answered. ¡°He¡¯s the best guy so far and I don¡¯t think anyone could do it any better than him,¡± he continued as he patted Archie¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Really? What a coincidence, I need someone to take care of my farm since they have been multiplying like crazy,¡± Nova said as she stared at her nails.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have a more important matter to do,¡± Archie said as he turned around and was about to take a step forward.

    ¡°I think you don¡¯t realize that you¡¯re talking with peacekeeper, so I¡¯m afraid I can let you go there to do any harm,¡± Nova said as she unsheathed her sword. ¡°Take a step forward and this sword will cut your head off,¡± she said as she pointed her sword at Archie.

    Archie ignored her and took a step forward then he could feel Nova¡¯s movement. She was being serious and when she was about to cut Archie from behind, Archie turned around and grabbed the sword with his hand.

    Both Ivan and Nova were shocked when they saw Archie could stop the sword and not mention with only his bare hand glove he wore. Archie stared at Nova who tried to push her sword down but then Archie clenched his fist and the sword shattered into pieces.

    ¡°Impossible, it¡¯s impossible¡­¡± Nova mumbled as she stared at her sword handle.

    Nova glared at Archie and started throwing punches at him but Archie dodged them like it was nothing. Archie looked at how skilled she was in close combat and compares to Ruby or Vincent, she was on another different level.

    Archie had enough of her act and immediately grabbed her leg when she tried to kick him. He pulled the leg at him and then used his left hand to choke on her, he slammed her to the ground as he stared down at her.

    ¡°Enough, I don¡¯t have time to play around so stop resisting and just go to sleep,¡± Archie said as he slowly tightened his grip.

    ¡°Uhh, Archie, it¡¯s better for you to let her go or you will be in real trouble compared to those guys over there,¡± Ivan said as he patted on Archie¡¯s back.

    Knowing that Ivan didn¡¯t bother when Archie wanted to deal with those guys, it seemed that Ivan meant it when he said something like that. He then decided to loosen his grip and removed his hand from Nova¡¯s neck as he stood up.

    ¡°Who are you, how could you be so strong?¡± Nova asked as she coughed and rubbed her neck.

    Archie ignored her again and decided to walk away.

    ¡°Wait! If you go there, you will only make things worse for the people,¡± Nova said as she stood up. ¡°I believe you can deal with all of them and think it isn¡¯t a big deal, but it does for the people here because they need them,¡± she continued as she stared at Archie.

    ¡°What¡¯s she saying?¡± Archie asked as he looked at Ivan.

    ¡°Even though they¡¯re a bunch of pricks, they made the people get all the access in exchange for paying them money. To put simply, they made the people¡¯s lives easier,¡± Ivan explained.

    ¡°If you have a personal business with them, I can help you,¡± Nova said as she cleared her throat. ¡°But you have to follow my rules,¡± she continued.

    Ivan leaned his head toward Archie. ¡°She can help you go back to the Western Nation, so I suggest you agree with her,¡± Ivan whispered.

    Archie looked at Ivan and then looked at Nova. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll play along,¡±

 Chapter 87

    ¡°So you¡¯re one of them, I see,¡± Nova said as she glanced at Archie who walked next to her. ¡°I met them, just a few hours ago, Vincent, Ruby, Princeton, and Resse. They¡¯re your friends, right?¡± She asked as she looked at the sword on Archie¡¯s back.

    ¡°Yes, they are but since our destination is different, I left, and here I am, lost in a different world and time,¡± Archie answered and looked at the city in the distance.

    ¡°You should have told me if you¡¯re one of them, I shouldn¡¯t have to point my sword at you. To think the people from the Eastern Nation to be this strong is really mind-blowing,¡± Nova said as she looked at the sword¡¯s handle and sighed.

    Ivan who walked behind them immediately walked faster. ¡°Wait, so they really are that strong? Does that means they really killed that thing?¡± He asked as he looked at Nova.

    ¡°What thing?¡± Nova asked as she looked at Ivan with confusion.

    ¡°That parasite who destroyed the bridge six years ago!¡± Ivan answered as he pointed his finger to the east.

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s classified information so I can¡¯t confirm if it¡¯s true or not,¡± Nova replied as she looked at Archie.

    ¡°You can¡¯t hide it from me, you have been praising him ever since you know who he is. I bet it¡¯s true, isn¡¯t it? For a human to be able to kill that parasite, these guys are heroes,¡± Ivan said with his hands in his pockets.

    Nova just smirked and scoffed because she knew that the parasite died but she didn¡¯t know how it died because only Ruby and the others who knew about it.

    ¡°Alright, we are here, my farm,¡± Nova said as she looked at the giant Barn in front of her. ¡°I have so many parasites in there and they started to kill each other. I need someone who can kill them since I don¡¯t need them anymore because the business is getting worse and worse,¡± Nova said.

    ¡°In the end, she¡¯s using you as well, Archie,¡± Ivan said as he chuckled and patted Archie¡¯s back.

    ¡°You said you want to go back to the Western Nation, right? You do your job, and I will give you access to leave to the Central,¡± Nova said as she looked at Archie.

    ¡°All I have to do is to kill all of them? You don¡¯t want anything else?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Nothing, you can start doing it now while I¡¯m going to make you something,¡± Nova said. ¡°Good luck!¡± She patted Archie¡¯s shoulder and left to the house not far from the barn.

    Archie went inside the barn and it was so quiet that Ivan was a bit worried since he couldn¡¯t hear anything. He then decided to go and check what happened inside, but the moment he took a peek, he was Archie already killed all of them with his swords covered in the parasite¡¯s blood.

    Archie stood there for quite a while and Ivan was still watching him from the outside. Archie was hungry when they saw those parasites on the ground but he knew that Ivan was watching him and so he turned around to leave the barn.

    ¡°You¡¯re amazing, you know that? I have never seen or heard anyone be able to kill dozens of parasites in like a minute!¡± Ivan said as he looked at Archie who walked past him.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I just got used to the hordes, that¡¯s all,¡± Archie answered as he sat down on top of the wooden fence.

    The two of them were having a small conversation until Nova came back and she looked at Archie with her eyebrows furrowed. ¡°What are you doing out here? I thought you¡¯re dealing with the parasites in there,¡± she asked.

    ¡°I already took care of it, it¡¯s not that hard,¡± Archie said as he looked down at Nova with a bowl of soup and water on the plate.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not possible,¡± Nova said as she gave the plate to Archie.

    Archie just raised his eyebrows and tilted his head toward the barn. Nova immediately walked toward the barn and she couldn¡¯t believe that Archie killed those parasites that quickly. Although she believed in her own skill, she couldn¡¯t kill that many and not to mention that Archie took care of it without even breaking a sweat.

    Nova came back with a surprised expression. ¡°How did you do that? How did you kill that many parasites so quickly?¡± Nova asked.

    ¡°These,¡± Archie answered and showed her his swords.

    ¡°These swords, what are they made of? It¡¯s so light but so strong at the same time,¡± Nova asked as she touched the tip of the blade.

    ¡°They¡¯re made of the deepest part of the meteorite, it was really hard to get myself the material,¡± Archie answered as he sheathed the swords.

    ¡°What?! You got your hand on the meteorite?! This sword could buy you a whole block, no you can buy half of the nation with this! And you got two of them?!¡± Nova said as she looked at Archie with disbelief.

    Ivan choked on his saliva. ¡°What?! Are you being serious?! Those swords worth that much?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s priceless, I don¡¯t think anyone can have those even if they want to because of how precious the material is,¡± Nova answered. ¡°You¡¯re so lucky to have those on you,¡± she continued as she looked at Archie.

    ¡°Even if you get the material, it would be impossible for anyone to process it. The people who made these swords are still in the Eastern Nation, and who knows if they¡¯re still alive or not. If they¡¯re dead now, these two will be the last of their kind,¡± Archie said as he looked at the swords on his back.

    ¡°So, can I ask you the reason why do you want to go to the Western Nation? People from Western Nation are all mostly in the Central right now,¡± Nova asked as she sat down on top of the fence.

    ¡°I have someone that I want to see, she¡¯s an old friend of mine and it has been seven long years since the last time I saw her,¡± Archie answered as he ate the soup.

    ¡°A woman? Seven years at that? I don¡¯t think she will wait for you, Archie, she must have seen someone and maybe already got married as we speak,¡± Nova said and chuckled.

    Archie smiled and raised his eyebrows while he was staring at the barn. ¡°It¡¯s not like that, she¡¯s just a friend and if she got married then I¡¯m happy for her. It¡¯s just that I want to see her, that¡¯s all, I want to see my other friends as well but she¡¯s the one I want to see first,¡± he replied with a smile on his face.

    ¡°Hmm, that means you¡¯re not seeing anyone then?¡± Nova said jokingly as she tilted her head and stared at Archie.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not seeing anyone right now because there are a lot of things that I want to do. There¡¯s a woman who has been chasing me and it¡¯s really bothersome to deal with,¡± Archie replied and sighed.

    ¡°I see, you¡¯re quite famous in the Eastern, huh? I¡¯m not surprised if you are,¡± Nova said as she looked in the distance. ¡°Anyway, this woman that you want to see, what¡¯s her name?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Her name is Faye,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°Elendra Faye? Is that her full name?¡± Nova asked as she looked at Archie with curiosity.

    ¡°Yeah, Elendra Faye, you know her?¡± Archie replied.

    ¡°Everybody knows who she is, she¡¯s the best Axis Human has ever existed now. Is she really your friend? Because it¡¯s hard to believe and you¡¯re quite lucky to know her,¡± Nova said and Ivan nodded in agreement.

    Archie furrowed his forehead and looked at Nova with confusion. ¡°Why is that? Is she really an important person right now?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s really an important person that everyone is dying to meet her, she got herself a rank in the military and currently as the Lieutenant Colonel of a special force that only recruits the best of the best Axis Humans around the world, they called them the Valor,¡± Nova explained. ¡°Even I, the best Axis Humans in the Northern Nation couldn¡¯t pass the test and it has been always my dream to be a part of the Valor force because they¡¯re the only ones now who can go on an expedition to the dangerous places,¡± she continued as she looked at the sky.

    ¡°Wow, really? The last time I saw her she was just a normal girl and now she has become an Axis Human and the best as well, it¡¯s really good news for me,¡± Archie said with a smile on his face.

    ¡°You¡¯re quite in the luck, Archie,¡± Nova said as she looked at him. ¡°Because Elendra Faye is no longer living in the Western Nation. She¡¯s now living in the Central Nation and she¡¯s closer than you think,¡± she continued.

    ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s really good news,¡± Archie said with a big smile on his face.

 Chapter 88

    ¡°So what exactly happened back there? Why do you want to fight the people from the Lynx?¡± Nova asked as she took a sip of her tea.

    ¡°Lynx?¡± Archie asked back.

    ¡°Those guys with tattoos that you beat down, they¡¯re called the Lynx,¡± Ivan answered. ¡°Well, it was actually me who started it,¡± he answered Nova¡¯s question.

    Ivan decided to tell her everything from the moment he met Archie. Nova listened to his story as she stared at Archie with disbelief and then she laughed when she heard what Ivan did to the drunk guy.

    ¡°I see, so that¡¯s why Archie wants to exterminate them,¡± Nova said as she nodded her head. ¡°Well, not all the Axis Humans from the Lynx are like that, there are nice people but most are a bunch of assholes,¡± she continued as she looked at Archie.

    ¡°Someone needs to teach them, no? If they¡¯re going to keep on doing things like that, sooner or later they will realize that they could do something more without taking any consequences since the government is fine with their existence,¡± Ivan said while looking at Nova.

    ¡°Not really, the government is planning to disband them and they have been discussing that matter for quite a while now. Especially after what Marshal Marlon told the government about what happened to the Eastern Nation,¡± Nova answered as she looked at Archie, she heard about everything, and it was something that she wouldn¡¯t believe if Daniel didn¡¯t take any photo of the battle between the kings.

    ¡°Right, I haven¡¯t asked you about what happened to the Easter Nation, Archie. So what exactly happened over there that you guys decided to sail all the way here?¡± Ivan asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s classified and there¡¯s no reason for you to know about it anyway,¡± Nova immediately answered before Archie could open his mouth. After knowing that it was classified, Archie thought it would be a bad idea to tell anyone about the situation in the Eastern Nation.

    ¡°You wanted to see Faye, right? I can bring you to her but not now. The Valor special force is opening recruitment again next week and I¡¯m planning on applying for that,¡± Nova said.

    ¡°Recruitment? What exactly is the purpose of the Valor special force?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°You should know about what happened to Iohann and his division, right? After he and all the divisions failed the mission, former Marshal AnGust brought the Axis Humans from the experiment into FalCon-1. They didn¡¯t find a single body there, but they found something else, something that really terrifying,¡± Nova answered.

    Archie raised his eyebrows with curiosity. ¡°Something terrifying?¡±

    ¡°They found a giant hole, a hole that led them into the deep of the earth. In there, they found a new world, a world where parasites live in their own ecosystem. So former Marshal AnGust went back, trained the experimented Axis Humans, and then explored the hole a year after,¡± Nova answered while she was staring blankly at nothing.

    ¡°So the Valor special force is specialized in exploring that hole?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°To put it simply, yes, but that hole in FalCon-1 hasn¡¯t been explored ever since former Marshal AnGust¡¯s death in the exploration. Their main purpose is to reveal the secret that¡¯s hidden deep inside the earth and to our surprise, there are so many similar holes around the world,¡± Nova answered as she drank her tea.

    ¡°Flavius AnGust died?¡± Archie asked with a surprised expression.

    ¡°Yeah, he died and Faye was the one who brought everyone to safety, the new Marshal made her the Major of her own division. Since that, she kept showing what she was capable of by achieving so many things in a span of two years. Everyone knows who¡¯s Faye and almost every Axis Humans want to be in the Valor special,¡± Nova replied while nodding her head and leaning on the chair.

    Archie looked outside the window and the sun was down. ¡°It¡¯s getting late, we should leave now,¡±

    ¡°Do you even have a place to stay?¡± Nova asked as she raised her eyebrows.

    ¡°I don¡¯t but I can rent a place to stay for the night since I have money for that,¡± Archie answered while he grabbed the money in his pocket.

    ¡°Just stay here if you want to, there are plenty of rooms in this house so if you want, just pick one of the rooms. You can stay here as well if you want to, Ivan,¡± Nova said as he looked at both of them and pointed at the rooms behind her.

    ¡°I can¡¯t, I still have to take care of the business so I¡¯m going back now. You can stay here, Archie, I will come to see you if I need your help,¡± Ivan replied. ¡°I¡¯m leaving now, see you guys tomorrow, bye-bye!¡± He said as he left the house.

    It was just silence in the house and then Archie looked at Nova with his eyebrows raised. ¡°There must be a reason why you let me stay here, so, what do you want to know?¡±

    ¡°Am I that obvious? Well, you got me so I want to ask what really happened over there?¡± Nova asked with curiosity.

    ¡°Sure, I will tell you what I can tell you,¡± Archie said.

    The story went on and on they both stayed up all night in the living room. Even though Nova looked like a tough gal, she was surprisingly a nice woman like Ruby.

    ¡°I heard and read about it, the Landing Site. We haven¡¯t checked on it since the first team decided to kill themselves after they checked the site. I wonder what they saw and what made them like that,¡± Nova said as she stared at the sunrise.

    ¡°It will be a waste of time for you to go there, there¡¯s nothing but death that will await you,¡± Archie said.

    Nova smiled a bit and nodded with understanding. ¡°I will keep that in mind,¡± she said. ¡°Wow, we have been talking all night and I guess I wasted your time, huh? You should get some rest,¡± she said as she stood up and took the cup of coffee on the table.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I don¡¯t really need sleep,¡± Archie answered as he stared at Nova.

    ¡°Well, whether you need it or not, one of the rooms in this house is yours, just take a pick and you can rest whenever you want,¡± Nova said as she walked to the kitchen.

    A week had passed since Archie went to the Northern Nation, Archie was preparing to leave with Nova since they had planned on going to the Central Nation. Nova looked a bit nervous and she had been training almost every day so she would do better in the test.

    ¡°Are you ready to leave?¡± Nova asked as she grabbed her bag from the floor.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m ready whenever you are,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± Nova said as she walked out of the house.

    Everything looked better and it wasn¡¯t that hard for Archie to travel since the subway was connected to all the stations in the Northern Nation and Central Nation. As Ivan said, it wasn¡¯t that easy to go to the other nations because they needed permission to enter. Thanks to Nova¡¯s influence and rank, he could easily get one from her.

    ¡°Is all the Northern Nation habitable?¡± Archie said as he looked at how many people in the train.

    ¡°Yes, some of them live outside the wall and everything seems fine until now. The problem is only on the north side since that¡¯s where the FalCon-2 is, but since last year, we barely see any parasites so it¡¯s a good thing for us,¡± Nova answered.

    ¡°Interesting, I¡¯m glad that everything is fine over here,¡± Archie said as he looked out the window.

    ¡°Yeah, I think the moment the bridge collapsed, we had more than enough energy source to spend on. So, with the extra energy we had, we all used them to expand for something more useful. We took an opportunity from someone else¡¯s misery which sounded like we are being an asshole right now,¡± Nova explained as she sighed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s really the case since the one who destroyed the bridge was a king parasite. It was nobody¡¯s fault and there¡¯s nobody to blame,¡± Archie said.

    ¡°I know, anyway, we are about to arrive at the Central Nation, you might get your mind blown when you see the capital city because it¡¯s far more better than what we have in the Northern Nation,¡± Nova said as she stood up and looked at the sign.

    Archie stood up and followed Nova out from the train, they both took the elevator and it took them quite a while to reach the surface. The sunlight started to blind him, and the moment he reached the surface he was dumbfounded by the city and its technology.

    ¡°Welcome to the Central Nation, Archie,¡± Nova said as she crossed her arms and stared at the skyscrappers.

 Chapter 89

    ¡°This is amazing, how did they build this city? This is more advanced that the sky station,¡± Archie asked as he looked at the cars on the roads and the highways above the roads.

    ¡°I know, right? After we lost the Eastern Nation, they decided to split the Northern Nation and the Southern Nation into two then turned them into Central Nation,¡± Nova answered as she looked at the people passing by. ¡°Anyway, you can enjoy the view later. Right now, let¡¯s go to the Central Nation military headquarters since Elendra Faye is going to be there and personally select the candidates,¡± she continued as she grabbed Archie¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Okay, lead the way,¡± Archie replied as he nodded his head.

    Nova brought Archie to the train station, they used the bullet train to the center of the Central Nation. He was amazed by the crowds and all the buildings around him, it was as if he was living in a different world.

    ¡°Are you not going to join for the open recruitment? If you¡¯re interested, you should join them because after knowing what you have been through, I think they need people like you,¡± Nova asked while looking at Archie who was mesmerized by the scenery.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, but we will see because it¡¯s been a while since I can lie back. Not to mention the new world that I¡¯m living in makes me want to go and check everything,¡± Archie answered. ¡°But, you might be right, so I will think about it while we are still here,¡± he continued as he looked at Nova.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case then it won¡¯t be a problem at all because the Valor isn¡¯t always going out for an expedition, they¡¯re usually just staying in the Central Nation until an emergency occurred. For example, if a massive horde of parasites came to one of the nations, they will be the ones to handle it which is quite rare these days,¡± Nova explained as she looked at the people walking past her. ¡°So, you can enjoy your time for as long as you want, and not to mention you will be respected by other Axis Humans,¡± she continued while she looked at her phone.

    ¡°Do you know how many holes or caves they have discovered?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure because it¡¯s classified information, but there are at least two that are quite a hot topic among Axis Humans. One is recently discovered and it¡¯s in Indonesia, I heard it was quite bad over there that almost every island in that country is filled with parasites from the cave,¡± Nova answered. ¡°The other one near us, it¡¯s further to the south but there¡¯s barely any information on it. One thing for sure is that it¡¯s different from any other holes or caves they have discovered,¡± she continued.

    ¡°What about the highest Gen parasite that you guys have discovered?¡± Archie asked while looking out the window.

    Nova chuckled and raised her eyebrows. ¡°Nothing can be compared to what you guys fought in the Eastern Nation, that¡¯s for sure,¡± she answered while leaning her head on the seat and looking at Archie. ¡°The highest that we discovered is Gen 8 and it was in Indonesia, a parasite that came from the cave,¡± she continued.

    ¡°We are reaching our destination, please prepare your belongings and make sure nothing is left behind. Thank you for using our service,¡± A man¡¯s voice could be heard from the broadcast on the train.

    ¡°Alright, we are here,¡± Nova said as she stood up and looked at Archie.

    Archie hummed while he was still busy checking the skyscraper, and when he was about to look away, he noticed someone standing on top of the skyscraper. He squinted his eyes and saw the long silver-white hair woman staring back at him. Archie was shocked and couldn¡¯t believe that Eve was there in the Central Nation.

    ¡°Archie? We should go,¡± Nova said as she tilted her head to look at Archie¡¯s face.

    Archie looked at Nova and nodded with understanding then hurriedly stood up and followed Nova from behind. Nova noticed the sudden change in his expression and was curious about it.

    They both get off the train and Nova led Archie out of the massive train station that could make anyone lose direction if they didn¡¯t care. Archie was being cautious with his surroundings and Nova was a bit worried about it.

    ¡°What happened? Did you see someone?¡± Nova asked while looking at Archie.

    Archie smiled and shook his head. ¡°No, it¡¯s not-¡± Before he could finish his sentence, he saw Eve in a white long sleeve shirt and black trousers stood not far from him and she was smiling at him. ¡°Impossible¡­¡± He mumbled to himself.

    Nova was so confused because Archie¡¯s expression was a bit off and she could tell that he was in disbelief. She looked at what he was looking at and saw Eve walking toward them with so many people looking at how beautiful she was and her silver hair of hers that attracted their attention.

    ¡°Do you know her?¡± Nova asked as she was being hypnotized by Eve¡¯s beauty.

    Archie was still speechless and didn¡¯t respond to Nova¡¯s question. He then put his left hand on his back where he put his swords, but Eve didn¡¯t look like she was trying to hurt him.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, isn¡¯t it?¡± Eve asked and immediately put her hands on Archie¡¯s cheeks. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid or I will flatten this whole place,¡± she whispered into his ear with a smile on her face.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m bothering you, but could you leave us alone for a moment?¡± Eve asked as she glanced at Nova while she kept rubbing Archie¡¯s cheeks with her thumbs.

    Nova nodded and slowly walked back while smiling at Eve.

    ¡°Why are you here? How did you find me?¡± Archie asked and stared at Eve with confusion.

    ¡°How? This,¡± Eve answered as she pointed at Archie¡¯s chest. ¡°Remember when I kissed you back then? I put my cell in your body and I can track you wherever you go and I have been watching you ever since,¡± she explained as she stared Archie in the eye.

    ¡°What do you want from me?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°I just want to be with you because you seem fun to be around,¡± Eve answered. ¡°It¡¯s easy for you to be surrounded by these humans, but it¡¯s hard for me. So, rather than living among parasites for who knows how long, I decided to follow you,¡± she continued as she stroked Archie¡¯s hair.

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me,¡± Archie said.

    Eve chuckled softly and shook her head with a gentle smile on her face. ¡°I never lie because there¡¯s no reason for me to do that,¡± she answered as she stared Archie in the eye. ¡°I also can¡¯t lie to my Adam because I will be punished by getting my life taken away by them,¡± she explained.

    ¡°How long have you been living among the humans?¡± Archie asked as he glanced at Nova who was staring at Eve without blinking her eyes.

    ¡°This is my first time here,¡± Eve answered without hesitation.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way this is your first time looking at how you dress,¡± Archie said as he looked at the two unbuttoned buttons on Eve¡¯s shirt that showed her collarbone and a bit of her cleavage.

    ¡°Do you like it? I looked at that statue a human dressed on, so I took it from her and used it for myself,¡± Eve answered as she looked at her outfit.

    ¡°So you stole them?¡± Archie asked as he looked Eve in the eye.

    ¡°Stole? No, I just took it,¡± Eve answered as she tilted her head.

    ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± Archie asked with his eyebrows furrowed.

    Eve looked at Archie as she raised her eyebrows and shook her head with her shoulder shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t remember the last time I interact with the outside world. The last time I remember was that the whole world was flooded by the sea,¡± she answered.

    Archie could only stare at Eve with confusion and curiosity because that was when the meteorite struck the earth.

    ¡°I can promise you one thing and that¡¯s I won¡¯t do anything to you but in exchange, I want to see the outside world with you,¡± Eve said as she looked at the tall buildings around her and the cars on the road.

    ¡°That¡¯s not good enough, I want you to not hurt anyone or anything except parasites,¡± Archie said.

    ¡°Okay, I promise,¡± Eve answered with a smile on her face.

    Archie nodded and then he looked at Nova. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, she¡¯s my-¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s mine,¡± Eve interrupted while she stared at Nova with a serious expression and it surprised both Nova and Archie.

    ¡°I-i see¡­¡± Nova answered with an awkward smile on her face. ¡°I think I should get going on my own then,¡± she said as she pointed her thumb at the road.

    ¡°No, we are coming with you,¡± Archie said.

 Chapter 90

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Eve asked as she stared at Nova who suddenly made some distance after knowing Archie had someone.

    ¡°I¡¯m Nova, I¡¯m here to show him around the city,¡± Nova answered and she didn¡¯t dare to tell Eve the real reason because deep down she believed that Eve was a strong Axis Human as Archie. ¡°Do you live here, Miss?¡± She asked back as she looked at Archie then looked at Eve.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m new here as well that¡¯s why I came all the way here to see him,¡± Eve answered.

    Nova looked so confused and thought something was weird with Eve but she didn¡¯t dare to say anything. She then decided to stay quiet and brought them both to the headquarters.

    Eve looked around and she was fascinated by the technology and the city. Archie was the same and they both looked like a tourist which also attracted the people¡¯s attention because they had similar hair colors and both of them were beautiful and handsome.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Eve asked Archie as she stared at him with her eyebrow raised.

    ¡°Military headquarters, Nova wanted to join a special team and I¡¯m also going to see a friend of mine that works there,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°A friend? The one from back there? Who was her name again? Ruby?¡± Eve asked and Nova immediately turned her head to look at Eve and Archie. She really felt something was off with Eve because she knew Ruby but she didn¡¯t seem from the Eastern Nation.

    ¡°No, a different woman, my old friend from the Western Nation. I just wanted to see her since it has been seven years more or less,¡± Archie answered while looking at Nova who seemed uninterested in his conversation with Eve.

    They finally reached the military headquarters, Nova showed her identification to the soldier and then the three of the entered the gate. There were so many Axis Humans gathered on the field and they were all there to join the Valor special force.

    ¡°Look at these people, every month there are more people in here,¡± Nova said as she put her ID card in her pocket and stared at the crowds.

    ¡°Hmm? These guys are so weak,¡± Eve said and everyone who heard that immediately turned their heads to look at her weirdly.

    Nova looked at Eve and raised her eyebrows. ¡°You can tell by just looking at them?¡± She asked with curiosity.

    ¡°Yes, compared to Ruby they¡¯re nothing and a horde of weak parasites would be enough to kill them all,¡± Eve answered as she stayed close to Archie and stared at those people who stared at her. ¡°These people have no hope for the future,¡± she continued and it made them a bit annoyed by her words.

    ¡°Hey, lady! Can you stop saying nonsense? What do you know about us? Huh?¡± A guy finally spoke up. Eve didn¡¯t even bother to respond to the guy¡¯s words and kept looking down at them.

    Thanks to Eve¡¯s provocation, the commotion started and it didn¡¯t look good that Nova felt uncomfortable with the situation. Those who didn¡¯t even know about what happened immediately looked at Eve after the others told them what happened.

    ¡°Attention!¡± The soldiers shouted at the front and it was enough to make everyone quiet.

    Archie lifted his head to look at the front and a woman with long dark purple hair in a uniform walked toward the crowds with five men walking behind her. Archie couldn¡¯t help but smile when he saw Faye and she looked different from the last time he saw her.

    ¡°Is that the woman? Now this one is strong,¡± Eve said and everyone was glancing at her.

    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s my friend but I never thought she would become this strong. She was an ordinary human before I left and she was the reason why I¡¯m standing here right now,¡± Archie answered while kept staring at Faye.

    ¡°What about the guy who¡¯s standing next to her? Is he her partner?¡± Eve asked as she stared at the guy with brown hair with his sharp gaze.

    Archie didn¡¯t notice until Eve mentioned it, and it was Aster, the guy who had been supporting him for years in the Sky Station. ¡°That¡¯s Aster, the three of us used to be hanging out together,¡± he answered with a smile on his face.

    Nova looked at Archie and raised her eyebrows. ¡°I forgot to mention,¡± she said as she approached Archie and Eve. ¡°Aster and Faye are husband and wife,¡± she continued while she stared at Archie.

    Archie looked at Nova and raised his eyebrows with a shocked expression. Nova wasn¡¯t expecting him to make such an expression, he looked so happy when he heard it so Nova thought he had no feelings for Faye. Looking at the woman who stood next to Archie, Nova thought maybe they both had the same relationship as Faye and Aster.

    ¡°Good morning, everyone,¡± Faye said with her soothing voice, the same voice Archie remembered.

    ¡°Morning, Lieutenant Colonel!¡± Everyone answered as they stood at ease.

    ¡°I see that you all have been waiting for this moment, unfortunately, we currently don¡¯t have many spots in the Valor force,¡± Faye said as she looked at them with a bit of a pitiful face. ¡°So, we are only taking five people in this recruitment,¡± she continued and all of them immediately looked at each other and murmured.

    ¡°Only five, huh? This is going to be hard,¡± Nova said to herself.

    ¡°Why is it hard?¡± Eve asked as she stared at Nova.

    ¡°Well, by looking at the crowds, my chance of getting recruited is so small or almost none,¡± Nova answered as she looked at Eve. ¡°Not to mention if Archie is going to join as well, and now it¡¯s only four spots left,¡± she explained as she stared at Archie.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to join them?¡± Eve asked as she turned her head to look at Archie.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure but there¡¯s no reason for me to not join the test,¡± Archie answered as he looked at Eve.

    ¡°Really? Why do you want to join them?¡± Eve asked again.

    ¡°Because they¡¯re the best Axis Humans in the world and they¡¯re going to explore the unknown which is why I want to join them and go out there to see what kind of things that I will see,¡± Archie answered.

    Eve furrowed her forehead and tilted her head. ¡°That¡¯s it? You know I can just bring you wherever you want, right? There¡¯s no need for you to waste your time here with these weaklings,¡± she replied as she pointed her finger at the people in front of her.

    ¡°I know, but isn¡¯t it more fun to have more people? You can make new friends and know more about the people around you,¡± Archie said as he raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I have been on my own,¡± Eve answered and that made Nova so curious about Eve.

    ¡°Right, I almost forgot,¡± Archie said as he exhaled deeply. ¡°Why don¡¯t you join as well? You said you¡¯re fine as long as you¡¯re with me, right?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s my only reason to be out here,¡± Eve answered as he stared at Archie with a smirk on her face.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s join them. Who knows, you might find it interesting,¡± Archie said as he looked at Eve with a bit of a smile.

    Nova sighed as she looked forward. ¡°I guess there are only three spots left then,¡± she said to herself.

    Eve raised her eyebrows and turned her body toward Nova. ¡°Do you want to become strong? I can give it to you,¡± she said as she stared at Nova.

    ¡°Of course, I want to become strong, but ho-¡± Before Nova could finish her sentence, Eve grabbed Nova¡¯s cheeks then Eve kissed her in the mouth which made Archie shocked.

    Eve didn¡¯t stop kissing Nova and everyone started to look at them both with surprised expressions. Faye and Aster even looked at them from the front, Faye noticed that it was Nova and she just shook her head and smiled.

    Eve slowly put her tongue back and her saliva was all over Nova¡¯s tongue. Eve smirked and stared Nova in the eye with her eyebrow raised. ¡°Done, how¡¯s it? Do you feel it?¡± she asked.

    Nova could only raise her eyebrows and was speechless about what just happened. She never thought a woman would kiss her and she didn¡¯t hate it at all even though it was her first time getting kissed by a woman.

    ¡°You should feel it soon,¡± Eve said as she walked back to Archie¡¯s side and looked at him with a smile on her face.

    ¡°That was unexpected,¡± Archie said as he looked at Eve.

    ¡°That¡¯s the only way, and I did the same thing to you as well, remember?¡± Eve asked.

    Archie raised his eyebrows and nodded with understanding.

    Faye clapped her hands and took everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Without further ado, let¡¯s start the test. Good luck to all of you,¡± she said and then left.

 Chapter 91

    Archie, Eve, and Nova went to the barrack and the place was massive compared to the one in the Western Nation and Eastern Nation. Everyone was looking at the obstacles in the middle of the field, it looked like a normal test to join the military.

    ¡°Are we going to do all that?¡± Archie asked Nova who stood in front of him and Eve.

    ¡°Yeah, you have to clear all the obstacles as fast as you can, and this is just the first test. There are five more and it will get harder and harder,¡± Nova answered while looking back at them.

    Eve looked at those people who were waiting in line while Faye and Aster watched from the side with a stopwatch in their hands. ¡°Why do we have to do that?¡± she asked.

    ¡°In an emergency or in a dire situation that you have to run away, this will prove that you¡¯re capable of surviving on your own,¡± Nova answered as she pointed at the obstacle.

    Eve giggled and started laughing, everyone was looking at her weirdly but her laughter and beautiful face made them unable to look away. ¡°Run away? Surviving on our own? That¡¯s really stupid,¡± she said as she still laughed.

    It was funny to Eve but not for anyone else, Archie would think it was ridiculous but after he spent months with the Axis Humans, they weren¡¯t as strong as him. The only person who understood her was Archie himself but he didn¡¯t want to make fun of those people in front of him.

    Nova chuckled awkwardly. ¡°I guess it¡¯s funny to both of you, but since we have been living a good life, it¡¯s a bit different from what you both have been through,¡± she said. ¡°Anyway, we should go in line and get ready,¡± she continued as she walked to the front. Both Archie and Eve followed Nova to the field and waited for their turn.

    Eve who wore casual clothing that didn¡¯t fit the occasion could still clear the first test so easily and was the fastest to clear it. Archie was the second fastest and everyone was watching them both with disbelief and understood that those two were indeed different from them.

    Nova caught her breath as she approached Archie and Eve. ¡°What the, how did you guys do it so fast?!¡± she asked as she rested her hands on her knees.

    ¡°Those obstacles are nothing for me. Out there, there¡¯s no such thing as an obstacle, if you run, you die, your only option is to fight and win,¡± Eve answered and everyone was eavesdropping on her, even Faye and Aster started to pay attention to her.

    ¡°But still, that¡¯s amazing that you could do it so fast,¡± Nova said as she stood straight and exhaled deeply.

    ¡°Wait until you see the-¡± Before Eve could finish her sentence, Archie covered her mouth with his right hand from behind. Everyone was listening to her and whatever she was planning to say, would be dangerous for her and for him.

    ¡°It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t tell them about the kings and the current situation,¡± Archie whispered into Eve¡¯s right ear.

    Eve slowly removed Archie¡¯s hand and looked at him. ¡°Those are bugs, not kings,¡± she said with her eyebrows furrowed.

    Faye squinted her eyes the moment she heard Eve mention a king. She looked at Aster and they both nodded at each other, they both looked at her name and it was weird that her name was Eve without family or full name. Aster pointed at Archie¡¯s name and they both looked at how close Archie and Eve were so they kept an eye on both of them.

    The three of them went to another place and this time they went into a building that looked like a stadium. All of them sat down on the spectator seats while Faye and Aster were standing in the middle of the arena. It looked like a colosseum and the second test was to fight a parasite, the test was varied because they had to choose their own opponents. The higher the Gen of the parasites, the higher the points.

    ¡°There are so many people in here and they¡¯re going to test them one by one? This is going to take a while,¡± Archie said as he looked at hundreds of people sitting in the spectator seats.

    ¡°Yeah, it will take at least half a day because it depends on how fast they¡¯re going to kill the parasite,¡± Nova answered as she looked at Faye.

    Faye seemed to be having a conversation with Aster and then she left the arena. Aster was the one who will score the second test and he started to call a name to the arena.

    While the three of them were watching the guy in the arena fighting Gen 3 parasites, they saw Faye next to them standing on the stairs. ¡°Archie, Eve, can you both come with me?¡± Faye asked and Archie was a bit shocked when he heard Faye call his name and thought she remembered him.

    Archie and Eve nodded and left Nova alone while she was staring at them.

    Faye brought them into the building and walked in the hallway, they both could sense hundreds of parasites were below them but those parasites were in fear because of Eve¡¯s presence. Archie wondered what kind of parasites resided inside her body that could make her presence scary to the parasite.

    ¡°You said you know her, Archie, but why are you so quiet now?¡± Eve asked.

    Faye turned around and looked at Archie, she furrowed her eyebrows and she didn¡¯t recognize him at all. ¡°Do we know each other?¡± she asked. Eve squinted her eyes as she stared at Faye.

    ¡°We used to and it has been a while. I know you before you became an Axis Human,¡± Archie answered with a bit of a smile on his face.

    ¡°I see, maybe that¡¯s why your name sounds familiar to my ears,¡± Faye said as she stared blankly at nothing. ¡°I might have lost some of my memories during the experiment and I can¡¯t remember anything about you. I¡¯m so sorry, maybe Aster knows about you so I can remember,¡± she explained as she smiled at Archie.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s unnecessary because we are not that close and I don¡¯t think he knows me since I never talked to him,¡± Archie answered as he shook his head.

    Faye raised her eyebrows and just nodded.

    Faye brought them into a big room and it looked like a place to spar. ¡°I overheard your conversation and you mentioned the kings, so I believe you both are from the Eastern Nation like Ruby?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yes, we are,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s good because I have prepared a Gen 8 parasite just for you both and I want to see if you¡¯re really as strong as Ruby,¡± Faye said. ¡°Please bring it inside,¡± she said to the camera on top of the corner.

    The gate on the other side of the room was opened, and they could see a massive parasite similar to when he fought Iohann after he became an Ex-Axis Human. It kind of brought back the bad memories in Archie¡¯s head.

    ¡°Ruby could defeat the same Gen parasite on her own, so I just wanted to make sure if you both can do the same,¡± Faye said as she looked at Archie and Eve.

    Archie smiled and nodded with understanding then he removed his swords and gave them to Eve. Eve looked at him and took the sword from his hand with a smile on her face.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Faye asked with curiosity while Archie clenched his fist and tightened the gloves.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I¡¯m going to kill it of course,¡± Archie asked back.

    ¡°What about your swords? Are you not going to use it?¡± Faye asked as she looked at the swords in Eve¡¯s hand.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need those, my hands should be enough for this little guy,¡± Archie said and then he ran toward the parasite.

    The parasite growled and charged at Archie but before it could do anything, Archie leaped toward the parasite and kneed the face of the parasite. Archie broke the parasite¡¯s jaw and he immediately grabbed the parasite¡¯s head and tore its face with his bare hands. The parasite didn¡¯t even have a chance to do anything and Archie already killed it.

    Faye was shocked and looked at him with disbelief. ¡°Did you just kill it? Just like that?¡± she asked.

    Archie smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not that hard to kill that parasite since we used to fight those back in the Eastern Nation,¡±

    Faye couldn¡¯t help but chuckle in disbelief. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right, and unfortunately, that¡¯s our last one and we don¡¯t have anything that¡¯s stronger than that parasite,¡± she said as she looked at Eve.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about her because if I can do it, she can do it better,¡± Archie said as he looked at Eve.

 Chapter 92

    ¡°Are you going to test her or not?¡± Archie asked as he looked at Faye who was still dumbfounded by what she saw.

    ¡°Is she really-¡± Faye couldn¡¯t finish her sentence but Archie already nodded his head.

    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s far scarier than me in this so don¡¯t get fooled by her beauty,¡± Archie said.

    Faye looked at both of them but she shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I still have to see it with my own two eyes if she¡¯s really capable,¡± Faye said with a straight face, Archie never thought she would become so strict and it made him feel like he didn¡¯t know her at all.

    ¡°I¡¯m ready with whatever you¡¯re going to bring me,¡± Eve said as she stretched her arms and suddenly her arms made a loud cracking sound that startled both of them.

    Eve looked a bit in pain and Archie could tell the cracking sound was coming from her right shoulder. She looked at her right hand for a second as she squeezed it then she looked at Faye. ¡°Where¡¯s the bug?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s on its way, we have to bring it from downstairs,¡± Faye answered as she looked at Eve with a bit of concern because of the loud cracking sound.

    Archie knew that Eve was dangerous, he knew that she might kill him, but for an unknown reason, he got attracted to her. He never felt this way before, if he could express it, he believed that he fell for her charm, and the reason why might be because she was the Eve, the one he should find.

    Eve looked at Archie and she smiled at him, the same smile with intention hidden behind it. He was curious and at the same time, he didn¡¯t want to get too attached to her.

    ¡°It¡¯s here, are you ready, Eve?¡± Faye asked as she looked at the green light above the gate on the other side.

    ¡°Yes, show me the bug,¡± Eve answered as she walked forward.

    Three Gen 7 parasites were coming out from the gate, Faye was looking at Archie and Eve¡¯s expressions but she didn¡¯t get what she wanted to see. They both were staring at those parasites as if it wasn¡¯t a big deal, especially Eve who chuckled with disbelief.

    ¡°You can tell that those parasites were too scared to come forward, do you think I must kill these bugs? I don¡¯t want to kill them if they didn¡¯t show any resistance,¡± Eve said as she pointed at the parasites who were hugging the closed gate.

    Faye thought something was wrong with the parasites but she never saw a parasite who looked scared like them.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, just kill them and show me what you got,¡± Faye said as she looked at Eve.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Eve said as she looked at Faye with her right hand pointed at the parasites.

    The parasites were screaming, growling, and screeching in panic while Eve kept staring at Faye. Eve squeezed her hand and the three parasites exploded as if they were being crushed by something heavy.

    ¡°Done,¡± Eve said she walked back and stood next to Archie.

    Faye was shocked as she put her hand on her forehead with her eyes wide open. ¡°How? How did you kill them like that?!¡± She asked as she stared at Eve.

    ¡°That¡¯s one of my abilities,¡± Eve answered.

    ¡°Are we done here or should we go for the next test?¡± Archie asked.

    Faye cleared her throat and shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think it will be necessary for me to test anything else for both of you,¡± she said. ¡°You both are officially a part of the Valor special force,¡± she continued as she reached out her hand for a handshake.

    Archie shook Faye¡¯s hand and then Eve.

    ¡°Ouch!¡± Faye flinched as she pulled her hand and saw blood come out from her palm. ¡°Where did this come from?¡± She mumbled to herself as she wiped the blood and sucked the wound.

    Archie looked at Eve who was licking Faye¡¯s blood, she looked at Archie and she was grinning while she cleaned the blood on her index finger. He shook his head in disbelief and he didn¡¯t know what it was for.

    ¡°What are we going to do next? Are we going to have an inauguration or something like that?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Yes, there will be one after the test is over, so if you want to wait, you can use the empty barrack. I will bring you both there since it¡¯s quite far and avoid getting lost,¡± Faye answered as she opened the steel door in front of her then Archie and Eve followed her from behind.

    ¡°You guys are okay with waiting, right? I will ask someone to bring you food and drink while waiting,¡± Faye asked as she turned her head to look at them.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, we are also waiting for Nova so it¡¯s not a problem at all,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°As long as I¡¯m with him, I¡¯m fine with anything,¡± Eve answered.

    Faye raised her eyebrows with a smile on her face. ¡°Are you two perhaps a couple?¡± She asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s complicated¡­¡± Archie answered as he looked at Eve who seemed to not understand what a couple mean.

    ¡°It would be weird if it¡¯s not complicated after seeing you both like that. That doesn¡¯t mean you both don¡¯t look good together though because I can see that you both have something in common that makes you look like a good couple,¡± Faye said as she smiled at them.

    ¡°Speaking of couple, I know it¡¯s a bit too late but congratulations on your wedding,¡± Archie said.

    Faye nodded her head and wreathed in a smile. ¡°Thank you,¡± she replied.

    Faye showed the barrack and they both looked inside it. It was really big and it didn¡¯t look what Archie thought. It looked fancy and the beds looked comfortable to sleep on.

    ¡°I will come back to pick you up for the inauguration later, and there will be food coming so just stay here,¡± Faye said as she stood in front of the door. ¡°See you both later,¡± she continued and then left the barrack.

    Eve immediately tested the bed and laid down on it, she was surprised by how comfortable the bed was. Archie looked at her and she looked like a kid full of curiosity about the unknown.

    ¡°I taste your blood in her body, how could she have your blood in her body, my Adam?¡± Eve asked as she looked at Archie.

    ¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± Archie said. ¡°Since we have all the time, I will tell you from the beginning,¡± he continued as he looked at Eve who walked toward him.

    Archie told Eve everything and didn¡¯t hide a single story, she looked at him like a child listening to a bedtime story. He never thought he could share his experience with anyone and it made his shoulders weightless for a moment.

    ¡°So now all those humans have your blood in their bodies because of that experiment. Then those Throne guys were erasing everyone¡¯s memories about you and replaced it with someone else,¡± Eve said as she looked at Archie.

    ¡°Yes, what about you? Do you remember anything about your past?¡± Archie asked while he looked at the kitchen in the other room.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember anything, the moment I open my eyes, I was in the middle of nowhere,¡± Eve answered as she followed Archie to the other side of the room. ¡°I don¡¯t know everything but I do know how to operate things so I guess my memories got wiped out as well, but the problem is it didn¡¯t come back,¡± she continued as she opened the fridge and looked at the frozen food.

    ¡°You never asked them?¡± Archie asked as he looked at Eve who smelt the frozen food in the fridge.

    ¡°I did ask them but they said it was for the best that I lost my memories,¡± Eve answered as she grabbed a grape from the fridge. ¡°I think they don¡¯t want me to remember my past because it will affect the way I think about the situation,¡± she continued as she looked at Archie while she ate the grape.

    ¡°Are you okay with that?¡± Archie asked as he frowned his eyebrows.

    Eve ate the grape and stared at Archie for quite a while before she answered. ¡°Yes, I have been living for hundreds of years and I don¡¯t think knowing my past now will do me any good,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re the only Adam that looks at me like that, I know that something is different about you compared to the others,¡± she continued as she smiled and chewed the grape.

    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t guarantee that you won¡¯t kill me, right?¡± Archie asked as he looked at Eve with a bit of worried.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, we will see,¡± Eve said as she threw the grapes in the trash can. ¡°For now, I just want to stay by your side,¡± she continued with a smile on her face.

 Chapter 93

    Eve and Archie were staring at the soldiers training in the field, they both were having fun scaling the Axis Humans¡¯ power and compared it one with another. While they were busy playing around, Faye entered the barrack and she looked at them both smiling.

    ¡°Am I disturbing your alone time?¡± Faye asked with a smile on her face.

    Archie looked at Faye and shook his head. ¡°No, we are just playing around,¡± he said.

    ¡°Playing around? What are you guys playing?¡± Faye asked as she approached both of them and then looked out through the windows that they both were looking at. ¡°You¡¯re watching the soldiers training?¡± she asked as she looked at both of them.

    ¡°No, we are just comparing their strength and skills, that¡¯s all,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°You guys can tell by just looking at them? Is that what you guys are saying?¡± Faye asked as she looked at the Axis Humans training.

    ¡°Something like that, we have a keen eye when it comes to this kind of stuff,¡± Archie answered while nodding his head in agreement. ¡°That guy over there is the strongest one compared to the others, and that guy over there is the weakest,¡± he continued as he pointed at those people.

    Faye raised her eyebrows with a bit of shocked expression. ¡°That¡¯s amazing! You¡¯re actually right about it, that guy is strong and I don¡¯t know if that guy is the weakest though,¡± she said as she nodded her head in agreement. ¡°Why don¡¯t you both help us when we are going to open another recruitment? It will be easier and faster rather than have to waste time in testing all of them one by one,¡± she asked as she looked at Archie and Faye.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it would be a waste of time to recruit anyone in general? You know that it¡¯s impossible for you guys to deal with a king if one day they decided to come out,¡± Eve said as she looked at Faye.

    ¡°We know, we have seen the pictures that Archie took during his search in the far east of the Eastern Nations. We also saw the parasite on the island that Ruby said Archie was the one who killed it,¡± Faye answered as she nodded her head with understanding.

    Eve looked at Archie and smiled. ¡°Yeah, I saw it too, he entered the parasite¡¯s mouth then destroyed its head from the inside,¡± she said and Archie was surprised that Eve knew about it.

    ¡°Anyway, how about Nova? Is she going to make it?¡± Archie asked while he looked at Faye.

    ¡°Yes, it seems that she¡¯s the only one who met the requirement so I think we are going to take her in. The rest of them are not as great as the last time we open recruitment,¡± Faye answered.

    ¡°Good times create weak people, weak people create a hard time, and hard times create strong people,¡± Archie said as he looked out the window, he heard about that phrase from a book he read.

    ¡°Good times create weak people, that¡¯s really deep and somehow I can see it by now after years of people living comfortably,¡± Faye said as she nodded her head. ¡°Would it be better for us to live in the wild like how we used to be?¡± She asked as she looked at Archie.

    ¡°Why do you want to make yourself suffer after you achieved what you wanted? Just enjoy it and be cautious at the same time because good times won¡¯t last,¡± Archie answered.

    Eve chuckled softly. ¡°How interesting to hear something like that from you, Archie,¡±

    Archie just smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°The final test should be over now, let¡¯s go back and get ready for the inauguration,¡± Faye said as she looked at her watch.

    The three of them went into the building and they were inside the headquarter of the Central Nation. The whole building was guarded so tightly that it was impossible for anyone to enter without permission.

    Nova was sitting on the bench and then she saw Archie and Eve with Faye walking in front of them. She stood up and waved her hand in excitement then she approached them with a big smile on her face.

    ¡°I heard from Lieutenant Colonel Faye that you guys passed the test! I can¡¯t imagine how exciting it would be if I¡¯m with you guys,¡± she said.

    ¡°Congratulations to you as well because I heard from Faye that you passed the test as well,¡± Archie said as nodded his head and Eve was also nodding while smiling at Nova.

    ¡°My power helped you pass the test, right?¡± Eve asked with a smirk on her face.

    Nova cleared her throat and nodded. ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t know how but I feel a bit stronger now,¡± she answered shyly.

    ¡°Come on, the others are waiting,¡± Faye said as she walked past Nova.

    ¡°The others?¡± Nova asked as she turned around.

    ¡°Yes, Ruby and Vincent are waiting for you for the inauguration,¡± Faye answered as she walked backward.

    Archie stopped walking and immediately looked at Eve, the moment he heard their names, it was too late for him to do anything. Eve looked at him she just smiled at him as if she wasn¡¯t bothered by it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can handle this,¡± Eve whispered into Archie¡¯s ear.

    The four of them entered a room that looked like a meeting room, it was so huge that it could fit a hundred people inside. Ruby and Vincent were sitting at the round table and when they saw Archie and Eve together, they both jolted from their seat.

    Eve smirked mischievously and for some reason, they both couldn¡¯t open their mouth. They both looked so scared and panicked at the same time that Nova and Faye looked at them with confusion.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ruby? Vincent?¡± Faye asked as they walked toward them.

    They both couldn¡¯t move their bodies and suddenly they shook their head and it wasn¡¯t them who moved their head but it was Eve. Archie looked at Eve and he was so curious about her ability, and it seemed that she could control anyone with her mind or something like that.

    Archie walked past Faye and Nova, he stood behind Ruby and Vincent who glared at Eve. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid, she¡¯s not here to do any harm. She¡¯s here because she wants to follow me so don¡¯t say anything or you will regret it,¡±

    Eve looked at them with her eyebrows raised and then they both nodded with understanding. Eve let them free and they finally could move their bodies again and open their mouth.

    ¡°Alright, we will be waiting for Marshal Gard since he wanted to give a short speech to the new recruits,¡± Faye said as she sat down at the table. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, go and have a seat,¡± she said as she pointed at the seats in front of her.

    All of them sat down, Ruby and Vincent couldn¡¯t get their eyes away from Eve. They couldn¡¯t believe it to see the one who knocked down a king and killed Axis Humans with only a hand gesture.

    ¡°Why everyone is so quiet here? Is there a problem?¡± Faye asked as she looked at everyone.

    ¡°Ruby and Vincent have a bad memory with Eve, let¡¯s say that Eve fought them in the past and she almost killed them,¡± Archie answered. ¡°So, yeah, it¡¯s a bit complicated,¡± he continued.

    Faye and Nova looked at Ruby, she nodded as he sighed.

    ¡°It¡¯s really complicated and it wasn¡¯t a pleasant memory so it¡¯s better to not talk about it,¡± Ruby said as she kept staring at Eve. ¡°I just hope she won¡¯t do that again,¡± she continued and looked at Archie.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I already got what I want here so I¡¯m not going to make a scene. Although, it was you who interrupted me back then so it wasn¡¯t my fault, really,¡± Eve said as she rested her arms on the table and crossed them. ¡°Also, not to mention that you shot my back with that thing which still gives me pain,¡± she continued as she rubbed her back.

    ¡°You deserve it after everything you did,¡± Ruby answered with a smirk on her face.

    ¡°Hmm?¡¯ Eve hummed as she raised her eyebrow. ¡°Do you want to see your partner die in front of your eyes, Ruby? I can do that so easily that you can¡¯t do anything about it,¡± she continued as she pointed her finger at Vincent and Ruby immediately unsheathed her sword at Eve.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you fucking dare!¡± Eve yelled and it startled Nova and Faye.

    ¡°Really? That¡¯s how you¡¯re going to protect him. Too bad,¡± Eve said as she smirked and closed her right eye.

    Ruby jumped over the table and was about to slash her sword at Eve, but then Eve grabbed it with her hand and shattered it into pieces which shocked Vincent and Ruby. ¡°I told you, too bad,¡± Eve said with a smirk on her face.

 Chapter 94

    Everyone was staring at Ruby and Eve silently while Ruby looked at her sword shattered into pieces. She looked so angry but knowing she wouldn¡¯t be able to win against Eve made her irritated.

    ¡°You know the risk, but you took it anyway,¡± Eve said while she leaned on the chair. ¡°Don¡¯t blame me for your recklessness,¡± she continued.

    ¡°I should¡¯ve killed you back then,¡± Ruby mumbled as she gritted her teeth.

    Vincent grabbed Ruby and pulled her off of the table. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Bub, we are no match for her, and don¡¯t dwell on the past,¡± he said calmly. ¡°She¡¯s here because of Archie, that alone is enough for both of us to not meddle with their affair,¡± he continued as he tried to calm him down.

    ¡°Good evening,¡± A man in his mid forty with his shining black hair and muscular body came inside the room. He looked at the mess on the table and saw the pieces of a sword on it. ¡°What¡¯s going on here? Did something happen?¡± he asked.

    Faye stood up and gave him a salutation. ¡°Evening, Marshall Gard,¡± she said and everyone immediately stood up except for Eve who stayed in her seat. ¡°Nothing to be worried about, sir,¡± she continued as she kept looking at Gard.

    ¡°Is that so? It seems there¡¯s a quarrel between Ruby and that lady over there by the look of her gaze,¡± Gard said as he sat down and looked at both of them. ¡°Looking at this makes me remember the old times. Anyway, if you have other business with each other, I request you to do it later and outside. For now, I want to congratulate you all for passing the tests,¡± he continued as he rested his arms on the chair.

    ¡°You all can sit, just make yourself comfortable,¡± Gard said as he pointed at the chair. All of them sat down and looked at him. ¡°I¡¯m not going to take your time so I will keep it short and simple,¡± he continued.

    ¡°Congratulation and welcome to the Valor special force, I have done some research with all the candidates. The only ones that I have no information on were Archie Lancaster and Eve, you both came from the Eastern Nation with Ruby and Vincent, correct?¡± Gard said as he looked at Archie and Eve.

    ¡°No, I came from the Western Nation and then ended up in the Eastern Nation. For her, I¡¯m not sure,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°I have been in many places but I¡¯m not from around here,¡± Eve answered.

    Gard raised his eyebrows a bit confused. ¡°I see, but that¡¯s not necessary to tell me your background since it¡¯s not important,¡± he said.

    ¡°Faye, you have finally found your match. These people over here, I want you to put them in the main team with you so you can immediately go out there and find more information about the parasite around the world,¡± Gard said.

    ¡°Yes, I have thought about it and I¡¯m planning to bring them to the main team,¡± Faye answered as she nodded her head.

    ¡°Alright, you all have become the first division of the Valor special force. Your existence is already above the others but that doesn¡¯t mean you can use it for whatever you like, be responsible,¡± Gard said as he looked at them. ¡°That¡¯s it from me, and I will see you guys around. Everyone is dismissed,¡± he continued as he stood up and then left the room.

    ¡°Alright, you all can get some rest in the barrack. Tomorrow will be a long day because there are so many things that need to be done before you can officially become a part of the Valor special force. You guys can leave,¡± Faye said and looked at them.

    Ruby and Vincent were the ones to leave the room after Ruby collected all the pieces of her sword.

    ¡°You know your way back to the barrack, right? Can you show Nova the way? I still have an important matter that needs to be done,¡± Faye asked as she looked at Archie and Eve.

    ¡°We know, we will bring her there,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°Alright, I will see you all tomorrow morning. Good night,¡± Faye said and then left the room.

    The three of them went back to the barrack, Nova put all her belongings on the floor while she looked at how spacious the barrack was. She already tagged one of the beds for herself and then she went to the other room to take a shower.

    ¡°Oh? It seems that we are not the only ones who are going to live here,¡± Eve said as she stared at Ruby and Vincent who just entered the barrack.

    ¡°Archie, what¡¯s the meaning of this?! Can you explain it to me?¡± Ruby asked.

    Archie explained to both of them about his encounter with Eve. He didn¡¯t tell the details since they already knew the whole truth about her existence.

    ¡°So you let her next to you even though she could kill you anytime?¡± Ruby asked with disbelief.

    ¡°Yes but it¡¯s not that simple and for now, she said that she won¡¯t kill me because she just wants to stay by my side,¡± Archie answered and looked at Eve who says on the bed.

    ¡°And you believe her words that easily, Archie?¡± Vincent asked with a weird look on his face.

    ¡°I don¡¯t at first until she told me she couldn¡¯t lie to me because if she lied, she will be punished by them,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°Prove it,¡± Ruby said as she glared at Eve.

    ¡°Ask me,¡± Eve said as she looked at Archie.

    Archie looked at Eve for quite a while to think of a question that he wanted to ask.

    ¡°Have you ever thought about killing me?¡± Archie asked as she stared at Eve.

    ¡°No, never,¡± Eve said and they knew that it could be a lie.

    Eve started to breathe heavily and her face turned red as if she was being burned. She fell to her knees and immediately coughed blood they could see the black blood on the ground and it was steaming hot.

    The three of them looked at Eve with disbelief and shock at the same time. She collapsed and her eyes went red, and her nose started to bleed which made Archie feel a bit guilty for asking her to tell a lie.

    Archie ran and immediately put Eve in his arms. ¡°Are you okay? Eve?!¡± He asked with a bit of panicking in his voice.

    Eve couldn¡¯t say or do anything as her body started to get hot. It went like that for almost a whole five minutes Ruby had to stand in the next room to prevent Nova from coming in.

    ¡°Do you believe me now,¡± Eve asked weakly with a smile on her face while she stared Archie in the eyes? ¡°Even though I lied, right now I have no thoughts of killing you or doing you any harm. I just want to be by your side and live in the world that you¡¯re living in,¡± she explained as she closed her eyes and then fell asleep.

    ¡°That should be enough, right?¡± Archie asked as she stared at Ruby from the corner of his eyes.

    ¡°Yes, that would be enough,¡± Ruby said as she looked at Eve¡¯s body was steaming. ¡°I will clean the mess,¡± she continued as she grabbed a towel from the other room.

    ¡°Sorry about all that, I never thought that something like that would happen to her,¡± Ruby said as she cleaned the blood and she could feel the black blood on the floor boiling.

    ¡°It¡¯s called a divine punishment, that¡¯s what she told me. I believe no matter how strong she is, she won¡¯t be able to escape from her fate like Eve who will have to serve Adam. If you were in her shoes, would you rebel and do whatever you want until you had your fun or would you obey them and do as they said?¡± Archie asked as he stared at Ruby.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know but I started to understand why she¡¯s like that,¡± Ruby answered. ¡°I guess there¡¯s no such a thing as right and wrong when you¡¯re in her shoes,¡± she continued as she looked at the white towel that became black.

    ¡°Yes, we never know because we are not in her shoes. I think it¡¯s better to let her do what she wants as long as she¡¯s not trying to hurt someone. It¡¯s also better if you don¡¯t do that again because it will only raise suspicion to those who are paying attention to her,¡± Archie replied as he looked at Eve.

    ¡°I will apologize to her tomorrow when she wakes up,¡± Ruby said. ¡°Let¡¯s get some rest,¡± she said as she looked at Archie, and he nodded in agreement.

    Nova came back and looked at Ruby and Vincent. ¡°Oh?! You guys are here as well?¡± She asked in excitement. ¡°I¡¯m not going to lie, but I like what I¡¯m seeing right now,¡± she continued as she looked at Eve sleeping with Archie sitting next to her while Ruby and Vincent shared the same bed.

 Chapter 95

    ¡°Is this really necessary?¡± Eve asked as she sat down on a chair as scanned her eyes and fingerprints.

    ¡°Unfortunately, yes, we need to collect all the data so you can get access to all places in different nations. This is all for your own good basically, so please endure it for a little bit more,¡± Faye answered as she smiled at Eve who sat in front of her.

    ¡°I heard you suffered from amnesia, is that true?¡± Faye asked as she checked the scanned eyes and fingerprints.

    ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t remember much about my past,¡± Eve answered as she stared at Faye. ¡°Don¡¯t try to help me because I don¡¯t need to know about my past,¡± she continued with a bit of threat in her voice.

    Faye looked at Eve and nodded with understanding. ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t, I can promise you that,¡± she answered. ¡°But can I ask you something? Did you really kill Axis Humans?¡± she asked as she looked at Eve in the eye.

    ¡°I did because I don¡¯t like to be bothered, especially if someone is trying to dig into my past,¡± Eve said with a smile on her face that was enough to make Faye feel uncomfortable.

    It was just silence in the room until the end of the examination and then they both left to the other room for attire fitting. Archie and the others were being measured for their own attire, Eve immediately walked toward him and just stared at him.

    Faye watched Eve who only acted vulnerable and harmless when she was around Archie. She was curious about their relationship and she had the urge to find out more information about them.

    A few hours had passed, and Archie and Eve decided to go and looked around the city with Nova. Since they both had no idea about the city, Nova was being their tour guide around the city.

    ¡°Where do you want to go? I know this city like the back of my hand since I oftentimes come here after my expeditions,¡± Nova asked as she looked at the city light.

    ¡°A bar, I want to spend the rest of the night drinking,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°Alcohol?¡± Eve asked as she raised her eyebrows.

    ¡°Yeah, when was the last time you drink alcohol?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Alcohol huh? It¡¯s been ages¡­¡± Eve answered as she squinted her eyes while staring at the night sky. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s have a drink all night,¡± Eve said with a smile on her face.

    ¡°Alright then, a bar it is,¡± Nova said as she guided them to the bar near them.

    While they were on their way to the bar, they saw Faye and Aster walking together on the sidewalk. They looked and dressed like a normal person, it was impossible to tell if she was the commander of the Valor special force.

    ¡°Commander,¡± Nova said as she gave a salutation to Faye.

    Faye and Aster were surprised to see them. ¡°Nova, Archie, Eve? Where are you guys going?¡± Faye asked from the other side of the road.

    ¡°We want to have some drink tonight,¡± Nova answered.

    Faye and Aster looked at each other and they both shrugged their mouths. ¡°Which bar? Don¡¯t tell me you want to go to the Daslin bar,¡± Faye asked and then Nova nodded as she gave her a thumbs up. ¡°Really? Then do you mind if we join you guys?¡± she asked as she crossed the road with Aster.

    The five of them went to the Daslin bar that Faye mentioned, the place was crowded but there were still a few empty tables inside the bar. On their way to find an empty table, they heard a familiar voice calling for Faye.

    ¡°Faye? Nova?¡± Ruby said as she stood up with a bottle of beer in her hand and Vincent was sitting in front of her.

    ¡°What¡¯s this? This isn¡¯t a coincidence, right? All of us are here in the same place,¡± Faye asked as she chuckled with disbelief.

    ¡°Please, join us, we have enough seats for everyone,¡± Ruby said as she looked at Eve who was a bit amazed by the crowds and the bar itself.

    Everyone ended up sitting at one big round table so everyone could fit it. They were enjoying the evening and got to know each other better except for Eve since she didn¡¯t want them to know about her at all.

    An hour had passed and everyone was still fine, then another hour passed but Nova already had enough drinking for the night. They all enjoyed the fries and the onion rings while they were watching the people around them having a party.

    ¡°Since everyone is here, there¡¯s something that I want to tell you guys,¡± Faye said and looked at them. ¡°I asked for permission from Marshal Gard that we are going to Indonesia and check the situation over there. We got a lot of information that there¡¯s an Ex-Human that lives there and took over all the islands,¡± she said as she rotated the glass in her hand.

    ¡°An Ex-Human?¡± Ruby asked. ¡°Is it a woman or a man?¡± she asked again.

    ¡°It¡¯s a man, why do you ask?¡± Faye replied with curiosity written all over her face.

    Ruby and Vincent looked at Archie and they already knew who that could be. Eve raised her eyebrows and seemed interested in the topic since it was a sight of another Adam. Archie was a bit worried because there would be a chance that Eve would be attracted to that Adam instead of him.

    ¡°If it¡¯s a man, he¡¯s not an Ex-Human, it¡¯s something else,¡± Ruby answered as she looked at Faye. ¡°This is the proof of my battle against someone like him,¡± she said as she showed her prosthetic arm.

    ¡°Right, you have seen Ex-Humans before, the three of you,¡± Faye said as she looked at Archie, Ruby, and Vincent. ¡°So, if he¡¯s not an Ex-Human, then what is he?¡± she asked.

    Ruby looked at Archie. ¡°It¡¯s something else, I¡¯m not saying that he¡¯s more dangerous than an Ex-Human but it¡¯s different because they¡¯re like an Ex-Axis Human than an Ex-Human because they could transform themselves like a parasite but with a mind of a human,¡± she answered.

    ¡°Do you think we can handle that guy? We need to kill that guy since all of our resources came from Indonesia. If we don¡¯t kill him, we are going to run out of resources,¡± Faye said as she looked at Ruby.

    ¡°It depends,¡± Ruby replied as she looked at Eve. ¡°If all of us work together to kill that guy, it would be an easy task,¡± she answered and kept staring at Eve which made Faye a bit curious as if Ruby was pointing those words at Eve.

    ¡°But Marshal Gard hasn¡¯t given you the permission right?¡± Aster asked as he looked at Faye.

    ¡°No, he¡¯s still thinking about the risk since that place is filled with high gen parasites. Knowing that we don¡¯t have enough skilled Axis Humans, the possibility of the success of the mission is too low,¡± Faye answered. ¡°But we can¡¯t just stay still, at least we need to secure one of the islands so we can get the resource,¡± she explained as she looked at Aster.

    ¡°So our priority isn¡¯t to kill that guy?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°Not really but I¡¯m asking your opinion about that guy. If it¡¯s possible then I might get the permission from Marshal Gard, but if it¡¯s not, then he won¡¯t give us the permission,¡± Faye answered. ¡°Although we need Marshal Gard¡¯s permission, we can still go on our own since we the Valor special force have the privilege to go wherever we want,¡± she continued.

    Eve looked at Archie who seemed a bit uneasy with the topic, she leaned to his ear and whispered. ¡°Are you afraid that I will kill you once that Adam is stronger than you are?¡±

    Archie smirked and looked at Eve. ¡°Not really, because once you took an interest that Adam, I will be long gone and will disappear. I will never let myself in that kind of situation,¡±

    Eve chuckled and shook her head. ¡°That would be a shame but let¡¯s see if that Adam really is more interesting than you, Archie. To be fair, I¡¯m sick of meeting those Adams that pretend they¡¯re above the rest while they were still nothing compared to me,¡± she whispered. ¡°But you¡¯re different, I can feel that you¡¯re not interested in this game of theirs,¡± she continued.

    ¡°I have met these people in front of me, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything else that I want. I¡¯m enough with this,¡± Archie answered as he looked at Eve.

    ¡°This is why I¡¯m interested in you, Archie, you made me realize and discover new little things about enjoying life while the other Adams that I met, were boring and lifeless,¡± Eve said with a smile on her face. ¡°With that being said, I will never let you go,¡± she continued.

 Chapter 96

    ¡°Wow, you two really can handle your liquor, I¡¯m amazed,¡± Nova mumbled because she started to get tipsy from drinking.

    Ruby and Vincent were never a fan of getting wasted so they knew their limit. Faye and Aster barely drank since they wanted to keep it professional even though they were off duty. They knew who would get drunk and that was a good enough sign to put the liquor away from Nova because she drank alcohol like water.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s for the best if we called it a night and bring Nova back to her barrack before she made a mess,¡± Faye said as she looked at Nova who was zoning out while she was swirling the whiskey in the glass.

    ¡°Come on, Nova, let¡¯s go back,¡± Ruby said as she grabbed the glass from Nova and then picked her up from her seat but Nova tried to grab the bottle. ¡°No, no, no, that¡¯s enough for tonight,¡± Ruby said as she smacked Nova¡¯s hand and made everyone laugh.

    Everyone went back to the headquarter, Faye and Aster went the other way since they had their own room on the base while Archie and the others went to the barrack. Nova was so drunk that she staggered and was barely able to speak properly which made everyone couldn¡¯t stop laughing.

    After Ruby helped Nova throw up all the alcohol in her body, she brought her to her bed.

    ¡°I never thought with that kind of personality and face, she had that kind of side in her,¡± Ruby said as she walked to her bed while looking at Vincent.

    ¡°Everyone has that kind of side where they don¡¯t want anyone to see but only to those who they¡¯re comfortable with. I¡¯m glad that she thinks that we are someone that she can trust since she feels comfortable with us,¡± Vincent replied as he looked at Archie and Eve who sat next to each other.

    ¡°I never thought that we are going to go out there again after what we have been through, at least I never thought it would be this soon,¡± Ruby said as she sat down next to Vincent.

    ¡°Habit?¡± Archie asked as he looked at Ruby with a smile on his face.

    Ruby chuckled and nodded while she raised her eyebrows. ¡°Yeah, you might be right,¡± she said. ¡°We used to live in a world where we can¡¯t close both eyes at the same time. Now, everything looked so peaceful and it¡¯s really unbelievable,¡± she continued as she stared at the floor.

    ¡°Good for them,¡± Vincent said as he looked at the moon outside the window.

    ¡°Yeah, good for them,¡± Ruby answered as she nodded and raised her eyebrow. ¡°Anyway, good night, Archie, Eve,¡± she said as she looked at Eve.

    ¡°Good night,¡± Archie and Eve said at the same time.

    Hours had passed but both Archie and Eve couldn¡¯t sleep because they both didn¡¯t even need to rest. They heard Nova and Vincent snoring and they were shouting at each other which was quite funny to hear.

    ¡°Are you hungry? Do you want to eat?¡± Eve whispered as she stared at Archie while she lay down on the bed next to Archie.

    Archie looked at Eve and furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Eat? Where?¡± he asked back.

    ¡°There¡¯s a specific food that¡¯s quite delicious but they¡¯re hard to find. I want you to try it,¡± Eve answered as she raised her eyebrows.

    ¡°Sure, but I don¡¯t think we have the time to go out there since we have to go back here in the morning,¡± Archie said.

    ¡°I can fly and I can bring you with me. It will only take an hour if you¡¯re up to it,¡± Eve replied.

    ¡°Right, well, let¡¯s go then,¡± Archie said as he nodded his head.

    They both stealthily left the barrack and went to the place where there were no cameras so they wouldn¡¯t get caught.

    Eve spread her wings and something was different compared to the last time Archie saw it.

    ¡°What happened to your wing?¡± Archie asked.

    Eve looked to her right and flapped the wing. ¡°This is after Ruby shot me with that bullet, I don¡¯t know what was in that bullet but it destroyed my cells,¡± she answered.

    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t you have regeneration ability as well? It shouldn¡¯t be like that if you have regeneration ability since it will heal itself eventually,¡± Archie asked as he looked at the broken and deformed wing.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have regeneration ability,¡± Eve answered as she shook her head.

    ¡°Huh? But I cut off your wing back then and you have it back already. If it wasn¡¯t regeneration ability then what is it?¡± Archie asked with confusion.

    ¡°That¡¯s because I can attach them back and the cells will reconnect themselves back again. So if you took the wing from me, I can¡¯t grow them back since I can only attach it back,¡± Eve answered as she looked at her wing. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s go, I¡¯m starving since the last time I ate was a decade ago,¡± she continued and Archie was shocked when he heard it.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m ready whenever you are,¡± Archie said and immediately Eve grabbed his hand and flew up into the sky in an instant. ¡°What just happened?¡± Archie asked as he looked down and there was nothing else but clouds below him.

    ¡°We are flying, now let¡¯s go and find our food,¡± Eve said and started to flap her wings.

    ¡°Can we go higher? I want to see the earth from far away,¡± Archie asked as he looked at the stars.

    ¡°How long can you hold your breath?¡± Eve asked back.

    ¡°An hour,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go higher,¡± Eve said as started to fly higher so fast that the wind broke and his ears were ringing because of it.

    Archie looked down and looked at how small the Sky station was from up there. He saw the lights in the city and he couldn¡¯t describe how beautiful the earth was since he had never been that high.

    ¡°Enjoying the view?¡± Eve asked with a smile on her face.

    ¡°Yeah, this is beautiful, thank you for showing me this,¡± Archie answered with a grin on his face as he looked down.

    Eve never heard someone say that word before, a simple thank you was enough to make her feel weird. She stared at Archie for quite a while and she was convinced that Archie was different from the other Adams and she didn¡¯t regret her decision to not kill him the moment she saw him back then.

    ¡°Okay, you can enjoy the view while I bring you to the place where the food is, so, hold your breath,¡± Eve said as she started to fly across the world.

    As Eve said, they arrived at the destination in an hour and that destination was Antarctica. She descended and landed safely with Archie next to her, they both looked around and didn¡¯t see anything but ice and snow.

    ¡°Is there a parasite up here?¡± Archie asked as he looked at Eve.

    ¡°Yes, plenty of them, and they¡¯re all so delicious to eat,¡± Eve answered as she looked around. ¡°Come on, I can sense them,¡± she said and grabbed Archie¡¯s hand then dragged him to where she went.

    Eve and Archie walked up the hill and once they reached the top, they saw hundreds of penguins gathering around with a giant ice cave in the middle. She put her finger on her lips and wanted him to stay quiet.

    The penguins were gathering around the ice cave and all of them started to make sounds. The ground shook and a parasite that looked like a while but with legs came out from the cave. The parasite ate them in a single swoop while the rest of the penguins ran for their lives.

    ¡°That¡¯s our target, let¡¯s kill it,¡± Eve said and then slid down the ice and Archie followed her from behind.

    Eve didn¡¯t hesitate and pointed her hand at the parasite, for some reason the parasite got slammed to the ice and its head exploded because of the pressure. Archie looked at her and he realized that her ability had something to do with her hands which was still confusing to understand.

    ¡°Come on, eat it while it¡¯s still fresh,¡± Eve said as she pointed at the parasite¡¯s body.

    Archie cut the body open and he was amazed that the flesh was so red as if it wasn¡¯t a parasite at all. He cut a big slice of the flesh and ate it immediately, he looked at Eve and he was so shocked because it was juicy and delicious. It felt like he was eating a steak and it satisfied his hunger.

    ¡°Why are you not eating?¡± Archie asked. ¡°Here, I cut it for you,¡± he said.

    Eve smiled. ¡°Feed me,¡± she said.

    Archie chuckled and nodded then put the meat in front of Eve and she immediately ate it from his hand.

 Chapter 97

    ¡°Are you full already?¡± Eve asked and looked at Archie who already stopped eating the meat and enjoyed the view of the night sky. ¡°You really have a small stomach, huh? I still need at least three of this parasite until I can replenish all my energy,¡± she continued as she tore the flesh with her sharp claws.

    ¡°Yes, you can have it, I want to enjoy the view right now,¡± Archie answered as he laid down and stared at the aurora.

    ¡°Hmm, you¡¯re no fun,¡± Eve said as she threw the meat and walked toward Archie.

    ¡°Eve, what¡¯s your original ability? I¡¯m curious,¡± Archie asked as he looked at Eve.

    ¡°My original ability? It¡¯s this,¡± Eve answered and she started to change her appearance.

    The sliver white hair of her started to change its color to black and then red, blue, and green. She could manipulate her own body and change its shape to whatever she wanted it to be. She could even become Ruby, Nova, and Faye which shocked him.

    ¡°Although I have this ability, I barely used it because there¡¯s no reason for me to use it since I was alone in the middle of nowhere. There were no humans that I could interact with. I almost forgot that I have this ability,¡± Eve answered as she looked at her body started to reshape itself to its original look.

    ¡°I see, maybe the reason why you have that ability is so you can avoid the Adams,¡± Archie said.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t the only purpose of the ability,¡± Eve said as she sat down next to Archie and then laid down. ¡°There was time that I had to use it and made a mess,¡± she continued.

    Archie looked at her with curiosity but Eve didn¡¯t seem to want to talk about it yet by the look of her expression.

    They both silently stared at the aurora and enjoyed the night.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you still hungry? There¡¯s still a lot of meat in there,¡± Archie asked as he looked up and saw the parasite¡¯s body was only half eaten.

    ¡°Seeing you stop eating makes me lose my appetite,¡± Eve said as she rubbed her stomach. ¡°Even though I¡¯m still hungry, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to starve since I already fill at least ten percent of my energy,¡± she continued as she lifted her hand that was covered with blood.

    ¡°You said that you can¡¯t regenerate your cells, right?¡± Archie asked as he turned his head toward Eve.

    ¡°Yes, here, let me show you,¡± Eve said as she sat down and then she cut off her left hand. ¡°See, it¡¯s not regenerating at all, but when I put my hand back, you can see it reconnect itself,¡± she explained as she slowly put her hand on her wrist and it reconnected itself as she explained.

    Archie looked at Eve while he was still laying down, she then laid down again and enjoyed the aurora.

    ¡°You have been living for hundreds of years, right, Eve? How does it feel to live on your own for that long?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure but if the meteor struck hundreds of years ago, then yes, I guess,¡± Eve answered. ¡°If you¡¯re asking me how it feels, I¡¯m not sure how to tell you because all my life I have been living to survive, and the moment I meet the first Adam, I started to feel that my freedom felt threatened and then I killed him,¡± she answered.

    Archie hummed and didn¡¯t say anything after he asked that question.

    ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Eve stared Archie in the eye.

    ¡°You know that you can gain an ability from eating Adam¡¯s heart, right?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°I do, I ate two of them and gained two abilities from them,¡± Eve answered as she looked at Archie. ¡°Why?¡± she asked.

    Archie looked at her. ¡°You know, can I ask you a favor?¡± he replied. Eve raised her eyebrows and kept staring at him. ¡°Can you promise to not kill me? Because I have been thinking that I don¡¯t want to be immortal and I don¡¯t think my mind can handle it,¡± he answered.

    Eve sat up and looked at Archie. ¡°You¡¯re telling me that you want to die when you think you¡¯re bored of living?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yes, something like that because if I don¡¯t have anyone else on earth. So, if you¡¯re thinking of killing me after you found a better Adam than me, I want you to remember that I want to live long enough until the people I know are dead. I can promise you that I don¡¯t have any plan to do anything that can harm you,¡± Archie answered as he stared at Eve.

    Eve furrowed her forehead and she looked angry when she heard Archie¡¯s reasoning. She sat on top of Archie and put her hands on his chest as she furrowed her eyebrows and stared Archie in the eye.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Eve asked.

    ¡°You know, after everything that I have been through, seeing how the world is right now and imagining myself in a world where no more humans are quite disturbing. I don¡¯t think I can live alone and I would rather die and I will let you eat my heart so you can get all my abilities,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°What if I want to be with you,¡± Eve asked.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case then I wouldn¡¯t mind but that¡¯s only if but you never know since there are still at least five Adams out there that we haven¡¯t met,¡± Archie answered as he looked Eve in the eye.

    ¡°Your heart is pounding really fast right now,¡± Eve said as she looked at Archie¡¯s chest.

    ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re sitting on top of me and I have never been in this kind of position and situation ever,¡± Archie answered as he smiled at Eve. ¡°Can you get off? It¡¯s starting to feel a bit uncomfortable,¡± he continued.

    ¡°Before I do that, can I have a taste?¡± Eve asked as she looked at Archie¡¯s arm.

    ¡°A taste? Of what?¡± Archie asked back with his eyebrows furrowed.

    ¡°Your flesh,¡± Eve answered as she grabbed Archie¡¯s left arm. ¡°I want to see your regeneration ability as well. Can I?¡± She asked as she removed Archie¡¯s glove and rolled his sleeve.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Archie answered as he gulped.

    Eve rubbed Archie¡¯s wrist on her lips and she sniffed the scent of his body then opened her mouth. She bit off his wrist in a single bite which shocked Archie since it looked so easy and weirdly enough it didn¡¯t hurt as he thought.

    ¡°It¡¯s delicious¡­¡± Eve said as she ate his hand in her hand.

    Archie never tested his own flesh so he didn¡¯t know. He looked at his arm that slowly regenerated itself while Eve watched his wrist and hand grow back.

    ¡°I¡¯m envious of your ability,¡± Eve said but then she felt weird in her body. She looked at her back and something happened to her cell where Ruby shot her with the serum. ¡°My wound, it heals,¡± she said as she looked at Archie with disbelief.

    ¡°What? Really?¡± Archie sat up as he watched Eve touching her back.

    Eve spread her wings and her right wing was slowly repairing itself, they both looked at her wing and were amazed by it.

    ¡°This is amazing,¡± Eve said with a big smile on her face, and she didn¡¯t remember when the last time she felt amazed by something.

    ¡°That¡¯s great, now you can fly normally,¡± Archie said. ¡°After knowing that, I think I know my purpose now, and that¡¯s to help you when you need it,¡± he continued as he looked at Eve.

    ¡°Is that how you look at it? To help me?¡± Eve asked as she turned her body toward Archie.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really mind, if it¡¯s for you, at least I have another purpose in life since we both are the same being. That¡¯s more reason why I want you to take my ability than letting the other Adams take it from me,¡± Archie answered.

    Eve smiled and nodded as she stood up and then offered her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go home, I¡¯m starting to feel sleepy,¡± she said.

    Archie nodded and grabbed Eve¡¯s hand.

    The morning came, and both Eve and Archie were still sleeping since they came back to the barrack at dawn. Ruby looked at them both sleeping side by side and they both looked so peaceful even though they were quite the opposite back then.

    ¡°Ruby, are they really a couple, or is it just my imagination?¡± Nova asked as she dried her hair with a towel after she took a shower. She looked at Eve who was clinging onto Archie¡¯s body while they both were asleep and it somehow looked cute.

    ¡°It¡¯s complicated but looking at them right now, it¡¯s enough to tell that those two are more than friends,¡± Ruby answered as she wash her face.

 Chapter 98

    ¡°Good morning,¡± Faye said as she entered the barrack with Aster. She looked around and saw Archie and Eve were still sleeping while the others were ready to go for morning training.

    ¡°Hmm? Did those two stay awake until morning or something?¡± Faye asked Ruby who was brushing her teeth at the sink.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, we fell asleep not long after we came back from the bar. I think they did stay awake until dawn since I heard them talking while I was half asleep,¡± Ruby answered. ¡°Do you want me to wake them up?¡± She asked as she wiped her mouth.

    ¡°Yes, if you mind because we have to train,¡± Faye answered as she nodded her head.

    Ruby cleared her throat and before she could put her hand on Archie, both Archie and Eve opened their eyes and grabbed her prosthetic arm. She was startled when those two suddenly awake and not to mention they grabbed her arm really tightly that it made a little cracking sound.

    ¡°Wow, you guys are on guard even in your sleep. That¡¯s really amazing,¡± Faye said as she approached. ¡°Come on, wake up, it¡¯s time for training,¡± she continued as she looked at both of them with a smile on her face.

    Archie and Eve were walking behind the others as they entered the training facility. It looked like a hangar and it was so big it could fill at least a dozen of planes inside.

    ¡°Archie, I still haven¡¯t fulfilled my promise to you,¡± Ruby said as she looked back at Archie.

    ¡°Promise?¡± Archie asked as he tilted his head and raised his eyebrows.

    Ruby used her hand like a gun. ¡°Shooting training,¡± she answered with a smile on her face. ¡°I guess it¡¯s finally time for me to teach you how to use a gun properly. Eve can join us as well since I believe she¡¯s not familiar with guns as well,¡± she continued as she looked at Eve.

    ¡°Hmm? These two don¡¯t know how to use a gun? Seriously?¡± Nova asked as she looked at Archie and Eve.

    ¡°I do but I¡¯m not that good since I don¡¯t even remember when the last time I shot a gun because I have always used my swords or my hands to fight parasites,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°For me, I never used any weapon in my life since my hands are enough to deal with them,¡± Eve answered.

    Nova, Faye, and Aster looked at each other and were surprised when they heard it.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s perfect timing then since we will be having the whole facility for ourselves today. You can try all the guns that we have and Ruby will be teaching you both. Right, Ruby?¡± Faye said.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s my plan,¡± Ruby answered.

    Faye and the others were busy sparrings while Ruby was teaching Archie and Eve how to aim. Since Archie had basic training, he knew about it already but not Eve, she looked at the guns and played with them.

    ¡°You need to be careful and not to point the gun at anyone,¡± Ruby said as she flinched since Eve was rotating and pointing the gun randomly.

    ¡°What if I point my finger at you? Does that count as well,¡± Eve jokingly asked as she pointed her index finger at Ruby. ¡°I¡¯m just joking,¡± she continued while Ruby slowly moved away from her.

    Archie looked at Eve who was smiling and chuckling. ¡°I forgot to ask you about that ability. How did you do that? You don¡¯t have to answer it if you don¡¯t want to,¡±

    Eve looked at Archie and Ruby who seemed curious about it. ¡°It has something to do with the parasite inside your body, I can control anything or anyone as long as there¡¯s a parasite inside their body so I use them to harm themselves,¡± Eve answered.

    ¡°Wait, really? Isn¡¯t that a bit too powerful?¡± Ruby asked as she cocked the pistol in her hand.

    ¡°It does but since I will be the mother of the parasite in the future, I think they gave me that power so no parasites could hurt me,¡± Eve answered as she looked at Ruby. ¡°Still, there are a few exceptions like the kings since they¡¯re a higher being compared to the other bugs,¡± she explained as she looked at the shooting target.

    Ruby stared at Archie who was checking the aim of each gun while she raised her eyebrows. ¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± she replied. ¡°Anyway, don¡¯t play around with the guns and start shooting on the target,¡± she continued as she looked at Archie and Eve.

    After an hour of shooting practice, both Archie and Eve started to get used to the aim. Both of them loved the magnum pistol because the power and the recoil were a nice experience.

    ¡°How¡¯s the practice going on?¡± Faye asked as she walked toward them.

    ¡°Even though they¡¯re the best in close combat because of their strength, they¡¯re still like us when we first used a gun. Their aim isn¡¯t that bad but I don¡¯t think they would use them on the field,¡± Ruby answered as she watched Archie and Eve shooting the magnum pistol.

    Faye hummed while she looked at Eve who had enough of playing with guns. ¡°Eve, do you want to spar?¡± she asked, Ruby and Archie immediately looked at her with their eyebrows raised.

    ¡°A spar? With who? I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anyone in this building that can win against me,¡± Eve answered as she looked at her surroundings.

    ¡°I know that already, but what about Archie? I¡¯m curious about how strong you guys are compared to the others,¡± Faye explained as she looked at Archie. ¡°What do you think, Archie? Do you want to show it to us? Your close combat skill?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t want to because I know I will lose immediately when my opponent is Eve and not to mention when it comes to close combat and fist fights. I still treasure my life and I don¡¯t want to die yet,¡± Archie answered jokingly.

    ¡°I see, how about you spar with me, Eve, are you interested?¡± Faye asked with her arms crossed.

    Before Eve could answer Faye¡¯s question, a soldier came into the building hurriedly. ¡°Lieutenant Colonel Faye! Marshal Gard is summoning you to his office, he wants you to get there immediately,¡± the guy said while he caught his breath.

    Everyone looked at the soldier. ¡°What¡¯s it all about?¡± Faye asked and she didn¡¯t want to go there immediately since the Valor special force wasn¡¯t a part of the Central Nation military so she needed a reason.

    ¡°Marshal Gard received information about the Ex-Human in Indonesia and they captured a few pictures of an unidentified parasite that¡¯s almost as tall as the sky. The unidentified parasite is heading to the bridge and there¡¯s a chance it will break the bridge that connects to Southern Nation,¡± the soldier answered.

    ¡°What?!¡± Faye replied. ¡°Aster, come with me, you guys immediately go to the barrack and prepare your stuff because we will be leaving very soon!¡± she continued as she looked at the others.

    Faye and Aster sprinted and left the training facility while Archie and the others hurriedly went back to the barrack and grabbed their belongings.

    ¡°Wow, it seems they really take it seriously,¡± Eve said while she watched hundreds of people running past their barrack. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s unnecessary to go out there since there¡¯s nothing much you can do about it?¡± she asked as she looked at Ruby.

    ¡°As long as we can distract the king from destroying the bridge, I think that¡¯s good enough. We were lucky because Archie was there and he was the reason we are here right now. I don¡¯t want the other nations to suffer like how we suffered for the past few years,¡± Ruby answered as she looked at her broken sword in her hand.

    ¡°Still sad about the sword? I can find you a new one later,¡± Eve asked.

    Ruby scoffed and smiled. ¡°It would be hard to find a new one, and even if you found it, there¡¯s nobody in this world who can forge this masterpiece again,¡± she answered.

    ¡°If I can break it with my hands, what makes you think that I won¡¯t be able to make it with my hands? Although it won¡¯t look as cool as that it will be sharp enough to kill a parasite,¡± Eve said.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± Ruby replied.

    Faye entered the barrack with Aster behind her. ¡°Alright, we are going to leave tonight and it seems that you guys already know the situation already so I don¡¯t have to say much about it,¡± she said. ¡°We aren¡¯t going to fight the king,¡± she continued and made everyone a bit confused.

    ¡°We are not?¡± Ruby asked.

    ¡°We are going to escort the newly developed weapon and they want to test it out on that parasite,¡± Faye said with a serious expression.

 Chapter 99

    ¡°This is nostalgic and brings back bad memories at the same time,¡± Archie said as he looked at the bunker that led him to the underground where the bullet train was.

    ¡°Right? I don¡¯t even remember when the last time I went down to the underground since the Eastern Nation lost electricity,¡± Ruby replied as she entered the bunker with the others. ¡°Although I miss this, it gives me a bit of anxiety,¡± she continued.

    Eve looked at the Axis Humans that came with Faye, a total of 102 Axis Humans were going down the bunker. Their gazes were pointing at her and it really annoyed her that she started to think about killing them so they would stop staring at her.

    ¡°Alright! We are leaving in ten minutes! Check your equipment and make sure you don¡¯t forget anything!¡± Faye said as she put her gun belt and vest belt on.

    While everyone was busy preparing their stuff, the ground shook and they all looked at the ceiling. It was the blimp that tried to fly and it brought the secret weapon to deal with parasites like the king.

    ¡°So, that developed weapon, is it a bomb?¡± Ruby asked as she looked at Faye.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a bomb but it¡¯s not like any other bombs since it doesn¡¯t explode,¡± Faye answered and put her guns in the belts. ¡°It¡¯s pretty much harmless to the humans but it¡¯s dangerous to parasites,¡± she continued as she looked at Ruby.

    ¡°But we still have a parasite inside our body, are you sure we are going to be safe near that bomb?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°They have tested it and it¡¯s safe since we are not entirely a parasite,¡± Aster answered as he put on his vest.

    ¡°What does that even mean?¡± Nova asked as she checked the magazine.

    ¡°To put it simply, if our blood is still red and not black or any dark colors, we won¡¯t be affected by it. The radiation is only harmful to parasites because their whole body is covered in parasites while we are not,¡± Faye said as she looked at them.

    Archie and Eve looked at each other and they were a bit worried about that developed weapon. He would be fine as long as he could regenerate but Eve on the other hand couldn¡¯t and it might be dangerous to her.

    ¡°Anyway, you don¡¯t have to worry because nothing will happen to us,¡± Faye said as she walked past them to check on the others. Ruby and Vincent looked at Archie and Eve with worried expressions.

    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time!¡± Faye shouted and everyone immediately walked toward the elevator and went down to the station.

    Everyone get on the train and they immediately went down to the south.

    ¡°Listen up! Since we will be fighting a king-type parasite who¡¯s currently in the middle of the sea. We are going up to the Sky Station and protect the bridge with everything we got,¡± Faye said and stared at everyone. ¡°The estimated time for the blimp to reach the south will be three hours after we reached our destination, so keep it in mind that we are going to be on our own for three hours!¡± she continued with a serious expression.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, we have never fought a king-type parasite, we also have no information related to the parasite that we are going to deal with. I heard these parasites have some kind of special ability and we can¡¯t just go there and face it head on,¡± A soldier asked with his hand raised.

    Faye nodded with understanding. ¡°I know that you¡¯re worried but this is the reason why they made this special force. We will be dealing with anything with zero information, your skill to adapt and survive are the best compared to the other Axis Humans. This is our first real mission, so don¡¯t give me that look and do your best,¡± she explained.

    Archie looked at them and every single one of them was nervous and anxious about the mission. Ruby and Vincent who had been battling a king still couldn¡¯t keep themselves calm knowing how terrifying a king-type parasite was.

    While everyone was collecting their courage, Eve was amazed by the tunnel and looked at it as if she was on a tour or vacation. Archie was more worried about Eve¡¯s safety because he wanted to know how dangerous the bomb was.

    After three hours of a dark tunnel, they finally could see the end of the station and everyone immediately stood up.

    The close they were to the scene, the more stressed and anxious they were, it reminded Archie of the moment he entered FalCon-1 with Iohann and the rest of the team. The atmosphere felt the same, the expressions they made were the same, and lastly, the scenery looked the same as he went up in the elevator.

    The doors were opened, and they were in the far south of the Central Nation. It was already empty because people had been evacuated since they could see the king-type parasite in the distance.

    All of them were shocked at how big that parasite was and they started to believe that they would only send their lives to that parasite rather than fight it. Faye took a deep breath and exhaled deeply with her trembling breath.

    No matter how prepared they were, how hard they tried to convince themselves, the moment they saw that massive parasite that walked in the sea, they lost all of them in an instant.

    ¡°Let¡¯s move, the longer you stared at it, the less brave you will get. Trust me, everything that is going on in your head, would happen or even get far worse,¡± Ruby said as she grabbed Faye¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°If you¡¯re afraid! Just think that your friend will hold the responsibility for your life! All of you have to look at your left and right, that¡¯s the lives you have to protect during the mission. The less you think about yourself, the brave you will get! Trust your friends and partners because they¡¯re the only ones you got!¡± Ruby said as she looked at the Axis Humans in front of her.

    Ruby¡¯s word struck everyone¡¯s chest and it was good enough to give them courage. Faye looked at her and nodded her head to show gratitude for bringing everyone back on their feet.

    ¡°Let¡¯s move!¡± Ruby shouted and everyone immediately followed her from behind.

    It wasn¡¯t about who had the higher rank, in that world, the experience was the only measurement in the military. The more experienced they were, the more respected they would be and that was a fact.

    ¡°That¡¯s a nice speech you got there, Ruby,¡± Archie said as he walked next to her.

    Ruby sighed and closed her eyes with a bit of smile on her face. ¡°That¡¯s all I can do,¡± she replied as she looked at Archie.

    ¡°I think that was enough, everyone needed that,¡± Archie said as he looked forward. ¡°Back then, there was no such a thing as encouraging words, the last thing I heard from Iohann was if we were to fail, we have no regret. How discouraging that was for someone who had no experience in the real world,¡± he continued as he chuckled quietly.

    ¡°Our only hope is you and Eve, Archie, I don¡¯t think the bomb would do anything to a king-type parasite because we have seen it ourselves that the serum didn¡¯t even do anything to it,¡± Ruby said as she looked at Faye who walked in front of her.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that, Ruby, I¡¯m worried that Eve might be in danger if she got exposed to the radiation because it sounded like a real deal to me,¡± Archie replied as he looked at Eve who walked next to him.

    Eve turned her head and looked at them. ¡°You¡¯re afraid that I¡¯m going to die? You don¡¯t have to worry about me because I won¡¯t die,¡± she said. ¡°Even if I¡¯m dying, I know for sure that Archie would come and save me because I believe he would do something like that,¡± she continued as she stared at Archie with a gentle smile on her face.

    ¡°I will but that doesn¡¯t mean you can be careless out there because we will be in the middle of the sea. If I fell down to the sea, I won¡¯t be able to do much to come to save you, so please be careful and stay by my side,¡± Archie replied with a bit of concern on his face.

    ¡°I will stay by your side and nothing can stop me from doing so. Although I said that I won¡¯t die, that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t,¡± Eve said. ¡°If I die, it will be the end for the earth as well because that was what they told me back then,¡± she continued as she looked at Archie.

    ¡°So, please protect me, my Adam,¡± Eve whispered into Archie¡¯s ear with a smile on her face.

 Chapter 100

    ¡°So this is how the best Axis Humans act?¡± Eve asked while she looked at one of the Axis Humans who got a panic attack that she couldn¡¯t breathe nor move her body. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about her, I¡¯m talking about all of them, they¡¯re all screaming in fear deep down inside,¡± she continued as she pointed at almost everyone.

    ¡°It is what it is, what can you do? If it wasn¡¯t because Archie and his truth, both me and Vincent will be acting the same way. Especially after knowing that we humans are not meant to fight these parasites but to become their nutrition, I don¡¯t think anything can beat that,¡± Ruby answered as she cocked her pistol.

    Archie sighed and looked at Faye. ¡°Faye, you take care of these guys, I don¡¯t think we have the time to waste by taking care of them. Let the four of us go there first and you guys can come if you want to,¡± he said with his arms crossed.

    Faye turned around and looked at Archie and the others, they looked so calm and stared at the Axis Humans with pitiful expressions.

    ¡°You want to go there on your own?¡± Faye asked as she walked toward them.

    ¡°We have always been on our own, nothing new,¡± Archie answered with Ruby and Vincent nodding their heads in agreement. ¡°It¡¯s better for you to stay as well, Nova, just come to us with the rest of them,¡± he said to Nova who was checking on the woman.

    ¡°Yeah, I will stay here,¡± Nova nodded in agreement because she was also sacred and anxious.

    ¡°Please be careful, we will catch up with you guys soon enough,¡± Faye said with the urge to tag along but she had to take care of her own team.

    ¡°We fought and survived from the king parasites, being careful is what we always do so don¡¯t worry and take care of your team, Faye,¡± Ruby replied and put her pistol on her waist. ¡°We will be leaving now, come on, Archie,¡± she said and then the four of them left to the long bridge that led to the pillar.

    Archie grabbed both of his swords and looked at Ruby. ¡°You can use this one, just don¡¯t lose it,¡± he said as he offered Nyx to Ruby.

    ¡°Are you sure? I can¡¯t guarantee you that I will keep it safe though,¡± Ruby asked and looked at the sword in Archie¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Just take it since Eve broke your sword,¡± Archie shoved the sword onto Ruby¡¯s face. ¡°You will need this and since I have one and Eve by my side, I don¡¯t think I will need more than one,¡± he continued.

    Ruby grabbed it and swung it around immediately. ¡°So that means you¡¯re giving this to me?¡± she asked with her eyebrows raised.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m lending it to you so I will take it back when you don¡¯t need it anymore,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine with that,¡± Ruby said as she stared at the sword in awe.

    Archie and the others looked at the king-type parasite from the bridge before they entered the pillar and went up to the Sky Station. The front half looked like a lizard while the back half looked like a snake, the four legs with so many tentacles on the back.

    The parasite swam so slowly toward the pillar and the size wasn¡¯t that different from the parasite that Archie fought near the island. By the look of it, it was an amphibian parasite and by the shape of its body, the parasite would be able to climb with its legs.

    ¡°So, how are we going to fight this? Any ideas?¡± Vincent asked Archie.

    ¡°Compared to the one that I fought near the island, I think this one wouldn¡¯t be able to crush the pillar because this one doesn¡¯t have a long body. I think it will take this one a while to destroy the pillar and based on the body structure, this one is meant to be able to climb like a lizard so let¡¯s try to fight him outside the pillar,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°You want us to fight on the pillar?¡± Ruby asked and looked at Archie with disbelief. ¡°You know if we fall, we are going to die, right?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t fall then,¡± Archie said with a smile on his face while Eve chuckled. ¡°Come on, we have to keep moving,¡± he said as he walked toward the pillar.

    They went to the top of the Sky Station and it looked so empty up there, Archie looked at the empty hallway that looked the same as the last time he saw it. The smell was still the same, the smell of burnt steak and clean carpet gave him a bit of comfort.

    ¡°You used to live up here, right, Archie?¡± Ruby asked.

    ¡°Yeah, West station room 101,442, that was my old room, and spent almost my entire life there,¡± Archie answered as he nodded his head. ¡°I wonder who owns my room right now,¡±

    While they walked in the hallway they saw the parasite was getting closer to the pillar and it started to dive into the water. The four of them hurriedly ran and went to the pillar where the parasite was going.

    After an hour of running, they reached the big circle room that right above the pillar. They looked at the steel door in front of them and Archie forcefully opened it with his bare hands since it needed a security code to open. The moment the door opened, the sound of the machinery and the strong wind were enough to deafen them.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the elevator?¡± Ruby asked as she looked down and saw nothing but cables all the way down to the base of the pillar.

    ¡°What elevator? We are going to climb down using that ladder because we won¡¯t be able to call the elevator without the code,¡± Archie said as he pointed at the small ladder that could only feet one foot and one hand.

    ¡°Are you fucking kidding me?! It¡¯s going to take a while!¡± Ruby replied as she went on her knees with her head looking down.

    Eve spread her wings and jumped off of the edge and then she stopped right below them. ¡°I will be waiting outside,¡± she said and then flew down.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get going,¡± Archie said as he jumped at the small ladder and started to climb down the ladder.

    Ruby and Vincent couldn¡¯t do anything but follow Archie¡¯s lead and started to climb the ladder.

    ¡°This is safe, right?¡± Ruby asked as she looked down at Archie.

    ¡°Yes, everything inside the Sky Station is safe and strong enough for all kinds of situations. The only problem is that this pillar isn¡¯t meant to deal with king parasite though so we need to hurry before destroying the pillar and killing us all,¡± Archie answered.

    The three of them climbed down the stairs and they had no idea for how long they had been climbing the ladder but one thing was certain was that they could hear the sound of the ocean.

    Archie looked down and saw a source of light coming from outside, he looked up to look at Ruby and Vincent. ¡°It seems that Eve made an exit for us, it¡¯s not that far,¡± he said.

    ¡°Really? That¡¯s great because I¡¯m starting to get hypnotized by these bars¡­¡± Ruby replied and sighed with relief.

    Archie looked at the hole that Eve made, it was on the other side of the ladder which was a bit unfortunate for them because the gap was too big for Ruby and Vincent to jump across. He looked around and found a way to climb around it, Ruby and Vincent followed him from behind carefully.

    ¡°Wow, I never thought I would make it out alive,¡± Vincent said as he rested his hands on his knees. ¡°I can¡¯t stop trembling,¡± he continued and started to chuckle nervously since he was afraid of heights.

    Eve landed out of nowhere and it startled Vincent and Ruby, she folded her wings and put it back inside her back. ¡°Took you long enough,¡± she said as she approached Archie.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the parasite? I can¡¯t see it anywhere,¡± Ruby asked as she carefully walked to the edge.

    ¡°Look down,¡± Eve said.

    Ruby looked down and saw the parasite was about to climb up the pillar. ¡°Now that we are out here, what do you want us to do?¡± she asked as she looked down.

    Before Archie could answer Ruby¡¯s question, the pillar shook really hard and it almost made Ruby and Vincent fall off of the pillar. Fortunately, Archie managed to grab Vincent¡¯s hand before he slid off of the edge while Eve grabbed Ruby¡¯s hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous out here, this is a bad idea,¡± Vincent said as he held Archie¡¯s arm so tightly.

    Archie looked at Eve and he nodded his head. ¡°Hang on tight, we are going to jump down!¡±

    ¡°No, no!¡± Vincent said as he shook his head.

 Chapter 101 - Fun Times.

    ¡°Are you out of your mind?!¡± Vincent yelled at Archie while he held him so tightly. ¡°Oh god! I don¡¯t want to die like this!¡± he kept yelling that Archie couldn¡¯t help but laugh at him.

    Archie looked at Eve who spread her wings with Ruby hanging on her arm. ¡°Eve, catch!¡± he said as he threw Vincent toward her and they could hear Vincent¡¯s voice cracking.

    Eve grabbed Vincent and spread her wings open again to slow her down while Archie dove toward the king parasite.

    It took him a whole two minutes to finally reached the bottom of the pillar. He held his sword with both hands as he prepared to stab his sword into the parasite¡¯s skin.

    Eve watched Archie bravely stab his sword at the parasite¡¯s skin and he almost slipped his hands on the sword handle. He hang on to the sword while the sword slowly but surely cut the skin of the parasite and it was enough to make the parasite scream in pain.

    For a parasite that big, its tail and tentacles moved quite fast and not like the other king parasites he fought. Archie had to move around because the tentacles could smash him into pulp if he didn¡¯t care and the skin itself was slippery like an eel.

    ¡°This is really trouble some,¡± Archie said as he pulled the sword from the parasite¡¯s skin and dodged all the tentacles then got on one of the tentacles.

    Eve looked at the pillar and there was a quite huge space so she could put Vincent and Ruby down. She immediately dove down and the gravity force was so high that both Vincent and Ruby almost passed out because of it.

    ¡°Alright, you guys can chill here while I¡¯m going to help Archie,¡± Eve said as she put down both of them and put her wings back into her body. ¡°You can do whatever you want if you think it¡¯s necessary, so have fun,¡± she continued as she walked backward and then jumped off of the edge.

    Ruby and Vincent walked to the edge and watched Eve free falling then she landed on top of the parasite¡¯s head like it was nothing. Her force was enough to push the parasite down and lost its grip on the pillar.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s just cover them I guess?¡± Vincent asked as he grabbed his sniper rifle from his back.

    Ruby grabbed her small bag on her waist and looked at ten bullets that were filled with the serum. ¡°Let¡¯s send the parasite away from the pillar,¡± she said as she grabbed three bullets from the bag and gave it to Vincent. ¡°Make every bullet count,¡±

    ¡°Heh, with a target this big, missing my shot would be a miracle,¡± Vincent replied as he loaded the bullets in the magazine. ¡°Alright, where do you want me to put a hole in that parasite¡¯s body?¡± He asked as he cocked the sniper rifle.

    Ruby sat next to Vincent and looked at him with his trembling hands. ¡°Are you sure you can do it? You seem to be having trouble with the height. Let me do it for you,¡± she asked with a smile on her face.

    ¡°Is it that obvious?!¡± Vincent asked back as he looked at Ruby. ¡°I must look so lame right now,¡± he said as he gave the sniper rifle to Ruby.

    Ruby chuckled and shook her head. ¡°But you¡¯re still the man I love,¡± she said as she grabbed the sniper rifle. ¡°Now, let¡¯s focus on the mission,¡± she said as she aimed the rifle at the parasite.

    Ruby watched Archie struggling to stay on the parasite¡¯s body while at the same time being attacked by the tentacles. Eve, on the other hand, used her claws to stay on the parasite¡¯s body as she slid down to the back.

    Ruby aimed the eye of the parasite but it kept moving and made it a bit hard to directly hit the eye, not to mention the fierce wind on the sea that could easily move the bullet.

    ¡°This is harder than I thought, the wind is unpredictable and the parasite won¡¯t stay still as well,¡± Ruby said as she maintained her breathing.

    ¡°Need a hand?¡± A soothing woman¡¯s voice could be heard from behind Ruby and Vincent. They turned around and saw the wind witch stood behind them with a smile on her face. ¡°I heard that the wind is being a bit troublesome,¡± she said as she walked toward them.

    ¡°Yeah, I mean it won¡¯t be a problem because Eve is here but since she has to hide her ability, she wants to mess around with the parasite instead of really fighting it,¡± Ruby looked at the wind witch.

    ¡°Then let me clear up the sky for you,¡± The wind witch said, and then she disappeared.

    The wind witch brought the wind all the way up with her that it felt so cold and hot at the same time since the wind at the bottom and from the top temperature was so different.

    ¡°I kind of curious what it feels like to be a wind, it should feel nice, right?¡± Vincent asked with his hair gotten blown by the wind.

    ¡°Who knows,¡± Ruby answered as she aimed the rifle at the parasite with the wind slowly disappearing.

    The wind disappeared and it felt so hot immediately. Ruby held her breath as she put her finger on the trigger and aimed at the parasite¡¯s eye. She waited patiently and when the parasite turned its head forward, she tapped the trigger and the bullet traveled right onto its eye.

    ¡°Bullseye!¡± Vincent said while he looked at the parasite with a binocular.

    The parasite screeched and banged its front legs on the pillar which was enough to shake the whole pillar. Both Ruby and Vincent weren¡¯t expecting the impact would be that powerful and they both launched from where they were sitting and slowly flew off the edge.

    ¡°Oh fuck!¡± Vincent yelled as he looked down and grabbed his pistol then emptied the magazine to attract Eve and Archie¡¯s attention.

    Archie looked up and saw both of them were free falling. ¡°Eve!¡± he yelled his lungs out at Eve who was on the back of the parasite.

    Eve looked up and raised her eyebrows with disbelief and then she grabbed the parasite¡¯s back with her hand and stuck her foot in it. She jumped as high as possible and it was enough to push the parasite down and lost its grip.

    Archie held onto his sword as he fell down into the sea with the parasite while Eve grabbed those two. Eve was waiting for the right moment and before they hit the ocean, she threw both of them up in the air to slow down the momentum.

    Archie was getting dragged into the depth of the sea and the sunlight couldn¡¯t penetrate the water anymore. It was so dark and he had no idea what was behind or in front of him, he tried to swim to the surface but the parasite¡¯s body kept sucking him deeper.

    Eve swam as fast as she could and grabbed Archie¡¯s hand, she looked at him with a smile on her face.

    ¡°That was so fun,¡± Eve said as she brought Archie to the surface while she giggled.

    Archie wiped his face with a smile on his face. ¡°I¡¯m totally hating the sea now,¡±

    Eve was laughing out loud and it was the first time Archie heard her genuine laughter, she looked so charming and beautiful.

    ¡°Guys! We have a bigger problem now!¡± Vincent said as he swam toward them both with Ruby next to him. ¡°We are going to be eaten by the parasite with nothing that can protect us!¡± he continued as he looked down at the water.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, we have someone who can bring us back to the shore,¡± Archie said as he looked at the wind witch floated in the air. ¡°Can you help us?¡± he asked as he stared at the wind witch.

    The wind witch smiled and nodded then disappeared, she brought the wind toward them and created waves to bring them to the shore. The wave was so high that it almost looked like a tsunami and the four of them were riding the wave.

    The parasite swam and followed them from behind and it swam faster than the wave that it already right below them.

    Eve looked down and giggled mischievously. ¡°Everyone hold on tight!¡±

    The parasite went to the surface and broke the wave while the four of them were getting launched into the air. Archie looked back and saw the parasite¡¯s mouth was ready to eat them up but they barely survived it because the parasite missed.

    The four of them ended up on the shore and the sand was warm enough to give them warmth. They all stood up and looked at the sea with the parasite was slowly swimming toward them.

    ¡°Now this is more exciting,¡± Eve said with a smile on her face.

 Chapter 102 - Fire Breath.

    ¡°Well, our mission here is done, right? Are we really going to fight the parasite and not wait for the others?¡± Vincent asked and then he realized something as he looked at the pillar which was a few miles away from them. ¡°Oh, right, how are they going to help us if we are on an island while they¡¯re inside the bridge?¡± he said as he pulled his hair back.

    ¡°I thought you¡¯re a cool and quiet guy, Vincent. I never thought that you would talk a lot and have a sense of humor at the same time,¡± Archie said as he looked at Vincent.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the Vincent that I know,¡± Ruby replied with a smile on her face. ¡°He¡¯s acting cool just to impress someone and once he feels comfortable with someone, he would show his true self,¡± she continued and chuckled at Vincent.

    Vincent looked at Ruby and tilted his head. ¡°Come on, Bub, that¡¯s not true,¡±

    ¡°I hate to ruin your conversation but the bug is about to come here. We need to move to the middle of the island so we can kill this bug,¡± Eve said as she stared at the parasite.

    ¡°Alright, I think we can kill it if we kite it into the island,¡± Archie replied. ¡°Let¡¯s go, we don¡¯t have much time since the blimp is about to drop the bomb on the parasite and us,¡±

    All of them ran as fast as they could while the parasite walked up to the shore.

    Faye and the others just got up into the Sky Station and they had no idea that the parasite was already away from the pillar. They looked out the window and saw the parasite was on the island and they were confused why the parasite suddenly changed its course.

    ¡°Why is the parasite far away there? Didn¡¯t the whole station just shake not so long ago?¡± Aster asked as he stared at the parasite. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t tell me¡­¡±

    ¡°Find Archie and the others! Go!¡± Faye said as she ran through the long and endless bridge while the others followed her from behind.

    They ran for a whole ten minutes and suddenly Faye saw the steel gate for the maintenance was forcefully opened. She stop and looked down while the others looked at how crazy the four of them were because the steel gate was sturdy and strong enough to handle pressure, but looking at it and how it was damaged, they couldn¡¯t believe it if one of them opened the steel gate.

    ¡°Do you think they went here?¡± Faye asked as she on her knee and looked down the hole.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, let¡¯s try and call the elevator down,¡± Aster said as he grabbed the keycard and used it to call the elevator down.

    The elevator could only bring a dozen people at most so Faye only brought Aster and Nova with her into the elevator while the others stayed there and wait.

    ¡°Do you think they lured the parasite into the island?¡± Nova asked Aster.

    ¡°The gap between us going up to the Sky Station and those four was only half an hour. How did they go that far in just half an hour? That¡¯s impossible no matter how fast they swim and not to mention the parasite was on their tail,¡± Faye answered as she leaned on the railing and rubbed the bottom lips with her index finger.

    ¡°Then how did they manage to go over there then? Fly?¡± Nova asked with her eyebrow raised.

    ¡°Who knows, but it¡¯s impossible for us,¡± Faye answered, and then she saw a hole behind Aster and Nova. ¡°Stop the elevator! Look!¡± she shouted as she pointed at the hole in front of her.

    The three of them looked at the hole and decided to walk through it.

    They ended up outside the pillar and Faye was a bit curious about the man-made hole it didn¡¯t look like it was being cut open, it was more like it was being torn.

    Aster squinted his eyes and saw a bullet shell near the edge, he walked toward it and took it.

    ¡°They were here,¡± Aster said as he showed the bullet shell to Faye and Nova.

    Nova walked to the edge and looked down. ¡°There¡¯s a scratch mark on the pillar,¡± she said as she pointed at the claw marks.

    Faye looked down and the damage was quite heavy but thankfully the pillar could still withstand the damage. If there were more scratches on the pillar around it, it would be the end for South Nation.

    ¡°Did they jump off of the edge and rode the parasite? But looking at the distance between where we stand and the scratch marks, I don¡¯t think they would survive the fall,¡± Nova looked at Aster and Faye who looked so confused as she was.

    ¡°It¡¯s either they jumped off the edge or fell down because there was only one bullet shell here. They might get launched because of the bumping,¡± Faye answered as she looked at the parasite walking to the middle of the island.

    ¡°Now what? We can¡¯t get over there,¡± Nova asked.

    ¡°We can do nothing,¡± Faye answered and then they heard the sound of propellers up in the sky. ¡°That¡¯s our only option,¡± she continued as she looked at the blimp in the distance.

    Archie and the others reached the middle of the island while Eve was flying up above the ground to check on the surroundings. The mountains and hills were surrounding them and there was nothing else but dried grass and the hot wind.

    ¡°We should be fine here, it¡¯s time to play,¡± Eve said as she landed on her knee. ¡°The blimp is on its way here so we have at least an hour to deal with this parasite,¡± she continued.

    The parasite growled the moment it knew that Archie and the others didn¡¯t run from it anymore. It started to run and the ground shook heavily which almost made Ruby and Vincent lose their balance.

    The parasite screamed at them as it kept charging at them, Ruby and Vincent ran to the side while Eve and Archie stayed and be the bait.

    ¡°Fuck! The rifle is jamming!¡± Vincent said as he tried to cock the rifle and get the water out.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, we have time to fix it since Archie and Eve will handle this,¡± Ruby replied as she looked back. ¡°We need to find a perfect spot on the high ground,¡±

    Archie held his sword so tightly and stared at the parasite¡¯s eye. ¡°It¡¯s already taking effect, the serum, it¡¯s only a matter of time until it affects the parasite¡¯s whole body,¡± he said as he looked at the parasite¡¯s eye that melted.

    ¡°This is not good,¡± Eve said as she put the wings back into her body.

    ¡°What is?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°The breath produced sulfur since you can smell it and it seems that it could breathe fire,¡± Eve answered as she looked at Archie. ¡°Just be careful,¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Archie nodded his head with understanding.

    ¡°It¡¯s time for you to fly,¡± Eve said as she slowly walked back and punched the ground enough to launch Archie up in the air.

    Archie wasn¡¯t ready for it but he was already up in the air and the parasite¡¯s eyes were pointing at him.

    The parasite leaned its body to the back and used the back legs to jump. Archie was shocked when the parasite was targeting him while he couldn¡¯t do anything and let gravity take control of his body.

    The parasite¡¯s mouth was wide open and it stink so bad but before it could swallow Archie, Eve jumped and kicked the parasite¡¯s left jaw. It was enough to make the parasite get knocked back and fell down to the ground and rolled its body.

    ¡°Now, fly!¡± Eve said and grabbed Archie¡¯s arm then threw him toward the parasite.

    Archie flew toward the parasite and stabbed the parasite in the throat but because Eve used too much strength, his arm was inside the parasite and it got stuck inside. He tried to pull his arm back but the muscle inside the parasite¡¯s throat was gripping his arm and slowly sucking him in.

    Archie had no choice but to use his ability and transform himself into the parasite. He ripped the parasite¡¯s throat with his left hand and it was enough to give space for him to free himself.

    Archie pulled his arm and his whole arm was covered with phlegm and it was corrosive because it made a sizzling sound on his skin. He immediately swung his arm to remove the phlegm from his arm but it was so sticky that he could do nothing.

    The parasite swung its head so suddenly and threw Archie down to the ground.

    The parasite growled with its head pointing at the sky. The hole that Archie made, made the phlegm come out from the hole and suddenly it got ignited and burned the parasite¡¯s whole head. It breathe green flame as Eve warned, and the flame was high enough that it was visible from the distance.

    Faye looked at the parasite¡¯s fire breath with her eyes wide open. ¡°What the¡­¡±

 Chapter 103 - Didnâ€™t Go As Planned.

    Archie was groaning in pain as he turned himself back to his human form and tried to get rid of it. He didn¡¯t want to use his other hand because it was dangerous so he kept swinging his arm but it didn¡¯t do anything.

    ¡°I can¡¯t get rid of it, Eve, cut my arm off!¡± Archie said while he felt an immense amount of pain from the corrosion on his arms.

    Eve looked at Archie¡¯s hand which was slowly melting and she immediately cut it off without hesitation. It was so fast and clean that Archie didn¡¯t even feel anything until his blood came out from his shoulder.

    Archie sighed with relief as his arm slowly grew back and looked at his sword which looked fine even though it was smeared with phlegm. He didn¡¯t know what to do but he didn¡¯t want to leave his sword behind so he grabbed the handle where it didn¡¯t smear with phlegm.

    ¡°Be careful, Eve, you might injure yourself,¡± Archie said as he held his shoulder.

    ¡°What¡¯s this? Are you worried about me?¡± Eve asked with a smile on her face. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, my skin has high resistance and it won¡¯t affect me,¡± she continued.

    Eve grabbed the sword from Archie¡¯s hand and then she touched the phlegm with her bare hand. Archie looked at her palm and it didn¡¯t do any harm, so he believed her immediately.

    ¡°See, nothing happened,¡± Eve said as she showed her hand. ¡°Let me play with this bug while you recover from that injury,¡±

    The parasite looked down and glared at Eve, he breathed fire at her while Archie took a giant leap to avoid the fire. Eve was bathed in green flame but it didn¡¯t affect her at all, even her hair didn¡¯t get burned by the flame, only her uniform turned into ashes.

    The flame got fierce after the parasite noticed that the fire didn¡¯t affect her at all. Archie had to take cover behind a giant rock but it didn¡¯t change the fact he was in danger nonetheless.

    Eve jumped toward the parasite¡¯s mouth and she used her claws to stab its upper mouth. She swung her arm and slammed the parasite¡¯s head to the ground as if it was nothing to her.

    ¡°I wonder if she decides to help us kill all the parasites, do you think humankind will prevail?¡± Vincent asked as he aimed the sniper rifle at the parasite¡¯s head.

    ¡°Do you think she cares about us? I believe she looks at us as food or even worse a piece of trash. Sure she can make the world better, but why should she since she already got everything she wants,¡± Ruby answered as she looked at Eve through the binoculars.

    ¡°But Archie might be able to convince her though, right?¡± Vincent asked and stared at Ruby.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I don¡¯t think Archie really care about us human anymore. He has changed compared to the first time we met him, he doesn¡¯t even have any sympathy toward the humans anymore,¡± Ruby answered as she sighed.

    Eve covered her body with her long silver hair that looked like a piece of cloth. She could modify every part of her body and Archie observed her from a distance because he was curious if he could do something like that.

    Vincent took the shot and hit the parasite in the other eye, then he shot another one in the mouth of the parasite. He was amazed by his own shooting skill because he shot the bullets from a mile away and not to mention the wind was blowing quite hard.

    ¡°That should be enough, right?¡± Vincent asked as he leaned his head back and lifted the sniper rifle.

    The parasite was rampaging and started to smash the ground over and over while Eve casually let everything flow. She jumped over and bounced from debris to debris as if she knew where to go and what was flying toward her.

    Eve pushed herself and went closer to the parasite, she then landed on top of the parasite¡¯s head and scratched its skin with her claws. She rode the parasite while the parasite used its tentacles to attack her but the parasite was only hurting itself because she dodged them all so easily.

    Archie¡¯s arm grew back and he finally could rejoin the battle but the parasite was rampaging because the serum started to show an effect on its body. Slowly but surely the parasite lost its ability to move and see, that was why the parasite was stomping the ground rapidly.

    It was hard for Archie to get closer to the parasite but he took the risk and tried to copy Eve¡¯s movements from earlier. He got launched and started to bounce from debris to debris and he did a great job that Eve was quite impressed by it.

    Archie stabbed his sword and then pulled himself up onto the parasite¡¯s back. Eve clapped her hands as if she was so proud of him but then the parasite¡¯s body started to tremble and let out a deafening screech.

    Archie stabbed the parasite¡¯s neck and pulled it down as hard as he could but it only made things worse because the parasite started to use its claws to scratch its body to get rid of them. The parasite dug the ground as if it tried to run away from danger but both Eve and Archie made sure that it didn¡¯t run away.

    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going? You will stay here and play with us!¡± Eve said as she punched the parasite¡¯s head and it was enough to stun the parasite.

    Archie used the opportunity to cut off the tentacles and managed to cut a few of them before the parasite recover from the punch. Ruby and Vincent watched them and it looked like they were playing around with the parasite.

    The sound of the propellers was getting louder and louder and both of them started to be cautious of their surroundings. Archie knew that the people inside the blimp could see them from the distance and they would start to feel suspicious about him, especially Eve if they knew that they both could handle a king-type parasite on their own.

    ¡°Eve, we need to leave now, we can¡¯t be here because they¡¯re going to drop the bomb on us!¡± Archie said as he pulled the sword from the parasite¡¯s tentacle.

    Eve nodded with understanding and then they both jumped off from the parasite¡¯s body. They ran as fast as they could because the blimp was right above the parasite.

    The sound of the bomb falling from the sky was like a whistle and nobody knew how big the radius of the bomb was. Even Ruby and Vincent started to run as far as they could to protect themselves from the explosion.

    The parasite was digging the ground and half of its body was already buried underground but then the bomb touched its back. The bomb didn¡¯t make any sound at first then the shockwaves were enough to break the wind and it was as fast as the speed of sound.

    If the bomb wasn¡¯t harmful to humans but dangerous to parasites, it could only mean they used some kind of radiation bomb and destroyed the cell of the parasite from the inside.

    Archie looked at Eve he immediately hugged her from behind to protect her from the explosion because her skin was exposed by the explosion.

    They both got blown away by the shockwaves and Archie didn¡¯t let her go as his back was exposed by the explosion. He immediately felt his back was itchy and it started to burn that came right behind his skin.

    Archie started to cough blood while Eve stared at him from up close. His eyes turned red and his skin turned red as if his whole body was boiled.

    ¡°Stay away from me, Eve, you might get-¡± Before Archie could finish his sentence, he groaned in pain and his whole body started to transform into a parasite. A form that he never knew was possible for him to be like that.

    Eve was a bit surprised and she immediately grabbed Archie¡¯s hand and dragged him far away and went into the forest behind the hill.

    Faye looked at the massive explosion and she was worried because the general who commanded the soldiers inside the blimp confirmed there were four people near the parasite. She was worried that even though the bomb was harmless to them, the explosion alone was enough to kill them if they were too close to it.

    The general looked down and saw the parasite¡¯s body was laying on the ground and it didn¡¯t move a muscle. ¡°Did we kill it?¡± he asked.

    The general squinted his eyes and realized it wasn¡¯t the parasite, it was just the skin of the parasite because it was a bit transparent and saw a giant hole underneath it.

    ¡°It seems that it wasn¡¯t enough, let¡¯s go back,¡± The general said. ¡°But it should be enough to prevent the parasite from destroying the Sky Station. Good work everyone,¡± he continued.

    Eve looked at Archie with her eyes squinted. ¡°What have they done,¡± she said calmly.

 Chapter 104 - The Answer.

    ¡°Archie?¡± Eve looked at Archie¡¯s body which got bigger and bulkier while he was groaning in pain.

    Different types of parasites inside Archie¡¯s body were trying to free themselves from the radiation inside his body. It was a bit concerning to watch for Eve since she had never seen something like that before and she didn¡¯t know what to do.

    Eve decided to knock Archie out while he was still in his human form and hadn¡¯t turned into a parasite. She tried to control the parasites inside his body but it was quite hard to do because those parasites weren¡¯t listening to her command.

    After an hour of walking, Ruby and Vincent finally saw Eve in the middle of the forest. They both ran toward her and immediately noticed Archie¡¯s body was being dragged by her.

    ¡°Archie!¡± Ruby and Vincent said the same thing as they ran toward Archie who was unconscious.

    ¡°What happened to him?¡± Ruby asked and looked at Eve. ¡°The bomb, wasn¡¯t it? But how are you safe?¡± She kept asking before Eve could answer them.

    ¡°It was the bomb and he protected me from the radiation. Although I look fine, I¡¯m starting to feel weird inside my body but I still can control them, not like Archie who took a full blast,¡± Eve answered.

    ¡°We can¡¯t stay here, we have to move or they will find him and know the truth about who he is. We have to leave before Faye and the others came here to check,¡± Vincent said and looked at Ruby.

    ¡°Yes, we have to hide until dark and take care of him. He should be able to recover from this, right?¡± Ruby looked at Eve who had been staring at Archie¡¯s body twitching and moving on its own.

    ¡°He should be able to but if the parasites in his body are trying to leave, it will be hard for him to recover because the parasites are rejecting his body right now,¡± Eve answered as she tried to calm down the parasites in Archie¡¯s body. ¡°But he should be fine because I¡¯m trying my best to calm them down,¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. Now, let¡¯s go and find a place to hide,¡± Ruby said as she looked at both of them.

    They went to the far north and they watched the blimp go to the bridge of the Sky Station. Ruby believed that they were planning on letting everyone on board and went to the island to check on them and the parasite as well.

    Faye went back to the Sky Station and ordered everyone to go to the rooftop because they were going to the island.

    Everyone was boarding the blimp using the ladder while Faye looked down and checked everyone who climbed the ladder.

    ¡°So they survived the bomb?¡± Faye asked the General.

    ¡°By the look of it, two of them got blasted by the shockwaves but I believe they should be fine since you said they are the best people you have. They might get a few bruises and that should be it, nothing else,¡± The general answered with his arms crossed.

    ¡°So, did you kill the King-type parasite, General?¡± Aster asked and looked at the General.

    ¡°The plan is a success but it wasn¡¯t because of us and we also fail to kill the King-type parasite. We never thought that big mass of bomb would do nothing to the parasite, that thing even had the time to replace its skin during the explosion,¡± The general answered with a bit of disappointment on his face.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, if we can send a King-type parasite off, we should be able to do it again in the future. Right now, let¡¯s head to the island because they should be in a bad condition over there,¡± Faye replied as she walked to the other side to look at the island where the parasite was.

    After all the soldiers boarded the blimp, they went straight to the island again to see it for themselves.

    ¡°They came back as I expected,¡± Ruby said while she was on top of the tree and saw the blimp flying toward the island. ¡°We really need to find a place to hide,¡± she said as she jumped down from the tall tree.

    ¡°We have zero information about this island and even if there¡¯s a cave, we won¡¯t be able to find it before they find us,¡± Vincent replied. ¡°We should keep walking further to give Archie time to recover,¡± he said as he looked at Archie¡¯s condition which hadn¡¯t gotten any better.

    The three of them started to move again while Eve dragged Archie who was still unconscious.

    ¡°Is that really just the skin?¡± Faye asked as she looked down through the window and saw the skin of the parasite. ¡°That¡¯s fascinating and terrifying at the same time,¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t see them anywhere, Faye,¡± Aster said with binoculars on his eyes to find Archie and the others above. ¡°We should go down and find them ourselves,¡± he continued and looked at Faye.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s our plan in the first place, we can also bring a few samples from the King-type parasite¡¯s skin. This will be a huge discovery on how there are parasites that could grow this big,¡± Faye answered.

    The General descended the blimp and landed safely.

    ¡°Alright, some of you should stay here and gather some samples while the rest will come with me to find Archie and the others! Let¡¯s go!¡± Faye said with a rifle in her hands then she got off of the blimp.

    ¡°Are those tentacles?¡± Aster asked with his eyes squinted and looked at the tentacles near the skin of the parasite.

    ¡°Yes, I wonder how the hell did they manage to cut them off,¡± Faye answered and looked at the tentacles as well. ¡°I just hope that we are safe here because the hole that the parasite dug might be its temporary shelter so we can¡¯t be down here for too long,¡±

    ¡°What if we can¡¯t find them?¡± Aster asked.

    ¡°We will leave and come back tomorrow early in the morning with choppers,¡± Faye replied and she looked a bit worried.

    Faye went to the northeast while Aster went to the northwest so they could sweep the area and meet at the far north since it was the last time they saw Archie and Eve.

    The sky was setting and they had been searching for them for almost three hours but they couldn¡¯t find anything. As Faye said earlier, they all went back and boarded the blimp then left the island.

    ¡°They left,¡± Ruby said as she saw the blimp ascending.

    ¡°Do you think they¡¯re giving up on looking for us?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°No, we are too valuable for them, Faye knows that already so I believe they will come back tomorrow in the morning,¡± Ruby answered and looked at Vincent and Eve inside a hole that they dug to hide. ¡°We should start looking for food, and fortunately, this place is rich so we can have a feast,¡±

    ¡°You guys can go, I don¡¯t need human food anyway,¡± Eve said as she put Archie¡¯s head on her lap.

    Vincent and Ruby nodded with understanding and went hunting for themselves.

    Eve stared at Archie as she rubbed his cheek so gently. ¡°Are you awake? Can you hear my voice?¡± she asked. Archie didn¡¯t move a muscle but Eve knew that he could hear her because she used the parasites to communicate with his brain.

    While Eve was busy talking with Archie using his parasites, a silhouette appeared on the mouth of the hole.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Eve asked without even looking at whose silhouette it belonged to.

    ¡°The humans are dangerous, Eve, be careful with them,¡± A voice could be heard from the mouth of the hole and the sound of wings being flapped could be heard.

    ¡°Cherubim, you have told me that millions of times. What do you want from me that you came down to see me again?¡± Eve asked calmly.

    ¡°Kill the humans, their existence should come to an end but they are resisting and you have to be the one to annihilate them,¡± The silhouette became clearer and an angelic figure could be seen from the shadow.

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t the deal, the deal was for me to find my Adam. Now that I have found my Adam, there¡¯s nothing else,¡± Eve replied and kept staring at Archie.

    ¡°Are you sure he is the one, Eve? There are still so many Adams out there and they are far stronger than that one,¡± Cherubim asked with a flat tone.

    ¡°Who knows, is my fate really in my hand?¡± Eve asked back and stared at Cherubim. ¡°I¡¯m just a toy waiting to be played and I don¡¯t think there¡¯s no reason for you to ask me that since you know that I hold no control over my own fate,¡±

    ¡°If you want an answer, then I want to stay by his side for as long as I want,¡± Eve answered.

    ¡°If that is what you want, then you have to be prepared because the other Adams have been informed by them. They will be furious and humankind will be annihilated very soon,¡± Cherubim said and then disappeared.

    ¡°Let them be, because my Adam will do something about it, and I will be by his side to help him,¡± Eve said with a smile on her face as she stared at Archie.

 Chapter 105 - Evolved

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± Ruby asked as she hugged the wall and saw half of Archie¡¯s face change its shape. ¡°It looks like your face is melting,¡± she continued and gulped nervously.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Archie answered and his voice was a bit heavier and lower than usual. ¡°I might need to rest for a little bit more,¡± Archie sat down and leaned his back on the wall as he looked at his left arm which turned into a fleshless giant arm.

    ¡°Can you tell us what¡¯s actually happening right now? He¡¯s not the same Archie that we know. His face is a bit different,¡± Vincent asked and looked at Eve who seemed to be fascinated by the fact Archie had evolved into something terrifying.

    ¡°Archie has evolved, and now he has become someone new with an ability that is similar to mine,¡± Eve answered and walked towards Archie.

    ¡°You¡¯re indeed interesting, Archie,¡± Eve said and gently touched his face. ¡°Now you¡¯re formless and can change your body and cells as you wish,¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t control my body, I¡¯m going to pass out again,¡± Archie said as he shook his body but he couldn¡¯t move his limbs not even his neck.

    ¡°Just go to sleep, I will be by your side when you wake up,¡± Eve gently and slowly pulled Archie¡¯s head onto her lap and stroked his hair slowly.

    ¡°What do you mean he evolved? I don¡¯t understand,¡± Ruby asked and put the rabbits on the ground while Vincent was busy making fire.

    ¡°The bomb that they used, became a nutrition for the parasite,¡± Eve answered.

    Both Ruby and Vincent stopped moving and looked at Eve with shocked expressions.

    ¡°Excuse me? What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Ruby asked in a whispered voice. ¡°You¡¯re saying that the bomb made Archie and that King-type parasite stronger?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly what happened. So, if that parasite comes back, there¡¯s nothing that you can do to stop it,¡± Eve answered and nodded her head.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that exactly what happened to you, Bub? After you were exposed to the serum, you became a lot stronger than before,¡± Vincent said and looked at Ruby with curiosity. ¡°We should hurry and go back, we have to tell them about this and about the bomb was just an extra nutrition for the parasite,¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not entirely right because I haven¡¯t finished my sentences,¡± Eve looked at both of them. ¡°I said it will become nutrition to those parasites who survive the explorer and radiation. It would kill any parasite in an instant if they don¡¯t have the regeneration ability,¡±

    Archie was right about it and he knew exactly what would happen to Eve if he didn¡¯t protect her.

    ¡°So they used the wrong method to deal with this parasite and now that parasite is undergoing some kind of evolution like Archie,¡± Ruby tried to process everything as she rubbed her face with frustration.

    ¡°Great, now everything just become harder,¡± Vincent said and then he blew the ember on dried leaves.

    ¡°How long do you think it would take before that parasite is fully evolved?¡± Ruby asked as she skinned the rabbit.

    ¡°The bigger the size the longer it takes, and if Archie needed half a day, that parasite would need a week or two,¡± Eve answered.

    ¡°We have much time and opportunity to kill that parasite, we have to hunt it down before it fully evolved into a nightmare,¡± Ruby stared blankly at the fire.

    ¡°If you want to hunt that parasite, it¡¯s already too late because it already left the island and gone to the bigger island. You have to go to one of the big islands in Indonesia to find it which is going to be hard,¡± Eve replied and looked at Ruby. ¡°Even if you want to kill it, how are you going to do it?¡±

    ¡°This,¡± Ruby answered as she showed the bullet with the serum smeared on it. ¡°This is different serum than what they¡¯re using. It¡¯s proven that it¡¯s more deadly because of the parasite that we fought back in the Eastern Nation and including you,¡± she said and pointed at Eve.

    Vincent looked at Ruby and shook his head. ¡°We can¡¯t use that serum anymore because they forbid anyone from making it. Even if we want to make the serum, we can¡¯t get our hands on those ingredients,¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s already too late to use that serum now because the parasite is going to be immune after it got exposed to the radiation,¡± Eve replied. ¡°Let them think of a way to deal with the parasite, you humans really love to play with fire without even knowing the consequences,¡±

    Ruby sighed and leaned on the wall while she stared at the rabbits being cooked. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do then, let¡¯s talk about this with Faye tomorrow since she should know what to do,¡± she said and crossed her arms.

    The morning came and everyone was woken up by the cold of the wind and by the warmth of the sun. Ruby looked at Eve and she didn¡¯t see Archie on her lap anymore, she then stood up and went outside.

    ¡°Archie?¡± Ruby quietly called his name.

    Archie turned around and Ruby was a bit surprised that he looked different but the same at the same time.

    ¡°Yes? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Archie asked and raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°You look different¡­ wait, your hair is black now,¡± Ruby answered and pointed her finger at Archie¡¯s hair. ¡°Your eye colors are also different,¡± she continued.

    Archie nodded with a smile on his face. ¡°This is how I should look like, or at least that I remember because it¡¯s been a while,¡±

    ¡°So this is the face that you have before you became a parasite? It¡¯s¡­ wow¡­¡± Ruby replied and she didn¡¯t know what to say about Archie¡¯s new appearance.

    ¡°As I said, this is what I remember but I¡¯m not sure,¡± Archie said and walked toward Ruby. ¡°I heard that you guys were talking last night, care to share it with me?¡± he asked.

    Eve and Vincent came out from the hole and they were a bit surprised by Archie¡¯s new appearance as well. Eve was so shocked that she had to get closer to him and touched his face to feel the changes in his face.

    ¡°So, what were you guys talking about last night?¡± Archie asked with Eve who was still busy rubbing his face.

    Ruby explained everything to Archie about the bomb and the radiation that was dangerous for parasites but at the same time, it was nutrition for them as well if they were strong enough. Archie looked at his hands and understood the situation and why he evolved based on Eve¡¯s words.

    ¡°So now we are going to wait for Faye and the others to come back and pick us up?¡± Archie asked and slowly transformed himself into his previous appearance. Vincent and Ruby were shocked when they saw it up close because it looked so fascinating and terrifying at the same time.

    ¡°Yes, we should go back to where we fought the parasite. I believe they¡¯re going to take more samples from the parasite¡¯s dead skin and we should wait for them there,¡± Ruby answered and nodded her head in agreement.

    ¡°I see, let¡¯s go then,¡± Archie said and looked at them.

    The four of them went back to the center of the island and saw the dead skin of the parasite. They saw a few tools and equipment that were left behind, and it indicated they would be coming back again.

    The sun rose and they heard the sound of choppers in the distance, they all looked up and Ruby used the flare to tell them their location.

    ¡°Where were you yesterday?! We were looking for you everywhere but we couldn¡¯t find you guys!¡± Faye asked as she jumped off of the chopper.

    ¡°We were hiding because Archie and Eve were badly injured because of the explosion. We dug a hole deep enough that we didn¡¯t hear anything to protect ourselves from the parasite,¡± Ruby answered without hesitation.

    ¡°Thank goodness that all of you seem fine, but you said that Archie and Eve were heavily injured, but I don¡¯t see any injuries on them,¡± Faye replied and looked at Eve who wore Archie¡¯s uniform while Archie was wearing his old coat and jeans from his backpack.

    ¡°We have a unique ability that can heal ourselves fast enough but it consumed our stamina and energy, so we are starving right now,¡± Archie explained to Faye and she believed it immediately.

    ¡°I see, that¡¯s good to hear then,¡± Faye nodded her head with understanding.

    ¡°Faye, we have a bigger problem to handle right now,¡± Ruby said.

    ¡°I know, we didn¡¯t kill the parasite but at least we stopped it from destroying the Sky Station,¡± Faye replied.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s far worse than that, we just make a huge mistake by dropping that bomb on that parasite because right now it¡¯s evolving because of the radiation,¡± Ruby said with a serious expression.

 Chapter 106 - Putting Out Fire With Fire.

    ¡°It¡¯s evolving?! The parasite is evolving from the radiation?!¡± Faye asked and it was loud enough that everyone could hear her.

    ¡°Yes, the parasite is evolving, and the reason why is because of that dead skin. Anyone can tell when they see a dead skin because it can only mean one thing,¡± Ruby answered and pointed at the dead skin. ¡°You can say that the parasite is currently experiencing the same thing as I did back then,¡± she showed Faye her prosthetic arm.

    Faye looked at the scientist who was eavesdropping on their conversation. ¡°Let¡¯s wait until they got everything they need and let them do some test if what you said is true,¡± Faye turned her head to look at Ruby.

    ¡°I understand and that¡¯s fine by us because we know that words alone won¡¯t be enough to be used as proof,¡± Ruby replied as she nodded her head with understanding.

    ¡°You guys must be exhausted, why don¡¯t you go and get some rest in the chopper? We have prepared foods and clothes just in case you guys need it,¡± Aster said and pointed at the chopped in the middle.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ruby replied and then they all went to the chopper to treat themselves.

    Archie stared at the food that Ruby and Vincent ate, and it made his stomach growl. He was starving but at the same time there was nothing that he could eat and it reminded him of the delicious meat of the parasite that Eve killed in the Antarctic.

    ¡°Right, you must be starving because you used your regeneration ability all night,¡± Vincent said as he chewed bread and beef jerky. ¡°Do you want us to find you one?¡± He asked.

    ¡°No, I still can hold it in, it¡¯s just my body started to feel a bit weak and can¡¯t move much,¡± Archie answered and looked at Vincent as he shook his head.

    ¡°I will bring you there tonight and we can eat as much as you want,¡± Eve said as she grabbed Archie¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Yes, that sounds great,¡± Archie replied and nodded his head with a smile on his face.

    It took the scientist a while to gather all the samples and once they got everything they needed, they all boarded the chopper and left.

    Archie looked down and saw the after effect of the explosion, he saw how massive the radius was and he was lucky that he survived that. The parasite went missing and the only way to find it again was to follow the tunnel that it dug but there shouldn¡¯t be a reason to find it since they knew they couldn¡¯t kill it.

    They came back to the Central Nation and Archie with the others had to report back to Marshal Gard about their discovery. Faye didn¡¯t follow them because she had a more important matter to do which was to check if what Ruby said was true about the parasite evolving because of the radiation.

    Ruby was the one who explained and answered all the questions that Marshal Gard asked. He was a bit skeptical about it but after listening to her experience with the serum after she got exposed to it, he started to understand why she said the parasite was evolving.

    ¡°Let¡¯s wait for the report from the observation team, if what you said is true, then we have a bigger problem that we need to handle,¡± Marshal Gard said as he rubbed his chin.

    Not long after Marshal Gard said that someone knocked on his door and it was Faye and a scientist. They both looked concerned and he already knew what kind of result that they got from the samples.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s the result?¡± Marshal Gard asked the scientist.

    ¡°We believe that the king-type parasite is currently evolving and it was because of the rapid regeneration ability that the king-type parasite had. From the samples that we brought, the cells were splitting themselves and fixing the skin rapidly while at the same time it created something new,¡± The scientist answered.

    ¡°Can you just use the simple words?¡± Marshal Gard asked and stared at the scientist.

    ¡°To put it simply, the cells that are left inside the dead skin, they¡¯re trying to create a new life with what they have left. They have been creating billions of new cells as we speak and it¡¯s only about time until the dead skin will become a shell for a new living parasite,¡± The scientist answered.

    ¡°And the reason behind it is that it was us who did this? Did we make things worse because of our stupidity?¡± Marshal Gard asked and looked at Faye and the scientist. ¡°We just made the same mistake that happened hundreds of years ago, now the king-type parasite is evolving into something terrifying, what else can we do?¡±

    Archie and the others looked at Faye since she was the one who made the call since she was the commander of Valor¡¯s special force.

    ¡°We aren¡¯t sure because I didn¡¯t get the chance to fight with the parasite itself, it was Archie and those three who fought the parasite,¡± Faye answered as she stared at Archie. ¡°They¡¯re the only ones who know what to do because they have fought them before,¡±

    Marshal Gard looked at Archie and the others. ¡°What do you guys think?¡± he asked.

    ¡°The parasite could breathe fire, the tentacles were protecting the parasite from whoever tried to get close to it. The pleghm was corrosive as well, so it¡¯s impossible for anyone to get close to the parasite no matter how good they¡¯re in the training,¡± Archie answered as he looked at Ruby and the others.

    ¡°So what you¡¯re trying to say is that it¡¯s impossible to kill the parasite?¡± Marshal Gard asked and raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°It¡¯s not impossible but after the parasite went back to wherever it came from. I believe it would be a lot harder because it could control parasites and knowing how big the islands are, at least thousands of parasites are ready to follow the King-type parasite¡¯s order,¡± Archie explained.

    ¡°If we want to fight that parasite, we have to call another King-type parasite,¡± Ruby said to herself and everyone looked at her weirdly. ¡°Sorry, I was just mumbling to myself,¡±

    ¡°No, Ruby is right, we need another King-type parasite because they¡¯re territorial beings and will kill whatever that is threatening them. It¡¯s just that we have no idea if there¡¯s another King-type parasite near us or anywhere that we can bring it to Indonesia,¡± Archie replied and looked at everyone with a serious expression.

    Faye looked at Marshal Gard and they both were staring at each other for quite a while until Marshal Gard nodded his head to give Faye the permission.

    ¡°There¡¯s a giant cave that we found, it¡¯s top secret information but I think since you¡¯re all directly under my command, I will tell you about it,¡± Faye said.

    ¡°There¡¯s a cave not far from us, it only takes a few hours and it¡¯s hidden in the forest. The cave was big enough to fit a skyscraper inside with its own ecosystem and weather,¡± Faye explained. ¡°It was just the entrance and we never had the chance to go deeper into the hole because we got chills down our spines when we tried to enter,¡± she continued.

    ¡°Nobody has ever entered that cave ever since and we believe, whatever inside that hole, there¡¯s a King-type parasite living in there,¡± Faye said and she looked a bit nervous about it.

    Archie looked at Eve and she seemed to know what Faye was talking about.

    ¡°If you want to try, we can show you the cave but we can¡¯t guarantee your safety the moment you step your foot inside that hole,¡± Faye warned them as she looked at everyone. ¡°So, if you think you can handle it, we can go there tomorrow,¡± she said.

    Ruby and Vincent looked at each other. ¡°We are fine with that and I don¡¯t think we have another choice but to try it out,¡± Ruby answered. ¡°What do you think, Archie? Eve? Are you down for another exploration?¡± She asked.

    Eve chuckled mischievously and stared at Ruby. ¡°You know that I¡¯m going to follow Archie so my answer is in his hand,¡± Eve answered as she looked at Archie.

    Everyone looked at Archie and he ended up being the one to decide what to do.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the only option we have, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary to ask me because I will go even if you guys didn¡¯t want to,¡± Archie answered.

    Faye stood up and sighed with relief. ¡°I guess it¡¯s decided then,¡± she said and looked at Marshal Gard. ¡°We are going to that cave tomorrow early in the morning and this time we will follow you all. You¡¯re dismissed,¡± she continued then Archie and the others left the office.

    ¡°Putting out fire with another fire, I never thought we are going to use parasite to fight another parasite,¡± Marshal Gard said.

 Chapter 107 Son Doong Cave.

    ¡°You should be able to do this as well,¡± Eve said as she showed Archie how to modify her own body. She showed him how to add more fingers to her hands which surprised him.

    ¡°Does that mean I will be able to manipulate my own back and create wings as you did?¡± Archie asked as he ate the flesh of a parasite in Antarctica.

    Eve put the meat in her mouth as she walked toward Archie¡¯s back and put her hands on her back.

    ¡°It¡¯s rather painful if you want to do it because you¡¯re going to break your ribs and scapulas. It¡¯s hard at first but it¡¯s possible,¡± Eve answered as she touched Archie¡¯s scapulas and ribs below them to tell him the body parts that he had to break to make wings.

    ¡°I see, maybe you should show me how to do it later because we have to go back since we have to check the cave that Faye mentioned,¡± Archie said as he wiped his mouth.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they will be prepared to go down there, but it¡¯s going to be fun when they witness the world beneath,¡± Eve said and started to chuckle mischievously.

    ¡°Have you been there before?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s where I spent most of my time back then because the place is nothing like you could imagine,¡± Eve answered. ¡°I don¡¯t want to spoil the fun, so let¡¯s go back now and get some rest.

    The morning came and everyone was ready to leave for the other city by using the train. The city was quite far so it would take them at least four hours and it was enough to give Archie time to train his new ability.

    ¡°I wonder if this ability came from the parasite inside my body or it came from you when I was protecting you from the explosion and radiation,¡± Archie said as he looked at Eve who taught him how to control the ability.

    ¡°That would be interesting if you really got the power from my body but I don¡¯t know if it belongs to me or not since I got nothing, not even a thing from that explosion,¡± Eve replied and shrugged her shoulders as she looked out at the city.

    Faye checked on everyone by moving around the carriages and then she sat down on the other side of the carriage where Archie, Eve, Ruby, and Vincent were talking about the cave.

    ¡°So, Son Doong cave is where we are going, right?¡± Nova asked and looked at Faye.

    ¡°Yes, it was rediscovered three years ago and that cave used to be a tourist attraction. As I said back then, the cave was big enough it has its own ecosystem and weather,¡± Faye answered while the others were looking at her.

    ¡°Is the cave really deep?¡± Vincent asked with his eyebrows raised.

    ¡°It¡¯s deep and parasites are living inside the cave so we are going to deal with them before we can reach our destination,¡± Faye answered and nodded her head. ¡°The last information we got about the cave was there were at least dozens of Gen 8 parasites lurking in the cave,¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem,¡± Ruby replied. ¡°The problem would be luring a King-type parasite. Not because it would be hard to find, it¡¯s more like how to not bring more than one King-type parasite,¡± she said as she stared at the forest through the window.

    ¡°What do you mean by that? Are you staying that there¡¯s more than one King-type parasite down there?¡± Nova asked and looked at Faye who seemed to know about that already.

    ¡°It was a shock for me as well when I heard that there are King-type parasites that live underneath us,¡± Faye replied as she stared at Nova. ¡°The truth is that all the parasites that live among us are not the apex predator, those parasites that are on top of the food chains live underneath us and that means there are thousands of them below us,¡± she continued and sighed with a worried expression.

    ¡°Bullshit, there¡¯s no way something like that exists down below us, not to mention thousands of them?! If people knew about this, there¡¯s no way they can laugh or even smile,¡± Nova said as she looked at Archie and the others.

    ¡°That¡¯s why we keep it a secret from everyone, including the Axis Humans,¡± Faye replied with her arms crossed. ¡°Sooner or later those parasites will come to the surface, a battle to take the kingdom of humans,¡± she said as she looked at Archie.

    Nova was dumbfounded and went quiet ever since.

    Hours had passed and finally, they reached their destination. Archie and the others were preparing to get off of the train while Nova was still overwhelmed by the fact.

    ¡°Nova, let¡¯s go, we are leaving now,¡± Ruby said as she stood next to Nova.

    Sun Doong cave was in Vietnam and it was in the middle of the forest with no path to walk on. They had to look for signs that the scout teams left behind to guide them into the cave.

    It took them an hour to finally reach the mouth of the cave and Faye didn¡¯t lie about how big the cave was. It looked so big that it could fit a skyscraper inside, and when they entered the cave, it got bigger and wider.

    ¡°This is beautiful,¡± Ruby said to herself as she looked at the walls and the ceiling of the cave.

    It was cold and warm at the same time because the sunlight was warming them while the chill wind struck their skin and face. Archie couldn¡¯t believe it at first as the others and it could attract anyone or anything inside because of how perfect the cave was for anyone to live in it.

    Faye walked to the front and turned around to look at every one of them.

    ¡°This cave is at least 6 miles and this cave connects hundreds of other caves so I want all of you to keep your eyes and ears wide open. We are here not to admire the beauty of nature, but we are here on a dangerous mission that has never been done before,¡± Faye said and her voice echoed throughout the cave.

    ¡°Also, we will be spending two days in this cave before we go deeper down to the earth. We will gather information first before we go for the exploration, so please keep an eye out if you find a suspicious entrance or cave because we have no idea what will be coming toward us,¡± Faye explained as she turned around and continued walking.

    Archie looked at the clearwater river next to him and it made him thirsty and wanted to try to take a sip of the water. Eve, on the other hand, was staring at the mouth caves on the walls as if she was reminiscing the time she was in the cave.

    ?[0)??? As they walked deeper into the cave, they started to hear screeches, growls, and grunts from in front of them. They immediately grabbed their swords and spears because they didn¡¯t want to attract attention by using guns.

    Faye and Aster looked at each other and then led them forward quietly and stealthily.

    Everyone was hugging the wall while Faye was at the front and peeking her head to see the situation on the other side. She saw at least a dozen of parasites that were gathering on top of the rock hill, they weren¡¯t fighting each other, they were just taunting each other.

    ¡°They¡¯re at least Gen 4 or Gen 5 parasites, let¡¯s take them all down at once,¡± Faye said as she looked at the others. ¡°I will lure them here,¡± she said as she grabbed a rock on the ground.

    Faye threw the rock on the ground as hard as she could, it was enough to attract the parasites¡¯ attention. The parasites started to crawl toward the sound so quietly as if they didn¡¯t want to be noticed.

    Faye watched the parasites walk toward them so slowly while she raised her right hand and clenched it to signal the others to wait. The moment the parasites were close enough to them, she pulled her right hand down and everyone immediately move so quietly.

    Some of them threw their spears at the parasites and hit them in the head to immobilize them. The rest of them ran as fast as they could and swung their swords and daggers at the parasites so swiftly that the parasites had no time to react.

    It was impossible to prevent the parasites from screaming or screeching loudly, and it was enough to attract the rest of the parasites who were around them. Faye wiped the blood of the parasite with her glove and then swung her sword as she stared at the distance.

    ¡°Get ready, the battle starts now,¡± Faye said as she took a deep breath and exhaled deeply.

 Chapter 108 More than they thought.

    Archie and Eve were running toward the parasites the moment they saw them while the others watched them. Faye didn¡¯t stop them because there was no reason for her to hold them down and it was also a good thing since they could reserve their energy for later.

    Archie was at the front while Eve followed him from behind as they were both sliced and crushed the parasites¡¯ bodies and heads. They were moving in sync that it looked so beautiful from the distance, and they moved so swiftly that the parasite couldn¡¯t keep up or grab them.

    ¡°So this is nothing compared to what you dealt with in the Eastern Nation?¡± Aster looked at Vincent with his mouth open.

    ¡°If you¡¯re talking about the horde, yes it was far worse than this, we had to fight days and nights just so we don¡¯t die. Nobody could save us but ourselves, we trust each other¡¯s back and hope for the best,¡± Vincent answered with a sour smile on his face. ¡°It was hell and I hope that none of you have to experience that,¡±

    Faye, Nova, and Aster looked at Ruby and Vincent¡¯s eyes, and they could see the emptiness and painfulness in their eyes.

    ¡°If we don¡¯t act now or do something about this, we are doomed, as a human,¡± Ruby said and stared at them seriously.

    Faye couldn¡¯t respond to Ruby¡¯s words and just stared back at her as she nodded with understanding.

    ¡°All clear,¡± Archie said as he swung his sword and removed the blood from the blade with Eve standing in front of him as they faced each other and looked at the others.

    Two people who had the same hair color and height that stood under the sunlight made them look like a savior of humankind. Unfortunately, the truth was far from what they had in their minds, and only Ruby and Vincent knew about the truth.

    ¡°That was amazing, I don¡¯t think anyone could do the same thing as what you guys just did,¡± Aster said as he looked at the dead bodies and body parts that lay down on the ground.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not something that you can achieve by just lazing around, you might need to survive on your own in the middle of nowhere to achieve this,¡± Eve replied as she looked at all of them with a mocking smile on her face. ¡°It¡¯s better for you to stop admiring other people because that will give you nothing. How about you start to think of making yourself stronger so you can be useful?¡±

    Aster¡¯s smile disappeared and the others were averting their gazes as the atmosphere became awkward. Archie was quite shocked that Eve would say something like that out of nowhere and there was no reason for him to stop her since what she said was true.

    ?[0)??? ¡°Let¡¯s continue our journey, there are still parasites that are lurking in the cave and I believe the deeper we are, the stronger the parasites will be,¡± Faye said as she looked at them.

    Faye led the team deep into the cave and they were surprised by the scenery. They found a big hill and behind that hill, there was a beach which was a perfect spot to rest. Unfortunately, they had to keep walking because they weren¡¯t even reached the middle of the cave.

    As Faye expected, there were more parasites that lurk in the cave and some of them came from the mouth of the cave on the walls. They had no other option but to fight them all since they couldn¡¯t get through without getting noticed.

    This time, Ruby and Vincent were the ones who fought the parasite on the frontline while Faye and the others dealt with the parasites that came out from the walls. Archie and Eve dealt with the strongest parasites amongst the horde and it ended quite quickly.

    ¡°It¡¯s better for us to stay here for a moment and wait for the parasites to come to us since we don¡¯t know how many are there in those holes,¡± Ruby said as she pointed at dozens of holes on the walls. ¡°We don¡¯t want to get surrounded by parasites,¡±

    Faye nodded in agreement. ¡°Alright, we will be staying here for an hour and see if there are movements from the holes or from where we came from,¡± she said as she looked at the river in front of her. ¡°Make the most of your time,¡±

    The sunlight slowly pointed away from the ground and it indicated that they didn¡¯t have much time before the night time come. After they dealt with dozens of parasites that came from behind them and from the walls, they decided to move after there was no more sign of parasites.

    As they kept walking into the cave and admired the scenery, they felt the ground shaking. All of them looked at each other and immediately hugged the wall and felt the vibration of the ground which got worse and worse.

    ¡°That¡¯s not a normal parasite, isn¡¯t it?¡± Aster asked as he looked at Faye.

    ¡°No, whatever that thing, it should be Gen 8 Variant 2 or 3 because of how big it is. Or worse, it could be Gen 9 or even 10,¡± Faye answered and everyone was a bit worried about it except for Archie, Eve, Ruby, and Vincent.

    They stood still and held their breath as the footsteps were getting closer and closer. The moment they saw the massive leg right next to Faye, Eve dashed past Faye, Aster, Nova, Ruby, and Vincent in a flash.

    Before their eyes could catch Eve, she was already jumped high enough and grabbed the parasite¡¯s head. She pulled the head off with the spine still intact, the parasite couldn¡¯t even make noise and died the moment the head was in Eve¡¯s hands.

    The body fell and Eve was tossing the head in the air as she stared at Faye. ¡°The biggest threat in this cave has been taken care of, now it¡¯s time for the final horde,¡± she said and then screeches and growls could be heard from every hole on the walls.

    ¡°Everyone! Get in position! No more holding back!¡± Faye said as she grabbed her rifle and started blasting the parasites that came out from the holes.

    Everyone emptied the magazine in the gun and immediately loaded with another magazine in less than twenty seconds. Archie and Eve used their magnum pistols and blew the heads of the parasites and they both loved the feeling when they blew their heads like balloons.

    After they spent three whole magazines, they put down their guns and started to use their swords, spears, and daggers to deal with the parasites. Even though those parasites were just small fries, there were at least dozens even a hundred of them and they kept coming and no sign of stopping.

    ¡°We need to fall back, Faye! We are going to be surrounded in any second now!¡± Aster said as he stabbed the parasite in the heart and then threw the parasite away. ¡°It¡¯s getting crowded, we need a bigger space,¡±

    ¡°Fall back slowly and keep the line wide!¡± Faye said and decided to grab her rifle again.

    The others pulled their guns as well and used the rest of the magazines that they had left to keep the distance between them and the parasite big enough. Knowing they had limited bullets, they tried to kill a parasite on every shot. Since they were elite amongst the elite, their aim was unbelievably accurate and it looked like they weren¡¯t even trying.

    ¡°I¡¯m out!¡± One of the Axis Humans said and slowly walked back and got replaced by another to hold the line.

    ¡°I¡¯m out as well!¡± Another guy said and was immediately replaced by another.

    Slowly but surely all of them ran out of ammo as they fastened their pace to retreat to the bigger space.

    ¡°Ruby, Vince, Eve, let¡¯s give them some time to retreat,¡± Archie said as he put his pistol in the belt and unsheathed the sword from his back.

    Before they charged to the front, they heard loud gunshots from far behind them. They turned around and saw Fanheim, Daniel, and Tommy with dozens of Axis Humans giving them support.

    Ruby and Vincent were smiling and chuckling with disbelief to see them in the cave with them.

    ¡°Just get back! We will give you cover!¡± Fanheim said as he shot the parasites near Archie and the others.

    They all regrouped with Faye and the others and kept running to the hill where Fanheim and the others were blasting the parasites with bullets.

    After knowing the parasites couldn¡¯t get close to them, they all retreat and crawled back into the holes like ants. Fanheimg and the others didn¡¯t let them leave and took some of them before the parasites could enter the holes.

    Fanheim put down his rifle and looked down at Archie and noticed Eve next to him. Fanheim, Tommy, and Daniel were shocked to see her again but Ruby and Vincent immediately stood in front of Eve.

    Fanheim squinted his eyes but understood what that meant. All he had to do was to wait for an explanation.

 Chapter 109 Afraid of the unknown.

    ¡°Tommy, Daniel, what are you guys doing here?¡± Vincent said as he hugged both of them because it had been a while and seeing them there was enough to give him a bit of relief. On the other hand, Tommy, and Daniel were staring at Eve with fear written all over their faces.

    Fanheim couldn¡¯t let his gazes away from Eve as he walked toward Ruby.

    ¡°Can you explain to me what¡¯s going on here? Isn¡¯t she-¡± before Fanheim could finish his sentence, Faye and Aster approached him.

    ¡°Colonel Fanheim, thank you for saving us,¡± Faye said as she looked at Fanheim and Ruby who were making serious expressions. ¡°Anyway, who told you about this operation, I thought that this operation is classified,¡±

    ¡°We heard from Marshal Gard that you guys are going to bring one up. So, I brought these guys with me and since I knew what we are dealing with, he ordered me to go down here and give you a hand,¡± Fanheim answered as he kept staring at Eve.

    Faye noticed that Fanheim felt a bit uneasy with Eve¡¯s presence, and she knew the reason why.

    ¡°I heard about what happened back then where Eve killed your men, and Ruby was also making the same expression back then,¡± Faye said and looked at Eve.

    Eve gently smiled at Faye and then walked away to stay by Archie¡¯s side.

    ¡°You know about what happened? Then you know that she-¡± before Fanheim could finish his sentence again, Ruby cleared her throat and signaled Fanheim to stop talking. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lieutenant Faye, I have to speak privately with Major Ruby for a moment,¡±

    Faye nodded with understanding and then she and Aster left them both alone.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s this, Bub? Why is she with us? Not to mention she¡¯s so close with Archie. Does that mean she¡¯s settling down or something like that?¡± Fanheim asked as he looked at Archie and Eve talking with Faye and Aster so casually which was unbelievable to watch for him.

    ¡°It¡¯s a long story but for now, all I can is that Eve is here for Archie and for him alone. She¡¯s not here for anything else and as long as we are not being hostile to her, she won¡¯t do any harm to anyone,¡± Ruby said and looked at Eve who kept stealing glances at Archie.

    Fanheim hummed with understanding. ¡°If you say so, then I believe you,¡± he replied and nodded his head.

    Fanheim brought a support team with him and they were bringing ammo supplies for the Valor special force. Faye and the others immediately surrounded the crate and helped themselves while Archie and Eve only took a handful of bullets for their magnum.

    The night time came and Faye decided to rest for the night there since it was safer compared to the others because the holes weren¡¯t that many. Since Vincent was missing Tommy and Daniel, the three of them were staying up for the night and patrolled the cave until the morning together.

    The sun wasn¡¯t even up but everyone was ready to leave to go deeper into the cave. Faye and the others were at the front while Archie and Eve were at the back to protect the supply team.

    ¡°I thought they were going to approach you, Archie,¡± Eve said as she walked next to Archie and put her hands on her back.

    ¡°Who?¡± Archie looked at Eve.

    ¡°Those two,¡± Eve pointed her finger at Tommy and Daniel.

    ¡°Well, after what you did back then, I don¡¯t think anyone would have the right mind to stay close to you. After seeing you stay close to me, I don¡¯t think they¡¯re brave enough to talk to me or even to approach me,¡± Archie said and started to chuckle quietly.

    ¡°Anyway, is there anything that you want to tell me before we go into the cave? There must be something that we need to avoid, right? Because the last time I went down, I wasn¡¯t really welcomed by them and chopped my arm off,¡± Archie said as he remembered when he fell down to the cave.

    ¡°This one is far worse than the one back there, I think the chance for them to survive is almost zero. But that doesn¡¯t mean they will die as long as they¡¯re being careful and don¡¯t attract the parasites¡¯ attention,¡± Eve answered as she looked at the hole on the wall where a parasite was hiding and slowly backing away because of Eve¡¯s oozing aura.

    After an hour of walking, they finally reached the end of the cave and it wasn¡¯t really the end. There was a massive hole that could fit the King-type parasite that Archie and Eve fought back then.

    Everyone was standing in front of the hole and the chill wind was enough to make them hesitate to enter. Faye felt the same feeling that she felt when she discovered the hole, she could help but do nothing and gather her courage.

    ¡°This is the hole? What an eerie atmosphere that this hole produced,¡± Ruby stared into the darkness that she couldn¡¯t see the end of it, only the steps that led down to the deep. ¡°Should we think of a plan first?¡± she asked because even she didn¡¯t want to go down there.

    ¡°Are you really going to waste time by thinking of a plan when you don¡¯t even know what¡¯s down there?¡± Eve asked as she walked to the front with Archie while the others were making paths for them to walk through. ¡°Anyone should go down there and check,¡±

    Faye looked at Aster but he only raised his eyebrows then she looked at Ruby and Vincent who were looking at each other and hesitated. Eve sighed and then grabbed Nova¡¯s arm so suddenly that Nova almost let out a scream.

    ¡°You¡¯re coming with us, you¡¯re the only one who has been so quiet lately,¡± Eve said and looked at Nova who was panicking and didn¡¯t know what to say because she didn¡¯t want to be called a coward. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we can just run away if we encounter a king-type parasite. Maybe,¡± Eve chuckled mischievously and made Nova frightened.

    Fanheim stared at Eve and he was a bit surprised that she was like an ordinary human, but he couldn¡¯t erase the fact that she was the most dangerous threat to humankind.

    Archie, Eve, and Nova went into the hole while the others looked at them with worried expressions. Nova got chilled down her spine the moment the cold breeze hit her face and nape while Eve kept holding her arm so she wouldn¡¯t run away.

    Archie used the flashlight and pointed it at the ground so they wouldn¡¯t slip and ended up like him back then. The steps were stooped and they had to carefully walked down the hole as they started to be surrounded by darkness.

    ¡°So, uhh¡­¡± Nova¡¯s voice was trembling and she sounded so scared. ¡°Are you guys not scared?¡± she asked as she gulped and looked at both of them who walked in front of her.

    ¡°Scared? Of what? Parasites? Darkness?¡± Eve replied as she kept holding Nova¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Uhh, no, I¡¯m talking about the unknown. Are you guys not afraid of being in a place that you don¡¯t know? Especially a place where humans are not welcomed,¡± Nova answered as she looked down the steps.

    ?[0)??? ¡°Everything is the unknown outside the city, Nova. Even if you have visited some places, when you come back there again, you wouldn¡¯t know anything but danger. Once you think there¡¯s no safe place outside, you will start to think nothing is scarier than that and you will end up overcoming that fear,¡± Archie answered and pointed the flashlight at the walls and ceiling to check if there were holes on the walls.

    ¡°That information isn¡¯t going to help me at all right now, Archie,¡± Nova replied as she slowly stood closer to Eve. ¡°I hate this, I really hate this,¡±

    The three of them had been walking down the dark hole for half an hour and they started to hear faint growls and screeches from in front of them. Nova didn¡¯t even say a single word ever since because she was overwhelmed by the fear.

    Archie looked in the distance and squinted his eyes, he saw a light brighten the path and hurriedly walked down the hole to check it out.

    The moment the three of them reached the end of the hole, they were welcomed by thick cold mist. The three of them couldn¡¯t see anything as they walked so slowly and carefully because Eve told them so until they saw the terrain of the world underneath the earth.

    ¡°Wow, is this real?¡± Nova asked and her fear slowly lifted from her shoulder as she walked to the front to look at the terrain.

    Archie and Eve looked around and they sensed hundreds of parasites underneath them and he immediately grabbed Nova¡¯s hand and pulled her back so slowly.

    ¡°Be careful, behind this beauty, there¡¯s a terror waiting for us,¡± Archie said and glanced at Eve.

 Chapter 110 World underneath.

    ¡°Be quiet, if can, hold your breath,¡± Archie said as he held Nova¡¯s shoulders and pulled her closer to him. Eve was staring at Archie and was a bit displeased that he put another woman so close to him. ¡°You don¡¯t want all those parasites to come out because they¡¯re at least one close to King-type parasite,¡±

    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Nova asked quietly as she stared at Archie with anxiety written on her face.

    ¡°Yeah, so let¡¯s be quiet and start to find a way down,¡± Archie looked at Eve and nodded his head.

    Eve led the way with Archie right behind her while Nova was on the right side and hugged the wall because she didn¡¯t want to be the first one to get attacked by the parasite.

    The three of them walked down the muddy ground and it was quite hard to stay quiet with the sound of their boots stepping on the wet mud. Thankfully, the sound of the parasites and waterfalls was loud enough to cover their presence, and also it was thanks to Eve¡¯s aura that made the parasites wouldn¡¯t care about whoever came from the hole.

    The forest was right in front of them and Nova hesitated to enter the forest because she didn¡¯t want to be down there in the first place. On the other hand, Archie and Eve entered the forest so casually which made Nova have no other option but to follow them because it was safer for her to stay close to them than to have to climb back up to go back.

    Archie clenched his right fist and raised it to signal both of them to stop moving. They walked closer to Archie and looked in the direction that he was looking, they saw a parasite that looked like a bat with four arms and legs eating something on top of the tree.

    ¡°We need to deal with that or we are going to be stuck here,¡± Eve said as she put her hand on Archie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It has quite sharp hearing like a bat and its eyes are just an accessory so you don¡¯t have to be worried,¡±

    ¡°Let me deal with it then,¡± Archie replied as he looked at his surroundings and made sure there was no parasite around.

    Archie quietly grabbed a pebble on the ground, he looked at the tree on the other side of them. He threw it and hit the tree trunk, and it was enough to attract the parasite¡¯s attention and flew toward the tree trunk so quickly.

    Archie wanted to know how fast it move and what it was capable of, he knew that the claws and the fangs were dangerous so he needed to be careful with those. He looked down and grabbed another pebble then threw it as hard as he could and right on the parasite¡¯s head.

    The pebble shattered into tiny pieces and the parasite turned its head toward them. Archie unsheathed his sword and flicked the blade to attract the parasite¡¯s attention.

    The parasite flew toward him and was ready to tear his body into pieces but Archie dashed forward as he swung his sword vertically at the parasite. He cut the parasite into half like paper and killed it in an instant before the parasite could even call for help.

    Archie looked at his arm and noticed the change in his strength, he was quite amazed and grateful that he got exposed to the radiation. He thought that he would be overpowered by the parasite¡¯s mass and momentum but he wasn¡¯t even get pushed back when he clashed with the parasite.

    ¡°Wow, that sword is really amazing,¡± Nova said as she looked at the clean cut on the parasite¡¯s body.

    Eve chuckled and looked at Archie. ¡°Yes, of course, it was all because of the sword,¡± she said mockingly.

    Nova stood next to the parasite¡¯s body and it was as big as an elephant, she didn¡¯t believe something that big could move really fast. The more she thought about what kind of parasites live down there, the more scared she became.

    As they went deeper into the forest, a loud roar echoed throughout the whole place and it scared all the parasites. Nova looked up since she heard wings flapping right above her and to her surprise, the same parasite that Archie killed back then, there were hundreds of them above her.

    ¡°What was that?!¡± Nova asked as she leaned her body toward Eve,

    ¡°That¡¯s the one we are looking for, let¡¯s go,¡± Eve said as she walked deeper into the forest with Nova kept clinging to her arm.

    ¡°You know, that¡¯s really a bad idea, right? Knowing those parasites were running away from the roar, we should do the same,¡± Nova replied as she kept looking up and watching the parasites fly away.

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why we have to go there because the parasites are running away and that means the only danger that we are going to deal with is that thing,¡± Eve answered and started to walk faster.

    Nova sighed and trembled in her breath. ¡°I hate it when you¡¯re right about it,¡± she said.

    Eve just chuckled and kept on walking with Archie following from behind them.

    As they went deeper into the forest, they saw a river and Eve decided to walk over it because there was a hill not far in front of them. She wanted to get a better look at the area and needed to find a sign of the King-type parasite.

    ¡°Alright, we can relax a bit here because this place should be the safest place in this whole cave,¡± Eve said as she looked at the mountain on the other side of the cave. ¡°The sound must be coming from that mountain over there,¡±

    ?[0)??? ¡°You want us to go over there? That¡¯s like, two hours of walking,¡± Nova said as she looked at the mountain. ¡°Fuck it, let¡¯s do it. It¡¯s not like we have another choice,¡±

    After they rested for half an hour, they went down the hill and straight to the mountain.

    It took them two hours as Nova expected and the ground was shaking because of footsteps that came from inside the mountain.

    Archie took the lead and looked for a way to get inside the mountain by going all the way up and hoping to find an entrance.

    ¡°I found it, the entrance into the mountain,¡± Archie said as he looked down where Eve and Nova were still climbing up the mountain.

    ¡°Great! Now, all we need to do is to create a plan, a plan to get out of this place safely,¡± Nova said as she looked at the entrance and at the hole, they came from. ¡°Wow, we really came all the way here without even getting any trouble,¡±

    The moment Nova said that another roar was heard and it was deafening that they all had to cover their ears. The mountain looked like it was about to crumble any time soon but it was just in Archie and Nova¡¯s minds because the mountain was actually fine.

    ¡°I guess the plan is simple,¡± Archie looked at both of them. ¡°We get the parasite¡¯s attention, and we just run all the way back with the parasite following us from behind. With that parasite with us, the other parasites won¡¯t dare to get closer to us since they all would run to save themselves,¡±

    ¡°As long as I¡¯m not in the back, I¡¯m fine with that,¡± Nova replied.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do this,¡± Archie said as he walked into the mountain.

    ¡°We are inside of a cave, of a cave, of a cave. If there¡¯s another cave, I think we might get lost,¡± Nova said as she walked next to Archie and Eve.

    The tunnel was getting wider and wider until they reached the end of the tunnel and inside a vast and spacious cave. Both Archie and Nova were shocked when they saw a carcass of a massive animal or parasite that looked like a dragon.

    ¡°Is that a dragon?!¡± Nova asked as she looked at the skull stuck on the ceiling.

    Eve looked at it and it was the King-type parasite that she killed back then and bathed herself in its blood. It was when Cherubim told her that the last Adam had been chosen, that she never thought that her life would change drastically just because of a single person.

    ¡°This thing should be at least a hundred feet tall. Who killed this parasite?¡± Nova asked and touched the bone.

    ¡°Maybe another King-type parasite,¡± Archie said and tried to imagine what the dragon looked like when it was still alive. ¡°Anyway, we need to go deeper and find the parasite,¡±

    The three of them went deeper into the mountain until the heat started to bother them. They could feel the vibration from the parasite¡¯s grunt and growl in the distance, and there were so many tunnels but thanks to the noises, they knew which tunnel to go to.

    They ended up on the edge of a cliff, and the lava was right below them.

    They were looking at the lava until something came up to the surface. A parasite that looked like a dragon was swimming inside the lava as if it was swimming in a river.

    Archie grabbed his magnum and looked at Nova and Eve. ¡°Are you guys ready?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yeah, we will run the moment it looks at us,¡± Archie said as he aimed his magnum at the parasite.

    Archie shot the parasite in the eye but he missed, and fortunately, that was enough to get the parasite¡¯s attention. The parasite looked at them and finally, it showed its full body and it shocked Archie and Nova.

    ¡°Oh no, this one is twice bigger than the carcass that we found. We need to run, now!¡± Nova said as she saw the parasite spread its wings and destroyed the walls with its wings.

 Chapter 111 Chased.

    ¡°Is it chasing us?!¡± Nova asked as she ran right behind Eve and she was trying so hard to try to keep up with Eve¡¯s pace. ¡°God, I hate this idea so much!¡±

    ¡°Just keep running,¡± Archie replied as he looked back and the parasite started to breathe fire that heat was enough to burn everything into ashes. ¡°We won¡¯t make it outside alive we are not hurried,¡±

    Eve led them from one tunnel to another while she was laughing because it was the first time she felt excited over something stupid. She never ran away from anything and for the first time, she ran away it was really fun for her.

    ¡°Eve, don¡¯t laugh! We are in trouble,¡± Nova said as she entered the tunnel that Eve had just gone through while Archie started to chuckle as well.

    ¡°This is fun!¡± Eve replied. ¡°We are almost there, by the way, so we need to start running faster,¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re crazy! You both are crazy!¡± Nova said as she looked back and the dark tunnel started to glow red.

    The ground trembled and the ceiling was crumbling, the three of them looked up and knew that the parasite was no longer following them. The parasite was trying to climb up the mountain because it knew that they were planning to leave the mountain.

    ¡°Should we stay here? If we go out there, we will be burned to crips,¡± Nova asked and looked at Archie.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. If we stay, the parasite will break the ceiling and we might get trapped in this place,¡± Archie looked at the ceiling and the debris started to fall. ¡°Just keep running, Eve and I can handle the parasite while you keep running and tell the others to leave the cave as soon as possible,¡±

    The ground and ceiling stopped shaking, and the three of them stopped running and looked at the ceiling. They could hear the wings flapping in the distance from above, the parasite was already outside the mountain and started roaring.

    ¡°Alright, you ready?¡± Eve asked as she looked at Archie.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do this,¡± Archie nodded his head in agreement.

    The three of them ran out of the cave and were immediately welcomed by the roar of the parasite from above.

    (Inside the Son Doong Cave)

    Everyone was resting near the hole while they were preparing to enter the hole if needed. Suddenly they could hear screeches and a loud roar that overlayed the screeches, they all looked at each other and then looked at the hole in front of them.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Daniel asked as he gulped.

    Faye slowly walked back and grabbed her rifle. ¡°Everyone! Stay away from the hole and grab your guns!¡± she said as she aimed her rifle at the hole.

    Everyone was away from the hole and those parasites¡¯ screeches were getting louder and louder so everyone started to hold their breath and focused on aiming their gun.

    The bat-like parasite was the first thing they saw, they were startled by how big it was and none of them were shooting their guns because Faye was signaling them to hold their fire. They saw another one come out from the hole then another until dozens of them came out of the hole and flew away.

    ¡°They were running away, like back then,¡± Ruby said.

    ¡°Running away? From what?¡± Aster asked as he looked at Ruby.

    ¡°The King,¡± Ruby answered and looked at Faye and Aster.

    ¡°Does that mean they managed to find a King-type parasite?¡± Faye asked as she watched hundreds of the bat-like parasites fly away from the hole and went out of the cave.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but either way, we don¡¯t want to be here because we don¡¯t know what kind of King-type parasite is inside that hole,¡± Ruby said as she lowered her submachine gun and put the safety on. ¡°We have to move after all the parasites leave,¡±

    ¡°Alright, I will stay here until the three of them come back from the hole. I¡¯m responsible for their safety and the least I can do is to stay here and wait for their arrival,¡± Faye said as she looked at Aster and nodded her head.

    (Inside the hole)

    ¡°Watch out!¡± Archie said as he grabbed Nova¡¯s arm and threw her away to the side before a tree trunk crashed onto the ground. ¡°You need to focus on your surroundings, Nova!¡±

    Nova rolled over and immediately stood up then ran again without even saying a single word. She looked up and the dragon was roaring and spitting fire into the sky that if it touched her, she would die instantly.

    They were still miles away from the hole they came from and it would take them at least an hour of running. Looking at the situation, it would be a miracle if they could reach the end without getting injured because the trees were flying around like papers because of the parasite¡¯s wings, tail, and breath.

    ¡°Eve, I will try to distract this thing for a moment. I don¡¯t think Nova can keep up on us and will die if we don¡¯t do anything to stop the parasite from chasing us,¡± Archie said as he unsheathed his sword and looked at Eve who was running in front of him.

    ¡°You think you can?¡± Eve asked what only matter to her.

    ¡°As long as I¡¯m not disintegrated, I think I will be fine,¡± Archie answered as he looked back and saw the parasite start to flap its wings again and ready to fly toward them.

    ¡°Okay, I will come to you as soon as possible if you¡¯re in trouble. Right now, I should bring Nova back safely,¡± Eve replied and stared Archie in the eye with her silver hair blown by the wind.

    Archie nodded and reached out his left hand at Eve.

    ¡°Don¡¯t die on me,¡± Eve said as she grabbed Archie¡¯s hand then she pulled him toward her and threw him toward the parasite in the sky.

    Nova who watched it from the side was shocked and looked at Archie flying toward the parasite.

    ¡°What?! Are you sure he¡¯s going to be alright?¡± Nova asked and stared at Eve with disbelief.

    ¡°He will be fine,¡± Eve looked back as she kept running.

    Archie looked at the feet of the parasite and stabbed his sword on the side of the parasite¡¯s right foot. He was hanging down as he tried to climb onto the foot but the parasite started to wiggle its right leg and made them almost lose his grip on his sword.

    The parasite used its left foot to get rid of Archie but he was fast enough to climb up the parasite¡¯s knee and the parasite couldn¡¯t reach him anymore. He climbed up to the parasite¡¯s thigh and started to cut it open so the parasite would pay attention to him instead of Eve and Nova.

    ¡°Come on, deal with me,¡± Archie said as he kept stabbing the parasite¡¯s thigh and covered himself with the parasite¡¯s blood.

    The parasite roared and started to fly up high while Archie kept cutting the parasite¡¯s leg so that he could see the bone inside the parasite¡¯s leg.

    Archie looked up and the parasite almost reached the ceiling, he then climbed up higher because he knew what was going to happen next. The parasite started to dive straight down and planned on hitting the ground to shake Archie off of its body.

    It was hard for Archie to climb and he had no option but to be prepared for the impact.

    Archie looked down and before the parasite slammed its legs to the ground, he jumped up to reduce the momentum so he wouldn¡¯t get crushed. He managed to land safely as he rolled over and over while the parasite seemed to be relieved from pain by roaring.

    The parasite started to swing its tail and flattened the forest with its spiky bones that came out the tail. Archie jumped and rolled over to avoid the tail, he knew that he had given them enough time to run away so he started to catch up to them.

    Eve and Nova looked back and saw the parasite was a mile away from them thanks to Archie¡¯s effort. Eve suddenly stopped running and Nova looked at her with confusion.

    ¡°What are you doing? Let¡¯s leave! We are almost there!¡± Nova shouted as she stopped running and looked at Eve.

    ¡°You go and warn the others, I will give another extra time for you all to get ready,¡± Eve said as she stared at the parasite who was running toward them. ¡°Go!¡±

    Nova nodded with understanding and then she ran as fast as she could.

    Faye, Aster, Ruby, Vincent, Daniel, and Tommy were waiting near the hole while the others had left to the middle of the cave. They suddenly heard a crumbling sound of rocks falling down from the hole, they all pointed their guns at the hole and silently stared at it.

    ¡°Nova?!¡± Faye looked at Nova who was covered in sweat as she came out from the hole.

    ¡°Run! We have to leave! Now!¡± Nova said as she grabbed Ruby and Faye¡¯s hands.

 Chapter 112 A new King appeared.

    ¡°Eve?! What are you doing? We should leave,¡± Archie asked while he rand and stared at Eve who was standing still in front of him.

    ¡°It seems that this bug has some grudge against me,¡± Eve answered as she stared at the dragon-like parasite that was charging at Archie in the distance. ¡°The mother is furious that I killed her child,¡±

    Archie furrowed his forehead and looked at Eve with confusion but then Eve suddenly ran toward him and jumped so high above his head. He stopped running and turned around to see Eve flew toward the parasite with her wings spread open.

    Eve punched the parasite¡¯s face before it could breathe fire and her punch was enough to knocked the parasite down. She was smiling with excitement as she stared at the parasite, then she flew down with the speed of sound and punched the parasite on the neck.

    The parasite was roaring as it started to breathe fire and turned everything around it into ashes.

    Archie watched Eve used her claws and scratched the parasite¡¯s skin on the neck, she seemed to be enjoying it. He didn¡¯t know why, but he looked at Eve as if she had a personal grudge against that parasite because she never saw her like that before, even back then.

    The parasite started to bleed because Eve was toying with it as she flew around and dodged all the attacks from the parasite. She flew down and cut the chest down to its stomach open with her claws, it wasn¡¯t really a good idea because the parasite started to get furious at her and the red fire turned into liquid fire.

    A single droplet of the liquid fire was enough to melt everything that it touched, and Archie had to run away so he wouldn¡¯t get touched by it.

    Watching how Eve could easily hurt a King-type parasite with her bare hands and how her strength overpowered the parasite made Archie realized that she was no match for him. Archie could see the gap between his and Eve and there was no way for him to be able to survive if Eve decided to kill him.

    Eve suddenly flew away from the parasite and landed in front Archie with a smile on her face.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, I had my fun and since I hurt that bug so badly, it will only target me,¡± Eve said as she grabbed Archie¡¯s hand and dragged him with her to the hole. ¡°I hope that they¡¯re not inside the cave because they will die immediately if that bug breath the liquid fire at them,¡±

    Archie looked back and the parasite was staggered and when it realized that Eve was running away from it, the parasite started to spread its wings and flew toward them.

    ¡°Where did those bat-like parasites go to? They disappeared without a trace,¡± Faye walked as she looked around the ceiling of the cave. ¡°We need to find those parasites because they¡¯re going to be a huge threat to the people around the city,¡±

    ¡°We can think about that later, right now we have a problem that¡¯s approaching us,¡± Nova replied and looked at the long tunnel that led to the hole anxiously.

    ¡°You said that the parasite is like a dragon?¡± Ruby looked at Nova.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s massive,¡± Nova nodded her head repeatedly.

    ¡°Do you think the parasite could fit the hole? We know that the mouth of the hole was tall enough to fit ten story building, but we don¡¯t know about the inside of the tunnel is as big as the mouth,¡± Ruby crossed her arms and looked at the hole in the distance.

    ¡°Yeah, the parasite could fit inside the hole,¡± Nova answered.

    Ruby looked at Vincent, Daniel, Tommy, and Fanheim. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s enough explanation,¡± Ruby said as she looked at Nova and Faye. ¡°We don¡¯t want to be in this cave, we need to leave this cave now,¡±

    They started to feel the ground shaking. ¡°Run! Now!¡± Ruby yelled and everyone immediately started running for their lives because they could hear the fear in Ruby¡¯s voice.

    As they ran away to the exit, the shaking got worse and it was hard for them to keep their balance as they ran for their lives. They started to hear a roar from far behind them, and so they turned around and the first thing they noticed was the dark hole went bright red.

    They saw Archie and Eve climb out from the hole and they were running as fast as they could. A blaze of flame followed them from behind and it was enough for them to turn their heads back to the front and ran as fast as they could.

    ¡°What the fuck was that?!¡± Tommy asked as he looked at Nova.

    ¡°That¡¯s the parasite, it could breathe fire,¡± Nova answered as she kept running.

    ¡°The first thing you should have told us is that the parasite could breathe fire,¡± Ruby said as she looked at Archie and Eve who were slowly catching up on them.

    A head could be seen peeking out from the hole and Ruby was shocked when saw how big the head was and then the whole crumbled as the parasite¡¯s body tried to break through the wall. Everyone was shocked when they saw how massive the body was and its body barely fit in the hole so it had to destroy the walls so it could spread its wings.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Faye was speechless that she couldn¡¯t say anything else.

    As they ran toward the exit of Son Doong cave, they saw parasites waiting and screeching at them. Before they could grab their guns, the parasites immediately ran away the moment they saw the King-type parasite charging toward them in the distance with its wings spread open.

    ¡°That¡¯s convenience,¡± Vincent said jokingly and nervously.

    They all left the cave safely and the first thing they thought in their heads was, ¡°What¡¯s next?¡±

    ¡°What now? What should we do next?¡± Nova asked as she looked at Faye.

    ¡°Stay away from the cave mouth, we should go toward where the parasites went because they¡¯re animals. Animals know when and where when danger is coming,¡± Faye answered as she looked at the others. ¡°Let¡¯s go, we don¡¯t want to be spotted by that thing,¡±

    All of them nodded and followed the trace of the parasites that went to the east side of the cave.

    Archie and Eve were running toward the exit and the cave was slowly crumbling because the parasite¡¯s wings and tail scratched the walls and pillars. Its head was also touching the ceiling as it tried to fly in a cramped space for its size.

    The parasite sprayed the walls with its liquid fire and it was enough to melt the stone, walls, pillars, and ceiling. It was a shame that the beautiful cave got destroyed by the parasite but the good side was the parasites wouldn¡¯t be able to use it anymore.

    The liquid fire flooded the cave and it almost touched Archie¡¯s back, but thankfully, Eve was there to pull him and brought him out to safety.

    Faye and the others were hiding up the hill when they saw Archie and Eve come out from the cave. They saw the liquid fire pouring out like a stream and melting everything around it.

    ¡°I know that we are trying to bring another King-type parasite to the surface,¡± Faye said as she hid behind a tree and stared at the parasite coming out from the cave. ¡°But if something like that came out, I think we just created another problem,¡±

    ¡°You might be right, but if you look at that parasite¡¯s condition, it seems the parasite has a lot of injuries on its body. We just hope that this parasite could do enough harm to weaken the other King-type parasite that had evolved,¡± Ruby replied as she squinted her eyes to look at the injuries all over the parasite¡¯s body.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Nova hummed as she tilted her head with a bit of confusion. ¡°I don¡¯t remember the parasite was like that before because I remember correctly it had no injuries at all when it chased us,¡± she explained with her eyebrows furrowed.

    Ruby and Vincent looked at each other and knew who could do something like that to the parasite, but they didn¡¯t want to say anything because none of them seemed to be curious about it.

    ¡°Now that the King-type parasite is out, how are we going to lead it to the other King-type parasite?¡± Aster asked and looked at Ruby.

    ¡°The King-type parasite could sense another King-type parasite the moment it went to the surface. Let¡¯s wait and see if this one can sense the other King-type parasite,¡± Ruby answered.

    They were all paying attention to the parasite, and as Ruby expected, the parasite stopped moving and looked around as if it sensed something.

    The parasite roared so loudly that the sky went clear and the cloud disappeared. Not long after the parasite roared, they could hear a faint roar in the sky and they were all looking in the direction of the roar came from.

    The parasite spread its wings and it flew up high in the sky as it stared at the distance.

    ¡°Another King went to the surface, a challenger has appeared,¡± Ruby said as she looked up at the sky.

 Chapter 113 Something beyond.

    Archie sat down and leaned on the tree as he watched the parasite flew away and based on the direction it went to, the parasite went to the south which were the other King-type parasite was. He looked at Eve and she grabbed something from her back, it was a big chunk of meat.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Archie asked as he looked at the meat in Eve¡¯s hand.

    ¡°This is the meat of that bug, you should drink the blood,¡± Eve answered as she walked toward Archie and put her hand above his head. ¡°Look up and open your mouth,¡± she said as she stared down at Archie.

    Archie hesitated to open his mouth as he looked up at Eve. ¡°Trust me,¡± Eve said with a gentle smile on her shiny face from sweat.

    Archie opened his mouth and Eve immediately squeezed the meat and the blood came out and dripped onto her hand and fell down into Archie¡¯s mouth. She stared at the blood and she seemed to want have some but she held back and gave everything to Archie.

    ¡°How is it?¡± Eve asked with her eyebrows raised.

    ¡°It¡¯s sweeter than I thought, but it¡¯s so gooey and hard to swallow,¡± Archie answered with his throat tried to swallow the sticky and gooey blood.

    Eve bit the meat and ate it whole as she sucked the leftover blood inside the meat.

    ¡°You will feel the changes in a moment,¡± Eve said as she licked her fingers and didn¡¯t waste a single drop of it.

    ¡°Why the blood? Why it¡¯s-¡± Archie paused and suddenly his heart pounded really fast that his vision went blurry for a second. ¡°Wha¡­¡± Archie stared at Eve as he breath heavily.

    ¡°Some of the King-type parasite contained a special gene in them, it helped other parasites to evolve in an instant. I found out about it when I saw a King-type parasite killed another King a hundred years ago. It gave them power as they grew bigger because of it,¡± Eve explained and looked at Archie who started to feel dizzy.

    ¡°So, the reason behind those King-type parasite could grow bigger was because they¡¯re the survivors or should I call it the champion amongst the parasites?¡± Archie asked as he pressed his chest because his chest started to sting as if needles were poking at his heart.

    ¡°Yes, but not all of them have a special gene, or should I say, not pure breed,¡± Eve answered and licked her cheeks with her long tongue. ¡°There are only a few that have pure breed, and that dragon one is a pure breed because the gene inside it hasn¡¯t tainted by multiple genes,¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean? Are you talking about the gene of the parasite?¡± Archie raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°Yes, there are so many types of parasites and we are hosted by one of them when we were chosen,¡± Eve nodded her head. ¡°There¡¯s one specific type of parasite that doesn¡¯t want to taint its original gene by only take a specific gene of an animal or fossil. That dragon one, it isn¡¯t a combination multiple animals like the other King-type parasite,¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that parasite took a gene of a real dragon? I didn¡¯t know that a dragon existed in our world,¡± Archie looked at Eve with confusion.

    ¡°They¡¯re real, and other terrifying things that buried deep inside Earth that we don¡¯t know they existed,¡± Eve looked at Archie with a serious expression. ¡°I have seen one a long time ago, and that one is something else,¡± Eve¡¯s eyes were filled with a bit of fear.

    Before Archie could ask a question, they heard a rustling sound from their right and saw Faye with the others walking toward them.

    ¡°Archie! Eve!¡± Faye looked at them with her eyes wide open and a smile of relief on her face. ¡°Thank goodness you guys are okay,¡±

    All of them stood next to Eve and they looked at Archie who looked pale because he was undergoing another evolution.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Faye asked as she looked at Archie who closed his eyes to relieve the headache.

    ¡°Not really, I need to rest,¡± Archie answered with a bit of a smile on his face.

    ¡°I see, since they have confirmed that the King-type parasite flew toward Indonesia, our job here is done and you guys really did an amazing job. We are going home now, and you both deserve a long rest after what you both have gone through,¡± Faye said as she looked at both of them.

    ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Archie replied and looked at Eve. ¡°Let¡¯s go home then,¡±

    Eve grabbed Archie¡¯s hand and lifted him up then carried him over her shoulder.

    ¡°So, is it really over? Are we not going to talk about the King-type parasite that just flew freely?¡± Nova asked and looked at Faye.

    ¡°Ruby said the truth about the behavior of the King-type parasite, and there¡¯s nothing we should be worried about because it went straight to the island as she said,¡± Faye answered. ¡°But we should discuss the future plan on how to deal with that parasite if one of them ended up winning the battle,¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just like back then, huh?¡± Tommy said to Ruby and Vincent who walked next to each other.

    ¡°Yeah, we don¡¯t know which one is the winner though, because that parasite that we fought, it was far worse than these two parasites that we encountered,¡± Ruby nodded her head as she stared blankly at the grass.

    ¡°You mentioned that the King-type parasite that you guys encountered could fly as well, right? You haven¡¯t told us how big that parasite was,¡± Faye looked at Ruby with curiosity.

    ¡°It was a nightmare that keeps haunting us until now,¡± Ruby answered. ¡°It¡¯s bigger than these two obviously because we are as tall as that parasite¡¯s toe, and that alone is enough to tell how big that parasite is,¡±

    ¡°It flew up in the dark sky without making a noise, it was raining back then, heavily. We still had no idea how could we go against it and survived,¡± Vincent said as he chuckled with disbelief. ¡°A desperate time needs a desperate measure I guess,¡±

    ¡°That must be terrifying,¡± Aster said as he looked at Vincent.

    ¡°It was, but at the same time, we were responsible for thousands of lives behind our shoulders. It gave us the courage to fight that thing even though we barely did anything to stop it, but at least it was enough until the other King-type parasite came and fought that thing,¡± Vincent answered and nodded his head in agreement.

    It was silent because they all couldn¡¯t believe Ruby and the others fought a King-type parasite. Knowing and experiencing it themselves how terrifying it was for them to just watched the parasite in the distance, they started to respect them more.

    Archie started to lose his balance and slowly lost consciousness so Eve immediately carried him on her back. Faye and the others were worried about whatever happened to Archi and decided to leave the forest hurriedly.

    After an hour of walking, they finally left the forest and got picked up by the other team.

    Archie opened his eyes and noticed that he was already back in the barrack, he was on his own with Eve.

    ¡°How long did I fall asleep?¡± Archie sat up as he groaned because he still had a headache.

    ¡°A whole day, you slept through the entire day,¡± Eve answered and looked at Archie. ¡°Do you feel any changes in your body?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not sure,¡± Archie looked at his hands and shook his head.

    ¡°Do you want to test it out?¡± Eve asked with her eyebrow raised.

    ¡°Test it? I don¡¯t think we have the time for that yet because I believe we are in the middle of something important, right?¡± Archie replied and looked at Eve. ¡°How¡¯s the current situation?¡±

    ¡°We still haven¡¯t gotten any report but there are reports related to the massive earthquake that happened in the south. The Kings are currently fighting each other and all we can do is just wait,¡± Eve answered.

    ¡°I see,¡± Archie nodded his head with understanding. ¡°Who do you think will win the battle? The pure breed or the other one?¡±

    Eve smiled and looked at the window. ¡°An adult pure breed like that one, it¡¯s hard to be killed by the others even if it¡¯s heavily injured. But, if the pure breed dies, there¡¯s no other way but to kill it myself before it becomes a tyrannical king,¡±

    ¡°I thought you don¡¯t care about this? Why are you suddenly have to put yourself in if that happened?¡± Archie asked as he walked toward Eve.

    ¡°It¡¯s not about me caring, it¡¯s about preventing the apocalypse from happening,¡± Eve answered as she sighed.

    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about how dangerous the parasite will become, I¡¯m talking about something that has been sleeping deep inside and waiting for a challenge to appear and here I am, preventing that thing from waking,¡± Eve explained and stared at Archie with a serious expression.

 Chapter 114 Wings.

    ¡°How was it?¡± Eve asked as she sat on the chair in front of the bathroom and stared at the bathroom where Archie was inside. ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself if you can¡¯t do it,¡±

    The sound of cracking bones echoed in the bathroom and luckily it was just the two of them in the barrack. If the others were there, they could have been scared and terrified by that sound because it sounded so painful to hear.

    Archie was trying to copy Eve¡¯s ability to make wings from her scapula and it was unpleasant because it was really painful. He could deform his scapula but expanding his muscles and skin was hard to do because he never knew how wings work.

    ¡°Maybe we should stop it there and find a bird or a bat so you can understand how a wing works,¡± Eve said as she stared at Archie¡¯s scapula coming out from his back. ¡°Let¡¯s go outside and find some,¡±

    ¡°Right, I need to know the anatomy of winged creatures,¡± Archie said as he came out of the bathroom and grabbed his shirt. ¡°What about you? How did you manage to get the idea of making wings and be able to fly with it?¡± he asked as he stared at Eve.

    ¡°Cherubim showed me how wings work, it was quite easy since they¡¯re intelligent beings and very good at teaching,¡± Eve answered with her legs crossed and her chin on her fist. ¡°You should know about it as well since you were guided by them as well, right?¡±

    Archie shook his head as he put on his shirt. ¡°No, mine didn¡¯t have wings, it¡¯s like rings stacked to each other with many eyes on them. They called themselves Throne,¡± Archie answered as he looked at himself in the mirror.

    ¡°That¡¯s interesting, I wonder if I can see them because I don¡¯t think I can imagine what they look like. It¡¯s the same as you because you haven¡¯t met Cherubim before, but compared to you, I guess mine is always by my side and watching me,¡± Eve replied as she stared at Archie.

    ¡°Yeah, mine abandoned me, well not really, but they weren¡¯t really there unless my existence is endangered by the humans. You already knew about it when they wiped the humans¡¯ memories about me,¡± Archie nodded his head in agreement.

    ¡°Right, they don¡¯t care if you die by another Adam,¡± Eve said with her arms crossed and leaned on the chair. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s not waste our free time before Faye called us,¡±

    The two of them went to the training ground and saw birds resting on the trees, Archie grabbed a pebble and threw it at one of them. He hit the bird right in the head and died the moment the bird fell to the ground.

    ¡°Nice shot,¡± Eve said as she ran to the tree and grabbed the bird on the ground.

    Eve walked back as she spread the bird¡¯s wings to show the anatomy of the bird¡¯s wings.

    They both were staring at the bird¡¯s body and bone structure like a scientist staring at the parasite¡¯s anatomy. Eve plucked the bird¡¯s feathers so Archie could see the wing¡¯s bone structure and the muscles on it.

    ¡°So there are different types of wings? I didn¡¯t know that,¡± Archie looked at Eve with his eyebrows raised.

    ¡°Yes, there are three of them and you can tell by the shape of the wing. You will understand when I show you the difference between one bird with another,¡± Eve nodded as she pointed at the shape of the wing.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s find the other two types,¡± Archie didn¡¯t say anything and followed Eve outside the city to hunt some birds.

    As Eve said there were three types of wings and each had a different shape and purpose. The Soaring Wings, the Elliptical Wings, and lastly the High-speed Wings.

    ¡°Elliptical wings enable a high level of maneuverability and control in confined areas and minimize the drag to permit rapid descent and ascent. Elliptical wings are suitable for short bursts of high speed, making them more effective. While elliptical wings allow high speed, the speed cannot be maintained.¡± Eve explained as she looked around the trees. ¡°The one that you killed back then was one of them because usually, it belonged to small birds or crows,¡±

    ¡°Oh? What about the other two?¡± Archie asked and looked at Eve.

    ¡°Since you have seen the Elliptical Wings, the Soaring Wings are different in shape,¡± Eve squinted her eyes and looked up into the sky. ¡°What a right timing,¡±

    Eve threw a pebble into the sky and then she started running after she managed to shoot down a bird that was circling in the sky.

    Archie followed Eve from far behind and then he saw an eagle laying on the ground dead while Eve was staring at it.

    ¡°This eagle has Soaring Wings,¡± Eve said as she spread the eagle wings open. ¡°Soaring wings are very narrow and long allowing the bird to fly without the need to flap the wings for quite some time. These types of birds depend a lot on the prevailing wind currents of the particular flying area and that¡¯s why this eagle was roaming around in the sky above us,¡±

    ¡°The down and up flight style of this bird makes it use the small differences in the wind speed so that it can travel the long distance with the minimum energy in use. This shape of the wing is called the soaring shape and this allows the bird to decrease the drag in the air,¡± Eve explained as she looked at the wings. ¡°With that explanation, this type of wing is the most fun to use when you just want to fly around,¡±

    ¡°So this shape of wings is your favorite, Eve?¡± Archie asked as he stared at her.

    ¡°Yes, I could spend an entire day flying with this shape,¡± Eve answered as she nodded her head.

    ¡°Now, the last one is quite hard to find or catch but I think I saw one earlier,¡± Eve said as she looked around the trees and up in the sky.

    Archie stared at Eve and she looked so excited about it, maybe she had been so lonely that she had nobody to share the knowledge that she had. It made him smile and happy for some reason, and then Eve looked at him with confusion.

    ¡°Why are you staring at me like that?¡± Eve asked with her eyebrows raised.

    ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just I feel like you¡¯re enjoying this. You look so excited and happy when you were explaining things to me,¡± Archie answered while he kept smiling at her.

    ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t realize that but I¡¯m excited because I never thought I could share what I know with someone else. Not because there¡¯s nobody to talk to, but because I never think of sharing anything with anyone before,¡± Eve replied and stared blankly at the ground. ¡°But now that I have you around me, I feel like I can tell you about everything,¡±

    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s find the last type of bird,¡± Eve said as she walked past Archie.

    They spent an hour to find the bird and finally, they found on far away from the city. It was a falcon bird and the bird was chilling up on a cliff of the hill, Eve threw a twig and startled the bird.

    It was hard to catch the bird as Eve said but they finally managed to kill it after they threw dozens of pebbles at it at the same time.

    ¡°Now this is the wing that I used when I brought you up to the north, the High-speed wings,¡± Eve said as she spread the falcon wings open and put them on top of the flat surface of the rock.

    ¡°High-speed wings are very thin and long as you can see here, but they are shorter than the birds who have Soaring Wings birds. As the name of the wings, the birds who possess this type of wing are very fast. Also, these birds are good at maintaining their flying speed for a long time, unlike the birds who have Elliptical Wings,¡± Eve explained as she pointed at the falcon wings.

    ¡°A high-speed wing allows a bird to fly very rapidly and relatively sustains that speed for a long distance, which helps it to outperform slower-flying species. High-speed wings are narrow and not razor-sharp, allowing the bird to fly with less air resistance,¡± Eve explained as she took the wing from the falcon and showed it to Archie.

    ¡°Now that you have seen it, why don¡¯t you go and try to make one of these wings,¡± Eve said as she showed the three types of wings in her hands. ¡°Which one do you think is the easiest to recreate? She asked as she stared at Archie.

    ¡°I think the High-speed wings are the easiest because it almost looks like our scapula,¡± Archie said as he removed his shirt.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s give it a try,¡± Archie said as he nodded his head.

 Chapter 115 Let the wind take control.

    ¡°You can do better than that, don¡¯t forget to create bones like ribs on them as your wing¡¯s fingers. You need to make them big and long,¡± Eve said as she sat on the rock and stared at Archie.

    ¡°I¡¯m trying¡­¡± Archie said and then a loud cracking sound came from his back. Both of his scapulas were expanding and then he had to grow bones from his scapulas all the way down to his waist.

    Archie tried his best and it was painful because he tore his skin and flesh, and while he was doing that, his tissue wrapped his newly created bones. Eve instructed him how to make wings not using his flesh, skin, or hair, she instructed him to use the parasite inside his body to wrap the bones and tissues on his back.

    ¡°Good, you¡¯re doing great,¡± Eve said as she looked at the black parasites that wrapped around Archie¡¯s wing bones. ¡°Now, all you need to do is to make them flexible like feathers but at the same time you have to be able to control every part of it,¡± Eve touched Archie¡¯s wing bones.

    ¡°This is really hard, but I will try,¡± Archie said as he looked at the bones on his back.

    ¡°You will get used to it, but right now, all you have to do is to make proper and functioning wings,¡± Eve said as she walked to the front and stared at Archie. ¡°We have all the time we need, so just do your best,¡±

    It took Archie an hour to finally created wings behind his back, and it didn¡¯t look as good as what Eve had because he looked ugly and odd. Eve didn¡¯t bother about it because as long as it served its purpose, it was good enough and she wanted Archie to get used to it first before he could modify it into a better-looking one.

    ¡°Alright, now since we are up on the cliff, why don¡¯t you try to jump down and flap those wings?¡± Eve said as she grabbed Archie¡¯s shoulders from behind and stared at the ground a hundred feet away from where they at. ¡°Like a baby bird, you learn to fly by falling,¡± Eve pushed Archie down before he could answer her question.

    Archie was falling down and immediately spread his wings open. It slowed down his fall but it wasn¡¯t enough to make him glide or fly. Archie decided to spread them as wide as he could and flapped them, he slowly gained altitude and started to glide.

    Archie couldn¡¯t believe that he glided and so he kept flapping his wings as hard as he could like what Eve instructed. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t do much and ended up landing on the ground safely without taking any falling damage.

    ¡°I think I need a higher ground to learn to fly,¡± Archie said as he looked up at Eve.

    Eve smiled and jumped off of the cliff then she spread created her wings in a second. She spread it open and started to glide so easily that Archie looked at her in awe because she made it look so easy.

    ¡°Well, the bones are hollow and the wings are big enough, it¡¯s just that you didn¡¯t use enough strength to maintain the wings because of your body weight,¡± Eve explained as she walked toward Archie. ¡°How about I give you a lift and then drop you from the sky?¡± Eve asked with her eyebrows raised.

    ¡°Uhh, yeah sure,¡± Archie nodded his head.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do this,¡± Eve said with a grin on her face then she grabbed Archie¡¯s arm and flew up to the sky.

    Archie looked down and saw the city slowly getting smaller and smaller. He looked up and Eve was smiling at him until she suddenly removed her hand from Archie¡¯s arm.

    Archie was free falling and he spread his wings open as soon as he gained the balance of his body. He started to glide and flew freely while Eve watched him from above as she chuckled softly. Eve then decided to follow Archie and flew right next to him.

    ¡°Having fun?¡± Eve asked as she spun her body.

    ¡°This is awesome,¡± Archie answered with a big smile on his face. ¡°Thank you, Eve,¡± Archie said as he stared at Eve.

    Eve giggled and nodded her head then she flew away as she spread her wings wider then started to maneuver in the air.

    Archie tried to do some maneuver as Eve did, but he immediately lost his balance and spun around randomly. Thankfully, Eve came back and helped him regain his balance.

    ¡°Don¡¯t force it, Archie. Feel the wind and be one with it,¡± Eve said as she flew with her back at the bottom. ¡°Let it flow and let the wind guides you,¡±

    Archie closed his eyes and could feel the wind hitting his face, and flew where the wind blow. It made things easier as Eve said when he followed the wind and then he tried to do a maneuver again.

    ¡°You¡¯re a fast learner,¡± Eve said as she watched Archie fly and spun as the wind carried him up high in the sky.

    ¡°I can do this all day,¡± Archie said and looked at Eve who was floating and staying still in the air. ¡°Wait, how do you do that?¡±

    ¡°Go against the wind, resist it and let the wind blow past your wings. Make sure you point your wings forward,¡± Eve explained as she looked at her wings.

    Archie flew toward Eve and pointed his wings forward at her, it was hard at first because the wind tried to blow him away. He put more strength in his wings and he slowly stopped getting blown by the wind and started to float in the air.

    ¡°Remember this feeling, once you get used to this, you will be able to fly on your own without having me bring you up here,¡± Eve said and looked at the sun slowly setting. ¡°We should go back,¡±

    Archie looked at the sun and nodded with understanding. ¡°Yeah, I think everyone is looking for us right now,¡± Archie replied and looked down.

    ¡°Do you think you can land safely?¡± Eve asked as she flew around Archie.

    ¡°There¡¯s no reason for me not to try it out, and even if I failed, it shouldn¡¯t kill me, right?¡± Archie asked as he looked at Eve but Eve chuckled and shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s now or never,¡± Archie said and then dove down.

    Eve followed Archie from behind as she stared at Archie¡¯s wings slowly bent to the back to fasten his speed. She smirked and scoffed as she did the same thing to catch up on him.

    When they were close to the ground, Archie spread his wings open and he was jolted by the sudden change of speed. He felt like his heart was about to explode because of it but he landed safely while Eve laughed because she knew exactly what happened since she experienced it all the time.

    Archie put back his wings into his body and it felt weird because he felt like something was missing. His body felt lighter because he didn¡¯t have any weight on his back anymore but at the same time, he felt stings on his back.

    ¡°I think I lost my shirt,¡± Archie said as he looked around since he didn¡¯t remember where he left his shirt at. ¡°I guess, I can just go back to the barrack like this,¡± Archie continued as he looked at his body.

    ¡°You look good, there¡¯s no need to be shy,¡± Eve said.

    They both went back to the city after two hours of walking, and the moment they entered the barrack, they saw everyone look busy. Whatever was happening, it had something to do with the parasite and they both could tell by their panicked expressions.

    Archie entered the barrack and saw Ruby, Vincent, and Nova sitting at the table with guns on the table.

    ¡°Archie, Eve, where have you guys been? We were looking for you for hours and couldn¡¯t find you guys anywhere,¡± Nova asked as she stood up and looked at them.

    ¡°We went out for fresh air while we are doing some training outside the city,¡± Archie answered as he walked to his wardrobe to grab a shirt. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You guys look so tense,¡±

    ¡°The scout team has confirmed that the King-type parasite that we fought is still alive. The problem is that the dragon one is gone missing,¡± Ruby answered as she looked at Archie¡¯s body.

    ¡°Missing? What¡¯s that mean? Aren¡¯t they supposed to be fighting?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°They did, but the problem is that the dragon couldn¡¯t kill the parasite after three days of clashing. The whole island is now dried up and everything is burned to the ground, then the dragon parasite went missing,¡± Ruby explained as she looked at Eve.

    ¡°So, what are we going to do?¡± Archie asked and approached them.

    ¡°Faye wants us to fight the parasite since we believe the parasite should be dying now after the hard battle,¡± Ruby answered. ¡°We are going to kill it this time,¡±

 Chapter 116 Massive.

    ¡°We have dealt with this parasite once, there shouldn¡¯t be any problem since we know what the parasite is capable of. Not to mention, the scientist had observed the samples of the skin, right? At least they should know how to kill this thing,¡± Archie said as he sat down at the table with the others.

    ¡°That¡¯s true, the problem is they want to try another new weapon on the parasite,¡± Ruby sighed as she leaned on the chair and rubbed her face. She looked irritated and annoyed by the fact they were planning on using the evolved parasite as their guinea pig.

    Nova tilted her head and squinted her eyes as she stared at Eve¡¯s back.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your shirt? Did something tear your shirt?¡± Nova asked as she looked at Eve who was walking past them.

    ¡°Hmm? Oh, I think my shirt got scratched by a twig or a branch,¡± Eve answered as she tried to look at her back. ¡°Anyway, when are we going to leave? Tonight? Or tomorrow early in the morning?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the same as last mission, we are going to leave early in the morning, but this time we are going to go to the island with a ship,¡± Ruby answered. ¡°We are leaving three in the morning,¡±

    Eve shrugged her lips and nodded with understanding while she walked toward her wardrobe and grabbed Archie¡¯s t-shirt then went to the bathroom to change.

    ¡°We are going to use our ship or their ship?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Theirs, it¡¯s a cargo ship since we are going to bring a lot of stuff including the prototype weapon they want to try. I heard they¡¯re going to bring a helicopter as well to observe the parasite from above,¡± Ruby answered with a cup of tea in her hand. ¡°It¡¯s going to be troublesome,¡± Ruby said and stared at Archie while drinking her tea.

    Archie nodded in agreement because if those people observed the battle from above, it would be hard for him to use his power. If they found out about Archie¡¯s real identity, it would become troublesome, especially when they found out about his regeneration ability which could put him in a test lab.

    ¡°Why is it troublesome? Isn¡¯t it good that they can learn something about a King-type parasite if they observe them?¡± Nova asked with her eyebrows raised and looked at Ruby with confusion.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m talking about the prototype weapon. The four of us had enough with those scientists and their curiosity that ended up making more problems for us Axis Humans,¡± Ruby answered. ¡°History tends to repeat itself,¡±

    Archie stood up and stretched his arms and shoulders. ¡°Let¡¯s go to sleep, we only have a few hours before we leave,¡± Archie said as he walked toward his bed.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m about to say that,¡± Ruby nodded her head.

    All of them went to their bed and Eve came back from the bathroom and saw everyone was ready to go to sleep. She didn¡¯t ask anything and immediately went to the bed with Archie, she looked at him and smiled as she tucked herself into the blanket.

    Eve looked at the others and it was just silence in the room, so she leaned her head toward Archie and put her right arm on his chest. Archie was startled and looked at her from the corner of his eyes with confusion but then Eve whispered something into his ear.

    ¡°When you were unconscious after the fight with the first parasite, I met Cherubim,¡± Eve whispered so quietly that it even hard for Archie to hear her even though he had a sharp hearing.

    Archie turned his head so slowly toward Eve and looked at her with his eyebrows furrowed. ¡°What did they say?¡± Archie asked and stared Eve in the eye.

    ¡°They asked me about you and asked me if I decided to choose you instead of the other Adams,¡± Eve answered and looked at Archie¡¯s lips.

    ¡°And what was your answer?¡± Archie asked and he seemed nervous.

    ¡°Well, I said that you¡¯re the one I want to be with after thinking about it for quite a long time,¡± Eve answered as she averted her gaze because she felt embarrassed about it. ¡°Cherubim said that they had informed the other Adams about it and now they¡¯re going to hunt you down because of it,¡±

    ¡°Are you sure about this? What if you regret your decision?¡± Archie asked with his eyebrows raised.

    ¡°Even if I said you¡¯re the one I chose, that doesn¡¯t affect me since you¡¯re the one who will get hurt by the other Adams,¡± Eve answered as she smiled.

    ¡°You¡¯re wicked, you know that?¡± Archie said and he chuckled quietly.

    Eve just raised her eyebrows and chuckled with Archie.

    ¡°I need to sleep, I¡¯m quite exhausted after spending a whole day outside, Good night, Eve,¡± Archie said and then turned around and showed his back to Eve.

    ¡°Good night,¡± Eve said as she stared at Archie¡¯s back and gently touched his back.

    The morning came and Eve woke Archie up since she didn¡¯t sleep and waited until three in the morning.

    ¡°Are you not sleepy?¡± Archie asked as he slowly opened his eyes.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t really need sleep and I was thinking about something,¡± Eve answered. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting outside,¡± Eve said as she got off of the bed and then left the barrack.

    Eve closed the door behind her and then she heard footsteps from the field, it was Faye and Aster.

    ¡°Oh? Are you awake? Or you haven¡¯t slept?¡± Faye asked.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t slept,¡± Eve answered and looked at the night sky and enjoyed the cold breeze.

    ¡°How¡¯s the other? Are they awake?¡± Faye asked as she walked to the door.

    ¡°Everyone is awake, Archie is preparing his stuff,¡± Eve answered.

    ¡°Ah, I see, then let¡¯s just wait here,¡± Faye said as she stood next to Eve.

    It only took them ten minutes to prepare and they all came out from the barrack. They saw Faye with Eve and Aster near the door and then they all left with the rest of the team.

    ¡°We are going to use the underground train since the dock is near the underground station,¡± Faye said as she looked at everyone over her shoulder. ¡°Also, there¡¯s a change of plan. We will be leaving at six in the morning because the weapon is still undergoing a final check,¡±

    Faye looked at Archie and he looked a bit tired. ¡°How are you feeling, Archie? Are you still not feeling well?¡± Faye asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m just a bit tired because yesterday I went outside the city to do some training,¡± Archie answered as he tightened his gloves. ¡°I will be fine once I rested for a bit,¡±

    Faye nodded her head with understanding and then they all went to the underground station.

    It took them two hours until the weapon was brought with a cargo train, so they all proceeded to get into the train and go to the south where the port was.

    The moment they reached the designated station in the south, they all went up the elevator. They were in a different area than the last time they went to the south, it was a bit further in the east of the pillar.

    ¡°So this is the port? Where¡¯s the ship?¡± Ruby asked as she looked at the sea.

    ¡°It¡¯s behind those stacks of containers,¡± Faye answered. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Faye walked toward the port.

    They entered the port and they looked at the massive cargo ship being maintained by hundreds of people. It was so big that it could fit thousands of people inside and it needed at least a hundred people to run it.

    ¡°Did you guys make this?¡± Vincent asked and looked at Faye with disbelief.

    ¡°No, we found this ship stranded on the shoreline not far from here. We repaired this ship for at least two years now and today will be its debut after so long staying in the dock,¡± Faye answered and looked at how clean the ship was.

    ¡°I think there¡¯s nothing that can sink this ship except a King-type parasite,¡± Nova said as she walked back to see the top of the ship. ¡°This thing is massive,¡±

    ¡°Speaking of massive, that weapon looks massive as well,¡± Ruby said as she watched the weapon wrapped with a cloth being lifted with a crane. ¡°Are you planning to bring this thing into the island?¡± Ruby asked Faye.

    ¡°Yes, it will take a while to load and unload the weapon, but it¡¯s going to be worth it,¡± Faye answered and looked at the weapon carefully put down on the cargo ship. ¡°At least that¡¯s what they said,¡±

    ¡°With all due respect, Faye. I don¡¯t think that weapon is necessary and after seeing they made a huge mistake, it¡¯s going to be hard for me or at least for the four of us to trust them with whatever they made,¡± Ruby said with a serious expression.

    ¡°I know, but this time there¡¯s chemicals or whatever they called it. It¡¯s pure power, like a cannon,¡± Faye replied as she looked at Ruby.

    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s get to the ship, we are going to leave soon,¡± Faye said as she walked up to the ship.

 Chapter 117 Itâ€™s going to be a long night.

    ¡°If only we had this kind of ship back in the east, do you think everyone would be alive now and live a peaceful life?¡± Tommy asked as he stared down at the sea while resting his arms and head on the railing.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think it would change anything because the King-type parasite would be attacking the ship rather than fighting Archie since the ship is attracting too much attention,¡± Vincent answered while he sharpened his sword and looked at the edge of the blade.

    ¡°Yeah, we wouldn¡¯t be able to survive because you should remember how terrifying the waves were. The ship would easily get flipped over and we all would die on the sea,¡± Daniel nodded his head in agreement.

    Tommy sighed and lifted his head. ¡°I¡¯m worried about them ever since we boarded the ship. I hope that they¡¯re fine on their own over there, but knowing the city is the arena of two kings, the chance of them surviving would be none,¡±

    ¡°I want to go back there and check the condition of the city,¡± Tommy said. ¡°Do you think we can do that? I mean, the parasite is dead, and we have this cargo ship with us,¡± Tommy asked as he looked at Vincent.

    ¡°That¡¯s not my call, Tom. If you want, you can ask Bubby, Fanheim, or Marshal Marlon,¡± Vincent said as he leaned on the railing with his arms crossed.

    Archie overheard their conversation from the other side of the deck with Eve standing next to him. He was worried about Marie since she had been kind to him and treated him like her own son. She gave him the warmth that he never thought would experience again because he had been living on his own even before he became an Ex-Human.

    It made Archie feel uncomfortable thinking about Marie and the possibility of her death even though he didn¡¯t really care much about the humans anymore.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to rest, wake me up when we arrive on the island,¡± Archie said and looked at Eve who was enjoying the breeze and the smell of the sea.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Eve nodded her head with a bit of a smile on her face.

    Archie went to the cabin and took the first empty room that he found and then hit the bed.

    Archie could feel a gentle touch on his forearm, he opened his eyes and saw Eve sitting on the bed while staring at him. He looked out the window and the sun was already down, he was a bit surprised because it felt like he just closed his eyes a few minutes ago.

    ¡°What time is it?¡± Archie asked as he sat down and closed his eyes for a bit because his head was spinning lightly.

    ¡°It¡¯s 9 P.M., we can already see the island and we will reach the island in half an hour or less,¡± Eve answered. ¡°Are you okay? It seems that the parasites inside your body are still undergoing of mutation,¡± Eve gently touched Archie¡¯s cheek and stared him in the eye.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I think,¡± Archie said as he stood up and stretched his arms while yawning. ¡°I need some fresh air, I¡¯m going to the deck,¡±

    Eve nodded and followed him to the deck.

    Everyone was gathered on the deck and they all checked the massive weapon on the deck. The weapon was called the Terminator, and it only had three bullets on it, so they really had to be careful on using the weapon.

    ¡°So, how are we going to bring that weapon down from the ship? There¡¯s no way we are going to carry it down the ship, right?¡± Daniel asked as he looked at Ruby.

    ¡°Faye said that there¡¯s an abandoned port on the island, and we are going to dock this ship there. The chance of the crane working is not high but we brought technicians on the ship, and they will take care of it while we will be protecting the ship and the weapon on the port,¡± Ruby answered with her arms rested on her waist.

    Ruby sighed as she crossed her arms. ¡°Still, I don¡¯t think bringing this weapon would be helpful to us and it will only slow us down since we have to escort that weapon all the way to the area where the King-type parasite at,¡± Ruby said as she stared at Faye and the others were busy doing a final check-up on the weapon.

    ¡°Wait, really? So we are going to drag and push that thing all the way to the middle of the island?¡± Daniel asked with his eyes wide open.

    ¡°Yeah, I know, right?¡± Ruby replied with a mocking smile on her face.

    Faye clapped her hands and it was enough to get everyone¡¯s attention.

    ¡°Everyone! We will be reaching our destination in ten minutes! I want you to prepare and make sure there¡¯s nothing left behind before we dock at the port!¡± Faye shouted as she stared at everyone on the deck.

    Everyone went down to the cabin to grab their belongings while Archie and Eve were just chilling on the deck since they didn¡¯t bring many items with them. A magnum pistol on their waist and a pair of clothes in their backpack was the only things they had on them.

    Archie went to the front of the deck and saw the port, it was dark and it would be impossible to see it with a naked eye. The port was bigger than the last one, it could fit at least dozens of cargo ships there.

    Archie watched the ship carefully enter the port and he already could tell there were so many parasites lurking in the darkness inside those buildings on the port. There was nothing else there but buildings and cranes, there was no containers or ship.

    ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s clear the area around the port and make sure there¡¯s not a single parasite here!¡± Faye said as she put her rifle on her back and pistols on her waist.

    Archie stood on the railing and everyone looked at him with confusion until they saw him jump off of the ship with Eve. They all ran to the edge and saw both of them land safely from that height which was a bit risky even for Axis Humans.

    Faye pulled out the bridge manually and then they all ran down from the ship and touched the port. They spilt into dozens of teams and started patrolling around the port that was ten times bigger than a football field while the technicians were escorted by Ruby and her team to the crane.

    ¡°Tom, Dan, go and check the electricity supply, it should have enough power to run a crane,¡± Ruby said as she threw a radio to Tommy. ¡°The channel is 16, report to me once you find it,¡±

    Tommy grabbed the radio and nodded with understanding and then left with Daniel.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get too far from us, we know that we are in a hurry but there¡¯s a chance a parasite could come out from the water. Your life is more important than time, so report to me if you want to go somewhere and one of us will escort you,¡± Ruby said as she stared at the technicians behind her.

    Archie and Eve were already got a handful of parasites and they were slaughtering them while the others listened to the parasites screeching in pain. They had no idea what was happening inside the building but they didn¡¯t want to know and ignored the noises.

    Time passed by, and Tommy and Daniel found the electricity supply, they looked at the device and were a bit confused about how to turn it on.

    ¡°Major, we found it,¡± Tommy said with the radio in front of his mouth as he kept looking for the instruction.

    ¡°Roger, I want you to turn it on now because the crane is still in a good condition. We can use it now whenever you¡¯re ready,¡± Ruby replied.

    ¡°We are working on it. Give us five minutes because we are struggling to find the instruction on how to turn this thing on,¡± Tommy said and then put the radio on his waist.

    ¡°Roger, take your time but be hurry,¡± Ruby¡¯s voice could be heard from the radio.

    ¡°I found the instruction, Tom,¡± Daniel said as he showed the manual book in his hand.

    ¡°Perfect, let¡¯s do this,¡± Tommy said as he walked toward Daniel and then they both read the manual.

    After reading the instruction, both Tommy and Daniel followed the instructions step by step, and then lastly Tommy pushed up the toggle switch. The generator started to make loud noises and then all the lights were turned on.

    ¡°Job is done,¡± Tommy said to the radio.

    ¡°Roger, now get back here,¡± Ruby replied.

    Tommy and Daniel hurriedly ran back to the crane to protect the technicians.

    The moment the crane was turned on, it made a louder noise that it attracted all the parasites in the surrounding area. Ruby looked at the empty roads and forests around the port, she knew that a threat was coming toward them.

    ¡°How long until you can safely unload the weapon?¡± Ruby asked.

    ¡°Half an hour or more but won¡¯t take more than an hour,¡± The guy answered and looked at Ruby.

    ¡°Alright, just focus on unloading the weapon, we will protect you,¡± Ruby said as she grabbed her submachine gun then she grabbed her radio and turned to all channels so everyone could hear her.

    ¡°We have to protect the port for an hour, be ready because we will be welcoming unwelcomed guests. I repeat, we have to protect the port for an hour,¡± Ruby said and then removed the safety on her gun. ¡°Good luck, everyone because it¡¯s going to be a long night,¡± Ruby continued and then put the radio on her waist.

 Chapter 118 Scardy-cat.

    ¡°Here they come,¡± Daniel said as he used his sniper rifle¡¯s scope and stared at the hordes of parasites lurking around the port and hiding in the dark. ¡°There are at least a dozen of them on the northwest,¡± Daniel informed Ruby.

    ¡°Alright, I will inform Faye about it,¡± Ruby said as she grabbed her radio. ¡°Do you know what Gen of those parasites?¡± She asked as she stared at Daniel.

    Daniel hummed as he squinted his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but they¡¯re just normal parasites. Maybe Gen 3 or 4,¡± Daniel answered as he tried to adjust his scope.

    ¡°Faye, do you read me? There are a dozen of parasites northwest of the port. Send some people to take care of them,¡± Ruby spoke to the radio in front of her mouth. ¡°Those parasites are just small fries, Gen 3 and Gen 4 parasites,¡± She continued.

    ¡°Copy that,¡± Faye¡¯s voice could be heard from the radio. ¡°I have sent a few people there,¡±

    Faye looked northwest of the port, and she already heard gunshots coming from that direction. She was glad to have eyes at the tower because it made things easier for her to understand the situation of the surroundings.

    ¡°Faye, there¡¯s a contact on the west side of the port as well, at least forty of them,¡± Aster said as he checked the bullets in the magazine. ¡°I¡¯m going there to give them back up,¡±

    ¡°Okay, please be careful and inform me if you need a backup,¡± Faye nodded her head.

    Aster left hurriedly and brought a dozen of men with him while Faye looked at them leave. She then looked at the building where Archie and Eve went, she couldn¡¯t hear anything in there anymore and it was just silence.

    Archie took a few bites to fill his stomach while Eve was just watching him and made sure nobody was inside the building with them.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to eat some?¡± Archie asked as he wiped his mouth.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t like the taste and I don¡¯t really need to eat since I already satisfied myself when you were unconscious,¡± Eve answered and looked out the window. ¡°Oh, Faye is coming, you should stop eating them,¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m done,¡± Archie said as he tossed the body of the parasite away from him.

    Faye silently entered the building and saw dozens of parasites laying on the ground and hanging on the railing. She was surprised by what she saw, but she wasn¡¯t surprised about it since it was Archie and Eve who did all that.

    ¡°Archie? Eve?¡± Faye called for them quietly because she didn¡¯t want to attract the parasites that might be still lurking in the building.

    Faye didn¡¯t hear any response from them, not only that, it was just silence inside that made her feel a bit uncomfortable.

    Faye carefully and silently walked around the building and looked at the dead bodies of the parasites on the floor. She looked around and felt like someone or something was watching her somewhere in the dark.

    ¡°Boo!¡± Eve screamed as she grabbed Faye¡¯s shoulders from behind.

    Faye was startled and let out a scream that echoed throughout the building while Eve was laughing at her. It was Archie¡¯s idea because he knew her so well that she was a scaredy-cat and couldn¡¯t handle horror stuff.

    ¡°Eve¡­¡± Faye said weakly as she held her chest with both hands. ¡°Please don¡¯t do that,¡± She continued while she was frowning.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t resist and I had to do it since it fits with the atmosphere,¡± Eve said while she kept laughing at Faye.

    Faye exhaled deeply as she watched how beautiful Eve¡¯s smile and laughter were that it made her kind of jealous. She then looked around and saw Archie walking toward her with a smile on his face because he enjoyed the show.

    ¡°Was it your idea?¡± Faye asked as she squinted her eyes and stared at Archie.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been a while since I heard you scream like that. You¡¯re still a scaredy-cat even though you¡¯re the Lieutenant Colonel and the leader of the strongest Axis Humans,¡± Archie nodded his head.

    Faye looked at Archie and remembered the words he said to her back then that they both used to know each other. At first, she didn¡¯t bother to think about that until this happened and thought maybe he was telling the truth.

    ¡°Anyway, are you guys done here? We might need some help at the north because there are dozens of parasites coming to the port based,¡± Faye said and looked at both of them.

    ¡°Say no more, we will go there now,¡± Eve said as she tightened her gloves and rolled her sleeves. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about the situation, there¡¯s no real threat around here,¡±

    ¡°Hearing that from you makes me at ease,¡± Faye replied. ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡±

    Both Archie and Eve nodded with understanding and then left the building with Faye.

    As Ruby said before, the parasites kept coming until the sun rose and the parasites stopped coming to the port. Everyone was exhausted and Faye decided to let everyone rest until noon at the port while the technicians maintained the weapon.

    The weapon looked like a cannon with a very long barrel and not to mention how big the hole was. Archie was curious about the weapon and decided to look at it up close and watched the technicians checking the weapon.

    ¡°It¡¯s amazing, right?¡± Faye asked as she walked toward Archie and then stood next to him while looking up at the barrel. ¡°They said that this weapon could pierce steel like a needle pierce a cloth,¡±

    ¡°By the look of the ammunition, I can see that,¡± Archie replied and looked at the ammunition right next to the weapon. The tip was sharp and pointy while the body was big and bulky. ¡°So there¡¯s nothing inside the ammunition other than gunpowder?¡± Archie asked as if he was skeptical about the inside of the ammunition.

    ¡°To be honest with you, I don¡¯t know,¡± Faye answered and looked at Archie with a bit of guilt because she convinced him and the others that it was just a normal weapon.

    ¡°Well, you said the weapon is nothing but heavy artillery, but you didn¡¯t mention anything about the ammunition,¡± Archie said with his arms crossed. ¡°Looking at there are only three ammunitions and they asked us to bring this weapon all the way here. I don¡¯t think this is just an ¡°ordinary¡± weapon,¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, but I really don¡¯t know much about the ammunitions,¡± Faye replied and looked at one of the ammunitions being put inside the barrel from the back.

    ¡°I think Ruby and the others already have their suspicion about this as well, but they just keep quiet about it,¡± Archie said. ¡°By the way, are we really going to carry this weapon? This weapon must weigh tons,¡±

    ?[0??]? ¡°Yes, and I suppose it¡¯s not going to be a hard task since it came with wheels underneath, so it will make it easier to move this thing,¡± Faye answered with her hands resting on her waist.

    Faye looked at her watch and it was 10 A.M., she looked at the people behind her. ¡°We have to start the briefing now, come on,¡±

    Archie nodded and followed Faye from behind.

    Faye, Aster, Nova, Archie, Ruby, Eve, Vincent, and Fanheim were gathering inside a room that used to be an office. Faye grabbed a map that she brought with her and spread it open on the table.

    ¡°This is our current position,¡± Faye tapped the map and looked at the others. ¡°The last report of the King-type parasite¡¯s location was over here,¡± Faye dragged her index finger all the way to the middle of the island.

    ¡°That¡¯s at least twenty miles from here,¡± Fanheim said as he looked at the scale of the map and the distance from their location to the King-type parasite location. ¡°It would take us at least six hours if we want to reach there with the weapon on us,¡±

    ¡°Yes, but they said the weapon could shoot up to twenty miles away, so we don¡¯t really have to bring this weapon to the location. We can just put the weapon on the high ground with a dozen people guarding it,¡± Faye nodded her head in agreement.

    ¡°Are you really going to risk putting the weapon far away? We only have three ammunitions and if we missed one, that would be a waste of resources,¡± Ruby asked. ¡°We should bring this weapon as close as possible but at the same time, away from the parasite so it won¡¯t be destroyed,¡±

    ¡°I agree with Ruby, we can¡¯t risk it,¡± Nova said.

    ¡°Alright then, we will bring the weapon two miles away from the location,¡± Faye replied as she nodded her head.

    ¡°Okay, it¡¯s going to be a long journey,¡± Vincent said as he stretched his arms up. ¡°We also have to pay attention to our surroundings because we are literally on the island with nothing but parasites around us,¡±

    ¡°Is there any question?¡± Faye asked as she looked at them but everyone shook their heads. ¡°Good, let¡¯s start moving,¡±

 Chapter 119 Heat.

    ¡°So this is the result of two Kings clashing with each other?¡± Vincent asked as he stared at the mountains and hills that were destroyed and flattened. ¡°There¡¯s no way any living beings would be able to survive if they¡¯re in the vicinity,¡±

    Tommy looked at the damages and realized that the chance of surviving was zero if anyone was near two King-type parasites. He wanted to believe that there would be survivors or at least a survivor from this kind of destruction in the Eastern Nation.

    Everyone looked at a vast field with giant craters that used to be a massive forest in the distance. The land was dried out and everything was burned into ashes that they could see those fly into the sky with black smoke.

    ¡°Put your mask on, we will be walking past through this,¡± Faye said as she put her mask on. ¡°We are not even halfway through, but the good news is that there¡¯s no parasite here so we could focus on bringing the weapon all the way up there,¡± Faye pointed at the remaining hill in the distance.

    They all walked through the land, it was so hot that everyone started dripping sweat all over their bodies. Even though the battle ended three days ago, the heat was still there and they couldn¡¯t imagine how hot it was when the fight between those two happened.

    It took them more than six hours to reach the destination because of the heat and the terrain.

    ¡°We can¡¯t do this, not in this heat,¡± Tommy said as he removed his jacket and shirt, he then wiped the sweat on his body with his shirt. ¡°This is so fucking hot, we will be dehydrated in less than five minutes,¡±

    Everyone nodded their heads in agreement with their faces covered with sweat.

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s not think about how to fight the King-type parasite while we can¡¯t even survive with this temperature,¡± Daniel said as he put a wet towel that he poured with water and put it on his face. ¡°Not to mention the ashes and the smoke are really dangerous for us,¡±

    Faye looked at everyone and they were all suffering from the heat and the smoke.

    ¡°Let¡¯s move, we are going for plan B,¡± Faye said and nodded her head. with sweats on her forehead. ¡°That area should be unaffected by the battle,¡± Faye pointed her finger at the area on the east side of the island.

    ¡°Okay, I don¡¯t care how far it would be, but as long as we are not here, it¡¯s already a better plan,¡± Vincent said as he walked toward the weapon. ¡°Archie, can you lend us a hand? I don¡¯t think anyone has the strength to push this thing anymore,¡± Vincent asked as he stared at Archie.

    Archie nodded and walked toward the back of the weapon.

    They all left the area and it took them only two hours thanks to Archie who helped them push the weapon. They all looked at him and thought that he should have helped them from the beginning instead of watching.

    ¡°The sun is already down, we should rest for the day,¡± Faye looked at everyone laying on the grass. ¡°Thankfully, the scout team found a river not far from here, so you guys can clean yourself and wash your clothes over there,¡± Faye pointed her finger to the north.

    Everyone hurriedly stood up and looked in the direction Faye was pointing at, then they were all going there to cool off.

    ¡°You have been so quiet, Archie, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Ruby asked as she wiped her nape and neck with a wet towel.

    ¡°I don¡¯t sense the parasite, not even a little,¡± Archie answered and looked at the distance with his eyes squinted. ¡°I think the parasite left the moment the dragon one flew away,¡±

    ¡°Great! So we came all the way here for nothing?¡± Ruby raised her eyebrow as she sighed.

    ¡°No, the parasite is still here,¡± Eve said. ¡°It¡¯s normal for you to be unable to detect the parasite because that thing can hide its presence like a gecko or an octopus,¡±

    ¡°A gecko or an octopus? Are you telling us that it can camouflage?¡± Vincent asked. ¡°I don¡¯t remember that parasite could do something like that back then. Is it the result of evolving after it got exposed by the bomb?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s because of that but luckily I can still sense it. It¡¯s deep down underneath us and it¡¯s trying to heal its body after the battle,¡± Eve said as she looked at the ground under her feet. ¡°We just need to find a way in,¡±

    ¡°You guys are not dipping yourself in the river?¡± Faye asked as she walked toward them.

    ¡°We will go there later, it must be crowded over there right now,¡± Vincent answered while plucking the grass.

    ¡°I see, we have the same way of thinking,¡± Faye said with a smile on her face, and then she looked at the distance with her arms crossed. ¡°Where do you think that parasite is hiding? Based on where we are standing at, that thing should be around here, right?¡±

    ¡°The only place where a massive parasite can hide is right below us,¡± Eve answered as she tapped the ground with her heel.

    Faye looked down and raised her eyebrows. ¡°Down here? That means we need to find the hole that the parasite made,¡± Faye said. ¡°Now, how are we supposed to fight it if the parasite is down here?¡±

    ¡°Lure it out, that¡¯s the only way,¡± Archie answered as he rested his hands on the ground behind his back. ¡°You can ask those guys to search the hole from above,¡± Archie said as he nodded up at the helicopter near the weapon.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s my plan for tomorrow early in the morning for the helicopter to check the area from above thoroughly,¡± Faye replied and looked at the helicopter. ¡°But luring out the parasite, that would be hard to do and if you have to be the one to do it again, I feel like we always depending on you both rather than doing it as a team,¡±

    Ruby scoffed and shook her head which make everyone look at her with confusion.

    ¡°It¡¯s because we are not meant to fight those things, and we are not ready for this kind of stuff,¡± Ruby said while covering her face with a towel.

    ¡°What do you mean, Ruby?¡± Faye asked with her eyebrows furrowed and stared at Ruby weirdly.

    ¡°Just once, I want you guys to do a mission like this without Archie and Eve then come back,¡± Ruby removed the towel from her face. ¡°You will understand what I¡¯m talking about then,¡±

    ¡°I know what you¡¯re trying to say, everything that happened it was all thanks to both of them. It made me realize that we are just an ant in this world, the lowest of the lowest in the food chain. But that doesn¡¯t mean we are going to let it happen, right? We are smarter than them and we have survived for thousands of years. That means we would be able to survive this as well,¡± Faye replied and looked at Ruby with a bit of disappointment.

    Ruby once again scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just found it funny because I used to think like that,¡± Ruby said as she stared back at Faye. ¡°I¡¯m going to dip in the river, I will talk to you guys later,¡± Ruby stood up and then walked away.

    Vincent sighed and closed his eyes.

    ¡°Vincent, what happened to Ruby?¡± Faye was so confused about what just happened.

    ¡°It¡¯s better for you to not know what we know, Faye,¡± Vincent looked up and stared at Faye. ¡°The things that we saw, we heard, and we understood, those things are giving us nightmares,¡±

    Faye got more confused by Vincent¡¯s words but she brushed it off because she was too tired to think about anything at that moment.

    ¡°I see, well then, I will check the others¡¯ conditions,¡± Faye said with a smile and then left.

    Archie, Eve, and Vincent decided to follow Ruby and they all enjoyed the evening in the river with the starlight illuminating the sky. They spent an hour in the river before they decided to go back to the camp and rest for the night.

    Everyone was asleep so tightly including Archie and Eve because they were exhausted because of the heat as well.

    While they were asleep, the ground suddenly trembled and they all woke up by it. They all looked around but couldn¡¯t see anything because the sun wasn¡¯t even up yet. But then they heard a loud roar, the familiar roar they heard inside the Son Doong cave.

    ¡°It¡¯s back?!¡± Faye asked as she looked at the distance while waiting for her eyes to adapt to the darkness.

    Eve stood next to Faye and saw the dragon trying to dig the ground and find the parasite. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s back and ready for a rematch,¡±

 Chapter 120 Pure breed.

    ¡°What should we do?! It¡¯s too close to us and it might notice our presence here!¡± Tommy said as he looked at Ruby who was bewildered by how majestic the dragon was.

    ¡°We still have time, use it to bring the weapon as far as possible from here!¡± Faye pointed to the south where the forest was. ¡°Move!¡±

    All of them abandoned the tent and they all dragged and pushed the weapon away as hard as they could. Archie was at the back while Eve was at the front and they both helped the others move the weapon.

    They were only a few feet away from their camp and the dragon was already spitting fire at its surroundings to lure out the other parasite. The heatwave struck everyone¡¯s back and it was enough to make them drip in sweat.

    The moment they entered the forest, the ground around the camp suddenly was sucked in by something. They all looked at the parasite¡¯s hands dug up to the surface and they could see the wounds on its hands and arms.

    ¡°That thing was hiding underneath us all along? How lucky are we to not be eaten alive by it?¡± Aster said as he watched the camp and the helicopter getting swallowed into the ground.

    ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± Vincent looked at Faye.

    ¡°We will stay here and watch for now while I¡¯m thinking of a plan,¡± Faye answered and watched two King-type parasites glaring at each other.

    ¡°This is a good opportunity to kill both of them at once. It¡¯s like hitting two birds with one stone,¡± Daniel said and looked at Vincent. ¡°There won¡¯t be another opportunity like this,¡± he continued.

    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong, but we need a plan for that as well if we decided to kill both of them,¡± Vincent replied and looked at the dragon spread its wings and spit fire into the sky that it started to rain fireballs.

    Faye looked at the weapon and thought of using it.

    ¡°I have an idea but I need your thought about this,¡± Faye said and looked at Archie and the others. ¡°How about we use this weapon and fire it at whoever is having the high ground?¡± Faye asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re thinking of making both of them die from the fight by interrupting them?¡± Ruby asked. ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea, but are you sure about it because you don¡¯t even know if it would work and not to mention that we only have three ammunition,¡±

    ¡°Whether it¡¯s going to work or not, it doesn¡¯t matter since if it¡¯s going to be a big failure, at least we know that the weapon is useless or not rather than regretting it later,¡± Faye answered and stared at Ruby in the eye.

    The ground shook as the parasite charged toward the dragon so quickly and immediately breathe a yellow-ish green flame from its mouth. The dragon flew up high to avoid the fire and then spitted fire down toward the parasite.

    It looked like the dragon could easily kill the parasite after watching how bad the injuries on the parasite while the dragon had fully recovered. Everyone believed that would be the case and so Faye asked the technicians to prepare the weapon.

    ¡°We need to hit the ribs of that dragon to prevent it from flying away. We want to make them fight to the death because if it keeps going on like this, the dragon is going to win the fight and will immediately fly away,¡± Faye said as she watched the dragon pour the flame on top of the parasite¡¯s body that slowly burned the parasite¡¯s skin.

    Since the dragon was flying low and didn¡¯t move much like a bird, it would be easy to target its body. Since the weapon had a very high muzzle velocity that it only took a second to travel to where the target was and that made things a lot easier.

    ¡°Lieutenant Colonel! The weapon is ready to operate!¡± One of the technicians said as he walked toward Faye.

    ¡°Good, now load the ammunition!¡± Faye replied as she stared at the dragon who was toying with the parasite from above. ¡°We will use all the three of them on that dragon and hope it will be enough to make him fall from its grace,¡± Faye continued and looked at the parasite screeching in pain as it tried to reach out to the dragon with its tentacles.

    The ammunition was loaded, and Faye watched Daniel as the one who took the aim and adjust the angle of the weapon. He was so focused that he didn¡¯t bother about what was happening between the parasites and just focused on aiming at the dragon¡¯s chest.

    ¡°Wait for it,¡± Daniel said and everyone was looking at him and waited patiently. ¡°Hold it,¡± Daniel looked at the dragon increasing the altitude to avoid the parasite¡¯s tentacles that were slowly expanding to reach out for the dragon.

    ¡°Let me readjust the angle,¡± Daniel said as he carefully pulled the lever so slowly with the help of the hydraulic to move the barrel.

    Everyone kept staring at him silently and they started to be impatient because the dragon had been staying at that height for quite a while.

    ¡°Fire!¡± Daniel shouted and then they pulled the lanyard.

    A deafening explosion sound and the shockwave of the weapon were enough to make everyone startled and stunned for a split second. They all looked at the bullet travel and hit right on the left side of the dragon¡¯s chest.

    The dragon was screeching and started to lose balance but it recovered immediately.

    Before they could load another ammunition, the dragon was still screaming in pain until an explosion happened right inside the dragon¡¯s chest. They all looked so confused because the damage was so lethal that the dragon¡¯s chest was almost torn open.

    ¡°What the hell is inside that thing?!¡± Ruby asked with her eyes wide open as she watched the dragon¡¯s chest glowing white as if there was a chain reaction after the explosion.

    Faye turned around and looked at the two remaining ammunitions, she was shocked by how powerful the effect was.

    ¡°Load the next one,¡± Faye said with a serious expression. ¡°This is our chance!¡±

    They all nodded with understanding and then grabbed the ammunition and put it inside the weapon.

    Daniel put his right eye on the aim and slowly pulled down the barrel to where the dragon was. He could see it clearly, the aftereffect of the damage they did to the dragon.

    The skin melted and the flesh was cooked by it that it started to shrink but then he realized it wasn¡¯t because of the heat. He looked at it carefully and noticed the flesh and skin were melted because of the suspicious chemical.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Daniel paused and it made Ruby and Vincent curious.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Ruby asked with her eyebrows raised.

    ¡°It¡¯s similar to the one that I made,¡± Daniel answered and stared at Ruby with his left eye. ¡°But this one is more advanced and lethal,¡± Daniel explained.

    ¡°I see, that explains everything,¡± Ruby replied and looked at the dragon was in pain.

    ¡°Daniel, we don¡¯t have time to waste, aim the weapon at the dragon,¡± Faye said with a serious expression. ¡°Shoot that thing while we can,¡±

    Daniel nodded his head and aimed the dragon¡¯s chest again.

    ¡°Fire!¡± Daniel shouted and everyone closed their ears and eyes immediately.

    The second bullet was shot and pierced through right in the middle of the dragon¡¯s chest. It exploded again and the parasite used the opportunity to swing its tentacles at the dragon.

    The dragon was staggering and weakened by the serum that he couldn¡¯t do anything but block the attacks with his wings. The parasite tore the wings with its tentacle, the parasite knew that the wings were the most important parts that it needed to eliminate immediately.

    Faye looked so happy but Ruby and vincent weren¡¯t.

    ¡°Faye, do you understand the real situation right now?¡± Ruby asked.

    ¡°The real situation?¡± Faye asked back and looked at Ruby with confusion.

    ¡°The ammunition contained the similar serum that Daniel¡¯s made, and that serum worked like a charm and we know that already,¡± Ruby answered. ¡°The problem is we won¡¯t be able to use it on the other parasite because it has mutated into a new one and the serum wouldn¡¯t be able to hurt the parasite, in fact, it would only make it stronger if you decided to shot the last one at it,¡± Ruby explained and looked at Faye.

    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be a problem, Ruby,¡± Eve said as she walked toward Ruby. ¡°That parasite is already dying and don¡¯t believe what you see because the dragon one is nothing like the others,¡± Eve continued and pointed her finger at the dragon.

    Ruby and Faye looked at the dragon then realized the wound stopped destroying its body. In fact, the body was slowly regenerating.

    ¡°That¡¯s the power of the pure breed parasite, it could adapt and overcome quite easily because it has survived the struggle to reach the peak,¡± Eve said while those two were shocked by what they witnessed.

 Chapter 121 Two birds, one stone.

    The dragon healed the wounds in its chest, but not the wings since it was still covered with holes because of the parasite¡¯s attack. The dragon roared as it spitted fire at the parasite but the parasite dodged it by rolling over and making an earthquake.

    Because of the injuries on the wings, the dragon decided to charge at the parasite while wiggling its head as if it was looking for the right angle and position to bite. The parasite screeched and sprayed the dragon with phlegm that hit the face of the dragon but it did nothing at all.

    The two Kings clashed, and the dragon used its wings to wrap its body and blocked the phlegm with it. The moment the dragon uncovered its body, the parasite whipped its tentacles at the dragon and pushed the dragon away.

    The dragon was fine from the attack and immediately charged back and used the edge of its wings to scratch the parasite¡¯s skin. It used its arms, tails, and mouth to attack the parasite, and the parasite was overwhelmed by the difference in their strength.

    ¡°What did you say about the dragon? It¡¯s a pure breed?¡± Faye asked and looked at Eve with confusion because she never heard such a thing. ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to explain, but I have seen enough to understand about parasites,¡± Eve answered. ¡°To put it simply, that dragon isn¡¯t really the result of mutation, it¡¯s pure evolution. As a parasite to be able to reach the peak without mutation, it¡¯s almost impossible since the pure breed is the main nutrition for the other parasite,¡± Eve explained while the others were listening to her.

    ¡°Wait, before I ask you about anything else, can you tell us how did you know that a parasite is a pure breed or not?¡± Faye asked as she looked at the parasites that were exchanging blows.

    ¡°That¡¯s easy, a pure breed parasite¡¯s shape or form is identical to the animals that we know. For example, if it¡¯s just a giant tiger or bear, that parasite is a pure breed and only took a single genetic to live, but the moment it has more heads, fingers, or limbs, it¡¯s no longer a pure breed since it¡¯s the result of mutation from combining different genes,¡± Eve explained with her arms crossed.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re telling us that dragon is a real thing?¡± Tommy asked with a shocked expression.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Eve nodded her head slowly.

    Everyone was shocked and made the same exact reaction when Archie heard it for the first time. They all couldn¡¯t believe that such a monstrosity existed on Earth and the possibility of things that were beyond their beliefs existing started to make them uneasy.

    Eve didn¡¯t tell them about the other things that she told Archie because it was unnecessary. It wouldn¡¯t do anything good to her since they would start questioning her existence with that knowledge.

    ¡°So, now that you guys know what can a pure breed does, it¡¯s better if you use that last ammunition for later. I believe blowing its head off would be the best option we have right now,¡± Eve said as she stared at the dragon. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what the serum does, but if it made the dragon evolve, it¡¯s a good sign because the parasite will have the chance to defeat it since undergoing an evolution would take a lot of energy,¡±

    Faye was the one who lead the team and the one in charge, it was a hard decision since everyone¡¯s fate was in her hand. She looked at Eve and thought if she should listen to her and which action she wanted to pick from those two.

    ¡°What¡¯s the chance if the dragon will evolve by the serum?¡± Faye asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know because I have no idea what¡¯s inside that ammunition and nobody could tell because none of us know,¡± Eve answered and it wasn¡¯t the answer that Faye was looking for. ¡°We can wait for a few hours and see if the serum would have a side effect on the parasite,¡±

    Faye hummed and nodded her head with understanding.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do that and if nothing happens, we will use the last ammunition to blow the dragon¡¯s head to kill it,¡± Faye replied and looked at everyone, they were all nodding with understanding and they had no complaints about it,

    An hour had passed, and the dragon was on the lead and wounded the parasite with its sharp fangs and claws. The parasite couldn¡¯t do anything else but try to resist since the dragon would chase it anyway if it decided to run away or hide. It was really a battle to the death, and that was exactly the purpose of those parasites, and Archie had no idea why it was such a thing to make the King-type parasite fight each other.

    Another hour had passed, and the parasite started to fight back since it kept growing stronger and stronger as time flew by. The dragon noticed it and decided to make some distance from each other, Archie would make the same move as the dragon if he was in that situation.

    ¡°Is it happening?¡± Faye asked Eve because two hours had passed and she could tell the gap of power between those two started to get closer and closer.

    ¡°No, I think it¡¯s the other way around because the parasite is slowly getting stronger because of the mutation from the radiation. It¡¯s a good thing because now it starts to get interesting,¡± Eve answered while she leaned on the tree.

    The dragon roared as it spread its wings wide open, and everyone could see the skin on the wings start to heal itself. The dragon started to fly away and breathe fire right onto the parasite¡¯s face, it was a gas of fire until it turned into liquid and then it got thicker.

    The fire was really hot that the trees started to dry out because of the heat waves, and it started to get unbearable for them to stay there. Faye decided to get everyone to move further away from the battle because the ammunition might explode if it got exposed to the extreme heat.

    They all went up the hill where the heatwaves stayed down below, and Faye made the right decision because the first row of the trees got dried out the moment they left. It wasn¡¯t as shocking as the fact that the dragon kept pouring the parasite with liquid fire since it had been 15 minutes since it did that.

    ¡°How long that dragon could spit fire?!¡± Vincent asked and stared at the battle in disbelief.

    ¡°For as long as he wants,¡± Eve answered. ¡°A parasite has some kind of ability to sacrifice its life force to escape from an inevitable death from a threat. The dragon is doing it right now and it¡¯s a good thing because the moment he stopped doing that, he¡¯s at the weakest point of his life,¡± Eve explained.

    ¡°That means the dragon isn¡¯t going to evolve from the weapon?¡± Daniel asked and looked at Eve with curiosity.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think this serum can affect the parasite in a good way for them,¡± Eve said as she stared at the ammunition. ¡°This thing might be able to help you guys to survive. They really did a good job this time,¡± Eve said and looked at Faye and Ruby.

    Everyone smiled and they were happy when they heard that they finally made a powerful weapon that could fight off the King-type parasite.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s load that weapon and wait until that dragon has done spitting the fire,¡± Faye said with a smile on her face.

    The dragon¡¯s skin started to turn red as if the blood or whatever inside its body was boiling hot. They couldn¡¯t see the parasite nor even any movement from the ground, and the possibility of the parasite¡¯s death was pretty high.

    ¡°Archie, we should go and make sure that the dragon won¡¯t be alive after they blew his head,¡± Eve said as she looked at Archie.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m ready whenever,¡± Archie said as he walked toward Eve and watched the dragon cook the parasite.

    Daniel immediately went to his position and aimed the weapon at the area where the dragon would stand later. Faye and the others patiently waited and suddenly the dragon stopped spitting fire.

    They couldn¡¯t believe that there was only half part of the parasite¡¯s body was left on the ground. The top half was melted and its body was stiff like a rock until the dragon decided to descend and crushed the parasite¡¯s body with its legs and arms.

    ¡°Fire!¡± Daniel said since he predicted it right.

    They shot the bullet and traveled right toward the dragon¡¯s head, and it was a direct hit since everyone could see the dragon¡¯s head got knocked back by it.

    ¡°Archie, Eve!¡± Faye shouted as she stared at them.

    ¡°We know,¡± Eve smirked. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Archie, I got your back,¡± She smiled.

    ¡°I know,¡± Archie said with a smile on his face and then the two of them slid down the hill.

    The dragon roared but the ammunition exploded and knocked the dragon down.

    ¡°Archie, Eve, I hope you get there in time,¡± Faye said with her hands clenched.

 Chapter 122 Communicate.

    They both heard a faint growl and grunt coming from the dragon, it meant that the dragon was still alive or at least hadn¡¯t died yet. They both hurriedly ran toward the site, but the heat was unbelievably hot and Archie might melt his skin because of it.

    ¡°It¡¯s too hot for me, Eve,¡± Archie said as he ran next to her, and his face started to sting from the heat and it slowly worsened.

    Eve looked up and around. ¡°Call that woman, the woman that can control the wind,¡± Eve said as she looked at Archie.

    Archie didn¡¯t know if the wind witch was there with them because she hadn¡¯t shown herself yet to Archie for quite a long time. He believed that the chance of the wind witch to be around them would be so small.

    ¡°Are you here with us?¡± Archie asked as he stared at the sky.

    The wind blew really hard from above and directly blew the hot air around them.

    ¡°I¡¯m always watching,¡± The wind witch whispered into Archie¡¯s right ear. ¡°It was really a sight to see that I didn¡¯t want to bother to do anything but watch the entire thing,¡± The wind witch continued.

    ¡°Can you blow the hot air away? I can¡¯t handle it anymore,¡± Archie asked as he wiped his face from the sweat.

    ¡°I will make it rain,¡± The wind witch said and the wind dispersed around Archie that the heat disappeared for a millisecond and came again.

    The wind witch blew the hot air up into the sky even though it was hard to do. She tried her best and finally dark clouds were made by the sudden change of the temperature.

    Thunders rumbled and everyone was staring at the dark sky above Archie and Eve. It wasn¡¯t enough to drop the temperature but it was enough to prevent Archie from melting.

    ¡°I knew she never left your side, Archie, she just didn¡¯t want to show herself because of my presence,¡± Eve said with a smile on her face. ¡°How fun to have someone who is always by your side,¡± Eve said to herself.

    Archie stared at Eve with his eyebrows furrowed and focused on the last few words she said.

    The rain started to fall, but some of the evaporated before it could touch the ground. The rain that didn¡¯t get evaporated became warm and it didn¡¯t feel nice at all, only made things worse and fuggy.

    The fog and the smoke made them unable to see anything in front of them, they both looked back and they were surrounded by them as well. It was a good thing that it happened because they could go all out and nobody would be able to see them.

    ¡°Eve, I think this is the best chance for us to kill it before the fog and the smoke disappears,¡± Archie said as he kept walking forward.

    ¡°Really? Let¡¯s do this then,¡± Eve said and she pulled out her wings without hesitation. ¡°You should try to use your wings as well,¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can, not because I don¡¯t want to, but because I don¡¯t want to risk it,¡± Archie replied. ¡°You should do it, I will catch up with you,¡±

    Eve chuckled and then flew so low that she split the fog and smoke, then Archie ran as fast as he could to catch up on her.

    Archie followed Eve¡¯s trail and he finally saw the silhouette of the dragon right in front of him. The dragon was moving its neck and wiggled it around as it growled weakly, then Archie slowly walked toward it and saw the dragon¡¯s face was blown up and melted, he could see the flesh and the hanging tongue.

    Eve was flying right in front of the dragon¡¯s face and she just stared at it as if she was communicating with the parasite. Archie looked up and watch those two exchanging stares, he looked so confused because the dragon looked like it was asking for Eve to spare its life. It felt weird because Archie could feel it and could feel the emotion of the dragon.

    ¡°What did he say, Eve?¡± Archie asked, but Eve wasn¡¯t responding to his question and kept staring at the dragon. ¡°Eve?¡± Archie asked again.

    The dragon slowly tilted its head and looked down at Archie, it made a weak and soothing noise. Archie didn¡¯t know what it was doing but he could tell it tried to communicate with him. The dragon then slowly lowered its head and rested its neck and head on the ground then its eyes started to close.

    Eve was still flying but she slowly descended and looked down at Archie with concern written on her face. Archie wanted to know what happened but after looking at her expression, he decided to wait and asked her once they got back.

    The rain and the wind started to give Archie a chill, he then looked at the fog slowly getting thicker. He walked toward the dragon¡¯s head and he knew the dragon was already dead, and it used its last energy to speak with Eve.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back,¡± Archie said as he walked toward Eve.

    ¡°Wait, let me get something,¡± Eve replied as she jumped on top of the dragon¡¯s body.

    Eve tore the skin and the flesh of the dragon¡¯s chest, and then she walked inside it to find something. Archie looked around and made sure nobody was coming toward them.

    It took Eve quite a while and Archie started to get worried that he decided to get on top of the dragon¡¯s body to look for her. He looked at the hole in the dragon¡¯s chest and walked inside as he called for Eve.

    Archie heard a munching sound from in front of him, and then he saw Eve was eating the dragon¡¯s heart hurriedly.

    ¡°I thought something happened to you,¡± Archie asked as he looked at the massive heart that was as big as a small house.

    ¡°Don¡¯t eat it,¡± Eve said when Archie wanted to touch it. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to survive if you eat this with your current strength,¡± Eve stared at Archie.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not planning on eating it. I just want to touch it,¡± Archie replied as he shook his head.

    ¡°You can have this instead,¡± Eve said as he pulled something underneath, and then she showed a tissue of the dragon. ¡°It¡¯s the heart tissue of the dragon, it will help you progress but don¡¯t eat it now because the parasites inside your body are still undergoing evolution,¡±

    ¡°Okay, I will keep it for later,¡± Archie grabbed the tissue and put it in his backpack.

    Eve was done eating the heart and Archie was quite surprised that she managed to eat all of them in a single sitting. She really had a big appetite to be able to eat that many and wasn¡¯t bothered by her surroundings.

    They both walked out and saw the fog was getting thinner and thinner since the rain had stopped. The wind witch appeared right behind them and said that Faye and the others were on their way here and they would be there at any minute.

    Eve wiped the blood on her face and arms with a towel, then she put it on Archie¡¯s backpack and wrapped the heart¡¯s tissue with it.

    ¡°Archie, I¡¯m about to pass out,¡± Eve said as she started to stagger and couldn¡¯t balance her body.

    Archie grabbed Eve¡¯s arm and then carefully moved his backpack to the front and then carried her on his back. She was going to evolve into something new and he thought that there must be a reason why she did that, and the first thing that came to his mind was that she was preparing for something.

    Dozens of silhouettes could be seen in front of him and he decided to jump down from the dragon¡¯s body. He then saw Faye and the others were fascinated by the destructive power of the weapon because they saw the dragon¡¯s face and it was still melting because of the serum.

    ¡°Archie? What happened to Eve?¡± Faye asked as she ran toward them.

    ¡°She got a heatstroke, she passed out just now,¡± Archie answered.

    Faye could see that Archie¡¯s face was reddened and she believed it immediately. ¡°I see, then we should go back as soon as we got a few samples of this parasite,¡± Faye said as she looked at the dragon. ¡°Pure breed, huh? This is going to be a big discovery,¡± Faye mumbled to herself.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what are you going to do with the samples, but I just hope that you don¡¯t regret it,¡± Archie said and stared at Faye. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t play with things that are not meant to be played around,¡±

    Faye nodded her head with a serious expression. ¡°I know, we are not going to do anything with it, we are just going to find out about the parasite¡¯s weaknesses so we can fight against it in the future,¡± Faye explained.

    ¡°I see, then you can take your time because there¡¯s no more threat here, at least for now,¡± Archie said as he looked around.

 Chapter 123 Ran away.

    It had been three days since Archie and the others went back to Central Nation, but Eve was still in a deep sleep. Faye and the others were worried and curious about what happened back then that made her like that.

    Faye suggested Archie to brought her to the hospital to do some check-ups but Archie didn¡¯t want that because it would only bring trouble for Eve and him as well. Ruby and Vincent were helping him and convinced Faye that it was unnecessary because Eve was fine and didn¡¯t show any symptoms of being sick.

    Eve was sleeping so peacefully while Archie stared at her from the other side of the room.

    ¡°How is she?¡± Nova asked as she walked into the barrack after an early morning jog.

    ¡°She¡¯s still asleep,¡± Archie answered and looked at Nova wiping the sweat on her face and neck.

    ¡°Has she ever done something like this before? Sleeping like a log for days?¡± Nova sat down and poured herself a glass of water.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s the same as me,¡± Archie looked at Nova drinking her water.

    .?O? ¡°Right, you were like that as well back then after we lured out that dragon,¡± Nova nodded her head with understanding. ¡°So, what causes that? Do you know?¡±

    Archie smiled and shook his head while he shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s just exhaustion then,¡± Nova said as she exhaled deeply after she satiated her thirst. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m going to take a shower now,¡± Nova stood up and walked toward the other room where the kitchen and bathroom were at.

    Archie stared at his backpack and was curious if he could consume it or not, but since he didn¡¯t know if the parasites inside his body were done with evolution or not, he didn¡¯t dare to do it because Eve warned him. All he could do was wait and the only way to waste his free time that came to his mind was to train his flying skill with his wings.

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t waste my time here doing nothing,¡± Archie said as he stood up and left the barrack.

    Archie thought that he might be able to create the same wings that Eve had, the wings like a dragon with just skin and bones. He was observing the anatomy of the dragon and he believed that he could recreate those wings.

    ¡°Where are you going early in the morning, Archie? Training?¡± Ruby raised her eyebrows with a towel on her shoulder that she used to wipe the sweat on her mouth, nose, and eyes.

    ¡°Yes, and while you¡¯re here, can I ask you a favor to look after Eve for me? I will be back maybe at noon,¡± Archie asked as he pointed his thumb at the barrack.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but noon? Are you going to ¡°train¡± your ability?¡± Ruby asked and looked around to make sure nobody was around and listened to her question.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Archie nodded his head.

    ¡°Alright, take your time then, I will make sure she¡¯s not going to be taken somewhere,¡± Ruby sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not like I want to but I have to or the humans will extinct because of her,¡± Ruby chuckled.

    Archie went to the same forest where he went with Eve back then since it was the perfect spot to train.

    Two days had passed and there was no sign of Eve waking up, Archie started to get worried and Faye was also starting to think of bringing her to the hospital.

    It was early in the morning, and it was just the four of them in the barrack while Nova was doing her usual activity.

    ¡°What are you going to do now, Archie?¡± Ruby asked with Vincent looking at him from his bed.

    ¡°I think if I stay here, Faye will bring some people here to check on her because it¡¯s getting suspicious for someone to sleep for days and not wake up,¡± Archie answered and looked at Eve. ¡°I don¡¯t want that, so I¡¯m thinking of bringing her away from here until she wakes up,¡±

    ¡°Where are you going to take her?¡± Ruby asked.

    ¡°Northern Nation maybe, I think I can hide her there and I know a guy who can help me there,¡± Archie said.

    ¡°How are you going to go there unnoticed? You know that they have security cameras all over the city, right?¡± Vincent approached Ruby and stood next to her. ¡°Do you need a hand?¡±

    Archie shook his head. ¡°No, I can do this on my own,¡± Archie looked at both of them. ¡°Thanks for the offer though,¡±

    Archie grabbed his backpack and put a few t-shirts. his trench coat, and jeans inside the backpack. He then grabbed Eve¡¯s body and carried her on his back while Ruby and Vincent just stared at him.

    ¡°I will be back, hopefully,¡± Archie looked uncertain.

    ¡°Take care,¡± Ruby said as she nodded her head.

    Archie left the barrack while Ruby and Vincent watched him leave and disappeared in the darkness.

    The sun rose and as Archie expected that Faye came to the barrack with three doctors, Ruby and Vincent were glad that Archie left earlier. Nova, on the other hand, didn¡¯t know anything about Archie¡¯s whereabouts because Ruby and Vincent didn¡¯t tell her about what happened.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Archie and Eve?¡± Faye asked after she looked at their bed was empty.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, we came back from our daily training and they weren¡¯t there,¡± Ruby lied without hesitation.

    ¡°Yeah, when I came back, Ruby and Vincent asked me if I saw Archie and Eve but I didn¡¯t see them as well,¡± Nova said and looked at the doctors behind Faye with bags in their hands.

    ¡°Maybe Eve is awake and right now doing some training with Archie,¡± Vincent said and looked at Faye.

    ¡°Is that so? Well if that¡¯s true, I guess there¡¯s no need for them to be here anymore,¡± Faye turned around and looked at the doctors. ¡°Just tell me if they¡¯re back,¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Ruby said as she nodded her head.

    Faye and the doctors left the barrack as the three of them watched them leave.

    (In the Northern Nation)

    Ivan was walking on the sidewalk while yawning and a cigarette in his hand, he looked at how peaceful and boring the city was. He was on his way back to his place but he heard something or someone crashing in the alleyway in front of him.

    Ivan took a peek with a cigarette in his mouth and saw the big garbage bin got destroyed and someone was kicking the bin away. He furrowed his eyebrows as he puffed the smoke but then he was surprised when he saw Archie standing up with a woman in his arms.

    ¡°Archie?!¡± Ivan shouted with his eyes wide open.

    ¡°What are you doing over there?!¡± Ivan walked into the alleyway as he looked at the beautiful woman in Archie¡¯s arms. ¡°Who is she?¡±

    Archie checked on Eve and she was still in deep sleep after he crushed his landing and ended up in the alleyway. He flew above the clouds to the Northern Nation, he was planning on landing on top of the building but he miscalculated and panicked that he ended up there.

    ¡°Perfect timing, Ivan,¡± Archie said as he walked toward him. ¡°I need your help, can you let me stay in your place for a few days?¡±

    ¡°Sure, but you haven¡¯t answered my question,¡± Ivan answered as he looked at Eve.

    ¡°She¡¯s my¡­¡± Archie hesitated and didn¡¯t know what kind of relationship he had with Eve.

    Ivan sighed and shook his head. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me if you don¡¯t want to,¡± Ivan said. ¡°Come on,¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± Archie said as he looked at Ivan. ¡°Can we use the road where there are no security cameras? There¡¯s a reason and I don¡¯t want to be seen,¡±

    Ivan furrowed his eyebrows and stared at Archie with curiosity. ¡°She¡¯s not someone important that you kidnapped, right? Because I don¡¯t want to deal with the authority,¡± Ivan said as he pointed at Eve.

    ¡°No, it has nothing to do with her or authority, it¡¯s just I don¡¯t want to be seen, that¡¯s all,¡± Archie said as he fixed his arms to make sure Eve was comfortable in his arms.

    ¡°Alright, I believe you, for now,¡± Ivan said. ¡°I know a way, so just follow me,¡±

    Archie followed Ivan and everyone was staring at Archie because Eve¡¯s beauty that made him the center of attention. He didn¡¯t like that but there was nothing he could do and even if he covered Eve¡¯s face, it only made them suspicious.

    ¡°This is the back door to my place, if you¡¯re planning on going out, use this instead of the front door,¡± Ivan said as he pointed at the door in front of him in the alleyway.

    ¡°Thank you, Ivan, I will pay you back later,¡± Archie replied as he nodded his head.

    ¡°Nah, just help me with the work tomorrow, I need someone to take care of the parasites for me,¡± Ivan said while he leaned on the wall and smoked his cigarette.

    ¡°Alright, I will be there,¡± Archie said.

    ¡°Alright then, this place is yours, I will see you later because there are things that I need to take care of first,¡± Ivan said as he walked toward the road while he waved his hand.

 Chapter 124 Next mission.

    Archie and Ivan were hanging out in the room while drinking vodka after a long day of work. Archie helped Ivan deal with the parasites and got paid the same amount as last time.

    Archie told Ivan about his story after he entered the Central Nation, he told Ivan that he joined the Valor special force. Ivan wasn¡¯t surprised since he knew how strong Archie was and he would be more surprised if he didn¡¯t pass the test.

    ¡°So, do you care on telling me what¡¯s happening? You suddenly appeared in the alleyway and then asked my favor to hide you from the security cameras. Did you do something in the Central Nation?¡± Ivan asked while he drank his vodka and sat in front of Archie.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s because I don¡¯t want to be bothered, that¡¯s all,¡± Archie answered and then took a shot.

    Ivan hummed and then he tilted his head and looked at Eve who was sleeping on the bed. ¡°By the way, she¡¯s really pretty, where did you find her? Is she someone you know? Or is it that she¡¯s your girlfriend?¡± Ivan raised his eyebrows with a huge grin on his face.

    ¡°She¡¯s someone that I know from a long time ago, one of my goals in life is to find her,¡± Archie answered and stared at Eve who was still asleep even though it had been two days since he came to the Northern Nation.

    ¡°Wow, how romantic,¡± Ivan said while he chuckled. ¡°By the way, everyone heard about what happened to the Sky Station,¡±

    ¡°Sky Station?¡± Archie raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°Yeah, the one on the south, about the King-type parasite,¡± Ivan answered and nodded his head. ¡°We saw a photo of that creature and that¡¯s fucking terrifying to see!¡±

    ¡°Oh, you guys saw it?¡± Archie asked and poured vodka into the glass.

    ¡°Of course, we saw it! It¡¯s all over the news and everyone knows about it,¡± Ivan said as he dragged his chair and then sat next to Archie. ¡°How the hell did you fight that thing off?! You guys are fucking crazy!¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s our job as the Valor special force, but it¡¯s mainly because I have experience with that thing,¡± Archie answered. ¡°My friends from the Eastern Nation also joined the Valor special force, we dealt with the parasite and managed to send that thing off,¡±

    Ivan hummed with understanding. ¡°But still, I can¡¯t believe you guys can fight that thing. I mean, just imagining myself in that situation, I would shit my pants immediately,¡± Ivan said while shaking his head and staring blankly at nothing.

    ¡°By the way, you said that she¡¯s sick. Are you sure she will be alright here?¡± Ivan looked a bit concerned.

    ¡°She will be fine, I just need to wait until she wakes up,¡± Archie said but Ivan could tell that Archie was worried about her as well.

    Eve got a high fever and Archie didn¡¯t know what to do other than put a towel on her forehead, armpit, and crotch to cool down her body. If he didn¡¯t notice, her body temperature would keep rising and he was scared that she might die from the fever.

    ¡°Do you need more ice?¡± Ivan asked as he stood up. ¡°I see that you already used all of them. You want me to get you another one?¡± Ivan looked at the empty ice box.

    ¡°Yeah, if you can get it, that would be nice,¡± Archie answered and nodded his head.

    Ivan scoffed and shook his head. ¡°Alright, I will bring a bigger box this time. I will be back in an hour,¡± Ivan said as he grabbed the ice box and then left the room.

    Archie walked toward the bed and then sat down next to Eve while he checked her body temperature on her foot. She was still boiling hot and he decided to change her shirt again since she was drenched in sweat.

    When Archie was about to remove her shirt, Eve¡¯s hands suddenly grabbed his hand which startled him. He was shocked that she suddenly moved her hands and when he looked at her face, he saw Eve was slowly opening her eyes with her eyebrows furrowed.

    p¡¢and a-n¡¢o¡¢vel ¡°Eve?!¡± Archie called her with disbelief and relief at the same time.

    Archie couldn¡¯t move his hand because Eve was holding it so tightly that it started to hurt.

    ¡°Ar¡­chie¡­¡± Eve said weakly.

    ¡°I¡¯m here, Eve,¡± Archie said as he tried to free his hand from Eve¡¯s grip.

    ¡°An¡­tica,¡± Eve said quietly that Archie couldn¡¯t understand what she was saying. ¡°An¡­ar¡­tica¡­¡± Eve kept mumbling the same word over and over that Archie finally understood what she was saying.

    ¡°Antarctica? You want me to bring you there?¡± Archie asked.

    Eve slowly and weakly nodded her head then she slowly removed her hands from Archie¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Okay, I will bring you there now,¡± Archie said as he carefully lifted Eve¡¯s body up and then left the room.

    Archie had to cover Eve with a blanket because he didn¡¯t want her to feel cold and to cover her face in case people were looking for them. He wore his hoodie and put on a mouth mask to cover half of his face then he left the building and stood in the alleyway.

    ¡°We are going to Antarctica, hold on, Eve,¡± Archie looked at Eve but she was unconscious again.

    It was a bit hard to fly from the ground because Archie got support by jumping off of the cliff back then. In a situation like that, he couldn¡¯t help but try his best to fly from the ground and didn¡¯t care if anyone saw it.

    Archie was surprised that he managed to fly on the first try, it would be because of Eve since she wanted him to bring her to Antarctica. He then flew away while carrying Eve in his arms, and he didn¡¯t bother to look down or hide his presence.

    It took Archie four hours to reach Antarctica and the moment he landed, he put down Eve carefully. Eve could feel the cold that it woke her up, she stared at Archie and smiled with relief. Archie knew why she looked so relieved because her body was steaming and got cool off by the cold weather around her.

    Archie touched Eve¡¯s forehead and he was surprised by how hot her body was, it felt like he was putting his hand in lava. He immediately removed the blanket from her body and let the cold cool down her whole body.

    Hours had passed, and Archie just sat there next to Eve and stared at her hoping that she would wake up again. Archie decided to lie down and stared at the aurora with a blanket covering his body. It was so peaceful and calming that he slowly closed his eyes and fell asleep without him realizing it.

    ¡°Drautnir,¡± A familiar voice was calling Archie.

    Archie opened his eyes the moment he heard that voice and he realized that his surroundings were nothing but darkness. It was the same feeling that he had when the parasite took over his body, he panicked because he didn¡¯t want to experience it again.

    ¡°Do not be afraid,¡± A familiar voice was echoing and Archie finally realized it was Throne who was speaking to him.

    ¡°Throne?¡± Archie asked as he looked around.

    A presence suddenly appeared in front of him, the same being that he saw back then.

    ¡°Drautnir, Eve has chosen you as her Adam,¡± Throne said and stared down at Archie.

    ¡°I know that already, she told me about it,¡± Archie replied and looked up at the rings and the eyes.

    ¡°No, Drautnir,¡± Throne slowly floated closer to Archie. ¡°Your Eve has made up her mind and it¡¯s time for you to kill the other Adams before they made a catastrophe,¡±

    ¡°A catastrophe? There are only five Adams left, what kind of catastrophe are you talking about?¡± Archie asked with his eyebrows furrowed.

    ¡°A big one that is enough to wipe all the living beings on Earth,¡± Throne answered as the fire grew bigger and started to blaze.

    Archie stared at Throne and he believed Throne was talking about the same thing that Eve mentioned back then. A being that strong enough to bring an apocalypse, something that had been sleeping deep down in the unknown.

    ¡°Drautnir, all the Adams are now working together to bring the end of Earth and everything in it,¡± Throne warned Archie. ¡°Your real test has finally started. Everything on Earth is now your responsibility, only you and Eve can save it from them,¡±

    Before Archie could ask about the being that Eve mentioned, Throne disappeared and he suddenly opened his eyes.

    Archie groaned and realized that Thorne visited him in his dream, it made his head spin and ache. He looked to his right and noticed that Eve wasn¡¯t there, so he jolted from his sitting and looked around.

    ¡°Eve?¡± Archie asked as he looked at Eve with her very long silver hair touching the ice.

    Eve turned around and her pupils were like ice, it was bright blue and they glowed in the night.

    ¡°They paid a visit in your dream?¡± Eve asked calmly as she slowly walked toward Archie.

    ¡°They did,¡± Archie nodded his head.

    Eve gently touched Archie¡¯s cheek with her right hand and kissed his left cheek. ¡°Then you should know what¡¯s our next mission, right?¡± Eve asked with her soothing voice and she acted so gently all of a sudden.

    ¡°Yes, we have to find the other Adams and kill them,¡± Archie stared at Eve who smiled at him.

 Chapter 125 Just a bunch of bugs.

    Archie and Eve flew to one of the islands near the Central Nation, and it used to be Korea. Thankfully, Archie had his money in his backpack, so they rented an apartment to stay in.

    They stayed there for a few days because Eve needed to wait until the parasites inside her body to be fully evolved. While they were waiting for her to be ready, they spend their time wandering around the city and it was really a nice place to stay in.

    ¡°So, why with the sudden changes?¡± Archie asked and looked at Eve who turned her hair colors to yellow and made it shorter, she also changed her eyes to green.

    ¡°You protected me from getting exposed, and you brought me all the way here just because of that. It¡¯s better to change my appearance,¡± Eve answered as she stared at her own reflection in the mirror.

    p¡¢a,nd a-n¡¢o¡¢vel Archie and Eve agreed on dealing with the Adams first because they were the real threat rather than the King-type parasite. Eve hadn¡¯t told Archie about what those Adams were doing, but if she looked anxious, that meant whatever they were doing scared her.

    ¡°So, where do you want us to go first?¡± Archie asked and looked at Eve through her reflection.

    ¡°We know there¡¯s one in Indonesia, we should go there first and kill him,¡± Eve turned around to look at Archie. ¡°But we don¡¯t know exactly where since Faye didn¡¯t tell us the details about it, so we should ask Ruby¡¯s help if we want to get information about Adam,¡±

    ¡°You should change your appearance as well, Archie,¡± Eve said as she tilted her head toward the mirror in front of her.

    Archie changed his appearance to the Archie he remembered before he became a Drautnir. He tried to remember his old memories while Eve was staring at her from behind.

    It took Archie an hour to be done with his transformations, and he looked satisfied with it.

    ¡°Is this what you look like in the past?¡± Eve asked with her hands on Archie¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°I believe so, yeah,¡± Archie nodded his head as he exhaled deeply. ¡°Should we get going now?¡±

    Eve nodded and then they left the apartment.

    They both went to the forest far away from the city since the whole island was not heavily guarded because there were no parasites there. The entire city was free from threat and people were free to go anywhere as if they weren¡¯t scared of anything while the rest of the world was struggling to survive.

    Archie and Eve flew away up into the sky and went back to the barrack in the middle of the night.

    Ruby, Vincent, and Nova were asleep while Archie and Eve were looking inside the barrack through the window. They both entered the barrack and quietly walked toward Ruby and Vincent, Archie then gently tapped Ruby¡¯s forearm.

    Ruby opened her eyes and was surprised when they saw two strangers inside the barrack, but then she realized it was just Archie and Eve because she recognized Eve¡¯s face. Archie put his finger in front of his lips to ask her to stay quiet so those two didn¡¯t wake up.

    ¡°Archie? Eve?¡± Ruby quietly whispered as she looked at Nova and Vincent who were asleep.

    Archie kept putting his finger in front of his lips and then he tilted his head toward the door. The three of them left the barrack and went quite further away from there so they could speak normally and casually.

    ¡°What¡¯s with that get up? Why are you both changing your appearance?¡± Ruby asked and still couldn¡¯t believe Archie¡¯s new face.

    ¡°It¡¯s a long story and we need your help, Ruby,¡± Archie asked as he looked around.

    ¡°Help? What do you need?¡± Ruby raised her eyebrows and looked at both of them.

    ¡°I need you to find the information about the Adam that the scout team found on one of the islands in Indonesia. Eve and I are going to kill him,¡± Archie answered.

    Ruby furrowed her eyebrows because she seemed a bit confused by Archie¡¯s expression which looked anxious for the first time in a while.

    ¡°Sure, I can do that, but I can¡¯t do it now. I might need time and maybe tomorrow afternoon I can get that information,¡± Ruby replied with her arms crossed.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine by me,¡± Archie nodded his head with understanding. ¡°Let¡¯s meet again tomorrow, how about in the bar where we hung out back then? We can talk about the details there,¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s perfect, let¡¯s meet up there,¡± Ruby nodded her head. ¡°I will see you guys tomorrow,¡±

    Archie and Eve nodded and then they both flew away and it shocked Ruby because she didn¡¯t know that Archie could fly, especially grow wings on his back like Eve. She looked up in the sky and saw their silhouettes under the moonlight as they flew silently like an owl.

    On the next day, Archie and Eve casually entered the bar, even though they were still becoming the center of attention because of Eve¡¯s beauty. They both saw Ruby and Vincent waiting for them on the corner, Ruby saw them and nodded her head to tell them that she got the information.

    ¡°That¡¯s you, Archie?¡± Vincent asked with his eyebrows raised and eyes wide open in disbelief.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Archie answered with a smile on his face.

    ¡°Wow, I don¡¯t recognize you at all,¡± Vincent kept staring at Archie who sat down in front of him and Ruby.

    Without wasting any time, Ruby started to tell them about the information she got from Faye about the appearance of Ex-Human on one of the islands in Indonesia. She opened a map and pointed at Borneo island, she told them that the Ex-Human was found there in the Center of the island.

    The Ex-Human seemed to be able to control the parasites, the scout team was hunted by the parasites because they got found out by him. Only three people survived and left the island in time, and even so, they were chased by the parasite, and then only one person survived with heavy injury.

    ¡°So Adam is in Borneo,¡± Archie said as he stared at the map on the table. ¡°That would be hard to find him knowing how big the island is,¡±

    ¡°Yes, but the scout team said that he was making his own army of parasites. If someone is making such an army for himself, there¡¯s a high chance he would stay in the center of the island to prevent getting picked off by the enemies, right?¡± Ruby replied and looked at both of them.

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. I think if we are close enough, we might be able to sense his presence and that also means that he could sense our presence, especially Eve¡¯s presence,¡± Archie nodded his head and then looked at Eve.

    ¡°By the way, do you want to tell us why suddenly you guys changed your appearance?¡± Ruby asked.

    Archie told them about what happened to Eve, he told them about the dragon heart that Eve ate that made her undergo an evolution. He then told them about the thing about Adam and Eve, it was enough to give Ruby and Vincent a shock that the other Adams were working together to make a catastrophe on Earth.

    ¡°What kind of catastrophe are we talking about here?¡± Ruby asked and looked at both of them.

    ¡°That¡¯s something that Eve knows because I know nothing about it as well,¡± Archie answered and looked at Eve.

    ¡°Have any of you humans checked the site of the meteor that struck the Earth?¡± Eve asked with a serious tone.

    Archie never heard any news about the humans exploring the sea to check the site of the meteorite because everyone was too busy dealing with the parasites in their own countries. There was no information related to that and nobody was even bothered to think about it since they had problems that needed to be taken care of right in front of them back then.

    ¡°By the look of your expression, it seems that nobody has ever gone there,¡± Eve said. ¡°Inside the meteorite, there¡¯s a creature that lives inside it. It¡¯s not parasites, those parasites that you know, they were all just lice or a bug that came with it,¡±

    The three of them stared at Eve with a serious expression and they all looked a bit nervous to listen to the truth that Eve was about to tell them.

    ¡°I was curious about the site a very long time ago, and I decided to flew there and checked the site myself,¡± Eve said as she stared blankly at the wall in front of her. ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to go deep down to the sea to look at what was inside the meteorite, but I felt a presence that gave me goosebumps and inflicted fear all over my body,¡± Eve continued and showed a distress expression.

    ¡°You¡¯re telling us that these whole thing that happened was all just because of a bug that came down with the meteorite while the real threat isn¡¯t even come out yet?¡± Ruby asked with her eyes squinted.

    ¡°Yes, the real threat is still hidden and asleep deep down at the bottom of the sea,¡± Eve nodded her head and stared at Ruby with a serious expression.

 Chapter 126 Conspiracy theory.

    ¡°You said that the other Adams are trying to create a catastrophe, but what kind of catastrophe we are talking about? Does it have something to do with the meteorite?¡± Ruby asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, that¡¯s why we are going to find out what kind of catastrophe they¡¯re going to make. If they¡¯re trying to wake that being inside the meteorite, then the mastermind behind this would be the first Adam that was chosen by them,¡± Archie said as he looked at Eve.

    Eve hummed and nodded her head in agreement. ¡°The first Adam might know something about it as well since we both have lived for hundreds of years,¡± Eve said as she drank a glass of beer.

    ¡°The first Adam, huh?¡± Vincent raised his eyebrows and stared blankly at the table. ¡°Do you think that guy is as strong as Eve since he has been living for hundreds of years?¡± Vincent asked and looked at Eve since she was the only one who knew the answer.

    ¡°He could be, but I don¡¯t think anyone is as strong and as powerful as I am,¡± Eve answered and emptied the glass of beer. ¡°Although I¡¯m strong like this, each parasite has a different kind of power and ability. There¡¯s a chance the first Adam can outmatch me if I don¡¯t be careful,¡±

    ¡°You need to be careful, Archie, because if the Adam that lives in Borneo is the first Adam, you will be in danger,¡± Ruby said and stared at Archie seriously.

    Archie had thought about it and he didn¡¯t want to be careless, but at the same time, he hoped that the Adam that he was going to face was not the first or second Adam. He believed in his ability that he could fight the fourth or fifth Adam, but either way, as long as he had Eve on his side, he thought that he would be safe.

    pA?,??.?0m Archie looked at Eve who didn¡¯t look nervous and it was enough to assure him that everything would be alright.

    ¡°Have you met the first Adam, Eve?¡± Ruby asked and looked at Eve.

    ¡°No, I only met three Adams in total. Archie, the fourth Adam, and the sixth Adam,¡± Eve answered as she shook her head. ¡°I heard that Archie killed the seventh Adam, so there are five Adams who are still out there,¡±

    ¡°Right, that guy, who was his name again?¡± Vincent looked at Archie with his eyebrow raised.

    ¡°Gideon Armen,¡± Archie answered and looked at Vincent.

    ¡°Speaking of Gideon, there¡¯s something that I¡¯m still so confused about. In his memories, there¡¯s someone who told him about my location, and whoever that is, I think he knows about all the Adams¡¯ locations. There¡¯s a chance that person knows Eve¡¯s location as well,¡± Archie said as he stared at the glass of his whiskey.

    Eve furrowed her eyebrows and looked at Archie with curiosity and confusion.

    ¡°What do you mean by someone informing your location to him?¡± Eve asked and she looked a bit unsettled by it.

    Archie explained the memories he had after he consumed Gideon¡¯s brain and heart. The memories were still sticking in his head as if they belonged to him, but he wasn¡¯t surprised since he believed the moment he got the abilities from Gideon, Gideon¡¯s memories became one with him.

    ¡°That¡¯s not possible,¡± Eve said after she listened to Archie¡¯s story, and she looked certain about it.

    ¡°Why it¡¯s not possible? Doesn¡¯t the angels can tell him about my location?¡± Archie furrowed his eyebrows with confusion.

    ¡°No, they are forbidden to interfere in this game unless it¡¯s necessary like what happened to you. Archie. Other than that, they can only warn their own chosen Adam and that¡¯s it. They¡¯re not allowed to tell the location of the other Adams, especially my location since Cherubim are protecting my identity and location,¡± Eve answered.

    ¡°Then, if it¡¯s not them, who gave Gideon my location?¡± Archie asked and stared at Eve.

    ¡°It might be one of the Adams who has the ability to sense another Adam,¡± Eve answered and nodded her head.

    ¡°So you¡¯re telling me that the other Adams have been working together and eliminating the new competitor like me?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Yes, that might be the case and there¡¯s a chance that they¡¯re not the only ones who got involved in this,¡± Eve replied and looked at Ruby and Vincent. ¡°There¡¯s a chance that there are some humans who knew about their existence and decided to follow them,¡±

    The three of them looked at Eve with surprised expressions and they almost thought they misheard it.

    ¡°Wait, so there are people like us?¡± Vincent pointed his thumb at himself as he stared at Eve.

    ¡°What makes you think that you¡¯re the only one? The first up to the third Adam could do the same as Archie, no?¡± Eve raised her eyebrow. ¡°They have been living for hundreds of years, of course, there¡¯s a chance they live among us with the descendants of their followers in this Nation or the other Nation,¡±

    ¡°The Rebellion,¡± Ruby said under her breath.

    Archie glanced at Ruby and remembered that she said something about the rebellion back then after Throne decided to wipe everyone¡¯s memories about him.

    ¡°The Rebellion?¡± Archie asked and he was curious about it.

    ¡°It¡¯s a rumor that had been going around back then after the bridge got destroyed by the parasite,¡± Vincent answered and sighed as if he didn¡¯t want to believe it. ¡°The moment the bridge was collapsing, we all saw it with our own two eyes that the pillar was oddly too easy to destroy as if someone put an explosive on the pillar to help the parasite destroy it,¡±

    ¡°We sent an investigation team to the bridge to look at it but we found nothing but the suspicion was still around and some of us believed that there was some group of Axis Humans who did that behind the curtain,¡± Vincent answered.

    ¡°Just think about it Vince, look around you and tell me if this is not too fishy because the moment the bridge collapsed, the other nation became more advanced,¡± Ruby stared at Vincent from the corner of her eyes. ¡°They¡¯re so advanced that they have a blimp and helicopters that are enough to come and help us all, but they didn¡¯t,¡±

    Archie just realized that while Vincent was thinking of an answer but he ended up having no answer to that.

    ¡°If Eve is saying the truth, some of these people who live in the Central Nation who have an important role here, they might have prevented them from helping us. There¡¯s someone who can give us an explanation, and that¡¯s Faye,¡± Ruby said and kept staring at Vincent.

    ¡°You should pay her a visit then and try to find out about the truth if the rebellion does exist or not. I think if what Eve said is the truth and one of the Adams is really living among us, he must be the one who control over the world of the humans,¡± Archie looked at Ruby because he believed that Ruby wanted the same thing.

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about it as well because if they really abandoned and sacrificed us just for their own benefit, I¡¯m going to turn this whole place around,¡± Ruby clenched her fist and she looked really pissed. ¡°What do you say, Vince? Are you with me or not?¡±

    Vincent took a deep breath and exhaled deeply. ¡°Do I have a choice?¡± Vincent replied and emptied the glass of whiskey in his hand. ¡°If you want to do that, we can¡¯t let anyone to know about this. The people that we can trust are Fanheim, Marlon, Tommy, and Daniel since they¡¯re one of us. We should tell them about this and see if they found something weird or odd out there,¡±

    ¡°Yes, I agree,¡± Ruby nodded her head and liked the idea. ¡°We should start working on it now and gather as much information as possible,¡±

    ¡°Good luck,¡± Archie said as he looked at both of them standing up.

    ¡°We can only do this from our end, you should be careful out there because you¡¯re fighting the real threat out there,¡± Vincent said and looked at Archie with a serious expression.

    ¡°I know, I will try my best not to die,¡± Archie nodded his head and smiled at him.

    ¡°We will see you guys later,¡± Ruby said and then they both left the bar leaving Archie and Eve alone at the table.

    ¡°What do you think, Eve?¡± Archie looked at Eve who had been so quiet.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s necessary to investigate it even if it¡¯s not real in the end, but I believe if someone who stood above the others, they would want to have those below him to be his,¡± Eve answered and looked at Archie. ¡°But not you, I found it interesting because of that,¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t flatter me all of a sudden, Eve, we have more important thing to do,¡± Archie smiled as he stood up. ¡°Should we get going as well?¡±

    ¡°After you,¡± Eve chuckled as she smiled at Archie.

 Chapter 127 The rule changed.

    The moment Archie and Eve left the bar, he saw a group of people hanging out on the street with cigarettes in their hands. He knew those people were Axis Humans because they could sense it but something felt off about them.

    Those Axis Humans were strong but the way they wore their attire, they were like an office worker. He was curious about them and wanted to ask about something but Eve was already far ahead of him that he had to catch up on her.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Eve asked as she looked at Archie.

    ¡°Those people back there, don¡¯t you think they look weird?¡± Archie replied as he pointed his thumb over his shoulder.

    Eve turned around and saw a group of people in a suit enjoying their cigarettes on the sidewalk.

    ¡°Weird? They look like normal Axis Humans to me, there¡¯s nothing wrong about it. What makes you think they¡¯re weird?¡± Eve looked at Archie with her eyebrows raised.

    ¡°They¡¯re strong Axis Humans like Ruby or even stronger than her, don¡¯t you think? I believe this is the first time I saw their faces because I don¡¯t think they¡¯re from the Valor special force,¡± Archie answered and kept staring at those people.

    ¡°While you were unconscious back then, I took a stroll around the city with Nova. You might know or may not, but there are a lot of people like them in the city,¡± Eve answered and Archie looked at Eve with a bit of a surprised expression, he didn¡¯t know that at all.

    ¡°I see, that¡¯s why I said that earlier that there might be Axis Humans that are working under one of the Adams. Nova didn¡¯t realize that nor Faye, so I think there¡¯s something is going on around this nation that we don¡¯t know,¡± Eve explained as they left the city.

    ¡°You should have told them about that, Eve,¡± Archie said while he shook his head and chuckled with disbelief.

    ¡°I forgot to mention that because I was busy thinking about something else back then. I believe they will notice it anyway, so there¡¯s no need to tell them everything,¡± Eve replied with a smile on her face. ¡°Anyway, are you ready to leave?¡± Eve asked and looked at Archie.

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go,¡± Archie nodded his head.

    Archie and Eve flew up high into the sky in the dark night where most of the people were already asleep. He looked down and saw how big the city was and if each corner had that same kind of people, there would be thousands of them.

    While they were on their way to Borneo, Archie felt like someone or something had been following them from behind ever since they left the city, it wasn¡¯t the wind witch because he could sense her presence in front of them. He looked at Eve and she looked a bit unsettled because of the presence as well, and then suddenly the wind blew so hard from behind them and made turbulence.

    They both stopped flying and Archie couldn¡¯t sense the wind witch¡¯s presence at all as if the wind that blew was the wind witch got pushed away by something.

    ¡°What do you want,¡± Eve suddenly said and stared at nothing in front of her which made Archie look confused.

    Archie couldn¡¯t see anything but Eve seemed to be able to see something or someone in front of her that he couldn¡¯t.

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Eve asked with an annoyed expression. ¡°You¡¯re saying that I¡¯m not allowed to help him in this mission? Then why did you give me a warning back then?¡±

    Archie realized that Eve might have been talking with Cherubim, and they didn¡¯t want to show their appearance in front of Archie. That meant Eve wouldn¡¯t be able to see Throne even if she wanted to since they could hide their appearance like Cherubim.

    ¡°You want me to watch then?¡± Eve crossed her arms and she looked angry at Cherubim.

    Archie couldn¡¯t imagine himself challenging Throne¡¯s words because the outcome might be far worse than he could imagine.

    ¡°Why suddenly you forbid me to find the other Adams?¡± Eve flew forward as if she was really challenging Cherubim which made Archie a bit uncomfortable because bad things might happen soon.

    Eve scoffed and raised her eyebrows. ¡°The rule has changed because I have chosen my Adam? And not to mention it¡¯s for my own safety?¡± She repeated the words that Cherubim told her and that made Archie understand the situation from her words alone.

    The presence disappeared and it felt like the air disappeared with it that making it hard for Archie to stay floating in the air. He struggled to maintain the altitude while he stared at Eve who looked furious about the conversation she had because, in the end, she couldn¡¯t go against Cherubim¡¯s words or so it seemed.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Archie asked after he managed to recover.

    ¡°You heard what they said right?¡± Eve replied as she looked at Archie.

    ¡°No, I couldn¡¯t hear what they said not even their appearance,¡± Archie answered as he shook his head. ¡°But I understand what you were talking about by the responses you gave to them,¡± Archie explained.

    ¡°I see, but yes, I can¡¯t help you on hunting the Adams because it¡¯s your job, not mine,¡± Eve said as she looked at Archie with a bit of concern.

    ¡°Yeah, I heard everything,¡± Archie nodded his head. ¡°If I failed and died, what will happen to you then?¡±

    Eve didn¡¯t respond and stared blankly at the vast see below her, Archie waited and was curious about the answer she was going to make.

    ¡°Everything went back to normal, finding a new Adam,¡± Eve answered with a flat tone in her voice which made Archie a bit unsettled because he couldn¡¯t tell if she was sad or felt nothing about it.

    ¡°I see,¡± Archie said and then he looked at the Borneo island in the distance. ¡°I guess I will be on my own now,¡± Archie flew toward the island and left Eve behind because she couldn¡¯t do anything about the situation anyway.

    Archie didn¡¯t expect Eve to follow him but knowing that she really didn¡¯t follow him to the island, it gave him heartache. He knew that Eve couldn¡¯t do anything or she might get punished if she went against their order, and he remembered how painful it was for her to lie.

    ¡°It¡¯s just you and me,¡± Archie looked at the presence of the wind witch right next to him.

    The wind witch showed herself and looked at Archie¡¯s expression so that she could tell he was heartbroken.

    ¡°I know that I might not be useful, but I will always stand by your side and give you a bit of help,¡± The wind witch replied.

    ¡°That gives me a bit of relief,¡± Archie smiled, and then he slowly descended.

    Archie landed on the island safely, he looked around he was amazed by the massive forest that covered almost the whole island. It reminded him of Fallen Continent, and he believed that the island should become one of the Fallen Continents after knowing the danger on the island.

    At that moment, Archie didn¡¯t want to think about anything else because it would only make him unfocused. If he wanted Eve to stay by his side, all he had to do was to make sure he killed Adam on the island, and that was the most important thing.

    -n¡¢o¡¢ve,L ¡°Can you give me a vision of the island for me?¡± Archie asked the wind witch who walked next to him.

    ¡°That might take a while, maybe I can give you all the information about the island in the morning. How¡¯s that sound, Archie?¡± The wind witch answered and looked at Archie.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine by me, you can take your time while I explore the island a bit on my own to check what kind of parasites that I¡¯m going to deal with,¡± Archie nodded his head with understanding.

    ¡°Then be careful, I will be back when the sun is up,¡± The wind witch replied and then disappeared and became one with the wind.

    Archie spent hours wandering on the edge of the island and weirdly enough, he didn¡¯t encounter a single parasite at all. It was fine by him but at the same time, it made him uncomfortable because he had never been in that kind of situation before.

    The morning came and not a single parasite was seen, Archie decided to enjoy the morning breeze and the warmth of the sun on the beach. He then felt the wind witch¡¯s presence coming toward him from behind, he turned around and saw the wind witch walking on the sand which made her look a bit happy.

    ¡°Thank you for helping me. So? What did you find?¡± Archie asked as he looked at the wind witch.

    ¡°It would be a bit troublesome for you because they¡¯re all in the middle of the island, thousands of them,¡± The wind witch answered.

    ¡°I see, that won¡¯t be a problem if I can kill them one by one,¡± Archie said.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant,¡± The wind witch replied. ¡°The parasites were cross-breeding and the parasites were nothing like you have encountered so far. They¡¯re terrifyingly far stronger than Ex-Axis Humans,¡±

 Chapter 128 Cross-breed.

    ¡°So what¡¯s this cross-breeding you¡¯re talking about? Is it the same term as breeding a dog or a cat to take the best gene of one type of parasite and combine it with another to cover the weaknesses?¡± Archie asked as he walked into the forest with the wind witch.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s precisely what they¡¯re doing right now. I don¡¯t know how long have they been doing this, but one thing I found out is that the parasites are not doing it naturally,¡± The wind witch answered as she nodded her head.

    ¡°Unnatural? What¡¯s that mean?¡± Archie looked at the wind witch.

    ¡°Once you go deeper into the island, you will notice the strangeness of the biome of the island. Everything overgrew in an unnatural way, a flower grew like a tree, the grass¡¯s root was thicker than the tree trunk,¡± The wind witch tried to explain to Archie what she saw on the center of the island. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful but it¡¯s unnatural,¡±

    Archie tried to imagine it but he couldn¡¯t because everything that the wind witch said sounded weird.

    ¡°What¡¯s the connection between the biome and the parasite¡¯s behavior of cross-breeding? I don¡¯t see any correlation between those two,¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is that everything that happened on this island, was because of someone¡¯s intervention. I believe the Adam is the one behind all those events and he has some kind of ability to manipulate a gene and turn everything as he pleases,¡± The wind witch answered.

    Archie hummed with understanding and he believed it had something to do with the parasite inside the Adam¡¯s body. The wind witch was thinking the same thing but she didn¡¯t know anything about a parasite that could manipulate another parasite physically because she had never seen one before.

    After an hour of walking, Archie finally felt the presence of parasite around him. He followed the presence while the wind witch became one with the wind to guide him where to go.

    Archie looked at the parasite and it looked like a humanoid tiger with horns, it looked so weird and it was the first time he saw something like that. He then decided to ambush the parasite stealthily but his presence was noticed before he could swing his sword at the parasite.

    The parasite moved so fast and it didn¡¯t stay to fight after realizing that Archie was too strong. Archie followed the parasite and with the help of the wind witch, he managed to catch up on the parasite and cut it in half with a single swing.

    ¡°So, you saw something like this but there are thousands of them on the island?¡± Archie looked at the inside of the parasite and the inside looked like it belonged to a human because of the anatomy of the parasite.

    ¡°Yes, and this parasite seems to be a failure that¡¯s why it was here on his own,¡± The wind witch whispered as the wind blew on Archie¡¯s right ear.

    ¡°A failure? If this is a failure, what kind of parasite that you saw in the center of the island then?¡± Archie started to realize that he couldn¡¯t fight them all in his human form and had to go all out if he wanted to kill everything in his sight.

    Archie proceeded to go deeper into the forest and gather more information about the cross-breed parasites.

    The sun was down and the moon was up high in the sky, Archie was covered in dried blood and sweat. He fought dozens of parasites and it became more frequent the more he walked to the center of the island. He was fine but the problem was that the flesh of the parasites that he killed, didn¡¯t satiate his hunger, and at that moment, Archie realized that he was in a bit of trouble.

    ¡°I can¡¯t keep on doing this, they¡¯re coming at me like a river and I need a better plan to deal with them,¡± Archie said as he saw dozens of parasites lurking in the darkness with their glowing yellow eyes.

    ¡°What are you going to do then? Your presence must have been noticed by him, and that¡¯s why there are endless hordes of parasites,¡± The wind witch asked as she floated next to Archie.

    ¡°Yeah, I believe so too. He¡¯s giving me a welcoming party and wants me to witness how powerful his army of parasites are,¡± Archie answered as he wiped the sweat under his nose. ¡°But that won¡¯t be a problem since I could leave the island whenever I want. Let¡¯s leave first and rest, I need a better plan or at least a way to deal with all of them,¡±

    Archie spread his wings and flew away from the danger then went to the nearest island with the wind witch.

    The morning came and Archie finally found a parasite that he could eat. He had a feast with the wind witch as they were staring at the Borneo island in the distance.

    ¡°Is Borneo used to be filled with a lot of people?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Yes, there were so many tribe people that used to live on the island, they knew how to deal with parasites with their bare hands and bows. Those people weren¡¯t even Axis Humans but it felt like they were made to fight those parasites.

    ¡°No wonder I couldn¡¯t command or give them order since they¡¯re intelligent and only made a necessary move to kill like a human being. So those parasites were cross-breeding with a human being it seems, or I think it was originally,¡± Archie replied as he ate the flesh of the parasite.

    ¡°You might be right about it, he must be experimented with as a human being and used the tribe¡¯s survival instinct and intelligent with a body of parasite,¡± The wind witch nodded her head in agreement. ¡°So, after spending a whole night on this island, have you found a solution, Archie?¡±

    Archie was thinking of a way to fight those parasites but he couldn¡¯t because of how intelligent the parasites were. If he didn¡¯t be careful, he might fall for their trap and even if he could regenerate, those parasites would tear his body apart over and over until there was nothing left.

    ¡°I would rather fight a King-type parasite than have to fight a smart parasite. It doesn¡¯t matter if they¡¯re way weaker than the King-type parasite, but they calculated every move and would be enough to kill me,¡± Archie said as he sighed and laid down to stare at the dark blue sky.

    Archie looked at his bag and he was thinking of eating the dragon¡¯s heart tissue that Eve gave him. He didn¡¯t know what would happen if he ate it, but he believed that he should be fine since it had been more than a week.

    ¡°Are you thinking of eating that thing inside your backpack?¡± The wind witch asked as she looked at Archie. ¡°Isn¡¯t she warned you not to consume it?¡±

    ¡°I know, that¡¯s why I¡¯m not going to do it. I¡¯m just thinking about it,¡± Archie said as he stood up and stretched his arms. ¡°Let¡¯s try to do this again, but this time I¡¯m going all out to fight them. So, can you watch my back and make sure that I can escape if I ended up being cornered by them?¡±

    The wind witch smiled and nodded then they both flew away to Borneo island and left the backpack behind since Archie didn¡¯t want to lose his backpack.

    Archie fully transformed into a parasite, and he realized he could grow twice bigger than usual. His body didn¡¯t feel heavier even though his mass and size were twice the amounts from before.

    Archie was amazed by how deadly his claws were and the strength that the parasites were scared of his presence. He felt the confidence was coming back and proceeded to go deeper into the island in his parasite form.

    The sun was at its peak and Archie couldn¡¯t find any parasites around him, he was convinced that the Adam was really the one who controlled all of the parasites. Now that he knew he could fight back, he used his opportunity to fly above the island with his massive wings to support his massive body.

    Archie looked down at the island with the wind witch next to him, she pointed at the long river in the center of the island. She then pulled her index finger to the east and stopped at the gigantic tree with the branches and the leaves that covered a mile radius area around it.

    ¡°That¡¯s where I saw flower trees and grasses with roots as thick as a tree trunk,¡± The wind witch said.

    ¡°That¡¯s a massive tree, it looks like a sky scrapper but it¡¯s a tree,¡± Archie was amazed by it.

    ¡°What do you think? Do you want to go there and directly fight the Adam?¡± The wind witch asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m planning to go there, but not to fight,¡± Archie answered as he kept staring at the tree. ¡°It¡¯s better to introduce each other first,¡±

 Chapter 129 Free will.

    Archie landed on top of the giant tree, and he looked down but saw nothing but flowers that were as tall as a tree. He was fascinated by the scenery but he came there not to sightseeing but to see the Adam.

    Archie stealthily climbed down the tree while the wind witch observed his surroundings and gave him a third eye of the situation. He managed to land on the ground but it was just silence other than the sound of bugs and birds on the trees.

    ¡°This is making me nervous,¡± Archie mumbled under his breath as he looked around. ¡°I don¡¯t feel any presence of parasite around here. Where do you think they go?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t feel anything as well, let me go and have a look,¡± The wind witch whispered into Archie¡¯s ear and a gentle wind blew on his face.

    Archie wandered around the big tree, he touched the grass and the flower, they all felt normal and the only difference was the size. He looked at the birds and saw they were ten times bigger than their original size, he was so confused by everything that was bigger than it should be.

    While Archie was busy admiring the scenery, he felt a sudden presence right behind him and so he immediately turned around. He saw a man in a worn-out white shirt standing not far from him, he was surprised because he didn¡¯t even sense the guy¡¯s presence at all.

    Before Archie could open his mouth, suddenly he could feel dozens of parasites staring at him from the trees. Something felt weird and Archie decided to take a few steps back but then he stepped on something and when he turned around, he saw a parasite was ready to gouge his eyes with its needle-like arm.

    Archie dodged it and immediately tore the parasite in half then he threw the body away and immediately dozens of parasites appeared out of nowhere. He realized that it wasn¡¯t because those parasites appeared so suddenly, but it was because of the flowers that made him hallucinate that he didn¡¯t notice their presence.

    ¡°Welcome to my island,¡± The man said with his arms open while Archie was being attacked from all directions.

    Archie didn¡¯t have time to respond to the man because his life was depending on his strength.

    ¡°How strong, do you think you can handle all of them at once? Especially when all your senses are deceiving you?¡± The man said and then Archie suddenly couldn¡¯t hear, feel, or see them again.

    Archie looked around but they all disappeared again, and so he decided to run away from there because something was playing with his brain. But before he could leave the area, his body was being scratched and stabbed in all directions which annoyed him very much.

    Archie swung his long claws around and he didn¡¯t feel anything at all so he decided to spread his wings and flew up high from the forest.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening down there?!¡± Archie asked as he looked at his body was covered with open wounds.

    The wind witch appeared next to Archie. ¡°I realized that the whole biome is being controlled and manipulated by him,¡± She said as she stared down. ¡°Those flowers made you hallucinate and lost all your senses because of it. So, if you want to fight them, you have to get rid of those flowers first,¡±

    ¡°Are you sure? Do you think it¡¯s because of the flowers?¡± Archie didn¡¯t want to believe it immediately because he might be able to leave for the second time after the Adam knew he could fly.

    ¡°No, but it¡¯s the only thing that came out from my mind,¡± The wind witch answered.

    ¡°It¡¯s more than that I believe because how can a being like you who don¡¯t even have a real physical body could be affected by it?¡± Archie said as he looked at her. ¡°You went there yesterday, and it didn¡¯t happen to you, so I believe the Adam was the one who did this, but I don¡¯t know how he did it,¡± Archie explained as he kept staring down.

    Archie could ask the wind witch to help him prove her theory by blowing and making havoc on the forest with her power, but the problem was she wasn¡¯t allowed to interfere as well. She could only help by giving information and fighting the parasites other than the Adams.

    ¡°I can¡¯t fight them like this, I need insurance for my own safety because those parasites are so smart that they could hit my weak spots,¡± Archie said as he looked at the island where he stayed the night last night. ¡°I think it¡¯s time for me to eat the dragon¡¯s heart tissue because if the parasites alone were enough to threaten me, I don¡¯t think I can fight him with just this,¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s up to you, and if that¡¯s what you want, I can protect you while you¡¯re sleeping,¡± The wind witch replied.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m going to need your help for that,¡± Archie nodded his head in agreement. ¡°Let¡¯s leave then,¡±

    Both Archie and the wind witch left the island.

    Archie opened his backpack and grabbed the dragon¡¯s heart tissue, he looked at it and hesitated to consume it. He looked at the wind witch and then he nodded his head and started chewing it, it tasted nothing and it was hard like a rubber that it made his jaw hurt from trying to chew it.

    ¡°Alright, I ate it,¡± Archie said as he felt the pieces of the tissue stuck on his throat and tried to push it down. ¡°Now we are going to wait,¡± He looked at the wind witch.

    ¡°I will be here when you woke up,¡± The wind witch answered.

    Archie stared at the sky and his body started to feel warm, the fever was kicking in so he immediately grabbed his backpack and used it as his pillow. It was just silence and his eyes started to feel heavy that he stopped trying to stay awake.

    The wind witch stared at Archie falling asleep and then she looked at the island because she could feel the parasites roaming around the beach. When she planned on dealing with those parasites, she heard footsteps from the shore.

    ¡°I told him to not consume it yet, but he didn¡¯t listen,¡± Eve said as she walked toward them.

    The wind witch looked at Eve and she looked disappointed and worried at the same time. ¡°He believes that it was the only option since he wasn¡¯t confident with his current strength to fight him,¡± The wind witch explained.

    ¡°I know, I have been watching him from above,¡± Eve said as she sat down next to Archie with her wings folded on her back. ¡°You can leave, you must be tired of using your human form. I will be taking care of Archie until he wakes up,¡±

    ¡°Eve, can I ask you something?¡± The wind witch asked as she looked at Eve with curiosity.

    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Eve said while she carefully lifted Archie¡¯s head and put it on her lap.

    ¡°I have no idea about what¡¯s really happening between you and the men that are chosen by them. I¡¯m curious about how you feel about Archie,¡± The witch said.

    ¡°I feel comfortable and happy around him, he showed me the life that I have forgotten. He¡¯s also depending on me in some aspect that makes me feel like I¡¯m needed in his life, and that makes me really good about myself,¡± Eve answered as she gently stroke Archie¡¯s hair because it gave her peace of mind.

    ¡°Are you not curious?¡± The witch suddenly asked a weird question that made Eve looked at her with a bit confused.

    ¡°Curious? About what?¡± Eve asked.

    ¡°Fate,¡± The wind witch answered. ¡°Have you ever thought about it before that everything that happened was already planned? If that¡¯s the case, don¡¯t you think your fate has been written as well?¡±

    ¡°What makes you think that my fate has been written?¡± Eve asked back.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe because I have been living all my life as a witch with no free will that I don¡¯t even know if my life has any other purpose than this,¡± The wind witch answered as she stared blankly. ¡°If you have no free will, then doesn¡¯t that means they have planned everything and prevented you from doing things that might change the plan, and in this case your fate,¡±

    Eve was a bit shocked because she didn¡¯t realize that until the wind witch said that.

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying that I hate it or complain about it because right now, I feel like I have a free will and I¡¯m fine with what I have and what I¡¯m doing,¡± The wind witch explained. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that you and Archie are really meant to be together that everything suddenly moved really quickly as if they had been waiting for this moment?¡±

    Eve chuckled and then looked at the wind witch. ¡°I never thought about that, but as you said earlier¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine with this even if that¡¯s what they want,¡± Eve smiled as she looked at Archie.

 Chapter 130 Full of surprise.

    Archie was finally awake, but his eyes were still closed because his head was spinning like crazy and the bright sun made his headache worse. He tried to swallow his saliva but his throat was so dry that it stung when the saliva went down his throat.

    ¡°Good morning,¡± Eve¡¯s gentle whisper was heard right in front of Archie¡¯s face.

    Archie thought it was just a dream and he didn¡¯t bother to open his eyes because he was still trying to get the hang of the headache.

    ¡°Open your mouth, you must be thirsty,¡± Eve¡¯s voice was heard again, but Archie did exactly what she told him to do.

    Eve poured water into Archie¡¯s mouth with the bottle he brought in his backpack, and he was surprised when he felt the cold and freshness of the water. He opened his eyes and saw Eve¡¯s face was right in front of his face, he was surprised but he kept drinking the water as he kept staring at her with confusion.

    ¡°Eve? What are you doing here? I thought you left,¡± Archie asked as he slowly lifted his head from Eve¡¯s lap.

    Eve grabbed Archie¡¯s head and gently pushed him back down to her lap. ¡°Just stay, don¡¯t move. You¡¯re not fully awake and let your body rest first,¡± Eve said as she rubbed Archie¡¯s cheeks. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m still here. What makes you think I would leave you alone? I said that I will stay by your side, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°How long have I been asleep?¡± Archie asked and he wanted to look down on his body but Eve kept his head up with both of her hands.

    ¡°Two weeks, more or less,¡± Eve answered as she looked down with a smile on her face. ¡°You slept like a log,¡±

    Archie was surprised because he was unconscious for half a month, and not to mention, Eve had been by his side for two weeks or at least he thought.

    ¡°When did you come here?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°The moment you were unconscious, I came here and protect you from harm,¡± Eve answered as she looked around. ¡°The witch is somewhere around here, she should be looking for food right now if you¡¯re curious about her whereabouts,¡±

    Archie looked at Eve¡¯s lap and then looked back up. ¡°You have been staying here like this, for two weeks?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Of course, I can¡¯t let you sleep on the sturdy and hard surface,¡± Eve answered with a smile on her face and her head was blocking Archie from the sunlight. ¡°This is the least thing I can do, to stay here by your side and protect you. I don¡¯t want you to think that I would abandon you, I¡¯m your Eve and you¡¯re my Adam,¡±

    Archie looked so happy because Eve sounded like she didn¡¯t want him to be angry or disappointed in her. He didn¡¯t know what happened for the past two weeks but it seemed that the wind witch had something to do with Eve¡¯s words.

    ¡°I know, that¡¯s why I¡¯m trying my best to win this battle, I can¡¯t let you go and I don¡¯t want you to be with someone else,¡± Archie said as he nodded his head, and when he wanted to sit down, Eve kept pulling him back down. ¡°Eve? I want to sit down,¡± Archie looked at Eve a bit confused.

    ¡°I told you that you shouldn¡¯t move a lot, and let your body rest first,¡± Eve said and she didn¡¯t let her gaze away from Archie¡¯s eye.

    Archie started to feel suspicious and decided to look down because Eve had been preventing him from looking at the rest of his body. He looked down and he was surprised when his whole body had turned into a living liquid.

    ¡°Wh-what¡¯s happening to me?!¡± Archie asked and he looked scared and worried at the same time.

    Archie could still feel his arms and legs or maybe it was just his muscle memory and imagination. He couldn¡¯t look away and stared at his body which looked like it was melted by the sunlight like ice cream.

    ¡°This is why I don¡¯t want you to consume the dragon¡¯s heart tissue, Archie, but you didn¡¯t listen,¡± Eve answered as she slowly pulled his head back up and tried to comfort him by stroking his hair.

    ¡°Am I going to die?¡± Archie asked as he looked Eve in the eye.

    ¡°No, but it¡¯s going to be hard to make your body go back to normal. All you can do right now is just stay still and let the parasites in your body recover from the damage they took,¡± Eve answered as she stared at Archie¡¯s body.

    ¡°What happened to me? Can you explain why my body turned like this?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Do you remember what happened to me after I ate the dragon¡¯s heart? My body went hot and you had to bring me to Antarctica to cool my body down. It¡¯s exactly what happened to your body because your body couldn¡¯t handle the heat and it melted everything into liquid. To put it simply, you were like drinking a full bucket of hot lava,¡± Eve explained and then pursed her lips while staring at Archie.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t do the same to me? You could bring me to Antarctica and let my body cool down,¡± Archie asked as he looked Eve in the eye with confusion.

    ¡°It¡¯s useless, your body is not strong enough even if I brought you to Antarctica. You¡¯re going to melt anyway before I could bring you there, so it¡¯s better for you to stay here,¡± Eve answered as she shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to risk it and see parts of your body falling down into the sea,¡±

    Archie understood the situation and slowly took a deep breath even though his body had turned into liquid, everything was still working like how it was supposed to be. He was scared, fascinated, and confused at the same time because how could his body still work even though it had become like that.

    ¡°Now what? How long am I going to be like this until I can get my body back to normal?¡± Archie asked as he tried to slowly move his right arm but the only thing that moved was the liquid trying to rise from the sand.

    ¡°If you let your body rest for another two weeks, you might be able to try and rebuild your body. But if after two weeks you can¡¯t turn your body back to normal, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything that can help you,¡± Eve answered but she didn¡¯t look worried at all.

    Archie looked so scared and Eve slowly leaned her head toward Archie¡¯s face and then kissed him on the forehead. He felt a bit at peace after that and he was happy that Eve tried to comfort him and knew that she cared about him.

    ¡°How do you know about all this, Eve? How did you gain all these pieces of knowledge that you¡¯re telling me,¡± Archie asked with curiosity.

    ¡°I have experienced it myself, there are a lot more of things that happened to my body that you couldn¡¯t imagine. It¡¯s normal because I have lived for hundreds of years longer than you are, so I know what¡¯s best or worse for your body,¡± Eve answered as she looked at the sea. ¡°I also did try some experiments on the two Adams that were with me back then. It helped me understand how the parasite works,¡±

    Archie looked at Eve and he knew that she wasn¡¯t an innocent woman or even a kind-hearted type of woman. He wasn¡¯t shocked by the fact she used the two Adams for her benefits, and he might do the same thing if he was in her shoes.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad that you chose me because if you¡¯re not, maybe I¡¯m going to be your lab rat for all kinds of experiments that you have in your head,¡± Archie said with a smile on his face. ¡°Although you didn¡¯t do it, I feel like you have been suggesting me on consuming stuff because you wanted to see how my body works,¡± Archie looked Eve in the eye.

    Eve giggled mischievously as she kissed Archie on the forehead again. ¡°You caught me red-handed,¡± Eve replied with a smile on her face. ¡°I¡¯m just curious because you have the ability that everyone wanted, your regeneration ability is extraordinary and I don¡¯t want anyone else to take it from you because you¡¯re mine and everything on and in your body belongs to me,¡±

    Archie looked at the sun was about to set, the orange and red sky looked so beautiful. He realized that everything that happened to him was a curse and blessing at the same time.

    ¡°Life is so full of surprise, isn¡¯t it,¡± Archie said with his eyebrows raised and kept staring at the sunset.

    ¡°Yes, even though you can predict what will happen, it always gets you by surprise,¡± Eve answered and looked at the sunset as well.

 Chapter 131 The familiar darkness.

    Eve was surprised that Archie recovered his whole body in a week even though she was sure it would take him two weeks. He was asleep for five days straight and she was watching the process of the regeneration, it was fascinating that she wanted to take the ability from him, but she didn¡¯t.

    Eve looked at Archie and thought that it might be because of his regeneration ability from the parasite that kept growing and evolving. She believed that one day, Archie wouldn¡¯t be able to die even if his heart or head was taken from him.

    ¡°Eve? Are you listening?¡± Archie asked as he stared at Eve with his eyebrows raised and stretched his arms.

    ¡°No, I was amazed and confused about your regeneration ability, I was deep in thought,¡± Eve answered as she looked at Archie¡¯s body. ¡°What were you saying?¡± She asked.

    Archie sat down next to Eve because he wasn¡¯t fully recovered since his body was sore and it felt like his body would fall off if he moved too much.

    ¡°I¡¯m saying that the Adam that lives on that island is dangerous because he has the ability to make anyone hallucinate,¡± Archie said as he looked at the island and played with the sand. ¡°The witch believed that it was because of the weird-looking flowers, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case here,¡±

    ¡°I have seen and encountered a parasite that could do something like that,¡± Eve replied and stared at what Archie was drawing on the sand.

    ¡°Oh? How do you fight it? If you tell me how to deal with the hallucination, I think I will be able to defeat him,¡± Archie asked and looked at Eve with curiosity.

    ¡°I said that I encountered one, I didn¡¯t say that I defeat the parasite since it ran away before I could do anything,¡± Eve answered and stared back at Archie. ¡°How about you lure him away from the flowers and see if it¡¯s really because of the flowers?¡±

    ¡°I was up high on the tree over there and I shouldn¡¯t be affected by the hallucination because I was far away from the flowers,¡± Archie explained as he pointed at the tree and saw how tall the tree was.

    ¡°Then maybe it came from the tree?¡± Eve asked.

    Archie let out a big sigh. ¡°Alright, I will try your plan then,¡± Archie said and sounded a bit disappointed with the answer.

    ¡°You should be fine as long as the parasites inside your body is fully recovered and they should be able to do something more than what you know,¡± Eve said with a smile on her face. ¡°Let¡¯s spend a week training with me on this island before you decided on fighting the Adam. What do you think? I believe you can defeat him once you know what the parasites inside your body are capable of,¡± Eve explained.

    ¡°Yeah, that would be great. I was planning to ask you that as well since you¡¯re here,¡± Archie replied as he nodded his head. ¡°We haven¡¯t really trained together and I haven¡¯t had the chance to go all out ever since that fight against the King-type parasite when I left the Eastern Nation,¡±

    Eve chuckled softly and looked at Archie. ¡°Should I go all out as well?¡± Eve asked.

    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t kill me, I think that¡¯s fine by me,¡± Archie answered as he laughed nervously.

    A week had passed, and Archie had fully recovered and decided to go hunt for food while he tested the changes in his body. One thing that he noticed was that his body had become warmer than usual as if he was having a fever even though he wasn¡¯t.

    The wind witch had been observing the Borneo island and she didn¡¯t see any movement from the Adam. She could sense the Adam with the winds around the giant tree, she believed that the Adam knew about her presence but he decided to ignore her.

    ¡°Are you ready for the spar?¡± Eve asked as she walked toward Archie who was done eating his food.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m ready,¡± Archie nodded his head as he wiped the blood on his mouth and cheeks. ¡°I think we should go to another island because I don¡¯t want him to know about this,¡±

    ¡°Fine by me, there¡¯s an island that might suit for the occasion,¡± Eve replied as she pointed at one of the islands in front of her. ¡°That one over there,¡±

    Archie nodded with understanding and he formed the wings on his back, but when he did that, Eve looked at him with a mild shock on her face. He was confused and then looked at his wings, he himself was shocked when he saw the wings were so big and wide like dragon wings.

    ¡°Wow, it looks like the parasites are ready for whatever you want to do. That¡¯s good to know,¡± Eve said with a smile on her face. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to lose to you so I will show mine,¡±

    Eve spread her wings and it was beautiful because it was nothing like anything else. It looked like angel wings that he read about in the book after he encountered Throne. Eve¡¯s wings were white and they had feathers but when he looked at them, they were made of soft skin.

    ¡°I can see that you¡¯re amazed by it. These wings, I copied it from Cherubim, beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± Eve said as she rubbed the wings and it looked like the wings were soft. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s go,¡±

    Eve jumped into the air and flew so quickly that Archie blinked once and Eve was already far away.

    They landed on the island that Eve pointed at, it was a small island that could only fit a football stadium. Archie looked around and there were only a few trees on the island, the ground was covered with dirt and dried grass. It was a perfect place for a spar because there were no obstacles.

    Archie immediately unsheathed his sword and swing it around because he had to adjust his grip and strength. Eve, on the other hand, spread her wings open as if she was challenging him and ready to beat him up.

    Archie flapped his wings to give him a boost because he had been training with it while Eve was unconscious. He moved so swiftly that Eve was amazed by how fast the movement speed that she had to fully pay attention to him.

    Eve dodged all the attacks that Archie threw at her because the sword could hurt her and didn¡¯t want to get hurt by it. She slowly took control of the fight and started to push Archie back with her claws and wings.

    ¡°Where did you learn how to fight, Eve?¡± Archie asked as he blocked her sharp claws that had scratched his skin off. ¡°Nevermind, you have been living for hundreds of years,¡±

    Eve chuckled. ¡°You should pay attention to your surroundings rather than asking a question,¡± Eve said and then swung her right wing at Archie¡¯s face and cut his left cheek open then stabbed him with her left hand on the chest.

    Archie coughed blood but he suddenly grabbed Eve¡¯s arm as he transformed himself into a parasite. Eve watched him grow bigger and she was surprised when she couldn¡¯t pull her hand back.

    ¡°Nice try,¡± Eve said, and then she grabbed Archie¡¯s left hand with her right hand. ¡°You think I would back away?¡± Eve asked then threw him to the side so easily.

    Eve watched Archie roll over to the edge of the island as she fixed her hair. She flew toward him and saw he was still laying on the ground and didn¡¯t move a muscle.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Have enough already?¡± Eve asked as she walked toward Archie with a smile on her face.

    Archie started to move his fingers and slowly pulled himself up, he groaned but his voice became deeper like a parasite. When Eve saw Archie¡¯s body keep growing bigger and bigger, she started to get worried until she looked him in the eye which make her look so scared.

    Eve immediately dashed forward and flew above the ground toward Archie. She kicked him in the chest and pushed him down to the ground so hard that the ground was shattered.

    Eve transformed her wings into needle-like wings so that each finger on her wings could move freely. She stabbed his shoulder, arms, wrists, hands, thighs, knees, ankles, and feet while she stabbed her claws onto his chest.

    ¡°Archie!¡± Eve screamed as she stared at him with a panicked expression. ¡°Can you hear me?! Come back!¡± Eve screamed her lungs out as if she was calling him from somewhere deep inside his body.

    Archie¡¯s vision went black and his body felt so light, he didn¡¯t know what happen the moment he turned himself into a parasite. He suddenly saw a light that came from in front of him, he approached the light, and then he was bewildered when he saw Eve screaming at him from a small window like how it was back then.

    ¡°No, it can¡¯t be,¡± Archie said to himself. ¡°I don¡¯t want this to happen again,¡±

 Chapter 132 Just for you.

    ¡°Archie?!¡± Eve kept calling for his name over and over while Archie¡¯s body started to resist.

    Archie¡¯s body kept growing bigger as he glared at Even with an empty expression. He opened his mouth and dozens of tongues were moving around like eels then struck Eve on the neck.

    Archie wrapped his dozens of tongues on Eve¡¯s neck and slowly got tighter to suffocate her, but she didn¡¯t care about it since she got a bigger problem. She looked at his body and she couldn¡¯t stop him from growing, so she decided to slice him into pieces with her hands and wings.

    The problem was Archie¡¯s body kept regenerating which made Eve a bit troubled because of it. His regeneration speed was so fast that the moment she cut off his right arm, it grew back in five seconds.

    ¡°Archie, please come back!¡± Eve said as she tore his arms when he tried to squeeze her head.

    Eve knew that if the parasites inside Archie¡¯s body became too strong, they would make them take over his body. She wasn¡¯t worried about it because he showed an amazing result, but it went wrong when he decided to turn himself into a parasite which triggered the parasites.

    Archie was trying to run toward the light as he stared at Eve from the small window in front of him. He panicked and couldn¡¯t think straight because the feeling that he was having was enough to bring back all the nightmares.

    Archie didn¡¯t know what to do but he could feel all the pains that Eve did to his body, it was like a wasp sting all over his body. He didn¡¯t mind that as he believed Eve would know how to bring him back, so he endured it until he take control of his body again.

    Eve had no idea how to bring Archie back because she saw it happen once when she did some experiments on the first Adam she took. She gave him different types of parasites to consume, she fed him those parasites forcefully until he lost control over his body.

    Eve tried everything but she failed, so she decided to kill the Adam because there was no reason for her to play with him anymore. She remembered that moment and she started to feel anxious because made the same mistake again and thinking that Archie wouldn¡¯t be able to come back, it made her angry about herself.

    Without Eve realizing, Archie had become ten times her size and his strength started to overwhelm hers. She looked at him and his gaze had turned into a brainless parasite¡¯s gaze, she didn¡¯t know what to do because it would be impossible to restrain him because of his growth and regeneration ability.

    The wind witch appeared next to Eve, she had been watching what happened.

    ¡°Did Archie turn himself into a parasite inside out?¡± The wind witch asked and stared at Archie¡¯s massive body.

    ¡°Yes, he lose control over his body,¡± Eve answered and made the wind witch shocked by it. ¡°The problem is that his body keeps growing and even if I can disable him over and over, his regeneration ability will heal all the wounds instantly,¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you should exhaust his body so he won¡¯t be able to regenerate his body anymore,¡± The wind witch said with confidence. ¡°We have seen it many times, his only weakness is exhaustion,¡± The wind witch continued.

    ¡°With the growth that I gave him, it would take a while to exhaust him,¡± Eve said as she looked at Archie¡¯s body slowly transforming into a dragon-like parasite. ¡°The scariest part about this is his growth looks like it¡¯s infinite,¡± Eve continued.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you can deal a deadly blow to him, it will make him exhausted very quickly,¡± The wind witch said as she looked at Eve. ¡°We both know that he can¡¯t die, so don¡¯t hold back and try to bring him back,¡± The wind witch said with a serious expression.

    Eve was considering it as well, and so she closed her eyes as she listened to Archie¡¯s deep growl and bone cracking from inside his body. She opened her eyes and slowly every muscle and skin on her body was ripped apart which made the wind witch shocked.

    Eve grew into a giant slander parasite with long arms and claws, her wings were massive that could cover her whole body with it. She started to catch up with Archie¡¯s size and went beyond him which made the wind witch look at her with disbelief.

    The wings kept growing and they touched the ground, wings with no skin or feather but sharp bones. Eve spread her wings open and then other wings came out from her back, a total of eight bone wings were spread open on her back.

    ¡°A battle between a king and a queen,¡± The wind witch said as she float in the air and stared at Eve¡¯s terrifying transformation. ¡°Is that her full power or she¡¯s still holding back?¡± The wind witch mumbled to herself.

    Eve ran toward Archie who had turned himself into a dragon because his admiration and memory of the dragon made the parasite turn himself into one. She didn¡¯t care about what he wanted to become, and the moment she was close enough to him, she swung her long arms and claws at him without hesitation.

    The claws pierced through Archie¡¯s chest, Eve tore his body in half forcefully and now Archie¡¯s top half body was laying on the ground. It didn¡¯t take long until his body react to it and started to regenerate the bottom half of his body.

    It didn¡¯t matter how big Archie¡¯s body was, but the parasite managed to regenerate everything in less than ten seconds which amazed and terrified both Eve and the wind witch. Eve didn¡¯t waste any moment and kept tearing his body apart into pieces, she didn¡¯t hesitate because she knew he would be fine even if she went overboard.

    While Eve was tearing Archie¡¯s body apart, he suddenly opened his mouth and breathe fire onto her face. It shocked her that he could do something like that even though it was her who ate the heart. She realized how dangerous the combination of the parasites that Archie took into his body was.

    Eve¡¯s face was melting and it made her unable to see, but thanks to Archie¡¯s body parts that were laying on the ground, she could eat one of them and regenerate her wounds. The regeneration ability that he had was backfiring at him because no matter how lethal his attack was as long as she consumed his body parts, she would be fine.

    The battle lasted for three days while the wind witch watched the entire battle from above. Eve had so many wounds on her body but all of them immediately healed after she consumed Archie¡¯s arm while Archie¡¯s top half was laying on the ground.

    Eve slowly turned herself and shrunk back to her human form, she looked at all the damage they both made to the island. The small island had turned into a smaller island because they both sunk the island during the fight.

    Eve stood on top of Archie¡¯s chest and her body was so small compared to half of his body that she looked like an ant. She looked at his face and noticed that he couldn¡¯t regenerate his body anymore, the body was slowly shrinking while she was still on top of his chest.

    The wind witch was floating right next to Eve. ¡°You did it, he shouldn¡¯t be able to do anything now, but that doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s going to take over his body back,¡± The wind witch said as she looked at Archie¡¯s body became smaller and smaller.

    ¡°I know that already, as long as I keep him starving, do you think the parasites inside his body will give up?¡± Eve asked as she looked at the wind witch. It was the first time ever Eve asked someone else¡¯s opinion.

    ¡°We both know if the parasites died, and so does the host as well. We should bring him somewhere else first, a place where my sisters can help you take care of him,¡± The wind witch answered as she looked at Eve. ¡°If you really want to bring him back, you¡¯re going to need all the help you can get,¡±

    Eve jumped down from Archie¡¯s chest before her body weight crushed his ribs. She looked at him as she thought about what the wind witch said, she was thinking of a solution but knowing the witches had been living long enough as hers, they might be able to help her to bring him back.

    ¡°Okay, where should we go?¡± Eve asked.

    ¡°With the current situation, I think it¡¯s time for all of my sisters to live in the same place,¡± The wind witch said. ¡°Let¡¯s gather all my sisters, they all know him and they will help him,¡± The wind witch looked at Eve with a serious expression.

    ¡°Lead the way,¡± Eve replied as she nodded her head.

 Chapter 133 Everyone is here.

    Eve carried Archie in her arms as she flew to the FalCon-3 where the four witches were at. The wind witch went to FalCon-1 to inform them about Archie¡¯s condition, Eve wasn¡¯t sure if they could help her, but it made her feel a bit at ease after knowing there were people that cared about him.

    It only took her an hour to reach FalCon-3, and she landed at the spot where the mother was at. She looked around and could tell she was being watched by the wind witch from FalCon-3.

    ¡°Bring your other sisters here, Archie lose control and I need your help to take care of him while I¡¯m gone. I will be back before night comes,¡± Eve said as she stared at the sky above her.

    The wind blew and went in different directions, Eve spread her wings and flew away again to bring the other sisters from FalCon-1.

    The earth witch appeared from the ground and then followed by the water witch. They both looked at Archie with the bottom half of his body gone missing, they both noticed that his body didn¡¯t regenerate.

    The earth witch covered half of Archie¡¯s body with the roots that appeared from the ground and wrapped his body with them. It would be enough to prevent him from rampaging while the water witch looked at his condition and noticed he became a lot stronger than the last time she saw him.

    ¡°In less than a year, he could become this strong, unbelievable,¡± The water witch said as she sat next to Archie and stroked his hair and noticed that his forehead felt so warm. ¡°Hmm? This is¡­¡± The water witch furrowed her forehead as she felt the power of the two kings in his body.

    The fire witch dove down to the cliff and then she ran toward her sisters as she looked at Archie.

    ¡°What happened to Archie?¡± The fire witch asked as she walked toward the water witch.

    ¡°Archie lose control over his body for the second time, but we have no idea what actually happened because the woman left the moment she put him down,¡± The water witch answered. ¡°But I can feel the power of two kings inside his body,¡± The water witch looked at the fire witch.

    ¡°Two kings? We know that he killed the king in the sea when he left, but what¡¯s the other one?¡± The fire witch asked as she sat next to the water witch.

    ¡°How about you feel it yourself?¡± The water witch asked as she grabbed the fire witch¡¯s hand and put it on Archie¡¯s forehead. ¡°Do you feel it? This warmth isn¡¯t familiar,¡±

    The fire witch furrowed her forehead because he didn¡¯t recognize the parasites inside Archie¡¯s body anymore as if they had turned into something new.

    ¡°We can only wait until that woman comes back then,¡± The fire witch answered as she looked at Archie¡¯s condition which looked worse because the parasites inside his body were moving as if they were asking for their help.

    Six hours had passed and Eve was seen flying above them, she was bringing someone else with her. The moment she landed on the ground, the witches were surprised and couldn¡¯t believe that the other witches were brought there by Eve.

    ¡°Sister?¡± The fire witch asked as she looked at the water witch and fire witch from the FalCon-1.

    The eldest fire witch from FalCon-1 smiled at her but she was more worried about Archie¡¯s condition that she immediately approached him. She looked at his complexion and noticed the problem immediately after she listened to Eve¡¯s story during their journey to FalCon-3.

    ¡°How can you be so stupid and let him use his full power even though you knew that he couldn¡¯t handle the power yet?¡± The eldest fire witch asked as she looked at Archie¡¯s face.

    The other witches were shocked when they heard her speak to Eve with that word and tone.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I asked him to spar to make sure if he could use the power or not. It¡¯s better this way rather than he loses control when he fights the other Adam,¡± Eve answered. ¡°You better watch your mouth, witch, or you will regret it,¡± Eve stared at her with an annoyed expression.

    The eldest fire witch scoffed. ¡°What are you going to do? Kill me? Go ahead because we serve no purpose anymore, but you need to know that you will lose him forever if you kill us all,¡± She stared at Eve with a serious expression and she didn¡¯t get scared over Eve¡¯s threat.

    ¡°Stop talking and do what you can do,¡± Eve said as she was pissed because she couldn¡¯t do anything it was the first time she felt so frustrated over something.

    ¡°If the eldest water witch from FalCon-2 is still here, she could handle this easily, but that¡¯s fine because we have to water witches here,¡± The eldest fire witch said as she stood up and looked at both of them. ¡°We have to put Archie under the water, and let them enter his body and stopped all the parasites inside his body,¡± She continued.

    Without wasting any time, the eldest earth witch created a small pit that big enough to put Archie¡¯s body inside. The water witches filled the pit with water, and then the eldest fire witch looked at Archie.

    ¡°Everything is set, I want both of you to separate every cell in Archie¡¯s body from the parasite later. I know it¡¯s going to take a long time, but it¡¯s the only way to do it,¡± The eldest fire witch explained as she looked at them all. ¡°Yes, that means he will lose his regeneration ability, but only temporarily. He will regain all his ability once you intact the parasites into his body again but very carefully,¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re planning on making Archie take control of his body first? Isn¡¯t it dangerous if we do it with his condition like that?¡± The eldest wind witch asked.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s going to be risky that¡¯s why we are doing it later. For now, let¡¯s feed him until he can regenerate his body back, and at that moment I want every single one of you to hold him from resisting,¡± The eldest fire witch said. ¡°Is that clear?¡± She asked and looked at every single one of them, including Eve.

    The eldest earth witch hunted all the parasites using all the trees in FalCon-3, it only took her five minutes to gather dozens of parasites. She threw all the dead bodies of the parasite down the cliff and then she used the root to bring it all to Archie.

    ¡°Let¡¯s feed him, slowly and carefully,¡± The eldest fire witch said as she put the meat into her mouth and chewed it.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Eve asked with her eyebrows furrowed.

    ¡°What do you think I¡¯m doing? I¡¯m going to feed him,¡± The eldest fire witch answered.

    ¡°No! Let me do it myself,¡± Eve said as she pushed the eldest fire witch away from Archie.

    Eve looked at Archie and then grabbed the flesh of the parasite and took a huge bite. She didn¡¯t like the taste and she didn¡¯t even remember when was the last time she had put so filthy and disgusting into her mouth, but she did it just so the other witches wouldn¡¯t feed him.

    Eve opened Archie¡¯s mouth and put her mouth on his mouth while slowly pushing the chewed flesh into his mouth. She used her tongue to push the meat into his throat so slowly and carefully.

    Everyone was watching Eve do it for an hour until Archie¡¯s body finally regenerated itself. Thankfully, Archie was unconscious and the parasites were as well, so they didn¡¯t have to fight him.

    Eve carried Archie¡¯s body into the pit and put him down in the water. The eldest fire witch asked the eldest earth witch to wrap his body with the roots to prevent him from resisting. The water witches dove into the water and started to get inside Archie¡¯s body through his ears, nose, mouth, and other holes on his body.

    The moment the water witches entered his body, Archie was awoken by them and started to resist as the eldest fire witch expected. The eldest earth witch tried to hold him down but he was too powerful and asked for assistance from the other witches to hold him down.

    Everyone jumped down into the pit and held his arms and legs.

    ¡°We have to hold him down for who knows how long, but this is the only way to bring him back. I want you to give it your all because this is going to be a long night for us,¡± The eldest fire witch said as she looked at all of them.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Eve said as she held Archie¡¯s head with her both hands.

    The eldest fire witch smirked and nodded her head. ¡°No need to mention it, we are all here for him and want the same thing. We will bring him back,¡± She said as she looked at Eve.

 Chapter 134 Havoc.

    Archie was laying down in the dark with no light to guide him, the last time he saw was when Eve tried to stop his body from rampaging. After she mutilated him over and over, the light disappeared and it was at the exact same time when he stopped regenerating his body.

    Archie could feel every inch of his body was in an immense amount of pain, it was all because the water witches were forcing their way in and splitting his cells from the parasites. It felt like his body was cut hundreds of times every second and it was so painful that he could do nothing but hug himself and endured the pain.

    Three days had passed ever since the water witches entered Archie¡¯s body to split the parasites from his body. They tried so hard to hold him off because his brute strength outmatched the witches, but thankfully, Eve was there since she took care of it.

    ¡°It has been three days, but they haven¡¯t even reached his knees,¡± The fire witch said as her body started to weaken because she had been in the water for too long and used all her strength to hold Archie¡¯s legs.

    ¡°This is the only way, we can only wait,¡± The eldest fire witch replied as she started to lose her strength as well. ¡°That¡¯s why if the eldest water witch is still alive, it would only take her a day to do this,¡± She continued.

    ¡°If only there¡¯s another option to make things faster,¡± The eldest wind witch said as she held Archie¡¯s arm.

    Eve furrowed her forehead and then remember the serum that Daniel made.

    ¡°There is,¡± Eve said as she looked at the eldest wind witch. ¡°Do you remember the weapon they made to defeat that dragon? If we inject that serum inside Archie¡¯s body, it might be able to stop the parasites inside his body,¡± Eve explained.

    All the witches looked at Eve with confusion because they didn¡¯t know what she was talking about except the eldest wind witch. She looked at Eve for quite a while and thought it was worth the shot but she was scared that it would only make things worse.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± The eldest fire witch asked.

    ¡°There¡¯s a serum that could weaken or even kill the parasite, I don¡¯t know exactly how it works, but I think it¡¯s going to work if I give him the right dose of it,¡± Eve answered.

    ¡°Then you should get it, we can¡¯t hold him off for weeks,¡± The eldest fire witch said.

    ¡°Can you take care of him for two days? I will be back with the serum,¡± Eve asked.

    ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem,¡± The eldest fire witch answered as she nodded her head.

    ¡°I will get the serum then,¡± Eve said as she removed her hands from Archie¡¯s head and then spread her wings, and flew to the Central Nation.

    It took Eve half a day to reach the Central Nation, and she dove down to the barrack in the silent night.

    Eve looked inside the barrack and saw nobody, she then looked around and saw people walking past the barrack and that meant they weren¡¯t on a mission or something. She decided to walk into the city to look for Ruby because she was the only one who could help her find the serum.

    The first place she thought of was the pub but she couldn¡¯t find Ruby there as well. She sighed and then used her ability to find Nova since she gave Nova her power and that made Eve able to locate Nova¡¯s whereabouts.

    Since Eve didn¡¯t want to be recognized, she changed her appearance again and started to look for Nova.

    Nova was hanging out with some people from the Valor special force, Eve didn¡¯t hesitate to approach her from behind. She knocked them all at once and she immediately took Nova to the dark alleyway.

    Eve woke Nova up but Eve covered Nova¡¯s eyes with a piece of cloth.

    ¡°Who are you?! You just made a huge mistake!¡± Nova said as she looked left and right.

    ¡°You think threatening me will make you live after this?¡± Eve replied but in a different voice since she changed her vocal cord.

    Nova immediately shut her mouth and didn¡¯t say a word.

    ¡°Good, if you answer my question, I will let you free,¡± Eve said as she grabbed Nova¡¯s cheeks with her left hand. ¡°Where¡¯s Faye?¡± Eve asked as she tightened her grip.

    ¡°What do you want from her?¡± Nova asked back.

    ¡°Answer my question or you will die,¡± Eve replied.

    ¡°Like hell I will tell you!¡± Nova answered.

    Eve knew that Nova wouldn¡¯t tell her Faye¡¯s whereabouts, and since she didn¡¯t want to waste her time, she decided to use violence as always. She looked at Nova and threw her onto the wall really hard that Nova got knocked out when the back of her head got slammed onto the wall.

    Eve didn¡¯t hesitate to spread her wings and flew up to the sky in the middle of the city. She looked at where the laboratory was and the headquarter of the Central Nation. Those two buildings were right next to each other and so she flew there at full speed.

    All the soldiers and the Axis Humans were chilling around the headquarters until Eve dove down right in the middle of the fast field in front of the headquarters. The earth trembled heavily and made everyone fall on their back, the headquarters and the laboratory buildings crumbled and collapsed.

    Everyone was shocked when something fell down from the sky, they all thought it was a meteorite. When they looked at the field, they saw Eve with her body covered with sharp bones. She had long pointy horns on her forehead with her massive bone wings on her back to intimidate them.

    The siren was sounded to alert everyone that a parasite had entered the city, and they all ran away to grab their weapons to deal with her. Eve didn¡¯t bother those humans and flew right into the laboratory building and made havoc with her wings to get rid of the debris.

    Eve saw a scientist laying on the ground with debris falling on her lower body making her unable to move. She approached the scientist and glared at the scientist with her black eyes while the scientist was screaming in fear.

    Eve kicked the debris and grabbed the scientist on the neck with her left hand.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the serum,¡± Eve with her vibrating voice asked the scientist.

    ¡°What serum?!¡± The scientist asked as she tried to breathe.

    ¡°The serum that you created to kill the parasite!¡± Eve yelled at the scientist and that was enough to intimidate her. ¡°Show me where you put the serum or I will eat you alive!¡± Eve tightened her grip.

    ¡°No!¡± The scientist screamed. ¡°I will show you, please let me live!¡± The scientist said as she started to cry in fear.

    Eve kept choking the scientist but not tight enough to suffocate the scientist.

    The scientist showed Eve where they put the serum but the scientist said that it was secured behind a huge and thick steel door. Eve didn¡¯t care and asked the scientist to show her where the serum at.

    ¡°This is where they put the serum!¡± The scientist said as she looked at the giant steel door.

    Eve kicked the steel door and the door got thrown all the way to the back. The scientist was shocked that it was that easy to break into the safe.

    ¡°Which one is it?¡± Eve asked as she dragged the scientist to the ground.

    ¡°Th-this one!¡± The scientist pointed at the purple solution inside a see-through glass.

    Eve broke the glass and grabbed the serum, she stared at it and she didn¡¯t believe the scientist¡¯s words because she could be lying to her.

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid? Show me the real serum!¡± Eve yelled as she slammed the scientist to the wall.

    The scientist trembled in fear and she couldn¡¯t say a word because she was petrified. She slowly raised her hand and pointed at the small safe in the corner of the room.

    ¡°You dare to lie to me?¡± Eve asked as she started choking the scientist.

    The scientist tried her best to shake her head because she was telling the truth, but then Eve broke the scientist¡¯s neck and threw her away.

    Eve walked toward the small safe and used her claws to tear the safe open. She saw the green solution with only one bottle inside, she took it and held it with her left arm.

    ¡°Fire!¡± Faye¡¯s voice could be heard from the distance.

    Eve turned around and bullets were shot toward her, but she blocked them all with her wings as she walked toward them. She noticed from one of those bullets, they used the serum to immobilize her.

    Eve glared at them and all of the Axis Humans suddenly died except for Faye and Aster who were staring at their teammates died. When they turned around to look at Eve, she was already gone and flew all the way up behind the clouds.

    The sun rose, and the witches were still trying their best to hold Archie¡¯s body. They saw a shadow from above, and they saw Eve descend from the sky but then stopped flapping her wings as she free falling to the ground.

    The eldest wind witch slowed her fall and slowly dropped her to the ground. They saw Eve¡¯s body melting, but she was still conscious and looked at them as she showed the serum in her hand.

    ¡°Give it to him, now,¡± Eve said weakly.

 Chapter 135 Together.

    The eldest fire witch looked at the bottle and she had no idea what she was looking at, but then the eldest wind witch grabbed the bottle and explained it to the other witches about the serum. Unfortunately, even the eldest wind witch had no idea how much is too much since she only knew the final product when it already became a bullet.

    ¡°I see, so this is the serum that¡¯s enough to kill a king? Unbelievable,¡± The eldest fire witch said as she stared at the serum. ¡°Give it to me,¡± She said as she reached out her hand toward the eldest wind witch.

    Eve was suffering from pain but she didn¡¯t make any noises as she tried to endure it.

    ¡°What about her? Should we do something about her?¡± The fire witch asked as she looked at Eve¡¯s back which looked like it was getting burned and started to melt.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can do about it,¡± The eldest fire witch answered. ¡°If a king couldn¡¯t even deal with it, there¡¯s no way we can endure it. She¡¯s different from all of us, she will be fine since she¡¯s not asking for our help,¡± She continued as she looked at them.

    Eve grunted as she stood up, she looked at her back and ripped her skin and wings from her back. Everyone was looking at her with a bit confused but they realized it was to prevent the serum from spreading all over her body.

    Everyone looked at the wings and skin falling off of Eve¡¯s body, they knew she was really in pain and could feel it by just staring at it.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s give Archie a single drop of this serum,¡± The eldest fire witch said as she opened the lid of the bottle.

    All of them nodded with understanding.

    ¡°You both need to get out from his body, I don¡¯t want both of you to suffer from this serum because you¡¯re in there,¡± The eldest fire witch said as she looked at the water.

    Both of the water witches came out from Archie¡¯s body and dried the pit because they didn¡¯t want everyone inside to get exposed to the serum because of them. The eldest fire witch carefully opened Archie¡¯s mouth but he suddenly tried to resist that she accidentally poured almost half the bottle into his mouth.

    Everyone looked at the eldest fire witch with a shocked expression, she, on the other hand, looked at Archie and gulped nervously.

    It didn¡¯t take long until the serum took effect on Archie¡¯s body and he started to have a seizure. His eyes rolled back but he didn¡¯t scream or even groan in pain which indicated that the parasites were still controlling his body.

    Archie was laying in the darkness and suddenly his whole body trembled. He didn¡¯t know what happened but he didn¡¯t feel any pain anymore, he then stood up and looked around him because he started hearing noises and voices in the distance.

    Archie walked toward the voices and they got louder and clearer, he then saw a dot of light in the distance. He immediately ran toward it without hesitation and knew that the voices were coming from that light.

    ¡°What do we do now, sister?¡± A woman¡¯s voice echoed in the darkness.

    ¡°What¡¯s done is done, let¡¯s hope he would go back to his sense,¡± Another woman¡¯s voice answered and Archie recognized her voice.

    ¡°Is that the fire witch from FalCon-1?¡± Archie asked in his mind. ¡°Am I in FalCon-1? Did Eve bring me there so they can help me?¡± He continued and kept asking questions in his head.

    ¡°Should we leave him be for now? We should do something about her as well?¡± Another woman¡¯s voice asked and Archie recognized her voice as well.

    ¡°Wait, that¡¯s the fire witch from FalCon-3. Am I hearing it right?¡± Archie asked as he furrowed his forehead and kept running toward the light.

    The moment Archie stared at the blinding light in front of him, the voices were getting louder and clearer. He was slowly walking toward it and exposed himself to the light, and the moment his body was fully exposed by the light, his whole body felt like it was being burned.

    Archie was sucked in and immediately took control of his body, he was shocked and confused at the same time. He screamed in pain and rolled his eyes back to the front, he looked at all the witches gathering around him and they were all surprised when they heard his scream.

    No matter how often Archie was injured and lost his limbs, it couldn¡¯t be compared to what he was feeling at that moment because all the parasites inside his body stopped working. He couldn¡¯t regenerate and reduced the pain that he was feeling, the worse part was that the pain got more intense the more he felt it.

    ¡°Archie?!¡± The eldest fire witch looked at him in disbelief.

    Archie stared at the eldest fire witch as he grunted and tried to endure the pain. He couldn¡¯t say a word because of the pain, he wished to be dead at that moment rather than had to suffer from the pain.

    ¡°Sister, we need to do something! He¡¯s not looking good and he might die from this!¡± The water witch from FalCon-3 asked the eldest fire witch.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do, he has to deal with it on his own,¡± The eldest fire witch replied and kept staring at Archie. ¡°It was my fault, so if they decided to come, I will take full responsibility,¡± She said as she looked at the other witches.

    ¡°Eve¡­¡± Archie said weakly and looked at the eldest fire witch.

    ¡°Eve is suffering the same thing as you right now,¡± The eldest fire witch said. ¡°She went to grab this serum to bring you back, but it looks like she got shot by this when she tried to get this,¡± She continued.

    Archie looked at the pit he was in and then he looked at the eldest fire witch as he tried to reach her hand.

    ¡°Eve¡­¡± Archie said again because he wanted to see Eve.

    The eldest fire witch nodded her head and then carried Archie out of the pit. Archie¡¯s skin was sticking onto the eldest witch¡¯s arms but she wasn¡¯t bothered by it.

    ¡°Eve¡­¡± Archie said as he looked at Eve was struggling on ripping her own flesh and skin.

    Eve turned around the moment she heard Archie¡¯s voice, and she looked so happy but her face turned into guilt the moment he saw his condition.

    Eve staggered as she walked toward them and when she stood right in front of him, she reached out her arms and took him from the eldest witch¡¯s arms. She carried him carefully even though she was still suffering from the pain, but the moment she held him, the pain wasn¡¯t as painful as seeing him in that condition.

    ¡°Hi,¡± Eve said as she showed her sour smile at him.

    Archie couldn¡¯t say anything but he tried his best to smile back at her.

    All the witches stared at them and decided to leave them alone on their own, but before they leave, the eldest earth witch created a descend hut made from soil. They all left the moment they gave what those two needed to be protected from harm even though Eve didn¡¯t need those.

    A week had passed and the witches were protecting the area from the parasites. They hadn¡¯t seen them left the hut, the wind witches were observing them from outside the hut in case something happened to both of them.

    ¡°How are they doing?¡± The eldest fire witch asked the eldest wind witch who was floating on the edge of the cliff.

    ¡°They both are still sleeping. I don¡¯t think they¡¯re going to wake up soon after days of suffering from the serum,¡± The eldest wind witch answered and stared at the hut in the distance. ¡°I¡¯m worried about Archie because he must be starving right now,¡±

    The other witches were standing behind those two as they stared at the hut.

    ¡°What do you think will happen after they both recover from that?¡± The fire witch asked.

    ¡°Who knows, but if a king could be weakened by this serum, then there¡¯s a possibility that the parasites inside their bodies are going to die,¡± The eldest fire witch answered as she stared at the bottle in her hand. ¡°Whoever made this serum, they need to die because of how powerful this thing is,¡± She continued as she gripped the bottle so tightly.

    While they were staring at the hut a strong wind and blinding light appeared from the sky and descended to the ground in a blink of an eye. All the witches were thrown away all the way to the other side of the forest.

    ¡°Cherubim¡­¡± Throne said and stared at a woman in all white with six wings on her back.

    ¡°Throne¡­¡± Cherubim looked at the hut.

    ¡°You came as his order as well?¡± Throne asked.

    ¡°Yes, he has spoken and he wanted me to protect her,¡± Cherubim answered.

    ¡°I came to protect this child as well,¡± Throne said and looked at the hut.

 Chapter 136 A deal.

    Eve opened her eyes because she noticed Cherubim¡¯s presence, but she couldn¡¯t see them anywhere. She tried to get up but her whole body was so stiff like a rock, it was the after effect of the serum. It wasn¡¯t just because of that, it was also because she ripped almost half of her body that made her unable to do anything.

    The first thing Eve checked was Archie¡¯s condition, and he sounded asleep which was good enough to know. She didn¡¯t want to bother his sleep and so she went outside the hut to look for Cherubim, but to her surprise, she saw not only Cherubim but also Throne.

    It was the first time Eve saw another divine being other than Cherubim, Throne was staring down at her as if they were judging her.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Eve asked as she leaned on the wall since she wasn¡¯t able to stand on her own.

    ¡°Throne, we are here for him,¡± Throne answered as the rings started to spin.

    ¡°And what about you? Are you here for me?¡± Eve asked as she looked at Cherubim and raised her eyebrows.

    ¡°We are here for you,¡± Cherubim answered as she stretched her wings like fingers.

    ¡°Why? Is there a reason why both of you decided to come here? Not to mention to see both of you in the same place, it must be something important,¡± Eve looked at both of them with a puzzled look.

    Cherubim walked toward Eve and then she gently touched Eve¡¯s left arm. Eve¡¯s wounds miraculously healed in an instant, she was perplexed by Cherubim¡¯s action because she had never done something like that before.

    ¡°Why are you doing this, I don¡¯t like it,¡± Eve asked as she tried to move her arms and all the pain and stiffness in her body had disappeared.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you realize it? You have lost your abilities,¡± Cherubim stared Eve in the eye.

    Eve looked at her hands and tried to extend her claws but nothing happened. She was bewildered by it, but she didn¡¯t stop trying, and in the end, she lost all the abilities that she had.

    ¡°Is it because of the serum?¡± Eve asked as she clenched her right fist.

    ¡°Yes, the humans have found a way to kill the parasite. It¡¯s not permanent and you will be fine, but not for long,¡± Cherubim answered and kept staring at Eve. ¡°If they keep getting more knowledge from the parasites, all of you will be in danger and there¡¯s nothing that can stop them,¡± Cherubim continued.

    Eve looked at Cherubim and Throne, they both were staring at her but suddenly Eve laughed as she shook her head.

    ¡°Do you think those humans can do something like this on their own?¡± Eve asked with her eyebrows raised. ¡°I know you all know about the other Adams that have been helping the humans ever since the meteor struck the earth. He¡¯s the one behind all of this, isn¡¯t he?¡± Eve asked with her eyes squinted.

    ¡°That¡¯s why we are here, Eve,¡± Cherubim answered as she walked past Eve and looked inside the hut. ¡°We are here to protect both of you from harm until both of you get back all your power and abilities. We do as what we are ordered,¡± Cherubim continued.

    ¡°Getting special treatment from the almighty God himself? I¡¯m not surprised since everything has already been planned since the beginning, isn¡¯t it?¡± Eve asked as she stared at Cherubim with a straight face.

    Both Cherubim and Throne didn¡¯t respond to her question, and Eve interpreted it as true and she didn¡¯t bother to get an answer since the answer could be seen.

    ¡°What do you want in exchange? Kill all the Adams?¡± Eve asked with her eyebrow raised.

    ¡°It¡¯s not you to decide because you¡¯re not allowed to touch another Adams. It¡¯s him to decide whether he wants to kill them or spare them,¡± Throne answered. ¡°What we want is for you to destroy humankind because they¡¯re not supposed to thrive and live in peace,¡±

    ¡°For a divine being, you guys are quite harsh and merciless,¡± Eve scoffed and looked at both of them with a mild shock expression.

    ¡°They have been abandoned, their lives don¡¯t matter to him anymore because all the good people have died from the meteor strike. Those who survived are no longer his concern and they have no place to live but here,¡± Cherubim answered and stared at Eve with a serious expression.

    ¡°I know, you have told me many times and you managed to brainwash me because of that. I have killed thousands of lives already because of your doctrine,¡± Eve sighed as she leaned on the wall and stared at the cliff in front of her.

    ¡°So you want me to destroy their technologies and make them suffer like how they are supposed to be? Is this why the almighty God is giving both of us special treatment since we are the only obedient children that he has left?¡± Eve asked and looked at Throne.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Throne answered.

    ¡°So I was right about it, don¡¯t I? One of the Adams is helping humankind to thrive and what he wants in return is to be on top where nobody else can go against him,¡± Eve asked. ¡°By doing so, he developed this dangerous weapon to exterminate the other Adams and even this weapon did a lot of damage to me,¡± Eve continued and looked at Cherubim.

    Cherubim smiled and stared at Eve without saying a single word, Eve could tell that Cherubim was proud of her.

    ¡°Just rest well, Eve. You will be safe because we, Cherubim, will protect you under his command,¡± Cherubim said as she put her hand on Eve¡¯s right cheek.

    Eve yawned and nodded her head. ¡°Then I will get some sleep more,¡± Eve said as she walked into the hut.

    A month had passed since Eve¡¯s encounter with Cherubim and Throne. They really protected both of them because nothing really happened and not even the witches could go there to see them.

    Archie woke up on the third week after the encounter, he met with Throne and Cherubim the moment he woke up. Eve was standing next to him while Throne explained the situation to him, he was shocked about the task to destroy humankind.

    Archie understood his new task and Eve was there to help him decide what he had to do. He wasn¡¯t convinced at first but after consideration about the future and about him and Eve, he agreed with the task.

    They both had fully recovered in the fifth week, and they both retained their power and abilities. Both Cherubim and Throne left as promised because they did their job properly, but before they left, they reminded Archie and Eve about the task.

    The witches came to visit and checked their condition after five weeks unable to see them because a barrier prevented them from entering the forest. Archie was confused about why all of them were in FalCon-3 and so the eldest fire witch explained everything to him.

    ¡°You know, Archie,¡± Eve said as she laid down on the bed made from dried grass and stared at the ceiling. ¡°I have been wanting to know what happens if I have a child, do you think they¡¯re going to be a human baby or a parasite baby,¡± Eve said as she turned her body to look at Archie.

    Archie raised his eyebrows because he never thought of it. ¡°I have no idea, I never thought about it before,¡± Archie answered as he stared blankly at the ceiling.

    ¡°I have been thinking about it ever since I know my role as Eve, and as a future child bearer, I want what¡¯s the best for my child. By that I mean to find the right strong Adam to do it with me,¡± Eve said as she sat up, she then looked at Archie with a smile as she sat on top of Archie. ¡°Even though I have chosen my Adam, you¡¯re still not worthy to put a baby inside me,¡± Eve said as she stared down at Archie.

    Archie¡¯s heart was pounding really fast that the parasites inside his body started to react. He couldn¡¯t hide his excitement thanks to the parasites that transformed his skin and eyes.

    ¡°Did you just poke me down there? Are you excited by it already even though I just said that I¡¯m not allowing you to put a baby inside me yet?¡± Eve asked with a flirtatious voice. ¡°So, you should get stronger, for me. Then, you can put your baby inside me because I want to know what will happen,¡± Eve whispered into Archie¡¯s right ear as she pressed her body down on top of him.

    ¡°What do you say, Archie? Do you think you¡¯re worthy to be the one who¡¯s going to fill my stomach with your babies?¡± Eve asked right in front of Archie¡¯s face.

    ¡°I will get stronger,¡± Archie answered as he nodded his head.

 Chapter 137 A scientist.

    ¡°Stop teasing me, Eve,¡± Archie said as he looked at Eve who stayed on top of her and pressed her body down on him. ¡°I have no experience with this kind of stuff, so this is really making me nervous and uncomfortable at the same time,¡±

    ¡°What makes you think I¡¯m experienced in this kind of stuff? Do you think I have done it before?¡± Eve asked as she raised her eyebrows with a flirtatious smile.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just I might do something that I would regret. So, can you get off of my body? Please?¡± Archie replied as he chuckled nervously.

    Eve rolled over and laid down next to Archie and stared at the ceiling while thinking about it. Deep down, she was also nervous and wanted to try it but she didn¡¯t want to do it yet because of that reason. Archie knew about it since he felt her heartbeat getting faster and faster when she pressed her chest onto his chest.

    ¡°We should take care of that Adam in that Borneo island, Archie,¡± Eve said as she stared at him.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m thinking about it as well, but I¡¯m not sure if I can kill him without my full power,¡± Archie answered with his eyebrows raised. ¡°I¡¯m scared of losing control again, it¡¯s the scariest feeling that I don¡¯t want to feel again. Not to mention after what you guys did to bring me back, and I don¡¯t want it to happen again,¡± Archie looked at Eve.

    ¡°You will be fine, you have something that nobody else has which is the first parasite that hosts your body. There¡¯s nothing that can be as powerful as being immortal because no matter what happens, that parasite will keep you alive,¡± Eve answered as she stared blankly at the door.

    ¡°I believe you will be fine even if you use everything you have to fight him because if he dies, we have fewer problems to think about. I believe in you so you have to believe in yourself,¡± Eve explained and rested her right arm on Archie¡¯s chest. ¡°Get some more rest, Archie, you will be okay the moment all the parasites inside your body accept the new power,¡±

    Archie nodded and closed his eyes to try to get more sleep.

    The morning came and they both were ready to leave since Archie was planning on dealing with Adam on the Borneo island. The witches were cheering him and praying for his safety, they couldn¡¯t do anything but those two things.

    Archie spread his wings and they were surprised and amazed at the same time because the Archie they knew had become someone strong. They were all so proud of him and words couldn¡¯t describe their happiness after all the hardships he went through that he told them.

    ¡°Good luck out there, Archie, we will be waiting for you to come back,¡± The eldest fire witch said. ¡°Kill that guy and become the best of us,¡±

    Archie nodded his head as he smiled. ¡°I will try,¡±

    ¡°We should go, Archie,¡± Eve said as she looked at him. ¡°There are so many things that we need to do and we are starting to run out of time,¡± Eve started to flap her wings and float above the ground.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m coming,¡± Archie said and followed Eve from behind.

    The Adam that lived on the Borneo island, he didn¡¯t come from one of the Fallen Continent. The witches had no idea about the guy Archie described because they had never seen a Drautnir like that before.

    Archie believed the Adam on the Borneo island originally came from one of the nations. By the look of his attire which looked like a lab coat, it seemed that he used to be a scientist and that would make sense since he managed to do all those things on his own.

    Eve thought that it was possible and she wanted Archie to take him and dig for some information about the other Adams. Since she wasn¡¯t allowed to touch or get involved in the affairs between all the Adams, she gave Archie the serum and used it on the Adam to torture him for information.

    ¡°We are here,¡± Eve said as she looked down at the Borneo island from above the clouds. ¡°Are you ready, Archie?¡± Eve asked as she held his hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but there¡¯s no reason for me to not fight him,¡± Archie answered as he looked at Eve¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m going now,¡± Archie said as he nodded his head.

    ¡°I will be waiting,¡± Eve said, and then she left to another island to explore and waste time.

    Archie watched Eve leave and then looked down at the island. He took a deep breath and then dove down onto the island on his own without the wind witch by his side this time.

    Archie walked toward the giant tree with the sword ready in his hand, he felt something different from the last time he went there. It wasn¡¯t because of the island but something inside him that could sense the danger and become more sensitive to anything around him.

    Archie noticed the oddity that came from the tree, it felt like the tree was alive like how the earth witches could control the trees. He decided to stab his sword at the tree and the first thing that came out from the tree was a red liquid that looked like blood.

    ¡°It¡¯s not blood, it¡¯s a sap?¡± Archie talked to himself after he smelt it. ¡°What is this giant tree made of?¡± Archie looked up at the thick tree branches.

    Archie swung his sword and cut the tree trunk with it because he was curious about the inside.

    It took only half an hour for Archie to finally cut half the tree trunk and he was standing inside the tree. He looked at the sap and noticed it had parasites in it, thousands of them. Without hesitation, he cut the trunk and the moment it made cracking sounds, he left hurriedly and saw the giant tree collapse so slowly.

    The moment the giant tree hit the ground, Archie¡¯s senses were sharpened or became normal again to be exact. He could see the parasites lurking around him and were ready to ambush him, he realized that the giant tree was the one who made the illusion because of the shades of the trees.

    ¡°There¡¯s no time to think about it, it¡¯s time to do some cleaning,¡± Archie said as he swung his sword around and stared at the parasites.

    Thanks to the dragon¡¯s heart tissue, he grew way stronger than before, and he was glad that it was worth it. He butchered and massacred the parasites like it was harmless cattle that were ready to be harvested.

    Archie was being careful while killing the parasites, but it had been hours since he cut down the giant tree and the Adam hadn¡¯t shown himself yet. He was a bit suspicious and worried that the Adam had left after knowing he was being targeted by him, but that shouldn¡¯t scare him since Archie wasn¡¯t really a threat to him and he welcomed Archie back then.

    The bright moonlight illuminate the forest and there was nothing left around Archie but dead bodies of parasites. He waited and the Adam didn¡¯t show himself so he decided to fly around the forest to find him.

    Archie weakly sensed the Adam¡¯s presence from above, he then descended and tried to follow it by foot. He was unsure at first until he was greeted by two giant parasites, and now he was confident that the Adam was somewhere ahead of him.

    After Archie dealt with the giant parasites, he saw a mouth cave that seemed to be man-made not long after that. He looked at how suspicious the cave was, but it didn¡¯t stop him from entering the dark tunnel since he could easily see in the dark.

    The tunnel was getting narrow and deeper down into the ground, Archie could hear his own breath and heartbeat because of how quiet the tunnel was. He kept moving forward and saw bloodstain on the walls or maybe the same red sap that he saw inside the tree.

    Archie ended up in a spacious dome and the pungent smell struck his nose immediately. He looked at body parts of parasites and even human body parts laying on the ground and hanging on the wall. It looked like a butcher house because they were placed neatly and separated from one part with another.

    ¡°You know that giant tree out there is hard to maintain, right?¡± A familiar voice could be heard from the other side of the dome. ¡°Do you know how much blood and lives I wasted just to make that tree?¡± The Adam appeared from behind a natural pillar.

    ¡°It¡¯s none of my business,¡± Archie said as he walked toward him.

    ¡°It¡¯s a shame, but I finished my research already and got what I needed,¡± The Adam said as he removed his lab coat and threw it away.

    ¡°You came at the right time and it¡¯s a perfect opportunity to test my new power,¡± The Adam said as he split himself up into two like a cell with his inside looking exactly like the inside of the giant tree.

 Chapter 138 Clash between the Chosen. (3)

    Archie charged forward with his sword ready to cut the Adam¡¯s body, but he didn¡¯t know which one was the real one. The moment he got close to the Adam, he slashed the right one into half, and when he looked at the body, it only made things worse because now there were three of them.

    ¡°What?!¡± Archie asked and stared the Adam with a perplexed look.

    ¡°Why are you so surprised? You should have known already that I can multiply myself,¡± The Adam said and then chuckled as he stared at Archie. ¡°You have no chance to win against me, so why don¡¯t you stop trying and let me get what I want?¡± The Adam asked.

    Archie didn¡¯t answer but at the same time, he didn¡¯t make a move or attack the Adam with his sword anymore. He unsheathed his sword because the Adam seemed to want to have a talk first with him.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Archie asked as he slowly walked back to make some distance between him and the Adam.

    ¡°We both know what I want. I want to see Eve, I¡¯m curious about her ever since I have become chosen by them,¡± The Adam answered with a smile on his face.

    ¡°Even if you want to see her, I can¡¯t bring her here because of the same reason why we both are here right now. The worst-case scenario is you¡¯re going to die by her hand,¡± Archie replied as he stared at the one that was talking.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that I¡¯m not allowed to see her, is that what you¡¯re trying to say?¡± The Adam asked.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me who said that, but them,¡± Archie answered as he shook his head. ¡°As I said, it¡¯s for your own safety as well because she¡¯s not interested in you or the other Adams,¡± Archie said with confidence.

    The Adam raised his eyebrows and stared at Archie for quite a while, but then he bursted into laughter with his voice echoed throughout the cave. Archie didn¡¯t know if the Adam was laughing at his warning or if he was laughing because the Adam thought it was a joke.

    ¡°How funny, I have never been interested in that kind of thing, you know?¡± The Adam said as he looked at Archie. ¡°I¡¯m a scientist, and I never believe in God back then nor have I ever thought about it. But, when they came to me, it wasn¡¯t like a revelation or something to me because until now, I still don¡¯t want to believe,¡±

    Archie furrowed his eyebrows and looked at the Adam with disbelief because nobody could handle their presence no matter how much they saw them.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that you¡¯re doing all this just for fun?¡± Archie asked as he squinted his eyes at the Adam.

    ¡°For fun? Do you think I¡¯m doing all this just for fun?¡± The Adam scoffed and stared at Archie mockingly. ¡°Do you know what they said about me when I told them I didn¡¯t want to partake in the last survivor of the Adams? They would punish me!¡±

    Archie looked confused because he didn¡¯t know about that since he followed Throne¡¯s orders because it was an order from God that had passed down to Throne. He never thought about it in the first place because he was overwhelmed with the truth and swayed by Throne¡¯s words.

    ¡°I can see it in your eyes that you have no idea about it,¡± The Adam said as he scoffed and smirked.

    The Adam walked away with his clones toward the stone table that he created.

    ¡°The reason why I did all this is to make sure that I¡¯m going to be invincible to them even if they¡¯re going to punish me. Of course, if I¡¯m invincible to them, that also means you and the other Adams wouldn¡¯t be able to stop me from whatever I¡¯m going to do with all this knowledge,¡± The Adam said as he turned around and looked at Archie.

    ¡°So you¡¯re not with them? The other Adams?¡± Archie asked out of curiosity.

    ¡°The other Adams? Why would I join them? I can¡¯t even make sure of my own safety, and yet you¡¯re asking if I¡¯m joining with the other monsters like me?¡± The Adam answered.

    Archie got more confused because he thought all of the Adams were working together to eliminate him as Throne warned him. He started to have doubts about everything that he heard because it felt like he was being steered by them to achieve whatever they wanted him to be.

    ¡°When did they choose you?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°A hundred years ago more or less,¡± The Adam answered and stared at Archie. ¡°You¡¯re the last one, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I was chosen a few months ago,¡± Archie answered as he nodded his head.

    ¡°It looks like they favored you the most compared to the rest of us,¡± The Adam chuckled mockingly. ¡°Anyway, enough with the talk, you¡¯re here to kill me right? And I¡¯m here because I have to do my job as the chosen as well,¡±

    Archie took a deep breath and thought about going all out because it was going to be a hard battle. He looked at his surroundings and believed even if he got out of control again, at least Eve would know where he was.

    Archie transformed himself into his parasite form, but he realized the parasites inside his body remembered the form when he lost control. He became a dragon-like creature with massive wings on his back that could tear anything with its sharp edges and long arms to tear everything down.

    The Adam looked at Archie with a mild shock but he wasn¡¯t scared of him at all and decided to multiply himself and doubled his amount. He started to walk toward Archie and surrounded him with his clones, and when all of them were in the position, they all transformed themselves into a parasite form with six arms and sharp claws on each finger.

    Archie used his sharp tail and whipped it at one of them, it was strong enough to send the clone to the wall and splattered it like an egg. For a big body like that, he was able to move quickly as if his size didn¡¯t matter and it caught the Adam off guard.

    The Adam charged Archie with all his clones, he wasn¡¯t as fast as Archie so it was easy for Archie to handle all of them at once. The only problem was no matter how hard Archie smashed them or splattered them onto the ground or walls, they kept coming back in a form of a slime that could reform himself back.

    Although Archie seemed fine, the longer he battled, the less power, and energy left he had. If it kept going on like that, he believed that he would be the one who lose the battle, and knowing that the Adam was a scientist, it would be a big problem if he knew about his regeneration ability.

    Archie¡¯s thick skin and bones made the Adam unable to get through his body even if he tried his best. He never thought the Adam he was going to face would be that weak, but that didn¡¯t mean he could kill the Adam either with the current situation.

    The whole cave started to crumble and there was no more space in that dome, and the Adam decided to bring Archie into a narrow space through the tunnel. Archie had no choice but to follow him and made a path for his massive body like a tunnel boring machine.

    The moment Archie reached the end of the tunnel, he looked around and was shocked with what he saw. Hundreds of parasites were standing still as if they were a display, and then the Adam started to laugh as all his clone went their separate ways.

    ¡°Do you think I would be stupid enough to not prepare for the worst? Let¡¯s see who¡¯s going to win. You, or my finest creations,¡± The Adam said as he spread his arms to show all the giant parasites.

    The Adam¡¯s clones transformed themselves into slime and entered the bodies of the parasites that he created. Not long after all his clones entered the parasites¡¯ bodies, they started to come to life as if the Adam¡¯s clones were the ones controlling them.

    ¡°You should know that I have been doing this for decades, let¡¯s play with the warm-up toys first,¡± The Adam said with a smile on his face.

    Archie stared at each one of them and without hesitation flew toward one of the parasites and ate half of its body in a single bite. It was like a feast for him while the Adam stared at him with a smile on his face.

    ¡°You just made a huge mistake,¡± The Adam said. ¡°Do you understand what will happen if my clone is inside your body?¡±

    Archie stopped eating the parasite and looked at the Adam without saying a single word.

 Chapter 139 Clash between the Chosen. (4)

    ¡°You¡¯re not only turning your body into a parasite but your brain as well, huh?¡± The Adam asked as he chuckled mockingly while staring at Archie who was still chewing the parasite¡¯s flesh in his mouth.

    Archie swallowed the flesh down to his throat and The Adam could see the bulging in Archie¡¯s throat. They both were staring at each other for quite a while and suddenly The Adam¡¯s confidence disappeared after realizing nothing happened to Archie and his clone couldn¡¯t control Archie¡¯s body.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be! How?!¡± The Adam stared at Archie with his eyes wide open in disbelief.

    Ever since he turned himself into a parasite form, he had been feeling burning hot inside his chest and up to his throat. He didn¡¯t know why but his instinct told him to eat something to reduce the burning feeling inside of him.

    Archie¡¯s mouth suddenly released a cloud of smoke and it surprised both of them, and then he roared at the Adam. The Adam saw a glowing red light in the far back of Archie¡¯s mouth, it looked like a fire but he wasn¡¯t sure about it because it was only a glimpse.

    Archie realized he wasn¡¯t affected by The Adam¡¯s ability to take control over a body. Not only that, he knew how to kill all his clones, and that was to just swallow them all because his body could kill them from the inside.

    The Adam ran away and immediately all his clones ran toward Archie to give him time to run away. Archie roared once more to intimidate the Adam that his presence should be feared, and then he bit off the head of one of the controlled parasites.

    ¡°No! My whole research is useless! How can someone who just become Drautnir can do something like this!¡± The Adam said to himself as he ran into a tunnel while listening to the growl, roar, and screech of parasites behind him.

    ¡°How unfair! You treated me badly and you treated spoonfed him like he¡¯s the best child compared to the others! Are you punishing me because I didn¡¯t do as you planned?!¡± The Adam yelled as he stared at the ceiling as if he was speaking to God.

    While the Adam was busy cursing and blaspheming, he suddenly noticed the silence from behind him. All the noises were gone, and he looked scared and nervous at the same time, he then ran as fast as he could and hoped Archie didn¡¯t find him.

    ¡°I hope I make it in time,¡± The Adam said as he ran silently into another dark tunnel.

    The Adam reached the end of the tunnel and he turned around to make sure he wasn¡¯t being followed by Archie. Once he was sure that Archie wasn¡¯t right behind him, he proceeded to walk toward a tree in the middle of the spacious cave. It was the same tree as the giant tree on the island that Archie took down.

    The Adam turned himself into slime and slowly entered the tree trunk to hide from Archie. The moment his body was fully inside the tree, Archie entered the cave and he was glad that he made it in time.

    Archie was staring at the tree and it was the only thing in the spacious cave, he walked toward it and noticed the Adam¡¯s presence inside the trees. He touched the tree trunk with his claws and scratched it to scare the Adam and it was effective.

    The Adam tried to use the illusion but it didn¡¯t affect Archie at all since he was already immune to it.

    Archie cut down the tree with a single swoop with his claws, and then he saw the same red sap inside the tree trunk. Not long after that, the Adam in his slime form tried to run away but Archie stomped on it with as hard as he could and splattered the slime to pieces and spread everywhere.

    The Adam was so scared that he immediately turned himself into his human form, but because he missed a few chunks of his slime body, he became so small. He was walking backward as he raised his hands and hoped that Archie wouldn¡¯t eat him up because it would be the end of him.

    ¡°Please, spare my life! I just want to live peacefully!¡± The Adam said as he stared at Archie with his intimidating presence. ¡°Please, I beg you!¡± The Adam decided to go on his knees and pressed his hands together.

    Archie just stood there and stared down at the Adam in his parasite form, he then realized the slimes were moving toward the Adam. Archie let them enter the Adam¡¯s body and he slowly became bigger and went back to his original size.

    Without the Adam realizing it, he was already hugging the wall and he had no other way to run. He didn¡¯t know what to do to make Archie rethink of not killing him.

    ¡°I know something that you might be interested in!¡± The Adam yelled as he looked at Archie.

    Archie leaned his head toward the Adam and when the Adam thought Archie was planning on listening to whatever he was about to say, Archie suddenly opened his mouth and chomped the Adam¡¯s whole body. Archie didn¡¯t care what kind of words that the Adam knew about because, in the end, he would be able to see the Adam¡¯s memories once he digested his brain.

    Archie swallowed the Adam¡¯s whole body and let the parasites took care of the rest. He stood there for quite a while after he felt the bulging inside his body slowly disappeared.

    Archie turned himself to his human form and immediately collapsed because he had been holding the parasites from taking over his body. He was glad he made it and immediately fell unconscious because of exhaustion.

    It was just silence until something was moving out from the tree, and it was the last piece of the Adam that he left behind on purpose. With that, he should be able to live if he hosted a parasite body and then rebuild his own body with it.

    When it tried to leave, an immense presence was walking in the tunnel toward the cave. The Adam was so scared that he immediately walked back to the tree but it was already too late because someone took the slime with its fingers.

    The Adam looked at Eve who was staring at him with a smile on her face. The Adam was mesmerized by her beauty that he didn¡¯t realize he was being brought to Archie and suddenly put him inside Archie¡¯s mouth.

    Eve sat down next to Archie and protected him from any harm since he already did his job and she was allowed to be next to him now. She slowly and carefully put his head on her thigh and gently stroked his hair and silently stared at him.

    It took Archie two days until he finally woke up, and the first thing he saw was Eve smiling at him. When he tried to sit up, Eve prevented him and pushed him back to her lap.

    ¡°Just stay there for a moment, I want to be like this,¡± Eve quietly said as she kept staring at Archie.

    Archie raised his eyebrows and nodded his head as he made himself comfortable on Eve¡¯s lap.

    ¡°Now, tell me about what you saw from that guy¡¯s memories,¡± Eve asked.

    Archie stared blankly at the ceiling and didn¡¯t respond to Eve¡¯s words, and that made her look at him with curiosity.

    ¡°What did you see?¡± Eve asked again.

    ¡°Before I tell you that, do you think that we are being watched?¡± Archie replied as he stared at Eve.

    ¡°By them? Of course. No matter where we are or how hard you try to hide anything from them, they know it,¡± Eve answered as she looked at the ceiling and around her. ¡°Why do you ask? Is that have something to do with what you saw?¡± Eve asked with her eyebrows raised.

    ¡°Yes, turned out that he was telling the truth,¡± Archie said as he nodded his head. ¡°His name was Hansel, he was from the Western Nation, just like me, but unlike me, he was on his own without guidance from the witches,¡± Archie explained.

    ¡°Okay, what happened next?¡± Eve was still confused about why Archie felt uncomfortable talking about it.

    ¡°He traveled on his own, survived on his own, he had no interest in the task that was given to him. He ended up on this island after he felt he didn¡¯t belong with the humans. He spent all his life doing what he wanted and he was telling the truth that he was threatened and had to do this for his own good,¡± Archie looked at the cave and pointed at it with his left hand.

    ¡°Do you think I just killed an innocent guy who was forced to do things that he didn¡¯t want to?¡± Archie asked as he looked at Eve.

    ¡°That¡¯s our life, Archie. Do you prefer to be abandoned and die with nowhere else to go?¡± Eve asked back.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Archie answered as he closed his eyes because it troubled him.

 Chapter 140 How she felt.

    ¡°Is there anything else? I feel like you¡¯re trying to hide something from me,¡± Eve asked as she lowered her head and stared Archie in the eye up close. ¡°What is it? Tell me,¡±

    ¡°Hansel knew about the meteorite, he found something under the sea a very long time ago that got carried by the water. He was keeping it safe somewhere in this island,¡± Archie said as he stared at the tunnel from where he came in.

    ¡°Hmm? Do you know where it is?¡± Eve asked as she looked at the tunnel Archie was staring at.

    ¡°I do, let¡¯s go there now because I¡¯m curious about it as well,¡± Archie said as he tried to sit up.

    Eve pulled Archie back down again and stared at him. ¡°Hold on a minute, why are you hiding it from me if it¡¯s just something from the meteorite?¡± Eve stared him in the eye.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that,¡± Archie shook his head. ¡°You might understand when we see it, I think,¡±

    Eve hummed with understanding and then she let Archie stand up.

    Archie led Eve outside the cave to where the thing was kept by Hansel, he was thinking about Hansel¡¯s memories. He felt bad for killing him and thought that he might be able to befriend Hansel if he didn¡¯t act rashly. To make himself feel a bit better, he wanted to believe that the Adams that he killed were living inside his body now.

    ¡°It¡¯s right up ahead,¡± Archie said as he stood at the edge of the short cliff and pointed down at the shore.

    Eve stood next to Archie as she looked down, she immediately jumped down and landed safely. Archie jumped down and walked toward her as he looked at the thing he saw in Hansel¡¯s memory, it was still the same and he decided to walk toward it.

    ¡°What¡¯s this? It¡¯s just a big rock,¡± Eve said as she looked at the giant rock that was half buried by the sand.

    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong, but we should start digging and brushing the sand off of that rock,¡± Archie replied as he walked toward the rock and grabbed the edge of the rock on the right.

    Eve didn¡¯t say anything and started cleaning the surrounding area of the rock, she was a bit surprised that there was more to it. They both brushed the sand off of the rock, and slowly she saw something off about the rock, and she was a bit impatient about it so she spread her wings and blew all the sand away as she floated above the ground.

    Eve realized that the big rock was only 10% of the whole rock, and once she uncovered 60% of the rock, she was shocked when she saw a claw mark on the meteorite. A mark that was bigger than the dragon-like parasite, and it was just a single claw mark.

    Both of them got a chill down their spines as they stared at it from above where the rock covered the whole vast shore.

    ¡°Do you think this mark belongs to whatever live inside the meteorite?¡± Archie asked as he stared at Eve who looked shocked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Eve answered quietly as she started to descend.

    Eve stood in the middle of the claw mark and she looked so tiny that she looked like a dot in a drawing. She was either fascinated or scared because Archie couldn¡¯t tell by her expression at all, but he was definitely petrified when he slowly descended on top of the mark.

    Archie grabbed his sword and Eve was staring at him with her eyebrows furrowed, but she didn¡¯t say anything and just watched. He walked to one spot where the claw marks scratched the surface that looked sturdy, he then tried to scratch it with his sword but to his surprise, the sword couldn¡¯t even scratch it.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Eve asked as she walked toward Archie.

    ¡°You remember that this sword was made from the high-quality mineral from the meteorite, right? I can cut anything with this sword but look at this,¡± Archie said as he pointed at the surface of the rock. ¡°My sword couldn¡¯t even scratch this part, that means this part is way more dense and sturdy than this sword. Can you imagine how strong a monster or parasite can scratch this thing so easily?¡± Archie asked.

    Eve hummed with understanding and then she transformed her right hand and used her claws to scratch the surface and it was the same. She wasn¡¯t surprised but it made her feel uneasy because if that rock was the deepest part of the meteorite, that meant that being was exposed and could leave whenever it want.

    ¡°Are you scared?¡± Eve asked as she rubbed the surface of the rock.

    ¡°There¡¯s no reason not to be,¡± Archie answered as he sheathed his sword. ¡°This thing has been exposed for decades, don¡¯t you think we are in danger now?¡±

    Eve chuckled and looked at Archie. ¡°I¡¯m aware of that for a very long time, now you¡¯re feeling what I felt back then. You won¡¯t be able to live peacefully from now on, but then you will realize that there¡¯s nothing you can do about it,¡± Eve answered with a smile on her face.

    ¡°You will start to think that everything is very insignificant and nothing can be compared to this. You will start doing whatever you want to do before this monstrosity decided to show up and annihilate everything,¡± Eve explained as she walked toward Archie.

    ¡°But then you realize that everything you have done isn¡¯t that exciting anymore as the time keeps ticking. You will realize that you¡¯re the chosen and nothing bad will happen to you as long as you follow their words and it will give you peace of mind,¡± Eve continued and stared Archie in the eye.

    Archie stared back at Eve and it felt like she was talking about herself and what she had gone through in her past before she met him. She was telling him that it would be best to follow their orders if he wanted to be safe and saved by them.

    ¡°We should go back and meet with the others,¡± Eve said as she put both her hands on Archie¡¯s cheeks. ¡°We have an important task to do if you don¡¯t want to end up like Hansel,¡±

    Archie nodded his head with understanding and then they both went to the Central Nation.

    The moment they both reached the Central Nation, Archie looked at all the mess that happened in the headquarters. He saw so many construction vehicles being parked around it and was rebuilding the laboratory.

    ¡°You did this?¡± Archie asked as he floated above the clouds.

    ¡°Yes, just for you I would do anything to keep you safe and alive,¡± Eve answered as she stared down at the city.

    Archie looked at Eve and was a bit surprised because he never thought she would really do something like that for him. He was quite happy about it but worried at the same time that she would do something dangerous just for him because of what happened to her when she tried to get the serum.

    ¡°Let¡¯s meet our friends, and hear what they found about the secrecy those humans have,¡± Eve said and dove down into the forest.

    Both of them entered the city and saw everyone was still talking about the incident that happened a month ago. They were terrified that something like that might happen again soon and how dangerous a parasite could be. They were blaming the Axis Humans for not doing their job properly and how they let a parasite enter the city.

    They had been living in peace for years and they forgot how terrifying the world was out there. It made Archie chuckle and realize how ungrateful those people were, and thought that it would be better if they had to live like people in the Eastern Nation.

    ¡°Your expression is too obvious, Archie,¡± Eve said as she chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t bother thinking about them, they will die eventually,¡±

    Archie scoffed and smiled as he nodded his head in agreement.

    They both went to the barrack and were immediately recognized by the soldiers. They were forbidden to enter the headquarters because everything need to be sterile from anyone. They were brought to where Faye was since they had both gone missing for a really long time and she ordered everyone to bring them to her once they saw them.

    They were brought to a tall building and the whole building was filled with soldiers and Axis Humans. It was the temporary headquarters until they rebuilt everything like how it used to be.

    ¡°Lieutenant Colonel is waiting for you in that room over there,¡± The soldier said as he pointed his hand at the door at the end of the hallway.

    Archie nodded and then walked toward Faye¡¯s room.

    The moment they both entered the room, Faye looked at them and jolted from her seat.

    ¡°We are in grieve danger,¡± Faye said as she stared at both of them.

    Archie and Eve raised their eyebrows and stared at Faye with a puzzled look.

 Chapter 141 The aftereffect

    ¡°In danger? Is this about what happened to the headquarters?¡± Archie asked as he looked at Faye who seemed to not bother with where he and Eve went for the past month.

    ¡°Yes, I want both of you to sit down and listen to me. This is more dangerous than the King-type parasite,¡± Faye answered as she pointed down at the chairs in front of her desk.

    Faye explained what happened, and she told the same exact story as when Eve told him about how she got the serum. The only difference was it was from a different perspective and in Faye¡¯s perspective, it was scarier than Eve¡¯s.

    Faye looked so scared and terrified after she told them about what happened because knowing there was something other than a parasite that could do something like that. A humanoid parasite and she believed that it was an Ex-Human who seek for revenge for what happened to the King-type parasites that they killed because the Ex-Human took the serum.

    It sounded so stupid that Eve almost blew up her cover by chuckling, but she immediately cleared her throat, and Faye didn¡¯t suspect or realize it.

    ¡°So, what are we going to do? You¡¯re not thinking of hunting that Ex-Human, aren¡¯t you?¡± Archie asked as he looked at Faye with his eyebrows raised.

    ¡°Personally, I don¡¯t want to, but for everyone¡¯s safety, we are going to investigate this Ex-Human and find where she went to. She took a serum and that¡¯s really dangerous if she decided to use it on us,¡± Faye answered and looked a bit worried.

    ¡°You said it yourself that the parasite could kill dozens of Axis Humans by doing nothing. Do you really think we have a chance to kill her?¡± Archie asked again. ¡°Let¡¯s not think about killing her, what if she finds us? Do you we will be safe if she decides to kill us all?¡± Archie continued.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, Faye. If what you said is the truth, you¡¯re just going to kill everyone for nothing and, to be honest, I don¡¯t want to take that risk,¡± Eve said as she stared Faye in the eye. ¡°You can go out there and find her, but not us, and I believe Ruby and Vincent didn¡¯t agree on this as well, right?¡±

    Faye was a bit surprised when Eve was on point about Ruby and Vincent didn¡¯t agree with her decision.

    ¡°Why?¡± Faye asked with a puzzled look.

    ¡°What do you mean why? You should ask that question to Ruby and Vincent if you want the right answer,¡± Eve answered. ¡°There are things that you don¡¯t know, Faye. It¡¯s better for you to just stay here and don¡¯t make such a decision that would make you regret it,¡± Eve continued and she sounded like she was threatening Faye.

    Faye looked a bit surprised and annoyed with Eve¡¯s words, but she tried to calm herself down.

    ¡°I think we should talk about this with Ruby and the others, no? It¡¯s better if we discuss this matter with them so we can vote rather we are going to find that Ex-Human or not,¡± Archie said and stared at Faye.

    Faye sighed and nodded with understanding.

    ¡°Even though I already talked about this with the others, but since you both are here, let¡¯s do another meeting to discuss this matter,¡± Faye replied as she rubbed the bridge of her nose. ¡°By the way, where were you?¡± Faye asked and looked at both of them.

    Archie didn¡¯t know what to say because he had nothing in mind nor any preparation to make a story for it.

    ¡°I¡¯m the reason why,¡± Eve answered. ¡°I want to spend my time alone with Archie and if you¡¯re going to ask us why we were gone for so long is because I think we both deserve it after what we did on the last three missions,¡±

    ¡°But you can tell one of us, at least, so we don¡¯t have to look for you,¡± Faye said as she looked at Eve.

    ¡°Maybe the reason why I didn¡¯t tell anyone about our whereabouts was that I didn¡¯t want to be bothered or to be found in the first place,¡± Eve replied and kept staring at Faye.

    Faye raised her eyebrows and couldn¡¯t say anything else because she already knew that she couldn¡¯t win an argument with Eve. She had nothing to say and decided to believe in Eve¡¯s words.

    ¡°You both can leave now, and if you¡¯re looking for Ruby or Vincent, they¡¯re one floor below me, you should be able to find them if you ask someone that lives down here,¡± Faye said as she grabbed a document from her desk.

    Archie nodded his head and then left the office with Eve following him from behind.

    The moment the lift¡¯s door was opened, they saw Ruby and Vincent standing in front of the lift.

    ¡°Archie!¡± Ruby¡¯s eyes were wide open with a surprised expression.

    ¡°Hi, it¡¯s been a while,¡± Archie smiled at them.

    Ruby looked around and saw nobody near them. ¡°Let¡¯s talk,¡± Ruby entered the lift as she pulled Vincent¡¯s arm.

    They went all the way down and it was quiet in the lift because of the CCTV and the audio recording device that they put in the lift. The moment they left the building, Ruby looked at Archie and Eve with a serious expression.

    ¡°We found something and our suspicion about this whole thing is right,¡± Ruby said as she walked on the sidewalk behind Archie and Eve. ¡°It was you who took the serum, right, Eve?¡± Ruby stared at Eve from behind.

    ¡°Yes, is there a problem?¡± Eve answered as she glanced at Ruby from the corner of her eyes.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t have a problem with that, and thanks to you, we found something that we never thought we would get so easily,¡± Ruby replied as she shook her head. ¡°But, we are curious why are you suddenly came back and did that though,¡±

    Eve took a deep breath and stared at Archie. ¡°It was all for him, if I didn¡¯t get that serum, I think Archie would be dead by now or became a dangerous King-type parasite,¡± Eve answered.

    Ruby and Vincent were a bit shocked by it.

    ¡°Well, since you¡¯re back, I think you can tell us about it later. Let¡¯s head to the bar so we can talk freely there because Vincent got close with the owner and we both can have a bit of privacy in there,¡± Ruby said as she nodded her head.

    They entered the bar and Vincent did his thing, they were brought to the second floor and it was a great place to talk in private because nobody was up there in the attic.

    ¡°This is nice,¡± Archie said as he looked around and saw so many barrels stacked to each other.

    ¡°I know right,¡± Vincent smiled with his eyebrows raised. ¡°I¡¯m going to grab something for us. You want the usual, right, Archie?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, anything strong for me and Eve,¡± Archie nodded his head.

    ¡°Got it! Be right back,¡± Vincent replied as he walked downstairs.

    Vincent came back with four bottles and opened them all with his bare hands.

    ¡°We got information from Faye about the rebellion,¡± Ruby said as she grabbed her drink. ¡°Everyone knew about what happened and they kept it a secret because they couldn¡¯t find the culprit behind the incident,¡± Ruby continued.

    ¡°And then? Do you know why they didn¡¯t come to rescue you and the people from the Eastern Nation?¡± Archie asked with his eyebrows raised.

    ¡°They said that they did. They tried to sail but ended up dead in the middle of the sea because of the swarm of parasites that live in the sea. Faye showed us the reports and it was all true,¡± Ruby answered as she sighed.

    ¡°Sail? Don¡¯t they have planes and blimps?¡± Archie asked with his eyebrows furrowed.

    ¡°That¡¯s the interesting part,¡± Ruby nodded her head with understanding. ¡°Turns out, this whole thing, it doesn¡¯t belong to the military anymore,¡± Ruby answered and looked at Archie and Eve.

    ¡°There¡¯s someone who owned almost all the property on this land, and the reason why there¡¯s a Central Nation, it was because of him. His name is Victor Maxim, he¡¯s the one who controls everything in this nation,¡± Ruby answered. ¡°He¡¯s the one who owns the laboratory, the headquarters, everything and that includes all the technologies they have right now,¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that he didn¡¯t give them permission to use his technologies?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly what happened. He didn¡¯t lend them proper equipment because he said that he needed them to make the Central Nation and to gather resources for the greater good,¡± Ruby answered. ¡°Faye said that Victor Maxim had his own army of Axis Humans that live under the radar and she believes that they¡¯re equal or even stronger than us,¡±

    Both Archie and Eve looked interested in Victor Maxim.

    ¡°Yeah, I talked about this with Eve and she said the same thing. There are people who pretended to be normal human beings but the truth is they¡¯re stronger than both of you,¡± Archie said.

    Ruby and Vincent hummed with understanding.

    ¡°Right, now after that incident that happened a month ago, we met him,¡± Ruby said as she looked at Archie and Eve. ¡°We didn¡¯t have a chance to speak with him but we heard he was pissed,¡±

    ¡°The reason why Faye decided to go and hunt the one who was responsible for the incident, it¡¯s because he was the one who ordered her to hunt the culprit,¡± Ruby said as she looked at Eve.

 Chapter 142 A familiar building.

    ¡°Oh? Really? Isn¡¯t that interesting?¡± Eve asked with her eyebrow raised. ¡°What kind of a guy he is?¡±

    ¡°Well, since this ¡°operation¡± is his request, we will be seeing him much from now on. I know what you¡¯re thinking, but let us deal with him because both of you are really suspicious right now,¡± Ruby answered and drank her beer.

    ¡°What do you mean suspicious?¡± Archie asked with his eyebrows furrowed.

    ¡°Come on, Archie, you both went missing and suddenly came back as if nothing happened? You both have a very mysterious and suspicious background, don¡¯t you think Victor didn¡¯t do a background check on both of you?¡± Ruby answered as she smiled and shook her head.

    ¡°Bubby is right, it¡¯s easier to get something from him when he knows with whom he¡¯s dealing with. If our suspicion is right that either he¡¯s someone like you or someone that worked for someone like you, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to be a good idea to reveal yourself, no?¡± Vincent explained as he looked at both of them.

    Archie looked at Eve with his eyebrows raised, he was asking if she agreed to their request. Eve sighed and nodded her head because she knew that she wasn¡¯t the one who was in danger if that happened but Archie who would take all the trouble.

    ¡°What are you going to do then?¡± Eve stared at Ruby.

    ¡°Since you both are back, there¡¯s no reason for us to be worried about getting killed by you. We both will tell Faye that we agree on doing this mission since it will be pointless,¡± Ruby answered as she swirled the bottle. ¡°I also have an idea. Why don¡¯t you guys don¡¯t join us in the mission?¡± Ruby looked at them.

    ¡°Sure, it will be a boring and pointless mission after all, but why?¡± Eve asked back.

    ¡°There¡¯s a place that I want you both to go and check,¡± Ruby answered as she grabbed something from her jacket. ¡°I want you guys to go to this place while we are going on a mission,¡± Ruby have a photo and gave it to Archie.

    Archie hummed with his eyebrows furrowed because he recognized the building in the photo. It was the same building where those tattooed Axis Humans gathered.

    ¡°I know this place,¡± Archie said and then looked at Ruby. ¡°Why do you want us to go there?¡±

    ¡°We did some digging on this Victor guy, and we found out that place is one of his turfs. You might get something in there and I believe it will be useful for us,¡± Ruby said as she pointed at the photo. ¡°Maybe you can find some top secret information and there might be a clue whether he¡¯s one of you or not,¡±

    Eve grabbed the photo from Archie¡¯s hand and she looked at it while humming with understanding.

    ¡°Should I destroy that whole building? It will be fun,¡± Eve said as she stared at the photo.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s up to you. I mean, you both can change your appearance and there¡¯s no way you both will get caught either,¡± Ruby replied as she rested her head on her fist.

    Eve looked at Archie and raised her eyebrows, she was reminding him about the mission that Throne and Cherubim told them. Archie looked at Ruby and Vincent from the corner of his eyes for a moment, and then he nodded with understanding.

    ¡°By the way, why did you steal the serum? You haven¡¯t told us about your story and where you guys went to,¡± Vincent asked as he looked at both of them and chugged the beer.

    Archie told them about Eve¡¯s condition when she consumed the dragon¡¯s heart, and then he told them about his encounter with Hansel. They were surprised when they heard Archie lose control over his body and almost turned himself into a King-type parasite.

    Eve told them about the reason why she stole the serum, and the struggle they both had gone through. Archie then told them that he killed another Adam and found something on the island, but he didn¡¯t tell them what they found because it was unnecessary for them, at least at that moment.

    ¡°I see, so there should be four of them left, right?¡± Ruby asked.

    ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m not sure how strong they are so I need to prepare myself,¡± Archie said as he stared at his own hand. ¡°This new ability is really weird and I¡¯m not sure if I want to use it,¡± Archie said as he turned his right hand into a gel and fell onto the table.

    ¡°That looks disgusting, seriously,¡± Ruby looked at Archie¡¯s hand with disgust. ¡°You said that he could control a parasite, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a nice ability since you can use it when you¡¯re too lazy to fight a parasite?¡±

    ¡°I know, but it¡¯s more than just that,¡± Archie replied. ¡°I think this ability can control anything that lives, like you or Vincent for example. I can take control over your body with this,¡± Archie explained as he turned his hand back to normal.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean you can take control over Eve¡¯s body with that?¡± Vincent asked and looked at both of them.

    Archie and Eve looked at each other for quite a while but then he shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I want to do that, I think it¡¯s wrong to use it on someone that you know, especially her,¡± Archie answered.

    Ruby looked at them back and forth then started to chuckle and shook her head.

    ¡°Oh, look at the time, I should talk about the mission with Faye,¡± Ruby said as she looked at her wristwatch. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Vince,¡± Ruby tilted her head toward the stairs.

    Vincent, Archie, and Eve stood up, Ruby looked at them with her eyebrows furrowed. ¡°You¡¯re coming as well?¡± Ruby asked.

    ¡°Faye told us earlier that we are going to discuss about the mission with you guys,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°Right, let¡¯s go then,¡± Ruby nodded her head.

    They all went back to the temporary headquarters and visited Faye¡¯s office.

    ¡°Hmm? Do you guys need anything?¡± Faye asked as she was tidying up her desk.

    ¡°Yes, we should talk about the mission,¡± Ruby said as she sat down on the sofa.

    Faye looked at Archie and Eve while she sat down on her chair. ¡°Okay, let me call Nova here,¡± Faye said as she grabbed the phone.

    Nova came in and Archie noticed that she looked different than the usual, he didn¡¯t know exactly why.

    ¡°Oh, you guys are back, where have you guys been?¡± Nova asked.

    ¡°Honeymoon,¡± Eve answered without hesitation and both Faye and Nova as surprised when they heard it.

    ¡°You can sit down, Nova,¡± Faye said as she looked at her. ¡°How are you feeling today?¡± Faye asked with a worried voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Nova forced her smile and she sat down.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°She encountered with the Ex-Human, and she¡¯s still traumatized because of it. It has been a month since then but she¡¯s still having nightmares about that incident,¡± Faye answered as she looked at her. ¡°Anyway, what do you want to say about the mission, Ruby? Are you going to tell me that we shouldn¡¯t do it?¡±

    Ruby shook her head. ¡°No, it¡¯s quite the opposite actually. I think we should do it,¡± Ruby answered.

    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s with the sudden changes?¡± Faye asked with curiosity written all over her face.

    ¡°Do we really have a choice? If Mister Victor really wants us to go out there, I don¡¯t think we can say no to that,¡± Ruby answered. ¡°I¡¯m also worried about this mission because the Ex-Human knows about the serum and it would be dangerous if she used it against us,¡± Ruby continued.

    ¡°You¡¯re exactly right about it, and Victor also said the same thing to me when he came to visit. We have to do this whether we like it or not, and hope that we don¡¯t encounter her,¡± Faye sighed as she leaned on the chair.

    ¡°So, when are going to do the mission and hunt that Ex-Human?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s all depend on Victor, we will move when he gives an order. Looking at the current situation, maybe we are going to move in a few days from now,¡± Ruby answered and looked at the clock on the wall.

    ¡°About that,¡± Archie said as he stared at Faye. ¡°I think ity better to let me and Eve to go our own separate ways,¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? Is there a reason why you both want to go on your own?¡± Faye looked at both of them with confusion.

    ¡°Yes, because it¡¯s better that way so we can find the Ex-Human faster since we have no idea where she went to, right?¡± Archie answered as he stared at Faye with a serious expression.

    Faye looked at Archie while she rubbed her chin. ¡°Alright, I think it¡¯s not a bad idea,¡± Faye nodded her head with understanding. ¡°Where are you going to search for the Ex-Human?¡±

    ¡°West, because I think she¡¯s either came from there or from the FalCon-1. We are going to check both area,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°I see, we can regroup in one of the cities in Western Nation on the seventh day so we can explore the FalCon-1 together since that¡¯s also our destination,¡± Faye said as she looked at Archie.

    ¡°Fine by us,¡± Archie replied and nodded his head.

    ¡°Perfect, I will continue Victor now and ask about the mission,¡± Faye said as she grabbed the phone.

 Chapter 143 Victor Maxim.

    ¡°How coincidence that Victor himself is in the building right now, should we go and talk to him?¡± Faye asked as she looked at them.

    Archie glanced at Eve then he glanced at Ruby who stared at them both the moment Faye asked that question.

    ¡°Sure, why not,¡± Eve answered with a smile on her face.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go down, he¡¯s on the ground floor,¡± Faye said as she stood up and put all the documents on the drawer and locked it.

    They all went to the ground floor and Archie was a bit nervous because if Victor really an underling of one of the Adams, he didn¡¯t want to be exposed. The chance the Adam who owned Victor was the first Adam was really high and that was the only reason he got nervous.

    Faye was the first one to exit the lift, and then the others followed her from behind.

    A man with black hair and green eyes in a grey suit was accompanied with a group of people in black suit, they were all Axis Humans and were stronger than Ruby. One thing that made Archie a bit relieved was because Victor wasn¡¯t the Adam, and that meant Victor was an underling.

    ¡°Good evening, Mister Victor,¡± Faye said as she walked toward him and saluted him.

    ¡°Lieutenant Colonel Faye, I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m taking your time,¡± Victor said as he walked toward them.

    ¡°No, I was about to ask you about the mission as well, so this is a perfect timing,¡± Faye replied as she shook her head. ¡°Should we go somewhere else to talk about the mission?¡± Faye asked.

    Victor hummed as he looked at everyone and then his eyes stopped when he looked at Eve.

    ¡°Is she in your team?¡± Victor asked as he pointed at Eve and his gaze was enough to annoy Archie. Not just him, but Eve was disgusted by the way he looked at her.

    ¡°Yes, she is. Her name is Eve and she¡¯s in fact the strongest member that we have,¡± Faye introduced Eve to Victor. Faye turned her head to look at Eve but Eve stared at her dead in the eye as if she was angry at her.

    ¡°Eve, huh? What an interesting name,¡± Victor said while staring at Eve. ¡°Shall we use the meeting room?¡± Victor asked and looked at Faye.

    ¡°Yes, after you, Mister Victor,¡± Faye replied with a smile and then she looked back at Eve again and she was still making the same expression.

    Archie, Ruby, and Vincent glanced at Eve who looked pissed at Faye, they knew why she was so pissed. It wasn¡¯t really Faye¡¯s fault to mentioned Eve¡¯s name to Victor since she knew nothing about what was going on.

    They entered the meeting room and all of them sat down at the oval table.

    ¡°So, what do you want to talk about the mission? Have you decided?¡± Victor asked Faye and kept stealing glances at Eve.

    ¡°Yes, we decided to go and hunt for the Ex-Human and we are ready to go,¡± Faye answered as she nodded her head.

    ¡°Great! Where are you going to look for her? Do you have any ideas or guesses where she¡¯s at?¡± Victor asked and looked at the others.

    ¡°We believe for someone like her to be able to do something like that, we believe she¡¯s a strong one and she might be equal to a King-type parasite. So, we discussed about this earlier and believe that she might be in FalCon-1 right now,¡± Faye answered with her arms crossed.

    ¡°FalCon-1? Are you sure that she will be there? It¡¯s going to take a lot of effort to get there,¡± Victor asked as he pressed his hands together and put them in front of his mouth.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s worth to try and even if she¡¯s not there, it would be best to check FalCon-1 as well since it has been a while since anyone step their foot in there,¡± Faye answered as she exhaled deeply.

    Victor hummed as he nodded his head but he didn¡¯t sound convinced at all.

    ¡°Maybe you should go and check somewhere else because she might be still around here,¡± Victor said. ¡°She could be hiding in the forest on the west, and maybe she¡¯s inside one of those caves that leads to the dept of the Earth,¡± Victor continued.

    ¡°Yes, we have talked about it as well, that¡¯s why our final destination would be FalCon-1. Before that, we will be checking everything on the west and divided into many teams to make it easier and faster to find where she went,¡± Ruby explained and then she looked at Victor with curiosity. ¡°Is there a reason why you don¡¯t want us to go to FalCon-1?¡±

    ¡°Not really, but it¡¯s going to be a waste of time,¡± Victor answered with his eyebrows raised.

    ¡°A waste of time? What if she¡¯s there? Have you checked FalCon-1 after the incident?¡± Ruby asked with her eyebrows furrowed and started to feel suspicious about why Victor didn¡¯t want them to go to FalCon-1.

    Victor looked at Faye and immediately lowered his hands. ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s just I think it¡¯s too far for her to be there in the first place,¡± Victor answered.

    ¡°But she could fly, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s such a thing being too far,¡± Faye replied and kept staring at him with confusion.

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right. Then it¡¯s possible that she¡¯s in FalCon-1,¡± Victor said as he cleared his throat. ¡°Well then, since it¡¯s already late, how about we discuss about it again tomorrow morning? I still have another thing that need to be taken care of, and I will ask them to prepare all the necessity for the mission tomorrow as well,¡±

    Victor left the room and didn¡¯t say a single word after he said that, and he looked a bit panicking when he got confronted by Faye. Ruby, Vincent, and Archie looked at each other and thought that Victor might know something.

    ¡°Faye, can we have a talk?¡± Eve said as she stared at Faye.

    ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± Faye nodded her head and knew that Eve was pissed at her for some reason. Before she could what made Eve pissed at her, Eve stood up and approached her.

    ¡°What the fuck was that?¡± Eve asked as she put her right hand on the table in front of Faye and stared down at her.

    ¡°What do you mean? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Faye stared back with a puzzled look.

    ¡°Why did you introduce me to that guy? Do you think I like it when someone introduced me to someone who I don¡¯t care?¡± Eve asked with her eyebrows raised.

    ¡°I thought you would be fine with it,¡± Faye replied as she gulped nervously.

    Eve scoffed and held back from grabbing Faye on the neck by clenching her fists. ¡°Don¡¯t ever introduce me or say my name to people that I don¡¯t know. Even if I want them to know who I am,, I can do it myself,¡± Eve said as she leaned her head toward Faye.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t do that again,¡± Faye replied.

    Eve kept staring at Faye and didn¡¯t say anything for quite a while, and then she walked away and sat back to her seat. Archie, Ruby, Vincent, and Nova were silently stared at Eve and didn¡¯t do anything because they had no idea what to do or say.

    ¡°Alright, since it¡¯s already late, you guys are dismissed,¡± Faye said. ¡°You can ask for a room, Archie, the receptionist will give you a key to an empty room,¡± Faye continued and glanced at Eve.

    ¡°Oaky, I will do that now,¡± Archie replied as he nodded his head with understanding.

    All of them left the meeting room, Archie and Eve went to the ground floor and asked for a key to the receptionist. They both got a room right in front of Ruby¡¯s room, and right next to Nova¡¯s room, both Ruby and Vincent then visited Archie¡¯s room.

    ¡°What do you guys think? That Victor guy is one of you or not?¡± Ruby asked.

    ¡°No, he¡¯s not one of us, so I think he¡¯s just an underling. It would be nice if you can get something from him, because he must be hiding something from us when Faye confronted him back there,¡± Archie answered as he sat down on the bed.

    ¡°Yeah, we both think so too, he was kind of suspicious and I think he knows something about FalCon-1 that we don¡¯t,¡± Ruby said as she nodded her head in agreement. ¡°By the way, what are you going to do now? Do you think he¡¯s going to report Eve to his boss?¡±

    Archie looked back and saw Eve was staring down at the city through the window.

    ¡°Possibly, but even if he did, that didn¡¯t affect our plan at all,¡± Eve answered with her arms crossed. ¡°As long as he only knows what I look like, everything will be fine,¡± Eve continue and looked at Ruby from the corener of her eyes.

 Chapter 144 Getting an alibi.

    Archie and Eve attended the big meeting with Faye, Fanheim, Marlon, and Gard. They were talking about the mission to find the Ex-Human behind the incident, and Fanheim already knew the culprit behind it and she was right in the room with them.

    Fanheim didn¡¯t say anything and had been told about what actually happened and the reason behind Eve¡¯s decision to steal the serum. Ruby and Vincent told him about it, and now he was sitting there listening to a mission that was unnecessary.

    The meeting ended and the mission had become a big operation thanks to the fund that Victor provided. Everything was financed by Victor including equipment and transportation that were going to be used for the operation.

    Everyone left the meeting room, Ruby, Vincent, and Fanheim went to the bar because Ruby wanted to report the secret plan. Fanheim knew about the current situation of the newly developed world which seemed suspicious, and not only him but Marlon as well.

    Marlon and Fanheim did have a high rank in the military but since they were in a different nation, they only have the title but not the power. They didn¡¯t dare to do anything that jeopardize their position and so all they did was observe and listen to the report from Fanheim that was given to him by Ruby.

    ¡°Where did you guys go?¡± Nova asked when she saw Ruby and Vincent walk in the hallway.

    ¡°We have a drink with Colonel Fanheim, talking about the operation,¡± Ruby answered as she unlocked the door to her room. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Were you waiting for us?¡± Ruby continued as she looked at Nova and entered the room.

    ¡°No, I mean, yeah,¡± Nova said and she sounded confused.

    Ruby furrowed her forehead and smiled at Nova. ¡°What is it?¡± Ruby asked.

    ¡°I feel like you both are up to something and not just both of you, but Archie and Eve as well. Are you guys doing something that you hide from me?¡± Nova stared at both of them.

    Ruby and Vincent looked at each other and then Ruby looked at Nova with curiosity. ¡°Do you know anything about Victor Maxim?¡± Ruby asked.

    ¡°Victor Maxim? I only know a little about him, but I know that he owned half of the Sky Station and I heard that he¡¯s the richest man in the world,¡± Nova answered with her arms crossed. ¡°Are you guys investigating him or something?¡±

    Ruby put her finger on her lips as she looked around the empty and silent hallway.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this on the rooftop, with Archie and Eve,¡± Ruby said as she walked past Nova and stood in front of Archie¡¯s room.

    Archie opened the door for them and learned that Nova might be able to help Ruby and Vincent on finding information related to Victor Maxim. They all went to the rooftop where there were no people around them and CCTVs weren¡¯t really a problem since they could find a spot where CCTVs couldn¡¯t spot them.

    Ruby explained everything to Nova, and she was a bit skeptical at first but then Ruby gave evidence that she got from the investigation she and Vincent did. Nova was surprised when she saw the photo of the building that Archie showed her, she was curious about what kind of information they were hiding in that building.

    ¡°So you guys are going to investigate this building after the operation?¡± Nova asked.

    Before Ruby could answer that question, Eve answered. ¡°Yes, we are planning to go there and pay a visit once we are done with the operation,¡± Eve looked at Ruby and Vincent.

    Ruby nodded her head with understanding. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the plan,¡± Ruby said.

    ¡°I see, maybe I can get someone that can help us in,¡± Nova said.

    ¡°Sure, if you think they can help us, it¡¯s better,¡± Eve replied with a smile on her face. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this once we are done with the operation, we are going to leave early in the morning tomorrow, right?¡±

    All of them nodded and then went back to their own room.

    The next morning, everyone gathered in the headquarters and there were thousands of Axis Humans on the field. Archie looked at them and it reminded him of the expedition team that Iohann led back then, it felt the same and the atmosphere was similar.

    Marshal Marlon and Marshal Gard were giving speeches before sending everyone outside the wall.

    Archie and Eve were in a different group and it was just the two of them because Eve requested that from Faye. The reason that she used this was that she didn¡¯t want anyone to hold her back during the mission, and it was quite reasonable. Faye also thought it would be better to deploy the other Axis Humans to different groups that were lacking in number and strength.

    ¡°Archie, Eve, can you come here for a second?¡± Faye said when she saw they were about to leave the headquarters.

    ¡°Victor has prepared each time a vehicle and you can use this key if you can drive a car,¡± Faye showed the key that she took from her pocket.

    ¡°No, we both can¡¯t drive a car nor a bike, it¡¯s more practical if we go on foot because we can explore the forest without having to worry about the vehicle,¡± Archie answered as he shook his head.

    ¡°Are you sure? We are going to meet in the Western Nation though, are you sure you can walk that far and reach there in a week?¡± Faye asked with her eyebrows raised.

    ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem, we will be there in a week,¡± Archie nodded his head.

    ¡°Alright, and don¡¯t forget about the checkpoint area. You both can go there to get the ransom and rest there if you need it,¡± Faye said as she put the key in her pocket. ¡°I guess you both are going now since you will be on foot for the mission. I can only say be safe, both of you,¡± Faye continued and looked at both of them.

    Archie and Eve nodded and left the headquarters with only a backpack on their back.

    ¡°We should be visible or seen by the others to reduce their suspicion and at least so we can have an alibi. Let¡¯s be patient and just keep walking for the next two days, then we can go to the checkpoint area to report that there was nothing suspicious and spend a day there,¡± Archie said as he looked at the empty road in front of him after they both went outside the wall.

    ¡°Fine by me, I will follow your lead,¡± Eve said as she looked at Archie who grabbed the map in his backpack.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see, the nearest checkpoint is 63 kilometers from here, that¡¯s only half a day of walking from here,¡± Archie said as he looked at the map, and then they heard the sound of engines from behind.

    Cars and buses went past them and honking their horns at them, Archie and Eve just waved at them with a smile. They saw Ruby and Vincent in the car with Daniel and Tommy, then they saw Faye with Aster and Nova in the same car.

    ¡°Look at them, they looked like they¡¯re going on a vacation or something,¡± Archie said as he waved at the cars.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t they? I mean they won¡¯t find anything,¡± Eve replied and looked at Archie with a smile.

    ¡°I guess you¡¯re not wrong,¡± Archie said and turned around, he didn¡¯t see any more vehicles. ¡°Alright, we have shown our face, now let¡¯s go somewhere near the checkpoint area and just chill there,¡± Archie continued and looked at Eve.

    They both entered the forest and immediately flew away to where the checkpoint was. They could see the convoy from above the sky and flew past them unnoticed.

    As Archie planned, they both went to the checkpoint on the third day. They both were not expecting to see Faye there, and so they approached her.

    ¡°What are you doing here, Faye?¡± Archie asked after he grabbed the free ransom.

    ¡°Ah, Archie, Eve, you guys got here already,¡± Faye said as he put her phone down. ¡°I¡¯m just checking if everyone has passed the checkpoint, and you both are the last ones,¡± Faye answered as she pointed at the camp.

    ¡°I see, well, we have checked the area near the city but we found nothing. We also checked the area around here but only found a few parasites,¡± Archie said and pointed in the direction where he found the parasites.

    ¡°Good work, both of you,¡± Faye smiled and nodded her head with understanding. ¡°Are you going to continue after this?¡± Faye asked.

    ¡°We will rest for a bit here and continue tonight,¡± Archie nodded his head.

    ¡°Alright, since you both are here and my job is also done, I¡¯m going to the second checkpoint. I will see you guys there then,¡± Faye said and then left.

    ¡°This is perfect, we can go to the Northern Nation tonight,¡± Archie said to Eve.

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s make a mess in a single night where everyone is sleeping. It¡¯s going to be fun,¡± Eve replied with a smile on her face.

 Chapter 145 Secured.

    The moon was shining brightly and there were no other sounds but crickets and bats flapping their wings. Archie and Eve were just sitting on a bench inside an abandoned building, they both looked down and saw people were still around the checkpoint and preparing to leave.

    ¡°Let¡¯s leave,¡± Archie said as he grabbed his backpack.

    Eve followed Archie out of the building, he then said his leave to them and made sure they recognized his face and Eve¡¯s face. After they all wished them good luck, they both walked the road until they were far enough that those people couldn¡¯t see them anymore.

    They both flew up into the sky like bats and then flew to the Northern Nation which was only two hours of flying.

    ¡°So, which building?¡± Eve asked as she stared down at the bright city below her.

    ¡°This is hard to see if we are up in the sky. Let¡¯s just go there by foot,¡± Archie answered as he changed his appearance and made sure his new face didn¡¯t resemble his real face.

    Eve looked at Archie while smiling and then she did the same thing but it only took her a few seconds while he took a whole minute.

    ¡°Are you done?¡± Eve asked as she looked at Archie who was holding his face.

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go,¡± Archie nodded and they both dove down.

    They landed in the forest not far from the city wall, and then they entered the city so casually.

    Archie tried to remember the path he took back then when Ivan showed him the direction to the building. Even though he didn¡¯t remember much, the building was tall enough that they could see it from the distance.

    Eve stole a leather jacket and jeans on a mannequin that showed behind the glass since she didn¡¯t want her outfit to be recognized. Archie did the same and took the similar leather jacket, they both used the changing room so casually.

    Archie stood in the middle of the road, the same road when he met Nova. He saw so many people with tattoos on their neck, arms, and chest were still wandering on the street. He thought the road would be empty but turned out those people were living like a bat.

    ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± Eve asked as she leaned on the wall and stared at dozens of them on the street.

    ¡°Do whatever you want, I will go straight into the building and get some information,¡± Archie answered as he tightened his gloves.

    ¡°Really? Then I will make the best distraction for you,¡± Eve replied as she raised her eyebrows. ¡°I¡¯m good at attracting attention,¡± Eve continued as she walked on the sidewalk and let her hair loose.

    Eve walked so casually with her hands inside her jacket pockets, and it was enough to attract the men that were chilling on the sidewalk. They all looked at her with their eyebrows raised, and then they decided to approach her while Archie walked on the other side of the road.

    ¡°What¡¯s up, baby? What are you doing here on your own?¡± A man with a black tank top with tattoos on both arms and on his chest asked as he stood in front of Eve.

    ¡°I heard this place is where strong men gathered,¡± Eve said as she looked at the four men standing in front of her.

    ¡°You came to the right place, baby,¡± The man in a tanktop said.

    Before the man could put his hand on Eve¡¯s shoulder, she pushed the man¡¯s hand away from her. She looked at him and raised her eyebrows with a mocking smile on her face, she then walked past him and didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°You¡¯re not the man I¡¯m looking for, you¡¯re not strong enough to accompany me for tonight,¡± Eve said as she kept walking.

    The four men looked at each other and immediately followed Eve from behind. They all tried to convince her that they were the strongest men on the street, but their loud voices attracted the others who weren¡¯t realized there was a beautiful woman on the street.

    Archie saw them walking to the other side of the road and it made him easier to walk toward the building. He looked at dozens of men surrounding her, he felt a bit annoyed to see a lot of men surrounding her even though she was doing it so he could enter the building unnoticed.

    It didn¡¯t take long until Eve became the center of attention amongst the men. All the people who were standing in front of the building entrance left to see her up close.

    Archie entered the building and was immediately welcomed by a group of men.

    ¡°You¡¯re not allowed here!¡± A man in a black shirt and gold necklace said.

    Archie didn¡¯t waste his time speaking, he grabbed two of them on the face and slammed them together. The other men were trying to grab their daggers on their waist, but Archie kicked the guy on the left right on his throat. The last guy was shocked but Archie¡¯s foot was about to hit him on the jaw and couldn¡¯t dodge it.

    Archie pulled the four men behind the counter and hid them there, he checked each pocket on their jeans and jackets. He found a keycard and thought it might be for using the lift since that was how they used the lift up in the Sky Station.

    Archie used the lift and slid the keycard to give him access to use the lift. He was right about it but unfortunately, the keycard didn¡¯t have permission to reach above the twentieth floor.

    ¡°I guess I have to hunt more keycards,¡± Archie said to himself as he pressed the button to the twentieth floor.

    The moment the lift made a *Ding* sound, Archie ran out of the lift because he felt dozens of Axis Humans outside the lift. He looked at each one of them in less than a second and immediately took them down one by one.

    ¡°Got it,¡± Archie said after checking the sixth guy¡¯s shirt pocket and finding the keycard.

    Archie went back to the lift and used the new keycard, it gave him access up to the fiftieth floor because it was the last number in the lift.

    ¡°For a place with a bunch of thugs to hang out, this is too suspicious with how secure this building is,¡± Archie said as he slapped his palm with the keycard repeatedly and stared at the number above the door.

    It was the same as on the twentieth floor, there were people on the fiftieth floor but it was lesser than before and a lot stronger than the previous ones. He took care of them but the problem was one of them managed to alert the whole building.

    ¡°I knew it, there¡¯s a different lift on this floor,¡± Archie said as he looked at the other side of the floor. ¡°It looks different, and there¡¯s no place to slide the keycard,¡± Archie continued as he checked on the lift.

    Archie found out it needed a fingerprint rather than a keycard, he then grabbed all the men and grabbed their thumbs. One by one he put the men¡¯s thumbs, and luckily one of them had a higher authority and manage to open the lift.

    The lift could be pressed up to the highest floor which was the seventy-sixth floor, Archie went up and wonder what he would find on the highest floor.

    When Archie reached the seventieth floor, he could feel the presence of a parasite from above. He was suspicious about the presence because it wasn¡¯t that strong but it was different than the other parasites that he had felt.

    The moment the lift¡¯s door opened, he saw the whole room was dark with only stripes of lights on the sides of the room. He walked in and immediately automatic lamps switched on, and he saw dozens of Gen-0 parasites being secured inside tubes.

    ¡°Why are they here?¡± Archie asked as he approached one of the tubes and looked at the parasite closely.

    The parasite jumped but the glass prevented it from pouncing on Archie¡¯s face. He really wanted to check it out but he came there for a more important thing.

    There was a computer right in the middle of the room, he walked there and knew that the computer would be protected by passwords and security that he couldn¡¯t get through. He decided to grab the hard disk because someone might be able to crack it open for him.

    ¡°Alright, all I need to do is now leave the building,¡± Archie said as he put the hard disk in the bag. ¡°I¡¯m not going down there, I can just fly away,¡± Archie looked at the lift and then tore the wall open with his fingers.

    Archie flew out of the building and looked down, he saw hundreds of men laying on the ground while Eve just stood in the middle with bloody hands. He descended and stood right in front of her, he didn¡¯t know what happened but it was a mess.

    ¡°Did you kill them?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°They tried to touch me, so I kill those who tried to touch me,¡± Eve answered as she looked at all the bodies on the ground.

    ¡°So, all of them?¡± Archie asked again with his eyebrows raised.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Eve answered with an innocent smile.

 Chapter 146 A smooth plan.

    ¡°What did you find?¡± Eve asked as she and Archie flew above the sky.

    ¡°This,¡± Archie said as he showed the hard disk that he pulled out from his bag. ¡°We need someone that could break through the password in this hard disk,¡± Archie continued as he looked at the hard disk.

    ¡°Do we have someone that could do something like that? I¡¯m sure Eve and the others have the skill for that,¡± Eve asked as she looked down and saw so many cars going to the building because they heard about what happened.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but there¡¯s someone that I think can help us,¡± Archie answered as he put the hard disk back into the bag. ¡°You have met him before, but you were unconscious back then,¡± Archie continued as he looked at the area where Ivan¡¯s house was.

    Archie flew down and stealthily went walked into the dark alleyway with Eve. They both changed their appearance back because Ivan wouldn¡¯t notice him if he used a different face.

    Archie knocked on the door where Ivan stayed, sadly nobody responded, but he kept knocking on the door until Ivan finally opened the door. Ivan looked at both of them and looked a bit surprised, he then invites them into his house while he was half awake.

    ¡°What time is it?¡± Ivan asked as he squinted his eyes to look at the time on the wall. ¡°What the, it¡¯s still 2 in the morning, what are you guys doing here early in the morning?¡± Ivan asked as he turned around to look at them.

    Archie grabbed the hard disk and showed it to Ivan. ¡°Can you crack this open? Or someone you know that can do it?¡± Archie asked as he showed the hard disk to Ivan.

    ¡°Huh? A hard disk? Let me see,¡± Ivan replied as he reached out his hand and grabbed the hard disk from Archie¡¯s hand.

    Ivan sat down as he yawned and rubbed his right eye, he then looked at the hard disk from back to the front.

    ¡°Where did you get this? This is really a nice hard disk,¡± Ivan asked as he kept checking the hard disk.

    ¡°Do you remember the building where the Axis Humans with tattoos hang out? I stole it from the top floor of the building,¡± Archie answered as he pointed his thumb over his shoulder.

    Ivan hummed and nodded with understanding, but then he froze and realized what he just heard. He looked at Archie with his mouth and eyes wide open, he then ran outside the house hurriedly.

    Both Archie and Eve looked at each other with a puzzled look but then they followed Ivan.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Archie asked as he followed Ivan into the dark alleyway.

    ¡°Are you fucking crazy?! Do you realize what you did?!¡± Ivan yelled quietly.

    ¡°I know what I did and I want to know what¡¯s inside that hard disk,¡± Archie answered and kept following Ivan from behind. ¡°Hey, tell me what¡¯s wrong? Why are you suddenly panicking?¡± Archie asked as he caught up with him.

    Ivan didn¡¯t answer Archie¡¯s question as he kept walking and checking the hard disk. He suddenly pulled something out from the hard disk and it was a wire with a small chip at the end of it.

    ¡°Do you see this?! This is a tracking device and it can track where the hard disk is! You just put me in big trouble you know that?! When did you get this hard disk?!¡± Ivan yelled as he showed the wire.

    Eve grabbed the wire and crumpled it then threw it away as hard as she could that it disappeared into the sky. Ivan looked at the sky with his eyebrows raised in disbelief, he then looked at Eve and she just raised her eyebrow at him.

    ¡°Ten minutes ago, more or less,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°Ten minutes? That¡¯s bullshit,¡± Ivan answered as he was skeptical about Archie¡¯s answer.

    ¡°I¡¯m serious,¡± Archie replied with a serious expression.

    Ivan looked at the hard disk and then at Archie back and forth, he knew that Archie wouldn¡¯t be lying to him. He sighed as he leaned on the wall and stared at the hard disk while nodding his head.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s wait for half an hour here and see if you¡¯re telling the truth or not. If they checked my house, you have to take responsibility,¡± Ivan said as he stared at both of them with a serious expression.

    Archie smiled and chuckled as he nodded his head with understanding.

    Half an hour had passed and Ivan stared at his place in the distance, he didn¡¯t see any car or anyone checking his house. He looked at Archie and Eve and realized that they were telling the truth, he then looked at the hard disk.

    ¡°So you really just took it from them before you went to my place? How is that possible? The distance from my house to where you get this is already fifteen minutes away,¡± Ivan asked as he looked at both of them.

    ¡°It¡¯s none of your concern, so can you check what¡¯s the inside of that hard disk already?¡± Eve replied as she stared at Ivan.

    Ivan looked at the hard disk for quite a while, he then nodded his head as he tilted his head.

    ¡°I can, but I need to do it somewhere safe and away from my place because I believe the moment I turn this thing on, they can track me again. It will take a while, like maybe three days or more, what do you think? You can wait that long?¡± Ivan explained as he looked at Archie.

    Archie looked at Eve and nodded his head.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine by me, we will be back maybe a week from today because we are in the middle of a mission right now,¡± Archie answered with his arms crossed and stared at the hard disk. ¡°By the way, can you keep it a secret? Don¡¯t tell anyone about what you heard and saw right now,¡±

    Ivan chuckled and nodded his head.

    ¡°My mouth is sealed, I won¡¯t betray a friend of mine,¡± Ivan replied with a smile on his face.

    ¡°Thanks, Ivan, I will repay you back for everything you did for me,¡± Archie said as he patted Ivan¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°You better, because I¡¯m risking my life here,¡± Ivan scoffed while smirking.

    ¡°Alright, see you soon, Ivan,¡± Archie said as he slowly walked backward and then disappeared into the night.

    Archie and Eve flew all the way to the Western Nation and planned to waste their time two days somewhere near the second checkpoint. His plan went smoother than he expected and Eve had fun killing those people as well so it was all good.

    The morning of the third day came and they both went to the second checkpoint by foot. This time, they saw Faye again, not only her, but Ruby and the others as well, they were having a small conversation outside the abandoned building while enjoying a coffee.

    ¡°Archie! Welcome! How was your by-foot journey?¡± Vincent asked with a smile on his face.

    ¡°Quite boring, but we had a little bit of fun here and there,¡± Archie answered as he put his backpack down and sat on the bench. ¡°You guys are still here?¡± Archie asked as he looked at them.

    ¡°Well, we are waiting for you. We wanted to know your reports about your investigation about the area you went to, because so far, we couldn¡¯t find anything related to the Ex-Human,¡± Faye answered as she took a sip of her coffee.

    ¡°I see, but I guess we aren¡¯t bringing any good news for you because we didn¡¯t find anything either,¡± Archie replied as he sighed and raised his eyebrows. ¡°So the last place that might have any clue about the Ex-Human would be in FalCon-1, huh?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°I guess so,¡± Faye nodded her head as she took a deep breath and exhaled deeply. She looked a bit nervous because she was a bit worried about going to FalCon-1.

    While they were talking about their investigation to Archie and Eve, suddenly a guy ran hurriedly toward them. Faye looked at him with a puzzled look because he looked panicked for some reason.

    ¡°Lieutenant Colonel! Something happened to one of the VMC¡¯s buildings!¡± The guy said as he held a letter in his hand or more like a paper. ¡°Here, lieutenant colonel!¡± The guy offered the paper to Faye.

    Faye read it out loud because everyone around her was people that she trusted. Everyone was shocked when they heard about the slaughter in VMC¡¯S building or Victor Maxim Corporation. In the report, they said it had connection with the Ex-Human and they were investigating it as Faye read the report.

    ¡°This is¡­¡± Faye was speechless and didn¡¯t know what to do about the report. ¡°We have been wandering for a week in here, but the Ex-Human is somewhere near us all along?!¡± Faye crumpled the paper and she was furious about it.

    ¡°So, what are we going to do now?¡± Ruby asked.

    ¡°We are going back! Just the six of us!¡± Faye answered as she looked at the north.

 Chapter 147 Be wary.

    Faye took the car and brought everyone back to the Central Nation to meet with Victor. It took them a whole day of driving to get back to the Central Nation, and they all immediately went to the VMC building.

    Archie and the others looked at the building and it was the tallest building in the city. Nova, Ruby, and Vincent had no idea that the building belonged to Victor, and thanks to Faye, they knew about it now.

    ¡°You guys wait here, I will enter the building on my own because they¡¯re not allowing anyone to enter without permission,¡± Faye said as she fixed the steering wheel position and looked at the building in front of her. ¡°I will be back in five minutes or so, you can stay here if you want or go out there and buy yourself something to eat,¡± Faye continued as she left the car and walked to the entrance of the building.

    Everyone looked at Faye as being body-checked by the guards in front of the entrance. The whole building was guarded by dozens of armed people, and all of them are Axis Humans.

    ¡°So this is the main building,¡± Ruby said as she lowered her head to see the top of the building from the window. ¡°What do you think they¡¯re hiding in there?¡± Ruby asked as she looked at Archie.

    ¡°Who knows,¡± Archie answered and stared back at Ruby.

    ¡°Are you guys hungry? I¡¯m starving,¡± Nova said as she looked around the car and found nothing to eat.

    Archie looked at Eve and raised his eyebrows, Eve didn¡¯t know what he meant but then realized after Ruby and Vincent looked at her.

    ¡°Let¡¯s buy something to eat, Nova,¡± Eve said as she got out of the back of the car.

    ¡°Nice, you guys coming?¡± Nova asked as she looked at the others.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to stay here just in case Faye is coming back earlier than we expected,¡± Archie answered as he shook his head.

    Ruby and Vincent were also saying the same thing, and then Nova and Eve left to find something to eat for everyone.

    Eve walked next to Nova and stared at her for quite a while.

    ¡°I heard you were heavily injured when you encountered the Ex-Human. I think you¡¯re very lucky to be alive right now after hearing everyone died when they encountered her,¡± Eve said.

    Nova looked at Eve and her expression changed immediately, Eve could tell that she was traumatized by that.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m aware of that,¡± Nova replied as she looked down and hugged herself to give herself some comfort. ¡°It happened so fast, and I think she was sparing my life because she only threw me to the wall even though I broke almost every bone in my body,¡± Nova continued with her eyebrows raised and stared blankly at the road she took.

    Eve giggled and it made Nova confused. ¡°Is something funny?¡± Nova asked.

    ¡°I find it funny that you still have the heart to find her even though she spared your life back there,¡± Eve answered with a smile on her face. ¡°Do you think she will spare your life for the second time if she saw you again?¡± Eve stared Nova in the eye.

    Nova went silent and didn¡¯t reply to Eve¡¯s question as she walked next to Eve.

    (Inside the VMC building)

    Faye was escorted to the lift by two armed men, she wasn¡¯t worried about them since they were just doing their job and it wasn¡¯t her first time visiting the building.

    ¡°Mister Victor is waiting for you in his office, go straight to the room at the end of the hallway, and don¡¯t wander around,¡± One of the men said as he stared at Faye over his shoulder.

    Faye nodded and then the lift door opened, she walked into the hallway while the two men stared at her and stood in front of the lift door. They were going to wait for her until she was done because they had the keycard to access the lift.

    Faye entered Victor¡¯s office and saw Victor was staring at his phone and he looked so pissed.

    ¡°Have a seat, Lieutenant Colonel,¡± Victor said as he put down his phone. ¡°Since you¡¯re here then that means the report has been delivered,¡±

    ¡°Yes, I read the report and knew about the situation in the Northern Nation,¡± Faye nodded her head as she sat down on the sofa.

    ¡°Before we go right into it, there¡¯s something I would like to hear your confirmation about this,¡± Victor said as he looked at his computer and opened a document. ¡°During your mission, it¡¯s reported that everyone who joined the mission was all present on the day before the incident. Is it true?¡± Victor asked as he stared at Faye with a serious expression.

    ¡°Yes, everyone was present and I was there at both checkpoints,¡± Faye nodded her head and stared back at Victor a bit confused. ¡°What¡¯s this all about? Does this have something to do with the incident?¡± Faye asked.

    ¡°We will see,¡± Victor answered as he looked at all the names who joined the mission.

    Faye furrowed her eyebrows and stared at Victor with a puzzled look.

    ¡°In here, Eve joined the mission and you paired her with Archie Lancaster. Not only that, you allowed them to be on their own rather than with the other members,¡± Victor said as he looked at Faye with a bit of suspicion. ¡°You said that everyone was present on the day of the incident, and that includes both of them?¡± Victor asked.

    ¡°Yes, they were there even though they were the last ones to arrive at the checkpoint. The reason why was because they were checking the areas by foot, not like the others who used vehicles,¡± Faye answered as she nodded her head. ¡°Are you trying to say that both of them are the ones behind this incident?¡± Faye asked with her eyes squinted.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking you about this,¡± Victor replied with his arms crossed on the table. ¡°I want you to be honest with me,¡±

    ¡°Of course I¡¯m being honest, I¡¯m telling you the truth and I wasn¡¯t the only one who saw them there. Not to mention, how the hell can they both be in the Northern Nation in just a day or two and then went to the second checkpoint on the third day?! That¡¯s stupid and you know it!¡± Faye was angry because she couldn¡¯t believe that Victor suspected both Archie and Eve since she believed they were innocent.

    ¡°Calm down, Lieutenant Colonel. I¡¯m just asking you and want to confirm if they¡¯re really there, that¡¯s all,¡± Victor said as he leaned on the chair.

    Victor ignored Faye and thought about Archie and Eve because he was told to check on both of them. The evidence was there and he couldn¡¯t ignore it, he also believed that it would be impossible for those two to be in the Northern Nation in just a day or two unless they could fly and that would make sense.

    Victor sighed as he rubbed his face because he was so confused why did someone steal a serum and then a hard disk. For an Ex-Human to be interested in those two was something that didn¡¯t even make any sense, not to mention, that the culprit didn¡¯t even bother to destroy what he hid on the top floor and was smart enough to extract the tracker from the hard disk.

    ¡°Can we go straight and talk about the incident? What did the Ex-Human steal from you this time?¡± Faye asked after she calmed down.

    ¡°That¡¯s none of your concern,¡± Victor answered without hesitation.

    Faye became wary of Victor and the way he monitored the mission was already extremely suspicious. She started to think that something important was stolen from him, something that he didn¡¯t want anyone to know.

    ¡°You¡¯re here not to dig some information related to that because I already gave you enough information related to the incident,¡± Victor said. ¡°Now that you¡¯re here, I want you to assemble more teams for this mission. Whoever finds an Ex-Human, I will personally reward them with tons of money if they can bring them dead or alive,¡±

    Faye raised her eyebrows and then scoffed as she shook her head.

    ¡°I think you forgot that I¡¯m not working for you nor anyone from the Valor special force,¡± Faye said as she stood up and stared at Victor. ¡°If you want to ask anyone to do that dangerous job, go find someone else who is willing to die for nothing because I¡¯m not going to risk my men for your own interest,¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯re the one who¡¯s forgotten that everything that you have right now is all thanks to me. Without me, you won¡¯t have all the facilities that you have now, so basically you¡¯re working for me and you can¡¯t do anything about it,¡± Victor replied with a smirk.

    ¡°Really? Try me?¡± Faye replied.

 Chapter 148 Not exactly the same.

    Faye walked back to the car and she looked really pissed that everyone could tell by the way she breathed and how she glared at the building in front of her. They were curious, but at the same time, they didn¡¯t want to bother her until she decided to speak up and tell them about what had happened there.

    ¡°Can I ask you something, Archie, Eve?¡± Faye asked as she leaned on the seat and stared at Archie through the rear-view mirror. ¡°Did you both do something before you came to the Central Nation that made you recognized by Victor?¡±

    ¡°No, how could we do something in a short time span to make ourselves recognized? It was a week or so before we decided to go to the Central Nation after we survived the hellish journey from the Eastern Nation,¡± Archie replied as he stared back at Faye.

    Faye sighed and she looked so frustrated that everyone else was looking at her with a puzzled look. Archie and Eve already knew what kind of conversation she had in there, and by looking at it, it appeared that his plan worked perfectly.

    ¡°Do you want to tell us what happened?¡± Ruby asked as she chewed on the straw of her drink.

    ¡°Victor accused Archie and Eve to be the ones who responsible to the incident that happened in the Northern Nation. Not only that, he¡¯s now planning on sending us to hunt Ex-Humans with tons of bounty on their heads,¡± Faye answered as she pulled her hair back. ¡°This is ridiculous and I¡¯m not going to go out there just for his own interest,¡±

    ¡°So, we are going to hunt Ex-Humans now?¡± Nova asked with a worried expression after what Eve told her back there.

    Faye put the key in and started the engine. She looked in the rear-view mirror and stared at Nova.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m going to meet Marshal Gard and told about Victor¡¯s ridiculous request. I¡¯m not going to risk my life or yours for this man,¡± Faye said and started driving the car.

    They went back to the temporary headquarter, and Faye hurriedly went to Gard¡¯s office with the others. The moment she walked into his office, Gard was already holding a piece of paper in his hands. He looked at Faye and already knew what she was going to say.

    ¡°I believe you have read Victor¡¯s ridiculous request,¡± Faye said as she stood in front of the door with the others because she respected Gard as her higher-up and didn¡¯t want to sit down without him telling her to.

    ¡°Have a seat,¡± Gard said as he sighed and put down the paper.

    Gard rubbed his chin and jaw as he kept staring at the letter.

    ¡°This request, I know that you don¡¯t agree with him but you must understand that the Valor special force is made for this job,¡± Gard said and stared at Faye. ¡°Before you say anything, I understand your concern and I personally don¡¯t think this is a right way to use our human resource either,¡± Gard continued as he stood up and walked to the front of his desk.

    ¡°Did you find anything about the incident? What happened and what the Ex-Human stole?¡± Faye asked with her arms crossed on her laps.

    Gard slowly shook his head and shrugged his mouth.

    ¡°Not a single information and only photos of the cassualties of the incident,¡± Gard answered.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you find it suspicious? Everything about Victor and his corporation. I wasn¡¯t aware of this until he finally decided to show a glimpse of his true self and what kind of things he¡¯s doing secretly,¡± Faye said and stared at Gard with a serious expression.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think about it, Faye. We are not going to do some investigation to him because of the agreement that we made with him. If we breached the agreement, we would be punished as the consequence,¡± Gard warned Faye as he stared back at her with a serious expression.

    Faye sighed as she raised her eyebrows and leaned on the chair.

    Everyone didn¡¯t say anything because they had no voice in the discussion, no matter how hard they wanted to join the discussion.

    ¡°What are you going to do with his request then? Are you going to accept it and send all of us into the unknown to hunt Ex-Humans that we have never even encountered before? There are so many evidence that nobody survived after they encountered with one,¡± Faye asked. ¡°Except them,¡± Faye continued and looked at Archie and the others.

    ¡°Yes, and Ruby already told us about the finding on the landing site. If not all the Ex-Humans are dangerous, maybe we have a chance to find out about who they are and how did they become like that,¡± Gard replied as he leaned on the desk.

    ¡°Don¡¯t bother thinking about it, Marshal Gard. We were lucky that we met back then wasn¡¯t hostile toward us. If you think there¡¯s a chance, then you¡¯re going to kill everyone you¡¯re going to send to meet them,¡± Ruby finally spoke up. ¡°The one that¡¯s friendly to us is all the way on the other side of the world,¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t the whole operation about this is to find one?¡± Gard asked back as he looked at Ruby.

    ¡°Yes, one, not all of them,¡± Faye answered.

    ¡°What¡¯s the difference? You know that woman or Ex-Human killed dozens of us back then. Does the risk of dying is different than the other?¡± Gard asked with his eyebrows raised.

    Both Ruby and Faye went quiet and couldn¡¯t deny Gard¡¯s words because he was right about it and they didn¡¯t complain about the operation.

    ¡°For now, just continue your operation to find the Ex-Human all the way to the FalCon-1. I will discuss this matter with the other Marshal from all the Nations,¡± Gard continued as he sat back on his seat.

    Faye nodded her head and then looked at each other as she tilted her head toward the door.

    They left the building and went back into the car. They drove all they way back to the second checkpoint because they had a mission that needed to be finished. Since Archie got what he wanted, he had no reason to be going on foot again, so he decided to join them and went all the way to the Western Nation.

    ¡°Are you excited, Archie?¡± Faye asked as she turned her head from the front seat of the car and stared at Archie. ¡°You might be surprised when you see the Western Nation because it¡¯s totally different from the last time you remembered,¡± Faye continued with a smile on her face.

    ¡°I¡¯m more nervous than excited because even though I had so many good memories, there are a few memories that are still haunting me,¡± Archie answered as he looked at the road and the sea in the distance.

    Faye looked a bit curious and Aster who was driving the car looked at Archie from the rear-view mirror.

    ¡°Is Professor Larse still in the Western Nation?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Professor Larse,¡± Faye said as she scoffed as she looked at Aster. ¡°So you know about him? Unfortunately, he got imprisoned because he did some illegal research not long after he succeeded on the experiment on us. Right now, we have no idea where he¡¯s at now because he went missing after he got released,¡± Faye answered and looked at Archie.

    Archie hummed with understanding and didn¡¯t say anything else afterward.

    It took them two days to reached the Western Nation, and as Faye said, it was totally different than the last time Archie remembered. The Western Nation had turned into a modern nation like the Northern and Central Nations. He kind of disappointed because the old Western Nation was like a home to him, but now it was just a strange place.

    ¡°Alright, you¡¯re free for today, but tomorrow early in the morning, we will be going to take the underground train. We are leaving to the FalCon-1,¡± Faye said as she looked at them.

    ¡°Can I go to the Sky Station?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Sure, the Sky Station is still for everyone in Western Nation, and it¡¯s always a home for everyone,¡± Faye answered as she stared at the Sky Station. ¡°Speaking of the Sky Station, I guess we should pay a visit to his room,¡± Faye said to Aster.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been a while and we should visit his grave as well,¡± Aster replied with his head nodded in agreement.

    Archie went to the Sky Station with Eve, Faye, and Aster while Ruby and the others explored the city to get themselves a drink.

    Archie walked in the front with Eve while Faye and Aster followed them from behind. They both looked at Archie with curiosity because they wanted to know where he lived when he was living in the Western Nation.

    Archie stopped in front of a steel door and stared at it for quite a while.

    ¡°You know this room?¡± Faye asked with her eyebrows furrowed.

    ¡°Yes, I used to come here often,¡± Archie answered with a bit of smile while kept staring at the door.

 Chapter 149 Want to remember.

    ¡°So, you know Hendrick Fischer as well¡­¡± Faye said, and she suddenly looked sad. ¡°I miss him, we used to be together here just staring at the sky and the old city every day. The three of us used to hang out together, but I guess he lived inside me now,¡± Faye continued as she looked at her hands.

    ¡°He¡¯s my closest friend to me as well,¡± Archie responded with a little chuckle. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe that I can be here again, but unfortunately, I won¡¯t be able to see him again,¡± Archie sighed as he touched the door and it suddenly opened.

    All of them stared at the room, it was empty, but there were still some items inside. The desk that Archie used to use to study parasites. The bed that he used to dream about becoming an Axis Human. Lastly, dozens of books that he loved to read were still on shelves untouched.

    Archie ran through all the books on the shelves, he then grabbed a book and it was his favorite book.

    ¡°That¡¯s Hendrick¡¯s favorite book. He always had that book in his hand and he reread it for like, dozens of times,¡± Faye said as she stared at the book in Archie¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Yeah, I read this book and that¡¯s why I pick this up,¡± Archie replied as he nodded his head.

    Aster stared at Archie for quite a while and he looked kind of curious and confused at the same time.

    ¡°I believe you that you¡¯re Hendrick¡¯s friend because you seem to know a lot about him, but I¡¯m curious why have we never seen you before? I mean, Hendrick would introduce us to you or the other way around,¡± Aster said as he kept staring at Archie.

    ¡°I know Faye, but it appears that she lost a few of her memories about meeting me,¡± Archie answered as he read the prologue of the book. ¡°But, who knows, maybe there¡¯s a reason why he didn¡¯t want to introduce me to the others,¡± Archie continued as he flipped the page.

    Aster hummed with understanding but he still couldn¡¯t believe it.

    ¡°Do you want to go and pay respect to him, Archie? We both are planning to go to his grave,¡± Faye said as she pointed her thumb over her shoulder.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Archie smiled and stared at Faye.

    The four of them walked the long hallway, Eve had been quiet the whole time and it made Archie a bit confused.

    ¡°You have been so quiet, Eve, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Archie asked as he raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°Nothing, I¡¯m thinking about something, that¡¯s all,¡± Eve answered.

    ¡°You never told us about where you come from, Eve. From which Nation are you? Do you still have a family?¡± Faye asked.

    ¡°I moved a lot that I don¡¯t actually remember where I came from,¡± Eve answered and stared at the city from above. ¡°I don¡¯t have a family, I have been alone for as long as I remember,¡±

    Faye turned her head and stared at Eve. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m being rude, and you don¡¯t have to continue if you don¡¯t want to tell us,¡± Faye said and remembered that Eve was furious at her a few days ago and she still could feel that cold gaze and treatment that Eve gave her.

    They went to the cemetery and Archie was curious about what Hendrick¡¯s grave looked like. Was he buried like a hero, or was he buried like anyone else, and he wanted to know how they treated his grave since he was the reason people could survive and make a drastic change in humankind.

    ¡°This is his grave,¡± Faye looked at Archie as she pointed at the gravestone in front of her.

    Archie was surprised that Hendrick¡¯s grave looked like it was forgotten like any other graves in the cemetery. He couldn¡¯t help but chuckled and shook his head in disbelief while Faye and Aster looked at him with a puzzled look.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Faye asked with her eyebrows raised.

    ¡°I find it funny that he sacrificed himself for humankind, and this is how they treated him?¡± Archie kept chuckling and stared at Hendrick¡¯s grave.

    ¡°It¡¯s easy to forget a good deed and it¡¯s impossible to forget a mistake. There¡¯s nothing we can do about it because it is what it is here, and you know it that everyone will be forgotten once they die,¡± Faye answered and then pursed her lips.

    Archie scoffed and nodded his head in agreement.

    After they paid respect to Hendrick¡¯s grave, Faye and Aster left to prepare for the expedition tomorrow while Archie and Eve stayed behind because he wanted to visit his adoptive parents¡¯ graves.

    ¡°What are you thinking right now, Eve? I¡¯m kind of worried to see you so quiet so suddenly,¡± Archie asked as he stared at the gravestones in front of him.

    ¡°Do you remember I said that I don¡¯t care about my past?¡± Eve replied as she stared at the gravestones. ¡°After seeing you back there up in the Sky Station and the way to looked at that room. It made me rethink that it would be nice to have a past to remember,¡± Eve answered with her arms crossed.

    ¡°They might tell you your past if you ask, so why don¡¯t you ask about it when they come to see you again?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Even though I never asked them about my past, I already know that they won¡¯t tell me anything about it,¡± Eve answered as she looked at Archie. ¡°But, there¡¯s no reason to not try it, so I will ask them about it later,¡±

    They stayed in the cemetery for quite a while because Eve was interested in his past and who his adoptive parents were.

    Faye was following Aster and she just realized that Aster brought her to the administrative office instead of the armory.

    ¡°Where are we going? We are supposed to go the other way,¡± Faye asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m curious about Archie, and since we are here, I want to dig some information about him. I think there¡¯s some oddity about him and his past after thinking about it for quite a while,¡± Aster answered. ¡°I know you¡¯re thinking about it as well, and this might answer all the questions that we both have right now about him,¡± Aster looked at Faye with a serious expression.

    Faye didn¡¯t say anything and decided to follow Aster because she agreed with him.

    They went to the archive room and saw dozens of racks as tall as the room itself with hundreds of boxes on each rack. They both took a deep breath and started looking at the right month and year when Archie was born.

    Since they only know that Archie was the same age as Faye, they started from all the archives from January. It took them hours and realized it was already midnight, but after looking a year before and after Faye¡¯s born, they couldn¡¯t find Archie¡¯s name anywhere.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t right,¡± Faye said as she sat down with a stack of paper in her hands. ¡°There¡¯s no way he¡¯s not registered right? He lives in the Sky Station, then he should be here,¡± Faye looked at the papers that were scattered on the ground.

    ¡°Yeah, this is weird and we are not skipping a single document because I saw your data in one of those boxes. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a mistake here, Faye. I think Archie isn¡¯t from the Western Nation,¡± Aster replied and put the box back in its place.

    ¡°So he¡¯s lying to us?¡± Faye asked with her eyebrows furrowed.

    ¡°Not really, because even if he lied, he knows everything about the Western Nation, and he said he had been living in the Sky Station ever since he was a kid. I believe him but at the same time, I¡¯m suspicious about his past,¡± Aster answered as he put everything back in its place.

    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re right!¡± Faye said as she sprung and grabbed Aster¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°I¡¯m right? About what?¡± Aster looked puzzled.

    ¡°He said he used to live in the Sky Station, right? We can find video footage from when he lived there!¡± Faye answered with her eyes wide open.

    ¡°Right, but look at the time, Faye. We spent six hours here and we haven¡¯t prepared anything for tomorrow,¡± Aster said as he looked at his watch. ¡°We should do this once we are back from the expedition,¡± Aster continued.

    ¡°Oh shit, you¡¯re right! We should go,¡± Faye said.

    They both left the archive room and went to the armory, but they didn¡¯t realize that someone had been listening to their conversation from outside the archive room.

    ¡°What are you going to do about it, Archie? Are you going to let them find out about who you are?¡± Eve asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they will find anything from the footage, because the past has changed,¡± Archie answered as he sighed and stared at Faye and Aster walking in the hallway.

 Chapter 150 Welcomed.

    ¡°Good morning, everyone,¡± Faye said as she walked to the front where hundreds of people were standing in line early in the morning where the dew on the grass was still fresh.

    Faye and Aster stood in front of them while Archie and the others were standing at the front line and stared at them both. She took a deep breath and stared at them back. It reminded her of the time when Flavius gave his speech before sending Iohann to FalCon-1.

    Archie could tell that Faye hesitated in giving a speech, and he knew exactly what was on her mind by the expression she made.

    ¡°If you¡¯re nervous, everyone is going to be nervous as well. You don¡¯t want that when you¡¯re leading hundreds of people into the most dangerous place on earth with that kind of expression,¡± Ruby said and stared at Faye with a serious expression.

    Faye was startled when she heard Ruby say that out loud.

    ¡°Everyone already knows the risk, so don¡¯t bring their fear up to the surface when everyone had prepared mentally and physically since we step our foot here,¡± Ruby continued.

    Faye nodded with understanding as she took a deep breath and exhaled deeply.

    ¡°It appears that we are all nervous about this mission, and I believe it¡¯s a good thing in this situation. Let¡¯s use that nervousness to watch each other¡¯s back because with that being said, we can feel a bit at ease, and at least we know there¡¯s someone who¡¯s going to protect us,¡± Faye said with her hands on her back.

    ¡°We have been through a lot together, let¡¯s keep it that way and stay together so we all can go back home,¡± Faye looked at every one of them. ¡°Seeing you all here, that means you¡¯re ready to go out there, and let¡¯s not waste any more time here listening to this meaningless speech. Let¡¯s go,¡± Faye said as she nodded her head with a serious expression.

    Although Faye said that, she checked on everyone and made sure they prepared everything before they left. She decided to explore FalCon-1 for five days and already knew which area she would explore, and that area was where Iohann and his team went.

    ¡°I heard you guys went there with Flavius back in the day, did you manage to find Iohann?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°No, we didn¡¯t even reach the area that he went to because the parasites were too many and too strong. We ended up leaving after losing too many casualties,¡± Faye shook her head as she stared at the bullet train in front of her. ¡°Wait, you know Iohann?¡± Faye asked with her eyebrows furrowed.

    ¡°Of course, I was there with him during the expedition,¡± Archie answered. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you about it?¡±

    ¡°What?! No! You didn¡¯t tell me about this!¡± Faye¡¯s eyes were wide open. ¡°I remember that everyone that joined the expedition was all dead! How come you not come back and tell everyone about it?!¡± Faye¡¯s hands grabbed Archie¡¯s wrists so tightly.

    ¡°Because I can¡¯t come back,¡± Archie answered as he looked at Faye¡¯s hands. ¡°I guess this isn¡¯t the right time to talk about this,¡± Archie said as he looked at everyone who was ready to leave.

    Faye turned around and saw everyone staring at her. She then cleared her throat.

    ¡°Let¡¯s leave, but you owe me an explanation when we are back,¡± Faye said with a serious expression then left to tell Aster about what she just heard.

    ¡°Are you planning on telling her the truth?¡± Eve asked quietly as she stood right behind Archie and stared at Faye. ¡°You know it¡¯s not going to go well because they might interfere again and kill her,¡±

    ¡°I know, I¡¯m not planning to do that, I¡¯m just wanting to tell her the truth I want to tell her,¡± Archie answered as he walked toward the train.

    Everyone entered the train after checking each other¡¯s equipment, and the train immediately move as soon as the doors were closed.

    Faye was planning to ask Archie about his story, but since she and Aster spent the whole night doing some research and preparing for the mission, they both didn¡¯t have the chance to sleep. They both were asleep as soon as they sat down and leaned their heads on the window while everyone was having a bit of trouble calming down.

    Six hours had passed and they were about to arrive at the station. Archie was enjoying his peaceful moment, and then he looked at his surroundings, but everyone was making the same reaction as what Iohann and the others had made.

    ¡°What a sight. How things have changed since then,¡± Archie said in his head with a bit of a smile. ¡°Even Ruby and the others are nervous right now even after everything they experienced,¡± Archie continued as he looked down and hid his smile.

    Faye stood up and cleared her throat. ¡°Alright, do a final check before we go! We are going to arrive in ten minutes!¡± Faye raised her voice to make everyone pay attention to her and forget about their nervousness.

    The moment they all stood up to check each other¡¯s equipment, an earthquake happened, a big one as well. Everyone stopped moving and held something they could hold with their hands. Everything went dark and all the lights on the tunnel were cut off.

    ¡°What was that?!¡± Tommy asked in a cracking voice.

    Both Archie and Eve felt it, a presence of a King-type parasite. Not from above, but from down below them.

    The train had to stop moving, and everyone was silently staring at the ceiling because they were underwater. They all were afraid that the tunnel might break and leak the water, if that happened, there would be no way for them to survive.

    ¡°Archie, is this¡­¡± Ruby asked, but before she could finish her sentence, Archie already nodded his head. ¡°Great¡­¡± Ruby said quietly because she didn¡¯t want to make everyone panic.

    The earthquake didn¡¯t stop after three minutes and everyone started panicking because they could see and hear the dust falling. Faye ordered the loco pilot to start moving the train because it was better to keep moving rather than stay there.

    The train started moving, but very slowly. It was enough to make everyone a bit at ease because at least they could move closer to the station and even if the tunnel broke, they were already on the island rather than stuck in the tunnel under the sea.

    ¡°Mediterranean sea,¡± Archie said to himself, he then looked at Eve. ¡°We are quite close from where the meteor strike, do you think this one came from there or from FalCon-1?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know until we see it with our own two eyes, but you can tell it¡¯s really big compared to the last two we fought,¡± Eve answered as she looked down. ¡°It¡¯s moving,¡± Eve said as she looked to her right, and Archie also felt it.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s our presence that makes it interested in us,¡± Archie said as he slowly looked up.

    ¡°Then that means we will be welcomed as soon as we step our foot on the island,¡± Eve replied. ¡°Are you ready to fight another one?¡± Eve asked as she stared at Archie.

    ¡°It feels like we don¡¯t have time to relax at all¡­¡± Archie sighed as he sat down and tightened his gloves.

    ¡°It¡¯s the final step, keep up or give up but the second option means death,¡± Eve replied as she sat down and closed her eyes to try and hide her presence from the King-type parasite.

    After an hour on a slow moving bullet train, they finally reached the station. The earthquake was still haunting them because the King-type parasite was following them thanks to Eve and Archie. They had no option but to hurriedly leave the station and use the lift to go to the surface.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?! This is ridiculous! The earthquake hasn¡¯t stopped!¡± Daniel asked as he looked at Ruby and Vincent.

    ¡°Who knows, but now the earthquake seems to be calming down now. I guess there¡¯s a storm outside or something,¡± Daniel replied as he looked up because he couldn¡¯t wait to leave the narrow space and be surrounded by steel walls that might collapse anytime soon.

    It took then fifteen minutes to finally reach the surface. Everyone hurriedly walked out of the lift and turned around to look at the sturdy walls made of steel. The earthquake was still happening, but thankfully everyone was safe and the lift was safe as well.

    ¡°Is this an eruption? I don¡¯t see any thunderstorm, not even a droplet of rain from the sky,¡± Daniel asked as he looked at the sky.

    Before anyone could say anything, the ground suddenly shook really badly which made everyone fall to the ground. They didn¡¯t have the chance to think about the situation because they heard a loud roar coming from behind the steel wall.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?!¡± Aster asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s the sound of a King-type parasite welcoming us. Now we know why the earthquake isn¡¯t stopping,¡± Eve said with a smile on her face.

 Chapter 151 Donâ€™t dwell.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time and equipment for this, we need to run, now!¡± Faye said.

    Everyone ran as fast as they could and Faye was the one who led them deeper into the forest. Unfortunately, they were immediately welcomed by the parasites and had to deal with them while they were running against the time.

    Although the King-type parasite decided to show itself, it didn¡¯t chase them into the forest. Archie and Eve knew that, but they didn¡¯t say anything about it because it wouldn¡¯t change anything since the King-type parasites made all the parasites in FalCon-1 run toward them.

    ¡°Is everyone alive?¡± Faye asked as she caught her breath.

    They looked at each other and everyone was there with her.

    ¡°Alright, it seems that we are safe now,¡± Faye said as she looked around. ¡°Let¡¯s rest here for a moment while I¡¯m going to decide where we are going to stay for the night,¡± Faye continued as she put down her backpack and grabbed the map in it.

    Faye opened the map of FalCon-1 and she already left marks on it. She was checking the route that Iohann took or so she believed.

    ¡°Archie, can you come here for a second?¡± Faye looked at Archie who was drinking water from the bottle.

    Archie sat in front of Faye and listened to her request which was the place where Iohann and his team went to. He pointed at the map, and he remembered exactly where Iohann pointed back then because he was there with him and the other leaders.

    ¡°I see, so this is where he was planning to go,¡± Faye nodded her head with understanding. ¡°That¡¯s the landing site, right?¡± Faye asked Aster who sat next to her.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the landing site,¡± Aster nodded his head as he opened a bottle of water. ¡°If that¡¯s where he died, then the Ex-Human should be there as well,¡±

    ¡°Archie, do you remember where he died?¡± Faye asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s somewhere around here,¡± Archie pointed at the cliff.

    ¡°On top of the cliff? How did you guys manage to go up there?¡± Faye asked with her eyebrows furrowed.

    ¡°Not up there, it¡¯s underneath the cliff. There¡¯s a cave that leads to the other side of the hill, and we encountered two Ex-Axis Humans. Everyone died and Iohann was the only one left back then. He fought one of them but in the end, he died,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°By himself? Where were you then?¡± Faye asked.

    ¡°I was with¡­¡± Archie paused as he closed his eyes to remember the lesbian couple¡¯s name. ¡°I forgot their names, but the three of us were going all the way here to find the Ex-Humans. We encountered them there, and I was the only one left,¡± Archie continued as he dragged his index finger a few centimeters away from the cliff.

    ¡°How do they look like?¡± Aster asked.

    ¡°Two of them were beautiful women, they both were naked. One can control fire, and the other one can control water, but there are four in total. The last two have no body, the third one has become one with the wind, and the fourth one has become one with the earth,¡± Archie answered with a straight face while Faye and Aster were shocked by it.

    ¡°What? How¡¯s that even possible? Are you sure about that?¡± Faye asked.

    ¡°Yes, because I saw it with my own two eyes that a tree moved on its own and decapitate the woman that was with me. The Ex-Human that could control fire told me about them, they called themselves the witches,¡± Archie answered with a serious expression.

    ¡°The witches, that¡¯s interesting,¡± Faye said as she stared at the landing site on the map.

    ¡°Ah, I almost forgot,¡± Archie said as he pulled his sleeve and removed the watch. ¡°This watch belongs to Iohann, I took it from the grave that he made for himself,¡± Archie showed the watch to Faye and Aster.

    ¡°This is Iohann¡¯s watch, I¡¯m sure of it,¡± Aster said as he took the watch from Archie¡¯s hand.

    Archie had Iohann¡¯s letter, but he threw it away after it served no more purpose after knowing Flavius was dead as well.

    ¡°So, what happened to him in the end?¡± Faye asked.

    ¡°He turned into Ex-Axis Human. I¡¯m not sure if he was infected by the parasite or because of the serum that he brought with him,¡± Archie said as he stared blankly at the map.

    ¡°Serum? What serum?¡± Ruby asked as she walked toward them after eavesdropping on the conversation.

    ¡°Something that made him stronger, I¡¯m not sure what it was, but I think Professor Larse was the one who gave it to him. If you want an answer, he¡¯s the only one who knows what it was,¡± Archie answered. ¡°In the end, I had to kill him and blew his body with a grenade. There¡¯s a letter that he buried on the ground as well as his famous black sword, but I used it and broke it to keep myself alive,¡± Archie continued.

    ¡°There are so many questions that I want to ask, but we should start moving and find a safe place to stay for the night,¡± Faye said as she looked at Archie. ¡°Let¡¯s go over here because there¡¯s a river and there¡¯s a cliff that at least can reduce the risk of getting ambushed by the parasite,¡±

    They all nodded with understanding and then Faye told the others to move.

    It didn¡¯t take long for them to reach their destination, and they immediately made their own tents. Some of them were already hitting the bed and falling asleep while the rest were preparing dinner for themselves or going to the river to wash themselves.

    The night came, and everyone was staring blankly at the campfire of their own. They were barely talking because they didn¡¯t want to distract themselves since they were in the middle of the most dangerous place on earth. The sound of the leaf falling was enough to make them on guard and grab their weapon on their backs.

    ¡°I never thought there¡¯s peace in the most dangerous place on earth,¡± Faye said as she sat down with a cup of hot milk in her hand.

    ¡°You would be surprised that these kinds of places are actually safe to live in if you know what to do,¡± Archie replied with a smile on his face as he stared at the embers that got carried away by the wind.

    ¡°Are you really from the Western Nation, Archie?¡¯ Faye asked.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m born and raised there. I know every spot of the Sky Station there, but I used to live down on the ground for a few years before I decided to move to the Sky Station,¡± Archie answered as he nodded his head. ¡°Sometimes, it¡¯s better to not dwell on the past, you know? Whether it was good memories or bad memories, it happened and I would rather not to be reminded of them,¡±

    Faye glanced at Archie while she took a sip of the hot milk.

    ¡°I have seen a lot of people dwelling on the past, they either died or life in fear. I don¡¯t want to be like them, and right now I don¡¯t like being here at all,¡± Archie continued as he fed the fire with twigs.

    ¡°I see, I¡¯m sorry if you feel this way but this is what we do here and you know it already,¡± Faye replied.

    ¡°I know, and that¡¯s why I don¡¯t talk much about my past because it only makes me look kind of suspicious since I hide my past,¡± Archie said as he stared at Faye who kept glancing at him.

    Faye couldn¡¯t say anything and just enjoyed her hot milk even though she was planning to dig into something more about Archie¡¯s past. In the end, she didn¡¯t say anything and left to get some rest in her tent with Aster.

    The morning came, and they all entered the cave that Archie told Faye about. It smelled so bad and they could see the dried blood had become one with the stone walls and ceiling. Faye was imagining how the fight ended when Iohann¡¯s team fought the Ex-Axis Human.

    Archie was looking around after they exited the cave, he was looking for Iohann¡¯s sword, or at least the handle or the pieces of the swords. It didn¡¯t take him long enough to find the handle and a piece of the blade, he then walked toward Faye and showed it to her.

    ¡°Iohann¡¯s sword¡­¡± Faye said as she grabbed the handle.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Archie nodded his head.

    Faye didn¡¯t ask anything and kept walking because of the conversation she had with Archie.

    Archie led Faye to where he met the witches, he could feel the presence of the earth witch, but she didn¡¯t want to show herself to them. They continued walking toward the landing site, and it shocked them when they saw marks and symbols on the ground.

    ¡°What are those symbols?¡± Faye asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s something that you don¡¯t want to know,¡± Ruby said.

 Chapter 152 Hope it was worth it.

    ¡°What are these strange, symmetrical symbols?¡± Faye asked as she stared down at the circle in the middle of the forest with symbols carved on the cliff walls around it. ¡°This isn¡¯t human-made, right?¡± Faye continued as she looked around the forest, bewildered by the strangeness of the place.

    Did you see this when you were here, Archie? Aster asked with a look of curiosity on his face. He was looking at Archie from over his shoulder.

    ¡°Not that I can remember,¡± Archie answered honestly because the place he met Throne wasn¡¯t like this before. The symbols looked new to him and the place wasn¡¯t below the ground like this as well. Although it was a place that he had only ever visited once before, it felt different and strange.

    Archie looked over at Eve who stood behind him. She stared at the strange, intricate symbols without blinking, displaying a stony demeanor even after seeing them for the first time. She then looked back at him with her eyebrows raised and a small smile on her face, telling him that she knew something about them.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we go and check it out while we are here? It¡¯s a new discovery that might be useful for us,¡± Faye said as she looked down, searching for a path for her to climb down the cliff.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going down there. I don¡¯t want to get involved in whatever you find down there,¡± Archie said so casually.

    Faye stared at Archie for quite a while and then nodded her head with understanding. ¡°Alright, you can stay here and keep an eye on the surroundings. Tell us if you see anything suspicious,¡± Faye said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going as well,¡± Ruby said as she looked at Archie. ¡°I¡¯m going to go check the parameter,¡±

    Vincent, Daniel, and Tommy decided to stay as well because Ruby and Archie were staying.

    ¡°Everyone, let¡¯s go,¡± Faye said as she started climbing down the cliff.

    Aster nodded and the others followed her from behind while Archie and Eve stayed on top of the cliff. They both watched them carefully climb down the cliff, but then suddenly the trees around them started moving in a suspicious way. The grass started to sway and the leaves on the trees began to tremble, and then suddenly the ground beneath them started to shake gently.

    ¡°We are going to check the area,¡± Ruby said to Archie.

    ¡°If you stumble on the witch, just say that you¡¯re a friend of mine. She should understand and won¡¯t harm you,¡± Archie said.

    Ruby nodded with understanding, and then they left to gather information about FalCon-1.

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not going to warn them?¡± Eve asked as she stared at Faye and the others climbing down the cliff.

    ¡°Well, if she decides to make a move, then that means she¡¯s just doing her job,¡± Archie answered as he looked at the roots that started moving around their feet.

    The roots were slowly but surely following Faye and the others down stealthily. They didn¡¯t even realize it because they were so amazed and mesmerized by the symbols.

    Faye and the others took photos of the symbols and checked the results. One of them noticed that something was odd about the photos he took. He checked the photos and noticed there were roots that were blocking the symbols when in the previous photo the roots were still above the symbols.

    ¡°Lieutenant Colonel! Something isn¡¯t right with this pla-¡± Before the guy could finish his sentence, a root grabbed his leg and slammed his body onto the wall, sending him flying and splattering his inside on the cliff.

    Everyone who saw it immediately grabbed their weapons and looked around their feet to make sure there weren¡¯t any roots below them. One thing they didn¡¯t realize was that the roots didn¡¯t need to slither on the grass, they could simply appear from under the ground.

    One by one they were grabbed by the roots from underneath. ¡°Run! Get the fuck out of here!¡± Faye screamed as she ran toward the cliff below Archie and Eve.

    They all ran as they looked down and back, but that didn¡¯t make any difference because they didn¡¯t know when the roots were going to grab their legs and pull them down to the ground. Archie and Eve threw ropes down to the cliff so they could easily climb up the cliff.

    Since there were only two ropes, they were waiting their turn to use them. Those who were climbing the rope, took care of the roots around them but they just made a huge mistake by cutting the roots because it made the roots able to grab them.

    People were crushed and slammed onto the cliff as if their lives had no value to the earth witch. Faye and Aster stared at them and could do nothing but watch her team got slaughtered by the roots.

    Archie and Eve pulled the rope and lifted everyone who was hanging on the rope up to the cliff. They then threw the ropes again because if it kept going on like this, they all would be killed and he didn¡¯t want that.

    After Archie and Eve managed to bring everyone up to the cliff, the roots disappeared.

    ¡°What have I done,¡± Faye said as she stared at the bodies of her team laying on the ground with missing body parts.

    ¡°You should have stayed here, but your curiosity killed them all,¡± Eve said it so lightly. ¡°But, thankfully, you got what you wanted, right? Photos of symbols that might be useless since you won¡¯t understand what it means. I hope it¡¯s worth it,¡± Eve smiled as she stared at Faye.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough! Eve!¡± Aster raised his voice as he glared at Eve.

    Eve¡¯s eyebrows shot up and stared at Aster with a penetrating gaze. She grabbed Aster by the neck and then slammed him to the ground, hard.

    ¡°Raise your voice once more and I will snap your neck,¡± Eve said with a smile on her face.

    ¡°Eve! Please! Stop it!¡± Faye said with a frustrated look.

    Eve kept staring down at Aster and then decided to remove her hand from him.

    Ruby and the others ran back after they heard the sound of gunshots and screams. They looked at how pale their faces were, and how scared and stressed out Faye¡¯s expression was. Ruby then approached her and saw the dead bodies down below, she only sighed as she closed her eyes. Faye was visibly shaken by the sight and by the thought of what she had done. She felt a wave of guilt wash over her, and she didn¡¯t know how to make it better.

    Ruby didn¡¯t say a single word and just sat there next to Faye, rubbing her back to comfort her. She knew exactly how it felt to have lost so many people under her leadership, and she was only trying to be there for Faye and understand her pain.

    ¡°There¡¯s no reason for us to be here anymore,¡± Ruby said as she looked at Archie. ¡°Seeing how bad her condition is, I don¡¯t think she can lead us anymore. At least not at this moment,¡± She continued as she kept rubbing Faye¡¯s back.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just go back, we are wasting our time here. At least they got something in return,¡± Eve said with her arms crossed.

    ¡°That¡¯s our only option, but there¡¯s a big problem awaiting us back there. I¡¯m not sure if we are going to make it out alive after listening to that loud roar from behind the wall,¡± Ruby replied. ¡°We are stuck here,¡± Ruby sighed.

    ¡°Not really,¡± Eve replied. ¡°You know that the King-type parasite is here for something. Something that threatens its territory,¡± Eve stared at Ruby.

    Ruby furrowed her eyebrows and was confused for a second, but then she knew what Eve was talking about. She looked at Archie and then looked at the rest of them who were trembling in fear and wishing to leave the forest as soon as possible

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s move,¡± Ruby said as she helped Faye stand up. ¡°You take care of your wife. I will lead the team,¡± Ruby said as she grabbed the sword from her back.

    ¡°If you want to live, follow me! If you¡¯re left behind, I hope you¡¯re ready to kill yourself,¡± Ruby said as she walked past them. ¡°Get yourself together because nobody is going to help you if the witch decided to hunt you all down again,¡±

    It took them only four hours to reached at the front of the lift. They all stared at the wall as they waited until the lift opened the doors.

    ¡°I think this is where we are going part away,¡± Archie said as he looked at Faye.

    Faye turned around and looked at Archie with a puzzled look. ¡°Where are you going?¡± She asked with a worried expression.

    ¡°We both are going to distract the King-type parasite away from the station so you guys can go back safely,¡± Archie answered. ¡°Don¡¯t waste your time worrying about me. You¡¯re going to need all the energy you have to think about your own safety,¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Ruby said as she walked into the lift.

    Everyone entered the lift and stared at Archie and Eve who stayed behind.

    ¡°Be safe, and we will come back to pick you up,¡± Faye said with fear still in her eyes.

    ¡°We will be waiting,¡± Archie replied with a smile.

 Chapter 153 A warning message.

    Archie waited in front of the lift until they were sure everyone had safely reached the station. However, Eve, on the other hand, she had already flown up into the sky to see if the King-type parasite was there, but she couldn¡¯t find it anywhere.

    Eve flew further away toward the sea, feeling the presence of the King-type parasite grow stronger with every passing second. She smiled as she flew toward it, and it didn¡¯t take long until the King-type parasite sensed her presence.

    Eve thought that the King-type parasite would go up to the surface to fight her or at least to threaten her. Unfortunately, she was mistaken. The King-type parasite swam away from her as if it was scared of her, leaving Eve to wonder what it was thinking. Was it scared of her? Was it planning on attacking her? Or was it just acting on instinct?

    Knowing that the King-type parasite was terrified of her, Eve decided to dove into the water to see it for herself. She was quite interested in the King-type parasite because it didn¡¯t look like a parasite at all, it looked like a blue whale, but ten times bigger, and it was all white like snow. She was amazed by the parasite¡¯s size and wanted to see it up close.

    The King-type parasite that Eve saw was majestic and graceful in appearance, making it difficult for her to take her eyes off of it. She followed it from a distance, but the parasite kept swimming further and further away, making her smile with adoration.

    After following the King-type parasite for quite a while, Eve decided to go to the surface and flew up into the sky.

    ¡°How adorable, like a dog barking behind the fence and running away the moment the fence is opened,¡± Eve said to herself while giggling and smiling.

    Eve turned around and her smile slowly disappeared, it was because the sea she was staring at was the sea where the meteor struck the earth. It reminded her about the giant piece of meteorite that they found on the shore of the Borneo island. She then flew back to FalCon-1 to tell Archie about the adorable King-type parasite.

    ¡°How was it?¡± Archie asked, and he looked a bit confused and curious when he saw Eve drenched in water.

    ¡°You have to see it yourself. It¡¯s cute like a dog,¡± Eve answered with a smile on her face.

    Archie leaned his head back with his eyebrows furrowed in confusion because of her answer. He thought the King-type parasite was a literal dog.

    ¡°A¡­ dog?¡± Archie asked with hesitation.

    ¡°Not a dog, it¡¯s a giant whale but it acted like a dog. It ran away the moment I got closer to it,¡± Eve answered while she squeezed the water from her hair. ¡°Anyway, since the parasite is the shy-type, we have something else to do,¡± Eve continued.

    ¡°The symbols?¡± Archie asked as he turned his head and followed where Eve had gone.

    ¡°Yes, the symbols are a message for all of us, for Drautnir that Throne left,¡± Eve answered without looking back as she kept walking.

    ¡°You understand what those symbols mean?¡± Archie asked as he walked next to Eve.

    ¡°I have Cherubim to explain it to me. I think you already know about this message already while the rest of us don¡¯t,¡± Eve replied as she stared at Archie. ¡°I wonder those symbols mean,¡±

    Archie looked puzzled when Eve said that he already knew about the message that lay behind those symbols. Eve explained that each one of them and the beings that they were getting guidance from shared a message that only them know while the others didn¡¯t. The question was which message that Throne gave him, and he had no idea or remembered any of it if he had to think about it.

    When they went back to the landing site, Archie was surprised when all the bodies disappeared only leaving the blood behind.

    ¡°Looks like someone is having a feast right now,¡± Eve said with a smile as she looked around.

    A root poked Archie on his left calve, he turned around to see a root waving at him as if she was greeting him. He only smiled and nodded his head with understanding, he then followed Eve from behind.

    ¡°Have you seen a symbol like this before? You sounded like you know about it already back there,¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°I did, I saw one up north but someone destroyed it already and you can¡¯t find it anymore,¡± Eve answered as she stared at the symbol in front of her with her arms crossed.

    ¡°What that message was about?¡± Archie looked at Eve with curiosity.

    ¡°About the secret of gaining power from consuming parasites,¡± Eve answered. ¡°You might know about it already since you¡¯re the last one to become Drautnir from the witches, but for us, it took us a while to notice that and then it gave us a lot of information about parasites and what they are,¡± Eve explained.

    ¡°You might be the last and think it¡¯s unfair, but on the other hand, you got most of the information that the rest of us had to discover it ourselves while you got them so easily from the witches. You already know what you have to do to adapt with the situation,¡± Eve said as she stared at Archie.

    Archie hummed with understanding.

    ¡°Cherubim, are you watching right now? Can you help me read these messages?¡± Eve asked as she looked at the sky.

    The clouds in the sky suddenly disappeared and something landed in front of Archie. He was thrown away because of the impact. The earth witch was forcefully pushed and sent away before she realized what had happened on the landing site.

    Archie sat up after he was thrown onto the wall with a grunt, wincing as he saw Eve was talking with Cherubim with a serious expression. It was the first time for him to see Eve making that serious expression, and she didn¡¯t even blink for a second while listening to Cherubim, her face scrunched in concentration.

    It felt like Archie was not supposed to be around her, which was why Cherubim threw him away from Eve so they could have a one-on-one conversation. He leaned against the wall and just stared at them in the distance, no matter how hard he tried to listen, his ears couldn¡¯t catch anything from those two.

    Archie saw them both looking at each symbol and the moment they were at the last symbol, Cherubim spread her wings. Cherubim flew away and left Eve on her own staring at the last symbol on the wall.

    ¡°What did they say about the symbols, Eve?¡± Archie asked as he walked toward her.

    ¡°It¡¯s about the history of the earth. The multiple doomsday that had happened millions of years ago. The message is to warn us about the future and what¡¯s going to happen afterward. You know about this already?¡± Eve asked back.

    ¡°I did, yeah, it was beautiful and terrifying at the same time when I saw those events with my own two eyes,¡± Archie said as he stared blankly at the wall as he tried to remember those events.

    ¡°I thought this is something important,¡± Eve said as she sighed. ¡°I mean, this is interesting, but not as important as I thought. Maybe this is the last message they gave us to remind us about our existence as Drautnir,¡± Eve continued as she looked at the sky.

    ¡°So, what should we do now? We already got what we want here and we can¡¯t just go back now since we have to wait for them to pick us up,¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go and check it out,¡± Eve said with her hands rested on her waist.

    ¡°Check what out?¡± Archie asked with his head tilted.

    ¡°The sea where the meteor struck the earth. Since we are not that far from where it is, you must be curious about what I felt back then, right?¡± Eve smiled mischievously.

    Archie deliberated for a brief second and then nodded his head in agreement.

    They both flew away and went to the northwest of FalCon-1.

    It didn¡¯t take them long until they saw it, the giant black circle deep under the sea that they could from above the sky. It already made Archie feel uneasy about it, he knew what was coming for him the moment he approached it, but as long as Eve was with him, it gave him courage.

    They both slowly descending to the sea, and it immediately struck Archie. The feeling of fear that he hadn¡¯t felt for a very long time, he was petrified that his whole body stopped working. Eve grabbed him and carried him by wrapping her arms from behind.

    ¡°What¡¯s this presence, I can¡¯t move my body,¡± Archie asked with his heart pounding really fast.

    ¡°You¡¯re terrified and shocked, it¡¯s normal for a being who¡¯s a total inferior to that thing down there,¡± Eve answered. ¡°This is what we are going to deal with, Archie, remember it, and make sure you¡¯re ready when this monster awake,¡±

    Archie couldn¡¯t say anything and kept staring at the black spot deep under the sea.

 Chapter 155 In the same boat.

    Archie, Ruby, and Vincent were checking the files on the hard disk while Ivan went to sleep since he had work tomorrow. Eve and Nova were chilling in the living room and watching TV to waste time until those three found something interesting to discuss.

    ¡°I have been thinking. Where did Ivan get that hard disk? It¡¯s impossible for him to get it himself and knowing it¡¯s about Victor and his private corporate, then that means he got it from that building, right?¡± Nova asked Eve as she lifted her head since she was laying down on the sofa to look at Eve who sat on the other sofa behind her.

    ¡°Where do you think he got it? We both know that he¡¯s not strong enough nor he was stupid enough to risk his life to get that thing,¡± Eve asked back with a smile on her face.

    ¡°Then who did? Is there someone crazy enough to steal something from Victor?¡± Nova asked, but then she realized that Archie was the one who asked Ivan, and Ivan was personally showed the inside of the hard disk to Archie. ¡°Wait, Archie did?¡± Nova asked as she looked at Eve with a shocked expression.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask him?¡± Eve replied with a smile as she rested her cheek on her fist.

    Nova furrowed her eyebrows and then looked at Archie who was busy checking the files. She decided to approach him and stood in front of the table.

    ¡°Archie, where did you get the hard disk?¡± Nova asked with a serious expression.

    ¡°VMC¡¯s building,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°Which one?¡± Nova asked with her eyebrows raised.

    ¡°That one,¡± Archie answered as he nodded up at the door.

    Nova turned around and then looked back at Archie with a puzzled look.

    ¡°How? When?¡± Nova asked.

    ¡°While we went on a mission,¡± Archie answered so casually.

    Nova was so confused by Archie¡¯s answers because she wanted to believe him, but at the same time, it didn¡¯t make any sense to her. How could he get the hard disk while he was on a mission with her and the others to the west.

    ¡°Who did it?¡± Nova asked.

    Archie hesitated and stared at Eve who stealthily walked up toward Nova. She suddenly grabbed Nova¡¯s shoulders and it startled her while she giggled mischievously.

    ¡°We both did. Me and Eve did it,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°What?! How?¡± Nova asked as she looked at Eve¡¯s hands on her shoulders and she felt like Eve didn¡¯t plan on letting her go. ¡°You both were with us far away from this city, how did you do that?¡±

    Nova knew the only answer to her questions, but she wanted to hear the answer from him personally.

    ¡°You know the answer, but you just don¡¯t want to believe it,¡± Eve whispered into Nova¡¯s ear. ¡°Remember me?¡± Eve said in the same voice when she interrogated Nova before she threw Nova on the wall.

    Nova was shocked and turned around as she moved away from Eve, but she ended up stumbling on her own foot and then fell to the ground with a scared expression. She looked at Eve, but she didn¡¯t see any difference from Eve¡¯s usual self, it was just the voice that changed.

    Eve smiled at Nova as she slowly walked toward her, but Nova crawled away from her because she remembered how terrifying that moment was.

    ¡°Why are you so scared? I didn¡¯t kill you back there for a reason, so don¡¯t be afraid,¡± Eve said.

    Nova shook her head as she kept crawling back, but then the wall blocked her path and she had nowhere to go. She didn¡¯t even bring a weapon with her and there was nothing that can protect her from Eve.

    ¡°So it was you¡­¡± Nova said with her voice trembling in fear.

    Eve sat down on the ground with her legs crossed. ¡°Of course! Do you think an Axis Human can become this strong?¡± Eve replied with a smile on her face. ¡°Just to be fair, you didn¡¯t cooperate last time, so I only teach you a lesson back there,¡±

    ¡°Wait, if you¡¯re not, then does that mean he¡¯s not as well?¡± Nova asked as she moved her eyes toward Archie stared at her from the chair.

    ¡°Yes, Eve and I are the same,¡± Archie nodded his head.

    ¡°What about you two? Are you guys also one of them?¡± Nova asked, and she was terrified if she was surrounded by Ex-Humans.

    ¡°No, we are still human, like you,¡± Ruby answered as she shook her head. ¡°You can stand up, Eve won¡¯t hurt you so just sit here and we will explain it to you everything,¡± Ruby said as she patted on the chair next to her.

    Nova hesitated, but then she nodded her head and slowly walked toward the dining table and sat next to Ruby.

    Ruby told Nova how she and Vincent first met Archie in the Eastern Nation a long time ago. She explained how he saved the people of the Eastern Nation, how she made Archie sound like a savior, and how he changed her and Vincent¡¯s lives forever.

    In the story, Eve was portrayed as an evil being who had no care for the humans and only desired Archie. This portrayal was fine with her because she knew it was what she wanted and she didn¡¯t care about them.

    ¡°So, that¡¯s what happened,¡± Ruby said as she stared at Nova. ¡°There are other things that we hide it from you. It¡¯s not because we don¡¯t trust you, but it¡¯s for your own safety and sanity. Trust me, you don¡¯t want to know the rest about these two, or at least until you digest what you just heard first,¡± Ruby continued.

    Nova was bewildered and was speechless after she heard all that. She looked at Archie and Eve which was quite odd to look at after she listened to the story. How those two became so close and how Archie wasn¡¯t mad or angry at her.

    ¡°Now that you have listened to our story, what are you going to do with it, Nova?¡± Eve asked as she transformed her claws into a razor-sharp blade. ¡°If you think of exposing our identity, I have to kill you know,¡± Eve said with a serious tone and expression.

    Nova shook her head repeatedly as she stared at Eve¡¯s claws.

    ¡°Good, as long as you stay quiet about it and follow us, you will be safe,¡± Eve said as she turned her claws back to normal. ¡°You have become a part of us, and you can¡¯t leave,¡± Eve continued.

    ¡°Who else know about this?¡± Nova asked with her trembling voice.

    ¡°Colonel Fanheim, Tommy, and Daniel. Only those who know about them,¡± Ruby answered as she looked at Nova. ¡°You¡¯re not alone, so you don¡¯t have to be so pressured with the information you got right now because we are all in the same boat now,¡± Ruby continued as she tried to comfort her.

    Nova nodded her head with understanding.

    ¡°By the way, we found something else from the hard disk,¡± Archie said as he pointed at the screen. ¡°It¡¯s said here those super Axis Humans were deployed into some kind of a secret base. There were at least five bases that are mentioned in here,¡±

    ¡°Secret bases?¡± Eve asked as she stared at the screen.

    ¡°Yeah, Z-1, B-4, G-3, H-3, A-0. We don¡¯t know exactly what those are, but we believe it¡¯s some kind of a secret bases that Victor has. If the numbers represent the fallen continent, and the alphabet is the coordinate or the number of the base, maybe we can find where it is,¡± Archie answered as he rubbed his chin.

    ¡°But there¡¯s A-0 there, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a 0 here,¡± Eve replied as she pointed at the screen.

    ¡°We think the A-0 is Atlantis-0, but we are not sure though since it¡¯s just a speculation. If we need more information about this secret bases and operations that Victor did, we need to find another hard disk. We all know which VMC¡¯s building that have all the information,¡± Ruby explained as she looked at Eve.

    ¡°The main building, in the Central Nation,¡± Eve said as she crossed her arms.

    ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s going to be hard to do. I think if you guys make a mess there, he will appear and show himself,¡± Ruby replied as she nodded her head.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not do that for now,¡± Archie said as he sighed. ¡°You might think it won¡¯t be a problem, but the one who¡¯s going to fight him is me, and I don¡¯t think I¡¯m strong enough to kill him yet,¡± Archie shook his head.

    Ruby and Vincent hummed with understanding while Nova looked at them with a puzzled and curious look on her face.

    ¡°Him? Are you talking about Victor? Is he really that strong? I don¡¯t think he¡¯s an Axis Human though,¡± Nova asked as she looked at them.

    ¡°Not Victor, but the boss that might be stronger than Archie. The one who ruled over the nations,¡± Ruby answered.

 Chapter 156 Exposed.

    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of things to digest, why don¡¯t you just take your time alone for now? But, unfortunately, I can let you go out this building because I don¡¯t trust you yet,¡± Archie said calmly as he stared at Nova who looked like she just got struck by lightning by the truth.

    ¡°Let me handle this for you,¡± Ruby said as she stood up and patted Archie¡¯s back.

    Ruby walked toward Nova and offered her hand. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get some fresh air. I can see that you need a drink as well, let¡¯s get some,¡± Ruby said as she smiled to hold her laughter because Nova was making a hideous expression.

    Nova nodded and grabbed Ruby¡¯s hand. They both left Ivan¡¯s house, and since Ruby was with her, Archie had no worry about her running away since Ruby was stronger and faster than her.

    Vincent yawned as he stared at the empty cup of coffee. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to hit the bed,¡± Vincent said as he stood up and looked at them.

    Vincent walked to the sofa and slammed his body on it. It didn¡¯t even take a minute until he fell asleep and started snoring.

    Eve sat next to Archie and stared at the screen. She was curious about Atlantis and what it was all about.

    ¡°What do you think about this Atlantis?¡± Eve asked as she rested her head on her palm.

    ¡°You should know what Atlantis is, right? It¡¯s a myth about the richest land on earth and hide thousands of mysteries. If they really find Atlantis then that means they have a base there, but if it¡¯s just a name, then maybe they have a base somewhere hidden under the water,¡± Archie answered as he stared at the screen and scrolled up and down.

    ¡°I guess there are so many possibilities about that Atlantis,¡± Eve said as she rested her head on the table. ¡°We need to find more information about it, but after listening what you said earlier, I don¡¯t think we will ever know what they¡¯re hiding,¡± Eve continued as she stared blankly at the table.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s really the problem though,¡± Archie said as he closed the laptop. ¡°If you want to steal it, then I guess we just have to deal with it. But, I don¡¯t think there will be any problem if we manage to steal it and leave not a single trace,¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not just about being unseen or uncaught, but it¡¯s about putting ourselves in danger because I believe they have changed their way to protect their secrets. You can see amount of the serums they made and modified. We will be dead the moment we set out foot in there,¡± Eve replied with her eyes closed.

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right,¡± Archie nodded his head as he stared at Eve. ¡°Do you want to go to bed?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Yeah, I think it¡¯s nice to get some sleep after traveling for a whole day,¡± Eve said as she yawned.

    They both went to the bedroom and went to sleep.

    The next morning, Archie woke up and went to the living room because of the smell of meat being cooked. He checked the kitchen and saw Ivan singing while cooking a sausage and an egg.

    ¡°No wonder I have a nightmare,¡± Archie said as he chuckled.

    ¡°What? Because of my singing?¡± Ivan asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s still haunting me,¡± Archie said as he walked away with a smile.

    ¡°Fuck you!¡± Ivan replied as he chuckled.

    Archie looked at Vincent enjoying his coffee as he watched the TV.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Ruby and Nova?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°In there,¡± Vincent answered as he pointed at the closed door in front of him. ¡°Nova got wasted and stumbled on the ground really hard that I awoken because of that. She really let herself go last night thanks to someone,¡± Vincent stared at Archie as he sipped his coffee.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s still a better outcome compared to what I thought,¡± Archie answered as he sat down.

    ¡°Fear, intimidation, and threat will always do the work especially the one who threaten her was the one who almost got her killed. She knows how to inflict fear to people, huh?¡± Vincent said as he stared at the room where Eve was sleeping in.

    Archie didn¡¯t say a single word but raised his eyebrows.

    They spent there until noon, and then they left Ivan¡¯s house with the hard disk and the copies of the files in Archie¡¯s bag. Archie planned on giving copies to some people who had influence on the public, but he didn¡¯t have someone in mind.

    ¡°Are you really going to give one of the copies to Faye, Archie?¡± Ruby asked.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s better if she know about this. I believe she can make a use of the information since she has a big influence in the military,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that put her in a serious danger?¡± Nova asked with her eyebrows furrowed. ¡°You¡¯re not wrong about it, but it sounds like you¡¯re using Faye as a sacrificial lamb,¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think Victor would harm her, but even if he¡¯s planning on doing so, I¡¯m going to protect her. It¡¯s a good chance that we might be able to use the opportunity to dig deeper on what¡¯s Victor hiding from us,¡± Archie answered as he looked at Nova.

    ¡°Then what are you going to do with the rest of the copy?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet, maybe I will find someone who can do something with this information. For now, let¡¯s just see what will happen when Faye find this information,¡± Archie answered.

    They all went back to the Central Nation because Faye had come back from the Western Nation. They heard that Faye just came back from the big conference with high ranks about Victor¡¯s request, but nobody knew what the result of the meeting was.

    ¡°So, how are we going to put the flash disk in her office without getting noticed or seen? There are so many cameras in the building and it would be hard to do that,¡± Ruby asked as she stared at the temporary headquarters in front of her.

    Eve was staring at the street and then saw a delivery truck parked on the side of the road. She raised her eyebrows and got an idea when she saw the delivery guy walking on the sidewalk.

    ¡°Leave it to me,¡± Eve said as she walked toward the truck and changed her hair color and length.

    Everyone watched her cross the road and talked with the delivery guy. They watched her pointed at the truck as she talked with the delivery guy who seemed to be charmed by her beauty. The delivery guy then walked toward the truck and showed something to her.

    Eve came back as she looked at Archie.

    ¡°Give me the flash disk, that guy will wrap it in a package and will send it to the receptionist,¡± Eve said as she reached out her hand at Archie.

    Archie was amazed and surprised at the same time, he then gave the flash disk to Eve.

    Eve walked back and waved at the delivery guy as she showed the flash disk to him. They guy took the flash disk and then went to the back of the truck while Eve watched him from outside. It didn¡¯t take long until the delivery guy came out with a small package in his hand, he then walked to the building while Eve walked back to the others.

    ¡°Problem solved, right? I told him that the package has no sender name and it was an important package for Faye,¡± Eve said as she looked at the delivery guy entered the building. ¡°Now, let¡¯s leave, we don¡¯t need him anymore,¡±

    ¡°Poor guy,¡± Vincent said as he looked at the delivery guy.

    ¡°Faye just come at the right moment,¡± Ruby said as she nodded up at the parking lot.

    Faye was walking with Aster and on their way into the building while the delivery guy just came out of the building.

    ¡°This is ridiculous,¡± Faye said as she hurriedly walked into the building. ¡°Did they not listen to what I said?¡± Faye asked as she looked at Aster from over her shoulder.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing they can do and so are we,¡± Aster answered as he followed Faye from behind. ¡°At least we are not a part of it after what happened to our team back then. I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s a good thing, but you know what I mean,¡± Aster said as he sighed.

    The receptionist looked at Faye and then raised her hand. ¡°Lieutenant Colonel Faye,¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± Faye replied as he stared at the woman behind the counter.

    ¡°There¡¯s a package that just arrived for you,¡± The receptionist said as she walked toward Faye with the package. ¡°Here, it says that it¡¯s an important package that only you can see it,¡± She continued as she gave the package to Faye.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Faye replied as she looked a bit confused and stared at the small package.

    Faye walked into his office as she stared at the flash disk. She immediately plugged in the flash disk on her laptop to see what was inside it. Both her and Aster were shocked when they saw hundreds of files and immediately opened one of them.

    ¡°This is¡­¡± Faye said with her eyes wide open.

 Chapter 157 They knew.

    ¡°This is unbelievable, who managed to get all this?!¡± Faye asked as she stared at the reports in the files. ¡°Aster, ask the receptionist who gave this package,¡± Faye looked Aster in the eye.

    Aster hurriedly left Faye¡¯s office and went all the way down to ask the receptionist about who sent the package. Not long after Aster left the office, Ruby and the others came in and they looked at how shocked and bewildered Faye was.

    ¡°Is something the matter? I saw Aster running in the hallway as if he was getting chased by a ghost,¡± Ruby asked as she sat down on the sofa.

    ¡°You need to look at this! All of you!¡± Faye said as she grabbed her laptop and brought it to the table.

    They were all acting as if they were shocked with what they discovered and Faye was mind blown by the information on the flash disk. Aster came back and told Faye that the receptionist didn¡¯t know who the sender was. The package was sent by a delivery service, and there was nothing else.

    ¡°What are you going to do with this information?¡± Archie asked as he looked at Faye who was focused on staring at the screen.

    ¡°I will show this to Gard, and all the Marshals,¡± Faye said as she closed the tabs. ¡°I¡¯m going to show this now while they¡¯re all still here, come on, Aster,¡± Faye continued as she closed the laptop and hurriedly left the office.

    ¡°Should we go and follow them?¡± Nova asked.

    ¡°Yeah, we should, we need to know what will they react to that information. Let¡¯s go,¡± Ruby said as she stood up.

    All of them left the building, and entered Faye¡¯s car even though the car wasn¡¯t big enough for all of them. They went to headquarters where all the Marshals were attending the meeting with Faye earlier.

    As soon as they arrived at headquarters while it was being rebuilt, Faye got out of the car and hurriedly went inside. Archie and the others followed her from behind while Aster had to park the car since it was blocking the path.

    Faye told all the soldiers that were present in the headquarters to find all the Marshals and told them to meet her in the conference room.

    Faye didn¡¯t have to wait long until Marlon and Gard came into the conference room. Both of them looked absolutely confused and asked what on earth Faye had asked for such a sudden request. Faye decided not to tell them anything until all the Marshals came since it would make it easier for all of them to understand.

    One by one, the Marshals from the Western Nation, Northern Nation, and Southern Nation came into the conference room. Nova told them their names. The Marshal from the Western Nation was Anthony Auliffe. A man in his forty with white hair and a mustache, Archie recognized his face because he was there when Flavius gave his speech before he sent his son to the expedition.

    The Marshal from the Northern Nation was Tolstobrov Zinon Vsevolodovich. A man with polished black hair, his gaze was quite intimidating because he looked like a man who had killed dozens or even hundreds of lives.

    The Marshal from the Southern Nation was the exact opposite of Tolstobrov. He was a bit chubby and he looked so calm and easy going, he looked like someone who would listen to anything and agree with it. His name was Jasper Mussett.

    ¡°Thank you for coming in a short notice, and I¡¯m not going to waste your time if it¡¯s not important,¡± Faye said as she walked to the front of the table.

    Faye opened her laptop and projected the screen of her laptop on the white projector screen. She showed them the files inside the flash disk. All of them were staring at it, and they were surprised when they read the information inside it.

    ¡°Where did you get this?¡± Tostobrov asked.

    ¡°Someone sent it to me, and that¡¯s not what matter right now. This information right here is why I brought all of you here. This is what Victor has been doing behind our back! We need to do something about this because this isn¡¯t right!¡± Faye answered as she pointed at the screen about the report of the experiment to Axis Humans.

    ¡°You just dismissed my question, Lieutenant Colonel. I asked you where did you get this information?¡± Tostobrov stared at Faye as if he didn¡¯t like what he was seeing.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, someone just sent it to me and it came in a package. The delivery guy said it was an important package for me, that¡¯s it,¡± Faye answered and she looked a bit puzzled.

    Tostobrov looked at Gard and Jasper.

    ¡°Did you make a copy of that flash disk?¡± Tostobrov asked as he stood up.

    ¡°No. I came here as soon as I know the content of the flash disk,¡± Faye answered as she stared at Tostobrov walked toward her.

    Tostobrov opened his hand as he reached out to Faye. ¡°Give me the flash disk,¡± Tostobrov said with a serious expression.

    ¡°What?! No! What¡¯s the meaning of this?!¡± Faye asked as she unplugged the flash disk and held it tightly. ¡°Wait a minute, you all already know about this, don¡¯t you?¡± Faye stared at all of them, but Marlon was clueless.

    ¡°That¡¯s none of your concern, Lieutenant Colonel. Now, give me the flash disk or you will lose everything you have,¡± Tostobrov said as he stared at Faye.

    Faye looked at the others and saw Marlon was writing something on a piece of paper. She then looked at Gard and he just stared at her with a bit of disappointment and then looked away. She immediately felt betrayed that all this time they did this behind her back and sent her away just for their own interest.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it, you all doing this even after knowing the risk? You sent me out there so you can continue your fucking experiment?!¡± Faye shouted at them.

    ¡°You act as if you have the right to say it when you decided to volunteer for the experiment. Don¡¯t be a hypocrite, Faye. This is for the best and we all risk our lives so we can survive this cruel world that we are living in,¡± Jesper said.

    ¡°Marshal Gard! Tell me, do you know about all this and what Victor did?¡± Faye shouted as she glared at Gard.

    ¡°Yes, we all know everything and we all agreed on this, except for Marshal Marlon who have no idea about this,¡± Gard answered.

    Faye chuckled in disbelief as she shook her head.

    ¡°So that¡¯s why you guys obeyed Victor¡¯s order to hunt the Axis Humans even though my whole team experienced death?!¡± Faye asked as she walked away from Tostobrov.

    Marlon took a deep breath as he leaned on the chair and stared at Ruby.

    Ruby saw the piece of paper in Marlon¡¯s hand and immediately approached him, casually grabbing the paper from under the table without anyone noticing. She then walked back while the others were focused on Faye, and hid the piece of paper away.

    Ruby walked back and stood behind Vincent so she could read what Marlon wrote. There were only two sentences on the paper. She then crumpled it and put it in her pocket. She then whispered to Aster, and he immediately nodded his head.

    ¡°I won¡¯t ask you for the third time, Lieutenant Colonel. Give me the flash disk,¡± Tostobrov said.

    ¡°No, I won¡¯t give you this because I will expose this to the world what you guys are doing behind our back!¡± Faye said as she was cornered.

    The door was bust open and dozens of soldiers were pointing their guns at Faye. They threatened to shoot her if she didn¡¯t follow Tostobrov order.

    Faye didn¡¯t know what to do, but at the same time, she didn¡¯t want to give the flash disk to them because she hadn¡¯t seen everything. She was stuck in a dilemma, and she didn¡¯t know how to get out of it.

    Ruby poked Archie¡¯s back and then leaned toward his ear. ¡°Can you take care of them? Marlon need distraction to leave and we are going to meet him and Colonel Fanheim after,¡± Ruby whispered.

    Archie nodded his head with understanding.

    ¡°Faye! Run!¡± Ruby screamed.

    Archie ran toward the soldiers and kicked one of them. The soldier was thrown away and pushed the rest of them onto the wall. Faye who looked at the opportunity, ran as fast as she could and then was followed by Ruby and the others.

    Archie and Eve quickly grabbed the soldiers¡¯ guns and started firing them into the air to attract the soldiers¡¯ attention.

    ¡°Archie! Eve! What the hell are you doing?!¡± Gard asked as he covered his head with his hands.

    ¡°What are we doing?¡± Archie asked and then shot a soldier in the head who tried to enter the room. ¡°We are making a distraction,¡± Archie answered.

 Chapter 158 Everything you need to know.

    ¡°Where are we going?!¡± Faye asked as she followed Ruby and Vincent.

    ¡°Just follow me, we will leave this fucking place. There¡¯s no reason to stay here any longer,¡± Ruby answered as she hurriedly left the headquarters. ¡°Give me the key! I will drive!¡± Ruby continued as she looked at Aster.

    Aster tossed the key to Ruby, and then they all entered the car and left immediately.

    ¡°Wait! How about Archie and Eve?! They¡¯re still in there on their own!¡± Faye asked as she looked back with a worried expression.

    ¡°The last thing you want to do is to be worried about them. Right now, our own safety is the top priority because Marshal Marlon has prepared a safehouse for us to hide in,¡± Ruby answered as she looked in the rear-view mirror and saw nobody following them.

    Archie and Eve were shooting the guns at the soldiers and killed them all without hesitation. Gard, Jesper, Marlon, and Tolstobrov were amazed and shocked by how fast those two were and how they dodged every bullet that was shot at them.

    ¡°I never thought we have someone like them in here,¡± Tolstobrov said as he stared at them.

    Marlon was at the back while the other Marshals watched Arche and Eve outside the conference room. He casually walked away while he grabbed his phone and didn¡¯t even bother to look back.

    Archie saw Marlon left, and he immediately signaled Eve by tilting his head over his right shoulder. Eve nodded with understanding, and then she broke the pillars that supported the buildings.

    Watching those two planning on destroying the building, Gard and the other Marshals decided to run away since there was no way the soldiers could stop those two. They left hurriedly and they barely made it out alive because the headquarters collapsed again.

    ¡°Find those two! I want them captured!¡± Tolstobrov yelled at the soldiers who watched the headquarters collapse. ¡°Whoever capture them, you will be promoted to a high rank!¡±

    All the soldiers immediately surrounded the headquarters and looked for Archie and Eve.

    They waited for an hour but didn¡¯t saw those two leave the building, and there was no sight of them inside as well. Tolstobrov was so angry and kept ordering the soldiers to look in each room and corner of the building.

    Archie and Eve changed their appearance and wore the uniform the moment the building collapsed. Nobody noticed them and they just casually left not long after the building collapsed.

    Ruby told Archie to meet her outside the pub before she asked him to make a distraction. They both went to the pub and saw Ruby waiting for them inside the car.

    ¡°So? What are we going to do next?¡± Archie asked as he stood right next to the door.

    Ruby was so confused, but then recognized Archie¡¯s voice even though his appearance was totally different.

    ¡°Get in. I will tell you on the way,¡± Ruby said as she started the engine.

    Archie and Eve entered the car without asking a single question.

    ¡°We will be leaving,¡± Ruby said as she kept checking the rear-view mirrors.

    ¡°Leaving where?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Well,¡± Ruby paused as she focused on driving. ¡°Since we both know those Marshals have been helping Victor, there¡¯s no safe place for us, especially both of you. So, we will be going back to the Eastern Nation where they can¡¯t catch us,¡± Ruby continued.

    ¡°Going back there? With what? The same ships that we used to get here?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Yes, but we can¡¯t just go back up there. Marlon said that all the soldiers have been warned and now we have bounties on our heads. So, we will be hiding in the safehouse that Fanheim have prepared for us,¡± Ruby answered.

    ¡°It sounds like as if you guys already know something like this might happen. Interesting,¡± Eve said as she stared at the road through the window.

    ¡°The moment we set foot here, we already know something is off about this sudden changes. Thanks to you guys, our suspicion about them is true, and of course, Marlon and Fanheim are going to protect ourselves from these strangers since we are just an outcast,¡± Ruby answered as she nodded his head.

    Ruby brought them to the countryside and there were no cars or even electricity. They went up the hill and there was a small abandoned village. Up there, they saw Faye and the others were chilling outside a small cabin with a bunch of cars parked on the sides.

    ¡°No! I can¡¯t leave them! If we go without them, they will be used for the experiment!¡± Faye said to Fanheim.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Ruby asked as she looked at both of them.

    ¡°I have to go back, Ruby. My men, I need to bring all of them here with me! They¡¯re all in danger now and I¡¯m sure Gard and the others will use them for the experiment,¡± Faye answered with a worried expression.

    ¡°Are you crazy? That¡¯s a suicide! If you go back there, not only you endanger yourself, but you¡¯re going to lead those guys here,¡± Ruby said as she stared at Faye in the eye.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave them, Ruby. They¡¯re my men, and their lives are my responsibility. You¡¯re going to do the same if you¡¯re in my position, and I know you would,¡± Faye said as she stared at Ruby with a serious expression.

    Ruby sighed as she looked at Fanheim, Vincent, Tommy, and Daniel. Faye wasn¡¯t wrong about it, and she would do exactly the same thing as what Faye tried to do.

    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s go and find them, but I¡¯m not going to bring stay there for too long because it¡¯s too risky,¡± Ruby said.

    Faye nodded with understanding. ¡°I know, and thank you,¡± Faye replied.

    ¡°Well then, that means you¡¯re going to need a distraction, right?¡± Eve asked with a smirk on her face.

    ¡°If you¡¯re willing to help, I guess we are going to make it out alive,¡± Ruby answered as she nodded her head.

    Eve chuckled softly, and she slowly tore the back of her uniform and spread her wings so widely. Everyone was dumbstruck and petrified when they saw Eve transform herself into a parasite. The same form that she used when she stole the serum from the laboratory.

    ¡°So, it was you¡­¡± Faye asked as she slowly took a few steps back and stared at Eve with her eyes wide open in disbelief.

    ¡°If you want an answer, come back alive and I will tell you everything. Maybe Archie will tell you,¡± Eve said as she flapped her wings then floated in the air. ¡°Now go, I will distract them,¡± Eve continued, and then flew away at the speed of sound.

    ¡°Archie, we are going to need your protection, so come with me,¡± Ruby said as she walked past him and toward the car.

    Archie nodded and followed Ruby and Faye into the car, and when Aster was about to enter the car, Ruby stopped him. ¡°You stay here, Aster, we don¡¯t have enough seat for everyone. Just trust Archie and me. We will protect Faye at all cost,¡±

    Aster stared at Faye for a moment and then nodded his head. ¡°Please, she¡¯s everything to me,¡± Aster said with a sad voice.

    ¡°I know, I¡¯m not planning on failing since I want to come back for Vincent as well,¡± Ruby said as she stared at Vincent who looked worried about her.

    They left the village and hurriedly went back to the city to pick up Faye¡¯s men.

    On their way back to the city, Faye slowly turned her head back and looked at Archie.

    ¡°So, do you care to explain this to me? Who is she?¡± Faye asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a long story, but I guess we have the time to talk about this,¡± Archie said as he looked down. ¡°Eve and I are not humans,¡± Archie answered as he looked at Faye uncomfortably. ¡°We used to be a human, but something happened and we both became like this,¡± Archie continued.

    ¡°I see, no wonder why you both are so careless, or more like carefree about this whole thing¡­¡± Faye said as she looked down. ¡°So, what¡¯s the reason she stole the serum for? I thought it¡¯s dangerous for your kind,¡± Faye asked with curiosity.

    ¡°It¡¯s for me, I almost died because I did something stupid and she had to steal the serum and injected it in my body. It¡¯s complicated, but the point is, I needed it to fight someone like me,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°Someone like you? Are you talking about Ex-Humans?¡± Faye asked.

    ¡°Yeah, you can say that,¡± Archie nodded his head as he stared blankly at the seat in front of him.

    Faye hummed with understanding and then she looked to the front again without saying a single word or asking a single question.

    ¡°There¡¯s something I would like to tell you, Faye,¡± Archie said.

    Faye turned around and raised her eyebrows.

    ¡°Hendrick Fischer isn¡¯t real. I¡¯m the Hendrick Fischer in your memories,¡± Archie said as he stared Faye in the eye.

 Chapter 159 A total chaos.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Faye was perplexed by what she just heard.

    ¡°It¡¯s complicated, but I¡¯m telling you the truth. I¡¯m Hendrick Fischer in your memories, and that¡¯s why I know everything about you, Aster, Professor Larse, Marshal Flavius, Iohann, and everything about the Western Nation,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°There are so many things that I wanted to ask you. This time, I need all the answers and you have to be honest with me once we are done here,¡± Faye said with a serious expression while she was still in shock at the truth.

    Archie nodded his head with understanding.

    It wasn¡¯t that long since they left the city, but the moment they entered the wall, chaos was spreading all over the Central Nation. Buildings were destroyed, people were running around aimlessly because they were scared of whatever was happening at that moment.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Faye asked as she looked out the window and saw smoke and fire everywhere.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it could be Eve, but I could be wrong,¡± Ruby answered as she drove the car so slowly and carefully since people were crowding the street.

    While they were looking around, they heard gunshots from three different directions. At first, Archie thought that everything that happened in the city was because of Eve, but after hearing the gunshots, he doubted it was all Eve was doing.

    ¡°Now what? Where should find them?¡± Ruby asked as she parked the car not far from the headquarters.

    ¡°I will go back inside and find them,¡± Faye said as she unbuckled and stared at the headquarters.

    ¡°Seriously? Is that what you came up with?¡± Ruby stared at Faye with disbelief.

    ¡°It¡¯s the only way, and I believe they¡¯re in the barrack right now, or at least somewhere around the headquarters,¡± Faye said as she opened the door. ¡°You guys stay here, I can go in there on my own,¡± Faye said as she closed the door and stared at them from the window.

    Archie and Ruby watched Faye cross the street as she hid her face in a hat.

    ¡°You should go there with her, Archie,¡± Ruby said.

    ¡°What about you?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°I will be fine, I still have your sword here. I can protect myself,¡± Ruby answered as she looked at Archie. ¡°Now go, I don¡¯t want to be in here for too long,¡±

    Archie nodded and then left the car to catch up with Faye.

    Archie casually changed his appearance as he pretended to fix his hat and walked across the street.

    ¡°Faye, wait for me,¡± Archie said as he approached Faye.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t come, I can do this on my own,¡± Faye said as she took a short glimpse at Archie, but then she realized his face was totally different. ¡°Wait, who, Archie?¡± Faye asked as she furrowed her eyebrows and leaned away from him.

    ¡°You saw Eve changed her appearance, what makes it look so surprise now?¡± Archie asked as he walked next to Faye. ¡°Anyway, stay behind my back, I will protect you,¡± Archie said as he walked to the front and hid Faye with his body.

    Faye did as Archie told her and hid behind his back as they entered the headquarters.

    ¡°Hey! Stop right there!¡± A soldier said as he approached Archie from his post.

    Archie stood still, and when the soldier was close enough, he punched the guy in the face and knocked him out instantly. Archie grabbed the soldier¡¯s pistol and sub-machine gun, he gave the pistol to Faye, and then they both entered the headquarters.

    They went right straight to the barracks, and saw soldiers were leaving with their weapons on their waists and backs. Faye looked into one of the barracks and found two of her men were preparing to leave.

    ¡°John, Erel!¡± Faye called.

    ¡°Lieutenant Colonel?! You should leave! Everyone is searching for you,¡± John said.

    ¡°No, you both come with me. I¡¯m not the only one who¡¯s in danger, but you guys and the rest of the team is in danger!¡± Faye replied as she looked outside the barrack through the window. ¡°Where are the others?¡± Faye asked.

    ¡°They were sent by Marshal Gard to look for you on the station in the north. We are also about to leave and go there,¡± John answered.

    ¡°Fuck! You guys come with me! Let¡¯s bring the others back, because there¡¯s a chance that you guys will be used for an experiment,¡± Faye said.

    Both John and Erel were confused and surprised at the same time.

    Archie looked in the distance and saw a small group of soldiers were walking toward them with guns in their hands. He squinted his eyes and could tell they were ready to shoot him by the way they put their fingers on the trigger.

    ¡°You guys need to leave, now! You have been spotted, Faye,¡± Archie said.

    Before Faye could respond to Archie¡¯s words, he started shooting the soldiers, but he only shot three men while the rest of them started to respond and shoot him back.

    Faye, John, and Erel were ducking and protecting their heads with their arms. They watched Archie firing the sub-machine gun nonstop as he kept moving forward and dodging the bullets.

    ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s use the back door!¡± Faye said as she ran to the back.

    Because of the gunshots, it attracted the other soldiers and hurriedly went to the barracks to check what had happened. Archie who dealt with the group of soldiers, he immediately changed his appearance again and pretended to be one of them. He misled the soldiers by telling them there was a rat among the soldiers and that the rat was hiding in one of the barracks.

    Archie pretended to help the medic carry the dead bodies of the soldiers, and then he left the headquarters so casually. He then saw Faye, John, and Erel were stealthily running back to the car, and he followed them from behind.

    Faye was surprised that Archie was already there with them, but she didn¡¯t say a word and entered the car.

    Faye told Ruby and asked her to go to the north side of the city to pick up the rest of Faye¡¯s men.

    On their way there, they saw VMC¡¯s building in the distance, and they were shocked when they saw the top of the building was gone. Now Ruby, Faye, and Archie knew what had happened and who did that.

    Turned out, some soldiers were killing the guards or mercenaries from the VMC based on what John heard. They whole chaos was because of that, and now the soldiers and the mercenaries were fighting against each other.

    They had no idea how that happened, but they knew Eve was the one who started it. The most important question was, did Eve steal something or did she not, because it would be great if she did steal the hard disk from the VMC¡¯s main building since all the secrets should be inside that hard disk.

    ¡°Lieutenant Colonel, didn¡¯t we just leave that guy that came with you behind? Is he going to be alright?¡± John asked.

    ¡°Oh, he should be fine. He¡¯s someone from a secret service and he just came to help me get you guys,¡± Faye answered and lied without hesitation.

    Ruby suddenly hit the break and looked to her right.

    ¡°That¡¯s Prince and Resse,¡± Ruby said.

    Archie looked at the crossroads and saw Prince and Resse were fighting against the mercenaries. They both looked like they were in trouble, and he immediately got out of the car to help them.

    ¡°Just leave, I will go with them back to the safehouse,¡± Archie said as he cocked the pistol.

    Ruby hit the gas and left immediately.

    Archie shot his pistols at the mercenaries in the head and killed them all in an instant. Both Prince and Resse were surprised to see someone come to help them, and then they were more surprised to see Archie who helped them.

    ¡°Long time no see, you two,¡± Archie said as he crossed the road and put the gun in the back of his pants. ¡°What are you guys doing here?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Marshal Marlon, we are clearing the area,¡± Prince answered as he wiped the blood from his nose. ¡°What are you doing here? I thought you guys already in the safehouse,¡± Prince asked back.

    ¡°There are people that need to be saved, Faye¡¯s men to be exact,¡± Archie answered. ¡°Anyway, I will be joining you both. I need a ride back to the safehouse,¡±

    ¡°Glad that you¡¯re joining us here,¡± Resse said as she reloaded her gun. ¡°Let¡¯s move out and clear out the street. There will be more of them soon,¡± Resse continued.

    ¡°I need ammo,¡± Archie said.

    ¡°Go to the alleyway back there, we brought more than enough ammo,¡± Resse replied.

    Archie ran into the alleyway and saw a big bag filled with bullets. He grabbed his cartridge and loaded it with bullets. He then grabbed a handful of bullets and put it inside all the pockets on his uniform and pants.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m good to go,¡± Archie said as he cocked his pistol.

 Chapter 160 No need to hid it anymore.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad that you¡¯re with us, Archie,¡± Marlon said as he watched the whole city was in chaos from the car. ¡°I was doubting that I will not be able to leave this place unnoticed,¡± Marlon continued as he looked at Archie from over his shoulder.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pure coincidence. I was with Ruby and Faye but then we saw Prince and Resse struggled fighting the mercenaries,¡± Archie answered as he sat on the back of the car.

    Marlon furrowed his forehead and turned around. ¡°Ruby and Faye are still here? What are they doing? I thought I personally ordered Ruby to go straight to the safehouse,¡± Marlon asked with a puzzled look.

    ¡°We were, but then Faye insisted on bringing all his men to the safehouse. She believed after jeoparding and exposing the secret, all his men would be used for the experiment. Ruby understood her feelings, and decided to bring her back here, and now they¡¯re on their way to the station on the north side of the city,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°As long as she didn¡¯t bring the flash disk with her, she can do whatever she wants. But is she or is she not?¡± Marlon asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure sir, but I think she didn¡¯t bring the flash disk with her,¡± Archie answered.

    Marlon hummed with understanding.

    They arrived at the safehouse and the first thing that Marlon asked for was the flash disk. Aster had it with him the whole time and Marlon immediately took it from him and checked it himself using the laptop he brought with him.

    The sun was about to go down. Vincent and Aster were worried sick about Ruby and Faye, but then three cars came to the village. It was Ruby and Faye, with Faye¡¯s men that she managed to bring with her.

    While everyone was glad to see each other again, Archie, on the other hand, had to wait for Eve. He knew that Eve was strong, but he couldn¡¯t help but be worried about her since she almost died back then because of the serum.

    Faye and Aster were looking at Archie sitting on the cliff staring at the empty road between the forest. Faye had told Aster about what Archie had told her, and so they decided to approach him and accompany him.

    ¡°Waiting for Eve?¡± Faye asked as she sat down right next to Archie.

    Archie looked at Faye, and then looked at Aster who stood right behind her.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m a bit worried because she almost died because of the serum when you shot her back then. There¡¯s no reason to not be worried since it might happen again this time,¡± Archie answered as he stared blankly at the forest.

    ¡°Right, I did that,¡± Faye replied as she nodded her head.

    ¡°If you want to ask about me, can we wait until Eve comes back? I can¡¯t think about anything else right now,¡± Archie said as he smiled gently at both of them.

    ¡°We understand, we are here to accompany you, nothing else,¡± Aster said as he sat down next to Archie.

    An hour had passed and it was getting dark, but there was no sign of Eve anywhere near the village. Faye and Aster didn¡¯t say a word, but they were there just to be present for him to make him feel less anxious.

    Archie felt a presence in the sky. He looked up, but then a glimpse of shadow just went straight down into the forest. He stood up so he could look at the forest more clearly as he squinted his eyes, and then a rustling sound could be heard in the distance.

    ¡°Waiting for me?¡± Eve asked as she looked up at Archie, Faye, and Aster with a smile on her face.

    Eve flew up and landed right behind Archie, and then she hid her wings. Before she could say anything else, Archie stood up and checked her body up, down, back, and front.

    ¡°Are you alright? You¡¯re not hurt anywhere?¡± Archie asked in a worried voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I was enjoying killing them and didn¡¯t realize the time,¡± Eve answered with a smile on her face as she grabbed Archie¡¯s cheeks with her hands. ¡°Anyway, I got something for you,¡± Eve said as she grabbed something on the sling bag around her body.

    Faye furrowed her eyebrows and looked at the hard disk in Eve¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Wait, is that a hard disk?¡± Faye asked.

    ¡°Yes, I stole it from the VMC¡¯s main building,¡± Eve answered as she nodded her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Archie, I did remove the tracking device from it as how Ivan did it back then,¡± Eve said before Archie could say his mind.

    Faye and Aster looked at Eve and Archie with a puzzled look.

    ¡°Back then? Wait a minute. Don¡¯t tell me it was you who killed those people in the Northern Nation? And it was you who sent me the flash disk?¡± Faye asked as she looked at them both.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. I was the one who killed them, but I was just the distraction while Archie was the one who stole the hard disk and decided to give the copy of the content to you,¡± Eve answered. ¡°Anyway, looks like you guys are waiting for me, so I guess we should start explaining things to both of them?¡± Eve asked as she looked at Archie.

    ¡°Let¡¯s bring everyone, it¡¯s time we do the same like he did,¡± Archie replied.

    ¡°Everyone? Are you sure?¡± Eve asked.

    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a need to hide it from them because we are all in the same page now. But, how about we look at the inside of the hard disk first? I bet there¡¯s something more important that we might discover,¡± Archie said. ¡°Is that alright, Faye?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Yeah, as long as you don¡¯t run away, then we can wait,¡± Faye said with a serious expression.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not planning on to do so,¡± Archie answered.

    They all went to the village where everyone was gathering in a small barn to see what was the content of the flash disk. Faye and Aster went to the front with Marlon and Fanheim so they could see what they were reading.

    Everyone was listening to Faye as she read it out loud the reports inside the flash disk. They were all shocked at the fact they had been used for something called ¡®For the greater good¡¯. They were so furious, disappointed, and dishearted after knowing all the four nations were helping Victor.

    They were reading until late at night, and finally they were done with all the content in the flash disk. Archie then walked to the front and showed the hard disk that Eve stole from VMC¡¯s main building.

    Everyone was tired and a bit sleepy, but the moment they heard Archie find another one, and it was from the VMC¡¯s main building, they suddenly became wide awake. Marlon immediately plugged in the hard disk into his laptop, and there were thousands of files worth of reports.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we have the time to read everything at once. This is too many information to digest,¡± Fanheim said as he stared at the files on the screen.

    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s this?¡± Faye asked as she pointed at one of the files. ¡°Can open this one, Marshal Marlon?¡± Faye asked again.

    Marlon opened a file named ¡®Operation: Bridge¡¯. They were all making the same kind of expression, they were all staring at the screen with their eyes wide open.

    ¡°This is!¡± Marlon said as he read the reports.

    ¡°I was right,¡± Ruby said as she covered her mouth. ¡°They were the ones who destroyed the Sky Station. They sabotaged us so they could use the resource for themselves,¡± Ruby clenched her fist as she glared at the screen.

    ¡°Unforgiveable!¡± Marlon slammed his hand on the desk and everyone from the Eastern Nation felt the same way as him. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this. They welcomed us and pretended they cared about us, but the truth is they were the one who abandoned us,¡± Marlon said as he gritted his teeth.

    ¡°No wonder they have been keeping us in the dark until now. Turns out they were the one behind all this,¡± Fanheim said as he sighed and shook his head in disbelief. ¡°What are you going to do, Marlon? These people, we can¡¯t just let this go, not after we know about rotten they are,¡± Fanheim asked as he looked at Marlon.

    Marlon stared at Prince and Resse.

    ¡°Who said that we are going to let this go?¡± Marlon asked back. ¡°They decided to abandon us, then don¡¯t expect us to just stay quiet about this. Even though there are only a few of us left, I know their important bases. Let¡¯s give them war and make them regret for doing that to us,¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s something that I want to tell you guys,¡± Archie said as he walked to the front. ¡°I¡¯m an Ex-Human,¡± Archie said as he stared at them with a serious expression.

 Chapter 161 How it ended up.

    ¡°This is who I am,¡± Archie said as he showed off his right hand with its sharp and long claws. His right arm was covered in black muscles from parasites. His wings were spread open and they moved like fingers.

    Marlon and the others were staring at Archie with disbelief, and the first reaction they did was point their guns at him. Ruby, Vincent, Daniel, and Tommy stood in front of Archie with their arms open to protect him while they were convincing Marlon.

    ¡°Marlon, there¡¯s no need for that. Archie is safe,¡± Fanheim said as he grabbed Marlon¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°How did you know that? You knew about this already?¡± Marlon asked as he stared at Fanheim over his shoulder.

    ¡°I did, and he was the reason we managed to leave the Eastern Nation. He had been helping us, and not just us but everyone here are alive because of him,¡± Fanheim answered as he nodded his head. ¡°So, just lower your gun, you guys as well, lower your gun,¡± Fanheim waved his hand down as he stared at them.

    Marlon slowly lowered his pistol while he stared at Archie slowly turning himself back to normal.

    ¡°I will tell you my story how I became like this,¡± Archie said as he sat down and sighed.

    Archie started his story from when he joined Iohann on the expedition. He didn¡¯t tell them about the angles, and how he was because he was scared to tell the truth to that many people since Throne might punish him for it.

    Eve also showed the same thing to them, but she didn¡¯t tell her story because Archie made a make-up story for her.

    Everyone listened to how he ended up becoming an Ex-Human, and they were so surprised by the process of him suffering for years. They were pitying him and at the same time afraid of him because of it.

    ¡°The moment I gained my consciousness, I was there on FalCon-3. I met Ruby, Vincent, Daniel, and Tommy,¡± Archie said as he stared blankly at the ground.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a human anymore, but that didn¡¯t mean I lose my sanity like those Ex-Axis Humans. I still know what¡¯s right and what¡¯s wrong, and since I¡¯m used to be a human, I would rather to be on the human side rather than the parasite side,¡± Archie explained as he stared at each one of them.

    ¡°So, Victor is trying to do the same thing. The results are not the same, but I believe he¡¯s planning to keep doing it until he get the result like Archie,¡± Faye said as she looked at the report about the experiment. ¡°Eating parasites to satisfy their hunger, become stronger by eating them. Not to mention, they have become emotionless,¡±

    ¡°If we want to fight them, let¡¯s destroy their secret bases. I believe we will find one of those bases where they do the experiment, and right now we have acquired the most important thing that we need to fight them,¡± Ruby said as she looked at the hard disk on the desk. ¡°We need to find it before it¡¯s too late,¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just rest for tonight. Everyone is exhausted and is still processing what¡¯s going on right now,¡± Fanheim said as he looked at them. ¡°Let¡¯s discuss this early in the morning tomorrow,¡± Fanheim continued.

    Marlon agreed with that and dismissed everyone.

    It was just Archie, Eve, Marlon, Fanheim, Ruby, Vincent, Faye, Prince, Resse, Tommy, Daniel, and Aster in the barn house. They were staring at the laptop and then Eve stared at the people walking around the village.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s better to watch the village, we don¡¯t know if there¡¯s a spy or a traitor among us,¡± Eve said calmly as she kept staring outside the barn.

    ¡°No, they¡¯re all trusted people, there¡¯s nothing to be worried about,¡± Aster replied.

    ¡°Trustworthy, but that before we both showed our trueself. What makes you think they¡¯re not afraid of me and Archie and didn¡¯t change their mind? You know, human nature, avoiding danger?¡± Eve said as she stared at them with her arms crossed.

    Faye, Ruby, Marlon, and Fanheim stared at each other. The whole room went quiet because they were thinking about it and Eve wasn¡¯t wrong for being cautious.

    ¡°Alright, I guess we all have to stay awake for the night,¡± Fanheim said as he looked at Marlon.

    Marlon nodded his head as he closed the laptop and grabbed it from the desk.

    ¡°Keep it quiet, only the people in this room that we can trust right now,¡± Marlon said as he walked away. ¡°If you find anyone leaving the village tonight. Capture them and tie them up,¡± Marlon continued.

    They went their separate ways and started patrolling around the village. Archie was paired with Eve while the others were paired with their own partners.

    ¡°That was easier than I thought it would be,¡± Eve said as she sat under the tree.

    ¡°What is?¡± Archie asked as he watched the village from the distance.

    ¡°Us, being exposed. I never thought everything would ended up like this,¡± Eve answered as she stared at the starry sky.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that you got involved in all this, and I¡¯m sorry if you don¡¯t like it when things ended up like this,¡± Archie said as he looked at Eve with a grim expression.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine with this, it doesn¡¯t bother me or anything. I feel like this is how it supposed to be because we are reaching the final step. I know this will end someday, and I have been waiting and curious about it for hundreds of years. So, it wasn¡¯t your fault or anything, I¡¯m just enjoying the ride while you¡¯re the one who take the wheel,¡± Eve replied as she smiled at Archie.

    They heard footsteps, and not just one, but two. They both turned around and saw Faye and Aster walking toward them.

    ¡°Hi, do you mind to change partner?¡± Faye asked as she looked at both of them.

    Eve chuckled as she nodded her head. ¡°Let¡¯s go, but if you get too close to me, I will cut your head off,¡± Eve said as she stared at Aster.

    ¡°Uhh¡­ noted,¡± Aster said as he nodded his head repeatedly.

    Faye and Archie watched Eve and Aster leaving them alone to give them privacy.

    ¡°So, you still owe me the real story. You were making that story up back there, right?¡± Faye asked as she sat down where Eve was sitting down.

    ¡°Not entirely, I only lied a small part of it,¡± Archie answered. ¡°Since we have all night, I will tell you everything, but before that. Do you believe in God?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°God? I¡¯m not sure¡­¡± Faye answered with hesitation and looked at him with a puzzled and concerned look.

    ¡°Well then, this story is going to sound crazy to you, so bear with it and just listen to what I¡¯m going to tell you,¡± Archie said.

    Archie told the whole truth from the beginning until the moment he met her. Faye was shocked, baffled, and terrified at the same time. She didn¡¯t know what to say, she made the same exact expression and reaction when he told Ruby about it.

    Eve and Aster came back at the right moment. They both looked at the expression that Faye made, Eve was chuckling while Aster was worried about her.

    ¡°I believe she already know about everything?¡± Eve asked as she stood right in front of Eve.

    Eve sat down and stared at Faye in the eye with a gentle smile on her face.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so overwhelmed by it, Faye. This is how the world works now, and you will get used to it like how Ruby and the others are,¡± Eve explained.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Before Faye could say anything, they heard rustling sounds from down the cliff.

    All of them immediately looked at where the sound was coming from. They hurriedly went there to check what was that sound.

    ¡°Would you look at that, I was right about it,¡± Eve said as she stared at a guy was stealthily walking in the forest. ¡°So, who will be going to pick this guy up?¡± Eve asked.

    ¡°I gues you should. It¡¯s faster and easier to capture them if you just, you know, fly toward him?¡± Aster replied as he looked at Eve with a joking expression.

    ¡°Fine by me,¡± Eve said as she pulled out her wings without making a sound. ¡°Let¡¯s find out who¡¯s the coward, shall we?¡± Eve continued with a mischievous smile on her face.

    Eve jumped off of the cliff and flew away like an owl. She didn¡¯t make any sound, she flew so quickly in the dark. It was fascinating and terrifying at the same time.

    It didn¡¯t take long until Eve came back with the guy who got knocked out when she his her knee on the guy¡¯s nape.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see, is it Marlon¡¯s man, or yours, Faye,¡± Eve said as she put down the guy and kicked him over.

    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s your guy,¡± Eve said as she stared at Faye.

 Chapter 162 Secret bases.

    The morning came, and there were three people who tried to leave but got caught by Eve, Prince, and Resse during their patrol. They were brought to Marlon and were interrogated by Resse since she was the best in that field.

    ¡°How long it has been? Four hours?¡± Aster asked as he looked at one of the farmhouses in front of him where Resse was interrogating those people.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to take a while, it could even take a whole day if she feels like it. Resse is not going to let them go until she got what she want or made them to be what she want,¡± Vincent answered as he stared the farmhouse. ¡°She¡¯s the devil in this kind of thing. She would use force if needed,¡±

    ¡°I guess the harsh world that you guys were living made you guys so tough, huh?¡± Aster replied as he looked at Vincent with a smirk.

    ¡°I hope that you can experience it yourself. We were living in fear everyday for seven years. Food was bad, not all water were drinkable, surrounded by abandoned city with hundreds of parasites, limited resource, and seeing people die everyday was like nothing to us,¡± Vincent answered as he nodded his head. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we are going to go back there again, but at least it¡¯s safer than here where the only concern is parasite,¡±

    ¡°Yeah, humans are scarier than anything,¡± Aster nodded in agreement as he stared at the house behind him.

    After Archie told Faye about his past, she wasn¡¯t feeling well and didn¡¯t want to be bothered. Aster was worried about her, but Vincent and Ruby told him that it was a normal reaction after listening to his story.

    ¡°I wonder what did she hear from Archie that made her like that,¡± Aster said as he sat down on the porch of the house.

    ¡°It¡¯s better to wait until she recovered. She will tell you what she heard from Archie, so just wait and let her be alone. ¡°She will be fine soon enough,¡± Vincent answered. ¡°Anyway, we are going to check the hard disk again soon, right? We should go to the barn now,¡±

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go,¡± Aster answered as he stood up, and then left to go to the barn with Vincent.

    Everyone was gathered in the barn already, and they heard about the people who tried to run away. They were talking about and wondered who those people were since Marlon didn¡¯t expose who those people were.

    They looked at the files inside the hard disk and the first thing they looked at were Victor¡¯s secret bases. The code names that were mentioned on the first hard disk got mentioned a lot in the reports.

    After checking the files for half an hour, they finally saw one of the locations of Victor¡¯s secret bases. They were surprised that the location was exactly as Archie had guessed. The letter was the location, and the number was the order of the base. There were at least a dozen of them and all of them were still operating.

    ¡°The one that used for the experiment is C-3, and that located in Northern Nation, huh? It¡¯s going to be hard since they are the most secured and armed nation compared to the rest after we did some research,¡± Fanheim said as he stared at the screen.

    ¡°I¡¯m more baffled about almost half of the locations are outside the nations. The bases are hidden underground, and I¡¯m surprised they could keep it running even though it¡¯s dangerous out there,¡± Nova said as she looked at the reports. ¡°Should we go for the ones that are outside the nations? It¡¯s easier and even though it¡¯s guarded, it¡¯s not as heavily as the one in the Northern Nation,¡± Nova asked as she looked at Marlon and Fanheim.

    ¡°The closest one from us is B-5, that¡¯s all the way south from here and if we go there by car, it will take a day. We need to get gas if we want to go for round trip and the cars that we have right now is only enough to bring thirty people at most. If we go to C-3, we can go there by foot and will be there in three days and we can bring everyone there,¡± Marlon said as he looked at everyone.

    ¡°So, which one do you want to choose? Both have ups and downs, but I think it¡¯s safer to go for B-5 because it¡¯s not heavily guarded and we can just send our best people there,¡± Fanheim said as he stared at Marlon.

    ¡°Does anyone have a map? I need to see the terrains and the exact location of B-5,¡± Marlon asked.

    One of the guys pulled out a map from his bag, and then he gave it to Marlon.

    ¡°It¡¯s underground, isn¡¯t it? We need to find the entrance and that would be hard to do,¡± Ruby said as she stared at the area where Marlon tapped his index finger on the map.

    ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem, Archie and I can go scout that area from above and find the entrance. It should be a big tunnel with a road. We can scout the area now if you want,¡± Eve said as she leaned on the wooden pillar.

    ¡°Do you think you can do it? How long will it takes for you to get there?¡± Marlon asked.

    ¡°Thirty minutes, more or less,¡± Eve answered.

    ¡°How about you two go there and destroy the secret base? Do you think you can do that?¡± Fanheim asked.

    ¡°We can, but it¡¯s better if we destroy two bases at the same time. Since they won¡¯t be prepared for an attack, I¡¯m thinking of attacking C-3 while you guys attack B-5. If we attack only one of them, it¡¯s only going to warn them and will tightened their guard on each bases,¡± Archie answered as he looked at Marlon and Fanheim.

    Marlond and the others looked at each other and thought about Archie¡¯s plan. It wasn¡¯t a bad idea and they kind of agreed to it because it would be nice to destroy two bases at the same time, not to mention the opportunity to destroy one of the biggest secret bases.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do that, it¡¯s a great plan,¡± Marlon said as he looked at Archie and Eve.

    ¡°Alright, should we go now or should we discuss about this further?¡± Eve asked as she stood straight and looked at Marlon.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to discuss about this further, you both can go right there and find the secret base. We will be waiting for you and we are counting on you for this,¡± Marlon answered as he stared at them with a serious expression.

    ¡°Shall we get going now?¡± Eve asked Archie.

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go,¡± Archie nodded his head, and then both of them left the barn.

    Archie and Eve flew away and it was an odd feeling when they just showed those people who they were without even having to worry about being caught. They had been hiding it for so long that it felt so weird to be watched, and not to mention those people were being fine with it.

    ¡°That¡¯s a bit weird of you, Eve,¡± Archie said as he flew right next to Eve.

    ¡°Weird? About what?¡± Eve turned her head to look at Archie.

    ¡°You being cooperative and giving suggestion to them. This is the first time you did that,¡± Archie answered as he kept staring at Eve.

    ¡°I guess because I want to see what those guys were doing. I want to see it myself and I want to know how strong those people are. Maybe we can get ourselves something from it, and not to mention, they¡¯re also experimenting with the Gen-0 parasites,¡± Eve explained as she looked in the distance and the city below them.

    Eve furrowed her eyebrows and stared at Archie weirdly because he made a weird expression.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You doesn¡¯t seem interested with what they¡¯re doing,¡± Eve asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that, it¡¯s just I¡¯m thinking about something else right now,¡± Archie answered as he stared blankly at the sky.

    ¡°Hmm? What are you thinking about? Something more interesting than the secret bases?¡± Eve asked as she raised her eyebrows.

    ¡°It¡¯s still about the secret bases, but I¡¯m curious about the Atlantis because it seems that we haven¡¯t found anything about its location. I wonder where it¡¯s located,¡± Archie answered as he looked at Eve. ¡°I was thinking of looking for it myself, but then you proposed this idea,¡±

    ¡°You should have told me back there. Sorry,¡± Eve said with a smile.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I can go and check it later, there¡¯s no rush,¡± Archie replied as he smiled back at her.

    They flew for twenty minutes, and they already reached their destination. They flew above the clouds as they looked at the mountains and hills below them.

    ¡°Looks like we are so lucky to find it immediately,¡± Eve said as she pointed down and saw a small road in between the trees in the forest.

    ¡°Let¡¯s mark it on the map, and then we can go back after,¡± Archie said.

 Chapter 163 Not enough.

    ¡°Alright, I think I marked the right coordinate after I checked the road,¡± Archie said as he flew back to Eve after he followed the road from above. ¡°Should we go back now or do you want to stay here a bit longer?¡± Archie asked as he stared at Eve who was staring at the people guarding the tunnel with barricades.

    ¡°We can go now, there¡¯s nothing interesting inside there,¡± Eve answered as she turned around to look at Archie.

    ¡°Huh? Did you go down there or something?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°I did, but not low enough to be detected by those people. I felt dozens of parasites down there, but nothing was piqued my interest,¡± Eve answered as she nodded her head and stared at the hill below them.

    ¡°That¡¯s a valuable information. You should tell Ruby and the others about it so they can prepare with what they¡¯re going to deal with,¡± Archie replied as he put the map into his backpack.

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go back, shall we?¡± Eve said as she stared at Archie with a smile on her face.

    Archie nodded, and then both of them flew back to the village.

    The wind was supporting them and they arrived at the village in just fifteen minutes. They were surprised when they saw those two come back in just an hour. Eve and Archie explained what they found and informed them about what kind of danger or threat that was in that secret base.

    ¡°I¡¯m amazed and shocked that you both did your job really well and so quickly. If we are the ones who go there to gather information, it would take us days or even a week. Thank you for helping us out,¡± Marlon said as he looked at both of them.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to mention that, Marshal. We are in the same boat and we are fighting the same enemy,¡± Archie replied as he nodded his head with a serious expression.

    Marlon nodded his head in agreement, and then he gathered all the information that he got with Fanheim.

    Archie and Eve left the house and looked around the village. Everyone was enjoying the time while they could since Marlon was planning to send them on a mission.

    Eve watched Aster and Vincent were chilling on the porch. ¡°Do you want to go and check her, Archie?¡± Eve asked.

    ¡°No, I think my presence around her would only make her uncomfortable. I also have to go and check the hard disk to find that information about Atlantis,¡± Archie answered as he looked at the barn house where Ruby and Prince were checking the rest of the information on the hard disk.

    ¡°Right, let¡¯s go then,¡± Eve said as she grabbed Archie¡¯s wrist and pulled him toward her.

    They entered the barn house and there was nobody else except Ruby and Prince. Those two looked so busy that they didn¡¯t even bother to look at who was entering the barn house.

    ¡°Found something interesting?¡± Archie asked as he and Eve walked toward them.

    ¡°Define interesting?¡± Ruby asked back as she stared at them with her eyebrows raised. ¡°Everything is interesting, but I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re looking for, so I should ask you that question before I can answer that question,¡± Ruby said as she continued browsing through the files.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking for the Atlantis. Did you find anything that mentioned that code name?¡± Archie asked as he walked around the table.

    ¡°Atlantis¡­¡± Ruby paused as she looked at the notes in her hand with hundreds of writings on them. ¡°I think I wrote it somewhere here, hold on,¡± Ruby continued as she read through all the writings that she made.

    Archie let Ruby take her time as he grabbed two chairs for him and for Eve to sit on.

    ¡°Ah, there you are. Here, I wrote it all down on this page, so you can just read it all without having to look at the hard disk again,¡± Ruby said as she gave the notes in her hand to Archie.

    Archie and Eve read the notes and the first thing they checked was the location of the Atlantis. They both were surprised when they noticed that the Atlantis was in face a base under ground. The location was in fact under the sea as Archie guessed, but the problem was there was no coordinate or hint of the Atlantis location.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing else?¡± Archie asked as he stared at Ruby who was busy reading the reports with Prince.

    ¡°For now, that¡¯s the only thing that we got. Maybe I will get more once I get further in this,¡± Ruby answered as she kept reading the report. ¡°But I guess it¡¯s going to take a while. So, you can do something else while waiting until I got something about Atlantis. I will notify you when I got a new information about it,¡± Ruby continued as she looked at Archie.

    ¡°Alright, thanks for that,¡± Archie answered as he stood up and put the notes in his pocket. ¡°Do you need something? I can bring you something to eat or drink,¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°No, we are good. We just had our breakfast,¡± Ruby answered as she shook her head.

    ¡°Okay, good luck, both of you,¡± Archie said as he walked away with Eve.

    They left the barn house and saw Resse was coming out from Marlon¡¯s house. Everyone was staring at her because her hands were bloody and they was wondering what did she do to those people that got captured.

    ¡°I see you worked really hard,¡± Archie said as he stared at Resse¡¯s bloody hands.

    Resse scoffed as she stared at her own hands. ¡°Well, it¡¯s necessary and I was right about it,¡± Resse answered as she wiped her hands with a piece of cloth that was already covered in blood from her pocket.

    ¡°Oh? What did you find out?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Well then, you should join me to meet Faye because she just brought a spy with her,¡± Resse said as she stared at Archie. ¡°Imagine what would happen if they managed to escape, maybe we will be dead by now,¡±

    Archie was a bit surprised, but he did expect something like that would happen in the worst case scenario.

    ¡°So you killed the spy?¡± Eve asked with her eyebrow raised.

    ¡°Of course, why would you ask the obvious?¡± Resse replied as she looked at Eve.

    ¡°Where did you put the body?¡± Eve asked.

    ¡°Why do you ask that?¡± Resse asked back with her eyebrows furrowed.

    ¡°Eat it, of course,¡± Eve answered with a smile on her face. ¡°Do you know that we both haven¡¯t ate anything for days now? You don¡¯t want us to eat you instead, right?¡± Eve jokingly asked, but Resse expression was genuine and she was a bit scared of both of them.

    ¡°I¡¯m just joking about it. So, where did you put the body?¡± Eve asked.

    ¡°You mean bodies? They¡¯re still in that farmhouse, so feel free to eat them, I guess¡­¡± Resse answered as she looked at both of them with a bit of disgust.

    ¡°We are not going to eat them. Human flesh is juicy but not delicious. We are just going to inflict fear on these people so they won¡¯t try to make the same mistake as them,¡± Eve said as she looked at the people around them. ¡°It¡¯s always nice to put people back to where they belong and remind them what Archie and I are,¡±

    Resse stared at the people that were staring at them as she hummed with understanding and nodded her head in agreement.

    ¡°Alright, I guess I should let you guys be then and will tell you the details once you guys are done,¡± Resse said as she walked toward Faye¡¯s place.

    As Eve said, they both went to the farmhouse where the dead bodies were while the others were staring at them with confusion.

    Even though Eve said that she didn¡¯t want to eat them, but after looking at the fresh human flesh, she couldn¡¯t resist the temptation. She ate the arms and thighs while Archie at the legs and the bodies of those people.

    They left the guts, the heads, and the remains on the table before they left the farmhouse. The moment they came out of the door, everyone was petrified when they saw both of them were covered in blood, their hands, mouths, and cheeks were red.

    ¡°You, go and clean the mess,¡± Eve said as she pointed at the guy who was the most scared of them all.

    The guy was startled when Eve was staring and pointing at him. He couldn¡¯t say no because he was terrified of them, and so he hurriedly ran toward the farmhouse.

    ¡°I¡¯m still hungry, I wonder who we will be eating next,¡± Eve said when the guy walked past her as she glanced at him with a mischievous smile on her face.

    With that, the rumor spread around them and nobody dared to get too close to them or even thought about leaving.

 Chapter 164 The right choice.

    Archie and Eve went to meet with Resse and asked about what she found during her interrogation. She told them that Gard had been always watching the Valor special force ever since it was created. He had been reporting everything back to him, and there were a lot of them back there before most of them died in FalCon-1.

    It was a shock, even for Faye who was still unstable and immediately thought about how unbelievable it was. She asked Resse if she was telling the truth, and Resse said that nobody knew if she was telling the truth or not, but she had no reason to make it all up.

    They all were gathered in the barn house and because Marlon called them there to discuss about their plans for an attack. Of course, after what happened that morning when Eve and Archie ate the bodies of the spies made them all scared to be in the same room as them.

    They all saw what Eve and Archie did, and what they left behind. They were shocked and terrified that the fact those two could eat those bodies so fast and so clean without leaving a mess.

    Although Faye and Aster heard about it from them, they couldn¡¯t believe it at all. They didn¡¯t see the remains of the bodies, and they also didn¡¯t see the bloody mouths and hands of those two after they ate them.

    Of course, Faye asked Ruby about it and she gave the answer that Faye didn¡¯t want to hear. Ruby did see Archie eat parasites, but she had never seen him eat a human flesh before, and the face that she had seen him eat a parasite was sleeping far worse and disgusting than eating a human flesh.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think about it, it¡¯s not something you want to imagine. Just think of him like a beast, and it will make you a bit at ease,¡± Ruby said as she crossed her arms and looked at Marlon who was having a serious conversation with Fanheim at the front.

    ¡°I still can¡¯t process everything, or rather I don¡¯t want to think about what he said to me,¡± Faye said as she stared at Archie and Eve who were on the other side of the room. ¡°How could this happened and how could we live like this after knowing there will be no hope for humanity,¡± Faye asked as she stared at Ruby.

    ¡°Well, after knowing that, I guess I can say that death and life don¡¯t bother you anymore, right? We are helpless and hopeless, it can¡¯t be changed, and so, let¡¯s just do our best and follow them because we still have a bit of hope of we are with them,¡± Ruby answered as she stared at Faye.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have any other choice, and this is the path that we all took even though their reasons might be different from each other,¡± Faye said as she sat down and leaned on the pillar as she hugged herself. ¡°I¡¯m just curious if we are all making the right choice or not,¡± Faye continued as she stared blankly at the ground.

    ¡°Who knows,¡± Ruby replied as she sat down next to Faye. ¡°But all I can say is that Archie saved my life, and these people¡¯s lives, including you. So, if you can do something back for them, and help them, we will get the result that we both want,¡± Ruby answered as she stared at her prosthetic arm.

    ¡°Right, they did save us so many times and helped us through all kind of nightmares that we had been through,¡± Faye replied as she nodded her head.

    ¡®Alright, man! Listen up!¡± Marlon said as he crossed his arms and looked at them. ¡°We are going to attack Victor¡¯s base, B-5. Archie and Eve did a very good job of giving us all the information that we needed,¡± Marlon continued as he used a blank sheet and drew a map on it.

    Marlon told them what Eve had told him, and they were listening to every word that came out of his mouth. The information was so detailed that they couldn¡¯t believe it only took them less than an hour to get it.

    Marlon wanted them to prepare to leave tomorrow early in the morning. Knowing that the cars wouldn¡¯t be enough to bring everyone, Marlon planned on sending Fanheim, Ruby, Vincent, Tommy, Daniel, Prince, Resse, Faye, Aster, and a few of them there.

    Marlon didn¡¯t want to send anyone who was from the Valor special force because of what Resse found out. He didn¡¯t want to risk the mission by sending spies that might be still there among them. There would be twenty people in total that would go to B-5, and before they go there, Marlon wanted them to take a secret inventory that he had prepared in one of his secret warehouses in the city.

    ¡°Alright, Prince and Resse would gather the weapons tonight and you, Ruby, Vincent, Tommy, Daniel are going to cover them during the extraction,¡± Marlon said as he looked at them.

    Ruby and the others nodded their heads in understanding.

    ¡°Is there any question? We have the momentum and they won¡¯t expect us to be attacking their secret base since they didn¡¯t know where we at and what¡¯s our plan,¡± Marlon said as he looked at everyone.

    They all shook their heads.

    ¡°Good, you¡¯re dismissed, and whoever tries to leave, you will meet your end the moment you got caught, so don¡¯t make a stupid decision,¡± Marlon said as he stared at each one of them in the eye.

    Everyone left the barn house while Archie and Eve stared at them to inflict fear as Eve said. He didn¡¯t care what they had on their minds, but as long as they didn¡¯t cause trouble, that was good enough.

    Fanheim approached Archie and Eve as he waved his hand at them and Marlon was walking next to him.

    ¡°Since you heard what Marlon said, what are you going to do? I believe you said that you¡¯re going to attack C-3, right? Are you not going to scout the area first and find where it is?¡± Fanheim asked as he stared at both of them.

    ¡°Yes, and I believe it¡¯s easier to scout the crowded place in the middle of the night. We can move freely and undetected by them. The only problem that we would have is how to locate it and how are we going to get in there,¡± Eve answered as she nodded her head in agreement.

    ¡°Since both Eve and I can change our appearance, I¡¯m thinking if I can get some information about the people who can walk in and out the secret bases. Someone with the authority to walk in without getting getting checked,¡± Archie said as he looked at Marlon and Fanheim. ¡°So, I think I¡¯m going to gather more information about the people that have that authority from the hard disk,¡± Archie continued.

    ¡°That¡¯s really a good idea, you can go ahead and use this,¡± Marlon replied as he gave the laptop to Archie. ¡°Our mission is simple, destroy everything and kill everyone that breath. Is that good?¡± Marlon asked as he looked at them back and forth.

    Archie took the laptop as he nodded his head, and then used the table so he and Eve could check the data.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s see what we can use here,¡± Archie said as he sat down and turned on the laptop.

    They both looked at the data of the people that might have exclusive access to enter the secret bases. They looked at each one of them very carefully, and it didn¡¯t take long until they found the right people.

    ¡°Just out of curiosity,¡± Archie paused as he stared at Eve. ¡°Can you change your appearance to like a male body?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Of course, you can become a woman as well if you know how a woman¡¯s body work,¡± Eve answered without hesitation.

    ¡°Okay, but I don¡¯t think I want to see you in a male body,¡± Archie said as he looked at the photos of the people that had exclusive access to the secret base. ¡°How about you become her, and I become him? Is that okay?¡± Archie asked as he pointed at the woman with black short hair, a scientist, and a man with gray hair who was also a scientist.

    ¡°Sounds good to me, I¡¯m not going to complain even if you asked me to be the guy and you to be the woman,¡± Eve said jokingly with a smirk on her face.

    ¡°No, I would rather not,¡± Archie said as he chuckled nervously. ¡°Okay, Marlyn and Dale. Let¡¯s try and copy their faces, and then we can go and find their voice and how they sound like,¡± Archie continued as he opened their photos in full screen.

    They both looked at the screen up close and tried to imitate their faces.

 Chapter 165 Terrifyingly smart.

    Ruby watched Archie and Eve change their appearance as she walked toward them. She heard about it from Fanheim, but she never thought to see it with her own two eyes when they used their ability to change their appearance. It was somehow fascinating and terrifying at the same time.

    ¡°Uhh, am I bothering you right now?¡± Ruby asked as she stood in front of the desk and stared at them both.

    ¡°No, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Archie asked in a different voice.

    Ruby was a bit surprised that she raised her eyebrows when she heard his voice.

    ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong, I just came to give you this,¡± Ruby said as he gave her the note book. ¡°I said that I¡¯m going to give you the information about Atlantis as soon as I found them, right? So here it is, and you might be shocked with what I found in there,¡± Ruby continued as she looked at the note.

    Archie and Eve looked at each other, and then they immediately focused on the note book that Ruby gave him. He opened the first page and read it thoroughly with Eve while Ruby looked at them and waited for their reaction to the information written on the book.

    ¡°Wait, the location is on the west side of FalCon-1?!¡± Archie asked in disbelief.

    ¡°Yeah, that got me as well. Turns out they were hiding it from us, in the place where nobody wants to set their foot in there. I should have guessed it, but that¡¯s not something that come up to my mind,¡± Ruby answered as she nodded her head in agreement.

    Archie kept reading it until he found out what Atlantis base for, and where it was trying to reach. The Atlantis base was deep under the sea and its purpose was to find its way to the area where the meteor struck the earth.

    ¡°So this is his plan, to wake up that thing,¡± Eve said after she finished reading a part of the information.

    ¡°Now it all make sense. He wanted to build his own army to fight that thing, and who knows what makes him think they could fight it,¡± Archie replied as he nodded his head. ¡°But I guess he¡¯s planning to let that thing to destroy the world, and then kill it once he got what he wanted,¡± Archie continued as he sighed.

    ¡°That¡¯s not entirely impossible since he¡¯s also researching of the serum to kill us. The longer we let him be, the greater his chance to achieve his plan, so we need to make a move now and prevent him from doing so,¡± Eve said as she kept reading the information. ¡°That¡¯s why we are doing this, right? We are going to stop him from doing so,¡± Eve asked as she looked at Archie.

    ¡°Yeah¡¯ you¡¯re right,¡± Archie nodded his head in agreement.

    ¡°So, the information about the Atlantis isn¡¯t that much since it¡¯s a new project they¡¯re doing. They started this project a year ago, so if you decided to destroy it, I think you will have a higher chance to destroy them before they could even finish their project,¡± Ruby said as she crossed her arms and legs.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s talk about this more once we are done with our own objective. Right now, let¡¯s just think on the mission we are going to do,¡± Eve said as she stood up and stretched her arms. ¡°You should prepare yourself to leave since it¡¯s only four hours left before your mission of extraction, right?¡± Eve asked Ruby.

    ¡°Yeah, I guess so,¡± Ruby sighed as she stood up. ¡°If you¡¯re planning on talking about this, I think you should talk about this with everyone. By everyone I mean Faye, Marlon, Fanheim, and the rest of us,¡± Ruby said as she stared at Archie.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine by me,¡± Archie answered as he nodded his head.

    Ruby left the barn house as Archie and Eve continued to make their faces and voices look exactly the same as the people they tried to imitate.

    The night came, everyone watched Faye and the others enter the car as Prince and Resse took a small briefing with Marlon. The warehouses were somewhere in the Northern Nation, and they had to go there by cars, not to mention being undetected.

    It was going to be a hard extraction, but then Nova volunteered herself to bring them to the Northern Nation. She knew a lot about the city and the safe route where there would be less soldiers guarding the roads.

    Marlon hesitated to bring Nova along with them, but Archie was able to convince him that she was with her, and vouched for her. Marlon then agreed to bring Nova with the rest of them.

    ¡°Good luck out there, all of you. This mission is very important and everything and everyone are depending on you,¡± Marlon said as he looked at Ruby who sat behind the wheel.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we are not going to fail,¡± Ruby replied with a serious expression.

    Marlon nodded with understanding.

    They drove away as everyone watched them leave. They were nervous even though they were just standing there and weren¡¯t the one who left to do the extraction mission.

    ¡°Alright, all of you go back to your own house and rest because you will be leaving early in the morning tomorrow,¡± Marlon said as he looked at them with a serious expression.

    All of them left and were still worried about the mission because they didn¡¯t want to attack the enemy base without proper equipment. Although they were worried, seeing Marlon was confident about the mission, it made them a bit at easy because as long as he was confident, they believed Ruby and the others would come back with the weapons.

    When everyone was asleep, Archie guarded the whole village on his own because Eve was on her way to the Western Nation to steal lab coats and items that they were going to wear for tomorrow. The reason why she chose the Western Nation was because she didn¡¯t want to go to the Central and Northern Nations since she didn¡¯t want to get caught.

    It didn¡¯t take long until Eve came back with a bunch of stuff in her bag. One thing that surprised Archie more was that she got Marlyn and Dale¡¯s ID cards.

    ¡°Wait, where did you get these?¡± Archie asked as he looked at Dale¡¯s ID card in his hand.

    ¡°What do you mean? I took it from them,¡± Eve answered with her eyebrows furrowed.

    ¡°Wait, what? You took them like you stole it or did you kill them?¡± Archie asked with a confused look.

    ¡°Why would I steal them? Of course, I killed both of them since I know where they live thanks to the information that we got. Also, come and follow me, I brought their bodies with me so we can eat their brains and learn about them,¡± Eve answered as she grabbed Archie¡¯s hand.

    Archie was dumbfounded by the fact Eve had killed the scientists, but Eve kept dragging him into the forest. He couldn¡¯t believe that she was so smart and terrifying at the same time.

    Archie looked at the dead bodies in the forest, and he looked at them with his eyebrows raised. Eve didn¡¯t hesitate to tear Marlyn¡¯s head open and grabbed Marlyn¡¯s brain with her right hand. She looked at Archie with her eyebrows furrowed.

    ¡°What are you doing? Come on, let¡¯s dig in,¡± Eve asked as she stared Archie in the eye.

    ¡°Right,¡± Archie replied as he went to his knees to grab Dale¡¯s head.

    They both only ate their brains, and then buried their bodies in the forest.

    They both felt a bit sick because human brains were something special, and the reason why they didn¡¯t want to eat them was because of that. Archie decided to fall asleep first while Eve guarded the area, and would take a turn once he woke up.

    Eve looked at the time and it was already 3am and then she saw lights coming from down the hill. It was the cars that Ruby and the others used. She thought she was the only one who was still awake, but then Fanheim and Marlon came out of their houses the moment they heard the sound of the engine in the distance.

    ¡°You¡¯re still awake?¡± Fanheim asked Eve who was holding her head.

    ¡°Yeah, barely¡­.¡± Eve answered as she massaged her head because her head felt so heavy and throbbing really bad.

    ¡°You doesn¡¯t look good, I think you should rest,¡± Marlon said as he stared at Eve.

    ¡°I guess I can go to sleep now since they¡¯re back. I need someone to take Archie and my place, we both are going to sleep now,¡± Eve said as she walked away.

    Marlon and Fanheim nodded with understanding.

    The cars stopped in front of Marlon and Fanheim, and then Ruby and the others came out of the cars with big smiles on their faces.

    ¡°We got everything, nothing left behind,¡± Prince said to Marlon.

    ¡°Perfect, I know I can depend on all of you,¡± Marlon replied as he nodded his head. ¡°It¡¯s time to prepare then,¡± Marlon said as he looked at the cars.

 Chapter 166 Stealth.

    Archie woke up and the sun was already up. He jolted from his bed and looked around, but he found nobody and Eve was still asleep next to him. He got off the bed and looked out the window to see if there were people outside, but it was too quiet as if nobody was in the village.

    Archie walked out of the house and decided to look around. The cars were gone and that meant Ruby and the others had left for the mission.

    ¡°Archie? You finally wake up,¡± Fanheim said from behind the window.

    ¡°Yeah, I just woke up and where¡¯s everybody? I mean the others who don¡¯t go on a mission,¡± Archie replied as he looked around but still couldn¡¯t find anyone.

    ¡°Ah, they¡¯re going out to hunt some food. We can¡¯t stay here without food so they all went around the mountain to find rabbits and deers or anything that has meat in it,¡± Fanheim answered as he walked toward the door and opened it. ¡°Why don¡¯t you come here and have a cup of coffee,¡± Fanheim said as he waved his hand toward the inside of the house.

    Archie nodded his head as he walked to Fanheim¡¯s house.

    ¡°Is Eve still asleep?¡± Fanheim asked as he brewed a coffee.

    ¡°Yeah, when did she go to sleep?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Around 3am I believe. She didn¡¯t feel well and she asked us to guard the village. I¡¯m not sure what happened to her, but she looked so pale and was in pain for some reason,¡± Fanheim answered as he poured the coffee into a cup.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s because of the drawback from eating a human brain,¡± Archie answered as he massaged his head because his head was still throbbing.

    Fanheim stopped moving and slowly turned around to look at Archie with his surprised expression.

    ¡°Human brain? Why did she eat that?¡± Fanheim asked with a curious look on his face as he walked to the table with a cup of coffee.

    ¡°Last night she went and killed the two scientist that we tried to copy. Marlyn and Dale, she brought their dead bodies here, and we ate their brains last night and buried their bodies in the forest,¡± Archie answered as he grabbed the cup of coffee from Fanheim¡¯s hand. ¡°The reason why we ate their brains was so we can see their memories, or at least some of them. It¡¯s a good way to imitate them and act like them,¡± Archie continued as he stared at the black coffee.

    ¡°That¡¯s interesting and terrifying at the same time. How does it work? So you ate their brains and then the memories come to you like immediately?¡± Fanheim asked with eyebrows furrowed.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s more like a dream. When we ate their brains, it made us sleepy and gave us a massive headache. When we sleep, the memories will become our dreams but it felt so real as if we are inside the bodies of the brains that we ate,¡± Archie answered as took a sip of the coffee. ¡°It sounds interesting and complicated, right? We actually don¡¯t know why we have that ability, maybe all the parasites are like that,¡±

    Fanheim stared at Archie and was still trying to process what Archie had told him.

    ¡°So, did you manage to get something from their memories? Like what they hid and did in the secret bases?¡± Fanheim asked.

    ¡°Yes, it was quite a dream and they treated those people like animals. No, they were treated like trash and tossed them around when they died or killed them when they turned into parasites. It was worse when you see it yourself than I¡¯m telling you the story,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°I guess we will be seeing it ourselves when they come back,¡± Fanheim said as he tapped the table with his fingers. ¡°Looks like Eve is awake,¡± Fanheim said as he tilted his head toward the window.

    Archie turned around and saw Eve facing the sun as she closed her eyes.

    ¡°You know, Archie, you¡¯re the luckiest living being have gorgeous woman like her. She¡¯s the most beautiful woman that I have ever seen in my entire life. Although, her personality is kind of terrifying,¡± Fanheim said as he chuckled. ¡°Anyway, I believe you will be leaving soon, right? You can go and prepare yourself,¡±

    Archie nodded and then left the house to greet Eve.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Archie asked as he walked down the porch. ¡°Want coffee?¡±

    Eve grabbed the coffee and took a sip of it. ¡°I¡¯m doing fine, I¡¯m still a bit tired though,¡± Eve answered as she was still trying to reduce the headache by breathing heavily and closing her eyes.

    ¡°I think you should sit down and recover before we go,¡± Archie said. ¡°I don¡¯t want both of us to mess it up because this is the first time for both of us to do a steatlh mission,¡± Archie explained as he walked toward their house.

    Eve followed Archie from behind and sat down on the porch as she kept drinking the coffee. She was feeling a little buzzed from the night before and was looking forward to some alone time with him.

    An hour had passed, and they were both feeling much better.

    Archie and Eve brought the lab coats, ID cards, sunglasses, and a formal uniform that Eve stole last night. They both were about to leave, and then Marlon and Fanheim approached them to bid their farewell to them.

    ¡°Good luck out there, and don¡¯t forget to bring something important back to us, like data or maybe a living prove of the experiment,¡± Marlon said as he looked at both of them.

    ¡°We will see what we can. It¡¯s going to be hard to bring back a living person especially when we are in the most secured Nation, but the data is going to be easy,¡± Archie replied as he looked at Marlon.

    ¡°Alright, fair enough. You¡¯re good to go and be safe, both of you,¡± Marlon said with a serious expression.

    Archie nodded his head in understanding and then both Archie and Eve quickly spread their wings. They both flew away so quickly that they were already above the clouds in just a few seconds. They were soon lost to sight, swallowed up by the clouds.

    ¡°I wonder how it feels to be able to fly,¡± Fanheim said as he watched those two fly away.

    ¡°I¡¯m more curious if those experimented people could fly like them as well. Just imagine there would be dozens or even a hundred of them flying around and killing anyone they¡¯re ordered,¡± Marlon replied as he stared at Fanheim.

    ¡°Yeah, that would be terrifying, but I guess that¡¯s why we are doing this. If Victor and the Drautnir who backs him up managed to make those army, I guess we are done for,¡± Fanheim said as he nodded his head.

    Archie and Eve flew to the Northern Nation and it only took them ten minutes to get there. They both landed in a slum area where there was barely anyone living in that area with no cameras to watch the area.

    Both of them quickly changed their appearance as they looked at Marlyn and Dale¡¯s photos on their phones. It only took them ten minutes to change their appearance from top to bottom and their voices as well.

    They wore a long sleeve shirt and a trouser while Eve wore heels and Archie wore loafers. They both walked into the city and people weren¡¯t suspicious about them at all, and then they went to the station since the secret base was on the west side of the city and deep underground.

    They were carrying their own bags as how Marlyn and Dale used to bring with them. They learned a lot from their memories and felt normal as if they were the real Marlyn and Dale.

    After they took the train and arrived at the west side of the city, they went to a big building where dozens of men were hanging around the building. They were Axis Humans who pretended to be office workers.

    Archie and Eve walked past them and they didn¡¯t even bat an eye since those people knew who they were, especially with the ID cards hanging on their necks and the lab coat hung on their arms.

    They entered the building and showed their ID cards to the security guy, they then scanned their ID cards so casually. They both went to the lift and waited until it opened. They pretend to talk about their daily life so casually and everyone in the lobby could listen to their natural conversation.

    They passed the tightest security like it was nothing, and then they entered the lift to go to the lowest floor in the building. They didn¡¯t stop pretending because they were being watched through CCTV in the lift.

    The moment the lift opened the doors, they stared at the long hallway with steel walls painted in white.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do this,¡± Archie said as he stared at the end of the hallway.

 Chapter 167 Secret base.

    Archie and Eve walked the small hallway as they kept talking and put on their lab coats. They opened the steel door with Marlyn¡¯s ID card, and then immediately dozens of people were walking by in front of them.

    Everyone in that room was a scientist, and only a very few of them were Axis Humans. It would be an easy job, but they didn¡¯t want to rush things out because they wanted to know more about the secret base from them.

    They both shared a look for a second, and then they went their separate ways to gather information. Their expressions told that they were both thinking about the same thing. They were both thinking about how they would handle the situation. They both had the same idea of what they needed to do.

    Everyone recognized them the moment they entered the lobby, and luckily Marlyn and Dale had become a part of their memories over the years. This helped them a lot to recognize those people, and they had a normal conversation with each other as if nothing was suspicious about those two.

    Archie thought that those scientists were going to have a talk about what they were doing in there, but they kept their mouths shut about their own job. They were all keeping their own tasks secret from each other, and only a few of them that would talk about what they were doing there. The scientists were all working on different parts of the project, but they were keeping their work a secret from each other. They only told a few other people what they were doing there, and those few people would only talk about their own task.

    After knowing there was no hope of digging up information from those people, Archie decided to wander deeper into the secret base. Since Dale had been a part of that project longer than most of them, he was allowed to move anywhere in the laboratory.

    Although Dale could go anywhere in the laboratory, everything was shut and he couldn¡¯t enter all the rooms unless he had a reason or was asked for an assistant. In the end, he decided to stay in the cafeteria and enjoyed his cup of coffee and a sandwich for free. He waited until someone would approach him.

    ¡°Long time no see, Dale,¡± An old man with glasses stared at Archie as he walked toward him.

    Archie looked at the man and Dale¡¯s memories flashed before his eyes.

    ¡°Yanwar, yes, it¡¯s been a while,¡±Archie answered as he took a sip of his coffee.

    ¡°It¡¯s rare to see you in the cafeteria since you always been busy working with your project,¡± Yanwar said as he sat down in front of the table.

    ¡°I realize that I need a little break,¡± Archie answered with a smile.

    Archie knew exactly what Dale was doing on the secret bases. He was one of the most experienced specialists in observing the parasites¡¯ behaviors, and used that information to match it with the Axis Humans and the parasites that existed inside their bodies. Archie had already learned all there was to know about the parasites and there was no reason for him to be there anymore.

    ¡°I guess a hardworker like you need some break as well, huh?¡± Yanwar asked with a chuckle.

    Archie only smiled and nodded his head as he drank his coffee.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s nice seeing you again,¡± Yanwar said as he stood up.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s nice to see you too,¡± Archie answered.

    Yanwar walked away, but then stopped in the midway.

    ¡°Dale, I just remember, there¡¯s a new project that just started a week ago. They might need your expertise to discuss about it. Why don¡¯t you go to level five and they will bring you to their small lab,¡± Yanwar said as he looked at Archie.

    ¡°Level five?¡± Archie asked with a confused look.

    ¡°Yeah, I know right? Fifth floor. Good luck down there,¡± Yanwar answered, and he looked a bit shocked as well. ¡°If they asked you why you¡¯re down there, just tell me I was the one who recommend you,¡± Yanwar continued, and then he left the cafetaria.

    Archie stood up and closed his eyes to remember how to get down to the fifth floor or level 5. There was a different lift to go down there, and he was retracking how to go there.

    Archie followed the hallway to the lift, and on his way there, he saw Marlyn or Eve in disguise was talking with her colleagues. He greeted them so casually, and they greeted him back like a normal human interaction.

    ¡°Where are you going, Dale? You¡¯re not wandering around, aren¡¯t you?¡± Eve asked.

    ¡°Dale wandering around? That¡¯s impossible,¡± A woman younger than Marlyn replied.

    ¡°I meet Yanwar earlier, and he told me there¡¯s a new project on level five, so I¡¯m going there because he said those guys might need my expertise,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°Ah the new project. We almost forgot about it,¡± The woman said. ¡°Anyway, good luck,¡±

    Archie nodded his head, and then continued walking toward the lift.

    Archie used the lift and went to level five which Dale had never been to before. There was no information related to level 5, but he knew that level 5 was the lowest floor in the base, so everything that was on that level would be the most secured place in the base.

    The moment the lift door was open, two Axis Humans were staring at him and immediately approached him.

    ¡°Professor Dale, what¡¯s your occasion here?¡± One of the guys asked with his right index finger rested on the rifle near the trigger.

    ¡°I came here because Professor Yanwar recommend me to go down here. It¡¯s about the new project that started a week ago,¡± Archie answered as he pretended to look nervous because of the guns in their hands.

    The two Axis Humans shared a look for a moment, and then one of them nodded his head.

    ¡°Alright, you stay here and we will ask them if they really need you or not. It¡¯s either you¡¯re going to go back or pass, it depends on their answer,¡± The guy said.

    Archie nodded his head without hesitation and stayed still like a statue.

    The other guy walked the hallway and seemed to be going to where the new project was.

    It took a while until the guy came back, and he was casually walked toward them without showing any expression. The guy then looked at Archie as he sighed and pointed his thumb over his shoulder.

    ¡°They said that they¡¯re indeed need your expertise, but before you can go, let me do a report first. I¡¯m going to ask you a few questions first, the usual,¡± The guy said.

    Archie nodded his head with understanding and followed them to the side where the computer was.

    Luckily, Archie knew exactly what they were doing and answered as how Dale answered those questions. The two Axis Humans didn¡¯t even suspicious of him at all, and it made him a bit uneased because of it.

    ¡°Alright, you¡¯re good to go. Now follow me and don¡¯t wander around because I will have to send you back if you don¡¯t listen to my order,¡± The guy said as he walked past Archie.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Archie answered simply.

    Archie followed the guy all the way to the other side of level 5, and everything was covered in thick steel walls. It would be impossible for anyone or even a parasite of Gen-7 to break the walls with brute force. He believed that all the secret experiments happened down there, and it was his chance to get something out of it.

    ¡°Alright, just go right to the door on the left. They¡¯re waiting for you inside,¡± The guy said as he pointed at the door in front of him. ¡°If you¡¯re done, you go back to the lift immediately,¡±

    Archie nodded his head, and then walked toward the steel door.

    Archie stood in front of the door, and there was no button to press, but there was a camera above the door. He looked up and waved his right hand toward it, and then the door slowly opened.

    ¡°Professor Dale,¡± A young woman greeted Archie the moment the door fully opened. ¡°Please follow me,¡± The young woman said as she walked away.

    The place was as big as a football field, and it surprised Archie a bit because he had no idea how massive the secret base was. He followed the young woman quietly as he looked around with so many high technology devices with dozens of people around him.

    ¡°Professor Dale, let me introduce myself. My name is Jenny, and maybe you¡¯re confused where you are right now, but that shouldn¡¯t worry you because everything here is safe. I won¡¯t allow you to go around this area and I want your cooperation to keep following me and do as what I say,¡± Jenny explained. ¡°So, before we can start, do you agree with that?¡± Jenny asked.

    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± Archie answered.

 Chapter 168 Knowledge about parasite.

    ¡°Please follow me, Professor Dale,¡± Jenny said as she walked further into the room.

    They both walked past the rooms with black glass that they both couldn¡¯t see through on their right. Even though they couldn¡¯t see anything, they could hear the screams of a human and a parasite combined together.

    Archie glanced at the black glass and it was enough for him to see what was going on behind it. He stared at Jenny who walked in front of him and she was younger than Daniel who seemed to be in his mid twenties. She was somehow more mature and brave than any other people he knew for someone who wasn¡¯t an Axis Human.

    Although Jenny looked brave, the people in all the nations had already gotten used to being surrounded with parasites and looked at them up close since they were their source of energy. So it didn¡¯t faze Archie at all as he kept following her from behind to the other side of the room, or more like a hall.

    ¡°I apologise if the surroundings make you nervous or scared, but as I said earlier that everything is safe down here,¡± Jenny said without looking back. She was curious about what kind of expression Archie was making, but when she turned around, it didn¡¯t meet her expectations at all.

    ¡°Looks like I was worried for nothing,¡± Jenny said as she stared Archie in the eye.

    ¡°Hmm? Oh, sorry, I was occupied with something else,¡± Archie replied as he looked at Jenny.

    ¡°I never thought you would be so carefree, Professor Dale. Not carefree, I mean so calm and collected,¡± Jenny said as she kept staring at him.

    ¡°I have been playing with parasites, and they¡¯re the most beautiful living organism that always find its way to survive. Everything that we are doing here, it¡¯s a prove that we are all interested in the same thing, but you wanted a result you want while I don¡¯t mind with all the results,¡± Archie answered as he smiled at Jenny.

    ¡°Then looks like you¡¯re the right person for this project, Professor Dale,¡± Jenny said as she pulled her ID card for the scanning to open the giant steel door. ¡°You will be observing this subject, Professor Dale,¡± Jenny said as she pointed at the giant monstrosity that looked like Iohann when he became an Ex-Axis Human.

    Archie walked toward the giant glass walls to look at the subject from up close. The subject was chained on every part of its body. Even though it was chained, it could still resist, and one of the chains looked like it was about to snap.

    Archie noticed the body structure of the subject had whole turned into a parasite, but it appeared that the subject was still conscious. One thing that he was interested in was that the back of the subject looked like a fin.

    ¡°Such a shame,¡± Archie said as he sighed and stared at the subject.

    All of them turned their heads to look at Archie with curious expressions.

    ¡°Such a shame? Why is that?¡± Jenny asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s a rare Gen-0 parasite that you guys put in the subject, right?¡± Archie asked as he looked at Jenny.

    ¡°Yes, how did you know that? I haven¡¯t told you anything about this project,¡± Jenny asked back and she looked at him with a shocked expression.

    ¡°The way it¡¯s progressing and the way it modified the body of the subject. It¡¯s obvious how long it took for the parasite to take over the subject¡¯s body, but not the mind. It¡¯s one of the biggest characteristic of Gen-0 parasite, and for some reason, they didn¡¯t attack the host¡¯s consciousness, only the body,¡± Archie answered as he walked around the glass walls to look at the parasite from different angle.

    ¡°Not to mention the progression of the parasitification is still not done yet. And that¡¯s why I said it¡¯s such a shame because the subject will die in less than a week,¡± Archie continued as he looked at the subject¡¯s back.

    Jenny was amazed and dumbfounded by Archie¡¯s knowledge of the parasite. It wasn¡¯t only because of Dale¡¯s memories, but also because he had been through it and saw many things every since he became a Drautnir.

    ¡°So? What do you want me to do here?¡± Archie asked as he looked at Jenny with a smile.

    ¡°To be honest, you already answered all of our questions about the subject here. So, I don¡¯t think there will be anything that you have to do,¡± Jenny answered as she looked at the others. ¡°But, if you¡¯re interested, I guess you can go and check another subject,¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s another subject? Sure,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°Before we go there, I just want to inform you that this subject isn¡¯t like what you would expect,¡± Jenny said. ¡°We found her like that, and we didn¡¯t do anything to her,¡± Jenny continued as she looked at Archie.

    ¡°Alright, lead the way,¡± Archie replied.

    Jenny hesitated at first, but then she led Archie back to where they came from. Archie didn¡¯t say anything and just followed her because he was curious what kind of subject that made her act like that.

    Jenny looked at the woman standing in front of a small steel door and nodded her head at the woman. The woman nodded back and walked away as she opened the steel door using the code next to the door.

    They both entered the room, and it looked like a normal bedroom with a lot of stuff inside. The moment Archie looked to his left, he was surprised because the subject was just a kid. She looked like she was six years old, and she looked scared and looked like a normal kid, but he could tell there was a parasite living inside her body.

    ¡°This is Elena, and she¡¯s a unique one, but the problem is that she¡¯s too shy and she hasn¡¯t showed her ability ever since we brought her here,¡± Jenny said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s because she¡¯s scared? Bringing a small kid into this kind of place, even if it¡¯s me, I don¡¯t have other things in my mind but being afraid of being in here,¡± Archie replied as he looked at Elena who was staring at him with fear.

    ¡°Well, you know this already. We are not the ones to make the call and decide,¡± Jenny replied as she looked at Archie.

    ¡°Right,¡± Archie said as he sighed. ¡°Well, let me have a moment with her. I need to observe her and I think it¡¯s better to listen to everything from her rather than you telling me the details,¡± Archie continued as he looked at Elena and smiled at her.

    ¡°Alright, I will give you time, but please don¡¯t force your way in because we don¡¯t want to scare her. It¡¯s already bad enough to brought her down here as you said,¡± Jenny replied as she looked worried about the Elena as well.

    Archie nodded his head as he watched Jenny leave the room.

    The steel door closed and it was just Archie and Elena in the room. The first thing he checked were the cameras on the corners, so he couldn¡¯t do anything but keep pretending to be Dale even though he wanted to introduce her to his real self.

    ¡°Hi, Elena,¡± Archie said as he sat on the chair on the other side of the room so he didn¡¯t scare Elena.

    ¡°Hi,¡± Elena answered and she sounded so scared.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, I¡¯m not here to do anything to hurt you or make you uncomfortable. I¡¯m just here to have talk if that¡¯s okay with you?¡± Archie asked as he kept smiling at her.

    Elena nodded her head.

    ¡°Do you think this place is scary?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Yes, because they¡¯re in pain,¡± Elena answered.

    ¡°Yes, they are, but these people are sick, and we are here to treat them,¡± Archie answered as he looked at the window.

    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about them, I¡¯m talking about the parasites. They¡¯re in pain because they¡¯re being forced to be living in a body that they didn¡¯t want to be,¡± Elena said as she shook her head.

    Archie was surprised when Elena said that.

    ¡°You can communicate with parasite?¡± Archie asked with curiosity.

    ¡°Not really, it¡¯s just I can feel it,¡± Elena answered as she stared at Archie.

    Elena looked at Archie and noticed the parasites inside his body, and Archie knew that she was staring at them. He put his index finger in front of his lips as he smiled at her and shook his head to tell her to not say it.

    ¡°So, can you tell me what happened to you, Elena?¡± Archie asked as he slowly closed the distance between him and Elena.

    ¡°I don¡¯t actually remember, but I was living with my mother outside the wall, and I was sleeping at night after my mom told me a bedtime story. Then, when I woke up the next morning, my mom was already dead, and then I was brought her after Jenny and her friends came,¡± Elena answered.

    ¡°I see, but you will be okay, I can promise you that,¡± Archie said.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Elena said as she stared at Archie in the eye.

 Chapter 169 Elena.

    Archie stood up and looked at the people outside the room from the one side mirror glass. There was barely anyone who paid attention to the room, and so he looked around and grabbed a note book in his lab coat. He grabbed a pen and then walked toward Elena.

    ¡°Do you have siblings, or any family member that you know, Elena?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°I did, but all of them died at the same night when my mother died,¡± Elena answered.

    ¡°I see, how about friends?¡± Archie asked again.

    ¡°I do, I have a friend. Her name is Jill and we are best friend, but I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s alive or not because I couldn¡¯t see her when Jenny brought me here,¡± Elena answered as she looked a bit concern about Jill.

    ¡°Then. have you wrote a letter before, Elena?¡± Archie asked as he sat down in front of Elena.

    Elena shook her head as she stared Archie in the eye. She was staring deep into his eyes as if she knew who he actually was. Archie then stared back at her and winked his right eye as he smiled at her.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s write a letter for Jill,¡± Archie answered with a gentle smile on his face.

    Archie wrote a short message to Elena, and the message was telling her that he was there to destroy the lab and kill everyone inside. He told her who he was and the reason why he came there in the first place, and made the message as simple as possible so Elena could understand.

    Archie passed the message to Elena, and she was a bit shocked but not visible enough for the cameras to understand what was going on in the room. She read the message for quite a while, and then she replied to the message on the back side of the paper.

    Elena passed the message to Archie after she wrote a very short reply to him.

    ¡°Alright, why don¡¯t you start writing a letter for Jill?¡± Archie asked as he passed a new paper to Elena.

    Elena hummed as she grabbed the paper and the pen from Archie¡¯s hands.

    Archie stared at the reply that Elena wrote, and her reply was short and simple. She said that she knew about Archie and the parasites inside him, and she didn¡¯t mind because those people were torturing the parasites and the subjects. She said it was better that way, but then she lastly asked a question, and it was if she would be killed as well.

    Archie wrote a short answer, and then passed it to Elena.

    Elena looked at the answer below her question, and the answer was no. He would bring her back with him because he wasn¡¯t alone.

    Elena looked at Archie, and then she nodded her head with understanding.

    ¡°How long have you been in here, Elena?¡± Archie asked as he watched Elena write the letter.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember, but I think I have been here for three or four months now because they brought me cake every week, and I had been eating dozens of them ever since I¡¯m here,¡± Elena answered as she focused on writing the message.

    ¡°So, is your ability is to be able to understand the parasite? Do you have any other ability?¡± Archie asked as he walked away and sat on the chair.

    ¡°Jenny said that the parasites won¡¯t hurt me, but I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true or not because I have never experienced it myself. But, she did run some test and said that¡¯s one of my abilities. She didn¡¯t tell me about the other abilities though.

    ¡°I guess I should ask her about this,¡± Archie answered as he looked at the one side mirror.

    ¡°I want to see her again,¡± Elena mumbled quietly.

    Archie stared at Elena who put her head up close to the paper. Her chubby cheeks covered her mouth that it was a bit hard to hear what she said without looking at her mouth. He wasn¡¯t sure what he heard, but he believed that she wanted to meet Jill again.

    ¡°I¡¯m done writing a letter for Jill,¡± Elena said as she wiggled the paper in her right hand.

    The steel door was open, and Jenny entered the room. She looked at the paper in Elena¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Hmm? What are you guys doing?¡± Jenny asked as she tilted her head.

    ¡°I¡¯m writing a letter for Jill!¡± Elena answered excitedly.

    Jenny was surprised as she raised her eyebrows because Elena sounded so excited. She was a shy girl and never looked so happy like that before, especially showing her expression to a complete stranger like Archie.

    ¡°You¡¯re writing letter for Jill?¡± Jenny asked.

    ¡°Yes, and Professor Dale will send it to her,¡± Elena answered as she pointed at Archie.

    ¡°I see,¡± Jenny smiled as she stared at the letter. ¡°Anyway, Professor, we need your opinion about our subject,¡± Jenny looked at Archie with a serious expression.

    Archie nodded as he stood up. ¡°I will give the letter to Jill when I¡¯m done with my job,¡± Archie said as he took the paper in Elena¡¯s hand.

    Elena hummed and nodded with understanding as she smiled so widely.

    Archie and Jenny left the room and locked Elena in her room on her own like a prisoner. The moment door closed, her smile disappeared and looked a bit sorrowful as she sighed deeply.

    ¡°Elena¡¯s friend, Jill. She died as well, and there¡¯s no survivor in the village where she lived,¡± Jenny said quietly as they both walked back to the other room.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s actually happened? I believe the parasite that host Elena¡¯s body is Gen-0 parasite, and Gen-0 parasite couldn¡¯t kill a whole village on its own,¡± Archie asked as he furrowed his eyebrows with curiosity and suspicion.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re half correct about it,¡± Jenny answered. ¡°It¡¯s true that it¡¯s impossible for Gen-0 parasite to kill like that on its own, but not when it host a body,¡± Jenny continued as she looked at Archie.

    ¡°I see, so she¡¯s the one who killed everyone in the village,¡± Archie answered as he nodded with understanding. ¡°So she¡¯s quite powerful, but I guess she¡¯s not fully invested by the parasite, or rather the parasite didn¡¯t want to take over her body and want to protect her instead,¡± Archie continued as he rubbed his chin.

    Jenny smiled as she started chuckling quietly.

    ¡°You¡¯re absolutely correct about it, and that¡¯s why she¡¯s special because of that. Although we know what she¡¯s capable of, we have no idea why the parasite behave like that and why she¡¯s the only one like that,¡± Jenny replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s going to be impossible to understand even if you took her blood sample because a parasite has its own mind, just like us,¡± Archie said as he entered the room with Jenny.

    ¡°You think so too, Professor? Becuase I thought it was like that after we ran a few test and we got nothing but proof of her blood sample were being ignored by the parasites,¡± Jenny asked as she looked at Archie with admiration.

    ¡°Of course, I know my field and this is my expertise. That¡¯s why I¡¯m interested in the parasites and their behaviors,¡± Archie answered with a smile on his face.

    ¡°Having you here is really giving us a new whole perspective. Thank you for that, Profressor Dale,¡± Jenny said with a genuine smile. ¡°Anyway, we would like you to observe about this subject one more time before we decided to kill it,¡± Jenny continued as she pointed at the subject.

    Archie smiled the moment Jenny called the subject it rather than him or her. He realized those people in the room didn¡¯t even care who they were and saw them as lab rats.

    ¡°Sure, that¡¯s my job,¡± Archie answered as he walked toward the glass.

    Archie stood right in front of the glass wall, and the subject stared at him furiously. The subject then suddenly charged toward him and hit the glass wall, but thankfully the glass wall was strong enough to handle the subject¡¯s force and strength.

    The other scientist and even Jenny were shocked and amazed by how Archie didn¡¯t even flinch the moment the massive parasite hit the glass wall in front of him.

    ¡°Help¡­¡± The subject said quietly and weakly. ¡°Kill¡­.¡± The subject continued as he kept banging his fists at the glass wall.

    They were dumbfounded when they heard the subject speak, and it was clear enough for everyone to hear it. They all gathered around behind Archie and tried to listen again. Before they could hear the subject speak again, the alarm went off, and the red lights were blinking all over the room.

    ¡°Wait, what¡¯s happening? Did something happen?!¡± Jenny asked as she walked toward the steel door to check the other room.

    Everyone followed her from behind as Archie kept standing in front of the glass door.

    ¡°Looks like the time has come, you will be the right tool for me,¡± Archie said as he touched the glass wall and shattered it.

 Chapter 170 Overwhelmed by parasites.

    Archie walked away the moment he broke the glass and freed the subject. Jenny and the other scientist heard the sound of the glass scattered, and the moment they turned around, it was already too late for them.

    The subject started tearing and ripping the scientists bodies. Although the subject still had his consciousness, it was his own will and he decided to kill all the scientists. Jenny who saw the subject broke free, immediately ran away, and sent the alarm off to warn everyone.

    Jenny didn¡¯t bother to look back and started running toward the entrance to the laboratory. She could hear the screams of pain, the sound of bone cracking, and the sound of blood dripping and splattering on the floor.

    Jeanny hurriedly opened the door, and the guards were already in position to stop the subject from destroying the lab and killing the scientist. The first thing they did was attract the subject¡¯s attention by shooting him in the head.

    It worked like a charm, and the moment they got the subject¡¯s attention, they drew their swords and started running toward the subject. Although they were only four of them, they weren¡¯t scared at all. One of them grabbed his pistol and shot a bullet filled with a serum, and then shot it on the subject¡¯s chest.

    ¡°Alright! Time to kill this son of a bitch and get this thing done!¡± The guy said as he put his pistol back.

    All of them surrounded the subject, but before they could make a move, the electricity suddenly went out, and everything was pitch black.

    ¡°Are you fucking serious right now?¡± One of the guys asked as he looked around.

    Before his eyes could adapt to the darkness, the emergency light turned on. He was shocked when he saw all his friends were dead with their heads missing. He was so confused because the subject was on his knees because the serum started to take effect.

    ¡°What the fuck happened?!¡± The guy asked as he looked around and the scientists had already left the lab, and he was the only one left.

    The light started flickering and slowly, one by one the lamp started to turn off. The guy started to feel scared because he didn¡¯t know what had happened and something was with him in the lab.

    Suddenly all the steel doors slowly opened, and the guy decided to run away because he couldn¡¯t handle all of them at once even though they weren¡¯t as strong as the subject. He tried to close the door, but since the electricity was gone, he couldn¡¯t do it.

    He suddenly realized that if the emergency power was gone as well, then that also meant everyone was stuck down there with dozens of subjects.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± The guy said as he grabbed his rifle from his back. ¡°Fucking damn it!¡± He kept swearing as he tried to calm himself down and prepare for the worst.

    Archie watched all the subjects started leaving the lab and walked toward the guy. He started to hear gunshots from the hallway, but he didn¡¯t bother to look at it as he walked toward Elena¡¯s room.

    ¡°Elena?¡± Archie asked as he entered Elena¡¯s room.

    Elena was hiding in the corner, and then she looked at Archie in his real body and face. She was so confused at first, but then she noticed the same parasites that lived inside Archie and immediately noticed him.

    ¡°Professor Dale?¡± Elena asked as she stood up and looked at Archie with a puzzled look.

    ¡°My name is Archie, and yes, I was Professor Dale. I have the ability to change appearance,¡± Archie answered with a smile on his face.

    Elena slowly approached Archie, and she noticed the similar smile that Professor Dale made. She believed Archie, and then he offered his hand to her. She didn¡¯t hesitate to grab his hand, and left the room.

    Elena could hear the screeches, screams, and gunshots in the hallway, and she didn¡¯t even scared of those sounds. She could feel the anger and the sadness of the parasites from those sounds.

    They didn¡¯t even last for a minute, all those sounds were gone.

    ¡°They¡¯re coming,¡± Elena said as she held Archie¡¯s hand so tightly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can handle them,¡± Archie said as he transformed his left hand into scythe-like fingers and claws.

    Elena was surprised when she saw Archie¡¯s hand, and rather than scared, she was curious and interested by it. She then looked at her right hand and somehow she remembered something, but she didn¡¯t know what it was because it only flew by for a split second.

    ¡°Wait here, I will take care of them,¡± Archie said as he slowly removed his right hand from Elena¡¯s hand.

    Elena grabbed Archie¡¯s hand again and tried to pull him back. ¡°No! Don¡¯t!¡±

    Archie turned around and raised his eyebrows with a puzzled look on his face. ¡°You don¡¯t want me to kill them?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°No, let them be. They¡¯re not going to attack us anyway. They just want to live,¡± Elena answered as she used both hands to stop Archie from leaving.

    Archie was a bit confused about Elena and her behavior. She was more worried about the parasites rather than the humans, and he was a bit surprised that she didn¡¯t even care about Jenny at all. He didn¡¯t know if it was because she was a kid and only cared about things that she listened to or something else.

    ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t do anything,¡± Archie said as he showed his left hand turned back to normal to Elena. ¡°But the problem is, how are we going to go up?¡± Archie asked as he looked at the thick steel ceiling above his head.

    ¡°We can try to use the lift, and I believe the power will come back eventually,¡± Elena answered.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so, Elena,¡± Archie replied as he shook his head. ¡°My partner is quite ruthless and I think everything above us is already gone because of her,¡± Archie explained to Elena.

    ¡°Your partner is a girl? A woman with long white hair?¡± Elena asked.

    Archie raised his eyebrows and was surprised that Elena knew what Eve looked like.

    ¡°How do you know that?¡± Archie asked as he went down to his knees and stared at Elena in the eye.

    ¡°Because her presence is the most dominant every since she came here. I can hear the parasites talking to each other, and looks like she¡¯s the ancient parasites of them all,¡± Elena answered.

    Archie was more confused about what Elena was saying, but he didn¡¯t want to waste his time down there.

    ¡°I see, how about you tell me the details after we are out of here?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Elena nodded her head.

    They both left the lab, and as Elena said, the parasites didn¡¯t attack them at all and ignored their presence. They both went to where the lift was, and he immediately covered Elena¡¯s eyes with his right hand because all the scientists had become mushy like porridge.

    ¡°Cover your mouth and nose, Elena. It¡¯s smells here,¡± Archie said calmly.

    Elena immediately covered her mouth and nose with both hands as she was guided by Archie.

    Archie forcefully opened the lift doors, and then entered the lift with Elena. He then made a hole in the top of the lift so he could fly up and meet with Eve.

    Archie spread his wings and blocked the exit with them so Elena couldn¡¯t see what had happened to the scientists. Elena pulled Archie¡¯s hand away, and saw the wings on his back. She was in awe and dumbfounded at the same time.

    ¡°Hang on tight,¡± Archie said with a bit of a smile.

    Elena hugged Archie¡¯s waist, and then they both flew away.

    Archie looked at the numbers on each exit, and he could sense all the parasites had overwhelmed each floor and killed everyone on each floor. He didn¡¯t care about them and kept flying up to where he came from.

    The moment they went back to where he was, Elena was surprised when the whole floor was destroyed with people lying on the ground dead. Some lost their heads, some lost half of their bodies, some got split in half, and some were crushed and couldn¡¯t be identified anymore.

    They heard gunshots in the distance, and Archie immediately ran toward it to check if Eve needed his help. Elena stayed back and hid under the table as Archie asked.

    Archie flew toward the gunshots, and it came from the hallway.

    Archie landed and took a peek at the hallway. He saw Eve stand on top of the Axis Humans, and she killed all of them without a scratch. She was still wearing her lab coat, but her face had changed to her real face.

    ¡°Eve,¡± Archie asked as he came out of the corner.

    ¡°Long time no see,¡± Eve said with a smile and blood covered her body. ¡°Hmm? Who¡¯s that cute little girl?¡± Eve asked as she tilted her head.

    Archie turned around and saw that Elena was standing behind him.

 Chapter 171 Fell for her.

    ¡°When did you follow me? I told you to hide, no?¡± Archie asked as he went on his knees and stared at Elena in the eye.

    ¡°I¡¯m scared, and I don¡¯t like it here because I see dead people,¡± Elena answered as she kept staring at Eve. ¡°Also, I feel safe when I near you because your parasites are so strong,¡± Elena continued as she turned her head to look at Archie.

    ¡°Hmm? Who¡¯s this little cute girl?¡± Eve asked as she walked toward them. She then sat down and patted Elena¡¯s head with a gentle smile on her face.

    ¡°Elena, she brought here, and one of the subjects. Luckily they haven¡¯t done anything much to her because they don¡¯t want to do an experiment to a small kid, especially a girl,¡± Archie answered as he looked around to make sure that everything was safe.

    Elena looked up at Eve¡¯s bloody hand, and then she grabbed it with both hands and pulled it down. She rubbed and stared at Eve¡¯s hand carefully, but she didn¡¯t show any expression or say a single word.

    ¡°Are you not afraid of me, Elena?¡± Eve asked with her eyebrows raised.

    ¡°No, because you¡¯re not hostile toward me, and the parasites inside your body are friendly toward me,¡± Elena answered as she looked at Eve. ¡°They all love you and happy to be inside your body,¡± Elena continued.

    Eve looked a bit confused as she looked at Archie.

    ¡°She can feel the parasites and for some reason, the parasites don¡¯t want to attack her. She has unique ability that we both don¡¯t have,¡± Archie explained.

    ¡°Is that so? Then I guess that explains why she has a unique presence,¡± Eve replied as she stared at Elena who was still busy staring at her hand. ¡°Are you going to bring her back with us?¡± Eve asked.

    ¡°Yes, because she doesn¡¯t have a place to go. She lost her family and I think it¡¯s better if we bring her back with us. I want to know more about her since she hasn¡¯t shown all her abilities,¡± Archie answered as he nodded in agreement. ¡°What about you? Did you get anything from this base?¡± Archie asked back.

    ¡°Yes, I got a lot of stuff. I put them in the bag, and I think we should leave before the reinforcement comes,¡± Eve answered as she looked at the lift. ¡°Follow me, I know an emergency exit and we should be able to leave easily as long as we use Dale and Marlyn¡¯s identities,¡± Eve continued as she stood up.

    Archie nodded with understanding, and then he lifted Elena up so he could carry her in his arms.

    Archie followed Eve from behind as they entered a door that led to a long hallway after she tore the base down and made them collapse. It was so dark since the emergency power was out, but it wasn¡¯t a problem for either of them.

    They saw a door at the end of the hallway, and then Eve opened the door. The moment they were out, a bunch of group Axis Humans were there and preparing themselves to enter the base in a basement that looked like a hidden parking lot.

    ¡°Hey, stop right there!¡± One of the Axis Humans said as he walked toward them. ¡°Identify yourself,¡± He continued.

    ¡°Marlyn, and that¡¯s Dale,¡± Eve answered and pretended to be scared as she showed her ID card. ¡°Please, get in there and save the others! The parasites are unleashed, and everyone from level 1 down to level 5, they won¡¯t make it out alive if you¡¯re not hurry!¡± Eve said as she pointed at the door in a trembling voice.

    ¡°I was in level 5, and everyone the test subjects are out. I was lucky to be alive,¡± Archie said and acted scared as well.

    The guy looked at his team and immediately gave them a signal.

    ¡°Alright, you¡¯re safe out here, there¡¯s no need to be worried about,¡± The guy said as he lowered his gun as he checked Marlyn¡¯s ID card. ¡°Also, who is she? I don¡¯t think a kid should be in there,¡± The guy looked at Elena with curiosity and suspicion.

    ¡°She¡¯s one of the subjects from level 5. I¡¯m planning to transfer her to another base because Jenny entrusted me to get her out safely,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°I see, then I will make a call to escort you to the base you want to go,¡± The guy said as he nodded with understanding.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get inside! We are wasting our time here!¡± The guy shouted at his team.

    They all hurriedly got inside the door after the guy made a phone call to escort Archie and Eve.

    ¡°Are we really going to another base,¡± Elena asked in a worried voice.

    ¡°Of course not,¡± Eve said with a gentle smile as she stroked Elena¡¯s hair gently. ¡°Was our acting really that good?¡± Eve asked as she chuckled softly.

    ¡°Oh, wow, you guys are so good,¡± Elena was genuinely amazed by it.

    Eve immediately fell for Elena, and she took Elena from Archie¡¯s arms so she could carry her instead.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s leave before the escort come to pick us up,¡± Eve said as she looked at Archie.

    They left the basement as they changed their appearance and removed their lab coats. They casually walked on the sidewalk as if nothing had happened. All the pedestrians were walking past them, and they had no idea what was happening in that building. It looked so peaceful from outside and that made things easier for them to leave without a trace.

    ¡°Alright, I want you to hang on tight and don¡¯t let go of me, okay?¡± Eve said as she looked at Elena in her arms.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Elena replied as she buried her face on Eve¡¯s chest as she wrapped her small arms around Eve¡¯s body.

    Eve was smiling happily as she looked at Elena, and Archie could tell she adored Elena so much.

    ¡°Alright, here we go,¡± Eve said as she pulled out her wings from her back.

    Eve quickly flew up into the sky, keeping a close eye on Elena to make sure she didn¡¯t get sick or damage her ears. She followed Archie, watching over her baby girl, as she laid her head on Eve¡¯s chest.

    ¡°You can look around, it¡¯s beautiful up here,¡± Eve said.

    Elena slowly pulled her head back, feeling the air around her, and her eyes were wide open when she saw the clouds and the blue sky around her. She looked down and saw the beautiful city, with her mouth wide open, and she couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing.

    ¡°Do you like it up here?¡± Eve asked with a smile.

    ¡°This is awesome!¡± Elena answered with a huge smile.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look down for too long, it might make you sick. Just rest your head on my chest for now,¡± Eve said.

    Elena turned her head to look at Eve, and then she looked at Eve¡¯s beautiful white wings. She couldn¡¯t help but admire Eve¡¯s wings with her eyes glimmering in excitement because she wanted to touch them as soon as they landed.

    It took them an hour until they arrived in the village, and everyone was running out of their houses. Fanheim and Marlon were in the barnhouse, and they saw Eve was slowly putting Elena down to the ground.

    Eve looked at Fanheim, and then removed her purse from her shoulder. She tossed the purse at him.

    ¡°Everything that you need to know should be in there. All the information about the serum, the experiment, and all kind of test they¡¯re doing inside,¡± Eve said as she pointed at the purse. ¡°Also, it appears that everyone that succeeded in the previous experiment, like Faye. They wanted to use them for another experiment to make them even stronger,¡± Eve explained.

    Fanheim hummed as he looked at the dozens of flash disks inside the purse.

    ¡°Thank you, and what about the base?¡± Fanheim asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s gone, it¡¯s collapsed and I don¡¯t think it¡¯s useable anymore for them. I made sure that all the computers and all the memory drives are unsafeable,¡± Eve answered as she grabbed Elena¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Good, good,¡± Fanheim nodded his head as he looked at Elena. ¡°And who is she?¡± Fanheim asked.

    ¡°She¡¯s one of the subjects, and Archie was the one who found her,¡± Eve answered as she offered her right wing to Elena so she could play with it. ¡°I want to take care of her and see what¡¯s special about her because they kept her in a small room for months,¡± Eve said as she looked at Elena rubbing her face on Eve¡¯s wing.

    ¡°I see, then I guess Archie could tell us the details,¡± Fanheim replied.

    ¡°Yes, I will tell you everything that I saw down there,¡± Archie nodded his head with understanding. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re going to play around with her. You can go, I will handle the report from here and out,¡± Archie said to Eve.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Eve replied with a smile.

 Chapter 172 New family.

    Archie went to the barnhouse with the rest of them. They listened to what he found in there, and what kind of people worked in that base. They found it shocking when they heard that everyone that worked on the experiment didn¡¯t even get bothered by the fact that they were killing people.

    Fanheim and Marlon were satisfied with the information that Archie gave them. They both then decided to check on the flash disks that Eve collected from the secret base. Archie didn¡¯t stay there in the barnhouse with them because he wanted to join Eve and Elena.

    Archie went to the house and didn¡¯t find Eve and Elena inside. He then looked around the village, but he still couldn¡¯t find them anywhere until he looked down in the forest from on top of the cliff. Eve and Elena were walking in the forest while they were holding hands.

    Archie decided to join them and jumped down the cliff.

    ¡°What are you guys doing here?¡± Archie asked as he approached them.

    ¡°We are going to the river, I need to wash my body and my shirt. Of course, I¡¯m going to clean Elena¡¯s body as well since she was dirty because of me,¡± Eve said as she looked at Elena. ¡°Do you want to join us?¡± Eve asked.

    ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± Archie answered as he nodded his head. ¡°I will grab the towel and find clothes for Elena,¡± Archie said, and then flew back into the village.

    The three of them went to the river, and it was quite far for a kid, so Eve carried her on the back as Eve and Archie had a small conversation.

    The three of them bathed in the river, and Eve was really attached to Elena for some reason. It still made Archie curious, confused, and happy at the same time because it felt like Eve was acting as Elena¡¯s mother rather than an older sister or someone who just cared for her. He was even more confused and happy when he realized that he felt the same way about Elena as Eve did about Elena.

    Archie lazily rested his head against the smooth rock on the riverbank as he took in the cold, fresh flowing water on his body. He heard a splashing sound in front of him, and opened his eyes to see Elena had collected water in her hands and was ready to splash it on him.

    Elena laughed and tried to run away, but Archie grabbed her and it made her laugh so loudly that Eve was smiling and chuckling because it was her idea all along, and so Archie splashed water at her. Eve¡¯s smile and chuckling were contagious, and Elena was laughing so hard that she was splashing water back at Archie.

    In the end, they spent half an hour in the river until Elena sneezed because she felt cold. The three of them then walked out of the river and took care of Elena by drying her hair and body like parents would have done for their child. They made sure she was warm and comfortable and got her some rest.

    They went back to the village and the sun was about to go down, and so Archie and Eve decided to bring Elena to their house. Archie lit the fireplace in the house, and the three of them were enjoying the evening in the living room with a cup of hot tea in their hands.

    It was so peaceful and quiet that Elena started to feel tired after all the fun she had today. She was on Eve¡¯s lap and she was leaning on Eve¡¯s body with half-opened eyes.

    Archie looked at Elena with a smile, and then looked at Eve who was also staring at Elena silently. They both got too attached to her so easily, and they had no idea why, but it wasn¡¯t a bad thing so they were fine with it. Archie thought that it might have had something to do with the parasite that lived inside her body, or maybe because of how lovable and adorable she was.

    ¡°Archie,¡± Elena asked quietly as she slowly turned her head toward Archie.

    ¡°Yes?¡± Archie replied with his eyebrows raised.

    ¡°I already know the truth about what happened to my parents and the people in the village,¡± Elena said as she looked down. ¡°It was me who did it, right?¡± Elena asked.

    Archie didn¡¯t know what to say or how to deal with the situation, and Eve didn¡¯t have any experience with kids before and didn¡¯t know how to deal with them. They were left with no choice but to just awkwardly sit there and wait for something to happen.

    ¡°I killed them in my sleep and it was the parasite inside me who did it. I had nightmares about it. I thought it was just a dream, but it keeps coming back,¡± Elena said. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m not scared or hate being in that room because I¡¯m an evil kid,¡± Elena continued as she started sniffling.

    ¡°You¡¯re not an evil kid, Elena, and it wasn¡¯t your fault,¡± Eve said as she hugged Elena from behind and kissed Elena¡¯s head from behind. ¡°Don¡¯t ever think it¡¯s your fault for what happened in there because the parasite that lives inside you is the one to blame,¡± Eve tried to comfort her and hugged Elena so tightly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a monster,¡± Elena started sobbing.

    Eve hugged Elena and tried to comfort her as she stroked Elena¡¯s hair gently. Archie immediately stood up and walked toward her. He then went on his knees on the floor in front of Elena.

    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re not going to be a monster. I can promise you that,¡± Archie said as he grabbed Elena¡¯s hands.

    Both Archie and Eve shared a stare, and they didn¡¯t know what to do about it because Elena didn¡¯t seem to listen to them at all. Suddenly someone knocked on the door, and the two of them looked at the door. It was Fanheim, and he peeked his head to the window as he waved his hand at them.

    Archie opened the door for Fanheim, and then the first thing Fanheim heard and saw were Elena¡¯s crying. He looked so confused, but he immediately walked into the living room and asked about what had happened to Archie.

    Archie explained about Elena, and what happened to her family, the people in her village, and why she ended up on the base. Fanheim understood the situation, and immediately walked up to Eve and Elena.

    ¡°Sweetheart,¡± Fanheim said calmly.

    Elena sniffled and rubbed her eyes as she slowly looked at Fanheim who was smiling gently at her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about what happened to your family, but don¡¯t be sad about it because it happened to Eve and Archie as well. They¡¯re sad because it reminds them about their parents as well,¡± Fanheim said, and it made both Eve and Archie look at each other with a confused look.

    ¡°Look at Archie and Eve, they¡¯re sad now because you¡¯re crying. How about you stop crying and comfort them? They miss their parents as well,¡± Fanheim asked with a smile on his face.

    Elena slowly turned around and looked at Eve¡¯s expression. Eve pretended to be sad, and Elena fell for it so easily.

    ¡°Did your parents died because of you too, Eve?¡± Elena asked quietly.

    ¡°Yes, I killed everyone because the parasites inside me,¡± Eve answered as she nodded her head.

    Elena hugged her and buried her face on Eve¡¯s chest immediately. It shocked Eve, but she hugged Elena back as she tried to comfort her back.

    ¡°You see, everyone lost their parents and the people they love. So, how about you think about the people that love you? Eve and Archie love you so much, and they don¡¯t want to see you cry,¡± Fanheim said as he looked at Eve and nodded his head.

    ¡°Archie and I love you so much, and we will be here next to you forever. I promise that we won¡¯t leave you alone or make you feel sad because we both have lost the people we love, and we won¡¯t let that happen again,¡± Eve said as she kept hugging Elena. ¡°Do you hear my heartbeat, Elena? You can tell that I¡¯m not lying to you, right?¡±

    Elena didn¡¯t say a word as she focused on listening to Eve¡¯s heartbeat. It somehow made her feel calm and peaceful. She did could tell that Eve wasn¡¯t lying about it because all the parasites inside her body felt the same way toward Elena.

    ¡°You promise you won¡¯t leave me? Both of you?¡± Elena asked as she looked at Eve and Archie back and forth.

    ¡°Yes, we promise won¡¯t leave your side, forever,¡± Eve answered as she nodded her head with a gentle smile. ¡°We will live together from now on, and we are your new family now. Is that okay if we become your new family?¡±

    Elena nodded her head.

    ¡°Alright, since it¡¯s already late, how about we sleep together tonight?¡± Eve asked.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Elena hummed in agreement.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to bed, so don¡¯t be too noisy,¡± Eve said to Archie and Fanheim.

    They both nodded with understanding, and then Eve carried Elena to bedroom.

 Chapter 173 Sheâ€™s one of them.

    Archie was chilling on the porch with Fanheim since they didn¡¯t want to bother Elena. They talked until the sun rose, and they didn¡¯t realize the time until the sun was hitting their faces. They were talking about Elena, and Fanheim wanted to know what Archie¡¯s plan about her.

    Archie thought to himself about it, and after knowing both Eve and him wanted the same thing and felt the same thing toward Elena. He had no doubt that he wanted to take care of her for as long as Elena wanted to stay with them.

    ¡°You should know that taking care of a child like her won¡¯t be easy. It¡¯s not just about making sure she¡¯s safe and live happy life, but you have to teach her and make sure she doesn¡¯t become something that we both don¡¯t want,¡± Fanheim said as he stared at the blue sky. ¡°You know what I¡¯m talking about, we both have no idea what she¡¯s capable of,¡± Fanheim continued as he stared at Archie.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m aware of that. I will try to find out more about her and the parasite that lives inside her,¡± Archie replied as he nodded his head.

    ¡°I know that it¡¯s nothing for you, but for us, normal human beings, she¡¯s enough to threaten us,¡± Fanheim said with a serious expression.

    ¡°I know, I will try my best,¡± Archie replied.

    ¡°Alright, I guess it¡¯s time for me to get a short nap,¡± Fanheim said as he stood up and stretched his arms and back. ¡°I wonder if Ruby and the others have arrived at the secret base. I can¡¯t help but get anxious when thinking about them doing mission,¡± Fanheim continued as he walked away.

    Archie smiled, and then walked inside the house.

    ¡°Good morning,¡± Eve said as she poured herself a glass of water.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake? What about Elena?¡± Archie asked as he tilted his head to look at the bedroom.

    ¡°She¡¯s still asleep, and yeah, I have been awake since dawn and I have been listening to your conversation with Fanheim,¡± Eve answered. ¡°Do you want to do it?¡± Eve asked as she looked at Archie.

    ¡°Do what?¡± Archie asked back with his eyebrows raised.

    ¡°Check Elena¡¯s ability. I think I can try and pull out what¡¯s living inside her,¡± Eve answered and drank the water.

    ¡°How are you going to do that? Will it be painful?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Who knows,¡± Eve answered as she sat down at the table and stared at the bedroom. ¡°One thing that I notice is that she actually can change herself into a parasite, but she doesn¡¯t want to do it,¡± Eve explained.

    Archie was surprised, and then sat right in front of Eve.

    ¡°What do you mean she can change herself into a parasite? You mean transforming herself into parasite? Just like us?¡± Archie asked quietly.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly as you said. I¡¯m also curious how can a small child who invested by parasites a few months ago could become like that. I think the answer is the parasite itself, so we will find the truth if we see what kind of parasite that live inside her by luring it out and show itself to us,¡± Eve answered.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not force her to do that, I don¡¯t want her to think that we are just like them, who only cared about the parasite,¡± Archie said as he looked at Eve with a serious expression.

    ¡°Of course! I¡¯m not going to force her. We can wait for as long as we want because it¡¯s not that really important. I¡¯m just curious, that¡¯s all,¡± Eve replied as she nodded her head with understanding.

    They both talked about other things as they waited for Elena to wake up. It took longer than they thought because Elena woke up at noon, and she looked so refreshed. Her eyes were red-rimmed because of the crying last night, and Eve immediately picked her up and gave her a bowl of oatmeal to eat at the dining table.

    The two of them were listening intently to Elena¡¯s account of her nightmare, and the fact that she had suffered through it during her time at the secret base. Although it was a nightmare, she wasn¡¯t bothered by it because she had gotten used to it, and the nightmare wasn¡¯t as bad as she had feared it would be.

    Elena was eating her oatmeal when it suddenly became quiet. She looked at Eve and Archie, who were sitting right in front of her, and found them staring at her. She stared back at them, as if she was reading their minds, and made Eve and Archie wonder what she was thinking.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Elena?¡± Eve asked.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t asked this, but are you both not a human? Are you a parasite?¡± Elena asked back.

    ¡°We are not a human nor a parasite. We are something in between,¡± Eve answered with a smile. ¡°We have the power of a parasite, but we still have consciousness like a human,¡± Eve explained.

    ¡°Is that why you have been living for hundreds of years? You can¡¯t die?¡± Elena asked.

    ¡°How do you know that? I think I haven¡¯t told you anything about me,¡± Eve asked with a curious look on her face.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s just came to my mind that you have been living for hundreds of years. Maybe it¡¯s because of the parasites inside you and how scared the parasite inside my body is when being close to you. He never been that scared before even though I have been living inside that place for months,¡± Elena answered.

    ¡°Well, I hope that doesn¡¯t bother you if I¡¯m two hundreds years old,¡± Eve said as she stroked Elena¡¯s hair and smiled at her.

    Elena shook her head as she kept eating her oatmeal, not complaining about the subpar food or her forced confinement. She looked happy enough to be there with Archie and Eve, and she hoped that she could stay like this forever.

    ¡°Are we going to stay here from now on?¡± Elena asked.

    ¡°No, we will be moving to the other side of the world,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°Other side of the world? Like where?¡± Elena asked curiously.

    ¡°The Eastern Nation, we will be using ship to leave. We will be leaving as soon as we are done here, so I think it¡¯s the right time to ask you if you¡¯re okay with that. We aren¡¯t going to force you come with us, and since we promise you that we will be by your side, we will stay if you don¡¯t want to go,¡± Archie said as he looked at Eve.

    ¡°No, I want to go. I want to see the world, and I haven¡¯t on a ship before so I¡¯m excited about it!¡± Elena answered in excitement.

    Both Eve and Archie smiled at Elena because of how happy she was.

    Two days had passed, and the three of them were exploring the forest as if they were on a trip. Archie and Eve brought her to her village a day ago, and they saw the whole village was guarded by Axis Humans. It appeared that those people realized that Elena couldn¡¯t be found anywhere and decided to check the village.

    The worst part about their trip was that there were no graves or anything. Elena wanted to visit her family¡¯s grave and all her friends, but there was nothing like that near the village. Although she was sad about it, she didn¡¯t cry at that time because she didn¡¯t want to dwell on it and wanted to become strong like Archie and Eve.

    Archie and Eve still had no idea about what kind of parasite that lived inside Elena. They didn¡¯t want to bring it up, or at least not at that moment, because they felt like it would make her anxious. They would wait until Elena decided to talk about it herself.

    ¡°They should be back by now, right?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°It depends. The base might be bigger than the one we destroyed. It could take them another day or even more. I think you should go out there and help them maybe?¡± Eve replied as she was hugging Elena on her lap.

    ¡°I will go and ask Fanheim about it,¡± Archie said as he stood up and walked down the porch.

    Before Archie could even step forward, he heard the sound of car engines speeding towards the town in the distance. Everyone heard that, and they all immediately walked out of their houses to see if those engines belonged to Ruby¡¯s car and the others.

    ¡°It¡¯s them! They all back!¡± The guy who kept an eye on the forest said.

    Marlon and Fanheim approached Archie, and the three of them waited at the front.

    Cars appeared and drove toward them. They all stopped right in front of Archie, and then Ruby came out of the car covered in dried blood and bandages all over her arms and legs.

    ¡°We completed the mission,¡± Ruby said with a bit of a smile on her face.

 Chapter 174 Love unconditionally.

    Everyone was congratulating Ruby and the others for completing such a high risk mission. Marlon, on the other hand, he immediately asked them to report the details and what they found on the secret base.

    ¡°I know that you guys are tired, but just endure it for a little bit more,¡± Fanheim said as he watched Marlon walk toward the barn house.

    ¡°We had enough of rest during our way back here, so we are fine and it¡¯s better to get this done as soon as possible so we can have free time later,¡± Ruby replied as she removed the vest on her body.

    Fanheim nodded with understanding, and then everyone went to the barn house.

    Ruby was busy talking to Fanheim with the others, and when she looked at Eve who had just come out of the house, she was surprised to see a small child in front of Eve. She stared at Eve with her eyes squinted and shook her head a bit with a confused look on her face.

    It wasn¡¯t just Ruby who noticed Elena, but Faye and the others as well.

    Archie, Eve, and Elena were standing at the entrance of the barn house and listened to Ruby and Faye¡¯s report about the secret base. They had similar laboratories like the one that Archie and Eve went to. The difference was that the experiments and the subjects on their secret base were more extreme.

    They brought so much information from the secret base, and not only that, they also brought a lot of serum samples with them inside a briefcase. They didn¡¯t know what those serums could do, or how strong it were, but there should be information about it on the flash disks that they brought with them.

    There were so many things that needed to be evaluated from both missions, and so Marlon and Fanheim dismissed everyone so they both could check the content of the information they got. Ruby, Faye, and the others immediately approached Archie and Eve because they were all curious about Elena and who she was.

    ¡°Congrats on the mission, Archie was planning to go there to help you guys out, but then you all came back,¡± Eve said as she stared at them.

    ¡°Really? That would be nice if he thought about that yesterday because we almost got ourselves in big trouble. Luckily there were no reinforcement to help them and we managed to take care all of them,¡± Ruby replied as she sigh and arms crossed.

    ¡°Who¡¯s this cute little girl? Who¡¯s your name?¡± Faye asked as she crouched down in front of Elena with a gentle smile on her face.

    ¡°Kseniya Elena,¡± Elena answered as she looked at each one of them. She judgingly stared at them and noticed some of them were different from others.

    ¡°What a beautiful name!¡± Ruby said as she crouched next to Faye. ¡°My name is Ruby,¡± Ruby said as she offered her hand for a handshake.

    Everyone started introducing themselves to Elena even though they had no idea who Elena was.

    After they all introduced themselves to Elena, Archie invited them to his house to talk about the secret base they went to and about who Elena was.

    It took almost two hours for Archie and Eve to explain everything to them. Of course, they were all surprised when they found out that Elena was a parasite, more or less like Archie and Eve. Elena was a bit afraid that they would hate or fear her, but it didn¡¯t bother them at all. They didn¡¯t care about who she was, and they treated her like an innocent child that deserved to be loved.

    Although they were acting like they didn¡¯t care about who Elena was or had become, they were curious about what kind of parasite that host her body was. Archie and Eve gave them a signal to not talk about it, and they all understood since they knew about what had happened to Elena¡¯s family and all the villagers.

    ¡°Alright, I think it¡¯s time for us to stop bothering them and get some rest,¡± Ruby said as she stood up and massaged her neck. ¡°Let¡¯s leave, and we will talk to you again later, Elena,¡± Ruby continued as she smiled gently at Elena.

    They all left, and Elena was waving at them from the front door, watching them go to their own houses.

    ¡°So, how are they? Do you like them?¡± Eve asked as she played with Elena¡¯s cheeks from behind.

    ¡°Yes, they all are so nice to me and they didn¡¯t look at me like how those people looked at me in that place,¡± Elena answered as she nodded her head. ¡°I see that some of them are different from the others. Did Miss Faye, Ruby, Nova, Prince, and Resse got their power from the experiment?¡± Elena asked as she looked up at Archie and Eve.

    Archie furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at Elena. ¡°You¡¯re right about some of the names, but Ruby and Nova weren¡¯t the result of the experiment. They¡¯re born with it,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°Really? But I¡¯m sure that they both are different from the rest. There¡¯s a living parasite inside Miss Ruby and Miss Nova even though it wasn¡¯t that much,¡± Elena replied with a bit of shock.

    ¡°Nova became like that because I gave her my power, Elena. That¡¯s why she has a living parasite inside her. For Ruby, I think that¡¯s when she accidentally got exposed by the serum that Daniel made,¡± Eve explained as she looked at Elena. ¡°But that¡¯s really amazing because I couldn¡¯t tell about Ruby until you told us that,¡± Eve continued.

    ¡°I think the more I learn about this ability, the more I¡¯m sensitive about the parasites that are around me. I¡¯m starting to hear things that other people can, but I think what I hear right now is the sound of the parasite inside my body,¡± Elena said as she looked at her own hands.

    ¡°Can you do anything else other than that, Elena?¡± Eve asked as she looked at Archie from the corner of her eyes.

    Elena hummed, but she didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you don¡¯t have to tell us about it if you don¡¯t want to. We don¡¯t want to make you feel uncomfortable, but at the same time we want you to know that we both love you unconditionally,¡± Eve said as she kissed Elena¡¯s head.

    ¡°Really?¡± Elena asked with a worried expression.

    ¡°Of course! The three of us are the same, and we will always have each other since we are different from them,¡± Eve answered as she grabbed Elena¡¯s cheeks and crouched in front of her. ¡°We promise that we won¡¯t leave you alone, and we really mean it,¡± Eve continued as she kissed Elena¡¯s forehead.

    Elena looked at Archie, and she waited for his respond as well. Archie chuckled as he crouched next to Eve with a smile on his face and nodded his head in agreement.

    ¡°Then there¡¯s something that I want to show you,¡± Elena said nervously.

    ¡°Alright, do you want to go somewhere else?¡± Eve asked with her eyebrows raised.

    Elena hummed and nodded her head.

    Eve and Archie brought Elena to her favorite place, and it was the river because she loved that place since it was peaceful, especially when Archie and Eve were with her.

    The three of them were chilling on the riverbank, and then Elena showed her right hand to both of them. Her hand slowly wrapped in something that looked like a scale, but they couldn¡¯t tell what kind of scale that was.

    The scale slowly moved up to Elena¡¯s arm, neck, and all the way down to her legs. Archie and Eve were watching her with curiosity as they thought about what kind of parasite it was.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a scale, if you touch it, it feels like a skin, but I don¡¯t want you to touch it because it hurts,¡± Elena said as she stared at her arms.

    ¡°It hurts?¡± Eve asked with a puzzled look.

    ¡°Yeah, it hurts and tickles at the same time. I don¡¯t know why I can do something like this, but I believe this is the parasite that lives inside my body. I¡¯m not sure either what¡¯s the purpose of this, and why I could do something like this, but there should be a reason why I can do something like this, right?¡± Elena asked as she looked at both of them.

    Eve walked toward Elena so she could look at her skin from up close. She didn¡¯t touch it, but looked at it with a serious look on her face. Elena was a bit uncomfortable, but Archie was smiling at her, and it was enough to remove the nervousness on her mind.

    ¡°Wait a minute, I have seen something like this before,¡± Eve said as she squinted her eyes. ¡°I think I know the answer, Archie. The parasite that live inside ELena,¡± Eve said as she turned around and stared at Archie in the eye.

 Chapter 175 Invested.

    ¡°Elena, come,¡± Eve said as she stood up, and then walked into the river. ¡°I¡¯m sure this is it,¡± Eve continued as she looked at Archie.

    Elena didn¡¯t ask any questions and slowly walked into the river as Archie followed her from behind.

    Archie watched Elena dipped herself into the river, and she started to look at her arms and hands. She felt something that made her look so surprised, and then Eve slowly walked toward her and grabbed her hands.

    ¡°Is it hurt?¡± Eve asked as she looked at Elena¡¯s hands.

    ¡°No, I feel fine. I also feel like my skin is hardened and I weird at the same time,¡± Elena answered as she shook her head. ¡°Do you know what¡¯s happening to me?¡± Elena asked as she stared Eve in the eye.

    ¡°Yes, this is a parasite that I found a long time ago. A parasite that I saw only once in my life, and this parasite can only lives in the water,¡± Eve answered as she looked at Elena.

    Eve hummed as she rubbed her left cheek and kept staring at Elena. She was thinking about something, and so both Elena and Archie didn¡¯t say anything to her.

    ¡°Looks like the parasite has been living inside your body longer than you think,¡± Eve said. ¡°That parasite is so weak that it shouldn¡¯t be able to do something like this if you¡¯re invested a few months ago,¡± Eve explained.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that this parasite has been living inside her body for a very long time?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Yes, I remembered when I was hunting for parasite a long time ago and went into a river to look for one. Back then, I saw fishes, deers, and all the animals had this similar skin on them. They weren¡¯t scared of me, and oddly they all lived peacefully even though they had become a parasite,¡± Eve answered.

    ¡°One think that I realized is that the animals back then, they only have a small part of their bodies that became like this. Why I know that the parasite only lives in the water was because all of those animals were drinking the same water from the same river. The other area of that place, none of the other animals had the same mark on their bodies since they didn¡¯t drink the water from that river,¡± Eve explained as she gently rubbed Elena¡¯s hands.

    ¡°This is what I know, and if those animals had been drinking from that same source of water, then they had been invested for a very long time. I know for sure that it had something to do with where the source of the river came from, and we might now the whole truth. So, I think Elena has been invested a lot longer, and it could be she has been invested years ago,¡± Eve said as she looked at Archie.

    Elena looked at her arms, but she looked clueless about it. It wasn¡¯t really a bother, but she was curious about it.

    ¡°Do you still remember where it was? The river?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember exactly where, but it was down south. If I go there and look around, I think I will remember when I see the forest and the river,¡± Eve answered as she tried to remember.

    ¡°Down south? You mean like in the Southern Nation?¡± Archie asked with his eyebrows raised.

    ¡°Yes, far south,¡± Eve answered as she nodded her head.

    ¡°How can something that came from the Southern Nation could be ended up here in the Northern Nation? I¡¯m not saying that the parasite only existed in the south, but what are the odds if we say that only Elena get invested by that parasite if his family, and all the villagers used the same water source as her?¡± Archie asked with a confused look.

    ¡°That¡¯s really a good question,¡± Eve said as she looked at Elena who seemed to get better by dipping herself in the river with that scale-like body.

    Archie and Eve were thinking about the possibility and an answer to how Elena ended up like that. They both suddenly stared at each other, and they made the same expression. They had something similar in their minds, and it was that Elena might have been a test subject all along.

    ¡°Elena, do remember if there¡¯s a person that came to you a long time ago? Like maybe when you¡¯re a lot younger?¡± Archie asked.

    Elena looked at Archie with her eyebrows raised. She looked up and moved her eyes around as she tried to remember anything.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember,¡± Elena answered as she shook her head.

    ¡°It¡¯s pointless if we are going to use that method. If we want to find an answer, we have to use force like how we always did. Or, we could go and look for that river and see it for ourselves what kind of parasite that lives inside Elena¡¯s body,¡± Eve said as she looked at Archie.

    ¡°Yeah, but that would take like days or even a week if we are aimlessly look for it,¡± Archie replied.

    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be a problem for me,¡± Eve said.

    ¡°I know it¡¯s not, but right now we should ask Fanheim and Marlon about this first because they might have something from those flash disks that we all gave them,¡± Archie said as he crouched and opened his arms at Elena. ¡°Come on, you will catch a cold if you dip yourself with clothes on,¡±

    Elena walked toward Archie, and then he lifted her up and carried her in his arms. She turned herself back as they walked back into the village. The parasite might haven¡¯t fully developed as Eve said, and knowing that Elena was just a normal human being, it would take a lot longer or even forever to be able to control it.

    The three of them went back into the village, and Fanheim was talking with Prince and Resse. They approached them, and Archie asked about the information that he and Marlon got from the flash disks. Fanheim said that they barely scratched the surface because there was hundreds of information inside.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you need something?¡± Fanheim asked with curiosity.

    ¡°We believe that Elena is a test subject all along rather than from an accident. We are just curious if there¡¯s any information related to her in those,¡± Archie answered as he kept carrying Elena in his arms.

    Elena was surprised when she heard it, and looked confused at the same time.

    ¡°I guess there¡¯s no need to ask where did you get that conclusion, but we can help you find it,¡± Fanheim said as he looked at Elena.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Archie answered as he passed Elena to Eve.

    ¡°Alright, come,¡± Fanheim said as he walked toward the barnhouse.

    Eve and Elena stayed behind. Prince and Resse immediately talked with Elena to make her forget about what she just heard. It would be better if Elena didn¡¯t get worried about it at all since she was still a small child that shouldn¡¯t be thinking about those stuff.

    Fanheim approached Marlon who was still busy in front of the laptop. This time, there were multiple laptops on the table, and Ruby was the one who brought them back with her since it would be faster if there would be a lot more laptops that could be used to check some of the information at once.

    Fanheim told Marlon about what Archie told him, and Marlon looked at Archie with his eyebrows raised. Marlon then waved at Archie and gave him permission to use one of the laptops.

    ¡°Where do you want to start looking for that?¡± Fanheim asked.

    ¡°I think I remember there are three flash disks that I took from level 5,¡± Archie answered as he looked at the flash disks that were scattered on the table in front of him.

    ¡°What color was it?¡± Marlon asked as he stared at Archie.

    ¡°Silver, blue, and red, but there are a lot of them with those colors. In fact, almost all of them have the same color,¡± Archie answered as he sighed.

    ¡°The one from B-3, right? Maybe you should go and check that laptop over there. There¡¯s a flash disk plugged in on the laptop with red flash disk. I think that one is yours,¡± Marlon said as he pointed at the laptop next to Archie.

    Archie moved away and used the laptop that Marlon mentioned. He then opened the folders, and immediately found a file name called Jenny on it. He opened it and there were only a few folders inside it, but he found a file called Elena inside.

    Archie clicked on it, and it was all just test results that Jenny took on Elena. He almost gave up until he decided to read all of them thoroughly and realized that something was mentioned in the report about Elena¡¯s experiment.

    ¡°Atlantis Test Subject-05, Elena Kseniya,¡± Archie said out loud.

    ¡°Atlantis? That code name got mentioned a lot in all the information we got here,¡± Fanheim said.

    ¡°Looks like we might get a lot of answer if we take that Atlantis base down, but for now, let¡¯s just gather all the information that we got here. Our hands are full and I don¡¯t want to add more until we find out which base that will give us the answers we need,¡± Marlon said.

    ¡°Yeah, I know, but this is enough for me,¡± Archie replied as he removed his hand from the laptop. ¡°I¡¯m here just for Elena and I was right about it that Elena was in fact a test subject all along,¡± Archie continued.

    ¡°Not to mention she¡¯s the number five, then that means there are four of them like Elena somewhere,¡± Fanheim said.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s really bothering,¡± Archie nodded his head in agreement.

 Chapter 176 Better than we thought.

    ¡°Did you find anything?¡± Eve asked as she watched Archie approach them.

    ¡°I did, yeah. We are right about it, about what really happened to Elena,¡± Archie answered as he looked at Elena playing with Prince and Resse on the porch.

    ¡°So they did an experiment on her? Where is it?¡± Eve asked.

    ¡°There¡¯s not enough information related to the experiment since the experiment was in the Atlantis. It only mentioned that, and also Elena wasn¡¯t the only one, she¡¯s in fact was the fifth subject, but I¡¯m not sure how could they done it if she doesn¡¯t remember anything about it,¡± Archie answered as he looked at Eve.

    ¡°Just because she can¡¯t remember doesn¡¯t mean it didn¡¯t happen. There are a lot of method to make Elena a test subject either from injection, or offering water to drink, or anything related with water. We won¡¯t find the answer if we are just making assumptions,¡± Eve replied as she looked at Elena. ¡°Do you want to go and check the Atlantis? We can go and find it even though it might take days or even week,¡± Eve continued.

    ¡°No, there¡¯s so much thing that¡¯s happening right now. There are so many questions that needed to be answered, so the plates are already full, and we can¡¯t add another thing right now. Let¡¯s just take a breather,¡± Archie replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m not complaining if we are just going to chill here,¡± Eve said as she walked toward Elena.

    The morning came, and everyone was gathering in the barn house because Marlon summoned everyone.

    ¡°Good morning, lads,¡± Marlon said as he looked at everyone. ¡°We got enough information about the cruelty that all the Marshals did, we can¡¯t stay here for too long or they might find us here. So with that being said, we are going to leave this place,¡± Marlon explained.

    Everyone murmuring, and that could only mean one thing which was to go sail back to the Eastern Nation where the enemies couldn¡¯t go there. Although it was a good plan, there were two big problems. The first one would be the King-type parasite from FalCon-3, and the second one was the King-type parasite from FalCon-2.

    ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, but what¡¯s the odd for those two King-type parasites to stay in the city?¡± Marlon asked, but nobody could give him the answer since they knew nothing about them. ¡°Archie, Eve, what are the odds?¡± Marlon asked them.

    ¡°Those two? Not sure, but we can check the situation on the Eastern Nation if you want,¡± Eve answered as she leaned on the pillar near the entrance.

    ¡°How long it will take?¡± Marlon asked.

    ¡°Just a few hours at most,¡± Eve answered.

    ¡°Really? That¡¯s fast. I thought it would a day at most,¡± Marlon said as he rubbed his chin and nodded his head with understanding. ¡°Well that¡¯s good news, then that means all we have to do is to prepare to leave then,¡± Marlon continued as he looked at Fanheim.

    Fanheim nodded his head in agreement.

    ¡°Alright, lads! We will be leaving tonight! I want you to get yourself prepared because we will be leaving as soon as the moon rise. Everyone is dismissed!¡± Marlon said as he looked at everyone.

    ¡°Oh! One more thing!¡± Marlon said as he looked at them. ¡°There¡¯s a chance that the ships that we used, and the harbor could be protected by them, so be ready to fight,¡± Marlon continued with a serious expression.

    All of them nodded with understanding and left the barn house.

    Archie and Eve left the barn house, and then Elena hurriedly walked toward them since she was with Ruby and the others inside the barn house.

    ¡°Are we going to fly?!¡± Elena asked excitedly.

    ¡°Yes, we are. Do you want to fly with us, Elena?¡± Eve replied as she rubbed Elena¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°Yeah! I want to fly and see the sea and the islands!¡± Elena answered as she reached out her hands at Eve.

    ¡°Alright, looks like you want to fly with me again, huh?¡± Eve asked with a smile as she lifted Elena up and put her in her arms.

    ¡°I think there will be a change in the plan then,¡± Archie said as he looked at Ruby. ¡°I don¡¯t think it would take a few hours, I think Elena want to spend more time there,¡±

    ¡°No worries, you can spend your time there for as long as you want. Just make sure to come back before the night comes. We need your protection from whatever threat that will be waiting for us in the harbor,¡± Ruby answered as she looked at them.

    ¡°Right, we will come back before night comes. We will be back before you know it,¡± Archie answered as he nodded his head.

    ¡°Alright then, go and have fun,¡± Ruby said with a smile on her face. ¡°Take care, Elena, and have fun!¡± She continued as she waved at Elena.

    ¡°Yeah, bye-bye!¡± Elena said as Eve flew up into the air slowly.

    Archie and Eve flew away so slowly because Elena wanted to enjoy the view from above.

    Three hours had passed and they were still above the sea, but they already saw the island in the distance. As far as their eyes could see, they didn¡¯t find the King-type parasite anywhere, and Eve said that she couldn¡¯t feel them as well.

    Half an hour had passed and they arrived at the harbor where they left the Eastern Nation. It brought them back with memories even though their memories were quite the opposite, but it was nice to come back again to the place where it all began.

    ¡°Do you know, Elena, this is where I and Archie met,¡± Eve said as she put Elena down.

    ¡°Really? How was it? Did you guys fall in love at a first sight?¡± Elena asked as she looked at both of them.

    Eve chuckled softly and started laughing quietly. ¡°No, sweetheart, it was quite the opposite. I was thinking of killing him, and he was also thinking of kill me as well,¡± Eve answered as she gently rubbed Elena¡¯s hair.

    Elena looked at both of them with a confused look.

    ¡°What? So does that mean you guys are not in love?¡± Elena asked.

    ¡°We do,¡± Eve said as she grabbed Archie¡¯s hand and pulled him closer to her so she could hug him. ¡°We love each other, and we are going to be together, forever,¡± Eve continued with a smile on her face.

    Elena got more confused, and she started making funny expressions that made Archie and Eve chuckle.

    ¡°Well, Eve was different from Eve you know right now. She used to be scary and terrifying. She killed people and parasites for fun because she was a lone survivor. She tried to kill Ruby and the others, but I protected them, so back then I hate her and scared of her at the same time,¡± Archie explained.

    ¡°Really? That doesn¡¯t sound like her at all!¡± Elena tried to deny it.

    ¡°That¡¯s the truth, I was different back then. I wasn¡¯t as soft and lovely as I am right now if it¡¯s not because of him,¡± Eve answered as she chuckled. ¡°Now, let¡¯s not waste our time by talking here in the harbor, let¡¯s check the city,¡± Eve continued as she opened her palm and offered it to Elena so she could hold her hand.

    The three of them walked toward the walls that had become ruins, and the pillar of the sky station was destroyed as well. If someone asked them if there anyone that could survive after seeing that scenery, the answer was obvious.

    ¡°I remember you said that the guy who made you that sword stayed behind with his sister, right?¡± Eve asked as she looked at Archie.

    ¡°Yeah, the last time I saw him, he was wandering around in the armory, but I¡¯m not going to have high hope even though they were hiding in a bunker. We both saw it, how massive those two King-type parasites were, and the battle must be so fierce that it did this kind of damage to their surroundings,¡± Archie answered as he nodded his head.

    ¡°What¡¯s a King-type parasite?¡± Elena asked as she looked up at Archie and Eve.

    ¡°It¡¯s a parasite that can be as big as the mountain. It has abilities that can wipe every living beings in a single swoop,¡± Eve answered as she smiled at Elena.

    ¡°Wow, really? That must be scary,¡± Elena replied.

    ¡°It is, but I can kill them easily though, so I¡¯m still the strongest compared to those,¡± Eve said.

    ¡°Is that true, Archie?¡± Elena asked Archie.

    ¡°Of course. I saw her kicked a King-type parasite over there back then. She was so strong that the parasite collapsed by just her kick, and also, even until now, Eve hasn¡¯t showed her true power to anyone,¡± Archie answered as he pointed at the battlefield of his battle with the King-type parasite.

    ¡°Wow, Eve, you¡¯re awesome!¡± Elena said and stared at Eve with admiration.

    ¡°How cute,¡± Eve said as she gently pitched Elena¡¯s cheek.

 Chapter 177 Unsweet memories.

    The three of them entered the city, and there was nothing left behind the wall, not even a proper building that they could get inside. They could see the massive field that used to be the headquarters, the training field, and the armory, all of which had been left to decay and ruin.

    Archie looked to his right in the distance, and it had become a flattened land where Marie¡¯s house was, and the home he was staying in. He felt a bit of pain in his heart when he tried to remember it, but it disappeared immediately as if his empathy and sympathy tried to crawl out of his chest but got buried down again. He then looked to his left and saw nothing but desolation and emptiness, and he knew that nothing would ever be the same again.

    Elena looked at Archie, and Archie looked back at her with his eyebrows raised. Her expression was showing him that she could tell that he was sad about what had happened to the city.

    ¡°Do you want to check the bunker first?¡± Eve asked as she looked at Archie.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Archie answered as he nodded his head.

    ¡°Are you sad, Archie?¡± Elena asked. ¡°The parasites inside your body feel uncomfortable the moment you entered the city,¡± Elena explained as she held Archie¡¯s hand to comfort him.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, thank you for asking,¡± Archie answered with a smile.

    They all went to headquarters and entered the building where the bunker was. He didn¡¯t really want to think if there was any survivor or not, but as far as he could tell, he didn¡¯t feel any sign of life from anywhere around the building. If there was anyone alive, they were certainly well hidden.

    Eve knew that there were no signs of life anywhere in the area, but she didn¡¯t want to say anything to Archie. She knew that he should be able to tell just as well, so there was no reason for her to bring it up.

    Archie looked at the giant steel door in front of him, and he tried to open it but the there was no power to open it. He then used his hands to open the steel door forcefully, and Elena was amazed by how strong he was that the steel door moved so easily.

    If the door had lost its power, then that would also mean there would be nobody in the bunker. That could also mean that they might me be stuck inside the bunker and couldn¡¯t leave because they were stuck inside.

    They saw a big hatch made of wood that could only be opened with at least four people. Archie opened the hatch and saw the dark tunnel. They walked in, and Elena was scared of the dark place so Eve carried her and held her so tightly to comfort her.

    Archie was at the front, and there was no sound but the wind passing through the dark tunnel. There were torches on the walls, but there was nothing left on it, and it looked like it was a very old torch since it was so cold when he touched it.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s better for you to go in there on your own. Elena doesn¡¯t like this place, so I want to bring her out,¡± Eve said as she could feel Elena¡¯s body tremble in fear.

    ¡°Okay, go ahead,¡± Archie said as he nodded his head with understanding.

    Archie continued to walk through the long, dark tunnel, and there were rooms on either side of him. He looked at the glass door and there he saw people laying on the bed and the ground. Their dried and skinny bodies could be seen from outside the glass wall. He took a deep breath and exhaled deeply as he stared at the bodies.

    ¡°So you guys are locked down here,¡± Archie said to himself.

    Archie kept looking around and walked deeper into the bunker.

    Eve and Elena were outside the bunker exploring the building, hoping to see something that was left behind. Even though the building was in ruins and there was nothing interesting to see, the scenery and the building were entertaining enough to enjoy.

    ¡°Do you want to go somewhere else?¡± Eve asked as she held Elena¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s check the other place. I want to see if there¡¯s anything that I can collect,¡± Elena answered as she nodded her head.

    Eve chuckled and nodded her head.

    They left the building and explored the city together, and when they were busy checking one of the houses, they heard a rustling sound from the distance. Eve unconsciously protected Elena and put her behind her back as she put both her hands on Elena¡¯s back. Elena was touched by Eve¡¯s protectiveness, and she was comforted by Eve¡¯s presence.

    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Eve asked calmly because she knew it wasn¡¯t a parasite.

    A small, timid girl almost the same age as Elena was huddled behind the debris, her feet and skirt visible to anyone who might peer through the gap between the ground and the debris. She was trying to hide, but she was too small to be able to fully hide.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, we are not going to hurt you,¡± Eve said as she crouched and slowly brought Elena to her left side.

    The girl peek her head at Eve and Elena. She saw Elena and immediately her fear disappeared. She slowly stood up as she kept hiding behind the debris.

    ¡°Hi,¡± Elena greeted as she waved her right hand at the girl. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Elena asked.

    ¡°Phellope,¡± The girl answered as she kept staring at Elena. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Phellope asked.

    ¡°Elena, and this is Eve,¡± Elena answered as she pointed at herself and Eve. ¡°Can we come closer? We just got here and we are looking at the city,¡± Elena continued.

    Phellope, who had been hiding behind the debris, slowly came out and nodded her head at them reassuringly, signaling to them that they were okay to come closer.

    Elena was the one who walked first as Eve followed her from behind.

    ¡°Are you alone?¡± Elena asked as she tilted her head.

    ¡°No, I came her with my mom. She¡¯s looking for something that can be used to make a new bedroom for me,¡± Phellope answered. ¡°Where are you come from?¡± Phellope asked back.

    ¡°We came from the Northern Nation, and we are waiting for Archie,¡± Elena answered.

    ¡°Archie? Who¡¯s that? Your dad?¡± Phellope asked. ¡°Is Eve your mom?¡± Phellope asked again before Elena could answer.

    Elena looked at Eve and she didn¡¯t know what to answer, and then Eve crouched as she hugged Elena from behind. ¡°Well, you can say that I¡¯m her mother now because she has nobody else in her life,¡± Eve answered with a smile on her face.

    Phellope looked at Elena and she looked sad so suddenly.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that. We also lost people here after those two giant monsters attacked the city,¡± Phellope said as she looked at Elena.

    Before Eve could ask about what happened to the people and the city, they heard a woman calling Phellope in the distance. Phellope turned around and it appeared her mother was looking for her.

    ¡°I¡¯m here mom!¡± Phellope shouted as if she had no worries at all.

    A woman that looked a bit younger than Eve came out of the corner. She was surprised when she saw Phellope was with strangers, and the first thing she did was run toward her as fast as she could while Eve and Elena looked at the woman with confused looks.

    ¡°Are you okay? You¡¯re not hurt?¡± The mother asked as she checked Phellope¡¯s whole body.

    While the mother was checking Phellope¡¯s body, Archie came out of the corner. He was surprised as well, but he was about there were people that were still alive. He hurriedly walked toward them as he looked at the woman.

    ¡°Looks like there¡¯s a survivor, Archie,¡± Eve said as she looked at Archie who seemed to be in relief.

    ¡°Excuse me, ma¡¯am, did you use to live here?¡± Archie asked.

    The mother was being protective and cautious about the two of them.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it looks like you¡¯re scared of us, but I used to live here in one of Marie¡¯s houses. We left using the ships that we built a few months ago. Do you remember that?¡± Archie asked.

    The mother was surprised and slowly lowered her guard.

    ¡°You¡¯re an Axis Human?¡± The mother asked.

    ¡°Yes, Marshal Marlon, Ruby, Vincent, Prince, Resse. Everyone was with me back then,¡± Archie answered as he nodded his head. ¡°Can you tell us what happened to the rest of the people here? I went to the bunker, but all I saw was¡­¡± Archie said but immediately stopped because he saw two girls with him.

    The mother seemed to understand what he was about to say as she nodded her head with understanding.

    ¡°It¡¯s a long story, but we already left this city. If you want to meet with the rest of us, I can bring you there,¡± The mother said.

    ¡°Yes, please,¡± Archie replied as he nodded his head.

 Chapter 178 Survived and still living.

    ¡°Ah! I almost forgot to introduce myself. My name is Jennifer, you can call me Jenny,¡± The mother said as she looked at them.

    ¡°That¡¯s like her name,¡± Elena said as she looked at Archie.

    Archie smiled and nodded his head.

    ¡°This is Eve and Elena, they both came with me and we are here to check the condition of the city,¡± Archie replied as he followed Jenny from behind. ¡°So, how many are you that survived?¡± Archie asked with curiosity.

    ¡°Not many survived as you can see inside that bunker. We tried to save them, but it was impossible because we are too weak,¡± Jenny answered. ¡°Luckily, after those two giant parasites had their fight, the parasites in this place got scared and left for some reason. So now it¡¯s safe here, but I¡¯m not sure about the other places though,¡± Jenny continued.

    Archie had so many questions on his mind, but he decided to not ask them to Jenny because he was more curious about the people that survived. He didn¡¯t want to bombard her with questions since he knew it took a huge toll on her as well.

    ¡°Is Marie and Newman survived?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Yes, they live together now,¡± Jenny answered.

    ¡°Really? Both of them live together? That¡¯s really surprising,¡± Archie replied with a chuckle.

    ¡°Well, they oftentimes argued over everything, and yes, it¡¯s really surprising that they can stay together even though they seemed to hate each other. But I guess that¡¯s normal for siblings,¡± Jenny answered with a bit of a smile on her face.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad that they¡¯re safe,¡± Archie felt relieved all of a sudden.

    ¡°I believe they will be terrific to see you as well. It sounds like you¡¯re quite close with the two of them,¡± Jenny said as she looked at Archie over her left shoulder.

    ¡°Yes, we are,¡± Archie nodded his head in agreement.

    They left the city through the broken gate, and they surprisingly, Jenny and the rest of the survivors built a small village not far from the city. The reason behind it was because there were so many resources that they could use in the city, and it would be easier to take them if they lived nearby.

    The village was inside the forest, and they made a small path so they wouldn¡¯t get lost if they decided to leave the village. Archie couldn¡¯t wait to meet Marie and Newman, and wanted to see their expressions.

    Elena and Phellope were walking together, and Eve felt jealous that she got ignored once Elena found a friend. Archie looked at her and bumped at her with a smile on his face.

    ¡°What was that, Eve?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°What?¡± Eve asked with a smile and eyebrows raised.

    ¡°I heard from Elena that you¡¯re now her mother? Where¡¯s that came from?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°It just came to my mind. I could say that I¡¯m just nobody, a friend, or even I can lie and say that I¡¯m her sister, but the thing that came to my mind was that,¡± Eve answered as she looked at Elena. ¡°But doesn¡¯t that makes you her father now? You can¡¯t deny it now or Elena might be sad,¡± Eve said as she chuckled.

    Elena turned around as soon as she heard Eve chuckle. She was curious about what those two were talking about, and then she immediately walked toward them and walked in the middle.

    ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± Elena asked.

    Eve quickly picked up Elena and put her on her arms for a more comfortable position.

    ¡°Well, we are talking about me becoming your mother and Archie becoming your father. Do you think we are good enough to become your parents?¡± Eve asked.

    ¡°I still miss my mom and dad, but that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t want it since you both have been so nice to me and care like how my mom and my dad did,¡± Elena answered as she looked down while playing with her fingers.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, we are not comparing ourselves to your mom and dad because they can¡¯t be replaced. We know that, but that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re not allowed to be treated like how your mom and your dad treated you. We love you and we will try our best to make you happy,¡± Archie said as he stroked Elena¡¯s hair.

    Elena hummed as she looked at Eve, she felt bad after not giving the answer Eve needed. Eve on the other hand, she didn¡¯t mind it at all as long as she could take care of Elena was good enough.

    ¡°Okay, this is the village,¡± Jenny said as she moved away and pointed at the small cabins around the trees.

    Archie looked at the people who were busy making tools, and skinning games to make themselves clothes from it. Compared to what happened on the other side of the world, it felt so unfair, even Elena was confused as to what people were doing in the village.

    The first loud noise they heard was the sound of Marie and Newman arguing at each other.

    ¡°There we go, they¡¯re at it again,¡± Jenny said as she sighed.

    ¡°Let me handle them for you,¡± Archie said with a smile as he walked into the village.

    ¡°I told you to dry it off last night, it¡¯s your only job!¡± Marie¡¯s voice could be heard throughout the forest.

    ¡°I was looking for woods! I forgot and I was exhausted since I was awake late last night. It¡¯s not even a big problem, so why are you so mad at me?¡± Newman asked and he sounded so frustrated and annoyed.

    ¡°If it¡¯s only once then I¡¯m fine with this, but you did this every single time!¡± Marie replied.

    Archie looked at Newman and Marie were facing each other while pointing at the animal skin that was being dried on a rope. Newman was speechless and couldn¡¯t say anything because he knew he was at fault.

    ¡°The last time I remember, you guys are a bit in a good terms. What happened to you guys since I left?¡± Archie asked as he stood there in the distance with his arms closed and a grin on his face.

    Marie and Newman turned their heads, and saw Archie staring at them as he chuckled.

    ¡°Archie?!¡± Newman and Marie said at the same time.

    They both walked toward Archie hurriedly, and then they both looked at him from up close just to make sure they were staring at the right person. They were both shocked and confused by what they were seeing, and they couldn¡¯t believe that they were looking at the same person.

    ¡°Archie, what are you doing here? I mean, how did you get in here?!¡± Newman asked with a perplexed look.

    ¡°Well, I have my own way to get back here, and I¡¯m here to check the situation of the city,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°Are you here on your own? Where are the others?¡± Marie asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not alone, I brought someone with me,¡± Archie said as he looked at Eve and Elena. ¡°They¡¯re with me,¡± Archie pointed at them.

    In shock, Newman and Marie stared open-mouthed at Eve carrying Elena in her arms. They were rendered speechless and dumfounded when they saw a beautiful woman holding a girl. They hadn¡¯t expected this, and couldn¡¯t believe their eyes.

    ¡°Wait, you left not even half a year ago, but you already have a wife and a child?¡± Nemwan asked in disbelief. ¡°Is this what you have been doing ever since you left? I should have joined you guys because it looks like you¡¯re living in a dream,¡± Newman continued with his eyes wide open.

    ¡°No, she¡¯s someone special to me, but she¡¯s not my wife, or yet. That girl isn¡¯t mine nor her, but we both decided to take care of her because she has nobody else,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°How noble,¡± Marie said with a proud smile as she stared at Archie. ¡°Do you mind introducing us to them? I want to talk with them,¡± Marie asked.

    ¡°Of course, I also have a lot of questions related to what happened after we left the island. So, I¡¯m going to borrow Newman while you can have your time with them,¡± Archie answered as he nodded his head in agreement.

    ¡°Yes, why not? This useless old man is only pissing me off every day.¡± Marie said as she glanced at Newman cynically.

    ¡°Looks like you make her angry every day, huh? Newman?¡± Archie asked.

    Newman clicked his tongue as he walked away with Archie. ¡°You know, she¡¯s a granny and she took everything like her life is depending on it. But you know, as a man, you can¡¯t whine about it and grateful that she¡¯s still here with me since she¡¯s the only family that I have left,¡± Newman answered.

    ¡°Anyway, you haven¡¯t answered my question. Why are you here again?¡± Newman asked.

    ¡°Well, the simple answer is I came here to check the condition of the nation as I said earlier because Marlon and the others are coming back here again,¡± Archie answered.

 Chapter 179 Lived for another day.

    Chapter 179 Lived for another day.

    ¡°What do you mean they¡¯re coming back here again? Did something happen? Don¡¯t tell me the other nations are in worse condition than ours?¡± Newman asked so many questions as he looked at Archie with a shocked expression.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that at all. In fact, it was quite the opposite. They¡¯re more advanced than ours. They have cars, and lights lightened up the roads, the city, and every corner of the road. They even have airplanes,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°What? What do you mean by that? How can they achieve all that in less than a decade?¡± Newman asked with a confused look.

    ¡°Because they sacrificed the Eastern Nation so they could use the energy to develop their own nation,¡± Archie answered with a serious expression. ¡°We just found out about it, and now we are running away from them after taking our revenge for what they did to us,¡± Archie continued.

    Newman was petrified and shocked that he started collapsing, but thankfully Archie was there to prevent him from falling.

    ¡°How could they do that to us¡­¡± Newman said in a trembling voice.

    ¡°I know, that¡¯s exactly how everyone feels right now. We are furious and decided to attack them back, but since we don¡¯t have enough people or power, we decided to retreat for now and make a new plan,¡± Archie answered. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry because we learned a lot of things that will help us to have power to make electricity,¡±

    Newman held himself together as he tried to stand on his own. He held his head because he felt sick after knowing the truth, but he didn¡¯t want to show his emotions so the others wouldn¡¯t get suspicious about their conversation.

    ¡°It¡¯s better for us to talk about this inside the house. I feel like I need a drink and sit down to hear the rest of it,¡± Newman said as he patted on Archie¡¯s arm.

    ¡°That would be a good idea,¡± Archie replied with a smile on his face.

    ¡°You should have warn me about it first, you brat,¡± Newman said as he walked toward his house.

    ¡°I forgot that you¡¯re old and weak,¡± Archie answered jokingly.

    Newman laughed sarcastically while Archie laughed for real, and it attracted the others around them.

    Archie told Newman everything, in a detailed manner because it was the right thing to do. He also told Newman about Faye and the people that would come with them back to the Eastern Nation.

    Newman understood the situation and how fucked up the situation in the other nations was. He was glad that he didn¡¯t join them because he didn¡¯t want to live from someone else¡¯s misery. He was furious about it as well, and glad that Marlon had decided to seek revenge.

    ¡°Now, can you tell me what happened after we left? I¡¯m surprised that are so many of you that survived that. I thought that everyone had died because of the battle between the King-type parasites,¡± Archie asked as he looked at Newman emptied his cup of water.

    ¡°It was hell, and we lived in fear for a whole month because those two didn¡¯t stop fighting. The parasites were everywhere, and suddenly everything stopped. We didn¡¯t know what actually happened, but when we came out to the surface, there were hundreds of parasites laying dead on the ground,¡± Newman answered.

    ¡°We were scared to check the city for the next few days, and then once we believed that those parasites were dead, we decided to leave and gathered anything that we could use,¡± Newman continued. ¡°It was scary to live under hundreds or even thousands of dead parasites, so we decided to leave,¡±

    ¡°But some stayed behind, huh?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Yes, and it was too late for us to pick them up, we tried our best but in the end, we left them to die there,¡± Newman answered as he nodded his head and stared blankly at the table.

    ¡°What can you do, and at least you saved these people, right?¡± Archie replied with a grim expression.

    ¡°Not after knowing that the people on the other side of the world are living peacefully and didn¡¯t even bother to save us. I swear I will kill whoever behind all this,¡± Newman said as he clenched his fists.

    Newman talked a lot about what happened to the city after the battle. He didn¡¯t stop talking until Marie came in with Eve and Elena.

    ¡°What with that red face, are you constipating?¡± Marie asked as she giggled.

    Newman didn¡¯t say anything as he sighed deeply. He looked so serious that Marie immediately stopped making fun of him, and couldn¡¯t wait to hear what Archie told him.

    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re clingy toward Marie as well, Elena?¡± Archie asked as he looked at Marie carried Elena in her arms.

    ¡°She reminds me of my grandma,¡± Elena answered. ¡°And she said that she want to give me cookies,¡± Elena continued with a shyly smile on her face.

    ¡°What? What¡¯s this bribery, Miss Marie? Are you trying to steal Elena from us?¡± Archie asked as he looked at Marie who walked into the kitchen.

    ¡°She¡¯s too cute, and she¡¯s so lovely that I can¡¯t help but to treat her and make her happy,¡± Marie answered.

    Archie chuckled as he shook his head.

    They spent the day with everyone in the village, and Archie told everyone that Marlon and the others were planning on coming back. They were curious why, but Archie didn¡¯t tell them anything because it would Marlon and Fanheim¡¯s job. He didn¡¯t want to say anything without Marlon or Fanheim¡¯s permission.

    The sun was about to go down, Archie told Marie and Newman that it was time for them to go back. They were curious how Archie came and how he would go back to the Northern Nation, but they didn¡¯t have the chance to ask it to him.

    ¡°How was it? Did you have fun and like that place?¡± Archie asked Elena who was in Eve¡¯s arms.

    ¡°Yes! I like it there, and the place is so quiet and beautiful. I want to live there with Grandma Marie, and Phellople. I want to see them again!¡± Elena answered with a huge smile on her face.

    ¡°We will be back in no time, and don¡¯t you want to experience getting on a ship? It will be fun,¡± Archie asked again.

    ¡°Yes! This is the most fun I have ever had in my life, thank you, Archie, Eve,¡± Elena said as she hugged Eve and stared at Archie in the eye.

    Both of them smiled and nodded their heads.

    They came back right before the sun was down, and Marlon and the others were waiting for them. The first thing they asked was about the situation in the Eastern Nation. They seemed concerned about what was happening there, and wanted to know how they could help.

    Archie told them that most of the people survived and lived not far from the city. He told them about what happened after they left based on what Newman told him. Ruby, Vincent, Tommy, and Daniel were glad that Marie and Newman were okay. Some of the people that they knew back in the Eastern Nation were still alive as well.

    ¡°Perfect, let¡¯s prepare to leave. We have to reach the harbor before midnight, and I want you two to check the situation on the harbor,¡± Marlon said as he looked at Archie and Eve.

    ¡°Ruby, can you take care of Elena for us? I can¡¯t bring her with us,¡± Archie said as he stared at Ruby.

    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t worry, we will protect her,¡± Ruby nodded her head with understanding.

    Archie told Elena to stay with Ruby, and she didn¡¯t ask anything and listened to him. He and Eve then flew away and checked the harbor while the others got into the cars because they all had prepared to leave.

    Archie and Eve flew above the clouds and saw the city for one last time. He then realized that it might be a good idea to bring Ivan with him. Eve also thought it would be nice since he knew a lot of things about the technology and he would be able to make that machine that turned waste into energy.

    Archie flew into the city with Eve, and then went to the alley next to Ivan¡¯s house. They saw Ivan was being chased by a group of people, and both of them immediately dove down and took care of the people.

    Ivan was scared when he saw Archie and Eve landed in front of him with wings on their backs.

    ¡°What happened, Ivan?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Wha-what was that! On your back?!¡± Ivan asked and he was still in shock.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time, there are more people coming here. Let¡¯s bring him with us,¡± Eve said as she looked at Archie.

    Archie grabbed Ivan¡¯s arm and flew away while Eve destroyed the buildings around them to make dust and smoke to distract and block their vision.

    ¡°What are you?!¡± Ivan asked as he looked up at Archie.

    ¡°It¡¯s a long story, but it seems that you have nowhere safe to go. So you¡¯re going to come with us,¡± Archie said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we are still friends, and I¡¯m not going to hurt you or anything to harm you,¡±

    Ivan nodded his head as he looked down at the city.

 Chapter 180 Its time to leave.

    Chapter 180 It''s time to leave.

    ¡°So, could you tell me what¡¯s happening? And who are you actually?¡± Ivan asked as soon as he was brought down to the ground.

    ¡°Eve and I are parasite. I mean, not really a parasite, we are more like Ex-Humans if you ever heard about them,¡± Archie answered as he looked around and made sure the surrounding area was safe.

    ¡°Okay, I heard about them, but don¡¯t you guys are brainless like parasites?¡± Ivan asked with a confused look on his face.

    ¡°That¡¯s Ex-Axis Humans, we are Ex-Humans. We are different from any humans that got host by parasite. We still have our consciousness like Axis Human, and the only differences between Ex-Humans and Axis Humans are that we have abilities like this wings or anything extraordinary while Axis Humans only had super strength and something like that,¡± Archie explained.

    ¡°I see, so you¡¯re not dangerous, right?¡± Ivan asked with a worried and scared expression.

    ¡°No, I said it already that we are not going to hurt or harm you,¡± Archie answered as he shook his head. ¡°So, can you tell us what actually happened to you? Why did you get chased by those Axis Humans?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s all thanks to you that I got chased by them. I think they managed to find who tried to hack that hard disk. Thankfully you were there, and save my life, but I don¡¯t owe you anything because you¡¯re the one who put me in this situation in the first place,¡± Ivan said as he caught his breath.

    ¡°I know, and I¡¯m glad that you¡¯re safe,¡± Archie replied with a smile on his face.

    Ivan sat down as he tried to calm himself down. He looked at Archie and Eve stared in the distance, and then he noticed he hadn¡¯t paid any attention to his surroundings. He looked around and noticed they were at the cliff toward the sea.

    ¡°Wait, why are we here by the way?¡± Ivan asked.

    ¡°You see those wooden ships over there?¡± Archie asked as he pointed at the ships in the harbor. ¡°We are going to leave this island and go back to the Eastern Nation. We decided it¡¯s the right thing to do after knowing the truth about these people of the four nations decided to sabotaged and abandoned the Eastern Nation,¡± Archie answered as he looked at Ivan.

    ¡°What?! Is that what really happened?!¡± Ivan asked in disbelief.

    ¡°I have been dealing far worse than that parasite, so looking at that thing is like looking at a toddler,¡± Archie answered as he wiped the blood from the blade.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you really killed that thing?¡± Ivan asked as he looked at Archie with curiosity.

    ¡°It¡¯s up to you if you¡¯re going to believe me or not because I¡¯m not going to try to convince you,¡± Archie replied and sheathed the sword on his back.

    ¡°Alright, fair enough. By the way, here, your payment for killing that parasite,¡± Ivan said as he grabbed something from his pocket that he was troubled to get it out. ¡°Here you go, 5,000 Nomac,¡± he said as he have the money to Archie.

    Archie looked at the paper money and it looked so weird because it didn¡¯t look like the money that he used to use for buying stuff up in the station. ¡°Is this new money? I have never seen one like this,¡±

    ¡°Ah right, you were gone for seven years, huh? Well, the world has changed and every Nation is using this currency that the Central Nation made,¡± Ivan explained as he rested his hands on his waist. ¡°That much is enough for you to live for a week if you spent it on fancy food. If you just eat the street food, it will last for three weeks or a month,¡± he continued as he pointed at the money.

    ¡°I see, I guess this much is more than enough,¡± Archie said as he put the money in his pocket.

    ¡°Huh? Are you being serious? With your skill, I can make you at least 50,000 Nomac in a day!¡± Ivan replied while tapped on Archie¡¯s chest gently.¡± I tell you what, I will give you a tour around the city and I will tell you everything that you want to know while I¡¯m going to get you more money. How¡¯s that sound?¡± he asked with his eyebrows raised.

    ¡°Okay, sure,¡± Archie answered while nodding his head.

    They both went back up and walked on the sidewalk.

    ¡°So, what did I miss? Something that really important that I need to know,¡± Archie asked as he looked at the people that walked past by.

    ¡°As you can see, the city is fully developed and now people don¡¯t need to live in the station anymore. Now the station is for rich people so they can sleep at night without all of these commotions,¡± Ivan answered as he waved at his friends on the other side of the road.

    ¡°What else?¡± Archie asked as he looked at the people that Ivan just waved.

    ¡°We have developed weapons to deal with high gen parasites that can instantly kill them. The last time they used it was when they encountered a Gen 5 parasite and it worked like a charm, so all the Axis Humans are not really needed anymore but for hunting parasites for their feces,¡± Ivan answered as he checked his phone.

    ¡°Only gen 5? That¡¯s not going to be enough to fight gen 9 or gen 0 with the latest variant,¡± Archie said with his hands in his pockets.

    ¡°Wait, what?! Gen 9?! You fought a Gen 9 parasite?! We don¡¯t even see a Gen 7 for the past few months,¡± Ivan asked with his eyes wide open.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it was Gen 9 or not because we were too busy surviving that we didn¡¯t care about what Gen the parasites we fought since what mattered the most were how to survive. But, yeah, I believe they were Gen 9 or even Gen 10,¡± Archie explained as he looked at Ivan who was dumbfounded by his words.

    ¡°Holy fuck! That¡¯s brutal!¡± Ivan said as he stared blankly. ¡°Anyway, we are here. My friend needs your help,¡± Ivan said as he stood in front of a small restaurant. ¡°Come, we might get free lunch,¡± he said as he entered the restaurant.

    ¡°Yo, Madliv, I brought the guy I mentioned in my message, he¡¯s a fucking beast I tell you that!¡± Ivan said as he looked at a skinny guy with black messy hair.

    ¡°Really? Can he do it then?¡± Madliv asked as he looked at Archie who was checking the restaurant.

    ¡°Of course!¡± Ivan answered. ¡°Archie, he¡¯s my friend, his name is Madliv. Madliv, he¡¯s Archie and you might need his service from now on,¡± Ivan continued as he introduced them to each other.

    ¡°Alright, I trust you, can you follow me, Archie?¡± Madliv asked as he removed his gloves.

    Archie looked at Ivan and he just nodded then the three of them went to the basement.

    ¡°So now every building has its own source of energy?¡± Archie asked as he looked at the basement which looked exactly the same as if it was the standard to confine parasites.

    ¡°Yeah, everyone can produce their own electricity now but the risk of getting killed is higher because you have to do it your own. If you don¡¯t want to take a risk the government will provide you the energy and of course, they¡¯re going to charge you quite a lot of money compared to making your own energy,¡± Ivan answered as he walked next to Madliv.

    ¡°Yeah, if you want to know the whole truth, it¡¯s going to take a long time to explain. For now, since you have nowhere to go, why don¡¯t you come with us, to the Eastern Nation?¡± Archie asked back as he looked at Ivan.

    Ivan didn¡¯t reply immediately and thought about it first. He knew that he wouldn¡¯t be safe no matter where he go because he had become a fugitive and a wanted person as well. It was only a matter of time before he got caught by them and he couldn¡¯t protect himself no matter if he asked everyone¡¯s help.

    ¡°You will protect me if I go with you?¡± Ivan asked.

    ¡°We will protect everyone because you¡¯re not the only one they¡¯re looking for. We all have become dangerous people,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°Right, we are all have become a threat for them, huh? Alright then, I will join you as long as I¡¯m with you guys, I think I will be safer no matter where I am,¡± Ivan answered.

    ¡°Good choice. Alright then, you should stay here because Eve and I will clear the harbor if there¡¯s anyone deployed to guard the harbor. It won¡¯t take long, and you¡¯re free to watch from up here,¡± Archie said.

    Archie and Eve spread their wings and flew away to the harbor while Ivan stood up and looked at where they were flying to. It was so quiet that it was unbelievable how could they flew away without making a noise.

 Chapter 181 Back to where they belong.

    Chapter 181 Back to where they belong.

    ¡°Alright! All the ships have been repaired! Board the ship!¡± Fanheim said in the middle of the harbor so everyone who was patrolling outside the harbor could hear his voice.

    ¡°Are we leaving?!¡± Elena asked with a big smile on her face.

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s board the ship, you have been asking me when we are going to board the ship ever since you saw them. Now, let¡¯s get on and you can choose where do you want to sleep in the cabin,¡± Eve said as she held Elena¡¯s hand.

    Elena hummed in excitement, and then the two of them boarded the ship.

    ¡°Why are you still here? Go board the ship,¡± Archie asked as he stared at Ivan who was staring at the ships.

    ¡°Well, I want to know which ship you will be on. I don¡¯t want to be in a ship where you¡¯re not in it,¡± Ivan answered as he stared back at Archie.

    ¡°Go to the fourth ship, that¡¯s where Eve and Elena went. I will be there as well, so you should go and join them. Get yourself known by the people as well, introduce yourself,¡± Archie replied as he pointed at the fourth ship, the small one that he boarded back then.

    ¡°Alright, I will take that one then,¡± Ivan said as he walked past Archie.

    After Archie took a last look around to make sure they were alone, he took flight and checked the surroundings once more before they set sail.

    After flying around for five minutes around the harbor, Archie didn¡¯t find any threat or anyone that was hiding in the forest. He then came back to report to Fanheim, and told him that the whole place was secured and they were good to go. Fanheim then gave the go-ahead to the team, and they were able to safely secure the area and start the mission to go back home.

    ¡°Set the sails! Let¡¯s leave this damned place,¡± Marlon said as he looked at the people on the ship.

    They lowered the sails, and started sailing into the sea in the middle of the night. Everyone took a look at the harbor one last time, and some of them hadn¡¯t enjoyed their time in the city yet.

    ¡°Looks like we are going to live with no electricity again,¡± Daniel said as he sighed and went to the side of the deck.

    ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem, we can make our own electricity with the knowledge that we got from them,¡± Tommy replied as he sat and leaned on the railing.

    ¡°Yeah, sure, like we know how to make the machine,¡± Daniel scoffed as he nodded his head.

    ¡°You guys don¡¯t have to worry about that, I brought the right person who can make the machine for us,¡± Archie said as he joined the conversation.

    Ruby and Vincent looked at Archie with furrowed eyebrows, taking in the information. Then Ivan came out of the cabin, looking around since he realized they had sailed from the harbor.

    ¡°Wait, you brought Ivan with you?¡± Ruby asked with a surprised expression.

    ¡°Yes, Eve and I were planning to bring him with us, but then Ivan was being chased by the Axis Humans. So, we came and saved him, and then I brought him to the harbor and offered him to come with us. Now here we are, he¡¯s on the ship with us,¡± Archie explained as he looked at Ivan.

    ¡°You were being chased by the Axis Humans? Did it have something to do with us and put you in danger because of it?¡± Ruby asked.

    Ivan nodded his head as he sighed. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s exactly what happened,¡± Ivan answered.

    ¡°Sorry to brought you into this mess, Ivan,¡± Ruby said and genuinely felt guilty about it.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I can come back once everything has calmed down. I guess,¡± Ivan replied as he looked at the moon. ¡°Since I¡¯m tagging along, you guys don¡¯t have to worry about those machines, I¡¯m actually one of the people who knows how to build and operate the machine to produce electricity,¡± Ivan said as he looked at them.

    ¡°Really? You can do that even though there¡¯s a chance there will be nothing that you can scrap to make the machine?¡± Daniel asked.

    ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem since the Sky Station over there is still up, right? I can ask Archie to bring me up there since he can fly. I can scrap the whole sky station and make a lot of machine with it,¡± Ivan answered with confidence.

    ¡°That¡¯s really good news. We can build our place from zero and make it a better place to live for everyone,¡± Ruby said as she looked at them. ¡°We are going to help and you can rely on us as well,¡± Ruby continued as she looked at Ivan.

    ¡°Yeah, thanks,¡± Ivan nodded as he looked at the calm sea.

    Although the sea appeared so serene and peaceful, they didn¡¯t let their guard down for a second. If they met the same sea parasites last time, it would be a huge problem. The parasites were capable of sucking the life-force out of anyone they touched, and they would be forced to return to shore if they got caught or even worse, died in the sea.

    ¡°Keeping an eye on the sea? You¡¯re not going to sleep with Elena and Eve?¡± Ruby asked Archie who was on his own at the front of the deck.

    ¡°There¡¯s no more bed in the cabin, so I will spend my time here watching the sea. It¡¯s calming,¡± Archie answered as he nodded his head.

    ¡°Do you think the fish are safe to consume if we catch them?¡± Ruby asked as she leaned on the railing as she stared at the water below her. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if we have enough food for everyone if we are going to sail for almost a week,¡± Ruby continued as she looked at the reflection of the moon on the water.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I don¡¯t want to risk it if I were you. Who knows what kind of parasites that are hosting those fish. The parasite inside Elena¡¯s body is the parasite that can only live under the water, she went out of control because of it and killed the whole village. You don¡¯t want that thing inside you or anyone here,¡± Archie answered as he sighed.

    ¡°Right, I don¡¯t think I want that,¡± Ruby replied as she turned around and leaned her back on the railing.

    ¡°I can bring food from the village, that won¡¯t be a problem, so don¡¯t think about it. It¡¯s something that can be solved easily if Eve and I are here,¡± Archie said as he stared at Ruby.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. Anyway, you should go and get some rest, I bet Elena is looking for you right now,¡± Ruby said. ¡°Seeing you, Eve, and Elena together, it feels like the three of you are actually a family. For some reason I envy you,¡±

    ¡°Why? You can start a family when we landed, no? I bet Vincent also feels the same thing if you ask him. I guarantee that Faye and Aster are also thinking the same thing. I bet Prince and Resse want that as well,¡± Archie asked as he chuckled and looked at his fingernails.

    Ruby couldn¡¯t help but smile as she looked at the other ships right next to her. They were all so different, but they all had one thing in common: they were all there for the same reason.

    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right,¡± Ruby answered as she walked away. ¡°Just go get some sleep. I will wake you up if anything happens,¡± Ruby continued as she walked toward Vincent.

    Archie went down to the cabin and slept with Elena and Eve.

    Four days had passed, and they almost reached their destination thanks to the wind that helped them a lot for the past two days. They could see the island in the distance, and Ruby¡¯s worries about a food shortage ended up not happening.

    Elena had been enjoying the journey, and it surprised Archie because she somehow didn¡¯t complain about it. Maybe it was because everyone was so nice and accompanied her everyday that made her forget about how boring the journey was.

    The night came, and they arrived at the Easter Nation. Elena was asleep and being carried by Eve down the ship. Ivan looked at the condition of the Eastern Nation and couldn¡¯t believe that there were people that survived the clash of the two King-type parasites.

    ¡°We are back home,¡± Marlon said as he rested his hands on his waist.

    ¡°Nothing can¡¯t beat the feeling of coming back home. The air, the smell, the weather, and even the wind are enough to bring back all the memories,¡± Fanheim replied as he nodded his head in agreement.

    ¡°It¡¯s time to rebuild this nation, Fanheim. We will start everything from zero again, and this time we are not going to leave anyone behind,¡± Marlon said as he patted on Fanheim¡¯s shoulder.

 Chapter 182 Rebuilding the nation.

    Chapter 182 Rebuilding the nation.

    Archie and Eve guided everyone into the abandoned city since it was the fastest way to get to the village. He pointed at the headquarters and looked at it. They all understood what he was trying to say without even saying a word. They knew about the people that got stuck and abandoned because there was no power to open the door.

    Ivan looked around his surroundings to get a sense of what could be scrapped and used. He told Vincent and Aster that he could make it by just staring at the tools and items around him. It was a much-needed piece of good news, and the only thing they needed to think about was finding parasites since they would need their waste.

    Marlon looked at all the destruction and chaos and felt overwhelmed. He was thinking about how to rebuild the city and salvage what was left, but he and Fanheim were already deep in conversation about where they could start. They were brainstorming ideas and talking it over, excitedly planning how they could make things better.

    They left the city, and Archie guided them into the forest.

    The moment they saw the small, dilapidated village, they could tell that there were only dozens of them that had survived through the harsh conditions.

    Newman and Marie were standing near a wall made from tree trunks, which was surrounded by hundreds of people. They were surprised when they saw Arche and Eve, but this time, there were hundreds of people behind them, who were all excited and happy.

    ¡°Ruby! Vincent!¡± Marie shouted.

    Ruby was beaming with joy and immediately walked toward Marie, hurriedly. She wrapped her in a warm hug and it was so emotional for everyone who watched them.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad that you survived, Marie,¡± Ruby said as she sniffled and kept hugging Marie so tightly.

    Simmering forward, Stepfanie walked toward them and gave a warm hug to Newman. They both wanted to say the same thing, but as a man, a hug was enough to tell how much they were glad to see each other again. They just stood there, holding onto each other for a long while, before they finally pulled away.

    Everyone entered the village, and got a warm welcome by the survivors. Some of them knew each other, and some just stood there and didn¡¯t want to move much because they didn¡¯t want to destroy anything.

    Faye and Aster with her team, realized how bad the condition of the Eastern Nation was. Even Ivan was speechless and shocked by it as well. He didn¡¯t know what to say, but to observe how primitive they were.

    ¡°Please come, I know that this place is nothing like what you guys have back home,¡± Marie said as she looked at Faye and the others.

    Faye smiled and shook her head. ¡°No, I feel like this place is a very nice place to live in. I love it here,¡± Faye replied.

    ¡°How considerate of you. Please make yourself at home, and I mean it because we will be living together here from now on, right?¡± Marie said.

    ¡°Yes, and we will do our best to keep this place safe from harm,¡± Faye answered as she nodded her head.

    ¡°Thank you. Let¡¯s get inside, come on,¡± Marie said.

    They all entered the village, and introduced themselves to the survivors. They were so glad that Marlon and the others came back, and not to be mentioned, they brought more Axis Humans with them. They all felt a lot safer after knowing that, and they didn¡¯t hesitate to treat Faye and the others with whatever they had.

    Newman and Marie explained everything to them about what happened to the city. Although they already heard about what happened, they didn¡¯t say anything and listened to their stories.

    ¡°I see, you¡¯re slowly running out of food. Then let us hunt some since we won¡¯t take anything from what you have now. Since the sun is still up, it¡¯s better we start moving now,¡± Ruby said as she looked at Faye and the others.

    ¡°Yes, I agree. Let¡¯s hunt some games,¡± Faye stood up and nodded her head.

    Everyone left the village and started hunting for games away from the forest. Ruby knew the good places to hunt for games, and so she led them out of the forest.

    Archie and Eve stayed behind as Elena went to Phellope¡¯s house to play with her. Archie sat down and leaned on the wooden chair as he closed his eyes and listened to the noises around him.

    ¡°There¡¯s something that we would like to tell you,¡± Archie said as he looked at Newman and Marie, and the rest of the survivors.

    They all looked at him with confused looks on their faces.

    Archie pulled out the wings on his back, and showed them his hands with sharp claws and the black gooey that wrapped his hands. Everyone was shocked by what they saw, and slowly backed away because they feared him.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a human, and I¡¯m not a human even long before I came here,¡± Archie said.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ you will get used to it eventually,¡± Ruby replied as she looked at the pillar from the window.

    ¡°Food is ready!¡± Julia came with a plate of meat. She sat next to Ruby and put the plate on the table.

    Archie looked at the meat and it looked like something that he had never seen before.

    ¡°This is rabbit¡¯s feet, my favorite food,¡± Julia said as she grabbed one and ate it.

    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry,¡± Archie said as he kept staring at them.

    ¡°So, Archie, how did you end up here in the Eastern Nation?¡± Ruby asked as she ate the rabbit¡¯s foot.

    Archie looked at the food and thought about what to say and what kind of lie he had to make. He then thought that it was unnecessary for him to make up a story so he could tell Ruby the truth.

    ¡°I¡¯m an Ex-Human,¡± Archie said and looked at them both seriously.

    Both of them stopped eating the rabbit¡¯s foot and their eyes were focused on Archie.

    Julia chuckled and snorted then bursted out laughing. ¡°You got me!¡±

    Ruby couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as well. ¡°You¡¯re funny, Archie.¡±

    Archie slightly smiles and looked at the small knife on the plate, he grabbed it and stabbed it onto his arm then pulled it wide open. The two of them were shocked and Ruby immediately grabbed the fork from his hand.

    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Ruby asked as she yelled at Archie.

    ¡°Just wait and see¡­¡± Archie stared at the wound on his arm.

    Those two were staring at the wound and nothing happened. Archie was so confused that the wound didn¡¯t heal, and then Ruby had enough and ripped her sleeve and covered the wound with it.

    ¡°Are you out of your mind?!¡± Ruby yelled as she wrapped the cloth on Archie¡¯s wound.

    ¡°No, this is not right¡­¡± Archie mumbled as he pulled his arm away from Ruby. ¡°I-i have to leave¡­¡± Archie said as he looked panicked that his wound didn¡¯t heal.

    Archie ran out of the house while both Ruby and Julia just stared at him with confusion.

    ¡°Uhh¡­ you sure that he¡¯s right in his head? Such a shame, he looks handsome but he has a screw loose in his head.¡± Julia scoffed as she looked at Ruby.

    Ruby kept staring at the door with the cloth in her hand, she then looked at the cloth that was covered with Archie¡¯s blood. She realized that the blood wasn¡¯t red but pitch black and gooey.

    ¡°Do you think this is blood?¡± Ruby asked as she looked at Julia and showed the cloth in her hand.

    ¡°What¡­ is that¡­¡± Julia said as she grabbed the cloth and looked at Archie¡¯s blood closely.

    They both stared at it for quite a while and then they started to think that Archie might have told them the truth. Julia and Ruby immediately grabbed their gears and left the house to catch up with Archie.

    Archie walked down the stairs hurriedly and ignored the people he bumped. He stared at the wound that wouldn¡¯t heal, he was so confused because it should be healed immediately since it was just a scratch to him.

    As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he ran in the direction of the headquarters. On his way to the headquarters, he stopped running and he smelt something familiar. He looked around and stared at the wall where the smell came from, he immediately ran toward the wall and approached the smell.

    Archie ended up outside the wall, he looked around as the smell became stronger. He ran and followed the scent that came from one of the buildings.

    He ran as fast as he could and then saw a parasite who was eating a deer. Turned out, that what he smelt was the smell of a parasite, and the stronger the smell, the more hungry he became. Archie without hesitation tear the parasite and killed it, the smell of the blood starved him.

 Chapter 183 Calm and peace.

    Chapter 183 Calm and peace.

    ¡°So, do you need any help, Ivan?¡± Faye asked as she looked at Ivan searching for components inside the headquarters building.

    ¡°Uhh, not in particular. I¡¯m just checking the building and maybe there¡¯s something that might be useful for other things. Right now, I already have everything that I needed to make the energy converter,¡± Ivan said as he kept searching through the debris with parts in his hands and a backpack full of scraps on his back.

    ¡°You can ask us if you need help, we want to help as well because you¡¯re our only hope and you¡¯re our VIP guest,¡± Ruby said as she stood next to Faye.

    ¡°Yeah, maybe we should start thinking on how to secure the parasites because I don¡¯t think we have any place to put them in,¡± Ivan said as he looked at Ruby. ¡°Do you think you have a place like dungeon or something?¡± Ivan asked.

    Ruby hummed as she looked around and tapped her chin thoughtfully. The only place that had secured space was the bunker, and she wasn¡¯t sure if she was ready to go back down there yet.

    ¡°Maybe we can use the bunker, but I think we need Marlon¡¯s permission first if we want to use the bunker,¡± Ruby answered as she crossed her arms.

    ¡°Well, we are not in a hurry. I still need to make the machine first and it will take a month at least. Alos, there¡¯s a slight problem,¡± Ivan said as he wiped his hands with a cloth.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Ruby asked with her eyebrows raised.

    ¡°Do you have anyone who can wield? You know, crafting things?¡± Ivan asked.

    ¡°We do, you have met him. Newman, he¡¯s the best blacksmith, and he¡¯s also the best at wielding. His sister, Marie is also a handicraft, so they both can help you with it,¡± Ruby answered.

    ¡°Perfect, then I will go and have a talk with them then,¡± Ivan said as he walked away.

    Ruby and Vincent went to the village to speak with Marlon about the bunker. Maybe they would be able to use the bunker for the parasite.

    ¡°So you want to use the bunker to store the parasites? But what are we going to do if one of the King-type parasites decides to show himself again? We don¡¯t have anywhere safe,¡± Marlon asked as he stared at Ruby.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a suggestion, and we haven¡¯t decided yet whether we are going to use the bunker or not since we need your permission. We can think of other way, and maybe we can start making the dungeon for the parasites,¡± Ruby replied as she sat on the sofa.

    Marlon looked at Fanheim who was thinking about it.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Marlon asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking how long does it take to make a safe and secured dungeon if we dig it deep down underground. With the amount of people we have, and the food that¡¯s slowly decreasing, I don¡¯t think we want to waste our energy on it,¡± Fanheim answered as he crossed his arms and legs.

    ¡°So you agree with Ruby¡¯s request?¡± Marlon raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t want to use our only safe place to be used to store parasites. But, looking at our situation, I think it¡¯s best to let them use the bunker to secure the parasites,¡± Fanheim answered as he sighed and nodded his head.

    ¡°Then what are we going to do if the King-type parasites decide to show up? Where are we going to go?¡± Marlon asked.

    ¡°We have Archie and Eve. They both have proven themselves that they could easily handle them without any problems. We will leave those two parasites to them,¡± Fanheim answered as he looked at Marlon.

    Marlon hummed and nodded her head with understanding. Fanheim was right about it, and the King-type parasites weren¡¯t actually a threat anymore if they included Archie and Eve on their side.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, we should wait until Archie and Eve come back. They¡¯re still checking the whole continent for the parasites and the King-type parasites,¡± Marlon said as he sat down on his chair.

    They all nodded and then left the house.

    Archie and Eve were still observing the whole continent to find any sign or trail of the King-type parasites. They had been flying around for hours, and couldn¡¯t find any. Archie then decided to go to FalCon-3 and hoped that the witches knew something about it.

    Those two entered FalCon-3, and the witches welcomed them as soon as they landed on the ground.

    ¡°You¡¯re looking for the King parasite? Unfortunately, we didn¡¯t see them come here or anywhere in this place. Although, our sister saw something odd on the island far east,¡± The Fire Witch said.

    ¡°Which sister? The eldest Wind Witch?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Yes, she went there to check and said something was off about the island,¡± The Fire Witch answered as she nodded her head.

    ¡°Was it the same island where I met her?¡± Archie asked as he looked at Eve.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, since I have no idea about that. Maybe you should ask our sister since she¡¯s the one who went there,¡± The Fire Witch answered.

    ¡°I¡¯m not joking, you can see the corpse on the shore at Saint Lawrence Island,¡± Archie answered.

    Ivan stopped laughing and gulped while staring at Archie. ¡°Shit, what the fuck is happening right now?¡± he asked while scratching his nape. ¡°So, are you like, superhuman or something? I mean, you must be an Axis Human if you can deal with that, but, are you some kind like a warrior that specifically hunts parasites?¡± he continued as he looked at Archie with confusion.

    ¡°What are you talking about, I¡¯m just a normal Axis Human, like any other Axis Human,¡± Archie answered.

    ¡°But, you¡¯re from the Easter Nation, right? You must be living in hell since you¡¯re isolated by waters and three fucking Fallen Continents!¡± Ivan said while staring at Archie with disbelief. ¡°Anyway! Let¡¯s just go and you¡¯re perfect for this job then,¡± Ivan continued as he waved at Archie and started walking.

    Ivan brought Archie to the basement and he looked around where people walked past him with multiple sacks that they carried in a wheelbarrow. He looked so confused why there were so many people who brought those heavy-looking sacks with an unpleasant smell from it.

    ¡°You were asking me how we got all this electricity, right? The answer is in those sacks,¡± Ivan said while pointing at the sacks in front of him.

    ¡°What¡¯s inside those sacks?¡± Archie asked with his eyebrows furrowed.

    ¡°Feces,¡± Ivan answered without hesitation.

    ¡°Feces? That¡¯s really interesting. How does it work?¡± Archie asked as he looked at those feces.

    ¡°You know that feces produced unpleasant smells, right? That¡¯s because of methane, and we discovered that we can used feces to produce electricity from that. Isn¡¯t that awesome?!¡± Ivan answered with his arms open wide.

    ¡°I see, so you want me to collect feces?¡± Archie looked at Ivan with disbelief.

    ¡°You see, we had someone for this job, but an accident happened. You know the answer by the shoe that you see in there, he got eaten by that parasite and ever since that day, this parasite didn¡¯t leave his spot at all and we can¡¯t get his feces,¡± Ivan explained while scratching his eyebrow. ¡°So, do you think you can do it? We will pay you plentifully,¡± he asked.

    ¡°Sure, just get me in there,¡± Archie answered without hesitation.

    ¡°Uhh you just go up the stairs, and you can see the flat surface once you reached the top. In the middle, you will see a hatch that you can open and it will lead you into that room,¡± Ivan explained with his fingers pointed at the entrance on the ceiling. ¡°To be honest, we don¡¯t really need that parasite anymore since we already got a new one that can produce more feces than this guy,¡± he continued while looking at Archie.

    ¡°Hey, how did you do that?! You just stood there and stared at the parasite and it didn¡¯t even attack you. Not to mention that you just cut him in half with just a single swing!¡± Ivan asked as he shook Archie¡¯s shoulder with disbelief.

    ¡°I have been dealing far worse than that parasite, so looking at that thing is like looking at a toddler,¡± Archie answered as he wiped the blood from the blade.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you really killed that thing?¡± Ivan asked as he looked at Archie with curiosity.

    ¡°It¡¯s up to you if you¡¯re going to believe me or not because I¡¯m not going to try to convince you,¡± Archie replied and sheathed the sword on his back.

    ¡°Alright, fair enough. By the way, here, your payment for killing that parasite,¡± Ivan said as he grabbed something from his pocket that he was troubled to get it out. ¡°Here you go, 5,000 Nomac,¡± he said as he have the money to Archie.

    Archie looked at the paper money and it looked so weird because it didn¡¯t look like the money that he used to use for buying stuff up in the station. ¡°Is this new money? I have never seen one like this,¡±

 Chapter 184 Nothing to be afraid of.

    Chapter 184 Nothing to be afraid of.

    ¡°This is different from the last time I got here, the whole place looks like a mess here,¡± Archie said as he looked down at the ecosystem of the cave under the island. All the trees got destroyed, the hills were gone, and there was nothing else but dead trees and dead parasites. ¡°Do you know what happened here? Could it be the King parasite came here?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, I can¡¯t tell because I can¡¯t feel anything in this place anymore. It looks like everything that lived here has abandoned the place because of something, and that might be because of the king parasite,¡± Eve answered as she shook her head and shrugged her shoulders.

    ¡°Want to check it out? If you say there¡¯s no sign of the king parasite, then that means it should be safe here, right?¡± Archie asked.

    ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go and look for something and hope we encounter something,¡± Eve said as she spread her wings and flew away first, and then Archie followed her from behind.

    They flew around for hours, but they couldn¡¯t find anything interesting at all. Not even a single live creature could be seen from up there, and then they decided to find the highest place in the cave which was the mountain, or at least what was left of it.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing at all, this is weird, and not to mention there¡¯s not even a single sign King parasite anywhere. There¡¯s only mean one thing, right? We should go deeper into that hole over there,¡± Archie said as he pointed at the giant hole at the other side of the cave.

    ¡°Are you sure you want to go there? You might regret it,¡± Eve asked as she raised her eyebrows and looked at Archie.

    ¡°Why? Oh, right, down there is a place where all the King parasites are gathered, huh? I guess we should head back and just end it here. Maybe I will ask the Wind Witch to check what¡¯s down there, and see if there¡¯s one of the King parasites that went to the surface back then down there,¡± Archie said as he rested his hands on his waist.

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go back home, I miss Elena already,¡± Eve replied as she nodded her head.

    ¡°Be quiet, if can, hold your breath,¡± Archie said as he held Nova¡¯s shoulders and pulled her closer to him. Eve was staring at Archie and was a bit displeased that he put another woman so close to him. ¡°You don¡¯t want all those parasites to come out because they¡¯re at least one close to King-type parasite,¡±

    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Nova asked quietly as she stared at Archie with anxiety written on her face.

    ¡°Yeah, so let¡¯s be quiet and start to find a way down,¡± Archie looked at Eve and nodded his head.

    Eve led the way with Archie right behind her while Nova was on the right side and hugged the wall because she didn¡¯t want to be the first one to get attacked by the parasite.

    The three of them walked down the muddy ground and it was quite hard to stay quiet with the sound of their boots stepping on the wet mud. Thankfully, the sound of the parasites and waterfalls was loud enough to cover their presence, and also it was thanks to Eve¡¯s aura that made the parasites wouldn¡¯t care about whoever came from the hole.

    The forest was right in front of them and Nova hesitated to enter the forest because she didn¡¯t want to be down there in the first place. On the other hand, Archie and Eve entered the forest so casually which made Nova have no other option but to follow them because it was safer for her to stay close to them than to have to climb back up to go back.

    Archie clenched his right fist and raised it to signal both of them to stop moving. They walked closer to Archie and looked in the direction that he was looking, they saw a parasite that looked like a bat with four arms and legs eating something on top of the tree.

    ¡°We need to deal with that or we are going to be stuck here,¡± Eve said as she put her hand on Archie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It has quite sharp hearing like a bat and its eyes are just an accessory so you don¡¯t have to be worried,¡±

    ¡°Let me deal with it then,¡± Archie replied as he looked at his surroundings and made sure there was no parasite around.

    Archie quietly grabbed a pebble on the ground, he looked at the tree on the other side of them. He threw it and hit the tree trunk, and it was enough to attract the parasite¡¯s attention and flew toward the tree trunk so quickly.

    Archie wanted to know how fast it move and what it was capable of, he knew that the claws and the fangs were dangerous so he needed to be careful with those. He looked down and grabbed another pebble then threw it as hard as he could and right on the parasite¡¯s head.

    The pebble shattered into tiny pieces and the parasite turned its head toward them. Archie unsheathed his sword and flicked the blade to attract the parasite¡¯s attention.

    The parasite flew toward him and was ready to tear his body into pieces but Archie dashed forward as he swung his sword vertically at the parasite. He cut the parasite into half like paper and killed it in an instant before the parasite could even call for help.

    Archie looked at his arm and noticed the change in his strength, he was quite amazed and grateful that he got exposed to the radiation. He thought that he would be overpowered by the parasite¡¯s mass and momentum but he wasn¡¯t even get pushed back when he clashed with the parasite.

    ¡°Wow, that sword is really amazing,¡± Nova said as she looked at the clean cut on the parasite¡¯s body.

    Eve chuckled and looked at Archie. ¡°Yes, of course, it was all because of the sword,¡± she said mockingly.

    Nova stood next to the parasite¡¯s body and it was as big as an elephant, she didn¡¯t believe something that big could move really fast. The more she thought about what kind of parasites live down there, the more scared she became.

    As they went deeper into the forest, a loud roar echoed throughout the whole place and it scared all the parasites. Nova looked up since she heard wings flapping right above her and to her surprise, the same parasite that Archie killed back then, there were hundreds of them above her.

    ¡°What was that?!¡± Nova asked as she leaned her body toward Eve,

    ¡°That¡¯s the one we are looking for, let¡¯s go,¡± Eve said as she walked deeper into the forest with Nova kept clinging to her arm.

    ¡°You know, that¡¯s really a bad idea, right? Knowing those parasites were running away from the roar, we should do the same,¡± Nova replied as she kept looking up and watching the parasites fly away.

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why we have to go there because the parasites are running away and that means the only danger that we are going to deal with is that thing,¡± Eve answered and started to walk faster.

    Nova sighed and trembled in her breath. ¡°I hate it when you¡¯re right about it,¡± she said.

    Eve just chuckled and kept on walking with Archie following from behind them.

    As they went deeper into the forest, they saw a river and Eve decided to walk over it because there was a hill not far in front of them. She wanted to get a better look at the area and needed to find a sign of the King-type parasite.

    ¡°Alright, we can relax a bit here because this place should be the safest place in this whole cave,¡± Eve said as she looked at the mountain on the other side of the cave. ¡°The sound must be coming from that mountain over there,¡±

    ¡°You want us to go over there? That¡¯s like, two hours of walking,¡± Nova said as she looked at the mountain. ¡°Fuck it, let¡¯s do it. It¡¯s not like we have another choice,¡±

    After they rested for half an hour, they went down the hill and straight to the mountain.

    It took them two hours as Nova expected and the ground was shaking because of footsteps that came from inside the mountain.

    Archie took the lead and looked for a way to get inside the mountain by going all the way up and hoping to find an entrance.

    ¡°I found it, the entrance into the mountain,¡± Archie said as he looked down where Eve and Nova were still climbing up the mountain.

    ¡°Great! Now, all we need to do is to create a plan, a plan to get out of this place safely,¡± Nova said as she looked at the entrance and at the hole, they came from. ¡°Wow, we really came all the way here without even getting any trouble,¡±

    The moment Nova said that another roar was heard and it was deafening that they all had to cover their ears. The mountain looked like it was about to crumble any time soon but it was just in Archie and Nova¡¯s minds because the mountain was actually fine.

 Chapter 185 First light in the night.

    Chapter 185 First light in the night.

    A month had passed since they went back to the Eastern Nation, and everything was as peaceful as usual. There wasn¡¯t even an attack from the parasite, and they managed to capture dozens of them for their feces.

    Everyone was waiting for Ivan to come with the machine, and they were curious if it would work or not. They had no idea how the machine would work, but they thought it would need some kind of electricity first.

    They weren¡¯t wrong about it, and were a bit worried that everything would end up in futile. Little did they know that Ivan had prepared a back-up plan, a plan that would definitely work. It was a coal-fired plant which only used a turbine to generate the energy from the steam of burning the coal.

    Marlon did think about using the coal, but the problem was finding coal was so difficult knowing they were surrounded by parasites. Now that they had Archie and Eve, and also that the parasites had gone hiding, they could gather a lot of coal from mining sites which were in both FalCon-2 and FalCon-3 areas.

    They had tested it, and managed to get electricity from coal. That alone was enough to make everyone happy and grateful for having Ivan with them. He was a multi-talented person with so much knowledge about almost everything.

    ¡°Looks like he has arrived,¡± Fanheim said as he looked at the truck that Newman built.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. In just a month, we already have a running vehicle, electricity, and now we will have an infinite amount of energy that we can use forever,¡± Marlon said as he shook his head in disbelief.

    ¡°It was all thanks to Archie to have someone so capable and brought him here with us,¡± Ruby said with her arms crossed as she stared at Archie playing with Elena in the distance.

    ¡°Yeah, without him, I don¡¯t think we would be this excited to come back. Everyone worked so hard and gave them motivation the moment he revealed who he was, and what his goal was. He¡¯s like our savior, and I don¡¯t think we can deny that now,¡± Marlon replied as he nodded in agreement.

    ¡°He has been our savior, ever since I met him. There are so many things that we could make things better than now if only I listened to him. She should be alive by now if I wasn¡¯t being stupid,¡± Ruby said as she kept staring at Archie.

    ¡°It¡¯s all in the past, Ruby, don¡¯t dwell it too much and be grateful with what we have right now. There¡¯s no reason to bring it all up because we all have made grave mistake at least once in our lives,¡± Fanheim replied.

    ¡°Yes, I know, I¡¯m just saying that everything could be better if we just listen to him. It¡¯s a reminder to all of us, and just believe in him,¡± Ruby nodded her head with understanding as she looked at Fanheim and Marlon.

    They both nodded in agreement.

    ¡°We are here with the machine, and let¡¯s bring this bad boy down,¡± Newman said as he jumped out from the truck.

    Everyone brought the machine down, and it looked like the machine. It was square like a container, and it was so heavy to carry around. The machine looked like a generator, and a place to store the feces inside. It had battery that would get charged by times after the gas on the feces being converted into energy.

    ¡°This thing is just a prototype, so we will be making this thing but in a much larger scale,¡± Ivan said as he looked at his own creation. ¡°It would take a long time, but we aren¡¯t in a rush, right?¡± Ivan asked.

    Ruby looked at the others who were resting on the road, she sighed and shook her head. ¡°I know,¡± Ruby replied with her head lowered. She looked at the red sky and then looked at Julia and Vincent, they both just stared back at her without showing any expression.

    ¡°It¡¯s your call, Bub. This is your mission, and I¡¯m just here to accompany you, not to supervise you guys,¡± Julia said as she checked her pistol.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s head back then,¡± Ruby said as she nodded and looked at Tommy.

    Tommy nodded and immediately left to inform the others.

    When they were planning to go back, all of them stopped moving as their eyes were staring at each other widely opened. They could hear a rumbling sound coming from the wall¡¯s direction toward their location, they all stood up and immediately grabbed their guns.

    Ruby cocked her submachine gun and pointed pulled the safety off. ¡°That was loud, how many of them do you think?¡± Ruby asked as she looked at Julia.

    ¡°Either a big one or dozens of them,¡± Julia replied as she grabbed her assault rifle on her back.

    Ruby looked at Daniel holding a sniper. ¡°Dan, give us vision,¡± Ruby said.

    ¡°Yes, Capt!¡± Daniel replied as he looked for a tall building.

    Everyone looked nervous because the noises were getting louder and louder.

    ¡°Capt! We are in luck!¡± Daniel shouted from the top of the building.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Ruby asked as she looked up.

    ¡°It¡¯s a turf war, they¡¯re not coming toward us, they¡¯re fighting each other!¡± Daniel replied as he kept his eye behind the scope.

    ¡°We need to move, we are in the middle of a clash and the commotion will only attract the others. We don¡¯t want to be in the middle of the clash or we won¡¯t be able to see the sun.¡± Julia said as she walked toward Ruby. ¡°Daniel, check your 3 and 9, which one is the safest,¡± Julia asked.

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Daniel responded as he looked to his left and right with his scope. ¡°Bad news, Major¡­¡± Daniel replied. ¡°Both sides are no good,¡± Daniel said as he looked down at Julia.

    ¡°How fortunate, we are going south then,¡± Julia said as she walked to the south.

    ¡°We are going south?¡± Ruby asked.

    ¡°I will take the lead from here, you just follow my order, do you understand, Bub?¡± Julia asked without even looking back at Ruby.

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Ruby answered.

    ¡°Everyone, follow my lead! Nobody is going to be left behind!¡± Julia shouted as she checked all her equipment.

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± Everyone replied.

    Julia led both divisions under her command and as she said earlier that they were in the middle of the clash, it happened. They were attacked by parasites but with Julia¡¯s command, everything was fine and nobody was injured.

    Julia ¡°The Sixth Sense¡± Ares was her nickname, and the reason why people called her that was because all the predictions and words she said were 90% came true. Her insight of the situation was on par with Archie¡¯s, and her combative skill could be compared to Iohann if only she was born in the same year as Iohann who was only 2 years apart. Both never met with each other but both of them acknowledge each other for their own achievements.

    Julia didn¡¯t like to work so she decided to stay in her previous rank since it was not too low and not too high. Everyone looked up to her even the people that had a higher rank than her, she achieved a lot at a young age but she stopped showing her capability after she lost her younger sister because of the decision she made that she thought she could change the outcome even though she knew it would be impossible.

    With Julia taking the command, everyone could feel at ease and had nothing to worry about. But it changed as soon as the parasites knew that there were humans among the parasite, and at that moment all the parasites decided to chase after them.

    Julia headshot all the parasites in front of her with her assault rifle then immediately switched to pistol and finished the rest. She made a path for everyone so they could follow her, she used her pistols, rifle, and sword to clear the path in front of her with zero fear. Her responsibility as a Major changed her way of thinking in a single snap and she became fierce and strict toward everyone including Ruby.

    ¡°Quick equipment check!¡± Julia said as she looked at the empty magazine in her hand.

    ¡°0-1¡±

    ¡°0-0¡±

    ¡°1-1¡±

    ¡°1-0¡±

    Everyone responded in order while Julia listened to all of them.

    ¡°Not good, everyone is out of bullets either on their primary or secondary guns, we have to go further to the south,¡± Julia said as she looked at Ruby and Vincent. ¡°Shot the flare, we need back up from the elites to pick us up. We won¡¯t be able to survive the night on our own in here,¡± Julia continued as she put her guns on her back.

    Ruby grabbed the flare gun and shot a yellow flare in the sky, everyone looked at the sky and it always gave them goosebumps whenever they saw a yellow flare.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope they could pick us up before the sun is rising¡­¡± Julia said while she wiped her sweat on her forehead. ¡°Let¡¯s move, we need to go into the forest and survive the night together.¡± Julia continued as she held a sword in her right hand and a dagger in her left hand.

 Chapter 186 A moment at peace.

    ¡°Everything is so peaceful right now, and sometimes I feel like this peace will come to an end very soon. I couldn¡¯t help but think like that,¡± Ruby said to Vincent who slept on the bed with him.

    ¡°I know what you mean, and I¡¯m also thinking the same thing. It makes me restless and I can¡¯t help but to make myself anxious about it,¡± Vincent answered as he nodded his head and stared at the ceiling. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because we have been facing a lot of trouble and problem that we think a peaceful moment is nothing but an oddity,¡±

    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right, but this should be good, right? I know that we shouldn¡¯t be so careless, but we deserve this,¡± Ruby asked as she stared at Vincent.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get some sleep. This is only making us anxious, and we have a big day tomorrow as well, so we need to rest now,¡± Vincent said as he turned toward Ruby and stared her in the eye.

    Ruby nodded, and then kissed Vincent. ¡°Good night,¡± Ruby said as she turned off the lamp.

    The morning came, and everyone was gathered in the city. They were ready to leave and gather more materials to rebuild the city.

    ¡°Good morning, and looks like everyone is ready to leave, but we have a bad news for you guys,¡± Marlon said as he looked at everyone.

    Everyone looked at each other and started to murmur.

    ¡°Be quiet and let me tell you what it is first,¡± Marlon said as he stared at them. He then cleared his throat and put his hands at ease. ¡°Archie and Eve spotted a few ships that were sailing toward us, and they took care of them thankfully. They both identified the ships, and they were belonged to the Northern Nation,¡± Marlon explained.

    Everyone was shocked and worried at the same time. Ruby and Vincent looked at each other as they closed their eyes and sighed.

    ¡°That¡¯s not the bad news, by the way,¡± Marlon said.

    Everyone immediately went quiet and looked at Marlon with their eyebrows raised.

    ¡°The bad news is that they managed to report about what happened to their ship, and now, there will be a fleet that will come here. I¡¯m not sure if the other nations would join in or not, but let¡¯s think about the worst case scenario here,¡± Marlon said.

    ¡°We need to protect ourselves, but knowing that we don¡¯t even have a single resource of armory, that makes us in a really bad spot. So I¡¯m asking you, what we are going to do with them? If we want to fight, what are we going to use to fight them. If we are going to run, where are we going to run?¡± Marlon asked as he looked at each of them.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary, Marshal,¡± Archie said as he walked to the front, and everyone was looking at him.

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Marlon asked.

    ¡°Eve and I, and of course, thanks to Elena, we have lured a lot of parasites into the open sea. We also have brought a King-type parasite into the sea, and now whoever that sail on our sea, they will be welcomed by that,¡± Archie answered.

    Everyone was shocked, and even though it was good news, they couldn¡¯t help but get worried because there was a King-type parasite in the sea not far from where they were.

    ¡°You guys don¡¯t have to worry, I can easily kill the King-type parasite. So if it decided to come back to the surface, I will kill it immediately,¡± Eve said.

    It was enough to make everyone at ease after Eve told her.

    Ivan was walking on the sidewalk while yawning and a cigarette in his hand, he looked at how peaceful and boring the city was. He was on his way back to his place but he heard something or someone crashing in the alleyway in front of him.

    Ivan took a peek with a cigarette in his mouth and saw the big garbage bin got destroyed and someone was kicking the bin away. He furrowed his eyebrows as he puffed the smoke but then he was surprised when he saw Archie standing up with a woman in his arms.

    ¡°Archie?!¡± Ivan shouted with his eyes wide open.

    ¡°What are you doing over there?!¡± Ivan walked into the alleyway as he looked at the beautiful woman in Archie¡¯s arms. ¡°Who is she?¡±

    Archie checked on Eve and she was still in deep sleep after he crushed his landing and ended up in the alleyway. He flew above the clouds to the Northern Nation, he was planning on landing on top of the building but he miscalculated and panicked that he ended up there.

    ¡°Perfect timing, Ivan,¡± Archie said as he walked toward him. ¡°I need your help, can you let me stay in your place for a few days?¡±

    ¡°Sure, but you haven¡¯t answered my question,¡± Ivan answered as he looked at Eve.

    ¡°She¡¯s my¡­¡± Archie hesitated and didn¡¯t know what kind of relationship he had with Eve.

    Ivan sighed and shook his head. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me if you don¡¯t want to,¡± Ivan said. ¡°Come on,¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± Archie said as he looked at Ivan. ¡°Can we use the road where there are no security cameras? There¡¯s a reason and I don¡¯t want to be seen,¡±

    Ivan furrowed his eyebrows and stared at Archie with curiosity. ¡°She¡¯s not someone important that you kidnapped, right? Because I don¡¯t want to deal with the authority,¡± Ivan said as he pointed at Eve.

    ¡°No, it has nothing to do with her or authority, it¡¯s just I don¡¯t want to be seen, that¡¯s all,¡± Archie said as he fixed his arms to make sure Eve was comfortable in his arms.

    ¡°Alright, I believe you, for now,¡± Ivan said. ¡°I know a way, so just follow me,¡±

    Archie followed Ivan and everyone was staring at Archie because Eve¡¯s beauty that made him the center of attention. He didn¡¯t like that but there was nothing he could do and even if he covered Eve¡¯s face, it only made them suspicious.

    ¡°This is the back door to my place, if you¡¯re planning on going out, use this instead of the front door,¡± Ivan said as he pointed at the door in front of him in the alleyway.

    ¡°Thank you, Ivan, I will pay you back later,¡± Archie replied as he nodded his head.

    ¡°Nah, just help me with the work tomorrow, I need someone to take care of the parasites for me,¡± Ivan said while he leaned on the wall and smoked his cigarette.

    ¡°Alright, I will be there,¡± Archie said.

    ¡°Alright then, this place is yours, I will see you later because there are things that I need to take care of first,¡± Ivan said as he walked toward the road while he waved his hand.

    Archie and Ivan were hanging out in the room while drinking vodka after a long day of work. Archie helped Ivan deal with the parasites and got paid the same amount as last time.

    Archie told Ivan about his story after he entered the Central Nation, he told Ivan that he joined the Valor special force. Ivan wasn¡¯t surprised since he knew how strong Archie was and he would be more surprised if he didn¡¯t pass the test.

    ¡°So, do you care on telling me what¡¯s happening? You suddenly appeared in the alleyway and then asked my favor to hide you from the security cameras. Did you do something in the Central Nation?¡± Ivan asked while he drank his vodka and sat in front of Archie.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s because I don¡¯t want to be bothered, that¡¯s all,¡± Archie answered and then took a shot.

    Ivan hummed and then he tilted his head and looked at Eve who was sleeping on the bed. ¡°By the way, she¡¯s really pretty, where did you find her? Is she someone you know? Or is it that she¡¯s your girlfriend?¡± Ivan raised his eyebrows with a huge grin on his face.

    ¡°She¡¯s someone that I know from a long time ago, one of my goals in life is to find her,¡± Archie answered and stared at Eve who was still asleep even though it had been two days since he came to the Northern Nation.

    ¡°Wow, how romantic,¡± Ivan said while he chuckled. ¡°By the way, everyone heard about what happened to the Sky Station,¡±

    ¡°Sky Station?¡± Archie raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°Yeah, the one on the south, about the King-type parasite,¡± Ivan answered and nodded his head. ¡°We saw a photo of that creature and that¡¯s fucking terrifying to see!¡±

    ¡°Oh, you guys saw it?¡± Archie asked and poured vodka into the glass.

    ¡°Of course, we saw it! It¡¯s all over the news and everyone knows about it,¡± Ivan said as he dragged his chair and then sat next to Archie. ¡°How the hell did you fight that thing off?! You guys are fucking crazy!¡±

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!